Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. No offence to ex-president Reagan. That's it. Read it now!
Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.
The Truth Is Waiting
By Bec-Bec
Chapter 15
Tyrone Black
The dining room of the Claudette Hotel, Harfleur, France
Jarod and Ms. Parker were sitting at a small, round table in a secluded corner of the hotel dining room enjoying their breakfast, though it was really lunchtime. Jarod was skimming through the newspaper as Ms. Parker ate a buttery croissant when Jarod started coughing because he had choked on something in the surprise of reading a certain piece of information in the newspaper.
Ms. Parker looked concerned as Jarod put the paper down. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Jarod cleared his throat. "Someone tried to break into the museum yesterday and steal the scrolls."
"Was it someone from the Centre?"
"They say the man they caught won't tell them where he came from or who he's working for."
"Sounds like a Centre rat to me. Do they know his name?"
Jarod read some more and a look of shock came to his face. "Tyrone Black."
"That name doesn't sound familiar to me. Do you think it's an alias?" She said as she looked down at another croissant, considering whether or not to eat it, not noticing the expression on Jarod's face.
"Tyrone Black was a pretender for the Centre."
"What?" Ms. Parker looked up abruptly.
"Tyrone Black was the first pretender that the Centre uncovered."
Wh…How…Why haven't I heard of him before?"
"You remember the empty box?"
"Jarod, I hardly think that now is a time for you to gloat about your clue again."
"No, the box had a different point for Sydney and Broots, I've been having them uncover information about a project from the Centre's past."
"What project?"
"Project Emptiness," Jarod said before quickly explaining what the program had been.
"So, the next time around, Reagan actually dies," Ms. Parker said when he finished explaining Project Emptiness and it's trained assassins.
"Did the Centre do Reagan?"
"No…at least I don't think so, but what the hell do I know about the Centre. All the Centre's ever given me is lies. Jarod, how come you didn't tell me before? You always tell me what you've uncovered about the Centre's past."
Jarod frowned at the hurt expression on her face. "Parker, I didn't mean to…Project Emptiness has hurt a lot of people and I needed for you to trust me before I could explain everything about it…there's a possibility that Kyle was involved in it."
"Kyle?"
"Well, you know he was trained to kill your mother."
Ms. Parker shifted uncomfortably. "Yes."
Jarod watched her closely. Then asked the question he'd wanted to ask her since they were children. "Parker,…do you trust me?"
"Jarod, I've always trusted you. You're the only one who never lies to me. You should have told me…promise me you won't hide anything else because if you lie to me, then everyone in my life lies."
"I promise."
Ms. Parker smiled and then put her usual cold expression on. "Good, I hate theses mushy gooshy moments. I was just about ready for an air sickness bag."
Jarod looked concerned. "Are you not feeling well?"
Ms. Parker's coldness melted away and she laughed. "It was a joke Jarod…gosh, sometimes I forget how much of the world you haven't experienced."
"So, you're alright?"
"Yes. Needing an air sickness bag just means that the thought of some things doesn't make you feel very pleasant."
"Okay. I'll try to remember that."
"So, what are we going to do about Tyrone Black? Do you think the Centre knows he's here?"
"If they don't, they'll find out soon. We'll have to move fast."
****
Twenty minutes later
Jarod and Ms. Parker walked out a back door of the hotel dressed in French police officer uniforms.
Author's Note: Dunh Dunh Dunh. We're finally getting to the point of this fan fic, the truth behind how the pretender program got started…and the mystery of the scrolls. Keep Reading Please! Read and Review!