"Broots! "Sydney whispered from behind over Broot's shoulder. "Do you have any news about Jarod?" Broots looked over his shoulder before he could answer. The work at the Center made him pretty paranoid.
" Ahm...uh..."
"No, he does not." both heard a voice from the depth of the shadow. "But I know where Miss Parker is." Sydney looked at the half-shaded figure.

"Jarod, my God, you are alive!" Sydney whispered with a smile. "You're right, Miss Parker did not show up today. If you know where she is. Say it!" Broots looked at Jarod wide-eyed. "Jarod, six months, no sign of life. Miss Parker-"

"I have a life too, Mr Broots!" Syd recognized a change in Jarod's voice. She sounded more serious, more determined. What happened to his protégé?

"Miss Parker, where is Miss Parker," Sydney's voice became more and more impatient and Broots continued looks over his shoulder made him suspicious.

"No fear Syd," Jarod said haughtily. "Everything is in perfect order." Syd frowned.

"What do you mean, is Miss Parker with you?"

"I did not say that Syd!" his eyes were cold,cold like a iceberg.

"Then please tell us where she is." Sydney asked worriedly, he was always worried about his children. Especially if one of them changed a lot.

"Why? So you can feed her with lies again!" Jarod voice has lost all that Sydney admired. Now his voice was cold, condescending and serious. Syd had not expected that, not from him. Not Jarod, who always saw the good in people. But maybe he had passed that point for a long time. He did not know what had happened in the 6 months.
"Parker is not your property," said Sydney seriously. Somehow Jarod had to understand.

"I know!" Jarod growled at his old mentor. Just six months ago, Jarod was a happy man with a cute little girlfriend.

"Jarod!" Syd tries to restrain him. Cold eyes, Syd looked in cold dangerous eyes, and if it were not Jarod, Syd would run. Jarod glanced at Broots, who looked nervously at his hands. "Are you afraid of me, Mr Broots? "Jarod asked. Broots looked at Jarod. "I would lie if I say no."

"Sydney, Miss Parker was born and grew up in the Center. True. But she is not Centre property." Sharp words. Sharp word. Syd knew that Jarod was right. But ... Miss Parker she was property. Just like Jarod.

"Jarod." Said Syd but Jarod disappeared again in the darkness of the Centre

"Syd," Broots said. "What did he mean by that!"

"He has Miss Parker!"

****

Her head ached, Miss Parker had migraine from hell. Thanks to Jarod. Parker tries to escape the light as best as she could. Unfortunately, this damn room has no curtains, and the light tormented her from all sides. She knew the door was locked because she was too slow when Jarod closed the door in front of her face.

Parker remembered it was just past midnight. He was dressed in black, that was one of the reasons she noticed him so late. One breath and Jarod had already wrapped an arm around the middle of her body. She smelled his aftershave as she gasped.

"Jarod!" she cursed. " You will pay for that!" and put a hand over her aching eyes.

The next Parker remembered. Jarod stood in front of her and her vision blurred before her eyes. Her eyelids become heavy, she no longer had the strength to fight against it. The last thing she saw were Jarod's eyes. She still heard him whisper in her ear, "Sweet dreams."

Parker felt the wind in her face as she started to wake up. Only the cable ties around her wrists make the singing of the birds less friendly.
"I know you are awake," said Jarod and Parker noticed that she was sitting in a car. She moved her wrists, but then felt Jarod's warm hand on her skin. "Don`t!" was all he said.

Parker opened her eyes and looked at Jarod. Jarod did not smile, he did not even look at her. His attention belonged to the street.

Silence was now the new arguing.

Parker took a deep breath and leaned her head against the side window. It took forever, before Jarod said anything.

"You said you changed!" Jarod growled and glanced at Parker.

"I said nothing Ratboy! You said it!"

Now she was here, here in this pretty untidy room. An open cookie box stood on the bedside cabinet and paperwork lay on one side of the bed. "Great!" Parker's sarcasm was palpable even in the air. "It can not be any better today, I'm in Wonderboy's bedroom." Parker ran a hand through her hair.

How long can a human get along without fluids? Because she did not want to eat or drink anything from Jarod's hands.

In the middle of the night, Parker woke up from her troubled sleep in the corner of the room. She heard a door and steps. She was disgusted and relieved at the same time. Someone came back.

***

The Major turned to Jarod, who was leaning against the kitchen door with his arms crossed. Always with an eye to the upper floor. Where Miss Parker was.

"What's your plan?" His dad asked.
"I dont have any." Jarod said and went to the window. "If I succeed, she wants to stay." Jarod looked out into the deep black night.

"You take her the freedom of choice."

"And..." Jarod asked over his shoulder to his father. When did he had the right to make decisions. Own decisions. Never, because others have determined. The Center always makes decisions, not Miss Parker.

"Jarod we're talking about Catherine's little daughter." Jarod groaned. Not again.

"Innocent?" Jarod asked and looked at his father with his arms crossed.
"She saw her mother in the elevator,and her lover in his own blood..." Jarod took a deep breath. He had to control his anger. "...she was a happy little girl, before the Centre-"

"Son," the Major said.

"No,dad!" Said Jarod loud. "They destroyed her! Why? Power!" Jarod looked at the floor. They simply ripped Parker out of his hands. Have sent her to a boarding school. They manipulated her to hate him. That was the ultimate blow against him.  "Parker and I are different, no reason to protect her."

"What about Nancy?" his dad asked, looking into his son's unemotional eyes. Jarod did not want to talk about Nancy right now. Nancy had said something, the night before she left. Jarod, you are a freak. She got up and left the house in the middle of the night.
Miss Parker's words hurt him less because he knows she did not mean it that way. Nancy on the other hand, said it so derogatory, so full of disgust.

"She said, I have needs she can not satisfy." and Jaord poured Scotch into a random glass which was on the table. He did not care if it was clean or used. Alcohol kills everything!

"But Miss Parker can do that?" the Major asked. The shadow of a smile was on Jarod's lips.

"Parker knows my true self, she knows my deep and dark abysses - and I know hers" Jarod looked up from his glass.
"She's scared," said the Major, looking up at the stairs. Jarod gave a contemptuous snort. "Every time Parker admitted her feeling-" Jarod looked down at the bottom of his glass. "She's worried that I'll be one of the list someday."

"Catherine ..."  Jarod looked up at his father and nodded.

"And Thomas."

"You are important to her, Jarod. I go to bed. Good night, for you both." and he slowly left the kitchen to his room.

***

Parker raised her head and saw Jarod standing in a cone of light. He opened the door without knocking.

Bloody Hell! " Parker hissed at the light and tried to protect her eyes.

"I wish you a wonderful evening too, Miss Parker."

"Stop the nonsense Jarod, and say what you want!" Jarod grinned and looked at his huntress sitting on the floor in the corner of his bedroom. Whether she was aware of that, he did not know.

"Answers!" Jarod said loudly and stood in front of Parker with crossed arms. He cut her off any escape route. So she had to look up to him. A pleasant shiver came over Jarod. For a moment he bathed in that comforting sense of superiority.

"Dead end, you know that!" Parker said annoyed. What else did he want? "Jarod, the playing cards have been issued, the places have been taken." When did he finally understand that?

"For you, maybe, but not for me!" Jarod's harsh voice made Parker shy away. Jarod stepped slowly aside and the lights of the corridor shone directly into Parker's eyes. She winced and groaned. She had a headache from hell and her eyes ached with every movement.

"Bastard!" she cursed, full of disgust. She wanted to beat Jarod. Full of hate, she looked up at him. Jarod slowly squatted in front of Parker. He looked into her staring wide-eyed eyes and felt her trembling breath on his skin. He saw how beautiful she really was.

"How does that feel?"

"Ratboy, I can break your nose if I want to." 

"I'm aware of that, but you're not in position ..." Parker took her head back and spat Jarod in his face.

"I thought so," said Jarod, wiping the spit from his cheek with one hand. "Someone once said to me - I think it was Lyle.  Obey! You can not do anything else."

"Are you happy now?!" Parker asked. "Does it feel good?! You can live out your S & M fantasies with your blondie." There he was the sting of a wasp. It did not matter in what position Parker was. the sting was always there.

Jarod put his hand on the back of Parker's neck. He felt her hold her breath as he looked into her eyes while he pulled her close. "Sad but true, but Blondie has left." Jarod said and gave Parker a kiss, not on the mouth but on her forehead.
Without a word he got up and left her in the room. Parker still felt his lips on her forehead and for a brief moment she closed her eyes full of senses.