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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used
without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Kaleidoscope
part 1
by Jennifer DeNaughel
Jarod followed the shadowy figure, through the nearly empty streets of Dover, toward a severely neglected apartment building. Hanging back just enough to keep from being seen, he knew that if he blew this, there would be no second chances.
A heavy rain had been falling for hours filling the storm drains to overflowing. Small rivers ran down the streets and formed puddles six inches deep in lower-lying areas. Jarod was relieved when the figure he was following disappeared inside the apartment building. Not only because of the rain, but because his plan was falling into place. With a little luck, he would be warm and dry in Texas by morning.
Jarod entered the building just seconds behind the man moving quickly and quietly down the long, dimly lit hallway. Rounding the corner, Jarod froze, not daring to breathe. His quarry, face concealed by the shadows, had stopped suddenly as if sensing that he was being followed.
It seemed like an eternity before he finally proceeded down a stairwell, which Jarod knew, since he had memorized the blueprints of the building, led down to the basement. He waited until the sound of footsteps on the stairs faded before following.
As he crept silently down into the bowels of the structure, Jarod slipped his 9mm out from under his black leather coat. The door going into the basement stood open, just a fraction of an inch. Taking a deep breath, he placed his right hand on the cold metal pushing it open just enough for him to be able to squeeze through. It moved without a sound as he slipped carefully through the narrow opening.
Flattening his body against the wall to the left of the door, Jarod listened intently while his eyes adjusted to the near darkness of the basement. He began to work his way along the wall, his heart pounding violently in his chest. Beads of sweat emerged on his forehead mixing with the drops of moisture from his wet hair.
A sudden feeling of foreboding washed over him as he paused near the boilers. A split second later, the cold, stale silence was shattered by the blood-chilling screams of a young girl.
“Oh God, no,” Jarod gasped. Quickly working his way through the seemingly never-ending maze of shelves, boxes, old mattresses and broken furniture, he raced toward the sound of her cries. The girl’s terror reverberated off the concrete-block walls, piercing his soul. “Leave her alone,” he called out frantically.
Then suddenly there was only silence…deafening silence.
“No,” Jarod cried out.
“And who might you be little boy,” the terrifyingly familiar voice resonated through the suffocating darkness sending a chill down Jarod’s spine, turning his blood to ice.
“Willard,” he uttered the name like a curse.
“Such hostility, prodigy,” Willard admonished. “Déjà vu, Jarod. Alas, once again you are too late to save the little girl.”
Jarod followed the sound of Willard’s voice until, suddenly, a bright light illuminated the area around him. At his feet, was the girl…lying peacefully on a mattress stained with her blood? Falling to his knees, he struggled to hold back a cry of anguish that threatened to erupt from deep within his soul. She was gone…there was nothing he could do to save her. Choking back a sob, he cradled her against his chest.
“Damn you, Willard,” Jarod shouted angrily.
“Don’t you ever grow weary, Jarod?” Willard’s voice came from the shadows just beyond the light. “The excruciating weight of the guilt you carry with you must really take its toll on that infinite compassion of yours. What is it like to spend every day of your life striving to make amends for the sins of your past?”
“If you had a conscience, Willard, you wouldn’t have to ask,” Jarod growled.
“Which is precisely why I will win this little game we’re playing. I have no burdens, no emotions. To the outside world, Douglas Willard is dead. So, while I am free to move among the living…you are hunted by the very people who made you what you are. I pity you, prodigy. Even now, you are still that same lost little boy that couldn’t save Annie.”
“She was only a child, Willard,” Jarod cried out. “Why?”
“Look at her,” he laughed. “Does she not remind you of someone?”
Jarod glanced down at the child in his arms. Gently brushing the hair back from her bloodstained face, he gasped as he recognized her. “Oh God, Danielle,” he said, his voice filled with grief.
Fourteen-year-old Danielle Jacobs had disappeared from her school three days earlier. Her face had haunted him ever since he had first seen her picture in the newspaper. Not only because she was missing, but also because she bore an eerie resemblance to Miss Parker at that age. Acknowledging that thought gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I am so sorry,” he whispered hoarsely.
“I know everything there is to know about you, prodigy,” Willard said. “Actually, I probably know you better than you know yourself. Your Achilles’ heel…she is really quite beautiful and intelligent.
Jarod’s heart leapt into his throat. “I don’t know who you mean.”
“Come now, Jarod. A soul would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know what she means to you. It must be difficult…caring so deeply for the woman who is your huntress. I am looking forward to meeting her…I am sure she will pose quite the challenge, and you know how I love a challenge.”
“Willard, you son of a…” Jarod hissed.
Willard turned the light, hitting Jarod directly in the face, blinding him for several seconds. “I really hate to end our little reunion so prematurely, but I must go now. The authorities will be arriving at any moment. I called them myself you know…anonymous tip from a concerned citizen.”
“Go to hell,” Jarod said, his voice teeming with hatred.
“Ah, Jarod, I’ve already been there, and not even Satan himself would have me,” Willard said with a chuckle. “See you soon,” he said, then he was gone.
An instant later, the door leading to the basement from the alley burst open. Jarod suddenly found himself surrounded by the FBI.
“Drop your weapon now,” one of the men ordered.
Nodding, Jarod put the gun on safety then slid it across the floor.
“Back away from the girl.”
Jarod shook his head slowly. “It’s too late to save her. I was too late.” He gently lowered Danielle back down onto the bloody mattress.
“You are under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Danielle Jacobs,” the agent said as two men grabbed Jarod from behind and slapped handcuffs around his wrists while the agent continued to read him his rights.
“No, wait.” Jarod was pulled roughly away, led out the door into the rain and toward a waiting car. “Please, you don’t understand.” His words went unheeded as he was forced into the car. Just before the door closed, he heard the unmistakable sound of Willard’s laughter.
**********
Standing just inside the open doorway of Jarod’s apartment, Miss Parker could not believe her luck. It appeared that her quarry had not yet left his present lair. “Broots,” she called out. “What did you find?”
Broots emerged from the bedroom shaking his head in confusion. “It’s all there…his bag, DSA case…everything. Miss Parker, something doesn’t feel right about this.”
She hated to admit it but she felt it too…something was wrong with the scene before them. What started out as just uneasiness in her gut, was quickly escalating to full-blown concern. “Jarod would never leave the DSAs behind.”
Broots moved toward the coffee table, which was partially obscured by newspaper clippings and photos of young girls who were either missing or had been found…dead. Thoughts of Debbie crept into his mind as he studied the pictures. He could not even begin to imagine the horror of losing a child in such a violent manner. “Miss Parker, you should see these.”
Crossing the room, she glanced down at the table then turned to study the wall where several individual pictures had been tacked up. Her breath caught in her throat as she came face to face with herself…twenty years younger. The girl looked so much like her at the age of fourteen that she would have believed it was her until she read the caption. ‘Danielle Jacobs missing since Thursday, age fourteen. If you have information, please contact the FBI or the Dover police department.’
Broots turned and gasped. “My God, that’s…”
“Her name…is Danielle Jacobs, a missing girl. Jarod is here searching for her.”
“Do you think he noticed the resemblance?”
“You did, Broots…and you’re no genius.”
Ignoring the jab, Broots took one of the pictures down from the wall. “Miss Parker, do you think it’s possible that the Centre could have cloned you the way they did Jarod?”
Though the thought had been nagging away at the back of her mind ever since she had first seen the picture, Miss Parker shook her head. “Contrary to popular belief, the Centre is not responsible for every little freak of nature. Everyone in the world supposedly has a twin. Well except in your case…God knows, one is more than enough.”
“Funny,” Broots rolled his eyes.
Hearing a commotion in the hallway, they both turned toward the sound. Miss Parker drew her gun aiming it at the open door, which was suddenly filled with men in dark suits.
“Agent, Nick Kohler, FBI,” said the tall, blonde agent and apparent leader of the group as he flashed his badge. “Put down the gun, Miss,” he ordered waving his gun at her.
“What the hell is this all about?” she scowled as she did as she was told and placed her 9mm on the floor. As she kicked it over to Agent Kohler, she noticed a strange look pass between him and Broots. “Jarod put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“What do you know about Jarod?”
“You would be surprised,” she smirked.
“Then you can come with us for questioning…both of you,” he said as he seemed to be carefully avoiding eye contact with Broots.
“Questioning,” she asked, eyeing the two men suspiciously.
“We would be very interested to hear your ideas as to why Jarod murdered an innocent young girl in cold blood.”
**********
Jarod lay silent in his cell. He had not touched his food, and sleep eluded him totally. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Danielle lying in a pool of blood. Then the image would change to Miss Parker…at first appearing as he remembered her at fourteen, then as the woman he knew in the present.
Closing his eyes tightly, he fought back the images that threatened to tear him apart. He could not let Willard win. Even if it meant surrendering to the Centre, though he doubted that even the Centre could save him from this.
Willard had known all along that he would come searching for Danielle and set him up to take the fall for her kidnapping and murder. With no witnesses to prove his innocence, Jarod had no way of clearing himself of the charges. They would probably sentence him to life in prison…or worse.
Jarod realized that if he had to choose between prison and death, he would rather die than be shut off from the outside world again. Getting up from his bed, he moved toward the sink. Already he could feel the parasitic worm of isolation and despair eating away at his sanity.
Whatever happened, he would find a way out. He had to. The thought of leaving the people he cared about at the mercy of Douglas Willard turned his stomach.
**********
Still visibly shaken by the revelation that the FBI believed Jarod had kidnapped and murdered Danielle Jacobs, Miss Parker struggled to focus on the interrogation. She wondered where they had taken Broots. The last time she had seen him, he was being led into one of the offices, which she found to be rather bizarre in itself. However, the fact that she was being asked questions about Jarod and the murder of a young girl was simply ludicrous.
“Miss Parker,” Agent Kohler interrupted her thoughts.
Shaking her head, Miss Parker stood, walking toward what she knew was a two-way mirror. “This is absolutely insane. Jarod would not…could not, kill anyone much less an innocent child. My God, I have known him all my life. We grew up together. To him life is a precious gift to be cherished and nurtured. Jarod did not kill Danielle Jacobs, but I would be willing to bet my own life that he was attempting to save her when he became entangled in the killer’s web.”
“You seem so sure of yourself, Miss Parker,” Agent Kohler said. “You say you know him so well, then explain why his apartment was filled with pictures of missing and murdered girls.”
Miss Parker turned to stare blankly at the glass. She would have to tread carefully to keep the Centre out of this, but she was not about to let these idiots railroad Jarod into prison…or worse. “I will tell you, but first, I need to make a phone call. May I please have my cell phone?”
Agent Kohler considered her request then nodded to Agent Blake who pulled her phone from his jacket pocket. “You have five minutes,” he said.
“Thank you,” Miss Parker’s smile was laced with sarcasm as the three men left her alone in the room. Not stupid enough to believe that they were not listening from the next room, she quickly dialed Sydney’s number.
“This is Sydney,” the familiar voice came over the line on the second ring.
“Syd, I don’t have time to explain, but you need to come to Dover immediately. Broots and I are being held for questioning at the FBI headquarters. Tell no one, just come.”
“I’m on my way,” he said then cut the connection.
“Please, Sydney…hurry,” she whispered to the dial tone.
The agents returned and again confiscated her cell phone. She did not bother to argue. She did not have the energy.
Agent Kohler handed her a cup of coffee, “I thought you might need this.”
“Thank you,” she said with a genuine smile.
“Please, Miss Parker, enlighten us on Jarod’s past.”
Miss Parker nodded. “It is a very long and complicated story. I hope you can keep an open mind.”
“Go ahead,” Agent Larsen smiled reassuringly.
“Jarod was taken from his family as a child…”
**********
Waking from a restless sleep, Jarod pressed the heels of his hands against his eyelids. The nightmares were relentless…giving him not even a moment of peace. Filled with the faces of the countless people who had lost their lives because of him. Some clearly visible…others obscured by a thin veil of fog. He could hear their cries, feel their pain and desperation.
“Help me,” Jarod whispered.
**********
Miss Parker was very close to losing control of her emotions by the time the door to the interrogation room opened and a female agent entered. She spoke softly to Agent Kohler who nodded motioning for someone else to enter.
“Sydney,” Miss Parker gasped with relief as he appeared, moving quickly toward her.
“Parker, are you all right?” Sydney asked as he embraced her. “Where is Broots?
“I am fine, but I don’t know where they have taken Broots.” Fumbling with the buttons on Sydney’s coat, she struggled to come up with a delicate way to tell him what his protégé was facing. “It’s Jarod, Syd. He’s in a lot of trouble.”
“Where is he? Is he hurt?”
With tears filling her eyes, she took a deep breath. “He’s been arrested, Syd…they believe that he kidnapped and killed a fourteen-year-old girl.”
Sydney sank gradually into an empty chair shaking his head in utter disbelief, clutching at his heart as he tried to catch his breath. “Dear God, no,” he murmured.
“Calm down, Syd. Please.” Miss Parker glanced up at Agent Kohler who handed her a glass of water for Sydney. “Thank you,” she nodded.
Twenty minutes later, his heart rate finally returning to normal, Sydney stood shakily, running his fingers through his hair. He began to pace slowly as he attempted to collect his thoughts.
“Syd?” Miss Parker took hold of his arm.
“I’m okay,” he smiled, gently patting her hand. Then turning his attention to the FBI agents, he again shook his head. “Jarod could not have done what you are accusing him of. I do not care what you may think you believe. He is not capable of taking any life in cold blood…much less a child…it is impossible.”
“Though I respect your opinion, doctor. We found him with the victim in his arms. The autopsy results are due by the end of the day. Hopefully they will reveal the truth,” Agent Kohler replied.
“Are you telling me that Jarod’s life is in the hands of some moron with a scalpel?” Miss Parker asked angrily. “Have you even talked to him? Heard his side of the story?”
“Parker, please,” Sydney said calmly.
“No, Syd. They are looking for a scapegoat to pin this horrific crime on just so they can sleep nights. I refuse to stand by and let Jarod be railroaded.”
“Miss Parker, I promise you that no one is trying to railroad Jarod. We want to get to the truth as much as you do,” Agent Blake spoke up.
“Then get Jarod in here so we can find out what really happened,” she said angrily.
Agent Kohler shook his head, “I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”
“Have you forgotten that a man is innocent until proven guilty?” Miss Parker rose to her full height then leaning forward, pressed her palms out flat on the table. “I want you to take us to him…now.”
Leaning back in his chair, Agent Kohler shook his head and gave a short laugh. “You missed your calling, Miss Parker. You should have been a lawyer.”
“Couldn’t,” she smirked. “I was cursed with a conscience.”
“And a wry sense of humor,” he chuckled. “All right, you can see him, but only one at a time and only for five minutes.”
“Thank you,” Miss Parker gave a quick nod.
“Which of you would like to go first?”
Miss Parker turned toward Sydney, “Syd?”
“You go ahead, Parker. I would like to talk to Agent Kohler for a moment.”
“Agent Larsen, please accompany Miss Parker downstairs,” Agent Kohler asked.
“It would be my pleasure,” he smiled though his eyes flashed with fear.
Miss Parker followed him to the elevator. While they waited for the doors to open, she turned in the direction of the office where she had last seen Broots. The blinds were closed tightly, as if they were trying to hide something.
“Miss Parker?” Agent Larsen interrupted her thoughts. “Shall we,” he asked holding the doors open for her.
Moving past him, she went to the back of the elevator and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She could not help being afraid. She had no idea what to expect when she saw Jarod. How would he react to her being there? What would she say to him?
They paused at the guard station to sign in before proceeding down a narrow corridor flanked by rows of stark white doors with small, round windows barely the size of dinner plates. It reminded her of the renewal wing at the Centre. The very thought of the place sent a chill down her spine.
Agent Larsen stopped in front of the last door and placed the key in the lock. “I will wait out here,” he said pulling the heavy door open to allow her to enter.
“Thank you,” she nodded, stepping into the room.
Lying on his back staring up at the ceiling, Jarod seemed to be in a trance. He was deathly pale, which worried her. Especially when she noticed several trays of untouched food scattered about the 10x10 cell.
“Jarod?”
Startled by the sound of her voice, Jarod bolted upright in the bed placing his bare feet on the cold concrete floor. “Parker? What are you doing here?”
“I’m not here to take you back to the Centre if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I almost wish you were,” Jarod said flatly.
“No,” she smiled knowingly. “You don’t.” Moving toward the bed, she sat down next to him. A moment later she reached over, hesitantly taking hold of his hand.
Taken aback by the gesture, Jarod lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I don’t understand…”
“They are only giving me five minutes to say what I’ve come to say. Please, just listen.”
Jarod nodded slightly, his dark eyes never leaving her face.
“I do not care what these morons are accusing you of, I know you did not kill that girl,” she said with conviction. “I swear to you that I will find a way to prove your innocence.” Then reaching up, she brushed the back of her hand along his unshaven cheek and jaw. “I still find it unfathomable that they could even remotely believe you capable of something so horrible.”
Turning from her touch, Jarod lowered his head as he released a shaky breath. “I am scared, Parker,” he said, his voice barely audible.
“I know,” she said softly. Then, without thinking, she pulled him to her, embracing him.
Cautiously accepting her offer of comfort, Jarod was reminded of the past…their past. He remembered holding her after her mother’s death. The closeness that had developed between them back then, he had believed would last forever. He could not have been more wrong. Yet, here she was and as he slipped his arms around her, suddenly a lifetime ago seemed like yesterday.
She reveled in the familiar sensation of being so close to him…the storm of emotions and memories raging within her was almost overpowering. At first, she had wanted nothing more than to take away his pain the way he had done for her so long ago. However, when he drew her closer, she suddenly wanted to lose herself in his warmth and his strength…never to return.
Reluctantly, Jarod released her. He met her startled gaze and knew immediately that she had felt it too. Gently brushing a stray tear from her cheek, he smiled sadly. Neither of them could speak but the silent communication between them was palpable.
Agent Larsen chose that moment to return. Standing in the open doorway, he waited to usher Miss Parker out. When she stood and faced him, Larsen glimpsed the despair in her blue eyes. He wanted to give them more time but he knew that it was impossible. It had already been a little more than ten minutes since he had left her there with Jarod.
“I’m ready,” she uttered. At the door, she turned back to Jarod and smiled. “Sydney will be in to see you shortly. Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay.”
Jarod gave a nod of thanks. “I hope you’re right, Parker.”
“Aren’t I always,” she said, her smile widening. Then she walked out the door.
As they walked together down the corridor, Agent Larsen noticed the drastic change in her demeanor. She suddenly seemed vulnerable and confused…very different from the willful, embittered woman he had brought down there just minutes earlier.
Miss Parker released a deep breath. Glancing over at Agent Larsen just as the elevator doors opened, she gave him a hesitant smile, which he returned. “Thank you,” she said.
“No problem,” he replied.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Agent Larsen nodded slowly. “Sure. Go ahead.”
“Do you honestly believe that Jarod killed that girl? Just between you and me…I need to know that someone outside of myself and Sydney believe in his innocence.”
He thought about her question for a moment then shook his head slowly. “Miss Parker, I have seen just about everything in my eighteen years with the FBI…looked into the faces of cold-blooded murderers more times than I can count. All of them sharing a common characteristic…dead, unfeeling eyes that send a chill through your entire body.”
“And when you looked into Jarod’s eyes?”
“I saw pain, loneliness, fear…but more than that, I saw a man with compassion and a love for life. No, I don’t believe that Jarod murdered Danielle Jacobs.”
Miss Parker smiled just as the doors opened on the second floor. “Thank you, Agent Larsen.”
“You’re welcome,” he gave a slight nod as she walked out of the elevator.
**********
When Agent Larsen let Sydney into Jarod’s room, the pretender was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall polishing off an apple.
“Jarod? Are you all right?”
“Good as can be expected, under the current circumstances,” he frowned and tossed the apple core into the wastebasket.
“I can’t believe what they are accusing you of. How could they even think you capable of such a horrific act?”
“Unfortunately,” Jarod said. “The evidence is supporting their theory.”
“The autopsy results aren’t even in yet, Jarod. We have to hope that the coroner’s findings will clear you of these charges.”
Jarod frowned and shook his head. “Syd, we have to be realistic. I am a man with no identity…no past. I cannot tell them the truth.”
“The truth…about the Centre…to hell with the Centre. You cannot go to prison for a crime you did not commit.”
“It’s not just the Centre.”
“Then what is it?”
Jarod raised his weary body from the lumpy mattress and stood, facing his mentor. “It’s about the identity of the killer, Syd.”
Sydney sat down on the edge of the bed. “You know the killer.”
“And if I tell them, I put their lives in jeopardy along with the people I care about.” Jarod moved to sit next to Sydney.
“Who is it? How do you know him?”
Jarod took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Douglas Willard.”
“The Blue Moon Killer,” Sydney shook his head. “I can understand why you are concerned, Jarod. But you cannot go to prison.”
“Have you seen a picture of the murdered girl?” he asked, staring down at the floor.
“No, but Miss Parker told me how much she looked like her at the age fourteen.”
“Syd, I don’t know how, but Willard knows everything about me…about the Centre. Danielle died because he knew how seeing her like that would affect me…that in my mind I would see Miss Parker. He used Danielle to see how deep my feelings for her run.”
“He is planning to go after her next,” Sydney said.
“Take her someplace safe, Sydney. Get her away from here, away from me. Just being near me is a death sentence for anyone I care about.”
Sydney rose to his feet and approached Jarod, placing his hands on his shoulders. “We are not leaving you to face this alone…that’s final. Somehow we will get you out of this mess, then we will focus on getting Willard.”
“Thank you, Syd,” Jarod said embracing the older man.
Sydney left with Larsen a few minutes later, leaving Jarod alone with his thoughts again. With his back against the wall, he slid slowly down until he was sitting on the cold concrete floor.
Bringing his knees up to his chest, he rested his elbows on them as he remembered the feeling of holding her in his arms again…the way she fit so perfectly against him. The hint of lavender in her hair…the porcelain smoothness of her skin. Incredible blue eyes that could go from fire to ice in an instant and a smile that could melt winter into spring.
Closing his eyes, Jarod let his mind drift back to when they were children. ‘Jarod, do you love me?’ she had asked him so innocently. ‘With all my heart,’ he had answered her.
“With all my heart,” Jarod whispered aloud.
**********
Broots paced nervously in the office where the agents had left him. He was worried about Miss Parker. She had very nearly collapsed when Agent Kohler told her that Jarod had murdered the little girl. “Damn them for dropping a bomb like that on her with no warning,” he said aloud.
Just then, the door opened. “It’s about time,” he said angrily. “Are you going to tell me why in the hell you have arrested Jarod for murder?”
“Take it easy, Chris,” Agent Kohler said as he came into the office and perched on the edge of his desk.
“Take it easy…take it easy,” Broots shouted angrily. “Do you have any idea how close I came to having a coronary when you walked into Jarod’s apartment? Miss Parker is not stupid, she noticed that something was amiss between us. If my cover is blown…”
“Relax, Chris. I released them. She doesn’t suspect a thing. I told her that we let you go hours ago. And that you were anxious to get home to your daughter.”
“They are gone?”
“Yes, Sydney took her back to Jarod’s apartment to pick up her car.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question about Jarod.”
“I will have Blake update you on the Jacobs case. Jarod is the prime suspect…caught at the scene with the victim in his arms.
“Nick, have you lost your mind? You know that Jarod is not capable of cold-blooded murder. You have the wrong man.”
“Put your hero-worship aside and look at the evidence, Chris. It all points to Jarod. We are still waiting for the autopsy report, but everything else…”
Broots glared angrily at his partner and friend. “You have lost your mind if you think that I am going to just accept this.”
“You may not have a choice, my friend.”
Rising angrily from his chair, Broots stormed to the file cabinet and pulled out one of many files labeled ‘Jarod’. The file, like all the others, was at least two inches thick. Stuffed full of newspaper clippings and reports of hundreds cases solved by Jarod in the four years since his escape from the Centre. Dropping the file in Nick’s lap, he sat down on the corner of the desk. “You have read everything in those files and you can still sit there and tell me you believe him capable of murdering an innocent girl in cold blood?”
Nick paused, his brow furrowed, then shook his head, “I admit that it is hard to comprehend, but the girl…you said yourself how much she looked like Miss Parker at the same age. Maybe he lashed out at Danielle for all the pain the Centre has caused him in his life. Part of which he blames on Parker.”
Broots turned toward the window and took a deep breath before facing Nick again. “Jarod was stolen from his family at a very young age. Why would he turn around and commit the very crime that he himself was a victim of? A crime which he has fought diligently against from the moment he escaped from the Centre?”
Nick finally conceded, “The autopsy reports are on their way over by messenger. When they get here we are going to go over them with a fine tooth comb until we find something that will clear him.”
Broots returned to his chair, with a relieved sigh. “Nick, do you ever wonder where this is all going to end? I mean, we started this crusade to bring to justice a secret corporation preying on child prodigies and suddenly we find ourselves up to our eyeballs in this quagmire of lies and half-truths. Are we doomed to trudge on…forever in the dark?”
“I wish I knew, Chris. However, if you think you are losing your objectivity, maybe we should pull you from the lion’s den. If you blow your cover, you blow the entire case.”
“I can’t, Nick. I have to stay with it…for Jarod’s sake.”
“Not to mention Miss Parker’s,” Nick accused teasingly. “She is something else.”
“Now you know what I have endured all these years, my friend,” Broots laughed.
“She is incredibly beautiful yet full of venom.”
Broots nodded, “It’s true, but I can tell you from first hand experience that behind the façade is a heart of gold. It is just that she has had so much pain and loss in her life. She has built up a wall around it…a wall that no one can penetrate.
Nick stood, then walking toward the window he smiled. “Judging from the way she defended Jarod, I’d say he somehow managed to weaken the mortar.”
“Theirs is a complicated relationship,” Broots said shaking his head. “I care about them and Sydney…and Angelo. I have to finish this so they can all someday have a chance at the normal life they deserve.”
“How are they going to react when they find out that you have been lying to them all these years?”
Broots shrugged, “In the Centre…lies are status quo. One more won’t likely make a difference.”
Nick walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob as he looked back at his friend. “We have to decide when to make our move on the Centre soon, Chris. When we do, I hope, for your sake, you can find a way to keep them all out of the crossfire.” Then he opened the door and walked out, leaving Broots to his thoughts.
Broots nodded thoughtfully, “So do I, Nick. So do I,” he whispered.
**********
Lyle walked confidently into Mr. Parker’s office. “Dad, you wanted to see me?”
Mr. Parker looked up from the file on his desk and glared at his son. “I sent for you over an hour ago.”
“I am sorry, but I was following up on a lead on Jarod. As usual it was a dead end.”
“Where is your sister? She should have been back from Dover yesterday.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her,” Lyle replied suddenly uneasy under his father’s austere gaze.
“Well, we have a more pressing problem to deal with at the moment. This file was given to me this morning by security. They are certain that we have been compromised. There is a leak in the Centre. Whoever it is, they have leaked classified information and security codes to someone on the outside. Security has detected several forays into the mainframe by this individual as he downloaded more eyes-only data but have been unable trace the source.”
“It’s probably Jarod…”
“That’s what I want you to find out. They have determined that the individual who leaked the information has to have at least a level 5 clearance. Which narrows the field of possibilities considerably.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Lyle gave a quick nod and turned to leave.
“Lyle, I want this handled discreetly. If the leak learns that we are on to him, he may disappear and we can’t have that, now can we?”
“I understand,” Lyle replied as he walked out of the office.
**********
Seated at the table in the interrogation room, Jarod was relieved to be out of his cell even if it was only temporary. He was not looking forward to facing the agents again and their relentless questioning.
“Good morning, Jarod,” said Agent Kohler.
“Is it?” Jarod replied flatly keeping his back to the agent.
“Well, that all depends on you.” Kohler responded. “And how badly you want to get out of here?”
That got the pretender’s attention. Jarod turned slightly allowing his eyes to follow the agent as he moved to sit on the edge of the table a few feet away from him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that after you answer a few questions for us you’re free to go.”
“Why?”
“Because we have the autopsy report and it says that you did not kill Danielle Jacobs. The real killer’s DNA was found on the body…his skin, under her fingernails.”
Jarod fell silent for a moment while the information sank in. Then he looked up at Agent Kohler and shook his head. “What kind of game are you playing?”
“No game, Jarod. The killer is out still out there and we need your help to get him.”
“What makes you think I can help you?” Jarod asked, staring at the man through hooded eyes.
“Because you know him,” said a familiar voice.
Turning around, he was surprised to find Broots standing there clad in black slacks and a white shirt over which he wore a leather shoulder holster complete with firearm. “Broots?” Jarod asked, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Agent Chris Broots actually,” Broots chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the knowledge that he had even managed to fool the pretender himself with his five-year long pretend.
“You—You’re FBI?” Jarod raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in disbelief. “My friend, you deserve an Academy Award for your performance.”
Broots took a seat next to Jarod placing his belongings on the floor between them. “That’s quite a compliment, coming from you.”
“He deserves a medal of valor, for bravery in the face of danger. Danger being a tall, gorgeous brunette with eyes that can reduce a man to ashes in seconds,” Agent Kohler winked as he got up from the table and walked to the corner of the room to pour three cups of hot, black coffee.
“Ah, you must mean Miss Parker.” Jarod grinned.
Broots chortled, “She had Nick here quaking in his boots.”
“Did she now?” Jarod asked.
“Hey I’m not too proud to admit it. That is one highly persuasive woman,” Nick shrugged smiling widely.
Broots downed his coffee and stood. “Jarod, we know you didn’t kill Danielle, but we suspect that you know who did.”
Jarod’s eyes darkened immediately, his gaze shifting to his coffee cup as he weighed the consequences of telling them what he knew. It all came down to putting more innocent lives in danger, or letting Willard win. Neither choice sat well on his conscience.
“You do know, don’t you,” Broots stated calmly.
Jarod nodded slightly, keeping his eyes focused on the dark swirling liquid in his cup. “His name is Douglas Willard, a.k.a. the ‘Blue Moon Killer’.”
“Oh my God,” Broots gasped. “That’s the guy who kidnapped and murdered Annie Raines more than twenty years ago.”
Jarod glanced up in surprise. “Annie—Annie was Raines daughter?”
“You didn’t know?”
Jarod’s forehead creased in anger. “Sydney left out that minor little detail.”
“He probably felt that you wouldn’t have aided them in the search for her if you had known Raines was her father.”
“Well, if you know about Annie, then you also know that I was too late to save her,” Jarod said, his dark eyes glinting with regret.
“You did save the other girl…Sarah. And you found Annie’s remains so her family could finally have closure.”
Nick got up to leave the room. “I’m going to go dig up everything we have on Willard.”
Jarod barely acknowledged the other agent’s departure. “Broots, Willard is out for revenge…and Danielle was caught in the crossfire. He killed her as a message to me…”
“Because she looked so much like Miss Parker when she was younger.”
“Yes.”
“How is it that he knows so much about your life at the Centre?”
“I’m still working on that one. Right now, my main concern is Miss Parker. Willard will go after her next and I don’t now how or when he will strike.”
“I guess I am still missing something here, Jarod,” Broots said as he stood and began to pace the room. “Why Miss Parker?”
Jarod averted his gaze quickly, falling silent.
“Jarod?”
“Because he knows…” he let his voice trail off before continuing. “He knows that a lifetime ago she was my best friend.”
Broots stopped pacing. “I have always suspected that there was something more between the two of you than just your average hunter/prey relationship.”
“I have beaten Willard on his own level more than once, so he is going to take me down a few notches by concentrating his attack on my vulnerabilities…the people I care about.”
“So that makes Sydney a possible target as well…”
“Willard will make his move on Miss Parker first…in his eyes, she is the most vulnerable. He sees women as the weaker sex…helpless.”
Broots shook his head and smiled, “He’s never met a woman like Miss Parker.”
**********
Shutting off the engine, Miss Parker released a heavy sigh allowing her head to fall back against the seat. She did not understand what had come over her earlier in Jarod’s arms. How could just being close to him seem to erase all the pain of the past?
Fighting back tears, she wearily opened the car door. Stepping out into the moonlit night she took a few steps then froze. Feeling a presence in the shadows behind her, she turned.
“Jarod?” she said softly with a hopeful smile.
“It’s funny that you should be expecting him, Miss Parker,” Willard said stepping out of the darkness. “Especially since he is otherwise engaged at the moment.”
“Who the hell are you and what do you want?” Miss Parker hissed.
“Jarod didn’t tell you about me? I’m hurt.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked as she carefully slipped her hand into her jacket removing her gun from the inside pocket.
“He didn’t tell you that I would be paying you a visit…to get acquainted, so to speak.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline,” she said, while releasing the safety on her 9mm.
“That is too bad. I was so looking forward to this moment,” Willard said his gaze locking with hers. “You disappoint me, Miss Parker.”
Miss Parker could hardly focus on anything but the man’s eyes. Even in the dim light of the moon, she could see the lack of emotion in their cold, gray depths. There was no mistaking the pure genius emanating from the coldness. The man was dangerous, every voice in her mind was screaming for her to run, but her feet remained rooted to the spot. Her hands steady as she raised her gun aiming it directly between his eyes.
“I’m offering you one chance to turn around and walk out of here before I blow you away,” she smiled, eyebrows raised. She tried not to notice the fact that he didn’t even flinch.
“Now, that’s more like it,” Willard replied smiling smugly.
“What the hell do you want?”
“Revenge, Miss Parker. Of all people, you should understand that all-consuming desire to avenge a wrong done to you. Your mother…she was murdered, taken from you when you were just a child.” Willard was enjoying himself immensely. The look of pure, burning rage in the eyes of the beautiful woman before him was intoxicating. “You sought revenge on her killer just as I seek revenge on the man who wronged me.”
“Who are you?” Miss Parker uttered, fighting to control her emotions.
“We will have plenty of time for small talk, Miss Parker. Right now I am afraid that I must insist that you come with me,” Willard said taking a step toward her.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warned. “I will kill you.”
“Now, Miss Parker, do not make this any harder on yourself than necessary,” Willard said. Then before she could even react, he plunged a needle into her arm. A fraction of a second later, her grip on her gun went slack and he easily relieved her of it. “Sweet dreams, princess,” he said, reaching out to catch her as the drug took effect.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the van he had hidden in the woods behind her house. He enjoyed the feel of her body pressing against him as he walked. The hem of her skirt had ridden up on her creamy white thighs; her blouse was partially open revealing black satin and lace. It was a shame to kill such an alluring creature when there were so many other things he would much rather do to her. It had been a very long time since he had been with a woman…too long.
Placing Miss Parker in the passenger seat of the van, he reached across to fasten her seat belt securely. “We cannot have you getting hurt if we get into an accident, now can we?” he said, caressing her cheek. Then giving into the urge, he traced a path over her breasts to her thighs and down the length of her legs to her delicate feet. “So beautiful,” he shook his head then stepped back, slamming the door closed.
**********
Jarod landed the helicopter, setting it down in a clearing on the edge of the woods. The blades were still turning as they leapt from the cockpit and ran toward Miss Parker's house.
They immediately spotted her car in the driveway and headed toward it. While Broots searched the Lexus, Jarod moved slowly toward her front door, scanning the ground as he walked.
It did not take him long to spot her keys lying in the bushes. Picking them up, he dropped them into the pocket of his coat. Taking out his cell phone, he dialed her number. The shrill ringing of her phone led him straight to her handbag lying in the bushes. On the ground near it, he found her gun, fully loaded and the safety off. “She never even got off a shot,” he said mostly to himself.
“What did you find?” Broots asked as he approached the pretender from behind.
Inside Miss Parker’s handbag he found a piece of paper folded in half. Opening it, Jarod swore and passed the paper to Broots. “He’s got her,” he said, his voice barely audible.
“Blue Moon Rising,” Broots read aloud. “What does it mean?” he asked in confusion.
“It’s the phrase Willard left scrawled on a wall or a mirror in the bedrooms of his victims. He’s telling me that he will kill her…the night of the Blue Moon.”
Broots gasped, “That gives us less than thirty-six hours.”
Barely able to keep his emotions in check, Jarod stared at Miss Parker’s cell phone for several minutes, unmoving.
“Jarod?” Broots asked.
“It’s all my fault,” Jarod choked on his words. “If only I had warned her yesterday…”
“We’ll find her, Jarod.”
“Call Sydney. Tell him we need his help. Tell him to bring Angelo,” Jarod said, his voice echoing with emotion. “And hurry,” he added as he turned and ran back toward the helicopter.
“Where are you going?” Broots called after him. Getting no response from the pretender, he shook his head. “It’d sure be nice to know what’s going on in that head of his.”
**********
Sydney was just about to leave his office to make his rounds on SL-15 when the telephone rang. “This is Sydney.”
“Syd, its Broots. Jarod and I are at Miss Parker’s house. We need you here as soon as possible and bring Angelo. Willard has taken Miss Parker.”
“Dear God, no,” Sydney said as he sank down in his chair. “We’ll be there within the hour,” he replied and hung up.
Two minutes later he stormed into Mr. Raines’ office without knocking. “Raines, I don’t have time to argue, I need Angelo immediately. Miss Parker is in trouble, we have to find her quickly.”
Raines sat back in his chair and shook his head. “Miss Parker is a big girl. She can take care of herself. Angelo does not leave the Centre.”
“Damn you, Raines,” Sydney lost all control of his temper. He grabbed Raines forcing him back against the wall. “You have no idea of the seriousness of the situation. Douglas Willard has killed again and Miss Parker will be his next victim if we do not stop him. We need Angelo.”
Raines’ face paled and he nodded silently. As soon as Sydney released him, he reached for the telephone. “Willie, find Angelo and bring him to my office immediately.”
“Thank you, Raines,” Sydney said.
“I’m doing this for my Annie…”
“Willard is a monster…”
“Sydney,” Raines kept his voice low. “Tell Jarod…I want him to do whatever it takes to stop Willard…whatever it takes.”
Sydney nodded in understanding. “I will tell him.”
At that moment, the door opened and Willie ushered Angelo in. The look on the Empath’s face told them that he needed no explanation that he knew exactly why he had been summoned. “I’m ready…Sydney.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke to silence but her head was pounding like a jackhammer. Opening her eyes slowly, she found that she was surrounded by darkness. Panic rose and her stomach lurched as the memory of his vile touch invaded her mind. The drug he had given her had paralyzed her body while her mind remained alert. She could still feel his eyes on her, his cold, clammy hands touching her body.
She listened for a sound…any sound that would give her a clue as to where she was, but there was only silence.
It seemed like hours had passed before she finally fell into a restless sleep in which her mind was repeatedly bombarded with the images of him leering at her…touching her. Stifling a scream, she opened her eyes, struggling to get her breathing under control. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her face. She was powerless to stop them.
She heard footsteps then a door opened on the other side of the pitch-black room. He stood, silhouetted in the doorway. “Good, you’re awake. I was beginning to worry.”
“I’m sure you were,” Miss Parker snapped contemptuously.
“Now is that any way to talk to your host?” Willard smiled flipping on the light temporarily blinding her. “Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Douglas Willard…but then you may know me as ‘The Blue Moon Killer’.”
Miss Parker shuddered as she remembered learning about the kidnapping and brutal murder of Mr. Raines’ daughter. “You killed Annie.”
“I was captured…locked away for the rest of my life for killing Annie. More than two decades later, I put into motion my brilliant plan for a supposed ‘copy cat’ killer, every intricate detail was perfect. Little did I know, that the very same child prodigy responsible for my initial capture, was now a grown man working on the case of a missing girl named Sara.” Willard approached his captive slowly, a sadistic look in his eyes. “Needless to say, I found myself back in solitary vowing that one day I would exact my revenge on Jarod…destroy him by targeting one weakness at a time…beginning with you.”
Retreating into the farthest corner of the room to get as far away from Willard as possible, Miss Parker faced him. “If you think that you are going to trap Jarod by using me for bait, you have a serious flaw in your plan. Jarod doesn’t give a damn what happens to me. As a matter of fact he’ll probably thank you for getting me out of the way.”
“My dear, Miss Parker, I can assure you that Jarod not only gives a damn what happens to you, but that he cares very deeply for you. And I must say, I see why you are a weakness for him…beautiful huntress who was once his best friend and first love.” Willard reached out to run his fingers through her silky dark hair. “It’s touching really.”
Realization hit Parker like a slap in the face as she put the pieces together. “My God, you killed Danielle…” she said fighting back another onset of tears.
“It was amazing…the resemblance I mean. She looked so much like you. But then, I guess she would. After all, she was your exact replica…created by the very corporation you sold your soul to. Oh I know all about the Centre and everything that goes on within its walls. I find it utterly amazing, however, that such a powerful corporation could clone a human being, yet be unable to control their most prized pretender. Then make the mistake of sending a woman to recapture him…”
Miss Parker was so taken aback by the fact that Willard confirmed Danielle had been her clone, that his next comment barely registered. Willard was obviously planning to cut a deal with the Centre using Jarod as a bargaining chip. “The Centre doesn’t do business with murderers,” Miss Parker said although she knew she was kidding herself. If Willard was half the evil genius he seemed to be, they would welcome him with open arms.
“Come now, Miss Parker. You cannot possibly believe that.”
“No…I don’t,” she replied somberly.
Willard then took a step back. “I didn’t think so. Now, I want you to get to your feet like a good little girl. We are going to take a walk outside. There is a full moon and the fresh air will do you good. Do not even think of trying an escape. We are miles from nowhere, surrounded by nothing but wilderness.”
Miss Parker stood, straightening her clothing. “I am not exactly dressed for the cold, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Good, that means you will be less tempted to run away. As a matter of fact, take off your shoes…that is an even better incentive not to run.”
Kicking off her pumps, she glared at him. “Your generous hospitality is overwhelming,” she uttered, her tone laced with venom. “You will forgive me if I don’t recommend your little mountain getaway to my friends?”
“Ah, Miss Parker…I see that your charming wit is still intact.” Willard said forcibly grabbing her by the elbow and propelling her through the door. “Your brother warned me about that sharp tongue of yours.”
At the mention of Lyle, Miss Parker’s anger rose tenfold. “That bastard…I should have known. For you to know the things you know you had to have help from inside the Centre.”
“We have a lot in common…he and I. We both enjoy the complex and ancient art of the hunt, the capture and the kill. Very interesting fellow…your brother…and yes, very informative.”
“Next time you see him, send him my love,” Miss Parker said her tone cynical.
“I will be sure and do that,” Willard smiled. “Now move,” he said shoving her out the front door of the dilapidated three-room shack and down the rickety wooden steps.
Shivering visibly the instant her exposed flesh came in contact with the cold night air, Miss Parker struggled to hide her discomfort. She was not about to allow her captor the satisfaction of seeing her suffer. However, as sharp stones and pine needles dug into the tender soles of her feet she found it increasingly difficult to hide the pain.
The full moon was high in the sky so the night was brilliantly lit. “Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something,” Willard said with something akin to pride in his tone as he guided her deep into the woods and down a steep embankment toward a beautiful moonlit lake.
“How romantic,” Miss Parker said sardonically.
Willard did not acknowledge her comment. Instead, he turned her toward a dry creek bed that was well hidden in a stand of oaks. “This is a very special place, Miss Parker. You should feel privileged. I brought all of them here…but of course they were already dead,” he said then pushed her off the three-foot high bank. She landed hard on her left shoulder, her hip coming down on a sharp rock. Willard then raised the beam of the flashlight, illuminating the area around her.
Stunned by the impact with the ground, it took a moment for her to get her bearings. Once her head stopped spinning her eyes came back into focus and she found herself staring into the vacant eyes of a skull…a human skull. She bit back a scream and backed quickly away from it only to bump into a still decomposing corpse. Miss Parker struggled to keep from retching as the sight and the stench assailed her senses.
Willard smiled with satisfaction. “Now, Miss Parker, it is time for you to join them. However, I will give you a choice. Do you want to die quick and painlessly or do you prefer slow and excruciating?”
“Go to hell, you bastard,” she hissed.
“Then I’m afraid you force me to choose for you. Since I am feeling charitable at the moment, I think that we will go for the quick and painless death,” he said, producing a syringe from the pocket of his coat. “This won’t hurt a bit…you will drift slowly into a very deep sleep until your heart just stops.”
As he came down the bank toward her, Miss Parker scrambled to her feet. She cringed as she tripped over yet another pile of human remains. Her heart racing, she struggled to keep her footing.
Willard backed her into a tree grabbing her arm. “Relax, this will only take a minute.”
The needle was just inches from her flesh when she suddenly sidestepped. Kicking out with everything she had, her foot hit its target…Willard’s groin. She heard him grunt in pain followed by a string of curses, but she was already in a dead run.
Vaguely aware of the relentless punishment her body was enduring, she ran until her lungs burned. She ran over rough terrain and through mire up to her ankles, until gasping for breath, she dropped to her knees in the mud at the river’s edge.
Tears stung her eyes as she dipped her hands into the water drinking deeply. Knowing she should not chance crossing the river in the dark, she also knew that crossing it in the daylight would be even more dangerous.
Her decision made, Miss Parker inhaled deeply, and holding her breath stepped into the frigid water. The slippery footing was complicated further by the swirling current as the icy water reached mid-thigh…then, suddenly, she felt herself falling…
**********
A knock on the door startled them. Broots recovered first and went to open it. “Sydney…Angelo, are we glad to see you.”
“Jarod,” Sydney said. He could see the self-torture that his protégé was putting himself through. “Jarod?”
Turning to face Sydney, Jarod ran a hand through his hair. “I—I don’t know where he has taken her, Syd. We have less than thirty-six hours before…”
“We’ll find her, Jarod,” Sydney smiled reassuringly, stepping forward and embracing the younger man.
Returning the gesture, Jarod whispered, “Thank you for being here, Syd.”
Angelo walked over to the table and cautiously touched Miss Parker’s things. Then turning to Jarod, he placed Miss Parker’s 9mm into his hand. “Keep this close,” he said decisively. “Jarod scared…Miss Parker scared, but both strong…stronger than the monster. Only together will you find the truth…only together.”
“Thank you, Angelo,” Jarod said, hugging his childhood friend.
Later that evening, Jarod was sitting on the sofa, his laptop open…the floor littered with files and newspaper clippings. He was searching for any bit of information that would lead them to Willard in time to save Miss Parker. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was nearly midnight…approximately twenty-four hours since she had been taken.
Just then Angelo, who had been sleeping soundly on the floor in front of the fireplace, bolted upright and screamed.
“Angelo, “What is it? What’s wrong?” Jarod asked, keeping his tone low and even.
Angelo started to rock back and forth, hugging himself tightly. “Can’t breathe…help me,” he uttered the words as if he were drowning. “So cold…”
“Angelo, is it Miss Parker? Where is she? Where is Miss Parker, Angelo?” Jarod pleaded, grabbing Angelo roughly by the shoulders in frustration. Stopping himself just short of shaking him, Jarod pulled back running his fingers through his already disheveled hair.
Angelo fell silent and sat staring off into space.
“Angelo, I’m sorry,” Jarod said regretfully. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Angelo not hurt,” he said giving Jarod a sideways grin.
Despite himself, Jarod chuckled.
“Miss Parker is the hunted now. She runs he chases.”
“Hunted…” Jarod repeated then leapt to his feet. Settling back in front of his laptop, he quickly pulled up the information he had dug up on Willard’s childhood. He learned that the area where Douglas Willard had spent his teenage years was a heavily wooded, very remote area in Maine. Pulling up a topographical map of the area, he gave a short laugh. “Gotcha,” he said just as Broots came into the living room.
“What did you find?” Broots asked anxiously.
“Willard,” Jarod stated with a look of sheer determination. “I know where he has taken her and I am going after them…alone.”
**********
Comforting warmth spread slowly through her aching body causing Miss Parker to open her eyes. Blinking quickly as the rays of the sun, beating down on her battered body, momentarily blinded her. Groaning inwardly, every joint and every muscle screaming in protest, she raised herself up into a seated position.
Attempting to stand, she cried out in agony. Quickly lowering herself back down to the ground, she bit down on her bottom lip. She raised first her left foot and then her right. They were both badly bruised. Deep cuts that had been covered in dried blood were now beginning to bleed again after her aborted attempt to stand.
Pulling herself to the edge of the river, Miss Parker lowered her raw feet into the icy water. Clenching her teeth as lightning bolts of pain shot through her body, she removed her badly ruined silk blouse, tearing off the sleeves. Then after carefully cleaning the cuts, the cold water slowing the bleeding considerably and numbing the pain, she used the sleeves of her blouse for bandages. They would offer little protection, but would have to do.
Knowing that she had to get moving before Willard found her, Miss Parker recalled something Jarod had taught her when they were children. He’d shown her how, by focusing on an alternate reality, she could block out pain…endure almost any punishment.
She also remembered how, when she had asked him how he had learned to do it, he’d deftly avoided the question. She had not pursued the subject any further, deciding that she didn’t really want to know the answer. Looking back now, she wished she would have, but it had been much easier to turn a blind eye to Jarod’s pain than to face how he made her feel.
Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift…searching her memories for a safe haven. “I can do this,” she told herself. Then somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind she heard the voice of a young girl. ‘Jarod, do you love me?’ Miss Parker smiled at the image of Jarod, brown eyes shimmering with innocent emotion, replied, ‘With all my heart.’
Anchored her thoughts firmly to the memory she slowly opened her eyes. Carefully getting to her feet she faltered as the pain began to slice through the thin veil of protection. “Stay with me, Jarod,” she said in a pleading whisper. “I need you.”
Soon she was making her way through the woods, away from the river. The pain was there, but endurable. It was a strange feeling…like being in the midst of a dream yet she was still alert to her surroundings…still able to focus on keeping one step ahead of Willard.
Working her way carefully down a steep hillside, she stayed under the cover of the trees and underbrush. Large boulders and fallen logs also served to prevent anyone below from seeing her. Maybe Willard had gone…leaving her for dead. It was strange how such a concept could actually bring her comfort. The idea of being hunted down like an animal was far more frightening.
With that thought, Miss Parker froze, sinking slowly to her knees in the middle of the rocky trail. Wasn’t that what she had been doing to Jarod…hunting him like an animal? Five years he had been running from the Centre…from her.
A wave of self-loathing washed over her as she took a long hard look at the past and the mistakes she had made in her life. Summoning the strength to get up, she promised herself that she would somehow find a way to repair the damage she had inflicted upon the fragile relationship she and Jarod had once shared.
The sun was starting its downward path in the sky as Miss Parker reached the edge of the woods. Before her was an incredible azure lake surrounded by a lush meadow that extended well beyond her line of vision. An attempt to cross would put her out in the open for at least the fifty yards it would take her to reach the shelter of the forest again. If she were to skirt the edge of the meadow, staying out of sight, she could bide her time until she could cross under the cover of darkness. Which, judging from the position of the sun, was still several hours away.
The only other option was to turn back, seek cover and wait for night to continue on. Choosing the latter, she turned around heading back the way she’d come. Following the creek upstream she spotted a place where massive boulders came together to form a narrow alcove. To reach it she would have to cross the creek, then make her way over and around several smaller boulders. The protection it would offer would be worth the effort.
After pausing to check and adjust the makeshift bandages on her feet, Miss Parker stepped into the creek. The shin-deep cold water felt good…so good that she remained there. The sand bar providing a soft cushion beneath her feet. Several minutes later she reluctantly left the creek behind.
Once she reached the safety of the alcove, her legs gave out. She dropped to her knees near a fallen log. Sitting down with her back against it, she closed her eyes. Fighting back the urge to cry, she hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Before long exhaustion prevailed over determination, and she drifted off into a fitful sleep.
**********
“I’m going with you,” Broots said forcefully.
“No, I have to face Willard alone.”
“Going up against Willard alone is just plain stupid, not to mention suicidal. I thought you were supposed to be a genius.”
“Broots…”
“Jarod, sunset is only a few hours away. There is no time to argue we are going together and that is final.
Jarod gave Broots a half smile and a quick nod. “All right, you win. Let’s go.”
“I will call Nick from the chopper and tell him to be ready to move in if we need backup,” he said with a nod and headed out the door.
Jarod grabbed his leather coat and followed Broots toward the helicopter. They were still a few yards from it when they heard the engine fire and the blades begun turning, quickly picking up speed. Opening the door of the cockpit, Jarod and Broots were surprised to find Angelo in the pilot’s seat.
Angelo gave them a goofy grin and climbed down from the cockpit. “Go now, find Miss Parker,” he said with a nod. The Empath then darted across the field toward the house.
Jarod slid into the pilot’s seat while Broots climbed in next to him. “Is he always one step ahead of the rest of us,” Broots smiled shaking his head.
“Pretty much,” Jarod said while putting on his headset.
“I thought so.”
Jarod pulled back slightly on the stick lifting them into the air. He said nothing for several minutes, his silence earning him a worried look from Broots.
“I hope you have a plan,” Broots said into his headset.
“Don’t I always?” Jarod replied flatly.
“Yeah, you do,” Broots agreed. “But something tells me this isn’t one of those times.”
Jarod glanced over at him, “It’s not too late to back out.”
“Not a chance, Jarod. I care about Miss Parker too.”
“I know,” Jarod nodded in understanding.
“I just hope we are not too late,” Broots said.
“Not this time,” Jarod replied unwaveringly. “I will not be too late this time.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke just as the sun descended behind the mountain. The temperature immediately plunged ten degrees. Shivering uncontrollably, she moved closer to the massive granite boulders for warmth.
As darkness settled in, the blue moon rose high in the sky and the air came to life with sounds she dared not identify. The blood-curdling scream of a mountain lion echoed through the night causing her to rethink her original plan to travel at night. Deciding that she would rather take her chances with a mountain lion than Willard, she got to her feet and carefully climbed down from her hiding place.
The moon was so bright that it almost seemed like daylight. It filtered down through the canopy of trees casting eerie shadows on the ground. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising and knew that Willard was close.
“Keep calm,” she told herself upon reached the clearing. She considered making a run for it, hoping she could reach the higher vegetation near the lake before being spotted by Willard. Deciding it was worth a try, she moved into a position that gave her the shortest possible run to the lake.
“Well, it’s now or never,” she said taking a deep breath. Before she could change her mind she jumped up and ran as fast as the uneven ground would allow. She stumbled over unseen obstacles hidden in the high grass several times. Each time she got up and kept going. Keeping low to the ground, she reached the edge of the lake. Dropping down on all fours, she laughed with relief. There was one advantage to chasing a runaway pretender; it kept her in shape.
Taking only a moment to catch her breath she was up and running again in minutes. Just a few yards from the safety of the woods she heard a shot and dove to the ground covering her head just as the bullet struck the ground in front of her.
“Son of a…” she cried out.
“Oh Miss Parker,” Willard sang out. “You really should come in out of the cold. You’ll catch your death.”
“I’ll take my chances thank you,” she replied eyeing the tree line only ten or twelve feet away from where she lay.
“It’s going to be a cold one…you know autumn is in the air.”
Inch by inch she crept forward on her belly. If she could not reach the woods, she was as good as dead.
“I am a very patient man, Miss Parker. In solitary confinement you learn patience.” Willard said, his voice echoing, making it impossible to discern where it was coming from. “I can end your suffering…it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Go to hell, Willard,” Miss Parker hissed.
Willard laughed, “That was just a warning shot, by the way. I can put a bullet in your back at any moment. I see you lying there in the grass. I know what you are planning. Oh, you might make it to those trees, but you cannot escape. I know every inch of these mountains. I spent much of my childhood here. My father taught me everything he knew about stalking prey and making the kill…but of course, he could not have known how I would put those skills to use. He was my first victim, you know…hunting accident, it was a shame really.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” Miss Parker asked.
“Well, well, your sense of humor is still intact. How are those lovely feet of yours holding up? They must be very painful. Makes it very difficult to run.”
Raising her upper body slightly, she managed to get her legs up under her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she said a silent prayer. A split second later she was on her feet and sprinting toward the tree line. A single shot rang out followed by the searing heat as the bullet struck her. She cried out in pain as the ground came rushing toward her…
**********
Jarod’s heart nearly stopped when he heard the first shot, but when the second echoed through the night air he felt like it had been ripped out of his chest and trampled by a herd of buffalo. “Parker,” he gasped.
Launching into a dead run, Jarod prayed. He ran blindly through the woods, leaping over fallen trees and rocks. A clearing came into view, and a sparkling lake. He slowed to a walk, searching the meadow for any signs of movement.
He was about to change directions when he heard it. A soft moan followed by a series of expletives that brought a smile of relief to his face. Turning he spotted her on the ground near the base of a giant oak tree.
“Miss Parker,” Willard called out. “I know I hit you. Are you going to give in to your fate and let me end this or are you going to lie in there and bleed to death slowly and painfully.”
Getting to her feet, Miss Parker faltered, as the burning in her shoulder seemed to spread all down her left arm. Holding on to the tree, she fought the vertigo that threatened to overwhelm her and lost. She staggered and fell, but instead of hitting the ground, she found herself being lifted and carried away from the sound of Willard’s voice.
“It’s all right Parker, I've got you.”
Miss Parker’s eyes filled with tears when she heard his voice…like a warm blanket; it seemed to wrap her in a protective cocoon. “Jarod…” she whispered. “I didn’t think you would come…”
Jarod laughed softly, “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”
“That’s original,” she replied with a weak smile.
“Hey, it’s the best I could do on short notice.”
“Thank you,” she uttered softly. A moment later she closed her eyes and the world faded into darkness.
**********
The sound of approaching helicopters was music to Broots’ ears as he ran to the top of the rise to flag them down. “Thank God,” he smiled with relief.
As soon as they landed, Nick emerged and met his friend halfway. “Where are they?”
“Jarod and I separated hoping to cover more ground. Then about an hour later, I heard two shots minutes apart…sounded like a rifle. They came from that direction,” he said motioning toward the mountain. “Nick, we have to find them.”
“We will, Chris. Why don’t you stay here…”
“Not a chance,” Broots shook his head. “Those are my friends out there…both of whom have saved my sorry hide at one time or another.”
Nick nodded, “Let’s go.”
**********
Willard stepped into the grove of trees where he knew she was hiding. “Miss Parker, come out come out wherever you are,” he said in a singsong voice.
A moment later he spotted the second, boot-clad, set of footprints and smiled knowingly. “Jarod, I am so pleased that you could join us. This will make our little game it so much more interesting,” he called out.
Jarod heard him, and without stopping to look back, he changed directions and continued on. If they were going to have a chance of getting out of this alive, they had to throw Willard off their trail just long enough for Broots to bring help. Climbing a hillside over the rockiest ground he could manage, he reached a stand of trees.
“Parker,” he said as he laid her down in the ferns at the base of the oaks. She was slipping in and out of consciousness from loss of blood. “I have to find a way to buy us some time. Stay here and do not make a sound. I will be back soon.”
As Jarod stood to go, she reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. “Be careful,” she said wearily.
“I will,” he nodded, tenderly brushing the hair back from her face.
After making sure Willard was no where in sight, he climbed quickly back down to the trail. He headed toward the river hoping that Willard would fall for his diversion. If he did not, they were both as good as dead.
Jarod reached the riverbank and crossed to the other side. Willard had to believe that they were headed back toward his cabin. It was the most illogical place for them to go, so maybe to Willard…the most logical.
Reaching the path that led to the cabin, he made sure that his tracks would be visible leaving the trail to take a shortcut through the underbrush. He broke a few branches for good measure then overturned several small stones. Confident that he had done the best he could, Jarod then headed back toward the river. Treading carefully so as not to leave evidence of his passing.
Reaching the river, he again plunged into the icy water. Instead of crossing to the opposite side, he made his way through the rapidly moving current for several minutes emerging downstream, soaking wet and grinning. “The game is on, Willard” he smirked. “Catch us if you can.”
The sun was just coming up by the time Jarod reached the place where he had left Miss Parker, he dropped his backpack on the ground next to her, immediately pulling out the first aid kit. She was deathly pail and unconscious but still breathing. “Parker, don’t even think about dying on me,” he said drawing back his leather jacket and carefully pulling her tattered blouse off her shoulder so he could examine the damage caused by the bullet.
Pushing back his emotions, he forced himself to focus, shifting into doctor mode. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was a deep flesh wound. The bullet had nicked the bone and tore through some muscle tissue, but she would be all right as long as infection did not set in before he could get her to a hospital.
Cleaning and bandaging the wound carefully, Jarod wrapped his coat back around her then stood. He could only sit back and wait and hope that Broots would find them before Willard did.
Looking at Miss Parker, the bullet hole in her shoulder, her torn clothing, battered and bruised feet, the countless injuries that could not be seen… Jarod felt a rage like nothing he had ever known before building inside him. He wanted to kill Willard with his bare hands for hurting her. However, his main priority had to be her. Once she was out of the line of fire, he would find Willard and put an end to his game once and for all.
Sitting down next to Miss Parker, he wrapped his arms around her gathering her shivering form against him for warmth. The need to be close, to feel her breath on his skin…her heart beating, was almost overwhelming. No longer able to hold back his emotions, Jarod let his head fall back against the trunk of the tree as tears filled his eyes. He had come so close to losing her. The very thought of which shook him to the core. There was no way to know what path fate was leading them down, but he was sure of one thing…she was and always had been a part of him.
An hour later, awake and feeling a bit stronger, Miss Parker reluctantly tore herself away from Jarod’s warm embrace. Sitting up slowly, she turned to face him. The look she saw in the deep brown depths of his eyes nearly stole her breath away.
“Are you okay?” Jarod asked, his voice filled with such tenderness that she very nearly burst into tears.
She answered with a slight nod, “I—I think so.”
Jarod stared at her for several seconds without saying a word. Then slowly he raised his hand to her cheek and smiled gently. “You have no idea how scared I was. I was so afraid that I had lost you.”
“It takes more than a homicidal sociopath to get me down,” she laughed softly.
“I need to examine your feet,” he said as he rose then dropped to his knees by her feet. Looking up at her, he said softly, “This is going to hurt.”
“It can’t possibly hurt any worse than this hole in my shoulder,” she snapped. “Just do it and get it over with.” She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from screaming as Jarod carefully began to remove the blood stained silk. “Okay, I was wrong…it hurts worse,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Hold on, Parker. I’ve almost got it,” he said.
As soon as the right foot was free, he turned to the left. His expression was unreadable.
“Well, do we have to amputate?” she asked making a poor attempt at humor.
“The cuts are infected and the bruises are deep purple. You have a couple of broken toenails but as far as I can tell without x-rays, no broken bones. Don’t worry, Parker,” he grinned. “We’ll have you chasing after me in high heels again in no time.”
“Funny,” she glared at him flinching as he applied antiseptic from the first aid kit to the cuts. “You are enjoying this aren’t you…torturing me,” she gasped.
Jarod continued cleansing the wounds. A moment later he stopped and looked up at her. “I—I would never intentionally cause you pain,” he said softly, his voice shaky.
“Jarod…” she began, regretting her words, but not knowing how to take them back. She should have realized the burden of guilt that he was carrying around. He was blaming himself for what Willard had done to her and for Danielle’s murder.
Concentrating on wrapping Miss Parker’s feet in sterile gauze, Jarod kept his eyes averted. It was tearing him apart inside knowing that he was the reason she was in so much pain. “I’m sorry,” he said as he finished and quickly gathered up the first aid kit returning it to his pack.
“Jarod, you can’t blame yourself for this, the only person to blame is Willard.” Reaching out to him, Miss Parker took hold of his hand and placed it over her heart. “I’m here…I’m alive.”
Neither knew what to say, as they both felt the electricity in the air. Before either of them realized what was happening, their lips met in a gentle, searching kiss.
A moment later they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. “Jarod…Miss Parker?” Broots called out.
“Up here, Broots,” Jarod responded.
“Tell me you didn’t come out here alone,” she said.
“Broots? You brought Broots as back up,” Miss Parker asked staring at Jarod as if he had grown a second head.
He smiled, running his right index finger along the delicate contours of her face. “We have to get you to a hospital,” he said nodding toward her shoulder.
Miss Parker nodded leaning back against the tree as she pulled the leather coat tightly around herself breathing in the scent of him. Her head was spinning but she was not sure if it was from the loss of blood or the loss of Jarod’s touch.
“Jarod,” Broots said as he reached them. “Thank God. You are all right…both of you. Miss Parker, you do not know how glad I am to see you,” he said carefully embracing her.
She accepted the hug gratefully. “Thanks, Broots. I’m glad to see you too.”
“Did you see Willard?” Jarod asked.
“We are combing the woods for him now. He is a slippery bastard. Nick is waiting for us down below. Are you ready to go?” Broots asked as he took out his gun and checked the clip to be sure it was full, then released the safety.
“Broots,” Miss Parker stared at him in amazement. “What has gotten into you?”
“Let’s just say that you don’t know me as well as you thought you did, Miss Parker,” Broots said as he started back down the rocky slope.
“What was that all about?” she stared after him, a bewildered expression on her face. “Jarod?”
“You will have to be patient, Parker. Broots will tell you everything as soon as it’s safe for him to do so,” he replied as he retrieved his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
“Just what I need, more secrets…” she said, cursing under her breath as she attempted to stand. Her feet refused to carry her weight and her knees buckled. Jarod caught her, lifting her up into his arms.
“Parker, you and I both need to accept the possibility that we may never know the entire truth about our pasts and our families. We need to open our eyes and see what we do have…friends who care about us…and each other.”
“Jarod, I…”
“Just believe, Parker. Believe in what we have…what’s in our hearts. As long as we have that truth, we will survive.”
Her eyes brimming with tears, Miss Parker wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he descended the rocky slope.
“That way,” Broots motioned as they reached him. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Nick emerged from behind a boulder just ahead and waved to them that it was all clear. Jarod headed straight for him while Broots followed, his gun drawn. No one uttered a word as they made their way out of the woods.
Watching Broots closely, Miss Parker was having difficulty believing that he was the same man she had worked with for the past five years. Dressed in dark slacks, a white shirt, a navy blue jacket and handling his gun as if it were an extension of his arm…Broots wasn’t the timid computer nerd afraid of his own shadow…but a trained agent for the FBI.
She cringed as she thought about the way she had treated him in the past. However, her guilt soon gave way to anger as she realized that, like everyone else in her life, he had kept the truth from her...lied to her about who he really was.
They reached the FBI base camp and Jarod reluctantly turned Miss Parker over to the paramedics and watched as they loaded her into the helicopter.
Once they examined her, they gave her something for the pain. Then strapping her in securely they prepared her for transport to the hospital.
Jarod boarded the chopper just before they were to take off. “Parker,” he whispered.
Groggy from the drugs they had given her, Miss Parker had to fight to keep her eyes open and focused on Jarod’s face. “You’re going back out there aren’t you.”
“I have no choice. As long as Willard is free, you and everyone else I care about will be in danger.”
“Just be careful…please,” she said, her eyes drifting closed as her body succumbed to the drugs.
“I will,” he said, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I love you, Parker,” he whispered, brushing his lips lightly over hers. Climbing down from the helicopter, Jarod motioned to the pilot to take off. He watched until it disappeared over the treetops.
“Is she going to be okay?” Broots asked as he approached.
“Physically…yes. Emotionally…I don’t know.”
“She is the strongest woman I have ever known. Not many people could have endured the things she went through these past few days…she will be all right. She has you and Sydney to help her.”
Jarod turned to face Broots. “And you Broots…you have always been there for her. You have been a great friend to both of us. Thank you.”
Glancing nervously at his feet, Broots shook his head slightly. “What kind of friend lies to the people he cares about?”
“Broots, you are FBI. You have to maintain your cover or you end up dead. I understand that and so will Miss Parker and Sydney. Do not beat yourself up over this. These past five years you have gone above and beyond the call of duty. I know how she treats you sometimes, but I also know that deep down she respects and admires you. She may not say it but she cares about you.”
“Thanks,” Broots nodded slightly then brought his gaze up to meet Jarod’s. “What about you?”
“Me?” Jarod asked.
“How are you holding up? You have been through quite an ordeal yourself this week.”
Jarod smiled slightly, “I’m fine, but I will be better when Willard is dealt with.”
“You’re going after him, aren’t you.”
“That’s the plan,” Jarod stated flatly.
“What happens when you find him?” Broots asked though he was afraid that he already knew the answer.
“I’m going to kill him,” Jarod replied, his tone bitter and callous.
“I remember when you killed Damon. You saved my life, but I know how much it must have cost you to pull that trigger.”
“Willard has to die. It’s the only way the people that I care about will be safe.”
Broots nodded, “I won’t try and stop you, Jarod. However, I am also not going to let you go out there alone. I’m going with you.”
“No, Broots,” Jarod said adamantly. “You have Debbie to think about. I can’t let you risk your life.”
“I risk my life every day that I walk into the Centre as an undercover agent. My daughter knows what I do and why. She also cares very deeply for Miss Parker and would want me to help stop this monster.” Broots took a step toward the pretender, placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned. “Besides, either way I am risking my life because if I anything were to happen to you, Miss Parker would skin me alive.”
Jarod gave a slight nod then turned away from Broots. “It’s ironic, all these years I have searched endlessly for my family, because I believed that without them I could never be whole…never have an identity. I now realize that a big part of what I’ve been searching for was there all along…right behind me…wearing stiletto heels,” he chuckled softly.
Broots smiled, “Jarod, nobody deserves to find happiness more than you and Miss Parker. You belong together. Do not let Willard destroy this chance to finally have the life you and she have always dreamed of. Let us handle him.”
Jarod shook his head, “Broots, I can’t do that and you know it. It is not in me to let something like this go. Willard has to be stopped and no one knows him better than I do. I have to do this.”
Broots nodded and released a heavy sigh. “Well then, I guess it is going to be the two of us together because I am not letting you face Willard alone.”
“Is three a crowd,” Nick said as he came up behind the two men. “If not then I would like to join you in your little crusade.”
Jarod lowered his head and ran his hands through his hair. When he looked up again they were both staring at him intensely. “All right,” Jarod gave in. “It means a lot to me that you are willing to do this, thank you.”
Nick smiled, “It’s either that or we could just slap hand cuffs on you and send you back to jail to keep you out of the way.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Broots said a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t,” Jarod said suddenly worried.
Broots laughed, “Come on Jarod, let’s get something to eat.”
“Thank you,” Jarod released the breath he had been holding.
“You’re welcome, my friend.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke in a stark-white hospital room with a dull, throbbing pain in her left shoulder and a strange tingling sensation in both her feet and her legs. Glancing to her left, she smiled at the sight of Sydney sleeping soundly in the chair next to the window. In his hands, he held her mother’s rosary beads.
“Sydney,” she whispered as tears suddenly filled her eyes. She tried to hold back the flood, but as the dam broke, she let go.
Hearing her gut-wrenching sobs, Sydney rose from the chair immediately. “Are you in pain?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Do you want me to get the doctor?”
“No,” she said shaking her head slowly. “Please, Sydney…just hold me.”
Sydney took her in his arms and held her while she cried. “I’m here, Miss Parker,” he whispered. “I’m here.”
**********
It was late evening when the three men returned to the FBI base camp exhausted and empty-handed. Broots and Nick both collapsed on the ground under a tree while Jarod paced angrily.
Nick tossed him a full canteen and watched as Jarod drank the cool water. “Jarod, when this is all over you should really consider a career with the FBI. You have got more stamina and dedication than most of the agents in the field.”
“Including him,” Broots chuckled.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jarod said with a nod and a half smile.
“Seriously though, Jarod. Nick’s right. You would make a great agent. And you’ve had prior experience, so to speak,” Broots said as he lifted his weary frame on the ground. “You should really consider it.”
Jarod kicked at a rock and laughed humorlessly, “I’m a pretender remember, I can be anything I want to be.”
“Jarod, no matter what you think…being a pretender is not a curse. You have helped so many people…people who had no where else to turn. The Centre may have made you what you are, but what you have chosen to do with it is the ultimate pay back,” Broots said then turned and walked toward the mess tent.
“Broots,” Jarod called after him. “Thanks.”
Broots stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “You’re welcome,” he nodded.
Nick stood and put a hand on Jarod’s shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat.”
“You go ahead,” Jarod smiled. “I’m going to take a walk.”
“All right, but watch your back. Willard’s still out there somewhere.”
“I will,” Jarod nodded then sauntered off toward the tree line.
Nick watched him go then turned toward the tent.
Jarod walked for several minutes before he reached the edge of a lake. The moon shone down on the still water. Stooping down to pick up a handful of pebbles, he straightened and tossed them one by one into the water, the ripples disturbing the mirror-like surface.
“And who might you be little boy,” Jarod said softly.
Willard stepped out of the shadows behind him. “I knew you could feel me, Jarod. That is why it struck me as odd that you seemed to be running around in circles today. Then it occurred to me that you were protecting your friends…very noble. Then again, you always put others before yourself. Foolish…admirable…but very foolish.”
“I won’t put anyone else in danger.”
“I have to say, Jarod. Your Miss Parker was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I really wish we’d had more time to get to know one another though. I have never met a woman with her courage and blind determination. She proved to be more of a challenge than I had expected. I suppose I was at a disadvantage from the beginning…admittedly I was distracted by her physical attributes. Her hair was like silk…and her skin…fine porcelain…”
Jarod knew that Willard was taunting him. It was all he could do to keep the rage, boiling up within him, at bay. “Yes—She is unique.”
“Come on, Jarod. Don’t you want to play the game?”
“Sorry, I’m not much in the mood.”
“Too bad,” Willard shook his head. “I was just going to fill you in on the next phase.”
“You are not going to hurt anyone else, Willard,” Jarod said keeping his back to him. “This is between you and me…no one else.”
“Now where is the fun in that, prodigy?” Willard asked taking a step closer to Jarod. “You have already been inside my head…you know me. You have bested me twice before and proved yourself my equal. It is much more rewarding to manipulate you by playing with the pawns in your pitiful life. Miss Parker, Sydney, Broots, Angelo, and then of course there is your family. What is your lovely sister’s name again? Oh yes…Emily. She isn’t going to pose as much of a challenge as Miss Parker, but she is just as beautiful.”
Jarod’s eyes reflected the moonlight as tears of frustration pooled in them blurring his vision. “You win, Willard. You have beaten me. You will just have to find another source of amusement in your pitiful life. My family and my friends will no longer be your pawns.”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, prodigy. The game will end…but on my terms not yours. I am the one holding all the cards. You, Jarod…your conscience will be your downfall…though it is your loved ones who will suffer the repercussions.”
“It is my conscience that is preventing me from killing you right now, Willard.”
“My point exactly,” Willard laughed arrogantly. “Oh, by the way, there is one pawn that I neglected to mention…your son.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jarod asked as he turned abruptly, grabbing Willard by the front of his shirt.
Willard smiled triumphantly, “I see I was right…you didn’t know about him. Handsome boy…looks just like his beautiful mother.”
“You are lying,” Jarod screamed shoving Willard back against a tree.
“Jarod, you know what the Centre is capable of…they cloned you for God’s sake. Why should it come as a surprise that they had other methods of replicating their prize pretender?”
Jarod released him suddenly and turned away not saying a word.
“It’s time for me to go,” Willard said smugly. “See you in the next phase, prodigy.”
“I don’t think so, Willard,” Jarod turned leveling his 9mm on him. “The game ends here,” he said then squeezed the trigger.
With his last breath, Willard smiled at Jarod. “I win,” he said then he sank slowly to the ground. “I win.”
Broots and Nick reached the lake a few seconds after they had heard the shot. They spotted Jarod standing over the still form of Douglas Willard. As Broots approached Jarod and took the gun from his hand, Nick bent over Willard to check for a pulse then shook his head.
“Are you all right?” Broots asked as he slipped the gun from Jarod’s grasp.
Nick signaled the other agents to take Willard’s body away. Following them back to base camp while Broots stayed behind with Jarod.
Jarod turned to look out over the shimmering lake. His head was swimming…his vision blurred by tears. He raised his shaking hands to his face in an attempt to collect his thoughts. “I have a son,” he uttered almost inaudibly, but Broots heard.
“What did you just say?” Broots asked.
“Willard said that I have a son, created by the Centre,” Jarod said meeting Broots’ questioning gaze.
“And you believed him?”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. I have been lied to my entire life.”
“I will fly back to the Centre first thing in the morning. Give me time to do some digging and I promise you I will find the truth.”
Jarod fell into a thoughtful silence for several minutes. Then turning to face Broots again, he frowned. “I keep telling myself that it can’t be true but then…”
“The Centre is capable of almost anything, Jarod. You know that.” Broots sat down on a large rock and shook his head. “Do you have any idea who his mother is?” he asked.
Jarod nodded, “The Centre wants the ultimate pretender…one that can be raised from birth with no interference from the outside world. A child with the bloodline of two Red Files is almost guaranteed to have the anomaly in their blood which predisposes us to the pretender gene.”
“Miss Parker,” Broots exhaled. “How old do you think he is?”
“Too young for them to have begun testing him yet…one…possibly two.”
”Do you think it could be Andrew? I know it is a long shot, but he is the right age.”
“That would explain why one minute Mr. Parker is supposedly running for his life and then after the birth of Andrew he is suddenly back at the helm of the Centre as if nothing ever happened. If Andrew is my son, Mr. Parker would have one hell of a bargaining chip to get himself back in the good graces of the Triumvirate.”
“What are you going to tell Miss Parker?” Broots asked.
“Nothing—at least until we can confirm whether or not Andrew is our son. I don’t want to upset her until we know the truth.”
Broots suddenly realized what the truth would do to Miss Parker if they did learn that Andrew is her son. “My God, Jarod, she was there when he was born. She delivered her own child from the womb of another woman. Unwittingly handing him over to her father and the Centre to be exploited just as you were.”
“All the more reason to wait until we are sure.”
Broots shook his head, “When will this nightmare end?”
“I wish I knew, Broots. I wish to God I knew,” Jarod said as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Kaleidoscope
part 1
by Jennifer DeNaughel
Jarod followed the shadowy figure, through the nearly empty streets of Dover, toward a severely neglected apartment building. Hanging back just enough to keep from being seen, he knew that if he blew this, there would be no second chances.
A heavy rain had been falling for hours filling the storm drains to overflowing. Small rivers ran down the streets and formed puddles six inches deep in lower-lying areas. Jarod was relieved when the figure he was following disappeared inside the apartment building. Not only because of the rain, but because his plan was falling into place. With a little luck, he would be warm and dry in Texas by morning.
Jarod entered the building just seconds behind the man moving quickly and quietly down the long, dimly lit hallway. Rounding the corner, Jarod froze, not daring to breathe. His quarry, face concealed by the shadows, had stopped suddenly as if sensing that he was being followed.
It seemed like an eternity before he finally proceeded down a stairwell, which Jarod knew, since he had memorized the blueprints of the building, led down to the basement. He waited until the sound of footsteps on the stairs faded before following.
As he crept silently down into the bowels of the structure, Jarod slipped his 9mm out from under his black leather coat. The door going into the basement stood open, just a fraction of an inch. Taking a deep breath, he placed his right hand on the cold metal pushing it open just enough for him to be able to squeeze through. It moved without a sound as he slipped carefully through the narrow opening.
Flattening his body against the wall to the left of the door, Jarod listened intently while his eyes adjusted to the near darkness of the basement. He began to work his way along the wall, his heart pounding violently in his chest. Beads of sweat emerged on his forehead mixing with the drops of moisture from his wet hair.
A sudden feeling of foreboding washed over him as he paused near the boilers. A split second later, the cold, stale silence was shattered by the blood-chilling screams of a young girl.
“Oh God, no,” Jarod gasped. Quickly working his way through the seemingly never-ending maze of shelves, boxes, old mattresses and broken furniture, he raced toward the sound of her cries. The girl’s terror reverberated off the concrete-block walls, piercing his soul. “Leave her alone,” he called out frantically.
Then suddenly there was only silence…deafening silence.
“No,” Jarod cried out.
“And who might you be little boy,” the terrifyingly familiar voice resonated through the suffocating darkness sending a chill down Jarod’s spine, turning his blood to ice.
“Willard,” he uttered the name like a curse.
“Such hostility, prodigy,” Willard admonished. “Déjà vu, Jarod. Alas, once again you are too late to save the little girl.”
Jarod followed the sound of Willard’s voice until, suddenly, a bright light illuminated the area around him. At his feet, was the girl…lying peacefully on a mattress stained with her blood? Falling to his knees, he struggled to hold back a cry of anguish that threatened to erupt from deep within his soul. She was gone…there was nothing he could do to save her. Choking back a sob, he cradled her against his chest.
“Damn you, Willard,” Jarod shouted angrily.
“Don’t you ever grow weary, Jarod?” Willard’s voice came from the shadows just beyond the light. “The excruciating weight of the guilt you carry with you must really take its toll on that infinite compassion of yours. What is it like to spend every day of your life striving to make amends for the sins of your past?”
“If you had a conscience, Willard, you wouldn’t have to ask,” Jarod growled.
“Which is precisely why I will win this little game we’re playing. I have no burdens, no emotions. To the outside world, Douglas Willard is dead. So, while I am free to move among the living…you are hunted by the very people who made you what you are. I pity you, prodigy. Even now, you are still that same lost little boy that couldn’t save Annie.”
“She was only a child, Willard,” Jarod cried out. “Why?”
“Look at her,” he laughed. “Does she not remind you of someone?”
Jarod glanced down at the child in his arms. Gently brushing the hair back from her bloodstained face, he gasped as he recognized her. “Oh God, Danielle,” he said, his voice filled with grief.
Fourteen-year-old Danielle Jacobs had disappeared from her school three days earlier. Her face had haunted him ever since he had first seen her picture in the newspaper. Not only because she was missing, but also because she bore an eerie resemblance to Miss Parker at that age. Acknowledging that thought gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I am so sorry,” he whispered hoarsely.
“I know everything there is to know about you, prodigy,” Willard said. “Actually, I probably know you better than you know yourself. Your Achilles’ heel…she is really quite beautiful and intelligent.
Jarod’s heart leapt into his throat. “I don’t know who you mean.”
“Come now, Jarod. A soul would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know what she means to you. It must be difficult…caring so deeply for the woman who is your huntress. I am looking forward to meeting her…I am sure she will pose quite the challenge, and you know how I love a challenge.”
“Willard, you son of a…” Jarod hissed.
Willard turned the light, hitting Jarod directly in the face, blinding him for several seconds. “I really hate to end our little reunion so prematurely, but I must go now. The authorities will be arriving at any moment. I called them myself you know…anonymous tip from a concerned citizen.”
“Go to hell,” Jarod said, his voice teeming with hatred.
“Ah, Jarod, I’ve already been there, and not even Satan himself would have me,” Willard said with a chuckle. “See you soon,” he said, then he was gone.
An instant later, the door leading to the basement from the alley burst open. Jarod suddenly found himself surrounded by the FBI.
“Drop your weapon now,” one of the men ordered.
Nodding, Jarod put the gun on safety then slid it across the floor.
“Back away from the girl.”
Jarod shook his head slowly. “It’s too late to save her. I was too late.” He gently lowered Danielle back down onto the bloody mattress.
“You are under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Danielle Jacobs,” the agent said as two men grabbed Jarod from behind and slapped handcuffs around his wrists while the agent continued to read him his rights.
“No, wait.” Jarod was pulled roughly away, led out the door into the rain and toward a waiting car. “Please, you don’t understand.” His words went unheeded as he was forced into the car. Just before the door closed, he heard the unmistakable sound of Willard’s laughter.
**********
Standing just inside the open doorway of Jarod’s apartment, Miss Parker could not believe her luck. It appeared that her quarry had not yet left his present lair. “Broots,” she called out. “What did you find?”
Broots emerged from the bedroom shaking his head in confusion. “It’s all there…his bag, DSA case…everything. Miss Parker, something doesn’t feel right about this.”
She hated to admit it but she felt it too…something was wrong with the scene before them. What started out as just uneasiness in her gut, was quickly escalating to full-blown concern. “Jarod would never leave the DSAs behind.”
Broots moved toward the coffee table, which was partially obscured by newspaper clippings and photos of young girls who were either missing or had been found…dead. Thoughts of Debbie crept into his mind as he studied the pictures. He could not even begin to imagine the horror of losing a child in such a violent manner. “Miss Parker, you should see these.”
Crossing the room, she glanced down at the table then turned to study the wall where several individual pictures had been tacked up. Her breath caught in her throat as she came face to face with herself…twenty years younger. The girl looked so much like her at the age of fourteen that she would have believed it was her until she read the caption. ‘Danielle Jacobs missing since Thursday, age fourteen. If you have information, please contact the FBI or the Dover police department.’
Broots turned and gasped. “My God, that’s…”
“Her name…is Danielle Jacobs, a missing girl. Jarod is here searching for her.”
“Do you think he noticed the resemblance?”
“You did, Broots…and you’re no genius.”
Ignoring the jab, Broots took one of the pictures down from the wall. “Miss Parker, do you think it’s possible that the Centre could have cloned you the way they did Jarod?”
Though the thought had been nagging away at the back of her mind ever since she had first seen the picture, Miss Parker shook her head. “Contrary to popular belief, the Centre is not responsible for every little freak of nature. Everyone in the world supposedly has a twin. Well except in your case…God knows, one is more than enough.”
“Funny,” Broots rolled his eyes.
Hearing a commotion in the hallway, they both turned toward the sound. Miss Parker drew her gun aiming it at the open door, which was suddenly filled with men in dark suits.
“Agent, Nick Kohler, FBI,” said the tall, blonde agent and apparent leader of the group as he flashed his badge. “Put down the gun, Miss,” he ordered waving his gun at her.
“What the hell is this all about?” she scowled as she did as she was told and placed her 9mm on the floor. As she kicked it over to Agent Kohler, she noticed a strange look pass between him and Broots. “Jarod put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“What do you know about Jarod?”
“You would be surprised,” she smirked.
“Then you can come with us for questioning…both of you,” he said as he seemed to be carefully avoiding eye contact with Broots.
“Questioning,” she asked, eyeing the two men suspiciously.
“We would be very interested to hear your ideas as to why Jarod murdered an innocent young girl in cold blood.”
**********
Jarod lay silent in his cell. He had not touched his food, and sleep eluded him totally. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Danielle lying in a pool of blood. Then the image would change to Miss Parker…at first appearing as he remembered her at fourteen, then as the woman he knew in the present.
Closing his eyes tightly, he fought back the images that threatened to tear him apart. He could not let Willard win. Even if it meant surrendering to the Centre, though he doubted that even the Centre could save him from this.
Willard had known all along that he would come searching for Danielle and set him up to take the fall for her kidnapping and murder. With no witnesses to prove his innocence, Jarod had no way of clearing himself of the charges. They would probably sentence him to life in prison…or worse.
Jarod realized that if he had to choose between prison and death, he would rather die than be shut off from the outside world again. Getting up from his bed, he moved toward the sink. Already he could feel the parasitic worm of isolation and despair eating away at his sanity.
Whatever happened, he would find a way out. He had to. The thought of leaving the people he cared about at the mercy of Douglas Willard turned his stomach.
**********
Still visibly shaken by the revelation that the FBI believed Jarod had kidnapped and murdered Danielle Jacobs, Miss Parker struggled to focus on the interrogation. She wondered where they had taken Broots. The last time she had seen him, he was being led into one of the offices, which she found to be rather bizarre in itself. However, the fact that she was being asked questions about Jarod and the murder of a young girl was simply ludicrous.
“Miss Parker,” Agent Kohler interrupted her thoughts.
Shaking her head, Miss Parker stood, walking toward what she knew was a two-way mirror. “This is absolutely insane. Jarod would not…could not, kill anyone much less an innocent child. My God, I have known him all my life. We grew up together. To him life is a precious gift to be cherished and nurtured. Jarod did not kill Danielle Jacobs, but I would be willing to bet my own life that he was attempting to save her when he became entangled in the killer’s web.”
“You seem so sure of yourself, Miss Parker,” Agent Kohler said. “You say you know him so well, then explain why his apartment was filled with pictures of missing and murdered girls.”
Miss Parker turned to stare blankly at the glass. She would have to tread carefully to keep the Centre out of this, but she was not about to let these idiots railroad Jarod into prison…or worse. “I will tell you, but first, I need to make a phone call. May I please have my cell phone?”
Agent Kohler considered her request then nodded to Agent Blake who pulled her phone from his jacket pocket. “You have five minutes,” he said.
“Thank you,” Miss Parker’s smile was laced with sarcasm as the three men left her alone in the room. Not stupid enough to believe that they were not listening from the next room, she quickly dialed Sydney’s number.
“This is Sydney,” the familiar voice came over the line on the second ring.
“Syd, I don’t have time to explain, but you need to come to Dover immediately. Broots and I are being held for questioning at the FBI headquarters. Tell no one, just come.”
“I’m on my way,” he said then cut the connection.
“Please, Sydney…hurry,” she whispered to the dial tone.
The agents returned and again confiscated her cell phone. She did not bother to argue. She did not have the energy.
Agent Kohler handed her a cup of coffee, “I thought you might need this.”
“Thank you,” she said with a genuine smile.
“Please, Miss Parker, enlighten us on Jarod’s past.”
Miss Parker nodded. “It is a very long and complicated story. I hope you can keep an open mind.”
“Go ahead,” Agent Larsen smiled reassuringly.
“Jarod was taken from his family as a child…”
**********
Waking from a restless sleep, Jarod pressed the heels of his hands against his eyelids. The nightmares were relentless…giving him not even a moment of peace. Filled with the faces of the countless people who had lost their lives because of him. Some clearly visible…others obscured by a thin veil of fog. He could hear their cries, feel their pain and desperation.
“Help me,” Jarod whispered.
**********
Miss Parker was very close to losing control of her emotions by the time the door to the interrogation room opened and a female agent entered. She spoke softly to Agent Kohler who nodded motioning for someone else to enter.
“Sydney,” Miss Parker gasped with relief as he appeared, moving quickly toward her.
“Parker, are you all right?” Sydney asked as he embraced her. “Where is Broots?
“I am fine, but I don’t know where they have taken Broots.” Fumbling with the buttons on Sydney’s coat, she struggled to come up with a delicate way to tell him what his protégé was facing. “It’s Jarod, Syd. He’s in a lot of trouble.”
“Where is he? Is he hurt?”
With tears filling her eyes, she took a deep breath. “He’s been arrested, Syd…they believe that he kidnapped and killed a fourteen-year-old girl.”
Sydney sank gradually into an empty chair shaking his head in utter disbelief, clutching at his heart as he tried to catch his breath. “Dear God, no,” he murmured.
“Calm down, Syd. Please.” Miss Parker glanced up at Agent Kohler who handed her a glass of water for Sydney. “Thank you,” she nodded.
Twenty minutes later, his heart rate finally returning to normal, Sydney stood shakily, running his fingers through his hair. He began to pace slowly as he attempted to collect his thoughts.
“Syd?” Miss Parker took hold of his arm.
“I’m okay,” he smiled, gently patting her hand. Then turning his attention to the FBI agents, he again shook his head. “Jarod could not have done what you are accusing him of. I do not care what you may think you believe. He is not capable of taking any life in cold blood…much less a child…it is impossible.”
“Though I respect your opinion, doctor. We found him with the victim in his arms. The autopsy results are due by the end of the day. Hopefully they will reveal the truth,” Agent Kohler replied.
“Are you telling me that Jarod’s life is in the hands of some moron with a scalpel?” Miss Parker asked angrily. “Have you even talked to him? Heard his side of the story?”
“Parker, please,” Sydney said calmly.
“No, Syd. They are looking for a scapegoat to pin this horrific crime on just so they can sleep nights. I refuse to stand by and let Jarod be railroaded.”
“Miss Parker, I promise you that no one is trying to railroad Jarod. We want to get to the truth as much as you do,” Agent Blake spoke up.
“Then get Jarod in here so we can find out what really happened,” she said angrily.
Agent Kohler shook his head, “I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”
“Have you forgotten that a man is innocent until proven guilty?” Miss Parker rose to her full height then leaning forward, pressed her palms out flat on the table. “I want you to take us to him…now.”
Leaning back in his chair, Agent Kohler shook his head and gave a short laugh. “You missed your calling, Miss Parker. You should have been a lawyer.”
“Couldn’t,” she smirked. “I was cursed with a conscience.”
“And a wry sense of humor,” he chuckled. “All right, you can see him, but only one at a time and only for five minutes.”
“Thank you,” Miss Parker gave a quick nod.
“Which of you would like to go first?”
Miss Parker turned toward Sydney, “Syd?”
“You go ahead, Parker. I would like to talk to Agent Kohler for a moment.”
“Agent Larsen, please accompany Miss Parker downstairs,” Agent Kohler asked.
“It would be my pleasure,” he smiled though his eyes flashed with fear.
Miss Parker followed him to the elevator. While they waited for the doors to open, she turned in the direction of the office where she had last seen Broots. The blinds were closed tightly, as if they were trying to hide something.
“Miss Parker?” Agent Larsen interrupted her thoughts. “Shall we,” he asked holding the doors open for her.
Moving past him, she went to the back of the elevator and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She could not help being afraid. She had no idea what to expect when she saw Jarod. How would he react to her being there? What would she say to him?
They paused at the guard station to sign in before proceeding down a narrow corridor flanked by rows of stark white doors with small, round windows barely the size of dinner plates. It reminded her of the renewal wing at the Centre. The very thought of the place sent a chill down her spine.
Agent Larsen stopped in front of the last door and placed the key in the lock. “I will wait out here,” he said pulling the heavy door open to allow her to enter.
“Thank you,” she nodded, stepping into the room.
Lying on his back staring up at the ceiling, Jarod seemed to be in a trance. He was deathly pale, which worried her. Especially when she noticed several trays of untouched food scattered about the 10x10 cell.
“Jarod?”
Startled by the sound of her voice, Jarod bolted upright in the bed placing his bare feet on the cold concrete floor. “Parker? What are you doing here?”
“I’m not here to take you back to the Centre if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I almost wish you were,” Jarod said flatly.
“No,” she smiled knowingly. “You don’t.” Moving toward the bed, she sat down next to him. A moment later she reached over, hesitantly taking hold of his hand.
Taken aback by the gesture, Jarod lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I don’t understand…”
“They are only giving me five minutes to say what I’ve come to say. Please, just listen.”
Jarod nodded slightly, his dark eyes never leaving her face.
“I do not care what these morons are accusing you of, I know you did not kill that girl,” she said with conviction. “I swear to you that I will find a way to prove your innocence.” Then reaching up, she brushed the back of her hand along his unshaven cheek and jaw. “I still find it unfathomable that they could even remotely believe you capable of something so horrible.”
Turning from her touch, Jarod lowered his head as he released a shaky breath. “I am scared, Parker,” he said, his voice barely audible.
“I know,” she said softly. Then, without thinking, she pulled him to her, embracing him.
Cautiously accepting her offer of comfort, Jarod was reminded of the past…their past. He remembered holding her after her mother’s death. The closeness that had developed between them back then, he had believed would last forever. He could not have been more wrong. Yet, here she was and as he slipped his arms around her, suddenly a lifetime ago seemed like yesterday.
She reveled in the familiar sensation of being so close to him…the storm of emotions and memories raging within her was almost overpowering. At first, she had wanted nothing more than to take away his pain the way he had done for her so long ago. However, when he drew her closer, she suddenly wanted to lose herself in his warmth and his strength…never to return.
Reluctantly, Jarod released her. He met her startled gaze and knew immediately that she had felt it too. Gently brushing a stray tear from her cheek, he smiled sadly. Neither of them could speak but the silent communication between them was palpable.
Agent Larsen chose that moment to return. Standing in the open doorway, he waited to usher Miss Parker out. When she stood and faced him, Larsen glimpsed the despair in her blue eyes. He wanted to give them more time but he knew that it was impossible. It had already been a little more than ten minutes since he had left her there with Jarod.
“I’m ready,” she uttered. At the door, she turned back to Jarod and smiled. “Sydney will be in to see you shortly. Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay.”
Jarod gave a nod of thanks. “I hope you’re right, Parker.”
“Aren’t I always,” she said, her smile widening. Then she walked out the door.
As they walked together down the corridor, Agent Larsen noticed the drastic change in her demeanor. She suddenly seemed vulnerable and confused…very different from the willful, embittered woman he had brought down there just minutes earlier.
Miss Parker released a deep breath. Glancing over at Agent Larsen just as the elevator doors opened, she gave him a hesitant smile, which he returned. “Thank you,” she said.
“No problem,” he replied.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Agent Larsen nodded slowly. “Sure. Go ahead.”
“Do you honestly believe that Jarod killed that girl? Just between you and me…I need to know that someone outside of myself and Sydney believe in his innocence.”
He thought about her question for a moment then shook his head slowly. “Miss Parker, I have seen just about everything in my eighteen years with the FBI…looked into the faces of cold-blooded murderers more times than I can count. All of them sharing a common characteristic…dead, unfeeling eyes that send a chill through your entire body.”
“And when you looked into Jarod’s eyes?”
“I saw pain, loneliness, fear…but more than that, I saw a man with compassion and a love for life. No, I don’t believe that Jarod murdered Danielle Jacobs.”
Miss Parker smiled just as the doors opened on the second floor. “Thank you, Agent Larsen.”
“You’re welcome,” he gave a slight nod as she walked out of the elevator.
**********
When Agent Larsen let Sydney into Jarod’s room, the pretender was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall polishing off an apple.
“Jarod? Are you all right?”
“Good as can be expected, under the current circumstances,” he frowned and tossed the apple core into the wastebasket.
“I can’t believe what they are accusing you of. How could they even think you capable of such a horrific act?”
“Unfortunately,” Jarod said. “The evidence is supporting their theory.”
“The autopsy results aren’t even in yet, Jarod. We have to hope that the coroner’s findings will clear you of these charges.”
Jarod frowned and shook his head. “Syd, we have to be realistic. I am a man with no identity…no past. I cannot tell them the truth.”
“The truth…about the Centre…to hell with the Centre. You cannot go to prison for a crime you did not commit.”
“It’s not just the Centre.”
“Then what is it?”
Jarod raised his weary body from the lumpy mattress and stood, facing his mentor. “It’s about the identity of the killer, Syd.”
Sydney sat down on the edge of the bed. “You know the killer.”
“And if I tell them, I put their lives in jeopardy along with the people I care about.” Jarod moved to sit next to Sydney.
“Who is it? How do you know him?”
Jarod took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Douglas Willard.”
“The Blue Moon Killer,” Sydney shook his head. “I can understand why you are concerned, Jarod. But you cannot go to prison.”
“Have you seen a picture of the murdered girl?” he asked, staring down at the floor.
“No, but Miss Parker told me how much she looked like her at the age fourteen.”
“Syd, I don’t know how, but Willard knows everything about me…about the Centre. Danielle died because he knew how seeing her like that would affect me…that in my mind I would see Miss Parker. He used Danielle to see how deep my feelings for her run.”
“He is planning to go after her next,” Sydney said.
“Take her someplace safe, Sydney. Get her away from here, away from me. Just being near me is a death sentence for anyone I care about.”
Sydney rose to his feet and approached Jarod, placing his hands on his shoulders. “We are not leaving you to face this alone…that’s final. Somehow we will get you out of this mess, then we will focus on getting Willard.”
“Thank you, Syd,” Jarod said embracing the older man.
Sydney left with Larsen a few minutes later, leaving Jarod alone with his thoughts again. With his back against the wall, he slid slowly down until he was sitting on the cold concrete floor.
Bringing his knees up to his chest, he rested his elbows on them as he remembered the feeling of holding her in his arms again…the way she fit so perfectly against him. The hint of lavender in her hair…the porcelain smoothness of her skin. Incredible blue eyes that could go from fire to ice in an instant and a smile that could melt winter into spring.
Closing his eyes, Jarod let his mind drift back to when they were children. ‘Jarod, do you love me?’ she had asked him so innocently. ‘With all my heart,’ he had answered her.
“With all my heart,” Jarod whispered aloud.
**********
Broots paced nervously in the office where the agents had left him. He was worried about Miss Parker. She had very nearly collapsed when Agent Kohler told her that Jarod had murdered the little girl. “Damn them for dropping a bomb like that on her with no warning,” he said aloud.
Just then, the door opened. “It’s about time,” he said angrily. “Are you going to tell me why in the hell you have arrested Jarod for murder?”
“Take it easy, Chris,” Agent Kohler said as he came into the office and perched on the edge of his desk.
“Take it easy…take it easy,” Broots shouted angrily. “Do you have any idea how close I came to having a coronary when you walked into Jarod’s apartment? Miss Parker is not stupid, she noticed that something was amiss between us. If my cover is blown…”
“Relax, Chris. I released them. She doesn’t suspect a thing. I told her that we let you go hours ago. And that you were anxious to get home to your daughter.”
“They are gone?”
“Yes, Sydney took her back to Jarod’s apartment to pick up her car.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question about Jarod.”
“I will have Blake update you on the Jacobs case. Jarod is the prime suspect…caught at the scene with the victim in his arms.
“Nick, have you lost your mind? You know that Jarod is not capable of cold-blooded murder. You have the wrong man.”
“Put your hero-worship aside and look at the evidence, Chris. It all points to Jarod. We are still waiting for the autopsy report, but everything else…”
Broots glared angrily at his partner and friend. “You have lost your mind if you think that I am going to just accept this.”
“You may not have a choice, my friend.”
Rising angrily from his chair, Broots stormed to the file cabinet and pulled out one of many files labeled ‘Jarod’. The file, like all the others, was at least two inches thick. Stuffed full of newspaper clippings and reports of hundreds cases solved by Jarod in the four years since his escape from the Centre. Dropping the file in Nick’s lap, he sat down on the corner of the desk. “You have read everything in those files and you can still sit there and tell me you believe him capable of murdering an innocent girl in cold blood?”
Nick paused, his brow furrowed, then shook his head, “I admit that it is hard to comprehend, but the girl…you said yourself how much she looked like Miss Parker at the same age. Maybe he lashed out at Danielle for all the pain the Centre has caused him in his life. Part of which he blames on Parker.”
Broots turned toward the window and took a deep breath before facing Nick again. “Jarod was stolen from his family at a very young age. Why would he turn around and commit the very crime that he himself was a victim of? A crime which he has fought diligently against from the moment he escaped from the Centre?”
Nick finally conceded, “The autopsy reports are on their way over by messenger. When they get here we are going to go over them with a fine tooth comb until we find something that will clear him.”
Broots returned to his chair, with a relieved sigh. “Nick, do you ever wonder where this is all going to end? I mean, we started this crusade to bring to justice a secret corporation preying on child prodigies and suddenly we find ourselves up to our eyeballs in this quagmire of lies and half-truths. Are we doomed to trudge on…forever in the dark?”
“I wish I knew, Chris. However, if you think you are losing your objectivity, maybe we should pull you from the lion’s den. If you blow your cover, you blow the entire case.”
“I can’t, Nick. I have to stay with it…for Jarod’s sake.”
“Not to mention Miss Parker’s,” Nick accused teasingly. “She is something else.”
“Now you know what I have endured all these years, my friend,” Broots laughed.
“She is incredibly beautiful yet full of venom.”
Broots nodded, “It’s true, but I can tell you from first hand experience that behind the façade is a heart of gold. It is just that she has had so much pain and loss in her life. She has built up a wall around it…a wall that no one can penetrate.
Nick stood, then walking toward the window he smiled. “Judging from the way she defended Jarod, I’d say he somehow managed to weaken the mortar.”
“Theirs is a complicated relationship,” Broots said shaking his head. “I care about them and Sydney…and Angelo. I have to finish this so they can all someday have a chance at the normal life they deserve.”
“How are they going to react when they find out that you have been lying to them all these years?”
Broots shrugged, “In the Centre…lies are status quo. One more won’t likely make a difference.”
Nick walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob as he looked back at his friend. “We have to decide when to make our move on the Centre soon, Chris. When we do, I hope, for your sake, you can find a way to keep them all out of the crossfire.” Then he opened the door and walked out, leaving Broots to his thoughts.
Broots nodded thoughtfully, “So do I, Nick. So do I,” he whispered.
**********
Lyle walked confidently into Mr. Parker’s office. “Dad, you wanted to see me?”
Mr. Parker looked up from the file on his desk and glared at his son. “I sent for you over an hour ago.”
“I am sorry, but I was following up on a lead on Jarod. As usual it was a dead end.”
“Where is your sister? She should have been back from Dover yesterday.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her,” Lyle replied suddenly uneasy under his father’s austere gaze.
“Well, we have a more pressing problem to deal with at the moment. This file was given to me this morning by security. They are certain that we have been compromised. There is a leak in the Centre. Whoever it is, they have leaked classified information and security codes to someone on the outside. Security has detected several forays into the mainframe by this individual as he downloaded more eyes-only data but have been unable trace the source.”
“It’s probably Jarod…”
“That’s what I want you to find out. They have determined that the individual who leaked the information has to have at least a level 5 clearance. Which narrows the field of possibilities considerably.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Lyle gave a quick nod and turned to leave.
“Lyle, I want this handled discreetly. If the leak learns that we are on to him, he may disappear and we can’t have that, now can we?”
“I understand,” Lyle replied as he walked out of the office.
**********
Seated at the table in the interrogation room, Jarod was relieved to be out of his cell even if it was only temporary. He was not looking forward to facing the agents again and their relentless questioning.
“Good morning, Jarod,” said Agent Kohler.
“Is it?” Jarod replied flatly keeping his back to the agent.
“Well, that all depends on you.” Kohler responded. “And how badly you want to get out of here?”
That got the pretender’s attention. Jarod turned slightly allowing his eyes to follow the agent as he moved to sit on the edge of the table a few feet away from him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that after you answer a few questions for us you’re free to go.”
“Why?”
“Because we have the autopsy report and it says that you did not kill Danielle Jacobs. The real killer’s DNA was found on the body…his skin, under her fingernails.”
Jarod fell silent for a moment while the information sank in. Then he looked up at Agent Kohler and shook his head. “What kind of game are you playing?”
“No game, Jarod. The killer is out still out there and we need your help to get him.”
“What makes you think I can help you?” Jarod asked, staring at the man through hooded eyes.
“Because you know him,” said a familiar voice.
Turning around, he was surprised to find Broots standing there clad in black slacks and a white shirt over which he wore a leather shoulder holster complete with firearm. “Broots?” Jarod asked, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Agent Chris Broots actually,” Broots chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the knowledge that he had even managed to fool the pretender himself with his five-year long pretend.
“You—You’re FBI?” Jarod raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in disbelief. “My friend, you deserve an Academy Award for your performance.”
Broots took a seat next to Jarod placing his belongings on the floor between them. “That’s quite a compliment, coming from you.”
“He deserves a medal of valor, for bravery in the face of danger. Danger being a tall, gorgeous brunette with eyes that can reduce a man to ashes in seconds,” Agent Kohler winked as he got up from the table and walked to the corner of the room to pour three cups of hot, black coffee.
“Ah, you must mean Miss Parker.” Jarod grinned.
Broots chortled, “She had Nick here quaking in his boots.”
“Did she now?” Jarod asked.
“Hey I’m not too proud to admit it. That is one highly persuasive woman,” Nick shrugged smiling widely.
Broots downed his coffee and stood. “Jarod, we know you didn’t kill Danielle, but we suspect that you know who did.”
Jarod’s eyes darkened immediately, his gaze shifting to his coffee cup as he weighed the consequences of telling them what he knew. It all came down to putting more innocent lives in danger, or letting Willard win. Neither choice sat well on his conscience.
“You do know, don’t you,” Broots stated calmly.
Jarod nodded slightly, keeping his eyes focused on the dark swirling liquid in his cup. “His name is Douglas Willard, a.k.a. the ‘Blue Moon Killer’.”
“Oh my God,” Broots gasped. “That’s the guy who kidnapped and murdered Annie Raines more than twenty years ago.”
Jarod glanced up in surprise. “Annie—Annie was Raines daughter?”
“You didn’t know?”
Jarod’s forehead creased in anger. “Sydney left out that minor little detail.”
“He probably felt that you wouldn’t have aided them in the search for her if you had known Raines was her father.”
“Well, if you know about Annie, then you also know that I was too late to save her,” Jarod said, his dark eyes glinting with regret.
“You did save the other girl…Sarah. And you found Annie’s remains so her family could finally have closure.”
Nick got up to leave the room. “I’m going to go dig up everything we have on Willard.”
Jarod barely acknowledged the other agent’s departure. “Broots, Willard is out for revenge…and Danielle was caught in the crossfire. He killed her as a message to me…”
“Because she looked so much like Miss Parker when she was younger.”
“Yes.”
“How is it that he knows so much about your life at the Centre?”
“I’m still working on that one. Right now, my main concern is Miss Parker. Willard will go after her next and I don’t now how or when he will strike.”
“I guess I am still missing something here, Jarod,” Broots said as he stood and began to pace the room. “Why Miss Parker?”
Jarod averted his gaze quickly, falling silent.
“Jarod?”
“Because he knows…” he let his voice trail off before continuing. “He knows that a lifetime ago she was my best friend.”
Broots stopped pacing. “I have always suspected that there was something more between the two of you than just your average hunter/prey relationship.”
“I have beaten Willard on his own level more than once, so he is going to take me down a few notches by concentrating his attack on my vulnerabilities…the people I care about.”
“So that makes Sydney a possible target as well…”
“Willard will make his move on Miss Parker first…in his eyes, she is the most vulnerable. He sees women as the weaker sex…helpless.”
Broots shook his head and smiled, “He’s never met a woman like Miss Parker.”
**********
Shutting off the engine, Miss Parker released a heavy sigh allowing her head to fall back against the seat. She did not understand what had come over her earlier in Jarod’s arms. How could just being close to him seem to erase all the pain of the past?
Fighting back tears, she wearily opened the car door. Stepping out into the moonlit night she took a few steps then froze. Feeling a presence in the shadows behind her, she turned.
“Jarod?” she said softly with a hopeful smile.
“It’s funny that you should be expecting him, Miss Parker,” Willard said stepping out of the darkness. “Especially since he is otherwise engaged at the moment.”
“Who the hell are you and what do you want?” Miss Parker hissed.
“Jarod didn’t tell you about me? I’m hurt.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked as she carefully slipped her hand into her jacket removing her gun from the inside pocket.
“He didn’t tell you that I would be paying you a visit…to get acquainted, so to speak.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline,” she said, while releasing the safety on her 9mm.
“That is too bad. I was so looking forward to this moment,” Willard said his gaze locking with hers. “You disappoint me, Miss Parker.”
Miss Parker could hardly focus on anything but the man’s eyes. Even in the dim light of the moon, she could see the lack of emotion in their cold, gray depths. There was no mistaking the pure genius emanating from the coldness. The man was dangerous, every voice in her mind was screaming for her to run, but her feet remained rooted to the spot. Her hands steady as she raised her gun aiming it directly between his eyes.
“I’m offering you one chance to turn around and walk out of here before I blow you away,” she smiled, eyebrows raised. She tried not to notice the fact that he didn’t even flinch.
“Now, that’s more like it,” Willard replied smiling smugly.
“What the hell do you want?”
“Revenge, Miss Parker. Of all people, you should understand that all-consuming desire to avenge a wrong done to you. Your mother…she was murdered, taken from you when you were just a child.” Willard was enjoying himself immensely. The look of pure, burning rage in the eyes of the beautiful woman before him was intoxicating. “You sought revenge on her killer just as I seek revenge on the man who wronged me.”
“Who are you?” Miss Parker uttered, fighting to control her emotions.
“We will have plenty of time for small talk, Miss Parker. Right now I am afraid that I must insist that you come with me,” Willard said taking a step toward her.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warned. “I will kill you.”
“Now, Miss Parker, do not make this any harder on yourself than necessary,” Willard said. Then before she could even react, he plunged a needle into her arm. A fraction of a second later, her grip on her gun went slack and he easily relieved her of it. “Sweet dreams, princess,” he said, reaching out to catch her as the drug took effect.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the van he had hidden in the woods behind her house. He enjoyed the feel of her body pressing against him as he walked. The hem of her skirt had ridden up on her creamy white thighs; her blouse was partially open revealing black satin and lace. It was a shame to kill such an alluring creature when there were so many other things he would much rather do to her. It had been a very long time since he had been with a woman…too long.
Placing Miss Parker in the passenger seat of the van, he reached across to fasten her seat belt securely. “We cannot have you getting hurt if we get into an accident, now can we?” he said, caressing her cheek. Then giving into the urge, he traced a path over her breasts to her thighs and down the length of her legs to her delicate feet. “So beautiful,” he shook his head then stepped back, slamming the door closed.
**********
Jarod landed the helicopter, setting it down in a clearing on the edge of the woods. The blades were still turning as they leapt from the cockpit and ran toward Miss Parker's house.
They immediately spotted her car in the driveway and headed toward it. While Broots searched the Lexus, Jarod moved slowly toward her front door, scanning the ground as he walked.
It did not take him long to spot her keys lying in the bushes. Picking them up, he dropped them into the pocket of his coat. Taking out his cell phone, he dialed her number. The shrill ringing of her phone led him straight to her handbag lying in the bushes. On the ground near it, he found her gun, fully loaded and the safety off. “She never even got off a shot,” he said mostly to himself.
“What did you find?” Broots asked as he approached the pretender from behind.
Inside Miss Parker’s handbag he found a piece of paper folded in half. Opening it, Jarod swore and passed the paper to Broots. “He’s got her,” he said, his voice barely audible.
“Blue Moon Rising,” Broots read aloud. “What does it mean?” he asked in confusion.
“It’s the phrase Willard left scrawled on a wall or a mirror in the bedrooms of his victims. He’s telling me that he will kill her…the night of the Blue Moon.”
Broots gasped, “That gives us less than thirty-six hours.”
Barely able to keep his emotions in check, Jarod stared at Miss Parker’s cell phone for several minutes, unmoving.
“Jarod?” Broots asked.
“It’s all my fault,” Jarod choked on his words. “If only I had warned her yesterday…”
“We’ll find her, Jarod.”
“Call Sydney. Tell him we need his help. Tell him to bring Angelo,” Jarod said, his voice echoing with emotion. “And hurry,” he added as he turned and ran back toward the helicopter.
“Where are you going?” Broots called after him. Getting no response from the pretender, he shook his head. “It’d sure be nice to know what’s going on in that head of his.”
**********
Sydney was just about to leave his office to make his rounds on SL-15 when the telephone rang. “This is Sydney.”
“Syd, its Broots. Jarod and I are at Miss Parker’s house. We need you here as soon as possible and bring Angelo. Willard has taken Miss Parker.”
“Dear God, no,” Sydney said as he sank down in his chair. “We’ll be there within the hour,” he replied and hung up.
Two minutes later he stormed into Mr. Raines’ office without knocking. “Raines, I don’t have time to argue, I need Angelo immediately. Miss Parker is in trouble, we have to find her quickly.”
Raines sat back in his chair and shook his head. “Miss Parker is a big girl. She can take care of herself. Angelo does not leave the Centre.”
“Damn you, Raines,” Sydney lost all control of his temper. He grabbed Raines forcing him back against the wall. “You have no idea of the seriousness of the situation. Douglas Willard has killed again and Miss Parker will be his next victim if we do not stop him. We need Angelo.”
Raines’ face paled and he nodded silently. As soon as Sydney released him, he reached for the telephone. “Willie, find Angelo and bring him to my office immediately.”
“Thank you, Raines,” Sydney said.
“I’m doing this for my Annie…”
“Willard is a monster…”
“Sydney,” Raines kept his voice low. “Tell Jarod…I want him to do whatever it takes to stop Willard…whatever it takes.”
Sydney nodded in understanding. “I will tell him.”
At that moment, the door opened and Willie ushered Angelo in. The look on the Empath’s face told them that he needed no explanation that he knew exactly why he had been summoned. “I’m ready…Sydney.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke to silence but her head was pounding like a jackhammer. Opening her eyes slowly, she found that she was surrounded by darkness. Panic rose and her stomach lurched as the memory of his vile touch invaded her mind. The drug he had given her had paralyzed her body while her mind remained alert. She could still feel his eyes on her, his cold, clammy hands touching her body.
She listened for a sound…any sound that would give her a clue as to where she was, but there was only silence.
It seemed like hours had passed before she finally fell into a restless sleep in which her mind was repeatedly bombarded with the images of him leering at her…touching her. Stifling a scream, she opened her eyes, struggling to get her breathing under control. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her face. She was powerless to stop them.
She heard footsteps then a door opened on the other side of the pitch-black room. He stood, silhouetted in the doorway. “Good, you’re awake. I was beginning to worry.”
“I’m sure you were,” Miss Parker snapped contemptuously.
“Now is that any way to talk to your host?” Willard smiled flipping on the light temporarily blinding her. “Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Douglas Willard…but then you may know me as ‘The Blue Moon Killer’.”
Miss Parker shuddered as she remembered learning about the kidnapping and brutal murder of Mr. Raines’ daughter. “You killed Annie.”
“I was captured…locked away for the rest of my life for killing Annie. More than two decades later, I put into motion my brilliant plan for a supposed ‘copy cat’ killer, every intricate detail was perfect. Little did I know, that the very same child prodigy responsible for my initial capture, was now a grown man working on the case of a missing girl named Sara.” Willard approached his captive slowly, a sadistic look in his eyes. “Needless to say, I found myself back in solitary vowing that one day I would exact my revenge on Jarod…destroy him by targeting one weakness at a time…beginning with you.”
Retreating into the farthest corner of the room to get as far away from Willard as possible, Miss Parker faced him. “If you think that you are going to trap Jarod by using me for bait, you have a serious flaw in your plan. Jarod doesn’t give a damn what happens to me. As a matter of fact he’ll probably thank you for getting me out of the way.”
“My dear, Miss Parker, I can assure you that Jarod not only gives a damn what happens to you, but that he cares very deeply for you. And I must say, I see why you are a weakness for him…beautiful huntress who was once his best friend and first love.” Willard reached out to run his fingers through her silky dark hair. “It’s touching really.”
Realization hit Parker like a slap in the face as she put the pieces together. “My God, you killed Danielle…” she said fighting back another onset of tears.
“It was amazing…the resemblance I mean. She looked so much like you. But then, I guess she would. After all, she was your exact replica…created by the very corporation you sold your soul to. Oh I know all about the Centre and everything that goes on within its walls. I find it utterly amazing, however, that such a powerful corporation could clone a human being, yet be unable to control their most prized pretender. Then make the mistake of sending a woman to recapture him…”
Miss Parker was so taken aback by the fact that Willard confirmed Danielle had been her clone, that his next comment barely registered. Willard was obviously planning to cut a deal with the Centre using Jarod as a bargaining chip. “The Centre doesn’t do business with murderers,” Miss Parker said although she knew she was kidding herself. If Willard was half the evil genius he seemed to be, they would welcome him with open arms.
“Come now, Miss Parker. You cannot possibly believe that.”
“No…I don’t,” she replied somberly.
Willard then took a step back. “I didn’t think so. Now, I want you to get to your feet like a good little girl. We are going to take a walk outside. There is a full moon and the fresh air will do you good. Do not even think of trying an escape. We are miles from nowhere, surrounded by nothing but wilderness.”
Miss Parker stood, straightening her clothing. “I am not exactly dressed for the cold, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Good, that means you will be less tempted to run away. As a matter of fact, take off your shoes…that is an even better incentive not to run.”
Kicking off her pumps, she glared at him. “Your generous hospitality is overwhelming,” she uttered, her tone laced with venom. “You will forgive me if I don’t recommend your little mountain getaway to my friends?”
“Ah, Miss Parker…I see that your charming wit is still intact.” Willard said forcibly grabbing her by the elbow and propelling her through the door. “Your brother warned me about that sharp tongue of yours.”
At the mention of Lyle, Miss Parker’s anger rose tenfold. “That bastard…I should have known. For you to know the things you know you had to have help from inside the Centre.”
“We have a lot in common…he and I. We both enjoy the complex and ancient art of the hunt, the capture and the kill. Very interesting fellow…your brother…and yes, very informative.”
“Next time you see him, send him my love,” Miss Parker said her tone cynical.
“I will be sure and do that,” Willard smiled. “Now move,” he said shoving her out the front door of the dilapidated three-room shack and down the rickety wooden steps.
Shivering visibly the instant her exposed flesh came in contact with the cold night air, Miss Parker struggled to hide her discomfort. She was not about to allow her captor the satisfaction of seeing her suffer. However, as sharp stones and pine needles dug into the tender soles of her feet she found it increasingly difficult to hide the pain.
The full moon was high in the sky so the night was brilliantly lit. “Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something,” Willard said with something akin to pride in his tone as he guided her deep into the woods and down a steep embankment toward a beautiful moonlit lake.
“How romantic,” Miss Parker said sardonically.
Willard did not acknowledge her comment. Instead, he turned her toward a dry creek bed that was well hidden in a stand of oaks. “This is a very special place, Miss Parker. You should feel privileged. I brought all of them here…but of course they were already dead,” he said then pushed her off the three-foot high bank. She landed hard on her left shoulder, her hip coming down on a sharp rock. Willard then raised the beam of the flashlight, illuminating the area around her.
Stunned by the impact with the ground, it took a moment for her to get her bearings. Once her head stopped spinning her eyes came back into focus and she found herself staring into the vacant eyes of a skull…a human skull. She bit back a scream and backed quickly away from it only to bump into a still decomposing corpse. Miss Parker struggled to keep from retching as the sight and the stench assailed her senses.
Willard smiled with satisfaction. “Now, Miss Parker, it is time for you to join them. However, I will give you a choice. Do you want to die quick and painlessly or do you prefer slow and excruciating?”
“Go to hell, you bastard,” she hissed.
“Then I’m afraid you force me to choose for you. Since I am feeling charitable at the moment, I think that we will go for the quick and painless death,” he said, producing a syringe from the pocket of his coat. “This won’t hurt a bit…you will drift slowly into a very deep sleep until your heart just stops.”
As he came down the bank toward her, Miss Parker scrambled to her feet. She cringed as she tripped over yet another pile of human remains. Her heart racing, she struggled to keep her footing.
Willard backed her into a tree grabbing her arm. “Relax, this will only take a minute.”
The needle was just inches from her flesh when she suddenly sidestepped. Kicking out with everything she had, her foot hit its target…Willard’s groin. She heard him grunt in pain followed by a string of curses, but she was already in a dead run.
Vaguely aware of the relentless punishment her body was enduring, she ran until her lungs burned. She ran over rough terrain and through mire up to her ankles, until gasping for breath, she dropped to her knees in the mud at the river’s edge.
Tears stung her eyes as she dipped her hands into the water drinking deeply. Knowing she should not chance crossing the river in the dark, she also knew that crossing it in the daylight would be even more dangerous.
Her decision made, Miss Parker inhaled deeply, and holding her breath stepped into the frigid water. The slippery footing was complicated further by the swirling current as the icy water reached mid-thigh…then, suddenly, she felt herself falling…
**********
A knock on the door startled them. Broots recovered first and went to open it. “Sydney…Angelo, are we glad to see you.”
“Jarod,” Sydney said. He could see the self-torture that his protégé was putting himself through. “Jarod?”
Turning to face Sydney, Jarod ran a hand through his hair. “I—I don’t know where he has taken her, Syd. We have less than thirty-six hours before…”
“We’ll find her, Jarod,” Sydney smiled reassuringly, stepping forward and embracing the younger man.
Returning the gesture, Jarod whispered, “Thank you for being here, Syd.”
Angelo walked over to the table and cautiously touched Miss Parker’s things. Then turning to Jarod, he placed Miss Parker’s 9mm into his hand. “Keep this close,” he said decisively. “Jarod scared…Miss Parker scared, but both strong…stronger than the monster. Only together will you find the truth…only together.”
“Thank you, Angelo,” Jarod said, hugging his childhood friend.
Later that evening, Jarod was sitting on the sofa, his laptop open…the floor littered with files and newspaper clippings. He was searching for any bit of information that would lead them to Willard in time to save Miss Parker. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was nearly midnight…approximately twenty-four hours since she had been taken.
Just then Angelo, who had been sleeping soundly on the floor in front of the fireplace, bolted upright and screamed.
“Angelo, “What is it? What’s wrong?” Jarod asked, keeping his tone low and even.
Angelo started to rock back and forth, hugging himself tightly. “Can’t breathe…help me,” he uttered the words as if he were drowning. “So cold…”
“Angelo, is it Miss Parker? Where is she? Where is Miss Parker, Angelo?” Jarod pleaded, grabbing Angelo roughly by the shoulders in frustration. Stopping himself just short of shaking him, Jarod pulled back running his fingers through his already disheveled hair.
Angelo fell silent and sat staring off into space.
“Angelo, I’m sorry,” Jarod said regretfully. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Angelo not hurt,” he said giving Jarod a sideways grin.
Despite himself, Jarod chuckled.
“Miss Parker is the hunted now. She runs he chases.”
“Hunted…” Jarod repeated then leapt to his feet. Settling back in front of his laptop, he quickly pulled up the information he had dug up on Willard’s childhood. He learned that the area where Douglas Willard had spent his teenage years was a heavily wooded, very remote area in Maine. Pulling up a topographical map of the area, he gave a short laugh. “Gotcha,” he said just as Broots came into the living room.
“What did you find?” Broots asked anxiously.
“Willard,” Jarod stated with a look of sheer determination. “I know where he has taken her and I am going after them…alone.”
**********
Comforting warmth spread slowly through her aching body causing Miss Parker to open her eyes. Blinking quickly as the rays of the sun, beating down on her battered body, momentarily blinded her. Groaning inwardly, every joint and every muscle screaming in protest, she raised herself up into a seated position.
Attempting to stand, she cried out in agony. Quickly lowering herself back down to the ground, she bit down on her bottom lip. She raised first her left foot and then her right. They were both badly bruised. Deep cuts that had been covered in dried blood were now beginning to bleed again after her aborted attempt to stand.
Pulling herself to the edge of the river, Miss Parker lowered her raw feet into the icy water. Clenching her teeth as lightning bolts of pain shot through her body, she removed her badly ruined silk blouse, tearing off the sleeves. Then after carefully cleaning the cuts, the cold water slowing the bleeding considerably and numbing the pain, she used the sleeves of her blouse for bandages. They would offer little protection, but would have to do.
Knowing that she had to get moving before Willard found her, Miss Parker recalled something Jarod had taught her when they were children. He’d shown her how, by focusing on an alternate reality, she could block out pain…endure almost any punishment.
She also remembered how, when she had asked him how he had learned to do it, he’d deftly avoided the question. She had not pursued the subject any further, deciding that she didn’t really want to know the answer. Looking back now, she wished she would have, but it had been much easier to turn a blind eye to Jarod’s pain than to face how he made her feel.
Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift…searching her memories for a safe haven. “I can do this,” she told herself. Then somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind she heard the voice of a young girl. ‘Jarod, do you love me?’ Miss Parker smiled at the image of Jarod, brown eyes shimmering with innocent emotion, replied, ‘With all my heart.’
Anchored her thoughts firmly to the memory she slowly opened her eyes. Carefully getting to her feet she faltered as the pain began to slice through the thin veil of protection. “Stay with me, Jarod,” she said in a pleading whisper. “I need you.”
Soon she was making her way through the woods, away from the river. The pain was there, but endurable. It was a strange feeling…like being in the midst of a dream yet she was still alert to her surroundings…still able to focus on keeping one step ahead of Willard.
Working her way carefully down a steep hillside, she stayed under the cover of the trees and underbrush. Large boulders and fallen logs also served to prevent anyone below from seeing her. Maybe Willard had gone…leaving her for dead. It was strange how such a concept could actually bring her comfort. The idea of being hunted down like an animal was far more frightening.
With that thought, Miss Parker froze, sinking slowly to her knees in the middle of the rocky trail. Wasn’t that what she had been doing to Jarod…hunting him like an animal? Five years he had been running from the Centre…from her.
A wave of self-loathing washed over her as she took a long hard look at the past and the mistakes she had made in her life. Summoning the strength to get up, she promised herself that she would somehow find a way to repair the damage she had inflicted upon the fragile relationship she and Jarod had once shared.
The sun was starting its downward path in the sky as Miss Parker reached the edge of the woods. Before her was an incredible azure lake surrounded by a lush meadow that extended well beyond her line of vision. An attempt to cross would put her out in the open for at least the fifty yards it would take her to reach the shelter of the forest again. If she were to skirt the edge of the meadow, staying out of sight, she could bide her time until she could cross under the cover of darkness. Which, judging from the position of the sun, was still several hours away.
The only other option was to turn back, seek cover and wait for night to continue on. Choosing the latter, she turned around heading back the way she’d come. Following the creek upstream she spotted a place where massive boulders came together to form a narrow alcove. To reach it she would have to cross the creek, then make her way over and around several smaller boulders. The protection it would offer would be worth the effort.
After pausing to check and adjust the makeshift bandages on her feet, Miss Parker stepped into the creek. The shin-deep cold water felt good…so good that she remained there. The sand bar providing a soft cushion beneath her feet. Several minutes later she reluctantly left the creek behind.
Once she reached the safety of the alcove, her legs gave out. She dropped to her knees near a fallen log. Sitting down with her back against it, she closed her eyes. Fighting back the urge to cry, she hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Before long exhaustion prevailed over determination, and she drifted off into a fitful sleep.
**********
“I’m going with you,” Broots said forcefully.
“No, I have to face Willard alone.”
“Going up against Willard alone is just plain stupid, not to mention suicidal. I thought you were supposed to be a genius.”
“Broots…”
“Jarod, sunset is only a few hours away. There is no time to argue we are going together and that is final.
Jarod gave Broots a half smile and a quick nod. “All right, you win. Let’s go.”
“I will call Nick from the chopper and tell him to be ready to move in if we need backup,” he said with a nod and headed out the door.
Jarod grabbed his leather coat and followed Broots toward the helicopter. They were still a few yards from it when they heard the engine fire and the blades begun turning, quickly picking up speed. Opening the door of the cockpit, Jarod and Broots were surprised to find Angelo in the pilot’s seat.
Angelo gave them a goofy grin and climbed down from the cockpit. “Go now, find Miss Parker,” he said with a nod. The Empath then darted across the field toward the house.
Jarod slid into the pilot’s seat while Broots climbed in next to him. “Is he always one step ahead of the rest of us,” Broots smiled shaking his head.
“Pretty much,” Jarod said while putting on his headset.
“I thought so.”
Jarod pulled back slightly on the stick lifting them into the air. He said nothing for several minutes, his silence earning him a worried look from Broots.
“I hope you have a plan,” Broots said into his headset.
“Don’t I always?” Jarod replied flatly.
“Yeah, you do,” Broots agreed. “But something tells me this isn’t one of those times.”
Jarod glanced over at him, “It’s not too late to back out.”
“Not a chance, Jarod. I care about Miss Parker too.”
“I know,” Jarod nodded in understanding.
“I just hope we are not too late,” Broots said.
“Not this time,” Jarod replied unwaveringly. “I will not be too late this time.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke just as the sun descended behind the mountain. The temperature immediately plunged ten degrees. Shivering uncontrollably, she moved closer to the massive granite boulders for warmth.
As darkness settled in, the blue moon rose high in the sky and the air came to life with sounds she dared not identify. The blood-curdling scream of a mountain lion echoed through the night causing her to rethink her original plan to travel at night. Deciding that she would rather take her chances with a mountain lion than Willard, she got to her feet and carefully climbed down from her hiding place.
The moon was so bright that it almost seemed like daylight. It filtered down through the canopy of trees casting eerie shadows on the ground. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising and knew that Willard was close.
“Keep calm,” she told herself upon reached the clearing. She considered making a run for it, hoping she could reach the higher vegetation near the lake before being spotted by Willard. Deciding it was worth a try, she moved into a position that gave her the shortest possible run to the lake.
“Well, it’s now or never,” she said taking a deep breath. Before she could change her mind she jumped up and ran as fast as the uneven ground would allow. She stumbled over unseen obstacles hidden in the high grass several times. Each time she got up and kept going. Keeping low to the ground, she reached the edge of the lake. Dropping down on all fours, she laughed with relief. There was one advantage to chasing a runaway pretender; it kept her in shape.
Taking only a moment to catch her breath she was up and running again in minutes. Just a few yards from the safety of the woods she heard a shot and dove to the ground covering her head just as the bullet struck the ground in front of her.
“Son of a…” she cried out.
“Oh Miss Parker,” Willard sang out. “You really should come in out of the cold. You’ll catch your death.”
“I’ll take my chances thank you,” she replied eyeing the tree line only ten or twelve feet away from where she lay.
“It’s going to be a cold one…you know autumn is in the air.”
Inch by inch she crept forward on her belly. If she could not reach the woods, she was as good as dead.
“I am a very patient man, Miss Parker. In solitary confinement you learn patience.” Willard said, his voice echoing, making it impossible to discern where it was coming from. “I can end your suffering…it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Go to hell, Willard,” Miss Parker hissed.
Willard laughed, “That was just a warning shot, by the way. I can put a bullet in your back at any moment. I see you lying there in the grass. I know what you are planning. Oh, you might make it to those trees, but you cannot escape. I know every inch of these mountains. I spent much of my childhood here. My father taught me everything he knew about stalking prey and making the kill…but of course, he could not have known how I would put those skills to use. He was my first victim, you know…hunting accident, it was a shame really.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” Miss Parker asked.
“Well, well, your sense of humor is still intact. How are those lovely feet of yours holding up? They must be very painful. Makes it very difficult to run.”
Raising her upper body slightly, she managed to get her legs up under her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she said a silent prayer. A split second later she was on her feet and sprinting toward the tree line. A single shot rang out followed by the searing heat as the bullet struck her. She cried out in pain as the ground came rushing toward her…
**********
Jarod’s heart nearly stopped when he heard the first shot, but when the second echoed through the night air he felt like it had been ripped out of his chest and trampled by a herd of buffalo. “Parker,” he gasped.
Launching into a dead run, Jarod prayed. He ran blindly through the woods, leaping over fallen trees and rocks. A clearing came into view, and a sparkling lake. He slowed to a walk, searching the meadow for any signs of movement.
He was about to change directions when he heard it. A soft moan followed by a series of expletives that brought a smile of relief to his face. Turning he spotted her on the ground near the base of a giant oak tree.
“Miss Parker,” Willard called out. “I know I hit you. Are you going to give in to your fate and let me end this or are you going to lie in there and bleed to death slowly and painfully.”
Getting to her feet, Miss Parker faltered, as the burning in her shoulder seemed to spread all down her left arm. Holding on to the tree, she fought the vertigo that threatened to overwhelm her and lost. She staggered and fell, but instead of hitting the ground, she found herself being lifted and carried away from the sound of Willard’s voice.
“It’s all right Parker, I've got you.”
Miss Parker’s eyes filled with tears when she heard his voice…like a warm blanket; it seemed to wrap her in a protective cocoon. “Jarod…” she whispered. “I didn’t think you would come…”
Jarod laughed softly, “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”
“That’s original,” she replied with a weak smile.
“Hey, it’s the best I could do on short notice.”
“Thank you,” she uttered softly. A moment later she closed her eyes and the world faded into darkness.
**********
The sound of approaching helicopters was music to Broots’ ears as he ran to the top of the rise to flag them down. “Thank God,” he smiled with relief.
As soon as they landed, Nick emerged and met his friend halfway. “Where are they?”
“Jarod and I separated hoping to cover more ground. Then about an hour later, I heard two shots minutes apart…sounded like a rifle. They came from that direction,” he said motioning toward the mountain. “Nick, we have to find them.”
“We will, Chris. Why don’t you stay here…”
“Not a chance,” Broots shook his head. “Those are my friends out there…both of whom have saved my sorry hide at one time or another.”
Nick nodded, “Let’s go.”
**********
Willard stepped into the grove of trees where he knew she was hiding. “Miss Parker, come out come out wherever you are,” he said in a singsong voice.
A moment later he spotted the second, boot-clad, set of footprints and smiled knowingly. “Jarod, I am so pleased that you could join us. This will make our little game it so much more interesting,” he called out.
Jarod heard him, and without stopping to look back, he changed directions and continued on. If they were going to have a chance of getting out of this alive, they had to throw Willard off their trail just long enough for Broots to bring help. Climbing a hillside over the rockiest ground he could manage, he reached a stand of trees.
“Parker,” he said as he laid her down in the ferns at the base of the oaks. She was slipping in and out of consciousness from loss of blood. “I have to find a way to buy us some time. Stay here and do not make a sound. I will be back soon.”
As Jarod stood to go, she reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. “Be careful,” she said wearily.
“I will,” he nodded, tenderly brushing the hair back from her face.
After making sure Willard was no where in sight, he climbed quickly back down to the trail. He headed toward the river hoping that Willard would fall for his diversion. If he did not, they were both as good as dead.
Jarod reached the riverbank and crossed to the other side. Willard had to believe that they were headed back toward his cabin. It was the most illogical place for them to go, so maybe to Willard…the most logical.
Reaching the path that led to the cabin, he made sure that his tracks would be visible leaving the trail to take a shortcut through the underbrush. He broke a few branches for good measure then overturned several small stones. Confident that he had done the best he could, Jarod then headed back toward the river. Treading carefully so as not to leave evidence of his passing.
Reaching the river, he again plunged into the icy water. Instead of crossing to the opposite side, he made his way through the rapidly moving current for several minutes emerging downstream, soaking wet and grinning. “The game is on, Willard” he smirked. “Catch us if you can.”
The sun was just coming up by the time Jarod reached the place where he had left Miss Parker, he dropped his backpack on the ground next to her, immediately pulling out the first aid kit. She was deathly pail and unconscious but still breathing. “Parker, don’t even think about dying on me,” he said drawing back his leather jacket and carefully pulling her tattered blouse off her shoulder so he could examine the damage caused by the bullet.
Pushing back his emotions, he forced himself to focus, shifting into doctor mode. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was a deep flesh wound. The bullet had nicked the bone and tore through some muscle tissue, but she would be all right as long as infection did not set in before he could get her to a hospital.
Cleaning and bandaging the wound carefully, Jarod wrapped his coat back around her then stood. He could only sit back and wait and hope that Broots would find them before Willard did.
Looking at Miss Parker, the bullet hole in her shoulder, her torn clothing, battered and bruised feet, the countless injuries that could not be seen… Jarod felt a rage like nothing he had ever known before building inside him. He wanted to kill Willard with his bare hands for hurting her. However, his main priority had to be her. Once she was out of the line of fire, he would find Willard and put an end to his game once and for all.
Sitting down next to Miss Parker, he wrapped his arms around her gathering her shivering form against him for warmth. The need to be close, to feel her breath on his skin…her heart beating, was almost overwhelming. No longer able to hold back his emotions, Jarod let his head fall back against the trunk of the tree as tears filled his eyes. He had come so close to losing her. The very thought of which shook him to the core. There was no way to know what path fate was leading them down, but he was sure of one thing…she was and always had been a part of him.
An hour later, awake and feeling a bit stronger, Miss Parker reluctantly tore herself away from Jarod’s warm embrace. Sitting up slowly, she turned to face him. The look she saw in the deep brown depths of his eyes nearly stole her breath away.
“Are you okay?” Jarod asked, his voice filled with such tenderness that she very nearly burst into tears.
She answered with a slight nod, “I—I think so.”
Jarod stared at her for several seconds without saying a word. Then slowly he raised his hand to her cheek and smiled gently. “You have no idea how scared I was. I was so afraid that I had lost you.”
“It takes more than a homicidal sociopath to get me down,” she laughed softly.
“I need to examine your feet,” he said as he rose then dropped to his knees by her feet. Looking up at her, he said softly, “This is going to hurt.”
“It can’t possibly hurt any worse than this hole in my shoulder,” she snapped. “Just do it and get it over with.” She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from screaming as Jarod carefully began to remove the blood stained silk. “Okay, I was wrong…it hurts worse,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Hold on, Parker. I’ve almost got it,” he said.
As soon as the right foot was free, he turned to the left. His expression was unreadable.
“Well, do we have to amputate?” she asked making a poor attempt at humor.
“The cuts are infected and the bruises are deep purple. You have a couple of broken toenails but as far as I can tell without x-rays, no broken bones. Don’t worry, Parker,” he grinned. “We’ll have you chasing after me in high heels again in no time.”
“Funny,” she glared at him flinching as he applied antiseptic from the first aid kit to the cuts. “You are enjoying this aren’t you…torturing me,” she gasped.
Jarod continued cleansing the wounds. A moment later he stopped and looked up at her. “I—I would never intentionally cause you pain,” he said softly, his voice shaky.
“Jarod…” she began, regretting her words, but not knowing how to take them back. She should have realized the burden of guilt that he was carrying around. He was blaming himself for what Willard had done to her and for Danielle’s murder.
Concentrating on wrapping Miss Parker’s feet in sterile gauze, Jarod kept his eyes averted. It was tearing him apart inside knowing that he was the reason she was in so much pain. “I’m sorry,” he said as he finished and quickly gathered up the first aid kit returning it to his pack.
“Jarod, you can’t blame yourself for this, the only person to blame is Willard.” Reaching out to him, Miss Parker took hold of his hand and placed it over her heart. “I’m here…I’m alive.”
Neither knew what to say, as they both felt the electricity in the air. Before either of them realized what was happening, their lips met in a gentle, searching kiss.
A moment later they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. “Jarod…Miss Parker?” Broots called out.
“Up here, Broots,” Jarod responded.
“Tell me you didn’t come out here alone,” she said.
“Broots? You brought Broots as back up,” Miss Parker asked staring at Jarod as if he had grown a second head.
He smiled, running his right index finger along the delicate contours of her face. “We have to get you to a hospital,” he said nodding toward her shoulder.
Miss Parker nodded leaning back against the tree as she pulled the leather coat tightly around herself breathing in the scent of him. Her head was spinning but she was not sure if it was from the loss of blood or the loss of Jarod’s touch.
“Jarod,” Broots said as he reached them. “Thank God. You are all right…both of you. Miss Parker, you do not know how glad I am to see you,” he said carefully embracing her.
She accepted the hug gratefully. “Thanks, Broots. I’m glad to see you too.”
“Did you see Willard?” Jarod asked.
“We are combing the woods for him now. He is a slippery bastard. Nick is waiting for us down below. Are you ready to go?” Broots asked as he took out his gun and checked the clip to be sure it was full, then released the safety.
“Broots,” Miss Parker stared at him in amazement. “What has gotten into you?”
“Let’s just say that you don’t know me as well as you thought you did, Miss Parker,” Broots said as he started back down the rocky slope.
“What was that all about?” she stared after him, a bewildered expression on her face. “Jarod?”
“You will have to be patient, Parker. Broots will tell you everything as soon as it’s safe for him to do so,” he replied as he retrieved his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
“Just what I need, more secrets…” she said, cursing under her breath as she attempted to stand. Her feet refused to carry her weight and her knees buckled. Jarod caught her, lifting her up into his arms.
“Parker, you and I both need to accept the possibility that we may never know the entire truth about our pasts and our families. We need to open our eyes and see what we do have…friends who care about us…and each other.”
“Jarod, I…”
“Just believe, Parker. Believe in what we have…what’s in our hearts. As long as we have that truth, we will survive.”
Her eyes brimming with tears, Miss Parker wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he descended the rocky slope.
“That way,” Broots motioned as they reached him. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Nick emerged from behind a boulder just ahead and waved to them that it was all clear. Jarod headed straight for him while Broots followed, his gun drawn. No one uttered a word as they made their way out of the woods.
Watching Broots closely, Miss Parker was having difficulty believing that he was the same man she had worked with for the past five years. Dressed in dark slacks, a white shirt, a navy blue jacket and handling his gun as if it were an extension of his arm…Broots wasn’t the timid computer nerd afraid of his own shadow…but a trained agent for the FBI.
She cringed as she thought about the way she had treated him in the past. However, her guilt soon gave way to anger as she realized that, like everyone else in her life, he had kept the truth from her...lied to her about who he really was.
They reached the FBI base camp and Jarod reluctantly turned Miss Parker over to the paramedics and watched as they loaded her into the helicopter.
Once they examined her, they gave her something for the pain. Then strapping her in securely they prepared her for transport to the hospital.
Jarod boarded the chopper just before they were to take off. “Parker,” he whispered.
Groggy from the drugs they had given her, Miss Parker had to fight to keep her eyes open and focused on Jarod’s face. “You’re going back out there aren’t you.”
“I have no choice. As long as Willard is free, you and everyone else I care about will be in danger.”
“Just be careful…please,” she said, her eyes drifting closed as her body succumbed to the drugs.
“I will,” he said, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I love you, Parker,” he whispered, brushing his lips lightly over hers. Climbing down from the helicopter, Jarod motioned to the pilot to take off. He watched until it disappeared over the treetops.
“Is she going to be okay?” Broots asked as he approached.
“Physically…yes. Emotionally…I don’t know.”
“She is the strongest woman I have ever known. Not many people could have endured the things she went through these past few days…she will be all right. She has you and Sydney to help her.”
Jarod turned to face Broots. “And you Broots…you have always been there for her. You have been a great friend to both of us. Thank you.”
Glancing nervously at his feet, Broots shook his head slightly. “What kind of friend lies to the people he cares about?”
“Broots, you are FBI. You have to maintain your cover or you end up dead. I understand that and so will Miss Parker and Sydney. Do not beat yourself up over this. These past five years you have gone above and beyond the call of duty. I know how she treats you sometimes, but I also know that deep down she respects and admires you. She may not say it but she cares about you.”
“Thanks,” Broots nodded slightly then brought his gaze up to meet Jarod’s. “What about you?”
“Me?” Jarod asked.
“How are you holding up? You have been through quite an ordeal yourself this week.”
Jarod smiled slightly, “I’m fine, but I will be better when Willard is dealt with.”
“You’re going after him, aren’t you.”
“That’s the plan,” Jarod stated flatly.
“What happens when you find him?” Broots asked though he was afraid that he already knew the answer.
“I’m going to kill him,” Jarod replied, his tone bitter and callous.
“I remember when you killed Damon. You saved my life, but I know how much it must have cost you to pull that trigger.”
“Willard has to die. It’s the only way the people that I care about will be safe.”
Broots nodded, “I won’t try and stop you, Jarod. However, I am also not going to let you go out there alone. I’m going with you.”
“No, Broots,” Jarod said adamantly. “You have Debbie to think about. I can’t let you risk your life.”
“I risk my life every day that I walk into the Centre as an undercover agent. My daughter knows what I do and why. She also cares very deeply for Miss Parker and would want me to help stop this monster.” Broots took a step toward the pretender, placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned. “Besides, either way I am risking my life because if I anything were to happen to you, Miss Parker would skin me alive.”
Jarod gave a slight nod then turned away from Broots. “It’s ironic, all these years I have searched endlessly for my family, because I believed that without them I could never be whole…never have an identity. I now realize that a big part of what I’ve been searching for was there all along…right behind me…wearing stiletto heels,” he chuckled softly.
Broots smiled, “Jarod, nobody deserves to find happiness more than you and Miss Parker. You belong together. Do not let Willard destroy this chance to finally have the life you and she have always dreamed of. Let us handle him.”
Jarod shook his head, “Broots, I can’t do that and you know it. It is not in me to let something like this go. Willard has to be stopped and no one knows him better than I do. I have to do this.”
Broots nodded and released a heavy sigh. “Well then, I guess it is going to be the two of us together because I am not letting you face Willard alone.”
“Is three a crowd,” Nick said as he came up behind the two men. “If not then I would like to join you in your little crusade.”
Jarod lowered his head and ran his hands through his hair. When he looked up again they were both staring at him intensely. “All right,” Jarod gave in. “It means a lot to me that you are willing to do this, thank you.”
Nick smiled, “It’s either that or we could just slap hand cuffs on you and send you back to jail to keep you out of the way.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Broots said a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t,” Jarod said suddenly worried.
Broots laughed, “Come on Jarod, let’s get something to eat.”
“Thank you,” Jarod released the breath he had been holding.
“You’re welcome, my friend.”
**********
Miss Parker awoke in a stark-white hospital room with a dull, throbbing pain in her left shoulder and a strange tingling sensation in both her feet and her legs. Glancing to her left, she smiled at the sight of Sydney sleeping soundly in the chair next to the window. In his hands, he held her mother’s rosary beads.
“Sydney,” she whispered as tears suddenly filled her eyes. She tried to hold back the flood, but as the dam broke, she let go.
Hearing her gut-wrenching sobs, Sydney rose from the chair immediately. “Are you in pain?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Do you want me to get the doctor?”
“No,” she said shaking her head slowly. “Please, Sydney…just hold me.”
Sydney took her in his arms and held her while she cried. “I’m here, Miss Parker,” he whispered. “I’m here.”
**********
It was late evening when the three men returned to the FBI base camp exhausted and empty-handed. Broots and Nick both collapsed on the ground under a tree while Jarod paced angrily.
Nick tossed him a full canteen and watched as Jarod drank the cool water. “Jarod, when this is all over you should really consider a career with the FBI. You have got more stamina and dedication than most of the agents in the field.”
“Including him,” Broots chuckled.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jarod said with a nod and a half smile.
“Seriously though, Jarod. Nick’s right. You would make a great agent. And you’ve had prior experience, so to speak,” Broots said as he lifted his weary frame on the ground. “You should really consider it.”
Jarod kicked at a rock and laughed humorlessly, “I’m a pretender remember, I can be anything I want to be.”
“Jarod, no matter what you think…being a pretender is not a curse. You have helped so many people…people who had no where else to turn. The Centre may have made you what you are, but what you have chosen to do with it is the ultimate pay back,” Broots said then turned and walked toward the mess tent.
“Broots,” Jarod called after him. “Thanks.”
Broots stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “You’re welcome,” he nodded.
Nick stood and put a hand on Jarod’s shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat.”
“You go ahead,” Jarod smiled. “I’m going to take a walk.”
“All right, but watch your back. Willard’s still out there somewhere.”
“I will,” Jarod nodded then sauntered off toward the tree line.
Nick watched him go then turned toward the tent.
Jarod walked for several minutes before he reached the edge of a lake. The moon shone down on the still water. Stooping down to pick up a handful of pebbles, he straightened and tossed them one by one into the water, the ripples disturbing the mirror-like surface.
“And who might you be little boy,” Jarod said softly.
Willard stepped out of the shadows behind him. “I knew you could feel me, Jarod. That is why it struck me as odd that you seemed to be running around in circles today. Then it occurred to me that you were protecting your friends…very noble. Then again, you always put others before yourself. Foolish…admirable…but very foolish.”
“I won’t put anyone else in danger.”
“I have to say, Jarod. Your Miss Parker was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I really wish we’d had more time to get to know one another though. I have never met a woman with her courage and blind determination. She proved to be more of a challenge than I had expected. I suppose I was at a disadvantage from the beginning…admittedly I was distracted by her physical attributes. Her hair was like silk…and her skin…fine porcelain…”
Jarod knew that Willard was taunting him. It was all he could do to keep the rage, boiling up within him, at bay. “Yes—She is unique.”
“Come on, Jarod. Don’t you want to play the game?”
“Sorry, I’m not much in the mood.”
“Too bad,” Willard shook his head. “I was just going to fill you in on the next phase.”
“You are not going to hurt anyone else, Willard,” Jarod said keeping his back to him. “This is between you and me…no one else.”
“Now where is the fun in that, prodigy?” Willard asked taking a step closer to Jarod. “You have already been inside my head…you know me. You have bested me twice before and proved yourself my equal. It is much more rewarding to manipulate you by playing with the pawns in your pitiful life. Miss Parker, Sydney, Broots, Angelo, and then of course there is your family. What is your lovely sister’s name again? Oh yes…Emily. She isn’t going to pose as much of a challenge as Miss Parker, but she is just as beautiful.”
Jarod’s eyes reflected the moonlight as tears of frustration pooled in them blurring his vision. “You win, Willard. You have beaten me. You will just have to find another source of amusement in your pitiful life. My family and my friends will no longer be your pawns.”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, prodigy. The game will end…but on my terms not yours. I am the one holding all the cards. You, Jarod…your conscience will be your downfall…though it is your loved ones who will suffer the repercussions.”
“It is my conscience that is preventing me from killing you right now, Willard.”
“My point exactly,” Willard laughed arrogantly. “Oh, by the way, there is one pawn that I neglected to mention…your son.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jarod asked as he turned abruptly, grabbing Willard by the front of his shirt.
Willard smiled triumphantly, “I see I was right…you didn’t know about him. Handsome boy…looks just like his beautiful mother.”
“You are lying,” Jarod screamed shoving Willard back against a tree.
“Jarod, you know what the Centre is capable of…they cloned you for God’s sake. Why should it come as a surprise that they had other methods of replicating their prize pretender?”
Jarod released him suddenly and turned away not saying a word.
“It’s time for me to go,” Willard said smugly. “See you in the next phase, prodigy.”
“I don’t think so, Willard,” Jarod turned leveling his 9mm on him. “The game ends here,” he said then squeezed the trigger.
With his last breath, Willard smiled at Jarod. “I win,” he said then he sank slowly to the ground. “I win.”
Broots and Nick reached the lake a few seconds after they had heard the shot. They spotted Jarod standing over the still form of Douglas Willard. As Broots approached Jarod and took the gun from his hand, Nick bent over Willard to check for a pulse then shook his head.
“Are you all right?” Broots asked as he slipped the gun from Jarod’s grasp.
Nick signaled the other agents to take Willard’s body away. Following them back to base camp while Broots stayed behind with Jarod.
Jarod turned to look out over the shimmering lake. His head was swimming…his vision blurred by tears. He raised his shaking hands to his face in an attempt to collect his thoughts. “I have a son,” he uttered almost inaudibly, but Broots heard.
“What did you just say?” Broots asked.
“Willard said that I have a son, created by the Centre,” Jarod said meeting Broots’ questioning gaze.
“And you believed him?”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. I have been lied to my entire life.”
“I will fly back to the Centre first thing in the morning. Give me time to do some digging and I promise you I will find the truth.”
Jarod fell into a thoughtful silence for several minutes. Then turning to face Broots again, he frowned. “I keep telling myself that it can’t be true but then…”
“The Centre is capable of almost anything, Jarod. You know that.” Broots sat down on a large rock and shook his head. “Do you have any idea who his mother is?” he asked.
Jarod nodded, “The Centre wants the ultimate pretender…one that can be raised from birth with no interference from the outside world. A child with the bloodline of two Red Files is almost guaranteed to have the anomaly in their blood which predisposes us to the pretender gene.”
“Miss Parker,” Broots exhaled. “How old do you think he is?”
“Too young for them to have begun testing him yet…one…possibly two.”
”Do you think it could be Andrew? I know it is a long shot, but he is the right age.”
“That would explain why one minute Mr. Parker is supposedly running for his life and then after the birth of Andrew he is suddenly back at the helm of the Centre as if nothing ever happened. If Andrew is my son, Mr. Parker would have one hell of a bargaining chip to get himself back in the good graces of the Triumvirate.”
“What are you going to tell Miss Parker?” Broots asked.
“Nothing—at least until we can confirm whether or not Andrew is our son. I don’t want to upset her until we know the truth.”
Broots suddenly realized what the truth would do to Miss Parker if they did learn that Andrew is her son. “My God, Jarod, she was there when he was born. She delivered her own child from the womb of another woman. Unwittingly handing him over to her father and the Centre to be exploited just as you were.”
“All the more reason to wait until we are sure.”
Broots shook his head, “When will this nightmare end?”
“I wish I knew, Broots. I wish to God I knew,” Jarod said as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
