Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer in Part one. (I drafted a bit of help to try and finish this story off. Hopefully, a few more parts, and the tale will be complete).
The Truth Hurts
Part 21
by Paula (mostly) and Niceole (a bit)
Lilias walked quickly to the office, her mind still occupied with Fergus Campbell's note. She knew exactly whom Fergus meant by the Sassenach, the Englishman, or in this case the Englishwoman, Maggie Abbott. She was back in Inverness and up to the same treachery she had been accused of thirty years ago and suspected of in more recent times. Lilias had felt her even before she saw her, a connection too deep to be denied.
She pushed thoughts of Maggie and their past from her mind, concerned for her husband. He had been quite ill only a few days ago and she feared he had relapsed. She put the receiver to her ear.
"Alasdair? What's wrong, me luv?"
Alasdair smiled on the other end of the line, "Must somthin' be wrong now for me t' be callin' me lovely wife?"
"Ye knows I worry about ye." Lilias' gray eyes sparkled.
"It's not me that needs worry'n about. Tis you and a lass I believe is yer grandniece."
"Catie's girl? 'Ave ye seen her?"
"Aye, no five minutes ago. She be stayin' at Ceol Na Mara... with the lad Catie hoped fer in her last letter."
"Both?" Ah, Catie had led them to her and she was not there to greet them. But she was also needed here. "I'll be wantin' t' talk to her, me luv, but there be things of darkness here tonight."
"Maggie Abbott?"
"Alasdair Ross," in mock surprise, "'ave ye gained the gift after all these years?"
"Must'a rubbed off from spending too much time with them witchy Jamison women." He laughed shortly. "Ye ken what she is, Lil, ye needs to watch fer her."
"I saw her and I ha' no doubt she saw me. Has she t' do with Catie's bairns?"
"Aye, she chased the lass from Inverness and she be after her young man. He may be Maggie's son, so he may be a danger too."
"Maggie had a young man with her that did na look like one a her minions. "
"Should I tell the lass?"
No, Alasdair," Lilias felt a chill run up her back, "I'll talk to her. I need t' think a bit on it first. Bring the lass up t' the house; I'll call back in a wee bit. Take a care."
"Be cannie, me luv."
Lilias hung up the receiver and sat quietly in the office. Catherine's voice had come to her weeks ago asking Lilias to help her children. She already knew there were two with the gift; she had heard the one, confused and frightened, for years. Recently she had heard a second trying to find her path. At the time Lilias had not known where they were. Now they were here, where they were meant to be.
But Maggie Abbott was also here, bringing wickedness and threatening yet another child. Ian had to be hidden from her, distanced as far away and as soon as possible. Where better than Kyle of Lochlash? Although Maggie might have spies there, she would never come herself. Ian would be safe and Lilias could meet Catie's son, a young man she had longed to help.
Her thoughts taking a different path, Lilias went to find Geilie, knowing she would be in the kitchen. Where else but baking or cleaning? Geilie had set a pot of tea on the table to brew. Marley was keeping her silent company by tidying up a bit.
Lilias did not mince words; there were things to be done. "Marley, I need ye t' repack me bags. I be goin' home in the morn."
"Uncle Alasdair?" Marley asked concerned.
"Nae, he be fine. We 'ave a bit o company an' they need me home."
"I'll do it right quick," Marley said and started from the room.
As though it was a second thought, Lilias added, "While yere at it, pack a bag for Ian if ye would. It'll do him good t' bide a wee time with me."
Marley looked questioningly at Geilie.
Geilie did not move for a moment then said, "If ye think it best, Missus."
"Aye, I do. Go now, Marley. Gilly and I have t' talk."
Marley felt tension in the room but did as she was asked. Lilias sat at the table and Geilie poured her a cup of tea. Geilie also sat.
Lilias inhaled the aroma of the Earl Grey before she spoke, "I dinna want t' take the lad from ye, Gilly, but he must be kept from her and I canna do that here."
"Aye, I know."
"And ye must confront Donal."
"Ye think it's him?"
"Ye know it was him, Gilly, in yer heart. Ye knew something was wrong afore the note. Ye jus denied it t' yerself."
Geilie stared at the other woman.
"Tis no' me gift, Gilly. Tis the way of all women t' see a thing in their man and put it back, hidden till they have the courage t' look at it straight. Ye must tell him ye know. It will free him from her."
"Who?"
"Maggie Abbott. Ye knew that, too."
Geilie acknowledged that truth to herself. "If it be her, yer in some danger, too."
"She hates me because she fears me; I know what she is. So did Violet. Catie was the only one who ner saw it. Now the witch wants t' corrupt Catie's girl. She has tried fer years and no' succeeded, but still she tries."
"The lass was here."
"And the Englishwoman chased her away but she ran t' safety. She be at Ceol Na Mara and that be where Ian will bide."
Geilie nodded, more to herself than Lilias. She was silent as they sipped their tea. Before the cups were empty she had come to a decision. "Yer need t' get a bit of rest, Missus. I'll be down at the shed, speaking t' me husband."
"I'll rest, Gilly, after I talk t' Catie's lass. And remember, girl, what Donal's done he's done t' protect ye."
Geilie nodded and walked out the back door. Lilias returned to the office.
Jarod could not seem to stop drumming his fingers or shifting his feet. The movements reflected his desire to search for Parker or scour the Caer for clues, rather than sit in St. Gilleabart's rectory. He turned to look at his mother. She placidly watched rain hit the window, only her hands revealed unease. She must have sensed his gaze because she turned and forced a smile onto her face. Jarod felt intense guilt at that smile. He had kept her here, possibly endangering her by asking her to stay with him. After finally finding her he did not want to give her up. He had so many questions to ask and things to tell her. He needed her even if it was only for this one night.
The rain picked up intensity. The wind whipped water against the window and a wicked draft caused the fire to sputter and dance. Margaret's head came up. She glanced about the room as though she expected someone to walk in.
"It's just the wind, Mom. I'm sorry about the draft but, St. Gilleabart's is a bit tumbled down. It's a great old church... kirk, full of passages. No one can get in and we have lots of escape routes." Jarod jumped to his feet, glad for an excuse to move. "I'll make sure the exits are secure."
"I'm sure it's fine, Jarod," she paused, "but if it makes you feel better..."
Jarod took his mother's hand in his. A hint of anxiety crossed his features as he gazed into her eyes, "You won't try to leave while I'm gone. Will you?"
Margaret put her free hand over his, "Of course not, son. I've waited a lifetime for us to be together."
Jarod smiled gratefully and went out a side door.
Margaret moved to a lesser room behind the hearth. It had a small fireplace that shared a chimney with the adjacent room. Jarod had started a fire in there so that she could sleep comfortably. There was a bed set against the wall in a corner of the room not visible through the window, the bed where, quite likely, her grandchild was conceived.
Jarod's revelation that Parker was expecting his child had been something of a shock but Margaret hid it expertly and put contemplation aside until now. The child was a slight complication. The planned pairing should have taken place after Parker's loyalty was assured. But this child was special, a child whose place Raines had tried to usurp with the conception of Ethan, another failed genetics experiment. Raines should have kept to the plan. The culmination of her plan lay in Parker's womb and Margaret had no intention of endangering it. If necessary the infant could be used to control Parker. Even if Parker proved to be too much like Catherine, this child would ensure The Centre endured...with or without its parents.
But that was a contingency plan. At the moment Parker was retrievable and Jarod was close by. Margaret knew she could manage him a bit longer. All she needed was to get him somewhere he could be contained, and then she could control him permanently.
Margaret moved closer to the wall, out of sightline of the window. She pulled out her cellular phone and called Penrith.
The phone was answered on the third ring, "Abbott Hall."
"Nigel, gather up a sweeper team. I want them at Caer Erract and the place sealed by 10AM. I'm bringing someone in at and if he gets out, I don't care whose fault it was, they're all dead. Make that's very clear to them."
"Yes, Madam. Will there be anything else?"
"Have there been any more inquiries about Lachlan?"
"No, Madam, no unexpected visitors or calls."
"Good. I'll be returning to Abbott Hall briefly before I leave for the States. Make arrangements. That's all for now."
"Very good, Miss Abbott."
Margaret cut the connection. Yes, very good. Once Jarod was captured she would wipe his memory of the past few months. What she did with him after that depended on Miss Parker. If Mr. Parker found some way to convince Parker that Inverness was just another of Jarod's games she might even allow them to find each other again.
Erin Gordon was an irritation. She had not called to update Margaret on happenings at Kyle of Lochlash. That would have to wait until morning because a call now would belie Jarod's belief of her dependence on him. Margaret turned off the cell phone and returned to the great room. Additional difficulties concerned her but others had better deal with them. Ethan's recapture and keeping Lyle out of the loop were Mr. Parker's problems. Control of Sydney was Raines duty, one he performed according to his own agendas. That would be addressed once she was in control. For now, she wanted to be nervously pacing the floor when Jarod returned.
Sydney had always found silence within the Centre to be an ominous thing. While it could sometimes be a comfort when one was at home or sitting in a park, inside the monolith that had stolen so many lives, silence was generally the warning that someone somewhere within it was plotting a new evil plan. This time, Sydney knew the silence must have something to do with Jarod and Parker. He knew this because Mr. Parker was "unavailable" and because Lyle and Mr. Cox had both been sent on assignments far away from the Centre, which meant that Mr. Parker or the Triumvirate did not want them butting their noses into whatever it was that was going on. And Raines....no one seemed to know where he was keeping himself these days, and that made Sydney more nervous than anything.
"Syd, I think I found something."
The doctor looked up to see Broots' anxious face in front of him. He carried a stack of papers that he'd obviously picked up in a hurry, a fact made clear by the disarray of the pages.
"I take it from your expression that it is not good news."
The technician answered by dropping into the chair in front of Sydney's desk as he let out a huge sigh.
"You'd think after all these years, what I find out about people connected to this place would stop shocking me, but it never does."
Sydney nodded, leaning back in his chair.
"I know what you mean, my friend."
Accepting the sympathy, Broots leaned forward, clearing his throat as he placed the papers in front of Sydney.
"I had hit a dead end on Lachlan Abbott or his sister in the regular mainframe, so I broke into Raines' files. There was nothing there, either. But then I got an idea and, well, I...I, um, I looked in Mr. Parker's private records..."
Sydney couldn't help but smile at that. Miss Parker would be proud.
"I found a reference there to an FBI file," Broots continued, "so I decided to trace that."
"Is that what you've got here?" Sydney asked, indicating the stack of papers.
"Yeah. The Bureau has a file on him because someone realized that he kept showing up in different kidnapping cases. He claimed he was investigating the cases, there doing a photo essay on kidnappings, but the agent who wrote the file didn't believe him."
"Why not?"
"Because there were too many coincidences. Every time Abbott showed up, a child had recently disappeared. The agent apparently talked to him and found that Abbott knew details about the kidnappings that they hadn't revealed to the public."
"Broots, are you saying this man was a kidnapper? That he might have had something to do with Jarod's kidnapping?"
"I cross-referenced the dates of the kidnappings with the intake records here at the Centre. There was a new child admitted within 48 hours of every date, Sydney."
"So Abbott was stealing children for the Centre?"
"That's what it looks like. I don't know what it has to do with his murder or with Abbott Hall. Do you think we should say something to Jarod or Miss Parker?"
"What about the M16 files? Were you able to open them?"
"Apparently England's government file protections are harder to crack than the FBI's, but I'm still working on it. I have two different decoding programs running, and hopefully one of them will find us a window to climb through."
"Then let's try to find out more before we alert Miss Parker or Jarod, Broots. Those two have plenty to worry about without us adding to it until we're sure of what we've got."
Broots nodded and stood.
"I'll see what else I can get," and with that he exited the room.
Jarod circled the ruins of the church and connected rectory. He knew every exit and how they were hidden. All were secure. The rain had stopped just as he exited the kirk, but the wind continued to drive mist and clouds through the chilled air. Jarod looked up at the remains of the church tower, watching clouds scud across the moon. They seemed to intensify his need for movement. He finished checking the grounds then toured the interior of St. Gilleabart's. When he was completely satisfied and could think of no other corners to inspect he returned to the rectory hall.
Margaret spun toward the door as Jarod opened it, fear on her face. "Jarod, you were gone so long," she cried as she rushed to embrace him, "I was afraid someone had found us."
"I'm sorry, Mom," he replied, returning her embrace. "It really wasn't that long. No one knows we're here. We're safe."
"No one? You're sure?" She smiled when he nodded then she pulled away from him, "Oh, Baby, you're dripping. You must be soaked to the skin. Lets get those clothes off you and get you some tea."
Margaret ignored Jarod's protests, fussing him out of his wet clothes and into a blanket. Jarod, used to taking care of himself, was embarrassed and pleased by the attention. Gratitude was plain in his eyes when Margaret put a cup of tea in his hands and settled herself next to him. She patted his forearm, "There, that's better," with false feeling, "your clothes will be dry by morning."
Jarod nodded and they lapsed into silence. Margaret decided it was time to set the seeds of her plan into Jarod's mind. "Baby, I'm worried. Tomorrow we need to separate, put as must distance between us as possible. This isn't safe for you."
Jarod saddened, "Mom, you've had too much worry all these years. Let me take care of things."
"I just wish I could have done what I came here for."
That sparked Jarod's interest, "What is it? I can help."
"I found information that a man named Lachlan Abbott was involved in kidnapping children and a hint that there's evidence at the Caer. But the sweepers were too close for me to go there."
"Something happened to Parker at the Caer. I believe there are answers there."
"It could be a trap."
"I've avoided plenty of them and I've also been investigating Abbott. I want to go to the Caer."
"It's not safe. We should just leave town,"
"We'll go to the Caer first thing in the morning, we'll see where we should go after that." Jarod took his mother's hand firmly in his own.
"Whatever you think, Son. Just be careful." Margaret beamed at him. So it had been Jarod who inquired about Lachlan and he was going to walk right into her castle. Step into my parlor said the spider. Margaret carefully extricated her hand from Jarod's while she smiled to herself.
Alasdair Ross answered the phone in his kitchen on the first ring. He was relieved to hear Lilias' voice and immediately handed the phone to Miss Parker.
Lilias sent all the love she could with her voice, "Hello, lassie, I been waitin' t' meet ye since ye were wee little. Yer mother spoke of ye and sent pictures. She loved ye wi' all her heart. And we all loved her. Especially her Auntie Violet."
There was a pause on the Parker's end of the conversation, she was afraid to ask. "Aunt?"
"Ye dinna know, child? Violet and me be Jamisons, like yer mother and her da before her."
"You're a Jamison? My ah...great-aunt? My family?"
"Aye, lambie, ye have plenty o' family here. Ye and yer brother."
Light dawned, "Violet's gift, it was like my mother's."
"The gift takes many forms. Violet and meself were different from each other. Yer mother's gift was strong but yer grandfather had not much at all. We dinna understand how it comes t' us, but one generation teaches the next t' use it. Catie's gift brought her t' us, even though she had nae idea who we were. Violet an' meself taught her. She needed us so she was drawn here, just as ye and yer brother were."
Parker was speechless for a moment.
Lilias continued, "And Maggie Abbott followed ye both."
"You know Margaret Abbott?"
"Would I did not. I hear she be after ye. What has she t' do with yer man?"
"She's his mother and she's trying to manipulate us, possibly destroy us."
"She be the mistress o' that. I saw her, ye know, at the train station today."
"Was she alone?" Parker feared she knew the answer.
"Nay, there was..." Lilias broke off and listened to something from another place. "Annsachd?" she breathed softly, "does he call ye Annsachd?"
"Yes. How did you..?"
Lilias interrupted her, speaking rapidly, "The spider has him in her web. I feel it closing and he be walking into it. Ye must go t' him. Ye must get him away from her."
Parker felt the urgency, "Can you see where they are?"
"Nae clear. But 'tis someplace special t' him and ye. If ye listen yer heart will take ye there."
"Ethan...my brother and I can leave tonight."
"This be fer ye t' do alone, lambie. Ethan must stay at Ceol Na Mara. I'll be there tomorrow and I may need him. I know he needs t' learn things I know. We'll be there if ye need us. And yer mother says t' be easy about yer wee one."
"You know about Cameron?"
"He's told ye his name? Ah, then he be ahead o' himself."
"He helped me remember what Margaret had done to me, and what Jarod meant to me."
"He worked hard when it was needed. He'll be resting fer a bit now, till his time t' come int' the world. Not t' worry, lass. Ye will feel him always, as he feels ye and, if needs be, his wee voice will come t' ye."
"I want to protect him, A...aunt Lilias. And I will protect his father."
"I know ye will, lassie, yer mother tells me so."
Lilias and Parker said their farewells. Lilias realized that she was exhausted. Death and life took a lot out of an old woman, she mused as she took herself to bed.
Parker hung up the phone and sat for an amazed moment with her hand still on the receiver. She turned to Alasdair, "It seems that you're my uncle ... and I have aunts." Her voice acquired a touch of plaintive irritation, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Lassie, if Violet thought ye should know she surely would have told ye. Like as not she thought ye had too much on yer plate t' take in the likes of us."
Parker mumbled more to herself than Alasdair; "She may have been right," then said aloud, "I don't exactly know what to feel or say."
"There's nae need t' say anything. And ye needn't worry about how t' feel. Once yer Aunt Lilias is here, ye'll know ye're family."
"She said she was coming home tomorrow, but she also said I have to get to Inverness as soon as possible."
Ethan, who had been standing against the wall, moved to Parker's side. "We can leave right now. I have a car."
Parker turned to her brother and grasped his hands, "No, Ethan, Lilias said you had to stay here. I need to do this alone."
"No, I don't like that. I should be with you, help you."
"Lilias needs your help. She said Mom told her it has to be that way."
Ethan started to protest further then paused as he heard Catherine's voice confirming what his sister said. He pouted in response. "All right," he grumbled and squeezed her hands, "but I don't have to like it."
Parker stood and hugged Ethan, "I'll be back as fast as I can, and I guarantee I'll be fine." Parker tightened the hug for a second while she prayed it was the truth. She released him.
Ethan pulled car keys from his pocket. "Here, it's right out front. Be careful, it just stopped raining and it's foggy."
"I'll fasten my seat belt before I turn the key."
"You better or I'll be right behind you." He managed a slight smile.
Parker smiled at him, then turned to Alasdair, "Please do your best to keep him here. And tell L...your wife I look forward to meeting her."
Alasdair nodded and smiled. Parker walked through the house and out the front door. She got into Ethan's car and fastened the seat belt, turned the ignition and drove toward Inverness. Ethan walked out onto the porch and watched her taillights disappear into the fog.
Another pair of eyes watched the scene from an alleyway across the road.
The Truth Hurts
Part 21
by Paula (mostly) and Niceole (a bit)
Lilias walked quickly to the office, her mind still occupied with Fergus Campbell's note. She knew exactly whom Fergus meant by the Sassenach, the Englishman, or in this case the Englishwoman, Maggie Abbott. She was back in Inverness and up to the same treachery she had been accused of thirty years ago and suspected of in more recent times. Lilias had felt her even before she saw her, a connection too deep to be denied.
She pushed thoughts of Maggie and their past from her mind, concerned for her husband. He had been quite ill only a few days ago and she feared he had relapsed. She put the receiver to her ear.
"Alasdair? What's wrong, me luv?"
Alasdair smiled on the other end of the line, "Must somthin' be wrong now for me t' be callin' me lovely wife?"
"Ye knows I worry about ye." Lilias' gray eyes sparkled.
"It's not me that needs worry'n about. Tis you and a lass I believe is yer grandniece."
"Catie's girl? 'Ave ye seen her?"
"Aye, no five minutes ago. She be stayin' at Ceol Na Mara... with the lad Catie hoped fer in her last letter."
"Both?" Ah, Catie had led them to her and she was not there to greet them. But she was also needed here. "I'll be wantin' t' talk to her, me luv, but there be things of darkness here tonight."
"Maggie Abbott?"
"Alasdair Ross," in mock surprise, "'ave ye gained the gift after all these years?"
"Must'a rubbed off from spending too much time with them witchy Jamison women." He laughed shortly. "Ye ken what she is, Lil, ye needs to watch fer her."
"I saw her and I ha' no doubt she saw me. Has she t' do with Catie's bairns?"
"Aye, she chased the lass from Inverness and she be after her young man. He may be Maggie's son, so he may be a danger too."
"Maggie had a young man with her that did na look like one a her minions. "
"Should I tell the lass?"
No, Alasdair," Lilias felt a chill run up her back, "I'll talk to her. I need t' think a bit on it first. Bring the lass up t' the house; I'll call back in a wee bit. Take a care."
"Be cannie, me luv."
Lilias hung up the receiver and sat quietly in the office. Catherine's voice had come to her weeks ago asking Lilias to help her children. She already knew there were two with the gift; she had heard the one, confused and frightened, for years. Recently she had heard a second trying to find her path. At the time Lilias had not known where they were. Now they were here, where they were meant to be.
But Maggie Abbott was also here, bringing wickedness and threatening yet another child. Ian had to be hidden from her, distanced as far away and as soon as possible. Where better than Kyle of Lochlash? Although Maggie might have spies there, she would never come herself. Ian would be safe and Lilias could meet Catie's son, a young man she had longed to help.
Her thoughts taking a different path, Lilias went to find Geilie, knowing she would be in the kitchen. Where else but baking or cleaning? Geilie had set a pot of tea on the table to brew. Marley was keeping her silent company by tidying up a bit.
Lilias did not mince words; there were things to be done. "Marley, I need ye t' repack me bags. I be goin' home in the morn."
"Uncle Alasdair?" Marley asked concerned.
"Nae, he be fine. We 'ave a bit o company an' they need me home."
"I'll do it right quick," Marley said and started from the room.
As though it was a second thought, Lilias added, "While yere at it, pack a bag for Ian if ye would. It'll do him good t' bide a wee time with me."
Marley looked questioningly at Geilie.
Geilie did not move for a moment then said, "If ye think it best, Missus."
"Aye, I do. Go now, Marley. Gilly and I have t' talk."
Marley felt tension in the room but did as she was asked. Lilias sat at the table and Geilie poured her a cup of tea. Geilie also sat.
Lilias inhaled the aroma of the Earl Grey before she spoke, "I dinna want t' take the lad from ye, Gilly, but he must be kept from her and I canna do that here."
"Aye, I know."
"And ye must confront Donal."
"Ye think it's him?"
"Ye know it was him, Gilly, in yer heart. Ye knew something was wrong afore the note. Ye jus denied it t' yerself."
Geilie stared at the other woman.
"Tis no' me gift, Gilly. Tis the way of all women t' see a thing in their man and put it back, hidden till they have the courage t' look at it straight. Ye must tell him ye know. It will free him from her."
"Who?"
"Maggie Abbott. Ye knew that, too."
Geilie acknowledged that truth to herself. "If it be her, yer in some danger, too."
"She hates me because she fears me; I know what she is. So did Violet. Catie was the only one who ner saw it. Now the witch wants t' corrupt Catie's girl. She has tried fer years and no' succeeded, but still she tries."
"The lass was here."
"And the Englishwoman chased her away but she ran t' safety. She be at Ceol Na Mara and that be where Ian will bide."
Geilie nodded, more to herself than Lilias. She was silent as they sipped their tea. Before the cups were empty she had come to a decision. "Yer need t' get a bit of rest, Missus. I'll be down at the shed, speaking t' me husband."
"I'll rest, Gilly, after I talk t' Catie's lass. And remember, girl, what Donal's done he's done t' protect ye."
Geilie nodded and walked out the back door. Lilias returned to the office.
Jarod could not seem to stop drumming his fingers or shifting his feet. The movements reflected his desire to search for Parker or scour the Caer for clues, rather than sit in St. Gilleabart's rectory. He turned to look at his mother. She placidly watched rain hit the window, only her hands revealed unease. She must have sensed his gaze because she turned and forced a smile onto her face. Jarod felt intense guilt at that smile. He had kept her here, possibly endangering her by asking her to stay with him. After finally finding her he did not want to give her up. He had so many questions to ask and things to tell her. He needed her even if it was only for this one night.
The rain picked up intensity. The wind whipped water against the window and a wicked draft caused the fire to sputter and dance. Margaret's head came up. She glanced about the room as though she expected someone to walk in.
"It's just the wind, Mom. I'm sorry about the draft but, St. Gilleabart's is a bit tumbled down. It's a great old church... kirk, full of passages. No one can get in and we have lots of escape routes." Jarod jumped to his feet, glad for an excuse to move. "I'll make sure the exits are secure."
"I'm sure it's fine, Jarod," she paused, "but if it makes you feel better..."
Jarod took his mother's hand in his. A hint of anxiety crossed his features as he gazed into her eyes, "You won't try to leave while I'm gone. Will you?"
Margaret put her free hand over his, "Of course not, son. I've waited a lifetime for us to be together."
Jarod smiled gratefully and went out a side door.
Margaret moved to a lesser room behind the hearth. It had a small fireplace that shared a chimney with the adjacent room. Jarod had started a fire in there so that she could sleep comfortably. There was a bed set against the wall in a corner of the room not visible through the window, the bed where, quite likely, her grandchild was conceived.
Jarod's revelation that Parker was expecting his child had been something of a shock but Margaret hid it expertly and put contemplation aside until now. The child was a slight complication. The planned pairing should have taken place after Parker's loyalty was assured. But this child was special, a child whose place Raines had tried to usurp with the conception of Ethan, another failed genetics experiment. Raines should have kept to the plan. The culmination of her plan lay in Parker's womb and Margaret had no intention of endangering it. If necessary the infant could be used to control Parker. Even if Parker proved to be too much like Catherine, this child would ensure The Centre endured...with or without its parents.
But that was a contingency plan. At the moment Parker was retrievable and Jarod was close by. Margaret knew she could manage him a bit longer. All she needed was to get him somewhere he could be contained, and then she could control him permanently.
Margaret moved closer to the wall, out of sightline of the window. She pulled out her cellular phone and called Penrith.
The phone was answered on the third ring, "Abbott Hall."
"Nigel, gather up a sweeper team. I want them at Caer Erract and the place sealed by 10AM. I'm bringing someone in at and if he gets out, I don't care whose fault it was, they're all dead. Make that's very clear to them."
"Yes, Madam. Will there be anything else?"
"Have there been any more inquiries about Lachlan?"
"No, Madam, no unexpected visitors or calls."
"Good. I'll be returning to Abbott Hall briefly before I leave for the States. Make arrangements. That's all for now."
"Very good, Miss Abbott."
Margaret cut the connection. Yes, very good. Once Jarod was captured she would wipe his memory of the past few months. What she did with him after that depended on Miss Parker. If Mr. Parker found some way to convince Parker that Inverness was just another of Jarod's games she might even allow them to find each other again.
Erin Gordon was an irritation. She had not called to update Margaret on happenings at Kyle of Lochlash. That would have to wait until morning because a call now would belie Jarod's belief of her dependence on him. Margaret turned off the cell phone and returned to the great room. Additional difficulties concerned her but others had better deal with them. Ethan's recapture and keeping Lyle out of the loop were Mr. Parker's problems. Control of Sydney was Raines duty, one he performed according to his own agendas. That would be addressed once she was in control. For now, she wanted to be nervously pacing the floor when Jarod returned.
Sydney had always found silence within the Centre to be an ominous thing. While it could sometimes be a comfort when one was at home or sitting in a park, inside the monolith that had stolen so many lives, silence was generally the warning that someone somewhere within it was plotting a new evil plan. This time, Sydney knew the silence must have something to do with Jarod and Parker. He knew this because Mr. Parker was "unavailable" and because Lyle and Mr. Cox had both been sent on assignments far away from the Centre, which meant that Mr. Parker or the Triumvirate did not want them butting their noses into whatever it was that was going on. And Raines....no one seemed to know where he was keeping himself these days, and that made Sydney more nervous than anything.
"Syd, I think I found something."
The doctor looked up to see Broots' anxious face in front of him. He carried a stack of papers that he'd obviously picked up in a hurry, a fact made clear by the disarray of the pages.
"I take it from your expression that it is not good news."
The technician answered by dropping into the chair in front of Sydney's desk as he let out a huge sigh.
"You'd think after all these years, what I find out about people connected to this place would stop shocking me, but it never does."
Sydney nodded, leaning back in his chair.
"I know what you mean, my friend."
Accepting the sympathy, Broots leaned forward, clearing his throat as he placed the papers in front of Sydney.
"I had hit a dead end on Lachlan Abbott or his sister in the regular mainframe, so I broke into Raines' files. There was nothing there, either. But then I got an idea and, well, I...I, um, I looked in Mr. Parker's private records..."
Sydney couldn't help but smile at that. Miss Parker would be proud.
"I found a reference there to an FBI file," Broots continued, "so I decided to trace that."
"Is that what you've got here?" Sydney asked, indicating the stack of papers.
"Yeah. The Bureau has a file on him because someone realized that he kept showing up in different kidnapping cases. He claimed he was investigating the cases, there doing a photo essay on kidnappings, but the agent who wrote the file didn't believe him."
"Why not?"
"Because there were too many coincidences. Every time Abbott showed up, a child had recently disappeared. The agent apparently talked to him and found that Abbott knew details about the kidnappings that they hadn't revealed to the public."
"Broots, are you saying this man was a kidnapper? That he might have had something to do with Jarod's kidnapping?"
"I cross-referenced the dates of the kidnappings with the intake records here at the Centre. There was a new child admitted within 48 hours of every date, Sydney."
"So Abbott was stealing children for the Centre?"
"That's what it looks like. I don't know what it has to do with his murder or with Abbott Hall. Do you think we should say something to Jarod or Miss Parker?"
"What about the M16 files? Were you able to open them?"
"Apparently England's government file protections are harder to crack than the FBI's, but I'm still working on it. I have two different decoding programs running, and hopefully one of them will find us a window to climb through."
"Then let's try to find out more before we alert Miss Parker or Jarod, Broots. Those two have plenty to worry about without us adding to it until we're sure of what we've got."
Broots nodded and stood.
"I'll see what else I can get," and with that he exited the room.
Jarod circled the ruins of the church and connected rectory. He knew every exit and how they were hidden. All were secure. The rain had stopped just as he exited the kirk, but the wind continued to drive mist and clouds through the chilled air. Jarod looked up at the remains of the church tower, watching clouds scud across the moon. They seemed to intensify his need for movement. He finished checking the grounds then toured the interior of St. Gilleabart's. When he was completely satisfied and could think of no other corners to inspect he returned to the rectory hall.
Margaret spun toward the door as Jarod opened it, fear on her face. "Jarod, you were gone so long," she cried as she rushed to embrace him, "I was afraid someone had found us."
"I'm sorry, Mom," he replied, returning her embrace. "It really wasn't that long. No one knows we're here. We're safe."
"No one? You're sure?" She smiled when he nodded then she pulled away from him, "Oh, Baby, you're dripping. You must be soaked to the skin. Lets get those clothes off you and get you some tea."
Margaret ignored Jarod's protests, fussing him out of his wet clothes and into a blanket. Jarod, used to taking care of himself, was embarrassed and pleased by the attention. Gratitude was plain in his eyes when Margaret put a cup of tea in his hands and settled herself next to him. She patted his forearm, "There, that's better," with false feeling, "your clothes will be dry by morning."
Jarod nodded and they lapsed into silence. Margaret decided it was time to set the seeds of her plan into Jarod's mind. "Baby, I'm worried. Tomorrow we need to separate, put as must distance between us as possible. This isn't safe for you."
Jarod saddened, "Mom, you've had too much worry all these years. Let me take care of things."
"I just wish I could have done what I came here for."
That sparked Jarod's interest, "What is it? I can help."
"I found information that a man named Lachlan Abbott was involved in kidnapping children and a hint that there's evidence at the Caer. But the sweepers were too close for me to go there."
"Something happened to Parker at the Caer. I believe there are answers there."
"It could be a trap."
"I've avoided plenty of them and I've also been investigating Abbott. I want to go to the Caer."
"It's not safe. We should just leave town,"
"We'll go to the Caer first thing in the morning, we'll see where we should go after that." Jarod took his mother's hand firmly in his own.
"Whatever you think, Son. Just be careful." Margaret beamed at him. So it had been Jarod who inquired about Lachlan and he was going to walk right into her castle. Step into my parlor said the spider. Margaret carefully extricated her hand from Jarod's while she smiled to herself.
Alasdair Ross answered the phone in his kitchen on the first ring. He was relieved to hear Lilias' voice and immediately handed the phone to Miss Parker.
Lilias sent all the love she could with her voice, "Hello, lassie, I been waitin' t' meet ye since ye were wee little. Yer mother spoke of ye and sent pictures. She loved ye wi' all her heart. And we all loved her. Especially her Auntie Violet."
There was a pause on the Parker's end of the conversation, she was afraid to ask. "Aunt?"
"Ye dinna know, child? Violet and me be Jamisons, like yer mother and her da before her."
"You're a Jamison? My ah...great-aunt? My family?"
"Aye, lambie, ye have plenty o' family here. Ye and yer brother."
Light dawned, "Violet's gift, it was like my mother's."
"The gift takes many forms. Violet and meself were different from each other. Yer mother's gift was strong but yer grandfather had not much at all. We dinna understand how it comes t' us, but one generation teaches the next t' use it. Catie's gift brought her t' us, even though she had nae idea who we were. Violet an' meself taught her. She needed us so she was drawn here, just as ye and yer brother were."
Parker was speechless for a moment.
Lilias continued, "And Maggie Abbott followed ye both."
"You know Margaret Abbott?"
"Would I did not. I hear she be after ye. What has she t' do with yer man?"
"She's his mother and she's trying to manipulate us, possibly destroy us."
"She be the mistress o' that. I saw her, ye know, at the train station today."
"Was she alone?" Parker feared she knew the answer.
"Nay, there was..." Lilias broke off and listened to something from another place. "Annsachd?" she breathed softly, "does he call ye Annsachd?"
"Yes. How did you..?"
Lilias interrupted her, speaking rapidly, "The spider has him in her web. I feel it closing and he be walking into it. Ye must go t' him. Ye must get him away from her."
Parker felt the urgency, "Can you see where they are?"
"Nae clear. But 'tis someplace special t' him and ye. If ye listen yer heart will take ye there."
"Ethan...my brother and I can leave tonight."
"This be fer ye t' do alone, lambie. Ethan must stay at Ceol Na Mara. I'll be there tomorrow and I may need him. I know he needs t' learn things I know. We'll be there if ye need us. And yer mother says t' be easy about yer wee one."
"You know about Cameron?"
"He's told ye his name? Ah, then he be ahead o' himself."
"He helped me remember what Margaret had done to me, and what Jarod meant to me."
"He worked hard when it was needed. He'll be resting fer a bit now, till his time t' come int' the world. Not t' worry, lass. Ye will feel him always, as he feels ye and, if needs be, his wee voice will come t' ye."
"I want to protect him, A...aunt Lilias. And I will protect his father."
"I know ye will, lassie, yer mother tells me so."
Lilias and Parker said their farewells. Lilias realized that she was exhausted. Death and life took a lot out of an old woman, she mused as she took herself to bed.
Parker hung up the phone and sat for an amazed moment with her hand still on the receiver. She turned to Alasdair, "It seems that you're my uncle ... and I have aunts." Her voice acquired a touch of plaintive irritation, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Lassie, if Violet thought ye should know she surely would have told ye. Like as not she thought ye had too much on yer plate t' take in the likes of us."
Parker mumbled more to herself than Alasdair; "She may have been right," then said aloud, "I don't exactly know what to feel or say."
"There's nae need t' say anything. And ye needn't worry about how t' feel. Once yer Aunt Lilias is here, ye'll know ye're family."
"She said she was coming home tomorrow, but she also said I have to get to Inverness as soon as possible."
Ethan, who had been standing against the wall, moved to Parker's side. "We can leave right now. I have a car."
Parker turned to her brother and grasped his hands, "No, Ethan, Lilias said you had to stay here. I need to do this alone."
"No, I don't like that. I should be with you, help you."
"Lilias needs your help. She said Mom told her it has to be that way."
Ethan started to protest further then paused as he heard Catherine's voice confirming what his sister said. He pouted in response. "All right," he grumbled and squeezed her hands, "but I don't have to like it."
Parker stood and hugged Ethan, "I'll be back as fast as I can, and I guarantee I'll be fine." Parker tightened the hug for a second while she prayed it was the truth. She released him.
Ethan pulled car keys from his pocket. "Here, it's right out front. Be careful, it just stopped raining and it's foggy."
"I'll fasten my seat belt before I turn the key."
"You better or I'll be right behind you." He managed a slight smile.
Parker smiled at him, then turned to Alasdair, "Please do your best to keep him here. And tell L...your wife I look forward to meeting her."
Alasdair nodded and smiled. Parker walked through the house and out the front door. She got into Ethan's car and fastened the seat belt, turned the ignition and drove toward Inverness. Ethan walked out onto the porch and watched her taillights disappear into the fog.
Another pair of eyes watched the scene from an alleyway across the road.
