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Moonlight & Roses
Allyson Diana
Part Three:
Woods
Two days later
Jarod was sitting outside when Greg came up to him. He hadn't done much in the last two days. He hadn't wanted to do anything. His father was trying to get him to eat, but he couldn't. He didn't want to eat or sleep or even think anymore. He just wanted it all to go away.
"Hey, Jarod. Charlie thought you might want some dinner," Greg sat down next to him. "Guess not. That's all right, Neil cooked. It's probably better if you don't eat it." He patted his stomach.
"How old were you when Catherine rescued you?" Jarod asked turning to face Greg.
"About eight, I guess." Greg looked away.
"I don't know how old I am." Jarod looked across the woods.
"Your father would know," Greg said. "Ask him." Jarod looked down. "What happened in there, Jarod? What did they do to you?" He didn't want to sound like he was prying, but Jarod looked so sad even though he found his family and got out of the Centre.
"I know my father means well, Greg. I know who angry he is at them for taking me away. But you know this is wrong. Killing all of them won't stop the demons or the nightmares that we all have." Jarod looked over at Greg. "It will only create new ones. I know." He looked across to the woods again. "I killed someone recently," Jarod's mind raced back to Damon and the horrors he had done to all those innocent people. To his friend. To him. He knew he was angry, he knew he had to be stopped. "What he had done to people was wrong and I wanted to stop him because I hated him for what he did to me. I trusted him and he killed one of my friends. I knew he had to stop him."
"What happened?" Greg asked.
"He had taken another one of my friends. He had him at gunpoint. I knew he would kill him unless I stopped him first. I pulled the trigger and he fell. I watched as his life fade away...and I can't get that moment out of my head." Jarod stood up. "I didn't have to kill him, I had to stop him. I was confused by my anger, so is my father. So are all of you. We should stop the Centre, not kill people." Jarod walked away. Greg stood looking at him and slowly went back into the cabin. Somehow he knew Jarod was right.
Jarod walked around the back of the cabin and started to head for the other side when he saw her. Then he saw the men behind her. Jarod stared in disbelief. You betrayed me, how could you? You distracted me so that they could follow us. No , he said to himself. She didn't betray him, the Centre betrayed her. He looked at her eyes and knew he was right. Empty. He had to warn them. He crept into the back door and told them all to be quiet.
"They're here. They want me, no one has to get hurt. Take the van, it's parked in the back and go," Jarod said quietly.
"No," Greg went to Jarod who was now on the ground. "We stay and fight."
"No, Greg you leave and live." He said, sharply at him.
"Do as Jarod says," Charles told them. "Be quiet and meet us at the river like we said. If we're not there in an hour, leave. Now go!" He said to them as they headed out the back. He pulled out a bag of filled with weapons. Jarod looked over at him. Charles crept to the window and he could see Parker coming up the walkway. He pointed his gun at the window. Jarod pulled the gun down.
"No," Jarod said. "We do this my way." He pulled out a smoke bomb from the bag.
"Jarod, what are you going to do with that?" Charles said catching his hand.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Jarod said and motioned for him to leave. Charles stayed where he was. "You have to go, we'll only have a matter of seconds."
"I stay." Charles said looking at him.
"All right, go out the back and we'll meet you there." Charles nodded and took his gun.
Jarod saw her on the steps. She looked like someone had convinced her to be there, that was for certain. Oh, Parker, why didn't you listen to me? He said to himself and then opened the door, pulling her with one hand and throwing the smoke bomb with the other. Smoke started to go around them and he heard the men in the bushed shout to get them.
"Jarod," she started.
"Come on Parker. We don't have time to talk right now. Run," he said screaming at her. She held the hand he outstretched for her and ran with him out the back door. "Come on," he said to Charles as they passed by. Parker didn't have time to look at who Jarod was shouting at.
"Where are we going?" Charles asked.
They entered the woods and headed east back toward the cabin.
"Jarod, what are you doing?" Charles said.
"I said trust me." He answered and continued running east. Parker looked over at Charles. It was dark so she couldn't make out the face.
"He says that all the time," she said and followed after him. Charles caught with them just as they stopped.
"What now?" Parker asked. Jarod looked at her.
"Got the keys to any of these cars?" He said looking over at the Centre cars. He turned to her and smiled. She reached in her coat and threw him a key ring.
"Right here," she whispered pointed to the red sportscar no more than 25 feet away from them.
"All right. Ready?" He looked back at both of them. They nodded. They raced across the field, opened the door dove into the car, started it and took off. The men heard the car from the woods, but they were all too deep into the woods to get there in time.
The Centre
"You have got to be kidding?" Lyle said on his cell phone, looking over at Sydney and Broots who were waiting anxiously.
"What happened?" Sydney asked.
"They got away all of them!" Lyle yelled. "Jarod, his father and Miss Parker." He stormed out of the office, "I hate him."
Broots held but a cheer as Sydney looked at him.
"What? They got away." Broots said.
"Yes and if Jarod took Miss Parker, her father will be in more determined to bring them both back...for punishment." Sydney said and walked out the doors.
Broots looked around for a moment and then put a fist in the air. "Go Jarod," he whispered and walked out the door.
The car sped down the road for a while, before they all realized no one was following them.
"Jarod are you insane?" She said, looking over at him driving.
"I wasn't going that fast," he said looking over at her.
"You could of gotten us both killed back there with your little trick."
"You should be happy I didn't kill you." Charles said from the back seat.
"Who the hell are you?" She looked over at him and realized she knew the answer to her question. She pulled her gun as Charles pointed his up at her. Jarod stopped the car.
"That's enough," he took the gun out of Parker's hand, quickly and looked at his father. "Save it, we have to find the others." Parker and Charles stared at each other. "Where are they?" He said to his father. Charles broke the stare. Parker kept focused on him.
"At the river. Go about two miles, take a left head straight for the water. We'll find them," he said and leaned back in the seat. Parker didn't move.
Jarod reached out and touched her shoulder. "Amanda, back down." He said, firmly. She looked sharply at him. "Now." She looked once more at Charles and then relaxed a bit although she didn't keep him out of sight for the ride. She was still sitting halfway in the seat when Jarod stopped and saw the van.
"There they are," he said and got out. "Come on," he looked at Parker. She opened the door and got out. All the men came up to Jarod.
"You all right?" Greg asked.
Jarod was watching his father get out of the car and within seconds, he saw him lift his gun.
"No!!" Jarod screamed. Parker backed up a step. Charles advanced towards her.
"Stay away from my son," he said staring her down.
"You gonna kill me?" She asked challenging him back.
"If I have to."
"Like you killed my mother." She said. Jarod saw the tension rising and he stepped in-between them.
"Jarod, get out of the way!" Charles yelled at him. "It's for your own good. None of them are any good." He said staring at him through Jarod.
"Screw you, asshole," she lunged for him and the gun went off.
"No!!" Jarod screamed and dropped down on his knees to Parker. She was bleeding from the shoulder where Charles had shot her. He ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it around her shoulder to stop the bleeding.
Charles stood there frozen as he watched his son taking care of her. He didn't know what to do. He walked away, slowly. Jarod watched him for a moment before he yelled at the other men to help him.
"Open the van," he said and picked up Parker. She was awake but he could see the pain in her eyes. "You'll be fine," he said smiling at her.
"Nice father," she answered back. He laid her down in the van and told the men to give her some beer.
She put up a fight, but as soon as Jarod touched her shoulder, she downed a gulp of it. After a while, he was able to get out the bullet. He didn't have much to work with, a tool set and a first aid box, but he wrapped and bandaged the shoulder. Parker had passed out during it and was soundly sleeping now. The men were watching this in awe. They knew what he was capable of, they were tested also, but they had never seen him in action and it thoroughly impressed all of them.
"Thanks," he said to Greg as they climbed out of the van.
"Why did you take her with you?" Greg asked as they walked away from the van.
"Because she needs our help, too." Jarod said and walked away.
He saw his father by the riverbank, sitting on the edge. He walked over to him, wiping his hands on a rag.
"How is she?" Charles asked in a hoarse voice. Jarod could tell he had been crying.
"She'll be fine." Jarod sat down on the ledge next to him. "Why did you do it?"
"I thought...I don't know what I thought. I saw her lunge and I fired." He said and looked away. "I could have killed you."
"Well, you didn't," Jarod touched his father's hand. "Amanda is not your enemy."
"I'm not sure she thinks that?" Charles said, laughing slightly. "I think she still would like to kill me."
"She thinks you murdered her mother. You have to set that right," he looked at him. "Tell her the truth. She needs to hear it." Jarod let go of his father's hand and got up.
"Jarod," Charles looked up at him. "You really do love her, don't you?"
"Yes," Jarod said.
"Why?" Charles asked sincerely. He wanted to understand the son he hadn't known. He was reaching out to him in every way he knew how, but Charles didn't understand what Jarod and Parker's daughter had in common. Jarod has been the prisoner all his life and she was the daughter of his captor.
Jarod looked across the river for a moment and smiled to himself, thinking about all the memories him and Miss Parker shared from childhood fears to first kisses to adulthood and answers to their own questions of the past. The reasons why he loved her seemed to go on forever in his head, but he stopped his thoughts and looked at his father. There was only reason that really ever mattered to him.
"She is my friend," He answered simply. His father looked at him for a long moment and then nodding, smiling.
"I need some supplies for her shoulder and in case anything else happens," Jarod said quickly. "I'm going to need to go into the nearest town."
"I'll go, Jarod. I know where it is and you can tell me what you need," Charles said, getting up. "I think you should stay with her." He tried to sound casual, but it was obvious to Jarod the thought of being alone with Miss Parker was not inviting to him. Jarod knew he had to get him to talk with her about Catherine Parker. She needed to hear it from him.
Jarod nodded, walked back to the van, wrote down a list of items and handed it to his father.
"Be careful," Jarod said. "The Centre might not be that far behind us."
"I know how to blend, Jarod. I'm been doing it for thirty years," he said, patting his son on the shoulder. "I might even be better than you at that." He smiled at him and walked to the van. Jarod picked up Miss Parker and laid her down on a blanket Greg provided from the van. She started to stir as Charles drove off.
"Jarod..." She said, opening her eyes and slightly moving. Her face contorted in pain, instantly as she felt the wound in her left shoulder. Jarod kneeled down over her.
"It's gonna hurt for a while," he said, softly. "I got the bullet out, but the wound needs time to heal and..." he looked in her eyes. "I didn't have the best equipment to work with." She tried to look over at her shoulder, but after sharp pain hit her again, she laid back giving up that fight.
"I'm going to kill your father," she said, looking at him with pain in her eyes still.
"He went to get some medicine for you. When he comes back, he will tell you the truth about your mother's death," Jarod said, carefully. He reached down and brushed a piece of hair away from her face and looked at her with tenderness in his eyes. He was thoroughly amazed at how beautiful she looked with the sun shining on her face. He gave her a smile and touched her face gently once more. She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Jarod, why did you do it?" She said, opening her eyes again and looking at him. She started to help herself up, when she screamed in pain. The men who had been quietly playing a card game a few feet away, looked up at them. Greg came over.
"Are you all right?" Greg asked looking down at her. He still wasn't over the striking resemblance she had to her mother. Greg nor the others had ever seen Miss Parker. They were rescued before she was around the Centre a lot.
Parker looked up at him and nodded. Jarod gently placed his hand under her and helped her sit up. He knew how much she hated to be looked down at. She bit her lip, held in her scream and pulled herself the rest of the way to sit up and face him.
"This is Greg Darmay," Jarod said, looking up at Greg.
Greg smiled, "it nice to meet you, Miss Parker. You look like her so much." He said, smiling again at her.
"That's what they say. Who are you?" She asked, looking up at him.
"I was one of the children your mother rescued."
"And them?" She said, turning slightly to the small group of men sitting in a circle.
"We were all children of the Centre and all were rescued..."
"By my mother." Parker finished the sentence. "So what is this? A ex-Centre prisoner conference," she said moving slightly to be more comfortable. Jarod held back a laugh.
"I think Jarod should explain it to you." Greg answered walking back to the group.
Parker looked over at Jarod, waiting for the answer. "Well, Jarod, looks like they laid it on you."
He looked at her for a moment. He was about to tell her when he knew he couldn't do it. She wouldn't understand and then the hope of them, or even her and his father getting along would be gone.
"Come on, Jarod. Tell me what's going on?" She looked at him with a tenderness he hadn't seen in her eyes since her mother died. "You got me involved now."
"Amanda, why wouldn't you leave with me?" He finally asked. It was an question Jarod wasn't sure he wanted the answer to. She had all ready hurt him once.
"Jarod," she sighed, looking away. "Why do we have to talk about that?" She said, turning her head sharply back to face him. "We have to think about what the Centre is going to do next. They're going to come after us. I can't believe you took me with you. Now your life is in even more danger and so is mine."
"We were danger with or without each other. I'd rather have you here than at the Centre." Jarod said sitting down completely and looking at her.
"So you can watch me...or protect me." She asked. She wasn't sure how angry he was at her from the graveyard conversation recently.
"I don't need to justify my position, Miss Parker." He said, coldly. "I told you how I felt and I told you why." He started to get up. Parker reached for his hand, fought against the sharp pain that went through her shoulder, and pulled him back down to her.
She looked at him for a long moment before smiling. "I should have left with you that day. Jarod, I was scared."
"And now?" He said, questioning.
"Now," she put her hand to his face. He moved an inch closer. "I knew I was wrong. I'm still scared, but I'd rather be scared with you than be back at the Centre." She tried to be comforting to him, but the thought of her father hit her hard. She looked away.
"What is it?" He said, leaning into her.
"Nothing. I'm just sorry, I didn't listen with my heart," she said. He turned her head back to face him and tears were in her eyes.
"You are the most stubborn, egotistical, unbelievably resourceful, beautiful, wonderful, caring person I have ever mistrusted, hated ...and fell deeply in love with that I have known," he shook his head and smiled at her. She looked at him, cautiously.
"Does that mean you forgive me?"
"Yes." He smiled at her. "But I shouldn't." He said, quickly.
"I know," she said smiling. "I hate you, too." He moved in closer to her. "Very much."
"I know," he said leaning over to kiss her. She kissed him back with an intensity Jarod had never felt before. He stopped and pulled back looking at her. She didn't wait for him to talk again. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in, kissing him passionately, stopping her from screaming at the pain in her arm.
The men had stopped their card game and were watching them now. They knew the Centre would be after them all now and there was no turning back. To them, Jarod and Parker's kiss meant the end of life, as they knew it. The whole world felt like it was turning upside down.
The Centre
"You let him take my daughter," Mr. Parker said looking at Lyle.
"Jarod won't hurt her," Lyle said, disgusted.
"That's not who I mean. Charles Holland," he said throwing the photograph of Charles to Lyle, "is Jarod's father. How long do you think he's going to keep her alive?" Parker said. "And if he does, it will be a bargaining chip."
"Forget her. We don't need her."
"She's your sister and they are some people here who would be very upset if she was out there knowing what she'll know," Mr. Parker walked back to his desk and looked out the window. "We need her back. She's dangerous to us out there."
"I don't understand," Lyle said walking up to his father. "She's gone, she left with Jarod, she betrayed the Centre and you. She can be easily killed." He said with a determined look. Mr. Parker turned to his son with intensity.
"I want Jarod back. Jarod wants my daughter." He stepped towards Lyle. "You bring me my daughter and it will bring me Jarod and his pathetic father. I want to win. Do you understand, Lyle? There is no second, only the winner and the loser. Charles got away, Jarod got away, and I be damned if she's going to get away!" He yelled. "You find them and bring them in alive or I'll kill you!"
Lyle looked at his father for the first time with fear. He nodded and quickly went out of the office.
"You will not win this time, Jarod. Even with your their help."
"What are you going to do about it?" Raines said, wheeling in.
"I'm going to do what we always do...win." He said, turning toward Raines. Raines smiled.
Safe House
Maryland
Charles, Jarod, Miss Parker and the men had changed vans again on the way to Maryland. Once they were there, they stayed at a group of small cabins by the water that Greg had said were owned by a friend of his. Greg told them since it was November, it was out of season for the cabins, but they did have heat and he had the key. They agreed it would be a good place to hide for the moment and work out their plan for the fall of the Centre. Of course, Jarod kept this information away from Parker as best he could. He didn't want her to jump to the wrong conclusions.
They decided how to split up the four cabins amongst them. They gave Miss Parker her own and decided Jarod and Charles would be in one. And the other two would be split up with the remaining four men. Charles had picked up some food and the supplies Jarod asked for while he was in town and they had stopped quickly to get supper on the way to Maryland. Jarod spent the trip trying to keep Parker comfortable with her shoulder, she seemed to be doing much better by the time they reached the cabin, since she had slept most of the way there.
"I think you might want to talk now," Jarod said to his father as the others settled into the cabins. He looked over at Parker walking to her cabin and back to his father.
"It can wait," Charles said taking some of the supplies out of the van. Jarod took the box from him and walked away. Charles took a deep breath and started walking toward Parker's cabin. He knocked on the door.
"I'm fine, Jarod," Miss Parker said from inside. Then he heard him walk to the door. "Unless," she started to open the door. "You're here for some other reason." She saw Charles standing in front of her and regretted her last statement. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I thought..." she put her head down and looked back at him.
"We need to talk," he said. She looked at him for a moment, then opened the door wider to let him in.
"Aren't you afraid I'm going to shoot you?" She said after she closed the door and turned to face him.
"Jarod took your gun," he answered.
She looked away from him, a little annoyed and sat down in a chair. Charles turned away and started walking across the floor. She wanted to say something back to him, but she thought about Jarod and decided she owned him enough to listen to what his father had to say. The silence went on unbearably. Finally she couldn't stand it anymore.
"Did you kill her?" She said, calmly, looking at him.
He turned back to face her. "No," he answered. She looked at him trying to judge whether is was telling the truth or not. But she could see it in his eyes. They are just like Jarod's, she thought looking at Charles's brown eyes staring at her. It took her back for a moment, how close the resemblance was. She hadn't taken the time to really notice before.
"Jarod looks like you," she said, trying to be nice.
"And you look exactly like your mother did," He said, walking back to her and sitting down in the chair opposite her.
She looked at him and Charles could tell she was trying to decide what she was going to say next. So he waited for her.
"Mr. Finigore told Jarod and me that you were my mother's killer," she finally said.
Charles looked at her with a surprised expression on his face. Then he looked around the room quickly, trying to imagine why Finigore would say that to either of them.
"Finigore helped your mother with the children. I didn't know about him before the night she died." He said. The memory of that night still haunted him and Parker could see it in his eyes.
"Tell me about what happened. I need to know the truth." She said, almost pleading with him. Charles looked at her for a moment and stood up, starting to walk around the room again.
"My wife and I couldn't have children of our own," He started, turning back to face her. "or so we thought. We had gone to NuGensis, a fertility clinic to try one last time. The testing went on for months and then we got lucky I guess. Margaret become pregnant and then Jarod was born. I had met Dr. Raines at NuGensis while we were there and he told me about his project with the Centre. I had airforce training and he thought it would be useful to this project and to the Centre. So I was hired. Raines project involved testing for children to see if they carried a certain gene that could tell if they were geniuses." Charles looked away from her and sat down on edge of the bed. Parker leaned in. She could tell this was hard for him.
"Anyway, Raines offered to have Jarod tested. Just to see, he had said. But after a few sessions, I knew he saw more in Jarod than just another test subject. My wife was very concerned about Jarod's testing and asked me to stop it. I had my own concerns, so I did. And that's when it happened."
"That's when they stole Jarod?" Parker asked.
He nodded his head and then gave a quick laugh, "that's when they fired me. They said the project was done and I wasn't needed anymore. I believed them." He laughed again and the his voice turned cold. "It still amazes me how much I believed them." He took a deep breath and went on. "Margaret and I went on with our lives, Jarod was a normal little boy. We thought everything was better this way...without the Centre. A few months after, they came and took him out of his bed at night and we never saw him again." He stood up. "I will never forget that night." Parker looked at him with sympathy for the first time. He had lost his son and there was no way to get all those years back and she knew it.
"We searched for him, called the police. Did everything we could, but nothing ever came up. Margaret gave birth to Kyle and again we tried to get on with our life."
"Kyle," Parker said thinking about Jarod's brother. She had so many questions.
"But it wasn't ever going to be the same without Jarod," Charles said, thinking.
"How did you know that Jarod was at the Centre?" Parker asked, carefully. She knew these memories and feelings ran deep, but she had so many questions and this time she wanted the whole story. Not just bits and pieces she and Jarod had come to know so well over the last years.
"We knew. We went on the run and then Kyle was taken also right from our house just like Jarod." Charles walked to the other side of the room turning away from Parker, so she couldn't see the rage in him. "They took both of our sons, Margaret and I knew we had to get away to save Emily."
"Emily?" Parker questioned. Her head was spinning. How do you survive something like that? She thought to herself looking at this man and wondering the life he must have had.
"Our daughter. Emily was born a few years after Kyle. We knew the Centre would be looking for her so we left, we tried to disappear, but several years later another attempt on our lives happened." He looked at her. "This time, your mother came to us. She told us that Jarod was safe and Raines and her husband called him a Pretender. I knew what that meant all too well. It had been Raines's project from years ago. He thought there was a way to make someone 'pretend' be anyone. I asked Catherine about Kyle and she said she knew saw him. She wasn't aware he was even there. She said she would look for him. When I asked what they had done to Jarod, she said he was being taught things. Catherine said there was a physologist, Sydney who was teaching him how to use his real talents." Parker could tell he was reliving his conversation with her mother all over again. "She said they were amazed at the potential he had shown being a natural Pretender not like the others. That's why they had taken him and then Kyle."
"And they thought Kyle was one, too." She said, deep in thought.
"And I knew if they knew about Emily they would be after her," Charles stayed focused on a picture to the left of her before continuing. "You see when I worked with Raines he had developed a drug he had tried to use on several of the children, but at that time it didn't work and he told me he sent the children home. I know now he didn't. I was furious you might imagine, but when Catherine came back several weeks later to tell us about Kyle it was too much for either of us." Parker looked at him and instantly knew what he was talking about. She knew all too well what Raines did to Kyle. "Raines had taken Kyle to be used to create a..." he stopped for a moment.
"A sociopath." Parker answered, he looked at her.
"Yes," Parker could see mistrust in his eyes.
"We found out about Kyle's existence and uncovered some DSAs with Raines' sessions on them," Parker explained. "We brought Kyle in and Jarod rescued Kyle from the Centre. I never saw him again until..." Now Parker stopped, realizing he probably didn't know Kyle was dead.
Charles looked at her and nodded his head, " Jarod told me what happened to him. I never was able to find him before he died. That hurts even more." He looked down and Parker saw tears in his eyes. He took a deep breath and fought against them. "Catherine told us that she was going to get all of the children out of the Centre and placed back with their parents. She said she had a friend. They had been working on it for some time. She had spent a lot of that time trying to find all of the parents. That's what led her to us."
"Why didn't my mother know that you were Jarod's father since you had worked at the Centre?" Parker asked, looking intently at him.
"She wasn't really a part of the Centre at that time. Your father kept her away as much as he could to hide the real projects from her. She never met me while I was there. She didn't seem to know about the children until she had found Timmy. She told us what they did to him."
"Angelo," Parker said, thinking about him
"Catherine visited us or sent messages through a mutual friend of hers, Harriet Tashman. We went into hiding again in fear the Centre would be after us and our little girl. She said that Dr. Raines was trying to clean up the loose ends regarding the children. We knew what that meant and we ran far away from Jarod and the Centre. Your mother was our only hope."
"What happened?" Parker asked. "How did my mother die?"
"We just keep hiding until I become impatient and I wanted to see my sons, it had been too long. So I visited Catherine at the Centre, I knew it was a risk, but I had to try." Parker sat up with anticipation. She had to finally hear it. "When I spoke with your mother that night, I didn't know Raines was watching. He knew about her betrayal to the Centre and had beaten her to keep her silent. Catherine was in fear of her own life and her daughter's," he looked at her, "yours. She told me that Jarod and Kyle would never be freed and that they would kill me first."
"She was protecting herself from Raines," Parker said in thought before looking back at him.
"She walked away from me towards the elevator. I didn't know what to do, I felt so lost and helpless against them. I had taken my gun with me. I didn't know what to expect when I got there. But when I pointed the gun at your mother I wasn't going to kill her. I hadn't even loaded it, I just wanted the answers and I wanted to scare her so that I would get my sons back." He walked over to the chair opposite her again and sat down, looking intently at her. "The shot came from behind me. Catherine turned and then I saw her fall. I turned to see Raines with a gun. I ran as fast as I could away from that place and that's where I met up with Finigore." He stopped for a moment and leaned back. "He told me about your mother's plan to get Jarod out that night and to leave with you the next day." He sat back up. "Finigore told me to leave and never come back. I fought him of course, but he was right. They would only kill me and Margaret and then Jarod and Kyle would never have a family waiting for him. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I left. I went back to Margaret and never told her what happened that night." He looked at Parker, pleading in his eyes. "I didn't kill your mother, but I'm responsible for her death. If I hadn't shown up that night, she might still be alive." He looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry." He took a moment before looking up at Parker again. Tears were streaming down her face and she didn't know what to say. She started to breathe quickly and then just broke down completely.
Charles looked at her, crying with her head in her hand. He didn't know what to do. He looked around quickly then stood up.
"I'll go get Jarod," he said and went quickly to the door. He looked back at her for a moment and then stepped outside, closing the door and walking quickly to his cabin. He found Jarod working on his laptop computer.
"Jarod," he said walking inside. "She needs you."
Jarod got up and followed him outside. They walked back to her cabin.
"I told her everything, just like I told you." He said. Jarod stopped at the door, opened it and saw Parker crying harder now.
"It's all right," he turned to his father. "She'll be fine. Thank you." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder and walked inside, closing the door behind him.
Charles stood there for a moment, he could feel the slight rain coming down on him. He didn't know what to think anymore. He hated the Centre, Raines, her father, but he never expected to meet Catherine's daughter. He knew about her from Jarod's escape and how she had been on the team to hunt him down and bring him back. So he formed his own opinions, not ever thinking, they all victims of the Centre. He walked slowly back to his cabin and went inside.
Jarod walked over to Parker and knelt down in front of her, she felt him touch her hand and she looked up quickly at him. She fell into his embrace and cried against him.
"It's all over," Jarod said softly. "Now you know the truth," he stroked her hair, gently, trying to calm her. He started to rock her slightly back and forth and slowly the crying stopped. She leaned against him burying her face in his shoulder. "Come on," he said, softly, as he gently moved back to pick up her chin and look at her. "You need rest. It's been a long night." He helped her stand up and led her to the bed. He laid her down and pulled a blanket over her. He watched her close her eyes, he started to let go off her hand, but she pulled on it and opened her eyes looking at him.
"Don't leave me alone," she said in a whisper. "I need you."
"I'm right here," he walked around to the other side of the bed and laid down next to her. She moved up on his chest, careful to keep her bad shoulder protected. She slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Jarod stroked her hair gently. "I'll never leave you again," he said softly and closed his eyes.
The Centre
Sydney sat in his office staring at the computer screen as the email message popped up. He opened the mail and waited.
Sydney,
Everyone is safe. I hope you are too.
Things have changed a lot for all of us. I hope you will know what I mean when I say everything will change for you also...very soon.
Please take care of yourself.
Jarod
Sydney smiled at the message. It was almost refreshing to get an email from Jarod. He was glad they were all-safe and secretly wondered how Charles and his son were getting along, not to mention Miss Parker. He laughed to himself, thinking about her in that situation, but he knew it was for the best. Broots had taken Parker's advice and left the Centre. No one knew yet, except for Sydney. He assumed Broots and Debbie were far away from Delaware by now. Or at least he hoped so. Sydney clicked delete on the email and turned off the computer screen just as Lyle walked in.
"Need your help, Sydney, we're going after Jarod. He's stopped in Maryland."
Sydney looked at Lyle, "do you honestly believe Jarod would be so close to the Centre?"
"Yes, besides he's done it before, double back on his tracks" he smiled at Sydney. "Let's go," and walked to the door.
"How did you know where to look for him?" Sydney asked.
"Let's just say," Lyle turned around to Sydney, "a little bug told me." He smiled and walked out.
Sydney shook his head with anger and followed Lyle out.
Light was streaming through the cabin, Charles woke up quickly looking over at the empty bed. He had slept in the chair waiting for Jarod to return. When he saw the empty bed he knew he had never returned. He walked outside and saw Greg and Neil walking around.
"Hey, Charlie, do you have the food?" Greg asked when they saw him.
"Yea, it's right over here," Charles said pointing to the cabin.
"Good, I'm starving," Greg said and walked with Neil to the cabin. Charles took a look around quickly and decided it was safe...for now. He looked over at her cabin and tried to push away his thoughts. She could be trusted, he thought to himself. He had looked in her eyes.
He walked back to his cabin to join Greg and Neil.
Parker woke up first, she started to get up and realized Jarod's arm was around her. Slowly the events of last night came back to her. She settled down and laid her head back on his chest.
"Good morning," he said softly. She turned her head to look up at him.
"Good morning," she answered and slowly started to move. "Ow," she said holding her shoulder. He sat up and looked over at the shoulder.
"It's going to hurt for a few more days," he said, apologetically.
"I know, I've been shot before." She stood up and tried to stretch. She had been curled up next to him and the stiffness of one position all night started to creep into her muscles.
He looked at her, watching as she tried not to feel strange about this situation.
"Parker," he said louder. She looked over at him, quickly. "Why are you so nervous around me?" He genuinely wanted to know.
"I'm not," she said and walked in the small bathroom in the cabin.
"Could of fooled me," he said quietly and smiled.
"Parker," he said from the other side of door. "Do you need that shoulder rewrapped?"
"No," she yelled back. "Thank you." She said after a pause.
"You're welcome," he said and walked out of the cabin. He knew he had to convince his father to give up on blowing up the Centre. It was time for them all to move on. They could destroy the Centre easy than trying to go there. Jarod knew that and he had to tell his father.
He walked into the cabin. Greg, Neil and Charles looked up at him. They were sitting around the small table, eating what looked like bags of junk food. Greg smiled when he saw him.
"Want some?" Neil asked, throwing Jarod a bag of Cheetos. Jarod caught it and put it back on the table as he approached it. He looked at his father.
"Have a good sleep?" Greg asked.
"Yes, thank you," Jarod answered back, nicely. Greg and Neil exchanged a look of confusion. Jarod looked at them briefly and shrugged his shoulders. Charles watched him for a moment.
"I'm not going back there," he said, simply looking at his father.
"That's more like it," Charles said, standing up. "Now, let's get to work." He started to walk to the table by the bed. Jarod held his arm.
"That's not what I mean," Jarod said. Charles turned to face him, Jarod let go of his arm. "I can't allow you to do this. The Centre needs to be shut down, I agree with all of you on that point, but we are not going to kill innocent people to make that happen. It's wrong, even if you can't see it. If you blew up the Centre you would have killed Amanda with it. You see now, she's not your enemy, but none of you would have thought twice about any of them. You're angry for what they did, so I am. You want them to pay for it, so do I." He looked over at Greg and Neil before turning back to his father. "But, Dad, I can't blow it up and walk away."
"Jarod, don't you see it's them talking. You spent your life there and they brainwashed you...so did she." Charles took a step towards his son. Jarod's eyes turned dark. "I know that she was a victim of it as well. I understand now what you meant. But she still is the Centre, she helped them get you back and she'll help them again if they push her. You know that. You just won't see it."
"I was my life they took. Over thirty years of it. My life!" He yelled at his father.
"They took all our lives," Charles said back to him. "See what they have done to you. I don't trust her. I understand how you feel," he touched Jarod's shoulder, Jarod pulled away. Charles looked at him. "Jarod..."
"You don't understand how I feel," Jarod backed up a step. He looked at Greg and Neil. "You will never understand how I feel."
He ran out of the cabin and into the rain. He walked in a circle. His emotions changed from angry to sorrow to love to hate. They whirled in his head until he couldn't stand it. He stood with his head back, letting the rain fall on him. He screamed, a loud anguished scream. Parker ran to the window and looked out at him. She remembered that scream. Charles, Greg and Neil opened the cabin door and stood looking at him. Standing all alone in the rain. Charles looked down and walked back into the cabin, he didn't know what to do anymore. He felt like Jarod was lost to him. Jarod was right he didn't understand.
Parker flew out of the cabin and ran to him.
"Jarod," she said. "Jarod..." his head stay back as the rain fell harder. "Jarod!" She yelled at him. His head snapped back to look at her. "Stop it!" She screamed then she hugged him as tight as she could. He felt her against him and wrapped his arms around tightly holding on to his last hope of happiness, it felt like to him. She pulled him tighter.
"You're not alone," she said, looking up at him. "You're not alone." She repeated over and over again. Finally he let go of the embrace to touch her face and wipe off the rain drops running down. "You're not alone," she said softly. He leaned down and kissed her. Greg and Neil exchanged another look and then looked back at Charles for a moment. He was sitting in the chair, with his head in his hands.
"Charlie," Greg said carefully walking to him. "You should see this," he pointed to the couple. Charles stood up walked to the door, looked at them kissing and walked back inside the cabin. "I think she can be trusted," Greg said following Charles. "I think she loves him."
"Then you're as foolish as Jarod," Charles said.
"Hey, we got problems," Neil yelled from the door. Charles and Greg raced to the door as the two Centre cars pulled up. The rest of the men had come out of the cabins seeing the same sight.
"Come on," Charles said running out the door. "In the woods now, go!" He yelled at the men.
Parker and Jarod turned and looked at them and then heard the cars.
"Run!" Charles screamed at Jarod. Jarod took Miss Parker's hand and started running towards the rest of the men. They caught up with them and made it to the riverbank. Charles was at the back now.
Parker ran behind Jarod as they saw Lyle and sweepers in the woods. "Come on," he yelled back at her. She picked up her pace again and then slipped on the muddy bank and fell down. Jarod stopped and looked back, she was a few feet behind him. He started to come back, when he saw Charles running up to her.
"I got her!" He yelled at Jarod. Jarod saw his father help her up and they all started running again. Jarod heard the shot, saw Charles run up to him, sliding to the place the men were and saw Parker laying on the muddy ground face first unconscious. Jarod got up from the hiding place and started to run. Charles grabbed his arm and pulled him down, holding him firmly. He struggled against the hold. He could see Lyle coming towards Parker.
"I can get her! Let go!" Jarod screamed.
"No, not this time," Charles said and pushed his son to the ground. "You're not risking your life for hers." He called to the men and they held him down.
"What are you doing?!" Jarod screamed at him. The men started to drag him and hold him as they went down the riverbank. Jarod hit two, but they overpowered him quickly. "Stop it! We can't leave her there!" He screamed at his father.
"You want her, Jarod!" Lyle yelled at the river. "Come and get her!" Jarod could hear him laugh.
Jarod hit the knees of the men of either side of him, bringing them down. Then he punched Greg who was holding him now. He wasn't going to leave her there. He promised her. He didn't think and started running. He didn't see Charles coming up behind him. He felt him grab him from behind and then Jarod felt the butt of the gun. The world went black again.
"What are you doing?" Greg yelled at him.
"Keep going," Charles yelled back, picked up Jarod over his shoulder and followed the men.
Lyle kicked over Parker's body, she was filled with mud and blood came from the bullet he had shot in her leg. She moved slightly. He leaned down.
"Don't worry, sis, we're going to take good care of you. We weren't want you to die out here. Dad needs you." He said, holding her face. "You're a ticket to Jarod." He stood up and kicked her hard, she moaned. "That was for your little betrayal the other night," he said, smiling. He leaned down again. This time he smacked her across the face. She moaned and tried to move. "That was for all those punches," Lyle pulled her up by her hair. "Now walk!" He screamed at her. She opened her eyes and brought her knee up to Lyle's groin. He doubled over in pain.
"And that was for Jarod, you slimy, son of a bitch!" She punched him with her good arm and then winced over in pain. She tried to grab a branch on the ground, but she couldn't get it before Lyle was up and dragging her by her hurt leg. She screamed and tried to kick him. The sweeper came running down the hill.
"Get her, you idiots!" He screamed at them. They moved to Parker and cornered her, holding her on the ground. Lyle came over and put his foot on her wounded shoulder, pressing down, she looked away, screaming. "That's right Parker, scream. No one can hear you." Her head snapped back to Lyle quickly, looking at him with complete and utter anger.
"You still lost Jarod," she said in a low voice that was covered with pain and a touch of satisfaction. "You'll never get him."
He motioned for them to pick her up. He walked up to her.
"It's just a matter of time." Lyle took her chin holding it firmly. "Like Dad says we have what he wants, don't we, sis?" She pulled her face away and bit his finger. "You bitch," he yelled and slapped her hard with his hand. Her head went down and the sweepers carried up back up the hill.
Jarod woke up and instantly was on his feet, ignoring the headache and trying to stay focused. He looked around and saw they were all at a new place. It was some broken down house, he figured from the look of it. He didn't see the men or his father. He turned around and his father was standing in front of him. He lunged for him and he hit the ground.
"Why!" He screamed. "You left her to die!" He started hitting his father with such rage.
"Jarod, stop!" Charles keep yelling, but Jarod didn't hear anything, he just saw Parker laying on the ground and Lyle coming up to her. Finally Greg, Neil and Henry pulled him off Charles. They pulled him backwards, Charles got up. He struggled but they held him tight this time.
"Calm down." Charles said to Jarod. "We had to leave her we didn't have a choice. Don't you see, Jarod, she led them right to us." He walked up to him.
"No," Jarod said looking at him. His face was still full of that rage.
"How else could they have known we were there?" Charles asked him. "Think, Jarod. Every time she shows up, so does the Centre." Jarod stopped struggling, pulled away from the men. They tried to stop him, but Charles motioned for them to let go. Jarod ran to the door and outside, running to the back of the house and down the hill in front of him. He finally stopped at the bottom and fell down.
"No!" He screamed into the sky. He held his head and stood up, walking in a circle, thinking. She would never have done it. She wouldn't, he kept saying to himself. Trust. He sat down again and calmed himself. "No," he said outloud. "Listen with your heart." He closed his eyes and thought about what had happened and how they would know where he was. Parker had been with him the entire time, he couldn't have been her. They must have bugged her when they sent her in, Jarod thought quickly. The image of Parker lying on the ground came back to him. He put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I'm sorry." He said to himself. After a few minutes, he looked up and decided what he had to do. No decision was any clearer than this one and he didn't care if they agreed to it. It wasn't their choice anymore, he said to himself and got up, walking back up the hill and to the house. She was right, he thought as he walked into house and the group waiting for him, they would just keep going after him. This had to end.
The Centre
Lyle walked into the Centre with Sydney close on his heels.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sydney yelled at him. Something he had been doing since Lyle had dragged Miss Parker back into the waiting car at the cabins.
"Don't start," he said turning on him and pointing a finger at him. "Or you'll end up like her. Now, shhh." He said, sharply. Sydney stopped walking as Lyle headed for Mr. Parker's office.
Sydney looked down the hall at where they took Parker and decided he could be of better help to her at this moment. If they would let him in to see her...
"Done," Lyle said walking into his father's office covered in mud.
Mr. Parker was sitting. He turned from the camera screen which showed Miss Parker strapped down and bleeding, to Lyle.
"Clean her up. We don't want her to bleed to death, do we?" He said to Lyle. "And clean yourself up." He turned back to the screen, "you look like hell." Lyle walked out of the office.
Raines wheeled himself in past Lyle. He looked at Mr. Parker.
"It's done. We have her and Jarod will be coming soon," Mr. Parker said looking at him.
"With his father." Raines stated.
"He'll be out for blood," Mr. Parker said in a harsh tone.
"He can't kill me," Raines smiled. "It's not in his programming." He turned around and wheeled out. Mr. Parker watched him closely. He was starting to feel uncomfortable about this arrangement.
Parker opened her eyes as two doctors took off the straps that held her. She instantly tried to fight, but the two sweepers make certain she didn't get a chance. She felt pain from everywhere on her body and she knew she had lost a lot of blood. She hardly raised her hand before he fell back down.
"Just let them take care of you, Parker," Sydney said coming up next to her.
"Sydney," she said weakly, looking for him like a lost child. Sydney reached out and held her hand.
"You'll be all right, Parker." He said, soothing. She nodded her head and passed out again as they laid her on the table.
"Damn you," Sydney said to himself and looked over at the camera. He watched as the doctors tended to her wounds. He knew her father was watching. He felt sickened by all of it and he knew he had to get word to Jarod before he came charging in here.
"Don't think about trying to warn him," Raines said, wheeling into the room. "You can't save him now."
"Do you know what you have done?" Syndey asked walking up to him.
"Secured our capture of Jarod," Rained answered.
"You declared war," Sydney said, looking at him. "You pushed him too far this time. If Jarod goes over the edge no one will stop him." He walked closer to him. "No one." He emphasized and walked out.
Raines looked over at Miss Parker and smiled. "Either way, he'll come back to the Centre."
END OF PART III
Chapter End Notes:
The end is near! Chapter Four finale!
Enjoy!
