The Pretender is the Copyright of TNT. The characters Jarod, Sydney, Miss. Parker, Broots, and Mr. Raines etc. are all the copyright of TNT. The song Dust in the Wind belongs to Kansas. No profit intended, no harm intended. This is my first take at fan fiction and any errors are mine alone.
This chapter is for Jamie Denton. After meeting this wonderful guy in person, I could never see Lyle as totally evil and bad again despite how well he played it. – A great fan.
Chapter 8: Don't Hang OnMiss Parker's Quarters – the Centre
I still remember the little girl that gave me my first kiss.
That thought ran through Jarod's mind as he drifted awake. It confused him but feeling Mary curled into his side was warm and comforting and it drifted from his mind. A knock at her door roused him fully. He looked around for his wheelchair and saw it on the other side of the room. He also noticed that he was tangled in the sheets with her arm and leg draped over him.
Another knock at the door encouraged him to shift towards the phone on the nightstand beside the bed. It was just out of the reach of his arm and his shifting woke up Mary. She moaned as his warmth shifted. She opened an eye and started to speak when she heard the next knock.
"It must be Sydney checking to see if I've eaten you alive." Smiling as the train of thought brought some nice mental images. "I guess I'll have to leave that for tonight," she said leaning over to Jarod and meeting his kiss.
Another knock and she got up. Jarod shifted up and made as if to slide off the bed to a standing position. Quickly coming around the bed she stopped him.
"Oh no you don't! You sit until I bring your chair over. When the doctor says you can stand, then you can stand." Jarod eyed her and admired the view as she brought the chair and stopped it in front of him.
"How can I disobey that order when the temptation to have you deliver the chair is so overwhelming." He growled pulling her into his lap. The insistent knocking interrupted their kissing.
Wrapping her robe around her nakedness she stalked out of the room and he heard the door opening. He had no memory of this but he just knew that the person at the door was going to get an earful when it opened.
Awkwardly he dressed in the clothes he had worn the night before. He wheeled himself into her bathroom.
Parker briskly opened the door and glared at Sydney just as he was about to knock again.
"What!"
"They told me you were still here. It's time for Jarod's physical therapy. I'd thought you'd be up by now."
"You mean you were being nosey. Step in, no point in feeding everyone's curiosity."
Sydney stepped inside at her gesture. She slammed the door behind him and leaned against it facing him.
"So."
"Miss Parker?"
"So what Freudian wisdom are you going to share with me this morning?"
"I don't know what you mean Miss Parker. I'm very pleased that you and Jarod are finding common ground."
"And?"
"Why does there have to be more? Are you happy?"
"Happy and scared." Slipping her mask off, she looked towards the bedroom to see if they were alone. "This is what I want but …" She stopped and tried to measure Sydney's heart.
"What is your interest in Jarod?"
"I'm interested in what is best for Jarod. I have raised him since childhood. Where are you going with this?"
"What do you think is best for Jarod?"
"What's going on here Miss Parker?" Her questions were raising his suspicions.
"Just answer the question Syd. What do you think is best for Jarod?"
"I could ask you the same thing Miss Parker."
Growling in frustration, she swore under her breath. Sydney had always been good at avoiding direct questions.
Pushing her finger hard into Sydney's chest she pushed him back a step. "Okay. You play your games but hear this, I will not let anything him. I am willing to let this go on as long as they keep things as is. As soon as they try to go back to the old game he's out of here. And if you get in my way, it will be your body that I use as a human shield. Do you understand?"
"Miss Parker, I would never do anything to injure Jarod. The days of quietly looking the other way are over for me. They were the day he escaped from the Centre. You will have my full support if they ever change their plans for Jarod."
"Can I trust you?"
"You just did. With your life and Jarod's."
Her inner voice telling her he spoke the truth about this, Parker continued at a whisper. "Jarod is still Jarod. Angelo has some kind of a mind lock on him."
"What?"
"Jarod was dreaming last night. Remembering his past. Before he could break out of it, Angelo showed up and mind locked him again. He told me that he needed Jarod to destroy Gemini and knew that Jarod would never willingly stay here. Jarod has nearly broken out of the mind lock every night. It won't be much longer before Jarod can resist it completely. When he does, he's gone."
Her voice sounded tearful as she finished her story. "Daddy told me they were going to set up the lab and get Gemini going. They want Jarod to perfect the process. The lab will be ready in another day." She left the rest hanging.
Sydney tapped his knuckle to his lips and started to pace. "Then we must have a plan before then. I'll talk to Broots, see if he's willing to help. Miss Parker, you're going to have to do everything you can to keep this a secret. If Raines or Lyle find out, Jarod will be imprisoned this time with no hope of escape."
Jarod rolled into the room his hair still wet from the quick sponge bath he had taken. He knew from their reaction at his appearance that they had been talking about him.
Trying not to be paranoid he assumed a cheerful appearance.
"Sydney, did you come to be part of the parade after I get this leg brace off?"
"I thought I would see how you were doing. The doctor feels optimistic about your quick recovery."
"Will you join us?" Jarod asked Miss Parker.
"After I shower. I'll bring breakfast." She bent over and kissed him, caressing his face.
He felt a lump in his throat at the loving look she gave him. He covered her hand with his and whispered, "I love you."
She kissed him again and straightened up.
"Well you two get going. I'll join you in the infirmary."
Sydney opened the door and Jarod rolled out.
"I want to stop and change first."
Sydney walked with Jarod to his room and they entered. The sweepers were at the end of the hall waiting for Jarod's trip to the infirmary. Sam caught her eye and pointedly looked upwards. She nodded confirmation. Miss Parker closed her door and headed for the shower.
Willie knocked on the door to Mr. Raines's office. He entered and waited until Mr. Raines acknowledged him.
"Jarod is headed for the infirmary with Dr. Greene. Other than sleeping with Miss Parker, the sweepers report everything is normal."
"That we know of. I want cameras installed in Miss Parker's room as soon as she leaves. I want to know everything the Pretender does."
Willie nodded and left the room.
Mr. Parker's Office – the CentreLyle smirked when he got the sweeper report about his sister's nocturnal activities. He knew that she had a soft spot for the Pretender despite her denials. What he was surprised at was his father's apparent acceptance of this.
Looking up from the report he had been reading, Lyle asked him.
"If it keeps Jarod here I could care less what she does with him. He certainly has better blood than that Thomas fellow she was going to go to Oregon with. Who knows, we could get lucky and she could get pregnant. Then we'd get two pretenders for the price of one." He appeared to think that one over and added, "Yes, in fact I think that is exactly what we need."
Lyle made his face blank as his father called and issued the order to her doctor. So much for asking her opinion on this he thought to himself. His father would like the way things were headed. Testing had proven that the Pretender gene made ninety percent of the pretenders sterile. They were lucky to have two here now that were not.
Kyle, Angelo, Ethan, and himself were all sterile. Lucky for him he thought. Although a few years ago he wouldn't have minded the duties as stud and the power it would give him, dear old dad could just as easily put him in a cell like he had Jarod.
His sister had been checked when she had her appendix removed. Jarod was also found to be viable. It had not occurred to the Centre that he would escape before they had sperm samples from him. And they called themselves a 'Think Tank' he smirked. They had fixed that the next time they had Jarod. He hadn't stayed in their tender care long enough to get more than the one vial.
It would seem that his sister would get to play brood mare to Jarod's Stud, with or without her consent. His mind raced with the implications of this. Excusing himself he left his father's office and headed for his. He had plans to work out.
Infirmary – the CentreJarod was perfecting his crutch skills when Miss Parker arrived. It had taken him no time at all to master the technique and was maneuvering around quite well.
"Are we through here? Breakfast is ready in the Sim lab."
With a cautionary, the doctor sent Jarod off.
"What is our Sim for today?" Jarod asked.
"Research. They're setting up a lab for some genetics research. You've worked on it before but didn't have time to work out some of the issues." Changing the subject she teased, "We had to come up with something to keep you from racing the halls now that you aren't slowed down by that wheelchair."
This got a laugh from Jarod but he did slow his pace.
Sub Level 20, Sim Lab 12 – the CentreWhen breakfast was over Jarod began to study his earlier research on genetics. Parker and Sydney shared a knowing look. They knew it was the Gemini files he was absorbing. When Broots arrived, Sydney pulled him aside and under the pretext of looking at a computer, asked for his help.
Midway through the afternoon, Lyle meandered into the Sim lab. He took in the stacks of files and checked out the lab areas and equipment they were quietly setting up.
His wanderings brought him to his sister's side. She glared at him when he stopped.
"What are you doing here Lyle?" she hissed at him.
"Just checking on our progress. This Sim is very important to the Centre."
Looking over to Jarod she whispered, "I'm aware of that. He's cooperating."
Lyle leaned in closer to whisper in a voice for her alone. "You need my help on this one sis, I have information you need. Meet me at the cove in two hours. You really need to go for a run."
"I wouldn't need your help if you were the last person in the world."
"I think you do, this involves your new boyfriend. For once listen to what I have to say." As an incentive he added, "for his sake." Looking at Jarod and back to her he affected a bored expression and left the room.
Her mind raced with possibilities. Lyle was not to be trusted but she couldn't afford not to know what he was up to. It was entirely possible that he was siding against Raines just for his own gain. Regardless, if it meant keeping Jarod safe she would be on the beach.
She looked at Jarod again. He was oblivious to everyone around him as he absorbed the files he was reading. She joined Sydney and Broots.
Private Centre beach, Blue CoveShe was jogging on the beach at the appointed hour. As she jogged she planned how she was going to kill Lyle if this was a ploy to get her away from the lab and Jarod. An extremely slow and painful death she promised herself.
Just as he had said, he was jogging alone heading in her direction. They met and circled each other like jungle cats before a fight.
"I have to admit that I'm surprised that you actually came."
"This had better be good Lyle or you'll have trouble dragging yourself off the beach when I'm done with you." She threatened.
Taking a deep breath Lyle started. "You have no reason to believe what I'm going to tell you but I'm ready to get this off my chest. Most of what you believe about me isn't the whole truth. My position here at corporate is fabricated to give me a bad boy reputation. I was placed here by the Tirumverate as a mole."
She snorted and rolled her eyes at his blatant lies.
He continued, "Things have been getting out of hand for years. Too many clandestine experiments and too many valuable resources lost due to psychos like Raines. The Triumverate wanted someone that reported directly to them. Our father has been working outside the Triumverate directives and they wanted to know the extent of his defection.
"Do you really expect me to believe this? I've seen the atrocities you've committed. You're as big a psycho as Raines."
"No. I'm not. It's easy to act like one, you're guilty of that yourself. You act like an Ice Queen but you have loved Jarod since you were a child. It's obvious on all of the videos I looked at. That's our mother's side. I have it too. I want to help you and stop dad."
"I'll bet, and take over as chairman of the Centre."
"No. I want to get the hell away from the Centre. I'm married. I want to go back to my life."
That struck a note of truth with her. Her instincts accepted his words like a puzzle falling into place.
He saw the smallest relaxation of her face and continued, trying his best to convince her.
"I've been away from my wife almost four years now. It's too dangerous for me to see her more than a couple of times a year. She begged me to disappear when I lost my thumb. She said I should stay dead and let the Centre go to hell on it's own. The Triumverate convinced me to return. I can stop Raines and our father. Working together, we can do it faster."
Pacing she struggled with what she had heard. "Lyle, I don't know what to believe. I have to think."
As she began to move away Lyle shouted to her, "Think fast. We don't have much time. Ask Angelo about me. He knows the truth!"
Looking after her he shook his head in disappointment and frustration. He knew it would be difficult for her to believe him but he had hoped her instincts would make it easier. If she sought out Angelo she would believe. He resumed his run down the beach, his mind formulating plans and reviewing options.
Mr. Raines watched the meeting on the beach. He was too late to have a listening device planted. He pressed a speed dial on his cell phone and started the wheels in motion.
