Winds of Change

Chapter Fifteen – Visions of Yesterday

Michael cleaned the grill while he listened to Liz. He poured more water on the grill; steam billowed upward, obscuring his features and served to mask the fears he knew showed there.

What she said to him made no sense, but in the inner recesses of his mined, what she said struck a chord of truth. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Liz was telling the truth. The only question was, what to do about it.

"Thanks," he said, brusquely. "But just stay out of it. I'll take care of everything."

"But Michael, Max is in danger," Liz said. "We have to do something."

"We don't have to do anything. You're not a part of this," Michael said. He removed his apron and grabbed his coat out of his locker. He barely spared Liz a glance as he walked towards the door. He reached out and opened the door, but before he left, he turned to Liz.

"Stay out of it," he said as the door slammed behind him.

Liz watched from the window as he climbed on his motorcycle and drove off into the night. A spirit of defiance filled Liz's soul. She wasn't about to let Michael tell her what to do. Max was in danger, and despite everything that had happened between them, she knew she had to help him. Just like she always did, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. No matter what happened to Max Evans, she was right there at his side like some sort of trustworthy little pet.

Liz shook her head, trying to rid herself of the emotional rage that filled her mind. Why was she so angry? It didn't make any sense at all. She barely knew Max Evans, why would she start thinking about all the things that happened to them. Short of his saving Maria, and a car ride to the quarry, nothing had happened between them.

Except for Tess, the same small voice whispered in the back of her mind. A feeling of intense hatred welled up in Liz, and was shocked at it. She didn't know anybody named Tess. Her reactions made no sense. Torn, Liz looked at the door to outside, and the stairs back up to her apartment. She wanted to go upstairs and open the new journal she had started. This one wasn't really scientific. In it, she was recording all the strange memories that filled her head, and the déjà vu experiences she had been having. But she also knew Max needed her.

Compromising, Liz grabbed a blank order pad and scribbled everything that had just occurred down, and ripped off the top sheet and stuffed it into her jeans pocket. She reached into Maria's locker and pulled out a jacket and slipped out into the cool desert night. She looked longingly at her parent's car, but decided against it and began to walk down the empty sidewalk.

The chirping of the crickets made a lonely accompaniment to Liz's thoughts as she reached the edge of the residential district where the Evans family lived. She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she really did have a reason to be there. Maybe she was losing her mind. The possibility scared her, and she stood, frozen in thought trying to judge her own sanity when the headlights of a passing car caught her in their glare. Instinctively, she put a hand up to shield her eyes and she took an involuntary step backwards as the car pulled over to the curb.

"Liz Parker, is that you?" a female voice called through the night. "It's Isabel Evans."

"Isabel, hi," Liz said as a feeling of relief washed over her. She wasn't particularly close to Isabel, actually, she wasn't in the same league as her, but at least she was fairly certain that Isabel wasn't about to turn into a mad rapist or anything.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" Isabel questioned, climbing out of the Jeep she shared with her brother.

"I, oh, uh, I was just out for a walk," she said.

"Well it's late, you shouldn't be out walking alone this late at night," said Isabel. "Climb in, I'll give you a ride home."

Liz looked regretfully in the direction of the Evans house before she climbed into the Jeep. She wanted to talk to Max, but couldn't see herself explaining that to Isabel.

"Thanks," she said to Isabel, not meaning it, but at the same time, grateful that someone had taken the choice out of her hands.

Isabel pulled away from the curb, and the two rode in silence for several minutes, each alone with her thoughts. Finally Isabel broke what was rapidly becoming an awkward silence.

"Max told you," she said, making it a statement and not a question.

"Yeah, but Isabel, you have to know I wouldn't ever tell anyone," Liz said in a rush. "I swear."

"I know, Liz," said Isabel, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "I don't know why I believe that you won't, but I do."

They drove on in silence for a few minutes before Isabel spoke again. "Can I ask you something?" she said to Liz. "Were you going to see my brother?"

"Why do you want to know?" Liz.

"I just want to tell you there isn't any possibility of a relationship between you and him. We agreed a long time ago not to let anybody into our lives. You're a nice person Liz, and I don't want to see you get hurt. Just give up on Max. There isn't any room in his life for you."

Even though Isabel's voice was gentle, it cut into Liz like a thousand different knives. She felt her eyes fill with tears, and she reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue.

"Pull over," she said, her voice thick with tears. "Pull over now."

Isabel pulled the Jeep over to the side of the road, and Liz jumped out and began to run, heedless of Isabel's voice calling out after her. Isabel watched the other girl run off into the night. When she could no longer see Liz, she reached over to shut the door that Liz had left open. As she did, she spied a folded piece of paper on the seat where Liz had sat.

Isabel hesitated for only a minute before she unfolded it and began to read. The graphic images Liz had recorded on the order slip filled her with fear and horror, and she found herself recalling a military installation. The memory caused her to shiver slightly and she pulled her jacket tightly around her. Images flashed through her mind. She saw Max being tortured, and screaming out in agony, and she felt helpless. She wanted to reach out to him, but didn't know how.

Suddenly, she was overcome by an intense feeling of comfort and security, and she saw herself dancing with a tall dark haired man. She didn't see his face, but she was certain that she knew him. Just as quickly the image shifted and she saw herself laying a rose on a coffin, tears streaming down her face.

"Alex," she whispered to the empty Jeep. She felt a dampness on her face and found that the tears were not just in her memory, they were real.