Disclaimer: see part one

First of all I really have to apologize to leontine-456 and Brandy for forgetting them in the personal thanks of the last chapter. My pc caught itself a whole bunch of Trojans (the repairman said something of about eight Trojans) and other cute little bugs no one likes to have. With those things the pc just went down. Luckily I had a backup made merely half a week before (fate strikes sometimes) but there weren't your names on the review list and I didn't reopen all my review mail. Had I done that I would have noticed that you were missing in the thanks but I didn't and so that slipped my attention. Sorry!

Thanks to:

rev2004: Me? Trying to throw you off track? Why would I do something like that (puts on an angelic look). No, honestly. I tried that earlier but this time it's real. Jarod isn't the stalker, or is he? LOL Thanks for reviewing and now enjoy chapter 5.

Diana: A new face... welcome and thanks for reviewing. Well, I don't know if Miss Parker will come running to Jarod or not. I guess we will have to wait and see. Thanks again and now enjoy the next chapter.

pretender fan: Yes, he will try to protect her; but from whom? There are still so many question marks as to who the stalker is. We'll see. Thanks for your review and now enjoy.

gemini006007: Hmm, someone very much like Jarod... nice thought. I keep that in mind and you should too. Thanks for reviewing and now have fun.

Brandy: Yeah, who will get his or her ass kicked? Wait, read and see. Thanks for reviewing and again sorry for forgetting to mention you in the last chapter. Enjoy now!

Mfkngst: Yeah, Parker needing Jarod for once... but somehow I'm not sure if she realized that and what's more; I don't know if she will really need him. We will see. Anyway, thanks for your review and now enjoy the next chapter.

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Shadows Part 5

Worries

Miss Parker sat leant back in her office chair, a faraway expression on her face. Her fingers were drumming a nervous rhythm on the desk.

She was still thinking about her phone conversation with Jarod last night. Though not convinced at first, she now was certain that he had told her the truth. He had seemed to be confused at first and then later he clearly was worried about her revelations.

Miss Parker gnawed at her lip.

But if it wasn't him, then who else was it?

If she was honest with herself, she had to acknowledge that she was afraid now. She had been angry at Jarod and had threatened to shoot him but despite everything, she had known that he was not a threat to her, whatever strange game he played.

The idea of a new player, a player who was hidden from her view, startled her. She didn't know what to make of it now and she didn't know where she stood and more importantly, with whom.

It made her feel uncomfortable, even if she wouldn't acknowledge something like that to anyone.

The telephone rang and roused her from her thoughts.

"What?" she snarled her obligatory 'greeting' after picking up the receiver.

Nothing

Miss Parker swallowed. She looked around nervously and her breath quickened. "Who the hell is it?" the dangerous snarl betrayed the uncertainty she felt.

She could hear someone breathing on the other end of the line but that someone never spoke.

The line went dead.

A lump formed in her throat when the dial tone rang in her ear. She felt light-headed and dizzy. Had anyone been in her office, he would have been shocked at her expression. Her face was white as a wall and her eyes were blank.

This clearly wasn't good. Now the new player not only had her home number but also her office. Even though none of her numbers was listed anywhere in a public phone book, her office number was much harder to get. It wasn't as if the Centre distributed phone numbers to anyone who asked.

Now only her cell number was unknown to the stranger; and it would be near to impossible to get one's hands on that one.

Miss Parker shook out of her stupor and looked around as if afraid that someone would be here, lurking in the shadows and watching her.

Before she could do anything else, the phone rang again. Parker reached for the receiver with shaking hands.

"Hello?" she asked, too shaken to throw the usual 'what' at the caller.

"Miss Parker?" Jarod's voice came over the line. At first he was confused at her greeting, then worry at the tone of her voice got the upper hand.

"Jarod," she huffed, relief that it was her childhood friend.

"Miss Parker, are you ok? You sound distressed."

Swallowing, she nodded. "Yeah. He called again, Jarod. Only minutes ago."

"Damn. Same as always? He didn't say anything?" Jarod asked.

"Yeah," Miss Parker confirmed.

Jarod was shocked at the expression he got from Miss Parker. It was easy for him to read her voice. This was clearly gnawing at her; more than she would admit. She was afraid. That much he could easily discern in her voice.

"I have no idea what I'm up against and I hate it when I'm standing there with nothing to work with," she replied harshly.

"We have some things to work with. We're gonna find something," he told her in a soothing voice.

She could hear the worry in Jarod's tone; worry about her. A wave of anger flared up in her. He thought her to be weak. "Don't make a fuss, pez-head. It's only photos and phone calls."

Jarod rolled his eyes at the frosty tone that had crept into her voice. "Yes. I'll continue working on it. I'll call you once I find something," he replied curtly. "I have to go now. I'll talk to you soon." With that he disconnected. He was annoyed that she had blocked him out.

Miss Parker's "Ok," came just too late for Jarod to hear. Even though she had tried to pretend that she didn't care, she was thankful that Jarod hadn't just hung up on her like he usually did.

Jarod breathed deeply. Miss Parker was clearly shaken. His eyes narrowed and he silently vowed that he would find the person responsible for this and make him pay.

Miss Parker was normally such an independent and strong woman. Knowing that she was afraid made him angry.

His hands balled to tight fists and he punched his own thigh in anger. It was only a mild fraction of power compared to what he would put into the punch he spared for Miss Parker's stalker. That man wouldn't come away with just a bloody nose or a blue eye.

He gritted his teeth. He would find the bastard and see to it that he couldn't ever harm Miss Parker.

He would see to prevent that.

To be continued...