Title: The Key
Rating: R (language, violence)
Summary: Jarod is the key, but how does the Centre intend on using him?

Daylight slowly gave way to night and the old pier was quickly swallowed up with thick darkness...so thick, she could barely see. She squinted her eyes as if it would help and crept against the wall of the brick building with her gun held firmly in both hands. The moon played a game of peek-a-boo from behind the dark clouds, spraying a low blue light at the darkness every now and then and giving her a quick glimpse of her surroundings. Jarod’s usual shenanigans had brought her to this old abandoned warehouse that was set right next to a lake called Murky Waters, which was very appropriate. There were four buildings in total, each three stories high, and they were all set side-by-side, lined with the docks on the south side. Her ears strained, desperate to catch the slightest sound that would clue her in to where he had run off to, but all she heard were the lapping waters in the distance.

"Anything?" the small radio crackled on her belt loop. She closed her eyes briefly in surprise, before yanking the walkie-talkie from her pants to her mouth.

"No."

Lyle and his goons had split up, they off on the other side of the plantation, while she was stuck with this end by her lonesome. She wondered briefly how she had gotten herself into this, or rather, how Sydney and Broots managed to get away from going. She was sick of this game and wanted nothing more than to end it then. Just one cap in his knee and all this prancing around in abandoned buildings would be finished.

Something like a board hitting pavement shattered the silent air and Miss Parker spun around, gun aimed, in that direction. Hesitating for only a second, she darted for the sound and sprinted full force around the old brick building to the other side. Skidding to a stop, she looked around the empty alley, and then her eyes caught sight of the pulled down fire escape. Tucking her gun in the waist band of her pants, she began to ascend the ladder, reaching the platform and taking the stairs two at a time.

Pure determination in getting him back fueled her as she climbed, pushing her legs faster and faster until she reached the roof. Panting softly, she pulled her gun out again and searched the roof with her eyes. Old boards were tossed carelessly around and old broken furniture were scattered everywhere. Two long boards were laid side-bye-side across the edge of the building to another one and she followed the small bridge with her eyes to the neighboring warehouse, catching sight of his receding leather back.

"Jarod!" Parker screamed, running to the edge. He looked over his shoulder in surprise and then took off. She slowed down when she reached the boards and carefully began to wobble across, her arms outstretched to maintain balance. As soon as she stepped foot on the next roof, she sprinted towards the pretender, who was now crossing another make-shift bridge to the next building. "Jarod! Stop! Or I’ll shoot!"

He was already to the middle of the boards when she began to cross them and their combined weights made the boards wobble dangerously, both having to wave their arms madly to keep from plummeting down three stories to the alleyway below.

There was about a foot left of the bridge for Jarod to go and he leaped across to safety, his momentum causing the board to twist. Parker screamed as she was knocked off balance, falling forward and slamming against the wood hard. She wrapped her arms around the slab as it flipped over with her weight, finding herself suddenly hanging upside down.

"Shit!" she screamed, looking down, or rather up, at the ground below.

"Miss Parker!" Jarod shouted in alarm, spinning around. "Hold on!"

"I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you," she ranted.

Somehow she managed to keep her stubborn grip on her 9mm as she clutched desperately at the board as Jarod slowly inched his way towards her. He reached a hand out for her gun and tried to pry it from her fingers, but she would not let it go.

"Gimme it!" Jarod shouted through clenched teeth.

"Drop dead!" she shot back.

"Do you really want to say that to *me* right now?" Jarod asked, gesturing towards the ground with his head. He tried for the gun again. "Let it go, Parker."

She released her hold and watched as he tossed it behind him, it clattering across the roof top a couple yards away.

"Alright Parker, I’m going to flip the board over again. Okay?"

"Oh shit," she gasped under her breath and then closed her eyes.

He gripped both sides of the board and gritted his teeth as he pushed with all his might, the board and Parker, wrapped tightly around it, slowly turning over. With a slap, the board landing right side up again and Parker yelped in surprise, bobbing a little for a moment before peeling one eye open. Jarod’s grinning face was the image that met her and she felt the burn of anger on her face.

Carefully, she crawled on her hands and knees to the roof top and got to her feet with Jarod’s help.

"Promise you’ll take the stairs?" Jarod asked, his face still split into that annoying grin.

Parker glared at him, before her eyes skipped over to where her gun lay. It was a mistake on her part, for Jarod read her mind.

"Love to... hang out," Jarod said, winking at her. "But, I gotta run."

A swift kick took her legs out from underneath her and she fell with a thump on her rear, allowing Jarod to make a break for it. She howled in anger and leaped to her feet, sprinting after him as he ran for the roof door.

With no weapon, she was running on little options as his hand reached the door knob and, with all her strength, she used her body as her weapon. She slammed him from behind with her shoulder and he hit the door with a thud. But, it didn’t seem to faze him as he pushed off from the surface with both hands, pushing her backwards. She stumbled but managed to stay on her feet, gaining leverage on one foot and kicking out. A three-inch heel connected with his lower abdomen and he grunted, collapsing to the ground.

"Oh, good shot," he gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Parker panted. "I missed."

Jarod’s eyebrows shot up briefly, before he rolled out of the way just as she kicked out again, narrowly missing his chest within inches. He popped to his feet and blocked a punch, grabbing her other arm and twisting it backwards. She was briefly held in place by her arm being held behind her and Jarod used the pause to catch his breath.

"Since when did we get so physical?" Jarod voiced.

Parker grunted and slammed her foot down on his and he howled in pain, releasing his hold on her. Parker staggered forward and turned around, just in time to see him make a break for it towards the opposite side of the roof. She sprinted after him, spotting her gun and changing her course. Leaning down, she snatched it and aimed it at him as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the building. She watched as he looked down and then turned his head over his shoulder to look at her.

"No where to go, Jarod," she grinned bitterly, slowly advancing on him with the gun. "So give up now."

"I suppose I deserved the ass kicking for leading you up here," Jarod said, glancing briefly down the side of the building at the dock below, where a far enough jump could land him in the water. "But, I don’t deserve to go back to the Centre."

"Like hell you do," Parker snarled. "You *will* go back, Jarod."

"You won’t shoot me."

She bared all teeth in a twisted smile. "And what makes you so certain, Rat Boy?"

"You can’t do it. You won’t do it," Jarod replied, taking a step back from the edge.

Her eyes followed his movement before looking up at his face. "Don’t tempt me."

Jarod’s eyes flashed with something she wasn’t sure of before he darted towards the edge. She gasped and screamed his name as he leaped into the air, and without thinking, she squeezed the trigger. She didn’t know where she hit him, but she saw his body jerk as he fell, and she leaned over the side to watch him hit the water below. He made a huge splash as he pierced the black water with his feet first, his head last to go under. The surface bubbled where he dove and, with wide, unblinking eyes, she watched that very spot for his resurfacing head.

"Did you get him?" Lyle’s voice said over the radio at her side. She ignored it as she kept watching the water for movement. She was about to turn away to run down there when she saw him break the surface of the water, gasping loudly for air. He paddled for the dock, but was making it very slowly, and she cursed under her breath and spun for the roof door.

It seemed like an eternity before she hit the last step and burst through the door to the outside. She sprinted for the dock, her footsteps echoing loudly on the hollow boards as she ran across them to the end, and she stopped to look over the edge. He was gone, but he couldn’t have gotten far. Her hair whipped across her face as she looked around, before she turned and ran for the shore.

Stepping off the dock, she slid down the small steep hill to the where the water lapped underneath and spotted a dark form lying half in the water a couple yards away. Swallowing against the lump that had launched itself in her throat and tucking her gun away, she ducked under the docks and splashed through the water towards him. He had his back towards her and didn’t move as she leaned down beside him in the chilly water, careful not to get her gun or radio wet. Her hands hovered over him in hesitation, before she carefully turned him over.

A steady dark stream seeped from the hole in his side and she took it in with wide eyes. Peeling her eyes away after a good moment, she looked up at his pale face.

He was staring at her through his eyelashes and his purple lips parted to say, "You shot me."

"I’m sorry," fell from her lips in a whisper, feeling as though she might be sick. It was an accident, she wanted to say. I’m so sorry Jarod. I didn’t mean to hurt you.

Her eyes glittered as she stared into his, slowly pulling the radio from her belt loop and held it to her lips.

"I got him."

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Part 2
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