Chapter Six:

Max impatiently paced the length of the room as they waited for the others to show up.      

Taking a deep breath he tried to calm the anger eating away his control.  He didn't want

to be here.  He wanted to go over there and confront her uncle now. 

"Okay what's going on?"  Isabel looked up at her brother a frown on her face as she watched him pace in front of her.  "God…Max would you please sit down and tell me what the hell's going on."

"I think we should wait until the others get here."  Michael said leaning forward in his seat as he covered his face with his hands.

"Hello… still in the dark here.  Why won't one of you block heads open up and enlighten us?  What's going on with Liz…Michael…Max…"

"That bastard hurting her."  The words were ripped from him forcefully as if it couldn't be contain inside him for another second.

"Excuse me!  What the hell do you mean hurting her?"  Maria demanded jumping to her feet. "Who's hurting her?"

"Mike."  Max spat his name out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Are you sure?"  Isabel asked rotating her eyes from Max to Michael.  "I mean did she say something."

"She didn't have to."  Michael said leaning back in his seat and cupping his head within his hands.

"What is that suppose to mean Michael? This isn't the time for your stupid riddles.  How do you know he's hurting her?"

The knock on the door stopped him from answering. He watched Max go to the door and opened it then step back to allow Valanti and Kyle to enter.

"An emergency meeting in the middle of the night.  What's going on guys?"  Valanti asked removing his hat from his head.

"Don't tell us the invasion has finally started."  Kyle asked smiling at the group around him.  He held up his hands at the angry glare he received.  "Okay hard room."

"Kyle!"  His dad said turning to face him.

"Just trying to lighten the mood dad." 

"Max…what's going on?"  He asked as he turned to face him.

"It's Liz…her uncle's hurting her."  The anger ricocheted through his voice was quickly being replaced with rage.  He felt it bubbling inside him and even though he wanted to give it free reign he knew if he wanted to help Liz he had to keep it under control.

"What!"  Kyle shouted.  "What do you mean hurting her?"  He demanded anger springing inside him.

"Look you guys…I just don't see Liz letting someone do this to her."  Maria said crossing her arms over her chest refusing to believe that this was really happening.

"I agree with you Maria."  Michael said.  "Liz wouldn't let anyone do this…at least she wouldn't a stranger, but family…someone who you've feared all your life…Its just different."

"Michael's right. I've seen it over and over again when I was the sheriff.  I need to know exactly what he's doing."

"That's just it Valanti.  She won't talk."  Max said starting to pace again.  "Kyle you've seen her in school.  The baggy cloths, no make-up, she barely even speaks to any of us anymore."

"We can't help her unless we know what's going on.  Look I'll go over there and speak to Jeff and Nancy."

"They're not there.  They left this evening for Tucson for a convention. They won't be back until Monday."  Maria said her eyes filling with tears.  "She's alone with that monster."

'It's okay…it's okay.'  He told him self.  'she's only been alone with him for a couple of hours.  What could happen in that short time.'  But even though he was trying really hard to believe that everything inside him knew better.  It only took a moment to in flick pain…to destroy something precious and beautiful.

"I'm getting her out of there now!"  He said rushing to the door his heart racing with fear inside him.  Turning he pulled at the hand holding him back.  "What the hell do you think your doing?"  He demanded staring at Valanti.  "We can't leave her there with that monster…I can't leave her there."

"Max where not going to, but we need to do this right."

"I don't understand what your getting at."  He said pulling again against the hold on his arm.  "I go in and get her out, how much righter can that get?"

"No…Max…Maria goes in and invites her to sleep over her place.  She brings her here where we will be waiting.  Do you understand me son?"  Valanti asked removing his hand.  "We do this the right way."

"I swear I'm going to kill him if he put a hand on her…I swear it."  He yelled capturing Valanti's eyes with his.

"No…your not.  Your going to calm down and start thinking straight.  If you don't your only going to let him win, Max.  People like him get off on having control over others.  Don't give him that control."

"She's the most gentle, caring person I've ever met in my life.  Why would he did this to her?"  He demanded his eyes searching Valanti for an answer.

"That's exactly why."  Michael said.  "He's doing this because she's everything you just said she is." He sat there looking around him at the others as if nothing of importance was happening around him.  But inside of him, there was this overwhelming need to do exactly what Max's wanted to do.  He wanted to make that bastard pay for every ounce of pain he'd caused her through the years.  Wanted to make him feel exactly what it felt to have someone bigger, more powerful attack you whenever they felt like it.

Getting to her feet Isabel said. "Come on Maria.  I'll go with you.  The sooner we get her here the faster we can end this nightmare."

TBC