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Chapter or Story
Chapter 9
“So Miss Parker, do you have some kind of grand plan or are you simply going to rely on my son to clean up your family’s mess?” Margaret asked the younger woman later that day, not bothering to keep the sneer out of her voice.
“Mom!” Jarod’s one word admonishment said everything in its tone that he could never fully verbalize to her.
“Actually Mrs. Russell, I prefer to be called Parker. Not Miss Parker, and not by my first name. It’s who I am and besides, my first name is about the only secret I have left. And as to how I intend to keep my son safe, well, I do have a plan. It needs some tinkering, some final work, but it will get done easily enough.” Parker leaned back in her chair at the kitchen table, smiling sweetly at Margaret and trying to keep her temper in check. She would not go telling off her son’s only living grandmother, well she would try not to anyway.
“Maggie, darling, you are being a bit harsh aren’t you? You don’t survive in the Centre without learning a few things along the way. And Parker is definitely a capable Pretender. After all, she found us didn’t she?” Charles attempted to smooth his passionate and fiery wife’s temper. It had been one of the many things he had sorely missed in their years apart, even the times that her Irish temper had been directed at him.
“You’ve been working on a plan for years, haven’t you?” Ethan gasped, as the voices gave him a snippet of useful information, before returning to their usual clamor of noise. “You’ve been quietly working towards the destruction of that place for years!”
Ethan’s revelation caused all of them to stop and stare at her. Even Jarod was giving her a strange look, as if he didn’t know her anymore. All Parker could do was stare back and play with the silver medallion she wore around her neck.
“Is this true Parker?” Jarod’s voice was soft, but it didn’t have the dangerous edge it took on when he was angry or disappointed with her.
Looking him square in the eye, because she owed him nothing less, she said in the confident quiet voice she rarely used with him, “Yes.”
Even Ryan, who had always believed her to be his guardian angel and this squarely on the side of the good guys, was taken aback. As usual though, Jarod was the first to find his voice, “Why didn’t you leave sooner? Why did you never help me search for…? Why the god damned hell did you hunt me like and animal for six damn years if you were working towards the same goal your mother had!” His voice had risen with each sentence and by the time he finished he was literally shouting at her and had even forgotten about the impressionable child who was in a MacGyvered play pen in the unused connected dining room. His family stared at him in shock, none of them had ever heard him shout like that, which wasn’t saying much, seeing as how none of them had ever heard him shout or display any type of anger until Parker and Ben had shown up that morning.
With a definite glint in her eyes, which were rapidly changing from blue to a cold steely grey, Parker crossed her arm and in a voice that had more ice in its tone than Antarctica had altogether, she calmly stated, “Because I had too. Because the universe doesn’t revolve around you, because until now not all the pieces were in place, which they still aren’t by-the-way. And most importantly someone had to keep Sydney’s constant ‘help’ a secret or would you rather he be six feet under or in the Renewal Wing permanently? Someone had to protect Broots and his daughter, God knows they did nothing to invite this; the worst thing that ever happened to my dear sweet moron was being hired by the Centre. Somebody had to watch after Angelo, you know the other person you swore you would never leave behind?”
“Oh no, not again,” Emily put her head down on the table, “not another argument! I thought you two said you actually get along 90 percent of the time?”
“We lied,” Parker stated, eyes still locked in a staring contest with Jarod.
“It’s closer to 87.78921021 percent of the time, and that’s only when neither of us is hiding things from the other,” Jarod finished her sentence, voice just as calm, and just as hard.
“Oh really? Like that envelope you got from the safety deposit box at the Dover Town Bank? I believe you lied then Monkeyboy,” Parker shot at him.
“It had my name on it Parker. It was for me, not you, me.”
“Um, while I have the feeling that I’m watching some kind of ritual, don’t we all have other things to be discussing?” Ryan broke in, aware that more than the obvious bickering was going on, but unable to fully understand the incredibly complex and layered relationship between his older self and his guardian angel.
“Guess we aren’t done with the snarling part, are we?” Jarod asked, eyes still locked on hers. His silent question though asked if they could end this round. That he’d chalk it up to a win for her. Just as silently, she accepted the proposal.
“I suppose not. Earlier must have been the eye of the storm,” she offered a smirk, not a smile, but he was willing to take it.
“So Parker, this plan of yours, what needs fine tuning and does anyone need to be contacted?” Jarod asked, the hardness gone from his eyes.
His family breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, glad not to have to witness another argument between the couple.
Picking up one of the other files she had brought in with her that morning, she spread its contents on the table. “I have all the entrances and cameras covered, security shouldn’t be a problem, except here, here, and here,” she pointed to each location on the most detailed blueprint of the Centre Jarod had ever seen. It even had all the camera angles, positions, and all other pertinent security information on it. Even for SL-27.
“Raines and Lyle are major variables, one of you two Genesis’s will have to SIM one or both of them,” glancing at Jarod, she added, “I would prefer Ryan not do either, but this is a war, and if he feels up to it and wants to……”
“I can do it!” the teen said, “I’m not a baby and I’m not a weakling either!”
“I know Ryan. But I’m as sure as I can be that this SIM would cause nightmares. And I don’t want to add to yours darling.”
“I can help. Let me help,” he asked, looking at his angel square on.
“I will darling. But let your older brother decide about the SIMS, please?” she asked, voice soft, yet still commanding.
“Okay.”
“Wait a cotton pickin’ minute Parker,” Emily interrupted, “You wan to spare Ryan the nightmares from these SIMS and while that is all well and good, in fact you get points for it, you’re more than willing to let Jarod suffer the same nightmares?” her voice was incredulous, she could not believe the nerve of this woman, of this Parker.
“Em, one more nightmare won’t hurt me. Raines and Lyle escaping and one day being able to hurt Ben or other children? That would haunt me more than any nightmare. Trust me to know what I can handle. And trust Parker to not ask more than any of us can give,” Jarod’s voice was reassuring, and Parker recognized the ‘Trust me’ tone, but she also recognized what he was on the “other level,” on their level of communication. That he trusted her, and that warmed her heart.
“What about the sweepers?” Charles asked, pulling them all back into the strategy and planning session.
“Except for Willie, the newly promoted and alive Gar, Cox, and a few of the newbies, all taken care of,” Parker said with a faint smile, fingers once again playing with her medallion. “And that also includes most of the scientists, techs, secretaries, assistants, even the janitors. Oh, I forgot my favorites; about 95 percent of the Cleaners are also with us.”
All of them stared at her not quite believing what she was saying. Charles found his voice first, “Are you saying that you have near complete control of all Centre employees?”
“Even better Major,” she gave him a toothy predatory grin, “I have their loyalty. Oh yes and that of most of the high paying Centre clients. All of the legitimate ones and a fair number of the illegitimate ones.”
“What? How? When?” Margaret could not get her head around the idea that this argumentative, obstinate, selfish, and all-together generally detestable woman had figured out how to bring down the Centre.
“Most of it is based on my mother’s plan, but obviously some things had to be changed or altered slightly. A number of her ideas would never have worked, now or then. As soon as possible I need to contact a number of people, get some thins started, but we should have some time before we have to make a direct strike. And a direct strike at the Centre will be needed. But…” she trailed off, not quite knowing how to explain this part to a family that had just been reunited only months before.
“But what, Parker?” Jarod asked, part of him already knowing the answer.
“Several key locations need to be taken down simultaneously. With the help of my people all of you will be at different locations, paired off with another of your family, except Ryan. And that’s only because I need a guy to deliver a very special virus at exactly the right moment.”
Sighing, because he knew from her files and plans that she had thought all this through, Jarod accepted that his family would have to part ways for all this to come to fruition. “Who’s paired with who and which locations?” he asked, accepting her plans and her reasons.
“The Major and Margaret at Centre-Europe, outside London. Ethan and Emily, Centre-Asia in Tokyo. I have another pair hand picked for Centre-Australia and another to handle the main site in Blue Cove.”
“What about you and Jarod? What about Ben?” Margaret asked, suddenly fearful for both her son and grandson.
“Jarod and I have a date with Centre-Africa, also known as the Triumvirate. The evil started there, we need to take care of it at its true source. Ben will be safe. He will be going to Nowheresville, West-by-God-Virginia. Under the very watchful eyes of Harriet Tashman, Michelle, Nicholas, and Debbie Broots. If it were safe to have Ryan there for his part in all this with the virus, he’s be there too. But it won’t be technologically possible for Ryan to carry out his part there, so he will be at another secure location.”
“You really have thought all this out haven’t you?” Jarod grinned at her.
“What was I supposed to do for six years while pretending to chase an escaped LabRat? Hmm? Play tiddlelywinks?” she grinned back.
“One question sister,” Ethan returned the two to reality, “You have helpers in all this. All these people on your side loyal to you, how do we tell them from the bad guys?”
“Simple little brother. We all wear these,” Parker replied holding up her medallion for all to see, “and we all know the one true secret at the Centre.”
“Whose medallion is that? And what’s the secret?” Ryan asked, patience was not his strong suit and he hated not knowing something. He hated it with a passion.
“I know the secret. The one true secret at the Centre is ‘what is Miss Parker’s first name?’” Jarod smirked, he alone in the room, save Parker herself, knew the answer to that secret. “And the medallion is a….” he grasped it lightly on its long chain, turning it to the light, seeing it, she openly laughed out loud, “St. Rita medallion.”
“Well Rat, you have a better patron saint for the poor smucks trying to get rid of the Centre? Cause something tells me it doesn’t get better than the patron saint of impossible cases!”
“So Miss Parker, do you have some kind of grand plan or are you simply going to rely on my son to clean up your family’s mess?” Margaret asked the younger woman later that day, not bothering to keep the sneer out of her voice.
“Mom!” Jarod’s one word admonishment said everything in its tone that he could never fully verbalize to her.
“Actually Mrs. Russell, I prefer to be called Parker. Not Miss Parker, and not by my first name. It’s who I am and besides, my first name is about the only secret I have left. And as to how I intend to keep my son safe, well, I do have a plan. It needs some tinkering, some final work, but it will get done easily enough.” Parker leaned back in her chair at the kitchen table, smiling sweetly at Margaret and trying to keep her temper in check. She would not go telling off her son’s only living grandmother, well she would try not to anyway.
“Maggie, darling, you are being a bit harsh aren’t you? You don’t survive in the Centre without learning a few things along the way. And Parker is definitely a capable Pretender. After all, she found us didn’t she?” Charles attempted to smooth his passionate and fiery wife’s temper. It had been one of the many things he had sorely missed in their years apart, even the times that her Irish temper had been directed at him.
“You’ve been working on a plan for years, haven’t you?” Ethan gasped, as the voices gave him a snippet of useful information, before returning to their usual clamor of noise. “You’ve been quietly working towards the destruction of that place for years!”
Ethan’s revelation caused all of them to stop and stare at her. Even Jarod was giving her a strange look, as if he didn’t know her anymore. All Parker could do was stare back and play with the silver medallion she wore around her neck.
“Is this true Parker?” Jarod’s voice was soft, but it didn’t have the dangerous edge it took on when he was angry or disappointed with her.
Looking him square in the eye, because she owed him nothing less, she said in the confident quiet voice she rarely used with him, “Yes.”
Even Ryan, who had always believed her to be his guardian angel and this squarely on the side of the good guys, was taken aback. As usual though, Jarod was the first to find his voice, “Why didn’t you leave sooner? Why did you never help me search for…? Why the god damned hell did you hunt me like and animal for six damn years if you were working towards the same goal your mother had!” His voice had risen with each sentence and by the time he finished he was literally shouting at her and had even forgotten about the impressionable child who was in a MacGyvered play pen in the unused connected dining room. His family stared at him in shock, none of them had ever heard him shout like that, which wasn’t saying much, seeing as how none of them had ever heard him shout or display any type of anger until Parker and Ben had shown up that morning.
With a definite glint in her eyes, which were rapidly changing from blue to a cold steely grey, Parker crossed her arm and in a voice that had more ice in its tone than Antarctica had altogether, she calmly stated, “Because I had too. Because the universe doesn’t revolve around you, because until now not all the pieces were in place, which they still aren’t by-the-way. And most importantly someone had to keep Sydney’s constant ‘help’ a secret or would you rather he be six feet under or in the Renewal Wing permanently? Someone had to protect Broots and his daughter, God knows they did nothing to invite this; the worst thing that ever happened to my dear sweet moron was being hired by the Centre. Somebody had to watch after Angelo, you know the other person you swore you would never leave behind?”
“Oh no, not again,” Emily put her head down on the table, “not another argument! I thought you two said you actually get along 90 percent of the time?”
“We lied,” Parker stated, eyes still locked in a staring contest with Jarod.
“It’s closer to 87.78921021 percent of the time, and that’s only when neither of us is hiding things from the other,” Jarod finished her sentence, voice just as calm, and just as hard.
“Oh really? Like that envelope you got from the safety deposit box at the Dover Town Bank? I believe you lied then Monkeyboy,” Parker shot at him.
“It had my name on it Parker. It was for me, not you, me.”
“Um, while I have the feeling that I’m watching some kind of ritual, don’t we all have other things to be discussing?” Ryan broke in, aware that more than the obvious bickering was going on, but unable to fully understand the incredibly complex and layered relationship between his older self and his guardian angel.
“Guess we aren’t done with the snarling part, are we?” Jarod asked, eyes still locked on hers. His silent question though asked if they could end this round. That he’d chalk it up to a win for her. Just as silently, she accepted the proposal.
“I suppose not. Earlier must have been the eye of the storm,” she offered a smirk, not a smile, but he was willing to take it.
“So Parker, this plan of yours, what needs fine tuning and does anyone need to be contacted?” Jarod asked, the hardness gone from his eyes.
His family breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, glad not to have to witness another argument between the couple.
Picking up one of the other files she had brought in with her that morning, she spread its contents on the table. “I have all the entrances and cameras covered, security shouldn’t be a problem, except here, here, and here,” she pointed to each location on the most detailed blueprint of the Centre Jarod had ever seen. It even had all the camera angles, positions, and all other pertinent security information on it. Even for SL-27.
“Raines and Lyle are major variables, one of you two Genesis’s will have to SIM one or both of them,” glancing at Jarod, she added, “I would prefer Ryan not do either, but this is a war, and if he feels up to it and wants to……”
“I can do it!” the teen said, “I’m not a baby and I’m not a weakling either!”
“I know Ryan. But I’m as sure as I can be that this SIM would cause nightmares. And I don’t want to add to yours darling.”
“I can help. Let me help,” he asked, looking at his angel square on.
“I will darling. But let your older brother decide about the SIMS, please?” she asked, voice soft, yet still commanding.
“Okay.”
“Wait a cotton pickin’ minute Parker,” Emily interrupted, “You wan to spare Ryan the nightmares from these SIMS and while that is all well and good, in fact you get points for it, you’re more than willing to let Jarod suffer the same nightmares?” her voice was incredulous, she could not believe the nerve of this woman, of this Parker.
“Em, one more nightmare won’t hurt me. Raines and Lyle escaping and one day being able to hurt Ben or other children? That would haunt me more than any nightmare. Trust me to know what I can handle. And trust Parker to not ask more than any of us can give,” Jarod’s voice was reassuring, and Parker recognized the ‘Trust me’ tone, but she also recognized what he was on the “other level,” on their level of communication. That he trusted her, and that warmed her heart.
“What about the sweepers?” Charles asked, pulling them all back into the strategy and planning session.
“Except for Willie, the newly promoted and alive Gar, Cox, and a few of the newbies, all taken care of,” Parker said with a faint smile, fingers once again playing with her medallion. “And that also includes most of the scientists, techs, secretaries, assistants, even the janitors. Oh, I forgot my favorites; about 95 percent of the Cleaners are also with us.”
All of them stared at her not quite believing what she was saying. Charles found his voice first, “Are you saying that you have near complete control of all Centre employees?”
“Even better Major,” she gave him a toothy predatory grin, “I have their loyalty. Oh yes and that of most of the high paying Centre clients. All of the legitimate ones and a fair number of the illegitimate ones.”
“What? How? When?” Margaret could not get her head around the idea that this argumentative, obstinate, selfish, and all-together generally detestable woman had figured out how to bring down the Centre.
“Most of it is based on my mother’s plan, but obviously some things had to be changed or altered slightly. A number of her ideas would never have worked, now or then. As soon as possible I need to contact a number of people, get some thins started, but we should have some time before we have to make a direct strike. And a direct strike at the Centre will be needed. But…” she trailed off, not quite knowing how to explain this part to a family that had just been reunited only months before.
“But what, Parker?” Jarod asked, part of him already knowing the answer.
“Several key locations need to be taken down simultaneously. With the help of my people all of you will be at different locations, paired off with another of your family, except Ryan. And that’s only because I need a guy to deliver a very special virus at exactly the right moment.”
Sighing, because he knew from her files and plans that she had thought all this through, Jarod accepted that his family would have to part ways for all this to come to fruition. “Who’s paired with who and which locations?” he asked, accepting her plans and her reasons.
“The Major and Margaret at Centre-Europe, outside London. Ethan and Emily, Centre-Asia in Tokyo. I have another pair hand picked for Centre-Australia and another to handle the main site in Blue Cove.”
“What about you and Jarod? What about Ben?” Margaret asked, suddenly fearful for both her son and grandson.
“Jarod and I have a date with Centre-Africa, also known as the Triumvirate. The evil started there, we need to take care of it at its true source. Ben will be safe. He will be going to Nowheresville, West-by-God-Virginia. Under the very watchful eyes of Harriet Tashman, Michelle, Nicholas, and Debbie Broots. If it were safe to have Ryan there for his part in all this with the virus, he’s be there too. But it won’t be technologically possible for Ryan to carry out his part there, so he will be at another secure location.”
“You really have thought all this out haven’t you?” Jarod grinned at her.
“What was I supposed to do for six years while pretending to chase an escaped LabRat? Hmm? Play tiddlelywinks?” she grinned back.
“One question sister,” Ethan returned the two to reality, “You have helpers in all this. All these people on your side loyal to you, how do we tell them from the bad guys?”
“Simple little brother. We all wear these,” Parker replied holding up her medallion for all to see, “and we all know the one true secret at the Centre.”
“Whose medallion is that? And what’s the secret?” Ryan asked, patience was not his strong suit and he hated not knowing something. He hated it with a passion.
“I know the secret. The one true secret at the Centre is ‘what is Miss Parker’s first name?’” Jarod smirked, he alone in the room, save Parker herself, knew the answer to that secret. “And the medallion is a….” he grasped it lightly on its long chain, turning it to the light, seeing it, she openly laughed out loud, “St. Rita medallion.”
“Well Rat, you have a better patron saint for the poor smucks trying to get rid of the Centre? Cause something tells me it doesn’t get better than the patron saint of impossible cases!”
