The Silencer
Chapter 17
XVII
The days had passed slowly, agonizingly, for Alex, like thick molasses that just won't pour from the bottle, since he arrived at the Crestview Mental Facility. He hated just about everything about the place. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an understatement. He hated EVERYTHING about the place. He hated the lack of color, he hated the food, he hated being locked in this small room… The white-suited orderly who brought his meals reminded him of a ghoul with his sickly looking, abnormally pale face and hands. And this was the second orderly he had had in the past nine days since he and Liz had arrived. There was nothing one could do but pass the time with mental exercises. Alex composed songs in his mind. If he couldn't be free, he would at least let his mind soar free!
Now, as the tune of another imagined song ran through his mind, a slight noise drew Alex's attention, and he looked up to see the door to his room open. The young, pale-looking orderly entered with a rolling cart. Dinner. The food was covered with banquet-style, spherical metallic lids, each layered with white enamel on the outside; and the cart was covered with a white cloth that reached the floor, hiding any suggestion of color that might lie beneath. Alex stared at the white-clad orderly, the white cart, and the white-enameled lids… and he wondered again where they found orderlies with such pale faces and hands. Then he realized that their faces and hands were probably powdered to make them appear whiter than they were.
"Is someone around here colorphobic? What's with all the frikkin' white? What? You can't have a silver lid or… or a brown cart?"
The orderly shook his head, without a trace of a smile. "White is soothing, Mr. Whitman. It's neutral. It is more conducive to relaxation… and proper behavior."
"I assume by 'proper behavior' you mean 'catatonic stupor,' because if I don't see something with color in it soon that's what I'm going to be in!"
"The white will calm you in time, Mister Whitman. You will see."
"It'll turn me into a frikkin' vegetable, you mean."
Alex lifted the white enamel lid. Beneath it was a white plate, and on the plate were three cloves of cauliflower, a boiled egg, a small bowl of some kind of mush that may have been watery grits, a piece of white bread… with the crust removed… and milk… in a white paper cup. He stared in disbelief for several long moments, then he picked up the boiled egg. This was something new at least. The small end of the shell appeared to have been broken already, and a section about as big around as a pencil eraser was missing from the shell. Alex broke the rest of the shell and peeled it off then broke the egg in half. The yolk was gone.
"You sucked the yolk out of my egg?! I don't believe it!"
"It wasn't white," the orderly said unapologetically.
"It wasn't white," Alex repeated sarcastically. "Of course it wasn't white, you ninny! Egg yolks are supposed to be yellow!"
"Yellow induces anger, Mr. Whitman… and confusion."
"I'm getting plenty angry NOT seeing it," Alex said plainly. "I want some real food! Today! If I'm going to be stuck in this place, at least you could feed me some real food. A cheeseburger with biggie fries and a chocolate shake would be a good start. Or… or even regular food. Who runs this place anyway? Attila the Hun? If you wanted to torture me, you could just stick bamboo strips under my fingernails!"
Alex thought for a second and decided maybe he shouldn't give them any ideas.
"I will be back to take your tray when you're finished," the orderly said with no sign of emotion. "Just leave it on the cart."
"What? You're leaving your cart here? You're not afraid I'll lift the cloth and see… COLOR?" Alex asked with a flair of sarcasm. The orderly shook his head slowly, and Alex could have sworn he saw just a trace of a smile. He lifted the cover. "Of course. It's all white underneath. What was I thinking?"
"Just leave the tray on the cart when you're finished eating, Mr. Whitman. I'll take it away."
"Leave the frikkin' white tray on the frikkin' white cart with the frikkin white sheet that the frikkin' white-suited orderly brought in with the frikkin' white food…" Alex mumbled, more to himself than to the surly orderly. "Go on! Get out! At least let me eat without looking at you while I eat. I'm having color deprivation… something… here!"
"It's for the greater good, Mr. Whitman," the orderly said, stepping out of the room and closing the door with more haste than usual just as a yolkless boiled egg impacted the inside of the door.
**********
Forty-five minutes later, the orderly returned. He opened the door cautiously but found Alex sound asleep on his bed.
"See Mr. Whitman? You're calmer already," he said quietly.
The orderly smiled slightly and wheeled the cart out of the room then locked the door behind him. From there, he walked down to the service elevator, then to the kitchen, where he parked the cart. He returned fifteen minutes later and picked up the cart again. It had been restocked, and the empties and dirty dishes had been replaced. The orderly took the service elevator down to the second floor and walked to one of the rooms. He opened the door with his special key and pushed the cart in.
"Mister Lester. How are we today?"
"I feel fine, William," the other man replied. "I feel just fine."
"You are doing very well, Mr. Lester. The treatments have been good for you."
"Yes. I'm feeling fine, William."
"Well, I brought you your med's. Here you go." The other man placed the four small pills in his mouth."
"You're a real success, Mister Lester. Keep up your treatments and you may be able to leave here one day soon."
The other man smiled. "Yes. I feel fine, William."
The orderly locked the door back and walked down the hall to the next room, letting himself in again with his key.
"It's dinner time, Miss Parker."
"I'm not really hungry," a girl's voice said. "I don't think I could eat."
"That's a negative attitude, Miss Parker. If you want to ever get out of here, you have to eat your food."
"Leave it," Liz replied. "I'll see if I want any of it later."
"I'll be back in about an hour, Miss Parker. Just leave the plate and cup on the cart… You can roll that wheelchair over here by yourself right?"
Liz didn't answer. The orderly closed the door behind him and locked it. For several minutes, Liz stared blankly at the wall, her mind miles away from her suffocating present existence. But after several minutes, she decided to at least look at the food. Wheeling her chair over to the cart, she removed the lid from the plate. There were two slivers of white cheese, something that appeared to be scrambled eggs, with the yellow removed, a cup of milk, something bleached white that looked vaguely like artificial crab meat… but that was only a guess. Liz sighed and replaced the lid without taking anything.
"Pretty disgusting isn't it?"
Liz raised her head and looked around. There was no one there.
"They've done it," she said to herself quietly. "They've made me start hearing voices… in only nine days."
"I could go for a cheeseburger myself," the voice said.
This time, Liz lifted the cover from the side of the cart. Nestled comfortably on the support bars beneath the cart was Alex.
"Omigod, Alex! What… How…? Alex? Tell me you're real!"
Alex painstakingly extracted himself from the support frame beneath the cart and stretched his legs out.
"I'm real, Liz."
Alex bent down to kiss Liz on the cheek and Liz threw her arms around Alex's neck so tight he was afraid he would be pulled down on top of her in her wheelchair.
"I'm happy to see you, too, Liz, but you better let me go. I don't want to fall on you."
"The least of my worries," Liz said, letting Alex go.
"Yeah! The food around here is definitely problema numero uno," Alex said with a grin. Liz smiled.
"Well, it's all we've got, Alex. Like it or not, it'll have to keep us alive."
"Maybe not," Alex said, reaching back under the cart and pulling out a couple of hamburgers, some yellow cheese, a couple of soft drinks, and a candy bar.
"They eat real food in the kitchen," Alex said with a wink and a twinkle in his eye. "They just don't give it to us crazy people."
Liz looked at him then at the cheeseburgers. "How did you get those?"
"The same way I got out of my room. I hid under the cart. When it got to the kitchen, I slipped out and looked for some real food then climbed back under the cart. I was hoping they'd get to your room eventually."
"But… didn't they notice you weren't in your room? How did you…?"
Alex grinned and took two round lids from the lower service tray beneath the crossbars of the cart and placed them on the bed. Then he arranged the cover over them and placed the pillow so that, all in all, it did appear that someone was asleep in the bed under the cover.
Liz shook her head. "I don't know how you got away with it, Alex, but…"
Alex handed Liz one of the cheeseburgers he had made and a cold canned soda. She smiled and took a bite then took a sip of her drink. Then she closed her eyes for a moment.
"You're an angel, Alex! This is just what I needed. YOU'RE just what I needed! Omigod! You're the best! I just love you! You couldn't know."
"Well, you could be a little more sure about it," Alex said with a grin.
Liz smiled. "Alex, bend over." Liz put one arm around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Woah! Wow!" Alex gasped, finding his breath again as Liz let him go. "If Max really is still alive, Liz, he's going to kill me now."
"He'll have to go through me first," Liz said emphatically. "Don't worry, Alex. Max would understand. And if he didn't understand… he'd get over it. He'll understand, though. He'd probably kiss you himself for me."
"He better not!"
Liz laughed. "Alex, Max will always be my one great love… but you deserved that."
"If I'd known, Liz… I'd have bought you a cheeseburger franchise a long time ago…"
Liz grinned.
Alex broke the candy bar in half and handed Liz half as he took a bite of the other half.
"You're unbelievable, Alex. I never know what to expect from you. But I'm SO happy to see you, you just can't imagine!"
"No more than I am to see you, Liz, believe me."
"How are you going to get back to your room without being discovered, Alex?"
"My room? I'm not. I'm getting YOU out of here first chance I get. We'll go somewhere… I don't know… Change our names or whatever… Try to find Max." Alex stopped and swallowed then added softly, "…and Isabel. If she's still alive, too."
"I think she is," Liz said. "I can feel her. I don't know how." Alex seemed to take on a new glow, and a smile came over his face.
"Alex… getting out of here isn't going to be so easy. They'll realize you're not in your room soon…"
"I know… but maybe not till they bring breakfast in the morning. If we escape tonight…"
Liz looked at Alex, and she knew that what he was saying was dangerous to the degree of being illogical. But after nine days here…
Liz nodded… then smiled. "I'm with you, Alex… all the way. Whatever happens."
As they spoke, Alex heard the sound of a key being placed in the lock on Liz's door.
"It's the orderly," Liz whispered with a gasp. "He's back early. Hide, Alex! In the bathroom. Quick!"
Alex didn't argue. Even though the bathrooms were barely as big as a small broom closet, there was no other place where one could hide. He closed the door of the small room just as the orderly opened Liz's door. The orderly looked at Liz and at the uneaten food on the tray. Liz carefully hid the soda can behind her back in her wheelchair, leaning back against it to keep it out of sight.
"You'll never get out of here, Miss Parker, if you don't eat and get well. Why don't you follow the rules? It would be so much easier for you."
I don't enjoy gagging," Liz said defiantly.
"Suit yourself." The orderly took the cart and pushed it out into the hall then locked Liz's door back.
"You can come out… He's gone," Liz whispered. Carefully, Alex opened the door and looked around. Then he stepped out. He had been standing on the toilet bowl.
"That's one more thing I hate about this place, Liz… the frikkin' bathroom! It's so small that you have to be a contortionist to close the door when you're on the throne."
Liz giggled. "I don't think they expect you to close the door when you're in it, Alex. You're supposed to leave the door open so your legs can have somewhere to go. The door's just for when you're not in there."
"Oh."
Liz giggled again. "You shut the door? Where did you put your legs?"
Alex turned slightly red. "Let's just say there are footprints all the way to the top of my bathroom door."
Liz put her hand over her mouth to try to stifle the laugh, but it came out anyway.
"Well, I didn't know you were expected to leave the door open. I like privacy."
"Well, me, too, Alex. But there are no windows in our rooms… and the door to the room is locked. There's nobody to see. The orderly only comes at meal times…"
"Now somebody tells me."
"Alex… how are we going to escape? We're locked in."
"I'll think of something," Alex said with certainty. "Trust me."
Liz nodded. Suddenly, there was the sound of a key in Liz's door again. Liz looked at Alex with panic in her eyes. "Why's he coming back again? Do you think he knows you're here, Alex?"
Alex started to run for the bathroom but there was no time. He dove behind the bed and stretched himself out as flat as he could on the floor. Liz stared at her door. It opened, and a man stepped in. But it was not the orderly. This man was not powdered down. He was wearing a white jacket, but under it, he had on something else… military fatigues. Liz gasped. The man looked Liz straight in the eyes for a second, then he reached into his inside pocket and took out a gun and a silencer, which he carefully screwed onto the barrel of the gun.
"Are you… are you… going to shoot me… in cold blood?" Liz managed to ask in a hoarse whisper.
The man pointed the weapon at Liz's heart, and Alex leapt out from behind the bed. Surprised, the man turned the gun on Alex. Alex slowly moved to the other side of the room in an attempt to draw his aim away from Liz, then he stood there… waiting. The man with the gun stood there, too… staring at Alex… then at Liz… looking deeply into their eyes, as though searching for something. Alex felt a chill run up his spine. He didn't move for what seemed like the longest time. Then the tension was interrupted by a momentary crackle and a new voice…
"What's going on, Dan? Have you taken care of it?"
The man stood transfixed, still staring into Alex and Liz's eyes, without answering.
"Dan? Come back! Answer! What's happening in there? Acknowledge."
The man with the gun slowly pulled the walkie talkie on his lapel over to his lips.
"I'm in. Subject is posed. There are two subjects now."
"Then neutralize them both… and get out."
"Acknowledged." The man looked at Alex and Liz again.
"Dan? Dan… Klein?" Alex asked cautiously.
The man refocused all his attention on Alex. "How do you know me?"
Alex was momentarily at a loss for words. The man would never believe him. It would almost be suicide just to try to explain.
"Dan!" the voice came over the walkie talkie again. "Finish the job or I'll send someone else in to finish it… someone who will! Now!"
Dan lifted the gun, looked into Alex's eyes again, and aimed at Alex's heart. There was a soft whoosh, as the bullet flew through the silencer. Then he aimed at Liz's heart. There was another soft whoosh, and the man turned and left quickly.
**********
A hundred miles away, Max, making his way through the cave with Michael, Maria, Isabel, and Rahn, grabbed Michael's shoulder hard, and his face paled visibly.
"What is it, Max?"
"Liz," Max said softly. "Something happened."
"Is she hurt?"
"I can't tell… I'm not sure. I felt her fear. It was there all of a sudden… strong! Then it… it was just… gone. Nothing."
Michael looked at Max, and for a moment he wasn't sure what to say.
"Maybe she's not afraid any more," Maria offered.
"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," Max replied.
Michael swallowed. "She may be okay, Max. I mean, you know, you said you weren't sure of anything, right?"
Max nodded, but he was clearly not convinced… and he remained pale.
"Michael… if something happened to Liz… I don't think I want to go on."
"That's your heart talking, Max. Listen to your head. Well, listen to your heart, too… but not when it tells you to give up!"
Max nodded. "I know, Michael. I know. But all this struggle that we've been through… I did it all… to be with Liz. There's nothing for me out there without her."
Isabel put her hand on Max's face to soothe him. "Don't assume the worst, Max. Liz is strong. She's a survivor."
Michael swallowed again. He understood Max's feelings and the depth of his concern all too well. He knew how he had felt when Maria wasn't with them. But now he had her back. He hoped and prayed that Max would be as fortunate. Michael decided to try to change the subject.
"We dumped the soldiers, Max. We should be able to travel safely now."
"We had some help, Michael. Somebody blasted that ledge between us."
"Maybe it just fell, Max. I mean, it's possible… isn't it?"
"I guess… but it's not likely."
Michael looked around in the darkness of the cave. "Well, I don't see anyone in here but us… now that the soldiers are gone."
Max shrugged. "Yeah, me either. Let's move on."
Max looked around in the dark one more time. "Michael?"
"Yeah."
"Wasn't the ledge broken off all the way up to that outcrop over there?"
Michael looked at the ledge behind them. "I thought it was. I must have been mistaken. You must have been, too."
"Yeah… yeah, we must have been. I would swear that that part of the ledge fell down when the rest of it went… but it's still there."
"Well, the soldiers aren't," Michael said. "That's the important thing."
Max nodded.
"You want me to go back and check the rest of the ledge out, Max?"
"No. No, forget it, Michael. We were wrong about this section being out. That's all."
"I could go back and check it," Rahn said.
Max looked at Rahn for a moment then nodded. Rahn leapt from the ledge into the void, changing into a bat again. Then he disappeared into the dark in the direction they had come from. After a short time, he returned, landing at Michael's feet as a sea gull.
"What did you see," Michael asked.
"The ledge is still there," Rahn said. "All of it."
"What do you mean it's still there?" Michael sounded alarmed. "What about the soldiers?"
"They're all standing back at the place where we saw the ledge fall. It… it appears that they believe the ledge is gone and have stopped there."
"The ledge IS gone!" Isabel said emphatically. "I saw it fall, you saw it fall… We all saw it fall! We heard it fall, too. It's gone!"
"No… it's not," Rahn said. "It's still there. But the soldiers don't appear to be able to see it now. They believe that it fell."
"Let's get out of here," Max said. "I want to put as much distance between us and that ledge and those soldiers as possible… as quickly as possible."
"I'll second that," Michael agreed. "Whatever's going on, we don't need to stand here wondering about it. Let's find the way out of here."
Maria and Isabel both nodded they're wholehearted agreement.
As the group walked on, they found themselves walking downhill more and more as the ledge began to descend toward the floor of the cavern. By the time they had walked another mile, they were no longer on a ledge at all but on the floor of a larger cavern room. Around them in every direction there was an abundance of huge stalagmites reaching up from the floor of the cavern and stalactites hanging from the high, cathedral-like ceiling. Maria and Isabel looked around the room in awe. Max and Michael touched the tall stalagmites, many of which were twice as tall as they were. Even Rahn appeared to be impressed.
"This place would be a bat's dream," Rahn said. "I wonder why there are no bats here?"
"Maybe it's too far in," Michael offered with a shrug.
"I don't think so," Rahn said. "Bats go pretty far up into caves. But you could be right."
"Hey guys," Maria yelled. "I think I found another passage. Maybe it'll get us out."
Max, Michael, Isabel, and Rahn walked swiftly over to the area where Maria was standing. Indeed, there was a large passageway behind several large stalagmites that had hidden it from view.
"Way to go, Maria," Max said. "Okay, this is the way we go then."
Everyone took another look around the large cathedral-like room then turned back to follow Max into the new passageway. Only now, there was no passageway there. Max pressed his hands to the wall of the cavern. It was solid.
"It was right here wasn't it, Michael?"
"No, I think it was right about here, Max," Michael said, running his hands over the wall several feet further to the right. Neither one could find any opening. The wall was solid rock.
"There was a passage there before," Isabel said. "I'm not going crazy! I saw it."
"We all saw it," Max said. "Okay, there are other passageways. We'll just take a different one. They're not as big, but any one could be the one that leads us out of here. Come on."
Max led the group into a second, slightly smaller, but still comfortably large passageway. This one went down for the first couple of thousand feet then began to go up again. But it was easy to walk in. Eventually, the group came to a fork in the way.
"Which way, Michael?" Max asked. "Any feeling about it? Anyone?"
Michael shrugged. "This one looks as good as any, Michael said, pointing to the left passageway, but as the group started to go down it, they found it suddenly blocked by huge boulders.
Max sat down on the path. "Michael, do you get the impression that something… or someone… is making us go the way it wants us to go?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… first the ledge. That kept the soldiers from following us… and us from going back. Then we start to take a large passageway and suddenly it isn't there any more. We're forced to take a different one. Now we choose this passage at a fork, only it's blocked when we get inside. I didn't see these boulders before."
"So… you're saying maybe we're supposed to take the other route, Max?"
"I'm saying maybe we're being forced into the other one," Max corrected.
"So would that be a good thing or a bad thing," Maria asked cautiously.
"That's something we'll undoubtedly find out," Max replied. "I don't know if we're being guided to freedom or herded to destruction. I like to know things beforehand so I can be prepared. I don't like following ghosts."
Maria shivered slightly. "Ghosts?"
"Or whatever is leading us in here, Maria. I'm not saying it's really ghosts. There are other possible explanations."
"Like?"
Max shrugged. "I'll think of some… I'm sure."
Max stood up and dusted himself off. "Okay, since it looks like we're going to be taking the other fork, let's get on our way." The others nodded in agreement.
**********
In the Sheriff's office in Roswell, Jim Valenti was trying to handle the barrage of questions that he was getting every day now from Jeff and Nancy Parker and from the Whitman's. Banned from seeing their children, they had fallen back on the one person whom they knew might be willing to help. Jim was doing all he could, but the sad fact was that he had little to go on himself. He, too, had been banned from having contact with either Liz or Alex.
"Jim, there must be something you can do," Mr. Whitman said. "I can't even drive my car out of Roswell without being stopped by the state police and quizzed about where I'm going and what my intentions are."
Jim closed his eyes and pressed his lips together in frustration. "I know. Judge Lewis is playing all his cards to keep Alex and Liz out of our reach."
"Why?" Mrs. Whitman wanted to know. "What did Alex ever do to him?"
Jim remembered that Alex had busted Judge Lewis' jaw, but he also knew that that was not the reason for the judge's behavior.
"I don't know," he replied. "The judge is acting on behalf of someone else. I can't tell you much more than that."
"Has anyone tried contacting the governor?" Mr. Whitman asked. "I'll take it all the way to Washington if I have to! Somebody's got to care about what's happening to our children."
"I think somebody does," Jim said. "But I think it's in the wrong way. Guys, look, I'm really doing all I can here. I know you want more information. So do I. It's hard to come by. I've told you what I can. Trust me when I say that I haven't given up. I have… things going that I can't talk about. Judge Lewis would block me if he knew."
"Who gave Judge Lewis so much power," Jeff asked. "He's just a nothing two-bit little judge!"
Jim raised his eyebrows. "A nothing little judge with some big influence behind him. Influence that reaches up to the state police and beyond… all the way to Washington. Judge Lewis is a pawn. We all know that. By himself, you're right… He would be virtually powerless. But he has other powers behind him… big ones. That's the sad truth of the matter, Jeff. At the moment, we can't touch him. Believe me, I'd like to. Amy's just waiting for the word to tear him apart herself."
Nancy smiled. "Well, if anyone could do it, Jim, she could! I say let her have him."
"There's nothing I would like better, Nancy… but we have to obey the law here… or at least appear to. I'm afraid that wouldn't solve anything."
"It would make us feel a lot better," Jeff said. Mrs. Whitman nodded, and Mr. Whitman slapped Jeff on the arm with an "Attaboy, Jeff! Tell him!"
Jim smiled slightly. "As tempting as it is, it'll have to wait for the right time… and now's not it. But the time will come. If there's any justice in the world… it will come."
**********
At the Crestview Mental Health Facility, a young man was running down the hall as fast as he could go. It was the orderly. He rushed to Liz's room and opened her door with his key, panicking as he turned the key in the lock. As the door swung open, the orderly stared at what he saw…
"Oh my God! Oh my God!"
"Oh great, it's the ghoul. I guess you came to finish the job or lock me back up, huh?"
The orderly looked at Alex and Liz for several moments.
"Are you both okay? How? I heard shots!"
"Oh, yeah, your bed's got holes in it," Alex said.
The orderly stammered and seemed at a loss for words. "I'm… I'm so relieved that you're both alive."
"Sure you are," Alex said, the sarcasm obvious in his voice.
"No, Alex," Liz stopped him. "I think he's telling the truth. He looks very shaken."
"Yeah, his job almost went out the window! Oh wait, there aren't any windows."
The orderly wiped the white powder off of his face and hands and opened his white coat. Underneath, he had on a deputy's shirt… and a deputy's badge… from Roswell.
"I thought you looked familiar," Liz said.
"For a ghoul you mean?" the deputy asked with a slight smile. "Deputy Dave Cotter, Roswell Sheriff's Department."
"What are you doing here," Alex asked.
"Jim sent me. He got me this job… through several roundabout connections. Sorry I had to be a jerk. I had to act the part… or be discovered."
"Where were you when we were being shot?" Alex asked accusingly.
"I got hit on the head and tied up. In the five days I've been here, they've sent three people to silence you, Alex, and to kill Liz."
"Silence me?"
"Kill you," Liz said. Deputy Cotter nodded.
"What happened to the first two," Alex asked.
"I caught the first one and had security turn him over to the local police, but the army sprung him within an hour. I was watching for the second one, and when he realized he was compromised, he terminated the mission. This was the third attempt since you've been here. And that leads me to a very baffling question, Miss Parker. What exactly happened in here? I expected to find you two dead by the time I got the ropes off of me and got up here, especially after hearing the shots."
"You heard a gun with a silencer?" Alex asked.
Deputy Cotter nodded. "I know the sound… even from a distance. How did you escape?"
"He pointed the gun at Alex's chest," Liz said, "and I freaked. I thought he was going to kill Alex." But he moved it to the side and shot the bed instead. When I realized he wasn't going to shoot Alex I was relieved. After that, he pointed the gun at me but then moved it to the side and shot the bed again."
"Strange," Deputy Cotter said. "He could have killed you both. He didn't. Why?"
"So you did save us… twice already," Alex said. "I guess I should thank you. Why did Dan bother to shoot the bed?"
Deputy Cotter raised his eyebrows. "Well, I suspect that was so whoever was listening would think that the job had been done, Alex. Somebody else was there to follow up if he failed. That's the way they work. A bullet entering the bed would sound pretty much like a bullet entering you. The person listening would know if he'd shot it into the air or into the wall. He didn't kill you because he didn't want to. But he made them think he did. I don't know why."
"Maybe he found his heart," Alex said. Liz squeezed Alex's hand and nodded.
Deputy Cotter shook his head. "I thought those guys pretty much all had those removed surgically or something so they wouldn't do something like that."
"Dan may be a little different," Alex said. "He just doesn't know it yet."
"He's dangerous. Don't forget it. He spared you this time. But he's a trained killer. Don't forget that."
Alex swallowed and nodded.
"Well, we have an opportunity here… and a problem," Deputy Cotter said. "You two are dead… officially. I can have your bodies taken out of here in body bags and delivered to Roswell."
"What's the problem, then?" Alex asked enthusiastically. "I'd spend a few hours… heck, I'd spend a WEEK in a body bag any time to get out of this place!"
"You're going to have to disappear for awhile Alex… you, too, Liz. You'll both be dead. You can't be seen."
"For how long?" Liz asked.
"Just till Sheriff Valenti figures out how to fix everything. Sorry… I don't know how long that might take… It could take a very long time. I hope not… but you should be aware of that possibility."
Alex and Liz both nodded.
"Your parents will have to think you're dead."
Liz looked up at Deputy Cotter and her mouth dropped open. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head. "I can't do that to them! I can't!"
"Would you rather really be dead and they really had to bury you, Liz? Because that's the other option. If we don't make this work, they're going to finish the job. Then your parents will have to bury you for real. If your parents know you're not dead, they won't seem grieved enough, even if they try very hard. Those guys will know, believe me!"
Liz buried her face in her hands and cried. She knew that Deputy Cotter was right… and it was almost more than she could bear.
**********
"Move it! Out of the way!" a local deputy shouted at the growing crowd, as two body bags were carried out of the Crestview Mental Facility the next day and placed into a waiting Hearst. Deputy Cotter, officially there now on behalf of the Roswell Sheriff's Department to escort the bodies home, stood beside the local deputy. The managing CEO of the asylum stood beside him, still in shock over the unexpected deaths of two of the clients in his asylum," especially two who were so young. Like everyone else, he was unaware of the full details of what had taken place.
"I don't understand. They were in perfect health. They were young… What happened?"
"I think white killed them," Deputy Cotter said somberly.
The CEO looked at Deputy Cotter for a moment. "Lack of color doesn't kill, Deputy."
"It seems a strange way to run a mental health facility," Deputy Cotter said plainly. "A bit unusual if you ask me."
"The two Roswell youths were in here for drug abuse that had damaged their brains. Their brains had suffered a sensory overload. The treatment we were giving them was appropriate. It's called sensory readjustment. The theory is that by depriving them of sensory experiences, especially color, they will become more docile… calmer… their brains will be allowed to rest… and when color is added back later, it will give them what they thought only drugs could give them. They will appreciate reality… without drugs."
Deputy Cotter nodded. "I still say it's a sucky treatment. But I'm not a psychiatrist. What would I know?"
"No, you're not," the CEO agreed.
The two body bags were laid in the back of the Hearst, and a paramedic closed the doors. Deputy Cotter got back into his patrol car and turned on the lights, then he pulled in front of the Hearst to escort it back to Roswell.
"Are those lights really necessary?" the CEO shouted at Deputy Cotter as he turned to pull out of the drive.
Cotter rolled down his window. "Why? Too much color? I don't think it's going to hurt them now, do you, Mr. Herrington?"
tbc
Coming up: The saddest homecoming. Max, Michael, Maria, Isabel, and Rahn find an ally… and a way out.