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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: I wrote this story for fun. Don’t sue me Blah, blah, blah, blah. The characters aren’t mine, blah blah blah, they are characters in The Pretender, owned now by TNT and aired on WB blah blah blah, You know the drill.
Author’s note: 1)I don’t like saying “So-and-so belongs to me!” because it makes me sound to much like Mr. Rains, but if you would like to.....include Kala in one of your stories, please ask my permission first. 2) DON’T SUE ME!!! 3) I’m only 12, cut me some slack! This is my first published fan fic!!
It’s Ok To Cry
part 3
**Centrare Idiota!!**
By Devil’s Child
Kala’s Apartment
Same day.
There was a rapid knock on the door, and Miss Parker let go of Kala so she could answer it.
“Who is it?” she called, smiling broadly. Probably Jarod, she mused.
“It’s Jarod. Let me in!” he called his voice somewhat frantic. “It’s unlocked!” she shouted. She barely finished, before he came bursting in, visibly shaken.
“Jarod, what have you been doing? It looks like you ran all the way up here from the first floor!” Kala exclaimed.
“The elevator was to slow,” he answered wearily, bending over.
“What’s wrong?” Kala offered him a seat on the couch, between her and Parker.
“He was here.” he muttered, still trying to catch his breath. “Who was?” Kala asked. Jarod didn’t answer, but put his thumb up. Then he slapped his other hand over the thumb, indicating it was gone.
“Lyle?!” Miss Parker hissed. Jarod nodded, then fell off the couch and landed with a bang on the edge of the coffee table. “WHAT!!?” he leaped up, surprised by the noise. Then his head started throbbing, and her realized it was he, who mad the thunk!
“Ouch!” he muttered, rubbing his head. Parker stifled a laugh, then became serious. “If my loving brother knows I found you, then we’re both in hot water. He’ll go and tell my father, and Daddy will tell the Triumvirate,” she said.
“Well then we don’t have much time. We’ve got to get the hell out of here, before Rains and Lyle send their goons after us.” Kala snorted. “Mom?” she asked after a pause, already have come accustom to calling someone ‘mom’. “Can Dad come too? I know you two don’t get along very well, considering, but-well we just can’t leave him here!! If Rains finds him instead of you, I don’t want to think about it.” she asked pleadingly. “Please?” Kala, looking much like her, gave her the sad lost puppy look that Parker gave her father, Broots, and Syd sometimes, that none of them could resist. Well, maybe Mr Parker could, but he’s a complete jerk anyway.
Parker looked at Jarod who, because he was still looking around the room rubbing his forehead, hadn’t heard the question. She sighed, “Fine. But he better not cause any trouble.”
Kala grinned at her and then looked at him. Jarod looked at them suspiciously. “What?”
****
Crystal Park, Blue Cove DE
By the Swings
Same day, 6:32pm
Before they had taken off to Miss Parker’s house, Kala had grabbed a few things and shoved them in a bag. The two women had drove back to Parker’s house to gather a few belongings, and Jarod returned to his last lair, leaving things for Lyle and his goons to find, and grabbing a few personal items-pez, a red notebook, though he would not be needing it, a few twinkies, a cell phone, palm pilot, the DSA case, some clothes and money.
They met up an hour later, in Crystal Park by the swings, each with only one bag.
“We need to travel light.” Kala announced, “So I tricked Mom into only bringing one bag.” She chuckled to herself and received a glare from Parker. Kala cringed. “Don’t do that! You make me feel like the poor boys at school!” Even though Kala was on the run, she still went to school, just under a different name. It was summer, so she was out, and free to do whatever she wanted to. Well, she didn’t exactly want to run from the Centre for the rest of her life. Personally she’d rather blow it up and forget the whole place was ever there.
“How’d you do that?” Jarod teased. Parker glared at him. “Do you want to come or not?” she hissed. Jarod raised his hands in surrender, “Ok, ok. Listen, if you’re going on a ‘trip’ with Kala and I together, you’re gonna have to learn not to take things quite so seriously. We’re both just big kids.” Jarod explained.
“No, Jarod-you’re a big kid. See the difference between you and her?”
“No, not really,” he replied thoughtfully. For that comment he received a wack in the knee from her bag. “OUCH!!” he muttered, hopping on one foot.
“What’d ya do to him now, Ma?” Kala returned her attention to the two real ‘kids’.
“Never mind, lets go.” Parker picked up her bag and looked at Jarod, who smirked.
“So who’s driving?” Kala asked, as they moved towards the parking lot.
“I am” they said in unison. “She/he is,” they replied again pointing at each other.
“If you two don’t make up your minds, I’ll drive.” Kala insisted.
Jarod responded quickly, throwing her the keys. “Miss Parker, you drive.”
****
Road North
“Where exactly are we going?” Miss Parker asked, not taking her eyes off the deserted road that lay in front of them. “As far away from the Centre as possible.” Kala confirmed, staring off into the distance. All of them where silent after that. Kala stared absentmindedly out the passenger seat window, and Jarod sat in the back, working intently on stealing yet more money from the Centre; this time for himself. Parker kept her eyes glued to the road for the most part, looking up only to smile and Kala, glance in the review mirror at Jarod, or look behind them to see if any Centre cars where following them.
After a while, after he had finished pickpocketing the Centre, Jarod started to hum quietly to himself. “99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, if one of the bottles should happen to fall 98 bottles of beer on the wall.” He sang quietly to himself, then sprang up from his relaxed position on the seat. “Ouch!!” he yelped, after banging his head on the ceiling. “Damn it.” he muttered.
“Something the matter, Jarod?” Miss Parker asked mockingly.
“I forgot to tell Sydney! He must be worried sick! You’ve been gone for over a week and I haven’t called in a month!!”
Parker slammed on the brake and stopped the car. There was no need to pull over, since they were the only ones on the highway. “You what?!” she hissed, turning in her seat to glare at him. “You said you were gonna tell him!”
“Would you two stop?” Kala asked calmly. “Just write him in his secured email. He’ll get the message.”
“Oh.” Jarod muttered, pulling out his laptop. “Besides,” Kala continued. “they probably have Syd’s phone line bugged, in case you try to contact him. It Lyle recognized me, they we’re all in hot water. I’ve been on the run for 6 years, living right under their noses. Of course, since hardly anyone has a real life there, that’s pretty easy.”
“What should I say? I mean, where should I tell him we’ll be?” Jarod asked, once he entered his email.
Kala thought for a moment, then grinned. She turned in her seat and motioned for Jarod to hand her the computer. He reluctantly handed it over, and sat back, waiting to see what she would do. She sat back in her seat though, and he couldn’t see. He heard the clicking on the keyboard as she typed, lightning speed and then the computer beeped, “You’re mail has been sent!” at them, and she turned it off and handed it back to him.
“What did you tell him?” Jarod asked, as he put the laptop away.
“Exactly where we’ll be.”
****
Sydney’s Office
“Damn!!” he slammed his fist on the table. Broots jumped. “There’s been no word from Miss Parker or Jarod for over a month. I’m starting to get really worried.” Sydney complained to his younger bald headed colleague. “It’s not like Jarod to just up and run like that.”
“You don’t thing anything happened to them do you?” Broots asked nervously.
“If the Centre had anything to do with this I’ll-” his computer beeped at him repeatedly.
“Urgent!! Urgent!! You have mail!!” Sydney quickly opened his secured email and read the short message.
Sydney,
Gone to Refuge.
There was no signature, but Sydney was sure it was from Jarod. Broots leaned over his shoulder timidly. “Are-is he alright?”
“I believe so, yes.” He stared hard at the screen, then quickly shut it down, and opened a file. Broots took the hint and scrambled over to a computer and opened a search engine, pretending to follow Jarod’s latest clue.
A few moments later, Mr Lyle burst through the door, and glared at both of them. Sydney calmly set down his papers and looked up at him. “Is there something you need Mr Lyle?”
“Don’t play nice Sydney, where’s Parker?!” he barked. Sydney shook his head. “I’m just as concerned as you are. I haven’t heard from her in over a week. I’m starting to get really worried,” he lied.
“Well if you hear from her, tell me!” he grumbled, then marched out the door. Broots shook his head and glanced at the older man. “I don’t like him.” the tech mumbled, and closed down the file. “Me neither, Broots.”
****
Angelo’s Cell
Huddled in a corner, Angelo took deep breaths, trying to sort things out, though his mind was always jumbled.
“Jarod......Parker.......reunited.......girl help.......girl daughter.......try save.....Parker work with Jarod.......why?......Parker scared.........girl scared.....Jarod scared......Sydney.......Sydney scared......try save Jarod.....something bad......happen soon......must save.....must save daughter......must save girl.......must save friends......Angelo helps.......how?” He suddenly leaped up and ducked quickly into the air vent, snaking through the vents like butter, turning rapidly, right.....left......right.......left again, navigating expertly. He finally came to the right grate, and stopped. He peered through the grate and listened intently. A few minutes later, he hurried on, and when he came to the next grate, he kicked it down and jumped though it.
The bald man jumped and let out a yell. “Angelo!” he cried, trying to catch his breath. The shrink chuckled to himself and smiled at Angelo. “You’re going to have to get used to that. Broots, he does it to everyone,” Sydney advised.
“Yeah, I know,” the tech grumbled.
“What’s wrong, Angelo?” Sydney asked suddenly, after looking at Angelo’s disturbed posture.
“Daughter, in trouble!” he cried.
“Miss Parker’s in trouble?” Sydney asked worriedly.
“Daughter, girl and friend!” he cried again, stepping towards the computer.
“Who?” Sydney asked.
“Daughter’s daughter!” Angelo emphasized.
“M-Miss Parker has a d-daughter?” Broots stumbled over the words as they fell out of his mouth. Angelo nodded enthusiastically and pushed past Sydney and over to the computer. He sat down and popped a disk in the drive and waited for the file to appear. As soon as it did, he quickly copied it, and pasted it in e-mail. There, he quickly sent it to Jarod’s secured email, and ejected the disk.
Sydney and Broots hardly had enough time to see what was on the disk, before Angelo ejected it.
“Hey!” Broots cried.
“If Angelo doesn’t want us to see it, there must be a reason.” Sydney said calmly, but inside, he was flaming. He had to know if Miss Parker or Jarod were hurt.
“Angelo, please. Tell me what was on that disk,” Sydney pleaded. Angelo stood for a moment, then laid a piece of folded up paper on the desk, and ran into the air vent, ducking under the grate and scurrying away. Sydney picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. “Mare Maris Prognatus” he read. Broots gave him a blank look.
“What does that mean?” he asked
“Sea Born,” the shrink answered.. “It’s Latin for sea born. But what does that have to do with Miss Parker having a daughter?”
“And-when did Miss Parker have a daughter?” Broots asked.
The shrink looked up and stared at him strangely. “What?” Broots asked nervously. “Broots, Miss Parker was never pregnant. We’ve been working with her for nine months and she’s shown no symptoms.” Sydney reasoned. “And I’m sure she would have told us something that important.”
“So that means........” Broots trailed off.
“That may mean, that Miss Parker didn’t know about this child.”
“B-but, how is that p-possible?”
“It’s the Centre Broots, anything’s possible.”
****
Road North
“So where are we going exactly?” Parker asked, glancing at Kala.
“There’s a small house I own in Maine, it’s hidden deep in the forest and no one knows about it except me. We should be safe there.” Kala paused, and glanced out the window. A few moments later she added sorrowfully, “There will be many memories for us, though.”
“Why?” Jarod piped in, leaning over the passenger seat to smile and them.
“I’d rather not talk about it now,” Kala replied, flashing him a small smile.
“Ok.” Jarod leaned back in his seat and sighed. This is gonna be a long trip, Jarod thought.
“Do you know how to get there?” Miss Parker asked.
“Yeah. But first, I want to make a pit stop at an old friends house.” Kala grinned. Miss Parker slowed the car, but didn’t stop it. “Ben?” she asked hopefully.
“Yep!” Kala chirped.
“How do you know him?”
“I know everybody. Rains, Lyle, Sydney, Broots, Debbie, Mr Parker, Catherine, Ben, Fenigor,-” she was ticking the names off on her fingers but she abruptly stopped. She lay her hands in her lap once more and stared out the window at the pink and purple blanket covering the sky, “Never mind.”
****
Sydney’s Office
“Broots, I want you to figure out everything you can about Project C-11 code named Mare Maris Prognatus. It may have something to do with Jarod and Miss Parker’s sudden disappearances.” Syd said.
“Ok. I’m on it.” Broots hurried off down the hall to the tech room, and Sydney turned back to the e-mail message. “Gone to Refuge,” he read again. “Where is refuge, Jarod? And what are you up to now?” The shrink searched his memory files, for something that would give him a clue as to where he might have gone. REFUGE, was the code name given when Jarod wanted to stop a simulation. But I don’t remember a place by that name, Sydney thought. Where would Jarod go to be safe? Where would Miss Parker go?
Sydney stood up and packed his things. He stopped in the tech room for a moment to inform Broots that he was going home, and if anything should come up, to call him on a secured line.
****
Sydney’s House
When he reached his house, Sydney immediately set to work, opening a DSA case and putting in SIM’s to help him remember.
Four hours later he gave up and leaned back on the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He hadn’t gotten much sleep since Miss Parker’s disappearance, and it was starting to show. All of a sudden, something clicked on in his mind. He sat up quickly and sifted through all the disks laying about, until he came to the one he was looking for.
‘Catherine, you’re looking well. A few days off did you good I see?’
‘Yes, thank you for the advise. A week to spend alone with my little girl was just what I needed.’
‘I was glad to help. Where did you go?’
‘Maine. We stayed in a small inn by the Lake, that was where we spent most our time. It was so calm and peaceful by the water. My little girl called it our refuge, a place for just us.’
“Called it our refuge- refuge- refuge.........”
“So that’s where you are Miss Parker. Lake Catherine, Maine.” Sydney rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and sighed. “At least now I can get some sleep,” he muttered, leaving the mess where it was, and climbing up the stairs to the next floor.
****
Ben’s Inn, Maine
Seven days later, the threesome reached Maine. Before he even had a chance to stop the car, Kala jumped out and raced for the house.
“They must be pretty good friends,” Jarod said, taking his bag out of the car. Parker nodded but said nothing.
As they walked up the path to the inn, they heard the delighted squeals and laughs coming from the front room. When they reached the porch, they found Kala and Ben laughing histericly, over absolutely nothing.
Ben looked up and smiled broadly at them. “Hello, Miss Parker.” He stood up and walked over to her. “You look well.”
She smiled and thanked him, and gave him a hug. “It’s so nice to see you smile.” Ben replied.
“You know Jarod, don’t you Ben?” she asked, motioning to the man on her left.
“Yes, he spent some time here a few years ago. How are you?” he shook Jarod’s hand and picked up on of the bags, and started towards the house.
“I’m just fine, thank you. Seems you know Kala?” he inquired.
“Yes, Kala comes up here all the time to visit. Never stays here though. Go’s up in the mountains, camping or something.” Ben answered.
“That’s where we’ll be going,” Parker replied, giving him a small smile.
“Oh, you won’t be staying here then?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” There was a uncomfortable silence before Ben spoke again. “It’s so nice to see you two together again.”
“Oh, we aren’t together, together, we’re just- partners.” Parker searched for the right word to describe them.
“I see. That won’t be for long,” he muttered, then set the bags down and left the two wondering what he meant by that.
****
“Where’s Kala?” Miss Parker asked Ben the following morning. The smell of coffee woke her up, and when she went to see if Kala was still asleep, she wasn’t in her room.
“Down by the lake.” Ben answered automatically, even though she hadn’t told him where she’d be. Ben had convinced them to spend the night there, because he didn’t want them climbing the mountain at ‘night’.
“Thank you.” She wrapped the white robe tighter around her and headed out into the morning light. She walked slowly down the walk, and paused when she saw the figure sitting on a rock, still as glass. She was picking petals off a flower, and tossing them into the lake, her head was hung low. Miss Parker bridged the rest of the way between them, and sat down next to the girl, staring out at the calm waters.
Kala sighed, and threw the stem into the water, and watched it float around in circles. “Life is like water.”
“How so?” Parker asked, still not looking at her.
“It can be so calm, and peaceful at times, so gentle, so beautiful. And then other times, it just tears you apart, like a boat at sea.”
“That’s what life is,” Parker reasoned.
“No. That’s what our life is. I can’t take this anymore.”
“The Centre?” Parker asked, looking at her now, seeing the tears in her eyes for the first time.
“No. The Centre I can handle. It’s everything else. It’s all the people who have died because of my SIMS, the people who have lost loved ones because of what I thought up. I have enough innocent blood on my hands and I want no more.”
They were both silent for long time; Miss Parker not knowing what to say, and Kala just not saying anything. Finally, Kala spoke. “You just don’t get it do you?” She sighed and shook her head. Miss Parker said nothing, but waited for her to continue. “Everyone is just so blind. No one seems to notice, what means the most in this life.”
“What do you mean?” Parker asked, confused.
“That’s what I mean. Question: How many times has your father, hurt you? Not physical, emotionally?” Parker didn’t answer so Kala continued. “That’s what I thought. More times then ;you can count.”
“My father, may do things to hurt me, but not purposely.” Parker tried to reason, though deep in her heart, she knew it wasn’t true. Kala snorted. “Right. He’s set you up for a T-Board, he tried to turn you into an assassin, have you kill your own brother-”
“Hey, I didn’t know he was my brother,”she cut in.
“My point exactly! He didn’t tell you about Lyle, or Faith, or the truth behind your mother’s death. He’s lied to you about all these things, and yet you would still give your life for him. If you’re going to save someone, save the man in that house,” she said forcefully, pointing to the Inn. They both new, she was not talking about Ben. “Save him, the pain, and the grief and just tell him the truth. Before it’s to late! You may not have, a second chance like you did with Thomas. If there is something you need to tell someone then by God tell them now! The Centre’s cost to many lives. If it’s war they want, it’s war they’ll get!” And with that she stood up and marched into the trees, vanishing like mist into the dark woods.
****
TBC
Feedback: Loved it? Liked it? Hated it so much, you plan to steal Miss Parker’s 9mm and shoot me with it? (Please don’t to that literally!) Let me know!!
Author’s note: 1)I don’t like saying “So-and-so belongs to me!” because it makes me sound to much like Mr. Rains, but if you would like to.....include Kala in one of your stories, please ask my permission first. 2) DON’T SUE ME!!! 3) I’m only 12, cut me some slack! This is my first published fan fic!!
It’s Ok To Cry
part 3
**Centrare Idiota!!**
By Devil’s Child
Kala’s Apartment
Same day.
There was a rapid knock on the door, and Miss Parker let go of Kala so she could answer it.
“Who is it?” she called, smiling broadly. Probably Jarod, she mused.
“It’s Jarod. Let me in!” he called his voice somewhat frantic. “It’s unlocked!” she shouted. She barely finished, before he came bursting in, visibly shaken.
“Jarod, what have you been doing? It looks like you ran all the way up here from the first floor!” Kala exclaimed.
“The elevator was to slow,” he answered wearily, bending over.
“What’s wrong?” Kala offered him a seat on the couch, between her and Parker.
“He was here.” he muttered, still trying to catch his breath. “Who was?” Kala asked. Jarod didn’t answer, but put his thumb up. Then he slapped his other hand over the thumb, indicating it was gone.
“Lyle?!” Miss Parker hissed. Jarod nodded, then fell off the couch and landed with a bang on the edge of the coffee table. “WHAT!!?” he leaped up, surprised by the noise. Then his head started throbbing, and her realized it was he, who mad the thunk!
“Ouch!” he muttered, rubbing his head. Parker stifled a laugh, then became serious. “If my loving brother knows I found you, then we’re both in hot water. He’ll go and tell my father, and Daddy will tell the Triumvirate,” she said.
“Well then we don’t have much time. We’ve got to get the hell out of here, before Rains and Lyle send their goons after us.” Kala snorted. “Mom?” she asked after a pause, already have come accustom to calling someone ‘mom’. “Can Dad come too? I know you two don’t get along very well, considering, but-well we just can’t leave him here!! If Rains finds him instead of you, I don’t want to think about it.” she asked pleadingly. “Please?” Kala, looking much like her, gave her the sad lost puppy look that Parker gave her father, Broots, and Syd sometimes, that none of them could resist. Well, maybe Mr Parker could, but he’s a complete jerk anyway.
Parker looked at Jarod who, because he was still looking around the room rubbing his forehead, hadn’t heard the question. She sighed, “Fine. But he better not cause any trouble.”
Kala grinned at her and then looked at him. Jarod looked at them suspiciously. “What?”
****
Crystal Park, Blue Cove DE
By the Swings
Same day, 6:32pm
Before they had taken off to Miss Parker’s house, Kala had grabbed a few things and shoved them in a bag. The two women had drove back to Parker’s house to gather a few belongings, and Jarod returned to his last lair, leaving things for Lyle and his goons to find, and grabbing a few personal items-pez, a red notebook, though he would not be needing it, a few twinkies, a cell phone, palm pilot, the DSA case, some clothes and money.
They met up an hour later, in Crystal Park by the swings, each with only one bag.
“We need to travel light.” Kala announced, “So I tricked Mom into only bringing one bag.” She chuckled to herself and received a glare from Parker. Kala cringed. “Don’t do that! You make me feel like the poor boys at school!” Even though Kala was on the run, she still went to school, just under a different name. It was summer, so she was out, and free to do whatever she wanted to. Well, she didn’t exactly want to run from the Centre for the rest of her life. Personally she’d rather blow it up and forget the whole place was ever there.
“How’d you do that?” Jarod teased. Parker glared at him. “Do you want to come or not?” she hissed. Jarod raised his hands in surrender, “Ok, ok. Listen, if you’re going on a ‘trip’ with Kala and I together, you’re gonna have to learn not to take things quite so seriously. We’re both just big kids.” Jarod explained.
“No, Jarod-you’re a big kid. See the difference between you and her?”
“No, not really,” he replied thoughtfully. For that comment he received a wack in the knee from her bag. “OUCH!!” he muttered, hopping on one foot.
“What’d ya do to him now, Ma?” Kala returned her attention to the two real ‘kids’.
“Never mind, lets go.” Parker picked up her bag and looked at Jarod, who smirked.
“So who’s driving?” Kala asked, as they moved towards the parking lot.
“I am” they said in unison. “She/he is,” they replied again pointing at each other.
“If you two don’t make up your minds, I’ll drive.” Kala insisted.
Jarod responded quickly, throwing her the keys. “Miss Parker, you drive.”
****
Road North
“Where exactly are we going?” Miss Parker asked, not taking her eyes off the deserted road that lay in front of them. “As far away from the Centre as possible.” Kala confirmed, staring off into the distance. All of them where silent after that. Kala stared absentmindedly out the passenger seat window, and Jarod sat in the back, working intently on stealing yet more money from the Centre; this time for himself. Parker kept her eyes glued to the road for the most part, looking up only to smile and Kala, glance in the review mirror at Jarod, or look behind them to see if any Centre cars where following them.
After a while, after he had finished pickpocketing the Centre, Jarod started to hum quietly to himself. “99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, if one of the bottles should happen to fall 98 bottles of beer on the wall.” He sang quietly to himself, then sprang up from his relaxed position on the seat. “Ouch!!” he yelped, after banging his head on the ceiling. “Damn it.” he muttered.
“Something the matter, Jarod?” Miss Parker asked mockingly.
“I forgot to tell Sydney! He must be worried sick! You’ve been gone for over a week and I haven’t called in a month!!”
Parker slammed on the brake and stopped the car. There was no need to pull over, since they were the only ones on the highway. “You what?!” she hissed, turning in her seat to glare at him. “You said you were gonna tell him!”
“Would you two stop?” Kala asked calmly. “Just write him in his secured email. He’ll get the message.”
“Oh.” Jarod muttered, pulling out his laptop. “Besides,” Kala continued. “they probably have Syd’s phone line bugged, in case you try to contact him. It Lyle recognized me, they we’re all in hot water. I’ve been on the run for 6 years, living right under their noses. Of course, since hardly anyone has a real life there, that’s pretty easy.”
“What should I say? I mean, where should I tell him we’ll be?” Jarod asked, once he entered his email.
Kala thought for a moment, then grinned. She turned in her seat and motioned for Jarod to hand her the computer. He reluctantly handed it over, and sat back, waiting to see what she would do. She sat back in her seat though, and he couldn’t see. He heard the clicking on the keyboard as she typed, lightning speed and then the computer beeped, “You’re mail has been sent!” at them, and she turned it off and handed it back to him.
“What did you tell him?” Jarod asked, as he put the laptop away.
“Exactly where we’ll be.”
****
Sydney’s Office
“Damn!!” he slammed his fist on the table. Broots jumped. “There’s been no word from Miss Parker or Jarod for over a month. I’m starting to get really worried.” Sydney complained to his younger bald headed colleague. “It’s not like Jarod to just up and run like that.”
“You don’t thing anything happened to them do you?” Broots asked nervously.
“If the Centre had anything to do with this I’ll-” his computer beeped at him repeatedly.
“Urgent!! Urgent!! You have mail!!” Sydney quickly opened his secured email and read the short message.
Sydney,
Gone to Refuge.
There was no signature, but Sydney was sure it was from Jarod. Broots leaned over his shoulder timidly. “Are-is he alright?”
“I believe so, yes.” He stared hard at the screen, then quickly shut it down, and opened a file. Broots took the hint and scrambled over to a computer and opened a search engine, pretending to follow Jarod’s latest clue.
A few moments later, Mr Lyle burst through the door, and glared at both of them. Sydney calmly set down his papers and looked up at him. “Is there something you need Mr Lyle?”
“Don’t play nice Sydney, where’s Parker?!” he barked. Sydney shook his head. “I’m just as concerned as you are. I haven’t heard from her in over a week. I’m starting to get really worried,” he lied.
“Well if you hear from her, tell me!” he grumbled, then marched out the door. Broots shook his head and glanced at the older man. “I don’t like him.” the tech mumbled, and closed down the file. “Me neither, Broots.”
****
Angelo’s Cell
Huddled in a corner, Angelo took deep breaths, trying to sort things out, though his mind was always jumbled.
“Jarod......Parker.......reunited.......girl help.......girl daughter.......try save.....Parker work with Jarod.......why?......Parker scared.........girl scared.....Jarod scared......Sydney.......Sydney scared......try save Jarod.....something bad......happen soon......must save.....must save daughter......must save girl.......must save friends......Angelo helps.......how?” He suddenly leaped up and ducked quickly into the air vent, snaking through the vents like butter, turning rapidly, right.....left......right.......left again, navigating expertly. He finally came to the right grate, and stopped. He peered through the grate and listened intently. A few minutes later, he hurried on, and when he came to the next grate, he kicked it down and jumped though it.
The bald man jumped and let out a yell. “Angelo!” he cried, trying to catch his breath. The shrink chuckled to himself and smiled at Angelo. “You’re going to have to get used to that. Broots, he does it to everyone,” Sydney advised.
“Yeah, I know,” the tech grumbled.
“What’s wrong, Angelo?” Sydney asked suddenly, after looking at Angelo’s disturbed posture.
“Daughter, in trouble!” he cried.
“Miss Parker’s in trouble?” Sydney asked worriedly.
“Daughter, girl and friend!” he cried again, stepping towards the computer.
“Who?” Sydney asked.
“Daughter’s daughter!” Angelo emphasized.
“M-Miss Parker has a d-daughter?” Broots stumbled over the words as they fell out of his mouth. Angelo nodded enthusiastically and pushed past Sydney and over to the computer. He sat down and popped a disk in the drive and waited for the file to appear. As soon as it did, he quickly copied it, and pasted it in e-mail. There, he quickly sent it to Jarod’s secured email, and ejected the disk.
Sydney and Broots hardly had enough time to see what was on the disk, before Angelo ejected it.
“Hey!” Broots cried.
“If Angelo doesn’t want us to see it, there must be a reason.” Sydney said calmly, but inside, he was flaming. He had to know if Miss Parker or Jarod were hurt.
“Angelo, please. Tell me what was on that disk,” Sydney pleaded. Angelo stood for a moment, then laid a piece of folded up paper on the desk, and ran into the air vent, ducking under the grate and scurrying away. Sydney picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. “Mare Maris Prognatus” he read. Broots gave him a blank look.
“What does that mean?” he asked
“Sea Born,” the shrink answered.. “It’s Latin for sea born. But what does that have to do with Miss Parker having a daughter?”
“And-when did Miss Parker have a daughter?” Broots asked.
The shrink looked up and stared at him strangely. “What?” Broots asked nervously. “Broots, Miss Parker was never pregnant. We’ve been working with her for nine months and she’s shown no symptoms.” Sydney reasoned. “And I’m sure she would have told us something that important.”
“So that means........” Broots trailed off.
“That may mean, that Miss Parker didn’t know about this child.”
“B-but, how is that p-possible?”
“It’s the Centre Broots, anything’s possible.”
****
Road North
“So where are we going exactly?” Parker asked, glancing at Kala.
“There’s a small house I own in Maine, it’s hidden deep in the forest and no one knows about it except me. We should be safe there.” Kala paused, and glanced out the window. A few moments later she added sorrowfully, “There will be many memories for us, though.”
“Why?” Jarod piped in, leaning over the passenger seat to smile and them.
“I’d rather not talk about it now,” Kala replied, flashing him a small smile.
“Ok.” Jarod leaned back in his seat and sighed. This is gonna be a long trip, Jarod thought.
“Do you know how to get there?” Miss Parker asked.
“Yeah. But first, I want to make a pit stop at an old friends house.” Kala grinned. Miss Parker slowed the car, but didn’t stop it. “Ben?” she asked hopefully.
“Yep!” Kala chirped.
“How do you know him?”
“I know everybody. Rains, Lyle, Sydney, Broots, Debbie, Mr Parker, Catherine, Ben, Fenigor,-” she was ticking the names off on her fingers but she abruptly stopped. She lay her hands in her lap once more and stared out the window at the pink and purple blanket covering the sky, “Never mind.”
****
Sydney’s Office
“Broots, I want you to figure out everything you can about Project C-11 code named Mare Maris Prognatus. It may have something to do with Jarod and Miss Parker’s sudden disappearances.” Syd said.
“Ok. I’m on it.” Broots hurried off down the hall to the tech room, and Sydney turned back to the e-mail message. “Gone to Refuge,” he read again. “Where is refuge, Jarod? And what are you up to now?” The shrink searched his memory files, for something that would give him a clue as to where he might have gone. REFUGE, was the code name given when Jarod wanted to stop a simulation. But I don’t remember a place by that name, Sydney thought. Where would Jarod go to be safe? Where would Miss Parker go?
Sydney stood up and packed his things. He stopped in the tech room for a moment to inform Broots that he was going home, and if anything should come up, to call him on a secured line.
****
Sydney’s House
When he reached his house, Sydney immediately set to work, opening a DSA case and putting in SIM’s to help him remember.
Four hours later he gave up and leaned back on the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He hadn’t gotten much sleep since Miss Parker’s disappearance, and it was starting to show. All of a sudden, something clicked on in his mind. He sat up quickly and sifted through all the disks laying about, until he came to the one he was looking for.
‘Catherine, you’re looking well. A few days off did you good I see?’
‘Yes, thank you for the advise. A week to spend alone with my little girl was just what I needed.’
‘I was glad to help. Where did you go?’
‘Maine. We stayed in a small inn by the Lake, that was where we spent most our time. It was so calm and peaceful by the water. My little girl called it our refuge, a place for just us.’
“Called it our refuge- refuge- refuge.........”
“So that’s where you are Miss Parker. Lake Catherine, Maine.” Sydney rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and sighed. “At least now I can get some sleep,” he muttered, leaving the mess where it was, and climbing up the stairs to the next floor.
****
Ben’s Inn, Maine
Seven days later, the threesome reached Maine. Before he even had a chance to stop the car, Kala jumped out and raced for the house.
“They must be pretty good friends,” Jarod said, taking his bag out of the car. Parker nodded but said nothing.
As they walked up the path to the inn, they heard the delighted squeals and laughs coming from the front room. When they reached the porch, they found Kala and Ben laughing histericly, over absolutely nothing.
Ben looked up and smiled broadly at them. “Hello, Miss Parker.” He stood up and walked over to her. “You look well.”
She smiled and thanked him, and gave him a hug. “It’s so nice to see you smile.” Ben replied.
“You know Jarod, don’t you Ben?” she asked, motioning to the man on her left.
“Yes, he spent some time here a few years ago. How are you?” he shook Jarod’s hand and picked up on of the bags, and started towards the house.
“I’m just fine, thank you. Seems you know Kala?” he inquired.
“Yes, Kala comes up here all the time to visit. Never stays here though. Go’s up in the mountains, camping or something.” Ben answered.
“That’s where we’ll be going,” Parker replied, giving him a small smile.
“Oh, you won’t be staying here then?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” There was a uncomfortable silence before Ben spoke again. “It’s so nice to see you two together again.”
“Oh, we aren’t together, together, we’re just- partners.” Parker searched for the right word to describe them.
“I see. That won’t be for long,” he muttered, then set the bags down and left the two wondering what he meant by that.
****
“Where’s Kala?” Miss Parker asked Ben the following morning. The smell of coffee woke her up, and when she went to see if Kala was still asleep, she wasn’t in her room.
“Down by the lake.” Ben answered automatically, even though she hadn’t told him where she’d be. Ben had convinced them to spend the night there, because he didn’t want them climbing the mountain at ‘night’.
“Thank you.” She wrapped the white robe tighter around her and headed out into the morning light. She walked slowly down the walk, and paused when she saw the figure sitting on a rock, still as glass. She was picking petals off a flower, and tossing them into the lake, her head was hung low. Miss Parker bridged the rest of the way between them, and sat down next to the girl, staring out at the calm waters.
Kala sighed, and threw the stem into the water, and watched it float around in circles. “Life is like water.”
“How so?” Parker asked, still not looking at her.
“It can be so calm, and peaceful at times, so gentle, so beautiful. And then other times, it just tears you apart, like a boat at sea.”
“That’s what life is,” Parker reasoned.
“No. That’s what our life is. I can’t take this anymore.”
“The Centre?” Parker asked, looking at her now, seeing the tears in her eyes for the first time.
“No. The Centre I can handle. It’s everything else. It’s all the people who have died because of my SIMS, the people who have lost loved ones because of what I thought up. I have enough innocent blood on my hands and I want no more.”
They were both silent for long time; Miss Parker not knowing what to say, and Kala just not saying anything. Finally, Kala spoke. “You just don’t get it do you?” She sighed and shook her head. Miss Parker said nothing, but waited for her to continue. “Everyone is just so blind. No one seems to notice, what means the most in this life.”
“What do you mean?” Parker asked, confused.
“That’s what I mean. Question: How many times has your father, hurt you? Not physical, emotionally?” Parker didn’t answer so Kala continued. “That’s what I thought. More times then ;you can count.”
“My father, may do things to hurt me, but not purposely.” Parker tried to reason, though deep in her heart, she knew it wasn’t true. Kala snorted. “Right. He’s set you up for a T-Board, he tried to turn you into an assassin, have you kill your own brother-”
“Hey, I didn’t know he was my brother,”she cut in.
“My point exactly! He didn’t tell you about Lyle, or Faith, or the truth behind your mother’s death. He’s lied to you about all these things, and yet you would still give your life for him. If you’re going to save someone, save the man in that house,” she said forcefully, pointing to the Inn. They both new, she was not talking about Ben. “Save him, the pain, and the grief and just tell him the truth. Before it’s to late! You may not have, a second chance like you did with Thomas. If there is something you need to tell someone then by God tell them now! The Centre’s cost to many lives. If it’s war they want, it’s war they’ll get!” And with that she stood up and marched into the trees, vanishing like mist into the dark woods.
****
TBC
Feedback: Loved it? Liked it? Hated it so much, you plan to steal Miss Parker’s 9mm and shoot me with it? (Please don’t to that literally!) Let me know!!
