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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Miss Parker looked at the address on the slip of paper in her hand and then at the building in front of her. "This is it, I guess."
Miss Parker took out her gun and unlocked the safety catch. She got out of her car and felt a slight uneasiness surround her. She suddenly wished that Sydney hadn't had to do those other projects today and that Broots hadn't had to clean out their old computer files on Jarod today. As much as she wouldn't like to admit it, she could use some back up. She shook that thought off and held her head higher. She didn't need anyone to help her catch Jarod. He had no idea she was coming. She would surprise him and cuff him, then take him back to the Centre. That's it. She would probably even be back to take Catie to dance class like she had promised.
Miss Parker approached the desolate building, her gun up by her head. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. Jarod had never stayed in a place like this before, but it was a lead and she had to go after every one. Miss Parker heard a sudden noise behind her, but before she could turn around to investigate she felt a needle pierce the back of her neck. Within seconds she felt woozy and she heard her gun fall to the pavement, just before her world went black.
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Miss Parker awoke in a dark room and when she tried to move she found that she was bound to a pole in the middle of the room. The light from a small window on the opposite side of what she could now tell was an empty warehouse, helped her eyes adjust to the dark settings. She twisted her head to look around and was immediately hit with an overwhelming headache.
"Hurts doesn't it?" came a familiar voice.
"Jarod!" Miss Parker said angrily. "I should've known. Did you do this to me?"
She turned to her left only to be taken aback in surprise. Jarod was also bound to a similar pole next to her.
"Yeah, Miss Parker, and then I did this to myself out of boredom." Jarod said sarcastically.
Miss Parker gave him an annoyed look and struggled to untie her wrists.
"It's no use." Jarod said as he watched her, slightly amused. "Is it just me or does this have a familiar look to it?"
Miss Parker paused as she remembered the hurricane in Florida and the monster called Bartlett. She shivered in relived fear and returned to trying to loosen the rope that held her to the cold concrete pole.
"How did you end up here anyway?" Jarod asked still amused at her useless attempts to free herself.
"I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?" Miss Parker growled in frustration as she gave up on the ropes.
"Told you." Jarod said in reference to the ropes. When she just glared at him he answered her other question. "I was leaving my building when some guy grabbed me and knocked me out with what I suspect was chloroform. I woke up about three days ago here and I'll tell you this, I'm starving!"
"They haven't even given you any food to eat?" Miss Parker asked in horror.
"Nothing. And I have yet to meet our captor so don't ask me who it is. I saw a couple of men bring you in Monday evening, but they kept giving you something that kept you asleep. They stopped about three hours ago. What are you doing in this city anyway? I hadn't calculated your arrival for another day or two."
"I got an anonymous tip on where you were so I took the jet out here and pretty much the same thing happened to me. I was about to enter the building that the tip said you had stayed in, which I am beginning to doubt, and..." she trailed off shrugging, then she winced as pain coursed through her body. She forgot about it a moment later when something he had said reentered her mind. "Wait, you said they brought me in Monday evening? What day is this?"
"Wednesday." Jarod said.
"I've been here for two days already?" Miss Parker said softly her head beginning to hurt again. "Oh, God, Catie! What happened to Catie?"
"I'm sure she's fine. Sydney would have seen to it." Jarod said reassuring her. Miss Parker nodded, somewhat relieved. Jarod asked "So how has motherhood been treating you?"
Miss Parker's eyes softened and she smiled faintly. "She is such a special little girl. I never knew such love, not since...not since my mother was alive."
"I saw she had taken up dance when I left that bracelet of your mothers." Jarod said remembering the photograph of Catie in a cute little ballerina costume, posing gracefully.
"Yes, she is very good too. My mother's talent seems to have found a home in her." Miss Parker said proudly. She found herself thinking about Catie's upcoming recital and if she would be around to see it.
After a few minutes of silence she spoke up, "So, any idea on how to get out of here, Boy Genius?"
Before Jarod could answer her a deep voice echoed throughout the warehouse. "I wouldn't bet on it. He is tied tighter than you are, my dear Miss Parker."
A man stepped out from the shadows and an evil karma permeated room. He had a pointy goatee and small beady eyes that seemed to look at you with a slightly crazed look. He was muscular, but because of the bad feeling that surrounded him, a person could tell that the muscle was used for evil and not good. In short, he looked the way Hollywood would depict Satan in a movie minus the horns and pointy tail.
"Oh, do forgive me," the man said frowning at his "guests". "Since neither of you know me let me introduce myself. I am Jonathan Krieger, but you can just call me Krieger. Everyone else does."
"I know what I want to call you and Krieger isn't even close." Miss Parker spat at him.
"Tsk, tsk." Krieger said very disapprovingly, shaking his head slowly. He advanced towards her and stroked her cheek gently. "Is that any way to treat your host?"
He abruptly stopped stroking her cheek and slapped her hard. Miss Parker's head whipped to the side and her cheek turned an angry red. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep to the tears of pain at bay and Krieger shook his head again seemingly satisfied. "I didn't think so."
He studied Miss Parker closely taking in her black leather pants and bright red blouse and grinned sinisterly.
"You know, I think I could have fun with you." He trailed his hand over her face again, but this time he continued down her chest until her reached her stomach.
"What do you want, Krieger?" Jarod called out feeling the desperate need to get him away from Miss Parker. Thankfully Krieger seemed distracted by Jarod's question and backed away from the shaking Miss Parker.
"Thank you, Jarod, for reminding me of my original agenda. But don't think that let's you off the hook, Sweet cheeks." Krieger directed towards Miss Parker who had overcome her pain and was now staring at him with an intense mixture of hate, disgust, and the smallest hint fear.
"I only want the twenty million dollars offered to me if I caught you two...and maybe a little fun with Gorgeous over there." Krieger said stepping back and folding his arms across his chest, studying his captives.
"The Centre, right?" Jarod asked.
Krieger paused then shrugged. "No point in lying. Yeah, they're the ones who hired me."
At Krieger's nod Jarod looked confused.
"Why would ask you to catch they her? She's one of them." Jarod asked.
"That's true. Actually, they really just wanted you, but I got another offer about four days ago, from some man, for an extra ten mil, but that was only if I...uh... 'took care' of Sweet cheeks over there also." Krieger said taking a toothpick out of his pocket and began to chew on it.
"My father will double the amount of money, if you let me go. Please, I have responsibilities. I need to get home." Miss Parker said almost pleading. She had never felt this helpless before, but somehow she knew without a doubt that this man was not as sane as he seemed. He would kill them if they didn't get out of there.
"Yes, I know you have 'responsibilities'." Krieger said mocking Miss Parker. "A very pretty one in particular. She is what four, maybe five years old? What is her name again? Cathy, Callie, Cody..."
Krieger paused seeming to think a moment then grinned. "Oh, that's right, it's Catie isn't it?"
Jarod watched as Miss Parker's face became red in rage.
"You touch her and I swear to you, I'll kill you." Miss Parker screamed at him.
The man just laughed and the sound chilled Miss Parker and Jarod to the core.
"Relax, Babe. I haven't got her. In fact I think she is in the wonderful hands of her loving Uncle Lyle." Krieger said watching her reaction.
Miss Parker felt her stomach flip in horror at the thought of her precious little girl having to stay with Lyle. Krieger laughed again and walked to a door at the right.
"I'll be back to check on you in a little bit. Don't miss me too much." With that and another insane laugh he left, slamming the door in his wake. The sound echoed for a beat or two after he was gone and went straight to the bones of his two prisoners.
Miss Parker slid down the pole and placed her head on her knees. She felt a weariness go through her and a stray tear slipped from her eye to land on the cold cement floor beside her.
Jarod watched her and felt his heart go out to her. "Miss Parker, there has to be a way out of this. Don't give up hope."
Miss Parker raised her head and gave him a look of contempt and anger.
"We are not getting out of here, Jarod. You are finally going back to the Centre and I..." she stopped mid-sentence and thought about the man in the next room. Her blood ran cold and she felt the need to gag.
Another though hit her and she said quietly, "My daughter is going to grow up without her mother as well, isn't she? Just like me. I should've known that this would happen. My life seems to work this way."
She laughed at the irony and her laughter had an empty and slightly hysterical ring to it, making Jarod shudder.
"Miss Parker, listen to me. If you give up you can be certain that Catie is not going to have her mother around, but if you stop feeling sorry for yourself we might be able to figure out how to get out of here!" Jarod said hoping to snap her out of her trance-like state.
"You don't think I wanna get out of here?" Miss Parker snapped at him. "My daughter is going to be worried sick. I have been gone for two days when I told her I would be back for dinner and to take her to dance class!"
Jarod sighed and slid down his pole so he was in the same position as her. He leaned his head back against the pole and tried desperately to think. His head jerked up moments later and he looked over at Miss Parker, who had her eyes closed in defeat.
"Miss Parker," Jarod said quickly and in an energetic voice. "I think I have a plan." Miss Parker looked at him and waited. "I bought a pocket knife and it's still in my pocket. I didn't realize it was in there until now. My left leg pants pocket."
Miss Parker looked over at his legs and saw the slight bulge in his pocket. "Why didn't they find it earlier. I mean they don't seem to be the kind of men that refrain from pat downs."
"Umm they did, but it kind of slid over..." Jarod trailed off, very uncomfortable.
"Oh." Miss Parker said understanding. "So what do you want me to do?"
"See if you can't maneuver your leg so that it reaches mine and try to slide it out of my pocket." Jarod said shifting so that he was as horizontal to the floor as he could be.
Miss Parker nodded and did the same. She kicked her shoe off and slid her foot up Jarod's leg until she reached his pocket. Both ignored the sultry way that it felt and concentrated on trying to free the knife.
After about ten minutes they had success and Jarod slid the knife over to behind him, He cut through the rope with little difficulty and stretched his wrists. Ignoring the pain, he cut Miss Parker loose and motioned for her to stay in that position until Krieger came back. He moved back over to his pole and waited.
Sure enough about five minutes later the warehouse door opened and Krieger strode in with a 9 mm gun in one hand and a whip in the other. Both were meant for Miss Parker and everyone knew it. He stepped over to Miss Parker and let the edge of the whip scrape down her cheek and leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of hers.
"Ready for me, Gorgeous?" he breathed into her face.
"Are you?" Jarod's voice came from behind Krieger and before he had a chance to turn around Krieger found himself face down on the cement. He struggled to get up but Miss Parker kicked him and he rolled over onto his back. He curled up into a ball and tried to protect his body from other blows. Jarod growled and hefted the man up as if he as nothing more than a piece of garbage. He slammed him into the wall before he tied him to the pole that Miss Parker had been held captive on.
"See ya, Sweet cheeks." Miss Parker said leaning down and whispered into his face. She slapped him hard and then followed Jarod to the doorway. They could hear the two goons that had tied them up in the first place talking.
Jarod put his finger to his lips and motioned for her to go to the other side and distract them. She nodded and moved to where they could see her.
"Uh, you guys might wanna go help your boss." She said motioning inside the building. The goons looked at her and then at each other. They started towards her but before they could reach her completely Jarod hit them from behind with a long piece of plywood he had picked up.
As they crumpled to the floor, Miss Parker stood over them and shook her head. "I thought that only worked in the movies."
Jarod just grabbed her arm and pulled her to the black sedan that she had shown up in. He hot-wired the car and they peeled out of the parking lot at top speed.
He parked in the airport parking lot and watched Miss Parker fish around in the glove compartment. Giving a hoot of success, she pulled out her cell phone.
Opening it she dialed a number and placed the phone to her ear. "Sydney, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine. It's a very long story and I promise to explain it all when I get home. How's Catie?" She paused a second to listen to Sydney and grinned after hearing what he had to say. "Yeah, that sounds like Catie."
Jarod looked at her his eyebrow raised. She told Sydney to hold on while she checked something out and placed her hand over the mouthpiece. "She refused to stay with Lyle. Threw a huge temper tantrum in front of a few, very elite, members of the Centre and wouldn't let him touch her. Finally Sydney was called to take her and she went to him quietly and willingly. Sydney said Lyle turned more shades of red than he thought existed in the color spectrum." She grinned, obviously proud of her daughter and not caring who she was sharing the information with.
Jarod laughed quietly and then placed his hand over his mouth to stop any other sound from escaping. Miss Parker went back to her phone conversation and placed her head against the window glass as she listened to Sydney speak on the other end.
After a few beats she glanced over at Jarod and then cast her eyes out the car window. "No, I missed him by about a half a day. Well, right now I really don't care what Lyle has to say. I'll deal with him later. Actually that's what...um...the Rockford Airport. First class? Good God, yes! Okay I'll see you in a couple hours. Tell Catie I love her. Bye."
Miss Parker hung up the phone and looked over at Jarod. He smiled at her and she looked at him like he was insane. "What?" she asked.
"Missed me by a half a day, huh?" Jarod said knowing he was probably pushing his luck, but doing it anyway.
"Don't start with me!" Miss Parker snapped. "I can still bring you in."
"Yeah, you and what army?" Jarod laughed and then genuinely smiled at her. "Thank you, Miss Parker."
"Don't thank me, Jarod. I will get you, just not today." With that she got out of the car and disappeared into the airport.
Jarod sat and thought a moment then followed her in. He kept out of sight, but when the flight to Delaware was called he flashed his pilot ID card that let him on any flight and followed her onboard. It's not like he was worried about her or anything, he just was being cautious. Besides, he had a little business to care of with Lyle, who he just knew was behind the whole thing with Krieger. Jarod watched Miss Parker take her seat up in first class and he sat himself down in coach. Two hours later, he followed her out o the parking lot and waited for her car to come pick her up.
Surprisingly it wasn't Sam, her personal sweeper, who came and got her. As Sydney stepped from his car, he looked around for Miss Parker. They saw each other in the same instant and Miss Parker walked over to where he stood. Jarod watched Sydney ask her something and gently touch the bruise on her face from when Krieger had hit her. Miss Parker nodded and pulled Sydney's hand down from her face, but held it a moment in her own. He opened her door for her and she slid into the car. Sydney climbed into the driver's seat and they left the airport. Jarod went over to the rental place and picked up the car he had ordered over the plane phone and clandestinely followed them back to Miss Parker's place.
He got there first by taking shortcuts that he had found a long time ago and parked across the street. He immediately noticed Catie sitting on the front step, clutching a beat up teddy bear and Broots with his arm around the child's shoulders, hugging her to his side. Catie was dressed in overalls and a lightweight jacket and because it was cool for mid-September Broots kept gesturing to the house. Catie however shook her head adamantly and just folded her arms across her chest. She played with her braided pigtails, slipping one inside her mouth and chewed on it, thus giving away how much the child was worried. About ten minutes later Jarod saw Sydney's car pull into the driveway and Miss Parker practically burst out of the passenger side door. Catie jumped up and the teddy bear was dropped on the ground, immediately forgotten. Miss Parker dropped to her knees just as Catie launched herself into her mother's arms and began to squeeze the life out of her. Miss Parker held Catie to her just as tightly and kissed the little girl's cheeks and forehead. After a moment of just holding Catie to her, she suddenly straightened, but Catie wasn't quite ready to let her mother go. So when Miss Parker stood she took the little girl up with her.
As Jarod watched from afar Miss Parker stood shock still for a second, then began to bounce up and down slightly trying to playfully shake Catie loose. The child's laughter rang out as she slid down her mother's body to find herself sitting on Miss Parker's feet. Catie wrapped her arms around Miss Parker's calves, laid her head on Miss Parker's knees, and giggled. Miss Parker grinned down at her daughter and bounced her knees back and forth, making Catie's head bump up and down. Catie laughed harder, then apparently decided enough was enough. Miss Parker waited patiently until Catie stood up again on very unsteady legs. She then took Catie's hand into hers and led the child up the stone steps towards the house, with a grinning Sydney and Broots in accompaniment.
Suddenly Catie stopped and let go of her mother's hand. She raced back down the steps and picked up the forsaken teddy bear. Straightening up again, her gaze shifted to connect with Jarod's across the street. Jarod froze, unsure of what to do, but the girl just titled her head and then grinned at him as if she knew who he was. The connection was broken when Miss Parker called to Catie and the girl whirled around and raced back to where her mother stood. She took hold of Miss Parker's hand and with a backward glance at Jarod, she and the three adults disappeared into the house.
The shutting of the front door brought Jarod out of his mesmerized state and he was very confused. What had just happened? He had felt a connection with that child like he had never felt before and he was very certain she had felt it too. Jarod shook his head, started up his car, and drove off to his next destination.
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"That is not a word, Syd!" Miss Parker exclaimed smiling as she raised her glass of lemonade to her lips.
"It is, Parker. Look it up. It is the tree from which cocoa seeds come from." Sydney said leaning back in the porch wicker chair and folding his hands into his lap. "I think that puts me in the lead actually. Where is the score pad?"
Miss Parker turned to her right and noticed Broots nodding along with everything that Syd was explaining.
"Oh no, you don't!" she said in mock anger. "Don't you dare tell me you have any idea what he is talking about."
She leaned toward him, placing her elbows on her porch table and stared at him.
"I do too!" Broots said indignantly. "Debbie and I went to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for a vacation a few summers ago and they told us that at the Hershey Chocolate Factory."
Sydney chuckled as Miss Parker gave him a funny look and pushed his shoulder, shaking her head. Broots started to laugh and even Miss Parker cracked a smile.
"Aww, man they are too cute." Broots said grinning at the two children running around on the front lawn. "Did I tell you that Debbie was telling our next-door neighbor about Catie the other day. She said that she was going to visit her cousin Catherine and teach her how to do a cartwheel."
Miss Parker looked over as well and watched her daughter and Debbie race after each other and thought about what an odd friendship the two children had. They were as close as twin sisters, despite the fact that Debbie was a good six years older than Catie. In fact, most ten year olds would pitch a fit if they had to spend time with a four year old, but Debbie Broots seemed to understand that Catie Parker was a very special child and that her brain was on a level much like her own. The children had formed a fast friendship and now every chance they got they spent their free time together.
The two girls that scampered around the yard, in their now dry bathing suits, were oblivious to the fact that the sun was setting and the day was almost over. Since it had been a pretty hot day for early May, when Broots and Debbie had arrived Miss Parker had allowed Catie and Debbie to play in the sprinkler from the early morning into afternoon. It was now around four o'clock and the sprinkler had long been put away in the shed. The girls had gotten restless and after the ground had dried considerably, they scampered off to play tag. Catie was "it" and was chasing after Debbie, both giggling like crazy. She managed to tag Debbie's waist briefly and they changed positions almost immediately. Now it was Catie who was being pursued. All of a sudden they stopped at the top of the slight hill and dropped to the ground. Miss Parker jumped up, upsetting the Scrabble board in the process, thinking they were hurt and then sat back down again when they both began to laugh hysterically. Catie crossed her arms over her chest started rolling down the hill and Debbie, doing the same with her arms, followed a few beats later. They came to a stop at the bottom of the hill and just lay there panting and trying to catch their breaths in between laughs.
After a few minutes they simultaneously got up and wandered over to the porch. Debbie flopped down on the third step and began to play with Peter, the rabbit Jarod had given Miss Parker on that seemingly disappointing Christmas. Catie skipped over to where Miss Parker was sitting and she wrapped her arm around the tiny girl's waist. Catie leaned into her mother and laid her head down on Miss Parker's shoulder listening to Sydney tell a story about a puppy that had been found in his neighborhood.
Inside the house, the faint chime of the oven timer and Broots jumped up knocking over the game board once more, receiving glares from Miss Parker and Sydney because they had been the ones to pick up all of the letters the first time.
"Sorry...uh...hey girls, you wanna help me get the cookies out of the oven?" Broots said edging towards the front door. Broots opened it and Debbie raced in to turn off the oven. Broots looked over at Catie and raised his eyebrows. Catie smiled and placed a quick kiss on Miss Parker's cheek, then scampered inside after Debbie, grabbing Broots' hand and yanking him inside after her.
Sydney chuckled and dropped the last few letters into the box. "Who'd have thought it, Miss Parker? Us coming over to spend Mother's Day with you and your daughter, you baking chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen while we all sit on the porch drinking lemonade and playing Scrabble? In fact this past year there has been quite a significant change in you and I'm very sure it is for the better."
Miss Parker smiled brilliantly then shrugged her shoulders, placing the lid on the game. She remember many things from the past year, a lot of them fond memories of Catie and her new found "family". One that stuck out the most was of Catie's fourth birthday, for it had been a very momentous occasion. It had marked the point where Catie had officially begun her real life with Miss Parker. Now her little girl was only two and a half months from celebrating her fifth birthday. Miss Parker was surprised at how fast she and Catie had connected and formed a schedule. At times it seemed as though Catie had always been with Miss Parker and they had never been separated at all.
Breaking into Miss Parker's thoughts, came Catie's voice ordering her and Sydney to come inside to eat dinner so that they could open presents. After putting the glasses and pitcher in the kitchen sink, Miss Parker joined the rest of them at the table.
Dinner went fast with lots of laughter and silly comments form the two highly energized children. After the table was cleared away and the dishes in the sink for later, Miss Parker wandered into the living room. Sydney sat next to her and Broots was in the armchair. Debbie was sprawled out on her stomach, kicking her legs lightly, on the rug in front of the unlit fireplace bathed in the light of the tall lamp by the couch. Miss Parker settled onto the sofa and patted her legs for Catie to come over. The girl climbed up onto Miss Parker's lap and leaned back onto her mother's chest. Miss Parker kissed Catie's dark head and then placed her chin on Catie's shoulder lightly.
"Well, let's see here. There are three gifts, two addressed to Miss Parker and one is addressed to...Broots?" Sydney looked over at Broots quizzically and he blushed slightly.
"Debbie usually picks something out for both Mother's Day and Father's Day." Broots said shrugging his shoulders and smiling over at Debbie.
"Open mine first, Daddy!" Debbie exclaimed crawling over to the edge of the coffee table and handing him the gift, anticipation in her eyes. Broots opened the paper and smiled brightly when he saw what was in the package.
"A G.I. Joe action figure set from the 60s. It's perfect, Sweetie! How did you know that this was a favorite of mine, Debbie?" Broots asked happily.
"A little birdie told me." Debbie said giggling, sharing a secretive look with Miss Parker.
"Thank you, Honey. It's great!" Broots said giving his daughter a huge hug and Debbie moved to lift one of the gifts off the table. She walked over to Miss Parker and handed it to her solemnly.
Miss Parker took it, a look of surprise on her face and then smiled at Debbie. She ripped the paper off and grinned at the sight. She held up the copy of Little Men to show Sydney and Broots and then looked at Debbie, her eyes bright.
"You told me your mom used to read to you and then you gave me the book she was gonna give to you. Well, I was thinking maybe, you could read this one to Catie and me sometime." Debbie said scuffling her toe into the carpet. Miss Parker grinned and pulled Debbie in for a hug. She let her go and glanced down at Catie who was grinning happily at her mother and her "cousin".
"I'd love that." Miss Parker said and squeezed Debbie's hand. She watched as the girl walked back over to her dad and settled herself onto his lap.
"Mama?" Catie said sliding off of Miss Parker's lap. "Mine next, Mama."
She placed a heavy present in Miss Parker's hands and stood waiting. Miss Parker ripped the bluish-purple flower designed paper, almost regretfully and pulled out a gold double photo frame. She turned it over and gasped. In one frame was the picture of her and her mother that she thought she had lost years ago. It had been Miss Parker's spring break from her school and her and her mother had gone to the nearby park. They had found an old tire swing and decide to have some fun. They both climbed on and began swing their legs. In no time they were swinging into the air and laughing in pure joy. A college student who was majoring in photography had snapped the photo of them swinging and had gotten their address, then sent it to them later. Her mother had told her that it was a memory that she would treasure all her life and they had gone to pick out a frame the very next day.
In the opposite frame was another photo, only this was of Catie and herself. It had been the first day of spring and Miss Parker had taken Catie to the same park to show her the tire swing. They were both in matching sun dresses and Miss Parker was seated on the swing and Catie was on her lap. Catie had whispered a joke in her ear and Miss Parker was caught on photograph throwing her head back and laughing while Catie grinned at her. It was perfect picture to complement a perfect day.
Miss Parker looked up and saw Catie smiling hesitatingly. "Do you like it, Mama?" she asked tentatively.
"Oh, Baby, how could you doubt that for a second? I love it. It's of the most beautiful gifts I have ever gotten in my life and I will cherish it forever." Miss Parker said pulling Catie into her arms and hugging her tight. "Where on earth did you get that picture?"
Catie sat up and looked over Miss Parker's shoulder. "Uncle Sydney took it. He said that it was perfect for a Mother's Day gift and he helped me pick out the frame too."
Miss Parker looked at the man beside her, with tears in her eyes and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Syd." she said her voice catching.
"It was my pleasure. Catie had the idea after she found the photo of your mother and you in your closet and then when Catie said you were taking her to the park to see the swing, it seemed perfect. I guess you could say things just took off from there." He said squeezing her hand back and then threw a look at Broots and Debbie. He laughed when he noticed that Debbie could barely keep her eyes open and then he noticed the same about Catie. He brought this to the attention of Broots and Miss Parker and they all agreed it had been a long day and everybody needed to go home and sleep.
Miss Parker gave Debbie a hug and accepted a peck on the cheek from Broots as Catie sadly hugged Debbie good-bye.
"Girls, cheer up. We are all going to the movies on Tuesday. That is only two days away. I think you can handle it." Miss Parker said at the girls' pouts. The adults laughed and Sydney saw Broots off while Miss Parker shooed Catie towards the bedroom to pick out her pajamas and then get ready for her bath. As she placed the photo frame and the book on her night table, she noticed Syd was still in the den staring out the window into the dimming evening.
"Syd?" she asked coming out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"I have a gift for you too, Parker." Sydney said and handed her a pale green gift with a white rose threaded through the white ribbon wrapped around it.
"Did you wrap it yourself, Syd?" Miss Parker asked pulling out the rose and smelling it. When he nodded yes, she smiled and unwrapped the gift slowly, trying not to rip the paper. Her own father had not even gotten her a gift, yet this man had found it in his heart to buy her one. She finally got to the actual present and turned it over. It was another photograph only this time it was very candid and seemed to touch Miss Parker's soul.
"I took it on the day we came over to compare notes on Jarod. Remember? You had just put Catie down for a nap in your bed and when you didn't come back right away, I went to check and apparently you had dozed off also." Sydney said and pointed to the picture. "It tells you what I found."
The photograph did indeed reveal the rest of the story. In their sleep they had shifted on the bed so that Catie's head was right next to Miss Parker's head their noses inches apart and their dark hair was spread out on the white sheets. Miss Parker and Catie both wore slight smiles as though they were sharing the same dream and it was just between the two of them. Sydney had taken the picture on black and white film and it had turned out beautifully. In it a person could see the obvious resemblance between the two females and somehow the overwhelming love that Miss Parker felt for her daughter seemed to shine through the picture also. Looking it over, a tear slid down her cheek and she looked up at Sydney.
"Syd, I don't even know where to begin. It's beautiful. Thank you." She was enfolded in a hug and let the fatherly feel of it flow over her. He pulled back and she smiled self-consciously.
"Geez, Syd, do you keep a camera in your pocket or something? Well, look at it this way, if you ever decide to quit the Centre, you definitely have a job in photography." She said jokingly.
Sydney laughed and then moved to get his coat from the kitchen chair.
"Good-bye, Catie!" he called on his way out.
"Bye-bye, Uncle Sydney!" came the child's voice from the bathroom directly across from Catie's bedroom. Miss Parker walked Sydney to the door and then watched him pull out of the driveway. Closing the door, she ran her hand over the photo once more. The sound of running water brought her back to reality and she turned quickly.
"Catherine, what are you doing?" she yelled, afraid of the answer.
"Nothing, Mama!" Catie yelled back. A pause went by and then she yelled out again. "Mama, how much bubble bath do you usually put in?"
"Why?" Miss Parker asked rooted to the floor in horrific anticipation, her hands clutching the photograph frame in a death grip. She thought of the fist sized, strawberry smelling, bubble bath tablets she had bought for Catie last week at the store in the nearby mall. The directions said to use only a half of a tablet for a full bathtub of bubbles. She had a sinking feeling that Catie hadn't bothered to read the directions.
Her suspicions were confirmed when Catie yelled out "Do you think three is enough?"
"Catherine!" Miss Parker hurried to save the bathroom although she suspected it was a too late.
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Two weeks later everything was pretty much the same around the Centre. They had gotten a lead on Jarod that had just missed him by an hour and Miss Parker had been working on a report to send to the Triumvirate all week explaining the loss of expenses. She had managed to be able to pick up Catie from preschool everyday except Wednesday the 26th, which happened to be the deadline for her report.
So it was around twelve o'clock that afternoon and Miss Parker was hunched over her desk deep in her thoughts when Sam the Sweeper knocked on her office door.
"You wanted me, Miss Parker?" Sam said coming to stand in front of her desk hands clasped in front of him.
"Yes, Sam. Could you do me a favor and pick up Catie from preschool and take her to my house. I have to finish this report, but I'll be home by about one-thirty, two o'clock. You know the routine. Lunch then a nap. I should be home by the time she wakes."
"Of course, Miss Parker." Sam nodded and gave a tiny smile when she grinned back her thanks.
As he walked out of the office, Miss Parker couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook it off and continued flipping through her papers and typing her latest report on Jarod.
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"Hi Sam!" Catie bounced out onto the school yard, her loose hair flying out behind her, and her school uniform skirt swishing. She stopped in front of the tall man and grinned up at him. "Where's my mom?"
"She had to work a little later than planned, kiddo. You mind if an old guy takes you home and feeds you lunch?" Sam said affection dripping in his voice.
"No, silly." Catie giggled and took his outstretched hand. "Besides, you're not that old."
She began to laugh hysterically as Sam tickled her in payback for the remark. When he stopped and she had calmed down, he buckled her into the car seat. She showed him her drawing of her and her mother outside of their house she had done in art class. He smiled and made comments about her artistic ability as he climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the school parking lot.
Neither noticed a black car following them nor the sniper that took out the left front wheel of their sedan. They had been on a road that was virtually empty this time a day and so no one noticed a two men in all black, drag Sam out of the car and hit him over the head with a gun. No one heard Catie's screams as other man, also dressed in black, took her out of her car seat and placed her into the vehicle he had just sprung from. And no one noticed them drive off with Miss Parker's now sedated daughter.
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Broots opened the door to Miss Parker's office slowly, Sydney's urgent prodding the only reason he kept walking to her desk.
"Um, Miss Parker." Broots said softly and waited until she looked up.
"Yes, Broots? Is there something I can do for you?" Miss Parker said sounding the way a dog baring its teeth would, if it could talk. "I was supposed to be done this report and on my way home about a half hour ago, so whatever it is make it quick." When Broots didn't say anything right away, she raised her eyebrow. "Broots?"
"It's, umm. it's about Catie, Miss Parker." Broots said, his voice small and scratchy.
"What about her?" Miss Parker asked the uneasy feeling returning, making her dread the answer that was going to come. When Broots hesitated Miss Parker asked again slowly, "What about my daughter, Broots?"
Broots cleared his throat and continued. "The police found Sam and the car on the side of the road. Sam was knocked out and one of the tires had been shot out."
"Where's Catie? Is she okay?" Miss Parker asked rising to her feet quickly and stepped forward to stand in front of Broots.
"She wasn't in the car, Miss Parker. They have reason to believe she was taken. Her car seat buckles were ripped off the car seat and they found a drawing of Catie's ripped up as if someone had torn it out of a person's hands."
Miss Parker felt her knees go weak and then Sydney's arm about her waist holding her up. She found herself short of breath and looked at Sydney with an expression of panic on her face. "Syd...I...can't...breath! Sydney, I..."
"You're in shock, Parker. Sit down and try to take deep breaths." Sydney said slowly and settling her down on the couch in her office.
When Miss Parker seemed to have control over her breathing, she looked up at Sydney. "I have to go to the police station."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Sydney asked gently. When Miss Parker shook her head yes, he helped her to her feet. Turning to look at Broots he added, "Broots, keep an eye on any activity in the Centre. Make sure you check all aspects of the mainframe. This is Catie's life we are talking about."
Broots gave him his wholehearted assurance he would pay the utmost attention to the Centre's business while they were gone and watched as Sydney led a blank faced Miss Parker to the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors shut, the phone in Miss Parker's office rang.
"Hello?" Broots said hurriedly into the phone.
"Broots, what are you doing answering Miss Parker's phone?"
"Jarod!" Broots exclaimed.
"Hey, Broots, how are you and Debbie?" Jarod asked from the couch of the New York apartment he was currently renting.
"Uh, we're fine, thanks. Um, you know this is definitely not the best time to be messing with Miss Parker's head. I'm telling you now, whatever it is that you have to tell her can wait." Broots told the man over the phone.
"Why? What's happening over there?" Jarod asked hearing the anxiety in Broots voice.
"Ah hell, you're gonna find out anyway. You know Catie, Miss Parker's daughter?"
"Yeah, I know who she is Broots." Jarod said rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well, she was kidnapped about two hours ago. And man, Jarod, I have never seen Miss Parker so out of it. I mean if they don't find Catie...I don't know what she'd do. Jarod? Hello, Jarod?"
But Jarod didn't hear him for he was already packing his bags and making a flight reservation for the next flight to Delaware.
Miss Parker took out her gun and unlocked the safety catch. She got out of her car and felt a slight uneasiness surround her. She suddenly wished that Sydney hadn't had to do those other projects today and that Broots hadn't had to clean out their old computer files on Jarod today. As much as she wouldn't like to admit it, she could use some back up. She shook that thought off and held her head higher. She didn't need anyone to help her catch Jarod. He had no idea she was coming. She would surprise him and cuff him, then take him back to the Centre. That's it. She would probably even be back to take Catie to dance class like she had promised.
Miss Parker approached the desolate building, her gun up by her head. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. Jarod had never stayed in a place like this before, but it was a lead and she had to go after every one. Miss Parker heard a sudden noise behind her, but before she could turn around to investigate she felt a needle pierce the back of her neck. Within seconds she felt woozy and she heard her gun fall to the pavement, just before her world went black.
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Miss Parker awoke in a dark room and when she tried to move she found that she was bound to a pole in the middle of the room. The light from a small window on the opposite side of what she could now tell was an empty warehouse, helped her eyes adjust to the dark settings. She twisted her head to look around and was immediately hit with an overwhelming headache.
"Hurts doesn't it?" came a familiar voice.
"Jarod!" Miss Parker said angrily. "I should've known. Did you do this to me?"
She turned to her left only to be taken aback in surprise. Jarod was also bound to a similar pole next to her.
"Yeah, Miss Parker, and then I did this to myself out of boredom." Jarod said sarcastically.
Miss Parker gave him an annoyed look and struggled to untie her wrists.
"It's no use." Jarod said as he watched her, slightly amused. "Is it just me or does this have a familiar look to it?"
Miss Parker paused as she remembered the hurricane in Florida and the monster called Bartlett. She shivered in relived fear and returned to trying to loosen the rope that held her to the cold concrete pole.
"How did you end up here anyway?" Jarod asked still amused at her useless attempts to free herself.
"I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?" Miss Parker growled in frustration as she gave up on the ropes.
"Told you." Jarod said in reference to the ropes. When she just glared at him he answered her other question. "I was leaving my building when some guy grabbed me and knocked me out with what I suspect was chloroform. I woke up about three days ago here and I'll tell you this, I'm starving!"
"They haven't even given you any food to eat?" Miss Parker asked in horror.
"Nothing. And I have yet to meet our captor so don't ask me who it is. I saw a couple of men bring you in Monday evening, but they kept giving you something that kept you asleep. They stopped about three hours ago. What are you doing in this city anyway? I hadn't calculated your arrival for another day or two."
"I got an anonymous tip on where you were so I took the jet out here and pretty much the same thing happened to me. I was about to enter the building that the tip said you had stayed in, which I am beginning to doubt, and..." she trailed off shrugging, then she winced as pain coursed through her body. She forgot about it a moment later when something he had said reentered her mind. "Wait, you said they brought me in Monday evening? What day is this?"
"Wednesday." Jarod said.
"I've been here for two days already?" Miss Parker said softly her head beginning to hurt again. "Oh, God, Catie! What happened to Catie?"
"I'm sure she's fine. Sydney would have seen to it." Jarod said reassuring her. Miss Parker nodded, somewhat relieved. Jarod asked "So how has motherhood been treating you?"
Miss Parker's eyes softened and she smiled faintly. "She is such a special little girl. I never knew such love, not since...not since my mother was alive."
"I saw she had taken up dance when I left that bracelet of your mothers." Jarod said remembering the photograph of Catie in a cute little ballerina costume, posing gracefully.
"Yes, she is very good too. My mother's talent seems to have found a home in her." Miss Parker said proudly. She found herself thinking about Catie's upcoming recital and if she would be around to see it.
After a few minutes of silence she spoke up, "So, any idea on how to get out of here, Boy Genius?"
Before Jarod could answer her a deep voice echoed throughout the warehouse. "I wouldn't bet on it. He is tied tighter than you are, my dear Miss Parker."
A man stepped out from the shadows and an evil karma permeated room. He had a pointy goatee and small beady eyes that seemed to look at you with a slightly crazed look. He was muscular, but because of the bad feeling that surrounded him, a person could tell that the muscle was used for evil and not good. In short, he looked the way Hollywood would depict Satan in a movie minus the horns and pointy tail.
"Oh, do forgive me," the man said frowning at his "guests". "Since neither of you know me let me introduce myself. I am Jonathan Krieger, but you can just call me Krieger. Everyone else does."
"I know what I want to call you and Krieger isn't even close." Miss Parker spat at him.
"Tsk, tsk." Krieger said very disapprovingly, shaking his head slowly. He advanced towards her and stroked her cheek gently. "Is that any way to treat your host?"
He abruptly stopped stroking her cheek and slapped her hard. Miss Parker's head whipped to the side and her cheek turned an angry red. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep to the tears of pain at bay and Krieger shook his head again seemingly satisfied. "I didn't think so."
He studied Miss Parker closely taking in her black leather pants and bright red blouse and grinned sinisterly.
"You know, I think I could have fun with you." He trailed his hand over her face again, but this time he continued down her chest until her reached her stomach.
"What do you want, Krieger?" Jarod called out feeling the desperate need to get him away from Miss Parker. Thankfully Krieger seemed distracted by Jarod's question and backed away from the shaking Miss Parker.
"Thank you, Jarod, for reminding me of my original agenda. But don't think that let's you off the hook, Sweet cheeks." Krieger directed towards Miss Parker who had overcome her pain and was now staring at him with an intense mixture of hate, disgust, and the smallest hint fear.
"I only want the twenty million dollars offered to me if I caught you two...and maybe a little fun with Gorgeous over there." Krieger said stepping back and folding his arms across his chest, studying his captives.
"The Centre, right?" Jarod asked.
Krieger paused then shrugged. "No point in lying. Yeah, they're the ones who hired me."
At Krieger's nod Jarod looked confused.
"Why would ask you to catch they her? She's one of them." Jarod asked.
"That's true. Actually, they really just wanted you, but I got another offer about four days ago, from some man, for an extra ten mil, but that was only if I...uh... 'took care' of Sweet cheeks over there also." Krieger said taking a toothpick out of his pocket and began to chew on it.
"My father will double the amount of money, if you let me go. Please, I have responsibilities. I need to get home." Miss Parker said almost pleading. She had never felt this helpless before, but somehow she knew without a doubt that this man was not as sane as he seemed. He would kill them if they didn't get out of there.
"Yes, I know you have 'responsibilities'." Krieger said mocking Miss Parker. "A very pretty one in particular. She is what four, maybe five years old? What is her name again? Cathy, Callie, Cody..."
Krieger paused seeming to think a moment then grinned. "Oh, that's right, it's Catie isn't it?"
Jarod watched as Miss Parker's face became red in rage.
"You touch her and I swear to you, I'll kill you." Miss Parker screamed at him.
The man just laughed and the sound chilled Miss Parker and Jarod to the core.
"Relax, Babe. I haven't got her. In fact I think she is in the wonderful hands of her loving Uncle Lyle." Krieger said watching her reaction.
Miss Parker felt her stomach flip in horror at the thought of her precious little girl having to stay with Lyle. Krieger laughed again and walked to a door at the right.
"I'll be back to check on you in a little bit. Don't miss me too much." With that and another insane laugh he left, slamming the door in his wake. The sound echoed for a beat or two after he was gone and went straight to the bones of his two prisoners.
Miss Parker slid down the pole and placed her head on her knees. She felt a weariness go through her and a stray tear slipped from her eye to land on the cold cement floor beside her.
Jarod watched her and felt his heart go out to her. "Miss Parker, there has to be a way out of this. Don't give up hope."
Miss Parker raised her head and gave him a look of contempt and anger.
"We are not getting out of here, Jarod. You are finally going back to the Centre and I..." she stopped mid-sentence and thought about the man in the next room. Her blood ran cold and she felt the need to gag.
Another though hit her and she said quietly, "My daughter is going to grow up without her mother as well, isn't she? Just like me. I should've known that this would happen. My life seems to work this way."
She laughed at the irony and her laughter had an empty and slightly hysterical ring to it, making Jarod shudder.
"Miss Parker, listen to me. If you give up you can be certain that Catie is not going to have her mother around, but if you stop feeling sorry for yourself we might be able to figure out how to get out of here!" Jarod said hoping to snap her out of her trance-like state.
"You don't think I wanna get out of here?" Miss Parker snapped at him. "My daughter is going to be worried sick. I have been gone for two days when I told her I would be back for dinner and to take her to dance class!"
Jarod sighed and slid down his pole so he was in the same position as her. He leaned his head back against the pole and tried desperately to think. His head jerked up moments later and he looked over at Miss Parker, who had her eyes closed in defeat.
"Miss Parker," Jarod said quickly and in an energetic voice. "I think I have a plan." Miss Parker looked at him and waited. "I bought a pocket knife and it's still in my pocket. I didn't realize it was in there until now. My left leg pants pocket."
Miss Parker looked over at his legs and saw the slight bulge in his pocket. "Why didn't they find it earlier. I mean they don't seem to be the kind of men that refrain from pat downs."
"Umm they did, but it kind of slid over..." Jarod trailed off, very uncomfortable.
"Oh." Miss Parker said understanding. "So what do you want me to do?"
"See if you can't maneuver your leg so that it reaches mine and try to slide it out of my pocket." Jarod said shifting so that he was as horizontal to the floor as he could be.
Miss Parker nodded and did the same. She kicked her shoe off and slid her foot up Jarod's leg until she reached his pocket. Both ignored the sultry way that it felt and concentrated on trying to free the knife.
After about ten minutes they had success and Jarod slid the knife over to behind him, He cut through the rope with little difficulty and stretched his wrists. Ignoring the pain, he cut Miss Parker loose and motioned for her to stay in that position until Krieger came back. He moved back over to his pole and waited.
Sure enough about five minutes later the warehouse door opened and Krieger strode in with a 9 mm gun in one hand and a whip in the other. Both were meant for Miss Parker and everyone knew it. He stepped over to Miss Parker and let the edge of the whip scrape down her cheek and leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of hers.
"Ready for me, Gorgeous?" he breathed into her face.
"Are you?" Jarod's voice came from behind Krieger and before he had a chance to turn around Krieger found himself face down on the cement. He struggled to get up but Miss Parker kicked him and he rolled over onto his back. He curled up into a ball and tried to protect his body from other blows. Jarod growled and hefted the man up as if he as nothing more than a piece of garbage. He slammed him into the wall before he tied him to the pole that Miss Parker had been held captive on.
"See ya, Sweet cheeks." Miss Parker said leaning down and whispered into his face. She slapped him hard and then followed Jarod to the doorway. They could hear the two goons that had tied them up in the first place talking.
Jarod put his finger to his lips and motioned for her to go to the other side and distract them. She nodded and moved to where they could see her.
"Uh, you guys might wanna go help your boss." She said motioning inside the building. The goons looked at her and then at each other. They started towards her but before they could reach her completely Jarod hit them from behind with a long piece of plywood he had picked up.
As they crumpled to the floor, Miss Parker stood over them and shook her head. "I thought that only worked in the movies."
Jarod just grabbed her arm and pulled her to the black sedan that she had shown up in. He hot-wired the car and they peeled out of the parking lot at top speed.
He parked in the airport parking lot and watched Miss Parker fish around in the glove compartment. Giving a hoot of success, she pulled out her cell phone.
Opening it she dialed a number and placed the phone to her ear. "Sydney, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine. It's a very long story and I promise to explain it all when I get home. How's Catie?" She paused a second to listen to Sydney and grinned after hearing what he had to say. "Yeah, that sounds like Catie."
Jarod looked at her his eyebrow raised. She told Sydney to hold on while she checked something out and placed her hand over the mouthpiece. "She refused to stay with Lyle. Threw a huge temper tantrum in front of a few, very elite, members of the Centre and wouldn't let him touch her. Finally Sydney was called to take her and she went to him quietly and willingly. Sydney said Lyle turned more shades of red than he thought existed in the color spectrum." She grinned, obviously proud of her daughter and not caring who she was sharing the information with.
Jarod laughed quietly and then placed his hand over his mouth to stop any other sound from escaping. Miss Parker went back to her phone conversation and placed her head against the window glass as she listened to Sydney speak on the other end.
After a few beats she glanced over at Jarod and then cast her eyes out the car window. "No, I missed him by about a half a day. Well, right now I really don't care what Lyle has to say. I'll deal with him later. Actually that's what...um...the Rockford Airport. First class? Good God, yes! Okay I'll see you in a couple hours. Tell Catie I love her. Bye."
Miss Parker hung up the phone and looked over at Jarod. He smiled at her and she looked at him like he was insane. "What?" she asked.
"Missed me by a half a day, huh?" Jarod said knowing he was probably pushing his luck, but doing it anyway.
"Don't start with me!" Miss Parker snapped. "I can still bring you in."
"Yeah, you and what army?" Jarod laughed and then genuinely smiled at her. "Thank you, Miss Parker."
"Don't thank me, Jarod. I will get you, just not today." With that she got out of the car and disappeared into the airport.
Jarod sat and thought a moment then followed her in. He kept out of sight, but when the flight to Delaware was called he flashed his pilot ID card that let him on any flight and followed her onboard. It's not like he was worried about her or anything, he just was being cautious. Besides, he had a little business to care of with Lyle, who he just knew was behind the whole thing with Krieger. Jarod watched Miss Parker take her seat up in first class and he sat himself down in coach. Two hours later, he followed her out o the parking lot and waited for her car to come pick her up.
Surprisingly it wasn't Sam, her personal sweeper, who came and got her. As Sydney stepped from his car, he looked around for Miss Parker. They saw each other in the same instant and Miss Parker walked over to where he stood. Jarod watched Sydney ask her something and gently touch the bruise on her face from when Krieger had hit her. Miss Parker nodded and pulled Sydney's hand down from her face, but held it a moment in her own. He opened her door for her and she slid into the car. Sydney climbed into the driver's seat and they left the airport. Jarod went over to the rental place and picked up the car he had ordered over the plane phone and clandestinely followed them back to Miss Parker's place.
He got there first by taking shortcuts that he had found a long time ago and parked across the street. He immediately noticed Catie sitting on the front step, clutching a beat up teddy bear and Broots with his arm around the child's shoulders, hugging her to his side. Catie was dressed in overalls and a lightweight jacket and because it was cool for mid-September Broots kept gesturing to the house. Catie however shook her head adamantly and just folded her arms across her chest. She played with her braided pigtails, slipping one inside her mouth and chewed on it, thus giving away how much the child was worried. About ten minutes later Jarod saw Sydney's car pull into the driveway and Miss Parker practically burst out of the passenger side door. Catie jumped up and the teddy bear was dropped on the ground, immediately forgotten. Miss Parker dropped to her knees just as Catie launched herself into her mother's arms and began to squeeze the life out of her. Miss Parker held Catie to her just as tightly and kissed the little girl's cheeks and forehead. After a moment of just holding Catie to her, she suddenly straightened, but Catie wasn't quite ready to let her mother go. So when Miss Parker stood she took the little girl up with her.
As Jarod watched from afar Miss Parker stood shock still for a second, then began to bounce up and down slightly trying to playfully shake Catie loose. The child's laughter rang out as she slid down her mother's body to find herself sitting on Miss Parker's feet. Catie wrapped her arms around Miss Parker's calves, laid her head on Miss Parker's knees, and giggled. Miss Parker grinned down at her daughter and bounced her knees back and forth, making Catie's head bump up and down. Catie laughed harder, then apparently decided enough was enough. Miss Parker waited patiently until Catie stood up again on very unsteady legs. She then took Catie's hand into hers and led the child up the stone steps towards the house, with a grinning Sydney and Broots in accompaniment.
Suddenly Catie stopped and let go of her mother's hand. She raced back down the steps and picked up the forsaken teddy bear. Straightening up again, her gaze shifted to connect with Jarod's across the street. Jarod froze, unsure of what to do, but the girl just titled her head and then grinned at him as if she knew who he was. The connection was broken when Miss Parker called to Catie and the girl whirled around and raced back to where her mother stood. She took hold of Miss Parker's hand and with a backward glance at Jarod, she and the three adults disappeared into the house.
The shutting of the front door brought Jarod out of his mesmerized state and he was very confused. What had just happened? He had felt a connection with that child like he had never felt before and he was very certain she had felt it too. Jarod shook his head, started up his car, and drove off to his next destination.
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"That is not a word, Syd!" Miss Parker exclaimed smiling as she raised her glass of lemonade to her lips.
"It is, Parker. Look it up. It is the tree from which cocoa seeds come from." Sydney said leaning back in the porch wicker chair and folding his hands into his lap. "I think that puts me in the lead actually. Where is the score pad?"
Miss Parker turned to her right and noticed Broots nodding along with everything that Syd was explaining.
"Oh no, you don't!" she said in mock anger. "Don't you dare tell me you have any idea what he is talking about."
She leaned toward him, placing her elbows on her porch table and stared at him.
"I do too!" Broots said indignantly. "Debbie and I went to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for a vacation a few summers ago and they told us that at the Hershey Chocolate Factory."
Sydney chuckled as Miss Parker gave him a funny look and pushed his shoulder, shaking her head. Broots started to laugh and even Miss Parker cracked a smile.
"Aww, man they are too cute." Broots said grinning at the two children running around on the front lawn. "Did I tell you that Debbie was telling our next-door neighbor about Catie the other day. She said that she was going to visit her cousin Catherine and teach her how to do a cartwheel."
Miss Parker looked over as well and watched her daughter and Debbie race after each other and thought about what an odd friendship the two children had. They were as close as twin sisters, despite the fact that Debbie was a good six years older than Catie. In fact, most ten year olds would pitch a fit if they had to spend time with a four year old, but Debbie Broots seemed to understand that Catie Parker was a very special child and that her brain was on a level much like her own. The children had formed a fast friendship and now every chance they got they spent their free time together.
The two girls that scampered around the yard, in their now dry bathing suits, were oblivious to the fact that the sun was setting and the day was almost over. Since it had been a pretty hot day for early May, when Broots and Debbie had arrived Miss Parker had allowed Catie and Debbie to play in the sprinkler from the early morning into afternoon. It was now around four o'clock and the sprinkler had long been put away in the shed. The girls had gotten restless and after the ground had dried considerably, they scampered off to play tag. Catie was "it" and was chasing after Debbie, both giggling like crazy. She managed to tag Debbie's waist briefly and they changed positions almost immediately. Now it was Catie who was being pursued. All of a sudden they stopped at the top of the slight hill and dropped to the ground. Miss Parker jumped up, upsetting the Scrabble board in the process, thinking they were hurt and then sat back down again when they both began to laugh hysterically. Catie crossed her arms over her chest started rolling down the hill and Debbie, doing the same with her arms, followed a few beats later. They came to a stop at the bottom of the hill and just lay there panting and trying to catch their breaths in between laughs.
After a few minutes they simultaneously got up and wandered over to the porch. Debbie flopped down on the third step and began to play with Peter, the rabbit Jarod had given Miss Parker on that seemingly disappointing Christmas. Catie skipped over to where Miss Parker was sitting and she wrapped her arm around the tiny girl's waist. Catie leaned into her mother and laid her head down on Miss Parker's shoulder listening to Sydney tell a story about a puppy that had been found in his neighborhood.
Inside the house, the faint chime of the oven timer and Broots jumped up knocking over the game board once more, receiving glares from Miss Parker and Sydney because they had been the ones to pick up all of the letters the first time.
"Sorry...uh...hey girls, you wanna help me get the cookies out of the oven?" Broots said edging towards the front door. Broots opened it and Debbie raced in to turn off the oven. Broots looked over at Catie and raised his eyebrows. Catie smiled and placed a quick kiss on Miss Parker's cheek, then scampered inside after Debbie, grabbing Broots' hand and yanking him inside after her.
Sydney chuckled and dropped the last few letters into the box. "Who'd have thought it, Miss Parker? Us coming over to spend Mother's Day with you and your daughter, you baking chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen while we all sit on the porch drinking lemonade and playing Scrabble? In fact this past year there has been quite a significant change in you and I'm very sure it is for the better."
Miss Parker smiled brilliantly then shrugged her shoulders, placing the lid on the game. She remember many things from the past year, a lot of them fond memories of Catie and her new found "family". One that stuck out the most was of Catie's fourth birthday, for it had been a very momentous occasion. It had marked the point where Catie had officially begun her real life with Miss Parker. Now her little girl was only two and a half months from celebrating her fifth birthday. Miss Parker was surprised at how fast she and Catie had connected and formed a schedule. At times it seemed as though Catie had always been with Miss Parker and they had never been separated at all.
Breaking into Miss Parker's thoughts, came Catie's voice ordering her and Sydney to come inside to eat dinner so that they could open presents. After putting the glasses and pitcher in the kitchen sink, Miss Parker joined the rest of them at the table.
Dinner went fast with lots of laughter and silly comments form the two highly energized children. After the table was cleared away and the dishes in the sink for later, Miss Parker wandered into the living room. Sydney sat next to her and Broots was in the armchair. Debbie was sprawled out on her stomach, kicking her legs lightly, on the rug in front of the unlit fireplace bathed in the light of the tall lamp by the couch. Miss Parker settled onto the sofa and patted her legs for Catie to come over. The girl climbed up onto Miss Parker's lap and leaned back onto her mother's chest. Miss Parker kissed Catie's dark head and then placed her chin on Catie's shoulder lightly.
"Well, let's see here. There are three gifts, two addressed to Miss Parker and one is addressed to...Broots?" Sydney looked over at Broots quizzically and he blushed slightly.
"Debbie usually picks something out for both Mother's Day and Father's Day." Broots said shrugging his shoulders and smiling over at Debbie.
"Open mine first, Daddy!" Debbie exclaimed crawling over to the edge of the coffee table and handing him the gift, anticipation in her eyes. Broots opened the paper and smiled brightly when he saw what was in the package.
"A G.I. Joe action figure set from the 60s. It's perfect, Sweetie! How did you know that this was a favorite of mine, Debbie?" Broots asked happily.
"A little birdie told me." Debbie said giggling, sharing a secretive look with Miss Parker.
"Thank you, Honey. It's great!" Broots said giving his daughter a huge hug and Debbie moved to lift one of the gifts off the table. She walked over to Miss Parker and handed it to her solemnly.
Miss Parker took it, a look of surprise on her face and then smiled at Debbie. She ripped the paper off and grinned at the sight. She held up the copy of Little Men to show Sydney and Broots and then looked at Debbie, her eyes bright.
"You told me your mom used to read to you and then you gave me the book she was gonna give to you. Well, I was thinking maybe, you could read this one to Catie and me sometime." Debbie said scuffling her toe into the carpet. Miss Parker grinned and pulled Debbie in for a hug. She let her go and glanced down at Catie who was grinning happily at her mother and her "cousin".
"I'd love that." Miss Parker said and squeezed Debbie's hand. She watched as the girl walked back over to her dad and settled herself onto his lap.
"Mama?" Catie said sliding off of Miss Parker's lap. "Mine next, Mama."
She placed a heavy present in Miss Parker's hands and stood waiting. Miss Parker ripped the bluish-purple flower designed paper, almost regretfully and pulled out a gold double photo frame. She turned it over and gasped. In one frame was the picture of her and her mother that she thought she had lost years ago. It had been Miss Parker's spring break from her school and her and her mother had gone to the nearby park. They had found an old tire swing and decide to have some fun. They both climbed on and began swing their legs. In no time they were swinging into the air and laughing in pure joy. A college student who was majoring in photography had snapped the photo of them swinging and had gotten their address, then sent it to them later. Her mother had told her that it was a memory that she would treasure all her life and they had gone to pick out a frame the very next day.
In the opposite frame was another photo, only this was of Catie and herself. It had been the first day of spring and Miss Parker had taken Catie to the same park to show her the tire swing. They were both in matching sun dresses and Miss Parker was seated on the swing and Catie was on her lap. Catie had whispered a joke in her ear and Miss Parker was caught on photograph throwing her head back and laughing while Catie grinned at her. It was perfect picture to complement a perfect day.
Miss Parker looked up and saw Catie smiling hesitatingly. "Do you like it, Mama?" she asked tentatively.
"Oh, Baby, how could you doubt that for a second? I love it. It's of the most beautiful gifts I have ever gotten in my life and I will cherish it forever." Miss Parker said pulling Catie into her arms and hugging her tight. "Where on earth did you get that picture?"
Catie sat up and looked over Miss Parker's shoulder. "Uncle Sydney took it. He said that it was perfect for a Mother's Day gift and he helped me pick out the frame too."
Miss Parker looked at the man beside her, with tears in her eyes and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Syd." she said her voice catching.
"It was my pleasure. Catie had the idea after she found the photo of your mother and you in your closet and then when Catie said you were taking her to the park to see the swing, it seemed perfect. I guess you could say things just took off from there." He said squeezing her hand back and then threw a look at Broots and Debbie. He laughed when he noticed that Debbie could barely keep her eyes open and then he noticed the same about Catie. He brought this to the attention of Broots and Miss Parker and they all agreed it had been a long day and everybody needed to go home and sleep.
Miss Parker gave Debbie a hug and accepted a peck on the cheek from Broots as Catie sadly hugged Debbie good-bye.
"Girls, cheer up. We are all going to the movies on Tuesday. That is only two days away. I think you can handle it." Miss Parker said at the girls' pouts. The adults laughed and Sydney saw Broots off while Miss Parker shooed Catie towards the bedroom to pick out her pajamas and then get ready for her bath. As she placed the photo frame and the book on her night table, she noticed Syd was still in the den staring out the window into the dimming evening.
"Syd?" she asked coming out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"I have a gift for you too, Parker." Sydney said and handed her a pale green gift with a white rose threaded through the white ribbon wrapped around it.
"Did you wrap it yourself, Syd?" Miss Parker asked pulling out the rose and smelling it. When he nodded yes, she smiled and unwrapped the gift slowly, trying not to rip the paper. Her own father had not even gotten her a gift, yet this man had found it in his heart to buy her one. She finally got to the actual present and turned it over. It was another photograph only this time it was very candid and seemed to touch Miss Parker's soul.
"I took it on the day we came over to compare notes on Jarod. Remember? You had just put Catie down for a nap in your bed and when you didn't come back right away, I went to check and apparently you had dozed off also." Sydney said and pointed to the picture. "It tells you what I found."
The photograph did indeed reveal the rest of the story. In their sleep they had shifted on the bed so that Catie's head was right next to Miss Parker's head their noses inches apart and their dark hair was spread out on the white sheets. Miss Parker and Catie both wore slight smiles as though they were sharing the same dream and it was just between the two of them. Sydney had taken the picture on black and white film and it had turned out beautifully. In it a person could see the obvious resemblance between the two females and somehow the overwhelming love that Miss Parker felt for her daughter seemed to shine through the picture also. Looking it over, a tear slid down her cheek and she looked up at Sydney.
"Syd, I don't even know where to begin. It's beautiful. Thank you." She was enfolded in a hug and let the fatherly feel of it flow over her. He pulled back and she smiled self-consciously.
"Geez, Syd, do you keep a camera in your pocket or something? Well, look at it this way, if you ever decide to quit the Centre, you definitely have a job in photography." She said jokingly.
Sydney laughed and then moved to get his coat from the kitchen chair.
"Good-bye, Catie!" he called on his way out.
"Bye-bye, Uncle Sydney!" came the child's voice from the bathroom directly across from Catie's bedroom. Miss Parker walked Sydney to the door and then watched him pull out of the driveway. Closing the door, she ran her hand over the photo once more. The sound of running water brought her back to reality and she turned quickly.
"Catherine, what are you doing?" she yelled, afraid of the answer.
"Nothing, Mama!" Catie yelled back. A pause went by and then she yelled out again. "Mama, how much bubble bath do you usually put in?"
"Why?" Miss Parker asked rooted to the floor in horrific anticipation, her hands clutching the photograph frame in a death grip. She thought of the fist sized, strawberry smelling, bubble bath tablets she had bought for Catie last week at the store in the nearby mall. The directions said to use only a half of a tablet for a full bathtub of bubbles. She had a sinking feeling that Catie hadn't bothered to read the directions.
Her suspicions were confirmed when Catie yelled out "Do you think three is enough?"
"Catherine!" Miss Parker hurried to save the bathroom although she suspected it was a too late.
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Two weeks later everything was pretty much the same around the Centre. They had gotten a lead on Jarod that had just missed him by an hour and Miss Parker had been working on a report to send to the Triumvirate all week explaining the loss of expenses. She had managed to be able to pick up Catie from preschool everyday except Wednesday the 26th, which happened to be the deadline for her report.
So it was around twelve o'clock that afternoon and Miss Parker was hunched over her desk deep in her thoughts when Sam the Sweeper knocked on her office door.
"You wanted me, Miss Parker?" Sam said coming to stand in front of her desk hands clasped in front of him.
"Yes, Sam. Could you do me a favor and pick up Catie from preschool and take her to my house. I have to finish this report, but I'll be home by about one-thirty, two o'clock. You know the routine. Lunch then a nap. I should be home by the time she wakes."
"Of course, Miss Parker." Sam nodded and gave a tiny smile when she grinned back her thanks.
As he walked out of the office, Miss Parker couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook it off and continued flipping through her papers and typing her latest report on Jarod.
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"Hi Sam!" Catie bounced out onto the school yard, her loose hair flying out behind her, and her school uniform skirt swishing. She stopped in front of the tall man and grinned up at him. "Where's my mom?"
"She had to work a little later than planned, kiddo. You mind if an old guy takes you home and feeds you lunch?" Sam said affection dripping in his voice.
"No, silly." Catie giggled and took his outstretched hand. "Besides, you're not that old."
She began to laugh hysterically as Sam tickled her in payback for the remark. When he stopped and she had calmed down, he buckled her into the car seat. She showed him her drawing of her and her mother outside of their house she had done in art class. He smiled and made comments about her artistic ability as he climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the school parking lot.
Neither noticed a black car following them nor the sniper that took out the left front wheel of their sedan. They had been on a road that was virtually empty this time a day and so no one noticed a two men in all black, drag Sam out of the car and hit him over the head with a gun. No one heard Catie's screams as other man, also dressed in black, took her out of her car seat and placed her into the vehicle he had just sprung from. And no one noticed them drive off with Miss Parker's now sedated daughter.
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Broots opened the door to Miss Parker's office slowly, Sydney's urgent prodding the only reason he kept walking to her desk.
"Um, Miss Parker." Broots said softly and waited until she looked up.
"Yes, Broots? Is there something I can do for you?" Miss Parker said sounding the way a dog baring its teeth would, if it could talk. "I was supposed to be done this report and on my way home about a half hour ago, so whatever it is make it quick." When Broots didn't say anything right away, she raised her eyebrow. "Broots?"
"It's, umm. it's about Catie, Miss Parker." Broots said, his voice small and scratchy.
"What about her?" Miss Parker asked the uneasy feeling returning, making her dread the answer that was going to come. When Broots hesitated Miss Parker asked again slowly, "What about my daughter, Broots?"
Broots cleared his throat and continued. "The police found Sam and the car on the side of the road. Sam was knocked out and one of the tires had been shot out."
"Where's Catie? Is she okay?" Miss Parker asked rising to her feet quickly and stepped forward to stand in front of Broots.
"She wasn't in the car, Miss Parker. They have reason to believe she was taken. Her car seat buckles were ripped off the car seat and they found a drawing of Catie's ripped up as if someone had torn it out of a person's hands."
Miss Parker felt her knees go weak and then Sydney's arm about her waist holding her up. She found herself short of breath and looked at Sydney with an expression of panic on her face. "Syd...I...can't...breath! Sydney, I..."
"You're in shock, Parker. Sit down and try to take deep breaths." Sydney said slowly and settling her down on the couch in her office.
When Miss Parker seemed to have control over her breathing, she looked up at Sydney. "I have to go to the police station."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Sydney asked gently. When Miss Parker shook her head yes, he helped her to her feet. Turning to look at Broots he added, "Broots, keep an eye on any activity in the Centre. Make sure you check all aspects of the mainframe. This is Catie's life we are talking about."
Broots gave him his wholehearted assurance he would pay the utmost attention to the Centre's business while they were gone and watched as Sydney led a blank faced Miss Parker to the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors shut, the phone in Miss Parker's office rang.
"Hello?" Broots said hurriedly into the phone.
"Broots, what are you doing answering Miss Parker's phone?"
"Jarod!" Broots exclaimed.
"Hey, Broots, how are you and Debbie?" Jarod asked from the couch of the New York apartment he was currently renting.
"Uh, we're fine, thanks. Um, you know this is definitely not the best time to be messing with Miss Parker's head. I'm telling you now, whatever it is that you have to tell her can wait." Broots told the man over the phone.
"Why? What's happening over there?" Jarod asked hearing the anxiety in Broots voice.
"Ah hell, you're gonna find out anyway. You know Catie, Miss Parker's daughter?"
"Yeah, I know who she is Broots." Jarod said rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well, she was kidnapped about two hours ago. And man, Jarod, I have never seen Miss Parker so out of it. I mean if they don't find Catie...I don't know what she'd do. Jarod? Hello, Jarod?"
But Jarod didn't hear him for he was already packing his bags and making a flight reservation for the next flight to Delaware.
