Chapter Twelve
Parker sat in her office and waited for Lyle to show up. She already knew he was still somewhere in the building. Assumingly near Jarod.
Angelo provided her with information and took care to prepare wrong leads, like Jarod always had done. The centre tech geeks needed to find leads Parker could go for.
That gave Parker time to prepare escape plan a and b. She mused if it was better to think about plan c as well. Until now she had no idea of the how.
First she had to see Jarod to make sure he was in shape to make it. She couldn't free a nearly dead ill Pretender. She wasn't for suicide. Well, not yet.
Waiting was the hardest part. Lyle enjoyed being the boss. He showed it clearly to everyone who watched. Parker nearly grabbed the pack of cigarettes she had left in her top drawer. She had stopped smoking some time ago. Jarod had made it very hard for her to withstand the addiction. But now she realized that Jarods teasing had made her stronger. She could withstand, and she would.
Now she opened the top drawer. Instead of the cigarettes she took out a bottle of mineral water she had once stored there. Sipping she waited, much calmer now.
She jumped as Lyle teared open the door. He hadn't changed clothes yet, so he hadn't been home yet.
Parker inwardly hoped that he had not spent the night torturing Jarod. Lyle loved torturing people - no, asian girls, she corrected herself. He was in good mood. She had never seen him this cheerful before.
"Morning, Sis. Want to come?"
Parker rose and followed him out. In the hallway two sweepers waited for them to guard them on their way.
"We will show him how strong the bond of family is. That's what he's believing in, isn't it?"
She nodded.
"So that's what you want? Me playing the loving sibling?"
"I hope you don't need to play, Sis."
Lyle did not loose his good mood. Usually he really did not like these kind of remarks.
"Okay, little brother, what's the big cause? Tell me your plan..."
"You're good at pretending, Sis. I know you dislike me, but we're family. You cannot chose family. You have to accept it. Or leave."
So, he didn't buy it. But well, Parker never had made a secret of her aversion towards him. Everyone knew.
"Ok, then. Lyle, you know I'm always curious about your plans. Spare me some time and tell me directly. I will find out anyway."
She smiled cool and Lyle laughed.
"Okay, Sis. It is no secret. The triumvirate still thinks Jarod will go back to the simlab without resistance. We both know, he won't. He made that very clear."
Parker nodded. During his nightly calls Jarod had made sure she'd never forget that he had been forced to do so many things. Bad things. Worse things and worst things. Once he had stated that he would endure every torture, even death - but he would not do a single sim for the Centre anymore.
"And now it is your job to, uh, let's say ...persuade him over?"
Lyle nodded and she could see anticipation in his eyes. Disgusted she looked down the hallway. Why in heaven was fate so cruel? Couldn't have been Angelo the long lost twin?
"I tell you something, Lyle. You will not succeed. Jarod will fight you with all he has left."
Lyle cast her a questioning look.
"He once told me, during one of his nerve-wrecking middle-of-the-night- almost-morning calls that he'd rather die than ever do something in favor of the Centre again."
"Right, Sis. I don't think it will be easy. But remember how obedient he was, when he thought we had his father captive..."
Parker didn't remember since she had been in hospital on Lyles behalf. On the day of her dismissal Jarod already had escaped again.
"How did you make him believe that?"
Parker couldn't imagine Lyle to fool Jarod.
"He didn't believe. But he could not be sure. He cooperated because of the possibility..."
Parker snorted.
"And you think this will work again?"
Lyle nodded.
"This time there really will be a captive."
Lyle pressed the button of the elevator. They had stopped there and waited silently. Parker broke the silence.
"That's what you want Sydney for!"
Lyle didn't need to answer that. It was obvious.
Parker sat in her office and waited for Lyle to show up. She already knew he was still somewhere in the building. Assumingly near Jarod.
Angelo provided her with information and took care to prepare wrong leads, like Jarod always had done. The centre tech geeks needed to find leads Parker could go for.
That gave Parker time to prepare escape plan a and b. She mused if it was better to think about plan c as well. Until now she had no idea of the how.
First she had to see Jarod to make sure he was in shape to make it. She couldn't free a nearly dead ill Pretender. She wasn't for suicide. Well, not yet.
Waiting was the hardest part. Lyle enjoyed being the boss. He showed it clearly to everyone who watched. Parker nearly grabbed the pack of cigarettes she had left in her top drawer. She had stopped smoking some time ago. Jarod had made it very hard for her to withstand the addiction. But now she realized that Jarods teasing had made her stronger. She could withstand, and she would.
Now she opened the top drawer. Instead of the cigarettes she took out a bottle of mineral water she had once stored there. Sipping she waited, much calmer now.
She jumped as Lyle teared open the door. He hadn't changed clothes yet, so he hadn't been home yet.
Parker inwardly hoped that he had not spent the night torturing Jarod. Lyle loved torturing people - no, asian girls, she corrected herself. He was in good mood. She had never seen him this cheerful before.
"Morning, Sis. Want to come?"
Parker rose and followed him out. In the hallway two sweepers waited for them to guard them on their way.
"We will show him how strong the bond of family is. That's what he's believing in, isn't it?"
She nodded.
"So that's what you want? Me playing the loving sibling?"
"I hope you don't need to play, Sis."
Lyle did not loose his good mood. Usually he really did not like these kind of remarks.
"Okay, little brother, what's the big cause? Tell me your plan..."
"You're good at pretending, Sis. I know you dislike me, but we're family. You cannot chose family. You have to accept it. Or leave."
So, he didn't buy it. But well, Parker never had made a secret of her aversion towards him. Everyone knew.
"Ok, then. Lyle, you know I'm always curious about your plans. Spare me some time and tell me directly. I will find out anyway."
She smiled cool and Lyle laughed.
"Okay, Sis. It is no secret. The triumvirate still thinks Jarod will go back to the simlab without resistance. We both know, he won't. He made that very clear."
Parker nodded. During his nightly calls Jarod had made sure she'd never forget that he had been forced to do so many things. Bad things. Worse things and worst things. Once he had stated that he would endure every torture, even death - but he would not do a single sim for the Centre anymore.
"And now it is your job to, uh, let's say ...persuade him over?"
Lyle nodded and she could see anticipation in his eyes. Disgusted she looked down the hallway. Why in heaven was fate so cruel? Couldn't have been Angelo the long lost twin?
"I tell you something, Lyle. You will not succeed. Jarod will fight you with all he has left."
Lyle cast her a questioning look.
"He once told me, during one of his nerve-wrecking middle-of-the-night- almost-morning calls that he'd rather die than ever do something in favor of the Centre again."
"Right, Sis. I don't think it will be easy. But remember how obedient he was, when he thought we had his father captive..."
Parker didn't remember since she had been in hospital on Lyles behalf. On the day of her dismissal Jarod already had escaped again.
"How did you make him believe that?"
Parker couldn't imagine Lyle to fool Jarod.
"He didn't believe. But he could not be sure. He cooperated because of the possibility..."
Parker snorted.
"And you think this will work again?"
Lyle nodded.
"This time there really will be a captive."
Lyle pressed the button of the elevator. They had stopped there and waited silently. Parker broke the silence.
"That's what you want Sydney for!"
Lyle didn't need to answer that. It was obvious.