BOOK 7 THE INTRUSION
OF SHADES
(THE CLANDESTINED
DISCLOSED)
|
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ PART 2 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Leaving Normal) (Tuesday, October 19th, 1999) (LizÕs Balcony) Liz opened her journal and started to write. It's October 19th.
I'm Liz Parker and this is what I've been thinking. Can life ever go back to normal? Part of me wants safety, wants to go
back to how things were, to a life that I could predict, where I know how life
is going to be. And the other part
of me wants to go somewhere else, into the unknown. Liz put her pen down.
She had been growing more restless over the last week. It had only been a month since Max had
healed her, but now it seemed as if her life was in constant turmoil. She'd had set-in-stone plans for her
future; a clear, straight path filled with goals that would lead her to the
desired destination. But now
everything was different. Knowing the truth about Max had made her question many things
including the importance of her life plan. Max, Michael and Isabel were searching for answers to their
past that might hold a significance beyond anything they could imagine. Everything she had considered important
in her life faded into the background when compared to that. Sometimes she wished she didn't know Max's secret, she could just
lead a normal life like the other six billion people on the planet, but those
thoughts only ever lasted a few seconds.
What she had gained by getting to know Max was worth the all of the
trouble and self-doubt. But when
it was quiet and she was alone with just her thoughts, like she was now, she
wondered where the future would take them. Over the last few weeks she and Max had grown closer and most of
the time she wished their friendship would grow into something more. Sometimes it seemed as if Max did too
but then he would back off, push her away. She sighed. It
seemed as if they were doomed to exist in a limbo that neither of them was sure
how to escape, never moving forward, but unable to go back because they were
connected by the secret they shared.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Leaving Normal) (Crashdown Cafe) (Later that day) Max slid into a booth and watched as Liz served a table of men he
assumed to be dentists, attending the orthodontist's convention. His suspicions were confirmed when she
smiled widely to show them her teeth. She glanced in his direction with a smile and walked toward him,
and Max felt a sense of profound satisfaction. Now that they were friends and Liz shared his secret, it
seemed as if everything was perfect.
He was able to talk to her whenever he wanted and when he came into the
Crashdown he didn't have to pretend it was just to eat. Liz stopped at his table and motioned over her shoulder. "It's an orthodontist
convention." Max couldn't help but smile, "Apparently." "So, are you waiting for Michael or..." she trailed off
and finished the sentence in her head, or are you here because you wanted to
see me as much as I wanted to see you. "No, no." Max said, looking at the menu. No, he said to himself, I am here to
see you. He continued aloud,
"I'll just have and Alien Blast." Liz knew he was referring to an item on the menu but his choice
closely echoed the overwhelming feelings she had for him. "Me, too," she mumbled,
unaware she had spoken aloud. "Excuse me?" Max asked, wondering if she had really
spoken or if his fantasy was intruding into reality again. "Nothing," Liz said, feeling the heat of a blush
climbing up her face. "Okay,
one Alien Blast." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (The Evans House) Max examined his bruises and cuts in his mirror. It had been just over an hour ago that
he had been so happy, but somehow things always went wrong. He thought he could be satisfied with
just being around Liz, just being friends with her, but obviously Kyle and his
buddies had not seen it that way. Kyle had not been with the guys who had attacked him, but Kyle had
either spoken to them or they had noticed the extra time Max had been spending
with Liz. Either way it could
easily turn into a dangerous situation.
Kyle was the Sheriff's son and the last thing they needed was another
reason for Valenti to become suspicious of them. As much as Max hated his decision, he knew what he had to do. He had to stay away from Liz. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Washington, DC) Pierce threw Agent Stephen's report onto his desk. Stephens had actually suggested that
Max Evans might not be dangerous.
Pierce skimmed the words on the page. Considering the results of Agent Topolsky's psychological evaluation, I believe we should examine the possibility that the
subject may not be the same entity the Unit has been pursuing. The subject's reactions to the tests are typical of a human adolescent, and I suggest using more subtle means to determine his exact nature. Pierce rolled his eyes; Stephens was getting soft. Even if Max Evans was not the same
creature they had been chasing for the last fifty years, he was an alien and
all of them were cold-blooded killers.
But Pierce didn't believe Max was a different creature. He had been on Earth long enough to
learn how to use human gullibility to his advantage, and Max obviously had
Topolsky and Stephens wrapped around his little, green finger. Pierce picked up the phone and punched the number angrily. When it was answered, his words were
clipped, "Stephens may be a problem.
Keep an eye on him." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Leaving Normal) (Wednesday, October 20, 1999) (Roswell Memorial Hospital) Liz was restless waiting for the doctors to tell them what had
happened to her Grandma. She was
with her parents and Kyle had even come, hoping to comfort and support her, but
his presence wasn't helping. Her
mind kept straying to Max. Just
the thought of him sent a warm, calming feeling through her, and she wished he
were there to tell her everything would be all right. She glanced at Kyle.
He didn't have to be there but he had come. He really was a nice guy. Suddenly Liz realized that Kyle deserved better than she was
capable of giving him. It wasn't
fair to him she was always thinking of Max. She knew this wasnÕt the time or place, but she would
have to let him go, soon. Liz got up and mumbled, "I'll be right back." She walked down the hall to the soda
machine, deposited her money and pressed a button. As she picked up the can, she noticed the phone, just inches
away. She knew it was silly, Max
couldn't do anything, but she just wanted to hear his voice. She dialed the phone and felt a pang of
disappointment when his machine answered. "Hi, Max," she started, not knowing quite what to
say. "Its Liz. I'm at the hospital. Something happened to my
grandmother. We don't know if it's
serious, but it seems really bad.
I'm just scared. Look, I
don't even know why I'm calling you.
I guess I just wanted to hear your voice or something. Now I just feel completely stupid. Look, don't come here or anything
because everyone is here. I'll
just see you in school tomorrow.
Sorry for the weird call.
Bye." She replaced the phone with a sigh, somehow feeling better even
though she had only heard his voice on the machine. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Missing) (Monday, October 25th, 1999) (West Roswell High School) When Kathleen had seen Liz in the dark classroom earlier, she had
known something was wrong, but now that she had stumbled across an upset Alex
too, she suspected the strain of the secret was starting to get to the group of
friends. She invited Alex into her
office to talk, and he surprised her by getting right to the heart of the
subject. "No, it's just, you know, things change. People change. You accept it and you move on." "Who's changed, Alex?" Kathleen asked, hoping for a
break in his loyalty.
"You?" "No, not me," he denied. "Your girlfriend?" she asked, hoping to play on the
crush she suspected he had for Liz. "No," Alex denied, "I don't have a... No girlfriend, Ms. Topolsky." "Well, that doesn't surprise me. Teenage girls can never spot the good ones," Kathleen flattered him, but then quickly turned the discussion back toward her main interest. "I mean, look at Liz Parker, dating Kyle Valenti. He's a little obvious, don't you think?" "Yeah, well," Alex defended his friend, "you know,
apparently Liz is going through some stuff right now, so..." "Stuff?" Kathleen interrupted, trying not to sound too
interested. "It's stupid.
Liz loses her diary, and the next thing I know, Inspector DeLuca tells
me that they have me pinned as the main suspect. These are my good friends, you know?" Kathleen listened and commiserated with Alex for a few
minutes longer and when it was clear he wasn't going to divulge any secrets,
she let him go. As he closed the door, she picked up the phone and dialed. "Control," Stephens answered. "7 - 3 - 2 - 9 - 0," Kathleen spoke into the receiver. "What have you got?" "Something interesting has happened," Kathleen
said. "Any chance of sending
me the backup I requested?" "You will have two Agents in the morning." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Missing) (Tuesday, October 26th, 1999) (Crashdown Cafe) Kyle followed his friends into the Crashdown and immediately
spotted the one person who he didn't want to see. He didn't know what Max Evans had done to Liz but it was
obvious he was partly to blame for Liz breaking up with him. Kyle liked Liz a lot, maybe even loved
her, and he'd had moments when he had considered marrying her when they
graduated, but Max had ruined that. His dad had told him to stay away from Max but Kyle would be
damned if he was going to. He
didn't care what Max was into, he was going to get him back for breaking up his
relationship with Liz. He made a
detour to Max's table, "I'm onto you, Evans," he said, sure Max would
get his meaning. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Max acted like KyleÕs words didnÕt mean anything but as soon as he
was able, he excused himself from Isabel and Michael and rushed upstairs to see
Liz. "Kyle stole it," he
blurted out, "Kyle stole your journal." "No, Max,Ó Liz said.
ÒDon't go Maria on me, okay?
It's not stolen, it's just, it's misplaced." "I'm onto you. Just now, he looked
right at me and said, I'm onto you. It means he read
your journal, Liz. It means he
knows about me." "No, Max," Liz denied. "It's not about the journal. It's about us, okay?
Kyle thinks that you had something to do with our breaking up. And he's not a thief. You know, the journal has only been
missing for one day. Kyle hasn't
been in my house in over a week." "And the Crashdown?" Max asked, his suspicions not laid
to rest. "No, not there either." Max calmed down somewhat and looked around Liz's room. He noticed a CD on her table. "Good album," he said as he picked it up. Suddenly
he had a vision. Kyle had been in her room, recently. He had left her the CD. Max turned to Liz, "He was here." "Who was here?" Liz asked, confused by the sudden topic
changes. "Kyle," Max said simply. "No, Max. I told
you Kyle hasn't been here for over a week." "I saw him." "You saw him," Liz repeated, still confused. "I had a flash, Liz," he explained. "When things get intense,
heightened, sometimes we feel things, see things. He was here, Liz." Max wondered briefly if that was why Michael got a flash from the
key in Valenti's office. Michael
had been worked up since the shooting, and he had to have been especially
nervous about breaking into the Sheriff's office. And Michael was especially attuned to anything that could
lead them home. Or maybe it was just another power Michael was manifesting. Michael the touch psychic, Max
thought. That would not be good. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Missing) (Wednesday, October 27th, 1999) Kathleen met the two agents that Stephens sent to her, in a field
outside of town. "I think Liz
Parker's diary provides one of the most compelling leads I've ever encountered
since I joined the unit." "Wait a second." Agent Harris said. "I cut my vacation short for a
diary?" But when he saw the
look that Agent Topolsky gave him he backtracked, "Okay, sorry." Kathleen continued with her explanation, "This is not just a
diary, Agent. This is potential
proof of alien contact. Not from a
crackpot farmer or a drunk somewhere, but from a straight-A student. Treasurer of the Roswell science
club." "So, uh, any idea where this diary might be?" Kathleen smiled, "I think I do. This is where we should get started. She's been having a problem with her
boyfriend. His name is Kyle
Valenti. The only problem, he is
the son of the local Sheriff." Agent Harris shook his head, "It won't be a problem." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Two Hours Later) Agents Harris and Adams met Agent Topolsky in the same field. "We didn't find the diary," started Agent Harris,
"but we did find something of interest." "And what was that?" asked Kathleen. "Apparently we aren't the only one's who thought Kyle might
have taken the diary. Liz Parker
and Max Evans were at the Valenti house looking for it too." Kathleen smiled, "Then they do have something to hide don't
they?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Missing) (Thursday, October 28th, 1999) (HankÕs Trailer) Michael pulled Liz's diary out from underneath the false bottom in the drawer where he had hidden it. He had finished reading it the day he had taken it and put it in the drawer for safekeeping, but then promptly forgotten about it until Max had mentioned it. When Michael had discovered Liz was keeping a diary, he had been angry that she would risk revealing their secrets. He had broken into her house the next morning when she was at school and taken the diary, but when he read it, he saw they had nothing to fear. But he also had to admit to himself that there had been another
reason he was so curious. He'd had
a crush on Liz when they had been in elementary school. She was cute and smart, if not a little
too serious, and part of him still admired her. But he'd never admitted it to anyone, even his best friend
Max, because he'd known that Max had loved Liz even back then. Michael knew he never had a chance with Liz for several reasons,
the main one being his otherworldly status, but he still felt a tinge of
jealously that she had fallen for Max, and he envied the connection they
shared. And when he had read her diary, he could see she would have never
turned to him. The qualities she
had fallen for in Max were exactly the same qualities Michael himself admired
and he didn't think he would ever possess them. Michael tucked the diary in his pocket and headed for the
Crashdown, and his thoughts turned back to the day just over a month ago that
had started this whole thing. His
lingering admiration for Liz had made him hesitate when he could have stopped
Max from healing her, but he didn't regret it. He had been scared at first, but Liz's acceptance of what
they were, made him feel a little less like freak, and reading her feelings for
Max made Michael feel it might be possible for someone to care for him that
way. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - 285 South) (Tuesday, November 9th, 1999) Michael was frustrated that they had made so little
progress about the mystery of the key. He had tried to get more information on James Atherton beyond what the book jacket had said but he couldn't find anything. There had to be something somewhere that would give him an
idea to where the dome house was located. He paced around his room trying to think. Where would you go to find info on a UFO nut, as Max had
called him? UFO - Max. It
suddenly clicked into place; the UFO museum. Max had told him that his boss kept all kinds of files,
surely there was something on this Atherton guy. Michael glanced at his watch. It was after closing time. He shrugged, it might be better that no one else was around
anyway. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - 285 South) (Wednesday, November 10th, 1999) (West Roswell High School) Kathleen waited until all of the kids had left the classroom
before she entered. Mr. Sommers greeted her, "Thanks again for your suggestion.
These, these questions are so insightful." "My pleasure, Steve,Ó she purred. ÒAs you know, I did my graduate thesis on the importance of
oral history in psychology. So,
did you pair up the students the way I suggested?" she asked innocently. "Oh, yes, yes. It should prove quite interesting," he
replied excitedly. "Sometimes you end up with the most revealing details, just by putting the right people together." Kathleen smiled as she walked down the hall toward her
office. It had been very easy to
persuade Steve Sommers to give the kids the assignment. He had a bit of a crush on her and she
had used it to her advantage. She had seen signs of strain in Max's group and sheÕd created the
assignment not only hoping to gather information but also to try and cause more
stress by pairing the more volatile people together. Kyle paired with Max; she shook her head to keep from
laughing aloud. That had been the
most inspired pairing. Anyone
could see they were both interested in Liz and clearly Kyle blamed Max for his
break up with Liz. Yes, she thought to herself, now was the time to keep them under a
constant surveillance. Something
was bound to break soon and she would be there when it did. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Crashdown CafŽ) Liz watched as Max and Isabel walked out of the diner without
saying a word. Something was going
on and it involved Maria. Liz
grabbed her bag and ran after them.
She caught them just as they reached the Jeep. "What is going on here?" "The less you know right now, the better," Max said, his
main desire to protect Liz. "Max, no!" Liz protested, she was not going to let him
push her away again. "Not
when Maria's involved." "Maria?" he asked, wondering what she had to do with it. "It would be her car with her in it," Isabel drawled,
tired of the trouble Michael had been causing. "Going South on 285." "We better hurry," Max said, as he climbed up into the
Jeep. When he saw Liz about to
climb in, his first reaction was to stop her, and keep her out of their mess. "Hey, no. You can't come." Liz turned hurt eyes to him and Max didnÕt know what he would have
done but suddenly Kyle was there. "Trouble in paradise?" Kyle sneered. "So soon?" KyleÕs words angered Max.
No one treated Liz that way.
He spoke to her without taking his eyes off Kyle, "Get in." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ They left so quickly that they almost ran into the man who had
been watching them. Agent Jensen called Agent Topolsky. "I'm outside the Crashdown. Parker and the two Evans kids just left, in a hurry." "Let's find out where they're going." Kathleen said. "Yes ma'am." Kathleen was thrilled.
Finally it looked as if something were happening. She quickly typed an e-mail message. Special Investigation Unit, Code Name: West Roswell High... Tension in the Ranks. Waiting for them to slip up. Will happen soon. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Agent Jensen looked at the flat tires on his car and then at the
Jeep pulling away. Obviously he
had not been as careful as he had thought. The kids had spotted him. He pulled out his cell phone and called Agent Topolsky again. "They made me and I lost them but
they are still headed south on 285." "Understood Agent," she replied. "I am following a lead that will
take me right to them. Let me know
if anything else turns up."
She turned off the phone and checked to make sure the Sheriff's cruiser
was still in sight. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (MaxÕs Jeep) (Heading south on 285) Liz was getting worried.
She, Max and Isabel had been driving a long time without any sign of the
Jetta. Liz didn't really know
Michael, didn't know what he was capable of, and he had Maria. "It's getting so late. You know, maybe we should just call our
parents." "No," Max said automatically. They had always handled everything themselves. They had never even considered asking
for help. "They could help find them," Liz pressed. Isabel could hear the worry in Liz's tone and she was worried
herself. She and Liz had come to a
bit of an understanding earlier and she felt that Liz only had their best
interests at heart. "I hate
to say this, but maybe she's right, Max.
I mean, I never liked the idea of Michael going into this place without
us checking it out first." "No,Ó Max said stubbornly. ÒNobody can know about this." "Max, I'm really worried about Maria," Liz protested. Isabel knew what her brother's tone meant, but she tried to reason
with him. "I'm worried about
Michael, and all you seem to care about is what's inside that dome,
right?" "I didn't say that," Max argued. "You didn't have to!" Isabel said. Max was frustrated.
He had never really wanted to find out about their past, but now it was
important. Now that Liz knew their
secret it seemed as if all of his dreams were only a step away. "Isabel, we're close to
something," he said, willing Isabel to understand. Maybe finding out about their past wasn't as scary as it had
always seemed. More and more Max
believed that there was nothing out there for them. Because of Liz, he wanted to believe they were sent to Earth
to make a life, and maybe they could find proof of that in Texas. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kyle pulled up outside the motel where he saw Max's Jeep
parked. A motel, he thought to
himself, Liz was not that kind of girl.
Maybe she didn't realize what she was getting into. Maybe she was in over her head. He had a chance to offer her a way out
of this mess and if he did, she might turn to him again. He walked down the row of doors trying to determine which room
they were in, but the shouts coming from the open door ahead was a dead
give-away. As Kyle approached, he
was just able to make out the words, they're gonna find out about us, and when they do, everybody in
this room... Intrigued, Kyle pushed the door open, but the talk stopped when
the occupants spotted him. "Kyle!" Liz gasped, obviously not expecting him. "Everyone in this room is what?" Kyle asked. "Get out," Michael snarled. Kyle wasn't intimated by his bravado. "Why don't you go ahead and finish what you were
saying? Or are you afraid that
I'll find out what your little secret is?
Are you afraid that I might find out what the hell you guys are doing
out here? In the middle of
nowhere, in the middle of the night?" "I said get out!" Michael yelled, advancing on Kyle. "Michael, don't," Max warned. But in his rage, Michael pushed Kyle and sent an uncontrolled
burst of power into him that pushed him across the room. Kyle was a little surprised Michael had that much strength. "Who the hell are you
guys?" He picked himself up
off the floor. "What's going
on here?" When he didnÕt get
an answer he turned to Liz.
"And what are you doing here?
I'm gonna get you out of here," he said as he grabbed her arm and
started pulling her toward the door.
"Come on." At the sight of Kyle touching Liz, Max's possessive instincts surged
forward and he tried to disengage Kyle's hand from Liz. "Leave her alone." "Get off of me!" Kyle said, his temper rising. Liz knew that a fight was just moments away. "Just stop it, both of you,
okay? This has gotten so out of
control!" She turned to Kyle,
sorry for the words she had to speak, knowing it would cause him pain. "I am not your girlfriend anymore,
Kyle." Kyle shook his head.
"Liz, I don't know what's going on here, and I don't care. I just want you to come back with
me." Liz took a deep breath.
She wasn't getting through to him, she would have to be more plain. "You don't belong here, Kyle. This is none of your business." Kyle was shocked. He
thought Liz was just confused, that she would welcome a way out, but she had
obviously made her decision. She
was obviously with Max now. Kyle
shook his head, "I don't know, I don't know what I ever saw in you." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - 285 South) (Thursday, November 11th, 1999) (AthertonÕs House) Kathleen silently followed Sheriff Valenti into the geodesic
dome. Obviously he was following
in his father's footsteps investigating aliens, but she couldn't let him get to
any information the kids uncovered.
And he was already too close. She waited until his back was turned and delivered a surgical hit
to the head that she knew would render him unconscious. Then she turned to examine the
room. The kids had obviously come
in and then disappeared. There had to be a secret room somewhere. She spotted the keyhole on the wall almost immediately and
quickly used a lock pick, causing the trap door to spring up from the
floor. As she opened the door
wider, she could hear scuffling coming from the room below; the kids had
obviously heard her. She ran down the stairs into the small room and followed the sounds to a pipe where the kids had escaped. Scrambling through the pipe, she emerged into daylight just in time to see the Jeep disappearing in a cloud of dust. Kathleen slammed her hand on the pipe in frustration. She had been so close. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - River Dog) (Thursday, November 11th, 1999) (Washington, DC) Agent Stephens slumped into his chair. He had been followed to work again this morning. Obviously he was on Pierce's list, and
people on that list had a habit of disappearing, or worse. The case in Roswell was not proceeding
as quickly as Pierce had wanted and Topolsky's latest report left a lot to be
desired. Stephens grabbed the phone and called Topolsky. He listened as once again she related
the events of last night. "Things are very much under control, Sir." Stephens grabbed his head in disbelief. "Agent Topolsky, do you understand the assignment that
was given to you?" "Yes, sir, I do," she said confidently. He practically groaned aloud, "Repeat it." "I'm sorry?" "Your assignment," he said, his patience wearing
thin. "Repeat it to me." "The assignment is to observe the subjects and determine
whether or not the theories about them are substantiated." "You're forgetting something, Agent. The word covertly. To covertly observe the subjects to
determine whether or not the theories about them are substantiated. Covertly!" "I've been acting covertly," Kathleen assured him. "Drop-kicking the Sheriff. You call that covert?" "The Sheriff was endangering my operation," Kathleen
said. "Your operation?" Stephen roared. "Our operation," Kathleen quickly corrected. "Wrong again, Agent.
Not your operation. Not our
operation. My operation! Mine!" Stephens put his hand to his throat. "I think I have a piece of my
bagel permanently lodged in my esophagus." He needed to show Pierce that he was making progress on this case
to get himself out of this mess.
He was the one who would get the credit if it went right and the axe if
it went bad. He took a deep
breath, "New orders, Agent Topolsky.
See if you can follow them this time. Whatever those kids took from that house, I want it. Get it. Whatever those kids are doing right now, I want to know
about it. Do you understand, Agent
Topolsky?" "I understand." "By any means necessary, Agent." "Yes, sir." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Pierce waited until they hung up, before speaking to the man
seated across from him. "Do
you see what I mean? Stephens is
running a circus down there. I want
you to send two of your best men to the Evans house this morning and get what
the kids recovered from Texas. I
am afraid that Stephens and Topolsky will screw it up, again." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - River Dog) (Friday, November 12th, 1999) (Mesiliko Reservation) River Dog watched from the trees as the dark-haired girl Liz, drove away. When the lights of the car disappeared into the night, he turned and headed toward the cave where it had all begun. It had been more than thirty years since Nasedo had left, and in that time River Dog had only returned to the cave once. He had known Nasedo was a visitor from another world but he had never been frightened of him until he had witnessed what Nasedo had done to Atherton. River Dog had often wondered why Nasedo killed the man but he had been too afraid at the time to ask. Finally he had come to the conclusion that Nasedo's people just didnÕt have the same respect for life that his people did. They killed without conscience, without remorse. After all of these years he had hoped no one would come and that
would be the end, but now this girl had come forward. He reached the entrance to the cave and after lighting a
torch, ventured inside and down the corridor into the chamber Nasedo had
used. Glancing around briefly, he
noted that it appeared the same as the last time he had been there. He moved the torch close to the writing
on the rocky wall, illuminating it.
The message was still intact, he noticed with disappointment. He would have to keep his promise to
Nasedo. At first he had worked to keep the village children away from the
cave, fearing for their safety, but as the years had passed he eased his
watchfulness, hoping the writing on the cave would be destroyed, and there
would be nothing for another visitor to find. He thought about Liz and wondered if she were a visitor as
well. She had seemed like a scared
kid but he knew appearances could be deceiving. He would send his nephew Eddie into town to invite the girl
to the cave. He would have to test
her as Nasedo had instructed and if she passed, his promise would be fulfilled
and he would finally be free. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Monday, November 15th, 1999) (Washington, DC) Pierce shoved the file away from him. They were the last in the box the kids had taken from
Atherton's house but there was nothing useful in any of them. Reading the journals and files it was
easy to see that Atherton had been unbalanced. He had gone looking for survivors from the '47 crash to
prove his outrageous theories and had maintained his views about the
inferiority of their intellect until the end when the notes just ended. Pierce shook his head. More than likely Atherton's beliefs had
caused his death. How could Atherton believe a race capable of constructing a ship
able to reach Earth could possess the limitations he had written about? The guy was truly a nut. Among the delusional rantings however there had been a very carefully kept journal about AthertonÕs discovery of a drifter he had found living in a cave just outside the Mescalero reservation. If Atherton were to be believed, this man was an alien that survived the crash. Most people would have dismissed his theory as more fantasy but Pierce knew from the Special Unit's records that it was likely. The dates of the time the man lived in the cave matched the time that the alien had escaped from Eagle Rock Military Base. Pierce had carefully combed through every paper but there was
nothing that would lead him to the alien's current location or even a
description. The only thing he had
learned was the name the alien had used forty years ago. Nasedo. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Blood Brothers) (Thursday, November 17th, 1999) Kathleen dialed Agent Moss. "Hello?" he answered. "Get to the hospital," Kathleen ordered. "Now. We might have an
opportunity." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Roswell Memorial Hospital) Isabel smiled briefly as Nurse Susan left MaxÕs beside. It always surprised her Michael could
turn on so much charm when he wanted to. Michael turned back to them, "I'll get the blood." "They can't get that blood," Isabel voiced her fear
aloud, trying to figure a way out of this mess. Liz turned to Isabel, "So I don't get it. What have you guys done before?" "Nothing like this has ever happened before," Isabel
said simply. "But what about when you guys get sick?" Liz persisted. "We don't get sick," Isabel answered distractedly, her
mind still on their immediate problem.
She or Michael could change the composition of the blood to make
it look human, well, she conceded, Max could if he were conscious. She and Michael didn't have the
exacting control the change would take, somehow Max's gifts were more attuned
toward healing and physiological manipulations. She and Michael could both heal simple things but the more
difficult and delicate healing was much easier for Max. If she or Michael messed up changing
the blood it could look like Max had all kinds of things wrong with him and the
doctors would take more blood. She
sighed with exasperation, they had to do something quickly. Suddenly an answer came to her and Isabel turned to Liz. "We need blood. We'll take some of
yours and replace Max's with it." Liz shook her head, "It can't be mine. They can tell male
from female blood." "Then we need to find a guy." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Liz glanced at Alex who was waiting patiently for an
explanation. He trusted her and
she had to let him down. Even if
she were able to tell him the truth, she didn't know if she wanted to drag
another person into their mess.
She felt the regret well up within her. Alex was already involved, even though he didn't know
it. She had used him, trading on
his trust but she didn't feel as if she'd had any other choice. She would do anything to save Max. She sighed inwardly, there was no point
in putting off the inevitable, "Alex, maybe you should go home." Alex was dumbfounded.
"Liz, what I just did I could get arrested for. And that's all you have to say to
me?" He looked toward Maria,
"Any of you?" "Alex..." Liz started, attempting to come up with an
explanation, but she was cut off by Michael. "She said go home," he barked. "Great new friends you've made, Liz," snapped Alex. Liz watched for a second as Alex started to leave but she couldn't
just let him go, and hurried after him.
"Alex, wait..." "I've been waiting, Liz," Alex cut her off angrily,
"And apparently I'm not going to get an explanation." Liz didn't know what to say.
"It's complicated, okay?" "No, no. It's not okay, Liz. None of this is okay." Liz tried to explain.
"Alex, look, you've gotta trust me." Alex shook his head.
"What is it?" he asked, and then the truth of the situation
suddenly came to him.
"Drugs? Is that what
this is?" He knew he was
right. What else would they have needed
his blood to cover up? He was
getting angrier with each word, imagining what could have happened to Liz, and
she was still trying to protect Max.
"You and Max go out for a drive. He gets wasted, almost kills you both. That's what I'm covering for, isn't
it?" "Alex," Liz started but Alex's words silenced her again. Alex was warming to his topic as he continued, "You can't use Michael's blood because he's just as high." He was disgusted with himself for saying these things to Liz but she had used him and he felt betrayed and hurt. "So who do you call? You call on your buddy Alex. Stupid, straight Alex who does everything you say cuz he's such a loyal friend that you lie to and you use whenever you can." "It's not true," Liz whispered. Alex could see the pain in her eyes and felt a small sense of
satisfaction, he had gotten through to her, hurt her. He could see his old friend looking through her eyes
again. He took a breath,
"Then tell me the truth, Liz.
For once." Liz wanted desperately to tell Alex the truth but there was
nothing she could say without risking Max. There was no choice, she knew what she had to do. "You're right,Ó she said softly. ÒIt's drugs." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kathleen watched as Agent Moss walked away. He said that he thought the kids had switched blood samples in the hospital and if they had used Alex's blood, it would be easy enough to find out. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her friend in the FBI lab. "Kelso," said the voice that answered the phone. "Jeanie, it's Kathleen." "Kathleen, how have you been? It's been a while." "Yes, sorry. I
have been kinda busy but actually that's why I called. I need a drug, easy to administer and
it would cause a nosebleed quickly." "Right to the point.
That's what I like about you," Jeanie said with a laugh. "And I happen to know just the
thing you want." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Blood Brothers) (Thursday, November 18th, 1999) (West Roswell High School) As she talked with Max, all Liz could think of was that she had
almost lost him. And it hadn't
been because a spaceship had come or because the government had discovered him,
it had been because of a stupid accident.
It made her realize Max could be taken from her at any time. And she couldn't hold her feelings inside any longer, she had to
let him know. "When I saw you
in that car, I thought you were..." she let her words trail off not even
able to speak her thoughts.
"It was like I couldn't breathe, you know?" Max knew exactly what she meant because he had felt the same thing
that day in the Crashdown when he had realized she had been shot. But being around him was more dangerous
than ever and he steered the conversation in another direction, "I never
got a chance to thank you for what you did at the hospital." "It was Alex who did it," Liz reminded him. "He really came through. He always does." She didn't think she was convincing Max
but she had to try.
"Max?" she asked, her single word conveying her meaning. Max knew how badly Liz wanted to tell Alex but they just couldn't
take the chance. "We can't
tell him." "I know," Liz said, trying to hide her
disappointment. "But we have to tell him something," Max said. "You mean lie," Liz stated blandly. "Isabel saw him talking with Kyle today," Max said,
trying to make her see why they couldn't trust anyone else. Liz wasn't listening to his reasons though, she could only think
of Alex and how much his friendship meant to her. "He saved your life, Max." "Look, I know it's hard, but..." Liz stopped him before he could finish his sentence. She knew why they couldn't tell Alex
and she didn't need Max to tell her again. "I already told him that it was drugs, at the
hospital." "Did he believe you?" Max asked softly, knowing what it
had cost her to lie to her friend. "I think so," Liz said sadly. Once again Max could see how his being involved with Liz was
ruining her life. "Liz, I am
so sorry. "I guess these are the things you do whenÉ" Liz paused,
not sure if she should press the point when Max so obviously did not want to
talk about it. But a sudden image
of him in the hospital made her continue, "When you feel a certain way
about someone." "I guess," said Max. He waited until she had disappeared into the classroom before
turning to walk to his own class.
He had never imagined that Liz would have to go to such lengths to keep
his secret. It had seemed so
simple at first, but the more deeply involved they became, the more he was
hurting her. He wanted so
desperately to be with her but he had to keep reminding himself of what could
happen to her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Blood Brothers) (Friday, November 19th, 1999) (Crashdown Cafe) "Thanks for coming," Liz greeted Alex, glad that he
still believed in her enough to come. "I've met you here a thousand times, but it just doesn't feel
the same," he said wistfully.
He could feel his world changing around him and he was afraid of what it
was turning into. "You
know?" "Yeah, I know, Alex.
You've been my friend since Ms. Elmer's class in the fifth grade." "No, no, no," he corrected her. "We actually met in fourth, but
you didn't notice me till fifth." "Yes," Liz agreed, "and I've come to you with every
problem I've ever had." "Until now," he said, the reality of the situation pressing
in on him again. "No, even now," Liz asserted. "What happened at that hospital with Max, that was like
the most important thing I ever had to do in my life. And I called you." She paused looking for the right words. "Alex, this is the hardest thing I
have ever asked anyone to do.
Look, I need you. I need
you to believe in me, even though I can't, I can't tell you what you want to
know." "Because of Max," Alex said. "No, forget Max, Alex," Liz insisted. "This is between us. Look, I told you before this was
complicated. Well, maybe it's
not. There is a right side, and
there is a wrong side. And if you
choose the wrong side right now, Alex, something really terrible is going to
happen, to all of us. I am begging
you, Alex, if five years of friendship have meant anything to you, please trust
me. I swear to you, I am on the
right side." Alex studied Liz's face, he could tell she was scared. Maybe she was scared of being exposed
or maybe she was scared of Max being exposed, but she was scared, and he
couldn't stand to see her like that.
Maybe after this was over he could convince her to tell the truth, but
she was his friend and he had to help her now. "What do you want me to do?" "Ms. Topolsky isn't who she says she is." "What do you mean?" Alex asked skeptically. "We don't really know, but I am hoping you can help us find
out. I thought I could keep her
distracted while you snooped around her computer." Alex nodded, his mind already made up. "What are we waiting for?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (West Roswell High School) Kathleen hung up the phone with a smile of satisfaction. The blood they had recovered from the
hospital matched the sample she had gotten from Alex. The kids had substituted Alex's blood for Max's. This was her first big break and she
would use it to her advantage. She reached for the phone and buzzed her secretary, "Find
Alex Whitman and ask him to come to my office." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Alex turned to Liz after Ms. Topolsky had left. This had not turned out at all like he
had expected. The FBI? What had Liz gotten mixed up in? "Okay. All right. You
are going to tell me exactly what has been going on with Max and Topolsky and
the actual FBI or I swear Liz, this is the end of you and me being
friends." "No Alex, don't say things..." Alex cut her off, "What? Something that I won't go through with? Liz, I'm not kidding, all
right?" He had made the
threat, hoping to shock her enough to see what she was doing, but he realized
he had to be prepared to go through with it. "Now either you tell me the truth, or I walk." Liz was dumbfounded.
She couldn't believe it had come to this, a choice between one of her
best friends and Max. If only she
could tell Alex the truth, everything would be okay again, but she had to keep
Max's secret. She opened her mouth
and had to force out the words that would end their friendship. "Alex, I can't." Liz felt the tears welling in her eyes as Alex walked away from
her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kathleen went straight to her rented house and placed a call to
Agent Stephens. "I have been
exposed by Liz Parker and Alex Whitman.
They hacked into my e-mail.
What are your orders?" "Damn it," Stephens swore. They had lost their advantage and Pierce wasn't going to
like it. Stephens knew he would
have to do his best to place all of the blame on Kathleen or he was
finished. "Return to
Washington on the next flight Agent Topolsky and I want a full, very detailed,
written report." Stephens hung up and then dialed Pierce immediately to fill him
in. "Agent Topolsky was
careless enough to get herself exposed.
I have ordered her back to Washington to answer for her actions." Pierce's voice was deadly quiet when he answered. "Yes. We must make sure that everyone gets what they deserve. Bring her here immediately when she
arrives." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ TBC |
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