i) The Centre, July 1999.
ii) 'Sick of all the same old answers, lost chances, cold stones' (Nightblindness, D. Gray)
Coming Through.
"I won't let him hurt you anymore, I promise. We're going to get you out of here."
The young boy looked up at the woman. Could he really believe her, she seemed so sincere. He would give anything and everything to be out of the situation he was in now. He had lied when he said he was happy doing sims - he hated it. To be exact he hated Raines and what he did to him. The woman, he had heard her be addressed as Miss Parker, was offering him a way out and he didn't believe it was a trick. She had been the only one, in all the time he could remember, who had spoken to him without wanting anything. He slowly nodded his head.
Miss Parker smiled at the boy's reaction and took his hand in hers. "We need to move fast, okay?" Time was scarce in this escapade, she and Broots had managed to come up with an escape route at a moments notice but there were no guarantees it would work. The reaction on Broots' face was priceless when she suggested she would take the boy and run. It was practically his idea anyway, 'What would your mother do?'
The boy followed her out into the corridor, it was clear. Broots should be with Sydney and Raines right about now. He had come through for her in the end, it must have been the alcohol, he wouldn't normally have the nerve. It was his suggestion to hold off The Centre's hierarchy whilst she got the boy. As they moved along the corridor Miss Parker felt for her gun, intending to use it if necessary but reluctant to take it out of the holster and scare the boy.
It was going well until they heard voices in the distance. Miss Parker felt for her gun once more but was stopped from drawing the weapon by a nearby vent opening and the appearance of Angelo. He urged them both to follow him, uttering "Safe. No one watching." Miss Parker made sure the boy entered first and then got in herself managing to close the vent behind her in ample time to avoid the sweepers walking down the corridor. Silently praying that there would be enough time to make good their escape before the boy's absence was noticed they followed Angelo along the ventilation system. If the boy had any reservations about the whole venture he was not voicing them.
They arrived at their destination, the parking lot, after five or so minutes. Angelo descended first then helped both the boy and Miss Parker out of the shaft. He then produced a bunch of keys from his pocket and grinned, "Safe, car safe. Not find you."
Miss Parker gave in to the urge to hug him saying her thanks at the same time. Withdrawing from the embrace she found the boy staring at them his face still blank. She asked Angelo which car and he pointed to a dark saloon, definitely not her usual style. With Angelo watching from the safety of the ventilation shaft they fled into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"They're going to move the boy, I need to know when." It was not a question but a demand.
Sydney unfortunately was not in a position to answer his protege's enquiry. For one thing he didn't know exactly where the boy was and, another, he was pretty sure that he would be under intense scrutiny from this day forth making any contact with Jarod difficult. "Jarod I can't help you, I don't know where he is." Sydney's reply was aimed at those he thought may be eavesdropping as well as the man on the other end of the line.
"What's going on Sydney?" Jarod's voice grew concerned at the sparse details he had received.
"Miss Parker took the boy Jarod, about two hours ago. It may have been longer than that, we're not exactly sure - all of The Centre's cameras managed to malfunction at exactly the same time." Secretly Sydney was pleased at the turn of events but his conversation with Jarod was making it clear that he was not the one who aided and abetted Miss Parker. "The Centre is on shut down Jarod. Raines is fuming and Mr Parker... Well he's worse. Lyle and Brigette are heading up the investigation - they are 'talking' to Broots right now and I have a feeling I am next."
"Did you help her?" Jarod realised of course that everyone would be under suspicion, that was The Centre way - trust no one.
Sydney held his tongue for a moment. His innocence in this whole affair was, for once, genuine. His insistence on being in charge of Project Gemini could be taken either way though - that he genuinely wanted to take charge of the boy or that he was involved in the escape. Though he had not physically aided the boy's escape he was involved in an abstract way. Sydney chided himself again for not taking Miss Parker into his confidence over his real intentions regarding the boy. He felt as if he were to blame in some way for her actions but he couldn't risk telling her. Though it now seemed she would have condoned his actions. "No Jarod, I didn't."
Jarod thanked Sydney for the information and hung up. HIs father had been pacing behind him for the duration of the conversation and he explained what little he knew to him.
"Catherine's daughter? Isn't she the one who's been chasing you, trying to return you to The Centre?"
"Yes."
"Will the boy be safe with her?"
Jarod resisted the urge to snap at his father. He could feel his stress levels rising and tried to take some deep breaths in an effort to calm down and focus his thoughts. The truth was he had never expected this, not from her. For all his pushing and needling of her he never expected her to walk out - especially like this. He supposed the boy was too much of a reminder for her, of the past, of the bad times.
Maybe it was all the lies and deceit and she could finally take no more. He would have to ask her when he caught up with her, because he suddenly decided that was exactly what he was going to do. He still needed, wanted to see the boy. Right now though they could probably do with his help. "Yes. Miss Parker is more like her mother than she would like people to believe. The Centre catching up with them is going to be the bigger problem, we need to distract their attentions elsewhere."
The Major eyed his son carefully. He trusted his judgement, though he was finding it hard to believe that one of The Centre's operatives had turned. But then again hadn't Catherine? Like mother like daughter. "Okay. What can we do?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So let me get this straight Broots, because I'm finding this a little difficult to believe. You and Sydney come to me and Raines with vital information on Jarod's whereabouts, going behind Miss Parker's back, just as she is escaping with the boy."
Broots swallowed hard. "Yes." He wasn't sure what he found most unnerving: Lyle's form of questioning or Brigette's unflinching scrutiny.
Lyle stared hard at Broots. "Why didn't you take this information to my sister? Why would you go behind her back?"
"She, er.. wasn't interested." He swallowed hard again.
Lyle's stony glare remained.
"I mean she, er, seemed distracted. Not herself. Ever since we found out about... you know..." Broots cleared his throat a little wishing he could take a sip of cola, juice or water, anyhting wet. But not alcohol. Alcohol had gotten him into this mess to begin with. "I can see why she was distracted now..."
Lyle glanced at Brigette for some kind of recognition from her but she continued to stare at the balding geek. Lyle ploughed on. "And the cameras, Broots? How did she manage that, more your area of expertise isn't it?"
This was the first question that Broots could answer truthfully as he really didn't know how that had happened. "I don't know, maybe she took some computer courses..." Broots surprised himself with his nerve for what felt like the hundreth time in twenty four hours. He had offered to help Miss Parker take the boy and had persisted when she had, at first, declined his offer of help. It was even his idea to distract the 'main players' involved in Project Gemini, quickly mocking up a lead on Jarod. How all the cameras happened to go down at the same time was truly a mystery to him, maybe it was a stroke of good fortune. Didn't she deserve some luck in her life?
"Of course she hasn't!" Lyle boomed.
Brigette finally shed her quiet demeanor and walked up to Lyle relieving him of the interrogation. Taking his place in front of Broots she leant in far enough to reveal enough of her chest, "Are you sure you didn't help her just a little?"
Broots shifted uncomfortably in his seat at her proximity. "No, I didn't know anything about it. And if I had, well... I still wouldn't have."
"And why is that?" Brigette purred.
"I have too much to lose", Broots replied thinking of his little girl tucked up safely in bed.
Brigette smiled at this and straightened up. "Exactly. You're a smart man, Mr Broots. I hope for your, and your daughter's, sakes you remain that way."
Broots fidgeted in his seat and nodded his head. He breathed a small sigh of relief as the other two people vacated the room.
"Well?" Lyle asked after he closed the door.
"I don't think so Lyle. He hasn't got the balls. Maybe we'll get further with Sydney."
"Are you kidding? Sydney almost bust a gut to get his hands on Project Gemini. Raines was fuming about it."
Brigette considered this as they made their way down one of The Centre's endless corridors. "Maybe that was why he wanted to be involved."
"Maybe, but Sydney has over thirty years with The Centre - he knows his boundaries." Lyle thought that it was an interesting angle to use in Sydney's interrogation and he hoped he got to play the 'bad cop' again. That was his favourite part though he could turn on the charm if the occassion warranted it. "You know it wouldn't surprise me if Jarod had something to do with this." Brigette raised her eyebrows at him. "He cares about my sister we know that. What has always concerned The Centre is how much she reciprocates those feelings."
As they walked along neither noticed the pair of eyes tracing their movements from a ventilation shaft. "Daughter, safe."
ii) 'Sick of all the same old answers, lost chances, cold stones' (Nightblindness, D. Gray)
Coming Through.
"I won't let him hurt you anymore, I promise. We're going to get you out of here."
The young boy looked up at the woman. Could he really believe her, she seemed so sincere. He would give anything and everything to be out of the situation he was in now. He had lied when he said he was happy doing sims - he hated it. To be exact he hated Raines and what he did to him. The woman, he had heard her be addressed as Miss Parker, was offering him a way out and he didn't believe it was a trick. She had been the only one, in all the time he could remember, who had spoken to him without wanting anything. He slowly nodded his head.
Miss Parker smiled at the boy's reaction and took his hand in hers. "We need to move fast, okay?" Time was scarce in this escapade, she and Broots had managed to come up with an escape route at a moments notice but there were no guarantees it would work. The reaction on Broots' face was priceless when she suggested she would take the boy and run. It was practically his idea anyway, 'What would your mother do?'
The boy followed her out into the corridor, it was clear. Broots should be with Sydney and Raines right about now. He had come through for her in the end, it must have been the alcohol, he wouldn't normally have the nerve. It was his suggestion to hold off The Centre's hierarchy whilst she got the boy. As they moved along the corridor Miss Parker felt for her gun, intending to use it if necessary but reluctant to take it out of the holster and scare the boy.
It was going well until they heard voices in the distance. Miss Parker felt for her gun once more but was stopped from drawing the weapon by a nearby vent opening and the appearance of Angelo. He urged them both to follow him, uttering "Safe. No one watching." Miss Parker made sure the boy entered first and then got in herself managing to close the vent behind her in ample time to avoid the sweepers walking down the corridor. Silently praying that there would be enough time to make good their escape before the boy's absence was noticed they followed Angelo along the ventilation system. If the boy had any reservations about the whole venture he was not voicing them.
They arrived at their destination, the parking lot, after five or so minutes. Angelo descended first then helped both the boy and Miss Parker out of the shaft. He then produced a bunch of keys from his pocket and grinned, "Safe, car safe. Not find you."
Miss Parker gave in to the urge to hug him saying her thanks at the same time. Withdrawing from the embrace she found the boy staring at them his face still blank. She asked Angelo which car and he pointed to a dark saloon, definitely not her usual style. With Angelo watching from the safety of the ventilation shaft they fled into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"They're going to move the boy, I need to know when." It was not a question but a demand.
Sydney unfortunately was not in a position to answer his protege's enquiry. For one thing he didn't know exactly where the boy was and, another, he was pretty sure that he would be under intense scrutiny from this day forth making any contact with Jarod difficult. "Jarod I can't help you, I don't know where he is." Sydney's reply was aimed at those he thought may be eavesdropping as well as the man on the other end of the line.
"What's going on Sydney?" Jarod's voice grew concerned at the sparse details he had received.
"Miss Parker took the boy Jarod, about two hours ago. It may have been longer than that, we're not exactly sure - all of The Centre's cameras managed to malfunction at exactly the same time." Secretly Sydney was pleased at the turn of events but his conversation with Jarod was making it clear that he was not the one who aided and abetted Miss Parker. "The Centre is on shut down Jarod. Raines is fuming and Mr Parker... Well he's worse. Lyle and Brigette are heading up the investigation - they are 'talking' to Broots right now and I have a feeling I am next."
"Did you help her?" Jarod realised of course that everyone would be under suspicion, that was The Centre way - trust no one.
Sydney held his tongue for a moment. His innocence in this whole affair was, for once, genuine. His insistence on being in charge of Project Gemini could be taken either way though - that he genuinely wanted to take charge of the boy or that he was involved in the escape. Though he had not physically aided the boy's escape he was involved in an abstract way. Sydney chided himself again for not taking Miss Parker into his confidence over his real intentions regarding the boy. He felt as if he were to blame in some way for her actions but he couldn't risk telling her. Though it now seemed she would have condoned his actions. "No Jarod, I didn't."
Jarod thanked Sydney for the information and hung up. HIs father had been pacing behind him for the duration of the conversation and he explained what little he knew to him.
"Catherine's daughter? Isn't she the one who's been chasing you, trying to return you to The Centre?"
"Yes."
"Will the boy be safe with her?"
Jarod resisted the urge to snap at his father. He could feel his stress levels rising and tried to take some deep breaths in an effort to calm down and focus his thoughts. The truth was he had never expected this, not from her. For all his pushing and needling of her he never expected her to walk out - especially like this. He supposed the boy was too much of a reminder for her, of the past, of the bad times.
Maybe it was all the lies and deceit and she could finally take no more. He would have to ask her when he caught up with her, because he suddenly decided that was exactly what he was going to do. He still needed, wanted to see the boy. Right now though they could probably do with his help. "Yes. Miss Parker is more like her mother than she would like people to believe. The Centre catching up with them is going to be the bigger problem, we need to distract their attentions elsewhere."
The Major eyed his son carefully. He trusted his judgement, though he was finding it hard to believe that one of The Centre's operatives had turned. But then again hadn't Catherine? Like mother like daughter. "Okay. What can we do?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So let me get this straight Broots, because I'm finding this a little difficult to believe. You and Sydney come to me and Raines with vital information on Jarod's whereabouts, going behind Miss Parker's back, just as she is escaping with the boy."
Broots swallowed hard. "Yes." He wasn't sure what he found most unnerving: Lyle's form of questioning or Brigette's unflinching scrutiny.
Lyle stared hard at Broots. "Why didn't you take this information to my sister? Why would you go behind her back?"
"She, er.. wasn't interested." He swallowed hard again.
Lyle's stony glare remained.
"I mean she, er, seemed distracted. Not herself. Ever since we found out about... you know..." Broots cleared his throat a little wishing he could take a sip of cola, juice or water, anyhting wet. But not alcohol. Alcohol had gotten him into this mess to begin with. "I can see why she was distracted now..."
Lyle glanced at Brigette for some kind of recognition from her but she continued to stare at the balding geek. Lyle ploughed on. "And the cameras, Broots? How did she manage that, more your area of expertise isn't it?"
This was the first question that Broots could answer truthfully as he really didn't know how that had happened. "I don't know, maybe she took some computer courses..." Broots surprised himself with his nerve for what felt like the hundreth time in twenty four hours. He had offered to help Miss Parker take the boy and had persisted when she had, at first, declined his offer of help. It was even his idea to distract the 'main players' involved in Project Gemini, quickly mocking up a lead on Jarod. How all the cameras happened to go down at the same time was truly a mystery to him, maybe it was a stroke of good fortune. Didn't she deserve some luck in her life?
"Of course she hasn't!" Lyle boomed.
Brigette finally shed her quiet demeanor and walked up to Lyle relieving him of the interrogation. Taking his place in front of Broots she leant in far enough to reveal enough of her chest, "Are you sure you didn't help her just a little?"
Broots shifted uncomfortably in his seat at her proximity. "No, I didn't know anything about it. And if I had, well... I still wouldn't have."
"And why is that?" Brigette purred.
"I have too much to lose", Broots replied thinking of his little girl tucked up safely in bed.
Brigette smiled at this and straightened up. "Exactly. You're a smart man, Mr Broots. I hope for your, and your daughter's, sakes you remain that way."
Broots fidgeted in his seat and nodded his head. He breathed a small sigh of relief as the other two people vacated the room.
"Well?" Lyle asked after he closed the door.
"I don't think so Lyle. He hasn't got the balls. Maybe we'll get further with Sydney."
"Are you kidding? Sydney almost bust a gut to get his hands on Project Gemini. Raines was fuming about it."
Brigette considered this as they made their way down one of The Centre's endless corridors. "Maybe that was why he wanted to be involved."
"Maybe, but Sydney has over thirty years with The Centre - he knows his boundaries." Lyle thought that it was an interesting angle to use in Sydney's interrogation and he hoped he got to play the 'bad cop' again. That was his favourite part though he could turn on the charm if the occassion warranted it. "You know it wouldn't surprise me if Jarod had something to do with this." Brigette raised her eyebrows at him. "He cares about my sister we know that. What has always concerned The Centre is how much she reciprocates those feelings."
As they walked along neither noticed the pair of eyes tracing their movements from a ventilation shaft. "Daughter, safe."