Vanished
By Gemini-M
Chapter 13
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: Once again, I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, but sometimes Real life gets in the way and then the imagination and creativity goes out the window. This chapter is the longest so far, so I hope it makes up for the long break. Good news, one more chapter and this little adventure is over. Hope you all have enjoyed the ride. Thanks to everyone who have read my story and to NYT, JLC, imag1ne, Mono20, Nans and Sirus183 for your latest reviews and patience.
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Mahatma Gandhi.
The Centre
5:20 a.m.
In the midst of all the chaos created by the bomb threat, the little group managed to escape the Centre without detection. To Miss Parker's relief, Sam once again came through for her. Without delay her loyal sweeper expertly started Sydney's car, but Parker decided to take control of the get-away vehicle. She needed to keep her mind focused on something to avoid thinking about Angelo and Ethan's frightening message. They both had sensed that something was very wrong and lives were at stake, but she had to think positive and pray that they would find Jarod and Sydney in time to save them from whatever peril they were in now.
The sunrise just ahead of them was magnificent. The storm clouds had finally dissipated and were slowly vanishing in the horizon, but as the rays of sunlight broke through the remaining clouds it created a heavenly tapestry with beams of light that made the clouds glow against the early morning sky. For a moment, Miss Parker became mesmerized by the beautiful sunrise, and found herself embraced by the warm light, rewarding her with a sensation of peace and hope. "Every cloud has a silver lining." Parker murmured inwardly, her lips curving into a soft smile. Maybe this was a sign pointing her to a new beginning and the freedom she had craved for the last six years.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound behind them made her jump, but Parker kept her eyes focused on the road ahead. Her alarmed little brother, on the seat next to her, and the other passengers in the back turned around in their seats to witness with shock the destruction of the Centre in the distance, but she would not look back. The Centre was gone and that was all that mattered. Now her new mission was to find Jarod and Sydney. Then, she would start a new life leaving her dark and painful past behind forever. An inner sense of peace told her that this was the plan her mother wanted her to complete. For her and the others Centre's children to finally leave this cursed place and live a normal life.
"OH MAN. IT'S GONE!" Sam exclaimed, bringing her back to reality. "Miss Parker, I think we're unemployed as of right now."
"GOOD, I can use a long vacation."
Ethan was speechless, his panicked eyes fixed on the black smoke and flames that danced above the huge building. On the other hand, Angelo was ecstatic. The little man was screaming, laughing and jumping from one window to another trying to catch a better view of the Centre's annihilation.
Miss Parker glanced in the rear-view mirror and could not help but smile at Angelo's reaction, for she knew exactly how the empath felt. For the first time in his lonely life he was free from that horrible place and the people who had trapped him there a lifetime ago. Yes, it was the beginning of a new life for her little friend as well, and that joy brought tears to her eyes.
"Miss Parker, should we call Broots?" Sam asked suddenly.
Immediately, Parker diverted her eyes from the rear-view mirror in an effort to hide her emotions from her sweeper. "NO!...Lets retrieve the Centre car we left on that deserted road and then we will rendezvous with Broots." Parker said wearily. "If I call Broots now, he's going to drive me insane with his questions."
"What about Sydney and Jarod?" Sam enquired with concern.
"First, I need to get Ethan, Broots and Angelo to a safe place. Then we will worry about locating Sydney and the Lab rat." Parker said frustrated.
"White Clouds." Ethan whispered.
"WHAT?" Parker's attention was instantly on her brother. "Ethan, what do you mean?"
"The voices...her voice." Ethan paused, his troubled eyes meeting his sister's questionable gaze. "Our mother...She is saying that Jarod is there and he's in danger."
"Miss Parker what is he mumbling about?" Sam asked leaning forward in the back seat.
"Sydney's cabin!" Parker replied stunned, completely ignoring the man behind her.
"What about Sydney's cabin?" Sam asked again, now more confused.
"Ethan is saying that Jarod and Sydney are in White Clouds...That's where Sydney's cabin is located." Parker answered trancelike.
"And how does he know that?" Sam asked incredulously.
"It's hard to explain Sam, but he knows...Ethan can hear my mother's voice." Parker said almost inaudibly.
"But Miss Parker, your mother is...Dead."
"Yes Sam, but Ethan has a gift...He can hear her voice."
"Man that's freaky!" Sam said impulsively, obtaining an angry look from his boss.
"S...sorry Miss Parker, I...I didn't mean that he's a freak or anything like that...It's just that..."
"It's alright Sam." Parker raised a hand to stop her sweeper's apology. "My whole family is a FREAK SHOW."
After what Miss Parker said, Sam chose to remain quiet. He knew that his boss was right in so many levels. This amazing woman had survived events that would make a normal person go insane. She had witnessed her mother's suicide at a very young age, but then later discovered, as an adult, that her mother really didn't die on that date. She had a flesh-eating psychopath for a brother. She had a monster for a father or fathers. She had been forced to hunt her childhood friend, and now she had found a younger brother who heard dead people. And through all this nightmare of a life she was also trapped in a ruthless organization that stole children from their families and exploited them to selfishly gain wealth and power.
"Sam we're here!" Parker's voice startled Sam from his thoughts. "Get the car and we'll meet back at my house."
"Yes Ma'am!" Sam snapped to attention and exited Sydney's car in a matter of seconds.
A cloud of dust was all that remained behind as both cars sped away towards the highway leading out of Blue Cove, leaving in the distance the glowing ruins of the ominous building.
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Sydney's Cabin, White Clouds.
5:45 a.m.
Struggling between consciousness and the darkness that called to him, Jarod fought against the nightmare images in his head and began to focus on the muffled but familiar voice that persisted on pulling him out of that abyss.
"Jarod, are you alright?" The accented voice repeated with concern. "Jarod, please wake up!...Jarod!"
The pounding headache was unbearable, he felt like he had been hit with a sledgehammer. All he wanted to do was to surrender into that dark void, where there was no pain or nightmares, and erase his whole life, but that voice kept calling him. Grimacing and trying to block the pain, Jarod shook his head slowly to clear the cobwebs from his bruised brain. Finally focusing on that voice, he forced his heavy eyelids to open, but his vision was all a blur.
To his disappointment, he quickly noticed that his hands were handcuffed in front of him. "Damn" Jarod hissed to himself. He just couldn't believe his bad luck. Testing the degree of his strength, Jarod cautiously raised his head and shoulders of the floor and propped himself up on one elbows. After a moments rest, the haggard pretender pushed himself to a sitting position on the floor and leaned heavily against a lounge chair that was behind him. When he finally managed to blink away some of the fuzziness, Jarod looked up and the first image that came into focus was Lyle's face.
"LYLE." Jarod said through clenched teeth.
"Welcome back to the world of the living Jarod." Lyle said smiling. "I thought you would never wake up."
Jarod's dark brown eyes bore into the other man, but he remained silent. Lyle walked to the fireplace and casually leaned against the mantel piece while he checked the rounds in his 9mm.
"Come on Jarod, don't you have some Genius remark for me?" Lyle teased.
Averting Lyle's cold stare, the pretender darted his eyes around the room to find Sydney sitting on a couch and a body stretched on the floor near the kitchen entrance. Looking away from the body, Jarod swallowed hard and tried to remain calm. His eyes traveled back to his mentor. The old man looked very weak and had a new cut on his cheek, but for now he seemed fine. Words were not needed to express the concern on his mentor's face. For as long as he could remember, he and Sydney had learned to communicate with each other without a single word. It was like they could read each other's mind. The pretender's anguish filled eyes met his mentor's frightened gaze and nodded that he was fine, obtaining a sigh of relief from his old friend. Jarod frowned as he looked back towards the body, trying to get a grasp on what was happening and what Lyle was planning to do with them.
"Well, aren't you happy to see me Jarod?" Lyle interrupted.
"Only if you were dead." Jarod hissed, returning his gaze back to Lyle.
"Come on Jarod. You know me better than that...If there is one thing I don't do easy it's dying."
"No, but you don't have any problem removing obstacles." Jarod said eyeing the body.
"Oh that. Yes, Mr. Cox became an annoying obstacle." Lyle paused for a moment enjoying the look of disgust in Jarod's face. "Mr. Cox and Alex were working together. I intercepted an e-mail from Mr. Cox to Alex and found out that they were planning to take over the Centre by eliminating all the Parkers." Lyle laughed evilly. "But the idiot Mr. Cox didn't know that Alex wanted revenge against everyone related with the Centre, including him."
"So you just beat Alex to the kill." Jarod finished for him.
"Exactly!" Lyle said with pride. "Remember Jarod, I helped to create him, so I knew Alex better than anybody."
A long pause followed as both men stared at each other with repulsion. Lyle's words brought back the painful revelations of his own origin. Jarod just wanted to leap off the floor and choke the life out of him. Not taking his eyes away from the other man, Jarod tried to stand up but a wave of dizziness forced him back down on the floor.
"Jarod, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Lyle taunted. "You might have another concussion."
Cautiously, Jarod felt the back of his head and winced when he found the painful lump. When he retrieved his hands, they were stained with blood.
"How long was I unconscious?" Jarod asked in a low rasping voice.
"I don't know...a couple of hours." Lyle spat back and turned his back on the pretender. Lyle walked over to the window and stood there staring at the lake in the distance.
Jarod looked at his watch. It was almost 6:00 a.m. He closed his eyes trying to relieve the pain and the dizziness, but his thoughts immediately went to those who were most important to him. 'I hope that Miss Parker and Angelo succeeded in finding Ethan and left the Centre in time before the explosion.' Jarod sighed tiredly. 'When is this nightmare going to end?' Now he had to deal with another psycho. One who was an expert at cheating death and thanks to that talent, Lyle had gotten away with murder too many times. He had spared his life the last time they met, but it was time to make things right and make Lyle pay for all the atrocities he had committed.
"Looks like you had a bad day GENIUS." Lyle's pestering tone recaptured Jarod's attention. "First, you almost got blown-up at my apartment by a bomb set by your brother, Ethan. Next, the Centre re-captures you. Then, Alex tries to kill you and Sydney and after all that you walk right into my trap."
"You knew about Ethan planting the explosives in your apartment." It was more of a statement than a question.
"I know many things Jarod. That's what makes me a SURVIVOR."
"Then you know that Alex is dead." Jarod said simply.
"I know." Lyle said with a smirk on his face.
Jarod looked at the man stunned.
"Don't look so surprised Jarod." Lyle paused again adding to the suspense. He simply enjoyed tormenting the pretender, especially when it came to anticipating his every move. "I had Sydney's house bugged a long time ago and it finally paid off. It is so much easier when you know your opponents' every move."
"With all your rivals eliminated, why bring Mr. Cox here?"
"Good question Jarod!" Lyle responded with enthusiasm. "And that will be answered when I tell you my brilliant plan."
Jarod's face grew tense and his dark eyes narrowed as he followed Lyle's movement across the room.
"Mr. Cox here." Lyle pointed at the dead man with his gun. "Came here to kill the good Doctor, but in the struggle he also gets shot...So when the authorities arrive they will find them both dead."
Jarod and Sydney shared a nervous glance. They both knew they would have to work together if they were going to stop Lyle. Sydney could see the muscles of Jarod's jaw tightening with anger, but he prayed that the pretender would think before doing something drastic. At the moment, Jarod and he were in no shape to go against Lyle. The longer they kept Lyle talking, the better chance they had to think of a plan to over power this psycho and live through this nightmare.
"Lyle, the Centre is finished." Jarod said with delight, obtaining a smile from his mentor. Just like he hoped, Jarod was working on a plan to get them out alive. "Lyle, there's no place for you to rule anymore."
"Oh, I also knew about Alex's plan to blow-up the Centre, but I don't care about the Centre anymore."
Jarod gave Lyle a quizzical look.
"Jarod, you and I are going to take a little trip to Africa." Lyle's lips twisted into a wicked smile. "You see, when I return you to the Triumvirate everything will be back to normal and I will be amply rewarded for bringing back their prized Pretender. Plus I will be in charge of your re-education and the new Pretender project."
Lyle began to laugh maniacally when he saw the look of shock and panic in Jarod's eyes. "Jarod, I wish you could see your face."
"I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT!" Sydney erupted and began to stand from the couch, but before Jarod was able to tell Sydney to stop, Lyle advanced on the old man and struck him violently across the face with his fist. Unable to defend himself against the younger man, Sydney crashed to the floor with a loud thud.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Jarod screamed enraged.
The battered pretender managed to get to his feet, struggling against the spell of vertigo that assaulted him again. Jarod stumbled momentarily, regaining his balance when his handcuffed hands grabbed hold of the arm of the couch Sydney occupied a few minutes earlier. Still a little wobbly, Jarod knelt on the floor next to his mentor.
"Sydney, are you alright?" Jarod asked with concern, gently tapping the unconscious man's face. "Sydney come on, don't give-up on me now."
"Oh how sweet, the PRODIGAL SON caring for his SURROGATE FATHER." Lyle mocked.
Briefly, Jarod's dark eyes clashed with Lyle's emotionless gaze, but the pretender looked away. He was not going to let Lyle manipulate him into a confrontation. Now his main concern was to help Sydney.
"I don't understand you Jarod." Lyle said folding his arms across his chest. "Here you are trying to help him after he kept you locked-up for thirty years and treated you like a Lab Rat."
"GO TO HELL LYLE!" Jarod growled without taking his eyes away from the old man next to him.
"No...not yet, but I'll go prepare myself something to eat." Lyle replied with an evil smile. "I'm starving." When he reached the kitchen door, Lyle stopped and warned in a low and threatening tone. "Don't get any ideas Genius, I'm not my sister...If you try to escape, I will kill Sydney and put a bullet in both of your knees, don't need to be able to walk to pretend now do we?"
The pretender stared angrily at the man until he disappeared into the kitchen. When he shifted his gaze back to Sydney, he was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Sydney are you alright?" Jarod asked quietly.
Sydney's eyes fluttered open and he began to scan the room nervously. When his eyes met those of the pretender he smiled slightly, but reality quickly set in and Sydney remembered their grim situation.
"Where is Lyle?" Sydney whispered with fear.
"He's in the kitchen preparing some food." Jarod murmured glancing in that direction.
"Good." Sydney replied and reached into his coat pocket. A second later he placed something in Jarod's hand.
When Jarod looked down, his eyes widened with surprise. In his hand was a small revolver. He had no idea how or when Sydney had obtained the gun, but he was glad that his mentor still had a few tricks of his own in this game of survival. Jarod quickly tucked the gun in his belt under his jacket and proceeded to helping his mentor off the floor.
"How's your head Sydney?"
"Well, at the moment I only see one of you, so that must be an improvement."
Jarod's lips curled into a sad smile. "Yes Sydney, that's an improvement."
"Sydney, we have to find a way out of this..." Jarod said almost inaudibly, his eyes traveling to the kitchen entrance momentarily. "So be ready to follow my lead."
Sydney's eyes held the pretender penetrating gaze for a moment before the silver head slowly nodded in agreement. Sydney felt old and broken. He had promised himself that he was going to protect Jarod and now all he could do was pray that Jarod could defeat the evil Parker twin. Sydney knew that Jarod was in no condition to go against Lyle, but what he saw in Jarod's eyes frightened him even more. The pretender's eye were cold and filled with hatred, something he had never seen in all the years he had known this kind and gifted human being.
"Jarod?" Sydney asked with fear.
"What?" Jarod replied coldly.
"Jarod...Please don't let Lyle destroy..."
"There's no other way Sydney." Jarod interrupted his voice emotionless. "This time I will stop Lyle for good."
"But Jarod..."
"No Sydney, this confrontation is been a long time coming."
"Do you think REVENGE is the answer?" Sydney said in a scolding tone. "Jarod, I'm not going to allow..."
"THIS IS MY FIGHT AND YOU'RE GOING TO STAY OUT OF IT!" Jarod spat back angrily, his eyes hard and unyielding.
"How is the good Doctor feeling?" Lyle's voice drew Sydney's attention away from the pretender and his angry eyes bore daggers at their tormentor.
"Doctor, if looks could kill." Lyle teased. "Doctor, you know very well that repressed anger could lead to madness and violence."
Sydney's piercing eyes followed Lyle's movements for a moment before he looked away and shook his head annoyed. He was not going to get involved in a war of words with this sociopath. At the moment, he was more concerned about Jarod's decision. Sydney could feel his chest tightening and his breathing becoming more labored. He felt helpless and at the mercy of this madman and, to make matters worse, he feared that Jarod was headed on a path of self-destruction.
Jarod simply ignored the other man's presence and sat next to his mentor on the couch. The pretender averted his eyes to his handcuffed hands and closed his eyes. He had to remain calm to try to run some kind of escape simulation in his mind, but his colossal headache and Lyle's constant teasing was not helping.
"Okay gentlemen, is time to leave." Lyle said casually. "I have important meetings to keep and plans to be made."
"Lyle, you said once that we could do great things together." Jarod said as he stood.
"Yes, but you turned down my offer."
"I'll go with you with one condition." Jarod replied simply.
"CONDITION?" Lyle spat furiously.
"Leave Sydney out of this." Jarod's voice was filled with loathing. "This is between you and me."
Slowly, Lyle walked across the room and stood in front of the fireplace. When he finally turned around, he glared at the old man next to the pretender. "Sorry Jarod...Sydney is part of the plan."
"What plan?" Jarod asked nervously.
"You see Jarod... Your re-education starts here." Lyle said with an evil smile.
Suddenly, the room became as silent as a tomb. Jarod and Sydney glanced at each other with concern. Now that the Centre was gone, this Psycho was determined to reach the top of the Triumvirate ladder at any cost and he was not going to listen to reason.
"For your re-conditioning to work, changes must be made..." Lyle paused, enjoying the fear in the pretender's eyes. "And OBSTACLES removed."
"Obstacles?" Jarod asked with concern.
"Yes genius, your family and the others."
"Sydney, Angelo and...Miss Parker." Jarod said almost inaudibly.
"If she's still alive." Lyle finished with a smile.
"Lyle, you don't have to do this." Jarod pleaded. "I've agreed to go with you."
"WRONG JAROD" Lyle said in a low and threatening tone. "AS LONG AS THEY'RE ALIVE, THEY'LL INFLUENCE YOUR ALLIANCE TO THE TRIUMVIRATE."
"My family would have no knowledge of my whereabouts." Jarod argued softly. "And with my capture, Miss Parker and the others are..."
"FREE TO LEAVE THE CENTRE?" Lyle laughed maniacally. "That was a promise made by the late Mr. Parker, but after his untimely death conditions have changed and new contracts made."
"New contracts?" Jarod asked with fear.
"Yes Jarod; A new contract was put in effect to eliminate all the members of your family and to my advantage and thanks to Mr. White I know exactly where they are at this moment." Lyle said with great joy. "It would be a shame to waste such vital information. Don't you think?"
"What?" Jarod replied with a look of panic written all over his face.
"And remember Jarod, I'm not like my dear SISTER." Lyle said with a wild look in his eyes. "I'm very good at the hunt...I will track them down and hunt them like ANIMALS."
"YOU BASTARD, LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!" Jarod shouted in a murderous tone. "IF YOU HARM THEM, I'LL..."
"YOU WILL NOT DO ANYTHING JAROD." Lyle interrupted loudly. "BESIDES, THEY'RE NOT FAMILY...REMEMBER?
"FAMILY OR NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO HARM THEM...THE CENTRE HAS DESTROYED TOO MANY LIVES ALREADY." Jarod shouted back.
From his place on the couch, Sydney watched both men nervously.
"And who said this was a Centre directive?...I'm calling the shots now Jarod."
"YOU, SON OF A BITCH...I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Jarod growled and lunged towards the other man, but the sudden movement rewarded him with another wave of vertigo, sending him to the ground on his knees, while Lyle agilely moved out of his reach laughing. When Jarod looked up, his eyes were black as night and filled with a fury that made Lyle swallow hard. Suddenly, flashes of a previous confrontation with the elusive pretender flooded Lyle's mind. He had survived Jarod's wrath after his involvement in Nicolas' kidnapping, but a gut feeling was telling him that perhaps this time he had pushed the pretender too far.
"JAROD, PLEASE STOP!"
Sydney struggled off the couch and tried to hold the pretender back, but this one was out of control with rage. Jarod pushed the old man away from him flipped the coffee table out of the way and staggered back to his feet. Even thought his hands were still handcuffed, the crazed pretender was determined to reach Lyle and make him pay for all the suffering he had inflicted on his family and others. Jarod knew that this might very well mean his own destruction, but in Jarod's eyes this was the only way to deal with this Centre monster.
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On route to White Clouds.
7:00 a.m.
"What time is it Sam?"
Sam glanced at his watch, keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel, "It's almost 7:00 a.m. Miss Parker."
"Step on it Sam." Miss Parker urged her sweeper.
"Yes Ma'am!" Sam replied and slowly accelerated as ordered, hoping that they would not end up at a bottom of a cliff. He hated driving on mountain roads especially when they were so slippery due to the rain and ice.
"Miss Parker why did you send Broots, Angelo and Ethan to stay with that guy Ben Miller?" Sam asked suddenly, surprising his boss.
"Ben Miller was...a good friend of my mother and they will be safe with him."
"Does anybody else know about this Mr. Miller?" Sam asked cautiously
"Yes." Parker paused as she remembered how she discovered Ben Miller's existence and his involvement with her mother. "Sydney and Jarod."
"Jarod knows this guy?" Sam asked surprised.
"IS THERE ANYONE FROM MY PAST THAT BOY GENIUS DOESN'T KNOW?" Parker spat back with sarcasm.
Sam glanced at his boss but decided that he better let that question go unanswered. Miss Parker was right. The Lab Rat had a gift when it came to digging up secrets and finding hidden skeletons in the Parker family asylum. Already his boss was furious enough at the crazy pretender and he would rather not share any of the heat.
Jarod, you're going to fry." Sam mumbled.
"WHAT?" Parker asked glaring at her sweeper.
"OH...Nothing Miss Parker, I was just saying that...It must be freezing out there." Sam said nervously feeling the weight of her stare.
"How much longer?"
"About twenty more minutes Miss Parker."
"Go faster."
"Yes Ma'am!"
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Sydney's Cabin
"JAROD, YOU BETTER LISTEN TO YOUR MASTER OR YOU MIGHT BE THE FIRST ONE TO DIE." Lyle aimed his gun at Jarod's heart while taking a few steps away from the enraged man. His icy stare clashing with the pretender's menacing black eyes.
"NOT THIS TIME LYLE." Jarod said through clenched teeth. His pain now forgotten, all he could feel was the adrenalin burning in his veins. "PLUS YOU NEED ME ALIVE."
"Not necessarily GENIUS." Lyle replied with a malicious smile. "Remember the BOUNTY."
"What bounty?" Sydney's concerned voice interrupted.
"Well well...You didn't inform Sydney about the latest development?" Lyle teased enjoying the fire in Jarod's eyes.
"JAROD, WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?" Sydney approached his pupil once again.
"SYDNEY, I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF THIS." Jarod said, glaring furiously at the man a few feet away.
"Sydney, your precious pretender is worth twenty million dollars, DEAD OR ALIVE" Lyle said with amusement as he continued to aim the weapon at the pretender. "And I'm planning to collect that REWARD."
"WHAT?" Sydney replied horrified.
"On the other hand, you're worth nothing to me." Lyle said with spite as he changed his aim towards the old man. "So I'll start the elimination process with YOU."
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Jarod's terrifying scream echoed throughout the house an instant before it was drowned by the explosion from the gun shot. In desperation, the pretender jumped in front of his mentor pushing him out of the way, but unfortunately placing himself in the path of the projectile.
Helplessly lying on the floor a few feet away, Sydney watched in horror as Jarod collapsed to the floor with a cry of excruciating pain that almost made his heart stop.
"JAROD!"
Sydney called his voice laced with panic. In desperation and with a great deal of pain, Sydney started to crawl on the floor towards his pupil. He had to reach Jarod and help him, but Lyle viciously kicked him back and blocked his view of the downed pretender.
"NOT SO FAST DOCTOR...I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET." Lyle growled.
"Lyle, please let me help Jarod." Sydney begged. "Then, you can dispose of me as you please."
Lyle glared down at Sydney with such malice that made the old man cringe. Sydney felt the blood ran cold with fear through his veins. It was as if he was looking at the devil in the flesh. Still holding the gun on the old man, Lyle glanced over his shoulder to look at Jarod. The pretender was lying on the floor moaning in agony and trying to put pressure on his wounded shoulder.
"Don't worry Sydney, he'll live." Lyle said, his lips curling into a wicked smile. "Jarod has a very high tolerance for pain...Remember?"
Lyle's words cut like a blade into Sydney's heart. Yes, he remembered with a sick feeling the tortures Jarod had been submitted to under Lyle's care, but the evil twin had failed to control or break the pretender, making Lyle more determined in his twisted quest to capture and control Jarod. Sydney also knew that he had taught the pretender the many ways to control his emotions, fears and physical pain, but there was something that frightened him more. This time Jarod's emotional wounds ran deeper and he feared that Jarod was losing his will to survive.
"LYLE PLEASE!" Sydney implored again pushing aside his fear. "ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LET HIM BLEED TO DEATH?"
"The Lab Rat is no longer your concern Sydney." Lyle spat back, aiming his gun at the old man's heart once again. "So, say GOODBYE to your pet project DOCTOR. Your time has come to leave this miserable world."
"He's not going anywhere Lyle, but you are...Straight to HELL!" A low threatening voice from behind made Lyle turn around with a look of shock on his face, but before Lyle was able to take aim at his deadly rival, the pretender fired hitting him in the middle of the chest. With a sickening smile on his lips, Lyle tumbled back a few feet and collapsed behind the lounge chair by the window.
"JAROD!" Sydney cried out clutching his hands to his chest.
Weak from the blood loss, Jarod staggered over to his mentor and knelt next to him. Sydney looked worse than he felt at the moment. His breathing was labored and all the color had drained from his face.
"SYDNEY, WHAT'S WRONG?" Jarod asked alarmed, quickly realizing that Sydney could be having a heart attack.
"Get my pills...they're...in the...kitchen...drawer." Sydney's voice was barely a whisper, his face rigid with pain as he moved his aching body into a sitting position on the floor and leaned against the couch.
"Okay Sydney but DON'T MOVE!"
Ignoring the pain emanating from every muscle in his body and his bleeding shoulder wound, Jarod stood and wobbled to the kitchen in search of Sydney's medication. When Sydney heard the racket coming from the kitchen, the old man turned his head towards the kitchen with alarm.
"Jarod, are you alright?"
The pretender did not reply and a few seconds later he returned to the family room with the bottle of medication and a glass of water.
"Here Sydney." Jarod observed his mentor very carefully. A look of concern plastered on his face.
With shaking hands Sydney quickly took his medication and closed his eyes for a moment. When Sydney re-opened his eyes, he greeted his protégé with a small smile, trying to ease Jarod's concern.
"How are you feeling?" Jarod asked timidly as he took Sydney's wrist to check his pulse.
"Don't worry...Jarod." Sydney said between gasps of breaths. "This old owl...is pretty tough...and...I don't have plans...to die on you...especially after the hell...we both have survived."
Jarod nodded and sighed tiredly, his troubled eyes evading his mentor's equally worried and penetrating gaze.
"Sydney, let me help you off the floor, so you can lie down on the couch."
"No Jarod, I'm fine right here." Sydney said quietly and grabbed the pretender's arm. His eyes begging the younger man to listen. "Jarod..."
Before Sydney had a chance to voice his concerns, Jarod pulled away and cautiously rose off the floor. With his hands still handcuffed, Jarod was unable to properly support his injured shoulder. Unable to hide the pain, Jarod flinched and swore irritated when the sudden movement pulled at the bullet wound on his shoulder.
"JAROD, you need to take care of that wound." Sydney said in a demanding tone.
"NO, First I need to take these DAMN handcuffs off." Jarod spat back and headed towards the kitchen again.
Sydney sighed tiredly and shook his head with disappointment. Jarod was hurting but was not accepting his help. The trust they once had was slowly crumbling and was being replaced by a wall anguish and resentment and all he could do was watch him walk away.
Once in the kitchen, Jarod quickly found a small knife to open the handcuffs. Lyle probably had the key to the handcuffs, but the idea of going through the dead man's pockets in search of the key made him sick to his stomach. Once the handcuffs were off, his next priority was to stop the bleeding. Luckily, Sydney kept his cabin very well stocked, with a First Aid kit and lots of clean towels. After placing all the things he needed on the small table, Jarod dropped himself heavily on a chair. He grabbed some clean towels and placed them like a bandage directly over the wound. Gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain, he closed his eyes and applied as much pressure as he could to stop the bleeding. Jarod knew that he needed proper medical attention to remove the bullet, but for now this would have to do until he regained some of his strength to remove the bullet himself or find a doctor to do the job. Someone, who would ask no questions or fill out police reports.
Jarod's eyes snapped open with a start when he heard the sound of tires braking on the gravel pavement just outside the cabin. Momentarily forgetting about the pain in his shoulder, Jarod stood and rushed to the kitchen window. The pretender froze as he stared at the scene just outside the window, a sensation of uncontrollable fear running through every nerve in his body. A few meters away, a Centre Black Sedan had come to a stop just behind Miss Parker's sport car. Suddenly, both front doors flew open and Sam and Miss Parker stepped out of the vehicle. Instantly, the tall woman began to shout orders at her loyal sweeper and pointed toward the cabin.
Sydney was startled awake from his uneasy sleep, when the front door flew open and Miss Parker stepped into the room followed by Sam with their guns aimed. Parker's face had a haunted look as she scanned the room nervously, but when her icy blue orbs meet Sydney's warm gaze and her transformation was instantaneous.
"SYDNEY!" Parker cried out with relief and rushed to her old friend's side. Impulsively, Parker dropped to the ground next to her friend and wrapped her arms around his neck, obtaining a look of surprise from both men in the room.
"Sydney, are you hurt?" Parker asked, her voice filled with concern. "Oh God, I thought I lost you too."
"No...I'm fine Parker...Just a little bruised." Sydney replied unable to hide the emotions that tightened his throat. "But please, you must help Jarod...He was shot by Lyle."
"LYLE?" Parker replied angrily. "WHERE IS HE?"
"He's...dead...Jarod shot him to protect me." Sydney said carefully, unsure of Miss Parker's reaction. "He's over there, behind the lounge chair."
Simultaneously, Sam and Miss Parker turned to look at the spot where Sydney had pointed near the window.
"There's no one here Doctor." Sam said frowning as he walked over to the spot.
"WHAT?...But Jarod shot him point blank on the chest...I saw him collapse right there." Sydney argued softly.
"Leave it to Lyle to cheat death once again." Parker said with bitterness. "But don't worry Sydney, we'll find the BASTARD."
Looking over at Mr. Cox's body by the kitchen entrance, Parker replied coldly, "And who iced The Grim Reaper?"
"NEVER MIND LYLE OR MR. COX NOW!" Sydney spoke in a tone more forceful that he intended. "PARKER, PLEASE HELP JAROD...HE'S HURT BAD."
"Okay Syd, where is Boy Wonder?" Parker finally agreed with annoyance.
"He's in the kitchen."
"Sam." With a quick jerk of her head, Parker signaled her sweeper to check the kitchen.
With her arms crossed, Parker turned around and faced her old friend. She looked at Sydney with determination and said,"And YOU Sydney are going to the hospital RIGHT NOW!"
"HE'S GONE!" Sam exclaimed re-entering the room.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?" Parker growled, approaching the burly sweeper.
"Ma'am, the back door was opened and Jarod is nowhere in sight."
"Did you check outside?"
"Yes Ma'am...He's gone."
When Parker turned around, she found Sydney struggling to get up. She rushed over to his side to help him to his feet and carefully guided him to the couch. "Sydney, sit here. I'll get your coat."
"I'm not going anywhere until Jarod is found." Sydney said staring at Parker hard and unyielding.
"SYDNEY, YOU NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND YOU'RE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. LOOK AT YOURSELF, YOU CAN'T EVEN STAND!"
Ignoring parker's outburst, Sydney gently reached for the tall woman's hand and begged, his lips trembling with emotion, "PARKER PLEASE!"
"Sydney, don't worry. BOY GENIUS knows how to take care of himself."
"Parker, you don't understand." Sydney paused and looked down shaking his head sadly. "Something happened."
"WHAT?" Parker asked with exasperation.
Finally, when Sydney's warm chocolate eyes met Parker's icy blue gaze, she was taken aback by the deep sadness and fear in his eyes. Something terrible had happened to Jarod during this ordeal and the realization hit Parker like a punch in the stomach. She had never seen Sydney so frightened and this gave her an eerie feeling.
Tiredly, Sydney wiped away the tears that threaten to fall. When he spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper, "Parker...If we cannot find Jarod this time...We'll lose him forever."
"Alright Sydney, we'll look for Jarod, but first you need to see a doctor." Parker promised softly as she sat next to the old man and gently squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"Parker, I can't leave." Sydney said with desperation. "Jarod might return."
Parker stood from the couch and began pacing in front of both men. Anxiously, she ran one hand through her hair and sighed tiredly. Suddenly she stopped and faced her sweeper.
"Sam, go to the nearest town, find a doctor and bring him here...Oh and keep your eyes open for Jarod. He might still be in the area."
"Yes Ma'am!" Sam replied and rushed out.
Lost in her thoughts, Parker watched from the window as Sam's car disappeared from sight. 'She always had known that there was an emotional umbilical between the old psychiatrist and the pretender, but Sydney always hid that fact from everyone, especially her. What had happened this time that made Sydney so openly concerned for Jarod's welfare? And knowing that the Centre was gone, why would Jarod run away now?'
Finally, Parker turned around and faced Sydney. He sat with his fingers intertwined resting against his chin as if he was praying for something or someone. A look of anguish written all over his pale face. Slowly, Parker approached her old friend and sat next to him on the couch. She sighed tiredly, alerting the old man of her presence. When Sydney raised his eyes towards the woman, Parker's face turned serious.
"Okay Sydney, TALK"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Seven more miles." Sam read the road sign that indicated the name of the nearest town. Keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel, Sam rubbed his eyes tiredly. He couldn't wait for this day to be over so he could go home and get some well deserved rest. He was glad that they had found the good Doctor alive, that the Centre was gone and Broots and the others were safe, but something bothered him. "Why do we have to keep searching for that CRAZY PRETENDER?" Sam murmured to himself angrily as he continued to scan the side of the road for any signs of Jarod. After a few minutes, his tired mind drifted back to thinking about their future. Now that the Centre was destroyed and all its monsters gone, Miss Parker and Sydney should just leave this place and never look back. Broots and his daughter would probably move away and start a new life somewhere safe. And he already was making plans for a very long vacation. Afterward, maybe he would go visit his cousin in California and find a job there. Yes, California would be a nice change and a good place to start his new life.
Suddenly, Sam felt the unmistakable feeling of a gun barrel pressed against the back of his neck. A few seconds later a dark voice threatened, "If you try anything, you'll die...Keep driving until I tell you to stop."
TBC