Pretense

Chapter Five

Insanity

            Samarah started to stir slowly as she became dimly aware of the sharp pain in her head.  She hadn't felt pain like that in a very long time.  She couldn't bear to open her eyes for fear of intruding lights but she did the moment she realized she was gagged.  Luckily the room was pitch black, so it didn't upset her headache anymore.  Unfortunately, her hands and feet were bound and it was impossible for her to move from the uncomfortable position she'd been left in.  Fear rippled through her body.  Had The Centre finally found her?  Had they caught up to her and Jarod?  Was she locked up tight in a cell that she would never be released from?  She had no idea.  She couldn't remember what had happened.  One minute she had been talking to Jarod and the next she'd woken up here, disoriented and out of commission.  She tried to focus, to will away the pain she was in, so she could recall the details of her capture.  She could see herself talking to Jarod.  They had been talking about Lyle and something else.  Lyle and Project WYS.  Cade!  That's who it was!  Cade had come after her for some reason.  She'd never done anything to hurt Cade.  She had never really talked to him.  Of course, when she had, they hadn't gotten along, but nothing had happened that merited kidnapping.  Why would he take her?  Questions swirled around in her brain that she had no answer for.  She felt so helpless being unable to answer her questions.  She had always known the answers.  It was her way.  She hated feeling this disoriented as well.  She couldn't even figure out how to get out of her bindings.  She felt her frustration mount and she let out a whimper.  The light flicked on, forming frightening shadows on the wall.  She glanced up, her blue eyes questioning, yet defiant.  Cade smiled at her sardonically, his facial expression showing he'd passed the mark of sanity a while back.

"Samarah.  Glad you could join me."
"Mmm gllllp I cwod dwoin ew o."

Cade chuckled lightly and leaned forward, ripping the tape from her mouth.  Samarah winced and wished desperately she could put her hands over her mouth to smooth out the stinging on her skin.

"As much fun as deciphering that was, I would love to hear your acerbic wit without the taped version." Cade tossed the tape onto the floor to punctuate the point.

"I said I was glad I could join you too.  Of course, I would have liked it better if you'd invited me.  If you wanted to have a reunion of the screwed-up Centre subjects, you just had to send me a printed invitation or call me up on the phone.  You obviously knew where I was."

"Well, we were never really that close, Samarah, and I was afraid you wouldn't come.  I didn't want you to miss all the fun."
"Like what?"

"Like when I catch Lyle and torture him slowly.  That will be fun, you know.  He liked to have it done to me."
Samarah shook her head in disbelief.  She knew Lyle was involved in Project WYS.  He was the head of the project, but he wouldn't have Cade tortured.  Lyle wasn't heartless.  She'd seen his heart too many times to believe that. 

"You know, I don't think I'll like torturing you, though.  I mean, sure it was annoying that you got to go out all the time, but most of the time, you weren't any better than I was. Even if Lyle always thought you were better than me.  Must have been the fact that you had him wrapped around your finger.  It's crazy how he can be so kind to one inmate and so cruel to the next, isn't it?  It's like multiple personalities or bipolar disease.  Or maybe it was because I wasn't the one kissing him.  Who knows?"

Samarah tried to sit herself up, but couldn't get into an upright position.  It was hard not being able to use her hands or her feet.  She'd have to get rid of her bindings soon.  She'd have to wait until Cade left, which eventually he would, but she would be stuck in that position until he did. 

"Why are you going to torture me?"

"To get to Lyle, of course.  I was thinking about doing one of those video phone calls and getting started on you.  Make him try to find me a little bit faster.  I get tired of waiting sometimes."
"Why would Lyle care if you tortured me?  Since you seem to know so much about our relationship, you must know that Lyle and I broke up shortly before I left The Centre.  He obviously didn't care about me, then, so why would he care about me now?"

Cade knelt down in front of her, patting her hair carefully.  He seemed to be suddenly fascinated by her. 

"Samarah, for being so smart, you really are naïve.  Lyle did care about you.  I'd go so far as to say he loved you, if it's possible for a man like that to love.  And he's never stopped 'caring' about you.  In fact, he still moons over you."

Samarah tried not to seem pleased at Cade's observation.  Cade may have crossed over the sanity line, but he was still observant.  They all were.  It was ingrained in their DNA to watch everything around them.  So if he thought Lyle still loved her, maybe he was right.  And as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted it to be true.

"Oh, you're pleased.  How adorable.  Did you know that for days after you left, Lyle had me tortured and forced me to run simulations without sleep?  He was so angry with you and he loved to take it out on me.  Hmmm…maybe I will like torturing you."

Samarah's eyes widened just a bit, enough to give Cade satisfaction that he was scaring her.  "Precious Little Samarah is scared.  How sad."  Cade smiled again in a way that sent shivers down Samarah's spine.  "Well, I'll let you think about what I said.  I've got to go get some tools.  Then we'll call Lyle.  You haven't really talked to him in a while, have you?  It'll be fun."

Cade gave Samarah a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room.  The minute he left, Samarah started struggling.  She had to get out of there.  Fast.

            Lyle turned to the door when Miss Parker brought Angelo in.  Angelo seemed worried about something, which only proved to worry Lyle more.  Angelo always knew what was going on, even if everyone thought he was mush for brains.  Angelo had the sense when something bad was happening and his extra fidgeting actually terrified Lyle, a man who was not used to being scared.  Sydney and Broots entered shortly after Angelo and Lyle felt like he was being examined.  All three of them were staring at him as if he were in a new light in their eyes.  He didn't like it one bit.  He felt like he was being analyzed for his impatience at finding Samarah.  He had to keep his emotions in check.  If they caught on about his relationship with Samarah, the one that almost proved how much he had loved her by not coming forward on how she had escaped, that would be the end for him.  He couldn't let that happen.  They had to remain afraid of him.  Or disgusted with him.

"Angelo, come here."

Lyle commanded it loudly and firmly, leaving no room for argument.  Angelo approached him wearily, as if he were afraid to get close to the maniacal Mr. Lyle.  Lyle pulled out the only thing he had of Samarah's, a note she had written when she was away on an assignment.  She had managed to sneak it back in, even when she'd been reintroduced after the assignment.  He imagined her bubbly handwriting that had told him how much she loved him.  He remembered the day she had given it to him.  It had been six months before she had left.

Samarah waited impatiently.  She'd been away for quite awhile on this last assignment.  She had been assigned to a convent where she was studying to become a nun.  She had really been there to administer this tracking device on the Mother Superior.  It had been a long assignment, for she never could get the chance to implant the device.  She had to have it on the woman's skin, not the clothing.  She had to have it on her at all times.  So that had proved to take more time than expected.  She had liked convent life.  In a way, it wasn't much different from what she was used to, except she had more freedom.  She had also enjoyed the study of theology.  She liked thinking there was someone watching her from above, protecting her.  She smiled to herself as she fingered the note she had in the waistband of her pants.  She had managed to hide it from the guards and pay off one of the sweepers to let her keep it.  She was excited.  She was going to give it to Lyle and then he would know how much he meant to her.  She had wanted to tell him. 

            Lyle came in quietly.  It was pretty late and soon the sweepers would be changing shifts.  When the new sweeper came to take charge of Samarah's cell, he could get into trouble.  The one watching her now never said anything about his visits, but the other reported directly to Mr. Raines.  He would know he wasn't part of Samarah's project and would go straight to Mr. Raines with the information of Lyle's visit.  But he had to see her tonight.  He had missed her.  She'd been gone for a month and he missed seeing her.  So he would see her.

"Lyle!"  She hurried to him and gave him a long, welcoming kiss.

"One thing I have to say for nuns.  I admire them for giving this kind of thing up."

"But you didn't get any ideas while you were away, did you?"

"Never."

He smiled at her, a boyish smile that won her heart over every time he sent one to her.

"I missed you, Samarah."

"Me, too."

"We don't have long.  The sweepers will be changing shifts.  I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"Yeah.  This last mission wasn't any big danger or anything.  Just visiting with a few nuns."

He kissed her again, pulling her close to him.  He held her for a few moments before pulling away.

"I have to leave now.  I can't get caught by this guy.  Willie can be a pain."

"All right."
She slipped something into his pocket and gave him a huge grin.  He squeezed her hand before leaving the cell. 

           

            As soon as he was outside The Centre's confinement, he pulled out what she had put in his pocket.  It was a piece of paper.  He opened it up and began to read.

Lyle-

        I'm at the convent now, writing you a clandestine love note.  Isn't this insane?  I have some time off and I'm missing you terribly.  I already hardly get to see you at The Centre, but at least I see you some.  You know, I can hardly get you off my mind.  I sit with the sisters as they talk quietly about important things like fund-raisers for the neighborhood kids, and all I can focus on is you and how much you've done for me.  I know this sounds so sappy and you may even laugh at me for what I'm writing.   I hope not, but you never know.  You've made life worth something.  I've spent my whole life locked up in a small room with nothing to look at, nothing to dream about, nothing to think about except for my next assignment.  I used to count the days to when I got to go on assignment and now I count the days that I return to The Centre.  I remember the day you came into that room and you completely changed my entire way of living.  Now everything seems to make sense to me.  I suddenly have a reason to come back to The Centre.  I have a reason to smile and laugh.  I have something to think about during my isolation.  And that means more than I can ever express.  So I want you to know that you mean the world to me and I'll always love you.  Never doubt that.

Samarah

Lyle stared at the note as emotion ran through his body.  He loved Samarah so much.  And apparently he meant as much to her as she did to him.

The trio watched as Lyle got a faraway look in his eyes as he held that piece of paper in his hands.  He seemed to fall into another time and place and Angelo seemed to know the connection.  He cut into Lyle's daydreaming time with a quiet, "Friend Girl loved.  Son loves Friend Girl.  Friend Girl loves Son."

Lyle lowered his eyes from any intruding gaze and roughly made sure Angelo had the note in his hands.

"This is all I have of Samarah's.  Be careful with it, MonkeyBrains."

"Careful."

He clutched the paper in his hand and began to fall.  "Oww…owww.  It hurts."

Lyle knelt down next to him.

"What hurts?"

"So much pain.  Inside.  Outside.  Inside.  Outside.  Confused.  Confused.  Inside.  Outside.  Inside. Outside.  Friend Girl scared.  Hurt."

Sydney came forward and took over for Lyle. He seemed to reach Angelo better than Lyle, but then again, anyone could reach Angelo better than Lyle.
"Samarah is in pain?"
"Inside.  Outside."

"She's hurt on the inside and outside."

Angelo nodded enthusiastically.  He jumped to his feet and glanced around the room.

"Out.  Must get out!  Cade.  Crazy Cade, Crazy Cade, Crazy Cade."

Angelo seemed to almost be singing his own little song once he began the Crazy Cade chant.  Sydney reached out to calm him, but to no avail.

"Must get out.  Crazy Cade, Crazy Cade, Crazy Cade."

Broots and Miss Parker walked closer to him, but he jerked away.

"NO!  Alone.  Scared.  Friend Girl alone."

"She's alone now, Angelo?  Can she escape?"

Angelo dropped the note, his eyes wide and worried.  He shook his head solemnly before sitting back down onto the floor.  He stared into space and Sydney knew there would be no reaching Angelo again for a while.

"That's all he's got, Lyle."

"No.  That's not enough, Sydney."
"We know more than we did before."
"What?  That she's with Cade, who's not really right in the head?  Or that she's alone and hurt?  Or that she's scared?  Not exactly a news bulletin, Sydney."

Miss Parker lowered herself down to Angelo, almost ready to soothe him.  She picked up the fallen note and glanced over it with Broots reading over her shoulder.  She was surprised by the emotions expressed for her brother, but then again, it was almost as if Samarah knew a different Lyle than the rest of them did.  She handed it to Lyle almost gently, a little bit of sympathy for Lyle inside.  A very little bit.  They connected gazes and for a moment, vulnerability shined in Lyle's eyes.  Then he jerked it away and he tucked it in his pocket.

"It's not enough, Sydney.  Make MonkeyBrains give us more."

"It's not something you can force, Lyle."
"Wanna bet?"

Lyle approached Angelo with a menacing facial expression.  Miss Parker was ready to protect Angelo, but the computer spoke from the table.

"You have a video phone call."  The electronic voice said.  Lyle turned to the computer solemnly, almost dreading what he would see.  He had to prepare himself.