Author's note: Thank you again for the reviews it's good to hear that people take time to read my story and to review.
Disclaimer: see part one.
Start of Part 3
Jarod didn't give any more answers to the question being thrown at him. In time they gave up asking the same questions without answers. Jarod with the help of Sydney made it to the bathroom where he had a shower. He watched as the dirt and blood chased themselves down the drain. Some one before must had tidied him up for his injuries had been looked at and cleaned, probably by the doctor. When the water going down the drain started to go clear he stepped out to dry himself off with a towel held in his right hand. He wrapped himself in the towel and stuck his head out the door.
"Does anyone have any clothes for me to wear?" He had walked into the bathroom with only his boxes on. Sydney handed him a long sleave shirt and long pants. Jarod looked down at the bright orange, Hawaiian shirt and grey pants he had been given. Sydney laughed at the expression on Jarod's face, which was one of distaste.
"It's one Nicholas shirts." Sydney explained through the door as Jarod put on the clothes. "It should be your size."
Ten minutes came and went and Jarod didn't reappear.
"Jarod, what are you doing in there?" Sydney asked worried
"Life changes so quickly you start to wonder what you're missing." Jarod replied opening the door and stepping out of the bathroom. Sydney wondered not for the first time the mental state of Jarod's mind. He had still not forgotten that when they found Jarod he had been drugged with something unknown.
Sydney would have laughed at Jarod if the moment wasn't so serious. Behind Sydney he could hear Broots and George laughing. Jarod's hair stuck up in every direction giving him the look of a mad scientist, the shirt and the pants made look as if his outfit was one of his science experiments gone wrong. The pants were too short by half of an inch however they were baggy as well. Jarod smiled at his reflection in the full-length mirror next to the bathroom door. His smile slid off his face as he saw the evidence of his torture. There were numerous cuts and bruises covering his body and his left wrist was broken. His ugly shirt covered the long burn on his left side, which ran down his ribs to past his stomach. There was also a deep cut behind his right ear that only he knew about, he hoped, and planed to keep it that way for he knew Sydney would worry too much and he already had enough on his plate. The problem was that the cut was making his head pound and the world would spin now and again.
"What time is it Sydney?" Jarod asked over his shoulder.
"A quarter to nine Sunday evening." Sydney replied.
"Good." Jarod headed towards the door, Sydney stepped in front of him.
"You are in no condition to leave Jarod." Sydney told him putting his hand on the pretender's shoulder. Sydney was concerned about Jarod and didn't want him caught again. The younger man would've normally been able to push pass the older man without even trying now however he couldn't even brush the man off.
"I need to go Sydney." Jarod said in a deadly whisper. "How do I know for sure that Miss Parker and a gang of sweepers aren't on their way here right now. I need to go now so I can save Kahlia from the same fate."
"Jarod, Miss Parker and the centre don't know you are here only Broots, George and me know." Sydney told him.
"I need to go Sydney." Jarod said again. Sydney could see the determination in his eyes, but he could also see the pain in their depth. He needed help and Sydney had always stepped aside when Jarod needed help in the past, he was not going to do it this time. He also knew that he couldn't sway Jarod's decision.
"Come back soon Jarod." Sydney whispered back stepping out of his way. Jarod looked hard at Sydney for a long moment then stepped out the open door. Sydney looked at the closed door without seeing it. He had seen fear deep down in Jarod's eyes, that in it self scared Sydney. Fear was an emotion that he had seen many times in his eyes however Jarod had leant early to hide that emotion very deep. Seeing that fear in his eye's terrified Sydney more than any life threatening experience could do.
9:00pm
Sunday evening
"This is Sydney." He answered in his normal manner.
"Is Jarod there?" Max's voice floated down the line.
"No, he just left." Sydney said frowning he could hear the worry in the man's voice.
"I don't trust you but as I see it, I don't have no choice. You need to find him and quick. They're coming for him, he gave me your number as a back up, I rang his phone had no answer."
"I'll find him." Sydney promised. "Is the girl safe?"
"Safe as I can make her." Max replied. "You need to find J-man and you need to find him now. They cannot get their hands on him again."
There was a click as the line was disconnected.
"We need to find Jarod." Sydney told Broots and George heading towards the door. "He is in danger!"
'Again' Sydney thought. He should have never have let him step out the door.
"George, you go and check the first and second floors." Sydney ordered the man, he ran off in the direction Sydney indicated. "Broots you check the third floor, the roof then go down to the lobby." Broots hurried off without a word.
Sydney headed towards the hotel grounds. He was running out of places to look when he heard a shout, he followed the sound hoping and not hoping that he would find Jarod. He rounded a corner to see his former student and another man in a heated argument. Jarod had his back to Sydney and the other man hadn't seen his yet. He ducked back around the corner and eyed the pair. The unknown man was close to shouting at Jarod, his face was staring to go red and to Sydney he looked like he was going to attack Jarod where he stood. He could clearly tell the man was unarmed yet he held a small black box in his hand. He saw Jarod look over the man's shoulder then he started running towards were Sydney was hiding, three guys clearly carrying guns were chasing Jarod. Sydney grabbed Jarod's arm as he went to run by and pulled him into the closet behind him. Jarod was disorientated and his fist stopped an inch away from the side of Sydney's face, before Jarod realised who stood in front of him.
"We need to get out of here." Jarod quickly looked around the small room then added, "Now!"
Sydney saw the panic in the man's eyes. He indicated for Jarod to wait for his signal then opened the door and walked out casually looking around him then knocked on the now closed door behind him. He could feel the pretender's presence behind him as they walked around the corner where he had first seen Jarod and onto the lobby unseen by their enemies. As they headed towards the lobby's doors they saw the first sign of their silent enemy. Just outside the lobby's doors there stood a well-muscled man. Which reminded Sydney of the many sweepers that roamed the centre hallways. He indicated to Jarod of the danger, they redirected their course to walk down a near by corridor.
"I will distract him while you slip passed and head towards my car." Sydney told him.
Jarod's mind was covered in fog originating from the cut behind his ear and couldn't think of a better solution. He looked around himself thinking hard then a solution speared its way through the think fog around his mind.
"No, that won't work there will be more around the corner, going about it that way would be murder." Jarod slowly said his mind elsewhere. "How many cars did you bring?"
"Two." Sydney replied, "George brought his and there is mine."
"Good, call Broots and the good doctor tell them to bring George's car around front and wait."
By this time Sydney and Jarod had reached the parking lot where George had parked his car. Jarod couched behind a 92' Ford Laser out of sight of any one walking down the stairs, if anyone looked in his direction all they would see is Sydney. Luck was on Jarod's side for as Sydney was making his phone calls three well-muscled men walked down the stairs and started looking down the rows of cars. They started with the ones furthest away from Sydney and working their way back. When Sydney saw this he turned to tell Jarod but found him gone. He looked around the parking lot but didn't see him anywhere.
* * *
Broots was heading towards the parking lot when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him back from the descending stairs, it was Jarod.
"Where is the Sydney's car?" Jarod asked looking around nervously.
"Lot A."
"Good, take this." Jarod handed him a black ski mask. Broots took it without questions of were it came from. "Go to the lobby and try and steal George's car you better call Sydney and tell him the change in plan. I will meet you at the McDonald beside the east bound highway." Jarod hurriedly said before disappearing down the corridor Broots had just walked down.
Broots took out his cell and made the change of plan then walked towards the Lobby to wait for his ride.
* * *
Jarod's head was now pounding and his body was protesting to every move he made but somehow he made it to Sydney's car undetected. He leaned briefly against the driver's side door, before quickly picking the lock and letting himself in. He rested his head against the steering wheel as his world swam. The dizzy spell had come upon him suddenly and left the same way leaving him sick to the stomach. He didn't have time to recover from his injuries his daughter and his lives were still in danger. He hot wired the car and drove smoothly out of the parking lot. He encountered no resistance so he assumed that Broots had success in fooling them. He was soon away from the hotel and that was when the second dizzy spell hit.
* * *
Broots saw Sydney and George pull up in the car, he quickly pulled on the black ski mask and ran out the lobby's doors. He tried to pull George out of the diver's seat yelling all the while that he was being hunted and that they were going to kill him. Within minutes the scene was covered in sweeper like men. Sydney was amazed at how many there were, which was about fifteen. Broots was grabbed from behind and pulled back from the car, three of the men holding him. His mask was removed showing the face of the wrong man.
Orders were shouted and the sweeper types split up and quickly disappeared in different directions before anyone knew what had happened. Broots quickly jumped into the back of the car, mumbling something along the lines of, 'never again'.
End of Part 3
