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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
A new game started.
Truth or Consequences.
*************
The guard put the boy's body on a nearby stretcher and he is wheeled away. The boogey man turns around and she can see him filling another syringe. "No. Stay away from me." She was backing up away from him, but was stopped by the guard behind her. "You promised him. You liar!" The guard is trying to hold her still as the boogey man is coming closer.
"Extend and restrain her arm." The boogey man sticks the needle in as Lily screams to the boy on the gurney that had now disappeared.
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
**************
Angels Hope
Nightmares & Dreams
Jarod could see that Lily was having problems breathing and that whatever nightmare she was having had put her in extreme distress. He got up from his chair and sat on the bed next to her trembling, thrashing body. He shook her slightly hoping that he could wake her from her nightmare.
Lily bolted up to a sitting position, her arms punching at the imaginary aggressors. "Leave me alone!"
Jarod tried to restrain her arms so that she wouldn't pull out the intravenous lines or her stitches. "Lily, it's me. Jarod. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you here."
"Let me go! Let me go!" She tried to punch him. Not recognizing who he was, just caught in the horrible vision. Her eyes wide open in fear.
"Mark, help me." Jarod yelled.
Mark had awakened when he heard Lily scream. He looked at the monitor over the technicians shoulder, grabbed the medication that he had already preset, and was already on his way to Lily's room by the time Jarod had called for help. He swiped his card and ran into the room. He saw that Jarod was struggling to keep her from pulling her lines out.
"Hold her arms down." Mark ordered. Jarod tried to put a bear hug on Lily without pulling her lines out himself.
All she could see was Raines' face. All she could feel was the guard holding her tightly so that she felt like the wind was being pushed out of her lungs. She gasped for breath.
"Mark, why is she breathing like this? I'm not holding her tight enough so that she can't breath. Could she have an airway obstruction?" Jarod asked as he could see her still gasping for breath.
Mark injected the tranquilizer into Lily's IV. Her frantic eyes turned glassy and she fell back against Jarod and into a disturbed sleep.
"I suspected that this would happen. The memories of the traumatic experiences she had as a child are starting to surface. I believe this is only the beginning Jarod; she has a long road ahead. Only God knows what they did to her there."
Jarod had a great memory and could very well imagine what Raines had put her through. The terror in her eyes told it all.
"Jarod the sedative I gave her will have her unconscious at least until the morning. I'll stay with her this shift. You go and get some rest."
"But I want to be here..." Jarod replied determined to be there when his sister needed him.
"You're not going to do her any good if you are suffering from lack of sleep. She needs you refreshed and ready to face her demons. And you can't do that sleeping in the chair. I'm thinking of her as well as you. Please take my advice." Mark had a concerned tone in his voice.
Jarod realized that Mark was right. He would do his sister no good if he were exhausted. He also could see in Mark's eyes that he wanted to spend some time with Lily himself. For the first time he saw what he had suspected and what Stedman had confirmed - love in his eyes. "I'll go get some sleep and be back in the morning." Jarod started heading for the door.
"Jarod." Mark started and Jarod turned. "You may want to go past Catherine Parker's office before you retire." Jarod had a confused look on his face. "At last report, Miss Parker had fallen asleep in there and none of the guards wanted to take a chance on waking her." Mark had a smile on his face.
"Understood. She can be a little intimidating at times." Jarod smiled as he reached the door and knocked. The guard, Larry, opened the door. Jarod left smiling, thinking about what Parker would have done to the guards if they had tried to wake her.
************************
Joan hesitated as she debated whether or not to speak.
"Hello. Is anyone there?" Sydney asked into the phone hoping that it was Jarod.
"Sydney. It's Joan Stedman. I hope that I am not disturbing you, calling at this hour."
"Joan. No, I was just finishing up some paperwork and hoping that a friend would call. My God it's been ages since I have heard from you. Last I was told was that you had left the Centre without a trace after the accident."
"I know. I am so sorry that I didn't stay for Jacob's funeral, but there were circumstances that dictated that I leave immediately. If your call is important, I can call later." Joan replied.
"Joan. Wait one moment please." Sydney pulled a device from his desk and attached it to the phone receiver. Broots had given it to him to use in emergencies. He clicked it on. "OK. Now it's safe to talk."
"Is your line being tapped Sydney?" Joan asked, but not concerned since all calls from Angel's Hope were scrambled and untraceable.
"You never know with the Centre Joan. There is so much I need to tell you."
"And I you Sydney, but I don't have time for that now. I can't give you all the details mainly because I need to protect my charges and myself."
"Are you in trouble?" Sydney asked. Even after all these years he held a warmness in his heart for the woman who would have been his sister-in-law.
"According to Miss Parker, you already know that Jacob and Catherine Parker were working on freeing children from the Centre."
"You have seen Miss Parker?" Sydney said excited that he may finally know what had happened to her. "And was there a tall dark haired man with her?"
"Jarod." Joan replied. "Yes. That is why I am calling Sydney. What you probably didn't know was that I was working with Jacob and Catherine. When Jacob was killed, I went underground. To protect the children and myself. Then I heard of Catherine's death and that just confirmed that I could not contact anyone else at the Centre. Not even you. But I have a situation now Sydney. With Jarod and Miss Parker."
"The two together. That must be a handful." Sydney laughed to himself knowing that Miss Parker was a handful to her own right. Let alone Jarod being in her company. "How did they find you Joan? That last we knew they had been taken away in a van."
"Yes they are. Both intelligent and stubborn." Joan confirmed Sydney's suspicion. "Let's say one of my charges decided to take matters into her own hands and ran into Jarod. And from the account I got, Miss Parker was tracking Jarod. Thus a cleanup was in order."
"Sounds like you are part of a large operation."
"Sydney, I wish I could tell you more. Let's just say that Catherine Parker was a very smart woman and knew how in some cases to avoid the Centre. Since her death, I have taken on that cause. But my problem is handling them. There is a situation here that has hit Jarod very close to his heart and frankly he can be a very obstinate man."
Sydney laughed. "Yes. I believe Miss Parker would agree with you."
"And Miss Parker seems to be flippant on the outside, but I can see that finding out information about her mother is tearing her apart. What happened to her Sydney after Catherine's death?"
"She was sent away from the Centre in her early teen years and was forced to live her life without the emotional bonding that Catherine had. Mr. Parker was a very cold man who taught her to bury her feelings. She now struggles between being the daughter her father trained her to be and the sensitive woman her mother would have taught her to become. There is something else you should know that I'm not sure she has told you. Catherine was murdered by William Raines."
"I thought Catherine died of a self-inflicted wound in an elevator?" Joan asked astonished. "You mean Raines shot her in that elevator?"
"No. Catherine faked her own death. She was really pregnant and thought that Robert Parker was going to kill her, so she allowed Raines to help her fake her own death."
"But you just said that Raines killed Catherine. Why would she trust him?" Joan thought to herself. "Why wouldn't she have come here?"
"She was trapped. She couldn't leave on her trip with Miss Parker as she had hoped and had to get out of the Centre. So I guess she took the only recourse she saw open to her, but it was a mistake. All Raines wanted was the baby. He was a genetic product of Catherine and Jarod's father."
"Raines was playing God again." Joan said stoic, remembering what she had read in Catherine's files.
"And in the end he shot Catherine dead and took the baby."
"That monster. Were you able to find the child?" Joan asked concerned what Raines would do if he possessed a child that had Jarod's intelligence and Catherine's gift for inner sense.
"Jarod and Miss Parker found him working on one of Raines' projects and luckily stopped him before anyone could get hurt. As far as I know Jarod helped him to escape and he is out there somewhere."
"And probably wondering where Jarod is. Oh Sydney this is such a mess."
Sydney could hear the concern in her voice. "Whatever you do Joan you have to remember one thing. The most important thing to Jarod right now is finding out the truth about himself and finding his family. When it comes to those two things, there is no stopping him. He has been searching for six years for his family and has finally been piecing them together one by one."
"That explains the world Sydney. I knew that I could count on you. I now know how I must deal with them both. It's been nice talking to you."
"Joan. Wait. I'd like to help. Can you tell me where you are? I wouldn't tell anyone here where I was going."
"I'm sorry Sydney. I can't take a chance that they will follow you. I'll keep you updated." And with that Joan hung up the phone.
Sydney stared at the receiver in his hand. "I wish you luck Joan. With those two, you are going to need it." He hung up the phone and proceeded to gather his belongings to leave for the evening.
************************
Parker could see her mother walking the halls of Angel's Hope. She was happy and smiling. Small children would run up to her and the ones that couldn't she would go to. Touch their faces and speak kind words to them. She went into the arboretum and read a book to a group of children sitting on the grass. Parker felt a warmth come over her and she instinctively knew it was her mother.
"This is how I wanted your life to be." Parker could hear, feel her mother say? Her mother was standing facing her now. "Happy, playful. My beautiful gift from God."
"Mom. I miss you so much." Parker heard herself say. She was standing opposite her mother now, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was so confused and angry when you died. Daddy told me you killed yourself, but then I found out..."
Catherine wiped the tears from Parker's cheek. "Sssshh. That's in the past now. Nothing you can do can change what has happened. But you can change what will happen. You can't be happy living a lie." She smiled that sweet smile that Parker remembered so well.
"Turning points." Parker mumbled as her mother's image faded away.
************************
Jarod approached Catherine Parker's office door. Miss Parker's guard, Morris, was still standing duty. "Is Miss Parker still inside?"
"Yes sir. She is asleep on the desk. We didn't want to disturb her." Morris responded.
"I understand. Miss Parker can be a little testy at times. I'll just slip in and take her to her room." Jarod proceeded to the doorknob of the office.
"Sir. Are you sure you want to wake her?" The guard asked looking a little concerned. "She doesn't take being interrupted very well."
Jarod chuckled. "I have been waking her up for years and she hasn't killed me yet. Has tried..." Jarod opened the door and looked back at the two gentlemen. "But has never succeeded." With a smile he stepped into the room. With the desk lamp being the only light in the room, he could barely make out Parker's outline. As he approached the desk, he could see that she was sound asleep on the desk. She looked peaceful and was, he could swear, smiling. He couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful, with her hair falling softly over her face. "I wonder what you are dreaming about Miss Parker?" He could hope that it was their time at Ocee's, but that would be wishful thinking. She had made her decision in the car at the airport in Morocco. But he knew no matter how hard he tried or how much she denied it; she was burned into his heart.
Jarod went over to the chair and gently picked up Parker so that she was cradled in his arms. Her head fell softly onto his shoulder and she nuzzled into the warmth of the crook of his neck. Jarod felt a shudder through his body as he felt her soft skin against his neck. He carried her to the door and gently kicked the door. Morris opened the door and Jarod gracefully maneuvered Parker through the doorway. He carried her to the elevator and the guard pushed the button for the doors to open. They took the elevator to SL 10 and brought her into her room. He gently placed her on the bed. He took the blanket that was folded neatly on the bottom of the bed and placed it over her. Pulling it up to her shoulders, he was close enough to her to give her a kiss. Thinking for a moment, he decided not too. He reminded himself again that she had made her decision. He got up off the bed and proceeded to leave the room giving Parker one last look before he closed the door.
When she heard the door click, Parker opened her eyes. "Goodnight Wonder Boy." She snuggled into the pillow and fell fast asleep.
************************
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lily felt her body relax and the guard picked her up and placed her on a gurney. A man in a white jacket came next to the boogey man and started pushing the gurney in the direction that Bobby had gone. She was pushed through a set of doors and taken into a room that had allot of bright overhead lights and curtained areas. In the curtained areas were other gurneys with children on them. She turned her head in both directions, scanning the children looking for her friend. She was pushed past the one area and she could see Bobby laying on the gurney, a nurse shaving a section of hair behind his ear.
"Leave him alone." She said slurring her words.
"She's still conscious. Nurse, get me." Raines was shouting orders to one of the nurses.
She was just about to be wheeled into a cubicle when Lily spotted a young girl laying on one of the gurneys.
Lily bolted up in her bed and screamed, "Miss Parker!"
************************
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
Truth comes with Consequences.
Fate powers the game.
Can Trust and Hope give them the answers?
A new game started.
Truth or Consequences.
*************
The guard put the boy's body on a nearby stretcher and he is wheeled away. The boogey man turns around and she can see him filling another syringe. "No. Stay away from me." She was backing up away from him, but was stopped by the guard behind her. "You promised him. You liar!" The guard is trying to hold her still as the boogey man is coming closer.
"Extend and restrain her arm." The boogey man sticks the needle in as Lily screams to the boy on the gurney that had now disappeared.
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
**************
Nightmares & Dreams
Jarod could see that Lily was having problems breathing and that whatever nightmare she was having had put her in extreme distress. He got up from his chair and sat on the bed next to her trembling, thrashing body. He shook her slightly hoping that he could wake her from her nightmare.
Lily bolted up to a sitting position, her arms punching at the imaginary aggressors. "Leave me alone!"
Jarod tried to restrain her arms so that she wouldn't pull out the intravenous lines or her stitches. "Lily, it's me. Jarod. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you here."
"Let me go! Let me go!" She tried to punch him. Not recognizing who he was, just caught in the horrible vision. Her eyes wide open in fear.
"Mark, help me." Jarod yelled.
Mark had awakened when he heard Lily scream. He looked at the monitor over the technicians shoulder, grabbed the medication that he had already preset, and was already on his way to Lily's room by the time Jarod had called for help. He swiped his card and ran into the room. He saw that Jarod was struggling to keep her from pulling her lines out.
"Hold her arms down." Mark ordered. Jarod tried to put a bear hug on Lily without pulling her lines out himself.
All she could see was Raines' face. All she could feel was the guard holding her tightly so that she felt like the wind was being pushed out of her lungs. She gasped for breath.
"Mark, why is she breathing like this? I'm not holding her tight enough so that she can't breath. Could she have an airway obstruction?" Jarod asked as he could see her still gasping for breath.
Mark injected the tranquilizer into Lily's IV. Her frantic eyes turned glassy and she fell back against Jarod and into a disturbed sleep.
"I suspected that this would happen. The memories of the traumatic experiences she had as a child are starting to surface. I believe this is only the beginning Jarod; she has a long road ahead. Only God knows what they did to her there."
Jarod had a great memory and could very well imagine what Raines had put her through. The terror in her eyes told it all.
"Jarod the sedative I gave her will have her unconscious at least until the morning. I'll stay with her this shift. You go and get some rest."
"But I want to be here..." Jarod replied determined to be there when his sister needed him.
"You're not going to do her any good if you are suffering from lack of sleep. She needs you refreshed and ready to face her demons. And you can't do that sleeping in the chair. I'm thinking of her as well as you. Please take my advice." Mark had a concerned tone in his voice.
Jarod realized that Mark was right. He would do his sister no good if he were exhausted. He also could see in Mark's eyes that he wanted to spend some time with Lily himself. For the first time he saw what he had suspected and what Stedman had confirmed - love in his eyes. "I'll go get some sleep and be back in the morning." Jarod started heading for the door.
"Jarod." Mark started and Jarod turned. "You may want to go past Catherine Parker's office before you retire." Jarod had a confused look on his face. "At last report, Miss Parker had fallen asleep in there and none of the guards wanted to take a chance on waking her." Mark had a smile on his face.
"Understood. She can be a little intimidating at times." Jarod smiled as he reached the door and knocked. The guard, Larry, opened the door. Jarod left smiling, thinking about what Parker would have done to the guards if they had tried to wake her.
************************
Joan hesitated as she debated whether or not to speak.
"Hello. Is anyone there?" Sydney asked into the phone hoping that it was Jarod.
"Sydney. It's Joan Stedman. I hope that I am not disturbing you, calling at this hour."
"Joan. No, I was just finishing up some paperwork and hoping that a friend would call. My God it's been ages since I have heard from you. Last I was told was that you had left the Centre without a trace after the accident."
"I know. I am so sorry that I didn't stay for Jacob's funeral, but there were circumstances that dictated that I leave immediately. If your call is important, I can call later." Joan replied.
"Joan. Wait one moment please." Sydney pulled a device from his desk and attached it to the phone receiver. Broots had given it to him to use in emergencies. He clicked it on. "OK. Now it's safe to talk."
"Is your line being tapped Sydney?" Joan asked, but not concerned since all calls from Angel's Hope were scrambled and untraceable.
"You never know with the Centre Joan. There is so much I need to tell you."
"And I you Sydney, but I don't have time for that now. I can't give you all the details mainly because I need to protect my charges and myself."
"Are you in trouble?" Sydney asked. Even after all these years he held a warmness in his heart for the woman who would have been his sister-in-law.
"According to Miss Parker, you already know that Jacob and Catherine Parker were working on freeing children from the Centre."
"You have seen Miss Parker?" Sydney said excited that he may finally know what had happened to her. "And was there a tall dark haired man with her?"
"Jarod." Joan replied. "Yes. That is why I am calling Sydney. What you probably didn't know was that I was working with Jacob and Catherine. When Jacob was killed, I went underground. To protect the children and myself. Then I heard of Catherine's death and that just confirmed that I could not contact anyone else at the Centre. Not even you. But I have a situation now Sydney. With Jarod and Miss Parker."
"The two together. That must be a handful." Sydney laughed to himself knowing that Miss Parker was a handful to her own right. Let alone Jarod being in her company. "How did they find you Joan? That last we knew they had been taken away in a van."
"Yes they are. Both intelligent and stubborn." Joan confirmed Sydney's suspicion. "Let's say one of my charges decided to take matters into her own hands and ran into Jarod. And from the account I got, Miss Parker was tracking Jarod. Thus a cleanup was in order."
"Sounds like you are part of a large operation."
"Sydney, I wish I could tell you more. Let's just say that Catherine Parker was a very smart woman and knew how in some cases to avoid the Centre. Since her death, I have taken on that cause. But my problem is handling them. There is a situation here that has hit Jarod very close to his heart and frankly he can be a very obstinate man."
Sydney laughed. "Yes. I believe Miss Parker would agree with you."
"And Miss Parker seems to be flippant on the outside, but I can see that finding out information about her mother is tearing her apart. What happened to her Sydney after Catherine's death?"
"She was sent away from the Centre in her early teen years and was forced to live her life without the emotional bonding that Catherine had. Mr. Parker was a very cold man who taught her to bury her feelings. She now struggles between being the daughter her father trained her to be and the sensitive woman her mother would have taught her to become. There is something else you should know that I'm not sure she has told you. Catherine was murdered by William Raines."
"I thought Catherine died of a self-inflicted wound in an elevator?" Joan asked astonished. "You mean Raines shot her in that elevator?"
"No. Catherine faked her own death. She was really pregnant and thought that Robert Parker was going to kill her, so she allowed Raines to help her fake her own death."
"But you just said that Raines killed Catherine. Why would she trust him?" Joan thought to herself. "Why wouldn't she have come here?"
"She was trapped. She couldn't leave on her trip with Miss Parker as she had hoped and had to get out of the Centre. So I guess she took the only recourse she saw open to her, but it was a mistake. All Raines wanted was the baby. He was a genetic product of Catherine and Jarod's father."
"Raines was playing God again." Joan said stoic, remembering what she had read in Catherine's files.
"And in the end he shot Catherine dead and took the baby."
"That monster. Were you able to find the child?" Joan asked concerned what Raines would do if he possessed a child that had Jarod's intelligence and Catherine's gift for inner sense.
"Jarod and Miss Parker found him working on one of Raines' projects and luckily stopped him before anyone could get hurt. As far as I know Jarod helped him to escape and he is out there somewhere."
"And probably wondering where Jarod is. Oh Sydney this is such a mess."
Sydney could hear the concern in her voice. "Whatever you do Joan you have to remember one thing. The most important thing to Jarod right now is finding out the truth about himself and finding his family. When it comes to those two things, there is no stopping him. He has been searching for six years for his family and has finally been piecing them together one by one."
"That explains the world Sydney. I knew that I could count on you. I now know how I must deal with them both. It's been nice talking to you."
"Joan. Wait. I'd like to help. Can you tell me where you are? I wouldn't tell anyone here where I was going."
"I'm sorry Sydney. I can't take a chance that they will follow you. I'll keep you updated." And with that Joan hung up the phone.
Sydney stared at the receiver in his hand. "I wish you luck Joan. With those two, you are going to need it." He hung up the phone and proceeded to gather his belongings to leave for the evening.
************************
Parker could see her mother walking the halls of Angel's Hope. She was happy and smiling. Small children would run up to her and the ones that couldn't she would go to. Touch their faces and speak kind words to them. She went into the arboretum and read a book to a group of children sitting on the grass. Parker felt a warmth come over her and she instinctively knew it was her mother.
"This is how I wanted your life to be." Parker could hear, feel her mother say? Her mother was standing facing her now. "Happy, playful. My beautiful gift from God."
"Mom. I miss you so much." Parker heard herself say. She was standing opposite her mother now, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was so confused and angry when you died. Daddy told me you killed yourself, but then I found out..."
Catherine wiped the tears from Parker's cheek. "Sssshh. That's in the past now. Nothing you can do can change what has happened. But you can change what will happen. You can't be happy living a lie." She smiled that sweet smile that Parker remembered so well.
"Turning points." Parker mumbled as her mother's image faded away.
************************
Jarod approached Catherine Parker's office door. Miss Parker's guard, Morris, was still standing duty. "Is Miss Parker still inside?"
"Yes sir. She is asleep on the desk. We didn't want to disturb her." Morris responded.
"I understand. Miss Parker can be a little testy at times. I'll just slip in and take her to her room." Jarod proceeded to the doorknob of the office.
"Sir. Are you sure you want to wake her?" The guard asked looking a little concerned. "She doesn't take being interrupted very well."
Jarod chuckled. "I have been waking her up for years and she hasn't killed me yet. Has tried..." Jarod opened the door and looked back at the two gentlemen. "But has never succeeded." With a smile he stepped into the room. With the desk lamp being the only light in the room, he could barely make out Parker's outline. As he approached the desk, he could see that she was sound asleep on the desk. She looked peaceful and was, he could swear, smiling. He couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful, with her hair falling softly over her face. "I wonder what you are dreaming about Miss Parker?" He could hope that it was their time at Ocee's, but that would be wishful thinking. She had made her decision in the car at the airport in Morocco. But he knew no matter how hard he tried or how much she denied it; she was burned into his heart.
Jarod went over to the chair and gently picked up Parker so that she was cradled in his arms. Her head fell softly onto his shoulder and she nuzzled into the warmth of the crook of his neck. Jarod felt a shudder through his body as he felt her soft skin against his neck. He carried her to the door and gently kicked the door. Morris opened the door and Jarod gracefully maneuvered Parker through the doorway. He carried her to the elevator and the guard pushed the button for the doors to open. They took the elevator to SL 10 and brought her into her room. He gently placed her on the bed. He took the blanket that was folded neatly on the bottom of the bed and placed it over her. Pulling it up to her shoulders, he was close enough to her to give her a kiss. Thinking for a moment, he decided not too. He reminded himself again that she had made her decision. He got up off the bed and proceeded to leave the room giving Parker one last look before he closed the door.
When she heard the door click, Parker opened her eyes. "Goodnight Wonder Boy." She snuggled into the pillow and fell fast asleep.
************************
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lily felt her body relax and the guard picked her up and placed her on a gurney. A man in a white jacket came next to the boogey man and started pushing the gurney in the direction that Bobby had gone. She was pushed through a set of doors and taken into a room that had allot of bright overhead lights and curtained areas. In the curtained areas were other gurneys with children on them. She turned her head in both directions, scanning the children looking for her friend. She was pushed past the one area and she could see Bobby laying on the gurney, a nurse shaving a section of hair behind his ear.
"Leave him alone." She said slurring her words.
"She's still conscious. Nurse, get me." Raines was shouting orders to one of the nurses.
She was just about to be wheeled into a cubicle when Lily spotted a young girl laying on one of the gurneys.
Lily bolted up in her bed and screamed, "Miss Parker!"
************************
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
Truth comes with Consequences.
Fate powers the game.
Can Trust and Hope give them the answers?
