Disclaimer: As ever, these characters aren't mine.
Summary: Once upon a time, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. But that was never their reality. In their world, you died horrifically. But Parker and Jarod refuse to leave that as their legacy.
Author's Note: No animals were harmed in the making of this story. Seriously.
Etc. Note: Antebellum: a Latin word meaning "before war" ("ante" meaning before and "bellum" meaning war).
It always struck me as odd that "bellum" is so close to "bellus," a Latin infinitive for beauty and charm.
So, perhaps, an idea to keep in mind with this story is: "What is the beauty of war?"
The Final Legacy
By Bec-Bec
Chapter 2
Antebellum
----
"Miss Parker, I don't mean to question your authority... I mean, I'm sure you have your reasons. But, what exactly are we doing at the zoo?" Broots asked cautiously.
A baboon nearby rattled its bars.
"Visiting that adorable baby panda I've heard so much about," she said derisively.
Broots looked at Sydney who shrugged in answer. They followed Miss Parker down the path.
Stopping in front of a caged lynx, Miss Parker slid Jarod's folder under her arm and pulled a cigarette case and lighter from her pocket. She lit a cigarette.
"Miss Parker, you can't smoke here!" Broots said in abject horror.
"Watch me."
"But the animals... and there are signs!" The lynx chose that moment to hiss at Broots. He jumped back in surprise.
"Miss Parker, if something has caused you enough stress to resume smoking, I suggest that you undergo a therapeutic--"
"Shut it, Syd. The only thing that's causing me stress is you two nincompoops. Now come on."
She stalked down the path, stopping only when a little boy crossed in front of her. She leered at the boy and he immediately scampered away.
"Now, Miss Parker, that's no way to treat a small child," Jarod chided, lifting his sunglasses.
The Pretender stood propped against a tree, just outside of the panda exhibit. He was dressed head-to-toe in leather.
"And wearing leather to the zoo must have PETA in an uproar." She puffed smoke at him.
"Jarod!" Sydney exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Sydney." The two embraced.
"H-hi," Broots managed to stutter.
"Hello, Mr. Broots. How is your daughter," Jarod asked kindly.
"Debbie? Oh, she's great. She just started the f--"
"Enough, Broots." Miss Parker poked a finger into Jarod's chest. "Why are we here?"
Jarod grinned. "I'm glad you figured out my clue. Lyle doesn't give you enough credit."
"Lyle's comeuppance is sorely overdue," she hissed. "Now, explain the file."
"I gather you read it."
"Front to back. Several times."
"Is anybody going to explain why we're at the zoo?" Broots asked. He accidentally backed into a large picture of a saber-toothed tiger and jumped about a mile. "Jeebies!"
Miss Parker snorted.
"What file?" Sydney interjected curiously.
Jarod hesitated, then answered diplomatically. "At the moment, it wouldn't be safe to reveal the contents to you, Sydney. I took great risks even sharing them with Miss Parker."
"I'd hardly call it sharing," she scoffed.
Jarod frowned but continued to speak to his mentor. "Rest-assured you'll know the effects of that information soon enough."
"The Triumvirate," Sydney said disapprovingly.
Jarod nodded. He turned back to Parker. "Have you decided which side of the war your allegiances will fall on?"
"Neither side. Your file was a riddle," she sneered. "Another bullshit fabrication to mess with me."
Jarod frowned. "Come now, Parker, I expected more of you. It was a cypher."
"And how do you propose I would crack a cypher without a keyword?" she hissed, shoving the file at Jarod.
"I assumed you would have figured that out," Jarod chided. "Afterall, the code word is your name." He smiled like a Cheshire cat.
Miss Parker gritted her teeth angrily. "What gives you the right?"
Jarod shrugged. "Nothing." He slid his sunglasses back on. "You know where to find me when you figure it out." He handed the file back to Miss Parker and turned to Broots. "Now Mr. Broots, tell me more about Debbie and the fourth grade."
"Well, fifth, actually..."
The two men drifted into the panda exhibit.
"Can't you just share a simple piece of information like a normal person!" Miss Parker yelled after him.
Sydney patted Miss Parker on the back. "I'm sure he has his reasons, Miss Parker."
"Everyone and their god-damned reasons," she snarled.
Sydney followed the two gentleman, leaving Miss Parker fuming.
--
Twenty minutes later, Miss Parker sat in front of a disgusting looking food hut, her eyes widening with each passing moment. She was already halfway into the file.
She had paced in front of the panda exhibit, chain-smoking and cursing Jarod's wretched existence for fifteen anger-filled minutes before a zoo guard had finally requested that she relinquish her cigarettes before she was escorted out of the zoo.
Logically, she had surrendered the cigarettes and reluctantly set to work on Jarod's encryption.
Her innate Pretender abilities rose to the surface, allowing her to map the cypher against the encryption and read onward with little difficulty.
What she uncovered was not what she expected. However, she wasn't sure what she should have expected to begin with. But this... this was beyond anything she might have anticipated.
Nearly at the end of the file, she gasped in horror. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears collected in the corners of her eyes.
She slammed the file shut.
--
"Where did you find that file?!" Miss Parker had Jarod pinned to a wall.
A few passers-by looked at the pair curiously, but continued on their way, afraid to be involved in their quarrel.
"I gather you've chosen your side then."
Miss Parker let go of him. "Not yet. I have questions. And you better have the right answers."
Jarod feigned a smile at a lady and her children. "Not here, Parker."
"You're the one that chose the goddamned zoo, Monkeyboy. Or were you just yearning to find yourself in a cage again, because that can be arranged."
Jarod frowned. "I'll explain everything back at your hotel."
"This should be good." She stuck her hand out and pulled Broots away from an exhibit plaque by the collar. "Come on."
----
"I don't understand, Sydney." Broots fumbled around in their hotel room nervously. "Miss Parker drags us down to Atlanta... and then Jarod is here, even though he shouldn't be... and she doesn't even threaten to bring him in! It's like... she set up some sort of meeting... and boy oh boy, if Raines and Lyle find out about this..." He trailed off, looking at Sydney desperately. "Debbie's in Blue Cove all alone right now!"
"Stay calm, Broots. I'm sure Jarod would not have put your daughter in any danger. I don't know what Miss Parker and Jarod are getting in to, but I'm fairly sure our safety is only guaranteed if we are in the dark about it." Despite his calming, confident words to the younger man, Sydney frowned pensively. "It is all quite curious though."
----
Miss Parker downed a glass of scotch as though it contained nothing but water.
"You know, that's bad for your ulcer."
"Life is bad for my ulcer."
Miss Parker had mellowed since her original discovery of... She shook her head, refilled her glass and downed it again.
"Slow down, Parker. I need you alive... preferably." He took the scotch bottle away from her with a wink.
"Alive, that's a laugh." She ambled to the bed and sat down. "What a grand life it's been. Secrets, lies, mirages, random twin brothers, a suicidal mother—oh no, wait, not suicidal just deceptive to the only daughter she ever... knew and loved..." Miss Parker trailed off. After a moment, she looked up at Jarod. "The story goes on an on. Each chapter more twisted than the one before it."
"It doesn't have to be that way anymore."
"And what are you proposing, boy wonder? That I join your paltry little war? What difference will it make?" she turned to Jarod coldly. "We're either dead at the hands of the Centre, or murdered by the arm of the Triumvirate. And what's the difference these days anyway."
"The difference is, we have the opportunity and the power to take them both down."
"And how do you plan to do that, Jarod? Wave a magic wand? Kidnap the chief and hold him for ransom?"
"Hey, that worked," Jarod huffed defensively.
Miss Parker continued heedless. "Whatever you've got planned is like a tiny ant facing an oversized shoe."
Jarod sat next to Parker. "I've acquired things, Parker. Pieces of information. Confidential and non-sanctioned information... information about you and I... and the Pretender program. Things the Centre never expected me, or anyone to know about."
"Are you planning on sharing? Or do I have to decrypt more messages for that?"
Jarod gave a half-smile. "The cypher was mostly to keep you on your toes."
"You and your goddamned riddles," she sneered. "Next time you find important information, you better damn well hand it to me in plain English. Especially if it's about..."
Jarod nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I got it to you as fast as I could, I just wasn't expecting you to fly to Atlanta."
"Neither was I." She looked away from him.
Jarod waited for her to continue.
"I heard Ethan."
"Ethan? Is he alright?" Jarod asked with urgency.
Miss Parker nodded. "He was warning me..." She turned back to Jarod. "You aren't the only one waging war on the Centre."
"Lyle." Jarod gritted his teeth.
"This won't end well, Jarod."
"Nothing involving the Centre ever does." He looked at her firmly. "But we have to try."
Miss Parker shook her head sadly. "The Parker Legacy. My mother's legacy... History can only repeat itself." She looked at him sorrowfully. "Either way, we die."
"We can't die if we never live life to begin with."
She looked away from him uncomfortably.
"The choice is yours Parker."
----
Lyle rubbed his thumb uncomfortably. The recent cold, damp weather sent unpleasant arthritis through his injured hand. He hated the winter.
He crossed to his desk and picked up the telephone. His good hand quickly typed in a handful of numbers, more than were necessary to reach someone in the states.
"Put him on the phone," Lyle ordered.
A moment passed. Lyle looked out the window at the cold ice-covered ground of the Centre, wrinkling his lip unpleasantly.
The other end of the telephone line returned.
"I'm ready to move forward to phase two," Lyle said.
He nodded at the phone, though the other party couldn't see him.
"The only problem I can anticipate is Miss Parker. I have a feeling she uncovered something she shouldn't have."
He turned away from the cold scene outside.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. Measures are being taken--"
He was cut off.
"I know. Yes, of course. As soon as possible."
A pause while the other person responded.
"No, he doesn't know yet. With all due respect, Raines doesn't have a clue how to guide the Centre. I doubt he will prove to be a problem."
Lyle absent-mindedly twirled a paperweight on his desk.
"Of course. I'll be in contact as soon as it's complete." He nodded again.
"Yes, sir."
The call ended and Lyle hung up the receiver. He breathed out deeply. War was coming to the Centre. And he was going to be at the forefront. He would make sure of that.
Author's Note: I'd just like to say thanks to the people who reviewed my story or added it to their story alerts. But, more importantly, I would like to express thanks to the AUTHORS. Every piece of fic that I read inspires me to write more. Without all of your wonderful stories, I'd be far less motivated. So thank you for sharing! And please continue to write :-)
Also, a little anticipation never hurt anybody, so don't be too frustrated. I will most likely reveal what's in the folder Jarod gave to Parker sometime in the next chapter. Until then, I will leave all of your creative minds to imagine what its contents are!