Chapter 34 D
Maria – December 7, 2007 Friday
Maria was in the therapist's office staring at the little brass monkey bookend when something shifted inside. The therapist noticed her posture. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know." Maria tried to shake it off. "I…" What made her shiver like that? "I… um…"
"They say, totally unscientifically, that there are particles so small they can pass through us without touching a single atom in our bodies but sometimes they do collide with us and that's what causes that."
"I like that better than the old wives' tale thing."
"Oh?"
"That someone walked over your grave." Maria saw her confusion. "Like… the future place where you'll be buried."
"Oh. Well. We choose what we believe."
"But do we?" Maria frowned suddenly. "When Liz told me that story, that I begged her not to tell anyone… it felt wrong… and now… right now, in fact. It feels like she lied to me."
"Why do you think she would lie to you about something like that?"
Maria felt that shiver again. "I don't think I told her."
"Do you remember what happened?"
Maria shut her eyes and tried to think about it. "I was 13. We were supposed to hang out at his house, but his grandma wasn't sleeping like normal, so we stole a couple of wine coolers and went to my house. We had fooled around before but it was mostly innocent. Kissing with tongue and you know… over the clothes touching but not in no-no places." Maria opened her eyes. "I guess… I drank the wine cooler. I don't remember him drinking any. I must have drunk the whole thing and kind of … nervously. So… fast. I'd had sips before but not…"
"How quickly do you think you drank it?"
"Had to have been pretty quickly. We were talking about um movies and maybe watching some terrible movie his brother had rented. Probably had boobs in it. I don't remember. I don't really remember when he started touching me. I was floating in the buzz. I remember we were on the floor. I remember it hurt… but not why it hurt. Having had sex successfully, I still don't really know why it hurt the way it did. Maybe I was resisted? I've been to the gyno after that before I started having regular sex and there was never anything reported."
"So the vaginismus started after you were an adult."
"Yes." Maria nodded. "The therapist I talked to at the time said it was stress-related. Now, I do self-care. I listen to my mother. I take care of my children and I talk to my husband. If I'm… shut down, we can still make each other feel good. If I'm… open for business, we take advantage."
"So, you say you didn't think you told Liz."
"Well, I don't remember a whole lot of the event. I do remember, kind of, being at school the next day and we got the talk in health class. I remember panicking a bit. Not unusual for me. I was much… much more dramatic as a teenager. It got worse before it got better. Liz had said something about me panicking for nothing because you had to have sex for any of those things to be an issue." Maria thought about that day. "Something had happened. I was going to tell her. I had planned on it. It had been… like two days and I was going to tell her."
"Were you afraid to tell her?"
"Yes. She was my best friend, but we were starting to grow apart a little. Liz was in all the smart kid classes and I always struggled to stay on top of the regular kid classes. I ended up in remedial maths in high school. I think I was afraid that if I told her, she would stop being my friend because she was a good girl and now I wasn't." Maria took a breath. "Compounded with the fact that my mom was always, always, on about waiting until I could handle the consequences. She was a teen mom."
"Well, what happened? What made you decide not to tell her?"
"We were at lunch in the cafeteria." Maria shut her eyes to remember. "I know I had some… hummus-y thing my mother had made but I really wanted Liz's meatloaf but my mom and I were vegan for the week. It didn't last long. We were both meat-eaters again by the next week. Um…" Maria pictured the cafeteria. Liz walked in with her lunch box and Pam Troy tried to trip her. Liz had jumped over Pam's foot and maybe, not so accidentally, smacked Pam with her lunch box. Liz was glaring at Pam when she sat down. Pam was glaring back. The spit thing had happened the week before. "Liz was bitching about Pam Troy being a disgusting human being and hoped she got cold sores from the boy she was currently dating and letting him feel her up under the bleachers. She would get what she deserved."
Maria opened her eyes. She stared at the clock next to the little brass monkey. The therapist waited and Maria parsed through her feelings about that. "Was that the moment?"
"Yeah. She was hating so hard on Pam for the things she was doing with boys that I forgot the main part of that rant. I focused on the part that was similar to me."
"What was the main part?"
"Pam had spit in a boy's sandwich the week before. Started Liz's rage for Pam Troy. The boy turned up sick. He was out for months and eventually moved away. Liz never forgave her for that. That's why Liz was really mad. The rest of it was just… a tick list of nonsense to have a reason to keep talking about it. Liz still hates her."
"So, you didn't tell her."
"No. I never did. For a while, I just… didn't want to push her further away and then… I had other drama. Much bigger drama that made that day in my room just… not important, anymore." Maria took a breath. "It didn't come up again until two things happened. I knew I was going to have sex and I was in this… time of just… stress all the time."
"What's happening in your head right now?"
"I have all the puzzle pieces and they finally all fit together."
"How do you feel about that?"
"Like I need to have a conversation with my best friend."
Maria went home and kissed her babies and her mom. She listened to her mother talk about the bakery and getting the house inspected. "Why are you getting the house inspected?"
"Just to make sure that it's okay after sitting empty for so long. It's been a year, but no one's been in there and I want a list of things."
"A list of things."
"Well, your cousin is sort of a handy-man. I have some projects for him. Painting, plumbing. Things to keep him busy when he's not working. Nothing big. Nothing with a time-constraint but you know… things he can work on."
"Why?" Maria made a face at her mother.
"Idle hands is why." Amy deflated. "Idle hands. He can't have time to make trouble for himself."
"When does he move out of my guest bedroom?"
"Soon. Jim and Jeff are inspecting the house and they'll have the list."
Michael walked in and tossed a child on his shoulders. "What's this I hear? Cousin Sean is moving out?"
"After Christmas." Amy promised.
"That also means, no more free babysitter." Maria pointed out.
"So, we hire the neighbor-girl to do it." Michael shrugged. "I am willing to pay for a more-competent babysitter."
"He's fine…" Maria shrugged. They got Amy loaded up to get home and Maria fed the kids while Michael was reviewing footage on his computer. "Why do you have to work when you're home?"
"Just getting weird feelings." Michael shook his head.
"I got… a chill today."
"Me, too." Michael turned to face her. "And… Sean nearly passed out. I didn't want to tell your mom because he was fine. He went and got a hot chocolate and it passed. I think he's diabetic."
"If he's diabetic, he should be in a coma by now. Have you seen all the sugar he's been eating lately? If he put hot sauce on anything, I'd think he was an alien."
"Definitely not one of us. So, Tess's replacement figured out that we have a built-in instant messenger that I didn't know about and she's been IMing us all our phone messages. She's pretty nice."
"Who are you?"
"Tess is mean. Glory is nice. That's all it's about. Nice bulldogs mean I don't have to deal with entitled assholes. Mean bulldogs mean I have to deal with folks who think I have to give them my time when they get booted out of Liz's lab."
"Fine." Maria thought about it for a long time before she opened her mouth. "I think Liz whammied me."
"What do you mean?"
"I remembered today that I never told her about a thing she told me I told her but had forgotten it had ever happened."
"Maria. English."
"I think Liz read my mind. She knew something I never told her. I remember specifically not telling her. She told me that I had told her and made her swear not to tell anyone."
"How do you know you didn't actually do that?"
"One, I didn't want her to judge me. Two, she would have fully told someone. That someone being my mom or a cop."
Michael turned fully to face her. "Who do I have to kill?"
"Don't worry about it. Just know… I never told her. I never did. She knows."
"She does have God-level-powers." Michael shrugged. "Maybe she just… knew it and didn't want to freak you out."
"She's usually upfront about her powers when she learns something, though."
"Not really." Michael snorted and crossed his arms. "Max thinks she's been whammying people all over town. She never talks about it but if you know what to look for…"
"Who else did she whammy?"
"Her parents before she went with Pierce to DC. Max and I were talking to Greg Troy and she definitely whammied Pam." He took a breath. "We think she whammied Sean."
"Why?" Maria barked.
"He was being kind of… I don't know… annoying. He's less annoying now but he's cold all the time and he's generous with his sugar. If he gets donuts, he shares, gets specific donuts for specific people. He brings pies in all the time."
"Why do you think Liz had something to do with it?"
"Something happened to Isabel after they tried to fix her. She walked across town to Liz when Liz was someplace that no one would have known to find her… like she was drawn to her… moth to a flame."
"Is that why you stay out of arm's length?"
"Maybe. Zan, too. He creeps me out. I do what he says and I don't have to get sucked into the power struggles."
"Power struggles?"
"Max turned off our… response to him. If Max phrased a command a certain way, I was compelled to do it. No thought… just… get it done. You know? Then he turned it off. Now, he asks. I have the option of saying no. So, mostly I just do it."
"Because he's respecting your autonomy as a person."
"Yeah. Zan… doesn't ask. He demands. I do it because I don't want to be the person he made Rath into."
"You think he did that?"
"I think about it… how I rankled when Max would do the dumb shit. I might have fought the programming and become… some wretched… I don't know." Michael turned the monitor off. "I don't know. I do what Kal says because it means money. It's not sketchy shit. But it means that I can give Lennon and Sammy the life I didn't have. This house was a gift, but I want us to be able to move out if we have to. If Alex decides he wants to come home."
"Why would Alex do that?"
"No one has heard from Alex or Isabel in weeks. They didn't even call on Thanksgiving." Michael breathed out. "Liz's bulldog called me because she sent resources to Vermont."
"Something wrong with your niece person?"
"That's what she wanted to know. She wanted to know if Laurie moved back into the lodge but as far as I knew, Laurie's still living in that apartment she got on her own. I checked in, she confirmed as much. Why else would Liz send security to the lodge if Laurie wasn't there?"
"Who knows what Liz does with her other business?"
"But Marisol is the other business."
"Oh. Ew." Maria huffed. "Did you ask Liz?"
"No. She's been busy and I was going to ask Tess but Tess is gone."
"Where did she go?"
"I thought, at first, she was going to live with Kyle in Santa Fe… but Valenti didn't know anything about that. Glory said she was contracted for a month."
Maria turned that over. "Tess is pregnant?"
"Maybe, I don't know. Kyle would have told his dad. No reason for Tess to go away, really. Liz probably would have built a delivery room at the lab for her. They're besties these days."
"That's weird, Michael."
"I know."
December 10, 2007 Monday
Maria watched Nate run over to play with Sammy and turn to see Max speaking to Michael in low tones. Maria set Lennon in the playpen and walked over to them. "What's going on?"
"I've been racking my brain. Last week I knew why Tess wasn't gone but over the weekend… I forgot. Why is she gone? Where did she go?" Max shook his head.
"Maria, honey. I think the blender has had it." Amy came out to join them. "Ooh, where are the babies?"
"Mom has Lucy and Nancy has Pete. They're going to swap at lunch." Max told her.
"What's wrong?" Amy looked them all over. Maria opened her mouth, but Max shook his head.
"Did Tess tell Kyle where she went?" Michael blurted out.
"I didn't know she was going anywhere." Amy shook her head.
"I thought I knew where she went but if she had…" Max breathed out.
"Max." Maria pressed. "Where did you think she went?"
"To check on Isabel. To get Kal to go to Isabel." Max shook his head. "She hasn't checked in. Glory's supposed to be taking her place for a month."
"What did Liz say?" Maria asked softly.
"Very little." Max became fixed on Amy. Maria followed his gaze. Her mother was standing with her arms crossed. "What do you know?"
"I'm not sure I know anything."
"But you know something."
"Mom?" Maria looked at her. "I know we haven't been… close with Tess but she's one of us. She's part of… this family."
"She's tried, I think, to keep a brave face for everyone but… something is going on with her. Kyle called Jim last night, said Tess isn't answering her phone and… Jim went by. Her phone is still in the house. She left it. Clothes are gone." Amy fiddled with her sleeve.
"Why?" Michael frowned. "She was having a blast working for Liz."
"Before Thanksgiving, Tess had a miscarriage. If I have my math right, it wasn't Kyle's. I don't know who else Tess has been involved with, but she was very clear on no one knowing… on Kyle not knowing."
"Why are you saying something now?" Maria looked to Michael.
"Only reason I can think of for Tess leaving for a month… she's pregnant again." Amy looked at Max.
"No, it's not me. I turned that off so that it could never happen again." Max shook his head. "Once I knew what was happening, I turned it off. I have been too exhausted with Liz and the kids to even have time to have a..."
"Cool it, Max." Michael clapped him on the shoulder. "No one thinks you're banging Tess on the side."
"I tried to… reach out to her and I couldn't." Max sat down. "I don't know what's happening anymore."
"Have you heard from Zan?" Maria found herself saying. Like the memory from being 13 years told. This one unclouded in her mind. "He came to see me… a while back and then nothing ever came from his investigation."
"I… vaguely remember that." Max frowned. "If Zan and Tess were… together… she's not coming home."
"You sure?" Amy asked, softly.
"She's broken a promise to Kyle." Max shook his head. "She swore not to let us in her house and I'm sure it was… a euphemism."
"Mom… how did you know about Tess?" Maria looked at her mother.
"You sent her to me for a smoothie. It's not what she needed." Amy leaned on the back of the couch. "Kyle's going to be devastated."
"We don't know for sure." Maria pointed out.
"It… feels true." Max whispered. "She hates Zan, though."
"Tell him." Maria pushed Michael.
"I'm always afraid Zan will compel me to do something so I usually just do it, so I don't have to fight with him." Michael finally told Max and Max sat back. He looked so tired. Maria left him and Max to talk it out and followed her mom to the patio.
Maria sat with her mom in silence for a while. Maria remembered that morning she sent Tess to Amy for a smoothie. She'd looked like trash. "Why did Tess tell you?"
"I think I was the first person she'd run into who asked her what was wrong. I filled her belly with carbs and let her cry it out."
"Everything has been so strange for months." Maria stared at her mother. "Friday when I was in therapy… I remembered something. I remembered that I did not tell Liz what happened when that boy came to the house. I felt… a shiver and then… boom. I just knew that I had never told her that."
"Why didn't you tell Liz?"
"Cause she would've told. She would have. She was very righteous when we were 13. She would have told you and it would have been a whole thing." Maria took a breath. "I don't know why I remembered just then but… she lied to me. She said I had told her. I never did."
"Nancy and Jeff are… spiraling. They were having… an issue just before we found Max and Liz in that place. I think the issue is back." Amy whispered. "Someone mentioned by the by that Liz has a thing she does."
"We just call it a whammy. I'm not sure she knows she does it but Max says she does know. She whammied Pam Troy and apparently made her a better person… I wonder if she's back to her old tricks now."
"You think whatever she did is wearing off? Jeff and Nancy were very happy and chipper people for nearly four years and now… Nancy is crumbling. I've never seen her like this."
"I don't know. If it's not wearing off… maybe she's got herself into some trouble. Maybe it's… an energy reserve thing. She's been running all over the country and with her bank in California in the hospital… maybe the running around is starting to affect her."
Amy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Why are we all talking about this without her?"
"Because something is not right, and we've been avoiding it for months because… you can't just talk to her about these things. She deflects. She melts down… or she avoids the conversation because she's so very busy. And you look like the asshole for trying to get her to admit to anything." Maria sat back. "I think she's whammied us all to a point. We forget about the hunt for the truth after a while because… everything seems fine."
"That's… interesting." Amy stared out into the yard. "If Liz's whammies are wearing off… If you say that we can use that to account for people's different behavior… I just don't understand… Liz isn't a person to manipulate people."
"I don't know. I'm scared." Maria took a breath. "Zan was supposed to be looking into this and that was… October? I just… forgot about it?"
"That's when Sean started having these chills." Amy shut her eyes. "What is she doing? Did she do something to him?"
"Zan's out of his mind. Last I heard, he was hunting down a power source. I don't know. Michael thinks maybe she did do something to Sean but… he seems normal."
"Where's Alex?"
"I don't know. Michael thinks something's happening with Isabel and Liz knows what."
"We need her to give us some answers."
"I know. Max… I think tries but I'm sure if anyone is getting whammied on the regular…" Maria turned to her house where Max was still sitting with his head in his hands. "She's out of town right now… maybe he'll talk to her when she gets back in town."
"What is he going to do if she doesn't explain?"
"I don't know yet. He doesn't look like Max right now." Maria turned back to her mother. "We won't let her hurt him."
December 14, 2007 Friday
Maria woke when Michael got out of bed. She glanced at the clock. It wasn't even one o'clock yet. "What are you doing?"
"Do you hear that?" He was standing next to the bedroom door.
"Hear what?" Maria sat up to listen. Gasping. "Check the boys."
Michael raced to the boys room but they were both asleep. Maria stood in the hallway and listened closely. She put her hand on Sean's door. She pushed it open and they could hear it clearer. Michael shoved Maria aside and rolled Sean onto his side. "He's having a seizure."
"How do you know?"
"My old neighbor at the trailer park was an epileptic. Call an ambulance."
Maria found the phone and dialed. She whispered and she didn't know why. "My cousin is having a seizure."
"What's your address?"
Eventually she got all the words out. When she went back into the room, Sean was gasping for air but he wasn't rigid anymore. Michael was telling him to stay down. "Get the kids dressed. I'll ride with him, you follow."
"Okay." Maria nodded and got the boys into jackets without waking them too much. Michael was helping her put them in the car when the ambulance pulled in. They checked Sean out and away they all went. Maria called her mother. "Mom… we're going to the hospital. It's Sean."
"We're on our way."
Maria didn't know what to do. She kept Lennon on her shoulder. He slept. Sammy was trying to wake up but Michael kept shushing him. When her mom arrived with the Sheriff, they immediately went in search of the doctors. Maria eventually had to go in and answer some questions. "He drinks but not… a lot. No drugs. He's been… cold lately. A lot."
'He was whammied by my best friend into being a slightly less annoying and more responsible person without any regard to what that would do to him.' Maria sat next to his bed while he rested. "You okay?"
"I don't know. That's never happened before. I'm still… kind of… like every muscle in my body hurts. Like… I'm frozen to my core." Sean kept his eyes shut.
"Mom is talking to the doctors right now. I think they're going to keep you for a few days."
Then his eyes popped open. "I gotta call my PO."
"I think Jim is handling that." She guided him back down. "Don't worry. I think your PO will understand that a medical situation came up."
"Okay… Aunt Ames flip out?"
"Of course." Maria huffed. "She's not sleeping tonight and if you have any asks… now's the time for them."
He snorted. "Too tired to want stuff. You get the kids out of bed?"
"Keeping them asleep but as soon as they realize they're not home… all bets are off."
"You guys should go home. I'm cool. I got the button." He held up the call button.
"I'll leave when Mom comes in."
"Aw. M… didn't know you cared."
"You scared the shit out of us." Maria sighed. Her mom came in fussing. Maria passed Jim on her way out. "He's worried about his PO. I think he has an appointment in the morning."
"I'll get him on the line, first thing." Jim nodded. "Get those kids home. Doctor doesn't think it'll happen again, and we'll be here."
"Have you heard from Tess?"
"No. Kyle either. Not since… I apparently, and accidentally, broke the news." Jim disappeared into the room and Maria was left to find her family.
Maria found Michael and picked up Sammy so he could gather the bags and Lennon. It was nearly four in the morning and she was not ready for the day. Michael put the kids in bed with them and they tried to sleep. Maria kept staring at the wall, wondering what had happened and if it involved Liz in any way. She was scared. So very scared. She fell asleep and when she woke, Michael was gone and the sun was shining. Her boys were tearing up her bedroom and cheerios were everywhere. Looked like Michael had tried to leave some breakfast ready for them. Maria sighed and got up and washed her face before tackling stinky bums and hungry tummies. She was vacuuming the cheerios when she thought she heard the phone.
She got to the phone when she could and there was a message from Michael. "Maria, stay home. Don't go anywhere. I'll call again when I can."
Maria frowned and glanced at the time. It was barely past two. Maria called her mother and checked on Sean. He was fine. She called Liz, not sure what she was going to say to her friend but needing to hear that Liz was okay. The phone rang and rang. The machine didn't even pick up.
Maria got on with her day. Nap time happened for the boys and Maria thought about lying down with them but she was on edge. Maria glanced at her watch. It was a few hours before her therapist appointment but she had the feeling that Michael wasn't coming home. So she called in to skip. She called Alex's cell phone. It was turned off. Isabel's phone wasn't picking up. Max's phone kept going to voicemail. It wasn't helping her calm. So, Maria called the lab. Answering service was on. She glanced at her watch, it was too early for that. Maria had to hunt for the number but she found the number to Liz's other job.
"You've reached the PSF. Please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as humanly possible."
Maria paced for a long time as she stared out the backdoor. When her phone rang, she yelped. "Shit…" She fumbled for the button. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Guerin, I see you called the office. Is there something I can help you with?" That woman. Right.
"I'm… having trouble getting a hold of anyone in the family. I was trying to find… anyone. Just anyone."
"What have you been told?"
"Um… my husband called earlier to tell me to stay home but I have a bad feeling. My cousin is in the hospital. Liz and Max aren't answering their cells or the house phone. The lab phone is going to the night service."
"It's too early for that." She clucked her tongue. "Stay home. I'll look into this."
Maria panicked and didn't want to let her off the phone but wasn't sure if Liz had initiated her security firm. "But… Look. Um… I'm trying to also get a hold of Liz's sister-in-law and her husband."
"Last we checked, Mrs. Whitman was still at home. Mr. Whitman has gone into seclusion and the last report stated he was doing fine."
"Oh. Okay."
"I'll touch base with Mrs. Evans and Mr. Guerin. Hopefully, it's just a scare."
"And if it isn't?"
"I'll be in touch."
Ava – December 2, 2007 Sunday
Routines were saving her life but also… ruining it. Ava spent every second of Lexi's nap time doing Zan's work shit. She spent that time reading for the numbers, texting Kal's phone for parameters, sending negotiations and signing documents in Zan's name. It was tedium.
Lexi was wonderful, even when she wasn't. Ava hated to let the baby out of her sight. Ava took a thousand pictures and put them in albums. Ava reveled in every kiss and snuggle.
Susan was fine. She was getting better, even. Getting her treatments. She was starting to relax in the house. She wasn't used to having everything she needed, forget things she wanted. Ava was having fun shopping. She kind of liked having someone around since… Zan was too preoccupied with other things.
Ava tried not to think about Zan too much. If she found out he was fucking around, she was going to go nuclear, and the planet didn't need that. She'd had dreams though. Not future type dreams but discomfiting dreams that she couldn't prove or disprove. There were ripples in her connection to him and she had no idea what he was doing.
Before Thanksgiving there was… a bump but it evened out and she'd let it go. She was starting to get weird things from Kal as well. Things that kept her busy and out of pocket. Ava found herself staring at pictures of Mattie most nights. Looking over the surveillance that Zan had procured. Getting updates from the PI. He was so big. She'd switched Lexi's doctor to Mattie's just to maybe run into him, but it hadn't happened yet.
Ava hopped up when the delivery guys arrived. She led them to the empty room she'd no idea what to do with when they got the house. The house was too big but now… there was purpose. Zan had his office. Lexi had her room. Susan had her room. Ava didn't have a space that was just hers but the whole house was her dollhouse. This room was being outfitted with a dedicated router and adjustable desks and computers. Bookshelves and chairs. Fancy headsets and anti-glare stuff for the window. This was her study. Well, the study. She had plans. Susan was in need of a place to study that wasn't her room and if the home school thing ended up being better, then they had a place. And… maybe Ava was signing herself up for some classes.
She thought about asking Kal, but he'd probably sign her up for some bullshit that would have her working for him permanently and… she didn't work for the help. No, just some options. Hopefully she could find some kind of independent study, because she didn't really do teachers or school. She was self-taught in both her lives.
When the room was set up, it looked really empty. No books on the shelves, yet. She logged on to the computer and set herself up with the instructions the tech had left. She held Lexi while she customized the layout. She was getting the hang of this stuff. Then she brought Susan in to do the same to the other computer. Susan helped her with the stuff she didn't know about yet. And she needed to graduate high school. GED. They could both take it. No more shitty school.
Lexi got her nap. Susan made dinner. That let Ava hit the contracts. It was the dumbest job, but it was easy, so she knew why Zan agreed. After dinner, she got nauseous. That was a weird feeling. She'd had it during that bump earlier in the month, but she didn't know where it was coming from. Everyone settled in their evening activities and Ava kept thinking about what Zan could be doing that would drain her from across the country. It was like he was pulling on all his tethers.
December 5, 2007 Wednesday
Ava felt like she was going to hurl from her head to her toes. It wasn't coming from a loss of power. It was coming from Tess. She knew it. She reached out to Zan and got a wall. Something came back but it wasn't anything she recognized. It threw her for a loop, and she ended up in bed while Susan took care of Lexi. When she could stand, she focused and reached out to Liz. Liz always had a wall up, but she could be reached. Zan had proven that a few times. Liz's wall was weak. That was odd.
That evening, as things were evening out, she got a phone call from Tess. "What the fuck is happening?"
"I can't say." Tess whimpered.
"Where's Zan?"
Tess hemmed and hawed for a moment. "Hunting."
"What?" All their enemies on earth were gone.
"He's hunting." Her breathing was coming short and hard.
"Who?"
"A ghost."
Ghost. Fuck. What did that mean? "Is he sick?"
"I don't know."
"Are you?"
"Yes." Tess breathed out, water in her voice. "I'm sorry."
"What's going on?"
"Absolution."
"Absolution?"
"Yes."
"Thought we saw that wasn't going to happen."
"We were looking at Max. We were looking for a specific set of outcomes. We chose what was most likely given the path we were on."
"Where's Isabel?"
"He… turned her off."
"Turned her off." Ava sat up, bile rising in her throat again. "How?"
"You don't want to know."
"Tess…" She didn't know how to word her question. She'd had a taste when she lived in Roswell a few years back, but she'd never explored it because of what she was most afraid of. "Do your signals get mixed up? One pod to the other?"
"Yes."
"I don't feel Absolution."
"He has to touch you. Like he did Liz."
"When did he do that to Liz?"
"In the White Room."
"But…"
"He piggybacked Max's signal and he got in to turn her on and when he rescued her, he touched her and put it inside her. She never knew. I think…" Tess cut herself off. "It hurts."
"What does?"
"If I brush against the protocol."
"What is happening?"
"He fucked up and he's trying to fix it, but people are going to die. He's done with me. I'm going away."
"You're running away from a fight?"
"I'm going to go… oh." Tess breathed out. "I might explode. I have to go away."
"Explode?"
"Like on Antar."
"Oh shit."
"I'm sorry."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"I don't know how long he's been doing this."
"Doing what?"
"What Max couldn't." The line went dead.
Ava sat there, cold sweat breaking out as she tried to break through Tess's riddles. She washed up and paced. She took Lexi and they walked the house and the property. Susan was listening to music in her room and Ava couldn't piece it together until she heard an old song coming on the radio. "And what he couldn't give me was the one little thing that you can."
"Fucking Zan." Ava put Lexi to bed and tried to reach out to Tess. Nothing. Shit.
December 14, 2007 Friday – just after midnight
Ava was sitting outside when she got dizzy. Lights flickered briefly. A surge like that had to come from somewhere. It didn't feel like a wave… more like a whirlpool from inside. There was something out there. Familiar in flavor but it didn't feel exactly like Zan or exactly like Max or exactly like Liz but like… a bit of everyone. The house phone rang. Ava rushed inside to answer. "What's happening?"
"Highness, be on alert. I believe we may have an intruder."
"From Antar?"
"Unclear. I felt it." There was a tremor in the protector's voice. Ava didn't know how to read that.
"I did, too." She agreed.
"Feels… official."
"Official? I don't recognize this feeling."
"If it's not the Mother, then it's something terrible." His voice returned to normal, but he didn't clear his throat. Ava found herself wondering at the actual biology of a protector for a moment.
She snapped to. The Queen Mother. No. "They wouldn't send her here."
"I can't go."
"Why not?"
"He said I couldn't."
"Who did?"
"I can't say."
"Tess said basically the same thing to me last week." Ava breathed out. "Who is giving orders?"
"The Monarch."
"I hate this Absolution bullshit."
"Absolution?" Kal's voice wavered again.
"Tess basically said that Zan has activated the Absolute protocol."
"Max said he deactivated her."
"Well, he must have turned off her Max button but she has a Zan button. Max turned it off in everyone he could reach. So, his whole crew was supposed to be off the monarchy." Ava shrugged though the alien couldn't see it through the phone. "Were there? Cross… programming protocols?"
"I think so. In the event that a complete unit would have to be stitched together. I didn't know he would have told you about the Absolute protocol."
"I'm his wife. I had foresight once upon a time. Tess and I walked through all this shit when she was getting visions from Kyle… the layers. When Max turned off her button, she could see more than what Queen Mom wanted her to. The only path was success. Everything else was shaded."
"Highness, what aren't you saying?"
"My husband went off the reservation. He broke a vow to me. He doesn't check in; he doesn't call home. Lexi and me and this Susan girl got left behind whatever plan he has." Ava breathed out. "I want my son, Kal. I want him home. I can't call the PI guy, but you can. Make it happen."
"What do you want me to do with the other Highness?"
"She's getting her baby. Let her go. She knows she's banished." Ava hung up the phone. She wondered where Tess would go. Fear had been in her voice. Ava had to think. What other safeguards would her mother-in-law have put in place? Zan killed Lannie and Rath. Put Isabel out of commission and turned Vilandra off. Knocked up Tess. Who was next? Absolute protocols could mean danger for Max and Liz. Granilith? Was that a factor? Had Zan even found it, yet? Ava wanted to go but she wasn't leaving Lexi behind. She wasn't leaving New York without her son.
Plans. She had cash. She always had a Lexi bag ready. The only hiccup was Susan. She didn't have any ties to the girl. Not really but Ava didn't feel right about leaving her to fend for herself against whatever was coming. No, she'd sit still. For now.
Laundry room. Ava got everyone a small go bag. Just in case. She could change the color of the car, the plates, with a blink. She knew where not to go. They might have to cross the border. Straight up to Canada and then somewhere else. She browsed the internet while she thought and waited. Kal was in Montana or some shit. That would take time. She needed familiar ground beneath her feet. She was going into the city, it was easiest to get lost there. Spend the week shopping. Some shit to get out of the house.
December 15, 2007 Saturday
They piled into a nice-ish hotel that Ava paid for the week in cash. Kitchenette for some light cooking and to keep them from being seen around town too much. Lunch at the real places that Ava loved. She had to meet the PI guy. She left Susan with Lexi at the hotel. She tacked a list of numbers on the mini fridge. Then she set out for the park. Broad daylight. She watched the children play for a while before the guy showed up. "We didn't have time to put a plan into action."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Someone else got to the kid's adoptive parents." The PI cleared his throat. "The child has been taken into state custody for the time being. A car accident last night incapacitated both of them."
"How do I get him?"
"I'm working on it. You keep doing what you're doing. Take the girl on a shopping spree. Do NOT prepare for him. It's got to be a surprise." He warned. "Where's the husband?"
"Working out of town." Ava shrugged.
"Maybe go apartment shopping. Something to give you a reason to be there that's not to pick up this kid."
"Fine." Ava rolled her eyes and picked up a paper on her way back to the room. She sent a few messages for inquiries. They went out to see the toy store. They saw Santa. Then Ava felt the hair on her arms stand up. She was on high alert. The kids packed up again, packages sent to the room, they ate dinner at a diner. Lexi danced in her seat. Susan talked about this keyboard she'd seen at the toy store but had never had lessons. Ava filed that away.
"I need you." Zan.
Ava sighed and ignored him. Back at the hotel. She put Lexi to bed and Susan played a video game on her hand held. Ava ran water in the bathroom and looked in the mirror. "What do you want?"
"Where are you?"
"What does it matter?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"I know what you did."
"We got bigger fish to fry than who I fuck."
"I don't."
"Something came out of the Granilith."
"Someone?"
"Some. Thing."
"Fuck."
"I need you."
"And where you do want me to leave our daughter?"
"Figure it out. Get here."
Ava took a shower and then sat next to the pop-up crib to think. She couldn't just traipse across the country without her baby, and she couldn't just take her baby with her. Zan never asked for her help with alien business. It was not like they had friends she could ask to watch the kids. Maybe it wouldn't take that long. She texted the PI. She needed a nanny. Quick.
She texted Kal. She needed him to be close by. Ava starting shaking. She couldn't. She couldn't choose this. If she didn't choose, Zan was going to.
TBC