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the lurker
Medford, MA
Cold. He was so cold. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt warmth, and had no idea how long he had been pinned under the rubble of what had once been a warehouse. An involuntary shiver ran through him, the cold air pressing down on him. He tried to move, but was rewarded with sharp pain. Grimacing, he allowed his head to return again to the cold of what felt like twisted steel beneath him.
He closed his eyes, trying to regain his senses. Jarod. He had come to meet Jarod. It all came rushing back into his mind with the power of a flash flood. Jarod had asked Sydney to meet him; there was something important he wanted to tell him. Sydney had shown up at the long abandoned warehouse, to find no sign of Jarod. He had been trudging up a long staircase when he had heard the first explosion. A second later, the building shook, another explosion sounded and the staircase collapsed, pulling Sydney down with it.
He drew an uneven breath into his lungs as he realized that the warehouse must have been rigged for demolition. How had the pretender not known? What if Jarod was trapped somewhere in the building? What if he was hurt? A panic gripped him. He struggled against the heavy debris holding him down, but it only served to exhaust him, sending deep pain coursing through him. After a few minutes he collapsed against the pillow of steel under his head.
His eyes closed in despair. If Jarod was trapped somewhere in the building, Sydney knew he could not help him. And Jarod was the only person who knew where Sydney had gone. For obvious reasons, the psychiatrist had kept the rendezvous secret. Miss Parker and Broots wouldn’t even realize that anything was wrong for some time.
He shivered in the dark. It was so cold.
*********************
The Centre
Miss Parker shuffled through the papers on her desk. She shook her head; how had such a pile managed to accumulate? She glanced at her watch; just enough time to make the meeting she had scheduled with Broots and Sydney. Parker grabbed her mug of coffee and headed toward the elevators in the lobby. A smile of anticipation lit her lips; the morning was always the best time to terrorize Broots.....
*********************
He was in mid bite of a jelly donut, when a voice from behind almost choked him.
“You’d better not be getting jelly all over that keyboard, you moron.”
The tech swallowed quickly, “Uh....no ma’am....”
Parker slammed her coffee mug down on the desk, “Do you have any idea how much it costs the Centre each year to clean up after you?”
Broots swallowed hard, “N-n-no....”
Parker smiled, “Neither do I.”
Broots glared at her, “That isn’t funny, Miss Parker.”
“Sure it is Scooby-do, you just have to have a sense of humour that is a cut above the comics.” Parker looked around the room, then at her watch, “Where the hell is Freud?”
“I haven’t seen him this morning.”
Parker shrugged, “We’ll give him a few minutes. Maybe he’s slowing down in his advanced age.....”
Broots returned his attention to his jelly donut, polishing it off. Jelly oozed down his fingers and he quickly licked them. Parker’s face screwed up in disdain. Oblivious, Broots reached for the keyboard to enter some codes, his hand was slapped away quickly.
“Wipe your fingers.”
Parker leaned against the desk, facing the door, preparing to take a bite out of Sydney whenever he graced them with his presence.
**************************
Medford, MA.
A moan escaped his lips as he pushed through the haze of his senses. He felt numb from the chill, the cold having stretched on into an endless tunnel of ice and pain. The shivers running through him increased to tremors. He let out a slow breath of air, trying to ease the tension in his body.
Where was Jarod?
His mind clouded with worry for the man he thought of as a son. He tried to call out for the pretender, but his voice was raspy from the cold. He pushed against the barriers holding him down, but the distress it caused, forced him to stop trying. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the pain, but instead of abating, it was intensifying. For the first time, Sydney became aware of the wound in his midsection, and the warm liquid oozing from it. Blood.
And for the first time it struck him that he might not make it out alive.
******************
The Centre
Parker was pacing in front of Broots’ desk, her patience long having since waned.
“Miss Parker--”
She whirled on him, “--What?”
He swallowed hard, “Well, you know how your ...pacing sometimes makes me crazy.”
“What’s your point?”
“Uh....nevermind.”
Parker smiled dangerously and leaned onto the desk, “Wise choice.” She looked at her watch, “Damn it....Freud is throwing off my whole day.”
“He’s not usually this late.”
An eyebrow arched toward the tech, “Thanks for that news flash.” She headed for the door, “I have things to do, when Dr. Doolittle arrives, let me know.”
Before Broots could answer, Parker was gone.
*********************
St. Paul, Minnesota
Jarod sipped the homemade root beer float with a childlike glee. He dialed Sydney’s office number and waited. After a few rings, his mentor’s voicemail picked up; Jarod terminated the call. He looked at his watch. It was well after 11 am EST, and the pretender wondered why Sydney wasn’t yet at the Centre. He dialed another number and waited. Once again, he received voicemail. Sydney wasn’t at home either. Jarod punched in one last number, and listened to the rings. After the fourth ring, the voicemail picked up.
Jarod frowned. Where the hell was Sydney?
**********************
Medford, MA.
The shrill sound of the cell phone in his pocket stirred him. His left arm was the only limb he could move, and instinctively he reached for the source of the sound, but the beam pressing across his chest kept him from it. He groaned from the effort, and as he came around, he realized that drawing breath was becoming more difficult. He was so cold.
There was the bitter taste of iron in his mouth; Sydney knew he was bleeding internally. He tried to swallow it down, but his throat wanted to close up completely.
Remain calm.
If he had any chance at survival, Sydney knew it began with him. He needed to stay still; the longer he could hold out, the greater the chance he would last until someone could find him. He tried to reach the phone in his breast pocket, but couldn’t find a way past the weight of the beam. A whimper escaped his lips as an excruciating pain filled him.
He let out a slow stream of air, and his thoughts turned once again to Jarod, worry filling him. Maybe Jarod was hurt and needed him. Sydney was too weak to put any effort into breaking free, and he knew it was futile to try. He closed his eyes as a wave of pain washed over him. The beam digging into his chest had most likely punctured one of his lungs; it would explain the difficulty in breathing, and the blood seeping into his mouth.
The sound of his cell phone rang in his ears. If only he could reach it.
**********************
The Centre
Parker slammed down the phone in her office, “Damn it.”
She looked at the clock on her desk; 1:13 pm. Where the hell was he? She picked up her phone once again and waited.
“Hello?”
“Syd’s still not answering, I’m driving over to his house. If anyone asks for me, I’m out for lunch.”
“You think something’s happened to him?”
“Doubtful Broots, I’m sure Dr. Kildare is fine....”
The timbre of her voice belied her worry, and it wasn’t lost on the computer tech.
“Maybe his car broke down or something.....but I suppose he would have called in.....”
Parker didn’t want to think about it, “I’ll call you as soon as I get there. In the meantime Broots, hack into his email, maybe there’s something useful in it.”
“Okay.”
Parker hung up the phone, grabbed her coat and purse, and headed toward the parking garage. When she caught up with him, there would be hell to pay.
*******************
Sydney’s House
Parker pulled her car into the driveway, noting that Sydney’s car was nowhere in sight. She quickly went to the front door and rang the bell. Her patience wearing thin, Parker walked around the house, surveying the perimeter. There were no signs of a break in, nor any other kind of foul play. She glanced around the backyard, and then quickly picked the lock of the kitchen door.
As she expected, the house was in neat order. There was no sign of any struggle, nor anything else of a suspicious nature. Parker looked through the unopened mail on the table in the foyer; nothing of a personal nature, just bills and advertisements. The shrill sound of her cell phone made her start.
She grabbed the offending item, “What?”
“It’s Broots, Miss Parker.”
“What did you find?”
“Mostly Centre interoffice mails....and of course that mail from you. Man Miss Parker, you were so harsh--”
“--Broots! Was there anything about where he might have gone?”
“Yeah.....Jarod sent him an email.”
“And?”
“And he asked to meet Syd yesterday afternoon.”
“Where?”
“Some warehouse in Medford, Massachusetts.”
“Get the jet ready, I’m on my way in....”
Parker terminated the call and headed for the door. Sydney’s phone rang. Parker stopped and picked it up.
“Yes?”
There was a brief silence, followed by a slightly amused voice, “Well, Miss Parker....this is a surprise.”
Parker’s eyes narrowed, “Jarod.” She heaved a sigh, “What do you want?”
“I was actually calling to speak to Sydney, but you’ll do. Is he all right?”
“Why are you asking me? You’re the one who saw him last.”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t seen Sydney.”
“Cut the crap, Jarod. I know about your email asking to meet him in Medford yesterday. Where the hell did he go?”
Jarod frowned, “Miss Parker....I did not send any email to Sydney.”
“You didn’t meet him?”
“No. I haven’t talked to him in over a week.” A lump formed in Jarod’s throat, “Somebody wanted to isolate Sydney and used me to do it.”
“Jarod, he didn’t show up at the Centre today, and he’s not here.”
“What else did the email say?”
“It designated a location for the meet. I’m on my way there now.”
“Miss Parker--”
“--Call me in a few hours, Jarod, hopefully I’ll have found Sydney by then.”
Not wanting to think of the possibilities, Parker ended the call. It was going to be a long plane ride.
*********************
Medford, MA
It was becoming dark again, and Sydney felt numb. The reality that he would not survive another night crept over him with grim certainty. At least he could no longer feel such intense pain. He was just so cold. He longed to be wrapped in warmth and held there. His mind jutted to Jarod; he prayed that his pretender was all right. As the slow delirium of death began to press in on him, his thoughts moved to Jacob, Catherine, his parents..... He hoped that they would find him.
Regret. His mind was flooded with it. Miss Parker. In so many ways, she still needed him. A slight smile tugged at his dry lips; she was strong, and she would be fine. He knew that what he felt was pride. It was the pride of a parent; even though he knew he had no right nor claim on her, he still felt as if in some small way, he had lent a hand in her upbringing. And she had turned out just fine. He closed his eyes, exhaustion settling in.
Perhaps he would never wake up. He knew he should be more concerned about that, but the pull of sleep in the depths of the cold, was far too strong.
*********************
Medford, MA
Parker moved quickly around the perimeter of the building, after finding Sydney’s car parked nearby. There was a lot of damage, and it seemed fairly obvious that there had been a recent collapse of an entire section of the warehouse. She looked behind her, and watched as the loyal computer tech lagged several feet back.
“Hurry up, Broots....”
“I....I really don’t think we should go in there, Miss Parker.”
“Sydney might be in there, Broots. And by the looks of it, if he is, he needs our help.”
She grabbed a hold of him by the shirt and pulled him toward the nearest entrance.
************************
The powerful beam from Parker’s flashlight shone through the darkened corridors of destruction. Steel girders lay haphazardly on the floor and leaned against large pieces of concrete. She had headed toward the most damaged section of the warehouse, surmising that if Sydney was still on the premises, he would most likely be in the middle of the mess.
“Sydney? Syd?”
Broots joined her in calling for their friend, “Sydney.....you in here?”
Parker moved through the rubble as quickly as she could, but found no signs of Sydney. Then an idea hit her, and she prayed that his cell had started out with a fully charged battery. Parker pulled out her phone and dialed Syd’s cell number. A second later, she could hear the sound of the ring.
“Come on Broots, this way.....”
*************************
He thought he could hear a ringing in his ears, but he wasn’t sure. It seemed like miles and miles of blackness through which he had to climb to focus on the sound. As his senses arose, he became aware of pain, and beyond that, the ringing of his cell phone. Tears began to sting his eyes, the pain in his chest overtaking him. The voice sounded far away, and at first he thought he was imagining it....
“Sydney? Syd, where the hell are you....”
He tried to answer her, but his voice was a mere whisper, “Parker....”
His cell phone stopped ringing, having gone to voicemail, but it immediately began again.
“Sydney...Sydney!”
“Miss Parker, over here!”
Parker followed Broots as the tech made his way across a large pile of rubble, suddenly kneeling down.
“Sydney......damn....”
The psychiatrist’s eyes opened through his tears and he saw the worried face of Broots as his friend knelt down, gently pulling Sydney’s free hand into his own.
“Broots.....”
“Take it easy, Syd.”
Miss Parker knelt down a moment later, quickly assessing the situation, “We’ll never be able to get him out of here without help.” She handed her cell phone to Broots, “I’ve got Sydney, go call for the fire department, and wait for them outside.”
Broots took the phone and stood up, “Okay. Will you be all right, Miss Parker?”
“I’m going to watch over Freud here....”
Broots quickly went back the way he had come, calling 911 on his way. Parker knelt closely to Sydney, running her hands along his limbs, looking for broken bones. He winced several times and cried out in pain.
Parker ran a soothing hand over his forehead, “Easy Syd. I’m just trying to get a handle on the damage.”
“Internal bleeding.....”
“How do you know that?”
“Blood in my mouth.”
She kept her voice even, “What can I do?”
“Hold my hand?”
It was not the response she had anticipated, and Parker had to blink back the moisture filling her eyes. She looked away for a moment, then back at Sydney.
“Of course.”
Gently she picked up Sydney’s free hand, and held it tightly between her own. It felt like a block of ice.
“You’re so cold, Syd.” She let go of his hand and removed her coat, “Here...this might help.”
Parker wrapped as much of him as she could in the coat, and then gently stroked his face with her hands.
“Better?”
Sydney nodded slightly, “How...did....”
“How did I find you?” He nodded and she continued, “Broots hacked your email, and we found the note from Jarod, which by the way, was not from Wonder Boy.”
“Jarod’s okay?”
“He’s fine. Is that what you’ve been lying here thinking about?”
“Amongst other things.”
His eyes penetrated her with silent meaning, and uncomfortable, Parker looked away.
“I have a bone to pick with you, by the way..... You thought you received a mail from Jarod, and you held out on me, Sydney.”
His eyes flooded with tears, “I’m sorry.”
Parker was once again caught off guard emotionally. She reached under the coat and took his hand.
“Shhh, it’s okay.” She gently wiped the blood which slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth, “Just hang on, Syd. Help is on its way.”
Parker swallowed hard; where the hell was Broots with backup?
“Parker......”
She looked at the soft brown eyes tearing up from pain, “Yeah?”
“There was nothing else you could have done.”
Her voice grew quiet, “I know.”
The sound of footsteps and equipment approaching grabbed Parker’s attention.
She rose and called to them, “Over here.”
Several firefighters, cops and EMS workers quickly made their way over to Parker and Sydney. The Paramedics bent down to examine Sydney, attaching IV’s and a heart monitor to him. Parker and Broots watched a few feet away as the other men worked to clear away the rubble. Sydney screamed as they tried to move a jagged iron stake which had imbedded itself in his leg.
Parker felt ill, and wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room. But the weak voice calling for her stopped her.
“Parker.....”
The paramedics made room for her to sit down and place Sydney’s head in her lap. Broots stayed close by, wishing there was something more he could do. Parker soothingly stroked Sydney’s hair while the firefighters continued working to free him. His vital signs began to slip, the blood loss becoming more than he could sustain.
One of the paramedics hung the last unit of O they had with them, “We’ve got to get him out of here and soon....”
The other paramedic nodded.
Parker frowned at the men, “What happens when you run out of blood?”
The one man looked at her, “He......won’t survive without it.”
“Call and get more.”
“We did,” the other paramedic answered, “but there’s a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Bus accident on the highway......it’s taking up all the extra pints of O.”
“Well, use another blood type then.”
“If we knew his type, we could, but otherwise.....”
Parker looked up at Broots, “Call the Centre, it will be on record.”
Broots whipped out the cell phone and moved away momentarily. Sydney’s breathing became raspy, and Parker’s attention returned to him.
“Easy Syd....try and breathe easy.” She looked up at the paramedics, tears threatening to rain down, “Isn’t there anything you can do?”
“We’ve done what we can until we can get him out of here.”
“Can’t you at least give him something for the pain? Please?”
One of the paramedics placed a gentle hand on Parker’s arm, “If we give your father anything more, miss, it could kill him.”
“He’s not my--” Parker looked away, then back, “I just don’t want him to suffer.”
Broots interrupted, “It’s B negative.”
Parker looked at the paramedics, “Call and get some.” A look passed between the two men, and Parker lost patience, “What?”
“B negative is very rare, but we’ll try.”
One of the paramedics jumped on the radio, and Parker continued to run her fingers through Sydney’s hair, “Stay with me, Freud. Just stay with me.”
The firefighters were working on the large beam pinning Sydney’s chest, and the movement was causing him immense pain. He couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks in a never ending stream of moisture.
Parker moved her hands over his shoulders and neck, “I’m here, Syd. Try and relax.”
The paramedic on the radio looked at Parker, “I’m sorry, but all the B neg is tied up in this accident. The next closest source is over an hour away.”
Parker looked down at her friend, “He’s not going to last that long.” Then it hit her, “Wait....I’m B negative. Use mine.”
One paramedic turned to the other, “A direct transfusion.....”
“Dangerous in the field,” the second man answered.
Parker glared at the two men, “I don’t care. If we don’t try it, he doesn’t stand a chance. Do it.”
Broots interjected, “Miss Parker, do you really think this is a good idea?”
“You want to let him die, Broots?”
“No, of course not, but--”
“--Then we have no choice.”
They watched as the paramedics set up the needles and the tubing.
One of the motioned to her to sit on a piece of metal, “You need to be higher, so that the flow is moving downward, into him.”
Parker gently set Sydney’s head down and sat on the metal rubble. A paramedic quickly inserted a needle connected to the tubing into her arm, and the other end of it into Sydney’s arm.
He handed her a cylinder, “Here, squeeze this so that it starts the blood flow.”
Parker obeyed and watched as her blood seeped into the tube and down into Sydney’s arm.
Her voice was barely audible, “Please let it help him....”
The paramedics watched Parker carefully for several minutes. When almost ten had passed, Parker grew pale and woozy. One of them removed the needle from her arm.
“No.......he needs it.”
“You can’t give any more.”
“Was it enough?”
“It’ll have to be.”
One of the firemen looked over at them, “We’re about to pull off the final beam, it’s gonna hurt like hell, so, someone might want to hold him. With the help of Broots, Parker knelt once more by Sydney and lifted his head into her lap, placing her hands on his shoulders, holding him down.
She placed a soft kiss on his forehead, “Hang on Syd, I’m right here with you.”
The firemen lifted the final beam off, and pain rushed into Sydney’s body at a rate with which he could not cope. He screamed in agony, and Parker tried to steady him. The paramedics quickly immobilized his limbs and slid a backboard under him. Parker and Broots watched helplessly as they carried him out of the building.
*******************
St. Joseph’s Trauma Center, Blue Cove
Parker sat in a chair next to the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of Sydney’s chest. After eleven hours of surgery, he was stable, albeit worse for the wear. She glanced toward the door, and the rather burly security man standing stiffly, ready to take on anything. Her cell phone rang, she answered it quickly, not wanting Sydney to awaken.
“What?”
“How is he?”
“Stable.”
“Prognosis?”
“He’ll live, Jarod.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.....it’s just......”
“It’s just what?”
“It’s going to be a long time, Jarod.”
“His rehabilitation you mean?”
“Yes. It’s going to be so hard on him.”
“And on those around him.”
Parker was silent.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Turn yourself in to the Centre.”
“Something reasonable.”
She was silent for a long moment, then, “Help me find out who did this, Jarod.”
“No leads, Miss Parker?”
“None. Someone pretending to be you sent him an email, and then tried to kill him. And whoever it is, is still out there.”
“Nothing on a motive?”
“Come on Jarod.....How many people do you know who want to kill Sydney?”
“There are a few within the Centre, Miss Parker.”
“They’ll be the first ones I look at.”
“I’ll do what I can from my end. We’ll get to the bottom of it, Miss Parker, I’m confident.”
“And in the meantime, I have the larger problem of protecting Sydney.” She paused for a moment, wondering how much she should tell Jarod, then on a whim, she continued, “Jarod, how rare is the blood type B negative?”
“In the normal world, very.”
“Why ‘in the normal world’?”
“I assume that the question is Centre related.” When Parker remained silent, Jarod continued, “You, Mr. Lyle and Angelo all having it is certainly far above a statistical norm.”
“And if yet another person close in the situation at the Centre has it?”
“I’d say that such a thing would hardly be a coincidence. Who is it?”
“Sydney.”
Parker terminated the call before Jarod had a chance to respond. A low moan from the bed grabbed Parker’s attention. She moved to sit on the edge, gently taking Sydney’s hand in her own.
“Easy Freud, you’re okay.”
Slowly his eyes opened and focused on Parker, “Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Okay?”
“Of course. I’m not the one who held the weight of a building on me for almost two days.”
“But you found me, and got me out.”
Parker smiled at him, “Go back to sleep. You need rest.”
Sydney nodded toward the guard, “What’s he doing here?”
“Protecting you.”
“No, no--”
“--No arguments, Syd, this one’s non-negotiable.”
Sydney winced as he moved, “Mmmm.......don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
“Overreacting? Sydney, in case you missed it, somebody brought a building down on top of you. On purpose. Until we find out who and why and get the scum bucket, you’re going to have protection 24/7. Got it?”
Sydney closed his eyes in pain, and for a moment, Parker quietly held his hand. After a few minutes he looked at her again, his voice raspy.
“I’m sorry. I’m feeling a little tired....”
Parker stood, leaned down, and kissed his cheek, “Get some rest. I won’t be far away.”
Sydney’s eyes closed, and before she left the room, he was out like a light. Parker was worried; not only about Sydney coming through the long haul of rehab, but also that whomever was out there trying to kill him, would try it again.
And maybe next time, they wouldn’t be so lucky; Syd’s silent enemy might be successful. Parker didn’t want to think about that possibility. She stopped walking down the hallway, upset with herself. Even though she had tried to keep him at a distance, she had grown incredibly fond of him, and didn’t know what she would do without him.
Heaving a long sigh, Parker walked back to Syd’s room. She’d never sleep at home anyway and she knew it. It didn’t matter that there was a security detail of four; she had to be there to make sure he was safe. She opened the door, and motioned for the guard to take up a position just oustside the door. Quietly she pulled the chair next to the bed and sat down. She placed her hands on the arm closest to her and gently rubbed it, while she softly spoke to him.
“After my mother died, I thought I would never be close to anyone again, because I never wanted to feel that pain of loss again. But over the years I’ve come to rely on you, Sydney; I count on having you to lean on. Now I realize that I.....” Parker smiled at her own emotions, then continued, “Well, I love you, and I can’t bear to lose you.” Sydney moaned in his sleep, and Parker softly stroked his cheek, “Shhh, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Her own exhaustion began to close in on her, and Parker allowed her head to lean against her hands which were still holding Sydney’s arm. Within minutes, she was fast asleep. Sydney gently pulled his arm out from under her, placing his hand paternally on the back of her head.
His voice was a mere whisper in the dark, “I love you too, Miss Parker.”
Sydney’s House
The afternoon light poured in through the upstairs window, casting shadows across the wood furnishings. It lent a warm glow to an already pleasant room, and yet he had grown weary of it. After two months in the hospital following the mysterious attack on him, and then another month in rehab at a local facility, Sydney was close to stir crazy. His progress had been painful and slow. Moving even his upper body was still a chore, the sore stiffness of his muscles often proving more than he could bear, and he was as yet unable to stand on his own.
He peered through the window, and observed the Centre security cars parked out front. Almost four months had gone by since the explosion in the warehouse, and they were no closer to knowing who had sent the email in Jarod’s name. Parker had insisted on the 24 hour surveillance, and he didn’t have the strength to argue with her. Sydney shifted uncomfortably in his chair; he needed to move, but didn’t want to yell for the day nurse. A moment later, he heard a car door slam shut in the driveway, and he closed his eyes. Parker. Despite his protestations for the past three weeks, she had insisted on moving into his house and assuming the responsibility of looking after him at night.
Why she had made such a choice was a mystery to Sydney, although his best guess was that she simply did not trust anyone else to protect him after dark. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was Parker’s way of showing her fondness of him. He tried to shift slightly in his chair, and winced in pain; his muscles would wait no longer, and perhaps it would do him good to attempt to stand on his own. Pushing himself up on shaking arms, Sydney stood, only to crumple to the floor a moment later.
Parker was in mid-sentence with the day nurse when she heard the thud on the floor above. She sprinted up the stairs, the tall male nurse right on her heels.
“Sydney! Sydney!”
She opened the door to his room, to find him in a heap on the floor. Anger shot across her face as she bent down to pick the psychiatrist up.
“Damnit, Sydney, what did you think you were doing?”
His voice was a little raspy, “Trying to stand up, I believe....”
“That’s not funny, Freud.”
Together, the nurse and Parker lifted him to the bed, and gently sat him on the edge. Sydney tottered slightly, and Parker sat down next to him, allowing him to lean on her for support. She turned toward the male nurse.
“Thanks Joe, I’ve got him from here. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“If you’re sure, Miss Parker....”
“Yes, we’ll be fine, as long as Dr. Kildare here doesn’t try any more fancy weight lifting moves.”
Joe turned for the door, but Parker’s voice stopped him.
“Oh, Joe...do me a favor, will you?”
“Sure.”
“Can you send my......assistant Sam up here?”
“No problem, Miss Parker.”
“Thanks.”
Parker turned to Sydney, anger in her timbre, “What in the hell were you thinking? You could have hurt yourself.”
“Could have, but didn’t.”
“Yes, well....”
Sydney moved slightly, trying to loosen the muscles of his neck, causing him to grimace in pain.
Parker softened, “Stiff?”
He nodded, squeezing his neck slightly.
“The doctor said you’d continue to have soreness in your back and neck until you’re a little more mobile.”
Sam entered the room, and Parker smiled, “Sam, good....help me get Sydney into bed.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Sam and Parker carefully removed the doctor’s shirt, and moved him so that he was lying on his stomach.
“Sam, in the bathroom you’ll find a bottle of liniment on the sink, can you bring it please?”
“Sure...”
Sam exited to get the bottle and Parker turned to Sydney.
“Okay Freud, lose the pillows, you need to lie flat.”
“Parker.....”
She tossed the pillows to the floor, and gently placed his arms down at his sides.
“I don’t want to hear any complaints. It’ll hurt for awhile, but then you’ll feel better and you know it. You’re like a five year old sometimes, you know that?”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
Sam interrupted the argument.
“Here you go, Miss Parker.”
“Thanks Sam.....”
“Do you need anything else?”
“No, not right now, thanks. Is the back door covered?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Fine. You’re on the front.”
“Yes Miss Parker.”
Sam left once more, and Parker poured some liniment oil into her hands, rubbing them together to warm the liquid slightly. She began running her hands gently up and down Sydney’s back, slowly kneading the muscles, concentrating on the tightness in his shoulders. He groaned in pain at first, but slowly started to ease as Parker worked out the stiffness, and the grimaces gradually turned to moans of relaxation. Parker moved her hands up to his neck, gently massaging away the tension.
Her voice was low and calm, “Feel better?”
“Mmmm.......”
“Joe wore you out today.....”
His voice was filled with impending slumber, “Yes, he’s trying to build up strength....”
“Sleepy?”
Sydney’s timbre was throaty, “Mmmm-hmmm....”
Parker’s hands slowed to gentle circles on his upper back, lulling him into a peaceful repose. Carefully she covered him with the comforter, and quietly slipped from the room.
****************
Sydney had been asleep for several hours upstairs, and Parker was curled on the floor in front of the fire. The ice in the vodka glass clinked as it melted further down into the tumbler. She stared into the flames wondering why Sydney’s assailant had made no further attempts at contact. It was curious, and every instinct within her told her that it was only a matter of time. The shrill ring of her cell made her jump. Annoyed, she grabbed the phone.
“What?”
“Good evening to you too, Miss Parker.”
She closed her eyes, annoyance growing into aggravation, “Jarod. What do you want?”
“How is he?”
“A little better, I think. Joe’s been working on his upper body strength.”
“He’s still too pale, is he eating?”
“Who told you that?”
“I have my sources, Miss Parker.”
“Jarod--”
“--look, the reason I’m calling--”
“--yes, monkey boy, please do cut to the chase.”
“I wanted to let you know that I’ve finally traced the email that was sent to Sydney all those months ago.”
“Oh?”
“It was routed through hundreds of thousands of servers, but you were right: it emanated from the Centre.”
“Could you pinpoint who?”
“Not the who, but the where. It was a terminal on SL-24.”
“24? That’s impossible. There’s been nothing on SL-24 for at least ten years.”
“Well, I suggest you check it out tomorrow and see what’s down there.”
Parker suppressed a shiver, “Fine.”
“Good night, Miss Parker.”
“Night.” She hesitated then said, “Hey, Jarod?”
But it was too late, the pretender had already terminated the call. Parker set the phone down, and decided she should check on Sydney. Stretching her legs as she rose, Parker walked up the stairs. She quietly opened the door to Sydney’s bedroom and peered inside. The psychiatrist was twisted up in the comforter, tossing in his sleep. Parker frowned and quickly moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She gently shook Sydney’s shoulders with her hands.
“Sydney....Sydney, wake up. C’mon, wake up.”
His eyes opened wide in terror, “No!”
Parker pulled Sydney’s shaking body close to hers and held him.
“Hey, take it easy, you’re okay. It’s just a bad dream, Syd, that’s all.”
She felt Sydney’s arms pull tightly around her, seeking comfort. Parker wrapped an arm firmly around his waist and with the other pulled his head to rest on her shoulder. Sydney cuddled into her neck, shivering from cold or fear, Parker wasn’t sure which. A moment later she lay him back down on the bed, covering him with the comforter. He reached up and stroked her cheek with his hand. Embarrassed, Parker busied herself adjusting the covers around him once again.
“You’ll catch a chill if you’re not careful, Syd.”
He said nothing, but continued to stroke her face, looking deeply into her eyes. Parker could see the tension that was still in his face from the nightmare, and the unsettled look in the haunted orbs of chestnut. She caught the hand brushing her face in her own, squeezing it slightly.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
He shook his head, pulling his hand free from hers. His eyes finally broke their gaze from her face, and instead, focused on the arm that he had begun to nervously rub with his hand. Once again, Parker gently took his hand in hers.
“Do you need something to help you sleep?”
The troubled eyes looked into hers, and he shook his head. Parker set the hand she held under the covers and tucked him in tightly.
“If you change your mind, I’m just across the hall, okay?”
Sydney nodded, and the hollowness in the normally warm rounds of chestnut echoed in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed it down, and forced a smile to her lips when she looked at him. She ran a hand across his brow and placed a soft kiss on his forehead as she stood up to go.
“Get some sleep, Freud, I’m sure Joe will put you through your paces again tomorrow. He thinks you might be standing on your own by the end of the week.”
Once again, Sydney only nodded, and Parker’s gut wrenched in worry. He had been reluctant to open up about the explosion, and she could see it was beginning to wear on his tightly pulled thread of sanity. Parker glanced back at the taunt face before she turned out the lights and closed the door.
Chapter Three
Sydney’s House
He said not a word as he watched her set the breakfast tray in front of him. Oatmeal with banana, toast and orange juice; same spread, different day. She stared at him for a moment, then her brow furrowed in frustration as she read the consternation on his face.
“What?”
The soft chestnut eyes peered at her from under sultry eyelids, “Nothing.”
“Sydney....”
He sighed. It reminded him of when she was a very little girl. He could either offer an explanation, or be hounded. Sometimes the path of least resistance was the best. He acquiesced.
His voice was small, but resolute, “Coffee. I want coffee, Parker.”
Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as her arms folded across her chest, “We’ve been over this before, Sydney, and you know damned well the doctor said NFW to coffee.”
“NFW?”
Parker’s glare grew from annoyance to exasperation, “Figure it out, Freud. Even you should be able to understand that acronym.”
Sydney shrugged, unmoved, “I want coffee.”
Parker rolled her eyes, “Well too damned bad, you’re not getting any.”
The psychiatrist almost snarled in irritation, “That’s TBD to you.”
Parker couldn’t help it, she laughed. Sydney glared up at her, as he realized the mistake he had made, and that her laughter was at him. But a moment later, his lips dissolved into a smile. Parker sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran a hand through his hair, brushing back the strands that had fallen to his forehead.
“Confucious say: those who cannot form an acronym, may not use one.” They held the smile for a moment, then Parker’s face turned serious, “Come on, Syd, eat your oatmeal before it gets cold.”
He looked at her in distaste, “I want coffee.”
“Eat the oatmeal, Freud.”
The brown eyes held a hint of abject horror at the idea of eating the oatmeal.
Parker picked up the spoon and held it up for him, “Please, Syd, for me?”
He couldn’t resist the large grey eyes pleading silently with him now, anymore than he could when she was a child. Inhaling a deep breath, Sydney gently took the spoon from her and starting eating.
Parker stood, kissing his forehead, “Good-bye oatmeal trauma, hello SL-24.....”
Sydney looked at her sharply, “SL-24, why in the hell are you going down there?”
Parker frowned slightly, “Because Jarod traced the email that was sent to you to a terminal down there.”
She read slight alarm in the deep brown eyes, “But that’s impossible.....”
“And why is that?”
“Because it ......the level....it has been vacant for years.”
There was something in his tone that caused her stomach to flutter.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Sydney shrugged, “Nothing to tell. The level hasn’t been used in some twenty years or so; it’s probably full of old equipment and the like. I just don’t want you tripping over god knows what down there.....”
“Uh-huh. I’ll let you know what I find when I get home tonight.”
“Parker--”
“--What?”
“Nothing.”
Parker watched him turn his attention to the oatmeal, then she left the room. There was a nagging sensation. And she wasn’t imagining it; she had read fear on his face at the mention of SL-24. There was something he wasn’t telling her. She could feel it; she had felt it before.....
****************
SL-24
Parker cautiously stepped off the elevator on sub-level 24. It had taken several hours for her to find the key that unlocked the floor bypass on the elevator so that she could access the level. She aimed her flashlight on the wall in the corridor, looking for the master power switch. She found it fairly quickly, and pushed the lever up. The generator groaned into action, and the lights flickered. A moment later, SL-24 was illuminated.
She walked down the corridor. It was much as she anticipated, filled with dust and disuse. Rusted out, empty file cabinets lined the rooms, with broken chairs and abandoned desks littering the open areas. But not a single computer terminal anywhere. She turned the last corner and opened up the final door. The sight which greeted her made her breath catch in her throat.
A pretender cell, complete with a bed, sink, toilet, and desk, lay before her, charred from what could only have been a massive fire. The stench of charcoal filled her nostrils and burned the back of her throat. Even after twenty years it still lingered in the closed-up room. Slowly Parker walked forward, as if expecting an apparition to appear at any moment in front of her. She shivered involuntarily. How could there have been another one?
A noise from behind the air vent caused her to jump. She looked up and saw eyes staring back at her, and had to suppress the urge to scream.
Her voice shook slightly, “Damnit, Angelo, is that you?”
There was no answer.
Parker sighed, “Hey, troll-boy, are you in there?”
The scuffling she heard a moment later told her that Angelo saw fit to take off. She wondered what demons were rummaging through his tortured mind. Poor Angelo. He had never really had a chance. At least she and Jarod had somehow come through it all with their sanity more or less intact, but Angelo....he had suffered far worse.
Her cell phone rang, causing Parker to start.
She answered it with more pepper than usual, “What the hell do you want?”
Broots voice shook slightly on the other end, “I’m sorry, Miss Parker....it’s just that Mr. Raines is looking for you, and well....I don’t know where you are. I just thought that maybe you might want to know he’s looking for you. You know, in case you’re....I don’t know, somewhere you shouldn’t be....”
“Oh for god’s sake, you moron....now that you’ve called me, anyone monitoring phones in the Centre probably knows where I am.”
“That’s right, Miss Parker,” the voice behind her rasped, “And I’d like to know what you’re doing down here.”
Parker tried to cover the fact that her heart had leapt into her throat. She closed her cell phone, replacing it in a pocket, and turned to face Raines.
“What am I doing down here? What did you do down here....”
“I asked you a question, Miss Parker.”
“So did I.”
“How did you get a key?”
“I found it.”
“Give it to me.”
Parker glared at him for a moment, and he held her eyes. The only sound in the room was the oxygen Raines drew from his tank. Reluctantly, Parker handed over the key.
“Who’s room was this?”
“I would have thought, Miss Parker, that after all these years, you would know better than to breach off-limit areas.”
“I want answers, Raines. What went on down here?”
Raines turned to the Sweeper standing next to him, “Ray, see that Miss Parker finds her way back upstairs.”
“Yes, sir.”
The large man grabbed Parker’s arm only to have it yanked away.
“I don’t need help, you idiot. I know the way back upstairs....”
Ray followed Parker out into the corridor, leaving Raines alone in the room. He glanced around at the charred remains, and a small but sick smile lined his thin lips.
“Be careful what you wish for, Miss Parker....”
****************
Broots’ Area
Broots was typing furiously at his keyboard, frowning. Parker sat near him, chain smoking. He coughed loudly, but she didn’t take the hint.
“There must be something there, Scooby....”
“So far, there isn’t a single mention of another--”
“What?”
“Well now, hang on here, we just might have something.”
“What? What did you find?”
“It looks like an old record that was deleted and overwritten.”
“Can you reconstruct it?”
“I don’t know, Miss Parker.”
“This is important, Broots, it might be a clue to who attacked Sydney...maybe more.”
“I’ll do my best, but this is going to take awhile.”
Parker glanced at her watch, “I need to get home anyway, I’m late. Call me on my cell.”
Before Broots could comment, Parker was gone in a swirl of smoke.
********************
Sydney’s House
Sydney watched Parker pace up and back across the length of the bedroom. He hadn’t seen her in quite such a state in many months.
“Parker, calm down.”
“Calm down? Didn’t you hear what I told you? There was another pretender, Sydney. One we knew nothing about.”
“You don’t know that.”
“The hell I don’t.”
“You saw a room that had been badly burnt in a fire, nothing more.”
“Nothing more? I know a pretender cell when I see it, Sydney, charbroiled or not. Besides, Broots may have found something in the old records.” Parker looked into his eyes, which met hers with a steady gaze, “You don’t seem very enthusiastic, Freud. Aren’t you even curious?”
“Flights of fancy...ghosts, nothing more.” Parker stopped pacing and glared at him, his eyes softened, “Parker.....I don’t want you getting mixed up with Raines. The man is dangerous. You know that. Let it go.”
“Let it go? Have you lost your mind?”
Sydney closed his eyes in pain, and reached for his head. After a moment, Parker moved to him, stroking his hair.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t push you so hard....I know you’re still weak.”
His voice was slightly strained, “It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Parker gently squeezed his neck muscles, “Relax.”
After a few moments, his eyelids became heavy, and Parker gently guided him to lie down on his stomach. She rubbed his back until she knew he was sound asleep, then covered him with a blanket and quietly stole from the room. She walked downstairs, picked up her gun and jacket. Sam prepared to follow, but she waved him off.
“You’re staying. I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on Sydney.”
“But--”
“--No ‘buts’ Sam. You’re staying, I’m going. I’ll be fine.”
“But--”
“--Enough. I’m just going to go check out something at the Centre.”
“Miss Parker....”
Parker turned to Sam, a slight smile on her lips, “Sam, I appreciate the concern, but there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll have Broots with me.”
With that she turned and walked out the door. A moment later, Sam realized what she had said.
“Oh man.....she’s in trouble...”
***************
The Centre
Parker stalked into Broots’ office, and instead of seeing flying fingers on a keyboard, she was met with a solemn stare. His face gave her sufficient pause, and she came to a halt a few feet away.
“I was just about to call you, Miss Parker.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Scooby....”
“I wish it had been that simple......”
Parker’s stomach dropped into the soles of her shoes.
Chapter Four
Broots’ Area
“You were right, there was a pretender we knew nothing about.”
Parker shook her head in disgust, “Does the deception in this place never end?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t reconstruct the entire file, just some pieces.”
“Well what are you waiting for? Spill it, Scooby.”
Broots looked at Parker with a well worn look, “I’m getting there. The pretender was created in 1978--”
“--created?”
Broots shrugged, “Yeah, that’s what it says, ‘created’...I suppose that could be the year of birth, or the year the child was brought here. The aptitude of this pretender was pretty close to Jarod’s with an IQ near 180.”
“Male or female, Broots?”
“Don’t know. I don’t have a name either, those lines in this file were corrupt. It was referred to as Project Gabriel though.”
“Could that have been the name of the pretender?”
“Sure it could have. No way to know.”
“Whose signature appears as head of the project?”
“Raines.”
Parker shook her head, “Figures. I guess the ghoul didn’t get enough jollies with the pretenders he already had. What else do you have?”
“They were performing some.....strenuous experiments on the pretender, and a fire accidentally broke out on SL-24 in 1983. The pretender was killed, and Raines almost died from smoke inhalation.”
“Too bad it wasn’t the other way around.”
“Well, it says here that Raines’ lungs were irreparably damaged. I guess that’s the reason he’s on the O2.”
Parker pursed her lips, “Is there any mention of Sydney?”
“Sydney? No.....I can’t believe that Syd would have gone along with another pretender project.”
Parker began pacing, “I don’t know, Broots. He seemed off-balance when I mentioned SL-24. I find it hard to believe that Dr. Doolittle would have been kept completely in the dark about a pretender project.” Parker felt her stomach turn, “He’s kept things from us before.”
Broots stood and moved toward her, “Syd wouldn’t have been involved with experiments of this nature, Miss Parker. I know he wouldn’t.”
Parker stopped pacing and fixed her steady gaze on the technician, “I hope you’re right, Broots. I really hope you’re right. Come on.....”
“Wh-where are we going?”
“Exactly where you think.”
“N-no, Miss Parker, I don’t think we should--”
Parker grabbed his shirt and pulled him out the door.
*************
Centre Elevator Car
Parker placed the key in the elevator floor lock.
“I thought you had to give that to Raines.”
Parker smiled, “The freak never stopped to think that I might give him a different key.”
“Great.”
The elevator pushed into motion and Parker looked at Broots.
“Don’t be so enthusiastic, Broots....”
“Well damn, Miss Parker. You’re dragging me into who knows what.....”
Parker rolled her eyes as the elevator came to a halt. The doors opened, allowing Broots and Parker to step into the dark corridors of SL-24. Parker illuminated her flashlight and went to the generator switch. A moment later, the lights hummed into action. Parker led Broots quickly to the cell at the end of the hallway.
“See what you can dig up in here, Scooby.”
“Hey...where are you going?”
“Relax Broots, I’m just going to look around some more and see if there’s anything else I missed. Jarod was sure that the email came from a terminal down here, so there’s got to be functioning equipment somewhere.....”
Parker left the room, and Broots set to work, collecting samples of the wreckage. He took scrapings from several artifacts, placing them into plastic bags, and labeling them carefully. The hand he felt on his shoulder made him scream.
“Ahhh! Damnit Miss Parker, do you have to--”
Broots turned and found himself face to face with Angelo. He screamed again.
“Ahhhh! Damnit, Angelo!”
Angelo stared at Broots, then began babbling, “Not one but two......”
“Two? Two what, Angelo?”
“Two! Two! Exact....two!”
Angelo was agitated and confused, walking in circles, and pulling at his own hair. Broots tried to calm him.
“Angelo, take it easy......come on now....”
“No! No! Fire, hot! Two!”
Angelo ran from the room, and Broots took off in pursuit, almost mowing down Parker on his way out of the room. He screamed yet again.
“Why do you keep doing that? I heard you from the other side of this level.”
“Didn’t you see him?”
“See who?”
“Angelo.”
“Egg brains is down here?”
“Yeah, and more scrambled than usual.”
“What happened?”
“He kept talking about two not one.”
“Two not one of what?”
“I don’t know. He seemed confused.”
“And that’s different from every other day, how?”
The squeaky rolling of wheels on a shiny floor, stopped their conversation.
“Great, we’re about to have company.”
“Miss Parker...what the hell are we gonna do?”
Parker looked up at the air vent, “What Angelo always does. Come on....”
The cover of the vent was barely in place when Raines entered the room, followed by his entourage of henchman. His wheezing voice filled the chamber.
“I know they’re here. Find them.”
The men took off in several different directions, leaving a huffing Raines in the middle of the room.
Broots leaned into Parker’s ear, whispering, “What do we do now?” Parker looked down the ventilation corridor, and Broots swallowed hard, “No, no. I’m not crawling through miles of air vents.”
“Fine, you stay here and deal with Raines then....”
Parker began crawling, Broots begrudgingly on her heels.
****************
Centre Air Vent
They had been creeping on their hands and knees for the better part of an hour, heading upward through the air shafts, when they heard the steady thumping. Parker stopped and silenced Broots with a finger to her lips. She peered around the corner and saw Angelo, hands pulling at his hair, head thudding rhythmically against the vent. They carefully approached him.
“Angelo? Angelo...what’s the matter?”
Angelo’s eyes snapped open, a haunted look in them, “No! Please......go away. Two! Two!”
“Take it easy, Angelo. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Parker gently reached out to touch him, and faster than they could follow, Angelo scooted away. Broots looked down where the confused man had been sitting, and his eyes grew wide.
“Broots?”
“Miss Parker, look...”
Broots picked up a scarred DSA, holding it into Parker’s flashlight beam.
“It looks damaged. Will you be able to download the images?”
“Won’t know until we get back to my computer.”
“Then let’s get moving....”
***************
Broots’ Area
Broots was at his computer, his brow furrowed in deep concentration when Parker entered, slamming the door. The tech jumped.
“Do you have to do that, Miss Parker?”
“That oxygen snarfing ghoul.......he actually had the nerve to accuse me of lying about going back down to SL-24. I cannot believe the gall of that man. It took a half an hour just to get him out of my office...over stuffed bag of wheezy wind.”
“Uh Miss Parker?”
“What?”
“You were lying.”
“That’s beside the point, you moron.”
“Oh.”
“Have you had any luck with the DSA?”
“Not yet, Miss Parker. This could take a few days.”
“Days?”
“Hey....this thing is partially charred, not to mention really old. I’m doing the best I can.”
Parker backed down slightly, “I know. I’m sorry.” She plopped wearily in a chair, “Did you get the scrapings to the lab?”
“Yeah, my friend Jake’s got the stuff.”
“Jake?”
“Yeah, you know, the guy with the hair that comes out in clumps because he--”
“--No, no, please don’t tell me. I don’t want to hear about any more members of your freak parade.”
“Jeez, Miss Parker....”
“Can it, Scooby.”
Broots watched Parker for a few minutes as she stared at her hands. His voice was soft and tentative when he finally spoke.
“Have you considered asking Sydney about all this? He might at least have heard of Project Gabriel....”
Parker took in a long sigh of air, “He’s been having some pretty bad nightmares, Broots, I don’t want to add to his stress level.....”
“You’re really worried about him.”
It was a simple statement of fact, even Parker couldn’t deny it.
“Yes.”
Broots nodded, studying her, “You think he might be involved in this.”
It was another statement, but this time Parker rallied.
Parker looked at him sharply, “Of course not.” Her voice softened, doubt entering her mind, “I don’t know.”
Broots turned back to the computer, and Parker stared at her hands, thinking. It seemed highly unlikely that Raines would have been the only one to know about the mysterious pretender of SL-24. But who was he and what experiments did they need to do on him as opposed to the other pretenders? Whatever had transpired, reeked of a sinister air, and it was somehow tied into the person who attacked Sydney. The biggest problem at the moment, however, was keeping Raines at bay, and Parker knew it.
**************
Raines’ Office
“They were down there, I know it, and I’m not interested in hearing your excuses. I want results. Do you understand?”
Ray shuffled from one foot to another, “Yes sir.”
“Get out.”
In his rush to exit the office, Ray bumped into Mr. Parker, who glared at him.
“Excuse me, sir....”
Parker glared first at the sweeper, then at Raines, “Sloppy work, Raines.”
Raines turned to him in anger, “We wouldn’t be in this mess if you had done what I told you twenty years ago.”
“That was out of the question then, Raines, and it’s out of the question now.”
“You’re too emotionally attached, Mr. Parker. It’s only a matter of time before she starts to assemble the pieces--”
“--Don’t you think I know that? She mustn’t learn the truth, Raines.”
“On that issue, we agree. At any cost.”
Parker looked at Raines sharply, “What does that mean?”
“You know exactly what it means, Mr. Parker.”
Parker stepped closer to Raines, “If you harm her, Raines, so help me--”
“--You’re running out of options.”
“I’ll take care of it....but in my own way.”
“Then do so.”
Parker exited the room and let out a long breath of air. Sydney’s silence would have to be assured. And he would have to handle it personally......
Chapter Five
Sydney's House
Sam leaned against the door frame, sipping coffee from a mug. He had checked on Sydney a few hours prior, and the psychiatrist had been sound asleep. He was becoming worried about Miss Parker. She had been gone for an overly long time, and Sam could only suppress the ugly thoughts trying to penetrate his mind. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught his attention, and he emitted a sigh of relief. Following the slam of the car door, he heard footsteps coming up the walk, and after a minute or so, Sam recognized the gait.
He opened the front door and started to speak, but the words never made it out of his mouth. A tire iron appeared from nowhere, striking Sam hard on the head. He crumbled to the ground, the look of abject shock still covering his face.
Without hesitation, the assailant took the inside stairs two at a time, heading for the closed door at the end of the hall. Sydney was lying on his side, unaware of the danger as his predator crept closer. Indecision momentarily crossed the attacker's features; perhaps it would be advantageous to not silence Sydney permanently. He could still be useful.
Smiling, the predator formulated a plan.....
****************
Parker's Car
Broots clutched Parker's sleeve as the car sped toward Sydney's house.
"Let's try and get there in one piece, Miss Parker...please..."
Parker sneered, "None of the sweepers is answering his phone you moron... Sydney could be in trouble."
Broots swallowed hard, "What if we're too late...what if the guy who's been after Sydney has--"
"--Shut up, Broots... could you just...shut up?"
Parker fought off the sting of tears, and the car fell silent. As they pulled into Sydney's driveway, her stomach slammed into her throat. She could see a body lying on the front porch, a light filtering onto it from the front door which was ajar. Parker ran from the car, Broots scrambling after her. Realizing it was Sam, she knelt next to the body, and felt for a pulse.
"He's alive...help me with him, Broots."
Together they lifted the sweeper and carried him into the house, gently placing him on the couch. Parker pulled the scarf from her neck and held it tightly to Sam's bleeding forehead. She grabbed Broots' hand, and placed it over the scarf.
"Hold tightly down on this."
Parker turned and ran up the stairs, drawing her gun as she hit the landing. She moved quickly and quietly down the hallway and carefully opened the door to the guest room. Her heart pounded against her chest, fear gripping her. Slowly she opened the door and walked in, leading with her firearm. But the room was empty. There was no sign of Sydney or anyone else.
"Damn......"
Parker made quick work of searching the entire house, discovering three dead sweepers on the back porch. Putting her gun back into its holster, Parker walked into the living room, where Broots was holding an ice pack to Sam's head.
"How's he doing?"
"Still unconscious, Miss Parker... "
Parker checked Sam's eyes and his pulse, then she turned back to Broots.
"I think he'll be okay."
"And I think we should call an ambulance."
"And that will bring the police, you moron, and then we'll have to explain the three dead bodies out back."
"D-d-dead bodies?"
"The rest of the sweeper team."
"Geez.......wh-where's Sydney?"
Parker looked away, sighing, "Not here. Beyond that, I haven't a clue."
"Does that mean--"
"--Yes. Syd's in deep trouble, and there isn't a clue as to who has him or where he was taken."
*********
Sydney's House
Parker sat on the edge of the guest bed, applying the last piece of tape to the bandage on Sam's wound when the doorbell rang. She ran downstairs quickly, shushing Broots with a raised hand as she approached the door. Her other hand gripped the handle of her gun tightly as she leaned toward the door.
"Yes, who's there?"
The deep voice on the front porch replied, "Angel? Is that you?"
Parker looked toward Broots and waved him up the stairs, indicating that he should be silent.
"Yes Daddy...."
As soon as Broots was out of sight, Parker opened the door. Mr. Parker moved to kiss her and awkwardly she accepted it. She closed the door behind him and invited him into the living room to sit down.
"This is certainly a surprise...."
"I just wanted to drop in and see how Sydney was doing, that's all."
She studied her father; he hadn't expected to find her there, of that she was certain.
Parker eyed her father suspiciously, "That's nice, Daddy."
"I need to speak with him."
"Daddy, he needs a lot of rest...he's asleep."
Mr. Parker squirmed slightly, "It's urgent that I speak with him right away."
"What in the world is so urgent that it can't wait until tomorrow?"
Parker's eyes narrowed as he looked at his daughter, "That's between me and Sydney. Now, where is he?"
Her voice was cold and flat, "I told you, he's asleep."
"And I told you this can't wait."
Mr. Parker stood and headed toward the staircase when the sound of ceramic hitting the floor caught their attention. Parker glared at his daughter.
"I'd say he's awake now, wouldn't you?"
Miss Parker ran to keep up with her father as he took the stairs quickly. She grabbed his sleeve before he could open the closed door at the end of the hall.
"Daddy, wait...." He stared at her until she looked away, then finally, she continued, "Sydney's not in there."
"What do you mean? You lied to me?"
"Sam's in there, unconscious."
"What the hell happened? There was a four-man team stationed here."
"And three of them are lying dead on the back porch, and Sam hasn't regained consciousness yet."
"Why haven't you transferred him to the Centre's medical unit?"
"It just happened, there hasn't been time yet."
"And Sydney?"
"He was gone."
"With no trace?"
Parker shook her head, "I'm afraid not."
"Damn...."
"What did you want to talk to him about?"
Mr. Parker's eyes blazed at her, "I told you, that's between me and Sydney."
She looked away, and he felt slight regret that his tone had been so harsh. He brushed her face with the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry, Angel. It's been a long day, that's all." She nodded and he continued, "Come on, let's get your sweeper out of here and awake so that we can get some kind of lead on Sydney."
Parker simply nodded. She wondered what was so urgent that Mr. Parker had driven out to Sydney's house to speak with him - especially at a time when he thought Sydney would be alone save for the sweepers. If she hadn't seen the look of irritation in his eyes, she might have suspected that he had something to do with Sydney's disappearance.
She took a deep breath and walked into the guest room, glaring at Broots, who was cleaning up the broken pottery chards.
"Nice going, Scooby..."
*********
Centre Medical Unit
Parker watched the steady rise and fall of Sam's chest. She had been sitting at his bedside most of the night, and he had remained unconscious. Her stomach was nauseous from worry: whoever had Sydney had made no move to contact them, and they would continue to be without a clue until Sam awakened.
Parker yawned. It was late, and she couldn't remember the last time she had slept. She glanced at her watch: 5:36 am. The moan from the bed pulled her out of her sleepy state. She placed a gentle hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Take it easy, Sam, you're okay."
His eyes slowly opened and he tried to focus. As soon as he realized who was standing over him, he recoiled. Parker frowned.
"Hey, relax, Sam. It's just me, everything's okay...."
"But you...you-please, Miss Parker-"
"-What the hell is the matter with you? You're acting like I'm going to hurt you or something."
The fear in his eyes made Parker's throat tighten. She sat down slowly, putting a little distance between them, trying to set him at ease.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It was you...."
"What was me?"
"You were the one who hit me."
************
Basement
Sydney shivered from the cold, as he slowly began to arouse from a drug-induced sleep. He felt stiff from lying on such a hard surface. He tried to piece together what had happened, but he couldn’t. The last thing he remembered was Parker bending over him with a syringe. How he ended up here – wherever that was – he did not know. His breath caught in his throat as a thought occurred to him: where was Parker? Was she all right? Maybe she was nearby…
His voice was barely a whisper, “Parker?”
Sydney’s call was met with only silence. He let out a long sigh of air. He knew he couldn’t just lie there, but he felt worn out, and his back ached more than it had in months. Slowly he sat up, and the sudden dizziness made him nauseous. He closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. After a few moments he opened his eyes and stood up. But it was the wrong thing to do. Sydney passed out, collapsing on the floor.
*************
Centre Medical Unit
“I told you Miss Parker, she looked exactly like you. I thought she was you.”
Parker paced the length of the room, “That isn’t possible, Sam. We know my twin’s a man, and I sure as hell didn’t hit you with a tire iron.”
“I know.....”
“It wasn’t me, Sam - it was someone who looked like me. And whoever she is, she’s got Sydney.”
“Well, there was one thing...”
“What?”
“She looked, I don’t know, younger somehow--”
“--Younger? As if I’m old...”
“That’s not what I meant, Miss Parker. But now that I think about it, she looked younger, a lot younger.”
Broots entered the room at a run, almost knocking Parker over.
“Where’s the fire, moron? Your pants?”
Broots glared at her, “You told me you wanted to know the minute I managed a visual on the DSA we found.”
Parker grabbed Broots by the shirt and pulled him toward the door, “Well why didn’t you say so? Maybe now we’ll get some answers....”
**************
Broots’ Area
The computer tech typed in a few commands and a box appeared on his screen.
“The visual’s a little screwed up on account of the fire damage, but the audio is clear.”
“Just play it, Broots.”
Broots typed in a final command and an image popped up on the screen.....
SL-24
Mr. Parker paced the small room, anger propelling him. In the background, a child is crying, but Parker and Raines seem oblivious to it.
“How in the hell could you have done this? I thought we agreed--”
Raines ran a hand through his hair, “--No, Parker, we did not agree. I went ahead with what I knew would be an important--”
“--You went ahead with a project that should never have left the test tube. It was immoral, unthinkable, and damnit, I told you not to do it--”
“--You don’t tell me what to do anymore, Parker. Not anymore.”
Parker stopped pacing, and stood nose to nose with Raines, “You had no right to do this.”
Raines smiled, “I have as much right to the genetic material as you - more really.”
Sydney burst into the room, anger filling his features.
“What the hell are you two doing? You’re upsetting the child....”
Sydney moved toward the girl.....
The quality of the DSA distorted and the face of the child was unreadable. Parker slapped Broots on the shoulder.
“Do something!”
“I can’t, but we will still be able to hear the audio.”
Parker watched as the young Sydney comforted the small child in a distorted picture. The child’s face was obscured by the damage on the DSA, but the audio was very clear.
“Shhh, it’s all right lamb, it’s okay.”
Miss Parker’s voice caught in her throat, her eyes filling with tears. Broots placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Miss Parker, what is it?”
“Lamb....Syd used to call me that when I was little.”
“Are you saying that the child on this DSA is you?”
“No...I....I don’t remember any of this. It can’t be me.”
They continued to listen, looking for clues....
The child’s voice was filled with fear, “Sydney....oh please Sydney, don’t leave me here.”
Parker leaned over to take the girl from Sydney’s arms, but the child grabbed the doctor around the neck, burying her face into the soft flesh of his throat, crying.
“Mr. Parker, please.....she’s very frightened.”
“How long have you known about this, Sydney?”
Sydney’s voice was laced with guilt, “About six months.”
“You should have come to me.”
The psychiatrist looked at Raines, “I wasn’t given a choice, and I was afraid for the child.”
Raines piped up, “Stop referring to it as a child. It’s a clone. A successful genetic recreation of the original.”
“You had no right, Raines--”
“--I have as much right as you, Parker...I think more in this case.”
Parker looked away. The child continued to cry into Sydney, who was gently rubbing her back trying to calm her.
“Let me get her to sleep, and we can continue this conversation upstairs.”
Raines left quickly and Parker approached Sydney.
“She looks so much like my angel at this age.”
“Exactly, yes.”
Parker looked at the floor and cleared his throat, “Take care of her, Sydney.”
“Yes sir.”
Parker left the room, and Sydney pulled the child from his neck and carefully placed her on the bed, tucking her in.
“You should go to sleep now, lamb.”
Sydney started up, but the girl grabbed his hand, “Please Sydney...stay until I fall asleep. Please....”
Sydney placed the tiny hand inside his own large one, “Okay. But only until you fall asleep.”
The DSA ended and only silence filled the room. Broots looked at Parker, whose face was covered with tears. He reached for some kleenex and handed it to her.
“I’m sorry, Miss Parker.”
“And I thought he was only like that with me. I should have known it was all a lie.”
“Sydney cares about you, Miss Parker, you know that.”
Parker let out a hollow laugh, “Sydney cares about me? Sydney wouldn’t know an honest emotion if it bit his ancient ass.”
“That’s not true, Miss Parker. Sydney’s as much of a victim of the Centre as any of the rest of us.”
“Bullshit, Broots. How many more lies do you think we’ll uncover at this place? A hundred? A thousand? Today we find out I have a clone, what do you think we’ll find tomorrow?” The tech remained silent and Parker continued, “And each time, Sydney is right in the middle of it. The only question left to ask is why it still surprises me.”
Parker’s heels echoed down the hall as she pounded into the marble flooring. Broots had no answers for her questions. He doubted that anyone did. The only thing he knew was that Sydney was in trouble, and now it looked like Parker might turn her back on him. He was going to have to enlist the help of some unlikely allies....
Broots’ Area
The computer tech hit the send button on the email and hoped Jarod would find it quickly. Miss Parker had left in a huff, without saying where she was going, nor was she picking up her cell phone. Broots knew they shouldn’t wait if they were going to track Sydney. He knew from searching for Jarod that the more time they allowed to pass, the harder it was to pick up a trail. And Sydney had been missing for almost twelve hours; the path was getting colder by the minute.
Still, there was another option. It wasn’t one that Broots felt very comfortable with, but nonetheless, it was one he was going to have to consider. Somewhere in Angelo’s head was the answer to this puzzle, if only Broots could coax it out of him. Answers about Parker’s clone and SL-24, might lead them to Sydney. Broots checked his inbox, but it was empty. He couldn’t stand sitting and waiting. He needed to do something.
Broots stood up and headed for the bowels of the Centre. Angelo might be able to shed some light on the situation, and then again it could be a colossal waste of time. In either case, at least he would be doing something, and that was a lot better than waiting.
*********
Mr. Parker’s House
Miss Parker paced the length of the living room, and Mr. Parker sat calmly on the sofa. He had seen it before. It was her nature, exploding. He knew he had to just sit quietly and wait.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me there was another me. What were you thinking? You, Raines, and Sydney…you’re all a bunch of sick bastards, aren’t you?”
Parker stood up, “Hey, Angel…..come on….calm down.”
She glared at him, “Bite me.”
**********
Sydney’s Lab
Cautiously Broots entered the darkened laboratory. It was always eerie after hours with only the night lights casting a blue glow across everything. He walked further into the room, and then stopped in the middle. His voice was a mere whisper.
“Angelo? Are you around?”
There was no answer. Broots swallowed hard and tried it again.
“Angelo? Are you there?”
Still nothing.
“Damn….”
Broots turned for the exit and almost bumped into Angelo, who stood before him with a lopsided grin on his face. Broots screamed.
“Angelo! What are you doing? Did you have to sneak up on me like that?”
The red-haired empath shrank away from the tech, and Broots knew he had to be softer, less threatening.
“I’m sorry, Angelo. It’s just that you startled me, that’s all.”
“You look for questions.”
“Actually Angelo, I was looking for answers to my questions.”
“Yes, questions.”
“Tell me abou two not one.”
The empath frowned at him. Broots tried again.
“Two not one, Angelo. Two Miss Parkers, that’s what you meant, isn’t it?”
“Two lambs.”
“Lambs?” Then it hit him, the nickname Sydney had used in the DSA, “Yes, Angelo, that’s right, two lambs. What happened to the second one? Can you tell me?”
Angelo’s face crinkled up in pain, “Fire, bad. Fire! Dead but not dead.”
“Dead but alive....what does that mean?” Broots stared at Angelo, who was not forthcoming. “Angelo...what do you mean?”
“Not dead.”
Broots realized he would get nothing more from the empath. He exhaled a slow breath of air.
“Okay, the clone was presumed killed in the fire on SL-24, but she isn’t dead. But what else? I wish you could tell me more, Angelo.”
The empath stared at him, brows furrowed. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
“Pictures.”
Broots looked up, his eyes filling with hope, “What pictures, Angelo?”
The blue eyes sparkled as Angelo reached into a back pocket, pulling out a DSA. He handed the disk to Broots.
“Pictures.”
“Wow. Thanks Ang--”
But the empath was already gone. Broots shrugged and made a quick exit, heading back to his area. Maybe the DSA would supply him with some answers....
*********
Basement
“Wake up. Come on old man, wake up.”
Sydney could hear the voice, but it sounded so far away. And so familiar.
“I said wake up.”
A pointed shoe jabbed at his ribs, Sydney cried out in pain.
“Get up.”
The doctor tried to move, but his whole body ached. He groaned.
“Parker?”
She smiled, “Yes, I suppose I am.”
Sydney’s foggy brain was confused, “Parker...what are you doing? Help me.....”
“I don’t think so.”
She kicked him again, and Sydney felt a rib crack. He screamed in pain. She wondered what he’d do if the other Miss Parker was there and he had to choose between them. The clone’s smile faded slightly, as a memory from her childhood flooded her mind......
The young girl tried to keep the tears at bay, but she couldn’t.
Raines screamed at her again, “I said choose.”
The tears ran faster down her cheeks, “But....but I can’t.”
Raines leaned into her face, “I said, choose.”
The little girl looked toward the sim screen. One picture was a city full of people, enjoying their day, and another picture was a litter of tiny kittens. The girl shattered into sobs.
“I told you to make a choice. One lives, one dies. You are the person who decides. You have to be able to make difficult choices. Which will it be? Press a button.”
She buried her face into her hands.
“Fine then, they will both be extinguished.”
Raines hit two buttons on the sim panel, and both screens exploded. The little girl screamed in terror. Raines was disgusted.
“It was just a simulation, you stupid girl. You simply don’t have what it takes to be a pretender.....”
Raines exited the room, slamming the door, a moment later, the door quietly opened, and she heard soft footsteps coming toward her. She cowered away.
“It’s okay, lamb. It’s just me.”
She looked up into the kind face, and reached out for him. Sydney pulled her into his arms, and held her close.
“Shhhh, darling, it’s all right.”
The clone sobbed into his chest, and Sydney rubbed the back of her head. After awhile, she fell asleep in his arms....
Her eyes filled with silent tears, suddenly unsure of her own mind. She looked down at the man contracted in pain, and found it difficult to separate him from the man who was her only comfort as a child. But then she remembered: of all of them, he was the worst; for he was the one with a conscience, the one who should have known better. Hate filled her heart, and she held onto it as though it were her very life.
Sydney looked up at her, the pain flooding his eyes, “Why, Parker? Why?”
“Because I hate you.”
The hurt clouding the swirls of chestnut filled her with a mix of satisfaction and guilt. But the former was predominant. She knelt down next to him, and tenderly stroked his forehead.
“I’ve hated you for so long, it’s like breathing to me.”
The soft hand soothing him, turned ugly as it curled into a fist, slamming into his jaw. Sydney lost consciousness, as the clone stood.
“You’ll pay, Sydney, but not before you kill Miss Parker for me.”
The sound of her laughter rippled through the basement.
***********
Broots’ Area
Broots almost jumped out of his chair when the hand touched his shoulder. He let out a short scream, and turned.
“Jarod! What the hell are you--”
“--Shhh....Mr. Broots, keep your voice down, or everyone at the Centre will know I’m here.”
“S-sorry, Jarod, it’s just that you startled me.”
“I got your email. Have you heard from her?”
“No, not a word. And she’s not picking up her cell phone....I’m really getting worried.”
Jarod pursed his lips, thinking.
“What about Sydney? Any word?”
“Not a peep, but I did get this DSA in the meantime.”
“What’s on it?”
“Don’t know yet, I was just about to watch it. Angelo gave it to me.”
“Well, if there’s anyone who knows the secrets of the Centre, it’s him.”
The computer tech slipped the DSA into the player and together, Broots and Jarod watched as a scene unfolded before them....
The pretender cell on SL-24 was burnt almost beyond recognition. A sweeper team was going over the area picking up anything that looked like it might be evidence, stuffing it into plastic bags. Parker entered the room, a sullen look on his face.
“Where is the body?”
A sweeper responded, “Look at this place, sir, it’s burnt to a crisp. If we’re lucky, we might find dental traces, but I doubt it....”
Sydney rushed into the room, his face filled with horror.
“Oh my God.....” His eyes filled with tears, and he moved toward Parker, “Where is she?”
Parker shook his head, “She didn’t make it out, Sydney.”
Sydney’s eyes fell to the ground, then a moment later he grabbed Parker hard by the lapel.
“Where is Raines? This is his doing. I told him not to conduct experiments down here, but he wouldn’t listen. Where is he?”
Parker took ahold of Sydney’s hands, pulling them off of him.
“Raines is barely alive. He’s been taken to the med lab, badly burnt. His lungs are damaged from all the smoke; the doctors think it might be permanent.”
Sydney’s eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and anger, “I wish I could say I felt something about Raines. But I don’t.... actually, I do. I’m glad. He deserves to suffer after what he’s done....”
Parker squeezed Sydney’s shoulders, “Take it easy, Sydney--”
Once again the Belgian’s dark eyes filled with barely contained anger, “--Take it easy? A little girl is dead, Parker. For all intents and purposes, your daughter--”
Sydney was cut off by Parker slamming him into a wall with tremendous force, “No, Sydney. She was not my daughter. She was an experiment of DNA. A clone. Nothing more.”
The doctor’s eyes show his disgust, “So she wasn’t a real person? She was a little girl. With feelings, hopes and dreams.” Sydney swallowed hard, then whispered, “Where is the body?”
“Look around you, Sydney, there’s nothing left.”
Sydney felt sick, “You know the worst part?” Parker shook his head, and Sydney continued, “We’re really the ones to blame, you and me.”
“How do you figure?”
“Raines may have done this, but we did nothing to stop him. We should have taken the child from him as soon as we discovered her existence.”
“You know Sydney, you sound as if you are becoming far too emotionally involved with the pretenders. You’re supposed to remain clinically detached. I might have to recommend that--”
“--No, no, Mr. Parker.” Sydney shoved his feelings down and looked Parker in the eye, “There is no need to recommend a replacement. I am quite capable of remaining detached.”
Parker smiled like a shark, “I knew you’d see it my way, Sydney. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is work to be done.”
Feeling his stomach churning at his own lack of spine, Sydney walked out of the cell, leaving Mr. Parker to watch over the sweeper team.....
“Well, isn’t this charming? Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum go to the movies....”
The snarl in the voice was immediately recognizable to both Broots and Jarod. They turned to find Miss Parker standing behind them, gun drawn; but she looked almost 15 years younger than the last time either man had seen her.
“Miss Parker,” Broots said, “you look.....different.”
Jarod’s voice was smooth, “Yes Miss Parker, you look a lot....younger than the last time we met.”
“I’ll take that DSA.”
Neither man moved to give it to her, so she cocked the gun.
“Now.”
“Give her the DSA, Mr. Broots.”
Broots pulled the DSA from the player and handed it to Parker.
“Very good. Now get into the closet.” Broots hesitated, and Parker put the gun in his face, “That means put one foot in front of the other gnat brain, and move.”
Broots looked to Jarod, who smiled with a confidence he did not feel, “It’s probably safer in there, Broots. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly, Broots got up and got into the closet. The young Miss Parker locked him inside. Jarod and the clone stared at each other.
“What now?”
“You’re coming with me.”
“What makes you think I’ll do that?”
“I know you might be willing to give up your own life as opposed to being captured, but do you feel as bold with Sydney’s life?”
“What have you done with him?”
“Nothing. Yet.”
“What do you want from me?”
“All in good time, Jarod. For now, just consider it in the best interest of Sydney’s health that you follow my instructions.”
“I don’t see that I really have a choice.”
“No, you don’t.”
Jarod and the clone quietly slipped out of the Centre, unnoticed.
***********
Basement
The clone pushed Jarod down the stairs of the basement and slammed the door shut. It took a moment for Jarod’s eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room, but then he spotted the figure on the cot in the center of the room. He could barely believe how frail Sydney looked. Jarod went to his mentor and gently touched his arm.
“Sydney? Can you hear me?”
The doctor moaned, and Jarod reached for the glass of water on the table by the cot. He carefully lifted Sydney’s head, and touched his lips to the glass. Sydney drank some of the water, and as Jarod lay his head back on the pillow, Sydney’s eyes opened. But he didn’t look completely lucid.
“Jarod......”
“Yes, Sydney, it’s me.”
Sydney’s words were slurred, “What are you doing.... here?”
“Miss Parker brought me here; or rather her younger and more evil twin....”
Sydney was foggy, “Parker...?”
“No, Sydney, not Parker. The clone. The clone you thought died on SL-24 a long time ago.”
The doctor wasn’t following, and Jarod realized he must be drugged. He lifted an eyelid to get a better look at Sydney’s pupils, and they were completely dilated; Jarod knew it wasn’t just from the dim lighting. He exhaled heavily. Sydney took Jarod’s hand in his own.
“I’m sorry, Jarod.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
Jarod took both sides of Sydney’s face into his hands, trying to make him understand, “Sydney, you have to listen to me--”
“--You were just a little boy--”
“--Sydney, not now. This is very important. Miss Parker--”
“--No. Now.....” His voice grew softer, “Now....”
Sydney passed out. Jarod ran a soft hand across Sydney’s brow, a look of worry covering his features.
“Oh Sydney...”
***********
The Centre
Miss Parker had stormed out of her father’s house, anger driving her right back to the place it all started: the Centre. She stalked down the hallway toward Broots’ area. The stupid moron was probably playing computer games. Parker was so heated, she didn’t care what excuse Broots would offer; she was going to lambaste him. She walked into his cubicle only to find it empty.
“That damned moron.....”
She puttered around his computer desk for a minute or two, looking for anything that might tell her where he had disappeared to, but there was nothing of interest there. She exhaled in annoyance, and then she heard it: a slight, muffled pounding. Frowning, Parker walked toward where she thought the noise was emanating. She followed it to the one closet in the room, and then it all made sense. A small but twisted smile tugged at the corners of her lips, which was immediately replaced by a more appropriate scowl.
“Damnit Broots. Are you in there, you moron?”
For a moment there was no answer, then came a weak rap on the door.
“You idiot.”
Parker turned the knob of the closet door, opened it, and stared at Broots, who looked positively horrified.
“What are you doing in there?”
“She made me.”
“Who?”
“Miss Parker....I mean, the other Miss Parker....I mean...oh hell, the clone.”
Parker stared at him, “She was here?”
“Yes.” A slightly sheepish look passed over his face, “So was Jarod.”
“Jarod was here, and you didn’t call me?”
“I tried to call you, you weren’t picking up your phone.”
“That’s beside the point, moron; you let them leave.”
Parker slammed the door, once again locking him inside. There was a pitiful knocking from the closet, and for a moment, Miss Parker just stood there, staring at the door, actually contemplating not letting him out. Then with a giant breath of air, she yanked the door open.
“You are the biggest pinhead I’ve ever known, do you know that? Leave a bonehead in charge, and this is what comes.....”
“Hey. That is so unfair.” Parker glared at him, and he swallowed hard, but then he continued anyway, “You can’t just talk to me like that, Miss Parker. I have feelings too, you know....”
Parker rolled her eyes, “I don’t give a damn about your feelings right now, Broots. You let Jarod and the clone walk out of here. If that isn’t the biggest chump moment of the past five years, I don’t know what is....”
“Look, think what you want, but she’s got Sydney, and now she has Jarod, and the DSA--”
She grabbed his shirt, “--DSA? What DSA?”
“The one of SL-24 right after the fire. Both Sydney and Mr. Parker thought the clone was dead.”
“And you let her take it.... Broots, if I had a dime for every time you screwed up, I’d be a billionaire.”
“She had a gun. It’s not like I had a choice.”
“So you just...got in the closet? Nice move, Scooby.” She looked at Broots’ dejected face and decided to change the subject, “I don’t suppose you have any idea where they went?” He shook his head, so she continued, “Have you heard from them?”
“No.”
“Great. So we’re right back where we started.”
“Sorta...”
“What do you mean sorta?”
“Well, she seemed to have a purpose, Miss Parker. I don’t think she went to all this trouble without having some kind of goal in mind--”
“--Well, duh, birdbrain. She is made from the same DNA that created me.”
“Yeah, no kidding....”
“What does that mean?”
Broots looked away, then continued, “I think she’ll contact you.”
“Why in the hell would she do that?”
“Think about it, Miss Parker; she has two of the people who mean the most to you--”
“--Bullshit. Jarod and Sydney don’t mean anything to me; Jarod is my job, and Sydney is a means to an end.” Broots just stared at her, and she looked away, her voice becoming soft, “What’s your point?”
“The point is that if she wanted to kill Jarod and Sydney, she would have already done it, and we’d be burying the bodies. She wants something else.”
The tech had a point, and Parker knew it, “Okay, let’s say for a minute that you’ve overcome your geek-deficiency and you’re right. What next?”
“We need to wait and see what she has in mind, then we can come up with a plan.”
“You just wanna sit here until she contacts us?”
“Do you have a better idea, Miss Parker?”
“Yeah......I’d like to play pin the tail on the donkey, and you’re the ass.”
Broots sighed and sat down at his terminal. A moment later, his phone rang. He and Parker stared at each other, until she slapped his shoulder, hard.
“Ow...”
“Answer the phone, you moron.”
He picked up the receiver, “Broots...”
The voice at the other end of the line was cool, “Put her on the phone. I know she’s there.”
Broots handed the phone to Parker, “It’s her....”
Parker’s voice was tinged with annoyance, “What?”
“I assume you’d be interested in getting Sydney and Jarod back. Am I correct?”
“I’m listening.”
“No nonsense, I like that, Miss Parker.” Parker didn’t answer, so the clone continued, “491 North Barker. Come tonight. And come alone.”
“What do you want?”
There was a slight pause, then, “You.”
***********
Parker’s Office
Broots watched as Miss Parker loaded her weapons. She looked as though she was preparing for a war.
“Miss Parker, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
She turned on him quickly, holding the gun way too close to his face.
“And your counter suggestion?”
“Well I…I….don’t have one.”
“Wrong answer Broots.” She cocked the gun in his face and he blinked his eyes, “We’ll just do it my way, don’tcha think?”
He simply nodded. A moment later, he stopped her again.
“But Miss Parker, you can’t go in there alone….”
The icy smile that lit her lips sent a chill up his spine. She pat his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Broots, I won’t be alone.”
He let out a sigh of relief, “Thank God—“
“—You’ll be with me.”
Broots’ face quickly turned ashen.
***********
491 North Barker
Basement
Jarod had been unable to rouse Sydney to coherency. Instead he had sat vigil on the edge of the cot, soothing him when he stirred. The pretender heard footsteps on the floor above, followed by the door being unlocked and open. He recognized the heels clicking on the stairs: he would know her anywhere. Only it wasn’t Miss Parker. It was a clone who had gone the way Miss Parker would have, had it not been for Sydney. Jarod brushed a soft hand across Sydney’s forehead. And a moment later, she appeared in front of him, gun in hand.
“Get up, Jarod.”
He stood, but said nothing. She kicked the cot to rouse its occupant.
“Let’s go, old man—“
“—Hey!”
Jarod moved toward to stop her, only to be rewarded with a gun to his temple.
“Don’t, Jarod.”
Sydney stirred then, his voice groggy, “Jarod?”
“It’s okay, Sydney, I’m right here. Just relax.”
Parker interrupted, “Come on, Jarod, over there against the wall.”
Sydney couldn’t understand what was going on, “Parker?”
“Yes, Sydney, it’s me, Miss Parker. Now rise and shine, or you’ll miss it.”
“Miss what?”
The clone shoved Jarod into a chair that was bolted to the wall. She fastened the handcuffs to his wrists, and then she turned to look at Sydney.
“Parker? What are you doing? What will I miss?”
“You’ll miss the execution of your science project, Jarod.”
***********
491 North Barker
Miss Parker and Broots made their way quickly through the backyard of the property. Broots was so jumpy, Parker thought for sure he was going to trip over his own feet and alert the clone to their presence. While she knew they were expected, the least she could do was provide a slight twist on their entrance. Parker pulled her weapon out and gripped it tightly in her hand. The snap of the twig stopped her cold, and sent Broots plowing into the back of her. She turned on him in anger, her voice a loud whisper.
“You moron, watch where you’re going.”
Parker turned and found herself face to face with a large gun barrel, and holding it, a younger version of her.
“Oh shit..... Broots, you moron...”
“Me? What did I do?”
The clone’s voice had a sharp edge to it, “Shut up, both of you.”
Parker’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the clone, “Don’t tell me what to do.”
The clone pulled the hammer back on the gun and pushed it against Parker’s head, “You’ll do what I tell you, or I’ll blow a hole so large in you, you’ll look like a donut.”
“What do you want?”
“We’re going to play a little game, so come along, and bring the moron.”
Broots glared, “Great, now I can get it in stereo.....”
***********
Living Room
The clone opened a closet door and stared at Broots.
“Oh man, not again. What is it with you and dark enclosed spaces?”
“Get in.”
“Can’t you at least--”
The clone shoved him inside the closet and locked the door. She turned to Parker.
“Sit down.”
Parker stood her ground, staring into eyes exactly like her own. It was disconcerting to say the least. The younger Miss Parker glared at the original.
“Sit. Down.”
Slowly, Parker complied. The clone reached for a loaded syringe. Parker started to stand, but stopped when the gun was placed at her temple.
“Ah, ah, ah...don’t. Just sit still.”
Parker gritted her teeth as the needled plunged into her arm.
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“You bitch....”
Parker’s voice drifted off as she lost consciousness.
***********
Basement
“Sydney.... Sydney. Please wake up. Come on, Sydney. Please.”
Jarod had been trying to rouse Sydney since the clone had left, but without success. Whatever she had given him before she went back upstairs, had knocked him out cold. The pretender pulled at the handcuffs restraining him, but it was useless. He heard the lock on the door slide back, and momentarily, the clone entered, dragging a body with her. Jarod’s heart fell when he saw Miss Parker.
“Miss Parker! Miss Parker!” He glared at the clone, “What have you done to her?”
“Oh relax, monkey-boy, she’s not dead. Yet.”
She dragged Miss Parker’s body into the area near Jarod, and left her in a heap on the floor. Jarod watched, as the clone placed Parker’s gun firmly in her limp hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Come on, pretender, you’re supposed to be so smart, you tell me.”
Jarod watched her as she pulled a syringe from her pocket. She walked over to Sydney, placed a gun in his hand, and then injected him with the needle, expelling half the contents into his arm. She then walked over to Miss Parker and injected her with the other half. Jarod’s eyes narrowed in concentration as it dawned on him what she was going to do. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the clone shoved a gag in it, pulling it tight. Jarod’s eyes grew wide, and he screamed into the cloth, but to no avail. He knew what she was about to do, but he could do nothing to stop it. His heart began to pound against his chest in fear and agitation.
She walked back over to Sydney and kicked the cot he was on.
“Come on old man, rise and shine, or you’ll miss the execution of your monster.”
Slowly Sydney began to arouse. The clone moved back to Jarod, shot her gun into the air, and then began yelling at him.
“I’ve had enough of chasing you all over the globe, Jarod. It ends, here and now.”
Sydney came to and couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. Miss Parker was standing point blank range from Jarod, pointing her gun at him, saying she was going to kill him.
“All I have to do is pull the trigger, and that’s the end of you.”
She shot a bullet across his head. Jarod yelled into the gag at her, and felt sheer frustration at his lack of ability to do anything to stop her. The clone glanced back to be sure that Sydney was getting all of it, despite his groggy head. She turned again to the pretender.
“Maybe I’ll just take you out piece by piece, how does that sound, Jarod?”
The clone pulled the trigger and Jarod screamed into the gag as a bullet ripped into his shoulder.
Sydney’s voice boomed through the basement, “Parker! Parker, stop! What the hell are you doing?”
As he took a shaky step toward her, she swung on him, leveling the gun.
“Don’t, or I’ll kill you as well.”
Sydney felt the metal in his hand and looked down to see a .32 caliber revolver there. The clone aimed her gun at Jarod once again.
“I hope you’re ready to die, Jarod.”
Sydney gripped the gun and took aim, she could hear the gun cocking.
“Please Parker, put the gun down.”
Jarod screamed again into the gag, but Sydney couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell him. The clone turned toward Sydney and fired the gun, causing him to duck behind the cot.
“That’s it Jarod...”
The clone bent down, yanking the just stirring Miss Parker onto her feet. She pushed her toward Jarod, then she slinked into the shadows to watch the rest of her play unfold. Completely on the defensive, Parker gripped the gun in her hand. Sydney stood up in time to see Miss Parker pointing the gun toward the pretender.
“Jarod.....what the hell....?”
Sydney’s voice was ragged with heartfelt grief, “Please Parker, don’t.....oh God, please don’t.”
Jarod felt as if everything began to move in slow motion. Parker turned toward Sydney and realized he was pointing a gun at her; instinctively she raised her weapon at him, her face filled with betrayal and confusion. Jarod tried to be heard through the gag, but neither of them was aware of it. Sydney’s hand was shaking, and Parker stared at him with complete confusion.
Jarod slammed his eyes shut and screamed as a single shot echoed through the basement.
***********
Parker flew backward from the force of the bullet ripping through her. Sydney watched in horror as the woman he loved like a daughter slammed into the wall, her body sliding lifelessly to the floor. The psychiatrists’s eyes filled with pain and tears, and a cry wrenched out of him from somewhere deep within. The gun dropped from his hand, clattering to the floor, and whether from his poor physical condition, or the agony in his heart, he sank to his knees, sobbing.
Jarod’s own eyes were flooded with tears, the gag muffling his cries. He looked at Parker’s still body, and then over at Sydney, and a sadness more profound than words filled him. Jarod knew that when Sydney found out the truth of the farce that had played before him, he would be destroyed. It’s what the clone wanted, only she didn’t stick around to see the end of it. He watched as somehow the doctor found the strength to stand and walk over to him, tears running down his cheeks. Sydney removed the gag from Jarod’s mouth.
“Sydney.....I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you....”
Jarod was sobbing too hard to speak. Sydney stroked the pretender’s face lovingly, placing a soft kiss on Jarod’s forehead.
“It wasn’t your fault, Jarod.” Sydney’s voice was filled with anguish, “She left me with no choice.” Sydney swallowed hard, “The key for the handcuffs, do you know where it is?”
Jarod just shook his head, the tears in his eyes starting anew. They had lost Miss Parker before he ever had a chance to tell her. He had meant to do it, but had waited too long. And now it was too late. Jarod’s heart wrenching sobs flowed from him one after another. Sydney leaned the pretender’s head into him, caressing the back of it. It was all he could do, and he knew it was nothing.
***********
After a moment of trying to calm his frantically beating heart, Sydney knelt next to Parker’s body. The anguish on his face couldn’t begin to reflect what he felt. The tightness in his chest made it difficult for him to breathe. He took Parker’s hand in his, caressing it.
“Oh Parker.....why? Why....?”
He pulled her to him, holding her closely. Sydney’s chest burned from the anguish of his heart. He buried his face into her, sobbing uncontrollably.
The soft voice blew warm into his ear, “Relax, Freud, I’m fine. Just play along......the damned psycho’s here somewhere. She didn’t set us up to kill each other and not stick around to see how it turned out.”
Sydney pulled slightly away and looked in her eyes, which were impishly staring at him. He pulled her body tightly into him again. She could feel the emotion from him.
“My baby. You’re okay.......thank God, I thought I’d--”
Sydney couldn’t finish the thought before his voice broke. His body shook against hers, a mixture of anguish and relief. She knew he was fond of her in his way, but she hadn’t expected such an emotional outburst from him. A part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him. And another part wanted to strangle him for once again perpetuating the Centre’s lies. But now wasn’t the time to think about it. Parker forced her voice to remain even and calm.
“Come on Syd, let’s get ready for the clone.”
Sydney carefully lay Parker’s body back on the floor, he stood up and wiped his eyes. He moved over to Jarod, cupped the back of his head, bent down and whispered fervently into his ear. The pretender looked sharply up at him, searching for the truth, and a slight smile tugged at Sydney’s lips. He winked at Jarod: the clone would not have left. She had gone to far too much trouble to miss seeing the devastation she caused. Jarod nodded imperceptibly at Sydney, and a farce of their own was set into motion......
***********
Sydney bent over and sobbed into the body of Miss Parker. And the clone smiled. Stepping out of the shadows, she knew she had won.
“How does it feel to be betrayed by someone you love, Sydney?”
The doctor turned his tear-streaked face to the clone, “I killed her. She was a like a daughter to me, and I killed her.”
“It hurts doesn’ it...and I wanted to hurt you.” He looked at her in confusion, so she continued, “You were the only parent I had, Sydney. You were the only one who showed me any tenderness. I trusted you, and you abandoned me. You left me with Raines. I was just some kind of science project to you.”
“That’s not true. If I had known what he was going to do--”
She pointed the gun in her hand at his forehead, “--Please, spare me. You knew Raines couldn’t be trusted.”
His voice was barely a whisper, “I didn’t know what he was going to do...I swear I didn’t.”
She cocked the gun, “Not good enough. You should have protected me. The fire wasn’t an experiment gone bad, Sydney. Raines and Mr. Parker decided that I wasn’t talented as a pretender. They said my DNA was faulty and not as pure as the original.” Her voice began to shake with emotion, “They said I was unstable. You left me with them, Sydney. And they tried to kill me.”
Jarod’s voice was smooth, “How did you survive?”
She looked at him, but kept the gun barrel against Syd’s head, “Angelo. He pulled me out of the cell and showed me the way out of the Centre.”
Jarod answered, “And you turned out to be a skilled pretender, so you were able to get by on the outside.”
She smiled at him, “Very good, monkey boy.”
Sydney spoke again, “And now you want revenge.”
She looked at the still body of Miss Parker and smiled, “I think I already have that, and in a moment, I’ll have more.”
In a smooth movement, Miss Parker sat up, pointing her gun at the clone, “I think not. Put the gun down.”
The clone shook her head at Parker, “I should have known you would figure it out.”
Parker cocked her weapon, “Put the gun down. Now.”
“All I have to do is squeeze the trigger, Miss Parker, and Sydney’s gone. And with him, any secrets to your past that he still might know.”
Jarod’s voice was calm, “You’re not going to kill Sydney.”
The clone laughed, “Oh really? And why’s that, Jarod?”
“He’s the only person who ever loved you, and he’s the only one who can help you now.”
“Bullshit.” The clone looked down at the doctor, “He doesn’t know how to love. You know that, Jarod, and so does Miss Parker.” The clone glared at Miss Parker, “You’d better put the gun down, or I’ll blow a hole in his head.”
Parker and Jarod exchanged a glance. The clone was just unstable enough to do it. Parker replaced the hammer and slowly set the gun on the floor.
“Kick it over here.”
Parker complied, and the clone shoved it further away. Her hand gripped her own gun tighter.
“Any last words of wisdom, Sydney?”
The chestnut eyes bore into her, “Yes. I forgive you.”
Her eyes grew wide with disbelief, “You forgive me? Oh now, that is rich.”
“I did love you, lamb. Just as much as Jarod and Miss Parker.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, “No, you didn’t. I was just a cheap imitation of the original to you.”
“I never treated you like that.”
Her sadness ran down her cheeks and her voice shook with sadness, “You left me with Raines.”
His voice grew soft, “I didn’t. I was unaware of it.”
He could see her resolve weakening. He swallowed hard, and slowly reached for the barrel of the gun. Their eyes locked. Sydney looked deeply into the grey sea that he knew so well. She wouldn’t shoot him. She couldn’t. Gently he gripped the end of the weapon and took it from her hand as he stood up. Miss Parker started angrily for the clone, but Sydney restrained her.
“No, Parker.”
The clone began weeping, sinking to the floor in a heap.
Parker’s voice was filled with venom, “She’s a wacko, and needs to be locked up.”
Sydney retorted, “Hey....how about a little compassion? She’s had a rough time, Parker. She doesn’t deserve to be treated badly. She just needs help.”
He bent down, and pulled the clone into his arms, “Shhh, it’s all right, darling.”
Parker felt pure jealousy burning her cheeks as the clone wrapped her arms around Sydney, and he cradled her. Sydney looked at Miss Parker.
“Parker, see if you can get Jarod out of the handcuffs....”
She looked intensely into his eyes, anger permeating her own. Without a word, she turned away from him and went to Jarod. She glared at the pretender.
“Don’t say a word to me, Jarod. If you know what’s good for you, just don’t say a word.”
The pretender looked at her. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair, and began picking the lock on the cuffs.
His voice was soft, “You’re angry with him.”
“You’re damned right.”
“How can you be angry with him for loving somebody?”
“Don’t be an idiot, Jarod. Sydney’s incapable of love. He’s only interested in saving his own hide.”
“Miss Parker--”
“--How can you defend him?”
Jarod’s eyes bore into her, “How can you not?”
“Because every time I turn around, I uncover another lie.”
She freed one hand, and began working on the other.
“And you honestly believe that he lied to you for the fun of it?”
“Oh please.....you’ve been angry with him since you were old enough to realize his duplicity in all of this. And now you’re sitting there trying to tell me it’s okay?”
Jarod looked over at Sydney, who was still holding the clone, “No, it’s not okay. And there are some things that I doubt I’ll ever be able to forgive him for; but, I no longer question that he loves me. He loves both of us, Miss Parker. He hasn’t always shown it, but can you honestly look at him now and disbelieve it?”
Parker freed his other hand, and turned to look at Sydney. Part of her was angry that he would show such kindness to the clone. But another part of her realized he couldn’t be any other way, and she wouldn’t want him to be. She turned back to Jarod, who was standing beside her.
“He shouldn’t have lied.”
“The Centre is an impossible situation, Miss Parker. We might have wished that he’d handled things differently, but can you imagine your life without him in it?”
Parker looked away, her voice a whisper, “No.”
Jarod smiled at her, “Me either.” He started away, “Good-bye, Miss Parker.”
She grabbed his arm, “You’re not going anywhere, Jarod.” Her smile grew, “I’m taking you back to the Centre.”
He stared at her unbelievingly. After a moment, a small smile crept upon his lips.
“That’s going to be hard, Miss Parker, since you’re unarmed.”
She looked at him, “Yes, that might be a problem if you resist, Jarod.”
He took his hand in hers for a moment, and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Until next time, Miss Parker.”
“Next time, I will take you in, Jarod. Make no mistake about that.”
He smiled, “Miss Parker.....where’s Mr. Broots?”
Parker’s eyes grew wide, “Oh damn... he’s still in the closet.”
Jarod watched Parker run up the stairs, and he smiled. He turned toward Sydney and the clone, placing a gentle hand on the doctor’s shoulder.
“You’ll be all right, Sydney?”
“Yes. Everything will be fine. Take care of yourself, Jarod.”
“You too.”
Sydney watched the pretender quietly slip up the stairs, and cuddling the clone close to him, he followed.
“It’s time to get you the help you need, lamb.”
***********
Sydney’s House
It had been two weeks since Sydney had checked the clone into a psychiatric hospital in the care of a dear friend and colleague. She was finally safe from herself and from the Centre. He hoped that in time, she would recover, but he didn’t know if it was even possible. The damage that had been inflicted upon her psyche over the years was massive. It was sad to think that she might never be free.
Raines and Mr. Parker had tried to coerce him into acknowledging that the clone was alive, but Sydney admitted nothing. He repeatedly told them that the clone had been killed that day in the basement. He knew they hadn’t bought it, but he didn’t care. In the end, Mr. Parker convinced Raines to let it go, and he told Sydney to take as much time as he needed to recover physically before returning to work.
And in all the time, there had been not a word from Miss Parker. He shook his head. She was stubborn if nothing else; stubborn and so very much like her mother. Sydney still missed Catherine. So many years had passed, so much had transpired, but he felt the void of her friendship. He could only smile slightly; Parker would seek him out when she was ready, and until then, he would have to wait.
He was jolted from his thoughts by the doorbell. He rose and slowly made his way to the door. He opened it, and there she stood.
“Miss Parker....this is a surprise.”
“We need to talk.”
He nodded, “Of course. Come in.”
She brushed past him and he closed the door. Following her into the living room, he observed the tension in her body. Sydney braced himself; whatever was coming, it wasn’t going to pleasant.
“Can I get you anything, Miss Parker?”
She turned on him in anger, “Can you get me anything? No, you can’t. Unless of course you’d like to give me a little dose of the truth. How about that, Sydney? Think you can manage it?” The deep brown eyes just looked at her calmly, and her tirade continued. “I didn’t think so. You’ve never been interested in being honest with me, have you? Every time I think there can’t be anything more, I uncover yet one more lie you’ve told me.”
“I didn’t lie to you, Parker.”
“The hell you didn’t. When I first brought up Sl-24, you said nothing. What do you call that?”
“An omission to protect you.”
“Is that what you’ve been telling yourself all these years? You just keep things from me in order to protect me? How convenient for you.” She stopped pacing and stood very close to him, “Let’s just call it what it is, Sydney. You lie to me. You’ve done it my entire life, and you’re still doing it. God only knows what other dirty little secrets you have locked up in your head. And you know what? I don’t care anymore. Do you hear me? I don’t care. I don’t care what more you know, what you do, nor where you go, so long as you stay away from me. Got it? Just stay away from me. I don’t need you.” She brushed past him heading toward the door, “Go play with your clone.”
He grabbed her hard by the arm, spinning her back around to face him. She jerked her arm out of his hand and instinctively grabbed him by the lapel, pulling him into her.
“This what you want, Sydney? A fight? I’m not afraid of you.”
His breath was soft against her lips, “I know you’re not. I never wanted you to be.”
It was a simple statement, and it stung her. She blinked at him, swallowing hard. It had never occurred to her before that moment. She had grown up afraid of all of them: Raines, her father, the sweepers, the cleaners....the Centre. Her mother had been the only one she trusted, until they took her away. And then it had been Sydney. He had been gentle and giving, and was there when she needed him. Slowly, Parker let go of him, the fight drained from her. She turned away, and looked out the window.
He didn’t approach her, but stood in the center of the room, his hands in his pockets. His voice was as soft as she had ever heard it.
“What do you think Raines would have done if I had told you about the clone?”
“My father wouldn’t have let him kill me, if that’s what you’re implying....”
“It is not.”
“Then what’s your point?”
“There are worse things you can do to people than kill them. You don’t know what Raines is capable of--”
She turned to him once more in anger, “--Oh? I don’t? I think I do.”
He remained calm and gentle, his eyes looking softly into hers, “There were......things that went on, Parker.....experiments that you can’t begin to imagine.”
She frowned slightly. The round orbs of chestnut looked haunted by images only he could see. Parker took a few steps toward him.
“What are you saying, Sydney?”
“Raines wouldn’t have killed you, nor Jarod, but.....”
His voice died out with the memory, and he looked away, his eyes filling up with tears.
Then the nickel dropped for her, “But he threatened to use us for experiments.”
His voice was shaking from the memory, “To prove that he wasn’t bluffing, he-- Angelo. I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t save any of them.”
Parker moved close to him, “But he never got me or Jarod.”
“No, he didn’t.”
She caressed his face with her hand, “What else?”
He moved away from the softness of her touch, the guilt of his complicity, overwhelming him.
“I knew that Jarod wasn’t my child, and I was reasonably sure that Angelo wasn’t.... but I was never sure about you.”
“B negative blood type.....but that doesn’t prove paternity.”
His voice was almost a whisper, “I know, but he planted a doubt....”
“And it was enough to control you.” A slight frown creased her brow, “Sydney, DNA panels are conclusive now. You could have run any number of tests--”
The look on his face stopped her short.
“Oh my God, you did run a test.”
His eyes dropped to the floor, ashamed. There was an awkward silence in the room. Parker’s heart pounded against her chest, and drawing breath was suddenly difficult. It seemed like an eternity passed before he spoke again, and when he did, his timbre was tinged with sadness.
“We’re not related through blood.”
“Then why protect me?”
He smiled at her, “Blood no longer matters.”
The honesty of his words hit Parker hard, and even though she fought against them, tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Damn it, Sydney.”
He pulled her into his arms, pressing her tightly against him. Parker buried her face into the crook of his neck, holding onto him as if she might never let go. His strength made her feel safe. And in that moment, she realized the silent enemy that stalked each of them wasn’t some unknown assailant; it wasn’t the Centre. It was simply doubts and fears that they allowed to take control of reason. At least it was an enemy that in time, could be conquered.
the end
