Alex welcome to the I know an alien club. As a member you get to run for your life from evil government agencies. Witness the use of unexplained powers oh and maybe fall in love and win the heart of a former princess. All in all it will be a ride you will possibly never forget!
So true 
Thank you for the feedback!L-J-L 76 - Thank you
Carolyn (keepsmiling7) - Thank you
saori_1902 - Thank you
Eve (begonia9508) - Good idea there; with Alex possibly being able to help the group out with his technological talents
Thank you for the feedback!Previously on "Lethal Whispers"...
Max and Liz met as children, when Max brought Liz back from fatal injuries in a car crash that killed Liz's mother. In their twenties, Max started having premonitions of Liz about her being in danger. He was later introduced to Liz at an office party where Isabel worked. Max was soon to realize that Liz was the girl he had saved many years ago and that in saving her they had formed a bond.
Max saved Liz from the attack that he had seen several times in his premonitions. The rescue attracted the attention of the Special Unit of the FBI and the aliens (plus Maria and Liz) decided to go on the run. There they were momentarily rescued by Melissa - Max's co-worker from Boston - who turned out to be an alien too. Their protector. Who had been watching over the podsters their whole lives. Upon that contact, Melissa made Liz unconscious to stop her from taking part of an alien discussion. That unconscious state brought forward a second individual in Liz - Aislin. According to Melissa, the aliens had lived before on Antar. They had been royalty and part of the royal guard. Upon dying, Zan (Max) had "saved" Aislin's essence inside his own. Aislin was the woman Zan loved. Aislin's essence accidentally got transferred to the (temporarily) dead body of Elizabeth Parker before Max brought her back to life.
Max and Liz have fallen for each other and have deepened their connection by making love. In the previous chapter, Alex (Liz's longtime friend) managed to track the group down and encountered them at a pit-stop. Liz told him about the aliens and it was decided that Alex would come along.
And that's where we're up to now....
CHAPTER 56
Max
“What the hell? What is this? The social event of the year? ‘Grab a friend and go on a run from the police’?”
“Calm down, Michael,” Isabel said, which earned her a terrifying look from Michael.
Max could understand him. Even to Max, who had been there when the decision had been taken, was a bit confounded by Isabel’s reaction to the whole thing. She was taking the subject of another human addition to their group a little too lightly.
“I’m not sure what your plan is here, Maxwell,” Melissa said tightly, “but we really can’t take on another human being. Liz was enough.”
Max felt fury flow through him. He had been under the impression that Melissa had accepted Liz by now. That because he shared a connection with Liz and she was harboring an Antarian soul, Melissa would be a bit more accepting of her. But apparently that wasn’t the case.
“Melissa’s right,” Maria said quietly, seated in the passenger seat at the front of the van. “This…Alex person doesn’t have any connection to us. The larger our group gets, the more vulnerable we become to being discovered.”
“I didn’t want him here,” Liz said tiredly next to Max and he felt his heart clench painfully.
Liz’s pain was screaming at him, in his mind, throughout his whole body. He could feel how much she loved her friend and how badly she wanted to protect him. And just like Max had tried to protect Liz by encouraging her not to come with him, she was trying to do the same thing for her friend.
“Sure you did,” Michael said angrily. “Of course you want some humans friends with you on this trip. It will make you feel less lonely.”
“Michael!” Maria admonished as Max flexed his fists, trying to keep his anger in check.
“This is not Liz’s doing,” Max said, his jaw tightening with every word. “He wanted to come.”
“So what if he did?” Michael said in a raised voice. “This trip of ours doesn’t come with an open invitation. Just because someone wants to join, doesn’t mean they can. You of all people should know that, Max.”
“It was either coming with us or mind warping the guy,” Isabel said mildly.
Max saw Tess flinch on the other side of the van. She kept mostly to herself (as much to yourself as you could when crammed into a van with five other people) and had barely spoken a word in two days.
“Why would you have to mind warp the guy?” Michael asked. “Just send him on his way. Tell him to stop looking for Liz. It’s as simple as that.”
“Liz-“ Max looked at Isabel as she started her answer and tried to gain eye contact with her to stop her from saying what he knew she would say. But it was too late. “-Liz told Alex about us.”
One could hear a pin drop. The silence echoed in the crowded van.
Then Michael got to his feet and stomped up to Liz. But Max was faster, springing to his feet and stepping in front of Liz. He could feel Liz’s fear pulsating through their connection as Michael took a hold of Max’s collar.
“Let me through, Maxwell,” Michael ground out.
“You can’t blame her,” Max replied forcefully, grabbing a hold of Michael’s shoulders.
“You can’t possibly be that dumb,” Michael yelled around Max, his words shooting at Liz. “Not even I thought you could be that dumb.”
“Calm down, Michael,” Max said, pushing against Michael’s weight.
But Michael’s attention was on Liz. “You told him? Who the fuck gives you the right to go blabbering our secret to strangers, huh?”
“I didn’t mean to,” Liz said behind Max and Max pushed harder at Michael.
“Let me go,” Michael pushed out angrily, hot angry eyes flickering to Max.
“Not until you take a step back, Michael,” Max replied and pushed harder.
Michael stumbled backwards, his hands losing their grip on Max’s sweater, and he inhaled deeply before he (against the background of Maria’s desperate - “Don’t, Michael!” ) rushed towards Max’s body with a roar.
Max’s body went down hard on the metallic floor, his shoulder slamming into the unyielding material, and before he had time to catch his breath, Michael’s fist connected with his left cheek. He felt the impact resonate through his head, heat and pain explode in a chorus in his jaw and nose. The back of his head bumped against the floor and his head started ringing.
He was mildly aware of the screams of protests around him as his vision momentarily blurred, then he brought his own fist up and aimed at Michael’s wild and furious face. He connected with his friend’s ear, as Michael had time to slightly turn away when reading Max’s intention.
Instead Michael’s fist came down on Max again, another hit across his cheek, magnifying the pain that was already there, and Max could taste blood in his mouth. The ringing intensified as he struggled to get his hands up, to protect himself, and then there was a green light in front of his eyes and he could feel energy being pulled from his body.
He watched Michael’s eyes widen in surprise on the other side of the green veil, his hands frozen in a fighting position (like a boxer preparing to fight), as he took a step backwards.
Then he heard Liz through the ringing. Liz, like he had never heard her before.
“Get away from him!”
And he looked up over his right shoulder and saw her kneeling next to him, her left hand on his shoulder and her right hand stretched out in front of her. And Max felt his heart rate accelerate. The green light - the force field - was Liz’s doing.
Somehow, she was producing a protective shield around them.
Max could nothing but stare at Liz in shock and something akin to awe, completely missing how Michael lowered his hands in resignation and took several steps away from Max. The light flickered out around them and then Liz’s eyes were on his. She swayed slightly, the fingers of her left hand digging into his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked breathlessly.
He was still staring at her. He couldn’t get his mind to form words, especially not sentences.
“You’re bleeding,” she whispered and her hands were brushing over his face as she leaned over him.
He winced as she touched his already inflamed cheek and grabbed her examining hand with his own. “I’m fine,” he whispered. “I’m okay.”
“Was that you, Max?” Max looked past Liz at Isabel, who was taking a cautious step towards them. “Was it you that did that?”
“No,” Max said wondrously, looking back at Liz’s dark expressive pools. He could feel her confusion and trepidation swirl between them, and the fatigue that was slowly gripping her. The same fatigue that he felt after having used a lot of his powers. “No. It was Liz.”
“But she’s…” Tess was coming up behind Liz, her eyes expression the same confusion they all felt. “She’s human.”
“Was it Aislin?” Melissa asked.
Max looked into Liz’s concerned eyes - concern for his well-being - and brought the palm of her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss there. Through their connection, he made sure she could feel his gratitude. And there was no question who was on the other side of the connection. It was not Aislin. Liz had done this. Liz had somehow tapped into his powers through their connection and helped him.
“How did you know how to do that?” he asked her with a frown.
“I didn’t,” she replied, matching his frown. “I guess, instinct took over. I needed to protect you.”
“I’m sorry, man,” Michael’s voice broke through and everyone turned their eyes towards the tall guy with the regretful downward tilt of his head. “I didn’t mean to- to hit you so hard. I didn’t- I don’t know why I couldn’t stop. If Liz hadn’t-“
“It’s okay,” Max replied and rose onto his elbows.
He could understand how Michael’s frustration over these past few weeks had eventually culminated in this. Max had been very aware of how much Michael had been wanting to do that for months. Maybe now, things could calm down. Maybe Michael had finally got it out of his system.
Maybe.
“Liz, I’m-“ Michael started and Liz turned away from Max and looked at Michael.
Max couldn’t see her face from his angle, but he could see Michael’s. And judging from the ashamed expression on his friend’s face, Liz’s eyes were anything but forgiving.
“Not now, Michael.”
Max had a feeling that Liz had no trouble forgiving Michael for almost attacking her. Her unwillingness to forgive was because of how Michael had acted towards Max just now.
“I’m so disappointed in you,” Maria said as she brushed past Michael and Max felt a sting in his heart at the sad look on Michael’s face. Like a rejected puppy, he slumped over in one corner of the van, turning his head away from them.
Maria dropped to her knees next to Max, who was now getting up into a sitting position. Maria, in the manner of Liz previously, skimmed her hands over Max’s face. “Oh my God, Max. I thought he was going to kill you.”
“Nah,” Max said and carefully traced his swollen bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, tasting blood. “He just needed to get it out of his system.”
“That doesn’t make it okay,” Maria said and turned to loudly say over her shoulder, “It’s not okay, Michael.”
Maria turned her attention back to Max and grabbed Liz’s hand that was resting against his chest. Liz looked at Maria in surprise.
“Thank you,” Maria addressed Liz.
Max felt the confusion and the modesty swim in the connection as he saw the small smile on Liz’s lips before she dropped her head and met his eyes.
“So… Liz has powers now?” Isabel asked.
“No,” Max answered and put an arm around Liz. He frowned as he felt the trembles rushing through her body. Distracted from Isabel’s answer, he turned his full attention on Liz. He put his hand against her forehead and felt the heat scalding her skin. “Liz, you’re burning up.”
“I’m a bit tired,” she whispered, her eyes blinking slowly.
Fear squeezed his heart as he shuffled so that he was seated opposite her. He cradled her warm face between his hands, his hold urging her to look at him. “Look at me.”
“I’m a bit dizzy,” she whispered and squinted as if the dim light was hurting her eyes.
“Keep your eyes on me,” he repeated and started feeding her his energy through the connection. Refueling what had been depleted.
“Max, what’s wrong?” Maria asked next to him, but he ignored her. He had to focus on Liz now.
He could feel Liz’s body temperature come down as he topped up her energy, and when he pulled away her eyes were once again alert as she regarded him curiously.
“What?” he asked with a smile, confident with the support of the connection that she was okay again.
“It’s amazing how you do that,” she said breathlessly and he felt himself blush. He knew that everyone was watching them, waiting for answers, but all he wanted to do was to kiss her senseless. Right there and then.
“She used your energy, your powers,” Melissa said, breaking the mood.
Max let his hands slide down Liz’s throat, before he removed them and scooted a feet back. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate with her sitting so close. It was hard enough with the connection between them.
Max nodded. “Yes. Is that possible?”
“Never heard of it before,” Melissa replied and she sounded perplexed.
“Well, we can feed each other energy,” Isabel objected. “And I’ve been able to heal as long as I’m connected to Max.”
“You all have those abilities, they’re just not active in you all the time,” Melissa answered. “So with an energy connection between you, you could essentially share powers. But… Liz is human. She shouldn’t be able to do that.”
“But you’re sure it’s Liz, not Aislin?” Isabel asked, looking at Liz suspiciously.
“It’s me, Isabel,” Liz answered with a smile in her direction.
Isabel looked relieved. “Good.” Looking at Max, she grimaced. “Then maybe you could use his healing power and fix the mess Michael just did.”
Max felt an icy chill run through him. “No!”
They all looked at him in surprise. Belatedly, he realized - by the look on Liz’s face - that she had been hurt by his refusal. As if he didn’t want her help.
“She can’t do healing,” he said quietly, the fear at the prospect of her doing just that immobilizing him. “You saw what it did to her to put up a force field. Healing might just…kill her.”
Liz’s fear was clear and sudden through the connection as she realized the truth behind his refusal of her help. Max turned to Isabel. “But you could do it.”
“Of course,” Isabel replied and took Maria’s place next to Max. As Isabel was healing Max’s face, Max felt energy being pulled not only from himself but also from Liz. It worried him, making him think of what this could mean for the future. If Liz was so intimately connected to him, everything he did would indirectly affect her.
When Isabel was finished, Max reached out for Liz’s hand and felt the familiar tingle at the contact; something he wished would never disappear. “You okay?” he asked her and she nodded.
“Isabel did good job,” Liz whispered with a tentative smile and Max squeezed her hand. While he was impressed by the things she had to handle, had to experience, he also regretted that he was putting her through all of this.
TBC...
He was always a little bit pig-headed and in this situation, it doesn't help at all...
