"Hope. Hope?" Maria whispered as Hope blinked her eyes and emitted a
groggy moan. Maria held Hope in her arms and prayed for her safety.
"Mommy?" Hope whispered confused. She opened her eyes and smiled.
"You're okay. You're okay," Maria said more for her own benefit than Hope's.
"I had a dream that we were." Hope began.
Without warning, the door to the room was opened and two large men rushed Maria and Hope. One man grabbed Hope from Maria's arms while the second man held Maria back.
"No!" Maria cried. "Leave her with me! No," she sobbed and gave up her fight against the man. She watched as Hope was taken from the room.
Maria halted her emotions as Jackson came through the door. Her face become stone and she refused to allow him the satisfaction of knowing how badly he touched her spirit. She steadied her eyes and waited to hear what new method of torture Jackson had managed to conjure.
"We want her father," Jackson said sternly.
Maria began shaking her head. "I already told you."
"I know what you said. But, this is how it's going to be." Jackson moved closer to where Maria sat on the floor. He bent down and placed his face inches from Maria's. "You WILL tell him we want him. You WILL tell him to meet us. And we WILL bring him here. alone."
"How?" Maria forced staring back at Jackson.
"I'm sure you'll think of a way," Jackson said and turned to go back to the door. Before he left, he made one more promise. "By tomorrow. We took it easy on Hope today."
....................
"I really hate this," Isabel said as she stared at the picture of Jackson.
"You've got to do it, Is," Michael pleaded. "Until we know where they are, you're our only hope."
Isabel sighed. She knew Michael was right. As much as she hated the idea of dreamwalking a proven madman, she knew they had no other way of reaching Maria and Hope and securing their safe-being.
Isabel took Michael's hand, touched the picture of Jackson and lay back against the headboard. Before she drifted to sleep, she heard Michael whisper, "We'll show you the alien voodoo you so desperately want to see, Jackson."
...............
Isabel opened her eyes to darkness. "Michael?" she called.
"Behind you," Michael answered touching her shoulder. "I can't see anything."
"Me neither," Isabel answered taking hold of Michael's arm. She shivered. "But I can feel plenty."
"What do you feel?" Michael asked.
"He's not right, Michael. He's unstable. He'll do anything to get what he wants."
"What does he want?" Michael asked.
................
"What happened?" Michael asked sitting up.
"I have no idea," Isabel said confused. "That's never happened before. I can usually stay longer than that."
"Let's try Maria," Michael said reaching for a picture of Maria.
Isabel scrunched her eyebrows together trying to figure out what had ejected her from the dreamwalk. "And, you know, we never could see anything. I think it may have been his character. so dark, so closed-off."
"Here," Michael said handing the picture to Isabel. "Please, Is. I have a bad feeling."
..................
"Where is she?" Michael asked as he and Isabel entered Maria's dream.
"I don't know," Isabel said looking around at the expanse of white. Slowly, Isabel's eyes adjusted to the bright light. "There," she said pointing to the outline of a figure sitting a few yards away.
Michael and Isabel rushed to Maria's side.
"Maria?" Michael asked as he reached out to touch her.
Maria pulled away not wanting to be touched.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked feeling hurt. He knew that Maria was in a dream state, but still he felt offended that she cowered at his attempt to help.
Maria shook her head and stared at her feet. She was both glad and sad to see him. She knew what she had to do. She had to get Michael there. As much as she didn't want to put him in that kind of position, she had little choice. If she didn't get him there, then Jackson would continue hurting Hope. But she knew that if Michael did come there, then he would be subjected to more torture than she could imagine. especially when Jackson and Mildred learned he was the real alien.
"They want you here," Maria said coldly. She looked up into Michael's eyes and said, "They want you here. or else Hope will be."
"Tell me where you are," Michael said. No doubt even crossed his mind. He knew what he had to do.
"I don't know where I am," Maria said tearing. "They will take you like they took me. at the pier. You'll be knocked out and you won't know how you got here."
Michael turned to look at Isabel. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head not knowing what to say.
Michael turned his attention back to Maria. "When?"
..................
"I don't like this," Max said. He looked around the living room at everyone else waiting to hear their opinions.
When no one said anything, Liz spoke. "Max, we have to let Michael at least try. Jackson won't think twice about hurting Hope or Maria. He won't even blink."
Max looked at Liz and knew she spoke with authority. She knew Jackson better than any of them. She knew of what Jackson was capable.
Michael stood and took control of the conversation reminding everyone of their roles in the plan. "Okay. I don't expect to go unconscious. So, I'll let them believe I am. As soon as I get a chance to close my eyes, I will be waiting to hear from you, Isabel. Then, Alex, you take the info I give Isabel and figure out where we are. Max, you send a message through Isabel to let me know exactly when you will be there. I'll be waiting. We can't waste a moment."
"What about me?" Liz asked.
Michael looked at Liz. He knew she wanted desperately to help, but Michael was afraid for her safety. Jackson and Liz had a history. a violent history. Still, he knew she wanted to be involved in her best friend's rescue. especially since she felt somewhat responsible for having introduced Jackson to Maria years ago. "Max will need a driver."
.................
Michael wiped the morning humidity from his brow and leaned against a wooden post beneath the pier. He'd been waiting over an hour and he was beginning to wonder if Jackson was going to show. Michael smirked at the irony of how he was impatiently waiting for his captors to hurry-up and kidnap him.
Finally, Michael heard voices and turned to see two men coming towards him. He could make out only silhouettes as they stood between him and the rising sun. Michael adjusted his stance and tried to conceal his anxiety. He was prepared for the rag, prepared for the chemical, prepared to fake an unconscious state.
Michael slanted his eyes and glared at the silhouettes. He could see their legs moving. He could make out the strides they made. He could see the footsteps they made in the sand. But, somehow, the distance between Michael and the silhouettes appeared to lengthen.
Michael cocked his head and tried to understand. He blinked a few times to be certain he was not imagining the phenomenon. He held his hand at his brow in an attempt to block the blaring sunlight. His eyes began to burn and soon also began to water as he continued to stare into the yellow and red rays coming from the horizon.
Michael's vision blurred as it seemed that it spun out of control and he began blinking profusely trying to keep his focus on the two silhouettes that appeared to move further and further away even as they made obvious steps in his direction.
He felt as though his body was carrying double his weight and soon felt to weak too even support it. Michael fell to his knees and placed his face in his hands. He forcefully rubbed his eyes and opened them only to see what he dreaded - a surreal image highlighted by the blinding sun. "What is happening?!" he screamed.
When he could stand the pain no longer, Michael finally submitted to his burning eyes and closed them. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder and louder; the seagulls seemed to be squawking directly in Michael's ears. Keeping his eyes closed, he frantically brushed at his ears and waved his hands wildly in the air trying to keep the birds away from his face and head. "Get away!" he shouted.
The booming sound of the ocean intensified. The crashing escalated and became all that Michael could hear. The distinct rush of each wave dissolved and become one loud collision that rumbled on and on.
Michael began to hear faint voices. He strained his ears struggling to hear the voices over the ocean. Michael forced his eyes open and was stunned to no longer see the silhouettes, the ocean or the pier. In fact, Michael only saw darkness. What was once a bright and burning sun was nowhere to be found; in fact, the burning sensation of the sun had now been replaced with a cold shiver running down his spine. The sound of the waves slowly began to dim as the voices grew louder and louder. He could make out one male and one female voice.
"Who's there?" Michael called into the darkness reaching blindly with his hands.
"Michael?" one of the voices softly answered.
"Isabel?" Michael replied. He was certain the voice was hers. "Isabel, are you there?"
"Michael?" she softly whispered again.
"I can't hear you!" Michael called in a panic.
"Where are you?" Isabel's voice asked.
Michael squinted his eyes and swung his head around trying to see anything. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself when he could see only darkness. "I don't know!" he screamed.
"You don't know what, Michael?" the voice said.
He closed his eyes and remained silent and confused.
The voice suddenly grew very loud and became much more masculine than Isabel's. "You don't know what?" the voice demanded.
Michael opened his eyes and lunged backward when he came face-to-face with Jackson. "You don't know what, Michael?" he commanded.
..............
Isabel sat up and shouted, "I know where he is!"
"Mommy?" Hope whispered confused. She opened her eyes and smiled.
"You're okay. You're okay," Maria said more for her own benefit than Hope's.
"I had a dream that we were." Hope began.
Without warning, the door to the room was opened and two large men rushed Maria and Hope. One man grabbed Hope from Maria's arms while the second man held Maria back.
"No!" Maria cried. "Leave her with me! No," she sobbed and gave up her fight against the man. She watched as Hope was taken from the room.
Maria halted her emotions as Jackson came through the door. Her face become stone and she refused to allow him the satisfaction of knowing how badly he touched her spirit. She steadied her eyes and waited to hear what new method of torture Jackson had managed to conjure.
"We want her father," Jackson said sternly.
Maria began shaking her head. "I already told you."
"I know what you said. But, this is how it's going to be." Jackson moved closer to where Maria sat on the floor. He bent down and placed his face inches from Maria's. "You WILL tell him we want him. You WILL tell him to meet us. And we WILL bring him here. alone."
"How?" Maria forced staring back at Jackson.
"I'm sure you'll think of a way," Jackson said and turned to go back to the door. Before he left, he made one more promise. "By tomorrow. We took it easy on Hope today."
....................
"I really hate this," Isabel said as she stared at the picture of Jackson.
"You've got to do it, Is," Michael pleaded. "Until we know where they are, you're our only hope."
Isabel sighed. She knew Michael was right. As much as she hated the idea of dreamwalking a proven madman, she knew they had no other way of reaching Maria and Hope and securing their safe-being.
Isabel took Michael's hand, touched the picture of Jackson and lay back against the headboard. Before she drifted to sleep, she heard Michael whisper, "We'll show you the alien voodoo you so desperately want to see, Jackson."
...............
Isabel opened her eyes to darkness. "Michael?" she called.
"Behind you," Michael answered touching her shoulder. "I can't see anything."
"Me neither," Isabel answered taking hold of Michael's arm. She shivered. "But I can feel plenty."
"What do you feel?" Michael asked.
"He's not right, Michael. He's unstable. He'll do anything to get what he wants."
"What does he want?" Michael asked.
................
"What happened?" Michael asked sitting up.
"I have no idea," Isabel said confused. "That's never happened before. I can usually stay longer than that."
"Let's try Maria," Michael said reaching for a picture of Maria.
Isabel scrunched her eyebrows together trying to figure out what had ejected her from the dreamwalk. "And, you know, we never could see anything. I think it may have been his character. so dark, so closed-off."
"Here," Michael said handing the picture to Isabel. "Please, Is. I have a bad feeling."
..................
"Where is she?" Michael asked as he and Isabel entered Maria's dream.
"I don't know," Isabel said looking around at the expanse of white. Slowly, Isabel's eyes adjusted to the bright light. "There," she said pointing to the outline of a figure sitting a few yards away.
Michael and Isabel rushed to Maria's side.
"Maria?" Michael asked as he reached out to touch her.
Maria pulled away not wanting to be touched.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked feeling hurt. He knew that Maria was in a dream state, but still he felt offended that she cowered at his attempt to help.
Maria shook her head and stared at her feet. She was both glad and sad to see him. She knew what she had to do. She had to get Michael there. As much as she didn't want to put him in that kind of position, she had little choice. If she didn't get him there, then Jackson would continue hurting Hope. But she knew that if Michael did come there, then he would be subjected to more torture than she could imagine. especially when Jackson and Mildred learned he was the real alien.
"They want you here," Maria said coldly. She looked up into Michael's eyes and said, "They want you here. or else Hope will be."
"Tell me where you are," Michael said. No doubt even crossed his mind. He knew what he had to do.
"I don't know where I am," Maria said tearing. "They will take you like they took me. at the pier. You'll be knocked out and you won't know how you got here."
Michael turned to look at Isabel. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head not knowing what to say.
Michael turned his attention back to Maria. "When?"
..................
"I don't like this," Max said. He looked around the living room at everyone else waiting to hear their opinions.
When no one said anything, Liz spoke. "Max, we have to let Michael at least try. Jackson won't think twice about hurting Hope or Maria. He won't even blink."
Max looked at Liz and knew she spoke with authority. She knew Jackson better than any of them. She knew of what Jackson was capable.
Michael stood and took control of the conversation reminding everyone of their roles in the plan. "Okay. I don't expect to go unconscious. So, I'll let them believe I am. As soon as I get a chance to close my eyes, I will be waiting to hear from you, Isabel. Then, Alex, you take the info I give Isabel and figure out where we are. Max, you send a message through Isabel to let me know exactly when you will be there. I'll be waiting. We can't waste a moment."
"What about me?" Liz asked.
Michael looked at Liz. He knew she wanted desperately to help, but Michael was afraid for her safety. Jackson and Liz had a history. a violent history. Still, he knew she wanted to be involved in her best friend's rescue. especially since she felt somewhat responsible for having introduced Jackson to Maria years ago. "Max will need a driver."
.................
Michael wiped the morning humidity from his brow and leaned against a wooden post beneath the pier. He'd been waiting over an hour and he was beginning to wonder if Jackson was going to show. Michael smirked at the irony of how he was impatiently waiting for his captors to hurry-up and kidnap him.
Finally, Michael heard voices and turned to see two men coming towards him. He could make out only silhouettes as they stood between him and the rising sun. Michael adjusted his stance and tried to conceal his anxiety. He was prepared for the rag, prepared for the chemical, prepared to fake an unconscious state.
Michael slanted his eyes and glared at the silhouettes. He could see their legs moving. He could make out the strides they made. He could see the footsteps they made in the sand. But, somehow, the distance between Michael and the silhouettes appeared to lengthen.
Michael cocked his head and tried to understand. He blinked a few times to be certain he was not imagining the phenomenon. He held his hand at his brow in an attempt to block the blaring sunlight. His eyes began to burn and soon also began to water as he continued to stare into the yellow and red rays coming from the horizon.
Michael's vision blurred as it seemed that it spun out of control and he began blinking profusely trying to keep his focus on the two silhouettes that appeared to move further and further away even as they made obvious steps in his direction.
He felt as though his body was carrying double his weight and soon felt to weak too even support it. Michael fell to his knees and placed his face in his hands. He forcefully rubbed his eyes and opened them only to see what he dreaded - a surreal image highlighted by the blinding sun. "What is happening?!" he screamed.
When he could stand the pain no longer, Michael finally submitted to his burning eyes and closed them. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder and louder; the seagulls seemed to be squawking directly in Michael's ears. Keeping his eyes closed, he frantically brushed at his ears and waved his hands wildly in the air trying to keep the birds away from his face and head. "Get away!" he shouted.
The booming sound of the ocean intensified. The crashing escalated and became all that Michael could hear. The distinct rush of each wave dissolved and become one loud collision that rumbled on and on.
Michael began to hear faint voices. He strained his ears struggling to hear the voices over the ocean. Michael forced his eyes open and was stunned to no longer see the silhouettes, the ocean or the pier. In fact, Michael only saw darkness. What was once a bright and burning sun was nowhere to be found; in fact, the burning sensation of the sun had now been replaced with a cold shiver running down his spine. The sound of the waves slowly began to dim as the voices grew louder and louder. He could make out one male and one female voice.
"Who's there?" Michael called into the darkness reaching blindly with his hands.
"Michael?" one of the voices softly answered.
"Isabel?" Michael replied. He was certain the voice was hers. "Isabel, are you there?"
"Michael?" she softly whispered again.
"I can't hear you!" Michael called in a panic.
"Where are you?" Isabel's voice asked.
Michael squinted his eyes and swung his head around trying to see anything. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself when he could see only darkness. "I don't know!" he screamed.
"You don't know what, Michael?" the voice said.
He closed his eyes and remained silent and confused.
The voice suddenly grew very loud and became much more masculine than Isabel's. "You don't know what?" the voice demanded.
Michael opened his eyes and lunged backward when he came face-to-face with Jackson. "You don't know what, Michael?" he commanded.
..............
Isabel sat up and shouted, "I know where he is!"