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Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1 for the usual precautionary blurb.
Author’s note: Wool gathering is a very old-fashioned term for wasting time. I sincerely hope everyone who has taken the time to read this story has enjoyed it.
Hostile Environment
Chapter 12
By Callisto
Broots residence
Blue Cove, DE
Broots led the way to his front door, talking almost non-stop to Sydney who was joining him for dinner. The two men entered the home and both froze instantly, knowing something was wrong. Broots had opened the door and reached over to key in the all clear code on his alarm when he noticed that not only had the alarm’s warning not sounded but judging from the panel, it had already been disengaged. Sydney, who had actually been listening to Broots, noted a delicious smell coming from somewhere in the house, after hearing Broots apologize for forgetting to defrost the shrimp he had brought two days ago for this occasion.
Both men turned and stared at each other, then came the sounds of someone humming happily from the kitchen. Broots finally noticing the smell knew what it meant but couldn’t bring himself to believe it. The smell was of roasted chicken, the one meal Debbie could cook to perfection. With a watering mouth, he led the way to the kitchen to find his daughter contentedly washing lettuce for a salad. Sensing she had company, the girl glanced over at the breakfast bar and spotted her father. A happy grin lightened her face and dropping the head of lettuce in the sink, she impatiently shook her hands free of water and ran full force into Broots’ arms.
“Daddy, I missed you so much,” she said into his chest, as she squeezed him with all her might.
“I missed you too, but Debbie, what are you doing here? How did you get home?” Broots asked, his anger at her disobeying him warring with his relief in seeing her again.
“Hello, Sydney,” Debbie said once she partially released her father.
“Debbie, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Sydney answered gently.
“Hey, young lady, I want an answer to my question,” Broots said as sternly as possible. Tilting her head upwards to look in her face, he couldn’t help but drop a kiss on her forehead.
Smiling affectionately at her father, Debbie answered abruptly, “Miss Parker brought me home. She wanted me to give you a package and a message.”
“Miss Parker was here? When? How long ago?” Broots insisted sparing a quick glance at Sydney’s surprised face.
“She left about an hour ago. She told me to say that she misses both of you and wants us all to leave before things get any worse. Then she gave me the package and said that she would be in touch in a few days, after that she and that cute guy she was with, left.”
“Cute guy? Did she introduce you to him?” Sydney asked.
“No, he didn’t say anything either. He just stood near the sliding glass windows and kept looking out, like he was expecting Freddy Krueger to sneak up to the door or something.”
“Debbie, can you describe the man? I think we have an idea who it might have been,” Broots asked gently.
“Sure, Daddy. He was tall, thin and had dark hair and he was dressed all in black. Sort of a James Bond type only cuter and not so old, Miss Parker sure has excellent taste,” the teen said with wistful admiration.
“Sounds like Jarod. How did Miss Parker act around him? Was she nervous or angry?” asked an anxious Sydney.
“No, why? Is she in trouble or something?” Debbie asked as her father and Sydney’s anxiety began to get through to her.
“We don’t believe she’s in any trouble, sweetheart. It’s just we haven’t seen Miss Parker in a few months and we’re both worried about her,” Broots soothed giving Sydney an irritated look. “Honey, where is the package Miss Parker gave you?”
Debbie finally released her father and walked over to the couch where she retrieved a small, thick bundle. The girl handed over the package and watched with interest while her father carefully opened it. Inside was a note and what appeared to be maps, a banded stack of money and a key. Broots unfolded the note and began to read, while Debbie gingerly picked up the money and Sydney unfolded one of the maps.
“Syd, it looks like she’s already done all the work for us. There’s a detailed plan of how we’re supposed to get the boy out, along with some traveling money, photos of the kid and maps with several escape routes highlighted. The key is to a locker at a bus station in upstate New York that is supposed to contain clothes and ID’s for all of us,” Broots said with a note of awe in his voice.
Chuckling lightly, Sydney sat down at the dining room table and took the note Broots was handing to him. “It would seem they are working together on this project. Apparently they have found a way to get passed their mutual hostility.”
“There’s more, she wants us to scout out the location tomorrow and pick up the boy two days later, that doesn’t give us much time. Debbie, I need you to start packing immediately. Take only the things you’re sure you’ll need, unfortunately we’ll have to leave most of our mementos behind.”
“I understand, Miss Parker sort of prepared me for all that on the way home. Can we eat first? I’m kinda hungry right now,” Debbie said laughingly as her father’s stomach growled in agreement.
With an answering smile, he nodded then gathered his daughter in another hug; truly happy she was with him again.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
Today was the day. Alex smiled mirthlessly as he squirmed his way through the air ducts of the Centre towards his target. He spotted the office in question and retrieved a miniature jamming device, aiming it at the cameras in the room. The second the red LCD lights winked out, Alex opened the grate and dropped lithely into the office, humming an old Warner Brothers cartoon melody as he set to work.
After arriving at the Centre at an unusually early hour and finishing a punishing workout in the gym, Lyle slowly showered and dressed for the start of the day. He absently thought about his recently persistent bout of insomnia in which his personal demons refused to let him get a restful night’s sleep. With Raines gone, Lyle was in charge of the daily operations, which suited him just fine. Only a skeleton crew remained since most of the key employees were already reassigned to either of the Centre’s sister sites. A deeply dissatisfied sigh escaped his lips as he sat heavily on the bench in front of his personal locker and ruminated over Raines’ sudden urge to be in England.
As Alex was dropping in on one of the offices in the Centre and Lyle was trying to figure out Raines, Jarod and Parker were entering the Centre’s air ducts. They had gotten only a few yards when Angelo suddenly met them. The savant happily greeted his old friends, Jarod especially and whispered quietly, “Follow me, Son is here already.” Knowing that Angelo had his own unique way of expressing himself, Jarod glanced at Parker and followed his friend wordlessly.
Lyle walked briskly into his office, blissfully unaware that he had already had two visitors that morning, neither wishing to hang around for his arrival. Everything in his office appeared, as it should, except for a small note on his desk. Slowly he reached over and read the note; abruptly his head came up as he looked around his office suspiciously. He was about to discard the note when he decided to glance at it again. Finally, he recognized the handwriting and frowned at its message. He casually walked out of his office door and into the hallway to see if the author was actually outside as asserted. He glanced around and took several more steps into the main concourse area when a percussive blast knocked him off his feet, stunning him for several minutes.
Kennedy Montessori
Annapolis, MD
Just as Lyle was getting the stuffing knocked out of him by the blast of a bomb, the trio arrived at the school. All was quiet as they went through their respective parts. The van was filled with their belongings, everything was set and ready to go. Sydney decided to take an added precaution and parked about a block away from the school just in case the sweepers assigned to the boy were overly vigilant. Unwittingly, he had parked directly in front of Alex’s prior lair. Sydney was the one designated to retrieve the boy, being a psychiatrist he would know how to handle the child and if any sweepers challenged him; he would be able to tell them he was there by order of the Triumvirate and show them his Centre ID along with its priority clearance. Broots’ role was to be the get away driver and back up if anything should go wrong. Debbie was strictly told to remain in the van.
When they arrived a few parents were already present, dropping their children off to school early. The trio had only to wait another 30 minutes when a sleek Centre-issued black Towncar rolled up to the curb. The young boy exited along with his sweeper who watched the child enter the schoolyard. Sydney waited until the sweeper was satisfied and drove off before leaving the van and heading directly towards the child.
Like most plans, this one failed to go off without a wrinkle. Sydney was only 20 yards away from the boy when he was suddenly stopped, first by a school official then by a sweeper, who appeared as if by magic to assist the worried teacher. All was looking bleak, until unexpectedly, Debbie whispered to her father, “I have an idea.” Before her father could ask what she had in mind, Debbie grabbed a small jacket they had brought for the child and quickly hopped out of the van. Broots yelled at his daughter to come back, fortunately an impatient parent started honking on a car horn for the slow-poke parent in front to get moving and thoroughly drowned out Broots.
Walking confidently in a manner assiduously copied from Miss Parker, Debbie crossed the street in front of the van, then crossed the busy road that fronted the school. She entered the school grounds unchallenged, when the school official looked in her direction, she smiled sweetly and holding up the jacket, said, “My brother forgot his jacket.” The security guard nodded absently and returned to scowling at Sydney.
Fortunately, Debbie had studied the photos of the boy Miss Parker supplied in the package. She quickly spotted the child and jogged over, touching him lightly on the shoulder. When he turned around and looked up at her, Debbie lost her heart to the pair of soulful, long lashed, violet eyes staring at her solemnly.
Dropping into a squat, she said lightly, “Hey, you’re probably going to need this to stay warm.” She cautiously looked over her shoulder and noticed the group at the playground entrance was growing larger. Using her best babysitting voice she commanded, “come over here and I’ll put it on for you.” She led the boy over towards the classrooms, then entered the main building. Still being in school, she knew there must be a street exit. Taking the boy’s hand she continued to emulate her heroine by confidently leading the child out of the building and onto the street where her father, anticipating her intentions, met her. Debbie gathered the boy in her arms and hugged him while he continued to stare at her questioningly. Broots drove as quickly as he dared to a nearby coffee shop.
“Debbie, take the boy and grab a booth. Wait for us to get back, if I haven’t come back for you in an hour, call this number and stay out of sight,” Broots urged as he fished some money out of his wallet and handed his daughter $40.00.
“Where are you going?” she asked worriedly.
“I’m going back for Sydney. That was a stupid thing for you to do,” he answered sternly. Then giving her a large, grateful grin he kissed her and said, “Good work, Honey. I’m proud of you.” Broots got back into the van and returned to school, pondering about the lasting effects Miss Parker was having on his daughter.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
The blast was muted and sounded louder than its effects. Clouds of dust and debris from Lyle’s office were everywhere partially obscuring visibility. Alex emerged from dust and stood no more than 10 yards away from his revenge when another figure materialized through the murky air and stood directly in his path. Alex paused for a moment, before recognizing his challenger.
“What are you doing here, Jarod?”
“Stopping you from killing him,” he replied. Jarod was wearing his usual black leather coat and dark clothing, looking rested and very fit.
“I see your emotions are getting in the way again. You think by helping her save this miserable excuse for a human, you’re gaining points with her?” Alex asked with deep disgust.
Smiling insolently, Jarod answered, “something like that.”
“Walk away Jarod, this isn’t any business of yours. Miss Parker is just going to have to chalk this one up as a loss. Actually, I’m a bit surprised you’re even here, are her charms wearing thin already?”
“Get out of here while you can Alex, this place will be crawling with sweepers in about 20 seconds,” Jarod replied tightly.
“I have some unfinished business with him and if you hadn’t have shown up, I would already be out of here with my little piece of garbage. We’ll have our moment, not to worry, I haven’t forgotten about you.”
“I keep believing you’ve died and then you show up again, like a demented phoenix. You’ve had your fun with the Centre, it’s about time for the killings stop,” Jarod said warily. He watched Alex’s every move, adrenaline pumping through every muscle.
“Find your mother, yet? Oh, yeah that’s right, you’ve been otherwise occupied. Did you ever consider that the Centre might have sent her to you just so they could delay your search?” Alex taunted. The fleeting look in Jarod’s face told Alex his barb found its mark.
The sounds of people running and shouting were now reverberating throughout the halls. “I’ve decided on a different tactic in the search for my mother. I have the help of two of Catherine Parker’s most talented children—they will help me find her and keep me out of traps like the one you’ve just stumbled into. Time is running out on you Alex, leave before they capture you.”
“They want you as well. Besides, I’m not leaving without my play toy. I’ve suffered too many hours at his hand to let him slip through my fingers now. Nothing’s going to stop me, not even you, Jarod.”
Gunfire suddenly began to echo through the hallways as the dust continued to settle. Shouts of the wounded calling out in pain quickly mounted in number while the sniper fire continued. As more dust cleared and visibility returned to normal, both men noticed half a dozen sweepers writhing in pain on the floor. As abruptly as the gunfire started it ceased. Jarod slowly came to his feet, watching Alex cautiously as the other man followed suit.
“I can think of one thing that will stop you—her,” he said jerking his head to one side behind him where Parker was perched with her sniper’s rifle. Alex looked up to see her aim was currently resting in his direction as he slowly brought his hands up in surrender. Jarod pulled out his 9mm and trained it on Alex, allowing Parker to discard her weapon and join him on the main floor. The two men remained quiet until she walked up; instead of joining them she walked over to Lyle, kicked him over onto his back and viciously slapped him across the face. Both Alex and Jarod flinched reflexively at the sound and looked at what she was doing. Lyle began to squirm at her ministrations as she bodily hauled him to his feet and relieved him of his pistol.
“Wake up, stupid. The next time someone sends you a note saying your life is in danger, don’t hesitate,” she said flatly. She unexpectedly released her grip on his jacket lapels and he dropped to the ground gracelessly.
Finally coming to full consciousness, Lyle looked up at Parker and said woozily, “You saved my life.”
“Well, if that don’t beat all,” she answered sarcastically. “Get up, I don’t feel like holding you up.”
Slowly, Lyle came to his feet and faced Parker. They stared at each other for a second before she approached him purposely and stomped on his foot, causing him to yowl loudly and forcing his mind into a sharper focus.
“Now that I have your undivided attention, I’m going to tell you something; this time listen,” she said forcefully. “That man over there, you remember, the one you tortured silly a year or two ago, wants to kill you. I happened to get one of those visions you think are so hilarious, warning me this was going to happen, that’s why we’re here.” She was about to continue when she pulled her and Lyle’s 9mm from her waistband and aiming at Alex, shot the Praetorian guard sneaking up behind him and the other who took up residence in her sniper’s position, killing both simultaneously.
She looked violently magnificent; her beauty unmarred and strangely enhanced by her actions. Her face remained calm and focused framed artfully by her longer than usual mane. Her electric blue silk blouse clung to her slim frame in all the right places and her black wool slacks were impeccable, hugging a figure free of any extraneous bulges. All three men stared at her in awe, two of them with varying degrees of desire. Parker caught the amorously admiring expression on Jarod’s face and smiled faintly.
“Wounding Raines’ palace guards is useless, they’re not your usual sweeper,” she explained to Jarod. “Lyle, I’m giving you a 30 minute head start. Leave now while you can and I suggest you try to stay a step ahead of him. You’re not a pretender but I know you’re a survivor. Keep in mind, you want to stay far away from a man who has seen the movie ‘Hannibal’ too many times.”
“Why don’t you just kill him? He tried to kill you and our father!” Lyle demanded angrily, blanching at her reference.
Cocking her head to one side she stared at him pensively and said quietly, “You’ve tried to kill me more than once Lyle, but here I am still helping you out. This is the last time I’ll ever see you, try to leave with at least a shred of dignity.”
While Parker was speaking to Lyle, Jarod and Alex listened for several seconds then returned to staring at one another. Alex noted that Jarod had unconsciously lowered his weapon and stared at his nemesis hungrily. Just as Alex was leaning to take a step towards Jarod who had turned his eyes once again on Parker, she spoke to him in a loud voice.
“He may not want to hurt you but I will. Touch him and your dead,” she said evenly, her gaze settling on Alex who froze at the sound of her voice. Everything about her testified to her sincerity and after her latest display, Alex had no illusions about her willingness to shoot him. He backed away several paces from Jarod watching her gun move along with him in spite of the fact she returned her gaze to Lyle.
Parker turned to Lyle and irritation creased her features. “Why are you still here?” she asked with barely controlled fury.
Lyle stared at her for several more seconds, burning into his memory the way this obscenely beautiful woman looked. He nodded slowly, then hesitantly walked down the corridor, carefully stepping over bits of his destroyed office. The only sounds were of his rapidly receding footsteps as he quickened his pace.
Blue Note Diner
Ellsworth, RI
The intrepid threesome was sitting in a diner after spending several hours on the road. Broots had rescued Sydney from the clutches of the school administrators, begging their pardon, claiming Sydney was suffering from Alzheimer’s syndrome.
Noticing the sweepers not buying that story and at least one of them recognizing the vaunted psychiatrist, Sydney started rambling on about how much better it all was and how he wanted the children to all go to the Renewal Wing just as he had. Broots quickly catching on eyed one of the sweepers and whispered, “Just released from the Renewal Wing by order of Mr. Raines. He’s harmless now.” The sweeper nodded his understanding and allowed the men to leave.
Smiling sadly, Sydney looked at Broots and his daughter and said firmly, “Quick thinking and wits obviously run in the family. Thank you Broots, for saving my hide.”
“No problem, Sydney. Sorry about that crack about you being an Alzheimer’s patient. It was the first thing I could think of to get them to let you go.”
“That’s quite alright, Broots. Our young charge seems to be quite exhausted from all the excitement. I’m sure the change in routine was traumatic regardless of its necessity,” Sydney replied watching the little boy slip further into unconsciousness against Debbie’s arm.
“You would do anything for Miss Parker. Why? I know my father will because he has a crush on her but why you?” Debbie asked ignoring Broots’ distressed stare.
“I suppose it would be only right to tell you both since we’re all free from the Centre’s clutches. I believe Miss Parker is actually my niece. I’ve had this suspicion for a number of years but never voiced it,” Sydney replied quietly, smiling at the shock-slackened look on Broots’ face. “My brother Jacob had been having an affair with Catherine Parker for a number of years. Miss Parker was born a few years before my brother was injured in the car accident. Catherine was greatly distressed, more so than would be expected from a mere friend. That’s when my suspicions began to take root.”
“She can’t be your niece, Sydney. The blood tests we ran on her showed she was most likely Raines’ daughter, especially since Mr. Parker was impotent,” Broots countered.
“The blood tests we ran were done by a lab controlled by the Centre. Just about every lab within a 100-mile radius has some ties to the Centre because of the NuGenisis project. It was imperative for Miss Parker to continue believing that Mr. Parker was her father. If she began to believe differently, her life would have been in danger. I’m certain that Raines would have her locked up the second she even hinted about her knowledge and you know as well as I, Broots that she wouldn’t have kept silent.”
“Angelo was right, you do know all the secrets and lies. He told me and Miss Parker that back at Raines’ forest house. Sydney she has a right to know, you should have told her,” Broots said, failing to hide his disappointment.
“I also have a duty to my family of which Miss Parker happens to be a member. Her safety is paramount to me; I will and never would do anything to jeopardize her,” the older man replied stubbornly.
“Alright, Sydney. What about this little fellow, who’s his family?” Broots asked nodding towards the child.
“His name is Patrick and we’re his family now, Daddy. If we try to find his real parents they will probably turn him back over to the Centre,” Debbie said quietly, running her fingers through the boy’s soft hair.
“Regrettably, we have no idea who his real parents are, therefore I believe you’re correct, we are his family for now,” Sydney replied thoughtfully.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
Parker turned towards Alex and Jarod and walked over to them. As she got closer, she stared at Alex with a disturbing intensity.
“Don’t worry, sister, I haven’t budged an inch,” Alex said lightly in his best Bogart imitation.
Parker’s unwavering gaze began to make him a bit nervous, so Alex allowed his cocky smile to fade and returned her gaze. “Interesting turn of phrase, it’s good to meet you at last, little brother. The first time we met I was unaware of our connection,” she said softly.
Jarod’s recently budding suspicions were now confirmed, as his eyes shifted from one to the other. Watching Alex, he saw the sociopath clinch his jaw but otherwise remained quiet. If she were wrong, Alex would have corrected her immediately. Jarod remained mute waiting for the next revelation.
“I bet you’re wondering how I found out. Rest assured it was our mother who told me, when she kept showing me this debacle over and over again. She would tell me to save my brother from being caught. I didn’t understand and would have done nothing, until she showed me you, planting the bomb.”
“Hello, Morwen. I was beginning to believe you would never figure it out. Hanging around genius here has been making your brains go soft. Oh, yes. The emergence of your ‘inner sense’ seems to have finally occurred. The one thing we have in common, burned into our brains after all our mother’s mistakes, concentrate on those in your world first.”
“What about that family of four who was murdered? You said they were your family and you killed them so they couldn’t be used against you,” Jarod asked angrily, he was thoroughly tired of Alex and his careful prevarications.
“Misdirection and lies, as long as the Centre and Triumvirate thought your family was dead then disbelief in the truth would be credible. Jarod, my little brother in his very twisted way was trying to protect me. He took credit for another murderer’s crime. But that wouldn’t have been good enough because he was still jealous of you,” Parker replied morosely.
“Look at him, he still doesn’t get it and they said he was smarter than me. Geez, my beauty queen twin is quicker on the uptake than you, Genius,” Alex spouted angrily at the deepening confusion on Jarod’s face. “I bet you swallowed that ‘latent pretender gene’ crap I planted in her file too.”
“Your jealousy is all tangled up with the sputum they drilled in your head. You swallowed their lies like pabulum and let it twist you into unrecognizable knots. To make things worse, you’re pissed off because I fell in love with Jarod when I was eleven, your so-called competition. Did they show you an old DSA of us playing together to get you all riled up? God, I never thought I could hate a place so thoroughly as I do now. They took my twin from me, then my mother and little brother, hell I still have no idea who our father is, do you?” she asked almost tearfully.
Her sudden emotion made Alex lower his hands and shaking his head ‘no’, told his twin the last lie he had left. He suspected their uncle would finally break his silence but it was him who should do it, not Alex. She was finally building a relationship with Sydney, he knew because he had kept tabs on her while Jarod was wool-gathering as a cross-country coach in Nebraska. He stared at his sibling emotionlessly.
Watching her brother’s eyes, she saw his lie and the truth of their relationship in him. There was none of the barely hidden lust that was typically present in Lyle and with the awakening of her gift she felt the connections she had to this sadly twisted and tortured soul.
A loud warning klaxon suddenly began wailing throughout the complex. Jarod had the quickest reactions, grabbing Parker’s hand and pulling her down the corridor in the direction opposite from which Lyle took. He ran without hesitation, down one corridor then turning abruptly and speeding down the next until he reached an unmarked door in which he entered. He raced to the air duct grate which was pushed aside by an anxious Angelo, impatiently waving to them to enter and follow him. When Angelo noticed Alex replacing the grate he turned and led the group down a dizzying array of tunnels eventually leading to another room. Angelo keyed in the code and the door opened with a weary groan. He stepped aside as the other three hurried out of the room. Jarod and Parker turned to see Angelo resolutely close the door behind them and the locks reengaged.
The refugees raced towards the trees and waited there for a few minutes respite. The three continued their mutual vigilance, Jarod and Alex returned to watching each other warily. Parker also was staring at her twin while the whispers in her mind started talking. Abruptly she stepped up to her brother and embraced him, shocking him still. When she released him she lifted Lyle’s weapon from her waistband and handed it to him.
“We have a party to attend, so we don’t have much time. I hope you’re able to bring this place to its knees one day and perhaps avenge our mother’s death. In the meantime, try to stay out of trouble? I don’t want to have anymore messages from our mother,” she said with a small smile.
Slowly Alex took the 9mm from her fingers and tested its weight in his hand. Jarod was alarmed by this turn of events but said nothing.
“I have a question for you Jarod, how did you find out it was me on your trail so quickly?”
Jarod looked at Alex and answered, “I usually tape the end of my pretends as evidence for the police to take action. The person taping Gareth had left his camera running just in case I came back. Instead of catching me, he caught you killing Gareth.”
Alex gave Jarod a cocky smirk and said, “He got what was coming to him, which was better than what he was dishing out to his wife. Take care of my sister, Genius. If you don’t, I’ll come back for you and that’s a promise.” He then ran through the copse, poised to cross the road and disappear from their lives when he turned unexpectedly and stared at them. He was astonished when as he stared at his twin he could discern a deep, blue resonance in his mind—a thick swatch of brilliant color amidst the background of dull gray. This was the first time in over 25 years his inner life ever held a depth beyond his own training. He smiled glad for the second chance he was just handed and the thought of dropping in on them unexpectedly as he plunged across the street and disappeared.
Parker and Jarod watched him turn, grin then run off happily. Jarod still had a bevy of questions in his mind as he lost sight of Alex through the trees. He felt Parker become restless next to him as he looked at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“You knew he was my twin,” she replied calmly.
“I never discount the clues Angelo gives. He refers to you as ‘Daughter’; Son, had to be your twin, someone other than Lyle, since he never used that reference with him,” he explained quietly. Looking at her he accused, “You weren’t truthful with me.”
“No, I wasn’t. There wasn’t any need for you to know that Alex was my twin. I hadn’t planned on you coming with me, I honestly thought your family’s suspicions of my motives would win out.”
“I’m tired of secrets and lies. I won’t conceal anything from you from now on if you agree to the same,” Jarod asked cautiously. He could feel that she was at another crossroad in her life and wanted her to join him willingly.
“Agreed. Are you sure you still want me around? My family tree just received another strange twist. With my background, having Alex as my twin is slightly better than having Lyle. At least my twin hasn’t eaten anyone lately,” she said with quiet sarcasm.
“I have another question: Why didn’t you tell Lyle that he wasn’t your twin?”
“What’s the point? He’s still the sad-sack loser he was when he woke up this morning. Now he has one of his failed projects hot on his heels, thirsty for revenge. I’m the least of his worries.”
“How far do you think your house is from here?” he asked abruptly, already knowing the answer.
“About 10 miles, I know because a certain genius decided to take my car home while I was still at work, forcing me to walk home. Not exactly your finest hour,” she replied wryly.
“You walked? Why didn’t you take one of the Towncars or have Sydney or Broots take you home?” he asked happy that she hadn’t forced him to answer her question because he intended to do everything in his power to keep their relationship on a steady course towards the engagement ring he had already brought for her.
“Sydney had a date and Broots was doing something with Debbie. I was stuck and too proud to let my father know what happened by having a sweeper take me so, I put on my gym clothes and jogged home.”
“Humm. Proud and stubborn, that’s you all right. Come on, let’s go to your house and get something to eat, I’m starving.”
Rolling her eyes, she looked at him and said, “My house is probably crawling with bugs and sweepers.”
“I’ve been able to get into your house for years without anyone knowing. Today is hardly any different,” he said easily with a smirk in his voice. He had taken her arm and was guiding her up the street where his car was parked. “Got any junk food?”
“No. You agreed to stay away from that awful stuff,” she said staring at him accusingly.
“Well, what difference does it make now? You seem intent on dumping me, why should I care what I look like?” he replied, trying to keep a straight face after seeing the horrified look on hers.
Noticing that he was struggling to keep from laughing she punched his flat stomach. “Here I am, giving you a perfect out, your freedom on a platter and you make fun of me. Most men would jump at the chance,” she muttered angrily.
“As we both know, I’m not like most men, however, I would love the chance to jump on you,” he whispered sexily.
Laughing delightedly she leaned into his body and wrapped an arm around his waist. “We really do have a party to get to, so how about we skip going to my place and eat at a restaurant on the way?” she said as she looked up into his face with a contented smile.
“Only if I can have some ice cream for dessert. You’re turning into Attila the Hun about my diet. Besides, Emily will probably bake a sugar-free birthday cake that tastes like cardboard,” he whined petulantly, unconsciously charming her all the more.
“Now, you promised to act surprised when they spring this on you. They’re going to be very angry that I didn’t keep my mouth shut.”
“I’m a pretender, acting surprised will be a piece of cake, tastier than what Emily has in mind.”
Bursting out in laughter again, she turned to him and stated, “Alright you big baby, we’ll stop at a bakery and buy you a proper cake,” she conceded generously.
Jarod, started the car up and sped off down the road, and continued for over an hour taking a confusion of interstate highways and back roads out of Delaware, eventually winding up in a neighboring state. He pulled into a darkened lane along a heavily forested side of the highway and stopped the car. Staring at his companion, he grinned wolfishly. “My tail is wagging again,” he commented huskily. Returning his smile with a large lustful grin of her own, she followed him into the back seat where they spent another hour fogging up the windows and making the vehicle sway rhythmically.
~Fin~ Yeah, this is the way it ends, like a messy little kid eating cookies, just like real life!
Epilogue added!
Author’s note: Wool gathering is a very old-fashioned term for wasting time. I sincerely hope everyone who has taken the time to read this story has enjoyed it.
Chapter 12
By Callisto
Broots residence
Blue Cove, DE
Broots led the way to his front door, talking almost non-stop to Sydney who was joining him for dinner. The two men entered the home and both froze instantly, knowing something was wrong. Broots had opened the door and reached over to key in the all clear code on his alarm when he noticed that not only had the alarm’s warning not sounded but judging from the panel, it had already been disengaged. Sydney, who had actually been listening to Broots, noted a delicious smell coming from somewhere in the house, after hearing Broots apologize for forgetting to defrost the shrimp he had brought two days ago for this occasion.
Both men turned and stared at each other, then came the sounds of someone humming happily from the kitchen. Broots finally noticing the smell knew what it meant but couldn’t bring himself to believe it. The smell was of roasted chicken, the one meal Debbie could cook to perfection. With a watering mouth, he led the way to the kitchen to find his daughter contentedly washing lettuce for a salad. Sensing she had company, the girl glanced over at the breakfast bar and spotted her father. A happy grin lightened her face and dropping the head of lettuce in the sink, she impatiently shook her hands free of water and ran full force into Broots’ arms.
“Daddy, I missed you so much,” she said into his chest, as she squeezed him with all her might.
“I missed you too, but Debbie, what are you doing here? How did you get home?” Broots asked, his anger at her disobeying him warring with his relief in seeing her again.
“Hello, Sydney,” Debbie said once she partially released her father.
“Debbie, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Sydney answered gently.
“Hey, young lady, I want an answer to my question,” Broots said as sternly as possible. Tilting her head upwards to look in her face, he couldn’t help but drop a kiss on her forehead.
Smiling affectionately at her father, Debbie answered abruptly, “Miss Parker brought me home. She wanted me to give you a package and a message.”
“Miss Parker was here? When? How long ago?” Broots insisted sparing a quick glance at Sydney’s surprised face.
“She left about an hour ago. She told me to say that she misses both of you and wants us all to leave before things get any worse. Then she gave me the package and said that she would be in touch in a few days, after that she and that cute guy she was with, left.”
“Cute guy? Did she introduce you to him?” Sydney asked.
“No, he didn’t say anything either. He just stood near the sliding glass windows and kept looking out, like he was expecting Freddy Krueger to sneak up to the door or something.”
“Debbie, can you describe the man? I think we have an idea who it might have been,” Broots asked gently.
“Sure, Daddy. He was tall, thin and had dark hair and he was dressed all in black. Sort of a James Bond type only cuter and not so old, Miss Parker sure has excellent taste,” the teen said with wistful admiration.
“Sounds like Jarod. How did Miss Parker act around him? Was she nervous or angry?” asked an anxious Sydney.
“No, why? Is she in trouble or something?” Debbie asked as her father and Sydney’s anxiety began to get through to her.
“We don’t believe she’s in any trouble, sweetheart. It’s just we haven’t seen Miss Parker in a few months and we’re both worried about her,” Broots soothed giving Sydney an irritated look. “Honey, where is the package Miss Parker gave you?”
Debbie finally released her father and walked over to the couch where she retrieved a small, thick bundle. The girl handed over the package and watched with interest while her father carefully opened it. Inside was a note and what appeared to be maps, a banded stack of money and a key. Broots unfolded the note and began to read, while Debbie gingerly picked up the money and Sydney unfolded one of the maps.
“Syd, it looks like she’s already done all the work for us. There’s a detailed plan of how we’re supposed to get the boy out, along with some traveling money, photos of the kid and maps with several escape routes highlighted. The key is to a locker at a bus station in upstate New York that is supposed to contain clothes and ID’s for all of us,” Broots said with a note of awe in his voice.
Chuckling lightly, Sydney sat down at the dining room table and took the note Broots was handing to him. “It would seem they are working together on this project. Apparently they have found a way to get passed their mutual hostility.”
“There’s more, she wants us to scout out the location tomorrow and pick up the boy two days later, that doesn’t give us much time. Debbie, I need you to start packing immediately. Take only the things you’re sure you’ll need, unfortunately we’ll have to leave most of our mementos behind.”
“I understand, Miss Parker sort of prepared me for all that on the way home. Can we eat first? I’m kinda hungry right now,” Debbie said laughingly as her father’s stomach growled in agreement.
With an answering smile, he nodded then gathered his daughter in another hug; truly happy she was with him again.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
Today was the day. Alex smiled mirthlessly as he squirmed his way through the air ducts of the Centre towards his target. He spotted the office in question and retrieved a miniature jamming device, aiming it at the cameras in the room. The second the red LCD lights winked out, Alex opened the grate and dropped lithely into the office, humming an old Warner Brothers cartoon melody as he set to work.
After arriving at the Centre at an unusually early hour and finishing a punishing workout in the gym, Lyle slowly showered and dressed for the start of the day. He absently thought about his recently persistent bout of insomnia in which his personal demons refused to let him get a restful night’s sleep. With Raines gone, Lyle was in charge of the daily operations, which suited him just fine. Only a skeleton crew remained since most of the key employees were already reassigned to either of the Centre’s sister sites. A deeply dissatisfied sigh escaped his lips as he sat heavily on the bench in front of his personal locker and ruminated over Raines’ sudden urge to be in England.
As Alex was dropping in on one of the offices in the Centre and Lyle was trying to figure out Raines, Jarod and Parker were entering the Centre’s air ducts. They had gotten only a few yards when Angelo suddenly met them. The savant happily greeted his old friends, Jarod especially and whispered quietly, “Follow me, Son is here already.” Knowing that Angelo had his own unique way of expressing himself, Jarod glanced at Parker and followed his friend wordlessly.
Lyle walked briskly into his office, blissfully unaware that he had already had two visitors that morning, neither wishing to hang around for his arrival. Everything in his office appeared, as it should, except for a small note on his desk. Slowly he reached over and read the note; abruptly his head came up as he looked around his office suspiciously. He was about to discard the note when he decided to glance at it again. Finally, he recognized the handwriting and frowned at its message. He casually walked out of his office door and into the hallway to see if the author was actually outside as asserted. He glanced around and took several more steps into the main concourse area when a percussive blast knocked him off his feet, stunning him for several minutes.
Kennedy Montessori
Annapolis, MD
Just as Lyle was getting the stuffing knocked out of him by the blast of a bomb, the trio arrived at the school. All was quiet as they went through their respective parts. The van was filled with their belongings, everything was set and ready to go. Sydney decided to take an added precaution and parked about a block away from the school just in case the sweepers assigned to the boy were overly vigilant. Unwittingly, he had parked directly in front of Alex’s prior lair. Sydney was the one designated to retrieve the boy, being a psychiatrist he would know how to handle the child and if any sweepers challenged him; he would be able to tell them he was there by order of the Triumvirate and show them his Centre ID along with its priority clearance. Broots’ role was to be the get away driver and back up if anything should go wrong. Debbie was strictly told to remain in the van.
When they arrived a few parents were already present, dropping their children off to school early. The trio had only to wait another 30 minutes when a sleek Centre-issued black Towncar rolled up to the curb. The young boy exited along with his sweeper who watched the child enter the schoolyard. Sydney waited until the sweeper was satisfied and drove off before leaving the van and heading directly towards the child.
Like most plans, this one failed to go off without a wrinkle. Sydney was only 20 yards away from the boy when he was suddenly stopped, first by a school official then by a sweeper, who appeared as if by magic to assist the worried teacher. All was looking bleak, until unexpectedly, Debbie whispered to her father, “I have an idea.” Before her father could ask what she had in mind, Debbie grabbed a small jacket they had brought for the child and quickly hopped out of the van. Broots yelled at his daughter to come back, fortunately an impatient parent started honking on a car horn for the slow-poke parent in front to get moving and thoroughly drowned out Broots.
Walking confidently in a manner assiduously copied from Miss Parker, Debbie crossed the street in front of the van, then crossed the busy road that fronted the school. She entered the school grounds unchallenged, when the school official looked in her direction, she smiled sweetly and holding up the jacket, said, “My brother forgot his jacket.” The security guard nodded absently and returned to scowling at Sydney.
Fortunately, Debbie had studied the photos of the boy Miss Parker supplied in the package. She quickly spotted the child and jogged over, touching him lightly on the shoulder. When he turned around and looked up at her, Debbie lost her heart to the pair of soulful, long lashed, violet eyes staring at her solemnly.
Dropping into a squat, she said lightly, “Hey, you’re probably going to need this to stay warm.” She cautiously looked over her shoulder and noticed the group at the playground entrance was growing larger. Using her best babysitting voice she commanded, “come over here and I’ll put it on for you.” She led the boy over towards the classrooms, then entered the main building. Still being in school, she knew there must be a street exit. Taking the boy’s hand she continued to emulate her heroine by confidently leading the child out of the building and onto the street where her father, anticipating her intentions, met her. Debbie gathered the boy in her arms and hugged him while he continued to stare at her questioningly. Broots drove as quickly as he dared to a nearby coffee shop.
“Debbie, take the boy and grab a booth. Wait for us to get back, if I haven’t come back for you in an hour, call this number and stay out of sight,” Broots urged as he fished some money out of his wallet and handed his daughter $40.00.
“Where are you going?” she asked worriedly.
“I’m going back for Sydney. That was a stupid thing for you to do,” he answered sternly. Then giving her a large, grateful grin he kissed her and said, “Good work, Honey. I’m proud of you.” Broots got back into the van and returned to school, pondering about the lasting effects Miss Parker was having on his daughter.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
The blast was muted and sounded louder than its effects. Clouds of dust and debris from Lyle’s office were everywhere partially obscuring visibility. Alex emerged from dust and stood no more than 10 yards away from his revenge when another figure materialized through the murky air and stood directly in his path. Alex paused for a moment, before recognizing his challenger.
“What are you doing here, Jarod?”
“Stopping you from killing him,” he replied. Jarod was wearing his usual black leather coat and dark clothing, looking rested and very fit.
“I see your emotions are getting in the way again. You think by helping her save this miserable excuse for a human, you’re gaining points with her?” Alex asked with deep disgust.
Smiling insolently, Jarod answered, “something like that.”
“Walk away Jarod, this isn’t any business of yours. Miss Parker is just going to have to chalk this one up as a loss. Actually, I’m a bit surprised you’re even here, are her charms wearing thin already?”
“Get out of here while you can Alex, this place will be crawling with sweepers in about 20 seconds,” Jarod replied tightly.
“I have some unfinished business with him and if you hadn’t have shown up, I would already be out of here with my little piece of garbage. We’ll have our moment, not to worry, I haven’t forgotten about you.”
“I keep believing you’ve died and then you show up again, like a demented phoenix. You’ve had your fun with the Centre, it’s about time for the killings stop,” Jarod said warily. He watched Alex’s every move, adrenaline pumping through every muscle.
“Find your mother, yet? Oh, yeah that’s right, you’ve been otherwise occupied. Did you ever consider that the Centre might have sent her to you just so they could delay your search?” Alex taunted. The fleeting look in Jarod’s face told Alex his barb found its mark.
The sounds of people running and shouting were now reverberating throughout the halls. “I’ve decided on a different tactic in the search for my mother. I have the help of two of Catherine Parker’s most talented children—they will help me find her and keep me out of traps like the one you’ve just stumbled into. Time is running out on you Alex, leave before they capture you.”
“They want you as well. Besides, I’m not leaving without my play toy. I’ve suffered too many hours at his hand to let him slip through my fingers now. Nothing’s going to stop me, not even you, Jarod.”
Gunfire suddenly began to echo through the hallways as the dust continued to settle. Shouts of the wounded calling out in pain quickly mounted in number while the sniper fire continued. As more dust cleared and visibility returned to normal, both men noticed half a dozen sweepers writhing in pain on the floor. As abruptly as the gunfire started it ceased. Jarod slowly came to his feet, watching Alex cautiously as the other man followed suit.
“I can think of one thing that will stop you—her,” he said jerking his head to one side behind him where Parker was perched with her sniper’s rifle. Alex looked up to see her aim was currently resting in his direction as he slowly brought his hands up in surrender. Jarod pulled out his 9mm and trained it on Alex, allowing Parker to discard her weapon and join him on the main floor. The two men remained quiet until she walked up; instead of joining them she walked over to Lyle, kicked him over onto his back and viciously slapped him across the face. Both Alex and Jarod flinched reflexively at the sound and looked at what she was doing. Lyle began to squirm at her ministrations as she bodily hauled him to his feet and relieved him of his pistol.
“Wake up, stupid. The next time someone sends you a note saying your life is in danger, don’t hesitate,” she said flatly. She unexpectedly released her grip on his jacket lapels and he dropped to the ground gracelessly.
Finally coming to full consciousness, Lyle looked up at Parker and said woozily, “You saved my life.”
“Well, if that don’t beat all,” she answered sarcastically. “Get up, I don’t feel like holding you up.”
Slowly, Lyle came to his feet and faced Parker. They stared at each other for a second before she approached him purposely and stomped on his foot, causing him to yowl loudly and forcing his mind into a sharper focus.
“Now that I have your undivided attention, I’m going to tell you something; this time listen,” she said forcefully. “That man over there, you remember, the one you tortured silly a year or two ago, wants to kill you. I happened to get one of those visions you think are so hilarious, warning me this was going to happen, that’s why we’re here.” She was about to continue when she pulled her and Lyle’s 9mm from her waistband and aiming at Alex, shot the Praetorian guard sneaking up behind him and the other who took up residence in her sniper’s position, killing both simultaneously.
She looked violently magnificent; her beauty unmarred and strangely enhanced by her actions. Her face remained calm and focused framed artfully by her longer than usual mane. Her electric blue silk blouse clung to her slim frame in all the right places and her black wool slacks were impeccable, hugging a figure free of any extraneous bulges. All three men stared at her in awe, two of them with varying degrees of desire. Parker caught the amorously admiring expression on Jarod’s face and smiled faintly.
“Wounding Raines’ palace guards is useless, they’re not your usual sweeper,” she explained to Jarod. “Lyle, I’m giving you a 30 minute head start. Leave now while you can and I suggest you try to stay a step ahead of him. You’re not a pretender but I know you’re a survivor. Keep in mind, you want to stay far away from a man who has seen the movie ‘Hannibal’ too many times.”
“Why don’t you just kill him? He tried to kill you and our father!” Lyle demanded angrily, blanching at her reference.
Cocking her head to one side she stared at him pensively and said quietly, “You’ve tried to kill me more than once Lyle, but here I am still helping you out. This is the last time I’ll ever see you, try to leave with at least a shred of dignity.”
While Parker was speaking to Lyle, Jarod and Alex listened for several seconds then returned to staring at one another. Alex noted that Jarod had unconsciously lowered his weapon and stared at his nemesis hungrily. Just as Alex was leaning to take a step towards Jarod who had turned his eyes once again on Parker, she spoke to him in a loud voice.
“He may not want to hurt you but I will. Touch him and your dead,” she said evenly, her gaze settling on Alex who froze at the sound of her voice. Everything about her testified to her sincerity and after her latest display, Alex had no illusions about her willingness to shoot him. He backed away several paces from Jarod watching her gun move along with him in spite of the fact she returned her gaze to Lyle.
Parker turned to Lyle and irritation creased her features. “Why are you still here?” she asked with barely controlled fury.
Lyle stared at her for several more seconds, burning into his memory the way this obscenely beautiful woman looked. He nodded slowly, then hesitantly walked down the corridor, carefully stepping over bits of his destroyed office. The only sounds were of his rapidly receding footsteps as he quickened his pace.
Blue Note Diner
Ellsworth, RI
The intrepid threesome was sitting in a diner after spending several hours on the road. Broots had rescued Sydney from the clutches of the school administrators, begging their pardon, claiming Sydney was suffering from Alzheimer’s syndrome.
Noticing the sweepers not buying that story and at least one of them recognizing the vaunted psychiatrist, Sydney started rambling on about how much better it all was and how he wanted the children to all go to the Renewal Wing just as he had. Broots quickly catching on eyed one of the sweepers and whispered, “Just released from the Renewal Wing by order of Mr. Raines. He’s harmless now.” The sweeper nodded his understanding and allowed the men to leave.
Smiling sadly, Sydney looked at Broots and his daughter and said firmly, “Quick thinking and wits obviously run in the family. Thank you Broots, for saving my hide.”
“No problem, Sydney. Sorry about that crack about you being an Alzheimer’s patient. It was the first thing I could think of to get them to let you go.”
“That’s quite alright, Broots. Our young charge seems to be quite exhausted from all the excitement. I’m sure the change in routine was traumatic regardless of its necessity,” Sydney replied watching the little boy slip further into unconsciousness against Debbie’s arm.
“You would do anything for Miss Parker. Why? I know my father will because he has a crush on her but why you?” Debbie asked ignoring Broots’ distressed stare.
“I suppose it would be only right to tell you both since we’re all free from the Centre’s clutches. I believe Miss Parker is actually my niece. I’ve had this suspicion for a number of years but never voiced it,” Sydney replied quietly, smiling at the shock-slackened look on Broots’ face. “My brother Jacob had been having an affair with Catherine Parker for a number of years. Miss Parker was born a few years before my brother was injured in the car accident. Catherine was greatly distressed, more so than would be expected from a mere friend. That’s when my suspicions began to take root.”
“She can’t be your niece, Sydney. The blood tests we ran on her showed she was most likely Raines’ daughter, especially since Mr. Parker was impotent,” Broots countered.
“The blood tests we ran were done by a lab controlled by the Centre. Just about every lab within a 100-mile radius has some ties to the Centre because of the NuGenisis project. It was imperative for Miss Parker to continue believing that Mr. Parker was her father. If she began to believe differently, her life would have been in danger. I’m certain that Raines would have her locked up the second she even hinted about her knowledge and you know as well as I, Broots that she wouldn’t have kept silent.”
“Angelo was right, you do know all the secrets and lies. He told me and Miss Parker that back at Raines’ forest house. Sydney she has a right to know, you should have told her,” Broots said, failing to hide his disappointment.
“I also have a duty to my family of which Miss Parker happens to be a member. Her safety is paramount to me; I will and never would do anything to jeopardize her,” the older man replied stubbornly.
“Alright, Sydney. What about this little fellow, who’s his family?” Broots asked nodding towards the child.
“His name is Patrick and we’re his family now, Daddy. If we try to find his real parents they will probably turn him back over to the Centre,” Debbie said quietly, running her fingers through the boy’s soft hair.
“Regrettably, we have no idea who his real parents are, therefore I believe you’re correct, we are his family for now,” Sydney replied thoughtfully.
The Centre
Blue Cove, DE
Parker turned towards Alex and Jarod and walked over to them. As she got closer, she stared at Alex with a disturbing intensity.
“Don’t worry, sister, I haven’t budged an inch,” Alex said lightly in his best Bogart imitation.
Parker’s unwavering gaze began to make him a bit nervous, so Alex allowed his cocky smile to fade and returned her gaze. “Interesting turn of phrase, it’s good to meet you at last, little brother. The first time we met I was unaware of our connection,” she said softly.
Jarod’s recently budding suspicions were now confirmed, as his eyes shifted from one to the other. Watching Alex, he saw the sociopath clinch his jaw but otherwise remained quiet. If she were wrong, Alex would have corrected her immediately. Jarod remained mute waiting for the next revelation.
“I bet you’re wondering how I found out. Rest assured it was our mother who told me, when she kept showing me this debacle over and over again. She would tell me to save my brother from being caught. I didn’t understand and would have done nothing, until she showed me you, planting the bomb.”
“Hello, Morwen. I was beginning to believe you would never figure it out. Hanging around genius here has been making your brains go soft. Oh, yes. The emergence of your ‘inner sense’ seems to have finally occurred. The one thing we have in common, burned into our brains after all our mother’s mistakes, concentrate on those in your world first.”
“What about that family of four who was murdered? You said they were your family and you killed them so they couldn’t be used against you,” Jarod asked angrily, he was thoroughly tired of Alex and his careful prevarications.
“Misdirection and lies, as long as the Centre and Triumvirate thought your family was dead then disbelief in the truth would be credible. Jarod, my little brother in his very twisted way was trying to protect me. He took credit for another murderer’s crime. But that wouldn’t have been good enough because he was still jealous of you,” Parker replied morosely.
“Look at him, he still doesn’t get it and they said he was smarter than me. Geez, my beauty queen twin is quicker on the uptake than you, Genius,” Alex spouted angrily at the deepening confusion on Jarod’s face. “I bet you swallowed that ‘latent pretender gene’ crap I planted in her file too.”
“Your jealousy is all tangled up with the sputum they drilled in your head. You swallowed their lies like pabulum and let it twist you into unrecognizable knots. To make things worse, you’re pissed off because I fell in love with Jarod when I was eleven, your so-called competition. Did they show you an old DSA of us playing together to get you all riled up? God, I never thought I could hate a place so thoroughly as I do now. They took my twin from me, then my mother and little brother, hell I still have no idea who our father is, do you?” she asked almost tearfully.
Her sudden emotion made Alex lower his hands and shaking his head ‘no’, told his twin the last lie he had left. He suspected their uncle would finally break his silence but it was him who should do it, not Alex. She was finally building a relationship with Sydney, he knew because he had kept tabs on her while Jarod was wool-gathering as a cross-country coach in Nebraska. He stared at his sibling emotionlessly.
Watching her brother’s eyes, she saw his lie and the truth of their relationship in him. There was none of the barely hidden lust that was typically present in Lyle and with the awakening of her gift she felt the connections she had to this sadly twisted and tortured soul.
A loud warning klaxon suddenly began wailing throughout the complex. Jarod had the quickest reactions, grabbing Parker’s hand and pulling her down the corridor in the direction opposite from which Lyle took. He ran without hesitation, down one corridor then turning abruptly and speeding down the next until he reached an unmarked door in which he entered. He raced to the air duct grate which was pushed aside by an anxious Angelo, impatiently waving to them to enter and follow him. When Angelo noticed Alex replacing the grate he turned and led the group down a dizzying array of tunnels eventually leading to another room. Angelo keyed in the code and the door opened with a weary groan. He stepped aside as the other three hurried out of the room. Jarod and Parker turned to see Angelo resolutely close the door behind them and the locks reengaged.
The refugees raced towards the trees and waited there for a few minutes respite. The three continued their mutual vigilance, Jarod and Alex returned to watching each other warily. Parker also was staring at her twin while the whispers in her mind started talking. Abruptly she stepped up to her brother and embraced him, shocking him still. When she released him she lifted Lyle’s weapon from her waistband and handed it to him.
“We have a party to attend, so we don’t have much time. I hope you’re able to bring this place to its knees one day and perhaps avenge our mother’s death. In the meantime, try to stay out of trouble? I don’t want to have anymore messages from our mother,” she said with a small smile.
Slowly Alex took the 9mm from her fingers and tested its weight in his hand. Jarod was alarmed by this turn of events but said nothing.
“I have a question for you Jarod, how did you find out it was me on your trail so quickly?”
Jarod looked at Alex and answered, “I usually tape the end of my pretends as evidence for the police to take action. The person taping Gareth had left his camera running just in case I came back. Instead of catching me, he caught you killing Gareth.”
Alex gave Jarod a cocky smirk and said, “He got what was coming to him, which was better than what he was dishing out to his wife. Take care of my sister, Genius. If you don’t, I’ll come back for you and that’s a promise.” He then ran through the copse, poised to cross the road and disappear from their lives when he turned unexpectedly and stared at them. He was astonished when as he stared at his twin he could discern a deep, blue resonance in his mind—a thick swatch of brilliant color amidst the background of dull gray. This was the first time in over 25 years his inner life ever held a depth beyond his own training. He smiled glad for the second chance he was just handed and the thought of dropping in on them unexpectedly as he plunged across the street and disappeared.
Parker and Jarod watched him turn, grin then run off happily. Jarod still had a bevy of questions in his mind as he lost sight of Alex through the trees. He felt Parker become restless next to him as he looked at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“You knew he was my twin,” she replied calmly.
“I never discount the clues Angelo gives. He refers to you as ‘Daughter’; Son, had to be your twin, someone other than Lyle, since he never used that reference with him,” he explained quietly. Looking at her he accused, “You weren’t truthful with me.”
“No, I wasn’t. There wasn’t any need for you to know that Alex was my twin. I hadn’t planned on you coming with me, I honestly thought your family’s suspicions of my motives would win out.”
“I’m tired of secrets and lies. I won’t conceal anything from you from now on if you agree to the same,” Jarod asked cautiously. He could feel that she was at another crossroad in her life and wanted her to join him willingly.
“Agreed. Are you sure you still want me around? My family tree just received another strange twist. With my background, having Alex as my twin is slightly better than having Lyle. At least my twin hasn’t eaten anyone lately,” she said with quiet sarcasm.
“I have another question: Why didn’t you tell Lyle that he wasn’t your twin?”
“What’s the point? He’s still the sad-sack loser he was when he woke up this morning. Now he has one of his failed projects hot on his heels, thirsty for revenge. I’m the least of his worries.”
“How far do you think your house is from here?” he asked abruptly, already knowing the answer.
“About 10 miles, I know because a certain genius decided to take my car home while I was still at work, forcing me to walk home. Not exactly your finest hour,” she replied wryly.
“You walked? Why didn’t you take one of the Towncars or have Sydney or Broots take you home?” he asked happy that she hadn’t forced him to answer her question because he intended to do everything in his power to keep their relationship on a steady course towards the engagement ring he had already brought for her.
“Sydney had a date and Broots was doing something with Debbie. I was stuck and too proud to let my father know what happened by having a sweeper take me so, I put on my gym clothes and jogged home.”
“Humm. Proud and stubborn, that’s you all right. Come on, let’s go to your house and get something to eat, I’m starving.”
Rolling her eyes, she looked at him and said, “My house is probably crawling with bugs and sweepers.”
“I’ve been able to get into your house for years without anyone knowing. Today is hardly any different,” he said easily with a smirk in his voice. He had taken her arm and was guiding her up the street where his car was parked. “Got any junk food?”
“No. You agreed to stay away from that awful stuff,” she said staring at him accusingly.
“Well, what difference does it make now? You seem intent on dumping me, why should I care what I look like?” he replied, trying to keep a straight face after seeing the horrified look on hers.
Noticing that he was struggling to keep from laughing she punched his flat stomach. “Here I am, giving you a perfect out, your freedom on a platter and you make fun of me. Most men would jump at the chance,” she muttered angrily.
“As we both know, I’m not like most men, however, I would love the chance to jump on you,” he whispered sexily.
Laughing delightedly she leaned into his body and wrapped an arm around his waist. “We really do have a party to get to, so how about we skip going to my place and eat at a restaurant on the way?” she said as she looked up into his face with a contented smile.
“Only if I can have some ice cream for dessert. You’re turning into Attila the Hun about my diet. Besides, Emily will probably bake a sugar-free birthday cake that tastes like cardboard,” he whined petulantly, unconsciously charming her all the more.
“Now, you promised to act surprised when they spring this on you. They’re going to be very angry that I didn’t keep my mouth shut.”
“I’m a pretender, acting surprised will be a piece of cake, tastier than what Emily has in mind.”
Bursting out in laughter again, she turned to him and stated, “Alright you big baby, we’ll stop at a bakery and buy you a proper cake,” she conceded generously.
Jarod, started the car up and sped off down the road, and continued for over an hour taking a confusion of interstate highways and back roads out of Delaware, eventually winding up in a neighboring state. He pulled into a darkened lane along a heavily forested side of the highway and stopped the car. Staring at his companion, he grinned wolfishly. “My tail is wagging again,” he commented huskily. Returning his smile with a large lustful grin of her own, she followed him into the back seat where they spent another hour fogging up the windows and making the vehicle sway rhythmically.
~Fin~ Yeah, this is the way it ends, like a messy little kid eating cookies, just like real life!
Epilogue added!
