Chapter 3

Ms. Parker struggled to shake off her fatigue, as Broots drove their town car towards the Venetian Hotel Casino, in Las Vegas. Apparently, this David Banner worked in one of the stores in the Grand Canal Shoppes, a mall attached to the hotel.

She usually would be the one to drive, but she had ordered Broots to do so. Sydney sat up in the front with him, while she had the back to herself. Ms. Parker leaned forward.

'Don't let Jarod out of your sight.' she said, somewhat tiredly. Sydney half turned to look at her.

'What do you think he's going to do, Parker? Try and give us the slip? He's in the car ahead with Lyle.'

'I wouldn't put it past him to try and cut me out of the action, just to make me look bad.' Ms. Parker groused.

'Why would he do that?' Sydney gently asked. Ms. Parker eyed the back of his head.

'I don't know, Sydney. Maybe to get back at me for the years I chased him...I don't know or care. I just need to be on my toes here. If things keep going the way they have been, I'll be demoted to a post in one of the sub basements somewhere!'

'Jarod would never do that to you.' Sydney said softly.

Ms. Parker stared at the back of Broots's head. She leaned forward again.

'What do you think, Broots? Do you think that Jarod would stab me in the back on this assignment?'

Broots cleared his throat. Sydney gave him a sidewise glance.

'Uh...I don't know. I mean, I never would've expected to be working for him.'

Ms. Parker leaned back again.

'Yeah, I know.' she said softly, touching her stomach. She then yawned. Broots saw this in the rearview mirror, and looked over at Sydney quickly. Sydney turned to look at her.

'Why don't you take a small nap, Parker? We'll wake you when we get to the mall.'

Ordinarily, Ms. Parker would've just pretended not to be tired. But, she nodded resignedly. Maybe the quick shut-eye would rejuvenate her for the take down. She was still curious as to why this David Banner was so important the Centre, but she figured that she would find out when they captured him.

Ms. Parker nodded.

'Wake me the minute we get there....and don't let Jarod and Lyle out of your sight!' she ordered, before closing her eyes. Sleep overtook her almost immediately.

****

Broots pulled up beside Jarod in a parking space, in the Venetian Hotel/Casino parking lot. Lyle got out, just as Sydney got out of his car as well. He then tried to peer into the car.

'Where the hell is Parker?' Lyle asked Sydney.

Sydney closed his door.

'She's resting.'

'Resting? You mean she's taking a damned nap now?!'

Jarod exchanged glances with Sydney, and decided to step in.

'Forget her! We don't need her.'

Lyle turned to look at Jarod.

'What do you mean?! We'll need everyone we can get!'

Jarod walked around his side of the car, until he was practically up on Lyle.

'I didn't want her here anyway. I told you her work has been subpar. This proves it.' Jarod said, then walked over to the driver's side of Ms. Parker's car. Broots was still sitting in the driver's seat.

'Stay here with her and keep the air on.' Jarod said. He had not wanted Ms. Parker present anyway, in case David Banner turned into that creature. This was perfect, but to be expected. Her fatigue, due to her pregnancy, was already setting in. That and he knew Broots was frightened of this creature. They would both be better off staying out of it.

But Lyle walked over to where Jarod was.

'What the hell is going on with her?! Is she doing this on purpose?! Broots, wake her up!'

Jarod turned to Lyle.

'This whole thing is in retaliation for my ascension above her in the Centre. That's all.'

'I understand she's a bit disconcerted, Jarod, but this is getting old! She's going to have to learn to go along to get along! Broots, wake her up!'

'And I still say that if your sister can't be a team player, then leave her here! She'll just be all the more embarrassed that she missed out on all of the fun.' Jarod said firmly.

Lyle considered Jarod's point. Parker did hate being cut out of the loop. And her attitude had left something to be desired lately.

'Fine! Leave her here.' Lyle said. Sydney moved to join them. Lyle looked at Jarod.

'What's the plan?' he asked.

'First, make sure that our dart guns are loaded.'

Lyle shook his head slightly.

'Why aren't we using real bullets again? I mean, we all saw the video from the Centre...bullets don't seem to hurt him.'

'I don't want to take the chance of our prized specimen, getting damaged before it is turned over to the Triumvirate.' Jarod said tersely. Sydney looked away. Sometimes it was frightening, how much Jarod sounded like Lyle.

Lyle slowly nodded.

'You're right. We don't know all that he can do...and he wasn't shot much on that tape. A hail of bullets could do him in. Alright, let's go and get our ticket to the top!' Lyle said, clapping Jarod on the back. He then walked past him, towards the casino entrance. Jarod looked back at Sydney, then the car, before running to catch up with Lyle. Sydney walked behind the two men.

****

David Banner sat in a Planet Hollywood restaurant, eating a huge hamburger with fries. He was already full, and knew he would not be able to finish it. He hated that. He hated wasting food.

His eyes fell upon on some sort of display from one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's films. David's mind wandered to the creature he became. He wondered if the 'Hulk', as he was dubbed by some, could take on this character in the Schwarzenegger film? David smiled to himself. How many times did Schwarzenegger die in a film? His creature would be in serious trouble!

David sighed, as the waitress came back to check on him. She kindly asked him if he wanted to have his things wrapped up. He was forced to decline, though he would've like it. The fleabag motel he was staying in, did not have a refrigerator. And he did not get off for several hours. He had no way of keeping the food fresh, or of even reheating it.

David paid his check, leaving the waitress a more than generous tip. He then walked out of the restaurant and made his way back to the Kenneth Cole store he was working in.

He had been taking cabs to work, but needed to save so he could rent a car. He was going to drive to an L.A. Hospital, one that had done extensive research with gamma radiation.

As he walked past a fountain, in the center of the mall, something made David look to his left. Walking towards the fountain, was a man he recognized as 'Mr. Lyle'.... the other man was a well known doctor named Sydney Green. The third man, David did not recognize...not that it mattered. They were from the Centre.

If David could've known, what a deadly mistake going to that place had been, he never would've stepped foot in there!

But he had managed to find out, by way of several illegal searches of databases, during a stint he worked for a medical supply company, that this 'think tank' in Blue Cove, Delaware, had some equipment that might help him cure the creature that lived within him.

But, the secrets David Banner had unearthed during his stint as a scientist at the 'Centre', were so appalling, that he was forced to put his own problems aside...so he could try and rescue the children that he had found had been kidnapped.

David figured that the night he tried to smuggle some of the kids from the 'Young Pretender' program out of the facility, he must've been caught on camera. That is what had made the powers to be, aware of his presence in the restricted area that housed the Pretenders. And what caused the showdown...the one that brought out the creature.

The last thing he remembered, was one of the Sweepers, someone named Willie, banging his head against one of the walls....then, he awoke in the woods, near the complex.

David could not forget Mr. Lyle though. For it was that man, that raised his suspicions about what the Centre was really all about in the first place. David has assumed that he would be conducting research experiments, to help mankind...not possibly destroy it.

He shook himself out of his reverie, as he saw Sydney Green's eyes connect with his, on the other side of the fountain. Mr. Lyle, and the other man, looked his way as well. David began moving around the fountain.

Mr. Lyle looked at Jarod and nodded.

'Go around that way.' he ordered.

Jarod shook his head.

'We can't afford to make him angry.'

'Jarod's right, Lyle,' Sydney said, 'we don't want a scene.'

Lyle eyed Jarod.

'I thought you said you didn't think he'd make one? You said that he was afraid of hurting anyone...thus he would not make a fuss...to keep from turning into that damned thing.'

'Yes, that's right.' Jarod said. But he had lied to Lyle. He had lied so that Lyle would not feel the need for additional sweepers.

'Okay, then. You go around that way, and I'll go this way.' Lyle said impatiently. Sydney looked around. It was lunchtime, yet, there seemed to be very few shoppers headed their way.

David looked around. He would not be able to get away. And, his deepest fear was that their presence here and now, meant that they planned to exploit what he could become, to their own advantage. The one he did not recognize, began to move closer.

'Dr. Banner, we don't want to hurt you. Believe me, my only intention is to help you find a cure.' Jarod said.

Lyle refrained from grinning! Jarod really was good at bullshitting! He could see that Banner gave him a less wary look than he did himself.

'Please,' Sydney added, 'we do just want to help.'

'Yeah, so let's not make a scene here...okay? Wouldn't want to get you angry, you know?' Lyle said facetiously, winking at him.

David did not care for that. He glanced behind him. There was a hallway that lead to bathrooms and the security offices. He turned and made a run for it. People began to stare. Lyle grinned at Jarod.

'Now we've got him!' he hissed, walking very calmly after Banner. Sydney grabbed Jarod's arm.

'I hope your plan kicks in soon. Otherwise, we will not be able to keep Lyle from putting Banner back on that plane to Blue Cove.'

Jarod nodded.

'I have to get to Lyle. My plan is to get Dr. Banner away from Lyle, just long enough to talk to him, to get him to trust me.'

Sydney's eyes widened!

'That's your plan?!'

Jarod looked at Sydney.

'What?'

'That isn't a plan! There are so many things that could go wrong...that are already going wrong!'

Jarod was a bit surprised by Sydney's rebuke. But, if the truth be told, he knew his former mentor/father-figure, was not completely wrong. But this was the situation that presented itself.

Jarod looked around and pulled a syringe out of his pocket briefly, before putting back inside.

'This is the plan, Sydney. Mr. Lyle will be out like a light, and he will be made to believe that Dr. Banner injected him with a knock out drug.'

'But Jarod, Lyle is never going to believe that Banner just carried a strong narcotic like that around! He didn't know we were coming for him!'

'All I need is time with Banner, Sydney. Now come on!'

Jarod and Sydney ran in between mall goers, as they followed after Lyle.

****

Ms. Parker awoke with a start. The car was at a standstill, and so was Broots!

She slapped the back of his head, hard! He squealed!

'Ms. Parker!'

'Where is Sydney? Where is Jarod and Lyle?'

'They're in the mall! But they told me not to wake you and...'

Ms. Parker opened her car door and jumped out, slamming it! She didn't have a clue in hell, which way everyone had went! Damnit!

Broots got out of the car as well.

'Ms. Parker! Jarod thought that you needed rest and...'

Ms. Parker took out her gun and aimed it at him. Broots put up his hands in self-defense. He looked hurt.

'I can't believe you're pointing that thing at me!'

'I can't believe you're in on this, Broots!'

'What are you talking about?!'

'Oh don't screw with me! I told you Jarod was trying to make me look bad, so you let me sleep while everyone is taking down Banner?! I've had this feeling from the very beginning, that Sydney and you, were keeping something from me! Now I want you to tell me where Jarod and Lyle are in that mall?! Now!'

'Dr. Banner works in the Kenneth Cole store.' Broots said quietly. Ms. Parker did not wait around, but half ran off towards the hotel/casino entrance. Broots sighed, then hurried after her.

****

Lyle had caught up with Banner and grabbed him by his collar, shoving him into the Men's room. Two guys were already inside, and they stared when Lyle burst in with Banner.

Jarod and Sydney were on his heels. Jarod looked at the guys.

'Nothing to see here!' he said sharply, as he felt for the needle in his pocket. The two guys, sensing trouble, hurried from the bathroom.

'It will only be a matter of time before one of them gets Security.' Sydney noted nervously.

Lyle shoved a frightened looking Banner to the ground.

'I know. Jarod, shoot him with the dart.'

Jarod looked at Lyle.

'What?'

Lyle looked over at him.

'Shoot him, Jarod! Christ! Can't you see that your simulation failed? This guy is not coming back quietly!'

Jarod had no choice. He still had to save face with the Centre, or else his credibility would be shot. He took out his dart gun. Banner began to yell.

'No! No don't shoot me with that thing! No! NO! NO!' he began to scream, as he started to turn into the creature.

'Shit! We're too late!' Lyle yelled, as he began firing darts into Banner. Jarod and Sydney backed up and watched the transformation, fascinated.

The darts, didn't seem to have any affect at all, as the full creature materialized. He growled at Lyle, picked him up, and threw him against the bathroom door! Lyle bounced off of the door and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jarod began taking a step towards the creature.

'We don't want to hurt you. Trust us...please.'

The creature, tilted his head, as if he were trying to understand what Jarod was saying. But his eyes moved to the dart gun in his hand, and he growled loudly. Jarod threw it aside and backed away with Sydney, close at his heels.

****

Ms. Parker hurried towards the Kenneth Cole store. But, her eyes moved from it, to five security guards she saw running down a hallway. Sensing trouble, she hurried after them, careful not to pull her gun in this crowd. Broots was some distance behind her. His stomach dropped with every step. He too had seen the Security guards, and wondered what kind of trouble he would find.

****

Jarod and Sydney moved aside, as the creature growled at them one last time, before running towards the bathroom door and knocking it down into the hallway! The Security guards all stopped in their tracks, as they faced the creature, known in the tabloids, as the Hulk.

The creature growled loudly, as the guards all backed off, giving him his space. That was when Ms. Parker and Broots appeared.

Jarod and Sydney peeked their heads out, as both Ms. Parker and Broots screamed at the sight. Jarod gasped! He had NEVER, EVER, heard Ms. Parker scream! Never! She sounded so much like a female at that point, Jarod had been sorry he hadn't had a video camera!

Ms. Parker and Broots flattened themselves against the wall, as the creature growled, then ran by them. The guards ran after the creature, as Ms. Parker and Broots, stared at Jarod and Sydney.

'What the hell is going on here?!' Ms. Parker snapped, still scared half to death. Jarod gave her a wry smile.

'That, Ms. Parker, was Dr. David Banner.'