"What do you have for me, Jarod?" Curt
ignored the busy hum of noise that surrounded him and focused on the grinning
man in front of him.
"I have them!" Jarod answered obliquely.
"I don’t know how you guys got this stuff, I’ve been looking for it for
years, but I’ve cracked the encryption code, with ****’s help."
"Slow down, Jarod, and explain what the hell
you’re talking about." Curt burst into his excited babble.
"I have the names! The Triumvirate, the board
members of the Centre, even a list of names that I’m pretty sure are their
government contacts." Triumphantly Jarod shoved a sheaf of papers into
Curt’s hands. "Now let’s take those bastards out!"
"Not so fast." Curt cautioned, skimming
over the names Jarod had just given him. "We’ve got to plan this
carefully."
"Damn it, Curt!" Jarod flared impatiently.
"It’s been months! How long do you think Anne can hold out?"
"Think, Jarod!" Curt urged seriously.
"If we mount an open attack on the Centre or anyone connected to
it, how long do you think she’ll live? What’s the first thing they’ll do if
they feel threatened?"
Jarod limped to the door and slammed his way into
the hall. There he limped from one end to the other, ignoring the pain in his
still fragile leg, fighting with his urgent need to rescue the woman he loved.
After long moments of internal struggle he grudgingly accepted that Curt was
right, and sighed, head hanging in an unaccustomed posture of defeat and
exhaustion. He sensed that Anne’s time was growing dangerously short, but he
had to admit that her rescue couldn’t be rushed. It had to be planned
meticulously, or it would end in disaster for all of them.
"I know it’s hard to be patient, Jarod."
Curt said quietly from behind him. Jarod turned to face the man he now
considered a friend, his face drawn with care.
"I’m worried." He said quietly, and
unnecessarily. "I get this feeling that Anne’s in grave danger. We have to
move as fast as possible."
"You have my word." Curt assured him.
Jarod studied his face, judging his sincerity and how seriously he took Anne’s
safety. "We’ll do everything we can to make sure she’s safe, Jarod, I
swear. But that means careful planning and perfect timing."
"I know." Jarod accepted reluctantly.
"What’s your preliminary timeline?"
"A week to check out the names and another to
line up our ducks. Then we’ll start taking down this hydra one head at a time.
We’ll do everything we can to make them believe it’s just random chance as long
as possible. If I believe that they’re on to us, I’ll order an immediate strike
at the Centre itself to try and extricate Anne."
"What can I do to hurry matters?" Jarod
asked, unwilling to sit back and leave everything in Curt’s hands.
"You can work on these files." Curt
answered promptly, holding out several CD cases. "Our inside man just got
them to us."
Jarod took them with a resigned sigh, wanting
nothing more than to head for Delaware immediately, but accepting reality.
’Hold on, Annie! ’ He thought painfully. ‘We’re almost
ready to come get you; just hold on for a few more weeks.
Annie, my beautiful love, tell me you’re happy, tell
me you love me too."
"No! No, I can’t! Love is dangerous; it hurts
you."
"No, my poor confused angel, it’s the lack of
love that hurts us." He countered softly. "I know things are hard
right now, that everything seems hopeless, but I’m coming for you soon. Just
hold on a little longer."
"You can’t come, that’s what Lyle wants, it’s
what he’s waiting for." She gasped with dismay. "Do you understand
me? Stay away, Jarod!"
"As if I could." Jarod chuckled
indulgently. "Don’t you know that you are the light of my life? I can’t go
back to living in the darkness now that you’ve shown me what I was
missing."
"Jarod, I’m not that Anne anymore." She
confessed brokenly. "Lyle has---he’s changed me. Please just forget me! It
would be better for everyone."
"I can’t do that, darling, I love you too
much---I need you too much." He assured her seriously. "Lyle can’t do
anything to you that would change that. I promise, I won’t let him hurt you
anymore. Just wait for me a little longer. I’ll be with you soon."
"Jarod, don’t! I can’t stand for anyone else to
get hurt because of me, especially not you! Please, don’t come here,
please!"
But he was gone and couldn’t hear her. She cried,
desolate tears slipping silently down a porcelain face. Couldn’t he understand
the danger? Why wouldn’t he listen to her?
I woke up, my face wet with tears and my entire body
stiff and cramped. Lyle had ordered us to remain in his favorite position of
subservience all night; kneeling, and forehead to the floor. One reason he
loved the position is that it exposed my back to his blows. He’d used the
leather strap last night.
Why? Who knows? I had come to believe that he simply
couldn’t be satisfied unless he caused pain on a regular basis.
It took me several minutes simply to stand. Not only
were my legs completely numb, but the pain of my abused back and ribs made
every movement an agony. The only bright point was that he had left after
venting his spleen on me. He never visited me during the day so I was safe, for
the moment.
I finally pushed myself up on wobbly legs and
staggered into the bedroom to get ready for Deirdre. A quick shower loosened me
up to the point that I could move without groaning, and my alter managed to
dampen what was left of the pain enough for me to ignore it. I tried hard not
to allow Deirdre to have even an inkling of what I went through while she was
gone. Children are amazingly sensitive, and I didn’t want her distressed in any
way. She had already had enough trauma for one lifetime.
’ I was dressed and waiting in the wooden rocker
that Lyle had supplied me with when I heard an angry female voice outside in
the hall. It wasn’t the nurse, although it was a strangely familiar voice. A
deep, male voice, my guard, answered her, only to be cut off sharply. I
couldn't hear words through the thick metal door, but whatever she said worked.
The door opened and a tall, familiar woman strode in.
The other surged up in an instant, drawn by my
racing heart and indrawn breath, I think, but I ordered her down.
’Miss Parker won't hurt us.’ I assured her. She might
yell, but she won't hurt us.’
My alternate wasn't convinced, but she subsided
grudgingly.
"How long has he had you?" Parker
demanded, her voice sharp and accusing.
At least, it would have sounded accusing to anyone
listening. I saw the remorse and concern in her eyes. My heart sank as I
realized that I would have to throw her concern back in her face, but the other
reminded me that even if I could walk out the door with Parker right now, Lyle
would still have my daughter. I didn’t dare risk doing anything to make him
angry.
I shrugged casually, keeping my face as blank as a
new page. Parker knew I couldn’t speak, but she still glared at my silence.
"Has he hurt you?" She asked, her voice
slightly less harsh and the sympathy in her eyes growing. "Is there
anything I can do for you?"
I shook my head slowly and kept my face
expressionless. When Lyle appeared in the doorway behind his sister I was glad
clear down to my toenails that paranoia had kept me from answering honestly.
"Trying to subvert my subject, Sis?" He
asked with bland derision. "You’ll find that she’s completely loyal to me,
and the Centre, now."
"Lyle." I had to admire the way she packed
the name with disgust and derision. "How long?"
"Long enough to train her properly this
time." Lyle cocked a challenging brow at his sister, confident that this
time he'd won their battle of wills.
"You must have been in seventh heaven with the
Triumvirate’s blessing to torture someone." Parker goaded icily. "Too
bad she’s so totally Caucasian, though. Must have been a big letdown that Jarod
didn’t pick a Asian woman, huh?"
"My little Eve has other redeeming
features." Lyle threw back casually.
As he had with Raines, he snapped his fingers and
pointed to a spot by his side. I leapt out of the rocker and was prostrate by
his side before Parker could come up with a snappy retort. The other was in
control now, and I was glad. It was bad enough that Parker had to see our total
degredation, it would have been far worse if Ihad actually been the one
complying with his commands like a well trained dog.
"Tell my sister, Eve. Tell her how happy you
are here." Lyle demanded of me. His eyes were fixed on his sister's face
and his face bore and unpleasant sneer.
"I am very happy here." I signed
obediently. "Mr. Lyle has given me everything I could want or need."
The other couldn't have communicated that clearly,
so I was the one in control at the moment. I very carefully kept from looking
Parker in the eye, and flopped back down as soon as I’d given the answer Lyle
had beaten into us long ago.
"And me?" Lyle prompted with malicious
glee.
My heart sank as I began the response he expected.
Nausea roiled in my stomach as my very being rebelled at the words I had to
sign. I controlled the nausea, but Parker's gaze on my face sharpened. Some a
hint of my discomfort must have shown.
"I love you, Mr. Lyle." I signed
obediently.
There was no way I could do the next part, so the
other took control again and forced us to lean against Lyle’s leg and gaze up
at him. There was supposed to be adoration on our face, but neither of us could
manage that.
"She's free to go any time she wants."
Lyle lied easily, patting my head like a faithful dog. Nausea struck again,
more sharply. "The guard is to keep people away from her, not to keep her
in."
"Then you won't mind if she leaves with
me?" Parker challenged him, a hint of desperation in her voice.
I knew that she suspected there was no way I would
take her up on that, but she very much wanted to remove me from her brother’s
hands. I don’t know if that was because she couldn’t stand her brother, or if
it was because she cared for Jarod.
"Not at all, if she wants to. Do you want to
leave with my sister, Eve?" He directed the question at me, his expression
indulgent, but the threat clear in his eyes.
My blood turned to ice and I could barely breathe. I
wanted so much to say yes, but I knew better. Lyle would never let me through
that door a free woman. For all I knew he'd kill Parker if I even hinted that I
might agree. And he still had my daughter. I shook my head violently, scooting
slightly behind Lyle’s leg, as if I was afraid she'd grab me and make a run for
it. My self-disgust reached new heights, but the move pleased Lyle and
ultimately, that was all that mattered.
"Anne, don't be an idiot." She hissed
demandingly. "Come with me, now!"
Again I shook my head, my hair flying around my
bowed head. I trembled visibly, terribly afraid that Lyle was going to punish
me even though I'd done everything I was supposed to. Lyle misinterpreted my
trembling suit his own purposes.
"Don't worry, Eve." He stressed the name
he and Raines had given me for Parker's benefit. "I won't let her take you
anywhere." He slid placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing the fresh
bruises and welts on my back painfully. I bit my lip and knelt quietly, my hair
veiling my face.
"Why, Lyle? Why did you do this to her?"
Parker demanded. I could hear the anguish underneath her rage.
"The Centre wanted her willing and I----I have
my own plans for her." His hand tightened, bringing tears of pain to my
eyes, but kept completely still. I felt like a butterfly caught in a hurricane.
I could only hope that if I was very, very quiet it would pass over me without
hurting me.
"I see it's too late for her." She
conceded grudgingly. "But I want Sydney to examine her."
"Why?" Lyle asked with the finest edge of
irritation. "She's happy, she's productive, and, most importantly, she's mine."
He informed her.
"Productive, how?" Parker pounced on the
word.
"She's raising our new Pretender." He
parried her attack smoothly.
"Jarod’s?" Parker asked, a tiny catch in
her voice.
"Who else’s?" Lyle’s nostrils flared
slightly with distaste at admitting that. "But there will be more. Her
genetic structure was carefully designed to produce extraordinary specimens. She’ll
be carrying another child soon."
Parker gasped, and looked at ill as I felt.
"You?" She questioned faintly.
"You’d really…" Her voice trailed off at his triumphant expression.
"I can’t believe Daddy and the Triumvirate
approved that." She finally managed.
"Grow up, Sis." He advised coldly.
"Dad and the Triumvirate are only concerned with money. Our genes are very
close to Jarod’s, so why not me? In fact, you might want to take some care to
be more productive yourself, or you might just join Anne down here."
"You are a sick, sick man!" She spat
furiously, unconsciously echoing words that Sydney had already used to Lyle’s
face. "There’s no way you’re related to me!"
With that she spun on one heel and strode furiously
out of my room. Lyle laughed unpleasantly, recognizing the fear under her
anger.
"You did very well, Anne." He purred
contentedly to me. "Now, go into the other room and wait for me to return.
I have a surprise for you."
I was exhausted. Bone tired in a way that only too
many days of utter despair could make you. I could barely drag myself into the
inner room where I curled into a ball of misery in my corner.
I don’t know how long it was before Lyle returned.
Time had become meaningless to me an eon ago. The only think I cared about was
that Deirdre hadn’t been brought to my room. I was concerned about her, but it
was in a distant, detached way. I didn’t have the energy or even the
concentration to really worry.
I lapsed into a kind of waking doze. I heard when the
outer door finally opened, and the voices of several men, but I had no curiosity
about my visitor. I didn’t want to know who was coming to torment me next.
I didn’t even look up when the door opened and the heavy, uneven steps of
my guest sounded.