He peered in through the small opening of the door to her office, and found her pacing like a caged animal. Bracing himself for a blast of anger, Sydney gently opened the door further and walked in.
“Miss Parker, is everything-”

“-Don’t you knock?” Before he could muster a response, she continued, the irritation in her voice plain. “Have you seen the ghoul’s memo? He has actually accused us of helping Jarod. It went Centre-wide, Sydney: the Triumvirate; my father; the tech staff... hell, I’m sure the janitors have heard of our duplicity by now.”

He moved closer to her, pitching his voice low. “Calm down, Parker.”

She glared at him, venom dripping from her tone, “Spare me the sweet-talk, Professor Higgins, that bald freak has made me the town-clown of this looney bin, and I intend to have the last word, one way or another.”

As she started past him, he took her by the arms. “Now you listen to me, Parker, in a few days, it will all blow over, and no one will remember the memo; just let it go.”

She pulled away from him. “No. You can stand by and play scapegoat to that empty scuba tank’s self-righteous bullshit if you want, but I’ve had enough, and it’s time for a showdown.”

Once again, Sydney grabbed her arms, this time with far more force, holding her tightly while she struggled to break free. “This is suicidal, and I won’t let you do it-”

“-Well you don’t have any choice.” She growled at him then, “Let go of me, Sydney.”

In response, he gripped her even tighter. “You have been antagonizing Raines for months, surely you knew there would be some kind of payback. And if you go to him with an ultimatum, even your father won’t be able to protect you.”

She stared into the warm chestnut eyes now darkened with fear, and she softened slightly. Gently she shrugged out of his grip, her voice cutting with less edge.

“I know that you think you’re looking out for me, Sydney, but I’m not a little girl anymore; I don’t need you to safeguard me from the demons of the Centre.”

She turned on her heel, and Sydney watched helplessly as she walked out the door, heading for what he knew could only be disaster.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Broots read the memo that was nothing short of an attack on the quality of work that he, Sydney and Miss Parker had diligently carried out for the past several years, and he shook his head to himself.
He muttered under his breath, “I’d like to see Raines chase Jarod all over the country and catch him...” Just then, Sydney entered the area, and Broots couldn’t help but notice the man’s ghostly pallor. “Syd...you don’t look so good. Are you okay?”

The doctor shoved his hands deeply into the pockets of his jacket as he paced the small area where Broots worked. “She wouldn’t listen to me, Broots.”

Given the agitation and worry that the doctor was displaying, there was little doubt in Broots’ mind as to whom “she” referred. “Miss Parker must have been fit to be tied when she read that memo.”

Sydney turned to face the computer-tech. “That’s putting it mildly, Broots. Under a full head of steam, she went to have it out with him.”

All the color drained from Broots’ face. “H-have it o-out with Mr. Raines?” He swallowed hard. “Wh-what exactly d-does that mean, Sydney?”

“If she’s lucky, and there are no witnesses to such a challenge, then he’ll probably re-assign her back to Corporate.”

“And if she’s n-not lucky?”

Sydney looked at the floor, his stomach suddenly lurching into his throat. “I hesitate to think about it, Broots.”

“Well surely Mr. Raines wouldn’t do anything to Miss Parker...I mean, Mr. Parker wouldn’t let him...right?”

“The way she’s been antagonizing Raines lately, Broots, I doubt even Mr. Parker could save her.”

“Wh-what should we do?”

The deep chestnut eyes misted with fear, and all he said was, “Pray.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Parker slapped a copy of the offensive memo on top of Raines’ desk. “What is the meaning of this?”
His voice rasped from lack of oxygen. “I would think it was self-evident, Miss Parker. Your team’s work has been sub-par.”

“Bullshit.”

One of Raines’ eyebrows raised at the comment, but then he smiled. “You should learn to control your emotions better, Miss Parker, they will only interfere with your job.”

Parker’s hands fisted at her waist. “Is that how you’ve lived with all the unspeakable things you’ve done over the years? You don’t feel anything, so therefore the pain and suffering you’ve caused doesn’t exist?”

The smile on Mr. Raines’ face dissolved, and his eyes turned to stone. “Are you certain you want to go down this road, Miss Parker? You might find it rather...unpleasant.”

She leaned her hands on his desk. “Are you threatening me, you oxygenated bag of bones?”

“No. I’m merely asking a question and making an observation.”

Parker smiled, straightened and crossed her arms in front of herself, smug in her confidence. “Daddy probably wouldn’t be amused.”

“I’m afraid your father was called away rather...suddenly, so I wouldn’t count on his support.”

Her smile disappeared. “What are you talking about?”

“The Triumvirate summoned him early this morning, leaving me in charge.” As he saw the panic begin to fill her eyes, he showed a toothy grin. “I suggest, Miss Parker, that you get back to work and focus your attention on the search for Jarod...otherwise I can make no promises to you regarding your continued service at the Centre.”

The underlying meaning did not escape her, and Parker glared at him, but she said nothing more. After holding his eyes for a moment, she turned sharply and stalked out of his office.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miss Parker entered the tech area and shook her head: Broots looked like he was ready to pass out, and Sydney appeared ten years older than when she’d left him a half hour before.
“You two look like you’re having a wake. Who died?”

Broots looked up at her, relief coloring his voice, “Miss Parker, you’re okay!”

“Well of course I’m okay, you moron.” She glared at Sydney. “You should have kept your worries to yourself, Dr. Strangelove.”

Sydney looked at her, his voice belying his fear, “Someday, Miss Parker, you’re going to push Raines too far, and your luck will run out.”

She sneered at his concern. “But obviously not today, Dr. Frankenstein.”

He shook his head, exhibiting his disapproval. “And what about those around you? Have you given any thought to the fact that your continued well-being might be of concern to others?”

If she was at all touched by his regard, she didn’t show it. “Not my problem.”

Shoving the hurt down, Sydney once again shook his head at her, and quietly left the room. Broots turned to Miss Parker, his voice soft, but full of reproach.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on him, Miss Parker, he was really worried about you.”

Parker swatted the back of his head. “Keep your attention on the search for Jarod. I’ll be damned if I let that oxygen-snarfing ghoul humiliate me.” Her voice turned more caustic, “And as for Dr. Doolittle, he should learn to mind his own business.”

Broots turned around to face the computer screen, and didn’t see Miss Parker bite down on her lip to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was late and he was preparing to leave when his phone rang.
“This is Sydney.”

“Rumor has it that Miss Parker took on Mr. Raines today. Was that wise?”

“Not in my opinion, but Miss Parker is very willful and does not listen to anyone.”

Jarod paused for a moment, detecting an emotion his mentor rarely displayed. “You sound angry, Sydney.”

“Yes.”

Jarod pursed his lips. “You’re worried.”

There was a long pause, then simply, “Yes.”

A frown tugged at the pretender’s brows. “You don’t think Raines would actually harm her, do you Sydney?”

He couldn’t keep the fear from his tone, “She’s been provoking him for a long time, Jarod, and I think Raines is capable of almost anything.”

“Surely Mr. Parker-”

“-Mr. Parker has been called away. I don’t like it, Jarod. I don’t like it at all.”

Before Jarod could comment further, Sydney terminated the call, leaving the pretender to wonder if it was due to his mentor’s emotional discomfort, or someone walking into Sydney’s office. As he set down his cell phone, Jarod began typing on his laptop, and three minutes later, he was booked on the next flight to Blue Cove.

He watched his secretary retreat from his office, noting the subtle swing of her hips, and the way her tight skirt accented the movement. He licked his lips, thinking about what a treat it might be to spend a little recreational time with the woman; but then, he knew the Centre was keeping a tight watch on his extracurricular activities. A slight smile curved his lips: there was always a way around a taut leash...

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

“This is Lyle...”

“You put him up to it, didn’t you?”

He smiled even though she couldn’t see it. “What are you talking about?”

“The memo, Lyle. The ghoul may have sent it, but I recognize your handiwork when I see it.”

“Really sis, I’m hurt...how could you think me capable of something that underhanded?”

“Underhanded and low are your specialties, Lyle. I want to know what you and Dr. Death are up to...and where the hell is my father?”

“Our father is on his way to Zimbabwe to meet with the powers that be. It seems that a face-to-face explanation of your failure to retrieve Jarod is required.”

“You’d better hope nothing goes awry, Bobby, or I might have to send a memo of my own to the Triumvirate. I really doubt they’d appreciate your type of table manners...”

The sound of the phone slamming down into its cradle echoed in his ear, causing the predatory smile to disappear from his lips. “We’ll just see who comes up the winner, Miss Parker...we’ll just see.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He watched as the older man stiffly lifted himself out of his car, and slowly made his way into the house. He followed the man’s progress from room to room, as lights illuminated his path. When he knew the man was settled in his large chair by the garden window, he quietly let himself in through the back door, and walked softly up behind the man, whose attention was held by the book in his hands. He couldn’t help but notice how tired the man looked, slumped in the chair, nor did he miss how the caring hands gently turned the pages as the man tried to relax enough to allow sleep to come.

“Some habits don’t change.”

Startled, Sydney turned to look at the owner of the voice, and relief quickly filled his features. “Jarod...what are you doing here?”

“I was concerned after our conversation earlier.”

Sydney set the book down, and stood, the air of discomfort growing in the room. “I’m sorry if I alarmed you.”

Jarod frowned. “You don’t seem any less tense now... is Miss Parker all right?”

Shaking his head, Sydney slid his hands into the pockets of his pants, and turned to stare out the window into the black of night. “I honestly don’t know, Jarod. She went to see Raines, but I don’t know what was said; she was less than forthcoming, and basically told me to mind my own business.”

The pretender couldn’t keep the surprise from his tone, “And you didn’t push her for an answer? That hardly sounds like you, Sydney.”

The older man’s voice turned angry, “I’m tired, Jarod. Tired of the games and the lies. I’m sick of being spoken to as though I have no...”

Sydney’s voice trailed off, and Jarod finished the thought. “As though you have no feelings?”

The psychiatrist’s voice was soft. “Yes.”

Jarod felt a pang of sadness for Sydney, and moved over to stand closer to him. “She doesn’t mean it; you know that.”

Sydney looked down at his shoes. “Yes, I know she doesn’t. But sometimes-”

“-Sometimes you’d just like to be acknowledged for who you are in her life.”

Sydney looked into the dark eyes of his student, and swallowed down regret, for he knew that he had done the same to Jarod at times. He looked away, unable to answer, and a moment later, the hand on his shoulder put there to comfort, caused his eyes to sting with tears.

Jarod’s voice was tender, “You don’t know how to help her, do you?”

The older man shook his head. “She won’t accept my help. She never does.”

“She won’t accept anyone’s help...it’s not like you’ve never dealt with this before.” Sydney didn’t answer, so Jarod continued, “Why is this time so different?” The pretender gently turned his mentor around and looked deeply into the disturbed chestnut eyes. “Sydney?”

Sydney’s voice was a bare whisper, “I’m afraid for her, Jarod.” The older man couldn’t keep the tears from his eyes, nor the trepidation from his voice. “I don’t think she really understands how precarious a position she is truly in.”

Jarod softly stroked Sydney’s arm. “What can I do to help?”

The doctor surprised the younger man by gripping his shoulders in desperation. “You shouldn’t be here, Jarod. Put as much distance between yourself and Blue Cove as you can. Raines has declared war on the Parkers, and he’ll use every means at his disposal to find you as quickly as he can and bring you back to the Centre.”

Jarod frowned. “I thought that was your job.”

Guilt flooded Sydney’s eyes, but he kept his voice even. “I have never wanted that.”

And then the truth of the past few years hit Jarod, hard. “It was your way of keeping your promise to Catherine Parker, by staying close and protecting her daughter.”

“Raines has wanted to rid himself of the Parkers for years, he just couldn’t find a way to discredit them without implicating himself.”

“So why now?”

Sydney stepped away from Jarod, and took a deep breath. “Knowing how the power has always been balanced at the Centre, I think you know the answer to that question already.”

“But Sydney, I gave you back the files and DSA myself.” The pretender saw the look on his mentor’s face and his heart fell. “Oh my God Sydney, what have you done?”

“I destroyed them.”

Jarod grabbed Sydney hard by the arms. “Why would you do that?”

“I couldn’t take a chance that Miss Parker would see them, Jarod. The only thing I don’t understand is how Raines found out.”

“Oh Sydney...do you know what you’ve done?”

The doctor’s voice sounded hollow, even to himself. “Yes. I’ve signed her death warrant.”

Jarod stepped away, his voice filled with defeat. “And yours.”

She let the hot water run down her back, in a vain attempt to wipe out the overriding memories of the dream that woke her so early. But the visions of uncertainty plagued her, and resigned, she shut the water off and stepped from the shower, drawing a towel over herself for warmth. Still dripping, she walked into her bedroom. The voice from behind startled her.

“Early bird gets the worm?”

She couldn’t keep the sneer from her face, nor the anger from her tone. “What are you doing here, Jarod?”

He smiled as she reached for her weapon, only to discover it missing. He dangled it from his fingers. “Looking for this?”

Parker rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

His face turned serious. “I have reason to believe that you’re in danger, Miss Parker.”

“From what? Catching a cold because I’m standing here dripping in a towel?”

Up until that moment, Jarod hadn’t thought about her current state of undress. And suddenly he felt his mouth run dry. “Well...I...”

She stalked to her bed, picked up her heavy wool robe, and slipped it on. Once again she turned to face him, irritation lighting up her eyes. “Don’t you have anything else to do but stand here in my bedroom, aggravating me?”

“I know that your father’s been called away, and that you’ve chosen now to take on Mr. Raines. Do you really think that’s wise?”

“Why is it you always know so much about Centre business?”

He took a tentative step toward her, only to be stopped by the ire on her face. “Sydney is very concerned for your safety-”

“-Sydney should have kept his concerns to himself. I should have his Sim Lab for this...”

“But you won’t.” She glared at him, so he continued, “You won’t because you know he's only looking out for you.”

Parker turned away, grabbed her comb from the dressing table, and began running it through her wet hair. “Sydney worries like an old lady. And he had no right discussing anything involving the Centre with you, Jarod.”

Jarod moved closer, stopping right behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror, and she could see the anxiety in him.

“I’ve known Sydney all my life, Miss Parker, and I’ve never felt this kind of fear from him.”

She slammed the comb down on the dressing table and turned to face him. “I don’t know why you’re here, Jarod, but you need to understand that I’m not the little girl you once knew. Neither you nor Sydney seem to get that I can take care of myself, and I don’t need to be protected from the Centre. Certainly not by either one of you.”

She turned back toward the mirror, and when she looked for his reflection, he was gone. “Damn him. Damn both of them.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sydney looked at his watch and let out a long sigh. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
He made no attempt to cover the agitation in his voice when it was answered.

“Broots...have you heard from her?”

“No, Sydney, not yet. But you know, it’s still earl-”

“-I know what time it is, Broots. She should have been here by now.”

Broots tried to soften his voice, “Take it easy, Sydney, I’m sure everything’s fine. You know women, sometimes it takes them forever in the morning.”

“You let me know the moment she comes in.”

Before Broots could answer, the phone was slammed down in his ear. Sydney continued to pace the length of his office, his hands fisted into tight balls in the pockets of his jacket. After several minutes, to his great relief, he heard the click-clack of high heels on the floor of the hallway. He turned to see her in the doorway a moment later.

“Miss Parker, thank God...”

She stepped into the office, her eyes tiny orbs of fury. “Talk to any deity you want, but don’t you ever talk to Jarod about me again.”

“Please don’t misunderstand-”

“-How dare you, Sydney. You not only divulged Centre business to him by telling him my father was called away, but you discussed me with him. How could you?”

He stood perfectly still and pitched his voice low. “Parker, please calm down. I was...”

But he couldn’t complete the thought. Parker stopped in front of him, staring into the abyss that used to be his eyes. Her brows knitted together in consternation, and her voice fell soft.

“You were what?”

He looked down at the floor, and swiftly his eyes flicked up to meet hers. “I was scared.”

“Scared?”

“Yes. For you.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Sydney, that’s ridiculous. You know that old bag of wind isn’t going to make a move against me. He wouldn’t dare; my father would kill him.”

The doctor stepped away, his arms crossing in front of him. “You don’t understand, Miss Parker.”

“I don’t understand what?”

“The balance of power.”

She sighed, running out of patience. “What about it?”

“It’s changed.”

“My father has taken trips to Africa before-”

His voice was stern as he cut her off, “-No. This isn’t about him.”

“Well then who is it about?”

His eyes filled with a guilt so primal, Parker could barely look into them. “Me, Miss Parker. It’s about me.”

Sensing his growing panic, she stepped closer to him. “What have you kept from me, Sydney?”

“A DSA...”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

“It held information on it that would have cast both Mr. Raines and your father in a bad light with the Triumvirate.”

“What? How could you keep this from me, Sydney?”

“I didn’t want you to be involved, Miss Parker.”

“Bullshit.” She held his eyes. “Tell me the truth, Sydney.”

“It was the sole reason that I had influence in certain matters...”

“Jarod, you mean.”

He looked deeply into her eyes. “Not just Jarod.”

And then the point hit home, and her voice was tinged with disbelief. “Daddy didn’t want me to go away to college...”

“Nor did he want you to take the job at Corporate when you graduated.”

She looked into his face, and saw the truth. “So now you're telling me that for all these years, you talked him into doing what was best for me?”

“Forced him, you mean...”

“How convenient. But why now? What has changed?”

“Raines knows.”

“He knows what?”

“The DSA...it was destroyed.”

“Destroyed... how?”

“The only thing that matters, is that I no longer have anything to use as leverage.” He took her gently by the arms as the weight of it all came crashing down upon her. “You must go, Miss Parker. You must leave, now, today. You must cover your trail, and you must never look back.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Freud. I can’t just pick up and leave.”

“Yes you can, and you must, Miss Parker.”

She broke away from him, and walked toward the door. “You’re overreacting, Sydney.”

“No, I’m not.”

Parker looked at him. “What was on it?” He was silent, and she reiterated. “What was on the DSA, Sydney?”

“That's not important now.”

“The hell it isn't, Sydney. Tell me.”

“Parker, please trust me, and go. Put as much distance between you and the Centre as you can.”

“Not without a reason.”

“I’ve given you one.”

“No, you haven’t. As usual, Sydney, you’ve given me doubt, mystery and absolutely no facts.”

“I’m asking you to trust me.”

“Trust you? You have got to be kidding.” She turned toward the door. “You have just admitted to keeping information from me, lying to me, and confiding in Jarod. I wouldn’t trust you now, Sydney, anymore than I would that wheezing tank of hell upstairs. Go play mind games with somebody else, I’m not interested in any more of your lies.”

Parker turned on her heel and quickly retreated down the hall, leaving Sydney with a fear so thick he could taste it. And then he realized it was the bile rising in his throat.

He stood in the long corridor, wringing his hands tightly behind his back. There was no way around the slightly sick feeling he felt in his stomach every time they scheduled a rendezvous on SL-25. He was certain that such a reaction was exactly why Raines always chose this location. A moment later, he heard the squeak of rubber wheels moving across the polished floor. He turned and watched as Raines moved toward him, stopping about five feet away.

“Well?”

“Surveillance cites two separate contacts, neither of which were reported to the Centre.”

A smile pulled at Raines’ thin lips. “Then we have both of them in compromised positions. The Triumvirate won’t think twice about eliminating members of the search team who had the opportunity to bring Jarod in, and failed to even attempt it.”

“I told you three years ago to install surveillance cameras in both their houses, but you wouldn’t listen to me. Why now?”

“Let’s just say that the good doctor did something altruistically stupid, creating an opening for me to make a move, and leave it at that.”

Although Lyle wasn’t satisfied with the answer, he knew he’d have another chance to find out exactly what had happened that led Raines to finally make a move on both Miss Parker and Sydney. In the meantime, he would be satisfied that things were finally starting to go his way.

He smiled at Raines. “Which one first?”

“Take her first. It will make him much more pliable.”

Lyle shook his head. “Why not just kill them? It’s not like the Triumvirate will care...”

Raines looked deeply into the man’s eyes. “I’m surprised at you, Mr. Lyle. I would think that you would understand following protocol in this situation.” When Lyle frowned in confusion, Raines continued, “Even though we both know what the Triumvirate’s position on this will be, we must still wait for them to deliver it. Officially. Otherwise Mr. Parker could be difficult upon his return.” He smiled as the delight of it dawned in Lyle’s eyes. “In the meantime, payback’s going to be a bitch.”

Lyle watched as the man turned and retreated down the corridor, the squeaking sound diminishing with him. A smile lit his face as he walked toward the rear elevator. The burden of guilt on the psychiatrist would be a delicious thing to watch, not to mention the delectable treat of exacting revenge on his twin. She would soon regret every barb, insult and vicious move she ever made against him. He had never allowed himself to think about expanding his hobby in the direction of his family, but the idea of it excited him more than he would have thought possible; and thanks to Mr. Raines, she would be his for the tasting.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Broots swallowed hard as Sydney tried calling her yet again. The older man was wound up like a drum, and Broots knew there was nothing he could say that would help. He looked at the time and date on his computer screen, and knew that Sydney was probably right: it had been more than 24 hours, Miss Parker would have at least answered her phone by now, called in, or sent someone to tell them where she was and what she was doing.
“Maybe we should go look for her,” Broots offered.

“And where would you suggest we begin looking?” The psychiatrist snapped. Broots looked down in hurt and Sydney felt immediate regret. He placed a gentle hand on the technician’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Broots, I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“I know that, Syd. I’m sorry I can’t think of anything more helpful.”

Sydney squeezed the man’s shoulder before letting go. “Something’s happened to her, Broots. I can feel it.”

The technician looked up at the psychiatrist in confusion. “The Inner Sense?”

“No, Broots. It’s just my intuition, but I know what I know.”

The dread in Sydney’s voice made his colleague’s stomach churn. “There must be something we can do other than just sit here.”

“You’re right, Broots, there is. I want you to log into Miss Parker’s Centre email, and her voicemail, see if anyone asked her to meet him or her somewhere, or if there is anything at all suspicious.”

Sydney headed toward the door, but turned at Broots’ voice. “Where will you be?”

“When you want an uncontaminated drink of water, Broots, it’s always best to go to the source.”

“S-Syd?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“We both know that Mr. Raines is involved with her disappearance, why waste time?”

“Then why have me investigate her Centre communications?”

“Because if I am unsuccessful, Broots, then Miss Parker’s survival might depend solely upon you and your investigative skills. And, if that happens, find a way to contact Jarod, he will be able to help you.”

“C-contact Jarod, but I don’t-”

“-Broots, I don’t have time to belabor the point. We both know you have the capability, as do I, so just do what you have to in order to help Miss Parker. And once you have done so, I strongly suggest that all of you disappear. Permanently.”

Before Broots could say anything else, Sydney was gone. “Be careful, Sydney...”

She fought both the desire to cry out, and the urge to succumb to the blackness calling to her, but finally lost the former as the pain became more than she could bear. The man smiled as he reared the wooden bat once again.

“Don’t think you can take much more, Missy...”

Her limbs felt as though the chains suspending them above her head would break them. But she managed a glare in the man’s direction as she snarled through gritted teeth.

“Give it your best shot, you neanderthal...”

The large man swung the bat again, this time hitting her in the right leg. Parker screamed as the bone snapped, sending shooting pains up her thigh and into her hips. He swung the wooden bat again, hitting her sharply in the kidney. Parker tried to suppress any sound, but a groan escaped. She wondered how far the man had been instructed to go; she couldn’t really remember how long he’d been at it already, nor could she recall when she was brought to the room she was in, or where it was located. Parker tried to focus her mind on something other than the pain. She tried to remember what happened. And as the bat struck her abdomen, it came back to her: Lyle. That twisted smile on his face filled her mind with the memory of him injecting her with something that knocked her out cold.

The bat lit into her again, this time snapping several ribs on her left side. She cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face; but there was no help for her, and it was then that she knew the man had been instructed to beat her into unconsciousness. But what good would she be to them in that state? There was only one option available to her, and Parker knew she would have to play it. As he swung at her again, she took a large breath and held it, slamming her eyes closed, and allowing her head to drop to her chest. She could only hope that he was dumb enough to think she was truly unconscious...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sydney burst into Raines office to find the man at his desk. Raines calmly looked up at Sydney, as though he’d been expecting exactly just such an entrance.
“You’re late, Sydney.”

“What?”

“I anticipated that you would come to your current conclusion at least forty minutes ago.”

“What have you done with her?” Raines simply smiled at the doctor, and Sydney leaned across the man’s desk, a dangerous sneer on his face. “Where is she?”

“What are you offering me in exchange for such information?”

Sydney moved quickly behind the desk, grabbing Raines by the lapels. “You had better consider just how soon the end of your life will come if you don’t tell me what you’ve done with her.”

The smile remained placidly on the reptilian man’s lips. “Now Sydney, surely you wouldn’t want to be the cause of any damage to Miss Parker...”

Sydney tightened his grip on Raines momentarily, before dropping his hands and moving away from the desk. He began pacing, and Raines allowed a long moment to lie in silence between them. Unable to take it any longer, Sydney turned toward him.

“What do you want?”

The irritating smile continued to color the man’s countenance. “What makes you think you have anything of value to offer me?”

“If I hadn’t, then we wouldn't be here doing this dance. Now stop wasting time. What do you want?”

“Your cooperation.”

“My cooperation in what capacity?”

“I want your cooperation to bring Jarod in.”

“You want me to betray his trust.”

“I want you to do your job, Sydney. We both know you no longer have the means to defy me.”

“And if I refuse?”

“You should have thought of that before destroying the DSA and files; a refusal would be very sad news for Miss Parker.” The smile on Raines’ face grew. “It’s one or the other, Sydney. You must choose.”

“You’re insane. You can’t ask me to-”

“-I’m not asking, doctor. You choose: Jarod’s freedom or Miss Parker’s life. I realize that this is a difficult decision for you, so I’ll give you a little time to think about it. As a matter of fact, I’ll even let you see Miss Parker.” Raines pressed a button on his intercom. “Mr. Lyle, can you come in here please?”

Lyle walked through the door, smiling at Sydney. “Hello, doctor.”

Sydney said nothing in response.

“Mr. Lyle, Sydney is contemplating a life-altering decision, and I told him that while he’s thinking it through, he could have a visit with Miss Parker. Is she ready for guests?”

Lyle stifled a chuckle. “I’m not really sure that’s she’s ready for primetime, but I’m sure Sydney won’t mind if every hair's not exactly in place, will you, Sydney?”

Sydney started for Lyle. “What have you done to her?”

He stopped when Lyle leveled a gun at Sydney’s midsection. “I wouldn’t get too excited, doctor. It could be bad for your health.”

“If you’ve inflicted permanent damage to her, Lyle, I’ll kill you.” He looked at Raines then. “I’ll kill both of you.”

Raines stood. “Stay calm, doctor; remember her life depends upon you.” He looked at his watch. “Give him an hour with her, Lyle.”

Lyle held the door open for Sydney. “He’ll need at least that much to try and clean her up...”

Stifling his urge to put his hands around Mr. Lyle’s throat, Sydney walked through the door, his stomach clenching with the thought of what the two of them had done to Miss Parker.

As they approached the solitary door on SL-25, Lyle pulled a key card from his pocket and swiped it against the pad by the door. A green light blinked, and the younger man opened the door for the psychiatrist, indicating that he should enter. Sydney hesitated.

“Everything you need to help her is in there, doctor.”

“Why are you doing this? She’s your sister for God’s sake.”

Lyle shrugged. “I like playing for the winning team...”

In disgust, Sydney brushed past Lyle and into the room, hearing the door slam home behind him. He looked at the lone bed in the room, and the bruised and beaten figure lying on it, and a lump filled his throat. For a moment, he felt frozen in fear, but as his eyes misted over, he overcame the stupor and moved quickly to her. He gently took one of her bruised and cut hands in his.

“Parker? Parker, can you hear me?”

A deep moan uttered through her lips, but there was no other indication that she knew anyone was there with her. He stroked his other hand through her matted hair.

“Everything’s going to be okay, I’m going to take care of you.”

Sydney began the arduous process of removing her clothing little by little, cleaning and dressing her wounds, and setting and splinting her broken bones; he shook his head in repulsion at the men who could perpetrate such madness. After pulling the blanket at the bottom of the bed to cover her, he plunged the washcloth he’d been using to clean her up into the cool water once again. Gently, caring hands held the cool cloth to her forehead, and his voice issued in a low, sweet tone.

“Can you hear me, Parker? I want you to wake up for me.”

After several tries, her eyes finally fluttered open, and then snapped wide in fear.

“Shhh, shhh, you’re safe now. Everything’s going to be okay.”

The grey eyes focused as recognition settled in, but her voice was thick, “Please Sydney, it hurts. Please help me.”

The distress in her voice made his throat tighten, and he stroked a large hand across her brow. “I’m sorry, baby, I don’t have anything to give you to get you through this...”

Tears filled her eyes from the discomfort, and the vulnerability in her voice suddenly reminded him of when she was a little girl, the harsh words from the previous morning, a long-distant memory. “Stay with me, Sydney. Please...”

In response, he tenderly lifted her into his arms, and held her gently, until after awhile, he felt her relax slightly. He carefully set her down, leaning her head back into the pillow.

His tone was like a soft caress, “A little better now?”

She nodded, and then frowned as she swallowed hard against her dry throat.

“Why did they do this?”

Sydney looked away; he didn’t know how to tell her. She touched his hand, and his eyes darted back to hers.

“Sydney...”

He pulled his lips into a thin, straight line, and then finally spoke softly. “They’re using you as leverage.”

“Who is?”

“Lyle and Mr. Raines.”

“Leverage against whom?”

He stared directly into the dark grey eyes. “Against me.”

She let out an unsteady breath of air, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t understand.”

He looked into the pleading eyes, and the reality of his situation struck him, hard; and he knew what he must do. He caressed her cheek softly with his hand, and smiled slightly at her.

“I don’t want you to worry, Parker. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She had known him all of her life, and she could see in the soft chestnut eyes, that he was holding something back: something dreadful. Using her inner sense, she felt a magnitude of fear and guilt within him that words could not accurately convey. In a sudden movement of sheer desperation, she grabbed ahold of his hand, and their eyes locked tightly to each other.

“This has to do with the DSA you mentioned, doesn’t it?”

He smiled at her and squeezed the hand in his. “It’s nothing for you to think about, Parker--”

“--Don’t lie to me, Sydney.” She grimaced in pain, and Sydney tried to comfort her, but she cut him off , continuing, “Nosferatu is using me to threaten you...I want to know why. Is it about the DSA? He wants something from you in exchange for my life.” Sydney looked away, but his silence didn’t keep her from hearing the truth. “Jarod.” The lump in his throat kept him from speaking, and her voice was growing weak. “Sydney?”

When it came out, it was a bare whisper. “Yes.”

“That bastard can’t do this, my father will--”

“--Your father will do nothing. Raines is operating under Triumvirate sanctions, I’m certain.”

She picked up on the despair and defeat in his voice, and she felt cold fear as the reality settled down upon her like a heavy cloak. “You’re not sure he’ll keep his end of the bargain... you’re not sure you can save me.”

His eyes filled with tears and he broke away from her grip. He stood, and turned his back to her, so she couldn’t see the emotion pouring over his face.

“Syd...say someth--”

“--I have probably killed us both, and Jarod too. God forgive me.”

The anguish in his voice tore at the last vestiges of her heart, and the man Miss Parker had known all her life, the man who had been a stable source of support to her whenever she needed him, broke down harder than she would have thought possible. She closed her eyes in pain, and then pitched her voice low, but with command.

“Sydney, come sit down next to me.”

After a long moment, he forced himself to pull his emotions under control and walk back to the bed. Then he sat in the chair next to her, his face in his hands. He felt the soft stroke of her hand on the back of his head, but he couldn’t bear to look at her: not after what he’d done. Finally, and with waning strength, Parker tilted his chin up, so she could see his face.

“What’s on that DSA that you would risk everything to protect me from it, hmm?”

Sydney looked into the beautiful grey eyes, and knew he couldn’t tell her. If they were all to die, then at least Parker would die confident in her identity, and if not confident in him, at least in his love for her. Slowly he stood, and tenderly caressed her bruised cheek.

“You have always meant more to me than you could know, and I have tried to protect you the best I could. I’m going to do what Mr. Raines asks, and see that he keeps his word to me. One child’s freedom isn’t worth another child’s life. In the end, if that’s all you have to remember me by, I pray that it’s enough to think of me fondly.”

Parker was too stunned by Sydney’s words to respond, except that her eyes filled with tears and her throat with a lump. The hand stroking her cheek slid under her chin, to gently hold it, while he bent down to softly kiss her forehead. Smiling at her, he turned and walked out of the room, and into the eager hands of Mr. Lyle.

Sydney was certain that the grip on his arm was going to leave a bruise, but he said nothing as he was shoved down the corridor and then brusquely into another room. Lyle followed him in, and slammed the door shut behind them, the heaviness of the metal sending a thudding sound all the way through Sydney’s bones. The room was stark, with only a chair in the center of it, bright white lights and a long chain in the ceiling, a fire hose attached to a spigot on the side wall, and a drain in the floor. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what types of activities took place here. Sydney turned and faced Lyle, his hands demurely clasped in front of him. He stared at the smaller man, his gaze pitched to intimidate. Lyle smiled at him.

“Really, Sydney, such moxie, I would never have guessed that you could muster this kind of effort. Bravo!”

An elegant eyebrow raised slightly, but the doctor’s lips remained tightly pulled together in a straight and unamused line. Lyle moved forward slightly, and held his arms out, indicating the room.

“Welcome to my own, private playground. I’m sure you’d be very interested in the types of recreation that transpire in here. Perhaps you’d like to find out, first-hand?”

Seeing the scare-tactic for what it was, and determined not to let Lyle rile him, Sydney remained silent, plastering a look of complete non-interest on his face.

“Cat got your tongue, doc?” Lyle approached the chair and put a hand on it. “My sister didn’t really care for her time in here, but then, I guess we can’t really blame her, can we?” He waited for a rise from Sydney, but the psychiatrist managed to keep his bored countenance in tact. “We actually have a lot of flexibility in terms of activities. For example, Miss Parker hung from the chain in the ceiling for the better part of four hours, and played the part of the piñata for my new sweeper, Manny. I’m just not sure we should have used a wooden bat, lead pipes produce much more devastating results, don’t you think?” Lyle thought he saw a slight twinge in Sydney’s eyes, and had to hide his own smile. “After she passed out though, we had to resort to the fire hose, but then, that’s why we have a drain in the floor. But I’ll bet the power of that hose cut into her broken ribs something fierce!”

Sydney’s hands clenched tightly, and he had to call upon every last bit of control at his disposal to keep from ripping Lyle’s face off. For his part, the younger man could see that he was getting to the doctor, and he allowed a slight smile to light his lips as he continued his narrative.

“At first she managed to keep any sounds to herself. You know how stubborn she is, and she simply refused to give me the pleasure of hearing her scream.” He noticed that the doctor’s knuckles were beginning to turn white from wringing his own hands so tightly, and Lyle knew he was close to a breaking point. “It was really an amazing piece of work to witness, Sydney,” Lyle leaned in closer, as if sharing an intimate moment with a close friend, “by the time Manny broke her leg, she let loose with a caterwaul the likes of which you can’t--”

And Sydney had reached the end of his patience. In a swift move, he grabbed Lyle by the throat and rammed him up against the nearest wall with a thud. The doctor’s voice was pointed and dangerous.

“What I can’t believe is that you came from the same DNA as Miss Parker - you’re a pathetic piece of garbage, Lyle, not fit to wipe up the foulest toilet.”

Lyle wheezed from having the air knocked out of him, but eeked out a response. “Funny you should bring up DNA--”

Sydney squeezed hard on Lyle’s trachea and the smaller man rasped for air as the doctor spoke quietly to him. “Don’t you dare speak to me of that, not now, not ever. Nor will you lay so much as a hand either personally or vicariously on Miss Parker, or I’ll do a lot worse than just kill you.” Sydney put yet more pressure on Lyle’s throat, and lowered his timbre yet further, demonstrating his resolve. “I also have every intention of doing what Raines wants, so this little bully session isn’t necessary; however, if you want to walk out of here in the same condition you walked in, Lyle, there is something that I want...”

Broots had long since reviewed Miss Parker’s email and voicemail, finding no clues as to her whereabouts in either. He looked at his watch: it had been almost three hours since Sydney had stalked out, and the computer tech could feel his palms beginning to sweat. He debated for several minutes over whether or not he should try and reach Jarod, how he would do that, and what exactly he was going to tell the pretender once he contacted him. The ringing of his phone made Broots almost jump out of his chair. He fumbled the headset as he picked it up, dropping it to the floor and then tangling the cord before getting it to his ear.

“H-hello?”

“What’s happened to them, Mr. Broots? Neither of them is answering by phone or email.”

“J-Jarod?”

“Where are they?”

“I...I don’t know. Miss Parker’s been awol for almost 26 hours, and I haven’t heard from Sydney since he went upstairs to confront Mr. Raines.”

“He did what?”

“He went up--”

“--Yes, yes, I heard you, I just can’t believe the stupidity of it. Why in the hell did you let him do that?”

“Let him? I didn’t let him, Jarod...I...I mean, he didn’t exactly ask for my blessings you know...”

“What did he say?”

“He was talking about going to the source, and then he told me that if he didn’t come back I was to contact you, find Miss Parker and then disappear, permanently.”

Jarod’s mind was reeling from the possibilities. The timing was the easiest part to understand in that Raines now felt a measure of safety with the incriminating DSA and files destroyed; but if he merely wanted both Parker and Sydney dead, the bodies would have already turned up somewhere. That wasn’t the man’s end game. Jarod needed to SIM all the possible scenarios, outcomes and gains for the oxygen-dependent man from hell, and he needed time in which to do it.

Broots’ voice brought the pretender out of his deep thoughts. “Jarod? Are you still there?”

“Yes, sorry, Mr. Broots. I was thinking.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Look, I need some time to think out where Raines is headed with this business, and then we can figure out the best way to deal with it.”

“But we don’t even know where they are...”

“My guess, Mr. Broots, is that they’re both still somewhere at the Centre. Raines likes to keep his pet projects close.”

“I can start searching for them.”

“Yes, that would be helpful, just be careful, you don’t want to get caught.”

And then it hit the tech: “Oh my God...we’re on a Centre line...”

“Relax, Mr. Broots, I scrambled this call before I contacted you. We have another three minutes before anyone will be able to breach it.”

“You don’t think that they’re...you know...”

“No, Mr. Broots, I don’t think they’re dead. At least not yet.”

The dial tone sounded loudly in Broots’ ear, and he quickly hung up the phone as if touching the handset had suddenly burned him. He looked around his area suspiciously, as if expecting to see a team full of Sweepers swoop down upon him, but to his relief it was quiet. At least, for the moment...

Raines stared at both Sydney and Lyle, and took note of the fact that Lyle was avoiding eye contact. He turned toward the doctor.

“Well, Sydney?”

Shoving down his overwhelming anger, the psychiatrist met the fish-eyed stare with as even a tone as he could muster. “I hardly see that I have a choice in this matter.”

Raines smiled. “I knew you’d be reasonable once you understood the circumstances.”

“There’s nothing reasonable about any of this...but let’s just get on with it.”

“I want you to contact Jarod--”

“--What makes you think I can do that?”

Raines positioned his DSA monitor so that Sydney could see it, and pressed a button on the keyboard. The images of Jarod speaking with Sydney in his house from the night before sprang to life, and Sydney felt a white hot anger filling his chest.

“You planted cameras in my house? How dare you, Raines--”

“--No, doctor, how dare you. How many other times has Jarod contacted you and you haven’t reported it? Not only didn’t you report this contact, but you also advised him to disappear permanently.”

And Sydney knew for a fact that he was dead where he stood; the Triumvirate would surely have charged Raines with that task upon seeing a copy of the footage from his conversation with his protégée. Unable to keep his fear hidden, Sydney ran a hand through his hair, and Raines smiled.

“I see you understand the gravity of your actions.”

Sydney looked directly at the man. “I understand that my life is forfeit, yes; that is not my concern now.”

Raines leaned back in his chair, his hands folded demurely on top of his desk. “I’m listening.”

“What I want is a guarantee regarding Miss Parker if I bring in Jarod.”

Raines glanced over at Lyle, who had been unusually quiet throughout the exchange. “Mr. Lyle?”

Lyle looked nervously back at Sydney, who calmly remained still, then he licked his lips and gazed at Raines. “I...see no reason to kill Miss Parker as long as she can be reconditioned.”

Sydney interrupted, “No, that isn’t acceptable. You get Jarod, but you let her go. She walks away from the Centre, free and clear. And for that matter, so does Broots and his daughter.”

Raines couldn’t help but admire the man’s moxie despite the odds stacked against him, and there was no reason to let on that he had no intention of making good on any promise made during this meeting. He smiled at the psychiatrist. “Very well, Sydney. After Jarod is here, we’ll let Miss Parker go.”

Sydney shook his head. “No. Once you have Jarod, there will be no reason for you to let Miss Parker go.”

“The same can be said of you bringing in Jarod if we let Miss Parker go first.” The man took a long rasping breath before continuing, “I assume you have a suggestion?”

Sydney nodded. “The exchange will take place simultaneously.”

Lyle broke in, “Then Jarod will know he’s about to be taken, he’ll never go for it.”

“I’ll have to set up a meeting place with him that’s in public either way, Lyle, or he’ll never agree to come. I'll set it up for a park nearby, and when you see him walking towards me, you let Miss Parker go, by then it’ll be too late for Jarod because he’ll be in plain view of the Sweepers.”

Raines thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “That will be acceptable.”

“Broots and his daughter will also be allowed to leave, with no Centre interference.”

“That’s fine, Sydney, I doubt we’ll miss Mr. Broots in any case.” Sydney inwardly shook his head at the man’s gross underestimate of Broots’ value to the Centre, but he said nothing. “Mr. Lyle will escort you to your office so that you can contact Jarod and set up a meeting for tomorrow morning, then he’ll take you back to Miss Parker, where you’ll stay until it’s time to leave.”

“I don’t know if I can set this up that quickly...the only way I can contact Jarod is through email, and he doesn't always answer right away.”

“Fine, email him, we’ll monitor it for a response. Lyle, make sure he says nothing more than he needs to in it.” Lyle and Sydney headed toward the door, “And Sydney, make no mistake: if you do anything to tip Jarod off, I’ll kill both of them. Do you understand?”

Sydney’s lips pulled into a tight line, and he nodded. “I understand. No tricks, Raines; from either of us.”

Raines watched as Lyle escorted Sydney out of the room, and a large smile spread across his face. It had finally come to pass; not only was he going to be rid of both Sydney and the Parkers, but he was going to have Jarod back in the bargain. Life didn’t get much better for William Raines than it was at this moment.

---------------------------

Tired of waiting for news from Broots, Jarod logged into his email account and quickly scanned through them, finding two from inside the Centre. He opened the one from Sydney first:

Jarod - I need to speak with you as soon as possible, but face to face.
How soon can we meet at Seaford Park? I need your help. - Sydney

Jarod frowned, and opened the second Centre-related email. As he read the words, an idea begin to form in his mind...

----------------------
 
Parker opened her eyes to find Sydney sitting in the chair next to the bed she was lying on. He looked as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Parker reached out a hand for him.

“Syd?”

He took the battered hand gently in his larger one and caressed it. “I’m here, Parker.”

“You look about as good as I feel...”

He forced a smile to his lips. “Don’t you worry about me. I need you to conserve your strength. You’ll be getting out of here soon, and I want you to be able to get as far away from this place as possible.”

She frowned at him. “Getting out of here? Even if Raines does let me out of this cell, I’ll never be free of the Centre, and you know it.”

“Yes, yes you will, Parker.”

She stared into the tortured chestnut eyes, and the truth struck her like a blow. “Oh Sydney...... you’re going to give them Jarod; but you know Nosferatu will never honor his end of the bargain.”

“I don’t want you to worry about it, Parker, I’ve worked it out. I just need you to be ready when the time comes. Do you think you’ll be able to walk away and not look back?”

She gazed at him for a long moment. “What about you? And Broots?”

“Broots will be fine, he and Debbie will be able to leave any time they choose.”

“How do you know that?”

“You need to trust me, Parker.”

She squeezed his hand. “And you? What about you? You didn’t answer me...”

He looked down at the hand clasped inside of his. “Three out of five isn’t bad, Parker...”

She felt the sting of tears, and swallowed hard. “No, Sydney, no. I won’t allow it.”

He looked at her then. “I’m afraid you don’t have any choice in the matter, Miss Parker.”

“You can’t just let him......." her voice died out with emotion, but a moment later she rallied.  "Sydney, please.”

Sydney kissed her hand gently, then set it down on the bed as he stood and began pacing. “Miss Parker, there is no choice. It was me and Jarod for you, Broots and Debbie. It’s as simple as that.”

“At least I know he won’t harm Jarod, the Triumvirate would have his head.....”

“That's true, Jarod’s much to valuable.” He turned to look at her, an ironic smile on his face. “But I, on the other hand, am as expendable as they come.”

“Oh Sydney...there must be something...”

He sat back down in the chair and once more took her hand in his. “There is.” The deep chestnut bore into dark grey. “You get as far from here as you can, and you never look back. I mean never, Parker. You’re as much of a pretender as Jarod:  use the skills, lose yourself so that they can never find you, and live, Miss Parker. Live your life with no regrets.”

Her voice was soft, almost lost. “But there will be regrets,” her eyes filled with unshed tears as she continued, “at least two of them...”

Sydney let the moisture that had formed in his eyes sprinkle down his cheeks, making no move to hide them from her. “Your mother would have wanted it this way, Miss Parker. I will have fulfilled a promise I made to her a very long time ago.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “We’ll both finally be free, Parker.”

Her voice was a bare whisper, but it caused a pang in Sydney’s heart. “But Jarod won’t...”

----------------------------

The ringing of the phone almost caused him to jump out of his skin. He stared at the ringing phone, but didn’t answer it.

“Daddy? Daddy, aren’t you going to answer that?”

Broots looked at his daughter and swallowed. “Well, sweetheart, I’m just tired of being on the phone is all, and it is dinnertime...”

“Daddy...” Debbie picked up the phone. “Hello?”

There was silence for a moment, then a man’s voice she didn’t recognize. “Hello Miss Broots, is your father there?”

“Yes, just a moment please.”

She handed the phone to her father who smiled unenthusiastically. “Hello?”

“Mr. Broots...”

“Are you crazy calling me here?” Broots noticed that his daughter was listening to him with great interest, so he moved into another room as he spoke. “What if this line’s bugged?”

“I’ve taken care of any traces on my end. Look, Sydney’s in trouble.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You know what?”

“They planted a camera in Sydney’s house and caught your conversation from last night with him on a digital feed.”

Jarod frowned. “How did you find out about it?”

“There’s this guy in fiber optics, his name’s Gelil, he’s this old guy who has a wooden leg...”

“A wooden leg...”

“Yeah, anyway, I was talking to him, and he happened to mention that some psychiatrist got nailed talking to a Centre fugitive after Gelil went to his house and laid out some lines. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who he was talking about...”

“Mr. Broots, I need your help. I need to get Sydney and Miss Parker out of the Centre, and I need to move tonight.”

“Look, Jarod...I think the world of Sydney and Miss Parker...”

“But?”

Broots sighed deeply. “But I have a little girl who depends upon me to take care of her, and I’m going to pack her up tonight and leave town. So I’m really sorry, but I can’t take a chance that they’ll come after me or Debbie next.”

Jarod pursed his lips, thinking, then said, “I do understand Mr. Broots. You’re right to get out while you can.”

“Will you be able to help them anyway?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Broots, but I’m going to try.”

Broots nodded and swallowed hard. “Jarod...if you get them out...well, when you get them out, tell them I’m sorry I couldn’t stay, but I have to think of Debbie.”

“I’ll be sure and tell them.”

“Good luck, Jarod.”

“And to you, Mr. Broots.”

Broots hung up the phone and wondered if Jarod would still want to help Sydney once he realized that Sydney sold him down the river to save Miss Parker. Broots then allowed himself to feel remorse over not helping Jarod for about ten seconds, then he went into the kitchen to get Debbie busy on the chore of packing.

Meanwhile, in his motel room across town, Jarod answered the second Centre email he had received, and hoped that Angelo would read it sooner rather than later...

------------------------

Mr. Parker was tired, and thoroughly sick of the African climate. He couldn’t help but wonder how long these damned Zulus were going to keep asking him the same damned questions over and over. In addition to feeling utterly bored, he couldn’t stand the idea that Raines was back at the Centre, running things in his absence. He couldn’t trust the man when he was right down the hall, much less half a world away. He knew that it had to have been Raines who put the doubt in the mind of the Triumvirate in the first place, because they kept asking him about his loyalty and the loyalty of his family to the Centre. It was preposterous really, that they could even question his loyalty at this late date in his service; but here he was, answering questions about the chase for Jarod, and defending his "misjudgment” in having his daughter and Sydney on the search team. Deep down Mr. Parker had a sinking feeling that he didn’t have all the pieces to this little puzzle, but he also knew he wasn't going to have them any time soon.

His cell phone rang for the first time in days, and it startled him. “Yes?”

“Mr. Parker...”

“Jarod? Jarod, you've got some nerve calling me!”

If he hadn’t been so pressed for time, Jarod would have at least laughed at the bellowing tone of Parker’s voice, but time was of the essence. “I’m in Blue Cove, and we've got a big problem.”

Parker almost dropped the phone. “And you expect me to believe you?”

“Yes. And if I were you, I’d be on the next flight back if you want to save your daughter, in addition to your own ass...”

Parker gripped the phone tighter. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about the fact that Lyle is holding Miss Parker against her will at the Centre, and Sydney too. Raines is well on his way to a coup d'etat."

He could feel Parker’s body tense through the phone line. "Ridiculous. I would know about such a thing. One of my Sweepers would have called me if my daughter was in danger."

“I had to circumvent the block that the Centre’s put on your incoming cell calls...I’m guessing I’m the first call you’ve had all week.”

“That son of a bitch.”

“I think you’re beginning to get the picture...”
------------------------

Sydney sat with his arms crossed in front of him in the rigid chair by her bed, keeping vigil over her.  It was the only thing still left for him to do.  He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest with each breath that she took, and his mind recalled watching another......

He watched from a safe distance, carefully keeping an eye on her, but cautious not to be noticed by those who would report him to Mr. Parker.  To the unobservant eye, Sydney was merely checking on his own patients in the Centre infirmary, but he could watch her from across the ward, noting any changes in her condition.  Her husband had gone too far this time; actually, in Sydney’s mind, the man had gone too far the first time.  And still Catherine would say nothing.  She would do nothing.  Sydney couldn’t understand it.  He looked at his watch, it was getting late, soon most of the employees of the infirmary would be gone for the night, and he would easily be able to distract the night nurse with an errand, and he would have his chance.  He simply had to exercise patience, something for which he had never had abundance.

His eyes refocused on the present as Miss Parker turned in her sleep.  He gently reached out a soft hand, placing it on her arm as she slept, in a gesture of comfort seen only by the eyes of the camera in the room - and any eyes watching.  That thought made Sydney shiver.  He had been watched his entire life.  From the time he was young in a Nazi camp, through his years working at the Centre, he had been observed.  Well, let them see.  He no longer cared.  The jig was up in any case, there was nothing further to be gained by hiding how much he loved the young woman asleep on the bed, and he refused to deny at least this part of it all any longer.....

He watched as the nurse left to speak to maintenance about the climate control as Sydney had asked her to do, and he quickly made his way over to Catherine Parker’s bed.  He gently shook her arm.

“Catherine?  Catherine, wake up.  It’s me, it’s Sydney.”

The deep grey eyes slowly opened, pushing against the swelling holding them closed.  “Sydney?”

“Yes.”  He sat down on the edge of her bed.  “How are you feeling?”

“My little girl......how is my little girl?  Is she all right?  Sydney, where is she?”

He rubbed a soft hand against her arm.  “Shhh, don’t worry, she’s fine.”

“You promised me, Sydney.  You promised you would never let anything happen to her.”

“And I won’t.”

“Did you read the file?”

Sydney looked away.  “Yes,” he answered softly, “yes I did.”

“Then you know why you must protect her.”

“I would have done so anyway, Catherine.  Besides, we don’t even know if it’s the truth.”

“How can you look at all the physical evidence and doubt it?”

Sydney stood and began pacing.  “It’s impossible, Catherine.  It’s just impossible.”

“You know that Mr. Raines has been experimenting in this area.”

“Yes, but his experiments have not included the kind of parameters the report outlines.”

“We don’t know that for certain.”

Sydney sat back down on the bed beside her, taking her hands in his own.  “And we’ll never know the truth for certain.  Not here.  Not from the Centre.  My brother Jacob was right:  what goes on here is immoral and we shouldn’t be involved in it.”

“What are you saying, that you’ll just walk away?  Sydney, what will happen to my little girl if something happens to me and you’re not here to protect her?  Please Sydney, you promised me....”

“Sydney..... Syd....”  His eyes focused back on Miss Parker, and she continued.  “What’s the matter?”

“The matter?  Nothing.”

She frowned at him, and he realized that tears had covered his cheeks, and embarrassed, he wiped them away with his hand.  “I’m sorry, Parker.”

“Where were you just now?”

“Right here.”

“Your ass may have been in that chair, Freud, but you were a million miles away.”

He looked down and brushed her hand with his own.  “I was thinking about your mother.”

Parker wasn’t expecting that answer, and for a moment, she could say nothing.

He looked up at her.  “You do remind me so much of her sometimes.”

Parker frowned.  “What is it, Sydney?  What have you been hiding?”

He shook his head.  “When you were a very little girl, you couldn’t have been more than four or five, your mother and I took you to the zoo.”

Parker’s brows knitted together.  “You never went with us, I only--..... wait, wait, there was one time....my father had been promising to take me, but he was always too busy, so my mother decided we should go anyway.”  A smile turned her lips as she remembered.  “Mama was terrified of tigers and lions, and didn’t want to see the exhibit.  You took me by the hand and we went while she looked around the gift shop.”

His voice was soft like a breath of air, “Yes.  What else do you remember?”

Parker shrugged.  “Nothing.  Just that I had fun that day, and wished that my fath--”  She looked away, and the soft hand touching hers brought her attention back to him.  “I remember wishing that my father would spend time with me the way you did.”

Sydney smiled at her.  “There was a woman in the lion exhibit, she was there with her family.  She walked over to me while you were looking at the animals, and she told me what a lovely daughter I had.”  Dark chestnut looked deeply into sea-grey.  “I didn’t tell her that you weren’t my daughter.  For the next ten minutes, while the woman and her family were still there, I let myself pretend that you really were mine.”

She looked at him, amusement filling her eyes.  “Why?”

“Those were ten of the best minutes of my life, Parker.  For a few brief moments, you were mine to cherish, to hold and be proud of, and I wouldn’t have missed it.”

Parker’s eyes began to sting with tears.  “Don’t get maudlin on me, Sydney.  The last thing I need right now is some big sappy display.”

“No displays.  I just want you to know that you have meant a great deal to me, Parker.  You’re a big part of my life, and I wanted to say it, just once.”  He leaned over and kissed her forehead.  “You get some more rest.  When the time comes, you’ll need to be ready.”

“My father would never have allowed it to come to this you know.”

A strange look came over his face, one that Parker couldn’t place, and his tone was slightly brittle when he answered.  “No, I’m sure your father wouldn’t have....”

Sydney stood and walked away from the bed, his back to her.  She watched him stand there as still as a statue until her eyelids became heavy.  And momentarily, Miss Parker was asleep, no longer thinking about the mysteries of her life, nor the outcome of her fate.

---------------------------

Jarod finished typing the last few sentences of his response to the email Sydney sent him, and he pressed send.  He looked at his watch, and realized there was not much time to prepare.  After his conversation with Broots, Jarod knew good and well that trying to bust Sydney and Parker out of the Centre would be a waste of time.  He could only hope that Mr. Parker would hold up his end of the bargain they struck.  A small smile lit Jarod’s lips; he wouldn’t trust Mr. Parker if the man were the last man on earth....

----------------------------

Lyle entered Raines’ office at a quick pace, holding a printout of the email Jarod had sent to Sydney.

“Here it is.  Jarod confirmed a meeting for tomorrow at dusk at Seaford Park.”

“Good.  Have you assembled a Sweeper team?”

“Yes.”

“And Sydney, what about him?”

“Your call.  We can either dispose of him there, or bring him back here and do it.”

Raines smiled, and Lyle had to stifle a shiver.  “I have thought of a better use for Sydney.”

“What?  You’re not going to kill him?”

“Not right away, no.  It dawned on me that Jarod might be more pliable if we can use Sydney as leverage.”

Lyle grinned.  “Not bad.  Not bad at all.”

“You’re the one who is always fond of saying ‘waste not, want not,’ Lyle, I am merely taking a page from your own manual.”

“And Miss Parker?”

“Willy is arranging a Sweeper team to tail her.  We’ll pick her up as soon as Sydney and Jarod are secured.”

“And Broots?”

Raines looked at his watch.  “I believe that is being handled at this very moment....”

-----------------------

Broots fumbled for his car keys in the dark.

“Daddy, why don’t you just turn on the garage light?”

“I already told you Debbie,” he whispered, “I don’t want to disturb the neighbors.”

“I don’t understand why we have to leave tonight.  I’m supposed to go to the mall with the girls tomorrow, Daddy.  You promised.”

Broots turned toward her.  “I know I did, honey.  I know, and I’m sorry.  But this can’t wait.”

Debbie pouted slightly.  “I just don’t get it.....”

Broots fit the key into the lock and opened the door.  “Okay, Debbie, in you go, honey.”

Debbie tossed her bag into the backseat, as did Broots, and they both got into the car.  A moment later, Broots started the engine, only to freeze when he felt the cold metal of the gun barrel at his head.

“Go ahead, back out.  But your destination plans have changed.”

Broots looked in his rearview mirror and recognized Willy, and another Sweeper now sitting in the backseat of his car.  He groaned, and Debbie screamed.  The short Sweeper covered her mouth with his gloved and hand and Broots made a move toward him, but Willy restrained him.

“Don’t you hurt her.  Don’t you hurt my little girl.”

“Calm down, Mr. Broots,” Willy intoned, “nothing bad needs to happen here.  You just need to get driving to the Centre, and your daughter needs to keep her mouth shut.  Simple as that.  Do we understand each other?”

Broots nodded.  “Yeah.  I understand you.”  He turned to Debbie.  “You need to stay quiet, sweetheart, and nothing will happen.”

“But--”

“--No buts, Debbie.  I really need you to do this for me, okay?”

She nodded, but Broots couldn’t guess how long she’d go along with it.  He looked back at Willy.

“You just keep that other Sweeper off of her.”

“As long as you two play by my rules, we have no problems.  Now drive.”

Broots put the car in gear and backed out of the garage.  A moment later, he, Debbie and the two Sweepers were headed to Blue Cove, and beyond it, the Centre.  He swallowed hard, and tried not to think too much about what awaited them.

---------------------

He crawled as quickly as he could through the ventilation system, until he reached the area where Angelo usually spent most of his time.  And sure enough, the strange little man was there.

Jarod smiled.  “Angelo!  Are you all right?”

Angelo seemed more than a little agitated.  “Sydney......help Sydney.”

“I don’t know that we can.  Did you understand my message?”  Angelo nodded.  “Good.”  He looked at his watch.  “If Sydney was somehow able to cut a deal with Lyle, the first part of this should just about be handled.....”  He looked at the empath.  “The real question is whether or not Mr. Parker’s going to follow through with his end.”

Angelo smiled then.  “To save the daughter, he will help.”

Jarod looked into the bright blue eyes.  “I hope you’re right, my friend.  Now, show me the way to the files I told you about.”

“They are no more.”

Jarod grasped Angelo’s shoulders.  “I know there are copies somewhere.  There have to be.  We have no chance to save Sydney without them.”

Angelo frowned, and then scurried off, with Jarod moving as quickly as he could to keep him in sight.

****************

Willie froze as he heard the gun cocking in his ear.

“Put your gun down, or your brain matter’s gonna be all over that window.”

Willie swallowed, but forced his voice to sound cutting, “Manny, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m doing what Mr. Lyle told me to do.”

Watching it all unfold from the rearview mirror while still driving, Broots unsuccessfully tried to keep the panic from his voice.  “Uh fellas, what the hell is going on back there?”

Both sweepers looked at the computer technician and shouted, “Shut up!”

Manny pushed the gun harder into Willie’s temple.  “I ain’t playin’ so you’d better put up that gun.”

Slowly, Willie let the gun dangle on his finger, and Manny took it, shoving it into his pants belt.  Keeping the gun and his eyes trained on Willie, he spoke to Broots.

“Mr. Broots, we have a new destination.”

“W-we do?”

“Yes.  You’re heading to the airport, and you and Miss Broots are getting on a plane bound for the Caribbean.”

“Cool!”

“Debbie, honey, just don’t get too excited here...”  He looked in the rearview at Manny.  “And just what are we going there for?”

“You were trying to get away from the Centre, weren’t you?”

“Y-yes.”

“Well then, Mr. Lyle is helping you do just that.”

“Mr. Lyle?  N-no, h-he wouldn’t help me....”

Manny’s voice showed his impatience, “You wanna stay here with Willie, or go to the Caribbean with your daughter, Mr. Broots?”  

Broots nodded nervously.  “W-well, when you put it that way, I’ll take the Caribbean with Debbie.....”

Manny pulled two plane tickets from his pocket and threw them into the front seat.  “Here, complements of the Centre.”

Broots turned the car toward the airport, and tried to understand what just happened.  But no matter how many times he turned it around in his head, it didn’t add up.  He’d humor them all, and they’d start in the Caribbean; but then he and his daughter would fly and drive through several more cities until he was sure that no one would ever find them, especially anyone from the Centre.

****************  

Sydney turned sharply at the sound of the metal grate being removed.  His student stuck his head through, smiling at his mentor.

“Jarod!  You shouldn’t be here!  I’m sure this room is under surveillance.....”

Jarod smiled, waving a small electronic device.  “Not right now it’s not.”  He pulled himself through the opening of the grate and landed on the floor of the room.  He glanced over at Miss Parker.  “Is she all right?”

“She will be,” Sydney answered.  “Although in no thanks to Mr. Lyle, who took it upon himself to beat her almost senseless.”

Jarod’s lips pulled into a straight line, making a mental note to teach Mr. Lyle a lesson regarding manners.  “I sent an email to your account, confirming the meeting at Seaford Park, but I figured they put you up to it.”

“I’m sorry, Jarod, they left me no choice.”

Once again Jarod looked over at Miss Parker.  “I can see that.”

“Raines is supposed to let her go in the park, but I don’t trust him.  I want you to take her with you now, Jarod, and get as far away from here as you can.”

“And just what do you think they’ll do to you then, Sydney?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Jarod.”

“And what about Broots and Debbie?”

Sydney looked at his watch.  “Right about now they should be on their way to the Caribbean.”

“What?”

“I cut a small side deal with Mr. Lyle, and you know Broots, he’s smart enough not to stay where they’ve sent him.  He and Debbie will be fine.”  

“Are you nuts?  You can’t trust Lyle!”

“This one time, yes I can.  You see Jarod, I promised him that if Broots and Debbie weren’t safe before we made the exchange, I’d tell Mr. Raines that Lyle was planning to kill him once he had you back.”

“How could you have known about something like that?”

Sydney shrugged.  “I didn’t.  It was an educated guess, and apparently not that far off, eh?”  He put his hands on Jarod’s shoulders.  “Now, take Miss Parker, and go, before they realize you’re here.”

“I can’t let them kill you, Sydney.”

“It’s a small price to pay to get all of you out of here, believe me.”  Sydney stared into his student’s dark eyes.  “Please Jarod, I owe all of you at least that.”

Jarod looked at his watch.  “Listen, I don’t have time to explain, but you’re going to have to trust me, Sydney.  We’ve got an ace in the hole at the park who’ll watch out for Miss Parker.  In the meantime,” Jarod reached into his pocket and pulled out a DSA and a folded file, handing it to his mentor, “take these and keep them safe.  It’ll restore the balance of power around here - and Sydney, don’t destroy them, we can’t expect Angelo to keep finding these things.....”

Sydney put the files into his inner coat pocket and stared at Jarod.  “Are you sure you can keep Miss Parker safe tomorrow and keep yourself from being caught?”

“I’m confident of the first part, not so sure about the second, but as long as you have the DSA and file, everything should turn out reasonably well.”  Jarod smiled.  “Relax, Sydney, I think we’ve got Raines where it counts this time, you’ll see.  I’ve got to go.  I’ll see you tomorrow.  And Sydney, take care of Miss Parker.”

Sydney smiled as he watched Jarod pull himself into the grate, closing it behind him.  “Be careful, Jarod.”

*****************

Feeling weak from her injuries, Parker shivered in the back seat of the towncar.  Sydney reached over and pulled her hand into his own, gently warming it.

“Try not to worry.”

“Raines isn’t going to let me go, Syd, you know that.”

His chestnut eyes glanced up toward the driver, who was watching them in his rearview mirror and listening to everything they said.  He leaned in toward her ear, whispering.

“You need to have faith, Miss Parker.  We’re not alone on this one.”

Parker’s dark gray eyes darted to Syd’s, and a silent understanding passed between them.  She swallowed hard.  “What about you?”

“I’ll be okay.”  She stared hard at him, and he pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly.  “I promise you.”

The car pulled into the parking lot and Sydney, Parker and the driver got out of the car, all of them slowly moving toward the interior of the park.  Sydney kept a tight arm around Parker’s waist, allowing her to lean into him for support as they walked.  The driver stayed at a close distance behind.  Sydney couldn’t see them, but he could feel Raines and Lyle lurking somewhere nearby, and it sent an involuntary shiver up his spine.  Miss Parker tightened her grip on him.

“You okay, Syd?”

“Yeah.”

“I hope Wonder Boy knows what he’s doing.”

“He usually does, Miss Parker......”

As they moved toward the carousel, Sydney caught sight of Raines, Lyle and their men, skulking behind the vendor stands to the right.  His eyes moved straight ahead, and he saw Jarod, slowly walking toward them.  Sydney stopped moving and turned Miss Parker toward him, holding her by the arms.

“This is where I stay.  You walk toward Jarod, and whatever he indicates you to do, Parker, don’t question it, just do it.”  She frowned, and he squeezed her arms hard.  “Promise me.”  She nodded, tears stinging her gray eyes.  Sydney leaned down and kissed her lovingly on the forehead.  “Be careful, baby.....now go on.”

“But Syd--”

“--No.  Just go now.”  

He gently pushed her away and reluctantly she began moving in Jarod’s direction.  Raines and Lyle watched from their vantage point, both smiling as their plan unfolded.

“Jarod looks good, doesn't he?”  Raines asked.

Lyle licked his lips.  “Yes, he sure does.....”

“As soon as Jarod reached the halfway point, I want your men to move in.”

“It’s already in motion....”

As Parker neared Jarod, he spoke to her.  “In a minute or so all hell’s going to break loose, Miss Parker.  Raines will make a play for me, and a man somewhere behind me is waiting to take you by force if necessary.”

“What do you want me to do?”

They were almost in front of each other then.  

“The man waiting for you will be stopped, and at that moment, while everyone is distracted, I’ll make a break for it.  Just head for cover.  That’s all you need to do. ”

“Why should I let you go, Jarod?”  She asked as they lingered for a brief moment in the same spot.

“Because you know that what they’ve done to both you and Sydney in all of this is wrong, and you’d rather try and catch me on your own terms, Miss Parker.”

She smiled at him.  “We’ll see, monkey boy, we’ll just see......”

Jarod continued to move toward Raines and Lyle, and Parker brushed past him, seeing the suit waiting for her just ahead.  The man, whom she recognized as one of Raines’ sweepers, pulled a gun and pointed it at her.

“Stop right there, Miss Parker.”

“I don’t think so,” Mr. Parker’s deep voice boomed as he stepped out from the cover of a large tree.  “You’d better put that gun away, sonny, before I use it to break your head open.”

The man swallowed hard.  “Uh, Mr. Parker, I uh, I.....I was just doing as Mr. Raines instructed, sir, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Daddy!”

Miss Parker ran toward his open arms, as Raines, Lyle and the rest of the team watched their plan begin to fall apart.  And suddenly Jarod made a break for the carousel.  Lyle pulled his gun and ran toward the pretender, but Sydney threw himself into the Lyle’s path, knocking both of them down to the ground.  They scuffled for the weapon, and Lyle came up with it.  He pointed it at Sydney, cocking the trigger.

“I have had enough of you, Sydney!”

“Daddy!”  Miss Parker screamed, “Do something!”

Growling under his breath, Mr. Parker hustled toward Lyle, his voice barking, “Stand down, Lyle.”  The younger man stared at his father, but the gun remained trained on Sydney who was still on the ground.  “Did you hear me?  Put the gun away.”

“I’m sick of it.  I’m sick of him; I would have had Jarod, but he deliberately stopped me.  Why not just get rid of him?  There’s nothing standing in our way now.....”

Sydney pulled the DSA and folded file from his pocket then, smiling.  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Lyle.”

Parker rolled his eyes.  “Lyle, put the gun away.  Now.”

Finally Lyle eased the hammer back and put the weapon in its holster.  Miss Parker knelt next to Sydney.

“You okay, Syd?”

“Yes,” he said as she helped him up.  

He and Mr. Parker held each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“Looks like another stalemate, Mr. Parker.”

“Yes and no, Sydney.  I understand that you’ve got a few things to answer for......”

“Minor things, Mr. Parker, in comparison to your daughter’s safety, I’m sure.”

The two men glared at each other for a moment longer, and then Sydney gently shrugged out of Miss Parker’s grip and walked back toward the car in the parking lot.  Miss Parker turned to her father.

“What did he mean by that, Daddy?”

Parker pulled his daughter into his arms, kissing her on the forehead.  “Nothing, honey.  It’s nothing.  Come on, we have to derive an appropriate punishment for Mr. Raines and Mr. Lyle, whom I understand were extremely ill-behaved while I was gone.....”

****************

Sydney looked up from the book in his hands as he heard the floorboard creak under the weight of his student.

“Good evening, Jarod.”

Jarod smiled.  “You caught me.”

“You didn’t make it very difficult.”  Sydney stood and shook hands with Jarod.  “It’s good to see you.”

“Are you the only one seeing me?”

Sydney laughed.  “Yes.  All of the surveillance equipment that was in here has been removed.  As long as I have the DSA and files, I don’t think Mr. Lyle or Mr. Raines will try anything.  Besides, Mr. Parker still hasn’t forgiven them for their attempted coup d’etat.”

“And Miss Parker?”

“She’s fine, Jarod, completely recovered from her injuries.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Sydney looked down and paced away from his student.  “What do you want me to tell you, Jarod?”

“That you’ve told her the truth.”

Sydney stared into the dark eyes piercing him and shook his head.  “We’ve been through this before; I don’t see how it would be helpful to her.  As a matter of fact, I think it could prove to be very harmful.”

“She’s no less a person for it, Sydney.”

“No.  But she’s everything that Catherine Parker was right down to every last little minute detail.  Don’t you see how that could hurt her?”

“And you don’t think that someday she’ll put together the pieces and realize that I wasn’t the first person that the Centre cloned?”

“I don’t know......she might.”

“And what about the Centre?  Where will it stop, Sydney?  Raines will just continue with his vile experiments on human beings, not caring what it does to the subjects or their families.  Don’t you see that?”

“What I see is that I don’t have a right to tell her.  And neither do you.”

“But she has a right to know who she is and where she came from.  Catherine Parker is dead, Sydney.  She can’t tell her.  Mr. Parker sure as hell isn’t going to tell her.”

“Catherine Parker didn’t want her to be told, Jarod.  She begged me, she made me promise to protect her.”

And then it suddenly struck him; how he could have missed it over the years, the pretender didn’t know.

“You were in love with her.”  And a frown creased Jarod’s brow as another thought entered into his mind, which was no longer clarity-filled, but emotionally-ruled.  “My God, Sydney, are you in love with Miss Parker?”

“How dare you say such a thing to me.”

“It makes perfect sense.  You were hopelessly in love with the original, why not the clone?”

“You have no idea what you’re saying.”

“I read the file, Sydney.  I saw the DSA.  I should have seen it all sooner.  Raines and Mr. Parker approved the experiment, but you did nothing to stop it.  And I think it’s because you saw your chance.  You saw your opportunity to have a Catherine Parker for yourself--”

And without thinking, Sydney struck out, slapping Jarod hard in the face.  Jarod’s dark eyes filled with tears; not from the blow, but from the emotion attached to it.  Sydney reached out then, and Jarod backed away from him.

“Jarod......please, Jarod, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You.......you hit me, Sydney.”

“I didn’t mean it.  Jarod--”

“--Sydney, you’ve never hit me before.”

Sydney suddenly felt exhausted and he plopped down on the couch, his voice a whisper.  “You don’t understand, Jarod.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“I do love Miss Parker, but not in the way you mean.”  He looked up into Jarod’s glistening eyes then and let out a long sigh.  “Not everything is contained in that file, Jarod.  In the early days of clone study, the process wasn’t cloning as we know it today.  DNA from the subject was extracted and a duplicate egg was made, but that egg still needed to be fertilized--”

“--I read the file, Sydney, I know that.  Mr. Raines ordered you to fertilize the egg with Mr. Parker’s sperm.  And you gladly did it so that you could have your own, personal Catherine Parker.....”  Sydney looked deeply into Jarod’s eyes, waiting for Jarod to make the leap.  And suddenly the truth hit Jarod, hard.  “Oh my God......you didn’t use Mr. Parker’s DNA.”  He sat down next to Sydney, studying the man’s chestnut eyes.  “You used yours.”

And Sydney stared into the dark eyes of his protégé, neither admitting nor denying a truth that was still far too dangerous a thing to possess.....

The End

###