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Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
"Momma?" Parker responded dryly, trying to hide the sensation of warmth she felt from the boy’s enthusiastic hug.
"Are you mad at me?" The boy asked worriedly.
"Well, I’ve been happier." She admitted, "but I suspect that I’ll let you live. Who do I have to talk to about getting you out of here?"
"He’s over there." JJ pointed to an older man, balding and sporting the beginnings of a beer belly.
"Okay, kid, let’s spring you." She smiled down at him lovingly just as the officer looked up and spotted the two of them.
"You must be Ms. Parker." He said genially, offering a hand to shake. Parker obliged him and agreed that she was Ms. Parker.
"JJ wouldn’t tell us why he ran away, but I do recommend that you talk it over and work things out." He advised seriously. "We picked him up hitchhiking on the highway. Too many sickos out there to have our kids doing that."
"I agree wholeheartedly." Parker flustered the man with a dazzling smile. "Thank you so much for saving----JJ from his rashness. We’ll work things out on the way home. I’m sure he’ll never try that again; will you, JJ?"
"No, Mom. I’m sorry I did such a stupid thing." JJ managed to look loving and contrite at the same time.
"Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to get JJ home and call in to work before they send a posse after me. Is it all right for us to go now?" She cut the voluble man off as he opened his mouth, and sent another killer smile at him that made him blush.
"Sure, Ma’am. Nice kid you got there." He added kindly. "You’re doing a good job with him---not a disrespectful brat like so many of them nowadays."
"Thank you so much." Parker’s teeth were gritted as she tried to reign in her irritation. Would the man never shut up and let them leave? JJ solved the dilemma by tugging on her arm.
"Mom, I’m hungry." He said innocently. "I haven’t eaten since breakfast."
Parker shot the officer a "what can you do?" look and hustled JJ out of there before the man could come up with something else.
****************
At Donoterase an older woman was entering Emily’s cell, flanked by two sweepers. Emily was well educated in the martial arts and with the addition of Miss Parker’s parting gift she’d been feeling optimistic about making an escape, but the sweepers gave her a twinge of worry.
"We need you for a few tests. If you’ll just come this way?" The woman said impersonally.
"Okay." Emily said agreeably. When she reached the small group by the door, though, she swept the smaller guard’s feet out from under him in a scythe kick and stunned the other guard with a double fisted punch that had all of the force of her body’s upward momentum as she sprang up from the kick.
Keeping her advantage of surprise she’d hustled the researcher out of the room and slammed the door shut on the dazed sweepers in a blur of movement. Almost before the woman knew what had happened Emily had the gun Parker had left under her pillow pressed against the scientist’s ribs.
"Okay, I don’t want any trouble and I’m sure you don’t want any trouble." Emily said calmly, only slightly out of breath from her exertion. "So you show me the exit to the hellhole, and I’ll let you live. Sound like a deal?"
The woman glance briefly at the door, thinking about the two hulking brutes on the other side that Emily had managed to take out, and nodded her head slowly.
"This way." She squeaked timidly, leading Emily through the subterranean passages to an exit. She took a less direct route so that they could avoid other people and they were fortunate enough to reach the door to Emily’s freedom without an encounter.
"The carpool is in here." The researcher whispered. "It’s not guarded because this place is already hidden. You should be able to find something with the keys in it without too much trouble."
"Thank you!" Emily responded, surprised at the woman’s helpfulness.
"Once you take employment with the Centre it’s for life, but that doesn’t mean we all enjoy our jobs. I’m glad your escaping." The other explained wryly. "Now I have one less nightmare to keep me awake at night."
"Thanks." Emily repeated. "Now, if you’ll forgive me, this is for your own good." She spun the woman around and applied a sleeper hold on her.
"We don’t want them to think you helped me willingly." She heard Emily explain before the lack of oxygen to her brain took effect and she passed out.
"There." Emily looked at the unconscious woman with satisfaction. "It’ll be a few moments before you come to, and I know your head will hurt, but not nearly as bad as it would if I’d hit you." She slipped through the door and had appropriated a silver Towncar before the scientist regained consciousness. By the time they could get the woman to tell them what had happened, Emily was miles away and putting more distance between her and the hidden facility as fast as she dared.
"Now what?" She thought suddenly. "I can’t just leave without letting Miss Parker know I’m safe, but I haven’t got a clue how to find her."
*****************
Jarod and his father searched a 50 foot radius from the cabin and then got in the vehicle to search the roads. An hour’s searching finally took them as far as the small town several miles from the cabin. There they discovered that a boy fitting JJ’s description had boarded a bus for Delaware several hours ago.
It was then that Jarod realized his phone was missing. He opened his case to retrieve it and discovered it was gone.
"At least if something happens he can call for help." He suggested, trying to ease both of their anxiety. "But I still want someone I trust at the Centre watching for him."
He opened the laptop, ready to e-mail Broots since Sydney seemed unreachable, and saw that the machine was still running, still displaying the message that has sent JJ off. He read it, felt the blood drain from his face, and read it again.
"Dad." He said hoarsely, swallowing down nausea. "Pull over. You need to see this."
"What’s the matter, son?" Major Charles glanced over, noted his son’s pallor, and pulled over. Jarod just turned the computer screen to face his father, unable to speak.
"Well I’ll be damned!" The Major breathed in amazement.
"No, Dad, I think that’s my line." Jarod groaned. "I’m going to kill her, you know." He added, anger rising even hotter than before.
"Son." Charles cautioned him. "She was only doing what she thought best. Give her a chance."
Jarod stared unseeingly at his father.
"I’m going to kill her." He finally whispered again, not even seeming to register his father’s presence. With a sigh the Major put them into motion again.
‘Those two are like fire and oil.’ He thought with an element of amusement. ‘Perfect together, but so combustible!’
*******************
Lyle stiffened as he heard the car approaching. He knew it was her, who else would be so far away from civilization at this hour of the day. His heart began to pound with anticipation as he waited for her to arrive, so he could spring his trap.
He noted the presence of the boy with a sense of fate. His sister *and* the boy! When he turned the boy back over to the Triumvirate he’d be forgiven anything. His eyes gleamed with avarice as the car parked and the tall woman and growing boy stepped out….
"Are you mad at me?" The boy asked worriedly.
"Well, I’ve been happier." She admitted, "but I suspect that I’ll let you live. Who do I have to talk to about getting you out of here?"
"He’s over there." JJ pointed to an older man, balding and sporting the beginnings of a beer belly.
"Okay, kid, let’s spring you." She smiled down at him lovingly just as the officer looked up and spotted the two of them.
"You must be Ms. Parker." He said genially, offering a hand to shake. Parker obliged him and agreed that she was Ms. Parker.
"JJ wouldn’t tell us why he ran away, but I do recommend that you talk it over and work things out." He advised seriously. "We picked him up hitchhiking on the highway. Too many sickos out there to have our kids doing that."
"I agree wholeheartedly." Parker flustered the man with a dazzling smile. "Thank you so much for saving----JJ from his rashness. We’ll work things out on the way home. I’m sure he’ll never try that again; will you, JJ?"
"No, Mom. I’m sorry I did such a stupid thing." JJ managed to look loving and contrite at the same time.
"Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to get JJ home and call in to work before they send a posse after me. Is it all right for us to go now?" She cut the voluble man off as he opened his mouth, and sent another killer smile at him that made him blush.
"Sure, Ma’am. Nice kid you got there." He added kindly. "You’re doing a good job with him---not a disrespectful brat like so many of them nowadays."
"Thank you so much." Parker’s teeth were gritted as she tried to reign in her irritation. Would the man never shut up and let them leave? JJ solved the dilemma by tugging on her arm.
"Mom, I’m hungry." He said innocently. "I haven’t eaten since breakfast."
Parker shot the officer a "what can you do?" look and hustled JJ out of there before the man could come up with something else.
****************
At Donoterase an older woman was entering Emily’s cell, flanked by two sweepers. Emily was well educated in the martial arts and with the addition of Miss Parker’s parting gift she’d been feeling optimistic about making an escape, but the sweepers gave her a twinge of worry.
"We need you for a few tests. If you’ll just come this way?" The woman said impersonally.
"Okay." Emily said agreeably. When she reached the small group by the door, though, she swept the smaller guard’s feet out from under him in a scythe kick and stunned the other guard with a double fisted punch that had all of the force of her body’s upward momentum as she sprang up from the kick.
Keeping her advantage of surprise she’d hustled the researcher out of the room and slammed the door shut on the dazed sweepers in a blur of movement. Almost before the woman knew what had happened Emily had the gun Parker had left under her pillow pressed against the scientist’s ribs.
"Okay, I don’t want any trouble and I’m sure you don’t want any trouble." Emily said calmly, only slightly out of breath from her exertion. "So you show me the exit to the hellhole, and I’ll let you live. Sound like a deal?"
The woman glance briefly at the door, thinking about the two hulking brutes on the other side that Emily had managed to take out, and nodded her head slowly.
"This way." She squeaked timidly, leading Emily through the subterranean passages to an exit. She took a less direct route so that they could avoid other people and they were fortunate enough to reach the door to Emily’s freedom without an encounter.
"The carpool is in here." The researcher whispered. "It’s not guarded because this place is already hidden. You should be able to find something with the keys in it without too much trouble."
"Thank you!" Emily responded, surprised at the woman’s helpfulness.
"Once you take employment with the Centre it’s for life, but that doesn’t mean we all enjoy our jobs. I’m glad your escaping." The other explained wryly. "Now I have one less nightmare to keep me awake at night."
"Thanks." Emily repeated. "Now, if you’ll forgive me, this is for your own good." She spun the woman around and applied a sleeper hold on her.
"We don’t want them to think you helped me willingly." She heard Emily explain before the lack of oxygen to her brain took effect and she passed out.
"There." Emily looked at the unconscious woman with satisfaction. "It’ll be a few moments before you come to, and I know your head will hurt, but not nearly as bad as it would if I’d hit you." She slipped through the door and had appropriated a silver Towncar before the scientist regained consciousness. By the time they could get the woman to tell them what had happened, Emily was miles away and putting more distance between her and the hidden facility as fast as she dared.
"Now what?" She thought suddenly. "I can’t just leave without letting Miss Parker know I’m safe, but I haven’t got a clue how to find her."
*****************
Jarod and his father searched a 50 foot radius from the cabin and then got in the vehicle to search the roads. An hour’s searching finally took them as far as the small town several miles from the cabin. There they discovered that a boy fitting JJ’s description had boarded a bus for Delaware several hours ago.
It was then that Jarod realized his phone was missing. He opened his case to retrieve it and discovered it was gone.
"At least if something happens he can call for help." He suggested, trying to ease both of their anxiety. "But I still want someone I trust at the Centre watching for him."
He opened the laptop, ready to e-mail Broots since Sydney seemed unreachable, and saw that the machine was still running, still displaying the message that has sent JJ off. He read it, felt the blood drain from his face, and read it again.
"Dad." He said hoarsely, swallowing down nausea. "Pull over. You need to see this."
"What’s the matter, son?" Major Charles glanced over, noted his son’s pallor, and pulled over. Jarod just turned the computer screen to face his father, unable to speak.
"Well I’ll be damned!" The Major breathed in amazement.
"No, Dad, I think that’s my line." Jarod groaned. "I’m going to kill her, you know." He added, anger rising even hotter than before.
"Son." Charles cautioned him. "She was only doing what she thought best. Give her a chance."
Jarod stared unseeingly at his father.
"I’m going to kill her." He finally whispered again, not even seeming to register his father’s presence. With a sigh the Major put them into motion again.
‘Those two are like fire and oil.’ He thought with an element of amusement. ‘Perfect together, but so combustible!’
*******************
Lyle stiffened as he heard the car approaching. He knew it was her, who else would be so far away from civilization at this hour of the day. His heart began to pound with anticipation as he waited for her to arrive, so he could spring his trap.
He noted the presence of the boy with a sense of fate. His sister *and* the boy! When he turned the boy back over to the Triumvirate he’d be forgiven anything. His eyes gleamed with avarice as the car parked and the tall woman and growing boy stepped out….
