Catching the Storm

13. Blackmail

Crystal's POV

We arrived back down at the docks and stepped out of the car, watching as the driver then spend away from us. Probably happy he no longer had to drive us around. I didn't blame him.

There were clouds gathering in the sky, turning the already dark night even darker as they blocked out the stars and moon. And already I could feel it begin to drizzle. No doubt it would soon begin to pick up.

I turned the SD card over in my hands, smiling. I finally had it back. I turned my attention back to Jackson who was staring curiously at me. I didn't pay all that much attention to him though. After all, I was finally free to be out of his presence. And I was getting out of his presence before whatever plan he'd come up with sucked me in deeper.

I gave him a mock salute. "May you rot from the inside out and burn in hell," I said as I spun on my heels and started to walk off.

"So, that's it then," Jackson said. The tone of his voice suggested that this was not, in fact, it.

I turned to look at him, eyeing him with suspicion. "Unless you want me to make good on my threat of killing you," I told him.

This seemed to amuse him. His eyes lit up and he had that evil mastermind look on his face. The look he seemed to get when he had a plan in mind. "See," He said as he took a step in my destination. "I don't believe you intend to go through with that threat."

I raised my eyebrows. "Does the fact that I'm no longer aiming a gun in your direction give you this illusion?"

Jackson smirked and fixed me with a stare that spelled trouble. "You could probably shoot me, of that I'm fairly certain, but I don't actually believe you'd kill me. Marrek, I believe would do it without a problem." His eyes flashed with a look I was growing to hate. "Seeing as he's no longer here . . ." He trailed off as he continued to stare.

I found myself glaring back at him. "We're done," I stated as I started to step away from him.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast." His smug voice cut through the air before I could even take a step. "I think you'll find that we're not yet finished with each other."

My eyes narrowed further, my glare turning murderous. "Yes," I stated firmly. "We are."

Jackson's smirk widened and he took another step in my direction. "That, Babe, is where you're wrong." He tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "See, I have a proposition for you."

"No," I replied flatly.

Jackson's smile got impossibly wider. "I haven't even told you what the proposition is."

"You don't have to. I don't want to do anything for you or with you."

"You don't even want what you won from the bet? My telling you why I was so willing to go along with what you wanted?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Yes, I did want to know. But since I was free to be rid of him, I didn't much care anymore. "If I thought you were actually going to tell me the truth, then yes," I replied. "Seeing as I know you're not going to, we're done."

"Not yet we're not," He continued, ignoring everything I had just said. "I'm looking for someone."

"Good for you." The rain was starting to come down harder. Not enough for it to soak us, but enough that it was beginning to make me cold and I wanted to just get away from him and get indoors.

"And you're going to help me find him."

I stared at him in bewilderment. "And in what world, do tell, will I ever be helping you with anything?"