Disclaimer: The show "The Pretender" was not created by me, and TNT, MTM, and maybe NBC own all characters and the Centre. I created the character SARAH; so do not use her without my permission. Thanks!


Let There Be A Light
Part 6/9
By Tchabu

Sarah kept playing, mindful of the man at her back. Without looking, she knew who it was. Nobody ever felt as malicious in her mind as Lyle did. She was grateful for Angelo having taught her to use her skills of empathy; something was wrong, and she didn't want to be caught off guard.

He leaned close to her ear, preparing to speak. She abhorred his presence, but pretended not to care that he was barely an inch away. "I have something to tell you, Sarah," he whispered, so low that the microphones wouldn't pick it up. Her eyes remained straight ahead as she continued to play, but her body suddenly became tense. "We've been working together so long that I think I owe you this. But let's get to the point: I know. I know you told him." Lyle had no need to explain. She understood what he meant. It was about the death of her adoptive parents.

"I never said a word," she convincingly lied, through clenched teeth.

He believed her, but kept going, enjoying the sadistic rush he got from causing pain. "Sydney doesn't know how he died. It wasn't gunshots that killed your big brother. I had the time of my life, cutting him apart, piece by piece." He accented each word to give the greatest possible effect, smiling evilly the entire time. "I had him crying like a baby in under five minutes. I've never seen a grown man so easily broken." He would have gone on, but was silenced by an elbow to the gut.

***

Miss Parker could not believe her eyes. In the room beyond, that frail seeming girl was mercilessly beating a grown man at least twice her age; namely, Lyle. She thrust her left elbow into his stomach, knocked him flat on his back, and was promptly upon him, fists and feet flying. Using her cast as a club, she smashed at his nose and soon had turned his face into a formless, bleeding mass.

Parker broke out of her amazement and dashed into the hallway. Sydney was on his way back, so she screamed for him to hurry, and that, "You've got to see this," then ran into the room where a one-sided fight was taking place.

***

Sarah kneeled on Lyle's chest, keeping him down successfully as she literally beat him senseless. Al of the rage and pain she'd been trying to keep in escaped with each heavy blow. She pummeled, slapped, and scraped, until he lost consciousness. Still, she was unable to stop. As if from far away, she heard somebody state, in a rather bored tone of voice, that she was going to kill him. If I am, she thought, I'm doing the world a favor.

Out of nowhere, strong hands grabbed her and tried to pry her off the bleeding man. Sarah struggled fiercely and almost broke free before being wrestled to the floor and sedated. Everything went black.

***

"She isn't dangerous. Something must have provoked her," Sydney argued, although he knew it was useless.

In reply, Mr. Parker shouted, "Isn't dangerous, my ass! That girl nearly killed my son. On top of that, it took five Sweepers and a heavy sedative to subdue her. No, I'm not taking any chances. The Pretender will remain in the restraints she was put in."

"This will only make matters worse," the psychiatrist protested.

"You'd better see that it doesn't!"

***

Jarod sat on the couch, eating a hot fudge sundae and trying to watch a Three Stooges marathon, although his heart wasn't really in it. Behind him he heard the mechanical voice on his laptop chime, "You've got mail," so he got up, licked his sticky fingers, and accessed the file.

The subject line said "sister," as had all of the other updates from Angelo. It was another video file from surveillance DSA's. The first few moments showed an unoccupied room. Soon, Sydney and Sarah entered. Seeing his sister, battered, empty, and devoid of hope tore at his heart. When she saw the piano, she made her way to it and touched it gently, as if to make sure it was real. Jarod saw the mentor leave the room, but instinctively knew that he wouldn't be far away. Then the music started.

He had to sit down as the intensity of it hit him. Sarah was pouring everything she had into it, opening up and baring her heart and soul. Jarod had heard her do this before, but it was a very rare thing. She loved music with such a deep passion that it came naturally to her, yet, never before had the result been so profound.

He was distracted from the music when a door opened and in strode one of the most hated men he'd ever known: Lyle. As he watched, the man bent down so his mouth was close to her ear and whispered something. Her expression stayed the same, but Jarod noticed that the music was growing progressively angry and more ominous. Sarah said something, but it was so quiet that he couldn't understand her words. He replayed the section three times before he understood: "I never said a word." Lyle kept on whispering in her ear.

Without warning, he was knocked down by the girl, who sent the neatly stacked sheet music flying in the process. Jarod was shocked to see his sister, of whom he was so protective, viciously assaulting a man who had at least eighty pounds on her. He'd never seen anybody do that much damage with nothing but fists and a cast on one arm, not to mention the fact that she was being medicated for suicidal tendencies.

Miss Parker stated detachedly, "She'll kill him." Within minutes, the room was swarming with Sweepers, who set upon the girl and attempted to pry her off her unconscious victim. Her struggles prevented them from holding her, and she twisted away. Three more men, all built like football players, joined in, and were successful in restraining the hysterical girl. Once injected with a tranquilizer, her body went limp and her struggles ceased.

Jarod distractedly shut down his computer. The email surprised him, to say the least. The Sarah he knew wasn't a violent person, but then, he didn't know this Sarah. The girl inside the Centre was completely different from the light-hearted kid he'd grown to love. He'd gained new hope from her playing the piano, but it had been effectively crushed by her actions concerning Lyle. What had made her do this? It didn't make sense; after all this time, the abuse she'd received from Lyle, why should she suddenly snap? There had to be something more. If only he knew what Lyle had said to her!

***

Tell me what you think! tchabu22@hotmail.com