Chapter 11
Daniel Pierce hung up the phone and sat back. He’d just received a call from Dulce Base updating him on the latest project findings. Things back at the Los Alamos facility weren’t going well. The subjects were unresponsive and they were still far from making any progress on the artifact.
Pierce pinched the bridge of his nose. He was so tired of the incompetence. He should have been assigned the bigger project. As it stands, he was at the bottom of the totem pole when it came to the chain of command, coming after Lieutenant General Fred Owens, nuclear physicist and the head of DARPA, Senator Andrews and Air Force Colonel David Van Dorser. Anytime he made a decision or command, it would constantly be questioned by the other three. He knew he wasn’t a favored member of the group. He suspected that they might have been the ones to leak information about the Special Unit. He wouldn’t put it past them. He knew his time with the project was limited. His only chance of saving his career and reputation would be to produce the key.
He thought he’d found the key when they captured and eliminated Topolsky. However, when Subject B was unable to activate the stones, he’d had to begin his search again.
Pushing away from his desk, he stood up and walked toward the window. He only had a few more days left before the serum had to be administered again. It had been relatively simple to inoculate the subject when he had been at home. He had been given the dose orally in the evening as he slept, so he was never aware that anything out of the ordinary had happened. However, his current location posed a bit of a problem. He would have to go to Roswell himself to ensure that the serum was administered properly. He would have to postpone his visit to Dulce.
He reached for his phone and dialed his secretary. After requesting that she book a flight to Roswell for him, he grabbed his car keys and headed home to pack.
Pierce laid his head back against his seat as he felt the heavy force of gravity pushing him back as the plane took off the runway. It hadn’t been his choice to let the boy go. The order had come from the panel who governed the special project. He wanted to dispose of the Subject when the experiments failed to yield any result, but the panel had refused. He knew that they wanted the key and he was confident that it would be him who would find it.
As soon as the plane landed in Roswell, Pierce spotted his escort.
“Agent Pierce, I’m Captain Dirksen of the US Army Special Forces,” a soldier in full army fatigues greeted in a heavy southern drawl.
“Please follow me.” He led Pierce to an awaiting sand-colored Humvee.
“Have my men arrived?” Pierce asked.
“Yes, sir. They are waiting to be debriefed,” Captain Dirksen replied.
Pierce nodded and stared out at the barren landscape with disdain. He hated the desert. He hated the stifling heat and the vast emptiness it represented. However, he did understand the secrecy that the desert afforded. It was the only place that could hide their operations from the watchful eye of the world.
Pierce glanced at his escort from the corner of his eye. He remembered Captain Dirksen as one of the soldiers who participated in the evacuation of Eagle Rock after Project Hybrid was moved to phase 2. Pierce recalled that the evacuation had taken place in less than 24 hours. Equipment and data had been moved to a storage facility at an undisclosed location. All other pertinent data and specimens were shipped to Dulce. Pierce made sure that only a select group of people knew the new location, thus preventing any potential information leaks.
He cursed himself for failing to anticipate the current situation. He needed to find out the identity of the informant quickly before the project was compromised any further. He knew the chances of him finding the key depended on the current situation. If his group was disbanded and his funding cut off, he can just kiss his objective goodbye. He had a feeling that Schumaker wouldn’t hesitate to fire him if the opportunity arose.
Perhaps he could turn this unfortunate series of events in his favor. Maybe Subject B could unknowingly aid in the discovery of the key. However, it didn’t really matter because Pierce intended to end the experiment with Subject B and he didn’t care if his superiors approved or not. If he was going to go down, he was going to take everyone down with him.
The Humvee traveled down the old desert highway. After what seemed like an hour on the road, Captain Dirksen turned the vehicle right and began to follow what looked like an old utility road.
Pierce laid his head back against the seat, letting the coarse rocking of the Humvee lull his senses. He’d traveled this road many times before and was becoming used to the roughness of it. He knew that the roads were rough on purpose. It kept the public away, thus ensuring the location of the base remain hidden.
When they finally reached the barbed wire fence surrounding the base, Captain Dirksen punched in a code on the Humvee’s console computer and a moment later the metal gate slid open.
Fort Whitaker had been an old army training base back in the 1940’s. While Los Alamos served as the training ground for nuclear weaponry, Fort Whitaker was constructed as an overflow facility for both personnel and equipment. It was abandoned a decade later for the underground facility near Dulce, New Mexico. However, when the search for the key was resurrected back in the early 80’s, Fort Whitaker was renovated and converted into an underground facility and a secured research lab and was renamed, Area 9.
From above the ground, Area 9 looked like a cross between an old hanger and a small warehouse. It’s small, high windows were weathered and grimy; guaranteeing that nothing inside would be visible to onlookers. Even airspace around the area was restricted.
Pierce stepped out of the Humvee and into the late afternoon heat. He pulled on his tie, trying to ease his discomfort. He turned to look behind him and saw that Captain Dirksen was already unloading his luggage. Pierce turned back to the non-descript building and adjusted his sunglasses. A moment later, he was joined by Dirksen and they both made their way towards the only pedestrian entrance to the base.
Meanwhile inside the base, members of the Special Unit gathered in a small meeting room on Level 3 of the facility. They had all heard about the press conference that Schumaker held the previous week. If truth be told, they were all nervous about losing their jobs. Most agents within the FBI actually didn’t know that the Special Unit existed. In other words, the organization flew below the bureaucratic radar. Now that the existence of the Unit had been made public and was in danger of being disbanded, it was unlikely that most of the seasoned members would be reassigned to other existing departments.
When Pierce walked into the room with his military escort, all chatter ceased and the agents grabbed a seat and filed into order.
Pierce strode to the front of the room with the confidence of a lion. He was fully aware that word had spread of the governmental inquiry and that he had to project certainty and confidence for him to maintain the order and solidarity of his group. It was only a matter of time before dissent occurred.
“Good morning, Special Agents,” Pierce addressed the group before him. “As you might or might not be aware, Subject B is on the move and is currently in Roswell, New Mexico. Your objective is to track his movements and report to me every eight hours. It’s important that you report to me and only me. I’m sure by now you have all heard that the Special Unit has been compromised. There is a leak among us which must be found and eliminated.”
Pierce clenched and unclenched his fists.
“It is fundamental to the survival of the Unit that the mole be found. This cannot be tolerated!”
An Agent standing off to the back raised his hand.
“Yes, Special Agent Hunter,” Pierce nodded to the man in the back of the room.
“Sir, are we to understand that if found we are to capture the leak with whatever force is necessary?”
Pierce stood in silence for a moment and stared intently at Agent Hunter. The room became so quiet that only the humming of the fluorescent lights overhead could be heard.
“Yes.”
<center>* * *</center>
“C’mon Isabel,” Alex pleaded. “Just try it on.”
“No. Absolutely not,” Isabel crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head.
“Please Iz,” Alex clasped his hands together and begged.
Isabel looked at her best friend down on his knees and looked at the gold bikini draped across the back of the couch. What was it about Alex that made her want to do things she really didn’t want to? Sometimes he was just too cute to resist.
“Fine!” Isabel huffed. “I’ll wear it. But this is the absolute last time I wear one of your fantasy outfits, okay.” She glared at Alex who merely grinned in return.
“You’re the best,” Alex jumped up and gave Isabel a hug.
“Fine. Fine,” Isabel shrugged Alex off but couldn’t help the smile the crossed her face. “Put the movie in and I’ll go grab the popcorn.”
Isabel walked to the kitchen while Alex popped the DVD in the player.
“You’re gonna love my costume for tomorrow,” Alex commented. “I’ve had it on reserve for the past six months. Same goes for your costume.
“So what time should I come by to pick you up?”
Isabel walked back in to the living room and placed the popcorn on the table. “Come by around six o’clock. I should be ready by then. After all…,” she picked up the gold bikini and moved it to the armchair nearby, “there isn’t much to this costume.”
Alex glanced at her and grinned. Isabel laughed and punched him in the arm.
“Alex Whitman, if I didn’t know you any better I’d say you have strong male chauvinistic tendencies,” Isabel joked.
“Well I am what I am,” Alex boasted but his muscle-man act was broken when he rubbed the spot that Isabel had just punched.
“Man for a girl, you’ve got a pretty good right hook.”
Isabel laughed and grabbed the remote off Alex’s fingers.
“So, I saw Liz the other day,” Alex said. “I was passing by the library and saw her inside.”
Isabel’s posture suddenly stiffened. “Oh? What was she doing?”
“She was just looking over some books, I think,” Alex replied offhandedly while grabbing a fistful of popcorn. “I saw her with some guy though.”
“Really?” Isabel was curious as to why Liz would be hanging around anybody let alone some man. She waited to see if Alex would continue and when he didn’t her curiosity got the better of her.
“Do you know who the guy was?” Isabel asked, feigning disinterest.
“Don’t think so,” Alex responded too engrossed in the opening sequence of the movie to realize that Isabel was acting a little too curious.
“Never seen the dude before.”
“Oh, hmmnnn…,” Isabel wondered who it could be. She thought back to Liz’s visit a few days ago and how strangely she’d been acting. Perhaps there was something legitimate about her paranoia.
“Did you go say hello to them?” Isabel prodded.
“Nah, thought she might be in one of her moods and it might be best if I left her alone,” Alex leaned forward and grabbed another fistful of popcorn.
“Besides, it looked like she was busy…huh, weird. Oh well,” Alex shrugged and focused his attention back to the movie.
Isabel wasn’t sure what to think. It was unlike Liz to be friendly to anyone. She knew from experience that Liz kept mostly to herself since their confrontation several years before. She just hoped that Liz wasn’t about to get herself into some trouble but just in case…
“I’ll be right back,” Isabel said, pushing herself up off the couch. “Gotta make a phone call.”
tbc...
Identity (M/L, Mature) - AN 4/29/07 [WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
“Hi Maria. C’mon in,” Isabel greeted and stepped aside to let Maria through. “Thanks for coming over so early on a weekend.”
“No problem. I’ve got to pop by the shop anyways. I told my mom I’d help with the morning shift so she can sleep in.” Maria replied. “What’s up?”
Isabel closed the door behind her as she ushered Maria into her tiny little kitchen. She knew she had to thread carefully around Maria when it came to Liz. After all, the two were practically almost sisters. Although the relationship between Maria and Liz soured after her brother’s disappearance, Maria remained her steadfast champion.
“Do you want a cup of tea or coffee or something?” Isabel asked distractedly.
“I’ll have tea, thank you. Quit stalling Isabel and tell me already,” Maria demanded, knowing full well what Isabel was trying to do.
“Okay,” Isabel took a deep, fortifying breath and let it out slowly.
“Liz came by to visit me the other day,” Isabel began. “She was really agitated.”
Maria held her hand up, stopping Isabel. “I know that. Michael told me. He also told me that you think that Liz should be committed.” Maria pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest in disapproval.
Isabel winced. She was hoping that Maria might have forgotten that comment.
“I just wanted to know how you felt about the situation,” Isabel continued, trying to busy herself with the kettle.
“What situation?” Maria raised an eyebrow.
Great, Isabel thought. Maria wasn’t about to make it easy for her.
“Well, I just wanted to know if either you or Michael has had a chance to talk to Liz.”
“Yeah,” Maria replied, icily.
“And?” Isabel prodded.
“And what?!” Maria exclaimed frustrated. “Do you want me to tell you that she’s acting really bizarre? That she freaked out on Michael and I when we told her that we were a little busy? Well she did! God!” Maria whirled and stomped over to the living room where she sank down on the couch.
“I miss my best friend, Isabel,” Maria said forlornly.
Isabel sighed and walked over to her friend. She reached out and gently touched her hand.
“I understand, Maria. I really do. I’m only trying to help,” Isabel assured.
“I know.”
“I want her to get better too.”
Maria nodded while continuing to stare blankly at space.
“Which is why I brought it up just now. I’m concerned about why she’s acting the way she is. I mean she hasn’t been this way in quite a while. Usually she’s aloof but suddenly she’s seeking us out again. I mean, something’s got to be going on,” Isabel explained puzzled.
Maria sat silently for a moment thinking about Isabel’s explanation.
“You’re right,” Maria agreed. However, before Isabel could go on, Maria continued, “but I don’t think we should be all over her on this one. Give her some space. Think about it, Iz. She’s the only one out of the six of us that doesn’t have someone. I mean even Kyle has that strange relationship with the blonde ho…, I mean Tess.”
“Maria!” Isabel chastised.
“What? I can’t help it if we don’t get along. I’m just glad her and Nasedo skipped town. They were just creepy,” Maria shrugged.
Isabel sighed. “Fine. But I thought you should know that Alex saw her at the library the other day with some guy.”
Maria perked up at Isabel’s comment. Liz with a guy? Who wasn’t Max? How peculiar.
“Say that again? I don’t think I heard you right,” Maria tipped her head in confusion.
“Alex came by the other night and told me that he saw Liz hanging out at the library with some stranger,” Isabel repeated.
Maria wanted to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. “Maybe she was just helping him out. I mean despite her mood swings she’s still got her manners.” Although Maria doubted it, she wanted to believe that Liz wouldn’t be crazy enough to do her investigating alone.
“Okay, if you say so,” Isabel shook her head. She hoped Maria was right and this whole thing turns out to be nothing.
“I already asked Michael to check it out already,” Maria added. “He didn’t see her but he didn’t see the guy that Liz was frantic about either.”
Isabel nodded but she had a feeling Maria’s assumption might be wrong. What if the guy at the library was the subject of Liz’s interest? What if he was someone looking into their group? What would it mean for them? She knew that Liz would be a good target for someone like that. She’s vulnerable after all, although she might not show it.
“Fine. Just watch your back, okay,” Isabel warned.
The kettle whistled propelling Isabel to her feet. Meanwhile, Maria sat back and thought about Liz. She didn’t know what to do about her best friend. Every time she tried to help Liz, she was rebuffed. She knew the help she was offering wasn’t the kind of help Liz wanted. Moreover, anytime Maria felt happy she couldn’t help the healthy dose of guilt that always came with the joy.
Maria sighed and closed her eyes. She wished that they had never come across the alien trio in the first place. She wished that their lives could just be normal, however boring that might have been. If they had never met Max, Isabel or Michael, they would have never had had to endure the emotional turmoil that being with them caused.
But she couldn’t wish that, because that would mean that she would have never had the chance to be with Michael. To have him open up to her like he did. And she loved him so very much.
When Isabel came back, their discussion turned to much friendlier topics such as the Festival that evening. Although, they both knew that they were just tiptoeing around the subject, it was evident that they weren’t going to go anywhere discussing Liz. They both had different opinions about the matter and it wouldn’t help to keep butting heads.
“So what are you wearing tonight?” Maria asked, taking a sip of her tea.
“Well,” Isabel took an audible breath and set her mug down. “Alex is having one of his Han Solo kicks again – ”
“Wait, wait, don’t tell me,” Maria interrupted and held up her hand. “You’re wearing the Princess Leia gold bikini.”
Isabel nodded and Maria burst out laughing.
“Oh man!” Maria guffawed.
“Tonight’s going to be a blast!” Maria added, slapping her hand on her thigh.
“What are you wearing?” Isabel asked.
“Just some random sexy alien chick costume,” Maria replied. “Michael wanted to dress up as an alien bounty hunter. I guess I’m the prey.” Maria winked and laughed some more.
“I take it Michael got the night off tonight?” Isabel asked.
Maria nodded. “Yeah, he had to trade shifts with his friend, Monk. We needed to have a little fun. We’ve been way too busy lately. What with me running the shop and him working two jobs and all.”
“I know what you mean,” Isabel agreed. “I didn’t want to go initially but Alex persisted and you know I think he had the right idea. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun, even for just one night.”
After a few minutes, Maria stood up and made her way to the door.
“I guess I’ll see you and Alex at the Gorge tonight,” Maria waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.
She had a lot of things to do today before she got ready for the Festival tonight. She needed to check on the shop to see if her mom needed anything, but she needed to grab something to eat before she headed to work.
As soon as she opened the door and stepped into the CrashDown she knew that it was a mistake. After years of working for the Parkers, she should have known better than to show up on Saturday morning especially during a special event. The place was packed. There were a few locals but they were outnumbered by the droves of tourists that the Festival attracted.
Spotting an empty seat by the counter, she sauntered up to it and sat down. It was times like these that she was glad that she wasn’t waiting tables anymore. She turned her head when she heard the order counter bell ping. She saw Liz grab the warm plates of food and hustle over to a corner booth.
Although she knew that she might run into Liz today, she was still nervous at the prospect. It never used to be like this. She used to look forward into running into her best friend. She missed the times they spent together laughing and gossiping. Now, the times that they spent together were fraught with tension and anxiety.
She tried to keep up her friendship with Liz, but life seemed to have moved on without her best friend. She knew it wasn’t fair to judge Liz but she couldn’t help it. Max had been gone for almost a decade. They had spent so much time and energy searching for him but all their efforts had turned up nothing. It was most likely that Max was dead.
She tried to console Liz, to make her understand, but she knew that Max and Liz shared some strange, unearthly connection that couldn’t be severed, it seemed even through death.
“Hi Maria, what’ll it be today?”
Maria tore her eyes off Liz and turned and faced the person behind the counter.
“Hi Sarah,” Maria greeted the young, blonde waitress. “Just a cup of tea, scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast with jam.”
Sarah wrote down her order and walked away. Maria hoped that she would get to talk to Liz today but it seemed that it wasn’t going to happen this morning. It wouldn’t be fair of her to confront Liz during a busy breakfast rush. Maybe she’ll just wait it out.
As Maria sipped her coffee, the bell above the front door jingled attracting her attention. She turned just in time to see a handsome man walk in.
Damn! she thought as she looked him over. He was one fine looking man, lean, tall and dark-haired; he walked with an easy confidence. However, there was something niggling in the back of her mind as she continued to stare at him. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was so she tried to push the thought away.
She watched him look around the diner before a slow smile appeared on his face. Her eyes followed him as he strode across the room stopping directly behind Liz.
Maria’s brows knitted in curiosity as she continued to watch him.
Liz turned around and bumped into the stranger, throwing her off-balance in the process. The stranger grabbed Liz by the shoulders steadying her. He emitted an easy laugh and Maria saw Liz’s cheeks turn a becoming shade of pink.
Maria raised an eyebrow in shock.
She watched them interact. Liz seemed genuinely interested in what this guy had to say. She saw her best friend smile, albeit quickly, which ratcheted her curiosity even higher.
Maybe this was the guy Isabel said that Alex saw Liz at the library with. If so, who was he? He didn’t look like a bad guy. There was nothing sketchy about him and he was too good looking to be a Fed. Maybe he was an alien, but Maria couldn’t really tell if he was or wasn’t since the only aliens she’d ever come across were the Evans twins, Michael, Tess, and Nasedo.
She saw the guy lean forward and whisper something in Liz’s ear causing Liz to smile. After a few minutes he waved goodbye and headed out the front door. Maria turned back to look for Liz but she was gone.
That did it! She was going to get to the bottom of this. Because if there was one thing that Maria hated most in the world it was being left out of the loop.
tbc...
“Hi Maria. C’mon in,” Isabel greeted and stepped aside to let Maria through. “Thanks for coming over so early on a weekend.”
“No problem. I’ve got to pop by the shop anyways. I told my mom I’d help with the morning shift so she can sleep in.” Maria replied. “What’s up?”
Isabel closed the door behind her as she ushered Maria into her tiny little kitchen. She knew she had to thread carefully around Maria when it came to Liz. After all, the two were practically almost sisters. Although the relationship between Maria and Liz soured after her brother’s disappearance, Maria remained her steadfast champion.
“Do you want a cup of tea or coffee or something?” Isabel asked distractedly.
“I’ll have tea, thank you. Quit stalling Isabel and tell me already,” Maria demanded, knowing full well what Isabel was trying to do.
“Okay,” Isabel took a deep, fortifying breath and let it out slowly.
“Liz came by to visit me the other day,” Isabel began. “She was really agitated.”
Maria held her hand up, stopping Isabel. “I know that. Michael told me. He also told me that you think that Liz should be committed.” Maria pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest in disapproval.
Isabel winced. She was hoping that Maria might have forgotten that comment.
“I just wanted to know how you felt about the situation,” Isabel continued, trying to busy herself with the kettle.
“What situation?” Maria raised an eyebrow.
Great, Isabel thought. Maria wasn’t about to make it easy for her.
“Well, I just wanted to know if either you or Michael has had a chance to talk to Liz.”
“Yeah,” Maria replied, icily.
“And?” Isabel prodded.
“And what?!” Maria exclaimed frustrated. “Do you want me to tell you that she’s acting really bizarre? That she freaked out on Michael and I when we told her that we were a little busy? Well she did! God!” Maria whirled and stomped over to the living room where she sank down on the couch.
“I miss my best friend, Isabel,” Maria said forlornly.
Isabel sighed and walked over to her friend. She reached out and gently touched her hand.
“I understand, Maria. I really do. I’m only trying to help,” Isabel assured.
“I know.”
“I want her to get better too.”
Maria nodded while continuing to stare blankly at space.
“Which is why I brought it up just now. I’m concerned about why she’s acting the way she is. I mean she hasn’t been this way in quite a while. Usually she’s aloof but suddenly she’s seeking us out again. I mean, something’s got to be going on,” Isabel explained puzzled.
Maria sat silently for a moment thinking about Isabel’s explanation.
“You’re right,” Maria agreed. However, before Isabel could go on, Maria continued, “but I don’t think we should be all over her on this one. Give her some space. Think about it, Iz. She’s the only one out of the six of us that doesn’t have someone. I mean even Kyle has that strange relationship with the blonde ho…, I mean Tess.”
“Maria!” Isabel chastised.
“What? I can’t help it if we don’t get along. I’m just glad her and Nasedo skipped town. They were just creepy,” Maria shrugged.
Isabel sighed. “Fine. But I thought you should know that Alex saw her at the library the other day with some guy.”
Maria perked up at Isabel’s comment. Liz with a guy? Who wasn’t Max? How peculiar.
“Say that again? I don’t think I heard you right,” Maria tipped her head in confusion.
“Alex came by the other night and told me that he saw Liz hanging out at the library with some stranger,” Isabel repeated.
Maria wanted to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. “Maybe she was just helping him out. I mean despite her mood swings she’s still got her manners.” Although Maria doubted it, she wanted to believe that Liz wouldn’t be crazy enough to do her investigating alone.
“Okay, if you say so,” Isabel shook her head. She hoped Maria was right and this whole thing turns out to be nothing.
“I already asked Michael to check it out already,” Maria added. “He didn’t see her but he didn’t see the guy that Liz was frantic about either.”
Isabel nodded but she had a feeling Maria’s assumption might be wrong. What if the guy at the library was the subject of Liz’s interest? What if he was someone looking into their group? What would it mean for them? She knew that Liz would be a good target for someone like that. She’s vulnerable after all, although she might not show it.
“Fine. Just watch your back, okay,” Isabel warned.
The kettle whistled propelling Isabel to her feet. Meanwhile, Maria sat back and thought about Liz. She didn’t know what to do about her best friend. Every time she tried to help Liz, she was rebuffed. She knew the help she was offering wasn’t the kind of help Liz wanted. Moreover, anytime Maria felt happy she couldn’t help the healthy dose of guilt that always came with the joy.
Maria sighed and closed her eyes. She wished that they had never come across the alien trio in the first place. She wished that their lives could just be normal, however boring that might have been. If they had never met Max, Isabel or Michael, they would have never had had to endure the emotional turmoil that being with them caused.
But she couldn’t wish that, because that would mean that she would have never had the chance to be with Michael. To have him open up to her like he did. And she loved him so very much.
When Isabel came back, their discussion turned to much friendlier topics such as the Festival that evening. Although, they both knew that they were just tiptoeing around the subject, it was evident that they weren’t going to go anywhere discussing Liz. They both had different opinions about the matter and it wouldn’t help to keep butting heads.
“So what are you wearing tonight?” Maria asked, taking a sip of her tea.
“Well,” Isabel took an audible breath and set her mug down. “Alex is having one of his Han Solo kicks again – ”
“Wait, wait, don’t tell me,” Maria interrupted and held up her hand. “You’re wearing the Princess Leia gold bikini.”
Isabel nodded and Maria burst out laughing.
“Oh man!” Maria guffawed.
“Tonight’s going to be a blast!” Maria added, slapping her hand on her thigh.
“What are you wearing?” Isabel asked.
“Just some random sexy alien chick costume,” Maria replied. “Michael wanted to dress up as an alien bounty hunter. I guess I’m the prey.” Maria winked and laughed some more.
“I take it Michael got the night off tonight?” Isabel asked.
Maria nodded. “Yeah, he had to trade shifts with his friend, Monk. We needed to have a little fun. We’ve been way too busy lately. What with me running the shop and him working two jobs and all.”
“I know what you mean,” Isabel agreed. “I didn’t want to go initially but Alex persisted and you know I think he had the right idea. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun, even for just one night.”
After a few minutes, Maria stood up and made her way to the door.
“I guess I’ll see you and Alex at the Gorge tonight,” Maria waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.
She had a lot of things to do today before she got ready for the Festival tonight. She needed to check on the shop to see if her mom needed anything, but she needed to grab something to eat before she headed to work.
As soon as she opened the door and stepped into the CrashDown she knew that it was a mistake. After years of working for the Parkers, she should have known better than to show up on Saturday morning especially during a special event. The place was packed. There were a few locals but they were outnumbered by the droves of tourists that the Festival attracted.
Spotting an empty seat by the counter, she sauntered up to it and sat down. It was times like these that she was glad that she wasn’t waiting tables anymore. She turned her head when she heard the order counter bell ping. She saw Liz grab the warm plates of food and hustle over to a corner booth.
Although she knew that she might run into Liz today, she was still nervous at the prospect. It never used to be like this. She used to look forward into running into her best friend. She missed the times they spent together laughing and gossiping. Now, the times that they spent together were fraught with tension and anxiety.
She tried to keep up her friendship with Liz, but life seemed to have moved on without her best friend. She knew it wasn’t fair to judge Liz but she couldn’t help it. Max had been gone for almost a decade. They had spent so much time and energy searching for him but all their efforts had turned up nothing. It was most likely that Max was dead.
She tried to console Liz, to make her understand, but she knew that Max and Liz shared some strange, unearthly connection that couldn’t be severed, it seemed even through death.
“Hi Maria, what’ll it be today?”
Maria tore her eyes off Liz and turned and faced the person behind the counter.
“Hi Sarah,” Maria greeted the young, blonde waitress. “Just a cup of tea, scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast with jam.”
Sarah wrote down her order and walked away. Maria hoped that she would get to talk to Liz today but it seemed that it wasn’t going to happen this morning. It wouldn’t be fair of her to confront Liz during a busy breakfast rush. Maybe she’ll just wait it out.
As Maria sipped her coffee, the bell above the front door jingled attracting her attention. She turned just in time to see a handsome man walk in.
Damn! she thought as she looked him over. He was one fine looking man, lean, tall and dark-haired; he walked with an easy confidence. However, there was something niggling in the back of her mind as she continued to stare at him. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was so she tried to push the thought away.
She watched him look around the diner before a slow smile appeared on his face. Her eyes followed him as he strode across the room stopping directly behind Liz.
Maria’s brows knitted in curiosity as she continued to watch him.
Liz turned around and bumped into the stranger, throwing her off-balance in the process. The stranger grabbed Liz by the shoulders steadying her. He emitted an easy laugh and Maria saw Liz’s cheeks turn a becoming shade of pink.
Maria raised an eyebrow in shock.
She watched them interact. Liz seemed genuinely interested in what this guy had to say. She saw her best friend smile, albeit quickly, which ratcheted her curiosity even higher.
Maybe this was the guy Isabel said that Alex saw Liz at the library with. If so, who was he? He didn’t look like a bad guy. There was nothing sketchy about him and he was too good looking to be a Fed. Maybe he was an alien, but Maria couldn’t really tell if he was or wasn’t since the only aliens she’d ever come across were the Evans twins, Michael, Tess, and Nasedo.
She saw the guy lean forward and whisper something in Liz’s ear causing Liz to smile. After a few minutes he waved goodbye and headed out the front door. Maria turned back to look for Liz but she was gone.
That did it! She was going to get to the bottom of this. Because if there was one thing that Maria hated most in the world it was being left out of the loop.
tbc...
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Liz swiped her hand across the mirror, erasing the fog that had built up. She stared at her reflection not knowing what it was she was looking for. She turned her head, keeping her eyes trained on her reflection. Nothing.
Finally, she let out a deep breath and turned away. Liz flipped the toilet seat closed and sat down.
Who was she kidding? She was attracted to him. She could rationalize it all she wanted but the fundamental fact remained the same. There was something about him that seemed to draw her in.
Jason Stevens stirred things in her that she couldn’t describe. He made her feel anxious and excited in a good way. Her realization caught her by surprise that morning. She had felt a little antsy all throughout her shift. She thought that it might be stress due to the fact that the café had been extremely busy that morning. However, as soon as Jason had rested his hands on her, she calmed significantly.
She shook herself physically to clear up her muddled thoughts. What was wrong with her? She needed to focus on Max. She wouldn’t give up on him. She just couldn’t. She knew that if the roles had been reversed and she had disappeared Max would leave no stone unturned to find her. Her heart ached just thinking of him. She suddenly felt melancholy. Like someone had just knocked some sense into her reminding her of what she needed to accomplish.
Taking a deep breath she stood up and began to get ready.
By the time Liz walked back into her room, the sun was sitting low on the horizon giving her room a fiery glow. She opened her closet door picking her clothes for tonight. She hoped that Jason wasn’t expecting her to get dressed up because she just wasn’t up for that.
Liz thought that she’d be dreading tonight but to her surprise there was actually a small part of her that seemed to be looking forward to it. There was just something about Jason that made her want to get to know him, to help him.
The past few days she’d spent helping him research had been almost enjoyable. Helping him reminded her of the times she spent looking for clues with Max about his origins except Jason’s quest was more political than extraterrestrial. Spending time with him had helped her forget about her problems if only for a couple of days. In fact, she had actually stopped taking anti-depressants. The strange thing was, her powers had been calm during the past few days. She thought they would have been more active since she stopped taking the medication that was suppressing them.
She moved toward the window to close her curtains when she heard someone calling her name. Curious, she crawled out the window and stepped onto her balcony.
The voice got clearer.
Liz walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down into the alley.
Jason was standing there staring up at her with a grin. To her relief, he wasn’t wearing a costume, but she had to admit he did look good in his black T-shirt and jeans.
Jason waved. “Hi Liz,”
“Hi,” Liz replied.
“Sorry I’m early. Can I come up?”
Liz looked around her nervously. She wasn’t expecting him to ask that question. All the times they went out, he met her either at the café or the library. Why would he want to come up?
As she looked around her balcony, she realized how much she had let her safe haven go. Her balcony used to be her sanctuary. It was where she would sit around for hours either writing in her journal or stargaze. Now, however, there was nothing much to be desired about the area. All the plants were dead. There were no longer candles set up waiting to be lit. Even the lounge chairs were either rusted or broken.
It had been neglected and forgotten.
Liz took a deep breathe and looked back down at Jason. She realized that he was awaiting her answer and despite her better judgment, she nodded her head in consent and stepped back. A moment later the top of Jason’s head popped up before he pulled himself over the balcony wall.
He took a deep breath and wiped his hands along his jeans as he took in his surroundings.
Liz stood back and waited, wondering what he would say.
He turned, looked at her and smiled.
Liz blushed for no apparent reason, feeling warmth spread throughout her body.
“Are you ready to go?” Jason asked, rocking back on his heels.
“Uh, sure. I just have to put my shoes on,” Liz replied.
Jason’s eyes traveled down to her feet. Liz stood there slightly embarrassed that he was looking so closely at her bare feet.
“Do you…,” she coughed and cleared her throat, “can you hang on a sec while I grab my shoes?”
“Sure,” he smiled and leaned against the wall.
Liz crawled back through the window and tripped in her haste.
Jason was immediately at her window. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just clumsy I guess,” Liz shooed him away. What was wrong with her? She was acting like an idiot tripping all over herself.
“Do you need help?” Jason asked half his body already protruding from the window and was halfway into her room.
“No, no. I’m fine,” Liz waved her hand in dismissal and pushed herself up off the floor. When she turned she found Jason standing in her room looking around. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she rooted around the closet floor for her sneakers. She found that he chose to respect her privacy and stayed rooted to the spot waiting for her to get ready.
She pulled her shoes on, grabbed a fistful of money off her dresser and stuffed it into the pocket of her denim capris pants.
“Let’s go,” she announced before crawling back out the window. She waited off the side of her balcony as Jason scrambled out the window. When he was standing beside her, Liz bent down grabbed a handful of dirt and spread it methodically along the wind sill. She then pulled the window closed and was surprised to find Jason staring at her quizzically.
“It’s for security,” she said, before hopping over the wall and climbing down the fire escape.
She didn’t wait for his comment nor did she expect it but he supplied one nonetheless.
“Hunh. That’s pretty ingenious actually.”
“Thanks,” she replied, pausing to wait for him. He led her to his car and a few minutes later, they were on the road on their way to the desert.
“I’m glad you came out, Liz,” Jason commented as he maneuvered the car down the highway.
Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement before leaning back against her seat and closing her eyes.
“Are you tired?” Jason asked.
“Just a little. It was really busy at the café today.” Liz replied, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh, do you want to go back? I understand if you’re not feeling up to coming out.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. You wanted to learn what the town of Roswell is really about. Tonight’s your chance,” Liz said dismissively. “Too bad you didn’t come in September. That’s when we have the Crash festival.”
Jason turned and glanced at her. “Crash festival?”
“You know. The story of a spaceship crashing in Roswell in the 1940’s,” Liz replied dismissively.
“Oh. I’ve heard about that,” Jason turned his eyes back to the road.
Liz looked out the windows and saw that the sky was getting darker and she could see spotlights illuminating the sky a few miles down the road.
“We’re almost there,” she commented.
She wondered if she was going to run into someone she knew at the event. She just hoped that they didn’t ask too many questions, not that she would answer them anyways. She was just hoping that she wouldn’t be come across anyone because she didn’t want to have to explain who Jason was.
Jason turned the car and slowed. They bumped along the gravel road until they found a spot to park. By this time, the sun had set and the place was illuminated by portable floodlights and torches, making the area glow. Judging by the amount of cars in the parking lot, the festival was full. Heavy bass thumped through the air as people in costumes made their way through the parking lot.
Liz opened the door and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she’d been out at anything like this. She felt slightly agoraphobic. Too many people. Too much open space. Her skin felt tight and itchy. She felt her fingertips tingling, which she knew signaled a potential power surge. She willed herself to calm down. No need to expose herself like this. She needed to set her mind at ease.
She’d been so involved with her dilemma that she hadn’t even noticed when Jason moved to stand in front of her.
She looked up and saw him looking at her with concern.
“Are you okay?”
She swallowed and nodded her head. He reached out and touched her hand but instead of pulling away, she let him pull her up and out of the car.
He shut the car door behind her and they trekked toward the center of the festival.
It was the first time she’d ever been to this event and she was surprised by how commercial it was. She remembered the Crash festival from her childhood and this event superseded that. There were booths that sold all sorts of souvenirs, from clothing bearing logos of Sci-fi shows to booths that demonstrated video games inspired by Sci-fi movies. There were even foot vendors that sold glowing light tubes that were wrapped around their arms and necks.
As she and Jason walked side by side, she suddenly got a strange feeling that they were being watched. She glanced at Jason but saw that he was too busy looking at everything to notice. She discreetly looked around her but there were far too many people milling around and almost all of them were in costume.
They continued walking but she couldn’t shake the feeling off. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything to Jason. After all, he’d probably look at her like she was crazy. In the end, she thought it best to keep the thought to herself and just be extra careful.
Liz looked up and caught a glimpse of a blonde woman wearing a gold Princess Leia costume. The woman turned her head and Liz realized it was Isabel. Her stomach tumbled nervously. She couldn’t let Isabel see her especially since she was with Jason.
“Hey, why don’t we go over there?” Liz pointed to the stage that was surrounded by dancing bodies.
“Sure,” Jason smiled obviously pleased that Liz was finally enjoying herself.
Liz looked to her left and saw Alex dressed in a Han Solo costume buying a couple of glasses of Lemonade. She felt the urgency gnaw at her and she walked a little faster.
“Liz wait up!” Jason called causing Liz to look back. Unfortunately, when Jason called her name it also drew the attention of Alex who locked eyes with her. She saw his eyes widen in recognition.
“Jason let’s go,” she urged, grabbing hold of his hand to tug him forward. It was a good thing that Jason’s back was turned. He didn’t see Alex.
When they reached the side of the stage, Jason turned to her. “What’s going on, Liz?”
Liz didn’t know what to tell him, but she was saved from having to explain herself when someone bumped into them from behind.
“Sorry, dude. Some chick wanted me to give this to you,” the guy handed Jason a note and took off.
She saw Jason’s expression turn from excited to wary. He glanced around them looking for something.
“Aren’t you going to read that?” Liz hitched her chin to his hand.
“Uh,” Jason looked at her hesitantly for a moment before he made up his mind. “Yeah, just not here. Let’s go back to the parking lot.”
He started to go back to the same way they came but Liz thought better and stopped him. She might run the risk of running into Alex and Isabel again.
“Let’s go this way. It’s faster if we cut through here,” Liz pointed in the direction of some trailers.
Once they were back in the parking lot, she turned and faced Jason.
He ran a hand through his hair before he pulled out the note from his pocket. She watched him press his lips together as he read the note.
Liz opened her mouth go say something but before she could get a word out a gray sedan pulled up beside them. The doors opened and two men got out.
Liz didn’t think, she reacted. She grabbed Jason’s arm and broke out into a run, dragging him behind her. However, she didn’t get very far before she felt something prick her shoulder. Heat flowed through her body and the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the barrel of a gun.
tbc...
Liz swiped her hand across the mirror, erasing the fog that had built up. She stared at her reflection not knowing what it was she was looking for. She turned her head, keeping her eyes trained on her reflection. Nothing.
Finally, she let out a deep breath and turned away. Liz flipped the toilet seat closed and sat down.
Who was she kidding? She was attracted to him. She could rationalize it all she wanted but the fundamental fact remained the same. There was something about him that seemed to draw her in.
Jason Stevens stirred things in her that she couldn’t describe. He made her feel anxious and excited in a good way. Her realization caught her by surprise that morning. She had felt a little antsy all throughout her shift. She thought that it might be stress due to the fact that the café had been extremely busy that morning. However, as soon as Jason had rested his hands on her, she calmed significantly.
She shook herself physically to clear up her muddled thoughts. What was wrong with her? She needed to focus on Max. She wouldn’t give up on him. She just couldn’t. She knew that if the roles had been reversed and she had disappeared Max would leave no stone unturned to find her. Her heart ached just thinking of him. She suddenly felt melancholy. Like someone had just knocked some sense into her reminding her of what she needed to accomplish.
Taking a deep breath she stood up and began to get ready.
By the time Liz walked back into her room, the sun was sitting low on the horizon giving her room a fiery glow. She opened her closet door picking her clothes for tonight. She hoped that Jason wasn’t expecting her to get dressed up because she just wasn’t up for that.
Liz thought that she’d be dreading tonight but to her surprise there was actually a small part of her that seemed to be looking forward to it. There was just something about Jason that made her want to get to know him, to help him.
The past few days she’d spent helping him research had been almost enjoyable. Helping him reminded her of the times she spent looking for clues with Max about his origins except Jason’s quest was more political than extraterrestrial. Spending time with him had helped her forget about her problems if only for a couple of days. In fact, she had actually stopped taking anti-depressants. The strange thing was, her powers had been calm during the past few days. She thought they would have been more active since she stopped taking the medication that was suppressing them.
She moved toward the window to close her curtains when she heard someone calling her name. Curious, she crawled out the window and stepped onto her balcony.
The voice got clearer.
Liz walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down into the alley.
Jason was standing there staring up at her with a grin. To her relief, he wasn’t wearing a costume, but she had to admit he did look good in his black T-shirt and jeans.
Jason waved. “Hi Liz,”
“Hi,” Liz replied.
“Sorry I’m early. Can I come up?”
Liz looked around her nervously. She wasn’t expecting him to ask that question. All the times they went out, he met her either at the café or the library. Why would he want to come up?
As she looked around her balcony, she realized how much she had let her safe haven go. Her balcony used to be her sanctuary. It was where she would sit around for hours either writing in her journal or stargaze. Now, however, there was nothing much to be desired about the area. All the plants were dead. There were no longer candles set up waiting to be lit. Even the lounge chairs were either rusted or broken.
It had been neglected and forgotten.
Liz took a deep breathe and looked back down at Jason. She realized that he was awaiting her answer and despite her better judgment, she nodded her head in consent and stepped back. A moment later the top of Jason’s head popped up before he pulled himself over the balcony wall.
He took a deep breath and wiped his hands along his jeans as he took in his surroundings.
Liz stood back and waited, wondering what he would say.
He turned, looked at her and smiled.
Liz blushed for no apparent reason, feeling warmth spread throughout her body.
“Are you ready to go?” Jason asked, rocking back on his heels.
“Uh, sure. I just have to put my shoes on,” Liz replied.
Jason’s eyes traveled down to her feet. Liz stood there slightly embarrassed that he was looking so closely at her bare feet.
“Do you…,” she coughed and cleared her throat, “can you hang on a sec while I grab my shoes?”
“Sure,” he smiled and leaned against the wall.
Liz crawled back through the window and tripped in her haste.
Jason was immediately at her window. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just clumsy I guess,” Liz shooed him away. What was wrong with her? She was acting like an idiot tripping all over herself.
“Do you need help?” Jason asked half his body already protruding from the window and was halfway into her room.
“No, no. I’m fine,” Liz waved her hand in dismissal and pushed herself up off the floor. When she turned she found Jason standing in her room looking around. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she rooted around the closet floor for her sneakers. She found that he chose to respect her privacy and stayed rooted to the spot waiting for her to get ready.
She pulled her shoes on, grabbed a fistful of money off her dresser and stuffed it into the pocket of her denim capris pants.
“Let’s go,” she announced before crawling back out the window. She waited off the side of her balcony as Jason scrambled out the window. When he was standing beside her, Liz bent down grabbed a handful of dirt and spread it methodically along the wind sill. She then pulled the window closed and was surprised to find Jason staring at her quizzically.
“It’s for security,” she said, before hopping over the wall and climbing down the fire escape.
She didn’t wait for his comment nor did she expect it but he supplied one nonetheless.
“Hunh. That’s pretty ingenious actually.”
“Thanks,” she replied, pausing to wait for him. He led her to his car and a few minutes later, they were on the road on their way to the desert.
“I’m glad you came out, Liz,” Jason commented as he maneuvered the car down the highway.
Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement before leaning back against her seat and closing her eyes.
“Are you tired?” Jason asked.
“Just a little. It was really busy at the café today.” Liz replied, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh, do you want to go back? I understand if you’re not feeling up to coming out.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. You wanted to learn what the town of Roswell is really about. Tonight’s your chance,” Liz said dismissively. “Too bad you didn’t come in September. That’s when we have the Crash festival.”
Jason turned and glanced at her. “Crash festival?”
“You know. The story of a spaceship crashing in Roswell in the 1940’s,” Liz replied dismissively.
“Oh. I’ve heard about that,” Jason turned his eyes back to the road.
Liz looked out the windows and saw that the sky was getting darker and she could see spotlights illuminating the sky a few miles down the road.
“We’re almost there,” she commented.
She wondered if she was going to run into someone she knew at the event. She just hoped that they didn’t ask too many questions, not that she would answer them anyways. She was just hoping that she wouldn’t be come across anyone because she didn’t want to have to explain who Jason was.
Jason turned the car and slowed. They bumped along the gravel road until they found a spot to park. By this time, the sun had set and the place was illuminated by portable floodlights and torches, making the area glow. Judging by the amount of cars in the parking lot, the festival was full. Heavy bass thumped through the air as people in costumes made their way through the parking lot.
Liz opened the door and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she’d been out at anything like this. She felt slightly agoraphobic. Too many people. Too much open space. Her skin felt tight and itchy. She felt her fingertips tingling, which she knew signaled a potential power surge. She willed herself to calm down. No need to expose herself like this. She needed to set her mind at ease.
She’d been so involved with her dilemma that she hadn’t even noticed when Jason moved to stand in front of her.
She looked up and saw him looking at her with concern.
“Are you okay?”
She swallowed and nodded her head. He reached out and touched her hand but instead of pulling away, she let him pull her up and out of the car.
He shut the car door behind her and they trekked toward the center of the festival.
It was the first time she’d ever been to this event and she was surprised by how commercial it was. She remembered the Crash festival from her childhood and this event superseded that. There were booths that sold all sorts of souvenirs, from clothing bearing logos of Sci-fi shows to booths that demonstrated video games inspired by Sci-fi movies. There were even foot vendors that sold glowing light tubes that were wrapped around their arms and necks.
As she and Jason walked side by side, she suddenly got a strange feeling that they were being watched. She glanced at Jason but saw that he was too busy looking at everything to notice. She discreetly looked around her but there were far too many people milling around and almost all of them were in costume.
They continued walking but she couldn’t shake the feeling off. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything to Jason. After all, he’d probably look at her like she was crazy. In the end, she thought it best to keep the thought to herself and just be extra careful.
Liz looked up and caught a glimpse of a blonde woman wearing a gold Princess Leia costume. The woman turned her head and Liz realized it was Isabel. Her stomach tumbled nervously. She couldn’t let Isabel see her especially since she was with Jason.
“Hey, why don’t we go over there?” Liz pointed to the stage that was surrounded by dancing bodies.
“Sure,” Jason smiled obviously pleased that Liz was finally enjoying herself.
Liz looked to her left and saw Alex dressed in a Han Solo costume buying a couple of glasses of Lemonade. She felt the urgency gnaw at her and she walked a little faster.
“Liz wait up!” Jason called causing Liz to look back. Unfortunately, when Jason called her name it also drew the attention of Alex who locked eyes with her. She saw his eyes widen in recognition.
“Jason let’s go,” she urged, grabbing hold of his hand to tug him forward. It was a good thing that Jason’s back was turned. He didn’t see Alex.
When they reached the side of the stage, Jason turned to her. “What’s going on, Liz?”
Liz didn’t know what to tell him, but she was saved from having to explain herself when someone bumped into them from behind.
“Sorry, dude. Some chick wanted me to give this to you,” the guy handed Jason a note and took off.
She saw Jason’s expression turn from excited to wary. He glanced around them looking for something.
“Aren’t you going to read that?” Liz hitched her chin to his hand.
“Uh,” Jason looked at her hesitantly for a moment before he made up his mind. “Yeah, just not here. Let’s go back to the parking lot.”
He started to go back to the same way they came but Liz thought better and stopped him. She might run the risk of running into Alex and Isabel again.
“Let’s go this way. It’s faster if we cut through here,” Liz pointed in the direction of some trailers.
Once they were back in the parking lot, she turned and faced Jason.
He ran a hand through his hair before he pulled out the note from his pocket. She watched him press his lips together as he read the note.
Liz opened her mouth go say something but before she could get a word out a gray sedan pulled up beside them. The doors opened and two men got out.
Liz didn’t think, she reacted. She grabbed Jason’s arm and broke out into a run, dragging him behind her. However, she didn’t get very far before she felt something prick her shoulder. Heat flowed through her body and the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the barrel of a gun.
tbc...
Last edited by CME on Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Liz tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. There was a slight ringing in her ears and her brain felt muddy. Her hands hung limply on her sides and she was slumped against someone. She noticed that was being gently being rocked back and forth. Every few seconds she would hear something thump beneath her. Suddenly, she was jerked forward and she rolled onto the floor. She heard deep voices but was unable to discern the conversation. Someone swore and she was jerked again.
She heard something like metal scraping against metal and she was jolted. She concentrated despite the pain between her temples and concluded that she must be in a car. That would explain the rocking. But where was she and who was she with?
She forced her eyes open and as her vision cleared she realized that she was face down on a carpeted floor. As her thoughts became more lucid so did the voices.
“Step on it, Ryan. That car is gaining on us!”
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
Once again the car was hit from behind and Liz used the opportunity to roll herself over so she faced the front of the car. She could see that there were two men in front. One was driving and the other sitting shotgun. She couldn’t see their faces since she was still on the floor but she knew that these were the guys that chased them.
The last thing she remembered was running with Jason before she fell to her knees and lost consciousness.
She realized that the guy slumped above her must be Jason. She assumed that they must have been drugged for easier capture. She didn’t know who the two men were but she had a feeling that they were FBI.
Liz was startled when she heard a gunshot fired.
“Hold it steady, damn it! I can’t get a clear shot!”
Another shot fired.
Metal scraped loudly against metal. Suddenly, Liz heard a shot and glass rained down on her. The car jerked sharply to the side and she heard one of the men yelling the other’s name.
More shots were exchanged before she heard a loud pop and the car began shaking wildly. The car ran into the shoulder of the road and stopped. She heard the passenger open his door and a full-on gun fight ensued.
Liz pulled Jason down to the ground.
“Jason!” she whispered harshly, “wake up! Open your eyes!” She gave him a couple of slaps but was unsuccessful in waking him.
Fear roared in her belly and the instinct to run was overwhelming. However, her body was having a tough time listening to her brain. The drugs in her system were still strong.
The gunshots suddenly stopped and she heard the man outside shuffle around the car.
Liz held her breath, straining to hear what was going on outside.
“ – gun! Drop it!”
“ – ck you!”
“Connie …hate to do this but …”
A loud shot cracked through the quiet, desert night. Liz felt her heart jump out of her chest, her breath coming out in gasps. Her fear ratcheted up a notch when her straining ears were met with silence. Liz struggled to push Jason back onto the seat, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. She crawled until her hands reached the door, fumbling madly for the latch. When she found it, she pulled it toward her listening for the click. She pushed the door open with all the strength left in her, grunting with the effort. She had just managed to open it a crack when a body landed against the side of the car startling her.
Liz looked up and saw a dark-haired, disheveled woman staring down at her. The woman was clutching her right arm which was covered in blood.
“C’mon get up!” She barked.
“Who are you?” Liz asked, masking her fear with bravado.
“No time for twenty questions. Get up!”
Liz looked over at Jason’s prone body. “What about Jason?”
The woman reached over and jostled Jason with her good arm.
“Shit!” The woman swore when Jason wouldn’t budge. Liz watched as the woman reached out and touched the skin beneath Jason’s jaw checking for his pulse.
“He’s alive. We’re going to have to carry him. Can you walk?”
“I don’t know.”
Liz hated to show weakness but the drugs still hadn’t worn off. She had a feeling this woman wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“C’mon,” the woman grunted. Liz felt a hand slip under her arm and pull her up. She clutched the door and used it to help her to her feet. She looked back inside the car and saw one of the men slumped over the wheel blood pouring from his throat onto the carpeted floor. She couldn’t see the other man but she felt it was safe to assume that he was dead.
Liz felt a deep ache in her back. “What did they hit me with?”
“My guess is a tranq gun.”
“Why isn’t Jason waking up?” Liz glanced toward her companion.
“They probably shot him with a higher dose.”
Liz scrunched her nose in confusion. Why would Jason be given a higher dose? However, before she could say anything, the woman slipped in beside her and bent to retrieve Jason.
“Give me a hand here,” she commanded. “I’ll grab this side and you grab the other. We’ll pull him to his feet.”
Liz reached in and pulled until the top half of Jason’s torso was hanging out the side of the car. The woman slipped one of his arms around her shoulders and indicated that Liz should do the same.
“Help me get him to the car.”
They both dragged Jason to the woman’s bullet-ridden car.
Liz thought she was going to throw up. The drugs in her system were beginning to wear off and her muscles were contracting painfully.
They managed to get Jason inside the car and shut the door. Liz eyed the gun stuffed in the waistband of the woman’s pants.
As if she knew what Liz was thinking, the woman spoke. “I just saved your life. If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead by now. Get in the car.” The woman held the door open for her, waiting until Liz was seated before shutting the door.
“Who are you?” Liz asked, eyeing the woman suspiciously.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the woman replied cryptically. “Be useful and grab the med kit from my backpack. This hurts like a bitch.” She removed her hand from her wound and more blood oozed from it.
Liz opened the med kit and grabbed a strip of gauze, pressing it on the gash. The woman hissed in pain and snatched the gauze from Liz’s fingers.
“It’s a good thing Bernard was a lousy shot.” The woman reached forward and started the engine. She put the car in gear and reversed back. Liz looked out the front windshield and saw a body laid out on the ground surrounded by dirt caked in blood. The car lurched forward and drove over the man.
Liz stared at the dark-haired woman in shock.
“That’s for not calling the next day, you asshole,” she heard the woman mutter.
Liz didn’t trust her. She had learned long ago that there were few people that could be trusted. For all she knew, this woman was taking them to the FBI.
“Where are you taking us?” she asked, looking around the car for a possible escape route.
“Somewhere safe. You can’t go back anymore. They’re cleaning up now.”
“What do you mean they’re cleaning up?” Liz asked nervously.
“You’re part of this now. There’s no turning back.” The woman drove the car down the dark highway, carefully watching for oncoming cars. “We took too long back there. We haven’t got much time left before this place becomes infested with agents.”
Agents? Liz panicked. Who was this woman?
Swiftly, like a cat, Liz reached out and grabbed the woman’s gun.
“Who are you?” Liz demanded, training the gun on her.
The woman spared Liz a glance but kept her hand steady on the wheel.
“My name is Connie Griffin.”
“Are you FBI?” Liz held the gun tightly in her hands.
“No. At least not anymore,” the woman said wryly. “Don’t worry I’m not out to kill you,” she looked up at her rearview mirror. “Or your friend in the back.”
Liz shifted her eyes over to Jason, who still hadn’t moved from the position they left him in.
“What’s going on? Tell me!” Liz jerked the gun letting Connie know that she needed answers.
“I’m helping Jason with his story. Those guys back there are after me. They might now be after him too.”
“Do you know who I am?” Liz asked, suspiciously.
She saw Connie purse her lips. “Yeah.”
“Are my friends in danger?”
Connie thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. They’re just tying up loose ends.”
“What is Jason exactly trying to uncover?” Liz thought back to the research that they had conducted at the library. They had been looking for any information on the FBI’s involvement in New Mexico. Through their search they stumbled across an old article about Max’s disappearance. Liz visibly stiffened and had excused herself. When she returned Jason was full of questions and concern but Liz brushed it off. She was neither ready nor did she want to reveal anything about Max. Max was her secret to keep. Thankfully, Jason realized this and had backed off.
Liz’s question was met with silence. She took a closer look at Connie and noticed that woman looked exhausted. Liz knew that this was an opportunity for her to escape but she couldn’t leave Jason behind. After all, he’d been nothing but friendly to her. Moreover, she needed to find out who exactly Connie Griffin was, if that was even her real name.
Liz assessed the situation and realized that she might as well cooperate with Connie and try to find out what was going on. She lowered the gun but kept her hand trained on it as it rested on her lap.
“I think we better stop soon. You’re going to have to attend to your wound,” Liz hitched her chin to Connie’s bandaged right arm.
“There’s no time,” Connie replied. “We’ve got to keep going. They would have found Bernard and his partner by now. We don’t have a lot of lead time.”
Liz nodded in understanding. She leaned back and closed her eyes in acceptance of the situation.
As they drove down the highway, she noticed that the traffic was thin. There weren’t a lot of cars out for a Saturday night. She looked out the window straining to see any markers but it was too dark, there wasn’t even a moon in the sky to illuminate their path.
Liz woke up with a start. She hadn’t realized that she had fallen asleep. She looked over at Connie and realized that she was also having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
Liz rubbed her eyes. “Connie why don’t you pull over and let me drive? You’re not looking too good right now.”
Liz waited while Connie thought about her offer. A second later, they pulled up against the highway’s soft shoulder and Connie unbuckled her seatbelt.
Connie looked over at Liz and held out her hand. “I think you better give me that gun now.”
Liz looked down at the piece of steel lying in her lap. Could she trust Connie not to shoot her and Jason full of holes? Pursing her lips in decision she picked up the revolver, opened the chamber and shook the bullets into her palm.
“Here,” she placed the empty gun into Connie’s awaiting hand.
Connie looked at her strangely and shook her head in amusement.
After they switched places and had buckled themselves in, Liz turned to Connie. “Where are we headed?”
Connie looked at the dark road ahead of them with a grim expression.
“We’re going to Eagle Rock.”
tbc...
Liz tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. There was a slight ringing in her ears and her brain felt muddy. Her hands hung limply on her sides and she was slumped against someone. She noticed that was being gently being rocked back and forth. Every few seconds she would hear something thump beneath her. Suddenly, she was jerked forward and she rolled onto the floor. She heard deep voices but was unable to discern the conversation. Someone swore and she was jerked again.
She heard something like metal scraping against metal and she was jolted. She concentrated despite the pain between her temples and concluded that she must be in a car. That would explain the rocking. But where was she and who was she with?
She forced her eyes open and as her vision cleared she realized that she was face down on a carpeted floor. As her thoughts became more lucid so did the voices.
“Step on it, Ryan. That car is gaining on us!”
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
Once again the car was hit from behind and Liz used the opportunity to roll herself over so she faced the front of the car. She could see that there were two men in front. One was driving and the other sitting shotgun. She couldn’t see their faces since she was still on the floor but she knew that these were the guys that chased them.
The last thing she remembered was running with Jason before she fell to her knees and lost consciousness.
She realized that the guy slumped above her must be Jason. She assumed that they must have been drugged for easier capture. She didn’t know who the two men were but she had a feeling that they were FBI.
Liz was startled when she heard a gunshot fired.
“Hold it steady, damn it! I can’t get a clear shot!”
Another shot fired.
Metal scraped loudly against metal. Suddenly, Liz heard a shot and glass rained down on her. The car jerked sharply to the side and she heard one of the men yelling the other’s name.
More shots were exchanged before she heard a loud pop and the car began shaking wildly. The car ran into the shoulder of the road and stopped. She heard the passenger open his door and a full-on gun fight ensued.
Liz pulled Jason down to the ground.
“Jason!” she whispered harshly, “wake up! Open your eyes!” She gave him a couple of slaps but was unsuccessful in waking him.
Fear roared in her belly and the instinct to run was overwhelming. However, her body was having a tough time listening to her brain. The drugs in her system were still strong.
The gunshots suddenly stopped and she heard the man outside shuffle around the car.
Liz held her breath, straining to hear what was going on outside.
“ – gun! Drop it!”
“ – ck you!”
“Connie …hate to do this but …”
A loud shot cracked through the quiet, desert night. Liz felt her heart jump out of her chest, her breath coming out in gasps. Her fear ratcheted up a notch when her straining ears were met with silence. Liz struggled to push Jason back onto the seat, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. She crawled until her hands reached the door, fumbling madly for the latch. When she found it, she pulled it toward her listening for the click. She pushed the door open with all the strength left in her, grunting with the effort. She had just managed to open it a crack when a body landed against the side of the car startling her.
Liz looked up and saw a dark-haired, disheveled woman staring down at her. The woman was clutching her right arm which was covered in blood.
“C’mon get up!” She barked.
“Who are you?” Liz asked, masking her fear with bravado.
“No time for twenty questions. Get up!”
Liz looked over at Jason’s prone body. “What about Jason?”
The woman reached over and jostled Jason with her good arm.
“Shit!” The woman swore when Jason wouldn’t budge. Liz watched as the woman reached out and touched the skin beneath Jason’s jaw checking for his pulse.
“He’s alive. We’re going to have to carry him. Can you walk?”
“I don’t know.”
Liz hated to show weakness but the drugs still hadn’t worn off. She had a feeling this woman wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“C’mon,” the woman grunted. Liz felt a hand slip under her arm and pull her up. She clutched the door and used it to help her to her feet. She looked back inside the car and saw one of the men slumped over the wheel blood pouring from his throat onto the carpeted floor. She couldn’t see the other man but she felt it was safe to assume that he was dead.
Liz felt a deep ache in her back. “What did they hit me with?”
“My guess is a tranq gun.”
“Why isn’t Jason waking up?” Liz glanced toward her companion.
“They probably shot him with a higher dose.”
Liz scrunched her nose in confusion. Why would Jason be given a higher dose? However, before she could say anything, the woman slipped in beside her and bent to retrieve Jason.
“Give me a hand here,” she commanded. “I’ll grab this side and you grab the other. We’ll pull him to his feet.”
Liz reached in and pulled until the top half of Jason’s torso was hanging out the side of the car. The woman slipped one of his arms around her shoulders and indicated that Liz should do the same.
“Help me get him to the car.”
They both dragged Jason to the woman’s bullet-ridden car.
Liz thought she was going to throw up. The drugs in her system were beginning to wear off and her muscles were contracting painfully.
They managed to get Jason inside the car and shut the door. Liz eyed the gun stuffed in the waistband of the woman’s pants.
As if she knew what Liz was thinking, the woman spoke. “I just saved your life. If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead by now. Get in the car.” The woman held the door open for her, waiting until Liz was seated before shutting the door.
“Who are you?” Liz asked, eyeing the woman suspiciously.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the woman replied cryptically. “Be useful and grab the med kit from my backpack. This hurts like a bitch.” She removed her hand from her wound and more blood oozed from it.
Liz opened the med kit and grabbed a strip of gauze, pressing it on the gash. The woman hissed in pain and snatched the gauze from Liz’s fingers.
“It’s a good thing Bernard was a lousy shot.” The woman reached forward and started the engine. She put the car in gear and reversed back. Liz looked out the front windshield and saw a body laid out on the ground surrounded by dirt caked in blood. The car lurched forward and drove over the man.
Liz stared at the dark-haired woman in shock.
“That’s for not calling the next day, you asshole,” she heard the woman mutter.
Liz didn’t trust her. She had learned long ago that there were few people that could be trusted. For all she knew, this woman was taking them to the FBI.
“Where are you taking us?” she asked, looking around the car for a possible escape route.
“Somewhere safe. You can’t go back anymore. They’re cleaning up now.”
“What do you mean they’re cleaning up?” Liz asked nervously.
“You’re part of this now. There’s no turning back.” The woman drove the car down the dark highway, carefully watching for oncoming cars. “We took too long back there. We haven’t got much time left before this place becomes infested with agents.”
Agents? Liz panicked. Who was this woman?
Swiftly, like a cat, Liz reached out and grabbed the woman’s gun.
“Who are you?” Liz demanded, training the gun on her.
The woman spared Liz a glance but kept her hand steady on the wheel.
“My name is Connie Griffin.”
“Are you FBI?” Liz held the gun tightly in her hands.
“No. At least not anymore,” the woman said wryly. “Don’t worry I’m not out to kill you,” she looked up at her rearview mirror. “Or your friend in the back.”
Liz shifted her eyes over to Jason, who still hadn’t moved from the position they left him in.
“What’s going on? Tell me!” Liz jerked the gun letting Connie know that she needed answers.
“I’m helping Jason with his story. Those guys back there are after me. They might now be after him too.”
“Do you know who I am?” Liz asked, suspiciously.
She saw Connie purse her lips. “Yeah.”
“Are my friends in danger?”
Connie thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. They’re just tying up loose ends.”
“What is Jason exactly trying to uncover?” Liz thought back to the research that they had conducted at the library. They had been looking for any information on the FBI’s involvement in New Mexico. Through their search they stumbled across an old article about Max’s disappearance. Liz visibly stiffened and had excused herself. When she returned Jason was full of questions and concern but Liz brushed it off. She was neither ready nor did she want to reveal anything about Max. Max was her secret to keep. Thankfully, Jason realized this and had backed off.
Liz’s question was met with silence. She took a closer look at Connie and noticed that woman looked exhausted. Liz knew that this was an opportunity for her to escape but she couldn’t leave Jason behind. After all, he’d been nothing but friendly to her. Moreover, she needed to find out who exactly Connie Griffin was, if that was even her real name.
Liz assessed the situation and realized that she might as well cooperate with Connie and try to find out what was going on. She lowered the gun but kept her hand trained on it as it rested on her lap.
“I think we better stop soon. You’re going to have to attend to your wound,” Liz hitched her chin to Connie’s bandaged right arm.
“There’s no time,” Connie replied. “We’ve got to keep going. They would have found Bernard and his partner by now. We don’t have a lot of lead time.”
Liz nodded in understanding. She leaned back and closed her eyes in acceptance of the situation.
As they drove down the highway, she noticed that the traffic was thin. There weren’t a lot of cars out for a Saturday night. She looked out the window straining to see any markers but it was too dark, there wasn’t even a moon in the sky to illuminate their path.
Liz woke up with a start. She hadn’t realized that she had fallen asleep. She looked over at Connie and realized that she was also having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
Liz rubbed her eyes. “Connie why don’t you pull over and let me drive? You’re not looking too good right now.”
Liz waited while Connie thought about her offer. A second later, they pulled up against the highway’s soft shoulder and Connie unbuckled her seatbelt.
Connie looked over at Liz and held out her hand. “I think you better give me that gun now.”
Liz looked down at the piece of steel lying in her lap. Could she trust Connie not to shoot her and Jason full of holes? Pursing her lips in decision she picked up the revolver, opened the chamber and shook the bullets into her palm.
“Here,” she placed the empty gun into Connie’s awaiting hand.
Connie looked at her strangely and shook her head in amusement.
After they switched places and had buckled themselves in, Liz turned to Connie. “Where are we headed?”
Connie looked at the dark road ahead of them with a grim expression.
“We’re going to Eagle Rock.”
tbc...
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Isabel bopped her head to the beat, swaying side to side. She looked around her and smiled. She was having a good time despite the stupid Princess Leia costume that Alex made her wear. All night she’d caught a few leers directed her way which she managed to shrug off. After all, she’d had years of practice staring men down.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. Alex grinned and handed her a glass of lemonade.
“Liz is here,” Alex said, taking a big gulp from his plastic cup. “I called out to her but lost her in the crowd.”
“What?” Isabel asked disbelievingly. “Are you sure?”
“I’m pretty sure she recognized me,” Alex nodded his head.
“Where’d you see her?”
“Over there by the lemonade stand,” Alex tipped his chin to his right.
“C’mon,” Isabel grabbed Alex’s arm dragging him behind her. She marched over to the beverage booth and looked around. Despite her height, she had to raise herself on her toes in order to look over the crowd.
“How long ago was she here?” Isabel asked Alex, her eyes scanning the crowd.
“About five minutes ago,” Alex replied. “What’s the urgency, Isabel?”
“I – I’m…,” Isabel was thrown off by Alex’s question. What exactly was the urgency? Sure, she was curious to know who the heck the guy at the library was but she doubted that Liz would actually tell her the truth.
“I don’t know,” Isabel blew out a tired breath.
“Well it was a little weird that she took off,” Alex commented. “Usually she’d just give me the cold shoulder.
“Look there’s Michael and Maria,” Alex pointed to the couple standing off the side of the stage. The two of them squeezed through the crowd and trudged over to the stage.
“Hey you guys,” Isabel breathlessly greeted. “Have you seen Liz around?”
“Liz is here?” Maria asked surprised. “Where?” Maria whipped her head around in search.
“I don’t know but Alex saw her a few minutes ago,” Isabel replied.
Michael pursed his lips. “Maybe she’s just here to have some fun like we are.”
Maria snorted.
Isabel turned to Michael. “Michael, how likely do you think that is?”
“Maybe we should just leave her be,” Michael suggested. “I mean what can happen?”
“Uh, have you forgotten about the Crash Festival eleven years ago?” Maria retorted facetiously.
Isabel looked at Michael who looked like he wanted to throttle Maria. She reached out a hand, touching his shoulder lightly.
“She’s right Michael.”
Michael made a low, grumbling sound in the back of his throat. “Fine. You’re right, but there hasn’t been any Fed or alien activity for the past few years. If there was, Nasedo would have contacted me.”
Isabel, Maria, and Alex all swiveled their heads in Michael’s direction.
“What do you mean Nasedo would have contacted you?” Isabel narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.
Michael looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Well it’s up to me to protect the group,” he huffed defensively.
Isabel wasn’t sure whether she should be hurt or angry that Michael had withheld this pertinent piece of information.
“Just when were you planning on telling us about this, Michael?” Maria’s hand rested on her waist as she stood and glared at Michael.
Isabel opened her mouth to support Maria’s question but was interrupted by Alex’s voice of reason.
“Hold up. Michael’s only looking out for our best interest here. No need to gang up on him.”
“Ha! Of course you’re taking his side, Alex. You’re a man,” Maria seethed.
Isabel looked over at Alex who then shot Maria a reproachful look. She heard Maria growl before taking out a vial of oil from her pocket and placing it under her nose. She watched as Maria took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down.
“You know what,” Isabel said looking around. “I don’t think this is the best place to discuss this. Alex drove the Pathfinder. It’d be better if we talked about this there.”
As they made their way to the parking lot, Isabel thought about what Michael had just revealed. Had Nasedo been watching them all this time? If so, why hadn’t he contacted them? Had he been looking for Max? The questions were endless.
Just as they reached the fringes of the lot, the sound of squealing tires got her attention. She turned toward where she had heard the noise and saw a late model sedan peel out of the parking lot.
“What the hell was that?” Maria asked.
“They must have been in a hurry,” Alex commented.
Isabel shook the incident off and proceeded to the truck. Michael had a lot of explaining to do.
<center> * * *</center>
Jason’s head felt like it was being split in two. He heard someone moan and was surprised when he realized that the sound had come from him. His body felt like it was on pins and needles, protesting at every movement he made. Disjointed images danced behind his closed lids. He tried to concentrate but the pain behind his eyes grew worse. It felt like his brain was being sucked inside out. He tried to raise his arms to clutch at his head but his movements were sluggish and clumsy.
He pried one eye open but was met with darkness. He tried hard to clamp down on the anxiety that was starting to bubble up from his stomach. Where the hell was he and how did he get here?
He swallowed convulsively, trying to soothe his dry throat. He flipped onto his back and found himself staring at the ceiling of a car.
He struggled to push himself to a sitting position, resisting the urge to vomit. The pain behind his eyes worsened with the change in position. He frowned and clutched at his temple.
“W-what’s going on? Where am I?” he rasped.
“You’re awake!” said a surprised female voice.
Jason took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady his equilibrium. He closed his eyes and for a fleeting moment the images flashed again but quickly dissipated.
“Put your head between your legs and it should pass,” another female voice suggested.
Jason did as he was told and waited as the nausea passed. When he felt coherent again, he raised his head and peered at the other occupants of the car.
Liz and Connie.
“What’s going on?” he asked, confused as to why Connie would be in the same car as he and Liz.
“What was the last thing you remember?” Connie asked.
“Uh,” Jason scrunched his brow in thought but the more he concentrated the worse his headache became.
“I don’t recall,” he breathed. “Last thing I remember is going to the parking lot with Liz.”
He looked up and saw Connie frown.
“Maybe we should pull over for a while,” he heard Liz say. “We all need some rest.”
“Fine, but we’ve got to be on the road before sunrise,” Connie warned.
Minutes later, he felt the car rock back and forth as they drove off the road. He looked out the window and saw that they were headed toward a high outcropping of rocks. Liz eased the car behind the obstruction so that they were hidden from the road.
Jason leaned his head back on the seat, forcing himself to relax. However, it was futile since he was anxious to know what was going on.
He heard the car door open and watched as Liz walk out with her arms around herself. Jason turned to passenger seat and saw Connie recline her seat.
“How did we get here? Where did you come from?” he whispered harshly.
He heard Connie heave a deep sigh. “I followed you and Liz to the parking lot. I was just about to approach you when I saw Bernard and his partner stun you guys. There wasn’t a lot I can do since we were in plain sight. So when they grabbed you I followed right behind.” Connie yawned and stretched her body. She suddenly clutched her right arm and grunted in pain.
“What happened to you?” he asked leaning forward to look at her bandaged arm.
“It’s nothing. Just a graze,” Connie said dismissively. “How you doing back there?”
“Me? Well other than the fact that my head feels like someone just took a sledgehammer to it and my body feels like it’s been treading water for the past hour, I’m fine,” he quipped sardonically, but then he immediately felt like a jerk for taking out his frustrations on Connie.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I’m just….hell, I don’t know what I am. Am I going to get an explanation anytime soon?” Jason asked.
Connie sighed and turned to cradle her right arm. “Soon enough. For now, I need to catch some rest before we get to Eagle Rock.”
Jason sat quietly for a moment wondering why Eagle Rock sounded so familiar. He knew he’d come across that name before but he couldn’t place where.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts but when he turned Connie she was already fast asleep.
He looked out the window and felt a pang of remorse when he saw Liz shiver and rub her arms. If it wasn’t for him Liz wouldn’t be in this situation. As much as Jason hated to admit it, he was in way over his head. What had started out to be a dream story was turning out to be a nightmare. Being shot at and almost being kidnapped. Just how deep did this story actually go? He had a feeling that it was bigger than the Feds. He was never one to buy into conspiracy theories but present circumstances were starting to change his mind.
Jason opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night.
“Liz?”
Liz turned and Jason noticed the pensive expression on her face.
“Are you okay?” he asked coming to stand beside her. She nodded her head and looked back out into the rocky desert landscape.
“How do you feel?” Liz spoke so quietly that Jason almost missed it. For some strange reason things felt a little different between them. Like some sort of kinship had formed between them. Perhaps it was the situation, he reasoned. But still, he had a deep urge to comfort her, to allay her fears and doubts.
“I think I’m okay,” Jason replied. “I’m sorry about this.”
Liz turned and flashed him a puzzled look.
“Sorry about what?”
“This,” Jason waved his arms frantically in the air. “This whole situation. Being kidnapped, putting you in danger, shit that you never expected to be involved in. Shit that even I didn’t expect to be involved in.”
Liz flashed him an enigmatic smile but didn’t say a word. She continued to look out into the desert with her arms wrapped around her middle.
“You must be freezing,” Jason commented, reaching out and rubbing her arms.
Liz stiffened at the contact but slowly relaxed appreciating the comfort that Jason’s touch gave her.
“I’m okay,” she replied and blew out a tired breath.
“Jason do you know what’s going on here?”
Jason arms dropped away from Liz as he thought about her question. He ran a hand down his face, trying to rub away his confusion.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling Connie does.”
Liz turned, nodding her head in understanding. “We better get back in the car and catch some rest. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
tbc...
Isabel bopped her head to the beat, swaying side to side. She looked around her and smiled. She was having a good time despite the stupid Princess Leia costume that Alex made her wear. All night she’d caught a few leers directed her way which she managed to shrug off. After all, she’d had years of practice staring men down.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. Alex grinned and handed her a glass of lemonade.
“Liz is here,” Alex said, taking a big gulp from his plastic cup. “I called out to her but lost her in the crowd.”
“What?” Isabel asked disbelievingly. “Are you sure?”
“I’m pretty sure she recognized me,” Alex nodded his head.
“Where’d you see her?”
“Over there by the lemonade stand,” Alex tipped his chin to his right.
“C’mon,” Isabel grabbed Alex’s arm dragging him behind her. She marched over to the beverage booth and looked around. Despite her height, she had to raise herself on her toes in order to look over the crowd.
“How long ago was she here?” Isabel asked Alex, her eyes scanning the crowd.
“About five minutes ago,” Alex replied. “What’s the urgency, Isabel?”
“I – I’m…,” Isabel was thrown off by Alex’s question. What exactly was the urgency? Sure, she was curious to know who the heck the guy at the library was but she doubted that Liz would actually tell her the truth.
“I don’t know,” Isabel blew out a tired breath.
“Well it was a little weird that she took off,” Alex commented. “Usually she’d just give me the cold shoulder.
“Look there’s Michael and Maria,” Alex pointed to the couple standing off the side of the stage. The two of them squeezed through the crowd and trudged over to the stage.
“Hey you guys,” Isabel breathlessly greeted. “Have you seen Liz around?”
“Liz is here?” Maria asked surprised. “Where?” Maria whipped her head around in search.
“I don’t know but Alex saw her a few minutes ago,” Isabel replied.
Michael pursed his lips. “Maybe she’s just here to have some fun like we are.”
Maria snorted.
Isabel turned to Michael. “Michael, how likely do you think that is?”
“Maybe we should just leave her be,” Michael suggested. “I mean what can happen?”
“Uh, have you forgotten about the Crash Festival eleven years ago?” Maria retorted facetiously.
Isabel looked at Michael who looked like he wanted to throttle Maria. She reached out a hand, touching his shoulder lightly.
“She’s right Michael.”
Michael made a low, grumbling sound in the back of his throat. “Fine. You’re right, but there hasn’t been any Fed or alien activity for the past few years. If there was, Nasedo would have contacted me.”
Isabel, Maria, and Alex all swiveled their heads in Michael’s direction.
“What do you mean Nasedo would have contacted you?” Isabel narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.
Michael looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Well it’s up to me to protect the group,” he huffed defensively.
Isabel wasn’t sure whether she should be hurt or angry that Michael had withheld this pertinent piece of information.
“Just when were you planning on telling us about this, Michael?” Maria’s hand rested on her waist as she stood and glared at Michael.
Isabel opened her mouth to support Maria’s question but was interrupted by Alex’s voice of reason.
“Hold up. Michael’s only looking out for our best interest here. No need to gang up on him.”
“Ha! Of course you’re taking his side, Alex. You’re a man,” Maria seethed.
Isabel looked over at Alex who then shot Maria a reproachful look. She heard Maria growl before taking out a vial of oil from her pocket and placing it under her nose. She watched as Maria took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down.
“You know what,” Isabel said looking around. “I don’t think this is the best place to discuss this. Alex drove the Pathfinder. It’d be better if we talked about this there.”
As they made their way to the parking lot, Isabel thought about what Michael had just revealed. Had Nasedo been watching them all this time? If so, why hadn’t he contacted them? Had he been looking for Max? The questions were endless.
Just as they reached the fringes of the lot, the sound of squealing tires got her attention. She turned toward where she had heard the noise and saw a late model sedan peel out of the parking lot.
“What the hell was that?” Maria asked.
“They must have been in a hurry,” Alex commented.
Isabel shook the incident off and proceeded to the truck. Michael had a lot of explaining to do.
<center> * * *</center>
Jason’s head felt like it was being split in two. He heard someone moan and was surprised when he realized that the sound had come from him. His body felt like it was on pins and needles, protesting at every movement he made. Disjointed images danced behind his closed lids. He tried to concentrate but the pain behind his eyes grew worse. It felt like his brain was being sucked inside out. He tried to raise his arms to clutch at his head but his movements were sluggish and clumsy.
He pried one eye open but was met with darkness. He tried hard to clamp down on the anxiety that was starting to bubble up from his stomach. Where the hell was he and how did he get here?
He swallowed convulsively, trying to soothe his dry throat. He flipped onto his back and found himself staring at the ceiling of a car.
He struggled to push himself to a sitting position, resisting the urge to vomit. The pain behind his eyes worsened with the change in position. He frowned and clutched at his temple.
“W-what’s going on? Where am I?” he rasped.
“You’re awake!” said a surprised female voice.
Jason took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady his equilibrium. He closed his eyes and for a fleeting moment the images flashed again but quickly dissipated.
“Put your head between your legs and it should pass,” another female voice suggested.
Jason did as he was told and waited as the nausea passed. When he felt coherent again, he raised his head and peered at the other occupants of the car.
Liz and Connie.
“What’s going on?” he asked, confused as to why Connie would be in the same car as he and Liz.
“What was the last thing you remember?” Connie asked.
“Uh,” Jason scrunched his brow in thought but the more he concentrated the worse his headache became.
“I don’t recall,” he breathed. “Last thing I remember is going to the parking lot with Liz.”
He looked up and saw Connie frown.
“Maybe we should pull over for a while,” he heard Liz say. “We all need some rest.”
“Fine, but we’ve got to be on the road before sunrise,” Connie warned.
Minutes later, he felt the car rock back and forth as they drove off the road. He looked out the window and saw that they were headed toward a high outcropping of rocks. Liz eased the car behind the obstruction so that they were hidden from the road.
Jason leaned his head back on the seat, forcing himself to relax. However, it was futile since he was anxious to know what was going on.
He heard the car door open and watched as Liz walk out with her arms around herself. Jason turned to passenger seat and saw Connie recline her seat.
“How did we get here? Where did you come from?” he whispered harshly.
He heard Connie heave a deep sigh. “I followed you and Liz to the parking lot. I was just about to approach you when I saw Bernard and his partner stun you guys. There wasn’t a lot I can do since we were in plain sight. So when they grabbed you I followed right behind.” Connie yawned and stretched her body. She suddenly clutched her right arm and grunted in pain.
“What happened to you?” he asked leaning forward to look at her bandaged arm.
“It’s nothing. Just a graze,” Connie said dismissively. “How you doing back there?”
“Me? Well other than the fact that my head feels like someone just took a sledgehammer to it and my body feels like it’s been treading water for the past hour, I’m fine,” he quipped sardonically, but then he immediately felt like a jerk for taking out his frustrations on Connie.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I’m just….hell, I don’t know what I am. Am I going to get an explanation anytime soon?” Jason asked.
Connie sighed and turned to cradle her right arm. “Soon enough. For now, I need to catch some rest before we get to Eagle Rock.”
Jason sat quietly for a moment wondering why Eagle Rock sounded so familiar. He knew he’d come across that name before but he couldn’t place where.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts but when he turned Connie she was already fast asleep.
He looked out the window and felt a pang of remorse when he saw Liz shiver and rub her arms. If it wasn’t for him Liz wouldn’t be in this situation. As much as Jason hated to admit it, he was in way over his head. What had started out to be a dream story was turning out to be a nightmare. Being shot at and almost being kidnapped. Just how deep did this story actually go? He had a feeling that it was bigger than the Feds. He was never one to buy into conspiracy theories but present circumstances were starting to change his mind.
Jason opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night.
“Liz?”
Liz turned and Jason noticed the pensive expression on her face.
“Are you okay?” he asked coming to stand beside her. She nodded her head and looked back out into the rocky desert landscape.
“How do you feel?” Liz spoke so quietly that Jason almost missed it. For some strange reason things felt a little different between them. Like some sort of kinship had formed between them. Perhaps it was the situation, he reasoned. But still, he had a deep urge to comfort her, to allay her fears and doubts.
“I think I’m okay,” Jason replied. “I’m sorry about this.”
Liz turned and flashed him a puzzled look.
“Sorry about what?”
“This,” Jason waved his arms frantically in the air. “This whole situation. Being kidnapped, putting you in danger, shit that you never expected to be involved in. Shit that even I didn’t expect to be involved in.”
Liz flashed him an enigmatic smile but didn’t say a word. She continued to look out into the desert with her arms wrapped around her middle.
“You must be freezing,” Jason commented, reaching out and rubbing her arms.
Liz stiffened at the contact but slowly relaxed appreciating the comfort that Jason’s touch gave her.
“I’m okay,” she replied and blew out a tired breath.
“Jason do you know what’s going on here?”
Jason arms dropped away from Liz as he thought about her question. He ran a hand down his face, trying to rub away his confusion.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling Connie does.”
Liz turned, nodding her head in understanding. “We better get back in the car and catch some rest. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
tbc...
Okay, here we go. I'm closing my eyes and hitting "submit." Eeeks!
This chapter contains coarse language. Viewer discretion is advised.
<center>____________________________</center>
Chapter 16
As dawn approached, Liz felt her body tense. The car had been silent for the past hour, none of them knowing what to say. Liz wasn’t sure where they were going, since Connie still wasn’t quite forthcoming with information. Liz was getting frustrated. She was close to just grabbing Connie and demanding the information from her. However, as irritated as Liz was, she felt a certain admiration for Connie. The woman was tough, determined, and smart. Connie had rescued her and Jason from an uncertain fate.
Liz twisted in her seat and looked back at Jason. He was staring out the window with a frown etched in his brow. As if he felt Liz’s gaze on him, he turned and locked eyes with her. Once again a familiar feeling welled up in Liz’s chest. But before she could analyze it any further, he looked away.
Liz swallowed. She suddenly felt like crying. She was so tired, confused, and hungry. She needed answers but didn’t know who to trust. She ran a weary hand through her hair as if to organize her thoughts. She closed her eyes and a memory of a night so long ago flashed through her mind.
Everything in the memory was a blur, except for one prominent image – Max’s distraught face staring at her from the other side of a mirror. That vision would haunt her until the day she died.
Liz felt her heart contract. The loneliness she had kept at bay for so long was slowly creeping in. A tear escaped her eye and meandered down her cheek. She leaned her head back and let the cool breeze dry her tears. It had been a long time since she cried that it almost felt foreign.
“We’ll be at the base in an hour,” Connie said, breaking the silence in the car. “I’m going to explain things to the two of you and I need you to listen carefully.”
Liz swiveled giving Connie her full attention. She watched as Connie checked her rearview mirror before proceeding with her account.
“I once belonged to a covert government group called the Special Unit. It was predominantly made up of FBI agents with some NSA and military personnel thrown in for good measure. I was once a lieutenant with the US Air Force until I was recruited to join the Special Unit. I was with them for three years before I discovered what exactly it was that the Unit was doing,” Connie paused and shook her head.
“God! The things they did. It was enough to make me throw up,” Connie said disgusted.
“What did they do?” Liz heard Jason ask.
Connie didn’t answer right away.
“They experimented. Tortured. There was one particular sadistic agent who actually seemed to enjoy it,” she added. “When I confronted him and demanded that he stop the experimentation he disagreed, saying that it was necessary in order to protect national security. The following week I found myself suspended for insubordination. I decided to go back home to cool off and next thing I know I’m driving down the highway and my car goes out of control. Luckily, I was thrown out of the car before it tumbled down the ravine and exploded.”
Liz’s eyes grew wide with disbelief.
“If it wasn’t for my medical training I would have died,” Connie slowly blew out a breath. “I stayed holed up in the forest with a broken arm and a concussion. By the time I regained consciousness two days had passed and I could hear people searching for me. It was a good thing I was too weak to call out since I ended overhearing a conversation between a couple of agents about what had happened. The whole thing was a setup. They needed to dispose of me since I became a liability. Having a moral conscience and all,” she added sardonically.
“Since then I’ve been on the run. A few years ago, I decided enough was enough. I was going to put an end to this whole clandestine organization. I began to gather my evidence then I searched for him,” Connie’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.
Liz frowned in confusion.
“You mean because he’s a reporter?” Liz asked.
Connie pursed her lips for a moment. “No, because he’s involved.”
“What do you mean because I’m involved?” Jason asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Connie’s eyes flashed back to the rearview mirror. “You were one of their subjects.”
Liz was taken aback. She swiveled in her seat to face Jason and saw that the color had drained from his face.
“Wh-what do you mean I was one of their subjects?” he asked tentatively.
“Did you ever wonder about that scar on your chest?” Connie asked.
Jason’s hand reflexively rubbed the puckered skin beneath his shirt. “How do you know about that?”
Connie remained silent.
Liz watched Jason closely and as the seconds went by his shock turned into anger.
“HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY SCAR?!” Jason demanded.
Liz jumped in reaction to Jason’s voice. She looked to Connie and saw that the ex-special agent was wavering in indecision.
“When I was still in the unit, I tested biological matter. I came across your file during my work,” Connie stated.
“What did they do?” Jason’s tone was calm but Liz could tell by the expression on his face that he was anything but.
“They performed experiments on you. Tested your DNA. Just before my suspension, they had scheduled you in for surgery. All I remember seeing was that it was to be performed by a Marine neurosurgeon named Dr. Brown. I wish I could tell you full details of what happened but unfortunately, I became persona non grata.”
“What about my family? My father?” Jason asked.
“Sorry, Jason. I don’t know anything about your family. I don’t know where you came from or who your parents are. All I know is that from watching you for the past year who you think of as your father now isn’t who he says he is,” Connie replied.
Jason looked at her incredulously. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Connie frowned. “John Stevens is an FBI agent.”
Jason nodded his head. “I know! My father heads the narcotics unit at the Bureau.”
Connie pursed her lips and shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. Agent Stevens still works for the Special Unit,” she paused and looked over at Jason. “And…he doesn’t have a son.”
Liz glanced at Jason. She saw him run his hand through his hair and mutter an oath.
“Stop the car. STOP THE CAR!” Jason barked, reaching for the door handle. Even before the car had come to a full stop, he already had the door open and was up and out of the car.
“FUCK!” Liz heard him yell. She watched him pick up a rock and hurl it into the distance. For a moment, she was too stunned to move. She wanted to go out and comfort Jason but at the same time she was also presented with an opportunity to get some answers through Connie.
Her fingers danced over the door handle unsure about what to do. Making her decision, she pulled her hand back from the door and turned to face Connie.
“How am I involved in all of this?” Liz asked.
“I’m not sure,” Connie replied. “All I know was that they chose to capture you as well.
“To be honest with you, I don’t even know why Jason’s still alive. The Unit isn’t well known for its compassion. They must have had a purpose why they let him live,” she added.
Liz shivered at the thought. A human guinea pig.
“What’s going to happen now?” Liz asked.
“We’re headed to Eagle Rock. Things have to be made right. I’m tired of running. I want my life back. Those bastards need to go to jail for everything that they’ve done,” Connie said venomously.
“Jason is the key to making that happen. He’s a reporter. He can expose these guys for the monsters that they are.”
“But how can he?” Liz wondered. “He’s involved in this. He was their guinea pig. How can he expose them when they probably want to kill him?”
Liz’s question was met with silence. It seemed that Connie didn’t have all the answers. Liz sat back, contemplating what she was about to ask.
“Connie?”
“Hmmnn…”
“Did – did you ever come across a boy named Max Evans?”
Liz watched Connie’s impassive face with baited breath.
“No, I don’t think so. I didn’t really come across any other names other than Jason’s, and that was just an accident really. I was just looking for some papers at my supervisor’s desk and accidentally knocked over a file. In all of my lab papers, he was referred to as Subject B. It never went much further than that,” Connie explained.
Liz’s analytical mind quickly processed this information. If Jason had been Subject B then there must have been a Subject A. Could Max have been captured by the Special Unit? Then he could still be alive!
Liz reached over and pushed the door open. She needed some air to organize her thoughts. There was a strong possibility that she was going to finally get a lead on Max.
She began walking but soon enough she was running to where Jason stood. She could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. After all these years, she was finally going to find out what had happened to Max!
She reached out to get his attention but just as her hand touched his arm a bright flash of light exploded, knocking them both to the ground.
Liz’s vision blurred, as she tried to push herself up to a sitting position. She was disoriented and a little scared. When her vision cleared, she saw that Jason was looking at her in shock and fear. She felt a deep burning sensation prickling along her limbs as if she was being bitten by ants. She looked down and caught faint green currents crawling along her skin. She looked up again and caught Jason doing the same, his skin flickering green. He looked up and their eyes met. Like a curtain being parted, realization dawned on Liz. However, before either of them could say anything, Connie ran up and stood in between them.
“What the hell was that?!” she yelled, frantically. “Something bright flashed and then the next thing I see is the two of you being thrown on your asses! Holy shit!”
Connie paced back and forth on the dry, dusty ground creating puffs of sand around her. “Oh jeez! Oh crap! What is going on?”
Liz continued to stare at Jason not believing her thoughts. She squinted and scrutinized his features.
“Max?” she whispered uneasily. She crawled toward where Jason was still sitting, ignoring Connie’s raving exclamations.
“Max?” she called again, reaching for him. “Max is that you?” Liz questioned, unaware that tears were streaming down her face.
When Jason didn’t answer, Liz stopped, her hand hovering above him not quite touching him. Excitement and fear electrified her body. Could it be? Would it really be this easy? Could Jason really be Max?
“Who are you?” Jason whispered harshly, scrambling back and away from Liz.
Liz was taken aback by his reaction. She pulled her hand back and clenched it into a fist. What was going on? She didn’t understand why he didn’t recognize her. Through teary eyes she stared at his features. His face was more mature and hardened, different yet so familiar. His eyes held years of experience and right now they were staring at her with trepidation. Max had never looked at her like that. Max loved her! He would never look at her in fear.
There was only one conclusion that Liz could deduce.
Slowly, the walls around her emotions were resurrected and an eerie calmness settled on Liz.
“No, the question is…who are you?”
tbc...
This chapter contains coarse language. Viewer discretion is advised.
<center>____________________________</center>
Chapter 16
As dawn approached, Liz felt her body tense. The car had been silent for the past hour, none of them knowing what to say. Liz wasn’t sure where they were going, since Connie still wasn’t quite forthcoming with information. Liz was getting frustrated. She was close to just grabbing Connie and demanding the information from her. However, as irritated as Liz was, she felt a certain admiration for Connie. The woman was tough, determined, and smart. Connie had rescued her and Jason from an uncertain fate.
Liz twisted in her seat and looked back at Jason. He was staring out the window with a frown etched in his brow. As if he felt Liz’s gaze on him, he turned and locked eyes with her. Once again a familiar feeling welled up in Liz’s chest. But before she could analyze it any further, he looked away.
Liz swallowed. She suddenly felt like crying. She was so tired, confused, and hungry. She needed answers but didn’t know who to trust. She ran a weary hand through her hair as if to organize her thoughts. She closed her eyes and a memory of a night so long ago flashed through her mind.
Everything in the memory was a blur, except for one prominent image – Max’s distraught face staring at her from the other side of a mirror. That vision would haunt her until the day she died.
Liz felt her heart contract. The loneliness she had kept at bay for so long was slowly creeping in. A tear escaped her eye and meandered down her cheek. She leaned her head back and let the cool breeze dry her tears. It had been a long time since she cried that it almost felt foreign.
“We’ll be at the base in an hour,” Connie said, breaking the silence in the car. “I’m going to explain things to the two of you and I need you to listen carefully.”
Liz swiveled giving Connie her full attention. She watched as Connie checked her rearview mirror before proceeding with her account.
“I once belonged to a covert government group called the Special Unit. It was predominantly made up of FBI agents with some NSA and military personnel thrown in for good measure. I was once a lieutenant with the US Air Force until I was recruited to join the Special Unit. I was with them for three years before I discovered what exactly it was that the Unit was doing,” Connie paused and shook her head.
“God! The things they did. It was enough to make me throw up,” Connie said disgusted.
“What did they do?” Liz heard Jason ask.
Connie didn’t answer right away.
“They experimented. Tortured. There was one particular sadistic agent who actually seemed to enjoy it,” she added. “When I confronted him and demanded that he stop the experimentation he disagreed, saying that it was necessary in order to protect national security. The following week I found myself suspended for insubordination. I decided to go back home to cool off and next thing I know I’m driving down the highway and my car goes out of control. Luckily, I was thrown out of the car before it tumbled down the ravine and exploded.”
Liz’s eyes grew wide with disbelief.
“If it wasn’t for my medical training I would have died,” Connie slowly blew out a breath. “I stayed holed up in the forest with a broken arm and a concussion. By the time I regained consciousness two days had passed and I could hear people searching for me. It was a good thing I was too weak to call out since I ended overhearing a conversation between a couple of agents about what had happened. The whole thing was a setup. They needed to dispose of me since I became a liability. Having a moral conscience and all,” she added sardonically.
“Since then I’ve been on the run. A few years ago, I decided enough was enough. I was going to put an end to this whole clandestine organization. I began to gather my evidence then I searched for him,” Connie’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.
Liz frowned in confusion.
“You mean because he’s a reporter?” Liz asked.
Connie pursed her lips for a moment. “No, because he’s involved.”
“What do you mean because I’m involved?” Jason asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Connie’s eyes flashed back to the rearview mirror. “You were one of their subjects.”
Liz was taken aback. She swiveled in her seat to face Jason and saw that the color had drained from his face.
“Wh-what do you mean I was one of their subjects?” he asked tentatively.
“Did you ever wonder about that scar on your chest?” Connie asked.
Jason’s hand reflexively rubbed the puckered skin beneath his shirt. “How do you know about that?”
Connie remained silent.
Liz watched Jason closely and as the seconds went by his shock turned into anger.
“HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY SCAR?!” Jason demanded.
Liz jumped in reaction to Jason’s voice. She looked to Connie and saw that the ex-special agent was wavering in indecision.
“When I was still in the unit, I tested biological matter. I came across your file during my work,” Connie stated.
“What did they do?” Jason’s tone was calm but Liz could tell by the expression on his face that he was anything but.
“They performed experiments on you. Tested your DNA. Just before my suspension, they had scheduled you in for surgery. All I remember seeing was that it was to be performed by a Marine neurosurgeon named Dr. Brown. I wish I could tell you full details of what happened but unfortunately, I became persona non grata.”
“What about my family? My father?” Jason asked.
“Sorry, Jason. I don’t know anything about your family. I don’t know where you came from or who your parents are. All I know is that from watching you for the past year who you think of as your father now isn’t who he says he is,” Connie replied.
Jason looked at her incredulously. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Connie frowned. “John Stevens is an FBI agent.”
Jason nodded his head. “I know! My father heads the narcotics unit at the Bureau.”
Connie pursed her lips and shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. Agent Stevens still works for the Special Unit,” she paused and looked over at Jason. “And…he doesn’t have a son.”
Liz glanced at Jason. She saw him run his hand through his hair and mutter an oath.
“Stop the car. STOP THE CAR!” Jason barked, reaching for the door handle. Even before the car had come to a full stop, he already had the door open and was up and out of the car.
“FUCK!” Liz heard him yell. She watched him pick up a rock and hurl it into the distance. For a moment, she was too stunned to move. She wanted to go out and comfort Jason but at the same time she was also presented with an opportunity to get some answers through Connie.
Her fingers danced over the door handle unsure about what to do. Making her decision, she pulled her hand back from the door and turned to face Connie.
“How am I involved in all of this?” Liz asked.
“I’m not sure,” Connie replied. “All I know was that they chose to capture you as well.
“To be honest with you, I don’t even know why Jason’s still alive. The Unit isn’t well known for its compassion. They must have had a purpose why they let him live,” she added.
Liz shivered at the thought. A human guinea pig.
“What’s going to happen now?” Liz asked.
“We’re headed to Eagle Rock. Things have to be made right. I’m tired of running. I want my life back. Those bastards need to go to jail for everything that they’ve done,” Connie said venomously.
“Jason is the key to making that happen. He’s a reporter. He can expose these guys for the monsters that they are.”
“But how can he?” Liz wondered. “He’s involved in this. He was their guinea pig. How can he expose them when they probably want to kill him?”
Liz’s question was met with silence. It seemed that Connie didn’t have all the answers. Liz sat back, contemplating what she was about to ask.
“Connie?”
“Hmmnn…”
“Did – did you ever come across a boy named Max Evans?”
Liz watched Connie’s impassive face with baited breath.
“No, I don’t think so. I didn’t really come across any other names other than Jason’s, and that was just an accident really. I was just looking for some papers at my supervisor’s desk and accidentally knocked over a file. In all of my lab papers, he was referred to as Subject B. It never went much further than that,” Connie explained.
Liz’s analytical mind quickly processed this information. If Jason had been Subject B then there must have been a Subject A. Could Max have been captured by the Special Unit? Then he could still be alive!
Liz reached over and pushed the door open. She needed some air to organize her thoughts. There was a strong possibility that she was going to finally get a lead on Max.
She began walking but soon enough she was running to where Jason stood. She could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. After all these years, she was finally going to find out what had happened to Max!
She reached out to get his attention but just as her hand touched his arm a bright flash of light exploded, knocking them both to the ground.
Liz’s vision blurred, as she tried to push herself up to a sitting position. She was disoriented and a little scared. When her vision cleared, she saw that Jason was looking at her in shock and fear. She felt a deep burning sensation prickling along her limbs as if she was being bitten by ants. She looked down and caught faint green currents crawling along her skin. She looked up again and caught Jason doing the same, his skin flickering green. He looked up and their eyes met. Like a curtain being parted, realization dawned on Liz. However, before either of them could say anything, Connie ran up and stood in between them.
“What the hell was that?!” she yelled, frantically. “Something bright flashed and then the next thing I see is the two of you being thrown on your asses! Holy shit!”
Connie paced back and forth on the dry, dusty ground creating puffs of sand around her. “Oh jeez! Oh crap! What is going on?”
Liz continued to stare at Jason not believing her thoughts. She squinted and scrutinized his features.
“Max?” she whispered uneasily. She crawled toward where Jason was still sitting, ignoring Connie’s raving exclamations.
“Max?” she called again, reaching for him. “Max is that you?” Liz questioned, unaware that tears were streaming down her face.
When Jason didn’t answer, Liz stopped, her hand hovering above him not quite touching him. Excitement and fear electrified her body. Could it be? Would it really be this easy? Could Jason really be Max?
“Who are you?” Jason whispered harshly, scrambling back and away from Liz.
Liz was taken aback by his reaction. She pulled her hand back and clenched it into a fist. What was going on? She didn’t understand why he didn’t recognize her. Through teary eyes she stared at his features. His face was more mature and hardened, different yet so familiar. His eyes held years of experience and right now they were staring at her with trepidation. Max had never looked at her like that. Max loved her! He would never look at her in fear.
There was only one conclusion that Liz could deduce.
Slowly, the walls around her emotions were resurrected and an eerie calmness settled on Liz.
“No, the question is…who are you?”
tbc...
Last edited by CME on Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Daniel Pierce stood on the side of the road, looking at the carnage before him. Two agents dead and their target still at large. It had taken his team almost all night to find Special Agents Bernard and Ryan. If it wasn’t for the fact that they had missed their check-in time, he wouldn’t have known that the two agents were missing at all.
He walked up to the shattered car and inspected the damage. Whoever had done this was experienced. It took training to be able to take down one of his agents, let alone two. There was no doubt that the person responsible for all this damage was skilled.
Pierce turned and stared blankly at the horizon. Who could have done this? There were a lot of people hoping to put an end to his career. He knew that any one of them could have executed this take down. The problem was, he couldn’t be sure who it was. But one fact remained…it was definitely interfering with his plans. He needed to find this informant and eliminate him quickly before he ruined everything.
Pierce reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and checked his watch before barking out an order. Sunrise was in an hour, that didn’t leave a lot of time. He needed the scene cleaned before then. He couldn’t risk attracting any local attention. He didn’t want a repeat of the Topolsky incident nearly a decade ago. That had been a major mistake on his part. He hadn’t counted on Kathleen escaping the facility that he had confined her in, but in the end he took care of that problem; and made sure that Topolsky never troubled him again.
He watched as his agents conferred amongst themselves. He oftentimes wondered where their loyalty lied.
He knew the training what these agents had gone through. Quantico was tough. He knew the draw for the service. He had even felt it himself back when he was young and green.
Serve your country.
Be a good guy.
But things change along the way. Priorities shift.
Pierce blew out a breath. There was no time to overanalyze his team when there was bigger fish to fry. He drew the attention of his team. Checking his watch once again, he ordered them to reconvene back at the base for further instructions. He made sure to leave one team behind to wait for the clean up crew.
His plan had changed. Now, he no longer wanted this informant killed. Pierce wanted him to suffer. And if he had to take this person apart piece by piece, he’d be glad to do it with his bare hands.
<center>* * *</center>
“No, the question is…who are you?”
Jason stared at Liz, wondering what had come over her. Who the hell was she? And how did she do what she just did. Once again, he looked down at his forearms but the green crackles were gone. His skin was back to its normal flesh tone.
He closed his eyes and hunched over. The piercing headache was back. Distorted images quickly flashed through his mind. When he opened his eyes again, Connie was looking down on him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Jason stared at her for a beat before shaking his head.
“I’m not sure.”
He looked beyond Connie’s shoulder at Liz, noting her defensive stance and suspicious stare. Something in the back of his head kept niggling at him but try as he might, he couldn’t quite place it. His mind felt sluggish.
“Liz? What happened?” He heard Connie ask.
Liz didn’t answer. She continued to stare at him, assessing him with every pass of her eyes.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Liz said. “Who are you?”
Jason scrunched his brow in confusion. “What do you mean who am I? I’m who I’ve always been, but considering the circumstance, I have no fucking idea!” Jason exclaimed. “Who are you? Is your name even Liz Parker?”
“Of course it is!” Liz raved. “You’re the stranger. I don’t know who the hell you are! You could be a homicidal maniac for all I know.”
However, before the argument could escalate, Connie interrupted.
“Let me assure the two of you that you’re no danger to each other.” Connie turned to Jason. “You better get up. We gotta keep moving if we want to get to Eagle Rock soon.”
Jason looked up at her and blinked. Could Connie really be trusted? Keeping in mind that he didn’t have much to lose, he pushed himself up off the ground and made his way toward the car.
He could feel the back of his neck tingling like he was being watched. He turned his head and from the corner of his eye saw Liz following him cautiously. How had he gotten himself in this mess? Only a week ago, he had been in Washington following a good story lead; now he found himself fumbling around in the deserts of Roswell, New Mexico smack dab in the middle of a government conspiracy! Where did he go wrong? Jason shook his head in frustration.
Once in the car, everyone grew quiet. Jason sat in the back preferring to watch Liz. He didn’t trust her. The questions were growing exponentially in his head. He didn’t believe in the paranormal but how could he explain what had happened in the desert. His skin was shooting off green sparks for Christ’s sake. That was definitely not normal. How about the static energy that seemed to have built up between him and Liz? It was strong enough to manifest itself into light, resulting energy knocking them both back on their backs.
Jason glanced at Connie’s profile, looking at her in a whole new light. She had answers, that he knew but just how much was she willing to reveal.
Did it mean that his life as he knew it wasn’t real? His father, the man who had taken care of him all his life, who was he? His scar, his illness, had it all been a sham? Why on earth would someone do this? What role did he play? He wasn’t anyone special. All his life he’d been a hard-worker, a diligent student, and a good son, why was this happening to him?
Jason shifted in his seat. He took a deep breath and channeled his anger.
“Connie, can you start from the beginning?” Jason asked. “Tell me what you know?”
Connie shifted her gaze from the road to Jason. He watched her closely as she formed her thoughts.
“Like I said before, I didn’t have direct contact with you. I saw the papers and the samples,” Connie replied.
“Then how do you know it was me in there?” Jason pressed. “It could have been someone else.”
Heavy silence hung. After a moment, Connie spoke again.
“They had surveillance videos.”
“What?” Jason asked. His eyes darted to Liz and he could tell that she too was interested. She had turned in her seat and was now facing Connie.
“The base was heavily secured. Retina scanners in the highly classified areas and surveillance cameras in every room and hallway. You couldn’t pick your nose at Eagle Rock without someone knowing about it,” Connie replied.
“In the feeds that I saw, they kept you in a white room…”
Jason heard Connie’s voice but it fell as echoes in his ears. His vision blurred and he blinked his eyes to clear it. When his lids closed he saw a flash of white and a blurred face staring him down. When his eyes opened again, the vision was gone replaced by the interior of the car and the empty road ahead.
“…I don’t know where the tapes are. I didn’t get a chance to look at any other ones,” Connie continued. “I don’t know if they even still exist.”
Jason rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead, trying to clear his thoughts. The throbbing pain between his temples was back.
“Why are we going to Eagle Rock?” he heard Liz ask.
“To look for evidence,” Connie quickly answered.
“Okay wait a minute,” Liz held her palm out. “Wouldn’t we be walking into the lion’s den? We’re talking about a military base here. And according to you it’s a high security, restricted access building. How do you expect us to get in?”
“Simple. We just walk in.”
“What?” Liz and Jason both turned in unison.
“It’s abandoned. Not even a skeleton crew is stationed there. The only thing we have to worry about is the security cameras and perimeter fence,” Connie assured them.
“How do you know?” Jason asked.
“I checked the place out a few months ago. It’s clear. It looks like it’s been abandoned for years. Very little was left inside.”
“Did you go through any of the equipment? Any of the evidence?”
“No, I didn’t have time. I was in and out.”
“What do you expect to find in there?” Liz interjected.
“Something, anything. Paperwork, data, photos…it doesn’t matter. I need to link them to the budget report that I found,” Connie explained.
“What if we don’t find anything?” Liz asked.
“Then we keep looking,” Connie said determinedly.
“I don’t think Liz should be involved,” Jason commented, catching Liz by surprise. She turned in her seat and stared back at him her eyes assessing and suspicious.
“What do you mean?” She asked, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t you think I’m already involved?”
“You have no part in this. If you are who you say you are then I don’t see why you can’t go back,” Jason replied.
Liz opened her mouth to say something but closed it again instead. Jason looked at her quizzically. She stared at him for a beat before turning her back on him.
Connie frowned and Jason caught her looking at him from the corner of her eye.
“What?” he demanded.
Connie shook her head.
“Before we go in, I want you two to listen carefully,” Connie began, “you are not to separate from me. You stick right by me the whole time. I’m familiar with the base, you’re not. It’s like a maze in there. There are only three exits and lots of dead ends. You need to keep your eyes open. Look for cameras in corners and behind emergency lights. I don’t know if they still monitor all the rooms. As far as I know most of the main hallways are unsecured. If you find anything interesting, pass it to me.
“Be careful when you handle any laboratory equipment. Eagle Rock was a military research facility, which means they also tested bio-weapons. You might think you’re just handling a harmless piece of test tube but it could contain a dormant virus strain.”
Jason saw Liz nod and continue to look out the window.
“What do you expect to find in there?” Jason asked.
“The last time I was in there, it looked like they left the base in a hurry. There were still furniture and some equipment in there. I’m hoping that they were sloppy enough to have left pertinent stuff behind. How do you think I stumbled across that budget report or those emails?” Connie asked, raising an eyebrow at Jason.
Jason caught her look and pursed his lips.
A moment later, Connie turned the car onto an unmarked service road. As they bumped along the dry gravel road, the tension rose in the car.
“There it is,” Connie pointed to a sand colored building barely visible behind a sand dune. “I’m going to park the car soon and we’re going to have to go the rest of the way on foot.”
Liz glanced at Connie. “What about your arm?”
Connie looked down at her bandaged limb. “It’s fine. It’s clotting and the pain’s been reduced to just a dull ache.”
“Jason, I want you to grab the equipment from the trunk. There should be two Maglites and a backpack. Pass me one of the Maglites and the bag. If you see a blanket in there, you need to grab that too.”
Connie pulled the car tight behind a rock formation and cut the engine.
“Liz, I’m going to need to those bullets now,” Connie smiled and held out her hand.
Liz narrowed her eyes suspiciously before slowly pulling the bullets out of her pockets.
“Thanks,” Connie pulled the gun out of her waistband and loaded the bullets in the chamber. She pushed the car door open and stepped out. When the equipment had been distributed, she turned to Jason and Liz.
“Have you ever fired a gun before, Liz?” Connie unzipped her backpack and pulled out a Sig Sauer.
Liz shook her head.
“Jason?”
Jason also shook his head.
“Okay Annie Oakley, here’s your chance,” Connie handed Liz the gun. “This is a semi-automatic. All you have to do is release this switch here and point and shoot.” Connie held the gun out and mimed the actions. “Hopefully, you won’t have to use it.”
Liz held the weapon in her hand for a beat before copying Connie and stuffing the gun in the small of her back.
Connie nodded in approval and looked out over the terrain before adjusting her weapon and pack.
“Are you two ready?” Jason and Liz nodded. “Then let’s go.”
tbc...
Daniel Pierce stood on the side of the road, looking at the carnage before him. Two agents dead and their target still at large. It had taken his team almost all night to find Special Agents Bernard and Ryan. If it wasn’t for the fact that they had missed their check-in time, he wouldn’t have known that the two agents were missing at all.
He walked up to the shattered car and inspected the damage. Whoever had done this was experienced. It took training to be able to take down one of his agents, let alone two. There was no doubt that the person responsible for all this damage was skilled.
Pierce turned and stared blankly at the horizon. Who could have done this? There were a lot of people hoping to put an end to his career. He knew that any one of them could have executed this take down. The problem was, he couldn’t be sure who it was. But one fact remained…it was definitely interfering with his plans. He needed to find this informant and eliminate him quickly before he ruined everything.
Pierce reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and checked his watch before barking out an order. Sunrise was in an hour, that didn’t leave a lot of time. He needed the scene cleaned before then. He couldn’t risk attracting any local attention. He didn’t want a repeat of the Topolsky incident nearly a decade ago. That had been a major mistake on his part. He hadn’t counted on Kathleen escaping the facility that he had confined her in, but in the end he took care of that problem; and made sure that Topolsky never troubled him again.
He watched as his agents conferred amongst themselves. He oftentimes wondered where their loyalty lied.
He knew the training what these agents had gone through. Quantico was tough. He knew the draw for the service. He had even felt it himself back when he was young and green.
Serve your country.
Be a good guy.
But things change along the way. Priorities shift.
Pierce blew out a breath. There was no time to overanalyze his team when there was bigger fish to fry. He drew the attention of his team. Checking his watch once again, he ordered them to reconvene back at the base for further instructions. He made sure to leave one team behind to wait for the clean up crew.
His plan had changed. Now, he no longer wanted this informant killed. Pierce wanted him to suffer. And if he had to take this person apart piece by piece, he’d be glad to do it with his bare hands.
<center>* * *</center>
“No, the question is…who are you?”
Jason stared at Liz, wondering what had come over her. Who the hell was she? And how did she do what she just did. Once again, he looked down at his forearms but the green crackles were gone. His skin was back to its normal flesh tone.
He closed his eyes and hunched over. The piercing headache was back. Distorted images quickly flashed through his mind. When he opened his eyes again, Connie was looking down on him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Jason stared at her for a beat before shaking his head.
“I’m not sure.”
He looked beyond Connie’s shoulder at Liz, noting her defensive stance and suspicious stare. Something in the back of his head kept niggling at him but try as he might, he couldn’t quite place it. His mind felt sluggish.
“Liz? What happened?” He heard Connie ask.
Liz didn’t answer. She continued to stare at him, assessing him with every pass of her eyes.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Liz said. “Who are you?”
Jason scrunched his brow in confusion. “What do you mean who am I? I’m who I’ve always been, but considering the circumstance, I have no fucking idea!” Jason exclaimed. “Who are you? Is your name even Liz Parker?”
“Of course it is!” Liz raved. “You’re the stranger. I don’t know who the hell you are! You could be a homicidal maniac for all I know.”
However, before the argument could escalate, Connie interrupted.
“Let me assure the two of you that you’re no danger to each other.” Connie turned to Jason. “You better get up. We gotta keep moving if we want to get to Eagle Rock soon.”
Jason looked up at her and blinked. Could Connie really be trusted? Keeping in mind that he didn’t have much to lose, he pushed himself up off the ground and made his way toward the car.
He could feel the back of his neck tingling like he was being watched. He turned his head and from the corner of his eye saw Liz following him cautiously. How had he gotten himself in this mess? Only a week ago, he had been in Washington following a good story lead; now he found himself fumbling around in the deserts of Roswell, New Mexico smack dab in the middle of a government conspiracy! Where did he go wrong? Jason shook his head in frustration.
Once in the car, everyone grew quiet. Jason sat in the back preferring to watch Liz. He didn’t trust her. The questions were growing exponentially in his head. He didn’t believe in the paranormal but how could he explain what had happened in the desert. His skin was shooting off green sparks for Christ’s sake. That was definitely not normal. How about the static energy that seemed to have built up between him and Liz? It was strong enough to manifest itself into light, resulting energy knocking them both back on their backs.
Jason glanced at Connie’s profile, looking at her in a whole new light. She had answers, that he knew but just how much was she willing to reveal.
Did it mean that his life as he knew it wasn’t real? His father, the man who had taken care of him all his life, who was he? His scar, his illness, had it all been a sham? Why on earth would someone do this? What role did he play? He wasn’t anyone special. All his life he’d been a hard-worker, a diligent student, and a good son, why was this happening to him?
Jason shifted in his seat. He took a deep breath and channeled his anger.
“Connie, can you start from the beginning?” Jason asked. “Tell me what you know?”
Connie shifted her gaze from the road to Jason. He watched her closely as she formed her thoughts.
“Like I said before, I didn’t have direct contact with you. I saw the papers and the samples,” Connie replied.
“Then how do you know it was me in there?” Jason pressed. “It could have been someone else.”
Heavy silence hung. After a moment, Connie spoke again.
“They had surveillance videos.”
“What?” Jason asked. His eyes darted to Liz and he could tell that she too was interested. She had turned in her seat and was now facing Connie.
“The base was heavily secured. Retina scanners in the highly classified areas and surveillance cameras in every room and hallway. You couldn’t pick your nose at Eagle Rock without someone knowing about it,” Connie replied.
“In the feeds that I saw, they kept you in a white room…”
Jason heard Connie’s voice but it fell as echoes in his ears. His vision blurred and he blinked his eyes to clear it. When his lids closed he saw a flash of white and a blurred face staring him down. When his eyes opened again, the vision was gone replaced by the interior of the car and the empty road ahead.
“…I don’t know where the tapes are. I didn’t get a chance to look at any other ones,” Connie continued. “I don’t know if they even still exist.”
Jason rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead, trying to clear his thoughts. The throbbing pain between his temples was back.
“Why are we going to Eagle Rock?” he heard Liz ask.
“To look for evidence,” Connie quickly answered.
“Okay wait a minute,” Liz held her palm out. “Wouldn’t we be walking into the lion’s den? We’re talking about a military base here. And according to you it’s a high security, restricted access building. How do you expect us to get in?”
“Simple. We just walk in.”
“What?” Liz and Jason both turned in unison.
“It’s abandoned. Not even a skeleton crew is stationed there. The only thing we have to worry about is the security cameras and perimeter fence,” Connie assured them.
“How do you know?” Jason asked.
“I checked the place out a few months ago. It’s clear. It looks like it’s been abandoned for years. Very little was left inside.”
“Did you go through any of the equipment? Any of the evidence?”
“No, I didn’t have time. I was in and out.”
“What do you expect to find in there?” Liz interjected.
“Something, anything. Paperwork, data, photos…it doesn’t matter. I need to link them to the budget report that I found,” Connie explained.
“What if we don’t find anything?” Liz asked.
“Then we keep looking,” Connie said determinedly.
“I don’t think Liz should be involved,” Jason commented, catching Liz by surprise. She turned in her seat and stared back at him her eyes assessing and suspicious.
“What do you mean?” She asked, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t you think I’m already involved?”
“You have no part in this. If you are who you say you are then I don’t see why you can’t go back,” Jason replied.
Liz opened her mouth to say something but closed it again instead. Jason looked at her quizzically. She stared at him for a beat before turning her back on him.
Connie frowned and Jason caught her looking at him from the corner of her eye.
“What?” he demanded.
Connie shook her head.
“Before we go in, I want you two to listen carefully,” Connie began, “you are not to separate from me. You stick right by me the whole time. I’m familiar with the base, you’re not. It’s like a maze in there. There are only three exits and lots of dead ends. You need to keep your eyes open. Look for cameras in corners and behind emergency lights. I don’t know if they still monitor all the rooms. As far as I know most of the main hallways are unsecured. If you find anything interesting, pass it to me.
“Be careful when you handle any laboratory equipment. Eagle Rock was a military research facility, which means they also tested bio-weapons. You might think you’re just handling a harmless piece of test tube but it could contain a dormant virus strain.”
Jason saw Liz nod and continue to look out the window.
“What do you expect to find in there?” Jason asked.
“The last time I was in there, it looked like they left the base in a hurry. There were still furniture and some equipment in there. I’m hoping that they were sloppy enough to have left pertinent stuff behind. How do you think I stumbled across that budget report or those emails?” Connie asked, raising an eyebrow at Jason.
Jason caught her look and pursed his lips.
A moment later, Connie turned the car onto an unmarked service road. As they bumped along the dry gravel road, the tension rose in the car.
“There it is,” Connie pointed to a sand colored building barely visible behind a sand dune. “I’m going to park the car soon and we’re going to have to go the rest of the way on foot.”
Liz glanced at Connie. “What about your arm?”
Connie looked down at her bandaged limb. “It’s fine. It’s clotting and the pain’s been reduced to just a dull ache.”
“Jason, I want you to grab the equipment from the trunk. There should be two Maglites and a backpack. Pass me one of the Maglites and the bag. If you see a blanket in there, you need to grab that too.”
Connie pulled the car tight behind a rock formation and cut the engine.
“Liz, I’m going to need to those bullets now,” Connie smiled and held out her hand.
Liz narrowed her eyes suspiciously before slowly pulling the bullets out of her pockets.
“Thanks,” Connie pulled the gun out of her waistband and loaded the bullets in the chamber. She pushed the car door open and stepped out. When the equipment had been distributed, she turned to Jason and Liz.
“Have you ever fired a gun before, Liz?” Connie unzipped her backpack and pulled out a Sig Sauer.
Liz shook her head.
“Jason?”
Jason also shook his head.
“Okay Annie Oakley, here’s your chance,” Connie handed Liz the gun. “This is a semi-automatic. All you have to do is release this switch here and point and shoot.” Connie held the gun out and mimed the actions. “Hopefully, you won’t have to use it.”
Liz held the weapon in her hand for a beat before copying Connie and stuffing the gun in the small of her back.
Connie nodded in approval and looked out over the terrain before adjusting her weapon and pack.
“Are you two ready?” Jason and Liz nodded. “Then let’s go.”
tbc...
Last edited by CME on Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
The trek to the base was short but arduous. Liz swallowed convulsively trying to wet her dry throat. She was thirsty, hungry, and tired. By the time they arrived at the perimeter of the base, all three of them needed to sit down and catch their breaths.
Connie pulled out a bottle of water from her pack and passed it to Liz. Liz nodded her thanks and took a quick pull from the bottle. She passed it back to Connie who then passed it to Jason. When all three of them had satisfied their thirst, Connie replaced the bottle back in the pack and re-tied the bandage on her arm.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going out first to check on the cameras. Then, I’ll pop out to the power outlet box over there,” Connie pointed to a dry, brown bush located a few meters away from the chain-linked fence. “And disconnect the feed. That should disable the outdoor cameras.
“Jason, you’ll need to sling that blanket over the barbed wire on the fence. We’re going to have to scale it and that blanket will prevent us from getting cut up.”
“Isn’t the fence electrified?” Liz asked.
“Not anymore. It used to be but since the base isn’t in use and the government is always trying to save money, that feature has been disabled,” Connie replied. She stood up and adjusted her gun.
“Okay I’ll be back in a sec.”
Liz watched Connie quickly scope the landscape before making her way to the fence. She waited as Connie observed the cameras from a safe distance making sure to conceal herself from the lens.
Liz took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had been a long time since she’d been in a dangerous situation. She was nervous and afraid. Worst of all, she was going into this situation with people she didn’t fully trust. Her only sense of security was tucked against her back. She had never fired a gun before and didn’t think she ever would. It was because of a gun that she was in this situation in the first place. The irony was not lost on her. One lone gun shot over a decade ago catapulted her into the world of aliens and government conspiracies.
Liz felt the hot sun against her back. She didn’t think it was a good idea that they were doing this in the middle of the day but she chose to remain silent since this might be her one opportunity to search for clues on Max’s disappearance.
Her eyes drifted to her companion who was also crouched low on the ground beside her. For a moment that morning, she could have sworn that it was Max that she was looking at. His eyes…they were the same tawny brown as her beloved’s but his face was not the same youthful countenance as Max. Jason’s features carried a lot more experience and maturity. But still, she couldn’t help but wonder.
Liz looked around and saw Connie disappear behind a dry desert bush. A moment later, she popped back up and scuttled close to the ground until she was back at her side.
“Okay, I checked the cameras and none of them appeared to be on, but just in case I disabled the outer power grid. I’m pretty sure that the outer security ran on the main power line and I’ve just switched it off so we should be okay. Just stick with me when we get inside,” Connie explained breathlessly. “You guys got all your equipment?”
Jason held up his Maglite and Liz turned so that the gun on her waist-side was visible.
Connie nodded in approval. “Alright. Let’s go.”
The three of them quickly ran across the distance that separated them from the base. When they reached the perimeter fence, Connie ordered Jason to toss the blanket up so that it draped across the barbed wiring at the top. As soon as the blanket was set, she instructed Liz to climb up.
Liz turned to Connie questioningly. What if she was walking into a trap? What if Connie was the enemy?
As if sensing her thoughts, Connie raised an eyebrow. “Relax, Liz. I’m not out to get you. I’m in the same boat you are and the faster we do this the better. Now let’s go.”
Liz took a final look at her companions and took a deep breath. She hoisted herself up off the ground and began the climb over. Once her feet touched the ground on the other side, Jason began to climb. Soon enough all three of them were standing on the base-side of the fence.
Connie wasted no time in standing around. She jogged toward the concrete building motioning for Jason and Liz to follow her. The three of them moved stealthily alongside the building until they reached a steel door.
Connie reached forward and turned the knob.
Nothing.
Swearing under her breath she tried again this time with more force.
Again nothing.
“What’s going on?” Liz hissed, her eyes darting back and forth. The longer they stood outside the greater their risk was of being exposed.
“It’s locked,” Connie grunted.
“Wasn’t it locked when you came here the first time?” Jason asked.
“Yeah but I made sure to leave it unlocked,” Connie grunted using her shoulder to push the door. When it still didn’t give, she stood back and stared at the door thinking of ways to open it.
Making up her mind, she turned to Jason. “Grab the blanket off the fence and bring it here. Quickly.” When Jason returned, she took the blanket from him, pulled the gun out from behind her back and wrapped the fleece around the gun.
“What are you doing?” Liz asked.
“I’m making an impromptu silencer,” Connie replied. “Now stand back.”
She fired off two shots at the door jamb, causing Liz and Jason to jump back. Sparks flew and when the dust settled a crack could be seen between the door and the jamb.
Connie replaced the gun on her waistband and stuffed the blanket in her backpack. “Let’s go.”
The three of them cautiously entered flicking on their Maglites.
The place was dusty, having been abandoned for several years. Cobwebs were abundant on doorways and corners. From where they stood, Liz could see several closed doors and intersecting hallways.
Connie was right. This place was a maze.
Out of nervousness, Liz reached for her gun, shifting it to the front of her pants. She didn’t have the benefit of a Maglite so she made sure to stick close to her companions. Connie shone her light down the hallway and Liz fought off a shiver. It was eerie. The only light being the amber emergency spotlights mounted on the walls.
“Connie, I thought you said that you cut all the power out?” Liz hissed, her trepidation kicking up another notch.
“These spotlights run on auxiliary power. The switch is located in the basement. Don’t worry. Only emergency equipment runs on it,” Connie assured them.
They moved carefully through the hall making sure to avoid any upturned equipment, although they were few and far in between.
Liz’s eyes swept the hallways. The walls were bare and dusty from age, but surprisingly undamaged. She reached out and jiggled the closest door finding it locked. She did this systematically with each door as they walked down the hall.
They reached the end of one corridor and stopped. They were at an intersecting point. Liz looked to her left and then to her right at the eerily lit hallways and chewed her lip thoughtfully. She looked to Connie for guidance and found the older woman also lost in thought.
“Connie,” Liz whispered. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”
Jason flashed his light in her direction blinding Liz in the process.
“Hey, watch it!” Liz hissed, her vision momentarily impaired by the bright beam of light.
“Sorry,” Jason mumbled flashing the light down the darkened hallway behind Liz.
Liz watched as Jason’s expression changed from anxious to curious. He brushed past her and cautiously walked toward the corridor behind her.
“Connie,” Liz tapped their guide on the shoulder. When she turned, Liz hitched her head toward Jason who was moving quickly down the darkened hall behind them.
“Shit!” Connie swore, turning to follow Jason. “I told you guys to stick close.” Connie pursed her lips in anger motioning for Liz to follow her. “I don’t have time for this shit. We’ve got to get a move on.”
They crept down the dimly lit hallway and as they got closer to the corner, Liz noticed what it was that had caught Jason’s attention. A faint blue glow emanated from beneath one of the steel doors.
Jason reached for the knob turning it slightly. When it didn’t budge, he blew out a sigh.
“Locked,” he said disappointedly.
Liz looked at the expression on his face before switching her gaze back to the blue glow.
Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she spoke. “Here let me try. I have a thing with locks.”
She sidled past Jason brushing against his arm for a brief moment. She grasped the knob in her hand, closed her eyes and concentrated. She might as well test her burgeoning powers by doing something useful, although she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. She pictured disengaging the lock in her mind, a second later she opened them again and stared back in horror.
The metal knob had melted and lay disfigured against the door. She looked over at Jason who was staring at her open mouthed.
“How did you do that?” he asked in a whisper.
“I – I don’t know,” she stuttered. She looked at the melted metal then at her hand. There were no blemishes or blisters that she could see. Her skin looked normal.
Liz looked to Connie and saw that she was wearing the same expression as Jason.
Liz pulled her hand back and cradled it against her body. Why did she choose to do that? If only she could have kept her powers to herself.
Connie was the first to burst into action. She turned and reached for the melted handle, tentatively touching it to make sure that it had sufficiently cooled.
“How the hell are we going to open this door now?” Connie complained. “The lock is melted.”
“Step aside,” Jason ordered, pushing Connie away from the door. He stood back and with all his might kicked the metal door.
The sound that followed was deafening. It reverberated off the walls of the empty hall. Before any of them had a chance to recover from the shock of the noise, Jason raised his leg and kicked again. On the third kick, the door cracked open revealing a room in disarray.
Connie gingerly pushed the door open flashing her light around to make sure that nothing was lurking in the shadows.
Boxes were strewn all over the place. Pieces of broken glass littered the floor. The place was dark except the strange glowing emanating from behind the lab counter.
“What is that?” Liz breathed, already making her way toward the light source.
“I don’t know,” Connie replied, stepping aside as Jason brushed past her in order to get a better look at their object of fascination.
As soon as they rounded the counter, all three of them stopped in their tracks. Liz rubbed her eyes disbelievingly.
There, lying on the dirty laboratory floor, sat a blue, quarter-sized piece of crystal.
And it was pulsating.
tbc...
The trek to the base was short but arduous. Liz swallowed convulsively trying to wet her dry throat. She was thirsty, hungry, and tired. By the time they arrived at the perimeter of the base, all three of them needed to sit down and catch their breaths.
Connie pulled out a bottle of water from her pack and passed it to Liz. Liz nodded her thanks and took a quick pull from the bottle. She passed it back to Connie who then passed it to Jason. When all three of them had satisfied their thirst, Connie replaced the bottle back in the pack and re-tied the bandage on her arm.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going out first to check on the cameras. Then, I’ll pop out to the power outlet box over there,” Connie pointed to a dry, brown bush located a few meters away from the chain-linked fence. “And disconnect the feed. That should disable the outdoor cameras.
“Jason, you’ll need to sling that blanket over the barbed wire on the fence. We’re going to have to scale it and that blanket will prevent us from getting cut up.”
“Isn’t the fence electrified?” Liz asked.
“Not anymore. It used to be but since the base isn’t in use and the government is always trying to save money, that feature has been disabled,” Connie replied. She stood up and adjusted her gun.
“Okay I’ll be back in a sec.”
Liz watched Connie quickly scope the landscape before making her way to the fence. She waited as Connie observed the cameras from a safe distance making sure to conceal herself from the lens.
Liz took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had been a long time since she’d been in a dangerous situation. She was nervous and afraid. Worst of all, she was going into this situation with people she didn’t fully trust. Her only sense of security was tucked against her back. She had never fired a gun before and didn’t think she ever would. It was because of a gun that she was in this situation in the first place. The irony was not lost on her. One lone gun shot over a decade ago catapulted her into the world of aliens and government conspiracies.
Liz felt the hot sun against her back. She didn’t think it was a good idea that they were doing this in the middle of the day but she chose to remain silent since this might be her one opportunity to search for clues on Max’s disappearance.
Her eyes drifted to her companion who was also crouched low on the ground beside her. For a moment that morning, she could have sworn that it was Max that she was looking at. His eyes…they were the same tawny brown as her beloved’s but his face was not the same youthful countenance as Max. Jason’s features carried a lot more experience and maturity. But still, she couldn’t help but wonder.
Liz looked around and saw Connie disappear behind a dry desert bush. A moment later, she popped back up and scuttled close to the ground until she was back at her side.
“Okay, I checked the cameras and none of them appeared to be on, but just in case I disabled the outer power grid. I’m pretty sure that the outer security ran on the main power line and I’ve just switched it off so we should be okay. Just stick with me when we get inside,” Connie explained breathlessly. “You guys got all your equipment?”
Jason held up his Maglite and Liz turned so that the gun on her waist-side was visible.
Connie nodded in approval. “Alright. Let’s go.”
The three of them quickly ran across the distance that separated them from the base. When they reached the perimeter fence, Connie ordered Jason to toss the blanket up so that it draped across the barbed wiring at the top. As soon as the blanket was set, she instructed Liz to climb up.
Liz turned to Connie questioningly. What if she was walking into a trap? What if Connie was the enemy?
As if sensing her thoughts, Connie raised an eyebrow. “Relax, Liz. I’m not out to get you. I’m in the same boat you are and the faster we do this the better. Now let’s go.”
Liz took a final look at her companions and took a deep breath. She hoisted herself up off the ground and began the climb over. Once her feet touched the ground on the other side, Jason began to climb. Soon enough all three of them were standing on the base-side of the fence.
Connie wasted no time in standing around. She jogged toward the concrete building motioning for Jason and Liz to follow her. The three of them moved stealthily alongside the building until they reached a steel door.
Connie reached forward and turned the knob.
Nothing.
Swearing under her breath she tried again this time with more force.
Again nothing.
“What’s going on?” Liz hissed, her eyes darting back and forth. The longer they stood outside the greater their risk was of being exposed.
“It’s locked,” Connie grunted.
“Wasn’t it locked when you came here the first time?” Jason asked.
“Yeah but I made sure to leave it unlocked,” Connie grunted using her shoulder to push the door. When it still didn’t give, she stood back and stared at the door thinking of ways to open it.
Making up her mind, she turned to Jason. “Grab the blanket off the fence and bring it here. Quickly.” When Jason returned, she took the blanket from him, pulled the gun out from behind her back and wrapped the fleece around the gun.
“What are you doing?” Liz asked.
“I’m making an impromptu silencer,” Connie replied. “Now stand back.”
She fired off two shots at the door jamb, causing Liz and Jason to jump back. Sparks flew and when the dust settled a crack could be seen between the door and the jamb.
Connie replaced the gun on her waistband and stuffed the blanket in her backpack. “Let’s go.”
The three of them cautiously entered flicking on their Maglites.
The place was dusty, having been abandoned for several years. Cobwebs were abundant on doorways and corners. From where they stood, Liz could see several closed doors and intersecting hallways.
Connie was right. This place was a maze.
Out of nervousness, Liz reached for her gun, shifting it to the front of her pants. She didn’t have the benefit of a Maglite so she made sure to stick close to her companions. Connie shone her light down the hallway and Liz fought off a shiver. It was eerie. The only light being the amber emergency spotlights mounted on the walls.
“Connie, I thought you said that you cut all the power out?” Liz hissed, her trepidation kicking up another notch.
“These spotlights run on auxiliary power. The switch is located in the basement. Don’t worry. Only emergency equipment runs on it,” Connie assured them.
They moved carefully through the hall making sure to avoid any upturned equipment, although they were few and far in between.
Liz’s eyes swept the hallways. The walls were bare and dusty from age, but surprisingly undamaged. She reached out and jiggled the closest door finding it locked. She did this systematically with each door as they walked down the hall.
They reached the end of one corridor and stopped. They were at an intersecting point. Liz looked to her left and then to her right at the eerily lit hallways and chewed her lip thoughtfully. She looked to Connie for guidance and found the older woman also lost in thought.
“Connie,” Liz whispered. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”
Jason flashed his light in her direction blinding Liz in the process.
“Hey, watch it!” Liz hissed, her vision momentarily impaired by the bright beam of light.
“Sorry,” Jason mumbled flashing the light down the darkened hallway behind Liz.
Liz watched as Jason’s expression changed from anxious to curious. He brushed past her and cautiously walked toward the corridor behind her.
“Connie,” Liz tapped their guide on the shoulder. When she turned, Liz hitched her head toward Jason who was moving quickly down the darkened hall behind them.
“Shit!” Connie swore, turning to follow Jason. “I told you guys to stick close.” Connie pursed her lips in anger motioning for Liz to follow her. “I don’t have time for this shit. We’ve got to get a move on.”
They crept down the dimly lit hallway and as they got closer to the corner, Liz noticed what it was that had caught Jason’s attention. A faint blue glow emanated from beneath one of the steel doors.
Jason reached for the knob turning it slightly. When it didn’t budge, he blew out a sigh.
“Locked,” he said disappointedly.
Liz looked at the expression on his face before switching her gaze back to the blue glow.
Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she spoke. “Here let me try. I have a thing with locks.”
She sidled past Jason brushing against his arm for a brief moment. She grasped the knob in her hand, closed her eyes and concentrated. She might as well test her burgeoning powers by doing something useful, although she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. She pictured disengaging the lock in her mind, a second later she opened them again and stared back in horror.
The metal knob had melted and lay disfigured against the door. She looked over at Jason who was staring at her open mouthed.
“How did you do that?” he asked in a whisper.
“I – I don’t know,” she stuttered. She looked at the melted metal then at her hand. There were no blemishes or blisters that she could see. Her skin looked normal.
Liz looked to Connie and saw that she was wearing the same expression as Jason.
Liz pulled her hand back and cradled it against her body. Why did she choose to do that? If only she could have kept her powers to herself.
Connie was the first to burst into action. She turned and reached for the melted handle, tentatively touching it to make sure that it had sufficiently cooled.
“How the hell are we going to open this door now?” Connie complained. “The lock is melted.”
“Step aside,” Jason ordered, pushing Connie away from the door. He stood back and with all his might kicked the metal door.
The sound that followed was deafening. It reverberated off the walls of the empty hall. Before any of them had a chance to recover from the shock of the noise, Jason raised his leg and kicked again. On the third kick, the door cracked open revealing a room in disarray.
Connie gingerly pushed the door open flashing her light around to make sure that nothing was lurking in the shadows.
Boxes were strewn all over the place. Pieces of broken glass littered the floor. The place was dark except the strange glowing emanating from behind the lab counter.
“What is that?” Liz breathed, already making her way toward the light source.
“I don’t know,” Connie replied, stepping aside as Jason brushed past her in order to get a better look at their object of fascination.
As soon as they rounded the counter, all three of them stopped in their tracks. Liz rubbed her eyes disbelievingly.
There, lying on the dirty laboratory floor, sat a blue, quarter-sized piece of crystal.
And it was pulsating.
tbc...
Happy Fall Equinox, everyone!
Just a brief note about the story... This jumps off from Max to the Max when Max gets kidnapped by Agent Pierce, therefore, nothing past that episode has happened hence certain events will have changed. I will take bits and pieces of topics covered in Season 2 and twist it to make it fit the story so be forewarned.
___________________
<center>Chapter 19</center>
Liz, Jason, and Connie stood back staring at the small piece of crystal.
“Holy shit,” Jason whispered in awe.
“It’s pulsing,” Liz said, equally fascinated.
Jason bent down and reached for the crystal.
“No! Don’t touch it!” Liz and Connie exclaimed in unison, but it was too late. Jason had picked up the object and was cradling it in the palm of his hand.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” Connie berated. “That could be radio-active. And we could be standing here getting poisoned as we speak.”
The crystal stopped pulsing and began to glow brighter. Jason held it up to his eyes and stared.
“I don’t think its radio-active,” he murmured, perusing the crystal.
“How do you know?” Liz asked skeptically. Jason shrugged in response.
“I suggest you put that down,” Connie warned.
Jason looked up at Connie and noticed her stern expression. Slowly, he placed the quartz on the table and backed away. As soon as Jason stepped back, the glow dimmed and once again the crystal began to pulsate.
“Woah!” Liz breathed. “Did anyone else notice that?”
Liz looked around and saw Connie and Jason nod. She had never seen anything like it. It was almost as if it was alive. Curiosity getting the better of her, Liz leaned forward and bent down so that she was at eye level with the crystal.
The pulsing was mesmerizing. Despite its size, its beauty was incomparable. Its bluish glow was almost unearthly.
“Have you ever seen anything like this before, Connie?” Liz asked keeping her eyes trained on the crystal.
“No, I never came across this during my term here,” Connie replied equally mesmerized by the crystal.
Slowly, Liz extended her arm and let her hand hover over the pulsing object. Just like before the pulsing slowed to a stop and it began to emit a soft dim glow.
Liz let out a breath in awe, the scientist in her rousing. It seemed that the crystal glowed anytime a person came near it. Liz turned her head and looked over at Connie. The older woman stood stock still staring at the crystal on the counter, her face illuminated by the bluish glow.
“Connie, can you come forward and touch this?” Liz asked, pulling her hand back.
Connie shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We still don’t know what it is.”
“Please. I just need to know something,” Liz pleaded.
Connie pursed her lips in indecision. Reluctantly, she moved to stand beside Liz and reached forward brushing her hand quickly against the crystal.
Liz looked on eagerly waiting for a similar reaction and was surprised when nothing happened.
“Do that again,” she directed. Connie passed her hand over the object again and got the same results. Nothing.
“Well that’s strange,” Liz commented.
“Yeah,” Jason agreed.
They both turned and looked at each other, a mixture of fear and curiosity in their eyes.
Connie immediately began rifling through the debris around them.
“We need to find a container to put that crystal in. It needs to be tested,” Connie explained. “We don’t have a lot of time and we need to get moving.”
Jason and Liz took off on opposite sides of the room in search of a container.
A minute later, Jason popped up holding a small jar. “Here, we can use this.” He held the jar out to Connie who cautiously placed the small crystal into it.
“We need to cover this with something,” Connie said searching through the mess.
Liz held up a flat, black rubber lid. “How about this?” She handed the lid to Connie who then capped off the container.
“Okay, I think we really need to get out of here,” Liz couldn’t ignore her anxiety any longer. There was just something about the whole place that didn’t feel right.
“Fine. Let’s go,” Connie pointed her Maglite to the door leading her two companions back out into the hall.
Once they were back out into the dry, desert heat Liz let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. They needed to put as much distance between them and the base as soon as possible. If this military base was some sort of underground testing facility then she knew that they didn’t take kindly to trespassers.
“C’mon,” Connie waved them to follow her over to the fence. She ripped open her pack, pulled out the blanket and draped it back over the top of the fence. She ordered both Jason and Liz to climb over, putting herself last. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they took off running back to the car.
“Wait the blanket!” Liz exclaimed turning back toward the fence.
Jason looked back before and saw their mistake. “Just go! I’ll take care of it.”
Liz looked at Jason questioningly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch up with you guys,” he assured her.
Liz watched him jog back to the fence. Her stomach was in knots torn between helping him and self-preservation.
“C’mon Liz, let’s get moving,” Connie urged. Liz stood her ground, waving her hand to staid their guide’s insistence.
She watched as Jason tugged at the blanket, struggling with it as it caught on the barbed wiring above. When a corner of it hooked on a particularly sharp barb, Jason reached forward and used the fence as leverage. The moment his fingers touched the wiring, there was a buzz in the air and Jason shot backwards falling flat on his back.
“Jason!” Liz screamed, running at break-neck speed toward him.
Connie turned and saw Jason lying prone on the desert floor. “Aw shit!”
Liz dropped to her knees the moment she reached Jason, her hands automatically reaching for his face.
“Jason, wake up,” she pleaded, slapping his face. “Oh my god! Please don’t be dead.”
Connie knelt beside Liz and pushed her aside. “Here let me see.”
“I thought you said you’d cut off all the power?” Liz accused.
“I did. I shut off the outer perimeter and Level 1. I don’t know what could have happened,” Connie replied frantically checking Jason’s pulse.
Liz pulled her hands away and sat back on her feet. She watched as Connie checked Jason’s vital signs.
“He’s still alive. His pulse is steady but a bit erratic,” Connie ran her hands up his face and paused at his eyes. She lifted his lids to check on his pupils but stumbled back at what she saw.
Jason’s pupils were so fully dilated that it had stretched to encompass his irises. His eyes which were typically a dark, hazel hue were now completely black.
“What?” Liz asked.
“His eyes…,” Connie trailed off.
Liz looked at her not understanding what was happening. Liz followed Connie’s gaze and reached for Jason’s eyelids. She gasped when his eyes were once again revealed.
“Oh my god!” Liz breathed, releasing Jason’s lids. She turned to Connie looking for answers.
“What the hell is going on?” Liz accused.
Connie ran her hand through her disheveled, dark hair. “I don’t know what to tell you, Liz. I only know what I know. Maybe the crystal – ” Connie immediately stopped and sat up.
“We better – ” Liz began but was cut off by Connie.
“Shh!” Connie placed her forefinger against her lips indicating that Liz should keep quiet. The former lieutenant sat back up to her knees and listened intently searching the desert wind for any foreign sound.
A moment later, a faint sound of a humming engine floated toward them.
Liz’s eyes grew wide in panic, propelling Connie into action.
“C’mon, let’s grab Jason and get out of here,” she barked, struggling to lift Jason off the ground. “Whoever that is will be here soon and we’ve got quite a walk ahead of us.”
Liz immediately stepped in and grabbed one of Jason’s arms hoisting it over her shoulder.
They traversed through the desert making sure to conceal themselves whenever possible. They paused every few minutes to listen to the sound of the engine as it approached.
“We have to move faster,” Connie panted. “We have to get out of here before they reach us.”
“Won’t they see us?” Liz asked fearfully. “There’s only one road into the base.”
Connie shook her head. “No, there isn’t. There’s a back road that’s rarely used.”
By the time they reached the car, Liz was exhausted. She slumped against the passenger door as Connie fiddled with the latch.
“What the hell was that in there?” Connie asked, easing an unconscious Jason into the back seat.
“What are you talking about?” Liz asked confused.
Connie slid a sideways glance at her. “I mean about the lock. How were you able to melt it?”
Liz sat in silence, mulling over her answer. She didn’t understand what had possessed her to use her powers in front of them. It wasn’t like she even trusted them. In fact, her actions were more selfish than selfless; her quest to find Max being her motivation.
She felt Connie’s questioning eyes on her. “I – I don’t know.” Liz kept her eyes trained straight ahead unable to look at Connie for fear that her lie would be discovered.
At her silence, Connie started the engine and began to maneuver the car through the rough, desert road.
Liz let out a breath. At least the subject of her powers would be dropped at the moment. “Where are we going?”
“To get the specimen tested,” Connie replied. At the mention of the word specimen, Liz’s eyes drifted to the backpack lying on the car floor.
When they entered the base, she never expected that they would find something of value. After all, it looked as if it had been abandoned for years. What really surprised her was the fact that this valuable piece of evidence had been left behind by the military, an organization known for its efficiency. It didn’t sit right with her. In her experience, nothing was ever as it seemed.
“Do you know someone who can test it for us?” Liz asked, tearing her eyes from the backseat.
“I know a guy who knows a guy.”
“Can they be trusted?”
“We’ll find out won’t we,” Connie smirked.
A sudden moan interrupted their conversation. Liz swiveled around and saw Jason staring at her with wide eyes.
“Liz?”
tbc...
Just a brief note about the story... This jumps off from Max to the Max when Max gets kidnapped by Agent Pierce, therefore, nothing past that episode has happened hence certain events will have changed. I will take bits and pieces of topics covered in Season 2 and twist it to make it fit the story so be forewarned.
___________________
<center>Chapter 19</center>
Liz, Jason, and Connie stood back staring at the small piece of crystal.
“Holy shit,” Jason whispered in awe.
“It’s pulsing,” Liz said, equally fascinated.
Jason bent down and reached for the crystal.
“No! Don’t touch it!” Liz and Connie exclaimed in unison, but it was too late. Jason had picked up the object and was cradling it in the palm of his hand.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” Connie berated. “That could be radio-active. And we could be standing here getting poisoned as we speak.”
The crystal stopped pulsing and began to glow brighter. Jason held it up to his eyes and stared.
“I don’t think its radio-active,” he murmured, perusing the crystal.
“How do you know?” Liz asked skeptically. Jason shrugged in response.
“I suggest you put that down,” Connie warned.
Jason looked up at Connie and noticed her stern expression. Slowly, he placed the quartz on the table and backed away. As soon as Jason stepped back, the glow dimmed and once again the crystal began to pulsate.
“Woah!” Liz breathed. “Did anyone else notice that?”
Liz looked around and saw Connie and Jason nod. She had never seen anything like it. It was almost as if it was alive. Curiosity getting the better of her, Liz leaned forward and bent down so that she was at eye level with the crystal.
The pulsing was mesmerizing. Despite its size, its beauty was incomparable. Its bluish glow was almost unearthly.
“Have you ever seen anything like this before, Connie?” Liz asked keeping her eyes trained on the crystal.
“No, I never came across this during my term here,” Connie replied equally mesmerized by the crystal.
Slowly, Liz extended her arm and let her hand hover over the pulsing object. Just like before the pulsing slowed to a stop and it began to emit a soft dim glow.
Liz let out a breath in awe, the scientist in her rousing. It seemed that the crystal glowed anytime a person came near it. Liz turned her head and looked over at Connie. The older woman stood stock still staring at the crystal on the counter, her face illuminated by the bluish glow.
“Connie, can you come forward and touch this?” Liz asked, pulling her hand back.
Connie shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We still don’t know what it is.”
“Please. I just need to know something,” Liz pleaded.
Connie pursed her lips in indecision. Reluctantly, she moved to stand beside Liz and reached forward brushing her hand quickly against the crystal.
Liz looked on eagerly waiting for a similar reaction and was surprised when nothing happened.
“Do that again,” she directed. Connie passed her hand over the object again and got the same results. Nothing.
“Well that’s strange,” Liz commented.
“Yeah,” Jason agreed.
They both turned and looked at each other, a mixture of fear and curiosity in their eyes.
Connie immediately began rifling through the debris around them.
“We need to find a container to put that crystal in. It needs to be tested,” Connie explained. “We don’t have a lot of time and we need to get moving.”
Jason and Liz took off on opposite sides of the room in search of a container.
A minute later, Jason popped up holding a small jar. “Here, we can use this.” He held the jar out to Connie who cautiously placed the small crystal into it.
“We need to cover this with something,” Connie said searching through the mess.
Liz held up a flat, black rubber lid. “How about this?” She handed the lid to Connie who then capped off the container.
“Okay, I think we really need to get out of here,” Liz couldn’t ignore her anxiety any longer. There was just something about the whole place that didn’t feel right.
“Fine. Let’s go,” Connie pointed her Maglite to the door leading her two companions back out into the hall.
Once they were back out into the dry, desert heat Liz let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. They needed to put as much distance between them and the base as soon as possible. If this military base was some sort of underground testing facility then she knew that they didn’t take kindly to trespassers.
“C’mon,” Connie waved them to follow her over to the fence. She ripped open her pack, pulled out the blanket and draped it back over the top of the fence. She ordered both Jason and Liz to climb over, putting herself last. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they took off running back to the car.
“Wait the blanket!” Liz exclaimed turning back toward the fence.
Jason looked back before and saw their mistake. “Just go! I’ll take care of it.”
Liz looked at Jason questioningly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch up with you guys,” he assured her.
Liz watched him jog back to the fence. Her stomach was in knots torn between helping him and self-preservation.
“C’mon Liz, let’s get moving,” Connie urged. Liz stood her ground, waving her hand to staid their guide’s insistence.
She watched as Jason tugged at the blanket, struggling with it as it caught on the barbed wiring above. When a corner of it hooked on a particularly sharp barb, Jason reached forward and used the fence as leverage. The moment his fingers touched the wiring, there was a buzz in the air and Jason shot backwards falling flat on his back.
“Jason!” Liz screamed, running at break-neck speed toward him.
Connie turned and saw Jason lying prone on the desert floor. “Aw shit!”
Liz dropped to her knees the moment she reached Jason, her hands automatically reaching for his face.
“Jason, wake up,” she pleaded, slapping his face. “Oh my god! Please don’t be dead.”
Connie knelt beside Liz and pushed her aside. “Here let me see.”
“I thought you said you’d cut off all the power?” Liz accused.
“I did. I shut off the outer perimeter and Level 1. I don’t know what could have happened,” Connie replied frantically checking Jason’s pulse.
Liz pulled her hands away and sat back on her feet. She watched as Connie checked Jason’s vital signs.
“He’s still alive. His pulse is steady but a bit erratic,” Connie ran her hands up his face and paused at his eyes. She lifted his lids to check on his pupils but stumbled back at what she saw.
Jason’s pupils were so fully dilated that it had stretched to encompass his irises. His eyes which were typically a dark, hazel hue were now completely black.
“What?” Liz asked.
“His eyes…,” Connie trailed off.
Liz looked at her not understanding what was happening. Liz followed Connie’s gaze and reached for Jason’s eyelids. She gasped when his eyes were once again revealed.
“Oh my god!” Liz breathed, releasing Jason’s lids. She turned to Connie looking for answers.
“What the hell is going on?” Liz accused.
Connie ran her hand through her disheveled, dark hair. “I don’t know what to tell you, Liz. I only know what I know. Maybe the crystal – ” Connie immediately stopped and sat up.
“We better – ” Liz began but was cut off by Connie.
“Shh!” Connie placed her forefinger against her lips indicating that Liz should keep quiet. The former lieutenant sat back up to her knees and listened intently searching the desert wind for any foreign sound.
A moment later, a faint sound of a humming engine floated toward them.
Liz’s eyes grew wide in panic, propelling Connie into action.
“C’mon, let’s grab Jason and get out of here,” she barked, struggling to lift Jason off the ground. “Whoever that is will be here soon and we’ve got quite a walk ahead of us.”
Liz immediately stepped in and grabbed one of Jason’s arms hoisting it over her shoulder.
They traversed through the desert making sure to conceal themselves whenever possible. They paused every few minutes to listen to the sound of the engine as it approached.
“We have to move faster,” Connie panted. “We have to get out of here before they reach us.”
“Won’t they see us?” Liz asked fearfully. “There’s only one road into the base.”
Connie shook her head. “No, there isn’t. There’s a back road that’s rarely used.”
By the time they reached the car, Liz was exhausted. She slumped against the passenger door as Connie fiddled with the latch.
“What the hell was that in there?” Connie asked, easing an unconscious Jason into the back seat.
“What are you talking about?” Liz asked confused.
Connie slid a sideways glance at her. “I mean about the lock. How were you able to melt it?”
Liz sat in silence, mulling over her answer. She didn’t understand what had possessed her to use her powers in front of them. It wasn’t like she even trusted them. In fact, her actions were more selfish than selfless; her quest to find Max being her motivation.
She felt Connie’s questioning eyes on her. “I – I don’t know.” Liz kept her eyes trained straight ahead unable to look at Connie for fear that her lie would be discovered.
At her silence, Connie started the engine and began to maneuver the car through the rough, desert road.
Liz let out a breath. At least the subject of her powers would be dropped at the moment. “Where are we going?”
“To get the specimen tested,” Connie replied. At the mention of the word specimen, Liz’s eyes drifted to the backpack lying on the car floor.
When they entered the base, she never expected that they would find something of value. After all, it looked as if it had been abandoned for years. What really surprised her was the fact that this valuable piece of evidence had been left behind by the military, an organization known for its efficiency. It didn’t sit right with her. In her experience, nothing was ever as it seemed.
“Do you know someone who can test it for us?” Liz asked, tearing her eyes from the backseat.
“I know a guy who knows a guy.”
“Can they be trusted?”
“We’ll find out won’t we,” Connie smirked.
A sudden moan interrupted their conversation. Liz swiveled around and saw Jason staring at her with wide eyes.
“Liz?”
tbc...
Dean: I wanted to ask you, because I couldn't help but notice that you are two tons of fun, just curious: is that, like, a thyroid problem, or is it some deep-seated self-esteem issue? 'Cause, you know. They're just donuts. Not love.
Hello, you lurkers!
________________________
Chapter 20
“Liz?”
“Jason, your nose!” Liz reached for him. “It’s bleeding!”
Jason touched a finger to his upper lip and sure enough there was blood.
Liz took off her seatbelt and crawled over her seat to sit beside him. She looked around the back seat for a loose piece of cloth to blot his nose with. When she found none, she reached for the hem of her cotton sweater quickly pulling it up and over her head. She bent down to ball the sweater up when she felt a gentle hand caress her face.
Her eyes shot up and saw that Jason was staring at her intently. She felt a shiver run through her body as Jason’s eyes roved over her face.
“Why do I remember you?” he whispered, his thumbs brushing against her lower lip. “Intimate memories…of your eyes…your lips…you…”
Liz’s vision blurred for a moment as she struggled to push the lump that had formed in her throat. Her beloved’s name rested on the tip of her tongue but she was afraid to say it out loud.
Her eyes met his and it felt like a punch to the gut. He recognized her, she knew that for sure but yet his bright eyes were clouded by fear and confusion.
“What do you remember?” she whispered, struggling to get the words out of her mouth.
Jason closed his eyes for a moment, his dark lashes fanning his cheeks. “I remember a kitchen,” he smiled. “Soft lips…stars…and strawberries.”
Liz’s heart leaped up to her throat. It was impossible. It couldn’t be. Dare she hope?
“Do you – do you remember your name?”
Jason opened his eyes and was slow to answer. “Yeah, Ma…no,” he shook his head. “Jason Stevens.”
Like a bucket of cold water, Liz was snapped out of the moment. She pressed her sweater up to his nose. “You better hold this until the bleeding stops.”
She couldn’t look at Jason, couldn’t take the risk that he’d see the hope in her eyes or the way her heart was breaking.
“Did I – did I do something wrong?” Jason asked tentatively.
Liz shook her head. “No. Everything’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She couldn’t help the gruffness in her voice.
“Is everything alright back there?” Connie called, glancing at them from the rearview mirror.
“Ye – yeah, everything’s okay,” Liz stuttered. “Jason’s just having a little nosebleed but we’ve taken care of it.”
“Okay,” Connie drawled unconvinced.
Liz felt the heat of Jason’s gaze on her but refused to look at him. Why was fate being so cruel to her?
Jason held the soft piece of cotton up to his nose. The scent of Liz’s soap and warm body danced over his senses, causing his eyes to drift close.
In his mind’s eye, he heard her moan and throw her head back as he ravaged her with desperate kisses.
His eyes flew open at the vivid memory, his body reacting in its natural way.
Liz Parker was a variable stranger, yet she managed to stir up feelings in him that he had never felt before. He felt a peculiar, almost primal attraction to her. It was inexplicable yet powerful.
Suddenly, sharp pain pierced through his head that had him doubling over.
“Are you okay?” he heard her ask, feeling her concern for him even before he heard her voice.
He tried to answer but his words came out in sharp puffs of air. The throbbing was too much. He could only manage to cradle his head in agony.
He barely heard Liz’s panicked voice as she begged Connie to stop.
He lowered himself to the seat and curled into a ball across her lap. He felt soft hands push his hair back from his sweat-covered brow and a gentle voice whispered to him that he would be okay.
The pain zinging through his head was tremendous. The urge to vomit was overwhelming. He tried opening his eyes but the light made the throbbing even worse. He’d suffered from migraines since his late teens but never one as intense as this. Worse, the pain was accompanied by images flashing through his mind. Gossamer images that were foreign yet familiar, almost like a distant memory. The vision came in rapid fire speed until it all blurred into an image of a familiar face covered in blood. Her eyes, once full of life, stared blankly into space as death took her body.
“Noo!” Jason screamed.
“Connie, what’s happening to him?” Liz asked, panic evident in her tone.
“I don’t know,” Connie replied, stopping the car haphazardly. She unlocked her seat belt and bent over the seat to attend to Jason, who was now covered in a fine sheet of sweat. She caught Liz’s gaze and saw the fear swimming in the young woman’s eyes.
Connie leaned over and tapped Jason’s cheeks trying valiantly to rouse him. “Jason, can you hear me? You need to open your eyes.”
“No, no, she can’t die,” Jason muttered completely oblivious to the panic rising around him.
“Who can’t die?” Connie asked. “Jason, open your eyes.”
“He’s shaking!” Liz laid her hands on Jason’s body. “I think he might be having a seizure!”
Connie swore as she mentally went through her medical training. “Okay, try to get him to open his eyes while I grab the med kit from the trunk.” She pushed open her door and stepped out. Nothing in her training had prepared her for anything like this.
Maybe the Special Unit had a valid reason for studying him after all.
Liz watched Connie step out of the car while cradling a shaking Jason on her lap.
She looked down on him and once again panic gripped her heart. What was happening to him? Despite her suspicion, she was still concerned about his well-being.
Everything was so out of control, and control was something Liz always needed.
She had always been a planner. She was always the one everyone turned to for answers to their questions and dilemmas but this, this was something she didn’t know how to handle. She didn’t have her friends around her. She was alone in the middle of the desert with two virtual strangers and no resources to turn to.
Jason’s mumbling continued, drawing her attention to him once more.
“I…I don’t know what they are….Liz….she doesn’t know anything….Michael…no! Isabel!”
Liz’s eyes widened at his uttered words. Isabel and Michael. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. Summoning all her strength, she took a chance. She couldn’t deny herself any longer. She had to find out.
“Max? Max, I need you to listen to me,” she said calmly, almost soothingly. “I need you to open your eyes. I need you to look at me.” Her hands moved to cup his face, willing him to hear her.
“It’s me, Liz. Please Max,” an errant sob escaped her throat but she valiantly suppressed any further tears.
“I know you’re scared, Max…a-and I am t-too. But I need you to hear me. I need you to open your eyes.”
As if on cue, Jason’s eyes fluttered open and Liz was taken aback by what she saw. Once again, his irises were large and completely black. He blinked up at her and slowly raised his hand to caress her face.
“Liz,” he breathed, sending shivers along her skin.
Their eyes connected and she felt herself being unwillingly pulled in.
Connie searched the trunk of the car for the large, red medi-pack, swearing beneath her breath. What had she gotten herself into? To think she used to be a decorated, Air Force lieutenant. She used to be a doctor.
And she used to be blonde, damn it!
She’d spent years on the run and she was tired of all the subterfuge. She wanted to be able to step outside her door and not have to worry about being a walking target. She wanted to reclaim her life again.
She’d thought Jason Stevens was the key to achieving her goal but now she was starting to rethink that decision. How was he supposed to help her when it was he who kept needing her help?
Not only that but now she had to add Liz Parker to her list of wards.
It would have been so easy if they just listened to her instructions. Now it was up to her to get them back on track.
She pulled the med-kit out and closed the trunk with a thud. She walked to the back passenger doors and pulled it open. She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped short.
Jason lay on his back facing Liz, who in turn was staring back at Jason. Their hands were touching each other’s faces while their gazes were locked on one another. She noticed that they weren’t moving. Even the rise and fall of their chests were barely visible. It was eerie.
Connie had seen a lot of things during her life but this one was for the books. She wasn’t sure whether she should break them apart or let them continue.
She was saved from making a decision as Jason’s hand slipped from Liz’s face.
For a moment the three of them stood in silence awed by what had just occurred. Liz was the first one to take action as she burst into heart-wrenching sobs. Connie’s eyes slipped to Jason and saw that he too was in tears.
“It’s you…oh god, it’s you,” Liz kept repeating as her hands roamed Jason’s face.
Jason pushed himself up to a sitting position and cradled Liz in his arms as she buried her face in his chest, neither of them paying any attention to Connie.
It was painful to watch the two of them interact. Liz’s sobs were so deep that Connie couldn’t help the tears that formed in her eyes.
Connie felt almost like a voyeur watching the two of them comfort each other. It was like two bodies had converged to make one form, so wrapped up were they with each other.
“G-guys?” Connie croaked, hating to interrupt their moment. “What’s going on?”
Jason and Liz turned collective watery gazes toward Connie.
It was Liz who spoke first. “I’ve found Max.”
tbc...[/i]
________________________
Chapter 20
“Liz?”
“Jason, your nose!” Liz reached for him. “It’s bleeding!”
Jason touched a finger to his upper lip and sure enough there was blood.
Liz took off her seatbelt and crawled over her seat to sit beside him. She looked around the back seat for a loose piece of cloth to blot his nose with. When she found none, she reached for the hem of her cotton sweater quickly pulling it up and over her head. She bent down to ball the sweater up when she felt a gentle hand caress her face.
Her eyes shot up and saw that Jason was staring at her intently. She felt a shiver run through her body as Jason’s eyes roved over her face.
“Why do I remember you?” he whispered, his thumbs brushing against her lower lip. “Intimate memories…of your eyes…your lips…you…”
Liz’s vision blurred for a moment as she struggled to push the lump that had formed in her throat. Her beloved’s name rested on the tip of her tongue but she was afraid to say it out loud.
Her eyes met his and it felt like a punch to the gut. He recognized her, she knew that for sure but yet his bright eyes were clouded by fear and confusion.
“What do you remember?” she whispered, struggling to get the words out of her mouth.
Jason closed his eyes for a moment, his dark lashes fanning his cheeks. “I remember a kitchen,” he smiled. “Soft lips…stars…and strawberries.”
Liz’s heart leaped up to her throat. It was impossible. It couldn’t be. Dare she hope?
“Do you – do you remember your name?”
Jason opened his eyes and was slow to answer. “Yeah, Ma…no,” he shook his head. “Jason Stevens.”
Like a bucket of cold water, Liz was snapped out of the moment. She pressed her sweater up to his nose. “You better hold this until the bleeding stops.”
She couldn’t look at Jason, couldn’t take the risk that he’d see the hope in her eyes or the way her heart was breaking.
“Did I – did I do something wrong?” Jason asked tentatively.
Liz shook her head. “No. Everything’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She couldn’t help the gruffness in her voice.
“Is everything alright back there?” Connie called, glancing at them from the rearview mirror.
“Ye – yeah, everything’s okay,” Liz stuttered. “Jason’s just having a little nosebleed but we’ve taken care of it.”
“Okay,” Connie drawled unconvinced.
Liz felt the heat of Jason’s gaze on her but refused to look at him. Why was fate being so cruel to her?
Jason held the soft piece of cotton up to his nose. The scent of Liz’s soap and warm body danced over his senses, causing his eyes to drift close.
In his mind’s eye, he heard her moan and throw her head back as he ravaged her with desperate kisses.
His eyes flew open at the vivid memory, his body reacting in its natural way.
Liz Parker was a variable stranger, yet she managed to stir up feelings in him that he had never felt before. He felt a peculiar, almost primal attraction to her. It was inexplicable yet powerful.
Suddenly, sharp pain pierced through his head that had him doubling over.
“Are you okay?” he heard her ask, feeling her concern for him even before he heard her voice.
He tried to answer but his words came out in sharp puffs of air. The throbbing was too much. He could only manage to cradle his head in agony.
He barely heard Liz’s panicked voice as she begged Connie to stop.
He lowered himself to the seat and curled into a ball across her lap. He felt soft hands push his hair back from his sweat-covered brow and a gentle voice whispered to him that he would be okay.
The pain zinging through his head was tremendous. The urge to vomit was overwhelming. He tried opening his eyes but the light made the throbbing even worse. He’d suffered from migraines since his late teens but never one as intense as this. Worse, the pain was accompanied by images flashing through his mind. Gossamer images that were foreign yet familiar, almost like a distant memory. The vision came in rapid fire speed until it all blurred into an image of a familiar face covered in blood. Her eyes, once full of life, stared blankly into space as death took her body.
“Noo!” Jason screamed.
“Connie, what’s happening to him?” Liz asked, panic evident in her tone.
“I don’t know,” Connie replied, stopping the car haphazardly. She unlocked her seat belt and bent over the seat to attend to Jason, who was now covered in a fine sheet of sweat. She caught Liz’s gaze and saw the fear swimming in the young woman’s eyes.
Connie leaned over and tapped Jason’s cheeks trying valiantly to rouse him. “Jason, can you hear me? You need to open your eyes.”
“No, no, she can’t die,” Jason muttered completely oblivious to the panic rising around him.
“Who can’t die?” Connie asked. “Jason, open your eyes.”
“He’s shaking!” Liz laid her hands on Jason’s body. “I think he might be having a seizure!”
Connie swore as she mentally went through her medical training. “Okay, try to get him to open his eyes while I grab the med kit from the trunk.” She pushed open her door and stepped out. Nothing in her training had prepared her for anything like this.
Maybe the Special Unit had a valid reason for studying him after all.
Liz watched Connie step out of the car while cradling a shaking Jason on her lap.
She looked down on him and once again panic gripped her heart. What was happening to him? Despite her suspicion, she was still concerned about his well-being.
Everything was so out of control, and control was something Liz always needed.
She had always been a planner. She was always the one everyone turned to for answers to their questions and dilemmas but this, this was something she didn’t know how to handle. She didn’t have her friends around her. She was alone in the middle of the desert with two virtual strangers and no resources to turn to.
Jason’s mumbling continued, drawing her attention to him once more.
“I…I don’t know what they are….Liz….she doesn’t know anything….Michael…no! Isabel!”
Liz’s eyes widened at his uttered words. Isabel and Michael. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. Summoning all her strength, she took a chance. She couldn’t deny herself any longer. She had to find out.
“Max? Max, I need you to listen to me,” she said calmly, almost soothingly. “I need you to open your eyes. I need you to look at me.” Her hands moved to cup his face, willing him to hear her.
“It’s me, Liz. Please Max,” an errant sob escaped her throat but she valiantly suppressed any further tears.
“I know you’re scared, Max…a-and I am t-too. But I need you to hear me. I need you to open your eyes.”
As if on cue, Jason’s eyes fluttered open and Liz was taken aback by what she saw. Once again, his irises were large and completely black. He blinked up at her and slowly raised his hand to caress her face.
“Liz,” he breathed, sending shivers along her skin.
Their eyes connected and she felt herself being unwillingly pulled in.
Connie searched the trunk of the car for the large, red medi-pack, swearing beneath her breath. What had she gotten herself into? To think she used to be a decorated, Air Force lieutenant. She used to be a doctor.
And she used to be blonde, damn it!
She’d spent years on the run and she was tired of all the subterfuge. She wanted to be able to step outside her door and not have to worry about being a walking target. She wanted to reclaim her life again.
She’d thought Jason Stevens was the key to achieving her goal but now she was starting to rethink that decision. How was he supposed to help her when it was he who kept needing her help?
Not only that but now she had to add Liz Parker to her list of wards.
It would have been so easy if they just listened to her instructions. Now it was up to her to get them back on track.
She pulled the med-kit out and closed the trunk with a thud. She walked to the back passenger doors and pulled it open. She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped short.
Jason lay on his back facing Liz, who in turn was staring back at Jason. Their hands were touching each other’s faces while their gazes were locked on one another. She noticed that they weren’t moving. Even the rise and fall of their chests were barely visible. It was eerie.
Connie had seen a lot of things during her life but this one was for the books. She wasn’t sure whether she should break them apart or let them continue.
She was saved from making a decision as Jason’s hand slipped from Liz’s face.
For a moment the three of them stood in silence awed by what had just occurred. Liz was the first one to take action as she burst into heart-wrenching sobs. Connie’s eyes slipped to Jason and saw that he too was in tears.
“It’s you…oh god, it’s you,” Liz kept repeating as her hands roamed Jason’s face.
Jason pushed himself up to a sitting position and cradled Liz in his arms as she buried her face in his chest, neither of them paying any attention to Connie.
It was painful to watch the two of them interact. Liz’s sobs were so deep that Connie couldn’t help the tears that formed in her eyes.
Connie felt almost like a voyeur watching the two of them comfort each other. It was like two bodies had converged to make one form, so wrapped up were they with each other.
“G-guys?” Connie croaked, hating to interrupt their moment. “What’s going on?”
Jason and Liz turned collective watery gazes toward Connie.
It was Liz who spoke first. “I’ve found Max.”
tbc...[/i]
Dean: I wanted to ask you, because I couldn't help but notice that you are two tons of fun, just curious: is that, like, a thyroid problem, or is it some deep-seated self-esteem issue? 'Cause, you know. They're just donuts. Not love.