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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hayley
Eight
Melanie-Anne
January 6
Super 8 Motel
Salisbury, Maryland
Lyle sat on the edge of the bed and tenderly smoothed Hayley's hair away from her face. Then he traced the length of her jaw with his fingertips. This was his daughter, his flesh and blood. How odd.
He'd never pictured himself as a father, not even during his short-lived marriage to Xi Ling. For the first time since he'd received the test results, the enormity of the situation hit him. He'd taken two Centre projects and run away with them. His life as he'd known it had ceased to exist. He had a new life now. He had a family.
He turned his attention back to his daughter and smiled. She really was beautiful. How much of her came from him? It was a pity he'd never known her mother. She was just a number in a file. There wasn't even a photograph.
The mattress shifted as Jason climbed onto the bed behind Lyle. "Whatcha doing?" he asked.
"Just thinking."
"I'm hungry."
Lyle turned to Jason. "Okay. What do you want?"
"Can you make scrambled eggs? Parker made scrambled eggs at Christmas. She wouldn't let me help 'cause she said boys couldn't cook, they only made a mess—" The rest of his sentence was lost as he dissolved in a fit of giggles.
Lyle wondered how Parker was. She was probably pissed that he'd disappeared with Jason, but what else could he have done? He'd gone to speak to her to find out how she felt about leaving, but she'd made it clear that she wanted to stay. He hadn't intended to take Jason with him, but when he'd arrived in Hayley's room, he'd been there too. He'd decided then that Jason deserved his freedom as much as Hayley did. Parker had had a chance to take him away but she hadn't used it. This was for the best.
So why was there an uneasy knot in the pit of his stomach?
Jason's laughter woke Hayley and she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Lyle smiled at her.
"Good morning."
"Morning." She looked around the room, her eyes shining in delight. "I thought I was dreaming."
Lyle shook his head. "I'm going to organize breakfast. You guys stay here, okay?"
"Scrambled eggs?" Jason asked.
"Not today, but as soon as we have a place with a kitchen, I promise you'll get your eggs." He ruffled Jason's hair as he stood then checked his pants pocket for his wallet. Smiling at them, he turned to leave. Hayley's innocent question stopped him in his tracks, his hand frozen on the doorknob.
"Jason, what are scrambled eggs?"
*
The Centre
Sydney shrugged off the sweeper's hand and walked into the holding room with as much dignity as he could muster. Broots was already there, seated on the cot with his head between his hands. Sydney sat next to him and sighed.
"What did we do now?" Broots asked without looking up. There was no humor in his tone.
Sydney shrugged and sighed again. "Who knows? We'll have to wait until Miss Parker gets here."
When an hour had passed and there was no sign of Parker and no one had come to see them, Sydney started to worry. He'd barely walked through the Centre doors this morning when he'd felt a sweeper grip his upper arm and lead him here. He'd expected someone to at least tell them what was going on.
He stood and walked over to the door. He knocked on the tiny window and beckoned for the sweeper to approach. It was one of Raines' sweepers, and he ignored Sydney.
"Maybe Miss Parker's the reason we're stuck in here," Broots said. "I mean, maybe something happened."
Sydney thought of their conversation on the beach and said nothing. He returned to his seat next to Broots.
"I'm sure she's fine, though," the younger man continued. "She has to be. She's Miss Parker."
*
Centre Infirmary
SL 12
"I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Raines pulled the curtains closed and sat down.
Parker stared at the ceiling. "Just fine and dandy, thanks."
"Everything . . . intact?"
She didn't have to look at him to know he was grinning. "You'd have to ask the doctor."
"No complications?"
Bastard, she thought, but refused to give him the pleasure of knowing how hard his words hit her. She took a deep, calming breath. "Not to my knowledge."
"How have you been lately?"
There was that vague sense of unease again, and a murmur of voices in the back of her mind. "Since when do you care?" she asked.
"I am your father."
She laughed. "You may have supplied my genetic material but you are not my father. It takes more than that." She turned her head to look at him. "Annie's lucky she never got to know the real you."
Her words reached their target. Raines shot forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair, twisting until tears sprang to her eyes. "You're right, I'm not your father. And I also have no qualms about disposing of you, except the Triumvirate thinks you may still be of some use. So, tell me how long you've been sleeping with Jarod."
Parker wondered if he could hear her heart hammering loudly in her chest. She managed to plaster a disbelieving smile on her face and summoned just the right amount of indignation in her tone. "What?!"
"Don't lie to me. I know it was his child."
"What child?" Way to go, Parker. When all else fails, play dumb.
He twisted her hair again, and she felt some tear free of her scalp. "Don't play with me!"
She forced herself to look him in the eye. "You know, you could really use a breathmint."
He slapped her, and as she raise a hand to her stinging cheek, it occurred to her that goading him probably hadn't been her best idea.
"Mr. Raines!" The startled gasp of the doctor meant she had a temporary reprieve. He bent over her, examining her cheek. "Miss Parker, are you alright?"
"Just peachy." She turned to smile defiantly at Raines. End Round One, she thought.
*
Super 8 Motel
Lyle opened the door to what sounded like a mini-battle. He caught sight of Tom and Jerry on the TV screen and smiled.
"But the poor cat—" Hayley said.
"It's his own fault. He keeps going back. If he didn't try an' catch the mouse then he wouldn't get hurt."
There was a pause, then, "I don't like this. Let's do something else."
Lyle put the grocery bags down on one of the beds, making enough noise to attract their attention.
"Hayley doesn't like Tom an' Jerry." Jason sounded as if that was the end of the world.
"Well, it's silly." She glanced longingly at the window. "Can we go outside?"
"Later." Lyle handed each of the children a muffin. Jason ripped the plastic wrapper off and settled back in front of the TV. Hayley held it in her hand and looked at Lyle.
"Umm . . . what is this?"
Of course . . . Hayley knew nothing of the outside world. He felt like kicking himself. "Blueberry muffin. Try it. I'm sure you'll like it."
She still looked unsure, but followed Jason's example and went to eat in front of the TV. Lyle sat on the empty bed and opened a road map. He had no idea where he was headed; he just wanted as much distance between them and the Centre as possible.
". . . When Parker's gonna get here. An' wait till you meet Jarod—"
Lyle looked up; sure he'd misheard. "What did you say?"
Jason looked up at Lyle, his expression guileless. "I was just wondering when Parker an' Jarod were getting here."
"Parker and . . . Jarod?"
Jason nodded. "Uh huh. Hey, how come you got us out instead?"
"Parker was going to get you out?" When Jason nodded, Lyle's heart fell. He'd underestimated his sister again. He patted a clear spot on the bed. "Come sit here a sec. Tell me everything."
Jason glanced at Hayley and shrugged. "We were gonna go away at Christmas. Jarod—he's her—"
"I know Jarod." I should have known, he thought. Of course she wouldn't have told me she wanted to leave. She didn't trust me.
"Okay. Well, he had a new home for us an' everything. But then they said we had to wait 'cause there was someone else they had to help." He turned to Hayley. "Hey, that must have been you."
Hayley met Lyle's gaze, obviously worried that she'd done something wrong. "I didn't know what she wanted to do."
Lyle picked up his cell phone and dialed Parker's number. He held his breath and silently counted the rings. "Hi, Parker. It's Lyle. Call me when you get this. It's important."
"I don't understand," Jason said. "If you wanted the same thing, why didn't you just work together?"
"I don't know." Lyle stood and walked to the window, opening it to let some fresh air in. The first time he'd tried to do something right, it seemed like he'd messed up. Hayley came to stand next to him and hooked her arm through his.
"I'm glad it was you," she said.
"Why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just am. It feels . . . right."
Lyle couldn't help smiling and he was tempted to tell her the truth. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you, Mr. Lyle." She leaned against him and closed her eyes, her face tilted to the sun. Lyle settled for covering her hand with his and enjoying the sunshine. They had plenty of time.
Eight
Melanie-Anne
January 6
Super 8 Motel
Salisbury, Maryland
Lyle sat on the edge of the bed and tenderly smoothed Hayley's hair away from her face. Then he traced the length of her jaw with his fingertips. This was his daughter, his flesh and blood. How odd.
He'd never pictured himself as a father, not even during his short-lived marriage to Xi Ling. For the first time since he'd received the test results, the enormity of the situation hit him. He'd taken two Centre projects and run away with them. His life as he'd known it had ceased to exist. He had a new life now. He had a family.
He turned his attention back to his daughter and smiled. She really was beautiful. How much of her came from him? It was a pity he'd never known her mother. She was just a number in a file. There wasn't even a photograph.
The mattress shifted as Jason climbed onto the bed behind Lyle. "Whatcha doing?" he asked.
"Just thinking."
"I'm hungry."
Lyle turned to Jason. "Okay. What do you want?"
"Can you make scrambled eggs? Parker made scrambled eggs at Christmas. She wouldn't let me help 'cause she said boys couldn't cook, they only made a mess—" The rest of his sentence was lost as he dissolved in a fit of giggles.
Lyle wondered how Parker was. She was probably pissed that he'd disappeared with Jason, but what else could he have done? He'd gone to speak to her to find out how she felt about leaving, but she'd made it clear that she wanted to stay. He hadn't intended to take Jason with him, but when he'd arrived in Hayley's room, he'd been there too. He'd decided then that Jason deserved his freedom as much as Hayley did. Parker had had a chance to take him away but she hadn't used it. This was for the best.
So why was there an uneasy knot in the pit of his stomach?
Jason's laughter woke Hayley and she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Lyle smiled at her.
"Good morning."
"Morning." She looked around the room, her eyes shining in delight. "I thought I was dreaming."
Lyle shook his head. "I'm going to organize breakfast. You guys stay here, okay?"
"Scrambled eggs?" Jason asked.
"Not today, but as soon as we have a place with a kitchen, I promise you'll get your eggs." He ruffled Jason's hair as he stood then checked his pants pocket for his wallet. Smiling at them, he turned to leave. Hayley's innocent question stopped him in his tracks, his hand frozen on the doorknob.
"Jason, what are scrambled eggs?"
*
The Centre
Sydney shrugged off the sweeper's hand and walked into the holding room with as much dignity as he could muster. Broots was already there, seated on the cot with his head between his hands. Sydney sat next to him and sighed.
"What did we do now?" Broots asked without looking up. There was no humor in his tone.
Sydney shrugged and sighed again. "Who knows? We'll have to wait until Miss Parker gets here."
When an hour had passed and there was no sign of Parker and no one had come to see them, Sydney started to worry. He'd barely walked through the Centre doors this morning when he'd felt a sweeper grip his upper arm and lead him here. He'd expected someone to at least tell them what was going on.
He stood and walked over to the door. He knocked on the tiny window and beckoned for the sweeper to approach. It was one of Raines' sweepers, and he ignored Sydney.
"Maybe Miss Parker's the reason we're stuck in here," Broots said. "I mean, maybe something happened."
Sydney thought of their conversation on the beach and said nothing. He returned to his seat next to Broots.
"I'm sure she's fine, though," the younger man continued. "She has to be. She's Miss Parker."
*
Centre Infirmary
SL 12
"I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Raines pulled the curtains closed and sat down.
Parker stared at the ceiling. "Just fine and dandy, thanks."
"Everything . . . intact?"
She didn't have to look at him to know he was grinning. "You'd have to ask the doctor."
"No complications?"
Bastard, she thought, but refused to give him the pleasure of knowing how hard his words hit her. She took a deep, calming breath. "Not to my knowledge."
"How have you been lately?"
There was that vague sense of unease again, and a murmur of voices in the back of her mind. "Since when do you care?" she asked.
"I am your father."
She laughed. "You may have supplied my genetic material but you are not my father. It takes more than that." She turned her head to look at him. "Annie's lucky she never got to know the real you."
Her words reached their target. Raines shot forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair, twisting until tears sprang to her eyes. "You're right, I'm not your father. And I also have no qualms about disposing of you, except the Triumvirate thinks you may still be of some use. So, tell me how long you've been sleeping with Jarod."
Parker wondered if he could hear her heart hammering loudly in her chest. She managed to plaster a disbelieving smile on her face and summoned just the right amount of indignation in her tone. "What?!"
"Don't lie to me. I know it was his child."
"What child?" Way to go, Parker. When all else fails, play dumb.
He twisted her hair again, and she felt some tear free of her scalp. "Don't play with me!"
She forced herself to look him in the eye. "You know, you could really use a breathmint."
He slapped her, and as she raise a hand to her stinging cheek, it occurred to her that goading him probably hadn't been her best idea.
"Mr. Raines!" The startled gasp of the doctor meant she had a temporary reprieve. He bent over her, examining her cheek. "Miss Parker, are you alright?"
"Just peachy." She turned to smile defiantly at Raines. End Round One, she thought.
*
Super 8 Motel
Lyle opened the door to what sounded like a mini-battle. He caught sight of Tom and Jerry on the TV screen and smiled.
"But the poor cat—" Hayley said.
"It's his own fault. He keeps going back. If he didn't try an' catch the mouse then he wouldn't get hurt."
There was a pause, then, "I don't like this. Let's do something else."
Lyle put the grocery bags down on one of the beds, making enough noise to attract their attention.
"Hayley doesn't like Tom an' Jerry." Jason sounded as if that was the end of the world.
"Well, it's silly." She glanced longingly at the window. "Can we go outside?"
"Later." Lyle handed each of the children a muffin. Jason ripped the plastic wrapper off and settled back in front of the TV. Hayley held it in her hand and looked at Lyle.
"Umm . . . what is this?"
Of course . . . Hayley knew nothing of the outside world. He felt like kicking himself. "Blueberry muffin. Try it. I'm sure you'll like it."
She still looked unsure, but followed Jason's example and went to eat in front of the TV. Lyle sat on the empty bed and opened a road map. He had no idea where he was headed; he just wanted as much distance between them and the Centre as possible.
". . . When Parker's gonna get here. An' wait till you meet Jarod—"
Lyle looked up; sure he'd misheard. "What did you say?"
Jason looked up at Lyle, his expression guileless. "I was just wondering when Parker an' Jarod were getting here."
"Parker and . . . Jarod?"
Jason nodded. "Uh huh. Hey, how come you got us out instead?"
"Parker was going to get you out?" When Jason nodded, Lyle's heart fell. He'd underestimated his sister again. He patted a clear spot on the bed. "Come sit here a sec. Tell me everything."
Jason glanced at Hayley and shrugged. "We were gonna go away at Christmas. Jarod—he's her—"
"I know Jarod." I should have known, he thought. Of course she wouldn't have told me she wanted to leave. She didn't trust me.
"Okay. Well, he had a new home for us an' everything. But then they said we had to wait 'cause there was someone else they had to help." He turned to Hayley. "Hey, that must have been you."
Hayley met Lyle's gaze, obviously worried that she'd done something wrong. "I didn't know what she wanted to do."
Lyle picked up his cell phone and dialed Parker's number. He held his breath and silently counted the rings. "Hi, Parker. It's Lyle. Call me when you get this. It's important."
"I don't understand," Jason said. "If you wanted the same thing, why didn't you just work together?"
"I don't know." Lyle stood and walked to the window, opening it to let some fresh air in. The first time he'd tried to do something right, it seemed like he'd messed up. Hayley came to stand next to him and hooked her arm through his.
"I'm glad it was you," she said.
"Why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just am. It feels . . . right."
Lyle couldn't help smiling and he was tempted to tell her the truth. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you, Mr. Lyle." She leaned against him and closed her eyes, her face tilted to the sun. Lyle settled for covering her hand with his and enjoying the sunshine. They had plenty of time.
