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Chapter or Story
DICLAIMER: There's lots of stuff in this that I don't own, but unless you really are looking to sue me for intellectual theft, you just need to know that this story is a Pretender fanfic.
Author's Note: Thank you guys for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic while I recover from back surgery. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story.
The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
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Angels Hope
Lost & Found
Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."
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"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."
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Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.
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Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.
"I decide who lives or dies."
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A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life. The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
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Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."
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"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."
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Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.
*************************
Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.
"I decide who lives or dies."
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A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life.
Author's Note: Thank you guys for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic while I recover from back surgery. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story.
The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
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Lost & Found
Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."
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"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."
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Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.
*************************
Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.
"I decide who lives or dies."
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A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life. The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope
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Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."
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"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."
**************************
Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.
*************************
Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.
"I decide who lives or dies."
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A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life.
