Dead Man's Hand
Post IOTH By JayVitolo
I have no intent to infringe on copy writes, intellectual properties,
or to make money. I'm just here to offer closure to the Pretender
fans of the word.
The deck is stacked, the cards have been drawn.
It's now a matter of life and death. The competition is fiercer now than ever before, Miss Parker on one side, Mr. Lyle on the other, and Jarod is the balance. If Miss Parker wins the games, a virus is removed from the Centre. However, if Lyle becomes the victor everybody loses. The game is simple, cat and mouse.to the victor goes the spoils. The balancing point, Jarod, has no idea what this means for him.or what changes may happen.
Jarod is standing outside an old movie theater looking at the posters on the wall. Casablanca and Gone With the Wind are the prevalent ones. He walks over to an elderly woman standing by the Casablanca poster.
"Excuse me, what are these for?" asks Jarod inquisitively.
"What?" the elderly woman turns to him. "Haven't you ever seen a movie before?"
"A what? What's a 'movie'?"
The woman gives him a puzzled look and looks him over. "How old are you son?"
Jarod smiles to her and scratches the back o his neck. "I'm 32 years old. Why do you ask?"
She lets out a laugh and follows with a sigh. Almost out of pity. "You're 32 and you've never been to a movie before? You must have had some harsh parents."
Jarod's head starts to hang. His right hand goes through his hair before returning to his pocket. "I've led a rather sheltered life. I just recently got to know my father and my sister, my brother died a few years back, and I'm trying to find my mom again."
The lady's face turns to a look of pain and frustration. "I know how you feel. My dad left when I was a little girl and my mother died after marrying again. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find them."
Jarod smiles as the woman continues.
"The point of a movie is to make people forget what is happening in their life. For an hour out of the day, a depressed person can laugh and have a good time. Why don't you take advantage of this." She finishes and shows Jarod where the booth is.
Jarod walks over to the counter and looks at the man behind it. He notices his name is Mitch.
"Hello Mitch. I'd like to see a movie."
Mitch looks up form the counter that he was drawing on to see a man in a black coat looking at him.
"Which one?"
"Which would you recommend?"
"Try the Three Stooges, they're pretty funny. Next showing is in ten minutes."
Jarod's face lights up. He's seen the Three Stooges before. "I'll take one then."
Jarod pays for the ticket and goes to walk inside before he hears a voice that freezes him. It sends chills and pleasure up and down his spine every time it's heard.
"JAROD!" Miss Parker yells his name as she gets out of the black sedan. Her gun is drawn as he spins around to face her.
"Shit" mumbles Jarod under his breath. "There's nowhere to go" he begins to think.
"Finally I have you. You're coming with me, Boy Wonder." Miss Parker grabs his wrist just as a second car screeches to a halt behind hers. Mr. Lyle and Raines step out and walk up to her.
"Well done Parker," wheezes Raines. "I knew it was a good idea to follow you and Sam."
"He's mine. I found him, I win the game." Miss Parker snaps back. "If you don't mind, Jarod and I will meet you back at the Centre."
"Not so fast sis." Lyle steps between her and the car. "You don't seem to understand, Raines is the boss now. He says what happens and how it happens."
Raines picks up where Lyle left off. "And since it was Lyle's idea how to find Jarod, he is the one that takes him back."
"That's bullshit." Miss Parker pushes past Lyle and Raines to get to her car. Sam opens the door and Miss Parker pushes Jarod inside before going in after him. Sam walks around and looks at Lyle and Raines.
"It was her idea. I'm just following orders" says Sam as he walks past.
Lyle grabs him by the arm and looks him square in the eye. "Make SURE that you get back to the Centre. Something is going on here and I." he looks over to Raines "WE don't like the smell of it."
Sam shakes his head yes as he walks around to the driver's side of the car. The black Lincoln sedan speeds off towards the Centre as Lyle and Raines look at each other.
"Phase one is complete. Now on to phase two" Lyle says as he adjusts the collar of his shirt.
"Just remember you're side of the deal" growls Raines as he wheels his oxygen tank to the other side of the car. They both get inside as the car drives off to follow Miss Parker and Jarod.
They pull into the Centre just as Miss Parker's phone goes off. She answers it in her usual greeting but a slightly happier tone.
"What?" Miss Parker holds the phone up to her right ear as she looks at Jarod. "He looks bitter," she thinks to herself as she sees him staring at the floor of the car.
"Y, you seem happy today," answers Broots. He looks at Sydney standing next to him with a puzzled look on his face.
"I should be. I have Jarod." She smiles a little as the words play again in her head, "I have Jarod." She looks at him again and he looks at her with the same look he had in Scotland. The look brings pain to her heart as she continues to look at him.
"W, what!" Broots nearly falls out of his chair at the remark. Sydney notices and pushes the speaker function on the office phone.
"Parker?" Sydney's inquisitive voice fills her ears.
"I did it Syd. I finally caught Jarod." She steps out of the car and starts to help Jarod out as she continues to talk. "I'll meet you two in SL-6." She hangs up as Jarod continues to look at her.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just forget about me?" Jarod looks almost submissive as he speaks.
"Because I couldn't ever since you said something to me in Scotland." She repeats his words, "I hate to see someone miss a turning point when one is staring right in their face." She thinks of the words again and the pain returns to her heart.
"So I have that much of an impact on you?"
"More than you'll ever think" responds Miss Parker as she directs him into the elevator. She presses the button for SL-6 and leans against the wall. She begins to think of the first kiss she gave Jarod and the "weakness" she showed in Scotland. Maybe it wasn't weakness after all. Maybe that was the truth.
The doors open again as Sydney and Broots are standing there. Sydney smiles as he is happy to see Jarod again. Broots clears his throat and the dejected look on Jarod's face as Miss Parker directs Jarod to a chair in an open room. All three stand by him as he looks up.
Broots is the first to break the silence. "Miss Parker, I have some.bad news."
Parker looks over to him with an air of confidence. "What is it?"
"It's about the capture of Jarod and the 'game' that Raines made this into." Broots clears his throat.
"Well speak up."
Broots looks visually upset by the news. "When you were in the elevator, word came from Raines himself. The credit of Jarod's capture is going to Lyle."
Sydney speaks up as Miss Parker's face is etched into a look of surprise. "We are told that you aren't supposed to leave this room until they get back."
"And that's what I intend to enforce." Willie's voice booms through the room as he steps into the doorframe. "You two leave now."
Broots and Sydney begin to leave but not before Sydney leaves her with one last comment, "I'm sorry Parker." After they are gone, Willie slams the door shut and waves goodbye to the two occupants of the room.
TBC.feedback would be appreciated.
Post IOTH By JayVitolo
I have no intent to infringe on copy writes, intellectual properties,
or to make money. I'm just here to offer closure to the Pretender
fans of the word.
The deck is stacked, the cards have been drawn.
It's now a matter of life and death. The competition is fiercer now than ever before, Miss Parker on one side, Mr. Lyle on the other, and Jarod is the balance. If Miss Parker wins the games, a virus is removed from the Centre. However, if Lyle becomes the victor everybody loses. The game is simple, cat and mouse.to the victor goes the spoils. The balancing point, Jarod, has no idea what this means for him.or what changes may happen.
Jarod is standing outside an old movie theater looking at the posters on the wall. Casablanca and Gone With the Wind are the prevalent ones. He walks over to an elderly woman standing by the Casablanca poster.
"Excuse me, what are these for?" asks Jarod inquisitively.
"What?" the elderly woman turns to him. "Haven't you ever seen a movie before?"
"A what? What's a 'movie'?"
The woman gives him a puzzled look and looks him over. "How old are you son?"
Jarod smiles to her and scratches the back o his neck. "I'm 32 years old. Why do you ask?"
She lets out a laugh and follows with a sigh. Almost out of pity. "You're 32 and you've never been to a movie before? You must have had some harsh parents."
Jarod's head starts to hang. His right hand goes through his hair before returning to his pocket. "I've led a rather sheltered life. I just recently got to know my father and my sister, my brother died a few years back, and I'm trying to find my mom again."
The lady's face turns to a look of pain and frustration. "I know how you feel. My dad left when I was a little girl and my mother died after marrying again. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find them."
Jarod smiles as the woman continues.
"The point of a movie is to make people forget what is happening in their life. For an hour out of the day, a depressed person can laugh and have a good time. Why don't you take advantage of this." She finishes and shows Jarod where the booth is.
Jarod walks over to the counter and looks at the man behind it. He notices his name is Mitch.
"Hello Mitch. I'd like to see a movie."
Mitch looks up form the counter that he was drawing on to see a man in a black coat looking at him.
"Which one?"
"Which would you recommend?"
"Try the Three Stooges, they're pretty funny. Next showing is in ten minutes."
Jarod's face lights up. He's seen the Three Stooges before. "I'll take one then."
Jarod pays for the ticket and goes to walk inside before he hears a voice that freezes him. It sends chills and pleasure up and down his spine every time it's heard.
"JAROD!" Miss Parker yells his name as she gets out of the black sedan. Her gun is drawn as he spins around to face her.
"Shit" mumbles Jarod under his breath. "There's nowhere to go" he begins to think.
"Finally I have you. You're coming with me, Boy Wonder." Miss Parker grabs his wrist just as a second car screeches to a halt behind hers. Mr. Lyle and Raines step out and walk up to her.
"Well done Parker," wheezes Raines. "I knew it was a good idea to follow you and Sam."
"He's mine. I found him, I win the game." Miss Parker snaps back. "If you don't mind, Jarod and I will meet you back at the Centre."
"Not so fast sis." Lyle steps between her and the car. "You don't seem to understand, Raines is the boss now. He says what happens and how it happens."
Raines picks up where Lyle left off. "And since it was Lyle's idea how to find Jarod, he is the one that takes him back."
"That's bullshit." Miss Parker pushes past Lyle and Raines to get to her car. Sam opens the door and Miss Parker pushes Jarod inside before going in after him. Sam walks around and looks at Lyle and Raines.
"It was her idea. I'm just following orders" says Sam as he walks past.
Lyle grabs him by the arm and looks him square in the eye. "Make SURE that you get back to the Centre. Something is going on here and I." he looks over to Raines "WE don't like the smell of it."
Sam shakes his head yes as he walks around to the driver's side of the car. The black Lincoln sedan speeds off towards the Centre as Lyle and Raines look at each other.
"Phase one is complete. Now on to phase two" Lyle says as he adjusts the collar of his shirt.
"Just remember you're side of the deal" growls Raines as he wheels his oxygen tank to the other side of the car. They both get inside as the car drives off to follow Miss Parker and Jarod.
They pull into the Centre just as Miss Parker's phone goes off. She answers it in her usual greeting but a slightly happier tone.
"What?" Miss Parker holds the phone up to her right ear as she looks at Jarod. "He looks bitter," she thinks to herself as she sees him staring at the floor of the car.
"Y, you seem happy today," answers Broots. He looks at Sydney standing next to him with a puzzled look on his face.
"I should be. I have Jarod." She smiles a little as the words play again in her head, "I have Jarod." She looks at him again and he looks at her with the same look he had in Scotland. The look brings pain to her heart as she continues to look at him.
"W, what!" Broots nearly falls out of his chair at the remark. Sydney notices and pushes the speaker function on the office phone.
"Parker?" Sydney's inquisitive voice fills her ears.
"I did it Syd. I finally caught Jarod." She steps out of the car and starts to help Jarod out as she continues to talk. "I'll meet you two in SL-6." She hangs up as Jarod continues to look at her.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just forget about me?" Jarod looks almost submissive as he speaks.
"Because I couldn't ever since you said something to me in Scotland." She repeats his words, "I hate to see someone miss a turning point when one is staring right in their face." She thinks of the words again and the pain returns to her heart.
"So I have that much of an impact on you?"
"More than you'll ever think" responds Miss Parker as she directs him into the elevator. She presses the button for SL-6 and leans against the wall. She begins to think of the first kiss she gave Jarod and the "weakness" she showed in Scotland. Maybe it wasn't weakness after all. Maybe that was the truth.
The doors open again as Sydney and Broots are standing there. Sydney smiles as he is happy to see Jarod again. Broots clears his throat and the dejected look on Jarod's face as Miss Parker directs Jarod to a chair in an open room. All three stand by him as he looks up.
Broots is the first to break the silence. "Miss Parker, I have some.bad news."
Parker looks over to him with an air of confidence. "What is it?"
"It's about the capture of Jarod and the 'game' that Raines made this into." Broots clears his throat.
"Well speak up."
Broots looks visually upset by the news. "When you were in the elevator, word came from Raines himself. The credit of Jarod's capture is going to Lyle."
Sydney speaks up as Miss Parker's face is etched into a look of surprise. "We are told that you aren't supposed to leave this room until they get back."
"And that's what I intend to enforce." Willie's voice booms through the room as he steps into the doorframe. "You two leave now."
Broots and Sydney begin to leave but not before Sydney leaves her with one last comment, "I'm sorry Parker." After they are gone, Willie slams the door shut and waves goodbye to the two occupants of the room.
TBC.feedback would be appreciated.