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Chapter or Story
***** I am in no way connected to The Pretender, NBC or the like. I am using their characters and plotlines based on their show, of which I am obsessed. The only thing that's mine in here is Nikki.
It Takes A Thief....
Part 6
by CrackerJack
Kincaid Residence
Clear Bay
Jarodsighed as he left the backyard. Why would anyone murder their spouse?This is the person you love; so much you want to spend your whole life with. Why would a person just throw that away? Jarod made a mental note to ask Sydney. He, of all people, should know. He was, after all, a shrink. A REAL shrink, which was more than Jarod would be. He pondered this as he left the backyard. Why would you give love away for money? He was so immersed in thought that he never heard anyone, never suspected he was being followed until two arms grabbed him. One arm was around his head, the other his throat. Jarod realized that in this position his captor could break his neck instantly. His mind raced. It was too risky to be a Centre trick, but he couldn't be sure. Jarod stood perfectly still, not wanting to prompt his captor to kill him.
"What do you want?" He asked
"Well it's not your wallet. " A female voice answered him. "I want your attention, Pretender. Now I've got it. " It was true enough. When she identified her immediately as a pretender, he knew she was affiliated, to some degree, with the Centre. Just how much was impossible to tell at the moment. Did she mean something more?
"You've got my attention. What do you want?" Jarod repeated. He was surprised, in spite of himself, when the woman's answer came back desperate, almost worried.
"I need your help. You see, Raines sent me to find you."became even more suspicious at the mention of Raines. The Captor must've expected as much, because she continued.
"Hey, I said I was going to FIND you, not bring you in. Now listen, and listen good. I'm going to tell you a secret. They took me, too. "Jarod was right. She meant more by calling him a pretender. The question that remained was why did she need his help?
"You see, "She continued "For the past few weeks I have been haunted witha memory like a reoccurring nightmare. Too vague to remember completely, always in bits & Pieces"
"I know the feeling." Jarod answered. He once had a nightmare where Rainestested his Heart Drug on him. He had called Sydney about it.
....Every time I close my eyes I go somewhere...
was a terrible feeling, not remembering your own life.
"Yes, but will you help me?" The woman was growing irritated. Good question.
On one hand, she needed his help. On the other, she worked for Raines. Tough choice.
"Why Should I " Jarod asked. After a moment's hesitation, the arm aroundhis head lifted, then presented him with a shiny, metallic disc. A DSA. "Because I was the little girl in the hall. Sydney said I was special, too." behind him.
"You."Jarod remembered. He made his decision. "I'll help you." It was rash, but She was another Centre Captive and she, whoever she was, needed help. But just WHO was she, anyway?
When he asked this, she grabbed Jarod's shoulders and spun him around so that he saw her, for the first time in years
"Lt. Commander Nikki. But If I had MY way, you could drop the rank. " Her eyes darkened in much the same way Kyle's did when the Centre was involved. Jarod smiled reassuringly. "Maybe in a few days, you'll be able to."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Room 16
motel outside Clear Bay
An Hour Later refreshed his memory of his first encounter with Nikki and watched the DSA she had given him. When he had finished, Jarod was full of questions.
"Why didn't you like me back then? " he asked
" I didn't know whether or not you were the Enemy." Nikki surveyed the room and turned back to Jarod.
"Do you usually stay in places like this?" She sounded surprised.
"Usually. It's not much, I Know, but I can't risk anything more." He didn't want Nikki to think he couldn't GET anything more. As it was, the thought was unwarranted.
'Well it beats the Brig. " again, Nikki caught Jarod by surprise.
"They kept you in the Brig?" He asked, astonished, but consoling.
"I guess I should've expected as much. Are you a pretender?"
Nikki shrugged the question off, saying simply
"How should I know? You've got the Red Files. You tell me. " Nikki caught
Jarod off guard again. It was becoming something of a habit.
"You don't act like someone who was raised at The Centre" Jarod change the subject. Nikki didn't seem to mind. In fact, she lightened up and even smiled a little.
"Well it definitely didn't come from Raines. He actually had the Security around The Centre tightened. You can't disable the cameras without destroying them. "
"Yeah. I noticed. " Jarod replied. It was one of the only things Nikki had said that hadn't surprised him. It was because of the cameras he couldn't escape the last time. It was a mixed blessing, because it had allowed Sydney to warn him about the bomb.
"How did you manage to escape?"
"I just blocked the lens, and left. " Nikki answered.
"With what?"
"A Spitball." Jarod looked confused, so Nikki continued "Look. "
Jarod's dismay, she tore the corner off one of the pages of his little Red Notebook, and put it in her mouth. Then she raised a straw to her lips, took aim, and blew. Jarod barely had time to duck. When it struck the wall, Jarod walked over to examine it.
"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise and amusement. Then he composed himself, and retrieved his Cell Phone. "I'm Calling Sydney. Maybe he can find something before we arrive. "nodded. From what she'd seen of Sydney, she thought he might be able to be trusted.
- - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Sydney's phone rang and he answered it with the customary
"This is Sydney."
Jarod was on the other end, wherever it was. Sydney was relieved to hear him, with Nikki loose, and that reminded him.
"Jarod, watch out. There's been another escape at the Centre. A navy Officer. She's after you. Her name's-"
"Nikki. " Jarod finished. "I've met her already. "We need your help."
"We?" Asked Sydney, sort of confused. Nikki was after Jarod, so why did Jarod AND Nikki need help?
" I need to know what's happened to me." Now Nikki's voice came through the phone. "Will you help me, too?" TOO, She said. This meant that Jarod was helping her, Sydney realized.
"Miss Parker is searching for information about you. I'll get what I can." It was very important to Sydney that he make it up to Jarod for what he'd done in the past. This time he could try to help. Besides, If Jarod was willing to help Nikki, why shouldn't he be?
"Thank you Sydney." Came Jarod's voice again. Then Jarod hung up on him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It Takes A Thief....
Part 6
by CrackerJack
Kincaid Residence
Clear Bay
Jarodsighed as he left the backyard. Why would anyone murder their spouse?This is the person you love; so much you want to spend your whole life with. Why would a person just throw that away? Jarod made a mental note to ask Sydney. He, of all people, should know. He was, after all, a shrink. A REAL shrink, which was more than Jarod would be. He pondered this as he left the backyard. Why would you give love away for money? He was so immersed in thought that he never heard anyone, never suspected he was being followed until two arms grabbed him. One arm was around his head, the other his throat. Jarod realized that in this position his captor could break his neck instantly. His mind raced. It was too risky to be a Centre trick, but he couldn't be sure. Jarod stood perfectly still, not wanting to prompt his captor to kill him.
"What do you want?" He asked
"Well it's not your wallet. " A female voice answered him. "I want your attention, Pretender. Now I've got it. " It was true enough. When she identified her immediately as a pretender, he knew she was affiliated, to some degree, with the Centre. Just how much was impossible to tell at the moment. Did she mean something more?
"You've got my attention. What do you want?" Jarod repeated. He was surprised, in spite of himself, when the woman's answer came back desperate, almost worried.
"I need your help. You see, Raines sent me to find you."became even more suspicious at the mention of Raines. The Captor must've expected as much, because she continued.
"Hey, I said I was going to FIND you, not bring you in. Now listen, and listen good. I'm going to tell you a secret. They took me, too. "Jarod was right. She meant more by calling him a pretender. The question that remained was why did she need his help?
"You see, "She continued "For the past few weeks I have been haunted witha memory like a reoccurring nightmare. Too vague to remember completely, always in bits & Pieces"
"I know the feeling." Jarod answered. He once had a nightmare where Rainestested his Heart Drug on him. He had called Sydney about it.
....Every time I close my eyes I go somewhere...
was a terrible feeling, not remembering your own life.
"Yes, but will you help me?" The woman was growing irritated. Good question.
On one hand, she needed his help. On the other, she worked for Raines. Tough choice.
"Why Should I " Jarod asked. After a moment's hesitation, the arm aroundhis head lifted, then presented him with a shiny, metallic disc. A DSA. "Because I was the little girl in the hall. Sydney said I was special, too." behind him.
"You."Jarod remembered. He made his decision. "I'll help you." It was rash, but She was another Centre Captive and she, whoever she was, needed help. But just WHO was she, anyway?
When he asked this, she grabbed Jarod's shoulders and spun him around so that he saw her, for the first time in years
"Lt. Commander Nikki. But If I had MY way, you could drop the rank. " Her eyes darkened in much the same way Kyle's did when the Centre was involved. Jarod smiled reassuringly. "Maybe in a few days, you'll be able to."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Room 16
motel outside Clear Bay
An Hour Later refreshed his memory of his first encounter with Nikki and watched the DSA she had given him. When he had finished, Jarod was full of questions.
"Why didn't you like me back then? " he asked
" I didn't know whether or not you were the Enemy." Nikki surveyed the room and turned back to Jarod.
"Do you usually stay in places like this?" She sounded surprised.
"Usually. It's not much, I Know, but I can't risk anything more." He didn't want Nikki to think he couldn't GET anything more. As it was, the thought was unwarranted.
'Well it beats the Brig. " again, Nikki caught Jarod by surprise.
"They kept you in the Brig?" He asked, astonished, but consoling.
"I guess I should've expected as much. Are you a pretender?"
Nikki shrugged the question off, saying simply
"How should I know? You've got the Red Files. You tell me. " Nikki caught
Jarod off guard again. It was becoming something of a habit.
"You don't act like someone who was raised at The Centre" Jarod change the subject. Nikki didn't seem to mind. In fact, she lightened up and even smiled a little.
"Well it definitely didn't come from Raines. He actually had the Security around The Centre tightened. You can't disable the cameras without destroying them. "
"Yeah. I noticed. " Jarod replied. It was one of the only things Nikki had said that hadn't surprised him. It was because of the cameras he couldn't escape the last time. It was a mixed blessing, because it had allowed Sydney to warn him about the bomb.
"How did you manage to escape?"
"I just blocked the lens, and left. " Nikki answered.
"With what?"
"A Spitball." Jarod looked confused, so Nikki continued "Look. "
Jarod's dismay, she tore the corner off one of the pages of his little Red Notebook, and put it in her mouth. Then she raised a straw to her lips, took aim, and blew. Jarod barely had time to duck. When it struck the wall, Jarod walked over to examine it.
"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise and amusement. Then he composed himself, and retrieved his Cell Phone. "I'm Calling Sydney. Maybe he can find something before we arrive. "nodded. From what she'd seen of Sydney, she thought he might be able to be trusted.
- - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Sydney's phone rang and he answered it with the customary
"This is Sydney."
Jarod was on the other end, wherever it was. Sydney was relieved to hear him, with Nikki loose, and that reminded him.
"Jarod, watch out. There's been another escape at the Centre. A navy Officer. She's after you. Her name's-"
"Nikki. " Jarod finished. "I've met her already. "We need your help."
"We?" Asked Sydney, sort of confused. Nikki was after Jarod, so why did Jarod AND Nikki need help?
" I need to know what's happened to me." Now Nikki's voice came through the phone. "Will you help me, too?" TOO, She said. This meant that Jarod was helping her, Sydney realized.
"Miss Parker is searching for information about you. I'll get what I can." It was very important to Sydney that he make it up to Jarod for what he'd done in the past. This time he could try to help. Besides, If Jarod was willing to help Nikki, why shouldn't he be?
"Thank you Sydney." Came Jarod's voice again. Then Jarod hung up on him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
