"Tell me where Jarod is!" Miss Parker's voice echoed in the dark depths of whatever sublevel she happened to be on. She wasn't sure how many, but it had been days since the capture. She remembered Briggite's spiteful grin as she smashed the walkie talkie emitting Broots' pitiful "Miss Parker, are you okay?"s, and then the pure glee when she snapped the disk in Jarod's hands into two. It was as if she'd physically slapped Jarod across the face as he winced with the plastic.

Miss Parker had watched on in awe as sweepers dragged Jarod, screaming, down one hallway with Emily, while she, never one to sacrafice her pride, walked calmly in the opposite direction with the sweepers.

Now, she sat in the corner of her cell, her head rested against the cold bars. It hadn't been a week, she knew that. But days had gone by, many a food drop off from another unidentifiable sweeper. She forced herself to choke down some of that rabbit food, but mostly she just thought. About her life, her regrets. God there were a lot of regrets.

"Miss Parker," a sweeper's voice broke her from her thoughts, "you're to come with me."

"Joy." She stood as the door creeked open. Her four party escort amused her. Clearly, they were taking no risks in her transport. "Where's Jarod?" No answer, of course. So she walked, following the one in lead. Sweepers were really some of the thickest morons around.

Eventually one of them opened the door at the end of a hallway and lead her into a room with nothing but a long metal table and two chairs. In one, sat Mr Raines, wheezing away. Behind him, Briggite stood in a gray mini skirt and bright seaweed green top. Miss Parker was suddenly aware of how grimy and ruffled she must look in her gray trousers and white blouse, with rips in the shoulder. There was a jacket that went with it, but she couldn't even remember where that was anymore.

"Have a seat, Miss Parker," Briggite beckoned with a smile.

She didn't even fight, but sat, leaning with her chin cupped in her hand, "where's Jarod?"

"Seems to be all you care about these days, love."

"All I have ever cared about is finding him," she stared back blankly.

"Oh really? That's why you've been helping him rescue Emily, download top secret Centre information, and shooting at Centre personnel. It all makes since now," Briggite clapped her hands together stupidly.

"You people are denser than I took you for," Miss Parker murmured.

"How is that?" Mr Raines exhaled raspily.

"Do you think I spent so much time with your lab rat for fun? No. I was building trust. The reason you people always fail is because he doesn't trust you. Now in spending so many years chasing after Jarod I've learned some important things. Firstly, the only reason he didn't fall off the map is because of Sydney and the bond they had. Jarod's also been susceptible to falling for the history he and I have shared since childhood. I was smart enough to see that the only way to catch him, was to play with that. And guess what. It worked."

This was certainly not what either Raines or Briggite had expected her to say, but they stayed quiet as she continued.

"Do you really think that with my knowledge of The Centre's operation systems and the help of Jarod that we would just magically get caught? No. I've been planning this. And now he's off somewhere asking how I am and telling you not to hurt me, is he not? He thinks I'm on his side, and for once, we have the upper hand. Or should I say... I have the upper hand."

"Your story doesn't mesh with the ones of countless dead sweepers whose wounds are the effect of your bullets. Justify that, Miss Parker." Raines' temper was boiling with every calm word out of the young Parker's mouth.

"Do you think I care about the loss of a few mindless monkeys in comparison to the capture of Jarod? Do not talk down to me just because I managed to trick you, too." Her eyes were cold as steel and she spoke quickly with finality that neither of her interrogators could doubt, "Don't worry, I mean if Jarod fell for it, anyone could right?"

Raines stared into those burning eyes but spoke to Briggite, "go have a chat with our pretender."

Miss Parker stood abruptly, causing the sweepers behind her to step forward and unholster their weapons, "and blow my cover? That'd be a brilliant idea. If you spill this, you'll ruin everything."

"He's here, Miss Parker. Exactly what else matters?" Briggite questioned.

"You do want him to pretend for you right? Let me see him."

*****

"Sydney, what are we going to do? It's been days with no word." Broots had been blabbering on with these worries ever since that night where Jarod, Miss Parker, and Emily had gone into The Centre without returning.

"Clearly, they were captured. There's nothing we can do except to wait and hope they can make it out again." Sydney's voice was calm and steady as it always was.

"But what if they don't, Syd? I mean what are we supposed to do in the meantime? We can't stay in this hotel forever. My daughter can't take much more of this!"

"And neither can you. Patience my friend. I have faith in their abilities. I'm sure things will be right soon enough."

*****

Either her story hadn't been as convincing as she'd initially thought or they were questioning Jarod just as she'd told them not to. Miss Paker sat in her corner again, thinking of all the Hell she'd be raising once they realized they should be letting her out of here. The door opened suddenly and two fairly built sweepers dragged Jarod across the concrete. He was wearing nothing but Centre issue baggy black pants and he hung loosely on the shoulders of the men around him, clearly weak. Another sweeper unlocked the door to her cell and they threw him in, his face and chest colliding with the cement while he emitted a groan. Miss Parker rushed to his side, rolling him over onto his back, mentally noting the red welts and purple bruises across his skin.

"Jarod, Jarod say something." She watched as his eyes, the right one swollen, blinked a few times, "Jarod!"

"Hey you," he smiled slightly, "you okay?"

"My God, what the Hell's happened to you? Couldn't do anything they asked?"

"Nah. Help me up," he muttered as she pulled him up toward her, "where's Emily?"

"I don't know. I've been here the entire time."

Jarod reached out and let his palm rest on her cheek, his thumb brushing over her lips slightly, "I'm really glad you're okay."

Miss Parker sighed, "Jarod--"

"I wasn't even thinking about getting out again, just about where you were, what they were doing to you." He leaned back against the wall Miss Parker had pulled him to. She, knealing beside him, grasped his hand.

"You," she exhaled quickly, "you really need to look after yourself. I'll be fine."

"Because you're always fine, aren't you, Parker?" His eyes were sad and she could feel them digging deep into her.

"Please. There's even more at stake here than you think."

Jarod's eyes blinked, but his lids felt heavier and heavier. She watched and said softly "you're exhausted. Just go to sleep and we'll talk when you wake up, okay?"

He nodded, "don't go anywhere okay?"

Miss Parker's eyes glistened as she felt his hand tighten around hers, and she strained to speak without her voice breaking "Of course not."

He laid his head on her shoulder while she stared on, wide awake, into the lens of the camera over their heads. She closed her eyes tightly, so nobody could see the growing moisture beneath the lids.