~Chapter 24~
The lights were off. The numbers on the digital clock rolled over to 4:32. Liz and Maria lay on opposite ends of the couch where Liz had mostly cried herself to sleep.
Kyle was asleep on the floor. Isabel was curled up asleep in the leather chair and Jesse was asleep beside the chair.
Only Michael was apart - and awake for the most part. He was sitting on the ground of the balcony - his knees drawn up. He had stared for hours after his anger had been spent - stared into the far distance where the desert stretched barren.
And then, the lights flipped on in the living room area just inside. Michael rushed in. It took the others slightly longer to get awake to face the intruder.
All eyes gravitated to Saelar - and the young man standing next to him. Liz had seen him before, but the only one who really knew him . sort of . was Maria. Gabriel Winston faced them too.
"Saelar?" -Isabel.
"Yes." He said.
"Max and Victoria are in trouble! She said that you would---" -Isabel.
"Rest assured, I know the situation. I will help." He said calmly. "But first of all, I would like you all to meet . Gabriel. Gabriel Winston will help as well."
"How's he going to help?" -Liz asked.
"I can't believe you're here. And you know him?" Maria asked in astonishment.
Gabriel stepped towards her. "I'm sorry-"
"For dropping contact? That's okay, I understand you're not interested." -Maria.
"But that's not it. I was in." He looked towards Saelar and then back to Maria, ".trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" -Maria asked, confused.
"You know him?" -Kyle asked.
"Who . or do I have to say ..what.. is he?" -Jesse.
"There will be time for all of this later. First--" Saelar began.
"Are you supposed to protect us?" Michael asked Saelar. "Isabel said Victoria said that."
"I am." - Saelar.
"Why did you come all of a sudden? Why the hell weren't you here before? Incase you haven't realized - they've been gone nearly two MONTHS!" -Michael said, angrily.
"I heard your call," Saelar said simply, not commenting on the rest.
"I don't know exactly who you are and why you're supposed to protect us, but if we don't get them out alive - I'm holding you personally responsible." -Michael.
Saelar walked over to Michael. He said to him, "Really? I rather think it's yourself that you are holding responsible."
Michael looked at him seriously, wondering how he knew that.
Saelar turned away from him and addressed them all. "I can only say so much at this time. Here me well, for I will tell you something that most, if not all of you don't know. Although, all of us here know about the reality of us 'aliens' if you will."
Maria looked quickly to Gabriel. He knew too?
Saelar continued, "Perhaps all of you know that Victoria is one of the Antarean's like Isabel, Max, Michael and myself. But you don't know this - she has lived before. And she must live still. It is imperative to us that she live and of course that Max live."
There began many questions from them all, but Saelar said, "All involved must go, except for the humans. Humans stay. If you can gather something within a moment, you may take it - if not, leave as you are."
"I can't stay. I have to go!" Liz cried.
Saelar turned to her and surveyed this human girl fully. The king's human love. He nodded affirmatively. "You may go."
Isabel and the others hurried to get their purses or jackets.
Michael was the first to stand next to Saelar.
"Stay, Jesse. It's too dangerous." -Isabel.
"What about you, baby. I should go with you!" -Jesse.
Isabel shook her head and then kissed him. "I'll be back."
Liz hugged Maria. "It's not fair that I don't go." She then looked to Gabriel. "Gabriel's going and he's human."
Gabriel heard her as he had walked over to Michael and Isabel and Saelar. She shared a look with him over Liz's back. "I'll talked to you when I get back." He called.
"It's alright, Maria. You and Kyle and Jesse stay here and be our home base incase we need to call you." -Liz.
"If you wish to save them, we must go now. A plane is waiting. Follow me." -Saelar said and he led the way.
Maria and Kyle and Jesse watched them go, hoping for their safety and not being able to help but feel left out of this 'alien' business.
- -
Saelar had actually had a private jet ready beside the hotel. It bore the name 'Winston' on its side - which meant it had to have come from Gabriel.
Inside, they all sat around as the jet flew.
"Where are we going?" -Michael.
"Less than thirty miles over the border of Canada is a remote government facility. I am aware of it for one, as I have been there before and know it well. This is where the two are being held. We will land ten miles outside of the border and ride in a van into and out of Canada." -Saelar.
"Do we have a plan?" -Michael.
"Well, do we?" Saelar asked, looking at him. "I will tell you what needs to be done and you may command the others as to their assignments once we get to the country."
Michael wanted to ask 'Why me?' But in Saelar's eyes was a vast knowing. Perhaps he knew that he was supposed to be in charge if Max wasn't here. Maybe too, he knew - that he had been the soldier. In any case, Michael asked no questions now, but talked seriously with Saelar.
Then everyone discussed their plans.
- -
Everyone ran from the jet as soon as it had landed and they followed Saelar into a large van, where he took the driver's seat and Michael, the passenger seat. Isabel, Liz and Gabriel entered the side.
When they came up to the patrolled border, their vehicle was stopped and a border patrolman had to check the van and all their passports. That was something none of them had with them. But Saelar had told them in advance that he would take care of it.
And he did, because he and Michael made them believe via their powers, that the pieces of paper they were holding were actually passports.
Once inside the country and on the way to the facility, all began to grow increasingly nervous and fearful. And one thing was certainly on all their minds: They hoped they weren't too late.
The lights were off. The numbers on the digital clock rolled over to 4:32. Liz and Maria lay on opposite ends of the couch where Liz had mostly cried herself to sleep.
Kyle was asleep on the floor. Isabel was curled up asleep in the leather chair and Jesse was asleep beside the chair.
Only Michael was apart - and awake for the most part. He was sitting on the ground of the balcony - his knees drawn up. He had stared for hours after his anger had been spent - stared into the far distance where the desert stretched barren.
And then, the lights flipped on in the living room area just inside. Michael rushed in. It took the others slightly longer to get awake to face the intruder.
All eyes gravitated to Saelar - and the young man standing next to him. Liz had seen him before, but the only one who really knew him . sort of . was Maria. Gabriel Winston faced them too.
"Saelar?" -Isabel.
"Yes." He said.
"Max and Victoria are in trouble! She said that you would---" -Isabel.
"Rest assured, I know the situation. I will help." He said calmly. "But first of all, I would like you all to meet . Gabriel. Gabriel Winston will help as well."
"How's he going to help?" -Liz asked.
"I can't believe you're here. And you know him?" Maria asked in astonishment.
Gabriel stepped towards her. "I'm sorry-"
"For dropping contact? That's okay, I understand you're not interested." -Maria.
"But that's not it. I was in." He looked towards Saelar and then back to Maria, ".trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" -Maria asked, confused.
"You know him?" -Kyle asked.
"Who . or do I have to say ..what.. is he?" -Jesse.
"There will be time for all of this later. First--" Saelar began.
"Are you supposed to protect us?" Michael asked Saelar. "Isabel said Victoria said that."
"I am." - Saelar.
"Why did you come all of a sudden? Why the hell weren't you here before? Incase you haven't realized - they've been gone nearly two MONTHS!" -Michael said, angrily.
"I heard your call," Saelar said simply, not commenting on the rest.
"I don't know exactly who you are and why you're supposed to protect us, but if we don't get them out alive - I'm holding you personally responsible." -Michael.
Saelar walked over to Michael. He said to him, "Really? I rather think it's yourself that you are holding responsible."
Michael looked at him seriously, wondering how he knew that.
Saelar turned away from him and addressed them all. "I can only say so much at this time. Here me well, for I will tell you something that most, if not all of you don't know. Although, all of us here know about the reality of us 'aliens' if you will."
Maria looked quickly to Gabriel. He knew too?
Saelar continued, "Perhaps all of you know that Victoria is one of the Antarean's like Isabel, Max, Michael and myself. But you don't know this - she has lived before. And she must live still. It is imperative to us that she live and of course that Max live."
There began many questions from them all, but Saelar said, "All involved must go, except for the humans. Humans stay. If you can gather something within a moment, you may take it - if not, leave as you are."
"I can't stay. I have to go!" Liz cried.
Saelar turned to her and surveyed this human girl fully. The king's human love. He nodded affirmatively. "You may go."
Isabel and the others hurried to get their purses or jackets.
Michael was the first to stand next to Saelar.
"Stay, Jesse. It's too dangerous." -Isabel.
"What about you, baby. I should go with you!" -Jesse.
Isabel shook her head and then kissed him. "I'll be back."
Liz hugged Maria. "It's not fair that I don't go." She then looked to Gabriel. "Gabriel's going and he's human."
Gabriel heard her as he had walked over to Michael and Isabel and Saelar. She shared a look with him over Liz's back. "I'll talked to you when I get back." He called.
"It's alright, Maria. You and Kyle and Jesse stay here and be our home base incase we need to call you." -Liz.
"If you wish to save them, we must go now. A plane is waiting. Follow me." -Saelar said and he led the way.
Maria and Kyle and Jesse watched them go, hoping for their safety and not being able to help but feel left out of this 'alien' business.
- -
Saelar had actually had a private jet ready beside the hotel. It bore the name 'Winston' on its side - which meant it had to have come from Gabriel.
Inside, they all sat around as the jet flew.
"Where are we going?" -Michael.
"Less than thirty miles over the border of Canada is a remote government facility. I am aware of it for one, as I have been there before and know it well. This is where the two are being held. We will land ten miles outside of the border and ride in a van into and out of Canada." -Saelar.
"Do we have a plan?" -Michael.
"Well, do we?" Saelar asked, looking at him. "I will tell you what needs to be done and you may command the others as to their assignments once we get to the country."
Michael wanted to ask 'Why me?' But in Saelar's eyes was a vast knowing. Perhaps he knew that he was supposed to be in charge if Max wasn't here. Maybe too, he knew - that he had been the soldier. In any case, Michael asked no questions now, but talked seriously with Saelar.
Then everyone discussed their plans.
- -
Everyone ran from the jet as soon as it had landed and they followed Saelar into a large van, where he took the driver's seat and Michael, the passenger seat. Isabel, Liz and Gabriel entered the side.
When they came up to the patrolled border, their vehicle was stopped and a border patrolman had to check the van and all their passports. That was something none of them had with them. But Saelar had told them in advance that he would take care of it.
And he did, because he and Michael made them believe via their powers, that the pieces of paper they were holding were actually passports.
Once inside the country and on the way to the facility, all began to grow increasingly nervous and fearful. And one thing was certainly on all their minds: They hoped they weren't too late.