“Jarod…” the soft voice whispered as she knocked on the bathroom door, “Jarod you’ve been in there for a while now, you almost done?”

“Almost done, this stuff is sticky.”

“I guess now that they are gone you can relax a little.”

“Don’t be too sure, she’s not HERE, but she isn’t gone.  Never underestimate your opponent.” He quipped.

“Then I guess you’d better go now so you can get ahead of them.  That Parker woman was not happy with the story you gave her about leaving yesterday.  All I know is that make-up job I gave you would have fooled anyone.  You looked just like a 90 year old man.” she laughed as she recalled how frail and wrinkled he looked in the old rocking chair out on the porch not two hours ago. 

“I don’t know how to thank you Agatha.”  He said, pulling the last piece of the special effects makeup off his cheek.  “It’s been a long time since I have been that close to Parker without having a gun in my face.” he replied as he ran the hot water and began the tedious task of removing the make up residue from his hands. 

Thinking back to the conversation he had with Parker just a few hours ago, explaining that the man she sought had helped him out so much around his family’s farm.   The young man said he was going to see his mother.  “Such a nice young man” he told her.  “He spoke about finally meeting his mom, and having the life he dreamed of.”  He remembered the look she had as he told his tale.  The way her eyes would go distant, as if she were recalling an old memory of her own mother.  She listened to him, word for word and never knew she was talking to the very man she sought.  Drying his hands and moving toward the bed, he turned over the small red book full of clippings.   He didn’t want it to be this way, but he had no choice.

“She is going to be so disappointed to know it was me she was talking to.  She held my hand when I told her about the family I lost all those years ago.  When she figures it out, she’s going to be very mad, and Parker when she is mad, is not a woman you want to be near.  When she figures out what I have done…” he trailed off losing himself in the memory of her eyes, and the touch of her hands in his. 

He stopped the thought before it had time to mature and continued, “They will be back, and when they show up, make sure you give her this.” 

She eyed him curiously as she took the red notebook from his hands and noticed the large wooden box on the floor he motioned to.  

“What’s in the box?” she asked shyly.  When did he put that there?  She thought to herself, trying to figure out exactly where he could have hid it and how he got it past her into his room.

“Something Ms. Parker will want very badly.  It is a very important piece of her childhood.  You will need to make a pot of strong coffee once she gets here, trust me.  Bring her back to this room and give her the book first and tell her to read it, don’t let her leave until she does.  Then bring her up some coffee and give her this key to the box.”

She took the small silver key and looked at him with a small smile.  “Well, for what it’s worth Jarod, you were as kind as a 90 year old man would have been with a woman that strong.  I have to tell you, for such a “tough-as-nails” persona that that woman puts on, I bet all she would need is a good man to love her to break her like twig.  I don’t know how you managed not to lose character.” Agatha replied, knowing only the few bits of information that Jarod had given her in the past three days.  That woman was not an “Ice Queen”, she was just plain miserable. 

“You don’t know the half of it.  That woman has been hurt by The Centre almost as bad as I have, she just channels her anger in different ways.” he said.  “The last time she loved anyone, they made sure to take it away from her.  I’m afraid she will not be so easy to get close to now.” 

His thoughts drifted back to Tommy.  Parker was so happy with him, so close to being out of this whole mess.  He should have done more to try and protect them until they could get away.  He pulled the memory from his mind and turned back to Agatha.

“As far as being able to keep my character, let’s just say I’ve done some acting in the past, so it wasn’t so hard for me.  You did a great job too you know.” He reassured her.

“One of these days I’ll break down and tell Parker what she really means to me.  It’s not that she doesn’t already know; it’s that she doesn’t know all of it.  She’ll either shoot me, bring me back into that hellhole or she’ll let me go and it’s back to I run, you chase.  Either way, she’ll get the truth.  Today may just be that day.” 

“What are you saying?” she asked in a worried voice, “You’re not leaving?”

“No.  I’m staying until she returns.  I have a camera set up in the light fixture and I need to see her when she opens that box.” He replied.  Noticing the look of shock and despair on Agatha’s face he continued, “She is going to need me.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing Jarod.  I have to tell you, I don’t think I can pull off facing that woman twice in one day.”  She said, not knowing exactly how she should feel.