CHAPTER 2
CONVERSATIONS BY FIRE LIGHT
Febuary 24, 2003
8:24pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker's Home
"And then I told him that it was still you run I chase; and he hung up." She had told him everything. From the search for the scrolls and Jarod's mother, to the Parker graveyard, to the almost kiss, to her father jumping out of the plane. "How do you do it Syd? How do you pretend you don't notice the evils that occur there?"
"One day at a time Parker. I keep an eye out for my friends and family, and at night I face my demons."
"How reassuring Syd." She said sarcastically.
"Why don't you leave Parker? Whit your father gone there is nothing left to keep you here."
"That's where you're wrong Freud. There's you, Broots, Sam, and my baby brother."
"How is your brother?"
"Every since Da- Mr. Parker died, I'm the only one that visits him. I've been trying to gain custody of him every since Raines tried to use him in an experiment. Thank God Sam found out in time."
"Raines wont be pleased" The doctor said with a smirk.
"Good, Peter is not some sort of lab rat. I want let the Centre turn my little brother in to another Jarod. He deserves a proper home. A family."
"Are we still talking about your baby brother or Jarod?" Miss. Parker looked at him but said nothing. "Well Parker it's late and I must be heading home. I am not as young as I once was so I do need a good nights rest." Sydney said standing up.
"Goodnight Sydney, thanks for listing."
"Any time mon cherie."
Two hours later Parker laid down on her bed. She hoped that tonight she would sleep peacefully. In the month since she had returned from Carthis, she had not slept for more than five hours. Her dreams were haunted by the visions of her mother lying dead in the elevator, and her father jumping out of the airplane.
It didn't help matters that she had grown accustom to Jarod's two am phone calls. Every so often Parker would awake expecting to her the ringing of the phone. Yet Jarod had not called since she laid down the rules for the game. Since she had ignored the turning point he offered her. Jarod had even gone as far as to stop leaving clues. For the past moth Jarod had been incommunicado. Despite herself Parker was worried. She was afraid that the pretender had finally given up on.
That night like many of her other nights since Parker returned from Carthis Parker fell asleep with her head filled with thoughts of Jarod.