Ms. Parker slowly sat up and looked over at Jarod. He was asleep.
Her body was tingling from her encounter with Jarod. But she ignored her feelings, pushing them deep down inside, as she moved away from him and looked around for his clothes. This could never happen between them again. Whatever curiousity they had had about being with one another, was now satisfied.
Ms. Parker ignored the fact that Jarod's gentleness, reminded her of Thomas. Or had Thomas reminded her of Jarod?
She shook off such thoughts. They were useless and would not do her any good in the end. What she needed was that body switching device. Jarod had put it into one of his pockets.
Ms. Parker didn't trust him enough to let her go. And if things were reversed, she wasn't quite sure she could ever let him get away either.
Ms. Parker carefully got out of the bed and crept over to where Jarod's clothes lay. She bent down to begin going through his pockets, just as a loud noise could be heard. It sounded as if the rescue workers were getting in! Ms. Parker knew she had very little time left, as she began to search Jarod's clothes frantically!
Neither herself, nor Jarod, could have seen the colorless gas, that had begun to seep in...
Jarod felt himself being slapped awake! His eyes opened as he looked into the faces of two people unfamiliar to him. The other man that loomed over him, was the on site commander of the Centre sting, Leo Betz.
He looked over at the other pillow. It was empty.
"Jarod? Jesus...what did she do to you?" Leo asked.
Jarod blinked, as he tried to sit up. He was still naked.
"What?" he asked, as a breathing mask was put over his face. Leo shook his head.
"You're going to be fine now. We already took Ms. Parker out of here, but her condition is bad. The gas that seeped in here, caused her to hallucinate."
Jarod took off his mask, suddenly more disturbed that Ms. Parker was not here, than this somewhat embarrassing situation.
"Hallucinating?" he asked, as a worker tried to put the mask back on him. But Jarod shook him off and stood up. Someone handed him his clothes.
"I'm not hallucinating and I probably took in more gas than her. What was she saying?" Jarod asked, trying not to think about how lush Ms. Parker's body had felt, or how hot her skin had felt against his.
"She claimed that she was really Evie, one of the rescue workers. Evie was so freaked out, she had to take a break..."
Jarod's eyes widened, as he began to put on his pants! He stuck his hand into one of his pockets, in search of the body switching device that he had confiscated off of Ms. Parker earlier.
It was gone! Damn!
"Ms. Parker IS Evie, Leo! And I'd be willing to bet, that Evie isn't taking her break, anywhere around here!" Jarod almost seethed.
Leo Betz looked confused. Jarod finished putting on his clothes and grabbed the picture he had found of his mother standing next to Catherine Parker, AND Leo's arm!
"I'll explain it on the way!"
"On the way where?" Leo asked, confused. What the hell was happening now!
"To the FBI detaining center. Ms. Parker or 'Evie', would not try and get away without seeing her father." Jarod replied knowingly. "I'll grab her, then take her to the hospital, so that she can return to her rightful body."
Leo nodded, but rubbed the back of his neck.
"Jarod, uh, you never did explain why you were naked back there? I mean did this Parker broad get a jump on you or something?"
"You could say that." Jarod said grimly.
FBI DETAINING CENTER
Ms. Parker thanked God that she had remembered to steal Jarod's keys as well. She now knew she had little time before he caught up with her.
She looked at her new face in the mirror. Hmmmm, not bad! She looked very 'Pamela Anderson' like...and yet...not smart enough to be anything but be a stripper or something! Ms. Parker ran a hand through her blonde hair, removed the credentials that this new body had on them, and parked her car. She had to see Daddy. She had to say goodbye.
Moments later, Mr. Parker frowned, as he was lead into a room. Who the hell was this? Not that he minded...maybe the Triumverate had sent her.
"Can I help you, young lady?" Mr. Parker asked, still handcuffed. The guard closed the door, but told the woman he would be on the other side of the door. She nodded, waited until it closed, then hugged him!
"Daddy!" the blonde woman squealed, "it's me!"
Mr. Parker's mouth dropped open!
"Angel? The device...it worked?"
"Yes, oh yes! Look, I don't have a lot of time! Jarod is after me, and I have to get back into my real body and get away... still...I just wanted to say goodbye." Ms. Parker said, blinking back tears.
"Angel, this isn't goodbye."
"Oh, Daddy! How can you say that? Lyle, Raines...you...Jarod is going to make sure that you never see the light of day ever again."
"Jarod only thinks he has won. Angel, I'm counting on you." Mr. Parker said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Ms. Parker was confused.
"Daddy...what are you talking about?"
"Listen to me: I need for you to get back into your body, and take that device to Africa. I already have it set up."
"What?" Ms. Parker asked, but somehow, she knew. She was not free. She was not going to go somewhere and finally live her own life.
"You're going to join the Triumverate, Angel. Your position and office is all set up. I need for you to take that device to them so they can perfect it."
"Perfect it?" Ms. Parker asked, her voice hollow.
"Angel, you should not have to touch anyone to get back into your own body! The young Pretender we have there, created this thing, but Raines got his hands on it before it was finished. He's lucky he's not dead! Anyway, I need for you to oversee the completion of it, then have it sent back here. Your brother and I will be using it to get out of this mess."
Ms. Parker backed away slightly. God...so Daddy had not been helping her when he gave her that head start... when he gave her this device. He had been helping himself...and The Centre. Mr. Parker put his hands on his 'daughter's' shoulders.
"Angel, The Centre will live on. Jarod hasn't won here, not by a longshot. And I know he's slippery, so I've sent help for you."
"Help? Who, Daddy?"
"You'll know when the time comes. Now, get going. The sooner you get to Africa, the sooner you can get that contraption working right. You'll have it sent back here, and then your brother and I, will use it to get out of whatever prison we're sent to."
Ms. Parker nodded and embraced her father, but inside, she was scared. This was all on her now. All on her to get to Africa, make nice with the powers to be, get this thing working right, smuggle it back here...and God, what child had been kidnapped now, to serve as the 'New Pretender'? If Jarod discovered that... God help them all!
But, she smiled up at her father.
"I'll get you out of here as soon as I can."
"I'm counting on you, Angel. Lyle and I both are." Mr. Parker said solemnly.
Ms. Parker was so lost in thought, about her dim, future outlook, that she did not see Jarod, step out from behind a concrete pillar, and slap a handcuff onto of her wrists, until it was too late!
"Ms. Parker. I actually prefer you with dark hair." Jarod said coolly, attaching the other cuff to his wrist. Ms. Parker did not struggle. Jarod raised a brow.
"Nothing to say?"
"No." Ms. Parker shrugged.
"Nothing at all?"
"About what?" Ms. Parker asked, her tone challenging. "What's the matter, Jarod? You look angry. Are you not used to women just sneaking out of your bed while you sleep? No, I guess not, since you have only been with TWO!"
Jarod ignored her, opened up the driver's side of the car he came in, shoved her in so that she had to move over the driver's side, then got in himself. He looked over at her.
"Your snider than usual. Your visit with 'Daddy' didn't go well?"
Ms. Parker looked away. Jarod didn't know the half of it!
Jarod peered at her.
"Ms. Parker? What happened in there?"
"Nothing!" she snapped. "Just take me to wherever, so I can have my own body back, okay?"
Jarod said nothing. He started the car. Whatever she was hiding, Jarod intended to help the FBI get it out of her, when she was finally interrogated.
Ms. Parker noticed that Jarod had the car running and that was all. She looked over at him.
"What, Jarod?"
"I felt your body tingling, when we made love." he said quietly. Ms. Parker looked out of the window.
"Maybe that was YOUR body. Mine wasn't doing anything."
"Hmmm. So look me in the eye and tell me that."
"Jarod, just get this car moving, okay?"
"Okay, but I want that device first."
Ms. Parker sighed with annoyance, reached into her pocket and pulled out the device. Jarod took it. He then put the car in drive and surpressed a smile. She could barely look at him. Somehow, he didn't think that was because she desperately wanted to see the view.
HOSPITAL
Zoe had not went anywhere, but had stayed put at the hospital. When she saw Jarod pull 'Ms. Parker' in, she shook her head and swore!
"Sonofabitch! I can't believe you jumped into someone else's body! Jarod, how did this happen?"
Ms. Parker raised a brow and looked at Jarod.
"Jarod, tell her where, and how, I happened to jump into someone else's body." Ms. Parker purred.
Zoe looked from the new Ms. Parker, to Jarod. Was she missing something? Jarod smiled at Zoe.
"Honey, I just need to make sure that this is taken care of. I'll be back in a minute, okay?"
Zoe smiled wanly, disturbed by the vibes she was picking up. Ms. Parker grinned at her, before being pulled away by Jarod. That grin...it was smug. Granted, it was a stranger's face...but the grin was still Ms. Parker's.
Meanwhile, Jarod pulled Ms. Parker into the room of Evie, who was by now, quite hysterical! She pointed at Ms. Parker!
"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU! THAT'S ME! THAT'S ME!"
Two nurses were trying to hold 'Evie' down. Jarod reached into his pocket with his free hand, and pulled out the device. Without saying a word to the nurses, or the doctor in the room, he put it into Evie's hand, then made sure that Ms. Parker touched her as well. The reaction Jarod had witnessed before, occurred again, and the nurses and doctor jumped back, as if they had been treated to an electric shock!
Unfortunately, Jarod had forgotten to uncuff himself from the now, real Evie! Ms. Parker, now in her own body, kicked Jarod in the stomach, throwing both Jarod and Evie back!
"Thank you, Jarod!" Ms. Parker snapped, then jumped up and ran out of the door. Jesus! There were no FBI men around at all! Now all she had to do was look around for this 'help' Daddy had been referring to!
Ms. Parker ran down a hallway, and threw open a stairwell door. She was a third the way down, when she heard one of the upper doors, slam open, and hit the wall! She looked up and saw...Zoe?
Zoe pointed down at her!
"You are NOT getting away!" she hissed, as she began to run down the stairs, towards Ms. Parker. Ms. Parker stopped and waited for her, something Zoe had not expected. When she was finally in front of Ms. Parker, she tried to catch her breath.
"If I don't stop you now, Jarod will never stop chasing you."
"What are you going to stop me with, Pippi?" Ms. Parker asked, smiling. Zoe slapped her, then frowned. Ms. Parker did not budge. Her head didn't even roll back! Zoe shook her head in disbelief.
"If you care anything at all for Jarod, and his peace of mind, you will turn yourself in! What you creeps did to him was despicable!"
"Is it my turn now?" Ms. Parker asked coolly. Zoe looked confused.
"Your turn to what? Talk? Lie your way out of this? What?"
"Yes, it's MY turn now!" Ms. Parker cried out gleefully, as she backhanded Zoe so hard, that she fell back against one of the stairwell walls! Zoe's eyes rolled around, as she slumped down the wall and to the floor. Ms. Parker turned away and continued running down the stairs, until she got to the bottom. She then opened the door to the outside and found a strange van. It appeared to be waiting for someone.
Mr. Cox got out of the passenger side. Ms. Parker could not see the driver. He smiled at Ms. Parker.
"Do you have it?"
Ms. Parker took a deep breath. No. Jarod still had the device. Damn!
"Were you looking for this?"
Mr. Cox looked behind Ms. Parker. Ms. Parker slowly turned around.
Jarod had the device in one hand, and a gun leveled at both of them.
"Ms. Parker...if you leave with Mr. Cox, you will never be free. Never."
Ms. Parker took a deep breath.
"I'm not free now, Jarod."
Jarod frowned. There was something in her voice now...
"What does that mean?" he asked carefully.
"It means," Mr. Cox replied, "that your attempts to bring down The Centre, have failed. Only you don't realize it."
Jarod looked from Mr. Cox, who he now had the gun pointed solely on, to Ms. Parker.
"Ms. Parker...what happened before...between us..."
"Don't think about it, Jarod. Zoe is perky and happy. Everything I am not. Walk away." she said warningly.
"No!" Jarod snapped, realizing that there was much more going on here, than he had initially realized. Things were not over. He sensed that somehow, The Centre was going to carry on...and the device he was holding, was the key.
Zoe suddenly came running out of the stairwell door!
"Jarod!" she squeaked/screamed. Distracted, Jarod turned around. Mr. Cox took that moment to hurry up behind him, and whack him across the back of the head, knocking him out! Mr. Cox took the device and Jarod's gun. He then leveled it at Zoe.
"Let's go." he said to Ms. Parker. Ms. Parker did not look at the unconscious Jarod, or the visably frightened Zoe. Zoe remembered Mr. Cox from before, when he and Lyle had kidnapped her. She waited until Ms. Parker and Cox, got into the van and took off, before running to Jarod and cradling his head in her lap. Those awful people were gone...now Jarod and her could live their lives.
AFRICA-THE NEXT NIGHT
Ms. Parker stretched, as Mr. Cox opened the door to her new place of residence, in Tunisia, Africa. It was a two bedroom apartment, that was actually quite luxurious.
The Triumverate had definitely went all out to welcome her with open arms. She threw down her bag in a chair and turned to face Mr. Cox.
"Well, thanks for the escort...good night."
Mr. Cox smiled coolly at Ms. Parker and walked up to her. He then suddenly pulled her into his arms, for a forced kiss! Ms. Parker kneed him in his privates, then punched him in the throat! Ms. Cox slumped to the floor, in horrific pain!
Ms. Parker mashed his free hand with her high heel, for good measure.
"Like I said, thanks for the escort. Good night."
"Uh...uh..." was all Cox could get out. Ms. Parker sighed with annoyance.
"You can crawl out of here now!"
"Bitch!" he rasped.
"Whatever! Oh and Mr. Cox, I like to keep my work seperate from my private life, okay? So don't ever come back here again...ever, EVER, are we clear?"
Cox barely nodded, as he did indeed, crawl towards the door. Ms. Parker watched as he made quite a show of using the doorknob to pull himself up. Ms. Parker tossed some hair, and waited, as Cox uprighted himself, then turned to face her.
His voice was very raspy.
"I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yes," Ms. Parker said coolly. "And I'll want to meet the boy."
Mr. Cox frowned, while rubbing his throat. His other hand was massaging his injured privates.
"Boy?"
"Yes! You know, the new Pretender?"
"He's a she. Her name is Madeline. Her family actually gave her to us...to pay back a debt. She's almost as brilliant as Jarod."
And with that, Mr. Cox turned, opened the door and left, leaving it wide open. Ms. Parker stood staring after him in shock. The Triumverate had taken a little girl from her family. She rubbed her temples, walked over to her wide open door and slammed it shut! They were going to hell for this, of that, Ms. Parker had no doubt.