Author's Note:

Okay, okay…this may be considered by some of you as another short chapter but I have a reason for it. It is sort of an introduction to the next one.

I know I promised in the author's note of the previous chapter that the next chapter will be interesting, but when I started to write on this chapter I realized that in order for the story to read more realistically I need to do it this way instead of trying to rush it off.

So, I'm asking for your patience. If you read until the end you will notice that I'm building up to a climax in the story. But…please keep in mind how Lyle had injected her with something during the abduction (despite the fact that he had used chloroform on her which should have been enough to subdue her), the 'almost unnatural' thirst she has been experiencing and the water that was given to her in sports bottles. Well…for those of you that might have read my Stargate fanfiction – I don't write anything without a reason, hehe.

Some of you stated that you aren't quite sure yet as to what Lyle's plan is with his sister. As to whether it is revenge or whether he wants to turn her into his clone or something worse. Well…all I can say again is to keep in mind the above-mentioned clues.

Also there's still Angelo...where did our Timmy go?

Sorry for the long author's note…it is just that I have the rest of the story planned out in my head and are excited and quite looking forward to writing it.

Lastly: Thank you so much to all of you that have reviewed me so far. You have no idea how much it means to me.

xxx

"Yes," Ethan nodded his head as he replied, "She's not dead my brother. I know because the voices told me and I trust them. She's very much alive, but in danger and in desperate need of our help."

Crunching his face he added after a few seconds of appearing to be in deep thought, "I don't know what this danger is but I do know now that only person is behind this all…Lyle."

Chapter 11

For a while they just talked…about where Ethan had been all the time and how the visions of his sister calling for help had caused him to be knocked over by a car.

Jarod had felt like a dark cloud lifted from his soul upon hearing the news that there was a good chance that Ms Parker could still be alive. At first he had been still hesitant to believe Ethan, but as they continued talking, discussing the situation, he gradually came to believe that what his brother told him might be the truth after all, until at the end he could not prevent the elation he was feeling from expressing itself in the form of a smile on his face and the fact that he kept on asking Ethan to repeat everything that he knew and saw in his visions.

When he finally got around to telling Ethan about the fact that Lyle had claimed the so-called body of Ms Parker from the mortuary, got it sent to a funeral parlor and cremated within a day after her death things slowly started to fall into place for Jarod and to his shock he realized that the answer might have been in front of him all the time.

"Hold that thought," Jarod said just as Ethan started to ask as to what they are going to do regarding rescuing her.

Picking up a phone from the table he pressed a speed-dial number that he was well-familiar with.

After barely two seconds the phone was picked up on the other side and Ethan could hear a faint male voice saying, "This is Sydney."

"It is me," Jarod said in reply.

"Jarod…It is good to hear your voice. Can I assume that the reason for your call is that you have found out something?"

"I…maybe," Jarod said, "I have Ethan here with me."

"Ethan…your brother? I thought he was missing since that time with Alex?"

"He was, but he showed up at my…uh…door just a few hours ago," Jarod did not feel like telling his old mentor exactly what had happened and how Ethan had thought him to be responsible for Ms Parker's disappearance.

Instead he added quickly, before the older man could respond, "Sydney, there is now more than ever reason to believe that Ms Parker might still be alive after all."

For a while Ethan could not hear any words or sound coming from the other side of the line. Even Jarod lifted the phone from his ear and stared it at for a moment before finally saying, "Sydney?"

A slightly quavering, hesitant voice responded after a while, "Since your brother is there with you can I assume this has somehow to do with him? That he is the reason that you are now confident that she was not killed in that explosion?"

"Indeed. Ethan informed me that he had experienced visions of Ms Parker calling for help and…and telling him that his brother has her. He…immediately came to me for help."

The line went dead quiet this time and just as Jarod was about to get worried, wondering as to whether he had been cut off for some reason, Sydney spoke up again in a muffled tone of voice, "I apologize for that, but I had to move to a more secure area. There is something I need to tell you Jarod…at first I did not really give it more than a second thought, but after what you have told me just now about Ethan's visions telling him that Lyle has her…it is all starting to make sense now."

"What is?" Jarod asked, his eyes connected with Ethan's for a second and he could see how the younger man was concentrating deeply on Sydney's words.

"Lyle showed up at the office yesterday in an unusually good mood considering the circumstances."

"That is not unusual…Lyle and Ms Parker had never been able to see eye to eye and…" Jarod started to reply, at first unsure as to where Sydney was going with the conversation. Then as he started to realize what the older man was referring to he felt like mentally kicking himself for his momentary stupidity and as such concluded the sentence more for himself than anyone else, "If he is the one that has taken her…he must have come straight from wherever she is being kept."

"That is not all Jarod," Sydney interrupted softly, "If it was not for the fact that Broots had made a statement that slightly infuriated Lyle I would not even have noticed them."

"Notice what?" Ethan was unable to stop himself asking from where he was now sitting on the sofa.

"Was that Ethan?" Sydney asked.

"Yes. He wanted to know what it was that you have noticed," Jarod replied.

"Injuries Jarod, definitely recently obtained ones. There were what appeared to be long scratch marks to his wrist and face and some scabs to his bottom lip. He had tried to hide them with expertly applied make-up but there was no mistaken the fact that wherever…or maybe with whomever he obtained them put up quite a fight. When I confronted him with it he merely stated that he had an incident with a wild cat that he had gotten from a friend and-" Sydney's voice was getting louder and a bit of excitement was clearly evident in every word.

"Ms Parker knows how to protect herself. In fact I've never met a woman more capable than her in the art of self-defense. Sydney…the way that I see it Lyle must have abducted her from her home, faked her death with the explosion and that he is currently holding her as his prisoner for a reason only he would know." Jarod's fingers clenched tighter against the phone as thought of what she must have gone through and might still be going through rushed through his head.

"If that is truly the case you have to find her and soon Jarod. She is a strong person, but who knows how long she would be able to last under the hands of someone like Lyle."

"I agree and I think I have an idea as to how to start locating the place where he might have taken her." Jarod's eyes narrowed and his jaws clenched before saying, "If he has hurt so much as an hair on her head…" He allowed the rest of the threat to hang in silence. He could not help but notice how, upon saying those words; a strange, unidentifiable emotion ran across Ethan's face before disappearing just as quickly.

Sydney also went quiet for a few seconds before finally saying in a soft tone, "Just be careful Jarod and inform me as soon as you know anything more."

"You will be the first one to know," Jarod promised before hanging up the phone.

xxx

She has a plan.

It hit her as she was reaching for the bundle in order to change her clothes. It was more like the rough edges of an idea, but nevertheless it was the only thing that she could think of at that moment and therefore it was at least something to her…better than having nothing and only being scared of what the bleak future might bring.

As the idea slowly started to evolve in her mind she realized with a sinking feeling that the only way for it to succeed was for her to do something that she might get to regret for the rest of her life.

She might have to give up a part of her soul in order to convince him that he had won.

She might have to do things that went completely against her beliefs.

But…she has no choice. If she were to save the lives of both the girl and herself she would have to act and soon. All her life she had always preferred to be on the offensive instead of the other way around and this time was no different than before.

Closing her eyes, calming her breathing and intense beating heart, she silently prayed to no god in particular for strength and the ability to think clear in the imminent future. She could feel the nausea from before threatening to return, but she refused to give in to it. In order for her plan to succeed she needed to focus on the task ahead, and not about the recent past, and if she were to taste the sweet victory of success she would address what had happened to her under Lyle's hands afterwards, one day at a time. She also felt like she owned it to the girl in front of her to at least try something, anything would be better than just letting her brother get away with the murder of an innocent.

After barely a few seconds she opened her eyes quickly and forced a smile to her face. She was now ready to do whatever it took to enable her and the Asian teenager to escape from the clutches of a madman.