CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Unaware of his daughter's preoccupation with Angels, Jarod organized a search for the bodies. For this he required the work of the descendants of the first Pretenders, that is, those who were captured along with their Homo Sapien parents back in the years from 1946 through to approximately 1954. However having been at The Centre all their lives, they were not used to the outside. Even Ted, whose ancestry was in doubt, and who had been outside for a while with the notorious head of the Barbie Gang, was more apt to climb the walls.

So Jarod went to Michael, Giuseppe's brother, who being Gino's son, often went out, along with several sweepers, to purchase stuff for The Centre. He also considered asking Gino for help —after all he was his son via that Sicilian girl who was probably in the Centre Italian building — but didn't think that Cox would spare him.

As it were, things were starting up. They already had the metal detectors to search for gold fillings or rings that their ancestors had on them. The laboratory was set up for the autopsies and they already had the equipment to process the DNA if they found any that was viable.

"We'll start digging here," said Jarod pointing to a section near the back wall near The Centre conservatory.

"And where else?" asked Ted.

"The Centre takes in quite a lot of territory. I doubt that Lamech Parker would have wanted the bodies buried more than one hundred feet from the sublevel entrance." He paced at least twenty feet from the door where they processed The Pretenders. "Now we'll have to search for areas that look as if they have been planted."

"That is impossible. Except for the Conservatory and the-ah gardens, most of the Centre is grass, well not counted the bushes and the columns," said Ted with a snicker.

"Well since you and I were locked up during our time here; perhaps we can ask someone whose been walking these grounds."

"You mean the Packrats?" Ted looked at Jarod with surprise. "They belong to Lambourni now."

"Well he's still in Kentucky." Jarod handed him his cell phone. "Some of his sons are at home."

"Okay."

The Packrats soon arrived, probably by the same method of jumping over walls that their Master was proficient at. They went over to one area, and the oldest boy said, "Here."

It didn't appear much different from the rest – planting grass holds a multitude of sins or bodies — however on evacuating the plot, Ted did find the skeletal remains of an infant. "It's their sister, oh wait." He dug a little farther. "And their mother."

And then Jarod had an idea. "Raines wouldn't have buried them here if this wasn't a regular burial ground. We'll start digging around this area and enlarge it."

Everyone who was there grabbed the shovels, but that is not what Jarod wanted. "Michael, you get the stuff for the DNA prepared, Jay you help Ted in the first section over by that wall, Lars you and Pete do the section besides them. Kay you make sure to sort the bones, if we find them and take them into the lab. I've kept the doors open."

In five minutes, he had everything organized and things were going on well. So far, they had found at least ten skeletons and the first tests for their origins had begun when all of them suddenly stopped, their five minute sense had kicked in. "Someone's coming," said Pete.

Jarod snapped his fingers. At once, they all took out their guns. Yes, even though they were all slaves in The Centre, the new heads had taken the precaution of giving them all a weapon. You never knew if Raines, Lyle, or Mr. Parker had some associates who wanted The Centre back to what it once was and if any of the Sweepers decided that Miss Parker wasn't strong enough to rule The Centre.

Well actually Miss Parker, with the insistence of her son, had just read Romeo and Juliet and noted that even the retainers had weapons. True, she didn't have any rapiers, but revolvers and pistols would do just as well. Of course, Jarod did have a gun. After all, he belonged to her, and he had sworn to protect her —although not in that many words. Anyway, she as much as told Jarod and the others if they didn't defend The new Centre, well, there were certain plots in the Blue Cove cemetery that needed filling with their bodies — not that they would not have defended her anyway.

They took the skeletons inside and waited for the confrontation except for Michael who was busy trying to attach this skull to that bone. He also had to do the DNA tests and was thinking of asking Miss Parker to put a forbidden notice on the Medical examiner shows.

The car engines became louder and they could see the men getting out, men in SWAT uniforms, men in suits, men with ammunition, men with law enforcement written over their faces.

"Okay," said one of the officers, "Michaels you, and Jenson search the back area. Cosby, you, and Wilkerson go that way." He pointed to the area where Jarod and the others were digging.

The Pretenders clutched their guns. It looked like a small army was approaching.

"They'll find what's going on," said Pete.

"Then we have to defray them," said Jarod. There wasn't much time for deception or guilty looks as they kept digging for the evidence of Lamech Parker's crime.

"Here's one more," said Ted, almost hitting the SWAT member with his shovel.

"Okay put it with the others." Jarod acted as if the law officers were just a minor convenience.

Wilkerson then leered over him, well almost considering Jarod was taller than he was. "So how long have these been here?" .

"Way before I was born," said Jarod,"now, I have to report to Miss Parker and tell her what we found. Don't know how she'll take it after finding that her grandfather killed her grandmother — What's going on here?" He did an appropriate turn around, showing the correct expression of annoyance

"That's what we'd like to know," said Wilkerson. "Name's Special Agent Wilkerson. Don't anyone move. Search them."

"They all have weapons."

"Well well well."

"I don't see any," said Ted.

"Oh a wise guy huh?" asked Wilkerson. "Who's in charge here?"

They all looked at Jarod.

"Okay now you can tell me what's going on?"

"It's very simple. Miss Parker inherited The Centre from her father. She's just learned that her grandfather murdered her grandmother. The records are in the Blue Cove Medical Examiner's file if you'd want to look. She suspects that her grandmother may have been killed to cover up some crimes which as you can see," Jarod pointed towards the excavation holes, "we have just discovered. Now give us back our weapons."

"No way," said Wilkerson who walked over and looked at the skeletons. "Seems they've been here longer than I've been alive. Are you sure you're not covering up the evidence of some crime?"

"Discovering the evidence. If you want to see the proof, there's several DVDs in Miss Parker's office which we converted from old films and a letter that Mrs. Parker wrote to her family in France telling them that she saw her husband and his associate dragging two bodies out of that door." He pointed to the door that led to the laboratory where Michael was working.

"Okay, Owens, go to Miss Parker's office. It's probably on the top floor. See if she's got a letter from a Mrs. Parker about witnessing the evidence of a crime. It'll be in French. Oh and you, what's your name?"

"Jarod."

"How'd he know what to look for?" asked Wilkerson.

"It was written on May 12, 1953."

"Owens did you get that?"

Owens nodded his head. "Right."

"Okay now we'll all go in the front way." Wilkerson bowed slightly, while opening his right arm towards the front entrance of The Centre.