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This is a sequel to Jarod's Teddybearwinsborn nude


PAYBACK

by Rebeckah

"Don't move, mister!" A steely female voice made Steve Samuelson freeze, holding his hands steadily away from his body.

"Who the hell are you?" The woman continued, and he knew she was moving towards him by the increasing volume of her voice.

"I'm Stephen R. Samuelson, Miss Osbourne." He answered in a calm, steady voice, guessing that woman threatening him was the same woman he'd come to find. "My sister asked me to look you up."

"Likely story!" The woman scoffed. "What does that damn Centre want now? I don't know where Jarod went and I don't want to know if it would put him in danger."

Steve took a calculated risk and slowly turned around to face the petite blond woman holding a well-maintained rifle on him. He kept his hands prudently raised and non-threatening and tried to look as harmless (which he was not) and sincere (which he was) as humanly possible.

"Miss Osbourne, I do not work for the Centre, although my business with you involves them. Will you please listen to my story before you shoot me?" He asked reasonably.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his mention of the Centre but even at her most paranoid she had to admit, if only to herself, that he didn't act at all like the Centre people she'd come up against in the past.

"Talk fast, Mister." She ordered grimly.

"My sister encountered Jarod about three weeks ago in Idaho. She also has reason to hate the Centre, and her meeting with Jarod fired her up to do something. She's in Delaware, and would like you to help her in her Machiavellian plots." Steve told her baldly. Carrie's blue eyes lit with a spark of interest that she immediately tried to hide with an angry scowl.

"Who's your sister? Why would she care about the Centre?"

"Her name is Ruth. She's a geneticist. The Centre stole some of her research and used it in ways that she found unethical. When she objected, she found herself on their bad side. She hid from them for a long time but she decided to fight back after Jarod blew her cover."

"What do you mean," Jarod blew her cover"?" Carrie demanded. "He wouldn't put someone in danger, not even those creeps at the Centre."

Steve sighed tiredly. Carrie was as hard a sell as his research on her had indicated.

"Look, if you're going to shoot me you'll have to do it now. I'm not standing here with my arms in the air any longer. I'm also not going to tell you my sister's life story without some idea as to whether or not you're interested in helping us." Steve deliberately lowered his arms and folded them across his chest while leaned casually against a barrel of oil.

Once again Carrie's eyes narrowed as she examined Steve. He maintained his nonchalant air with an effort.

"All right." She decided grudgingly, lowering her rifle to point at the floor but holding it ready to pull up and into action at a moment's notice. Steve noticed her caution with approval. This woman was more than brave; she was cautious and intelligent as well. A good story wasn't going to win her instant trust. If half of what he'd heard about the Centre was true then Steve knew that Carrie's attitude wasn't just justified, it was self-preservation.

"Ruth would like to meet you." Steve told Carrie, knowing she'd seen the admiration in his eyes. "Would you consider flying up to meet her? It would be at our expense, an you’re welcome to bring anyone with you that would make you feel more secure. Just in case we were working for the Centre, of course." He added with gentle mockery. Carrie's smile acknowledged his prod as she replied.

"I'd be happy to join you and your sister. My mechanic and extra pilot will join me." The challenge in her return smile was met with a nod of approbation as he conceded their verbal duel with a quiet,

"Touché. See you all around six? We're parked in the Oceanpark RV Court."

Carrie nodded and Steve gave her a small bow before walking around her to the door that exited the hangar. He just wished they'd sent kids like her to his outfit when he was in the service. It seemed like all the ones he'd gotten had been dropped several times too many on their respective heads.

*****

"Broots, Syd, I’ve got to talk to you two---privately." Parker entered the room with her usual decisive stride, but her voice was uncharacteristically subdued.

"What’s wrong?" Sydney asked instantly, looking up from the data Broots had been sharing with him.

"Have either of you heard of Project Progeny?" She asked, her serious gaze focused on Sydney, who’d withheld information from her in the past.

"No." Sydney answered immediately, and without any deceit that Parker could detect.

"I have." Broots startled them both, but he didn’t notice as he frowned vacantly into space, apparently racking his brains for the memory. "But I can’t remember where."

"If it helps, my brother and Cox are involved." She prompted.

"Oh yeah!" Broots breathed, obviously remembering something. "I intercepted a communiqué from the Triumvirate to Lyle. They were really angry at him for failing to apprehend the subject."

"Who was the subject?" Parker wanted to know.

"I don’t know. The message didn’t say." Broots was obviously unhappy not to be able to give her all the information she wanted.

"Why are you so worried about this?" Sydney asked, studying her with his air of professional detachment.

"I don’t know. I overheard my brother and Cox discussing it a while ago, and I just can’t let it go. If Lyle’s involved it’s bound to be something nasty, and I’m not inclined to let him get away with any more nastiness." Parker answered thoughtfully. "Broots, keep your eyes open on this one, okay?"

"Sure, Miss Parker." Broots agreed uncertainly.

"Are you sure it’s wise for you to get involved with this?" Sydney wanted to know.

"Probably not." Parker agreed with a wry twist of her lips. "But I’m going to anyway."

With that parting shot she spun around and departed the room as briskly as she’d entered.

*****

Ruth looked up from her laptop computer as the door of the RV swung open to admit her brother Steve.

"Will she join us?" She asked as she saved her work and shut off the laptop computer. She acted as though he’d just returned from a visit to the local market rather than the week long journey he’d just returned from.

"I don't know yet, but I think so." Steve answered his sister. He poured himself a cup of coffee as his sister frowned forbiddingly.

She didn't like his caffeine consumption but he wasn't about to change his habits for her, even if she had just given him his biggest challenge since retiring from the military. He added a dollop of cream before sliding into the small seat across from her.

"She's wary of us." Steve continued, a reminiscent smile tugging at his lips. "What a handful. Her father must have been very proud of her. Almost makes me regret not having any kids of my own." He finished with a hint of paternal pride.

"So you think she's up to the battle?"

"Definitely." Steve smiled again reminiscently before pulling himself back to the matter at hand. "Have you firmed up your plans at all?" He wanted to know.

"No, not yet. We need to know more about their strengths and weaknesses before I really know what I want to do. All I can say is that I want to shut them down---permanently." Ruth replied, her look of grim determination seeming out of place on her pleasant, grandmotherly face.

"You know it will be very difficult to get anything accomplished if we have no idea what we're trying to do, and anything we do try is going to be expensive. I still don’t understand why you won’t have a your friends do some creative withdrawals from the Centre account."

"We've been over this, Steve. We need to do more research; find out who does what, where the skeletons are buried, that sort of thing. We need a private investigator but we do NOT need to steal money." Ruth answered with more than a little heat.









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