[u]Part 37[/u]
"This is just completely unbelievable," Isabel said, shaking her blonde head. "God Alex! How can this all be true?"
"We don't know for sure that any of it's true," Alex replied. "A lot of it Kate and I figured out from her memories, some of which she doesn't even trust anymore. Some of it is conjecture based on what's happened over the past twenty-four hours. All we know for sure is that we're sitting here and Max, Liz and the others are out there somewhere. And that we're all in big trouble."
It had taken longer than Alex had expected to tell Isabel and Jack everything that was going on. Will had let Alex do most of the talking, admitting at one point that he had been too wrapped up in the fact that Liz was Rowena to try and understand what was going on around him. Of course, Isabel had left the Crashdown before it had even come out that Liz was really just as alien as she was, and, so, this had come as one of the biggest shocks of all to his friend.
"But how could we not have known?" Isabel asked, shaking her head. "How could we not have known that Liz was one of us? We've always recognized each other. I knew Michael right away. I knew Tess. I mean, Max even told me he knew Kate when he first saw her, and I recognized both of you in the hallway at school." She looked at Will as she said this, a little shyly if Alex was not mistaken. He frowned slightly. He had very briefly mentioned what Nasedo, disguised as Nicholas, had said in the ransom message about her having been Khivar's lover in their past lives. He wondered what his friend was feeling now that she knew that Will [I]was[/I] Khivar - the great love Congresswoman Whittaker had told her about. The great love for whom she was supposed to betray her brothers and friends
The great love whose great love was someone else.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. Will was just too damn good-looking. Alex trusted him now - he wasn't quite sure if that mean he liked him yet - but damn his tortured blue eyes. He didn't think it would take long for Isabel to like the idea that maybe she was destined for the young, heart-broken king. Whatever flirtation Grant had provided, the news that he was working for Nasedo hadn't seemed to affect her unduly. It was still Tess's betrayal which had upset her most. Isabel Evans was ripe for the picking.
It wasn't that he was jealous. He was past that. He knew that Isabel wasn't the girl for him. He hadn't totally analyzed [I]why[/I] he knew this yet - there hadn't really been time lately after all. He knew it had something to do with Kate, but he wasn't jumping to conclusions about that either. He had seen [I]Speed[/I] and he'd seen that dud [I]Speed 2[/I]. He knew that feelings arising from life-threatening circumstances were not necessarily to be trusted. But he did know that there was something there to be explored with Kate, if they managed to get out of this alive.
This wasn't about Kate at all though. Isabel was still one of his best friends. She was vulnerable, particularly now that she no longer really knew who she was. The last thing she needed right now was to be hurt even more than she had been already. Will was not available. He was in love with Liz. Just because Liz wasn't in love with him, it didn't mean he could just turn his feelings off. If he did, then Alex would be even [I]more[/I] suspicious of him.
And, so, he waited distrustfully for Will to answer, willing him to be careful with his words, if only for once.
"We don't really know," Will replied, shrugging. Well, not encouraging necessarily, but certainly not mean, Alex reflected, relaxing. The alien king did not seem at all adverse to talking to Isabel - not like he'd been with Max at all. The fact that Vilandra had been trusted and admired by Khivar in their past lives, if not necessarily loved, seemed true. "Obviously she was taken from her pod early," Will continued. "Maybe that affected it."
"And Max always knew her," Alex reminded Isabel.
She nodded pensively. "I guess he did."
They all sat quietly for a long moment. It gave Alex the chance to look around the large cavern in which their cages sat. The guards were still on the other side of the room, not seeming alarmed by the fact that they were all talking freely now. "I wonder what happened to Nasedo and Grant," he said off-handedly to the others. "We haven't seen either of them in hours."
"Do you think they've gone after the others?" Isabel asked, her concern obvious.
At this, Jack spoke up. Alex looked at him sharply. It was the first time Will's cousin had said two words since they had started discussing any of this. "I don't think they're in any hurry," he said quietly. "They've known where to find us all for weeks. I think they know that the others will come for us here."
"I told Kate to keep them away," Alex muttered.
Jack looked at him, with an eyebrow raised. "Do you know how they died before?"
"Not really," Alex replied. He felt Isabel still nearby. "I know that Kate thinks that Max killed her."
Jack lowered his eyes, glancing at Isabel quickly before doing so. "I don't know if I should tell you this."
"You have to," Isabel insisted. "Max couldn't have done that. Even in another life. He just couldn't have. He wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Maybe that's true now," Jack allowed. "But I know what I know. I was there."
"Did Zan kill you too?" Alex asked before thinking. He mentally kicked himself when Isabel gasped.
"Yes," Jack replied quietly. "I shouldn't have brought this up, but it's the reason that I know that Ro and Kate will come for us. It's just in Kate's nature, and so will Ro, because of what happened before. She will come."
"Why? Why would Liz want to come for you?" Isabel asked. "She doesn't even really know you!"
"Not just me. You too Vilandra," Jack told her. "We all went. You, Kate and I. When Ro was captured by Zan, we went after her. And he killed us all. She may have forgotten it, but, deep down, she knows. She will come for us."
There was another long silence. Then Alex said, "They would come anyway." He sighed, looked at Isabel. "We know it Iz."
"I know," Isabel said. "And they're all walking right into a trap." She reached out and shook her cage in frustration. "If only I could dreamwalk! I would go to Max right now, tell him to keep Liz away from here. Because it's Liz they want, isn't it? It's why he never came for us before. I mean, he knew where we all were."
"You're right," Will agreed. "Nasedo knew who had us, and they've known where you all were for months. They left us alone because they were still looking for Rowena. It would have been too big a pain to hold us for this long. They never would have found her though. Not if Jack hadn't."
"How [I]did[/I] you do that anyway?" Alex asked curiously. "I don't think I'm really clear on what your gift is."
Jack leaned back against the bars of his cage, ran a hand through his blond hair. His movements were jerky, slightly pained, as though his internal hurt over the loss of his alien essence - the same pain Isabel was struggling to control Alex knew - was manifesting itself physically. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"Basically," Will continued for him, when it seemed that Jack had said all he was going to, "He can identify aliens by their essences. He can feel the part of them that makes them different from humans. And they're all different - unique. When we went to Copper Summit to see the Harvest's destruction, he managed to pick up a sort of essence trail from Rowena..Liz," he modified quickly, as though he was now truly determined to only think of her by that name.
Because, as long as she was Liz, the fact that she did not love him probably didn't hurt as much, Alex reflected, feeling a pang of sympathy. He could understand the attempt. After all, it had taken him [I]months[/I] to understand and, then, accept, that just because you were in love with someone else, it didn't automatically mean that they were going to feel the same way.
He glanced at Isabel, who was still frowning, although apparently not for the reason he was. "So none of the Skins ever suspected who Liz was when we were in Copper Summit?"
"Her essence is quieter than any alien I have ever encountered," Jack told her. "She is mostly human. Even more human than she should be having come out of the pod early. I mean, she should still be half and half. That's how she was cloned. I can't figure that out."
"No, it's obvious why none of them ever guessed," Will agreed. "Nicholas had no idea until Jack felt her. He knew her well in our past lives. It wasn't difficult for him to pick it up."
Isabel cringed visibly at the mention of Nicholas. "I can't believe Nicholas works for you," she said with a shudder. "He's absolutely horrible."
"Please try and remember that it wasn't he who tortured you. That was Nasedo," Jack reminded her gently. "Nicholas is not bad. He is merely frustrated by the fact that our people are dying and there is nothing he can do about it."
"I wonder what happened to him, anyway," Alex said. He reached through the bars separating him from Isabel and picked up her hand, stroking it comfortingly. "He was with us when Tess made that bomb go off."
"I hope he's all right," Will said grimly. "He's our only means of connection to our home planet."
"To the other Khivar," Alex reminded himself quietly. "I still don't get why the eight of you were sent together if the Khivar back on Antar still hates Zan. That's one thing that will never make any sense to me."
"I guess the only way we'll ever figure out what's going on is if we find out who sent us here, and why," Isabel stated. "God! It seems like anytime we get any answers, we only end up with more questions."
"You're not the only one princess. I too grow impatient waiting for answers I should have had weeks ago."
Alex grimaced. As he was still holding her hand, he felt a spasm run through Isabel at the sound of the voice. He turned his head to see Nasedo walking swiftly towards them, his expression blank, but his eyes flashing with something that made a flash of pure fear run down his spine. It did not help matters that the shape-shifter no longer looked like Ed Harding either.
Not that Ed Harding was particularly reassuring. But this new form was not an improvement.
For some reason, Nasedo had taken on the guise of Daniel Pierce again. [I]Agent[/I] Pierce. Handsome, charming Agent Pierce, who was most well- known to them for torturing Max.
Wonderful.
"On your feet Mr. Whitman."
Alex's eyes widened. "Why me?" He asked, embarrassed when it came out as more of a squeak than the firm tone he was trying for. But, it was a valid question, he knew. After all, he was the only one of the four prisoners who wasn't an alien. What could Nasedo possibly want with him?
Only one thing. There was only one thing he could possibly want. And his next words confirmed it.
"Because killing you just might get me the answers I want." Nasedo motioned behind him. "Bring him," he commanded the guards on his heels. "I'll be in the interrogation chamber."
Isabel's grip on his hand had become like steel. "Leave him alone!" She exclaimed, struggling to her feet along with Alex, obviously refusing to let go of him. He felt a slight warming in his heart, but not enough to melt the ice that had taken root in his veins.
He looked at Will, who was on his feet as well. His jaw was clenched, as though he was unwilling to dignify Nasedo's threat with a response though. Will understood more quickly than Alex did it seemed. Because it was only now that it made sense.
He was a pawn. Nasedo was threatening to kill him to emotionally blackmail the rest of them.
But maybe it wasn't merely a threat. Maybe he was actually going to do it to remind them all of what could happen to them if he didn't get his way.
For one, brief moment, he remembered his vow from the day before. Had it only been that long? It felt like years. He remembered his determination that he was going to escape the alien abyss before it dragged him down for good. He had feared that something like this might happen to him if he allowed himself to stay connected to these people - to Isabel and his old friends; to Kate and his new ones.
One look at the absolute terror on Isabel's face as she struggled to hold him to her, as he felt his fingers slipping from her grasp, and he knew that he had never been meant to escape.
This was his life now. And he wouldn't change anything. The expression on Isabel Evans' face made it worth it.
He would not let the shape-shifter use him this way. If he was going to die, it was going to be quickly and it was going to be without it resulting in his friends' even greater peril.
First, he needed to calm Isabel down.
"It's all right Izzy," he said. "I'm going to be all right." He looked over his shoulder at the two guards, who were still trying to manhandle him. "I'm coming. Just give me a sec." They backed off slightly, but not far.
He moved close to Isabel again. "I [I]will[/I] be back," he told her firmly.
"Alex, no! You can't go."
"Isabel, if I don't go, they'll kill me right here. I've managed to stay alive this long. I swear I'll be okay. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve." He reached out and touched her face. Her dark eyes met his. They were bright with tears.
"I will come back. I still have to see how Star Wars comes out. I mean, I can't die now. Can you imagine if [I]The Phantom Menace[/I] was the last Star Wars movie I ever saw? No God could ever be that cruel. Let's get serious here. He has to give Lucas a chance to redeem himself."
Isabel laughed in spite of herself. Her hands were clenched, but Alex was relieved to see that she seemed to believe him. She swallowed, nodded, backed against the far wall of her cell again, slid to the floor.
He knew he was lying. But she believed him. By the time she knew any differently, maybe the others would have come for her. Because he knew they were coming. He could feel it in his bones.
Their friends would not desert them. Isabel would be saved.
But, just to be sure, as he followed the guards from his cell, he turned his head and met Will's eyes , hoping that the young king would understand what he was trying to tell him.
He blinked in surprise when Will's voice was suddenly in his head. [I]She'll be safe. I promise you that she will make it out of this alive.[/I]
He had forgotten about that - about Will's ability to communicate telepathically. Alex barely nodded, didn't want Isabel to notice. [I]Don't tell them anything. No matter what they say they're doing to me, don't tell them. And don't let her. They cannot have the granolith. We both know that. Make sure that Max knows it too.[/I]
[I]You have my word.[/I]
Alex closed his eyes, took a deep breath and followed the guards. He couldn't bear to look at Isabel again.
Several minutes later, he grimaced painfully as he was thrust against the stone wall of another, smaller chamber. Nasedo was already there, pacing. Alex searched his mind frantically for some small detail he could tell him that wouldn't totally compromise his friends - something he could say that would interest the shape-shifter enough to keep him alive for a while longer.
His mind was completely blank. He took this as a good sign. Wasn't his life supposed to pass before his eyes if he was about to die?
He struggled to stand, rubbing his arm where it has smashed against the wall. He clenched his jaw, looked at Nasedo defiantly.
Alex blinked. The shape-shifter wasn't even looking at him.
"Go get her," Nasedo barked to one of the guards. The man left. The other guard took up position by the door. Alex stared at him. For the first time he took the luxury of wondering who these people following Nasedo were anyway. They didn't seem to be Skins, as they weren't flaking skin off all over the place. Not to mention, if Will was to believed, they wouldn't be anyway. Will still trusted his general, in spite of the fact that he was missing. Alex was inclined to agree with him. Nicholas's MIA status didn't mean that he wasn't in league with Nasedo somehow, but it did seem more likely that he was dead.
So, who were these guys? There had only been four shape-shifters on the ship as far as Alex knew. Two had lived - Nasedo and another one who had yet to make his presence known. The other two were dead if Agent Pierce had been telling the truth. Not that he had been, necessarily.
He realized that it was ridiculous to even try and guess at this point. Every time he did, he ended up guessing wrong. He might as well just wait and see what was going to happen.
It took a few more minutes - minutes through which Nasedo ignored him completely, still pacing continuously, upset in a way Alex had never seen from the shape-shifter before. Nasedo never seemed to get emotional. And, when he did, it was usually wry amusement at the stupidity of them all. He had been that way even when they'd thought he was on their side.
But, that certainly wasn't the case now. He was furious. Alex wondered why. In spite of his fear, he could tell that it had nothing to do with him whatsoever.
It was the mysterious "her." The one Nasedo had sent the guard to get. Who was she? Was it Tess? That seemed likely. But, what had Tess done that had made him so mad?
And, it was then, in that instant, that he realized that Tess was not working for Nasedo. Thinking about her, wondering why her guardian was so furious.suddenly, his anger was gone and he felt a little sorry for her.
It was all it took. An instant of clarity, letting his bitterness at the small blonde go for that one moment, and suddenly he saw the truth.
Tess knew where the granolith was. But Nasedo didn't. Which could only mean one thing. Tess's loyalties were no longer clear. But, they weren't entirely with Nasedo.
He frowned. Kate had gone to the others to tell them what had happened. What if they came across Tess first? What if they dealt with her and asked questions later? He wouldn't put it past Michael, in spite of the recent restraint Maria's boyfriend had shown.
While his newest revelation in no way totally cleared Tess, it did mean that she didn't deserve to die. At least, not yet. He actually felt worried for her. It was for that reason that he carefully cleared is throat and asked tentatively. "So, where's Tess? Shouldn't she be here by now?"
Nasedo stopped pacing, turned his blue Pierce eyes on Alex, sending another shiver down his spine. "What about Tess?"
"Isn't that who's coming?" He wanted to hear that it was, that Tess hadn't gone back to the others to continue whatever role she was playing with them.
That they hadn't killed her. That they hadn't hurt someone who might be innocent.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, you said 'she,'" Alex said. "I can't think of who else it might be."
Nasedo's eyes narrowed, but he seemed less angry, more interested than he had before. "You do think a lot, don't you Mr. Whitman?"
"Well, I'm not known for being the muscles of [I]any[/I] operation," Alex admitted, more unsure now than he had been before. "So, I've tried to make up for it in other areas."
"Tess is gone. It is not she whom I need you to convince."
Alex frowned. Had Nasedo captured someone else? Who on Earth could Nasedo possibly think he had any influence over? Even if it [I]had[/I] been Tess, he was the last person she would listen to. And what was he supposed to convince this person of anyway?
"Who am I supposed to be convincing then?" He asked. "And of what?"
Nasedo didn't reply. He simply turned his head to the opening door.
The guard had returned. He walked in first, followed by his prisoner, who was being pushed along by another man.
Alex felt his eyes widen. It was indeed a woman he knew, if only a little. She looked terrible. But, she would, considering who she was and what had happened at the Harvest. She was dying.
Of course, she was [I]already[/I] supposed to be dead.
He looked at Nasedo. "Don't any of you ever stay dead?"
Nasedo smirked. "I'm sure you'll stay dead when I finish with you Mr. Whitman."
Alex sighed. He was no longer particularly afraid. It was obvious at this point that his life was not in immediate danger. It was also obvious that his belief that Nasedo was going to use him to make Will, Isabel and Jack talk had been wrong.
Because, [I]this[/I] was the person Nasedo wanted to talk. But how he expected Alex to make her do so was beyond him. He barely knew her. Actually, he had only ever met her one time - at Isabel's birthday party.
On the same night she was supposed to have been killed.
It was Congresswoman Vanessa Whittaker.
To be continued.
"This is just completely unbelievable," Isabel said, shaking her blonde head. "God Alex! How can this all be true?"
"We don't know for sure that any of it's true," Alex replied. "A lot of it Kate and I figured out from her memories, some of which she doesn't even trust anymore. Some of it is conjecture based on what's happened over the past twenty-four hours. All we know for sure is that we're sitting here and Max, Liz and the others are out there somewhere. And that we're all in big trouble."
It had taken longer than Alex had expected to tell Isabel and Jack everything that was going on. Will had let Alex do most of the talking, admitting at one point that he had been too wrapped up in the fact that Liz was Rowena to try and understand what was going on around him. Of course, Isabel had left the Crashdown before it had even come out that Liz was really just as alien as she was, and, so, this had come as one of the biggest shocks of all to his friend.
"But how could we not have known?" Isabel asked, shaking her head. "How could we not have known that Liz was one of us? We've always recognized each other. I knew Michael right away. I knew Tess. I mean, Max even told me he knew Kate when he first saw her, and I recognized both of you in the hallway at school." She looked at Will as she said this, a little shyly if Alex was not mistaken. He frowned slightly. He had very briefly mentioned what Nasedo, disguised as Nicholas, had said in the ransom message about her having been Khivar's lover in their past lives. He wondered what his friend was feeling now that she knew that Will [I]was[/I] Khivar - the great love Congresswoman Whittaker had told her about. The great love for whom she was supposed to betray her brothers and friends
The great love whose great love was someone else.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. Will was just too damn good-looking. Alex trusted him now - he wasn't quite sure if that mean he liked him yet - but damn his tortured blue eyes. He didn't think it would take long for Isabel to like the idea that maybe she was destined for the young, heart-broken king. Whatever flirtation Grant had provided, the news that he was working for Nasedo hadn't seemed to affect her unduly. It was still Tess's betrayal which had upset her most. Isabel Evans was ripe for the picking.
It wasn't that he was jealous. He was past that. He knew that Isabel wasn't the girl for him. He hadn't totally analyzed [I]why[/I] he knew this yet - there hadn't really been time lately after all. He knew it had something to do with Kate, but he wasn't jumping to conclusions about that either. He had seen [I]Speed[/I] and he'd seen that dud [I]Speed 2[/I]. He knew that feelings arising from life-threatening circumstances were not necessarily to be trusted. But he did know that there was something there to be explored with Kate, if they managed to get out of this alive.
This wasn't about Kate at all though. Isabel was still one of his best friends. She was vulnerable, particularly now that she no longer really knew who she was. The last thing she needed right now was to be hurt even more than she had been already. Will was not available. He was in love with Liz. Just because Liz wasn't in love with him, it didn't mean he could just turn his feelings off. If he did, then Alex would be even [I]more[/I] suspicious of him.
And, so, he waited distrustfully for Will to answer, willing him to be careful with his words, if only for once.
"We don't really know," Will replied, shrugging. Well, not encouraging necessarily, but certainly not mean, Alex reflected, relaxing. The alien king did not seem at all adverse to talking to Isabel - not like he'd been with Max at all. The fact that Vilandra had been trusted and admired by Khivar in their past lives, if not necessarily loved, seemed true. "Obviously she was taken from her pod early," Will continued. "Maybe that affected it."
"And Max always knew her," Alex reminded Isabel.
She nodded pensively. "I guess he did."
They all sat quietly for a long moment. It gave Alex the chance to look around the large cavern in which their cages sat. The guards were still on the other side of the room, not seeming alarmed by the fact that they were all talking freely now. "I wonder what happened to Nasedo and Grant," he said off-handedly to the others. "We haven't seen either of them in hours."
"Do you think they've gone after the others?" Isabel asked, her concern obvious.
At this, Jack spoke up. Alex looked at him sharply. It was the first time Will's cousin had said two words since they had started discussing any of this. "I don't think they're in any hurry," he said quietly. "They've known where to find us all for weeks. I think they know that the others will come for us here."
"I told Kate to keep them away," Alex muttered.
Jack looked at him, with an eyebrow raised. "Do you know how they died before?"
"Not really," Alex replied. He felt Isabel still nearby. "I know that Kate thinks that Max killed her."
Jack lowered his eyes, glancing at Isabel quickly before doing so. "I don't know if I should tell you this."
"You have to," Isabel insisted. "Max couldn't have done that. Even in another life. He just couldn't have. He wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Maybe that's true now," Jack allowed. "But I know what I know. I was there."
"Did Zan kill you too?" Alex asked before thinking. He mentally kicked himself when Isabel gasped.
"Yes," Jack replied quietly. "I shouldn't have brought this up, but it's the reason that I know that Ro and Kate will come for us. It's just in Kate's nature, and so will Ro, because of what happened before. She will come."
"Why? Why would Liz want to come for you?" Isabel asked. "She doesn't even really know you!"
"Not just me. You too Vilandra," Jack told her. "We all went. You, Kate and I. When Ro was captured by Zan, we went after her. And he killed us all. She may have forgotten it, but, deep down, she knows. She will come for us."
There was another long silence. Then Alex said, "They would come anyway." He sighed, looked at Isabel. "We know it Iz."
"I know," Isabel said. "And they're all walking right into a trap." She reached out and shook her cage in frustration. "If only I could dreamwalk! I would go to Max right now, tell him to keep Liz away from here. Because it's Liz they want, isn't it? It's why he never came for us before. I mean, he knew where we all were."
"You're right," Will agreed. "Nasedo knew who had us, and they've known where you all were for months. They left us alone because they were still looking for Rowena. It would have been too big a pain to hold us for this long. They never would have found her though. Not if Jack hadn't."
"How [I]did[/I] you do that anyway?" Alex asked curiously. "I don't think I'm really clear on what your gift is."
Jack leaned back against the bars of his cage, ran a hand through his blond hair. His movements were jerky, slightly pained, as though his internal hurt over the loss of his alien essence - the same pain Isabel was struggling to control Alex knew - was manifesting itself physically. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"Basically," Will continued for him, when it seemed that Jack had said all he was going to, "He can identify aliens by their essences. He can feel the part of them that makes them different from humans. And they're all different - unique. When we went to Copper Summit to see the Harvest's destruction, he managed to pick up a sort of essence trail from Rowena..Liz," he modified quickly, as though he was now truly determined to only think of her by that name.
Because, as long as she was Liz, the fact that she did not love him probably didn't hurt as much, Alex reflected, feeling a pang of sympathy. He could understand the attempt. After all, it had taken him [I]months[/I] to understand and, then, accept, that just because you were in love with someone else, it didn't automatically mean that they were going to feel the same way.
He glanced at Isabel, who was still frowning, although apparently not for the reason he was. "So none of the Skins ever suspected who Liz was when we were in Copper Summit?"
"Her essence is quieter than any alien I have ever encountered," Jack told her. "She is mostly human. Even more human than she should be having come out of the pod early. I mean, she should still be half and half. That's how she was cloned. I can't figure that out."
"No, it's obvious why none of them ever guessed," Will agreed. "Nicholas had no idea until Jack felt her. He knew her well in our past lives. It wasn't difficult for him to pick it up."
Isabel cringed visibly at the mention of Nicholas. "I can't believe Nicholas works for you," she said with a shudder. "He's absolutely horrible."
"Please try and remember that it wasn't he who tortured you. That was Nasedo," Jack reminded her gently. "Nicholas is not bad. He is merely frustrated by the fact that our people are dying and there is nothing he can do about it."
"I wonder what happened to him, anyway," Alex said. He reached through the bars separating him from Isabel and picked up her hand, stroking it comfortingly. "He was with us when Tess made that bomb go off."
"I hope he's all right," Will said grimly. "He's our only means of connection to our home planet."
"To the other Khivar," Alex reminded himself quietly. "I still don't get why the eight of you were sent together if the Khivar back on Antar still hates Zan. That's one thing that will never make any sense to me."
"I guess the only way we'll ever figure out what's going on is if we find out who sent us here, and why," Isabel stated. "God! It seems like anytime we get any answers, we only end up with more questions."
"You're not the only one princess. I too grow impatient waiting for answers I should have had weeks ago."
Alex grimaced. As he was still holding her hand, he felt a spasm run through Isabel at the sound of the voice. He turned his head to see Nasedo walking swiftly towards them, his expression blank, but his eyes flashing with something that made a flash of pure fear run down his spine. It did not help matters that the shape-shifter no longer looked like Ed Harding either.
Not that Ed Harding was particularly reassuring. But this new form was not an improvement.
For some reason, Nasedo had taken on the guise of Daniel Pierce again. [I]Agent[/I] Pierce. Handsome, charming Agent Pierce, who was most well- known to them for torturing Max.
Wonderful.
"On your feet Mr. Whitman."
Alex's eyes widened. "Why me?" He asked, embarrassed when it came out as more of a squeak than the firm tone he was trying for. But, it was a valid question, he knew. After all, he was the only one of the four prisoners who wasn't an alien. What could Nasedo possibly want with him?
Only one thing. There was only one thing he could possibly want. And his next words confirmed it.
"Because killing you just might get me the answers I want." Nasedo motioned behind him. "Bring him," he commanded the guards on his heels. "I'll be in the interrogation chamber."
Isabel's grip on his hand had become like steel. "Leave him alone!" She exclaimed, struggling to her feet along with Alex, obviously refusing to let go of him. He felt a slight warming in his heart, but not enough to melt the ice that had taken root in his veins.
He looked at Will, who was on his feet as well. His jaw was clenched, as though he was unwilling to dignify Nasedo's threat with a response though. Will understood more quickly than Alex did it seemed. Because it was only now that it made sense.
He was a pawn. Nasedo was threatening to kill him to emotionally blackmail the rest of them.
But maybe it wasn't merely a threat. Maybe he was actually going to do it to remind them all of what could happen to them if he didn't get his way.
For one, brief moment, he remembered his vow from the day before. Had it only been that long? It felt like years. He remembered his determination that he was going to escape the alien abyss before it dragged him down for good. He had feared that something like this might happen to him if he allowed himself to stay connected to these people - to Isabel and his old friends; to Kate and his new ones.
One look at the absolute terror on Isabel's face as she struggled to hold him to her, as he felt his fingers slipping from her grasp, and he knew that he had never been meant to escape.
This was his life now. And he wouldn't change anything. The expression on Isabel Evans' face made it worth it.
He would not let the shape-shifter use him this way. If he was going to die, it was going to be quickly and it was going to be without it resulting in his friends' even greater peril.
First, he needed to calm Isabel down.
"It's all right Izzy," he said. "I'm going to be all right." He looked over his shoulder at the two guards, who were still trying to manhandle him. "I'm coming. Just give me a sec." They backed off slightly, but not far.
He moved close to Isabel again. "I [I]will[/I] be back," he told her firmly.
"Alex, no! You can't go."
"Isabel, if I don't go, they'll kill me right here. I've managed to stay alive this long. I swear I'll be okay. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve." He reached out and touched her face. Her dark eyes met his. They were bright with tears.
"I will come back. I still have to see how Star Wars comes out. I mean, I can't die now. Can you imagine if [I]The Phantom Menace[/I] was the last Star Wars movie I ever saw? No God could ever be that cruel. Let's get serious here. He has to give Lucas a chance to redeem himself."
Isabel laughed in spite of herself. Her hands were clenched, but Alex was relieved to see that she seemed to believe him. She swallowed, nodded, backed against the far wall of her cell again, slid to the floor.
He knew he was lying. But she believed him. By the time she knew any differently, maybe the others would have come for her. Because he knew they were coming. He could feel it in his bones.
Their friends would not desert them. Isabel would be saved.
But, just to be sure, as he followed the guards from his cell, he turned his head and met Will's eyes , hoping that the young king would understand what he was trying to tell him.
He blinked in surprise when Will's voice was suddenly in his head. [I]She'll be safe. I promise you that she will make it out of this alive.[/I]
He had forgotten about that - about Will's ability to communicate telepathically. Alex barely nodded, didn't want Isabel to notice. [I]Don't tell them anything. No matter what they say they're doing to me, don't tell them. And don't let her. They cannot have the granolith. We both know that. Make sure that Max knows it too.[/I]
[I]You have my word.[/I]
Alex closed his eyes, took a deep breath and followed the guards. He couldn't bear to look at Isabel again.
Several minutes later, he grimaced painfully as he was thrust against the stone wall of another, smaller chamber. Nasedo was already there, pacing. Alex searched his mind frantically for some small detail he could tell him that wouldn't totally compromise his friends - something he could say that would interest the shape-shifter enough to keep him alive for a while longer.
His mind was completely blank. He took this as a good sign. Wasn't his life supposed to pass before his eyes if he was about to die?
He struggled to stand, rubbing his arm where it has smashed against the wall. He clenched his jaw, looked at Nasedo defiantly.
Alex blinked. The shape-shifter wasn't even looking at him.
"Go get her," Nasedo barked to one of the guards. The man left. The other guard took up position by the door. Alex stared at him. For the first time he took the luxury of wondering who these people following Nasedo were anyway. They didn't seem to be Skins, as they weren't flaking skin off all over the place. Not to mention, if Will was to believed, they wouldn't be anyway. Will still trusted his general, in spite of the fact that he was missing. Alex was inclined to agree with him. Nicholas's MIA status didn't mean that he wasn't in league with Nasedo somehow, but it did seem more likely that he was dead.
So, who were these guys? There had only been four shape-shifters on the ship as far as Alex knew. Two had lived - Nasedo and another one who had yet to make his presence known. The other two were dead if Agent Pierce had been telling the truth. Not that he had been, necessarily.
He realized that it was ridiculous to even try and guess at this point. Every time he did, he ended up guessing wrong. He might as well just wait and see what was going to happen.
It took a few more minutes - minutes through which Nasedo ignored him completely, still pacing continuously, upset in a way Alex had never seen from the shape-shifter before. Nasedo never seemed to get emotional. And, when he did, it was usually wry amusement at the stupidity of them all. He had been that way even when they'd thought he was on their side.
But, that certainly wasn't the case now. He was furious. Alex wondered why. In spite of his fear, he could tell that it had nothing to do with him whatsoever.
It was the mysterious "her." The one Nasedo had sent the guard to get. Who was she? Was it Tess? That seemed likely. But, what had Tess done that had made him so mad?
And, it was then, in that instant, that he realized that Tess was not working for Nasedo. Thinking about her, wondering why her guardian was so furious.suddenly, his anger was gone and he felt a little sorry for her.
It was all it took. An instant of clarity, letting his bitterness at the small blonde go for that one moment, and suddenly he saw the truth.
Tess knew where the granolith was. But Nasedo didn't. Which could only mean one thing. Tess's loyalties were no longer clear. But, they weren't entirely with Nasedo.
He frowned. Kate had gone to the others to tell them what had happened. What if they came across Tess first? What if they dealt with her and asked questions later? He wouldn't put it past Michael, in spite of the recent restraint Maria's boyfriend had shown.
While his newest revelation in no way totally cleared Tess, it did mean that she didn't deserve to die. At least, not yet. He actually felt worried for her. It was for that reason that he carefully cleared is throat and asked tentatively. "So, where's Tess? Shouldn't she be here by now?"
Nasedo stopped pacing, turned his blue Pierce eyes on Alex, sending another shiver down his spine. "What about Tess?"
"Isn't that who's coming?" He wanted to hear that it was, that Tess hadn't gone back to the others to continue whatever role she was playing with them.
That they hadn't killed her. That they hadn't hurt someone who might be innocent.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, you said 'she,'" Alex said. "I can't think of who else it might be."
Nasedo's eyes narrowed, but he seemed less angry, more interested than he had before. "You do think a lot, don't you Mr. Whitman?"
"Well, I'm not known for being the muscles of [I]any[/I] operation," Alex admitted, more unsure now than he had been before. "So, I've tried to make up for it in other areas."
"Tess is gone. It is not she whom I need you to convince."
Alex frowned. Had Nasedo captured someone else? Who on Earth could Nasedo possibly think he had any influence over? Even if it [I]had[/I] been Tess, he was the last person she would listen to. And what was he supposed to convince this person of anyway?
"Who am I supposed to be convincing then?" He asked. "And of what?"
Nasedo didn't reply. He simply turned his head to the opening door.
The guard had returned. He walked in first, followed by his prisoner, who was being pushed along by another man.
Alex felt his eyes widen. It was indeed a woman he knew, if only a little. She looked terrible. But, she would, considering who she was and what had happened at the Harvest. She was dying.
Of course, she was [I]already[/I] supposed to be dead.
He looked at Nasedo. "Don't any of you ever stay dead?"
Nasedo smirked. "I'm sure you'll stay dead when I finish with you Mr. Whitman."
Alex sighed. He was no longer particularly afraid. It was obvious at this point that his life was not in immediate danger. It was also obvious that his belief that Nasedo was going to use him to make Will, Isabel and Jack talk had been wrong.
Because, [I]this[/I] was the person Nasedo wanted to talk. But how he expected Alex to make her do so was beyond him. He barely knew her. Actually, he had only ever met her one time - at Isabel's birthday party.
On the same night she was supposed to have been killed.
It was Congresswoman Vanessa Whittaker.
To be continued.