Chapter 4: The Attempt

Jarod woke up and he went down to Miss Parker's house. He found that she was not there. He thought about where she might be. He went to the cemetery, she was not there. She was nowhere to be found. He thought where else she might go. He walked into the house, she left a note.

Jarod,

I have gone to the mall. I will be there until at least 12:00. I will see you later.

Bye,

Mp

"Great, just when I need her she is gone, noon. Who wants to go shopping for five hours?" Jarod said to himself perplexed. He crumpled the note, and tried to through it away but he missed the trash can unknowingly. "Parker." He said as he stormed out the door.

* * * *

Lyle walked in a few minutes after Jarod left.

"Parker, I don't believe you. I know that you need my help, and you aren't willing to admit it. So please talk to me." Lyle yelled out at the empty house. He walked into the kitchen; she ate eggs for breakfast, and of course coffee. He walked around the kitchen, and decided that he would be nice and do the dishes for his sister. "He picked up the note that had been left on the ground, I really miss my thumb. Lyle thought as he struggled for a few seconds then resorted to using his other hand. Lyle read the note. "WHAT!" Lyle yelled through the house as he headed for the mall.

* * * *

Jarod went into the mall. He searched for Miss Parker, but she was nowhere to be found. He reached a staircase, but the stairs, they were moving. "What in the world?" Jarod thought to himself. He saw Lyle running the other way. "Oh man!" Jarod thought. He got on the escalator. He went into a store to buy a hat and sunglasses, only to find Miss Parker.

"Hi there, I said that I was coming back. " Miss parker said as she carried her bag out the door.

"No go back. Andrea Lyle is here!" Jarod said as he pushed Parker back.

"What!" Miss parker said, as she dropped the bag that she was carrying.

"I will get a hat, and sunglasses, you do the same." Jarod said as he picked up a hat.

"Then what", Miss Parker said to Jarod's turned back. Man he is cute!

"We run to your car." Jarod said as he went up to the counter to buy the hat.

* * * *

Run they did, they went down the elevator, as Lyle got on. They went to Parker's car, and when they thought that they were in the car they saw three sweepers surrounded the car.

"New plan, just run, fined Argyle, tell him to take you home, he will know what it means, now go." Jarod said to Parker. "Just take me, let her go." Jarod directed to Sam the Sweeper.

"I love you Jarod." Miss Parker whispered to herself, as she watched Jarod being pushed into the car.

"Yes sir, we have him." Sam said into his cell phone, to Lyle on the other end, "No sir, Parker got away. A shoot to kill order, but sir, yes sir." Sam said as he hung up.

* * * *

"Get up, now." Lyle said as he sat down on the bed next to Jarod, just to irritate him. "Time to do some more sims."

"No. I won't." Jarod said as he moved away from Lyle despitefully.

"Grab him Sam, he won't leave the sim lab until he does all five simulations, and no food or drink. Oh, and Jarod remember my offer. It is still on the table. I could be your friend or I could be your enemy, the choice is yours. The choice is you. Think about it; be wise, you don't want me to continue to be your enemy." Lyle said as he leaned into Jarod.

"Thinking," Jarod paused for a second, "No. I will not be your brain since you don't seem to have one."

There was a knock at the door. Lyle answered it. "What do you want Willie?"

"The Trivumberate is here, he wants to see you." said Willie, Raines old guard dog.

"Fine. Sam, I want you to make sure that he does those five sims, they are laid out so he should be able to figure it out. Don't let him leave until they are complete." said Lyle as he left the room. Just as Lyle left Jarod's phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Come on Jarod." Sam said as he led Jarod out the room.

* * * *

"Where are we going?" Jarod asked as he paused because Sam nudged him in the back.

"A place where you can answer your phone without anyone watching or hearing." Sam said quietly so no one else could hear. Sam led Jarod into a bathroom; he checked all of the stalls for anyone. "Okay."

"Hello" Jarod answered carefully.

"Jarod! What in the world is wrong with you?" Zoey said as she paced her house like a caged animal.

"Zoey, keep your voice down. Now, what are you talking about?" Jarod asked, half knowing what the answer was.

"You know, you stopped running, you gave yourself in. With our baby on the way." said Zoey, as she stopped pacing.

"What!" Jarod said as he started pacing. "But it will be easier to escape alone, but with Parker. It would be so much harder. "I will be home before you know it. I love you, Bye." Jarod said as he hung up. "Sam, I will let you lead me to the sim lab then can I escape, by punching you. This way you can still be in the Centre to help us."

"Sure." Sam said as he led Jarod outside.

* * * *

Miss Parker's Journal

11:57 PM

I'm sorry I have not written in a while, but things have been so busy. I found Argyle almost immediately, either that or he found me, I'm not sure which. We are traveling right now, to a little town in Alabama, to visit Jarod's wife Zoey. I'm not sure if I can do it. As I have told you before, I LOVE Jarod. How can I be with his wife? She has what I have wanted for my entire life! I always wanted to be with Jarod. How come did she get him, when I grew up with him? We were going to escape together. Then we were going to take my inheritance, and turn it to good, to help others instead of hurt them, and love each other till we died. Argyle told me that Zoey is pregnant; I just hope that Jarod will escape soon. He needs to be here to raise his child, give them the childhood that he only dreamed of. He will make a wonderful father. I can see it in his eyes.

Goodnight,

Andrea Parker

I can't believe I signed it that way, but I won't be Miss Parker anymore.

* * * *

They drove up to a house. This must be it. Parker thought.

"Hello. You must be Miss Parker." Zoey said as she ran outside to meet them.

"I am. You must be Zoey. You lovelier than Jarod described you." Miss Parker said, as she followed Zoey inside.

"Come on in Argyle." Jarod Zoey as she smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have to go back. Jarod will need a ride once he escapes, but thank you." Argyle said as he walked back out to the car.

* * * *

They entered the house, and Miss Parker noticed how clean it was. She saw a new leather jacket the same type that Jarod wore, was hung on the rack beside the door. She saw the d.s.a.s set next to the couch with dust on top of it. Zoey did not watch it. That is nice; I would have watched them in a heartbeat. She saw a kitchen with several cabinets; she saw a piano, with a copy of Clair De Lune on it. I love that song. Andrea went back to her observation. In the same room, there was a rocking chair, and a foosball table. She saw white carpet and lovely wood flooring. Zoey invited her into the kitchen. There was a table with four chairs around it. There was a counter in the middle of the kitchen. She picked up a picture of Zoey with what looked to be her twin.

"Is this your sister?" Miss Parker asked Zoey who was getting out two mugs for coffee.

"Yes. She passed a few weeks after that was taken. Her name was Katie. She was my twin. Here you go." Zoey said as she handed Parker a cup of steaming coffee.

"You look beautiful in you dress, and Jarod looks handsome in his tuxedo." Parker said as she took a sip of her coffee. "I think that picture's are what make a house a home."

"Thank you. That is what Jarod thinks too." Zoey said as he picked up another picture behind her. "This one is my favorite. It is Jarod before he was taken, that is his brother Kyle," Zoey said as she pointed to a boy maybe a year younger, with light brown hair, "this is his father, and mother. I would bet that he does not even remember when this was taken. His mother gave it to me as a present; I decided to show it to him after he got back." Zoey said almost in tears. "How could they do that, take a small child, and make him forget his parents?"

"I have no idea. I used to think that it was for good. That Jarod was at the Centre, or that he was an orphan and had nowhere else to go. I trusted my father, no he really wasn't my father, he is my uncle I guess. He jumped from a plane after he read the 'scrolls'. But, I don't know if he jumped for the right reasons, or not. I hope that he did. My family is really messed up." Miss Parker said as she added a spoon of sugar to her coffee. "I'm so sorry."

"For what Miss Parker?" Zoey asked looking confused.

"Everything." Miss Parker replied through her tears.

"It is fine. It is fine." Zoey said as she hugged Miss Parker.

* * * *

Jarod ran even though he was not being followed yet. He ran through the woods. He ran up to the road. By a stroke of luck Argyle was driving by at that moment. Jarod ran out, and Argyle stopped and let him in without words. He was free again.

Jarod fell asleep in a few minutes. Argyle started to drive back to Alabama. They arrived there later, and when they got there, Zoey and Andrea weren't home.

Jarod drove to the hospital. They got there in a few minutes. Jarod started asking the nurses where his wife was. He finally got an answer. He ran to the room only to find Andrea and Zoey coming out.

"Zoey, are you okay? I love you." Jarod said as he kissed her. "What is the matter?"

"Thank you." Zoey said to the woman who Jarod did not know. "Jarod, we are having triplets!"

"WHAT! Wow. Okay. But why did you come here?" Jarod asked his eyes filled with concern and joy and confusion.

"I'm going to leave now; I'll be in the waiting room with Argyle until you two are ready to leave." Miss Parker said as she left.

"Thank you Andrea." Zoey said, as she waved "My back hurt really badly. Miss Parker told me to come here."

"We should go, but I have one more question, actually two, how did you know Parker's first name? Did you miss me?" Jarod said as he flashed one of his most kid like smiles.

"She told me, and of course I did. You are insane, you know that right." Zoey said returning his smile.

* * * *