Chapter 3 Betrayal
Leigh's bike skidded to a halt on
the freshly fallen rain puddles that covered the muddy ground. Funny, a week ago
white seemed the only color that the world knew. Like a dirty Welcome mat, the
snow was shaken off of the cold Montana streets to give way to piles of dirt and
salt.
"Hey Leigh!" her friend, Tara, called, "Where ya been? Our friends
have been looking all over for you."
"Oh around…"
"Well, let's
party then!"
The music started again, but soon a cop car drove up. Out
of it stepped two men. Lyle, who was dragging a severely beaten Jarod. "How
could you, Leigh?" Jarod said, "You betrayed me and my mind. Why did you help
him Leigh? What did I ever do to you? Leigh, Leigh, Leigh…"
"Leigh!"
She moaned. Let this nightmare be the dream.
"Hey Leigh! How was your lil' nap?" Lyle asked tauntingly, "Dream about
me?"
"Leave me alone!"
"I'll take that as a yes," he smiled.
"Today we're going to take a little trip to the Principal's office
because somebody's been a bad little girl."
"Oh really, I thought you
were male," she spat at him.
Ignoring her comment, Lyle continued
grimly, "First, I think you need to visit the nurse," he pulled out a syringe.
It was filled with a clear liquid. She tried to pull away but there was no where
to run to. For herself or Jarod.
* * *
Lyle despised Mr. Raines.
He despised the way that damned corpse carried his oxygen tank around like a
favored toy. He despised how the Tribunal let Raines have all the control. And
he especially despised the way he would waltz into his project, give orders, and
expect them relayed.
"This is it Mr. Lyle," Mr. Raines said as if Lyle
was a hapless idiot like himself, "We need to finish this before Jarod moves
again."
"I am trying as hard as I can…"
Raines stole a glance at
Leigh. She was lying in a heap on the polished floor with three sweepers
standing close by. She was moving slightly, hinting her return to consciousness.
He gave a wave of his aged and wrinkled hand to dismiss Lyle's words and slowly
walked to the door.
"If your job has any value to you, I suggest you
complete this fiasco today."
Lyle gave a sharp nod, "Yes, Sir."
Lyle walked over to where Leigh lay sprawled out on the hard,
tiled floor. He motioned for two sweepers to pull her up into a kneeling
position. With all his anger and frustration he struck her across her face.
Leigh cried out in pain as the back of his hand scored its hit next to
her right eye. She fell forward dizzily onto her knees, but the sweepers yanked
her back up. She looked fearfully at Lyle as he glared at her with what little
control over his rage was left. She flinched as he kneeled in front of her.
"You're ruining a good suit for me, I'm honored," Leigh mocked him.
"Shut up," he growled and punched her, hard, in the stomach. Pain shot
through her. Leigh tried to retaliate, but the sweepers whipped her back with
such force that she slid across the highly polished floor several feet and
crashed into the wall. Lyle rose and walked with disgust over to where she lay
in a heap. "You shouldn't have tried that, Leigh." He kicked her in the stomach.
She doubled over in pain; her eyes swam in and out of focus.
"Tell me
where he is!" he warned her.
She shook her head.
He picked her
up off the floor by her shirt. He shoved her into the wall and hit her across
the face again. A mix of blood and tears flowed across her cheeks.
"You'll tell me now!"
She felt sick. The pain overwhelmed her
thoughts, but she knew that it would only get worse. A voice in her head told
her to tell, to stop the pain, that she was not strong enough, and so tired.
From his back pocket, Lyle withdrew a paperclip and straightened it. He
grabbed her hair and twisted her head towards him. Lyle pressed it to her cheek.
"Well?" he asked. She pulled away from him. He pushed the paperclip into her
skin until a fine rivulet of blood poured from the wound. She cried out.
Lyle threw her onto the floor and told the sweepers to finish for him.
They moved forward in pleasure. One hooked his arms around hers to prevent her
from moving. Another grabbed her legs. The third rolled up her shirt, partially
exposing her stomach. He withdrew a small jackknife from his back pocket. She
jolted in agony when it bit into her flesh.
"Give up Leigh," Lyle said
hypnotically, "There's no use in resisting."
Leigh's mind raced. A
genius, Sydney had called her, a genius with one option. Jarod.
"A
teacher," she said slowly, fighting the urge to wretch. "Your savant's a teacher
in Andover."
"Andover…"
"Maine."
Lyle kneeled down next
to her. He held her chin so he stared directly into her eyes, which were
gradually becoming wider with fear.
"Thank you Sanchez," said Lyle
menacingly, "That could have been easier for the both of us if you had
volunteered that information faster." He turned to the sweepers, "Prepare for a
fast departure and inform Sydney that he will be coming with us. You may finish
with her, first."
Leigh opened her mouth to protest, "I helped you! I
told you!"
"You'll learn to be more cooperative next time."
She
screamed when the sweeper flicked out the blade.
The sweepers
efficiently bandaged her wounds with a long white strip of gauze.
She
was quieter and more manageable when the sweepers directed her to the waiting
helicopter. Just in case, Lyle had her drugged so she would stay that way. She
was half-awake when they switched to a car at the Centre's private airstrip.
Lyle thought about the hours to come. He would relish the time he would be with
Jarod. He craved the power he would hold over the man who had mocked his
intelligence and his authority. After so many years, he could finally see him
brought back to his cell. To see Jarod, helplessly chained, back at the Centre,
the man who had eluded him for so long. The thought of Jarod's recapture was
almost too good. He still had business, and that meant catching him first. He
had opted for bring two sweepers and Sydney. The first two were for the brute
power, specifically capturing and containing. The latter was brought for his
pleasure: making a fool out of Sydney. In addition, it would make the reunion
all the more special. Although he brought Sydney, he made sure that Miss Parker
was not going. She had come so close to catching Jarod. But where Parker failed,
he would succeed.
He had to.