Chapter 35

Jarod walked over and motioned for Ethan to give him Abigail. That had been a disturbing moment just now. For it told him that even though Abigail was quite young, she knew something was amiss and was missing Mallory.

He took his daughter from Ethan, then turned towards the woman that would indeed be his 'sister-in-law'.

'Hello, Melanie. My name is Jarod. I'm your brother-in-law.' he said, holding his daughter with one arm and putting out his hand with the other.

Melanie looked at him, then at Abigail, before focusing in on him again. She took her hand in his.

'Hello, Jarod. You already know who I am...much like everyone else.' she said, her voice tinged with a trace of bitterness. Catherine Parker stepped forward.

'Honey, I know you're tired...'

Melanie turned away from Jarod and Abigail, and quickly and focused in on her mother.

'Mother, I just want this whole thing to be over with. Now, who are we supposed to talk to around here?' she asked. Sidney stepped forward.

'I'll be questioning you. Come this way.' she said, glancing at Jarod briefly, before walking off with Mallory's twin. Catherine looked concerned. Ethan and Jarod approached their father.

'She looks as if she's been through the mill.' Ethan observed.

'Of course she has,' Jarod said, his tone tinged with bitterness, 'you would be too if you had been lied to your entire life.'

Major Charles sighed heavily.

'Jarod, Ethan...please, not now. We've all been through a lot.'

'Maybe if you had just leveled with us about what you were going through, this wouldn't have been so hard on you.' Jarod remarked. Catherine stepped forward.

'We couldn't....my ex-husband would've killed Melanie.'

Jarod eyed her.

'Somehow, I doubt that. I mean let's face it, in many ways, Mr. Parker was duped as well And he really isn't your ex husband, is he? The two of you are still married, making whatever it is you have with my father, even more grotesque.'

'I'll have to second that. But, now that everyone's alive, maybe you can get a divorce from Mr. Parker?' Ethan suggested sarcastically.

Nicholas joined them. He looked at Jarod and Ethan.

'What just happened? Who was that woman? Does she have something to do with my mother's murder? My father's kidnapping?'

Jarod gave Nicholas a sympathetic glance.

'Yes and no. Look, it's already been decided that Vaughn, Sidney and I are going to Carthis. We'll get your father and Mallory back.'

'Carthis? That's where he's been taken? Why?'

Vaughn walked over to them. He looked at Nicholas.

'Nick, we need your statement. I need to know how many people were in the house and who you saw kill your mother.'

'Oh, I know who it was alright,' Nicholas said, his voice hard, 'it was Lyle. And I want to come with you to catch the sonofabitch!'

Vaughn eyed Jarod briefly, before putting a hand on Nicholas's shoulder.

'Let's just get your statement, okay?' Vaughn said and walked away with the young man. He was a little peeved with Jarod. He knew this was a hard time and all, but he shouldn't have told Nicholas anything about Carthis...at least not yet. And, he could not come with them, something Jarod knew as well. It was just going to make things harder.

Jarod, for his part, caught the disapproving look Vaughn had given him, but didn't care. He wasn't going to lie to Sydney's son about anything.

'What is this about Carthis?' Major Charles asked. Jarod didn't answer his father, as his eyes fell upon the glass window that Melanie was being interrogated in. Somehow, the blonde hair made her look less like Mallory.

'Jarod?' Major Charles asked. Catherine was staring at Abigail.

'Jarod, why don't you let me hold onto Abigail there, while...'

But Jarod handed his daughter to Ethan, who held her protectively away from Catherine. Catherine licked her lips.

'How long do you plan to keep me from my grandchildren, Jarod?'

Jarod clenched his fists together! This woman was impossible!

'Do you even care how Mallory is? You know, I noticed that Melanie over there can barely stand the sight of you. People don't like liars, Catherine!'

Catherine was about to say something, when Major Charles cut in.

'You don't think that we were right to keep Melanie's past from her? Do you really think that Mr. Parker would've meant her any good at all?'

'I think that she should've been watching her back from the time she was a little girl. Then she could've prepared herself in someway, when she was kidnapped. But it looks to me as if she's learned what she should've known from her 'father', Raines and her brother, Lyle. Oh, and of course Brigitte....'

'Oh stop it!' Catherine almost screamed. 'I did the best I could here! When they snatched Melanie, they told me to get Bobby and bring him to that awful woman! I did what I had to do to save my daughter's life!'

Jarod walked up to her.

'And maybe, if you had confided in us about Bobby's whereabouts, and the fact that Brigitte was missing, your OTHER daughter...who just happens to be my wife, might not be missing!'

Ethan put a hand on Jarod's shoulder, while still holding Abigail. He turned and glanced at Brian briefly, who was now standing far away, but was still watching the whole thing. His expression was one of sadness.

'I'm sorry, Jarod.' Major Charles said, putting an arm around Catherine.

'Have you heard anything? Anything at all?' Catherine asked, as tears ran down her face, smearing her make-up. Some of the strange stripes that adorned her face, began to reveal themselves.

'Yes, Catherine, we know that Mallory has been given a drug so that she believes that she is still working for the Centre. She also believes she's still hunting me down. She seems to have no memory at all of Brian or Abigail.'

Catherine gasped and began to sob outright. Major Charles looked down for a moment, then looked at his sons.

'Jarod, this is a time for family.'

'You're just getting that now?' Ethan said.

'I've always understood that, Ethan. My point is this: the kids need to be protected. It sounds as if the Centre is being started up again. If Mallory thinks she's hunting you, then Mr. Parker and Raines are going to want Brian and Abigail as well....probably you too, Ethan. Let us keep Brian and Abigail with us.'

'I think you know what the answer to that is.' Jarod said. His eyes fell upon the glass window again, where Sidney was questioning Melanie. Melanie looked agitated.

Major Charles did not respond. He looked over at Brian, and walked away to talk to him. Ethan bounced Abigail around.

'I think I'm going to see if anyone around her has any juice for this little one.' he said. Jarod looked from Melanie to Abigail and touched her little hand. He just nodded tiredly. Ethan walked off with Abigail then, leaving him alone with Catherine Parker.

'She's beautiful.' Catherine noted.

'Yes, my daughter is.'

'Actually, I was referring to MY daughter, Melanie.'

Jarod sighed heavily and turned to walk away. He was feeling antsy and wanted to know when they could get moving so they could rescue Mallory and Sydney.

'Jarod, please! Don't walk away. I think there's some things that you should know about Melanie.'

Jarod stopped and turned around to face his mother-in-law.

'Alright, say what you have to say and then leave me alone.'

Catherine cleared her throat.

'No, I did not adequately prepare Melanie for this day. A day where she might have to face someone from the Centre. But despite that, she grew up relatively well adjusted. She went to college, got her Bachelors, then moved to New York to pursue a career in public relations. Then...then she met her husband, Len.'

'Melanie is married?' Jarod asked, his eyes falling upon her again through the glass window.

'Was married. Her husband and little girl...my granddaughter, Cassie, were killed in a plane crash...about two years ago. It has been hard for Melanie to just pick up the pieces of her life...and now this.'

Jarod stared at his wife's twin. He had felt her sadness, when he first shook her hand. But, he had mistaken it for shock over her recent ordeal.

'What I'm saying is, try not to be too hard on her. Jarod, your father and I are good at hiding. We can protect Ethan, Brian and Abigail.'

Jarod turned to face Catherine. 'First of all, why the hell would I be hard on someone who's innocent in this whole thing? Catherine, I have no intentions of blaming Melanie for anything! As per the norm, my father and you used poor judgment! You should have come to Mallory and I the minute Melanie was kidnapped! Or better yet called Sidney and Vaughn! None of this had to go as far as it did! Now, because of you...Michelle is dead! Sydney's wife that he's waited a lifetime to be with is gone! And my children will be fine here within the confines of the CIA! Look, just get out of my sight, okay?' Jarod snapped and began to walk off, towards Melanie's interrogation room.

Sidney suddenly walked out and closed the door. She jumped when she saw her cousin so nearby.

'Jarod! I'm glad you're here. I spoke with Melanie and did she have a doozy of a story to tell. The short of it is this: Mr. Parker's original plan was to train her so that she could bring in both Mallory and you.'

'What?!'

Sidney nodded.

'Melanie, not knowing what her real past is, or anything much about the Centre, thought Mr. Parker was just some demented old man. Raines creeped her out and Lyle....she said Lyle made sexual overtures towards her.'

'Why am I not surprised?!' Jarod snapped bitterly.

'Believe me, I wasn't either. But, she survived. She also wants to help you, Jarod.'

Jarod raised a brow.

'Help, how?'

'We think the way to get you back inside the Centre, is to have Melanie bring you in. Melanie will pretend as if she wants to become part of this place. Meanwhile, you can work on Mallory's memory and see if Sidney is okay. We already have informants that have infiltrated the place. Believe me, we'll make sure your stay isn't like what it used to be.'

'I'm not concerned with that. If my wife was drugged then I can 'work on her' until the cows come home. I need the drug that will reverse her memory. Your mother had it.'

Sidney looked at him with confusion.

'My mother?'

'Yes, back when her and Arvin Sloane were running the Centre. She sort of burst into our hiding place and injected Mallory with something. Suddenly Mallory remembered everything.'

'Okay, well, wouldn't Sydney know what this drug was as well? Maybe he'll know how to cure Mallory?'

'I don't want to take the chance that what we need is not there within those walls. Could you contact your mother anyway?'

Sidney did not look thrilled at the prospect. Jarod put his hands on her shoulders.

'Sid, I know how you feel, believe me I do.'

'Jarod, the woman is a fugitive! I wouldn't know how to contact her.'

'What about your father? He's really good at finding people that like to stay hidden. Do you think you could ask him?'

Sidney just nodded. Jarod hugged her and Sidney put her arms around him as well. She then broke it off.

'Okay, that's settled. I'm still a little apprehensive on Melanie. I just don't see her pulling this off.'

'Let me talk to her.' Jarod suggested. Sidney shrugged.

'Be my guest. I need to question your father and Catherine Parker.'

'They're around here somewhere, chomping at the bit to steal my children, as per the norm.'

'They're inside CIA headquarters now. That isn't about to happen.' Sidney said firmly and walked off. Jarod turned and walked towards the interrogation room. He found himself wanting to know WHY Melanie would want to help him.

****

CARTHIS- CENTRE

'Why did we move our headquarters here?' Mallory asked, feeling all the more unnerved, but not knowing why.

Lyle moved past her and set a briefcase down.

'I told you already! Things weren't safe anymore in Blue Cove.'

Mallory knocked the briefcase off of the table!

'Yes, I know what you told me. I actually need the truth now. Why are we here? And who is that kid Brigitte keeps slobbering over?'

'That's her nephew!'

'Oh, right! And where is Sydney? Where did you take him?'

'To a cell! Until he starts acting like a member of the Centre team, he won't be any use to us up here!'

Lyle then stalked off. Mallory threw up her hands in disgust. Her father then walked in. She hurried up to him.

'Daddy, I need to know what this plan is? How are we going to trap Jarod?'

'Well, Angel, he's going to come here and we'll trap him, as simple as that.'

'But Daddy, you said he was going to come here because of me? That makes no sense! When he sees me he runs! That's how things work.'

Mr. Parker put his hands on Mallory's shoulders and kissed her cheek.

'That was the past. Things are different now.'

Mallory's voice broke from frustration!

'How, Daddy? How are things different? And I want to know who that child is that Brigitte is taking care of!'

'Honey, that's your little brother, Bobby.'

Mallory lurched away from him!

'What the hell are you talking about?! When did Brigitte have your baby?! You just got married!'

'Angel, you've been sick...you've had memory lapses...we've been worried.'

Mallory began to back away.

'How big a memory lapse?'

'What?'

'You heard me, Daddy! How long are these blackouts? Long enough that maybe, just maybe, Sydney was telling me the truth?!'

'Angel, you have never been involved with Jarod! You know better than anyone else what utter nonsense that is!' Privately though, Mr. Parker was worried. Once they got their hands on Abigail and Brian, he did not want his daughter to know that those children were hers! She would never understand.

Brigitte walked in carrying Bobby. Mr. Parker looked at her.

'Darling, Mr. Raines is going to take Bobby down to his lab.'

Brigitte shook her head.

'I've changed my mind. I don't want to do it.'

Mallory looked from her to her father.

'Do what? What doesn't she want to do?'

But Mr. Parker ignored his daughter's question and focused in on his wife.

'Brigitte, you know that if we're going to start over here, we need children. Now, I'm sorry, this pains me too....'

Mallory suddenly understood what was happening! She grabbed her father's suit lapel.

'Daddy! You're going to experiment on your own son?! You'd leave him in Raines's hands! You can't!'

The door opened suddenly, and Mallory looked on in horror, as a woman, dressed in a black suit, walked up behind Brigitte, put a gun to the back of her head and shot her dead, all while she was holding Bobby! Mallory hurried over to the already dead Brigitte and pulled the child from her arms! He began to cry.

Mallory turned to her father, unable to believe how cool he looked. She then looked at the woman.

'Who are you? What's going on?'

The woman, still holding her revolver, smiled at Mallory.

'Hello, Mallory. My name is Irina Derevko. I am your father's new wife.'

Mallory stared at the woman, a woman she assumed she had never seen before in her life, as she tried to calm down Bobby. She then watched as this 'Irina', glided into her father's arms. They kissed. Mallory looked away in disgust.