****
The day wore on. Miss Parker felt at a loss, watching the three people
hunched over their computers, data she couldn't understand passing over the
screen as Jarod hacked his way into the Centre. December sat cross-legged on
her chair, fingers thumping over the keys, occasionally swearing. September sat
primly, her legs neatly folded beneath her, her touch light and delicate.
Parker made them coffee. When lunchtime rolled around she made
sandwiches. Information she could recognize as high security Centre data
flashed on Jarod's screen. She had never seen him work like this before, never
seen the intense gleam he got in his eyes when he was so focused on something he
forgot his surroundings.
In the late afternoon she made coffee and put out cookies. Jarod was
distracted from his keyboard long enough to grin boyishly at her, cramming a few
into his mouth. December sat back with a sigh, while September kept working
quietly.
"Anything?" Miss Parker asked. Jarod shrugged.
"Vague references to money trails and obliterated paper trails to facilities all
over the world. Egypt, Russia, China, Italy..."
"I've heard of them. I can't find out their names or locations," December said
glumly.
"We will. In time," Jarod said determinedly. Miss Parker took a deep breath.
"How long do you intend to do this?" she asked. He looked at her quizzically,
and she continued, "How *long* are you going to help us for? When do you go
back to your crusade?"
September stopped typing, raising her head to look at him. Jarod
shifted
uncomfortably, "For as long as I need to."
"What about your family?" Miss Parker persisted, "What about your past, your
secrets? What about *your* clone?"
"This is important, at the moment. You are, all of you," Jarod said. Parker
rose to her feet, stiffening with anger.
"Why? You need to find enough information to convince me not to go back there?
Is that it? You help for long enough to embitter me permanently and then you
disappear back into the darkness?" she growled. December's eyes narrowed
dangerously.
"Is this true?" she asked, and Jarod flushed.
"Of course not!" he cried. September sipped her coffee quietly, and Jarod
looked back and forth between the three of them, "I want to help. I want to
know why they did this and how. And I don't ever want it to happen again...
there could be more children, suffering. More women, the other nine..."
Miss Parker looked down, suddenly ashamed or her attack on his motives.
September tucked her hair behind one ear and returned to her work. December
nodded slowly, grabbing a cookie and returning her focus to the information in
front of her. When Parker raised her gaze again, Jarod was watching her
passively, without accusation.
"I know this is hard..." he said, reaching out to touch his fingers to her
cheek. Parker jerked away, rising from her seat and leaving the room.
****
That night, Jarod lay in bed, unable to sleep. There was a silvery
light
in the room from the moon, and he lay on his side, one arm tucked beneath his
head. They had worked late into the night, but had found nothing more than dead
ends and whispery trails that faded into nothing. The only thing of use they
had found was a project name - the Distinction Project. September had stumbled
across it deep inside some Alkina archives.
The Distinction Project. Jarod wondered what it meant...
"What is the final distinction?" Jarod whispered to himself.
He startled slightly at a soft noise, and raised himself up onto one
arm,
gaping in surprise as the door leading to the bathroom opened and Miss Parker
slipped into the room. She moved silently across to the bed, the filmy
nightgown she wore outlining her every curve in the moonlight, the curtain of
her hair shadowing her face. Without a word she lifted the covers and slipped
into the bed, pressing herself up against his back. Jarod tried to twist his
head around to look at her.
"Lie down," she murmured.
Slowly, Jarod lowered himself back onto the bed, staring at the window.
Miss Parker stroked his shoulder, tucking herself against him so they were
spooning. Her hand drifted to slip around his waist, her palm resting on his
bare chest. Jarod covered her slim hand with his own, squeezing gently.
"I couldn't sleep," she said, her breath tickling the hair at the nape of his
neck. She shifted slightly, her breasts pressing against his back.
"Neither could I," he whispered.
"I'm... I'm sorry about this afternoon," Miss Parker murmured, her voice
catching slightly. Jarod squeezed her hand again.
"I understand," he murmured, and sighed, "I have wondered if I did the right
thing, telling you. If you wouldn't have been better off not knowing."
"No. I needed to know... I just- what am I going to do?" she asked, her voice
wavering slightly.
"Leave them," Jarod whispered, "Leave the Centre. Go with September and
January. Find the others."
"Yeah, three identical women traveling together and digging into things they
shouldn't. The Centre will never find me," Miss Parker said, with a soft,
bitter laugh, and then sobered, "I have to go. Alone."
"You could come with me," Jarod said hesitantly.
"No," Miss Parker sighed, "No. I couldn't. I need to find my own way..."
Jarod was silent, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. He
understood her need to separate herself from the Centre, to separate and define
herself from everything that had come before.
"I'm sorry that it took *this* to make things different," Jarod said solemnly.
Miss Parker sniffled slightly, and he realized she was crying.
"It has been building over years," she whispered, "Since I was a child. Since I
became head of Security, and saw you, all grown up and being kept like an
animal."
She let out a soft, hiccoughing sob, and Jarod turned, rolling over and
gathering her into his arms. She let out a sigh, burying her face in his neck,
and he felt her tears wetting his neck. He stroked his hand down her hair,
holding her to him gently.
"What am I, Jarod? What have they made me?" Miss Parker asked thickly, raising
her tearstained face up to his.
"You are what you have made yourself," Jarod assured her with a gentle smile,
and she smiled without happiness.
"I'm not sure if that is any better..." she said.
Jarod gazed at her tenderly, bringing one hand up to cradle her cheek
tenderly, brushing his thumb over her lips. "I wouldn't have you any other
way," he whispered. Miss Parker gazed up at him, searching his eyes for a
moment. She threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging his face down so their
lips met in a soft kiss.
When the kiss broke, Miss Parker turned her back to Jarod, taking his
hands and pulling his arms around her, so they lay spooned. He nuzzled his nose
into her hair, and tried not to let his heart break when she began to weep.
****
Bleary and confused, Miss Parker awoke to the sound of screaming. She
raised her head, wondering if Jarod was having a nightmare, but this was distant
and definitely female screaming. It was still dark, and the alarm clock said it
was just past four am. Behind her, Jarod tightened his arms around her
reflexively, mumbling something sleepily before raising his head.
"What...?" he asked, but she was already slipping out of his warm embrace.
He followed her to the door, and she flung it open just as the bedroom
door opposite opened too. December stared at them for a moment, not missing the
fact that they were emerging from the same bedroom.
"September..." Jarod said, and pushed past the both of them, loping quickly up
the hall to September's room.
She was still screaming as he opened the door, hoarse, terrified
screams,
and she was huddled in the corner of the bed. Jarod went towards her
immediately, but Miss Parker, struck by a sudden intuition, caught him by the
arm and pulled him back.
"Don't... you can't touch her, Jarod," she said.
December hurried to September's side, pulling the frightened woman out
of
the corner and into her arms. Making sure Jarod would make no move towards
them, Parker went to sit next to them on the bed, stroking September's hair as
her screams turned first to low, miserable moans, and then harsh sobbing.
"It's okay, you're safe, and we have you..." December murmured softly, and
Parker admired the gentle ease with which she calmed the terrified woman,
obviously borne from practice.
Jarod stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, shifting his weight
from
foot to foot. Miss Parker looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and looking away
very quickly.
"I'll... get some hot milk," he said, and left the room.
September raised her face, looking miserable but much calmer. She
smiled
weakly, holding up one trembling hand idly. "I'm okay... just another dream,"
she murmured huskily, and stood, unsteadily, "I'm just going to wash my face..."
September wandered out of the room in the direction of the bathroom,
just
as Jarod returned to the room, a mug in his hands. He gave them a curious look.
"Why didn't you want me to touch her?" he asked. Miss Parker looked at December
hesitantly.
"I just knew... a man did that. Made her afraid like that," she bit her lip
thoughtfully, as the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, "That was what
made her run away. That was what gave her the courage... the desperation."
"Very perceptive," December said sadly. She hesitated, then sighed, "The last
six months. He would come maybe once a month... from what she's told me it was
brutal. There was no way to stop him. There was nobody to help her. He got
more and more violent over time - she lost a baby. She had to go."
Jarod took a shaky breath, brushing a hand over his eyes. His shoulders
were tense, and he appeared furious, but when September re-entered the room,
Miss Parker noticed he forced himself to relax. He passed her the cup of hot
milk, being careful not to touch her.
"September, you can sleep with me tonight, okay?" December asked. September
nodded, looking sleepy now that she was over her nightmare.
Miss Parker and Jarod walked September and December back to the other
room, saying goodnight softly as they closed the door. They stood outside
Jarod's door, Miss Parker shivering slightly with the cold. Jarod placed his
hands on her upper arms, rubbing gently. He smiled.
"Come on," he whispered, and pushed the door open.
Miss Parker hesitated for just a moment, and then followed him into the
dark room. There was a soft rustling noise as he slipped under the covers, and
he lay on his back, his arms open to her. Miss Parker slid into bed and into
his arms, laying her head on his shoulder, running her fingers across his
collarbone. She felt his mouth brush against her temple, and sighed softly as
she drifted off to sleep.
****
"Sydney!"
Sydney looked up at Broots' soft hiss, smiling gently. Broots had
always
been somewhat melodramatic when it came to his paranoia, and now was no
different. The techie was hunched by the door of the sim lab, looking around
nervously before gesturing the psychiatrist to follow him. Sydney murmured a
soft excuse to the identical twin girls in front of him, who were playing
happily. He followed the younger man out of the lab, up the corridor and into
the elevator. They stayed quiet until they were on the ground floor and out of
earshot.
"I got a message from Jarod!" Broots whispered excitedly as they entered the
tech room.
"Jarod? How is he?" Sydney asked eagerly. He had become more and more
concerned over his prot駩e in the aftermath of Miss Parker's kidnapping,
reluctant to believe Jarod could have done it, but faced with the possibility he
may have finally snapped.
"We're about to find out..." Broots whispered, dragging another chair over to
his desk. They both sat, and Broots adjusted his web cam for a moment before
hitting a few buttons. A moment later, a connection was established, and Jarod
appeared before them.
"Jarod!" Sydney whispered, keeping an eye on the door in case Lyle arrived,
"Are you alright?"
"And...and where the hell is Miss Parker?!" Broots stammered bravely.
"I'm here," came her irritated reply, and she slid into view beside Jarod,
almost draping herself over his arm so they were both caught in the camera's
view.
"Thank heavens you are both okay!" Sydney said, "But what on earth is
happening? Lyle believes you kidnapped Miss Parker, Jarod!"
"I... did, actually," Jarod said, flushing uncomfortably, "But for a very good
reason. I need you to keep up the pretense that I've lost it, it gives both of
us an edge which we need at the moment."
"What's going on?" Broots asked. Miss Parker and Jarod exchanged glances.
"I can't explain right now, I can hardly believe it myself," she said.
"But we need you to find out everything and anything you can on Magena, and
something called the Distinction Project," Jarod said, finishing her sentence,
"I can't stress how important it is that *nobody* knows you are looking into
this, both for your safety and ours."
"Of course," Broots said, "How do we contact you?"
"We'll reach you," Parker said dismissively. They heard a voice calling Jarod's
name in the background.
"We have to go. Be careful!" Jarod warned.
"It was good to see you both," Sydney said warmly, and Jarod smiled back.
"You too, Sydney, you too."
Then the connection was abruptly cut off, and Sydney and Boots sat in
silence for a moment, pondering what they had learned. Miss Parker was okay,
and she and Jarod seemed to be working together on something of great importance
- and they weren't alone. Broots turned to Sydney is sudden shocked confusion.
"Where they... in *bed* together?" he asked.
Sydney blinked. Now that he thought about it, Jarod had only been
wearing
a white wife-beater, and Miss Parker a robe. They were both leaning against
what could have been a bed head.
Slowly, quietly, Sydney began to laugh.
****
"Well?" Lyle asked, staring down at the timid man beside him. He flashed his
eyes around the tech room, where two other timid men with thick glasses watched
on fearfully.
"I... it will take some time, but, ah, I think I have something," the little man
said, and Lyle waved a hand impatiently.
"How long?" he demanded.
"I need to decode the signal and trace it back... twenty-four hours, with all of
us working on it..." the geek said. Lyle reached out with his good hand,
running his fingers along the other man's badly knotted tie. He gripped it
suddenly, wrenching him forward so his face went red and his eyes bulged.
"You have *six* hours," Lyle growled, "I want them found!"
Straightening up, Lyle smoothed down the front of his suit, and tugged
his
glove tightly into place out of habit. He gave one last glare to all the geeks
before leaving the room, striding towards the elevator. Jarod had made contact
with Sydney, he had no doubt, and now he intended to use the Pretender's
sentimental weakness to track the bastard down and find Miss Parker.
****
December regarded them quizzically from the doorway as Jarod closed the
lid on his laptop, setting it on the mattress beside him.
"Brunch is ready," she said softly, "Who were you talking to?"
"Our contacts at the Centre," Jarod said, "They're going to help us."
"Okay... well, meet you downstairs," December said, and left the room, closing
the door behind her.
Jarod sighed. They had slept late after their early, early morning
awakening, and waking with Miss Parker in his arms and in his bed had provided
Jarod with an unexpected delight. As Miss Parker went to move away from him, he
caught her chin, drawing her mouth to his, but she stopped short at the last
moment.
"Jarod... I don't..." she began, then paused awkwardly. Jarod blinked,
withdrawing his hand. Miss Parker shrugged, "I don't think we should do this.
We have enough complications in our lives at the moment, and I don't think we
need anymore."
Jarod flinched, unable to stop his hurt at the idea that he was just a
'complication', but he smiled gently, "I understand. I had just hoped..."
"I know," Parker said. She turned away, perching on the edge of the bed with
her back to him, "Its just chemistry, Jarod. We've been thrown together time
after time, so it's natural to develop a sexual attraction-"
"Feelings!" Jarod corrected emphatically.
"-But there are other, more important things we need to focus on at the moment.
Having an affair could only provide a distraction that could get us killed," she
finished, as if he had never interrupted. Jarod set his jaw, knowing that her
harsh words were simply a defense mechanism, but they still cut anyway.
"Fine. Whatever you want," he said quietly.
They went downstairs together, Miss Parker still in her robe, her hair
tousled, Jarod wearing his yellow pajama bottoms and a wife-beater, both of them
bare-foot. December watched them with narrowed eyes, placing a plate of
pancakes on the table with a clunk. September was pouring orange juice, and
jumped at the noise. They all sat down with steaming cups of coffee, and Jarod
noted, with a sense of mild discomfort, that December, September and Miss Parker
were all stirring their coffee perfectly in sync.
"Tell me about Magena," Jarod said thoughtfully, piling pancakes onto his plate.
"What?" all three women asked at once. He paused, feeling very disorientated.
"Magena, I want to know everything," he said. December shrugged.
"It's about an hour out of Phoenix. You could make it there by nightfall if you
wanted to pay a visit," she said, surprising Jarod.
"That close? It sounds like a good idea then..."
"I'm coming with you," Parker stated firmly. September smiled shyly.
"December and I could stay here and keep running searches," she offered.
"Well then," December said, "Eat up and I'll draw you a map."
****
Dusk was falling as they finally drove up a beaten old dirt track on top
of a hill towards Magena, and Miss Parker checked December's map several times
as they approached it. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the dirt road
was almost overrun with weeds, and the only buildings in sight were an old
farmhouse and a barn.
"This is it?" Jarod asked dubiously.
"We followed December's instructions to the letter," Parker said, not feeling at
all reassured, despite the mathematical precision of December's map.
They bounced around in Jarod's jeep as they hit a particularly rough
patch
on the road, their supplies rattling in the back. He slowed the vehicle to a
crawl as they pulled up out the front of the farmhouse, and regarded the
ramshackle structure critically.
"Nobody has been here in years," Jarod murmured.
"Decades, more likely," Parker scoffed.
"Well, we should take a look around," he said, killing the engine.
They both climbed out of the jeep, Jarod tucking the keys into his
pocket
and retrieving two high-power flashlights from the back. Passing one to Miss
Parker, he surveyed the house and barn. "Which one do you want?" he asked.
"House," she said, "Meet you back here in fifteen."
Jarod disappeared in the direction of the barn, and Parker stared at the
little broken down house. She took a tie out of her pocket, and tied her hair
back in a ponytail, wishing she had her gun. Setting her jaw, she crossed the
dusty yard to the house, navigating the crumbling stairs up onto the porch.
The floorboards were half-rotted, and Parker had to step carefully as
she
approached the door. She tugged open the screen door, and tried the handle of
the solid wood door - locked. Backing up a bit, she braced her shoulder and
rammed into it with her side, grunting with pain, but there was a satisfying
crunch, and the door burst open.
Stepping into the dark interior, Miss Parker turned her flashlight on,
sweeping it around the room and wrinkling her nose at the stench of mice. She
crept through the little front room, listening to things scurry in the shadows.
"Oh... lovely," she whispered to herself.
The house looked as if nobody had been inside for years - everything was
covered in a thick layer of dust, and what little furniture there was, an old
armchair and sofa, was mostly rotted away. In a small kitchen she found the
ground was covered with broken glass, and there was charring on the wall above
an old range.
Miss Parker crept through the cold house, sweeping each of the rooms
with
a mere cursory glance. There seemed to be nothing of interest, until she
discovered a tiny room at the back of the house, containing only an old wardrobe
and a decaying single bed. Parker stood in the room, a chill on her spine
telling her there was something to be found in this room.
Shuddering with disgust, she poked at the mattress on the bed, trying
not
to flinch as a mouse leapt out and away. The springs creaked in protest, and
she leaned across the bed to grip the far side, pulling it towards her and off
the base, chuffing with effort. She happened to glance up as she was doing so,
and stopped dead.
Carved, very faintly, on the wall, were the initials CJP.
"Find anything?"
Parker jumped, whirling around to find that Jarod was standing directly
behind her. She put a hand to her heart, breathing hard. "Christ, don't *do*
that!" she cried, and Jarod shrugged apologetically.
"Sorry... what were you looking at?" he asked. Parker turned back to the bed.
"My mother was here, those are her initials, just above the bed, see?" she
asked, pointing. Jarod leaned close, and traced his fingers over the faint
mark.
"You're right," he said, straightening up, "Was there anything else?"
"I was just about to look under the mattress," she said, and Jarod nodded,
understanding that she wanted to know if her mother had left anything.
Together they tugged and pulled at the mattress, until it slid off the
base and landed on the floor, sending up a cloud of dust, making them both cough
and sneeze. When it settled, Parker hunted around the base, but could not find
anything her mother might have left. Jarod took a pocketknife out of his jeans,
slitting the mattress to expose the springs and rotted stuffing, making a soft
noise of disgust as more mice scampered out of it.
Miss Parker turned to the wardrobe as he poked through it, yanking open
the doors and the drawers, but she found nothing but mothballs. Disheartened,
she turned back to Jarod, who shrugged. Nothing in the mattress.
"My mother was here," she said, and Jarod nodded.
"I found a trapdoor in the barn, which is why I came in. Maybe we'll find
something there," he said.
****
The day wore on. Miss Parker felt at a loss, watching the three people
hunched over their computers, data she couldn't understand passing over the
screen as Jarod hacked his way into the Centre. December sat cross-legged on
her chair, fingers thumping over the keys, occasionally swearing. September sat
primly, her legs neatly folded beneath her, her touch light and delicate.
Parker made them coffee. When lunchtime rolled around she made
sandwiches. Information she could recognize as high security Centre data
flashed on Jarod's screen. She had never seen him work like this before, never
seen the intense gleam he got in his eyes when he was so focused on something he
forgot his surroundings.
In the late afternoon she made coffee and put out cookies. Jarod was
distracted from his keyboard long enough to grin boyishly at her, cramming a few
into his mouth. December sat back with a sigh, while September kept working
quietly.
"Anything?" Miss Parker asked. Jarod shrugged.
"Vague references to money trails and obliterated paper trails to facilities all
over the world. Egypt, Russia, China, Italy..."
"I've heard of them. I can't find out their names or locations," December said
glumly.
"We will. In time," Jarod said determinedly. Miss Parker took a deep breath.
"How long do you intend to do this?" she asked. He looked at her quizzically,
and she continued, "How *long* are you going to help us for? When do you go
back to your crusade?"
September stopped typing, raising her head to look at him. Jarod
shifted
uncomfortably, "For as long as I need to."
"What about your family?" Miss Parker persisted, "What about your past, your
secrets? What about *your* clone?"
"This is important, at the moment. You are, all of you," Jarod said. Parker
rose to her feet, stiffening with anger.
"Why? You need to find enough information to convince me not to go back there?
Is that it? You help for long enough to embitter me permanently and then you
disappear back into the darkness?" she growled. December's eyes narrowed
dangerously.
"Is this true?" she asked, and Jarod flushed.
"Of course not!" he cried. September sipped her coffee quietly, and Jarod
looked back and forth between the three of them, "I want to help. I want to
know why they did this and how. And I don't ever want it to happen again...
there could be more children, suffering. More women, the other nine..."
Miss Parker looked down, suddenly ashamed or her attack on his motives.
September tucked her hair behind one ear and returned to her work. December
nodded slowly, grabbing a cookie and returning her focus to the information in
front of her. When Parker raised her gaze again, Jarod was watching her
passively, without accusation.
"I know this is hard..." he said, reaching out to touch his fingers to her
cheek. Parker jerked away, rising from her seat and leaving the room.
****
That night, Jarod lay in bed, unable to sleep. There was a silvery
light
in the room from the moon, and he lay on his side, one arm tucked beneath his
head. They had worked late into the night, but had found nothing more than dead
ends and whispery trails that faded into nothing. The only thing of use they
had found was a project name - the Distinction Project. September had stumbled
across it deep inside some Alkina archives.
The Distinction Project. Jarod wondered what it meant...
"What is the final distinction?" Jarod whispered to himself.
He startled slightly at a soft noise, and raised himself up onto one
arm,
gaping in surprise as the door leading to the bathroom opened and Miss Parker
slipped into the room. She moved silently across to the bed, the filmy
nightgown she wore outlining her every curve in the moonlight, the curtain of
her hair shadowing her face. Without a word she lifted the covers and slipped
into the bed, pressing herself up against his back. Jarod tried to twist his
head around to look at her.
"Lie down," she murmured.
Slowly, Jarod lowered himself back onto the bed, staring at the window.
Miss Parker stroked his shoulder, tucking herself against him so they were
spooning. Her hand drifted to slip around his waist, her palm resting on his
bare chest. Jarod covered her slim hand with his own, squeezing gently.
"I couldn't sleep," she said, her breath tickling the hair at the nape of his
neck. She shifted slightly, her breasts pressing against his back.
"Neither could I," he whispered.
"I'm... I'm sorry about this afternoon," Miss Parker murmured, her voice
catching slightly. Jarod squeezed her hand again.
"I understand," he murmured, and sighed, "I have wondered if I did the right
thing, telling you. If you wouldn't have been better off not knowing."
"No. I needed to know... I just- what am I going to do?" she asked, her voice
wavering slightly.
"Leave them," Jarod whispered, "Leave the Centre. Go with September and
January. Find the others."
"Yeah, three identical women traveling together and digging into things they
shouldn't. The Centre will never find me," Miss Parker said, with a soft,
bitter laugh, and then sobered, "I have to go. Alone."
"You could come with me," Jarod said hesitantly.
"No," Miss Parker sighed, "No. I couldn't. I need to find my own way..."
Jarod was silent, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. He
understood her need to separate herself from the Centre, to separate and define
herself from everything that had come before.
"I'm sorry that it took *this* to make things different," Jarod said solemnly.
Miss Parker sniffled slightly, and he realized she was crying.
"It has been building over years," she whispered, "Since I was a child. Since I
became head of Security, and saw you, all grown up and being kept like an
animal."
She let out a soft, hiccoughing sob, and Jarod turned, rolling over and
gathering her into his arms. She let out a sigh, burying her face in his neck,
and he felt her tears wetting his neck. He stroked his hand down her hair,
holding her to him gently.
"What am I, Jarod? What have they made me?" Miss Parker asked thickly, raising
her tearstained face up to his.
"You are what you have made yourself," Jarod assured her with a gentle smile,
and she smiled without happiness.
"I'm not sure if that is any better..." she said.
Jarod gazed at her tenderly, bringing one hand up to cradle her cheek
tenderly, brushing his thumb over her lips. "I wouldn't have you any other
way," he whispered. Miss Parker gazed up at him, searching his eyes for a
moment. She threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging his face down so their
lips met in a soft kiss.
When the kiss broke, Miss Parker turned her back to Jarod, taking his
hands and pulling his arms around her, so they lay spooned. He nuzzled his nose
into her hair, and tried not to let his heart break when she began to weep.
****
Bleary and confused, Miss Parker awoke to the sound of screaming. She
raised her head, wondering if Jarod was having a nightmare, but this was distant
and definitely female screaming. It was still dark, and the alarm clock said it
was just past four am. Behind her, Jarod tightened his arms around her
reflexively, mumbling something sleepily before raising his head.
"What...?" he asked, but she was already slipping out of his warm embrace.
He followed her to the door, and she flung it open just as the bedroom
door opposite opened too. December stared at them for a moment, not missing the
fact that they were emerging from the same bedroom.
"September..." Jarod said, and pushed past the both of them, loping quickly up
the hall to September's room.
She was still screaming as he opened the door, hoarse, terrified
screams,
and she was huddled in the corner of the bed. Jarod went towards her
immediately, but Miss Parker, struck by a sudden intuition, caught him by the
arm and pulled him back.
"Don't... you can't touch her, Jarod," she said.
December hurried to September's side, pulling the frightened woman out
of
the corner and into her arms. Making sure Jarod would make no move towards
them, Parker went to sit next to them on the bed, stroking September's hair as
her screams turned first to low, miserable moans, and then harsh sobbing.
"It's okay, you're safe, and we have you..." December murmured softly, and
Parker admired the gentle ease with which she calmed the terrified woman,
obviously borne from practice.
Jarod stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, shifting his weight
from
foot to foot. Miss Parker looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and looking away
very quickly.
"I'll... get some hot milk," he said, and left the room.
September raised her face, looking miserable but much calmer. She
smiled
weakly, holding up one trembling hand idly. "I'm okay... just another dream,"
she murmured huskily, and stood, unsteadily, "I'm just going to wash my face..."
September wandered out of the room in the direction of the bathroom,
just
as Jarod returned to the room, a mug in his hands. He gave them a curious look.
"Why didn't you want me to touch her?" he asked. Miss Parker looked at December
hesitantly.
"I just knew... a man did that. Made her afraid like that," she bit her lip
thoughtfully, as the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, "That was what
made her run away. That was what gave her the courage... the desperation."
"Very perceptive," December said sadly. She hesitated, then sighed, "The last
six months. He would come maybe once a month... from what she's told me it was
brutal. There was no way to stop him. There was nobody to help her. He got
more and more violent over time - she lost a baby. She had to go."
Jarod took a shaky breath, brushing a hand over his eyes. His shoulders
were tense, and he appeared furious, but when September re-entered the room,
Miss Parker noticed he forced himself to relax. He passed her the cup of hot
milk, being careful not to touch her.
"September, you can sleep with me tonight, okay?" December asked. September
nodded, looking sleepy now that she was over her nightmare.
Miss Parker and Jarod walked September and December back to the other
room, saying goodnight softly as they closed the door. They stood outside
Jarod's door, Miss Parker shivering slightly with the cold. Jarod placed his
hands on her upper arms, rubbing gently. He smiled.
"Come on," he whispered, and pushed the door open.
Miss Parker hesitated for just a moment, and then followed him into the
dark room. There was a soft rustling noise as he slipped under the covers, and
he lay on his back, his arms open to her. Miss Parker slid into bed and into
his arms, laying her head on his shoulder, running her fingers across his
collarbone. She felt his mouth brush against her temple, and sighed softly as
she drifted off to sleep.
****
"Sydney!"
Sydney looked up at Broots' soft hiss, smiling gently. Broots had
always
been somewhat melodramatic when it came to his paranoia, and now was no
different. The techie was hunched by the door of the sim lab, looking around
nervously before gesturing the psychiatrist to follow him. Sydney murmured a
soft excuse to the identical twin girls in front of him, who were playing
happily. He followed the younger man out of the lab, up the corridor and into
the elevator. They stayed quiet until they were on the ground floor and out of
earshot.
"I got a message from Jarod!" Broots whispered excitedly as they entered the
tech room.
"Jarod? How is he?" Sydney asked eagerly. He had become more and more
concerned over his prot駩e in the aftermath of Miss Parker's kidnapping,
reluctant to believe Jarod could have done it, but faced with the possibility he
may have finally snapped.
"We're about to find out..." Broots whispered, dragging another chair over to
his desk. They both sat, and Broots adjusted his web cam for a moment before
hitting a few buttons. A moment later, a connection was established, and Jarod
appeared before them.
"Jarod!" Sydney whispered, keeping an eye on the door in case Lyle arrived,
"Are you alright?"
"And...and where the hell is Miss Parker?!" Broots stammered bravely.
"I'm here," came her irritated reply, and she slid into view beside Jarod,
almost draping herself over his arm so they were both caught in the camera's
view.
"Thank heavens you are both okay!" Sydney said, "But what on earth is
happening? Lyle believes you kidnapped Miss Parker, Jarod!"
"I... did, actually," Jarod said, flushing uncomfortably, "But for a very good
reason. I need you to keep up the pretense that I've lost it, it gives both of
us an edge which we need at the moment."
"What's going on?" Broots asked. Miss Parker and Jarod exchanged glances.
"I can't explain right now, I can hardly believe it myself," she said.
"But we need you to find out everything and anything you can on Magena, and
something called the Distinction Project," Jarod said, finishing her sentence,
"I can't stress how important it is that *nobody* knows you are looking into
this, both for your safety and ours."
"Of course," Broots said, "How do we contact you?"
"We'll reach you," Parker said dismissively. They heard a voice calling Jarod's
name in the background.
"We have to go. Be careful!" Jarod warned.
"It was good to see you both," Sydney said warmly, and Jarod smiled back.
"You too, Sydney, you too."
Then the connection was abruptly cut off, and Sydney and Boots sat in
silence for a moment, pondering what they had learned. Miss Parker was okay,
and she and Jarod seemed to be working together on something of great importance
- and they weren't alone. Broots turned to Sydney is sudden shocked confusion.
"Where they... in *bed* together?" he asked.
Sydney blinked. Now that he thought about it, Jarod had only been
wearing
a white wife-beater, and Miss Parker a robe. They were both leaning against
what could have been a bed head.
Slowly, quietly, Sydney began to laugh.
****
"Well?" Lyle asked, staring down at the timid man beside him. He flashed his
eyes around the tech room, where two other timid men with thick glasses watched
on fearfully.
"I... it will take some time, but, ah, I think I have something," the little man
said, and Lyle waved a hand impatiently.
"How long?" he demanded.
"I need to decode the signal and trace it back... twenty-four hours, with all of
us working on it..." the geek said. Lyle reached out with his good hand,
running his fingers along the other man's badly knotted tie. He gripped it
suddenly, wrenching him forward so his face went red and his eyes bulged.
"You have *six* hours," Lyle growled, "I want them found!"
Straightening up, Lyle smoothed down the front of his suit, and tugged
his
glove tightly into place out of habit. He gave one last glare to all the geeks
before leaving the room, striding towards the elevator. Jarod had made contact
with Sydney, he had no doubt, and now he intended to use the Pretender's
sentimental weakness to track the bastard down and find Miss Parker.
****
December regarded them quizzically from the doorway as Jarod closed the
lid on his laptop, setting it on the mattress beside him.
"Brunch is ready," she said softly, "Who were you talking to?"
"Our contacts at the Centre," Jarod said, "They're going to help us."
"Okay... well, meet you downstairs," December said, and left the room, closing
the door behind her.
Jarod sighed. They had slept late after their early, early morning
awakening, and waking with Miss Parker in his arms and in his bed had provided
Jarod with an unexpected delight. As Miss Parker went to move away from him, he
caught her chin, drawing her mouth to his, but she stopped short at the last
moment.
"Jarod... I don't..." she began, then paused awkwardly. Jarod blinked,
withdrawing his hand. Miss Parker shrugged, "I don't think we should do this.
We have enough complications in our lives at the moment, and I don't think we
need anymore."
Jarod flinched, unable to stop his hurt at the idea that he was just a
'complication', but he smiled gently, "I understand. I had just hoped..."
"I know," Parker said. She turned away, perching on the edge of the bed with
her back to him, "Its just chemistry, Jarod. We've been thrown together time
after time, so it's natural to develop a sexual attraction-"
"Feelings!" Jarod corrected emphatically.
"-But there are other, more important things we need to focus on at the moment.
Having an affair could only provide a distraction that could get us killed," she
finished, as if he had never interrupted. Jarod set his jaw, knowing that her
harsh words were simply a defense mechanism, but they still cut anyway.
"Fine. Whatever you want," he said quietly.
They went downstairs together, Miss Parker still in her robe, her hair
tousled, Jarod wearing his yellow pajama bottoms and a wife-beater, both of them
bare-foot. December watched them with narrowed eyes, placing a plate of
pancakes on the table with a clunk. September was pouring orange juice, and
jumped at the noise. They all sat down with steaming cups of coffee, and Jarod
noted, with a sense of mild discomfort, that December, September and Miss Parker
were all stirring their coffee perfectly in sync.
"Tell me about Magena," Jarod said thoughtfully, piling pancakes onto his plate.
"What?" all three women asked at once. He paused, feeling very disorientated.
"Magena, I want to know everything," he said. December shrugged.
"It's about an hour out of Phoenix. You could make it there by nightfall if you
wanted to pay a visit," she said, surprising Jarod.
"That close? It sounds like a good idea then..."
"I'm coming with you," Parker stated firmly. September smiled shyly.
"December and I could stay here and keep running searches," she offered.
"Well then," December said, "Eat up and I'll draw you a map."
****
Dusk was falling as they finally drove up a beaten old dirt track on top
of a hill towards Magena, and Miss Parker checked December's map several times
as they approached it. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the dirt road
was almost overrun with weeds, and the only buildings in sight were an old
farmhouse and a barn.
"This is it?" Jarod asked dubiously.
"We followed December's instructions to the letter," Parker said, not feeling at
all reassured, despite the mathematical precision of December's map.
They bounced around in Jarod's jeep as they hit a particularly rough
patch
on the road, their supplies rattling in the back. He slowed the vehicle to a
crawl as they pulled up out the front of the farmhouse, and regarded the
ramshackle structure critically.
"Nobody has been here in years," Jarod murmured.
"Decades, more likely," Parker scoffed.
"Well, we should take a look around," he said, killing the engine.
They both climbed out of the jeep, Jarod tucking the keys into his
and retrieving two high-power flashlights from the back. Passing one to Miss
Parker, he surveyed the house and barn. "Which one do you want?" he asked.
"House," she said, "Meet you back here in fifteen."
Jarod disappeared in the direction of the barn, and Parker stared at the
little broken down house. She took a tie out of her pocket, and tied her hair
back in a ponytail, wishing she had her gun. Setting her jaw, she crossed the
dusty yard to the house, navigating the crumbling stairs up onto the porch.
The floorboards were half-rotted, and Parker had to step carefully as
she
approached the door. She tugged open the screen door, and tried the handle of
the solid wood door - locked. Backing up a bit, she braced her shoulder and
rammed into it with her side, grunting with pain, but there was a satisfying
crunch, and the door burst open.
Stepping into the dark interior, Miss Parker turned her flashlight on,
sweeping it around the room and wrinkling her nose at the stench of mice. She
crept through the little front room, listening to things scurry in the shadows.
"Oh... lovely," she whispered to herself.
The house looked as if nobody had been inside for years - everything was
covered in a thick layer of dust, and what little furniture there was, an old
armchair and sofa, was mostly rotted away. In a small kitchen she found the
ground was covered with broken glass, and there was charring on the wall above
an old range.
Miss Parker crept through the cold house, sweeping each of the rooms
with
a mere cursory glance. There seemed to be nothing of interest, until she
discovered a tiny room at the back of the house, containing only an old wardrobe
and a decaying single bed. Parker stood in the room, a chill on her spine
telling her there was something to be found in this room.
Shuddering with disgust, she poked at the mattress on the bed, trying
not
to flinch as a mouse leapt out and away. The springs creaked in protest, and
she leaned across the bed to grip the far side, pulling it towards her and off
the base, chuffing with effort. She happened to glance up as she was doing so,
and stopped dead.
Carved, very faintly, on the wall, were the initials CJP.
"Find anything?"
Parker jumped, whirling around to find that Jarod was standing directly
behind her. She put a hand to her heart, breathing hard. "Christ, don't *do*
that!" she cried, and Jarod shrugged apologetically.
"Sorry... what were you looking at?" he asked. Parker turned back to the bed.
"My mother was here, those are her initials, just above the bed, see?" she
asked, pointing. Jarod leaned close, and traced his fingers over the faint
mark.
"You're right," he said, straightening up, "Was there anything else?"
"I was just about to look under the mattress," she said, and Jarod nodded,
understanding that she wanted to know if her mother had left anything.
Together they tugged and pulled at the mattress, until it slid off the
base and landed on the floor, sending up a cloud of dust, making them both cough
and sneeze. When it settled, Parker hunted around the base, but could not find
anything her mother might have left. Jarod took a pocketknife out of his jeans,
slitting the mattress to expose the springs and rotted stuffing, making a soft
noise of disgust as more mice scampered out of it.
Miss Parker turned to the wardrobe as he poked through it, yanking open
the doors and the drawers, but she found nothing but mothballs. Disheartened,
she turned back to Jarod, who shrugged. Nothing in the mattress.
"My mother was here," she said, and Jarod nodded.
"I found a trapdoor in the barn, which is why I came in. Maybe we'll find
something there," he said.
****