"We'll be fine Dad." Jarod offered, as he became aware of his father's concern. "Nothing is going to keep me from my family, not after this."

"Think again." An unmistakable voice sounded from behind the van, the sound of a gun being cocked following suit.

"Miss Parker." Father and son emitted in unison.

"Nice to see you again Major." Parker stated darkly. "Tying to steal again from the Centre."

"He's my son Miss Parker. I've only ever wanted for him what your mother wanted for you, a better life, far away from the clutches of the Centre."

"I can see where Jarod gets it from. Dragging up the past, pulling up memories that should have long stayed buried." Parker sneered, shifting her focus to Jarod's form. The pretender pathetically had his face pressed against the bars, she could feel his eyes pleading with her.

"Please Miss Parker." The major begged. "Your mother made many sacrifices in her life for your safety, for the safety of my son. Please honour her memory, what she stood for. Don't condemn my son to captivity. Please."

Miss Parker shifted her attention between the two men before her. Sighing heavily, she holstered her weapon. The mommy card was getting rather old, but she didn't have it in her to be the wicked witch in this scheme. It didn't matter anyways. It was too late.

"Major, you have to leave now." She stated, her stare unable to leave Jarod's desperate brown eyes.

"I will never leave my son behind." The major replied, returning his attention to the lock that separated him from Jarod.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice this time." Parker informed him, her voice wavering slightly. "You forget to consider something in this diabolic little scheme of yours. There is a tracking device under the van. I was five minutes ahead of the back up sweeper team. They will be here any minute." She felt her heart twitch as Jarod's face crumbled in realization.

"I'll take my chances." The major shot back, continuing his jimmying of the lock.

"No Dad." Jarod whispered weakly, hesitating before continuing, strength creeping back into his voice. "You have to go now. You can't let them see you."

"You cannot ask me to leave you behind again Jarod. I won't. I can't, I don't have it in me."

"Please Dad. Please just go. I'll be fine. I promise." Jarod begged.

"You don't have to fight them alone anymore son. I'm here." The Major replied tenderly, his fumbling with the lock becoming more desperate.

Miss Parker shook her head. "Major you don't understand. The second Jarod was reacquired your death warrant was signed and sealed. If a trigger happy sweeper so much as catches a glimpse of you, that's it. It's over. You have to leave. Now."

"Dad please go." Jarod begged frantically.

Miss Parker watched as Major Charles looked desperately between her and his son.

"How can I do this?" He whispered, acceptance slowly washing through his features.

Jarod reached his plastered right arm through the bars, resting it on his father's knee. "I love you Dad. As long as I know you are safe, I will have the strength to fight them." Parker could see the pretender was struggling to maintain his composure.

Major Charles moved towards his son, again placing his hand on Jarod's cheek. "Don't give up Jarod. I will come for you. I promise. Don't stop fighting. Me, Emily and Jay, we will be waiting for you."

Jarod nodded weakly, a small sob escaping him as the sound of approaching vehicles reached them.

"Major." Parker warned.

"I love you Jarod." The major whispered softly as he backed out of the van. "I love you." He uttered one last time, before taking off into the nearby woods.

Jarod pressed desperately against the bars that separated him from his freedom, watching as his father's figure disappeared out of sight. His head fell to the floor, unable to contain the sobs from escaping.

Parker closed her eyes briefly, garnering strength as the sweeper team game into view.

"Miss Parker, what happened?" The head sweeper questionned, running up to her.

"Major Charles you idiot." She sneered. "He went that way." She added, pointing in the opposite direction from which she had seen the major flee.

"What about Jarod?" The sweeper questioned.

"If daddy couldn't spring him, he's sure as hell not going anywhere now." Parker informed him nastily. "Go find the Major. I'll stand watch over boy-wonder."

The sweeper nodded as he and his cronies took off in a mad sprint.

Parker climbed into the van, surprised to find Jarod's eyes on her. "Why?" He whispered brokenly.

She looked away as Angelo's last words haunted her.

"Promise me. Only Daughter can save Jarod. Tell-him. Friend needs to know Angel still cares."

Parker opened her mouth, but found no words waiting, no comfort she could offer to the fallen pretender.

Jarod lowered his head once again as silence took over the van. Parker could tell by the tremors in his body that he was unsuccessfully trying to suppress the sobs that were consuming him.

Parker stared at the wall across from her as the memories of the last six years flashed before her. She had begun the Jarod pursuit, a bitter young women tortured by the thoughts of her mother suicide. But Jarod had shown her the lies, the helpless situation her mother had been forced into. He had tried so desperately in Carthis to gain her allegiance, but she had pushed him away. It really was what she did best.

Turning once again towards Jarod, Parker took in his broken form. She had to admit, despite all the torments, the painful memories of her past that he dredged up, Jarod had improved her life. He had tried so hard to get her to fill in the missing pieces of her existence, to get her to see the future that her mother had wanted for her, that her mother had died trying to achieve. There was one last missing piece that needed to be found – the bond that had once existed between her and Jarod.

She could push him away, push him out, but Jarod had always existed in her life, and his memory would haunt her, just as her mother's had, just as Thomas's did. But he still had a chance.

Hesitantly Parker reached towards the bars, laying a comforting hand gently on the pretender's plastered wrist. It wasn't words, but it was the best she could do.

CENTRE AIRSTRIP

Jarod looked sadly at Miss Parker as the Town Car came to a stop beside the white cargo van they had been trailing for the last thirty minutes. He clenched his left hand in apprehension, as the door to the sedan was opened, and two pairs of arms reached in and grabbed him.

Tilting his head, he caught a glance of Lysander being escorted out of the back of the van. The predictor looked around desperately, stopping as she caught sight of him. She smiled at him as she was pushed out of sight.

He wasn't alone.

He felt Parker's presence behind him, as he took a deep breath, pushing his painful thoughts away. His father, Angelo, the Centre. He could only look forward to his future, in Africa. He would fight them, give them everything he had. He knew Sydney would be here, fighting for his return, that his father and Jay would be plotting for his rescue, and he would fight them for his mind, for his life. Nothing else mattered.

"It's time Jarod." Miss Parker whispered, taking his arm from the sweeper, and leading him towards the plane. Her grip was non-threatening, almost comforting. Jarod concentrated on his steps, conscious that every one was bringing him one closer to the clutches of the Triumvirate.

As they reached the base of the staircase leading to the aircraft, Jarod stopped suddenly. He looked at Parker desperately, knowing his facial expressions were betraying him, exposing exactly how much he feared them, feared what was coming.

"One step at a time Jarod." Parker whispered, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. He sighed and hesitantly took the first step on the staircase, conscious of how badly his limbs were shaking.

Once in the aircraft, Jarod allowed himself to be led to the back. Parker pulled on him gently as they reached his seat, but she did not do him the indignity of forcing him down. Trembling, Jarod resisted the urge to flee, to fight, and instead sat down, lifting his arms slightly as Parker attached his seatbelt.

He looked up at her, as three sweepers moved around him. The rattling of chains told him Lysander was being secured on the opposite side of the plane to him. He heard her grunt in pain as she was assumingly pushed into the seat. He turned his head, trying to see past the sweepers that surrounded him and her, but was unsuccessful. He would likely never lay eyes on her again, but just knowing she would be near, would bring him strength.

Returning his gaze to Parker, Jarod sucked in his breath as he saw her holding a small black hood in her hands.

"No.." He pleaded. "Please, no."

"I have no choice Jarod. Please don't fight me on this." Parker replied softly.

"No…No… No…"He shook his head desperately. Nauseous at what the hood represented, how it resurfaced the painful memories of his kidnapping, the night his entire life had been cruelly changed forever.

Parker sighed. "I'm sorry." She mouthed at him, as she backed away.

A sweeper approached the pretender, a syringe in his hand.

Jarod couldn't fight his panic anymore. "No..no.. please, no." He cried as they approached him, lashing out with his feet. His left sleeve was pulled up, and the needle painfully inserted into his arm.

Jarod let out a cry of frustration as the sweepers then easily pulled the hood over his head, tightening the cord under his chin. He tried to fight the panic, fight the sedative that threatened to pull him into oblivion.

He flinched as a hand touched his shoulder, as if attempting to comfort.

Jarod turned his head from side to side, pulled on his shackles, desperately fighting the drug. The hand squeezed his shoulder in comfort as his thrashing slowly dissipated, the sedative overpowering him.

"This is not how our story ends rat. Don't forget that."

He moaned, the drug preventing him from speaking. The hand on his shoulder squeezed again.

He would wake up in Africa.

But he wasn't alone. They would come for him.

And that was all that mattered.

With a small sigh, Jarod allowed the void to swallow him.

It was afterall, just the beginning.