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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
By Madame Estrella
Chameleon
Jarod clicked on his mail and connected with his father via webcam.
“Dad!” Jarod said excitedly.
“Hi son. I have some bad news.”
“What’s wrong, dad?”
“It’s your sister. That chameleon, Alex has kidnapped her.” Jarod pushed his chair back and it landed with a loud crash on the floor.
“Alex! What happened?”
“We were at a gas station, she was filling up the van when a man grabbed her and put her in a car.”
“Do you have any idea where they were headed?”
“No, and now he’s probably doing God knows what to Emily. See what you can find out and we’ll arrange to meet with you.”
“Alright, dad.” Jarod said before cutting the feed.
In Chains
Emily gingerly touched her face where Alex had hit her. She licked her lips and tasted blood and winced at the pain. She slowly looked around from the spot where she crouched to see an old man and an old woman in the room with her as well as three guards.
“Are you alright dear?” The woman asked.
“What do you think?!” The old man shouted and huffed in his seat. She saw they too wore the joined wrist and ankle shackles.
“Who are you?” Emily asked in a near whisper.
“I am Sue Bowman and this is my husband, Lyle.” The woman answered. Emily shook her head to clear it. Why was she here with two elderly people? Why were they in chains?
“Lyle has just escaped from prison, the Topeka Penitentiary.” Sue said as if to answer her unasked question. Emily’s head whipped about to meet the woman’s gaze.
“Lyle?” She asked. She knew only one Lyle.
“My husband.” Sue replied. “What is your name dear?”
“Leave her alone, Sue!” The woman ignored her husband with a click of her tongue.
“Emily Russell.”
“Emily. That’s a lovely name for a lovely young woman.” Sue replied.
“Thank you. Do you have any idea why we’re here?” Emily asked. The others shook their heads and Emily leaned hers against the wall behind her.
Cold
Mr. Lyle slammed his fist onto his desk and then shredded the paper the sweeper handed him. He glowered at the bearer of this news.
“Don’t you have something else to do!” He spat at the others in the room. “Like, maybe find Jarod?!” He stormed out of the Sim Lab and was closely followed by Miss Parker who grabbed his arm in the hallway.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” She yelled. Lyle huffed and wrenched his arm away before disappearing to his office. Miss Parker wheeled on her heels and headed back into the Sim Lab where Sydney and Broots had pieced the message back together. Broots looked sickened by the news as usual.
“What?” Miss Parker snapped impatiently. Broots looked helplessly at Sydney who then delivered the news.
“It says that Lyle and Sue Bowman were both killed yesterday.” Miss Parker’s face fell and she shook her head slowly.
“How?” She asked.
“Lyle Bowman was killed in a prison riot and Sue Bowman died in a fire which consumed the entire Bowman farm.” Sydney and Broots both looked at their hands.
“So Lyle’s adoptive parents are both dead.” She sighed and turned and headed out the door.
Lyle looked at the door curiously when he heard the knock. “Come in?” He said.
Miss Parker walked in and sat in the chair facing him solemnly. “I’m sorry, Lyle.”
“I was dead to them anyway.” Lyle said evenly. He smiled a little. “I guess that’s one more chapter in my life I can close.”
“How can you be so cold?” She asked.
“You tell me, Ice Queen.”
“I came in here to help.”
“And you can do so by leaving now.” Lyle smiled and then let his face drop to an expressionless shell once she had. He picked up his phone and dialed the Centre Operator.
He knew her concern was genuine, but he couldn’t crack his carefully molded facade, Mr. Lyle. They all wore masks at the Centre, but his was the best.
“I need on the next flight to Omaha.” He spoke flatly.
A Whole Lot of Bull
“And that’s why Lyle went to prison.” Sue finished. Emily stared at her open mouthed.
“Lyle killed Bobby and cut off his head?” Emily whispered in disbelief.
“How many time do I have to say it, I didn’t kill the little bastard!” Lyle grumbled. “Anyway, it’s you turn to spill your guts little lady.” Emily nodded.
“My family is on the run from a secret corporation in blue Cove Delaware called The Centre. They kidnapped two of my brothers and cloned one of them and turned the other into a sociopath. I was born while my parents were on the run and have joined them in the search for my brother, Jarod.”
“That sounds like a whole lot of bull to me Missy!” Lyle grumbled.
“I met a nice man named Jarod once. He came to the farm and asked me about Bobby.”
Emily frowned. “This Jarod, was he six foot four and slender and have dark hair and eyes?”
“Why yes, and he had a very nice voice and was very pleasant. He even helped me with some things around the farm before he left. Then some people came by a few weeks later, they also asked a lot of questions about Bobby.”
Emily tensed. “Was the woman named Miss Parker?” She asked. Sue nodded.
“Why yes, she was named Miss Parker.” Emily gasped and Lyle snickered a little.
“I also had a visit from a man named Jarod and a woman named Miss Parker. There was another guy too, an older man.”
“Sydney?” Emily grasped. The older couple both nodded. Emily shook her head.
“Miss Parker and Sydney both work for the Centre. They are chasing my brother Jarod.”
“Is he the sociopath?” Lyle asked.
“No,” Emily sighed, “But Mr. Lyle is.” The others frowned at her.
“Miss Parker has a twin brother named Mr. Lyle. He also works for the Centre. He had one of his thumbs cut off by the Japanese mob and he tried to kill me by pushing me out of a second story window.” Emily trembled at the memory.
“That’s funny.” Sue replied. “Lyle always told Bobby to call him Mister.”
“Alex also was kidnapped by the Centre. He was in the Pretender project with my brother Jarod. They are both Pretenders, they can do or become whatever they want to be. But Alex turned bad and now he‘s after Jarod for revenge.”
Lyle nodded. “So, Alex has you because he wants to hurt your brother. So why in the hell does he have us?” She never got the chance to answer.
The door flung open and a tall man in a black trench coat stepped in and opened fire, shooting and killing the three guards. He then turned the gun on Emily.
Bobby
Lyle looked at the three of them as they stared in disbelief. He’d walked into the room and killed all of the guards in a rapid succession of shots. He motioned to them with his gun. “Move.” He said cooly.
His adoptive parents being there hadn’t surprised him. Emily’s presence had. His cool gaze fell over her face as she passed him. He saw all the bruises and something inside him wished he cold kill those men again. He hated that somehow Alex had known it.
He led them to the black sedan and then took the wheel once they were all seated. He drove in silence as Emily broke into tears and his father made an exasperated groan at her. His mother only said his name. “Bobby.”
A Favor
Lyle paced slowly in the woods behind the cabin he’d taken them to at Possum Kingdom Resort in Texas. He didn’t have a plan and he didn’t know what to do about the situation. Now he had to face the people who had raised him. The father he’d framed for his murder, and the mother who had been driven mad by it. And he had Emily.
He sighed heavily in frustration and panic. He was a planner. He always had a map and now he had none. He pulled his gun out of it’s holster as he sat with his back against the tree. He held it in both of his hands and contemplated it.
He switched the safety off the gun with his remaining thumb and pushed the muzzle into his mouth. It was easier this way. There was nothing in this world for him and there would be many people thankful for this action. He squeezed his eyes closed.
“Lyle!” She shouted. He froze. He heard her steps approach and then felt her yank the gun away from him.
He relaxed further against the tree. He felt her grab his face with her hand and jerk it upward. He slowly opened his eyes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Emily growled.
“I’m doing you a favor.” He said plainly. She hit him and he rubbed his face in surprise.
“No! I’m not letting you take the easy way out you son of a bitch! You killed my brother and you screwed up the lives of too many others to go so easily! At your own leisure.”
He stood up and was surprised at how shaky his legs felt. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring up at him. He had to laugh and he did let out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny you stupid bastard?!” She cried. He shook his head and began to laugh harder as his legs gave way and he fell back on the ground.
“This, this is so Goddamned funny!” He felt the tears coming from the corners of his eyes. “Why would you keep a lousy sack of shit like me from killing myself?” He wiped his eyes and she pointed the gun at him, holding it in both hands.
“Stop laughing or I’ll kill you myself.” She yelled. He reached up and pulled the gun away from her with his right hand. She looked at him bewildered as he stopped laughing.
“I have to know, why?” He asked.
“Because you owe them.” She said pointing at the house. “You owe all of us.”
“Why didn’t you just run?”
“I’m tired of running from you.”
“If you leave me alone for a few seconds then you’ll never have to run again.” He said seriously. She sat down in front of him and studied his face for a few minutes.
“What are you afraid of Lyle?” She asked sadly.
“I’m afraid of Lyle.” He replied and then put the safety back on his gun and re-holstered it. “Happy now?” She shook her head.
“I don’t know what would make me happy.” She replied. A couple of tears slid down her cheeks and for some reason Lyle reached forward and wiped them away. Then he knew. He stood and took a few steps toward the house. He stopped and turned toward her.
“Are you coming?” He asked She took his outstretched hand and walked back with him.
Sunday Brunch
“Bobby?” His mother exclaimed as he walked into the lounge room. Lyle looked back and forth between his adoptive parents and sighed heavily.
“I’m sorry.” He said, and choked back a sob none of them saw.
“You’d better be sorry you little bastard!” Lyle Sr. growled standing up. Lyle pulled out his gun and pointed it at him.
“And you’d better sit down you old bastard.” Lyle said in a normal voice. Inside he was screaming.
“Bobby! Don’t you go pointing guns at your father!” Sue cried. Lyle put his gun away and took a step out of Emily’s way as she brought coffee into the room. ‘Why the hell was she serving coffee like it was a Sunday Brunch?’ He thought. Then he realized that this was as normal a family life as he would ever encounter in his sad life and he almost laughed again.
“I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I faked my own death. I’ve done it twice now.” He started. “You may have even realized that I killed my best friend to do it the first time. The second time was just a nobody.”
“Everyone is someone.” Emily snapped glaring at him.
“Not to me.” He replied. “Not anymore.”
“Bobby, we raised you better than that!” Sue cried.
“You showed me it was alright to lock a kid up in a shed and look the other way when all he really needed was a little help!” He shouted. “Now I’m the guy locking people in the shed so I suppose you taught me well.”
The others all shuddered at his remarks. Sue stood and walked over to her son and pulled him into an embrace. He put his gun away and pulled her close and buried his head in his shoulder, once again holding in a sob. He let her go and she looked into his face lovingly.
“I forgive you, Bobby.” She said.
“Well, I sure as hell don’t!” Lyle Sr. grumbled.
“But, Pop, I sent you a letter every month.” Lyle replied with a wry grin. Lyle Sr. leapt to his feet at the realization of where all the padlock cut-outs came from and Emily stood in his way.
“Everyone sit down!” She yelled. They all did.
“The Centre turned me into what I am now. My real father, a man named Mr. Raines, you know him as the counselor who came to see me years ago, trained me to become this.”
“So why did you come back now?” Lyle Sr. snorted.
“Because Alex was going to kill you all if I didn’t stop him. He still might if he ever finds you.” Lyle replied.
“So are you trying to say you love us, son?” Lyle Sr. spat sarcastically.
“No, I only protect my interests.” Lyle said. “You are already dead to the world. Alex made sure everyone else thinks so. I’m going to take you someplace where he won’t find you.”
Level Playing Ground
Lyle sat on the front porch and studied his hands. The others had long since gone to sleep and he still had no idea what he was going to do. He was very good at lying though, and his lies had reassured them.
They would be safe now. Alex would close that avenue. Lyle did anticipate his next move. He would go after the child, Baby Parker. He was going to be returned to the Centre and inevitably that was when Alex would strike. Until then he would remain hidden.
This time he heard her coming and that reassured him somehow. He needed her and Alex knew that. Now that she had an idea of what was happening, maybe she would even help him. She sat down beside him, but not close.
“So where do I fit into all of this, Lyle?” Emily asked. “I’m Jarod’s sister and I know Alex hates him, but why would he take me with your parents?”
“Because you are part of my plan.” He said somberly. She shot him a hateful, distrusting glance. “There is another Pretender.” He finished.
“How many of them do you have up at that fucking place?” She gasped. He looked at her and smiled a little.
“This one is really special. This one you and I are going to save together.” He said. Her face turned white and her mouth hung open in surprise. She quickly blinked away the expression and her face became angry again.
“Do you think I believe that? Why the hell would I help you with anything?”
“Because he’s your nephew. And mine.” He replied. “Alex will go after him and we need to prevent him from taking the child.”
“He’s my nephew?” She gasped. Realization flooded her expression. “Does Jarod know?”
“No, and neither does Miss Parker. As far as they know, the boy is mine and Bridgitt’s.” Lyle said. He read the confusion on her face and continued. “She was Mr. Parker’s second wife. We had an affair, but it was really a cover to implant this fetus. She didn’t know, of course. Mr. Parker did.” Emily tried to mouth something and then shook her head. “It’s sick, I know, but sick is what the Centre does best.”
“So why have I been tapped as the chosen one?” She said wringing her hands.
“Being a Pretender runs in your family. You are not a very good Pretender, but I need one to accomplish this.” He replied. She gave him another nasty glare.
“And what happens to my nephew afterward?” She asked.
“Emily, I don’t even know where I’m going to hide the Bowmans...” He broke off, surprised at himself. He looked at her equally surprised face and then she smiled.
“You really don’t know.” Her face broke into a grin.
“Why is that reassuring to you?” He asked, bewildered.
“Because we are finally on a level playing ground.” She said with a voice full of excitement.
“I suppose we are.” He smiled back at her.
Irony
“Manitoba!” Lyle Sr. cried in dismay. Emily and Lyle looked at one another. It was the first word that had popped into her head.
“Yeah, Alex will never find you up there.” Lyle stated the next morning. He and Emily had been up planning their relocation and hadn’t slept.
“Hell, I don’t know that I could find myself up there! That place really fucked you up, boy if you think I’m going to go there!” Lyle Sr. grumbled.
“The taxi will be here any minute.” Emily stated.
Lyle handed them an envelope of money and plane tickets. He hugged his mother as the taxi arrived and watched the two get in. He couldn’t entirely stop the sob that hit him as the taxi pulled away and Emily looked at him sadly.
“It’s hard, I know.” She said. He looked at her with a stern expression and she merely stepped close and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He accepted her and wrapped his arms around her waist and she stroked his hair as he cried.
She steered him to the sofa and they sat down and he sobbed into her shoulder. She couldn’t stop herself from crying too. The irony of the whole situation wasn’t lost on either of them at that moment.
Hours later she woke up lying against him on the sofa. He was already awake and smiled at her sadly.
“The last time I was completely out of control was when the Centre handed me over to the Yakuza and they cut off my thumb.” He said. “Everyone has screwed me over from day one.”
“And that’s why you push people like me out of windows?” She asked softly, rising to a sitting position.
“Yes.” He replied.
“That’s a hell of a way to be, Lyle.”
“It’s the way the Centre made me.”
“It’s the way you choose to be.” She said rising to her feet and walking out of the cabin.
Precious
Emily sat on the edge of the dock, dangling her feet in the water. Hours ago Lyle had explained his plan to her and what her role would be once he‘d come up with one. She told him she would have to think about it and now here she was. She’d already accepted it to herself. She wanted him to sweat though. He deserved it. Time was a precious commodity at the moment and it wouldn’t be long before either Lyle had to return to the Centre or Alex tracked them down.
She occasionally passed a glance back to see Lyle on the porch, not looking at her. Of course, not while she looked back. It made sense why he’d asked her. It also made sense why Alex wanted her as well.
She knew what Lyle also knew to be true. Alex would try to take the boy when they did. That made this so much more dangerous and that danger sparked something within her. She knew that her father and brothers viewed her as being weak. She was surprised that Lyle hadn’t thought the same. He wouldn’t ask a weak, unprepared girl to do this. Lyle and his wicked plan. She chuckled to herself and slowly rose and even more slowly walked back to the cabin.
Lyle waited within and looked nervous. She liked that. Lyle, Bobby, was nervous. He was unsure of himself, his plan, and her.
She casually picked up the gun on the table and looked at him with a wry grin. It didn’t look like it would be as heavy as it felt.
“Let’s get to it then.” She said. Lyle nodded and picked up a bag and she followed him into the woods.
Louisiana
“What?” Miss Parker sharply snapped into the phone.
“I was wondering what your brother is up to these days.” Jarod replied. Her face grew worried, there was something about the tone of his voice.
“Lyle is on vacation.”
“On vacation, I imagine he’s off at some cabin by a lake and up to his ‘game’ again.” Jarod replied, sounding angry.
“Actually he received word a few days ago that his adoptive parents were both killed. He returned to Nebraska to make funeral arrangements for them.” She said, tapping a message on her computer to tell Broots and Sydney to come to her office.
Jarod mused a little. “They were both killed at the same time?”
“Yes, why?” Parker replied suddenly feeling suspicious.
“Alex has kidnapped my sister, Emily.”
Miss Parker nearly dropped the handset she remained quiet for a long moment. She began speaking as Broots and Sydney entered the office.
“Alex is dead.” She replied.
“Nobody associated with the Centre seems to die anymore.” Jarod growled.
“Where did he take her from?”
“A gas station.”
“Where?”
“If I tell you, then I’m putting my family at risk.”
“If you don’t tell me, then Alex will kill Emily.”
“Louisiana.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with.” She replied and then hung up on him. She grinned in quiet victory that she had hung up first. Broots and Sydney entered her office then.
“Broots, I want you to find every resort with cabins and a lake within two states of Louisiana.”
“But, Miss Parker! There must be thousands!”
“Then you should get started.” Broots exited the room quickly. Sydney took a seat.
“What is going on, Miss Parker?”
“Alex has kidnapped Jarod’s sister. Jarod thinks that Alex may have played some role in the deaths of Lyle‘s adoptive parents as well.”
“Alex is a cunning man.”
“Alex is an evil sadistic bastard and we‘re going to make sure we find him this time.”
Completely
“Did Miss Parker have any ideas about Emily.” Ethan asked. Jarod turned to him slowly. Ethan and Jordan, Jarod’s clone, both took a step back at his expression.
“She only knew that Lyle was on funeral leave. Both of his adoptive parents were killed in two separate incidents a few days ago. They’re searching for the most likely place Alex would have taken her.”
“Do you trust Miss Parker?” Major Charles asked him grimly. Jarod’s expression lightened a little.
“Completely.” He replied. Major Charles then saw his son for who he know was. Jarod was on the edge. He’d resigned himself to do whatever was necessary to protect his interests. And now the father saw that Miss Parker was one of them.
Sleepwalk
Emily switched on the radio on the fourth night of her training and smiled. She loved this song and it seemed to be programmed to play ad infinitum on the Possum Kingdom closed circuit station.
Sleepwalk. It was a beautiful word and a beautiful instrumental. Peaceful, sultry, romantic.
What they were doing here was in no means romantic. But somehow. She began to sway to the tune and wasn’t embarrassed when she saw Lyle watching her. She beckoned him and he walked over to take her outstretched hand.
He gently spun her and they seemed to move in perfect harmony. Together. She looked into his eyes and grinned devilishly at the thought of what Jarod’s reaction would be if he were to see them at this moment.
The song ended and Lyle took in a deep breath and stepped away.
“It would seriously compromise my reputation should anyone hear about this.” He said seriously. She began to laugh and he couldn’t hold back his own laughter.
“Is dinner ready?” She finally said. Lyle nodded, still laughing and followed her out to the table.
He’d revealed so much to her in the past few days. Not rosy things. Not things you would tell someone to build their confidence in you, or their trust. Yet it all had somehow. Emily was beginning to understand Mr. Lyle. Who he was, and where he came from. He may appear to be a charming business type but that was only a small fraction of his identity.
She was sitting across the table from a sociopath to say the least. A man who’d made his career undermining the basics of humanity. He was a murderer, a serial killer at that, a liar, an all out selfish son of a bitch who had no right to be alive. Yet he was, and not only did she dine with him, but she shared a bed with him as well. A king sized bed, and she huddled on the edge of her side.
He’d been decent. Actually, good company. He’d even been a gentleman. He didn’t try to look at her while she changed or showered and kept his hands off of her, except when she’d invited him to dance. She had thought that anyone else might be terrified of this man. Oddly, she wasn’t.
Spell
Lyle watched Emily as she washed the dishes. He’d looked up from his plans to take in her visage. She’d learned quickly. He’d had expectations of her potential but nothing like this. His memory of her had not done her justice, and now she was all that filled his mind’s eye.
To successfully execute those plan, he would need a pretender, but Jarod and Alex were both out of the question. So was the Centre’s mood ring, Angelo. Emily was never trained, but she was his only option and her willingness was more than he could ever hope for.
She was more than he could ever hope for. She smiled and sung quietly to herself as she dried a plate. He wouldn’t dare allow her to catch him staring. It would only complicate this scenario. He was the bad guy and the heroine couldn’t grow attached to the bad guy.
But he was growing attached to her. He never could have imagined the spell she would cast over him. He almost wanted to tell her to forget everything and send her off to her family. He could walk away and leave her alone, but it would kill him.
She turned around quickly and a smile spread across her lips.
“Caught you.” She chuckled. She had no idea. He looked back at his papers and shuffled through to get to the next step.
Her training was nearly finished and then he would let her go until he needed to call upon her. The one person who shouldn’t trust him had become the only one he could trust.
What would happen afterward? Anything was possible he supposed.
Trouble
“Have you seen either of these two people?” Alex asked an innkeeper. He was dressed as a Texas State Highway Patrol officer.
“No, can’t say that I have. Are they in some sort of trouble?”
“Oh yeah.” Alex beamed. “A real Bonnie and Clyde. They robbed a gas station and killed the attendant. Do me a favor and keep an eye out for them would you?“ He smiled again before stepping out of the office.
Spooky
“You have to throw it back fast and hold your face.” Lyle instructed.
Emily stared at the glass uncertainly and then tossed it back with her head and swallowed. The Scotch ran hot down her throat, like the others. She tried to hold her face straight but lost it when she looked at Lyle’s studious expression. He broke into a laugh as well and poured two more shots into their glasses.
“I’m never going to be able to do this.” Emily laughed as she threw herself back into the couch. Lyle walked over to sit beside her. They were both fairly gone.
Lyle held her glass out and she took it and stared at it again. She tried to focus herself into a cool stare, devoid of emotion, yet with the underlying of sadness, and anger. Just like the face she’d been studying. The face she was trying to become. She threw back the drink and then concentrated her stare on Lyle.
Lyle didn’t grin. He merely stared back at her. “That’s is. You look just like her.” He drew in a heavy breath and drank from his own glass. “You can stop now, that’s really spooky.”
“This is what you wanted.” She said, still holding her hard expression. She slowly let her face fall back to her own, relaxed expression. Lyle smiled gratefully.
“Yes, Emily. You need to practice that. By the time I call on you, you should have it down. I must admit that you’ve come along a lot faster than I’d hoped for.”
She poured two more glasses and held hers up. “Here’s to pretending to be someone you’re not, Bobby.”
He held his glass up and smiled. “Here’s to pretending to be someone you’re not, Emily.”
They drank and she put her glass on the table and sank back into her seat. “I have a feeling that you could have swooped down from the sky at any time and come for me.”
“You’re right.”
“You knew where to find me and my family and yet you never have.”
“Until now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Jarod upped the ante on me once before and went to see my mother, adoptive mother, then had Miss Parker and Sydney visit her as well. So I saw his bid and found you. “I’ve been having you watched for years.”
“You were going to get back at Jarod by using me.”
“No, I already did.” He replied grimly. The memory of him pushing her out the window flashed by quickly.
“So you did. And now you want me to do this.”
“You are my only option. I think you realize that even more now than when we started this thing.”
“What are you going to do once we’ve executed this plan?”
“That does remain to be seen.”
She sat up and leaned forward. “Bobby, the Centre ruined you, just like the others. Why didn’t you just leave when they set you up with the Yakuza and had your thumb cut off?”
“Because I want revenge.”
“And this is all for your personal pursuit of revenge.” Emily cocked her head to one side and Lyle sat forward.
“Yes it is.”
“Then why not tell Jarod about this? Why not get him involved and leave the Centre and work with him?”
“I killed your brother.” Emily sighed heavily. Lyle looked at her softly. “Besides, you’ve seen the scenario, this is an inside job and Jarod in on the outside.” Lyle looked at his hands and Emily gently took his left and stroked where his thumb was with her own.
“Bobby.” She said. He lifted his gaze to hers.
“Damn me for saying this, but I think I could fall in love with you, Emily.” He stroked her face with his hand and leaned forward and his mouth joined hers.
The phone rang and Lyle hesitantly pulled himself away from Emily to answer it. His expression changed to anger and he thanked the voice on the other end.
“That was the innkeeper, Alex just left.” Emily’s face fell and she stood, suddenly feeling sober.
“We need to leave now.” She replied. Lyle nodded and they began to quickly pull together their things.
Tether
Lyle brought the car to a stop at the gas station where he’d aquired Emily. He stepped out and began fueling his vehicle. He leaned in and looked at her through his open window.
“You may leave now.” He said. She frowned at him and threw open her door and circled the car to face him.
“I may, huh?”
He stepped to the trunk and grabbed a knapsack. In it he threw a sweater, a cell phone, a pager, an envelope of cash, a couple of files, and a gun. He zipped it closed and handed it to her. She accepted it.
“You may. I’ll call you when the transfer is going to occur.” He stated flatly.
Emily searched his face looking hopeful at first and then her face fell and she turned her gaze downward. Lyle sighed heavily.
“How will we meet?” She asked her shoes.
“I’ll come for you. I have a tracking device in one of the items I’ve given you. Guess which one.”
“It would have to be the adorable sweater.” She replied. Lyle reached out and lifted her chin with his hand.
“Are you alright? I mean you’ll be with your family again in, hours.” He asked. She smiled weakly.
“Goodbye.” She said and she turned to walk away.
“Emily.” He called after her. She stopped and turned her head a little to glimpse at him. “Remember who I am, Emily.”
“Who you are, or who you are pretending to be?” She replied. He sighed again and replaced the fuel nozzle, closed his tank and walked over to her.
“I’m not the kind of person you want to get attached to.” He looked into her eyes.
“Yet I am, by this electronic tether you’ve given me.” She said. He sighed and took her face in his hands.
“I meant what I said, Emily. But, I don’t expect you too.”
“I never said anything.”
“And you’re better off for it, believe me. Go home and enjoy your family. They love you and they’ll always take care of you.”
“Until you call me.”
“Until I call you.”
“Who will you be then? Lyle, or Bobby?”
“I suppose it’ll depend on who is watching.” He smiled and leaned close to kiss her gently. He pulled away and smiled again. “That was my favorite part.”
She smiled back at him. “Goodbye, Bobby.”
“Goodbye, Emily.” He turned and returned to his car and she took a step backward when he started the engine and pulled away. She turned to the gas station and walked inside.
Practiced
“Dad!” Jordan cried out happily. Major Charles came into the living room followed by Jarod and Ethan. Jordan held the door open as the Police Officer entered with Emily. She beamed and hugged Jordan and then the other men in turn as they greeted her.
They all thanked the officer who then left and they sat down together to dote over Emily.
“Are you alright?” Jordan asked.
“Did he hurt you?” Ethan prodded.
“How did you get away?” The darkness in Jarod’s question quieted the rest.
Emily swallowed and then smiled nervously. She and Lyle had practiced this part. Her excuse, her lie.
“Alex was moving me and I escaped out of the car.”
“Did he say anything about a plan?” Jarod asked.
“He said that he killed Lyle’s adoptive parents and that he is going to try to kill Lyle, to replace him at the Centre. Am I being interrogated here?” Jarod looked up and his expression softened.
“No, Em, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to figure out what Alex is going to do. Why he took you. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“How did he know where to find us?” Major Charles interjected.
“I don’t know. I think he was hoping that the Centre and Jarod would get involved. That way he could get both Jarod and Lyle at once. Now, if you boys would all excuse me, I want to take a shower.” She stood and headed out of the room.
She took a long, hot shower, yet it couldn’t wash away the last week. Nothing ever would. It all seemed so surreal now that she was back with her family. Like a bad dream. The lessons, the files, the DSA’s. She knew the worst was yet to come. They were going to rescue the child, but what then? Lyle would work that part out. Whatever the outcome, she would certainly have to leave her family behind.
She ate pizza with the boys and then had silently slipped away and now sipped hot cocoa on the porch alone. It was a little chilly for the south so she wore the ’adorable’ sweater she’d been given for cover. Why had he given her a sweater?
“University of Nebraska.” Jarod said as he joined her. She jumped slightly at his voice and then nodded.
“The guy who picked me up on the side of the road gave it to me. He thought I looked cold I guess.”
“So Alex dragged you all the way up there? Was there anyone else being held with you?”
“No, why?” She said sticking to her story. Part of her secretly wondered how Jarod would react if she told him that Lyle had rescued her and that they had joined forces to rescue the child of Jarod and Miss Parker, that they didn’t know about of course. But, she wasn’t going to ask, just in case he really believed her.
Letter
Miss Parker stalked determinately down the hallway to her brother’s office. She’d received the all clear from Jarod once Emily had returned, but she wasn’t satisfied. She threw open the doors and was met by Lyle’s bemused grin.
“You really don’t know how to knock.” He began.
“Shut up! What the hell are you up to?” She sneered.
Lyle looked down at his pen and then back at her. “I was writing a love letter to my girlfriend?”
“So how was the service?” She asked slyly. She’d had a sweeper there and Lyle had been a no show.
“I don’t know. I never went.” Lyle leveled his gaze with hers.
“Why not?” She pushed.
“I don’t know about you but it probably wouldn’t have sat well for the average Nebraskan if a dead son showed up for his parents funeral.”
Miss Parker nodded silently. “I see your point.” She turned on her heel and spoke once more. “By the way, your buddy Alex was sighted while you were gone.” She then exited his office.
Lyle smiled as the door clicked shut and looked down at the paper he’d been writing on. Paper in a computer age was advantageous in a lot of ways. For him, it got the point across. He read the lines he’d written and hoped that no one else ever would.
My Dearest Emily,
If you’re reading this then my plan did succeed, but I didn’t make it. I’ve left all the further information you’ll need with this letter along with the means to take care of yourself and the boy. I hope you’ll give him a good name and can someday sort out all this family business. I know you’ll love him and take care of him.
I have only one request and that is for you to never reveal who I was to him. He knows me as Mr. Lyle, head Rat at the Cheese factory. If I know you, then you’ll probably gush about how I succumbed to my guilt and helped you rescue him. That is all he ever needs to know about me.
As for you, I think you are the only person who ever saw me for who I am. Not just Mr. Lyle but also what remains of Bobby in me. I never realized that I still had some of him left in me until that week at Possum Kingdom with you. I don’t know why I said the name, since it’s the only time we’ve ever spent together. But I remember the way you laughed at the name every time you saw it. That was the best week of my life. I died a happy man because I was with you, even if it was for such a short time.
I don’t know when, but I did fall in love with you. When I attacked you, which I shouldn’t have and I’m very sorry, it wasn’t out of malice. I was ordered to by my father and you know Mr. Lyle did what he had to in order to secure his position, not to mention his life. However, I always had these pictures of you, not to mention information. I kept something with me, and I never knew why until we were together. I almost backed out, you know, I almost backed out again and again, but you’re determination prevented me.
I would have made love to you that night. That probably more than anything else is why I had to send you away. I was scared of the depth of my feelings for you. I wanted to abandon everything and go with you. But your family never would have understood and mine would have hunted us to the ends of the Earth. And we never would have rescued the boy.
As you said, here’s to pretending to be someone we are not. I hope you think of me as Bobby and bury Mr. Lyle forever. Maybe in the next life we can be together.
Love Always,
Bobby
He folded the letter and placed it in an envelope with her name on the front. Then he looked through the pictures he’d taken of her while he was on “vacation.” There was her sitting on the dock, another of her on the porch. Her in the kitchen and one where she was leaning on a tree in the woods. Then she was lying on the bed, hands folded behind her head as he straddled her and she smiled. He remembered the moment and the restraint to keep himself from pulling off her clothes. Her face in the picture invited exactly that and they had both known it. He smiled and then put all her pictures in an envelope marked Sleepwalk.
To Be Continued …
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