| Disclaimer: All characters and events in this story are fictitious, and any similarity to a real person,living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintended by the author. "The Pretender" is a protected trademark. Any other characters is trademarked by the author. by Whashaza Internment Undisclosed vicinity –
20:00 The monitors were lined along the
wall. Several showed a dishevelled Miss Parker from
different angles where she sat against the wall. Her knees were drawn towards
her body, her arms hugging them. Her hands were wrapped in cloth; patches of
brown stains were the gashes had leaked through. Her jagged trousers made one
think of Huckleberry Finn, especially since her bare feet was streaked with
dirt. It was very obvious that the
woman on the screen was slowly succumbing to the mental deprivation that he
decided on. Good. He knew Miss Parker, her strength that could also be her
weakness. He needed to keep her off balance, to make her suffer and wither away
before moulding her to the image that he needed. Once
she understood her destiny she would come to accept her place in the Parker
legacy. One way or the other. ************ Safe house Mr White and the sweepers encircled the
table, a map spread out before them. It was a local topographical map of one of
the farms. Spread out on it was red and blue markers. “Sam, make sure that
you’re team has these exit points covered,” he indicated the blue
markers on the map to the east and west of the farmhouse. Signifying to another sweeper he
continued with his instructions, ensuring that everyone understood their role
fully in the coming assault. “We know that Michael Hardy
has served in the Vietnam War and that he is a decorated officer. The boy had
probably told him part of the truth and I expect that he would be wary. We have
no idea what sort of ammunition he has but I suspect that he does have a
hunting rifle. He is a good shot, so take him out if you get the chance. The
boy must not be harmed. Am I clear?” Looking at each man he made sure
that they understood his commands. “Very well, let’s get
going.” Entering the room where the major
was kept he looked over at the bruised man. “Major, your son would be
joining you soon. If I were you I would get some sleep. We have a lot of travel
before us.” He left with the major’s
enraged voice following before a grunt of pain ended the tirade. ************ The Centre
– SL 27 Jarod was back in his cell. He
was exhausted, emotionally and physically. After he had performed the
simulation, Lyle had him taken back here. Turning on his side, he tried to find
a way of supporting his aching leg. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget
what he had learned today. The slow pulses of pain kept his eyes open and he
whished that he had never had this gift of becoming someone else. All he ever
wanted was a family and to do the normal things others could. She was still there; inside him
just like all the others he had simmed. But somehow
this was worse. It felt like he had violated something sacred between them. He
felt the tears come again as he thought about the words on the mirror. He
didn’t want to but her feelings came back again. The numbness, the shock
she must have felt when she stood in front of that image. Her first impression
must have been Tommy’s blood ridden face when she had found him that fateful
morning. It could have followed with one of her mother’s supposed
suicide. Firmly, he pressed the memories
down as he moved to the safe place he had created in his mind. He tried to
ignore the spasms in his leg as he burrowed closer to the wall. The slow drip
of the water in his cell was somehow reassuring and he concentrated on that
till his breath deepened. He opened his mind to where he and his childhood
friend were happy and once again exploring the world around them. Breaths
deepening, Jarod relaxed as exhaustion overtook him. ************ Monitoring
room - SL 27 Lyle watched his pretender drift
to sleep. A small smile seemed to tuck at the corners of his mouth, his hand
tracing Jarod’s outline on the screen. It stopped on the left leg,
seeming to linger before he broke contact when he heard the latch on the
control room open. Turning, he couldn’t believe it when “What are you doing
here?” he asked; his voice cold. “Lyle, I told you that
Jarod was not yet ready for the sim. Do you have any
idea what this could have done to him?” Lyle stared at the older man.
Taking two steps he entered “Are you losing your
objectivity in your subject, Sydney? If so, I am sure that Raines and the
Triumvirate would be very interested to know that their suspicions are true
regarding your feelings for the pretender.” Taking a step back, “Jarod is still recovering
from whatever has befallen him before he was returned to the Centre. Since I am
kept out of the loop regarding that, though I do not doubt that you have anything
to do with it, I have to use whatever means I can to try and protect his
further well being. That includes when and how he is to perform these
simulations, especially regarding Miss Parker’s.” Lyle’s mouth drew a thin
line as he listened to Jarod’s mentor, his gaze never leaving the older
man’s face. His face angry, he smoothly replied, “ ************ The Ranch
– 21:00 J sat in the dark with Michael,
his breath short and fast, his ears straining to hear the crunch of footsteps.
He was scared; things seemed to unravel fast and nothing was working out the
way he had planned it. Shortly after the sweepers had
left he had felt safe until the rancher had tried to call his brother. When the
only sound they heard was static, J knew that the Centre had found him. Calmly
Michael had looked out the windows before closing the curtains. J was startled as the slow crunch
of the glass they had strewn across the porch betrayed the approach of one of
the attackers. The comforting hand of the rancher helped calm him a little. “We will need to make a
stand. They left someone to watch the house. Are you up to this, son?” Nodding, J slowly rose and
followed the quiet directions of the rancher. J felt the cold barrel of the
twelve bore shotgun he held in his hands. He had never imagined it to feel this
heavy. This whole day seemed like one big unreality. “Son, this is how you
load a shot gun. Point and shoot, the pellets will spread so you don’t
have to worry about aiming. Press the butt firmly against your shoulder or the
recoil will bruise you.” Nodding J took the shotgun,
expertly loading it the way he was shown. The look of surprise on the
rancher’s face was quickly replaced with stoicism, accepting the fact
that a seventeen year old teen that had never held a gun would be able to
handle it like a pro the first time. J kept his eyes closed as
instructed when the first gas canister smashed through a window, creating a
blinding flash before smoke started to roil from it. His breath sounded
metallic, the gas mask ensuring safety from the smoke and teargas. His gun
faced the front door, his finger next to the trigger guard. “I have an exit tunnel
that I built a long while ago. We will try and hold them, make them think they
have us cornered before we make our escape.” He heard the muffled shouts of
commands as the sweepers breached the house in a military style. J jerked as
the front door splintered open, the silhouette of a masked gunman standing
against the backdrop of the moonlit sky. Closing his eyes, his finger entered
the trigger guard, pulling before the thought of killing another human being
could enter his mind. The blast deafened him. He had never thought that a
gunshot would be that loud. Time seemed to stand still while he watched the
black form fly backwards. The smoke still swirled around
him, making the whole battle unreal. He could see flashes from where
Michael’s semi automatic spread a deadly arc of cover fire. Turning back
to the door he felt his finger tighten as another figure tried to enter again.
Slowly moving backwards he felt something brush his ear. Ignoring the stinging
sensation he kept on retreating from the onslaught, the sound of the shotgun
vibrating in his ear till all he heard was a click of the firing pin on air. He
still felt his finger tighten on the trigger before he fully realised that it was his gun that was empty. Discarding the shotgun, he
entered the closet. Grabbing a pistol, he cocked it before searching for the
latch that the rancher had shown him earlier. His panicked movements nearly
made him loose it. Closing his eyes and ears he breathed, slowing his senses
down before finding the latch covering. He felt Michael’s body next to
his when the black maw of the hidden tunnel opened before them. Entering, he
watched as the rancher threw the grenade towards the centre of the room. The
cover closed as the grenade went of with a deafening blast, killing the
sweepers that had entered the room. Chaos reigned in the house as the two
fugitives made their way as silently as possible down the passageway. ************ The Centre “Broots, where are
you?” “ “Broots, I need you to find
something for me.” Broots, barely awake stared at
the older man’s face. He thoughts were still jumbled, the dream he had of
Miss Parker still lingering in his mind. “Broots!” Looking at “ Signing, he put a hand on the
tech’s shoulder, silently asking his forgiveness. “I need you to do a search
of Lyle’s diary for the past month. Also of all calls that Lyle made that
was not business related.” “I can do it from here. I
had installed a programme that allows me access to
…” “I just want the
information, Broots. Please.” ************ The Ranch J wiped his sweat covered face,
their breathing audible in his ears. They had dropped their gasmasks halfway
down the tunnel. At the command from the rancher he doused the flashlight.
Darkness seemed to highlight the spot lights that seemed to dance in front of
his eyes. Closing them, he waited five seconds before opening them again. He
felt the reassuring grip of the pistol in his hand as he waited for the next
move. The rancher slowly lifted the trapdoor to scan the area for any sweepers. “Clear” came the soft
whisper. Slowly, silently the exited the
tunnel. Crouching, they crept towards where Michael had left his Dodge Ram. They were halfway there when the
universe seemed to stop. J was still putting one leg down when he watched the
rancher jerk back. To him it looked like an invisible rope had been tied to
Michael’s back, pulling him first left than right in an illusion of a
dance. By the time his foot touched the ground the rancher was flat on his
back, his face turned away from him. J saw something dark spread slowly
outwards from the body as hands grabbed his arms, twisting the gun from his
hand. His gaze couldn’t leave the sight of the rancher as he was pulled
backwards. Rough hands pulled his face around. Looking into the light gaze of
the Albino he felt the cold links of the cuffs on his wrists. “Tell me Gemini. Did you
really think you could outrun the Centre?” His shocked face still tried to
focus on the outline on the cold desert floor. Moving back to Mr. White’s
face he felt tears drip down. The events of the past two days seemed to press down
on his mind, creating a whirlpool of images that culminated back to the moment
when Michael’s body jerked as the bullets entered it. He felt a slight prick on his
arm. Ignoring it, he looked back at the widening pool. He thought he saw his
reflection edged in the viscous liquid before everything went dark. ************ The Centre Lyle had just entered his car
when his cell phone rang. “Lyle” Listening to the voice on the
other side, his eyes glinted, a smile spreading across his face. “Good. I want them here as
soon as possible.” Closing the phone, he whistled
tunelessly as he started his car and drove home. ************ Sunday morning
31st – the Centre – 4:00 Jarod awoke with a start, the
clank of his cell door still ringing in his ears. Before he could focus, a
black bag enveloped his head. Shouting, he tried to remove the obstruction. His
right hand made contact with someone’s body. Grabbing the cloth his left
made a short jab. Another pair of hands pulled him from the bunk, forcing him
to loose his grip on the other’s clothes. His breath was coming in short
gasps as he twisted and turned, trying to get rid of the suffocating mask he
had on. He felt the cold links of the shackles as the closed on his wrists
before pulling him in a standing position. His arms stretched passed his head,
his muscles straining against the uncomfortable position he was held in. He
body shook as his top was forcibly removed. He could hear the buttons pop, the
material loudly ripping; leaving burn marks across his skin. Bringing his
breathing under control, he knew without doubt who it was that had orchestrated
what was to come. He heard the clank of a bucket.
Bracing himself he waited for the cold splash of water. When nothing happened,
he relaxed slightly. His gasp filled the cell when the water splashed over his
head, molding the bag to his face. Gasping, he nearly panicked when the wet bag
made him gag watery air. Once again, they waited till he calmed down. “You have been a good boy,
Jarod. Doing what you’re told. But there is still the little matter of
our previous meeting down in the basement of the house where you had locked in
Parker and me.” Jarod could hear Lyle circling
his swinging body. What made him cringe was the sound of what Lyle had in his
hand. The crackle of the cattle prod sounded loud in his ears. He tried to
brace himself but was still surprised when the two prongs touched his ribs. He
felt his body convulse, his screams echoing around the room. Closing his mind,
Jarod felt himself drift off while Lyle continued his fun for what he
reckoned another thirty minutes. ************ Undisclosed
vicinity He carefully arranged
Parker’s body on the mattress. He meticulously positioned her head on the
plush pillow he had genially decided to give. Brushing finely at a stray hair,
his fingers continued their touch. He traced the softness of her lips, his
finger gliding gently across her cheek. For a solitary moment he found himself savouring the helpless state of his captive. He allowed a
slight smile to betray his personal enjoyment of having total control over her.
Rising, he grabbed the filthy clothes she had been wearing and threw it into
the bucket that held his cleaning equipment. He continued to tidy the room.
Replenishing the bottles of water she had drank, cleaning the can opener. He
left everything exactly the way she had found it the first time, except for one
thing. Opening the cupboard he removed the photo. Unzipping the bag that hung
from his side, he took out a red notebook. Opening it, he once more gave it a
look through. His eyes travelled back towards where
Parker laid, a sinister smile gracing his features when he ritualistically
places the notebook into the empty space of the cupboard. Gathering all his equipment, he
made another round ensuring that everything was precisely as he wanted it.
Grabbing a rung of the ladder he made his ascent, leaving a clean and bandaged
Parker behind. TBC |