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a/n: All my thanks to Onisius who has been nothing short of a lifesaver for me on this story, all my thanks.
Aftermath Pt 3
Mr Raines Office
Friday, 13th July
Mr Lyle and Mr Cox were both sitting in Mr Raines’ office for the monthly update on Project Jarod. Things had been progressing splendidly and the Triumvirate was very please with how things had been handled thus far. Jarod had been continuing to perform beyond expectations, and there had been very little resistance from him. There was only one thing that Raines was not happy about.
“Gemini……... Have you got the location of Gemini from him…… yet?” Raines’ eyes bored into the two men.
Mr Cox looked at Mr Lyle and smoothed down his suit before he looked back up at Raines. He cleared his throat before answering.
“No. We have as yet been unable to ascertain the location of the Gemini project. We know that he is with Major Charles, but that is all we know at the moment.” Cox looked over at Lyle again and shifted slightly in his seat.
“Perhaps you are not trying ………hard enough.”
“He doesn’t know where they are.” Lyle surprised even himself with his adamant defence of his Pretender. Lyle and Cox had agreed to disagree with respect to this particular topic. Lyle was certain that Jarod had told him the truth, but Cox was not so readily convinced.
Raines did not fail to notice the looks between the two men. “Does he know where he is or not?”
“He doesn’t know.” Lyle stated again. “He has given us all the details of the last known locations of Major Charles and Gemini, they are calling the clone Gem. He even gave us the encryption codes for the email addresses. We sent sweeper teams, but they were long gone.” Lyle smiled. “Hell, I think he even wants Gemini caught.”
“But perhaps we shall try one more time to extract that information.” Mr Cox was already thinking about new ways to play with Jarod. He didn’t really need an excuse of course, but he did so enjoy a sense of purpose. Although he had finally admitted to himself that perhaps Lyle was right, but Mr Cox was nothing if not thorough. He did not like to leave any stones unturned and he would eventually satisfy himself that Jarod was not lying to him.
After the meeting broke up, Lyle and Cox descended to their playground, leaving Raines gloating in his office over the profit statements that Jarod had just produced. Since Raines had taken over, The Centre had never been so smoothly run.
SL-27
As Cox and Lyle were riding the elevator down to what had become their second home, they were discussing what was to be done with the Pretender over the weekend. Lyle wanted to go up to the woods for the weekend, as much fun as playing with his toy was, he felt the need to get out into nature, recharge his batteries, so to speak.
Lyle was also becoming worried about the growing attachment he was feeling towards the Brain Trust. He was beginning to become uncomfortable with the way the relationship was turning out. Originally Lyle had intended to develop a friendship as a means of controlling the Pretender, and of course because somewhere deep down, it must be killing Jarod. He found however, that the more he got to know Jarod, the more he felt a real admiration and friendship growing. He could not help but be impressed with the rat’s talents and abilities. Since that night when he had divulged his innermost feelings to Jarod, he had felt a twisted kinship with him. He had found himself making excuses in order to talk to his pet. He told himself that Jarod meant no more to him than a pet that could perform pleasing tricks to entertain his master. In order to reinforce this, Lyle had set up with Cox a random pattern of abuse to be inflicted upon Jarod. This served a number of purposes. It kept Jarod in line, never allowing him to forget his position in the scheme of things. He was fearful of Cox and more dependent on Lyle everyday. It also gave Mr Cox and Mr Lyle no end of pleasure, but most of all, it reminded Lyle of just who was in control. The more threatened Lyle felt by their growing friendship, the more he took it out on Jarod, proving to himself that he hadn’t gone soft.
Lyle sighed heavily. His mind already thinking about the weekends activities. As much as he loved playing with Jarod, sometimes it was just really good to take a break from the routine. “I don’t really care what you do with him. There are no more sims scheduled until Monday morning, just don’t damage him too much.”
Cox nodded and Lyle knew by the smile on his face that he had already devised something fun for the genius. Lyle ordinarily liked to watch Cox play, but he felt the need to get out. Jarod wasn’t going anywhere, and there was always next week. With that decided, both men made their way to prepare for their respective weekends.
Miss Parker’s Office
Sat Night
Miss Parker was preparing to go home. She had never been so nervous in her entire life. She had decided to come into the office today, on the lookout for any potential problems. The last nine days had weighed heavily on her and she was glad it was finally here. Her ulcer had been playing up unmercifully, and she had gotten almost no sleep. In just a few short hours she would know if their plan had failed or succeeded. It had taken a supreme effort of will to stay away from Sydney and Broots, but she did not want to bring any attention to herself or them. When Lyle had announced he was going away for the weekend, she almost cried in relief. That was at least one possible complication they would not have to worry about. She turned the lights out and made her way home, resisting the urge to check in on Broots.
Tech Room
Sat Night
Broots was now a common fixture late at night in the tech room. Nobody even noticed him anymore. He was always the last one to leave. Tonight was the night and he was silently praying that it would be over. He was not designed to take this kind of pressure. He had been expecting visits from Miss Parker and Sydney, but neither had shown their faces. He imagined that they were home now, and he wished that he was at home too. It would not be too long now, and he only hoped that he could do this without being detected. Broots could not actually see the footage that he would be streaming ever so slowly into the camera feed, so there was no way for him to tell if this was going to work or not. He knew that a million things could go wrong, he just hoped that luck was running their way for once. He started his programme, hoping that it was as untraceable as he and the kid thought it was. It was time to go home now, he would know soon enough whether or not they succeeded. The security cameras on SL-26, where the Major would exit the vents, had been looped, and once the alarm had been sounded, the loop would erase itself. The programme for Jarod’s cell would complete itself in two hours, and by five am, there would be no evidence that it had ever been tampered with. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the shock on the sweeper’s face when he looked up on the monitor at the cell that was now suddenly empty.
Sydney’s House
Sat Night
Sydney had been too nervous to go in to work today. He had roamed around the house aimlessly all day. He had called Nicholas, only to get the answering machine. He must have checked his emails a hundred times already. He kept reminding himself that no news was good news. He had brought his locked box full of momentos of Jarod home with him. He lifted the items out, one at a time, with reverence. The memories were bittersweet. If they failed, Sydney would know soon enough. If they succeeded, he imagined that he would never see Jarod again. He offered a silent prayer for the Major and wished Jarod the good life that he deserved.
The Major’s House
Sat Night
Major Charles and Gem were having the biggest fight that they had ever had.
“We’ve been through this before. You are not coming. That is final.” The Major was adamant. But the boy was not backing down.
Gem had never openly defied his father before. He had been brought up to obey, and it was a lesson that had been painfully learnt. But he still could not believe that his father could do this to him.
“But dad, please, I have to do this. I need to do this.” He pleaded. “What if you need help? What if Jarod needs help? There is so much that could go wrong. You will need me there.”
“No. You can't come. I need to know you are safe. I cannot risk both of my sons. I will not let them touch you. Never again. If I fail, you know what to do.” He took Gem by the shoulders and gently sat him down.
“Please son, I can't do this unless I know you are safe. Please try to understand. I cannot lose another son. I just can't.” The Major was unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
Gem sat back and looked at his father. He was concerned at the weariness in his eyes. As much as Gem wanted to go, it was not in his nature to be defiant. He finally nodded his head and looked up at his father as tears slipped from his eyes.
“Please dad, bring him home.” Gem begged.
The Major pulled Gem into a tight embrace, afraid to let go. Finally, he released him and got up. There was no more time. All the things that had needed to be said had been. Now, either they would succeed and he would bring Jarod home, or they would fail.
As he watched he father drive away, he thought back to his experiences with The Centre. If it had not been for Jarod, he would still be there now. He never would have had the life that he lived now. He knew that it was a long way from what was considered normal, and he was desperately lonely sometimes. Living on the run precluded the possibility of friendships and so many other experiences that he would have loved to have been a part of. But he also knew how fortunate he was. He had his father now, and hopefully soon, they would have Jarod back. Gem knew that his father would never really be complete until Jarod was safely returned and they found Margaret. It was hard for Gem to think of her as his mother, but he longed to meet her and he understood Jarod's burning desire, what drove him so mercilessly.
The Major left Gem standing forlornly on the front porch as he drove off into the night. During the drive he was pulled with conflicting emotions. If things went well, then he would have his two sons home. But if they had miscalculated even slightly, he would never see Gem again. It things went badly, it was likely that he would never see either of his sons again. He had placed his trust in Centre personnel and he had no time now to wonder if he had made a monumental mistake.
He pulled up and parked in the woods not too far from where he would enter the maze that was the air-conditioning system. He took one last looked around him, shifted the pack on his back and entered the darkness. He crawled for what seemed like an eternity, but after checking his watch, knew that it had been just under 90 minutes. His muscles were beginning to ache and he began to wonder if perhaps he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. But finally he reached his destination and gratefully slid out of the vents onto the floor of SL-26. He took a moment to get his breath and was nearly startled into a heart attack when a man approached him.
“Jarod. Save Jarod.”
Sydney had told the Major about Angelo, but the Major had not expected to run in to him. He looked into those earnest blue eyes that were as big as saucers. Angelo had been here his entire life and the Major briefly wondered if he had a family that had been searching for him.
“Save Jarod. Jarod is lost.” Angelo pulled on the Major’s arm. “Jarod lost.”
The Major pulled up sharply. “What do you mean Jarod is lost?” But he got no answer from the empath, Angelo had already disappeared into the air vents. He shook his head at the retreating figure, wishing that there was something he could do for him. He looked down at his watch, he still had 8 minutes before the diagnostic cycle began. He pulled out the keycard and the palm computer that Gem and Broots had programmed all the encryption codes into. He flipped the device over, marvelling that such a small thing could hold the key to Jarod's freedom. He counted the minutes off, getting more anxious by the second. He was deadly afraid that something would go wrong, and he was afraid of the condition that he might find Jarod in. The Major did not care if they caught him, he would gladly give his life for Jarod's, just as long as Jarod got away.
The small alarm on his watch alerted him that it was time to get moving. He slid the card through the slot in the elevator, and the doors quietly slid open. He held his breath, waiting for the alarm to go off. When it didn’t, he turned on his tiny flashlight and check to see if there was any movement in the elevator shaft. The first hurdle over, he slid silently into the elevator shaft and climbed to the floor. He pulled his gun out and screwed on the silencer. He hoped that he didn’t have to kill anyone, but he was more than ready to kill anyone that stood in his way if it became necessary.
He keyed the doors and prepared himself as they slid open. No one was there to greet him. He crept down the corridors, his heart hammering in his chest, expecting at any moment for the alarm to be raised. But all was quiet as he made his way to the end of the seemingly endless hallways. He sank down beside the door to Jarod's cell and caught his breath. He still had two minutes before Broots disabled the cameras inside. He wanted so very badly to pound on the door, to let Jarod know that he was there, instead, he rested his cheek against it and tried to regulate his breathing. He glanced down the hall, but still, nobody was there.
“Please Broots, please make this work.” He whispered a small prayer.
As the alarm let out a tiny beep on his watch, the Major jumped. He had four minutes. Four minutes until the system had figured out that it had been tampered with and deadlocked the door, and then there was no chance. He keyed open the door and pulled it open, wincing at the loud sound the lock made as it disengaged. He looked down to see the shocked face of his son.
Jarod was sitting cross-legged on the floor in his cell. His right wrist was cuffed to his left ankle and his left wrist to his right ankle. As he heard the lock disengaging, he shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t think Mr Cox would be down this late and he hoped that it wasn’t the sweeper coming in to relieve his boredom again by tormenting him. He hoped that it was Lyle. Lyle had developed a habit of coming down to visit him in the small hours of the morning, sometimes bringing tiny gifts of pez or some morsel of food, and other times, just to talk. Jarod was always grateful for these visits. Lyle had told him that he was going away for the weekend. Jarod had begged Lyle not to go, not to leave him with Mr Cox. Things were always worse when Lyle was not there.
Jarod looked up uncomprehendingly to see the face of his father floating before him. For a brief moment he wondered if they had started drugging him again. It looked so real. Before Jarod had decided whether he was hallucinating and this really was his father, the Major had dropped to his knees, his gun laying unforgotten at his side.
“Jarod! Oh thank god you're alright.” The Major embraced Jarod awkwardly. “Thank god.”
“Dad?” It was slowly dawning on Jarod that it was his father that was here. His father was going to save him.
The Major wasted no time. He retrieved a lock pick from his wallet of tools. He started working on the cuffs.
“Jarod, we have only got three minutes left to get out of the cell, and another five to get back to SL-26.”
“What are you doing here dad?” Jarod was absently rubbing his freed wrist, trying to restore some of the circulation. “You shouldn’t be here.” He frowned, not yet entirely understanding what was going on. He looked up at the cameras nervously “Mr Cox won't like it that you are here.”
The Major grabbed Jarod and shook him gently trying to get him to focus. Freed from the cuffs, Jarod swayed like a rag-doll.
“Jarod, Jarod. Please Jarod we have to go. You have to get up. We have to go, now.”
The Major stood up and tried to haul Jarod to his feet. But Jarod yelped in pain when his legs began to unfold. The Major sunk back down next to Jarod. He was beginning to panic. He glanced at his watch. Another precious minute had gone past.
“Jarod, how long have you been like this?” The Major was afraid of the answer.
“I don’t know. Friday maybe. Lyle was going away for the weekend and he left me with Mr Cox. I don’t like it when Lyle goes away.” Jarod was only now starting to get his wits about him. “What day is it now?” He had started massaging his legs. The reality of his father being here was only slowly sinking in. Jarod shook himself like a man waking from a dream that he could not quite escape from.
“Oh my god, dad, is it really you?” He clumsily threw his arms around his father, ignoring the scream of protest from his shoulders and back.
“Jarod, can you walk?” the Major hated being this short, but there was no time for pleasantries now. “We only have two more minutes to get you out of this cell.”
The Major looked from Jarod to his watch. Panic was starting to set in. Jarod could not even stand up, and there was no way that he was going to be able to climb the elevator shaft and then crawl through over a mile of air vents. They needed more time. They needed a few hours, that’s all, just a little more time. The Major closed his eyes, trying to think if he would be able to carry him. Nausea was forming in the pit of his stomach as he fought the realisation that had started to sink in. But even with all the weight that Jarod had lost, he knew that he was not going to be able to do it. They had less than five minutes to get back to SL-26 and even with the Major carrying Jarod, there was no way. They needed more time. He was going to have to leave him here, or they would lose any chance at another attempt.
Jarod was starting to try and unfold his legs. He closed his eyes against the pain as he grabbed his ankle and tried to move it. But both of his legs were completely dead. He looked at his father’s face with a slow-dawning horror. He tried frantically to stand, using his father’s body to claw his way up. But his legs, after more than two days of being trapped in that position, simply refused to function.
“No dad. No! I’ll crawl out of here if I have to!” Jarod started pounding on his useless legs with both his fists. “I’ll be alright, all I need is a minute.”
The Major grabbed Jarod’s shoulders and looked into his eyes, willing him to understand. He watched as hope was turning to despair.
“We don’t have a minute Jarod. You need to listen to me. I love you Jarod, I know you are here now, and I am doing everything I can to get you out. Understand that. Everything. Next month, the same time next month Jarod, you have to hang on until then. Do whatever you have to do to stay alive, stay strong.”
Jarod starting shaking his head in denial. He gripped weakly at his father. This could not be happening.
“Dad, you can't mean it. No. You can't just leave me here. No, you can't. Please dad. Please, how can you do this? No.” Jarod was breathing heavily, his chest rising up and down in rapid movements as the panic took control of him. Jarod saw the gun lying on the floor next to his father. For a brief moment he thought that he would use it if necessary. He would not be left here, he would kill them all for what they had done.
“Jarod” the Major reached over and picked up the gun when he noticed Jarod looking at it. He tucked in into his pants, nestling against the small of his back and then reached over and picked up both pairs of handcuffs. “Oh Jarod, I am so sorry, but if I don’t do this, it will jeopardise everything. I promise, I will get you out. Stay strong. A month. Know that we are working, doing everything we can.”
He reluctantly took one of Jarod's ankles and snapped a cuff around it, cringing at the sound it made as it locked into place. He then reached out for Jarod's wrist, but Jarod recoiled in shock as he realised what his father was doing. The Major choked back his tears. If they came in and found Jarod out of the cuffs, well, he just couldn’t put Jarod at any more risk than he already was. They couldn’t afford any change in the security routine, there must be nothing to alert them, to make them more wary. There must be no evidence that he had ever been here. If Jarod said anything, they would just think he was dreaming, or ranting, there would be no physical evidence of his intrusion.
“Please Jarod, don’t make this any harder than it has to be. You must understand, this is the only way.”
Jarod started to fight in earnest now, but in his weakened state, he was no match for his father, who, with brutal determination, re-cuffed Jarod the same as he was before.
“Ohhh god Jarod.” The Major cupped Jarod's face in both his hands and kissed his forehead, wiping away the tears that were streaming down Jarod's face. “Please Jarod, just hang on. A month. It's just a month. I will be back, I promise, all you’ve gotta do is hang in there. A month. I will be back, and we WILL get you out of here.”
It was the hardest thing the Major had ever done in his life. He gathered his things and stood up, looking at Jarod's ashen face and started to back out of the cell. He turned around and tried to close his ears against Jarod’s pleading. As the door slammed shut with a finality that sent a foreboding through the Major’s heart, he violently wiped away his tears and headed for the elevator. He opened the doors and climbed up to SL-26. Once he exited the elevator shaft, he sunk down to his knees and sobbed. A month, it's only a month, he kept reminding himself, as if somehow that would make it alright. As if that month wasn’t going to be an eternity for Jarod.
Jarod stared in disbelief as the door slammed shut. He pulled against the cuffs, yanking at them violently, knowing it was futile, but trying anyway.
“You can't just leave me here again. Dad please. Not again.” His voice had dropped to a whisper.
He rested his head against the wall and tried to control himself. Bitter disappointment coursed through him, consuming him. He stared at the door, as if he could make his father reappear through sheer force of will. The only single thought that was running through the Pretender's head was “Don’t leave me here.”
When the sweepers came in much later that morning, that was how they found him, rocking slightly back and forth chanting in a whisper over and over “Don’t leave me here.”
“Don’t worry sunshine, we won't forget you’re down here. Shower time.”
Jarod was brought back sharply to reality when the two sweepers reached down, uncuffed him and hauled him roughly to his feet. He screamed in pain as his legs swung below him as they dragged him to the showers. He had convinced himself that it had only been a dream, his father never would leave him here. Never. But the faint lingering smell of the aftershave that clung to Jarod's skin, whispered to him that it was not a dream at all. His father had indeed abandoned him here. And why not? He had left him here for thirty years after all. Jarod should not really have been all that surprised. He had never come to save him before, why would now be any different?
They threw him on the floor in the shower block and he curled miserably as the stinging cold water pelted down on him, washing away the last vestiges of that scent.
Aftermath Pt 3
Mr Raines Office
Friday, 13th July
Mr Lyle and Mr Cox were both sitting in Mr Raines’ office for the monthly update on Project Jarod. Things had been progressing splendidly and the Triumvirate was very please with how things had been handled thus far. Jarod had been continuing to perform beyond expectations, and there had been very little resistance from him. There was only one thing that Raines was not happy about.
“Gemini……... Have you got the location of Gemini from him…… yet?” Raines’ eyes bored into the two men.
Mr Cox looked at Mr Lyle and smoothed down his suit before he looked back up at Raines. He cleared his throat before answering.
“No. We have as yet been unable to ascertain the location of the Gemini project. We know that he is with Major Charles, but that is all we know at the moment.” Cox looked over at Lyle again and shifted slightly in his seat.
“Perhaps you are not trying ………hard enough.”
“He doesn’t know where they are.” Lyle surprised even himself with his adamant defence of his Pretender. Lyle and Cox had agreed to disagree with respect to this particular topic. Lyle was certain that Jarod had told him the truth, but Cox was not so readily convinced.
Raines did not fail to notice the looks between the two men. “Does he know where he is or not?”
“He doesn’t know.” Lyle stated again. “He has given us all the details of the last known locations of Major Charles and Gemini, they are calling the clone Gem. He even gave us the encryption codes for the email addresses. We sent sweeper teams, but they were long gone.” Lyle smiled. “Hell, I think he even wants Gemini caught.”
“But perhaps we shall try one more time to extract that information.” Mr Cox was already thinking about new ways to play with Jarod. He didn’t really need an excuse of course, but he did so enjoy a sense of purpose. Although he had finally admitted to himself that perhaps Lyle was right, but Mr Cox was nothing if not thorough. He did not like to leave any stones unturned and he would eventually satisfy himself that Jarod was not lying to him.
After the meeting broke up, Lyle and Cox descended to their playground, leaving Raines gloating in his office over the profit statements that Jarod had just produced. Since Raines had taken over, The Centre had never been so smoothly run.
SL-27
As Cox and Lyle were riding the elevator down to what had become their second home, they were discussing what was to be done with the Pretender over the weekend. Lyle wanted to go up to the woods for the weekend, as much fun as playing with his toy was, he felt the need to get out into nature, recharge his batteries, so to speak.
Lyle was also becoming worried about the growing attachment he was feeling towards the Brain Trust. He was beginning to become uncomfortable with the way the relationship was turning out. Originally Lyle had intended to develop a friendship as a means of controlling the Pretender, and of course because somewhere deep down, it must be killing Jarod. He found however, that the more he got to know Jarod, the more he felt a real admiration and friendship growing. He could not help but be impressed with the rat’s talents and abilities. Since that night when he had divulged his innermost feelings to Jarod, he had felt a twisted kinship with him. He had found himself making excuses in order to talk to his pet. He told himself that Jarod meant no more to him than a pet that could perform pleasing tricks to entertain his master. In order to reinforce this, Lyle had set up with Cox a random pattern of abuse to be inflicted upon Jarod. This served a number of purposes. It kept Jarod in line, never allowing him to forget his position in the scheme of things. He was fearful of Cox and more dependent on Lyle everyday. It also gave Mr Cox and Mr Lyle no end of pleasure, but most of all, it reminded Lyle of just who was in control. The more threatened Lyle felt by their growing friendship, the more he took it out on Jarod, proving to himself that he hadn’t gone soft.
Lyle sighed heavily. His mind already thinking about the weekends activities. As much as he loved playing with Jarod, sometimes it was just really good to take a break from the routine. “I don’t really care what you do with him. There are no more sims scheduled until Monday morning, just don’t damage him too much.”
Cox nodded and Lyle knew by the smile on his face that he had already devised something fun for the genius. Lyle ordinarily liked to watch Cox play, but he felt the need to get out. Jarod wasn’t going anywhere, and there was always next week. With that decided, both men made their way to prepare for their respective weekends.
Miss Parker’s Office
Sat Night
Miss Parker was preparing to go home. She had never been so nervous in her entire life. She had decided to come into the office today, on the lookout for any potential problems. The last nine days had weighed heavily on her and she was glad it was finally here. Her ulcer had been playing up unmercifully, and she had gotten almost no sleep. In just a few short hours she would know if their plan had failed or succeeded. It had taken a supreme effort of will to stay away from Sydney and Broots, but she did not want to bring any attention to herself or them. When Lyle had announced he was going away for the weekend, she almost cried in relief. That was at least one possible complication they would not have to worry about. She turned the lights out and made her way home, resisting the urge to check in on Broots.
Tech Room
Sat Night
Broots was now a common fixture late at night in the tech room. Nobody even noticed him anymore. He was always the last one to leave. Tonight was the night and he was silently praying that it would be over. He was not designed to take this kind of pressure. He had been expecting visits from Miss Parker and Sydney, but neither had shown their faces. He imagined that they were home now, and he wished that he was at home too. It would not be too long now, and he only hoped that he could do this without being detected. Broots could not actually see the footage that he would be streaming ever so slowly into the camera feed, so there was no way for him to tell if this was going to work or not. He knew that a million things could go wrong, he just hoped that luck was running their way for once. He started his programme, hoping that it was as untraceable as he and the kid thought it was. It was time to go home now, he would know soon enough whether or not they succeeded. The security cameras on SL-26, where the Major would exit the vents, had been looped, and once the alarm had been sounded, the loop would erase itself. The programme for Jarod’s cell would complete itself in two hours, and by five am, there would be no evidence that it had ever been tampered with. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the shock on the sweeper’s face when he looked up on the monitor at the cell that was now suddenly empty.
Sydney’s House
Sat Night
Sydney had been too nervous to go in to work today. He had roamed around the house aimlessly all day. He had called Nicholas, only to get the answering machine. He must have checked his emails a hundred times already. He kept reminding himself that no news was good news. He had brought his locked box full of momentos of Jarod home with him. He lifted the items out, one at a time, with reverence. The memories were bittersweet. If they failed, Sydney would know soon enough. If they succeeded, he imagined that he would never see Jarod again. He offered a silent prayer for the Major and wished Jarod the good life that he deserved.
The Major’s House
Sat Night
Major Charles and Gem were having the biggest fight that they had ever had.
“We’ve been through this before. You are not coming. That is final.” The Major was adamant. But the boy was not backing down.
Gem had never openly defied his father before. He had been brought up to obey, and it was a lesson that had been painfully learnt. But he still could not believe that his father could do this to him.
“But dad, please, I have to do this. I need to do this.” He pleaded. “What if you need help? What if Jarod needs help? There is so much that could go wrong. You will need me there.”
“No. You can't come. I need to know you are safe. I cannot risk both of my sons. I will not let them touch you. Never again. If I fail, you know what to do.” He took Gem by the shoulders and gently sat him down.
“Please son, I can't do this unless I know you are safe. Please try to understand. I cannot lose another son. I just can't.” The Major was unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
Gem sat back and looked at his father. He was concerned at the weariness in his eyes. As much as Gem wanted to go, it was not in his nature to be defiant. He finally nodded his head and looked up at his father as tears slipped from his eyes.
“Please dad, bring him home.” Gem begged.
The Major pulled Gem into a tight embrace, afraid to let go. Finally, he released him and got up. There was no more time. All the things that had needed to be said had been. Now, either they would succeed and he would bring Jarod home, or they would fail.
As he watched he father drive away, he thought back to his experiences with The Centre. If it had not been for Jarod, he would still be there now. He never would have had the life that he lived now. He knew that it was a long way from what was considered normal, and he was desperately lonely sometimes. Living on the run precluded the possibility of friendships and so many other experiences that he would have loved to have been a part of. But he also knew how fortunate he was. He had his father now, and hopefully soon, they would have Jarod back. Gem knew that his father would never really be complete until Jarod was safely returned and they found Margaret. It was hard for Gem to think of her as his mother, but he longed to meet her and he understood Jarod's burning desire, what drove him so mercilessly.
The Major left Gem standing forlornly on the front porch as he drove off into the night. During the drive he was pulled with conflicting emotions. If things went well, then he would have his two sons home. But if they had miscalculated even slightly, he would never see Gem again. It things went badly, it was likely that he would never see either of his sons again. He had placed his trust in Centre personnel and he had no time now to wonder if he had made a monumental mistake.
He pulled up and parked in the woods not too far from where he would enter the maze that was the air-conditioning system. He took one last looked around him, shifted the pack on his back and entered the darkness. He crawled for what seemed like an eternity, but after checking his watch, knew that it had been just under 90 minutes. His muscles were beginning to ache and he began to wonder if perhaps he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. But finally he reached his destination and gratefully slid out of the vents onto the floor of SL-26. He took a moment to get his breath and was nearly startled into a heart attack when a man approached him.
“Jarod. Save Jarod.”
Sydney had told the Major about Angelo, but the Major had not expected to run in to him. He looked into those earnest blue eyes that were as big as saucers. Angelo had been here his entire life and the Major briefly wondered if he had a family that had been searching for him.
“Save Jarod. Jarod is lost.” Angelo pulled on the Major’s arm. “Jarod lost.”
The Major pulled up sharply. “What do you mean Jarod is lost?” But he got no answer from the empath, Angelo had already disappeared into the air vents. He shook his head at the retreating figure, wishing that there was something he could do for him. He looked down at his watch, he still had 8 minutes before the diagnostic cycle began. He pulled out the keycard and the palm computer that Gem and Broots had programmed all the encryption codes into. He flipped the device over, marvelling that such a small thing could hold the key to Jarod's freedom. He counted the minutes off, getting more anxious by the second. He was deadly afraid that something would go wrong, and he was afraid of the condition that he might find Jarod in. The Major did not care if they caught him, he would gladly give his life for Jarod's, just as long as Jarod got away.
The small alarm on his watch alerted him that it was time to get moving. He slid the card through the slot in the elevator, and the doors quietly slid open. He held his breath, waiting for the alarm to go off. When it didn’t, he turned on his tiny flashlight and check to see if there was any movement in the elevator shaft. The first hurdle over, he slid silently into the elevator shaft and climbed to the floor. He pulled his gun out and screwed on the silencer. He hoped that he didn’t have to kill anyone, but he was more than ready to kill anyone that stood in his way if it became necessary.
He keyed the doors and prepared himself as they slid open. No one was there to greet him. He crept down the corridors, his heart hammering in his chest, expecting at any moment for the alarm to be raised. But all was quiet as he made his way to the end of the seemingly endless hallways. He sank down beside the door to Jarod's cell and caught his breath. He still had two minutes before Broots disabled the cameras inside. He wanted so very badly to pound on the door, to let Jarod know that he was there, instead, he rested his cheek against it and tried to regulate his breathing. He glanced down the hall, but still, nobody was there.
“Please Broots, please make this work.” He whispered a small prayer.
As the alarm let out a tiny beep on his watch, the Major jumped. He had four minutes. Four minutes until the system had figured out that it had been tampered with and deadlocked the door, and then there was no chance. He keyed open the door and pulled it open, wincing at the loud sound the lock made as it disengaged. He looked down to see the shocked face of his son.
Jarod was sitting cross-legged on the floor in his cell. His right wrist was cuffed to his left ankle and his left wrist to his right ankle. As he heard the lock disengaging, he shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t think Mr Cox would be down this late and he hoped that it wasn’t the sweeper coming in to relieve his boredom again by tormenting him. He hoped that it was Lyle. Lyle had developed a habit of coming down to visit him in the small hours of the morning, sometimes bringing tiny gifts of pez or some morsel of food, and other times, just to talk. Jarod was always grateful for these visits. Lyle had told him that he was going away for the weekend. Jarod had begged Lyle not to go, not to leave him with Mr Cox. Things were always worse when Lyle was not there.
Jarod looked up uncomprehendingly to see the face of his father floating before him. For a brief moment he wondered if they had started drugging him again. It looked so real. Before Jarod had decided whether he was hallucinating and this really was his father, the Major had dropped to his knees, his gun laying unforgotten at his side.
“Jarod! Oh thank god you're alright.” The Major embraced Jarod awkwardly. “Thank god.”
“Dad?” It was slowly dawning on Jarod that it was his father that was here. His father was going to save him.
The Major wasted no time. He retrieved a lock pick from his wallet of tools. He started working on the cuffs.
“Jarod, we have only got three minutes left to get out of the cell, and another five to get back to SL-26.”
“What are you doing here dad?” Jarod was absently rubbing his freed wrist, trying to restore some of the circulation. “You shouldn’t be here.” He frowned, not yet entirely understanding what was going on. He looked up at the cameras nervously “Mr Cox won't like it that you are here.”
The Major grabbed Jarod and shook him gently trying to get him to focus. Freed from the cuffs, Jarod swayed like a rag-doll.
“Jarod, Jarod. Please Jarod we have to go. You have to get up. We have to go, now.”
The Major stood up and tried to haul Jarod to his feet. But Jarod yelped in pain when his legs began to unfold. The Major sunk back down next to Jarod. He was beginning to panic. He glanced at his watch. Another precious minute had gone past.
“Jarod, how long have you been like this?” The Major was afraid of the answer.
“I don’t know. Friday maybe. Lyle was going away for the weekend and he left me with Mr Cox. I don’t like it when Lyle goes away.” Jarod was only now starting to get his wits about him. “What day is it now?” He had started massaging his legs. The reality of his father being here was only slowly sinking in. Jarod shook himself like a man waking from a dream that he could not quite escape from.
“Oh my god, dad, is it really you?” He clumsily threw his arms around his father, ignoring the scream of protest from his shoulders and back.
“Jarod, can you walk?” the Major hated being this short, but there was no time for pleasantries now. “We only have two more minutes to get you out of this cell.”
The Major looked from Jarod to his watch. Panic was starting to set in. Jarod could not even stand up, and there was no way that he was going to be able to climb the elevator shaft and then crawl through over a mile of air vents. They needed more time. They needed a few hours, that’s all, just a little more time. The Major closed his eyes, trying to think if he would be able to carry him. Nausea was forming in the pit of his stomach as he fought the realisation that had started to sink in. But even with all the weight that Jarod had lost, he knew that he was not going to be able to do it. They had less than five minutes to get back to SL-26 and even with the Major carrying Jarod, there was no way. They needed more time. He was going to have to leave him here, or they would lose any chance at another attempt.
Jarod was starting to try and unfold his legs. He closed his eyes against the pain as he grabbed his ankle and tried to move it. But both of his legs were completely dead. He looked at his father’s face with a slow-dawning horror. He tried frantically to stand, using his father’s body to claw his way up. But his legs, after more than two days of being trapped in that position, simply refused to function.
“No dad. No! I’ll crawl out of here if I have to!” Jarod started pounding on his useless legs with both his fists. “I’ll be alright, all I need is a minute.”
The Major grabbed Jarod’s shoulders and looked into his eyes, willing him to understand. He watched as hope was turning to despair.
“We don’t have a minute Jarod. You need to listen to me. I love you Jarod, I know you are here now, and I am doing everything I can to get you out. Understand that. Everything. Next month, the same time next month Jarod, you have to hang on until then. Do whatever you have to do to stay alive, stay strong.”
Jarod starting shaking his head in denial. He gripped weakly at his father. This could not be happening.
“Dad, you can't mean it. No. You can't just leave me here. No, you can't. Please dad. Please, how can you do this? No.” Jarod was breathing heavily, his chest rising up and down in rapid movements as the panic took control of him. Jarod saw the gun lying on the floor next to his father. For a brief moment he thought that he would use it if necessary. He would not be left here, he would kill them all for what they had done.
“Jarod” the Major reached over and picked up the gun when he noticed Jarod looking at it. He tucked in into his pants, nestling against the small of his back and then reached over and picked up both pairs of handcuffs. “Oh Jarod, I am so sorry, but if I don’t do this, it will jeopardise everything. I promise, I will get you out. Stay strong. A month. Know that we are working, doing everything we can.”
He reluctantly took one of Jarod's ankles and snapped a cuff around it, cringing at the sound it made as it locked into place. He then reached out for Jarod's wrist, but Jarod recoiled in shock as he realised what his father was doing. The Major choked back his tears. If they came in and found Jarod out of the cuffs, well, he just couldn’t put Jarod at any more risk than he already was. They couldn’t afford any change in the security routine, there must be nothing to alert them, to make them more wary. There must be no evidence that he had ever been here. If Jarod said anything, they would just think he was dreaming, or ranting, there would be no physical evidence of his intrusion.
“Please Jarod, don’t make this any harder than it has to be. You must understand, this is the only way.”
Jarod started to fight in earnest now, but in his weakened state, he was no match for his father, who, with brutal determination, re-cuffed Jarod the same as he was before.
“Ohhh god Jarod.” The Major cupped Jarod's face in both his hands and kissed his forehead, wiping away the tears that were streaming down Jarod's face. “Please Jarod, just hang on. A month. It's just a month. I will be back, I promise, all you’ve gotta do is hang in there. A month. I will be back, and we WILL get you out of here.”
It was the hardest thing the Major had ever done in his life. He gathered his things and stood up, looking at Jarod's ashen face and started to back out of the cell. He turned around and tried to close his ears against Jarod’s pleading. As the door slammed shut with a finality that sent a foreboding through the Major’s heart, he violently wiped away his tears and headed for the elevator. He opened the doors and climbed up to SL-26. Once he exited the elevator shaft, he sunk down to his knees and sobbed. A month, it's only a month, he kept reminding himself, as if somehow that would make it alright. As if that month wasn’t going to be an eternity for Jarod.
Jarod stared in disbelief as the door slammed shut. He pulled against the cuffs, yanking at them violently, knowing it was futile, but trying anyway.
“You can't just leave me here again. Dad please. Not again.” His voice had dropped to a whisper.
He rested his head against the wall and tried to control himself. Bitter disappointment coursed through him, consuming him. He stared at the door, as if he could make his father reappear through sheer force of will. The only single thought that was running through the Pretender's head was “Don’t leave me here.”
When the sweepers came in much later that morning, that was how they found him, rocking slightly back and forth chanting in a whisper over and over “Don’t leave me here.”
“Don’t worry sunshine, we won't forget you’re down here. Shower time.”
Jarod was brought back sharply to reality when the two sweepers reached down, uncuffed him and hauled him roughly to his feet. He screamed in pain as his legs swung below him as they dragged him to the showers. He had convinced himself that it had only been a dream, his father never would leave him here. Never. But the faint lingering smell of the aftershave that clung to Jarod's skin, whispered to him that it was not a dream at all. His father had indeed abandoned him here. And why not? He had left him here for thirty years after all. Jarod should not really have been all that surprised. He had never come to save him before, why would now be any different?
They threw him on the floor in the shower block and he curled miserably as the stinging cold water pelted down on him, washing away the last vestiges of that scent.
