Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

They walked into the house. It was a nice sunny day and Jarod had no reason to know what was about to happen. He had finished his last pretend and had found Zoë once again. He had been there for a couple of days now. Jarod locked the door as he closed it and then walked into the kitchen to help Zoë with lunch. When they finished he helped with the dishes and they talked when they were washing and putting them away. Jarod laughed at something Zoë had said. Then suddenly the front door crashed open and Jarod grabbed Zoë’s hand and led her to the back door, but as they got there they could hear glass breaking. He turned around and started towards the garage door hoping that they could escape there, but that didn’t happen as Sam and another sweeper came in with guns drawn.

“Time to give it up, Jarod because you’re going home.” Sam said with a gun trained on him.

“That’s not my home, Sam.”

“The Centre owns you get used to that.” A familiar voice said behind him. They turned to the voice and saw Miss Parker and Lyle standing there.

“You. You’re one of the men who kidnapped me to get to Jarod.” Zoë cried out.

“Yes, I was.” Lyle replied.

“Cuff him and let’s go.” Replied Miss Parker as she trained the gun at Jarod and nodded to Sam.

“I say that we take them both.” Said Lyle as he turned to Miss Parker.

“Please leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with anything. I’ll go along quietly if you just leave her out of this. Please Miss Parker.” Begged Jarod.

“Take the girl too.” Lyle said.

“No, Please don’t allow this Miss Parker.” Begged Jarod once again.

“Lyle, we have Jarod we don’t need her.” Miss Parker looked into Jarod's eyes and then turned to her twin.

“I think we do to keep Jarod in line.” Smiled Lyle.

“I’m sorry Zoë.”

“It’s not your fault Jarod.”

They led both of them out and into the car and drove off.

“How did you find me?”

“Like we’re going to tell you how we found you.” Replied Lyle

“Why both of you?” He looked to both of the twins.

“Because I want out and Lyle wants power. With me out of the way he can have the power and I won’t stop it.” Miss Parker said as she looked at Lyle.

“You are the golden ticket, golden boy.”

He knew that he would have to think of something to get Zoë out of the Centre because with her there they could use her against him. They would use her to get him to do the Sims that he didn’t want to do.

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

They drove closer to the place and Jarod got nervous. He didn’t want to be here, he never felt comfortable here. He shivered once as he got a cold chill. He hoped that he could get both of them out of this mess.

“What is this place?” Asked Zoë as she saw the huge building.

“This is the Centre and Jarod’s home.” Replied Lyle. “Isn’t it, Jarod?”

“It’s never been my home, Lyle.”

“Oh, yes it has. You’ve been here since you were four years old.” Said Lyle as he smiled at Jarod.

“I should have never been here in the first place. I should have been with my parents when I was four instead of being kidnapped from them in the middle of the night and taken here. I should have grown up with my family instead of finding out a year after I escaped that I have a brother that was also here and a sister that I never knew I had.”

Lyle yawned as he heard Jarod talk about his family. He was tired of Jarod whining about being taken from his family.

“Your family doesn’t need you because you have been replaced by the boy.” Replied Lyle as he yawned once again. 

“He’s not the same because he’s not me.”

“He is you every sense of the way. After all he is your clone.” Said Lyle as he watched Zoe's reaction to Jarod having a clone.

“He may have my DNA, but he’s not me and he never will be.”

Zoë listened in interest. She never knew that Jarod was kidnapped and had a clone.

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

When they got there they threw both of them in the same cell and then left. Jarod paced inside the cell and then turned as the door opened and saw Sydney,

“Sydney.” He walked to the bars and hung on.

“How are you Jarod?” Asked Sydney

“I would be fine if I wasn’t here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry enough to get Zoë and me out of here, or just Zoë out of here.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Replied Sydney.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Why did they take Zoë too?” Asked Sydney.

“So they can force me to do Sims for them. They know that I won’t let anything happen to Zoë. Is Miss Parker gone already?”

“She was cleaning out her office when I heard the news that you were back.”

“So it’s true they both get what they want? She gets to leave and Lyle gets the power.”

“I’m sorry, Jarod.” Sydney said one last time as he turned to leave.

“Jarod, what is this all about?” Asked Zoe after Sydney had left. She had been listening to the conversation.

“What do you mean?” Asked Jarod.

“Why do they think they own you? Why were you taken when you were four years old? What are Sims? And you have a clone.”

“I was taken because I am a pretender, a genius who becomes anyone they want to be. Sydney the man who was just here trained me and was in charge of my simulations. They think because of this they own me. Sims are simulations that I did while I was here. They give you a hypothetical problem like how to build a better building, or airplane and I would do that. When I found out that they were using this to hurt and kill I escaped. It would be a year after that I found out that another test subject that I did a sim with was my brother Kyle. It was also then that I found out that I have a sister named Emily. I almost got to hug them, but the Centre got in the way of that. It would be a couple of years later that I found my father and we rescued Gemini who’s my clone. When I was here I did a cloning simulation never knowing that it would be used on me. While I escaped I did various pretends to help people because of what I did at the Centre.”

“That’s who the boy was?” Asked Zoe.

“Yes.”

“I’m so sorry, Jarod that you went through all that heartache. I did it by choice; you never had a choice to be separated from your family. I hope that someday you will find all of them.”

“Thank you Zoë.”

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

A few minutes later the door opened and in walked in Lyle and a couple of sweepers.

“It’s time for you to get back to work, to make up for the money we spent chasing you.” Said Lyle as he watched as the sweepers grabbed Jarod and take him and Zoe out of the cell.

Sam grabbed Jarod and there was another sweeper who grabbed Zoë and pulled them both out of the cell. Pushing both of them in the sim lab, Sam pushed Jarod into the chair that was at the table. The other sweeper pushed Zoë into another chair that was sitting near the wall. He then stood there to make sure that she stayed put. Lyle and Sydney then walked in. Sydney had placed a folder in front of him. Picking it up he leafed through it and threw it down. He didn’t want to do it, but he knew that he would have to do it. He didn’t have a choice.

“Does that mean that you aren’t going to do the sim?” Lyle said as he nodded to the sweeper standing next to Zoë. He in turn produced a gun and aimed it at her head.

“No, I’ll do it.” Cried Jarod watching the sweeper point a gun at Zoe's head. Knowing that the sweeper wouldn't feel sorry if he did kill her.

“Good, but next time if I ask you to do something then you do it. Don’t make me kill her, Jarod.” He said as he nodded once again to the sweeper as he put the gun away. The sweeper led Zoë out of the room and put her in another room with a T.V. and Sam pushed another T.V. inside the sim room where Jarod was at and switched it on. Sitting there was Zoë with the sweeper standing next to her.

He stared at the screen. “I’m so sorry Zoë.”

“It’s okay, Jarod.” Replied Zoe as he then turned to the folder on the table again and began the sim.

“Very good, Jarod. You did well today.” Said Sydney as he looked over the sim making sure that it was accurate. 

“This could be used to do some harm.” Said Jarod as he looked up at his mentor.

“I have no idea what they are going to do with the Sims.” Replied Sydney as he closed the folder.

“Just like you didn’t know what they were going to be used for when I was here.”

“I really didn’t know what their true purpose was until you told me.”

He looked up to the screen and saw the sweeper grab Zoë’s arm and lead her out of the room. Just then Sam came in and led Jarod to his cell.

“Where’s Zoë?” Asked Jarod as he turned to Sam

“Lyle decided to keep you and her separated.” Sam said as he shoved the pretender into his cell.

He paced the cell wondering how he was going to get both of them out with her in another cell.

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

The next day was a repeat of yesterday with the TV’s wheeled in each of the rooms and turned on and Jarod once again did another sim. He was led out of the lab and back to his cell.

----

Zoë’s cell

Zoë sat on the mattress in the tiny cell and wondered when they would get out of this mess. How could a corporation kidnap a small boy and force him to live here? How could they keep him from a family that obviously loves him? Why? Because of the amazing gift he had. She had never imagined what he was capable when she had met him. She was amazed at what he could do while she watched him work. One some of those Sims he managed to be many people even a pilot who’s plane went down. No wonder he knew all the stuff he knew when she introduced him to his grandma and sister. He is a genius.

Suddenly there was a noise in the air vent in her cell and she looked up as she saw a figure. Whoever it was kicked the vent cover off and leapt into the room. She backed up because she didn’t know who it was.

“Friend, friend.” Said Angelo as he stared at the woman.

“Who are you?” Asked Zoe. She was kind of afraid of this man who she didnt' know.

“Angelo, come with me.”

“Why?” Zoe asked.

“Get you out then friend.” Replied Angelo who hoped he could get the message across.

“Who’s friend? Is it Jarod?”

“Yes, friend. Come not much time.” He said as went back into the vent. She went into the vent too following Angelo. 

-----

Jarod’s cell

Jarod paced his cell once again. He turned to the door as it opened. Sydney walked inside and looked up to the camera to make sure it wasn’t working. He then walked up to the cell and unlocked it.

“Go Jarod. Angelo already is taking Zoë out.” Said Sydney as he once again looked at the camera.

“Thank you, Sydney.” He smiled and hugged his mentor. He then disappeared.

He stepped out of the manhole and glanced around. Zoë and Angelo were already there waiting for him.

“Thank you, Angelo.” He hugged his friend.

“You’re welcome.” Replied Angelo as he smiled at his friend.

“Why don’t you come with us?” Asked Jarod knowing that he would never leave the Centre. It was his refuge.

“Can’t not safe for me. Go now.” He said as he slipped inside the manhole again and placed the cover on.

“I hope that he’s okay.” Jarod said to Zoë as he led her to a car that was waiting for them. Sydney had told him about the car. Broots had helped them too.

They got in buckled up and then he started the car and drove away.

“Who is Angelo?”

“He is a friend. He was a young boy named Timmy until Mr. Raines did an experiment on him and turned him to Angelo. He’s helped me a lot in the past”

She nodded to him and stared out the window. He knew that once he made sure that she was safe and the Centre would never find her again that he could never see her again.

The End