Title - Saying The Words (4/?)
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG
Category - JMPR
Summary - Jarod tries to say good bye, but ends up coming back to 
rescue Miss Parker and finds her in a surprising predicament.
Disclaimer - The characters aren't mine.  I'm just using them for 
my own entertainment purposes.

* * * * * * * * * *

6 weeks later

Broots walks down the hall of the Centre feeling as invisible as 
the other people probably considered him.  When Miss Parker was 
around, he at least was known as that computer guy working for 
her.  But since her reassignment, as they call it, he wonders why 
he's even still there.  

"Mr. Broots," Sydney calls formally to him.  Since the 
'reassignment', the team hunting Jarod was dismantled.  There was 
no need for Sydney and Broots to socialize.  But Broots found 
himself missing the older man.

"Sydney.  How are you?" he asks fondly.  "I haven't seen you 
since . . . "

"I know," Sydney breaks in, cutting him off.  He looks around 
before leaning in a bit closer to Broots.  "Listen, why don't you 
come with me to my lab on sublevel 14.  I'm doing a twin study 
and I think I need a little help with my computer."

"What kind of study are you doing that will need the . . . . " 
Broots starts to ask him, confused since Sydney's never needed 
his help before.  Sydney gives him a look and Broots suddenly 
understands that it's just a cover.  "Oh, that study.  Yeah, I'll 
come and see what I can do."  He nervously looks around as well 
before following the older man to the lab.

"We should have relative privacy in here," Sydney whispers once 
they reach their destination.  

"What's this all about, Syd?"

"Miss Parker.  I don't buy that story her father gave us about 
her training mission in Africa."

"You don't think they sent her there . . . . for re-education.  
Do you?" Broots winces.

"No.  I think she's right here.  And that they're using her for a 
purpose far more nefarious."

"Like what?"

"I don't know.  Raines came to me trying to find out what I know 
about what's going on. Whatever it is, he's out the loop as well.  
According to Raines, Mr. Parker and Lyle seem to be in charge of 
a big secret project.  And I spoke with one of the psychologists 
at the annex in Africa.  There is no training that they know of.  
And they haven't seen Miss Parker since she's been gone."

"Then where is she?"

"I wish I knew, Broots," Sydney sighs.  "I wish I knew."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker rolls over in her bed and realizes that she's 
spending one more day in this place.  She doesn't really know how 
long she's been there.  They keep on telling her the story that 
the malaria vaccine was bad and she actually ended up contracting 
the disease.  And that she's being quarantined until she can be 
treated.  She's not sure what to believe.  All she knows is that 
yet again, she's waking up feeling awful.  And if they tell her 
she has malaria, then who is she to argue.  She hasn't kept down 
a meal in about as close as she can figure to be a week.  So even 
if she tried to escape, she wouldn't have the strength.

"Ah, Miss Parker.  You're awake.  How are you doing today?" Dr. 
Osbourne asks her.  He walks to her IV and changes the bag, 
giving her her daily dose of what he claims is her malaria 
medicine.  She's not really sure what he says half the time.  
Everything is always so fuzzy.

"I don't feel so good, Doctor.  And I don't really understand 
what's going on.  I was supposed to come here for vaccinations so 
I could go to Africa.  And I'm still here.  What's the problem?"  

The doctor starts to explain and she tries to focus on what he's 
saying.  But as usual, things start to get hazy.  It must be 
something in the IV, she realizes.  After a few moments, she 
closes her eyes and revels in the relaxed stupor she seems to be 
in.  The doctor quietly tips out the door.

Hearing the door close, she opens her eyes again and reaches for 
the IV, pulling it out of her arm and letting it drip instead 
into a potted plant next to her bed.  She needed some clarity to 
figure things out.  And she wasn't going to get it with whatever 
drugs they were pumping her full of.

After about an hour, the drugs start to wear off.  She's able to 
look around and clearly focus on her surroundings.  She was in a 
room of some kind, much like a hospital room.  She assumes she's 
still at the Centre, unless they transferred Dr. Osbourne along 
with her.  Other than that, there were no other clues given to 
her. 

Throughout the day, a nurse comes in several times to change her 
IV bag and she has to pretend as if she were asleep.  The first 
time, the nurse notices the IV pulled out of her arm and replaces 
it.  But Miss Parker notices that the IV from the nurse doesn't 
give her the hazy feeling as the IV from the doctor.  She files 
the information away for use later.  It could be of some help 
when she's ready to escape from whatever mess her father has 
gotten her into.

* * * * * * * * * *

2 weeks later

Sydney runs into his house, throwing down his keys and briefcase, 
trying to catch the phone before it stops ringing.  He's been 
searching two months for some clue to lead to Miss Parker's 
whereabouts with no success.  This was probably the worst time 
for Jarod to decide to cut off contact.  If anyone could find 
Miss Parker, it would be him.  Sydney has tried to leave online 
messages for Jarod, hoping the man would get the news somehow, 
but it's been a month since the last message with no word from 
Jarod.

"Hello," he breathes heavily into the phone when he finally 
reaches it.

"Sydney?  It's me."

"Jarod!  You got my messages!"

"Yes.  I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, but I was 
trying to make a clean break.  I had to cut off contact with you 
all.  I wasn't planning on checking with any old contacts, but 
something told me to check that one site.  I'm glad I did.  Your 
message seemed urgent.  What's going on, Sydney?"

"It's Miss Parker.  She's missing."

* * * * * * * * * *

Three hours later, Sydney opens the door to a frantic looking 
Jarod.

"For someone trying to get away, you didn't go very far, did 
you?"  Sydney smiles and pulls the younger man into a hug.

"What happened, Sydney?  Where is she?"

Sydney sighs, realizing the man wouldn't be interested in making 
any idle chit chat.  So he jumps right into the story.

"Two months ago, right after you told Parker you were leaving, 
Broots discovered yet another big secret the Centre was keeping.  
They had some of your genetic material stored and they had plans 
to use it.  Miss Parker decided to stop them.  She snuck into the 
storage room and destroyed the samples.  That day, her father 
called her in to speak with her.  We haven't seen her since.  The 
official story is that she's in Africa in training.  But I don't 
buy it."

"You think she's still at the Centre?" Jarod asks.

"At first I did.  So I asked Angelo to sneak around to see what 
he coud find.  He couldn't find her anywhere."

"You think they moved her?"

"I don't know.  If they did, then she could be anywhere now," 
Sydney fears.

"But she's out there somewhere," Jarod reassures him.  "And I 
will find her."

Determined to keep his word, Jarod spends the next few weeks 
hiding out at Sydney's place, spending every minute searching for 
Miss Parker.  Broots comes over after work and helps with the 
computer work.  And during the day, Jarod surveils Mr. Parker and 
Lyle, since they seem to be the ones behind her disappearance.

Finally after about three weeks of sleepless nights, they figure 
out where she's being held.

"Donoterase," Jarod announces, feeling fairly confident.

"That's where they had your clone.  Why didn't we think of that 
sooner?" Broots wonders.

"Because she could have been anywhere.  We had no idea they'd use 
that place again.  It was only a lucky guess that I figured it 
out.  Mr. Parker and Lyle took weekly trips in the direction of 
Donoterase.  I couldn't follow them the entire way without being 
spotted, so I never really knew exactly where they were going.  
But finally today, I went to Donoterase first to see if that's 
where they ended up.  And sure enough, I saw them there.  She's 
got to be there too," he says excitedly.

"So what's the plan?" Sydney wants to know.

"You let me take it from here," Jarod tells them.  "I don't want 
to put either of you in any danger.  I'll go in tonight and get 
her.  Just make sure the two of you have air tight alibis.  Spend 
the night at the Centre right in front of a security camera if 
you must.  You can't be linked to her escape in anyway."

"You can't just waltz in there, Jarod," Broots warns him.  "And 
they don't have the system of airvents like at the Centre.  It's 
all just that one floor underground."

"And I'll use that to my advantage," Jarod says.  "I remember the 
layout from the last time we were there. So I have a general idea 
where they would be keeping her."

"But how will you get in and out undetected?"

"Just leave that to me."  Jarod gives one of his infamous grins 
and Sydney is suddenly relieved.  Jarod had this all under 
control.  The man could do what he set his mind to.  And right 
now, he was focused on rescuing Miss Parker.

To be continued . . .