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Hope you enjoy.
5:00am Jarod's Hotel Room
Jarod was in the throes of a nightmare. The scream "Noooo" died on his lips as he came to an abrupt consciousness. They were there every night, different, but somehow all the same. He untangled himself from his damp and twisted bed linen, and shakily made his way to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, he hated the feeling of the nightmare sweat on his body. He yearned for a night of peaceful rest and was reminded of lyrics he heard in a song that still haunted him:
"You know he got the cure, you know he went astray, he used to stay
awake to drive the dreams he had away. He wanted to believe in the
hands of love."
He had heard the song on the radio once, he had no idea who it was by, or what it was called, but he remembered the breathless quality, the almost menacing whisper of the singer and it had chilled him. He thought of it now as the shower washed away the last remnants of this night's horror movie. The details were already fading from his brain, and for this he was grateful. But there would be no more sleep now.
He got dressed and made his way down to the local newspaper vendor. It was time to get going. There was hardly anybody about at this time of the morning, and he enjoyed the quiet peaceful feeling of a city at rest. Soon it would spring to life with all the usual hustle and bustle, and he would be gone, nobody really ever noticing he was there in the first place. Sometimes he felt like a ghost, or someone who didn't exist at all. He came in touched people's lives briefly, and then was simply not there anymore. He bought his paper and stopped on the way back for some coffee and doughnuts. How he loved sugary things. Sometimes he thought it was probably just as well that he was always on the run, with the amount of sugar he ate, he would be obese in no time if he didn't get so much exercise. He laughed softly to himself, shrugging off most of last nights depression. Jarod was not a depressed person by nature, and it was now time to play.
As he entered his hotel, he did not notice that he was being observed, did not feel that prickle on the back oh his neck that should have informed him that the trap was about to spring shut. He made his way to his room, unlocked the door and entered. He sat at the table and carefully snipped the clipping from the paper. It wasn't headlines, just a small article about how the manager of a local insurance agency had been skimming money from insurance payouts to people that had made claims after their houses had been destroyed, or broken into. As he was finishing his coffee and doughnuts, he read that the offender had been arrested and the insurance company had promised to make full restitution to the victims. Jarod had made it very difficult for the company to manoeuvre themselves out of it, as most insurance companies were wont to do. He would also follow up on this later, just to ensure that justice was done. He pasted the article in and closed the red notebook. He stared down at it and run his hand over the smooth cover. He let his mind wander, daydreaming about nothing in particular. It was always a pleasure to empty his mind and just let it be free for a moment. He breathed deeply, opened his eyes and put the notebook down. He got up from the chair and started to tidy up the small room. He had no idea where he was going next. He had no car at the moment, so he had figured that he would just jump on the next bus and see where it took him. As he gathered up the empty Pez dispensers, he placed one on the red notebook. It was Road Runner. He grinned to himself, and decided that would be all that he would leave. He thought about how they would puzzle over that for a while, sometimes, less is more. He glanced around the room once again, just double-checking, after all he didn't want to leave any unintended leads. He had not managed to hold on to his freedom this long by being sloppy. He closed the door to the room and made his way down the hall to the elevator.
Centre Limo
Lyle and Parker were in the back of a limo as it sped on its way to the hotel. It had been confirmed. Not half an hour ago, Jarod had been seen buying a newspaper, and then some coffee and breakfast. The excitement was almost palpable.
"This is it then?" Parker broke the silence. "Are you sure your people know what to do?"
Lyle gave her a withering look. "Of course. They are tailing him, keeping out of sight and will wait until we get there before making any move. Between us and the sweepers, we have it covered, all are armed with tranq guns, and at this time in the morning, well it should be very hard for him to slip by." Lyle was grinning from ear to ear.
"You better be right" she snapped back. "You know what it will mean for the both of us if he gets away."
"Why do you always have to be such a bitch? I'm doing you a favour here, show some gratitude. And he
won't get away. That's a promise." Sometimes Lyle just didn't understand her at all. "You and Sam approach the hotel room, snatch him if you can, but if you can't, he will make a run for it. Hopefully he will think its just the two of you."
"That's the way it usually is, he knows I don't play well with others. Provided your boys haven't dropped the ball and given the game away, we should be ok . Either way, he will be panicked and make a run for it. He always has some back way out, so you just make sure that your people get there first."
"Oh don't you worry. Its covered." He handed her the gun. "Don't be afraid to use it. It should put him down almost immediately, and he should be out for a couple of hours. That gives us plenty of time to get him back to the jet."
She looked down at the gun, it was heavier and more unwieldy than her 9mm, and she guessed it was nowhere near as accurate and would have a limited range. But she had to admit to herself, it was pure genius on Lyle's part, a perfect solution to the problem. She shook her head, why hadn't anyone ever thought of this before?
The car had pulled up at the front of the dingy hotel. Miss Parker got out and the car took off. A sweeper approached her to inform her that he was still in the building. Miss Parker waited for Sam who was just pulling up in the following car and they made their way into the lobby.
"You ready Sam?" She asked.
"Just say the word." He answered in his husky voice.
He was eager to get Jarod back, not only to please his boss, but he had some issues with Jarod as well. After Jarod had escaped from the plane they were transferring him to Africa on, it was Sam who took the brunt of the blame. It was his responsibility, and Jarod had made him look very bad. It had take Sam nearly a year to earn his position back. They had placed him on every shitty detail the Centre had to offer. But he had slowly worked his way back up, and if he could help snare Jarod, well hopefully it would secure his position once again. One thing was for sure, Jarod would not escape on Sam's watch ever again. As they rode up the elevator to the third floor, Sam could feel Miss Parker's nervousness.
"Don't worry Miss Parker, we'll get him" and he patted his gun. Miss Parker didn't know if she was more worried that they would get Jarod, or that they wouldn't. Until the sighting had been confirmed, she had secretly hoped it was a false-alarm. Part of her was excited by the prospect of possibly catching him, and part of her was appalled. But the moment was nearly here and she didn't know what she felt. She knew Sam had misinterpreted her nervousness, and she didn't correct him. She just grunted at him. Miss Parker drew her own gun as the elevator came to a halt.
As the elevator doors slid open, it would be hard to say who was more surprised. Miss Parker, standing in front of Sam, staring at Jarod, or Jarod, who looked like he had turned to stone. For a few seconds no-one moved. Then Jarod broke the spell and ran like hell down the hallway.
"Jarod!" parker yelled. "Stop right there or I swear to God I will shoot you! There's nowhere to go!" Jarod's step didn't even falter. He pushed through the door into his room and was making for the fire-escape through the window. He heard Sam yelling and blundering down the hall and Parker screaming something.
Sam almost pushed Parker out of the way and starting chasing Jarod, but Jarod already had the jump on him, and rounded a corner. Sam did not know which room he had entered. There was no other exit that way, the hall ended in a blank wall. The stairs were at the other end of the hall. Tough luck Jarod!
Parker's mind was racing. She had already missed her first opportunity to shoot him, and as she run after Sam, she was working purely on instinct. No rational thought now, just the chase.
Jarod had entered his room and was halfway through the window when he noticed black cars coming from everywhere and a cluster of sweepers on the ground, three stories below him. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. "How the hell did they find me?" ran through his brain. He knew that going down was no longer an option, so what did that leave, the roof? He craned his head and gasped as he saw two sweepers already on their way down. Oh Christ! He was trapped. He got out of the window, back into the room, just in time to see Sam burst through the door, with Parker on his heels.
They had done this dance many times. Somehow he had always gotten away. He really didn't believe Parker had it in her to shoot him, she'd had enough opportunities, but never took one of them. Deep down he also believed that she wouldn't allow him to be taken back to The Centre. After all that they had gone through together...he would take his chances with her any day, rather than the advancing sweeper teams. Sam was the most immediate threat. Jarod launched himself at him.
Sam was a big man and rock solid, but was knocked over as the full weight of Jarod careened into him. Air whooshed out of Sam's lungs. He and Jarod fell in a tangle to the floor. As he went down, Sam's head caught the edge of the table and the last thought he had before he passed out was that he had dropped his gun.
As Jarod was getting up, he noticed Parker had aimed her gun at him.
"Give it up Jarod" she almost whispered.
"You know I can't." He rose slowly, the DSA case still in his hand. He didn't take his eyes off of hers.
"Please, just let me go" He watched her waver, and a small twist came to his mouth, not quite a smile. Her gun dropped a fraction, and he nudged his way closer to the door. She would not shoot him. She could not shoot him. Every second he was becoming more sure of it. But seconds were all he had. If he didn't make a move now, the others would be here soon enough. He managed to get out the door and started his way down the hallway.
"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself. Jarod was easing his way out of the room and she was just standing there like a rabbit caught in the headlights that were about to run it over. She could see his confidence building and then he turned his back on her and started down the hall. She stepped out in the hallway. His back was an easy target. She raised her gun, but she couldn't bring herself to squeeze the trigger. So she just stood there.
Jarod was almost at the end of the hall. His heart was trip- hammering, he desperately wanted to run but was afraid it might break the spell Parker was under. He could feel every second bringing him closer to capture. He felt like screaming. He still hoped that there was enough time, a way out. Then he heard the elevator ping.
Lyle and Willie rode up in the elevator. His sweeper teams had informed him that Jarod had re-entered the hotel room. Lyle assumed either Parker and Sam had him, or he was somewhere on this floor. The elevator came to a halt and the doors slowly opened.
"Jarod stop!" Parker yelled. The ping of the elevator had snapped her out of whatever-the-hell spell Jarod had cast over her. She saw Lyle and Willie in the elevator, Jarod's back nearly at the end of the hall. And with Lyle and Willie as her witnesses, she made her decision. She closed her eyes and silently said "I'm sorry" and fired. She did not miss.
Immediately after the ping of the elevator, Jarod heard Parker scream at him. He still did not believe that she would kill him. But he was almost in a state of total panic now. He had to get out right now. He certainly couldn't count on any of the other sweepers being squeamish. Even under his panic, he was fairly sure they wouldn't kill him, but a shot to the leg, and it was all over. And oh Lord, there were so many of them! He started to run. He did not hear the soft "pfuth" of the gun, and even as the projectile slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground, he was absolutely adamant in his belief that Parker didn't have it in her. His last thought before the blackness claimed him was "She wouldn't."
Lyle stepped out of the elevator just in time to hear Parker screaming and to see the Pretender go down. He cast a quick glance at Parker, barely noticing her really. He had him! Jarod was lying at the end of the hall, unconscious already, and a nasty looking dart hanging from the shoulder of his leather jacket. Lyle walked up to him and nudged him none too gently with his foot. The downed man didn't move. He kicked a little harder. No response. Next to him was the DSA case. Oh this was just too good to be true! His only regret was that he couldn't see the look on Jarod's face as he realised that it was Parker that had gunned him down.
"Willie, cuff him." He ordered the sweeper. Now that he had Jarod secured, he had no more interest in him for the moment. He sauntered up to Miss Parker. Things could not have turned out any better. It was quick and clean, and best of all, no witnesses. That meant no messy clean-ups, no T- boards trying to explain yet another failure. Yes, he thought to himself, it could not have worked out any better.
"Didn't think you had it in you sis. Dad is gonna be so pleased" he made a move to embrace her, but a quick look at her face made him change his mind.
Parker's mind was racing, and numb at the same time. She briefly wondered how that was possible. Time was moving quickly and slowly. She had committed herself now. Guilt and all the rest would come later, but for the moment she had to deal with Lyle. She had to be a Parker, or was it a Raines? Either way, she was playing a deadly game, but perhaps the only certain thing she knew about herself was that she was a survivor.
She dared not look up the hall. She did not want to see Jarod's prone form, his hands cuffed behind his back. She did not want to face the ramifications of her actions, not yet. By not looking at him, she could almost deny what had just happened. Other sweepers had arrived and she heard Willie and Lyle organising what was to be done with Jarod.
"Sam.. I have to check on Sam" she stuttered out, trying to avoid her brother. She entered Jarod's hotel room and found a groaning Sam. Other sweepers were entering from the window. She was all business now.
"Help him down to the car, and tell the jet to be ready, we should be there in 40 minutes."
Lyle entered the room, he was on the phone. "Yes we have him"..he flashed a grin at Miss Parker...."No problems"...."unconscious for the moment".."about an hour or so"...."no, we would not want that, don't worry, I have taken appropriate precautions"...."I don't really foresee any difficulties"..."sometime late this afternoon."
"Raines?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Who else?" Lyle was now the model of calm and collected. "How does it feel?"
"How does what feel?" she shot back.
He looked injured, "Oh come on, how did it feel to put a bullet, well sort of, into his back? I only wished I could have done it myself. I bet he didn't think you would do it, ohhh how I would have loved to seen the look on his face."
She could not hide the disgust in her face. "Lets get out of here."
By the time the two of them made it back down to the cars, Jarod and Sam were both safely loaded and on their way back to the airstrip. The timing had been very fortuitous, the streets were still empty, no-one seemed to be aware of the little drama that had just played out. They had successfully retrieved Jarod and the DSA case. The Centre had always been very nervous about the DSA's being in Jarod's possession. The potential for Jarod to use them as leverage against The Centre had always been their primary concern, but also, The Centre just hated it when someone took something that was rightfully theirs. He smiled as Parker closed her door and the car took off. "Perfect."
"Are you planning to keep him sedated for the whole trip?" Parker asked, trying to sound nonchalant. She did not want to have to face Jarod on the plane. She was not prepared yet to face the consequences of what she had done, the accusing looks, the hurt and blame that would be in his eyes. Lyle misunderstood her concern.
"Don't worry. I have taken care of everything. There is no way out for him."
She was grateful for the misunderstanding and seized on it.
"Don't be a fool!" She snapped. "Jarod and Centre planes are not a good mix. We have never managed to successfully transport Jarod on a plane."
"Calm down." He interrupted. "I am not an idiot." He ignored her derisive snort. "No, I am not going to keep him sedated, I plan to have a little fun with him. He will not get away. Trust me on that."
"Ok then. This is on your head." She jabbed him, hard, in the chest, "I caught him, so it's your job to make sure he doesn't get away. I want nothing more to do with him. I am out of it."
They made the rest of the trip in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Lyle was busy refining his ideas on how to get their Boy Wonder to cooperate, and he had many colourful ideas on that topic. Miss Parker had entered into a kind of shock. She should have felt triumphant, but she still couldn't quite believe what had happened and she was trying her best not to think about what would be happening soon. She would go back to The Centre and play her part. Take the praise for capturing their prize lab rat, and try to leave that place once and for all. They had Jarod now, and he was the price for her getting out. It was a high price to pay, but it was done now, and she wanted what she was due.
As they approached the airstrip, the cars came to a halt. Parker and Lyle got out of the car and started towards the plane. Jarod's inert form hung limply between Willie and Sam. Had their grips been any tighter, Jarod's arms would have snapped. But both the sweepers knew what was at stake here, and there was no way they were letting their guard down. Sam, perhaps better than anyone, knew how crafty Jarod was. Sam hefted Jarod's weight as they started towards the plane.
When everyone was aboard, the plane started on its journey home. Lyle checked on Jarod's security. He was in the back of the plane, still unconscious. Willie was strapping him to the chair with thick leather belts across his chest, abdomen and the top of his legs.
"Are you sure they're tight enough? I don't want him to be able to wriggle out of them." He tested the belt across Jarod's chest. He could not move it.
"Don't worry Mr Lyle, Houdini himself couldn't get out of that. And even if he could.." He looked over at Sam "..It wouldn't do him any good."
Both Sam and Willie parked themselves in chairs on either side of Jarod, not close enough to be touching him, but in easy reach should Jarod try anything. But the expressions on their faces showed clearly that they didn't think he would.
Lyle sidled up to Jarod and grabbed a handful of hair in his gloved fist. He pulled his head up so that he could see Jarod's face. "Oh Jarod, we are going to be such friends." He whispered, almost a lovers caress. He picked up the hood that was lying near Willie. "Put this on him, make sure it doesn't come off. And come get me when he starts to wake". With that Lyle left them and went to the front of the plane.
Willie placed the black hood over the head of the sleeping Pretender and secured the cord around Jarod's throat with a knot tight enough to ensure Jarod couldn't shake it off, but not so tight as to restrict his airways.
Sam shoved the Pretender hard. His body barely moved and he made no response. "Well sweet Prince, I guess it's good night for you again." He chuckled. "He ain't going nowhere!" he stated to no-one in particular. Willie grunted his agreement.
As Lyle reached Parker at the front of the jet, she was nursing her second scotch.
"Ahem, a little early don't you think?" He eased himself into the chair across from her. She gave him a withering look, gulped the rest of the drink and shot back "I earned it!"
"Hey, you get no argument from me there." He tilted his head and smiled, raising his hands in submission. "What a great team we make sis. I never doubted it for a minute."
"Look. Lyle. I am tired. I've had no sleep. Why don't you go play with your little friends in the back? You got what you wanted. I'm sure you've got Jarod wrapped up like a Christmas present back there." She squeezed the bridge of her nose. She could feel the migraine already, and it wasn't even mid-morning yet. "Please, just leave me alone. I need some sleep."
He graced her with his most winning smile. She was right, he had what he wanted. So he would be magnanimous. He would give her some quiet time. And he did have his "Christmas Present" to play with after all. That would be a delicious way to pass the time on the flight. He got up, grabbed himself some juice, and sauntered back to Sam, Willie and Jarod.
The scotch had taken the edge off the migraine. But it was still there. Lyle's glee was grating. It was going to be very difficult to get through this day. A hot flush of shame burned through her. It would be infinitely worse for Jarod. And she suspected there would be many long days, and nights ahead for Jarod. She shook herself, she would walk out of The Centre today. Walk out and never look back. They wouldn't be able to hold Jarod for long. They caught him unawares today, but he would find a way out, and probably a lot sooner than they expected. Would they call her back once he escaped? She groaned at the though of it. She was damned tired of this life. Hah, that was a joke! What life? She needed to get as far away as possible. The Centre be damned. Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was a fantasy, but the lure of it pulled at her, and she didn't want to let it go. It was much more pleasant than facing the reality. "Jarod" she whispered to herself, "What else could I have done? What did you expect me to do? Damn you, its not fair!" There was safety in anger and resentment.
Where was her inner voice now? Would it abandon her? She knew that her mother would be ashamed of her, she was ashamed of herself. She stared out the window and refused to think about it anymore. She needed to gather her strength for the upcoming confrontation with Raines. She was leaving, and the internal war she was waging weakened her, she needed all of her resolve, and everybody else could go to hell!
Lyle sat down opposite "his" Pretender. Jarod was just starting to come around, it wouldn't be too long now. He smiled in anticipation. Miss Parker had surprised him today. He had believed that she had lost her touch, if it really had ever been there in the first place. He had been prepared to sacrifice her, if it had come to that. But he was glad that it hadn't, he had found a way to secure his future, both their futures really. Not that she would appreciate it, he scoffed at the thought. She was his sister after all, and besides, she certainly made life interesting. Also Lyle had big plans for his sister and her role in keeping their recalcitrant Pretender under control. Lyle had no illusions about that, getting Jarod back to work was not going to be easy. But he and Raines had been working on that particular problem for a long time now. He believed he had the perfect solution, and that thought gave him a warm feeling inside. "This is going to be the most fun I have had in years" he was thinking to himself. A groan from Jarod brought him back to reality. He looked at Sam and Willie then brightly said "Its showtime!"
5:00am Jarod's Hotel Room
Jarod was in the throes of a nightmare. The scream "Noooo" died on his lips as he came to an abrupt consciousness. They were there every night, different, but somehow all the same. He untangled himself from his damp and twisted bed linen, and shakily made his way to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, he hated the feeling of the nightmare sweat on his body. He yearned for a night of peaceful rest and was reminded of lyrics he heard in a song that still haunted him:
"You know he got the cure, you know he went astray, he used to stay
awake to drive the dreams he had away. He wanted to believe in the
hands of love."
He had heard the song on the radio once, he had no idea who it was by, or what it was called, but he remembered the breathless quality, the almost menacing whisper of the singer and it had chilled him. He thought of it now as the shower washed away the last remnants of this night's horror movie. The details were already fading from his brain, and for this he was grateful. But there would be no more sleep now.
He got dressed and made his way down to the local newspaper vendor. It was time to get going. There was hardly anybody about at this time of the morning, and he enjoyed the quiet peaceful feeling of a city at rest. Soon it would spring to life with all the usual hustle and bustle, and he would be gone, nobody really ever noticing he was there in the first place. Sometimes he felt like a ghost, or someone who didn't exist at all. He came in touched people's lives briefly, and then was simply not there anymore. He bought his paper and stopped on the way back for some coffee and doughnuts. How he loved sugary things. Sometimes he thought it was probably just as well that he was always on the run, with the amount of sugar he ate, he would be obese in no time if he didn't get so much exercise. He laughed softly to himself, shrugging off most of last nights depression. Jarod was not a depressed person by nature, and it was now time to play.
As he entered his hotel, he did not notice that he was being observed, did not feel that prickle on the back oh his neck that should have informed him that the trap was about to spring shut. He made his way to his room, unlocked the door and entered. He sat at the table and carefully snipped the clipping from the paper. It wasn't headlines, just a small article about how the manager of a local insurance agency had been skimming money from insurance payouts to people that had made claims after their houses had been destroyed, or broken into. As he was finishing his coffee and doughnuts, he read that the offender had been arrested and the insurance company had promised to make full restitution to the victims. Jarod had made it very difficult for the company to manoeuvre themselves out of it, as most insurance companies were wont to do. He would also follow up on this later, just to ensure that justice was done. He pasted the article in and closed the red notebook. He stared down at it and run his hand over the smooth cover. He let his mind wander, daydreaming about nothing in particular. It was always a pleasure to empty his mind and just let it be free for a moment. He breathed deeply, opened his eyes and put the notebook down. He got up from the chair and started to tidy up the small room. He had no idea where he was going next. He had no car at the moment, so he had figured that he would just jump on the next bus and see where it took him. As he gathered up the empty Pez dispensers, he placed one on the red notebook. It was Road Runner. He grinned to himself, and decided that would be all that he would leave. He thought about how they would puzzle over that for a while, sometimes, less is more. He glanced around the room once again, just double-checking, after all he didn't want to leave any unintended leads. He had not managed to hold on to his freedom this long by being sloppy. He closed the door to the room and made his way down the hall to the elevator.
Centre Limo
Lyle and Parker were in the back of a limo as it sped on its way to the hotel. It had been confirmed. Not half an hour ago, Jarod had been seen buying a newspaper, and then some coffee and breakfast. The excitement was almost palpable.
"This is it then?" Parker broke the silence. "Are you sure your people know what to do?"
Lyle gave her a withering look. "Of course. They are tailing him, keeping out of sight and will wait until we get there before making any move. Between us and the sweepers, we have it covered, all are armed with tranq guns, and at this time in the morning, well it should be very hard for him to slip by." Lyle was grinning from ear to ear.
"You better be right" she snapped back. "You know what it will mean for the both of us if he gets away."
"Why do you always have to be such a bitch? I'm doing you a favour here, show some gratitude. And he
won't get away. That's a promise." Sometimes Lyle just didn't understand her at all. "You and Sam approach the hotel room, snatch him if you can, but if you can't, he will make a run for it. Hopefully he will think its just the two of you."
"That's the way it usually is, he knows I don't play well with others. Provided your boys haven't dropped the ball and given the game away, we should be ok . Either way, he will be panicked and make a run for it. He always has some back way out, so you just make sure that your people get there first."
"Oh don't you worry. Its covered." He handed her the gun. "Don't be afraid to use it. It should put him down almost immediately, and he should be out for a couple of hours. That gives us plenty of time to get him back to the jet."
She looked down at the gun, it was heavier and more unwieldy than her 9mm, and she guessed it was nowhere near as accurate and would have a limited range. But she had to admit to herself, it was pure genius on Lyle's part, a perfect solution to the problem. She shook her head, why hadn't anyone ever thought of this before?
The car had pulled up at the front of the dingy hotel. Miss Parker got out and the car took off. A sweeper approached her to inform her that he was still in the building. Miss Parker waited for Sam who was just pulling up in the following car and they made their way into the lobby.
"You ready Sam?" She asked.
"Just say the word." He answered in his husky voice.
He was eager to get Jarod back, not only to please his boss, but he had some issues with Jarod as well. After Jarod had escaped from the plane they were transferring him to Africa on, it was Sam who took the brunt of the blame. It was his responsibility, and Jarod had made him look very bad. It had take Sam nearly a year to earn his position back. They had placed him on every shitty detail the Centre had to offer. But he had slowly worked his way back up, and if he could help snare Jarod, well hopefully it would secure his position once again. One thing was for sure, Jarod would not escape on Sam's watch ever again. As they rode up the elevator to the third floor, Sam could feel Miss Parker's nervousness.
"Don't worry Miss Parker, we'll get him" and he patted his gun. Miss Parker didn't know if she was more worried that they would get Jarod, or that they wouldn't. Until the sighting had been confirmed, she had secretly hoped it was a false-alarm. Part of her was excited by the prospect of possibly catching him, and part of her was appalled. But the moment was nearly here and she didn't know what she felt. She knew Sam had misinterpreted her nervousness, and she didn't correct him. She just grunted at him. Miss Parker drew her own gun as the elevator came to a halt.
As the elevator doors slid open, it would be hard to say who was more surprised. Miss Parker, standing in front of Sam, staring at Jarod, or Jarod, who looked like he had turned to stone. For a few seconds no-one moved. Then Jarod broke the spell and ran like hell down the hallway.
"Jarod!" parker yelled. "Stop right there or I swear to God I will shoot you! There's nowhere to go!" Jarod's step didn't even falter. He pushed through the door into his room and was making for the fire-escape through the window. He heard Sam yelling and blundering down the hall and Parker screaming something.
Sam almost pushed Parker out of the way and starting chasing Jarod, but Jarod already had the jump on him, and rounded a corner. Sam did not know which room he had entered. There was no other exit that way, the hall ended in a blank wall. The stairs were at the other end of the hall. Tough luck Jarod!
Parker's mind was racing. She had already missed her first opportunity to shoot him, and as she run after Sam, she was working purely on instinct. No rational thought now, just the chase.
Jarod had entered his room and was halfway through the window when he noticed black cars coming from everywhere and a cluster of sweepers on the ground, three stories below him. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. "How the hell did they find me?" ran through his brain. He knew that going down was no longer an option, so what did that leave, the roof? He craned his head and gasped as he saw two sweepers already on their way down. Oh Christ! He was trapped. He got out of the window, back into the room, just in time to see Sam burst through the door, with Parker on his heels.
They had done this dance many times. Somehow he had always gotten away. He really didn't believe Parker had it in her to shoot him, she'd had enough opportunities, but never took one of them. Deep down he also believed that she wouldn't allow him to be taken back to The Centre. After all that they had gone through together...he would take his chances with her any day, rather than the advancing sweeper teams. Sam was the most immediate threat. Jarod launched himself at him.
Sam was a big man and rock solid, but was knocked over as the full weight of Jarod careened into him. Air whooshed out of Sam's lungs. He and Jarod fell in a tangle to the floor. As he went down, Sam's head caught the edge of the table and the last thought he had before he passed out was that he had dropped his gun.
As Jarod was getting up, he noticed Parker had aimed her gun at him.
"Give it up Jarod" she almost whispered.
"You know I can't." He rose slowly, the DSA case still in his hand. He didn't take his eyes off of hers.
"Please, just let me go" He watched her waver, and a small twist came to his mouth, not quite a smile. Her gun dropped a fraction, and he nudged his way closer to the door. She would not shoot him. She could not shoot him. Every second he was becoming more sure of it. But seconds were all he had. If he didn't make a move now, the others would be here soon enough. He managed to get out the door and started his way down the hallway.
"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself. Jarod was easing his way out of the room and she was just standing there like a rabbit caught in the headlights that were about to run it over. She could see his confidence building and then he turned his back on her and started down the hall. She stepped out in the hallway. His back was an easy target. She raised her gun, but she couldn't bring herself to squeeze the trigger. So she just stood there.
Jarod was almost at the end of the hall. His heart was trip- hammering, he desperately wanted to run but was afraid it might break the spell Parker was under. He could feel every second bringing him closer to capture. He felt like screaming. He still hoped that there was enough time, a way out. Then he heard the elevator ping.
Lyle and Willie rode up in the elevator. His sweeper teams had informed him that Jarod had re-entered the hotel room. Lyle assumed either Parker and Sam had him, or he was somewhere on this floor. The elevator came to a halt and the doors slowly opened.
"Jarod stop!" Parker yelled. The ping of the elevator had snapped her out of whatever-the-hell spell Jarod had cast over her. She saw Lyle and Willie in the elevator, Jarod's back nearly at the end of the hall. And with Lyle and Willie as her witnesses, she made her decision. She closed her eyes and silently said "I'm sorry" and fired. She did not miss.
Immediately after the ping of the elevator, Jarod heard Parker scream at him. He still did not believe that she would kill him. But he was almost in a state of total panic now. He had to get out right now. He certainly couldn't count on any of the other sweepers being squeamish. Even under his panic, he was fairly sure they wouldn't kill him, but a shot to the leg, and it was all over. And oh Lord, there were so many of them! He started to run. He did not hear the soft "pfuth" of the gun, and even as the projectile slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground, he was absolutely adamant in his belief that Parker didn't have it in her. His last thought before the blackness claimed him was "She wouldn't."
Lyle stepped out of the elevator just in time to hear Parker screaming and to see the Pretender go down. He cast a quick glance at Parker, barely noticing her really. He had him! Jarod was lying at the end of the hall, unconscious already, and a nasty looking dart hanging from the shoulder of his leather jacket. Lyle walked up to him and nudged him none too gently with his foot. The downed man didn't move. He kicked a little harder. No response. Next to him was the DSA case. Oh this was just too good to be true! His only regret was that he couldn't see the look on Jarod's face as he realised that it was Parker that had gunned him down.
"Willie, cuff him." He ordered the sweeper. Now that he had Jarod secured, he had no more interest in him for the moment. He sauntered up to Miss Parker. Things could not have turned out any better. It was quick and clean, and best of all, no witnesses. That meant no messy clean-ups, no T- boards trying to explain yet another failure. Yes, he thought to himself, it could not have worked out any better.
"Didn't think you had it in you sis. Dad is gonna be so pleased" he made a move to embrace her, but a quick look at her face made him change his mind.
Parker's mind was racing, and numb at the same time. She briefly wondered how that was possible. Time was moving quickly and slowly. She had committed herself now. Guilt and all the rest would come later, but for the moment she had to deal with Lyle. She had to be a Parker, or was it a Raines? Either way, she was playing a deadly game, but perhaps the only certain thing she knew about herself was that she was a survivor.
She dared not look up the hall. She did not want to see Jarod's prone form, his hands cuffed behind his back. She did not want to face the ramifications of her actions, not yet. By not looking at him, she could almost deny what had just happened. Other sweepers had arrived and she heard Willie and Lyle organising what was to be done with Jarod.
"Sam.. I have to check on Sam" she stuttered out, trying to avoid her brother. She entered Jarod's hotel room and found a groaning Sam. Other sweepers were entering from the window. She was all business now.
"Help him down to the car, and tell the jet to be ready, we should be there in 40 minutes."
Lyle entered the room, he was on the phone. "Yes we have him"..he flashed a grin at Miss Parker...."No problems"...."unconscious for the moment".."about an hour or so"...."no, we would not want that, don't worry, I have taken appropriate precautions"...."I don't really foresee any difficulties"..."sometime late this afternoon."
"Raines?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Who else?" Lyle was now the model of calm and collected. "How does it feel?"
"How does what feel?" she shot back.
He looked injured, "Oh come on, how did it feel to put a bullet, well sort of, into his back? I only wished I could have done it myself. I bet he didn't think you would do it, ohhh how I would have loved to seen the look on his face."
She could not hide the disgust in her face. "Lets get out of here."
By the time the two of them made it back down to the cars, Jarod and Sam were both safely loaded and on their way back to the airstrip. The timing had been very fortuitous, the streets were still empty, no-one seemed to be aware of the little drama that had just played out. They had successfully retrieved Jarod and the DSA case. The Centre had always been very nervous about the DSA's being in Jarod's possession. The potential for Jarod to use them as leverage against The Centre had always been their primary concern, but also, The Centre just hated it when someone took something that was rightfully theirs. He smiled as Parker closed her door and the car took off. "Perfect."
"Are you planning to keep him sedated for the whole trip?" Parker asked, trying to sound nonchalant. She did not want to have to face Jarod on the plane. She was not prepared yet to face the consequences of what she had done, the accusing looks, the hurt and blame that would be in his eyes. Lyle misunderstood her concern.
"Don't worry. I have taken care of everything. There is no way out for him."
She was grateful for the misunderstanding and seized on it.
"Don't be a fool!" She snapped. "Jarod and Centre planes are not a good mix. We have never managed to successfully transport Jarod on a plane."
"Calm down." He interrupted. "I am not an idiot." He ignored her derisive snort. "No, I am not going to keep him sedated, I plan to have a little fun with him. He will not get away. Trust me on that."
"Ok then. This is on your head." She jabbed him, hard, in the chest, "I caught him, so it's your job to make sure he doesn't get away. I want nothing more to do with him. I am out of it."
They made the rest of the trip in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Lyle was busy refining his ideas on how to get their Boy Wonder to cooperate, and he had many colourful ideas on that topic. Miss Parker had entered into a kind of shock. She should have felt triumphant, but she still couldn't quite believe what had happened and she was trying her best not to think about what would be happening soon. She would go back to The Centre and play her part. Take the praise for capturing their prize lab rat, and try to leave that place once and for all. They had Jarod now, and he was the price for her getting out. It was a high price to pay, but it was done now, and she wanted what she was due.
As they approached the airstrip, the cars came to a halt. Parker and Lyle got out of the car and started towards the plane. Jarod's inert form hung limply between Willie and Sam. Had their grips been any tighter, Jarod's arms would have snapped. But both the sweepers knew what was at stake here, and there was no way they were letting their guard down. Sam, perhaps better than anyone, knew how crafty Jarod was. Sam hefted Jarod's weight as they started towards the plane.
When everyone was aboard, the plane started on its journey home. Lyle checked on Jarod's security. He was in the back of the plane, still unconscious. Willie was strapping him to the chair with thick leather belts across his chest, abdomen and the top of his legs.
"Are you sure they're tight enough? I don't want him to be able to wriggle out of them." He tested the belt across Jarod's chest. He could not move it.
"Don't worry Mr Lyle, Houdini himself couldn't get out of that. And even if he could.." He looked over at Sam "..It wouldn't do him any good."
Both Sam and Willie parked themselves in chairs on either side of Jarod, not close enough to be touching him, but in easy reach should Jarod try anything. But the expressions on their faces showed clearly that they didn't think he would.
Lyle sidled up to Jarod and grabbed a handful of hair in his gloved fist. He pulled his head up so that he could see Jarod's face. "Oh Jarod, we are going to be such friends." He whispered, almost a lovers caress. He picked up the hood that was lying near Willie. "Put this on him, make sure it doesn't come off. And come get me when he starts to wake". With that Lyle left them and went to the front of the plane.
Willie placed the black hood over the head of the sleeping Pretender and secured the cord around Jarod's throat with a knot tight enough to ensure Jarod couldn't shake it off, but not so tight as to restrict his airways.
Sam shoved the Pretender hard. His body barely moved and he made no response. "Well sweet Prince, I guess it's good night for you again." He chuckled. "He ain't going nowhere!" he stated to no-one in particular. Willie grunted his agreement.
As Lyle reached Parker at the front of the jet, she was nursing her second scotch.
"Ahem, a little early don't you think?" He eased himself into the chair across from her. She gave him a withering look, gulped the rest of the drink and shot back "I earned it!"
"Hey, you get no argument from me there." He tilted his head and smiled, raising his hands in submission. "What a great team we make sis. I never doubted it for a minute."
"Look. Lyle. I am tired. I've had no sleep. Why don't you go play with your little friends in the back? You got what you wanted. I'm sure you've got Jarod wrapped up like a Christmas present back there." She squeezed the bridge of her nose. She could feel the migraine already, and it wasn't even mid-morning yet. "Please, just leave me alone. I need some sleep."
He graced her with his most winning smile. She was right, he had what he wanted. So he would be magnanimous. He would give her some quiet time. And he did have his "Christmas Present" to play with after all. That would be a delicious way to pass the time on the flight. He got up, grabbed himself some juice, and sauntered back to Sam, Willie and Jarod.
The scotch had taken the edge off the migraine. But it was still there. Lyle's glee was grating. It was going to be very difficult to get through this day. A hot flush of shame burned through her. It would be infinitely worse for Jarod. And she suspected there would be many long days, and nights ahead for Jarod. She shook herself, she would walk out of The Centre today. Walk out and never look back. They wouldn't be able to hold Jarod for long. They caught him unawares today, but he would find a way out, and probably a lot sooner than they expected. Would they call her back once he escaped? She groaned at the though of it. She was damned tired of this life. Hah, that was a joke! What life? She needed to get as far away as possible. The Centre be damned. Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was a fantasy, but the lure of it pulled at her, and she didn't want to let it go. It was much more pleasant than facing the reality. "Jarod" she whispered to herself, "What else could I have done? What did you expect me to do? Damn you, its not fair!" There was safety in anger and resentment.
Where was her inner voice now? Would it abandon her? She knew that her mother would be ashamed of her, she was ashamed of herself. She stared out the window and refused to think about it anymore. She needed to gather her strength for the upcoming confrontation with Raines. She was leaving, and the internal war she was waging weakened her, she needed all of her resolve, and everybody else could go to hell!
Lyle sat down opposite "his" Pretender. Jarod was just starting to come around, it wouldn't be too long now. He smiled in anticipation. Miss Parker had surprised him today. He had believed that she had lost her touch, if it really had ever been there in the first place. He had been prepared to sacrifice her, if it had come to that. But he was glad that it hadn't, he had found a way to secure his future, both their futures really. Not that she would appreciate it, he scoffed at the thought. She was his sister after all, and besides, she certainly made life interesting. Also Lyle had big plans for his sister and her role in keeping their recalcitrant Pretender under control. Lyle had no illusions about that, getting Jarod back to work was not going to be easy. But he and Raines had been working on that particular problem for a long time now. He believed he had the perfect solution, and that thought gave him a warm feeling inside. "This is going to be the most fun I have had in years" he was thinking to himself. A groan from Jarod brought him back to reality. He looked at Sam and Willie then brightly said "Its showtime!"