Part Twenty Four
The four rescuers didn't waste time. The plan was simple – get in and get out. No deviations. It started with Michael unlocking the front gate so that they could enter and Isabel making sure that cameras at the gate didn't show them on screen. Both tasks were relatively simple.
Once they were within the grounds of the house the four of them split up to increase their chances of escape and recovery. Isabel went with the sheriff and Maria and stuck with Michael. It was a perfect arrangement to cover all possibilities – one alien and one human.
The two groups went in opposite directions. Before they left the cave Alex had printed a copy of the blueprints to help give them an idea of where all entrances and escape routes were in the house. Getting in wouldn't be a problem but the lead inside would definitely cause difficulties. That's what the guns were for. The strategy was a very basic one. They knew that the two couple were being held separately. Each rescue team would try and get one couple and leave the premises immediately unless contacted and told otherwise. They had decided that this was the best plan to prevent any more captures and increase their chances of success. If there was any changes they were to contact Alex and inform him.
There were four entrances to the house. Three of them were accessible on the ground floor while the fourth was on the second floor and opened out onto a balcony. All five of them had memorised all the entrances in case of any emergency. Michael and Maria were to take the back entrance while Isabel and the sheriff went via the side door.
Isabel and the sheriff reached their destination first and a quick touch of the lock by Isabel had the door unlocked. The four aliens had spent a lot time this past summer practising their powers and all of them had improved tremendously both in speed and the ability to do things they were not previously able to do. On that list unlocking a door, no matter how complicated the lock was, was an easy task for any of them.
The side door led into a long corridor. There was no one in sight but the two of them didn't linger long in the open to prevent being seen. There were a number of doors along the way. Most of them were closed. The sheriff immediately eliminated all the ones that were open as a possible holding cell for the missing teens but before they checked any of the closed rooms they needed to get out of sight. The two walked up to the first opened door and Isabel sneaked a look around a hand held in front of her ready to discharge power if necessary. They were lucky and the room was empty. Quickly they moved in and stopped to regroup and plan the search.
On the other side of the house, two teens stood outside the back door listening for any sounds that would indicate someone in the kitchen, as the blueprints suggested. There was silence and Michael turned the lock cautiously while Maria held her gun arm extended. She had placed a silencer on her gun at the last second to reduce any unnecessary sounds that would remove their surprise element if they had to shoot someone. Moving silently through the kitchen their backs to each other, Michael and Maria kept their eyes roving for anything unusual. It was their complete and utter faith in each other that gave their actions a confidence and sureness. Their first priority was to protect each other and the second to rescue their friends. Both were equally important to them.
~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~.
Liz tried to control her outer expression and keep the excitement from showing in her face. She bent her head over Max's her hair swinging past her shoulders to cover their faces. His eyes were still flickering slightly. She just knew he was seconds away from opening them. Liz had felt him returning to consciousness for a while now and she was determined to prevent their captors from finding this out. It was their only chance to escape. Softly she whispered for him not to move. Max squeezed her hand slightly in acquiescence. His body was still weak and it was difficult for him to move anyway.
He opened his eyes a slit to find Liz's face directly above him. He could feel the soft silky strands of her hair on his cheek. She smiled at him, relief highly apparent on her face. Max attempted to smile back but it hurt too much. She smoothed his forehead with her free hand. It was wet with perspiration showing all the trauma his body had been through. Reading the questions in his eyes and knowing with that silent communication they had always shared that he couldn't talk right now Liz quietly explained all she knew of the situation. His eyes began to shadow over as Max did what came naturally to him. He worried. Being the leader always made it that he felt things deeper than the others and a loss of control was the thing he feared most in the world.
Liz comforted him as best as she could but it was hard since she was scared as well. They didn't know what had happened to any of the others, no chance to warn them or find out what had happened to Michael and Maria on the mission. Max closed his eyes again fighting for control over the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly his eyelashes flickered again as Liz watched him open them again. This time her face held all the worry she felt for him, the situation and her friends. Max's eyes showed strength this time. Seeing that, Liz felt her courage return. Whatever happened they were together and that's what mattered.
The two of them held their position. If they were going to attempt an escape there were two reasons for Max not to move. The first one was simple and a little problem – he didn't have the strength to move. The second one was more complicated. Moving would alert whoever was watching them of his return to consciousness and Max agreed with Liz that they needed an element of surprise if they were to have any chance to escape. They couldn't rely on the fact that a rescue was already underway not knowing the whereabouts of any their friends. Luckily for both of them, their plan was unneeded because it didn't stand much chance of success with the condition Max was in. Rescue was only a door away where the sheriff and Isabel were about to leave to search.
**************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******************.
Kyle and Tess were not as lucky as Max and Liz if you discount Max only recent return to consciousness. While they were not strapped to a bed like Max was during his incarceration by the FBI, they were in a lot of pain. For Kyle the pain was physical and for Tess it was emotional, watching him fall to knees collapsing despite her attempts to hold him up.
The missing files had held the congresswoman back long enough. She was prepared to interrogate without the advantage the files would have brought her. And so she did. A blind fool could see the affection the humans shared with their alien friends and she had been in town long enough to observe that. Well versed in the art of interrogation with a whole war behind her as training she knew what to use to get them to talk to her.
Her anger of all that had gone wrong was against Kyle and Tess right now and so was the pressure the woman was under. She was in a hurry for the information and they were the only two that could provide it thanks to the incompetent fools that had injured the king.
Vanessa Whittaker had started slowly to give them a chance to give up despite her doubts that that would occur. But things had progressed real fast after that. The lead surrounding the room prevented Tess from using her powers but it didn't seem to inhibit the congresswoman at all. She may have been the first alien that they had encountered besides themselves but her powers demonstrated her other worldliness. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was evil – one of the bad guys Max's and Isabel's mother had been warning them about and a real powerful one, seeing as her abilities were way beyond any of theirs.
The thing about it, even though that Tess knew that a rescue was already underway and she only had to be strong for a little while longer, she would have given in just to prevent Kyle from being hurt a second longer. Even with Kyle insisting that she not say a word Tess would have at that moment in time revealed all to the woman that was squeezing Kyle's heart slowly and excruciatingly with her powers from across the room.
Kyle couldn't breathe. He could feel himself dying. It was a feeling he recognised after being shot once. He looked up into the blues eyes of the person that made this all worthwhile as she grabbed his arms before he dropped to his knees. She was strong but not strong enough to hold up his dead weight. He knew she wanted to talk and he implored her with his eyes to hold on and be strong.
Kyle's eyes began to close slowly as he started to lose consciousness and for the third time since the interrogation began the congresswoman brought him back just to begin the torture all over again. Tess was prepared to do just about anything to stop it, the watching him die right before her eyes over and over again, except for one thing. She didn't know what the woman was talking about. Tess had never heard of the granolith before. Not from Nacedo or any of the other aliens. It was ironic that just as she was going to talk she didn't actually have any information to share.
The congresswoman was still going strong. They had been at this for a while now. She knew many that given up at the first sensation of dying yet for some reason these two seemed stronger. Even so, she could tell from the tears that were falling down Subject 8's face, that they were about to give in, but for some reason that had not happened yet. Part of her was actually beginning to believe that they knew nothing. She didn't stop. Vanessa Whittaker had at some point in her long career begun to enjoy watching and even better causing pain in others. The pleasure she received from the tears in her victims was worth a lot in her book and these two deserved it, the way she saw it. They were responsible for her having a really bad day and a little torture did improve the day so much.
````````````````*************`````````````````.
Up till now things on the rescue front had been going really well. They were undiscovered and had gained entry to the house. All that was about to change.
End Part 24
The four rescuers didn't waste time. The plan was simple – get in and get out. No deviations. It started with Michael unlocking the front gate so that they could enter and Isabel making sure that cameras at the gate didn't show them on screen. Both tasks were relatively simple.
Once they were within the grounds of the house the four of them split up to increase their chances of escape and recovery. Isabel went with the sheriff and Maria and stuck with Michael. It was a perfect arrangement to cover all possibilities – one alien and one human.
The two groups went in opposite directions. Before they left the cave Alex had printed a copy of the blueprints to help give them an idea of where all entrances and escape routes were in the house. Getting in wouldn't be a problem but the lead inside would definitely cause difficulties. That's what the guns were for. The strategy was a very basic one. They knew that the two couple were being held separately. Each rescue team would try and get one couple and leave the premises immediately unless contacted and told otherwise. They had decided that this was the best plan to prevent any more captures and increase their chances of success. If there was any changes they were to contact Alex and inform him.
There were four entrances to the house. Three of them were accessible on the ground floor while the fourth was on the second floor and opened out onto a balcony. All five of them had memorised all the entrances in case of any emergency. Michael and Maria were to take the back entrance while Isabel and the sheriff went via the side door.
Isabel and the sheriff reached their destination first and a quick touch of the lock by Isabel had the door unlocked. The four aliens had spent a lot time this past summer practising their powers and all of them had improved tremendously both in speed and the ability to do things they were not previously able to do. On that list unlocking a door, no matter how complicated the lock was, was an easy task for any of them.
The side door led into a long corridor. There was no one in sight but the two of them didn't linger long in the open to prevent being seen. There were a number of doors along the way. Most of them were closed. The sheriff immediately eliminated all the ones that were open as a possible holding cell for the missing teens but before they checked any of the closed rooms they needed to get out of sight. The two walked up to the first opened door and Isabel sneaked a look around a hand held in front of her ready to discharge power if necessary. They were lucky and the room was empty. Quickly they moved in and stopped to regroup and plan the search.
On the other side of the house, two teens stood outside the back door listening for any sounds that would indicate someone in the kitchen, as the blueprints suggested. There was silence and Michael turned the lock cautiously while Maria held her gun arm extended. She had placed a silencer on her gun at the last second to reduce any unnecessary sounds that would remove their surprise element if they had to shoot someone. Moving silently through the kitchen their backs to each other, Michael and Maria kept their eyes roving for anything unusual. It was their complete and utter faith in each other that gave their actions a confidence and sureness. Their first priority was to protect each other and the second to rescue their friends. Both were equally important to them.
~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~.
Liz tried to control her outer expression and keep the excitement from showing in her face. She bent her head over Max's her hair swinging past her shoulders to cover their faces. His eyes were still flickering slightly. She just knew he was seconds away from opening them. Liz had felt him returning to consciousness for a while now and she was determined to prevent their captors from finding this out. It was their only chance to escape. Softly she whispered for him not to move. Max squeezed her hand slightly in acquiescence. His body was still weak and it was difficult for him to move anyway.
He opened his eyes a slit to find Liz's face directly above him. He could feel the soft silky strands of her hair on his cheek. She smiled at him, relief highly apparent on her face. Max attempted to smile back but it hurt too much. She smoothed his forehead with her free hand. It was wet with perspiration showing all the trauma his body had been through. Reading the questions in his eyes and knowing with that silent communication they had always shared that he couldn't talk right now Liz quietly explained all she knew of the situation. His eyes began to shadow over as Max did what came naturally to him. He worried. Being the leader always made it that he felt things deeper than the others and a loss of control was the thing he feared most in the world.
Liz comforted him as best as she could but it was hard since she was scared as well. They didn't know what had happened to any of the others, no chance to warn them or find out what had happened to Michael and Maria on the mission. Max closed his eyes again fighting for control over the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly his eyelashes flickered again as Liz watched him open them again. This time her face held all the worry she felt for him, the situation and her friends. Max's eyes showed strength this time. Seeing that, Liz felt her courage return. Whatever happened they were together and that's what mattered.
The two of them held their position. If they were going to attempt an escape there were two reasons for Max not to move. The first one was simple and a little problem – he didn't have the strength to move. The second one was more complicated. Moving would alert whoever was watching them of his return to consciousness and Max agreed with Liz that they needed an element of surprise if they were to have any chance to escape. They couldn't rely on the fact that a rescue was already underway not knowing the whereabouts of any their friends. Luckily for both of them, their plan was unneeded because it didn't stand much chance of success with the condition Max was in. Rescue was only a door away where the sheriff and Isabel were about to leave to search.
**************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******************.
Kyle and Tess were not as lucky as Max and Liz if you discount Max only recent return to consciousness. While they were not strapped to a bed like Max was during his incarceration by the FBI, they were in a lot of pain. For Kyle the pain was physical and for Tess it was emotional, watching him fall to knees collapsing despite her attempts to hold him up.
The missing files had held the congresswoman back long enough. She was prepared to interrogate without the advantage the files would have brought her. And so she did. A blind fool could see the affection the humans shared with their alien friends and she had been in town long enough to observe that. Well versed in the art of interrogation with a whole war behind her as training she knew what to use to get them to talk to her.
Her anger of all that had gone wrong was against Kyle and Tess right now and so was the pressure the woman was under. She was in a hurry for the information and they were the only two that could provide it thanks to the incompetent fools that had injured the king.
Vanessa Whittaker had started slowly to give them a chance to give up despite her doubts that that would occur. But things had progressed real fast after that. The lead surrounding the room prevented Tess from using her powers but it didn't seem to inhibit the congresswoman at all. She may have been the first alien that they had encountered besides themselves but her powers demonstrated her other worldliness. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was evil – one of the bad guys Max's and Isabel's mother had been warning them about and a real powerful one, seeing as her abilities were way beyond any of theirs.
The thing about it, even though that Tess knew that a rescue was already underway and she only had to be strong for a little while longer, she would have given in just to prevent Kyle from being hurt a second longer. Even with Kyle insisting that she not say a word Tess would have at that moment in time revealed all to the woman that was squeezing Kyle's heart slowly and excruciatingly with her powers from across the room.
Kyle couldn't breathe. He could feel himself dying. It was a feeling he recognised after being shot once. He looked up into the blues eyes of the person that made this all worthwhile as she grabbed his arms before he dropped to his knees. She was strong but not strong enough to hold up his dead weight. He knew she wanted to talk and he implored her with his eyes to hold on and be strong.
Kyle's eyes began to close slowly as he started to lose consciousness and for the third time since the interrogation began the congresswoman brought him back just to begin the torture all over again. Tess was prepared to do just about anything to stop it, the watching him die right before her eyes over and over again, except for one thing. She didn't know what the woman was talking about. Tess had never heard of the granolith before. Not from Nacedo or any of the other aliens. It was ironic that just as she was going to talk she didn't actually have any information to share.
The congresswoman was still going strong. They had been at this for a while now. She knew many that given up at the first sensation of dying yet for some reason these two seemed stronger. Even so, she could tell from the tears that were falling down Subject 8's face, that they were about to give in, but for some reason that had not happened yet. Part of her was actually beginning to believe that they knew nothing. She didn't stop. Vanessa Whittaker had at some point in her long career begun to enjoy watching and even better causing pain in others. The pleasure she received from the tears in her victims was worth a lot in her book and these two deserved it, the way she saw it. They were responsible for her having a really bad day and a little torture did improve the day so much.
````````````````*************`````````````````.
Up till now things on the rescue front had been going really well. They were undiscovered and had gained entry to the house. All that was about to change.
End Part 24