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

In Front of The Centre

“Going for a mid-day drive?” Raines asked as he popped up by Miss Parker’s car.

Miss Parker got out of her car, taking her shades off. She didn’t wear them as much anymore, but stuck with the new style of her clothing, they at least made her feel like herself. She had already taken off the stilettos again. She really didn’t want to risk falling in the name of fashion, and she knew how awkward the weight in front of her felt. “Is it illegal for me to drive my own car?” she asked.

“I just don’t think it’s smart.” Raines approached her steadily with his oxygen tank. “You disappeared almost a full month with Jarod. Do you think it’s such a good idea to go off alone?”

“Listen, walking corpse, I did that to protect myself,” she answered. “Jarod’s locked up. So what the hell are you expecting me to do?”

“Still be cautious. Jarod’s family can . . . disturb things, if they find out he’s here,” Raines warned her. “I want you to take six sweepers with you everywhere.”

Miss Parker looked at the entourage of his sweepers behind him. He always had them, to make sure he wasn’t an easy target. “Sam is fine, and I’m not always on duty.”

“I insist,” Raines said.

“My car doesn’t ‘fit’ for six sweepers,” she said. “This isn’t a stakeout, they aren’t going to be pairing off in different cars.”

“Yes, they are. There will be a day shift and a night shift as well, for extra precaution,” Raines said. “You don’t understand the severity of what you are carrying.”

“Well, you don’t understand the severity of what you’re dealing with,” Miss Parker said as she opened her car door. “I’m hot. I’m grumpy. I have mood swings that could move the Richter scale, so step back off of me!”

Raines looked confused. “It’s not even August anymore.”

“It doesn’t matter! Give me space,” she demanded. “I can’t go grocery shopping with a fleet of sweepers!”

Raines wheezed. “They’ll carry the groceries for you.”

She rubbed her sweaty brow, trying to calm down, but it wasn’t working. “Sweepers equal stress, Raines! They are for active duty.”

“Guard duty,” Raines said. “Until the end of the pregnancy.”

Miss Parker paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Eyeing him. Glaring at him. She put her hand to her mouth, afraid she might start to drool. “If you thought I was a bitch before, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Back off your little parade, I mean it. Or you’re going to see something, you won’t know how to handle.”

Raines didn’t move.

“I mean it, Raines.”

Raines still didn’t move.

Miss Parker paced back and forth again. Miserable son of a bitch wasn’t going for anything! “I don’t want sweepers following me around everywhere!” she shouted. “I want to go home, take a luke warm shower, eat some food, and relax! I don’t want to deal with this today you god damned oxygen wielding, grim reaper looking, maggot infested breathing, lucky to be out of a nursing home, sick, twisted, demented ass . . .”

Five minutes later . . .

“ . . . with the size of my stilettos, it’ll be shoved so deep up there that the doctors are going to have pull it out of your ass!”

Raines turned and saw part of The Centre actually looking out of the windows. Curiosity could not be helped. That was the largest and most vivid speech anyone had ever heard Miss Parker make.

“And that’s just for you!” Miss Parker pointed at him. “So these dumbass, underpaid-!“

“Stop!” Raines demanded. “It’s no secret you don’t like my sweepers. Take one of them, and one of your own. That is my final offer.”

Miss Parker still stomped her feet. She was brimming with something! She wanted to do something, and that something was not going to be out there in the middle of The Centre where at least fifty people were gawking now. She turned that something toward’s a tirade of anger, to block it, but she needed to move soon. “Fine! You, not so dumb one, in! And someone find me Sam’s ass now!”

She got into her car and pointed at Raine’s sweeper. “You! Better have good training, because we are going shopping, and you better believe your head and ass is holding all of it!” After Sam was found, he got into the car. As soon as he was in, Miss Parker pulled out of there as fast as she could.

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

Next to Jarod’s Room . . .

“Jesus.”

Jarod stopped a minute as he heard Broot’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just. I just got an email from Lucy down on SL-14 with the lazy eye and the bright red suit that blinds everybody, that Miss Parker had it out with Raines. She attached a video.”

Taking on Raines? “What happened? She wouldn’t be fighting.”

“I don’t know. She says Raines wanted Miss Parker to take six of his sweepers as body guards everywhere.”

 Jarod moved up closer to hear the video. “Could you turn it up a smidge?”

“Um. I guess?”

. . . take a luke warm shower, eat some food, and relax! I don’t want to deal with this today you god damned oxygen wielding, grim reaper looking, maggot infested breathing, lucky to be out of a nursing home, sick, twisted, demented ass . . .”

Jarod couldn’t help a small smile. “Well, this is one of the good times to be sealed away from her social interaction.” He didn’t need to listen to the whole thing. “That mood swing get results?”

“Yeah, one of his sweepers and one of hers,” Broots said. “She said Raines’ sweeper would be doing all the grocery holding before speeding out of here. She was furious.”

“He’s blocking her too.” Even when his family came up with a plan to get him, they had to get her out. He wasn’t leaving without her. If Raines was forcing her to have an entourage, it would be even tougher.

He also knew her for a month. That whole tirade? She was beyond slightly stressed. “Broots, I don’t need anything for awhile. Go check on her, make sure she relaxes for me. If you can, call her and see if she wants something in particular.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve been there,” Broots said. He got up, and walked back to Jarod. “Oh. This is what I meant to get you last night.” He opened the door, set it down, and closed the door again. “I’ll take good care of Miss Parker, I promise.” He nodded lightly and took off.

Another clue? Jarod moved over and picked it up before going back to his spot. It was a red envelope with To: Jarod on it in a child’s handwriting.

He opened it gently.

Dear Jarod,

I know my dad won’t open this because he respects my privacy. I know what he did at The Centre now too, he told me. I hope you don’t get too mad at him. He’s not an evil man. He said at first, you were safer at The Centre. Then he said, instead, that he was safer chasing you, even if he didn’t want to anymore.

I kind of get that. His boss is freaky, and this place, it won’t let me even come out. And you’re stuck too. I don’t like being stuck, so hearing about you being stuck for almost all your life really hurts. I’m sorry.

I know you are trying to help me. I hope you can. I want to live a lot longer. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I won’t lie, I’m really scared!

 I don’t feel any different, I don’t think. Everyone says it’s slow moving. I guess that I won’t get sick ‘til later.

Sorry this is so long. I can play with puppies, color, and read. That’s about it. So, I figured I would write each day for a bit to you.

Daddy told me you can’t get out because you’re helping me. I’m sorry. I miss him. I think I even miss school. I miss my friends and playing with them. I wish they could see our new puppies.

Miss Parker stopped by. She is getting big. I can’t believe she is having twins. I love Miss Parker! I hope she likes being a mommy. She misses hers. She doesn’t get along with a lot of people. But, it’s okay. She’s like a superhero who’s also a friend. So, please don’t be real mad at her. She’s going to have to go through the pain of birth too.

I love the names of the babies. I don’t know what Onysus (spelling) means? But it sounds cool. And Angel! Miss Parker loved Angel. It always made her feel safe and warm when she heard it. She says she missed hearing it.

Sydney came by. I like Sydney. Daddy said to always trust Sydney. I think I see him more than my own granddad. Especially now. No one outside can see me.

I really miss outside and school and life. I can see why you ran away. A lot of kids say they’d rather do anything but go to school. If I could walk out and go to school right now, I wouldn’t complain.

They tried to take my puppies away. Some mean people. Miss Parker marched right down and she said a lot of words that I know I’m not supposed to hear. In the end, they said I could keep them. I just smiled at her.

I feel more scared today. Nothing changes. It feels like I’m never going to go home. I have five months to live, maybe, but it doesn’t feel like living. I cry a lot. I try not to, but I can’t help it sometimes. I don’t know how difficult it will be to cure me. I hope it’s not hard, or much longer. I’m scared ‘cause no one can say for sure what’s on the other side. Will there be lots of pain?

If I don’t make it, then it’s over. I didn’t matter to the world at all. It’s just a weird feeling. I mattered to daddy. He’d be sad. Miss Parker would be sad too. I think Sydney might be sad too. It’s harder to tell with him.

I don’t think I can really add anything else. Just, if you can help, thank you. But, if you can’t. My daddy always said when someone does their best, then there’s no regrets. So, no regrets.

Looking at this. Everything’s jumbled and it’s big. I wrote it day to day. It’s not a happy letter to give to someone who’s trying to help me. But, Sydney insisted since I did it, I should finish it. So, I’m sorry if this was bad and repeated a lot.

I hope one day we are both free from here. I guess I will be, one way or another.

Debbie

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

Sydney visited Jarod at night again. “Raines said I should not be seeing you anymore. So, I came to say goodbye,” he said to Jarod. “Also, that The Triumvirate was broken into a couple of nights ago, and everything seemed fine, except for some missing chemicals.” His signal. Jarod would be free to go. He turned around on his heel and almost walked off.

“I’m not mad at Broots for chasing me,” Jarod said from the darkness. “Be sure that he knows that.”

Ah. That must have been in Debbie’s letter. “I will, Jarod.”

“And that I’m sorry for what I have to do to him now.” Jarod came up closer to Sydney holding the letter. “I’m taking her with me.”

“What?” Sydney turned back around to look at him. “Jarod. I can let you know any data you want, and as soon as the symptoms appear, I can tell you. We’ve already agreed to that.”

“Things change. She’s coming with me.”

No. “Jarod, that is not an option.”

“She’s trapped in The Centre. Just like me.”

“Not like you. Not like you now, and not like you were!” He had to talk some sense into him. “She has people who visit with her.”

“But can’t touch her.”

“But they visit with her, and she has . . . furry company.”

“Which isn’t the same thing.”

“For goodness sakes, Jarod, Broots is here! He sees her every day, every minute that he’s allowed too! If you take her, then he could miss the last few months with his daughter.”

Jarod banged the letter on the glass. “And in the meantime while her dad gets that time with her, which is good, it’s not good enough! Every minute she is in there she has to worry about the next five months, five months, of her life. There is nothing here to distract her! Whether she lives or dies, she is left dwelling on death. Feeling no human contact. Left in a room, with books, crayons, and a couple of puppies. While waiting to see if she lives she gets to have no life! And that’s fair?”

“Jarod-“

“No!” He looked back toward the letter. “No, I can’t do it. She isn’t spending five months trapped in The Centre. She’s not contagious, Lyle just wanted her infected, no one else. I’m sorry, but the plan’s changed. I’m taking Broots’ daughter with me. Even if I can’t save her, at least she won’t die here alone.”

Sydney rubbed his face anxiously. “This isn’t right, Jarod.”

Jarod pulled out the letter and flipped it around. “I can’t ignore this, Sydney.”

“Another person? It was tough enough with just Miss Parker out there with you.” Sydney tried one more time, but caught some words in the letter. He sighed. “What should I tell Broots?”

“Tell him . . . I’ll make sure she gets to see a lot of America. Experience a lot,” Jarod said. “That if she’s okay, I’ll make sure she gets home. And if she isn’t, she won’t die alone. And, I’ll still make sure she gets back home.”

“I can’t convince you otherwise, can I?” Sydney asked.

Jarod just took the letter and retreated backwards.

There was no choice. Jarod wasn’t even going to risk telling Broots.

Jarod was taking Debbie with him.

Later that night . . .

Sweepers. Miss Parker groaned as she looked at her bedroom mirror. All day and all night. At least she kept her promise about the grocery store. Her stress level was so high. She knew she needed to calm down to do this. She stared at the DSA Player and her life, sitting right underneath her bed. What an asshole, doing that to her. It wasn’t the first terrible thing he’d ever done though.

It probably wouldn’t be the last, now that Jarod could no longer be an excuse.

And while it was bad what Raines did, she found a lot of wonderful memories on there. As much stress as she suffered from, watching her and her mother from her childhood days really made it feel better. Brightened her mood before she would have to start kicking ass.

She held her gun tight, waiting for the signal. As soon as she heard the loud clunk, Sam knocked on the door. Armed with her pistol and the DSA’s of her life, Miss Parker went out toward him.

“Let’s go.” Sam was her most loyal sweeper. He followed her obediently all his life. He got the drop on Raines sweeper, and they were out of there.

Jarod would be free soon. That was good. She on the other hand? She was going to have to get herself out. While she knew Jarod cared enough about her unborn babies not to hurt her, and as long as she didn’t keep them in The Centre, he wouldn’t come after them.

There were big holes in that with his family. They were related to Jarod, but they could be ready to do anything. She had no trust or love to his family. The second they were born, they might try to rip them away.

She left a big enough hole that Jarod would know where to get her, but his family wouldn’t. The Centre would never bother looking for her there either, because it was the last place on Earth a girl like her would ever be found.

“I got it from here, Sam,” Miss Parker said as she commanded him to get out. With no words between, Sam got out. “Call The Centre tomorrow morning. Tell them what happened.” She drove off again, as quick as she could.

She wanted a voice to tell her that it was wrong. That Jarod’s family didn’t change anything. That nothing was happening. But that damn inner sense. That gut instinct, it had been screaming at her that she had to get out. Going by herself wasn’t an option, they’d track her and her car. Sydney and Broots, they’d look for them. She was a bitch to anyone else, so no one would help her in the first place.

Okay. Only drawback to being a bitch. There was only one option open, and as much as she wanted to ignore it, she knew it was the right decision.

She stopped the car and got out.

For the love I have to make sure they are born safe, sound, and not taken away by Jarod’s family. I have to do this. I feel it.

A honk. Miss Parker started heading toward the honk. I called it right in my head. I was hoping I was wrong.

No. The guy on the phone. He was an idiot, through and through. He honked again. “Hello, there, Miss P,” Argyle said from his car. “Um. We need to get going before the flashing blues and reds come.”

She got into the other side of the car. She couldn’t risk any kind of paper trail by plane or by car. Even stopping for gas would be found to something like The Centre. She needed an entire chauffeur and escort.

“So, wow, look at you. You’re all big,” Argyle said as they started to drive. “Wow. J-man’s having kids. It feels like I just met him, the other day. So, they kickin’ around in there.”

“Yes, they are starting to.” And as much kicking as she felt to the left. It must be Angel because it would be a woman’s natural reaction to get away from Argyle as fast as possible. That same kicking was a constant reminder that she wasn’t alone anymore. She had two new souls to take care of.

And her body and mind were so conflicted. One part of her, the part that used to speak the loudest but was silenced, rooted for Jarod. That he would be okay. That they could get through it. That she couldn’t trust Raines, and that she needed Jarod.

But the other part kept fighting even louder.

RUN.

 “So, my hideout isn’t so much of a hideout as a little place for me and my dad,” Argyle said.

“The smaller, the better. As long as The Centre hasn’t been there,” she said evenly. “I have my own money, so don’t worry about me. As soon as we arrive, I can take care of myself. Jarod will know how to find me.”

“Yeah, you bet,” Argyle said. “Only, tell him, you don’t trust his fam, right?”

“I don’t trust him either. I don’t get much of a choice,” Miss Parker answered. “Just. Drive. Conversation makes me edgy.”

“You’re kind of . . . you know, I mean, like a sexy vampire,” Argyle said. “More of the vampire part though. That’s not good.”

Miss Parker looked toward him. “I’ve been ‘nice’.”

“Yeah, but, like . . .” Argyle took a deep sigh. “See, I met people in the elements. Like you. Just like you. They get that way ‘cause something happened to them. So, what happened to you? You like, get caught out there for a little while before, like, finding your way back?”

Elements? “Something like that.”

“That’s bad. You can’t linger out there, it changes you. You know? It changes you bad,” Argyle said as he turned in for gas. “Real bad. Can’t trust anyone, then you realize, you have to trust someone. But you don’t know who to. And, it’s just not good, Miss P.” He hopped out of the car to start pumping gas.

Miss Parker sunk deeper though as she saw who else stopped for gas.

Emily. She shut her car door and then the clone of Jarod got out from the back. “Not here, Gemini. Too close, Blue Cove is the next town over. Someone might recognize you here. We’re getting gas, and getting Jarod.”

Jarod’s clone got back in and stuck his head out the window. “And Miss Parker?”

“I know. I can’t believe this. Saving the enemy?” Emily’s attitude told Miss Parker she got it right. Like hell she was trusting them. “Blue Cove is next. Stay covered.”

“You’ll have to get along with her at some point,” the clone of Jarod said. “She’s not really that bad.”

“She’s not good either. There’s no way she’s staying part of this family,” Emily said. “Count on it.”

Then, Miss Parker’s true inner sense kicked in again. Involuntarily and ever so fast. Even though she was ducking away, Emily was going to get closer. She knew it.

“Got it,” Argyle said as he hopped back in. “Boy, gas never gets cheaper, does it Mi-!”

Miss Parker bent toward him, kissing him, essentially doing two things. Hiding her face from the enemy, and stopping Argyle from saying her name.

Argyle didn’t take long to slip right into it.

Hm. He sure did have an anxious tongue. After a month out with Jarod, and now clearly pregnant to any good looking Joe, nothing got to be on her menu. Although he was annoying as hell, Argyle had the right desperate tongue for the job right now.

Six months trapped in South Africa. Almost a month trapped with Jarod. It wasn’t exactly hard to accomplish an undercover makeout.

After Emily pulled away, she stopped. She rubbed her lips with her fingers.

Argyle pulled away slowly. “Okay . . .” He cleared his throat. “So. Did that just happen?”

No, don’t slip that way. Her getaway was her getaway. Who cared how her hormones were raging, this guy was not a stud. Makeout session. That was as far as she should go. For now.

“So. Are you his girl, or are just those twins his? Like, a split custody thing?” Argyle asked. “Oh. I really shouldn’t be asking that. Okay.” He started his car. “Um. Yeah. Uh.” He scratched his shoulder.

“The enemy was next to me,” Miss Parker said honestly. “Otherwise, that never would have happened.”

“Yeah, of course. You know? You’re Jarod’s girl, I know that.”

“I’m not Jarod’s girl.” She scratched her head.

“Oh. So like, you haven’t even kissed?” Argyle said. “Oh. Well. You know, it’s cool. Like, libido changes in pregnancy. Lowers a lot in a lot of women. And uh, but I’ve seen it do the other thing too. Sometimes.”

“Can we drive?”

“Oh, yeah. You bet, Miss P.”

Two blocks from the back of The Centre

 “Come on, get the lead out!” Major Charles said to them. Emily followed Gemini out of their car and moved into the limousine. “See, good, huh?” He said just smiling away to Emily. “No one would suspect a fancy limo of anything.” He moved away quickly. “Jarod will be meeting us shortly with one other.”

“One other who?” Gemini asked. He looked out the window as they drove.

Jarod was running and carrying a girl almost his age. Except he was increasing his speed even faster. Before Jarod even made it out, alarms started to go off. He didn’t trigger anything.

It was a fire alarm.

The faster he got to them, the better. He hit the car door and put Debbie in first. “Room for two?” He scooted in next to her as his dad took off. He smiled at Emily and she smiled back. So did Gemini.

Wait. He should have gotten a serious shouting match with Miss Parker over what he just did with Debbie. “Where’s Miss Parker?” Jarod asked anxiously. “The plan was to get her first.”

“She was not there,” Gemini said. “One of the sweepers had been unconscious on the floor. Since only that variable changed, we still came to get you, with plans to find her again later.”

“She’d know to be here.” Jarod looked at Gemini. “She contacted you.”

“She contacted Emily,” Gemini said looking toward Emily whose happy face went away. “Was she aware of the plan?”

Emily sighed. “Did it matter? I didn’t want to talk to her again.” She crossed her arms. “Her brother almost killed me.” She looked toward Jarod. “She’s The Centre.”

Jarod bent down toward her, knowing her pain. “Emily. I know it’s hard to accept this. Trust me,” he said. “I didn’t want it this way either, but I have to accept it. With The Centre’s involvement or not, I can’t just let them go.”

“No, but her soul is cruel, and she has no right to be a mother,” Emily said. “She’s evil, Jarod!”

“Emily,” Major Charles said from the front. “This isn’t easy on anyone. Let’s not get into this. Jarod. If she didn’t know what was happening, but she felt like she was in peril, where would she go?”

Was someone after her already? Was Raines trying something? He was away, behind glass. He couldn’t help. “She wouldn’t just run. One of the sweepers was knocked out? She had two.” Sam, obedient as always. He must have knocked the other one out.

Okay. She would need to get far, without using any identification. She wouldn’t try running away somewhere he had to hunt her down to. She already knew he’d do that, and it wouldn’t leave him happy.

He smiled at Emily. If Miss Parker felt threatened, she would run. And Emily had threatening  written all over her. “Emily?” Jarod said. “When my kids are born, you have to be good.”

“Of course,” she said softly. “They are family.” She smiled. “Just, not that woman, and there’s no way she can stay attached to them.”

“Emily!” Major Charles scolded her. “What did I tell you?”

Jarod sighed. That was it, that’s why Miss Parker ran on her own. “Emily, no.”

“No? No?! I’m just supposed to sit back and let the next leader, of The Centre, waltz on into our lives? No way, Jarod!” She protested.

“Miss Parker is not bad,” Gemini said to her. He looked toward Jarod. “I sense confusion in her.”

Damn. He wanted to stay, at least a little while, with them. They never got to stay together for too long. But Emily’s wrath, burning in her eyes. It couldn’t be ignored. “Miss Parker is my business, Emily, not yours. Stay away from her.”

His words, he could tell it was like a dagger to her heart. “She’s evil, Jarod. Would you rather Snow White had stayed with her wicked mother or find the seven dwarfs?”

“I am not taking them away from her.” Then, he added more. “No one is taking them away from her.”

“It’s. The. Centre!” Emily scrunched up in her corner. “I never got to even meet Kyle, because of The Centre. You have a clone, because of The Centre. We can’t find mom because of The Centre. We are hunted, and we never get to be together for very long, because of The Centre. Not to mention, the man who killed our brother, and who almost killed me, is her good for nothing twin brother!”

She was breaking down. Gemini tried to hold her. “Here.” Jarod moved over, switching places slowly with Gemini. “Watch Debbie’s head,” he said to him. He came over and hugged Emily. “I know, Emily.”

“This shouldn’t be happening. This never should have happened. You can’t, just, let The Centre in.” She clung to him tighter, this time crying. “They do nothing but destroy us. Hurt us. Even, look at that little girl.” She gestured toward Debbie. “They probably hurt her too. I don’t even have to ask why you had to stay to find a cure. They’d hurt the innocent just to get to you.”

Jarod looked down at her, toward Gemini, and toward his dad.

“When they come, take them away, Jarod. Otherwise, you’re leaving Snow White with the wicked queen.”