Chapter Five
Michael stood at the door, staring out at the street, expecting Max to pull up any minute with a normal explanation about where he'd been all day.
Tess had called them all over to the Valenti's house in a panic. No one had seen Max or Liz all day. Their parents had learned of their disappearing act and were now waiting for them at the Crashdown. They were pretty mad from what Maria had said. This was about the fifth time they had disappeared together. Even though Valenti had explained one of those away, their patience was running out.
Michael opened the door, allowing Alex and Isabel to enter. Alex shook his head. "They weren't at Whitaker's office either. As a matter of fact, someone else is finally moving in there. All the congresswoman's stuff is gone."
They had been taking turns scouring the countryside looking everywhere Max and Liz could possibly have gone. They still had had no luck and they had run out of ideas. Michael punched the door. "Damn it!"
Maria put her hand on his shoulder. "They'll show up, Michael. Wherever they are, they have each other. They'll be fine."
Tess slammed the book she'd been reading to help take her mind off the situation down on the table. "This is Liz's fault. She probably has running around looking for something. I mean, that's what she does. She's always leading Max around by his nose, always meddling with things beyond her comprehension."
"Beyond her comprehension?", Maria repeated incredulously. "If it wasn't for Liz, they would have never found out where they came from, they would probably be running from the law or, God forbid, being taken apart by Pierce right now. After all this, you think Liz has Max running around, putting him in needless danger."
Maria was eye-to-eye with Tess now, having stalked her the whole time until she had her against the wall, staring down at her. If Maria had thought about what she was doing, she probably would have shocked herself. "You know what your problem is? You're more human than you can stand. You're what's known as a gold digger. You're obsessed with being what you were in that other life - a queen. You want power and you don't have any down here." She shook her head. "God, I can't believe Liz sacrificed the world for you."
Maria instantly knew she had said something she shouldn't have. Liz was going to kill her. "What did you say?", Tess asked.
Maria gave her a nervous smile. "Did I just say that?"
As he extended his hand further along the wall, Max almost cried out in joy. There was nothing there. He had found the end of the corridor. Better yet, he could see a faint light illuminating the way ahead.
He was forced to squint for a few minutes. After so much time in complete darkness, even the smallest source of light was blinding. His head was already pounding. Now that he could see, he studied the walls of the cave.
Something wasn't right. They seemed....almost transparent. He thought he could see glimpses of dimly burning torches and a heavy-set man watching him. As soon as he noticed it though, it was gone. It didn't matter. He had to find Liz.
Stumbling along, he forced himself to continue. Liz was near. He could feel it.
The inside of the orb was back to normal. The chaos had returned. It seemed worse now, the swirling multi-colored gases were noticeably more violent, converging on each other with a ferocious appetite.
Liz had quit crying now but only because she had no more tears to shed. Her entire body ached from the sobs that had torn her apart just moments before. Even though the link she'd shared with Lilith was gone, she could still feel that awful pain.
She had to have answers - now more than ever. Your guide will know. Was Tic- Tac the one it spoke of? He had to be. That must be the reason she had sensed no evil emanating from him. He was her guide. That didn't make any sense though. From what she knew of shapeshifters, they were protectors - alien protectors.
She was human. Why would he be her guide? There was only one way to find out. Rising to her feet, she dusted herself off and wiped her face with her shirt.
A violent tremor shook the earth. Liz fought several seconds to stay on her feet. Finally regaining her balance, she looked around. "What was that?"
In answer, the tremors started again. This time it didn't stop.
Liz crashed to the ground, scrapping her arm on the ground. Rolling to the side as a chunk of the ceiling shattered where she'd been, she looked toward the way out. There was nothing but a solid rock wall. More pieces of the ceiling were starting to rain down upon her. The air around her was filling with dust, making it harder and harder to breathe.
"Max!"
"Liz!"
Looking through the dust, she saw Max running toward her. He didn't look like he had fared to well on his journey either. Sweat dripped down his body. Dirt had clung to his wet skin, making him look as if he had rolled around in a pigpen. His eyes were swollen and red-rimmed. He looked as if his legs would betray him any second and send him crashing to the ground.
"Liz!" Max took her into his arm, holding her close as the world fell apart around them. He kissed her: once, twice, three times.
"Max...", she said between kisses. "We...have...to get out of here."
"Right.", he said, taking her by the hand. He looked behind her, noticing for the first time the solid wall behind them. "Our choices are pretty limited."
"I don't know what happened, Max.", Liz said. "Oh, Max, I saw the most-"
A savage tremor ended all conversation, throwing them to the ground with Liz landing atop Max, knocking the air from his lungs. The horrible sound of the ground splitting like an egg filled their ears.
The next few seconds were like slow motion. As Liz started to roll off of him, Max's eyes grew wide. She didn't get to ask what was wrong. Max quickly rolled over, reversing their positions, covering her body with his.
The last thing Liz saw as she lost consciousness was the top of the cave that was suddenly way too close.
Michael stood at the door, staring out at the street, expecting Max to pull up any minute with a normal explanation about where he'd been all day.
Tess had called them all over to the Valenti's house in a panic. No one had seen Max or Liz all day. Their parents had learned of their disappearing act and were now waiting for them at the Crashdown. They were pretty mad from what Maria had said. This was about the fifth time they had disappeared together. Even though Valenti had explained one of those away, their patience was running out.
Michael opened the door, allowing Alex and Isabel to enter. Alex shook his head. "They weren't at Whitaker's office either. As a matter of fact, someone else is finally moving in there. All the congresswoman's stuff is gone."
They had been taking turns scouring the countryside looking everywhere Max and Liz could possibly have gone. They still had had no luck and they had run out of ideas. Michael punched the door. "Damn it!"
Maria put her hand on his shoulder. "They'll show up, Michael. Wherever they are, they have each other. They'll be fine."
Tess slammed the book she'd been reading to help take her mind off the situation down on the table. "This is Liz's fault. She probably has running around looking for something. I mean, that's what she does. She's always leading Max around by his nose, always meddling with things beyond her comprehension."
"Beyond her comprehension?", Maria repeated incredulously. "If it wasn't for Liz, they would have never found out where they came from, they would probably be running from the law or, God forbid, being taken apart by Pierce right now. After all this, you think Liz has Max running around, putting him in needless danger."
Maria was eye-to-eye with Tess now, having stalked her the whole time until she had her against the wall, staring down at her. If Maria had thought about what she was doing, she probably would have shocked herself. "You know what your problem is? You're more human than you can stand. You're what's known as a gold digger. You're obsessed with being what you were in that other life - a queen. You want power and you don't have any down here." She shook her head. "God, I can't believe Liz sacrificed the world for you."
Maria instantly knew she had said something she shouldn't have. Liz was going to kill her. "What did you say?", Tess asked.
Maria gave her a nervous smile. "Did I just say that?"
As he extended his hand further along the wall, Max almost cried out in joy. There was nothing there. He had found the end of the corridor. Better yet, he could see a faint light illuminating the way ahead.
He was forced to squint for a few minutes. After so much time in complete darkness, even the smallest source of light was blinding. His head was already pounding. Now that he could see, he studied the walls of the cave.
Something wasn't right. They seemed....almost transparent. He thought he could see glimpses of dimly burning torches and a heavy-set man watching him. As soon as he noticed it though, it was gone. It didn't matter. He had to find Liz.
Stumbling along, he forced himself to continue. Liz was near. He could feel it.
The inside of the orb was back to normal. The chaos had returned. It seemed worse now, the swirling multi-colored gases were noticeably more violent, converging on each other with a ferocious appetite.
Liz had quit crying now but only because she had no more tears to shed. Her entire body ached from the sobs that had torn her apart just moments before. Even though the link she'd shared with Lilith was gone, she could still feel that awful pain.
She had to have answers - now more than ever. Your guide will know. Was Tic- Tac the one it spoke of? He had to be. That must be the reason she had sensed no evil emanating from him. He was her guide. That didn't make any sense though. From what she knew of shapeshifters, they were protectors - alien protectors.
She was human. Why would he be her guide? There was only one way to find out. Rising to her feet, she dusted herself off and wiped her face with her shirt.
A violent tremor shook the earth. Liz fought several seconds to stay on her feet. Finally regaining her balance, she looked around. "What was that?"
In answer, the tremors started again. This time it didn't stop.
Liz crashed to the ground, scrapping her arm on the ground. Rolling to the side as a chunk of the ceiling shattered where she'd been, she looked toward the way out. There was nothing but a solid rock wall. More pieces of the ceiling were starting to rain down upon her. The air around her was filling with dust, making it harder and harder to breathe.
"Max!"
"Liz!"
Looking through the dust, she saw Max running toward her. He didn't look like he had fared to well on his journey either. Sweat dripped down his body. Dirt had clung to his wet skin, making him look as if he had rolled around in a pigpen. His eyes were swollen and red-rimmed. He looked as if his legs would betray him any second and send him crashing to the ground.
"Liz!" Max took her into his arm, holding her close as the world fell apart around them. He kissed her: once, twice, three times.
"Max...", she said between kisses. "We...have...to get out of here."
"Right.", he said, taking her by the hand. He looked behind her, noticing for the first time the solid wall behind them. "Our choices are pretty limited."
"I don't know what happened, Max.", Liz said. "Oh, Max, I saw the most-"
A savage tremor ended all conversation, throwing them to the ground with Liz landing atop Max, knocking the air from his lungs. The horrible sound of the ground splitting like an egg filled their ears.
The next few seconds were like slow motion. As Liz started to roll off of him, Max's eyes grew wide. She didn't get to ask what was wrong. Max quickly rolled over, reversing their positions, covering her body with his.
The last thing Liz saw as she lost consciousness was the top of the cave that was suddenly way too close.