Chapter Twenty-Five

Sam's Story

Sam, Broots, and Sydney were sitting inside a Kelly's Restaurant, just outside Blue Cove the day after Angelo's attack on Mr. Raines. They were eating in silence and then Sydney asked, "Of all the people at the Centre, you are the biggest mystery to me, Sam."

Sam shrugged, "I don't know why that is."

"I do," Sydney said. There was a pause and Broots looked back and forth between Sydney and Sam, who had their eyes locked on each other, both unwilling to budge. Sydney finally said, "I remember your mother."

Sam dropped his fork, "What?"

Broots almost uttered the same. He didn't know that Sydney had known Sam's mother. Sydney nodded, "I remember her. She worked in the accounting department. The only reason I remember her is because of her strange disappearance. Much like the now disappearance of Jarod and Miss Parker."

Sam sighed, "My father didn't want me to come to work for the Centre but I had to find out what happened to my mother. I wasn't about to let some organization, that for some reason, thinks its god, dictate my fate."

Broots took a sip of water, still reeling from Sam's confession. His mother had worked for the Centre?

Sam continued, "My mother did work in the accounting department yes, but her job was really a cover up. At least form what I've learned so far."

"Cover up," Broots asked.

Sam looked at Broots with an almost annoyed expression. "Yes a cover up. I don't know what for though, yet. My father met my mother while she was working at the Centre. She died in a plane crash in 1985. My father didn't, and I don't, believe it was an accident. I think the Centre had her killed."

"Why do you think that," Broots said, and then to fix his stupid question, said, "I mean what did have on them? Information wise?"

Sam studied Broots for a moment. He had always pegged the guy as more of a follower than leader, but he had noticed the change in Broots' behavior over the past three years as well. "She and the pilot were the only ones who died. The copilot and Mr. Raines survived."

"She was murdered," Broots and Sydney both said at once. All the digging they had done on Catherine Parker's own murder was enough to tell them that Sam was right on the money where his mother's death was concerned.

Sam continued to eat his pasta as though nothing had happened. Broots and Sydney exchanged a thoughtful look. "Have you found anything out as of recent?" Sydney asked.

"No," Sam said and then he set his fork down again, "I guess that's why my loyalty to Miss Parker is so strong. I understand what she is going through, searching for the truth about her own mother that is."

"She's knows about her mother now," Broots said, "It's just the why."

"Or the combination of," Sydney said. There were many reasons why Catherine had died. He had kept the truth about what he had known secret for so long. Now it was coming back to bite them all a good one.

Sydney dug into his steak and the three of them ate in quiet. They had chosen this location because the chances of them being bugged were quiet extensive, especially these days.

Sydney finally said, "The only thing is, we don't know where to begin our search." He gave Broots a knowing look.

Broots gave a huff. He knew what that meant. "Sydney-"

"Broots," Syd started to argue, "if anyone knows where Parker and Jarod are it is going to be Raines."

"I hate breaking into his private files," Broots said. Even though he had grown much more spine in the last few years, breaking into Mr. Raines' office was still not one of his favorite pastimes, "What if he catches me?"

"He won't," Sam assured him, "I'll make sure of it."

Broots wanted to say something sarcastic but he couldn't seem to muster it up. The rest of the meal was quiet as they were all left to their own thoughts. Sam's thoughts were lodged firmly in the past with his mother's disappearance.

"I know you," Mr. Raines said, coming out of the elevator.

Sam, had only just begun working at the Centre a week ago. He didn't answer. He didn't like or trust Mr. Raines and wasn't quiet ready to face any of the dangers his father had warned him about.

"I don't understand sir," Sam said, trying to sound as ignorant as possible.

"Your mother used to work for us," Raines wheezed and he drew closer to Sam. "If you're not careful, you'll wind up like her."

The meal was finished in silence with plans fro Broots to break into Raines' personal archives tomorrow. Sydney was going to try and find the location of the mysterious vault within the Centre and Sam was going to pry any information he could get out of his fellow sweepers.

The drive back into Blue Cove was quiet and as Sam got out of Sydney's car into his own he felt a tingling sensation up his spine. He was close to discovering the truth about his mother, he could feel it. As he pulled into his driveway he heard the shouts from inside the house.

Sam gave a sigh and slammed his car door, hard. It grew quiet within the house. Sam walked up porch and as soon as he opened the door again the shouts began.

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my mother!" His sixteen year old screamed.

Sam slammed the front door, "Alice, what is going on?" he asked his wife.

Alice, Sam's second wife, was petite, brunette, with large green eyes. Alice had been Sam's high school sweetheart but they had parted ways just after graduation. Alice sighed, "Becca got into another school fight."

"I did not!" Rebecca yelled and turned and fled. Sam heard the slamming of her door. Sam shook his head and threw his coat over one of the chairs in the dining room.

"Sam I'm sorry," Alice apologized, "I had hoped to have this taken care of before you got home."

Sam took Alice into his arms. He loved that the top of her head only came to shoulders and he could rest his head on top of hers. "It's alright. Becca's been a handful for a while. You know, teenagers."

"I just wish that she would stop blaming me, you know?"

"What do you mean, blaming you," Sam asked, pulling back and looking into Alice's eyes.

"Well," Alice said as she pulled completely out of Sam's embrace and gathering up the unused dinner dishes from the dining room table, "I think she blames me for Emily's death."

Sam set down the plate he had started to pick up, "What?"

Alice shrugged and walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen. Sam followed her through the swinging double doors. Alice struggled to find an explanation. "It's just this feeling I have. I mean I came back into your life just before Emily got sick."

Sam sat down on one of the stools Alice had set up in the kitchen. He didn't know what to say. Emily, his first wife, he had met while working at the Centre. They're relationship had been short, followed by an even shorter engagement. They married and Rebecca was born less than a year later.

When Rebecca was five Emily had been diagnosed with cancer. She died less than a year later. Alice, who was home from France on a visit, had stepped up to the plate and helped Sam take care of Rebecca.

"I'll talk to her," Sam said, standing up.

"No, don't," Alice said, "I don't want to make things worse."

"I need to have a heart to heart with her anyway," Sam said. He pecked his wife on the temple and headed down the hall to Rebecca's room. The DO NOT ENTER sign was up and Sam gave a sigh.

He pushed the door open and heard Rebecca scream, "GO AWAY!" Her cry was muffled, since she was laying on her stomach, her face buried in her pillow.

"Beck, we need to talk," Sam said.

Rebecca looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears. Nobody but her father called her Beck. "Daddy, I really don't want to talk."

"You need to quit blaming Alice," Sam said.

"I don't blame her," Rebecca muttered. She got up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, sitting next to her father. Sam wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Rebecca laid her head down on her father's shoulder, her red hair tickling Sam's arm as he did so.

"It's just so difficult," Rebecca said, "She tries to give me orders like she's my mother and she isn't."

"Beck," Sam said, his heart breaking in two. How had he missed this? "Alice raised you. She stepped up to the plate and helped me take care of you at a time that I was a wreck. Do you remember?"

"Sam let me help you!" Alice yelled.

Sam's eyes were swollen with tears. His body hurt and he was angry. Emily was dead. Gone. The cancer had taken her. Sam didn't answer and Alice headed out through the sliding doors. "Rebecca, how's it going?" Sam heard her ask in a sweet tone.

Rebecca was currently swinging on the swing set that Emily's father had purchased for her. "I can't go high enough!"

Sam heard Alice laugh. Sam got up and looked out the window. Alice had taken up a position behind Rebecca's swing and was pushing her. "That's better," Rebecca cried in her sweet childhood voice.

Rebecca had no idea that her mother had gone. She just thought her mommy was sleeping.

Tears dropped onto Sam's knee and he knew that he had drawn up some of those memories. "I know, Daddy. It's just, I miss her so much." Sobs wracked Rebecca's body and Sam tried to calm her.

"I miss your mother too."

"You don't act like it," Rebecca sniffled.

Sam squeezed her shoulders tighter, "I love her still, to this day, Beck. Alice can't take the place of your mother and she hasn't tried. She just wants to love and take care of you. Just let her."

Rebecca sat up, "You're going on a business trip again aren't you?"

Sam sighed, his daughter had such intuitive skills that it was almost scary, "Yes sweetie and I don't know how long I'll be."