CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was not who she expected, not her's and Jarod's oldest son, the rather vengeful Antonio Lambourni, now Antonio Waldo Lambourni Angela.
"Major Charles," she said, "Come on in." She didn't like the look on his face, downcast as if he was trying to keep from crying. "Is Gem all right?" Miss Parker always felt sorry for the boy, but with a little reservation remembering another boy she should have sympathized with but didn't.
"It's not Gem, it's Zoe. I'd like to talk to Jarod."
"Of course. Jarod, your father's here."
"I'd like to talk to him alone, Miss Parker, if you don't mind."
She heard a low grunted signal. Suddenly, she screamed. "Patricia, what are you doing with my Vogue magazines?"
"Mother mad." The little girl had a scissors in her hand and cuttings of various pictures of fashion models around her. She also had put on one of her mother's party dresses and by how she bent over, she was going to make it look like one of the pictures.
Miss Parker thought evil thoughts of the law officers who did not see what was going on. She did not blame Jarod. That stupid idi – Agent Riley had him cornered with questions and was hiding his view of the children.
They were talking about Michael. "Look he's perfectly capable," said Jarod, "besides I have an appointment now."
"You can cancel it. I doubt that you'll find much time in the pen."
"Wait a minute," said Wilkerson, "Maybe the Coroner can supervise. If the boy wants to be a medical examiner, maybe he can use a few pointers."
"Okay" said Riley and got on his cell phone. "Yes, down in the sublevels. There's a lab with a light on the outside. You go to the elevator, press the sub basement button, and after that — "when he finished, he turned to Jarod. "If what you say is true, that The Centre forced you to do what you did, and kept you ignorant, we won't prosecute. But I want evidence, pictures, tapes, videos, anything of any simulation you did and who it was sent to, plus what the Centre received."
Jarod agreed. It was the least he could do. Besides it would have taken too long to correct what he had done individually. These G-men could do it quicker and they would inform the CIA, Interpol, and the other law enforcement agencies. "I can get them. As well, I will give you information on what we are doing to change The Centre."
Riley's attitude softened and handed him his card. "Thank you, and if you find anything. Let me know. Now you can leave."
Jarod didn't want to miss his appointment, talking to someone who was not connected with the Centre, and then Miss Parker came over. "Your father's at the door. It's important," and then she rushed towards Patricia.
Oh, oh, thought Jarod, maybe I should have Dr. Colby come here instead, and then went to the door.
"Is there a place where we can be alone?" asked Major Charles.
"In there," said Jarod, pointing to another door.
It was a room that Mr. Parker had used for reflection as did Raines, Lyle, Miss Parker and who else was important enough to be here. Now it was just somewhere to lie down. The black leather couch was near the back, there were two leather chairs, a recliner, and a magazine rack with typical reading material designed to put one in a coma.
"Now what is it?" asked Jarod.
"It's Zoe. Her cancer's returned."
"But I thought it was in remission. How long has she got?" Jarod's face showed concern. "I could do something."
"I talked to the specialist and the Medicals. Even they can only do so much. They've increased her life so far, she should have died right after the children were born."
"She refused to take the medicine after she became pregnant." Jarod knew that was true.
"Actually they advised abortion, but she didn't want any. And the pregnancy delayed the effects of the cancer, but once the babies were born, she had to go on medication again, but she didn't want to lose her hair. The specialist gave her another that would not require chemotherapy plus she was on a diet."
Jarod listened to his father's chronology of Zoe's progress, her remission when Major Charles had rescued her from Lyle and Dr. Cox, and what happened afterwards, when he was not there, when he was a University Professor, and when Miss Parker captured him. The cancer had returned, and then another remission, one Major Charles never told when they found him in Miss Parker's house.
While he, Miss Parker, and the older kids were in California, the cancer had returned Jarod felt like crying, but he couldn't. It was as if tears would not be enough.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"Saint Mary The Blessed Hospital. She says her family came from this small village in Italy. Her grandparents always wanted her to go there, but now Zoe requested that perhaps you could take her children there. It hasn't changed since the fifth century."
"Of course," said Jarod, "It will be no trouble. We can take them." Getting visas and passports would be no trouble. The Centre had done this before, he had done it, but now he had to do it legally. It would not set an example for the children for him to forge papers.
Since Blue Cove and The Centre were officially not in the United States, and in limbo, The Centre issued their passports and visas under the supposed guidance of any world organizations. Right now it was the United Nations, NATO, and other international organizations, previously it had been the League of Nations or rather these were under the Centre, although they did not know it. He'd call from the hospital and get it all arranged and The Centre staff would send the papers and information by Federal Express. All they needed to do was sign it, and since Lambourni was a lawyer, it would be no problem. .
"There's also the question of custody. Zoe's family wants custody of the children, but I think they being Progenies, you' d be better at that," Major Charles said.
"I'll have to ask Margo, I mean Miss Parker. There's something else."
"Yes, Gem's aging. He's catching up to you. In a few years, possibly a few months, he'll look exactly like you. I heard through the intelligence system, as well as from Angelo, correction Tim, about a cryogenic unit."
"Do you want us to use it to retard Gem's aging process?" asked Jarod. Perhaps if Gem slept for eight to ten hours a night in the cryogenic tank, that would help. Jarod was not a Medical, although he had pretended to be one — "Ï'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV."— and the outside world had no use for cryogenic units except to store rich dead men with highly unusual diseases or conditions while waiting for a cure.
"I'd like to know the drawbacks."
:"Apart from the fact they destroyed the units, although we can reconstruct them, being in a cryogenic unit, you don't dream or you don't remember. Miss Parker was in one for almost a year. From what I heard, she kept seeing things. That's why they didn't find she had the inner sense until later. No one knew whether she was seeing dead people or dreaming."
"We have to risk it."
Jarod shook his head. "We'll have to give him sleeping pills and then move him in there for the night. Also we have to make sure to move him back to his bed before he awake. Then we have to vary the sleeping pills so they don't get addictive."
"Consent."
"You ask him. I'll have to talk to Miss Parker. Now we were planning to christen the babies this weekend."
"Well considering Zoe is quite ill; the weekend might be too late unless the Father at the Saint Mary The Blessed Church can do it."
"But wouldn't a University hospital be better?" asked Jarod, remembering the Universities in which he pretended to be a professor. They had the finest medical care, but a small hospital associated with a parish, no way.
Major Charles told him otherwise. Several organizations had donated funds so that Saint Mary's now had a neo natal unit to rival that of the finest University hospital. Their heart research and cancer research division was excellent. On top of that, those who went there were certain that their relatives would not request the doctor pull the plug and those who had critically ill infants knew that no nurse would let their babies die of starvation on the pretext of mercy killing. "Zoe's getting the best personalized care she can. Her room's almost like a bed room, soft lights, and all that feminine stuff."
He waited while Jarod went over to Miss Parker and explained the situation. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the way Miss Parker looked, she was about to explode. Major Charles knew what she was going through, The Centre changing, and now suddenly several children thrust upon her. Jarod had written to him, telling him of the problems they were having with Jeremiah.
Now no longer constrained by The Centre, the child was going wild, and acting up. Jarod was able to handle him, but Miss Parker needed help. She was not a Homo Dominant and did not have the Pretender gene. It was lie perpetuated by Raines and Mr. Parker, to make her believe she was a prisoner as well and for years it had worked. Now if Zoe asked Jarod and Miss Parker to take her children after her death, Miss Parker's limited motherhood skills would be at the breaking point.
Miss Parker was now on her cell phone, while Jarod packed the bags. They would be on their way once he finished his appointment.