At the End of All Things

by Findegil

[My hard drive died, so it's taking longer than usual for me to update. Sorry!] I'm writing this story because I was annoyed the last two Pretender movies never got made. Thus, it is in the form of a screenplay for the last two movies, and how I've wanted

5. Chapter 5

MISS PARKER'S office. MISS PARKER is sitting with her elbows on her desk, and her head in her hands. The phone rings.

MISS PARKER
(wearily)
What?

JAROD
Frustrated by the daily grind of work? I know, it's a tough job chasing me, but someone's got to do it.

MISS PARKER
Cut the crap Jarod.
(softly)
Lyle is…

FLASHBACK

MISS PARKER
Broots! What the hell are you doing in the vent?

BROOTS
Just get me out of here!

Miss Parker gets the same chair (taken back to its earlier place at the desk by a cleaning lady) that Broots did, and climbs into the vent. She eventually sees Broots.

MISS PARKER
I'm taking your pants off.

BROOTS
What? Don't do that!

MISS PARKER
You can't see this, but your belt is what's stuck.

BROOTS
Oh. For a minute there...

MISS PARKER
Get rid of those thoughts right now Broots or I'm leaving you to fester here until even the rats will get hungry enough to come eat you.

BROOTS
(remembering something else)
Miss Parker, Sydney...Lyle and Mr. Raines are planning to hurt Sydney.

Miss Parker gladly stops the process of taking off Broots's pants. Horror dawns on her face.

BROOTS
Miss Parker? Where is Sydney?

MISS PARKER
(coldly)
Lyle has him...

END OF FLASHBACK

JAROD
(concerned now)
Miss Parker? Miss Parker!

MISS PARKER
(snaps back to reality)
Lyle is going to kill Sydney unless you agree to do something big. I don't know what it is. He and Raines have Sydney somewhere, locked up. I tried to stop them from taking Sydney.

JAROD
They threatened you, didn't they?

(pause)

MISS PARKER
I don't know what to do.

(longer pause)

Jarod?

JAROD
This is what you're going to do.

CUT SCENE

Broots sidles down the hallway stiffly. He's looking for a particular room. He tensely puts his hand on the knob, and jiggles it. It opens. He looks surprised. Flat against the wall, he peers in, then steps in. His hand motions out of the door, and Miss Parker stalks down the hall and into the room.

MISS PARKER
Don't go Mission: Impossible on me.

BROOTS
Actually, it was more James Bond.

Miss Parker rolls her eyes.

MISS PARKER
Just get to work on the surveillance system.

BROOTS
I know you want to find out where they're keeping Sydney, but I don't understand how you're going to get him out of the Centre.

MISS PARKER
Less talking, more typing. The less you know, the less you'll tell anyone when you get caught.

If Broots was nervous before, he's even worse now. He keeps typing though.

MISS PARKER
(looking over his shoulder)
There. SL-26.

She rushes out of the room. Broots stays seated.

BROOTS
Now what do I do?

CUT SCENE

Jarod enters a house. This is the address Miss Parker and Jarod found in the book. He starts searching the rooms, convinced that he will finally find the answers to Ruin. He opens the door, and it is an empty room, with one large chair turned toward a single window. He moves toward the window, and his Mom stands up from the chair. He cries out and runs to her. They hug.

MOM
Jarod!

JAROD
How are you… Why are you…
(for once speechless)

MOM
This was our first home. When your sister was born. After that we moved because it was too small, but your father and I had many happy times here.

JAROD
But why are you here now?

MOM
(smiles)
Your Dad found me. He told me you were looking into Ruin, so I came here knowing you'd eventually find this place.

JAROD
(pulls away from her)
He didn't tell me.

MOM
You've been too busy searching for Ruin.

JAROD
What's Ruin?

MOM
You are.

Jarod is speechless again.

MOM
It also involves Miss Parker.

Jarod looks slightly uncomfortable.

MOM
Catherine said she always knew you two were connected.

JAROD
In what way?
(jokingly, to lighten the mood)
I once named an alligator after her...

MOM
(smiles)
Not just in your game of cat and mouse. You're connected to her in a way you can't explain….yet.

Jarod now looks really uncomfortable.

FLASHBACK

CATHERINE
I can't tell you how I know this, but…
(she is reluctant to tell about the voices she hears)
someone…told me Jarod will take care of Miss Parker if I don't get out of the Center alive.

MOM
You will get out. You'll have the baby, and Miss Parker will be with you.

CATHERINE
If I don't get out, tell Jarod about Ruin.

END OF FLASHBACK

JAROD
(softly)
What's Ruin?

MOM
It should be obvious by now.

Jarod says nothing. He turns to look out the window.

CUT SCENE

Miss Parker reaches SL-26. She knocks out the guard and hurries to where Sydney is being kept.

MISS PARKER
(calls)
Sydney!

SYDNEY
Hello Miss Parker.

MISS PARKER
I can't get Lyle to stop what he's doing to you.

SYDNEY
Yes, I feel that this is what fish bait must feel like. If bait can feel anything, that is.

MISS PARKER
Ok, before you go completely insane down here…
(She gives him something.)
I won't let him hurt you.

SYDNEY
(astonished)
How did you…

MISS PARKER
Jarod.

CUT SCENE

Jarod's still looking out the window.

MOM
Ruin was Catherine's plan to destroy the Centre. Completely. But only when you and Miss Parker were both ready to do it.
(She waits for Jarod to say something, but he's silent. She sighs.)
It's taken so long for both of you.

JAROD
(suddenly)
Miss Parker won't do it.
(long pause)
(faster)
And I can't take care of her. She won't let me. The last time I tried to reach her, she…wouldn't listen.

FLASHBACK to Miss Parker's conversation with Jarod in the Limo before they go on the airplane in Island of the Haunted. END OF FLASHBACK Jarod looks pained remembering this.

MOM
Don't give up on her.

JAROD
(turning back to his mom)
She never listens to me. No matter what I say.

MOM
Some people can't be persuaded to do the right thing. They must confront evil with their own eyes, and then they will choose what is right.

JAROD
Mom?
(He tries to find the words, but fails.)

MOM
I know.
(pause)
You've got to hope she does too.

They hug again.

MOM
(whispers)
When she is ready, she will let go of her past…and the centre.

CUT SCENE

Broots looks at his watch, then at the screen, and does a double-take. He had been looking at Sydney's cell, but now Sydney is not there! He reaches for the headset in his jacket pocket, puts it on, and calls frantically into it.

BROOTS
Miss Parker! Miss Parker!

MISS PARKER
(speaking into her earpiece)
What?

BROOTS
Sydney is gone!

MISS PARKER
(annoyed)
Of course he's gone, you idiot.

BROOTS
(looking at the screen)
Uh-oh.

MISS PARKER
What?
(nothing from Broots)
So help me God Broots, someday I'm going to wring your scrawny little neck…

BROOTS
(interrupting)
It's not about Sydney this time. It's you. Lyle's coming straight towards you. And there's nowhere for you to hide.

CUT SCENE

Jarod is tinkering in his lair. He has connected his computer, and is tracking something—or someone. He hears a noise, and tilts his head to one side. He listens to the noise.

JAROD
Right about…now.

There is a knock on his door. He jumps up and runs to the door, looks through the eyehole, and quickly opens the door for Sydney. Sydney looks haggard.

JAROD
Are you ok?

SYDNEY
Yes. I can't believe you're here, so close to the Center.

JAROD
(smiles)
This is just a temporary place. I had to be near to… something close by. (referring to his Mom)

Jarod takes some pills from the cupboard.

JAROD
(As he hands them to Sydney)
Here. You look tired. I know I was climbing through the Centre's air ducts.
(He smirks)

SYDNEY
Miss Parker…

JAROD
(looking at Sydney's wristwatch, his smirk turning into a small bemused smile)
She listened to me. For once.

Sydney catches Jarod's tone of voice and looks at him piercingly. He holds the pills and looks at them.

SYDNEY
What's going to happen to her when they find out I'm gone?

CUT SCENE

SL-14
Miss Parker is fastened to a chair. Lyle is nearby, working on something she can't see.

MISS PARKER
(sarcastic)
So, little brother…found out what his sister did…

LYLE
(holds up object)
This is truth serum. Tell me where Sydney is.

MISS PARKER
(nearly spits the words out)
Jarod took him…and don't you dare threaten me, you bast…

LYLE
(interrupting)
Where is Sydney?
(He picks up another object)

MISS PARKER
I don't know. I don't care.

LYLE
(As he starts torturing her)
Yes you do, dear sis.
(He stops)

MISS PARKER
(spitting out blood)
Someday, you'll be the one in this chair. And I won't take the trouble to torture you before I kill you.

Lyle simply keeps torturing her.

LYLE
Be brave sis. You can't loose consciousness like this when I contact Jarod.

MISS PARKER
Don't call me sis. You're not my brother. You never were.

Lyle turns away to wipe off some blood.

MISS PARKER
Why are you doing this? Jarod doesn't care if you torture me.
(Laughing)
Hell, he'd be glad you killed me.

LYLE
Jarod might not care…
(He resumes torturing her. She doesn't make a sound.)
…but Sydney does.

CUT SCENE

Miss Parker's office. Next day. Broots feels relieved no one has found him—yet. He is jotting down on a piece of paper what questions Lyle will likely interrogate him with. On one side is a hastily scribbled out 'list of possible tortures', as it has proven too much for his frazzled nerves. From the length of the list he seems to have been contemplating this a long time. The phone rings and startles him.

BROOTS
(nervously)
Hello?

JAROD
Broots? Where is Miss Parker?

BROOTS
I don't know. I just locked myself in her office after Lyle took her. It's been horrible. She made me hack into the security system, and wouldn't tell me what she was going to do, and then Sydney was gone…Sydney disappeared!

JAROD
I know.
(He looks at his computer, and has an email)
Just stay where you are for the moment Broots.

ominous music.

CUT SCENE

SL-14
Lyle is with Miss Parker.

LYLE
One thing I love about the Chinese—besides Wantons—is that they really know their instruments of torture.
(He moves on to another table)
But then, so do the Japanese. And the Spanish Inquisitors. And the Native Americans.
(He pauses, clearly enjoying this)
Need I go on?

He shifts the video to reveal Miss Parker, who watches Lyle with an apathetic look. A small stream of blood has dried down the side of her mouth. The scene shifts to where Jarod and Sydney are watching the video. Both look angry and hurt.

LYLE
Sydney, if you're watching this with Jarod, please persuade him to meet me alone at the time and place given in my email. Otherwise I'll use more of these…instruments…on the
(sarcastic)
lovely Miss Parker.
(He runs his hand up her thigh)
And maybe do a bit more than that before I'm tired with her.

MISS PARKER
Unbelievable. You have an Absolom complex.

Lyle raises his fist to hit her. He looks straight into the web camera.

LYLE
She's making this fun, huh Jarod? Bet you wish you were here.

He starts to lower his fist, and the video ends.

JAROD
(yells, very angry now)
NO!

SYDNEY
Jarod, she'll be ok.

JAROD
(as he paces)
I left her there. I didn't think this would happen. Why didn't I think this could happen?
(He's almost crying now)
I just left her there.

SYDNEY
Lyle preys upon emotions.

JAROD
I'm afraid he'll really hurt her.
(he stops pacing)
And I'm afraid of what that is making me want to do.

SYDNEY
These feelings are buried very deep inside of you. You learnt to keep them hidden as a defense mechanism, to protect yourself and others.

JAROD
Every time I care for someone—my Dad, my sister, my Mom—bad things happen to them.

SYDNEY
(knowingly)
But you care about Miss Parker in a different way than you care about your family.

Jarod looks at Sydney, then sits down and puts his hands on his head, mirroring what Miss Parker did before. Camera slowly pans away from him to encompass the whole room, as both Sydney and Jarod remain motionless.

CUT SCENE

Day. JAROD runs through sublevel 14, looking for MISS PARKER. He looks at cells on both his left and right. Something dark catches the corner of his eye. He turns to his left, and there in the far corner (diagonal to him) hidden between the end of the bed and the wall is MISS PARKER. She is unconscious, curled up on her side. Her normally spotless black suit is dirty, as is her face and hair. She has no shoes on. JAROD breaks into the cell, and rushes over to her.

JAROD
(bending over Miss Parker, and touching her arm)
Miss Parker?
(increasingly frantic)
Miss Parker…Miss Parker!

He looks and sees she is handcuffed to the end of the bed.

JAROD
What has he done to you?

His holds her left hand in his right, and pulls up her other sleeve with his left hand. There are bruises all up her forearm, and cuts, and some hideous looking spots which look like burns.

JAROD
(crying, looking at her arm)
He hurt you.
(He begins to pick the lock of her handcuff, tears streaming down his face)
I'm going to kill him.

MISS PARKER
(almost moaning)
No…I'm going to kill him.

JAROD
(so happy she is conscious now, but still crying)
It's going to be ok.

MISS PARKER
(weakly)
Why are you…

JAROD
Shhh….Almost there…
(undoes handcuffs)

He gathers her up so she can walk out. He looks at her like he wants to kiss away all her hurts. She suddenly realizes this too, and there's a highly intense moment. Her face goes white, and then she's unconscious again. He tenderly picks her up in his arms and rushes out of the cell.

END OF EPISODE

Author's note: This is the end of the first movie. The next movie will continue in chapter 6.