Part Seven

“Miss Parker!” Jarod almost-shouted into the phone, yet another prepaid cell from his seemingly endless stash.

“Jarod?” Major Charles spoke into the phone, “Parker is in the other room.”

“Dad,” the word fell affectionately from his lips. “Are you okay? And Jim and Ethan? What’s going on there, why is Parker with you?”

“One question at the time, son,” the Major replied with a chuckle, smiling at Jim as he sat on the couch between him and Ethan. Sydney had settled in across from them mere minutes before, a psychology journal in his hands. Broots was in the study with Ben, trying to point out the basics of computer literacy to the older man. “Everyone is fine. Jim and Ethan are right beside me.”

“Dad, what happened to the house? I heard there was a fire, was anyone hurt?” Jarod spoke anxiously over the phone.

“Everyone is fine, Jarod. Yes there was a fire, but I set it myself. Was a little concerned the Centre might be getting too close for comfort,” his father stated, words cautious but true.

“Did Parker tell them where you were?” he demanded.

“No, Jarod. Miss Parker is here because she wants to be, and we want her here. She has been a big help. Stop worrying, son, everything is fine.” Major Charles met Ethan’s eyes over Jim’s head.

“May I talk to him?” Ethan asked, extending his right hand for the phone. Without question, Major Charles placed the receiver in his hand. “Jarod. How are you, brother?”

“Ethan! I’m fine, if a little confused. Can you tell me anything about what is going on?”

“I wish I could, Jarod. We don’t really know what’s going on, only that the Centre is planning something dangerous. My sister and I are trying to help the others get more information on their recent activities,” Ethan replied, hunching over and squinting mindlessly at the papers on the coffee table.

“I don’t understand. There doesn’t appear to be any strange Centre activity on the radar right now – aside from the usual. The information I was sent indicated Raines and Lyle were starting a new project, or perhaps already had… I cant seem to find any further details on it from the outside. Has something else happened? Or is it your Inner Sense?”

“Nothing yet, brother,” the younger man fudged a little, “but the voices are telling us that something is happening, or is going to. Hold on a minute, here’s Dad again.” Shoving the phone back to his father, Ethan pressed himself further back into the couch, worried he was on the verge of telling his brother too much, too soon.

“Jarod? Listen, I need you to do me a couple of favors. I’ve managed to move us to a secure location – don’t try to find it just yet. We are working on a plan to access some Centre files you may not be able to get to from the mainframe alone. It’s still in the planning stages, so we need a little more time before they pick up our trail. Keep them guessing like you always do, son, and as soon as we figure out what is going on, we’ll let you know.” Major Charles stood to his feet, stretching his back to pop a few kinks that had settled in his spine.

“Dad… I’m not sure this is a good idea. The Centre…” Jarod began, only to be interrupted by his father.

“Jarod, I’ve been dealing with that place since before you were born. Between us, we can handle it. Right now, the best thing you can do is wait. If you want to throw out a few false leads for them as well, it would be appreciated. Just make sure you stay a couple of steps ahead. We have reason to believe they may be trying even harder to find you now that Parker is gone as well.”

“Speaking of The Centre, Dad… Were you able to find somewhere for Sydney and Broots?”

“Yes,” Major Charles began again.

“I have to go, Dad. My transportation is here,” Jarod watched as the metro train raced toward him. “Expect a video message in the next few days, once I find a place to set it up and a secure line. Take care, Dad.”

“Goodbye, Jarod,” the Major answered, placing the phone back in the cradle. Turning to Sydney and placing a hand on his youngest son’s back, he stated, “I’m not sure he will respect my wishes, Sydney. But I covered our tracks well on the way here, and Jarod does not know about this place. If the Centre is watching him, it will take a while before we have to worry. Enough time to set this plan in motion, at any rate.”

“He didn’t question why Parker was here?” Sydney queried.

“Beyond what I told him? Not yet. He sounded like he was in a subway station, probably just hasn’t worked through the details. He knows that something is up, and that whatever it is, it is bad enough that Miss Parker left the Centre behind and came to us for help. He’s going to lay a few false trails for them to follow, maybe that’ll divert their attention – and his – for a few days.”

Nodding, Sydney paused. “He does not know you brought Broots and I along?”

Shaking his head, Major Charles added, “Or Debbie or Ben. He didn’t give me time to explain, and I’m not sure I would have. I believe he intended for me to move you to a safe house, not keep you with us.”

Rather morbidly, the other man asked, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”

“No,” a chuckle broke through his reply. “Keeping our allies alive so they can continue being our allies!” With a small sigh, he added, “Parker wanted you here. I believe it may have been her intention all along that you just arrive in separate groups. If she came and did not receive a comfortable welcome, she probably would have found another way of securing you a safe house. When she arrived in North Carolina, she asked us merely for help hiding the three of you – and Ben – from the Centre, while she figured out what was going on. After reading the file, it was clear that she would need help. Besides, we have a vested interest in the outcome of this. The Centre’s present activities must be stopped. No one person can manage that, not even a Parker.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m probably not really a Parker then, isn’t it?” the subject of their conversation interrupted, walking barefoot into the room with her young charge. Before any one ventured to speak, Miss Parker smoothed her shirt down over the waistband of her jeans, having peeled Thomas’ flannel shirt off in the bedroom, “Jarod called?”

Major Charles nodded, “Miss Parker…”

Sparing him a brief smile, she moved toward the couch. “What did Wonder Boy have to say?”

Ethan rolled his eyes at the term, breaking into the conversation. “Not much, once he was sure you weren’t tormenting us with cattle prods or anything.”

She shot him a sly smirk. “Oh, but the day is young, Ethan!” Smirking, she turned to the other men. “So, where are we at?”

“Wyoming…?” Jim ventured, confused by the question. Debbie giggled and flopped down on the floor beside him, shaking her head.

“I told Jarod we were working on a way to access the Centre mainframe more securely. He’s going to lay a few false trails and give us some space for now. He’s aware that the Centre is working on some sort of project, but only because of what he found in the mainframe last week and what we’ve told him,” Major Charles broke in, eyes drifting between the two siblings.

“What exactly did Jarod find in the mainframe, Syd?” Parker questioned the man to her right.

“Jarod was… directed toward a file embedded in the Centre mainframe about Project Mirage redux. The file contained information on your DNA and on Major Charles’. It was linked to a file on your brother’s – Brigitte’ son, Baby Parker – autopsy. His death was ruled an accidental overdose, he inhaled too much of his asthma medication. It happened during the time you were missing,” the psychiatrist explained, voice low and controlled as always.

“Accidental overdose, my ass,” she muttered, knowing Raines was behind the act. “Directed to the file? How?”

“That I don’t know, Miss Parker,” Sydney shook his head. “Do you think it was a plant to get Jarod involved?”

Parker nodded, “Probably. But there’s no way to prove it. What we need right now is Broots and some information. We may not be able to do anything about what’s already happened, but if we can determine what they have planned we’ll be in a much better position to prevent it.” Looking to the girl seated a few feet away, she asked, “Debbie, will you go get your father?”

The girl scrambled to her feet and headed for the stairway, taking only a few steps down before calling out, “Daddy! Daddy, Miss Parker wants you!”

Sydney chuckled beside the brunette, who shook her head and wiped her hands over her eyes. “That’ll fuel his fantasies for weeks.”