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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hayley
Twelve
Melanie-Anne
January 9
Jarod felt ill. He'd killed a man in cold blood, making him no better than Willie. He was a murderer now. Murderer, murderer, murderer. The words ran through his head in an unending litany. He leaned his head on the cool window, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.
What had he done?
Lyle and Sydney said Parker was alive. But he'd seen her die. He'd seen her lying there, so pale and still. He thought of their playful flirting in the air vents and his heart broke all over again.
But Lyle and Sydney seemed so sure . . .
Oh, God, what had he done?
*
Silver Springs, Maryland
Parker stared at her reflection in the mirror, then slowly reached up to touch her face. Who are you? she thought. She raised the edge of her shirt, looking for any evidence of her injury.
There was nothing. She shivered as she thought of possible reasons. What if Raines had done more than re-education while she was in the Renewal Wing?
She saw Hayley come up behind her and turned around.
"They're here," Hayley said.
Parker self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair and glanced once more at her reflection. Anna's clothes hung on her almost skeletal frame and she felt like a child playing dress up. She sighed and followed Hayley downstairs to the living room.
Jarod sat on the couch, looking down at the carpet. He looked terrible. Parker was surprised to see Hayley hugging Lyle; he looked awkward but happy. Sydney crossed the room and took Parker's hands in his.
"Parker, it's good to see you again."
Parker couldn't speak. She felt her gaze drawn to Jarod again. He was staring at her now, a mixture of disbelief and joy in his expression. He stood up and came towards her. She took a step backwards.
"Parker . . . you're really here . . ." Jarod threw his arms around her and held her close. She tried to pull away but he held her tighter. "I thought you were dead."
This was too much. She remembered practically nothing from whatever they had been before. Raines had made her think they were still enemies. Jarod started kissing her. She turned away and managed to extricate herself from his embrace. He reached for her again, this time trying to see where she'd been shot. She turned and ran upstairs, taking sanctuary in the bedroom.
A while later, Sydney came up and sat on the bed next to her. "Broots tells us he found you in the Renewal Wing."
She nodded. "I don't . . . I don't remember anything. Everything's so confusing." She raised her shirt. "Explain this, Syd. I was shot, but there's nothing. Not even a scar. It's impossible."
"You look exhausted," Sydney observed.
"I can't sleep. I have the strangest dreams and sometimes I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or remembering or if I'm just losing my mind."
Sydney took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "You've been through something traumatic. It's going to take time to adjust." He stood.
"Syd, Jarod and I . . . were we . . . did we . . . ?"
"That's something you need to figure out by yourself, Parker. Tell him how you feel right now. He'll understand then why you acted the way you did earlier."
Parker nodded. She hoped Sydney was right.
"Care to show an old man where the kitchen is?" He held out his arm.
Side by side, they went down the stairs, stopping just outside the kitchen when they heard voices.
"It's my fault," Hayley said, sniffling. "If they didn't have to rescue me then none of this would have happened and they'd both be happy."
"That's not true," Anna said. "I'm sure neither of them blame you for what happened."
"But Jason said they were so happy and then today she ran away from him. It is my fault. I wish I'd never come here. I wish I'd never been born."
Parker looked at Sydney in horror. She let go of his arm and stepped into the kitchen. "Don't say that. Hayley, it's not your fault."
Hayley wiped her eyes and looked up at Parker. "But it's because of me that you got hurt."
Parker shook her head. "You didn't shoot me. Willie did." She paused; where had that memory come from?
"But everything's messed up now."
"Not permanently. We're all just a little confused, but we'll work it out."
Hayley hugged Parker. "So you're not mad at me?"
"Not at all." She looked up to see Sydney smiling at her.
*
After dinner, Parker found Jarod in the garden. He was staring into the distance, his shoulders slumped in defeat. She sat next to him, not quite sure what to say.
"I'm sorry I don't remember . . . us."
He shook his head. "It's not your fault. You were re-educated." His voice was flat, expressionless.
"Will you tell me about . . . before?"
When he looked at her and smiled, she knew she'd done the right thing. Maybe Sydney was right. Maybe this could be worked out.
*
"And then," Debbie said, "Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks figure out they've been emailing each other the whole time. So they finally admit they love each other and live happily ever after."
Hayley smiled. "This is the movie you've seen ten times?"
"Yep. Hey, we should go to movies sometime. What do you like to watch?"
Hayley shrugged. "I've never been."
"Never?" Debbie couldn't hide her surprise, and it only added to Hayley's insecurity. In Hayley's eyes, Debbie had the perfect life.
"I'll ask my dad to take us. He won't mind."
"What's that like?"
"What?"
"Having a dad."
Debbie bit her lip and stared at her friend. "Where exactly did you grow up again?"
"I'm not sure." Hayley tried to laugh it off, but she could see Debbie wasn't fooled.
"You're like Jarod, aren't you?" Debbie asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You're special. You must have grown up at the Centre." Debbie pulled a face. "I don't like the Centre. I'm glad you don't live there anymore."
"I'm glad too."
"So what do you do that's so special?"
Hayley looked around to make sure they were alone. She leaned forward. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"
"Okay."
Hayley closed her eyes. Debbie's mug slowly rose in the air. Debbie gasped.
"That is so cool. How do you do that?"
Hayley shrugged. "I don't know."
"Wow. I wish I could do that."
Hayley couldn't help the flicker of satisfaction that ran through her at Debbie's words. It was nice to be envied by the person she herself envied.
*
"So, what happens now?" Anna asked. With the exception of Parker and the children who had gone to bed, everyone sat in the living room.
"We need to decide if we're going to run or if we're going to fight." There were mixed reactions to Lyle's statement. He could see that Jarod was tired of running, but he didn't look like he had the strength to fight. Sydney nodded as if he agreed whereas Broots looked like he'd rather take Debbie and get as far away from the Centre as possible.
"Fight," Angelo said. "Can't let them win."
Jarod sighed. "We don't need to fight. I have a friend at the FBI. If we tell him everything—"
"Do you think the Centre would let themselves be investigated? They have people at the FBI too." Lyle wondered when he'd started thinking of the Centre as 'them'.
"So we take it to the papers. Send the same information to every major paper in the country. Publish it on the Internet. Then there'll have to be an investigation."
"You know," Broots said, "Jarod's right. If we do it that way, we don't have to get directly involved."
Lyle nodded in agreement. The only thing that worried him was what would happen to him. If they took it to the press, he would stay anonymous and safe. "Okay. Let's do it."
Broots opened up his laptop. "I'll get a list of newspapers."
"What are we going to send them?" Sydney asked.
Jarod smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Everything. There's a safety deposit box in Washington containing DSAs and computer disks."
"I don't think it's safe for any of us to fetch it. The Centre will be looking everywhere."
"I'll do it," Anna said. "They don't know who I am."
Lyle wanted to tell her not to, that it was too dangerous, but it was because of him that she was involved at all. "Are you sure?" he asked.
Angelo gasped and clutched his stomach, tears running down his cheeks. "No," he murmured. "Oh no, oh no, oh no."
There was a scream from upstairs. Everyone froze, fearing the worst. Lyle pulled out his gun and got to his feet. Seconds later, Parker stumbled into the room and fell to her knees. Jarod was the first one at her side, checking for any injuries. Lyle slipped out into the hall, listening for any intruders. He saw the children at the top of the stairs, holding hands, but not at all frightened.
"She had a bad dream," Jason said.
Lyle turned back and saw his sister clutching Jarod's shirt, sobbing into his chest. As he got closer, he could hear what she was saying.
"The baby . . . oh God, the baby . . . he killed our baby . . ."
Twelve
Melanie-Anne
January 9
Jarod felt ill. He'd killed a man in cold blood, making him no better than Willie. He was a murderer now. Murderer, murderer, murderer. The words ran through his head in an unending litany. He leaned his head on the cool window, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.
What had he done?
Lyle and Sydney said Parker was alive. But he'd seen her die. He'd seen her lying there, so pale and still. He thought of their playful flirting in the air vents and his heart broke all over again.
But Lyle and Sydney seemed so sure . . .
Oh, God, what had he done?
*
Silver Springs, Maryland
Parker stared at her reflection in the mirror, then slowly reached up to touch her face. Who are you? she thought. She raised the edge of her shirt, looking for any evidence of her injury.
There was nothing. She shivered as she thought of possible reasons. What if Raines had done more than re-education while she was in the Renewal Wing?
She saw Hayley come up behind her and turned around.
"They're here," Hayley said.
Parker self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair and glanced once more at her reflection. Anna's clothes hung on her almost skeletal frame and she felt like a child playing dress up. She sighed and followed Hayley downstairs to the living room.
Jarod sat on the couch, looking down at the carpet. He looked terrible. Parker was surprised to see Hayley hugging Lyle; he looked awkward but happy. Sydney crossed the room and took Parker's hands in his.
"Parker, it's good to see you again."
Parker couldn't speak. She felt her gaze drawn to Jarod again. He was staring at her now, a mixture of disbelief and joy in his expression. He stood up and came towards her. She took a step backwards.
"Parker . . . you're really here . . ." Jarod threw his arms around her and held her close. She tried to pull away but he held her tighter. "I thought you were dead."
This was too much. She remembered practically nothing from whatever they had been before. Raines had made her think they were still enemies. Jarod started kissing her. She turned away and managed to extricate herself from his embrace. He reached for her again, this time trying to see where she'd been shot. She turned and ran upstairs, taking sanctuary in the bedroom.
A while later, Sydney came up and sat on the bed next to her. "Broots tells us he found you in the Renewal Wing."
She nodded. "I don't . . . I don't remember anything. Everything's so confusing." She raised her shirt. "Explain this, Syd. I was shot, but there's nothing. Not even a scar. It's impossible."
"You look exhausted," Sydney observed.
"I can't sleep. I have the strangest dreams and sometimes I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or remembering or if I'm just losing my mind."
Sydney took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "You've been through something traumatic. It's going to take time to adjust." He stood.
"Syd, Jarod and I . . . were we . . . did we . . . ?"
"That's something you need to figure out by yourself, Parker. Tell him how you feel right now. He'll understand then why you acted the way you did earlier."
Parker nodded. She hoped Sydney was right.
"Care to show an old man where the kitchen is?" He held out his arm.
Side by side, they went down the stairs, stopping just outside the kitchen when they heard voices.
"It's my fault," Hayley said, sniffling. "If they didn't have to rescue me then none of this would have happened and they'd both be happy."
"That's not true," Anna said. "I'm sure neither of them blame you for what happened."
"But Jason said they were so happy and then today she ran away from him. It is my fault. I wish I'd never come here. I wish I'd never been born."
Parker looked at Sydney in horror. She let go of his arm and stepped into the kitchen. "Don't say that. Hayley, it's not your fault."
Hayley wiped her eyes and looked up at Parker. "But it's because of me that you got hurt."
Parker shook her head. "You didn't shoot me. Willie did." She paused; where had that memory come from?
"But everything's messed up now."
"Not permanently. We're all just a little confused, but we'll work it out."
Hayley hugged Parker. "So you're not mad at me?"
"Not at all." She looked up to see Sydney smiling at her.
*
After dinner, Parker found Jarod in the garden. He was staring into the distance, his shoulders slumped in defeat. She sat next to him, not quite sure what to say.
"I'm sorry I don't remember . . . us."
He shook his head. "It's not your fault. You were re-educated." His voice was flat, expressionless.
"Will you tell me about . . . before?"
When he looked at her and smiled, she knew she'd done the right thing. Maybe Sydney was right. Maybe this could be worked out.
*
"And then," Debbie said, "Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks figure out they've been emailing each other the whole time. So they finally admit they love each other and live happily ever after."
Hayley smiled. "This is the movie you've seen ten times?"
"Yep. Hey, we should go to movies sometime. What do you like to watch?"
Hayley shrugged. "I've never been."
"Never?" Debbie couldn't hide her surprise, and it only added to Hayley's insecurity. In Hayley's eyes, Debbie had the perfect life.
"I'll ask my dad to take us. He won't mind."
"What's that like?"
"What?"
"Having a dad."
Debbie bit her lip and stared at her friend. "Where exactly did you grow up again?"
"I'm not sure." Hayley tried to laugh it off, but she could see Debbie wasn't fooled.
"You're like Jarod, aren't you?" Debbie asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You're special. You must have grown up at the Centre." Debbie pulled a face. "I don't like the Centre. I'm glad you don't live there anymore."
"I'm glad too."
"So what do you do that's so special?"
Hayley looked around to make sure they were alone. She leaned forward. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"
"Okay."
Hayley closed her eyes. Debbie's mug slowly rose in the air. Debbie gasped.
"That is so cool. How do you do that?"
Hayley shrugged. "I don't know."
"Wow. I wish I could do that."
Hayley couldn't help the flicker of satisfaction that ran through her at Debbie's words. It was nice to be envied by the person she herself envied.
*
"So, what happens now?" Anna asked. With the exception of Parker and the children who had gone to bed, everyone sat in the living room.
"We need to decide if we're going to run or if we're going to fight." There were mixed reactions to Lyle's statement. He could see that Jarod was tired of running, but he didn't look like he had the strength to fight. Sydney nodded as if he agreed whereas Broots looked like he'd rather take Debbie and get as far away from the Centre as possible.
"Fight," Angelo said. "Can't let them win."
Jarod sighed. "We don't need to fight. I have a friend at the FBI. If we tell him everything—"
"Do you think the Centre would let themselves be investigated? They have people at the FBI too." Lyle wondered when he'd started thinking of the Centre as 'them'.
"So we take it to the papers. Send the same information to every major paper in the country. Publish it on the Internet. Then there'll have to be an investigation."
"You know," Broots said, "Jarod's right. If we do it that way, we don't have to get directly involved."
Lyle nodded in agreement. The only thing that worried him was what would happen to him. If they took it to the press, he would stay anonymous and safe. "Okay. Let's do it."
Broots opened up his laptop. "I'll get a list of newspapers."
"What are we going to send them?" Sydney asked.
Jarod smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Everything. There's a safety deposit box in Washington containing DSAs and computer disks."
"I don't think it's safe for any of us to fetch it. The Centre will be looking everywhere."
"I'll do it," Anna said. "They don't know who I am."
Lyle wanted to tell her not to, that it was too dangerous, but it was because of him that she was involved at all. "Are you sure?" he asked.
Angelo gasped and clutched his stomach, tears running down his cheeks. "No," he murmured. "Oh no, oh no, oh no."
There was a scream from upstairs. Everyone froze, fearing the worst. Lyle pulled out his gun and got to his feet. Seconds later, Parker stumbled into the room and fell to her knees. Jarod was the first one at her side, checking for any injuries. Lyle slipped out into the hall, listening for any intruders. He saw the children at the top of the stairs, holding hands, but not at all frightened.
"She had a bad dream," Jason said.
Lyle turned back and saw his sister clutching Jarod's shirt, sobbing into his chest. As he got closer, he could hear what she was saying.
"The baby . . . oh God, the baby . . . he killed our baby . . ."
