PART 3

Jarod got to the others quickly and held his hands up for them to take notice. "Listen, everyone."

"I hear a boat!" Jennie exclaimed.

"That's right, Jennie." Jarod said smiling. "That boat is going to take us back."

Everyone got on their feet and faced the water, anticipating the boat's arrival. The roar got closer and closer and soon they saw a big beam of light come around the bend. The light shone on the castaways and they squinted to see the rescue boat.

"Hello! Everyone!!" The voice boomed happily from the vessel. Sydney and Broots looked at each other bewilderedly. That voice sounded very familiar. Jaord knew exactly who it was. The others hugged each other and jumped for joy. Jarod had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't decide what to do. Should he run? Should he face him? What will that monster do to these people if he ran off? Jarod decided to stand his ground and figure out another way to escape when the people are safe back in the mainland.

Miss Parker heard the voice and cursed. "What the hell is he doing here?" She decided to wait before returning to the group.

Everyone waited as a lifeboat, with its three passengers, landed on the shore. The two men came on shore first, concealing the identity of the third man. When the group saw them, they fell silent and stepped back in fear. It was Drake and Stan and they held guns that were pointed at Jarod. The two men parted and the man in the shadows appeared with a smug look on his face. "Hello! People! Good to see everyone safe and sound. So? Where's sis?"

"I'm right here, Lyle." Miss Parker spoke as she stepped out of the darkness. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Why, I'm here to rescue you. Heard you were all stuck on this awful island." Lyle's fake sweetness was fueling Miss Parker and Jarod's anger. Besides, thought you might need some help retrieving our prized Pretender." Turning serious, Lyle's evil core surfaced. "Now, get in the boat, Jarod. Mr. Broots! Sydney! You, too!" Lyle ordered. "Sis?"

"Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Sis" Miss Parker said slowly as she walked toward the raft.

"What about us?" The Captain questioned.

"What about you?" Lyle questioned back.

"Is-is th-there another rescue boat coming?" Tom asked nervously.

"Oh! You mean from that distress call the Captain sent? That we intercepted?" Drake and Stan looked at Mr. Lyle and started laughing.

"Tell you what, "Lyle began, "why don't you all turn around so you don't see the bullets coming?"

"No!" Miss Parker and Jarod shouted simultaneously. Miss Parker then stood in front of Lyle. Jarod tried to join her but Stan and Drake held him back.

"Listen, Lyle. These people know nothing. And when they get back home, they won't tell anyone anything." Miss Parker turned around to look at the group, her eyes pleading for them to trust her. "Right?!"

"RIGHT!" Everyone responded quickly.

"Paradise---almost"

PART 4

"There's no need for bloodshed. We've got Jarod." Miss Parker bargained.

Lyle looked at Miss Parker and smiled. "Fine.........Sis." Miss Parker clenched her fists and took a long, deep breath, taking every ounce of control she had to not shoot Lyle.

Miss Parker gave Lyle another hate look. "Now put your gun away, Lyle, and tell your goons to do the same. You're scaring the child."

Lyle complied and motioned Drake and Stan to do the same. Miss Parker gave Sarah and the others a relieved look and a nod and motioned for the 6 men to head toward the raft. Without warning, Linda ran, grabbed Miss Parker's gun, stepped away, and pointed the gun toward Miss Parker and the men. "Stop or I'll shoot!" Linda held the gun in front of her shakily. Miss Parker was furious. First of all, nobody, but nobody, touches her gun without her permission. Second of all, this bimbo is going to get somebody killed.

"I am NOT going to be left here on this blasted island without Jarod!" Linda yelled. Lyle shot a glare at Jarod and slowly made his way toward Linda. Linda fumbled the gun and it accidentally fired, hitting the raft. Everyone stared quietly at the raft as it deflated on the sand, its hissing noise casting a spell that left them in a trance.

"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident! I just didn't want to be left here!" Linda began to sob, looking at Jarod, pleading for his comfort. Jarod looked at her sympathetically but didn't make a move. He looked at Miss Parker then looked at Linda again, this time MORE sympathetically. Miss Parker grabbed her gun and gave Linda an angry glare. Linda retreated to join the Captain and the others.

"This cannot be happening to me." Lyle said calmly, but furiously. Miss Parker looked at him and became worried. Lyle can be unpredictable. He is after all a murdering psychopath. But Lyle just took a deep breath, lowered his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What do we do now, boss? I mean Mr. Lyle?" Stan asked

"I don't know." Lyle said slowly. "You two have been jinxing my plans from the beginning. What do they say about bad influence? Kill them off?" Stan and Drake cowardly ran towards the Captain and the others and stood behind them for protection.

"Take it easy, Lyle." Miss Parker said. "You really should stop relying on half-wits." She said amusedly. Unable to hold in his anger anymore, Lyle takes his gun and fires a shot in the air. "Everyone by the fire! Now!" Lyle pushed passed Miss Parker and headed toward the fire, with the others following. Jarod tried not to chuckle at the situation, but sported a grin that caused Sydney to do the same. Broots just scurried toward the others and said nothing.

"After you, Miss Parker." Jarod offered.

While everyone stood around the fire, with Miss Parker and Lyle on one side, and the others bunched up on the other side, no one dare say anything until Mr. Lyle spoke.

"We still have the ship out there, but I am NOT getting my suit wet."

"Boss?" Drake said meekly, holding his hand up. Lyle acknowledged his presence annoyingly.

"Th-there's another raft on the ship. It's a smaller one." Drake explained.

"I didn't know there would be another raft. I thought it only came with one?" Lyle was confused.

"Well, boss, after what happened with the other boat..." Drake explained.

"And the plane" Stan interjected.

"Yeah, and the plane, I thought we better have an extra."

"Why don't you morons go get it?" Miss Parker asked.

"We can't. These are brand-new suits and..."

"Okay, okay, bad idea. You'll probably run off and leave us here for good. Where did you find these two anyway, Lyle? And back to my original question that you never answered, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I had some personal business, that got foiled by some bumbling idiots (looking at Drake and Stan with scorn). But through the course of our conversations, they were gloating about leaving some people on the island. Then they started naming names and describing you all. They described you to a "T", Parker."

"Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Anyway, I figured, my time was not wasted after all. I take Jarod back, get all the credit, leave you in the dust......sis."

"I've warned you before, Lyle, don't underestimate me."

Turning his attention back to the group, Lyle inquired, "Who is the best swimmer in this sorry bunch?"

"That would be Jarod!" Linda piped up.

"Yeah, I'm really going to let Jarod go out to the boat and expect him to come back."

"There's Miss Parker!" Sarah exclaimed.

Lyle had to think about that one. Why not send both of them? She'll keep him in line and he won't do anything stupid with these people as "hostages."

"Alright," Lyle began, "Jarod and Parker will go and get the raft.

"What?" Parker protested. "I am not going in that water again!"

"Then I guess we'll be stuck here together....for a very long time."

"Fine! Dammit! Here, Sydney, take good care of this." Miss Parker handed Sydney her gun. "Let's go, Lab Rat!"

Jarod and Miss Parker made their way toward the sea, Miss Parker grumbling at every step. "This is ridiculus. I could be in a nice, warm, dry bed by now. And it could have been with you. And I don't know where that damn thought came from. But no. Here I am in a stinking island with Lyle, and you, and a bunch of other losers, and I have to swim to a damn boat in the cold water. And it's because your stupid girlfriend decides she can't be without you. What possessed you to be with her anyway? And she touched my gun! The nerve of that bimbo."

"Will you take it easy on the name-calling? I saved her family from closing down their business and she wanted to repay me by treating me to a tour of the islands."

"And you fell for that? You are such a sap. She's practically attached herself to you."

"I liked the attention. Besides, you always had that "damn" gun at my face. I never got a chance to let you know how I feel about you."

"Yeah, well, get over it."

"You're a hard woman to get over, Miss Parker."

Just before she got to the water, Miss Parker took off the socks she was wearing and threw them on the sand.

"So? You'd do anything to be alone with me, huh?"Jarod joked.

"Keep dreaming, Wonder-boy. And try to keep up." They walked until the water was to their waist and then they began the grueling swim to the boat.

Jarod and Miss Parker fought the waves and finally reached the boat. Miss Parker reached the steel ladder first and hesitated to climb up. Her arms were tired from the swim and they gave her trouble in getting a firm grip. Jarod came up behind her, grabbed the sides of the ladder, and pressed gently against her back to support her. Pleasantly surprised, Jarod felt her lean into his chest and rest her head on his. Jarod moved his head a little and their cheeks touched. Jarod moved his head a little more and his lips caressed her cheek as he spoke. "Are you alright?" She nodded and proceeded up the stairs. Jarod followed up closely to make sure she makes it.

They got in the boat and Jarod couldn't keep his eyes off of Miss Parker. She was beautiful. Strong and beautiful. He shook his head to clear it and joined her in searching for the raft. When he wasn't looking, Miss Parker marveled at the sight of Jarod. He was a beautiful sight. Strong and beautiful.
"Enough, Parker!" she scolded herself.

They went down below and found it furnished lavishly with food and champagne.

"One thing about Lyle, he travels in style." Miss Parker mused. "Might as well help ourselves." And she began digging into the food and opened a bottle of bubbly. "Want some?" She offered, holding out a piece of hors d'ouvre to Jarod. Jarod smiled and took the food by his mouth, sucking Miss Parker's fingers lightly. They gazed into each other's eyes and seemed to become lost in them. Their bodies began to tense up and chills ran up and down their spine. They began to gravitate toward each other involuntarily—like there was some unknown force that was controlling their every move. But then the sudden brutal slap of reality hit them at the same time and they stepped back from each other. "Not a good time, not a good place." They both muttered together. "Whew, that was close." Miss Parker said relieved, yet still aching. Jarod just stared at her grinning.

"What? Lab rat?" She tried to sound rude but couldn't suppress the smile that invaded her face.

Jarod shook his head and headed back up on deck. Miss Parker rummaged through Lyle's things and found a shirt and a pair of shorts to change into. "I hope they remember to bring my jacket back. Gotta love pull strings on shorts. Not exactly my size, but at least it's dry." She examined herself in the mirror and grimaced. "I look like crap!" Then she joined Jarod up on deck.

"It's a six-man raft." Jarod informed her.

"Good, you take the raft back on shore and pick up the clowns. I'll stay here and radio the coast guard. We should be long gone before they get here to pick up the others. If it's up to Lyle, he would leave them on that island to rot. I'm not giving him that chance."

"Wow, the Ice Queen actually has a heart." Jarod gave her a quick kiss on the lips and headed toward the side of the boat with the raft. He held on to the rope and slung the raft overboard. With a quick salute and a smile, he disappeared down the side of the boat.

Miss Parker leaned over to the side to see Jarod off. "Keep the guns away from your bimbo girlfriend!" she yelled after him.

PART 5

Miss Parker took a few moments to think and admire the yacht before heading down to the control room. "I could just take this and sail off into the wild blue sea---away from Lyle, away from the Centre, away from the geeks, away from the bimbos. But away from Jarod? Hmmmm. Boy, I need a life. I'm becoming attached to the Lab Rat! But damn! It feels good!"

BACK ON SHORE

Jarod got on shore, picked up his shoes, socks, and shirt that were discarded on the sand, and proceeded toward the fire.

The whole time, the group was quiet. Most of them can't figure out Lyle. After a while, Linda looked up and spotted Jarod emerging from the darkness. Her eyes beamed and Lyle looked back. "Finally." He grumbled. Lyle stood up and motioned for Broots, Sydney, Drake, and Stan to follow. Linda also stood and Lyle trained his gun on her. "No, no, no, pretty lady. You stay with the others."

"You are going to call for their rescue, right?" Broots asked nervously.

"Oh sure, Mr. Broots. As a matter of fact, I already did, before we got here." That gave the group a hint of hope until Lyle confessed, "We sent out a distress call about a shipwrecked vessel. But.........my calculations might have been a bit off and sent them about 100 miles from here." Drake and Stan began to snicker.

"I'm sure they're looking for you now." Lyle, Drake, and Stan started laughing out loud.

"You can't just leave them here." Jarod said menacingly.

"I can do whatever I want." Lyle gloated and he hit Jarod across the face, splitting his lip. "That's for your playmate keeping us here longer than I planned. I couldn't hit HER , now, could I?" Jarod wiped the blood from his lip and stared at Lyle hatefully.

"Never stopped him before." Broots whispered to Sydney. Sydney gave Broots the "shh" look.

The six men got in the raft. Lyle turned and waved to the stranded people on the shore. "Bye, bye, people. Watch out for the savages." Drake and Stan snickered again.

"Noooo! Mr. Lyle! Please!!! Take me with you!!" Linda screamed after them. "No! No! No! Please!!" She began kicking and screaming and wailing. The others stood there stunned. What do they do now?

"Miss Parker will help us." Sarah said confidently. "I trust her."

"But she's Lyle's sister. It's obvious they're in on this whole thing together," the captain argued.

"I trust Miss Parker.... and Jarod." Bill remarked. "They'll find a way to help us."

"Yeah, and Broots and Sydney, too." Tom replied.

"I hope you're all correct." The Captain sighed. "But remember, if, I mean, when we get rescued, not a word to anyone about what happened here. I don't really understand what happened here—I feel like I was just in the Twilight Zone. I don't trust that Mr. Lyle. He's an evil man." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Will someone slap her? (pointing to Linda who was still throwing a fit) She's hysterical." Sarah said casually.

The men got to the boat and boarded it. Lyle looked around and didn't find Miss Parker on deck. She finally emerged from below. Still holding his gun, Lyle walked toward her and eyed her suspiciously.

"Thanks for the clothes, Lyle. And the food and champagne." Miss Parker said smugly.

Stopping in front of Miss Parker, Lyle ran the barrel of his gun up her arm and stopped close to her neck. "You didn't send out a distress call, did you? Sis?"

"Why would I do that, Lyle?" Miss Parker hissed. "I don't care about those people, especially that blond. I could care less if she rots there."

Lyle smiled. "For a minute there, I thought you were going soft on me."

"Don't think too hard. You might hurt yourself." And Miss Parker walked off toward the others.

Miss Parker noticed the cut on Jarod's lip and winced. She avoided looking him the eyes in fear of giving away anything. "What's with the blood on Wonder-boy?"

"Lyle hit him." Broots explained, looking at her disappointedly. Miss Parker looked over at Sydney and he was looking at her with anger.

"What's with you two?" She questioned.

"Miss Parker," Sydney growled, "I thought you had a heart."

"What are you talking about, Syd?"

"Why won't you help those people stranded on that island?"

"Guess you got me all figured wrong." Miss Parker said, while Lyle smiled behind her. Jarod looked at her with contempt, convincing Lyle of where her loyalties lie.

"Drake!" Lyle ordered, "handcuff Jarod to the rail. Stan, get this baby moving. Gentlemen, let's go down below and celebrate. We need to take turns watching Jarod and since Parker already helped herself to the food and champagne, she gets the first watch." Drake caught the handcuffs that were thrown to him and led Jarod to the side by gunpoint. He pushed Jarod down by the shoulders to a sitting position and cuffed his hands behind his back to one of the vertical railings. Drake offered his gun to Miss Parker but she pulled out her own from the holster behind her back to show him she didn't need his. Then Drake walked away to join the others.

Making sure that Drake has disappeared, Miss Parker kneeled beside Jarod and caressed his lip with her thumb, her fingers resting on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

"Why don't you kiss is and make it better?" Jarod asked invitingly.

Miss Parker hesitated for a second, staring into his brown eyes, then she did it. She kissed him—ever so lightly, so softly, so tenderly, lingering, cradling his wounded lip with her own lips. She slowly pulled away and smiled at him. "Did that help?"

"Now I know who to call when I have an injury."

Miss Parker smiled at him again and sat down, hugging her knees, gazing up into the star-lit sky. Silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable silence.

"So? Do you have a plan?" Miss Parker asked without looking at him.

"No."

Miss Parker turned her head but Jarod continued to look up into the sky. "Look at me, Jarod." Jarod turned his head and Miss Parker saw the twinkle in his eye. Miss Parker smiled and accused him. "Liar. Just don't do it during my watch. I don't want to get blamed for your escape."

Jarod shifted and Miss Parker noticed his discomfort. "Sorry you had to be handcuffed."

"I've been in worse positions before."

"Oh yeah? What's her name?" Miss Parker teased.

"What?!"

Miss Parker just grinned at him and scooted closer, rubbing his arm. She wrapped her arms around his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jarod responded by laying his head gently on hers.

"You know Jarod, I didn't realize a small make-out session with you would change anything."

"What are you feeling right now, Miss Parker?"

"I feel free. We're playing a dangerous game here, Jarod. But damn! I don't care. It feels great! I feel like I'm conspiring something with a friend. I have this secret against the Centre and they can't do a damn thing about it. Remember when we used to sneak around the Centre trying to outsmart that ghoul, Raines? We'd get away and wow! What a rush! I feel that rush now.....with you."

"We couldn't have done it without Angelo."

"Yeah, Angelo."

"So Parker? If I tried to escape, you won't stop me?"

"Let's put this way, Jarod, I still haven't gotten what I want."

"What, I mean who, is it that you want, Miss Parker?" Jarod said with a smile in his voice.

"You're the genius, figure it out."

"Well, I know it isn't Mr. Broots."

Miss Parker jerked her head up and questioned Jarod. "How do you know about that?"

"I have my ways. Poor man. He not only gets his daily abuse from you, you had to break his heart, too."

"I let him down easy. Told him I was flattered."

Jarod bent down and kissed Miss Parker gently on the lips. Miss Parker leaned her head on his shoulder again and snuggled closer. Jarod tried to accommodate her form as best he could.

"I've missed you, Jarod." Miss Parker said sleepily.

"I've missed you, too, Parker."

Miss Parker shut her eyes and dozed off. Jarod tried to stay alert worried that if Lyle found them like this, they would both be shark bait.