I've tried my best with this chapter.
I hope you will get to enjoy it but if you have any criticism please don't hesitate to share it with me. I love reviews, especially praises, but I can appreciate criticism because it is the only way I can improve on my writing.
xxx
SURVIVAL – CHAPTER 4"Jarod…are you here," Sydney called out softly, making his way carefully around the rubble that covered the floor of the derelict warehouse he had been summoned to.
When no reply was forthcoming he took out a piece of crumbled paper from the pocket of his jacket and with narrowed eyes scrutinized the directions he had scribbled down barely an hour ago.
"Jarod?" he called out again after a couple of seconds, this time a bit louder.
"I'm here," a tired sounding voice echoed from somewhere at the back of the huge room and from the shadows a tall dark-haired man suddenly entered Sydney's viewing field.
For a while the former mentor and tutor just stared at one another, each of them acknowledging in silence the obvious emotional, and at times even physical, pain that were binding them now in a common purpose.
"Do…have you found out anything?" Sydney eventually managed to be the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.
Shaking his head at first, then realizing that he needed to say something, Jarod hesitated for a slight moment before replying, "No. I…after you told me I immediately went to the morgue but was informed that Ms Pa…uh…that the body had already been sent to the funeral parlor and-."
Jarod's eyes darkened and his face hardened before finally finishing his sentence, "when I spoke to the Funeral Director I was told that she had been cremated a couple of hours ago and that a family member had came to claim her ashes."
"Who was it…Lyle?" Sydney asked.
Sensing the non-spoken question hanging in the air Jarod nodded his head, "Yes." Seeing the sudden glimmer of hope forming in the older man's eyes he shook his head and crossed his arms. "I know what you are thinking and it was my first thought too but…I managed to have a look at the autopsy that was done and all the information regarding her appeared to be accurate."
"The Centre could have faked it. You know this as well as I do Jarod."
"I know," came a very soft reply, include a stone-hard face that changed to one of sadness. "I've considered that too but I was unable to find any connection between the Doctor that did the autopsy and the Centre. His record is completely clean."
"Then…it was definitely her?" A look of utter defeat passed across Sydney's face. Up to that stage he had hoped that maybe the whole situation was just one of the Centre's cover-ups, that somehow that place had decided to fake her death for whatever reason but all hope was now slowly fading from his heart.
"There's no doubt about it," Jarod barely whispered the last few words, almost like he was afraid to admit to the truth.
"I see," Sydney stated in an equal soft tone and adverted his eyes to the ground.
After a few seconds of trying to calm his inner turmoil Sydney finally looked up again and to his utter shock he could see a faint mistiness covering the younger man's eyes.
Smiling sadly he put his hand on Jarod's shoulder and asked softly, "Will you be alright?"
"I'm fine…it's just…" The rest of the words trailed off into nothingness.
"Just what Jarod?"
"Earlier on…just before I contacted you…I dreamed about her. I can't remember much of it except that she was calling out to me for help."
"It has been proven that in times of extreme emotional situations people that share or had share strong bonds their whole life can feel the pain or death of another and-"
"I know, I know," Jarod interrupted a bit harshly and took a few steps backwards, clearly indicating that he did not appreciate the psychological evaluation of the situation.
Seeing the hurt in Sydney's eyes Jarod stopped in his tracks and apologized, "I'm sorry. I guess…no…it's just it is all so surreal. I just can't believe that she's actually gone. Also the dream was so real, it was like I could reach out a hand to touch her."
Sighing Jarod shook his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs in his mind, "But I guess you're right about the dream but one thing I believe…know…that explosion was no accident and I'm going to proof that one way or another."
"You think the Centre is behind this all?"
"When is the Centre not involved in something?" Jarod retaliated with a question of his own. "They must have decided that she was getting to be far too much of a risk."
"She has voiced her concern a few times in the past regarding Raines' hostility towards her," Sydney tried to offer some useful advice.
Narrowing his eyes Jarod got a far-off look in his eyes before answering, "Raines…Lyle…Cox. Anything is possible but one thing I can promise you is that I won't rest until I've found out the truth. It is the least I can do to honor her memory."
xxx
He had just finished his last coffee and was basically forced out of the café by the waitress.
Unwilling to put too much attention on himself he had relented and after having paid the bill, minus a tip, he had left the place and started making his way slowly down the street with hunched shoulders.
He had barely taken a couple of steps when a familiar voice suddenly tore through his mind, "Ethan!"
Stopping he shook his head and mumbled, "Not now. I'm too tired, not now."
Raking a hand through his hair he waited a few seconds before continuing walking.
"Ethan, she needs you! Ethan I need you! Now! Now!" Without warning a multitude of voices invaded his thoughts, some sounding like his long-dead mother and others like the older sister he had only became acquainted with few years ago.
Stopping in his tracks, ignoring the few curious onlookers, he frowned and whispered, "What? What do you want? I don't understand!"
"Sir, you're okay?" a young boy of about nine years asked but his mother pulled him to one side and scolded, "What did I tell you about talking to strangers!"
Ignoring them altogether Ethan tried to take another few steps, this time across the street, hoping that maybe he could evade the invasive voices altogether.
"Ethan!" a woman's image slowly formed in front of him.
"Mom?" he asked, confused because the image kept on changing to that of his older sister and back.
"Ethan!" the image cried out again, reaching out both hands toward him in a pleading gesture.
"Ms Parker?" he tried again and started walking towards the image, totally mesmerized by what he was seeing and oblivious to his surrounding area.
He was about halfway in the street when the figure all of a sudden called out, "Be careful of the man you call brother," before fading away quickly.
That was also the last thing that he saw before reality enforced itself in the form of a blaring horn and screeching tires followed by an intense pain and total blackness.
xxx
It had stopped - The music, the noise, the flashing lights and most importantly the horrible screaming voices.
Just as suddenly as it had started it had stopped.
Sitting up slowly she took a couple of deep breaths. A migraine was assaulting her head from all sides and her eardrums were still thumping to the previous assault on them. Closing and opening her eyes and turning her head to all sides she inspected her surroundings, almost too afraid too believe that the torture had actually stopped.
It took her only a couple of seconds to compose herself and to reach something that resembled her former self.
"So what...is that all you have for me dear brother?" she yelled out sarcastically, more out of an attempt to gain some of her former bravery than to really challenge him.
She waited for a little while longer but when no reply or reaction was forthcoming she added, "Fine. So you've proven to me what I've already known for a long time – you are completely and utterly mad. But what's new there? Oh wait! You've also shown me that you're not only that but also a complete coward. You'll rather try to impress me with some poor taste in music and some cheesy room decoration in the form of colors than face me yourself."
Again she held her breath in anticipating of any sort of reaction but still nothing happened.
Feeling frustration and anger taking control of her she snapped and called out, "Damn you Lyle! Do you really think you can get away with this? By know everybody that is everybody knows I'm missing and they are most probably looking for me already. The Centre, Sydney, Broots…hell even Jarod, you are going to have a wonderful time deciding who's wrath you want to face first regarding my disappearance."
Biting on her lip she continued on in the most sarcastic voice she could manage when still not reply was heard from Lyle after a while, "Oh…yeah I see. You are hoping to psyche me out with your silence. I'm flattered but it is definitely not going to happen. It will take much more for me to give in to whatever stupid plan you have with this whole sick setup."
"They say silence is golden," an answer finally came out of nowhere.
"Finally decided to honor me with your words?" she retaliated.
A chuckle was heard, "So what did you think of it?"
"About what," she turned her head to all sides, hoping to find some sign of speakers or cameras to give her an idea as to how he was monitoring and communicating with her.
"As in your own words Sis – the music and cheesy room decoration…was it to your liking?"
Laughing in unbelief she remained quiet for a second before answering, "Have anybody ever told you that you need to see a shrink?"
"Has anything ever told you how beautiful you are?"
At the uttering of the very suggestive words she could feel a cold shiver running down her spine, "So what…you want to reeducate me to support you in some twisted plan to take over the Centre? Been there, done that…not going to happen." She could hear a small quiver of fear in her voice and could only hope that he has not picked up on it too.
"Is that fear in your voice I'm hearing Sis? Who could have thought that Ms Parker can actually shown fear at anything."
His voice went down a few octaves before he continued, "But…that's something I'm more than willing to investigate further. To be honest it is actually a quite exciting prospect for me."
Suddenly feeling very tired she asked, "What do you want Lyle? Money? I don't think Raines or the Centre will be willing to pay anything for my release. Power? You are more than capable to manage it on your own without the need to kidnap me for whatever sick reason your brain may be harboring. So what is it? What in god's name did you think you might be achieving by this all?"
Her only answer was another laughter.
"You know it won't be long before I'm found?"
"That's true but only if they still believe you are alive."
"What are you talking about?" Feeling a cramp she stretched out her leg and started massaging it.
"It is quite simple. I've faked your death in a rather clever way, even if I have to say so myself. Therefore…nobody will come knocking here any time soon."
That same cold dreariness took control of her again, "First of all I don't believe you and secondly…so what! What in heaven's name do you want from me Lyle, except for maybe a bullet through your head if I'm ever to lay my eyes on your ugly mug again?"
A long silence followed.
"You still don't understand? After all this time you still haven't figured it out? I want you. With me, at my side, ruling the Centre with me the way it's supposed to be."
"We were already doing that your moron!" she yelled out again, her heart was beating at a furious pace as she tried to deny what she could clearly sensed in his words.
"Maybe…but you still need to love me the way you are supposed to," he answered after a while.