arod never knew it would have come to this. Would his rage have taken over his body, pull that trigger and kill Miss Parker? Afterall, it's been an hour since the kidnapping of Burke. He blamed her.

"Tell me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." He aimed the gun directly at her.

"Because you love me and I love you. And we have to work together to get Burke back." She cried.

He continued pointing the weapon at her.

She stood frozen. It wasn't their usual "you run, I chase" games where she knew he would never take a shot at her. She watched his finger as it moved slowly, as if unsure if he would actually pull the trigger or not. Parker held her breath and waited for the click. Terror filed her eyes as his cold ones locked with hers.

Immediately, he slammed the 9mm against the table. "It's not loaded. Where's my baby? Where is he?" He screamed.

"I don't know! I don't know! You think I'd be here right now if I knew where he was?" MIss Parker was hysterical.

"Damned you, Parker! I trusted you with my baby! The reason we stayed here at my place instead of living at your house, was so no one and I mean no one could have found our destination! How could have you been so careless? You brought that no-good brother of yours and his goons right into my home for the taking!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I thought it was you at the door..."

"And you decide to open up? I have my own keys. How many times have I reminded you not to answer the door without knowing who it is first? How many times?" Jarod grabbed her arm, but, quickly released her. "How could you have possibly watched and have them take my son away?"

"Jarod! They had a gun to my head!" She pointed a finger to her temple.

Flashback

"Who's at that door, huh? Who could that be? It's daddy. Yes, it is. Let's go let him in! What are you doing here? Get out! Don't you dare take him! Let go! Let go of my baby!"

"Shut up, Parker!" You don't want this rugrat see bullets plugged into that pretty head of yours, do you?"

End Of Flashback

"You just let them take my boy away! Was he crying? Was he? Answer me!"

"Yes! Yes, he was crying. I-I couldn't...they had a gun to my head! They had a gun to my head." She pleaded her case.

"And not to call the police? I don't know why I agreed not to call them."

"Jarod, you...me...we have to get Burke back. Sydney, Broots...you know they'll help us."

"Sydney? Sydney? What the hell is he going to do? He couldn't even help me out of "The Centre"! And Broots? I don't even want to think about that bumbling technician!"

Parker reached out and tried to comfort Jarod.

"Go to hell, Parker! The only reason I don't kick you out right now, is because you're going to help me get back my son!"

"You think I wanted this? I've told you my greatest fear was them finding out about the baby!"

The "pretender" flung a sofa cushion across the room which cracked a vase making its way down on the carpet. "You could have left "The Centre"! You think "daddy" wouldn't have found out about Burke? He's just an innocent child. What do they want with him?" Jarod asked, although he knew why, tears fell down his face.

"Because you're their "pretender". Miss Parker softly said. "And if they can't have you, your baby's the next closest thing to you."

"You really don't know how I feel. You don't know how it feels to have a missing child. Because he's not yours."

"Burke is mine as much as yours!" She corrected him.

"Last time I looked, you weren't the one who gave birth to him! As far as I'm concerned, you're just my son's babysitter!" He told her coldly. "I'm glad he's not yours. To even think of having the Parker blood in his veins just wants me to puke right now!"

"I nurtured him! I mothered him for six months! He's mine!" She screamed.

"If he was yours, your flesh and blood, would you have easily given him to them? You sang him lullabies, even called yourself mommy! Still doesn't make you his mother! Rachel is! I guess your promise to her was never meant for you to keep! Instead of keeping him safe and sound, away from harm, it's just the opposite. He's not safe, sound or away from harm!" Jarod rambled. "And when I get him back, I'll make sure you'll never have any contact with him! Nothing! And it will be over my dead body!"

"I'll fight you for him, Jarod! I used to say you were one half of the missing puzzle. I was the other half. But, you know what? We're just two wrong pieces of the puzzle. Together we'll never make it as a whole. No use trying to make it fit. I could live without you! But, not him! I can't live without Burke!" Miss Parker wiped her eyes as she attacked him.

"I thought we were the picture perfect family. I was mistaken. I'm headed back to "The Centre." Jarod picked up her Smith and Wesson off of the table, angrily inserted a 15 round clip to the 9mm and tucked the pistol into the waistband of his jeans. "You joining me? Or do I do this alone? And whatever I do, don't stand in my way! Because I'm planning on shooting my way into "The Centre". And I will not hesitate to shoot, even if that person is you!"

JMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJPMJMP

Burke wailed as his little eyes looked around for a familiar face in the unfamiliar setting. He stuffed his tiny fingers in his mouth as a million tears fell out of his frightened little eyes.

"Looking for daddy? Well, he's not here. He'll be at "The Centre" looking for you. But, you won't be there. And my Angel, that mommy dearest of yours, is not your mommy. She never was. Even your own mommy didn't want you, cause she left you for good." The chairman of the board growled as the little six months old turned quickly and jolted up to see Mr. Parker's face so close to his. He screamed.

"What'd you expect? No one cares about you! Nobody does." Raines as usual, wheezed as he caught his breath and poked his ugliness of a face into the crib. The baby screamed in horror and turned red as his cries of distress continued.

Mr. Parker turned to Lyle. "Make yourself useful. Shut that little wailer up." He commanded to his thumbless son.

Burke's puppy dogged eyes tearfully met Lyle's. He needed comforting and somehow turned to him.

"The poor little mite has no other way of communicating." Lyle felt sorry for the infant and surprised himself as he bravely spoke to his father.

"Just shut him up or we'll do it for him!" Mr. Parker said as he and Raines walked out of their secret hideaway. Lyle watched from the window until he could no longer see them in clear view as they drove away.

"What's the matter, little guy? Did those old geezers scare you? It's okay. They won't hurt you. Not if I can help it." Lyle comforted Burke. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have kidnapped you, huh?"

The baby quieted in his arms and tugged tightly at Lyle's shirt for safety. "Don't do that. You're not supposed to like me. I'm evil. I was the one who took you away from Mommy Parker."

Burke gurgled softly and found comfort in Lyle's arms. "Close your eyes and sleep. Let the sandman sprinkle you with dream dusk, so you can dream. Okay, little one?" What the hell did I get myself into?"

TBC - Chapter 7