Centre of Evil
Synopsis: Jarod is once again captured by the Lyle and Miss Parker. On the flight from Morocco, their plane crash lands on a mysterious island. They soon find themselves the captives of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 185, who believe that these mysterious people are "The Others."
Chapter One
Foiled Again
Jarod stared down the barrel of the gun that Lyle was pointing at him. He looked up at Lyle, who had a stupid grin on his face. Jarod gave a sigh. "You know," Jarod said, "I do believe you are ruining my day."
Lyle, without expression replied, "And yet, somehow, my day is just beginning to look up."
"Lyle!" A woman's voice yelled, from around the corner of the building, Jarod looked up. Miss Parker came sprinting around a few moments later. She came to a sudden halt at the sight of Jarod and Lyle's handgun, pointed at Jarod. "Jarod," her tone was slightly muddled.
Jarod studied her. They hadn't seen each other since the Centre's jet crashed right here in Morocco over two years ago. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was a bit shorter than he remembered and she wore her traditional black pants, black boots, and black jacket. Her pink shirt though seemed to make it clear just how pale her skin really was.
"Miss Parker," he replied back, clear and calm. Ever since his first escape from the Centre back in 1996, he was able to elude them and escape from them with much more ease than he had ever anticipated.
"Well, isn't this just a touching reunion," Lyle said sarcastically, "Last time we saw you, Jarod, you had left us all for dead."
"You're still standing."
"And you're not," Lyle said.
"Give me a minute a two," Jarod sized up Lyle, Miss Parker, and his situation. He could easily escape in transit. He knew that neither of them had brought sweepers, for some strange reason, but he also knew that the easiest way for him to get out the country without hassle was to be their prisoner. Jarod knew, though, that once they were back in the states he would have no problem getting way.
Jarod looked at Lyle, looked at Parker, and then back and Lyle, "Well I guess you got me."
Parker's brows furrowed but Lyle's grin only spread. It was the first time in his life that Jarod wanted to use the word "stupid." Lyle slammed Jarod up against the wall and proceeded to handcuff him.
Parker stood aside and watched with keen interested. Jarod could practically see her thought processes. She knew, as well as he did, that he could have easily escaped and he didn't.
Jarod sat, handcuffed, on the Centre jet. The air was cool but the constant noise that comes with flying, was beginning to irritate him. Lyle was nowhere around, probably in somewhere in the back of the plane bragging to Mr. Raines about how he captured Jarod and how Miss Parker didn't aid in the slightest bit.
Miss Parker was across the isle from him, in fact the only thing separating them, was the isle. Jarod leaned over and Parker, seeing his movement, stuck up her hand, "Don't, Jarod."
"Don't?"
"I don't want to talk," Parker looked back behind her and than finally looked at Jarod, "especially right now."
"It's a long flight."
Parker sighed, "Jarod, please, for once in your life, just let me have a break."
Jarod wanted to lean closer but he didn't, he simply looked at her, pleading with his eyes for her to trust him. He knew that she did and that she wanted his trust but because of their situation it wasn't fair to acknowledge it as so. Jarod leaned back and stared up towards the front of the plane.
He spotted Willie, standing up by the pilots. So they had brought sweepers after all. He hadn't noticed him when he had been brought onboard. He wondered why he wasn't with Parker and Lyle earlier. He turned to Parker to ask her when the lights on the plane flickered. Jarod looked up, what was going on?
He heard a rush of wind and his body jerked upward. He winced at the pain as the handcuffs, which were chained to chair, dug into his wrists. He glanced over in time to see Parker hit the floor, face down.
Pressure hit Jarod's body like a rocket and he knew then that they were going down. Willie was sprawled out on the floor just as Parker was. Lyle was nowhere to be seen. Jarod felt the thump as the plane hit the ground. Jarod paused, no not the ground, the water. They had hit water.
The jerk sent Jarod's entire body up and out of the seat and the chains that had been holding his handcuffs to the chair snapped, but his handcuffs were still intact. Jarod hit the ground with a thud and his body throbbed from the impact of the hit. Water was rushing into the plane in abnormal amounts.
He looked around and the plane was filling up much faster than it should. Lyle's head poked around the corner of the room he had just been in. He was alive. "Jarod!" Lyle yelled.
Jarod wasn't about to take orders, "We need to get and now! Find a way."
Jarod tightened up his body and forced it to sink. He opened up his eyes and found what he was looking for. He swam towards the pen and using his mouth and his hands he took it apart, pulling off the silver holder. Using it, he managed to pick open his handcuffs. He shook his hands free of them and they fell to the bottom. Jarod flinched as salt water seeped into his open wounds.
He pushed himself up to the top of the water and looked around. Parker was floating, face down in the water. Jarod swam over to her and turned her over. Her face was bruised and there was blood flowing in heavy amounts from her temple. He checked for a pulse. She was still alive, but barely. The water came was coming into the plane in larger and larger quantities. They were sinking.
Lyle head popped up, "We can't get out!"
Jarod, taking Miss Parker with him, swam over to Lyle, "Hold her." Jarod dove underneath and searched for the door handle. Grabbing it, he pulled it up. It wouldn't budge. Still holding the handle, he used it to pull himself closer. The pin was loose. Jarod reached behind, flinched as he pinched his finger, and set the pin back in the place. He then turned the handle up again pushed. It popped open. Jarod set his feet on the floor of the plane and pushed up. They were almost out of air space.
"I've opened up the door!" Jarod yelled over the noise of the rushing water, "Get her out of here while I check on the pilots."
Lyle gave a curt nod and with Miss Parker in tow dove under. Jarod turned and swam towards the front of the plane. Taking a deep breath, Jarod dove under. Willie was slumped between two chairs, his leg caught on the bar. Jarod checked his pulse. He was dead. Propelling himself forward he shoved aside the curtain that separated him from the cockpit. He checked on the pilot and co-pilot. Both were dead.
Jarod went to resurface for air, but there was none left. They were completely underwater. Jarod swam towards the door and caught sight of a silver briefcase. Without thinking he grabbed it and swam out the door. His lungs burned from lack of oxygen and when he resurfaced he took several, quick, small breaths.
"Now what?" Lyle asked, treading water with an impatient look in his eye. Miss Parker was floating, backside up, in Lyle's arms.
Jarod looked around, "Well, we swim for that island."
"What island?" Lyle snapped.
Jarod, held the briefcase underwater with one hand and used his other to point to some trees he could see through the thick fog, "That island," Jarod treaded water with just his legs and was thankful for those lessons he had taken at the Y.
Lyle's eyes widened and then his face fell, "Can't we use some of the wreckage to float on?"
Jarod looked at the small pieces of the plane that were floating around. His brow furrowed. Had the plane broken into pieces? "No. They'll still be hot from the crash."
Lyle handed Parker over to Jarod and swam over to some of the wreckage. He reached for it and blanched at the heat, "Damn!"
Jarod gave him a knowing look and for the second time in two days, wanted to use the word "stupid." "We swim." Jarod flattened out his body, so he floated on his stomach, and using both hands, he held Parker. With his left, he gripped the suitcase and held it, submerged, beneath the water and beneath Parker's body. He looked at her bleeding head, "I'll have to stitch that up quick," Jarod said, "She loses anymore blood, she could die."
Lyle didn't say anything and without offering to help he propelled himself in the direction of the island. Jarod followed quietly.