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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer in Part One. All prior parts are posted at www.the-pretender.de. Feedback encourages us to continue...(hint, hint). This part got very long, so it's broken into two parts. Enjoy!
This little piece is dedicated to Lois for her utter devotion to "The Pretender" overall, and to Mr. Lyle in particular.
The Road Taken
part 5a
by Renewal Wing
Corinna felt like she had been staring at the phone for hours; a quick check of her watch negated the feeling. Only thirty minutes had passed since she paged Lyle. She walked out onto the porch and flopped into the swing. Her momentum made the chains groan and she expected to be dumped on the floorboards. Instead it set to swinging. She pulled her legs up beside her and practiced her relaxation techniques. They worked.
A pair of robins quarreling over a worm woke her from a doze; she jumped to her feet. The swing hit her in the back of the knees and she sat down again. Her laugh startled the birds. It also relaxed her more than the impromptu nap. She walked back inside and redialed Lyle's number; this time she added six fives. If she could have added six exclamation points she would have.
***
["What did you do?" Parker asked.
"The only thing I could do, Parker. I found her," Lyle answered.]
Just then the waitress returned to take their order. Homemade chicken soup and salads were quite a departure from the previous day's cuisine, but several patrons were eating soup so it seemed a safe choice.
While eating, Lyle and Parker became lost in their thoughts. Lyle relived the trip to Vietnam and Thailand to search for Li Nam. He had found her and punished the people who victimized her. What would Jarod think of that? Probably not much, Lyle thought, he tended to leave the perpetrators alive.
Parker spent the time trying to rectify her image of Lyle with the man across the table, not yet sure how they met to form reality. The soup came and went, followed by more coffee, and continued silence. Parker decided to break the spell, "At the risk of becoming repetitive:
Just tell me, Lyle."
Lyle pulled his thoughts from the distance and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, sometimes I get caught up in the past. It can be hard to escape.
"I did find Li Nam, and I brought her here to America. She's an inspiration to me. She came through that dung heap she was thrown into and it didn't kill her soul.
"Her family is here too. They've put their hardships behind them, and embraced the 'American Way of Life', especially Van Son, or, rather, Sonny as he prefers to be called. He plans to be a singer; says all he needs is Cher," Lyle chortled. "They are good people. That's where I'm planning to leave Thane." He noticed the look that crossed Parker's face. "That is, if you agree once you meet them." He smiled in what he hoped was an endearing manner.
Parker let it ride.
Lyle grabbed at his pocket as the beeper vibrated again. He pulled it out and looked at the message. Corinna apparently did not care to wait any longer. "I have to take this call, Parker."
"Daddy?"
"No, someone much nicer most of the time, though probably not at the moment. I will arrange for you to meet her in a bit."
Parker cocked an eyebrow.
"No not that kind of nice," Lyle said, rising. "We've worked together a lot over the years. She has more sense than to get involved with me." He realized that sentiment might also apply to his sister; so did she.
"Take your call. I'll change Thane and meet you at the car."
Lyle paid the check and dialed the phone as he exited the diner.
Corinna grabbed the receiver on the first ring.
"Lyle?!"
"Hello, Corinna."
"Are you alright? Where are you? Where the Hell was your brain?"
"Where it should be, on my son. You're responsible for the 'clues' the FBI found in DC?"
"Wasn't sure you were paying attention, but yes, I am. I thought it might give people something to think about besides your whereabouts. It didn't work well with Cyrus."
"Cyrus will get his results," Lyle assured her. "I had to do this first. Thanks for the decoy. I need you to do one more thing though... take a little trip West."
"My pleasure. Will I be meeting anyone there?"
"Yes."
"That'll definitely make the trip worthwhile. Are you two playing nice?"
"We're in truce mode. That's enough for now." Parker and Thane approached the car. "See you in two days. Bye."
Lyle cut the connection before Corinna got out, "Bye." She stared at the phone for a moment. What was she going to tell Cyrus?
Miss Parker had a bit of difficulty carrying Thane to the car; her ankle hurt, and still felt ready to give out any minute, but she was not quite willing to allow Lyle to see weakness. Settling Thane in his car seat was even harder.
"I think he's had about as much of the open road as he can take, Lyle. How soon will we get where we're going?"
"Half an hour to the airport; another five in the air." Parker groaned. Lyle fought the urge to laugh. "The flight doesn't leave for another hour or so. We can lay down some blankets on the floor and let him stretch. He should sleep a good bit of the flight."
"We can hope." She gave Thane a few toys and settled herself into her seat. "Let's get moving." They drove for several minutes before Parker cleared her throat, "Why yesterday?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why did you decide to take Thane? Why yesterday?"
"Because the day before yesterday the CIA decided to add another sordid chapter to the Life Story of Mr. Lyle. They added my name to the list of owners of a series of brothels across the Southwest and LA. To top it off they made me the 'silent' partner in a certain brothel in Bangkok."
"The one where Li Nam...?"
"Yes, the fabrication goes deeper than that. The brothel caught fire right after I got her and the other children out. A few of the people involved in the child prostitution ring disappeared." Lyle glanced at his sister to check her reaction.
"No loss," she said simply.
"The police report has it listed as an internal takeover attempt and fight. They were just as happy to have someone else clean up that particular nest of snakes.
"The children were given to relief agencies and most were returned to their families. Some couldn't go home; some were to sick; some had AIDS." He paused; sighed silently, "One young boy died only two weeks after we 'rescued' him. I took Li Nam back to her family and then I got them the Hell out of the hovel they were living in and away from the doctor who 'helped' them."
"Did you pay their debt?" Lyle laughed; it was the kind of laugh that sent shivers down your spine, Parker mused. "I guess that means no?"
"I let him live; that was repayment enough for his good deeds. I smuggled the Troungs into this country. The CIA was not thrilled with me but I had information they wanted. A woman named Khun Mae, it means honorable mother although she was neither," Lyle snarled, "funneled women and children from Thailand to procurers from this country. I gave the CIA names and locations of brothels that were smuggling people into the US. They passed the information on to the FBI. It resulted in a major sting operation, about seventy-five arrests, and the release of over one hundred women and children.
"My bosses, my other bosses, forgave me. Later, they went back and created a false trail of ownership to me, so it looked like I was importing Oriental women for my own use. You know what that use is..."
"My God, Lyle. What if Daddy found out?"
"He did. He was outraged." Lyle laughed again. "He hardly cared. It's just something else he can use to coerce me into doing his dirty work. I was more concerned with what you would think and do. With Jarod always sticking his nose into our business I knew it was just a matter of time before you found out."
Parker nodded thoughtfully, "That must be what he hated telling me."
"Who, Jarod?"
"Yes. He sent me an email; you fizzled it as part of the escape."
"Then I was right about acting immediately. You never would have let me take him if you'd read that first. And Jarod knows... about the children and probably about me taking you. Shit." Lyle gripped the steering wheel and fell silent.
Parker chewed on the inside of her cheek until they reached the airport. "Lyle, maybe I should call Sydney and tell him everything is alright."
"Alright?" he smiled at her. "Does that mean you believe me?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I'm trying."
"No, I can't take a chance on anyone knowing I'm the one who took Thane. I set it up to look like a Jarod job to buy time. As soon as we get parked and settled I have to call dear Dad and pretend to be a concerned brother; just too busy covering Centre tracks in DC to follow Jarod's."
"Jarod will be looking for us, and he doesn't give up."
"He's a worry for later. I don't give up either. If I did, I would have been dead long ago." Just then Thane screamed from the back seat. "I guess it's true. Once you have a child you never have a moment's peace."
Once Lyle and Parker got Thane and their luggage into the airport, Lyle checked in with Mr. Parker, listened to the tirade, threats and orders, then pacified him for another day. The threesome boarded the plane and headed into the sunset.
***
Corinna returned to Washington briefly, to settle a few small matters and leave instructions for her secretary. She avoided the problem of what to tell Cyrus by not talking to him. She called at midnight and left a short message on his office answering machine about having a good idea of where Lyle might be and following her instincts. That fragment of truth might buy them another twenty-four hours. She hoped that was enough time for Lyle to come to terms with his sister. Cyrus was going to hit the ceiling when he found out Lyle had taken the baby; he would go into orbit if they were not back on track before then. The big plus in this whole situation was that once Thane was safe, Lyle could concentrate on The Centre's downfall.
Early the next morning she drove to New York, parked her car in a long-term lot, accessed a false identity that (she hoped) was still unknown to the CIA, and caught a flight to LA.
***
Jarod's mind spun around itself for half the night. Finally, he got up and started walking. The ups and downs of San Francisco's streets were exhilarating and exhausting. By dawn he was close enough to the Bay to watch the sun rise over the Bridge. Sunrise, a new beginning...a new beginning, like the people Lyle enslaved had, after they were freed by the FBI. When the Arizona brothels were shut down many of the refuges came here to live, so they could start over among people who spoke their language and kept their customs. Jarod was convinced that Lyle would have maintained a hold on at least some of his previous victims. The perfect place to keep a captive was with others who had been victimized; they were less likely to turn you in.
There had to be reasons no one would reveal Lyle's whereabouts. His victims might be too intimidated. The street scum could be paid off. It was not beyond belief that he had threatened even casual acquaintances. Maintaining a hiding hole and a level of intimidation seemed the most logical reason for Lyle's frequent trips here, but when he wasn't here someone had to enforce his rule. That person could be traced. Jarod hurried back to the hotel and browsed the FBI and INS files from the brothel sting.
What Jarod found was the name of a lawyer, Monica Saunders, who helped with the naturalization of several of the women. The interesting thing was that she spent time in Thailand at the same time Lyle did his bit of dirty work there. She was supposed to be helping the children but she might have been working with Lyle to victimize them. And wouldn't you know, she lived right here in San Francisco.
Jarod woke Sydney and Broots to share the information. Sydney spent the next ten minutes trying to keep Jarod from going to the woman's apartment and shaking her out of bed. Finally, totally frustrated, Jarod said, "Don't you care about what he might do to her or the baby?"
"Jarod, how can you ask that?" was Sydney's response. "You know I want to find them, but not at the expense of tramping over the woman's life. She may be totally innocent."
"No one touched by Lyle can be innocent."
"Do you have proof that he did, indeed 'touch' her?"
Jarod paused, "No."
"Then you will wait until her office is open and she is in it. Now, go take a shower and at least attempt to rest."
Jarod turned on his heel and literally stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Broots spoke up for the first time, "That went well."
Sydney grunted and returned to his bedroom to dress. Broots tightened the belt on his flannel robe and sat down at the computer to reread the files Jarod had just accessed.
Jarod took a shower, tried to rest, pouted a bit, then dressed and slipped out of the room. His goodbye barely registered on Broots who was reshuffling databases to see what might fall out.
The Pretender discovered both a pancake house and a huge appetite as he walked out the front door of the hotel. He spent the next two hours depleting the breakfast buffet. By the time he was full, Ms. Saunders' office was open. He camped in the reception area until the lawyer got out of court at eleven A.M. Her secretary had warned her about the new masculine office decoration, but she had been expecting him for a long time and she was ready. The secretary showed Jarod into her office.
Monica rose to greet him and offered her hand, "I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Mr..."
"Just call me Jarod, Miss Saunders." He took her hand and tried to form an opinion. His first impression was that she was older than he expected, mature, not beautiful but attractive. She had a firm handshake, a good smile and an open expression. She seemed slightly nervous but that could be attributed to a strange man demanding an immediate appointment.
"Very well, Jarod, but I must tell you it would have been better if you had made an appointment. I have very little time before I have to be back at court." She pointedly did not ask him to use her first name.
"I'm in a hurry too. So I'll get right to the point. Where's Lyle?
"Lyle whom?"
"Mr. Lyle."
"I don't know a Mr. Lyle," she paused, "no, wait I think I know the name. Let me check my computer." She spent several moments accessing files. "Yes, here it is." She read, "Oh, that case. Yes, I know about a Mr. Lyle but I never actually met that man. He was implicated in a ring of brothels across the Southwest. I was involved in a later civil suit; it had an out of court settlement. That was three years ago. Is this the person you mean?"
"Yes. You're sure you've never met him?"
"According to my records he was never in California for the civil suit, and I was not involved in the criminal case."
"How about in Thailand?"
"Thailand? He was that closely involved in the procurement?"
"Possibly."
"I think I would remember him. I wasn't in Thailand that frequently and I have a list of all the American contacts I made while there. He isn't on the list."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps if you checked your files again."
"I'm sorry, I can't help you."
"I need the names of your Thai contacts."
"One woman I know would not mind your contacting her, especially if it helps children. Her name is Linda Reed; she's been working in Southeast Asia for the better part of ten years. She is the person who filed the civil suit I spoke of, on behalf of some of the exploited women. I'm her personal lawyer and I do some work for several children's aid organizations because of her. The problem is that she is working in northern Cambodia right now. She won't be back in the States for about two months and most of the hamlets where she's working don't even have phones."
"I can't wait that long. Do you have her address in Cambodia?"
"If you plan to go to Cambodia to talk to her let me know, I have three months worth of mail you can take with you," Monica laughed briefly. "Seriously, I'll give you a list of organizations and addresses," she handed him the list. "I wish you luck in finding what you need."
"Thank you, Miss Saunders, I need to find Mr. Lyle as quickly as possible. Two people's lives may depend on it." They shook hands; Jarod left. Monica immediately made a local call; then she dialed an out of town number.
Jarod was disgusted. Monica Saunders seemed both sincere and truthful. Another dead-end. He returned to the hotel to find the television playing an old John Wayne movie while Broots napped on the couch,
"Broots." Jarod said as he slammed the door. The named man jumped to wakefulness. "I assumed you would be working while I was gone."
"I was; I am. The computer is compiling data so I can look for discrepancies."
"I did that."
"You checked the FBI sting files versus INS court cases. I crosschecked both with Social Security, IRS and health insurance." Broots moved to the computer. "Yep, here's something, there were several more people naturalized in the last three years than were rescued from the brothels or legally immigrated." Jarod walked over Broots and looked over his shoulder. "Now, all we have to do is trace them back and find out who they are."
"How many people?"
"Twenty-two."
"Could Lyle have smuggled them in?"
"Probably not twenty, Lyle isn't responsible for everything in the world. I'd say some of this was the Feds." Broots started hitting keys. Jarod leaned over him and tapped his foot. His fists clenched and unclenched. Finally, his impatience registered on Broots.
"Do you want to do this, Jarod? I need to get dressed." Broots vacated the chair; Jarod took his place. "Oh, by the way, what did you think of Attorney Saunders?"
"She seemed legit." Jarod glanced around the room, "Where's Sydney?"
"Chinatown. He thought a less...intimidating person might get a little cooperation."
Jarod scowled.
Broots muttered, "I'll get dressed now," hurried from the room.
In the ten minutes it took Broots to dress, Jarod had eliminated ten of the twenty-two mystery guests; twenty additional minutes resulted in four less candidates. Two hours later Jarod stood up to exercise his legs. "It appears the Federal Government has granted citizenship to a few interesting people. One of them has ties to The Centre, but he is currently in Blue Cove. There are still eight people unaccounted for. Your turn, Mr. Broots."
Broots took Jarod's place and set to work. Despite the distraction of Jarod's constant pacing, Broots eliminated another candidate within an hour. "Down to seven, a family of three in LA; a mother and son in Austin, Texas; and a couple, also in Austin. Both families appeared three years ago. The couple came later. The threesome has always lived in LA; the mother and son lived here for a year before moving to Austin; the couple pretty much went directly to Austin. Monica Saunders sponsored all of them. Other variables are equal."
"I'll check the ones in Austin; you check the others. Let's get Sydney and get moving."
***
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, Lyle took Thane and Parker directly to the Truong's home. Actually there were no Truongs anymore; they had changed their name to Neu, from a traditional Vietnamese story. (http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/article.780.html) They had Americanized their first names to Leann, Sonny and Lillian.
Lyle could hardly wait to see them, it had been six months since he managed to get out West and he felt he had neglected them. They greeted him with hugs and kisses and three narrations of the past months all at one time. Lyle was laughing so hard he almost forgot the real reason he was there.
Miss Parker was quickly made welcome. They were pleased to show her their house, including Thane's room. Leann told her they had hired a Feng Shui Master to double check the house and especially the baby's room. A child who had been through so much in his life needed his chi supported and protected. The living room had even been rearranged to promote family harmony and clear communication. It was no trouble they assured her, they owed Lyle their lives.
Miss Parker suspected it was more than gratitude; they obviously loved Lyle like family. It heightened her feeling of unreality. In her experience no one loved Lyle and no one had any reason to. The Lyle across the room from her was proudly introducing his son and hugging two other smiling children.
Leann told Lyle about more pressing business, a call from Monica Saunders that he was asked to return as soon as possible. Lyle gave Thane to Leann. She carried him toward the kitchen to refill his bottle, speaking to him in Vietnamese. Thane hung on every word. Lyle smiled, "He seems to like her."
"He'll be bilingual by the time most kids learn to talk."
Lyle nodded, then walked into the hallway to make the call. When he returned he was not smiling. "Jarod's in California. It's too bad we weren't as good at trailing him as he is at trailing us. A friend of ours put him off a bit and she's having him tailed. It probably won't take them long to figure things out. Sydney and Broots are here too." He sat on the couch near Parker.
"Here?" she asked.
"San Francisco, but I wouldn't be surprised if they come straight here to this house. Broots is good at his job."
Lyle had just complimented Broots; now Miss Parker knew the world had tilted. "Are we leaving again?"
"No, this is where Thane will stay...if you agree."
"This seems like a good place, a nice neighborhood, and a good family. Are you sure they know what they're getting into?"
"I explained the risks. I told them about Thane and said I might be taking him away for a while so they wouldn't worry if I lost touch. They insisted on taking him. I thought I'd done everything necessary to make them invisible. Apparently I it wasn't enough."
"Broots and Jarod working together? No one could hide from them. Jarod's no danger to the Neus or Thane..."
"Unfortunately you can't say the same about me. I just want you to know, Parker, I won't allow Jarod to take Thane away from me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lyle, I do."
Lillian walked into the room with Thane on her hip. She was a lovely twelve-year-old with long black hair and eyes to match; she was at that age when girls alternately flow gracefully and bounce. Sonny orbited her, teasing in the way of all 9-year-old brothers. Thane almost twisted his head off trying to watch him, not sure whether he should laugh or be frightened of these dancing strangers.
"Little Brother will be very happy here, Uncle Lyle."
"Little Brother? Are you trying to take him away from me, Lilli?"
"No, Uncle Lyle... but he is so much nicer than Sonny. Maybe you'd like to trade?" she gave Lyle her most endearing look.
"I'll take him back now," Lyle reached for his son. Lilli pulled back, breaking into giggles.
Sonny jumped between them, "I'll protect you, Lilli."
"Who'll protect me from you?"
Sonny whirled, growling; Lilli squealed and turned to run. Thane's eyes were the size of saucers; so were Lyle's.
Leann came in, "I will protect both of you with my wooden spoon if you're not careful. Now we take Thane up for a nap, and you let him in peace." Leanne herded the laughing, bickering children from the room.
Parker and Lyle looked at each other. "So," she asked, "is that how brothers and sisters are supposed to act?"
"Apparently. I think we took it a bit farther. We should have had a referee."
"Sydney with a wooden spoon. That's a picture." They both laughed; then fell sober and silent for a bit. Miss Parker spoke first, "Is she really alright, Lyle?"
"Lilli? She tries to be. Most of the time you'd never know her biggest problem isn't other kids teasing her. Other times I still see the little girl I found locked in a tiny room in Bangkok. Leann says she has nightmares some times and she cries, but the psychologist says she is dealing with things well. She was on the Honor Roll all last year," Lyle smiled again. "Not bad for just learning English."
"Lyle, tell me the rest of Lilli's story, and yours."
Lyle and Parker talked for the rest of the day. Thane spent the time getting used to his temporary home; Lyle and Parker spent it beginning to form a family.
***
Sydney returned to the hotel following Jarod's call. Pleading jetlag and a headache, he virtually refused to fly to Los Angeles until morning. Jarod was not pleased but further argument was unproductive. He left for the airport and Austin after a quick supper.
Broots very audible sigh of relief made Sydney smile, "You seem pleased by Jarod's departure."
"Just tired. It's not that I don't want to go; I just need some sleep."
"You should not allow Jarod to coerce you. If you object to something you must voice your opinion."
"Miss Parker trained me too well... Do you think she's alright, Sydney?"
"I believe that if Lyle had intended to harm her he would have done so at The Centre."
"But why take her at all? And why take Baby Parker?"
Sydney shook his head, "Possibly Miss Parker surprised him; perhaps he took her to care for the child. Who can understand Lyle's thought process?
"After reading what Lyle did to those children in Thailand, I wish she hadn't gone with him or let him take the baby."
"She may not have had a choice, but she will not allow any harm to come to Master Parker. Now I need to rest, I really do have a headache and we have an early flight." Sydney rubbed the side of his face and started toward his bedroom, "And Broots, tomorrow be sure to bring your weapon."
Broots swallowed and nodded.
***
Corinna circled LAX at sunrise. It reminded her of the scene in "City of Angels" where angels greet dawn on the beach. She only hoped the angels were watching over Lyle and Thane.
After landing, she took a taxi downtown, then a bus to the Neu's neighborhood. Sonny had been watching for her from various windows since the plane's arrival time. He opened the door before she could knock and bowed her into the house. In the middle of the living room, closely guarded by Lillian, sat Thane. Corinna had never seen him before, but there was no denying his parentage. Thane eyed her up and down; then smiled. She was captured by his smile; she knew she would do anything to protect him from all The Powers That Be.
Miss Parker limped out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee in her hand, still favoring her ankle, though it felt much improved. She saw the chestnut-haired stranger in the doorway and reached for her gun. Unfortunately - or fortunately for Corinna - Parker did not have a gun in her bathrobe. "Shit." She practically dropped the coffee on a small table and moved between Thane and the door, pain forgotten. "Who the hell are..."
"Miss Parker I presume?" Corinna interrupted. She smiled and extended her hand. Parker did not reciprocate. Corinna lowered her hand but maintained the smile. "Lyle has spoken of you often. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Corinna."
Parker grunted in response. She looked at the children, who obviously recognized the woman, and relaxed. "Lyle told me I would be meeting someone; I assume it's you. He neglected to tell me your name or when you'd arrive."
"Where is Lyle?"
"Sleeping like a log. He's had a hard couple of days," Parker smiled sardonically. Corinna was so relieved by Parker's attitude toward Lyle that she almost laughed.
"Care for some coffee?" Parker asked as she retrieved her cup. "I'd tell you to make yourself at home but I seem to be the new kid on the block." She turned and walked into the kitchen, "I'll be more hospitable after I finish this," she indicated her mug; then took a sip. "The upside to this little cross-country jaunt is that it's three hours later in Delaware and my body thinks it's still in that time zone. It comes in handy when the local munchkins hit the floor running at the crack of dawn. The downside is that it takes a lot more coffee to get me civil."
Corinna followed Parker. The kitchen smelled of sesame and sweet spices. Corinna poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "Is Leann at work?"
Miss Parker nodded, "You just missed her. She's teaching this morning."
"Between that and working on her thesis she barely has time to sleep, but she loves it."
"She does seem happy and so do her kids." Parker glanced back toward the living room where Thane could be heard giggling. She smiled slightly, "Leann's the kind of mother Thane deserves. This is the life he needs."
"He has what he needs, a family who loves him," Corinna looked pointedly at Miss Parker.
Parker leaned against the counter studying Corinna. Her eyes narrowed and Corinna waited for the other shoe to fall. After a moment Parker also sat. "I know you."
"We have met."
"You had blonde hair with highlights, bluer eyes, glasses, and a white uniform..." Parker concentrated; light dawned, "and you were my nurse when my ulcer ruptured!"
"You were pretty observant for someone at Death's door," laughed Corinna.
"You were in and out of my room constantly for the two weeks I was in the hospital and a couple times while I was on home care. Why? Did Lyle want me watched?"
"Not exactly. He was out of town, way out, Thailand and Cambodia. And he was very worried about you."
"You couldn't tell by the way he acted when he finally came back," Parker sounded hurt.
"The Mr. Lyle he made you believe in is a far cry from the Lyle you don't know yet." Corinna laughed lightly, "He only called me every hour the first four days. After that he kept it down to five times a day. He said he bought you flowers?"
"Yes, and I threw them right in the trash," she paused, "Don't tell him I did that."
"I won't. So," she changed the subject, "how were my nursing skills? You never know when you'll need a second career."
"I survived. Was that your skill or my luck?"
"More likely it was having a great doctor and being too stubborn to die. You know you have that in common with your brother."
"Well, neither of us gives up easily, for better or for worse." Parker thought for a moment. "Why was Lyle in Asia that time?"
"Officially, Centre business, unofficially, playing nice with that sleaze-ball Colonel Thon. Lyle told you that project had both CIA and Centre blessings? All their plans got flushed by your friend."
"Jarod is not exactly my friend. That took over a month?"
"Lyle had his own agenda, he was searching for the runaway sister of a boy he rescued from the same... from Bombay."
"Did he find her?"
"Yes, he brought her here to join her mother and brother. Then he went back and brought over the young man she loved." Parker raised her eyebrows; Corinna continued, "They all live in Austin, Texas. Lyle found them a small duplex and a very low interest loan - very low," Corinna winked. "They're a very nice family but we don't really keep in touch; it's safer all around."
"Lyle as matchmaker. Curiouser and curiouser."
"Yes, it must seem strange."
"Well, not compared to the things I believed up till now."
"Made up your mind?" Corinna asked.
"About?"
"About me; about Lyle; Thane; the Neus."
"I'll let you know when my brain stops spinning," Parker answered as honestly as she could. Corinna nodded.
Lyle walked in, bleary eyed, and went straight for coffee. Corinna smiled when she saw him.
"I thought you were sleeping."
"I was," he mumbled, "Sonny informed me that I was needed down here." Lyle glanced at the doorway where Sonny was watching; the boy ducked back. "He pretty much jumped on my head till I got up because he was worried about you two. No blood on the floor; both still alive; everything's fine. I'm going back to bed." Lyle turned around, cup in hand.
"How can you tell? Your eyes aren't open," Parker pointed out.
"Good morning to you too. Excuse me, my son actually wants to see me." Lyle shuffled out the door.
"We are not morning people," Parker mused.
For the next several minutes, aside from the voices of the children, the only sound in the Neu house was the sipping of coffee.
***
Broots ordered a double latte at the LAX coffee shop; Sydney opted for an herbal tea. Both men felt better for a good night's sleep. Their flight from San Francisco had been uneventful; they rented a car and resumed the search.
The morning was spent following Leann and doing background checks. That proved unproductive so they went to her house. The neighborhood was quiet and clean, the neighbors friendly; it hardly seemed a place where Lyle could keep slaves or a hideout. In fact, from appearances and the information they gathered, the men doubted this could be Lyle's destination. Leann was too independent and the neighbors too involved with one another. They hoped Jarod was having better luck.
***
In the Neu house, the day progressed smoothly. Lyle updated Corinna on the situation. She retold and corroborated his narrative to Miss Parker. Parker just listened and shook her head.
Lilli and Sonny entertained Thane...a bit too well. By early afternoon he was so over-stimulated that he would not eat or take a nap. All he seemed to want to do was scream. Lilli and Sonny's attempts to pacify him only made things worse.
Miss Parker handed Thane back to Lyle after trying to calm him for several unsuccessful minutes. "Maybe we should get out of here?"
"Running away, Parker?" Lyle grimaced as Thane shrieked in his ear.
"Race you?" Parker replied as she straightened her hair and dress.
"I don't know what to do with him," Lyle moaned, "He's never been like this,"
"He's never been out of The Centre, let alone around other children. He needs a break." Parker thought for a moment. "Ice cream."
Lilli and Sonny paid immediate attention.
Lyle looked at her like she was crazy, thought about it, and nodded agreement, "Maybe he'll do better in a quiet house. I'll take them; you take him."
"Wait a minute, you get ice cream; I just get scream," Parker managed to scowl and half-smile at the same time. Thane stared at her with tears rolling down his cheeks; then snuffled his nose into his father's shoulder. The look on Lyle's face was priceless.
"Sounds like a deal to me," she said as she took Thane. "We'd rather stay here anyway, wouldn't we?" she asked her nephew. Lyle changed shirts. He and Corinna ushered the two children out the door.
"Wave bye-bye," Parker said as she watched the foursome pull away. She let the curtain drop back; then started pacing with the baby. She continued walking and softly talking for some time. Thane finally relaxed, his head nestled on Parker's shoulder, his breath softly brushing her neck. Parker smiled down at him.
***
Broots and Sydney watched the house for two hours. Finally, they agreed this was a dead end and they should either return to San Francisco or take a flight to Austin. Then their jaws dropped, as Mr. Lyle exited the house. Two children and a woman accompanied him. They appeared unrestrained and happy. And Mr. Lyle was smiling, a smile of honest contentment.
Sydney and Broots watched Lyle drive the group away; they were about to follow when they noticed the curtain move at a window. They looked at each other.
"Do you think it's Miss Parker?" asked Broots.
"I believe we must discover who it is."
"Shouldn't we call Jarod first?"
"There appears to be much more to this than we know. We need facts before we make any calls," Sydney gave Broots a meaningful look.
Broots sighed, "I guess so."
They exited the car and walked to the front porch.
***
The doorbell rang. Parker decided to hold Thane rather than chance waking him while laying him down. She opened the door, to find Sydney and Broots staring at her.
The three adults were too stunned to speak for a second. Broots recovered first, "Miss Parker, you're not tied up or anything." (Well, almost recovered.)
Miss Parker gave him a disgusted look, "Disappointed?"
"N-n-no, of course not, I mean we thought..."
Sydney took in the scene and interrupted, "We were quite concerned about you. It appeared that Mr. Lyle had kidnapped you and your young brother," he indicated the baby.
"You think Lyle could hold me prisoner for long?" She glanced around the street. "We should have this conversation in private. Come in, both of you."
Broots skirted Miss Parker, "Are you sure Mr. Lyle won't be back?"
"I'm sure he will be; I'm sure he won't be pleased to see you; but I'm sure you'll be less panic-stricken" she looked pointedly at Broots, "once you hear the whole story."
Sydney studied Parker. "You don't appear to be a prisoner."
Parker closed the door. "I'm not, not now. Lyle took the kids for ice cream so Thane could calm down and nap" she jostled the baby slightly.
"Thane?"
"My nephew's name," Parker said with emphasis.
"Nephew?" Sydney nodded, "That explains much. When did you find out?"
"About half way here."
Suddenly, something clicked in his brain and Broots caught up, "Nephew? Like Lyle's son?"
"Unless I have more brothers and sisters hidden under rocks somewhere."
Sydney allowed the implied question to pass. "He did take you by force?" Parker nodded. "But now you are free to leave? Even with your bro...nephew?" Parker nodded again. "Yet you stay?"
"Lyle had his reasons."
"He did not trust you with them?" asked the doctor.
"He didn't feel he could take that chance. You know what he's supposed to be, and Jarod uncovered something even worse."
"Miss Parker," Broots cut in, "you need to know what Jarod just found out."
"I know, Broots. Lyle is supposed to have be part-owner in a series of brothels from here to Bangkok. He kidnapped and smuggled young women and children for his... for his personal use."
"Y-yes, pretty much that."
"It's not true. Lyle's no saint, but he's not quite the perverted evil we think he is. He may not even kill you two when he finds you here."
Broots gulped. Sydney asked, "And you believe him? You trust him?""
"Yes. The jury's not in yet on whether I trust him completely but I don't think he's guilty of all the things we were led to believe. We'll wait for Lyle and Corinna to come back. Corinna is the woman you saw with Lyle. She and the Neus are his most convincing evidence. And once you see him with Thane you'll understand why he took his son. In the mean time get yourselves coffee or something to eat. I have to put Thane to bed," she turned to go upstairs, then paused on the first step. She gave the men a strict order, "No phone calls until after you've listened."
"We will wait, Miss Parker," Sydney assured her.
The Road Taken
part 5a
by Renewal Wing
Corinna felt like she had been staring at the phone for hours; a quick check of her watch negated the feeling. Only thirty minutes had passed since she paged Lyle. She walked out onto the porch and flopped into the swing. Her momentum made the chains groan and she expected to be dumped on the floorboards. Instead it set to swinging. She pulled her legs up beside her and practiced her relaxation techniques. They worked.
A pair of robins quarreling over a worm woke her from a doze; she jumped to her feet. The swing hit her in the back of the knees and she sat down again. Her laugh startled the birds. It also relaxed her more than the impromptu nap. She walked back inside and redialed Lyle's number; this time she added six fives. If she could have added six exclamation points she would have.
***
["What did you do?" Parker asked.
"The only thing I could do, Parker. I found her," Lyle answered.]
Just then the waitress returned to take their order. Homemade chicken soup and salads were quite a departure from the previous day's cuisine, but several patrons were eating soup so it seemed a safe choice.
While eating, Lyle and Parker became lost in their thoughts. Lyle relived the trip to Vietnam and Thailand to search for Li Nam. He had found her and punished the people who victimized her. What would Jarod think of that? Probably not much, Lyle thought, he tended to leave the perpetrators alive.
Parker spent the time trying to rectify her image of Lyle with the man across the table, not yet sure how they met to form reality. The soup came and went, followed by more coffee, and continued silence. Parker decided to break the spell, "At the risk of becoming repetitive:
Just tell me, Lyle."
Lyle pulled his thoughts from the distance and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, sometimes I get caught up in the past. It can be hard to escape.
"I did find Li Nam, and I brought her here to America. She's an inspiration to me. She came through that dung heap she was thrown into and it didn't kill her soul.
"Her family is here too. They've put their hardships behind them, and embraced the 'American Way of Life', especially Van Son, or, rather, Sonny as he prefers to be called. He plans to be a singer; says all he needs is Cher," Lyle chortled. "They are good people. That's where I'm planning to leave Thane." He noticed the look that crossed Parker's face. "That is, if you agree once you meet them." He smiled in what he hoped was an endearing manner.
Parker let it ride.
Lyle grabbed at his pocket as the beeper vibrated again. He pulled it out and looked at the message. Corinna apparently did not care to wait any longer. "I have to take this call, Parker."
"Daddy?"
"No, someone much nicer most of the time, though probably not at the moment. I will arrange for you to meet her in a bit."
Parker cocked an eyebrow.
"No not that kind of nice," Lyle said, rising. "We've worked together a lot over the years. She has more sense than to get involved with me." He realized that sentiment might also apply to his sister; so did she.
"Take your call. I'll change Thane and meet you at the car."
Lyle paid the check and dialed the phone as he exited the diner.
Corinna grabbed the receiver on the first ring.
"Lyle?!"
"Hello, Corinna."
"Are you alright? Where are you? Where the Hell was your brain?"
"Where it should be, on my son. You're responsible for the 'clues' the FBI found in DC?"
"Wasn't sure you were paying attention, but yes, I am. I thought it might give people something to think about besides your whereabouts. It didn't work well with Cyrus."
"Cyrus will get his results," Lyle assured her. "I had to do this first. Thanks for the decoy. I need you to do one more thing though... take a little trip West."
"My pleasure. Will I be meeting anyone there?"
"Yes."
"That'll definitely make the trip worthwhile. Are you two playing nice?"
"We're in truce mode. That's enough for now." Parker and Thane approached the car. "See you in two days. Bye."
Lyle cut the connection before Corinna got out, "Bye." She stared at the phone for a moment. What was she going to tell Cyrus?
Miss Parker had a bit of difficulty carrying Thane to the car; her ankle hurt, and still felt ready to give out any minute, but she was not quite willing to allow Lyle to see weakness. Settling Thane in his car seat was even harder.
"I think he's had about as much of the open road as he can take, Lyle. How soon will we get where we're going?"
"Half an hour to the airport; another five in the air." Parker groaned. Lyle fought the urge to laugh. "The flight doesn't leave for another hour or so. We can lay down some blankets on the floor and let him stretch. He should sleep a good bit of the flight."
"We can hope." She gave Thane a few toys and settled herself into her seat. "Let's get moving." They drove for several minutes before Parker cleared her throat, "Why yesterday?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why did you decide to take Thane? Why yesterday?"
"Because the day before yesterday the CIA decided to add another sordid chapter to the Life Story of Mr. Lyle. They added my name to the list of owners of a series of brothels across the Southwest and LA. To top it off they made me the 'silent' partner in a certain brothel in Bangkok."
"The one where Li Nam...?"
"Yes, the fabrication goes deeper than that. The brothel caught fire right after I got her and the other children out. A few of the people involved in the child prostitution ring disappeared." Lyle glanced at his sister to check her reaction.
"No loss," she said simply.
"The police report has it listed as an internal takeover attempt and fight. They were just as happy to have someone else clean up that particular nest of snakes.
"The children were given to relief agencies and most were returned to their families. Some couldn't go home; some were to sick; some had AIDS." He paused; sighed silently, "One young boy died only two weeks after we 'rescued' him. I took Li Nam back to her family and then I got them the Hell out of the hovel they were living in and away from the doctor who 'helped' them."
"Did you pay their debt?" Lyle laughed; it was the kind of laugh that sent shivers down your spine, Parker mused. "I guess that means no?"
"I let him live; that was repayment enough for his good deeds. I smuggled the Troungs into this country. The CIA was not thrilled with me but I had information they wanted. A woman named Khun Mae, it means honorable mother although she was neither," Lyle snarled, "funneled women and children from Thailand to procurers from this country. I gave the CIA names and locations of brothels that were smuggling people into the US. They passed the information on to the FBI. It resulted in a major sting operation, about seventy-five arrests, and the release of over one hundred women and children.
"My bosses, my other bosses, forgave me. Later, they went back and created a false trail of ownership to me, so it looked like I was importing Oriental women for my own use. You know what that use is..."
"My God, Lyle. What if Daddy found out?"
"He did. He was outraged." Lyle laughed again. "He hardly cared. It's just something else he can use to coerce me into doing his dirty work. I was more concerned with what you would think and do. With Jarod always sticking his nose into our business I knew it was just a matter of time before you found out."
Parker nodded thoughtfully, "That must be what he hated telling me."
"Who, Jarod?"
"Yes. He sent me an email; you fizzled it as part of the escape."
"Then I was right about acting immediately. You never would have let me take him if you'd read that first. And Jarod knows... about the children and probably about me taking you. Shit." Lyle gripped the steering wheel and fell silent.
Parker chewed on the inside of her cheek until they reached the airport. "Lyle, maybe I should call Sydney and tell him everything is alright."
"Alright?" he smiled at her. "Does that mean you believe me?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I'm trying."
"No, I can't take a chance on anyone knowing I'm the one who took Thane. I set it up to look like a Jarod job to buy time. As soon as we get parked and settled I have to call dear Dad and pretend to be a concerned brother; just too busy covering Centre tracks in DC to follow Jarod's."
"Jarod will be looking for us, and he doesn't give up."
"He's a worry for later. I don't give up either. If I did, I would have been dead long ago." Just then Thane screamed from the back seat. "I guess it's true. Once you have a child you never have a moment's peace."
Once Lyle and Parker got Thane and their luggage into the airport, Lyle checked in with Mr. Parker, listened to the tirade, threats and orders, then pacified him for another day. The threesome boarded the plane and headed into the sunset.
***
Corinna returned to Washington briefly, to settle a few small matters and leave instructions for her secretary. She avoided the problem of what to tell Cyrus by not talking to him. She called at midnight and left a short message on his office answering machine about having a good idea of where Lyle might be and following her instincts. That fragment of truth might buy them another twenty-four hours. She hoped that was enough time for Lyle to come to terms with his sister. Cyrus was going to hit the ceiling when he found out Lyle had taken the baby; he would go into orbit if they were not back on track before then. The big plus in this whole situation was that once Thane was safe, Lyle could concentrate on The Centre's downfall.
Early the next morning she drove to New York, parked her car in a long-term lot, accessed a false identity that (she hoped) was still unknown to the CIA, and caught a flight to LA.
***
Jarod's mind spun around itself for half the night. Finally, he got up and started walking. The ups and downs of San Francisco's streets were exhilarating and exhausting. By dawn he was close enough to the Bay to watch the sun rise over the Bridge. Sunrise, a new beginning...a new beginning, like the people Lyle enslaved had, after they were freed by the FBI. When the Arizona brothels were shut down many of the refuges came here to live, so they could start over among people who spoke their language and kept their customs. Jarod was convinced that Lyle would have maintained a hold on at least some of his previous victims. The perfect place to keep a captive was with others who had been victimized; they were less likely to turn you in.
There had to be reasons no one would reveal Lyle's whereabouts. His victims might be too intimidated. The street scum could be paid off. It was not beyond belief that he had threatened even casual acquaintances. Maintaining a hiding hole and a level of intimidation seemed the most logical reason for Lyle's frequent trips here, but when he wasn't here someone had to enforce his rule. That person could be traced. Jarod hurried back to the hotel and browsed the FBI and INS files from the brothel sting.
What Jarod found was the name of a lawyer, Monica Saunders, who helped with the naturalization of several of the women. The interesting thing was that she spent time in Thailand at the same time Lyle did his bit of dirty work there. She was supposed to be helping the children but she might have been working with Lyle to victimize them. And wouldn't you know, she lived right here in San Francisco.
Jarod woke Sydney and Broots to share the information. Sydney spent the next ten minutes trying to keep Jarod from going to the woman's apartment and shaking her out of bed. Finally, totally frustrated, Jarod said, "Don't you care about what he might do to her or the baby?"
"Jarod, how can you ask that?" was Sydney's response. "You know I want to find them, but not at the expense of tramping over the woman's life. She may be totally innocent."
"No one touched by Lyle can be innocent."
"Do you have proof that he did, indeed 'touch' her?"
Jarod paused, "No."
"Then you will wait until her office is open and she is in it. Now, go take a shower and at least attempt to rest."
Jarod turned on his heel and literally stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Broots spoke up for the first time, "That went well."
Sydney grunted and returned to his bedroom to dress. Broots tightened the belt on his flannel robe and sat down at the computer to reread the files Jarod had just accessed.
Jarod took a shower, tried to rest, pouted a bit, then dressed and slipped out of the room. His goodbye barely registered on Broots who was reshuffling databases to see what might fall out.
The Pretender discovered both a pancake house and a huge appetite as he walked out the front door of the hotel. He spent the next two hours depleting the breakfast buffet. By the time he was full, Ms. Saunders' office was open. He camped in the reception area until the lawyer got out of court at eleven A.M. Her secretary had warned her about the new masculine office decoration, but she had been expecting him for a long time and she was ready. The secretary showed Jarod into her office.
Monica rose to greet him and offered her hand, "I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Mr..."
"Just call me Jarod, Miss Saunders." He took her hand and tried to form an opinion. His first impression was that she was older than he expected, mature, not beautiful but attractive. She had a firm handshake, a good smile and an open expression. She seemed slightly nervous but that could be attributed to a strange man demanding an immediate appointment.
"Very well, Jarod, but I must tell you it would have been better if you had made an appointment. I have very little time before I have to be back at court." She pointedly did not ask him to use her first name.
"I'm in a hurry too. So I'll get right to the point. Where's Lyle?
"Lyle whom?"
"Mr. Lyle."
"I don't know a Mr. Lyle," she paused, "no, wait I think I know the name. Let me check my computer." She spent several moments accessing files. "Yes, here it is." She read, "Oh, that case. Yes, I know about a Mr. Lyle but I never actually met that man. He was implicated in a ring of brothels across the Southwest. I was involved in a later civil suit; it had an out of court settlement. That was three years ago. Is this the person you mean?"
"Yes. You're sure you've never met him?"
"According to my records he was never in California for the civil suit, and I was not involved in the criminal case."
"How about in Thailand?"
"Thailand? He was that closely involved in the procurement?"
"Possibly."
"I think I would remember him. I wasn't in Thailand that frequently and I have a list of all the American contacts I made while there. He isn't on the list."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps if you checked your files again."
"I'm sorry, I can't help you."
"I need the names of your Thai contacts."
"One woman I know would not mind your contacting her, especially if it helps children. Her name is Linda Reed; she's been working in Southeast Asia for the better part of ten years. She is the person who filed the civil suit I spoke of, on behalf of some of the exploited women. I'm her personal lawyer and I do some work for several children's aid organizations because of her. The problem is that she is working in northern Cambodia right now. She won't be back in the States for about two months and most of the hamlets where she's working don't even have phones."
"I can't wait that long. Do you have her address in Cambodia?"
"If you plan to go to Cambodia to talk to her let me know, I have three months worth of mail you can take with you," Monica laughed briefly. "Seriously, I'll give you a list of organizations and addresses," she handed him the list. "I wish you luck in finding what you need."
"Thank you, Miss Saunders, I need to find Mr. Lyle as quickly as possible. Two people's lives may depend on it." They shook hands; Jarod left. Monica immediately made a local call; then she dialed an out of town number.
Jarod was disgusted. Monica Saunders seemed both sincere and truthful. Another dead-end. He returned to the hotel to find the television playing an old John Wayne movie while Broots napped on the couch,
"Broots." Jarod said as he slammed the door. The named man jumped to wakefulness. "I assumed you would be working while I was gone."
"I was; I am. The computer is compiling data so I can look for discrepancies."
"I did that."
"You checked the FBI sting files versus INS court cases. I crosschecked both with Social Security, IRS and health insurance." Broots moved to the computer. "Yep, here's something, there were several more people naturalized in the last three years than were rescued from the brothels or legally immigrated." Jarod walked over Broots and looked over his shoulder. "Now, all we have to do is trace them back and find out who they are."
"How many people?"
"Twenty-two."
"Could Lyle have smuggled them in?"
"Probably not twenty, Lyle isn't responsible for everything in the world. I'd say some of this was the Feds." Broots started hitting keys. Jarod leaned over him and tapped his foot. His fists clenched and unclenched. Finally, his impatience registered on Broots.
"Do you want to do this, Jarod? I need to get dressed." Broots vacated the chair; Jarod took his place. "Oh, by the way, what did you think of Attorney Saunders?"
"She seemed legit." Jarod glanced around the room, "Where's Sydney?"
"Chinatown. He thought a less...intimidating person might get a little cooperation."
Jarod scowled.
Broots muttered, "I'll get dressed now," hurried from the room.
In the ten minutes it took Broots to dress, Jarod had eliminated ten of the twenty-two mystery guests; twenty additional minutes resulted in four less candidates. Two hours later Jarod stood up to exercise his legs. "It appears the Federal Government has granted citizenship to a few interesting people. One of them has ties to The Centre, but he is currently in Blue Cove. There are still eight people unaccounted for. Your turn, Mr. Broots."
Broots took Jarod's place and set to work. Despite the distraction of Jarod's constant pacing, Broots eliminated another candidate within an hour. "Down to seven, a family of three in LA; a mother and son in Austin, Texas; and a couple, also in Austin. Both families appeared three years ago. The couple came later. The threesome has always lived in LA; the mother and son lived here for a year before moving to Austin; the couple pretty much went directly to Austin. Monica Saunders sponsored all of them. Other variables are equal."
"I'll check the ones in Austin; you check the others. Let's get Sydney and get moving."
***
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, Lyle took Thane and Parker directly to the Truong's home. Actually there were no Truongs anymore; they had changed their name to Neu, from a traditional Vietnamese story. (http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/article.780.html) They had Americanized their first names to Leann, Sonny and Lillian.
Lyle could hardly wait to see them, it had been six months since he managed to get out West and he felt he had neglected them. They greeted him with hugs and kisses and three narrations of the past months all at one time. Lyle was laughing so hard he almost forgot the real reason he was there.
Miss Parker was quickly made welcome. They were pleased to show her their house, including Thane's room. Leann told her they had hired a Feng Shui Master to double check the house and especially the baby's room. A child who had been through so much in his life needed his chi supported and protected. The living room had even been rearranged to promote family harmony and clear communication. It was no trouble they assured her, they owed Lyle their lives.
Miss Parker suspected it was more than gratitude; they obviously loved Lyle like family. It heightened her feeling of unreality. In her experience no one loved Lyle and no one had any reason to. The Lyle across the room from her was proudly introducing his son and hugging two other smiling children.
Leann told Lyle about more pressing business, a call from Monica Saunders that he was asked to return as soon as possible. Lyle gave Thane to Leann. She carried him toward the kitchen to refill his bottle, speaking to him in Vietnamese. Thane hung on every word. Lyle smiled, "He seems to like her."
"He'll be bilingual by the time most kids learn to talk."
Lyle nodded, then walked into the hallway to make the call. When he returned he was not smiling. "Jarod's in California. It's too bad we weren't as good at trailing him as he is at trailing us. A friend of ours put him off a bit and she's having him tailed. It probably won't take them long to figure things out. Sydney and Broots are here too." He sat on the couch near Parker.
"Here?" she asked.
"San Francisco, but I wouldn't be surprised if they come straight here to this house. Broots is good at his job."
Lyle had just complimented Broots; now Miss Parker knew the world had tilted. "Are we leaving again?"
"No, this is where Thane will stay...if you agree."
"This seems like a good place, a nice neighborhood, and a good family. Are you sure they know what they're getting into?"
"I explained the risks. I told them about Thane and said I might be taking him away for a while so they wouldn't worry if I lost touch. They insisted on taking him. I thought I'd done everything necessary to make them invisible. Apparently I it wasn't enough."
"Broots and Jarod working together? No one could hide from them. Jarod's no danger to the Neus or Thane..."
"Unfortunately you can't say the same about me. I just want you to know, Parker, I won't allow Jarod to take Thane away from me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lyle, I do."
Lillian walked into the room with Thane on her hip. She was a lovely twelve-year-old with long black hair and eyes to match; she was at that age when girls alternately flow gracefully and bounce. Sonny orbited her, teasing in the way of all 9-year-old brothers. Thane almost twisted his head off trying to watch him, not sure whether he should laugh or be frightened of these dancing strangers.
"Little Brother will be very happy here, Uncle Lyle."
"Little Brother? Are you trying to take him away from me, Lilli?"
"No, Uncle Lyle... but he is so much nicer than Sonny. Maybe you'd like to trade?" she gave Lyle her most endearing look.
"I'll take him back now," Lyle reached for his son. Lilli pulled back, breaking into giggles.
Sonny jumped between them, "I'll protect you, Lilli."
"Who'll protect me from you?"
Sonny whirled, growling; Lilli squealed and turned to run. Thane's eyes were the size of saucers; so were Lyle's.
Leann came in, "I will protect both of you with my wooden spoon if you're not careful. Now we take Thane up for a nap, and you let him in peace." Leanne herded the laughing, bickering children from the room.
Parker and Lyle looked at each other. "So," she asked, "is that how brothers and sisters are supposed to act?"
"Apparently. I think we took it a bit farther. We should have had a referee."
"Sydney with a wooden spoon. That's a picture." They both laughed; then fell sober and silent for a bit. Miss Parker spoke first, "Is she really alright, Lyle?"
"Lilli? She tries to be. Most of the time you'd never know her biggest problem isn't other kids teasing her. Other times I still see the little girl I found locked in a tiny room in Bangkok. Leann says she has nightmares some times and she cries, but the psychologist says she is dealing with things well. She was on the Honor Roll all last year," Lyle smiled again. "Not bad for just learning English."
"Lyle, tell me the rest of Lilli's story, and yours."
Lyle and Parker talked for the rest of the day. Thane spent the time getting used to his temporary home; Lyle and Parker spent it beginning to form a family.
***
Sydney returned to the hotel following Jarod's call. Pleading jetlag and a headache, he virtually refused to fly to Los Angeles until morning. Jarod was not pleased but further argument was unproductive. He left for the airport and Austin after a quick supper.
Broots very audible sigh of relief made Sydney smile, "You seem pleased by Jarod's departure."
"Just tired. It's not that I don't want to go; I just need some sleep."
"You should not allow Jarod to coerce you. If you object to something you must voice your opinion."
"Miss Parker trained me too well... Do you think she's alright, Sydney?"
"I believe that if Lyle had intended to harm her he would have done so at The Centre."
"But why take her at all? And why take Baby Parker?"
Sydney shook his head, "Possibly Miss Parker surprised him; perhaps he took her to care for the child. Who can understand Lyle's thought process?
"After reading what Lyle did to those children in Thailand, I wish she hadn't gone with him or let him take the baby."
"She may not have had a choice, but she will not allow any harm to come to Master Parker. Now I need to rest, I really do have a headache and we have an early flight." Sydney rubbed the side of his face and started toward his bedroom, "And Broots, tomorrow be sure to bring your weapon."
Broots swallowed and nodded.
***
Corinna circled LAX at sunrise. It reminded her of the scene in "City of Angels" where angels greet dawn on the beach. She only hoped the angels were watching over Lyle and Thane.
After landing, she took a taxi downtown, then a bus to the Neu's neighborhood. Sonny had been watching for her from various windows since the plane's arrival time. He opened the door before she could knock and bowed her into the house. In the middle of the living room, closely guarded by Lillian, sat Thane. Corinna had never seen him before, but there was no denying his parentage. Thane eyed her up and down; then smiled. She was captured by his smile; she knew she would do anything to protect him from all The Powers That Be.
Miss Parker limped out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee in her hand, still favoring her ankle, though it felt much improved. She saw the chestnut-haired stranger in the doorway and reached for her gun. Unfortunately - or fortunately for Corinna - Parker did not have a gun in her bathrobe. "Shit." She practically dropped the coffee on a small table and moved between Thane and the door, pain forgotten. "Who the hell are..."
"Miss Parker I presume?" Corinna interrupted. She smiled and extended her hand. Parker did not reciprocate. Corinna lowered her hand but maintained the smile. "Lyle has spoken of you often. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Corinna."
Parker grunted in response. She looked at the children, who obviously recognized the woman, and relaxed. "Lyle told me I would be meeting someone; I assume it's you. He neglected to tell me your name or when you'd arrive."
"Where is Lyle?"
"Sleeping like a log. He's had a hard couple of days," Parker smiled sardonically. Corinna was so relieved by Parker's attitude toward Lyle that she almost laughed.
"Care for some coffee?" Parker asked as she retrieved her cup. "I'd tell you to make yourself at home but I seem to be the new kid on the block." She turned and walked into the kitchen, "I'll be more hospitable after I finish this," she indicated her mug; then took a sip. "The upside to this little cross-country jaunt is that it's three hours later in Delaware and my body thinks it's still in that time zone. It comes in handy when the local munchkins hit the floor running at the crack of dawn. The downside is that it takes a lot more coffee to get me civil."
Corinna followed Parker. The kitchen smelled of sesame and sweet spices. Corinna poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "Is Leann at work?"
Miss Parker nodded, "You just missed her. She's teaching this morning."
"Between that and working on her thesis she barely has time to sleep, but she loves it."
"She does seem happy and so do her kids." Parker glanced back toward the living room where Thane could be heard giggling. She smiled slightly, "Leann's the kind of mother Thane deserves. This is the life he needs."
"He has what he needs, a family who loves him," Corinna looked pointedly at Miss Parker.
Parker leaned against the counter studying Corinna. Her eyes narrowed and Corinna waited for the other shoe to fall. After a moment Parker also sat. "I know you."
"We have met."
"You had blonde hair with highlights, bluer eyes, glasses, and a white uniform..." Parker concentrated; light dawned, "and you were my nurse when my ulcer ruptured!"
"You were pretty observant for someone at Death's door," laughed Corinna.
"You were in and out of my room constantly for the two weeks I was in the hospital and a couple times while I was on home care. Why? Did Lyle want me watched?"
"Not exactly. He was out of town, way out, Thailand and Cambodia. And he was very worried about you."
"You couldn't tell by the way he acted when he finally came back," Parker sounded hurt.
"The Mr. Lyle he made you believe in is a far cry from the Lyle you don't know yet." Corinna laughed lightly, "He only called me every hour the first four days. After that he kept it down to five times a day. He said he bought you flowers?"
"Yes, and I threw them right in the trash," she paused, "Don't tell him I did that."
"I won't. So," she changed the subject, "how were my nursing skills? You never know when you'll need a second career."
"I survived. Was that your skill or my luck?"
"More likely it was having a great doctor and being too stubborn to die. You know you have that in common with your brother."
"Well, neither of us gives up easily, for better or for worse." Parker thought for a moment. "Why was Lyle in Asia that time?"
"Officially, Centre business, unofficially, playing nice with that sleaze-ball Colonel Thon. Lyle told you that project had both CIA and Centre blessings? All their plans got flushed by your friend."
"Jarod is not exactly my friend. That took over a month?"
"Lyle had his own agenda, he was searching for the runaway sister of a boy he rescued from the same... from Bombay."
"Did he find her?"
"Yes, he brought her here to join her mother and brother. Then he went back and brought over the young man she loved." Parker raised her eyebrows; Corinna continued, "They all live in Austin, Texas. Lyle found them a small duplex and a very low interest loan - very low," Corinna winked. "They're a very nice family but we don't really keep in touch; it's safer all around."
"Lyle as matchmaker. Curiouser and curiouser."
"Yes, it must seem strange."
"Well, not compared to the things I believed up till now."
"Made up your mind?" Corinna asked.
"About?"
"About me; about Lyle; Thane; the Neus."
"I'll let you know when my brain stops spinning," Parker answered as honestly as she could. Corinna nodded.
Lyle walked in, bleary eyed, and went straight for coffee. Corinna smiled when she saw him.
"I thought you were sleeping."
"I was," he mumbled, "Sonny informed me that I was needed down here." Lyle glanced at the doorway where Sonny was watching; the boy ducked back. "He pretty much jumped on my head till I got up because he was worried about you two. No blood on the floor; both still alive; everything's fine. I'm going back to bed." Lyle turned around, cup in hand.
"How can you tell? Your eyes aren't open," Parker pointed out.
"Good morning to you too. Excuse me, my son actually wants to see me." Lyle shuffled out the door.
"We are not morning people," Parker mused.
For the next several minutes, aside from the voices of the children, the only sound in the Neu house was the sipping of coffee.
***
Broots ordered a double latte at the LAX coffee shop; Sydney opted for an herbal tea. Both men felt better for a good night's sleep. Their flight from San Francisco had been uneventful; they rented a car and resumed the search.
The morning was spent following Leann and doing background checks. That proved unproductive so they went to her house. The neighborhood was quiet and clean, the neighbors friendly; it hardly seemed a place where Lyle could keep slaves or a hideout. In fact, from appearances and the information they gathered, the men doubted this could be Lyle's destination. Leann was too independent and the neighbors too involved with one another. They hoped Jarod was having better luck.
***
In the Neu house, the day progressed smoothly. Lyle updated Corinna on the situation. She retold and corroborated his narrative to Miss Parker. Parker just listened and shook her head.
Lilli and Sonny entertained Thane...a bit too well. By early afternoon he was so over-stimulated that he would not eat or take a nap. All he seemed to want to do was scream. Lilli and Sonny's attempts to pacify him only made things worse.
Miss Parker handed Thane back to Lyle after trying to calm him for several unsuccessful minutes. "Maybe we should get out of here?"
"Running away, Parker?" Lyle grimaced as Thane shrieked in his ear.
"Race you?" Parker replied as she straightened her hair and dress.
"I don't know what to do with him," Lyle moaned, "He's never been like this,"
"He's never been out of The Centre, let alone around other children. He needs a break." Parker thought for a moment. "Ice cream."
Lilli and Sonny paid immediate attention.
Lyle looked at her like she was crazy, thought about it, and nodded agreement, "Maybe he'll do better in a quiet house. I'll take them; you take him."
"Wait a minute, you get ice cream; I just get scream," Parker managed to scowl and half-smile at the same time. Thane stared at her with tears rolling down his cheeks; then snuffled his nose into his father's shoulder. The look on Lyle's face was priceless.
"Sounds like a deal to me," she said as she took Thane. "We'd rather stay here anyway, wouldn't we?" she asked her nephew. Lyle changed shirts. He and Corinna ushered the two children out the door.
"Wave bye-bye," Parker said as she watched the foursome pull away. She let the curtain drop back; then started pacing with the baby. She continued walking and softly talking for some time. Thane finally relaxed, his head nestled on Parker's shoulder, his breath softly brushing her neck. Parker smiled down at him.
***
Broots and Sydney watched the house for two hours. Finally, they agreed this was a dead end and they should either return to San Francisco or take a flight to Austin. Then their jaws dropped, as Mr. Lyle exited the house. Two children and a woman accompanied him. They appeared unrestrained and happy. And Mr. Lyle was smiling, a smile of honest contentment.
Sydney and Broots watched Lyle drive the group away; they were about to follow when they noticed the curtain move at a window. They looked at each other.
"Do you think it's Miss Parker?" asked Broots.
"I believe we must discover who it is."
"Shouldn't we call Jarod first?"
"There appears to be much more to this than we know. We need facts before we make any calls," Sydney gave Broots a meaningful look.
Broots sighed, "I guess so."
They exited the car and walked to the front porch.
***
The doorbell rang. Parker decided to hold Thane rather than chance waking him while laying him down. She opened the door, to find Sydney and Broots staring at her.
The three adults were too stunned to speak for a second. Broots recovered first, "Miss Parker, you're not tied up or anything." (Well, almost recovered.)
Miss Parker gave him a disgusted look, "Disappointed?"
"N-n-no, of course not, I mean we thought..."
Sydney took in the scene and interrupted, "We were quite concerned about you. It appeared that Mr. Lyle had kidnapped you and your young brother," he indicated the baby.
"You think Lyle could hold me prisoner for long?" She glanced around the street. "We should have this conversation in private. Come in, both of you."
Broots skirted Miss Parker, "Are you sure Mr. Lyle won't be back?"
"I'm sure he will be; I'm sure he won't be pleased to see you; but I'm sure you'll be less panic-stricken" she looked pointedly at Broots, "once you hear the whole story."
Sydney studied Parker. "You don't appear to be a prisoner."
Parker closed the door. "I'm not, not now. Lyle took the kids for ice cream so Thane could calm down and nap" she jostled the baby slightly.
"Thane?"
"My nephew's name," Parker said with emphasis.
"Nephew?" Sydney nodded, "That explains much. When did you find out?"
"About half way here."
Suddenly, something clicked in his brain and Broots caught up, "Nephew? Like Lyle's son?"
"Unless I have more brothers and sisters hidden under rocks somewhere."
Sydney allowed the implied question to pass. "He did take you by force?" Parker nodded. "But now you are free to leave? Even with your bro...nephew?" Parker nodded again. "Yet you stay?"
"Lyle had his reasons."
"He did not trust you with them?" asked the doctor.
"He didn't feel he could take that chance. You know what he's supposed to be, and Jarod uncovered something even worse."
"Miss Parker," Broots cut in, "you need to know what Jarod just found out."
"I know, Broots. Lyle is supposed to have be part-owner in a series of brothels from here to Bangkok. He kidnapped and smuggled young women and children for his... for his personal use."
"Y-yes, pretty much that."
"It's not true. Lyle's no saint, but he's not quite the perverted evil we think he is. He may not even kill you two when he finds you here."
Broots gulped. Sydney asked, "And you believe him? You trust him?""
"Yes. The jury's not in yet on whether I trust him completely but I don't think he's guilty of all the things we were led to believe. We'll wait for Lyle and Corinna to come back. Corinna is the woman you saw with Lyle. She and the Neus are his most convincing evidence. And once you see him with Thane you'll understand why he took his son. In the mean time get yourselves coffee or something to eat. I have to put Thane to bed," she turned to go upstairs, then paused on the first step. She gave the men a strict order, "No phone calls until after you've listened."
"We will wait, Miss Parker," Sydney assured her.
