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Hostile Environment
Chapter 11
By Callisto
Jarod’s Lair
Green Lake, WI
Several days had passed since the abrupt and unexpected arrival of the rest of his family. His sister continued to struggle with the reality of Jarod’s commitment to the woman who had been chasing him for over 6 years but his father and brother were more indulgent, especially given the look that would suffuse Jarod’s features whenever Parker was around. Catching the lovers when they were unaware of being observed also assisted their easy-going attitude. This occurred early on the morning following their arrival while Parker and Jarod were lounging on the dock after enjoying a swim. Jarod was stretched out with his head in Parker’s lap as she absently ran her fingers through his wet, thick short hair. Jarod reached up, touched her face and in a sincere voice stated, “I’m in love with you.” She looked down, giving him a large grin and replied quietly, “You don’t have to say it back to me. I wanted you to know what you mean to me, no strings or obligatory responses—just the simple truth.”
“Then accept my simple truth,” he replied as she leaned over and kissed him. Their observers tiptoed away stealthfully, careful not to disturb the lovers.
Emily had not been privy to this display, therefore had nothing to compare her brother’s behavior against. While he had made it clear he had fun being with Zoë and cared deeply for her, that was nothing compared to his manners around Parker.
The Major and his daughter were lounging one evening in the living room talking when Jarod decided to join them. They had been enjoying a relaxing conversation for over an hour when Parker entered the room. She was fully cognizant of Emily’s barely concealed wariness and not wanting to upset Jarod, although thoroughly weary of submitting herself to any further interrogations and biting her lip to keep her own caustic observations to herself, she paused for a few seconds, smiled at her lover then quickly ducked out of the sliding glass doors into the rear yard.
Jarod stood when she entered and stared at her curiously for a few seconds. It was clear they were able to communicate without speaking. Emily watched the entire exchange with weary disbelief. Jarod distractedly excused himself and followed Parker outside.
“Are you sure this is the same woman who’s been chasing him around?” Emily asked casting her brother a bemusedly amused look as he disappeared into the backyard.
“Yep. One in the same, that is the same beautiful woman who sneaked into my Centre cell demanding answers to some of the numerous lies she had been told a few years back,” her father responded quietly.
“It’s amazing. It happens every time she enters a room. I swear if he had a tail it would wag happily whenever she showed up.”
Laughing at Emily’s rather accurate description of her oldest brother’s behavior, the major replied, “She’s just as bad. I doubt many an hour has gone by without her having touched him in some way.” Sobering suddenly, he continued, “It would have been wonderful for their mothers to have seen this. I don’t think either one ever considered the possibility of this happening.”
“We’ll find her, Dad. I’m sure once the novelty begins to wear off, Jarod will return to his old self.”
“You don’t like her much, do you? Is it based primarily on her recent past?”
“I’m sorry but I’m still having some difficulty buying this 360 degree change in her,” Emily replied stubbornly.
“Underneath it all, it’s not that big of a transformation. I saw her face when I told her my side of the story about her mother. She couldn’t shoot me in cold blood, despite all the lies she had been fed. Also if you knew anything about Raines, just the thought of being his relative is enough to turn anyone’s stomach and if memory serves, she doesn’t have any more love of Raines than we do. Less so since it was that monster who actually murdered her mother and stole Ethan,” the Major countered, reminding Emily of the details Jarod had shared with them after having a lengthy conversation with Sydney almost a year ago.
“With all that going on, then why did she continue to work for those people?” she asked becoming frustrated with her father’s inescapable logic.
“I know from experience, getting away from the Centre is harder than it looks, and I was only peripherally involved with them in the beginning. Add to that the recent death of her slimy, good-for-nothing father, then the issue of her conversion becomes a bit clearer. There is a lot of Catherine Parker in her daughter and I’m not talking about looks either,” the Major answered softly, trying to keep his voice low so no one else could hear their conversation.
Reluctantly conceding, she gave her father an admiring look and affectionate grin. “Now I know why we’re all so smart. It helps to have a father who’s a combination Pericles and Dear Abby.”
Blushing his surprise at his daughter’s heartfelt praise, the Major chuckled, shrugged and accepted Emily’s peck on the cheek.
Jarod was looking around the manicured, open rear yard when he decided suddenly to return for a windbreaker since there was a chill in the air. Spotting his jacket draped over a patio chair near the open sliders, he quickly returned to retrieve it, just in time to overhear Emily’s observation about how his tail would wag whenever Parker was in view. He smiled at her comment and headed in the direction of the lake.
The moon’s glow shimmered over the water giving it a surreal appearance. He was about to look elsewhere when he noticed a shadow move. Then he saw her, lying on the dock bench. Smiling he approached her and thoughtfully covered her with his jacket.
“Thank you. I didn’t mean for you to follow me out here, it wasn’t my intention to drag you away from your father and sister.”
“I know but you have something on your mind and I’ve always been curious about how that brain of yours works,” he said affectionately.
Rising from the bench, she put on his jacket and walked to the edge of the dock. There she kicked off her shoes, sat on the edge and dangled her feet over the side. She remained silent, organizing her thoughts while he settled next to her. They remained silent for several seconds watching the moonbeams dance along the surface of the reflected water.
“I care about you more than I have ever cared about anyone in my life,” she began abruptly. With a small chuckle she turned her gaze away from him and commented softly, “I was unaware I was still capable of this level of emotion, devotion or love. I had long since given up hope; I thought Tommy was my last chance of even making an attempt. However, I’m not surprised that it was you who drew it out of me.”
“Us being together is how it should have always been, it feels right, here,” he said quietly, lightly tapping his chest and anticipating her train of thought.
Realizing he knew where she was going with the conversation, she deftly switched tactics. “I’ve been having some disturbing dreams, visions or whatever you want to call them. This time they’re about Lyle,” she replied.
“Lyle? What about him?” he inquired in a tone that clearly asked, ‘Who cares?’
“I can imagine how you feel, the thought of having that creep as a close relation was embarrassing enough but having Raines as a possible father made me immune to Lyle,” she answered. “The vision keeps showing Lyle walking out into a hallway, probably at the Centre, then suddenly an explosion from behind drops him to the ground. Right after that, I hear my mother’s voice telling me to save my twin’s worthless ass.”
“What do you think it means?” he asked curiously.
“I thought these visions were subject to interpretation too, until I did nothing and saw one play out. Jarod, the visions I have are predictions or scenes from the past, not clues to whatever may be going on in my subconscious. One-note-wonder is about to do something stupid and land himself in trouble too deep to extricate himself and for some unknown reason, my mother thinks it’s worth risking my life to keep him breathing.”
Her casually derisive nickname for her twin brother triggered a half smile out of Jarod for a second. He didn’t want her returning to the Centre but from watching Ethan he knew the vision or voices would continue to plague her until she was forced to act. He understood now why she had taken the long trip around to give him the brush-off.
“If you’re determined to return to try and save Lyle, then I’m going with you. Give me a few days to check some things, find out what’s going on there before we leave, I don’t want any nasty surprises,” Jarod replied as his mind shifted into high gear.
“No. There’s no reason for both of us to risk our lives because of the visions I’m getting from my dead mother. I don’t want anything to happen to you, I don’t know what I would do if something did. You have no idea what you’ve done to me,” she said warmly, tenderly caressing one side of his face with her hand, allowing his slight misinterpretation of her motives to go unchallenged.
Turning his head to kiss her palm but never breaking eye contact he answered, “The same thing you’ve done to me. I want to give us a chance, I believe we’re going to work out better than even your voices predict.”
Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply and insistently. When lack of breath forced her away from him, he looked directly into her eyes and with a smile said, “Come on, I have a surprise to show you.” He assisted her to her feet and led her around the house and towards the long driveway.
Sydney’s residence
Blue Cove, DE
They were seated in the rear yard which turned out to be quite a surprise for Broots. The mid-afternoon light showed off superbly the small compact garden bursting with bushes and flowers. Prominent in the mix were gardenias. Broots said nothing but deduced that Miss Parker was the reason for the fragrant flowers. He had suspected Sydney and Parker had grown close in the months following her mysterious trip to Scotland; now the evidence of their friendship was growing in Sydney’s yard.
Broots relaxed completely against the comfortable patio chair he was seated in at the shaded table. The yard and verdure enforced a feeling of peace and ease on any who was fortunate enough to sit awhile in its beauty. Broots sorely missed his daughter who complained bitterly on the phone about being sent away but he still felt her absence was necessary for her own safety. Eating alone emphasized his own loneliness, so when Syd suggested he come over for dinner, Broots jumped at the chance.
Sydney finally wandered outside carrying a large pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. He set the sweating pitcher down on the patio table and handed Broots a glass which he quickly filled. Once he was settled in his own chair, Sydney began speaking. “Thank you for accepting my invitation. I thought with Debbie being away that you might be getting a little lonely.”
“You’re right about missing my little girl, she gave me an earful last night about insisting that she stay in hiding. Sydney, I had no idea you were a gardener, this is beautiful,” Broots said admiringly.
“I had some considerable help from our former colleague. It took us several weekends to accomplish this much. The entire layout was her idea,” Sydney replied softly. “There is an ulterior motive for my invitation. Broots, we have to leave—soon. I don’t see any reason for us staying and if I’m interpreting Raines and Lyle’s reaction to Alex, it would stand to reason to believe that we will be the next ones dangling as bait, this time to draw him into a trap.”
Broots remained silent for several seconds then began nodding his agreement with Sydney’s conclusions. “I see your reasoning, the only problem is where are we going to run to? I have Debbie to think about as well. When I leave, I want to be as far away from this place and secure enough as possible, so that I don’t have to worry about waking up one night with a sweeper on one side of my bed and creepy Lyle on the other.”
“Yes, that’s understandable. Are you able to create fictional identities for all three of us?” At Broots’ eye rolling, ‘of course’ nod, Sydney continued, “Then I have some ideas on where we can settle. I was thinking of Canada, Quebec possibly, there we would blend in easily and there are some smaller towns where, after we are settled, any strangers would be noticed in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t know if that’s far enough away for my taste. If your heart is set on Canada then how about British Columbia? The distance alone would make me breathe a bit easier. What about Jarod and Miss Parker, have you been able to get in touch with them?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. Jarod plans on returning to the Centre to complete some unfinished business. He has asked for my help in fulfilling a promise he made to Miss Parker as a condition for her leaving with him,” Sydney said, pausing as he took a long sip of lemonade.
“Well? Don’t just sit there drinking lemonade, what does he want? Did he say anything about Miss Parker? Is she alright?”
“He says she’s doing very well. He thought she would have had more difficulty adjusting being away from the Centre but apparently not. I’ll need your help; apparently Miss Parker has finally made the ridiculously dangerous request you suspected she would. She wants us to free Master Parker from the Centre’s clutches,” Sydney said firmly.
“What?! We don’t even know where the kid is, so how are we supposed to free him?” Broots exclaimed with a sinking stomach. He was afraid Parker had probably passed on the child’s address along with the request. He shook his head with gloomy incredulity. He missed his temperamental and sharply intelligent boss; hanging around her was usually challenging and exciting but too often dangerous.
Confirming Broots’ suspicion, Sydney slid a folded piece of paper towards him, on which was written an address. “I suggest we conduct some surveillance to learn the schedule he is on before we act. However, it’s imperative that when we are ready to remove the child, we are also ready to leave the Centre for good. Tomorrow, I will take an early morning drive to Maryland to get a look and take some pictures of this address. That should give you some time to get started on our new identities. I am forced to agree with Alex that the time has arrived for us to leave,” Sydney said grimly as he rose to check on their dinner.
Jarod’s Lair
Green Lake, WI
Wind rustling through the trees and the noisy chattering of birds were the sounds which gently ushered him towards consciousness. He had rarely enjoyed the feeling of peace and total freedom; momentarily liberated from his usual, omnipresent cloud of guilt and anger. Guilt over how his naiveté had been exploited, his gifts misused and his contributions, offered with the best of intentions, corrupted beyond recognition; anger, over the loss of so much—mostly time with his family and those he loved, including the woman lying next to him.
What he was feeling now was different and new, something to be examined and explored at his leisure. He exhaled a soft sigh of wonder and finally opened his eyes. The upper loft of the barn looked different in the daylight, more utilitarian despite the colorfully elegant tapestries he used to cover the nearest walls. Gone was the soft romantic light cast by the candles he had strategically set up around the futon he made for them. The half drunk bottle of champagne had been left in the ice bucket, surrounded by tepid water. Turning his head, his eyes finally settled on his companion, who was in turn staring at him, her gray gaze intense and unblinking. His eyes were locked on hers and remained that way for several minutes as Jarod enjoyed the heightened intimacy with her. Abruptly, she grinned at him, having read the expression in his eyes and softly chuckled as she rolled over onto her back.
“And I thought I was the horny one,” she replied to his unstated comment. “This was quite a surprise, it’s absolutely lovely.” She sat up in bed and glanced around at the improvements and changes Jarod had quickly imposed on the space, making the loft into a romantic spot where they could escape and enjoy their privacy once again.
“There are a few things I’ve been reluctant to share which you need to know. I’ve been selfish, wanting all your time and attention. However, since you’re so intent on returning to the Centre, I’m forced to tell you what I know,” he said softly. He lightly brushed his fingers over her back, enjoying the silky-soft feel of her skin, tracing the faint outlines of her spine and ribs. Sitting up next to her, he brought his hand up along her side and began running his hands through her thick hair, which he noted had already grown a bit longer since they arrived.
She turned to face him, a curious look of weary irritation settled on her features. Her expression indicated she was determined to remain silent until he decided to tell her what was on his mind. From the look in her eyes, it was clear to him that she was aware of his omissions but trusted him enough to wait until he felt comfortable being more explicit. Curiously, it was that particular expression as well as her entire demeanor which stopped him. Averting his eyes, he didn’t want her to know what he was thinking because his heart decided in that moment that he wanted her in his life—permanently. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to convince her but this was a goal he meant to achieve. Coming to that decision, he purposely glanced at her leg peeking out from under the heavy comforter and allowed his growing desire to change the expression on his face, then glancing into her eyes again, he began telling her about Alex, the latest email from Sydney and his thoughts as to the reasons behind her mother’s warnings.
Later that day, after spending several hours brainstorming and arguing, they finally came up with a plan they both could agree on, Parker responding to Jarod’s request, returned to the main house for the purpose of making him and his father a quick lunch of sandwiches and lemonade. Once the lovers had decided on a course of action, Jarod had approached his father to inform him of their plans. The two men were now on the roof of the house nailing the last of the slats in place.
“Jarod, are you sure about all of this? I can understand your passion for her—she’s a very beautiful woman. I suppose the truth of what’s concerning me are her true motives. That coupled with the idea of you returning to the Centre with her is going too far in my opinion,” the Major stated with quiet earnestness.
Jarod paused for several seconds while listening to his father then, efficiently nailed a slat into place, sparing no wasted motion. Smiling inwardly, he decided to use a tactic that was reminiscent of Parker; he decided to answer his father obliquely. “Do you know what I like most about her?” Glancing at his father’s concerned face, Jarod turned around and sat down next to him. “I like working with her. We can walk into almost any situation and know basically how the other will react. In a strange way it’s like an extension of our childhood, together we’re equal parts of a well-oiled machine. This morning I looked into her eyes and knew how she felt about the two of us and that her greatest fear is losing me. After everything she’s lost in her life, I know in my heart she wouldn’t do what your thinking. Call it a gut feeling and it would still be there if she looked like a troll.”
Sharing a laugh between them, the worry in the Major’s eyes abated only slightly as he nodded distractedly at his son’s comments.
Entering the house through the sliders, Parker had just opened the refrigerator when Emil called over to her.
“Just the person I was thinking about, Miss Parker would you mind joining us for a minute?”
Turning around warily, Parker couldn’t hide the caution in her manner. Holding on to the condiments she had gathered in her arms, she placed the sandwich fixings on the breakfast bar and looked up expectantly.
“Jarod’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we were hoping for your help in arranging a party for him, perhaps a surprise party,” Emil continued undaunted.
“I think Jarod has had enough surprises to last him some time. What exactly did you have in mind?” she asked quietly as she prepared the sandwiches.
“Well, I would like to have ice cream and cake. Dad and Emily have agreed to decorate and bake the cake, Ethan and I are going to buy some presents,” the young man said eagerly.
“It sounds like you have everything already covered. Where do you plan to have the party?”
“We want to have it here, you both seem to like it so much. I was hoping for your help in choosing a present for him. Jarod is literally the guy who has just about every gadget on the market. Perhaps we could pool our efforts,” Ethan interjected smoothly. The disappointed groans from the other two gave Parker the idea that her main role was to help the others choose a present for her lover. Smiling at her half-brother’s maneuvering, she replied, “Sure, I would love to go shopping for a present. I think I might have a couple gift ideas.” The good-natured looks of defeated disappointment on the faces of the other two proved to be highly amusing.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
He sat at his massive, executive desk, angry, thwarted and determined with an air of a minor demon from a lower caste and level of hell never before imagined by man. He pensively brooded about his next move, as though the results were already calibrated to bring him fresh frustration and embarrassment; something he was resolute never to experience again. The two guards, a set of four who had been ordered to remain by his side at all times, stood motionless in the room like stone gargoyles, augmenting his demonic presence. These guards were part of a special unit he formed shortly after the man currently threatening the Centre had incapacitated his brother. Their skills rivaled that of any of the Triumvirate’s personnel and Raines kept their existence strictly confidential. In a display reminiscent of her old self, which proved to Raines he was the primary cause for her newly minted discernment; a bitingly, witty and accurate barb escaped Miss Parker’s usually closed-mouthed lips and her sarcastic name for them stuck, thus the elite group were dubbed the Praetorians.
His new guards inspired an uneasy feeling of safety amongst the Centre’s personnel. They were far more intimidating than the usual sweepers and refused to interact with the other employees. This was what Raines had wanted as he slowly rose from his seat. The private jet was waiting for him on the Centre’s private airstrip. He knew Alex would be coming and had no intentions of hanging around to greet his deceased colleague’s protégé. ‘No,’ he concluded silently. ‘Alex will have to satisfy himself with Lyle and the rest of the pursuit team.’ Raines walked over to his private wall safe and removed several heavy, banded portfolios and relocked the aperture. He stared balefully at the top binder; in it were the plans he had formulated with his brother for the final utilization of Miss Parker. His cavalier attitude towards her loss was a ruse. The sweeper Miles had suffered a truly agonizing, lonely death despite Sydney’s efforts. Contingency plans had to be implemented and entire new ones had to be formed, while never losing sight of the old and the reacquisition of those people running loose who were thwarting him and the will of the Centre. He waved absently to the pile and one of the muscular guards quickly gathered the heavy bundles easily and trailed his boss from the office towards the tarmac.
Alex’s Lair
Annapolis, MD
The finishing touches were at last, complete as he gently tapped the mechanism. Alex searched his room to make sure he left nothing behind; unlike Jarod he was by nature, disinclined to leave any connections or clues for potential pursuers. Too often he had seen the messy results of those who toyed with the Triumvirate and lost in their game of chicken.
An obnoxious bell sounded in the near distance causing Alex to rise to his feet, and stand to one side his window, looking out. Throngs of children suddenly populated the schoolyard as the phalanx of cars and minivans lined the street waiting to pick up their charges. His eyes scanned the yard and soon found his target. The little boy watched with interest as his classmates laughed and capered around him without joining them. Alex recognized the signs; the Centre was already experimenting with his mind and toying with his emotions. The boy was of little interest to him but would serve one purpose before he would permanently remove the child from his masters.
Quickly glancing at his watch, Alex knew he mustn’t be late for his appointment with the Centre. Alex looked at the boy again as a burly sweeper slowly walked up and led the child away.
Hostile Environment
Chapter 11
By Callisto
Jarod’s Lair
Green Lake, WI
Several days had passed since the abrupt and unexpected arrival of the rest of his family. His sister continued to struggle with the reality of Jarod’s commitment to the woman who had been chasing him for over 6 years but his father and brother were more indulgent, especially given the look that would suffuse Jarod’s features whenever Parker was around. Catching the lovers when they were unaware of being observed also assisted their easy-going attitude. This occurred early on the morning following their arrival while Parker and Jarod were lounging on the dock after enjoying a swim. Jarod was stretched out with his head in Parker’s lap as she absently ran her fingers through his wet, thick short hair. Jarod reached up, touched her face and in a sincere voice stated, “I’m in love with you.” She looked down, giving him a large grin and replied quietly, “You don’t have to say it back to me. I wanted you to know what you mean to me, no strings or obligatory responses—just the simple truth.”
“Then accept my simple truth,” he replied as she leaned over and kissed him. Their observers tiptoed away stealthfully, careful not to disturb the lovers.
Emily had not been privy to this display, therefore had nothing to compare her brother’s behavior against. While he had made it clear he had fun being with Zoë and cared deeply for her, that was nothing compared to his manners around Parker.
The Major and his daughter were lounging one evening in the living room talking when Jarod decided to join them. They had been enjoying a relaxing conversation for over an hour when Parker entered the room. She was fully cognizant of Emily’s barely concealed wariness and not wanting to upset Jarod, although thoroughly weary of submitting herself to any further interrogations and biting her lip to keep her own caustic observations to herself, she paused for a few seconds, smiled at her lover then quickly ducked out of the sliding glass doors into the rear yard.
Jarod stood when she entered and stared at her curiously for a few seconds. It was clear they were able to communicate without speaking. Emily watched the entire exchange with weary disbelief. Jarod distractedly excused himself and followed Parker outside.
“Are you sure this is the same woman who’s been chasing him around?” Emily asked casting her brother a bemusedly amused look as he disappeared into the backyard.
“Yep. One in the same, that is the same beautiful woman who sneaked into my Centre cell demanding answers to some of the numerous lies she had been told a few years back,” her father responded quietly.
“It’s amazing. It happens every time she enters a room. I swear if he had a tail it would wag happily whenever she showed up.”
Laughing at Emily’s rather accurate description of her oldest brother’s behavior, the major replied, “She’s just as bad. I doubt many an hour has gone by without her having touched him in some way.” Sobering suddenly, he continued, “It would have been wonderful for their mothers to have seen this. I don’t think either one ever considered the possibility of this happening.”
“We’ll find her, Dad. I’m sure once the novelty begins to wear off, Jarod will return to his old self.”
“You don’t like her much, do you? Is it based primarily on her recent past?”
“I’m sorry but I’m still having some difficulty buying this 360 degree change in her,” Emily replied stubbornly.
“Underneath it all, it’s not that big of a transformation. I saw her face when I told her my side of the story about her mother. She couldn’t shoot me in cold blood, despite all the lies she had been fed. Also if you knew anything about Raines, just the thought of being his relative is enough to turn anyone’s stomach and if memory serves, she doesn’t have any more love of Raines than we do. Less so since it was that monster who actually murdered her mother and stole Ethan,” the Major countered, reminding Emily of the details Jarod had shared with them after having a lengthy conversation with Sydney almost a year ago.
“With all that going on, then why did she continue to work for those people?” she asked becoming frustrated with her father’s inescapable logic.
“I know from experience, getting away from the Centre is harder than it looks, and I was only peripherally involved with them in the beginning. Add to that the recent death of her slimy, good-for-nothing father, then the issue of her conversion becomes a bit clearer. There is a lot of Catherine Parker in her daughter and I’m not talking about looks either,” the Major answered softly, trying to keep his voice low so no one else could hear their conversation.
Reluctantly conceding, she gave her father an admiring look and affectionate grin. “Now I know why we’re all so smart. It helps to have a father who’s a combination Pericles and Dear Abby.”
Blushing his surprise at his daughter’s heartfelt praise, the Major chuckled, shrugged and accepted Emily’s peck on the cheek.
Jarod was looking around the manicured, open rear yard when he decided suddenly to return for a windbreaker since there was a chill in the air. Spotting his jacket draped over a patio chair near the open sliders, he quickly returned to retrieve it, just in time to overhear Emily’s observation about how his tail would wag whenever Parker was in view. He smiled at her comment and headed in the direction of the lake.
The moon’s glow shimmered over the water giving it a surreal appearance. He was about to look elsewhere when he noticed a shadow move. Then he saw her, lying on the dock bench. Smiling he approached her and thoughtfully covered her with his jacket.
“Thank you. I didn’t mean for you to follow me out here, it wasn’t my intention to drag you away from your father and sister.”
“I know but you have something on your mind and I’ve always been curious about how that brain of yours works,” he said affectionately.
Rising from the bench, she put on his jacket and walked to the edge of the dock. There she kicked off her shoes, sat on the edge and dangled her feet over the side. She remained silent, organizing her thoughts while he settled next to her. They remained silent for several seconds watching the moonbeams dance along the surface of the reflected water.
“I care about you more than I have ever cared about anyone in my life,” she began abruptly. With a small chuckle she turned her gaze away from him and commented softly, “I was unaware I was still capable of this level of emotion, devotion or love. I had long since given up hope; I thought Tommy was my last chance of even making an attempt. However, I’m not surprised that it was you who drew it out of me.”
“Us being together is how it should have always been, it feels right, here,” he said quietly, lightly tapping his chest and anticipating her train of thought.
Realizing he knew where she was going with the conversation, she deftly switched tactics. “I’ve been having some disturbing dreams, visions or whatever you want to call them. This time they’re about Lyle,” she replied.
“Lyle? What about him?” he inquired in a tone that clearly asked, ‘Who cares?’
“I can imagine how you feel, the thought of having that creep as a close relation was embarrassing enough but having Raines as a possible father made me immune to Lyle,” she answered. “The vision keeps showing Lyle walking out into a hallway, probably at the Centre, then suddenly an explosion from behind drops him to the ground. Right after that, I hear my mother’s voice telling me to save my twin’s worthless ass.”
“What do you think it means?” he asked curiously.
“I thought these visions were subject to interpretation too, until I did nothing and saw one play out. Jarod, the visions I have are predictions or scenes from the past, not clues to whatever may be going on in my subconscious. One-note-wonder is about to do something stupid and land himself in trouble too deep to extricate himself and for some unknown reason, my mother thinks it’s worth risking my life to keep him breathing.”
Her casually derisive nickname for her twin brother triggered a half smile out of Jarod for a second. He didn’t want her returning to the Centre but from watching Ethan he knew the vision or voices would continue to plague her until she was forced to act. He understood now why she had taken the long trip around to give him the brush-off.
“If you’re determined to return to try and save Lyle, then I’m going with you. Give me a few days to check some things, find out what’s going on there before we leave, I don’t want any nasty surprises,” Jarod replied as his mind shifted into high gear.
“No. There’s no reason for both of us to risk our lives because of the visions I’m getting from my dead mother. I don’t want anything to happen to you, I don’t know what I would do if something did. You have no idea what you’ve done to me,” she said warmly, tenderly caressing one side of his face with her hand, allowing his slight misinterpretation of her motives to go unchallenged.
Turning his head to kiss her palm but never breaking eye contact he answered, “The same thing you’ve done to me. I want to give us a chance, I believe we’re going to work out better than even your voices predict.”
Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply and insistently. When lack of breath forced her away from him, he looked directly into her eyes and with a smile said, “Come on, I have a surprise to show you.” He assisted her to her feet and led her around the house and towards the long driveway.
Sydney’s residence
Blue Cove, DE
They were seated in the rear yard which turned out to be quite a surprise for Broots. The mid-afternoon light showed off superbly the small compact garden bursting with bushes and flowers. Prominent in the mix were gardenias. Broots said nothing but deduced that Miss Parker was the reason for the fragrant flowers. He had suspected Sydney and Parker had grown close in the months following her mysterious trip to Scotland; now the evidence of their friendship was growing in Sydney’s yard.
Broots relaxed completely against the comfortable patio chair he was seated in at the shaded table. The yard and verdure enforced a feeling of peace and ease on any who was fortunate enough to sit awhile in its beauty. Broots sorely missed his daughter who complained bitterly on the phone about being sent away but he still felt her absence was necessary for her own safety. Eating alone emphasized his own loneliness, so when Syd suggested he come over for dinner, Broots jumped at the chance.
Sydney finally wandered outside carrying a large pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. He set the sweating pitcher down on the patio table and handed Broots a glass which he quickly filled. Once he was settled in his own chair, Sydney began speaking. “Thank you for accepting my invitation. I thought with Debbie being away that you might be getting a little lonely.”
“You’re right about missing my little girl, she gave me an earful last night about insisting that she stay in hiding. Sydney, I had no idea you were a gardener, this is beautiful,” Broots said admiringly.
“I had some considerable help from our former colleague. It took us several weekends to accomplish this much. The entire layout was her idea,” Sydney replied softly. “There is an ulterior motive for my invitation. Broots, we have to leave—soon. I don’t see any reason for us staying and if I’m interpreting Raines and Lyle’s reaction to Alex, it would stand to reason to believe that we will be the next ones dangling as bait, this time to draw him into a trap.”
Broots remained silent for several seconds then began nodding his agreement with Sydney’s conclusions. “I see your reasoning, the only problem is where are we going to run to? I have Debbie to think about as well. When I leave, I want to be as far away from this place and secure enough as possible, so that I don’t have to worry about waking up one night with a sweeper on one side of my bed and creepy Lyle on the other.”
“Yes, that’s understandable. Are you able to create fictional identities for all three of us?” At Broots’ eye rolling, ‘of course’ nod, Sydney continued, “Then I have some ideas on where we can settle. I was thinking of Canada, Quebec possibly, there we would blend in easily and there are some smaller towns where, after we are settled, any strangers would be noticed in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t know if that’s far enough away for my taste. If your heart is set on Canada then how about British Columbia? The distance alone would make me breathe a bit easier. What about Jarod and Miss Parker, have you been able to get in touch with them?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. Jarod plans on returning to the Centre to complete some unfinished business. He has asked for my help in fulfilling a promise he made to Miss Parker as a condition for her leaving with him,” Sydney said, pausing as he took a long sip of lemonade.
“Well? Don’t just sit there drinking lemonade, what does he want? Did he say anything about Miss Parker? Is she alright?”
“He says she’s doing very well. He thought she would have had more difficulty adjusting being away from the Centre but apparently not. I’ll need your help; apparently Miss Parker has finally made the ridiculously dangerous request you suspected she would. She wants us to free Master Parker from the Centre’s clutches,” Sydney said firmly.
“What?! We don’t even know where the kid is, so how are we supposed to free him?” Broots exclaimed with a sinking stomach. He was afraid Parker had probably passed on the child’s address along with the request. He shook his head with gloomy incredulity. He missed his temperamental and sharply intelligent boss; hanging around her was usually challenging and exciting but too often dangerous.
Confirming Broots’ suspicion, Sydney slid a folded piece of paper towards him, on which was written an address. “I suggest we conduct some surveillance to learn the schedule he is on before we act. However, it’s imperative that when we are ready to remove the child, we are also ready to leave the Centre for good. Tomorrow, I will take an early morning drive to Maryland to get a look and take some pictures of this address. That should give you some time to get started on our new identities. I am forced to agree with Alex that the time has arrived for us to leave,” Sydney said grimly as he rose to check on their dinner.
Jarod’s Lair
Green Lake, WI
Wind rustling through the trees and the noisy chattering of birds were the sounds which gently ushered him towards consciousness. He had rarely enjoyed the feeling of peace and total freedom; momentarily liberated from his usual, omnipresent cloud of guilt and anger. Guilt over how his naiveté had been exploited, his gifts misused and his contributions, offered with the best of intentions, corrupted beyond recognition; anger, over the loss of so much—mostly time with his family and those he loved, including the woman lying next to him.
What he was feeling now was different and new, something to be examined and explored at his leisure. He exhaled a soft sigh of wonder and finally opened his eyes. The upper loft of the barn looked different in the daylight, more utilitarian despite the colorfully elegant tapestries he used to cover the nearest walls. Gone was the soft romantic light cast by the candles he had strategically set up around the futon he made for them. The half drunk bottle of champagne had been left in the ice bucket, surrounded by tepid water. Turning his head, his eyes finally settled on his companion, who was in turn staring at him, her gray gaze intense and unblinking. His eyes were locked on hers and remained that way for several minutes as Jarod enjoyed the heightened intimacy with her. Abruptly, she grinned at him, having read the expression in his eyes and softly chuckled as she rolled over onto her back.
“And I thought I was the horny one,” she replied to his unstated comment. “This was quite a surprise, it’s absolutely lovely.” She sat up in bed and glanced around at the improvements and changes Jarod had quickly imposed on the space, making the loft into a romantic spot where they could escape and enjoy their privacy once again.
“There are a few things I’ve been reluctant to share which you need to know. I’ve been selfish, wanting all your time and attention. However, since you’re so intent on returning to the Centre, I’m forced to tell you what I know,” he said softly. He lightly brushed his fingers over her back, enjoying the silky-soft feel of her skin, tracing the faint outlines of her spine and ribs. Sitting up next to her, he brought his hand up along her side and began running his hands through her thick hair, which he noted had already grown a bit longer since they arrived.
She turned to face him, a curious look of weary irritation settled on her features. Her expression indicated she was determined to remain silent until he decided to tell her what was on his mind. From the look in her eyes, it was clear to him that she was aware of his omissions but trusted him enough to wait until he felt comfortable being more explicit. Curiously, it was that particular expression as well as her entire demeanor which stopped him. Averting his eyes, he didn’t want her to know what he was thinking because his heart decided in that moment that he wanted her in his life—permanently. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to convince her but this was a goal he meant to achieve. Coming to that decision, he purposely glanced at her leg peeking out from under the heavy comforter and allowed his growing desire to change the expression on his face, then glancing into her eyes again, he began telling her about Alex, the latest email from Sydney and his thoughts as to the reasons behind her mother’s warnings.
Later that day, after spending several hours brainstorming and arguing, they finally came up with a plan they both could agree on, Parker responding to Jarod’s request, returned to the main house for the purpose of making him and his father a quick lunch of sandwiches and lemonade. Once the lovers had decided on a course of action, Jarod had approached his father to inform him of their plans. The two men were now on the roof of the house nailing the last of the slats in place.
“Jarod, are you sure about all of this? I can understand your passion for her—she’s a very beautiful woman. I suppose the truth of what’s concerning me are her true motives. That coupled with the idea of you returning to the Centre with her is going too far in my opinion,” the Major stated with quiet earnestness.
Jarod paused for several seconds while listening to his father then, efficiently nailed a slat into place, sparing no wasted motion. Smiling inwardly, he decided to use a tactic that was reminiscent of Parker; he decided to answer his father obliquely. “Do you know what I like most about her?” Glancing at his father’s concerned face, Jarod turned around and sat down next to him. “I like working with her. We can walk into almost any situation and know basically how the other will react. In a strange way it’s like an extension of our childhood, together we’re equal parts of a well-oiled machine. This morning I looked into her eyes and knew how she felt about the two of us and that her greatest fear is losing me. After everything she’s lost in her life, I know in my heart she wouldn’t do what your thinking. Call it a gut feeling and it would still be there if she looked like a troll.”
Sharing a laugh between them, the worry in the Major’s eyes abated only slightly as he nodded distractedly at his son’s comments.
Entering the house through the sliders, Parker had just opened the refrigerator when Emil called over to her.
“Just the person I was thinking about, Miss Parker would you mind joining us for a minute?”
Turning around warily, Parker couldn’t hide the caution in her manner. Holding on to the condiments she had gathered in her arms, she placed the sandwich fixings on the breakfast bar and looked up expectantly.
“Jarod’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we were hoping for your help in arranging a party for him, perhaps a surprise party,” Emil continued undaunted.
“I think Jarod has had enough surprises to last him some time. What exactly did you have in mind?” she asked quietly as she prepared the sandwiches.
“Well, I would like to have ice cream and cake. Dad and Emily have agreed to decorate and bake the cake, Ethan and I are going to buy some presents,” the young man said eagerly.
“It sounds like you have everything already covered. Where do you plan to have the party?”
“We want to have it here, you both seem to like it so much. I was hoping for your help in choosing a present for him. Jarod is literally the guy who has just about every gadget on the market. Perhaps we could pool our efforts,” Ethan interjected smoothly. The disappointed groans from the other two gave Parker the idea that her main role was to help the others choose a present for her lover. Smiling at her half-brother’s maneuvering, she replied, “Sure, I would love to go shopping for a present. I think I might have a couple gift ideas.” The good-natured looks of defeated disappointment on the faces of the other two proved to be highly amusing.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
He sat at his massive, executive desk, angry, thwarted and determined with an air of a minor demon from a lower caste and level of hell never before imagined by man. He pensively brooded about his next move, as though the results were already calibrated to bring him fresh frustration and embarrassment; something he was resolute never to experience again. The two guards, a set of four who had been ordered to remain by his side at all times, stood motionless in the room like stone gargoyles, augmenting his demonic presence. These guards were part of a special unit he formed shortly after the man currently threatening the Centre had incapacitated his brother. Their skills rivaled that of any of the Triumvirate’s personnel and Raines kept their existence strictly confidential. In a display reminiscent of her old self, which proved to Raines he was the primary cause for her newly minted discernment; a bitingly, witty and accurate barb escaped Miss Parker’s usually closed-mouthed lips and her sarcastic name for them stuck, thus the elite group were dubbed the Praetorians.
His new guards inspired an uneasy feeling of safety amongst the Centre’s personnel. They were far more intimidating than the usual sweepers and refused to interact with the other employees. This was what Raines had wanted as he slowly rose from his seat. The private jet was waiting for him on the Centre’s private airstrip. He knew Alex would be coming and had no intentions of hanging around to greet his deceased colleague’s protégé. ‘No,’ he concluded silently. ‘Alex will have to satisfy himself with Lyle and the rest of the pursuit team.’ Raines walked over to his private wall safe and removed several heavy, banded portfolios and relocked the aperture. He stared balefully at the top binder; in it were the plans he had formulated with his brother for the final utilization of Miss Parker. His cavalier attitude towards her loss was a ruse. The sweeper Miles had suffered a truly agonizing, lonely death despite Sydney’s efforts. Contingency plans had to be implemented and entire new ones had to be formed, while never losing sight of the old and the reacquisition of those people running loose who were thwarting him and the will of the Centre. He waved absently to the pile and one of the muscular guards quickly gathered the heavy bundles easily and trailed his boss from the office towards the tarmac.
Alex’s Lair
Annapolis, MD
The finishing touches were at last, complete as he gently tapped the mechanism. Alex searched his room to make sure he left nothing behind; unlike Jarod he was by nature, disinclined to leave any connections or clues for potential pursuers. Too often he had seen the messy results of those who toyed with the Triumvirate and lost in their game of chicken.
An obnoxious bell sounded in the near distance causing Alex to rise to his feet, and stand to one side his window, looking out. Throngs of children suddenly populated the schoolyard as the phalanx of cars and minivans lined the street waiting to pick up their charges. His eyes scanned the yard and soon found his target. The little boy watched with interest as his classmates laughed and capered around him without joining them. Alex recognized the signs; the Centre was already experimenting with his mind and toying with his emotions. The boy was of little interest to him but would serve one purpose before he would permanently remove the child from his masters.
Quickly glancing at his watch, Alex knew he mustn’t be late for his appointment with the Centre. Alex looked at the boy again as a burly sweeper slowly walked up and led the child away.
