"Oh thank God you did come here."

Sydney turned around from his place on the sofa and beamed, thrilled to see Emily standing in the doorway to the Plan B cabin they had occupied for weeks now.

"I was afraid to leave because I knew it would be the only place you or Jarod would know to go to," he stood grasping her head and noticed the disappointment on her face, "what's wrong Emily?"

"I, I just assumed Jarod and Miss Paker had made it out as well."

"Well, it seems Miss Parker has been double playing us all. She's been on their side the entire time." Sydney said this in a low voice, filled with regret.

Emily's brows scrunched, "But that's not possible. She.. the way she and Jarod were acting when they rescued me. No, it's not right."

"Emily!" Broots walked in, holding a glass of iced tea, "how did you get out?"

"This man, he didn't talk much, but he led me through the ventilation systems and--"

"Angelo," Sydney nodded, "I wonder why he didn't help Jarod as well."

"I don't know either, but he'd thought of everything. He'd even stolen the keys to a car I could use."

Broots' eyes lit up, "It's not out, o-out there is it?"

"No! I'm not as smart as my brother, but I'm no idiot Broots. I dumped it as soon as I was out of Blue Cove. The one out there's a rental. I hope they weren't expecting it back."

Broots bowed his head, bashfully and Sydney couldn't help but smile. Still, he was worried for the predicament Jarod was obviously still in. Now he was completely alone in there and Sydney hated the thought of that.

*****

Completely alone. Miss Parker had been in the parking garage, pulling out of her spot when the alarm had gone off. It had been plenty of time for Jarod to make an escape, so she wasn't worried at all. The drive home was excruciating. She could still feel him on her lips. At the cabin's dock, he'd been so hesitant and she had been so afraid, she ran. That moment in the woods, had been sweet, innocent. This time, he hadn't given her any chance to escape or offered any other choices at all and she was relieved he hadn't. This wasn't good though. She just wanted to get back to her house and sleep away everything she was feeling right now. But Jarod was free, and that's what mattered. She knew he would take care of everything and save all the people out there that needed saving. Hopefully, she would fulfill her end of the deal from within The Centre.

She pulled into her driveway, walked to the porch and unlocked the door. Before stepping in she looked to her right, to where she'd once held her dead lover's body. That's how it always ended when she filled her heart with hope for something better. She wouldn't let that happen again. Never again.

Miss Parker pushed the door open and her eyes scanned the room. She didn't know why she was hoping he might be there. That would be suicide for him and surely he knew that. She didn't really want him there, in her head, but the butterflies in her stomach cried otherwise. Her keys were thrown to the end table beside the door as she trudged to her bedroom.

*****

Jarod was stumbling through the woods, clinging to every tree within reach for support. Every other step he took spawned a new wave of light-headedness. He wished he'd accepted more of the wheat grass and protein juice he'd been offered on occasion. He also wished he hadn't been punched in the face so many times, but that was hoping for too much.

She'd sacraficed everything for him. As he wandered along the edge of the trees, waiting for headlights to come so he could hitch a ride, all the memories of the last two miserable weeks flooded his mind. The puzzle pieces fit together now and her strange, almost bipolar behavior made perfect sense. But she was wrong. He knew they could accomplish anything together, that's when they were strongest. He also knew that she would be too stubbon to believe that if he told her. He had to show her.

Jarod was certain his left leg was broken, and predicted he'd torn some ligaments in one of his shoulders as well. The climb up the rope hadn't helped matters and the pain was growing more and more excruciating as the adrenaline faded.

Lights appeared and Jarod examined them to be sure they weren't Centre patrollers before hurling himself toward the highway with his thumb waving in the air. He knew what he must look like. He had no shoes, no shirt, and two weeks worth of facial hair. Luck was on his side though, as the sixteen wheeler braked to a stop before him. The middle-aged man opened the door to the passenger side and stared at him with shock smeared all over his wrinkled face.

"You look like you've been through Hell and back, son."

Jarod limped to the door and braced himself with his good arm on the edge of the vehicle, "Sir, thank you so much for stopping, sir. I was mugged and they knocked me out and I woke up in the middle of the woods. They took my shoes, everything."

"Hop in. Which way's home?" The man patted the passenger seat, where a bit of a dirt cloud rose up at his touch.

"Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate it. Any way you're heading will be fine." Jarod pulled himself up into the vehicle with his right arm and slid into the seat, literally breathing a sigh of relief as he did so.

"My name's Kenny, Kenny Korn. Like the band." He reached to shake Jarod's hand, noticing the red welts around his new passenger's wrists as he returned the gesture.

"Right, the band. I'm Jarod."

"So we're going anywhere, Jarod?"

"Wherever you were originally going. I'm not trying to bother."

"Well I'm headed north, hope that suits you. I've got some flannels in the back if you want to grab one," he shifted the truck into gear and it started rumbling again as they began moving, "Can't see why these rotten folks would take your shirt like that."

"It's a dignity thing," Jarod murmured, reaching into the backseat, shifting many a Big Gulp cup out of his way in the process.

"You know, I'm not tryin to pry or nothin," Kenny glanced over at the man who was configuring his body to reach back without further injuring himself, "but I aint never seen a mugging with whips involved."

Jarod froze momentarily, finally grabbing a long light blue flannel shirt and with great pains, slipped his arms into it. Kenny was a bit of a stocky man, so the shirt hung on Jarod loosely. The silence was awkward, so Jarod spoke.

"I guess they were into some strange stuff."

"Guess so," Kenny replied. Neither believed the other was falling for their mock naivety.

They rode on in an uncomfortable silence.

*****

Miss Parker walked briskly through The Centre halls. She groaned when she saw Briggite stomping toward her.

"You're behind this."

"What the hell are you whining about now?"

"You helped Jarod and Emily escape last night. I know it, Miss Parker."

Miss Parker's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she really was surprised. She had no idea Emily had gotten out, too. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Nice try, but it will take a lot more than that to convince me it wasn't you."

"I thought you'd dropped the accent. Could you work on that a little more?" Miss Parker steered herself around Briggite and onward toward the elevator, then turned back around to face her, "I couldn't care less if you think it was me. It seems what you think hasn't been too important to anyone lately. Neither has the truth."

Miss Parker smirked a little at the visibly boiling troll.

*****

"Get Miss Parker on it. We will find him before they reconnect," Raines ordered to the cowering message man before him.

"Yes, sir. And Emily? Who is to work on her case?"

"I don't care about Emily. Besides, if you find Jarod, you'll find the people he cares about."

"Sir!" The doctor from rehabilitation wing burst through the door, "You told me to alert you as soon as he was responsive. He's near speaking, sir."

Raines nodded, "Very good."

*****

"Thank you, Kenny. I owe you more than you know," Jarod was climbing out of the great truck he'd travelled all night in, dozing on and off mostly.

"It's no trouble. And Jarod," Jarod looked up at the man, "I know you weren't mugged. I hope whatever you're running from doesn't catch up to you. You've got a good soul. Your eyes, they sort of tell the real story."

Jarod nodded reluctantly, "Thanks again."

He hobbled then to the motel behind him, where he'd asked to be dropped off. He smoothed his hair in some sort of effort to look presentable. As he walked through the door he noticed the pamphlets in the rack by the desk "Welcome to the Garden State" "50 Things to do in New Jersey." He quickly shuffled to where the woman at the desk was sitting, before she could see his bare feet.

"Hi," he crooned.

The long haired blonde woman glanced up from her keyboard and smiled, "Why hello there. Are you looking to stay with us, sir?"

"I am," he replied just as enthusiastically, glancing at her name tag, "But I have a little problem, Danielle. I was mugged last night and I don't know where my credit cards or anything for that matter are. Do you think I could just give you the account number?"

"Well," Danielle contemplated the ramifications, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, "I'm really not supposed to do that when you have no ID."

"I know. I'm sorry. I completely understand. I'd do the same thing if I were you," Jarod sighed dramatically, "you have a nice day."

She looked at him anxiously, noting the bruising around his right eye and the cut in his lip, "Wait! What's your name?"

"Jarod. Jarod Parker."

He gave her the account number he had hacked into so many times before and she entered it into the computer, access immediately given. Honestly, who was going to be monitoring the late great Mr Parker's bank account when there were more pressing matters, like his escape for example. "All right, Mr. Parker, I'm going to give you one of our cheaper rooms and if you could not mention to anyone what I did--"

"Please, call me Jarod. I wouldn't dream of getting you in any sort of trouble. Thank you so much," he managed to halfway smile in gratitude as she handed him a key.

"I'll be working until three though. If you get bored, you can always come keep me company," the girl smiled.

Jarod shifted uncomfortably, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, again."

She watched the attractive stranger leave, and began typing at the computer again, pausing to contemplate if he'd really not been wearing shoes or if that was her imagination running wild again.

When Jarod entered his room, he swiftly locked the door behind him and allowed himself to fall into the double bed, sleeping instantly.

*****

"This is Sydney."

"I'm okay."

"Jarod! I was so worried. Where are you?" Sydney bolted upright from his place on the sofa.

Jarod had woken from his ten hour sleep remembering that Sydney was probably worried sick, "You all need to move. The Centre will go back to the cabin soon. I can't believe they haven't already. They're looking for you."

"Emily found us here."

"Oh that's a huge relief. I was so worried about her."

"She's fine. Where are you, Jarod?"

"Go to my DSA case and find the plastic case inside that has three different colored disks in it. Do you see them?"

Sydney stood and went to the room where Jarod's things were and searched until he found them, "Yes I have them. What are these?"

Jarod ignored this question as well, "Please, send them to Miss Parker at The Centre. I would if I could, but I'm sort of holed up where I am at the moment."

"Jarod, tell me where you are. We can help you."

"Promise me you'll do as I said, Sydney, please."

"I will, of course. But Jarod, you know Miss Parker isn't--"

"She isn't getting what she deserves, Sydney."

He hung up the phone, making certain he had been cryptic enough to not reveal his location or Miss Parker's allegiance. He didn't trust that The Centre hadn't discovered their backup cabin as well.

Jarod sat up and set off to go take care of some minor problems, such as shoes, shaving, and stealing a car.

*****

Raines strolled into the rehabiliation room and gazed sadisticly over their resting patient. It had been almost three weeks he'd been in here, growing stronger every day and now he was speaking.

"Hello, Raines."

Raines inhaled deeply, "Good to have you back again, Mr Lyle."