Chapter XIII: Grand Finale Part 1

Tuesday, July 23rd, 06.55 a.m.

The morning after, Jarod awakened before Erin. Like he often did in this case, he propped on one elbow and contemplated her as she slept, relishing in her beauty, which was internal even before external, and in the marvellous feeling coming from the knowledge of their shared love.

Now to that feeling added the fact he kept no more secrets from her, and this made him euphoric: finally he hadn't to pretend any longer, or devise on the spot some plausible background.

How great it would be spending the rest of his life with her… but Jarod was bitterly aware that, as long as the Centre existed, this wouldn't be possible. Feeling suddenly, painfully guilty, he realised he had been deeply selfish: even knowing how much afraid she was to get back in the game, after the terrible disillusionment she had suffered, he had done everything to completely win her heart, even if he was perfectly aware that for the two of them there wasn't a future together…

No, no! Jarod stopped abruptly that chain of thoughts: there had to be a solution, even if he hadn't found it so far. He simply needed to think straight, and now that he had nothing to hide anymore, it would be easier.

He hadn't noticed that Erin had waked up and was watching him. One single glance at his expression was enough for her to sense his mood: since the beginning, she had been very sensitive to his torment, and now that he had told her the reason of it, her perception had become even sharper. Her heart swelled up with intolerable pain: she couldn't stand seeing him suffer this way.

She sat up.

"Stop it, Jarod", she exhorted him, worried, "Stop it."

Jarod jerked and came suddenly back to his senses. He sat up in turn, looking at her in confusion:

"What?"

"You must stop allowing the past to haunt you!" Erin explained, clasping his hands, "Whatever happened, happened. You cannot go on thinking of the Centre, of the terrible things they've done to you… it's over! You are free now, free to live your life, to use your extraordinary skills for the good of other people, to enjoy your present, to plan your future… but you cannot, if you don't get rid of the past!"

Jarod frowned:

"You cannot understand… How can I plan my future if I don't know my past?"

For a moment, Erin stared at him completely confused:

"What do you mean? Of course you know it!" she contradicted him, animatedly, "You know who your parents are, that you have a sister, a half-brother, that you've been kidnapped at the age of four and spent your whole life at the Centre, until you escaped…"

"They've deleted my identity!" Jarod cried, interrupting her with a kind of desperation in his voice, "Do you realise that there isn't even a birth certificate proving my existence?"

"It's not a piece of paper that defines you as an individual", she retorted, passionately, "but the sum of your actions, good and evil, the heroic acts as much as the cowardice, and your thoughts, dreams, purposes, wishes! These things make persons, not a stupid certificate!"

She took a breath to calm down, trying to put in words her chaotic thoughts, to make Jarod understand what a mistake he was making, letting the past to haunt him… a mistake that she, too, had made, and that she had been able to overcome with his help.

"Leave the Centre back, forget it… or destroy it!" she concluded, in a sharp tone that was rarely to be heard in her voice, a tone that didn't allow objections.

"If I'd do so, all the documentation about how to find and train a Pretender would be lost…" Jarod tried anyway, glowering: he already knew that nothing would change her mind. And he knew also that Erin was right.

"Do you mean perhaps that you'd allow for other children to be kidnapped, exploited and abused like you were?" she asked softly, "I don't believe it."

"No, indeed! In the years I spent away from the Centre, I think I have widely proved how my skills can be used to humanity's advantage…"

"Of course, Jarod. The problem is another: do you really think that any organisation could stay honourable, possessing such a power? You told me that the Centre, too, once devoted itself to good purposes, but it ended up like this. Now you know enough of mankind to judge if it's mature enough to manage such skills like yours without abusing them."

"Without a strict control, probably not", Jarod admitted, reluctantly, "nevertheless, with an adequate supervision, it could perhaps be, and it would be a crime losing all the years of work at the Pretender Project."

Erin thought about it for a moment.

"Well, speaking about destroying the Centre, I didn't mean necessarily in a physical way", she said then, slowly, "My father has still connections in the CIA…"

Jarod looked at her, frowning:

"What do you mean?"

Erin smiled fiercely:

"I didn't tell you yet", she explained, "because it isn't something to tell around freely, of course: he was assistant-director in the Agency. And through the CIA, he can get to the NSA. The DSAs you showed me yesterday will be more than enough. After all, the Centre is a potential threat also to the government of the United States."

In Jarod's eyes dawned a light of hope.

"There are people that don't deserve suffering for this", he objected then, "Miss Parker, Sydney, Broots, Angelo…"

"They won't be involved", she assured him, "We'll lure them away from the Centre, while we'll make sure that all the others instead stay. But first thing first, we have to inform my father about everything."

Jarod was pondering. His clever brain had kicked in with the right prompting and was now working at incredible speed, and in a short time, it took him to a conclusion.

"It's fine", he said, looking at her in the eye, "I want to get rid of the Centre and free the world from it, and I'll do everything I need to succeed."

OOO

Erin called Jean, telling her she had a family emergency; she asked her to take care of everything for the next few days, as she had done when she had left everything behind her and for two months her friend managed to go on alone – that was the reason she had later taken Jean as her business partner.

Then, she called her father to make sure he was at home; she had necessarily to be vague, and he exhorted her to join him as soon as possible, whatever the reason was she needed to talk to him.

When they arrived at the De Rossi's ranch, forty minutes later, they found a plentiful Irish breakfast waiting for them.

"Never have serious discussions on an empty stomach", Maureen asserted, inviting them authoritatively to have a seat and pick up what she had put on the table, "If you do, you risk having no strength to face them."

She was right, Jarod thought, unable not feel amused: he appreciated much the way Erin's mother had been able to ease the situation with her common sense.

They breakfasted together, then they headed for the drawing-room.

"Good, children", Frank began, wasting no more time, "What's the matter?"

He needed almost two hours to have an enough detailed picture of the situation, allowing him to make up his mind, but Erin knew well her father and didn't doubt for one moment which decision he would make.

After having heard Jarod's dreadful tale about the Centre's activities and screened several DSAs, Frank De Rossi picked up the phone and dialled a super-secret number he had memorised.

"I'm Thunderhorse", he said, "I need to talk immediately to Black Rock, but I need a safe line."

He listened a few moments, then hung up.

"They'll call back as soon as the line is safe", he explained to Jarod, "The director of the CIA is an old friend of mine – we have been buddies in the Korean War, and then we joined together the Agency – and he owes me much. But even if he didn't, what you told me would be enough to have them moving: the Centre is a threat to the government of the United States and has to be stopped. Indeed, I wonder why you didn't come to us earlier, Jarod."

Jarod looked from Frank to Erin.

"Because earlier I hadn't a reason strong enough", he answered. Frank noticed the exchange of glances and nodded, satisfied.

"How will we manage with Miss Parker and the others?" Erin asked, turning to Jarod.

"I'll give them a clue that will have them coming to catch me", he answered at once, "This won't be difficult. As for Angelo, I'll ask Sydney to take him away before leaving the Centre to hunt for me with Miss Parker and Broots."

"But maybe they'll have to testify in court", Frank objected, "The President will make inquiries to verify that this isn't an abuse, and there's no guarantee that he'll be content with the DSAs only."

"They'll testify", Jarod said, confident, "Maybe Miss Parker will cause some trouble, but it will suffice giving her the time to digest the facts."

The phone rang and Frank answered: it was Black Rock. Frank gave him briefly the facts, and as a result, three hours later he, Jarod and Erin were flying to Langley, Virginia, where the CIA headquarters are located. There was no need for Erin to go with them, but she had insisted to, because she would leave Jarod not even for a moment, and he was happy and grateful for this.

Then things developed with a speed that seemed to increase exponentially: Bill Thompson, or Black Rock, the director of the Agency, listened to Jarod's relation, screened all of the DSAs – it required several days – which experts analysed thoroughly, sent agents on the field to verify the intervention possibilities, drew up a plan with Jarod and Frank, and then the action began.

Tuesday, July 30th, 03.25 p.m.

Miss Parker stopped the rented car in front of a small and modest boarding house lost in the country of Arkansas, not far from Hot Springs. She stalked in the small hall, her high heels resounding on the tiled floor, followed more quietly by Sydney and Broots.

A tall young man, looking quite slow-witted, was sitting behind the desk; Miss Parker addressed him without so much as a good morning:

"Have you seen this man?" she asked him, producing a picture. The young man, actually a highly trained FBI agent, peeped at it and smiled:

"But sure, this is Jarod! You'll find him in the back garden."

Miss Parker exchanged a glance with Sydney: such luck was odd, to say nothing else. Shrugging mentally, she headed for the French doors on the rear side and walked out; she immediately caught sight of the kneeling shape in the rose garden, a straw hat on his head to shield him from the summer sun, a trimming sewer in his gloved hand. She pulled out her gun and pointed it on him:

"Don't move, Jarod, I'm aiming at you."

S he heard a choked sound behind her, but didn't turn and kept her stare on the kneeling figure, now slowly turning to face her. Under the hat, she recognised Jarod's grinning face.

It's a trap, baby, her mother's voice whispered in her head, but don't be afraid.

Miss Parker jumped: even after two years since she discovered she had it, she hadn't get used yet to the Inner Sense, the gift that Catherine Parker had handed down to her and Ethan. Hearing her voice, the rare times she was able to, was still upsetting, and even if little by little she was gaining trust in this odd skill, which allowed her to see people and situations with a doubled perceptiveness, she doubted heavily she could ever get used to it.

"Welcome, Miss Parker", Jarod greeted her merrily, "I was waiting for you."

"Drop your gun, Parker", an icy female voice said behind her; at the same time, from behind two trees as many men came into sight, carrying rifles with laser pointer, aiming at her. At once aware she had no possibilities, Miss Parker raised immediately her hands in surrender. Her face expressed equally surprise and rage.

"I told you to drop it!" the voice repeated; the sharp tone didn't sound good. Miss Parker obeyed, dropping her weapon and raising again her hands. Slowly, she turned: two big armed guys were holding Sydney and Broots. The technician looked terrified, but the psychiatrist appeared quite calm, and this made her suspicious. But she had no time to come to any conclusion, because her attention was drawn to the young woman with long brown hair who was walking toward her. She was almost 6 inches (15 cm) shorter than her and sported a green dress, tailored in a simple but elegant way, with a buttoned up front side; her face was as icy as the North Pole, and very unusually Miss Parker felt her self-confidence faltering. Not even Brigitte, the merciless killer of the Centre, had ever made her feel like this, yet she had been through hell because of her: why should this woman, whom she was meeting for the first time, intimidate her?

Annoyed with herself, Miss Parker looked at her up and down, which wasn't hard for her because of her stature, but before she could say anything, the stranger turned to the big guy who was holding Sydney:

"You can let him go, Agent Johnson."

She isn't really hostile to you, baby, Catherine Parker whispered, on the contrary, she can be your friend.

Meanwhile, Jarod had stood up and got rid of hat, sewers and gardening gloves. He now came up to Miss Parker, staying at a good distance and careful not to walk through the armed agents' line of fire, who were still pointing their guns to her; he addressed Sydney, who was smoothing his jacket:

"Is Angelo safe?"

"Yes, he is, Jarod", his former mentor answered, "I took him out last night and he's now in the institute you suggested me."

"What is this all about?!" Miss Parker barked, moving her fiery glare from Sydney to Jarod and vice-versa. Actually, she already suspected what the answer may be, so she wasn't really surprised when Jarod gave it to her:

"The Centre is over, Miss Parker."

This was too much to allow her believing it on the spot.

"What do you mean?" she snarled.

"In this very moment", the female stranger answered her, "FBI and NSA agents are breaking into the Centre. They will search every single square inch and arrest everyone. You can be sure that nobody will escape the trap: the operation has been prepared very carefully and no possibility has been overseen."

For some reason, Miss Parker didn't doubt for a single moment the truth of those words. She turned her blazing glare on Sydney:

"Sydney, you knew about this!"

The psychiatrist did not even try to deny:

"Yeah, Jarod told me when he asked me to take away Angelo."

"How could you?!" she attacked him: she felt betrayed… but strangely the feeling lasted only a few moments, replaced by another one she wasn't able to identify.

Relief, Catherine suggested.

She lowered her eyes to the ground, struck by another thought:

"What will happen to my little brother?"

The boy borne to her father by Brigitte, who died giving him birth. He was her brother, not that wicked Lyle… And she would be really happy to take him away from the Centre.

"In the past few days, his babysitter has been replaced by an FBI female agent. He's safe, now", Jarod answered.

"What will they do to the Triumvirate members?" she insisted.

" They will be prosecuted, of course", Jarod said, "They have to pay for their crimes, as well as Lyle and Raines. And your father, too, when they'll find him. Because you can bet they will find him."

Broots, freed from the agent's grasp, had his own concerns:

"What about my daughter…?"

"A social worker and an FBI agent will pick up Debbie when she's back home from school", Jarod answered with a reassuring smile, "Well, when it's time, make a call and tell her that the ladies who are coming will take her to you and that she has nothing to be afraid of."

Broots hadn't the same familiarity with Jarod as Miss Parker or Sydney had, but he trusted him, so he nodded. After all, he was quite happy to get rid of the Centre.

Sydney smiled at his former pupil:

"Is it her?" he asked, looking at the young brown-haired woman who ordered to let him go. Jarod nodded, than came near them:

"Erin, let me introduce to you Doctor Sydney Green; Sydney, this is Erin De Rossi. She's the reason we came to this point."

Sydney clasped gently the hand she was stretching out and carried it to his lips, kissing it gallantly.

"Enchanté", he told her. Erin thought that the elder psychiatrist possessed all the charme of his Belgian compatriots, and felt a sudden, instinctive respect for him.

"I'm glad to meet you, Dr. Green", she stated with a smile, "I know you did everything you could to protect Jarod during his stay at the Centre, and also after his escape."

"I always knew that", Miss Parker said, approaching and throwing daggers to Sydney; then, surprisingly, she pulled a face and looked as if almost smiling, "Now I'm glad about it", she turned to Jarod, "Don't you introduce your friend to me?"

"Erin De Rossi, Miss Parker", Jarod said quickly. The two women eyed one another up for long moments. Erin thought that Miss Parker was incredibly gorgeous, with those classical features, her Greek nose, her extraordinary blue eyes, and above all her top-model shape, tall, slender and with stunning legs. Compared to her, she felt to be short and plump, and she couldn't help but feel a painful sting of jealousy.

Sydney looked at them feeling vaguely amused, sensing the confrontation between the two women. Physically they couldn't be more different, apart from the hair colour, which was a dark brown, almost raven black. In the past, he had often believed that Jarod and Miss Parker were meant to fall in love with one another, and sometimes certain attitudes, mostly from Jarod's part, had him convinced that this would be. But now, he saw clearly that it couldn't be, not at all: the two children of his heart, Jarod and Miss Parker, loved each other, surely, but like siblings. They would never be something else.

"Are you a CIA executive?" Miss Parker asked, addressing Erin.

"In a certain way", was her enigmatic answer, "Let's say I have some power inside the Agency."

Jarod hid an amused grin and stepped in:

"Shall we go inside? Soon we'll hear from the Centre."

They entered and sat down in the drawing room, where two agents fetched them some snacks. Erin found herself next to Sydney, who asked with kind interest about the circumstances that had her meeting Jarod. While she was telling him about the accident in California, Erin noticed that Jarod and Miss Parker were speaking closely, sitting on the couch in front of her. She made her best to ignore the jealousy that was tormenting her, but she didn't succeed: Parker was so much more beautiful than her, and knew Jarod for so much a longer time! She felt that her possibilities in a competition were miserable, and little by little, she fell in a deep discouragement, which she hadn't felt any more since her ex-husband had left her. Nonetheless, she found inside of her the strength to hide her mood and to finish her tale.

Half an hour later, Jarod's mobile phone rang and he answered, excusing himself.

"The Centre is under control of the Feds", he announced then, putting away the mobile, "All of the executives have been arrested, with no exception. The Agency has already put to work the best hackers to enter inside the computer systems."

"Maybe I could help", Broots offered impulsively. Jarod valued shortly his suggestion, then nodded:

"Actually, no one knows better than you the Centre's computers. Agent Palmer, take Mr Broots at a console and connect him."

Broots stood up and left the room, an agent escorting him.

Sydney smiled widely: the nightmare was over, now he could finally go to Michelle and Nicholas and build with them the family the Centre had prevented them to be, twenty-five years ago… It seemed to him that his heart was about to explode in his chest because of joyfulness.

Miss Parker asked:

"What would have happened if someone had escaped the raid?"

"We'd have immediately moved to a safe place", Jarod answered, "Angelo, Debbie, Michelle and Nicholas would join us. We'd stay hidden in different places until the hunting would come to an end. As you see, I hadn't overlooked anything."

Miss Parker closed her eyes; she was pale, but her features slowly relaxed, as if a great burden had been taken from her shoulders. Tenderly, Jarod stroked her hair, ignoring that this friendly gesture was a stab in Erin's heart.

"I'm free…" Miss Parker whispered in an incredulous tone, "I'm free… And without having to give away your freedom for mine."

"Would you've really done it?" Jarod asked her, softly. Miss Parker opened her eyes and stared at him with her usual belligerent expression:

"Yes, indeed… and then I'd have to live with my decision. I don't know if I could've managed it."

You know very well that you never would, Catherine whispered.

"Now you don't need to find it out", he commented with a smile. And at last, Miss Parker, too, smiled openly, and her face transfigured, and became even more beautiful.

"You don't know how much I'm glad about this", she declared, stroking his cheek.

Erin realised she had lost and felt like dying inside. She would have collapsed on the spot, crushed by the dreadful pain tearing her heart to pieces, but the last remainder of her pride prevented her: if she hadn't collapsed in front of her husband, surely she would not do it in front of her lover.

She stood abruptly up and said stiffly:

"I'm tired, I go for a rest."

Ignoring Jarod's surprised glance, she hastily exited the room and ran upstairs, where she took shelter in a random room. Here she flung herself on the bed and started to weep; no tears dropped from her eyes, but terrible sobs were tearing her chest like cruel claws.

Downstairs, Jarod was still staring at the door through which Erin had disappeared.

"Something's wrong", he whispered, concerned.

"Yes", Sydney confirmed, with the keenness of the expert psychiatrist, "She doesn't understand the nature of the intimacy you and Parker share, and she thinks she's lost you."

Suddenly, Miss Parker realised what the relationship between Jarod and Erin was: the two of them loved each other. Sadness darkened her gaze at the thought of Thomas, the only man who had been able to penetrate her armour, making her fall in love for the first and only time in her life; but the Centre had taken him away from her, killing him because they would never allow her to leave them, neither for him, nor for anyone else.

One more thing they would now finally pay for.

"No way!" Jarod denied, "When I told her about my past, I explained her my feelings for Parker..."

"Mind and heart reason in different ways", the psychiatrist explained, "The comprehension that Erin can have at an intellectual level about your relationship has collapsed, now that she has seen you two together. She needs you to reassure her, Jarod. And it's likely she'll require a lot of time to accept emotionally your feelings for Parker, so you must be patient."

"Yes, go to her, Jarod", Miss Parker exhorted him, patting him friendly on one hand, "Don't allow misunderstanding compromise your love."

Jarod accepted promptly their advice; he rushed upstairs with long steps and looked at the line of doors along the hall: where could Erin be? Intuition led him on the farthest room, and indeed, through the door he heard her painful sobs. His throat tightened.

He opened the door and stuck his head inside:

"Erin, don't do this, honey..."

"Go away!" she yelled, "Go to her and never come back!"

Stunned, Jarod saw a shoe flying, aimed at him and, quickly shut the door. He heard the sharp thud of the item bumping into the wooden panel.

Good heavens, Jarod thought, shaking his head, Erin is really appalling, sometimes!

"Don't give in", a female voice exhorted him, and turning around, Jarod saw Miss Parker, who had followed him, "Go back inside and talk some sense into her. And if she won't listen to your words, then make love to her until you persuade her: if she isn't willing to believe her mind, she must believe her heart, her feelings, which her body will show in spite of her."

Jarod looked gratefully at his childhood friend.

"Thank you", he whispered, before turning and stepping resolutely into the room.

In the hall, Miss Parker smiled at the closed door and whispered in return:

"Not at all, my friend."

Then she turned on her heels and went back downstairs.