Vanished

By Gemini-M

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews to rev2004, Nans, phi4858,
bloodymary2, c1, mariel4000, Sirus183, and other readers who may be too shy to
leave a comment. Your ideas and words of encouragement mean a world to me. Is
almost over, so I hope you have enjoyed this little adventure. Thanks.
Mercy

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."
Jim Davis.

Sydney's Home12:05a.m.

Alex smiled at Jarod with delight. The date of retribution had come at
last. Now he was the one in control and he was going to make Jarod squirm and
plead for mercy. "Because of your escape, The Triumvirate used me as a
substitute Pretender for five years and destroyed my life. It is time for me to
destroy yours." Alex glared at Jarod with madness in his eyes.

Cautiously, Sydney continued to cut the ropes around his wrists as he
watched the two men carefully.

"Let Sydney go. He had nothing to do with what happened to you."
Jarod pleaded.

"THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG JAROD." Alex shouted angrily. Aiming his
gun at the pretender, Alex moved forward very slowly and took Jarod's gun from
the coffee table. He tucked the gun in his belt and then continued, "Because
the good Doctor was too busy trying to retrieve you after your escape, the
Centre didn't think I was important enough, so they shipped me off to Africa to
be re-educated."

"I was never told about the other pretenders in the Pretender project."
Sydney cut in to explain. "If I knew, I would have..."

"LIAR!...JAROD WAS THE ONLY PRETENDER YOU WANTED TO WORK
WITH."

"But after today he will hate you when he learns the TRUTH." Alex
grinned evilly.

"WHAT TRUTH?" Jarod asked again in a threatening tone.

"Have you found your Mommy yet?"

"No." Jarod replied with dread. "Why?"

"Well, you're in for a big disappointment Jarod." Alex taunted.
"Dear Margaret and Major Charles are not your parents."

"What?" Jarod gasped, his voice merely a whisper.

Alex felt triumphant as the revelation shocked the pretender speechless.
Jarod felt as if he was punched in the stomach. His heart started racing and for
a moment his lungs refused to take in oxygen. This could not be true, Alex was
lying just to hurt him and to get his revenge. Jarod turned around and faced his
mentor. The pain in his eyes begging the old man to deny Alex's words.
"Sydney?" Was all he could say.

Sydney just bowed his head avoiding his protégé's pleading eyes. He had no
words for him right now, but the pain in his chest told him that he could not
stop the events that had been put into motion by this madman. Alex was
determined to destroy Jarod, and he was helpless to stop him.

Jarod's face grew tense with anger and confusion. Was Alex making up all
these lies? Or was this the real truth the Centre had hidden from him for the
past thirty years? But, after seeing Sydney's reaction, he feared that Alex was
not lying. Over the years, after his escape, he had found many scattered clues,
but had not seen the connection until...now. Suddenly, all these clues began to
come together, like pieces of a puzzle, as the memories flooded his mind. First,
there was that little piece of paper with the word "GENE" written by Sydney's
brother, Jacob, just before he died. Jacob had tried to tell him the truth, but
the Centre silenced him as well. Then there were all those files and records he
had discovered at the NuGenisis clinic after following the clues he obtained
from Mr. Fenigor. Furthermore, he remembered what Louis, the innkeeper at Oak
view Lodge, said to him the first time they met, "Funny, you don't look like
either one of your folks." Finally, the voices of Raines and Lyle echoed in
his mind, teasing him, "Jarod, you belong to us...The Centre created
you...This is where you belong."

"Oh, but wait Jarod. There are more secrets to be unearthed!" Alex
continued enthusiastically, startling Jarod from his reverie.

"As you know, the Centre has always been ahead when it came to the
Science of Cloning and Gene manipulation." Alex explained very
casually.

"What are you trying to say?" Jarod asked almost inaudibly. "Where
are my parents?"

"Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you genius...You will never find
your parents." Alex continued with an evil smile. His words tortured the
pretender, like pouring salt on an open wound. "Jarod, you were created in a
Lab...In a Petri dish. Nobody really knows who your parents were...or if you had
any parents, but according to the beliefs of the Triumvirate, you're the
descendant of someone great, which is also the meaning of your name. But most
important of all, your genetic codes and make-up are extremely valuable to the
Centre and the Triumvirate. Like they say, you're a diamond in the rough...and
their little Gold mine." Alex laughed maniacally, pausing a moment to enjoy
the pretender's anguish as his mind registered the information with shock.
"That's why they want you back so badly Jarod...To create the master race
that one day will rule the Centre and free them from the Triumvirate dominion.
Jarod, you're the Key to their survival, but after today it will not matter
anymore, because there will be no Centre. But remember this Jarod, even with the
Centre gone, you'll never be free. Your HELL has just begun."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Jarod shouted angrily, ignoring Alex's last
menacing words. He was trying to hold on to the only truth he had ever known and
believed for the past thirty years, but now this too was slowly slipping away.
Jarod looked around the room disoriented. The weight of this secret was crushing
him alive. "No, these are lies created by the Centre and the Triumvirate to
confuse me and control me." Jarod murmured to himself. "I have
parents who loved me and have been looking for me tirelessly since my
abduction." Exhausted and bewildered, Jarod became lost in his thoughts as
the faces of loved ones; he once believed to be his family, invaded his troubled
mind in an endless cycle. Abruptly, the sound of Alex's laughter, snapped Jarod
from his torment. He looked up at the man with hatred; his eyes shimmering with
unshed tears. He wanted to screamat the top of his lungs, but his voice came out
as a whimper, "Margaret is my..."

"MARGARET WAS JUST A SURROGATE MOTHER." Alex interrupted
furiously. "SHE WAS NO MORE THAN A VESSEL TO CARRY THE CENTRE'S GREATEST
CREATION AND THE KEY TO THEIR SURVIVAL."

"But, I remember when I was young...and when I was stolen from them."
Jarod argued desperately.

"True, Margaret and Major Charles had you as their son for a little
while, but The Centre followed them and monitored you during all that time. Then
when you were old enough, The Centre came and reclaimed their prized
possession." Alex gloated as he watched the great pretender crumble right
before his eyes.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU...I'll FIND MY PARENTS AND LEARN THE TRUTH."
Jarod spat back angrily.

"ENOUGH!" Alex shouted infuriated. "Your parents are no longer the
issue...but Miss Parker and the good Doctor are." Alex shouted
infuriated.

"What about Miss Parker?" Jarod asked with apprehension.

"What have you done to Miss Parker?" Sydney's concern voice came
from behind the tall pretender.

"Jarod, remember what I told you the last time?...That you didn't know
how important she was to your world?...Well, now you will never know." Alex
looked at his watch and grinned. "I believe that by now Miss Parker is
probably roasting inside her luxurious Centre town car...Gone
forever."

"YOU BASTARD, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MISS PARKER...I'LL KILL YOU."
Jarod growled and instinctively moved toward Alex, but immediately stopped
when Alex raced his gun and aimed it at the pretender's heart. Jarod froze his
body rigid with tension as he tried to control the rage that was eating him
alive.

"Jarod, we don't want to do anything drastic, do we?" Alex said
calmly. "Don't you want to hear the rest of my plan?"

"What plan?" Jarod snarled, his dark brown eyes piercing into
Alex.

"Well, I've already told you about my plan on the e-mail I sent to you
yesterday morning; Remember?" Alex mocked.

"Suddenly, Jarod remembered the anonymous e-mail he had received along
with the list of people marked for death. It read, "THE CENTRE'S LEGACY HAS
COME TO AN END. THEY WILL ALL PAY FOR STEALING MY LIFE. I WILL DESTROY YOU
ALL."

Finally, Sydney had managed to cut the rope from around his wrists and now
he was cautiously looking around the room for something that he could use as a
weapon to help Jarod against this Psycho. Sydney's eyes landed on the poker that
stood with the other fireplace utensils, and was only a few inches to his right.
He loathed violence, but this time he had no choice. Saying a silent prayer, he
came to a decision. Jarod already had lost too much in his life and he was not
going to stand by and watch this monster destroy him. Sydney sadly remembered
the promise he had made to his friend, Catherine, to protect the children but he
had failed terribly. Blinking away the tears for the other child, Sydney feared
lost, he made a solemn promise in silence. He would protect Jarod with his life
if necessary.

"I assume that you know about Mr. Lyle's involvement?" Alex said as
he started pacing again, but keeping his gun trained on both men. "Mr. Lyle
was very co-operative and quite resourceful. He was a man of many talents, but
his greed for power was his downfall. Do you know that he actually had plans to
assassinate Mr. Raines?" Alex looked at Jarod as if expecting an answer, but
the pretender only gave him an icy glare.

"What was in that file Lyle exchanged in the warehouse?" Jarod
asked seriously.

"Mr. Lyle even offered me a partnership to rule the Centre." Alex
ignored Jarod's questions and continued with his explanation. "But as you
know, I already had other plans to kill everyone at the Centre."

"YOU'RE MAD AND YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS." Sydney erupted.

"NO, I'M NOT MAD DOCTOR, I'M A SOCIOPATH CREATED BY YOU PEOPLE."
Alex moved towards Sydney menacingly, but Jarod moved in front of him and
blocked his approach. Enraged by Jarod's interference, Alex raised his gun and
pressed it against Jarod's throat. "GENIUS, IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN YOU'LL DIE
FIRST, AND THAT'S NOT A PART OF MY PLAN." Then in a flash, Alex swung the
gun ferociously and struck Jarod across the face, sending the pretender crashing
to the floor at Sydney's feet.

"JAROD!" Sydney cried out with panic.

Alex stared down at Jarod and started to laugh diabolically. "The
faithful son always protects his mentor."

Sydney stared angrily as he felt the blood boiling in his veins. The old
man wanted to jump from his chair and tear Alex's heart out with his bare hands,
but he knew very well that alone he could not defeat this lunatic, plus he
wasn't sure about Jarod's condition. He had to practice patience and wait for
the right moment in order to succeed. He had taught Jarod patience and careful
planning all his life, now the time had come for him to put those lessons to
practice.

"Jarod are you alright?" Sydney asked, his voice laced with
concern.

Jarod pulled himself to a sitting position on the floor and raised one
hand to let Sydney know that he was alright, but the pain in his head was
excruciating and his vision was all a blur. Jarod felt a burning sensation on
his left cheek and when his finger tips touched his face, they came back tinted
in red. The cut to his face didn't bother him much, but the incapacitating
dizziness from his concussion was something that worried him, especially after
that blow. He just sat there stunned, waiting for the damn light-headedness to
subside, but closing his eyes, found no relief. Instead he heard Parker's voice
calling for him, making the guilt stab deeper at his heart. Jarod wondered if
this time he should have trusted Parker to help him. Maybe if she was here with
him, she would still be alive. "No, she is alive, she has to be." Jarod
told himself with conviction.

"And my plans have worked perfectly. Don't you agree Jarod?" Alex
laughed when the pretender snapped from his reverie and looked up surprised.

"Eliminating Mr. Raines and Mr. Lyle was very simple. As you probably
guessed, I killed Mr. Raines." Alex chuckled amused. "The old ghoul was
shocked to see me alive."

"Jarod, I simmed every outcome to my plan and predicting your moves was
so easy." Alex walked to the recliner and sat down, keeping his gun aimed on
the man sitting on the floor. "I knew you were going to follow Mr. Lyle to
the warehouse, so I sent my assistant to meet with him. He is a very smart young
man. I believe you know him."

Jarod frowned, but decided to remain quiet. Alex was in a talkative mood
and slowly was answering all his questions.

"Like I said earlier, Mr. Lyle was a very resourceful man. He had many
connections and he could obtain information on almost anybody. Lyle once told me
about this fellow he employed from time to time to locate missing families. What
was his name?" Alex looked up and tapped his index finger on his chin as if
trying to remember the name.

"Mr. White." Jarod said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, that the guy!" Alex exclaimed. "Do you know Mr.
White?"

"We met once." Jarod answered simply, but he couldn't hide the fear
that made his blood run cold, as he remembered Mr. White's words, "I'm a
finder; missing families is kind of my niche, and yours is a full time job
brother."

"So I suppose you already know what I have in my possession?" Alex
teased.

Slowly, Jarod placed both hands on the coffee table and pushed himself to
a standing position. He swayed momentarily, but quickly regained his balance by
placing one hand on Sydney's shoulder. The old man looked at his protégé and
gave him a concerned look, but what he saw in Jarod's eyes frightened him. He
saw anguish, fear and mistrust. Jarod quickly looked away from his mentor and
stared at Alex with a hatred that was palpable.

"YOU LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE."

"Sorry, your family is already involved." Alex said calmly. "Oh, but
wait, they are not really your family; Remember?"

"YES THEY ARE AND IF YOU HARM THEM I'LL..."

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING JAROD. Alex interrupted with a roar
then paused as he stood from his seat. "They will all perish Jarod, but
now...I have other plans for you."Alex interrupted with a roar then
paused as he stood from his seat.

Jarod's dark eyes clashed with Alex's heartless stare. The look of pure
evil in his eyes made the pretender shiver and once again doubts about their
survival invaded his thoughts. Jarod had hoped that he could reach Alex, but he
was too twisted; the Centre had won again. They had not only stolen his life,
but also his mind and soul, and in return they had created a ruthless killer
capable of anything.

"You can't save everyone Jarod."

"Maybe not, but I will not give up on my family and
friends."

"Jarod, the hero." Alex laughed hysterically. "But this time,
the hero may have to kill one of his own to save the others."

"WHAT?" Jarod said stunned.

"Remember the young man that met with Lyle at the warehouse. Didn't he
look familiar? I'll give you a clue; he is very good with explosives." Alex
grinned evilly. "Come on Jarod, you're the Genius."

Jarod gasped sharply and looked down as the events in the warehouse
re-played in his mind, but this time he recognized the mystery man. With a
frighten look on his face he raised his eyes and whispered, "Ethan."

"You are smart after all." Alex teased.

"SO INSTEAD OF KILLING ETHAN, YOU'VE TURNED HIM INTO A KILLER LIKE
YOU." Jarod snarled with disgust, his eyes tearing up from the shock and
anger.

"Oh touché." Alex grinned evilly and then continued. "Ethan is a
very impressionable young man." Alex started casually. "All it took was a
few suggestions and commands that were hidden in Ethan's sub-conscious by Mr.
Raines to activate his subservient personality. Mr. Raines was a genius when it
came to creating personal assassins. Don't you agree?"

"YOU SICK BASTARD, I'LL STOP YOU EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I
DO."Jarod replied in a menacing tone.

"But this time you will be too late to save Ethan." Alex looked at
his watch again and smile. "As we speak, Ethan is setting the last explosives
that will bring down the Centre. Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock time is running out
Jarod."

Alex beamed with satisfaction as he watched the turmoil in the pretender's
face. Jarod was losing control and he could not hide the look of shock and fear
as he listened to his well planned strategy to destroy the Centre and his
family.

Sydney looked at the two men with apprehension. He never thought that
things could turn for the worse so suddenly, and what scared him the most was
that he was going to lose Jarod forever. Maybe he already had, after Alex's
revelation about the pretender's origin. Sydney could see the despair and rage
in his protégé's eyes and if the pretender gave-in to his suppressed anger, he
would be damned like Alex. He had to do something and soon, or this madman would
accomplish his goal and destroy the man he had raised and loved as a son.

Cautiously, Sydney reached to the right and took possession of the poker
and hid it behind his chair, while keeping his eyes fixed on Alex, who was again
pacing in front of Jarod as he ranted about his plan. The old man looked at
Jarod and was stricken with fear. After thirty years of mentoring his protégé,
he new him like the back of his hand and he could read his every emotion in his
face and body. Sydney could sense the anger radiating from the pretender and
instantly knew that Jarod was getting ready to make his move and put an end to
this situation. Jarod's body was stiff as a guardsman, but he had widened his
stand for better balance and control in his attack. His fists were clenched
tightly at his side and from where he sat he could see the tension growing in
the rigid muscles of his jaw line. Sydney closed his eyes and said a silent
prayer for all the Centre's children. This time he was not going to let them
down. In the past others had fought the Centre while he cowered away and hid
behind his fear and the lies, but now it was his turn to face this evil and
fight for the children he swore to protect. The truth was out and it was time to
fight the monsters.

What happened in the next few seconds would haunt Sydney's dreams for a
very long time. Frantically and without any warning, Sydney sprung from his
chair and shoved Jarod aside, making the pretender wince and double over in pain
when his injured ribs received the forceful push. Desperate and unaware of his
mistake, Sydney raised the poker and lunched towards the evil man, but his
half-dormant legs refused to co-operate with him after their long period of
inactivity and instead he clumsily stumbled forward. Alex swiftly and
effortlessly averted the old man's attack and violently pushed him to the
ground. Menacingly, he approached the beaten man and stood over him laughing.

This is going to be your last foolish mistake DOCTOR." Alex
said with a voice full of malice as he pointed his gun at the old man.
"Sydney, say Goodbye to your pretender."

Before Alex was able to finish off his latest victim, Jarod pounced on top
of the madman like a wild animal. The pain to his ribs and head forgotten
momentarily as the adrenalin gushed through his veins. The momentum sent both
men crashing to the ground violently. Alex's gun flew out of his hand and slid
across the wooden floor coming to rest under the couch as the men continued to
fight fiercely. In the struggle, Alex pulled out a knife hidden in his boot and
stabbed Jarod in the forearm. Jarod screamed in agony and shoved Alex away from
him, while he stumbled to his feet with the knife still embedded in his arm.
Before Jarod was able to put some distance between him and this psycho, Alex
jumped to his feet and kicked Jarod on the ribs with brutal force, thrusting the
already weakened man against the door. The pretender gasped in excruciating pain
as the force of the kick damaged more ribs and forced the breath out of him.
Depleted of his remaining strength and unable to breathe properly through the
intense pain, Jarod's vision became all a blur and he collapsed to the floor
with a crash.

Desperately trying to fight back the blackness that called to him, Jarod
blinked repeatedly and shook his head slowly as he pulled himself to a sitting
position against the front door. His face contorted in pain with each labored
breath he inhaled and the throbbing pain in his wounded arm made him realized
that the blade was still lodged deep in his arm. Shivering uncontrollably from
the pain and exhaustion, Jarod closed his eyes and grabbed hold of the knife. In
one swift motion, he pulled the blade from his flesh emitting a growl of pain
that shattered the silence of the room.

Finally when Jarod looked up, his vision now clearer, he was confronted by
Alex once again. The disturbed man stood a few feet away with a wicked smile on
his face. Slowly, Alex pulled Jarod's gun from his belt and aimed it at the
pretender.

"Jarod, looks like this is the end of the road for you."

Alex was met with a look filled with repugnance, but Jarod remained silent
as he applied pressure to his bleeding arm. He had no more strength nor will to
fight left in him. Jarod lowered his head. He was defeated.

"I was planning to return you to the Triumvirate myself so that you
would experience what I had to endure for five years at their hands, but now you
have forced me to change my plans." Alex paused for a moment and laughed.
"But either way, you're still valuable, Dead or Alive."

Jarod looked up and frowned at Alex's last statement but did not reply. It
didn't matter anymore, the game was over and once again the Centre's evil had
won. Jarod closed his eyes to wait for the inevitable. He was not going to beg
for mercy, but deep in his heart he prayed that his family and the others would
find a way to escape Alex's wrath and survive. Waiting for Alex to pull the
trigger, Jarod smiled inwardly as the beautiful face of his childhood friend
invaded his thoughts. The Centre had stolen his family, his freedom and his
identity, but they never had managed to take away his soul or the feelings he
had for her. She had been his strength and his torment, but most important of
all she had been a part of his life that no one could ever take away.

Suddenly, the blast from the gun thundered through the entire room and as
the sound died out, the room was engulfed in a deadly silence.

TBC