Broots took a peak to see how she was doing.
She was in the same position as before he left.
Broots began to feel anxious. It was only a matter of time before the Sweepers would come back. What would they do if they came back earlier than predicted? No. He couldn't think of something like that. He looked over at Sydney.
Sydney was leaning against the wall outside of the room. Silent tears still were making their way down his face. Broots had never seen him cry like this before. But Broots couldn't think about that. Broots had to think about their safety, as both of his companions had their minds occupied on more emotional matters.
"Sydney...we have to leave soon." Broots whispered.
Sydney glanced at Broots. It took a minute for him to nod in response.
"Syd...I don't want to tell her...but...we gotta leave!" Broots hastened.
Sydney nodded again and turned to enter the room.
She caressed his head of hair and his face. Her head was a jumble of thoughts. But one thought remained steadfast in her head determined all her other thoughts.
She wasn't going to leave him.
She had left him once before, and that had severed them for a lifetime. She couldn't do it to him now; she couldn't let them wipe away his existence. She wouldn't let them.
Sydney came into the room slowly. He just stared at her. The way she held him now...no one could have ever thought it possible. She held him as if they had been lovers. As if they had spent a lifetime touching, when in reality nothing of the sort ever transpired.
"Miss Parker..." His husky voice called. He was barely heard above the screeching of the alarms. But she heard him.
The amount of crying had taken its toll on his voice, along with his strength. She could see it in the way he walked. He wavered slightly in the doorframe, the icy air in the room affecting him more then her.
"Miss Parker we must leave." Sydney whispered.
And with those words came her realization. What had been consuming her thoughts was brought forth in reality with one statement.
"I'm not leaving him here." She stated with a strong voice.
Her voice held no frailties that Sydney's voice held. Her voice held certainty in it. As if the statement was irrevocable.
"Miss Parker we must..."
" We're taking him with us Sydney. I'm not leaving him here." Miss Parker commanded.
Broots sprang into the room at the command.
"Miss Parker are you serious...we can't just take him...their gonna know we..." Broots began.
" We're out of here Broots...all of us." Miss Parker interrupted.
Broots looked up stunned.
"Wh...whadya mean Miss Parker?" He stumbled out.
Miss Parker wiped away the tears on her face, and caressed Jarod's cheek. She looked down at his face.
He was soo handsome.
"Get packing Broots. We're leaving the Centre."
She looked up at Sydney.
"Sydney find Angelo and get ready to leave. We're gone in 15 minutes."
Broots and Sydney wheeled Miss Parker into the elevator.
They had spent a good five minutes trying to talk some sense into her. She had one in the end without even saying a word. Her eyes spoke for her. She would not have left that room without him. She would have killed anyone who tried to drag her away. So Sydney at Broots, with just a look came to a conclusion.
They were leaving the Centre.
As they entered the elevator Broots again hooked up his computer to the elevator panel. As Broots entered the key to shut the elevator doors...a figure jumped out.
Miss Parker out of reflex whipped out her gun at lightning speed.
It was Angelo.
His face was ashen; his eyes red with tears leaking out of them.
"Friend gone." He whispered sadly as he looked at the figure engulfed by Miss Parker's frame.
Miss Parker let out a sigh of relief, and then lowered her gun.
He then looked up at Broots and spoke.
"Debbie waiting. Ready to go."
Angelo then walked up to Miss Parker.
"Find friends family. Friend always wanted to find family." Angelo told Miss Parker.
Miss Parker nodded her head while she cried tears of understanding. That's what she had to do.
She had to complete what Jarod couldn't. She had to find his family. So they could at least have him in death. So that they could know...what happened to their little boy.
Angelo entered the elevator.
Broots looked over at Sydney who exchanged a look with him.
Apparently Angelo had known. Of course how couldn't he? The amount of emotions that they had all been sending out was bound to empath what was going on. And then as if hearing their thoughts, Angelo shook his head no.
"Angelo saw what they did to Friend." Angelo cried softly.
"Angelo saw Friend. Angelo saw." He cried out.
Sydney approached Angelo and Angelo launched himself into Sydney's open arms.
They climbed to the lobby floor in total silence. As the doors opened to the main floor, Sydney and Miss Parker looked over at Broots.
As he looked up he caught their stare.
"What?"
Both Miss Parker and Sydney looked out into the Lobby.
Not one person was there. No guards. No Sweepers. Nothing. But Broots explained the absurdity of the absence of all the staff.
"The alarm I set was a combination of Fire Alarm and Lock down of the Centre. I've been working on the Security System ever since the explosion in SL-27."
With this explanation given they all headed for the exits of the Centre, None of them thinking twice over the decision made. They were leaving behind The Centre, and with it the horrors it held.
Miss Parker blinked from the blaring light of the noon sun. They quickly rushed to Broots' Car.
"I'll take your car Miss Parker. Give me the key." Sydney told Miss Parker.
Miss Parker blinked at him. She then held Jarod to her chest by wrapping him with her arm, while her hand dug in her jacket pocket to extract her keys. She threw them at Sydney.
Sydney caught the keys and spoke quickly.
"I'll meet you at your house Broots."
In the mean time Angelo and Broots had maneuvered Miss Parker and Jarod into the back seat of Broots' car. Broots nodded in agreement with Sydney. Angelo followed Sydney to the parking garage as Angelo entered his car.
Miss Parker cradled Jarod to her body, even as more blood soaked into her clothes and onto the seats of Broots' car.
Miss Parker new nothing of what was going on around her anymore. All she knew was the dead beat of her heart, the wet feeling of blood in her hands, the salty taste of her tears, and the feel of Jarod's cold skin.
She touched her nose to his and let her eyelashes brush with his.
What had she done?
Broots kept looking in the rearview mirror to check on Miss Parker and Ja….and the body. He had to get home to get Debbie and make sure she didn't see Miss P. and her current state.
The radio had been on when he had turned off the car, and since turning on the car the radio had been playing music in a comfortable volume. Suddenly the disc jockey of the station said that he had a band that was just starting out. This was one of the songs that they were working on…. and then proceeded to play the song.
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
Miss Parker closed her eyes at the words hit home.
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
Miss Parker looked down at Jarod's closed eyes and caressed his face as more tears fell.
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
Miss Parker rested her forehead against Jarod's.
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
Miss Parker opened her eyes to study his face.
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
She cried onto his face as the words now became her reality.
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
"I'm soo sorry Jar. I'm soo sorry." She whispered against his forehead as her lips lay crushed to his skin.
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
" I would do anything to take it all away Jar. I would do anything."
And be the one who catches all your tears
She wiped at the tears that had fallen on his face.
That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You!
She slowly began to rub her face against his.
And the reason is You!
She let her cheek glide against the small stubble that graced his face.
and the reason is You!
She let her lips brush against the mole under his eye.
and the reason is You!
She brushed the tip of her nose with his.
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
"I love you Jar." She whispered to the dead man she cradled against her.
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A flash of a memory appeared of the many times she had managed to see Jarod in the outside world, following all his discoveries.
A reason for all that I do
Memories of her and Jarod as children finding there adventures at the Centre, the first time they met, there first kiss…it all flooded her.
And the reason is you...
And the memory of his young face stuck in her head…his eyes…his smirk…his beautiful soul radiating from every pore. And with the memory came her desperate need for peace, her being could not take very much more loss. She had lost too much. Too much.
"Please God. Nooo mmmooorreee. No moooreee. Please God. I can't take annnymooorree."
Broots who had been watching from the rearview mirror allowed his tears to fall unchecked as he watched the strong woman he knew beg for mercy. See her reduced to a shell of a person she used to be striking a chord within him.
He let his eyes again focused on the road ahead.
He increased speed. He needed to get away from the Centre. They were starting a new life now. And many things needed to be done still. But they could do it.
As Broots sped his way into their new lives, he could not imagine….the journey that awaited them.
As Broots pulled into the driveway of his home, Sydney exited Miss Parker's car. As soon as Broots exited the vehicle Sydney began to question him.
"Broots, where have you been? You should have been here before us. Why are you soo late? Were there any problems?"
"Whoa…slow down Syd. I just took a couple of detours to make sure we weren't followed. This is escape from the Centre you're talking about… I wanted to be extra careful. Not to mention the fact that I have the chairman's daughter and dead pretender in the back seat of my car. I had to be careful and took the back roads here. Speaking of here is Debbie?" Broots asked.
"Debbie came outside and asked if we wanted to come in. I asked if Angelo could stay in the house with her. She took him inside about 5 minutes ago."
"Remind me to have a talk with my daughter about opening the door to strangers."
"Forgive her for this one instance Broots, but I'm not exactly a stranger to her."
"That's true." Broots stated.
Miss Parker couldn't remove her eyes from his face. It was funny.
For years she had not seen him, and now that she wanted to see him…it was only in death that she could.
She kept caressing his cheeks. For years they had not spoken, for years she had not touched him…and now she could. But now all that it brought was the cold feel of giving skin.
She remembered how strong he was, how Jarod seemed to be able to over come anything in his path. She began to rock him again, but in the new position in the car…it had forced her to hold him in a more awkward position…………….and that's when she saw it.
In the interior pocket of his jacket….hardly visible…but she saw it.
She reached in with her free hand and pulled it from its sleeve. As she went to turn the folded up paper over she caught sight of a word on the other side…seeing what the word was she began to breath faster.
It was her name.
She looked at his face in a questioning manner…never had he used her name…and never had she allowed him to…but there it was- in his cursive writing.
She placed the note in her jacket side pocket. Later…Jarod needed her. And she would stay with him….she would stay with him this time.
And then a question popped into her head………a question that she hadn't asked before…a question that seemed so obvious now.
Why had Jarod come to her house?
Jarod was not a stupid man…why would he fall into a stupid trap set up by Bridgette? It didn't make sense.
She glanced down at Jarod.
"What were you doing there Jarod? Why were you there?"
But the silence that followed her questions only made her more anxious to know the answers.
She would find the answers to them. She would….even if it was the last thing she would do!
Sydney approached the car and slowly opened the door. Miss Parker seemed to be in a sort of trance. She never once looked up from gazing at Jarod's face. He didn't want to disturb her...but then again...they had to hide Jarod. Debbie was much too young to see a de...his brain wouldn't finish the thought. They had to hide and fast.
"Miss Parker...we have to move...and we have to move now." Sydney stated simply.
Miss Parker looked up with damp eyes. She nodded to him. Sydney helped her transport herself with Jarod's body to another car?
Miss Parker looked to Sydney for confirmation.
"Angelo drove this one while I drove your car...it was a car we found while coming out of the parking garage...for now it will do...but we must hurry...it will only be a matter of time before they report the car missing...and we have yet to go to your house." Sydney informed her.
She nodded...realization of what needed to be done now hitting her...and hitting her hard. She had to leave behind her mothers house...she needed to leave behind her mystery's...her secrets. Then she looked down at Jarod...and the tears came of there own accord. Only for him...only because it was the least she could do.
Only for him.
Broots ran out of the house with luggage in tow, along with some computer equipment. He quickly loaded the back of his car...then saw the huge blood stains on the car. Quickly thinking that Debbie would see it ran back and grabbed towels from his house...he covered the stains with more than 5 towels. He ran back in to grab more luggage and equipment.
Sydney settled Miss Parker in the back seat of the "stolen" car. He quickly went about to help Broots with the moving of luggage.
Angelo came out of the house and climbed into the car with Miss Parker. He had climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. The image of Miss Parker with Jarod sprawled across her and the entire seat greeted him.
Ten minutes passed as Sydney, Broots and Debbie finished all of the things necessary for them to leave. As Sydney jumped into the car with Miss Parker and Angelo, Broots peeled away with Debbie.
He stopped a moment to contemplate what was going on- About everything that he had left at the Centre. With that thought Angelo held up a briefcase to him that he had not seen. Angelo pushed the briefcase into Sydney's frame.
Sydney eyed the briefcase...then looked to Angelo.
Angelo just continued to stare at him with trusting eyes.
Sydney opened the briefcase and looked at the contents. He quickly looked up to Angelo.
"Angelo how did you," and before he could finish Angelo answered.
"Angelo knows. Angelo knows." He nodded to his own affirmation.
Sydney held his tongue. There was time for this later...they had to leave to go to Parker's now...or there wouldn't be a later.
Sydney nodded his head. He swiftly closed the briefcase and placed it at Angelo's feet. He quickly turned on the car.
The trip to Miss Parker's was made in little time. The only problem now was...making Parker let go of Jarod's body. Broots couldn't help but be worried. He couldn't get her to leave Jarod's body for anything.
Finally Sydney sighed in the front seat of the car. He exited the car and walked around the car to where Broots held open the door for Miss Parker.
Miss Parker looked at him with her classic benevolent glare. But with the next words the glare was gone.
"I'll die before I let them touch him. I'll kill for him Miss Parker...I swear." He managed to whisper out.
"So will I." stated Broots gravely.
Only then did Miss Parker nod her head in agreement. She slowly lifted Jarod's body from her frame. She slowly rose and turned to stand as she lowered Jarod's torso and head to the seat of the car.
She looked down to his face again. She then looked up at Sydney and Broots, then back to Jarod. She caressed his face and slowly bent down to kiss his lips and whispered against them.
"I'm going to do something real fast Jar. But I'll be right back. Sydney and Broots will be with you ok? You won't be alone. And I'll be right back...I promise. I'll be right back."
With that said she kissed his lips again and exited the car.
Broots and Sydney turned to look at each other. The worry for their companion clearly written on their faces.