* * * *

 The door to the little girls room opened silently. She sat up in her bed 
quickly. "Who's there?" She whispered, her voice shaking with fear.

The young woman stepped closer and scooped her onto her hip. "I've 
came here to help you." She smiled at her. "You're going to go home."

* * * *

 "Three Children have gone missing from The Centre in as many 
days." Mr. Raines snapped. "Who did this?" He looked around the 
large round table. "Someone from the inside I assume." A middle aged 
man in a dark suit suggested.

"That much we know." Mr. Parker snapped. "But we don't know who. 
Or who will be next."

"It seems to just be the new children so far." One of the men sighed. 
"They've all been returned to their parents or guardians safe and 
sound, most in such a way that it would make it very difficult to re 
capture them."

"It's like the problem we had with Catherine Parker years ago." One 
man grumbled.

The room fell silent. "Sir, I didn't mean anything." He quickly retorted, 
attempting to take back his statement.

Mr. Parker frowned. "My wife never caused the problem you talk of."

"It's proof that she did." Mr. Raines snapped. "You know that as well as 
anybody."

"There is no proof of anything of the sort."

"The children stopped disappearing after her death, how much more 
proof do you need?"

Mr. Parker shook his head. "I see no relevance to the present problem. 
Let's not live in the past."

* * * *

 The key slipped into the lock easily. Miss Parker's hands shook 
beneath the leather gloves and she swallowed hard. The door creaked 
open a crack and she slid inside.

Jarod sat up in his bed with a start and he got to his feet quickly. 
"Who's there?" He asked attempting to see in the shadows.

Miss Parker stepped into the open slowly without saying a word.

"It's you." He whispered unsurely.

"Gee you really are a genius." She shot back as quietly as she could.

"There are cameras." He whispered, frowning.

"Their looped."

The room rung with silence. "I hear three children have gone missing 
in the past few days." He whispered softly.

She shrugged. "My mother made a list, she never completed it." She 
threw the keys to him across the room. "I'm making that my job."

The keys fell into his hands with a small clatter and he stared back up 
at her in silence. "You're risking your life." He said softly.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Don't tell me how to do things." She 
smiled a small smile. "Just go."

He shook his head. "I can't go without David."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. 
She walked to his side and handed it to him silently.

He took it and stared at it for a moment. Finally he smiled. "He's next." 
She nodded. "And I don't intend to let anything happen to me before I 
get him out."

He smiled a small smile and gave her a quick hug. "Good luck."

She grinned. "You too."

* * * *

 Mr. Raines let out a wheeze. "I think we may have found our freedom 
fighter." He mumbled to the young black man sitting beside him.

"Who is it?" The man asked leaning forward.

Raines shrugged. "Like mother like daughter."

The man raised his eyebrows. "Miss Parker? But she was always so 
loyal."

Raines shook his head. "There's no such thing as loyal when you're a 
backstabbing criminal."

The man nodded. "You have a point." He shifted uncomfortably. 
"What are you going to do about it?"

Raines smiled a twisted smile. "Stress leads to suicide."

* * * *

 David let out a mumbling sounds as Miss Parker scooped him up into 
her arms.

He opened his eyes suddenly and looked as though he was ready to 
scream but when he saw who it was he just smiled. "Miss Parker.." He 
began softly but she covered his mouth with her hand to stop him 
from continuing.

She put him down on his feet. "Are you okay to walk?" She whispered 
quietly.

He nodded. "Yes but..." "Shhhh.." She quieted him again as she lead 
him by the hand down the hall.... Finally he just walked quietly by her 
side, still looking around anxiously.

Suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of sweepers approaching 
down the hall fast.

Miss Parker turned and took one look as she felt the blood drain from 
her face. They were approaching fast.

"David run!" she screamed at him, pushing him forward with her. Her 
heels clicked loudly against the floor of the semi dark corridors and she 
could hear the sounds of footsteps nearing her back.

"Stop now!" One of the men shouted in a gruff voice.

David came to a halt. "Stop Miss Parker!" He shouted at her causing 
her to stop half out of shock. "David what the hell are you doing?" She 
whispered through clenched teeth.

He swallowed hard. "Trust me okay."

The lead sweeper raised his gun at her, his finger placed strategically on 
the trigger. "Hereditary can be dangerous you know." He whispered 
angrily as he stepped closer with the gun.

Suddenly he pulled the trigger. There was a silent sound of the gun 
going off and scream from Miss Parker as she saw the bullet fly from 
the gun. Then, nothing.

She opened her eyes again and stared in shock at the bullet suspended 
in mid air before her. She looked down at David who was grinning 
proudly. He smiled. "Lets go!" He shouted, pulling at her hand as she 
sweepers fired more shots. They met the same fate.

* * * *

 "I missed you so much!" Tracey smiled as she hugged David happily. 
"I wish I'd have known where you guys where! I wanted to help." She 
grinned still holding the child like she may never see him again.

Jarod grinned. "Well I'm just glad we're out of there."

"Me too!" David piped up happily.

Tracey smiled. "I hope you guys are here to stay for awhile."

Jarod nodded. "I think we may be able to manage that."

* * * *

 The phone beside the bed let out a shrill ring waking Jarod from a deep 
sleep.

"Hello?" He mumbled, flicking on the bedside light.

"It's hard being on the run." The voice on the other end was smiling 
despite the time of night.

Jarod laughed. "It is hard, but it's worth it." There was a chuckle from 
the other end. "Yeah it is. My life may be in a mess, but I saved a few 
others."

Jarod smiled to himself. "You saved mine." Her voice quieted. "I 
wanted to finish her list for her."

"I still can't believe you did what you did." 

"Neither can I. But I'm glad I did, despite the fact that Sydney would be 
as confused as hell right about now." She laughed.

Jarod grinned. "Well why not call him. Works for me."

"I think I'll do that." There was a long pause. "Jarod?"

"Yeah."

"I think I'm going to miss chasing you."

"Me too." He smiled softly. "Me too."

 THE END

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