Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else in this piece of fiction related to The Pretender. I wish I did but I don't. The Pretender belongs to TNT now (I guess) and to Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle.
Author's note: This fic is actually going to end up being really odd, but very interesting. It's also going to be extremely character driven. My last longer fic was Jarod in the Middle, which was kind of funny and whimsical. This is a bit of a departure. I hope you like it.
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 1: THE BEGINNING AND THE END
by SpaceCadet
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
It was a beautiful June day in the modest-sized town of Blue Cove, Delaware. The buzz of children's voices could be heard as they played in the streets, content to enjoy their summer holidays. The smell of sizzling meat could be smelled as neighbors got together for barbecues and to have a good time. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the nice weather. Everyone, it seemed, except for one man. At the Centre, Broots sat, as usual, in front of his computer screen typing ferociously, looking for a lead, even a small one, on where Jarod might be. The office was small and windowless, showing no sign of the beautiful weather, or of the people enjoying themselves outside. The desk surrounding Broots was cluttered with not only paperwork and electronics, but also with an abundance of fast food wrappers and pop bottles, obvious evidence to anyone that Mr. Broots had been working for quite a stretch without much of a break. Broots knew that he couldn't afford to take a break. Due, he could guess, to Mr. Lyle's continued presence around her and her father, Miss Parker had been in an especially bad mood lately and he knew that if he didn't find a lead soon, Miss Parker would take her frustrations out on him. So he had sent his daughter to her godmother's for the weekend and had hunkered down to work. Many people would find this boring. But not Broots. He enjoyed his job (when he wasn't running for his life or sneaking into Raines' office) and despite his moral objections to what the Centre did, it paid extremely well, and most of the time he enjoyed working with Sydney and Miss Parker. So, he was quite content just to work quietly, checking out leads for hours on end.
Broots was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice Miss Parker storm into the office angrily, with Sydney right behind her.
"Broots" she shouted shrilly, making him jump and spew his bag of chips all over the place.
"Wh... what is it?" he replied, attempting to clean the pieces of chip off the front of his pants.
"Tell me we have a lead. Please. Anything."
"Well, there's not really anything yet, but..."
"Don't give me 'but' Broots. There's got to be something."
Just then Broots computer beeped causing he, Parker and Sydney all to turn towards it. It beeped again. "Oh, hey wait I think I got something..."
"What?" said Miss Parker bluntly.
"Well, according to this, Jarod might be in Tulsa, Oklahoma working as a cop."
"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go."
"Yes, let's go." said a voice from the doorway.
At the sound of the voice, Miss Parker shuddered slightly. Parker, Sydney and Broots all turned around to see Mr. Lyle standing in the doorway, looking very smug. Lyle had been a real pain lately, always sticking his nose into everything Miss Parker did. Miss Parker stepped towards him slowly and menacingly, as Sydney and Broots both backed away slightly.
"What do you think you're doing, Lyle. Have you been standing there the whole time?"
"It doesn't matter." Lyle replied. "All that matters is that you have a lead on Jarod, and I'm coming with you."
"That won't be neccessary." Miss Parker cooly replied.
"Oh I think it will be, Sis." Lyle shot back. "I'll call for the jet and pick up a couple of sweepers. See you on the plane."
With that, he turned sharply and walked away, leaving Miss Parker to fume silently and turn to face Broots and Sydney. "Well, you heard the man, boys." she said quietly. "We're headed to Oklahoma."
Outside of Jarod's Lair
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Outside of a small apartment building in downtown Tulsa, Jarod was quietly making his exit. His Pretend was now over, and he knew that Miss Parker and the Centre would find him soon, so he had no reason to stick around. His Pretend this time had been fairly easy. As a cop, he had come to Tulsa to try and find the truth about a fellow cop who had been shot during a mugging. Jarod uncovered that the cop was shot by one of his colleagues after he uncovered that the man took bribes. The mugging had been staged, and the crooked cop had claimed that the mugger had gotten away. But Jarod had proved otherwise. And now, he was moving on with the knowledge that he had helped the slain officers widow deal with the tragedy and find out what really happened to her husband and get justice. And now he was confident that a murderer would go to jail, and he would quietly slip away, as he always did. He didn't know that this time would be different.
As Jarod ran briskly down the alleyway next to the apartment carrying his DSA's and a small duffelbag, he heard a gunshot ring out behind him. Thinking someone was in trouble, he turned around just in time to feel the full force of a bullet tear into his head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious and bleeding profusely, as the gunman ran away unseen, leaving him there to die.
Inside Jarod's Lair
Tulsa Oklahoma
Within three hours of getting the lead, Parker, Sydney, Broots and Lyle were examining Jarod's last lair accompanied by several stone-faced sweepers. Jarod's latest lodgings were small and cramped, but livable. 'This is a far cry from some of the dives he's lived in before, including the Centre' thought Miss Parker, almost smiling at the thought. The place had the look of being lived in recently, but Parker could tell it had been cleaned out. Jarod had left almost nothing behind. The only evidence he had even lived here at all was a Garfield Pez dispenser left behind on the desk in front of the window, with a note underneath.
"Miss Parker,
Don't forget- the truth can kill you or set you free.
- Jarod"
Sydney appeared to have seen the note too, because Parker noticed that he looked casually over in interest. "It's nothing, Syd. Your boy just left me a little goodbye note, that's all." said Parker quietly, pocketing the note and the dispenser in her long leather trenchcoat before Lyle could see them.
Just in time, as Lyle sauntered over half a second later, peering out the window onto the fire escape. "What, Lyle? Do you actually think he's still out there. Jarod is nowhere near that stupid. Only you would even consider that possiblility, especially considering the evidence we've found. Jarod cleared out of this hole hours ago" Miss Parker barked.
At this comment, Lyle got a devious look in his eyes, like he knew something she didn't. At the same time, though, he also looked slightly perplexed. "He may have cleared out but he left his DSA's behind."
Lyle may as well have said that he had decided to give all of his worldly possessions to charity with the reaction he got. Broots dropped his 4000 dollar laptop on the floor with a thud, while Parker and Sydney both went as white as ghosts. "Lyle," said Miss Parker calmly, "You have to be mistaken. Jarod wouldn't do that. Those DSA's are his bargaining chip, and the key to his past. He needs them."
"I'm not mistaken, Sis." replied Lyle, but then he paused to look out the window again. "At least, I don't think I am. I can see the case in the alleyway from here. Come look."
Parker looked from where Lyle was standing and sure enough, there they were. The DSA's, just sitting there. "I'll be damned."
Within minutes, all four of them were at the front of the door, running around the corner into the alley. But when they got there, none of them were prepared for what they found. "Oh my God," said Sydney solemnly. "Somebody call an ambulance."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's note: This fic is actually going to end up being really odd, but very interesting. It's also going to be extremely character driven. My last longer fic was Jarod in the Middle, which was kind of funny and whimsical. This is a bit of a departure. I hope you like it.
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 1: THE BEGINNING AND THE END
by SpaceCadet
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
It was a beautiful June day in the modest-sized town of Blue Cove, Delaware. The buzz of children's voices could be heard as they played in the streets, content to enjoy their summer holidays. The smell of sizzling meat could be smelled as neighbors got together for barbecues and to have a good time. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the nice weather. Everyone, it seemed, except for one man. At the Centre, Broots sat, as usual, in front of his computer screen typing ferociously, looking for a lead, even a small one, on where Jarod might be. The office was small and windowless, showing no sign of the beautiful weather, or of the people enjoying themselves outside. The desk surrounding Broots was cluttered with not only paperwork and electronics, but also with an abundance of fast food wrappers and pop bottles, obvious evidence to anyone that Mr. Broots had been working for quite a stretch without much of a break. Broots knew that he couldn't afford to take a break. Due, he could guess, to Mr. Lyle's continued presence around her and her father, Miss Parker had been in an especially bad mood lately and he knew that if he didn't find a lead soon, Miss Parker would take her frustrations out on him. So he had sent his daughter to her godmother's for the weekend and had hunkered down to work. Many people would find this boring. But not Broots. He enjoyed his job (when he wasn't running for his life or sneaking into Raines' office) and despite his moral objections to what the Centre did, it paid extremely well, and most of the time he enjoyed working with Sydney and Miss Parker. So, he was quite content just to work quietly, checking out leads for hours on end.
Broots was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice Miss Parker storm into the office angrily, with Sydney right behind her.
"Broots" she shouted shrilly, making him jump and spew his bag of chips all over the place.
"Wh... what is it?" he replied, attempting to clean the pieces of chip off the front of his pants.
"Tell me we have a lead. Please. Anything."
"Well, there's not really anything yet, but..."
"Don't give me 'but' Broots. There's got to be something."
Just then Broots computer beeped causing he, Parker and Sydney all to turn towards it. It beeped again. "Oh, hey wait I think I got something..."
"What?" said Miss Parker bluntly.
"Well, according to this, Jarod might be in Tulsa, Oklahoma working as a cop."
"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go."
"Yes, let's go." said a voice from the doorway.
At the sound of the voice, Miss Parker shuddered slightly. Parker, Sydney and Broots all turned around to see Mr. Lyle standing in the doorway, looking very smug. Lyle had been a real pain lately, always sticking his nose into everything Miss Parker did. Miss Parker stepped towards him slowly and menacingly, as Sydney and Broots both backed away slightly.
"What do you think you're doing, Lyle. Have you been standing there the whole time?"
"It doesn't matter." Lyle replied. "All that matters is that you have a lead on Jarod, and I'm coming with you."
"That won't be neccessary." Miss Parker cooly replied.
"Oh I think it will be, Sis." Lyle shot back. "I'll call for the jet and pick up a couple of sweepers. See you on the plane."
With that, he turned sharply and walked away, leaving Miss Parker to fume silently and turn to face Broots and Sydney. "Well, you heard the man, boys." she said quietly. "We're headed to Oklahoma."
Outside of Jarod's Lair
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Outside of a small apartment building in downtown Tulsa, Jarod was quietly making his exit. His Pretend was now over, and he knew that Miss Parker and the Centre would find him soon, so he had no reason to stick around. His Pretend this time had been fairly easy. As a cop, he had come to Tulsa to try and find the truth about a fellow cop who had been shot during a mugging. Jarod uncovered that the cop was shot by one of his colleagues after he uncovered that the man took bribes. The mugging had been staged, and the crooked cop had claimed that the mugger had gotten away. But Jarod had proved otherwise. And now, he was moving on with the knowledge that he had helped the slain officers widow deal with the tragedy and find out what really happened to her husband and get justice. And now he was confident that a murderer would go to jail, and he would quietly slip away, as he always did. He didn't know that this time would be different.
As Jarod ran briskly down the alleyway next to the apartment carrying his DSA's and a small duffelbag, he heard a gunshot ring out behind him. Thinking someone was in trouble, he turned around just in time to feel the full force of a bullet tear into his head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious and bleeding profusely, as the gunman ran away unseen, leaving him there to die.
Inside Jarod's Lair
Tulsa Oklahoma
Within three hours of getting the lead, Parker, Sydney, Broots and Lyle were examining Jarod's last lair accompanied by several stone-faced sweepers. Jarod's latest lodgings were small and cramped, but livable. 'This is a far cry from some of the dives he's lived in before, including the Centre' thought Miss Parker, almost smiling at the thought. The place had the look of being lived in recently, but Parker could tell it had been cleaned out. Jarod had left almost nothing behind. The only evidence he had even lived here at all was a Garfield Pez dispenser left behind on the desk in front of the window, with a note underneath.
"Miss Parker,
Don't forget- the truth can kill you or set you free.
- Jarod"
Sydney appeared to have seen the note too, because Parker noticed that he looked casually over in interest. "It's nothing, Syd. Your boy just left me a little goodbye note, that's all." said Parker quietly, pocketing the note and the dispenser in her long leather trenchcoat before Lyle could see them.
Just in time, as Lyle sauntered over half a second later, peering out the window onto the fire escape. "What, Lyle? Do you actually think he's still out there. Jarod is nowhere near that stupid. Only you would even consider that possiblility, especially considering the evidence we've found. Jarod cleared out of this hole hours ago" Miss Parker barked.
At this comment, Lyle got a devious look in his eyes, like he knew something she didn't. At the same time, though, he also looked slightly perplexed. "He may have cleared out but he left his DSA's behind."
Lyle may as well have said that he had decided to give all of his worldly possessions to charity with the reaction he got. Broots dropped his 4000 dollar laptop on the floor with a thud, while Parker and Sydney both went as white as ghosts. "Lyle," said Miss Parker calmly, "You have to be mistaken. Jarod wouldn't do that. Those DSA's are his bargaining chip, and the key to his past. He needs them."
"I'm not mistaken, Sis." replied Lyle, but then he paused to look out the window again. "At least, I don't think I am. I can see the case in the alleyway from here. Come look."
Parker looked from where Lyle was standing and sure enough, there they were. The DSA's, just sitting there. "I'll be damned."
Within minutes, all four of them were at the front of the door, running around the corner into the alley. But when they got there, none of them were prepared for what they found. "Oh my God," said Sydney solemnly. "Somebody call an ambulance."
TO BE CONTINUED...