UNDERCURRENTS - Part 10 (See Part One for disclaimers)
By Allegra
The jeep chugged unhappily back towards Roswell and Max checked the petrol gauge. They would need to tank up as soon as they hit the main road, wasting valuable time which Max could be spending looking for Isabel. Michael and Alex had headed off in the opposite direction with Maria in her car, checking all the usual outcrops of rock or caves, even the ones which they had never visited. The group knew that they were clutching at straws, but there was nothing else to do but search everywhere possible and hope.
Liz had stayed with Max, hoping that her presence would ground him when she could see his sanity slipping into something verging on panic, which was rare for him and very disconcerting. Then Liz had to remind herself that Isabel had never been at risk like this before and they had always got some thread of evidence to follow through with. This was more than he and Michael could bear and not much better for the rest of them. If only they had something to go on, no matter how small.
Liz looked at Max, suddenly noticing the small lines which ran across his forehead, emphasised in the morning light and making him look older than his eighteen years. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that beneath that rich tan and soft flesh there was an alien, someone who had seen planets light years away, seen Earth as a tinier speck in the distance than any astronaut. Who knew what Max had seen before his birth, what kind of existence he might have experienced but one which Liz could never quite imagine. At the same time, thinking about the possibilities of his past life made her feel even more distant from him than she did right now. How could she ever make him happy, make a life which he would be content to stay in for the rest of his life? No matter what they both tried to do, Max was never meant to be here, to have a human existence - a human relationship with her. He was destined for something else and someday that cosmic plan was going to call him back to the alien fold where Liz couldn't follow.
Max pulled into the gas station and filled the tank then headed into the shop to pick up some drinks and snacks. He looked completely washed out when he got back in the driver's seat and Liz was tempted to tell him to give up for the day and get some rest but she knew that there was no point in trying to deter him. Turning to her and offering a chocolate bar, Max forced an affectionate smile to his lips, "Do you want me to drop you off on my way through town?"
Liz shook her head. Okay, so this may not be the most exciting way to spend the time with her boyfriend but Isabel was missing and Max needed all the support she could give him. "No. I want to stay. We can take turn driving and besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?"
Relief spread across his face and whatever passed between them at that moment was nothing less than pure love and mutual dependence. "Thanks, Liz. That means a lot to me."
She ran one hand down his hollowed cheek, "I know it does."
Tearing himself away from her soothing touch, Max fired up the engine and they sped off towards town again to meet Michael and the others.
**********
"This is useless. We're never going to find her like this." Michael slammed his hand against the steering wheel and put his foot down on the accelerator again.
Maria, who had been looking out of the window as if she expected Isabel to be waving from the side of the road somewhere, drily enquired, "Well, do you have a better idea? It's not like we have much to go on, Michael."
She immediately resented her sharp words, knowing that it was only his fear and frustration talking and she hesitated before reaching out one hand to squeeze his own. "Hey, we'll find her, okay."
Alex, who had been studying a local map in the back seat suddenly leant forward between the two of them. "There's an outcrop of rocks to the north which we haven't checked. It's a long shot but..."
"It'll do." Michael took one hand off the wheel to grab the map before setting the car on course for the rock formation.
Maria glanced at her watch, "Don't forget we are supposed to be meeting Max and Liz in twenty minutes."
She wasn't expecting Michael to head back to town just to meet their friends and was preparing to launch into a lecture on why they had to get back to Roswell now but he didn't seem in any mood to get into an argument. "We'll just check out this place then go, okay?" It was amazing what familiar fear for Isabel's safety could do to Michael's attitude.
In about ten minutes Maria could see the outcrop looming on the horizon and pulled herself upright in the passenger seat. Only when she shifted did she realise how numb her backside had got and how sticky the fake leather seats were against her bare legs. They had been searching for hours now and it felt like days, plus her legs were aching like crazy and Maria was just itching to get out of the car.
As they neared the first substantially sized rock, Alex leaned forward in his seat, squinting into the sun soaked ground far ahead. "Hey, what's that?"
Michael leaned forward to peer through the dusty windshield, "What's what? I can't see anything."
Maria followed Alex's gaze and lighted on a small white blob growing larger directly ahead of them. "I can, it looks like a car or something...and it is heading this way."
Michael's voice changed pitch with growing concern, "What's it doing way out here?"
Alex pulled out a pair of binoculars and tracked across to the vehicle. "I don't know but it has dark tinted windows and some military logo on it. I say we take cover before they see us."
Maria shook her head, "Don't you think they will have seen us already? We saw them."
Michael swerved violently to the right, "No, we're still in the shelter of the rock. Alex, keep watching them." Halting and turning off the engine, the three of them waited until the van had passed. "Was it military?"
Alex waited until it was a pin prick behind them before putting the binoculars down, "Yep. Definitely."
Michael let out a long breath and narrowed his eyes, looking out towards the point from which the van had come. Then, he made a move to start up the engine again, "Well, let's go check it out then."
Maria grabbed his hand away from the key. "No way. We should meet up with Liz and Max first. We all promised that we wouldn't do anything without the whole group. Besides, what if Isabel is in there? We need as much support as possible, especially Max's powers."
Alex poked his head between the two front seats, "I second that. Whatever is there can wait an hour at least. There are military people crawling all over this area, it might be nothing. If it isn't, then we'll need back up. Plus there is the little issue of petrol. There's a gas station on the way back to town and you're going to need it."
Michael looked angrily at the gauge and scratched his head, contemplating the pros and cons of being so cavalier as to take on the military alone. "Fine, let's go then."
Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She never enjoyed being part of these grand rescue schemes the group were so fond of and she especially didn't like the ones which were 'organised' (she used the term loosely) by Michael. He wasn't fond of using brain over brawn and that nearly always got everyone into trouble. Even he had to admit that playing heroics was not going to help Isabel at all and Max was bound to remind him of the importance of stealth in any situation. Plus, she was looking forward to unsticking herself from the car seat.
**********
"Where are they? They should have been here twenty minutes ago."
Liz took another bite of the sandwich she had just grabbed from the Crashdown while they were waiting. "Don't worry Max, they'll be here. Just give them a few more minutes."
"I don't like this. At a time like this they should be more careful than ever."
He paused then looked at Liz, his stare penetrating her to the core. "Do you think they have found her?"
Liz didn't know what she should say; it would be wrong to give Max hope when there might be nothing but, quite frankly, she had no idea whether they would find Isabel or not. Fortunately, she was spared having to reply when Maria's car, covered in desert dust, pulled up outside the Crashdown and the three of them, minus Isabel, got out. Liz saw Max visibly shrink when the realisation that his sister was still out there somewhere had hit home.
Michael went to the counter and ordered three drinks for them while Maria and Alex joined Max and Liz. Both of them looked completely wiped out, but Alex's eyes were sparkling with something resembling determination and hope, which Max immediately picked up on. "What did you find?"
Maria ran a hand across her sweating brow, wishing that she had time to stop for a shower but tried to focus on the more urgent problem of their missing friend. "We saw a military vehicle out in the desert."
Liz leaned forward in her seat, her hand tightening its grip on Max's.
"Did it see you? What happened?"
Alex shook his head, taking over the story himself, "No. The weird thing is that there is nothing out there. I mean, we had been driving for ages and I found an outcrop of rocks marked there so we went to check it out."
Max frowned, "So what were the military doing out there?"
Alex shrugged, "Exactly."
Michael squashed onto the seat beside Maria and put the tray of drinks down on the table. "We figured we should wait for you until we did anything."
At this, Maria and Alex turned to him in unison, her faces skeptical and Michael glared. "What?! Okay, so Maria and Alex figured we should wait. Whatever."
Max knocked back the last of his cherry cola and grabbed his jacket off the back of the booth. "Well, let's go then."
Liz looked from one tired face to the other. Michael and Max might be desperate to get out there and play heroics but Maria and Alex needed a moment's rest before they could be useful musketeers again. She pulled Max back down into his seat, "Give them a moment to rest first, Max."
"But Isabel is out there!"
"Maybe she is, but what good are we if we are half dead on our feet?" Max paused but Michael swigged his drink and made to follow him, "Fine, stay here then."
Max held him back, "No, Liz is right. I'm just not thinking straight. Ten more minutes won't make any difference. Let's just have something to drink first." Michael glanced longingly at the car parked outside then back at the haggard faces of his friends and relented.
**********
Isabel Evans found herself standing in a plain white room with no windows but she couldn't remember how she had got there or even where she was supposed to be. As the familiarity of the surroundings began to sink in, she felt her heart sink when she remembered seeing Max in a room just like this when Agent Pierce had captured him. Oh God, she thought, this is the end. This is where I am going to die. The last thing she could recall was Michael and Max telling her about their dreams, about what she had done to them. Maybe they wouldn't come for her now, maybe they would leave her here to die.
What was an even worse idea to contemplate was the thought that she might have been brought here because of what she was going to do. Perhaps it was fated that she should be here, perhaps someone knew that she was of use to them as a traitor to her own kind. The horror of becoming Pierce's ally ran through Isabel's brain, but she couldn't imagine how that could ever happen. She was coherent and in control of herself, nobody could make her do anything that she didn't want to.
Isabel was her own keeper and she would use her powers against anyone who tried to do her or the others any harm. It was only then that she remembered the incident at school and how she had been unable to use her powers for even the most menial task. Sinking down in the corner of the room, Isabel waited to see what would happen next, what tortures lay in store for her.
**********
Max had been driving pretty calmly, all things considered, but Liz had to admit that she was fairly relieved when Michael insisted that he take over and give his friend a break. It was a long trek across the desert and they had nearly reached the rock outcrop which Alex had been talking about. Maria was more relieved than any of them since she had directed them incorrectly a few miles back, refusing to back down despite being completely outnumbered. It culminated in her taking them to a small town nearby which was even less interesting than Roswell, if that were possible, and she had been feeling suitably chastised and humiliated ever since.
Alex pointed through the windscreen at the rock looming up ahead, its shadow cast towards them like some monster's arms reaching out for its prey. Max leaned over the side of the jeep, looking for any sign of human life, "Are you sure? It doesn't look like much."
Michael backed Alex up, "No, he's right. That's the rock we hid behind when we saw the van."
Knowing how her best friend was feeling, Liz looked to Maria for affirmation, "Maria? Do you remember this, too?"
Her voice sounded tired as she craned her neck reluctantly over the side of the back seat, "Yeah, I guess so."
Much to her amazement, nobody said a word about her recent mistake and a few minutes later track marks could be seen in the sand. Michael turned the jeep away from them, "I'll park us round the other side of the rock just in case. It's not like we want to go through the front door."
Nobody opposed him so he sped across the open space and into the shadows of the largest rock, grateful that Max had gone for a jeep in black instead of the red he had his eye on for ages.
Leaping from the front seat, Max helped Liz out of the back seat, "Okay, I say that we split up."
Maria got out of the jeep with difficulty, silently a little annoyed that Michael hadn't been as gentlemanly as Max and offered her some help. Brushing off some desert dust from her black trousers, she pulled out her mobile phone. "Liz, do you have your mobile? We should have some way of contacting each other."
Liz nodded and Alex patted down his trouser pockets, "Yeah, I've got mine, too."
Michael glanced towards the rear side of the rock, wondering what they were going to find there or if there was anything at all. "Okay, Alex, you stay with the jeep and call if you see anyone coming and we'll contact you for back up if we need it."
Alex was both disappointed and relieved at his duty; part of him felt out of the loop when he wasn't actually in the melee but neither did he want to die or get into any government trouble. Being look-out was not exactly the most exciting job in the world but it was safer and pretty pivotal - everyone's lives depended on his awareness and accuracy.
Michael looked at Max, "I guess we'll split up when we get inside...if there is an inside."
Max nodded and grabbed Liz's hand. She offered Alex a reassuring but apprehensive smile; who knew what would happen before they saw each other again. Following her boyfriend's lead, she jogged towards the back of the rock.
Max halted suddenly at the edge of the rock, leaning slowly out into the late afternoon light. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.
Behind the enormous rock was a large wall running from one edge of the rock to the other, creating a protected courtyard. It was made of barbed wire, wound tightly and topped with metal spears to prevent easy access. There were a couple of sentries standing at the two far corners but Max could see that there was no sign of the fence being monitored by any security system. There were no cameras and no wires, not even the tell tale box with a red light flashing.
Max motioned for Michael to come and see, then whispered, "I think I can slip through that gap in the fence if we can just distract the guards up there."
Michael nodded and pulled his friend back from the edge of the rock, "I'll call Alex and tell him to drive the jeep out in front of the fence and distract them."
Maria flicked open her cell phone and relayed the message to Alex.
A few minutes later, they could hear the familiar geekish tone of Alex Whitman causing trouble on the other side of the fence and it wasn't long before he had the attention of both guards. Taking the opportunity, Max braced himself against the piercing pain of the barbed wire puncturing wounds into his fingers and palms as he tore a large enough hole in the closest section of fence. Once he had squeezed through, he put his sweater in the hole and helped the others through after him, anxious that none of them should hurt themselves in the process.
Liz watched in horror from the shelter of the rock as the blood trickled down Max's fingers and onto the earth below but he barely seemed to notice. She resisted the urge to stop him and force him to bandage them because she knew that they had mere seconds before Alex's antics no longer amused the sentries.
Just on the other side of the fence was a thin metal door inset into the rock face which Michael immediately focused his energy on until the tangy, pungent smell of melting metal filled their noses and he could push the door open without any trouble.
Once they were inside, all of them breathed a sigh of relief that the first and most difficult hurdle had been overcome. Max was confident that he had the power to deter any random guards which they might meet on the corridors. The interior sent a chill down his spine when he recognised the layout as similar to the place which Agent Pierce had held him. The idea that Isabel might be somewhere in here made him shudder and he could almost feel the pain from when the surgeon's scalpel had cut into his chest. Was it possible that they were doing something equally reprehensible to his sister while they had been sitting around in the Crashdown or driving across the desert? His morbid thoughts were interrupted by Michael, "Come on, let's go."
Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him back when Max made to follow him. "No, Max! Your hands."
Michael glanced back at the blood still flowing freely from his palms. "Here, I'll do it."
He took Max's hands in his own and cleared his mind of the lurking panic which permeated his brain, focusing all his energies on Max and healing him. Liz and Maria watched, mesmerized, as the wounds began to fade first into pinpricks of blood then bright red blotches and finally clear, healthy pink skin. Taking a step back to admire his handiwork, Michael looked cheerfully at Max, "Thank me later, Maxwell."
Steering Maria down the corridor, he paused at the next corner and saw a crossroad further up. "Okay, I guess this is where we split up. Maria and I will take the right, you and Liz take the left."
Maria and Liz exchanged anxious looks, half wishing that they could hug each other in a fond farewell but knowing how final the act would feel. Liz whispered, "Be careful," then followed Max in the opposite direction.
**********
By Allegra
The jeep chugged unhappily back towards Roswell and Max checked the petrol gauge. They would need to tank up as soon as they hit the main road, wasting valuable time which Max could be spending looking for Isabel. Michael and Alex had headed off in the opposite direction with Maria in her car, checking all the usual outcrops of rock or caves, even the ones which they had never visited. The group knew that they were clutching at straws, but there was nothing else to do but search everywhere possible and hope.
Liz had stayed with Max, hoping that her presence would ground him when she could see his sanity slipping into something verging on panic, which was rare for him and very disconcerting. Then Liz had to remind herself that Isabel had never been at risk like this before and they had always got some thread of evidence to follow through with. This was more than he and Michael could bear and not much better for the rest of them. If only they had something to go on, no matter how small.
Liz looked at Max, suddenly noticing the small lines which ran across his forehead, emphasised in the morning light and making him look older than his eighteen years. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that beneath that rich tan and soft flesh there was an alien, someone who had seen planets light years away, seen Earth as a tinier speck in the distance than any astronaut. Who knew what Max had seen before his birth, what kind of existence he might have experienced but one which Liz could never quite imagine. At the same time, thinking about the possibilities of his past life made her feel even more distant from him than she did right now. How could she ever make him happy, make a life which he would be content to stay in for the rest of his life? No matter what they both tried to do, Max was never meant to be here, to have a human existence - a human relationship with her. He was destined for something else and someday that cosmic plan was going to call him back to the alien fold where Liz couldn't follow.
Max pulled into the gas station and filled the tank then headed into the shop to pick up some drinks and snacks. He looked completely washed out when he got back in the driver's seat and Liz was tempted to tell him to give up for the day and get some rest but she knew that there was no point in trying to deter him. Turning to her and offering a chocolate bar, Max forced an affectionate smile to his lips, "Do you want me to drop you off on my way through town?"
Liz shook her head. Okay, so this may not be the most exciting way to spend the time with her boyfriend but Isabel was missing and Max needed all the support she could give him. "No. I want to stay. We can take turn driving and besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?"
Relief spread across his face and whatever passed between them at that moment was nothing less than pure love and mutual dependence. "Thanks, Liz. That means a lot to me."
She ran one hand down his hollowed cheek, "I know it does."
Tearing himself away from her soothing touch, Max fired up the engine and they sped off towards town again to meet Michael and the others.
**********
"This is useless. We're never going to find her like this." Michael slammed his hand against the steering wheel and put his foot down on the accelerator again.
Maria, who had been looking out of the window as if she expected Isabel to be waving from the side of the road somewhere, drily enquired, "Well, do you have a better idea? It's not like we have much to go on, Michael."
She immediately resented her sharp words, knowing that it was only his fear and frustration talking and she hesitated before reaching out one hand to squeeze his own. "Hey, we'll find her, okay."
Alex, who had been studying a local map in the back seat suddenly leant forward between the two of them. "There's an outcrop of rocks to the north which we haven't checked. It's a long shot but..."
"It'll do." Michael took one hand off the wheel to grab the map before setting the car on course for the rock formation.
Maria glanced at her watch, "Don't forget we are supposed to be meeting Max and Liz in twenty minutes."
She wasn't expecting Michael to head back to town just to meet their friends and was preparing to launch into a lecture on why they had to get back to Roswell now but he didn't seem in any mood to get into an argument. "We'll just check out this place then go, okay?" It was amazing what familiar fear for Isabel's safety could do to Michael's attitude.
In about ten minutes Maria could see the outcrop looming on the horizon and pulled herself upright in the passenger seat. Only when she shifted did she realise how numb her backside had got and how sticky the fake leather seats were against her bare legs. They had been searching for hours now and it felt like days, plus her legs were aching like crazy and Maria was just itching to get out of the car.
As they neared the first substantially sized rock, Alex leaned forward in his seat, squinting into the sun soaked ground far ahead. "Hey, what's that?"
Michael leaned forward to peer through the dusty windshield, "What's what? I can't see anything."
Maria followed Alex's gaze and lighted on a small white blob growing larger directly ahead of them. "I can, it looks like a car or something...and it is heading this way."
Michael's voice changed pitch with growing concern, "What's it doing way out here?"
Alex pulled out a pair of binoculars and tracked across to the vehicle. "I don't know but it has dark tinted windows and some military logo on it. I say we take cover before they see us."
Maria shook her head, "Don't you think they will have seen us already? We saw them."
Michael swerved violently to the right, "No, we're still in the shelter of the rock. Alex, keep watching them." Halting and turning off the engine, the three of them waited until the van had passed. "Was it military?"
Alex waited until it was a pin prick behind them before putting the binoculars down, "Yep. Definitely."
Michael let out a long breath and narrowed his eyes, looking out towards the point from which the van had come. Then, he made a move to start up the engine again, "Well, let's go check it out then."
Maria grabbed his hand away from the key. "No way. We should meet up with Liz and Max first. We all promised that we wouldn't do anything without the whole group. Besides, what if Isabel is in there? We need as much support as possible, especially Max's powers."
Alex poked his head between the two front seats, "I second that. Whatever is there can wait an hour at least. There are military people crawling all over this area, it might be nothing. If it isn't, then we'll need back up. Plus there is the little issue of petrol. There's a gas station on the way back to town and you're going to need it."
Michael looked angrily at the gauge and scratched his head, contemplating the pros and cons of being so cavalier as to take on the military alone. "Fine, let's go then."
Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She never enjoyed being part of these grand rescue schemes the group were so fond of and she especially didn't like the ones which were 'organised' (she used the term loosely) by Michael. He wasn't fond of using brain over brawn and that nearly always got everyone into trouble. Even he had to admit that playing heroics was not going to help Isabel at all and Max was bound to remind him of the importance of stealth in any situation. Plus, she was looking forward to unsticking herself from the car seat.
**********
"Where are they? They should have been here twenty minutes ago."
Liz took another bite of the sandwich she had just grabbed from the Crashdown while they were waiting. "Don't worry Max, they'll be here. Just give them a few more minutes."
"I don't like this. At a time like this they should be more careful than ever."
He paused then looked at Liz, his stare penetrating her to the core. "Do you think they have found her?"
Liz didn't know what she should say; it would be wrong to give Max hope when there might be nothing but, quite frankly, she had no idea whether they would find Isabel or not. Fortunately, she was spared having to reply when Maria's car, covered in desert dust, pulled up outside the Crashdown and the three of them, minus Isabel, got out. Liz saw Max visibly shrink when the realisation that his sister was still out there somewhere had hit home.
Michael went to the counter and ordered three drinks for them while Maria and Alex joined Max and Liz. Both of them looked completely wiped out, but Alex's eyes were sparkling with something resembling determination and hope, which Max immediately picked up on. "What did you find?"
Maria ran a hand across her sweating brow, wishing that she had time to stop for a shower but tried to focus on the more urgent problem of their missing friend. "We saw a military vehicle out in the desert."
Liz leaned forward in her seat, her hand tightening its grip on Max's.
"Did it see you? What happened?"
Alex shook his head, taking over the story himself, "No. The weird thing is that there is nothing out there. I mean, we had been driving for ages and I found an outcrop of rocks marked there so we went to check it out."
Max frowned, "So what were the military doing out there?"
Alex shrugged, "Exactly."
Michael squashed onto the seat beside Maria and put the tray of drinks down on the table. "We figured we should wait for you until we did anything."
At this, Maria and Alex turned to him in unison, her faces skeptical and Michael glared. "What?! Okay, so Maria and Alex figured we should wait. Whatever."
Max knocked back the last of his cherry cola and grabbed his jacket off the back of the booth. "Well, let's go then."
Liz looked from one tired face to the other. Michael and Max might be desperate to get out there and play heroics but Maria and Alex needed a moment's rest before they could be useful musketeers again. She pulled Max back down into his seat, "Give them a moment to rest first, Max."
"But Isabel is out there!"
"Maybe she is, but what good are we if we are half dead on our feet?" Max paused but Michael swigged his drink and made to follow him, "Fine, stay here then."
Max held him back, "No, Liz is right. I'm just not thinking straight. Ten more minutes won't make any difference. Let's just have something to drink first." Michael glanced longingly at the car parked outside then back at the haggard faces of his friends and relented.
**********
Isabel Evans found herself standing in a plain white room with no windows but she couldn't remember how she had got there or even where she was supposed to be. As the familiarity of the surroundings began to sink in, she felt her heart sink when she remembered seeing Max in a room just like this when Agent Pierce had captured him. Oh God, she thought, this is the end. This is where I am going to die. The last thing she could recall was Michael and Max telling her about their dreams, about what she had done to them. Maybe they wouldn't come for her now, maybe they would leave her here to die.
What was an even worse idea to contemplate was the thought that she might have been brought here because of what she was going to do. Perhaps it was fated that she should be here, perhaps someone knew that she was of use to them as a traitor to her own kind. The horror of becoming Pierce's ally ran through Isabel's brain, but she couldn't imagine how that could ever happen. She was coherent and in control of herself, nobody could make her do anything that she didn't want to.
Isabel was her own keeper and she would use her powers against anyone who tried to do her or the others any harm. It was only then that she remembered the incident at school and how she had been unable to use her powers for even the most menial task. Sinking down in the corner of the room, Isabel waited to see what would happen next, what tortures lay in store for her.
**********
Max had been driving pretty calmly, all things considered, but Liz had to admit that she was fairly relieved when Michael insisted that he take over and give his friend a break. It was a long trek across the desert and they had nearly reached the rock outcrop which Alex had been talking about. Maria was more relieved than any of them since she had directed them incorrectly a few miles back, refusing to back down despite being completely outnumbered. It culminated in her taking them to a small town nearby which was even less interesting than Roswell, if that were possible, and she had been feeling suitably chastised and humiliated ever since.
Alex pointed through the windscreen at the rock looming up ahead, its shadow cast towards them like some monster's arms reaching out for its prey. Max leaned over the side of the jeep, looking for any sign of human life, "Are you sure? It doesn't look like much."
Michael backed Alex up, "No, he's right. That's the rock we hid behind when we saw the van."
Knowing how her best friend was feeling, Liz looked to Maria for affirmation, "Maria? Do you remember this, too?"
Her voice sounded tired as she craned her neck reluctantly over the side of the back seat, "Yeah, I guess so."
Much to her amazement, nobody said a word about her recent mistake and a few minutes later track marks could be seen in the sand. Michael turned the jeep away from them, "I'll park us round the other side of the rock just in case. It's not like we want to go through the front door."
Nobody opposed him so he sped across the open space and into the shadows of the largest rock, grateful that Max had gone for a jeep in black instead of the red he had his eye on for ages.
Leaping from the front seat, Max helped Liz out of the back seat, "Okay, I say that we split up."
Maria got out of the jeep with difficulty, silently a little annoyed that Michael hadn't been as gentlemanly as Max and offered her some help. Brushing off some desert dust from her black trousers, she pulled out her mobile phone. "Liz, do you have your mobile? We should have some way of contacting each other."
Liz nodded and Alex patted down his trouser pockets, "Yeah, I've got mine, too."
Michael glanced towards the rear side of the rock, wondering what they were going to find there or if there was anything at all. "Okay, Alex, you stay with the jeep and call if you see anyone coming and we'll contact you for back up if we need it."
Alex was both disappointed and relieved at his duty; part of him felt out of the loop when he wasn't actually in the melee but neither did he want to die or get into any government trouble. Being look-out was not exactly the most exciting job in the world but it was safer and pretty pivotal - everyone's lives depended on his awareness and accuracy.
Michael looked at Max, "I guess we'll split up when we get inside...if there is an inside."
Max nodded and grabbed Liz's hand. She offered Alex a reassuring but apprehensive smile; who knew what would happen before they saw each other again. Following her boyfriend's lead, she jogged towards the back of the rock.
Max halted suddenly at the edge of the rock, leaning slowly out into the late afternoon light. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.
Behind the enormous rock was a large wall running from one edge of the rock to the other, creating a protected courtyard. It was made of barbed wire, wound tightly and topped with metal spears to prevent easy access. There were a couple of sentries standing at the two far corners but Max could see that there was no sign of the fence being monitored by any security system. There were no cameras and no wires, not even the tell tale box with a red light flashing.
Max motioned for Michael to come and see, then whispered, "I think I can slip through that gap in the fence if we can just distract the guards up there."
Michael nodded and pulled his friend back from the edge of the rock, "I'll call Alex and tell him to drive the jeep out in front of the fence and distract them."
Maria flicked open her cell phone and relayed the message to Alex.
A few minutes later, they could hear the familiar geekish tone of Alex Whitman causing trouble on the other side of the fence and it wasn't long before he had the attention of both guards. Taking the opportunity, Max braced himself against the piercing pain of the barbed wire puncturing wounds into his fingers and palms as he tore a large enough hole in the closest section of fence. Once he had squeezed through, he put his sweater in the hole and helped the others through after him, anxious that none of them should hurt themselves in the process.
Liz watched in horror from the shelter of the rock as the blood trickled down Max's fingers and onto the earth below but he barely seemed to notice. She resisted the urge to stop him and force him to bandage them because she knew that they had mere seconds before Alex's antics no longer amused the sentries.
Just on the other side of the fence was a thin metal door inset into the rock face which Michael immediately focused his energy on until the tangy, pungent smell of melting metal filled their noses and he could push the door open without any trouble.
Once they were inside, all of them breathed a sigh of relief that the first and most difficult hurdle had been overcome. Max was confident that he had the power to deter any random guards which they might meet on the corridors. The interior sent a chill down his spine when he recognised the layout as similar to the place which Agent Pierce had held him. The idea that Isabel might be somewhere in here made him shudder and he could almost feel the pain from when the surgeon's scalpel had cut into his chest. Was it possible that they were doing something equally reprehensible to his sister while they had been sitting around in the Crashdown or driving across the desert? His morbid thoughts were interrupted by Michael, "Come on, let's go."
Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him back when Max made to follow him. "No, Max! Your hands."
Michael glanced back at the blood still flowing freely from his palms. "Here, I'll do it."
He took Max's hands in his own and cleared his mind of the lurking panic which permeated his brain, focusing all his energies on Max and healing him. Liz and Maria watched, mesmerized, as the wounds began to fade first into pinpricks of blood then bright red blotches and finally clear, healthy pink skin. Taking a step back to admire his handiwork, Michael looked cheerfully at Max, "Thank me later, Maxwell."
Steering Maria down the corridor, he paused at the next corner and saw a crossroad further up. "Okay, I guess this is where we split up. Maria and I will take the right, you and Liz take the left."
Maria and Liz exchanged anxious looks, half wishing that they could hug each other in a fond farewell but knowing how final the act would feel. Liz whispered, "Be careful," then followed Max in the opposite direction.
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