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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Part 16
"The freedom to fail is vital if you're going to succeed. Most successful people fail from time to time, and it is a measure of their strength that failure merely propels them into some new attempt at success."
Michael Korda
Contending
October 9, 2000
22 weeks to go.
So he had managed to survive more than half of his sentence and now it was the work, combined with the effort of struggling to make a connection with Sydney that sent him, exhausted, into a deep and dreamless sleep every night. He had tried not to worry about the activities at the Centre, realizing from the feelings he received through Angelo and, in some ways, from Sydney, that they were safe for the time being. All he could hope now was that the medication which he had instructed Miss Parker, during another phone call, to make would be sufficient to reverse the damage done by the drugs and leave no lasting effects.
His biggest fear was a complete lack of knowledge about activities within the Centre. He had never, until this time, been completely unaware of the events within and surrounding it but he had little time to concern himself with it. However a second visit from his only visitor thus far forced those feelings to the surface.
"Haven't you heard anything?" Steve prompted.
"How could I, in a place like this?" Jarod glanced around the room as he made his point.
"But Angelo - you don't know anything?"
"Angelo is an empath, as you know. He know my feelings, I haven't got the capabilities to work out his." Jarod told the white lie with the straight face and no emotion. It wouldn't do to excite the man in front of him with the strange, new skill he was developing.
"Where are they?"
"I don't know, exactly. I wouldn't let Parker tell me on the phone, in case the line wasn't secure."
"I should find them."
"And how would you know where to look?"
"Tell me where they are, Jarod, and I'll help you look after them."
"Can I still trust you?"
October 11, 2000
"Have you heard from him?"
"Not for almost a month. But you know that already."
"Do you think he's still alive?" Sydney looked at Parker as she sat in a chair on the other side of the room.
"Syd, I've never known as much about him as you have. I should be asking you that question."
"Alive," a soft voice mewed.
"What?!" Both Parker and Sydney spun around and stared at the savant who had crept into the room, moments before, unnoticed. The overhead light had created a shadow in which he had concealed himself, but he now came forward and climbed into an empty chair.
"Jarod alive. Can't get out. Won't get out."
Miss Parker turned back and stared at Sydney. "Could Jarod be back at the Centre?"
"No, I assure you, Miss Parker," a new voice stated calmly. "He isn't."
"I...I'm sorry Miss Parker but he...he knocked and you didn't hear him and when he heard your voice, he came in and then I couldn't prevent him overhearing and..." Broots trailed off as both Miss Parker and Sydney moved their amazed glances from the intruder to the technician, who shrank behind the newcomer.
Angelo broke up the silence in the room by ambling over and throwing his arms around the newcomer. "Steve!"
At this, as the former sweeper returned the embrace, Sydney got out of the chair. "I knew you looked familiar, Steve McCaffrey. But what on earth are you doing here?"
"I wheedled your probable location out of Jarod, when I saw him two days ago," Steve replied, as he shook the psychiatrist’s hand. "I thought you might need my help."
"Jarod? You mean you've seen him?" the older man asked eagerly.
"Twice, in recent times."
"Where is he?" The two men turned and stared as Miss Parker, unable to restrain her curiosity, burst out with the question.
"Quite safe, Miss Parker. It is Miss Parker, isn't it? It's been so long but I could never forget that face." He smiled tenderly, and it was obvious that he was reliving a fond memory, before his eyes became more focused and he concluded his comment. "Even if it was once obvious on the face of someone else."
October 20, 2000
"For the last time, where is he?" Raines snarled.
"I've told you, I don't know." The woman was turning sulky as the questioning became increasingly aggressive and now she was refusing to give the little information she had received earlier that day.
"From what you do know, however, he disappeared from the Centre this morning. Is that correct?" Lyle snapped.
The woman stared moodily ahead and refused to answer.
"So you won't tell us? Fine, well I'm sure we can change that situation." The thumbless man nodded at the two sweepers who stood in the doorway. "Take her down to the room that I prepared earlier."
The two men, their faces expressionless, nodded in unison, moved forward and grabbed the woman by the arms. As she was lifted off the ground, she began to struggle and kick furiously.
"Stop."
The sweepers, having now been made even more instantaneously obedient by their re-education than ever before, halted immediately and waited for further orders. The man nodded at his associate, who tilted a bottle over a small cloth and walked towards the woman. She shook her head violently from side to side, but inexorably, and ignoring her pleading eyes, his hand followed the movement of her head, at the same time bringing the cloth closer to her face. Despite her struggles, the fumes began to have their effect and by the time the cloth was sitting against her mouth, her head hung down and her body was limp in the arms of the two men who held her up.
"Now, take her down to the room and get her ready. We will be down shortly."
The two men, dragging the figure between then, marched out of the room and could be heard walking down the hall. Lyle and Raines exchanged glances.
"Re-education?"
"In circumstances like this, I believe it would be wise. We have no further use for her when she's like this. A short course and we will only have one opponent to deal with."
In another part of the building, that other opponent watched the activity and glared blackly at the figures on the screen, at the same time suppressing a small shudder.
