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Disclaimer: Miss Parker, Jarod, The Centre and all the things that I didn't borrow from 'The Pretender' belong to NBC and all the other lucky people who own it. I didn't get anything from this, except the pleasure of annoying my Pretender illiterate friends about the story development, and like always, I'll put my toys back where they came from... really I will. Ohh, also, I don't own any of the song lyrics mentioned here, someone else does, not sure who though.
Author's note: The third part in my 'A Way' series... is it a series yet? more of a trilogy so far. But I suppose, there will be another part, so it could be called a series... ANYWAY, if you haven't read at least the second one, you may be a little confused, but if you don't, you'll pick it up pretty easily. Due to my short term memory - or lack there of - I just remembered that it's 1998, not 1997, and so all the dates in the last two stories should be considered accordingly, I'll change them anyway, but or those who've read it and are going 'where did a whole year go?' well, now you know. ;o)
Thanks heaps to all my friends who listened to me go on about this, especially to Bronny, Em and Vikki, 'Just nod and smile girls, nod and smile' ;o)
Oh, and especially all you guys who are *READING* it!! Well, enjoy...
Author's note: The third part in my 'A Way' series... is it a series yet? more of a trilogy so far. But I suppose, there will be another part, so it could be called a series... ANYWAY, if you haven't read at least the second one, you may be a little confused, but if you don't, you'll pick it up pretty easily. Due to my short term memory - or lack there of - I just remembered that it's 1998, not 1997, and so all the dates in the last two stories should be considered accordingly, I'll change them anyway, but or those who've read it and are going 'where did a whole year go?' well, now you know. ;o)
Thanks heaps to all my friends who listened to me go on about this, especially to Bronny, Em and Vikki, 'Just nod and smile girls, nod and smile' ;o)
Oh, and especially all you guys who are *READING* it!! Well, enjoy...
Disclaimer: Miss Parker, Jarod, The Centre and all the things that I didn't borrow from 'The Pretender' belong to NBC and all the other lucky people who own it. I didn't get anything from this, except the pleasure of annoying my Pretender illiterate friends about the story development, and like always, I'll put my toys back where they came from... really I will. Ohh, also, I don't own any of the song lyrics mentioned here, someone else does, not sure who though.
Author's note: The third part in my 'A Way' series... is it a series yet? more of a trilogy so far. But I suppose, there will be another part, so it could be called a series... ANYWAY, if you haven't read at least the second one, you may be a little confused, but if you don't, you'll pick it up pretty easily. Due to my short term memory - or lack there of - I just remembered that it's 1998, not 1997, and so all the dates in the last two stories should be considered accordingly, I'll change them anyway, but or those who've read it and are going 'where did a whole year go?' well, now you know. ;o)
Thanks heaps to all my friends who listened to me go on about this, especially to Bronny, Em and Vikki, 'Just nod and smile girls, nod and smile' ;o)
Oh, and especially all you guys who are *READING* it!! Well, enjoy...
A Way III - From This Moment
By Ambrosia
Three miles from Worland, Wyoming
Ground level
July 17th 1998
1650 hours
Rising to his feet and striping his jumpsuit and parachuting gear off, Jarod looked around for Parker, wondering how she'd handled the impact of landing. Jarod had been forced to stop watching Miss Parker's mid air manoe uvring when he had gotten close to landing and needed to concentrate on not falling on his face. He hoped that she had eventually done the same when he saw her laying on her back about fifty feet to his left, near where he'd left his motorbike.
Miss Parker looked into the sky, and thanked God for not killing her on the way down. She felt exhausted, bruised and battered and she could taste blood from a cut on her lip. 'Basically', she summed up, 'I feel like I was pushed out of a plane at a few thousand feet'. Groaning a little as she turned her head, she saw Jarod approaching her with a worried look.
Helping her to sit and unhook the harness, Jarod gave Parker a quick check to make sure nothing was sprained or broken. Though there were several cuts on her hands and a few on her face surrounded by what would soon be bruises, Parker seemed to have made it down in one piece. Satisfied that she would live, Jarod helped her to her feet and began to unzip and unbuckle Parker's chute-suit and harness while she leaned against him.
When Jarod finished helping her out of the suit and stood up to talk to her, Parker cut his words short with a violent slap across the face. "That's for pushing me out of a plane!" she yelled feeling more like herself now that she was back to wearing her Armani. Then taking advantage of Jarod's shock, she smiled "Thanks."
"I didn't think you were going to jump, and if we'd waited much longer we'd be really offcourse. Besides, I didn't push you, I pulled you."
"Push, pull, same difference. But, Jarod, if it's a choice between jumping out of a plane and crashing into the side of a mountain, I'll jump anyday," she explained smiling slightly. Parker looked around, seeing civilisation in the not so far off distance and a highway only a few yards away, wondering what they were still doing standing there. "So," she began teasingly. "Were we going to move, or hide from The Centre here?"
"Can you walk?" he questioned her.
"Am I standing?"
"Ok, you can walk," he said leading the way to the bushes concealing his motor cycle. Wheeling the bike out of the scrub and grabbing a large travel bag, he asked, "have you ever ridden before?" With her nod he continued, handing her a black leather jacket and a helmet, "Good, you might want to put this on, it'll be cold and windy. And of course, your helmet."
"Ok. What about the parachutes and jumpsuits? If The Centre finds them, then they'll know we're alive, won't they?"
"Ah, well, we pack them in this bag," he began, indicating the bag he had just pulled the helmets and jackets from. "Then when we get to where we're going, we can either, store them under the house, in the attic, in the spare room, or we could burn them and remove all hope of The Centre ever finding them. What do you think?"
"I say we have a bonfire."
They laughed for a moment before Jarod looked at his watch. "Oh, we'd better move, Centre planes are due here in about ten minutes, our plane's gonna crash in eleven, and our flight leaves in an hour."
"Next plane?" she questioned as they quickly shovelled the parachuting gear into the bag.
"Yeah, well we can't stay on here." On her questioning look Jarod continued. "Well, I mean, how would it look? We move in and we'd be 'That Couple Who Parachuted Into Town'. It's not good for staying inconspicuous, besides you'll like where we're going."
"I guess so, where are we going anyway?" she said. "And how are we going for time?"
"Pretty good, actually. We've still got six minutes before The Centre gets here. And where we're going is for me to know and you to find out."
"Great," she answered as he pulled the now heavy bag's zip closed. When it was strapped to the back of the bike, Parker slipped her jacket over her shoulders and the helmet on her head, before mounting the Harley behind Jarod. Lifting the helmet enough to speak, Miss Parker said, "Jarod, do you know the song, 'From This Moment' by Shania Twain?"
"Nope, why?"
"It just sort of describes this moment. Don't worry," she said, hastily pulling the helmet back down and giving Jarod the 'ok' to go. Leaning against his back while they sped down the highway Miss Parker listened to the song in her mind.
*From this moment
Life has begun
From this moment
You are the one
Right beside you
Is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment
I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness...*
'Perhaps it's not that accurate,' Miss Parker thought. 'Oh, who am I kidding. I'd do almost anything to make him happy.' She smiled at that, this love and trust thing was new to her, 'and,' she decided, 'I think I like it.'
*And for your love
I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
I can't wait to live my life with you
I can't wait to start...*
Miss Parker opened her eyes when she heard the plane in the distance, Jarod had slowed the bike down to a reasonable speed so as to blend in with the sparse traffic. Wrapping her arms tighter around Jarod's waist, Parker turned her head to look at the Centre plane. Much more corporate than the one she and Jarod had flown in, which meant someone important was inside it. Turning her head towards the front again, she caught a glimpse of an explosion in the distance. An explosion that no on in the Centre's plane could have missed.
The Centre craft turned slowly in the direction of the explosion, paying no attention to the motorbike that pulled to the side of the road. The two riders pulled off their helmets and looked back at the dark jet and the fire it was following.
"So that was our death."
"Yep, glad I pushed you now?" Jarod asked cheekily.
"Pulled. A little," she said leaning against him again. "But I'm not bloody happy about it. I mean, Jarod, you pulled me out of a plane. You gave me a ten minute talk on how to work a parachute, then you pulled me out of a plane!"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I apologise," he surrendered, turning to look at her. "Are you going to hurt me, or is it ok to turn my back to drive?" Jarod joked lightly.
Parker poked him in the side, remembering how ticklish he used to be, and was rewarded with a yelp from Jarod. "Now we're even," she said laughing. Pulling his helmet back on, Jarod started the bike again, revving the engine loudly, "ready to put The Centre behind you?"
"Yep, life has begun. Come one, let's go."
Plane
July 17th 1998
1930 hours
Jarod had the window seat, which was fine with Miss Parker, for the first time in her experience of commercial flights, there was a decent inflight movie. She had Jarod to thank for this rarity, for about half an hour he pretended to be a part of the flight crew, and swapped the intended movie, Dumb and Dumber, with the movie she'd told him about. Pulp Fiction. Sure it had all the swearing blanked out, but it was still Pulp Fiction.
Jarod sat watching the screen intently, Miss Parker said he'd like this movie. It was a little too violent for him, but the format and story appealed to him. Especially Bruce Willis' character, he reminded him of himself a little; he was told to do something he didn't want to do and was on the run from men in black suits.
Worland Airport
Worland, Wyoming
July 17th 1998
1730 hours
When they got to the airport, Jarod led Parker to the luggage belt and grabed a bright blue travel bag. When he walked away towards some chairs, Miss Parker shruged and followed him. "Jarod," she called.
"Mmnn?"
"What's in the bag?"
"Well, all my stuff from my last pretend, um, some new clothes for you and a change for me, my Mr Potato Head and all my other bits and pieces. Oh, new id's for us both and fake one for the flight we're about to take."
"What's my new name?"
"Marissa Foxx, and your flight name is, Allana DeVent."
"I'm glad you kept Marissa," she said, refering to her real first name.
"I couldn't think of another name good enough for you."
She smiled at that, "why 'Foxx' then?"
"Ah, well. I thought it suited you. You were the fox and I was the prey. Oh, and two x's because it was unique, like you."
Miss Parker grinned at Jarod's blush, "and here I was thinking you thought I was foxy."
"You are," Jarod blushed harder, he hadn't meant to say that. When he was around her, he was, unpredictable, 'and I'm always happy, even if she's got a gun on me' he noted. "I, I mean... well you are," he relented the blush beginning to subside.
Miss Parker smiled harder, she loved that she could make him this way. "So," she began deciding to change the topic seeing as they had only twenty minutes left before their flight. "What clothes do you have for me?"
Plane
July 17th 1998
1940 hours
Looking down on herself, Parker decided Jarod had pretty good taste in clothing. He had chosen a pair of black fitted pants, a white shirt and a great pair of black semi-platform heels.
Sighing she thought about Sydney for a moment, she'd definitely miss him. "Jarod," she asked. "Jarod, were you planning on telling Sydney that we're alive?"
Jarod smiled at her, he knew she'd always seen Sydney as he had; the father figure. He also knew she wouldn't admit to it. "Yeah, I figure
when we're settled, I'll call him. Give he and Broots the opportunity to get away like we have."
"Broots? Why? You don't think they'd hurt him do you?"
'She'd never admit to caring about Broots either,' Jarod thought to himself before answering. "Yes I do think they'd kill him, he knows The Centre better than almost anyone, plus, he worked for you in looking for me. He may as well have a bullseye on him."
"What about Debbie," Parker asked sounding more anxious then she wanted to.
"Of course, of course, if Broots comes, Debbie comes, unless Broots gives custody to his ex-wife. I don't think he would but, either way, I'm going to make sure she's safe."
"Good, that's good." she answered and went back to the movie.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Sydney was sitting at his desk, reading over Jarod's latest pretend and wondering why he had kidnapped Miss Parker that afternoon. Looking up from his work, he saw Broots walk into the office. Sydney watched the unusually quiet man wipe a tear from his eye and make his way a seat. "What is it Broots?" Sydney asked.
Broots sat across from Sydney and looked into the other man's eyes. "He killed her, Syd. Jarod, they were flying in The Centre's plane and he flew it into a mountain. All that the sweepers found was chared metal, the damn plane was swimming in gas, petrol, you name it, if it's flamable, it was in there. All that was left of the plane was the tail and The Centre's logo."
"What?" Sydney couldn't believe his ears. "Jarod? Miss Parker? It isn't possible. Jarod would never do that," he protested.
"Maybe they had a fight and they hit the controls," Broots offered.
Sydney wasn't listening anymore, 'my entire life's work, gone. My 'children' just gone. It can't be true. There has to be some other explanation'
"Sydney, Sydney?" Broots called to the unresponsive man walking towards the door. "Syd?"
Finally hearing his colleague's voice, Sydney turned from the office door. "Yes, Mr Broots?"
"Are you going to be ok?"
Sighing softly, Sydney replied, "yes, I'll be alright. If anyone asks, I'm taking the rest of the day off."
"Ok, Syd," Broots said, at a loss for what to do for the man.
The house
San Francisco, California
2330 hours
Though the flight was fairly short, they had been delayed both before taking off and when attempting to land. Miss Parker was exhausted from the adrenalin rush of the day and was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat as Jarod drove up the driveway.
Looking down at her as he stoped the car, he decided not to wake her, but carry her inside. Opening the passenger door for her, Jarod went to undo her seat belt when she woke with a jerk.
"Huh?" Her heart pounded in her ears, "oh, it's just you."
"Do you want me to carry you inside, Miss Parker?"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Parker replied, "you can call me Marissa now, and I can walk."
"Yeah, keep forgetting that, force of habit I guess. Ok, I'll grab the bags. Oh," he said throwing her the keys. "You might want the house keys. The bedrooms are at the back of the house, pick whichever one you want."
She caught the keys and started to sort through them.
"The blue one," Jarod called to her pulling the two bags from the back seat.
Walking into the house, Parker noticed that Jarod's good taste ran into decorating also. The house was somewhat bare, but what there was, was in pretty good taste for a guy.
Bypassing all other rooms, Miss Parker made her way to where the bedrooms lay. Looking in on one, she saw a single bed, and not much else. 'I wonder if there's a double bed,' Marissa thought to herself. Smiling, she thought 'I wonder if I can make the other bedroom redundant.'
Jarod made himself comfortable on the couch and opened the laptop. Starting the "Find'em" program he had made to track his trackers, Jarod found both Sydney and Broots safe in their houses. He sighed, and logged onto The Centre's system to make sure they were really 'dead'.
The End... for the moment anyway.
Well, what'dya think?
Author's note: The third part in my 'A Way' series... is it a series yet? more of a trilogy so far. But I suppose, there will be another part, so it could be called a series... ANYWAY, if you haven't read at least the second one, you may be a little confused, but if you don't, you'll pick it up pretty easily. Due to my short term memory - or lack there of - I just remembered that it's 1998, not 1997, and so all the dates in the last two stories should be considered accordingly, I'll change them anyway, but or those who've read it and are going 'where did a whole year go?' well, now you know. ;o)
Thanks heaps to all my friends who listened to me go on about this, especially to Bronny, Em and Vikki, 'Just nod and smile girls, nod and smile' ;o)
Oh, and especially all you guys who are *READING* it!! Well, enjoy...
By Ambrosia
Three miles from Worland, Wyoming
Ground level
July 17th 1998
1650 hours
Rising to his feet and striping his jumpsuit and parachuting gear off, Jarod looked around for Parker, wondering how she'd handled the impact of landing. Jarod had been forced to stop watching Miss Parker's mid air manoe uvring when he had gotten close to landing and needed to concentrate on not falling on his face. He hoped that she had eventually done the same when he saw her laying on her back about fifty feet to his left, near where he'd left his motorbike.
Miss Parker looked into the sky, and thanked God for not killing her on the way down. She felt exhausted, bruised and battered and she could taste blood from a cut on her lip. 'Basically', she summed up, 'I feel like I was pushed out of a plane at a few thousand feet'. Groaning a little as she turned her head, she saw Jarod approaching her with a worried look.
Helping her to sit and unhook the harness, Jarod gave Parker a quick check to make sure nothing was sprained or broken. Though there were several cuts on her hands and a few on her face surrounded by what would soon be bruises, Parker seemed to have made it down in one piece. Satisfied that she would live, Jarod helped her to her feet and began to unzip and unbuckle Parker's chute-suit and harness while she leaned against him.
When Jarod finished helping her out of the suit and stood up to talk to her, Parker cut his words short with a violent slap across the face. "That's for pushing me out of a plane!" she yelled feeling more like herself now that she was back to wearing her Armani. Then taking advantage of Jarod's shock, she smiled "Thanks."
"I didn't think you were going to jump, and if we'd waited much longer we'd be really offcourse. Besides, I didn't push you, I pulled you."
"Push, pull, same difference. But, Jarod, if it's a choice between jumping out of a plane and crashing into the side of a mountain, I'll jump anyday," she explained smiling slightly. Parker looked around, seeing civilisation in the not so far off distance and a highway only a few yards away, wondering what they were still doing standing there. "So," she began teasingly. "Were we going to move, or hide from The Centre here?"
"Can you walk?" he questioned her.
"Am I standing?"
"Ok, you can walk," he said leading the way to the bushes concealing his motor cycle. Wheeling the bike out of the scrub and grabbing a large travel bag, he asked, "have you ever ridden before?" With her nod he continued, handing her a black leather jacket and a helmet, "Good, you might want to put this on, it'll be cold and windy. And of course, your helmet."
"Ok. What about the parachutes and jumpsuits? If The Centre finds them, then they'll know we're alive, won't they?"
"Ah, well, we pack them in this bag," he began, indicating the bag he had just pulled the helmets and jackets from. "Then when we get to where we're going, we can either, store them under the house, in the attic, in the spare room, or we could burn them and remove all hope of The Centre ever finding them. What do you think?"
"I say we have a bonfire."
They laughed for a moment before Jarod looked at his watch. "Oh, we'd better move, Centre planes are due here in about ten minutes, our plane's gonna crash in eleven, and our flight leaves in an hour."
"Next plane?" she questioned as they quickly shovelled the parachuting gear into the bag.
"Yeah, well we can't stay on here." On her questioning look Jarod continued. "Well, I mean, how would it look? We move in and we'd be 'That Couple Who Parachuted Into Town'. It's not good for staying inconspicuous, besides you'll like where we're going."
"I guess so, where are we going anyway?" she said. "And how are we going for time?"
"Pretty good, actually. We've still got six minutes before The Centre gets here. And where we're going is for me to know and you to find out."
"Great," she answered as he pulled the now heavy bag's zip closed. When it was strapped to the back of the bike, Parker slipped her jacket over her shoulders and the helmet on her head, before mounting the Harley behind Jarod. Lifting the helmet enough to speak, Miss Parker said, "Jarod, do you know the song, 'From This Moment' by Shania Twain?"
"Nope, why?"
"It just sort of describes this moment. Don't worry," she said, hastily pulling the helmet back down and giving Jarod the 'ok' to go. Leaning against his back while they sped down the highway Miss Parker listened to the song in her mind.
*From this moment
Life has begun
From this moment
You are the one
Right beside you
Is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment
I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness...*
'Perhaps it's not that accurate,' Miss Parker thought. 'Oh, who am I kidding. I'd do almost anything to make him happy.' She smiled at that, this love and trust thing was new to her, 'and,' she decided, 'I think I like it.'
*And for your love
I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
I can't wait to live my life with you
I can't wait to start...*
Miss Parker opened her eyes when she heard the plane in the distance, Jarod had slowed the bike down to a reasonable speed so as to blend in with the sparse traffic. Wrapping her arms tighter around Jarod's waist, Parker turned her head to look at the Centre plane. Much more corporate than the one she and Jarod had flown in, which meant someone important was inside it. Turning her head towards the front again, she caught a glimpse of an explosion in the distance. An explosion that no on in the Centre's plane could have missed.
The Centre craft turned slowly in the direction of the explosion, paying no attention to the motorbike that pulled to the side of the road. The two riders pulled off their helmets and looked back at the dark jet and the fire it was following.
"So that was our death."
"Yep, glad I pushed you now?" Jarod asked cheekily.
"Pulled. A little," she said leaning against him again. "But I'm not bloody happy about it. I mean, Jarod, you pulled me out of a plane. You gave me a ten minute talk on how to work a parachute, then you pulled me out of a plane!"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I apologise," he surrendered, turning to look at her. "Are you going to hurt me, or is it ok to turn my back to drive?" Jarod joked lightly.
Parker poked him in the side, remembering how ticklish he used to be, and was rewarded with a yelp from Jarod. "Now we're even," she said laughing. Pulling his helmet back on, Jarod started the bike again, revving the engine loudly, "ready to put The Centre behind you?"
"Yep, life has begun. Come one, let's go."
Plane
July 17th 1998
1930 hours
Jarod had the window seat, which was fine with Miss Parker, for the first time in her experience of commercial flights, there was a decent inflight movie. She had Jarod to thank for this rarity, for about half an hour he pretended to be a part of the flight crew, and swapped the intended movie, Dumb and Dumber, with the movie she'd told him about. Pulp Fiction. Sure it had all the swearing blanked out, but it was still Pulp Fiction.
Jarod sat watching the screen intently, Miss Parker said he'd like this movie. It was a little too violent for him, but the format and story appealed to him. Especially Bruce Willis' character, he reminded him of himself a little; he was told to do something he didn't want to do and was on the run from men in black suits.
Worland Airport
Worland, Wyoming
July 17th 1998
1730 hours
When they got to the airport, Jarod led Parker to the luggage belt and grabed a bright blue travel bag. When he walked away towards some chairs, Miss Parker shruged and followed him. "Jarod," she called.
"Mmnn?"
"What's in the bag?"
"Well, all my stuff from my last pretend, um, some new clothes for you and a change for me, my Mr Potato Head and all my other bits and pieces. Oh, new id's for us both and fake one for the flight we're about to take."
"What's my new name?"
"Marissa Foxx, and your flight name is, Allana DeVent."
"I'm glad you kept Marissa," she said, refering to her real first name.
"I couldn't think of another name good enough for you."
She smiled at that, "why 'Foxx' then?"
"Ah, well. I thought it suited you. You were the fox and I was the prey. Oh, and two x's because it was unique, like you."
Miss Parker grinned at Jarod's blush, "and here I was thinking you thought I was foxy."
"You are," Jarod blushed harder, he hadn't meant to say that. When he was around her, he was, unpredictable, 'and I'm always happy, even if she's got a gun on me' he noted. "I, I mean... well you are," he relented the blush beginning to subside.
Miss Parker smiled harder, she loved that she could make him this way. "So," she began deciding to change the topic seeing as they had only twenty minutes left before their flight. "What clothes do you have for me?"
Plane
July 17th 1998
1940 hours
Looking down on herself, Parker decided Jarod had pretty good taste in clothing. He had chosen a pair of black fitted pants, a white shirt and a great pair of black semi-platform heels.
Sighing she thought about Sydney for a moment, she'd definitely miss him. "Jarod," she asked. "Jarod, were you planning on telling Sydney that we're alive?"
Jarod smiled at her, he knew she'd always seen Sydney as he had; the father figure. He also knew she wouldn't admit to it. "Yeah, I figure
when we're settled, I'll call him. Give he and Broots the opportunity to get away like we have."
"Broots? Why? You don't think they'd hurt him do you?"
'She'd never admit to caring about Broots either,' Jarod thought to himself before answering. "Yes I do think they'd kill him, he knows The Centre better than almost anyone, plus, he worked for you in looking for me. He may as well have a bullseye on him."
"What about Debbie," Parker asked sounding more anxious then she wanted to.
"Of course, of course, if Broots comes, Debbie comes, unless Broots gives custody to his ex-wife. I don't think he would but, either way, I'm going to make sure she's safe."
"Good, that's good." she answered and went back to the movie.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Sydney was sitting at his desk, reading over Jarod's latest pretend and wondering why he had kidnapped Miss Parker that afternoon. Looking up from his work, he saw Broots walk into the office. Sydney watched the unusually quiet man wipe a tear from his eye and make his way a seat. "What is it Broots?" Sydney asked.
Broots sat across from Sydney and looked into the other man's eyes. "He killed her, Syd. Jarod, they were flying in The Centre's plane and he flew it into a mountain. All that the sweepers found was chared metal, the damn plane was swimming in gas, petrol, you name it, if it's flamable, it was in there. All that was left of the plane was the tail and The Centre's logo."
"What?" Sydney couldn't believe his ears. "Jarod? Miss Parker? It isn't possible. Jarod would never do that," he protested.
"Maybe they had a fight and they hit the controls," Broots offered.
Sydney wasn't listening anymore, 'my entire life's work, gone. My 'children' just gone. It can't be true. There has to be some other explanation'
"Sydney, Sydney?" Broots called to the unresponsive man walking towards the door. "Syd?"
Finally hearing his colleague's voice, Sydney turned from the office door. "Yes, Mr Broots?"
"Are you going to be ok?"
Sighing softly, Sydney replied, "yes, I'll be alright. If anyone asks, I'm taking the rest of the day off."
"Ok, Syd," Broots said, at a loss for what to do for the man.
The house
San Francisco, California
2330 hours
Though the flight was fairly short, they had been delayed both before taking off and when attempting to land. Miss Parker was exhausted from the adrenalin rush of the day and was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat as Jarod drove up the driveway.
Looking down at her as he stoped the car, he decided not to wake her, but carry her inside. Opening the passenger door for her, Jarod went to undo her seat belt when she woke with a jerk.
"Huh?" Her heart pounded in her ears, "oh, it's just you."
"Do you want me to carry you inside, Miss Parker?"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Parker replied, "you can call me Marissa now, and I can walk."
"Yeah, keep forgetting that, force of habit I guess. Ok, I'll grab the bags. Oh," he said throwing her the keys. "You might want the house keys. The bedrooms are at the back of the house, pick whichever one you want."
She caught the keys and started to sort through them.
"The blue one," Jarod called to her pulling the two bags from the back seat.
Walking into the house, Parker noticed that Jarod's good taste ran into decorating also. The house was somewhat bare, but what there was, was in pretty good taste for a guy.
Bypassing all other rooms, Miss Parker made her way to where the bedrooms lay. Looking in on one, she saw a single bed, and not much else. 'I wonder if there's a double bed,' Marissa thought to herself. Smiling, she thought 'I wonder if I can make the other bedroom redundant.'
Jarod made himself comfortable on the couch and opened the laptop. Starting the "Find'em" program he had made to track his trackers, Jarod found both Sydney and Broots safe in their houses. He sighed, and logged onto The Centre's system to make sure they were really 'dead'.
The End... for the moment anyway.
Well, what'dya think?
