Chapter Seven:

Heading west towards Canon City, with the prospect of an all-night drive facing them, there were contrasting moods in the two vehicles.

Earlier, the four in the coffeeshop had discreetly conferred and agreed that there were three immediate priorities: disguise the Chevy and change the van again; continue their low-key shopping spree for equipment; and move on as fast as they could.

It was still early evening, too light and public to act on the first of these. They would have to wait until dark and find somewhere quiet to do it.

Shopping was on hold until the next day, when they could devote more time to various specialist shops in the next city and work their way through Kyle's list. They would plan that in more detail over breakfast.

Finally, they agreed it made sense to go direct to Canon City, keeping each other in sight and stopping once an hour at rest stations to change drivers and move on without any lengthy pauses.

Isobel had insisted that Max be transferred to the air-conditioned comfort of the Chevy and Liz had insisted on going with him. Michael was concerned at leaving them alone with an unpredictable Max, and suggested Kyle go too but Isobel was confident that she could handle any problems that might occur. Michael still had doubts, but didn't push it. He figured that changing drivers frequently at rest stops to stay alert would enable him to keep an eye on the situation and he'd volunteer Kyle as human sacrifice if necessary.

He was aware, through their connection, that Maria didn't think Liz and Isobel were a good combination for any length of time. In Maria's opinion, and Michael feared she was right, anxiety about Max could become Isobel's consolation because it was a distraction from her anguish over Jesse. She said rivalry over Max would eventually come to a head as both Liz and Isobel were possessive about him. Michael hoped to God she was wrong, because he just couldn't deal with emotional sh*it on top of the practical problems he was struggling with right now.

Cruising along in the unaccustomed comfort of the Chevy, Isobel and Liz were united in worry about Max, but the two girls had never been really close or comfortable as friends and now, effectively left alone together, they had nothing to say to each other. All topics of conversation were barred to them - because recalling the fear and horror of Graduation night would release their demons, discussion about Max was too dangerous a subject and small talk was pointless. So Isobel drove onwards, keeping a few cars between the Chevy and the van, but careful to remain within sight of it. Liz stared out of the window or at Max.

Michael was relieved they were gone. Forced by circumstances to grow up a loner, the time spent in close proximity to the others in the cramped van had been winding his nerves up to screaming-point and testing his hard won self-control to the limits. He could feel the tension drain out of him as he lounged on the back seat of the van, stretching his long legs out in front of him between the seats and relaxing into a rare light-hearted mood. Maria, sensing her boyfriend's need for space, had merely kissed him affectionately and settled down in the front seat to exchange desultory remarks and insults with Kyle. The three were developing an easy-going understanding that was a comfort to them all.

Michael picked up a survival manual from their last shopping foray and, with his sketchpad on the seat beside him for making notes, called on a useful human skill - speed-reading, another of his private secrets shared with no one. Although he never admitted it to anyone (if Maria saw it in flashes, she was tactful enough not to mention it) books had been his escape from the pain of his life with Hank and the public library in Roswell had been a refuge when there was nowhere else to hide. For years he had used his fledgling powers to slip inside, hunched up in a chair with a flashlight and a book to pass many nights lost in other worlds when he couldn't sleep on Max's floor.

He realized that he had to be as well prepared as possible for the dangerous months ahead and so, interrupted only once by a spell of driving, he absorbed the information in the manual as fast as he could.

Sometime later, he broke out of his concentration and found Maria had moved back to the middle seat and was also reading. In her case, it was some handouts on Colorado state parks she had picked up in the coffeeshop at their first stop out of Pueblo.

They were causing her to frown and bite her lip. He found this so cute that he gave into the pleasure of watching her until her voice cut sharply through his thoughts.

"Earth to Spaceboy, drool time is over for now. Kyle, you pay attention, too. I've got an idea."

"Go on, then, princess, let's hear it."

"Yeah, DeLuca, share. It always scares me when you go quiet."

"Scare too easily, Valenti, grow a backbone."

"Pot and kettle, Guerin, she's got you whipped. It's a tragic sight to see, man."

"Uh-oh, she heard that. You're a marked man, Valenti."

"Ok, guys, I'll ignore that, just this one time only, because I'm serious. I do have an idea."

Maria eyed them both severely and they hurriedly tried to school their expressions into something approaching seriousness, but it was too difficult and all three burst out laughing.

Kyle, heading the van into a spectacular green and gold mountain sunset, laughing with his friends as if they had no care in the world when they were in reality running for their lives, suddenly felt memories he'd left behind in Roswell flash across his mind in a searing montage, all too fleeting for him to catch except for a few burning images which lingered to torment him.

The hate and resentment he'd felt against the alien quartet for his dad's humiliation when he was fired as Sheriff.

Tess, killing Alex and fleeing into space with the baby.

Her sudden re-appearance and violent death - reviving all the good memories as well as the bad ones, adding guilt at secretly still missing her to the hate for all the pain she'd caused.

Isobel. His unrequited feelings for her still undiminished even after he'd reconciled himself to her marriage.

His last hug from his dad, knowing it would be years before they met again, if they ever could.

The final image was Tess again, blue eyes gazing down at him in exultant pleasure as she rode with him into the most incredible release he had ever known.

The images swirled and mingled in his mind. He suddenly found the pain was physical and unbearable after all. He stared in horror into the green sunset light as the world started to shudder and shake around him and he fell into darkness.

In the Chevy, nothing had changed for hours except that Liz was again staring out of the window while Isobel drove. They had shared some coffee and cookies earlier, but more for something to do than because they were hungry. Both of them looked forward to the hourly changeovers as a break from the monotony.

Max suddenly cried out behind them and so, checking this out in the rear view mirror, Isobel missed seeing the van pull off the road and jolt to a stop just short of a high white wall set some distance back from the highway.

Liz, seeing only Max glowing green in the dusk behind her, freaked and screamed at Isobel to get Michael, drive faster, find a rest station, do SOMETHING. Isobel complied; gripping the wheel until her knuckles grew white, she moved over into the fast lane and accelerated to the speed limit.

Liz was struggling to reach Max and Isobel had to hit her sharply to gain her abstracted notice.

" Liz, DON'T touch him, LIZ! DON'T! Listen to me! It's his forcefield and you'll get hurt if you touch it. Leave him alone"

"Isobel. . . Isobel, what's happening?"

"I don't know, Liz. Here's a rest station now. Just going to pull over into the corner and wait for the others. They must have seen us overtake and they'll be along in a minute."

They both looked fearfully over at Max, still glowing, though growing fainter and intermittent, like a light bulb flickering, warning of a power cut.

Max suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, smiled lovingly at Liz and said "Tess, you're back, I missed you so much."

TBC . . .