Disclaimer: see part one

Author's Note: Hey everyone. First of all another BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed the story so far. I'm really appreciating it! I'm gonna reveal part of the mystery in this chapter. Not the whole but you'll get the stalker's name. Have fun with this chapter now and send me a review if you like.

Thanks to:

Mfkngst: You think that guy is creepy? You have no idea! Glad that you liked MP's little 'inner monologue'. Thanks for your review and now enjoy chapter 9.

gemini006007: Angelo's information will help a bit to find the stalker. Creepy? Very much so! Thanks for reviewing and now enjoy the new chapter.

pretender fan: Hmm, no, in fact the last few paragraphs weren't supposed to be a hint as to who the stalker is. It was more like putting some more pieces to the blank face we have up to now… putting some more information in place so that we all know who we are dealing with. Thanks for your review and now enjoy!

Trisha: Freak… yeah, that is putting it quite nicely #smile#. Glad to hear that you like the story that much. I won't keep you from reading any longer… addicted people need their shots #lol#. Thank you for the review and now have fun with the next chapter!

x x x x x x x

Shadows Part 9

Night time adventures

Jarod clenched his jaw tightly.

They had done it again. They had used another child for their experiments. Raines and his companions had played God once more.

He got up from his seat and paced the room.

He didn't like what he had learned just now. It was getting more and more dangerous for Miss Parker. He needed to find this guy. He had only skimmed through the file about the Centre's 'subject' but it was enough to make him shudder.

Now that he knew who that guy was, he was confronted with another problem, one that could be even more difficult than the one he had just solved.

Finding out where the stalker was… where Seth was.

He sat down heavily on his chair again, getting back to the task at hand.

He would have to read into Seth's file and then try to locate him by either simming of profiling him. The chance that Seth had left electronic footprints in the mainframe was too small to try and find them.

x x x x x x x

Miss Parker sighed and tried to relax once more. At this point of time she was frustrated and angrily cursing herself; she should have asked Jarod to come.

Every sound - even quiet or soft - made her shoot up in bed with her gun drawn.

Jarod's words also finally registered. Though he had been very superficial with his information, his message finally came through.

He had been worried; worried that the stalker would try to harm her.

During their conversation on the phone this hadn't really registered in her mind but now that she was alone and thinking about it, it did nothing but make her feel more edgy.

x x x x x x x

Jarod sprinted out of his room, not pausing to shut the door. He also didn't lock it but raced down the steps to the street.

There had been enough information about Seth to first make a rather detailed psychological profile and with the help of that profile he had tried a simulation.

Seth would stick somewhat close to the city so that he could learn more about the people that lived here, so that he could get used to them but on the other hand he would stay out of their way as much as possible, keeping to himself. Renting a flat would be out of question and with his own experience it had been pretty clear to Jarod that he needed to search for Seth in an abandoned warehouse.

Blue Cove, being no one million people city, had only few warehouses; fewer of those were empty and only one of them fitted into the location profile Seth would search.

Jarod knew that he had gotten a stroke of luck here but he didn't question it for once.

Jumping into his car he sped away the moment the engine was started.

There were only few cars on the streets, for it was in the middle of the night. Maybe only because of that little detail, Jarod was able to reach the address without getting himself killed along the way. He drove as if other cars were invisible. He swung around hair-rising corners on two wheels but in the end he pulled up unscathed in front of the small warehouse that was his destination.

Jarod jumped out of the car and rushed up to the warehouse. Only there he slowed down, grabbing his gun from out of his waistband and taking out a small flashlight. He then quietly picked the lock and entered the warehouse.

x x x x x x x

He rang the bell on her door and let himself in after he heard her calling for him to enter.

Everything was dark but he knew his way around and he knew where she was; where she had called him from when he had entered the house.

x x x x x x x

Miss Parker shot up in bed again.

Something wasn't right.

She listened into the darkness. There it was again; again that soft noise. Nothing loud but she heard it nonetheless.

Miss Parker instantly reached for her gun that lay under her pillow. She sighed gratefully when her fingers made contact with the cold metal.

Next she grabbed her home phone from the nightstand and started dialling.

x x x x x x x

It was dark. Finding his way through the rooms with the help of the flashlight he quickly but silently swept the dark rooms, looking for him.

The beam of his flashlight danced through the rooms, illuminating dark corners and touching furniture, only to have them mould back into the shadows that surrounded them again once the light had left them.

Jarod crept forward.

A creaking sound made him swivel round… nothing, just the creaking of the metal structure of the building. He had lived in enough warehouses to know the sounds, and yet he winced when the metal creaked again.

He forced himself to relax and then he turned back round and continued his search.

Nothing. There was no one.

All four furnished rooms were empty but what he found in the last made him gasp loudly.

The walls were covered with pictures - pictures of Miss Parker. And there on the sofa lay a pullover resembling the one she had described as missing.

Jarod gritted his teeth and looked around once again.

This was getting worse with every passing minute. He felt as if being punched and he certainly understood that they had no control over the situation at all. He should have realized that earlier. Jarod turned around to leave the warehouse, apprehension forming in his stomach.

He had to get to Miss Parker. And he had to get there quickly. He didn't need to pretend to be a fortune-teller to foresee where Seth was now.

His cell phone rang. He winced at the sound and the meaning it had. There were few people who had his number and Miss Parker was one of those who had it.

"Yes?" he asked breathlessly.

"Jarod?"

He gritted his teeth. "Miss Parker. Is everything ok?"

"I think he is here," she whispered.

Jarod swore under his breath and accelerated his walk into a run to get to his car. "Lock yourself in your room. I'm on my way. I will be there in ten minutes."

"No, I will go down and see what he is doing there," she argued.

"Miss Parker. Now is not the time for heroism. That man is dangerous. I know who he is and I don't want you to get anywhere near him. He is a former Centre project, Parker," Jarod said and gunned the engine of his car.

"Oh great. One more reason to get him out of my hair," she swore.

"Parker, please. Lock yourself in your bedroom. I'm already on my way," Jarod said but he was talking to a dead line.

To be continued…

Surprised??? Seth… no one you reckoned with? I guess there are some of you who are disappointed that it isn't one of the persons we already knew. Sorry for that.

After time-table, the new chapter would be up next friday... but that's Christmas and since I know that you will all be with your families and don't have the time to read stories, I will put the chapter up a day later.
What? I hear complaints??? Hmm, well. Ok, ok before you are mad at me...I will put the chapter up on Christmas eve; will have to find some time in my time-table.