Chapter Three

  It was a dark and gloomy night.  Angry clouds cloaked the stars casting the group into darkness.  A flash of lighting stuck the sky followed seconds later by a deafening roar.  It brought the group out of their individual thoughts, bring them swiftly back to reality.

"What's taken them so long?"  Maria demanded crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to ward off the chill in the air.

"Don't worry their coming…I spoke with Valante and he said he and Kyle is on their way."  He reassured her pulling her into his arms, contributing his body heat to hers.

"What the hell are we suppose to do, Michael?"  Isabel demanded her heart racing in her chest.  "Where are we going to start looking?" 

"Their coming."  Liz cried, cutting off Michael before he could answer Isabel.  "There…"  She pointed at the headlights in the distant.  "Their coming."  Her heart raced as she paced impatiently.  She wanted this over as quickly as possible.  Wanted to see Max, to hold him.  Because once she was in his arms again she was never going to let him go.

The car came to a sudden stop right next to the group.  Valanti sat in the driver's seat and watched them for a few seconds before making him self get out of the car.  Kyle jumped out of the passenger side and followed his dad a few steps behind him.  His eyes at once searched out Isabel.  Everything in him wanted to rush to her and haul her into his arms to reassure himself that she's really okay.  But he held himself back.  She isn't his, he has no right feeling this way about her.  'She belongs to Jesse.  She belongs to Jesse.'  He reminded himself, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.  She almost died, he almost lost her completely.  His heart pounding he closed his eyes as the image of her laying on his dining room table covered with blood, shaking uncontrollable sliced through his mind.  Never had he felt the consuming terror that held him in its grasp, as he stood helpless watching them trying to save her.

"What the hells going on here Michael?"  Valanti demanded when he reached them.  "I must have misunderstood what you were saying on the phone…"

"No… it's true he's not dead."  Michael said.

"That's not possible, you guys."  He said looking at the faces around him, their eyes radiating their misguided hope.  He didn't want to be the one to make them face the fact that Max's is really gone, but he have no other choice.  "I saw him… I saw him dissolve into nothing right in front of me."  Holding his head between his hands he took a deep breath and stared up at the dark anger sky.  "God… don't you think I want to believe it.  I want to… but I know what I saw and I can't see him coming back for that."  He wanted to scream, to cry, to hit something…someone.  Groaning he closed his eyes his pain rushing through him.  He felt so helpless.  He knelt on that cold ground and watched the man who not only saved his life, but the life of his son murdered and he didn't do anything to save him.  He should have done something, anything.  Damn it he use to be the sheriff of this God forsaken town.  He knew how to deal with situations like that, but he did nothing…nothing.               

As if sensing his thoughts Kyle walked up to him placing his hand on his fathers shoulder.  "It wasn't your fault dad.  You didn't do anything wrong."  He reassured him squeezing his shoulder affectionately.  Valanti placed a hand over Kyle's turning to look at his son pain rushing through him when he thought of the gut wrenching pain the Evan's will have to endure when they were told about their son's death. 

Liz watched them, everything in her wanted to scream. 'Calm down.'  The whispered command echoed in her head.  'Calm down.'  But how could she when she felt this uncontrollable energy racing through her.  It started from somewhere deep side her and lingered at her fingertips.  Raising one of her hands she tried to she it in the dark. 

"I can't believe your actually thinking that you're responsible for this mess."  Maria asked tears hovering in her eyes.  "How can you think that?"

"I know what to do in situations like that.  I've been train for… God I've trained others to deal with the same circumstances…I taught them what to and not to do."  He yelled pulling away from Kyle.  "I should have done something…anything…" His voice trailed off as he took a deep breath turning away from kids in front of him.

"It wasn't your fault.  No one's blaming you Valanti so don't waste the energy blaming yourself.   Michael said as Valanti turned to face him.  "Besides Max's isn't dead.  He's alive somewhere waiting for us to help him."

"I want to believe you, but…"

"He's not dead."  Liz said staring at her hand as she rotated it in front of her face.  She could feel it.  The uncontrollable energy building inside her, waiting for release and she knew that she should be afraid as she had been since this mysterious alien thing started to invade her life, but she wasn't any longer.  "He's not dead."  She repeated.

"Do you still feel him, Liz?"  Isabel asked her heart racing as she looked at her.  She seemed so out of it.  So unlike the control person she portray to the world.  "Is he alright?"

"Yes."  Liz said not turning her attention from her hand.  "I feel him."  She said her tears hovering in her eyes, her anger accelerating in her body. "We're alright.  We're not afraid because we know your coming to save us."

"What the hell…."  Maria cried her breathe caught in her throat as she watched the lost look on Liz's face.  "Michael…."

Going to stand in front of her Michael grabbed her arm pulling it from in front of her face.  "Get a grip Liz.  You have to get a grip."  He yelled trying to capture her eyes. 

Liz felt the energy building inside her.  Her anger, her pain surged through her until she felt the nausea that lingering in the pit of her stomach rush within her.  Raising her eyes slowly her face constricted by the rage she didn't try to control she looked into Michael's eyes.  Michael felt his heart slam against the wall of his chest forcefully as the extent of her pain, her anger hit him hard.  

"Liz…"  He moaned staring down at her his heart beating wilding. She was staring right into his eyes and yet Michael knew she didn't see him.  Didn't know that he was standing right in front of her. 

Her body suddenly started to tremble uncontrollable, her eyes shot closed, hands balled tightly into fists at her side.  The group around her watched shocked.  They didn't know what was happening to her, didn't know what to do to help her.

"Liz…Liz… what going on…damn it talk to me…"  Maria yelled.  "Michael do something…please do something."

Her eyes snapped open the same instant Michael reached out to grab her.  Flinging her hands in the air she suddenly released the energy inside her, sending the others around her flying forcefully backwards through the air.  She stood looking down that them lying around her on the cold dirty floor of the desert her chest heaving. "You're running out of time." She said her voice overshadowed by another voice.  "You're running out of time."   She repeated, giving into the darkness fighting for control she fell to the ground unconscious.

"Oh my God…Max…did you hear it?"  Isabel demanded getting to her feet.  "Did you hear he's voice?"

TBC