1 Disclaimers: Don't own any characters from the show, just the ones I made
up. I'm not getting any money out of this, simply enjoyment.
Author's Note: I am presently in the middle of writing numerous Pretender stories so updates on my stories may be a little slow. I enjoy reviews and don't mind any input on the story's development. I want to please my readers just as much as I want to please myself.
Special Note: While reading this story, imagine the following actors portraying the specified characters:
Richard Gere as Dr. Conall
Paul Walker as Carey
2
3 The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Lyle slouched against the wall while his gaze rested on the closed elevator doors across the hallway. To the people walking past him, the sharply dressed man appeared to be simply wasting time or maybe relaxing after a stressful meeting. In fact, Lyle was waiting for someone: someone very important to him. Normally he'd wait in his office but on this day he was anxious for this encounter to start. His eyes followed some of the people passing by just to provide an allusion that he wasn't waiting for anyone in particular.
A pretty Asian woman entering his vision interrupted Lyle's concentration. His gaze followed her as she moved past him and down the hall. While his attention was diverted, the elevator doors slid open. Nary an eye turned to glance at the man that stepped out. His arrival was subtle, just as it was supposed to be.
The stranger stood just outside the doors, briefcase in hand. The handsome, dapper older man was in his late forties to early fifties. His darkish gray hair set off the neutral gray suit he wore. The thin-framed glasses on his face lent him a studious, professor like look. He was a polished, well-groomed individual without standing out. His gaze lingered over a few of the women who passed but finally he spotted his target. The man casually made his way through the crowd of hurried people.
Lyle was still watching the Asian woman when the gray-haired man walked up to him. The man stood silently in front of Lyle, his face impassive. The man waited a few minutes before clearing his throat.
Lyle jumped at the sudden small sound. A smile quickly replaced the surprised look that had crossed his face. "Glad you made it." Lyle glanced quickly around, placing a hand on the other man's arm. "Let's head down to my office. Too many eyes and ears out in the open."
"I understand," the stranger replied with a small smile. The two men started to stroll down the corridor. Neither of them noticed the person watching them.
4 Miss Parker's Office
The Centre
Broots staggered into his boss' office breathless. "M-M-Miss P-P- Parker!" he gasped.
Miss Parker's head jerked up at his abrupt entrance, a scowl plastered on her face. "Didn't I tell you to check up on that restaurant receipt we found at Jarod's last lair?"
Broots' head bobbled in a nod. "Y-Yes, b-b-but I saw, I mean a think I saw, something you might want to learn about…at least I think you might want to. I-It might be nothing at all. See, I was heading down to the lab- "
"Just tell me what you saw," Miss Parker interrupted slowly, speaking through clenched teeth.
"Lyle. He was talking to some man in a gray suit. I-I headed down here just after they entered Lyle's office."
"What did this man look like?" Miss Parker laid both hands on the stack of papers on her desk. They could wait for later.
"Uh, he was maybe five-ten, middle-aged, gray hair. His suit looked expensive. I think maybe Armani."
Miss Parker arched an eyebrow. "You know what an Armani suit looks like, Broots?"
"Well, yeah," Broots replied, completely missing the jab.
Miss Parker steepled her hands and gazed at Broots with a hard, thoughtful look. "Lyle has been a bit on edge these last few weeks. I bet this man has something to do with it. My little brother is up to something."
Broots bit his lip. The intense expression on her face meant she was planning something. This could not be good.
"I want you to find whatever you can about this strange face. Look at any file you can. But be careful. If Lyle's involved, it could get dangerous."
Broots gulped, fighting back a shudder. "Yes, ma'am," he replied weakly. Miss Parker smiled satisfactorily as he stumbled out of her office.
5 Lyle's Office
The Centre
Lyle quickly shut the door to his office once they were inside. He waved an arm toward a chair across from his desk. "Please, have a seat."
The older man smiled and settled into the chair, lazily stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing his ankles. "Don't mind if I do."
Lyle circled around his desk and slid down into his leather swivel chair. "Let's get straight to business."
The other man nodded. "How is he taking the move? I would have come up on the same flight but I had to finish up some important business."
Lyle smiled. "He's settled in fine. I haven't been down to check on him myself but one of my men has been seeing to his needs. He'll be glad to have you back."
The man grinned. "He doesn't care who handles him as long as he gets to have his fun."
Lyle smirked. "That's because he's only worked with you. I know a handler or two he might not enjoy having to obey."
The other man shrugged. "When would you like to get started? I have to take care of some personal things but they shouldn't take long."
Lyle frowned and thought for a moment. "We'll have to be careful. If we hurry this, we may make some mistakes. We don't need people who have no business knowing about this finding out. The Triumvirate wants to keep this as low key as possible."
"He may not be able to wait very long. He gets impatient if he isn't allowed to enjoy himself. He's pretty willful," the man ended his speech with a chuckle.
"Not too willful, I hope," Lyle stated, a warning edge to his voice.
The other man shook his head. "He knows how to obey orders. He always knows where he stands."
"Good." Lyle smiled again and clasped his hands together. "We can get started soon. Very soon."
The older man smiled and stood up. "Let's go see what our little project is up to. I know he'll be eager to get back to work."
"Of course, Dr. Conall," answered Lyle as he walked across the room to open the door. "That is what you're here for."
6 Outside Lyle's Office
Broots panicked when Lyle opened the door. He'd stopped just outside the office door to chat with somebody he knew. His friend had just left when he heard the door open, followed by the sound of Lyle's voice.
I'm dead! he thought with alarm. He spun in a circle, not sure which way to head. Finally, just as Lyle and the other man started to walk out the door, Broots shot off in the direction of the tech room.
7 Miss Parker's Office
The Centre
Miss Parker and Sydney were talking just inside her office before leaving work for the day when Broots came rushing up. The tech was carrying a folder thick with paper and breathing as though he had sprinted all the way to her office.
"Miss Parker!" he called.
"Broots," Miss Parker returned sharply.
"Sorry, M-Miss Parker, but it's important." The technician stopped and cleared his throat, glancing quickly at the door.
"Get in!" Miss Parker growled, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him inside. The door slammed behind them with a forceful thud.
"What is it?" snapped Miss Parker with a cold look at Broots. She plopped down in her chair while Sydney stood against the wall.
Broots stepped forward and fumblingly dropped the folder on Parker's desk. "T-This is all the, uh, information I could find on the man Mr. Lyle was talking to."
Miss Parker's eyes rolled. "You find all that without knowing the guy's name?"
Broots looked at her dumbfounded. "No, of course not!" he scoffed, sending Sydney a look. The psychiatrist gave him an encouraging smile.
"I was, um, talking to my friend, Lenny-"
"The guy with only half an ear?" Sydney guessed, grinning.
Broots chuckled, causing Miss Parker's eyes to roll again. "Yeah, that's the guy. You've met him?"
"Syd, don't encourage him! Broots, shut up about your friend and get on with what you wanted to tell me!"
"Right, um, anyway, I was talking to Lenny then after he left, I heard the door to Lyle's office open. I was trying to figure out how to escape when I heard Mr. Lyle call the man he'd been talking to Dr. Conall. That's when I raced over to the lab to look the guy up. And that's what I found." Broots nodded at the thick folder.
Frowning, Miss Parker pulled the folder closer to her and flipped it open. "This all you have?" she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Yeah."
"Did you say Dr. Conall, Broots?"
Broots and Miss Parker both shifted their focus from the folder to Sydney. Neither of the two had noticed the psychiatrist start at the mention of the name in question. They were both surprised to see a dark frown on the man's habitually stoic face.
"Yeah, I-I did," Broots answered.
"What's up, Freud?" Miss Parker inquired.
"There was a Dr. Conall who was involved with the Pretender project." Sydney paused and a contemplative expression wiped the uncharacteristic frown away.
"And?" Miss Parker raised her brows.
"Wait!" Broots said excitedly before Sydney could continue. "I read something about this in the files!" Broots looked at Miss Parker with dopey enthusiasm.
"Dr. Conall was assigned to a Pretender by the name of Carey. He handled Carey for ten years until Carey was taken out of the Pretender project. Conall was then transferred to the Centre's holdings in Chicago and after that I couldn't find anything on what he was doing there."
Miss Parker's brow furrowed. "Why was Carey taken out of the Pretender project?"
Sydney pursed his lips. "Carey was one of the last children to be brought to the Centre and added to the program. He was, I believe, ten years younger than Jarod. After the ten years that Broots mentioned, it was realized that Carey's abilities were not up to par, at least compared to those of Jarod. Once it was decided Carey was not up to standards, he was pulled from the Pretender project. I don't know what was done with him after that. All I know is that he was transferred to somewhere else in the States."
"Maybe Chicago?" Miss Parker asked with exaggerated enthusiasm. Sydney shrugged.
She leaned back thoughtfully. "Was Carey taken from his parents, too?"
"I believe his parents died in a car crash just before he was brought in," Sydney responded.
"A car crash, right. I'll have to remember that one." Miss Parker turned her head to look at Broots. "See what you can find on Carey and what they did with him once he was removed from the Pretender project."
Broots nodded slowly. "Yes, Miss Parker."
8 Simulation Lab
SL-15
The young man was sitting at a table with a sweeper behind him when the two men climbed down the stairs. Conall preceded Lyle and at the sight of him the young man at the table jumped to his feet.
"Conall!" His face and voice expressed his delight. Then he spotted Lyle and stopped in mid-stride toward Conall. Immediately any expression was erased from the young man's face and he stood passively waiting. He'd been taught well.
Conall gave his subject a gentle smile. "Hello, Carey," he said, his voice marginally warm. He passed the young man and walked over to the table. "Come have a seat."
Carey glanced at Lyle, who had watched the reunion with no emotion, before walking over to the table. Conall guided him to his seat with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Lyle moved over to the table, too, but his attention was on the sweeper.
"You may go now. You'll know when we need you again."
"Yes, sir," the sweeper replied as he hurried out of the room. The simulation labs always gave him the creeps.
Conall stood behind Carey, his face totally impartial. Carey himself sat inhumanely still, no expression showing in his face except for a bit of curiosity glowing in his eyes.
Lyle moved around so he was facing him. For a long time he simply stared silently at the younger man. For his part Carey stared evenly back at him.
Lyle cocked his head. "Do you know who I am?"
Carey blinked then narrowed his eyes. He appeared to study Lyle as though he was some complicated math problem. After a few minutes, his demeanor relaxed. "You're Mr. Lyle."
A small smile twitched at the corners of Lyle's mouth. "You do remember me."
"Yes, sir," Carey replied.
"How do you know me?" Lyle asked, garnering a confused look from Conall.
"Chicago. You-You were in charge over there."
A full smile graced Lyle's face and he chuckled. "Not quite in charge. But I did pull a lot of weight over there." He immediately sobered up and eyed Carey for a minute. "How do you like your new accommodations? Comfortable?"
"Yes, sir."
Lyle smiled again. "Do you know why you were brought to Delaware?"
"No, sir."
Lyle was serious again. "We need your help with something. It's very important."
"You need my help?" Sudden interest gleamed in the ex-Pretender's green eyes.
Lyle smiled. "Yes, we do." He paused a minute before waving a hand in front of him. "But we'll talk about that later. For now, we'll just let you adjust to your new home."
Conall placed a hand on Carey's shoulder. "I'll walk back with you to the room."
Carey nodded and stood up. Lyle hung back as Conall propelled Carey toward the stairs with a hand on his shoulder. A smug smile adorned his face as he followed after them. Soon they would get down to business. There was much to be taken care of.
9 Miss Parker's Office
Miss Parker had just swallowed two aspirins when Broots rushed in followed closely by Sydney.
"Miss Parker!" Broots cried excitedly as Sydney shut the doors.
"What is it, Broots?" she groaned.
Broots stopped and peered concernedly at her. "You feeling okay, Miss Parker?"
"No, but get on with it."
Broots sighed. "I looked up on Carey like you told me to. I looked at files concerning his time here but I even hacked into the Chicago-based Centre's system. You won't believe what I-" he glanced quickly at the silent Sydney, "-we read."
Miss Parker looked at both men and quickly rose from her chair. She walked over to the doors of her office, double-checked to make sure no unwanted ears were listening, and then went back to her seat. She leaned forward and looked at Broots expectantly.
"Tell me."
Author's Note: I am presently in the middle of writing numerous Pretender stories so updates on my stories may be a little slow. I enjoy reviews and don't mind any input on the story's development. I want to please my readers just as much as I want to please myself.
Special Note: While reading this story, imagine the following actors portraying the specified characters:
Richard Gere as Dr. Conall
Paul Walker as Carey
2
3 The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Lyle slouched against the wall while his gaze rested on the closed elevator doors across the hallway. To the people walking past him, the sharply dressed man appeared to be simply wasting time or maybe relaxing after a stressful meeting. In fact, Lyle was waiting for someone: someone very important to him. Normally he'd wait in his office but on this day he was anxious for this encounter to start. His eyes followed some of the people passing by just to provide an allusion that he wasn't waiting for anyone in particular.
A pretty Asian woman entering his vision interrupted Lyle's concentration. His gaze followed her as she moved past him and down the hall. While his attention was diverted, the elevator doors slid open. Nary an eye turned to glance at the man that stepped out. His arrival was subtle, just as it was supposed to be.
The stranger stood just outside the doors, briefcase in hand. The handsome, dapper older man was in his late forties to early fifties. His darkish gray hair set off the neutral gray suit he wore. The thin-framed glasses on his face lent him a studious, professor like look. He was a polished, well-groomed individual without standing out. His gaze lingered over a few of the women who passed but finally he spotted his target. The man casually made his way through the crowd of hurried people.
Lyle was still watching the Asian woman when the gray-haired man walked up to him. The man stood silently in front of Lyle, his face impassive. The man waited a few minutes before clearing his throat.
Lyle jumped at the sudden small sound. A smile quickly replaced the surprised look that had crossed his face. "Glad you made it." Lyle glanced quickly around, placing a hand on the other man's arm. "Let's head down to my office. Too many eyes and ears out in the open."
"I understand," the stranger replied with a small smile. The two men started to stroll down the corridor. Neither of them noticed the person watching them.
4 Miss Parker's Office
The Centre
Broots staggered into his boss' office breathless. "M-M-Miss P-P- Parker!" he gasped.
Miss Parker's head jerked up at his abrupt entrance, a scowl plastered on her face. "Didn't I tell you to check up on that restaurant receipt we found at Jarod's last lair?"
Broots' head bobbled in a nod. "Y-Yes, b-b-but I saw, I mean a think I saw, something you might want to learn about…at least I think you might want to. I-It might be nothing at all. See, I was heading down to the lab- "
"Just tell me what you saw," Miss Parker interrupted slowly, speaking through clenched teeth.
"Lyle. He was talking to some man in a gray suit. I-I headed down here just after they entered Lyle's office."
"What did this man look like?" Miss Parker laid both hands on the stack of papers on her desk. They could wait for later.
"Uh, he was maybe five-ten, middle-aged, gray hair. His suit looked expensive. I think maybe Armani."
Miss Parker arched an eyebrow. "You know what an Armani suit looks like, Broots?"
"Well, yeah," Broots replied, completely missing the jab.
Miss Parker steepled her hands and gazed at Broots with a hard, thoughtful look. "Lyle has been a bit on edge these last few weeks. I bet this man has something to do with it. My little brother is up to something."
Broots bit his lip. The intense expression on her face meant she was planning something. This could not be good.
"I want you to find whatever you can about this strange face. Look at any file you can. But be careful. If Lyle's involved, it could get dangerous."
Broots gulped, fighting back a shudder. "Yes, ma'am," he replied weakly. Miss Parker smiled satisfactorily as he stumbled out of her office.
5 Lyle's Office
The Centre
Lyle quickly shut the door to his office once they were inside. He waved an arm toward a chair across from his desk. "Please, have a seat."
The older man smiled and settled into the chair, lazily stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing his ankles. "Don't mind if I do."
Lyle circled around his desk and slid down into his leather swivel chair. "Let's get straight to business."
The other man nodded. "How is he taking the move? I would have come up on the same flight but I had to finish up some important business."
Lyle smiled. "He's settled in fine. I haven't been down to check on him myself but one of my men has been seeing to his needs. He'll be glad to have you back."
The man grinned. "He doesn't care who handles him as long as he gets to have his fun."
Lyle smirked. "That's because he's only worked with you. I know a handler or two he might not enjoy having to obey."
The other man shrugged. "When would you like to get started? I have to take care of some personal things but they shouldn't take long."
Lyle frowned and thought for a moment. "We'll have to be careful. If we hurry this, we may make some mistakes. We don't need people who have no business knowing about this finding out. The Triumvirate wants to keep this as low key as possible."
"He may not be able to wait very long. He gets impatient if he isn't allowed to enjoy himself. He's pretty willful," the man ended his speech with a chuckle.
"Not too willful, I hope," Lyle stated, a warning edge to his voice.
The other man shook his head. "He knows how to obey orders. He always knows where he stands."
"Good." Lyle smiled again and clasped his hands together. "We can get started soon. Very soon."
The older man smiled and stood up. "Let's go see what our little project is up to. I know he'll be eager to get back to work."
"Of course, Dr. Conall," answered Lyle as he walked across the room to open the door. "That is what you're here for."
6 Outside Lyle's Office
Broots panicked when Lyle opened the door. He'd stopped just outside the office door to chat with somebody he knew. His friend had just left when he heard the door open, followed by the sound of Lyle's voice.
I'm dead! he thought with alarm. He spun in a circle, not sure which way to head. Finally, just as Lyle and the other man started to walk out the door, Broots shot off in the direction of the tech room.
7 Miss Parker's Office
The Centre
Miss Parker and Sydney were talking just inside her office before leaving work for the day when Broots came rushing up. The tech was carrying a folder thick with paper and breathing as though he had sprinted all the way to her office.
"Miss Parker!" he called.
"Broots," Miss Parker returned sharply.
"Sorry, M-Miss Parker, but it's important." The technician stopped and cleared his throat, glancing quickly at the door.
"Get in!" Miss Parker growled, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him inside. The door slammed behind them with a forceful thud.
"What is it?" snapped Miss Parker with a cold look at Broots. She plopped down in her chair while Sydney stood against the wall.
Broots stepped forward and fumblingly dropped the folder on Parker's desk. "T-This is all the, uh, information I could find on the man Mr. Lyle was talking to."
Miss Parker's eyes rolled. "You find all that without knowing the guy's name?"
Broots looked at her dumbfounded. "No, of course not!" he scoffed, sending Sydney a look. The psychiatrist gave him an encouraging smile.
"I was, um, talking to my friend, Lenny-"
"The guy with only half an ear?" Sydney guessed, grinning.
Broots chuckled, causing Miss Parker's eyes to roll again. "Yeah, that's the guy. You've met him?"
"Syd, don't encourage him! Broots, shut up about your friend and get on with what you wanted to tell me!"
"Right, um, anyway, I was talking to Lenny then after he left, I heard the door to Lyle's office open. I was trying to figure out how to escape when I heard Mr. Lyle call the man he'd been talking to Dr. Conall. That's when I raced over to the lab to look the guy up. And that's what I found." Broots nodded at the thick folder.
Frowning, Miss Parker pulled the folder closer to her and flipped it open. "This all you have?" she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Yeah."
"Did you say Dr. Conall, Broots?"
Broots and Miss Parker both shifted their focus from the folder to Sydney. Neither of the two had noticed the psychiatrist start at the mention of the name in question. They were both surprised to see a dark frown on the man's habitually stoic face.
"Yeah, I-I did," Broots answered.
"What's up, Freud?" Miss Parker inquired.
"There was a Dr. Conall who was involved with the Pretender project." Sydney paused and a contemplative expression wiped the uncharacteristic frown away.
"And?" Miss Parker raised her brows.
"Wait!" Broots said excitedly before Sydney could continue. "I read something about this in the files!" Broots looked at Miss Parker with dopey enthusiasm.
"Dr. Conall was assigned to a Pretender by the name of Carey. He handled Carey for ten years until Carey was taken out of the Pretender project. Conall was then transferred to the Centre's holdings in Chicago and after that I couldn't find anything on what he was doing there."
Miss Parker's brow furrowed. "Why was Carey taken out of the Pretender project?"
Sydney pursed his lips. "Carey was one of the last children to be brought to the Centre and added to the program. He was, I believe, ten years younger than Jarod. After the ten years that Broots mentioned, it was realized that Carey's abilities were not up to par, at least compared to those of Jarod. Once it was decided Carey was not up to standards, he was pulled from the Pretender project. I don't know what was done with him after that. All I know is that he was transferred to somewhere else in the States."
"Maybe Chicago?" Miss Parker asked with exaggerated enthusiasm. Sydney shrugged.
She leaned back thoughtfully. "Was Carey taken from his parents, too?"
"I believe his parents died in a car crash just before he was brought in," Sydney responded.
"A car crash, right. I'll have to remember that one." Miss Parker turned her head to look at Broots. "See what you can find on Carey and what they did with him once he was removed from the Pretender project."
Broots nodded slowly. "Yes, Miss Parker."
8 Simulation Lab
SL-15
The young man was sitting at a table with a sweeper behind him when the two men climbed down the stairs. Conall preceded Lyle and at the sight of him the young man at the table jumped to his feet.
"Conall!" His face and voice expressed his delight. Then he spotted Lyle and stopped in mid-stride toward Conall. Immediately any expression was erased from the young man's face and he stood passively waiting. He'd been taught well.
Conall gave his subject a gentle smile. "Hello, Carey," he said, his voice marginally warm. He passed the young man and walked over to the table. "Come have a seat."
Carey glanced at Lyle, who had watched the reunion with no emotion, before walking over to the table. Conall guided him to his seat with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Lyle moved over to the table, too, but his attention was on the sweeper.
"You may go now. You'll know when we need you again."
"Yes, sir," the sweeper replied as he hurried out of the room. The simulation labs always gave him the creeps.
Conall stood behind Carey, his face totally impartial. Carey himself sat inhumanely still, no expression showing in his face except for a bit of curiosity glowing in his eyes.
Lyle moved around so he was facing him. For a long time he simply stared silently at the younger man. For his part Carey stared evenly back at him.
Lyle cocked his head. "Do you know who I am?"
Carey blinked then narrowed his eyes. He appeared to study Lyle as though he was some complicated math problem. After a few minutes, his demeanor relaxed. "You're Mr. Lyle."
A small smile twitched at the corners of Lyle's mouth. "You do remember me."
"Yes, sir," Carey replied.
"How do you know me?" Lyle asked, garnering a confused look from Conall.
"Chicago. You-You were in charge over there."
A full smile graced Lyle's face and he chuckled. "Not quite in charge. But I did pull a lot of weight over there." He immediately sobered up and eyed Carey for a minute. "How do you like your new accommodations? Comfortable?"
"Yes, sir."
Lyle smiled again. "Do you know why you were brought to Delaware?"
"No, sir."
Lyle was serious again. "We need your help with something. It's very important."
"You need my help?" Sudden interest gleamed in the ex-Pretender's green eyes.
Lyle smiled. "Yes, we do." He paused a minute before waving a hand in front of him. "But we'll talk about that later. For now, we'll just let you adjust to your new home."
Conall placed a hand on Carey's shoulder. "I'll walk back with you to the room."
Carey nodded and stood up. Lyle hung back as Conall propelled Carey toward the stairs with a hand on his shoulder. A smug smile adorned his face as he followed after them. Soon they would get down to business. There was much to be taken care of.
9 Miss Parker's Office
Miss Parker had just swallowed two aspirins when Broots rushed in followed closely by Sydney.
"Miss Parker!" Broots cried excitedly as Sydney shut the doors.
"What is it, Broots?" she groaned.
Broots stopped and peered concernedly at her. "You feeling okay, Miss Parker?"
"No, but get on with it."
Broots sighed. "I looked up on Carey like you told me to. I looked at files concerning his time here but I even hacked into the Chicago-based Centre's system. You won't believe what I-" he glanced quickly at the silent Sydney, "-we read."
Miss Parker looked at both men and quickly rose from her chair. She walked over to the doors of her office, double-checked to make sure no unwanted ears were listening, and then went back to her seat. She leaned forward and looked at Broots expectantly.
"Tell me."