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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Let Be There A Light
Part 2
By Tchabu
Sarah stood on the balcony of the hotel, watching the first sunrise she had ever seen. The sky was
gloriously aflame in a wash of colors; lavenders, oranges, and roses all mixed together into an
immense watercolor painting. As she took in the gorgeous scene, she mulled over the past few days
of her life.
Less than a week before, she had decided that it was time for her to leave the Centre. The girl had
been furious to find that her simulations had been used to track down an innocent man; she had
vowed never to help the Centre again. The fact that she had deprived Jarod of his freedom weighed
heavily upon her and so she had escaped with him, leaving the only life she had ever known or
understood. She hadn't known what to expect; when she was brought to the Centre, she was alone
in the world and had nobody who cared for her, so why should she have hoped anything would be
different now?
But it was so different. Just the previous night she had discovered a package addressed to herself in
a safe deposit box. The gold pendant, photograph and letter inside had all helped to explain a little
bit of who she was. Sarah pulled the letter out of her pocket, unfolded it and read it once more in the
early morning light:
Precious Sarah, you are now reading this because you are old enough to understand what we have
to tell you. First and foremost, your father and I love you so much. We miss you terribly every day,
but we knew that we could not give you the safe, happy life that we so desperately want you to have.
Your father and I were absolutely overjoyed when we found out you were on the way–we hadn't
thought that we would be having any more children. We were so blessed by you, but as you grew
we realized that you were a very gifted child and would someday become what is known as a
Pretender; you are able to become anybody in the whole world, to get inside of anybody's mind and
understand exactly how they think and feel. This trait runs in our family; your older brothers have
the same gift.
This is why we knew we could not keep you safe. When your brothers were very young, they were
taken from us because of this incredible gift. It has been many years since we have seen them, long
years of wondering about their safety and hiding from the very people who took them away from us.
Our only hope to protect you was to find a family who knew nothing of your past and so could not
give away your whereabouts to anybody who would take you away. This was one of the most
difficult decisions we ever had to make, but we know that they are searching for us and will never
leave us alone.
More than anything, we long to be reunited with you and your brothers, to see who you become and
finally be the family we always desired to be. We miss you terribly, Sarah, and we love you so much.
It was signed, simply, "Your Mother." Already Sarah had read that letter countless times and yet the
reality was only now beginning to sink in. She returned the paper to her pocket, considering Jarod's
reaction to the news. The surprising contents had left him nearly speechless; from his facial
expression, however, it had been impossible to tell what was running through his mind as he read it.
The uncertainty left Sarah worried that she was a disappointment to him as a sister—after all, how
could she expect him to forgive her for being the one to track him down? She knew she would never
forgive herself.
Sarah was still gazing at the stunning morning sky when she heard the glass door slide open behind
her. Without turning, she spoke to her older brother.
"Is there anything more beautiful, Jarod?" she asked, referring to the sunrise. She threw a sideways
glance at him and saw a smile that removed all doubts from her mind.
"I don't think so, little sister," he replied. After a short pause, he added, "You look so much like our
mother." He handed her the picture he always carried. Sarah studied it. He was right; it was almost
like looking into a mirror. They had the same deep, bright blue eyes and brilliant red hair.
"What do you know about our family... big brother?" she queried, trying out the last phrase somewhat
hesitantly and deciding she liked the sound of it.
"Not much," he admitted. "Our father was a Major, probably in the Air Force, named Charles and
our mother's name is Margaret. Kyle, our brother, was also taken to the Centre, where Raines was
training him as an assassin. He was kept in Sub-Level 27 after his supposed release date." Sarah
looked away, remembering what life had been like under Raines. She wondered how Kyle had held
up under it as Jarod continued. "He got out and we met up with each other. We started searching
for Mom and Dad, but Lyle murdered him while we were trying to help a family out."
Sarah couldn't help but notice how Jarod's voice had grown tight with emotion at the mention of
Kyle's death. She sensed the silent hatred that her brother carried towards Lyle and knew it was
mirrored in her own heart.
"Is that all he lives for?" she asked angrily. "To ruin other peoples' lives?"
"I don't know," Jarod answered.
********
The phone rang.
"This is Sydney," he stated clearly into the mouthpiece, grateful for a distraction from the stacks of
paperwork on his desk.
"Hello, Sydney," said a familiar voice.
"Jarod! It's good to hear from you. Eight months is a long time," Sydney scolded gently. "How are
you? And Sarah?"
"As well as anybody involved with the Centre ever can be. By the way," he said sarcastically, "how
are all of my dear old friends at the Centre?"
"Some better than others." Sydney smiled indulgently. "You should have seen Raines' face when he
was informed that not only had you escaped again, but that Sarah was gone as well." He paused.
"Why did you take her with you?"
"I didn't. It was more the other way around."
Jarod's closed tone told Sydney to not inquire further, so he changed the subject. "What are you
planning on doing now?"
"Oh, I don't know, I was thinking about getting something to eat," Jarod answered, purposely
misunderstanding Sydney.
"Jarod, you know what I mean. You may be a pretender, but you can't possibly expect to raise a
teenaged girl."
"It's not that simple, Sydney. Blood is thicker than water."
Knowing what was coming, Sydney exclaimed, "Jarod, please don't hang–," but, as usual, he was too
late. Hearing the other line disconnect, he set his own receiver back on the base. Blood is thicker
than water.... He turned the phrase over in his mind in a vain attempt to discern Jarod's meaning.
As well as he knew the younger man, he could never quite catch up to the trails he left.
The cold clicking of stiletto heels broke into his reverie as Miss Parker entered the room. "Don't tell
me," she commanded after taking one look at Sydney's pensive expression. "Boy Wonder finally
contacted you. Well, it's about time. Any clues as to what he's up to or why he picks some kid to
go along for the ride?
"When I asked him why he took Sarah with him, Jarod said it was the other way around."
"Great. Clear as mud. And what does he expect to do with a teenaged girl hanging around?"
"He also said that 'blood is thicker than water.'"
"Now, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, growing quickly impatient.
"We will just have to wait and see, Parker," Sydney said philosophically. "Jarod will let us know when
it is time."
"Spare me, Sydney! I can't be patient much longer. We'd been chasing your pretender for far too long
and then, when we finally catch him, he disappears again. Only this time, he takes another one with
him!"
Sydney decided to point the conversation in another direction. "Parker, do you know what Sarah did
while she was her?"
"Well, I assume she Pretended. After all, that was what she was here for, wasn't it?"
"Initially, she was entrusted solely to Raines, so I'm unsure of what her early life at the Centre
consisted. When Jarod escaped, however, she was reassigned as a joint project between Raines and
myself. Her sole purpose was to become Jarod."
Parker silenced Sydney with a wave of her hand, then snapped open her cell phone. Sydney heard
her summon Broots before she asked him to continue.
"Sarah spent half of her time with me, reworking Jarod's old simulations to assume his mindset. The
remainder of her work was done under Raines as she became Jarod and attempted to anticipate his
next movement."
He smiled, remembering her work with him. "Sarah is so talented. At such a young age she was
completing sims Jarod had struggled with just before he originally escaped. I never saw one that she
couldn't complete in less than twenty-four hours. In fact, it was one of Sarah's leads that brought us
to Jarod."
Parker cut in abruptly. "I can't believe I wasn't told about this!"
Sydney simply continued, ignoring the comment. "For whatever reason, Raines wanted Sarah to see
the man she had brought back. It was obviously a huge mistake. Something about Jarod must have
struck a chord with Sarah and told her he wasn't what Raines had made him out to be.
"After Jarod was brought back in, Raines took Sarah to see the man she had helped to bring in.
Apparently, it was a huge mistake. She became very angry and upset. There must have been
something about him that told her he wasn't the dangerous man Raines had made him out to be,
because she vowed that the Centre would not be able to use either Jarod or herself again."
"Did they ever actually meet?" Parker probed.
"No. Jarod couldn't have known she existed."
Broots entered, just as Miss Parker was saying, "I'm getting to the bottom of this. There is
something more that we don't know about this whole situation."
"Y-You wanted to see me, Miss Parker?" he said.
"Yes, Broots. I want you to find out everything you can about the pretender known as Sarah. I want
every bit of information of her that exists–whatever has not already been destroyed. I want to know
anything that could tell us why she went with Jarod.
Broots cringed at the thought, but didn't argue. "I'll get right on it, Miss Parker."
********
Sarah was making her bed and singing softly when Jarod quietly poked his head into her room. She
didn't look up so he remained silent, smiling as he watched her busily straightening up. They had been
renting this small two-bedroom apartment for two months now and Sarah had made the room her
own: the picture of her with their parents sat on the night table next to the sketchbook that doubled
as her journal. A few origami cranes were scattered about the room; Jarod had taught his little sister
to fold them, just as he believed their father had taught him.
He was pleased to notice how Sarah was finally beginning to feel at ease in her surroundings. During
the first several months of freedom she had been nervous and constantly on age. Now, while still
constantly alert, she had begun to shed some of the tension she had carried. After watching his little
sister undetected for a few moments, he stepped into the room.
"You have a beautiful voice," he said with a smile, "but why are you singing a Christmas carol in
August?"
She blushed slightly at the praise, but returned a flashing grin as she said, "It's the first song I can
remember. I heard it playing once in Sydney's office when I was in the vents with Angelo." Jarod had
soon discovered that most of the time Sarah hadn't been simming was spent crawling around in the
ventilation system. He was glad that she had found a friend in him and sometimes suspected a bit of
Angelo's gift had worn off on her.
"How is Sydney?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Jarod was amazed. This was one of those
times.
"He's doing well. But how did you know I'd spoken to him?"
Sarah laughed at her brother's surprise. Then she became a little more serious. "Actually, I don't
know. I guess there are some things I just sort of understand." Jarod could see that she was
uncomfortable, so this time, he changed the subject.
"What do you think about going to school, little sister? It starts in a few weeks."
She thought for a few moments, then the smile returned to her face. "I would love to."
"Are you sure? All of the work will be very simple for you, even if you are enrolled above your grade
level, and there might be times when we have to leave suddenly and not come back. I don't want you
to be disappointed if that happens."
"I know. It would be sort of fun to pretend to be a normal kid, though."
"Great," her big brother said enthusiastically.
********
"Here you go, Miss Parker," Broots said, laying a file on her desk. As she scanned through the
information, Broots gave Sydney a summary of what he had found. "There's no record of Sarah as
an infant. When she was still really young, she was the only witness to the murder of her parents.
After that, she was passed around through various foster homes, some of which were abusive."
"I remember when she first came to the Centre," Sydney remarked. "Sarah thought that those who
brought her were social workers and she was being taken to a new home."
"What I want to know," Parker interrupted, "is why nobody heard of this kid when she was a baby."
"That is pretty odd," Broots admitted.
"Well, you'd better figure it out, then," she said.
Part 2
By Tchabu
Sarah stood on the balcony of the hotel, watching the first sunrise she had ever seen. The sky was
gloriously aflame in a wash of colors; lavenders, oranges, and roses all mixed together into an
immense watercolor painting. As she took in the gorgeous scene, she mulled over the past few days
of her life.
Less than a week before, she had decided that it was time for her to leave the Centre. The girl had
been furious to find that her simulations had been used to track down an innocent man; she had
vowed never to help the Centre again. The fact that she had deprived Jarod of his freedom weighed
heavily upon her and so she had escaped with him, leaving the only life she had ever known or
understood. She hadn't known what to expect; when she was brought to the Centre, she was alone
in the world and had nobody who cared for her, so why should she have hoped anything would be
different now?
But it was so different. Just the previous night she had discovered a package addressed to herself in
a safe deposit box. The gold pendant, photograph and letter inside had all helped to explain a little
bit of who she was. Sarah pulled the letter out of her pocket, unfolded it and read it once more in the
early morning light:
Precious Sarah, you are now reading this because you are old enough to understand what we have
to tell you. First and foremost, your father and I love you so much. We miss you terribly every day,
but we knew that we could not give you the safe, happy life that we so desperately want you to have.
Your father and I were absolutely overjoyed when we found out you were on the way–we hadn't
thought that we would be having any more children. We were so blessed by you, but as you grew
we realized that you were a very gifted child and would someday become what is known as a
Pretender; you are able to become anybody in the whole world, to get inside of anybody's mind and
understand exactly how they think and feel. This trait runs in our family; your older brothers have
the same gift.
This is why we knew we could not keep you safe. When your brothers were very young, they were
taken from us because of this incredible gift. It has been many years since we have seen them, long
years of wondering about their safety and hiding from the very people who took them away from us.
Our only hope to protect you was to find a family who knew nothing of your past and so could not
give away your whereabouts to anybody who would take you away. This was one of the most
difficult decisions we ever had to make, but we know that they are searching for us and will never
leave us alone.
More than anything, we long to be reunited with you and your brothers, to see who you become and
finally be the family we always desired to be. We miss you terribly, Sarah, and we love you so much.
It was signed, simply, "Your Mother." Already Sarah had read that letter countless times and yet the
reality was only now beginning to sink in. She returned the paper to her pocket, considering Jarod's
reaction to the news. The surprising contents had left him nearly speechless; from his facial
expression, however, it had been impossible to tell what was running through his mind as he read it.
The uncertainty left Sarah worried that she was a disappointment to him as a sister—after all, how
could she expect him to forgive her for being the one to track him down? She knew she would never
forgive herself.
Sarah was still gazing at the stunning morning sky when she heard the glass door slide open behind
her. Without turning, she spoke to her older brother.
"Is there anything more beautiful, Jarod?" she asked, referring to the sunrise. She threw a sideways
glance at him and saw a smile that removed all doubts from her mind.
"I don't think so, little sister," he replied. After a short pause, he added, "You look so much like our
mother." He handed her the picture he always carried. Sarah studied it. He was right; it was almost
like looking into a mirror. They had the same deep, bright blue eyes and brilliant red hair.
"What do you know about our family... big brother?" she queried, trying out the last phrase somewhat
hesitantly and deciding she liked the sound of it.
"Not much," he admitted. "Our father was a Major, probably in the Air Force, named Charles and
our mother's name is Margaret. Kyle, our brother, was also taken to the Centre, where Raines was
training him as an assassin. He was kept in Sub-Level 27 after his supposed release date." Sarah
looked away, remembering what life had been like under Raines. She wondered how Kyle had held
up under it as Jarod continued. "He got out and we met up with each other. We started searching
for Mom and Dad, but Lyle murdered him while we were trying to help a family out."
Sarah couldn't help but notice how Jarod's voice had grown tight with emotion at the mention of
Kyle's death. She sensed the silent hatred that her brother carried towards Lyle and knew it was
mirrored in her own heart.
"Is that all he lives for?" she asked angrily. "To ruin other peoples' lives?"
"I don't know," Jarod answered.
********
The phone rang.
"This is Sydney," he stated clearly into the mouthpiece, grateful for a distraction from the stacks of
paperwork on his desk.
"Hello, Sydney," said a familiar voice.
"Jarod! It's good to hear from you. Eight months is a long time," Sydney scolded gently. "How are
you? And Sarah?"
"As well as anybody involved with the Centre ever can be. By the way," he said sarcastically, "how
are all of my dear old friends at the Centre?"
"Some better than others." Sydney smiled indulgently. "You should have seen Raines' face when he
was informed that not only had you escaped again, but that Sarah was gone as well." He paused.
"Why did you take her with you?"
"I didn't. It was more the other way around."
Jarod's closed tone told Sydney to not inquire further, so he changed the subject. "What are you
planning on doing now?"
"Oh, I don't know, I was thinking about getting something to eat," Jarod answered, purposely
misunderstanding Sydney.
"Jarod, you know what I mean. You may be a pretender, but you can't possibly expect to raise a
teenaged girl."
"It's not that simple, Sydney. Blood is thicker than water."
Knowing what was coming, Sydney exclaimed, "Jarod, please don't hang–," but, as usual, he was too
late. Hearing the other line disconnect, he set his own receiver back on the base. Blood is thicker
than water.... He turned the phrase over in his mind in a vain attempt to discern Jarod's meaning.
As well as he knew the younger man, he could never quite catch up to the trails he left.
The cold clicking of stiletto heels broke into his reverie as Miss Parker entered the room. "Don't tell
me," she commanded after taking one look at Sydney's pensive expression. "Boy Wonder finally
contacted you. Well, it's about time. Any clues as to what he's up to or why he picks some kid to
go along for the ride?
"When I asked him why he took Sarah with him, Jarod said it was the other way around."
"Great. Clear as mud. And what does he expect to do with a teenaged girl hanging around?"
"He also said that 'blood is thicker than water.'"
"Now, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, growing quickly impatient.
"We will just have to wait and see, Parker," Sydney said philosophically. "Jarod will let us know when
it is time."
"Spare me, Sydney! I can't be patient much longer. We'd been chasing your pretender for far too long
and then, when we finally catch him, he disappears again. Only this time, he takes another one with
him!"
Sydney decided to point the conversation in another direction. "Parker, do you know what Sarah did
while she was her?"
"Well, I assume she Pretended. After all, that was what she was here for, wasn't it?"
"Initially, she was entrusted solely to Raines, so I'm unsure of what her early life at the Centre
consisted. When Jarod escaped, however, she was reassigned as a joint project between Raines and
myself. Her sole purpose was to become Jarod."
Parker silenced Sydney with a wave of her hand, then snapped open her cell phone. Sydney heard
her summon Broots before she asked him to continue.
"Sarah spent half of her time with me, reworking Jarod's old simulations to assume his mindset. The
remainder of her work was done under Raines as she became Jarod and attempted to anticipate his
next movement."
He smiled, remembering her work with him. "Sarah is so talented. At such a young age she was
completing sims Jarod had struggled with just before he originally escaped. I never saw one that she
couldn't complete in less than twenty-four hours. In fact, it was one of Sarah's leads that brought us
to Jarod."
Parker cut in abruptly. "I can't believe I wasn't told about this!"
Sydney simply continued, ignoring the comment. "For whatever reason, Raines wanted Sarah to see
the man she had brought back. It was obviously a huge mistake. Something about Jarod must have
struck a chord with Sarah and told her he wasn't what Raines had made him out to be.
"After Jarod was brought back in, Raines took Sarah to see the man she had helped to bring in.
Apparently, it was a huge mistake. She became very angry and upset. There must have been
something about him that told her he wasn't the dangerous man Raines had made him out to be,
because she vowed that the Centre would not be able to use either Jarod or herself again."
"Did they ever actually meet?" Parker probed.
"No. Jarod couldn't have known she existed."
Broots entered, just as Miss Parker was saying, "I'm getting to the bottom of this. There is
something more that we don't know about this whole situation."
"Y-You wanted to see me, Miss Parker?" he said.
"Yes, Broots. I want you to find out everything you can about the pretender known as Sarah. I want
every bit of information of her that exists–whatever has not already been destroyed. I want to know
anything that could tell us why she went with Jarod.
Broots cringed at the thought, but didn't argue. "I'll get right on it, Miss Parker."
********
Sarah was making her bed and singing softly when Jarod quietly poked his head into her room. She
didn't look up so he remained silent, smiling as he watched her busily straightening up. They had been
renting this small two-bedroom apartment for two months now and Sarah had made the room her
own: the picture of her with their parents sat on the night table next to the sketchbook that doubled
as her journal. A few origami cranes were scattered about the room; Jarod had taught his little sister
to fold them, just as he believed their father had taught him.
He was pleased to notice how Sarah was finally beginning to feel at ease in her surroundings. During
the first several months of freedom she had been nervous and constantly on age. Now, while still
constantly alert, she had begun to shed some of the tension she had carried. After watching his little
sister undetected for a few moments, he stepped into the room.
"You have a beautiful voice," he said with a smile, "but why are you singing a Christmas carol in
August?"
She blushed slightly at the praise, but returned a flashing grin as she said, "It's the first song I can
remember. I heard it playing once in Sydney's office when I was in the vents with Angelo." Jarod had
soon discovered that most of the time Sarah hadn't been simming was spent crawling around in the
ventilation system. He was glad that she had found a friend in him and sometimes suspected a bit of
Angelo's gift had worn off on her.
"How is Sydney?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Jarod was amazed. This was one of those
times.
"He's doing well. But how did you know I'd spoken to him?"
Sarah laughed at her brother's surprise. Then she became a little more serious. "Actually, I don't
know. I guess there are some things I just sort of understand." Jarod could see that she was
uncomfortable, so this time, he changed the subject.
"What do you think about going to school, little sister? It starts in a few weeks."
She thought for a few moments, then the smile returned to her face. "I would love to."
"Are you sure? All of the work will be very simple for you, even if you are enrolled above your grade
level, and there might be times when we have to leave suddenly and not come back. I don't want you
to be disappointed if that happens."
"I know. It would be sort of fun to pretend to be a normal kid, though."
"Great," her big brother said enthusiastically.
********
"Here you go, Miss Parker," Broots said, laying a file on her desk. As she scanned through the
information, Broots gave Sydney a summary of what he had found. "There's no record of Sarah as
an infant. When she was still really young, she was the only witness to the murder of her parents.
After that, she was passed around through various foster homes, some of which were abusive."
"I remember when she first came to the Centre," Sydney remarked. "Sarah thought that those who
brought her were social workers and she was being taken to a new home."
"What I want to know," Parker interrupted, "is why nobody heard of this kid when she was a baby."
"That is pretty odd," Broots admitted.
"Well, you'd better figure it out, then," she said.
