Chapter One
Disclaimer: I reckon the damn lawyers only want us to write these so they can crush our spirits and take over the world. *Mumbles something that sounds like; 'Bloody megalomaniacs'* Well I shall never submit! NEVER! *Stands there glaring* Whatever, I didn't invent any of the pretender characters. *Suddenly becomes defiant again* But I did invent all the other characters so there!
Jarod strolled into the very clichéd diner and paused for a moment to savour the delicious greasy smells emanating from the fryer. He walked over to sit at one of the stools next to the counter and a middle-aged woman in a stained apron wandered over to take his order.
As per usual he laid the charm on heavy then ordered a huge plate of waffles and ice cream. As he waited for it to arrive he scanned the other people eating at the tables. It was pretty bare so early in the morning, even in this big city.
There were a couple of old cowboys deep in energetic conversation in one of the booths, a lone woman who nursed a coffee at the counter and a young couple that sat staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
'There you are darlin'' said the serving lady, pushing a huge plate of waffles across the counter and interrupting his study of the room. He thanked her and took his food to sit in one of the booths lining the walls.
Jarod energetically attacked the food, not thinking about the rest of the room for a few minutes. When he looked up after taking the edge off his hunger a pale young boy in the next booth along that he hadn't noticed before was staring at him as though he had seen a ghost. Jarod smiled and winked at him.
'Something wrong?' he asked, wondering if he broken yet another unknown taboo.
'Jarod' whispered the boy in awe. That one word made Jarod's guts clench and his expression changed to one of deep suspicion. Seeing his look an answering look of understanding dawned on the boy's face and he tried to explain.
'No, I'm not from the Centre, it's OK. I just . . . wow, you're Jarod. I mean, *the* Jarod' he babbled. Jarod smiled in confusion and took his half finished plate over to sit across the booth from the boy. 'How did you know my name?' he asked, trying to prompt some sense out of the rambling kid.
'From the internet. I mean, well, I found out about you when I first cracked the Centre mainframe and it's sort of entertaining to follow the chase.'
'You cracked the Centre mainframe?' queried Jarod in slight awe of this boy who obviously wasn't what he seemed.
'A bit of a hobby,' he started guiltily, 'I go looking for systems to crack then see if I can. I worked out NASA but the CIA is a bit more difficult.'
'And you've been following the 'chase' on your computer.'
'Oh, it isn't my computer, just one that Big Joe lets me use. But yeah, any clues or things that you leave, I see if I can work them out before they can. Do you realise how much stuff they miss? I mean, sloppy OR WHAT!' exclaimed. Jarod grinned.
'Since you seem to know so much about me . . . may I have your name?'
'Oh sure, sorry. My name's Michael but the gang calls me Snowy cos I'm all white cos I'm always inside on computers you know?' Jarod smiled at the nickname. The boy's skin was almost translucent it was so white. Combined with eyes and hair that were almost black it was a sharp contrast and made the thin, small boy look sort of sickly.
'And which do you prefer?' asked Jarod, thinking *the gang?*
'Whatever. I haven't been called Michael for so long I don't really answer to it anymore.'
'OK Snowy it is.' Jarod paused for a moment then pushed onwards. 'What do you mean by gang exactly?' This question seemed to kill Snowy's bubbling exuberance.
'Um, it's just that my parents died a long time ago, I don't really remember them anymore. But yeah, Big Joe is the leader of this gang and he gives me food and things if I do all his computer stuff for him. It's not so bad really. I got unlimited internet use when he doesn't need me anyway.'
'But you don't really like the gang' stated Jarod, picking this up easily from Snowy's tone.
'Well, it's just, you know. They're into a lot of bad stuff. They hurt people and do drugs and um, well, Big Joe isn't all that nice.' Said Snowy, squirming in his seat as though someone might punish him for saying so. Jarod frowned. He could tell that 'Big Joe' also probably beat Snowy if he didn't cooperate.
'Why don't you leave?'
'I got nowhere to go,' he stated miserably, 'besides, I'm only thirteen. It's not like I can set up a bank account or drive a car or anything I need to do to survive on my own.'
'Looks like you need an adult to travel with' suggested Jarod, a plan hatching. Snowy looked up and the raw hope on his pale features were almost too much to bear. Jarod smiled at the boy.
'Do you want to come on the run with me then? I could use your computer skills in the game'
'The game?' asked Snowy grinning.
'Yep. Escape, evade and make Miss Parker really mad'
'Sounds like fun' stated the boy emphatically. Jarod grinned back and reached his hand out. Snowy took it and they shook hands as partners in crime.
tbc
Disclaimer: I reckon the damn lawyers only want us to write these so they can crush our spirits and take over the world. *Mumbles something that sounds like; 'Bloody megalomaniacs'* Well I shall never submit! NEVER! *Stands there glaring* Whatever, I didn't invent any of the pretender characters. *Suddenly becomes defiant again* But I did invent all the other characters so there!
Jarod strolled into the very clichéd diner and paused for a moment to savour the delicious greasy smells emanating from the fryer. He walked over to sit at one of the stools next to the counter and a middle-aged woman in a stained apron wandered over to take his order.
As per usual he laid the charm on heavy then ordered a huge plate of waffles and ice cream. As he waited for it to arrive he scanned the other people eating at the tables. It was pretty bare so early in the morning, even in this big city.
There were a couple of old cowboys deep in energetic conversation in one of the booths, a lone woman who nursed a coffee at the counter and a young couple that sat staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
'There you are darlin'' said the serving lady, pushing a huge plate of waffles across the counter and interrupting his study of the room. He thanked her and took his food to sit in one of the booths lining the walls.
Jarod energetically attacked the food, not thinking about the rest of the room for a few minutes. When he looked up after taking the edge off his hunger a pale young boy in the next booth along that he hadn't noticed before was staring at him as though he had seen a ghost. Jarod smiled and winked at him.
'Something wrong?' he asked, wondering if he broken yet another unknown taboo.
'Jarod' whispered the boy in awe. That one word made Jarod's guts clench and his expression changed to one of deep suspicion. Seeing his look an answering look of understanding dawned on the boy's face and he tried to explain.
'No, I'm not from the Centre, it's OK. I just . . . wow, you're Jarod. I mean, *the* Jarod' he babbled. Jarod smiled in confusion and took his half finished plate over to sit across the booth from the boy. 'How did you know my name?' he asked, trying to prompt some sense out of the rambling kid.
'From the internet. I mean, well, I found out about you when I first cracked the Centre mainframe and it's sort of entertaining to follow the chase.'
'You cracked the Centre mainframe?' queried Jarod in slight awe of this boy who obviously wasn't what he seemed.
'A bit of a hobby,' he started guiltily, 'I go looking for systems to crack then see if I can. I worked out NASA but the CIA is a bit more difficult.'
'And you've been following the 'chase' on your computer.'
'Oh, it isn't my computer, just one that Big Joe lets me use. But yeah, any clues or things that you leave, I see if I can work them out before they can. Do you realise how much stuff they miss? I mean, sloppy OR WHAT!' exclaimed. Jarod grinned.
'Since you seem to know so much about me . . . may I have your name?'
'Oh sure, sorry. My name's Michael but the gang calls me Snowy cos I'm all white cos I'm always inside on computers you know?' Jarod smiled at the nickname. The boy's skin was almost translucent it was so white. Combined with eyes and hair that were almost black it was a sharp contrast and made the thin, small boy look sort of sickly.
'And which do you prefer?' asked Jarod, thinking *the gang?*
'Whatever. I haven't been called Michael for so long I don't really answer to it anymore.'
'OK Snowy it is.' Jarod paused for a moment then pushed onwards. 'What do you mean by gang exactly?' This question seemed to kill Snowy's bubbling exuberance.
'Um, it's just that my parents died a long time ago, I don't really remember them anymore. But yeah, Big Joe is the leader of this gang and he gives me food and things if I do all his computer stuff for him. It's not so bad really. I got unlimited internet use when he doesn't need me anyway.'
'But you don't really like the gang' stated Jarod, picking this up easily from Snowy's tone.
'Well, it's just, you know. They're into a lot of bad stuff. They hurt people and do drugs and um, well, Big Joe isn't all that nice.' Said Snowy, squirming in his seat as though someone might punish him for saying so. Jarod frowned. He could tell that 'Big Joe' also probably beat Snowy if he didn't cooperate.
'Why don't you leave?'
'I got nowhere to go,' he stated miserably, 'besides, I'm only thirteen. It's not like I can set up a bank account or drive a car or anything I need to do to survive on my own.'
'Looks like you need an adult to travel with' suggested Jarod, a plan hatching. Snowy looked up and the raw hope on his pale features were almost too much to bear. Jarod smiled at the boy.
'Do you want to come on the run with me then? I could use your computer skills in the game'
'The game?' asked Snowy grinning.
'Yep. Escape, evade and make Miss Parker really mad'
'Sounds like fun' stated the boy emphatically. Jarod grinned back and reached his hand out. Snowy took it and they shook hands as partners in crime.
tbc