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Chapter or Story
A/N:Thanks for the feedback. It's good to know people are still reading this. We're almost at the end. Thanks for hanging in there ;-)
Hayley
Fourteen
Melanie-Anne
Washington, D.C.
January 10
Alex studied the unconscious woman, absently playing with her hair as he contemplated his next move. He was reluctant to just leave her – she was a beautiful woman and he'd always been partial to blondes – but he had a job to do. He should leave her and get on with it.
No, he thought. He wasn't done with Anna yet. There would be plenty of time for him to play later.
Besides, this woman was special to Lyle and if there was one thing Alex enjoyed more than tormenting Jarod, it was toying with the Parkers.
He checked to make sure no one was around, then picked Anna up and dumped her in the trunk. Climbing into the driver's seat, he reached behind him for Anna's bag and emptied the contents onto the passenger seat. The items she'd retrieved from the safety deposit box didn't concern him, though he was sure his employers would be pleased with them. He opened Anna's purse, looking for her driver's license.
It was too easy sometimes. He memorized the address and started the car. He was humming as he pulled away.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Lyle found Jarod sitting at the foot of the staircase, his head in his hands. He sat next to the pretender and tried to think of what to say. The men would never be friends – there was too much between them – but Lyle decided he had to make an effort. After all, Jarod was in love with his twin.
When Jarod looked up and Lyle saw the expression of devastation on his face, he forgot that they didn't like each other. "Jarod? What's wrong? Is it Parker?"
"She's beginning to remember." Jarod sounded empty.
"I thought that was supposed to be a good thing."
"She was pregnant. And then she got shot."
Lyle couldn't think of a suitable response. 'I'm sorry' seemed too inadequate.
"I was going to be a father." An expression of pain flitted across Jarod's face before being replaced with anger. "Once again it's the Centre that's torn my family apart."
Lyle put his hand on Jarod's shoulder. "How's Parker taking it?"
"How do you think?" Jarod exhaled on a sigh. "I need to get her away from here."
"Where will you go?"
"I have a place in Florida. We were supposed to go there after we got Hayley out." Jarod ran his fingers through his hair.
"When are you leaving?"
"You think I should go?"
Lyle nodded. "I don't think it's safe for us all to be here. Would you be willing to take the kids with you? Probably Angelo too."
Jarod studied Lyle for a moment. "She's yours, isn't she? Hayley. I can't think of any other reason you'd risk getting her out."
"We've all been pawns for too long. You, me, Parker, Angelo. Jason and Hayley deserve better."
To Lyle's surprise, Jarod laughed. "Now you sound like Catherine's son."
Lyle smiled. That was high praise coming from the man he'd thought hated him.
Somewhere between D.C. and Silver Spring
It was hot and dark and stuffy. Anna's head hurt and her muscles were stiff from being cramped up. She smelled exhaust fumes. She reached up and gingerly felt the back of her head, wincing when her fingers met something warm and sticky. Blood. She tried to move but the space was too small.
Anna had never liked enclosed spaces. It didn't take much to figure out she was in the trunk of a car. She tried not to panic, but it was a losing battle.
Something dug into her side. When she remembered she'd had her cell phone in her pocket, she almost wept with relief. She pulled it out and dialed her home number, praying that someone would answer.
When the car stopped, she hoped it wasn't too late.
Silver Spring, Maryland
"But why do we have to go?" Hayley crossed her arms and frowned. "I want to stay with you."
Lyle put his hand on her shoulder. "It's safer for you to go with Jarod and Parker right now."
Hayley glanced at the stairs. Jarod and Parker came down, Jarod's hand resting protectively at the small of Parker's back. Lyle handed Jarod a gun.
Jarod shook his head, discomfort evident on his face. "I don't want it."
Hayley stepped closer and pressed it into Jarod's hands. "You're going to need it." She didn't know how she knew that.
Jason came running down the stairs, his eyes wide. He skidded to a halt next to Parker and slipped his hand in hers. Then he smiled.
The phone began to ring. The adults glanced at it, leaving the answering machine to pick up. Hayley hung back as they filed out the door. Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted to know who it was.
Outside, Anna's car pulled up. Lyle headed for it, stopping as he realized Anna wasn't in the driver's seat. His blood ran cold as Alex got out and leveled a gun at him. Lyle reached for his gun, remembering as he did that he'd given it to Jarod.
"Well, isn't this just cozy."
Jarod stepped in front of Parker and Jason. Broots pulled Debbie back into the house. Unarmed, Lyle stood between Alex and Jarod.
"Where is she?"
Alex smirked. "Your girlfriend? Somewhere in the Potomac. Feisty little thing, wasn't she? I'd never have pegged her as your type, though."
"You killed her."
"She was in the way." Alex shrugged dismissively. "Technically, you killed her. You should have known better than to involve her in Centre affairs."
Alex was right, Lyle thought. He should have kept Anna out of this.
"As much fun as chatting is, I'm a little pressed for time. I want the kids. Hand them over and I'll let you go."
"Over my dead body," Lyle hissed through clenched teeth.
"As you wish." Alex fired. Lyle stumbled backwards with the force of the impact and fell to the ground.
"NO!" Jason screamed. He pulled free of Parker's grasp and ran to Lyle's side. "No, Daddy, no!"
Jarod's shot caught Alex in the shoulder. Alex dropped his gun. Jarod fired again, hitting Alex's knee and effectively preventing him from escaping. He crossed to the car and kicked the gun away from Alex.
"You always have to spoil things, don't you, Jarod?"
"Shut up." Jarod roughly jerked Alex to his feet. "Who else knows we're here?"
Parker knelt at her brother's side. She pressed a hand to his chest wound. Lyle blinked up at her, his eyes turning opaque. "D-D-Daddy?"
Parker nodded. "He's your son."
"Promise – promise you'll look after kids . . ."
"You're going to be fine."
"Promise me."
Parker touched Lyle's cheek. "I promise."
Jason flung himself over Lyle and started sobbing. "No, you can't die. Don't die, don't die, don't die."
Parker looked to Jarod for help but he was still interrogating Alex. She stood and ran back to the house. "Call 911."
Hayley sat on the bottom step of the staircase, clutching her stomach as she rocked back and forth. Debbie sat next to her, her face white and frightened.
"It'll be okay, girls," Sydney said. In a lower voice, he asked, "How is he?"
"Not good." Parker reached for the phone.
"Parker, can we really afford to get outsiders involved?"
She whirled around, her eyes flashing fire. The old Miss Parker was back. "Damn it, Sydney, he's my brother. I can't just let him die."
"Won't die," Angelo said. He released the curtain and stepped away from the window. "Won't die."
"Anna's in the trunk." Hayley looked up suddenly. "It was her on the phone. She's in the trunk. She wanted to warn us."
"Where's Jason?" Broots asked.
Parker seemed to realize she'd left him outside and turned to fetch him. Angelo grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Leave him."
"Angelo, I can't—"
"He can help."
Parker touched her belly, thinking about the injury she should have had. She remembered waking up to find Jason in bed with her. For the first time, she wondered if he'd had something to do with her healing. She couldn't deny that he wasn't an ordinary child; she made a mental note to ask him how he'd known about his parentage.
"We need to help Anna," she said.
Angelo smiled and released Parker's arm. Hayley followed her out, stifling a cry with a hand to her mouth when she saw Lyle lying on the ground. Jarod looked up.
"Hayley, I need something to tie Alex up."
Hayley nodded, but didn't move.
"Hayley, now!"
She returned inside. Parker headed straight for the car and reached inside to pop the trunk. She helped Anna climb out, keeping a firm grip on Anna's elbow to steady her. Anna saw Lyle and her knees buckled.
Jarod smacked Alex upside the head. "Do you ever tell the truth?"
The other pretender managed a smile. "You and your truth. There are bigger things going on."
Jarod didn't have time to think about Alex's cryptic statement. A glance at Lyle told him he needed to get the injured man some place where Jarod could help him.
And they needed to get out of there before any other Centre employees showed up.
Hayley
Fourteen
Melanie-Anne
Washington, D.C.
January 10
Alex studied the unconscious woman, absently playing with her hair as he contemplated his next move. He was reluctant to just leave her – she was a beautiful woman and he'd always been partial to blondes – but he had a job to do. He should leave her and get on with it.
No, he thought. He wasn't done with Anna yet. There would be plenty of time for him to play later.
Besides, this woman was special to Lyle and if there was one thing Alex enjoyed more than tormenting Jarod, it was toying with the Parkers.
He checked to make sure no one was around, then picked Anna up and dumped her in the trunk. Climbing into the driver's seat, he reached behind him for Anna's bag and emptied the contents onto the passenger seat. The items she'd retrieved from the safety deposit box didn't concern him, though he was sure his employers would be pleased with them. He opened Anna's purse, looking for her driver's license.
It was too easy sometimes. He memorized the address and started the car. He was humming as he pulled away.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Lyle found Jarod sitting at the foot of the staircase, his head in his hands. He sat next to the pretender and tried to think of what to say. The men would never be friends – there was too much between them – but Lyle decided he had to make an effort. After all, Jarod was in love with his twin.
When Jarod looked up and Lyle saw the expression of devastation on his face, he forgot that they didn't like each other. "Jarod? What's wrong? Is it Parker?"
"She's beginning to remember." Jarod sounded empty.
"I thought that was supposed to be a good thing."
"She was pregnant. And then she got shot."
Lyle couldn't think of a suitable response. 'I'm sorry' seemed too inadequate.
"I was going to be a father." An expression of pain flitted across Jarod's face before being replaced with anger. "Once again it's the Centre that's torn my family apart."
Lyle put his hand on Jarod's shoulder. "How's Parker taking it?"
"How do you think?" Jarod exhaled on a sigh. "I need to get her away from here."
"Where will you go?"
"I have a place in Florida. We were supposed to go there after we got Hayley out." Jarod ran his fingers through his hair.
"When are you leaving?"
"You think I should go?"
Lyle nodded. "I don't think it's safe for us all to be here. Would you be willing to take the kids with you? Probably Angelo too."
Jarod studied Lyle for a moment. "She's yours, isn't she? Hayley. I can't think of any other reason you'd risk getting her out."
"We've all been pawns for too long. You, me, Parker, Angelo. Jason and Hayley deserve better."
To Lyle's surprise, Jarod laughed. "Now you sound like Catherine's son."
Lyle smiled. That was high praise coming from the man he'd thought hated him.
Somewhere between D.C. and Silver Spring
It was hot and dark and stuffy. Anna's head hurt and her muscles were stiff from being cramped up. She smelled exhaust fumes. She reached up and gingerly felt the back of her head, wincing when her fingers met something warm and sticky. Blood. She tried to move but the space was too small.
Anna had never liked enclosed spaces. It didn't take much to figure out she was in the trunk of a car. She tried not to panic, but it was a losing battle.
Something dug into her side. When she remembered she'd had her cell phone in her pocket, she almost wept with relief. She pulled it out and dialed her home number, praying that someone would answer.
When the car stopped, she hoped it wasn't too late.
Silver Spring, Maryland
"But why do we have to go?" Hayley crossed her arms and frowned. "I want to stay with you."
Lyle put his hand on her shoulder. "It's safer for you to go with Jarod and Parker right now."
Hayley glanced at the stairs. Jarod and Parker came down, Jarod's hand resting protectively at the small of Parker's back. Lyle handed Jarod a gun.
Jarod shook his head, discomfort evident on his face. "I don't want it."
Hayley stepped closer and pressed it into Jarod's hands. "You're going to need it." She didn't know how she knew that.
Jason came running down the stairs, his eyes wide. He skidded to a halt next to Parker and slipped his hand in hers. Then he smiled.
The phone began to ring. The adults glanced at it, leaving the answering machine to pick up. Hayley hung back as they filed out the door. Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted to know who it was.
Outside, Anna's car pulled up. Lyle headed for it, stopping as he realized Anna wasn't in the driver's seat. His blood ran cold as Alex got out and leveled a gun at him. Lyle reached for his gun, remembering as he did that he'd given it to Jarod.
"Well, isn't this just cozy."
Jarod stepped in front of Parker and Jason. Broots pulled Debbie back into the house. Unarmed, Lyle stood between Alex and Jarod.
"Where is she?"
Alex smirked. "Your girlfriend? Somewhere in the Potomac. Feisty little thing, wasn't she? I'd never have pegged her as your type, though."
"You killed her."
"She was in the way." Alex shrugged dismissively. "Technically, you killed her. You should have known better than to involve her in Centre affairs."
Alex was right, Lyle thought. He should have kept Anna out of this.
"As much fun as chatting is, I'm a little pressed for time. I want the kids. Hand them over and I'll let you go."
"Over my dead body," Lyle hissed through clenched teeth.
"As you wish." Alex fired. Lyle stumbled backwards with the force of the impact and fell to the ground.
"NO!" Jason screamed. He pulled free of Parker's grasp and ran to Lyle's side. "No, Daddy, no!"
Jarod's shot caught Alex in the shoulder. Alex dropped his gun. Jarod fired again, hitting Alex's knee and effectively preventing him from escaping. He crossed to the car and kicked the gun away from Alex.
"You always have to spoil things, don't you, Jarod?"
"Shut up." Jarod roughly jerked Alex to his feet. "Who else knows we're here?"
Parker knelt at her brother's side. She pressed a hand to his chest wound. Lyle blinked up at her, his eyes turning opaque. "D-D-Daddy?"
Parker nodded. "He's your son."
"Promise – promise you'll look after kids . . ."
"You're going to be fine."
"Promise me."
Parker touched Lyle's cheek. "I promise."
Jason flung himself over Lyle and started sobbing. "No, you can't die. Don't die, don't die, don't die."
Parker looked to Jarod for help but he was still interrogating Alex. She stood and ran back to the house. "Call 911."
Hayley sat on the bottom step of the staircase, clutching her stomach as she rocked back and forth. Debbie sat next to her, her face white and frightened.
"It'll be okay, girls," Sydney said. In a lower voice, he asked, "How is he?"
"Not good." Parker reached for the phone.
"Parker, can we really afford to get outsiders involved?"
She whirled around, her eyes flashing fire. The old Miss Parker was back. "Damn it, Sydney, he's my brother. I can't just let him die."
"Won't die," Angelo said. He released the curtain and stepped away from the window. "Won't die."
"Anna's in the trunk." Hayley looked up suddenly. "It was her on the phone. She's in the trunk. She wanted to warn us."
"Where's Jason?" Broots asked.
Parker seemed to realize she'd left him outside and turned to fetch him. Angelo grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Leave him."
"Angelo, I can't—"
"He can help."
Parker touched her belly, thinking about the injury she should have had. She remembered waking up to find Jason in bed with her. For the first time, she wondered if he'd had something to do with her healing. She couldn't deny that he wasn't an ordinary child; she made a mental note to ask him how he'd known about his parentage.
"We need to help Anna," she said.
Angelo smiled and released Parker's arm. Hayley followed her out, stifling a cry with a hand to her mouth when she saw Lyle lying on the ground. Jarod looked up.
"Hayley, I need something to tie Alex up."
Hayley nodded, but didn't move.
"Hayley, now!"
She returned inside. Parker headed straight for the car and reached inside to pop the trunk. She helped Anna climb out, keeping a firm grip on Anna's elbow to steady her. Anna saw Lyle and her knees buckled.
Jarod smacked Alex upside the head. "Do you ever tell the truth?"
The other pretender managed a smile. "You and your truth. There are bigger things going on."
Jarod didn't have time to think about Alex's cryptic statement. A glance at Lyle told him he needed to get the injured man some place where Jarod could help him.
And they needed to get out of there before any other Centre employees showed up.
