Chapter Four
Disclaimer: Do I really have to put a disclaimer on every chapter? What the hell- THE CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE!
Lyle paced outside his motel room and tried Parker's mobile again. It was turned off. He restrained the urge to punch the wall. They had woken up to find her gone along with her phone and her gun. She hadn't left so much as a note. Lyle was getting more and more frustrated. If she didn't return soon they would miss their flight.
At that thought a small snake of malice unwound itself in his belly. If she was going to traipse off in the middle of the night then she would just have to get home on her own. Their father would be mad at him, not to mention Parker herself but it would be well worth it just to see the look on her face when she got back.
**********************************
Parker glanced over at Jarod where he slept with his head leaning on the rental car window. He had wanted to drive but Parker had insisted. He had told her where they were going and there was no way he could drive in his condition anyway, as proven by the way he had rapidly fallen asleep once they had gotten out on the freeway. However he acted, he was badly injured and he needed time to recover.
Parker couldn't help feeling a tender protective instinct rise in her chest as she looked at him again. She tried to shake it off. She reminded herself that she was only throwing her lot in with him because the Centre was never going to let her go willingly. Things were heating up in hell and she'd known for a while now that it was coming time to leave. Jarod had just provided an opportunity. It had nothing to do with personal feelings whatsoever.
She sighed and tried to concentrate on the driving.
**********************************
Jarod could feel her next to him, watching him during the drive, even as he slept. He knew he shouldn't trust her completely- she was the person that had been trying to steal his freedom ever since he had escaped and she hadn't exactly forsaken her gun yet.
Still, he felt safe and protected with her eyes on him. He inhaled her sweet perfume and slipped a little deeper into his dreaming.
Several hours later he awoke as he felt the car draw to a halt and the motor switch off. 'Are we there?' He asked blearily, still not fully awake and definitely not feeling 100%.
'If this is "there"' replied Parker dubiously. 'It looks a little different from your usual rat hole.'
'Hey, sometimes even I like to live in style for a while,' joked Jarod defensively, looking out the window at the massive marble hotel that they were parked in front of.
He opened the car door and retrieved his crutches from the back seat as Parker gathered the rest of their meagre possessions from the boot, consisting of a black rucksack and a DSA player. Seeing that they were finished with the car a man in a rich red blazer approached them. 'It is good to see you again sir. Would you like me to park your car for you?'
'Thanks, Bailey. How's your wife doing?'
'Well thank you sir,' replied the man as Parker handed him the keys, impressed in spite of herself. Jarod smiled briefly at her and gave a helpless shrug, as if to say 'I can't help knowing a quarter of the world's population on a first name basis.'
As they entered the luxurious hotel foyer Parker realised that she had never burst in here with a sweeper team. It appeared that the Centre didn't know about all of Jarod's exploits.
The woman on the front desk greeted Jarod with a warm smile and handed him the key to a room. They exchanged a bit off small talk and she exclaimed over his apparent leg injury before Jarod led Parker to the elevators and pushed the button to the top floor.
They stood next to each other in the lift and watched the numbers move in silence whilst Parker tried to justify her feelings of jealousy against the bright and bubbly woman on the front desk that Jarod seemed to know so well.
The room turned out to be large and luxurious, just like the rest of the hotel. Parker glared at the expensive looking prints on the walls whilst Jarod thoroughly checked the place for bugs.
'You know the Centre doesn't know about this place,' she growled as he wandered out of the bathroom.
'You mean you never chased me here. That doesn't mean they don't know about it. You can never be too careful,' he replied, finishing the sweep and hopping over to where she had dumped the rucksack. He leaned his crutches against the wall and delved inside it to retrieve a phone.
'What's that for?' Parker asked warily.
'I need to ring Sydney'
'Why?'
'Because when they realise you're gone, all hell is going to break loose. I have to at least give him a heads up. And Broots has Debbie to think about.' A shudder ran through Parker at his words. It suddenly came crashing down around her that the decision that she had made in a moment that morning was for life, and would affect others that she cared about too. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands, sighing heavily.
Jarod put the phone down and limped over to sit beside her on the bed. He didn't touch her or say a word but she could feel him radiating waves of understanding. It was getting on her nerves. She restrained an urge to snap at him, to blame this all on him.
'It's OK Parker. You did the right thing. We both know that if you'd stayed there any longer you would have gone mad or been eaten alive from the inside by that ulcer.'
She didn't say anything for a moment and didn't meet his eyes. Sighing again she closed her eyes and slumped against him. Jarod froze for a moment, surprised at the gesture, then he gingerly wrapped his arms around her.
'They're going to kill us both' she moaned against his chest.
'They'll have to find us first,' he replied confidently, rocking her gently, still taken aback that she would turn to him for comfort.
'What if Sydney and Broots don't get out in time. What if the Centre holds them hostage?'
'Then we'll go in and get them out. I've gotten in and out of there before without anyone knowing.'
Parker relaxed slightly as he gently stroked her back. His supreme confidence that they would be okay was catching. They stayed that way, sitting on the edge of the bed for a long time, Parker drifting towards sleep in his strong arms.
Jarod smiled slightly as he heard her breathing deepen. Trying not to wake her, he lifted gently her into his arms, surprised at how light she was. With a delicate balancing act, keeping most of his weight off his injured leg he pulled back the covers and laid her on the bed. He pulled her shoes off and removed her jacket then pulled the covers up and tucked her in.
He stood there for a few minutes, just watching her sleep. She looked much less fierce and vulnerable somehow. He could see the innocent little girl that still missed her mother when she slept.
Shaking his head to break his reverie, he retrieved his phone and went to stand on the balcony so he didn't wake her.
Sydney picked up on the third ring. 'She did it Sydney.'
'Jarod? Who did what?'
'Miss Parker is asleep a few metres away. She's left the Centre Sydney.'
On the other end of the line, Syd smiled. He was glad that the little girl he had known since she was five had finally gotten out. The fact that she had Jarod looking out for her made him want to laugh out loud for joy. Still she had been in the Centre for so long . . .
'Be careful Jarod. Does she still carry her gun around?' Syd asked cautiously, realising that even though Jarod wanted to believe in the goodness of his childhood friend, she wasn't the person she had been.
'Not yet Sydney, but this is for real. Be ready. Tell Broots.' Jarod ended the call sharply, a bad feeling settling in his stomach. Sydney was right, caution was the best course with Parker for the moment. He wished it wasn't so. Sighing he went back inside the hotel room and tried to make himself comfortable on the couch.
TBC. (Be patient, I'm trying to overcome some pretty bad writer's block here)
Disclaimer: Do I really have to put a disclaimer on every chapter? What the hell- THE CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE!
Lyle paced outside his motel room and tried Parker's mobile again. It was turned off. He restrained the urge to punch the wall. They had woken up to find her gone along with her phone and her gun. She hadn't left so much as a note. Lyle was getting more and more frustrated. If she didn't return soon they would miss their flight.
At that thought a small snake of malice unwound itself in his belly. If she was going to traipse off in the middle of the night then she would just have to get home on her own. Their father would be mad at him, not to mention Parker herself but it would be well worth it just to see the look on her face when she got back.
**********************************
Parker glanced over at Jarod where he slept with his head leaning on the rental car window. He had wanted to drive but Parker had insisted. He had told her where they were going and there was no way he could drive in his condition anyway, as proven by the way he had rapidly fallen asleep once they had gotten out on the freeway. However he acted, he was badly injured and he needed time to recover.
Parker couldn't help feeling a tender protective instinct rise in her chest as she looked at him again. She tried to shake it off. She reminded herself that she was only throwing her lot in with him because the Centre was never going to let her go willingly. Things were heating up in hell and she'd known for a while now that it was coming time to leave. Jarod had just provided an opportunity. It had nothing to do with personal feelings whatsoever.
She sighed and tried to concentrate on the driving.
**********************************
Jarod could feel her next to him, watching him during the drive, even as he slept. He knew he shouldn't trust her completely- she was the person that had been trying to steal his freedom ever since he had escaped and she hadn't exactly forsaken her gun yet.
Still, he felt safe and protected with her eyes on him. He inhaled her sweet perfume and slipped a little deeper into his dreaming.
Several hours later he awoke as he felt the car draw to a halt and the motor switch off. 'Are we there?' He asked blearily, still not fully awake and definitely not feeling 100%.
'If this is "there"' replied Parker dubiously. 'It looks a little different from your usual rat hole.'
'Hey, sometimes even I like to live in style for a while,' joked Jarod defensively, looking out the window at the massive marble hotel that they were parked in front of.
He opened the car door and retrieved his crutches from the back seat as Parker gathered the rest of their meagre possessions from the boot, consisting of a black rucksack and a DSA player. Seeing that they were finished with the car a man in a rich red blazer approached them. 'It is good to see you again sir. Would you like me to park your car for you?'
'Thanks, Bailey. How's your wife doing?'
'Well thank you sir,' replied the man as Parker handed him the keys, impressed in spite of herself. Jarod smiled briefly at her and gave a helpless shrug, as if to say 'I can't help knowing a quarter of the world's population on a first name basis.'
As they entered the luxurious hotel foyer Parker realised that she had never burst in here with a sweeper team. It appeared that the Centre didn't know about all of Jarod's exploits.
The woman on the front desk greeted Jarod with a warm smile and handed him the key to a room. They exchanged a bit off small talk and she exclaimed over his apparent leg injury before Jarod led Parker to the elevators and pushed the button to the top floor.
They stood next to each other in the lift and watched the numbers move in silence whilst Parker tried to justify her feelings of jealousy against the bright and bubbly woman on the front desk that Jarod seemed to know so well.
The room turned out to be large and luxurious, just like the rest of the hotel. Parker glared at the expensive looking prints on the walls whilst Jarod thoroughly checked the place for bugs.
'You know the Centre doesn't know about this place,' she growled as he wandered out of the bathroom.
'You mean you never chased me here. That doesn't mean they don't know about it. You can never be too careful,' he replied, finishing the sweep and hopping over to where she had dumped the rucksack. He leaned his crutches against the wall and delved inside it to retrieve a phone.
'What's that for?' Parker asked warily.
'I need to ring Sydney'
'Why?'
'Because when they realise you're gone, all hell is going to break loose. I have to at least give him a heads up. And Broots has Debbie to think about.' A shudder ran through Parker at his words. It suddenly came crashing down around her that the decision that she had made in a moment that morning was for life, and would affect others that she cared about too. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands, sighing heavily.
Jarod put the phone down and limped over to sit beside her on the bed. He didn't touch her or say a word but she could feel him radiating waves of understanding. It was getting on her nerves. She restrained an urge to snap at him, to blame this all on him.
'It's OK Parker. You did the right thing. We both know that if you'd stayed there any longer you would have gone mad or been eaten alive from the inside by that ulcer.'
She didn't say anything for a moment and didn't meet his eyes. Sighing again she closed her eyes and slumped against him. Jarod froze for a moment, surprised at the gesture, then he gingerly wrapped his arms around her.
'They're going to kill us both' she moaned against his chest.
'They'll have to find us first,' he replied confidently, rocking her gently, still taken aback that she would turn to him for comfort.
'What if Sydney and Broots don't get out in time. What if the Centre holds them hostage?'
'Then we'll go in and get them out. I've gotten in and out of there before without anyone knowing.'
Parker relaxed slightly as he gently stroked her back. His supreme confidence that they would be okay was catching. They stayed that way, sitting on the edge of the bed for a long time, Parker drifting towards sleep in his strong arms.
Jarod smiled slightly as he heard her breathing deepen. Trying not to wake her, he lifted gently her into his arms, surprised at how light she was. With a delicate balancing act, keeping most of his weight off his injured leg he pulled back the covers and laid her on the bed. He pulled her shoes off and removed her jacket then pulled the covers up and tucked her in.
He stood there for a few minutes, just watching her sleep. She looked much less fierce and vulnerable somehow. He could see the innocent little girl that still missed her mother when she slept.
Shaking his head to break his reverie, he retrieved his phone and went to stand on the balcony so he didn't wake her.
Sydney picked up on the third ring. 'She did it Sydney.'
'Jarod? Who did what?'
'Miss Parker is asleep a few metres away. She's left the Centre Sydney.'
On the other end of the line, Syd smiled. He was glad that the little girl he had known since she was five had finally gotten out. The fact that she had Jarod looking out for her made him want to laugh out loud for joy. Still she had been in the Centre for so long . . .
'Be careful Jarod. Does she still carry her gun around?' Syd asked cautiously, realising that even though Jarod wanted to believe in the goodness of his childhood friend, she wasn't the person she had been.
'Not yet Sydney, but this is for real. Be ready. Tell Broots.' Jarod ended the call sharply, a bad feeling settling in his stomach. Sydney was right, caution was the best course with Parker for the moment. He wished it wasn't so. Sighing he went back inside the hotel room and tried to make himself comfortable on the couch.
TBC. (Be patient, I'm trying to overcome some pretty bad writer's block here)
