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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
The Centre
6pm
Lyle was most definitely not having a good day. He had spent the majority of the day chasing around after Raines and pouring over endless hours of DSA’s. There was not one single hint how the rat-bastard had got out. That moron Broots had only been able to establish that someone had hacked into the surveillance system and looped the damn video feed. They were still no closer to determining exactly what had happened. It was impossible for Jarod to have engineered this from his cell, so that left only two options, either he had been rescued, or stolen. Lyle thought that for Jarod's sake, he had better have been kidnapped.
Cox was nowhere in sight. He had slithered away that morning, on some mission for Raines. Lyle rode down the elevators to SL-27. All the bars were still on all of the air-vents and despite and intensive search, they could still not find the way that Jarod had exited the sub-level. All the motion detectors in the elevator shaft were fully functional and the computer logs showed that the doors had not been opened during the night. Lyle hated computers. There were just so many ways that they could be manipulated. He had never trusted them. If that idiot Raines had listened to him, he would have put Jarod in a cage and welded the damn door shut. Not even a genius could think himself out of a bit of good old-fashioned welding.
He wandered into Jarod's empty cell and sat down against the wall. A cold smile spread across his lips. Ohh, but it had been sweet while it lasted.
“Nothing lasts forever.” He said to the empty room.
He shook himself and climbed to his feet. Despite Raines demented demands that they have Jarod back by the end of the day, even a fool knew that that wasn’t going to happen. But Lyle knew that he would get Jarod back, it might take a while, but sooner or later, Jarod would be his again. He had stamped himself onto Jarod's soul now, and into his flesh, there would never be any true escape for Jarod.
Making his way past a team of sweepers, he strode back to the elevator. He would get the geek down here too, to see how the elevator shaft had been tampered with. He was just about to get in the elevator when another idea struck him. Picking up his cell phone he dialled a number.
“Find Angelo and bring him down here now.”
As much as Lyle loathed Angelo, he did have his uses. He waited impatiently, running various plans over in his head. Unless the Brain Trust screwed up big-time, there was no chance The Centre was going to get their hands on him anytime soon. Lyle had originally planned to use Jarod to pave his way to the Chairman’s office. Raines was old and weak and Lyle was the natural successor. But now, a whole new world of opportunities had just opened up. Jarod's escape, while damned inconvenient, might just get him appointed to the Triumvirate. That’s where the real power was after all. Lyle could just see it now, walking into the lobby of Triumvirate headquarters in Africa, dragging behind him Jarod in chains, a sacrifice as an offering of his loyalty. He would return to Blue Cove in triumph. He would own them all, and they would pay. Oh yes, they all would pay.
He was snapped out of his daydream as the elevator door slid open to reveal one very pissed off sweeper and one terrified empath.
“Give you any trouble Sam?” He looked coolly at Angelo, cringing in the tight grip of the sweeper.
“Not too much sir.” Sam pushed the reluctant Angelo out into the hallway.
Angelo was terrified of SL-27, bad things went on down here. Last time he was down here, they had taken him to room 155, and really bad things had gone on in there. That was where Timmy went away and never came back. But room 155 was gone now, and things were different. Angelo could still hear the faint echoes of past atrocities, but now the sublevel reeked of more recent atrocities. Angelo did not want to be here now that Jarod was gone.
Angelo was also terrified of Mr Lyle. Mr Lyle was a very bad man that did very bad things. He fought against Sam as he was dragged forward, but he was no match for the sweepers strength.
Lyle reached out with his maimed hand to stroke Angelo’s forehead, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. When Angelo shrank back as far as Sam's grip would allow, Lyle reached and grabbed the empath’s head with both of his hands. Angelo's stomach clenched and his throat constricted, the vile touch making him want to retch. But he controlled himself, trying to block the emotions coming from Mr Lyle. He just needed to do what they wanted, then they would let him go back to his space. He knew they wanted help with Jarod, and that was okay because Jarod was far away now and safe.
“C’mon you freak, time to go to work.” Sam dragged the reluctant Angelo towards Jarod's cell and tossed him in.
Angelo slid down against the wall, in the exact same position that Jarod usually sat, hugging his knees to his chest. Lyle and Sam stepped back and watched. Angelo opened his senses up and allowed the sensations to come flooding in.
“Lonely. Jarod lonely. Pain. Jarod in pain.” Angelo closed his eyes against the onslaught of the feelings he was receiving. He didn’t want to help Mr Lyle, but he was unable to stop himself under the barrage of emotions that were now slamming into him.
“Noooooo!” He wept and could barely catch his breath. “Betrayal. Sydney betrayal!” Angelo curled himself into a small ball and started crooning to himself, rocking back and forth.
“I knew this was going to be a waste of time” Lyle said with disgust. “Put him away.”
He turned his back and made his way out the cell but stop in mid-stride.
“Father. Father rescue Jarod.” Angelo had stopped his crooning and was looking up at something that only he could see.
Lyle knelt down and shook Angelo.
“Major Charles was here? The Major took Jarod?” He shook Angelo harder, trying to force him to respond, but Angelo had shut down and wouldn’t say anything else.
Lyle nodded to Sam to take Angelo back to his space. He briefly thought of locking Angelo in the sublevel to keep the knowledge secret, but dismissed the idea. It didn’t really matter if the others knew about Major Charles’ involvement, by now they were all long gone. But it did confirm for Lyle what he had believed right from the beginning and if he could manage to get his hands on all three of them, well the opportunities were endless. Yes it was indeed time to start planning. The sweeper teams would turn up nothing, and there would be no leads. He doubted that Jarod would go back to the cat and mouse game that he used to play, so it was likely that he would disappear off their radar screens for good. Raines would be frothing at the mouth of the next couple of weeks and he imagined Miss Parker and Sydney waiting by their phones for the call that would never come. Jarod would call, of that he had no doubt, and a smile spread across his lips in anticipation.
He looked at the empty cell, gave a small shudder and left. It was time to go home, nothing more could be achieved today. He needed to relax and start planning for his future. As he made his way to his car, he walked past Sydney. He had been surprised that the old goat hadn’t been down to gloat, but he hadn’t seen him all day. Lyle smiled again thinking about how old he looked, and he wondered whether Sydney still carried some vague hope that Jarod still cared about him, did he believe that Jarod would call?
Sydney did not acknowledge Lyle's presence and simply got in his car and made his way home. The only thing that mattered to him right now was that Jarod was safe. Somehow they had managed it. Broots’ deception had not been discovered, and by now Jarod would be halfway across the country. He was desperately hoping to hear from the Major or Jarod, but he suspected that Jarod would never call him again. He made his way into his empty house and his happiness over Jarod's escape was overshadowed by his own desperate loneliness.
Lyle had just entered his apartment when the phone rang. He threw his keys down and shrugged off his jacket, placing it carefully across the back of the couch.
“Lyle” he answered, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
He waited impatiently for the caller to respond. He was just about to hang up when he paused. There was silence on the other end, but Lyle could hear soft, erratic breathing. He held his breath, surely Jarod would not call this soon? He tried again.
“Is there anybody there?”
“Lyle it's me.” The voice was timid, the words coming out all in one breath, as if unsure of their welcome.
Lyle's mind was racing. He had one chance and he didn’t want to blow it. He had been thinking about how to handle Jarod when he called, but he had not expected a call this soon. But the sound of despair and need in Jarod's voice told Lyle exactly how to play it.
“Jarod thank god you’re alright. It's crazy here. I've been worried sick all day. Are you safe?”
There was another heavy pause on the end of the line. Lyle was frantic that Jarod was holding back, unsure if he could trust him. But the next words put any doubt to rest.
“Lyle, I don’t know what to do.” The anguish in the cry was clear.
Lyle had a clear picture of Jarod, lost and bereft. He had not made a decision for himself in nearly a year, and had been brutalized beyond the point of breaking. Whatever was left of Jarod now, was only a tiny shell of the man that he used to be. Lyle had ensured that Jarod was completely emotionally dependent on him, almost literally unable to survive without him. But Lyle was not a fool. Jarod would find some other centre of balance soon enough, he had the support of his father, and the young Pretender. Lyle surmised that Major Charles, resourceful as he was, would not have been able to pull this off by himself. So, for the moment, Lyle would tread lightly, he didn’t want to scare Jarod off.
“They are coming for me aren’t they?” Jarod said in a whisper, scared of what would happen to him when he was caught. This was his father’s fault, and things were going to be so much worse when they took him back. He never should have left in the first place. Lyle was protecting him and life was getting better. But now they would give him back to Cox. Jarod shuddered at the thought of it.
“Jarod, they have no idea where you are, not yet anyway.”
Again there was silence, only the sound of tortured breathing and Lyle was worried that he had lost him.
“He’s here.” It was barely a whisper.
Lyle's mind was reeling. Had Jarod just given up Gemini? He could scarcely believe it. He had to tread very carefully now.
“Who Jarod, where?” Lyle injected just enough confusion in his voice.
“Gemini” again, nothing more than a whisper and Lyle could feel Jarod's desire to please him fighting with his shame for giving the boy up. But eight months of pressure were not so easily forgotten.
“Lyle” the voice was gaining a little more confidence “The Gemini Project, he’s here.”
Lyle could hear the dislike in the voice. Again he smiled. It was obvious that Jarod's crisis of conscience was over and he was ready to hand him over. He did not fail to notice how Jarod had disassociated himself emotionally by referring to him as a project, rather than by his name. Lyle briefly wondered if this was a result of genuine dislike of the boy, or self-loathing for what Jarod was about to do.
“That’s good Jarod.” Lyle was soothing him, while carefully exerting his control without pushing. “But right now I am more concerned about you.”
Jarod sighed in relief. Lyle understood. Lyle would help him. Lyle was the only one who could protect him from Cox.
“We’re staying in some kind of motel. It's on the highway……”
“No! Don’t tell me!” Lyle hissed into the phone. He was fairly sure by Jarod's obvious disorientation that Jarod didn’t know where they were and so it was a calculated risk. He would extend Jarod's trust in him and at the same time would be pulling the leash even tighter. Soon Jarod would pull himself together and he would remember that he could trust Lyle with his safety, that Lyle was always looking out for him.
Jarod was almost devastated with the rejection. He choked back a sob before he could continue.
“Lyle….don’t you……”
Lyle had to choke back his own amused surprise at Jarod's misinterpretation of his warning. But he recovered quickly and tried to reassure his Pretender.
“I don’t think this line is secure. You really need to keep your head down, they have called Parker back in and she is out for your blood.”
“No! Oh god Lyle, what am I going to do?” The fear in Jarod's voice was tangible, Lyle could almost taste it.
“Jarod it's going to be alright. I will think of something. It will take at least a few days for them to catch up to you, so until then, lie low and give me your number so I can contact you.” This was too easy, he could hardly believe that Jarod was falling for it. Genius indeed!
“You won't tell them I called?” the voice was small and hesitant.
“No Jarod, you have my word.” Lyle fought to keep the smile out of his voice. It was obvious that Jarod was hovering on the brink of some precipice and he wanted to make sure that when Jarod fell, it was straight into his arms.
Then in the background he could hear a voice calling out for Jarod, a voice he instantly recognized as Major Charles. Then the phone went dead. He wondered briefly if it had been Jarod that had disconnected, or the Major. He suspected the latter. Had Jarod snuck away to call him? Oh, this was better than anything he could have possibly hoped for. He had worked long and hard, fostering distrust and jealousy in Jarod for his family and how very sweet it would be if he could get Jarod to sell them out to him. He carefully hung up the phone and decided that he would treat himself to a special dinner. Today hadn’t turned out so bad after all.
**********
When the Major had awakened, he was stiff, but felt much better for the rest. He stretched, trying to eliminate some of the kinks and spied Gem on his computer.
“Where’s Jarod?” the Major asked around a yawn.
Gem shifted slightly and nodded towards the door. “He’s outside in the van.”
The Major looked towards the door with alarm. “What's he doing in the van?”
“I think he just wanted some time alone. I…..I….upset him again.” Gem said softly, lowering his head.
Major Charles was alarmed at how much Gem had reverted to the unsure young man that he was when he was first rescued. In such a small amount of time, all his confidence had been stripped and the Major had to consciously remind himself that it wasn’t really Jarod's fault. This was The Centre’s doing and Jarod was only a victim, he was not responsible. He looked from the door to his son and decided it was time that he had a word with Jarod. He needed to know what was going on in his head, what he was feeling. Gem had already turned back to the game that he had been playing and so the Major headed towards the van.
He could see the front passenger door open, light spilling out, but he could not see Jarod. He moved towards the van, about to call out Jarod's name when he heard Jarod talking. He froze and strained to hear the conversation. He had called Sydney. The Major should not have been surprised, but the pain sliced deep. His own son had turned to another man in his deepest time of need. He was just about to turn and leave Jarod alone, granting him the privacy he must have sought by making the call in the van. Perhaps talking to Sydney was what he needed right now, as painful as the admission was, the Major could not remove over 35 years of his own absence and Sydney's constant presence.
Just as he turned he heard the name Gemini. The Major had never used that name to refer to the boy, not ever. When they had made the flight after Jarod's capture on the tarmac, the Major had asked the boy what his name was, and he had replied with a frown. “Name?” The idea that he should have a name seemed like a strange concept to him. “I am Project Gemini” he had responded. The Major could not bring himself to use the label that The Centre had assigned to the boy so that had compromised and settled on Gem.
To hear that word come out of Jarod's mouth now hurt him more than he thought possible. As much as he disliked Sydney, he did not believe that Sydney would turn them in, he had ample opportunity after all. So who could Jarod be talking to? He walked forward, panic rising, how long had he been on the phone? Would they be able to trace the call? Then he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the next thing that Jarod saide. Lyle? Jarod was talking to Lyle? His brain refused to process this for a moment. How could this be? It seemed impossible.
“Jarod, who are you talking to? Give me the phone.” He still refused to believe that Jarod had been talking to Lyle.
He snatched the phone from Jarod's hand as he sat there, unmoving and unresisting. The Major quickly disconnected the call, and Jarod then scrambled further back into the van.
“Lyle? You phoned Lyle?” He spat the name out. This was the man who was responsible for the murder of Kyle and was the man behind the torture of Jarod.
“My god Jarod! What have you done?” he snapped at Jarod before he could calm himself. They had to get moving right now.
He saw the frightened look on Jarod's face and took a calming breath before he continued.
“Jarod, I am not going to hurt you.” His tone calm and placating.
Jarod’s eyes saw his father, but his ears heard the honeyed sounds of Cox. He cowered, afraid of the retribution that was sure to follow. But then a small triumphant smile curled his lips, and in defiance, he sat up a little straighter, trying not to show his fear. His confidence had been boosted by his conversation with Lyle.
“Lyle is my friend.” Jarod's voice was quiet, but it was adamant.
The Major slumped in the seat. The Stockholm Syndrome was a common reaction among hostages and kidnap victims, but he had never expected Jarod to fall victim to it. But there was no time to deal with this now. There was a good chance that The Centre knew where they were and they had to get moving. He quickly revised his original plan to hire a plane, they would be keeping their eyes on all the airfields for a wide radius. It would be safer to stick to driving.
Without even trying to soften his tone or explain he commanded Jarod. “Stay here!”
He saw Jarod flinch, but he noticed he didn’t move. Satisfied that he would remain there for the moment, he went back in the room and informed Gem that it was time they were going. No explanation was given, but Gem had had enough encounters with Jarod to know that something must have happened in the van. By the look on his fathers face, he thought it prudent not to push.
Jarod sat sullenly in the back of the van, resenting his father ordering him around. Who the hell did he think he was? Jarod was tempted to get out of the van and just run, but he was not a complete fool. He was still too weak and he had no money, no idea where he was and no idea where he would go. He couldn’t just run straight back to Lyle because if Parker got her hands on him before Lyle could protect him, she would send him straight back to Cox. He would have to wait. Lyle had said he would come up with at plan, and in the mean time, Jarod had a few of his own to work on. He was thinking about trying to broker a deal with The Centre. If he gave them Gemini, perhaps they would just let him go, stop chasing him. He could talk to Lyle about it and see if maybe something could be worked out. He had no intention of giving one more second of his life to that bastard Raines, and he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life on the run either. He wasn’t entirely sure he was ready to give up the boy yet, but it was worth keeping in mind.
Before too long, his father and the boy had climbed into the van and they were heading off into the night. Jarod curled on the mattress and glared out the back windows. He was thinking about all the things that he needed to organize, and he was making a list of all the things he planned to do with his new-found freedom. Jarod had expected to fell ecstatic and exhilarated. He had dreamed of his freedom and a reunion with his family for so long. But all he felt was empty and he was helpless to hold back the feelings of anger and resentment.
They drove along in silence for an hour. The Major was thinking about the best way to approach Jarod, he needed to know what he was thinking, he needed to find a way to break through his defences.
“Jarod, tell me about Lyle.”
Jarod was grateful for the darkness. The cameras couldn’t see him in the dark, and he didn’t have to worry about hiding himself. For the first time in almost a year, he felt he had some kind of privacy. He shifted slightly at his father’s inquiry. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell his father. Lyle had promised that he would not tell anyone about their phone call, and although Jarod had made no such promise, he felt that he should do the same.
“Lyle is my friend. That’s all you need to know.”
The Major hushed Gem before he could make a reply.
“Jarod, you know that he killed your brother don’t you? I just want to be clear on this point.” Major Charles wanted there to be no misunderstandings.
After only a very brief hesitation, Jarod explained how that was an accident and that Lyle had never really intended to harm Kyle.
The Major was horrified at just how deeply Jarod had been manipulated and for the first time, he had real fear that perhaps Jarod might really be lost to them. He decided to change tack, no idea of the mine-field that he was walking into.
“Ok Jarod, that’s fine. But what about Miss Parker or Sydney, why didn’t you call them?’
“What?” Jarod hissed in the dark. And in that instant many things became clear to the Pretender. His father was in league with The Centre. He wondered what they could possibly hope to achieve. Was his “rescue” all part of some huge sim? Did they want to see how he would react, or perhaps they wanted to uncover his escape route? Jarod knew that they had never figured out how he had managed to get out before. Or perhaps it was just another form of torture that Cox had thought up. Dangle the possibility of freedom and a reunion with his family in front of him and then snatch them back away. Cox had been obsessed with obtaining the location of Gemini, and then he had simply stopped asking.
But that didn’t explain why his father would agree to this. It made no sense. Had the Major guaranteed the boy’s freedom by agreeing to participate? Had his father sold him for the safety of the boy? Jarod's mind was racing, making the next leap. Perhaps he had been in on it all along, had actually given or sold him to The Centre in the first place. The Major must have known he had been in The Centre his entire life. He had known Catherine Parker, had supposedly attempted to rescue him when he was a young boy. The full realisation hit Jarod and left him breathless. His father had always known where he was, how could he possibly not? All his protestations about searching for years! He had always known where he was! Jarod's brain was scrambling, trying to make sense of it all. He could not believe how incredibly stupid he had been. He didn’t know what all this was about, but knowledge was power and he slipped into the most difficult pretend of his life. He was going to pretend to be himself.
Jarod imagined Lyle's gentle voice easing him into the sim, encouraging him. Jarod had always found the initial part of letting himself go was the hardest. He had so little sense of himself as an individual, he was always scared that he might not be able to find his way home. For nearly his entire life, it had been the softly accented tones of Sydney, but they had been easily replaced by Lyle’s dulcet tones and comforting touch. He closed his eyes and gathered himself together. He needed to know what he was up against. He had been bumbling along like a fool for far too long, allowing himself to be ruled by his emotions and the foolish dreams of a lost little boy.
“You have spoken with Sydney?” Jarod surprised himself by the calmness in his voice.
The Major was relieved to have the direction of the conversation on more stable ground. Jarod had not yet asked about the details of his escape, and this surprised him.
“Yes, I have been in fairly close contact with Sydney and Miss Parker now for nearly two months. Jarod there are things you need to know. Things I have to tell you.”
Jarod closed his eyes against the knowledge. Suspecting that his father was colluding with the people that had betrayed him and then participated in endless months of torture and cruelty until he finally broke was one thing, but hearing the confession straight from his father’s own mouth was almost too much too bear. But he steeled himself, he needed to keep control of the conversation, he was afraid that he would succumb to his father’s lies. It was now painfully obvious that he was working with those that had betrayed him.
“What did they tell you about what was happening with me, did they tell you what they did to me?” Jarod still clung to some tiny glimmer of hope that it was all some gruesome mistake. If his father knew what had been done to him, he surely would never have agreed to work with them, maybe he had just been another pawn in some sick Centre game that Jarod was unable to divine a purpose to yet.
And even though Major Charles guessed that he would never really know the true extent of what had been done to Jarod during those eight months, he had a fairly good idea. After a long pause, he looked in the rear view mirror and waited until he caught Jarod's eyes in the dark.
“Yes Jarod. I know what happened.”
Jarod closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. At least he knew, painful as that knowledge was, at least he knew. He had what he needed and didn’t want to discuss it anymore, it was time to find a way out of this. They were sorely mistaken if they thought they had fooled him, but for the moment he would play along. He would make his own move soon, when they were least expecting it.
“I’m tired dad. Is it alright if I get some sleep?”
The Major and Gem both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Of course Jarod, lie down and don’t worry about anything, I will look after everything.”
Jarod stayed in his pretend a little while longer. This was a much nicer world. This was a world where the people you loved never betrayed you. The world where you grew up and your childhood friend turned into your teenage sweetheart and then your wife, and you bought a nice little house in the suburbs and you lived happily ever after. This was a world in which parents didn’t lose or sell their children, where the people who raised you loved you and never used or exploited you. Where carbon copy replacements weren’t made so that no-one ever noticed you were gone. This was a world Jarod wanted to stay in. He could pretend that none of it had happened, and whatever deal had been struck, he would find some way out of it. They could build some kind of life together, they could be a family. He closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep and had the first nightmare since he had surrendered and stopped fighting.
Gem glanced back anxiously at Jarod as he started to moan and then thrash. He wondered if this is what he did when he was in the grips of one of his nightmares. After a quick look at his father, he slipped in the back and tried to soothe Jarod. He could only imagine the kind of tortures that Jarod was dreaming about and he wished that he could make it better.
As they drove into the night, Gem started to doze in the front seat. His father looked at him with tenderness and hoped that somehow he could pull both of his sons through this. He knew that Gem needed to form a real bond with Jarod and the poor kid was falling over himself trying to please him. It had taken the Major nearly a year to get Gem to really accept that he was loved as a son. Until he had been ripped from his existence, he had not known any better, and although he was not happy, he was secure and understood his role. He knew that sometimes Gem missed Mr Raines, although he would never admit it, but he had been his only constant companion for his entire life. Now he was constantly on the run, had been told that he was a clone and had no real idea what his purpose was in life. Somehow he had come to believe that Jarod could offer him some kind of redemption, some kind of explanation.
The Major drove through the night into the early morning. When Gem roused, he was stiff and sore from sleeping in the uncomfortable position. He looked back and saw that Jarod was still sleeping. In low voices they discussed their next moves and what they should do over the course of the next day or two. They talked about inconsequential things to pass the time until the Major found another out of the way hotel and decided it was time to stop.
As Jarod lay in the back, feigning sleep, he listened to his father and the boy talking. He forced down a bitter stab of jealousy at their easy and comfortable way of communicating. He had never had that with anybody. That natural way where you didn’t think about what you said or did, it just flowed. At The Centre, everything had been about the correct and satisfactory completion of sims. No-one had ever tried to understand him. Sydney understood him, but only in so far as a scientist understood his subject. Little Miss Parker sprang to mind and he wanted to hold on to that cherished memory. But he fought down his tears. He had deluded himself even there. He had been nothing but an interesting diversion for her. A way to rebel against her father, a way to keep herself entertained when she was bored. And later, even when he had been free, every move, every word spoken had to be carefully considered and chosen. It just wasn’t fair.
6pm
Lyle was most definitely not having a good day. He had spent the majority of the day chasing around after Raines and pouring over endless hours of DSA’s. There was not one single hint how the rat-bastard had got out. That moron Broots had only been able to establish that someone had hacked into the surveillance system and looped the damn video feed. They were still no closer to determining exactly what had happened. It was impossible for Jarod to have engineered this from his cell, so that left only two options, either he had been rescued, or stolen. Lyle thought that for Jarod's sake, he had better have been kidnapped.
Cox was nowhere in sight. He had slithered away that morning, on some mission for Raines. Lyle rode down the elevators to SL-27. All the bars were still on all of the air-vents and despite and intensive search, they could still not find the way that Jarod had exited the sub-level. All the motion detectors in the elevator shaft were fully functional and the computer logs showed that the doors had not been opened during the night. Lyle hated computers. There were just so many ways that they could be manipulated. He had never trusted them. If that idiot Raines had listened to him, he would have put Jarod in a cage and welded the damn door shut. Not even a genius could think himself out of a bit of good old-fashioned welding.
He wandered into Jarod's empty cell and sat down against the wall. A cold smile spread across his lips. Ohh, but it had been sweet while it lasted.
“Nothing lasts forever.” He said to the empty room.
He shook himself and climbed to his feet. Despite Raines demented demands that they have Jarod back by the end of the day, even a fool knew that that wasn’t going to happen. But Lyle knew that he would get Jarod back, it might take a while, but sooner or later, Jarod would be his again. He had stamped himself onto Jarod's soul now, and into his flesh, there would never be any true escape for Jarod.
Making his way past a team of sweepers, he strode back to the elevator. He would get the geek down here too, to see how the elevator shaft had been tampered with. He was just about to get in the elevator when another idea struck him. Picking up his cell phone he dialled a number.
“Find Angelo and bring him down here now.”
As much as Lyle loathed Angelo, he did have his uses. He waited impatiently, running various plans over in his head. Unless the Brain Trust screwed up big-time, there was no chance The Centre was going to get their hands on him anytime soon. Lyle had originally planned to use Jarod to pave his way to the Chairman’s office. Raines was old and weak and Lyle was the natural successor. But now, a whole new world of opportunities had just opened up. Jarod's escape, while damned inconvenient, might just get him appointed to the Triumvirate. That’s where the real power was after all. Lyle could just see it now, walking into the lobby of Triumvirate headquarters in Africa, dragging behind him Jarod in chains, a sacrifice as an offering of his loyalty. He would return to Blue Cove in triumph. He would own them all, and they would pay. Oh yes, they all would pay.
He was snapped out of his daydream as the elevator door slid open to reveal one very pissed off sweeper and one terrified empath.
“Give you any trouble Sam?” He looked coolly at Angelo, cringing in the tight grip of the sweeper.
“Not too much sir.” Sam pushed the reluctant Angelo out into the hallway.
Angelo was terrified of SL-27, bad things went on down here. Last time he was down here, they had taken him to room 155, and really bad things had gone on in there. That was where Timmy went away and never came back. But room 155 was gone now, and things were different. Angelo could still hear the faint echoes of past atrocities, but now the sublevel reeked of more recent atrocities. Angelo did not want to be here now that Jarod was gone.
Angelo was also terrified of Mr Lyle. Mr Lyle was a very bad man that did very bad things. He fought against Sam as he was dragged forward, but he was no match for the sweepers strength.
Lyle reached out with his maimed hand to stroke Angelo’s forehead, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. When Angelo shrank back as far as Sam's grip would allow, Lyle reached and grabbed the empath’s head with both of his hands. Angelo's stomach clenched and his throat constricted, the vile touch making him want to retch. But he controlled himself, trying to block the emotions coming from Mr Lyle. He just needed to do what they wanted, then they would let him go back to his space. He knew they wanted help with Jarod, and that was okay because Jarod was far away now and safe.
“C’mon you freak, time to go to work.” Sam dragged the reluctant Angelo towards Jarod's cell and tossed him in.
Angelo slid down against the wall, in the exact same position that Jarod usually sat, hugging his knees to his chest. Lyle and Sam stepped back and watched. Angelo opened his senses up and allowed the sensations to come flooding in.
“Lonely. Jarod lonely. Pain. Jarod in pain.” Angelo closed his eyes against the onslaught of the feelings he was receiving. He didn’t want to help Mr Lyle, but he was unable to stop himself under the barrage of emotions that were now slamming into him.
“Noooooo!” He wept and could barely catch his breath. “Betrayal. Sydney betrayal!” Angelo curled himself into a small ball and started crooning to himself, rocking back and forth.
“I knew this was going to be a waste of time” Lyle said with disgust. “Put him away.”
He turned his back and made his way out the cell but stop in mid-stride.
“Father. Father rescue Jarod.” Angelo had stopped his crooning and was looking up at something that only he could see.
Lyle knelt down and shook Angelo.
“Major Charles was here? The Major took Jarod?” He shook Angelo harder, trying to force him to respond, but Angelo had shut down and wouldn’t say anything else.
Lyle nodded to Sam to take Angelo back to his space. He briefly thought of locking Angelo in the sublevel to keep the knowledge secret, but dismissed the idea. It didn’t really matter if the others knew about Major Charles’ involvement, by now they were all long gone. But it did confirm for Lyle what he had believed right from the beginning and if he could manage to get his hands on all three of them, well the opportunities were endless. Yes it was indeed time to start planning. The sweeper teams would turn up nothing, and there would be no leads. He doubted that Jarod would go back to the cat and mouse game that he used to play, so it was likely that he would disappear off their radar screens for good. Raines would be frothing at the mouth of the next couple of weeks and he imagined Miss Parker and Sydney waiting by their phones for the call that would never come. Jarod would call, of that he had no doubt, and a smile spread across his lips in anticipation.
He looked at the empty cell, gave a small shudder and left. It was time to go home, nothing more could be achieved today. He needed to relax and start planning for his future. As he made his way to his car, he walked past Sydney. He had been surprised that the old goat hadn’t been down to gloat, but he hadn’t seen him all day. Lyle smiled again thinking about how old he looked, and he wondered whether Sydney still carried some vague hope that Jarod still cared about him, did he believe that Jarod would call?
Sydney did not acknowledge Lyle's presence and simply got in his car and made his way home. The only thing that mattered to him right now was that Jarod was safe. Somehow they had managed it. Broots’ deception had not been discovered, and by now Jarod would be halfway across the country. He was desperately hoping to hear from the Major or Jarod, but he suspected that Jarod would never call him again. He made his way into his empty house and his happiness over Jarod's escape was overshadowed by his own desperate loneliness.
Lyle had just entered his apartment when the phone rang. He threw his keys down and shrugged off his jacket, placing it carefully across the back of the couch.
“Lyle” he answered, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
He waited impatiently for the caller to respond. He was just about to hang up when he paused. There was silence on the other end, but Lyle could hear soft, erratic breathing. He held his breath, surely Jarod would not call this soon? He tried again.
“Is there anybody there?”
“Lyle it's me.” The voice was timid, the words coming out all in one breath, as if unsure of their welcome.
Lyle's mind was racing. He had one chance and he didn’t want to blow it. He had been thinking about how to handle Jarod when he called, but he had not expected a call this soon. But the sound of despair and need in Jarod's voice told Lyle exactly how to play it.
“Jarod thank god you’re alright. It's crazy here. I've been worried sick all day. Are you safe?”
There was another heavy pause on the end of the line. Lyle was frantic that Jarod was holding back, unsure if he could trust him. But the next words put any doubt to rest.
“Lyle, I don’t know what to do.” The anguish in the cry was clear.
Lyle had a clear picture of Jarod, lost and bereft. He had not made a decision for himself in nearly a year, and had been brutalized beyond the point of breaking. Whatever was left of Jarod now, was only a tiny shell of the man that he used to be. Lyle had ensured that Jarod was completely emotionally dependent on him, almost literally unable to survive without him. But Lyle was not a fool. Jarod would find some other centre of balance soon enough, he had the support of his father, and the young Pretender. Lyle surmised that Major Charles, resourceful as he was, would not have been able to pull this off by himself. So, for the moment, Lyle would tread lightly, he didn’t want to scare Jarod off.
“They are coming for me aren’t they?” Jarod said in a whisper, scared of what would happen to him when he was caught. This was his father’s fault, and things were going to be so much worse when they took him back. He never should have left in the first place. Lyle was protecting him and life was getting better. But now they would give him back to Cox. Jarod shuddered at the thought of it.
“Jarod, they have no idea where you are, not yet anyway.”
Again there was silence, only the sound of tortured breathing and Lyle was worried that he had lost him.
“He’s here.” It was barely a whisper.
Lyle's mind was reeling. Had Jarod just given up Gemini? He could scarcely believe it. He had to tread very carefully now.
“Who Jarod, where?” Lyle injected just enough confusion in his voice.
“Gemini” again, nothing more than a whisper and Lyle could feel Jarod's desire to please him fighting with his shame for giving the boy up. But eight months of pressure were not so easily forgotten.
“Lyle” the voice was gaining a little more confidence “The Gemini Project, he’s here.”
Lyle could hear the dislike in the voice. Again he smiled. It was obvious that Jarod's crisis of conscience was over and he was ready to hand him over. He did not fail to notice how Jarod had disassociated himself emotionally by referring to him as a project, rather than by his name. Lyle briefly wondered if this was a result of genuine dislike of the boy, or self-loathing for what Jarod was about to do.
“That’s good Jarod.” Lyle was soothing him, while carefully exerting his control without pushing. “But right now I am more concerned about you.”
Jarod sighed in relief. Lyle understood. Lyle would help him. Lyle was the only one who could protect him from Cox.
“We’re staying in some kind of motel. It's on the highway……”
“No! Don’t tell me!” Lyle hissed into the phone. He was fairly sure by Jarod's obvious disorientation that Jarod didn’t know where they were and so it was a calculated risk. He would extend Jarod's trust in him and at the same time would be pulling the leash even tighter. Soon Jarod would pull himself together and he would remember that he could trust Lyle with his safety, that Lyle was always looking out for him.
Jarod was almost devastated with the rejection. He choked back a sob before he could continue.
“Lyle….don’t you……”
Lyle had to choke back his own amused surprise at Jarod's misinterpretation of his warning. But he recovered quickly and tried to reassure his Pretender.
“I don’t think this line is secure. You really need to keep your head down, they have called Parker back in and she is out for your blood.”
“No! Oh god Lyle, what am I going to do?” The fear in Jarod's voice was tangible, Lyle could almost taste it.
“Jarod it's going to be alright. I will think of something. It will take at least a few days for them to catch up to you, so until then, lie low and give me your number so I can contact you.” This was too easy, he could hardly believe that Jarod was falling for it. Genius indeed!
“You won't tell them I called?” the voice was small and hesitant.
“No Jarod, you have my word.” Lyle fought to keep the smile out of his voice. It was obvious that Jarod was hovering on the brink of some precipice and he wanted to make sure that when Jarod fell, it was straight into his arms.
Then in the background he could hear a voice calling out for Jarod, a voice he instantly recognized as Major Charles. Then the phone went dead. He wondered briefly if it had been Jarod that had disconnected, or the Major. He suspected the latter. Had Jarod snuck away to call him? Oh, this was better than anything he could have possibly hoped for. He had worked long and hard, fostering distrust and jealousy in Jarod for his family and how very sweet it would be if he could get Jarod to sell them out to him. He carefully hung up the phone and decided that he would treat himself to a special dinner. Today hadn’t turned out so bad after all.
**********
When the Major had awakened, he was stiff, but felt much better for the rest. He stretched, trying to eliminate some of the kinks and spied Gem on his computer.
“Where’s Jarod?” the Major asked around a yawn.
Gem shifted slightly and nodded towards the door. “He’s outside in the van.”
The Major looked towards the door with alarm. “What's he doing in the van?”
“I think he just wanted some time alone. I…..I….upset him again.” Gem said softly, lowering his head.
Major Charles was alarmed at how much Gem had reverted to the unsure young man that he was when he was first rescued. In such a small amount of time, all his confidence had been stripped and the Major had to consciously remind himself that it wasn’t really Jarod's fault. This was The Centre’s doing and Jarod was only a victim, he was not responsible. He looked from the door to his son and decided it was time that he had a word with Jarod. He needed to know what was going on in his head, what he was feeling. Gem had already turned back to the game that he had been playing and so the Major headed towards the van.
He could see the front passenger door open, light spilling out, but he could not see Jarod. He moved towards the van, about to call out Jarod's name when he heard Jarod talking. He froze and strained to hear the conversation. He had called Sydney. The Major should not have been surprised, but the pain sliced deep. His own son had turned to another man in his deepest time of need. He was just about to turn and leave Jarod alone, granting him the privacy he must have sought by making the call in the van. Perhaps talking to Sydney was what he needed right now, as painful as the admission was, the Major could not remove over 35 years of his own absence and Sydney's constant presence.
Just as he turned he heard the name Gemini. The Major had never used that name to refer to the boy, not ever. When they had made the flight after Jarod's capture on the tarmac, the Major had asked the boy what his name was, and he had replied with a frown. “Name?” The idea that he should have a name seemed like a strange concept to him. “I am Project Gemini” he had responded. The Major could not bring himself to use the label that The Centre had assigned to the boy so that had compromised and settled on Gem.
To hear that word come out of Jarod's mouth now hurt him more than he thought possible. As much as he disliked Sydney, he did not believe that Sydney would turn them in, he had ample opportunity after all. So who could Jarod be talking to? He walked forward, panic rising, how long had he been on the phone? Would they be able to trace the call? Then he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the next thing that Jarod saide. Lyle? Jarod was talking to Lyle? His brain refused to process this for a moment. How could this be? It seemed impossible.
“Jarod, who are you talking to? Give me the phone.” He still refused to believe that Jarod had been talking to Lyle.
He snatched the phone from Jarod's hand as he sat there, unmoving and unresisting. The Major quickly disconnected the call, and Jarod then scrambled further back into the van.
“Lyle? You phoned Lyle?” He spat the name out. This was the man who was responsible for the murder of Kyle and was the man behind the torture of Jarod.
“My god Jarod! What have you done?” he snapped at Jarod before he could calm himself. They had to get moving right now.
He saw the frightened look on Jarod's face and took a calming breath before he continued.
“Jarod, I am not going to hurt you.” His tone calm and placating.
Jarod’s eyes saw his father, but his ears heard the honeyed sounds of Cox. He cowered, afraid of the retribution that was sure to follow. But then a small triumphant smile curled his lips, and in defiance, he sat up a little straighter, trying not to show his fear. His confidence had been boosted by his conversation with Lyle.
“Lyle is my friend.” Jarod's voice was quiet, but it was adamant.
The Major slumped in the seat. The Stockholm Syndrome was a common reaction among hostages and kidnap victims, but he had never expected Jarod to fall victim to it. But there was no time to deal with this now. There was a good chance that The Centre knew where they were and they had to get moving. He quickly revised his original plan to hire a plane, they would be keeping their eyes on all the airfields for a wide radius. It would be safer to stick to driving.
Without even trying to soften his tone or explain he commanded Jarod. “Stay here!”
He saw Jarod flinch, but he noticed he didn’t move. Satisfied that he would remain there for the moment, he went back in the room and informed Gem that it was time they were going. No explanation was given, but Gem had had enough encounters with Jarod to know that something must have happened in the van. By the look on his fathers face, he thought it prudent not to push.
Jarod sat sullenly in the back of the van, resenting his father ordering him around. Who the hell did he think he was? Jarod was tempted to get out of the van and just run, but he was not a complete fool. He was still too weak and he had no money, no idea where he was and no idea where he would go. He couldn’t just run straight back to Lyle because if Parker got her hands on him before Lyle could protect him, she would send him straight back to Cox. He would have to wait. Lyle had said he would come up with at plan, and in the mean time, Jarod had a few of his own to work on. He was thinking about trying to broker a deal with The Centre. If he gave them Gemini, perhaps they would just let him go, stop chasing him. He could talk to Lyle about it and see if maybe something could be worked out. He had no intention of giving one more second of his life to that bastard Raines, and he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life on the run either. He wasn’t entirely sure he was ready to give up the boy yet, but it was worth keeping in mind.
Before too long, his father and the boy had climbed into the van and they were heading off into the night. Jarod curled on the mattress and glared out the back windows. He was thinking about all the things that he needed to organize, and he was making a list of all the things he planned to do with his new-found freedom. Jarod had expected to fell ecstatic and exhilarated. He had dreamed of his freedom and a reunion with his family for so long. But all he felt was empty and he was helpless to hold back the feelings of anger and resentment.
They drove along in silence for an hour. The Major was thinking about the best way to approach Jarod, he needed to know what he was thinking, he needed to find a way to break through his defences.
“Jarod, tell me about Lyle.”
Jarod was grateful for the darkness. The cameras couldn’t see him in the dark, and he didn’t have to worry about hiding himself. For the first time in almost a year, he felt he had some kind of privacy. He shifted slightly at his father’s inquiry. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell his father. Lyle had promised that he would not tell anyone about their phone call, and although Jarod had made no such promise, he felt that he should do the same.
“Lyle is my friend. That’s all you need to know.”
The Major hushed Gem before he could make a reply.
“Jarod, you know that he killed your brother don’t you? I just want to be clear on this point.” Major Charles wanted there to be no misunderstandings.
After only a very brief hesitation, Jarod explained how that was an accident and that Lyle had never really intended to harm Kyle.
The Major was horrified at just how deeply Jarod had been manipulated and for the first time, he had real fear that perhaps Jarod might really be lost to them. He decided to change tack, no idea of the mine-field that he was walking into.
“Ok Jarod, that’s fine. But what about Miss Parker or Sydney, why didn’t you call them?’
“What?” Jarod hissed in the dark. And in that instant many things became clear to the Pretender. His father was in league with The Centre. He wondered what they could possibly hope to achieve. Was his “rescue” all part of some huge sim? Did they want to see how he would react, or perhaps they wanted to uncover his escape route? Jarod knew that they had never figured out how he had managed to get out before. Or perhaps it was just another form of torture that Cox had thought up. Dangle the possibility of freedom and a reunion with his family in front of him and then snatch them back away. Cox had been obsessed with obtaining the location of Gemini, and then he had simply stopped asking.
But that didn’t explain why his father would agree to this. It made no sense. Had the Major guaranteed the boy’s freedom by agreeing to participate? Had his father sold him for the safety of the boy? Jarod's mind was racing, making the next leap. Perhaps he had been in on it all along, had actually given or sold him to The Centre in the first place. The Major must have known he had been in The Centre his entire life. He had known Catherine Parker, had supposedly attempted to rescue him when he was a young boy. The full realisation hit Jarod and left him breathless. His father had always known where he was, how could he possibly not? All his protestations about searching for years! He had always known where he was! Jarod's brain was scrambling, trying to make sense of it all. He could not believe how incredibly stupid he had been. He didn’t know what all this was about, but knowledge was power and he slipped into the most difficult pretend of his life. He was going to pretend to be himself.
Jarod imagined Lyle's gentle voice easing him into the sim, encouraging him. Jarod had always found the initial part of letting himself go was the hardest. He had so little sense of himself as an individual, he was always scared that he might not be able to find his way home. For nearly his entire life, it had been the softly accented tones of Sydney, but they had been easily replaced by Lyle’s dulcet tones and comforting touch. He closed his eyes and gathered himself together. He needed to know what he was up against. He had been bumbling along like a fool for far too long, allowing himself to be ruled by his emotions and the foolish dreams of a lost little boy.
“You have spoken with Sydney?” Jarod surprised himself by the calmness in his voice.
The Major was relieved to have the direction of the conversation on more stable ground. Jarod had not yet asked about the details of his escape, and this surprised him.
“Yes, I have been in fairly close contact with Sydney and Miss Parker now for nearly two months. Jarod there are things you need to know. Things I have to tell you.”
Jarod closed his eyes against the knowledge. Suspecting that his father was colluding with the people that had betrayed him and then participated in endless months of torture and cruelty until he finally broke was one thing, but hearing the confession straight from his father’s own mouth was almost too much too bear. But he steeled himself, he needed to keep control of the conversation, he was afraid that he would succumb to his father’s lies. It was now painfully obvious that he was working with those that had betrayed him.
“What did they tell you about what was happening with me, did they tell you what they did to me?” Jarod still clung to some tiny glimmer of hope that it was all some gruesome mistake. If his father knew what had been done to him, he surely would never have agreed to work with them, maybe he had just been another pawn in some sick Centre game that Jarod was unable to divine a purpose to yet.
And even though Major Charles guessed that he would never really know the true extent of what had been done to Jarod during those eight months, he had a fairly good idea. After a long pause, he looked in the rear view mirror and waited until he caught Jarod's eyes in the dark.
“Yes Jarod. I know what happened.”
Jarod closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. At least he knew, painful as that knowledge was, at least he knew. He had what he needed and didn’t want to discuss it anymore, it was time to find a way out of this. They were sorely mistaken if they thought they had fooled him, but for the moment he would play along. He would make his own move soon, when they were least expecting it.
“I’m tired dad. Is it alright if I get some sleep?”
The Major and Gem both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Of course Jarod, lie down and don’t worry about anything, I will look after everything.”
Jarod stayed in his pretend a little while longer. This was a much nicer world. This was a world where the people you loved never betrayed you. The world where you grew up and your childhood friend turned into your teenage sweetheart and then your wife, and you bought a nice little house in the suburbs and you lived happily ever after. This was a world in which parents didn’t lose or sell their children, where the people who raised you loved you and never used or exploited you. Where carbon copy replacements weren’t made so that no-one ever noticed you were gone. This was a world Jarod wanted to stay in. He could pretend that none of it had happened, and whatever deal had been struck, he would find some way out of it. They could build some kind of life together, they could be a family. He closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep and had the first nightmare since he had surrendered and stopped fighting.
Gem glanced back anxiously at Jarod as he started to moan and then thrash. He wondered if this is what he did when he was in the grips of one of his nightmares. After a quick look at his father, he slipped in the back and tried to soothe Jarod. He could only imagine the kind of tortures that Jarod was dreaming about and he wished that he could make it better.
As they drove into the night, Gem started to doze in the front seat. His father looked at him with tenderness and hoped that somehow he could pull both of his sons through this. He knew that Gem needed to form a real bond with Jarod and the poor kid was falling over himself trying to please him. It had taken the Major nearly a year to get Gem to really accept that he was loved as a son. Until he had been ripped from his existence, he had not known any better, and although he was not happy, he was secure and understood his role. He knew that sometimes Gem missed Mr Raines, although he would never admit it, but he had been his only constant companion for his entire life. Now he was constantly on the run, had been told that he was a clone and had no real idea what his purpose was in life. Somehow he had come to believe that Jarod could offer him some kind of redemption, some kind of explanation.
The Major drove through the night into the early morning. When Gem roused, he was stiff and sore from sleeping in the uncomfortable position. He looked back and saw that Jarod was still sleeping. In low voices they discussed their next moves and what they should do over the course of the next day or two. They talked about inconsequential things to pass the time until the Major found another out of the way hotel and decided it was time to stop.
As Jarod lay in the back, feigning sleep, he listened to his father and the boy talking. He forced down a bitter stab of jealousy at their easy and comfortable way of communicating. He had never had that with anybody. That natural way where you didn’t think about what you said or did, it just flowed. At The Centre, everything had been about the correct and satisfactory completion of sims. No-one had ever tried to understand him. Sydney understood him, but only in so far as a scientist understood his subject. Little Miss Parker sprang to mind and he wanted to hold on to that cherished memory. But he fought down his tears. He had deluded himself even there. He had been nothing but an interesting diversion for her. A way to rebel against her father, a way to keep herself entertained when she was bored. And later, even when he had been free, every move, every word spoken had to be carefully considered and chosen. It just wasn’t fair.
