Chapter 1
Never Again
By: Danni
The Centre
Year 2002
Miss Parker's Office
Miss Parker was agitated, and so she was content to let herself pace her office. Under other circumstances she would not let herself get so restless. But as it was she didn't have any other circumstances. Jarod had evaded her yet again and she had gone to see her father again. There were no improvements as of yet, and it didn't look like it was going to get any better. And then to find out he wasn't even her father; Mr. Raines had yet again become even more involved in her life. This time as her father.
She had just made the tenth lap around her office when Broots burst in, without knocking.
"M-M-Miss Park-er!" He exclaimed out of breath as she rolled her eyes.
"WHAT? And knock next time." Parker barked at the already frightened man.
"Trium-triumvirate-" Broots started to explain but was cut off by the door being once again burst open. Only this time it was sweepers. There were at least five, and then of course there was Mr. Raines behind them. "Goons." Broots muttered to himself.
"What the hell do you want?" Parker demanded enervated. She was in no mood for Raines' mind games.
"Get her out to the car." Mr. Raines ordered the sweepers. "And keep her quiet, we don't want to cause a scene." This Raines said directly to Miss Parker; the meaning was not lost on her. She was being kidnapped from her own office, with Broots watching.
"Don't touch me. Hey!" Miss Parker was literally picked up and carried out of her office. She tried to wiggle free but it was no use against the muscled man holding her. She turned her head enough to see Broots standing in the corner of the room. She could hardly believe that Raines didn't have him killed, and blamed for her capture.
When Miss Parker had stopped trying to wiggle out of the man's stronghold, he flipped her over his shoulder. At first Parker was surprised, but then the surprise turned to anger, and then pain. It hurt being jostled around on this great oaf's shoulder, her ribs were taking quite a beating.
After what seemed ten minutes on a sweaty shoulder Miss Parker was dumped on the ground and then lifted into a limo. Inside was the waiting Raines, and more sweepers. Parker was sitting next to a sliver case, and what first looked like a human sized pig. But after a side glance, she saw that it was a man. Hopefully he wasn’t the one kidnapping her, the man was utterly ugly and disgusting. Not only that, he smelled.
Is that drool? Parker thought to herself.
"Miss Parker, I want you to meet Mr. Porter. He is going to make sure the transfer goes well." Mr. Raines was practically glowing with excitement as he delivered this piece of information.
"Well, I don't want to meet him." Miss Parker said, ardently looking at Porter. "And what is this tranfer?"
"Why, my dear, the transfer is you. You see, we have found that for the price of your life, or whatever else this man has in mind for you, is the price we must pay for some very important information." Miss Parker turned to Mr. Porter. His voice sounded like someone had rubbed his throat with oil and he was trying to make it sound seductive. The combo did not fit.
"Well, you'll be sorry to inform this man that he will have to name another "price", I'm not for sale. And I'm not your dear." Parker had responded to Porter, and then turned her fury on Mr. Raines. "Besides, Mr. Raines can vouch for me that I don't respond nicely to anyone threatening my life." Her words sparked memories in old Mr. Clean. Memories of past attempts to cut Miss Parker down, attempts that ultimately ended as failures.
"That remains to be seen." Mr. Porter informed coldly, and had obviously missed the whole exchange between father and daughter. After half and hour, while which Porter kept finding ways of touching Miss Parker at sudden turns or stops, they arrived at what looked like a run down version of the Centre.
"Ah, we have arrived. Now, if you would Mr. Raines, set up a perimeter. I will escort Miss Parker inside where the transfer will take place." Raines looked a little uncomfortable about taking orders from Porter, but was not foolish enough to object.
"Now, let me make sure that we have all in order." Porter said this to himself, and Miss Parker took the chance to look at the building a little closer. She had never seen it before, but it couldn't be that far from the Centre. She jerked her head around when she felt Mr. Porter's hand resting on her nylon covered knee. Why had she decided to wear a mini skirt today of all days?
"Get your hand off me now, Porkey." Parker had hit a soft spot and was glad that she at least returned some of his more charming manners.
"Some women don't mind a healthy man." Porter stared at Miss Parker's legs before looking her up and down thoroughly. "You know, under different circumstances we could have had a..." Porter searched for the right word. "Wonderful time. Hell, if I had enough sense to take this man's ideas I could be your new owner. We could have had such fun, you and I." Miss Parker started to laugh at his little speech. He obviously meant the women who couldn't be picky about who they spent their "wonderful" time with.
Porter looked indifferently at Miss Parker. She thought he was gonna shoot smoke out of his ears, but he just bristled and managed to get his bulky mass out of the car. If you can call rolling out of the car managing.
The door next to Miss Parker opened and a pudgy hand reached inside. She expected to feel pain in her arm, but instead she felt it in her breast. The bastard had purposely missed her arm and succeeded in fondling her! After her initial shock, she grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully. He let out a yelp and jumped back to allow one of the sweepres to yank her out of the car. Being yanked was better than being manhandled by Mr. Piggy.
When she straightened up she noticed that Raines was nowhere to be seen. She had a terrible moments fear of becoming Mr. Porter's "property". That was when she remembered that he had confided in her that he wasn't the man. After a moment stubby, pugdy fingers were wrapping themselves around her arm this time. And none too gently.
As they entered the deserted warehouse, Parker noticed that Porter was licking his lips more than usual. When they had reached the middle of the large, cold room Parker tripped and landed on her hands and knees. She had no time to consider how embarassing the little trip was, she was hauled up and placed into a chair that was placed nearby.
"Would you be careful with her!" Mr. Porter exclaimed. "She's a very fragile creature. And very valuable, even more so than your life." He seemed to take satisfaction in perusing her form. A form that many women envied, and many a men had dreamt of. But at the moment her form, was above all, her enemy.
"Wanna bet I'm fragile?" Miss Parker asked quietly. As one henchmen was about to tie up her hands, Parker tipped the chair backwards and crushed the man. As soon as she crashed she did a backward flip and landed on her stomach facing Porter. She saw his nose scrunch up in distaste and confusion. "I see that thinking doesn't come too easily to you, does it?" Parker sneered as she stood daring the nearest sweeper with her eyes to try to tie her up.
"I see that you are not fragile and can be dealt with accordingly." Porter returned threateningly.
"I can stand here by myself, no thank you." Parker retorted smartly. She knew that she would have to fight her way out of this, but had no idea where she was. She just knew she had to get out of here, and away from Porter.
"Suit yourself!" Porter returned childishly. "There is no telling when the man will show up." Parker rolled her eyes at his pitiful attempt at getting her in the chair. And that was the last place she wanted to be.
"The perimeter is set and we will be ready for him when he arrives to collect…my daughter." Mr. Raines taunted as he entered, followed by old Sparky. The oxygen tank needed a name, it just didn't feel right to be so close to something and not name it.
"Have you ever considered naming your companion?" Parker asked sarcastically, pointing to Raines' oxygen tank. "How about..." she thought for a moment. "Porter? He seems to be your only lifeline right now. Otherwise I would be putting you in your overdue grave right now." She smiled innocently and turned to get a better look at her surroundings.
After fifteen minutes of akward silence a door was opened and closed somewhere off to the left. Miss Parker found herself wishing fervently for some handsome, drop-dead gorgeous man to appear. Her hopes were dashed as she caught the first glimpse of her buyer.
The first thing she noticed was his long ratty hair. Then his walk. He seemed to walk like he had flippers on his feet, and was slouched. It gave the impression that he had the world on his shoulders. His face was a mass of pot holes and acne. Parker had no chance to dwindle on this, only the fact that he was on a one-way course toward her.
As he neared she still couldn't see his eyes, but she certainly felt them on her. but it wasn't a perverted or calculating stare. It was almost...loving. And that was something new for Miss Parker.
"Ah, Mr. Kay-" Porter started oily, but was cut off by the man.
"The transfer is going to go silently as I said. And no funny tricks, and definitely no dawdling." And that was the last thing said during the whole exchange. Porter held out his hand to receive a silver case from Mr. Kay, and Mr. Kay grabbed another silver case from Porter. Just as she thought that she was forgotten, Miss Parker was grabbed gently but firmly by Mr. Kay.
"Follow me." Kay demanded.
"Look, I don't think you understand. I.am.not.for.sale," she punctuated each word. "No matter what those morons might have said." Parker was on the verge of getting on her knees to beg him, however she was spared as he abruptly let go of her.
"Go outside. Now!" Mr. Kay looked a little flustered at her stubborness as she refused to do as he said.
"I won't go until you tell me what you plan to do to me." Miss Parker knew she was overstepping her boundaries, but she couldn't help it; it came naturally.
"I promise, I will explain. Just please trust me. For your own good go outside." Parker felt somewhat horrible about defying him. And from somewhere inside she felt the trust start to blossom.
Parker burst through the side door craving fresh air. What was she thinking just trusting a complete stranger? And the one planning to do God knew what to her! But in her heart she never believed that he would do anything to hurt her. There I go again, Parker thought angrily.
She welcomed the fresh air as she waited for Mr. Kay to appear.
*
Kay never expected her to look exactly the way she did. He had actually never seen her fully, the only times he had seen her was side shots and shots where the wind was blowing her hair across her face distorting her delicately beautiful features.
He just couldn't keep his eyes off her, he never dreamed that he would get the chance to see and talk to her. He just knew that he had to try, no matter what, to tell her the truth.
When he had finished with Mr. Porter and Raines he walked out the door that Parker had exited from.
Miss Parker started as the door banged shut. She turned around only to be faced with the back of Kay's head. She was tempted to knock him out and then make a run for it. But after realizing that she wanted to find out what he wanted and that she had no idea where she was, she dropped the possiblity altogether.
Kay picked up his pace, knowing that Raines never planned on letting him leave alive with the silver case he held in his hand. He had no doubt that Raines wouldn't be upset if Miss Parker was taken.
"Where are we going?" Parker called out from behind.
"To my car, it's just around the corner. C'mon, you can make it, you should be used to it chasing after Jarod for nearly five years now." Kay meant it as a light joke, but it gave away his knowledge of Jarod and her relationship with the Pretender.
"How do you know about Jarod? Who are you?" Miss Parker had stopped ten feet from Kay's cab car.
"Please, we need to get out of here. But I promise that I will tell you all about me when we are safely away from here." Kay was now close to dragging her into the car.
Miss Parker was again tempted to knock him out and leave in his car. But again that trust came bursting forward. "Fine, let's get the hell out of here." She said as she climbed into the passenger seat.
As she said this the warehouse exploded into flames. Even from the distance, the two in the cab car could feel the heat. Miss Parker had yet to shut her door when her window was shattered as a big chunk of metal came hurtling through the air.
"C'mon! We have to get going, there's no time." Kay was already pressing the gas as he said this. They were traveling for ten minutes when blue, red and white lights flared behind them.
"Damn, just act casual. Climb into the back." Kay opened the window seperating the backseat from the front seats. Parker fit through the hole and landed with a thud on the floor.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?" The police officer asked. At Kay's lost expression he continued. "You were doing sixty-five in a fifty-five zone."
"You see officer, we were shot at when we accidentally ran into a gang fight. Then our car was attacked. We were just trying to get away." Miss Parker lied so easily that even Kay was hardpressed not to believe her.
"Oh, well I see. You'd best get back to your garage to repair the damages. Have a nice day." At that the officer turned around and walked back to his car. He turned around and headed back toward the driver's door. "I think it would be best if you headed to a hospital. Wouldn't want you to get a scar from that. Do we?" The officer said as he pointed toward Miss Parker's scraped knee. She had forgotten entirely about her little fall until the officer reminded her. Kay quietly nodded and was soon back on the road.
"That was smooth. Now we can get to where were going. And please come sit by me." Kay said politely.
Miss Parker climbed into the front seat and looked over at Mr. Kay. They had just stopped at a red light when she turned to face him. She found herself staring into eyes that were the same shocking blue as hers.
After her initial shock, she turned to face forward as Kay turned on the radio. It was a classical channel, and it surprisingly soothed Miss Parker's frayed nerves.
Six hours later they arrived at a cottage deep into the woods. Miss Parker was getting out of the car when she noticed a man with dark hair walk past the window inside the house.
Upon entering the cabin she found herself face to face with Jarod.