I do not own Pretender.

Five hours later . . .

He wasn’t expecting that. Jarod came down the stairs, and saw the spread. He couldn’t hold back a smile. Before his time outside, this would have been the biggest gift of all time because he would have never experienced it before.

Now, it was still a treat, especially considering the source. “Neapolitan ice cream. Bananas. Chocolate chips, Sprinkles, cookies, fudge, syrup.” He pointed to everything individually. “Strawberries too? Cherries. Nuts.” He walked around it. It was unlike her to go all out like this.

Had the little moment they shared, been bigger than he thought? He excitedly looked downstairs for her.

Not there. Well, she was probably in the garden again. Okay, not there? “Miss Parker?” Maybe she went for a walk. He looked at the table, and under the table. “Okay. This isn’t funny.” He moved from room to room downstairs, even checking the baths. The closets. Calling to her.

Why would she go and make a Sundae Party and then . . . “Oh no.”

He spied something off the side of a couch. He picked it up.

Personal business in Delaware, Hopkins. Not going to The Centre. Be back soon,

Miss P

---------------

Sydney did it. He hadn’t told him about Broots’ daughter or about Parker’s mental state. The DSA’s were enough to earn his wrath first. “Are you okay, Jarod?” Silence. He could hear some sounds, like a brush through some trees. Jarod was moving. He held the phone patiently.

“Sydney!” Yes, he knew that voice. It was the ‘you screwed up you idiot’ voice.  “What do you mean her whole life is on a DSA system! Raines has it on a DSA system?!”

“Yes,” he slurred again. “Jarod. There’s something else too.”

“Are you telling me she was watched all of her life? Without knowing she was being watched? Sydney? Who has access to it?”

“Raines wants her back, badly. He gave us these. Broots, I, and three other people had access to them.”

Broots and Sydney. He could see that being okay, they would never mess around with it. “Who else?”

“Pipper and Papper, a pair of Siamese twins that raised in rank here. There is also a Williams. It is possible I have seen him on a T-board I was a part of once.”

No idea who they were. “Why did Raines give this to you?”

“Jarod.” He heard the sound of more drink being poured. “Raines knows that you got under Miss Parker’s skin with history. He called it torment.” Jarod heard him sip his drink more. “He . . . wanted us to find things from her past, her life, to use against her. To make her come straight back, no matter the cost.”

Torment. “It wasn’t torment, Sydney, I was trying to help reconnect her to her own truths.” Damn. “She’s going for the DSA’s, not The Centre.”

“Williams left one on a music system in a random pizza place. The soundtrack of the elevator ride, starting pleasant than ending with the screaming.”

“A random pizza place?” A place filled with kids and good times, heard that?

“Williams is. He keeps . . . watching other parts. Her entire life is on there, nothing is missing.” He took another drink. “Pipper and Papper believed that using Catherine Parker’s memory in a vindictive manner would work better. Broots, after just a little forced watching, he wouldn’t even come near the DSA’s again.”

“What else are they gonna do?” His eyes were sharp, judging. He never meant to torment Miss Parker, just give her truth by truth. Bit by bit. But these people . . . “Sydney?”

“Oh, I believe Pipper and Pepper or Papper has already digitally painted her abused mother on the side of The Centre wall. It says, “Daughter of a Whore, It’s just Beginning. I . . . I don’t even want to tell you what Williams was planning.”

“Sydney,” Jarod said strongly. “I need to know.”

“Well, I believe the whole collection of her life is not at The Centre anymore, since he seems to have pickpocketed choice private moments for his own profit.”

“Sydney!” Livid. “How could you let him just have those?! That’s her life. Her every breath. Her every bat of the eye. All of her personal moments. Public. Private. Emotional.”

 “If I mess up, I lose control over watching over you and Miss Parker. Broots, he might as well be gone. But Jarod, there is something-“

Jarod hung up, too tired of hearing any more excuses. Miss Parker needed help, and like it or not, he was helping, and then bringing her straight back.

---------------------------------------------

Front of Centre Headquarters.

Pipper and Papper were in their finest pair of dresses, waiting right there for Miss Parker. There was no way someone like her wasn’t going to come charging into The Centre now. Only, she must be really far from Delaware. It had already been five hours.

“Why is she taking so long?” Pipper asked, looking at her watch. “We’ve been here all day. Night’s coming.”

“Maybe, it wasn’t enough?” Papper suggested. “It should be. We were brutal. She should be here ready to shoot us and give us a real licking.” She looked around. “I wished she would show up already?”

“Oh. Hey, uh?” Broots came over toward them as they waited at the front doors. “This is for you. It just arrived.”

“Ooh, I love presents.” Pipper took it.

“Who says it’s for you?” Papper complained. “It says Pipper and Papper.”

“I better get back to my projects now.” Broots nodded to them. “Working overtime. Be heading home soon. Um, hope you do well.”

“I want to open it.”

“No, I want to open it.”

“I get to open it.”

“No, I get to open it.”

“Fine,” Pipper agreed. “We’ll do what we always do.”

Each of them grabbed the flap and opened together.

Then, each of them screamed. A message that read

THERE’S ONLY ONE BITCH AT THE CENTRE AND IT’S ME.

Inside were their twin puppies collars.

“That bitch has my puppy!”

“That bitch has my puppy!”

“Brooots!” They ran straight toward him. He was father away, still in the process of leaving the grand room that was the entrance to The Centre.

“We need your computer,” Pipper said, shaking him violently. “She isn’t going to hurt our puppies!”

“She wouldn’t hurt our puppies, would she?” Papper asked. “You worked with her. Would she do that?”

“Well, um.” Broots massaged his neck a little. “Miss Parker can be a little mean.”

“She’s a bitch,” Pipper and Papper said together.

“She was created to be one, remember?” Pipper said to him. “You remember the DSA?”

Broots shook his head. “Um. I don’t think she has any real qualms about pets. She’s just interested in getting what she wants. If she’s focused on you, I’d be careful.”

“Broots? Are you still here?” Sydney approached him slowly. “Pipper and Papper too?”

“Oh. Yeah. These projects are hefty.” Broots gestured to the girls. “They were waiting for Miss Parker, but-“

“She stole our puppies!” The twins complained again.

“Doctor Sydney?” Pipper came over to him closer. “Do you believe she would hurt our puppies? Please, doctor?”

At first when Sydney met them, he couldn’t place where he’d seen Pipper and Papper before. In truth, they were only small girls when he worked with them briefly with twin experiments. However, they both had disappeared as clients. Apparently as they were growing up, they become more than interested in the scientific side of The Centre, and had made such an impression on Mister Parker, that they were hired at the Centre.

They had been working their ten years, in the deep recesses of The Centre somewhere.

“Our puppies?” Pipper asked him again. The calmer of the two. “Do you think she’d hurt them?”

“I have known Miss Parker a great number of years. I believe that, considering her options of coming into The Centre with an unknown future for her children, or being less than benevolent to a couple of juvenile pets to make you do what she wants, she would pick the pets.” Sydney had a manila envelope in his hand. “And I came down because she left this at my house. I am certain it may answer your questions.”

Papper angrily took it and opened it, then screamed. “Polly?!” She gave the manila envelope to Pipper. “I have to get out to the other side of Delaware, she left Polly all alone by a dumpster! She’s wet too! What a bitch!”

“No, I recognize this place.” Pipper disagreed. “My little Sanzibar is on the other side of the city. Oh, she’s so distressed!”

“No, we’re getting Polly first, not your stupid dog with a stupid name!”

“Sanzibar is not stupid, she’s the best! We are going to get her first!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

Broots came over to Sydney. “Is she really playing so weak of an angle?”

“You bitch, give me the keys!”

“You can’t drive anyway, only I can!”

“Broots,” Sydney said, “Miss Parker cannot just come into The Centre to retrieve the DSA’s. She will work whatever angle she has too, to get what she wants, without putting herself at risk.” Honestly, it was good to say that. As much as they had hurt her, Miss Parker did not lose sight of what mattered. To stay away from The Centre.

“Yeah, but, she might need to be here now,” Broots said. “To get better. Do you think Jarod knows about that?”

“I think Jarod would recognize how dangerous something was,” Sydney said. “We can’t put it past The Centre that it could be a lie, or the truth.”

“Well, we know something happened. We had to . . .” He shook his head. “Gaw, I don’t like this Sydney. How can you watch someone’s life, when it wasn’t meant to be watched?”

Like Jarod’s.

“Well, I didn’t mean like Jarod’s. Well, maybe a little,” Broots confessed. “But, I mean.” He took a deep breath. “He’s been out there six years, Sydney. He’s still . . . okay?”

“I believe that Jarod has found his own ways to deal when he gets overstimulated. I’ve already told you this, and Miss Parker,” Sydney said to him.

“But none of the other Pretenders-“

“He is Jarod. I wouldn’t put it past him.” Sydney started to walk away. “Miss Parker may try and make contact with either one of us. Please go home, just in case that is where she starts.” He looked toward him. “Did you grab the DSA player?”

Broots shook his head. “When I checked back, it was gone. I think Williams has it.”

“Broots!” Sydney winced. “Of all people, he should not be holding it.”

“I know, I know,” Broots said. “He’s long gone too, and The Centre doesn’t have addresses easily accessed.”

“Well, get it.” Sydney looked at his watch. Jarod should be arriving soon himself now. “I want that address before I leave tonight. Understand?”

“Yeah, Sydney,” Broots said. “I got it.”

------------------------

Broots’ House . . .

The babysitter opened her mouth in horror as she stared at a picture from a manila envelope. “Michael!”

Miss Parker stayed there, a heft of a mailbag on her side. “Michael’s too common of a name for my style.” She looked at the babysitter. “Something wrong?”

“I’m gonna kill him!” She cried out as she started to take off for the car. Then she looked back. Then she looked to her car. “I’ll be right back, I promise! I just have to kill a boyfriend.” She got in her car and sped off.

Miss Parker dropped the mail bag inside and closed the front door. “Broots, I’m going to kill you.” She had that little piece of evidence for some time. She kept close tabs on Debbie, closer than even Broots. She didn’t even bother if Miss Parker would watch her for a few minutes, just drove away, expecting everything to be okay while she annihilated her cheating boyfriend.

Too young. Too careless. But, Broots had to have a lot of babysitters, emergency or otherwise. He needed to do better with his vetting though.

“Miss Parker!”

That delightful voice hit her ears. “Debbie.” She watched as Debbie ran up to her, giving her a hug. “Easy on the tummy there, kiddo. How are you?”

“Better, now that you’re here.” That bright, familiar smile shined back at her.

“Well two tones of dumb and blonde stepped out, so I guess I’m watching you.” Miss Parker closed and locked the door behind her. “By the way, I’ve got something in that huge pile of mail.”

Debbie moved over to the mail she dropped. There was something scrambling around. “Oh, wow!” She dug in as she saw a furry back. “What is it?”

“Better guard than that babysitter,” Miss Parker said, still not believing it. She looked back toward her. “Every house needs at least one bitch guarding it. But, two’s a better count.”

Debbie looked inside again and pulled out another puppy. “Two puppies?” She brought them both out to the floor and watched them move around. “What are their names?”

“Whatever you want them to be,” Miss Parker said, watching the window and feeling her gun strapped to her side. It would be too risky to go back home for any, or to The Centre, so she simply played good neighbors over at ‘Doctor Hopkins’ and helped herself to a couple. “They are your puppies now.”

“Really?” Debbie asked excitedly. “Will daddy let me have them?”

“Does he ever get a choice with me?” She finally moved away from the front door, confident everything was fine. “So?” She smiled. “Let’s head to your room and talk for awhile.”

--------------------------------

Williams Home . . .

Williams rubbed his eye while he conducted business on the phone. It was almost two in the morning, but he was taking the day off tomorrow. ‘Sick day’. He wanted to catch up on the pretty unique merchandise he landed in the Jarod and Miss Parker case. “No, no less than four thousand,” he said on the phone. “Sure, you could buy a whore for less, but it isn’t the illustrious and sensuous Miss Parker,” he said with the deal. “And trust me. Fifteen minutes with a whore or a night with Miss Parker in the shower, the shower is way more worth it. Where else you gonna find it?” He set the DSA down and picked up another one. “Of course, if you’re looking for something more for your own fetish. She is a sweet little girl, cherry picked at times. No? Dirty huh? For 25,000 I will part with one of her sexual escapades. The girl is a real-?” Williams stopped, hearing something behind him.

At least, he thought he did. Probably nothing. He had a very advanced security system, common riffraff couldn’t beat it. “Oh, where was I? Oh yes. Oh, you want that one? Oh, yeah. It’s not really that cream of the crop. Shoot, she was picking up hotness by the time she was sixteen, but she didn’t give it away ‘til twenty one. She didn’t know what she was doing, but I guess it’s the first time part that you want , huh? Well, that’s a one-time special of-“

Williams awoke, aware he’d been tied up, and he was upside down. “What the hell? Help!” He felt a flash come at him from the right. Another from the left. He looked at where his prized DSA’s were. Missing. Shit!

“Looking for this?”

Oh no. He was trained to recognize that voice. He squinted as he felt another flash on him as Jarod approached him.

He did not look happy. In fact, the Pretender looked downright psycho. “Holding someone’s entire life, and taking choice cuts for profit? Aren’t you a piece of work.”

“It was just a little,” he said in his defense. “A couple nights here and there, so many DSA’s, no one would have known.”

“So that makes it right?” Jarod grabbed the extra DSA he had pocketed in his coat. “A few little tidbits of a person’s life. A life that was completely on camera, but never allowed to know about it. You were going to torment her with this, weren’t you? That’s what Sydney said.” Jarod shook his head. “But that’s not true.” He gestured to William’s laptop, fully open. “According to what I read.”

Williams squealed as the Pretender held him in his grip. This guy looked like Williams was the one who locked him up his entire life! Was he going to kill him? It wasn’t in his personality to do that. He only did it once, and it was to save someone else.

No, he had to think of something else. “Oh, come on. Not like you feel real bad about it. It’s sort of justice from your point of view, right? She’s been watching you since you were kids. Take the DSA and some of her videos. Do the same thing.” Nope, that wasn’t it. If it was possible to make the Pretender madder, he just did it. “Come on. She chased you six years to bring you back to the place you despised, right? I mean, you can’t really be into her?”

“Not like you are,” Jarod said with a deadly voice filled with venom. “Selling bits and pieces, and then finding her, making her the deal of a lifetime, right? Her life for your bed.” Jarod pushed him and he felt himself swirling. Around him were red lights, flashing on and off. What was that?

“How do you like being in the spotlight against your will?” Jarod brought out a different laptop. Probably the Pretender’s own. On it was Williams . . . dangling without boxer shorts or pants?! He knew he felt a draft below. “Not very fun, is it? Wiggle all you want, it doesn’t make anything turn off. Trapped. Just visual food for the hungry masses.”

Hungry masses? “Wait, you don’t have this live streaming to some sicko fetish site?!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Jarod warned him. “Maybe your address isn’t so hard to find either for them.”

“Okay, okay! What do you want, the other discs?” he asked. “I kept a couple in the drawer of my room, next to my bed.”

“Any more?” The Pretender started to spin him around more and more.

“Okay! Okay, okay, okay!” Shoot. “I put a few choice fourteen year old videos in my mattress, but I swear, that’s it! That’s the whole collection I have! Pipper and Papper have a couple of her mother and her when she was younger. Nothing choice, fully clothed. That’s it, that’s all I have, I swear it, now please put me down?” He looked at The Pretender’s laptop. “I’ll quit my position tomorrow too, just please let me down!”

“Well, knowing how nerve racking it is to have your whole life on camera against your will, with people seeing it that you don’t even know? I would have to say . . . no!” He spun Williams around one more time before taking all the DSA’s.

“Wait. Wait, what do I do then?!” Williams shouted. “Let me down! Help, help!”

----------------------------------

“I got them, Sydney,” Jarod said. It looked like all of them. Hopefully. “Most of her life is resting right here.”

“Yes. Raines liked to keep ‘tabs’ on his daughter,” Sydney said. “I’m glad you got them back. Have you found her yet?”

“Not yet,” he admitted, “but I’m betting I know where she is.”

“Where would that be, Jarod?”

 “To the only person who can still make her smile.”

-------------------------------

Broots’ House . . .

Broots went into his house quietly. Surely she would connect with Sydney and not him? He opened the door, but it was already opened. “Debbie?”

“Hi, dad.” Debbie was over in the corner. “How was work?”

“Okay,” he said as he closed the front door again. “Make sure you keep this locked and shut. You never know who’s out there, honey.” He looked around. Whichever babysitter he had trusted to watch her, was off his list now. Better just pay her and get her out.

“I have a surprise?” Debbie said to her dad.

“Another surprise? I mean, uh.” He was still getting over the fact she was growing up so fast. “I mean, no, surprises are good.” He looked around for the babysitter. “Debbie, where’s your babysitter?”

“One of my better babysitters came, and . . . well, made her take a hike?” Debbie said. “She didn’t think she was doing a very good job.”

Oh great. He knew who that must have been. “Miss Parker’s here?” Oh no. He was supposed to be after her. “Okay.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the surprise,” Debbie said. “We’ve got two puppies!”

Oh great. He knew whose those were too. “Oh?”

“I see you made it home, Broots.” Sydney came from beyond his hallway toward him.

“Sydney? Is she okay?” Broots asked. Then, he heard a knock on the back door.  The back door. “Sydney? Do I have the two most wanted people at The Centre on my property right now?”

“It is quite possible.”

Broots answered his back door. Like he thought, the man they’d been chasing for six years was right there. There wasn’t even a word exchanged as Jarod came into the house with a DSA player and looked around. He looked toward Sydney. “Is she here?”

Yep. This would be a long night.

------------------------------

Debbie’s Room . . .

“Hi, Doctor Jarod.”

Of course. “Did you make it out of funky wunky town?” Miss Parker asked, knowing he’d be straight at that door if he made it out before she made it back. Predictable. And probably, furious. “I didn’t go back to The Centre.”

“I know.” Jarod walked in the room. He looked less furious than she thought. “Sydney told me what they had.”

“Well, I’m working on getting it back,” Miss Parker said, “and it wasn’t lives in danger, so I had to split a bit for myself.”

“Broots’ house is a little too close to The Centre for comfort.” Jarod held up a DSA player. “I’ve got it. We need to get out of here now.”

“How the hell did you get it?” She almost groaned. Figures that he would know how to get into The Centre. Her eyes dwelled on the case, missing the exchanged looks of Jarod and Sydney.

“Miss Parker?” Sydney bent down toward her. “How have you been feeling?”

“You mean am I going nuts with Jarod?” Miss Parker asked. “I probably am. Enjoy that update.” She looked toward Debbie. “Guess I gotta go. The grownups came home.” Debbie reached over for a hug. “I’m alright. You take care.”

Broots looked over toward her for awhile. Jarod noticed that. He wouldn’t stop looking so concerned. “She’ll be fine,” Jarod said. He looked back toward Sydney.

“Um? Miss Parker?” Broots came over closer to her. “For what it’s worth. I had to watch, ‘cause of the job, but I didn’t watch too much, just . . .” He sighed. “Sorry. About.”

About what? Jarod looked toward Sydney. They each saw something, they weren’t just apologizing for doing their jobs.

“About what?” Miss Parker asked, about as clueless. “If you’ve been watching my life, uncensored.” Ooh, she was hot. “Let’s just say, you could be apologizing for just about anything.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Sydney said. “When I stopped you from seeing Jarod again. That very day, I should have looked closer.”

“Hm.” Miss Parker didn’t say much more. “It’s fine, Syd.”

“I’m-“ Broots stopped. “I don’t have the right words. I don’t really understand it.”

“Jiminy, what parts are you spying on, Broots?” She crossed her arms.

“No, no, not that!” He quickly said. “Never that. I meant, the other really . . . the focus treatments.”

“Focus treatments?” Jarod asked. “What focus treatments.”

“Nevermind what focus treatments,” she told him. She looked at Broots. “It’s a Parker thing, traditional. Don’t worry about it.”

“But I do! But the change,” Broots said.

“Hey.” Parker held her finger toward him, almost with a warning wag. “I’ve been through enough in The Centre, more than enough that, if I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be here.” She put her finger down. “Take good care of the pups, Broots. Yipper and Yapper deserve a little angst in their life right now.” She reached for the DSA that Jarod held as he handed it over. “Back home we go.”

“Not quite,” Sydney said. “Parker. You need to tell Jarod about the focus treatments.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do!” Sydney almost came unhinged on her. Uncharacteristic of him. “Because they are the reason that Raines wants you back, as soon as possible. You are the last heir that can take his place.”

An evil grin fell against her face. “It’s about time.”

“And his heir,” Sydney said, ignoring her sentiment about her brother, “must be of sound mind.”

Sound mind? Jarod looked toward her. She had an inner sense, but that wasn’t the same thing as crazy. What was Sydney talking about?

“Um, come on, Debbie.” Broots grabbed his daughter’s hand and brought her out of the room.

“I tried to tell you over the phone, but you dashed off so quickly,” Sydney said toward Jarod, before turning back to Miss Parker. “Your pregnancy, coupled with the focus treatments, may be causing you to lose yourself.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Jarod asked. “Sydney?”

“Ooh, the guy who knows everything feels out of the loop. Welcome to the definition of my life.” Miss Parker massaged her neck and looked back at Sydney. “When the treatments go awry, The Centre can fix it. I can keep it in check for a little longer, Sydney.”

“Keep what in check?” Jarod demanded. “Miss Parker?”

“Oh.” Miss Parker’s hand dangled out. “Jarod Hopkins’ Miss Pinkman has less of an inner sense, and more of an annoying fourteen year old self that she talks to and sees.” She scratched her head. “It can be fixed, that’s been documented. But I can’t be at The Centre until after, Syd. I’ll be fine a few more months.”

“What are these treatments?” Jarod asked, wanting either one to answer him.

“I don’t know,” Sydney said. “Of all things Raines recorded, he specifically said he did not put that in. It was a Parker secret. I just know it helps to focus and avoid scurrying mice. That is what Raines said.”

“Keeps the eyes on the prize,” Miss Parker said. “You don’t get bogged down in the details.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say, it didn’t completely work on Miss Parker,” Sydney said. “Thankfully.”

“Daddy always hated that it didn’t work right,” Miss Parker said. “It helped, but it didn’t work right.”

“Sydney?” Jarod was pleading with his eyes. What was it? What was it supposed to do?

“Let’s just say a certain boy committed his first murder, shortly after finishing the treatments, secretly,” Sydney said. “A certain someone’s brother.”

Miss Parker looked back toward Sydney. “Lyle?”

“Before he was known as Lyle,” Sydney said, “and just as Bobby.” He looked toward Jarod. “Once a goal is set, that’s all that matters. The ability to do much else outside of that goal doesn’t hit. The emotions. The consequences. All that matters, is the goal.”

“Not always,” Miss Parker said.

“No, because it didn’t work fully on you,” Sydney said. He looked toward Jarod. “They started, around the same time I said she couldn’t see you anymore.” He turned to look toward her. “I’m sorry for not looking deeper, Miss Parker.”

“Whatever. We better get going. Having a whole reunion under the same roof is asking for trouble,” she said, until there was a knock on the door.

Broots came to their door right away. “It’s Mister Raines! W-what do I do?”

“Your car is right in front. He will know that you are home,” Sydney said to him. He gripped the handle of Debbie’s room door. “Let him in, but keep him away from here.”

Meanwhile, Jarod was already looking for a way to open up the window and pop out the safety screen.

-----------------------------

At the Front Door

Broots’ answered the door. “H-hello, Mister Raines. Nice to see you?”

“It’s never nice.” Raines didn’t butt his way in. “May I come in? I have an urgent matter to discuss with you.”

“Um. Sure, of course, why wouldn’t I think that wasn’t okay?” Broots moved out of the way.

“Mister Broots. There comes a time in every person’s life when something tragic happens.” Mister Raines wheezed and looked back at him. “There is something very unfortunate that is about to happen to you.”

“To me? W-why?” He asked. “I haven’t done anything. And I-I’m finishing the projects.”

“Not to you, and not by The Centre.” He breathed in deeply. “Where is your daughter?”

“Oh, sleeping! She’s taking a nap right now,” Broots said quickly. “I don’t want to disturb her.”

“Good.” Mister Raines brought out an envelope. “I deeply regret that this is your last paycheck from The Centre.”

“Uh.” Broots took it shakily. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“No, Mister Broots, but things have happened in the company of The Centre. Although I lead The Centre, it is owned by The Triumvirate. The Triumvirate is responsible for what happened.” He wheezed. “In fact, only a handful of traitors in The Triumvirate, who have been dealt with, but I fear that . . . the connection will be too deep.”

“Connection?” Broots didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“Lyle didn’t just try to assassinate me out of office,” Raines wheezed. “He was using a plan developed by the most brilliant minds The Centre can have, to catch Jarod. And, it almost worked. It’s actually a shame that it didn’t, and that Lyle was too irresponsible to plan it correctly.”

“I?” Broots still didn’t understand. “What’s that have to do with me?”

“The Centre has discovered that your daughter was taken from her home, and to South Africa, that same time you went with Miss Parker.”

“What? No.” Broots couldn’t believe that. “I left her with a babysitter.”

“Yes. This one.” Mister Raines held up a picture and Broots about lost it.

“Oh!” He said horrified. “Her head?”

“Current whereabouts unknown,” Raines said. “Knowing my former son, probably not likely to be found.”

 Broots covered his mouth. “Wh . . . what . . .”

“The plan The Centre discovered is, grim, for your daughter.”

“Debbie?! W-what do you mean, what did you do to my daughter?!”

“Nothing, not The Centre,” Raines said clearly. “I have nothing to do with your daughter. As I have nothing to do with what happened to mine.” He took a deep breath. “The traitors in The Triumvirate have been dealt with, as well as Lyle, but no cure was found in his possession.”

“C-cure?”

“They gave her a shot of something,” Mister Raines said. “No one knows what. The Centre is working around the clock with The Triumvirate to figure it out, but the chances don’t look good.”

Broots breathing had sped up. He looked unpredictable. “W-what are you saying? My daughter’s going to die because of Lyle? Lyle?!” He shook his head back and forth. “No! No, she’s not, she’s not going to die!” He covered his face. “I’ll help, I’ll do whatever I can!”

“You are a technical assistant and computer programmer,” Mister Raines said with a slight wheeze. “You can’t do it. The Centre has everything it needs to try and find the cure. Stacks and boxes of it. It, and The Triumvirate share everything. With it all, there is a cure. It is a test of time, but that time is low.” He nodded to Broots. “As the leader of The Centre, it was my place to tell you.”

Debbie shot out of the hallway, her breath going just as fast. “Daddy?! Am I . . .?” She rushed into Broots’ arms.

“You gotta do something.” Broots just stared at Raines. “Do something, you gotta do something!”

“We are doing what we can.” Raines took a deep breath. “Sorry. I didn’t plan on waking her up. I’ll be going to Sydney’s next. As old comrades,” he wheezed, “he should hear why. You do not have to feel obligated to return to The Centre. Just leave a memo, and we’ll pay a small amount of damages for what happened.”

“Small amount of damages, you son of a bitch!” Broots tried to grab him, but the sweepers that accompanied him quickly stopped him, ‘causing Debbie to scream, ‘Daddy, no!’

But, a sound came from the back room. One that he was expecting. “Sweepers, windows!” he demanded.

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“Damn!” Miss Parker banged on the door as Sweepers held their guns on them. When they heard Debbie scream, Sydney headed forward, but stopped before going out the door. Miss Parker had pulled out her gun, pushing herself to the wall. Jarod almost made it all the way out, before Miss Parker tried to pull him back in. It was too late though. Their presence was known, and Raines had Broots house perimeter covered in sweepers.

The door swung open, with Mister Raines staring at them. “See what I mean, Sydney?” he said. “The scream of a child only happens once for him.”

Miss Parker held up her gun. “And a bullet only needs to strike the head once for you.”

“Ah.” Raines almost smiled. “It’s good to have you back. I still have Broots in custody, so don’t get too trigger happy.” She sighed and lowered her gun. “Welcome home. Now, we can deal.”

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“Debbie, Debbie come back!” Broots yelled, trying to catch up with her after the Sweepers took everyone away and let him go. She was running. Running like if she stopped, then she would stop, but Broots didn’t let her out of his sight. “Debbie!”

Then, she stopped and ran the other direction, into his arms. “Daddy, it’s not true! It’s not true, is it?! Daddy!” Her tears couldn’t stop. “I’d remember being in South Africa, I’m sure of it, right? That man, he wasn’t right, was he? Daddy?” She gripped onto him tighter as he picked her up. She buried her face into his neck. “Daddy, I don’t want to die!”

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He couldn’t answer her back.

 Not yet.

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