A Call to Miss Parker
Disclaimer; I do not own The Pretender or Vengeance Unlimited. Sure wish I did, though.
Author's Notes: I just came up with this after remembering two of my favorite series. While VU barely lasted a whole season, it remains a fascinating study. Enjoy!
(Jacksonville, FL; a Sunday; mid-afternoon)
"And this was the man that helped you?" The frail elderly woman looks at the picture of the dark-haired young man before nodding at the dour-appearing young woman.
"Yes, that's Jarod. He was very sweet, always helping around the house." Frowning slightly, she adds, "I know Frank would have liked him had he lived through the crash. Both he and the other young fella." The young woman's eyebrows arch upward at that.
"Other young man?" The elder woman nods before smirking.
"While I don't think I'd have been able to pay the favor, especially at my age, I can't help but feel glad for Mr Chapel's help."
"Mr Chapel was his name?" The elder woman nods again before the younger woman purses her lips in thought. 'Odd. Jarod usually does things alone. What happened, Jarod?' Next thing she knows, her cell phone rings. "Thank you for your time, Mrs Frazier." Mrs Frazier nods as the younger woman walks away, bringing out her phone in the process. "What?!"
"Just like how Jarod described you, Miss Parker." The man's voice is rough, yet strong.
"Who is this? And how'd you get my number?"
"Now I'm hurt. Especially since Mrs Frazier just told you about me. As for how I got your number, who do you think gave it to me?" Her eyes narrowing before she looks around, Miss Parker frowns before returning her attention to the call.
"Mr Chapel, I presume?"
"Ding, ding, ding! Correct, Miss Parker." Nodding at Sam as he opens the Lincoln Town Car's left rear door for her, she steps in as Mr Chapel speaks again. "I never cared much for Lincoln vehicles."
"Oh? Why might that be?"
"To me, personally, they scream bored rich people or people with something to hide." Miss Parker can't help but smirk at that.
"And what sort of vehicle do you prefer, Mr Chapel?"
"Muscle cars from any American auto company. Classics, particularly."
"You've got interesting taste, Mr Chapel." Getting herself comfortable in the sedan's leather seat, she adds, "But I seriously doubt you called me to discuss tastes in vehicles."
"You're right. I want you to take a message to your bosses at The Centre. I'm hoping you got a 'record' function on your phone because I'm only gonna say this once."
"Yes, just a moment." Tapping on her phone's keypad, she sees the 'record' icon come up. "I'm recording now."
"Good. Leave Jarod alone. Completely. He's a human being, not a piece of property."
"The Centre greatly disagrees with you, Mr Chapel." Next thing she hears is a rumbling chuckle.
"Jarod told me you'd say something like that. Which is why The Centre's got two options. The first one I just now told you."
"And the other option?"
"If The Centre persists in its pursuit of Jarod, well, I won't really say on the phone. But I'll send you a package that'll take two days to arrive. The contents are option 2. Jarod has my number, so he'll let me know if The Centre opts for option 2." Miss Parker can't help but scoff at that.
"Is that supposed to be a threat, Mr Chapel?"
"More like a warning. See, I don't like the idea of good people being hunted like wild animals."
"And you expect to be able to change that?"
"Maybe not, but, I don't have to tolerate it." Chuckling again, he adds, "You can stop recording now, by the way." With that, the call ends and Miss Parker rolls her eyes at the redundancy.
"Yeah. I kinda got that." Stopping the 'record' function, Miss Parker shakes her head before smirking. 'He's just blowing hot air.'
(Blue Cove, DE; The Centre; two days later)
As Miss Parker walks into the spacious lobby, her mind goes back to the phone call before shaking her head again. Unconsciously, however, she heads toward the 'mail' desk and addresses the staff member there.
"Any mail for me today, Damon?"
"Hello, Miss Parker. Yes. It's just arrived." Bringing out a large manila mailing packet, Damon goes on. "No return address, but checks found nothing dangerous in it."
'Sometimes "nothing dangerous" can turn out to be dangerous.' Miss Parker ignores that thought before nodding. "As long as it's nothing dangerous, I see no real problem with the lack of a return address." Damon gives her a nod before handing it over, with Miss Parker gently taking it in her grasp before walking away.
Five minutes later, she enters her office and closes the door before opening the packet. Seeing a group of papers placed together, along with a small cell phone, she brings them out before seeing a newspaper headline on one of the papers.
Newspaper Magnate Accused in Hate Crime Murder
Blinking at it, she looks at the next one.
Newspaper Magnate Cleared; Chief Executive Officer Convicted
Curious, she looks at the next one and her eyes fly open, remembering reading about it four weeks prior.
Football Quarterback Denies Raping Exchange Student; Town Rallies Behind Him
Eagerly, she looks at the next one and nearly bursts out laughing.
Football Hero Caught in Act of Passion with Livestock By State Authorities; Exchange Student in Stitches from Laughter
"It seems you've Jarod's sense of humor, Mr Chapel." Looking over the next headline, her mirth suddenly ends upon remembering reading about it as well.
Teen Gang Members Walk After Capital Murder Charges Dropped; DA Vows to Prosecute
When she sees the next one, she nods in satisfaction.
Convicted! Teen Gang Members Charged With Witness Intimidation; DA Seeking Death Penalty on All
"So Option 2 is going up against Mr Chapel, then." Shivering slightly, she mutters, "Daddy's not going to like this one bit." Next thing she knows, the cell phone that was in the packet rings. Gulping lightly, she looks at the screen and sees private number andsteels herself before answering the phone. "What?!"
"Seeing as you answered the phone, I trust you got the package as intended." At the sound of Mr Chapel's voice in her ear, Miss Parker's knees shake slightly before she gets them under control.
"Yes, I'm actually looking at the articles, in fact." Smirking in amusement, she then asks, "How'd you get the quarterback to do that, anyway?"
"It wasn't easy."
Miss Parker can't help but laugh raucously at that cheerfully blunt reply. She then gets herself under control so she can speak again. Yet with a wide smile of amusement on her face.
"I have no doubt about that, Mr Chapel. But, out of curiosity, why did you call me first?"
"Jarod told me about the girl that gave him his first kiss that later grew up to be his most dogged pursuer. Now, I'm not a psychologist, but I'm thinking there's more to your pursuit of Jarod than what you claim. Plus, he and I both agreed that you two are not the only ones victimized by The Centre. Well, other than the ones The Centre indirectly victimized through his work."
"I see. Who are the others that were victimized?"
"Sydney, Angelo, Mr Broots and his daughter, Debbie. Jarod told me about them."
"And how do you know I won't show Daddy, Mr Lyle, Mr Raines or the members of the Triumvirate the package?"
"I don't. I sent the package to you as a gesture of good faith. Jarod told me that while you're determined to catch him, you're also smart enough to know some things aren't good for you. Feel free to talk to Sydney, Angelo and Mr Broots before your bosses. See what they think. I hope you choose soon, and wisely. You seem like a classy dame and you can do much better than a place that gave you all nothing but problems." With that, the call ends and Miss Parker picks up her desk phone.
"Sydney, could you and Mr Broots come up to my office? Bring Angelo with you as well. I'd like to run something by you two and him."
"Of course, Miss Parker. We'll be there in five minutes." Once Sydney hangs up, Miss Parker sits down behind her desk before looking over the articles in detail. Reading again about the quarterback being caught, Miss Parker freely giggles in amusement.
"You've definitely got Jarod's sense of humor. Though yours is a little more brazen than his." Next thing she knows, a knock is heard on her door. "Come in!" When the door opens, she looks up and sees a calm-appearing man with grey-silver hair, a nervous-looking man with thinning brown hair and a twitching man with unruly blond hair.
"We're here, Miss Parker."
"Close the door, please Sydney." Sydney nods and does so before looking at Miss Parker.
"What's this about?" She doesn't say anything, but she holds out one of the papers to Sydney. When he takes it, he looks it over before saying, "I remember reading about that. A shopkeeper that refused to pay 'protection money' was found riddled with bullets from multiple guns. A witness initially identified a quartet of teens as the killers, but when time for testimony came…"
"He choked on the stand." Broots' voice is pensive as he goes on. "He was two years younger than the teens, so he couldn't help but feel intimidated by their friends."
Miss Parker nods before looking at their companion.
"Sydney, give the paper to Angelo. See what kind of reaction it spurs." Nodding, Sydney does so. The effect's instant. Angelo goes into a frantic frenzy, moving like he's dancing when he's actually flinching in all directions. "Angelo, what do you feel?"
"He's dangerous, yet not toward those trying to live normal lives. He has a fee, but also takes favors if unable to pay. He's helped many people, like Jarod does, only differently."
"How differently, Angelo?" At Sydney's question, Angelo shudders before looking toward him.
"If you're the type that bullies others, he bullies right back. Ten-fold."
"I'm convinced. Let's not cross his path at all, Miss Parker." Broots' words get a sardonic smirk from her, getting him to groan. "It's too late, isn't it?"
"Sort of."
"Explain, Parker." With that, she tells Sydney, Broots and Angelo about the call she'd gotten and Mr Chapel's words of advice about Jarod. When she's done, he asks, "What do you think personally, Parker?"
"The Centre's all I've ever known. It's all I ever had, even when Mother…" Shaking her head, remembering the video of Raines killing her Mother after the birth of her and Jarod's shared-brother, Miss Parker looks back at Sydney. "Lately, though, I've been wondering if what the Centre does truly is right."
"How do you mean, Miss Parker?"
"Remember when Jarod first escaped? He found out the Centre sold his work to various people. Some that actually helped people while others…"
"Caused people's deaths. I remember. But every one of Jarod's sims were contracts. The Centre had an obligation to follow through on the contracts. Even if people got hurt or killed afterward."
"Let's not forget kidnapped." Scowl on her face, she adds, "I think that was the first time I actually thought about breaking free from The Centre and inwardly cheered Jarod on as he drove off with the witness." Looking toward Broots, she then asks, "Do you remember when the annex was attacked and you were framed?"
"All too well." Shaking viciously, he remarks, "Jarod bailed me out, but wound up having to kill the guy that framed me." Miss Parker nods at that before looking at Sydney.
"What do you think, Sydney?"
"I've spent most of my life working here, Miss Parker. Through good times and bad. You, Jarod and Angelo were the ones that made my time here worthwhile. Whatever you decide, I'll back."
"I'm with Sydney on this one, Miss Parker. It's your call." Broots' reply gets a soft smile from Miss Parker before she looks at Angelo.
"What do you think, Angelo?" Seeing as Angelo sways unsteadily on his feet, she asks, "Angelo?"
"Abandon ship. Abandon ship." Sighing, Miss Parker can only nod.
"I thought you'd say that, Angelo." Looking over the papers again, she suddenly stops when she gets to the bottom sheet. The sheet is blank, save for a seven digit number. Pressing in the number on the paper into the new cell phone, she puts it on speaker before hearing it pick up.
"I was beginning to wonder if you'd call me back." Wryly smirking, Miss Parker can only snort incredulously.
"Why didn't you tell me about the number on the bottom page to begin with? That would've saved a lot of time, Mr Chapel."
"And ruin your fun? Miss Parker, if there's one thing I'm not, it's one that deprives somebody of their fun. Unless, of course, that person does something I don't like."
"How generous." Sydney's reply gets a chuckle from the other end.
"You've got to be Sydney. Jarod told me about you. Angelo and Broots there?"
"We're here, Mr Chapel."
"Mr Broots, I presume. I trust Debbie's doing alright."
"She is."
"Good. So, Miss Parker, what's your decision?"
(Two hours later; Boardroom)
"In short, gentlemen, the man that aided Jarod on his most recent escapade told us to cease all pursuit of him." Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney are standing in front of the table with Raines, his ever-present oxygen tank at his side, Lyle standing at Raines' side, Mr Parker seated beside Raines and the head of the Triumvirate on the other side of the table. Raines wheezes as he inhales before speaking.
"Do you believe he poses a threat to The Centre, Miss Parker?"
"He talks tough, Mr Raines, as you've heard on the recording." Lyle then looks toward his sister before smirking.
"What of the 'package' he was supposed to have sent you?"
"I had the incinerator crew burn it after looking over the contents. It was mainly legal documents, but they would've been a waste of time for our lawyers. Hardly worth their time or our thoughts."
"I don't recall you being able to make that determination yourself, Miss Parker." Mbange Outopamia, the representative of the Triumvirate, scowls as he adds, "If I remember correctly, you don't even have a law degree."
"Spare me the drivel. I've spent enough time around lawyers to pick up on a thing or two. Especially where it concerns frivolous legal matters. Mr Chapel's tough talk is just that. Talk. He can legally do nothing to The Centre."
"I agree with 'Angel'. Mr Chapel would be wise to not contact you or anyone of The Centre any further. Should he call again, however, do let him know that he shouldn't try any further 'legal' tricks lest he be sued for harassment."
"Yes, Daddy." Looking over her notes, she goes on. "Seeing as that's out of the way, I got word that Jarod's in California. The exact location is uncertain. I'll be taking Sydney, Angelo, Broots and his daughter with me. No one else."
"I can see Sydney, Angelo and Broots. But why Broots' daughter? And why not anyone else?"
"I figured that Debbie could be useful in trapping Jarod once and for all, Mr Raines." Broots shrugs as he goes on. "Of course, she wouldn't know about it until afterward."
"And as to why no one else, it's to lull Jarod into a false sense of security. The Sweepers stick out like sore thumbs in their black suits."
"Then, Sydney, at least take Sam with you in casual wear." Miss Parker can't help but frown at that before grinning.
"I'd never seen Sam in casual wear before, so I'm sure it'll be an experience. For him, especially." Getting nods of agreement, along with grins of amusement from Mr Parker and Lyle, Miss Parker and the others nod back before exiting the boardroom. Once they've exited, Mbange looks toward the other three men.
"She's plotting something. And it doesn't involve capturing Jarod at all."
"I don't see how that can be so. The Centre's her life. She lives for this corporation."
"I dunno, Dad. Ever since her lover died, and the trigger-puller was dealt with, she's been kinda cagey."
"As long as nothing about Thomas Gates' death is linked back to The Centre, or any of the 'other research activities' The Centre had undertaken never comes to light or her attention, her loyalty is not to be questioned." Raines' comment gets Mbange to look directly at him. "By anyone, under any circumstances."
"You forget your place, Mr Raines. You do not dictate to your superiors as to the amount of loyalty any employee of The Centre has. Only the Triumvirate can dictate."
"The only reason the Triumvirate's in some form of power over us is because The Centre had been in bed with it ever since it was established. And if I remember correctly, while having foreign sponsors is not illegal, foreign sponsors on terror watch lists is cause for a DOJ investigation. And we can certainly ill afford such a thing."
"Just what are you saying, Mr Lyle?"
"You may be in power, for now, but all it takes is one slip-up by you or any of us and boom. No more Centre." Mbange scowls at Lyle before Mr Parker clears his throat.
"If we can get back to what Mbange had said, earlier, about 'Angel' plotting something other than the capture of Jarod."
"Yes, of course." Mr Raines wheezes before going on. "We should send a secondary team to shadow Miss Parker's group. Without her or their knowledge. Mr Lyle, I appoint you as the pointman for the team."
"I understand, Mr Raines." With that, Lyle begins exiting. Only to stop when Mbange calls out.
"Mr Lyle!" When Lyle turns back, he sees Mbange has a grim expression on his face. "Do not kill any more women of the Asian persuasion. Hookers are one thing, but those doing regular jobs tend to draw attention. Even when one of them is the daughter-in-law of a Police Chief. Is that clear, Mr Lyle?"
"It is, Mr Outopamia."
Deep inside the vent, Angelo grins widely before stopping 'record' on Miss Parker's Centre-issued phone.
(Three days later; Sleep Inn; Sacramento, CA)
Eating his latest find, a man with dark-colored hair is watching the news while looking over the information in his newest red notebook to date. When he sees The Centre in the background, with the tagline Private Corporation Linked to Criminal Activities and International Terrorism, he turns up the volume and eyes the television intently.
"Just hours ago, five executives of a corporation named 'The Centre' in Blue Cove DE were arrested for links to people on the US Government's terror watch list. Even more, a man on the terror watch list was on the premises at the time when Federal Marshals, armed with warrants, conducted the raid. Authorities have not yet divulged the names of the… just a moment. I've just gotten an update on what's now being called 'Scandal At The Centre'. A man employed by The Centre, capacity unknown, was arrested in connection to a murder of an Asian Mail Order Bride 10 years ago. The arrest happened in San Francisco when he was looking over a catalog of Asian Mail Order Brides. One witness described the man as 'salivating in a most disturbing manner' while looking the women over." Blinking, the man can barely hear his phone ring before looking down at it. Hitting the 'send' key, he puts it to his ear.
"Hello."
"Hey, Jarod. Catch the news yet?"
"Chapel, hi." Nodding even though his caller can't see it, he adds, "Yeah, I'm watching it on the news right now, actually."
"Heck of a scandal going on over there. If it doesn't shut The Centre down, it should at least give you some breathing room."
"At least you did what you could. When you need the favor, I won't hesitate." Next thing Jarod knows, Chapel chuckles.
"You're about to fulfill it. Answer the door." Before Jarod can tell Chapel there's no one at his door, a knock is heard. Laying the phone down onto the table, Jarod goes to the door and opens it. What he sees is not what he expects.
"Miss Parker?" The sight of a warmly smiling Miss Parker wearing a green dress gets him to blink. Miss Parker can't help but chuckle at his reaction.
"I know. Debbie figured you'd react that way, Jarod."
"Come on in, Miss…" Stopping when Miss Parker puts a slender fingertip to his lips, he sees her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"You can use my first name now, Jarod." Jarod nods softly before she removes her fingertip.
"Come on in, Mary." His eyes suddenly shoot open even wider as he remembers his caller. Bolting back to the phone, he picks it back up. Only to frown when he sees the call had already been ended on the other end. "I never got to thank him."
"I'm sure he knows just fine, Jarod." Hearing the door click shut behind her, Jarod looks toward Mary and sees her smile's still warm before she smirks. "I'd like to know how you two met, by the way."
"Sure. It's something of an odd story, though." Mary's smirk is joined by a stifled snicker before she giggles.
"I have no doubt. Perhaps Sydney and the others would like to hear it as well."
"Others? Who?"
"Broots and Debbie. Angelo and Sam."
"Sam? As in Sweeper Sam?"
"The very same, Jarod."
"How'd that come about?" Mary can only turn her smirk into a grin.
"It's something of an odd story." Jarod can't help but chuckle before laughing. Mary right behind him.