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In Pursuit of Happiness
Part XXXIX
By jojarod50
Friday 12:00 noon
C-block #17 (solitary confinement wing)
South Haven Penitentiary
Atlanta, Georgia
"Well, well, well. Look who made it all the way to C-block
already. Looks like the group-counseling thing didn't take, huh?" the
former federal agent chided, stepping up to Lyle's cell with his
lunch tray.
"Talbot, where the hell have you been," Lyle said in a low
menacing voice. "You were supposed to have arranged for my release by
Tuesday, remember?"
"I can't believe you're even bringing that up. You managed to put
your psychologist in intensive care and it's anyone's guess whether
or not she'll make it," he lied. "Is that what you call keeping a low
profile?"
"She was begging me for it," he said innocently, smoothing
back his hair with the palm of his hand. "Besides, if you had gotten
me out of here before my session, none of that would have happened,"
he countered defiantly. "Listen carefully," Lyle breathed leaning
into the bars. "I expect to be out by tomorrow, or Dr. Wang won't be
the only one hooked up to a ventilator."
"You can't threaten me. Look around you. This isn't the
Centre and I sure as hell don't have a vested interest in helping you
any more. Let's face it, you don't have a friend left in the world."
"Oh, you're wrong, Talbot. I still have some very powerful
connections, with enough money to satisfy even a voraciously greedy
man like you."
"Why the hell should I believe a pathological liar like you. Some of
Lucas' friends are just waiting for me to give the word to have you
snuffed out, you sorry s.o.b. You shouldn't have crossed us in the
first place."
"How many times do I have to tell you, it wasn't me, it was
Jarod? Besides, you were cleared of all the charges, so quit whining
around."
"Yeah, and I never saw a dime of the money you promised me.
If you ever expect to see the light of day again, you're going to
have to come up with a sure way of generously funding my retirement.
Otherwise, you can sit in your cell and rot."
"Don't bet on it. It's only a matter of time before I line
something else up."
"Yeah right; in the general population, maybe, but not here. Do you
have any idea how closely you're being watched? Hell, I had to bribe
surveillance just for a chance to talk to you off the record, so to
speak, and it cost me plenty," the greasy man said, glancing at his
watch. "I know these guys and none of them would be willing to risk
their necks for you. Let's face it, you're going to have to deal with
me."
Lyle stared at the other man for a moment working things out
in his mind. "Get me out of here and I'll get you what you want."
"Not so fast. I'm not taking any more risks, until you convince me
it's a sure thing," he said, sizing up the sociopath's mental state,
deciding which button to push next.
"Bet you wished you'd killed Jarod when you had the chance. He's
basking in the glory of your demise and is set to give lethal
testimony against all of you in the coming weeks," he jeered, trying
to get him off balance.
"His testimony won't carry any weight, with his history of mental
illness and attempted suicide."
"Don't you wish. Psychologically, he's as stable as they come and
he's been in league with the FBI compiling mountains of damning
evidence against all the Centre players and especially against you.
He's not the shell of a man you tried to make him. You wouldn't even
recognize him now, the way he's been working out. Oh he'll be a
credible witness alright."
"It doesn't matter. I'll be long gone before they ever bring me to
trial."
"You may want to rethink that, considering all the sick things you
did to him. At least he can't get his hands on you in here. Lucky for
you the testing he had done for chromosome damage came out normal, or
who knows what he would have done to you. I still wonder what the
hell you were thinking, giving that genius hallucinogenic drugs.
Anyway, Jarod married your sexy sister and rumor has it their um, how
should I put this, relationship is really hot."
"That's the best news I've had in weeks. I had my reasons for
keeping him alive. He's still useful to me."
"I can't imagine how. While you've been wasting away in your little
cell, Jarod landed a Special Forces job with the CIA. His first move
was to go after the jugular of the Gemini III project and everyone
even remotely involved. No easy feat considering it was a global
project," he said, lowering his voice, as he handed Lyle his
tray. "That genius is going to end up being the most sought after man
in the world, once word gets out about him. With the cloning project
blown all to hell and the main Centre players, including yourself,
going to trial soon, Jarod has managed to put every piece of Centre
machinery out of business for good, buddy."
"Not quite. Your new found hero is still the victim, he just
doesn't know it yet," he said, seething with jealousy. "Are you still
interested in becoming extremely wealthy or are you just getting your
jollies by harassing me?" he asked, breaking into a cold smile.
"I'm listening. Make it quick; I'm almost out of time."
"Give this man a call," he said, jotting something down on a scrap
of paper. "Tell him everything you just told me about Jarod's health
status and recent marriage. Gemini III wasn't the only project we had
in progress," he said conspiratorially, placing the note on his tray
of uneaten food and passing it back through the bars. "I had
something special working on the side. From what you've told me, it
shouldn't be long before those two red files supply us with a
potential new pretender," he said, giving the other man a confident
look. "Make the call and you'll be on your way to being rich beyond
avarice, partner."
"You're on, pal," Talbot said, lifting the note off the tray
and slipping it into his pants pocket. If things go right, I'll try
to get back to you by tomorrow," he said glancing at his
watch. "Time's up. I've got to go."
* * *
Prison Ward /East wing
"All right Talbot, back in your cell."
"I did what you wanted. Lyle finally took the bait and made
his next move," he said, handing the agent the note. "You did say I'd
get a reduced sentence for this, right?" he said, shirking off the
guard's hand and turning around to face the Federal Agent.
"It's up to the review board, but yeah there's a chance."
"A chance? What kind of double-cross is this, Bailey? For
Christ's sake, I've given you my full cooperation. You owe me!"
Agent Malone nodded to the prison guards and Talbot was
forcefully put back in his cell.
"Bailey, you frickin' ass, come back here; I'm talking to
you."
* * *
Jarod and Andrea Marie's ocean front home
The bedroom
Saturday 1:30 PM
"Jarod, it's for you," Andi breathed, handing her half-awake
husband the phone and easing herself back down against his warm
chest. "Mmmm. Tell them to call back tonight, after we've had some
decent sleep," Parker moaned sleepily, as she slipped her slender arm
around his waist and closed her eyes.
"Hello?" Jarod said distractedly, enjoying his wife's warm
breath tickling his neck and her warm body entwined around his.
"Jarod, sorry to interrupt you on your day off, but we have
the name you've been asking for. You were right about there being
plans for a new pretender project. Talbot finally won Lyle's trust
enough to get him to talk."
"Putting him in isolation was probably more than he could
stand, considering his dad used to lock him in a shed for weeks at a
time. Bailey, who's the inside man?"
"His name is Albert Sieble. He's really been hard to pin down, but
we're pretty sure his primary residence it just outside Hamburg,
Germany. We've got a phone tap on him. I don't think you're going to
like this, but he's been delving into your and Andi's medical
records."
"I expected as much."
Listen to me, Jarod. I don't want you to turn this into a personal
vendetta or you could blow the whole thing."
"I kept my objectivity during the last assignment. I'll
handle this one just the same. Once we take Sieble and his cronies
down, it will be a safer world for my family. That's all I've ever
wanted," he said with a dimpled smile, looking down at Andi and
stroking her auburn hair.
"Ok, Jarod. I'm flying down from Atlanta in a couple of hours. Can
you meet me at the airport? We have a lot to discuss."
"That will be fine. With any luck, we'll have ample time to
wrap up the whole thing by the end of next week.
"I hope so. Meet me at Gate 33 at 2:45 PM," Bailey said, having
slight reservations about whether Jarod would be able to handle the
additional stress, considering the nature of the sting. The last
thing he wanted to do was to undermine Jarod's successful recovery,
by throwing too much at him all at once.
"I'll be there," Jarod said smoothly, looking down into the
questioning eyes of his gorgeous wife.
Positioning her pillow behind her back, she hurriedly scooted herself
into a seated position. For several moments Andi sat still, carefully
observing her preoccupied husband, realizing he was running a sim.
"Jarod, what the hell's going on?" she questioned, her impatience
finally getting the best of her.
"Oh, um, sorry, Andi," Jarod said, deliberately shaking off
his trance. "Your deviant brother has finally divulged the name we've
been waiting for," he said, taking her into his arms and looking
deeply into her ice blue eyes.
"The FBI has been monitoring him for quite some time now. After
completely dismantle the Gemini III project, there's only one
outstanding threat left to our family."
"Family? Jarod what are you talking about?"
"Our family, sweetheart. We were planning on having children,
remember?" He said, cupping her face in his hands and giving her a
gentle kiss.
"Mmmm, so that's the reason we're not getting any sleep," she
said in amusement, matching his kiss with one of her own.
"Yeah, well, that's one of them," he said, fiddling with the ribbon
on her nightgown, then becoming serious again. "It's only a matter of
time, before you conceive, if you haven't already," he said, lifting
her face to his. "I was inadvertently exposed to a limited amount of
information about a fledgling Pretender project, headed up by your
wayward brother, while being fed massive amounts of information about
Gemini III. The core material centered around the joining of two of
the original red files, they hoped would produce a perfect specimen
for their next pretender project."
"Those red files wouldn't by any chance be you and me, would
they?" Andi asked, with an unmistakable edge to her voice.
"I believe that's exactly who they had in mind," he said,
watching her eyes suddenly narrow into angry slits.
"Well, isn't it lucky for me I was here when you got that phone
call," she spit, sliding out of bed and pulling on her terry cloth
robe. "Damn it Jarod, when were you going to tell me, after they
arrived at the hospital to pick up our child?"
"Sweetheart, I didn't want you to have to deal with this before it
was necessary. You've had so little happiness in your life. I just
wanted you to…"
I don't appreciate being kept out of the loop. Who do you think I am,
June Cleaver?'
"June who?" Jarod questioned, grappling to get hold of the situation.
"Don't play dumb with me. The moron with the dress and the pearls who
just loves to vacuum the house."
"Vacuum? What does that…"
"Look Mister. I may be your wife now, but I was a Centre Operative
before that and I can handle anything you can. How dare you treat me
like a "house wife"."
Jarod stared at his wife for a moment; totally confused by the
references she was making, wondering what exactly "treating her like
a "house wife" meant. Trying to look less off balance then he really
felt, he decided to ignore her sudden outburst and continue his
explanation, hoping that would satisfy her.
"Our joining has been greatly anticipated for some time now. I've
already identified most of the parties involved and now, thanks to
Lyle's gross error in judgement, we have the final name," Jarod said,
biting back a sudden flood of emotions, remembering the horrible
things that had been forced on him while at the Centre.
"They thought I wouldn't remember the extensive information they
exposed me to during my preliminary work on Gemini III. But I wasn't
as mentally incapacitated as I had led them to believe and I
remembered everything: Every country and every name of all the
players involved," he said quietly, unaware that he was rubbing his
scarred wrist. "This is the final piece of their sordid plan; we're
on to them and they don't even know it," Jarod said with
uncharacteristic intensity, barely catching himself, before the full
extent of his rage was revealed.
"Are you all right, Jarod?" Andi asked, noticing that his hands were
trembling; something that she hadn't seen since he came home after
being hospitalized.
"I'm fine," Jarod assured her, nonchalantly removing them from her
view. "Andi, once they're all incarcerated, we'll be able to go on
with our lives like normal people do," he said, leaving the bed and
stepping behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.
Finding no resistance, he slowly turned her around to face him and
gathered her into his arms.
"Please don't be angry with me, I'm just trying to give us a chance
for a real life."
"I don't want you involved in this, Jarod. You're pushing yourself
too hard. Besides, you promised me, you would take a break after
Gemini III."
"I know; I'm sorry Andi. I had no idea we'd get the final
information on Lyle's inner circle this soon. It's imperative we make
our move now, while we know their exact locations."
"Have you completely forgotten what Sydney said? You need to take
things slower for a while, or you might suffer a relapse. Why don't
you let your staff and the FBI handle this one?"
"Now where would be the fun in that?" he offered, breaking into a
cocky smile. "Mmmm, I love it when you look at me that way," Jarod
said, gazing at her concerned face with his deep brown eyes. "Don't
worry, Andi, I'll pull out if it starts getting to me, I promise," he
said softly, wrapping his muscular arms more confidently around his
precious wife and kissing her tentatively, then urgently, as they
fell back against the bed again.
Airport terminal - Gate 33
3:25 PM
"I was beginning to think something happened to you, Jarod," Agent
Malone said, with an anxious look on his face. "It's not like you to
be late," he said, curiously eyeing the tired looking man.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I got a little side tracked at home," Jarod said
innocently, as the other man broke into an amused smile. "What do you
have, Bailey?" the pretender asked, scanning the people passing by.
"Let's go some where more private," the agent said, motioning to the
bar across the way. * *
*
The Idle Hour Bar and Grill
"Two coffees. What do you take in yours?"
"Cream and sugar," Jarod said distractedly, still scanning the area
for anyone who looked marginally suspicious, as they made their way
to a vacant booth at the back of the bar.
"Jarod, we intercepted this coded message transmitted from Sieble's
home right before I boarded my flight. It'd save a lot of time if
you'd decipher it for me," he said, handing him the sheet of paper,
surprised by his immediate reaction, after briefly glancing at it.
"Good night, Bailey. You should have faxed this to me the moment you
intercepted it. There are three surveillance teams on their way to
the States, as we speak," Jarod said, glancing at his watch then
writing the lengthy flight information in the margin of the coded
note, then handing it back. "Make sure those bastards are intercepted
at the airport, before they even debark their planes," I'm going
home," he said, hurriedly scooting his chair back and getting up.
Bailey bit the inside of his lip as he carefully observed the other
man, who was angrily glaring at him.
"Take it easy, Jarod, my men know their jobs. Why don't you sit back
down, while we discuss this? We need to work out the details, before
my men are put in place."
"Priorities, Bailey. You don't need my input to set up a net for
those flights. I'm moving my wife to an undisclosed location, just to
be on the safe side. I want my parents' house under armed
surveillance, immediately. I need to give them a call and make sure
everyone is at home. Expect a call from me, around 7:00 tonight,
unless something unexpected comes up."
"Damn it, Jarod, slow down. I can't let you go off half cocked. We
have to work together or this whole thing's going to go down the
tubes," Bailey said, grabbing his arm tightly, stopping him dead in
his tracks. "That is, unless you just resigned."
"Resigned?"
"Look, I'm going to level with you. It took a lot of effort to
convince the people I answer to, to allow you anywhere near this
operation. They're afraid you're a liability considering the personal
nature of this case and your former emotional difficulties. I need
you Jarod, badly, but you've got to be a team player, or I'll be
forced to have you removed from this case," the agent said, hating
having to be so blunt with his brilliant counterpart.
"I hear you," Jarod managed, closing his eyes tightly and composing
himself before he spoke again. "But you've got to give me some
breathing room, Bailey; there are just too many lives hanging in the
balance. I couldn't live with myself, if anything happened to my wife
and family."
"I know, Jarod," Agent Malone said, feeling his gut tighten, as he
further evaluated the other man. It was painfully obvious that Jarod
had already lost his objectivity and was far too emotionally
involved. He felt pressed to make a determination whether or not to
keep him on the case, but decided to postpone it until Jarod had a
chance to air his concerns. He wondered how Jarod would take it, if
he were told to stay out of it.
"Ok, you've go my undivided attention. Why don't we discuss what's on
your mind," Bailey said, trying to remain neutral, as he slipped a
fuente cigar out of his suit coat pocket and motioned for the
pretender to sit back down.
* * *
Jarod and Andi's oceanfront home
5:45 PM
Saturday evening
"Hi, Andi. Rough afternoon?" Jarod questioned noticing the
strained expression on her face, aware that she'd been stuck at her
attorney's office all afternoon, helping him put together her case.
"Actually, my afternoon went fine, Jarod. That is, until I
got home and took a call for you from Agent Malone."
"I'm really hungry, can't that wait," Jarod said
enthusiastically, trying to dodge the issue. "There's an interesting
restaurant just down the beach that serves alligator kabobs. What do
you think?"
"Where have you been? Bailey called about an hour ago and
told me he was concerned about how you were handling being removed
from the case. I've been calling everywhere trying to find you."
"I was at my office. Do you have a problem with that?" Jarod
said angrily, tossing his briefcase and suit coat on the nearest
chair and heading out onto the balcony.
* * *
The balcony 10 minutes later…
"I love the ocean," Andi said as she approached her husband
at the rail. "I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect life, Jarod."
"He shouldn't have taken me off the case. Of course I care
about my family, but that doesn't mean I've gone off the deep end.
They need me, Andi. They don't stand a chance of tracking them all
down without my help."
"Jarod, maybe if you go back tomorrow more in control Bailey
will…"
"No, not after how I acted this afternoon. I knew I was
getting too emotional, but I just… couldn't…I kept imagining what it
would be like, if we had a child and…"
"I know. I've been thinking the same thing. I can't find the
words to express how badly I've felt for you, knowing the pain you
went through as a child. I wish there had been something I could have
done."
"That doesn't matter now. I hope you don't mind my asking you this,
but could you give yourself a preliminary test, so we can know if you
are pregnant or not right now?" he asked, proffering her a drugstore
test.
"Jarod…are you sure…"
"Please."
* * *
Sieble's private lab
A secret location near Hamburg, Germany
"I don't care what you do with him. Lyle's a liability now.
We can't afford to have any obvious ties with him. Have you found
Jarod and Miss Parker's location yet? They couldn't have just dropped
off the map."
"There are some rumors that they are hold up on Yellowbird
Island. I'm waiting for a call from our double agent stationed there
confirming that."
"Damn. That's a totally secured U.S, Intelligence base. This
is going to be tricky. I need the exact location of the happy couple
as soon as possible. We can salvage this whole pretender project if
we can kidnap Jarod's wife."
"What about the Pretender?"
"We've already accumulated enough genetic materials from him
for our purposes. He's expendable at this point."
* * *
Jarod and Andi's Oceanfront home
6:20 PM
"Jarod," Andi said, finding her husband waiting for her, just
outside of her bathroom door.
"Are you…?"
"You're a hell of a lover, Jarod. I'm going to have your
child."
"Our child, Andrea Marie, "Jarod said with glassy eyes,
overwhelmed with joy.
"Jarod, you're shaking."
"Sweetheart, we're going to have a baby," he said, taking her
very gently into his arms.
"I think we've already established that, Jarod," Andi offered in
amusement.
"We need to leave right away. I've arranged a meeting place
for our entire family, until the FBI can assure our safety. Pack
lightly. We shouldn't have to be away very long. Remember Bruce from
the office? He's picking us up in about a half hour."
"You sure do plan everything out thoroughly."
"Blame that on Sydney. He taught me everything I know," he
smiled, trying to reassure her by remaining calm.
"Jarod, could you help me with these buttons? I'm really nervous.
* * *
Major Charles' Cabana - -twenty minutes later…
"I don't know, Margaret. He just said he'd explain everything
to us when he got here, which should be any time now," the major
said, glancing at his watch.
* * *
Outside Jarod and Andi's new home…
"Jarod, my God! Sweetheart, don't die on me," Andi managed,
collapsing to the ground and taking her injured husband in her arms.
"Run, Andi," Jarod breathed, enduring the searing pain of hot
metal tearing further into his flesh, as he forced his gun into her
hands. "Don't let them win," he pleaded, fighting to remain conscious
as he tried to push her away. "Take care of…our baby," he managed
with a weak smile. "Don't forget… I love you."
TBC –feedback really helps - -jemac@g... smiles, jojarod
Part XXXIX
By jojarod50
Friday 12:00 noon
C-block #17 (solitary confinement wing)
South Haven Penitentiary
Atlanta, Georgia
"Well, well, well. Look who made it all the way to C-block
already. Looks like the group-counseling thing didn't take, huh?" the
former federal agent chided, stepping up to Lyle's cell with his
lunch tray.
"Talbot, where the hell have you been," Lyle said in a low
menacing voice. "You were supposed to have arranged for my release by
Tuesday, remember?"
"I can't believe you're even bringing that up. You managed to put
your psychologist in intensive care and it's anyone's guess whether
or not she'll make it," he lied. "Is that what you call keeping a low
profile?"
"She was begging me for it," he said innocently, smoothing
back his hair with the palm of his hand. "Besides, if you had gotten
me out of here before my session, none of that would have happened,"
he countered defiantly. "Listen carefully," Lyle breathed leaning
into the bars. "I expect to be out by tomorrow, or Dr. Wang won't be
the only one hooked up to a ventilator."
"You can't threaten me. Look around you. This isn't the
Centre and I sure as hell don't have a vested interest in helping you
any more. Let's face it, you don't have a friend left in the world."
"Oh, you're wrong, Talbot. I still have some very powerful
connections, with enough money to satisfy even a voraciously greedy
man like you."
"Why the hell should I believe a pathological liar like you. Some of
Lucas' friends are just waiting for me to give the word to have you
snuffed out, you sorry s.o.b. You shouldn't have crossed us in the
first place."
"How many times do I have to tell you, it wasn't me, it was
Jarod? Besides, you were cleared of all the charges, so quit whining
around."
"Yeah, and I never saw a dime of the money you promised me.
If you ever expect to see the light of day again, you're going to
have to come up with a sure way of generously funding my retirement.
Otherwise, you can sit in your cell and rot."
"Don't bet on it. It's only a matter of time before I line
something else up."
"Yeah right; in the general population, maybe, but not here. Do you
have any idea how closely you're being watched? Hell, I had to bribe
surveillance just for a chance to talk to you off the record, so to
speak, and it cost me plenty," the greasy man said, glancing at his
watch. "I know these guys and none of them would be willing to risk
their necks for you. Let's face it, you're going to have to deal with
me."
Lyle stared at the other man for a moment working things out
in his mind. "Get me out of here and I'll get you what you want."
"Not so fast. I'm not taking any more risks, until you convince me
it's a sure thing," he said, sizing up the sociopath's mental state,
deciding which button to push next.
"Bet you wished you'd killed Jarod when you had the chance. He's
basking in the glory of your demise and is set to give lethal
testimony against all of you in the coming weeks," he jeered, trying
to get him off balance.
"His testimony won't carry any weight, with his history of mental
illness and attempted suicide."
"Don't you wish. Psychologically, he's as stable as they come and
he's been in league with the FBI compiling mountains of damning
evidence against all the Centre players and especially against you.
He's not the shell of a man you tried to make him. You wouldn't even
recognize him now, the way he's been working out. Oh he'll be a
credible witness alright."
"It doesn't matter. I'll be long gone before they ever bring me to
trial."
"You may want to rethink that, considering all the sick things you
did to him. At least he can't get his hands on you in here. Lucky for
you the testing he had done for chromosome damage came out normal, or
who knows what he would have done to you. I still wonder what the
hell you were thinking, giving that genius hallucinogenic drugs.
Anyway, Jarod married your sexy sister and rumor has it their um, how
should I put this, relationship is really hot."
"That's the best news I've had in weeks. I had my reasons for
keeping him alive. He's still useful to me."
"I can't imagine how. While you've been wasting away in your little
cell, Jarod landed a Special Forces job with the CIA. His first move
was to go after the jugular of the Gemini III project and everyone
even remotely involved. No easy feat considering it was a global
project," he said, lowering his voice, as he handed Lyle his
tray. "That genius is going to end up being the most sought after man
in the world, once word gets out about him. With the cloning project
blown all to hell and the main Centre players, including yourself,
going to trial soon, Jarod has managed to put every piece of Centre
machinery out of business for good, buddy."
"Not quite. Your new found hero is still the victim, he just
doesn't know it yet," he said, seething with jealousy. "Are you still
interested in becoming extremely wealthy or are you just getting your
jollies by harassing me?" he asked, breaking into a cold smile.
"I'm listening. Make it quick; I'm almost out of time."
"Give this man a call," he said, jotting something down on a scrap
of paper. "Tell him everything you just told me about Jarod's health
status and recent marriage. Gemini III wasn't the only project we had
in progress," he said conspiratorially, placing the note on his tray
of uneaten food and passing it back through the bars. "I had
something special working on the side. From what you've told me, it
shouldn't be long before those two red files supply us with a
potential new pretender," he said, giving the other man a confident
look. "Make the call and you'll be on your way to being rich beyond
avarice, partner."
"You're on, pal," Talbot said, lifting the note off the tray
and slipping it into his pants pocket. If things go right, I'll try
to get back to you by tomorrow," he said glancing at his
watch. "Time's up. I've got to go."
* * *
Prison Ward /East wing
"All right Talbot, back in your cell."
"I did what you wanted. Lyle finally took the bait and made
his next move," he said, handing the agent the note. "You did say I'd
get a reduced sentence for this, right?" he said, shirking off the
guard's hand and turning around to face the Federal Agent.
"It's up to the review board, but yeah there's a chance."
"A chance? What kind of double-cross is this, Bailey? For
Christ's sake, I've given you my full cooperation. You owe me!"
Agent Malone nodded to the prison guards and Talbot was
forcefully put back in his cell.
"Bailey, you frickin' ass, come back here; I'm talking to
you."
* * *
Jarod and Andrea Marie's ocean front home
The bedroom
Saturday 1:30 PM
"Jarod, it's for you," Andi breathed, handing her half-awake
husband the phone and easing herself back down against his warm
chest. "Mmmm. Tell them to call back tonight, after we've had some
decent sleep," Parker moaned sleepily, as she slipped her slender arm
around his waist and closed her eyes.
"Hello?" Jarod said distractedly, enjoying his wife's warm
breath tickling his neck and her warm body entwined around his.
"Jarod, sorry to interrupt you on your day off, but we have
the name you've been asking for. You were right about there being
plans for a new pretender project. Talbot finally won Lyle's trust
enough to get him to talk."
"Putting him in isolation was probably more than he could
stand, considering his dad used to lock him in a shed for weeks at a
time. Bailey, who's the inside man?"
"His name is Albert Sieble. He's really been hard to pin down, but
we're pretty sure his primary residence it just outside Hamburg,
Germany. We've got a phone tap on him. I don't think you're going to
like this, but he's been delving into your and Andi's medical
records."
"I expected as much."
Listen to me, Jarod. I don't want you to turn this into a personal
vendetta or you could blow the whole thing."
"I kept my objectivity during the last assignment. I'll
handle this one just the same. Once we take Sieble and his cronies
down, it will be a safer world for my family. That's all I've ever
wanted," he said with a dimpled smile, looking down at Andi and
stroking her auburn hair.
"Ok, Jarod. I'm flying down from Atlanta in a couple of hours. Can
you meet me at the airport? We have a lot to discuss."
"That will be fine. With any luck, we'll have ample time to
wrap up the whole thing by the end of next week.
"I hope so. Meet me at Gate 33 at 2:45 PM," Bailey said, having
slight reservations about whether Jarod would be able to handle the
additional stress, considering the nature of the sting. The last
thing he wanted to do was to undermine Jarod's successful recovery,
by throwing too much at him all at once.
"I'll be there," Jarod said smoothly, looking down into the
questioning eyes of his gorgeous wife.
Positioning her pillow behind her back, she hurriedly scooted herself
into a seated position. For several moments Andi sat still, carefully
observing her preoccupied husband, realizing he was running a sim.
"Jarod, what the hell's going on?" she questioned, her impatience
finally getting the best of her.
"Oh, um, sorry, Andi," Jarod said, deliberately shaking off
his trance. "Your deviant brother has finally divulged the name we've
been waiting for," he said, taking her into his arms and looking
deeply into her ice blue eyes.
"The FBI has been monitoring him for quite some time now. After
completely dismantle the Gemini III project, there's only one
outstanding threat left to our family."
"Family? Jarod what are you talking about?"
"Our family, sweetheart. We were planning on having children,
remember?" He said, cupping her face in his hands and giving her a
gentle kiss.
"Mmmm, so that's the reason we're not getting any sleep," she
said in amusement, matching his kiss with one of her own.
"Yeah, well, that's one of them," he said, fiddling with the ribbon
on her nightgown, then becoming serious again. "It's only a matter of
time, before you conceive, if you haven't already," he said, lifting
her face to his. "I was inadvertently exposed to a limited amount of
information about a fledgling Pretender project, headed up by your
wayward brother, while being fed massive amounts of information about
Gemini III. The core material centered around the joining of two of
the original red files, they hoped would produce a perfect specimen
for their next pretender project."
"Those red files wouldn't by any chance be you and me, would
they?" Andi asked, with an unmistakable edge to her voice.
"I believe that's exactly who they had in mind," he said,
watching her eyes suddenly narrow into angry slits.
"Well, isn't it lucky for me I was here when you got that phone
call," she spit, sliding out of bed and pulling on her terry cloth
robe. "Damn it Jarod, when were you going to tell me, after they
arrived at the hospital to pick up our child?"
"Sweetheart, I didn't want you to have to deal with this before it
was necessary. You've had so little happiness in your life. I just
wanted you to…"
I don't appreciate being kept out of the loop. Who do you think I am,
June Cleaver?'
"June who?" Jarod questioned, grappling to get hold of the situation.
"Don't play dumb with me. The moron with the dress and the pearls who
just loves to vacuum the house."
"Vacuum? What does that…"
"Look Mister. I may be your wife now, but I was a Centre Operative
before that and I can handle anything you can. How dare you treat me
like a "house wife"."
Jarod stared at his wife for a moment; totally confused by the
references she was making, wondering what exactly "treating her like
a "house wife" meant. Trying to look less off balance then he really
felt, he decided to ignore her sudden outburst and continue his
explanation, hoping that would satisfy her.
"Our joining has been greatly anticipated for some time now. I've
already identified most of the parties involved and now, thanks to
Lyle's gross error in judgement, we have the final name," Jarod said,
biting back a sudden flood of emotions, remembering the horrible
things that had been forced on him while at the Centre.
"They thought I wouldn't remember the extensive information they
exposed me to during my preliminary work on Gemini III. But I wasn't
as mentally incapacitated as I had led them to believe and I
remembered everything: Every country and every name of all the
players involved," he said quietly, unaware that he was rubbing his
scarred wrist. "This is the final piece of their sordid plan; we're
on to them and they don't even know it," Jarod said with
uncharacteristic intensity, barely catching himself, before the full
extent of his rage was revealed.
"Are you all right, Jarod?" Andi asked, noticing that his hands were
trembling; something that she hadn't seen since he came home after
being hospitalized.
"I'm fine," Jarod assured her, nonchalantly removing them from her
view. "Andi, once they're all incarcerated, we'll be able to go on
with our lives like normal people do," he said, leaving the bed and
stepping behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.
Finding no resistance, he slowly turned her around to face him and
gathered her into his arms.
"Please don't be angry with me, I'm just trying to give us a chance
for a real life."
"I don't want you involved in this, Jarod. You're pushing yourself
too hard. Besides, you promised me, you would take a break after
Gemini III."
"I know; I'm sorry Andi. I had no idea we'd get the final
information on Lyle's inner circle this soon. It's imperative we make
our move now, while we know their exact locations."
"Have you completely forgotten what Sydney said? You need to take
things slower for a while, or you might suffer a relapse. Why don't
you let your staff and the FBI handle this one?"
"Now where would be the fun in that?" he offered, breaking into a
cocky smile. "Mmmm, I love it when you look at me that way," Jarod
said, gazing at her concerned face with his deep brown eyes. "Don't
worry, Andi, I'll pull out if it starts getting to me, I promise," he
said softly, wrapping his muscular arms more confidently around his
precious wife and kissing her tentatively, then urgently, as they
fell back against the bed again.
Airport terminal - Gate 33
3:25 PM
"I was beginning to think something happened to you, Jarod," Agent
Malone said, with an anxious look on his face. "It's not like you to
be late," he said, curiously eyeing the tired looking man.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I got a little side tracked at home," Jarod said
innocently, as the other man broke into an amused smile. "What do you
have, Bailey?" the pretender asked, scanning the people passing by.
"Let's go some where more private," the agent said, motioning to the
bar across the way. * *
*
The Idle Hour Bar and Grill
"Two coffees. What do you take in yours?"
"Cream and sugar," Jarod said distractedly, still scanning the area
for anyone who looked marginally suspicious, as they made their way
to a vacant booth at the back of the bar.
"Jarod, we intercepted this coded message transmitted from Sieble's
home right before I boarded my flight. It'd save a lot of time if
you'd decipher it for me," he said, handing him the sheet of paper,
surprised by his immediate reaction, after briefly glancing at it.
"Good night, Bailey. You should have faxed this to me the moment you
intercepted it. There are three surveillance teams on their way to
the States, as we speak," Jarod said, glancing at his watch then
writing the lengthy flight information in the margin of the coded
note, then handing it back. "Make sure those bastards are intercepted
at the airport, before they even debark their planes," I'm going
home," he said, hurriedly scooting his chair back and getting up.
Bailey bit the inside of his lip as he carefully observed the other
man, who was angrily glaring at him.
"Take it easy, Jarod, my men know their jobs. Why don't you sit back
down, while we discuss this? We need to work out the details, before
my men are put in place."
"Priorities, Bailey. You don't need my input to set up a net for
those flights. I'm moving my wife to an undisclosed location, just to
be on the safe side. I want my parents' house under armed
surveillance, immediately. I need to give them a call and make sure
everyone is at home. Expect a call from me, around 7:00 tonight,
unless something unexpected comes up."
"Damn it, Jarod, slow down. I can't let you go off half cocked. We
have to work together or this whole thing's going to go down the
tubes," Bailey said, grabbing his arm tightly, stopping him dead in
his tracks. "That is, unless you just resigned."
"Resigned?"
"Look, I'm going to level with you. It took a lot of effort to
convince the people I answer to, to allow you anywhere near this
operation. They're afraid you're a liability considering the personal
nature of this case and your former emotional difficulties. I need
you Jarod, badly, but you've got to be a team player, or I'll be
forced to have you removed from this case," the agent said, hating
having to be so blunt with his brilliant counterpart.
"I hear you," Jarod managed, closing his eyes tightly and composing
himself before he spoke again. "But you've got to give me some
breathing room, Bailey; there are just too many lives hanging in the
balance. I couldn't live with myself, if anything happened to my wife
and family."
"I know, Jarod," Agent Malone said, feeling his gut tighten, as he
further evaluated the other man. It was painfully obvious that Jarod
had already lost his objectivity and was far too emotionally
involved. He felt pressed to make a determination whether or not to
keep him on the case, but decided to postpone it until Jarod had a
chance to air his concerns. He wondered how Jarod would take it, if
he were told to stay out of it.
"Ok, you've go my undivided attention. Why don't we discuss what's on
your mind," Bailey said, trying to remain neutral, as he slipped a
fuente cigar out of his suit coat pocket and motioned for the
pretender to sit back down.
* * *
Jarod and Andi's oceanfront home
5:45 PM
Saturday evening
"Hi, Andi. Rough afternoon?" Jarod questioned noticing the
strained expression on her face, aware that she'd been stuck at her
attorney's office all afternoon, helping him put together her case.
"Actually, my afternoon went fine, Jarod. That is, until I
got home and took a call for you from Agent Malone."
"I'm really hungry, can't that wait," Jarod said
enthusiastically, trying to dodge the issue. "There's an interesting
restaurant just down the beach that serves alligator kabobs. What do
you think?"
"Where have you been? Bailey called about an hour ago and
told me he was concerned about how you were handling being removed
from the case. I've been calling everywhere trying to find you."
"I was at my office. Do you have a problem with that?" Jarod
said angrily, tossing his briefcase and suit coat on the nearest
chair and heading out onto the balcony.
* * *
The balcony 10 minutes later…
"I love the ocean," Andi said as she approached her husband
at the rail. "I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect life, Jarod."
"He shouldn't have taken me off the case. Of course I care
about my family, but that doesn't mean I've gone off the deep end.
They need me, Andi. They don't stand a chance of tracking them all
down without my help."
"Jarod, maybe if you go back tomorrow more in control Bailey
will…"
"No, not after how I acted this afternoon. I knew I was
getting too emotional, but I just… couldn't…I kept imagining what it
would be like, if we had a child and…"
"I know. I've been thinking the same thing. I can't find the
words to express how badly I've felt for you, knowing the pain you
went through as a child. I wish there had been something I could have
done."
"That doesn't matter now. I hope you don't mind my asking you this,
but could you give yourself a preliminary test, so we can know if you
are pregnant or not right now?" he asked, proffering her a drugstore
test.
"Jarod…are you sure…"
"Please."
* * *
Sieble's private lab
A secret location near Hamburg, Germany
"I don't care what you do with him. Lyle's a liability now.
We can't afford to have any obvious ties with him. Have you found
Jarod and Miss Parker's location yet? They couldn't have just dropped
off the map."
"There are some rumors that they are hold up on Yellowbird
Island. I'm waiting for a call from our double agent stationed there
confirming that."
"Damn. That's a totally secured U.S, Intelligence base. This
is going to be tricky. I need the exact location of the happy couple
as soon as possible. We can salvage this whole pretender project if
we can kidnap Jarod's wife."
"What about the Pretender?"
"We've already accumulated enough genetic materials from him
for our purposes. He's expendable at this point."
* * *
Jarod and Andi's Oceanfront home
6:20 PM
"Jarod," Andi said, finding her husband waiting for her, just
outside of her bathroom door.
"Are you…?"
"You're a hell of a lover, Jarod. I'm going to have your
child."
"Our child, Andrea Marie, "Jarod said with glassy eyes,
overwhelmed with joy.
"Jarod, you're shaking."
"Sweetheart, we're going to have a baby," he said, taking her
very gently into his arms.
"I think we've already established that, Jarod," Andi offered in
amusement.
"We need to leave right away. I've arranged a meeting place
for our entire family, until the FBI can assure our safety. Pack
lightly. We shouldn't have to be away very long. Remember Bruce from
the office? He's picking us up in about a half hour."
"You sure do plan everything out thoroughly."
"Blame that on Sydney. He taught me everything I know," he
smiled, trying to reassure her by remaining calm.
"Jarod, could you help me with these buttons? I'm really nervous.
* * *
Major Charles' Cabana - -twenty minutes later…
"I don't know, Margaret. He just said he'd explain everything
to us when he got here, which should be any time now," the major
said, glancing at his watch.
* * *
Outside Jarod and Andi's new home…
"Jarod, my God! Sweetheart, don't die on me," Andi managed,
collapsing to the ground and taking her injured husband in her arms.
"Run, Andi," Jarod breathed, enduring the searing pain of hot
metal tearing further into his flesh, as he forced his gun into her
hands. "Don't let them win," he pleaded, fighting to remain conscious
as he tried to push her away. "Take care of…our baby," he managed
with a weak smile. "Don't forget… I love you."
TBC –feedback really helps - -jemac@g... smiles, jojarod
