a/n: Welcome to the sublevel. You are now entering the world of Mr Cox and
Mr Lyle. There will be no escape. This is not for the faint-hearted...so
enter at own risk..
Chapter 4
As the plane started its descent, Lyle got up and made his way back to Jarod. He settled into his seat and buckled himself in. "Almost home Jarod." he said in a bright and cheery voice, "I bet your looking forward to seeing your old room again."
He was rewarded as he heard Jarod hiss in a breath. Jarod closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was still having enormous difficulty getting enough oxygen. He didn't answer Lyle's mocking, refusing to give him the satisfaction. But with each passing minute he knew he was getting closer to the one place he did not want to be. And as he felt the plane start to descend, his fear increased even further. He was trying desperately not to imagine what they had in store for him, trying to form some kind of escape plan. But at the moment, he could barely move, but worse yet, he could not see. The hood undermined him completely. He was struggling to get his emotions under control. He was not four years old, and he was not completely powerless this time. He just needed to be patient, and alert. An opportunity would present itself, it always did, and he needed to be prepared to take it.
"Are you paying attention?" Lyle asked as he gave Jarod's face a gentle slap. "Jarod, you need to understand. You should make it easy on yourself. There is nothing you can do to change it, so why don't you just sit back, relax and go with the flow?" He shot a glance at Willie, who was trying to suppress a chuckle.
"You know I will never cooperate with you Lyle, even a dimwit like you should understand that."
"Now, now Jarod. I think perhaps you are being a little hasty in your judgement. But I am sure in time, you will come to understand your error. You are supposed to be a genius after all, and I am confident that you will eventually catch on."
The plane touched down. Miss Parker was out of her seat before it came to a stop. She was the first to exit, not once glancing back to look at Jarod. She was greeted by a phalanx of sweepers on the tarmac, and in the centre was a black limousine. As she walked over to it, Raines got out.
"Have you got him?" he asked.
"Yes, and the DSA's..."
"Excellent..I will see you back at The Centre" he dismissed her.
She looked at him with shock. Damn that bastard. She shot a look at his back, and then made her way to one of the waiting cars. The confrontation would come soon enough.
"Come on Brain Trust, time to go" Lyle nodded to Willie and Sam and they started to remove the leather straps from the Pretender.
As the strap fell from his chest, Jarod gratefully sucked in all the air that he could get. His head began to swim and he fought to stay conscious. He felt hands digging into his biceps as he was roughly hauled to his feet. He cried out in pain, it felt as if his wrists were going to snap in half. Had the sweepers not had such a good grip, he would have fallen.
"Quit your whinin', get him moving!"
He stumbled and was half dragged out of the small aircraft and was roughly manhandled down the small flight of stairs into another pair of waiting sweepers arms.
"Welcome back to The Centre Jarod..this time we hope you plan to stay a little longer." the voice was unmistakable and Jarod shrank back.
"Raines you bastard, you'll never..." he tried to break free from the men that were holding him, but it was no use.
"Get him in the car...and shut his mouth."
With that one of the sweepers backhanded Jarod harshly across his face. He let out a groan and slumped forward. He gave no more resistance as they bundled him into the car, for he had passed out.
Satisfied that Jarod was secured in the car, Raines walked over to Lyle, who was watching the departing car.
"You know, it was too bad, he hardly even put up a fight. After all this time, I was hoping for something...more..dramatic" he finally finished.
"Don't you worry... You will get your turn.. in the next few weeks..we need him to cooperate...you know what is at stake.."
Lyle looked disparagingly at his father. "You know me", he straightened his tie, and leaned closer in to Raines, looking directly into his eyes. "I will get you what you want, count on it." With that he turned his back on the older man and got into a car.
Raines was left standing on the tarmac with a few remaining sweepers. "I'm counting on it alright...you better believe it" he said to the empty air. He got into his own car and headed back to The Centre. Things could not have been better. An unexpected, and earlier than anticipated capture of their most prized missing possession, with a promising prospect of ensuring his cooperation. But the real bonus was that his daughter, whom he had been almost certain had divided loyalties, had been the one to bring him down. And Lyle's outstanding work on the Jarod Project meant, that at least for the moment, he would not be forced to kill any of his offspring. Mr Raines was not a squeamish man, by anybody's standards, but even he did not relish the thought of killing his own daughter. He knew he would do it, if it became necessary, but he had always hoped it would not come to that. Now he had his Pretender back, he would be able to destroy Sydney, and consolidate his power base, keep the Triumvirate at bay. Yes it was a banner day. He was still smiling as the car pulled up in front of The Centre. He made his way to his office. It was time to get all of his ducks in a row.
Miss Parker's Office
Miss Parker stormed into her office and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her chair start to swivel around. She could not see who was in it. "What the hell do you thi....". She stopped when she saw the look on Sydney's face. She took a step back.
He stood up, planted his fists on her desk and she could see he was shaking with anger. In a voice that was deadly soft "Parker, how could you?" It was not a question he expected an answer to. It was more of an accusation.
His eyes never left hers. In that moment, the last few hours of self- doubt, guilt, and all the crazy emotions that had been see-sawing through her, seemed to come together and crystallize into one thought. Survival. At the end of the day, for all of them, it was about self-defence and survival. Anger surged through her and she spat back at him "What? Just doing my job Pavlov! I brought you back your dog. You should be happy."
Sydney almost collapsed back into the chair. He felt like he had been sucker-punched in the gut. He buried his head in his hands. "How, how could you do it? Do you know what they will do to him?" All the anger was gone now, all that was left was empty despair.
She fought the urge to go and comfort him. Instead, she gathered up every defence in her formidable arsenal. Years of practice had made her quite the expert.
"Just what the hell do you think we've been doing here for the last six years Syd? Playing hide-and-seek?" She looked down at him. "My work here is mercifully done. I'm going home. If Raines wants me...I'll be in on Monday."
Sydney did not acknowledge her. She spun on her heel and collided into Broots.
"M-m- Miss.Miss Parker. I'm.I'm..sorry" he finally stumbled out, but by then she was already gone.
"Sydney, ah...they're, they..um..they're bringing Jarod in right now."
Sydney's head snapped up, "Where?" He was on his feet and nearly out the door before Broots could even answer.
"They were on their way to the elevator bays..but I think you're too late." He finished to the closing door.
Sydney was panting by the time he got to the elevators. He was too late. The last of the sweepers were dispersing. Sydney pounded on the elevator button in frustration. He got into the first available car. But there was no button to press. The buttons only went to SL-26, and many of them were restricted access. He was not being rational, he needed to think. He left the elevator and was headed back to get Broots. At that moment, Broots was rounding the corner, finally catching up.
"Broots, we must hurry." Sydney had grabbed Broots' elbow and had started pulling him along.
"Hurry where?"
"SL-27 of course. I cannot get there via the elevator, but the sewer access, Broots we can get in through there."
Broots was appalled. "Sydney, we can't go down there now. Ah.Mr Lyle and Mr Cox are down there.. and... Sam. and...Sydney, please. Not now. Later. But not now."
Broots was right. Sydney knew it. He would be of no help to Jarod if he ended up in the cell next to him, or even worse. He needed to be calm. He recalled his earlier conversation with Raines. He had to get himself involved with Jarod, that was the only way. He would have much more power working from the inside. With that in mind, he abruptly changed direction and headed off to Raines office.
Broots breathed a sigh of relief at Sydney's change in direction. He decided he would head back to his own office. If people needed him, they knew where to find him.
SL-27
Jarod groaned as reality came crashing in on him. Iron grips were on his biceps, he struggled weakly, testing them. All he got for his efforts was a smack up the back side of his head, and the grips tightened. He guessed he was back at The Centre now, and he shivered at the thought of it. It was quiet, and the ground was vibrating. An elevator car perhaps. This was confirmed as he heard the ping and the doors sliding open. The sweepers that were holding him dragged him forward. He tried to struggle again, but it was no use, and it sent shooting pains through his wrists. They dragged him forward for what seemed like a very long time. There were many turns and Jarod was trying to construct a mental image of the route they had taken. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a halt. Jarod heard electronic sounds, and then the unmistakable sound of a lock disengaging. They pushed him forward. "Get in!" Sam's voice ordered. Sam then pushed him against the wall and unlocked the handcuffs. Before Jarod could turn around, he heard the door clang shut and the lock engage.
His shoulders screamed in protest as his arms dropped down. They hung uselessly at his sides. He had no feeling below either wrist and neither arm obeyed when he tried to lift them. He was desperate to get the hood off. In fear of tripping, he slid gently down the wall and sat on the floor. There was no sound, so he guessed he was alone. But he feared that it would not be for long. He started rotating his shoulders very gently, he needed to get the circulation going again. He had to get the use of his hands back, he had to get the damned hood off. He did not want to be completely helpless when they came.
For the moment, there was nothing else to be done. He continued the gentle exercise of his shoulders, grimacing at the effort. He was back at The Centre. He could hardly believe it. He didn't know how they had found him. And they had really meant business this time. In all the years he had been running, he had never seen so many sweepers. Even after he had kidnapped Mr Parker and made off with one of their most prized possessions, the Boy Gemini, they hadn't sent a force like this after him. He had underestimated Raines severely. A little more feeling was coming into his arms now. But the worst of it was Miss Parker. He had underestimated her the most. Even now, sitting in what he guessed was some sublevel cell, he found it hard to accept that she had shot him. It was like a splinter in his heart. He pushed the thought away. He needed to focus. There were icicles of fear in his belly and he knew that every second he spent in this place brought him closer to damnation. As he worked his abused muscles, his mind was going over everything he could recall from The Centre. The positions of air vents, these were primary in his mind. He had used them to get out before, and even in to get in. As he immersed himself in possible avenues of escape, he found that he had lost the edge of panic. He knew it would be harder this time. Raines was even more ruthless than Mr Parker, and after losing him twice in as many years, Jarod had no illusions that they would be better prepared now. His only hope was that they weren't too prepared.
He had enough control to lift his arms now, but his fingers were still useless. He tried to rip the hood, but couldn't get a grip. Pins and needles were shooting up and down both arms now, but Jarod new this was a good sign, albeit painful. The circulation was returning. He was straining to hear any noises, and clues that he might not be alone after all, and of course, to warn him that they were coming. He guessed there was a camera, and he could imagine Raines and Lyle in their office watching him, congratulating themselves. Anger came bubbling to the surface as he wondered if Miss Parker was there, sharing in the celebration. He had a strong desire to get up and pace. He wanted to hit something. Instead, he closed his eyes, and focused on regulating his breathing and getting his arms working again. His chest still burnt from where the leather strap had been, but he was breathing normally now.
After what seemed like an eternity, feeling was creeping back to his fingers. He fumbled at the small knot in the cord at his throat, and finally managed to loosen it. He ripped the hood off with an enormous sigh of relief. He threw it in the corner. He looked around the room. His fear of tripping had been groundless. It was small and completely bare. There were 4 cameras mounted high, one in each corner, this meant that there would be no blind spot. A very small drain in the centre of the floor, and of course the air vent high up in one of the walls. But that was it. It was an empty grey room, and it was cold. The door was solid, had no handle and appeared to be made out of steel.
He looked down at his wrists and saw deep indents and cuts where the cuffs had been. He gently probed his other injuries, but it didn't seem like anything was permanently damaged.
There was nothing to do now but wait. He knew they were watching him, so he did not dare test the air vent. His mind turned to Miss Parker. His emotions had run the gambit from disbelief, to anger, to disappointment. He was also furious at himself for misjudging her so badly. He had allowed his feelings for her to colour his judgement. She was not the little girl that he remembered and loved, she was the woman whose sole purpose was to hunt him down. It was her mission to destroy his life and he had foolishly allowed sentimentality to obscure that one central fact. Despite what he thought they had become to each other over the past few years, despite the changes that he had thought he had seen in her, the one constant truth echoed clearly through his mind in her voice "You run, I chase."
"Damn you Parker! How could you?" he screamed at the cameras in a sudden outburst of frustration and rage.
Mr Raines Office
Sydney stormed in and demanded without any preamble "I want to see him now!"
Raines looked up, annoyed at the interruption and the presumption. Would the man never get it through his head that Jarod was his project now, not Sydney's? "You will get to see him when I say you can...and not before.." There was anger in his eyes, but Sydney did not back away.
He took a breath to steady himself. "When?"
"We have already had this conversation..." But he didn't get to finish before Sydney interrupted.
"I know you have him down on SL-27."
There was a flicker of surprise in Raines' eyes, "And how did you come to that ..conclusion?"
"Did you really believe that you could bring back Jarod and successfully keep his location secret?'
Raines was really angry now. "Jarod's present location... and condition is not of any concern to you.yet...and if you don't want that to be ..permanent..." he did not finish the threat.
Sydney knew that he was treading on dangerous ground, and he feared that Raines might cut him off from Jarod completely. He turned and left without saying a word. He feared what they would do to Jarod, were probably doing right now, without him there to protect him. He was desperate to see him, but for the moment, he could not risk pushing any further.
Raines would have liked to have had Sydney removed a long time ago, but he also knew that Sydney was the emotional tether that they would need to control the Pretender. Major Charles or Gemini would have been better, but Sydney was the best they could do for the moment. Sydney would prove useful, despite himself. Raines smiled at the thought of it. It would destroy Sydney to see his precious Jarod under Centre control again, and to know that he was the instrument that made it possible.
Miss Parker's House
Parker had arrived home after what seemed like an inordinately long drive. Her emotions were swinging wildly out of control. She poured herself a drink, grabbed both the glass and the bottle and planted herself on the couch. She did not want to think about anything. She shrugged herself out of her clothes and got up to put on one of Tommy's shirts. She hugged herself tightly.
She sat staring into the fireplace for a long time. The bottle was almost finished, but she could not remember drinking it. She closed her eyes and thought back on happier times she had shared with Thomas. She finished another drink. If she could just get drunk enough, she could retreat into her memories and rest there for a little while.
She remembered his smile and his kindness, the way he looked at her. How safe he made her feel, safe and loved, important. Tears came to her eyes. It would kill him to know what she had done to his friend. Hah, that was funny. He was already dead after all. Jarod. It always came back to Jarod. Was there nothing in her life he had not touched? Not pulled apart and destroyed? She hated him. She finished her drink and poured herself another. She hadn't been this drunk since..since..Thomas'...and even then Jarod had been there. Even in her memories Jarod followed. There was no escape. Damn him. She tried to conjure up an image of Tommy, but what she got was Jarod's shocked face at the elevator. Well he was caught now. Perhaps his hold on her would be broken. What happened to him now had nothing to do with her, she was almost drunk enough to believe that.
"What do you want from me Jarod?" she asked her empty glass. She refilled it with a shaky hand.
"Its not my fault! You're the damn genius, you shoulda known we were coming." She gulped down the last of the drink and whispered "You knew it was always going end like this...it had to end like this, I'm sorry you didn't get the different ending you were looking for..but what did you expect?" and with that, she fell asleep, glass still in hand.
SL-27 Surveillance Room
Mr Cox and Mr Lyle were watching the Pretender on the video monitors. They had both laughed at his outburst at Miss Parker. But they had given him enough time to calm down. Lyle wanted to allow the fear to build, it would make Jarod more vulnerable, and it was much more fun. He looked over to Cox. "Ready?"
Cox smoothed his suit as he got up, "Absolutely Mr Lyle." He left the room and proceeded down the hall. Both Willie and Sam were waiting for him outside Jarod's cell. Mr Cox entered his code into the keypad and the lock disengaged. He waited until Willie yanked the heavy door open and he made his way in.
Lyle leaned back in his chair, placed his feet on the desk and relaxed, ready to enjoy the show. His only regret was that he couldn't be more hands on with the retraining, but his presence would undermine his long term goals. He watched as Jarod looked up when he heard the lock disengaging. Jarod did not bother to stand, but remained sitting on the floor. He noticed the surprised look that surfaced on Jarod's face, to be quickly replaced with a neutral one.
"Bet you were expecting me, weren't you buddy boy?" Lyle laughed to himself. He continued as if the Pretender could hear him. "I think you are going to find a great many things quite different from what you expect."
Jarod looked up when he heard the lock. He braced himself. But was surprised when he saw Cox. He had been expecting Lyle or Raines.
"I don't believe we have been formally introduced. You may call me Mr Cox. I must say it is an honour to finally meet you Jarod. You are somewhat of a celebrity around here."
Jarod looked up at the man. No they had never met, but he knew all about Cox. Anger rose quickly as he remembered Cox's role in the abduction of Zoe.
"What do you want?" he growled out.
Cox smiled down at him. There was no warmth in that smile.
"Now there is no need to be uncivil. You know what we want. Your cooperation, that's all. It is not that much to ask. In the end we will have it."
Jarod gave out a short laugh. "You know that I will never cooperate with you. You can go to hell. And tell your boss Lyle that I will die before I help him or The Centre ever again."
"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."
Cox looked up at the cameras and nodded towards the door. Sam entered the small cell and was followed by Willie. Cox moved back out of their way as they advanced on Jarod. He gave a brief struggle, but they had him quickly on his feet and pinned face to the wall. Sam fastened Jarod's hands behind his back with a pair of handcuffs and they roughly hauled him out of the cell.
Jarod knew the struggle was futile, but he didn't want to make it any easier on them. As they dragged him up the hall, Jarod noticed how well lit the hallways were. There were cameras everywhere. He realised that whoever had set this up knew what they were doing, that escape would be even more difficult than he had first imagined. Cox had noticed Jarod checking out the security.
"Yes, I think you will find the security rather impressive. Even for a man of your ahh, talents, it may prove beyond your abilities. But, feel free to try."
Jarod suppressed a smile, overconfidence was one of their greatest weaknesses. It always had been. Even on his pretends, more often than not, it was overconfidence that undid people.
They entered a room, and the first thing that Jarod noticed was a surgical table, one with restraints. Cox nodded to the two sweepers and they started to move Jarod over to the table. Jarod began to fight in earnest now. Willie pushed him down so he was bent over the table, the air whooshed out of his lungs as Sam undid one of the handcuffs. Jarod used his freed hand and grabbed Sam in the crotch. Sam let out a mighty bellow and crumpled to his knees. Willie got a blow to Jarod's back before Jarod spun around and hooked him across the jaw. Cox danced back out of harms way. Sam was still on the floor and Willie was just starting to recover from Jarod's blow. But before Jarod could advance on Cox, another three sweepers were already in the room. They crash-tackled Jarod and all four of them ended up in a tangle on the floor. The sweepers now had Jarod pinned down on the floor.
"Get him up on the table" Cox ordered.
Jarod was thrashing madly as they secured him to the table. But he was defeated now and he knew it. He gave up his struggling and watched as Cox advanced on him.
"Well, I have to give you a few points for trying. But as I said before, you will cooperate. I just hope we don't have to go through this type of drama every time. If I want you on the table, the table is where you will be. Resistance is futile and will only cause you more pain. It would be much easier on everyone, and you especially, if you just did as you were told."
"Yes, you would like that, wouldn't you?"
Cox sighed and left the room. Sam was up off the floor now. He walked painfully over to Jarod. He grabbed a handful of Jarod's hair and lifted his head off the table. He leaned down until their noses were almost touching. Jarod grimaced in pain.
"You ever touch me again, and you will be begging them to kill you!" Sam then slammed Jarod's head back onto the table. Sam stepped back as Cox and Raines entered the room.
Cox walked over to the table and looked down at Jarod.
"Time to begin Jarod. Sam, would you please hold his head, make sure he can't move. I wouldn't want him to hurt himself."
"Begin what?" Jarod winced as Sam grabbed his head in a vice-like grip. It was then that he noticed the syringe that Cox was holding. Fear pounded into him and he thrashed against Sam and the restraints. He watched helplessly as Cox emptied the contents into his arm.
"What is that?"
Raines answered. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with Jarod..just relax.."
Jarod could feel his sense of reality tilting. He could no longer feel his body, and this was good because there was no more pain or fear. He had a vague sense of people in the room with him, but he couldn't focus on them. They were asking him questions, but he couldn't understand the words. He was drifting now..and he lost all sense of himself, it was not all that unpleasant.
Lyle had joined them. They were all looking down at Jarod's inert form. For a while he seemed peaceful, but then he began to struggle wildly, fighting the hell of dreams unleashed beyond control. Demons they could only guess at.
"Its not working" Lyle said with disgust.
"We always knew it was a long-shot." Cox replied.
"You said that he would be coherent... that he would be easier to manipulate..look at him..he is off his head..." Raines wheezed.
"I said we could not be certain how he would react. It was a slim chance. But you may yet get your chance yet, the side effects are going to be horrendous. We may be able to use that as an incentive."
They had been trying to develop a drug to control their Pretender. Raines knew that coercion would be difficult. If they could manufacture a narcotic that would remove Jarod's conscience, make him malleable to their wishes, but not interfere with his Pretender abilities. But that was the rub. Despite intensive research, they had not been able to come up with anything satisfactory. There were plenty of drugs that could make a person open to suggestion, eager even, to please. There was also the possibility of addiction. Addicts would do anything to get their score. It would be a simple matter to turn Jarod into a junkie, eager to do anything they wanted for his next fix. The problem always came back to the same thing. He was of no use as a Pretender when he was stoned or strung out. He had no focus, couldn't concentrate, was lucky if he knew how to spell his own name.
"It was worth a try. Looks like its over to my plan." Lyle had known already that the drugs wouldn't work. Despite years of research, a mind- control drug that did not impair intellect was still a long way off. But drugs could have other uses. And he intended to make full use of all of them.
Jarod started moaning again and struggling under the restraints. Cox looked down at him with amusement. "He will be running from his nightmares for hours yet. Willie, call us when he comes out of it." All three of them left the room.
"I think I will invite Sydney... down to watch a ..session...soon. Its time we got the ball rolling.." Raines looked at Lyle and Cox, almost challenging them to disagree. Lyle seemed to want to say something, but obviously thought the better of it.
The three of them headed to the elevators.
Sydney's Office
Broots knocked timidly to announce his arrival and stepped into Sydney's office. The older man looked up at Broots. Broots thought that Sydney had aged 10 years in the last 10 hours.
"Sydney.." He began. His concern was written all over his face.
"Tell me what you have found out. What is the news on Jarod."
Broots shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, not much. I can't get into their system. It's completely isolated. The sewer access has been blocked..and the only way I can see to get down there is through the elevator. But the security on that is really tight."
He paused as Sydney looked up. He anticipated the question.
"I'm working on it. It will take some time, but I should be able to crack it."
"How long?"
"Syd, I don't know. This system is unlike anything I've encountered. It looks like something that..
"Jarod might have developed." Sydney finished for him.
"What about Miss Parker? Is it true, was she the one.the one who.?"
Sydney sighed heavily. "Yes Broots, I'm afraid it is. I haven't got all the details yet. But from what I understand, she shot him."
Broots gasped. "No Syd. She wouldn't do that, would she? Is he alright? Oh my God, she didn't kill him? She couldn't have."
"Apparently it was some sort of sedative, a dart gun. But it was Parker's shot that brought him down."
"So she's down there now? With Lyle and Cox?" Broots shuddered at the thought.
"No, she went home. Said she wouldn't be back in until Monday." He paused and looked up at Broots. "I really need to find out what's going on down there. Please Broots, I need this."
Broots looked at Sydney, emotion welling in his throat. "I'll do everything I can. But Sydney, we really need to be careful."
He turned and was about to leave.
"Sydney .." he started.
Sydney looked at him, waiting.
"Go home. You need to get some rest. There's nothing more you can do tonight. I will let you know the minute I know anything."
Sydney knew that he was right. "Good night Broots."
"Good night Sydney."
Broots left. It was time he was getting home. Nothing more could be achieved tonight and he hadn't seen his daughter in nearly two days. Thinking about Jarod somewhere in the bowels of The Centre, made his need to see Debbie almost physical. He gathered up his things and made his way home.
Sydney knew that Broots was right. He was exhausted. He felt very old. Old and weary. There would be little sleep for him tonight. He was desperate to see Jarod. To know that he was alright. Sydney was very afraid of what Lyle would do to Jarod. He started to organise himself to leave for home. For the moment, he could only hope that Raines would keep his word. Sydney had to be involved in this project, he cringed at the word, at any cost. He wondered about when the precise moment was that he had stopped thinking about Jarod as a project, and started thinking about him as a... He didn't know how to finish the thought. He shook his head sadly, turned off the light, and headed home.
Raines' Office
Raines made his way to his desk and sat down. Cox and Lyle followed, lounging comfortably opposite Raines.
"Gentlemen..we are off to a very good start.." He looked over at Cox. "..but the drug therapy...has been a disappointment."
"Yes, well, we did not really anticipate any great success in that area. But I believe it is still our most efficient way of, shall we say, preparing Jarod. He is very strong, not to mention very stubborn, and brute force alone has not worked in the past." He looked over at Lyle. "I don't expect that the drugs will break him, but they will make him far more susceptible to what Lyle has in store for him. And it could be very interesting what we learn along the way."
Lyle waited for Cox to finish. "We all know what a stubborn bastard he can be. I think a subtle approach will be far more successful, not to mention rewarding. Also, it will keep Sydney off of our backs, and in our sphere of control. That only leaves Parker."
"Don't you worry about that..I am going to deal with her...she wants out..."
"Surely you're not going.." Lyle interrupted.
"I didn't say that.did I?" Raines snapped back. He would deal with Parker. There was no way she was leaving now. Now that they had Jarod back, her work was just beginning.
After a number of hours discussing the details of getting Project Jarod off the ground, and turning over the various problems they expected to encounter, the meeting broke up. Lyle and Cox returned to SL-27.
Chapter 4
As the plane started its descent, Lyle got up and made his way back to Jarod. He settled into his seat and buckled himself in. "Almost home Jarod." he said in a bright and cheery voice, "I bet your looking forward to seeing your old room again."
He was rewarded as he heard Jarod hiss in a breath. Jarod closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was still having enormous difficulty getting enough oxygen. He didn't answer Lyle's mocking, refusing to give him the satisfaction. But with each passing minute he knew he was getting closer to the one place he did not want to be. And as he felt the plane start to descend, his fear increased even further. He was trying desperately not to imagine what they had in store for him, trying to form some kind of escape plan. But at the moment, he could barely move, but worse yet, he could not see. The hood undermined him completely. He was struggling to get his emotions under control. He was not four years old, and he was not completely powerless this time. He just needed to be patient, and alert. An opportunity would present itself, it always did, and he needed to be prepared to take it.
"Are you paying attention?" Lyle asked as he gave Jarod's face a gentle slap. "Jarod, you need to understand. You should make it easy on yourself. There is nothing you can do to change it, so why don't you just sit back, relax and go with the flow?" He shot a glance at Willie, who was trying to suppress a chuckle.
"You know I will never cooperate with you Lyle, even a dimwit like you should understand that."
"Now, now Jarod. I think perhaps you are being a little hasty in your judgement. But I am sure in time, you will come to understand your error. You are supposed to be a genius after all, and I am confident that you will eventually catch on."
The plane touched down. Miss Parker was out of her seat before it came to a stop. She was the first to exit, not once glancing back to look at Jarod. She was greeted by a phalanx of sweepers on the tarmac, and in the centre was a black limousine. As she walked over to it, Raines got out.
"Have you got him?" he asked.
"Yes, and the DSA's..."
"Excellent..I will see you back at The Centre" he dismissed her.
She looked at him with shock. Damn that bastard. She shot a look at his back, and then made her way to one of the waiting cars. The confrontation would come soon enough.
"Come on Brain Trust, time to go" Lyle nodded to Willie and Sam and they started to remove the leather straps from the Pretender.
As the strap fell from his chest, Jarod gratefully sucked in all the air that he could get. His head began to swim and he fought to stay conscious. He felt hands digging into his biceps as he was roughly hauled to his feet. He cried out in pain, it felt as if his wrists were going to snap in half. Had the sweepers not had such a good grip, he would have fallen.
"Quit your whinin', get him moving!"
He stumbled and was half dragged out of the small aircraft and was roughly manhandled down the small flight of stairs into another pair of waiting sweepers arms.
"Welcome back to The Centre Jarod..this time we hope you plan to stay a little longer." the voice was unmistakable and Jarod shrank back.
"Raines you bastard, you'll never..." he tried to break free from the men that were holding him, but it was no use.
"Get him in the car...and shut his mouth."
With that one of the sweepers backhanded Jarod harshly across his face. He let out a groan and slumped forward. He gave no more resistance as they bundled him into the car, for he had passed out.
Satisfied that Jarod was secured in the car, Raines walked over to Lyle, who was watching the departing car.
"You know, it was too bad, he hardly even put up a fight. After all this time, I was hoping for something...more..dramatic" he finally finished.
"Don't you worry... You will get your turn.. in the next few weeks..we need him to cooperate...you know what is at stake.."
Lyle looked disparagingly at his father. "You know me", he straightened his tie, and leaned closer in to Raines, looking directly into his eyes. "I will get you what you want, count on it." With that he turned his back on the older man and got into a car.
Raines was left standing on the tarmac with a few remaining sweepers. "I'm counting on it alright...you better believe it" he said to the empty air. He got into his own car and headed back to The Centre. Things could not have been better. An unexpected, and earlier than anticipated capture of their most prized missing possession, with a promising prospect of ensuring his cooperation. But the real bonus was that his daughter, whom he had been almost certain had divided loyalties, had been the one to bring him down. And Lyle's outstanding work on the Jarod Project meant, that at least for the moment, he would not be forced to kill any of his offspring. Mr Raines was not a squeamish man, by anybody's standards, but even he did not relish the thought of killing his own daughter. He knew he would do it, if it became necessary, but he had always hoped it would not come to that. Now he had his Pretender back, he would be able to destroy Sydney, and consolidate his power base, keep the Triumvirate at bay. Yes it was a banner day. He was still smiling as the car pulled up in front of The Centre. He made his way to his office. It was time to get all of his ducks in a row.
Miss Parker's Office
Miss Parker stormed into her office and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her chair start to swivel around. She could not see who was in it. "What the hell do you thi....". She stopped when she saw the look on Sydney's face. She took a step back.
He stood up, planted his fists on her desk and she could see he was shaking with anger. In a voice that was deadly soft "Parker, how could you?" It was not a question he expected an answer to. It was more of an accusation.
His eyes never left hers. In that moment, the last few hours of self- doubt, guilt, and all the crazy emotions that had been see-sawing through her, seemed to come together and crystallize into one thought. Survival. At the end of the day, for all of them, it was about self-defence and survival. Anger surged through her and she spat back at him "What? Just doing my job Pavlov! I brought you back your dog. You should be happy."
Sydney almost collapsed back into the chair. He felt like he had been sucker-punched in the gut. He buried his head in his hands. "How, how could you do it? Do you know what they will do to him?" All the anger was gone now, all that was left was empty despair.
She fought the urge to go and comfort him. Instead, she gathered up every defence in her formidable arsenal. Years of practice had made her quite the expert.
"Just what the hell do you think we've been doing here for the last six years Syd? Playing hide-and-seek?" She looked down at him. "My work here is mercifully done. I'm going home. If Raines wants me...I'll be in on Monday."
Sydney did not acknowledge her. She spun on her heel and collided into Broots.
"M-m- Miss.Miss Parker. I'm.I'm..sorry" he finally stumbled out, but by then she was already gone.
"Sydney, ah...they're, they..um..they're bringing Jarod in right now."
Sydney's head snapped up, "Where?" He was on his feet and nearly out the door before Broots could even answer.
"They were on their way to the elevator bays..but I think you're too late." He finished to the closing door.
Sydney was panting by the time he got to the elevators. He was too late. The last of the sweepers were dispersing. Sydney pounded on the elevator button in frustration. He got into the first available car. But there was no button to press. The buttons only went to SL-26, and many of them were restricted access. He was not being rational, he needed to think. He left the elevator and was headed back to get Broots. At that moment, Broots was rounding the corner, finally catching up.
"Broots, we must hurry." Sydney had grabbed Broots' elbow and had started pulling him along.
"Hurry where?"
"SL-27 of course. I cannot get there via the elevator, but the sewer access, Broots we can get in through there."
Broots was appalled. "Sydney, we can't go down there now. Ah.Mr Lyle and Mr Cox are down there.. and... Sam. and...Sydney, please. Not now. Later. But not now."
Broots was right. Sydney knew it. He would be of no help to Jarod if he ended up in the cell next to him, or even worse. He needed to be calm. He recalled his earlier conversation with Raines. He had to get himself involved with Jarod, that was the only way. He would have much more power working from the inside. With that in mind, he abruptly changed direction and headed off to Raines office.
Broots breathed a sigh of relief at Sydney's change in direction. He decided he would head back to his own office. If people needed him, they knew where to find him.
SL-27
Jarod groaned as reality came crashing in on him. Iron grips were on his biceps, he struggled weakly, testing them. All he got for his efforts was a smack up the back side of his head, and the grips tightened. He guessed he was back at The Centre now, and he shivered at the thought of it. It was quiet, and the ground was vibrating. An elevator car perhaps. This was confirmed as he heard the ping and the doors sliding open. The sweepers that were holding him dragged him forward. He tried to struggle again, but it was no use, and it sent shooting pains through his wrists. They dragged him forward for what seemed like a very long time. There were many turns and Jarod was trying to construct a mental image of the route they had taken. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a halt. Jarod heard electronic sounds, and then the unmistakable sound of a lock disengaging. They pushed him forward. "Get in!" Sam's voice ordered. Sam then pushed him against the wall and unlocked the handcuffs. Before Jarod could turn around, he heard the door clang shut and the lock engage.
His shoulders screamed in protest as his arms dropped down. They hung uselessly at his sides. He had no feeling below either wrist and neither arm obeyed when he tried to lift them. He was desperate to get the hood off. In fear of tripping, he slid gently down the wall and sat on the floor. There was no sound, so he guessed he was alone. But he feared that it would not be for long. He started rotating his shoulders very gently, he needed to get the circulation going again. He had to get the use of his hands back, he had to get the damned hood off. He did not want to be completely helpless when they came.
For the moment, there was nothing else to be done. He continued the gentle exercise of his shoulders, grimacing at the effort. He was back at The Centre. He could hardly believe it. He didn't know how they had found him. And they had really meant business this time. In all the years he had been running, he had never seen so many sweepers. Even after he had kidnapped Mr Parker and made off with one of their most prized possessions, the Boy Gemini, they hadn't sent a force like this after him. He had underestimated Raines severely. A little more feeling was coming into his arms now. But the worst of it was Miss Parker. He had underestimated her the most. Even now, sitting in what he guessed was some sublevel cell, he found it hard to accept that she had shot him. It was like a splinter in his heart. He pushed the thought away. He needed to focus. There were icicles of fear in his belly and he knew that every second he spent in this place brought him closer to damnation. As he worked his abused muscles, his mind was going over everything he could recall from The Centre. The positions of air vents, these were primary in his mind. He had used them to get out before, and even in to get in. As he immersed himself in possible avenues of escape, he found that he had lost the edge of panic. He knew it would be harder this time. Raines was even more ruthless than Mr Parker, and after losing him twice in as many years, Jarod had no illusions that they would be better prepared now. His only hope was that they weren't too prepared.
He had enough control to lift his arms now, but his fingers were still useless. He tried to rip the hood, but couldn't get a grip. Pins and needles were shooting up and down both arms now, but Jarod new this was a good sign, albeit painful. The circulation was returning. He was straining to hear any noises, and clues that he might not be alone after all, and of course, to warn him that they were coming. He guessed there was a camera, and he could imagine Raines and Lyle in their office watching him, congratulating themselves. Anger came bubbling to the surface as he wondered if Miss Parker was there, sharing in the celebration. He had a strong desire to get up and pace. He wanted to hit something. Instead, he closed his eyes, and focused on regulating his breathing and getting his arms working again. His chest still burnt from where the leather strap had been, but he was breathing normally now.
After what seemed like an eternity, feeling was creeping back to his fingers. He fumbled at the small knot in the cord at his throat, and finally managed to loosen it. He ripped the hood off with an enormous sigh of relief. He threw it in the corner. He looked around the room. His fear of tripping had been groundless. It was small and completely bare. There were 4 cameras mounted high, one in each corner, this meant that there would be no blind spot. A very small drain in the centre of the floor, and of course the air vent high up in one of the walls. But that was it. It was an empty grey room, and it was cold. The door was solid, had no handle and appeared to be made out of steel.
He looked down at his wrists and saw deep indents and cuts where the cuffs had been. He gently probed his other injuries, but it didn't seem like anything was permanently damaged.
There was nothing to do now but wait. He knew they were watching him, so he did not dare test the air vent. His mind turned to Miss Parker. His emotions had run the gambit from disbelief, to anger, to disappointment. He was also furious at himself for misjudging her so badly. He had allowed his feelings for her to colour his judgement. She was not the little girl that he remembered and loved, she was the woman whose sole purpose was to hunt him down. It was her mission to destroy his life and he had foolishly allowed sentimentality to obscure that one central fact. Despite what he thought they had become to each other over the past few years, despite the changes that he had thought he had seen in her, the one constant truth echoed clearly through his mind in her voice "You run, I chase."
"Damn you Parker! How could you?" he screamed at the cameras in a sudden outburst of frustration and rage.
Mr Raines Office
Sydney stormed in and demanded without any preamble "I want to see him now!"
Raines looked up, annoyed at the interruption and the presumption. Would the man never get it through his head that Jarod was his project now, not Sydney's? "You will get to see him when I say you can...and not before.." There was anger in his eyes, but Sydney did not back away.
He took a breath to steady himself. "When?"
"We have already had this conversation..." But he didn't get to finish before Sydney interrupted.
"I know you have him down on SL-27."
There was a flicker of surprise in Raines' eyes, "And how did you come to that ..conclusion?"
"Did you really believe that you could bring back Jarod and successfully keep his location secret?'
Raines was really angry now. "Jarod's present location... and condition is not of any concern to you.yet...and if you don't want that to be ..permanent..." he did not finish the threat.
Sydney knew that he was treading on dangerous ground, and he feared that Raines might cut him off from Jarod completely. He turned and left without saying a word. He feared what they would do to Jarod, were probably doing right now, without him there to protect him. He was desperate to see him, but for the moment, he could not risk pushing any further.
Raines would have liked to have had Sydney removed a long time ago, but he also knew that Sydney was the emotional tether that they would need to control the Pretender. Major Charles or Gemini would have been better, but Sydney was the best they could do for the moment. Sydney would prove useful, despite himself. Raines smiled at the thought of it. It would destroy Sydney to see his precious Jarod under Centre control again, and to know that he was the instrument that made it possible.
Miss Parker's House
Parker had arrived home after what seemed like an inordinately long drive. Her emotions were swinging wildly out of control. She poured herself a drink, grabbed both the glass and the bottle and planted herself on the couch. She did not want to think about anything. She shrugged herself out of her clothes and got up to put on one of Tommy's shirts. She hugged herself tightly.
She sat staring into the fireplace for a long time. The bottle was almost finished, but she could not remember drinking it. She closed her eyes and thought back on happier times she had shared with Thomas. She finished another drink. If she could just get drunk enough, she could retreat into her memories and rest there for a little while.
She remembered his smile and his kindness, the way he looked at her. How safe he made her feel, safe and loved, important. Tears came to her eyes. It would kill him to know what she had done to his friend. Hah, that was funny. He was already dead after all. Jarod. It always came back to Jarod. Was there nothing in her life he had not touched? Not pulled apart and destroyed? She hated him. She finished her drink and poured herself another. She hadn't been this drunk since..since..Thomas'...and even then Jarod had been there. Even in her memories Jarod followed. There was no escape. Damn him. She tried to conjure up an image of Tommy, but what she got was Jarod's shocked face at the elevator. Well he was caught now. Perhaps his hold on her would be broken. What happened to him now had nothing to do with her, she was almost drunk enough to believe that.
"What do you want from me Jarod?" she asked her empty glass. She refilled it with a shaky hand.
"Its not my fault! You're the damn genius, you shoulda known we were coming." She gulped down the last of the drink and whispered "You knew it was always going end like this...it had to end like this, I'm sorry you didn't get the different ending you were looking for..but what did you expect?" and with that, she fell asleep, glass still in hand.
SL-27 Surveillance Room
Mr Cox and Mr Lyle were watching the Pretender on the video monitors. They had both laughed at his outburst at Miss Parker. But they had given him enough time to calm down. Lyle wanted to allow the fear to build, it would make Jarod more vulnerable, and it was much more fun. He looked over to Cox. "Ready?"
Cox smoothed his suit as he got up, "Absolutely Mr Lyle." He left the room and proceeded down the hall. Both Willie and Sam were waiting for him outside Jarod's cell. Mr Cox entered his code into the keypad and the lock disengaged. He waited until Willie yanked the heavy door open and he made his way in.
Lyle leaned back in his chair, placed his feet on the desk and relaxed, ready to enjoy the show. His only regret was that he couldn't be more hands on with the retraining, but his presence would undermine his long term goals. He watched as Jarod looked up when he heard the lock disengaging. Jarod did not bother to stand, but remained sitting on the floor. He noticed the surprised look that surfaced on Jarod's face, to be quickly replaced with a neutral one.
"Bet you were expecting me, weren't you buddy boy?" Lyle laughed to himself. He continued as if the Pretender could hear him. "I think you are going to find a great many things quite different from what you expect."
Jarod looked up when he heard the lock. He braced himself. But was surprised when he saw Cox. He had been expecting Lyle or Raines.
"I don't believe we have been formally introduced. You may call me Mr Cox. I must say it is an honour to finally meet you Jarod. You are somewhat of a celebrity around here."
Jarod looked up at the man. No they had never met, but he knew all about Cox. Anger rose quickly as he remembered Cox's role in the abduction of Zoe.
"What do you want?" he growled out.
Cox smiled down at him. There was no warmth in that smile.
"Now there is no need to be uncivil. You know what we want. Your cooperation, that's all. It is not that much to ask. In the end we will have it."
Jarod gave out a short laugh. "You know that I will never cooperate with you. You can go to hell. And tell your boss Lyle that I will die before I help him or The Centre ever again."
"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."
Cox looked up at the cameras and nodded towards the door. Sam entered the small cell and was followed by Willie. Cox moved back out of their way as they advanced on Jarod. He gave a brief struggle, but they had him quickly on his feet and pinned face to the wall. Sam fastened Jarod's hands behind his back with a pair of handcuffs and they roughly hauled him out of the cell.
Jarod knew the struggle was futile, but he didn't want to make it any easier on them. As they dragged him up the hall, Jarod noticed how well lit the hallways were. There were cameras everywhere. He realised that whoever had set this up knew what they were doing, that escape would be even more difficult than he had first imagined. Cox had noticed Jarod checking out the security.
"Yes, I think you will find the security rather impressive. Even for a man of your ahh, talents, it may prove beyond your abilities. But, feel free to try."
Jarod suppressed a smile, overconfidence was one of their greatest weaknesses. It always had been. Even on his pretends, more often than not, it was overconfidence that undid people.
They entered a room, and the first thing that Jarod noticed was a surgical table, one with restraints. Cox nodded to the two sweepers and they started to move Jarod over to the table. Jarod began to fight in earnest now. Willie pushed him down so he was bent over the table, the air whooshed out of his lungs as Sam undid one of the handcuffs. Jarod used his freed hand and grabbed Sam in the crotch. Sam let out a mighty bellow and crumpled to his knees. Willie got a blow to Jarod's back before Jarod spun around and hooked him across the jaw. Cox danced back out of harms way. Sam was still on the floor and Willie was just starting to recover from Jarod's blow. But before Jarod could advance on Cox, another three sweepers were already in the room. They crash-tackled Jarod and all four of them ended up in a tangle on the floor. The sweepers now had Jarod pinned down on the floor.
"Get him up on the table" Cox ordered.
Jarod was thrashing madly as they secured him to the table. But he was defeated now and he knew it. He gave up his struggling and watched as Cox advanced on him.
"Well, I have to give you a few points for trying. But as I said before, you will cooperate. I just hope we don't have to go through this type of drama every time. If I want you on the table, the table is where you will be. Resistance is futile and will only cause you more pain. It would be much easier on everyone, and you especially, if you just did as you were told."
"Yes, you would like that, wouldn't you?"
Cox sighed and left the room. Sam was up off the floor now. He walked painfully over to Jarod. He grabbed a handful of Jarod's hair and lifted his head off the table. He leaned down until their noses were almost touching. Jarod grimaced in pain.
"You ever touch me again, and you will be begging them to kill you!" Sam then slammed Jarod's head back onto the table. Sam stepped back as Cox and Raines entered the room.
Cox walked over to the table and looked down at Jarod.
"Time to begin Jarod. Sam, would you please hold his head, make sure he can't move. I wouldn't want him to hurt himself."
"Begin what?" Jarod winced as Sam grabbed his head in a vice-like grip. It was then that he noticed the syringe that Cox was holding. Fear pounded into him and he thrashed against Sam and the restraints. He watched helplessly as Cox emptied the contents into his arm.
"What is that?"
Raines answered. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with Jarod..just relax.."
Jarod could feel his sense of reality tilting. He could no longer feel his body, and this was good because there was no more pain or fear. He had a vague sense of people in the room with him, but he couldn't focus on them. They were asking him questions, but he couldn't understand the words. He was drifting now..and he lost all sense of himself, it was not all that unpleasant.
Lyle had joined them. They were all looking down at Jarod's inert form. For a while he seemed peaceful, but then he began to struggle wildly, fighting the hell of dreams unleashed beyond control. Demons they could only guess at.
"Its not working" Lyle said with disgust.
"We always knew it was a long-shot." Cox replied.
"You said that he would be coherent... that he would be easier to manipulate..look at him..he is off his head..." Raines wheezed.
"I said we could not be certain how he would react. It was a slim chance. But you may yet get your chance yet, the side effects are going to be horrendous. We may be able to use that as an incentive."
They had been trying to develop a drug to control their Pretender. Raines knew that coercion would be difficult. If they could manufacture a narcotic that would remove Jarod's conscience, make him malleable to their wishes, but not interfere with his Pretender abilities. But that was the rub. Despite intensive research, they had not been able to come up with anything satisfactory. There were plenty of drugs that could make a person open to suggestion, eager even, to please. There was also the possibility of addiction. Addicts would do anything to get their score. It would be a simple matter to turn Jarod into a junkie, eager to do anything they wanted for his next fix. The problem always came back to the same thing. He was of no use as a Pretender when he was stoned or strung out. He had no focus, couldn't concentrate, was lucky if he knew how to spell his own name.
"It was worth a try. Looks like its over to my plan." Lyle had known already that the drugs wouldn't work. Despite years of research, a mind- control drug that did not impair intellect was still a long way off. But drugs could have other uses. And he intended to make full use of all of them.
Jarod started moaning again and struggling under the restraints. Cox looked down at him with amusement. "He will be running from his nightmares for hours yet. Willie, call us when he comes out of it." All three of them left the room.
"I think I will invite Sydney... down to watch a ..session...soon. Its time we got the ball rolling.." Raines looked at Lyle and Cox, almost challenging them to disagree. Lyle seemed to want to say something, but obviously thought the better of it.
The three of them headed to the elevators.
Sydney's Office
Broots knocked timidly to announce his arrival and stepped into Sydney's office. The older man looked up at Broots. Broots thought that Sydney had aged 10 years in the last 10 hours.
"Sydney.." He began. His concern was written all over his face.
"Tell me what you have found out. What is the news on Jarod."
Broots shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, not much. I can't get into their system. It's completely isolated. The sewer access has been blocked..and the only way I can see to get down there is through the elevator. But the security on that is really tight."
He paused as Sydney looked up. He anticipated the question.
"I'm working on it. It will take some time, but I should be able to crack it."
"How long?"
"Syd, I don't know. This system is unlike anything I've encountered. It looks like something that..
"Jarod might have developed." Sydney finished for him.
"What about Miss Parker? Is it true, was she the one.the one who.?"
Sydney sighed heavily. "Yes Broots, I'm afraid it is. I haven't got all the details yet. But from what I understand, she shot him."
Broots gasped. "No Syd. She wouldn't do that, would she? Is he alright? Oh my God, she didn't kill him? She couldn't have."
"Apparently it was some sort of sedative, a dart gun. But it was Parker's shot that brought him down."
"So she's down there now? With Lyle and Cox?" Broots shuddered at the thought.
"No, she went home. Said she wouldn't be back in until Monday." He paused and looked up at Broots. "I really need to find out what's going on down there. Please Broots, I need this."
Broots looked at Sydney, emotion welling in his throat. "I'll do everything I can. But Sydney, we really need to be careful."
He turned and was about to leave.
"Sydney .." he started.
Sydney looked at him, waiting.
"Go home. You need to get some rest. There's nothing more you can do tonight. I will let you know the minute I know anything."
Sydney knew that he was right. "Good night Broots."
"Good night Sydney."
Broots left. It was time he was getting home. Nothing more could be achieved tonight and he hadn't seen his daughter in nearly two days. Thinking about Jarod somewhere in the bowels of The Centre, made his need to see Debbie almost physical. He gathered up his things and made his way home.
Sydney knew that Broots was right. He was exhausted. He felt very old. Old and weary. There would be little sleep for him tonight. He was desperate to see Jarod. To know that he was alright. Sydney was very afraid of what Lyle would do to Jarod. He started to organise himself to leave for home. For the moment, he could only hope that Raines would keep his word. Sydney had to be involved in this project, he cringed at the word, at any cost. He wondered about when the precise moment was that he had stopped thinking about Jarod as a project, and started thinking about him as a... He didn't know how to finish the thought. He shook his head sadly, turned off the light, and headed home.
Raines' Office
Raines made his way to his desk and sat down. Cox and Lyle followed, lounging comfortably opposite Raines.
"Gentlemen..we are off to a very good start.." He looked over at Cox. "..but the drug therapy...has been a disappointment."
"Yes, well, we did not really anticipate any great success in that area. But I believe it is still our most efficient way of, shall we say, preparing Jarod. He is very strong, not to mention very stubborn, and brute force alone has not worked in the past." He looked over at Lyle. "I don't expect that the drugs will break him, but they will make him far more susceptible to what Lyle has in store for him. And it could be very interesting what we learn along the way."
Lyle waited for Cox to finish. "We all know what a stubborn bastard he can be. I think a subtle approach will be far more successful, not to mention rewarding. Also, it will keep Sydney off of our backs, and in our sphere of control. That only leaves Parker."
"Don't you worry about that..I am going to deal with her...she wants out..."
"Surely you're not going.." Lyle interrupted.
"I didn't say that.did I?" Raines snapped back. He would deal with Parker. There was no way she was leaving now. Now that they had Jarod back, her work was just beginning.
After a number of hours discussing the details of getting Project Jarod off the ground, and turning over the various problems they expected to encounter, the meeting broke up. Lyle and Cox returned to SL-27.