There was a knock at her door. She went to see who it was. There stood a delivery man at her front door. She opened the door and the man said, "I have a package for Miss Parker."
She answered, "I'm Miss Parker." and signed for it. She quickly opened it to see what could be inside. There she finds a poem by Edgar Allen Poe that reads...
To My Mother
Because I feel that, in the heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of "Mother,"
Therefore by that dear name I long have called you,
You who are more than mother unto me,
All fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you,
In setting my Virginia's spirit free.
My mother-my own mother, who died early,
Was but the mother of myself; but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.
Also enclosed was a picture of her mother and a bottle of salsa. Knowing Jarod sent her the package, she needed to find out where he got the picture.
**********
Miss Parker arrived at work, looking for Broots. He was walking down the hall, holding a cup of coffee. Sydney met up with him.
"Broots, my office now!" Parker yelled at him while entering her office.
Broots jumped and splited his coffee all down his shirt. He walked into her office scared that he did something wrong, but 'What' he wondered. Sydney quickly followed him in, see what all the yelling was all about.
"I need to know where this came from." she told him while shoving him the package.
"Okay, I will be back. I will have to work on it." Broots answered her. He walked out of Miss Parker's office.
She was going through some papers on her desk. "I know it is here somewhere." she whispered to herself.
"It is going to be okay Miss Parker." Sydney said.
"It will be okay when I find him. Syd." she replied back not even looking up.
"We will get him, Miss Parker." Sydney responded. Then he put his hand on her shoulder.
She gave him a look. He could see the anger in her cold, dark eyes and quickly removed his hand. "I thought I could comfort you. It helped when you were little."
"Well, I not a little girl anymore, Syd. You know, I don't like it when someone brings my mother into things." Parker replied in a hasty voice. She tore her desk a part.
"I will see what is keeping Broots." Sydney replied while headed for the door. He hadn't seen her like this in a while. He was worried about her.
Parker didn't say a word. She just kept going through papers. The phone rings. She grabs the receiver and says, "What!"
"Did you get my package?" Jarod responded.
"Yes, I did." she said angrily.
"Have you found the answer yet?" he asked.
"What answer?" she asked back.
"The answer that was in my package." he told her.
There was silence. "Miss Parker." He replied back and still no answer.
"I'm looking." she responded. Then she picked up the picture and took a closer look. "I got you, you son of a ...."
"Now, now Miss Parker. I can't have any of that." he responded by cutting her off before she could finish her sentence.
"Where did you get this photo?" she asked him angrily.
"I think you can figure that one out on your own. After all, you already found the answer to my package and when you get there, you'll find more." he told her.
"I'm not playing your little game." she quickly responded.
"What little game?" he asked her.
"This wild goose chase that you are putting me on."
"Oh, I think you will. I know you. You want those answers just as bad I do." he told her before hanging up the phone.
**********
She goes into Broots' office. "Forget it Broots. I know where it came from." she tells him.
"I will see you in a few days or maybe a few weeks. I have some business to tend to." she told Sydney while headed for the door.
"Where are you going? Maybe we should go with you." Syd replied.
"No, I need to take care of it by myself. I will call you when I get there. Cover for me while I am gone." she responded to Sydney.
"What should I tell Raines?" Sydney asked.
"I'm sure you can come up with something." she replied out the door.
"I don't like this Sydney." Broots responded.
"I don't either, Broots."
**********
Parker steps off the plane in Mexico City, Mexico with the picture of her mother close to her. She walks into the airport, gets her suitcases, and gets a cab. The taxi driver takes her to the hotel and lets her out. She walks up to the front desk to get her room. She asked the clerk behind the counter. "Could you tell where this building is?" while showing her the photograph.
"Yes, ma'am that is the old catholic church here in town." she told Parker.
"Thanks," she told her. Then she went to her room. She looks out the window. The city is so huge and beautiful. She hated things that were beautiful. She thinks, 'Where did Jarod get this photo?' Then she puts it back in her pocket and heads out in search of the church. She finds it and walks in. She looks around. She hadn't seen such beautiful art work before.
A man in a colorful poncho wearing a sombrero, walks up to her. "Have you find the answer yet?" he asked her.
"You have some nerve, Jarod. What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you." he answered.
"Oh, yeah, well, you are going back with me." she replied.
"I don't think so, Miss Parker. Besides you don't have your answers yet and I know you. You can't leave until you have them." he responded with a smile.
"You will go back with me." she said looking into his eyes.
"And how do you think you will keep me close to you? You don't have a gun. What are you going to do, lock me in your hotel room.?" he responded with a laugh.
She thought for a moment. He was right, she didn't have her gun and locking him in her room wasn't a bad idea. "I will come up with something." she told him.
"I have a better idea. Why don't we put the Centre behind us and act like friends? Consider this a vacation. You can find your answers and you can see why my freedom means so much to me." he told her, hoping she will at least consider his idea.
"Well, I do have to find my answers," she told him, "but after this you will have to back with me."
"Well, we'll see Miss Parker." he replied knowing he wasn't going back. She knew in her heart he wasn't going back either. She didn't say a word.
"Come on, let's tour the city." he told her while grabbing her hand and walking out hoping to spent time with her before she finds her answers.
They walked by the market. Little children were running up to them, trying to get them to buy something. Jarod handed a little boy some money for a bowl made out of clay. Another one took their picture for money. Jarod handed Parker the picture. She put it in her pocket with the photograph of her mother. She walked over to a table where they were selling jewelry. She was admiring a bracelet made of different shapes and colors. She kept on walking. Jarod walked over to the table and brought it. He put it in his pocket for later. She brought a colorful bracelet made from string and slipped it on his wrist. "Here, this is so you won't forget today." she told him as she gave him a smile.
"I won't forget it." he told her. Then he thought to himself, 'I haven't seen her smile in a long time.' "Come on, I'm thirsty. Let's get something to drink." he told her as he walks toward a cafe. Then he returned a smile to her.
They went over to a cafe outside of the market. Parker sat at the table and Jarod came back with two frozen margaritas.
"Here," he said as he handed her one.
"Now, what do we do, Jarod?" she asked him.
"I was thinking since we are away from everybody, why don't we go out?" he said softly as he went for her hand.
She pulled her hand back and said, "You mean like a date."
"Yes," he answered.
"Okay if I say yes, what do you have in mind for this date?" she replied.
"It's a surprise." he told her. "Why don't I pick you up at 7:00 at your hotel room?"
"Okay, my room number is 307." she told him.
"I know." he answered.
"How do you my room number? Oh, never mind you know everything." she responded. "What should I wear?" she quickly asked.
"Whatever you want. You look beautiful in everything." he replied as he went for her hand again.
This time she didn't pull back. She didn't know what to say so she took another drink of her margarita.
"Come on," he said as he finished his margarita. "I brought a camera and some film. Let's take some pictures. I hate for us not to have some Kodak moments. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair. They walked around the city. Then, back to the hotel to get ready for later tonight. Before going to her room she said, "I have to make a phone call."
"Forget about Blue Cove." he answered.
"I have to call Sydney, I promised I would call to let him know I am fine. It won't take long." she replied while going for the pay phone.
"Wait." he said. "Let me jam the signals. I don't want anyone to fine us, at least not right now."
Jarod crossed the signals. "Okay," he said as he handed her the receiver.
**********
"Hello, Sydney speaking." the voice said.
"Syd." she said.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"That is not important. I wanted you to know I am fine. I will be home in a few days." she told him while watching Jarod.
"I told Raines you had a lead on Jarod. You went to Florida. You were keeping Broots and I informed." Sydney answered.
"Good, thank you Syd. I owe you one." she replied before hanging up the phone.
**********
Jarod walked her to her room. "I will see you at 7:00." he said as she left him standing outside her door.
"Okay, I will see you then." she shut the door.
She turned on a tape and played...
It's late in the evening, she's wondering what clothes to wear she puts on her makeup...
'What am I going to wear?' she thought as she listened to the music. She went through all her clothes. She jumped in the tub. 'I have to shave my legs. Look at me, I act like this is real date or something.' she thought as she got ready. She slipped into a black slender skirt and a white silky shirt. She applied her makeup and finished her hair. Jarod knocked on the door. He could hear her music playing...
She helps me to bed and then I tell her
As I turn out the light
I say, "my darling you were wonderful tonight,
Oh my darling you were wonderful tonight."
"Just a minute." she said as she took a final look in the mirror and slipped on her black pumps. She opened the door about the time this song came on...
Saw you there so confused
Get on board get on my love thing let me drive you wild
I know that I could make my move now
Treading softly I walked over to you
We talked about this thing called love
Saw your eyes open wide and I knew your heart was in it
Let me take you there let me take you there tonight
...Close your eyes follow me
I'll show you a world you've never been to
Take a ride in my love machine and I won't do anything you can't get into
What I got is what you need
There he was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie.
'Damn, he looked good.' she thought to herself. Then she reached over and turned to tape off.
"I hope you don't mind. I thought we could eat in." he said as he pulled a room service cart in.
"No, I don't mind." she said. Thinking to herself, 'I don't want anyone to look at you, because I want you all to myself.'
He sat a table up, lit the candles, and poured the chilled wine into glasses. He helped her to her chair and said, "You look beautiful tonight. I like that song you were playing."
"Thank you. You don't look bad yourself." she replied back as she took a slip of wine.
"So, what shall we talk about?" he asked her while trying to get his mind off of what he would like to do to her.
"I don't know. What have learned since being free?" she asked.
"Lots of things. I learned how to trust people. It feels good to help the one who need it. You should try it sometime." he said before thinking.
"I'm sorry." he quickly responded. "I didn't mean it that way. Would you like to dance?"
"That's okay. I should learn for you." she answered. "What do you want to dance to? I have only find Mexican music on the radio."
"Let's see what can find on the radio." Jarod turned the stations until he find an English station. It played some new and old songs but to him they were are new. An Elton John song begin to play....
And I can't explain, but it's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath way
It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside
And I can't describe, but it's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath way, the way you look tonight
He walked over to her and took her hand, "May I have this dance." he said softly.
She got up and they danced slowly and close to each other. her body was so close to his. His hands around her waist and her around his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder and he whispered, "I like this song. It is very true."
She didn't say a word. She look into his eyes. Their lips moved closer together and she pulled away. "We can't." she responded.
"Why not? Daddy won't approve." he smarted off without saying. Then quickly said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that either."
"No, thats not it. I'm the predator and you are the prey. This will change everything." she whispered.
He knew she was having doubts. He responded, "Let's say the predator caught it's prey tonight."