Chapter Seven
Jarod stood in adequate distance from the main entry. The Centre still looked the same. The parking lot in front of it. Sweepers guarding the building. The hypocrisy that hovered above like a halo in the dark.
X-time was close. At midnight Sydney and Broots would leave their houses for different destinations. Neither of them knew where they were going. Parker was safe at the police department. She didn't like this part of the plan but she accepted the necessity.
If Jarod didn't show up until five in the morning the officer on duty would let her go and give her a sealed envelope. Jarod had left advice of where to go, false Ids and a sufficient amount of cash. She would know how to take care of herself.
Of course she didn't know that Jarods plan had failed if she received the envelope. She would expect to meet Jarod at rendezvouz. But he wouldn't be there.
Rendezvouz was Pittsburgh Medical Center. Cara waited for both of them there. And she knew that if Parker came alone, Jarod had problems. She would bring Miss Paker to safety and fill her in.
That would give Jarod some time to work out things on his own. Sydney and Broots would arrive there during the day. They would take different routes, Sydney flying via Boston to Pittsburgh and Broots going by train via New York.
Jarod checked his watch. It was one minute before midnight. He sighed and moved closer. He once had fled throught he airvent system. He suspected that the safety precautions had improved since his last visit. They always did, he thought with a lopsided grin.
Usually Jarod was very inventive. This time he planned not to be. He would go in the same way he had gotten out the first time. He hoped no one would exspect him to use this secured way again. Just to make sure nobody did he had manipulated the system a bit. That was the only bit of originality he had allowed himself.
Carefully he opened the vent. They were coverded with bars now. He heard nothing. That seemed to be a good sign.
Then he went in.
***
Angelo started when his laptop beeped in alarm. Someone was breaking into the Centre. The security systems had not registered that yet and he intended to keep it that way.
Touching the medal Jarod had once given him he felt Jarods presence. Only Jarod dared to come here on ist own.
Angelo smiled. Shoving some Cracker Jacks into his mouth he began tapping onto his keyboard. He traced Jarods position inside the vents and found that the systems already had been tangled with. Smiling he chose the nearest camera and watched Jarod crawl through the vents.
By the sight of Jarod Angelo shivered. Jarod looked sick. Crawling seemed to be to big an effort for him. On his face was pure concentration. Angelo knew the techniques of absorbing pain. It was obvious that Jarod was using them right now. Angelo shook his head.
Why was Jarod risking to be caught in that state of health?
Something else must have happened...Hastily Angelo checked the events of the day, the DSA-Archives and the bugging-records. When he found Sydneys phonecall he knew, that Jarod was trying to distract the Centre people from his friends.
Without hesitation Angelo begann placing little distractions himself. He send as many sweepers as possible on wrong leads, while Jarod made ist way. It didn't take Angelo long to figure Jarods aim was Sydneys office...
Jarod stood in adequate distance from the main entry. The Centre still looked the same. The parking lot in front of it. Sweepers guarding the building. The hypocrisy that hovered above like a halo in the dark.
X-time was close. At midnight Sydney and Broots would leave their houses for different destinations. Neither of them knew where they were going. Parker was safe at the police department. She didn't like this part of the plan but she accepted the necessity.
If Jarod didn't show up until five in the morning the officer on duty would let her go and give her a sealed envelope. Jarod had left advice of where to go, false Ids and a sufficient amount of cash. She would know how to take care of herself.
Of course she didn't know that Jarods plan had failed if she received the envelope. She would expect to meet Jarod at rendezvouz. But he wouldn't be there.
Rendezvouz was Pittsburgh Medical Center. Cara waited for both of them there. And she knew that if Parker came alone, Jarod had problems. She would bring Miss Paker to safety and fill her in.
That would give Jarod some time to work out things on his own. Sydney and Broots would arrive there during the day. They would take different routes, Sydney flying via Boston to Pittsburgh and Broots going by train via New York.
Jarod checked his watch. It was one minute before midnight. He sighed and moved closer. He once had fled throught he airvent system. He suspected that the safety precautions had improved since his last visit. They always did, he thought with a lopsided grin.
Usually Jarod was very inventive. This time he planned not to be. He would go in the same way he had gotten out the first time. He hoped no one would exspect him to use this secured way again. Just to make sure nobody did he had manipulated the system a bit. That was the only bit of originality he had allowed himself.
Carefully he opened the vent. They were coverded with bars now. He heard nothing. That seemed to be a good sign.
Then he went in.
***
Angelo started when his laptop beeped in alarm. Someone was breaking into the Centre. The security systems had not registered that yet and he intended to keep it that way.
Touching the medal Jarod had once given him he felt Jarods presence. Only Jarod dared to come here on ist own.
Angelo smiled. Shoving some Cracker Jacks into his mouth he began tapping onto his keyboard. He traced Jarods position inside the vents and found that the systems already had been tangled with. Smiling he chose the nearest camera and watched Jarod crawl through the vents.
By the sight of Jarod Angelo shivered. Jarod looked sick. Crawling seemed to be to big an effort for him. On his face was pure concentration. Angelo knew the techniques of absorbing pain. It was obvious that Jarod was using them right now. Angelo shook his head.
Why was Jarod risking to be caught in that state of health?
Something else must have happened...Hastily Angelo checked the events of the day, the DSA-Archives and the bugging-records. When he found Sydneys phonecall he knew, that Jarod was trying to distract the Centre people from his friends.
Without hesitation Angelo begann placing little distractions himself. He send as many sweepers as possible on wrong leads, while Jarod made ist way. It didn't take Angelo long to figure Jarods aim was Sydneys office...