Tired of waiting for news from Broots, Jarod logged into his email account and quickly scanned through them, finding two from inside the Centre. He opened the one from Sydney first:

Jarod - I need to speak with you as soon as possible, but face to face.
How soon can we meet at Seaford Park? I need your help. - Sydney

Jarod frowned, and opened the second Centre-related email. As he read the words, an idea begin to form in his mind...


Parker opened her eyes to find Sydney sitting in the chair next to the bed she was lying on. He looked as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Parker reached out a hand for him.

"Syd?"

He took the battered hand gently in his larger one and caressed it. "I'm here, Parker."

"You look about as good as I feel..."

He forced a smile to his lips. "Don't you worry about me. I need you to conserve your strength. You'll be getting out of here soon, and I want you to be able to get as far away from this place as possible."

She frowned at him. "Getting out of here? Even if Raines does let me out of this cell, I'll never be free of the Centre, and you know it."

"Yes, yes you will, Parker."

She stared into the tortured chestnut eyes, and the truth struck her like a blow. "Oh Sydney...you're going to give them Jarod; but you know Nosferatu will never honor his end of the bargain."

"I don't want you to worry about it, Parker, I've worked it out. I just need you to be ready when the time comes. Do you think you'll be able to walk away and not look back?"

She gazed at him for a long moment. "What about you? And Broots?"

"Broots will be fine, he and Debbie will be able to leave any time they choose."

"How do you know that?"

"You need to trust me, Parker."

She squeezed his hand. "And you? What about you? You didn't answer me..."

He looked down at the hand clasped inside of his. "Three out of five isn't bad, Parker..."

She felt the sting of tears, and swallowed hard. "No, Sydney, no. I won't allow it."

He looked at her then. "I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter, Miss Parker."

"You can't just let him..." her voice died out with emotion, but a moment later she rallied. "Sydney, please."

Sydney kissed her hand gently, then set it down on the bed as he stood and began pacing. "Miss Parker, there is no choice. It was me and Jarod for you, Broots and Debbie. It's as simple as that."

"At least I know he won't harm Jarod, the Triumvirate would have his head..."

"That's true, Jarod's much to valuable." He turned to look at her, an ironic smile on his face. "But I, on the other hand, am as expendable as they come."

"Oh Sydney...there must be something..."

He sat back down in the chair and once more took her hand in his. "There is." The deep chestnut bore into dark grey. "You get as far from here as you can, and you never look back. I mean never, Parker. You're as much of a pretender as Jarod: use the skills, lose yourself so that they can never find you, and live, Miss Parker. Live your life with no regrets."

Her voice was soft, almost lost. "But there will be regrets," her eyes filled with unshed tears as she continued, "at least two of them..."

Sydney let the moisture that had formed in his eyes sprinkle down his cheeks, making no move to hide them from her. "Your mother would have wanted it this way, Miss Parker. I will have fulfilled a promise I made to her a very long time ago." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We'll both finally be free, Parker."

Her voice was a bare whisper, but it caused a pang in Sydney's heart. "But Jarod won't..."