CHAPTER 22
THE DOMESTIC LIFE
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker's Home
March 1, 2003
6:00am
Parker woke up the next morning in a panic. Alex was gone. "Alex, Alex where are you?" Parker hissed as she walked through the house. Parker noticed that the back door was open and went out to investigate. She found Alex sitting on the patio watching the sunrise.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She said not bothering to turn around.
"It is isn't it. You know it's been along time since I've enjoyed a sun rise."
"Well then enjoy this one with me." the child commanded. Parker happily complied as she sat next to the child. Alex then got up to sit in Parker's lap. The two sat in silence as they watched the sun rise. They didn't even notice Jarod until he cleared his throat.
"Good morning."
"Jarod." Alex cried leaping out of Parker's lap and into Jarod's arms. "Did ya miss me?" She inquired.
"Of course I did." He replied. "Alex why don't you go and get in the bath and get dressed while I make breakfast." He told the child setting her down on the ground.
"Oh kay." She said and she ran into the house.
"It would appear that the rules have changed." Parker spoke, she had yet to turn and face the pretender.
"Yes it would appear so." Jarod said.
"I'd better go and get dressed." She said leaving the chair and entering the house. Just before she crossed the threshold she turned and faced him. "Thank you Jarod. For everything." She said and entered the house.
Jarod stood on the patio for a moment absorbing both the sunlight and Parker's words. He then too entered the kitchen. Jarod went to the kitchen where he unpacked two bags of groceries. He busied himself preparing, bacon, omelets, and pancakes while the two ladies got dressed. Just as Jarod poured coffee in to two mugs for he and Parker, the two females entered the room.
"It smells good. What is it?"
"Pancakes, omelets, bacon, and orange juice for you and coffee for me and Parker." He said handing a mug to Parker.
"Hum maybe I should keep you around Jarod, you appear to be quite useful." Commented Parker.
"I suppose that's why the Centre wants me back. Believe me Parker I'd much rather be in your company than Lyle's." Jarod spoke; Parker said nothing unsure how to respond to his comment. "You wouldn't happen to have a phone book would you?" Jarod asked a few moments later.
"Yes it's in the den under the table. What do you need the phone book for any way?" She asked him as he left the kitchen in search of the phone book.
"Alex needs some thing to sit on in order to reach the table." Jarod said returning to the kitchen, phone book in hand. He sat the book down on the chair. "Come here Alex." He said. He lifted the child up and placed her on top of the phone book. Jarod then proceeded to place a napkin around her neck.
"Here you go sweetheart." Parker said placing a plate in front of the child.
"Thank you Miss Parker."
"You're welcome." Parker replied as she and Jarod sat down to eat. The three ate in silence. Parker and Jarod were both unsure of what to say to one another. Alex wise beyond here six years remained silent knowing that the adults needed to figure out where they stood with one another.
"So Alex what are you going to do all day?" Parker, unable to stand the silence, asked the girl.
"Read and do a puzzle." She replied in between mouthfuls
"What are you reading?"
"The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Jarod bought it for me yesterday."
"He did what! Jarod she's six years old. She shouldn't be reading thing's like that." Parker fussed at the pretender.
"Come now Parker I'm quite sure that the Centre has subjected her to more horrors then that book even will."
"That's not the point Jarod. Stephen King is inappropriate reading material for a six year old."
"I may be six Miss Parker, but I have the IQ equivalent to a Harvard professor of astrophysics. Besides I've been reading Stephen King for ages. The Centre has quite an extensive collection of his works. Me and the others have read over half of his work. And just between the three of us, I think Mr. Raines get ideas for his experiments from Stephen King." The child spoke as she got up from the table and went outside.
Jarod grinned as the child left. "She's going to be quite a hand full."
"She already is." Parker commented sipping her coffee. "I'd better go or else I'm going to be late for work. Try not to wreck my house while I'm gone." She insurrected.
"Don't worry the house will still be standing when you get home." Jarod said. "Have a good day at work dear." Jarod called over his shoulder.
"Shut up." Parker said as she grabbed her coat and briefcase and left the house. It wasn't until Parker was almost at the Centre that she realized that she and Jarod has a domestic argument at the breakfast table. It as like they were playing house.
Once Parker left Jarod busied him self with cleaning up the Kitchen. Done he went in search of Alex. He found her in the woods behind the house. She had climbed a tree and was lying on one of its larger limbs. He legs swinging as she probed the limb of the tree with a twig.
"You found me." She said when she noticed Jarod below her.
"Yes I did. You know you leave a trial that's hard to follow."
"I did it on purpose. I wanted to see how good you really were at tracking."
"Did I pass?"
"Obviously. You found me." She said to him as if he were the child and she the adult.
"What are you doing up there?" He asked her.
"Studyin'." She replied nonchalantly
"Well I don't know about you but I'm a bit cold. I mean I can see my breath."
"Well if your cold go back inside." She told him
"Alex." Jarod said sternly.
"I know." She said climbing down. "I like being out side."
"I'm sure you do but, we can't have you catching a cold." He said scooping her up in his arms.
"Jarod?" She said resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hum?"
"What's gonna happen to me and my brothers once we get um out?"
"I'm not sure." He replied honestly.
"Can we stay with you?" she said snuggling further into his arms.
"Maybe little one, maybe." He spoke as they entered the house.
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
March 1, 2003
9:12am
She walked into the sim-lab to find all of the children there. As usual they were dressed in their Centre grays. "Good morning Miss Parker." The children greeted.
"Good morning." She replied. "William, Aaron, Andros come with me." She instructed. The three followed as did Michael and Michelle. "I should have known you two would follow." She said when she caught sight of the twins.
"You are as smart as they say." Michael spoke.
"Actually Michael I'm smarter." Parker said.
"By the way you can call us Mike and Maddie." Said the girl
"Everyone else does." Aaron confirmed.
"Well I'm not one to conform but in this case I'll make an exception." Spoke Parker.
"So, how's Alex?"
"Andy." Mike hissed
"Don't worry Mikey it's a clean room." Will informed him.
"Your sister is fine. She probably reading her new Stephen King book by now."
"Which one?" Aaron asked
"The Talisman." Parker replied.
"Really we swiped that one from the library last night." Maddie said
"Why am I not surprised." Parker muttered under her breath.
"Does Jarod have a plan on getting us out?" Will asked
"Yes and no. He has ideas he's just not sure how to conduct them."
"We have one. We'll send it back to the house with you." Andros told her.
"Lyle!" Will hissed. "He's coming. I can feel it."
"So can I" Aaron said. A few seconds after Aaron spoke Lyle entered the room.
"Hello Sis. I see you've managed to get control of Phoenix and the Black Files." Lyle said meeting Will's gaze. He turned away from the boy when Will's eyes began to turn red.
"I see you have yet to learn the concept of knocking little brother. She replied icily. "Children, why don't you all go back out to the sim- lab."
"Yes Miss Parker." They replied, Will leading them out of her office.
"You stole my project."
"Get over it. I'm in charge. Now get the hell out of my office." For once Lyle complied with his sister's wishes. "And Lyle," She said getting up from her chair and walking over to him. She violently shoved him up against the wall. "You better be damn sure to stay the hell away from those kids. If you lay a finger on any one of them ever again you going to be missing a lot more than just a thumb." She hissed. "I am I clear?"
"Crystal." He replied.
"Good." She said releasing him then smoothing out his jacket and tie. "Have a good day little brother."
After Lyle left, Parker entered the sim-lab.
"Well them children lets get to work. Jake Rachael I want for you two to review all of Jarod's old notebooks. Marc, Cassie you two are to go through all of the findings from Jarod's previous lairs. Terra, Tobias, go through Jarod's old DSAs. Greg, Jeremiah, Melissa, you three are to an in- depth psychological profile on Jarod. Will, Aaron, Andros, Mike, and Maddie you five are to research leads. While you're at it see if you can improve Broots's program for finding leads. I have paper work to do. Sam take the first six down to storage. Syd, work with Melissa and her brothers. Broots you're in charge of the other five."
The rest of the day went by quickly. Mr. Parker and a triumvirate representative had arrived around noon to evaluate the children. All were nervous when the chairman and the representative arrived unannounced. The two men appeared impressed with the children's progress. After the two men left a collective sigh was released.
While "working" the fourteen children came up with escape plan scenarios. At lunch the children compared scenarios, discussing the best plan. Once the plan was picked each child wrote down part of the plan a scrap of paper in a language that they had developed. By the end of the day each child had managed to slip Parker their part of the plan with out the camera noticing.
Once the day was over Parker and the children exchanged their good- byes as Sam led them back to their room. Just as Parker was collecting her things to leave Angelo entered her office via air vent.
"For you." Angelo said thrusting a DSA at her. "Watch. Learn." He commanded and left. Parker headed home, the DSA tucked safely in her coat pocket.