Disclaimer: see chapter one

Author's Note: Wow. So many reviews for one chapter! That's so great. Due to the many reviews, I decided to speed this up a bit and get you a new chapter far earlier than I had planned to do. Thank you all for the reviews and I hope you will tell me what you think about this chapter as well!!!

Thanks first:

gemini006007: Yep, fun is over, now the real story starts! Thanks for the review and now enjoy this chapter.

Mfkngst: Well, thank you for these compliments. It's always great to hear that the work is appreciated (especially the passage that you think I have a good way to work with words is great to hear when you are no native speaker). Thanks for that!!! I'm also very glad that you like the story so far. Thanks that you took the time to review not only the last part but also two more in between! Thanks and now go on reading and have fun with this part.

Grace: Thanks for the compliments. Glad you are obviously enjoying the story. Hope this update was fast enough *grins*. Thanks for the feedback and now go on reading.

Ann: He wouldn't hang up on her, now would he?!?! Won't keep you from seeing what happens next any longer. Thanks for the review and have fun with this chapter.

Katherine: These and other questions will be answered somewhere in the story… maybe *grins*. Thanks for the review and now enjoy part 5.

Sango2: Yeah, I'm already coming with the update. Hope it was fast enough *smile*. Thanks for your review and now… enjoy.

Leochick: Well, it's not like I didn't think about letting Jarod turn away but it never really was an option *shrugs*. Thanks for the review and enjoy this chapter.

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The Call Part 5

Walking into lion's den

He silently entered the vent system on sublevel 21. He had slowly made his way through the Centre's air vents. His journey had been undetected so far.

After receiving Parker's call he had immediately left the west coast where he had been working on a pretend as a lawyer defending an innocent man.

Luckily he had finished the pretend that day. He hadn't planned on leaving the city that fast but Parker had taken away his indecision.

He had hurried over to the east coast where he holed up close to Blue Cove. Some years ago, he had bought a small apartment under a false name. He had often used it when he was close to the Centre again. Either when leaving a gift for Parker or just to get away from the Centre's clutches for some time.

This close to Blue Cove was the last place they would have suspected him to be so he had always been relatively safe here.

Today had been spent with preparing everything for his mission; studying the maps once more – even though he already knew the Centre as good as the back of his own hand – and studying the security measures and so on.

He could move within the Centre without closed eyes by now.

Years of creeping through the air vents together with Parker and Angelo in their youth also helped a great deal.

Apropos Angelo; Jarod wondered slightly why the emphat had yet to make his appearance. Normally when Jarod ventured into the Centre, his old friend would turn up somewhere in the first sublevel's air vents next to him. Angelo would then lead Jarod further into the Centre.

It wasn't really a case of leading the pretender through the maze of tunnels, Jarod was capable of doing so alone, but rather a form of keeping up the old friendship. Jarod was always glad to have Angelo close to him during his journeys through the Centre.

Not that the emphat could do much but Jarod was savouring in the feel of the old, sometimes odd friendship towards the man nonetheless.

But even now, when he arrived on SL 22, Angelo didn't turn up.

Jarod frowned for a short moment but then kept going. Maybe Angelo was with Parker and the team, investigating the latest hints on his whereabouts.

Jarod silently turned left towards where he knew the boy was held. He kept on crawling through the vents towards his destination.

The air vent opening in the boy's room was screwed shut and he wouldn't be able to turn it loose. That much had quickly become clear after studying the information Parker had sent.

Due to that, Jarod had to use the nearest opening to the boy's room. That made his quest slightly more difficult. He had to use one of the vents outside Master Parker's room and then head on towards the room in the corridors. He had to fool the security cameras and get the code for the boy's room.

After getting to the boy's room, he also had to make his way back to the safety of the vents. That requested a good timing so that he wouldn't encounter any of the sweepers patrolling the corridors.

On his way out he would also have to carry the child in a backpack he had brought with him for that purpose.

Jarod screwed the gate closest to his destination open and then waited before opening the cover to slide out.

He surveyed the corridor through the vent's gate.

When everything was clear, he quietly opened the gate and jumped out, going down in a near crouch. Leaving the vent slightly ajar, not enough to attract attention but enough so that he would get it open from the corridor, he swiftly moved on.

Putting the cameras on a frozen picture with an electronic devise when he approached, he quickly came to the little child's room.

Opening the door wasn't a problem and so he quickly slipped into the room.

The boy looked up at him with big eyes. Jarod approached the small bed, his features softening.

"Hey, little man. I'm gonna get you out of here now", he murmured softly.

The boy crocked his head and held Jarod's gaze.

Giving the boy a mild sedative so that he wouldn't get frightened in the backpack wasn't a problem either.

The whole action in the child's room took merely a few minutes, and then Jarod was on his way out again.

Slipping out of the room and making his way towards the vent he had left only minutes ago, Jarod heard soft footsteps in the distance. He listened while moving towards his entrance. It weren't many pairs of foot, not enough to frighten the pretender that anyone had gotten a hunch of his actions. That were most certainly the guards on their round through the sublevel.

Jarod rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks.

Five sweepers were blocking the path towards the vent's opening.

Jarod swallowed. Adrenalin was suddenly searing through his body. While his mind still took in the situation, his instinct took over, screaming at him that he could think later. Now was the time to react and not to think.

Jarod turned on his heel and headed back the corridor he had just come from. Turning another corner before even getting to the boy's room, Jarod speed through the Centre's hallways.

He could hear footsteps behind him.

This time there were enough of them to frighten him. His only chance now was that he knew the layout of the sublevel without having to think about it.

He raced through corridors, taking turns to the right and then to the left.

Nonetheless, the sweepers were slowly gaining on him. He was fit but he had a small boy on his back.

He had to get out of here soon.

Rounding another corner and racing, he quickly thought about the nearest vent entrance. He accelerated once more, knowing that he had to get some more distance between himself and the sweepers to be able to make it into the vent before they had reached him, Jarod took all his strength together.

He was only one more corner from the vent away, when an extra troop of sweepers appeared from another corridor.

Jarod swore and turned again. He was in a half trap now. There was only one more vent at the end of the corridor.

He accelerated again, not knowing where the strength came from, and raced towards the last corner.

With trembling hands he unscrewed the vents cover and was about to get in when he heard several guns being crocked behind him.

"Turn around, Jarod", a voice ordered.

Jarod closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He knew that he wouldn't get out of here, not without a miracle.

He relaxed his face to appear calm and superior and then slowly turned.

How he managed not to jump out of his skin he was not quite sure later.

At least fifteen sweepers were blocking the corridor. Some had their guns levelled at him. In front of the sweepers, Lyle was standing with a smug grin on his face.

"Wanted to go without saying hello?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Jarod didn't reply. He was partially trying to get his breathing under control and keeping back a vicious statement that would bring him nowhere. He settled on saving his breath.

"How very rude of you, don't you think so, too Mr. Cox?" Lyle asked, turning halfway round.

In that moment, some of the sweepers stepped aside, making room for the strange Mr. Cox.

Jarod nearly gasped loudly when he saw who came with Cox.

The brunette stood next to the man, looking at Jarod.

"Yes, very much so", Cox answered Lyle's former question.

Jarod didn't keep track of the paradox conversation around him. Lyle and Cox were speaking to each other as if they just met on a Sunday evening walk, talking about the weather. His mind registered that for possible further use but his attention was elsewhere.

His eyes locked with those of Miss Parker.

"Hands up so we can see them. Don't make any quick moves or you will get a bullet somewhere in your body", Lyle turned back towards the pretender, his tone cooling down some more degrees.

Jarod's gaze snapped back towards the man.

He put up a short fight when the sweepers approached him. For once he was hindered by the bundle on his back and then he knew that he needed to save energy. He wouldn't get out of this corridor as it was and so he just fought for show, saving his energy for the fights to come.

To be continued…

Again, I'm evil. Did I surprise you? I suppose you didn't think the chapter would end like that with Jarod being captured. There are a lot of questions now.

I know that but it's late - after midnight - and I have to get up at seven in the morning so this is all that I can do for you and to be honest,

The chapter was planned that way

Hehehehehe. Wait for the next one to see what will happen!

Oh, and don't forget to send reviews.