Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

I’ve been on hiatus for the past eight days with no internet access. I’m finally back in a world where the internet exits…;-D Happy holidays to all.

Complications, threats and lies

Foolsgate

Jarod lifted his eyes and glanced at Lyle when he heard felt the vibration against his pocket. He had forgotten about the phone. He shifted his body and extracted his hands from J. He glanced at their captor again. Lyle seemed unaware of the soft vibration coming from him. Grimacing - as if in pain - he hunched slightly forward.

“I’ll take that,” Lyle said conversationally, a menacing undercurrent flowing beneath his words. Lyle stepped closer, his hand extended. Jarod sighed and placed the still vibrating phone in Lyle’s hand. He answered brusquely when he saw the phone number, his gaze on Jarod and the boy.

“I did as you asked, Mr Lyle. The message came through a few minutes ago. Miss Parker had managed to escape with the psychiatrist.”

Lyle sneered inwardly. “Did you trace their next location?”

“The tracker is working fine. I’ll be able to give you the exact longitude and latitude once they stop.”

“Good. Send that information through as soon as you have it,” he ordered, aware that Jarod was listening closely. Let him. The pretender needed to learn that he was not the one in control anymore.

“Your transport should arrive in the next twenty minutes or so. I’ve also arranged for the equipment you wanted.”

“Send them to the closest empty building to the south of the warehouse. There had been a brief thought of escape before sanity had been enforced.” Jarod heard the smug satisfaction in Lyle’s voice. He kept his gaze on J’s fevered face, wondering how long Lyle had been planning this.

“The chairman is not happy. He thinks that you had a finger in helping Miss Parker and the others escape. He wants to speak to you.”

“Tell him I’m busy. I’ll speak to him as soon as it’s convenient.” He could still hear the other protesting when he shut the connection.

Jarod send him a hate-filled glare while he returned the phone to his pocket. “Tell me one thing,” Jarod said in a controlled voice, “Was what you did to J a mistake or part of your grant plan to get back at me?”

Lyle crouched on the other side of J, his hand wiping the boy’s hair away from his sweat covered forehead. Although the action seemed tender and caring, Jarod knew better. Lyle’s hand stilled, balanced.

“Does it matter?”

Jarod bristled with anger barely kept in check. He wanted nothing more than to slap Lyle’s hand away from J’s head. “Yes,” He managed to grind out through clenched teeth.

Lyle paused before answering, “You’ve always underestimated the lengths I’m prepared to go to make your life mine.”

“I’ll stay with you if you leave my family alone,” Jarod said quietly. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs. This was the second time he had made the offer, hoping against hope that Lyle will take it.

“Why would I do that, Jarod? We both know what family means to you.”

Jarod followed Lyle’s hand as it travelled over J’s face and settled loosely on his throat. He didn’t move; his body tight with tension that started from a strangled knot somewhere in the middle of his stomach and travelled upwards from there.

“As long as you threaten me with them, I’ll fight you.”

“And they will be punished for your disobedience.”

Jarod tried to keep all emotion out of his face at the threat. He willed his hands to relax, trying to ease an air of confidence around himself. “You will regret it,” he promised in a controlled voice. Lyle’s hand tightened around J’s throat in defiance to the words that Jarod had uttered. The boy moaned softly and turned his head sideways. Jarod couldn’t continue to watch. He reached out and closed his hands lightly around Lyle’s wrist.

“He’s done nothing wrong.”

Lyle twisted his hand out of Jarod’s grip. J lay quiet between them; the only sound his intake of breath after the constriction. His eyes still closed, he shifted in semi conscious again while the two men continued their staring contest above him.

“That was not a smart thing to do,” Lyle hissed, his eyes almost opaque from anger.

“You keep on harping about my family, Mr Lyle,” Jarod retorted, making sure his voice didn’t rise above a whisper, “Killing J will not be helpful towards getting me to cooperate, now will it?”

Lyle stood up slowly, his every gesture screaming of control. “You misunderstood me, Jarod. I will and can kill Gemini when I so choose. His life belongs to me. I made him mine before you managed to rescue him.”

Jarod didn’t want to think on what Lyle meant. His anxiety rose but he kept his composure. “J doesn’t belong to you or the Centre.” Jarod said, emphasising the boy’s name for good measure. Not that it would make any difference to Lyle.

“He didn’t tell you what happened, did he?”

Jarod found that he was holding his breath and he reminded himself to keep breathing. Lyle was going to tell him, regardless of what he would say in return.

“Do you want the condensed version or the longer more detailed one?”

“What if I said none?”

Lyle simply smiled and shook his head. He glanced at his watch and then said, “I’ll make it the condensed one.” He paused, letting the words sink in before saying nonchalantly, “Quite simply, Gemini helped me to kill a girl.”

“No…,” Jarod trailed off, before his voice got stronger, “I don’t believe you.”

Lyle’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Maybe next time he’s awake, ask him. I don’t really have the time to go into greater detail right now.”

Jarod was about to protest further when he heard the unmistakable sound of a car engine from outside. It shut down and then car doors sounded. He heard voices and Lyle shouted, “In here.” Thirty seconds later two burly sweepers entered the room.

“Get the boy in the van,” Lyle instructed, giving Jarod a warning glance when he stood and stepped over the boy. He knew he couldn’t win but he had to try at least.

“You’ll kill him,” he stated, glaring at the men and Lyle in turn.

Lyle rolled his eyes and then addressed one of the sweepers, “Bring the stretcher.” He looked at Jarod and asked, “Will that suffice?”

Jarod had no choice but to nod. He directed the men as the loaded J onto the stretcher and started to follow. A hand curled familiarly around his bicep, bringing him to a halt. His muscles clenched but he stayed as commanded. One of the men came back and Lyle gave further instructions for them to wait by the car. Lyle waited for the door to close before he pushed the pretender to the centre of the room and commanded him to kneel.

Unnerved by the growing feeling of dread, Jarod waited too long before obeying. Lyle roughly shoved him down, his hand firm on Jarod’s shoulder. “It is time you’re reminded about your place, Jarod. I will not tolerate your earlier behaviour. I want you to apologise.”

When Jarod didn’t reply, Lyle leaned in to whisper in the pretender’s ear. “Apologise or I’ll leave Gemini here to rot.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, staring defiantly at Lyle.

His captor slowly extracted the knife, balancing it against his palm. “You’re not, but you will be.”

Miss Parker kissed Sydney’s on his forehead before straightening. She stepped back, allowing the doctor to continue with his assessment.

“He’s your father?”

She acknowledged the question. Sydney had been more of a father to her in any case than her own. She could see Dr Brown’s slightly raised eyebrows and she ignored them. She was prepared to kill to keep Sydney safe. Lying was the least of her worries.

“I’ll need to do a CAT-scan to verify the trauma area.”

“Do what you need to get him well, Doctor,” she replied calmly.

She stayed for a few minutes until Sydney was pushed out the room. Dr Brown had the same look on his face that Sydney had when she had a particular bad day at the Centre. She watched him open his mouth just as a soft knock sounded on the door.

Major Charles stood in the doorway, his gaze shifting from a rigid Miss Parker to Dr Brown leaning against the one wall.

“How is Sydney doing?” he asked Miss Parker, hoping to diffuse the tense atmosphere.

“Don’t know yet. I’m sure Dr Brown will let us know as soon as the tests are done,” Miss Parker stated with a warning glance at the psychiatrist. “We should be on our way.”

The Major waited for her to pass before he threw an apologetic look at the other man. Dr Brown just shrugged his shoulders in answer. He had to hurry to catch up to Miss Parker.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she snapped, increasing her pace. They exited the clinic in silence. The older man slid behind the steering wheel and watched as Miss Parker calmly checked her gun. She was interrupted by her phone.

“Hello sis,” came the suave voice of her brother.

“Twice in two days. I’m honoured,” she replied. She pressed the phone against her ear and slammed the cartridge into her gun. She cocked the gun, smiling grimly.

Lyle ignored the sound of a bullet slamming into the chamber. Ignoring Jarod’s laboured breathing, he wiped the knife on the pretender’s trousers before asking, “How’s Sydney?”

“Somewhere safe,” she replied. “If I were you I’d run because when I catch you…” she let her words trial of meaningfully.

“Your track record in that department is a little shaky.” Lyle replied mockingly. “So excuse my reluctance to believe in it.”

“Don’t worry, Lyle. I don’t plan on failing,” she said determinedly. “Why are you calling?”

Lyle crouched besides the pretender and trialled his finger through the blood on Jarod’s chest. Jarod stiffened under his touch and he smiled. “So….did Margaret manage to phone you yet?”

Miss Parker didn’t answer and the silence stretched before Lyle continued, “I’ll take that as a yes then. I guess she told you about Gemini.”

His tone of voice somehow made it into a question. Miss Parker leaned against the backrest of the seat and pinched her nose between her two fingers. There was a reason why Lyle was bringing J into the equation.

“If he dies, so do you.”

“Is that a promise?” Lyle asked, his voice dangerously low.

“No. It’s a fact. What do you want, Lyle,” she answered, her voice matching his.

“Hold on,” Lyle said. He could hear his sister swearing. He ignored the words and placed the phone against Jarod’s ear.

“Parker,” the pretender managed to utter. The swearing stopped. He could hear her breath through the static in his ear. He hated what he had to do but he had no choice. He could feel Lyle’s impatience at his stalling but he didn’t know how to say what he had been told.

“Jarod, are you all right?”

He almost smiled. All right was relative term where Lyle was concerned. “I’ll survive,” he said while he imagined the look of doubt on her face. She didn’t reply and the silence stretched to a full minute while he gathered his courage. Lyle traced one of the cuts on his back warningly. He sighed and then said evenly, “J’s dead.”

“What?” He could hear the disbelief in her voice and he willed her not to trust his words. Lyle’s fingers pressed slightly harder and he tried to keep the pain out of his voice. “I…I couldn’t save him. I’m sorry.”

“Is Lyle making you say this, Jarod?”

Jarod didn’t meet the icy gaze of his captor. “No. It’s the truth,” he allowed a catch in his voice. J’s life depended on making Parker believe him.

“Jarod?” The soft question held a note of desperation and uncertainty. He hated himself in that moment but it couldn’t be helped.

“I’m sorry.”

Lyle took they phone from Jarod’s ear and stepped away from him. “You still there, sis?”

“Yes,” she ground out, her teeth firmly gritted.

“I want the location of Margaret.”

“You’re insane if you think that we’ll give you that information,” she said, angered.

“I’m not in the mood to search for her and if I had to, I can promise that it won’t bode well for her when I do find her. So make it easy on every one, include lover boy, and just tell me.”

“When hell freezes over and you’re in it.”

Lyle took a deep breath before he allowed his phone hand to drop and hang by his side. He kneeled by the pretender and turned Jarod onto his stomach. The pretender’s breath hitched up a notch but he otherwise stayed quiet. Making sure his knee grinded into Jarod’s lower back, Lyle placed the phone by Jarod’s face. He could hear Parker’s voice shouting his name over the phone. He placed the tip of the knife just between Jarod’s shoulder blades. He felt the muscles tense even further.

“I want you to scream.”

Jarod couldn’t quite believe what he had heard. Miss Parker must have heard the words for the line went silent for a moment before she started to protest. He clenched his hands and bit his lip. He wasn’t going to give Lyle the pleasure. His breathing stopped as the first cut was made. He could feel the blood running down his back but he managed to keep the pain in check. Lyle stopped abruptly and Jarod opened his eyes in surprise. The pressure on his lower back lifted and then he was flipped angrily onto his back. The look in Lyle’s face scared him and then his hands was pulled over his head and pushed against the floor. A knee was placed against his arm before he could roll out of position. One of his fingers was separated and then the cool blade of the knife was placed against the warm flesh.

“Please, no,” he pleaded hoarsely. He could hear Parker calling his name and then Lyle’s. When the knife bit into the skin and then the muscle of his thumb, he couldn’t help the scream. It tore from deep inside and seemed to echo in his skull. Tears filled his eyes and he writhed in agony as Lyle continued to cut into his thumb. He had no pride left when the knife hit bone and he pleaded unashamedly, not caring that Parker was still online and hearing everything. Lyle pulled the knife away and grabbed the phone. Jarod curled into his bleeding hand and tried to control his breathing while the tears still ran unchecked down his cheeks.

“Margaret’s location,” Lyle breathed, his voice sending slow chills up and down Jarod’s spine. He could hear the defeat in her voice when she said, “We don’t know the exact location. It’s a payphone somewhere in a town called Foolsgate.”

“Not good enough,” Lyle replied with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Jarod tried to suppress a moan at the promise in the voice as he curled even tighter. His thumb pulsed in even strokes, sending a blue fire with each one.

“She doesn’t know where she is. We told her to stay by the phone until we arrived.” Her anxiety rose when Lyle stayed silent. “It’s the truth, Lyle.” She kept the rest of her words in check. Now was not the time to infuriate Lyle further.

“Give me the number.”

She rambled it off, ignoring the look the Major send her. Her grip tightened painfully on her cell when Lyle cautioned, “Don’t warn her Parker or Jarod will lose more than his thumb.”

It had been nearly an hour when the phone finally rang. She stood in the doorway and listened to the ring while her eyes roamed the surrounding area. Nothing moved and she walked hurriedly to the box and lifted the phone from its handle.

“Charles?”

“I’m disappointed, Margaret. I thought you loved your sons more.”

Horror flooded her as she listened to the cool words spoken over the line. “H…how,” she stammered, unable to think past the knowledge that Lyle had the number. She turned in the box and eyed the surrounding area.

“A little birdie told me.”

She leaned her forehead against the stained and cracked glass. She took a deep breath and tried to work past the debilitating numbness in her mind.

“Margaret? Are you still there?” he asked with false concern.

“Yes, I’m still here.”

“Good. I don’t want to lose you again. It may be deadly to Gemini.”

She didn’t reply. She heard footsteps and turned. Lyle stood with his cell phone against his ear at the other end of the building. When he noticed her stare, he gave a small wave. His phone slid into a pocket as he stepped confidently closer until he stood in front of her.

“I’ve missed you.”

She slowly reset the phone on its handle while fear for Jarod and J gnawed at her mind. She willed her trembling hand to still when Lyle stepped out of her way. He showed the way with one hand and she stepped past him, her eyes on the trees in the distance. He fell in beside her, once hand resting lightly on her back, steering. They walked past the building and slipped into an alley she had not seen earlier. Her heart thudded in her throat as they stepped around overgrown grass and broken bottles.

“You shouldn’t have left,” he said calmly as they exited the alley and she noticed the black van in front of the building before them. “Jarod had to be punished.”

She willed her feet forward while his words ripped jagged chunks out of her heart. “You’re insane,” was all she could think of to say. Lyle only rolled his eyes at her words. “Who’s really sane in this world?”

“Bobby, don’t do this.”

He gripped her upper arm painfully, forcing her to face him as he brought them to a halt. “Don’t ever call me that,” he hissed, his face inches from her. She could see the anger smouldering in his blue orbs. “My name is Mr Lyle.”

“I knew your mother, Bobby. She would not have wanted you to be so twisted by Raines.”

Lyle looked at her before striking her with the back of his gloved hand. “You will not refer to Bobby or my mother again. If you do, I’ll make sure Jarod suffers.”

Margaret wiped at the small sliver of blood that dripped down from the cut in her lip. His grip was bruising on her arm but she refrained from showing that he was hurting her. “You cannot deny your birthright.”

“Who says I’m denying my Parker legacy. I was born to have everything.”

“By everything you mean the Centre.” Margaret replied, her gaze meeting Lyle’s unflinchingly.

“Yes,” Lyle replied seriously, “And your son will help me achieve it.”

“Jarod will never help you.”

“That’s where you are mistaken. To save you and Gemini, Jarod will sell his soul to me.”

Seemingly tired of the conversation, Lyle dragged Margaret to the van and opened the back doors. J was on a stretcher against one wall of the van. He didn’t look any different when she had last seen him. She gasped when she saw Jarod. He was curled against the opposite corner, his knees drawn towards his stomach. The parts of his upper torso she could see were covered in blood. Tears had made twin paths down the grime in his face. He was cradling what looked like his left hand against his chest. She started to move forward. The hand around her upper arm didn’t let go and she turned.

“You will be staying with me in the cab.”

She lashed out with her other hand against his chest in anger and when he didn’t let go, she kicked at his shin. He let go as his hand automatically dropped towards the area. “You bitch,” he uttered. She ignored his rumblings, instead focused on getting to Jarod. The click of a gun sounded, bringing her to an immediate halt. She turned her head and saw the barrel pointed directly towards J.

“Do that again and Gemini gets a bullet in his knee.” Fully aware that he had her attention, he continued, “I want you in the front cab now.” She acknowledged his command and gave her sons a longing glance before walking around the back and entering the passenger side. A sweeper was already behind the steering wheel. Lyle joined them shortly and she was sandwiched between the two men.

“Don’t worry, Margaret. As long as Jarod does as he is told, you and Gemini will be safe.”

She didn’t believe a word of it.

“Damn it, Parker. Did you have to tell him the location? He’ll use Margaret to control Jarod and us even further.”

Miss Parker spun from staring out the window to look at the Major. “Don’t tell me you didn’t hear Jarod’s screams. It’s still echoing in my mind. I had no choice.”

“So you gave in just like that,” Charles retorted angrily. “Without a second thought you gave her up.”

“I did what I had to. I will not apologise for it,” she explained while she pushed the car door open. The major followed suit and he grabbed her arm when he caught up with her.

“We’re not done, Parker.”

She looked down at his hand that was gripping her arm. “Tell me, Major,” she said softly, “what would you have done any differently?”

He studied her determined face, her eyes haunted with Jarod’s screams. It mirrored his own. He dropped his hand. “I don’t know,” he said eventually. “I hate this.” He blinked away the moisture from his eyes before it had time to form. Parker nodded and then turned away from him. He allowed her too take a few steps when he said, “I don’t believe what Jarod told you about J. He’s still alive.”

She paused mid-stride. She kept her back to him. “I believe Jarod. He wouldn’t lie about it.”

He wanted to walk over to her but held back. She needed to deal with this on her own way. “Think about it, Parker. If J had really died, why would Jarod tell us? The only way that Lyle could force him is for the boy to be still alive and to be used as leverage.”

She pivoted back around so that her gaze met the Major’s. “Fine. It sounds plausible but why would Lyle want us to believe J is dead?”

“To keep us focused away from what he is planning. On where he is going next.”

She was silent while she focused inwards and what she knew about her brother and Jarod. They had been going at this the wrong way. They had been chasing her brother’s tail. He had phoned twice to rub her face in it. Then the random facts she had been painstakingly tracing in her mind connected. She turned back to the clinic without a word.

“We need to leave.”

Charles caught up with her as she entered through the double doors. “Why?”

“The first thing Lyle asked me was how Sydney was doing. Remember what Margaret told us my brother wanted to do.”

“We can’t keep on moving Sydney. He needs medical care. More than we can give him.”

“I know,” Parker said, seeing the older man’s agitation. “My brother will always be one step ahead if we keep chasing him. So we change strategies. We allow him to come to us. We stop running.”

Major Charles looked at her as understanding dawned. The he returned her smile. “We have a lot of planning to do but it might just work.”

“Not might. Will. It will work.”