Unexplained
Chapter Seven
Forced
Plane from Los Angeles
Jarod settled into his plane seat, Sark between himself and Sydney. They were on their way to Nairobi. He'd booked the flight and they'd left immediately, before the CIA even had the chance to realize that they were gone. He smiled slightly at a little girl who peeked over the seat at him. She giggled delightedly when he started a game of peek-a-boo, something he'd discovered young children loved to play. Sydney watched the two, enjoying Jarod's child-like demeanor at the moment. Slowly, Sydney felt remnants of guilt rising up in her throat, for not telling Vaughn, her boyfriend, or her father where they were going. She lifted the book she'd purchased at the airport bookstore, scanning the pages, disinterested. It was rather boring and she loved books. Sark shifted uncomfortably next to her, and she became well aware of his presence as he leaned towards her. He was staring into space, looking quite vexed. She wondered what he was thinking about to make his features crowd with confusion. She couldn't resist asking him about it.
"Sark, what's wrong?"
"Suddenly you care for my well-being?"
She sighed and raised the book again. Sark studied her before returning his thoughts to the betrayal he was becoming a part of. His own father. He was betraying his father. It went against everything he'd been trained to follow, helping the CIA and Jarod. Still, he couldn't stop himself from helping Sydney. She was so alone and so beautiful and so complex and so truly dangerous. He loved every inch of her and that confused him even more. He also trusted her. Trust was not something that came easily to him. The only person he'd ever fully trusted was his mother, and Mr. Raines had taken care of that. Sent a sweeper team to brutally murder his Mum and take him back to the Centre. Mummy had always seemed afraid of something. He'd been born in Ireland and he wasn't even a year old when they moved to Bathe, then to London, then to Whitechapel. She'd been caught in Whitechapel. His whole life was spent looking over his shoulder, first for his evil father, then on to worrying about enemy spies. His father had condemned him to a life of deceit and betrayal when he was only six. He'd been programmed, just as Sydney had, but he'd actually been the first test subject. Raines had tried it out on him before selling it to Arvin Sloane and Jack Bristow. Then, Sydney had become the Project Christmas child. Sark rubbed his temples, a strong headache coming on. He hated remembering all of this, but spending time with his new sister had brought on a flood of recollections. Sydney had taken to staring at the window at the blue ocean as they traveled over the Pacific to Nairobi. Sark moved again, trying to find a comfortable spot in the blasted airline seats. He hated flying.
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker was pacing. She was actually nervous. She wasn't used to being nervous, particularly at the Centre, but she was. Broots and Sydney had hidden away in her office, waiting for her next instructions. Broots had already started a teenage Debbie packing, preparing for their trip to Carthis. Debbie was confused why they were moving so quickly and Broots promised to tell her what was happening later. Miss Parker finally pushed open the glass doors open to Mr. Raines office. The disgusting man seemed surprised by her entrance. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Miss Parker?"
"You sound like Lyle, Daddy." She plastered a smile on her face, trying to forget the bitterness of calling him Daddy that was left in her mouth.
"You've finally accepted our legacy, Miss Parker?"
"I have. I am sorry it took me so long to come around to you being my father. I was just so lost."
"I understand. Would you do something for me?"
"Of course!"
"I have a meeting in Nairobi to attend and I would love you to accompany me."
"I'd love to. Just let me pack a bag."
"Okay. We'll leave in an hour."
"Peachy." Parker hid the sadistic smile she wished to show him, but instead turned and left the office. She stopped outside the door, waiting.
"Arvin, it's me. Yes. It was a lot simpler than I thought. It seems she had finally accepted me being her father. It is wonderful. I fully intend to use that to my advantage. Oh, and Sark called. He's escaped. And he thinks he can get Sydney and Jarod to Africa as well. It is very good. Christmas worked well on him. Too bad it didn't work as well on Sydney. She's always had too much of a mind of her own. I'm sorry, Arvin. I didn't mean to insult her. Okay. We'll be there tomorrow. Good bye."
Miss Parker nodded to herself as Raines hung up the phone before she clicked away to her office to meet up with Sydney and Broots.
"He's such an idiot. I called him Daddy and acted like I liked him and he asked me to go to Nairobi. As if I would really change that fast."
Miss Parker stretched out along her couch, feeling the last few hours of travel in her muscles. Sydney set on an arm rest, Broots in the actual chair.
"What do you want us to do?"
"Exactly what Jarod said. Get out of here. Take the DSA's of Jarod and myself and my mother and you two and get out."
"Okay."
"I'll meet you all there. Hopefully, the Centre will be gone by then."
Parker poured the three of them a drink from her percolater. "Here."
Sydney lifted his glass and Broots followed suit. They clicked the glasses together and sipped it.
Nairobi, Africa
Lyle waited impatiently for the sweepers to arrive at the airport. He'd had to travel three hours for the nearest airport for them. And of course, the plane arrived late. The heat seemed to get to his thumbless hand, causing it to ache more than usual. He silently cursed the Chinese mob that had done it to him and then cursed his father for sending him to Africa again. Finally, the two sweepers deplaned, holding the scrolls box reverently.
"Give them to me."
"Mr. Lyle, there is much power in these scrolls."
"You think?"
"Can we come to see what is to happen?"
"No."
"Please, Sir. We've been serving the Centre faithfully for nineteen years. Just let us have this reward."
"You want an reward?"
"Yes."
"Here it is." Lyle cocked his gun and fired to shots. Both sweepers fell to their deaths, the scrolls clattering to the floor. Lyle lifted them up, placing them back in their holding place. "You asked for it." He said without any sign of remorse before returning to his jeep to drive back to Sloane, Monkey Boy, and Ethan.
Chapter Seven
Forced
Plane from Los Angeles
Jarod settled into his plane seat, Sark between himself and Sydney. They were on their way to Nairobi. He'd booked the flight and they'd left immediately, before the CIA even had the chance to realize that they were gone. He smiled slightly at a little girl who peeked over the seat at him. She giggled delightedly when he started a game of peek-a-boo, something he'd discovered young children loved to play. Sydney watched the two, enjoying Jarod's child-like demeanor at the moment. Slowly, Sydney felt remnants of guilt rising up in her throat, for not telling Vaughn, her boyfriend, or her father where they were going. She lifted the book she'd purchased at the airport bookstore, scanning the pages, disinterested. It was rather boring and she loved books. Sark shifted uncomfortably next to her, and she became well aware of his presence as he leaned towards her. He was staring into space, looking quite vexed. She wondered what he was thinking about to make his features crowd with confusion. She couldn't resist asking him about it.
"Sark, what's wrong?"
"Suddenly you care for my well-being?"
She sighed and raised the book again. Sark studied her before returning his thoughts to the betrayal he was becoming a part of. His own father. He was betraying his father. It went against everything he'd been trained to follow, helping the CIA and Jarod. Still, he couldn't stop himself from helping Sydney. She was so alone and so beautiful and so complex and so truly dangerous. He loved every inch of her and that confused him even more. He also trusted her. Trust was not something that came easily to him. The only person he'd ever fully trusted was his mother, and Mr. Raines had taken care of that. Sent a sweeper team to brutally murder his Mum and take him back to the Centre. Mummy had always seemed afraid of something. He'd been born in Ireland and he wasn't even a year old when they moved to Bathe, then to London, then to Whitechapel. She'd been caught in Whitechapel. His whole life was spent looking over his shoulder, first for his evil father, then on to worrying about enemy spies. His father had condemned him to a life of deceit and betrayal when he was only six. He'd been programmed, just as Sydney had, but he'd actually been the first test subject. Raines had tried it out on him before selling it to Arvin Sloane and Jack Bristow. Then, Sydney had become the Project Christmas child. Sark rubbed his temples, a strong headache coming on. He hated remembering all of this, but spending time with his new sister had brought on a flood of recollections. Sydney had taken to staring at the window at the blue ocean as they traveled over the Pacific to Nairobi. Sark moved again, trying to find a comfortable spot in the blasted airline seats. He hated flying.
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker was pacing. She was actually nervous. She wasn't used to being nervous, particularly at the Centre, but she was. Broots and Sydney had hidden away in her office, waiting for her next instructions. Broots had already started a teenage Debbie packing, preparing for their trip to Carthis. Debbie was confused why they were moving so quickly and Broots promised to tell her what was happening later. Miss Parker finally pushed open the glass doors open to Mr. Raines office. The disgusting man seemed surprised by her entrance. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Miss Parker?"
"You sound like Lyle, Daddy." She plastered a smile on her face, trying to forget the bitterness of calling him Daddy that was left in her mouth.
"You've finally accepted our legacy, Miss Parker?"
"I have. I am sorry it took me so long to come around to you being my father. I was just so lost."
"I understand. Would you do something for me?"
"Of course!"
"I have a meeting in Nairobi to attend and I would love you to accompany me."
"I'd love to. Just let me pack a bag."
"Okay. We'll leave in an hour."
"Peachy." Parker hid the sadistic smile she wished to show him, but instead turned and left the office. She stopped outside the door, waiting.
"Arvin, it's me. Yes. It was a lot simpler than I thought. It seems she had finally accepted me being her father. It is wonderful. I fully intend to use that to my advantage. Oh, and Sark called. He's escaped. And he thinks he can get Sydney and Jarod to Africa as well. It is very good. Christmas worked well on him. Too bad it didn't work as well on Sydney. She's always had too much of a mind of her own. I'm sorry, Arvin. I didn't mean to insult her. Okay. We'll be there tomorrow. Good bye."
Miss Parker nodded to herself as Raines hung up the phone before she clicked away to her office to meet up with Sydney and Broots.
"He's such an idiot. I called him Daddy and acted like I liked him and he asked me to go to Nairobi. As if I would really change that fast."
Miss Parker stretched out along her couch, feeling the last few hours of travel in her muscles. Sydney set on an arm rest, Broots in the actual chair.
"What do you want us to do?"
"Exactly what Jarod said. Get out of here. Take the DSA's of Jarod and myself and my mother and you two and get out."
"Okay."
"I'll meet you all there. Hopefully, the Centre will be gone by then."
Parker poured the three of them a drink from her percolater. "Here."
Sydney lifted his glass and Broots followed suit. They clicked the glasses together and sipped it.
Nairobi, Africa
Lyle waited impatiently for the sweepers to arrive at the airport. He'd had to travel three hours for the nearest airport for them. And of course, the plane arrived late. The heat seemed to get to his thumbless hand, causing it to ache more than usual. He silently cursed the Chinese mob that had done it to him and then cursed his father for sending him to Africa again. Finally, the two sweepers deplaned, holding the scrolls box reverently.
"Give them to me."
"Mr. Lyle, there is much power in these scrolls."
"You think?"
"Can we come to see what is to happen?"
"No."
"Please, Sir. We've been serving the Centre faithfully for nineteen years. Just let us have this reward."
"You want an reward?"
"Yes."
"Here it is." Lyle cocked his gun and fired to shots. Both sweepers fell to their deaths, the scrolls clattering to the floor. Lyle lifted them up, placing them back in their holding place. "You asked for it." He said without any sign of remorse before returning to his jeep to drive back to Sloane, Monkey Boy, and Ethan.
