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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: see part one
Author’s Note: The next chapter will probably come up in a bit over a week. I’ll be on holiday from mid-next week. I’ll have internet access every now and then but nothing regular so I won’t promise anything definite.
~~~~~~~
The Past Always Catches Up Part 4
Safety for some
Jarod looked into the rear-view mirror and narrowed his eyes. Then he shot a look to his son who was quietly sitting on the passenger’s seat a look.
He reached into his breast pocket and got his cell phone out.
“Charles,” his father answered after the first ring.
“It’s me,” he responded equally short and tense.
“Jarod. Where are you?”
He took another look in the rear-view mirror. “On my way to the airport. Look, I have two agents on my heels so we won’t have any time for discussion on the runway.”
“Jarod?!” the Major’s voice came up. “They’re back, aren’t they?” It was more of a statement than a question and he didn’t have to ask who ‘they’ were.
“Yes, and they have Jay.”
“Oh no,” his father gasped.
“Look, Dad. I really don’t have time for this,” Jarod spoke sharply to get his father back to focus.
“What about those agents?”
Jarod took another look. “They’re harmless but I don’t want them to interfere. I want you to take Ethan, Emily, Andy and vanish.”
The Major breathed loudly, communicating his dislike.
“I won’t debate this. I need you out of harms way. I need to know that you and the rest of my family is safe so that I can concentrate on saving Jay,” Jarod replied tensely.
“Ok,” his father relented, knowing that Jarod was right.
“Thanks Dad,” Jarod sighed, grateful that his father was backing off. “I’m only a few minutes away from the airstrip. Get our jet ready for take-off so that you just have to close the door after taking Andy. These agents won’t be pleased but I can’t have them getting in the way so I need you to be in the air before their car comes to a halt.”
“Ok,” the Major said again.
“Go somewhere safe. Maybe Canada,” he shook his head. “I don’t care as long as you’re safe. I just can’t worry about all of you as well.”
“Ok, ok, Jarod.”
“Good. Oh, and Dad?”
“Yes?” his father asked carefully, already anticipating that he wouldn’t like the next thing his son would say.
“Don’t - I repeat - don’t call me or Parker,” Jarod said in a no nonsense voice.
“Jarod,” the Major tried to interrupt.
“No,” Jarod shook his head. “I don’t know how long this cell phone will exist. I don’t want it to fall into the Centre’s hands and them to get to you by following the signal when they call one of your numbers. And because of that I don’t want you to call me,” Jarod said sternly. “I’ll contact you once this is over and I’m back in the position to call, got that?”
The Major huffed frustrated. “Yes.”
“Good,” Jarod said. “I gotta go now. I’ll see you in just a few minutes. Be ready to leave at once,” he ordered and terminated the connection.
He put the cell phone back into his pocket and then looked over to his son. “Hey, kiddo,” he mumbled, his voice suddenly thick with emotions.
The child looked up at his father. He had been silent since the turmoil had started, not uttering more than a few words, as if he knew that his parents needed to focus on other things. He was frightened yet his confidence in his parents never wavered. “Jay’s gone,” he mumbled.
Jarod nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. “Yes he is, but Mommy and I will do everything we can to get him back,” he vowed, as much to himself as to his son.
“Won’t see you for some time.”
Jarod drew a deep breath. “Yes, that might be so but I want you to know that Mommy and I love you very much and that we’ll come back to you and the rest of the family the moment we can, ok?”
Andy nodded earnestly.
“Ok,” Jarod reassured himself again. “I want you to go with your Grandpa and Aunt Em and Uncle Ethan. They’ll take care of you for as long as Mommy and I can’t.”
The little head bobbed up and down again.
Jarod checked the rear-view mirror again and nodded his head in satisfaction when he saw that the agent’s car was a sufficient distance away.
He accelerated just a bit more and turned onto the airport’s zone. He had made the travel from city centre to the small strip that lay in the south of the city in a good time.
He applied the breaks when he came alongside the jet that belonged to his family. They had bought it sometime ago so that they would be able to get away from the city in a short time and get lost in the endless sky among hundreds of other planes.
The jet was already parked with the engine running in front of the runway, only waiting for him to deliver the valuable cargo. Jarod grabbed his son from the passenger’s seat and was out of the car in a flash. He sprinted the last few steps over to the waiting plane.
Emily’s head appeared in the doorway and she stretched out her arms, waiting for Jarod to place his son in them. Her face was blank with fright and shock.
Jarod looked at her and, for a fleeting moment, the mask he had put on slipped. His face was mirroring that of his sister, containing fright, pain, shock and concern. The heavy weights of responsibility pushed on his shoulders, making him want to collapse to the ground and weep. The moment was over before it really begun. The features of the controlled and focussed man snapped back in place when he heard two men shouting behind him.
“I love you, my boy,” he whispered into Andy’s hair. He pushed his son in Emily’s waiting arms and helped her to close the door. Once it was shut, he sprang away from the jet as his father manoeuvred it onto the runway and roughly accelerated the plane so that it raced down the airstrip.
He couldn’t hear anything over the noise of the plane but knew two sets of footsteps were coming towards him.
Here he was again: a different airport, but a familiar situation. The last time he had forced his father to leave with the boy while he stayed behind to rescue Miss Parker. This time he was entrusting his father with the safety of his family, while once again he would stay behind with Miss Parker, but this time to rescue the boy.
Jarod’s eyes followed the plane and he raised a hand in a last farewell, his face softening once again. “Be safe,” he whispered, knowing that no one could hear the words but praying that someone would and therefore keep an eye on his family.
The two agents skidded to a halt next to him when the jet was about to leave the ground.
“Damn it,” agent Fitzgerald swore loudly and turned Jarod round by roughly shoving him in the shoulder. “Just what the hell are you doing?” he screamed.
Jarod looked at him with a hard glance, all softness gone and replaced with the hard and controlled features. “Protecting my family,” he said evenly and the turned around to walk back to the car.
Danny and Martin exchanged a look and then they quickly stepped in front of Jarod.
“Sir, we want you to accompany us now,” Danny said, anger brooding in him but he was trying to keep it under control.
“I’m on my way back to the high school. If it will make you feel better, one of you can drive with me,” Jarod said evenly, his eyes hard and emotionless.
Danny’s eyes narrowed. “Martin, you go with him, I follow in our car.”
Martin nodded and looked expectantly at Jarod who shrugged and gestured to his car.
He knew that they were expecting some explanations but he wasn’t about to offer any or justify his actions. He didn’t mind their probing now just as long as he knew that the rest of his family was safe. He knew that he didn’t have to worry about them any longer. Once they had been in the air that burden had dropped.
His father had enough experience with the Centre to keep them safe. They wouldn’t be found now.
His father would accomplish what Jarod had asked him to do: vanish.
To be continued…
Author’s Note: The next chapter will probably come up in a bit over a week. I’ll be on holiday from mid-next week. I’ll have internet access every now and then but nothing regular so I won’t promise anything definite.
~~~~~~~
The Past Always Catches Up Part 4
Safety for some
Jarod looked into the rear-view mirror and narrowed his eyes. Then he shot a look to his son who was quietly sitting on the passenger’s seat a look.
He reached into his breast pocket and got his cell phone out.
“Charles,” his father answered after the first ring.
“It’s me,” he responded equally short and tense.
“Jarod. Where are you?”
He took another look in the rear-view mirror. “On my way to the airport. Look, I have two agents on my heels so we won’t have any time for discussion on the runway.”
“Jarod?!” the Major’s voice came up. “They’re back, aren’t they?” It was more of a statement than a question and he didn’t have to ask who ‘they’ were.
“Yes, and they have Jay.”
“Oh no,” his father gasped.
“Look, Dad. I really don’t have time for this,” Jarod spoke sharply to get his father back to focus.
“What about those agents?”
Jarod took another look. “They’re harmless but I don’t want them to interfere. I want you to take Ethan, Emily, Andy and vanish.”
The Major breathed loudly, communicating his dislike.
“I won’t debate this. I need you out of harms way. I need to know that you and the rest of my family is safe so that I can concentrate on saving Jay,” Jarod replied tensely.
“Ok,” his father relented, knowing that Jarod was right.
“Thanks Dad,” Jarod sighed, grateful that his father was backing off. “I’m only a few minutes away from the airstrip. Get our jet ready for take-off so that you just have to close the door after taking Andy. These agents won’t be pleased but I can’t have them getting in the way so I need you to be in the air before their car comes to a halt.”
“Ok,” the Major said again.
“Go somewhere safe. Maybe Canada,” he shook his head. “I don’t care as long as you’re safe. I just can’t worry about all of you as well.”
“Ok, ok, Jarod.”
“Good. Oh, and Dad?”
“Yes?” his father asked carefully, already anticipating that he wouldn’t like the next thing his son would say.
“Don’t - I repeat - don’t call me or Parker,” Jarod said in a no nonsense voice.
“Jarod,” the Major tried to interrupt.
“No,” Jarod shook his head. “I don’t know how long this cell phone will exist. I don’t want it to fall into the Centre’s hands and them to get to you by following the signal when they call one of your numbers. And because of that I don’t want you to call me,” Jarod said sternly. “I’ll contact you once this is over and I’m back in the position to call, got that?”
The Major huffed frustrated. “Yes.”
“Good,” Jarod said. “I gotta go now. I’ll see you in just a few minutes. Be ready to leave at once,” he ordered and terminated the connection.
He put the cell phone back into his pocket and then looked over to his son. “Hey, kiddo,” he mumbled, his voice suddenly thick with emotions.
The child looked up at his father. He had been silent since the turmoil had started, not uttering more than a few words, as if he knew that his parents needed to focus on other things. He was frightened yet his confidence in his parents never wavered. “Jay’s gone,” he mumbled.
Jarod nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. “Yes he is, but Mommy and I will do everything we can to get him back,” he vowed, as much to himself as to his son.
“Won’t see you for some time.”
Jarod drew a deep breath. “Yes, that might be so but I want you to know that Mommy and I love you very much and that we’ll come back to you and the rest of the family the moment we can, ok?”
Andy nodded earnestly.
“Ok,” Jarod reassured himself again. “I want you to go with your Grandpa and Aunt Em and Uncle Ethan. They’ll take care of you for as long as Mommy and I can’t.”
The little head bobbed up and down again.
Jarod checked the rear-view mirror again and nodded his head in satisfaction when he saw that the agent’s car was a sufficient distance away.
He accelerated just a bit more and turned onto the airport’s zone. He had made the travel from city centre to the small strip that lay in the south of the city in a good time.
He applied the breaks when he came alongside the jet that belonged to his family. They had bought it sometime ago so that they would be able to get away from the city in a short time and get lost in the endless sky among hundreds of other planes.
The jet was already parked with the engine running in front of the runway, only waiting for him to deliver the valuable cargo. Jarod grabbed his son from the passenger’s seat and was out of the car in a flash. He sprinted the last few steps over to the waiting plane.
Emily’s head appeared in the doorway and she stretched out her arms, waiting for Jarod to place his son in them. Her face was blank with fright and shock.
Jarod looked at her and, for a fleeting moment, the mask he had put on slipped. His face was mirroring that of his sister, containing fright, pain, shock and concern. The heavy weights of responsibility pushed on his shoulders, making him want to collapse to the ground and weep. The moment was over before it really begun. The features of the controlled and focussed man snapped back in place when he heard two men shouting behind him.
“I love you, my boy,” he whispered into Andy’s hair. He pushed his son in Emily’s waiting arms and helped her to close the door. Once it was shut, he sprang away from the jet as his father manoeuvred it onto the runway and roughly accelerated the plane so that it raced down the airstrip.
He couldn’t hear anything over the noise of the plane but knew two sets of footsteps were coming towards him.
Here he was again: a different airport, but a familiar situation. The last time he had forced his father to leave with the boy while he stayed behind to rescue Miss Parker. This time he was entrusting his father with the safety of his family, while once again he would stay behind with Miss Parker, but this time to rescue the boy.
Jarod’s eyes followed the plane and he raised a hand in a last farewell, his face softening once again. “Be safe,” he whispered, knowing that no one could hear the words but praying that someone would and therefore keep an eye on his family.
The two agents skidded to a halt next to him when the jet was about to leave the ground.
“Damn it,” agent Fitzgerald swore loudly and turned Jarod round by roughly shoving him in the shoulder. “Just what the hell are you doing?” he screamed.
Jarod looked at him with a hard glance, all softness gone and replaced with the hard and controlled features. “Protecting my family,” he said evenly and the turned around to walk back to the car.
Danny and Martin exchanged a look and then they quickly stepped in front of Jarod.
“Sir, we want you to accompany us now,” Danny said, anger brooding in him but he was trying to keep it under control.
“I’m on my way back to the high school. If it will make you feel better, one of you can drive with me,” Jarod said evenly, his eyes hard and emotionless.
Danny’s eyes narrowed. “Martin, you go with him, I follow in our car.”
Martin nodded and looked expectantly at Jarod who shrugged and gestured to his car.
He knew that they were expecting some explanations but he wasn’t about to offer any or justify his actions. He didn’t mind their probing now just as long as he knew that the rest of his family was safe. He knew that he didn’t have to worry about them any longer. Once they had been in the air that burden had dropped.
His father had enough experience with the Centre to keep them safe. They wouldn’t be found now.
His father would accomplish what Jarod had asked him to do: vanish.
To be continued…
