CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
March 13, 2007
Unaware that Sam was alive and on his way to California, Jarod and Miss Parker and company were now in San Pedro by the Bay. It was a prosperous town, basked by the warm California sun, situated at the Northern end of the Mediterranean climate; it had a warm glow that showed in its citizens.
Miss Parker paid for a house, instead of renting it, for she figured it would be a nice place to go live in rather than just in Blue Cove and chose an isolated area for obvious reasons. She did not have to worry about MacLean barging in. He learned that the red headed star was in town acting in a movie, and was over at her trailer getting a follow up story. So Miss Parker and Jarod were alone (except for the children) Jarod was being particularly amorous that morning. Well, some of what he did was the result of the first few months she had him.
"Jarod, that tickles."
He lifted his head, snarled, and moved his body so it loomed over hers. "That better?"
"Much." She felt a little twinge.
"The little ones are getting ready to emerge."
"It could be as early as next month. I'm getting rather confused with the different time schedule. Six to eight months compared to nine months with us."
"The Dominant babies are born in multiples and now for the show of affection." He bent down to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "I have to cool down. I'll be back after a shower," she said as she went into the washroom, undressed, and turned on the water. It felt so good.
It was not that Jarod felt rejected. Miss Parker not letting him hold her unless she wanted to, did not bother him. Besides, most Dominant women did not like to be touched by their mates in the last few months of pregnancy and even though Miss Parker was not one, but the Centre had raised her to be as cool and lacking in emotion as one of the New Species. Jarod entered the washroom, turned on the water in the sink, speculating that perhaps Mr. Parker and Raines had been trying her to infiltrate the Dominants, and so get more captives for the Centre. He waited for Miss Parker to finish her shower, put on her robe, and put her hand on her stomach with a sigh of apprehension that turned to relief when she felt the little feet inside still kicking.
"Don't be long," she said as she got into bed.
"My appearance is not conducive to affection," he said. "I will have to prepare myself."
"I do not mind a little stubble," but she knew Jarod's new nature was anathema with any imperfection on his part and she waited.
Jarod showered, picked up a razor, and ran it over his face. It was not necessary, but some instinct told him that even a miniscule strand of hair on the face was the sign of lesser beings.
He could sense Miss Parker, Lady Angela, waiting in the bed, her hair fluffed on the pillow, her body arranged just so as she peered to see if the children were asleep. The last thing she wanted was for all five of them to pile on her and Jarod and tug at them, saying, "Play with us, make babies later."
"Now?" he asked.
"Do not make it not to hard, Jarod." The whole situation moved into love making with the holding (now permitted) and kisses, the hand stroking which she did not mind. At least that was better than the groping and heavy breathing that her former lovers had done. Jarod did everything she asked, not complaining when she did something to him, or feeling worthless because that 1.6 makeup in him prevented him from associating his person with his experience, the part the Centre first mistook as a gene that would make him be "anyone he wanted to be."
She stood up in the bed. "That's it!"
Jarod touched his teeth. "I almost bit you." He wiped his mouth.
"It's all right. Get dressed, because I want you to do something." She bent down, pulling out a metal box under the bed, unlocked it, and threw Jarod a shirt and slacks.
It took him less than a second. He ran a comb through his hair, and had another unnecessary quick shave. Miss Parker took a little longer, pushing past him in the bathroom, washing her face, brushing her teeth, arranging her hair just so, and that bra strap kept poking past her sleeveless top.
"Your sister is an actress, right?" she asked.
"She's also not owned."
"That's not the point. Remember the four Inner Sanctum children not accounted for?"
He did, but at the time they heard about the four, he was busy showing Miss Parker much physical affection of the intimate variety, all this observed by several Free Dominants.
"Yes I remember.
"From what Lewison told us, the Dominant Chameleon program permits them to squirm into any role. Now what if two Dominant adults were not in the program and wanted to find where their stolen children were and not let people get suspicious?"
"I suppose taking up with the New York Theater Society or becoming the next best stars in Hollywood." Miss Parker's right "I'll need to get the latest copy of Variety and any other magazine, not the one given to the public, but the ones that the media uses." He grabbed the camera and before she could do anything, he was outside, heading to the nearest magazine stand.
He bought a copy of Variety, but the others listing the names of actors looking for jobs in the Eastern United States, he could only find in a specialized bookstore or at a University. He had to ask questions but everyone was too busy getting ready for the regatta.
Now just as he approached a small University bookstore, his senses became more alert as he sighted two men and his senses became more alert. He recognized the predatory look in their eyes, the expression of confidence, and the way they wore their Walmart clothes as if they came from Sacs Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive.
"You're not one of us," said the first one.
Jarod gave the answer that would be acceptable to them. "I'm from the Lost Ships."
"We heard of that. Do you have permission to be here?" The man's eyes noticed the crucifix, and the other one went around Jarod, seeing the way it was fastened so that any removal unless by those in authority would bring death or extreme mutilation. Of course, no one told a Favorite this, but no one had to. They understood.
"I am on a mission to find any of our species here and inform them that there are four juvenile Dominants who were imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum of the Centre whose progenitors could not rescue them."
There was no answer and Jarod asked them if they were "aware of the takeover of the Centre in Blue Cove, Delaware; the one where the Supreme Chosen paid a visit?"
"My father was one of the special guards accompanying the Chosen and this is John Sedona whose father is the head of the Chameleon program. We do know about the children and the Medicals are searching for their progenitors, but so far have failed."
"I am John Sedona, a photographer for the Terra Firma movie company and I would be agreeable to go to Delaware and assist in the search, but I'm here to incorporate a movie in the regatta," said the other man who gave Jarod a brief description of the film.
It was a typical action adventure movie. The Mexican American hero was fighting a villain who wanted to "win at any cost" and had sabotaged last year's event by sinking the Bonadventuro, in an explosion that caused the hero's bride to drown along with her crew. The hero discovered that money exchanged between a certain Mr. Casavetes and a Mr. Chan Hui, an official in the Chinese government who also had an entry. There would be martial arts, cumulating with the hero facing Chan Hui, an expert in Kung Fu, Jiujutsu, and other forms of unarmed combat. By the way, Segal and Van Damne were making two other films, and Arnold and Chuck had other commitments.
The 'hero' of the movie was, at this moment, adjusting his Hawaiian style swimming trunks, and putting sun tan lotion over his perfect muscled body. By the looks of him, he would do his own stunts and the studio babysitter was having a time trying to keep his four year old daughter and two year old son from trying to rope Quanto the beagle our 'hero' had as a mascot.
"I am honored, and I do have another request," said Jarod, taking out the photographs of Dead Beat and Lady M. "My Lady owns an investigating business and he has dishonored his mate." He gave them a shortened version, adding that, "She is a very wealthy and beautiful homo sapien and we must be careful." No Dominants would dare be under any ordinary homo sapien. The Dominants would choose the most attractive women for themselves — once they had taken over. Of course, no one knew what their ideas of beauty were.
He showed them a picture of Miss Parker. "The other woman was a partner in the Centre. Miss Parker fears for the lives of our children and I fear for the discontinuation of our species."
Sedona took something from his bag and ran it over the photographs "The pictures have been noted recorded and duplicated and what was your reason for the last saying?"
Jarod pointed to the picture of Lady M. "She'll kill the children."
