Chapter Five

Author's note: however much I have enjoyed stringing you all along, I've also been long anticipating posting this chapter. So here goes...

oh, and;

Mishelle: Yes, yes he did. And it wasn't so much 'try' as 'suceed.'

Gemini-M: A bad dream? Come now, we can be more original than that.

lily94: I know

angie: I come from Australia, so I may not speak or think good. It balances out :)

pretender fan: 6 exclamation marks in your review ;) How about this- I'll update, and you go study? I hear that education is really quite important these days.

Annette: No, this story is meant to be taking place in North America, it's just that the writer has a nationality disability. Btw, Great Britain? Urk. As for the chapter titles- it's more fun than just 'chapter one, chapter 2...' and I couldn't think of anything else. Fanfiction autmotically labels the first chapter 'default chapter' so I thought I'd follow its lead.

Ella: Dying? Really? Thanks. I'll update shall I? It sounds like you might need it.

Chocofan: Why would Jarod do that when he just threw her over...? Anyway, read on -->

Daisyz: In suspense is the way I like people to be. It's good fun imagining you all having anuerisms at your computers...lol. Ah, I'm a cruel person.

NYT: What do you think?

Jar-Par Fan: I hope I answer all your questions with this chapter. Patience pays off.

Rev2004: My story gave you goosebumps? Well your review had me bouncing off the walls for a good hour. Thankyou very much. I'm thinking of implementing some sort of review rationing, where I can only read one or two an hour, else I think death by explosion may become a serious danger.

Thanks heaps for the reviews everyone- I really appreciate them, and they drive me to my keyboard without fail.

Less than a quarter of a second later, Parker's arms were nearly ripped out of her sockets. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming, and the all encompassing pain rapidly cleared to a strong ache. Looking up, she was momentarily hugely confused. Holding the chain of the handcuffs with one hand, panting and lying flat on his stomach with a desperate expression on his face was Jarod. Higher than that was another face, also Jarod. The screech of tires moments before she had fallen registered. Everything suddenly clicked into place.

'Don't move' said the real Jarod, the one holding her.

'Oh please do' sniggered the other one evilly, his voice no longer that of the pretender. It still sounded familiar, and along with the expression the false features were leering, Parker lowered her gaze to stare along the canyon and attempted to place just who it was who had kidnapped her.

'You're sick Willard.' Growled the Jarod holding her, hauling with all his might on the chain, so he could reach to get his other hand onto the chain, then resting for a moment, panting still. Parker, still in a state of death readiness, could feel every little thing. Her memory gifted her with the photo of Annie, Raines' daughter, who had been murdered by Douglas Willard, who had in turn been put away by Jarod. She hung there spinning gently and shivering, listening to the conversation as though it was piped in from a million miles away.

'But it has been fun. I was hoping you might make it just in time to see her tumbling downwards, but this was is even better. The Centre will be here in, oh, two minutes. Enjoy.'

'Raines gets his hands on you and he will kill you. You're not the only one with a grudge in this world.'

'I'm smarter than that you little brat. And I'm not afraid to be a little ruthless; it's why I'll always run rings around you…' he paused for a moment, and Parker glanced back up at him, wondering what he heard, that she, with the yawning emptiness below her, could not.

'Here they are now. That's my cue to exit. Have fun with your ironic justice by the way.' The second face above her pulled back and disappeared.

'Pull me up Jarod' demanded Parker, not caring that the sheer terror coursing through her was clear in her voice. 'Just hold tight. I can't right now from this position. It sounds like the rest of the gang will be turning up in a few moments, they'll help.'

Parker didn't respond, just squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine she was at home, safe. In the clear state of mind caused by the adrenaline coursing through her system, she couldn't help wondering about her relief that Jarod hadn't truly been the one to kidnap her.

'How did you find out?' she asked, more to keep her mind off the yawning emptiness than anything else. Jarod seemed to understand, and spoke in a steady calming voice, giving more information than she had asked for, just for something to say. 'Once I discovered you'd been kidnapped, it was a matter of narrowing down enemies. If the kidnapper had actually wanted you dead then he would have killed you, so they were using you to get someone else. The fact that the kidnapper didn't send a ransom note to the Centre meant that the Centre wasn't the target, which pretty much left me. The only one who could pull this whole thing off as flawlessly as this was Willard, who escaped about two weeks ago. He's still furious that I caught him twice, and was nervous that I would do so again if left alone. He pretended to be me because partially cooperative hostages are always easier to deal with. He was probably thinking and acting like me for the most part, no doubt modified to make room for what he thinks of as necessary cruelty…'

Jarod's voice trailed off, and Parker looked up again, meeting his eyes. Now his desperation was mixed with terror. The sound of a car pulling up filtered down to her, and footsteps crunched towards the two. She realised that he could have dropped her and escaped, and a wave of feeling, she didn't quite know what, washed through her.

'Parker?' His voice was tremulous. 'Yes?' She mouthed, not glancing away from his chocolate eyes (she realised now that Willard's contact lenses had been hard and dark, not deep and warm like Jarod's eyes).

'I love you.'

Parker smiled ruefully in acknowledgement, then flinched as she heard the sound of a gun being cocked. 'We should listen to anonymous tip offs more often' Lyle's voice floated down to her.

'Lyle you miserable arsehole, stop gloating and help him pull me up.' Her voice managed to be hard and commanding, and Parker thanked her years of training in the Centre, for being able to block out her terror at that moment.

'Hmm… nah.'

'Lyle, this isn't funny' Parker was still gazing into Jarod's eyes, but couldn't see Lyle above. He was standing back from the edge. What scared her though, was the look in Jarod's eyes. He was silently bidding her farewell. Parker swallowed hard.

'I mean, how often do I get the chance to rule the Centre, unchallenged? You die, dear sister, and I've got one broken pretender under my control, and no one to equal me.'

'Like Raines and Daddy would let you just waltz to the top.'

'It's not a matter of 'letting' sis. Not planning on giving them a choice.'

'You kill her Lyle, and you won't live long enough to gain the power of a AAA battery.' Jarod's voice was firm and harsh, but his knuckles were white where they gripped the handcuffs, and his eyes never left hers. Then, to Parker's immense relief, there was a screech of a car stopping from speed up on the bridge. She could almost see Lyle pause in indecision and then heard the gun being put away and his face appeared above Jarod's. 'How exactly did you end up down there anyway?' he asked, apparently having decided not to kill his twin in the plain view of whoever had just arrived.

'Ever heard of Douglas Willard?' Ground out Jarod. The strain was clearly wearing on him.

'The blue moon killer?' said Lyle in surprise.

'Where?' Asked the wheezing voice of Raines, with enough threat of violent aggression his voice to scare a lion into submission. Parker heard two sets of footsteps- Probably Willie had accompanied Raines- he always did. They had no doubt followed her twin without his knowledge.

'He planned all this,' Jarod told him neutrally, 'he only stayed as long as it took to gloat over his victory. If you help me pull her up, I'll tell you where he's gone.'

'Willie' said the wheezing voice; all the command that was needed. Lyle's head pulled back, and a pair of dark hands seized Jarod's shoulders. Parker felt herself rising. With a sudden heave, she was up onto the road, trembling violently, with the pain in her arms coming sharply to her attention. Jarod had collapsed in a heap opposite her, and was shuddering with equal force. Slowly, carefully, Parker pulled herself to her feet, rising to stand eye to eye with her brother, Raines and his sweeper. Jarod remained sitting limp like a rag doll, back against the fence, eyes staring blankly into nothing. He looked as though he had just realised that the Centre had caught up with him.

Amazingly, no guns were yet in evidence. Both the other men were waiting for Raines' lead. 'Where…is he?' demanded the gravely. Jarod glanced up dully. 'His car would have been hidden in the trees off the side of the road, on a small ranger's track or something.' He looked at Parker for confirmation, and she nodded slightly. Sighing, he pulled himself up, whilst Raines looked on impatiently. Lyle had a faint smile on his face, and Willie was his usual impassive self.

'He won't have taken the track. It's the obvious way, and it's too slow. By now he'll have driven about 15 miles, to another car that he would have secreted away. The first car will have been driven deep into the trees- you won't find it. I'll… I'll track him, if you let me drive.'

Raines barely hesitated. 'Give him the keys Willie.' The sweeper did so, and Jarod started for the car. Shaking his head, Lyle headed for his own car, and Raines, Willie and Miss Parker bundled into the other one. The warmth inside the car was the most welcome thing Parker had ever felt. She allowed Willie to open and close her door for her, but ignored him as she sat opposite him. She was too busy trying to figure how Jarod would get out of this one, because she had realised that she didn't want him locked away. Bastards like Willard deserved to be locked away- Jarod did not.

The pretender behind the wheel started the car with smooth efficiency and accelerated hard enough to force them all back in their seats. His pace didn't slow down any, and Lyle's car was soon left far behind. Seatbelt-less and holding on to the car door to keep from being thrown into Willie, Parker wished with all her might that Jarod could best Willard just one more time. The thought of what Raines would do if he didn't was too much to bear.

Jarod handled the car like a pro-racing driver, but Willard had had a good head start. When Parker saw the road branch up ahead, her heart clenched in fear, but Jarod didn't pause, heading down the right fork. His face had taken on that hardness that she had seen in Willard/Jarod over the past day.

The car was entirely silent, save for the wheezing of Raines' breathing. They passed no other cars on this remote road and the time stretched on and on. Parker's wrists ached. Despite the fact that she was warming up, she couldn't stop shivering, and it was taking effort to hide it from the men in the car. It took a moment before she realised Jarod had spoken to her, his voice tense as he threw the car around to negotiate the bends. 'What?'

'What colour was his car?'

'Black- a BMW I think.'

'Right. Keep your eyes peeled for a red van of some sort.' That was all. No explanation, but no one in the car questioned him. And finally… In front of them a red van could be occasionally glimpsed when the road stayed straight for a bit. They gained on it, even though it was clear that it was speeding dangerously. Jarod was quite simply driving the better vehicle. 'Willie' commanded Raines again. The sweeper nodded once, silently unwound his window, un-holstered his gun, and aimed at the tyres of the van. A single shot sounded, and black smoke spewed up from the rear of the van. Jarod slowed suddenly, keeping well back from the inevitable crash.

The van slewed across the road, hit the dirt shoulder and rolled once to stop against a tree, upside down. There was a jarring screech as Jarod pulled to a halt. He stayed in the car however. Hands trembling with long suppressed rage, Raines waited for Willie to get his door, and dragging his gas tank behind him, walked over to the crash site. Jarod didn't wait to see any more. With another screech of tires, he pulled back onto the road and accelerated away. Parker watched their retreating forms in the rear windscreen. Willie looked up once, then turned back to Raines, who had not even flinched whilst Jarod made his escape. Then the road swung around a corner and they were gone.

'I'm sorry Miss Parker, but I do believe I've just kidnapped you.' She could see him regarding her via the rear-vision mirror.

'That's alright labrat, as long as I can have a change of clothes and a shower, and soon.'

Jarod laughed. 'It will be done. It's the least I can do for making you a target for Willard. Would you like the handcuffs off by the way?'

Parker looked down at her trembling hands, and where the skin was red from chafing. Bruises were beginning to form from having her whole weight suspended on the cuffs. 'That would be nice'

'Hang on one moment, then we'll pull over.'

Once they'd driven for about five minutes more, Jarod did indeed pull over, getting in beside her on the back seat so she wouldn't have to leave the warm car. 'Here' he said, gently taking her bound wrists. Turning them slightly with one hand, with the other he reached into a pocket in his leather jacket and withdrew a paperclip. Unbending it with one hand and his teeth so he didn't have to let go of her hands, he used it to pick the lock and release her. 'Th…thanks' said Parker, through teeth that would no longer obey her command not to chatter.

Jarod looked at her, head on one side, then took off his leather duster and draped it over her shoulders. She pulled it around herself as he got back out of the car, opened her door for her and resettled her in the front seat, doing up her seatbelt for her. Parker would not normally have allowed the mothering from anyone but Sydney, and then only in special circumstances, but she was feeling badly shaken. Getting back behind the wheel, Jarod got them back onto the road, and turned the heater up full bore as he smoothly negotiated the bends. Parker's muscle began to relax, and she sighed deeply. The glittering light dimmed behind pale, thick clouds, and it didn't take long before she was dozing off; not having slept much the night before. The miles passed silently, and it began to snow again.

End Chapter five; to be continued (Some serious JMP on the way)