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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Part 5
Looking up, Jarod saw Raines gloating down. The man, however, was so intent on the face below him that he failed to notice Jarod raising his hand until the gun was level with Raines' eyes. Jarod allowed him a second to realize before pulling the trigger and, simultaneously, yanking his head away from Raines' grasp. A figure appeared at the top of the stairs as the body crumpled to the floor, and Jarod, as he glanced up, felt his heart sink. Hoping she was still willing to be as obedient as she had been in the confrontation with Lyle, he slipped up beside her.
"Parker, go back to your room."
She looked at him, speaking in the same low, tense tones as he had. "Why?"
"Just do it. Trust me - it's really important that you go up and stay there."
She turned towards the upper level before looking back. "Jarod?"
"What?"
"Is my father here?"
"Just go back upstairs."
He unscrewed the silencer from the gun, hoping that he wouldn't have to kill anyone else. With a trembling hand, he wiped Raines' blood from his face. His reaction was not as severe as when he had killed Lyle but the thought that he had taken a human life was as disturbing as it had been since Damon had died.
"Jarod, just come out and talk to me," Mr. Parker’s voice urged from the front of the house.
Jarod's eyes scanned the sky and the surrounding area. It seemed unlikely that Raines and Mr Parker would travel without Centre back-up but he could see nothing and hadn't heard any vehicles approaching the house. A footstep behind him showed how incorrect he had been in that assumption and he turned in time to see Sam approaching, gun aimed at his head. Jarod raised his hands above his head, linking his fingers after tossing the gun across the room onto a chair.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Jarod saw the figure on the stairs. Cursing in his heart at her disobedience, he watched as Sam came closer. As he got a little too close, Jarod raised one knee and brought his two hands down on the back of Sam's neck, making the sweeper’s face come into direct contact with the hard bone of his knee. The man slumped to floor and Jarod dragged the body to a small, built-in closet, bereft him of his weapon, and made sure that the sturdy door was locked. Retrieving his own gun, he slipped behind a door and watched as Willie warily came in through the door.
A knock with Sam's gun to the nape of Willie's neck and the two sweepers were secured, unarmed, in the same small closet. Jarod's mind turned to the problem of Mr. Parker and his daughter. He wanted her to have the chance to make up her own mind about her feelings for her father, rather than always resent him for having made the decision for her. It would, he knew, be the fastest way for the anger that she had, in recent years, felt for him to return.
With an inward plea for help, he checked that the guns that he carried were ready for use and waited. He listened as the figure approached the house and entered. Having already seen the gun Mr. Parker carried, he was wary of an armed confrontation. The older man passed through the doorway, behind the door of which Jarod was standing, and, as he progressed further into the room, Jarod slipped behind him and placed the gun between the man's shoulder blades. The older figure's instant reaction was to immediately raise both his hands towards the ceiling but, as Jarod guessed he would, he also pulled the trigger. Jarod's realization of his probable actions meant that he was prepared to grab Mr Parker's shoulder and yank him back, away from the falling debris. The plaster fell to the floor, making a cloud of white dust that, had the Pretender not had a firm hold on Mr Parker's shoulder, would have provided the ideal situation for an escape. But Jarod's foresight had prevented that.
"Drop it," he growled, "or I'll put a hole in that part of you that masquerades as your heart." With his free hand, he knocked Mr Parker's wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon. Looking up, he gasped with relief to see Sydney and his son coming cautiously up the stairs. Seeing the situation, Sydney grabbed rope from nail on which it hung on the veranda and, with Nicholas' help, bound the prisoner’s hands and feet. Then Jarod stepped back and looked down at the figure curled up on the floor, before remembering the woman at the top of the stairs.
He turned and went up the steps, two at a time. Reaching the top, he found her curled up against the banisters, her face in her hands. Her entire body shook with tremors and, as Jarod reached out a shaking hand to touch her shoulder, she lashed out, eyes closed, and he had to duck to avoid being hit.
"Hey, it's okay."
"Jarod?"
"Yes, Parker. It's me."
She opened her eyes and stared at him wildly. Then she was on her feet and in his arms. His own closed thankfully around her, knowing how close he had come to death.
"I thought... when I heard someone coming up the stairs... I didn't know if I'd see you or him. I... oh, Jarod..."
He stroked her hair with one hand and held her tightly to him with the other. "Yes, Parker. I know." He shakily let out the breath he'd been holding. "I know."
After several minutes, she pulled slightly away. "Where...where's Daddy?"
He took her face in his hands and looked down at her. "He's downstairs. Are you sure you want to see him?"
"Ye...I think so." He held her close for a moment and she clung to him, confusion on her face.
"You don't have to see him, but you need to make a decision."
"Can he...hurt me?" The childish comment reminded Jarod of everything that she had gone through and he involuntarily held her closer.
"No, Parker. I tie...He can't hurt you."
"I want to see him." Her eyes glowed with a determined light and, as Jarod put a comforting arm around her shoulders, they began to walk down the stairs.
Sydney looked up as the two people came in and instinctively stepped between Miss Parker and the figure of her father lying on the sofa. Seeing the look on Jarod's face, he moved to the side and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. The Pretender reached out for the gun that Nicholas still held. Sydney took it from Nicholas' grasp and handed it, with a warning look, to Jarod. The two then left the room. Jarod's glance oscillated between Miss Parker and her father as he took a position where the older man could still see him but where his daughter wouldn't be disturbed by his presence.
"Angel! It's wonderful to see you after so long. Why don't you untie me and we'll straighten out this ridiculous situation?" He looked up at her, but her gaze never wavered from his face and the steely look in her eyes caused him to feel a little uneasy. It reminded him uncomfortably of expressions that had appeared Catherine’s face. "Come on, Angel. Help me up and we'll go home."
"No." The word was almost inaudible but Jarod thrilled with pride that Parker had become strong enough to finally stand up to her father. "No, Daddy. I need to know something. Why did you order Momma's death?"
"Why did I what? Angel, what are you talking about?"
"You told Raines to kill Momma."
Mr Parker glared at Jarod. "What lies have you been telling my daughter? Is this why she's been missing for so long? You've had her here - brainwashing her!"
"No, Daddy. I worked this out for myself. I've been blind to everything that you've done for so many years and I finally worked it out - for myself. You ordered her death. She found out what you had been doing to me - all of the 'games' you forced me to play with you. And she found out, every time you wanted to do it, that you drugged her. You were concerned that she'd go to the police and tell them - so you...you had her..."
The tears had begun to well in her eyes as she made the first accusations and now, as they flowed down her cheeks, she began to sob convulsively. Out of the corner of his eye, as the woman threw herself at him, Jarod saw Sydney enter the room and handed over the gun.
"Okay, Parker. It's okay. You're safe." He guided her to a seat and sat her down on it. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his stomach, soaking his t-shirt with hot tears, but neither Jarod not Sydney interfered to stop her. They knew that this would be a final part in the long recovery process.
The storm of tears continued for several minutes, during which time neither Jarod nor Sydney spoke. Mr Parker had, several times, asked plaintively for someone to explain the situation but, having been ignored, he had now fallen silent. Finally a dull knocking broke the silence of the room. Leaving Miss Parker, whose tears had begun to diminish, Jarod pulled out his gun once more, having returned it to its holster prior to going up to Miss Parker, and walked to the cupboard in which the two sweepers were imprisoned. Although Nicholas had re-entered the room only seconds earlier, Jarod was still not completely happy about letting the two men out but, looking over his shoulder, he thankfully spotted Broots coming up to the house.
The two men, after struggling slightly, were tied up. Miss Parker had exhausted herself with her emotions and Jarod had taken her up to bed. During the interval Sydney and Broots had taken the two sweepers around to where the helicopter had landed and then Jarod returned. He wrapped Raines' body in a clean sheet and Sydney also organized for that to be put into the helicopter. The pilot obediently took off on orders purporting to have come from Mr Parker. As the machine vanished into the sky, Jarod slipped out of the trees and Sydney turned to him.
"The Triumvirate?"
"There have only ever been two permanent members of it anyway - Raines and Mr Parker. The third position has always been fairly flexible. At one stage there was a dark woman, but she disagreed with one of Raines' schemes and was found at the bottom of her driveway one morning. Even Catherine was there for a while - until she also made the mistake of disagreeing with their ideas." Jarod stared at the ground. "The Centre's done a lot of damage over the years."
"So what now?"
Jarod smiled. "I think I have an idea."
Sydney watched as the helicopter approached. As the craft landed softly on the grass, he placed a hand on Parker's shoulder and felt that she was trembling slightly. He had been unsure as to the wisdom of allowing her to witness the scenes that were now forthcoming but she had insisted and Jarod had supported her, explaining his concern that she might not thoroughly recover from the fear that she still had of her father if she couldn't see the situation through to the end. The Pretender, meanwhile, had approached the helicopter and was waiting until the pilot had opened the door and the two occupants climbed out, the more refined-looking of the two immediately turning to Jarod, holding out his hand.
"Zdrastvooy, Jarod. Kak ti seba chustvooech?"
"I'm well, Sergey. And you?"
"Also well. Ah, and this is Sydney? Hello, Gospod Sydney. It is an honor to meet you. And you, Miss Parker."
The dark man turned back to Jarod, who was greeting his colleague. Through her numbness, Miss Parker was startled to see the number of weapons that the two carried. Although she had managed to distance herself from her father, she still felt a small flicker of sympathy for the terror that he must feel upon seeing them.
As the group walked into the room, Nicholas moved away from the sofa and handed the gun over to Jarod. The former child prodigy returned it to his holster and stood watching the encounter.
"Well, Mr Parker, we meet again."
The bound man looked up at the speaker and immediately felt a tremor of fear go through him. Whatever Jarod had planned for him, Mr Parker had certainly not expected this. It meant that Jarod must therefore also be aware of all of the facts regarding the deals that had existed between the Russians and himself. He tried to bluff his way out of the situation.
"What can I do for you, Sergey?"
Comparing the offer with the man's present circumstances, Nicholas was unable to prevent himself from snickering slightly and the glance that Jarod shot at him showed that they were both enjoying the same joke.
"Well, you were so kind to us during our time of working together." The sarcasm made Mr Parker more worried than he had been before. "And I wanted the chance to repay some of it. Gospod Jarod, would you please read aloud the papers that you so kindly sent to me, in order that Mr Parker knows the circumstances under which we are taking him back with us."
"Certainly, Sergey."
As the long list of deals and situations were read out aloud in Jarod's calm voice, feelings grew in Mr Parker that were anything but calm.
"Very good, Jarod. But there is one more, I believe. One that you would not even reveal to me in the messages we exchanged."
"Yes, Sergey. This is probably the most significant, but I doubt if even you ever learned of it. I believe that the information was restricted only to your superiors."
"And this information..."
Jarod looked down at the paper and began to read. "On four separate occasions, beginning on the 23rd of July, 1986 and ending on the 12th of November, 1989, the Centre, acting on the advice of a person identified as Mr Parker, offered the KGB bribes of various large sums of money, amounting to several thousand dollars. The offers were refused and resulted in serious threats being made against the Russian government and people."
Jarod lowered the page and then looked at Sergey. The Russian's eyes were the only part of him that betrayed his surprise and Jarod handed the page to him for future reference. The black eyes skimmed the page and then turned to Mr Parker. The older man, having become increasing pale as the interview went on, was now quite white and Jarod glanced quickly at Miss Parker to see what her reaction was. She was sitting quietly on a chair and he wondered if she had absorbed any of what had passed. Feeling his eyes on her, however, she looked up and gave him a tiny smile. Reassured, he looked back to the hub of the action.
In that time Sergey and his compatriot, Vadim, had placed handcuffs around Mr Parker's wrists and chains on his ankles. The older man glared up at Jarod from under lowered brows, but for the first time Jarod felt no anxiety at his gaze. The concern of what Mr Parker could do had always made him fearful before but now he was able to ignore the expression and turn his attention to other matters as Sergey looked at him.
"Mee Blagodarniye za twoyu pomozch, Jarod."
"My pleasure, Sergey. I was glad to help." He looked at the thick bundle of American dollars the Russian was offering and, hesitantly, as he had no desire to offend this man, shook his head. "Please, Sergey, I couldn't accept money for what I've done. I feel that I am indebted to you for taking this man with you and I believe that I should be paying, rather than the other way around."
The Russian smiled broadly, understanding. "Ah, I see. You have your honor to think of. Then we will make these debts cancel each other out. But, if I can ever be of service to you again..."
"Or if I can help you, Sergey, then you must call."
The group, with Vadim carrying the prisoner, made their way out to the helicopter. "Well, goodbye Miss Parker, Mr. Sydney, Nicholas. Goodbye Jarod."
"Do sveedaneeya, Sergey, Vadim. Have a safe trip home."
As the helicopter took off, Sydney and Nicholas tactfully disappeared. Parker's eyes followed the object for several seconds before she turned and buried her face in Jarod's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. Despite the sobbing, he could still hear and feel what she said.
"I'm safe. Finally, at last, I'm safe."
"Er, M...?"
"What?"
The computer technician peeped into the room, the rest of his body remaining in the hallway outside, ready for instant flight. "I've...got the report."
"Well, why didn't Willie bring it? Wasn't he in charge?"
"Ye...yes." Broots trembled slightly.
"I want to see him, with that report, right here and now."
"B...but..."
"Now!"
The head disappeared and the woman cast a laughing glance at the other figure in the office who acknowledged the look with a nod but kept his lips pressed in a straight line. Seconds later the sweeper sidled into his office, a folder in his hand. He dropped it onto the first desk and turned, about to flee when a voice stopped him.
"I'm not in charge of this search. Give the report to Jarod."
Willie cast a look of mute appeal at the woman, but the steely glance that met his gaze gave him no encouragement. He picked up the folder and carried it over to the other desk.
"All right. Get out." The sharp tones had their effect and the sweeper fled.
"You are a bully, Jarod."
"If he'd had his way, I’d be dead, or working for Raines again. Forgive me if I repay a little of what he deserves." He opened the folder, looking at the information it contained. A sigh told her everything she needed to know.
"Still no sign, huh? At least you know how we felt."
"But at least I left you clues to follow. Each time we get somewhere they've just vanished. It appears this time as if we were only minutes away. Apparently there was still warm coffee in a pot on the stove." He slapped the booklet shut and, turning, pushed it into a filing cabinet that stood behind his desk.
"Excuse me, Mr Parker. Mr and Mrs Ness have come for their appointment. I put them into the interview room."
"Thank-you, Sandy. I'll be right there."
Jarod pushed back his seat and stood up as Mrs Parker laughed. "I love the fact that you've adopted my name, rather than..."
He grinned. "Well, which one in particular were you thinking that you'd like to use, of the hundreds that I've adopted over the years?" Jarod stood up. "And now, if you don't mind, I have prospective parents to see."
"Do you think you can help them?"
"I hope so. The rates of success of the fertility treatments have increased and I think they have a good chance. They have everything going for them."
"Good luck."
Jarod flashed a smile over his shoulder at his wife before exiting the office.
"I still can't believe what you've done with this place." Mrs Parker looked around at the once sparse rooms, now filled with children's toys and games and with walls covered with stimulating scenes for young children. "It's so much better than it was."
"Oh, I don't know. I still remember the fun of crawling through the air vents to those secret meetings. The kids here..."
"Will hopefully have better lives than we did."
Jarod laughed and pulled her into his arms. "We seem to be doing pretty well for ourselves." He bent down and was about to kiss her, but a giggle from behind made them turn.
"Well, Margaret, and what have you been up to all day?" Jarod let go of his wife and swung his daughter up into his arms.
"Sydney showed Charles an' me how to make cubbies in the walls. See?" She grabbed her father's arm and pulled him into one of the rooms. Sydney, his hair covered in cobwebs, emerged from the vent, followed by a small boy who ran to Mrs Parker and hugged her around the waist as Debbie appeared from behind Sydney.
"Did we block that off?"
"Mm hmm. They aren't going to get lost in the bowels of the Centre, if that's what you were thinking."
"You always know what I'm thinking."
"Compulsory part of having married you."
She rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek as the two children turned back to their cubbyhole and Sydney, having shaken the dust out of his hair, left the room with them. Michelle, leaving one of the rooms, joined them.
"Where's Brigitte?"
"Still finishing the job you set her earlier." Jarod walked over and yanked open a door. A figure slowly emerged, a cloth tied around her head and an ugly tartan strip tied around her waist as an apron. "Well, you're certainly taking your time. Is that toilet clean yet?"
She muttered angrily and glared at Mrs Parker, who pretended not to notice. The trio left her and continued down the hall to where rows of babies lay in their cots in the nursery. A group of men stood outside the window, comparing pictures and all talking loudly.
"Well, the Catherine Parker Obstetrics Ward appears to be flourishing."
Sydney's words brought a smile to the new Mrs Parker's lips and she squeezed her husband’s arm.
"I still can't believe you came up with this idea."
"Oh, it was easy," he replied, trying to look modest and failing.
At this juncture a figure came up to the group. "Excuse me, Mr. Parker, but there's someone who wants to see you in your office."
Jarod looked down at his secretary. "Did they give a name?"
"No, sir. The Major said you would know who he was."
