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Chapter or Story
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The King and the Pawn
Pawn's Gambit
By Phenyx
Miss Parker stood in the kitchen sipping at her coffee as she waited for her bagel to pop from the toaster. Glancing at her watch for the third time in five minutes, she sighed. Jarod was not back yet. They were going to be late.
The last three months had been stressful ones. Once Jarod had found his birth certificate, things had started happening very quickly. He discovered that he had been born in a hospital in a small suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Rather than wait three weeks for the certificate to come in the mail, Jarod and Parker had visited the town briefly to collect a copy of the paperwork. It had seemed like a nice place. Tree lined streets and peaceful gardens echoed with the laughter of children.
They had found Gene Parker's grave. In a well-tended cemetery beside an ancient church, Jarod's grandfather was laid to rest beside his beloved wife. Jarod had stared at the headstone in silence for a long time before walking mutely away. The pretender had been ominously quiet for the rest of the afternoon.
Parker understood. The date on Gene Parker's marker indicated that the man had died exactly one month before The Centre DSAs had begun recording young Jarod's life. The boy had been locked away to prevent him from claiming his inheritance. His abilities as a pretender had been secondary, an added bonus for his captors.
Once Jarod had proof of his identity, he had taken the papers, the journal and his grandfather's will and they had gone to Triumvirate headquarters in Africa. As though finally facing the inevitable, the powers that be on the council had accepted Jarod readily. There had been a frenzy of self- preservationists who flocked to do whatever Jarod asked of them.
Jarod's attitude, taciturn and moody at best, became a topic of fear and concern. As news of Jarod's imminent return spread through the halls of The Centre, some employees simply left. Abandoned desks and lockers became like beacons marking those people who had wronged the pretender when he had lived among them.
For the most part, Jarod behaved in a coldly professional manner, rarely even raising his voice. But his distaste for everything Centre related was poorly veiled. Parker wasn't the only one who could see his disappointment and anger.
Only once did Jarod let his rage get the better of him and when he did, Parker saw that it frightened him. It had frightened her as well.
It had happened on their first day at The Centre. Jarod and Parker had arrived by limousine, pulling right up to the front entrance. The Triumvirate-provided sweepers had been in the car ahead of them, so no one but Parker had seen Jarod's nervousness as the building came into view. His anxiety had been a tangible thing, making the air around them crackle with tension.
But as he stepped out of the car and up the steps, Parker had seen him rein in the perceived weakness. She had watched him as he squelched his fear.
Parker should have known that Jarod was going to do something shocking. He had even half-warned her. In a backhanded comment over breakfast, he had mentioned the need to display his control in terms that Raines would understand. Parker should have seen it coming, but she hadn't.
They had strolled into The Centre as though it was something the two had done every day. Four burly black men walked discretely with them. It was Willie who approached the group first. It was Willie who was the one Jarod chose as an example for the others.
Jarod's entourage had moved skillfully to deflect the sweeper's advance but the pretender had waved them away. Willie shoved Parker from Jarod's side and grabbed his quarry by the arm. Jarod had turned on the man with a viciousness Parker had not realized he was capable of.
Weeks' worth of tightly controlled anger at the injustice of his life had boiled up in Jarod. He summoned up his fury and used it, focusing all of his rage on the unsuspecting Willie. The Centre's lobby had been bustling with activity at that time of day. Many people, including Raines and Lyle, had witnessed the damage Jarod inflicted. He pummeled Willie into a bloody mess.
No one moved a muscle to stop him.
Jarod would have killed the man; Parker knew that now. He could have beaten the sweeper to death on the cold tile while The Centre watched. But she had stopped him.
In a voice far steadier that she felt, Parker had spoken up, "We haven't time for this, Jarod," she said as calmly as she could. "They are expecting us in The Tower."
Jarod stopped in mid-swing. Hard, dark eyes surveyed the stunned faces around him. With a steadying sigh, Jarod ran one hand through his hair. He straightened his tie casually then turned away. Taking Parker by the elbow, Jarod had cast a look of cold disgust at the shuddering mass at his feet.
"Take him to the infirmary," Jarod ordered in a flat voice as he steered Parker toward the elevator.
Never in their lives had Parker been afraid of Jarod. But he had frightened her that day. He had scared her badly.
Of course the entire incident had achieved Jarod's goal. No one underestimated him. Centre employees did not question their new commander. Jarod's quiet, thoughtful manner hid a coldly vicious anger and everyone knew it. Even Lyle squirmed now, when Jarod's hard brown gaze fell on him for too long.
In the two months since Willie had been put into a hospital bed, the ranks of The Centre employees had dwindled rapidly. Entire departments had been completely shutdown. People had been pink-slipped by the hundreds. Others had quit before the ax could find them.
Raines had retired. In actuality, Jarod had demanded that the old ghoul leave or suffer the consequences. Parker had not been privy to the meeting between the two men, so she didn't know exactly what Jarod had threatened to do. But she had met Raines in the hall two days later. She had seen the ghastly white pallor of his face. Jarod had obviously done something to further encourage Raines' resignation. But she had yet to discover what had happened.
Oddly enough, Lyle still worked among them. Jarod assigned him some of the dirtiest, most demeaning tasks he could find. When Parker suggested they just get rid of the slimy weasel, Jarod disagreed.
"Keep your enemies closer," he would murmur softly.
Parker was worried about Jarod. She worked at his side, tearing down the old Centre and finding ways to build a new one. They drove to the office each morning and back to the house together each night for Jarod still stayed in her guest room. But he was withdrawn and isolated. He wouldn't confide in her or in Sydney. It bothered her.
However, this weekend Jarod had behaved much more like his old self. They had taken a well-deserved break from The Centre. The weather had been perfect so the two of them had gone to the beach. They had picnicked on the sand and strolled through the surf at the water's edge. Jarod had teased her unmercifully, reciting all the states in which relations with one's cousin were legal.
Parker had playfully argued back, falling into the comfortable banter that had been so familiar to them a few months ago. Jarod's delighted smile and easy laughter had done much to ease Parker's concern. She began to feel as though the strain of The Centre takeover was drifting away from them, as though the pretender she knew was returning.
Parker glanced at her watch again as she emptied her cup. She was beginning to get irritated. Jarod knew that Mondays were always busy and this morning would be especially so. Her first meeting was scheduled for 8:30. They would have to leave soon.
Standing in the front doorway, Parker scanned the road for Jarod's figure. Why the pretender had decided to take up jogging, Parker didn't know. Maybe his strange sense of humor found it amusing. Jarod claimed that it helped him to think, to relax. But Parker didn't believe him.
She had followed him once, trailing him carefully on a rented bicycle. Jarod didn't jog casually like most people. He ran at top speed through the park and the woods beyond as though the devil were chasing him. He ran until his breath came in gasps and sweat ran in rivulets down his face. He ran like that for miles, until his lungs and his legs gave out and his body forced him to stop.
Parker had gotten one hell of a workout herself, just trying to keep up with him.
The fact that he'd gone out this morning was new cause for concern. The easy, quiet weekend they had just shared seemed contradictory to the punishing behavior of one of Jarod's runs. His mood had evidently swung back into a darkness that he refused to share.
When Jarod finally appeared at the end of the road, he was nearly stumbling with exhaustion. Parker crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he stopped at the end of her driveway. Sweat soaked and panting heavily, Jarod bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped. He stood that way for several minutes with one hand on the mailbox to steady himself.
Jarod was still breathing heavily when he stood and walked up the driveway to where Miss Parker stood.
"It's getting late, Cuz," she scolded him.
"Forgive me, Miss Parker," Jarod said. "I guess I must have lost track of time."
The bland, even tone to Jarod's voice made it obvious that the playful taunting from the past two days was now ended.
Parker shrugged. "It's okay. If you hurry, I can still make it to my 8:30 meeting with Broots."
Jarod sighed. "Go ahead and drive in without me," he said as he walked into the house. "I'll take my car when I'm ready."
This was new. They had always driven to The Centre together. Parker frowned.
"I'll wait," she said. "I can reschedule with Broots."
"Nonsense," Jarod replied as he yanked off his soggy shirt. "Go to your meeting. I can find my way on my own."
"Are you sure?" Parker asked fretfully.
"You worry too much, Cuz," Jarod grinned.
Parker chewed thoughtfully at her lower lip. Jarod's smile wasn't reflecting in his eyes. He wanted her to go without him. She hated this. She hated not knowing what he was thinking. She hated that Jarod was hiding things from her.
"I'm a big boy, Parker, " Jarod added softly. "I'll see you in two hours."
Parker nodded. "We have a ten o'clock."
"Yes," he agreed.
"You'll be there?" she wavered.
"Of course," Jarod said. "Now go, or you'll be late." With that, the pretender turned on his heel and headed down the hall toward his room.
Parker stared after him for several long moments before finally grabbing her keys and heading out to her car.
--
It was five minutes before ten when Parker breezed into the outer reception area leading to the chairman's corner office.
"Good morning, Jeffrey," Parker said to the twenty-something man seated at the desk. The painfully thin, brown haired assistant was the exact opposite of every stereotypical executive assistant Parker had ever known. But he was very thorough, detailed and precise. And he was devoted to Jarod. "Is he in?" Parker asked as she blew passed Jeffrey's desk.
The young man stood and hastily blocked Parker's path as she tried to enter Jarod's office. She cast him a withering glare, to no avail.
"I'll need to see if he is available, Ma'am," the assistant said. He waited patiently until Parker nodded in the affirmative. Stepping to his desk, he pressed a button. "Miss Parker is here to see you, Sir."
After a moment's hesitation, Jarod's voice wafted up from the intercom. "Send her in."
Glaring angrily at the assistant, Parker stormed into Jarod's office. "Since when do I need clearance to see you, Jarod?" she seethed.
"Did everything go well in your meeting with Broots?" Jarod asked, ignoring her statement. "Is security in the Miami office going to be a problem?"
"No," Parker groused. "Broots has the system well in hand there." Jarod was leaning against the large oak desk, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Parker sat in the chair in front of the desk as Jarod waved her toward it.
"I've brought the file," Parker said. "As well as some others. You never mentioned what this meeting was about so I've brought information about several of the current issues."
Jarod took the folders that Parker held out to him. Flipping through them casually he walked back around the desk and sat in a large leather chair. With a sigh, Jarod set the pile aside and glanced up at Parker.
"We don't need to talk about any of these," Jarod said. Opening a drawer at his side, Jarod pulled out a new folder and set it on the desk in front of him. He stared at it for a moment then slid the file across the desktop, placing it in front of Miss Parker.
Parker leaned forward and opened the manila cover, quickly scanned the folder's contents.
She glanced up at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Parker asked.
Jarod stood and went to the counter along the right side of the room. He poured himself a tumbler full of amber liquid and sipped at it.
"Jarod," Parker growled warningly. "It's a little early for that don't you think?"
Ignoring her comment, Jarod walked to the large picture window and gazed at something on the horizon.
"You are kidding about this, aren't you?" she asked again.
Jarod took another sip from his glass. "It's a good offer, Parker," he said to the window in front of him. "Twelve months severance pay as well as a sizeable bonus, more than you'd make in five years."
"You're firing me?" Parker asked in an incredulous voice.
"During the transition to new management, I've been forced to restructure our hierarchy," Jarod began.
"Don't you dare," Parker snarled, getting angry now. "Don't hand me that load of crap. I helped you come up with it, remember?"
"The fact is," Jarod said loudly, slamming his glass onto the desktop, "Your sole job here has been to bring me back to The Centre. Well congratulations, Miss Parker, mission accomplished."
"But Jarod!" Parker cried.
"Your services are no longer required, Miss Parker," Jarod growled. "I have to let you go."
"No." Parker said. "You can't."
"I can," Jarod said coldly. "I did. Sign the papers."
Tossing the folder over her shoulder in a flurry of paper, Parker said coldly, "No. We need to talk about this."
Jarod plucked his drink from the table and swallowed another mouthful. "Don't make me call security, Parker. Sam would feel terrible if he had to escort you off the premises."
"But Jarod," Parker gasped in shock, "I thought things were going so well, especially during the last couple of days. You seemed like your old self again. I had hoped - " Parker stopped in mid-sentence. Staring up at Jarod in wonder, the significance of the past weekend slid into place in her mind.
"You knew," she gasped. "The entire time, you knew that this was coming."
Jarod shrugged. "I'm a selfish bastard," he said sadly. "I wanted us to be friends for just a little longer."
"You should have said something. We could have talked about this," Parker said.
Jarod sighed, "Take the severance package, Miss Parker."
Vaulting to her feet, Parker yelled angrily, "I neither want nor need the damn money, Jarod. Talk to me!"
Jarod stepped away from the window and pressed a button on his desk. "Jeffrey, could you have security summoned to my office, please?" he said calmly.
Heaving in a jagged sigh Parker fought to control her temper. "I'll go. For now. We both need to calm down a little," she said. "We'll talk about it tonight."
"No," Jarod said in a flat voice. "We won't. I moved my things out of the house this morning. I won't be back."
Stunned, Parker sank back into the chair. "Why?"
"It's time I found a place of my own and let you get on with your life." Jarod said simply.
"But this is my life," she whispered.
"Not anymore," Jarod said in a hard voice. "I'm letting you go."
The office door opened and two sweepers stepped into the room.
"Gentlemen," Jarod said brusquely. "See to it that Miss Parker gets safely home." Parker stood gracefully and allowed one of the men to lead her to the door. Jarod swallowed the last of his drink in one long gulp. "Don't worry about your office," Jarod said. "I'll have everything boxed up and sent around to you."
Parker held her head high and said, "You've got everything under control, don't you?"
"Trust me, Parker," Jarod replied. "I'm only doing what's best for you."
She laughed sadly. "You sound like my father, Jarod. Maybe you should call me Angel and make the transformation complete."
The snide barb did not have the affect that Parker had intended. Jarod didn't seem fazed in the least. Instead he crossed the room and kissed her chastely on the cheek. "Goodbye, Angel. Have a good life."
Then Jarod turned away, dismissing her and the sweepers with a flick of his wrist. As the office door closed behind her, Parker heard Jarod pick up the phone, conducting business as usual.
Parker had been too shocked to be angry. Even when her escorts had dropped her off at her house and asked for her security access cards, Parker had been uncharacteristically calm. Once the two men left, Parker had changed out of her suit, made a pot of coffee and sat by the phone to wait.
As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to set, Parker sat thinking, carefully working over in her mind Jarod's behavior over the past few weeks. Daylight had long ago slipped away and Parker was sitting in the dark when her phone finally rang.
--
Jarod was lying on the cot with one arm thrown over his eyes. The room wasn't so bad. He had removed the camera, literally torn it from the wall, and popped the locking mechanism so that the door no longer latched. Those simple fixes had made all the difference. No longer a prison, the small room felt oddly welcoming. Each brick felt familiar in a strangely soothing way.
Jarod supposed that he should be worried about the strange sensation. A few months ago, he would have driven nails through his own flesh before coming back to this room. But now, he hid here. While his thoughts and emotions seemed to spiral away from his control, this place anchored him. There was a connection here. And Jarod desperately needed to feel like he belonged.
He had no idea how long he laid there. Time never seemed to pass in the windowless room. He may have fallen asleep for a while, Jarod wasn't sure. Eventually, he became aware of the sensation of eyes watching him. He was no longer alone in the room.
"You can't stay here," the soft voice whispered.
"Why not?" Jarod growled.
"Because it's just too weird," she said in a scolding tone.
Blinking against the light as he looked up at her, Jarod sighed, "What are you doing here, Miss Parker? You don't have access to this section anymore."
Smiling indulgently, Parker stepped gracefully from her position against the doorframe. Sitting gently on the edge of the bed, she smoothed a lock of hair from Jarod's forehead. "When have I ever needed access to come down here? If I could get in as a child, I most certainly won't have trouble doing it now."
"How did you find me?" Jarod asked.
"Sydney," she answered simply. "He's worried sick. When he realized that you were hiding here, of all places, he began to panic."
Jarod sighed dejectedly and covered his eyes with his arm again. "I'm fine," he mumbled.
"And I'm Eleanor Roosevelt," Parker scoffed.
"You shouldn't be here, Parker," Jarod said. "You don't work here anymore."
"I know," she said simply. "You let me go, didn't you? You think you've set me free."
"One of us should be allowed to be free of this place. No need to trap us both," Jarod said sadly.
"Neither of us is trapped anymore, Jarod," Parker soothed. "Our lives are no longer ruled by anyone else."
"It doesn't feel that way," Jarod said sadly.
"You know," Parker said sharply. "If you could stop feeling sorry for yourself for just one minute, you might be able to see the good in this situation."
"What?" Jarod cried, sitting up and glaring angrily at her.
"Quit acting like the martyr. Look at what you've accomplished already," Parker exclaimed. "Raines is gone. Pakor is shut down, permanently. Angelo and the others are free to come and go as they choose."
"Not without supervision," Jarod added morosely. "They can't cope."
"That may be so, but at least they aren't locked in dungeons like these anymore," Parker said gesturing around her fervently. "Have you noticed him lately? Do you realize that Angelo has found a girl friend?"
Jarod stared at her in wonder, shaking his head slowly.
"Yes," Parker urged. "Do you know about Heather?"
Jarod thought for a moment, "That little blind girl they found huddled in a corner on SL-24?"
Parker nodded. "She's blind and deaf but not a little girl. Jarod, she's a beautiful young woman."
Jarod gazed at the floor thoughtfully. "Does she understand? Does she know that Angelo is special?"
Parker shrugged. "Find out. Stop hiding behind where you come from and start behaving like the person you really are. Like the person I know you to be."
Jarod sat down on the cot beside Parker. Hanging his head dejectedly he whispered, "I don't know who I am anymore, Parker. Perhaps I never did."
Taking his face in her palms, Parker turned Jarod's gaze toward her own. "That's okay, Jarod. Because I know, I've always known."
As she watched, Jarod's warm brown eyes filled with tears. "You can't spend the rest of your life helping me to define mine."
"Why not?" she grinned.
A salty tear rolled down his cheek. "You should have a life of your own. A chance to build a family."
"I have a family," Parker said gently. "There's this strangely eccentric cousin of mine who means the world to me."
Jarod brushed the tear from his cheek with the back of one hand. "That would be me," he sniffled.
Parker laughed softly, "Yeah, genius. That would be you."
They sat together that way for a long time. Parker held Jarod's face in her hands as their foreheads leaned one against the other.
After a while, Parker asked, "Would you like to go home now?"
Jarod's eyes fluttered shut and he whispered reverently, "Home." Pulling back, Jarod sat up and smiled waveringly at Parker. "I like it there so much."
Standing, Parker smiled and said, "It will be your home for as long as you want it to be. It's where you belong."
Jarod nodded, unable to speak.
Parker held one hand out to Jarod, waiting for him to take it. "Let's go home, Jarod."
Taking her hand the pretender stood and wrapped Miss Parker in a warm embrace. "I'm sorry I fired you, Cuz." He murmured into her hair.
"You'd better be, Pez-head," she scolded him.
"I'll make it up to you," he promised.
"You're damned right about that," Parker growled playfully.
Jarod chuckled softly. "Let's go home."
--
The King and the Pawn
Pawn's Gambit
By Phenyx
Miss Parker stood in the kitchen sipping at her coffee as she waited for her bagel to pop from the toaster. Glancing at her watch for the third time in five minutes, she sighed. Jarod was not back yet. They were going to be late.
The last three months had been stressful ones. Once Jarod had found his birth certificate, things had started happening very quickly. He discovered that he had been born in a hospital in a small suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Rather than wait three weeks for the certificate to come in the mail, Jarod and Parker had visited the town briefly to collect a copy of the paperwork. It had seemed like a nice place. Tree lined streets and peaceful gardens echoed with the laughter of children.
They had found Gene Parker's grave. In a well-tended cemetery beside an ancient church, Jarod's grandfather was laid to rest beside his beloved wife. Jarod had stared at the headstone in silence for a long time before walking mutely away. The pretender had been ominously quiet for the rest of the afternoon.
Parker understood. The date on Gene Parker's marker indicated that the man had died exactly one month before The Centre DSAs had begun recording young Jarod's life. The boy had been locked away to prevent him from claiming his inheritance. His abilities as a pretender had been secondary, an added bonus for his captors.
Once Jarod had proof of his identity, he had taken the papers, the journal and his grandfather's will and they had gone to Triumvirate headquarters in Africa. As though finally facing the inevitable, the powers that be on the council had accepted Jarod readily. There had been a frenzy of self- preservationists who flocked to do whatever Jarod asked of them.
Jarod's attitude, taciturn and moody at best, became a topic of fear and concern. As news of Jarod's imminent return spread through the halls of The Centre, some employees simply left. Abandoned desks and lockers became like beacons marking those people who had wronged the pretender when he had lived among them.
For the most part, Jarod behaved in a coldly professional manner, rarely even raising his voice. But his distaste for everything Centre related was poorly veiled. Parker wasn't the only one who could see his disappointment and anger.
Only once did Jarod let his rage get the better of him and when he did, Parker saw that it frightened him. It had frightened her as well.
It had happened on their first day at The Centre. Jarod and Parker had arrived by limousine, pulling right up to the front entrance. The Triumvirate-provided sweepers had been in the car ahead of them, so no one but Parker had seen Jarod's nervousness as the building came into view. His anxiety had been a tangible thing, making the air around them crackle with tension.
But as he stepped out of the car and up the steps, Parker had seen him rein in the perceived weakness. She had watched him as he squelched his fear.
Parker should have known that Jarod was going to do something shocking. He had even half-warned her. In a backhanded comment over breakfast, he had mentioned the need to display his control in terms that Raines would understand. Parker should have seen it coming, but she hadn't.
They had strolled into The Centre as though it was something the two had done every day. Four burly black men walked discretely with them. It was Willie who approached the group first. It was Willie who was the one Jarod chose as an example for the others.
Jarod's entourage had moved skillfully to deflect the sweeper's advance but the pretender had waved them away. Willie shoved Parker from Jarod's side and grabbed his quarry by the arm. Jarod had turned on the man with a viciousness Parker had not realized he was capable of.
Weeks' worth of tightly controlled anger at the injustice of his life had boiled up in Jarod. He summoned up his fury and used it, focusing all of his rage on the unsuspecting Willie. The Centre's lobby had been bustling with activity at that time of day. Many people, including Raines and Lyle, had witnessed the damage Jarod inflicted. He pummeled Willie into a bloody mess.
No one moved a muscle to stop him.
Jarod would have killed the man; Parker knew that now. He could have beaten the sweeper to death on the cold tile while The Centre watched. But she had stopped him.
In a voice far steadier that she felt, Parker had spoken up, "We haven't time for this, Jarod," she said as calmly as she could. "They are expecting us in The Tower."
Jarod stopped in mid-swing. Hard, dark eyes surveyed the stunned faces around him. With a steadying sigh, Jarod ran one hand through his hair. He straightened his tie casually then turned away. Taking Parker by the elbow, Jarod had cast a look of cold disgust at the shuddering mass at his feet.
"Take him to the infirmary," Jarod ordered in a flat voice as he steered Parker toward the elevator.
Never in their lives had Parker been afraid of Jarod. But he had frightened her that day. He had scared her badly.
Of course the entire incident had achieved Jarod's goal. No one underestimated him. Centre employees did not question their new commander. Jarod's quiet, thoughtful manner hid a coldly vicious anger and everyone knew it. Even Lyle squirmed now, when Jarod's hard brown gaze fell on him for too long.
In the two months since Willie had been put into a hospital bed, the ranks of The Centre employees had dwindled rapidly. Entire departments had been completely shutdown. People had been pink-slipped by the hundreds. Others had quit before the ax could find them.
Raines had retired. In actuality, Jarod had demanded that the old ghoul leave or suffer the consequences. Parker had not been privy to the meeting between the two men, so she didn't know exactly what Jarod had threatened to do. But she had met Raines in the hall two days later. She had seen the ghastly white pallor of his face. Jarod had obviously done something to further encourage Raines' resignation. But she had yet to discover what had happened.
Oddly enough, Lyle still worked among them. Jarod assigned him some of the dirtiest, most demeaning tasks he could find. When Parker suggested they just get rid of the slimy weasel, Jarod disagreed.
"Keep your enemies closer," he would murmur softly.
Parker was worried about Jarod. She worked at his side, tearing down the old Centre and finding ways to build a new one. They drove to the office each morning and back to the house together each night for Jarod still stayed in her guest room. But he was withdrawn and isolated. He wouldn't confide in her or in Sydney. It bothered her.
However, this weekend Jarod had behaved much more like his old self. They had taken a well-deserved break from The Centre. The weather had been perfect so the two of them had gone to the beach. They had picnicked on the sand and strolled through the surf at the water's edge. Jarod had teased her unmercifully, reciting all the states in which relations with one's cousin were legal.
Parker had playfully argued back, falling into the comfortable banter that had been so familiar to them a few months ago. Jarod's delighted smile and easy laughter had done much to ease Parker's concern. She began to feel as though the strain of The Centre takeover was drifting away from them, as though the pretender she knew was returning.
Parker glanced at her watch again as she emptied her cup. She was beginning to get irritated. Jarod knew that Mondays were always busy and this morning would be especially so. Her first meeting was scheduled for 8:30. They would have to leave soon.
Standing in the front doorway, Parker scanned the road for Jarod's figure. Why the pretender had decided to take up jogging, Parker didn't know. Maybe his strange sense of humor found it amusing. Jarod claimed that it helped him to think, to relax. But Parker didn't believe him.
She had followed him once, trailing him carefully on a rented bicycle. Jarod didn't jog casually like most people. He ran at top speed through the park and the woods beyond as though the devil were chasing him. He ran until his breath came in gasps and sweat ran in rivulets down his face. He ran like that for miles, until his lungs and his legs gave out and his body forced him to stop.
Parker had gotten one hell of a workout herself, just trying to keep up with him.
The fact that he'd gone out this morning was new cause for concern. The easy, quiet weekend they had just shared seemed contradictory to the punishing behavior of one of Jarod's runs. His mood had evidently swung back into a darkness that he refused to share.
When Jarod finally appeared at the end of the road, he was nearly stumbling with exhaustion. Parker crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he stopped at the end of her driveway. Sweat soaked and panting heavily, Jarod bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped. He stood that way for several minutes with one hand on the mailbox to steady himself.
Jarod was still breathing heavily when he stood and walked up the driveway to where Miss Parker stood.
"It's getting late, Cuz," she scolded him.
"Forgive me, Miss Parker," Jarod said. "I guess I must have lost track of time."
The bland, even tone to Jarod's voice made it obvious that the playful taunting from the past two days was now ended.
Parker shrugged. "It's okay. If you hurry, I can still make it to my 8:30 meeting with Broots."
Jarod sighed. "Go ahead and drive in without me," he said as he walked into the house. "I'll take my car when I'm ready."
This was new. They had always driven to The Centre together. Parker frowned.
"I'll wait," she said. "I can reschedule with Broots."
"Nonsense," Jarod replied as he yanked off his soggy shirt. "Go to your meeting. I can find my way on my own."
"Are you sure?" Parker asked fretfully.
"You worry too much, Cuz," Jarod grinned.
Parker chewed thoughtfully at her lower lip. Jarod's smile wasn't reflecting in his eyes. He wanted her to go without him. She hated this. She hated not knowing what he was thinking. She hated that Jarod was hiding things from her.
"I'm a big boy, Parker, " Jarod added softly. "I'll see you in two hours."
Parker nodded. "We have a ten o'clock."
"Yes," he agreed.
"You'll be there?" she wavered.
"Of course," Jarod said. "Now go, or you'll be late." With that, the pretender turned on his heel and headed down the hall toward his room.
Parker stared after him for several long moments before finally grabbing her keys and heading out to her car.
--
It was five minutes before ten when Parker breezed into the outer reception area leading to the chairman's corner office.
"Good morning, Jeffrey," Parker said to the twenty-something man seated at the desk. The painfully thin, brown haired assistant was the exact opposite of every stereotypical executive assistant Parker had ever known. But he was very thorough, detailed and precise. And he was devoted to Jarod. "Is he in?" Parker asked as she blew passed Jeffrey's desk.
The young man stood and hastily blocked Parker's path as she tried to enter Jarod's office. She cast him a withering glare, to no avail.
"I'll need to see if he is available, Ma'am," the assistant said. He waited patiently until Parker nodded in the affirmative. Stepping to his desk, he pressed a button. "Miss Parker is here to see you, Sir."
After a moment's hesitation, Jarod's voice wafted up from the intercom. "Send her in."
Glaring angrily at the assistant, Parker stormed into Jarod's office. "Since when do I need clearance to see you, Jarod?" she seethed.
"Did everything go well in your meeting with Broots?" Jarod asked, ignoring her statement. "Is security in the Miami office going to be a problem?"
"No," Parker groused. "Broots has the system well in hand there." Jarod was leaning against the large oak desk, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Parker sat in the chair in front of the desk as Jarod waved her toward it.
"I've brought the file," Parker said. "As well as some others. You never mentioned what this meeting was about so I've brought information about several of the current issues."
Jarod took the folders that Parker held out to him. Flipping through them casually he walked back around the desk and sat in a large leather chair. With a sigh, Jarod set the pile aside and glanced up at Parker.
"We don't need to talk about any of these," Jarod said. Opening a drawer at his side, Jarod pulled out a new folder and set it on the desk in front of him. He stared at it for a moment then slid the file across the desktop, placing it in front of Miss Parker.
Parker leaned forward and opened the manila cover, quickly scanned the folder's contents.
She glanced up at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Parker asked.
Jarod stood and went to the counter along the right side of the room. He poured himself a tumbler full of amber liquid and sipped at it.
"Jarod," Parker growled warningly. "It's a little early for that don't you think?"
Ignoring her comment, Jarod walked to the large picture window and gazed at something on the horizon.
"You are kidding about this, aren't you?" she asked again.
Jarod took another sip from his glass. "It's a good offer, Parker," he said to the window in front of him. "Twelve months severance pay as well as a sizeable bonus, more than you'd make in five years."
"You're firing me?" Parker asked in an incredulous voice.
"During the transition to new management, I've been forced to restructure our hierarchy," Jarod began.
"Don't you dare," Parker snarled, getting angry now. "Don't hand me that load of crap. I helped you come up with it, remember?"
"The fact is," Jarod said loudly, slamming his glass onto the desktop, "Your sole job here has been to bring me back to The Centre. Well congratulations, Miss Parker, mission accomplished."
"But Jarod!" Parker cried.
"Your services are no longer required, Miss Parker," Jarod growled. "I have to let you go."
"No." Parker said. "You can't."
"I can," Jarod said coldly. "I did. Sign the papers."
Tossing the folder over her shoulder in a flurry of paper, Parker said coldly, "No. We need to talk about this."
Jarod plucked his drink from the table and swallowed another mouthful. "Don't make me call security, Parker. Sam would feel terrible if he had to escort you off the premises."
"But Jarod," Parker gasped in shock, "I thought things were going so well, especially during the last couple of days. You seemed like your old self again. I had hoped - " Parker stopped in mid-sentence. Staring up at Jarod in wonder, the significance of the past weekend slid into place in her mind.
"You knew," she gasped. "The entire time, you knew that this was coming."
Jarod shrugged. "I'm a selfish bastard," he said sadly. "I wanted us to be friends for just a little longer."
"You should have said something. We could have talked about this," Parker said.
Jarod sighed, "Take the severance package, Miss Parker."
Vaulting to her feet, Parker yelled angrily, "I neither want nor need the damn money, Jarod. Talk to me!"
Jarod stepped away from the window and pressed a button on his desk. "Jeffrey, could you have security summoned to my office, please?" he said calmly.
Heaving in a jagged sigh Parker fought to control her temper. "I'll go. For now. We both need to calm down a little," she said. "We'll talk about it tonight."
"No," Jarod said in a flat voice. "We won't. I moved my things out of the house this morning. I won't be back."
Stunned, Parker sank back into the chair. "Why?"
"It's time I found a place of my own and let you get on with your life." Jarod said simply.
"But this is my life," she whispered.
"Not anymore," Jarod said in a hard voice. "I'm letting you go."
The office door opened and two sweepers stepped into the room.
"Gentlemen," Jarod said brusquely. "See to it that Miss Parker gets safely home." Parker stood gracefully and allowed one of the men to lead her to the door. Jarod swallowed the last of his drink in one long gulp. "Don't worry about your office," Jarod said. "I'll have everything boxed up and sent around to you."
Parker held her head high and said, "You've got everything under control, don't you?"
"Trust me, Parker," Jarod replied. "I'm only doing what's best for you."
She laughed sadly. "You sound like my father, Jarod. Maybe you should call me Angel and make the transformation complete."
The snide barb did not have the affect that Parker had intended. Jarod didn't seem fazed in the least. Instead he crossed the room and kissed her chastely on the cheek. "Goodbye, Angel. Have a good life."
Then Jarod turned away, dismissing her and the sweepers with a flick of his wrist. As the office door closed behind her, Parker heard Jarod pick up the phone, conducting business as usual.
Parker had been too shocked to be angry. Even when her escorts had dropped her off at her house and asked for her security access cards, Parker had been uncharacteristically calm. Once the two men left, Parker had changed out of her suit, made a pot of coffee and sat by the phone to wait.
As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to set, Parker sat thinking, carefully working over in her mind Jarod's behavior over the past few weeks. Daylight had long ago slipped away and Parker was sitting in the dark when her phone finally rang.
--
Jarod was lying on the cot with one arm thrown over his eyes. The room wasn't so bad. He had removed the camera, literally torn it from the wall, and popped the locking mechanism so that the door no longer latched. Those simple fixes had made all the difference. No longer a prison, the small room felt oddly welcoming. Each brick felt familiar in a strangely soothing way.
Jarod supposed that he should be worried about the strange sensation. A few months ago, he would have driven nails through his own flesh before coming back to this room. But now, he hid here. While his thoughts and emotions seemed to spiral away from his control, this place anchored him. There was a connection here. And Jarod desperately needed to feel like he belonged.
He had no idea how long he laid there. Time never seemed to pass in the windowless room. He may have fallen asleep for a while, Jarod wasn't sure. Eventually, he became aware of the sensation of eyes watching him. He was no longer alone in the room.
"You can't stay here," the soft voice whispered.
"Why not?" Jarod growled.
"Because it's just too weird," she said in a scolding tone.
Blinking against the light as he looked up at her, Jarod sighed, "What are you doing here, Miss Parker? You don't have access to this section anymore."
Smiling indulgently, Parker stepped gracefully from her position against the doorframe. Sitting gently on the edge of the bed, she smoothed a lock of hair from Jarod's forehead. "When have I ever needed access to come down here? If I could get in as a child, I most certainly won't have trouble doing it now."
"How did you find me?" Jarod asked.
"Sydney," she answered simply. "He's worried sick. When he realized that you were hiding here, of all places, he began to panic."
Jarod sighed dejectedly and covered his eyes with his arm again. "I'm fine," he mumbled.
"And I'm Eleanor Roosevelt," Parker scoffed.
"You shouldn't be here, Parker," Jarod said. "You don't work here anymore."
"I know," she said simply. "You let me go, didn't you? You think you've set me free."
"One of us should be allowed to be free of this place. No need to trap us both," Jarod said sadly.
"Neither of us is trapped anymore, Jarod," Parker soothed. "Our lives are no longer ruled by anyone else."
"It doesn't feel that way," Jarod said sadly.
"You know," Parker said sharply. "If you could stop feeling sorry for yourself for just one minute, you might be able to see the good in this situation."
"What?" Jarod cried, sitting up and glaring angrily at her.
"Quit acting like the martyr. Look at what you've accomplished already," Parker exclaimed. "Raines is gone. Pakor is shut down, permanently. Angelo and the others are free to come and go as they choose."
"Not without supervision," Jarod added morosely. "They can't cope."
"That may be so, but at least they aren't locked in dungeons like these anymore," Parker said gesturing around her fervently. "Have you noticed him lately? Do you realize that Angelo has found a girl friend?"
Jarod stared at her in wonder, shaking his head slowly.
"Yes," Parker urged. "Do you know about Heather?"
Jarod thought for a moment, "That little blind girl they found huddled in a corner on SL-24?"
Parker nodded. "She's blind and deaf but not a little girl. Jarod, she's a beautiful young woman."
Jarod gazed at the floor thoughtfully. "Does she understand? Does she know that Angelo is special?"
Parker shrugged. "Find out. Stop hiding behind where you come from and start behaving like the person you really are. Like the person I know you to be."
Jarod sat down on the cot beside Parker. Hanging his head dejectedly he whispered, "I don't know who I am anymore, Parker. Perhaps I never did."
Taking his face in her palms, Parker turned Jarod's gaze toward her own. "That's okay, Jarod. Because I know, I've always known."
As she watched, Jarod's warm brown eyes filled with tears. "You can't spend the rest of your life helping me to define mine."
"Why not?" she grinned.
A salty tear rolled down his cheek. "You should have a life of your own. A chance to build a family."
"I have a family," Parker said gently. "There's this strangely eccentric cousin of mine who means the world to me."
Jarod brushed the tear from his cheek with the back of one hand. "That would be me," he sniffled.
Parker laughed softly, "Yeah, genius. That would be you."
They sat together that way for a long time. Parker held Jarod's face in her hands as their foreheads leaned one against the other.
After a while, Parker asked, "Would you like to go home now?"
Jarod's eyes fluttered shut and he whispered reverently, "Home." Pulling back, Jarod sat up and smiled waveringly at Parker. "I like it there so much."
Standing, Parker smiled and said, "It will be your home for as long as you want it to be. It's where you belong."
Jarod nodded, unable to speak.
Parker held one hand out to Jarod, waiting for him to take it. "Let's go home, Jarod."
Taking her hand the pretender stood and wrapped Miss Parker in a warm embrace. "I'm sorry I fired you, Cuz." He murmured into her hair.
"You'd better be, Pez-head," she scolded him.
"I'll make it up to you," he promised.
"You're damned right about that," Parker growled playfully.
Jarod chuckled softly. "Let's go home."
--
