A/N: Look, an update ((gasp))

fifteen

Tappahannock, Virginia
January 10

Anna glanced at her wristwatch, barely able to make out the face in the dim light. Squinting, she thought it looked like it was eight o'clock. She turned her attention back to Lyle, her stomach knotting in worry. He still hadn't woken up.

After Jarod had subdued Alex and Parker had helped her out of the trunk, everything had happened at light speed. Anna was still trying to comprehend that Lyle had been shot when she'd been packed into her car with Broots and the kids, and told to drive. Parker, Angelo and Lyle had driven away in another car, leaving Sydney and Jarod to deal with Alex.

Anna hadn't stopped thinking about Lyle as they traveled. It didn't help that Debbie and Hayley were doing their best to console Jason, while Broots kept saying, "I'm sure he'll be okay."

Now, at least, they were together again, though Anna had been so focused on Lyle that she hadn't even paid attention to the name of their motel. Lyle occupied a single bed, his complexion pasty and his breathing erratic. Anna moved from the chair to the edge of the bed and tentatively touched his cheek.

"Bobby?"

Were they just going to leave him to die, she wondered. They hadn't even padded the wound.

She gently unbuttoned his shirt, then froze. There was no wound. His chest was covered in blood, but there was nothing else to suggest he'd been shot. Anna swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She hurried to the bathroom, returning with a wet towel, which she used to wash the blood away.

She still couldn't find a wound.

"I don't know how to explain it either."

Anna glanced up to find Parker standing in the doorway that connected this room to the next. "This is like something out of a science-fiction novel."

Parker nodded. "Welcome to my life."

"He'll wake up, though, won't he?"

"I hope so." Parker crossed the room and held out her palm. In it was a spent bullet. "I'm not quite sure what to do with this."

Anna took it, turning it carefully in her fingers. Then she opened the bedside drawer and dropped it inside. She picked up the ruined shirt and towel. "He's a bit easier to look at now. I guess you can tell Hayley and Jason they can see him."

"Jason's asleep." At Anna's look of surprise, Parker smiled grimly. "I gave him a sedative. I'll let Hayley know she can come in."

When Parker left, Anna bent and kissed Lyle's forehead. "Come on, Bobby. Don't give up on me, now."

January 11

There had been many times when Lyle had thought he was going to die, but never had his life flashed before his eyes. When he realized he'd been shot, all he could think of was Hayley, and how he wished they'd had a chance to know each other better. Then, as life hadn't been cruel enough, just before he lost consciousness he discovered Jason was his son.

It felt like something heavy was sitting on his chest. Lyle opened his eyes, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Slowly, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He wasn't dead, but since he didn't know what had happened after he was shot, he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Lyle reached up to touch where the wound should have been, but his fingers found only smooth skin. Confused, he got up and stood in front of the mirror.

Nothing.

"I'm still not used to it either," Parker said from the connecting door. She shut it behind her and came to stand next to her brother. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't understand."

"It had something to do with Jason, I think."

Lyle nodded. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. I sent Anna and the kids ahead. I figure it's safer—"

Lyle's head shot up. "Anna? She's alive?"

"Alex had her in the trunk. She's fine." Parker put a reassuring hand on Lyle's shoulder. "So, when are you going to tell me the real story about you two?"

The ghost of a smile touched Lyle's face. "Some other time. Jason . . ."

"Yes, he's yours. I still don't know how he knew, but Angelo confirmed it."

"Where's Alex?"

"With Jarod and Sydney."

There was a knock at the door, then Broots entered with a paper bag. "I brought breakfast. Oh, hey, you're up."

Lyle nodded.

"Anyway, I've gone through everything Anna got out of the safety deposit box and I contacted a couple of friends who've agreed to help us."

Parker frowned. "Are you sure these friends are trustworthy?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely. They bring new meaning to paranoia. They publish a magazine called "The Lone Gunman', it's about conspiracy theories—"

"Okay," Parker interrupted. "We don't need their life stories."

"Right. Well, I'll, uh, I'll call them then."

Broots left the room and Parker turned back to her brother. "You're really feeling okay?"

Lyle nodded.

"I'm glad you're okay." Parker ducked her head and moved to the door. "I'll let you get dressed in peace."

When she left the room, Lyle looked at his reflection again, his fingers absently rubbing the skin where a scar should have been.

Somewhere in Maryland

The cuffs cut into Alex's wrists, his arms were stiff, and he was craving something to drink. But he refused to give Jarod the satisfaction of knowing his discomfort. Instead, he masked it, as he always did, with sarcasm and attitude.

"So, you finally figured out what Miss Parker meant to you, huh?"

Jarod glanced at Alex, but said nothing.

"I must admit, I never thought I'd see the day where you and Lyle were working together."

Something flickered on Jarod's face. Pain? Anger? It didn't matter to Alex.

"You find your mother yet?"

"Shut up." Jarod stood and crossed the motel room to stand in front of Alex. "Or if you really want to talk, you can tell me who sent you after us."

"It's always so black and white for you, isn't it?"

"Some things are, yes."

Alex smiled. "You can't win, you must know that. They'll never stop chasing you. Not because they want you back, but because you're an embarrassment to them. They don't want you alive anymore."

Jarod said nothing, and Alex laughed.

"You never thought you'd outgrow your usefulness, did you? That's kind of sweet, in its own pathetic way."

"Then why not just let me be?"

Alex had always had a flair for the dramatic. He waited just long enough for the silence to become unbearable, then said, "There's a new Triumvirate. Younger men, with a different vision for the future. You're the past, Jarod. You, Miss Parker, now Mr. Lyle. The easiest way to forget the past is to erase it."

A look of understanding crossed Jarod's features. "You came for the children."

"You're not as dumb as you look."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Alex shrugged, then wished he hadn't as pain shot through his muscles. "Because we're the same, you and I."

"We are nothing alike."

"No?" Alex smiled again. "You know, you could disappear, if you really wanted to. But you can't bring yourself to let the Centre go. It's too much of you who are. Tell me, Jarod, what do you intend to do once it falls? Do you honestly think you could live a normal life? A happy ending with Miss Parker – is that what you really want?"

"You know nothing about what I want." Jarod's voice was laced with anger.

"Don't I?"

"Quiet. You've done enough talking."

Alex laughed. "Whatever you want."