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Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters do not belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.
Going, Going, Gone
Prologue
By: 24
Jarod stood on the porch of his rented cabin on the lake. He was a mile or more from Blue Cove, Delaware, but he didn’t worry about being a little close to the Centre. He watched as the water lapped onto the beach and then ebb away from the beach again. He flipped his phone open and dialed a familiar number.
“What?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Well, talk.”
“Not on the phone. Can you meet me somewhere?”
“Why would I want to meet with you unless it’s to turn yourself in?”
“Because I think I have a way to close down the Centre.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you. How about tomorrow at 3:00 pm at the Café in town?”
“I’ll be there. I don’t have to tell you to come alone. Do I?”
“No.”
“Good. See you soon.”
3:00 pm.
Downtown Blue Cove, Delaware
Jarod watched from a hiding space as Miss Parker parked her car and get out walking towards the Café where they were to meet. He glanced around happy to find out that there were no sweepers. He stood there for a while just to make sure that she wasn’t lying and then walked towards the building.
He walked in and saw her sitting at a window table. He sat down in the chair opposite of her.
“Hello Miss Parker.”
“Jarod. So I take it you want to bring down the Centre?”
“Yes. I need help though. I need you, Sydney and Broots to help. Don’t worry. I won’t put anyone in danger. I just need help with things. I have a safe place where no one will find out about.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you willing to trust me?”
“Because I remember the little boy who I gave a kiss to and I miss him. I also miss us being friends.”
“I still am your friend Miss Parker even if you never thought of yourself as mine. That’s why I gave you all those clues to your past. That’s why I kept in contact with you and Sydney.”
“Why Jarod?”
“Didn’t I tell you when Bartlett caught us? Because I still remember the little girl that gave me my first kiss.”
“Why have you decided to remember the first kiss now?”
“Because I’m tired of all the lies that my father fed me. I’m tired of going from one place to the next trying to capture you and take you back. I want it to end.”
Jarod stared at her for a minute then nodded his head.
“I’m tired of running to. I want the chance to spend more than a month in one place. I want my freedom and to stop looking over my shoulder all the time. I want to stop being afraid. I want my nightmares to stop. I want a life.”
“I’m sorry Jarod.”
“It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. You are a victim just like I was.”
“How can you do that?”
“Do what?”
“How can you forgive me? For all the things I did to you.”
“How can you forgive me? I mean I called you in the middle of the nights, led you on chases and fed you clues to your past.”
“I know you want me to open my eyes to what the Centre is about. I know that now.”
“Miss Parker, I want you to get your things and meet me here in about an hour. I have the safe house and you can move there to. I will do the same with Broots and Sydney.”
“Jarod, I want you do something for me.”
“What?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I want you to involve Sam.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I feel like he wants to do something about the Centre. I caught him looking away a few times and doing stuff that he would get killed doing if I wasn’t the one that watched it. He betrayed the Centre on numerous occasions.”
“I don’t know Miss Parker. I don’t trust him.”
“Please Jarod. He’s a good man.”
“How do I know that he won’t tackle me, cuff me and take me back to the Centre?”
“Because I truly believe that he wants it to stop. Like I said I saw him betray the Centre.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him, but if I believe this to be a trap, or anything then I’ll leave and never look back. I’ll do this on my own. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him to meet us here in the same time as I told you. I’ll take both of you to the safe house if I believe what he says is true.”
“Okay.”
She left and came back with Sam in tow. They exited the car and walked to the Café again. Jarod was across the street again glancing around for a trap. He stood there for a few more minutes and then walked across the street. Miss Parker and Sam were in the same table as last time and he sat down. He looked around once more and then turned to Sam.
“I hear you want to end the Centre too?”
“Yes. When Miss Parker told me what you were doing I said yes I’d meet you. Jarod, you can trust me. I won’t take you in. I’m tired of working for the Centre and I want all the ugliness inside to stop.”
“You were the one that chased me and cuffed me.”
“Yes. That was my work, but I recently found out more stuff that I wanted to. I want this to stop. I smuggled some files out of the Centre and was wondering what to do with them.”
“Where are the files?”
“In my briefcase.” He lifted the briefcase up and unlocked it. Jarod tensed at the click of the briefcase. He flinched when it was opened.
The folders were taken out and handed to the pretender. Jarod read through them and glanced at Sam.
“When did you get these?”
“Yesterday.”
He looked into Sam’s eyes and then nodded.
“Okay, I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you. What about my wife and son?”
“I’ll put them up somewhere safe.”
Sam and Miss Parker followed Jarod to his newest place and pulled up to the cabin. The cabin was a wooden color and was three stories high. A patio graced the bottom part of the house all the way around the house. A four-car garage was attached to the house. Jarod clicked the garage door opener and they all opened. He parked his car and Miss Parker parked right beside him. They all got out and walked to the door which led to the kitchen.
“This is a beautiful house Jarod.”
“Yes, it is. There’s four bedrooms upstairs and there’s four on the top floor. There’s two bathrooms upstairs and two on the top floor.”
Jarod led them upstairs and told them they could have whatever rooms they wanted except his room. Sam had a duffle bag and Miss Parker had a suitcase. They went back downstairs and talked a bit. Jarod put down the papers and booted up his laptop. He went to work. He asked Miss Parker and Sam some questions and then went back to the computer. He glanced at the computer clock and found out that it was almost dinnertime. He got up and started dinner. The plates were out and so were the silverware then he served dinner. The living room table was big enough for a few more people around it plus the laptop and papers, so he didn’t have to move anything.
“This is good Jarod.”
“Thank you.” He smiled.
That night Jarod had a nightmare. He bolted up in bed and brushed the sweat off his brow. He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face and then went outside to sit on the porch steps. He watched the moon reflect off the water and the water flow to the beach.
“Are you okay Jarod?”
He jumped when he heard her voice. He turned to her and watched her approach him.
“I’m fine.” He said as he turned back to the water.
“Do you have nightmares a lot?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry Jarod.”
“It’s not your fault. Go back in and go to sleep. I know how to do this.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
The next day Jarod went out again with Sam to talk to his wife. When they drove up to the house his wife April opened the door and hugged her husband. Their little boy Jason ran to his father.
“Where were you Sam?”
“I have to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Jarod can you please watch Jason?”
“Sure.”
He led her into their bedroom and sat her down on a chair.
“I haven’t been truthful in what I do.”
“What do you mean? And who is that man Jarod? Do you trust him with Jason?”
“I trust him with Jason and I’ll tell you everything.”
“I work for a corporation called the Centre. I’ve been on a team trying to find and capture Jarod the man in the living room.”
“You let a criminal with our son?” She said as she went to get up.
“Wait, I’m not finished.”
“I recently found out that he was stolen from his parents as a child. He was taken because he’s a pretender, a genius who can become anyone he wants to be. He was locked up in a cell only to be let out to do simulations. He did experiments and experiments were done on him. When he was older he found out that the simulations he thought were helping were actually hurting and killing people, so he escaped. I was put on his pursuit team along with Miss Parker, Jarod’s childhood friend, Sydney, Jarod’s mentor or handler and then Broots a computer tech. We go every time there’s a sighting and go search for him to bring him back to the Centre.”
“My goodness who would do that to a child?”
“The Centre.”
“I told you this because we need you to take you somewhere safe. We can’t take you with us, but somewhere else.”
“Okay.”
She got a suitcase and packed most of her things and then did the same with Jason’s clothes. She also took some toys for him and then went back to the living room and watched the two. Sam was watching his son and Jarod too.
“So you move the little pieces that look like gingerbread around the board. Then you take the cards that look like candy and go to that place?”
“Yes.” The little boy laughed at the man.
“What is this?” Jarod pointed to the house.
“It’s a gingerbread house.”
“Oh.”
“We made one for Christmas last year.”
“Really was it fun?”
“Yes. We put lemon drops and gummy bears around it.”
“Gummy bears? Lemon drops? What are those?”
“Candy.”
“Oh. Do they taste as good as Pez?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said he’s a genius?” Whispered April.
“He was kept isolated and only ate one thing inside the Centre. He never knew about Pez, ice cream, candy, or anything else. I heard that his first discovery when he escaped was ice cream.” He whispered back.
“My goodness. Poor boy.”
“Jason, why don’t you put the game away? We have to go.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Jarod helped the little boy put the game away and Jason walked to the cupboard to put it away.
“Sam told me about you. I’m sorry that you were put through that and I hope you find your parents.”
“Thank you.”
They all walked out of the house. Jarod glanced around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He then watched April and Jason get into one car and them in their car. Jarod led them to the safe house and made sure they were situated. Sam said goodbye to his family glad that they were safe. Jarod stopped at a store to get food. He brought some ice cream too then went back to the house.
Going, Going, Gone
Prologue
By: 24
Jarod stood on the porch of his rented cabin on the lake. He was a mile or more from Blue Cove, Delaware, but he didn’t worry about being a little close to the Centre. He watched as the water lapped onto the beach and then ebb away from the beach again. He flipped his phone open and dialed a familiar number.
“What?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Well, talk.”
“Not on the phone. Can you meet me somewhere?”
“Why would I want to meet with you unless it’s to turn yourself in?”
“Because I think I have a way to close down the Centre.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you. How about tomorrow at 3:00 pm at the Café in town?”
“I’ll be there. I don’t have to tell you to come alone. Do I?”
“No.”
“Good. See you soon.”
3:00 pm.
Downtown Blue Cove, Delaware
Jarod watched from a hiding space as Miss Parker parked her car and get out walking towards the Café where they were to meet. He glanced around happy to find out that there were no sweepers. He stood there for a while just to make sure that she wasn’t lying and then walked towards the building.
He walked in and saw her sitting at a window table. He sat down in the chair opposite of her.
“Hello Miss Parker.”
“Jarod. So I take it you want to bring down the Centre?”
“Yes. I need help though. I need you, Sydney and Broots to help. Don’t worry. I won’t put anyone in danger. I just need help with things. I have a safe place where no one will find out about.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you willing to trust me?”
“Because I remember the little boy who I gave a kiss to and I miss him. I also miss us being friends.”
“I still am your friend Miss Parker even if you never thought of yourself as mine. That’s why I gave you all those clues to your past. That’s why I kept in contact with you and Sydney.”
“Why Jarod?”
“Didn’t I tell you when Bartlett caught us? Because I still remember the little girl that gave me my first kiss.”
“Why have you decided to remember the first kiss now?”
“Because I’m tired of all the lies that my father fed me. I’m tired of going from one place to the next trying to capture you and take you back. I want it to end.”
Jarod stared at her for a minute then nodded his head.
“I’m tired of running to. I want the chance to spend more than a month in one place. I want my freedom and to stop looking over my shoulder all the time. I want to stop being afraid. I want my nightmares to stop. I want a life.”
“I’m sorry Jarod.”
“It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. You are a victim just like I was.”
“How can you do that?”
“Do what?”
“How can you forgive me? For all the things I did to you.”
“How can you forgive me? I mean I called you in the middle of the nights, led you on chases and fed you clues to your past.”
“I know you want me to open my eyes to what the Centre is about. I know that now.”
“Miss Parker, I want you to get your things and meet me here in about an hour. I have the safe house and you can move there to. I will do the same with Broots and Sydney.”
“Jarod, I want you do something for me.”
“What?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I want you to involve Sam.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I feel like he wants to do something about the Centre. I caught him looking away a few times and doing stuff that he would get killed doing if I wasn’t the one that watched it. He betrayed the Centre on numerous occasions.”
“I don’t know Miss Parker. I don’t trust him.”
“Please Jarod. He’s a good man.”
“How do I know that he won’t tackle me, cuff me and take me back to the Centre?”
“Because I truly believe that he wants it to stop. Like I said I saw him betray the Centre.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him, but if I believe this to be a trap, or anything then I’ll leave and never look back. I’ll do this on my own. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him to meet us here in the same time as I told you. I’ll take both of you to the safe house if I believe what he says is true.”
“Okay.”
She left and came back with Sam in tow. They exited the car and walked to the Café again. Jarod was across the street again glancing around for a trap. He stood there for a few more minutes and then walked across the street. Miss Parker and Sam were in the same table as last time and he sat down. He looked around once more and then turned to Sam.
“I hear you want to end the Centre too?”
“Yes. When Miss Parker told me what you were doing I said yes I’d meet you. Jarod, you can trust me. I won’t take you in. I’m tired of working for the Centre and I want all the ugliness inside to stop.”
“You were the one that chased me and cuffed me.”
“Yes. That was my work, but I recently found out more stuff that I wanted to. I want this to stop. I smuggled some files out of the Centre and was wondering what to do with them.”
“Where are the files?”
“In my briefcase.” He lifted the briefcase up and unlocked it. Jarod tensed at the click of the briefcase. He flinched when it was opened.
The folders were taken out and handed to the pretender. Jarod read through them and glanced at Sam.
“When did you get these?”
“Yesterday.”
He looked into Sam’s eyes and then nodded.
“Okay, I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you. What about my wife and son?”
“I’ll put them up somewhere safe.”
Sam and Miss Parker followed Jarod to his newest place and pulled up to the cabin. The cabin was a wooden color and was three stories high. A patio graced the bottom part of the house all the way around the house. A four-car garage was attached to the house. Jarod clicked the garage door opener and they all opened. He parked his car and Miss Parker parked right beside him. They all got out and walked to the door which led to the kitchen.
“This is a beautiful house Jarod.”
“Yes, it is. There’s four bedrooms upstairs and there’s four on the top floor. There’s two bathrooms upstairs and two on the top floor.”
Jarod led them upstairs and told them they could have whatever rooms they wanted except his room. Sam had a duffle bag and Miss Parker had a suitcase. They went back downstairs and talked a bit. Jarod put down the papers and booted up his laptop. He went to work. He asked Miss Parker and Sam some questions and then went back to the computer. He glanced at the computer clock and found out that it was almost dinnertime. He got up and started dinner. The plates were out and so were the silverware then he served dinner. The living room table was big enough for a few more people around it plus the laptop and papers, so he didn’t have to move anything.
“This is good Jarod.”
“Thank you.” He smiled.
That night Jarod had a nightmare. He bolted up in bed and brushed the sweat off his brow. He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face and then went outside to sit on the porch steps. He watched the moon reflect off the water and the water flow to the beach.
“Are you okay Jarod?”
He jumped when he heard her voice. He turned to her and watched her approach him.
“I’m fine.” He said as he turned back to the water.
“Do you have nightmares a lot?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry Jarod.”
“It’s not your fault. Go back in and go to sleep. I know how to do this.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
The next day Jarod went out again with Sam to talk to his wife. When they drove up to the house his wife April opened the door and hugged her husband. Their little boy Jason ran to his father.
“Where were you Sam?”
“I have to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Jarod can you please watch Jason?”
“Sure.”
He led her into their bedroom and sat her down on a chair.
“I haven’t been truthful in what I do.”
“What do you mean? And who is that man Jarod? Do you trust him with Jason?”
“I trust him with Jason and I’ll tell you everything.”
“I work for a corporation called the Centre. I’ve been on a team trying to find and capture Jarod the man in the living room.”
“You let a criminal with our son?” She said as she went to get up.
“Wait, I’m not finished.”
“I recently found out that he was stolen from his parents as a child. He was taken because he’s a pretender, a genius who can become anyone he wants to be. He was locked up in a cell only to be let out to do simulations. He did experiments and experiments were done on him. When he was older he found out that the simulations he thought were helping were actually hurting and killing people, so he escaped. I was put on his pursuit team along with Miss Parker, Jarod’s childhood friend, Sydney, Jarod’s mentor or handler and then Broots a computer tech. We go every time there’s a sighting and go search for him to bring him back to the Centre.”
“My goodness who would do that to a child?”
“The Centre.”
“I told you this because we need you to take you somewhere safe. We can’t take you with us, but somewhere else.”
“Okay.”
She got a suitcase and packed most of her things and then did the same with Jason’s clothes. She also took some toys for him and then went back to the living room and watched the two. Sam was watching his son and Jarod too.
“So you move the little pieces that look like gingerbread around the board. Then you take the cards that look like candy and go to that place?”
“Yes.” The little boy laughed at the man.
“What is this?” Jarod pointed to the house.
“It’s a gingerbread house.”
“Oh.”
“We made one for Christmas last year.”
“Really was it fun?”
“Yes. We put lemon drops and gummy bears around it.”
“Gummy bears? Lemon drops? What are those?”
“Candy.”
“Oh. Do they taste as good as Pez?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said he’s a genius?” Whispered April.
“He was kept isolated and only ate one thing inside the Centre. He never knew about Pez, ice cream, candy, or anything else. I heard that his first discovery when he escaped was ice cream.” He whispered back.
“My goodness. Poor boy.”
“Jason, why don’t you put the game away? We have to go.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Jarod helped the little boy put the game away and Jason walked to the cupboard to put it away.
“Sam told me about you. I’m sorry that you were put through that and I hope you find your parents.”
“Thank you.”
They all walked out of the house. Jarod glanced around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He then watched April and Jason get into one car and them in their car. Jarod led them to the safe house and made sure they were situated. Sam said goodbye to his family glad that they were safe. Jarod stopped at a store to get food. He brought some ice cream too then went back to the house.
