Title: Towers
Author: maestra
Chapter 10: "Tapestry"
Jarod had finished his breakfast, and Tara was in the kitchen cleaning up when Jarod took the time to check his e-mail again. In the early morning hours because he could not sleep he had tried to contact Major Charles and let him know that he didn't have to worry about his oldest son. But he had been unable to find his father online or siblings online last night. He signed into his e-mail program and found to his delight a message from his father.
"My dear son, So relieved to hear from you at last Jarod! Sorry to hear that you were in NYC during the tragedy, and that you have been helping in the recovery. So happy to know that you are unharmed. No we haven't heard from your mother in a while either, but Emily, Ethan, the boy and I send all our love. - Dad"
Jarod breathed a sigh of relief. His mother's location was still unknown, but at least the rest of his family was safe.
Now for a little incursion into the Centre mainframe to see if he could find out what was going on at the Centre. Jarod's fingers flew over his laptop keyboard and in moments he had gained access to the Centre's mainframe computer. He might even contact Angelo have him continue the search for any records that the Centre might have allowed the results of the Towers simulation to fall into the wrong hands.
"Hey Jarod," Tara yelled from the hallway while wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, "Do you need to do any laundry?"
Jarod almost laughed at the normal domestic question. 'Well, life goes on', he thought as he shut down his laptop and went to gather the things that needed to be laundered from his room.
**********************************************************************
Mr.Broots nervously sat across the aisle from Miss Parker and Sydney as the airplane taxied out onto the runway, and revved its engines and took like a giant bird to the skies.
The stewardess came around with the drink cart, when the plane leveled off and Miss Parker ordered vodka on the rocks to bolster her courage. Miss Parker sat there sipping the drink in silence, her ice queen mask firmly back in place to discourage comments from Syd or Broots.
Syd ordered a scotch to steady his nerves, and sat quietly studying Parker and sipping his drink. Wondering if he dared bring up her tears in her office. He knew she was worried about Jarod. But he also knew her well enough to know she would deny it to his face.
So Syd's thoughts turned to his young protégé and he wondered if Jarod would have been anywhere near the Towers when they went down. He knew Jarod better than anyone else at the Centre, had raised him from a child. And in his heart Syd knew that it was very likely Jarod had been involved in the rescue. And as icy fear gripped Syd's heart he realized that they could be on a fool's errand. What if Jarod had been in the Towers when they fell, and was lost like so many other innocents?
**********************************************************************
Broots sat watching them both, while downing the programmer's standard fuel, an ice cold can of Mountain Dew. The Internet search for Jarod before they left to catch their plane had left him exhausted, and he could use all the caffeine he could get. He had a feeling it was going to be a really long day. And it was difficult to leave Debbie, his still distraught daughter with her Godmother for a few more days. She seemed very concerned that he was flying on a commercial airline so soon after the terrorist attacks. Debbie just wanted him to be near. He slammed back the rest of the Dew in frustration, sometimes being a single father was really difficult.
*******************************************************
Jarod came back upstairs carrying the basket of freshly laundered clothes that he and Tara had just finished and set them down inside the apartment after Tara had let them in.
"I'm going to check and see what my contact at the Centre has been able to drum up on the simulation, and see if I can find out what is going on at there."
"Ok Jarod," Tara smiled, "I will see about getting us something to eat, ok?"
Jarod just nodded, already lost in thought as he sat down at his laptop and proceeded to contact Angelo to see if he had any information for him.
******************************************************
Broots, filed off the airplane behind Sydney and Miss Parker, here they were at last. Back on solid ground, but in a city in mourning. As they walked into the terminal they were met by a limo driver that Broots had arranged before they left the Centre. The driver nameless but attentive driver helped them to gather their luggage and place it in the trunk. Broots was anxious to get to their hotel. He knew the minute they got settled in, he would be back on the hunt for Jarod again. Some things never changed, even if it seemed the world had... things at the Centre tended to stay the same.
Sydney and Miss Parker got into the back of the black limo quickly, while Broots stood on the sidewalk, just looking around.
"Get in you moron, we don't have all day for you to stand there gawking." , Miss Parker snapped harshly.
Broots quickly complied and the driver shut the door behind him, got in and pulled the big dark limo out into the traffic headed for their hotel in the city.
******************************************************************
Jarod walked into the kitchen to find Tara stirring a big pot of potato soup.
"More comfort food?," Jarod asked with a sly smile.
"Yes," Tara smiled back, "You got a problem with that Mister? My grandmother used to make it for me when I was sick. "
"You're feeling sick?", Jarod asked concerned as Tara sprinkled in a little more seasoning.
"No, it's just..."
"Comfort food.", Jarod and Tara said in unison before they both smiled and laughed at each other.
"Here Jarod," Tara grabbed a tablespoon and dipped it into the thick creamy soup and brought it up to his lips for a taste. He blew gently on the soup in the spoon to cool it and looked at Tara briefly before accepting it into his mouth for a taste.
"So what do you think?," she asked him afterwards.
"Not bad, what is the green stuff?"
"Parsley."
"Hm, could use a little more salt."
Tara handed him the saltshaker and the soup ladle as she went to get out the dishes they would need for their meal.
"Tara," Jarod said after he had seasoned the soup with a little more salt.
"Yes Jarod?"
"I heard from my contact at the Centre. I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?", he asked without looking up as he stirred the pot of soup.
Tara turned to face him, sensing that what he had to say was very important to him. "Well," she sighed, "I guess I will take the good news first."
"The good news is the Simulation I ran on the World Trade Center years ago does not seem to have been accessed in many years. So it is doubtful that the results of the Sim fell into the wrong hands."
"Jarod," Tara said excitedly, "that is great news!"
"Yes, it is.", he sighed, "But I have bad news too."
"What is that Jarod."
"Miss Parker, Broots, and Sydney aren't at the Centre anymore. They are, according to my very reliable source, possibly already in New York City. Hot on the trail of yours truly. If they are already here can the team of Sweepers be far behind? It isn't safe for you anymore Tara. I should leave. I am a danger to you. I knew it was wrong when I first came to stay here."
"Oh Jarod", Tara's despair showed in her voice as she came over to him and embraced him in the biggest hug he'd ever received. "They don't know where you are. Remember it's a big city."
"It is just to close for comfort Tara, I don't want to see you get hurt because of me."
"You won't Jarod. I promise. I can look after myself. I will be very careful. You don't have to worry about me."
"Well," he took her face into his hands and looked deep into her beautiful warm blue eyes. She knew his resolve had melted just a little when he confessed; " Just because I don't have to worry about you isn't going to stop me from doing so."
"And when you go Jarod, as I know eventually you must. I won't 'have to' worry about you. But that isn't going to keep me from worrying about you either. You've touched my life in a big way. Woke me up to things I had never seen before. I care about you Jarod, I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."
She pulled back from the hug embarrassed, as one large tear slid down her cheek she reached up to wipe it away. Jarod stopped her though and wiped it away with his thumb. "You matter to me.", Tara whispered, "You are part of the tapestry of my life. Your grief is my grief, and your happiness is my happiness. Someday I hope to see you settled down with your family. But until then Jarod, whenever you need a friend I will be there for you. And it doesn't matter how much distance is between us physically. The distance between these 2 hearts dear friend, will always be the same."
********************************************************
To Be Continued....
Author: maestra
Chapter 10: "Tapestry"
Jarod had finished his breakfast, and Tara was in the kitchen cleaning up when Jarod took the time to check his e-mail again. In the early morning hours because he could not sleep he had tried to contact Major Charles and let him know that he didn't have to worry about his oldest son. But he had been unable to find his father online or siblings online last night. He signed into his e-mail program and found to his delight a message from his father.
"My dear son, So relieved to hear from you at last Jarod! Sorry to hear that you were in NYC during the tragedy, and that you have been helping in the recovery. So happy to know that you are unharmed. No we haven't heard from your mother in a while either, but Emily, Ethan, the boy and I send all our love. - Dad"
Jarod breathed a sigh of relief. His mother's location was still unknown, but at least the rest of his family was safe.
Now for a little incursion into the Centre mainframe to see if he could find out what was going on at the Centre. Jarod's fingers flew over his laptop keyboard and in moments he had gained access to the Centre's mainframe computer. He might even contact Angelo have him continue the search for any records that the Centre might have allowed the results of the Towers simulation to fall into the wrong hands.
"Hey Jarod," Tara yelled from the hallway while wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, "Do you need to do any laundry?"
Jarod almost laughed at the normal domestic question. 'Well, life goes on', he thought as he shut down his laptop and went to gather the things that needed to be laundered from his room.
**********************************************************************
Mr.Broots nervously sat across the aisle from Miss Parker and Sydney as the airplane taxied out onto the runway, and revved its engines and took like a giant bird to the skies.
The stewardess came around with the drink cart, when the plane leveled off and Miss Parker ordered vodka on the rocks to bolster her courage. Miss Parker sat there sipping the drink in silence, her ice queen mask firmly back in place to discourage comments from Syd or Broots.
Syd ordered a scotch to steady his nerves, and sat quietly studying Parker and sipping his drink. Wondering if he dared bring up her tears in her office. He knew she was worried about Jarod. But he also knew her well enough to know she would deny it to his face.
So Syd's thoughts turned to his young protégé and he wondered if Jarod would have been anywhere near the Towers when they went down. He knew Jarod better than anyone else at the Centre, had raised him from a child. And in his heart Syd knew that it was very likely Jarod had been involved in the rescue. And as icy fear gripped Syd's heart he realized that they could be on a fool's errand. What if Jarod had been in the Towers when they fell, and was lost like so many other innocents?
**********************************************************************
Broots sat watching them both, while downing the programmer's standard fuel, an ice cold can of Mountain Dew. The Internet search for Jarod before they left to catch their plane had left him exhausted, and he could use all the caffeine he could get. He had a feeling it was going to be a really long day. And it was difficult to leave Debbie, his still distraught daughter with her Godmother for a few more days. She seemed very concerned that he was flying on a commercial airline so soon after the terrorist attacks. Debbie just wanted him to be near. He slammed back the rest of the Dew in frustration, sometimes being a single father was really difficult.
*******************************************************
Jarod came back upstairs carrying the basket of freshly laundered clothes that he and Tara had just finished and set them down inside the apartment after Tara had let them in.
"I'm going to check and see what my contact at the Centre has been able to drum up on the simulation, and see if I can find out what is going on at there."
"Ok Jarod," Tara smiled, "I will see about getting us something to eat, ok?"
Jarod just nodded, already lost in thought as he sat down at his laptop and proceeded to contact Angelo to see if he had any information for him.
******************************************************
Broots, filed off the airplane behind Sydney and Miss Parker, here they were at last. Back on solid ground, but in a city in mourning. As they walked into the terminal they were met by a limo driver that Broots had arranged before they left the Centre. The driver nameless but attentive driver helped them to gather their luggage and place it in the trunk. Broots was anxious to get to their hotel. He knew the minute they got settled in, he would be back on the hunt for Jarod again. Some things never changed, even if it seemed the world had... things at the Centre tended to stay the same.
Sydney and Miss Parker got into the back of the black limo quickly, while Broots stood on the sidewalk, just looking around.
"Get in you moron, we don't have all day for you to stand there gawking." , Miss Parker snapped harshly.
Broots quickly complied and the driver shut the door behind him, got in and pulled the big dark limo out into the traffic headed for their hotel in the city.
******************************************************************
Jarod walked into the kitchen to find Tara stirring a big pot of potato soup.
"More comfort food?," Jarod asked with a sly smile.
"Yes," Tara smiled back, "You got a problem with that Mister? My grandmother used to make it for me when I was sick. "
"You're feeling sick?", Jarod asked concerned as Tara sprinkled in a little more seasoning.
"No, it's just..."
"Comfort food.", Jarod and Tara said in unison before they both smiled and laughed at each other.
"Here Jarod," Tara grabbed a tablespoon and dipped it into the thick creamy soup and brought it up to his lips for a taste. He blew gently on the soup in the spoon to cool it and looked at Tara briefly before accepting it into his mouth for a taste.
"So what do you think?," she asked him afterwards.
"Not bad, what is the green stuff?"
"Parsley."
"Hm, could use a little more salt."
Tara handed him the saltshaker and the soup ladle as she went to get out the dishes they would need for their meal.
"Tara," Jarod said after he had seasoned the soup with a little more salt.
"Yes Jarod?"
"I heard from my contact at the Centre. I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?", he asked without looking up as he stirred the pot of soup.
Tara turned to face him, sensing that what he had to say was very important to him. "Well," she sighed, "I guess I will take the good news first."
"The good news is the Simulation I ran on the World Trade Center years ago does not seem to have been accessed in many years. So it is doubtful that the results of the Sim fell into the wrong hands."
"Jarod," Tara said excitedly, "that is great news!"
"Yes, it is.", he sighed, "But I have bad news too."
"What is that Jarod."
"Miss Parker, Broots, and Sydney aren't at the Centre anymore. They are, according to my very reliable source, possibly already in New York City. Hot on the trail of yours truly. If they are already here can the team of Sweepers be far behind? It isn't safe for you anymore Tara. I should leave. I am a danger to you. I knew it was wrong when I first came to stay here."
"Oh Jarod", Tara's despair showed in her voice as she came over to him and embraced him in the biggest hug he'd ever received. "They don't know where you are. Remember it's a big city."
"It is just to close for comfort Tara, I don't want to see you get hurt because of me."
"You won't Jarod. I promise. I can look after myself. I will be very careful. You don't have to worry about me."
"Well," he took her face into his hands and looked deep into her beautiful warm blue eyes. She knew his resolve had melted just a little when he confessed; " Just because I don't have to worry about you isn't going to stop me from doing so."
"And when you go Jarod, as I know eventually you must. I won't 'have to' worry about you. But that isn't going to keep me from worrying about you either. You've touched my life in a big way. Woke me up to things I had never seen before. I care about you Jarod, I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."
She pulled back from the hug embarrassed, as one large tear slid down her cheek she reached up to wipe it away. Jarod stopped her though and wiped it away with his thumb. "You matter to me.", Tara whispered, "You are part of the tapestry of my life. Your grief is my grief, and your happiness is my happiness. Someday I hope to see you settled down with your family. But until then Jarod, whenever you need a friend I will be there for you. And it doesn't matter how much distance is between us physically. The distance between these 2 hearts dear friend, will always be the same."
********************************************************
To Be Continued....
