Pretender Fanatic- You know I only post for you grins. Glad you liked Zeak I was going to make is accent a bit more pounced -think Maine- but I thought it might be a bit more difficult for people to read. Devin isn't that nutty, he just has... issues. You'll find out why.
Joy- It's okay you're reviewing now and that's all that matters. You probably won't get anything Zeal or Devin say till this chapter. Think of this chapter as a decoder ring. And if you're still a little confused here's a little hint, read chapter 34 of the Black Files. Devin tells parker that 'There won't be a Phoenix to rise form your ashes. Yes I think I will stop it. I won't let there be a Phoenix.' In this chapter you'll find out why Devin won't let there be a Phoenix. Hope that clears up any confusion you might have.
LadyJadePenderhil- Do you know that it is because of you this chapter is posted a bit later than I intended. Your review gave me an idea to further Zeak's character and I debated it all day long today when I should have been paying attention in history -but that's okay I never pay attention in history, I usualy spend my time working on the Balk Files sequel Exodus-. Where was I ? Oh yeah. So thanks for the idea. Glad you like the softer side of Parker. And warning she will be a bit if a bitch in this chapter.
CHAPTER 21
A BRIEF INTERLUDE PART TWO : ZEAK, DEVIN, AND JAROD
July 20, 1987
11:00pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
Zeak's Bar and Grill
Zeak watched Sam and Parker leave out of his bar. He worried about the two children -no matter how old the two became they would always be children to him-. When they had returned from Europe in the summer of 1979, Sam had come to Zeak and asked if he needed any help around the bar. The boy had been nineteen then and Zeak had said yes with out a moments hesitation. He knew that Sam was a good kid.
Zeak did wonder why Sam wanted to spend his summer running kegs out, and cleaning the bathroom, and getting burned by the hot grease from the fryer. Sam had told Zeak that he just wanted to do a little manual labor. It was partly true. Sam wanted a job, a job in which he hadn't been given because he was close to the Parker family. He also wanted a job to make a little extra money. He was getting paid for being Parker's body guard but it was not for the money. Sam neither wanted the money nor did he need it. He did not view watching over his sister as a job. And Sam was leery about how the Centre truly made it's money. So every paycheck Sam got from the Centre that summer he gave to a local charity.
When Sam had turned eighteen he had come in to his inheritance, his parents had left him a small fortune. So Sam was not truly hurting money. Yet he wanted to hold on to the bulk of his inheritance for the buying of a house. Thus he decided to get a job working for Zeak.
When Zeak asked Sam who was watching Parker when Sam was at the bar, Sam replied somewhat angrily the Parker was spending time with her father learning about the Centre. Zeak came to realize that, that summer Sam had three jobs. Watching Parker, working at Zeak's, and keeping his opinion to himself when it came to the Centre.
The disdain Sam had for the Centre was obvious to the bartender, and Zeak had a feeling why Sam wasn't that fond of the Centre. In the summer of 63, Zeak had heard talk about the Greys and that they had been sticking their noses it to things that weren't their business. Zeak had also heard talk of Sam, and how the boy was said to be special, -special like another boy Zeak knew-. Some customers had even gone far enough to figure that the Grey had been killed so that the Centre could get Sam. Zeak wasn't the brightest man in the world but he knew that Allen and Liz would never give the Centre custody of their little boy. Allen had told Zeak that if anything were to happen to Liz or himself that Catherine would be given custody of Sam.
The main reason Zeak had taken Sam as a worker that summer was, Zeak didn't want the boy at the Centre. He knew that the Centre was a dangerous place to work. Over the decades Zeak had owned his bar, he would see costumers come one day and vanish the next. He had lost count how many people had once come to his bar and were now dead. The papers usually reported that Zeak's patrons died from natural causes, or freak accidents.
Not only had Zeak lost costumers to the Centre he had lost his son. Zeak's son Devin had been a special boy, psychic most would call him. The boy had always know things before they happened and had a knack for finding lost things. When Devin was five the Centre had taken him, in the process Zeak's wife Marie had been killed. It was classified as another one of those freak accidents. Zeak had attempted to get his son back but the Centre had threatened the life of Zeak's daughter Jane, along with the rest of his family. So Zeak let the Centre have his son.
Every now and then he would hear word of Devin through Centre workers. And it was through Centre worker's he had discovered of his son's death. Strangely enough Zeak did not blame Sam. Zeak had learned that over the past few years Devin's behavior had become quite erratic. Devin had also become prone to violent outburst. In a way Zeak was glad that his son had died, Devin would be able to find peace, for no longer would he have to suffer at the hands of the Centre as he had done for the past twenty years. Later that day once Zeak closed his bar he would go home to morn for his son's lost life and pray for the lives of Parker and Sam.
Zeak didn't want to see Sam nor Parker end up like the other Centre workers or prisoners. For the past nine years the two had been working at the Centre and each year that past Zeak was relieve and disappointed. He was relieve that the two had made it to live another year. But a part of him died to see that Sam and Parker were handing over their lives to the Centre. Devin had no choice in what was done to him but Sam and Parker had the chance to get away from the deadly shadow of the Centre. But Zeak supposed that as long as the two had each other then in the long run they would be okay.
He didn't want to hurt her not really. But she, like him was part of something grander. Devin had heard what Raines had been planing. "The future of the Centre" he had heard Raines say. Two projects had been passed, and another project was progressing nicely. Phoenix and The Black Files were the two project that had been passed by the triumvirate. Gemini was finally nearing complection. All three projects had been opposed by Catherine Parker. But with her gone their was nothing stopping the continuation of the projects.
Devin knew that he had to stop the Centre from creating the children. Even if ending his own life hurt the Centre's plans just a fraction, Devin was willing to make that sacrifice. Devin had, received visions of a group of children with amazing abilities being tortured at the hands of Raines. He had seen the children rebelling killing their tormentors and all those who they believed responsible for their pain. And worst of all Devin had seen the group of children being joined by others like them, and the children - the small army really- attempting to take over the world with such tremendous force. He saw them burn down towns with out a match. He saw them slaughter thousands with a wave of their hands.
Devin knew that he could not allow such a future to exist. So he attempted to escape hoping that one of the mindless drones who worked at the Centre would kill him before Raines had a chance to use Devin in his project. When Devin came across Parker he knew that she would play a part in the worlds destruction. It wasn't her name that had told him but her eyes. Five of the children -three boys and two girls- had the same blue eyes. The oldest boy with the blue eyes was the children's leader. Devin knew that if he killed the woman than he probably could stop it all. He would be able to save the future.
Yet a part of him could not pull the trigger. As far as he knew that the woman was innocent that it was an involuntary part she played in the game. She was not the main cause in the destruction caused by the children. Yet it was her child who would lead them all. Had Devin not paused to contemplate his course of action he might have seceded in killing the woman. Yet Devin did and the woman's sweeper took advantage of Devin's moment of weakness and pulled the trigger on his gun.
Devin welcomed his death. He knew that it took so little to change the future. Devin ken that if he was dead Raines would be unable to create any children from him. Devin hoped that it would be enough to save the world.
Yet what Devin did not know was Raines had already gathered all the genetic samples he needed. Within five years the prototype for the Black Files would be created. The set of twins would surpass all expectations.
But Devin's death was not in vain. For an empath -rarely noticed by those who walked the halls of the Centre- had not only felt all of Devin's fears but Angelo had seen them as well. Angelo new that their was another way to stop such a catastrophe form occurring one that did not involve the premature death of the Daughter. Luckily for Angelo he had nine years to plan how he would shape the future. And like Devin's plan all it would take was one tiny piece of metal. Only this time on one would die. Instead thousands upon thousands would live.
Jarod laid on his back staring up at the ceiling, his hands folded behind his head. His thoughts were occupied by the same person who had occupied his thoughts since he was a boy. It had been almost eight years to the day he had last spoken to her.
June 20, 1979
He had heard that Parker had arrived home from England Jarod was ecstatic. It has been almost a year since he had seen her last. Jarod is sitting in his room working on a sim when he heard the doors open. He see it is Parker and his heart soars.
"Miss Parker," Jarod says. He walks over to her and give he a hug. She stiffens in his embrace. Jarod realizing something is amiss lets go of her. "Parker what's wrong?" Jarod asks. He is met with a slap across his face.
"How long Jarod? How long were you going to keep lying to me and Sammy? You killed them with one of your damn Sims. We trusted you. I trusted you. I cared about you. I bet it was a right laugh for you huh? Making friends with Sammy after you killed his parents!" Parker yells.
"Miss Parker you don't understand, I didn't know what that Sim was going to be used for. Dr. Raines never told me. I didn't want to even do it in the first place. When I found out the truth I wanted to tell you and Sam but I didn't know how. Except for Angelo, you and Sam are my only friends. I didn't want to lose either of your friendships." Jarod tells her.
"Don't try to feed me any of your lies Jarod." Parker hisses.
"I'm not lying!" Jarod yells at her. "All though from what I hear you don't even know how to distinguish lies for the truth any more. I hear what the sweepers say Miss Parker, they call you a silly little girl for believing all of the lies you Father feeds you. So keep on believing more Centre lies if you want. But know this if I could I would take it back. Now Miss Parker I need to get back to my work I believe you can find your own way out," Jarod says tersely. He then finds himself on the floor cradling his jaw as he watched Parker stormed out of his room.
For eight years he had regretted what he said to her. But he couldn't help it the words had just come pouring out of his mouth unchecked. Jarod wished he hadn't let his anger get the better of him, but it hurt him that Parker would think that he would willingly kill anyone.
Jarod hadn't seen Parker since then. And he wouldn't see her again for another nine years. The last time Jarod had seen Parker her back was to him. In the coming years of the hunt for the Centre's top pretender the roles would reverse and if Parker ever caught sight of Jarod, all she would see would be his back.
Up next: Entre a pair of devious twins, who are doing all they can to reveal the truth to a sweeper named Sam.
Remember to review guys. I live for reviews
