Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. Well, some of them are. But the important ones are all property of MTM and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this . . . . Blah, blah, blah. You know the drill.
Final Countdown
By Nicky
Chapter 7
Two seconds. That's all it took. Three shots. Bam. Bam. Bam. And I watch as the future I had just been
handed gets taken right back from me.
I don't know
exactly when things started to take a turn for the worst. And to be perfectly honest, I should have
seen this coming. I'm Jarod, after all. Natural genius. Master Pretender. But I
guess that doesn't mean I'm also invincible.
There were too
many things to distract me. Too many
factors to use against me. And when you
added them all up, I was bound for disaster.
Destined to be here, fighting for my life.
And where is here,
you may ask? A better question would
probably be how did I get here? Wherever here is. Not that the answer to that question makes any more sense than
the previous, but it's easier for me to explain it right now.
Although, I'm not
quite sure where to even begin. Does
this all go back to the day my mother got raped? Or the day she realized I was her rapist's baby? How about that first day I held Tori in my
arms? When we were just babies, not
even out of diapers. How about the day
I watched my daughter come into the world?
Or even the one when I had to watch her mother die. It could be the day Tori made my life
complete by becoming my wife. Possibly
the day she told me I was going to be a father again.
Or maybe it's all
of those days. All rolled into
one. I didn't really expect this. The random memories popping into my head. Some good.
Some bad. But nevertheless
they're all parts of this thing known as my life. And it's flashing right before my eyes. Not a good sign.
Then one moment is
singled out of the hazy blur of memories.
It's the sight of her. Her eyes,
really. Trying to show no fear, but I
know how to look deeper and see what's really there. I look past the cool exterior and see that's she's frightened for
me. But that she has to trust me, no
matter how hard that may be for her.
But mostly, I see the same love that I know is reflected in my own
eyes. If I have to die, then I'm glad
that's the last thing I remember.
2 Hours earlier
I guess this is as
good as place as any to begin. Because
that's when I guess it all really started.
I was starting to feel kind of nervous.
Having my life in Lyle's hand. I
can tell that his relationship with his sister has changed. And for some reason, my daughter adores him. But I still can't completely trust him. He's always been so ambitious. Trying to triumph at all costs. Will I become just another casualty of his
personal crusade to make it to the top?
And now, I'm letting him take me to his father. And Raines.
But I know something that none of them know I know. They don't know I know Raines is my father. And I hope that will help me.
We reach the
conference room a few minutes after four o'clock. Apparently the meeting has already started because the door is
closed when we get there.
"Are you sure
this is what you want to do?" Lyle asks me one last time. I guess giving me the chance to back out of
this thing.
"It's time
for some answers, Lyle," I tell him.
"And this is the only way we're going to get them. Once and for all." I tried to sound sure of myself. But the truth is, I was terrified. I had a feeling I was doing the right thing,
but what if I was wrong? About the
documents we found in Catherine Parker's office? About Lyle's intentions?
About Willie's? Can I really
trust them?
"Turn
around," Lyle orders. "I'm
going to have to cuff you."
I panic for a
second. But quickly gather my
nerves. I turn around and place my
hands out in front of me, allowing Lyle access to snap the hand cuffs on my
wrist. He cuffs me in front and slips
the key into my hand. I guess so that I
can have more control over getting free later if necessary.
The restraining
process is quick, and seconds later, he's turned back towards the door
again. After knocking lightly on it
twice, he pushes the door open, just enough to stick his head inside.
"Son, you're
here," I hear Mr. Parker's voice boom across the room. He turns his attention back to address the
other attendees. "That new
development I was telling you about is here now. And I hope this can persuade you in your decision making
process. Come on in, Son," he says
again. For some reason, he seemed
really proud of acknowledging Lyle as his child. Probably to impress the Director.
And I can tell
that the Director is definitely impressed.
When I walk into the room, all I hear are gasps and sighs. It's like they couldn't believe they were
finally able to catch up with me.
"Mr.
Parker," the Director starts slowly, deliberately enunciating each
syllable. "I see you've recaptured
the missing pretender. And for this,
I'm assuming you expect me to hand the Centre over to you."
"Yes. I admit that the thought did cross my
mind," Mr. Parker says carefully.
"We have been
looking for you for a very long time, young man," the Director addresses
me.
"I've been
running from you for a very long time, Director," I say pointedly. I figure now's the time to show no
fear. "But I'm back now. And I
want what belongs to me."
A silence falls
across the room and I get a funny look from Mr. Parker and Raines.
"And that
would be?" the Director asks me.
"This
place. The Centre. It's mine and I want it." I really had no clue what I was saying. But it sounded good. Threatening almost. I knew that the papers said that Tori and I
would inherit the Centre. But other
than that, I had no idea what real rights either of us had. Or what rights Mr. Parker has for that
matter.
"What makes
you think . . . " Mr. Parker starts before the Director silences him.
"I assume you
can prove this," the Director says, now completely enthralled with my
presence, trying to decide whether or not I'm telling the truth. "The rightful heirs would come to me
with a sign."
Perfect. This couldn't be going any better than if I
had planned it myself. The proof being
the medallions. Of course I have proof. Or HAD proof would be a better thing to
say. I had proof two hours ago when we
opened the box in Catherine Parker's office.
I must have left the medallions there.
But, I couldn't let anyone here know that.
"The
medallions," I say with confidence.
"One given to myself and the other to Miss Parker when we were just
infants."
I hear collective
gasps from Raines and Mr. Parker. And I
don't have to turn my head and look at them to see they're about to have a
stroke.
"Impossible,"
Mr. Parker finally squeaks out.
"Even if you managed to find the other one, I still have one. And with my daughter's untimely death, I
will stand in her behalf."
"You sure
about that?" I say with that smug grin that I know almost got me shot on
more than one occasion. "When was
the last time you saw the medallion? A
couple weeks ago? In that safe you try
to keep hidden behind that hideous portrait of yourself?" I add a dramatic laugh to further taunt
him. I really should have seen the
warning signs. And I should have quit
while I was ahead. But I further pushed
him.
"And are you
sure about your daughter? Is she really
dead?" I stare fearlessly into the
cold hollows of Mr. Parker's eyes. He
was so sure this was going to work.
That he'd be able to kill his daughter.
Kill the Triumvirate. And get
away with stealing the Centre. He
didn't count on me.
"Miss Parker
might be alive?" the Director asks Mr. Parker with some surprise. "If all this is true, then . . . "
"I assure you
it's very true." The doors burst
open and standing there in all her glory is my wife. But she's in Miss Parker mode, so I better stay out of her way
and let her do what she came to do. She
shoots everyone in the room and icy glare to show them that she was not to be
messed with. "Not to sound
repetitive, but news of my death had been greatly exaggerated. Isn't that right, Daddy?"
"Angel,"
he gasps, in total shock that she's alive.
But then he glares angrily at Lyle, wondering what went wrong.
"Don't start,
Daddy," she yells, almost letting that hard shell break. But she quickly recovers and returns back to
ice queen mode. She reaches in her
pocket, pulls out the two medallions, and holds them up for the Director to
see. "I believe this is what
you're looking for. Proof that Jarod
and I are the rightful heirs of the Centre."
"Where did
you . . ." Mr. Parker starts to ask.
But one icy look from his daughter shuts him right up.
"I didn't
think I'd ever see the day," the Director muses. "I thought Catherine was nuts when she placed the
stipulations on her will. But I don't
see where I have any reason not to grant her last request."
After that, things
got crazy. I should have known
something like this was going to happen.
I should have realized that they weren't going to let it go without a
fight. But I didn't want to think about
that. Because at the Director's last
words, I felt as if we were finally free.
And Tori felt that way too. I
could tell. Because she just looked at
me for an endless moment. Those blue
eyes smiling at me full of love.
And then came the
gun shots.