CHAPTER 11
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
February 26, 2003
12:00pm
Dover, Delaware
Dover Town Café
"Ethan!"
"Morgan!" He said with a smile as her got up from his chair, to hug her.
"You look well little brother." She said hugging him.
"You should do that more often, you know." He said.
"What?"
"Smile." He said as he led her to their table. The two siblings spent the next two hours getting reacquainted. They talked mostly of their mother. Parker didn't plan on it but she ended up telling Ethan about Carthis –omitting the almost kiss between her and Jarod-.
"That explains a lot." Ethan said after she had finished her story.
"Really?"
"Yes. Like the fact that Jarod broke up with his girlfriend, Zoë. And why Jarod deiced to drop of the Centers radar for a while."
"How is Jarod?" She asked him.
"He's a bit different. Has been since he came back from Carthis. He's a lot more reserved. Brood's a lot. He reminds me of this television character name Angel."
"How so?"
"They both were black, and brood while they aren't helping the helpless." He said smirking. "Jarod has also found a new obsession. Something called the Black Files."
"The Black Files?" Parker said surprised.
"Yeah. He's been studying them for the past two weeks."
"Jarod warned me to be careful when it came to the black files." She told him.
"I my self don't know much about the Files." Ethan confessed.
"The Black Files are a group of fourteen child pretenders." She explained.
"Well that explains his new obsession."
The two talked for another hour and then said their good byes. Both promised to keep in touch.
CHAPTER 12
HELP
February 27, 2003
9:00am
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
"Miss. Parker." Broots said as she waltzed into the Centre the next day.
"Yes Broots?"
"Mr. Raines wants to see us in his office in half an hour."
"For?" She asked.
"I don't know for what precisely. But I do know that it deals with Jarod."
"Every thing deals with Jarod, Boot's." Said with a sigh as she walked in to her office.
Parker placed her brief case on her desk. She then proceeded to take out the children's files for further study. As she sat down Angelo came barreling through the air vent.
"Bad men, hurt Phoenix! Hurt Little Mouse! Phoenix can only protect her for so long! Need help with babies! You help!" The savant yelled
"Angelo, Angelo" Parker said trying to calm the empath down. "I don't understand. Calm down Angelo. Explain to me what's wrong."
"This explain some." He said thrusting a red file inscribed with a bird at her. Before Parker could ask him any more questions, Angelo disappeared. She sat dumbstruck for a few moments before opening the file.
"Project Phoenix" She said reading the cover of the file. As she opened the file a picture of a boy fell out. Parker gasped when she saw the photo. The boy looked like an older version of Arron and Andros. There were a few differences. Such as the boy's eyes had flecks of gold and his hair was a bit lighter than the triplets were. But it was obvious the four were related.
The resemblance between the four was not the only thing that made Parker gasp. The boy was covered in bruises. All but his face and areas of his body that are not normally covered with clothing were black and blue.
Parked fought the urge to retch as she placed his photo face down. She then began to skim his file. According to his file his name was William. Recently William had begun to show signs of pyrokinesis. The boy was also believed to be one of the Centers top pretenders, second only to Jarod.
"Ring, Ring" the phone ranged, shaking Parker from he thoughts.
"Hello." She said distractedly.
"Miss. Parker? Is something wrong?"
"What? No Jarod?" she said taken aback
"Oh, so you've finally deiced to take my advice and practice your conversation skills."
"Jarod what is project Phoenix? And what dose it have to do with the Black Files?"
Now it was Jarod's turn to be taken aback. "I've never heard of the Phoenix, Miss Parker. But I do know that the youngest of the Black files have been sent to work with a boy named William."
"William is Phoenix." She hissed. "He is also a pyrokinetic with pretender skills second only to yours."
"I have to go."
"Jarod wait! Don't you..." She stopped as she heard the dial tone. "Damn him." She said as she slammed the phone back into its cradle.
"Miss. Parker it's time to go." Broots said sticking his head into her office.
"I'm on my way Broots" Parker placed William's file in her brief case along with the other files. She then places the case in the air vent for safekeeping.
CHAPTER 13
DOESN'T ANYONE STAY DEAD AROUND HERE
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
February 27, 2003
9:30am
She all but fainted when she saw him. "Daddy?"
"Angel you look well." Mr. Parker said smiling. His daughter -along with her collogues- stared at him dumbstruck. "Angel aren't you going to give your father a hug?" Miss. Parker -working on auto pilot- slowly walked over to her father and wrapped her arms around him.
"Daddy I thought that you were dead." She choked out.
"Angel, don't you know nothing can keep a Parker down?" Her father said releasing her from the hug.
"W-Where have you been for the past month daddy? How did you survive the jump? What happened to the scrolls?" She asked.
"Now, now Angel. No need to worry your self about such trivial things. All you need to know is that I'm back and the triumvirate has reinstated me as chairman."
"T-That's wonderful Daddy." She said shaking her head in disbelief.
"That's not all Angel. With me back the Triumvirate has stepped up their search for Jarod. Staring today four new members will be added to your team. There will also be others brought in occasionally for specialized assistance."
"Daddy, the team doesn't need any help."
"Yes they do." Raines rasped. "Though I don't agree with the selection." For the first time since entering the room Parker took notice of her fellow occupants. Lyle, Raines, and Cox all looked equally unhappy. Sydney and Broots were still in shock over her father's sudden appearance. In the right-hand corner behind Sydney and Broots stood Sam. Behind him were four children, William, Arron, Andros and Alex. They all looked as if they wished they could be some place else.
"And just who is suppose to be helping with the hunt Daddy." She asked knowing full and well that it would be the four children and their companions.
"I'm glad you asked Angel. Let me introduce to you the pride of the Centre. Come here you four." The four children walked over to Mr. Parker. William led the way, followed by Andros on Alex's right and Arron on her left. As the children walked over to her father they all cast a weary glance at Lyle. "Angel this is William, Arron, Andros, and Alexandra."
"Um I'm Alexandra sir that's Andros." She spoke quietly looking at her feet.
"Yes well it's so hard to tell you three apart. Now children this is my daughter Miss. Parker, and her collogues Dr. Green and Mr. Boots."
"Broots." Broots replied in the same manner that Alex did.
"Yes that right. Anyhow you four will be helping them assist in the capture of Jarod. Do you understand?" He asked as if he was talking to toddlers instead of four of the smartest people in the world.
"Yes sir" they all replied.
"Children Daddy?"
"Now Angel, I'll have you know that William's IQ is second only to Jarod's. And the triplets IQ is almost as high. All four of them have empathic abilities as well as a bit of Psychic ability"
"Actually Sir." Sam interrupted. "No one is sure what abilities the triplets possess."
"Yes well. Anyhow the children will begin the hunt for Jarod immediately. Angel, Sam here is in charge of the children. If there are any problems – which I doubt there, will be- just let me know. Now lets get you all back to work." He said.
Sydney, Broots, Sam and the children left, as well as Raines, and his cronies. Parker stood for a few moments longer in awe of her father. After a month of absence her father appears out of no where pretending nothing had happened.
"Is something wrong Angel?" he asked looking up from his paper work.
"No daddy, every things just fine." She said forcing a smile. "I'm glad your home."