Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Burden of Truth pt3
By Phenyx
05/20/2005
"Nicholas." Sydney moved toward his son. "Are you okay? Have you been injured in any way?"
The young man shook his head. "No, Sydney. I'm fine."
Jarod bolted from his position on the floor and resumed his angry pacing. He stayed to the far side of the room, whirling with military precision when he reached one wall and heading directly for the other. He glanced up to see Miss Parker running her fingers along the edges of the locked door.
"I've already examined that," Jarod grumped.
Miss Parker shot him an acidic look over her shoulder. "I'd like to check for myself if you don't mind," she snapped.
Jarod shrugged. "It's your time to waste."
For the next several minutes, Miss Parker surveyed the surroundings. Jarod continued his prowling. Nicholas and Sydney, both sensing the tension in the room, chose to remain silent for a time.
Throwing up her hands in exasperation, Miss Parker sighed. "I give up. How are we going to get out of here?"
Jarod was surprised when he realized that she expected him to answer. "I don't know," he exclaimed.
"You're the one that always has a back up plan," Miss Parker argued.
Heaving a deep sigh, Jarod ran one hand through his hair. "I didn't expect to be here," he said. "I don't have a plan, let alone a back up."
"Well," Miss Parker told him. "Think of one."
"Are you kidding?" Jarod gaped at the lovely woman before him. "Do you honestly believe that I can just pull this kind of thing out of my rear-end? Escapes like this take research, planning and hours, perhaps days, of preparation."
Miss Parker crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "You always make it look easy," she said with a smirk.
"It takes a lot of work to make it look so simple." Jarod's pacing stopped and he took a pose that mirrored Miss Parker's.
"You didn't need to expend so much effort on my account," Miss Parker said.
"I gather that you two know each other," Nicholas interrupted from across the room.
"Forgive my manners," Sydney said. Taking Nicholas by the arm Sydney guided the young man to Miss Parker's side. "Miss Parker, my son, Nicholas," Sydney introduced them. "Nicholas, this is Miss Parker. We work together."
Miss Parker nodded in acknowledgement, but did not shake the hand Nicholas offered.
"Have you worked with my father long, Miss Parker?" Nicholas asked.
"Seems like forever," she replied.
Nicholas smiled. "So what do you do for a living?" If the young man noticed the sudden bristling of tension in the room, he did not show it.
"Must we indulge in small talk?" Jarod growled.
Miss Parker ignored him. "I'm a trouble shooter," she said with a long-practiced ease. "I solve problems for my company."
Jarod made a rude noise from his position against the far wall.
"Jarod, please." Sydney begged in a near whisper.
"Don't worry," Jarod said in a taunting voice. "I'm not going to tell him anything."
Nicholas stepped forward as his frustration began to show. "Isn't anyone going to fill me in? It is no fun being the only one in the dark."
Jarod pushed away from the wall and glared at the younger man. "You have no idea what darkness is boy," he snarled.
"Jarod," Sydney said in a scolding tone. "There is no need to be antagonistic."
Jarod laughed, a bitter, taunting sound. "What would you suggest, Sydney? I know. Let's have a picnic and we can all become great friends. Then we can time it to see how long it takes before he gets a bullet in the head."
"Nice," Miss Parker drawled. "Good tone, with just the right amount of vindictiveness and scorn. On the Parker family scale of cruelty I'd have to give it a six."
Jarod's reaction to Miss Parker's words was immediate. He flinched as if he'd been struck and bowed his head dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Miss Parker," he replied huskily.
Gazing across the room, Miss Parker felt a wave of déjà vu. It was no longer the wayward pretender standing before her. The merry prankster who insisted upon torturing her had vanished. Instead, Miss Parker found herself facing the wide-eyed, wounded boy from her childhood. No matter how many times Miss Parker saw it happen, moments like this always surprised her. The ease with which Jarod's emotions could surface shocked her every time.
Miss Parker crossed the room in three long strides. "There is no time for this," she said softly. As she continued her voice grew stronger and sharper. "We can't afford to wallow in the past, in what could have been." Reaching out, she grabbed Jarod's chin with her fingers, roughly jerking him up to look her in the face. "Do you hear me? I need you to focus." She shook him for emphasis.
Jarod nodded slowly.
"Good." Miss Parker released her hold on Jarod's chin so that she could poke him in the chest instead. "I'm counting on you to get us out of here."
Jarod nodded again.
Miss Parker watched as Jarod morphed from one state of being into another. She could see the split-second struggle it took him to bury his pain. With a deep breath, Jarod banished the grief from his dark brown eyes and replaced it with a fathomless vacuity. A moment later, Jarod crossed his arms and casually leaned against the wall. His grace and nonchalance was more indicative of someone waiting on a street corner than of a man recently abducted.
"Any thoughts?" Miss Parker asked after several minutes of silence.
"Sure," Jarod answered. "I'm thinking you've worn the wrong outfit today."
"Why?" Miss Parker asked. She glanced down at her gray suit. The long jacket flared down to her knees. The pants had a crisp pleat down the front ending at her ankles. The cuffed hems were high enough to accentuate her matching Ferragamos.
The mischievous twinkle in Jarod's eyes should have been adequate warning. "Seeing as we're going to be stuck in here for only God knows how long," Jarod grinned. "The least you could have done is wear a skirt."
Miss Parker blinked at him in confusion.
The playful smile broadened. "I could have whiled away the hours admiring the view." Jarod disregarded Miss Parker's indignant gasp. "You do have nice legs," he added matter-of-factly.
"Any relevant observations about our situation, Pez-head?" Miss Parker snapped.
Jarod looked around the room. "Well, the room isn't airtight," he began. "Otherwise it would be getting stuffy by now. So we won't suffocate."
"Nice to know," Miss Parker said.
"Water from the sink is drinkable," Jarod went on. "I tried it earlier and have had no adverse effects. If no one comes to check on us, food could become a problem. It takes about three weeks to starve to death."
"Unless we have a repeat of the Donner party," Miss Parker commented.
With a frown Jarod asked, "Donner Party?"
"Look it up," was her reply.
"Any idea why we've all been brought here?" Sydney asked from the corner.
Jarod raised his eyebrows at his mentor. "I was going to ask you the same question," he said. "You, Sydney, are the centerpiece of this puzzle."
"Me?" the older man gasped. "I have no clue what is going on here."
Jarod shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "But you are the focus all the same."
"Why do you say that, Jarod?" Miss Parker asked. She knew the man well enough to know that Jarod wouldn't make rash accusations.
"What else do we three have in common?" Jarod observed. "You, me and Nicholas? Now there are plenty of enemies that may want you and me both locked away. That list is as long as my arm. But Nicholas?"
"I don't understand." The younger man spoke.
"Each of us," Jarod explained. "Has played an important role in Sydney's life. The only connection we three share is Sydney."
Miss Parker asked, "Have we learned all your secrets, Syd? Or is there still a skeleton or two in your closet?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Miss Parker," Sydney replied. "I've told you everything I could."
"An ambiguous response from our favorite shrink. Why am I not surprised?" Miss Parker drawled sarcastically.
"I'm sure we'll find out what's going on eventually," Jarod said. "Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to bring us here. Sooner or later, our host will arrive to gloat. We just need to be patient."
Miss Parker huffed with irritation. "Patience is not my strongest virtue, Jarod."
"No kidding," he observed. Shrugging Jarod added, "I've learned to have it in excess. I'll share."
"So, we're just going to sit here and wait?" Nicholas asked.
"That's the plan," Jarod agreed.
Miss Parker shot him a wary glance. "Not much of a plan, Lab-rat."
"I'm having an off day. Sue me."
End Part 3