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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Blue Cove, DE
Monday June 16
Lyle shot up in his bed waking up from the very real-like dream. He looked around his room gathering his bearings trying to figure out if it had actually been a dream. After a moment he lied back down on his bed. "I have to get her back… I have to make him believe… I won't let you down…" Lyle fell asleep repeating those phrases to himself.
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Wednesday, June 18
"You must have been real busy at the Centre today. Chasing me I presume!" he asked her with a devilish smile on his face. However the smile didn't last long when he saw the serious and concerned look on her face. "Parker what's wrong?"
"Jarod, Noah disappeared sometime last night so we spent all day trying to figure out what happened last night. We found nothing though; we don't even have surveillance coverage for last night. You didn't take him and forget to tell the rest of us did you?"
"No… I figured we'd get your little brother out of there at the end so they wouldn't suspect anything."
"Yeah me too. I'm really worried about him, who would have taken him if it wasn't you? Mr. Cox and Lyle are in charge of getting him back. It's really strange…"
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Friday, June 20
Jarod slipped into the apartment without making a sound. He maneuvered his way through the apartment making his way to the main bedroom. He stood outside the door listening to see if he had aroused the occupant with his entrance. After listening for a few minutes he slowly turned the knob and opened the door slipping inside and leaving the door ajar. He quietly walked to the bed and pulled out his handgun with his right hand. As he neared the bed he held both hands outstretched, he placed his left over the person's mouth and the gun at his left temple at the same time. When the sleeping figure felt the hand and gun touching his face his eyes shot wide open. As the eyes shot open Jarod whispered, "Don't move."
The now alert figure looked around the room and slowly placed his hands in plain sight for Jarod. After not finding anyone else in the room Lyle returned his gaze back to Jarod as his breathing slowed down and became more normal. "Slide your hands behind you and clasp your hands. Now roll over slowly." As Lyle awkwardly rolled over without the use of his hands and his face still held in place by the hand clasped over his mouth, Jarod pulled out a pair of handcuffs and placed them in Lyle's hands before returning the gun to Lyle's temple. "Put 'em on." When Lyle finished closing the handcuffs Jarod removed his hand from Lyle's mouth to check the restraints.
Taking his chance to speak he did, "Ja-"
Jarod pressed the gun into the side of Lyle's head pushing his head into the mattress. Jarod leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I didn't give you permission to speak so shut up!" Lyle closed his eyes and nodded his head acknowledging Jarod's order. Jarod then grabbed the chain of the handcuffs and yanked on them pulling Lyle up, "Come on we're going for a ride." Lyle awkwardly came off the bed and then left the room leading Jarod out who still held onto the cuff chain. As they walked through the apartment Lyle periodically looked back at Jarod trying to read him.
As they got closer to the front door Lyle turned back one more time and began to speak rapidly, "Jarod we can't go, I need to-"
Lyle didn't finish his statement as he felt the gun handle crack against his temple causing him to fall to the floor. He then crawled to the door so that it couldn't be opened. "I told you to shut up!"
"We can't leave, Noah's here!" he quickly spit out as he cringed as he saw Jarod raising the gun again. When he didn't feel the metal against his head he slowly opened his eyes not knowing what to expect.
With confusion on his face Jarod questioned Lyle, "You took Noah? Where is he?"
"He's in the other bedroom, the one at the end of the hall," Lyle quickly answered.
Jarod stared down at him for a few moments scrutinizing Lyle and trying to figure out his intentions. After several moments of silence Jarod grabbed Lyle's arm and led him to the afore mentioned bedroom. When Jarod opened the door he was surprised to find a fully decorated room for a child filled with toys, and on the bed lay a sleeping Noah. Jarod looked around the room once more before looking at Lyle. "It used to be Simone's room, I haven't changed it," Lyle whispered when he saw the shocked look on Jarod. Jarod took one last look at the room and Noah before shutting the door and leading Lyle to the living room.
"What is going on here Lyle? Why did you take Noah from the Centre?"
"Because he's your son."
"What?" The shock of what he was hearing was too much forcing him to sit down on the chair across from Lyle.
"I found some of my fathers files and Noah isn't his son. They implanted one of Brigitte's eggs with your DNA."
"I have a son?" The shock of the information was still affecting Jarod. After a moment though he remembered he was dealing with the Centre and anger arose within him. He stood up and approached Lyle, he pressed his gun below his left eye and spoke, "Why do you have him? Why'd you take him?"
Lyle started to shake below the gun and an enraged Jarod as he spoke, "To give him to you. So I could get Simone-"
"Is that it? You wanted to trade Simone for Noah? Well you lose again Lyle because I get Noah regardless and you still won't get Simone back! You don't deserve to have her!"
Lyle was really starting to worry now, this wasn't going as he had anticipated. "No! I swear Jarod I wasn't going to trade him for her! I know that if you wanted to you could get him whenever. I wanted to show you that I deserve to take care of Simone, I've changed! I just want Simone back!" He was pleading with his entire being and Jarod could sense it as he spoke, but he was still skeptical.
"And you'll do whatever it takes to get her back right? Including kidnapping my son!"
"No Jarod I swear to you that I wasn't kidnapping him to keep him away from you, but to give to you."
Jarod could see that Lyle's words were genuine but he still had to be careful. "And just how exactly were you going to give him to me? You couldn't catch me or get in contact with me."
"I don't know. I just knew that I had to get him out of there this week…"
"How?" After not receiving a reply he pushed the gun harder into his face, "Why Lyle?"
"I had a dream earlier this week! Catherine came to me and told me that I had to gain your trust. That I would have a chance… Please I swear to you that this isn't a trap, I just want Simone back."
"Last time you wanted her back you also said it wasn't a trap."
"I know, but I swear that I am not lying to you now!"
Jarod merely stared down at Lyle considering the situation. 'If he did want to use Noah against me then he would have just done it through the Centre, and they don't know who took him. They don't know it was him, they think I took him. What if Parker's right and he really has changed? Do I believe him? And what was that about his dream? Did Catherine come to him in a vision? … I have to get out of here…' "Come on we're leaving. If you give me any trouble or say anything at all while we're heading downstairs and I'll shoot you. Right now you don't have anything that I need so you aren't all that important for me! Let's go!"
------
Jarod closed the door behind him. He looked back through the window and saw a dejected Lyle strapped to the chair he was in. Jarod turned away from the sight and pulled out his cell phone.
-Yeah?
-Parker I need you to come over to the backup house.
-Jarod is everything okay? You sound different.
-Noah's here…
-What?
-He's here now. Lyle had him… Parker did you know Noah was my son?
-What?! You're kidding right?
-No, Lyle told me that Noah is my son and that that is why he took him, to give him back to me!
-Oh my God! Jarod I had no idea.
-I know… Can you just get over here as soon as you can?
-Yeah, I'll be there in a half hour. Take care of yourself Jarod.
-You too.
Jarod looked through the window once more before opening the door and entering. As soon as he heard the door opening Lyle looked up to face Jarod. "When did you find out that Noah was my son?"
"I found out Monday night. I was at the Centre late trying to find some information-"
"What kind of information?"
"On you and your family."
"Why?"
Lyle looked back up at Jarod and spoke, "So I could trade you information on your family for Simone."
"What did you find out?"
"Nothing about your parents or Emily I swear. But I found a reference in one of the files, Eden, which came from my father's computer. I broke into his office that night and accessed his personal records that aren't on the network. That's when I found out that Noah was your son and not his. The next night I got him out." Lyle continued to tell him how he circumvented the surveillance cameras around Noah's room.
Jarod walked behind Lyle as he thought about what he had just heard, simming the situation as he listened and seeing if it was plausible. Once Lyle had finished telling his story there was a long silence before anyone spoke, it got to Lyle first. "Jarod why'd you come for me tonight?"
Jarod didn't immediately respond to the question. The presence of Noah there had thrown him off, he rapidly came up with a plausible excuse. " I heard that the Yakuza were back in town and that they were dealing with the Centre. I wanted to find out if you were involved and what you knew."
"Are you kidding? You think I would deal with them again after losing my thumb to them?"
Jarod came forward and looked him directly in the eyes, "But you blame me for that. Besides you're always involved in shady deals, especially when there's a lot of money involved."
"Jarod I'm telling you I'm not involved in anything like that anymore, I've changed. I'd do anything to convince you to let me have Simone back. I know I screwed up eighteen months ago, but I'm different now. I'll do anything to show you that I've changed!"
"I'll tell you what you are Lyle… a monster, a power hungry egotistical Centre employee. You have murdered and mutilated women. You have kidnapped women. You killed my brother. You had your own daughter kidnapped to get me back. That is who you are Mister Lyle!" he told him emphatically. "You would sell your own soul to try and get me back to the Centre so you could run the place. Well I'll let you in on a little secret… I will NEVER go back to the Centre and run their simulations. And if I should I ever go back there, then you'll never find Simone. I don't even know where she is; her guardians contact me every week and let me know how they are. I don't know how to contact her guardians, and if they should call and I don't answer then they'll know I've been taken and they'll completely disappear! And you will never see her again, not even a picture. But then what would you care, all you want is power right?" Jarod leaned in close to Lyle and stared at him.
While Jarod spoke, Lyle kept shaking his head wishing he had never come up with Project Troy. "No Jarod, I swear! Please tell me what I can do to prove to you that I've changed! I'm not like that anymore!" Jarod shook his head in disgust at Lyle and turned around to leave. Jarod was opening the door when Lyle continued his pleas, "Jarod no wait, please! I'll help you stay ahead of the Centre!"
At that, Jarod stopped in the middle of the doorway and turned around. "Really?"
"Yes! I'll let you know where Miss Parker and her team are looking, I'll lead the team and make sure that they stay away from you. I can lead the search away from you!"
"Hmm… I'll have to think about that offer." Jarod then turned and left the room. He headed to the main bedroom where he had left Noah to sleep. He walked over to the sleeping figure and looked at his son, the one he never knew he had. The son he would never have found had it not been for Lyle.
TBC
Monday June 16
Lyle shot up in his bed waking up from the very real-like dream. He looked around his room gathering his bearings trying to figure out if it had actually been a dream. After a moment he lied back down on his bed. "I have to get her back… I have to make him believe… I won't let you down…" Lyle fell asleep repeating those phrases to himself.
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Wednesday, June 18
"You must have been real busy at the Centre today. Chasing me I presume!" he asked her with a devilish smile on his face. However the smile didn't last long when he saw the serious and concerned look on her face. "Parker what's wrong?"
"Jarod, Noah disappeared sometime last night so we spent all day trying to figure out what happened last night. We found nothing though; we don't even have surveillance coverage for last night. You didn't take him and forget to tell the rest of us did you?"
"No… I figured we'd get your little brother out of there at the end so they wouldn't suspect anything."
"Yeah me too. I'm really worried about him, who would have taken him if it wasn't you? Mr. Cox and Lyle are in charge of getting him back. It's really strange…"
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Friday, June 20
Jarod slipped into the apartment without making a sound. He maneuvered his way through the apartment making his way to the main bedroom. He stood outside the door listening to see if he had aroused the occupant with his entrance. After listening for a few minutes he slowly turned the knob and opened the door slipping inside and leaving the door ajar. He quietly walked to the bed and pulled out his handgun with his right hand. As he neared the bed he held both hands outstretched, he placed his left over the person's mouth and the gun at his left temple at the same time. When the sleeping figure felt the hand and gun touching his face his eyes shot wide open. As the eyes shot open Jarod whispered, "Don't move."
The now alert figure looked around the room and slowly placed his hands in plain sight for Jarod. After not finding anyone else in the room Lyle returned his gaze back to Jarod as his breathing slowed down and became more normal. "Slide your hands behind you and clasp your hands. Now roll over slowly." As Lyle awkwardly rolled over without the use of his hands and his face still held in place by the hand clasped over his mouth, Jarod pulled out a pair of handcuffs and placed them in Lyle's hands before returning the gun to Lyle's temple. "Put 'em on." When Lyle finished closing the handcuffs Jarod removed his hand from Lyle's mouth to check the restraints.
Taking his chance to speak he did, "Ja-"
Jarod pressed the gun into the side of Lyle's head pushing his head into the mattress. Jarod leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I didn't give you permission to speak so shut up!" Lyle closed his eyes and nodded his head acknowledging Jarod's order. Jarod then grabbed the chain of the handcuffs and yanked on them pulling Lyle up, "Come on we're going for a ride." Lyle awkwardly came off the bed and then left the room leading Jarod out who still held onto the cuff chain. As they walked through the apartment Lyle periodically looked back at Jarod trying to read him.
As they got closer to the front door Lyle turned back one more time and began to speak rapidly, "Jarod we can't go, I need to-"
Lyle didn't finish his statement as he felt the gun handle crack against his temple causing him to fall to the floor. He then crawled to the door so that it couldn't be opened. "I told you to shut up!"
"We can't leave, Noah's here!" he quickly spit out as he cringed as he saw Jarod raising the gun again. When he didn't feel the metal against his head he slowly opened his eyes not knowing what to expect.
With confusion on his face Jarod questioned Lyle, "You took Noah? Where is he?"
"He's in the other bedroom, the one at the end of the hall," Lyle quickly answered.
Jarod stared down at him for a few moments scrutinizing Lyle and trying to figure out his intentions. After several moments of silence Jarod grabbed Lyle's arm and led him to the afore mentioned bedroom. When Jarod opened the door he was surprised to find a fully decorated room for a child filled with toys, and on the bed lay a sleeping Noah. Jarod looked around the room once more before looking at Lyle. "It used to be Simone's room, I haven't changed it," Lyle whispered when he saw the shocked look on Jarod. Jarod took one last look at the room and Noah before shutting the door and leading Lyle to the living room.
"What is going on here Lyle? Why did you take Noah from the Centre?"
"Because he's your son."
"What?" The shock of what he was hearing was too much forcing him to sit down on the chair across from Lyle.
"I found some of my fathers files and Noah isn't his son. They implanted one of Brigitte's eggs with your DNA."
"I have a son?" The shock of the information was still affecting Jarod. After a moment though he remembered he was dealing with the Centre and anger arose within him. He stood up and approached Lyle, he pressed his gun below his left eye and spoke, "Why do you have him? Why'd you take him?"
Lyle started to shake below the gun and an enraged Jarod as he spoke, "To give him to you. So I could get Simone-"
"Is that it? You wanted to trade Simone for Noah? Well you lose again Lyle because I get Noah regardless and you still won't get Simone back! You don't deserve to have her!"
Lyle was really starting to worry now, this wasn't going as he had anticipated. "No! I swear Jarod I wasn't going to trade him for her! I know that if you wanted to you could get him whenever. I wanted to show you that I deserve to take care of Simone, I've changed! I just want Simone back!" He was pleading with his entire being and Jarod could sense it as he spoke, but he was still skeptical.
"And you'll do whatever it takes to get her back right? Including kidnapping my son!"
"No Jarod I swear to you that I wasn't kidnapping him to keep him away from you, but to give to you."
Jarod could see that Lyle's words were genuine but he still had to be careful. "And just how exactly were you going to give him to me? You couldn't catch me or get in contact with me."
"I don't know. I just knew that I had to get him out of there this week…"
"How?" After not receiving a reply he pushed the gun harder into his face, "Why Lyle?"
"I had a dream earlier this week! Catherine came to me and told me that I had to gain your trust. That I would have a chance… Please I swear to you that this isn't a trap, I just want Simone back."
"Last time you wanted her back you also said it wasn't a trap."
"I know, but I swear that I am not lying to you now!"
Jarod merely stared down at Lyle considering the situation. 'If he did want to use Noah against me then he would have just done it through the Centre, and they don't know who took him. They don't know it was him, they think I took him. What if Parker's right and he really has changed? Do I believe him? And what was that about his dream? Did Catherine come to him in a vision? … I have to get out of here…' "Come on we're leaving. If you give me any trouble or say anything at all while we're heading downstairs and I'll shoot you. Right now you don't have anything that I need so you aren't all that important for me! Let's go!"
------
Jarod closed the door behind him. He looked back through the window and saw a dejected Lyle strapped to the chair he was in. Jarod turned away from the sight and pulled out his cell phone.
-Yeah?
-Parker I need you to come over to the backup house.
-Jarod is everything okay? You sound different.
-Noah's here…
-What?
-He's here now. Lyle had him… Parker did you know Noah was my son?
-What?! You're kidding right?
-No, Lyle told me that Noah is my son and that that is why he took him, to give him back to me!
-Oh my God! Jarod I had no idea.
-I know… Can you just get over here as soon as you can?
-Yeah, I'll be there in a half hour. Take care of yourself Jarod.
-You too.
Jarod looked through the window once more before opening the door and entering. As soon as he heard the door opening Lyle looked up to face Jarod. "When did you find out that Noah was my son?"
"I found out Monday night. I was at the Centre late trying to find some information-"
"What kind of information?"
"On you and your family."
"Why?"
Lyle looked back up at Jarod and spoke, "So I could trade you information on your family for Simone."
"What did you find out?"
"Nothing about your parents or Emily I swear. But I found a reference in one of the files, Eden, which came from my father's computer. I broke into his office that night and accessed his personal records that aren't on the network. That's when I found out that Noah was your son and not his. The next night I got him out." Lyle continued to tell him how he circumvented the surveillance cameras around Noah's room.
Jarod walked behind Lyle as he thought about what he had just heard, simming the situation as he listened and seeing if it was plausible. Once Lyle had finished telling his story there was a long silence before anyone spoke, it got to Lyle first. "Jarod why'd you come for me tonight?"
Jarod didn't immediately respond to the question. The presence of Noah there had thrown him off, he rapidly came up with a plausible excuse. " I heard that the Yakuza were back in town and that they were dealing with the Centre. I wanted to find out if you were involved and what you knew."
"Are you kidding? You think I would deal with them again after losing my thumb to them?"
Jarod came forward and looked him directly in the eyes, "But you blame me for that. Besides you're always involved in shady deals, especially when there's a lot of money involved."
"Jarod I'm telling you I'm not involved in anything like that anymore, I've changed. I'd do anything to convince you to let me have Simone back. I know I screwed up eighteen months ago, but I'm different now. I'll do anything to show you that I've changed!"
"I'll tell you what you are Lyle… a monster, a power hungry egotistical Centre employee. You have murdered and mutilated women. You have kidnapped women. You killed my brother. You had your own daughter kidnapped to get me back. That is who you are Mister Lyle!" he told him emphatically. "You would sell your own soul to try and get me back to the Centre so you could run the place. Well I'll let you in on a little secret… I will NEVER go back to the Centre and run their simulations. And if I should I ever go back there, then you'll never find Simone. I don't even know where she is; her guardians contact me every week and let me know how they are. I don't know how to contact her guardians, and if they should call and I don't answer then they'll know I've been taken and they'll completely disappear! And you will never see her again, not even a picture. But then what would you care, all you want is power right?" Jarod leaned in close to Lyle and stared at him.
While Jarod spoke, Lyle kept shaking his head wishing he had never come up with Project Troy. "No Jarod, I swear! Please tell me what I can do to prove to you that I've changed! I'm not like that anymore!" Jarod shook his head in disgust at Lyle and turned around to leave. Jarod was opening the door when Lyle continued his pleas, "Jarod no wait, please! I'll help you stay ahead of the Centre!"
At that, Jarod stopped in the middle of the doorway and turned around. "Really?"
"Yes! I'll let you know where Miss Parker and her team are looking, I'll lead the team and make sure that they stay away from you. I can lead the search away from you!"
"Hmm… I'll have to think about that offer." Jarod then turned and left the room. He headed to the main bedroom where he had left Noah to sleep. He walked over to the sleeping figure and looked at his son, the one he never knew he had. The son he would never have found had it not been for Lyle.
TBC
