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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Thanks to Rachell!
THE ARABIAN PHOENIX part 4
By Stefi
When 'tomorrow' came, it wasn't like anything they had expected.
Sydney arrived at the Centre to find it full of people he had never seen before.
In the parking lot, there were many cars that Syd recognized as police's cars, and FBI's and CIA's. The shrink couldn't avoid feeling panic inside him and when two young black men approached him, he even thought about taking flight.
"Your name please?" One of them asked showing his badge.
"Green. Dr Sydney Green"
The second man, with glasses on his nose, checked on a sheet of paper he was holding in his hand and nodded to his colleague.
"Would you follow me please?" The voice's tone was kind and so was the gesture that the first man made to show the way. But Syd was sure that refusing wasn't an option, so he followed them.
Inside the building there were more people than outside. While he was escorted to who knows where, Sydney let his gaze sliding around. He saw policemen, detectives, men dressed all in black, so alike to the Centre sweepers, only they weren't. Syd also saw familiar people, employees most of all, with scared, lost looks on their faces.
(It's over) Sydney thought and despite of the fear and guilt, he felt relieved. It would have to happen soon or later, that everyone, inside there, give account of what they did.
The three men entered in the elevator, THAT elevator, and while it went down, (to the SL-5) noticed Syd, they stared the hole in the wall, with the bullet Parker had put inside.
"How odd!" The man with glasses exclaimed, faking amazement "A bullet hole, old for ages and a brand new bullet inside!"
"Yeah!" Answered the other man "Maybe something happened many years ago but still lives in someone's memory. Or a warning that lasted till now." The two looked at Sydney.
"What do you think, Dr Green? Is it a memory or a warning?"
The Belgian man didn't waver and his answer was sharp "Both!"
Instantly, he regretted the aggressive attitude, it wasn't the best way to begin. A man in his position hadn't the right to be aggressive.
As the elevator doors opened, Syd decided to be more careful and available. Maybe he could have some news about the others, this way.
What had happened to Mr Parker for example and to Raines. And Jarod? Angelo and Broots! Where they were and..
Sydney turned off his mind like a lamp.
"This way doctor." Said the man with glasses. The tech room!
Syd frowned but said nothing and entered in the room where he had worked for so many years.
He wasn't ready for what he saw: Broots was there, nervous like always, and Jarod too was there, speaking with a woman slender and blond-haired, and a tall, dark man.
"Sydney! You're here!" Jarod grabbed his mentor's hand and made him sit on a chair.
"Jarod, what's happening? I mean, you know these people.. "
"Don't worry, Syd, everything's okay" Jarod put an hand on his shoulder "This is Sydney." He said addressing the two agents.
By their reaction Syd understood that Jarod had talked them about him. The man stared at him with distrustful look as the woman had a light smile while she nodded.
"Sydney." Jarod continued "This is Robert Malcom and Frances O'Neal. They are federal agents. I worked with them once."
The shrink calmed himself down "What's happened here? And what about Mr Parker and Raines?"
"They were arrested yesterday evening." The woman, Frances, answered "And also the people you know as the Triumvirate and the Tower."
"We are searching for the other bigwigs, in all the countries and there, in Africa." Added Malcom rather coldly. He would like to jail all the people he had found inside that place. He had a "First you shoot, then you ask questions" attitude.
But Jarod asked him to wait and Malcom had to admit that one couldn't judge and condemn without listening before.
The pretender sat beside Sydney and beckoned Broots to come closer.
"Do you remember the files we found copied and sent somewhere? Well, they were sent to the FBI and CIA. Like we already know, the sending has begun some months ago, but only now the feds have had enough evidences to arrest Mr Parker and
the others. And so, they moved to close this place. Can you guess how I felt when Malcom and Fran opened my cell door?" Jarod smiled and Broots had a nervous laugh.
Sydney sighed deeply "Then, it's over." His friends nodded as the shrink turned to the agents "Now what will happen?"
Fran looked at him "Why aren't you in jail, you mean?"
"We may be still in time.. " Malcom muttered but his colleague stopped him to say more.
"Doctor Green." Fran continued "We know that you have been part of many.. projects, let's call them this way and you have many things to give account of. But Jarod says that.. if he's still alive, it's thanks to you. Now, there's a lot of work to do here, and we think you'll be useful. Mr Broots has agreed to help us with research and computers. You could help to explain and clarify the meaning of such.. projects"
"Your collaboration will favour your position." Added Malcom almost unwillingly "But it won't assure you impunity! And you'll be surveyed, don't you think you'll be free to go wherever you like!"
"I don't ask for impunity!" Syd was annoyed by Malcom's attitude "I know I have done.. awful things, and God knows if I could ever forgive myself for not having tried to stop them." The old man sighed deeply.
"Syd, you couldn't do anything!" Jarod objected.
"I should have to try! Catherine did it! Fenigor did it!" Syd shouted, slamming a fist on the desk.
"Sure! And look how they ended! Catherine dead, and Fenigor as if he were!" Jarod had an half smile "And if I remember.. well, you tried once." The pretender addressed the two feds "Syd put a bomb in SL-27, but it didn't work."
"I nearly killed everyone!" Remembered the shrink.
"Yeah, nearly! And you ended up in the Renewal Wing!" Broots completed.
It was the first time he had talked and everyone looked at him.
The shy tech blushed and made a step back, hoping to vanish.
Sydney turned to Malcom and O'Neal "I want to help, not for having a minor punishment nor for evading my responsibilities. Only.. to help. For the first time in my life I can help the people I care about." His eyes turned sad, thinking about Parker.
"We'll find her." Jarod seemed to have guessed what Syd was thinking. "Now, we can find her."
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
In the following weeks, the new team worked incessantly in order to find more evidences against Mr Parker, Raines and all their accomplices.
Not that it was hard to find them, any file, any DSA was evidence in itself. Broots was the one who worked the most. In the course of few days, he had found the new password, an incredible list of numbers!, and he was searching and discovering more things than he liked. The tech felt he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Finding the truth meant taking down the Centre, yes, but it meant helping many people to have back their past and their lives.
Sometimes, the truth had a bitter taste and Broots felt bad saying those things to Jarod and the feds. But the more he discovered, the more the Centre went down.
Sydney was doing his part, explaining the meaning and the purposes of many projects. Every time the shrink spoke to Malcom and O'Neal, he felt better.
Jarod worked on the past, most of all. Step by step, he was getting together his life and that gave him strength.
He was still trying to find Miss Parker, that one was the hardest part. She left nothing to work on. Jarod had found an old bank account, opened by Catherine Parker for benefit of her daughter, but it was closed eight months before. Nothing useful.
Nor was Lyle traceable, but Jarod never tried hard to find him despite the hate he felt for the murderer of Kyle.
Few, confused words from Angelo made him understand that the evil twin was no more so evil. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do: Lyle, like others, had awful crimes on his Curriculum Vitae, but he was, like others, a victim too. Jarod hoped he had made the right decision by letting him go.
"Jarod?" Fran's voice made Jarod turn around from the desktop.
"Some news?" The pretender asked, standing up. The woman nodded.
"Bad news?" He asked again. Every time Fran had that look, there was something wrong.
"Well," The woman sighed "It all depends from what you think is good or bad. Better if you come to see"
As the two walked to the tech room, Jarod asked Fran "Anything about my father and the boy?
"No, Jarod. My techs are checking the transmissions of files once again, but for now.. Are you sure this guy is our informer?"
Jarod shrugged "I don't know who else it could be. If only they would contact me. By now they have to know what's happened here!"
"Don't be so sure, the Big Chiefs decided not to give too much publicity to this stuff. Many heads are falling you know, and they fear a scandal, so the press has been kept away from it."
Jarod clenched his teeth "People have the right to know!"
Fran nodded "So I think too. But it's not our place to decide."
The two went in the Tec room where Broots and Syd with Malcom were waiting for them.
"Why the long faces!" Jarod joked, seeing the weird looks of his friends.
"Long faces?" Malcom snarled "You know Jarod, the more we dig in this garbage, the more I feel like killing everyone!"
Fran held her colleague's shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"What's happened?" Jarod turned to Syd and Broots. The tech didn't talk but moved himself aside so the pretender could see the picture on the screen.
"Miss Parker's little brother." Jarod nodded "What about him?"
Sydney tightened his lips, rage in his eyes and Broots began to talk, with a faltering voice.
"Not.. her little brother." deep sigh, it wasn't easy to say! "Her.. son.. "
"What?!?" Jarod stared the smiling child, incredulous.
"And yours." completed Syd.
"WHAT?!?"
"Not only did they cloned you..." The shrink was quivering with disdain. "No! They wanted an whole progeny of pretenders to train and exploit! Just to guarantee the old age!"
"And they used Brigitte to carry the child." Broots intervened "They knew Miss Parker would have never agreed to such a thing."
Jarod fell on a chair, trying to breath. A son! God, he had a son! With Parker!
Fran looked at him concerned "Hey, you okay?"
"Yes. I think." The pretender stood up again and stared the child's picture "I have to find them." He whispered.
"I'm asking myself." Fran said thoughtfully "Does she know? That the baby is hers? And yours?"
Jarod shrugged "Don't know. Maybe."
"I think she would have talked me about it." Was Syd's reply "And she never did."
"Maybe ONCE she would have Syd." Broots glanced at the shrink "Not the last times"
"Why not?" Malcom asked but before someone could answer him the phone rang. Fran pushed a button so everyone could hear and she talked.
"Federal agent O'Neal speaking."
A brief silence, then a male voice asked "Federal agent?"
Jarod jumped to the phone. "Dad!"
"Jarod? Son, what's happening there? Is it a set-up to make all of us come out?"
"No, Dad." Jarod laughed "No tricks, there are feds and policemen here. It's over Dad."
"Jarod." Major Charles sounded puzzled "Tell me the truth, are they threatening you to make you talk this way and-"
"Dad, I assure you there's no tricks, no threats, no jokes. I was hoping you would contact me. The boy is there with you?"
"Yes he is and when we read about a raid in a big organization in Delaware, he kept on saying that we had to call you. So I decided to call Sydney and ask to him. The last thing I thought to hear was a fed's voice.. and yours."
The people in the Tech room exchanged puzzled looks. Jarod lean on the desk frowning.
"I don't see the reason Dad, you two had to know about it by then."
"Why should we?" Major Charles sounded more puzzled than them.
"Dad, weren't you and the boy who contacted the feds to inform them about the Centre? The hackers who infiltrated the Centre's mainframe? To copy and send files to the CIA?"
A long silence, then "Jarod, I wish could tell you 'yes, we did that' but.. the truth is that I haven't the slightest idea about what you're saying! Did someone report the Centre?"
Jarod sat on a chair sighing "Yes Dad, and we thought about the boy. The way things had gone.. well, only a genius could do it."
Major Charles laughed merrily "I'll tell Jacob that all of you thought him able to take down the Centre, he'll be really flattered."
Sydney started with surprise hearing his brother's name.
"Dad." Jarod talked again "Please, come back here, we are searching for Mom and Emily too and.. Jacob.. " The pretender looked at his mentor smiling ".. Jacob could really help us so much."
"Okay, son. But give us a little time. We are in Nebraska, so.."
"Nebraska?!?" A chorus of voices asked.
"Please! Don't ask! It's a long story!"
The line went dead and the five people looked one another. Clearly, they were thinking all of them about the same thing.
It wasn't the boy. Who, then?
"We are again to the start." Fran sighed.
"Well." Said Malcom "It must have been another one. No offence, Jarod, but you're not the only genius in this place right?"
"With brain still intact? Yes, I am." Jarod shook his head and stood up, he began pacing back and forth.
"Maybe Angelo?" Syd suggested.
Jarod shook again his head "No. I asked him."
They stayed silent and thoughtful for awhile, then the faltering voice of Broots cut their musing off.
"I.. " Four heads turned abruptly toward him. Broots cowered under their gazes ".. think to k-know.. "
"-who's the informer?" Completed the others
"And what are you waiting for?" Malcom yelled, grabbing the tech's shirt.
"Robert, please!" Fran scolded him. Her colleague let Broots go and she smiled at him "I'm sorry Broots, Malcom has such a bad temper!"
Sydney addressed his co-worker. "Broots, if you know who he is, why didn't you say it?"
"I.. it's not that I know, Syd. You see, I THINK I know, I mean, there's no other.. if not-"
"Broots" Jarod cut him off "Who?"
Broots looked at one then at another, sighing. "Miss Parker."
"Miss Parker?!?" Jarod's tone was deeply skeptical.
"Yes!" Broots nodded "She knows the Centre in and out and about the security well, she was in security for a long time."
Neither was Syd persuaded "But she knows little or nothing about computers, Broots. That's why you're working here, remember?"
The tech stared at them, nervously "That is.. what WE think."
Jarod frowned "What do you mean?"
"There's something.. about Miss Parker.. that we are inclined to forget. She's a Red File, that is a pretender."
"A potential pretender." Underlined Syd "And she has never been trained because her test results weren't satisfying."
"And.. what if it wasn't true?" The bald man asked.
Sydney tried to persuade him. "Broots, I read the results myself! Despite her I.Q., Parker would have never been a pretender!"
"Are you sure?" Broots insisted "And what if the results had been falsified? This is the Centre, Syd. It wouldn't be the first time things are not what they seem to be."
"And who could have done that?"
"Well, her mother for one. If Catherine Parker would have found out that her daughter was a pretender, a GREAT pretender, maybe even better than Jarod! You knew her, Syd. What would she have done?" Sydney stared at Broots and so did Jarod. They knew the answer.
"She would have done everything to spare her daughter my same destiny." Jarod whispered.
"This Catherine Parker.. " Fran asked ".. was the woman you talked me about? The one who tried to make you run away from here?"
Jarod nodded and Syd explained "Catherine saved many children, despite of the danger. She knew she would be condemned, but she tried anyway to take away Jarod, her daughter and poor Angelo."
Malcom, red with rage, hissed "But she didn't manage to do it!"
"No." Was the sad answer given by Jarod "And Parker, Angelo, myself have been trapped here. I managed to escape, Angelo knows how to go out of here, but Parker.. she was wrapped up by so many lies and blackmails to make her totally unable to go away. She was CONVINCED she could never go away!"
"Till now." Broots made his voice heard. The others looked at him but this time he didn't waver. "Why now, why could she go away now?"
Jarod had a dry laugh "Because she took me back. Remember?"
"That's another point I don't understand, Jarod. Why did she bring you back? She had to know that her father would have never let her go. The only way for her was to disappear. So, why wasting time to bring you back? Miss Parker only had to take the child and.. " Broots snapped his fingers ".. vanish. Like she did, in effect."
The four people looked one another puzzled. Broots was giving so many things to think and musing about.
"And about.. " Broots turned again in the usual shy geek "it's not that.. I mean.. "
"Broots." Sydney sighed "Please, talk once for all!"
"Do you remember the day you were caught, Jarod?"
"And how could I forget it?"
"Well there were two leads, remember Syd? One was in Memphis. The other one was so weak not worth the trouble to check it. Miss Parker kept on saying that Memphis was a trap, that she would followed the second lead, no matter what her father said."
"Yeah, I remember." Sydney didn't understand the purpose of such a novel.
"She seemed really satisfied that Lyle went to Memphis and.. and after they'd gone, I found a note written by Parker. It said 'Pink and green' and 'Red notebook: shit!'"
Jarod frowned at these words and Broots nodding, went on with his story "She never went to Memphis, and yet she knew that you weren't there, Jarod. She knew what Lyle would find even before he arrived in it! And most of all, she knew where you were!"
Jarod was speechless. Broots insisted "How, Jarod? How did she know it?"
"By doing a Sim!" Syd was shocked and he ruffled his own hair, thinking aloud "That night I went to her, to invite her to my home. And she was so pale and sweaty.. What an old idiot am I!" He addressed Jarod "She had the same look you had after you did some difficult Sims! She had a lot of your pictures on her desk and.. she did a Sim!"
Jarod nodded slowly "And so she found me!"
"I.. I think she.. always knew.. how to.. find you." Broots glanced at the pretender "I mean.. she always seemed.. don't know, like she could...perceive.. your presence and.. her attitude, her... " The tech moved his hands, feeling frustration for not being able to explain himself.
Fran and Malcom had lost the thread a long time before but they stayed silent, listening carefully and making a mindful note of everything.
Jarod lifted one hand as like to stop the sea of revealed news.
"Okay." He said "Supposing that you're right Broots, that Parker is a pretender. And supposing that she's the informer, okay?"
Sydney and Broots nodded.
Jarod continued "She always knew how to find me, but.. she never did it, okay? Maybe because she didn't want it or.. don't know, anyway she never did it!"
"Okay." Was the answer.
"Then why did she do it now! All this is taking us back to is your first question, Broots. Why now? And why this way! For years I've tried to persuade her to go away, but she never paid attention to me! What changed? What's happened to make her make such a decision?"
"Her house burnt." Syd talked "After the loss of her home, Parker hasn't been the same anymore. She lost everything, every bond, every memory and maybe she discovered too about her little.. her son, and.. "
Broots shook his head "I don't think she knew about the baby. In the state of mind she was those days, she would have killed everyone surely."
"Yeah, you're right." The shrink sighed "Parker nearly shot me too. Let's say that after her house burnt, she wanted to go away and.. " Syd sighed again. "Here we are again! Why taking time to catch Jarod! Why not disappearing and that's all!"
"Maybe she couldn't do it." Fran talked with a low, sweet voice "And maybe she did it now because she couldn't do it before."
Jarod turned to stare at her with wide opened eyes. The woman felt she was blushing.
"It was only an idea." She justified herself.
But Jarod felt like kicking himself: the answer was so easy and banal, but he hadn't seen it!
"She couldn't! Sure, she couldn't! Because.. she would endanger your lives!" The pretender addressed Syd and Broots "Think about it! Think about Parker! BEFORE her house burnt! What would have happened if she was disappeared THEN, with the child?"
"Well." Broots began "There would have been inquiries, checks and interrogatories, most of all to her coworkers.. " Broots voice faded away realizing what he was saying.
"The T-board." Jarod nodded "You two would have ended up in front of the T-board and nothing could have saved you. Working side by side like you did in the last years, who on earth would believe you didn't know anything about her escape?"
The pretender was pacing again back and forth, one hand moving in the air to underline his words "That's why she pushed all of you away, remember Syd? You said she didn't let you get close to her, she was changed, merciless and cold like never before. Parker had to persuade everyone here, that you, Broots, Sam were out of her life definitively! So, after her disappearances you wouldn't have been considered her accomplices!"
Sydney shook his head, shocked "She aimed her gun at me! I was SURE she would have killed me to catch you, Jarod and it was only a pretend!"
Jarod looked straight in Syd's eyes "Yeah, since the fire of her house, Parker has pretended all the time. To protect you Syd, and Broots, his daughter, Sam, Angelo.. and even me."
Broots almost laughed "Taking you back? A strange way to protect you, Jarod!"
"Think about it, Broots! Parker needed the total attention of the Centre.. "
"Needed?!?" Asked Broots but Jarod didn't answer and went on.
"Since I was here, the Centre concentrated its search on her forgetting all the rest. Hell! I was left alone for weeks in that cell!"
Malcom began to get tired "Jarod! Cut short!"
"The Centre was much too worried about getting back Parker and the child, so they let go all the checks and recordings they usually did when I was free. So Parker had no trouble infiltrating the mainframe, re-programming the security system with a new password and sending all she found to you feds."
"Someone could notice what she was doing." Fran objected.
"And why? No-one knew she had the skills to do such things. Not even us!"
"So, Parker wanted to take down the Centre." Sydney felt a little confused. "What could have persuaded her to do it? The fire?"
"I don't think so." Jarod answered "She closed that old bank account a month before the fire and that means Parker was already planning to go away, she only was waiting for the right moment. The fire of her house.. well, it had to be the last drop. She felt trapped probably and she had to accelerate the time before it was too late."
Malcom made an annoyed gesture "But too late for what?"
Jarod looked up trying to focus "I.. don't know. Something went off in her mind, but.. I don't know what. I know only that I have to find her. Parker and the child."
end part 4
Feedback: ste.piro@inwind.it
Thanks to Rachell!
THE ARABIAN PHOENIX part 4
By Stefi
When 'tomorrow' came, it wasn't like anything they had expected.
Sydney arrived at the Centre to find it full of people he had never seen before.
In the parking lot, there were many cars that Syd recognized as police's cars, and FBI's and CIA's. The shrink couldn't avoid feeling panic inside him and when two young black men approached him, he even thought about taking flight.
"Your name please?" One of them asked showing his badge.
"Green. Dr Sydney Green"
The second man, with glasses on his nose, checked on a sheet of paper he was holding in his hand and nodded to his colleague.
"Would you follow me please?" The voice's tone was kind and so was the gesture that the first man made to show the way. But Syd was sure that refusing wasn't an option, so he followed them.
Inside the building there were more people than outside. While he was escorted to who knows where, Sydney let his gaze sliding around. He saw policemen, detectives, men dressed all in black, so alike to the Centre sweepers, only they weren't. Syd also saw familiar people, employees most of all, with scared, lost looks on their faces.
(It's over) Sydney thought and despite of the fear and guilt, he felt relieved. It would have to happen soon or later, that everyone, inside there, give account of what they did.
The three men entered in the elevator, THAT elevator, and while it went down, (to the SL-5) noticed Syd, they stared the hole in the wall, with the bullet Parker had put inside.
"How odd!" The man with glasses exclaimed, faking amazement "A bullet hole, old for ages and a brand new bullet inside!"
"Yeah!" Answered the other man "Maybe something happened many years ago but still lives in someone's memory. Or a warning that lasted till now." The two looked at Sydney.
"What do you think, Dr Green? Is it a memory or a warning?"
The Belgian man didn't waver and his answer was sharp "Both!"
Instantly, he regretted the aggressive attitude, it wasn't the best way to begin. A man in his position hadn't the right to be aggressive.
As the elevator doors opened, Syd decided to be more careful and available. Maybe he could have some news about the others, this way.
What had happened to Mr Parker for example and to Raines. And Jarod? Angelo and Broots! Where they were and..
Sydney turned off his mind like a lamp.
"This way doctor." Said the man with glasses. The tech room!
Syd frowned but said nothing and entered in the room where he had worked for so many years.
He wasn't ready for what he saw: Broots was there, nervous like always, and Jarod too was there, speaking with a woman slender and blond-haired, and a tall, dark man.
"Sydney! You're here!" Jarod grabbed his mentor's hand and made him sit on a chair.
"Jarod, what's happening? I mean, you know these people.. "
"Don't worry, Syd, everything's okay" Jarod put an hand on his shoulder "This is Sydney." He said addressing the two agents.
By their reaction Syd understood that Jarod had talked them about him. The man stared at him with distrustful look as the woman had a light smile while she nodded.
"Sydney." Jarod continued "This is Robert Malcom and Frances O'Neal. They are federal agents. I worked with them once."
The shrink calmed himself down "What's happened here? And what about Mr Parker and Raines?"
"They were arrested yesterday evening." The woman, Frances, answered "And also the people you know as the Triumvirate and the Tower."
"We are searching for the other bigwigs, in all the countries and there, in Africa." Added Malcom rather coldly. He would like to jail all the people he had found inside that place. He had a "First you shoot, then you ask questions" attitude.
But Jarod asked him to wait and Malcom had to admit that one couldn't judge and condemn without listening before.
The pretender sat beside Sydney and beckoned Broots to come closer.
"Do you remember the files we found copied and sent somewhere? Well, they were sent to the FBI and CIA. Like we already know, the sending has begun some months ago, but only now the feds have had enough evidences to arrest Mr Parker and
the others. And so, they moved to close this place. Can you guess how I felt when Malcom and Fran opened my cell door?" Jarod smiled and Broots had a nervous laugh.
Sydney sighed deeply "Then, it's over." His friends nodded as the shrink turned to the agents "Now what will happen?"
Fran looked at him "Why aren't you in jail, you mean?"
"We may be still in time.. " Malcom muttered but his colleague stopped him to say more.
"Doctor Green." Fran continued "We know that you have been part of many.. projects, let's call them this way and you have many things to give account of. But Jarod says that.. if he's still alive, it's thanks to you. Now, there's a lot of work to do here, and we think you'll be useful. Mr Broots has agreed to help us with research and computers. You could help to explain and clarify the meaning of such.. projects"
"Your collaboration will favour your position." Added Malcom almost unwillingly "But it won't assure you impunity! And you'll be surveyed, don't you think you'll be free to go wherever you like!"
"I don't ask for impunity!" Syd was annoyed by Malcom's attitude "I know I have done.. awful things, and God knows if I could ever forgive myself for not having tried to stop them." The old man sighed deeply.
"Syd, you couldn't do anything!" Jarod objected.
"I should have to try! Catherine did it! Fenigor did it!" Syd shouted, slamming a fist on the desk.
"Sure! And look how they ended! Catherine dead, and Fenigor as if he were!" Jarod had an half smile "And if I remember.. well, you tried once." The pretender addressed the two feds "Syd put a bomb in SL-27, but it didn't work."
"I nearly killed everyone!" Remembered the shrink.
"Yeah, nearly! And you ended up in the Renewal Wing!" Broots completed.
It was the first time he had talked and everyone looked at him.
The shy tech blushed and made a step back, hoping to vanish.
Sydney turned to Malcom and O'Neal "I want to help, not for having a minor punishment nor for evading my responsibilities. Only.. to help. For the first time in my life I can help the people I care about." His eyes turned sad, thinking about Parker.
"We'll find her." Jarod seemed to have guessed what Syd was thinking. "Now, we can find her."
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
In the following weeks, the new team worked incessantly in order to find more evidences against Mr Parker, Raines and all their accomplices.
Not that it was hard to find them, any file, any DSA was evidence in itself. Broots was the one who worked the most. In the course of few days, he had found the new password, an incredible list of numbers!, and he was searching and discovering more things than he liked. The tech felt he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Finding the truth meant taking down the Centre, yes, but it meant helping many people to have back their past and their lives.
Sometimes, the truth had a bitter taste and Broots felt bad saying those things to Jarod and the feds. But the more he discovered, the more the Centre went down.
Sydney was doing his part, explaining the meaning and the purposes of many projects. Every time the shrink spoke to Malcom and O'Neal, he felt better.
Jarod worked on the past, most of all. Step by step, he was getting together his life and that gave him strength.
He was still trying to find Miss Parker, that one was the hardest part. She left nothing to work on. Jarod had found an old bank account, opened by Catherine Parker for benefit of her daughter, but it was closed eight months before. Nothing useful.
Nor was Lyle traceable, but Jarod never tried hard to find him despite the hate he felt for the murderer of Kyle.
Few, confused words from Angelo made him understand that the evil twin was no more so evil. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do: Lyle, like others, had awful crimes on his Curriculum Vitae, but he was, like others, a victim too. Jarod hoped he had made the right decision by letting him go.
"Jarod?" Fran's voice made Jarod turn around from the desktop.
"Some news?" The pretender asked, standing up. The woman nodded.
"Bad news?" He asked again. Every time Fran had that look, there was something wrong.
"Well," The woman sighed "It all depends from what you think is good or bad. Better if you come to see"
As the two walked to the tech room, Jarod asked Fran "Anything about my father and the boy?
"No, Jarod. My techs are checking the transmissions of files once again, but for now.. Are you sure this guy is our informer?"
Jarod shrugged "I don't know who else it could be. If only they would contact me. By now they have to know what's happened here!"
"Don't be so sure, the Big Chiefs decided not to give too much publicity to this stuff. Many heads are falling you know, and they fear a scandal, so the press has been kept away from it."
Jarod clenched his teeth "People have the right to know!"
Fran nodded "So I think too. But it's not our place to decide."
The two went in the Tec room where Broots and Syd with Malcom were waiting for them.
"Why the long faces!" Jarod joked, seeing the weird looks of his friends.
"Long faces?" Malcom snarled "You know Jarod, the more we dig in this garbage, the more I feel like killing everyone!"
Fran held her colleague's shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"What's happened?" Jarod turned to Syd and Broots. The tech didn't talk but moved himself aside so the pretender could see the picture on the screen.
"Miss Parker's little brother." Jarod nodded "What about him?"
Sydney tightened his lips, rage in his eyes and Broots began to talk, with a faltering voice.
"Not.. her little brother." deep sigh, it wasn't easy to say! "Her.. son.. "
"What?!?" Jarod stared the smiling child, incredulous.
"And yours." completed Syd.
"WHAT?!?"
"Not only did they cloned you..." The shrink was quivering with disdain. "No! They wanted an whole progeny of pretenders to train and exploit! Just to guarantee the old age!"
"And they used Brigitte to carry the child." Broots intervened "They knew Miss Parker would have never agreed to such a thing."
Jarod fell on a chair, trying to breath. A son! God, he had a son! With Parker!
Fran looked at him concerned "Hey, you okay?"
"Yes. I think." The pretender stood up again and stared the child's picture "I have to find them." He whispered.
"I'm asking myself." Fran said thoughtfully "Does she know? That the baby is hers? And yours?"
Jarod shrugged "Don't know. Maybe."
"I think she would have talked me about it." Was Syd's reply "And she never did."
"Maybe ONCE she would have Syd." Broots glanced at the shrink "Not the last times"
"Why not?" Malcom asked but before someone could answer him the phone rang. Fran pushed a button so everyone could hear and she talked.
"Federal agent O'Neal speaking."
A brief silence, then a male voice asked "Federal agent?"
Jarod jumped to the phone. "Dad!"
"Jarod? Son, what's happening there? Is it a set-up to make all of us come out?"
"No, Dad." Jarod laughed "No tricks, there are feds and policemen here. It's over Dad."
"Jarod." Major Charles sounded puzzled "Tell me the truth, are they threatening you to make you talk this way and-"
"Dad, I assure you there's no tricks, no threats, no jokes. I was hoping you would contact me. The boy is there with you?"
"Yes he is and when we read about a raid in a big organization in Delaware, he kept on saying that we had to call you. So I decided to call Sydney and ask to him. The last thing I thought to hear was a fed's voice.. and yours."
The people in the Tech room exchanged puzzled looks. Jarod lean on the desk frowning.
"I don't see the reason Dad, you two had to know about it by then."
"Why should we?" Major Charles sounded more puzzled than them.
"Dad, weren't you and the boy who contacted the feds to inform them about the Centre? The hackers who infiltrated the Centre's mainframe? To copy and send files to the CIA?"
A long silence, then "Jarod, I wish could tell you 'yes, we did that' but.. the truth is that I haven't the slightest idea about what you're saying! Did someone report the Centre?"
Jarod sat on a chair sighing "Yes Dad, and we thought about the boy. The way things had gone.. well, only a genius could do it."
Major Charles laughed merrily "I'll tell Jacob that all of you thought him able to take down the Centre, he'll be really flattered."
Sydney started with surprise hearing his brother's name.
"Dad." Jarod talked again "Please, come back here, we are searching for Mom and Emily too and.. Jacob.. " The pretender looked at his mentor smiling ".. Jacob could really help us so much."
"Okay, son. But give us a little time. We are in Nebraska, so.."
"Nebraska?!?" A chorus of voices asked.
"Please! Don't ask! It's a long story!"
The line went dead and the five people looked one another. Clearly, they were thinking all of them about the same thing.
It wasn't the boy. Who, then?
"We are again to the start." Fran sighed.
"Well." Said Malcom "It must have been another one. No offence, Jarod, but you're not the only genius in this place right?"
"With brain still intact? Yes, I am." Jarod shook his head and stood up, he began pacing back and forth.
"Maybe Angelo?" Syd suggested.
Jarod shook again his head "No. I asked him."
They stayed silent and thoughtful for awhile, then the faltering voice of Broots cut their musing off.
"I.. " Four heads turned abruptly toward him. Broots cowered under their gazes ".. think to k-know.. "
"-who's the informer?" Completed the others
"And what are you waiting for?" Malcom yelled, grabbing the tech's shirt.
"Robert, please!" Fran scolded him. Her colleague let Broots go and she smiled at him "I'm sorry Broots, Malcom has such a bad temper!"
Sydney addressed his co-worker. "Broots, if you know who he is, why didn't you say it?"
"I.. it's not that I know, Syd. You see, I THINK I know, I mean, there's no other.. if not-"
"Broots" Jarod cut him off "Who?"
Broots looked at one then at another, sighing. "Miss Parker."
"Miss Parker?!?" Jarod's tone was deeply skeptical.
"Yes!" Broots nodded "She knows the Centre in and out and about the security well, she was in security for a long time."
Neither was Syd persuaded "But she knows little or nothing about computers, Broots. That's why you're working here, remember?"
The tech stared at them, nervously "That is.. what WE think."
Jarod frowned "What do you mean?"
"There's something.. about Miss Parker.. that we are inclined to forget. She's a Red File, that is a pretender."
"A potential pretender." Underlined Syd "And she has never been trained because her test results weren't satisfying."
"And.. what if it wasn't true?" The bald man asked.
Sydney tried to persuade him. "Broots, I read the results myself! Despite her I.Q., Parker would have never been a pretender!"
"Are you sure?" Broots insisted "And what if the results had been falsified? This is the Centre, Syd. It wouldn't be the first time things are not what they seem to be."
"And who could have done that?"
"Well, her mother for one. If Catherine Parker would have found out that her daughter was a pretender, a GREAT pretender, maybe even better than Jarod! You knew her, Syd. What would she have done?" Sydney stared at Broots and so did Jarod. They knew the answer.
"She would have done everything to spare her daughter my same destiny." Jarod whispered.
"This Catherine Parker.. " Fran asked ".. was the woman you talked me about? The one who tried to make you run away from here?"
Jarod nodded and Syd explained "Catherine saved many children, despite of the danger. She knew she would be condemned, but she tried anyway to take away Jarod, her daughter and poor Angelo."
Malcom, red with rage, hissed "But she didn't manage to do it!"
"No." Was the sad answer given by Jarod "And Parker, Angelo, myself have been trapped here. I managed to escape, Angelo knows how to go out of here, but Parker.. she was wrapped up by so many lies and blackmails to make her totally unable to go away. She was CONVINCED she could never go away!"
"Till now." Broots made his voice heard. The others looked at him but this time he didn't waver. "Why now, why could she go away now?"
Jarod had a dry laugh "Because she took me back. Remember?"
"That's another point I don't understand, Jarod. Why did she bring you back? She had to know that her father would have never let her go. The only way for her was to disappear. So, why wasting time to bring you back? Miss Parker only had to take the child and.. " Broots snapped his fingers ".. vanish. Like she did, in effect."
The four people looked one another puzzled. Broots was giving so many things to think and musing about.
"And about.. " Broots turned again in the usual shy geek "it's not that.. I mean.. "
"Broots." Sydney sighed "Please, talk once for all!"
"Do you remember the day you were caught, Jarod?"
"And how could I forget it?"
"Well there were two leads, remember Syd? One was in Memphis. The other one was so weak not worth the trouble to check it. Miss Parker kept on saying that Memphis was a trap, that she would followed the second lead, no matter what her father said."
"Yeah, I remember." Sydney didn't understand the purpose of such a novel.
"She seemed really satisfied that Lyle went to Memphis and.. and after they'd gone, I found a note written by Parker. It said 'Pink and green' and 'Red notebook: shit!'"
Jarod frowned at these words and Broots nodding, went on with his story "She never went to Memphis, and yet she knew that you weren't there, Jarod. She knew what Lyle would find even before he arrived in it! And most of all, she knew where you were!"
Jarod was speechless. Broots insisted "How, Jarod? How did she know it?"
"By doing a Sim!" Syd was shocked and he ruffled his own hair, thinking aloud "That night I went to her, to invite her to my home. And she was so pale and sweaty.. What an old idiot am I!" He addressed Jarod "She had the same look you had after you did some difficult Sims! She had a lot of your pictures on her desk and.. she did a Sim!"
Jarod nodded slowly "And so she found me!"
"I.. I think she.. always knew.. how to.. find you." Broots glanced at the pretender "I mean.. she always seemed.. don't know, like she could...perceive.. your presence and.. her attitude, her... " The tech moved his hands, feeling frustration for not being able to explain himself.
Fran and Malcom had lost the thread a long time before but they stayed silent, listening carefully and making a mindful note of everything.
Jarod lifted one hand as like to stop the sea of revealed news.
"Okay." He said "Supposing that you're right Broots, that Parker is a pretender. And supposing that she's the informer, okay?"
Sydney and Broots nodded.
Jarod continued "She always knew how to find me, but.. she never did it, okay? Maybe because she didn't want it or.. don't know, anyway she never did it!"
"Okay." Was the answer.
"Then why did she do it now! All this is taking us back to is your first question, Broots. Why now? And why this way! For years I've tried to persuade her to go away, but she never paid attention to me! What changed? What's happened to make her make such a decision?"
"Her house burnt." Syd talked "After the loss of her home, Parker hasn't been the same anymore. She lost everything, every bond, every memory and maybe she discovered too about her little.. her son, and.. "
Broots shook his head "I don't think she knew about the baby. In the state of mind she was those days, she would have killed everyone surely."
"Yeah, you're right." The shrink sighed "Parker nearly shot me too. Let's say that after her house burnt, she wanted to go away and.. " Syd sighed again. "Here we are again! Why taking time to catch Jarod! Why not disappearing and that's all!"
"Maybe she couldn't do it." Fran talked with a low, sweet voice "And maybe she did it now because she couldn't do it before."
Jarod turned to stare at her with wide opened eyes. The woman felt she was blushing.
"It was only an idea." She justified herself.
But Jarod felt like kicking himself: the answer was so easy and banal, but he hadn't seen it!
"She couldn't! Sure, she couldn't! Because.. she would endanger your lives!" The pretender addressed Syd and Broots "Think about it! Think about Parker! BEFORE her house burnt! What would have happened if she was disappeared THEN, with the child?"
"Well." Broots began "There would have been inquiries, checks and interrogatories, most of all to her coworkers.. " Broots voice faded away realizing what he was saying.
"The T-board." Jarod nodded "You two would have ended up in front of the T-board and nothing could have saved you. Working side by side like you did in the last years, who on earth would believe you didn't know anything about her escape?"
The pretender was pacing again back and forth, one hand moving in the air to underline his words "That's why she pushed all of you away, remember Syd? You said she didn't let you get close to her, she was changed, merciless and cold like never before. Parker had to persuade everyone here, that you, Broots, Sam were out of her life definitively! So, after her disappearances you wouldn't have been considered her accomplices!"
Sydney shook his head, shocked "She aimed her gun at me! I was SURE she would have killed me to catch you, Jarod and it was only a pretend!"
Jarod looked straight in Syd's eyes "Yeah, since the fire of her house, Parker has pretended all the time. To protect you Syd, and Broots, his daughter, Sam, Angelo.. and even me."
Broots almost laughed "Taking you back? A strange way to protect you, Jarod!"
"Think about it, Broots! Parker needed the total attention of the Centre.. "
"Needed?!?" Asked Broots but Jarod didn't answer and went on.
"Since I was here, the Centre concentrated its search on her forgetting all the rest. Hell! I was left alone for weeks in that cell!"
Malcom began to get tired "Jarod! Cut short!"
"The Centre was much too worried about getting back Parker and the child, so they let go all the checks and recordings they usually did when I was free. So Parker had no trouble infiltrating the mainframe, re-programming the security system with a new password and sending all she found to you feds."
"Someone could notice what she was doing." Fran objected.
"And why? No-one knew she had the skills to do such things. Not even us!"
"So, Parker wanted to take down the Centre." Sydney felt a little confused. "What could have persuaded her to do it? The fire?"
"I don't think so." Jarod answered "She closed that old bank account a month before the fire and that means Parker was already planning to go away, she only was waiting for the right moment. The fire of her house.. well, it had to be the last drop. She felt trapped probably and she had to accelerate the time before it was too late."
Malcom made an annoyed gesture "But too late for what?"
Jarod looked up trying to focus "I.. don't know. Something went off in her mind, but.. I don't know what. I know only that I have to find her. Parker and the child."
end part 4
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