Part Nineteen
It took Isabel a few seconds to gather up enough courage to speak. Michael didn't notice at first. He was busy telling Isabel all about the retrieval. She waited for him to finish the sentence before saying his name, "Michael."
It was her voice that told him something was wrong. It was the same voice she used when ever she was scared and used to have nightmares about being dissected when she was younger. She used to run into Max's room where Michael was usually sleeping and stand there at the door and say his name or Max's in this really small soft tone just before she threw herself into their arms and burst out crying. As she got older she did it less and he came over less but every once in a while, even with Alex around Isabel would show up and say his name in that same tone and he always knew that whatever it was, it was bad.
"What's wrong, Izzy?" Michael was never one to mince words.
Isabel didn't know quite how to begin, "I know why she wanted the files, Michael."
"What do you mean?" he asked knowing she was stalling.
And all of a sudden Isabel knew she couldn't break the news to him. Telling her big brother would make it real. She asked to speak to Maria. Maria would tell him. The minute Maria came on the line, Isabel began sobbing and talking at the same time, her hand clutching Alex's.
"Calm down, chica. Whatever it is we'll fix it,"
"I can't tell him, Maria," she said between sobs.
"Okay, Izzy. You tell me and I will tell him,"
"They're all gone. They took them"
"Took who. Who took them? Isabel?" Maria voice was rising in panic.
Isabel looked up at Alex and found the strength there. Her sobbing calmed down and in a voice almost expressionless as she said the words Maria had been hoping she wouldn't hear, the words she had been dreading to hear.
"They took Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle. Just before they got to school. We heard it during one of the phonecalls that woman was making. They were waiting for them."
"Tell me exactly what you heard," Maria demanded.
"She was talking to someone about something being only a part success. He said that they got Max and Liz immediately but no one else showed up. They waited for a couple of hours and then Kyle and Tess came. They waited some more but since we didn't go to school today…" Isabel let the sentence fade and then after a pause started again, "She called us subjects. She said that they'd better find subjects 3,4,5 and 6 before Kivar finds out that we were not taken."
Maria couldn't say anything. She dropped the phone and turned to Michael her eyes wide and tearful. He'd heard and from her side of the conversation knew. He picked up the phone from the car seat where it had fallen. On the other end Alex took the phone from Isabel. She let him.
Alex and Michael had a short conversation. Michael told Alex to take Isabel and get the hell out of there. Maria who seemed to get her strength back added for them to take the back way and avoid main roads. Michael also gave instructions for them to call Sheriff Valenti and told Isabel who was also now listening to grab whatever she could from the flat and after a short brainstorming between the four of them decided to meet at the pod cave. At the last second, Maria remembered the files and told Alex to bring his laptop so they could figure out what was on them. They didn't discuss details of their missing friends disappearance or rescue. That could wait. Hiding and regrouping was the most important thing now.
Later they would rescue their friends and make the enemy pay.
And so one couple broke every speed limit there was to get back to Roswell, to the cave and another sneaked out a small apartment and after making sure there was no one around watching, climbed down the fire escape, backpacks on their shoulders. All four knew that it was sheer luck that they had not been taken as well, sheer luck that Maria overheard a conversation and sheer luck that they didn't go to school today. And they knew that they were being hunted and running out of time. For their friends they would be strong.
For their friends.
End part 19
It took Isabel a few seconds to gather up enough courage to speak. Michael didn't notice at first. He was busy telling Isabel all about the retrieval. She waited for him to finish the sentence before saying his name, "Michael."
It was her voice that told him something was wrong. It was the same voice she used when ever she was scared and used to have nightmares about being dissected when she was younger. She used to run into Max's room where Michael was usually sleeping and stand there at the door and say his name or Max's in this really small soft tone just before she threw herself into their arms and burst out crying. As she got older she did it less and he came over less but every once in a while, even with Alex around Isabel would show up and say his name in that same tone and he always knew that whatever it was, it was bad.
"What's wrong, Izzy?" Michael was never one to mince words.
Isabel didn't know quite how to begin, "I know why she wanted the files, Michael."
"What do you mean?" he asked knowing she was stalling.
And all of a sudden Isabel knew she couldn't break the news to him. Telling her big brother would make it real. She asked to speak to Maria. Maria would tell him. The minute Maria came on the line, Isabel began sobbing and talking at the same time, her hand clutching Alex's.
"Calm down, chica. Whatever it is we'll fix it,"
"I can't tell him, Maria," she said between sobs.
"Okay, Izzy. You tell me and I will tell him,"
"They're all gone. They took them"
"Took who. Who took them? Isabel?" Maria voice was rising in panic.
Isabel looked up at Alex and found the strength there. Her sobbing calmed down and in a voice almost expressionless as she said the words Maria had been hoping she wouldn't hear, the words she had been dreading to hear.
"They took Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle. Just before they got to school. We heard it during one of the phonecalls that woman was making. They were waiting for them."
"Tell me exactly what you heard," Maria demanded.
"She was talking to someone about something being only a part success. He said that they got Max and Liz immediately but no one else showed up. They waited for a couple of hours and then Kyle and Tess came. They waited some more but since we didn't go to school today…" Isabel let the sentence fade and then after a pause started again, "She called us subjects. She said that they'd better find subjects 3,4,5 and 6 before Kivar finds out that we were not taken."
Maria couldn't say anything. She dropped the phone and turned to Michael her eyes wide and tearful. He'd heard and from her side of the conversation knew. He picked up the phone from the car seat where it had fallen. On the other end Alex took the phone from Isabel. She let him.
Alex and Michael had a short conversation. Michael told Alex to take Isabel and get the hell out of there. Maria who seemed to get her strength back added for them to take the back way and avoid main roads. Michael also gave instructions for them to call Sheriff Valenti and told Isabel who was also now listening to grab whatever she could from the flat and after a short brainstorming between the four of them decided to meet at the pod cave. At the last second, Maria remembered the files and told Alex to bring his laptop so they could figure out what was on them. They didn't discuss details of their missing friends disappearance or rescue. That could wait. Hiding and regrouping was the most important thing now.
Later they would rescue their friends and make the enemy pay.
And so one couple broke every speed limit there was to get back to Roswell, to the cave and another sneaked out a small apartment and after making sure there was no one around watching, climbed down the fire escape, backpacks on their shoulders. All four knew that it was sheer luck that they had not been taken as well, sheer luck that Maria overheard a conversation and sheer luck that they didn't go to school today. And they knew that they were being hunted and running out of time. For their friends they would be strong.
For their friends.
End part 19