[Ed. note: republished with permission from Jenna's blog. Part 1 can be read here.]
 

"Mrs. Isashrew. It's good to see you again," he said without a trace of cheer.

Jenna said nothing.

"The bag, Mrs. Isashrew. Give me the bag."

She took the bag from her shoulder, very slowly, and handed it to him.

A quick glance into the bag caused the man to frown. "Where are the tapes, Mrs. Isashrew?"

Jenna smiled then, the sour look on his face truly entertaining her.

"We'll find the types, Isashrew. You know we will. We always do." He made a hand gesture to the assembled SWAT types, who closed in on her with a black cloth bag and several secure ties. Now these guys know how to keep a captive, she thought morosely.

About twenty minutes later, by Jenna's best guess, the ties were cut and the hood removed. Rough hands forced her into a chair. She was in the center of a large and mostly unlit room, an empty warehouse maybe. A few feet in front of her sat the thin agent, his face still sour. Jenna smiled at him.

"Where are the tapes, Mrs. Isashrew?"

Jenna gave no answer, but looked around the room. In the dim light she could make out at least four other people, and there were sure to be several behind her. They would all be armed and highly trained. She wasn't going anywhere.

"Mrs. Isashrew, I asked you a question. Didn't your mother teach you manners?"

Jenna stared at him.

"The tapes, Mrs. Isashrew."

"I don't have them."

"Of course you don't have them. But you know where they are."

"Go to hell," she spat at him.

"You know how… damaging… could be the contents of those tapes, Mrs. Isashrew. You can't honestly think we'd allow you to take them public."

Jenna smiled. "I wasn't exactly asking your permission."

"We cannot allow that information to become public. You know this."

She did not respond.

"What do you imagine would happen if the public knew? Do you really think your path is a wise one?"

"The truth is always the right way."

The man leapt to his feet. "Dammit, Isashrew! Why can't you understand this?"

"The people have a right to know!" Jenna shouted back.

"This issue is of great personal interest to the president."

Jenna glowered.

"You know as well as I do, the president considers the production of The Dukes of Hazard 2 to be our highest national priority. That movie will never be made if the American people know the truth about Jessica Simpson's extraterrestrial origins."

"That's the whole idea," Jenna replied. "I don't think you realize the damage The Dukes of Hazard 2 could inflict on the American people."

"Of more immediate concern to you, Mrs. Isashrew, should be the damage we can inflict on you," the man said quietly. "Where are the tapes?"

Jenna turned away.

"You know what, Isashrew? I'm tired. And I hate Philadelphia. I cannot wait to get out of this place. Just as soon as we get those tapes we can all go home."

Jenna ignored him.

The man stared. He broke the silence with three words that would stick in her mind long afterward: "Thomason. Hurt her."

One of the men behind her stepped out of the shadows. He grabbed her arm with powerful hands and twisted savagely. She cried out in pain as something in her elbow gave way. The man twisted her arm back and forth as Jenna screamed. She fell to the floor when the man released her.

"Oh, Mrs. Isashrew, look at that. I believe you've broken your elbow. That looks painful." There was no trace of sympathy in the man's voice.

Out of the darkness appeared another suited man, who leaned to whisper into the ear of her tormentor. Both men broke into a grin.

"Well, Mrs. Isashrew, you'll be pleased to know that I no longer have to suffer through Philadelphia. I'll be back in Virginia in ninety minutes."

Through her tears Jenna mumbled, "I'm very happy for you."

"We found your tapes, Mrs. Isashrew. That was an excellent hiding spot, by the way. Inside the light fixture in a maintenance closet. Local cops probably would have missed that. But of course you know that we are much more thorough."

Jenna groaned in both exquisite pain and bitter disappointment.

"It's a shame we were interrupted so soon. I was looking forward to Thomason breaking your other elbow. But since our operatives have already destroyed all three tapes, I see no reason to keep you any longer. And I do so want something to look forward to in our next meeting." Without another word, the man rose and retreated into the darkness. A shuffle of boots and shoes told her the others were leaving along with him.

When the last of their noise died away, Jenna finally cracked a smile. Three tapes, she thought. She tightened her Kegel muscles securely around the undiscovered fourth tape. She cradled her battered elbow as she struggled to her feet. I'd better leave that tape right where it is until I know it's safe. I don't know if I can stand what those men might do to my knees.

Jenna shuffled in the direction the anonymous agents had left, each step causing little needles of pain to radiate out from her elbow. A big fat cast is really going to take the shine off my summer, she thought. But if this tape prevents The Dukes of Hazard 2, it will all be worth it.