Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters do not belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

Time

Explanations

They drove all day. Jarod was in the back looking at the sights as they went by. Before they had left Jarod had gotten his things back and for that he was glad. At least they wouldn’t have his DSA’s.

Jarod closed his eyes thinking when this game of cat and mouse would end and if he would ever be free, to be truly free. Would he ever be able to stay in one place and not have to look over his shoulder? Would he ever find his family that he was taken from? He wondered at times like these. He opened them when he felt the car slow down. They were at a hotel room and he stretched when they got out. It was nice to be free again.

They got rooms and all gathered in Jarod’s room.

“I know the last time that you were at my house you said that you would explain who you were, but you never did. I want to know now.”

Jarod looked at Rachel. She deserved an explanation because of what she and the others needed an explanation too. He did promise to tell her the last time they were together, but he never did.

“When I was younger I was kidnapped from my parents in the middle of the night. I was taken to a place called the Centre where they trained me to do simulations and made me into a pretender. That is why they took me because I have the pretender gene. While I was there I did simulations on whatever they wanted me to do. Sydney who was my mentor was in charge of me and took me through my paces. It would be later when I was older that I got to meet a young girl named Miss Parker. You saw her at the house when you rescued me. She was my friend and she’s the chairman’s daughter of the Centre. We went on a lot of adventures when I wasn’t working, but that all changed when she went to boarding school. When I was inside I also met some other test subjects. One such boy was Kyle and it would be a year that I escaped that I found out that he was my brother. He was shot and killed by Miss Parker’s brother, Lyle. Ever since I escaped I did various pretends helping people.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

Jarod grabbed his DSA case. “This is a DSA player and these are DSA’s.” Jarod said as he picked up a small DSA. He slipped it in and it was when he was four years old and he said he was finished and then Sydney came in. Another one was when he was in the Apollo simulation and said I’m burning, I’m burning. Another one was slipped in this one was of Kenny being killed and then there was one more of his heart being stopped. The last one was when he met Miss Parker.” You see they recorded my entire life inside the Centre.

“I’m sorry if I didn’t believe you.”

“It’s okay.”

“Who is CJ?”

“CJ is my friend. He helps me inside the Centre. This is not the first time he helped and kept in contact with me. “

“Do you trust him?”

“Of course.”

“We’ll take you to your car. That way you can leave. This will probably be the first place where they will search.”

“Yes, they probably will.”

Jarod slipped into his car and turned the key in the ignition. He merged into the freeway wondering where he would go now. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

“This is Sydney.”

“I escaped Sydney.”

“That’s great news, Jarod. How did you do it?”

“My friends rescued me.”

“That’s good. You’re lucky to have friends like you have.”

“Yes, yes I am.” Jarod said as he hung up.

Jarod smiled as he thought of that. If he didn’t have friends like he had, he would have already been at the Centre, but he did have friends like he did and he was grateful.

The End.