"Now, is everyone clear what they have to do?" asked Jarod.

"Right let's go - good luck everyone"

With that, Jarod and Ethan melted away into the darkness, leaving Sydney to sit alone in the car.

They had all had such a fright back at the motel when Ethan had felt Parker's agony. They had got ready quickly, none of them saying very much to each other. Driving along in the car, they had gone over the plan again, reminding each other of the timings and then fallen silent.

Although no one voiced it, all their thoughts were with Parker, hoping against all the odds, that they weren't too late.

Jarod had parked the SUV, off the road, half a mile away from Mr Raines' forest house, under some trees, making it difficult to be seen. The houses were well spaced apart and most seemed to have high laurel hedges making it impossible to see over the top.

Sydney clenched his hands together and he tried to breathe slowly to quell his rising fear. He knew that the events of tonight were going to change his life forever, one way or another. He didn't know if he was prepared for those changes, but then, who is? he thought. I know I can't go back to the Centre, nor do I want to. I don't care as long as Parker allows me to be part of her life, Jarod too.

In the quietness of the night, he whispered a silent prayer for all of them.

‘Thank God it's stopped raining and there's no moon tonight,' he thought to himself, stifling a tired yawn. ‘At least that's something in our favour'.

Suddenly, the headlights of a large car came out of nowhere and Sydney ducked down quickly out of sight, even though the SUV was well off the road. The headlights loomed large and then the car drove slowly by and disappeared down the lane.

Sydney checked his watch again and saw that only two minutes more had gone by since he'd last checked.

* * * * *

From his crouched position, Jarod moved aside the branches of the thick foliage in order to get a better view of the house. Everything was wet and dripping and underfoot the leaves on the ground were sodden with water. The winter vegetation smelt wet and musty. Whatever position he got into, he still seemed to feel the drips from the branches down his neck, despite pulling his collar up. ‘It's so dammed cold', he thought, rubbing his hands together to keep the circulation going.

The downstairs lights were lit - but none upstairs - the curtains drawn back from the windows, light spilling out on to the terrace. He could see some movement in what was clearly the sitting room but he was still too far away to identify anyone.

Suddenly, the patio door from the sitting room opened and a man appeared with gun in hand, the light and the sounds of the room spilling out. The sweeper stood still, looking out across the blackness of the garden and Jarod slowly moved the branches of the shrub back in place again.

He tried to make out the shape of Ethan, somewhere to his right, but he couldn't see him.

The sweeper looked slowly from left to right and then, taking a flashlight out of his coat pocket, he turned to his right and walked slowly out of sight, playing the light across the garden. Jarod could hear his feet crunching on the gravel as he came off the terrace and he slowly made his way around to the back of the house. The crunching sound suddenly ceased and Jarod heard a feint grunt of pain and then something - or someone - falling onto the gravel.

"Well done, Ethan," he whispered to himself.

Jarod knew that he only had a maximum of five minutes, perhaps less, before the sweeper would be missed and he had to be inside the house before his absence was noticed.

Jarod rose up from his crouched position and with head bent, keeping the cover of the shrubs between himself and the house, he moved towards the back of the house. He was looking for the upstairs veranda that the bedrooms opened out on to, which he knew ran the whole length of the upstairs level.

Breathing hard, he almost fell over the unconscious body of the sweeper that Ethan had hastily pulled into the shrubbery out of sight. Grinning to himself, he sidestepped the man and moved to the back of the house, carefully staying off the gravel.

With a final glance around him, he levered himself onto the top of the water butt and then swung his arms up through the wrought iron railings, pulling himself up and over the top and landing softly with a rush of breath.

‘I really am getting to old for this game,' he thought to himself as he tried to slow his rapid breathing, feeling the sweat on his brow.

With his back to the wall of the house, he gave a quick sweep around the rear garden and then reached into his pocket for the small tool set that would open one of the bedroom doors, together with a small flashlight. He knew the house was fairly old and he was banking on the idea that Mr Raines would not have updated the locking system on the old doors.

With a final glance around, he moved to the centre door and taking out a small, thin tool with a hook on the end, he bent down and carefully inserted it into the lock. Twisting it very slowly and then back again, he heard the lock click backwards, and in a flash, he was inside and had closed the door behind him.

Breathing softly, he played the flashlight over the room and he could see that the bed and the furniture were covered in dust sheets and had obviously not been used for a long time. He headed towards the door which he hoped would take him onto the mezzanine floor.

‘God, this place gives me the creeps!' he thought to himself.

Moving silently to the door, he grasped the handle and very gently opened it an inch or so. Hearing nothing, and holding his breath, he pulled it open a few more inches and listened.

He could hear muted sounds coming from downstairs - someone was watching the TV because he could hear the jingle of some popular show and then the enthusiastic applause. Looking out, he could see other doors facing him and further down the floor, he could see a small staircase going upwards to another, smaller door.

Jarod eased himself out of the bedroom and, keeping his back close to the wall, he moved to the next door, glad to feel the soft wool of the carpet runner under his feet muffling the sounds of his boots. He pushed the handle down and eased the door open.

Nothing.

He gently closed the door and moved towards the small staircase facing him - just three steps up.

Gripping the handrail, he stepped on to the first stair and then the second, praying that the stairs wouldn't creak under his weight. He reached the third step and paused. He eased the handle downwards and pushed forward gently but met resistance - the door was locked.

‘Yes!' he said to himself.

Jarod stood still for a moment and then with his hand cupping the flashlight, he crouched down and shone the light at the lock.

Breathing softly, he took out the tool set again and found the right sized tool. Very gently, he inserted it into the lock, waiting to hear the soft click of the locking mechanism going backwards.

At last he heard it. He gently pushed the door open a few inches straining to see into the darkness. He listened carefully but he couldn't hear a sound. Easing the door open a few inches more, he felt in his pocket for the flashlight again and finding it, he switched it on, keeping the beam low on the floor.

He ran the beam over the small room and in the corner he saw the narrow bed.

Suddenly, he froze.

* * * * *

Sydney looked at his watch for the tenth time and with a sigh of relief he saw that the twenty minutes waiting time was finally up. Very gingerly, he turned the ignition and started up the SUV and reversed out onto the road. Switching on the main lights, he pulled away and drove the half mile he knew was the distance to Mr Raines' house.

Sydney knew his heart was racing and he tried to breathe slowly to keep calm. He knew he was a vital element of the plan and there was no way he would let Jarod or Parker down now. He whispered another silent prayer as he accelerated and drove into the driveway, the tires spewing up the gravel as he came to an abrupt stop at the entry door to the house, leaving the car parked ready, keys in the ignition.

He got out of the car and looked at the blazing lights from the downstairs windows; the rest of the house in darkness.

Suddenly, a man appeared in the doorway, gun in hand, and Sydney recognised him as one of the men from Lyle's sweeper team and he'd seen him many times around the Centre. The man walked quickly across to stand in front of him.

"Dr Green! Didn't expect to see you here. Come with me"

The man pointed towards the entry door with his gun.

Sydney pulled his coat together and putting his hands in his pockets he walked slowly in front of him.

They reached the entry door and the sweeper called out:

"Mr Lyle, we've got company here"

Lyle stood in the doorway of the sitting room and stared at Sydney in astonishment. Willy stood just behind Lyle, arms folded with the same half smile on his face as he too, stared at Sydney.

"Well, well, well, and to what do we owe the pleasure of your company then, Sydney, especially at this time of night?" Lyle asked in a smooth tone.

Lyle looked relaxed as he stood holding a half tumbler of alcohol in his ungloved hand.

Sydney straightened and set his shoulders back. With hands in his pockets and fingers clenched, he looked at Lyle defiantly and said:

"I want to see Parker!"

"What makes you think she's here?"

"Well, I've been looking for her all day and this is the last place on my list and the fact that you're here, means she must be here, too!"

"Well, Sydney, the last time I saw YOU - you were disappearing with Jarod. I'm assuming he's sent you to rescue the damsel in distress?"

"Don't be an idiot, Lyle. If Jarod were with me, he'd be here now. Can you see him? No, he dropped me off in Dover in the early hours and I've been staying in a motel trying to track Parker. I'm afraid Jarod is not really interested in Parker's welfare".

"Come on, Syd, pull the other one! We both know how he feels about Parker! He'll be here soon enough!"

"What makes you think Jarod will come here? I take it that this has all been about setting a trap for Jarod, using Parker as the bait? Am I correct?" asked Sydney.

"You're asking too many questions, Syd. You might not like the answers!" replied Lyle, taking another mouthful of his drink.

Lyle turned to the sweeper and said abruptly:

"Have you searched him yet?"

"Not yet, Mr Lyle"

"Well, just get on and do it!" said Lyle irritably.

The sweeper moved towards him and Sydney stepped back, taking his hands out of his pockets. With his hands raised in front of him, he said to Lyle:

"I hardly think this is necessary, is it Lyle? You know how I feel about guns".

"Yeah, I know," Lyle turned to the sweeper and said, "but search him anyway!"

The sweeper moved in front of Sydney and started to pat him down.

"He's clean, boss".

Lyle took another mouthful of his drink and he continued to stare with a puzzled look on his face.

"You know something, Sydney? I can't make out whether you are just a sentimental old fool, or if you've found your backbone at last ... ... either way, you're NOT seeing Parker!"

"You admit she's here then," asked Sydney tentatively.

"Yes, she is, but you're still not seeing her".

"Is she alright?"

Lyle gave a small laugh and he looked across at Willy and gave him a sly wink of the eye. Willy smiled broadly at Lyle in return.

"Depends on what you mean by ‘alright' doesn't it Syd?"

"My God man, if you've hurt her, I'll ... ... ...

Sydney stepped forward menacingly towards Lyle, only to be pushed roughly backwards against the wall by the sweeper.

"You'll what, Syd? Kill all the bad guys? Defend her honour? Your moral indignation does you credit! They certainly don't make them like YOU anymore," he jeered, taking another mouthful of the drink.

"Tell me one thing Lyle," said Sydney calmly, "why kill Rosa? You know how Parker felt about Rosa! Was it really necessary to kill her?"

"As I said a minute ago, you're asking too many questions, Syd. It's not good for your health!"

Turning to Willy, he said angrily:

"Take the old fool in there, sit him down and shut him up!"

Turning to the sweeper he said sharply:

"You! Get outside and find Pete - he should have been back here five minutes ago. See what's happened to him!"

Willy came forward and grabbed Sydney by the arm and pulled him roughly into the sitting room. Pushing him into the nearest chair, he told Sydney:

"Sit down and shut up!"

"Can I at least take my coat off; it's very warm in here?" asked Sydney very quietly, with his hands on the arms of the chair, leaning forward in readiness to get up.

"Yeah, OK, but not another word from you, or else!" said Willy threateningly.

Sydney stood up and took off his coat, folded it neatly, and then sat down again with it across his lap.

He felt as if he had just walked into hell.

* * * * *

Ethan finished tying the hands and feet of the unconscious sweeper and reached into his pocket for the roll of tape to cover his mouth; just enough to prevent him from calling out in case he awoke sooner that was expected.

Ethan grunted and heaved the man closer to the centre of the shrubbery, feeling the drips from the branches on his face. Once or twice he had felt the branches scratching his cheek as he strained his eyes to see into the darkness of the bush. More than once he thought he heard the scurrying feet of a small animal. He made sure the man could still breathe adequately and then he sat back on his heels. He froze for a second - sure that he had heard something unfamiliar - then he smiled as he heard the second sweeper close the door behind him and start out along the terrace, calling softly for his friend.

* * * * *

Parker lay on her back with her head on the pillow, the pain of her broken arm pulsating in a steady rhythm.

She swallowed hard and tried to block it out of her mind. She knew it was badly broken and the arm was already swollen but she couldn't bring herself to touch it to assess the damage. Gently, she cradled her elbow with the other hand, dragging the chain across her body. Tears of pain had dried on her face; tears she hadn't been able to control at the time Willy had delivered that devastating blow. She could still hear the crack resounding in her ears. The shock had made her feel light-headed and she lay still, trying to control the waves of nausea.

Parker tried to think of other things to take her mind from the agony of her injured arm. In an instant, her thoughts flashed back to the last time she had seen Jarod and she felt the flutter of goodness knows what in her stomach. Excitement? Nerves? Longing? She didn't know what it was; the thought of their time together on the Island made her think of things she had no right to be thinking!

When they had been together in Ocee's cottage, she had remembered that he had badly needed a haircut at the time. That hadn't stopped her from wanting to run her fingers through it! What would have changed, for both of them, had she allowed him to follow through on that kiss? She had wanted him to kiss her so badly - why did she pull back? It wasn't just a case of Ocee interrupting them. For her, it was the defining moment when all the fragmented pieces of her life fell into place like a completed jig-saw puzzle. She was sure that Jarod had known it, too.

Parker knew the answer - she had been afraid.

Scared of feelings she wasn't ready to acknowledge yet.

Scared of so many things; afraid to believe who really was her father?
She could never bring herself to believe it was Raines! The man who had murdered her dear, sweet Mama!

Scared to leave the Centre.

‘At least I know who my father is not,' she thought cynically, thinking of Sydney, her thoughts immediately softening as she visualised his worried face. She believed in her heart that he had always cared for her as if she had been his daughter. She realised with a sense of shame that she had not always been kind to him - that he had deserved better from her.

She knew he had been worried about her since she had returned from the Island, more so than usual. It seemed that every time she had moved from her office, he was there, hovering and constantly in her shadow. He had recognised she was changed - but he would never ask her the reasons; he would wait for her to tell him in her own time.

Idly, she wondered if Raines had died yet? She'd never wished anyone dead before, but for Raines ... ... she would make an exception!

‘I must be feeling sorry for myself! As if it's not bad enough that I'm in this rat hole,' she moaned to herself, trying to snap out of the pensive mood.

Her thoughts turned to Lyle and she knew with absolute certainty that he intended to kill her - he had completely lost all sense of reality. Having worked at the Centre for so long, always having to watch her back, never trusting anyone, she had known that one day, things would go against her. In truth, she had not really expected it to come from her twin but she had now seen the madness within him.

Her blood ran cold at the thought of him.

Suddenly, she paused ... ...

‘What the hell was that?'

She was sure she had heard something scratching at the door and she lay still, expecting the worst.

‘Lyle can't be coming back so soon, the scumbag's only just gone!' she growled to herself.

Parker strained her ears listening, her heart beating rapidly. She stared at the door in the darkness of the room and waited.

She was certain the door was opening but she couldn't be sure - it was so dammed dark! ‘Oh God help me', she prayed to herself.

Suddenly, there was a small beam of light on the floor and the door opened further and Parker could see the outline of a tall man.

"Parker, are you here?" whispered Jarod

"Oh my God, the cavalry has arrived!" she sighed, feeling a huge and overwhelming rush of adrenalin surging through her body which threatened to have her dissolving into tears at any second. Relief coursed through her and she fought back the tears, furiously wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket. She would never allow anyone to see her cry, no matter what!

Closing the door softly behind him, Jarod crossed the room to the bed in two long strides. Bending down, he played the flashlight over her face, taking in the cuts and bruises with a small gasp of horror.

‘You're a dead man, Lyle, when I catch up with you,' he thought grimly to himself, feeling the shafts of vengeance coursing through him, as he searched her poor battered face.

"How are you, Parker? Pleased to see me?" whispered Jarod softly. He smiled at her, the relief at having found her evident in his eyes and in his voice.

He picked up the chain wrapped around her wrist and then tracked it back to the wall by the bed.

"What are you doing here, you idiot! Don't you realise this is a trap?" she hissed at him, pulling the chain away from him and then groaning with the pain of her arm.

She felt wildly angry at Jarod for being here - didn't he realise the trap he had fallen into! What the hell was he doing here? He was supposed to be a genius, why couldn't he see it? Why was he risking his freedom ... ... his life?

"Tell me you're pleased to see me!" he whispered, still grinning at her like an idiot.

She ignored him and whispered furiously at him:

"For God's sake, Lyle's downstairs with Willy and a sweeper team! I'm here as the bait to catch you, Jarod! Dammit, just go, otherwise it will be too late!"

"Don't you think I know that, Parker? I'm not leaving without you! Now tell me ... ... how badly hurt are you?" he asked seriously, looking at the arm she was cradling with her hand.

"Forget about me, just get your ass out of here!" she ordered him. "Lyle is going to kill us both! JUST GO!"

"Will you just SHUT UP for a minute!" he whispered sternly. "I need to look at this locking mechanism," he grumbled, picking up her wrist again.

Parker sighed and didn't reply - she just glared at him furiously.

Jarod positioned the flashlight on the bed so that it shone onto Parker's wrist and to the handcuff clasped around it. He reached into his pocket and brought out the small tool kit and extracted the smallest tool he could find.

"This should do it," he whispered to himself, inserting it into the lock and twisting it gently backwards and forwards.

Parker looked at Jarod's face bent over in concentration. She ignored the flutters of relief she felt at seeing him again. Questions kept screaming through her - how did he know where to find me? How did he know I was missing? What was he doing here, knowing it was a trap? Where the hell has he been for the past three months?

Suddenly, she heard the click and the handcuff fell away from her wrist.

Parker felt relief surging through her to be free of the chain but she resisted the temptation to rub the wrist with her injured arm.

"There, that's got it!" said Jarod looking up at her and pushing the chain away from the bed. Sitting back on his heels, he said:

"Nice accommodation your brother provided for you!" he whispered to her, indicating the chain.

"It's just peachy!" she hissed back to him.

"Now, tell me, where do you hurt? Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?" he asked hopefully, standing up again.

"I've still got my legs, you idiot!" she replied sharply. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

She stood up quickly and then sat down abruptly, her head falling forward, her hand still cradling the injured arm. She gave a small moan of pain and she would have fallen from the bed had Jarod not stooped and caught her shoulders, easing her back on the bed.

He knelt down and looked at her, brushing the hair from her face and with a gentle smile, he whispered:

"Steady Parker. Your body is feeling the effects of shock. Just take some deep breaths and then I'll help you stand up - seeing as you won't let me carry you!"

"Over my dead body you will!" she hissed at him and then she whispered more calmly: "Just give me a minute here. Give me that water bottle; I think I'm dehydrating a bit".

Jarod found the plastic bottle which was almost empty and handed it to her. She finished the water in two gulps and then dropped the bottle on the floor.

"Let me look at your arm, I promise I won't hurt you," he said gently, pushing the sleeve of her jacket up her arm above her elbow.

"It's broken, Jarod. Courtesy of that asshole, Willy - I wasn't being very co-operative at the time."

"That's not difficult to believe ... ... when are you ever?"

Jarod ran his fingertips lightly over the length of her forearm and he could feel jagged splinters of the break through her skin. He pulled the sleeve down again, knowing instantly that it would need surgery and pins to set it so that it healed properly.

"Have you got a scarf here or something we can use to support it? We need to get you some medical attention as quickly as possible."

"No, nothing ... ... and there's no way you're having my brassiere, so you can wipe THAT smile off your face!" she whispered crossly at him, seeing the look of disappointment on his face.

"Oh Parker, you're no fun these days!" he laughed at her, pulling the sheet from the bed and tearing it into strips. Carefully, he cradled her arm inside the sling and, lifting her hair, he tied it at the back of her neck.

"There, how does that feel?"

"Better ... thanks" she said grudgingly, looking up at him with the smallest hint of a smile.

Jarod bent down again so that they were eye to eye and he smiled at her, gently pushing the hair from her face. His eyes roamed over her face and came to rest on the bruises along both jaw lines. Gently, he traced his fingers down both sides of her face and then, looking into her eyes, he said:

"Now, tell me Parker, are you pleased to see me?"

She stalled for a few seconds, her head bent downwards and then she sighed quietly, lifting her head:

"Oh alright!" she said irritably. "If I have to say it, then yes, I'm pleased to see you! Just don't let it go to your head!"

She heard him laugh softly to himself and then he stood up, towering over her.

"Right, let's see if you can stand up without falling over!"

Leaning forward, he put his arm around her waist and hauled her up, carefully avoiding touching the injured arm that lay in the sling. He felt sure that if he had been able to see her face clearly in daylight he would have seen furious eyes glaring at him for taking such liberties!

Turning around and with his arm still around her waist, they hobbled over to the door. Positioning Parker with her back against the wall, he opened the door a few inches and listened carefully. Hearing nothing, he pulled it a little wider and checked the floor.

Nothing.

"OK, let's go. We need to get out of here pronto!" he whispered, pulling her close to his side, gripping her around the waist to support her.

* * * * *

Lyle helped himself to another drink from the side table and picked up the tongs for the ice, dropping three ice cubes on top of the bourbon. Taking a large mouthful, he turned to Willy.

"Where the hell is Pete and what-ever-his name-is? They should have been back here ten minutes ago - how long does it take to look around these grounds, for hell's sake?"

"Do you want me to go look for them, Mr Lyle?"

"No, I want you here ... ... and turn that crap off the television. I can't hear myself think!"

Willy complied immediately and the room was suddenly silent.

Lyle stood leaning against the door frame with a brooding look on his face, staring into the glass. He felt on edge but he couldn't say why. The alcohol had done nothing to soothe his temper and he was conscious that he'd already had too much to drink.

"You're sure that Jarod will come?" asked Sydney quietly from his chair.

"Who asked you to speak, old man?"

"I just wondered why you are so certain that Jarod will be here."

Lyle moved away from the doorway and started to pace the length of the room, ignoring Sydney's question.

He wouldn't admit it to himself but he'd had a real shock seeing Sydney arrive out of the blue. He hadn't banked on the old fool having the guts to just bowl in here and demand to see Parker. Who'd thought he would just turn up like this? Now he was faced with the problem of what to do with him. Having Sydney sitting there, looking at him, made him feel as though he'd missed something - forgotten an important detail somewhere but he didn't know what. It made him feel off balance somehow. He didn't like feeling he'd been out-smarted but Sydney was making him feel that way.

‘Hell, I can't think straight' he muttered to himself.

Lyle finished his drink and put the glass back on the side table. He looked across at Wily and said:

"It's time I checked on Parker - you stay here with him!"

Sydney suddenly stood up, holding on to his coat. He turned to face Lyle, his voice shaking with anger and emotion:

"I want to see Parker - I want to know that she's OK - and I want to know if this operation has been sanctioned by the Triumverate or if you're acting alone on this," demanded Sydney.

Lyle turned around slowly and smiled at Sydney, his face flushed from the alcohol, his eyes narrowed.

"You want to know a lot of god dammed things, Syd! As I said before, too many questions are bad for your health. I won't tell you again, SIT DOWN and SHUT THE HELL UP before I make you!"

Lyle nodded to Willy and said:

"Keep a close eye on him. I don't trust him as far as I can see him!"

With that, Lyle withdrew his gun from his pocket and turned around and headed for the stairs. Taking two at a time, he reached the top in seconds and switched the wall lights on, instantly flooding the floor with bright light.

He reached the three steps going up to the small room and the door opened; Jarod and Parker appeared in the doorway.

"Where the hell do you two think you're going, a Sunday picnic?" he asked smoothly, pointing the gun at Jarod.

* * * * *