Table of Contents [Report This]
"Lyle, don't!" Parker yelled desperately. She could not let him do this again.
"Why not?" He flicked a piece of flint off his new Armani suit as he addressed her.
"You know what happened last time. Do not think for a second that I have forgotten how we got in that mess. Now step away from that lever and search the rest of this place." Parker commanded before adding, "And don't touch anything."
Lyle dropped his hand to appease Parker but he still wanted to pull the lever. He would have to convince, and remind, his sister that it was their job to be thorough in their search for Jarod.
"Parker, we have to check it out. It could be a legitimate clue this time. Jarod wants us to be afraid to pull it because of what happened last time… but we survived then, and whatever he throws at us this time, we'll survive it too." He motioned towards the lever again with his gloved hand, "I suggest we check out every possibility."
He gripped the lever that was protruding from the wall of the barren apartment complex. Just like last time, there was a sign next to it with a warning that read, "Danger, do not pull!"
"Lyle" Parker warned viciously as she took a step forward to physically stop him. "If you pull that lever, I swear I'll shoot you." For emphasis she readied her gun and flicked off the safety, cocking the loaded weapon.
Too late. Yanking as hard as he could to budge the rusty lever Lyle stepped back. He had successfully moved the metal handle. The handle was now aimed downward towards the floor instead of up towards the ceiling.
Nothing happened.
"See Parker, your Lab-Rat's just playing mind-games with us now." Lyle's voice revealed his relief and satisfaction at being right.
Hearing a low growl, he turned to see Parker stalking madly over to him with her gun hanging at her side. She was really pissed; her lips were curled in a snarl. Had he been mistaken about Jarod's lever gimmick, there was no doubt in his mind now that she wouldn't have hesitated to shoot him.
"Parker" He said calmly hoping to pacify her, but she cut him off.
"No Lyle, I told you not to." He followed her gun as it waved wildly in the air with her arms. She was none too pleased. Listening to Parker ramble on and on about how she is the boss when it comes to how Jarod's mind works, Lyle almost missed the creaking sound he heard from above their heads.
Uh-oh. That can't be a good sound, he thought.
"Shhh." He silenced Parker, and put a finger to his lips for effect.
Wondering what the hell he was looking at, Parker also craned her neck upwards.
Two large tubs of green ooze that had been slowly tipping over from their resting spots on the beams overhead, while Parker ranted, had now reached the edge and the contents began pouring out.
Locking eyes with Lyle, she made a cutthroat motion with her gun, and spat, "You are so dead."
Unfortunately, she dropped her gun as soon as the slimy green ooze trickled down on them, costing her, her grip.
'She needs to learn a lesson about hesitating to shoot, instead of issuing warnings,' Lyle morbidly thought. This is the second time she had means, motive, and opportunity, and she hesitated. He opened his mouth to laugh, inadvertently allowing the green slime in.
He gagged.
In less than a minute, they were both covered, head to toe, in green goo. When they walked out of the apartment complex, the two sweepers that had joined them on this trip immediately turned their backs and hid their faces to laugh. Lyle was not pleased and made a mental note to have those two learn some respect.
Glancing at Parker again to gauge her anger level, he saw that she was no longer trying to squeeze the slime out of her hair and jacket. She was, however, giving him the evil eye. 'Thank God she couldn't find her gun!' he thought. She went around to the trunk of the rental car and pulled out a bag.
Patting it on the side, she grinned at Lyle, "I brought a change of clothes." Looking him up and down, she asked, "Did you?"
This trip was only slated to take a couple of hours, and then they would head back to the airfield and fly to Blue Cove. Lyle had not anticipated any Jarod-induced inconveniences and so had not packed a thing. All the misfortunes Miss Parker's wardrobe had suffered over the years allowed her foresight to be prepared.
Miss Parker reached back in the trunk again and produced a towel. Lyle came sauntering over to use it too, but she threw it back in and slammed the trunk closed.
"Sis" he whined.
"I don't think so Lyle. This is your fault. I warned you, now you are just going to have to suffer the consequences. You wait here. I'll be right back, just need to find somewhere to change." She twirled the keys on her finger as she walked away. It wasn't how she would prefer to best Lyle, but she was able to appreciate this trick of Jarod's. Pleased with the outcome of this short trip, she whistled as she went back in to the apartment complex to use the bathroom to get cleaned and changed. It was the only room in the whole place that was still stocked.
Lyle turned to the sweepers to see if they had any keys for the car. They informed him that Miss Parker had taken both sets.
"Damn it." His new suit was ruined and his sister wouldn't even let him wipe his face of the disgusting slime. He looked at his surroundings and spotted a gas station across the street. He stomped off angrily to use the restroom to cleanup.
When he returned to the car, Miss Parker was already sitting in the driver's seat, glaring at him from behind her sunglasses.
"Took you long enough." Parker started the car, and took off before he had shut his door. It was time to go back to the Centre, see what Broots and Sydney did all day.
"Hey, Parker, wait up!"
She rubbed her temples furiously as soon as she heard his voice. When will this nightmare end?
His pounding footsteps slowed to a jog as he got closer to her car.
Ignoring him she unlocked her doors and got in.
Lyle got in on the other side.
Scowling, she turned her head to glare at him. She hoped that he would get the hint. She did not want to talk to him. Let alone suffer the mind-numbing consequences his presence would cause her. She already had a migraine… a Lyle inflicted migraine. He had been trying to talk to her since they returned to the Centre, about their earlier 'incident'. Avoiding him had been her priority for the rest of the day… now she was bone tired.
"Get out!" She hissed angrily.
Lyle didn't take her seriously and buckled up saying,
"We need to talk about what happened." In mock sincerity, he placed his hand over the one she had resting on the steering wheel.
She laughed bitterly. It was highly unlikely he was going to apologize for his blunder. Therefore, nothing he could say would interest her.
"No, all you want is for me to accept your explanation for why what you did today wasn't a mistake. I am not really in the mood for a line of BS, Lyle. Now, I'm going home to relax. You," she reached across him to open his door, and then swiftly unclasping his seat belt, she placed her hand on his shoulder, "are not coming with me, and we are not going to have a talk. Goodnight."
She grinned evilly and shoved him hard. His eyes widened as he felt the cold, hard ground of the parking garage under him.
Before he had a chance to dust himself off, to respond at all, she had closed the door, started the car and peeled out of her parking space.
Mustering as much dignity as he could from his spot on the ground, he grunted pushing himself to his feet. Lyle ground his teeth together angrily and swiped at his suit trying to clean off the dirt and grime.
"Sucks when she's pissed at you, huh, Lyle?" Sam's gravelly voice startled Lyle.
Lyle could hear that Miss Parker's sweeper was smiling… he must have seen what happened. Could this day get any worse?
Lyle didn't respond, instead trying to stare down the burly man.
Shaking his head and laughing, Sam walked away.
"You really shouldn't make your sister angry Lyle, there is no temper like hers." He turned around again. Now Sydney was there too, great, just great!
"Yeah, Lyle. There is nothing scarier than having Miss P angry with you. She doesn't even have to say anything; her eyes become her voice. Gives me the shivers." Broots piped in from the shadows next to where Sydney stood.
Did every one at the Centre witness his tumble out of her car? Even if they didn't, they all seemed to know he had pissed her off. Having that knowledge was leading them all to think they could give him advice.
"Maybe you should consider apologizing, Lyle." Sydney suggested.
"You're right, that will make everything better, Miss Parker is such a forgiving person. Thanks for the advice, Sydney." Lyle rolled his eyes with his sarcastic reply.
Sydney chuckled softly, "Goodnight Lyle, see you tomorrow." Sydney and Broots both left, leaving Lyle alone in the parking garage.
Loosening his tie, he breathed out sharply through his nose. There was no point in him sticking around at the Centre tonight. A quick stop in his office to grab his bag and then he'd most likely head home.
