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Author's Chapter Notes:

Much, much love to my beta Kye.  This was a bit of a difficult chapter (mostly because of me) and I'm happy to say we've finally reached a truce, LOL. 


Chapter Four 

Interstate 70

Evergreen, Colorado 

Miss Parker flew past the Utah stateline without looking back.

 

In fact, she flew past most of the state without even looking around.

 

Then again, she was known for her single-mindedness.  When she set her mind to something, little to nothing would get in her way of getting it.  Such had been her chase for Jarod all these years.  She'd set her mind to capturing him, first because her father had told her to, and then later because he'd managed to elude her so.  It'd become very much a battle of wills between her and Jarod.  The battle of minds had been what had kept her from ever capturing him. For all her intensity and stubbornness, in sheer brainpower and cleverness Jarod would always outmatch her. It was somewhat of a sticking point in their relationship. 

"I'm just saying I'd have liked to see The Western Stampede.  Jarod once told me that it's one of the best rodeos you can go to in the West," Ethan said softly. 

"Once you've seen one man ride a damn bull, you've seen them all.  It's just the same stupidity over and over."

 

"Who have you seen ride a bull, Miss Parker?" Ethan asked with a small smile.  "Rodeos don't really seem your type of event."

 

"Exactly," Miss Parker replied smartly as she peered at him over the rims of her sunglasses.  "They're not, which is why I flew through that damn city without looking back."

 

"You didn't answer my question, when did you see someone ride a bull?"

 

Parker slid her sunglasses back up her nose and continued to rapidly navigate her way through the heavy traffic.  "Your brother," she answered with just a touch of disdain. 

"Jarod?" Ethan asked in surprise. 

"Yes.  It was one of his earlier pretends, just a few months after he'd escaped the Centre.  There was an incident involving a rider who'd died after the rope the riders use to hold onto the bull broke mid-ride.  He'd fallen and instantly broken his neck.  He'd just been a kid, only eighteen, but very talented.  Jarod went in and used his skills to expose what'd really happened."  Miss Parker rattled off the explanation in a bored tone, clearly already tired of the conversation. 

"And what'd really happened?" Ethan asked eagerly.  One of his favorite pastimes was listening to stories of Jarod's past pretends.  Whether it was told by Jarod or Miss Parker, the same curiosity and suspense still rose in him.

 

"An older veteran, been working the circuit for years, had become jealous of the boy's quickly rising star.  He'd cut the rope just before the boy's ride.  When the bull bucked, the rope came off and so did the he.  Broke his neck when he hit the ground."

 

"Wow," Ethan said quietly.  He turned and stared out his window, thinking deeply before deciding to say what's on his mind.  "Jarod...he...he really does matter, you know.  He does things that matter."

 

Parker nodded and concentrated on passing a slower-driving Toyota.  "It took me a long time to realize that," Parker said quietly.  "It took me years to realize that."

 


Boulder City, Nevada 

Jarod was dreading this call, but knew he couldn't put it off for too long.  As foolish as they might think this chase of his was, he still had to do it.  He didn't want them to worry too much as they did so, however.

 

After leaving Las Vegas, he'd driven aimlessly for a while before pulling over near a small park and got out to walk.  His shoulder ached and he stretched it in hopes of easing some of the tension.  His thoughts spun round, from his family to Miss Parker to his past.

 

His duties had changed so much in the past years.  It used to be that it was his duty to make sure justice was served, whenever he could.  Now his duty was to make sure he was home for the holidays, to make sure that he called often enough to keep his family from worrying.

Jarod would never admit this, sometimes he missed being on the road.  He missed being able to focus his mind singularly on one objective; find his family.  He'd often taken the time to play with Miss Parker, to talk to Sydney, to Pretend and help others, but that had always been optional.  He hadn't always done those things, and behind it all had been his singular unrelenting focus on finding his family. 

Now, though, he didn't have the options anymore.  Now his focus was split into several different directions and sometimes it felt like those directions were all taking little pieces of him with them.  He could only go in one direction at a time. 

Jarod pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialed without thinking.  He was already working out what he'd say in his mind; how he'd relieve his family's worry without letting them know he'd been injured or that he didn't intend to return home anytime soon.

 

As always, however, the sound of his mother's voice blew any pre-scripted words from his mind.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Hi, Mom."

 

"Jarod!  Oh, Jarod, we've been so worried!  Where are you?  Are you alright?"

 

"Yeah, I'm good.  I'm in...umm...Nevada.  I just wanted to call and let you know that I'm okay."

 

"Good, I'm glad you called.  After you left, and then Ethan too, we thought something might-"

 

"Wait, Ethan left too?"

 

His mother paused.  "Yes, we thought you knew.  The morning you left, after we found your note.  He read it and just started packing.  Said you and Miss Parker would need his help.  He said some other things, but...well, it's Ethan and they didn't really make sense."

 

"What else did he say, Mom?" Ethan might not make sense at the time, but eventually everything he said mattered.  Jarod struggled to keep his voice calm though his mind was already thinking out the many reasons Ethan might have left.

 

"He was mumbling but he said something about a ghost and someone dying.  Then he said the name Ben and-"

 

"Ben?  You're absolutely certain he said Ben?"

 

"Yes, Jarod.  It was one of the few clear things he said."

 

"Thanks, Mom.  You've been a big help."

 

"Your welcome, Jarod.  Now, when are you coming ho-"

 

Jarod was already hanging up and searching his memory for the phone number he hadn't dialed in months.  He'd been too wrapped up in getting to know his family and his own past to worry about the aspects of Miss Parker's.

 

Jarod dialed Ben's number and listened to the ringing on the other side.  The longer it took for the older man to answer the more anxious Jarod began to become.

 

If Miss Parker was headed for her mother's former lover then it was a good bet that whoever had shot Jarod might be waiting.

 

Now, with Ethan running around somewhere as well Jarod would have to tighten his hold on the situation.

 

He didn't know what Miss Parker was intending, didn't know who was chasing her, but it was time to find out.

 

Ben didn't answer the phone and Jarod hung up with a sigh.

 

Jarod sat down heavily on the park bench and thought.  He could try calling Ethan, but there was no guarantee that Ethan remembered to carry his cell phone or that he would even answer.

Still, he had to try. 

Ethan picked up almost immediately.  "Hello?"

 

"Ethan, its Jarod.  Where are you?"  Jarod was relieved that Ethan had answered and knew it could be heard in his voice.


"Ummm...I can't answer that."  Ethan's words were terse but he wasn't tense.  Jarod would be able to tell that from his voice.

 

"Are you in trouble?"  Jarod asked as he stood and started to pace.

 

"I will be if I tell you anything."  Now, Ethan's tone was lending towards teasing.  Jarod could hear someone, a female someone, mumbling in the background.

 

"Has someone taken you?" Ethan's mixed signals, his words and his tone conflicting, made Jarod unsure, a feeling he did not like.

 

"In a manner of speaking."

 

"Are they with you right now?"  Jarod asked, listening intently, recognizing the sound of wind rushing over a moving car.  Whoever Ethan was with was driving him somewhere.

 

"Yes, yes, she is.  She's got killer legs, too."

 

Jarod sighed his relief but rolled his eyes as his brother's sense of the dramatic.  Over the line he heard Miss Parker say something and smack Ethan on the head before taking the phone from him. "Who is this?" She demanded in a bark.  

"Hello, Miss Parker.  Going somewhere?"

 

"As far away from you as I can get."

 

"Ouch, I'm hurt," Jarod replied mockingly.  He sat down on one of the park's bench and smiled into the sunshine.


What was it about her voice that made the day just seem so much brighter and clearer?

 

"Can it, Jarod," Parker snarled at him, "what do you want?"

 

"My brother disappeared from his home just after I did and I'm bound to get a little worried," Jarod said quietly as he closed his eyes and concentrated.  If he listened intently he might get some hint or clue about where they were or were driving.

 

"You don't need to worry.  He's with me.  I'll keep him safe," Parker assured him.  Even as he heard the words he could just barely hear the lessening roar of wind around their car.  They were slowing down, most likely getting off the highway.

 

"Like you kept me safe?  Because I seem to recall getting shot not even a day ago while in your company?"  Jarod said with a smile.

 

The squeal of Parker's brakes over the line made that smile even wider.  Her terse voice as she slammed out of her car only made the fact that he'd succeeded in irritating her so much more amusing.  "I didn't know it was my responsibility to keep you safe, Jarod."

 

"Responsibility is a funny thing, Miss Parker.  It tends to sneak up on you."

 

"Is that regret I hear in your voice, Jarod?  Regretting tying yourself down already?  Miss the open road?  Or is just that you're finally understanding, Jarod?"

 

Jarod's smile slipped away and he wondered how the power in this conversation had switched from him to her so quickly.  "Understanding what, Miss Parker?"

"Family, Jarod.  You finally understand what I've known all these years.  You can't just forget them or leave them behind.  They tie you down, hold you back, and load you down with duties you don't entirely want.  All those times you asked my why I stayed, why I let them do what they did to me again and again...well.  Now you know.  Savor that feeling, Jarod."   

The phone clicked off and Jarod was left sitting there, on a park in Boulder, wondering how it was she could see into him so damn clearly.

 


 

Parker threw the cell phone back to Ethan, who'd watch the exchange with eyebrows shot up into his hair.  "What?"

 

"Nothing, it's just...I've never seen you get the better of Jarod."

 

Parker grinned evilly.  "The times, they are a-changing, brother."

 

"Clearly," Ethan replied.  "So, just where are we heading?"

 

Parker looked around the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel she'd pulled the car into.  "I figure we'll get a little something to eat and continue on our way."

 

"And just where are we continuing to?"

 

"Denver."

 

"What's in Denver?"

 

"An old friend," Parker replied glibly, turning to flash her million-watt but cold-as-ice smile at Ethan.  "You feel like breakfast?  I feel like breakfast."

 


 

Denver, Colorado 

The house was ordinary on the outside, and almost a copy of the other houses on the block.  It was set deep in a maze of suburbs, where all the streets run circular and end up back at the starting point.

 

The ease with which Parker had driven the twisting streets assured Ethan that she'd known exactly where she was going.  Her face was oddly tense as she made the drive, her eyes shooting to him in the passenger seat as she did so.  Bobby whined from the back seat and she leaned over to pat him on the head comfortingly.

 

The house they pulled up to was no different from any of the others, but it felt different.

 

If felt different to Ethan because it felt different to her.

 

Ethan reached for his door handle, but Parker grabbed his arm to stop him.  She opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking.  "Don't-..." She breathed deeply.  "Don't tell him about Jarod or about anything that happened in Vegas.  Let me talk to him awhile first.  Explain things."

 

"You want...peace for a while?"  Ethan asked after he studied her face for a few minutes.

 

Parker nodded slowly.  "Yes.  Just a few hours where I'm not wondering if I'm doing the right thing or if I should call in more help or just...anything."

 

Ethan smiled gently.  "Okay.  Take your time, Parker.  As much time as you need."

 

She eyes slid past him to the front door and a smile lit up her face.  Ethan turned to watch as a man opened the door and stepped out, his hand waving in greeting.  The man seemed...familiar.

 

Parker opened her door and waited just long enough for Bobby to jump out of the back seat before slamming it shut.

She walked up the stone pathway and grasped the stranger's hand, holding it for a few seconds and smiling warmly before letting go.  "Hello, Sam."  

"Hello, Miss Parker.  This is a surprise. We haven't seen you for a few months.  You usually call before you come for a visit," Sam said with a smile.  He looked over her shoulder at the dog that was digging a large hole in his immaculate lawn and then his eyes slid to Ethan, who slowly slid from the car to stand uncomfortably beside it.  Recognition flickered in Sam's eyes and he slyly asked, "And who is this?" 

 

Parker smiled at her former colleague and gestured for Ethan to join them.  "Sam, this is my brother Ethan.  Ethan, this is Sam."

 

"Hello, Sam," Ethan said with a shy smile as he held out his hand for shaking.

"Ethan, it's nice to see you again." 

"Again?" 

"I don't imagine you'd recall, I only caught a glimpse of you at the time.  A bit over a year ago?  You were staying at Mr. Parker's home while he'd been kidnapped by the rogue Pretender Alex?  Miss Parker left me to watch the property and you, to prevent Mr. Raines from recapturing you." 

Ethan blinked and smiled shyly.  "You seem to know a lot about the situation." 

Miss Parker grinned and explained.  "Sam was my man inside the Centre, always moving around and keeping an eye on things for me.  He was with me most of the time when I was chasing Jarod, but he also did jobs for Raines and Lyle."  Miss Parker's grin faded and she turned to glare at Ethan.  "In fact, I had to pull him from Mr. Raines' service so he could baby-sit you while I went for Daddy." 

Ethan's smile broadened as he recalled the memory. "I imagine she was quite angry when I snuck out past you?" Miss Parker glared at Ethan. 

"Yes.  Yes, she was.  And it didn't help that you left a half-finished note that made me think you'd been taken." 

Ethan smiled sheepishly.  "When a man needs to run, a man needs to run." 

Sam grinned.  "You two even sound like siblings."  Sam stepped back and gestured to his open door.  "Please, come in.  I'm sure my wife Linda has some cookies somewhere and it's no trouble to make coffee."  

Parker pushed Ethan ahead of her as they moved into Sam's home.  "We’d love some, wouldn't we, Ethan?"

 

"Oh, yes, I love cookies."

 


 

Hours later, two plates of cookies and two pots of coffee fuller, Miss Parker finally dragged up the courage to pull Sam into the den for a private conversation.

 

She made sure he was sitting before she began to speak.  "There's a problem, Sam.  I'm having a problem."

 

Her voice had gone cold, Centre-business cold, and Sam instinctively reacted to it.  He held himself more stiffly and watched her with apathetic eyes instead of the caring older brother ones that he usually had for her.

 

"Alright, Miss Parker.  Tell me about it."

 

"Someone is trying to resurrect the Centre, or at least parts of it.  For the past few months some of the civilian scientists that were brought in for certain projects over the years have gone missing.  I don't think they're dead, I think someone is trying to resurrect one of the Centre's long-established projects."

 

"Which project?"

 

Parker shrugged and leaned forward, grasping Sam's hands.  "I wish I knew.  I need a favor."

 

"Anything for you, Miss P," Sam replied earnestly.

 

"I need you to get in contact with some of the other sweepers, only ones you trust.  Find out if anyone else has gone missing that was connected to the Centre and didn't get put away.  I don't care if they were as low on the totem pole as mail delivery person, if they're missing I wanna know about it."

 

"No problem, Miss Parker.  I've got some lines of contact still open.  Won't take long to find out," Sam replied easily, his eyes full of concern for her.  "What will you be doing while I find that out?"

 

Parker smiled.  "Traveling mostly.  I have a few more people I want to get in touch with."

 

"If you don't mind me asking, just why do you want to know?"

 Parker's smile went from grateful to shark-like.  "Finishing what Jarod started, Sam.  Finishing it once and for all."

 





Chapter End Notes:

Reviews are most welcome.

 Also, small note, the "meeting" between Ethan and Sam takes place in The Pretender 2001.  I think I may have made it up.






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