6/?
 

Broots gnawed absently on his lower lip as his fingers flew over thekeyboard.  Every now and then he cast a furtive glance around theroom, even though he tried to stop it.  It didn’t matter that he wasin his own study in his own home, he feared the Centre would find out abouthis activities and half expected Sweepers to come bursting through thedoor at any minute.  Satisfied once again that all was peaceful andstill he turned his attention back to the monitor on his desk.

He couldn’t remember ever being so frightened in his life.  Evenwhen he’d been running from Lyle he had only been afraid for himself. Now, he was afraid for Parker.  Sydney believed that she’d done somethingunforgivable, and even he felt a sickening pain inside when he thoughtof her aborting her child.  He’d seen the strain on her face, though,and wondered just what was driving her.  Oh, she’d carefully hiddenher distress behind makeup and her brittle mask of antagonism, but it wasunmistakably there if one looked closely enough.

Something was driving the woman he respected, admired, and, yes, evenloved  in an untouchable way.  Maybe she had done something horrible,but really, could he judge her?  Was she wrong to save the baby fromlife in the Centre?   He thought of his daughter Debbie, peacefullysleeping in her room, at the mercy of Raines, (before he’d found religion)or Lyle and shuddered.  He wasn’t sure, be he thought he just mightkill her himself, now, if it would spare her such a fate.  WhateverParker had done, he had faith that she’d only done what she thought shehad to do.  She might be abrasive, and appear ruthless and cold sometimes,but he knew that she was a warm and loving woman underneath all of that,and he trusted her heart.

He didn’t know how to tell her he believed in her, knew that she wasonly doing what was necessary to survive, so he was doing the next bestthing.  He was trying to uncover what Lyle had been so happy to findin the Centre’s main database.  So far he’d managed to get as faras Project Gemini’s files, but he hadn’t yet figured out how to get intothem.  It wouldn’t be long, though.  He’d have the security guardingthe project down and get the information "through the back door", as itwere.

He found himself looking around for Sweepers again, as he waited forhis program to do its work, and was relieved when his computer beeped anddrew his attention back to the monitor.  He cursed his foolishnessin ever taking a job at the Centre, not for the first time, and reflectedthat he simply was not cut out for a life of intrigue, also not for thefirst time.  His fears were forgotten, however, when he started readingthe files around Project Gemini.  His eyes widened and his mouth droppedopen in amazement as he realized what he’d found.

Disregarding the late hour he phoned Sydney not ten minutes later.

"Sydney."  He said to the man’s drowsy query.  "I’ve foundsomething that’s concerning Miss Parker."

"I don’t want to hear it, Broots."  Sydney answered with wearypain. "I just can’t deal with another problem right now."

"Sydney, you *want* to know this, trust me."  Broots insisted,getting Sydney’s attention with his persistence.

"Okay, what is it?"  He sighed, his mind drifting longingly towardsthe dream he’d been having when his phone had rung.

"I know what Lyle found today."  Broots answered simply. "But that isn’t all.  You have to come over here, now."

He waited out the dead silence on the line while Sydney considered thematter.  He knew Sydney’s feeling of pain and betrayal was warringwith his lifelong habit of caring for Miss Parker.  In the end a lifetimeof habit won out and he agreed to make his way to Broots’ home, addinghis warning that Broots would be an extremely unhappy man if his informationwas not earth shaking in importance.

************************

Parker strode through the sterile hallways of the underground installation know of by only a select few.  She thought she was successfully maskingher  revulsion, and nausea, at returning to this house of horrors,but she was  still glad that only a skeleton staff was awake and aboutat this hour of  the night.  She came to a metal door, set anonymouslyinto the concrete walls without even a number to label it, and paused.

She’d already seen enough hurt and betrayed looks for one lifetime,was she  ready to deal with one more?  Did she have a choice? She took a deep breath  for courage and unlocked the door, pushingit open and then jumping back as a container full of disgusting refuseplummeted down.  Fortunately none of the repulsive stuff got on her. Parker delayed her entrance long enough to call for a janitor to cleanup the mess.  Already the smell was making her earlier nausea return.

"Emily, I presume?"  She asked dryly, eyeing the petite brunettewho glared at her with stubborn defiance and Jarod’s brown eyes. She felt her heart twist painfully to see his eyes set in her face, andeyeing her with such hostility.

"What the hell do you care what my name is?"  The young woman mightbe petite, but she was courageous, Parker admitted to herself.  Shekept her reaction to a slightly raised eyebrow, and circled the girl assessingly.

"You can call me Miss Parker."  She informed the prisoner, herlips twitching slightly as she awaited the girl’s response.  Emilydidn’t disappoint her.

"I’d prefer to call you,-----"  Parker couldn’t restrain a grinof admiration at the audacity, and sheer vulgarity of Emily’s preferredname for her.

"I think you’d better stick to Miss Parker."  She chuckled, confusingEmily who had obviously expected anger, not humor.  "And don’t youthink the "pail over the door" trick is a trifle childish?"

"If you’d spent the better part of a day with dark, handsome, and octopushands, you’d arrange a suitable greeting for him too."  Emily answeredwithout the slightest sign of regret or intimidation.  Parker’s smilegrew.  She *liked* this girl.  For the first time in weeks shewas feeling halfway good, and it was Emily’s stubborn rebellion, and indomitablespirit that had brought it on.  She was suddenly glad that she’d decidedto rescue the girl.

"I believe you mean my brother, Lyle."  Parker answered, eyes twinkling. "My suitable greeting for him is a gun, but I’m assuming that isn’t anoption for you?"

"Whoa, talk about family feuds!  As for a gun, don’t I wish! Nope, I just had to do the best I could with what I had on hand."

"Your best is very inventive."  Parker approved.  Emily noticed,however, that as friendly as the woman seemed she made sure she wasn’twithin an arm’s length of her at any time.  Her half formed hope thatshe could jump the woman and use her as a hostage to escape died aborning.

"Do you know where you are?"  Parker asked curiously, wonderingif Emily had any  idea of just how serious her position was. Emily retained her antagonistic pose, but Parker saw a glimmer of fearin her brown eyes as she answered.

"Well, if this isn’t the Centre that stole my brothers then it’s a branchof it."  She answered, hostility renewed by her reminder of captivity. She didn’t want to like this tall, and intimidating, if she was honest,woman.  Emily reminded herself that the woman was the enemy, no matterhow kind and welcoming her blue eyes seemed.

"You’re in the Centre’s satellite installation, Donoterase."  Parkercorrected her bluntly.  "The Centre is quite interested in your family’sgenetic makeup, and you’ve just volunteered to assist Project Gemini."

"Project Gemini?"  Emily’s eyes narrowed as she turned over theimplications of the name.  "Twins?  What’s that got to do withmy family?"

"Not twins, dear, clones.  The Centre appreciated Jarod so muchthat it has decided to make more of him."  Emily’s frown grew as sheeyed Parker grimly.   It hadn’t escaped her attention that thewoman had yet to refer to herself in a fashion connecting her to the Centre. On the other hand, she hadn’t offered to look the other way while Emilytook off either.

"I just thought we should get acquainted, Emily, seeing as how we’regoing to spend a fair amount of time together."  Parker finally said,breaking the silence that had descended while Emily tried to puzzle outParker’s position in all of this.  "I’m the new head of Project Gemini. If you need anything, do be sure and let me know----I don’t know if I’llget it for you, but who knows?"  Her words were saying one thing,but her eyes were locked intently on Emily’s, willing the girl to see thatshe wasn’t what she appeared to be.

"A key to the door would be nice."  Emily finally responded, leaningback on her bed with a sardonic grin on her lips.  An undetectablesigh of relief escaped Parker’s lips.  Emily’s questioning, and faintlychallenging, look told Parker that she’d accepted that there was more goingon that what was visible on the surface.  Parker smiled a trifle sardonicallyherself.

"Sorry, dear, I’m afraid that’s not an option."  She responded,her stance relaxing slightly as Emily showed no signs of rebuffing herhidden overture of friendship.  "One thing I think I *can* do foryou, though."

"What?"  Emily asked warily.

"I can make sure my brother Lyle gets your "greeting" tomorrow whenhe goes into his office.  I *might* even be able to get a pictureof it.  I owe the smug bastard a thing or two myself."  Emilystared at the viciously vindictive expression on Parker’s face with a touchof awe.  It dawned on her that the petty humiliations Lyle had heapedon her after her capture were nothing compared to what he must have doneto Parker to rouse such hatred.

"Ah, that would be satisfying, but don’t you think that’s taking siblingrivalry just a bit far?"  She asked hesitantly, unknowingly echoingSydney’s sentiments voiced over a year earlier.  Parker gave her asmile dripping with venom, although Emily realized that none of the acidwas directed at her.

"Emily, you have no idea how far either my brother or I will take ourpersonal battle.  Suffice it to say that my dear brother crossed aline that he should have never even approached.  He will live to regretit, but I’m not sure how much longer than that I’ll give him."

"Right."  Emily said cautiously, giving Parker a look that wasusually reserved for lunatics, or angry postal workers.  Her lipswere quirked slightly, though, as she went on.  "Remind me not topiss you off, okay?"

Parker found herself laughing, rich, full bodied sound of utter delight,before she realized it.

"Oh, Emily, if only your brother had your sense of humor!"  Shefinally managed, still chuckling.

"Wait!"  Emily cried, leaping off of the bed as Parker made forthe door.  "You know my brothers?"

Parker swung around at Emily’s question, her heart dropping sickeninglyas she realized that Emily didn’t know that one of her brothers was dead. The humor disappeared from her face as she realized that she was goingto get to break the news of Kyle’s murder to his sister.

"I grew up with Jarod."  She admitted briefly.  "We’ll talkmore tomorrow, okay?  I’ve got to get going if I’m going to prepareLyle’s office for tomorrow."

"Please!"

Parker regretted closing the door on that heartfelt plea, but she simplycouldn’t face anymore pain that day.  She was glad that she’d finallygotten her initial meeting with Emily over with.  She’d managed tobring herself up to date on the Gemini project while she was working upthe courage to face Jarod’s sister, so the day wasn’t wasted, but it hadstill been a hell of a day and she was exhausted.  Her momentary cheerin Emily’s cell had evaporated, and it was a drooping, and curiously emptied,woman who made her way out of the Donoterase installation.

*****************

"One more!"  Jarod waved his hand vaguely at the shot glass infront of him.

"I think you’ve had more than enough, son."

It was a measure of Jarod’s level of inebriation that he didn’t recognizethe voice that sounded behind him.  He didn’t even feel afraid thatthe person shaking his shoulder might be a sweeper.  He simply didn’tcare anymore.  All he wanted was to numb the pain that seemed likeit was going to consume him and leave nothing but cold ashes behind. He just blinked blearily at the older man who’d turned him around in hisbar stool and now sighed in disappointment.

"Dad?"  He asked foggily, sure he was delirious.

"Well, you can still see."  His father noted dryly.  "Now,can you walk?"

"Doan’ know."  He admitted.  "Doan wanna."

"Son, I don’t know what made you come here, but I promise you alcoholisn’t going to do a bit of good."  Major Charles tossed a bill ontothe counter to cover Jarod’s tab and pulled his nearly incapacitated sonto his feet.  Jarod wavered unsteadily, and the Major pulled one ofJarod’s arms over his shoulder, holding tightly to that hand, and supportedhim around the waist with his other arm.

"She killed it."  Jarod mumbled, drunken tears rolling down hisface.  "Thought it would make it stop hurting, just for a little while,but it still hurts so much!"

Major Charles wondered who "she" and "it" were, but knew better thanto question a drunk.  He just propelled his weeping son into a waitingjeep, told J.J. to wait on his questions, and headed them out of the townand towards the cabin he’d rented in the boondocks.  In the morningthey’d find out what was going on, he assured J.J.  (Jarod Junior),in the meantime the older Jarod needed peace and quiet.  He did wonder,briefly, if his son knew what a price he was going to pay for his excessesthe next morning.  Considering the boy’s upbringing, he rather doubtedit.  Oh well, what better way to learn to avoid too much liquor thana monster hangover?
 
 

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Part 7