Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: see Chapter sixteen
~~~~~~~
To End The Evil
Part 30
New ways of communicating
Parker had been right. Jarod didn’t return that night. She had shared their knowledge and their ideas with Sydney and Broots.
Broots had been cowering and doubtful at first but after a while the prospect of being able to raise Debbie away from the Centre’s evil doings had convinced him.
Parker wasn’t able to fill Broots in about all the details of his role though because there had been no time for her to talk it through with Jarod properly.
But for the moment Broots would be busy enough with trying to find out more about the places on the list and if their conclusion was correct. She had also told him to search for more places like the ones they had on the list.
Sydney had had a content expression on his face the whole evening. Parker could see that he was very pleased with the development of Jarod’s and her friendship.
Under that content expression there was a layer of worries and fears.
He had been worried about Parker’s extensive search for bugs.
She had taken her time to be sure to get every one of those nasty little eavesdroppers. Luckily, there hadn’t been new ones after Lyle’s unexpected ‘visit’.
About an hour into their conversation Sydney had gotten more and more agitated.
The fact that Jarod hadn’t returned was gnawing at him. She wasn’t that pleased about Jarod’s forced departure and that he wouldn’t return soon either but she needed to cope with it. She had told Sydney not to worry about Jarod. He had always been able to stay out of the Centre’s clutches; adding up to that she was calming down with every passing minute because had Lyle caught Jarod, he would have come back to gloat upon her defeat and to take her into the Centre to join Jarod in a small cell.
It was nearly noon by now and Jarod had yet to come back.
She huffed and clenched her teeth. He would have showed up on her doorstep if he had been able to do so. Something was keeping him from doing so and that something was most likely the increased surveillance on her house.
She had seen the sweeper lurking out behind a tree herself in the morning.
Jarod most certainly didn’t need to look out for them. After years of being hunted she was sure that he had a fine radar for these persons. He could probably smell them a hundred yards against the wind.
Parker got up from her seat and wandered aimlessly around the house. She didn’t know what to do. She had reread the Scrolls, her mother’s letter and the list several times.
Parker growled. She hated not being able to do a damn thing. Twiddling her thumbs wasn’t one of her strengths.
“At least you have ‘two’ thumbs to twiddle,” she heard Jarod’s voice in the back of her mind. She chuckled mirthlessly. Jarod would have answered something like this when she complained about that after her encounter with Lyle.
He would have looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling mischievously, his head tipped to his side slightly, a light smile on his lips and…..
Parker huffed. ‘Damn!’ She wasn’t able to get him out of her mind anymore. It was not the fact that she worried about him or something like that. It was something entirely different.
Something she couldn’t or wouldn’t define; at least not now.
~~~~~~~
Jarod grumbled. Her place was basically crawling with sweepers.
He had holed up the last night in some small town down the coast but now he had to face the problem of returning to Parker’s house.
Sleep had been a rare treasure last night. A nightmare had roused him in the middle of the night. It seemed as if he wasn’t able to sleep well without her being around him. The moment he knew that she was somewhere in the house, he was calm and felt… secure.
He knew that his feelings for Parker were much deeper than just friendship. He had long since stopped trying to convince himself otherwise. He had to keep his feelings for her in cheek though. Everything else would endanger their mission.
But someday, when everything was over, maybe there was a possibility for more than friendship… hopefully.
Jarod pushed the thought out of his mind and growled. He then noiselessly went back to his car. Getting in and starting the engine he drove back towards town.
He had considered calling Sydney but he suspected that the Centre would tape his call. He knew that he would be able to get Parker back to their little game for the Centre’s ears but he wasn’t sure about Sydney.
He was certain that Parker had searched to house for bugs after Lyle’s departure and that she would be careful but he didn’t want to take any chances. He knew that they had to meet to get on with planning but he couldn’t just suggest a meeting place to her. That place would be crawling with sweepers twenty minutes after the call at the latest.
Even if her phone was not bugged or she had removed the bug, the Centre could also listen in over an espionage satellite like they had some years ago when Harriet had organized the meeting with his mother and sister.
Angelo had informed him about the way the Centre had found out about that supposed meeting.
So calling her was out of question. He couldn’t send a clue or a note into the Centre because he was sure that they would be even more suspicious by now. The minute a note appeared on her desk, Lyle would be next to her to be there when she opened it. Either that or he would be there even before she was, to look through the package himself.
Somehow he had to get a note to her. He just had to find a way for that.
She wouldn’t be too worried about his staying away because she most certainly knew about the surveillance of her house. She either knew or would figure it out.
That and the fact that Lyle hadn’t stormed back into her house to drag her into the Centre would reassure her of his own well being. But he needed to get in touch with her though.
Driving through the streets he came to a small park. It was a fine weather and so there were children playing on the playground. He smiled slightly and thought how innocent children were.
A few seconds later that thought registered again in his mind. Children! He smiled one of his ‘gotcha’-smiles, a plan forming in his head.
~~~~~~~
“Dad, I’m home,” the girl called out the moment she stepped into the house.
She quickly put her purse and keys away and walked into the living room where she supposed her father would be.
Just as she had thought he sat in front of his computer and typed feverishly something into the machine.
When she entered the room, he turned and smiled warmly at her. “Hi Debbie. Did you have a good day?” he asked her affectionately.
“Yes, I did. Sally and I went around the shopping mall and spent some time in a café,“ she answered. “And how was your Saturday?”
“Full of work. It was good that Sally called. I wouldn’t have had much time for you, sweetie. Sorry!”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Oh, before I forget. I have to give something to you,“ she said and walked back into the den to retrieve something out of her purse.
When she came back, she had two envelopes in her hand. She held them out to her father who reached out a hand to take them.
“How did you get these?” he asked suspiciously, even before he took them.
“A man gave them to me,“ Debbie shrugged.
“A man?” Broots repeated, highly alarmed.
“Yes, a man,” Debbie said, rolling her eyes at her father’s startled expression.
“Debbie, I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t talk to strangers,“ Broots reminded her of an agreement they had made years ago.
“Daaaaad,“ Debbie whined.
“No, Debbie. That agreement still stands,” Broots started.
“Dad. He didn’t want anything from me,“ Debbie told her father.
“Why did he talk to you then?” Broots asked pointedly.
“He wanted me to give this to you. Dad! I didn’t do something wrong. I wasn’t alone and he did most of the talking. I was suspicious at first, too. Hey, I mean that guy knew my name,“ she said, looking at her father. Seeing her father was still angry, she went on, “He said that he knew you and also Miss Parker. He also said that you saved his life once,” Debbie paused.
The wheels were turning in Broots’ head. He held the two envelopes in his hand. He swiftly turned them over. One of the envelopes was addressed to him, the other to Miss Parker. When he looked at the handwriting, he recognized it as Jarod’s. Still he wasn’t convinced. “How did that stranger look?” he asked his daughter.
“Handsome,” came the prompt reply.
Broots glared at his daughter. “I didn’t mean that and you know it! So, how did he look like?”
“He was quite tall, as I said good looking, dark hair and brown eyes, oh and he had a small mole under his right eye,“ Debbie answered.
“No missing thumb?” Broots asked.
Debbie looked at him, a strange expression on her face. “Noooo,“ she drawled, shaking her head firmly.
Broots sighed and then started to smile. Then it ‘was’ Jarod.
“Well then, I better call Miss Parker and ask her to spend some time with you,” Broots said.
“So you do know him?” Debbie questioned.
“Yes,“ Broots answered shortly.
“And you saved his life?” she inquired.
“If he says so,“ Broots replied, blushing slightly. “But now, I’ll give Miss Parker a call!”
“Why don’t you give her the letter on Monday,“ Debbie suggested.
“Because this letter can’t wait that long and it will be better if you give it to her,” Broots replied, evading the subject that it would be safer for all of them.
“Ok,” Debbie shrugged. She didn’t mind going to Miss Parker and spend some time with her.
~~~~~~~
After calling Miss Parker, who was bewildered, and taking Debbie over to her, Broots sank back into his chair and reached for the envelope that had his name on it.
He opened it and found instructions from Jarod what exactly he would have to search for. Besides the places on the list, Miss Parker had been very vague about his role and what he would have to search for. But now he had some very detailed information from Jarod that he would be able to work with.
~~~~~~~
Terminating the call with a very puzzled expression on her face, Parker got up from the couch.
She had tried to turn Broots flat down when he suggested Debbie coming over to her.
Usually she didn’t mind sharing some of her free time with Debbie but now wasn’t a good time.
Though she had been quite hard on him, Broots had insisted on bringing Debbie over to her.
Either something was going on or he had developed a death wish. The ‘old’ Parker would have shot him the way he was arguing with her.
Perhaps he had grown a backbone one of these days, just as she had suggested about a week ago. She chuckled at that thought.
‘Well, we will see what this is about the moment he gets here,’ Parker thought.
To be continued…
Hope it was worth the wait!
~~~~~~~
Part 30
New ways of communicating
Parker had been right. Jarod didn’t return that night. She had shared their knowledge and their ideas with Sydney and Broots.
Broots had been cowering and doubtful at first but after a while the prospect of being able to raise Debbie away from the Centre’s evil doings had convinced him.
Parker wasn’t able to fill Broots in about all the details of his role though because there had been no time for her to talk it through with Jarod properly.
But for the moment Broots would be busy enough with trying to find out more about the places on the list and if their conclusion was correct. She had also told him to search for more places like the ones they had on the list.
Sydney had had a content expression on his face the whole evening. Parker could see that he was very pleased with the development of Jarod’s and her friendship.
Under that content expression there was a layer of worries and fears.
He had been worried about Parker’s extensive search for bugs.
She had taken her time to be sure to get every one of those nasty little eavesdroppers. Luckily, there hadn’t been new ones after Lyle’s unexpected ‘visit’.
About an hour into their conversation Sydney had gotten more and more agitated.
The fact that Jarod hadn’t returned was gnawing at him. She wasn’t that pleased about Jarod’s forced departure and that he wouldn’t return soon either but she needed to cope with it. She had told Sydney not to worry about Jarod. He had always been able to stay out of the Centre’s clutches; adding up to that she was calming down with every passing minute because had Lyle caught Jarod, he would have come back to gloat upon her defeat and to take her into the Centre to join Jarod in a small cell.
It was nearly noon by now and Jarod had yet to come back.
She huffed and clenched her teeth. He would have showed up on her doorstep if he had been able to do so. Something was keeping him from doing so and that something was most likely the increased surveillance on her house.
She had seen the sweeper lurking out behind a tree herself in the morning.
Jarod most certainly didn’t need to look out for them. After years of being hunted she was sure that he had a fine radar for these persons. He could probably smell them a hundred yards against the wind.
Parker got up from her seat and wandered aimlessly around the house. She didn’t know what to do. She had reread the Scrolls, her mother’s letter and the list several times.
Parker growled. She hated not being able to do a damn thing. Twiddling her thumbs wasn’t one of her strengths.
“At least you have ‘two’ thumbs to twiddle,” she heard Jarod’s voice in the back of her mind. She chuckled mirthlessly. Jarod would have answered something like this when she complained about that after her encounter with Lyle.
He would have looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling mischievously, his head tipped to his side slightly, a light smile on his lips and…..
Parker huffed. ‘Damn!’ She wasn’t able to get him out of her mind anymore. It was not the fact that she worried about him or something like that. It was something entirely different.
Something she couldn’t or wouldn’t define; at least not now.
~~~~~~~
Jarod grumbled. Her place was basically crawling with sweepers.
He had holed up the last night in some small town down the coast but now he had to face the problem of returning to Parker’s house.
Sleep had been a rare treasure last night. A nightmare had roused him in the middle of the night. It seemed as if he wasn’t able to sleep well without her being around him. The moment he knew that she was somewhere in the house, he was calm and felt… secure.
He knew that his feelings for Parker were much deeper than just friendship. He had long since stopped trying to convince himself otherwise. He had to keep his feelings for her in cheek though. Everything else would endanger their mission.
But someday, when everything was over, maybe there was a possibility for more than friendship… hopefully.
Jarod pushed the thought out of his mind and growled. He then noiselessly went back to his car. Getting in and starting the engine he drove back towards town.
He had considered calling Sydney but he suspected that the Centre would tape his call. He knew that he would be able to get Parker back to their little game for the Centre’s ears but he wasn’t sure about Sydney.
He was certain that Parker had searched to house for bugs after Lyle’s departure and that she would be careful but he didn’t want to take any chances. He knew that they had to meet to get on with planning but he couldn’t just suggest a meeting place to her. That place would be crawling with sweepers twenty minutes after the call at the latest.
Even if her phone was not bugged or she had removed the bug, the Centre could also listen in over an espionage satellite like they had some years ago when Harriet had organized the meeting with his mother and sister.
Angelo had informed him about the way the Centre had found out about that supposed meeting.
So calling her was out of question. He couldn’t send a clue or a note into the Centre because he was sure that they would be even more suspicious by now. The minute a note appeared on her desk, Lyle would be next to her to be there when she opened it. Either that or he would be there even before she was, to look through the package himself.
Somehow he had to get a note to her. He just had to find a way for that.
She wouldn’t be too worried about his staying away because she most certainly knew about the surveillance of her house. She either knew or would figure it out.
That and the fact that Lyle hadn’t stormed back into her house to drag her into the Centre would reassure her of his own well being. But he needed to get in touch with her though.
Driving through the streets he came to a small park. It was a fine weather and so there were children playing on the playground. He smiled slightly and thought how innocent children were.
A few seconds later that thought registered again in his mind. Children! He smiled one of his ‘gotcha’-smiles, a plan forming in his head.
~~~~~~~
“Dad, I’m home,” the girl called out the moment she stepped into the house.
She quickly put her purse and keys away and walked into the living room where she supposed her father would be.
Just as she had thought he sat in front of his computer and typed feverishly something into the machine.
When she entered the room, he turned and smiled warmly at her. “Hi Debbie. Did you have a good day?” he asked her affectionately.
“Yes, I did. Sally and I went around the shopping mall and spent some time in a café,“ she answered. “And how was your Saturday?”
“Full of work. It was good that Sally called. I wouldn’t have had much time for you, sweetie. Sorry!”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Oh, before I forget. I have to give something to you,“ she said and walked back into the den to retrieve something out of her purse.
When she came back, she had two envelopes in her hand. She held them out to her father who reached out a hand to take them.
“How did you get these?” he asked suspiciously, even before he took them.
“A man gave them to me,“ Debbie shrugged.
“A man?” Broots repeated, highly alarmed.
“Yes, a man,” Debbie said, rolling her eyes at her father’s startled expression.
“Debbie, I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t talk to strangers,“ Broots reminded her of an agreement they had made years ago.
“Daaaaad,“ Debbie whined.
“No, Debbie. That agreement still stands,” Broots started.
“Dad. He didn’t want anything from me,“ Debbie told her father.
“Why did he talk to you then?” Broots asked pointedly.
“He wanted me to give this to you. Dad! I didn’t do something wrong. I wasn’t alone and he did most of the talking. I was suspicious at first, too. Hey, I mean that guy knew my name,“ she said, looking at her father. Seeing her father was still angry, she went on, “He said that he knew you and also Miss Parker. He also said that you saved his life once,” Debbie paused.
The wheels were turning in Broots’ head. He held the two envelopes in his hand. He swiftly turned them over. One of the envelopes was addressed to him, the other to Miss Parker. When he looked at the handwriting, he recognized it as Jarod’s. Still he wasn’t convinced. “How did that stranger look?” he asked his daughter.
“Handsome,” came the prompt reply.
Broots glared at his daughter. “I didn’t mean that and you know it! So, how did he look like?”
“He was quite tall, as I said good looking, dark hair and brown eyes, oh and he had a small mole under his right eye,“ Debbie answered.
“No missing thumb?” Broots asked.
Debbie looked at him, a strange expression on her face. “Noooo,“ she drawled, shaking her head firmly.
Broots sighed and then started to smile. Then it ‘was’ Jarod.
“Well then, I better call Miss Parker and ask her to spend some time with you,” Broots said.
“So you do know him?” Debbie questioned.
“Yes,“ Broots answered shortly.
“And you saved his life?” she inquired.
“If he says so,“ Broots replied, blushing slightly. “But now, I’ll give Miss Parker a call!”
“Why don’t you give her the letter on Monday,“ Debbie suggested.
“Because this letter can’t wait that long and it will be better if you give it to her,” Broots replied, evading the subject that it would be safer for all of them.
“Ok,” Debbie shrugged. She didn’t mind going to Miss Parker and spend some time with her.
~~~~~~~
After calling Miss Parker, who was bewildered, and taking Debbie over to her, Broots sank back into his chair and reached for the envelope that had his name on it.
He opened it and found instructions from Jarod what exactly he would have to search for. Besides the places on the list, Miss Parker had been very vague about his role and what he would have to search for. But now he had some very detailed information from Jarod that he would be able to work with.
~~~~~~~
Terminating the call with a very puzzled expression on her face, Parker got up from the couch.
She had tried to turn Broots flat down when he suggested Debbie coming over to her.
Usually she didn’t mind sharing some of her free time with Debbie but now wasn’t a good time.
Though she had been quite hard on him, Broots had insisted on bringing Debbie over to her.
Either something was going on or he had developed a death wish. The ‘old’ Parker would have shot him the way he was arguing with her.
Perhaps he had grown a backbone one of these days, just as she had suggested about a week ago. She chuckled at that thought.
‘Well, we will see what this is about the moment he gets here,’ Parker thought.
To be continued…
Hope it was worth the wait!
