Chapter Five
Sydney and Broots sat in uncomfortable silence.
Broots was frightened to the bone. He fought hard not to turn around every 20 seconds. They knew sweepers were waiting outisde the restaurant.
Sydney took a spoon full of his soup. It tasted good, but Sydney didn't care. He was tensed to the limit. Jarod had said he would be here. And the sweepers seemed to know that. It was not impossible that Sydneys telephone was bugged. The centre always sought to be on the safe side...
Broots just shoved his food from one side of the dish to the other. He had spaghettis. Usually he liked them very much. Sydney sipped at his glass of wine. To the other guests they seemed like normal people. But everyone who knew them would know their nervousness.
Broots suddenly froze. Sydney followed his gaze and sighed. Miss Parker was coming towards their table. Her looks were dark. She was in bad mood. Bad luck in the hunt for Jarod, Sydney assumed.
"Miss Parker, we didn't exspect you to be back this soon. Please take a seat."
Sydney rose politely while Broots tried not to run away. He nevertheless jumped, when Miss Parker watched him. Her voice was full of sarcasm...
"Wonderboy was already gone. We only missed him for some minutes..."
Broots thought about a comment. Near Miss Parker he was always jumpy. She wouldn't care.
"We haven't been that cl - close for some time. D-Did he leave something?"
Taking his fork and shoving some of the pasta into his mouth only worked because of total concentration. He didn't taste anything, curious at Miss Parkers reply. She watched him thoughtfully then waved for the waitress.
"He didn't leave anything but another fan of himself. The doctor said, he left in quite a hurry. Panic was the the word she used..."
Sydney didn't allow himself to let his breath out too obviously. Parker stared at him, analyzing his reactions.
"Did you know he was in a hospital?" Sydney saw no sense in lying.
"I did. He called right after you left..." Parker snorted.
"Come on, Sydney. We both know that you gave him a call. You warned him off. We would have caught him if it wasn't for you."
Sydney nodded with a resigning smile.
"So we are talking straight now, aren't we?"
Broots stopped breathing at this very moment. He saw himself lying on the ground with a bullet in his head, like in the DSA of Jarod. But Parker shook her head.
"Sydney, how could you be so careless? They will seek retribution. You know what happened to my mother."
Sydney nodded and Broots took a deep breath.
The waitress came to the table and asked for their wishes. Parker ordered a mixed salad and a glass of mineral water. She needed a clear mind. Alcohol was no option at the moment.
She had known, Sydney would warn Jarod. But since Lyle had a plan she had decided to play along. She wanted to know what Lyle had in mind. The scenes on the DSA were shocking to her.
Yet, she had not only chased Jarod for mor than four years. She had known him before as a soulful young man. Jarod had always believed in justice and fairness. There was not an inch of Jarod capable of killing people they way the DSA showed. She also knew that the DSA was not faked. And she wanted to know who had done this to Jarod.
Sydney noticed the change in her aura and suddenly knew she had really fooled him.
"You never believed the DSA, didn't you?" Parker shook her head.
"Sydney, I'm bad tempered sometimes, but I know what I know. And we all know Jarod would never do this. Someone forced him in one or the other way. And I will find out who, how and why."
Broots looked from Sydney to Parker and back. It was good to know that Miss Parker was still one of the good guys. But still, Jarod planned to show up and he couldn't as long as Miss Parker was there.
"So, what are you going to do now, Parker? Play along?" She shrugged.
"I don't know, Syd. I've thought about it whole day. I cannot see a solution which keeps all of us safe and the centre out..."
"I'd say you should run, then..." A voice said from behind the decoration.
All three of them recognised it at once.
Broots was paler than Mr. White had ever been and Sydney swallowed in shock. Only Miss Parker, who had her back to the sweepers outside showed a reaction. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she answered.
"I knew you would be around, Jarod. This time you are risking to much."
No answer. Sydney felt the urge to turn around. Ever since he had phoned up the hospital and heard Jarod was a patient he wanted to see if Jarod was alright. He obviously was, since he was here.
"Are you still there?" Parker asked.
"I have to keep cover. You will come with me. I've arranged everything."
Broots paled, if getting paler was still possible.
"Going with you. B-b-but where are we going? And what is with Debbie?"
A second of silence then Jarod explained his plan.
Sydney and Broots sat in uncomfortable silence.
Broots was frightened to the bone. He fought hard not to turn around every 20 seconds. They knew sweepers were waiting outisde the restaurant.
Sydney took a spoon full of his soup. It tasted good, but Sydney didn't care. He was tensed to the limit. Jarod had said he would be here. And the sweepers seemed to know that. It was not impossible that Sydneys telephone was bugged. The centre always sought to be on the safe side...
Broots just shoved his food from one side of the dish to the other. He had spaghettis. Usually he liked them very much. Sydney sipped at his glass of wine. To the other guests they seemed like normal people. But everyone who knew them would know their nervousness.
Broots suddenly froze. Sydney followed his gaze and sighed. Miss Parker was coming towards their table. Her looks were dark. She was in bad mood. Bad luck in the hunt for Jarod, Sydney assumed.
"Miss Parker, we didn't exspect you to be back this soon. Please take a seat."
Sydney rose politely while Broots tried not to run away. He nevertheless jumped, when Miss Parker watched him. Her voice was full of sarcasm...
"Wonderboy was already gone. We only missed him for some minutes..."
Broots thought about a comment. Near Miss Parker he was always jumpy. She wouldn't care.
"We haven't been that cl - close for some time. D-Did he leave something?"
Taking his fork and shoving some of the pasta into his mouth only worked because of total concentration. He didn't taste anything, curious at Miss Parkers reply. She watched him thoughtfully then waved for the waitress.
"He didn't leave anything but another fan of himself. The doctor said, he left in quite a hurry. Panic was the the word she used..."
Sydney didn't allow himself to let his breath out too obviously. Parker stared at him, analyzing his reactions.
"Did you know he was in a hospital?" Sydney saw no sense in lying.
"I did. He called right after you left..." Parker snorted.
"Come on, Sydney. We both know that you gave him a call. You warned him off. We would have caught him if it wasn't for you."
Sydney nodded with a resigning smile.
"So we are talking straight now, aren't we?"
Broots stopped breathing at this very moment. He saw himself lying on the ground with a bullet in his head, like in the DSA of Jarod. But Parker shook her head.
"Sydney, how could you be so careless? They will seek retribution. You know what happened to my mother."
Sydney nodded and Broots took a deep breath.
The waitress came to the table and asked for their wishes. Parker ordered a mixed salad and a glass of mineral water. She needed a clear mind. Alcohol was no option at the moment.
She had known, Sydney would warn Jarod. But since Lyle had a plan she had decided to play along. She wanted to know what Lyle had in mind. The scenes on the DSA were shocking to her.
Yet, she had not only chased Jarod for mor than four years. She had known him before as a soulful young man. Jarod had always believed in justice and fairness. There was not an inch of Jarod capable of killing people they way the DSA showed. She also knew that the DSA was not faked. And she wanted to know who had done this to Jarod.
Sydney noticed the change in her aura and suddenly knew she had really fooled him.
"You never believed the DSA, didn't you?" Parker shook her head.
"Sydney, I'm bad tempered sometimes, but I know what I know. And we all know Jarod would never do this. Someone forced him in one or the other way. And I will find out who, how and why."
Broots looked from Sydney to Parker and back. It was good to know that Miss Parker was still one of the good guys. But still, Jarod planned to show up and he couldn't as long as Miss Parker was there.
"So, what are you going to do now, Parker? Play along?" She shrugged.
"I don't know, Syd. I've thought about it whole day. I cannot see a solution which keeps all of us safe and the centre out..."
"I'd say you should run, then..." A voice said from behind the decoration.
All three of them recognised it at once.
Broots was paler than Mr. White had ever been and Sydney swallowed in shock. Only Miss Parker, who had her back to the sweepers outside showed a reaction. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she answered.
"I knew you would be around, Jarod. This time you are risking to much."
No answer. Sydney felt the urge to turn around. Ever since he had phoned up the hospital and heard Jarod was a patient he wanted to see if Jarod was alright. He obviously was, since he was here.
"Are you still there?" Parker asked.
"I have to keep cover. You will come with me. I've arranged everything."
Broots paled, if getting paler was still possible.
"Going with you. B-b-but where are we going? And what is with Debbie?"
A second of silence then Jarod explained his plan.