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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of “The Pretender” creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or diseased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor “The Pretender” series and to entertain its fans.
The Game of Life
Your car must travel a winding road.
Full of pitfalls and prosperities.
At some time you will come to the end of the road.
But only if you can keep from crashing and burning.
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Angels Hope
Turn Of The Wheel
“What’s wrong Lily?” But Jarod already knew what she was looking for.
After Lily had spun around the room a few times concentrating on the walls and furnishings, she stopped dead in the middle. “I know you are watching and listening. So hear this. I am not a lab rat! You will let me out of here. And if it’s the last thing I do, I am going to make William Raines pay for what he did to me!”
Jarod got up off the bed and stood next to his sister. “And I’m going to help her. We’re not going to let any more children get hurt because of Raines’ quest for power. Especially not Debbie Broots.”
Lily looked at Jarod. “Who’s Debbie Broots?”
“She’s the daughter of……” Jarod started when the door buzzed.
Joan opened the door with Mark right behind her and Bruce behind him. “I think that Lily needs her rest right now Jarod. Miss Parker is in her mother’s office and I think she may need you right now. Fred can escort you to her office and dinner will be ready in an hour.” Fred came into the room to gently, but firmly pull Jarod out of the room. Jarod shot Fred a look, but decided this was not the time for a fight. He could see Lily starting to build to a rage.
“No. I want answers! Who is Debbie Broots?” Lily screamed as Mark blocked her from following Jarod. “Let me go! I want to talk to my brother!” She pushed Mark backwards and was intercepted by Bruce. Being more her equal and Lily being weak, she was stopped just before the doorway. The door closed separating herself from Jarod. “Let go of me!” Bruce gently pushed her backwards. “Why are you keeping me from learning who this Debbie Broots is?”
Joan tried to calm her. “Lily. It’s not that we are keeping you from finding out who she is. It’s that we are concerned that you are healed first. With all this movement you are going to pull your stitches out.”
Mark looked at Lily more sternly. “With all this fuss, you’re going to short circuit that chip. Now please can you calm yourself?”
Lily stepped away from them shaking her head. “My health. My chip. Let’s just cut to the chase. You don’t want me leaving here because you two think that this little chip is going to pop and I’m going to tell someone about Angel’s Hope. So why don’t you tell me exactly what this chips does and how it controls me.”
************************
Jarod banged his fist on Lily’s door. He didn’t want to leave her this way, but knew that Dr. Stedman was not going to allow him back in. Fred looked at him as if he thought he was going to have to restrain Jarod. But Jarod backed away from the door and went to the elevator. Dr. Stedman had said that Parker needed him. What had she discovered in her mother’s office? He got off on the office level and proceeded to Catherine Parker’s office. He knocked on the door and heard Parker say to come in. He peeked his head in and saw Parker sitting at the desk. The light illuminating her soft skin, her long brown hair. He could feel emotions stirring inside him every time he looked at her. What he had told Lily was true – no matter how much she pushed him away, he was in love with her.
“Jarod. Keeping yourself busy all day?” Parker didn’t have her normal wittiness.
“More like getting into trouble all day. First, Becky and I tried to get my lap top.”
Parker raised her eyebrows. “Did you get it? Can we contact Sydney or Broots?”
Jarod looked at her suspiciously. “I had it. Dr. Stedman must have enhanced the security features of the facility since Lily and Becky left and we got caught.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “Why are you so anxious to contact the Centre. After everything that we have found out here, I thought that you would at least keep their secret.”
Parker looked at him puzzled. “I don’t want to turn anyone in Pez Boy. I want to warn them. Look at this.”
Jarod came over to look at the file that Parker had been reading. “What did you find?”
“When the Prodigy project was initiated, Raines knew that the possibility of making geniuses would be a great asset for the Centre. But it was also surmised that if these geniuses were to reproduce, he would have a hybrid. A super Pretender. There are names here of children to be matched in adulthood. Look here.” Parker pointed to one set of matched names. “Lyle and Bridgette were to be paired. Now if Daddy isn’t my father, then he can’t be Bridgette’s baby’s father either.”
“Then more likely Baby Parker is Lyle’s and Bridgette’s. The Centre’s Super Pretender.” Jarod surmised as he still concentrated on the names on the list. Then he spotted what he was looking for and smiled.
“Yes, but there’s more. Raines also wanted to see what would happen if the gene pool was introduced to a regular base subject. Whether the traits of the dominant gene parent would be passed on to the child. The idea was to have a secondary project to track the offspring.”
“A Gemini Succession Project. Oh no. Debbie.” Terror filled Jarod’s eyes as he finally realized what Angelo was trying to tell him.
Without even knowing what Jarod was talking about, she realized when Jarod said Debbie’s name that Broots was on the list of earlier children manipulated by the Centre. “Did you access your e-mail account? Is the Centre after Debbie?”
‘I received an e-mail from Angelo. All it said was that there was a Princess in danger and that I had to stop the Gemini Succession Project.”
“Before we were taken, Debbie called me to tell me she had gotten the part in her school play. Jarod – she’s playing Cinderella.”
“We have got to get word out of here and warn Broots. But Dr. Stedman took my computer.” Jarod’s eyes lit up. “Maybe my room is like Becky’s. Come on.” He grabbed Parker’s hand, pulling her out of her chair and toward the door.
“What does it matter if your room is like Becky’s?” Parker asked pulling back from Jarod.
“When I was in Becky’s room she had a book shelf that when pushed opened to a computer station. If I can hack into their Intranet system, I can access the Internet and reach Broots. Come on. The e-mails from Angelo were sent days ago.” Jarod opened the door and proceeded to walk to the elevator with Parker. “We think we will get freshened up for dinner.” Fred nodded his head as Morris stepped in line right next to the other guard.
Jarod and Parker walked at an accelerated pace. They got onto the elevator and got off at the quarters level. The guard slid his key into the lock and buzzed Jarod into his room. Parker walked in first and then Jarod followed. Fred closed the door. Jarod went to the wall that Becky had gone to and pushed the button. The shelf unit moved aside.
************************
Sydney sat at the Baltimore terminal waiting for his flight. He was trying to process the events of the last few weeks. Parker and Jarod’s disappearance, Angelo’s strange behavior with his insistence that he had a sister, and the call from Joan after all these years. He thought about Jacob and how he had been helping Catherine Parker. More likely Joan had been involved in all this as well. Had Jarod or Miss Parker found out some information that had led them to Joan? Or had Joan located them. Had Jacob, Joan and Catherine smuggled out Angelo’s sister? Everything was just so confusing.
Sydney was so caught up in his own thoughts that he did not see the man moving up next to him. A hand came down on Sydney’s shoulder. “Going somewhere Sydney?”
Startled, Sydney looked up to see Lyle standing next to him. Angrily he replied. “Lyle. Are you following me?”
“Sydney. Right now everyone is being followed. There are probably people following me. So where are you off to? A lead on Jarod and Miss Parker? And why not take the Centre’s jet?”
“This is a personal trip Lyle and none of your business.”
“Well I would suggest that no one take any personal trips right now. Since one of our little team members has been plucked into thin air, then I think the rest should stay close to home. Don’t you agree Sydney?”
Sydney’s anger was boiling, but he knew that he had to keep a cool head or possibly expose Jarod’s whereabouts. “If you think that it is for the best, then I will postpone my trip. It wasn’t that important anyway.”
“I’m glad that you see things my way. We’ll escort you to your car?” Lyle asked motioning to the Sweepers behind him.
“That won’t be necessary Lyle. I don’t think anyone will ‘pluck’ me going to my car.”
“I insist. Sam, can you please escort the fine doctor back to his car?” Lyle smirked.
Sydney picked up his briefcase and with Sam in tow went back to his car.
As Sydney was leaving, Lyle turned to the other sweeper. “Find out where he was flying off to.”
Sam stated as Sydney was getting into his car. “I’ll be following you home Sir.”
“Of course. Thank you Sam.” Sydney started his car and headed for home disappointed in losing his lead.
************************
“Well?” Lily stood with her arms crossed across her chest. “Are you going to tell me or do I go ballistic again and tear this place apart?”
“We told you before that the chip controls your negative emotions.” Joan started, but was cut off by Lily.
“No. I mean what does it do to me. You seem to think that every time I get angry that something is going to happen. Is there something in the chip that activates if you get too emotional? A way of controlling the person who has it?”
Mark looked at Joan and she nodded her head for the young man to proceed. “There is a failsafe that activates to control the anger. We assume that since the chip triggers a tremendous amount of anger in the person that holds it, it was Raines’ way of protecting himself from them.”
“So I get too angry and it gives me those lovely headaches and electric shocks I had earlier?” Lily looked at their stern faces.
“Yes. But what we’re more afraid of is the fact that we don’t know how much of that electric shock the brain can take before there is permanent damage. So Honey, you have to stay calm. You had some pretty good jolts already.”
Lily looked at Mark square in the eyes. “Don’t call me your Honey. You knew that this thing was inside me and you never once told me! Instead you conspire behind my back to keep me in the dark when if anyone here should have told me the truth, it should have been you.” Lily turned away from Mark with tears swelling in her eyes.
She could hear Raines in her head saying, “Crying is a sign of weakness. There will be no crying.” She blinked the tears from her eyes.
Mark’s face dropped into a sullen look. “I never meant to……..I mean it was my job, no…….I love you.”
Lily whipped around. “Love. You lie to me and then tell me you love me. Get out!” Lily pointed at the door. “I don’t love anyone. I don’t need anyone. I don’t want to see you here again.”
“Because you decide who lives or dies.” Joan stated which acted like a slap in the face for Lily.
Lily walked over to Joan. “I’m not going to kill anyone but Raines. Though I’m reserving judgment for those who stand in my way of taking care of that madman. Now who is Debbie Broots? And don’t try to lie to me, I’ll know.”
Joan took in a big breath. “She is the child of the head of the Computer Department at the Centre. Someone, so it seems, who is quite close to Miss Parker and Jarod.”
“Why would the Centre want her? What value does she have to them?” Lily was searching Joan’s face for the truth.
“Catherine Parker found out that the Centre was going to breed the children of the Prodigy project. He is a part of that project.”
“So now they want her.” Lily walked around the room, the wheels of her mind working. “So what we have to do is give them something else to keep them occupied. Unless they already have her?”
“No. Our operatives say that she has not been retrieved.” Joan looked at Lily trying to figure out what she was thinking. “I see the wheels turning Lily. What do you have in mind?”
“Please bring Victoria, Ben, Sonia, George, and Matt here. I have a plan forming.” Lily said with a glint in her eyes.
************************
Broots had picked up Debbie without any incident. He had looked for the car that Debbie had described, but it had not been in the area. But he had been with the Centre long enough to know that the car not being in site didn’t mean that they weren’t there.
He watched as Debbie broke apart the lettuce for the tossed salad that they were going to have with dinner. She had grown into such a young woman. Soon he would be teaching her to drive, see her go on her first solo date, and graduate High School. Even with all her outside activities, she still maintained a High Honor Roll status. He had just received her quarterly report card.
“Dad. Do you want me to add oil and vinegar or are you going French tonight? Hello. Earth to Dad.” Debbie waved her hand in front of her father, who shook his head slightly coming out of the daydream.
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something.” Broots said realizing that the grease in the pan had begun to smoke.
“Keep that up and we will be having smoked pork chops instead of just breaded. Oil and vinegar or French?” Debbie laughed and her smile could have lit up the whole room.
“Oil and vinegar is fine.” He placed the pork chops in the pan and placed the corn on the cob in the boiling water. It was times like these that he loved being a father.
Outside the Broots house, a man with binoculars picked up his cell phone. “Yes. She is in the residence now. I have the gas explosives. It will be an easy retrieval.”
************************
The Game of Life can easily turn into the Game of Strategy
A player’s car can take many routes.
Some decisions create the pitfalls.
Others create master plans.
Can the players master the pitfalls to achieve victory?
The Game of Life
Your car must travel a winding road.
Full of pitfalls and prosperities.
At some time you will come to the end of the road.
But only if you can keep from crashing and burning.
************************
Turn Of The Wheel
“What’s wrong Lily?” But Jarod already knew what she was looking for.
After Lily had spun around the room a few times concentrating on the walls and furnishings, she stopped dead in the middle. “I know you are watching and listening. So hear this. I am not a lab rat! You will let me out of here. And if it’s the last thing I do, I am going to make William Raines pay for what he did to me!”
Jarod got up off the bed and stood next to his sister. “And I’m going to help her. We’re not going to let any more children get hurt because of Raines’ quest for power. Especially not Debbie Broots.”
Lily looked at Jarod. “Who’s Debbie Broots?”
“She’s the daughter of……” Jarod started when the door buzzed.
Joan opened the door with Mark right behind her and Bruce behind him. “I think that Lily needs her rest right now Jarod. Miss Parker is in her mother’s office and I think she may need you right now. Fred can escort you to her office and dinner will be ready in an hour.” Fred came into the room to gently, but firmly pull Jarod out of the room. Jarod shot Fred a look, but decided this was not the time for a fight. He could see Lily starting to build to a rage.
“No. I want answers! Who is Debbie Broots?” Lily screamed as Mark blocked her from following Jarod. “Let me go! I want to talk to my brother!” She pushed Mark backwards and was intercepted by Bruce. Being more her equal and Lily being weak, she was stopped just before the doorway. The door closed separating herself from Jarod. “Let go of me!” Bruce gently pushed her backwards. “Why are you keeping me from learning who this Debbie Broots is?”
Joan tried to calm her. “Lily. It’s not that we are keeping you from finding out who she is. It’s that we are concerned that you are healed first. With all this movement you are going to pull your stitches out.”
Mark looked at Lily more sternly. “With all this fuss, you’re going to short circuit that chip. Now please can you calm yourself?”
Lily stepped away from them shaking her head. “My health. My chip. Let’s just cut to the chase. You don’t want me leaving here because you two think that this little chip is going to pop and I’m going to tell someone about Angel’s Hope. So why don’t you tell me exactly what this chips does and how it controls me.”
************************
Jarod banged his fist on Lily’s door. He didn’t want to leave her this way, but knew that Dr. Stedman was not going to allow him back in. Fred looked at him as if he thought he was going to have to restrain Jarod. But Jarod backed away from the door and went to the elevator. Dr. Stedman had said that Parker needed him. What had she discovered in her mother’s office? He got off on the office level and proceeded to Catherine Parker’s office. He knocked on the door and heard Parker say to come in. He peeked his head in and saw Parker sitting at the desk. The light illuminating her soft skin, her long brown hair. He could feel emotions stirring inside him every time he looked at her. What he had told Lily was true – no matter how much she pushed him away, he was in love with her.
“Jarod. Keeping yourself busy all day?” Parker didn’t have her normal wittiness.
“More like getting into trouble all day. First, Becky and I tried to get my lap top.”
Parker raised her eyebrows. “Did you get it? Can we contact Sydney or Broots?”
Jarod looked at her suspiciously. “I had it. Dr. Stedman must have enhanced the security features of the facility since Lily and Becky left and we got caught.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “Why are you so anxious to contact the Centre. After everything that we have found out here, I thought that you would at least keep their secret.”
Parker looked at him puzzled. “I don’t want to turn anyone in Pez Boy. I want to warn them. Look at this.”
Jarod came over to look at the file that Parker had been reading. “What did you find?”
“When the Prodigy project was initiated, Raines knew that the possibility of making geniuses would be a great asset for the Centre. But it was also surmised that if these geniuses were to reproduce, he would have a hybrid. A super Pretender. There are names here of children to be matched in adulthood. Look here.” Parker pointed to one set of matched names. “Lyle and Bridgette were to be paired. Now if Daddy isn’t my father, then he can’t be Bridgette’s baby’s father either.”
“Then more likely Baby Parker is Lyle’s and Bridgette’s. The Centre’s Super Pretender.” Jarod surmised as he still concentrated on the names on the list. Then he spotted what he was looking for and smiled.
“Yes, but there’s more. Raines also wanted to see what would happen if the gene pool was introduced to a regular base subject. Whether the traits of the dominant gene parent would be passed on to the child. The idea was to have a secondary project to track the offspring.”
“A Gemini Succession Project. Oh no. Debbie.” Terror filled Jarod’s eyes as he finally realized what Angelo was trying to tell him.
Without even knowing what Jarod was talking about, she realized when Jarod said Debbie’s name that Broots was on the list of earlier children manipulated by the Centre. “Did you access your e-mail account? Is the Centre after Debbie?”
‘I received an e-mail from Angelo. All it said was that there was a Princess in danger and that I had to stop the Gemini Succession Project.”
“Before we were taken, Debbie called me to tell me she had gotten the part in her school play. Jarod – she’s playing Cinderella.”
“We have got to get word out of here and warn Broots. But Dr. Stedman took my computer.” Jarod’s eyes lit up. “Maybe my room is like Becky’s. Come on.” He grabbed Parker’s hand, pulling her out of her chair and toward the door.
“What does it matter if your room is like Becky’s?” Parker asked pulling back from Jarod.
“When I was in Becky’s room she had a book shelf that when pushed opened to a computer station. If I can hack into their Intranet system, I can access the Internet and reach Broots. Come on. The e-mails from Angelo were sent days ago.” Jarod opened the door and proceeded to walk to the elevator with Parker. “We think we will get freshened up for dinner.” Fred nodded his head as Morris stepped in line right next to the other guard.
Jarod and Parker walked at an accelerated pace. They got onto the elevator and got off at the quarters level. The guard slid his key into the lock and buzzed Jarod into his room. Parker walked in first and then Jarod followed. Fred closed the door. Jarod went to the wall that Becky had gone to and pushed the button. The shelf unit moved aside.
************************
Sydney sat at the Baltimore terminal waiting for his flight. He was trying to process the events of the last few weeks. Parker and Jarod’s disappearance, Angelo’s strange behavior with his insistence that he had a sister, and the call from Joan after all these years. He thought about Jacob and how he had been helping Catherine Parker. More likely Joan had been involved in all this as well. Had Jarod or Miss Parker found out some information that had led them to Joan? Or had Joan located them. Had Jacob, Joan and Catherine smuggled out Angelo’s sister? Everything was just so confusing.
Sydney was so caught up in his own thoughts that he did not see the man moving up next to him. A hand came down on Sydney’s shoulder. “Going somewhere Sydney?”
Startled, Sydney looked up to see Lyle standing next to him. Angrily he replied. “Lyle. Are you following me?”
“Sydney. Right now everyone is being followed. There are probably people following me. So where are you off to? A lead on Jarod and Miss Parker? And why not take the Centre’s jet?”
“This is a personal trip Lyle and none of your business.”
“Well I would suggest that no one take any personal trips right now. Since one of our little team members has been plucked into thin air, then I think the rest should stay close to home. Don’t you agree Sydney?”
Sydney’s anger was boiling, but he knew that he had to keep a cool head or possibly expose Jarod’s whereabouts. “If you think that it is for the best, then I will postpone my trip. It wasn’t that important anyway.”
“I’m glad that you see things my way. We’ll escort you to your car?” Lyle asked motioning to the Sweepers behind him.
“That won’t be necessary Lyle. I don’t think anyone will ‘pluck’ me going to my car.”
“I insist. Sam, can you please escort the fine doctor back to his car?” Lyle smirked.
Sydney picked up his briefcase and with Sam in tow went back to his car.
As Sydney was leaving, Lyle turned to the other sweeper. “Find out where he was flying off to.”
Sam stated as Sydney was getting into his car. “I’ll be following you home Sir.”
“Of course. Thank you Sam.” Sydney started his car and headed for home disappointed in losing his lead.
************************
“Well?” Lily stood with her arms crossed across her chest. “Are you going to tell me or do I go ballistic again and tear this place apart?”
“We told you before that the chip controls your negative emotions.” Joan started, but was cut off by Lily.
“No. I mean what does it do to me. You seem to think that every time I get angry that something is going to happen. Is there something in the chip that activates if you get too emotional? A way of controlling the person who has it?”
Mark looked at Joan and she nodded her head for the young man to proceed. “There is a failsafe that activates to control the anger. We assume that since the chip triggers a tremendous amount of anger in the person that holds it, it was Raines’ way of protecting himself from them.”
“So I get too angry and it gives me those lovely headaches and electric shocks I had earlier?” Lily looked at their stern faces.
“Yes. But what we’re more afraid of is the fact that we don’t know how much of that electric shock the brain can take before there is permanent damage. So Honey, you have to stay calm. You had some pretty good jolts already.”
Lily looked at Mark square in the eyes. “Don’t call me your Honey. You knew that this thing was inside me and you never once told me! Instead you conspire behind my back to keep me in the dark when if anyone here should have told me the truth, it should have been you.” Lily turned away from Mark with tears swelling in her eyes.
She could hear Raines in her head saying, “Crying is a sign of weakness. There will be no crying.” She blinked the tears from her eyes.
Mark’s face dropped into a sullen look. “I never meant to……..I mean it was my job, no…….I love you.”
Lily whipped around. “Love. You lie to me and then tell me you love me. Get out!” Lily pointed at the door. “I don’t love anyone. I don’t need anyone. I don’t want to see you here again.”
“Because you decide who lives or dies.” Joan stated which acted like a slap in the face for Lily.
Lily walked over to Joan. “I’m not going to kill anyone but Raines. Though I’m reserving judgment for those who stand in my way of taking care of that madman. Now who is Debbie Broots? And don’t try to lie to me, I’ll know.”
Joan took in a big breath. “She is the child of the head of the Computer Department at the Centre. Someone, so it seems, who is quite close to Miss Parker and Jarod.”
“Why would the Centre want her? What value does she have to them?” Lily was searching Joan’s face for the truth.
“Catherine Parker found out that the Centre was going to breed the children of the Prodigy project. He is a part of that project.”
“So now they want her.” Lily walked around the room, the wheels of her mind working. “So what we have to do is give them something else to keep them occupied. Unless they already have her?”
“No. Our operatives say that she has not been retrieved.” Joan looked at Lily trying to figure out what she was thinking. “I see the wheels turning Lily. What do you have in mind?”
“Please bring Victoria, Ben, Sonia, George, and Matt here. I have a plan forming.” Lily said with a glint in her eyes.
************************
Broots had picked up Debbie without any incident. He had looked for the car that Debbie had described, but it had not been in the area. But he had been with the Centre long enough to know that the car not being in site didn’t mean that they weren’t there.
He watched as Debbie broke apart the lettuce for the tossed salad that they were going to have with dinner. She had grown into such a young woman. Soon he would be teaching her to drive, see her go on her first solo date, and graduate High School. Even with all her outside activities, she still maintained a High Honor Roll status. He had just received her quarterly report card.
“Dad. Do you want me to add oil and vinegar or are you going French tonight? Hello. Earth to Dad.” Debbie waved her hand in front of her father, who shook his head slightly coming out of the daydream.
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something.” Broots said realizing that the grease in the pan had begun to smoke.
“Keep that up and we will be having smoked pork chops instead of just breaded. Oil and vinegar or French?” Debbie laughed and her smile could have lit up the whole room.
“Oil and vinegar is fine.” He placed the pork chops in the pan and placed the corn on the cob in the boiling water. It was times like these that he loved being a father.
Outside the Broots house, a man with binoculars picked up his cell phone. “Yes. She is in the residence now. I have the gas explosives. It will be an easy retrieval.”
************************
The Game of Life can easily turn into the Game of Strategy
A player’s car can take many routes.
Some decisions create the pitfalls.
Others create master plans.
Can the players master the pitfalls to achieve victory?
