Chapter Seventeen
Sydney was happy to see Broots again. The technician was frightened but gladly embraced his little daughter. Debbie didn't understand his urge but she loved him dearly. So she hugged him like she hadn't seen him in months.
Sydney asked if he'd heard something from Jarod, but Broots denied. He had been on the train for countless hours and all he wanted to have now was a warm bed. Debbie yawned.
Sydney smiled. He had slept for some hours while Cara had been on guard. She liked Sydney and saw his exhaustion. She had offered him some tranquilizers but Sydney had refused. If Jarod arrived he needed a clear mind.
Now, two days had passed an nobody had heard from Jarod or Parker.
Broots had installed his techlab in Caras cellar. His first priority was to build a connection not even the Centre could trace. Therefor Jarod had left his laptop. On the harddisk Broots found the programm Jarod used to scramble his transactions with.
Broots was absoulutely enthusiastic. The programming was inceredible. It would have taken him month' of developing it not talking about installing. Using Jarods tools he broke into the Centre Mainframe. Now he was on known terrain again. He searched the DSA-archives for the recording of Jarod. He bet it was somewhere there. And it didn't take him long to find it. Another few seconds and it was safely on Jarods harddisk.
Sydney watched Broots. His friend seemed like a cowardish geek, but his help was prohibitive. Without Broots the Centre would not have found Jarod so many times. Sydney wasn't even sure Broots had used all his possibilities to locate the Pretender, since Jarod had once saved his life and caught a bullet meanwhile.
That was one of the first times Broots had ever really met the man. Jarod was no subject any longer. He was human. And Jarod made an impression on the people he met. Jarod was simply special.
Sydney focused on the screen of Jarods laptop again. Broots was searching for information about Parker or Jarod. Supervision cameras showed Miss Parker following her usual habits. She worked on her desk, spent some time at the techlab trying not to shout at the less capable techs. Then there were times when she disappeared. Broots assumed she went to one of the sublevels. But he couldn't locate her. There were not many places at the Centre where even the cameras were highly secured.
Sydney had the same thought.
"Do you think she could be heading towards the high security cells?"
Broots nodded thoughtfully.
"They installed an improved system last year. It's foolproof. It combines visual, sensory and physical supervision. Cameras, infrared devices and Sweepers. Nothing gets in or out without authorization. Not even Jarod."
"You think Jarod is locked up in one of them?"
Broots tapped on the keyboard.
"Yes, I'd bet my house on it. Problem is, I cannot crack the frequency of the security cameras unless I get it by some lucky chance..."
Sydney wrinkled his nose. Where the hell should they get the frequency? Were they at the Centre that would have been easy. But here in Pittsburgh their hands were tied.
"If we only knew Parker's still to trust. I can't believe she betrayed Jarod..."
Broots had a sad look. Miss Parker had always been his secret love. It hurt him, that she could be with the bad guys. Cara stepped into the room with a tray of steaming coffee. Broots mood brightened immediately and Sydney thanked her smiling. She took her mug and cupped it in her hands.
Curious she looked from Sydney to Broots and back. Broots placed the mug next to the laptop and began tapping again. He had an idea, how they might get in touch with Miss Parker.
Sydney knew Cara wanted some explanations. He sat down and took one of his poses. Cara rolled her eyes.
"Jarod didn't say you were a psychiatrist..."
Sydney smiled.
"I bet he left out a lot of information."
Cara nodded. First she had agreed with Jarod that the less she knew, the better. But now she was involved very deeply and the least she wanted to know who she was standing up against.
"Go ahaead, I will answer your questions as good as I can."
He stated and Cara thought about where to start.
"Who is Jarod and why is he running from those people..."
Sydney took his time and Cara waited silently.
"I guess. I better start at the beginning..."
Sydney was happy to see Broots again. The technician was frightened but gladly embraced his little daughter. Debbie didn't understand his urge but she loved him dearly. So she hugged him like she hadn't seen him in months.
Sydney asked if he'd heard something from Jarod, but Broots denied. He had been on the train for countless hours and all he wanted to have now was a warm bed. Debbie yawned.
Sydney smiled. He had slept for some hours while Cara had been on guard. She liked Sydney and saw his exhaustion. She had offered him some tranquilizers but Sydney had refused. If Jarod arrived he needed a clear mind.
Now, two days had passed an nobody had heard from Jarod or Parker.
Broots had installed his techlab in Caras cellar. His first priority was to build a connection not even the Centre could trace. Therefor Jarod had left his laptop. On the harddisk Broots found the programm Jarod used to scramble his transactions with.
Broots was absoulutely enthusiastic. The programming was inceredible. It would have taken him month' of developing it not talking about installing. Using Jarods tools he broke into the Centre Mainframe. Now he was on known terrain again. He searched the DSA-archives for the recording of Jarod. He bet it was somewhere there. And it didn't take him long to find it. Another few seconds and it was safely on Jarods harddisk.
Sydney watched Broots. His friend seemed like a cowardish geek, but his help was prohibitive. Without Broots the Centre would not have found Jarod so many times. Sydney wasn't even sure Broots had used all his possibilities to locate the Pretender, since Jarod had once saved his life and caught a bullet meanwhile.
That was one of the first times Broots had ever really met the man. Jarod was no subject any longer. He was human. And Jarod made an impression on the people he met. Jarod was simply special.
Sydney focused on the screen of Jarods laptop again. Broots was searching for information about Parker or Jarod. Supervision cameras showed Miss Parker following her usual habits. She worked on her desk, spent some time at the techlab trying not to shout at the less capable techs. Then there were times when she disappeared. Broots assumed she went to one of the sublevels. But he couldn't locate her. There were not many places at the Centre where even the cameras were highly secured.
Sydney had the same thought.
"Do you think she could be heading towards the high security cells?"
Broots nodded thoughtfully.
"They installed an improved system last year. It's foolproof. It combines visual, sensory and physical supervision. Cameras, infrared devices and Sweepers. Nothing gets in or out without authorization. Not even Jarod."
"You think Jarod is locked up in one of them?"
Broots tapped on the keyboard.
"Yes, I'd bet my house on it. Problem is, I cannot crack the frequency of the security cameras unless I get it by some lucky chance..."
Sydney wrinkled his nose. Where the hell should they get the frequency? Were they at the Centre that would have been easy. But here in Pittsburgh their hands were tied.
"If we only knew Parker's still to trust. I can't believe she betrayed Jarod..."
Broots had a sad look. Miss Parker had always been his secret love. It hurt him, that she could be with the bad guys. Cara stepped into the room with a tray of steaming coffee. Broots mood brightened immediately and Sydney thanked her smiling. She took her mug and cupped it in her hands.
Curious she looked from Sydney to Broots and back. Broots placed the mug next to the laptop and began tapping again. He had an idea, how they might get in touch with Miss Parker.
Sydney knew Cara wanted some explanations. He sat down and took one of his poses. Cara rolled her eyes.
"Jarod didn't say you were a psychiatrist..."
Sydney smiled.
"I bet he left out a lot of information."
Cara nodded. First she had agreed with Jarod that the less she knew, the better. But now she was involved very deeply and the least she wanted to know who she was standing up against.
"Go ahaead, I will answer your questions as good as I can."
He stated and Cara thought about where to start.
"Who is Jarod and why is he running from those people..."
Sydney took his time and Cara waited silently.
"I guess. I better start at the beginning..."