by Melinda Metz
“Before we launch into a major planning session, I have to go outside for a minute,” Max said.
“We just got here,” Isabel protested.
“I bet he has to feed the dog some cheese,” Alex joked. He stood up. “I’m going, too. I have to take advantage of the lack of toilet seats.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Guys,” she muttered.
Talking about the compound was making Isabel tense. She stood up and wandered around the cave, trying to work out a little nervous energy. She stopped dead when she spotted Michael’s jacket lying on top of his sleeping bag.
She knelt down and lifted the jacket up to her face, pulling in a deep breath, It still smelled like him. She slid the jacket on and wrapped her arms around herself. For just one moment she wanted to pretend that they were Michael’s arms around her, making her feel safe the way nothing else could.
Isabel heard a scuffling sound behind her. She turned around and saw Maria.
“I –” Maria shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I heard about you and Alex, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry. You guys seemed like a good couple.”
“Thanks,” Isabel murmured. She didn’t want to talk right now. She wanted to hold on to the fantasy that Michael was really there with her.
“Was it …” Maria hesitated. “Is it something you think you’ll be able to fix?”
Isabel shook her head. She shoved her hands in the pockets of the jacket. Maria just kept standing there.
She’s thinking about that dream of Michael’s we both saw, Isabel finally realized. She’s wondering if I broke up with Alex because I want to be with Michael.
Isabel wasn’t really used to having girlfriends yet. But she was pretty sure that when you knew one of your girlfriends had a crush – a life-threatening crush like the one Maria had on Michael – you weren’t supposed to go after the guy yourself.
Maria’s friendship was important to her. More important than she could have imagined a few months ago. But Michael. Isabel had to at least find out what would happen if they kissed each other. She thought it might change her life forever. And if that change meant she couldn’t be friends with Maria anymore, well …
10
“All right. I’m going to draw something on this pad,” Dr. Doyle said. “Then both of you will try to draw the same thing.” He started sketching, his Magic Marker squeaking as he worked.
“All right, but no more dirty pictures, Doc,” Michael said.
Cameron dosed her eyes and tried to look like she was picking up some ESP vibe. It was hard not to smile. It was kind of sick how much she was actually enjoying being locked away down here.
With Michael. That was the key phrase – underlined and italicized.
Cameron heard the lab door swing open, and her eyes popped open. A guard walked in, bringing the room’s guard total to three. “Sheriff Valenti wants to see you,” the new guard told Cameron.
“Oooh. Someone’s in trouble,” Michael singsonged, trying to conceal his concern.
“Watch out for the doctor,” she mouthed before she left the room, escorted by the guard. In silence, she followed him down the corridor.
The guard stopped in front of Valenti’s office and knocked once. “Enter,” Valenti answered. The guard opened the door for Cameron, and she stepped inside. The guard shut the door behind her.
Cameron sat down in one of the chairs in front of the sheriff’s desk without waiting for an invitation.
“The security camera showed you with a machine gun,” Valenti said.
She kept silent for a few more seconds. “That’s right,” she finally replied. “You want Michael to trust me. Do you think he would trust someone who didn’t back him up during the escape attempt?”
“So the machine gun was just for realism,” Valenti said. Cameron couldn’t tell if he was buying her story or not.
“Michael knows I’m not stupid,” Cameron answered. “It would look pretty suspicious if I left a weapon on the floor when we were supposed to be fighting our way out of this place.”
“I see your point,” Valenti agreed, “but I also see that you’re getting pretty tight with our buddy Michael. I see the looks you flash him. You’re having a little too much fun. It’s all right to have fun, gypsy girl, but you better come up with some info soon. And I expect advance warning if Michael comes up with another escape plan. All you have to do is pretend you’re sick, and one of the guards will bring you to me.”
“Whatever,” Cameron said. “So is that it?”
“Pretty much,” Valenti answered. “Has there been any problems with the parapsychological abilities cover story?”
“No, all the little tricks have been working fine.”
“And you remember that if he touches you, he will learn a great deal about you, possibly including the fact that you have been sent to spy on him,” Valenti said.
“Yeah, I remember.” Cameron stood up and turned toward the door.
“Don’t leave yet. I thought you might be interested in this,” Valenti said.
Cameron turned around. Valenti was holding out a sheet of paper. Reluctantly she moved toward him, took it out of his hand, and flipped it over. Her hand was shaking.
Don’t lose it in front of him, she ordered herself, but her hand wouldn’t stop shaking. The paper fluttered to the floor. She glanced down at it and saw her own face staring back. The words Have you seen this girl? were printed in huge letters underneath. “It’s nice to know how much your parents care, isn’t it? Valenti asked her. “They’ve plastered these posters over most of the state.”
“I’m not going back there,” Cameron said. Her voice was shaking, too.
“If you don’t want to go back, you know what to do. Get me the names of the other aliens,” he said. “But know this – I’m not willing to wait forever.”
Cameron looked indignant, almost mad. “But he didn’t even admit he was an alien until I said –”
“You’re free to go,” Valenti told her.
Free, yeah.
Cameron turned and walked out the door. She shut it quietly behind her. She’d shown Valenti way too much emotion already. Her hands were still trembling.
The guard led the way back to the lab. They got there way too fast. Cameron pulled in a deep breath as they headed inside. Michael gave her that killer grin of his the second he saw her, and a wave of hot nausea rushed through her.
It’s not like I lied to him about everything, she thought. I did run away Valenti did find me. And my parents do see me as a freak, even if it’s not for the reason Michael thinks.
His friends, whoever they are, they have powers, like Michael, she reminded herself, trying to stop the sick feeling from building. Even if I give Valenti their names, it’s not like he’s just going to be able to go round them up. And if he does, if he does, at least they’ll have each other.
I’m the only one looking out for me.
11
Look! Down in the dirt! It’s a worm! It’s a bug! No, it’s Alex Manes … Understanding Guy!
Yep, that was him. Who else would have agreed to stake out the compound with Isabel only days after she’d shown him the door? Other guys would be cursing her name, poking out the eyes in every picture of her, telling their friends that she was evil spawn. But not our hero. Understanding Guy just sucked it up and said sure, if Isabel wanted him to spend ten or so hours crouched down behind some scratchy bushes in a little arroyo, he could do that. With a smile.
Alex took a swig out of his sports bottle. No matter how much water he drank, he felt like he was sweating out more.
“Uh, Alex, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Isabel said. “You know the other day, when I said I didn’t think we should see each other anymore?”
He nodded, although he didn’t remember it quite that way. First, Isabel hadn’t said anything, she’d shrieked. And what she’d shrieked had been, well, not quite so polite.
“Anyway, I just wanted you to know that
it really didn’t have anything to do with you,” Isabel continued. “You were right about me being totally stressed about Michael and everything. And now there’s Adam to deal with. It just seems like there’s too much going on for me to be with anybody right now. Even someone as great as you.”
This was definitely a job for Amazing Understanding Guy. Alex put on his best all-is-forgiven smile. He opened his mouth to say something that would make her feel totally okay for slamming him – but no words came out.
“I mean, if it was a different time in my life,” Isabel said.
She kept talking, but Alex couldn’t listen anymore.
He just did not need this. Sure, Isabel was beautiful. And when she touched him, instant meltdown. But she was totally selfish, spoiled, conceited, thoughtless – He stopped himself. He’d need his computer to do a really complete list
“You know what, Isabel? You don’t have to worry about it. The whole thing is fine with me,” Alex told her. “In fact, it’s great. You saved me the trouble of coming up with a nice way to break up with you.”
“So, we’re just going to break in?” Maria asked. Her feet felt like they’d taken root in the sidewalk across the street from Sheriff Valenti’s house. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to move from this spot.
“We probably won’t have to do the breaking part,” Liz answered. “I bet there’s a door or a window open in back. At least there always is at my house.”
“If we wait for Kyle, he’d probably just let us in,” Maria said. “Having you in his house has to be one of his major fantasies.”
“You don’t think he’d find it kind of suspicious if I just came over to his house after telling him to stay away from me, like, four thousand times?” Liz asked. “Besides, he knows I’m with Max.”
Maria smiled at her. “I don’t think Kyle exactly thinks with his brain when you’re around.”
“Oh, gross.” Liz scrunched up her face in disgust. “You have just given me a picture I really did not need to see,” she complained. Then she pulled in a deep breath. “Are you ready?”
“I guess. Except for this problem I’m having with my feet. They won’t actually move,” Maria answered.
“We’re doing this for Michael,” Liz reminded her.
“Oh, that was low,” Maria said as they started across the street.
“But effective,” Liz shot back. “Let’s just act like we’ve been invited and head straight through the back gate.”
“Do you think Isabel will end up with Michael now that she and Alex are broken up?” Maria burst out as they crossed the Valentis’ front lawn.
The question just popped out of her mouth. Maria had been wanting to ask Liz that for days. But she kept telling herself that was not what she should be thinking about. All she should be worried about was getting Michael free. Spending even a few seconds thinking about who he was going to go out with when he got home was just disgusting.
But she couldn’t help it. Of course she wanted Michael home safe. Of course that was the most important thing. Of course she wanted that even if he ended up with Isabel.
Of course she would have to curl up in a little ball and die if he did.
Liz led the way through the gate and tried the side door. Locked. “You didn’t answer my question,” Maria said as they moved around the house to the glass door leading to the dining room.
“I didn’t answer because I don’t know,” Liz replied as she gave the door a tug. It was locked, too. “I guess it could happen, but maybe it’s better just to wait and see and not think about it too much beforehand. At least you told Michael how you felt about him, so however it goes down, you won’t have to keep wondering if it would have turned out differently if he knew how you really felt.”
Yeah, so when he chooses Isabel, I’ll be positive that he knew I loved him and that he didn’t care, Maria thought. That will make it way, way better.
Liz reached another sliding glass door, this one leading to the living room. She tried it, and it slid open soundlessly. “We’re in,” she told Maria.
Maria listened hard, but she didn’t hear any footsteps. They’d been pretty sure the house was empty, and it seemed like they were right. “Let’s move before my feet go on strike again,” she said. She stepped into the living room, Liz right alongside her.
“If Valenti has an office here, it’s probably down that hall,” Liz said.
Maria nodded and took a right. The place is like a hotel, she thought as she glimpsed a bedroom through an open door. Totally impersonal. It was worse than a hotel, really. Hotels usually had some kind of bad painting on the wall. The walls here were bare.
The next door was closed. Maria opened it. Jackpot – desk, computer, filing cabinet.
“Files or computer?” Liz asked.
“Files,” Maria answered. She hurried over to the low three-door cabinet and sat down in front of it. She pulled open the top drawer, and the whole thing almost toppled over on her. She used one hand to hold the cabinet in place and one hand to pull out the first file. It was all Kyle stuff. Report cards, a suspension notice, some vaccination records. Nothing useful.
The second file wasn’t any better. Just canceled checks and old bills. The third file had tax stuff. The fourth file had Sheriff Valenti’s birth certificate, the lease for the house, and a copy of his car registration.
“Valenti’s middle name is Elmer. It’s just not as easy to be scared of someone named Elmer,” Maria said. She started to giggle.
“Oh no, Maria. Not now,” Liz begged.
Maria locked her teeth together and tried to think of something completely unfunny, like that guy Carrot Top. But she heard something that made her giggle even harder, so hard she couldn’t keep it in. It was the sound of a door opening.
Liz moved up behind her and wrapped her hand over Maria’s mouth. Maria squeezed her eyes shut and took deep, slow breaths until she felt the urge for hysterical giggling fade. She reached up and pushed Liz’s hand away.
“I think whoever it was headed to the kitchen,” Liz whispered. “If we keep all the way to the right side of the hall, I think we can make it to the living room and out the door without being spotted.”
Maria nodded her agreement. She stepped out of the office and pressed her back to the right wall. She crept sideways down the hallway, her eyes locked on her feet.
About halfway there, she coached herself. Keep moving. She took another step, then felt Liz’s fingers dig into her arm. Maria looked up – and saw Kyle Valenti staring at them.
Maria’s heart slammed up, lodging in her throat. She could feel it in there, a hot, meaty lump. At least it was saving her from another laugh attack.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” Kyle demanded.
“We’re, uh, decorating all the football players’ houses. You know, as a surprise to … give our guys a boost before the next game.” Maria held up her crocheted bag, glad it was her biggest one. “We have crepe paper and everything. Rah, rah!”
Kyle crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not on the football team,” he informed her.
“Uh, uh, uh …” Maria swallowed hard, trying to shove her heart back into place.
“Really? This is all my fault!” Liz cried. “I always think of you as on the team. I guess because you’re so big and strong. Well, we better go find the fight house.” She grabbed Maria by the arm and pulled her past Kyle. They raced out the front door and didn’t stop running until they rounded the corner at the end of Kyle’s block.
“Did you actually look at Kyle Valenti and say, ‘You’re so big and strong’?” Maria gasped.
“Sickening, isn’t it?” Liz answered. “At least we got a look at Valenti’s office.”
“And found nothing.” Maria sighed. “At least I didn’t.”
“Me neither,” Liz said. “I hope the others are having more luck than we are.”
Max shot a look at Adam. Was he cute? Max took another fast glance. It’s not like he had to watch the
road that carefully. It was straight, and flat, and pretty much empty, with the desert stretching out on both sides.
But no matter how often he took one of his fast peeks, Max just couldn’t decide. Was Adam cute? Well, what he meant was, would girls think Adam was cute? It was a hard call. There were some things, like kittens or fuzzy ducklings, that were pretty much no-brainers. Definitely cute.
But Adam. Max was pretty clueless, although he had heard Maria saying that Adam’s eyes were the most amazing shade of green. And eyes, they were important to girls, right?
Even if Maria thinks he’s cute, that doesn’t mean thinks he’s cute, Max told himself. And even if Liz does think he’s cute, that doesn’t mean anything. I mean, admit it, you think other girls besides Liz are cute. Like Maria. Be honest, you think Maria is walking, giggling cuteness.
But Liz. Whoa. Liz was so beautiful, it practically made him dizzy every time he saw her. She affected him the way no other girl ever did or ever would. And that’s what he wanted Liz to feel about him. And that’s most assuredly what he didn’t want her to feet about Adam. Not like she did. Or at least he was pretty sure she didn’t. But if Adam was cute, she might.
Wasn’t there some study about how when a woman looked at a man and found him attractive, her pupils dilated? Maybe that’s how he could tell if –
If Michael or Alex could hear what you’re thinking, they would rag on you for the rest of your days, Max told himself.
“I guess we’re far enough away from town for our practice session,” Max said. He pulled the Jeep off the highway and drove another mile or so into the desert.
Adam was being awfully quiet. Max wondered what he’d been thinking about during the drive. Was he thinking about Liz? Was –
Max told himself to shut up and pulled the Jeep to a stop.
“Do you have a headache?” Adam asked. “You keep rubbing your head.”
Max hadn’t even realized he’d been doing it. It wasn’t that he had a headache exactly, but there was this constant pressure behind his eyes. He thought it was from trying to block all the sensations and knowledge from the collective consciousness. It’s not that he didn’t want to learn everything he could about his heritage. But when he let himself experience the consciousness, it was all-consuming. And he couldn’t afford the distraction right now. Later, after Michael was safe, there would be plenty of time to give himself over to it.
