---Chapter 30---
Max Evans was in no mood to sleep. He walked the night, responsibility fell heavily on his shoulders. They were all in trouble- a great menace had overshadowed their lives for months now and he had to watch as one after another- his friends had been harmed. Jesse, his own sister Isabel and now Kyle. Who was next? So help him, if Liz were to be kidnapped- he wasn't all that sure he could take it. It all began as a mystery. But that mystery had slowly begun to unravel. And now he was all but certain all of this mess lay at the door of one man: Adam Winthrop. But what was he supposed to do? Jesse was still in a coma, Kyle was missing. Isabel well, she couldn't be much help. Max was still certain she'd been kidnapped that time she'd been gone. Yet, she herself was adamant she hadn't been. She looked at Max like he was crazy when he brought up his suspicions about anything. She thinks Jesse was just in an accident or something. He was inclined to think his sister had been brainwashed or something similar done to her while she'd been gone. So who was left to help him shoulder all of this? Liz was supportive, but he didn't want harm to befall her. And Michael, of course, but he was distant and preoccupied lately. There just weren't enough of them to face the Winthrop mansion alone. They could be killed or worse. Max just didn't know what he was going to do, so as usual lately, he found himself roaming the streets and not surprisingly he was on Liz's street.
Max went around and looked up at Liz's window, contemplating paying her a late visit- but not wanting to wake her, when he saw someone go into her window!
Max managed to quietly get above. He peered into her window and saw a dark- clothed individual standing over her bed. Max knew it was one of Adam's men, one of those who had been watching all of them all along.
They glimpsed Max outside the window and in that moment Max yelled inside his mind with all the force he could muster, "Liz!" somehow hoping she could hear him. And she did, either that or she sensed the intruder, because she opened her eyes in a snap and saw Max at the window. Max leapt inside. "What do you think you're doing?" he seethed, barely controlling his anger.
The intruder pulled a gun and aimed at Liz. Max lunged at the man, and they started to struggle, but when Max laid his hands on him, it was over. All of the pent-up anger and rage over those last few months was unleashed on the man. In those instants he sawAdam Winthrop, the originator. Max could feel the man's life force draining. And then he was dead.
Liz, on the floor at this point, came around the side of the bed and walked over to Max who sat in stunned silence over the man who lay on the floor, unmoving.
"Oh God, Max." Liz almost whispered. When Max didn't answer, Liz stopped beside him. "Max."
"He's dead. I . . . killed him." -Max.
"How, Max?" -Liz.
"It was like .. like, the reverse of healing." That is all Max said. Liz heard noise below.
"Max, hide!" Liz helped Max push the body over to one side of her bed and Max dashed out of the window, while Liz got into bed herself. When Liz's mother opened her door nd flipped on the light, Liz pretended to awake sleepily "What is it?"
"Your father and I thought we head something., Did you?"
"No, mom." Liz said, rubbing her eyes. Her mother glanced around the room and then said, "Well goodnight, honey. Sorry I woke you."
She flipped the lights back off and closed the door. After Liz heard here mother's footsteps down the stairs and silence for several long minutes, she motioned for Max to come back inside.
"What are we going to do." Liz pointed to the body.
"Wait until your parents leave tomorrow. And then.. I'll take care of it." -Max. "I'll call Michael, first thing in the morning."
Max started to turn, but Liz said, "Max, stay with me tonight. I can't sleep, I can't be here alone with .. it." -Liz.
Max mechanically threw a sheet over the body and climbed into bed with Liz, lying on top of the covers, he drew her to him. Later, Liz slept, but Max couldn't..
-=-=-
Max called Michael and Liz called Maria first thing in the morning. They both came over in Maria's car. After the initial shock, everyone was quiet. When the Parker's left briefly, they all took this opportunity to smuggle out the body. Into the desert - Michael disintegrated the body and everyone stood around stunned, not the least of which was Max
"This changes things, you know." -Liz.
"He'll find out sooner or later. And they'll." -Maria let her words drift off. It didn't have to be said. They all knew that sooner or later, there would be consequences. Sooer or later, the thinly veiled secrecies and barely concealed hostility would erupt...
---End of Chapter 30---
Max Evans was in no mood to sleep. He walked the night, responsibility fell heavily on his shoulders. They were all in trouble- a great menace had overshadowed their lives for months now and he had to watch as one after another- his friends had been harmed. Jesse, his own sister Isabel and now Kyle. Who was next? So help him, if Liz were to be kidnapped- he wasn't all that sure he could take it. It all began as a mystery. But that mystery had slowly begun to unravel. And now he was all but certain all of this mess lay at the door of one man: Adam Winthrop. But what was he supposed to do? Jesse was still in a coma, Kyle was missing. Isabel well, she couldn't be much help. Max was still certain she'd been kidnapped that time she'd been gone. Yet, she herself was adamant she hadn't been. She looked at Max like he was crazy when he brought up his suspicions about anything. She thinks Jesse was just in an accident or something. He was inclined to think his sister had been brainwashed or something similar done to her while she'd been gone. So who was left to help him shoulder all of this? Liz was supportive, but he didn't want harm to befall her. And Michael, of course, but he was distant and preoccupied lately. There just weren't enough of them to face the Winthrop mansion alone. They could be killed or worse. Max just didn't know what he was going to do, so as usual lately, he found himself roaming the streets and not surprisingly he was on Liz's street.
Max went around and looked up at Liz's window, contemplating paying her a late visit- but not wanting to wake her, when he saw someone go into her window!
Max managed to quietly get above. He peered into her window and saw a dark- clothed individual standing over her bed. Max knew it was one of Adam's men, one of those who had been watching all of them all along.
They glimpsed Max outside the window and in that moment Max yelled inside his mind with all the force he could muster, "Liz!" somehow hoping she could hear him. And she did, either that or she sensed the intruder, because she opened her eyes in a snap and saw Max at the window. Max leapt inside. "What do you think you're doing?" he seethed, barely controlling his anger.
The intruder pulled a gun and aimed at Liz. Max lunged at the man, and they started to struggle, but when Max laid his hands on him, it was over. All of the pent-up anger and rage over those last few months was unleashed on the man. In those instants he sawAdam Winthrop, the originator. Max could feel the man's life force draining. And then he was dead.
Liz, on the floor at this point, came around the side of the bed and walked over to Max who sat in stunned silence over the man who lay on the floor, unmoving.
"Oh God, Max." Liz almost whispered. When Max didn't answer, Liz stopped beside him. "Max."
"He's dead. I . . . killed him." -Max.
"How, Max?" -Liz.
"It was like .. like, the reverse of healing." That is all Max said. Liz heard noise below.
"Max, hide!" Liz helped Max push the body over to one side of her bed and Max dashed out of the window, while Liz got into bed herself. When Liz's mother opened her door nd flipped on the light, Liz pretended to awake sleepily "What is it?"
"Your father and I thought we head something., Did you?"
"No, mom." Liz said, rubbing her eyes. Her mother glanced around the room and then said, "Well goodnight, honey. Sorry I woke you."
She flipped the lights back off and closed the door. After Liz heard here mother's footsteps down the stairs and silence for several long minutes, she motioned for Max to come back inside.
"What are we going to do." Liz pointed to the body.
"Wait until your parents leave tomorrow. And then.. I'll take care of it." -Max. "I'll call Michael, first thing in the morning."
Max started to turn, but Liz said, "Max, stay with me tonight. I can't sleep, I can't be here alone with .. it." -Liz.
Max mechanically threw a sheet over the body and climbed into bed with Liz, lying on top of the covers, he drew her to him. Later, Liz slept, but Max couldn't..
-=-=-
Max called Michael and Liz called Maria first thing in the morning. They both came over in Maria's car. After the initial shock, everyone was quiet. When the Parker's left briefly, they all took this opportunity to smuggle out the body. Into the desert - Michael disintegrated the body and everyone stood around stunned, not the least of which was Max
"This changes things, you know." -Liz.
"He'll find out sooner or later. And they'll." -Maria let her words drift off. It didn't have to be said. They all knew that sooner or later, there would be consequences. Sooer or later, the thinly veiled secrecies and barely concealed hostility would erupt...
---End of Chapter 30---