Promises (or lack thereof) - Pt. 10/25
Challenge: love_bingo
Characters: Jake Green and Robert Hawkins
Rating: PG to PG-13
Words: 1,308
Prompt: LG2 - Indecent Proposal
Warnings: Non-graphic implications of torture and violence.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, CBS or Jericho or...whoever else may actually own this show. I just like to take the characters out to play. I put them back, mostly unharmed...although not always...this is for fun, not profit and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Hawkins walked out of the cabin to meet Jake as he pulled into the yard. Hawkins became even more alert when Jake pulled back the tarp in the back of the truck and revealed the bound, gagged and blindfolded man underneath.
"Please tell me you didn't drive straight here," Hawkins sighed, winking at Jake.
"Better believe it," Jake replied with a wink of his own. "Got a place we can keep him while we talk?"
Hawkins simply nodded. He helped Jake walk the prisoner to a corner of the property where there was the abandoned cellar of a long-vanished old house.
"How deep is that?" Jake asked, feigning concern.
"Twenty - thirty feet," Hawkins lied, nonchalant.
"Probably won't kill him then?"
"No. Might break a few bones, though."
"That I can live with," Jake said and shoved his prisoner into the hole that was no more than six feet deep. The man grunted in surprise before relaxing in relief.
"Here," Hawkins said, and they covered the opening with boards and brush.
They didn't speak another word until they reached the cabin. Hawkins then sent Allison and Sam into town and sent Darcy to guard the prisoner. Jake told Darcy to make sure she shot to wound the prisoner; they needed him alive.
"Now," Hawkins said, "what's going on?"
~~~~~~
Jake looked up as the five men walked into the sheriff's office like they owned it. He assessed them quickly. They weren't regular military - a chill went down his spine as he recognized Ravenwood men.
The obvious leader glanced around and then headed to the front desk. Asking for him, Jake assumed sourly.
Jimmy was on duty at the front desk, and Jake watched as Jimmy left the Ravenwood men to Bill's watchful eyes - and the eye of every other Ranger in the sheriff's office. He saw the subtle signals as the Rangers casually rearranged themselves to surround the newcomers and to effectively cut off the men's retreat, if it became necessary.
Jake made a show of listening to Jimmy then he walked out of his office, deliberately ignoring Heather's empty desk.
They'd discovered her missing the night before, when she'd failed to show up at the Green house for supper. Her house had shown signs of struggle - and from what they could tell, Heather had made them work to take her. The two men sporting bruised faces were, Jake suspected, further proof that she hadn't gone down without a fight.
He only hoped she was still alive.
"Jake Green?" the leader said, faint surprise in his voice as he took in Jake's scruffy face, jeans, t-shirt and hoodie.
"Yeah," Jake replied.
"Sheriff Jake Green?"
"Yeah," Jake said again and lifted his shirt to show the badge on his belt. "New uniform. Trying to break it in."
The man smiled faintly.
"Is there some place we can talk?"
"I'm afraid you have the advantage of me," Jake said. "You are -?"
"Gil Hayes. Ravenwood."
"All right, Mr. Hayes. What's this about?"
Hayes glanced around and Jake knew the moment Hayes realized he and his men were boxed in.
"I could ask you the same question," Hayes said coolly, his eyes angry, flat and deadly.
"One of my employees disappeared last night," Jake said calmly. "Her home showed signs of struggle. We're a little on edge."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Maybe nothing. But it's been a tough year - and we've dealt with Ravenwood before. We don't take chances anymore. Now - what do you need from me?"
Hayes smiled a thin, humorless smile. "It so happens, I believe I can help you with your mystery. Heather Lisinski?"
Jake felt the blood drain from his face. In spite of the evidence, he'd hoped -
"Yes?" he asked, admirably calm. He thought his father would have been proud. Surprised - but proud.
"She's under arrest for treason. She and Major Beck were - apparently - quite...close."
Jake's skin crawled as Hayes made it sound like something dirty.
"So?" Jake demanded.
"So, I'd hoped to use her against Major Beck, perhaps convince him to surrender to the ASA to save her life. Apparently, however, the rumors of the depth of their relationship have been grossly exaggerated. I've found no one who can tell me if Major Beck considered her anything except a distant friend at best - or a useful piece of ass at worst."
"Hmmmm," Jake grunted, fighting the urge to smash his fist into the man's leering face. "Why do you think she's a traitor then?"
"Don't be naive, Sheriff. Regardless of their personal feelings, she was his civilian liaison. She must have known what he was doing - and she most likely helped him to accomplish it. We'll put her on trial and if nothing else, her fate will shake Beck's self-confidence. But that's not why I'm here. Ms Lisinski is in my custody and that's where she'll stay until I've delivered her to Cheyenne. My focus is still on demoralizing Edward Beck. If I can't get to him through love, perhaps I can get to him through hate."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"I've heard about what Beck did to do you during that unfortunate Goetz situation. I've also heard you have no particular loyalty to him."
"Somebody has a big mouth," Jake murmured.
Hayes smiled a thin, unpleasant smile. "You can't really blame her. She was a bit...stressed at the time."
Jake swallowed hard, and was thankful his Rangers were now so well trained that they were still waiting for his signal as opposed to simply opening fire on the bastards standing in front of him.
"So, I have a proposal for you," Hayes continued. "Tell me everything you know about Beck - his allies, his tactics, his weaknesses - how he got his information; how he managed to convince a dozen other garrisons to join him."
Jake waited, then raised an eyebrow in question. Hayes simply stared at him, that mocking smile still on his lips.
"And what do I get out of it?" Jake finally asked.
"The gratitude of a nation," Hayes purred. "And we'll let you keep your lovely little town intact." He glanced around contemptuously at the Rangers who surrounded him and his men. "And we'll forget that you even thought to threaten us. In other words, we won't report this...inhospitable behavior to J&R."
Jake smiled at Hayes. "Well, I appreciate the offer, especially your willingness to overlook our inhospitable behavior. But don't be so hasty to make those kinds of promises. You ain't seen nothin' yet!"
He gave the Rangers the signal, and Hayes and his men were disarmed before they could make a move. Hayes was bound, gagged and blindfolded, and tossed into Jake's truck while the rest of his men were locked up in the jail.
~~~~~~
Hawkins stared steadily at Jake.
"So you've brought him here - why?"
"To find out where Heather is," Jake replied.
"If he hasn't killed her already."
"She's not dead. He needed her alive to get to Beck. And they want to be able to put her on public trial - which will serve two purposes: a warning to the rest of the people in the ASA, and drive Beck crazy with the thought that they're going to execute her for his treason. Come on, Hawkins. You've trained her for this. More than that. She'll be waiting for us."
Hawkins smiled grimly. "She won't be waiting for us, Jake. But she will need our help." He stood, his eyes dark and distant. "Let's go have a talk with Mr. Hayes; we have a proposal of our own."
In the end, Hayes talked. They always talked by the time Hawkins was done with them.
"I'm glad you're on my side," Jake said as they drove into Jericho to get the Rangers to help them bring Heather back.
Hawkins only smiled.
Part 9 Part 11