Ethan heard the two shots, almost losing his footing, hands scraping against the branches, he scrambled down, his heart pounding out of his chest. Landing on his feet with a rush of breath, he took long strides to the terrace and bent down on one knee to peer through the glass doors at the scene within.

Ethan shivered in the cold and he could see his breath on the air. He gently rubbed the window clear of the rain drops and what was the beginning of the formation of ice.

He could see the man in the black overcoat - he didn't know who he was - and the three sweepers. There seemed to be people milling around and then, suddenly, he felt two arms lifting him clear of the ground. He was pushed roughly into the doorway and into the light and warmth of the hallway.

* * * * *

Jarod pulled himself up from his position lying across Parker, where he had flung himself at the start of the shooting. Running his hand through his hair he looked first at Parker and then at Sydney.

Parker's eyes were still closed. He eased her into an upright position and gently pushed her hair away, searching her face.

Glancing over at Sydney, he saw that he was now sitting up and still clutching the gun in his hand although his coat had fallen away from his lap. Sydney pushed his hand through his hair and rubbed his face, confused and bewildered, looking around him at all the new people milling around the room.

Mr Cox spoke quietly and called the sweepers together in a group by the doorway and gave them instructions. Their guns were put away and they moved across and set about the task of pulling Lyle to his feet and into a chair opposite Parker, groaning with the effort of lifting a dead weight.

Lyle's face had turned a waxy color and he moaned softly to himself, eyes closed. The sweepers propped him back against the cushions and his head fell forward.

"Jarod, I wonder if you would take a look at Lyle's shoulder for me. I'd like to make sure he doesn't die on us before we get him back to the Centre?" asked Mr Cox, quietly.

Jarod eased himself off the sofa and stretched his shoulders, flexing the stiffened muscles. He turned to Lyle and bent down and grasped Lyle's chin, raising his eyelids. Satisfied, he eased his tie off and then unbuttoned his shirt, moving it away from his shoulders.

"Can someone get me a clean towel?" Jarod asked. "It looks as if the bullet is still in the collar bone and there is some muscle damage but he'll make it."

Lyle's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Jarod with a blank stare.

Someone handed him a small towel and Jarod folded it into a pad and he placed it across Lyle's shoulder carefully. Pulling his jacket back on, he told Lyle, "that should control the bleeding for a bit".

Lyle nodded but said nothing.

Jarod then walked over to Willie, who was now propped against the wall. Easing him forward, Jarod looked at his handcuffed hands and said, "it's just a flesh wound; unfortunately, he'll live".

Jarod moved across to Sydney and bent down to him. Picking up his coat, he gently eased the gun from Sydney's stiffened fingers and slipped it into the pocket.

"Are you OK, Syd?" he asked gently, noting his pale face and dull eyes.

"I think so, Jarod, although I'm not sure what happened ... is happening!"

"I'll get you a small brandy, that should help; the explanations can wait," replied Jarod, standing up again and moving across to the side table. He quickly poured a small measure of Cognac into a glass and brought it over. He placed the glass carefully in Sydney's shaking hand.

"Come on, Syd, take a small mouthful and you'll be fine!" he told him gently.

Sydney raised the glass to his mouth and he took a small sip and then nodded at Jarod.

"See to Parker, Jarod, make sure she's alright," he whispered. "I'm very worried about her condition".

"Don't worry, Syd, I'm taking care of her. We'll be out of here in a few minutes and we'll head straight for the Accident and Emergency Unit".

Jarod moved back to the sofa and bent down to look at Parker. Gently, he eased her legs up so that she was lying fully along the length of the cushions, her head propped against the arm. He felt her forehead and knew that her temperature was raised and that there was a possibility of infection. Added to that, he was worried about her dehydration.

Jarod stood up again and turned to face Mr Cox who had walked across to look down at Parker, his eyes taking in her flushed face and damp hair.

"Will she be alright?" he asked quietly.

"I think so but I have to get her to the hospital fairly quickly"

Mr Cox nodded.

Jarod stood up with a final glance at Parker.

"You took your time getting here, Mr Cox," he said quietly. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to be in time. You had me a little worried, for a minute!"

Mr Cox gave a small smile. He walked over to the side table and poured himself a small measure of whiskey. Raising his glass, he took a small sip and then turned and spoke to Jarod.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that - my flight was slightly delayed and then when I arrived at the Centre, everything seemed to be upside down because Mr Raines had finally decided to leave us. As you can imagine - or not - the place was in uproar!"

The senior sweeper walked across the room and whispered something to Mr Cox and then he nodded.

"I think you are missing one of your ‘operatives'? My team have him outside - they weren't too sure who he was!"

Jarod smiled and said "that would be Ethan, and yes, he's with us."

"Ah yes, I think I remember the young man".

Sydney stood up on shaky legs and moved across to where Parker lay on the sofa. Kneeling down gently, he whispered to her and gently stroked her hair. She briefly opened her eyes and murmured something to him and then closed them again.

"Mr Cox, do you think one of your team could find me a thick quilt or blanket to wrap Parker in? It's freezing outside and I need to get her to the hospital now," asked Jarod.

Mr Cox quickly despatched one of the sweepers upstairs.

"Tell me, what will happen to those two?" he said, indicating a comatose Lyle and a very subdued Willy.

"Well, we will get them patched up and then ship them off to Africa - they won't be coming back," he said blandly.

"I'm afraid the Triumverate have finally lost patience with Lyle. He has brought the Centre a lot of unwelcome attention in the past couple of years with his ‘external affairs' and, quite frankly, they do not want to see another Parker in the Chair. They have had enough".

Mr Cox paused, and then added:

"Incidentally, I'm quite certain that Lyle intended to kill both Parker and Sydney. He'd had both offices cleared out and closed up".

Jarod just nodded, not trusting himself to reply.

"I need to get going with Parker now, but I would like to call you in a day or so about making some arrangements regarding Rosa and maybe one or two other things that we need to iron out between us?"

Mr Cox nodded his agreement.

At that moment, the sweeper returned and handed Jarod a large cream colored blanket which he tucked under his arm.

"You'd better move now - I think Parker needs you!" he added with a smile.

Jarod turned and he handed the blanket to Sydney.

"Get her wrapped up, Syd, I've just got one more little thing to do and then I'll carry her out to the car".

Jarod moved across and nudged Lyle's leg with his foot. Lyle's eyes snapped open instantly and his eyes narrowed when he saw Jarod kneel down beside his chair. Jarod took a minute or so to whisper something into Lyle's ear that nobody else could hear. Lyle paled a little and then turned his head away. Jarod stood up smiling and then he walked back to the sofa, still grinning.

"What was that all about?" asked Sydney.

"Oh, I'll tell you later, Syd," he replied, in an innocent tone of voice.

Jarod bent down and put his arms under Parker's shoulders and knees and lifted her effortlessly up. Sydney pulled the blanket around her so that only the top of her head was visible. Pulling on his own overcoat, he walked behind Jarod on legs that were still unsteady.

Ethan stood up from the bottom stair that he had been sitting on and he gave a gasp as he saw Jarod carrying Parker. He rushed forward and pulled the blanket away from her face, touching her cheek with his fingers.

"It's OK Ethan; she's going to be fine!" said Jarod, trying to calm him.

"Are you sure, Jarod?"

"Just get the car started for me - get the heater going and drive us to the Memorial Hospital, just outside Dover. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm on it,"

Ethan opened the entry door and he made a beeline for the SUV, jumping in the drivers' side and starting the engine straight away. The cold air hit him and he shivered as the car engine took time to warm up.

Suddenly, the rear door opened and Jarod lowered Parker to the seat, still firmly wrapped in the blanket, and buckled up her seat belt, lifting her injured arm carefully over the belt. Sydney jumped in beside Ethan and Jarod turned to give a final acknowledgement to Mr Cox before jumping in beside Parker.

Jarod hesitated for a moment and then he opened the car door again, calling to Mr Cox.

"You will need to search the garden; there are two sweepers somewhere - Lyles' men. I wouldn't want them to freeze to death in this cold!"

Mr Cox put his hand up, smiling, and then turned to despatch two of his team to search for the missing men.

"Let's go Ethan!" cried Jarod, pulling Parker into the safety of his arms.

Ethan drove out of the driveway slowly and turned onto the lane, head lamps blazing in the freezing cold night.

"Thank God, it's all over," breathed Sydney, turning to glance at Ethan.

"Are you alright, Ethan, you must be frozen stiff!"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sydney, just freezing cold and worried about Parker. I still can't believe we got out of there in one piece! I think my big brother has some explaining to do - in the not-too-distant-future!" he added, grinning at Jarod in the rear view mirror.

"I'll second that, Ethan!" said Sydney, turning around in his seat to look at Jarod and Parker together.

Parker's head was tucked firmly under Jarod's chin and she was wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy against the cold. Ethan couldn't help wondering how Parker would react when she found out how she had been carried out of the house. He smiled at the thought.

* * * * *

Dr Roberts hung up the X-rays and switched on the light behind the screen. They showed the compound fracture of Parker's forearm clearly. Jarod and Sydney studied them in detail and Sydney couldn't help the sharp intake of breath when he saw the splinters of bone very close to the surface.

"So, that's the position, Dr Green, Jarod. I'm waiting for Dr Khan to arrive - he should be here anytime now. As you know, he is our Chief of Orthopaedics and we're lucky to have him here. He's one of the best in the business. This is going to be a tricky job and it will require three or four pins near the wrist. I'm afraid the lady is going to need a lot of care after this, apart from several months of physiotherapy. She's not going to have a lot of movement in that arm, once it's healed. However, if she does as she's told then, I am hopeful of a full recovery."

Jarod turned to Sydney and they both grinned at each other in silent understanding. ‘Parker, do as she's told?' thought Jarod ... ... ‘Never in a million years!'

Sydney turned to Dr Roberts and asked:

"What have you got her on now?"

"We've got her on an IV - I'm concerned that she's showing signs of dehydration - and we've given her a shot of morphine for the pain. The nurses are getting her ready for Dr Kahn and the anaesthetist will be with her within the next few minutes".

Dr Roberts paused, looking at his notes, and then he looked from one to another, his face showing puzzlement.

"Tell me, what the hell happened to her?"

"It's a long story Doctor, to put it simply, she was the victim of a kidnapping," replied Jarod softly.

"That explains the dehydration," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Look, if you want to slip in and see her, do it now, otherwise she's going to be out of it for the next six to eight hours. She's in 408."

"Thanks, Dr Roberts," said Sydney and Jarod in unison.

They walked along the corridor and found room 408 and Jarod knocked gently before putting his head around the door.

"Are you decent, Parker?" he asked.

A nurse came bustling towards him, clipboard in hand, wearing a very determined look on her face. She scrutinized Jarod and Sydney closely and then she said:

"Two minutes, only. Ms Parker is very poorly".

Closing the door behind her, Jarod walked around the bed and pulled up a chair close to the bed.

Parker was lying on her back, her damaged right arm in temporary splints, the arm resting on a surgical cushion. The left arm was hooked up to the IV. Her face had been scrubbed clean of make-up and Jarod could see the top of the surgical gown. Her eyes were closed, her face ghostly pale, almost as pale as the white sheets, her hair softly fanning out behind her across the pillow.

He picked up her hand, noticing immediately that her silver ring was missing from her finger. He turned her hand over and gently kissed the palm, letting his lips trail across to her fingers.

"Are you awake, Parker?" he whispered softly.

"I wasn't, but I am now!" she muttered cynically in a low, throaty voice.

"How are you feeling?"

"I think I've been run over by a train!"

"Sydney's here with me and Ethan is down the hallway. Has Dr Roberts filled you in on what they're going to do?"

"Yeah, not that I took it in ...... things are a bit hazy right now."

"They've given you a shot of morphine for the pain."

"Yeah, it feels as if I'm in la la land!"

Jarod smiled and then he turned to look at Sydney, standing at the end of the bed, his arms folded; a smile on his face.

"Hi Parker! You're going to be just fine once they've fixed your arm" said Sydney, trying to put forward his best, hearty, bed-side manner.

"Sure, Syd, I believe you."

Jarod smiled at Parker and squeezed her hand again.

"Do you remember what happened, Parker?"

"No, I was kind of out of it back there. Is Lyle ... ... I heard shooting and that's the last thing I remember."

"Lyle's still alive ... ... he has a shoulder wound ... ... Mr Cox has taken him back to the Centre - I'm afraid you won't be seeing him again, Parker. He's being shipped off to Africa, once they've patched him up, together with Willie."

"Why would I want to see that son of a bitch again, Jarod?"

"Yeah, well, he's still your brother, Parker," said Jarod very quietly.

Parker didn't reply. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, turning her head away from Jarod. Jarod leaned forward and he could see tear drops glistening on the edges of her eyelashes. Very gently, he wiped them away with his finger.

He trailed his fingers down the side of her face, over the bruises that were now turning a purplish yellow color and he let his fingers come to rest on her mouth. Gently, he traced his forefinger across her top lip and then the bottom lip. Suddenly, he leaned closer still and took her head in both hands, gently holding her face. He moved his head closer and placed his lips lightly on hers and kissed her gently, his heart quickening as he felt her instant reaction, her mouth moving slightly under his in surprise.

Sitting back in his chair, picking up her hand again, he said laughingly:

"Sorry Parker, THAT was unfinished business!"

"THAT was taking advantage!" she quipped, opening her eyes again, giving him a furious look.

Suddenly, the door opened and the same nurse came bustling in telling them that their two minutes were up and to please leave now. She stood over Jarod, waiting for him to get up out of the chair.

Picking up his coat, Jarod stood up and smiled at Parker, a lazy smile that reached his eyes, turning them a warm chocolate brown. Brown eyes clashed with stormy grey eyes and then Parker gave him a small, half smile.

"Get going, Wonder Boy ... ... keep him out of trouble, Syd" she said and then she turned her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

* * * * *

The three of them stood in the hallway of the hospital and Jarod brought Ethan up to date on Parker's treatment. Sydney tried to suppress the yawn that kept threatening to overtake him and then he looked at his watch, seeing that it was now past 7.00 am on Sunday morning. He couldn't remember when he'd last eaten or slept and his body was beginning to feel the effects.

"Let's find breakfast first, then some explanations, then sleep - in that order!" said Jarod, pushing open the door and heading towards the SUV.

"I'm with you, brother," replied Ethan, the thought of eggs and bacon making his stomach rumble with hunger.

* * * * *

"I think that's possibly the best breakfast I've ever had," said Sydney, throwing his napkin on the table and draining his coffee cup.

Leaning back in his chair, Sydney looked at the other two opposite him, sitting side by side, and he thought how much alike they were, not just facially but in mannerisms, too. There was something about the eyes, the same depth, and the same warmth emanating from both men.

"Parker IS going to be OK, isn't she?" asked Ethan quietly, looking down and playing with the edges of his napkin, his face creased with worry.

"Yes, Ethan. She's going to be just fine. She's a strong woman and once she gets past this surgery, she'll be as good as new," said Sydney, trying to reassure Ethan.

"So, where to start?" said Jarod, leaning back in his chair.

"At the beginning!" said Sydney and Ethan in chorus.

Jarod put his hands up and laughed at them.

"OK, OK!"

Jarod paused, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Please don't ask me how I knew that there was something wrong - that Parker was missing. I can't begin to explain it. I just knew. It was the reason I came back when I did - that and some other things I've already talked to Sydney about."

Jarod and Sydney both looked at each other and they smiled a silent message of understanding.

"I've been monitoring E-mail correspondence for some time between the Centre and the Triumverate - generally keeping tabs on stuff. I knew that the Triumverate were becoming more than a little annoyed with Lyle and all his activities; he's been questioned by the authorities on several occasions concerning missing Asian women and it is only a matter of time before they catch up with him."

"When we received that video of Parker, a lot of things started to fall into place concerning Lyle. I knew that if we were to stand any chance of pulling this rescue off, we were going to need additional help. Yes, I could have shot Lyle dead in an instant, as could you, Syd, if you really had to ... ... but neither of us really wanted to live with that on our consciences, bearing in mind our relationship with Parker. I couldn't face her, knowing that I'd killed her twin, however much she says she hates him. He is her twin."

"From the correspondence I'd been monitoring, I knew that Mr Cox was planning to return to the USA this week - the Triumverate were aware the Mr Raines was terminally ill and that it was just a matter of days. I just suggested, amongst other things, that it might be a good idea if he came earlier. Once I knew that it could only be Mr Raines forest house where Parker was being held, I messaged CJ and he relayed the information. The rest you know!"

"I don't understand how Mr Cox could arrive when he did! I mean, how did he know WHEN to make his grand entrance?" asked Sydney. "A few seconds later and it might have been a different story!"

Sydney replayed that terrible moment in his mind, with gun in hand; finger on the trigger, when he'd seriously contemplated shooting Lyle - because there had been no alternative. He knew in his heart that he would not have allowed Lyle to shoot either Jarod or Parker and that knowledge, somehow, had changed him. He felt stronger for having faced that dilemma and not been found wanting.

Jarod looked thoughtful as he signalled to the waitress to refill their coffee cups. The waitress came across and refilled their cups and Jarod slowly heaped sugar into the liquid. Stirring his coffee, he looked at them both and said:

"When Ethan and I disappeared and left you in the car, Syd, do you remember a large car passing you by?"

"Yes, I do, now you mention it" he replied.

"Well, that car was Mr Cox and some of his team - the others were parked further down the lane. Timing was everything. I had to have enough time to actually find Parker. After all, I didn't know what condition she was going to be in - I knew she was hurt from Ethan's experience in the motel, but not how badly. The plan was to get Parker out the same way I'd gone in and then Mr Cox and I would go back in and get Sydney. Unfortunately, my timing was a little bit off and Lyle caught us just as we were leaving the room Parker was being held in. In some ways, it worked out well because Mr Cox was able to overhear some of Lyle's conversation but he cut it very finely ... ... too finely for me!"

"I take it that you and Mr Cox have now come to some sort of agreement?" asked Sydney.

"You could say that, Syd," replied Jarod blandly.

* * * * *

They arrived back at the Comfort Inn motel and Ethan yawned loudly and said to the others:

"That's it, I've had it! I need my bed. Wake me when I'm needed, Jarod!" and with that, he disappeared into the first bedroom.  Flinging himself on the bed, not bothering to undress, he was sound asleep within twenty seconds.

Jarod and Sydney looked at each other and they laughed out aloud, more from the relief of feeling safe, and the knowledge that Parker was in the best place, for the moment, than anything else.

"What it is to be young," said Sydney, glancing in the direction that Ethan had taken.

Jarod paused, standing in the small kitchen, looking at Sydney intently.

"Syd, do you want some tea before you sleep?" asked Jarod quietly.

Sydney looked closely at Jarod, studying his face, and he understood immediately the subtle change in his mood. It was obvious to Sydney that Jarod wanted to talk further and Sydney was not about to let him down now, despite the wave of tiredness that threatened to engulf him.

"If you're willing to make it, yes!" he replied, turning around and sitting down heavily on the sofa, leaning back against the headrest with a deep sigh.

Jarod quickly made the tea and he brought the tray over to the small table, sitting down opposite Sydney in the armchair. Carefully, he handed Sydney the cup and saucer. Stirring in the sugar, Jarod looked up at Sydney and said:

"I need to tell you something else, Sydney. Something, I hope you will be happy about but I don't know what effect it will have on Parker ... ... I really need your help on this!"

"Come on Jarod, if you hope this news will make me happy then I'm sure Parker will feel the same ... ... until you tell me, I can't judge!" he replied, trying not to sound like a parent talking to a small child.

Jarod hesitated, trying to form the words in his mind.

"I found them, Sydney ... ... I've found all my family!" he said simply.

First, there was a second of stunned silence ... ...

Sydney sat up quickly, almost spilling his tea over his clothes. He quickly put the cup and saucer down and grabbed Jarod's arm across the table in a vice-like grip, all thoughts of weariness gone from his mind and body.

"Oh my God, Jarod! How wonderful! I am so pleased for you! When?... ... how? Where? Oh my God, I have so many questions! Just tell me how this happened!" exclaimed Sydney, beaming with heart-felt pleasure at the news.

Jarod explained in detail how he had tracked his mother to the small clinic on the outskirts of Glasgow and how he had brought her back to the USA. He explained their reunion and how much it had meant to him to have his family altogether.

Sydney watched Jarod's face come alive as he spoke lovingly of his family and how they had come together, secure in their love for each other. How they had agreed not to spend the rest of their lives in bitterness over the lost years but just enjoy what they had now.

"I don't understand, Jarod? Why would this affect Parker? I'm sure she will be as pleased as I am to know that you have your family again," said Sydney, feeling anxious at Jarod's train of thought.

"I don't know why you would need my advice ... ... you seemed to be managing fine on your own, from what I observed in the hospital!"

"Oh Syd, that was just spontaneous on my part - some unfinished business between Parker and me."

"Well, the lady wasn't objecting too strongly!"

"No, it's not that ... ... Oh, I don't know how to say it!... ... what I mean is that I think it's going to scare Parker off, knowing that I have a ready-made family waiting for me, given her experiences with her own family ... ... what I'm saying is, I don't want to have to choose between Parker and my family."

Jarod's face clouded over and the radiant happiness he had felt earlier when talking about his mother, in particular, faded into a solemn mask of sadness.

Sydney picked his tea up again and he finished drinking it, taking time to think about Jarod's comments. Putting the cup and saucer down on the table, he sat forward on the sofa.

"Jarod, I think you're running ahead, here. Why don't you just take it one step at a time ... ... after all, she doesn't know how you feel yet, does she?"

"No, that's true; she might tell me to go to hell!"

"I don't think that's likely, Jarod. Not from what I've observed. No, you must give her time. She will need a great deal of time and space. She's just survived a kidnapping and been half murdered by her twin ... ... she's lost Rosa whom she depended upon a great deal. She's recently lost the man whom she regarded all her life as her father. Her life is about to change dramatically, although she doesn't realise it yet."

Sydney paused, looking intently at Jarod, searching his face to see if he understood what he was saying.

"I know I have said this before, Jarod, but you have both spent years fighting and hating each other - you've been arch enemies. You've both hurt each other a great deal. That takes a lot of time and patience to undo. On the positive side, you know that there is something between you that is undeniable. That's something you can build on. Parker will know that she has to change her whole life - she won't be able to continue in the same way, with the same values that she has lived by at the Centre. For her, there is no Centre any more."

Sydney paused again, watching Jarod's reaction.

"I know I was less than enthusiastic when you first told me of your plans but even I can see that you have something special between you."

"I guess you're right, Syd. It's just that I love her so much and it's hard to step back and not want everything all at once!"

Jarod smiled at Sydney and then shook his head and he started to laugh out aloud.

"Oh, Syd, this is such a strange conversation ... ...I feel as though I'm sixteen years old ... ... not a man of over forty who should know the ropes by now!"

"Well, Jarod, unfortunately, you missed out on a lot of learning where women are concerned, believe me!" said Sydney, in a regretful tone.

"Yeah, I guess I did ... ... but then, Parker is no ‘ordinary' woman!" added Jarod wistfully.

"Get some sleep, Jarod. Things will be a lot clearer in your mind after a few hours sleep!"

"Yeah, you're right, as usual, Syd. I'll take the sofa; just throw me a spare pillow from the second bedroom. I'll get a few hours of sleep and then I want to get back to the hospital in time for when Parker wakes up".

Jarod collected the spare pillow and quilt from the bedroom and made him self comfortable on the sofa. He lay back with his hands behind his head, stretched out fully, thinking about the events of the past night. He tried to understand how a twin brother could torture a twin sister the way he had, and yet still feel sexually attracted to her to the point of obsession.

Jarod turned his thoughts to Parker and relived that moment when he had boldly kissed her. Somehow, it had seemed the right thing to do. He still felt the way her lips had responded to his and he smiled, remembering her quick response to his words of "unfinished business". At least, she hadn't told him to go to hell!

Jarod yawned loudly and then he turned his head into the pillow and slept.

* * * * *