Disclaimer: Please see previous chapter.
Chapter 16: Betrayal
The flight was one of the longest in her life. Or so it seemed to Miss Parker. The plane finally landed and she and Lyle got into the rental car the Centre had procured for them. Miss Parker did not quite know where she was going. She had left in such a hurry that the details were funny. It was somewhere away from the city that much she remembered. A road name popped into her head but left before she could grasp it. Slamming her hands on the steering wheel, she caused Lyle to look up, startled from his thoughts.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I can't remember the damn road name. It keeps popping into my head and then flying out before I can grasp it." She sighed and pulled the car over into the parking lot of a Wal-Mart. Willing herself to think, they spent the next five minutes in silence. Lyle broke it.
"Hey, look at that bag of rocks that person has." Miss Parker glanced over to see a woman placing a large bag of pebbles into her car. Quarry. Rocks were mined in quarries! Placing the car into reverse, Miss Parker drove down the road as fast as legally allowed to drive.
"Did you remember?" Lyle asked, glancing at his sister. She nodded. They journeyed on in silence. An hour past when Miss Parker turned onto an abandoned street. It was nearing 5:45. The road was gravel and the car bounced up and down. Lyle watched the surroundings, while Miss Parker watched for the driveway of the house.
It appeared on the left and she turned into it. Instead of going all the way up, she pulled the car over onto the side and stopped it. It was better if they didn't have any advance warning of her coming. No need in sending Jarod into a panic. At least not yet. It would be much easier this way. Her conscience screamed at her not to do this, but she ignored it. Jarod needed to be brought it. She reminded herself. He belonged to the Centre.
"Smart idea." Lyle commented, unbuckling and getting ready to get out. "Better if they don't know we're coming." Miss Parker placed a hand on Lyle's shoulder.
"You're not coming in with me."
"What?" Lyle asked, incredulously. "We're in this together, remember?" Miss Parker shook her head.
"No, we're not. I allowed you to come this far, but no farther. This is something I have to do by myself. No one can help me. Understand?" She got out of the car. Despite the command, Lyle followed.
"First of all, it's not safe for you to do this by yourself. You don't know what will happen in there. You need backup. Secondly, I want to see Mom. That's the main reason why I came down with you." He crossed his arms and dared her to refute what he had just said.
"Point taken. Now get back into the car, Lyle, before I shoot you." Lyle stared at her. "I'm serious. If I succeed in getting Jarod, you can see Mom all you want. Deal?" Lyle was not happy.
"Fine. Deal." He said, getting back into the car.
"Thank you." Miss Parker murmured, heading up the driveway. Soon the house was insight. She walked up to the door and knocked. A familiar face answered the door and stared at her dumbfounded. It was all she could do not to turn pale and faint. In this world, he wasn't dead.
"Andi?" Kyle asked. Feet moving from the next room told her that Jarod or her mother had also heard Kyle.
"Hello, Kyle." She said with a shy smile. Better if they thought this was a social call first. "Are you going to invite me in?"
"Oh, where are my manners? Come in. Come in. It's been a long time since we've seen each other." You have no idea, Miss Parker thought. She stepped into the house and was greeted by a hug from her mother. It was so good to feel those arms around her again. The guilt of betraying them all nagged at Miss Parker's brain. But, she knew what she needed to do.
"Hi, Mom." Miss Parker whispered. "Let's go into the living room. We all need to talk." Her mom nodded, whispered something to Kyle who raced upstairs, and followed her daughter into the living room. Miss Parker started pacing; gearing herself up for what was the come.
"What's this all about now?" Jarod asked, walking in behind Kyle who had fetched him from Angelo's room. "What do you want, Parker?" He asked, watching her suspiciously. Something wasn't right.
Miss Parker drew in a deep breath and steeled herself for the coming confrontation. Ice formed around her heart, changing her once again into the "Ice Queen". She knew her emotions would only get in the way of what she had to do.
"I'm sorry. I know this is the last thing any of you want. But, Jarod, you need to come with me." Every face in the room went a shade lighter and Kyle stepped protectively in front of Jarod.
"No one's going anywhere." He said, crossing his arms.
"Andrea, what are you thinking?" Catherine asked, looking at her daughter in horror.
"I'm sorry. I know how much this hurts. But it's the only way." Jarod shook his head. "No, Jarod, it is. The Centre wants you. They'd do anything to get you. And I can't have them finding Mom. Or interfering with my plans to get home. This is the only way to do this. So come with me."
"No." Jarod said, taking a step back. He was getting ready to flee if he had to. He just couldn't believe she'd do this. How could he be so stupid? Jarod should have seen this coming to whole time.
"I'm not giving you a choice, Jarod. You're coming with me now." Miss Parker drew her gun and aimed it at the Pretender. Everyone gasped. "If you don't, I'll have no choice but to shoot you."
"Andi, no!" Catherine yelled; standing up, ready to stop all this. Jarod took the momentary distraction to run to the door. He gasped when he came face to face with Lyle. Miss Parker saw her brother and mentally cursed him. Lyle's gun was drawn and he gestured for Jarod to walk back into the living room. Jarod complied.
"Lyle, you fool. I told you to wait in the car." Miss Parker hissed. Lyle's attention was on Miss Parker and Jarod; he hadn't noticed Catherine standing by the couch.
"I'm sorry. I know what you said, but it's not like you're going to kill me. Besides, I figured you'd need back up." He gestured at Jarod. "I guess I was right."
"Who are you?" Kyle questioned while trying to figure out a way to get Jarod away from the guy's grasp. But with two guns aimed at Jarod, there was no chance of freeing his brother.
"Who am I?" Lyle repeated, a smirk playing across his face. "I'm…" He stopped when Catherine took a step forward. His face paled and the hand holding the gun lowered slightly. "Mom." He whispered. Catherine glanced up startled.
"What did you call me?" Lyle was transfixed. Here before him was his mother. His real mother. Someone who might love him despite all the imperfections. The gun lowered as he just stared at Catherine Parker.
"Lyle." Miss Parker snapped, her face flushing and nerves tightening. This was not supposed to happen. Lyle was ruining all her plans.
"Lyle?" Jarod asked, turning to face him. "I remember now. You said something about having a twin brother." Jarod commented, pointing at Lyle. "I'm going to guess this is him."
"What?" Catherine said, glancing from Lyle to Parker to Jarod. "No, that's impossible. He died that day in the hospital. What game are you all trying to play?" She demanded.
"No, it's true." Lyle whispered. He bit his lip, not sure what exactly to say. He glanced at his sister, but she shook her head. Him confessing anything would be dangerous, but, like always, he ignored her warning. "It is true. I'm your son. Parker is my sister. She told it to me herself. And well…." Lyle stopped. He didn't know what else to say.
Everyone was rooted to the spot. Even Jarod, who now had the perfect opportunity to escape, just stood there. Lyle's confession made him think. Was he really her brother? How could it be? Those thoughts were mirrored in Catherine's and Kyle's thoughts as well. Miss Parker, on the other hand, felt like she was loosing control. She needed to get Jarod out of here and safely onto the Centre plane. Maybe once Jarod was safe in a cell then she and Lyle could come back and talk with their mother. If she ever forgave them for taking Jarod.
"Come on, Jarod. It's time for us to go." She said, gesturing with her gun to the door. Jarod seemed to shake himself out of his lethargy and was about to move away from them all.
And then the door crashed open.