Shadow Play
By JayVitolo
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Pretender rights or properties. I am just a fan that wants closure like everybody else.
A helicopter breezes through the ocean sky towards the island of Madeira. A spotlight shines to the eastern side of the island and follows a sweeping motion. A faint shimmer is visible on the coast and the helicopter prepares for a decent. As it touches ground, two men in suits step out onto the sand and run over to the metallic box. It is closed and carried aboard the helicopter almost as fast as the men left. In an instant the helicopter is once again in the air.
A phone rings in an office room of the Centre. "This is Lyle," answer the nine-fingered man. He smiles at the news he hears from the other end. The phone receiver is placed back into the cradle as he spins the chair around. He hits a button on a speaker next to him.
"I need to speak with Raines."
Miss Parker is pacing around her cell about to lose her mind. All Jarod has done since they got locked up was sit in the corner and etch marks into the walls behind him.
"Cree craw, toad's foot. Geese walk barefoot," says the pretender. He's added a rocking motion now and Miss Parker is almost gone.
"Stop it with that damn song already. I'm really gonna need a psychiatrist after this one." Miss Parker stops at the door and tries to get a hold of Willie. "Hey Willie, any chance of getting something to eat?"
Willie looks at her and smiles. He sees a rat running by and pulls his gun out of the holster. Miss Parker stops him before he gets a shot off.
"Never mind." She looks back at Jarod who is fixed on the air vent. She follows his eyes and sees a silhouette staying back at her, its waving now. "Angelo! I never thought I'd love to see Cousin It," she thinks.
Screeching wheels can be heard followed by two sets of shoes. Raines can be heard wheezing orders at Willie. Miss Parker leans closer to the door and hears the fateful words. "We found them. No sign of Mr. Parker either." Even though he isn't her father, those words still hurt. She looked up to him for years, held him in fatherly regards, now he has disappeared again.
"They need more hand to get this thing off the chopper. Willie, go up and cover them. Lyle and I will watch these two." Raines and Lyle walk over to the room with Miss Parker and Jarod. They look in as Parker sees Lyle crack a smile and uncovers his gun. Raines has no idea what's happening before he is shot in the back.
Miss Parker jumps back at the sound and Jarod snaps back to reality. Lyle looks down at the former head of the Centre and smiles at Miss Parker. "I don't need him anymore," chuckles Lyle. Miss Parker can't believe what she has just seen; Lyle murdered their father right in front of them.
"You sick son of a bitch. Wh, why? Are you?" Miss Parker steps back in disbelief as Jarod stand facing the window.
"Tell me you didn't know. Not even our boy genius figured it out? Oh god, this is priceless." Lyle is almost in tears he's laughing so hard.
"Figure out what you sick freak? That you can kill on the drop of a dime? I figured that out when you murdered Kyle!" Jarod is now up against the bars of the door trying to grab at Lyle.
Lyle sticks his gun up and points it at Jarod forcing him to back away. "Easy there smart ass. I didn't murder Kyle. Did you forget I was aiming for you? Now incase you both didn't know, which it looks like you didn't, I was sent to work in the Centre by the Triumvirate." Lyle has a smug look on his face as he basically puts his hand on his knees.
With a look like he is talking to toddlers, he continues, "Basically I hold the Triumvirates best interests at heart. And then I act on them. They want the scrolls, I give them up, and then I control the Centre. Amazing how that works, huh?"
"You're sick," snaps Miss Parker as she walks back up to the door.
Lyle feels his forehead and looks at the lights. He then puts his middle and index fingers on his neck and looks at his watch. "Actually, no sis, I'm the picture of health." He grins again and turns to walk down the corridor as Parker and Jarod yell after him.
Willie is carrying the scrolls back from the landing pad as Lyle meets him in the lobby. "Mr. Raines had an unfortunate accident in SL-6. Make sure he receives proper medical attention and is nursed back to proper health. Also, make sure his mind is unaffected from this trauma." Willie winks at Mr. Lyle as he hands off the scrolls.
Lyle walks into his office and sets the scrolls on his desk before he notices Sydney walking through his doors.
"I demand to see Parker and Jarod." Sydney's voice seems cold.
"Ah, a little disturbed today Sydney?" Lyle turns around to face Sydney. "How about no. They just experienced a great deal of trauma and shouldn't have visitors for a couple of days." Lyle points to his head and inhales, "Just to make sure they can handle it mentally." He winks at Sydney as he turns to his phone.
Lyle no sooner picks the receiver up before Sydney grabs his shoulder. Lyle is spun around to see Sydney's eyes lock onto his. "Listen to my words, I DEMAND to see Parker and Jarod."
Lyle keeps his eyes locked on Sydney as he jerks his shoulder away. Without breaking eye contact, Lyle tugs at the front of his suit to straighten it. Lyle takes a deep breath and then exhales before straightening his tie. Eyes locked onto Sydney's he breaks the silence, "NO."
Sydney thrusts his hands into his pockets as he runs his tongue over the front of his teeth. In an instant, Sydney's right hand is around Lyle's throat and is pushing Lyle onto his desk. Sydney stares into his eyes and points at him with his left hand. Lyle looks visibly shocked. "I DEMAND to SEE Parker and Jarod."
Lyle swallows as hard as he can and begins to nod his head. "Okay." Sydney lets Lyle get up and he instinctively starts to rub his throat. "You made your point. Go ahead down, I'll call Willie and tell him."
Sydney turns to leave but as he gets to the door he turns back to Lyle with a smug grin. "Thank you Lyle. I knew you were a man of reason."
As Sydney gets out to the hallway he is met by Broots. Sydney straightens his vest and shirt before he walks over to the technician.
"How'd it go?" Broots doesn't know if he wants the answer.
"He saw my side after some," Sydney smiles inside and out, "persuasion."
"Persuasion? What's that mean?" Wonders Broots aloud as they reach the elevator.
Back in SL-6, Angelo has pulled the vent cover off and gotten Parker and Jarod into the ventilation shaft. Jarod pulls the grate back on just before Willie, Broots, and Sydney open the door. The sight is one that was not expected.
"They're gone," Willie can't believe it. He pulls the door shut but not before Sydney notices a shadow in the vent. He decides not to say anything but winks in Jarod's direction. All three leave as the members in the vent start to move.
They reach the mid point before sirens start to go causing Angelo to panic.
"Miss Parker in trouble. Jarod in trouble. Must leave now." Angelo keeps repeating himself as he breaks another grate off the outer Centre walls. Jarod and Miss Parker thank him before they go through the new opening. In an instant, they are running to the garages.
"There they are." Shots can be heard as the sweepers find them. Jarod and Parker manage to get into a car but keep their heads down until Jarod finishes the hotwiring. The car starts just after a sweeper jumps in front of them, he dives off to the side as they speed past. Shots fire as the glass in the back of the Lincoln explodes. But they escaped.
Miss Parker sits in the passenger seat shaking her head. "I can't believe in on the run with the prey. She looks over at Jarod but she still can't make sense of it. "Lyle's gonna be pissed." She smiles at the idea. He's so funny when he's angry.
Jarod focuses on the run but can't help to crack a smile. The same image goes through his head as it passes through Parker's. "Welcome to 'life on the road', Parker. This is when it gets interesting."
TBC. Same drill as before, read and rate.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Pretender rights or properties. I am just a fan that wants closure like everybody else.
A helicopter breezes through the ocean sky towards the island of Madeira. A spotlight shines to the eastern side of the island and follows a sweeping motion. A faint shimmer is visible on the coast and the helicopter prepares for a decent. As it touches ground, two men in suits step out onto the sand and run over to the metallic box. It is closed and carried aboard the helicopter almost as fast as the men left. In an instant the helicopter is once again in the air.
A phone rings in an office room of the Centre. "This is Lyle," answer the nine-fingered man. He smiles at the news he hears from the other end. The phone receiver is placed back into the cradle as he spins the chair around. He hits a button on a speaker next to him.
"I need to speak with Raines."
Miss Parker is pacing around her cell about to lose her mind. All Jarod has done since they got locked up was sit in the corner and etch marks into the walls behind him.
"Cree craw, toad's foot. Geese walk barefoot," says the pretender. He's added a rocking motion now and Miss Parker is almost gone.
"Stop it with that damn song already. I'm really gonna need a psychiatrist after this one." Miss Parker stops at the door and tries to get a hold of Willie. "Hey Willie, any chance of getting something to eat?"
Willie looks at her and smiles. He sees a rat running by and pulls his gun out of the holster. Miss Parker stops him before he gets a shot off.
"Never mind." She looks back at Jarod who is fixed on the air vent. She follows his eyes and sees a silhouette staying back at her, its waving now. "Angelo! I never thought I'd love to see Cousin It," she thinks.
Screeching wheels can be heard followed by two sets of shoes. Raines can be heard wheezing orders at Willie. Miss Parker leans closer to the door and hears the fateful words. "We found them. No sign of Mr. Parker either." Even though he isn't her father, those words still hurt. She looked up to him for years, held him in fatherly regards, now he has disappeared again.
"They need more hand to get this thing off the chopper. Willie, go up and cover them. Lyle and I will watch these two." Raines and Lyle walk over to the room with Miss Parker and Jarod. They look in as Parker sees Lyle crack a smile and uncovers his gun. Raines has no idea what's happening before he is shot in the back.
Miss Parker jumps back at the sound and Jarod snaps back to reality. Lyle looks down at the former head of the Centre and smiles at Miss Parker. "I don't need him anymore," chuckles Lyle. Miss Parker can't believe what she has just seen; Lyle murdered their father right in front of them.
"You sick son of a bitch. Wh, why? Are you?" Miss Parker steps back in disbelief as Jarod stand facing the window.
"Tell me you didn't know. Not even our boy genius figured it out? Oh god, this is priceless." Lyle is almost in tears he's laughing so hard.
"Figure out what you sick freak? That you can kill on the drop of a dime? I figured that out when you murdered Kyle!" Jarod is now up against the bars of the door trying to grab at Lyle.
Lyle sticks his gun up and points it at Jarod forcing him to back away. "Easy there smart ass. I didn't murder Kyle. Did you forget I was aiming for you? Now incase you both didn't know, which it looks like you didn't, I was sent to work in the Centre by the Triumvirate." Lyle has a smug look on his face as he basically puts his hand on his knees.
With a look like he is talking to toddlers, he continues, "Basically I hold the Triumvirates best interests at heart. And then I act on them. They want the scrolls, I give them up, and then I control the Centre. Amazing how that works, huh?"
"You're sick," snaps Miss Parker as she walks back up to the door.
Lyle feels his forehead and looks at the lights. He then puts his middle and index fingers on his neck and looks at his watch. "Actually, no sis, I'm the picture of health." He grins again and turns to walk down the corridor as Parker and Jarod yell after him.
Willie is carrying the scrolls back from the landing pad as Lyle meets him in the lobby. "Mr. Raines had an unfortunate accident in SL-6. Make sure he receives proper medical attention and is nursed back to proper health. Also, make sure his mind is unaffected from this trauma." Willie winks at Mr. Lyle as he hands off the scrolls.
Lyle walks into his office and sets the scrolls on his desk before he notices Sydney walking through his doors.
"I demand to see Parker and Jarod." Sydney's voice seems cold.
"Ah, a little disturbed today Sydney?" Lyle turns around to face Sydney. "How about no. They just experienced a great deal of trauma and shouldn't have visitors for a couple of days." Lyle points to his head and inhales, "Just to make sure they can handle it mentally." He winks at Sydney as he turns to his phone.
Lyle no sooner picks the receiver up before Sydney grabs his shoulder. Lyle is spun around to see Sydney's eyes lock onto his. "Listen to my words, I DEMAND to see Parker and Jarod."
Lyle keeps his eyes locked on Sydney as he jerks his shoulder away. Without breaking eye contact, Lyle tugs at the front of his suit to straighten it. Lyle takes a deep breath and then exhales before straightening his tie. Eyes locked onto Sydney's he breaks the silence, "NO."
Sydney thrusts his hands into his pockets as he runs his tongue over the front of his teeth. In an instant, Sydney's right hand is around Lyle's throat and is pushing Lyle onto his desk. Sydney stares into his eyes and points at him with his left hand. Lyle looks visibly shocked. "I DEMAND to SEE Parker and Jarod."
Lyle swallows as hard as he can and begins to nod his head. "Okay." Sydney lets Lyle get up and he instinctively starts to rub his throat. "You made your point. Go ahead down, I'll call Willie and tell him."
Sydney turns to leave but as he gets to the door he turns back to Lyle with a smug grin. "Thank you Lyle. I knew you were a man of reason."
As Sydney gets out to the hallway he is met by Broots. Sydney straightens his vest and shirt before he walks over to the technician.
"How'd it go?" Broots doesn't know if he wants the answer.
"He saw my side after some," Sydney smiles inside and out, "persuasion."
"Persuasion? What's that mean?" Wonders Broots aloud as they reach the elevator.
Back in SL-6, Angelo has pulled the vent cover off and gotten Parker and Jarod into the ventilation shaft. Jarod pulls the grate back on just before Willie, Broots, and Sydney open the door. The sight is one that was not expected.
"They're gone," Willie can't believe it. He pulls the door shut but not before Sydney notices a shadow in the vent. He decides not to say anything but winks in Jarod's direction. All three leave as the members in the vent start to move.
They reach the mid point before sirens start to go causing Angelo to panic.
"Miss Parker in trouble. Jarod in trouble. Must leave now." Angelo keeps repeating himself as he breaks another grate off the outer Centre walls. Jarod and Miss Parker thank him before they go through the new opening. In an instant, they are running to the garages.
"There they are." Shots can be heard as the sweepers find them. Jarod and Parker manage to get into a car but keep their heads down until Jarod finishes the hotwiring. The car starts just after a sweeper jumps in front of them, he dives off to the side as they speed past. Shots fire as the glass in the back of the Lincoln explodes. But they escaped.
Miss Parker sits in the passenger seat shaking her head. "I can't believe in on the run with the prey. She looks over at Jarod but she still can't make sense of it. "Lyle's gonna be pissed." She smiles at the idea. He's so funny when he's angry.
Jarod focuses on the run but can't help to crack a smile. The same image goes through his head as it passes through Parker's. "Welcome to 'life on the road', Parker. This is when it gets interesting."
TBC. Same drill as before, read and rate.