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Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. The plot isn't all that original either. But what the hell, I'm having fun. I'm not making any money off this so nobody gets any royalties. Please don't sue. My only profit will be in the warm fuzzy feeling I get when readers leave a review. - Thanks! 08/30/03 -

Stumbling Toward Nirvana

By Phenyx Chapter 1

-

Miss Parker stared in dismay at the bright magenta neon lights above her head.

"You've got to kidding me," she hissed as she slowly removed her sunglasses in astonishment.

Parker was a stunningly beautiful woman, the type that could turn heads when she entered a room. Her deep mahogany colored pants suit was elegantly tailored and very professional, despite the incredibly high-heeled shoes she was wearing. Her stance radiated an air of authority, a distinct chill that was further supported by hard, steel gray eyes.

Accompanying her was the requisite trio of men that made up her team. An older, slightly balding man, a distinguished psychiatrist named Sydney, frowned at the disturbing establishment they were undoubtedly about to enter. A second man, younger but far more bald than the first, fidgeted in his rumpled clothing and glanced nervously up and down the street.

"Miss Parker?" Broots stuttered. "What is this place?"

A handsome, dark-haired man stepped away from the limousine to stand at Parker's side. Parker's twin brother was as devastatingly handsome as she was beautiful. He was lean and charming but missing a thumb. Mr. Lyle was also quite mad, the Ted Bundy of his time, though Parker could not prove it. Sharply dressed in an Armani suit, Lyle grinned wickedly at the building.

"It is a bar, Mr. Broots," Lyle said in a smooth voice.

Parker snorted derisively. The old two-story brick building had been a movie theater once, probably around the time Greta Garbo was big. But now, flashing across the old matinee was the representation of a brightly colored horse galloping across a field of lights. A dozen or more of the lights needed repairing giving certain portions of the sign a connect-the- dots feeling.

"The Pink Palomino," Parker groaned to herself. "What on Earth was coo-coo boy doing here?"

With a sigh of resignation Parker strode angrily toward the doors. As she yanked open a door that had a wooden plank nailed in place where glass had once been, Broots whispered frantically, "You don't suppose it's a strip club do you?"

"You wish," Parker snarled.

Inside the building, the old fifties theme of the theater had been semi- restored. The bar occupied the area that had once been the refreshment counter. Cozy little tables were scattered throughout the room and vinyl covered booths lined the walls. A slight haze of smoke filled the room, as it did in any drinking establishment. Just as an old Liza Minelli song began to play on the crackling sound system, Parker realized that the patrons were almost exclusively men.

"The music is a bit of a cliché, isn't it?" Lyle asked, chortling in amusement.

Parker cast him a withering glare. "I wouldn't be so amused if I were you, pretty-boy," she growled menacingly. "Be nice and I'll try to protect you when one of these nice men grabs your ass."

Lyle's eyes turned hard and angry. "Anyone who tries will lose a hand," he hissed.

Parker smirked humorlessly, "Don't be greedy, Lyle. You only need to take the thumb."

"Sydney!" Broots gasped suddenly. "This is a gay bar!"

With an angry hiss, Parker stomped across the floor, achingly aware that she was being watched as she did so.

Rapping her knuckles on the bar's surface Parker caught the attention of the bartender. "We are looking for this man," she said holding a photograph out to him. "We have reason to believe that he has been here."

"Jarod didn't show up for work today," the man replied after glancing at the photo. "Some nonsense about an emergency he needed to take care of."

Parker sighed. "Do you have any idea where he may have gone?"

"No," the bartender said with a frown. "But Jarod was staying at Sterling's place. He may know more about it."

Looking in the direction in which the bartender was pointing, they saw an outrageously dressed man lounging in one of the booths. As the group approached, they could see that Sterling was a man in his late forties or early fifties. He had not one hair on his head and a flamboyant taste in clothes. He was talking to a thin young blond man, barely old enough to grow fuzz on his chin.

"Magnificent outfit, darling," Sterling said as Miss Parker stopped beside his table.

"Have you seen this man?" Parker demanded, flashing the picture again.

The bald man frowned. "Manners, my dear, manners are everything," he scolded. "Do please sit down."

Parker glared at the boy sitting on the opposite bench. After a quick nod from Sterling, the boy rushed away, leaving the space open for Miss Parker. She sat down, leaving her three companions to stand awkwardly beside the table.

"They call me Sterling," the man said, holding a limp hand across the table.

"Parker," she replied, not sure whether she was expected to shake the hand or kiss it. Parker chose to shake.

Sterling made a great display of lighting a thin, European cigarette before saying, "So you are looking for a man. Aren't we all, my dear?"

Parker sighed in an effort to regain some semblance of patience. "His name is Jarod. The bartender said that he has been staying with you."

Sterling shot a haughty glare in the direction of the bar. "Anthony has a big mouth," he complained. "He's just jealous, the bitch," Sterling added with a shrug. "Anthony wanted Jarod for himself."

Sydney cast a startled look at the gay man. "You had a relationship with Jarod?" the psychiatrist asked.

"Only in my fantasies, I'm afraid," Sterling practically whined. "As delightful and positively edible as he is, the poor boy is hopelessly straight." He took a long drag from the cigarette. "Didn't stop him from being a wicked tease though. With those tight black jeans of his and those washboard abs, my, my, my, he is nice to look at. Isn't he, my dear?"

Parker glared angrily. "I never noticed," she hissed.

"Whatever you say, dearie," the other man said with a knowing smirk.

"Can you tell us where Jarod is now?" Parker asked trying to maintain a calm voice.

"Alas, he is gone," Sterling sighed dejectedly. "He slept on my couch for a few weeks, despite my finest attempts to lure him to my bed. It was rather frustrating as you might imagine."

Parker flinched, "I'd rather not," she grimaced.

Sterling laughed. "Truth be told, I think he liked the attention. Jarod struck me as being a bit starved for affection. Soaked it up like a sponge, he did. And of course I could deny him nothing. All he had to do was flash that twenty-four carat smile and I was his to command," Sterling said with a heavy sigh. He paused to draw on the cigarette again. "And I certainly didn't mind having him around. A strong powerful young thing like that is just what a girl needs in these dangerous times."

"Dangerous times?" Parker asked.

"There had been a series of burglaries in the neighborhood," Sterling explained. "Several men of an alternate lifestyle had been badly beaten during the robberies. One boy died. They caught the man responsible just yesterday." He shrugged. "That made it a little easier to let Jarod go."

Parker nodded in understanding. "Do you have any idea where Jarod may have been headed?"

"Afraid not," Sterling said liltingly. "Something about trouble and that he was going east."

Parker stood and straightened her jacket in a brisk movement. "Thank you for your time."

"My pleasure, darling," the man said with a genuine smile. "If you see Jarod, tell him to stop by anytime. I miss him already. Such a sweet boy."

Parker pushed roughly past Broots and stalked out of building, leaving Sydney to collect the red notebook that she knew Sterling was now handing over.

Once back out on the pavement, Parker took her sunglasses from her pocket and shoved them back into place on her nose. Lyle and the others joined her a moment later.

"Well, wasn't that fun," Lyle purred.

"We might have caught him if you had shown up on time, Lyle," Miss Parker hissed.

Lyle shrugged, "I had to take care of some things," he groused. "Besides, Jarod left this morning. I can guarantee that you didn't get the tip on his whereabouts until after he had already left town. So don't try pinning this on me."

"You were late," Parker snarled. "Don't make me wait for you again."

"You do it to me all the time, Parker," Lyle said offhandedly. "Deal with it."

"Get in the car," Parker growled in exasperation.

The sun was beginning to set in the west and their shadows were growing long on the sidewalk as they piled into the limousine. It was going to be a very long flight back to Delaware.

-

It was dark, nearly midnight, by the time Parker had finished her paperwork and debriefing regarding the latest tip on Jarod. She strode to the elevator and was just about to punch the button for the lobby when Lyle dashed through the closing doors.

"Headed my way, Sis?" Lyle asked merrily.

For a long moment of silence, the two siblings watched the elevator lights mark their progress toward the main lobby.

"You look tired, Parker," Lyle said in what passed for a kind voice.

"Your concern is heart wrenching," Parker drawled sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Parker," Lyle went on enthusiastically. "You need to rejuvenate once in a while. Get out. Get some fresh air. Pursue a hobby."

Parker eyed her brother suspiciously. An icy chill ran down her spine at his words. Parker was only too aware of Lyle's most gruesome hobbies.

Lyle smiled beautifully as the elevator deposited them at their destination. He even held the door for Parker as they left the building.

Trying not to run as she walked in the direction of her car, Parker was startled when her cell phone abruptly rang. By the time she pulled the device from her pocket and answered it, her brother was some distance away. His car was parked in the opposite direction.

"What?" Parker hissed as she held her phone to her ear.

"Where are you?" Jarod demanded.

Glancing nervously across the darkened pavement, Parker could see Lyle unlocking the door of his car. She quickly turned, hiding her conversation from her brother as best she could.

"Not that it is any of your business, Rat-boy," Parker hissed. "But I am going home."

"Where is Lyle?" Jarod asked.

"About a hundred yards from me. Why?" she asked, her nerves suddenly crackling with tension.

"Do you know where he has been for the last couple of days?" Jarod asked carefully.

Parker squeezed her eyes shut, dreading what the pretender was about to say. "Do I want to know?" her voice wavered.

"Another Asian girl is missing," Jarod explained.

Parker slumped against her car. "Damn," she whispered.

"You knew," Jarod stated in surprise.

"I was just beginning to suspect," Parker admitted.

"Miss Parker," Jarod went on urgently. "This was no ordinary girl. Lyle got sloppy. He didn't know who she was. He must have been rushed for some reason."

Parker turned and glanced back across the asphalt. Suddenly alert, her senses twitching, Parker looked frantically for some sign of Lyle. His car still sat silently in its spot but Lyle was gone.

"Lyle?" Parker called.

"What's wrong?" Jarod asked, hearing her yell.

"I'm not sure," Parker said in a slow wary tone. "He was there a moment ago."

"Parker," Jarod hissed urgently. "Get out of there. Go. Now!"

"Lyle?" she called again. She walked around the back end of her vehicle, headed toward where she had last seen her brother. Parker saw a blur of motion out of the corner of her eye as two men clan in black rushed at her from the shadows.

Parker gasped in surprise as the men tackled her to the ground. With a grunt, her phone was jarred from her hand and skittered under the car. A gloved hand pressed hard against her mouth, holding her down. She could hear Jarod's voice calling frantically through the still active cell phone.

"Parker? Parker are you there?" he cried. "Miss Parker! Answer me. Parker!"

Parker struggled, kicking and punching as best she could. For a moment she saw stars as one of the men flipped her onto her stomach and her forehead hit the pavement. She felt her gun ripped from its holster. There was a biting against her flesh as plastic ties were used to bind her wrists and ankles.

It happened so fast. Parker knew that these men must be professionals. Thrashing out with her knees, she kicked hard. At the same time she managed to wrap her lips around a bit of leather glove and she bit down in a grinding motion.

There was a startled yelp and Parker's mouth was suddenly freed. Then she did the only thing she could do.

"JAROD!" she screamed.

Strong hands grabbed Parker by the ankles and began to drag her away.

"JAROD!" she screamed again. "JAR-" Something hard hit the back of Parker's head, abruptly silencing her cries as everything went black.

-









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