By Allegra
(See Part One for disclaimers etc.)
NOTE: Sorry this has taken sooooo long! I'm going to do it in really small parts this time to try & keep up some kind of momentum. I hope you guys are still interested :). I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions.
Please nourish the feedback monster!
CHAPTER FOUR : WHAT MAN DARE, I DARE
Isabel and Alex were in the middle of tender moment when Max burst into the room, followed smartly by Liz who was brandishing a photo of her and Maria at Disneyland.
Isabel glared at her brother, "You could have knocked!"
"There isn't time," Max retorted.
Liz thrust the photograph into Isabel's hands. "Isabel, you've got to dream walk for us. We've got to find Maria and fast."
Isabel stared at her friend, uncertainly. "I don't know, Liz. I've never done it like this before. She'd have to be asleep and it's still early..."
"Please, Isabel. If it doesn't work now then we can try later tonight when she should be asleep."
"Maybe she's right, Is. Maria's been missing for over a day now. Her mom is worried sick and we might have the only link to where she is." Alex's face was urgent.
"I know, I just..." Isabel looked to her brother for his usual guidance. "Max, what about the CEO? Shouldn't we be keeping a low profile? If they have any kind of radar set up here for extra terrestrial activity, I could lead them right to us."
Max nodded. "I know, but we can't just sit here."
Alex asked, "Why don't we just go out into the desert and do it? A signal from the desert could mean anything. If we're careful, nobody would be able to prove we were there."
Isabel nodded, mutely. Max thought for a moment but there wasn't much to think about. This was the only way they could think of finding Maria and, despite everything, she had risked just as much as any of the other humans over the past months. The least the aliens could do was return the favour.
Isabel broke the silence, "Where's Michael?"
Max shrugged and Liz sighed, "He's been having a Maria-free moment. Whatever their argument was about last night, it really got to him."
Alex looked up from his position by the window and gestured to the street outside. "Speak of the devil."
A moment later Michael was in the bedroom, catching his breath. He quickly took in the group of faces around him and shook his head, gravely. "I've checked her room from top to bottom. Wherever Maria's gone, she hasn't left any trace and there's no sign of a struggle."
Isabel rose from the bed, confidently. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to find her. Come on, let's go."
Theodore wanted to slap Marcus more than ever. He needed to think, to collect his thoughts, remember every conversation he'd had with the girl. What was he going to do? She hadn't seen much, but then he hadn't been very cautious. Something about her knowledge of extra-terrestrials impressed him. Most people were fanatical but not this kid - she had been informed. It was like she understood his perspective, that her motives were as genuine as his. If he contained her now, he could get rid of her in the morning.
Marcus' shrill voice permeated Preston's mind. "What are you going to do, Theo?"
Theodore steepled his fingers under his chin, gazing at the paused tape flickering in front of him. "We're going to act normally. She doesn't know anything important. We'll finish dinner as usual then I'll have someone share a room with her, someone suspicious of her who won't breathe a word about the project. After breakfast, I'll provide a legitimate excuse and have Walt drive her back to Roswell."
Marcus looked dejected. "That's it?"
Theodore stared his colleague down, forcing the call for blood out of Marcus' face. "The last thing our people need is the scare of an intruder in their midst. The signals have been getting stronger with every brick laid out here and we have to do everything to keep the group power vital. Their attention must remain focused on the task. Besides, we don't need an inquiry into the untimely death of a hiker right under our noses. The blame will be placed on us quicker than you can say 'little green men'."
He was relieved to see Marcus back down at this argument. If he could tame Marcus' extreme ideas, Theodore knew he wouldn't have any trouble dealing with any members who cottoned on to their intruder. "I want you to find out who she is and fast but don't frighten her. I want her to think everything is normal. Don't let her out of your sight tonight."
Maria threw herself against the cool, feather pillow. She was sharing a bedroom with a girl who didn't look much older than her and this made Maria even more suspicious than she had been before. Judging from the people she had met so far, their reasons for being in the CEO had been fairly obvious - either they were alien mad or they had financial assets which Theodore Preston would no doubt have appreciated. However, the sudden emergence of a girl so young made Maria wonder what purpose or dedication she could possibly have here. It instantly conjured up images of child sacrifice, incest and strange blood rituals.
Maria closed her eyes for a moment, her mind racing over the evening's events. That guy who had disturbed Preston from his supper had been watching her all night. Every time she looked in his direction, she caught his eye. At first it had worried her but, by the end of the evening, Maria regarded it as nothing more than a suspicious character. She couldn't blame the guy really. Put in the same position, like when Michael found out someone else knew his secret, she knew she'd feel the same way.
Earlier in the evening, she had been assessing the quickest exits because she was sure they had got wind of her duplicity. Now, though, the intrepid reporter in her was rearing its head again. Maria was starting to feel like her old self, assertive and ready to find out exactly what she came here to find out. Her friends would be so proud if they could see how far she had got just on her own initiative. It would be a travesty if she stopped now just as things were starting to get interesting. Besides, if she was right about the CEO's suspicions of her, Maria must be close to finding out something pretty confidential. And she certainly wouldn't find out what that confidential information was unless she risked her butt. Convinced that it was now or never, Maria decided to lie in wait until the coast was clear and then go for a little 'sleep walk'.
Surprisingly, the teenager didn't feel as nervous as she had expected, considering how dangerous this venture could be. Nobody had a clue where she was, her friends and family were probably worried sick and as for Michael... Michael probably couldn't care less. Still, Maria's romantic mind could conjure up a vision of his manly concern and desperate search for the love of his life.
"Cathy?"
Maria almost forgot to respond to her new name and quickly caught herself. She turned to the owner of the voice that sounded like a tinkling bell. "Oh, hi..."
"Charlene. My name's Charlene Preston."
Maria stopped short of pulling herself up into a sitting position. "Preston? As in Theodore Preston?"
The blonde girl nodded, shyly. Maria surveyed the girl's lightly freckled face and the round grey eyes staring back at her from under pale eyelashes. If she looked hard enough, the teenager could find a few features that resembled the founder of the CEO. "Wow. What's that like?"
Charlene giggled and rolled her eyes a little. "You get used to it, I guess. I've always lived with him and the CEO."
Maria tried to hide her surprise. "You mean you've spent your life in compounds like this one?"
"Yes. It's so nice to have such a big family who are always looking out for you."
Maria hoped her nod seemed sincere when inside she was recoiling at the image of growing up in such a freak show. It was inconceivable even to her new age sensibilities that the environment of conspiracy and UFO-mongering could be a good place for a child to spend her formative years. On closer inspection, Charlene couldn't have been more than fourteen years old. "What about school? Are you going to start at Roswell High?"
"No. My father hires tutors, usually members of the CEO. They travel with me wherever I go."
"But don't you miss out on friends and hanging out at the local diner?" Maria enquired, incredulous.
Charlene shrugged as if the whole scenario were perfectly natural. "No. I've got friends here."
"Other girls your age?"
"Not exactly, but my father always says I'm mature for my age." Charlene scrutinised Maria's face as if she had never seen another teenaged girl before. "So, are you going to stay here, Cathy?"
Maria was feeling uncomfortable enough being stared at but the use of her fake name only made her feel even more duplicitous. "I guess that depends on your father. I was surprised I even got this far. I mean, this is a pretty prestigious project from what I gather."
Charlene took the bait. "Oh, it is. Only the best and most worthy CEO members were given permission to join the Roswell contingency."
Maria nodded as if she understood completely. "That makes sense. This is Roswell after all. You need the best minds to separate the truth from the layers of fabrication."
"It's not so much that, it's the energy. You know, the signals?" Charlene flicked her hand nonchalantly as if none of this meant anything to her. Maria could see herself a few years ago in this girl. Until she met Max, Michael and Isabel the young waitress would never have believed the Roswell stories to be true. Who would if they had grown up in the place with plastic alien dolls sold in every corner shop?
Feigning comprehension, Maria smiled. "Oh, yeah, the signals from the aliens."
Charlene studied Maria again and for a moment the teenager was sure she had blown her cover. It made her feel transparent. Her heart was suddenly pounding so mercilessly that Maria was convinced Charlene could see her shirt moving as it beat in her chest. Suddenly, Charlene's gaze shifted away from her as she chattered on, "Yes. The aliens. Dad believes the group power has to be strong enough for the aliens to find, to fire up the generator."
Maria was still trying to calm herself and didn't want to push further by asking more UFO questions. She could explore those on her midnight walk later on. Wiping sweaty palms on her trousers, she casually asked, "Isn't it tough being here? Haven't you ever wanted to be, you know, normal? Somewhere else?"
Charlene's fingers fiddled unconsciously with the quilt on her bed. "Not really. I just...this isn't my passion. It won't be my life. Dad's got other kids to pass the mantle onto. I've always known this project meant more to him than I did." She shrugged the sadness off. "Still, it's a pretty cool place to live, don't you think?"
Maria forced a grin to her lips. "You certainly can't beat this on design, that's for sure."
Charlene stood up and began unbuttoning her shirt. "I'm going to go to bed. It's late and I've got to be in my tutorial at eight."
"Yeah, it's been a pretty full-on day for me, too." Maria glanced at her watch. It was gone midnight and there were few sounds in the corridors outside. From what she could gather, there were fairly strict unspoken rules about behaviour and routine. Maybe it was all to do with maintaining vital energy levels to communicate with the aliens. Maria momentarily wondered what the CEO would do if they realised the aliens were already among them.