THE CENTRE
BLUE COVE, DELEWARE

“It was irresponsible,” Sydney said harshly. “You put yourself in danger for no reason.”

“I got my point across, Sydney,” Jarod said angrily.

“The only thing you managed to do, Jarod, was upset everyone.”

“Well, that doesn’t take much effort.”

Sydney sighed, frustrated. It had been another trying day at the Centre and Jarod’s usual sarcasm was becoming less and less tolerable to the older gentleman. That and Jarod’s actions, which were becoming more and more risky. Only today, he had shown up at the Centre, dressed as a singing telegram. No one had recognized him until long after he was gone, but what had really irked Sydney was the fact that there was no point to Jarod’s action, that he had placed himself in harm’s way - again - for no apparent reason.

“Jarod, why did you do it?” Sydney asked. “There was no reason to expose yourself to
danger like that.”

“Because I can, Sydney,” Jarod replied. “Because the Centre took away my life, and now it’s my turn to make theirs a living hell.”

“Did you ever stop to think about how your actions affect those around you? Like Samantha, for instance?”

“What about her?”

“If you had been caught exposing yourself the way you did today, you would have also put Samantha at a greater risk for getting caught.”

“I would never allow that to happen, Sydney. Besides, she is more capable than you think she is.”

“And what about you, Jarod? Did you ever stop and think about yourself when you do stuff like that?”

“I always think about myself when I do stuff like this, like how it amuses me. I think after everything I’ve been through, I’m entitled.”

“What you call amusement I call a lack of maturity and judgment. And if you don’t watch it, it’s going to get you caught, Jarod. Or worse.”

“I would love to continue this discussion, Syd, but Samantha and I have to go.” Sydney heard the familiar click as Jarod hung up on him. Doing something that was totally out of character for him, Sydney slammed his own phone, then leaned back and sighed. When did talking to Jarod become so complicated?

- - - -

Samantha sat on the edge of her bed, next to her packed bag, looking concerned. She had heard only Jarod’s side of the conversation with Sydney, but she had been able to get the gist of what they had been talking about. She glanced at Jarod as he stared out the window of their hotel room.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Fine,” Jarod said softly.

“Then why were you yelling at Sydney?”

Jarod looked over at her, then sighed. There was no point in hiding anything from her; she would find out eventually. “He wasn’t too happy about the singing telegram at the Centre today. He thought it was immature and irresponsible.”

Samantha could see why Sydney would be upset. Jarod had risked a lot to go there for nothing more than torment the Centre. However, she also understood Jarod’s motivation behind going to the Centre in that manner, having the same feelings about the Centre as he did. And somewhere in the midst of the conversation her name had been brought up, but she knew now was not the time to ask why.

“We need to go,” Jarod said suddenly. He walked over, grabbed his bag and DSA case off his bed, and walked to the front door. Samantha didn’t say a word as she picked up her bag and followed him.

- - - -

TWO DAYS LATER . . .

“I am getting sick of this, Fraser,” Detective Stanley Kowalski said as the two walked down the sidewalk. Earlier in the day Fraser had noticed that his partner was acting odd, even for him, and suggested a walk after work. Stanley agreed, and now the two were just walking in the Chicago November night. Dief was trotting beside Fraser.

“What do you mean, Ray?” Fraser asked.

“This, that,” Stanley replied. “And pretending to be someone I’m not.”

“Ray, you’re a good person.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been doing this gig for, what, almost a year now. Sometimes, I wake up, and I forget who I really am.”

“You’re my friend, Ray. And my partner. And you know who you really are, deep down inside. As long as you remember that, you can’t forget who you really are.” Stanley just shrugged as the trio continued their walk.

- - - -

“Sam, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

“Why not? It was your idea to come to Chicago in the first place. To relax.”

“I know, but -”

“But what, Jarod? Ever since we met, I haven’t done anything but be a Pretender. Not that I mind, but it’s been two months. If we don’t do something other than being people we’re not, I’m going to go crazy.”

Jarod looked at Samantha as they sat at a small table in a café, eating dinner. It had been the second time that Jarod had been in Chicago since escaping the Centre, but this time it was strictly just to relax. He and Samantha had arrived late last night, and Jarod’s intent was just to spend a couple of nights in the city and head out. Samantha had other ideas, and she had been vocalizing them ever since they had arrived. Jarod couldn’t really blame her, seeing it was her first time in Chicago. It was a pretty spectacular city.

“Besides,” she added. “After what happened between you and Sydney, it might do you some justice anyway.”

Jarod couldn’t argue with her on that point. “What would you want to do?” Jarod asked. “The Sears Tower and Shedd Aquarium are closed, and the John Hancock Observatory is near closing anyway.”

“I don’t want to go those places,” Samantha said quickly.

“What is it?” Jarod asked, noticing her nervousness.

“I’m . . .”

“Sam, you can tell me. What’s wrong?”

Samantha sighed. “Well, I’m slightly Acrophobic.”

“You’re scared of heights?”

Samantha nodded. “For as long as I can remember. It’s hard for me to be in high places that are open. Planes are fine as long as they’re enclosed commercial aircraft , being in a tall building is fine, but if it’s an open space high up, it freaks me out.” She went back to her eating. “I guess that means no sightseeing, huh?”

Jarod smiled. “Actually, I know of one place we could go, and it’s at ground level.”

“Where?” Samantha asked.

“You ever heard of Navy Pier?”

- - - -

“Fraser, what are we doing here?” Stanley asked as he finally noticed where Fraser had led him to. The trio walked toward the bustling crowd, bright lights, and noises associated with Navy Pier.

“Well, there are a few hours left until this place closes,” Fraser said. “I figured for those few hours, you could just be you. You can do whatever you want, and I think that will let you will feel better about yourself.” Stanley snorted, but he followed Fraser and Dief.

“Uh, Fraser, don’t they have rules about animals?” Stanley asked.

“They do,” Fraser replied. He looked sternly at the wolf. “Now, you know the rules.” Dief whined. “No, they won’t make exceptions for police wolves.” The wolf snorted and sat on his haunches as the two men walked into the park.

- - - -

Samantha closed her eyes and then tossed a plastic ring at the bottles. It sailed through the air and landed right on a bottle’s neck. Jarod and a few people watching cheered and clapped. Samantha grinned.

“And we have a winner,” the vendor said. He waved his hand at the stuffed animals above him. “Take your pick, miss.” Samantha looked and silently debated before she chose a huge, purple monkey with Velcro paws.

“You want to try, Jarod?” she asked as she wrapped the arms of the monkey around her neck.

“That’s okay, Sam,” Jarod replied, smiling.

“You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” Samantha asked, smiling, as they walked out of the arcade shops and stopped to get their bearings. Jarod nodded. “Told you so.” Jarod smiled.

“You sure you don’t want to go on the Ferris wheel? It looks like fun.”
Samantha shook her head. “No. Thanks.”

“Okay,” Jarod replied. He looked around and saw the ice skating rink. “How about we go skating?”

“That’d be great.” The two headed over to the ice rink.

- - - -

Stanley skated around the ice rink as a quick pace, loving the feel of the wind in his face. Besides dancing and boxing, it was his favorite activity. He glanced around for Fraser and saw him skating on the other side of the rink. He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of seeing Fraser, in full uniform, skating calmly around. The sound of a woman’s laughing distracted the detective, and he looked over in the direction it came from. With very few people on the rink, he was able to spot the source of the laughter.

A young woman with blond hair, dressed in black, was skating backwards with a purple monkey around her neck. A tall man with dark hair, also dressed in black, was trying to keep up with her, but he seemed to be having a bit of difficulty maintaining his balance. His feet suddenly flew out from under him, and he fell onto the ice. The young woman was still laughing as she skated over and helped him up, and even he was smiling as they skated away.

“They look like they’re having a good time,” Fraser said as he caught up with his friend.

“Wonder how long they’ve been going out,” Stanley said as the two friends skated at a slower pace.

“That’s a bit accusatory,” Fraser said. “They could be related.”

“I don’t think so,” Stanley replied. “They don’t look related.” Fraser shook his head, not even bothering to argue with his friend.

- - - -

Samantha was almost skipping as she and Jarod walked down the main causeway. They had stopped into one of the shops after skating and picked up some saltwater taffy, one of Samantha’s favorite sweets and a candy item that Jarod had yet to experience.

“So, you’ve never skated before in your life before tonight?” Samantha asked.

“Nope,” Jarod replied around a mouthful of taffy. Samantha giggled loudly, causing Jarod to smile. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m better at something than you are,” Samantha teased.

Jarod chuckled. “You give me time, Sam, and I’ll be skating circles around you.”

“Jarod, I grew up in Montana, remember? I’ve been skating for practically as long as I’ve been walking. Did you notice that guy in that Mountie outfit skating around the rink? Wasn’t that a bit odd?”

“Well, it was a bit unusual, but there’s probably a reason why he’s here. Canada isn’t that far north of Chicago. You know, I was a Mountie a few years ago.”

“Really?” Sam glanced left and saw a restroom sign, pointing toward the left. “Um, Jarod, I need to make a quick run by the restroom.” The two followed the sign to an area tucked away from the public, where a small building stood. Samantha took off her monkey and handed it to Jarod, then went into the Ladies room. Jarod stood outside, holding Sam’s monkey in one hand, and the bag of taffy in the other. He reached into the bag and pulled out another piece of taffy, just as a man emerged from a shadowed area behind him and hit him over the head. Jarod tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

- - - -

Samantha emerged from the restroom, yawning. “Jarod, I think maybe we should -” She stopped when she didn’t see Jarod. She looked around. “Jarod?” She saw her monkey and taffy scattered on the ground, but Jarod was no where in sight. She hurried over and knelt beside it, staring at it before looking around. “Jarod?” she called louder. Her heart started pounding when she didn’t hear a response. She quickly got to her feet and felt her side, making sure her gun was there, as she hurried away.

- - - -

Dief sighed again in frustration as he lay outside the park. It wasn’t fair, just because he happened to be a wolf. He started sniffing around, hoping the wind would blow something to eat in his direction. He perked up when he saw a golf cart coming out of a side entrance. There were two men sitting in the front, both dressed in white shirts with red crosses on the side. A man was laying in the back of the cart, unconscious. They men drove the cart over to a nearby town car, loaded the unconscious man into it, and got in themselves. The car peeled away.

The wolf went over to investigate and saw the rubber streaks from the tires. Near the abandoned cart was a Superman Pez dispenser. He sniffed it for any candy, but there was none in it. Normally, he would have gone back to his spot to wait for Fraser, but there was something wrong about this picture. He quickly took off into the park’s side entrance.

- - - -

“Jarod!” Some people stared, but Samantha paid little attention to them as she walked quickly down the main causeway, searching left and right for any sign of her friend. Her stomach was tightening up as she quickened her pace, glancing behind her. She bumped into someone and stumbled backward, but she was caught before she fell.

“You alright, miss?” a strong voice asked.

Samantha looked at the person who caught her and stopped short. It was the Mountie she and Jarod had seen earlier at the ice rink. Being closer to him, she could see his features more clearly. He was six feet, and had brown hair. His blue eyes looked at her with concern. Standing next to him was another guy, dressed in jeans, t-shirt, jacket, and boots, with blond hair and blue eyes, looking interested in her.

“I’m fine,” she said distractedly as she jerked free from the Mountie’s grasp and brushed past him.

- - - -

“Come on, Fraser,” Stanley said as his friend continued to watch the girl disappear into the crowd. He walked off, then stopped and turned around when he realized Fraser wasn’t with him. “What is it?”

“She seemed upset,” Fraser said.

“Probably what’s-his-name dumped her and left her alone,” Stanley replied. “Let’s go.” When he saw Fraser heading off after the girl, Stanley sighed, frustrated, as he hurried to catch up to his friend. “Fraser, why is it that we have to butt our noses into other people’s business all the time?”

“Because she’s in trouble,” Fraser answered. He hurried after the girl, and Stanley hurried after him. He saw Fraser stopped at a clearing, looking around. “She’s gone, Ray.”

“What, your hunting skills not up to par?” Stanley asked. A barking sound caught his attention, and he groaned. Sure enough, Dief came running up to the Mountie and
detective, with a couple of security guards behind him.

“I thought I told you to wait outside,” Fraser said sternly.

“That your dog?” one of the guards asked. Dief started barking, immediately getting Fraser’s attention.

“Would you repeat that?” the Mountie asked his companion.

“I said is that your dog?” the guard repeated.

“He’s a police wolf,” Stanley spoke up after noticing Fraser’s reaction to Dief. He showed his badge. “This is police business. Now, get back to your posts before I arrest you both for obstruction.” The guards beat a retreat as Stanley put his badge up. He looked down at Fraser, who was kneeling next to Dief. “Fraser, what’s going on?”

Fraser didn’t say anything as Dief ran from the direction he came from. Fraser got to his feet and followed. Stanley followed, dodging people, and ran out of the park. He saw Fraser and Dief stopped near a golf cart.

“Okay, you want to tell me what’s going on?” Stanley asked as he came over.

“Diefenbaker might have witnessed a kidnapping,” Fraser replied.

“Might have?”

“He saw three men loading another man into a vehicle.”

“So?”

“The man was unconscious, and they loaded him into a town car.”

“Well, unless we have a description of the guys or the license plate, there isn’t much we can do.”

“Diefenbaker said the unconscious man was about six feet in height, dark hair, and dressed in black.”

“That doesn’t help, Fraser.”

“The men who carried him away were wearing white shirts with red crosses on their sleeves.” He nodded at the golf cart. Stanley looked inside and saw a first aid kit with a red cross on it. Stanley and Fraser looked at each other then hurried back inside the park with Dief at their heels.

- - - -

Samantha kept glancing around her as she walked outside of the park. She pulled out her cell phone and tried calling Jarod, but there was no answer. She sighed as she put her phone away and walked quickly. A lot of people were leaving Navy Pier, and this made Samantha more uneasy. She kept on hand hidden inside her gun as she ran down the Pier. She flagged a taxi and got in.

“Where to?” the driver asked. Samantha gave him the name of the hotel she was staying in, and the driver drove off. After arriving, she paid the driver then hurried inside. It wasn’t until she was safely in her room and the door was locked that she took her cell phone out and dialed the only person she could trust.

- - - -

Sydney was jarred awake by his telephone ringing, loudly. He turned on the light, blinked and yawned before answering it. “This is Sydney,” he answered tiredly.

“Sydney, he’s gone,” Samantha whispered tearfully.

Sydney sat straight up in bed, instantly awake. “Samantha, what do you mean?”

“We were just hanging out, having fun, and I left him to go to the restroom. When I came back, he was gone, and the stuff he was holding when I left him was scattered on the ground. I tried calling him, but he’s not answering.”

“Sweepers?”

“I don’t think so. Jarod would have warned me if it was them. And they would have also taken me.” She took a ragged breath. “I’m scared, Sydney.”

“You’ll be fine, Samantha,” Sydney said. “Remember, you and Jarod managed to find each other once before. I’m confident you’ll be able to do it again.”

There was a pause. “Thanks.” Sydney heard the click as Samantha hung up. He put the receiver back on the phone, then leaned back and sighed. Whatever was going on, regardless of whether or not the Centre was involved, he knew it wasn’t good.

- - - -

Jarod slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in what appeared to be a very run down apartment. The floors and walls were bare, and the only furniture in the place were a small table and three chairs, and a lamp nearby. There were two men sitting around the table, playing cards. Jarod himself was sitting in a chair across the room from the men. He tired to move, but found his hands were tied behind him. He was suddenly aware that his head was pounding, and he groaned. The men looked over.

“Well, look who’s finally awake,” one of them said as they went back to their card playing.

“Where am I?” Jarod asked angrily. He was ignored, and he sighed. He suddenly thought about Samantha and hoped she had found the clue he had left her. Only being unconscious for a few seconds after getting hit Jarod - even through his dazed consciousness at the time - knew he was in trouble. However, it was very clear that the men were only after him, because they made no reference to targeting Samantha, which made him feel only slightly better.

Still, he knew that he had to find someway to let her know what was going on, so after he had been loaded into the town car and driven away from Navy Pier, he had nonchalantly dropped the single Pez dispenser he had in his pocket onto the floor, hoping Samantha would come across it. A cell phone ringing caught everyone’s attention. The man reached for a cell phone near him and answered it.

“Yeah,” he said. He nodded then hung up. “They’re here.”

“Who’s here?” Jarod asked. There was a knock on the door. The other man went to answer it. Jarod’s eyes widened in fear when he saw Lyle, Cox, and three sweepers standing on the other side.

- - - -

THE CENTRE

Broots rubbed his eyes and yawned as he worked at his terminal. He hated working at the Centre so late, especially when he was one of the few people around, and more so when Miss Parker asked him to do snooping around the Centre’s mainframe looking for answers to things that could get him killed if anyone knew what he was looking for. This time, it was to find tangible evidence about who Miss Parker’s real father was, even though Sydney and Broots had told her about Raines weeks ago.

Broots couldn’t believe he hadn’t lost his sanity already with all the stuff that had happened in the Centre recently: finding out Mr. Parker and Raines were brothers was bad enough, but that Raines was more than likely the father of Miss Parker and Lyle was the icing on another freaky cake. Not only that, but Mr. Parker missing and Raines in charge, and now with finding Jarod and Samantha to be life or death pursuit - literally - only made him more nervous.

Broots sighed as he rubbed his head. He was getting nowhere fast, and he knew Miss Parker wasn’t going to be thrilled. He quickly gulped down the rest of his coffee and stood up to get some more, and came face to face with Angelo.

“Jeeze!” Broots yelped as he dropped his mug. It shattered on the ground into many pieces. He looked angrily at Angelo, but the Empath’s usual quirky expression was replaced by one of deep worry. “Angelo?”

“Jarod hurt,” Angelo said. “Samantha scared.”

“What do you mean?” Broots asked.

“Jarod hurt. Samantha scared. Angelo held up a pair of blank carnival tickets. “Find Jarod. Find Samantha.” He shoved the tickets into Broots’ hands. “Find Jarod. Find Samantha.”

“Angelo, I can’t,” Broots said. “Miss Parker asked me to find some information for her, and I have -” Angelo pushed him aside and sat down on the computer.

“Angelo, what are you doing?” Broots said as Angelo started typing at the computer. It only took a few moments for the system to crash. Broots nearly started shouting at the top of his lungs at the information he had lost. “Angelo, have you lost your mind? I needed that information!”

“Find Jarod. Find Samantha. Jarod hurt. Samantha scared.” He pleaded to Broots with his eyes.

Broots looked at the tickets in his hands and sighed. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll find them. Miss Parker will kill me in the process, but who cares anymore?” Angelo thanked him with a grin, then typed on the keyboard again. The information that Broots had found popped back on the screen. Broots almost smiled as Angelo quietly snuck off.

- - - -

“I think this is it.” A security guard put another tape in the video player while Fraser and Stanley looked on. Working on a hunch, they had gone back to the first aid station and saw two men - the real first aid workers - tied up, gagged, and stripped to their socks and underwear. After untying them, Stanley called in the kidnapping while Fraser talked with them.

Their story was that two men had come inside, complaining of pains. When the workers went to help them, the two men overpowered them and knocked them out. When they awoke, the workers were tied up and undressed, and the men were gone.

After making sure the two workers were okay, Stanley, Fraser, and Dief hurried over to the security area and explained the situation, knowing that there were surveillance cameras all over the park, hoping that maybe one of them caught something.

The small group watched the area that had been recorded recently, one of the restroom areas. They saw people coming and going, nothing out of the ordinary. After a few moments, Fraser and Stanley saw Jarod and Samantha appear on the screen. They glanced at each other, but said nothing as they continued to watch. Samantha handed her monkey and taffy over to Jarod and disappear into the woman’s restroom. As Jarod reached into the taffy bag, a man in a white shirt snuck up behind him and hit him over the head with a stick of some sort. Jarod crumpled to the floor and another man, also dressed in a white shirt, drove a golf cart up to the area. The two men loaded Jarod onto the cart and drove away. A few moments later, Samantha came out of the restrooms and saw the mess. She knelt beside it, then looked around and said something before getting to her feet and hurried away.

“She was worried about him,” Fraser said to Stanley. “That’s why she was upset earlier. She was looking for him.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Stanley asked.

“I’d like to get that tape back to Leftenant Welsh’s office, so I can further examine it.”
The security guard handed the tape to Fraser. “Thank you kindly.” Fraser, Stanley, and Dief left.

“What about here, Fraser? Shouldn’t we look around a little bit, see if there’s any clue for us?”

“We already have all the clues we need, Ray.” He held up the tape and the Pez dispenser.

“You know, I don’t even want to know,” Stanley said. The three headed to the front of the park.

- - - -

Samantha stared at the site out the taxi window: dozens of cops around the park area. After having washed her face and collecting her thoughts she knew that the best place to start looking for Jarod was back at the last place she saw him. Also, she remembered seeing cameras around the park. Thinking that maybe one of the cameras had captured Jarod leaving the park in one form or another, she planned on breaking in to the park in order to see if that had happened. However, with the police swarming the scene, Samantha had to rethink her strategy.

“Hey, if you’re gonna get out, get out,” the driver said. Samantha quickly paid the driver, then stepped out of the vehicle, looking around as the taxi drove off.

“Miss, can I help you?” Samantha turned and saw a man approaching her. He was not much taller than her, with brown hair and eyes, dressed in a brown suit with a dark coat over it. She assumed he was a cop, and already had a plan in mind.

“I left my purse at the park,” she lied calmly. “I was told I could come back and get it. What’s going on?”

Tom Dewey stopped short when he saw Samantha standing there, looking at him questioningly. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, the way she held herself . . . no, it couldn’t be. After all these years of being gone . . . could it really be her?

Samantha noticed how he stared at her. “What?” she asked.

Dewey shook his head. It was stupid for even thinking that. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “There was a kidnapping here earlier.”
Samantha knew that the odds of the victim being Jarod were high, but she forced herself to remain cool and collected. “Really? What happened?”

“We’re not sure. Surveillance tape is being examined right now.” He saw Samantha looking around. “You know, if you want, I can take you to get your purse. It’s kind of hectic right now, and unless you have a badge, you probably won’t be too welcome around here.”

Samantha swallowed. How was she going to get out of this without blowing her cover? Before she could say anything another man approached the detective she was talking. He was taller, with black skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. He was also dressed in a dark suit and coat. His name was Jack Huey, and he was Dewey’s partner.

“Tom, just got off the phone with Vecchio,” he said. “He and Fraser went through that tape back at the bullpen.” He noticed Samantha. “Who’s she?”

“She left her purse here,” Dewey explained. “I was going to take her to go get it.” He turned to face his partner. “Did they find anything on the tape that could be useful?”

“Not much,” Huey replied. “The only thing they were able to get out of it was that the kidnapped victim was named Jarod. Fraser was able to read the girl’s lips. He also gave us a description of what she looked like. Blonde hair, blue eyes, early-twenties, dressed in black -”

“Whoa, repeat that again,” Dewey interrupted.

“Blonde hair, blue eyes, early-twenties, dressed in black,” Huey repeated. “Why?” Dewey turned around, but Samantha was not there. The detective glanced around, but she was nowhere in sight. Huey looked puzzled at his partner’s countenance. “What’s with you?”

“It was her,” Dewey said. “She was right here. Blonde hair, blue eyes, early-twenties, dressed in black.”

“Who?”

“The girl I was talking to.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Huey glanced at his partner, who looked very troubled. “I’ll call Vecchio and let him know.”

“Don’t,” Dewey said quickly.

“Why not?”

“What would be the point?” Dewey replied with a slight edge. “Ray would get mad at us, then he’d tell Welsh, and he’d yell at us. Last thing I want to hear are a bunch of people yelling at me this late at night.” He abruptly walked over to a group of officers nearby, leaving Huey slightly perplexed.

- - - -

“You look troubled, Jarod,” Lyle said as he came into the apartment, followed by Cox and the sweepers.

“How did you know I was here?” Jarod asked.

“Well, I didn’t, at first. You see, I personally started getting tired of chasing all over the country after you a couple of years ago, wasting my time being one step behind you. That’s when I employed some locals in different cities - Spotters, if you will. Showed them your picture, promised a hefty reward, and I figured I’d catch up to you sooner or later.” His smile vanished. “However, I don’t see Samantha around here.” He glanced at the two men. “There was a young girl with him. Where is she?”

“You didn’t ask us to get any girl,” the first man said. “You only showed us a picture of him. And we got him. If you wanted her badly enough, then you should have told us about her.”

“Yeah, so pay up,” the second man spoke up.

“Very well,” Lyle replied. He glanced at the sweepers. “Give them what they’ve earned.”
Two of the sweepers pulled out guns and shot the two men. They fell to the ground, dead.

“Get Jarod, and let’s go,” Cox said. The sweepers went over and grabbed Jarod. The six men left the apartment.

- - - -

Samantha pulled her laptop out of her bag and quickly got connected. It took her only a few moments to access the Chicago police database. Going by what she had overheard from the two detectives’ conversation, she scanned the databases for the two names mentioned: Vecchio and Fraser. Within a matter of seconds, she managed to find Detective Ray Vecchio’s file, which turned out to be the blonde guy she had seen with the Mountie at Navy Pier. Finding Fraser’s file was a bit harder. There was nothing about him at all in the database, aside for some references made in some case files that had Vecchio.

It suddenly clicked in Samantha’s head that she was looking in the wrong place. She quickly made her way over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police database, easily bypassing its securities, and looked up Fraser. Within seconds, she had found Constable Benton Fraser. Samantha yawned as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes drooping. It was late, and she fought hard to stay awake, determined to do everything in her power to find Jarod. However, a combination of emotional fatigue and lack of sleep proved to be too much for even her. Samantha barely made it to her bed before she collapsed on it and fell into a deep slumber.

- - - -

THE CENTRE

The next morning Miss Parker walked into Sydney’s office and saw the older gentleman sitting at his desk, staring at nothing, looking tired.

“You look like you didn’t get much sleep, Syd,” Parker said.

“I didn’t,” Sydney replied quietly.

Parker finally noticed that Sydney looked troubled. “What?”

“I received a disturbing call last night from Samantha. Jarod has been taken - kidnapped.”

Parker looked over at him. “How?”

“She wouldn’t tell me where or how, specifically. She knows better.”

“The Centre?”

“Samantha didn’t believe so, and I agree with her.”

“Why?”

“If the Centre had taken Jarod, to ensure his full cooperation, they would have also taken Samantha.”

“If it wasn’t the Centre, then who else could it be?”

Sydney shrugged. “I don’t know, but I will say that I am very concerned for both Jarod and Samantha’s safety. They’re both exceptionally capable, but we don’t know anything about who took Jarod. Anything can happen.”

“And Samantha?”

“She has been through a huge emotional upheaval in the past couple of months. She’s on the run with the only person she probably trusts completely, and he’s been taken from her. More than likely, she’s terrified and unsure what to do. I’ve already seen how she behaved in this type of situation.”

“You’re still upset about that fight you had with him a few days ago.” Sydney didn’t answer, but Parker knew she hit a nerve. She sighed, not knowing what to say to him. She knew, given the situation of last speaking to Jarod harshly and now with Jarod being caught, that Sydney was probably feeling guilty. Before she could say anything, Broots came walking into the office.

“You look like hell,” Parker said.

“I had a rough night,” Broots replied. He handed Parker a piece of paper. “I found this in
the database.” Parker snatched the paper from him and read it silently:

MEMORANDUM RE: Shipment
TO: Mr. Parker
FROM: Dr. Raines
DATE: 1/01/59

The shipment has reached its destination, awaiting further instructions. If everything goes according to plan, the outcome will be as expected.

Parker looked up at Broots. “What shipment, Broots?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Broots answered. “The only way I’d be able to find out is to go to Raines’ office and look through his files.”

“And?”

“I didn’t do, Miss Parker. I was taking care of some other business.”

Parker shot daggers at Broots. “What could be more important than this?”

“Angelo,” Broots said as he backed away.

“What about Angelo?” Sydney asked.

“I was working at my station when he came to me last night. He said ‘Jarod hurt, Samantha scared,’ and he gave me these.” Broots pulled the tickets out of his jacket. Parker snatched the tickets from him. “He was very insistent that I check it out.” He noticed Parker and Sydney sharing a look. “What?”

“Last night I received a phone call from Samantha,” Sydney explained. “She told me that Jarod had been taken - kidnapped, most likely.”

“The Centre?”

“Not likely,” Parker answered. “Whoever took Jarod didn’t bother grabbing Samantha at the same time.” She looked at the tickets. “These are blank, Broots.”

“I know, but it does give us a clue as to where they might be. An amusement park.”

“Which there are thousands of in the country,” Parker added. She looked at Sydney.
“Bring Angelo in here, if you can. He might be able to help us solve this puzzle.”

“I don’t think he’s going to be much help, Parker,” Sydney replied. “Angelo is an Empath, and he may be able to sense many things, but even he has limits. Remember when Jarod was in danger from Efram Bartlett. He wasn’t able to precisely tell us who was after Jarod until -”

“Until he went through all of Jarod’s past Pretends,” Parker interrupted. She paused for a second. “Get all the stuff from Jarod’s past Pretends. Bring Angelo in here. If he could do it once, he can do again.” She turned and left the office.

“Do you really think Angelo would help out?” Broots asked.

Sydney sighed. “I don’t know. If Samantha and Jarod are in danger, he would want to help them out. However, that could mean exposing their location, and I don’t think he would do that.” He and Broots left the office.

- - - -

Stanley and Fraser ducked under line of police tape as they walked from a crime scene. Police had been called onto the scene a few hours earlier after a call came in to dispatch about shots being fired. Inside, two men had been found. Normally, the case would have been handled then and there, but the dead men had been identified as the two that had kidnapped Jarod from Navy Pier - Kevin Bertram and Larry Harrison - and Stanley had been called in. Fraser tagged along to help out, but he was unable to find any clues as to what actually happened.

“You know, Fraser, I don’t know what’s going on, but why do I have the feeling that we’ve stumbled onto something big?”

“It would appear so, yes,” Fraser replied. “However, I think we should concentrate our efforts on locating the young woman.”

“Good luck,” Stanley said as they got in his GTO and drove off.

- - - -

Samantha took a deep breath and casually walked into the bullpen of the 27th District Police Department. She had just checked herself in the women’s restroom and was pleased to see everything was in order. Even though she was wearing a navy blue business outfit and heels, her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she was wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses, she hoped that no one would recognize her. She gripped her leather purse tightly.

“Can I help you?” a female voice asked.

Samantha turned around and saw a young woman looking at her. She was in her late twenties or early thirties, dressed in a bright yellow shirt with a Civilian Aid patch on the left sleeve, a black mini skirt, and a pair of black heels. Her hair was dark and pulled away from her face in a hair band.

“Yes, my name is Samantha Lawson,” Samantha replied. “I’m from the DA’s office, and I need to speak to Detective Vecchio and Constable Fraser regarding the kidnapping case they’re working on.”

“They’re not here,” the woman replied. “But Detectives Huey and Dewey are; they’re helping my brother and Fraser, so if you want to talk with them, they’re over there.” She pointed behind Samantha. The younger woman turned around, saw Dewey and Huey sitting at their desks, and her eyes widened when she recognized the two detectives.

“Um, on second thought,” Samantha said, “perhaps I should speak to whomever is in charge of this department. Where might I find him or her?”

The Civilian Aid got up from her desk. “This way.” She led Samantha over to one end of the bullpen was and knocked on an office door. The Civilian Aid opened the door and stuck her head inside. “Sir, there’s a Samantha Lawson here to see you. She’s from the DA’s.”

“Send her in,” a gruff voice replied. The Civilian Aid stepped aside, and Samantha walked into the office. She saw an older gentleman in his fifties, graying hair, sitting at a desk. He looked up at Samantha, and almost looked surprised to see her. “Miss Lawson?”

“Yes, sir,” Samantha replied. “Is there a problem.”

“If you don’t mind my saying, you’re a little younger than the people who are usually sent here from the DA’s office.”

“Well, they’re a bit bogged down with other cases, and they thought I could use the experience in investigating this one.” She held out her hand. “I didn’t catch your name, sir.”

“Lieutenant Welsh,” the older man shook her hand. “Please, sit.” Samantha took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. “What is it the DA is interested? After all, this is a kidnapping case, and there isn’t much we have as it is.”

“I was told that you were in possession of a security tape that showed the kidnapping victim,” Samantha replied.

“Yeah, here.” Welsh got up from his chair and walked over to a VCR and television nearby. Samantha joined him as he played the VCR. She watched as the scene unfolded as Jarod was knocked unconscious and dragged away, concentrating on the two men. She saw herself come into the scene a few moments later.

“We’re still trying to find that girl,” Welsh said as he stopped the tape and turned the TV off. “Now, more than ever.”

“Why, do you think she’s involved in the kidnapping?”

“No, one of my detectives spotted them last night together near the scene of the abduction,” Welsh explained. “He figures they’re in a relationship. Constable Fraser thinks they’re related.”

“So, why are you looking for her?” Samantha asked.

“Because the two men who kidnapped the man - Jarod - were found shot in an apartment on the South Side. It might be Mob related, Miss Lawson, which means that the young woman who was with Jarod is probably in danger as well.”

“Lieutenant!” a voice in the bullpen shouted. Samantha watched as Welsh left the office, then glanced at the VCR. Moving swiftly, she took the tape out, then stuffed it inside her purse, just as Welsh was heading back.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know, Miss Lawson?”

Samantha smiled. “It appears that you have everything under control, Lieutenant. If you find anything else in this case, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” She left the office, closing the door behind her. As she walked through the double doors of the bullpen she nearly bumped into Stanley and Fraser and Diefenbaker. She smiled calmly as she continued walking. Stanley walked into the bullpen with Fraser and his wolf close behind. Fraser suddenly stopped and turned around, looking slightly perplexed.

“What?” Stanley asked when he noticed.

“That woman,” Fraser replied. He looked at the Cvilian Aid, Francesca Vecchio. “Francesca, who was that woman?”

“Samantha Lawson, from the DA’s office,” Francesca explained. “She talked with Welsh about the kidnapping you guys were investigating.” Fraser suddenly left the bullpen and hurried down the hall after Samantha. Stanley was close behind him.

“Fraser, what-”

“It was her, Ray.”

“Who?”

“The girl from the video. The one we’ve been looking for.”

“How do you know it’s her?”

“Roses.”

“Roses?”

“When she first bumped into me last night, I could smell her rose-scented shampoo. When Miss Lawson just bumped into us, I smelled the same scent.” The two hurried down the hall and out the front of the building, just as Samantha was getting into a taxi. She saw Fraser and Stanley stare at her as the taxi took her away, and she sighed with relief.

“Man, Welsh is not going to be happy,” Stanley said as they watched the taxi disappear into the traffic.

- - - -

Jarod was startled as the sound of a telephone filled the room. He was in a chair in one corner of the room, his hands tied behind him. The apartment was newer than the one he had previously been in. Lyle was sitting on a couch nearby, just staring at a photograph of Samantha, as Cox answered the phone.

“You know, Jarod,” Lyle said as he fingered the photograph, “she is quite attractive.” He smiled at Jarod. “Almost so enough to make me change my type.”

“Lyle, you hurt her, and I swear I’ll kill you,” Jarod growled.

“That was our informant,” Cox replied as he came into the kitchen. “He spotted Samantha heading out of the 27th Precinct police department, followed by the cop and the Mountie.” Jarod looked almost startled. Could it have been the same Mountie he and Samantha ran into at Navy Pier?

“Were they together?” Lyle asked.

“No, it appeared they were chasing her, but she got away.”

Lyle didn’t look too pleased, but he stood up and straightened his tie. He noticed Jarod’s countenance. “I know the feeling, Jarod. We were just as perplexed to hear that a Mountie was working with the Chicago Police. However, he can be used to our advantage. From the things we’ve heard about that him, he’ll more than likely be able to lead us right to Samantha.”

“And why would he do that?” Jarod asked.

“Because she is mentally unstable, and her big brother is concerned for her well being,”
Lyle replied before he left the apartment.

- - - -

Samantha all but fell onto her bed, exhausted and relieved she hadn’t been caught by Fraser and Vecchio, and kicked off her heels. She stretched and yawned before reaching into her purse and pulling out the tape. She walked over to her computer, where she had rigged a VCR to it, and put the tape in. She transferred the file to her laptop and began watching it.

She watched it again . . . and again . . . and again . . . and again, until her head started hurting. She sighed in frustration as she realized she wasn’t getting anywhere with that tape, and that her best bet would be to get the autopsy reports of the two men that had kidnapped Jarod. However, she was a little tired and tense from her last encounter with the police, not to mention how they had recognized her. She began removing her clothes as she headed to the bathroom. She was going to have to find some other way to get in there, and what better way to think of a solution than in a hot, relaxing bubble bath?

- - - -

“She was here in my office!” Welsh bellowed and paced his office and Stanley, Fraser, Dewey, and Huey stood, waiting. “She was in here, she took the surveillance tape, and she waltzed right out of here! And now, she’s disappeared - again!”

“Uh, permission to speak, sir,” Fraser said.

“What?” Welsh asked.

“I’m pretty certain that Detective Vecchio and I will be able to find her.”

“You do that, Fraser,” Welsh said angrily. “Before anymore bodies start showing up!” The four left the office and headed over toward Francesca’s desk, where Diefenbaker was waiting.

“Nice going, Vecchio,” Dewey said as he and Huey stopped at their desks.

Stanley glared at him. “What?”

“You screwed up,” Dewey said bluntly. “You let her get away.”

“Bite me,” Stanley said angrily as he and Fraser walked away. “Okay, Fraser, how are we going to find her?”

“Well, we can start with the cab she took off in,” Fraser replied. “I was able to get the license plate and the number of it before it disappeared. Using that information, we can find the location she was dropped off at, most likely where she’s staying.” He turned to Francesca. “Francesca, would you be so kind as to look up some information for us?”

“Certainly.” She listened as Fraser gave her the information, and she typed it in. Within a matter of moments, a window with the results popped up, and she printed them out. “That cab number you gave me is part of the Yellow Cab, Chicago business, Frase. It’s driven by a Mister Kevin Dillon. Everything you need is on there.”

“Thank you kindly, Francesca,” Fraser smiled as Stanley took the paper. The two men and wolf started leaving, and nearly bumped into a dark-haired man. He was about six feet in height, brown hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a dark suit. He smiled at the two men.

“You must be Detective Vecchio and Constable Fraser,” he said.

“And you are?” Stanley asked.

“Mr. Lyle,” Lyle replied. “I believe you two can be of service to me.”

“What can we do for you, Mr. Lyle?” Fraser asked.

“Has this woman been in contact with you? Her name is Samantha.” Lyle held up Samantha’s photo. “It’s urgent that I find her.” He noticed Fraser and Stanley eyeing him warily, and he became more solemn. “She’s my sister.”

“You seem a bit old to be her brother,” Stanley said.

Lyle smiled. “She was unexpected, but lovingly welcomed. However, as she grew up, my parents and I became aware of some psychological disorders she had.”

“Such as?” Fraser asked.

“Identity disorder,” Lyle answered. “She has delusions about being different people. My parents felt she was becoming a danger to herself, and she was put into a facility back east. However, this man broke her out a few months ago.” He held up another picture, one with Jarod’s face on it. “Goes by the name of Jarod. Have you seen either of them? I was told they were in town.”

“How do you know that?” Stanley asked.

“I hired a private investigator, Detective. She is my sister, and Jarod is a dangerous man. There’s no telling what he would do to her, and I’m worried that the longer they’re together, the more likely she is to actually start sympathizing with him. Jarod is very manipulative.”

“As in Stockholm’s Syndrome?” Fraser asked.

“What Syndrome?” Stanley asked.

“It’s where a victim begins feeling affection and sympathy for the captor,” Fraser
explained.

“Exactly,” Lyle replied. “Which is why I need to find her.”

“So, what happened to your thumb?” Stanley asked suddenly.

Lyle held up his hand with the missing thumb and looked at it. “Came close to locating my sister, when Jarod surprised me and took off my thumb.” He looked up at Stanley and smiled. “Didn’t hurt that much.”

Stanley forced a smile. “Well, Mr. Lyle, we have everything under control. If we happen to find your sister, we’ll let you know. Where can we call you?”

“I’ll be around,” Lyle said. “Thank you so much.” He eyed Diefenbaker. “Delicious,” he murmured softly before he left the bullpen.

“Okay, he’s lying,” Stanley said.

“What do you mean, Ray?”

“I know a little about organized crime around the world,” Stanley said. He saw Fraser looking at him oddly. “It’s a hobby. Anyway, I remember reading about this one mob over in Japan, the Yakuza, and their trademark is cutting off fingers of someone who ticked them off. Most of the time, it’s the pinky finger. And last time I checked, Jarod didn’t look Japanese.”

“You think that Mr. Lyle lied about how he really lost his thumb?”

“Probably. Which makes me wonder what else he’s lying about.”

“You don’t think he’s her brother?”

“I don’t know. All I do know is that guy gives me the creeps.” Fraser nodded in agreement as the trio left.

“Ray, just out of curiosity, what does a person have to do to lose a thumb by the Yakuza?”

“Good question, Fraser.”

“Hey, Ray, wait up,” Dewy said as he and Huey hurried over to them. “We’re coming with you.”

“Like hell you are,” Stanley said. “Fraser and I can handle it.”

“They’re going with you, Vecchio!” Welsh shouted from across the bullpen. “Whoever this girl is, she’s good at getting away. Four officers will be better able to handle her than two.” Stanley sighed angrily, holding his tongue as the group of five left the bullpen.

- - - -

Broots and Sydney watched as Angelo picked through all of the past Pretends that Jarod had accomplished, absorbing the emotions that were associated with each. Sometimes, Angelo would just have a burst of anger and start screaming and shouting words, but then he would simply toss the object aside and move on to the next. They were concentrating on Angelo so hard that they didn’t see or hear Miss Parker walk up beside them.

“Any luck?” she asked.

“None,” Sydney replied. “Parker, are you sure that this will work. We don’t know for sure that the person who took Jarod already knew him from a past Pretend.”

“Well, whoever it was didn’t take Samantha, just him,” Parker replied. “That’s good enough for me.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Broots said. “I just got back from Raines’ office. I snuck in while
he was out to lunch.”

“Did you find anything?” Parker asked.

“Possibly,” Broots replied. He held up a small DSA. “It’s dated a few months later after the intercepted letter from Raines to Mr. Parker.” The trio walked to Sydney’s office and Parker stuck the DSA into his computer. The trio watched as they saw an image appear. In the bottom left corner of the screen was ‘Infirmary Records, 4/23/59.’ A young Mr. Parker was standing outside of an operating room, when a younger Raines came out, fully dressed in scrubs.

“How did it go?” Mr. Parker asked.

“Very well,” Raines said. “The insemination proceeded without any problems. We should be able to see whether or not it is successful in a few weeks.”

“The sooner the better,” Mr. Parker replied. “What about the surgical staff?”

“They will be dealt with afterwards, as planned.”

“Good. If any of them told Catherine the truth, it would ruin everything. She doesn’t know about my condition. She must believe the child is mine. The Parker heritage must continue at the Centre.”

“And so it shall,” Raines said. He went back into the surgery room, as Mr. Parker left. The screen went blank. Sydney and Broots glanced over at Parker and saw her shocked expression.

“Miss Parker, are you okay?” Broots asked.

“I’m fine,” Parker replied quickly. She looked like she was either going to start screaming or crying, or possibly both. She sighed raggedly. “Well, I guess that settles it. Daddy isn’t my real father.” She looked like she was going to throw up. “And Raines is.”

“Parker, we don’t know that,” Sydney said. “This just proved that Mr. Parker wasn’t your father.”

“Then who else could it be?” Parker asked. Sydney shrugged.

“Broots, find out whose semen was implanted into my mother,” Parker said.

“But -”

“Do it!” Broots sighed and left the office. As he was passing Angelo, the Empath suddenly sprang to his feet, shouting.

“Jarod - angry!” Angelo shouted. “Samantha scared. Jarod scared for Samantha! Samantha in danger!” Broots stopped and stared as Parker and Sydney came out of the office.

“Now what?” Parker asked.

“It would appear that whoever took Jarod is now after Samantha,” Sydney said.

“Which means we don’t have much time,” Parker added.

- - - -

“Yeah, I picked her up,” Kevin Dillon said as leaned against his cab. Fraser, Stanley, Huey, and Dewey managed to catch the taxi driver at headquarters as he was on his lunch break. “Took her to her hotel, dropped her off, never saw her again. Hell of a tipper though. Gave me a C-note for it.” He noticed Stanley and Fraser glanced at each other.
“She in some kind of trouble?”

“What hotel did you drop her off at?” Dewey redirected the questioning.

“The Swiss Hotel,” Dillon said.

“Thank you, kindly,” Fraser replied. The men left Dillon.

- - - -

Samantha sighed contentedly as she lay in the warm suds, her muscles relaxing, and her head clearing. Of course, spending almost an hour in a hot bubble bath would do that. However, it relaxed her to the point where she was starting to get sleepy. Didn’t need that right now. She had to concentrate on finding Jarod. The young Pretender carefully stood up and reached for her towel.

- - - -

Stanley, Fraser, Huey, and Dewey walked into the lobby of the Swiss Hotel, and made their way over to the front desk. The desk clerk looked up.

“May I help you?” he asked.

“We’re looking for a young woman who came in here about an hour ago,” Fraser said. “Young, mid-twenties, blond hair, blue eyes, dressed in a navy blue business suit.”

“You must be talking about Miss Hancock? Yes, she came in here. May I ask what your business is with her?”

“Police,” Stanley said. “We’d like to talk to her.”

“Would you like me to call her?”

“No, but we would like her room number.”

“735,” the desk clerk replied.

“Dewey, Huey, you two stay here, just in case she gets by us,” Stanley said. “We’ll go get her.” Huey and Dewey nodded and walked over to the waiting area nearby while Fraser and Stanley walked to the elevators. No one saw the desk clerk reach for the phone and dial a number.

- - - -

“Miss Hancock,” Stanley said as he knocked on the hotel room door. There was nothing. The two men stepped back as Stanley reached for his gun. The detective kicked the door in and went inside, glancing left and right. Fraser came in cautiously right behind him.
The room was dark, with no lights on, and the two men could see a computer, a VCR, and all kinds of papers on a nearby table. The two beds were made, and there were a couple of duffle bags and a silver briefcase on the floor in front of the window. Aside from that, there was no sign of anyone in the room.

Stanley made his way slowly toward the bathroom door. Just as he was walking in, a foot snapped up and slammed into his face, sending the detective reeling backwards. Samantha came out of the bathroom, dressed in a white tank top with her leather jacket thrown over it, black jeans, and black boots. Her hair was damp. Most prominent feature was the gun she pointed at Stanley and Fraser.

“Drop it,” she said.

Stanley, who had managed to keep his balance and gun, pointed his right back at her. “Look, no one’s going to hurt you, Miss Hancock. We’re here to help you.”

“I don’t want your help,” Samantha replied. "What I want is to be left alone.”

“Then why the hell did you come down to the station?” Stanley asked. “You stole a security tape.”

“Because I needed it. However, it wasn’t any use to me, so you can have it back.”

“I’m afraid that’s not all we want, Miss Hancock,” Fraser said. “If you would please come with us -”

“Look, this is none of your concern, so butt out,” Samantha interrupted.

“When bodies start showing up, it is our concern,” Stanley retorted. Samantha looked a little startled, but kept her gun aimed. “The men who kidnapped your boyfriend are dead, which is why we’re here. Your life is in danger.”

“I can take care of myself, thanks.”

“What about your brother?” Fraser asked.

Samantha tensed up again. How did they find out about Angelo? “What about my brother?” she asked.

“He’s very concerned for you well-being.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he said that Jarod kidnapped you and took his thumb off,” Stanley said.
“Personally, I think he was -”

“What do you mean his thumb?” Samantha asked.

“His left thumb was gone. He said Jarod cut it off, but I’m not buying.”

“You idiot,” Samantha said as she pointed her gun back at Stanley. “Where is he? Is he downstairs waiting for me?”

“Calm down,” Fraser said.

“How can I calm down when you’ve been talking with a man who more than likely wants to kill me?”

“He’s not here,” Stanley replied. “And if what you’re saying is true, then it’s probably best if you come with us.”

“No, you’re going to get the hell out of here before I shoot you.”

“You’re not going to shoot, Miss Hancock,” Fraser said. “You don’t have it in your eyes.”

Samantha looked at Fraser, then back at Stanley. She sighed as she lowered her gun. “You’re right. I don’t have it in me to kill anyone.”

Stanley lowered his gun and gave a small smile. “That’s good.” He put his gun away only after Samantha put hers away. Suddenly, Samantha snapped her foot up, slamming it into Stanley’s face. This time, Stanley fell to the floor, stunned. Before Fraser could react, Samantha punched him in the face, then hit in in the stomach with her knee. The Mountie dropped, groaning.

“However, I do have it in me to do that,” the young Pretender said as she ran out of the hotel room. She hurried down the hall towards the elevators, just as one of the doors opened. She brushed past the people coming out, then pressed the first floor button. The doors shut, and the elevator started down, giving Samantha time to catch her breath.

“This is not good,” she said softly. “This is not good.” The elevator stopped on the first floor, and doors opened. Samantha quickly hurried out and ran into the lobby, where she saw Dewey and Huey. She was turning around when they spotted her. Not seeing Stanley or Fraser with her, Huey pulled out his gun and aimed it right at her.

“Hold it right there!” he shouted as people scattered. Samantha stopped in her tracks, knowing full well she couldn’t out run any bullets. “Hands up, now!” Samantha put her hands up. Huey and Dewey hurried over to her, and Huey put his gun away and pulled out his cuffs.

“Where’s Vecchio and Fraser?” he demanded as he started handcuffing her. Samantha remained silent. “Tom, hold her, I’m going up to find them.”

“Not necessary,” Stanley said as he and Fraser walked over from the elevators. Stanley was gently rubbing his cheek and nose. He was glaring at Samantha. Fraser only looked slightly ruffled, but he looked at Samantha with a little concern. “We’re going downtown, Miss Hancock.” He started to grab her, but Dewey brushed his hand aside.

“I got her, Vecchio,” he said before starting to lead her out. The three men followed.

“Well, I hope you’re all proud of yourselves,” Samantha said as they made their way outside. “You’ve just killed me.”

- - - -

Angelo suddenly sprang up from his seated position in the Sim Lab, scattering objects. “Samantha, scared, angry. Help her.” He rushed over to Sydney. “Help Samantha. Danger, fear.”

“Tell me where she is Angelo,” Sydney said calmly. He knew Angelo was doing the best he could, but it was frustrating not being able to get the answers they needed. He sighed as Angelo went back to Jarod’s things.

- - - -

In the midst of processing Samantha back at the station, which was very difficult since she wasn’t talking, Dewey had managed to slip into the evidence room where all the stuff that had been confiscated from her hotel room. No one had gone through it yet, so it would give him the perfect opportunity to see if he could find anything on her. He first went through the duffel bags. In one was some women’s clothing. The other contained some men’s clothing and a few other items, including a Mr. Potato Head, some Pez dispensers, various photographs, and a red notebook. The leather backpack held a purple notebook, some black and white photos, and a gold and black ring with a small circle of fire on it. There was also a small DSA in there as well as her gun and a cellphone.

Dewey opened up the silver briefcase that was nearby, and saw a bunch more DSAs, and what looked like a laptop computer. He saw a small slot in the front, and he put in the DSA from Samantha’s bag. He pushed some buttons on the computer, and the machine turned on.

The detective could make out a long corridor with doors on both sides. Even though it was in black and white, Dewey could see it was a very dismal place. In the bottom left hand could see the words: SL-12, 9/15/01. He could hear shouting and was almost horrified to see Samantha being dragged by a couple of men in suits. Another man was right behind him, and Samantha was shouting and screaming.

“You can’t do this to me!!” she shouted as she struggled with the men. They finally stopped in front of one of the doors, and the third man faced Samantha. Dewey could see he was wearing a glove over his left hand, and assumed it was Mr. Lyle.

“You know, Samantha,” he said calmly. “This really is unnecessary, all this shouting and screaming. You’re going to stay here, and you might as well get used to it.” He stroked her hair with his right hand. “And if you behave yourself and do as you’re told, maybe you and I can work on . . . other projects together.” Samantha replied by kicking him in the groin.

As Lyle groaned and bent over, the two men grabbed Samantha tighter. Lyle then stood up calmly, composed him himself, then slapped her across the face with his right hand. “Put her in her new home,” he managed to wheeze out before limping away. One of the two men opened the door and the other shoved her inside. The door was shut and locked, but Dewey could still hear Samantha shouting and screaming from the inside. Then the screen went blank.

“No wonder why she’s scared,” Dewey said, taking the DSA out and putting it back in Samantha’s bag. He closed the suitcase, just as Huey came walking in.

“What are you doing here?” he asked his partner.

“Just checking to see if there’s anything here that could help us,” Dewey said as he and Huey left. “She said anything yet?”

“Not a peep,” Huey replied.

- - - -

Samantha sat in Interrogation Room 2, at a small table facing a mirror. The young woman knew that she was being watched from the other side, presumably by the cops her brought her in. She sighed as she put her head in her hands. How did she get into this mess? More importantly, how was she going to get out? She figured that Lyle was the one who had kidnapped Jarod, but why didn’t he take her as well? With a psychotic killer who didn’t like her at all, she knew he had to be using Jarod to get to her, but for what reason, she didn’t have a clue.

From the other side of the mirror, Fraser, Stanley, Huey, and Dewey watched the young woman. Stanley was holding an ice pack on his face where Samantha had kicked him, and Fraser’s nose was slightly bruised. Welsh came in and closed the door behind him.

“We‘ve got a problem,” the Lieutenant said.

“What?” Stanley asked. Before Welsh could respond, the interrogation room door opened and Agents Ford and Deeter walked in. “Come on, sir, you can’t be serious!”

“Not my call, Vecchio. Their jurisdiction. I tried to get around it, but I couldn’t.”

“They’re going to screw this up,” Dewey added angrily.

“I don’t like anymore than you do,” Welsh said.

“Agent Ford, FBI. My partner, Agent Deeter. Heard about your escapade at the Swiss Hotel,” Ford said as he sat across from Sam. “You know, personally, I can see why you would react they way you did. You’re probably scared, but if you give us the information we need, we can protect you.”

"Buddy, you don't have any clue how to protect me," Samantha said.

"And why is that?"

"You can't protect someone from something you don't know. The people after me would eat you and your little minions for dinner."

“Miss, we’re the FBI.”

Samantha chuckled. “Ooh, the FBI. That makes me feel a whole lot better.”

“You know, we can’t help you if you don’t cooperate,” Ford said with edge. “Besides, if you know something, and you’re not telling us, we can hit you up for obstruction
charges.”

“How do you know I know anything? You can’t prove that I know anything in a court of law, because recording a conversation without the consent of both parties - even in the case of evidence gathering - is illegal unless the device emits an audible beep every fifteen seconds. So far, you have yet to identify that you’re using a device, hidden in your pocket, to record this conversation, or one that emits a beep of any kind, and the only think I’ve heard coming from you is mindless drivel.”

From behind the mirror, everyone snickered except for Fraser, although he did rub his thumb across his eyebrow in an attempt to hide his smile. However, Ford and Deeter looked less than amused.

Ford glared at Samantha before he got up. “We’re leaving.” He and Deeter left the room. A few moments later, Ford opened the door to the viewing room.

“Have a good time?” Stanley smirked.

“You can have her,” Ford said simply. “The FBI has no time for dealing with a smart Alec.”

“She is scared, Agent,” Fraser replied.

“Yeah, well, scared or not, she’s a pain in the ass, and now she’s your pain in the ass.” Ford slammed the door shut. They could hear him stomping away.

“Okay, who wants to talk with the Miss Powder Keg?” Welsh asked.

“Sir, why don’t Huey and I talk to her?” Dewey suggested. “She might be less hostile towards us.”

Welsh nodded. “Behave yourselves in there. Whoever is after her is dangerous, and we need to get her on our side so we can figure out what’s going on.”

“And how do we do that?” Huey asked. “We did pull our guns on her. She might not like us because of that.”

“I didn’t,” Dewey said.

“Why not?” Welsh asked.

“I didn’t see her as being a threat to our lives,” Dewey replied. “Let me talk to her, okay? Alone.”

Welsh looked at Huey, then nodded at Dewy. “Go.” Dewey left and entered the interrogation room a few moments later. He walked over and sat across from Samantha, ignoring the glare she was giving him.

“So . . .”

Samantha arched a brow. “So?”

"Do you, you know, need, like, a drink or anything? The coffee is really petroleum, but it's wet, or there's a soda machine down the hall."

Samantha was about ready to let loose with some sarcastic remark, but stopped when she noticed his demeanor. He wasn’t looking at her directly, he looked slightly nervous, and she could tell he wasn’t faking.

“First time interrogation, and they stick you with me, huh?” she asked.

“Uh, no,” Dewey replied slowly, looking right at her. “Far from my first.”

“Ah,” Samantha nodded. “Well, don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

"I know." Dewey smiled gently at her as he rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh, do you want anything to drink, eat?”

“I’ll have some petroleum, please,” Samantha smiled slightly. “Little cream, little sugar.”

Dewey chuckled softly as he got to his feet. “Good one. I’ll be right back.” He left the interrogation room and walked down the hallway, but Welsh and the others came out of the viewing room and stopped him.

“Dewey, what the hell are you doing?” Welsh asked angrily.

“What are you talking about?” Dewey asked.

“Come on,” Stanley said. “We saw you getting chummy in there.”

“Being friendly with suspects is one thing,” Welsh said. “Flirting with them is another.”

“What?” Dewey asked. “I was not flirting with her.”

"Then what do you call it?" Dewey glared at his partner-turned-traitor. As the men started to argue, Fraser stepped into the rising tension and said calmly, "Gentlemen, let's all calm down and think this through. I vote that we give Detective Dewey the benefit of the doubt."

“Thank you, Fraser,” Dewey said with edge before he walked away. The others went back into the viewing room and waited. Dewey returned a few minutes later with a Styrofoam cup in his hand. He gave it to Samantha. “So, you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Why?”

“So, we can help you. That’s our job.”

“The only person who can protect me has been kidnapped, most likely by the man he’s protecting me from. The same man who, more than likely, killed the two men who took Jarod in the first place.”

“Mr. Lyle.” Dewey remembered the name that Stanley and Fraser had told him and Huey about on the way back from the hotel, and the face that he had seen on the DSA.

“Score one for the Detective,” Samantha replied as she sipped some of the coffee.
“However, I don’t talk well to people I can’t see, so if you want to know what’s going on, you’re going to have to come in here.” She made a point of looking right at the mirror. A few moments later, the door opened and Welsh, Fraser, Stanley, and Huey stepped in. “Okay. Before I begin telling you anything, we’re going to lay down some ground rules. First of all, what I say is not to be documented in any way, shape or fashion. Second, what I say doesn’t leave this room. Can we follow those rules?”

“Sure,” Welsh said. “Now, what the hell is going on?”

Samantha sighed. She hoped this would work. “Well, Jarod and I met a few months ago. I had just been kidnapped by Lyle. The why is unimportant, because it doesn’t justify kidnapping. Jarod is a friend of the family’s, a retired police officer, and he heard about me being taken. He rescued me and, in order to keep me safe, we’ve been hiding out, running from city to city, always looking over our shoulders.”

“So, who is Lyle, exactly?” Fraser asked.

“Jarod told me that he has connections in everything and anything you could think of, good and bad,” Samantha replied. “Including the Yakuza, which is how he wound up with one less thumb, but that happened long before I even knew about him.”

“So, why didn’t you ever go to the police?” Stanley asked.

“Because he’s a very powerful and very dangerous man, and people who have gotten in his way have wound up dead. He’s been here almost twenty-four hours, and there are already two dead bodies.” She sighed. “And I don’t plan to be the third.”

“We can protect you,” Welsh replied. “I have the best men -”

“That won’t matter, Lieutenant. If he knows I’m here, he’s going to do anything to get me out. I need to leave before he figures out that I’m here. Please.” There was a knock on the door. The door opened slightly, and Francesca stuck her head inside.

“Sir, there’s someone by the name of Lyle waiting for you in your office. He said he’s here about his sister.” She left, and everyone stared at Samantha. She looked positively terrified.

“See, he already knows I’m here,” she said as she stood up. “You have to let me go. Please.”

“Calm down,” Welsh said. He sighed. “Okay, this is what’s going to happen. Dewey, you and Huey are going to take Miss . . . you’re going to take her out of here, and far away from this place. Vecchio, you, Fraser, and I are going to take care of him. If he can tell us where Jarod is-”

“No,” Samantha interrupted. “If you take him in, we’ll have nothing. However, if you let him think I’ve been lost in the paperwork, he might go back to where he’s keeping Jarod. Besides, there’s a leak in your department, and you need to find out where it’s coming from.”

Welsh nodded. For someone on the run, she had a quick mind. “Okay, fine. We’ll keep him busy. Dewey, Huey, get her out of here. We‘ll contact you later.” The two detectives and Samantha left the room. Right behind them were the rest of the group, but they headed back toward the bullpen.

Dewey and Huey led Samantha down to the first floor, but instead of heading to the parking lot, Dewey went back to the Evidence Room with Samantha and Huey close behind. They were puzzled as Dewey started gathering up hers and Jarod’s things.

“Can’t leave without all your stuff, right?” Samantha looked grateful as she took as much of her stuff as possible, while Huey and Dewey grabbed the rest. The trio headed out to the parking lot and quickly over to Huey’s car. They had just finished putting everything in when a man in a suit came out of one of the entrances, pulled out his gun, and started firing at the trio.

As people scattered, the trio ducked down behind the car, and the detectives pulled out their guns, returning fire. Keeping low as the windows shattered from getting struck, Samantha reached into her bag and pulled out her gun. She hurried over to where Dewey and Huey were.

“I think we just found the leak,” she said. “Do you know him?”

“He works in IA,” Huey said. “Jason Simmons.”

“So, what do we do?” Dewey asked.

“We gotta get out of here,” Samantha said. “You two get the car started, I’ll draw his fire.” They looked at her with ‘yeah right’ expressions, but Samantha peeked over the side of the car, took aim, and fired. The bullet hit close behind where the man, who ducked for cover behind another car. Huey and Dewey looked at her in amazement, but she just fired again.

“Go!” she shouted. Huey quickly got inside the car, staying low, and started the car.
Dewey, however, stayed out next to Samantha. “Get in the car, Detective.”

“I’m not going to leave you out here by yourself,” Dewey shouted. Samantha turned to glare at him, but then a bullet hit a nearby window, shattering it. The glass cut Samantha’s face, and she backed away, wincing. Dewey opened the back door and shoved Samantha in. As he was about ready to get in himself, the man took aim and fired at him. The bullet hit Dewey in the shoulder.

“Ah!” he shouted as he fell backwards. Samantha managed to grab him by his other arm and pull him in.

“Go!” she shouted to Huey. Huey floored the accelerator and the car sped away. The man came out of his hiding, cursed, then hurried off before anyone else showed up.

- - - -

“I don’t see how this could be so difficult,” Lyle said as he and another Sweeper sat in Welsh’s office. “She is my sister, I was told she was here.”

Welsh sat behind his desk, restraining himself not to reach over and grab Lyle by his throat. Stanley and Fraser were sitting on the couch nearby, and they just watched Lyle and the Sweeper.

“Well, this is a police station,” Welsh said calmly. “People have a tendency to get lost in all the bureaucratic paperwork.” There was a knock on the door. “What?”

The door opened and Francesca poked her head in. “Sir, some guy started shooting up the parking lot a few moments ago.”

“What?” Welsh asked as he stood up. “Who did it? Was anyone hurt?”

“The shooter got away before anyone got there,” Francesca replied. “And it doesn’t look like anyone was hurt, but some people said they saw Dewey, Huey, and that young girl shooting back before driving off. And it looked liked Dewey got hit.”

Welsh sighed. “Thanks, Francesca. We’ll get right on it.” Francesca nodded and left, shutting the door behind her. “Vecchio, Constable, will you please come with me?” The trio started to leave, but Lyle pulled his gun on Welsh.

“Not so fast, Lieutenant,” he said as he stood up. The other Sweeper got to his feet, taking out his gun and aiming it at Stanley and Fraser. Lyle chuckled. “You know, you shouldn’t have gotten involved in this. Now we’re going to have to do things my way.”

“What are you going to do?” Welsh asked. “Shoot me in my own department? You’ll never walk out of here alive.”

“Oh, I don’t plan on shooting you,” Lyle said. “Not yet, anyway. First, you’re going to help me find Samantha.”

“Like hell we will,” Stanley replied.

“Ray, Leftanant,” Fraser spoke up. “Perhaps we should listen to Mr. Lyle’s advice. He’s already killed two people. Let’s not give him any reason to kill anymore.” He looked right at Welsh, who understood what he was saying.

“Fine,” Welsh said.

“Good.” Lyle said as he put his gun away, but kept his hand on it. “Let’s go.” The Sweeper put his gun away, but also kept his hand on it. Welsh left the office first, followed by Lyle. Stanley, then Fraser, then the other Sweeper followed. The five men made their way out of the bullpen and to the front of the station. Waiting outside was a black car.
“Get in.” Everyone got in the car, and it sped off.

- - - -

“How bad is he hit?” Huey asked as he drove. Samantha was in the back with Dewey, nursing the bullet wound in the should. She had taken off his tie and was using it as a tourniquet.

“Not too bad,” Samantha replied. “The bullet passed through, but it needs to be patched up, and soon. He’s losing blood.”

“Hey, I’m fine,” Dewey groaned.

“We’re going to a hospital,” Huey said.

“No, we can’t,” Samantha said. “They’re going to be looking for us there.”

“Then what the hell do we do?” Huey asked.

“Can you get to a drugstore?” Samantha asked. “I need gauze, tape, antiseptic, and some other medical supplies.”

“What are you now, a doctor?” Samantha just glanced at him as they drove down the street.

- - - -

While Cox was in the kitchen taking a phone call, Jarod tried to move his hands, but they were tied tight. He got a strange feeling of déjà vu, being tied up like this. It reminded him of the time in Arizona where Lyle had him tied up. Cox returned, looking rather upset.

“Your little friend seems to have slipped through our grasp,” he said. He smiled. “However, Lyle has quickly remedied that problem.”

“How?” Jarod asked.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

- - - -

THE CENTRE

“Trap!” Angelo shouted. He jumped to his feet and started throwing and knocking over things. “Trap!” Sydney and Parker rushed out of Sydney’s office as Angelo went berserk.

“Angelo, calm down!” Sydney said as he hurried over.

“Can’t calm down!” Angelo said. “Samantha in danger! Trap!”

“Sydney, this is getting us nowhere fast,” Parker said. “We’re running out of time.”

“Parker, there’s not much we can do. I’ve been trying to contact Samantha for hours now. She’s not answering her phone for some reason. There’s not much else we can do.” He looked at Angelo as the Empath started picking up something with his left hand. It didn’t take him long to realize Angelo was only using four fingers to pick up the object. “Lyle.”

“What?”

“It’s Lyle,” Sydney repeated. “He has Jarod, and he’s planning on getting Samantha.”

“Should have realized it was too quiet around here,” Parker said as she walked toward the entrance to the Sim Lab.

“Where are you going?” Sydney asked.

“To find out where my brother and Cox have slithered off too.” Parker left, leaving Sydney and Angelo alone.

“Sydney, find Jarod and Samantha,” Angelo said. “Not much time.”

- - - -

Jarod could feel his anger boil as he stared at the faces of Lyle’s new prisoners. It was bad enough putting Samantha and himself in danger, but Lyle was now endangering the lives of innocent people.

“Lyle, you’re not going to get away with this,” Jarod said.

“Actually, I will,” Lyle replied calmly. “You see, so far, the only reason Samantha has managed to stay out there is because she’s had help from other players. Now that they’ve been eliminated from the game, Samantha will come right to me.” There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” a male voice said. Cox went to get the door and saw the shooter, Detective Simmons, standing on the other side. He came in. “Sorry, I’m late. Had to shake a few cops off my tail.”

“You didn’t get the girl,” Cox said as he closed the door.

“It was three against one,” Simmons protested. “I did manage to get one of the cops, though.”

“She’ll be at a hospital then,” Cox replied.

“She’s too smart for that,” Lyle said. He smiled at Simmons. “Well, Detective, you did your best, but your services are no longer needed.” Cox pulled out his gun, complete with silencer, and shot Simmons in the chest, killing him. Lyle pulled out his cellphone as Cox put away his gun. Cox then untied Jarod and Lyle handed him the phone. “Call her.”

“Why?” Jarod asked.

“Because if you don’t, I will shoot one of these officers every minute until you do,” Lyle said. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Fraser. “Starting with the Mountie.” Jarod sighed in defeat as he dialed Samantha’s number.

- - - -

Samantha had finished patching up Dewey’s shoulder a long time and was now off in a corner of an abandoned apartment building while Huey watched his partner. The young Pretender tried to fight back tears. Someone had been shot because of her, and the one person she wanted to talk to the most wasn’t there. She wiped her cheek with her sleeve, just as Dewey walked slowly over to her. Huey stayed put on his side of the apartment.

“You okay?” he asked.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Samantha said.

“You know, you can’t blame yourself for me getting shot,” Dewey replied. “It’s part of being a cop.”

“Not like this.” She looked at Dewey. “Why were you being nice to me?”

Dewey shrugged slightly. “You just looked like you needed help.”

“I’m not buying it, Detective. Why? For what reason?”

The Detective sighed. “Because you remind me of my niece. She disappeared a long time ago.”

“And you thought by helping me, you’d be helping her?” Samantha asked. She got up and went over to her backpack, pulling out her phone.

“Who are you going to call?” Dewey asked.

“A friend,” Samantha answered as she turned her phone off. Immediately, it started ringing. She answered it. “Yes?”

“Sam, it’s me,” Jarod said in a hushed voice.

Samantha’s heart skipped a beat. “Jarod, is that you? Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m fine, Sam. Listen carefully. The guys who kidnapped me also kidnapped two officers and the Mountie.”

“What?”

“But don’t worry,” Jarod added quickly. “I managed to get us all out. We’re hiding in a building on Madison, address is 1436. Do you think you can come and get us?”

“Sure, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Sam, thanks. You’re a crackerjack partner. And be careful.” Samantha heard the click as Jarod hung up. Samantha started gathering her things up as Huey came over.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I’m going to go get Jarod,” Samantha answered.

“We’ll come with you,” Huey said.

“No, you need to stay with your partner,” Samantha replied. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She started to leave, then she suddenly stopped, her countenance changing.

“What?” Dewey asked.

“Something’s wrong,” Samantha said.

“What are you talking about?” Huey asked.

Samantha ignored him as she dialed a number on her phone.

- - - -

Sydney picked up his phone on the second ring as Angelo went back to his Empathing.
“This is Sydney.”

“I hope I’m not wasting my time by calling here,” Samantha said.

“Samantha,” Sydney sound relieved to hear the young Pretender’s voice. “Are you
alright?”

“For the time being.”

“Samantha, you must be careful. Parker and I have reason to believe that Lyle is the one who kidnapped Jarod. Cox will be with him as well, most likely.”

“I already knew that, Syd. I ran into a Sweeper a couple of hours ago. He wounded a police office in the process. Also Lyle has already killed two other men and kidnapped three other officers, just to try and get to me.”

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Getting everyone back alive. I’m supposed to go get Jarod. He called me, telling me he and the officers escaped. However, there was something bothering me about something he said. He told me I was a crackerjack partner. I think he wanted me to call you.”

“Why?”

“Well, I know that Crackerjacks are Angelo’s favorite foods.” Sydney turned around and looked at Angelo as he busied himself in the Sim Lab.” But why Jarod would tell me something I already know . . . I don’t know.”

“Trap!” Angelo shouted, throwing an object aside. “Trap!”

“What’s going on?” Samantha asked.

“It’s funny you should mention Angelo,” Sydney replied. “He’s been behaving erratically ever since last night, when Jarod was kidnapped.”

“What do you mean?”

“Empathing objects, mentioning both you and Jarod.”

“What’s he saying now?” Samantha asked.

“He’s repeating the word ‘trap,’” Sydney answered. “Samantha, I think Lyle’s setting you up.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“You should probably tell us where you are.”

“Sorry, Syd. That’s not how the game works.” Sydney heard the click as Samantha hung up. Sydney sighed as he put his phone down.

- - - -

“What’s going on?” Dewey said as Samantha put her phone away.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I have to go.”

“Look, whatever’s going on,” Huey said as he slowly helped Dewey to his feet, “we’re coming with you.”

Samantha pulled out her gun, aiming it right at the two Detectives. “Sorry, but I can’t let you.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Huey asked.

“This is my fight, and I’m not going to let anyone else risk getting hurt again.” She looked at Huey. “Car keys, Detective. Now.” Huey sighed, frustrated, but he took his keys from his jacket and tossed them to her. Samantha caught them, then slowly backed away toward the entrance.

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Dewey said angrily.

“Not likely,” Samantha replied. “Lyle thinks I’ll be walking into his trap. I’m going to play that to my advantage.” She disappeared through the entrance. A few moments later, the detectives heard the sound of an engine starting and a car driving away.

- - - -

Back at the Centre, Sydney had returned Angelo to his space and was in his office when Parker came back. She was holding a piece of paper.

“Lyle and Cox left for Chicago yesterday,” she said. “I’ve got the jet waiting for us. If we hurry we can get there before Lyle captures Samantha.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Parker.”

“Why not?”

“Samantha called a few minutes ago. She knows Lyle is the one behind Jarod’s kidnapping, and I think she’s going to try and rescue him.”

Parker sighed. “Perfect. Well, we better get there before she does, Syd.” The two left the Sim Lab, and rounded a corner when they saw Broots walking toward them, holding a folder. “We’re going to Chicago, Broots.”

“I found out whose sperm was used to impregnate your mother,” Broots said, holding up the folder. “It was in the infirmary’s data archives.” He handed the folder to Parker, who opened it up and read it. Broots and Sydney saw Parker’s facial features harden as she read the contents of the folder. She suddenly closed the folder and walked off. “Let’s go.” Broots and Sydney followed.

- - - -

While Lyle and Cox were in the kitchen, Stanley looked over at Jarod. He wasn’t expecting the man to look almost satisfied, but sure enough, Jarod had that sly grin on his face. Even Welsh and Fraser noticed it.

“What are you so happy about?” Stanley whispered. “You just sent her into a trap.”

“Sam is more than capable of handling herself,” Jarod whispered back. “She’ll figure out it’s a trap.”

“How?” Stanley asked.

“You’ll see,” Jarod replied.

- - - -

Night had fallen as Samantha parked a few blocks away from the address Jarod had given her. She had changed into a set of black clothes and did a little shopping for some necessary equipment, which was all piled in the back of Huey’s car, along with hers and Jarod’s things. She didn’t have to worry much about being quiet, since a thunderstorm had blown in a few moments ago, and the rain, wind, and thunder made it hard to hear much of anything, but she still carefully made her way to her destination, cutting through the alleys.

She was rounding a corner of the building when she saw a Sweeper with his back to her. She carefully snuck up behind him, pulled her gun, and held it against his back. “Don’t move,” she said, “or I will shoot you. Put your hands up slowly.” The Sweeper obeyed.
“Now, counting you, how many Sweepers did Lyle send here to get me.”

“Three,” the Sweeper answered.

“Where are the other two?”

“One’s at the front, and one’s inside.”

“And where are Lyle and Jarod?” The Sweeper gave her the location. “Thanks. Now turn around, slowly.” The Sweeper turned around, and Samantha decked him, knocking him unconscious. She dragged him off to one side, used his tie to tie him up, and took his gun.
Samantha carefully walked around the building and saw the second Sweeper. Doing the same to him as she did to the first Sweeper, she was able to quickly subdue him, however, she knocked him out without asking him any questions.

“Two down, one to go,” she said. She looked at the building, contemplating her next move. She didn’t want to just go walking in through the front door, but she didn’t see any back entrances on the ground level, just windows about thirty feet up, and a fire escape nearby.

The young woman started shaking as her breathing increased. She felt weak in the knees and dizzy, and her legs gave out on her. She closed her eyes, reliving a moment in her life she hadn’t thought about in a long time.

- - - -

Samantha felt that she was actually there. She was fourteen years old when she and her biology class were up on the roof, performing the experiment on how to keep an egg from breaking after falling from a certain height. She had worked with one of her friends, Jenny, and they were on the roof, testing their invention out while the class and their teacher watched from ground level. Right after they dropped their invention, they leaned over, and the concrete they were leaning against gave way. Samantha was able to move back, but Jenny wasn’t quite so lucky. She lost her balance and fell off the roof to her death.

- - - -

Samantha wept softly as the guilt of that horrible day came back. Even after all the time that had passed, she had pushed it out of her mind, forgetting about it, making up that story of being scared of heights, when in fact, she felt guilty for not being able to save her friend.

- - - -

Angelo sat upright in his space and looked around. He could feel a huge amount of guilt in the air, and a familiar presence. “Samantha?” He concentrated on his sister and her guilt, learning about what was troubling his sister. “Guilty . . . sad.” He focused his Empathing skills, reaching out to her.

- - - -

Samantha continued to weep, her sobs drowned out by the wind and thunder. Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence, like someone was with her. She looked around, but there was no one there. The presence grew stronger, and Samantha was finally able to recognize that it was coming from her brother. The young Pretender was confused, but she wasn’t tense or frightened. She felt calm and collected, and she could feel her brother’s voice inside her head, comforting her and telling her what happened wasn’t her fault.

The young woman slowly got to her feet as she felt different. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew that what had happened in her past wasn’t her fault, and she couldn’t let that guilt control her life any longer. Jarod and the others were depending on her. Taking a deep breath, she climbed up the fire escape to the roof, not stopping until she reached the top.

Once up there, she spotted a skylight and went over to it. She carefully looked inside and saw the third Sweeper walking slowly back and forth, only twenty feet below her. She watched him for a few moments, timing his walk. Then, taking a deep breath, she jumped through the skylight, landing right on the Sweeper and knocking him out cold.

Samantha stood up, brushed herself off, and looked down at the unconscious Sweeper then up at the broken skylight. “Well, that wasn’t too bad,” she said, grinning. She tied the Sweeper up then hurried out of the building.

- - - -

Lyle sighed and looked at his watch. The Sweepers had been sent out a couple of hours ago, and no word from them since. He looked at Cox. “They’re late,” he said. “Something must have happened.”

“Perhaps she’s just being extra cautious,” Jarod said from his spot. Welsh, Fraser, and Stanley were tied up beside him.

“I doubt that,” Lyle replied. “She doesn’t know I’m here, Jarod, and you told her that you and the others escaped. She has no reason to be cautious.” The lights in the entire room suddenly went out. Everything was pitch black. “What the hell?”

“Probably the storm,” Cox said. Everyone suddenly heard him groan and him collapse to the floor.

“Cox,” Lyle replied. He suddenly felt a hard object jabbed into his lower back. The lights suddenly came back on, and everyone saw Cox unconscious on the floor. More importantly, they saw Samantha standing behind Lyle, pointing a gun at his lower back.

“Twitch,” she said, “and your prostate mates with a very important part of your anatomy.”

“Samantha, so nice to see you again,” Lyle said.

“I wish I could say the same for you, Lyle. You know, you’ve underestimated me for the last time.”

“What are you going to do? Shoot me?”

“No,” Samantha replied. She slammed her gun into Lyle’s head, knocking him out. She hurried over to Jarod and untied him. The two hugged each other tightly. “Are you okay, Jarod?”

“I’m fine,” Jarod said. The two Pretenders untied the others. “I see you got my message.”

Samantha smiled. “Took me a minute, yeah, but I figured it out.”

“So, we gonna haul them in or what?” Stanley asked.

“No,” Samantha and Jarod answered.

“This is our fight,” Jarod added. “Let us handle it.”

“Besides, Detective Dewey needs to get to a hospital,” Samantha explained. “I patched his arm up, but he should get looked at by a real doctor.”

“What about those two?” Fraser asked. Samantha grinned as she looked at Jarod, who returned the grin.

“I have something special in mind for them,” Samantha replied.

- - - -

Parker sighed as she leaned back in her seat. They had been circling around Chicago for almost an hour because of the storm, and there were no signs that they would be landing soon. Sydney noticed her as she started out the window, and knew part of the reason she was so quiet was because of what she had read in the file that Broots had given her right before they left the Centre.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Not now, Syd,” Parker replied. “We’ve got more important things to worry about.”
Sydney nodded and left her alone. He looked back at Broots, who was trying to do some work on his laptop, despite all the bumping and jostling the plane was doing.

“Hey, I think I figured it out,” Broots said.

“What, Broots?” Sydney asked.

“Those blank tickets,” Broots explained. “I was doing a search on recent kidnappings in
Chicago, and there was one that occurred at Navy Pier, last night.”

“And what the hell is Navy Pier?” Parker asked.

“Oh, it’s this really cool amusement park,” Broots replied. “There’s this huge Ferris wheel, an ice skating rink, and -”

“Broots,” Parker interrupted harshly.

Broots cleared his throat. “Anyway, there was a kidnapping last night of an adult male. There’s not much else, but I think it’s Jarod. Which would explain why Angelo gave me the tickets.”

“He was telling you that Jarod had been taken from an amusement park,” Sydney replied. He glanced at Parker, but she was just staring out her window at the storm.

- - - -

Lyle and Cox slowly opened their eyes and realized that their wrists and legs had been tied to eight different ropes. The ones attached to their wrists were nailed to the floor, and the ones attached to their legs led to two pulleys on the ceiling. The other ends of the ropes were tied around a large television set, which was sitting atop a wobbly table. Adding insult to injury, both men were covered from head to toe in brown feathers.

“Well, it’s about time you’re awake,” Samantha said as she worked at a laptop nearby. Jarod was sitting on the couch, sipping some bottled water cheerfully.

“What do you want with us?” Cox asked.

“You know, Mr. Cox,” Samantha said as she turned around, “I wish I could say it was nice to finally meet you, but then I’d be lying.”

“Do I even want to ask why we’re covered in feathers?” Lyle asked.

“Well, it is getting close to Thanksgiving,” Jarod replied. “Haven’t really had a chance to experience it yet, but Samantha was telling me that people celebrate this holiday with a turkey. Of course, at this particular celebration, we were lucky enough to find two turkeys instead of one.”

“But the celebration wouldn’t be complete without more people to join in the festivities,” Samantha added. She clicked a key on the laptop. “Smile, gentlemen, you’re on Pretender Camera.”

- - - -

Broots heard the familiar sound of his video phone call device and activated it. Samantha's appeared on the screen, waving and smiling. "Uh . . . Miss Parker, Sydney," Broots said slowly.

"What, Broots?" Parker asked sharply.

"You should probably come see this." Parker and Sydney looked at Broots, then carefully got out of their seats and walked over to him. They saw Samantha on the screen, grinning and standing with her arms behind her.

"What the hell?" Parker asked.

"Hi, Miss Parker," Samantha replied cheerfully. "Sydney, Broots."

"You seem awfully chipper," Parker said.

"I have good reason." Samantha stepped aside, and the trio could see Jarod standing behind her. He smiled and waved.

"She found Jarod," Sydney said.

"Not only that," Samantha added. She adjusted the camera, and the trio saw Lyle and Cox, tied up and covered in feathers. Broots started giggling, but he covered it up with a cough. Sydney tried hard not to smile. Parker, on the other hand, didn't so much as crack a smile.

"And now, in the spirit of Thanksgiving," Samantha explained, "we're going to continue with an old family tradition of mine."

"And what would that be?" Parker asked.

"The splitting of a turkey’s wishbone,” Samantha answered cheerfully. “And we’re in luck. We have two turkeys here who have so eagerly volunteered for this event.” She walked over and stood between Lyle and Cox. “Now, typically, splitting a wishbone is a little more simplistic than this, but the wishbones I’m splitting are a bit larger than usual, so I had to come up with a bit more innovative manner in which to split them. As you can see, their wrists are tied to the floor. Their legs are attached to ropes that lead to this.” She walked over to the table with the television and shook it slightly. “All I have to do is cause this table to collapse, which will cause this television to fall. While we’re not exactly splitting wishbones, here, the end results will be pretty much the same.” She looked right at the screen. “Now, anyone care to place bets on who gets the most broken bones?”

“She . . . she wouldn’t really do that?” Broots asked. “Would she?”

“Oh, come on, Broots,” Jarod answered. “You push anyone far enough, they’re liable to snap and do something . . . well, something like what Samantha’s doing now.”

“Come on,” Lyle spoke up. “We’ve all been through this before.”

“Lyle, you’ve been through this with me,” Jarod said. “I don’t know what Samantha has in mind, but I’m positive that both you and Cox deserve it.” He glanced at Samantha. “Now, Sam, don’t you think we’ve wasted enough time with the formalities?”

“Of course, Jarod,” Samantha replied. She placed her foot on one of the legs as Jarod went over to the computer. Samantha looked right at the camera. “Now, this is not going to be pretty. In order to spare you the following nauseating experience, we will be cutting this program short. An email will be sent to Broots’ computer, telling you where to pick
up Lyle and Cox . . . or what’s left of them, anyway.”

Much to the horror of the trio, Samantha kicked the leg of the table, causing the entire structure to collapse. The television fell to the floor, pulling the ropes taunt. Lyle and Cox’s legs shot up, as the two started screaming, then the screen went blank.

“She really has snapped,” Broots said. “She seemed so . . . so nice.”

“People have their limits,” Sydney replied seriously. “Samantha’s been through a lot.”

“So has Jarod,” Parker said. She went back to her seat. “Well, Syd, now what do we do? Samantha just murdered Lyle and Cox, and Jarod condoned it. Not that I’m complaining, but the Centre is going to view this as a really good reason to kill them, regardless whether or not they want them back.” Sydney didn’t say anything as he returned to his seat, looking troubled.

- - - -

Dewey winced as he shifted positions in his hospital bed. After finding Huey and Dewey where Samantha had told them they’d be, Welsh, Stanley, and Fraser had taken him to the nearest hospital. Due to Samantha’s care, there wasn’t much the doctors had to do but admit him and keep him comfortable. However, the detective was far from comfortable. “Why didn’t you stay with her?” he asked. “She’s going to get herself killed.”

“I doubt that very seriously.” Everyone looked and saw Samantha standing in the open doorway. She was smiling as she came into the room. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Detective.”

“What happened to Lyle?” Welsh asked.

“Let’s just say he and his partner are . . . well, it doesn’t matter, you won’t be seeing them ever again. I’ve guaranteed that.”

“And Jarod?” Fraser asked.

“He’s waiting for me outside.” She looked at her watch. “Um . . . I can’t really stick around, but I did want to apologize for you getting involved in this mess, and thank you for all your help.”

“What are you going to do now?” Stanley asked.

“Leave. Not much else we can do at this point in time.” She forced a smile. “But, hey, I’m getting used to it.” She looked at Dewey. “Take care, Detective.”

“You too,” Dewey said. “Good luck.” Samantha smiled and walked out of the room. Before she shut the door, she glanced back. “And sorry about holding you at gunpoint.” She closing the door behind her, leaving Welsh, Stanley, and even Fraser looking a little surprised. She walked up to Jarod, who was waiting nearby.

“You alright?” he asked as they walked down the hall.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Samantha replied. “I’m just trying to comprehend some stuff.”

“Well, I think you did a very good job, considering,” Jarod said. “You didn’t give up, and I’m proud of you, Sam.”

Samantha smiled. “I even overcame my fear of heights, and came to grips with something that’s been bothering me for quite some time now. Well, two things, actually.”

“What?” Jarod asked.

“I’ll tell you about them when we’re safely out of the city.” Jarod just smiled as he put his arm around Samantha’s shoulder.

- - - -

The front door of the apartment swung open, and Parker rushed in, with Sam the Sweeper right behind her. Both of them had their guns drawn and looked around the empty apartment. When they saw Lyle and Cox, they both just stopped and stared.

Lyle and Cox were hanging from the ceiling, by their feet, still covered in feathers. Gags were over their mouths, and their hands were tied behind them. An envelope was taped to Lyle. Parker walked over and read the note as Broots and Sydney came in. Parker read the note, then handed it to Sydney.

“What’s it say?” Broots asked.

“‘Killing them was never the goal,’” Sydney read. ‘Consider this your final warning. Don’t underestimate me, and don’t attempt to use the officers as bait to get to me. If you do, I will kill you, and this time, I mean it.” He glanced up. “It’s Samantha’s handwriting.” Lyle mumbled something under his gag. Parker took it off as Sam removed Cox’s gag.

“Took you long enough,” Lyle said angrily.

“You’re not exactly in a position to be whining,” Parker said.

“Get us down,” Cox replied. Parker walked over to the broken television and started untying the rope.

“Not that way,” Lyle said. Parker ignored him and completely untied the rope. Lyle and Cox fell to the floor, landing right on their heads. “Ow!”

“You’re welcome,” Parker said as the two slowly got to their feet. “Let’s go.”

“What about Jarod and Samantha?” Lyle asked, rubbing his head.

“They’re gone,” Parker answered. “Probably left the city already. We should do the same. Unless you want to call their bluff . . .” She and Sam left the apartment, with Broots and Sydney close behind. Lyle and Cox looked at each other before following them.

- - - -

“And then . . . ” Samantha said as she drove the car out of town. “. . . it was like he was inside my head, like I could feel him next to me, helping me.” She glanced at Jarod. “What do you think it means?”

Jarod sighed, looking contemplative. “Well, Sydney told me once that, when I was in trouble, Angelo was able to feel that, and help find out who was after me. He must have connected with you like he did me, you being his sister.”

“Did you ever feel him like I did?”

Jarod shook his head. “No, that’s something new. I’ve never been able to connect with Angelo like that.” Samantha looked a little worried. “But don’t worry, Sam. We’ll look
into later. I promise.”

“You still owe me.”

“For what?”

“For everything in Chicago. We didn’t go sightseeing like you said we could.” Jarod
started to protest, but Samantha started laughing. Jarod joined in a few moments later.

- - - -

Raines and Willie walked down the corridor to the Infirmary. A few moments ago, he had received a communiqué that his presence was required there immediately, and nothing more. Not knowing what to make of it, he and Willie walked down there together.

“What’s going on?” he asked the head nurse as he entered. The nurse led him back to a curtained off area.

“He was found about a mile away, sir,” the nurse said. “He was dehydrated, malnourished, and injured. He’s unconscious right now, but his chances of survival are optimistic.”
Raines parted the curtained off area and walked in, the nurse and Willie behind him. He stopped when he saw Mr. Parker laying in the hospital bed. He was in a hospital gown, with bruises and cuts over his face and arms.

“Leave us,” Raines said. The nurse. Raines walked over to the side of Mr. Parker’s bed. “I was wondering when you were going to show yourself again, considering the last stunt you pulled.” He looked at Willie. “Make sure he has no visitors, Willie. Especially Miss Parker, Sydney, or Broots.”

“Yes, sir,” Willie said before he left the area.

Raines looked back at Mr. Parker. “Under other circumstances, I would kill you.”

“But these aren’t other circumstances,” Mr. Parker said as he opened his eyes. He looked right at Raines. “It would appear that everything is going according to plan.”

“This was not part of the plan,” Raines replied. “Parachuting out of the plane was not part of the plan.”

“It was to ensure that the Triumverate would never get its hands on the scrolls, even if we succeeded in killing Adama and his men.”

“Where are the scrolls now?”

“Someone stole them from me. A group of men, couldn’t see their faces. They took the scrolls, beat me up, and left me in Blue Cove.”

“Those scrolls are vital to the Centre’s success.”

“I know that,” Mr. Parker growled.

Raines leaned closer to Mr. Parker, hissing menacingly. “Then where are they?” he demanded, separating the words like strokes of a cane.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Parker replied. “Whoever took them knew what they were doing.”

“Then we’ll find them,” Raines said as he stood up straighter. “Together.” He walked to the curtain.”

“What about my daughter?”

Raines stopped and turned around. “What about her?”

“Is she still questioning who her real father is?”

“She seems to have dropped the matter, as she should, if she knows what’s best for her.”
Raines, brushing past the curtains, just caught Parker's muttered, “Best for her, you, or him?” Raines ignored Mr. Parker as he left.

After Raines was gone, Mr. Parker took a mirror off a table nearby and held it up, focusing his attention at his neck at one of the wounds. He peered closer at the reflection and could see it wasn’t just a typical wound. It looked like a pattern or symbol of some sorts, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He sighed as he put the mirror down and leaned back in his bed.

From his usual vantage point in the air ducts, Angelo watched Mr. Parker intently, concern on the Empath’s face. He didn’t say anything as he quietly turned around and crawled away.

THE END