Chapter 18
Mallory came out of the bathroom, twenty minutes later. She was somewhat peeved, since Jarod had never joined her in the shower.
He was just getting off of the phone, when she came out. He turned to look at her, giving her a sheepish grin.
'Is the little man gone?' Mallory asked, drying her hair with a towel. She sat down on the bed.
Jarod walked over to her and took the towel from her. He sat down next to her and began drying her hair for her.
'The 'Little Man's' name was Mr. Fitzpatrick, and yes, he is gone.'
'Good.' Mallory said, as Jarod continued to rub her head. She was beginning to feel drowsy.
Jarod suddenly stopped, let go of the towel and stood up. Mallory refrained from sighing. She sensed some sort of lecture/big revelation coming up. She looked up at him expectantly. He stood in the middle of the room.
'That man works for a woman named Kristi Kincade.' he said.
Mallory began drying her hair again. She then dropped the towel, stood up and walked into the bathroom. She was looking for a hairdryer. She did not answer Jarod.
'Did you hear what I said?' he asked in a tight voice.
Mallory found the hairdryer and returned to the bedroom. She sat back down on the bed and looked for an outlet.
'You're angry, aren't you? That's why you're getting ready to turn that thing on while I'm talking, correct?'
Mallory dropped the hairdryer.
'Jarod, you're obviously going to tell me that this woman is a vengeful Pretend or something, right? I mean the name means nothing to me. She hires some sleaze to take pictures of us during our most intimate moments...please, just please tell me you don't want to perform a Pretend on this broad, on our honeymoon?'
Jarod walked back over to her.
'We can't just leave it like this. And you're right. She was a Pretend, but it's more complicated than that. I had feelings for this woman. It was hard for me to believe that she would be so murderous.'
Feelings? God, how Mallory now wished she had done more than skimmed Jarod's red notebooks! Now she wanted to know what this 'Chrissy' looked like!
Mallory stood up.
'So, did this woman have feelings for you too? Is that what all of this is really all about?'
'I sent her to jail and Kristi never really cared for me. She only used me to serve a purpose.' Jarod said, closing the gap between the two of them. He then told her something else.
'Mallory, she is in the room next to ours.'
'What?!'
Jarod reached out to touch her shoulders.
'This is my mess and I will clean it up.'
'No.'
'Mallory...'
'No, I will take care of this woman.' Mallory insisted, pulling away from him. She then walked over to the closet.
'She murdered her husband and tried to kill me! You are not confronting her alone!'
Mallory pulled out a tanktop and a pair of thin white pants. She had never liked shorts. She looked over at Jarod.
'Look, I'm going to take it, that this woman got some sort of early parole or something. She's not going to take the chance of going back to prison. And she probably doesn't know that that creep she hired, told us everything. She just wanted to humiliate us, that's all. I'll be right next door! But I want this heifer to know that there are two of us now. So, I am going over there.'
Jarod said nothing. He knew from many years of experience, that there was no stopping his wife when she put her mind to something. But, he decided to use the occasion to say something else.
'I will agree to this, if you agree to something in return.' Jarod said, eyeing her.
Mallory dropped her robe and began changing clothes in front of him. She smiled devilishly at him. She always loved the look on his face when he saw her naked. It was like a little boy who was seeing his first naked woman. That and the desire that seemed to always be there on his face... and in his eyes. A woman couldn't ask for more than that.
'Yes, I will be careful.' she answered, looking around for a pair of sandals, once she had put on a pair of underwear with the pants.
'No, that's not what I meant. I know you're going to be careful. But...when we return from Hawaii, I want you to agree to let me talk to my father about Brian, alone.'
Mallory stared at him. This was the second time he had asked to see his father alone about their son. Why?
'Why?' she asked.
'I just think that it would be better, after what happened at our reception, if I spoke with my father alone.'
Mallory looked away. Jarod thought she was too emotional about Brian. She couldn't help it. She felt like their chance to raise him was slipping away before their very eyes.
She nodded her assent.
'Alright, fine. But if your father and this woman he's living with, do not agree to relinquish custody, I'm going to Alaska myself.'
Jarod held up his hands in a surrendering motion. Mallory threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She then stopped, wiped her lipstick off of his face, then turned to leave.
'Mallory?'
She turned back to him, smiling. By then it was too late. Jarod's fist connected with her face. As she went limp, Jarod picked her up, kissing her semi-wet hair.
'I am so sorry...you are going to be just fine. And when this is over, we are going to spend all day on the beach so we can finally get you tan!' he coddled her, laying her unconscious form on the bed. He had never had any intention of allowing her to face Kristi Kincade alone. And while he would bet on his wife, hands down to win in a fair fight with Kristi, Kristi didn't know anything about fighting fair. Knocking Mallory out, was the only way to keep her from getting hurt.
Jarod cast one last glance down at Mallory, before his thoughts drifted to the phone call he had made, while Mallory had been in the shower. He had called Sydney and Michelle, to check in on Abigail. Michelle had told him that Sydney was out of town. That was the last thing Jarod wanted to hear, specifically with Lyle free.
But Michelle assured him that his cousin, CIA agent, Sidney Bristow, had arranged for her and his daughter to be under watch, 24/7. While Jarod was somewhat mollified by this knowledge and grateful to his cousin, he wanted to know where Sydney had gone?
Michelle casually provided the answer...at least the answer she thought was correct. Once Jarod heard 'Alaska', he knew what Sydney was up to. And he didn't like it.
Jarod punched some numbers on his cell phone.
****
Meanwhile, Sydney was sitting at the airport, staring into space, when his cell phone rang He pulled it out of his jacket pocket.
'This is Sydney.' he answered.
'Sydney, it's Jarod. Tell me you didn't confront my father?'
Sydney did not answer. That scared Jarod more than annoyed him.
'What did you learn?' Jarod asked quietly, looking back at Mallory on the bed. She was still knocked out.
'It's worse than I thought. Catherine Parker is alive. She is living with your father. And your son, clearly thinks of the two of them as his parents.'
Jarod rubbed a hand on his chin.
'Well, we suspected that. Why are things worse?'
Sydney cleared his throat first.
'I confronted them, Jarod. And they want to see both Mallory and you to explain themselves. They claim there are things you need to understand.'
'But you don't believe that?' Jarod asked.
'Jarod, Catherine told me that Lyle is not her son.'
Jarod looked back over at Mallory, then lowered his voice some.
'What do you mean? We've seen the DSA's of his birth...I matched his DNA with my wife's...'
'He is Mr. Parker's son by some other woman. But not Mallory's twin.'
'So, there is another missing twin out there somewhere? Sydney, you're telling me that the other baby Catherine Parker delivered after Mallory, was not Lyle?'
Sydney sighed.
'Yes. But the child was returned to Catherine, by Raines, in exchange for her giving up her rights to Mallory and Ethan. Jarod, the mess this is going to cause...Ethan, Lyle, Mallory...the deception...'
'That's the Centre.' Jarod said quietly. 'This other child...was a boy?'
'A girl. An identical twin. Jarod, do you see why this is such dangerous territory?'
'What are you saying?'
'Maybe you should leave this whole thing alone. Maybe you should leave Brian with your father. I firmly believe that Mallory should never, ever learn of this.'
Jarod said nothing for a moment. He then spoke.
'I have to go. I will meet with my father and Catherine Parker alone. I'll see what she has to say for herself. But now with this twin sister thing, I just don't see how we can avoid telling her the truth.'
'Let me be there, when you do this...please, Jarod.'
Jarod nodded.
'Fine. We'll make the trip together. I have to go. Goodbye, Sydney.' he said, before hanging up his cellphone. He closed his eyes briefly. Damn! More than anything now, he wanted an explanation from his father and 'mother-in-law' about their lies and deceptions!
Jarod cast one final glance over at Mallory, walking over to her. He touched her cheek briefly, before turning and walking towards the door. He opened it. Mr. Fitzpatrick was sitting on the floor in the hall. He was also dead. A bullet hole adorned the middle of his forehead.
Jarod looked around the hallway carefully, before stepping out into it. The killer must have used a silencer, since he, and apparently no one else, had heard a gunshot.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was propped up against a wall, next to someone's room door. That door opened, and Jarod looked into the face of Kristi Kincade, holding a gun with a silencer on it. Jarod could also caught a glimpse of someone sprawled onto the floor, behind Kristi.
'I thought you were next door.' Jarod said calmly.
'I didn't like that room. I decided to get another one.' she responded just as calmly, leveling her gun at him.
Jarod looked pointedly at the body behind her, in her 'new' room.
'I take it the real guest wasn't so cooperative?'
Kristi reached down, grabbed a fist full of Mr. Fitzpatrick's hair, and quickly dragged the man into the room, still keeping an eye, and her gun on Jarod. She didn't pull him in far, before stepping over him and out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.
'Luck has really been with me, Jarod. That rat fink photographer I hired, confessed that he had been caught, thus eliminating the problem of my having to pay him. I have been pressed for funds since my incarceration at your hands. Those pictures would have went for quite a sweet price with some tabloid. And another lucky thing: no one has shown up in the hallway here. Now, get in there.' she ordered, cocking the gun towards him.
Jarod backed back into his and Mallory's room. Kristi walked in and slammed the door. She glanced over at Mallory's prone form on the bed. Her cheek was beginning to swell. Kristi smiled.
'Jarod...you naughty boy! Beating the wife already? And the media had you painted as the 'Golden Boy/Messiah', running around and sticking your nose in things that didn't concern you, all while on the run. Oh, Jarod, if only those Centre people had caught you before you ruined my life!'
Jarod glanced at Mallory out of the corner of his eye, before focusing on Kristi. His hands were up.
'I thought arson was your specialty, Kristi? I never would've taken you as a shooter.'
Kristi smiled.
'It still is. You see, taking dirty pictures of your beloved and you, wasn't the only thing I hired the late Mr. Fitzpatrick to do.' she answered, grinning from ear to ear. She then eased around Jarod, still pointing the gun at him.
'Mr. Fitzpatrick left a little surprise for us on the balcony out there. Now, I am just going to ease out there and get it. Any sudden moves from you, Jarod, and I won't shoot you, but your poor, unconscious wife over there. Are we clear?'
'Crystal.' Jarod hissed, feeling helpless. What surprise on the balcony? There was really nothing out there, except for that potted palm tree...
Jarod watched as Kristi eased out onto the balcony backwards, then reached behind the plant. There was a small duffle bag behind it. Jarod shook his head. How had he missed a duffle bag?!
Kristi came back in off of the balcony, carrying the bag and still cocking the gun at him. She set it down on a nearby table and began rooting through it, all the while, keeping an eye on Jarod. She soon pulled out a very small can of lighter fluid, and a lighter.
Jarod eyed her. He was hoping she would have to set the gun down, at least for a moment, to spread the accelerant, but she seemed very handy with holding a gun, and preparing to murder them.
Kristi began to pour the lighter fluid in a circle around Jarod and stopping at the door. So, basically, she had begun close to the balcony door, then behind Jarod, ending at the exit. Only one problem: Kristi had the gun, and the lighter fluid, but the lighter, had been left on the table near the balcony.
Jarod realized he only had one chance to save himself and Mallory. And yes, it was likely that Kristi would shoot him before he could reach the lighter.
Kristi realized her mistake as well, and dropped the can with a thud, by the front door. She then slowly began to ease back towards him. Her plan was to slide past him, while still holding the gun on him, and get the lighter, THEN ease past him again, so she could get to the door and light the fire. Jarod wasn't about to let that happen.
'Don't even think about trying anything.' she said, as she moved past him, towards the lighter. Only this time, she moved so that she would be inside the circle of fire. That also meant that she had her back to the bed.
Mallory had come back to the world of the living, a few minutes ago, and from just one quick peek, had been able to ascertain that if Jarod had just let her confront this bitch, what was happening now, would not be happening!
Jarod saw his wife rise up from the bed, then slide off of it, but did not indicate to Kristi with his eyes, that this was going on. She began to talk as she moved past him, her back still to the bed. Her hand was reaching out towards the lighter.
'I know you don't believe this, but my trying to kill you before was nothing personal. I was in a bad situation. You came along at a bad time. If things had been different...'
'Tell me, how did you like prison?' Jarod asked, ignoring her soliloquy. Mallory had hurried to move behind Kristi.
'Yeah, I knew you would just love the idea of my being a play thing for those she-male guards! I had to have sex with three of them! You humiliated me! I was going to humiliate you! Now, because things have gone wrong, because of you, yet again, I'll have to kill you and your new bride.'
Mallory grabbed her from behind, startling her! While she kept one arm pinned against Kristi's throat, she struggled with her other hand to get her gun. Jarod hurried over and pried it from her hand! Mallory then spun her around and back handed her! Kristi went flying onto the floor! Jarod stepped in front of his wife.
'Are you alright?' he asked, not wanting this thing to escalate.
'You hit me!' Mallory hissed.
'I know that, and I'm sorry, but you can see just how dangerous she was!' Jarod half yelled back. He then turned and pointed the gun down on Kristi.
'I have the feeling you're going to have to sleep with few more female guards.' Jarod said blithely.
Kristi slowly began to stand, her hands up in the air. Mallory reached up and touched her cheek. Jarod glanced over at her.
'If there was anyway to keep you out of this, without hurting you, I would have done it. You know this, don't you?'
Mallory did not answer him. It was not about his hitting her. It was about him cutting her out of the loop! They were a team. If someone threatened one of them, or both of them, they should deal with it together.
'Awww! Jarod, I think you've pissed off your wife! I know how it feels sweetie, believe me! How about you just let me walk out of here, and we can forget all about this?' Kristi cajoled, looking at Mallory.
Mallory moved around Jarod and grinned at Kristi Kincade.
'When you return to prison, and the Ernest Borgnine like matrons, try and have their way with you, don't fight them. Relax and enjoy it.' she hissed, her grin growing wider. Kristi's smirk disappeared. Jarod raised an amused brow, as he reached for the hotel phone to call the police.
****
CIA agent Sidney Bristow, pulled up in the driveway that formerly belonged to Mallory Parker, and was now the residence of one Lyle Parker.
She could not rest, not only knowing that that animal was free, but that he had custody of a child. A three year old one at that!
Her boyfriend, Michael Vaughn, was still trying to find out how that had happened! But for now, Sidney had to know that this little boy named Bobby Parker, was alright.
Sidney got out of her car, and cut across the front lawn, instead of using the walk. She then hurried up onto the porch and rang the bell.
No one seemed to answer for the longest time. Sidney knew someone was there, since an old, beat up looking Volvo was sitting in the drive. And Lyle would not have been caught dead driving one of those.
Sidney began to idly think, that one of the bad parts about her mission to bring down the Centre, was that she knew personal details about a psychopaths car tastes, when the door opened, a cute little boy with dark hair looked up at her. Sidney bent down and smiled.
'Hello,' she said, eyeing the child. Bobby did not look as if he were being mistreated.
'Bobby? Bobby, no! You do not answer the door without me, honey!'
Sidney straightened up abruptly. Who's voice was that? It was some woman!
Sidney felt her stomach drop, as a young, pretty Asian female, about 20, greeted her at the door, picking up Bobby. She smiled a greeting.
'Yes? May I help you?'
Sidney pulled out her CIA credentials, eyeing the girl.
'I'm looking for Lyle Parker.' she said.
The girl continued to smile.
'Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Parker is not in. He's at work. Can I give him a message?'
'The CIA has business with Mr. Parker...nothing to be overly concerned about. You say he's working?' Sidney asked.
'Oh, yes. He works for the IRS.'
Sidney raised a brow. Lyle working for a living was joke enough, but for a government agency? Yeah right!
Sidney tossed some hair.
'I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so personal, but I just assumed Mr. Parker was a stay at home Dad.'
The Asian girl was having a hard time hanging on to Bobby, who seemed hyper.
'Uh, well, I don't know anything about that. I go to Blue Cove University....I needed extra money and answered Mr. Parker's ad to be a nanny to Bobby. He's been really good to me. You know, he told me he decided to hire me, the moment he laid eyes on me.'
Sidney nodded slightly. She just bet Lyle did!
Mallory came out of the bathroom, twenty minutes later. She was somewhat peeved, since Jarod had never joined her in the shower.
He was just getting off of the phone, when she came out. He turned to look at her, giving her a sheepish grin.
'Is the little man gone?' Mallory asked, drying her hair with a towel. She sat down on the bed.
Jarod walked over to her and took the towel from her. He sat down next to her and began drying her hair for her.
'The 'Little Man's' name was Mr. Fitzpatrick, and yes, he is gone.'
'Good.' Mallory said, as Jarod continued to rub her head. She was beginning to feel drowsy.
Jarod suddenly stopped, let go of the towel and stood up. Mallory refrained from sighing. She sensed some sort of lecture/big revelation coming up. She looked up at him expectantly. He stood in the middle of the room.
'That man works for a woman named Kristi Kincade.' he said.
Mallory began drying her hair again. She then dropped the towel, stood up and walked into the bathroom. She was looking for a hairdryer. She did not answer Jarod.
'Did you hear what I said?' he asked in a tight voice.
Mallory found the hairdryer and returned to the bedroom. She sat back down on the bed and looked for an outlet.
'You're angry, aren't you? That's why you're getting ready to turn that thing on while I'm talking, correct?'
Mallory dropped the hairdryer.
'Jarod, you're obviously going to tell me that this woman is a vengeful Pretend or something, right? I mean the name means nothing to me. She hires some sleaze to take pictures of us during our most intimate moments...please, just please tell me you don't want to perform a Pretend on this broad, on our honeymoon?'
Jarod walked back over to her.
'We can't just leave it like this. And you're right. She was a Pretend, but it's more complicated than that. I had feelings for this woman. It was hard for me to believe that she would be so murderous.'
Feelings? God, how Mallory now wished she had done more than skimmed Jarod's red notebooks! Now she wanted to know what this 'Chrissy' looked like!
Mallory stood up.
'So, did this woman have feelings for you too? Is that what all of this is really all about?'
'I sent her to jail and Kristi never really cared for me. She only used me to serve a purpose.' Jarod said, closing the gap between the two of them. He then told her something else.
'Mallory, she is in the room next to ours.'
'What?!'
Jarod reached out to touch her shoulders.
'This is my mess and I will clean it up.'
'No.'
'Mallory...'
'No, I will take care of this woman.' Mallory insisted, pulling away from him. She then walked over to the closet.
'She murdered her husband and tried to kill me! You are not confronting her alone!'
Mallory pulled out a tanktop and a pair of thin white pants. She had never liked shorts. She looked over at Jarod.
'Look, I'm going to take it, that this woman got some sort of early parole or something. She's not going to take the chance of going back to prison. And she probably doesn't know that that creep she hired, told us everything. She just wanted to humiliate us, that's all. I'll be right next door! But I want this heifer to know that there are two of us now. So, I am going over there.'
Jarod said nothing. He knew from many years of experience, that there was no stopping his wife when she put her mind to something. But, he decided to use the occasion to say something else.
'I will agree to this, if you agree to something in return.' Jarod said, eyeing her.
Mallory dropped her robe and began changing clothes in front of him. She smiled devilishly at him. She always loved the look on his face when he saw her naked. It was like a little boy who was seeing his first naked woman. That and the desire that seemed to always be there on his face... and in his eyes. A woman couldn't ask for more than that.
'Yes, I will be careful.' she answered, looking around for a pair of sandals, once she had put on a pair of underwear with the pants.
'No, that's not what I meant. I know you're going to be careful. But...when we return from Hawaii, I want you to agree to let me talk to my father about Brian, alone.'
Mallory stared at him. This was the second time he had asked to see his father alone about their son. Why?
'Why?' she asked.
'I just think that it would be better, after what happened at our reception, if I spoke with my father alone.'
Mallory looked away. Jarod thought she was too emotional about Brian. She couldn't help it. She felt like their chance to raise him was slipping away before their very eyes.
She nodded her assent.
'Alright, fine. But if your father and this woman he's living with, do not agree to relinquish custody, I'm going to Alaska myself.'
Jarod held up his hands in a surrendering motion. Mallory threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She then stopped, wiped her lipstick off of his face, then turned to leave.
'Mallory?'
She turned back to him, smiling. By then it was too late. Jarod's fist connected with her face. As she went limp, Jarod picked her up, kissing her semi-wet hair.
'I am so sorry...you are going to be just fine. And when this is over, we are going to spend all day on the beach so we can finally get you tan!' he coddled her, laying her unconscious form on the bed. He had never had any intention of allowing her to face Kristi Kincade alone. And while he would bet on his wife, hands down to win in a fair fight with Kristi, Kristi didn't know anything about fighting fair. Knocking Mallory out, was the only way to keep her from getting hurt.
Jarod cast one last glance down at Mallory, before his thoughts drifted to the phone call he had made, while Mallory had been in the shower. He had called Sydney and Michelle, to check in on Abigail. Michelle had told him that Sydney was out of town. That was the last thing Jarod wanted to hear, specifically with Lyle free.
But Michelle assured him that his cousin, CIA agent, Sidney Bristow, had arranged for her and his daughter to be under watch, 24/7. While Jarod was somewhat mollified by this knowledge and grateful to his cousin, he wanted to know where Sydney had gone?
Michelle casually provided the answer...at least the answer she thought was correct. Once Jarod heard 'Alaska', he knew what Sydney was up to. And he didn't like it.
Jarod punched some numbers on his cell phone.
****
Meanwhile, Sydney was sitting at the airport, staring into space, when his cell phone rang He pulled it out of his jacket pocket.
'This is Sydney.' he answered.
'Sydney, it's Jarod. Tell me you didn't confront my father?'
Sydney did not answer. That scared Jarod more than annoyed him.
'What did you learn?' Jarod asked quietly, looking back at Mallory on the bed. She was still knocked out.
'It's worse than I thought. Catherine Parker is alive. She is living with your father. And your son, clearly thinks of the two of them as his parents.'
Jarod rubbed a hand on his chin.
'Well, we suspected that. Why are things worse?'
Sydney cleared his throat first.
'I confronted them, Jarod. And they want to see both Mallory and you to explain themselves. They claim there are things you need to understand.'
'But you don't believe that?' Jarod asked.
'Jarod, Catherine told me that Lyle is not her son.'
Jarod looked back over at Mallory, then lowered his voice some.
'What do you mean? We've seen the DSA's of his birth...I matched his DNA with my wife's...'
'He is Mr. Parker's son by some other woman. But not Mallory's twin.'
'So, there is another missing twin out there somewhere? Sydney, you're telling me that the other baby Catherine Parker delivered after Mallory, was not Lyle?'
Sydney sighed.
'Yes. But the child was returned to Catherine, by Raines, in exchange for her giving up her rights to Mallory and Ethan. Jarod, the mess this is going to cause...Ethan, Lyle, Mallory...the deception...'
'That's the Centre.' Jarod said quietly. 'This other child...was a boy?'
'A girl. An identical twin. Jarod, do you see why this is such dangerous territory?'
'What are you saying?'
'Maybe you should leave this whole thing alone. Maybe you should leave Brian with your father. I firmly believe that Mallory should never, ever learn of this.'
Jarod said nothing for a moment. He then spoke.
'I have to go. I will meet with my father and Catherine Parker alone. I'll see what she has to say for herself. But now with this twin sister thing, I just don't see how we can avoid telling her the truth.'
'Let me be there, when you do this...please, Jarod.'
Jarod nodded.
'Fine. We'll make the trip together. I have to go. Goodbye, Sydney.' he said, before hanging up his cellphone. He closed his eyes briefly. Damn! More than anything now, he wanted an explanation from his father and 'mother-in-law' about their lies and deceptions!
Jarod cast one final glance over at Mallory, walking over to her. He touched her cheek briefly, before turning and walking towards the door. He opened it. Mr. Fitzpatrick was sitting on the floor in the hall. He was also dead. A bullet hole adorned the middle of his forehead.
Jarod looked around the hallway carefully, before stepping out into it. The killer must have used a silencer, since he, and apparently no one else, had heard a gunshot.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was propped up against a wall, next to someone's room door. That door opened, and Jarod looked into the face of Kristi Kincade, holding a gun with a silencer on it. Jarod could also caught a glimpse of someone sprawled onto the floor, behind Kristi.
'I thought you were next door.' Jarod said calmly.
'I didn't like that room. I decided to get another one.' she responded just as calmly, leveling her gun at him.
Jarod looked pointedly at the body behind her, in her 'new' room.
'I take it the real guest wasn't so cooperative?'
Kristi reached down, grabbed a fist full of Mr. Fitzpatrick's hair, and quickly dragged the man into the room, still keeping an eye, and her gun on Jarod. She didn't pull him in far, before stepping over him and out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.
'Luck has really been with me, Jarod. That rat fink photographer I hired, confessed that he had been caught, thus eliminating the problem of my having to pay him. I have been pressed for funds since my incarceration at your hands. Those pictures would have went for quite a sweet price with some tabloid. And another lucky thing: no one has shown up in the hallway here. Now, get in there.' she ordered, cocking the gun towards him.
Jarod backed back into his and Mallory's room. Kristi walked in and slammed the door. She glanced over at Mallory's prone form on the bed. Her cheek was beginning to swell. Kristi smiled.
'Jarod...you naughty boy! Beating the wife already? And the media had you painted as the 'Golden Boy/Messiah', running around and sticking your nose in things that didn't concern you, all while on the run. Oh, Jarod, if only those Centre people had caught you before you ruined my life!'
Jarod glanced at Mallory out of the corner of his eye, before focusing on Kristi. His hands were up.
'I thought arson was your specialty, Kristi? I never would've taken you as a shooter.'
Kristi smiled.
'It still is. You see, taking dirty pictures of your beloved and you, wasn't the only thing I hired the late Mr. Fitzpatrick to do.' she answered, grinning from ear to ear. She then eased around Jarod, still pointing the gun at him.
'Mr. Fitzpatrick left a little surprise for us on the balcony out there. Now, I am just going to ease out there and get it. Any sudden moves from you, Jarod, and I won't shoot you, but your poor, unconscious wife over there. Are we clear?'
'Crystal.' Jarod hissed, feeling helpless. What surprise on the balcony? There was really nothing out there, except for that potted palm tree...
Jarod watched as Kristi eased out onto the balcony backwards, then reached behind the plant. There was a small duffle bag behind it. Jarod shook his head. How had he missed a duffle bag?!
Kristi came back in off of the balcony, carrying the bag and still cocking the gun at him. She set it down on a nearby table and began rooting through it, all the while, keeping an eye on Jarod. She soon pulled out a very small can of lighter fluid, and a lighter.
Jarod eyed her. He was hoping she would have to set the gun down, at least for a moment, to spread the accelerant, but she seemed very handy with holding a gun, and preparing to murder them.
Kristi began to pour the lighter fluid in a circle around Jarod and stopping at the door. So, basically, she had begun close to the balcony door, then behind Jarod, ending at the exit. Only one problem: Kristi had the gun, and the lighter fluid, but the lighter, had been left on the table near the balcony.
Jarod realized he only had one chance to save himself and Mallory. And yes, it was likely that Kristi would shoot him before he could reach the lighter.
Kristi realized her mistake as well, and dropped the can with a thud, by the front door. She then slowly began to ease back towards him. Her plan was to slide past him, while still holding the gun on him, and get the lighter, THEN ease past him again, so she could get to the door and light the fire. Jarod wasn't about to let that happen.
'Don't even think about trying anything.' she said, as she moved past him, towards the lighter. Only this time, she moved so that she would be inside the circle of fire. That also meant that she had her back to the bed.
Mallory had come back to the world of the living, a few minutes ago, and from just one quick peek, had been able to ascertain that if Jarod had just let her confront this bitch, what was happening now, would not be happening!
Jarod saw his wife rise up from the bed, then slide off of it, but did not indicate to Kristi with his eyes, that this was going on. She began to talk as she moved past him, her back still to the bed. Her hand was reaching out towards the lighter.
'I know you don't believe this, but my trying to kill you before was nothing personal. I was in a bad situation. You came along at a bad time. If things had been different...'
'Tell me, how did you like prison?' Jarod asked, ignoring her soliloquy. Mallory had hurried to move behind Kristi.
'Yeah, I knew you would just love the idea of my being a play thing for those she-male guards! I had to have sex with three of them! You humiliated me! I was going to humiliate you! Now, because things have gone wrong, because of you, yet again, I'll have to kill you and your new bride.'
Mallory grabbed her from behind, startling her! While she kept one arm pinned against Kristi's throat, she struggled with her other hand to get her gun. Jarod hurried over and pried it from her hand! Mallory then spun her around and back handed her! Kristi went flying onto the floor! Jarod stepped in front of his wife.
'Are you alright?' he asked, not wanting this thing to escalate.
'You hit me!' Mallory hissed.
'I know that, and I'm sorry, but you can see just how dangerous she was!' Jarod half yelled back. He then turned and pointed the gun down on Kristi.
'I have the feeling you're going to have to sleep with few more female guards.' Jarod said blithely.
Kristi slowly began to stand, her hands up in the air. Mallory reached up and touched her cheek. Jarod glanced over at her.
'If there was anyway to keep you out of this, without hurting you, I would have done it. You know this, don't you?'
Mallory did not answer him. It was not about his hitting her. It was about him cutting her out of the loop! They were a team. If someone threatened one of them, or both of them, they should deal with it together.
'Awww! Jarod, I think you've pissed off your wife! I know how it feels sweetie, believe me! How about you just let me walk out of here, and we can forget all about this?' Kristi cajoled, looking at Mallory.
Mallory moved around Jarod and grinned at Kristi Kincade.
'When you return to prison, and the Ernest Borgnine like matrons, try and have their way with you, don't fight them. Relax and enjoy it.' she hissed, her grin growing wider. Kristi's smirk disappeared. Jarod raised an amused brow, as he reached for the hotel phone to call the police.
****
CIA agent Sidney Bristow, pulled up in the driveway that formerly belonged to Mallory Parker, and was now the residence of one Lyle Parker.
She could not rest, not only knowing that that animal was free, but that he had custody of a child. A three year old one at that!
Her boyfriend, Michael Vaughn, was still trying to find out how that had happened! But for now, Sidney had to know that this little boy named Bobby Parker, was alright.
Sidney got out of her car, and cut across the front lawn, instead of using the walk. She then hurried up onto the porch and rang the bell.
No one seemed to answer for the longest time. Sidney knew someone was there, since an old, beat up looking Volvo was sitting in the drive. And Lyle would not have been caught dead driving one of those.
Sidney began to idly think, that one of the bad parts about her mission to bring down the Centre, was that she knew personal details about a psychopaths car tastes, when the door opened, a cute little boy with dark hair looked up at her. Sidney bent down and smiled.
'Hello,' she said, eyeing the child. Bobby did not look as if he were being mistreated.
'Bobby? Bobby, no! You do not answer the door without me, honey!'
Sidney straightened up abruptly. Who's voice was that? It was some woman!
Sidney felt her stomach drop, as a young, pretty Asian female, about 20, greeted her at the door, picking up Bobby. She smiled a greeting.
'Yes? May I help you?'
Sidney pulled out her CIA credentials, eyeing the girl.
'I'm looking for Lyle Parker.' she said.
The girl continued to smile.
'Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Parker is not in. He's at work. Can I give him a message?'
'The CIA has business with Mr. Parker...nothing to be overly concerned about. You say he's working?' Sidney asked.
'Oh, yes. He works for the IRS.'
Sidney raised a brow. Lyle working for a living was joke enough, but for a government agency? Yeah right!
Sidney tossed some hair.
'I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so personal, but I just assumed Mr. Parker was a stay at home Dad.'
The Asian girl was having a hard time hanging on to Bobby, who seemed hyper.
'Uh, well, I don't know anything about that. I go to Blue Cove University....I needed extra money and answered Mr. Parker's ad to be a nanny to Bobby. He's been really good to me. You know, he told me he decided to hire me, the moment he laid eyes on me.'
Sidney nodded slightly. She just bet Lyle did!