A Pretender Story
part XI
by Evanescent

Hunting Shack
Jarod’s Room
1200 Hours

So warm………………..comforting………..Jarod opened his eyes.  Ms. Parker had her arms still wrapped around him, and was asleep next to him.  He tried to get up, but Ms. Parker only moaned and wrapped her arms even tighter around his body.  Frustrated, but couldn’t bear to awake her, he laid there, eventually closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep again.

Sydney yawned and walked into the room, he stood there, shocked, staring at the two.  Major Charles, Young Jarod, and Broots walked in, they too, stared at the sleeping couple.

Ms. Parker opened her eyes, yawned, looked up and into 3 staring faces, she jumped, that awoke Jarod, he opened his eyes and stared into her face, "What the hell?!" He shouted, backing away until hit his head hard against the wall. "What the hell are you still doing on my bed?" He shouted.

Ms. Parker turned crimson, she immediately got out of bed and tried to explain, "You have a nightmare last night and tried to get up, I tried to push you down but—Hold on, you said still, you knew that I was sleeping with my arms around you?"

Now it’s Jarod’s turn to turn red, "I woke up this morning, I tried to get up but you just tightened your arms so I couldn’t get out."

Major held his hands up, "Okay, let’s just forget about this incident and have some breakfast. Jarod do you—"

"My name is Michael," Jarod ground out.

Major’s eyes filled with pain but he said nothing and walked out the door.  Young Jarod looked at Jarod but soon followed his father out the door.  The rest followed him out the door while Jarod drew his legs to his chest, deep in thought.

****

Living Room
1400 Hours

"We’ve got to do something, time is running out." Major said, he got up and walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Maybe we should let him go," Broots said, all eyes turned and looked at him bewilderedly,

"What I mean is, is that if Jarod was to escape, he wouldn’t go far because we are basically in the middle of nowhere right now, and he forgot everything he did right?  He wouldn’t regain all his memory at least for the next few days so he wouldn’t remember his survival training until then which gives us at least a few days time to work on him.  That way he wouldn’t escape even if he wanted to." He replied.

"You’re brilliant!" Major cried, and all of them walked toward Jarod’s room.

*****

Jarod’s Room
1430 Hours

Jarod looked up as Ms. Parker, Young Jarod, Major Charles, Sydney and Broots walked into the room. He walked over and sat down on a chair, his eyes glittering with the same intensity as the first time he found out he was handcuffed by his father.

The Major took out the keys to Jarod’s handcuffs and took them off him.  "Guess what Jarod," he said, "You’re free to go."

Jarod looked at him, surprised, Ms. Parker said, "Well, we figured that you wouldn’t leave though, since you lost your memory and have absolutely no recollection of your training so you wouldn’t be able to escape." She said triumphing.

Jarod narrowed his eyes, "Well, I’m the pretender, and I always escape, isn’t that right Sydney?" He said slyly.  The complexions of the other people in the room paled.

"Please, Jarod," Young Jarod pleaded, "Stay."

Jarod looked at the faces of all the people in the room, does he want this he thought, then he looked at his brother…….HIS BROTHER! He thought, he had just thought of Jarod as his brother! Now he’s in too deep, but for once since he woke up at SL-30, he didn’t care.

"Yeah, Jarod," He said, "I’ll stay." for you he secretly thought. He glanced at Ms. Parker, and for you he thought, he caught himself and erased the thought from his mind.  He turned back to his brother, and smiled, his brother smiled back, along with the rest of the people in the room.

*****

Outdoors
1500 Hours

"Come on Jarod!" Young Jarod cried, waving at him ahead of the trial and gesture him to move faster.  Jarod raised an eyebrow, where are they going? He thought, he ran, catching up to his brother.  Sydney and Broots walking right behind them, smiling.

Jarod stopped running and looked up at the sky, it is so beautiful. He looked at everything around him and took in the fresh air.  He smiled, just as Sydney walked behind him and said, "It’s beautiful isn’t it?" Jarod gave him a glance, and looked away, no biting remarks, no shouting, nothing at all.  Sydney smiled.

Sydney was still smiling as Jarod walked away, Broots asked, "Why are you smiling Syd?"

"Because I still have a chance." Sydney replied, looking toward the sky.

"Come on Jarod!" Young Jarod took Jarod by the arm and walked him to the lake.  Jarod gasped, he had never seen anything so beautiful, the lake looked like it was shining due to the reflections of the sun, it’s perfect deep blue color was the color of………the woman’s eyes…….he shook his head, clearing the thought from his head.

"Look at this!  The lake is so deep!" Young Jarod cried, Jarod walked in to take a closer look but he suddenly slipped and fell into the lake.

"Jarod!!"
 
 
 

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