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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
She let the hot water run down her back, in a vain attempt to wipe out the overriding memories of the dream that woke her so early. But the visions of uncertainty plagued her, and resigned, she shut the water off and stepped from the shower, drawing a towel over herself for warmth. Still dripping, she walked into her bedroom. The voice from behind startled her.
“Early bird gets the worm?”
She couldn’t keep the sneer from her face, nor the anger from her tone. “What are you doing here, Jarod?”
He smiled as she reached for her weapon, only to discover it missing. He dangled it from his fingers. “Looking for this?”
Parker rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
His face turned serious. “I have reason to believe that you’re in danger, Miss Parker.”
“From what? Catching a cold because I’m standing here dripping in a towel?”
Up until that moment, Jarod hadn’t thought about her current state of undress. And suddenly he felt his mouth run dry. “Well...I...”
She stalked to her bed, picked up her heavy wool robe, and slipped it on. Once again she turned to face him, irritation lighting up her eyes. “Don’t you have anything else to do but stand here in my bedroom, aggravating me?”
“I know that your father’s been called away, and that you’ve chosen now to take on Mr. Raines. Do you really think that’s wise?”
“Why is it you always know so much about Centre business?”
He took a tentative step toward her, only to be stopped by the ire on her face. “Sydney is very concerned for your safety-”
“-Sydney should have kept his concerns to himself. I should have his Sim Lab for this...”
“But you won’t.” She glared at him, so he continued, “You won’t because you know he's only looking out for you.”
Parker turned away, grabbed her comb from the dressing table, and began running it through her wet hair. “Sydney worries like an old lady. And he had no right discussing anything involving the Centre with you, Jarod.”
Jarod moved closer, stopping right behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror, and she could see the anxiety in him.
“I’ve known Sydney all my life, Miss Parker, and I’ve never felt this kind of fear from him.”
She slammed the comb down on the dressing table and turned to face him. “I don’t know why you’re here, Jarod, but you need to understand that I’m not the little girl you once knew. Neither you nor Sydney seem to get that I can take care of myself, and I don’t need to be protected from the Centre. Certainly not by either one of you.”
She turned back toward the mirror, and when she looked for his reflection, he was gone. “Damn him. Damn both of them.”
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Sydney looked at his watch and let out a long sigh. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
He made no attempt to cover the agitation in his voice when it was answered.
“Broots...have you heard from her?”
“No, Sydney, not yet. But you know, it’s still earl-”
“-I know what time it is, Broots. She should have been here by now.”
Broots tried to soften his voice, “Take it easy, Sydney, I’m sure everything’s fine. You know women, sometimes it takes them forever in the morning.”
“You let me know the moment she comes in.”
Before Broots could answer, the phone was slammed down in his ear. Sydney continued to pace the length of his office, his hands fisted into tight balls in the pockets of his jacket. After several minutes, to his great relief, he heard the click-clack of high heels on the floor of the hallway. He turned to see her in the doorway a moment later.
“Miss Parker, thank God...”
She stepped into the office, her eyes tiny orbs of fury. “Talk to any deity you want, but don’t you ever talk to Jarod about me again.”
“Please don’t misunderstand-”
“-How dare you, Sydney. You not only divulged Centre business to him by telling him my father was called away, but you discussed me with him. How could you?”
He stood perfectly still and pitched his voice low. “Parker, please calm down. I was...”
But he couldn’t complete the thought. Parker stopped in front of him, staring into the abyss that used to be his eyes. Her brows knitted together in consternation, and her voice fell soft.
“You were what?”
He looked down at the floor, and swiftly his eyes flicked up to meet hers. “I was scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yes. For you.”
“Oh for God’s sake, Sydney, that’s ridiculous. You know that old bag of wind isn’t going to make a move against me. He wouldn’t dare; my father would kill him.”
The doctor stepped away, his arms crossing in front of him. “You don’t understand, Miss Parker.”
“I don’t understand what?”
“The balance of power.”
She sighed, running out of patience. “What about it?”
“It’s changed.”
“My father has taken trips to Africa before-”
His voice was stern as he cut her off, “-No. This isn’t about him.”
“Well then who is it about?”
His eyes filled with a guilt so primal, Parker could barely look into them. “Me, Miss Parker. It’s about me.”
Sensing his growing panic, she stepped closer to him. “What have you kept from me, Sydney?”
“A DSA...”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“It held information on it that would have cast both Mr. Raines and your father in a bad light with the Triumvirate.”
“What? How could you keep this from me, Sydney?”
“I didn’t want you to be involved, Miss Parker.”
“Bullshit.” She held his eyes. “Tell me the truth, Sydney.”
“It was the sole reason that I had influence in certain matters...”
“Jarod, you mean.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “Not just Jarod.”
And then the point hit home, and her voice was tinged with disbelief. “Daddy didn’t want me to go away to college...”
“Nor did he want you to take the job at Corporate when you graduated.”
She looked into his face, and saw the truth. “So now you're telling me that for all these years, you talked him into doing what was best for me?”
“Forced him, you mean...”
“How convenient. But why now? What has changed?”
“Raines knows.”
“He knows what?”
“The DSA...it was destroyed.”
“Destroyed... how?”
“The only thing that matters, is that I no longer have anything to use as leverage.” He took her gently by the arms as the weight of it all came crashing down upon her. “You must go, Miss Parker. You must leave, now, today. You must cover your trail, and you must never look back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Freud. I can’t just pick up and leave.”
“Yes you can, and you must, Miss Parker.”
She broke away from him, and walked toward the door. “You’re overreacting, Sydney.”
“No, I’m not.”
Parker looked at him. “What was on it?” He was silent, and she reiterated. “What was on the DSA, Sydney?”
“That's not important now.”
“The hell it isn't, Sydney. Tell me.”
“Parker, please trust me, and go. Put as much distance between you and the Centre as you can.”
“Not without a reason.”
“I’ve given you one.”
“No, you haven’t. As usual, Sydney, you’ve given me doubt, mystery and absolutely no facts.”
“I’m asking you to trust me.”
“Trust you? You have got to be kidding.” She turned toward the door. “You have just admitted to keeping information from me, lying to me, and confiding in Jarod. I wouldn’t trust you now, Sydney, anymore than I would that wheezing tank of hell upstairs. Go play mind games with somebody else, I’m not interested in any more of your lies.”
Parker turned on her heel and quickly retreated down the hall, leaving Sydney with a fear so thick he could taste it. And then he realized it was the bile rising in his throat.
“Early bird gets the worm?”
She couldn’t keep the sneer from her face, nor the anger from her tone. “What are you doing here, Jarod?”
He smiled as she reached for her weapon, only to discover it missing. He dangled it from his fingers. “Looking for this?”
Parker rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
His face turned serious. “I have reason to believe that you’re in danger, Miss Parker.”
“From what? Catching a cold because I’m standing here dripping in a towel?”
Up until that moment, Jarod hadn’t thought about her current state of undress. And suddenly he felt his mouth run dry. “Well...I...”
She stalked to her bed, picked up her heavy wool robe, and slipped it on. Once again she turned to face him, irritation lighting up her eyes. “Don’t you have anything else to do but stand here in my bedroom, aggravating me?”
“I know that your father’s been called away, and that you’ve chosen now to take on Mr. Raines. Do you really think that’s wise?”
“Why is it you always know so much about Centre business?”
He took a tentative step toward her, only to be stopped by the ire on her face. “Sydney is very concerned for your safety-”
“-Sydney should have kept his concerns to himself. I should have his Sim Lab for this...”
“But you won’t.” She glared at him, so he continued, “You won’t because you know he's only looking out for you.”
Parker turned away, grabbed her comb from the dressing table, and began running it through her wet hair. “Sydney worries like an old lady. And he had no right discussing anything involving the Centre with you, Jarod.”
Jarod moved closer, stopping right behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror, and she could see the anxiety in him.
“I’ve known Sydney all my life, Miss Parker, and I’ve never felt this kind of fear from him.”
She slammed the comb down on the dressing table and turned to face him. “I don’t know why you’re here, Jarod, but you need to understand that I’m not the little girl you once knew. Neither you nor Sydney seem to get that I can take care of myself, and I don’t need to be protected from the Centre. Certainly not by either one of you.”
She turned back toward the mirror, and when she looked for his reflection, he was gone. “Damn him. Damn both of them.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sydney looked at his watch and let out a long sigh. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
He made no attempt to cover the agitation in his voice when it was answered.
“Broots...have you heard from her?”
“No, Sydney, not yet. But you know, it’s still earl-”
“-I know what time it is, Broots. She should have been here by now.”
Broots tried to soften his voice, “Take it easy, Sydney, I’m sure everything’s fine. You know women, sometimes it takes them forever in the morning.”
“You let me know the moment she comes in.”
Before Broots could answer, the phone was slammed down in his ear. Sydney continued to pace the length of his office, his hands fisted into tight balls in the pockets of his jacket. After several minutes, to his great relief, he heard the click-clack of high heels on the floor of the hallway. He turned to see her in the doorway a moment later.
“Miss Parker, thank God...”
She stepped into the office, her eyes tiny orbs of fury. “Talk to any deity you want, but don’t you ever talk to Jarod about me again.”
“Please don’t misunderstand-”
“-How dare you, Sydney. You not only divulged Centre business to him by telling him my father was called away, but you discussed me with him. How could you?”
He stood perfectly still and pitched his voice low. “Parker, please calm down. I was...”
But he couldn’t complete the thought. Parker stopped in front of him, staring into the abyss that used to be his eyes. Her brows knitted together in consternation, and her voice fell soft.
“You were what?”
He looked down at the floor, and swiftly his eyes flicked up to meet hers. “I was scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yes. For you.”
“Oh for God’s sake, Sydney, that’s ridiculous. You know that old bag of wind isn’t going to make a move against me. He wouldn’t dare; my father would kill him.”
The doctor stepped away, his arms crossing in front of him. “You don’t understand, Miss Parker.”
“I don’t understand what?”
“The balance of power.”
She sighed, running out of patience. “What about it?”
“It’s changed.”
“My father has taken trips to Africa before-”
His voice was stern as he cut her off, “-No. This isn’t about him.”
“Well then who is it about?”
His eyes filled with a guilt so primal, Parker could barely look into them. “Me, Miss Parker. It’s about me.”
Sensing his growing panic, she stepped closer to him. “What have you kept from me, Sydney?”
“A DSA...”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“It held information on it that would have cast both Mr. Raines and your father in a bad light with the Triumvirate.”
“What? How could you keep this from me, Sydney?”
“I didn’t want you to be involved, Miss Parker.”
“Bullshit.” She held his eyes. “Tell me the truth, Sydney.”
“It was the sole reason that I had influence in certain matters...”
“Jarod, you mean.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “Not just Jarod.”
And then the point hit home, and her voice was tinged with disbelief. “Daddy didn’t want me to go away to college...”
“Nor did he want you to take the job at Corporate when you graduated.”
She looked into his face, and saw the truth. “So now you're telling me that for all these years, you talked him into doing what was best for me?”
“Forced him, you mean...”
“How convenient. But why now? What has changed?”
“Raines knows.”
“He knows what?”
“The DSA...it was destroyed.”
“Destroyed... how?”
“The only thing that matters, is that I no longer have anything to use as leverage.” He took her gently by the arms as the weight of it all came crashing down upon her. “You must go, Miss Parker. You must leave, now, today. You must cover your trail, and you must never look back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Freud. I can’t just pick up and leave.”
“Yes you can, and you must, Miss Parker.”
She broke away from him, and walked toward the door. “You’re overreacting, Sydney.”
“No, I’m not.”
Parker looked at him. “What was on it?” He was silent, and she reiterated. “What was on the DSA, Sydney?”
“That's not important now.”
“The hell it isn't, Sydney. Tell me.”
“Parker, please trust me, and go. Put as much distance between you and the Centre as you can.”
“Not without a reason.”
“I’ve given you one.”
“No, you haven’t. As usual, Sydney, you’ve given me doubt, mystery and absolutely no facts.”
“I’m asking you to trust me.”
“Trust you? You have got to be kidding.” She turned toward the door. “You have just admitted to keeping information from me, lying to me, and confiding in Jarod. I wouldn’t trust you now, Sydney, anymore than I would that wheezing tank of hell upstairs. Go play mind games with somebody else, I’m not interested in any more of your lies.”
Parker turned on her heel and quickly retreated down the hall, leaving Sydney with a fear so thick he could taste it. And then he realized it was the bile rising in his throat.
