Author's note: Before you read this I would suggest that Part 17 is going to be gruesome, and horrifying.  Please keep in mind that it is all an act, and this is just a story. Definitely includes violent content.
 
 

A Pretender Story
part XVII
by Evanescent

Major Charles's Cell
1200 Hours

Mr. Raines walked in and looked at the Major smugly, "Willie," turning to his sweeper, "Take him to the Sim lab."

Willie nodded and shoved the Major through the door toward the sim lab.

Ms. Parker and her father stopped them, "Just what in HELL are you doing Raines?  Going to conduct another one of your sick experiments?" She asked acidly.

"I'm going to show him what his son turned out to be." Raines answered, Ms. Parker didn't like the gleam in his eyes, Jarod, she thought.

"It just so happens that we are walking over to Jarod's cell right now," Mr. Parker said, his eyes turned hard, the last time Raines had that look in his eyes Kyle was transformed into a psychopath he thought. He glanced at his daughter and knew she was thinking the same thing. "Well, angel, let's go."

*****

Sim Lab
1230 Hours

Jarod sat staring straight ahead, out of the corner of his eye he saw Ms. Parker, Ms. Parker?! He thought, then following behind her, in handcuffs was Dad?!! He nearly blew his cover but remained looking expressionless though everything in him wanted to run out of the sim lab and embrace them both.  Ms. Parker would take care of him, he thought, she would never do anything to him, she would protect him.

"Michael." Mr. Raines commanded.  Jarod slowly raised his eyes to him coldly, Raines smiled triumphantly at the Major who stared at his son in shock.  This is Michael he thought fearfully yet he saw something else in his eyes...but what?!

"Michael, I need you to get some more information from Mr. Peterson, once we get all the information the Centre needs, kill him and his family." the Major and everyone else in the room threw a bewildered look at Raines, then at Jarod.

Jarod nodded and said, "Bring the family in."

Sydney and Broots walked into the Sim lab, once Sydney saw Mr. Raines, he growled "You told us to come here Raines.  What do you-" he stopped and stared at everyone in the room, then at Jarod.  Broots watched on as Jarod smiled coldly at the family and circled them as they huddled together, they are afraid of this man he thought, but then he was not surprised, Jarod forced the boy to put a gun to his head in front of his own father.

Smiling mockingly, he crouched down to the little boy, Danny.  "Hi Danny, do you want to play the same game we played last time?" He asked softly yet there was no warmth in his voice.  Danny shook his head violently, Jarod laughed, "Okay, then let's play another game.  Its called Simon says, do you know that game?" The little boy nodded, he twitched when Jarod ruffled his hair.  "Okay.  Simon says to touch your nose," The boy obeyed.

Sydney and Ms. Parker looked at each other then back at their pretender.  "Raines, what is Jarod doing?" Mr. Parker whispered to Raines, this is not the Jarod he knew from the cell, but the same hidden softness was still in his eyes.

"He's playing Simon says." Mr. Raines answered, even he was curious as to how his pretender is going to kill the Peterson family.

"Give me the gun," Jarod said turning his head, Willie withdrew his gun, he walked over and handed it him.  Jarod took the gun and gently placed the gun into the Danny's small hands "Now Simon says to-"

"No!  I'll talk!  Just don't...." Mr. Peterson cried, he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Jarod took the gun away from the boy and moved toward the crying man, "You have another password for another deposit box didn't you Mr. Peterson?  Give us the code,"

"The password is friendship Michael, friendship." Peterson whispered.

"Good. Now let US play a game, Simon says to start praying if there is a heaven after you die.  Willie, get another sweeper and hold him down, we're done here."  Willie obeyed and motioned to the other sweeper.  The two men grabbed Mr. Peterson's arms as the man looked at Jarod, confused. Everything is going according to plan, Jarod thought, he fought the urge to glance at his father for he knew that they probably lost all faith in him now but he needed to do this, for their sake and for his.

Suddenly the alarm went off, Raines and the rest of the sweepers ran out of the room to fix the malfunction as Ms. Parker, her father, Sydney, Broots, and Major Charles looked around in confusion.  When no one was looking, he quickly took the blank bullets out from his pockets, took out the real bullets out of the gun, and tossed 4 packets of fake blood and 4 small pills toward the family.  They each took the fake blood and pill, putting the fake blood under their shirts and the pills under their tongues in their mouths.

"It's a false alarm." Raines said, walking back to the room.  Willie and the other sweeper again pulled Mr. Peterson away from his family, holding him tight.

"Where were we? Ah yes. Say good-bye to your son Mr. Peterson." Jarod aimed the gun toward the boy and fired.  Danny crumpled to the floor, blood, or the fake blood spreading over his heart.

A horrifying silence filled the room.  No one was unable to speak, Raines finally got the proof that he needed, Jarod is gone, he thought triumphantly. A tear rolled down Major's face, "oh god no!" and slumped against the wall.  Ms. Parker's and Sydney's eyes filled with tears, Broots only continued to stare at the man, Jarod is gone, they all thought as it echoed over and over in their minds.  Ms. Parker ran toward Jarod, but a sweeper grabbed her by the arm and refused to let her go, they closed off the sim lab, so they were all forced out except Mr. Raines and watched through the window of the sim lab outside.

Then the screaming started, Mr. Peterson screeched and like an animal, he tore at the two sweepers, trying to get himself free but they were too strong.  Danny's mother, screaming, ran to her little boy, gathering his limp body in her arms and rocking it back in forth, until she suddenly slumped over because Jarod put a bullet in her back.  Ms. Parker put a hand over her mouth and let her tears flow freely....Jarod, no......no Jarod she silently pleaded, no, not Jarod, this is not him... yet she knew that it was him standing before her, through the glass window.

Danny's sister ran toward her mother, but she stopped mid-stride with a bullet through her chest, collapsing to the floor.  Willie and the sweeper released Mr. Peterson, who ran to his family, screaming now, he then ran toward Jarod but was stopped with a bullet through the heart.  Blood splattered over Jarod's shirt, some got on his face but Jarod just laughed and looked over at the window.  The look in Ms. Parker's eyes nearly ripped his heart into shreds, but the sorrow and pain in both his father and Sydney's eyes nearly became his undoing.  I'm sorry, He thought. He quickly looked away, walked over to his chair and sat, staring ahead.

"Good job Michael." Mr. Raines slapped him across the cheek, and Jarod looked up at him, his eyes filled with hatred but he still nodded, smiling.

"Take their bodies to the morgue." Mr. Raines commanded. Willie obeyed, turning around to clean up.  Jarod walked out of the sim lab, and was meet with a fist to the jaw.  Jarod staggered back, but wasn't surprised, nor was he surprised when he saw it was his father who threw the punch.

"Jarod-" Major pleaded, no, this is not my son, this can't be...he thought desperately.

"Michael." Jarod replied, moving his hand toward his jaw.  I'm so sorry Dad but I have to do this.  He thought. Ms. Parker gaze at him, pleading, hoping that the man she knew, the man she........love? Would return

"Jarod!!" Sydney yelled, Jarod ignored him, and continued to walk on down the hall.

"Michael!" Major yelled. Jarod slowly turned back and look at him, "When you killed that family, you also killed my son, you will pay dearly for this." Something sparked in Jarod's eye, but Major still didn't know what it is...what is it?! Could it be that he-no, this is Michael now, he thought.  Jarod said nothing and continued to walk down the hall.  Ms. Parker stared tearfully after Jarod until he disappeared, then she turned back, and walked down the hall.  My love had died she thought.

*****

Marriott Hotel
1400 Hours

Mr. Peterson walked outside, breathing in the fresh air. When Willie took them to the morgue, an odd man who doesn't talk much with a box of cracker jacks appeared. He said he was a friend of Jarod and gestured them to follow him.  From then on, the man gave them money and showed them the way out of the Centre. He got to thank Jarod and that man for saving his life, but how?  In the mean time, he got a job working with the paramedics at a hospital near the Centre.  He already sends his wife and children off to his parent's house in Georgia but he needed to stay here, for some reason he knew that his friend would need all the help he could get.
 
 
 
 

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