'Let's go,' Alex told Maria.
She obediently moved toward the door. But then she turned and looked back into the room. Her eyes sought out Michael. This could be the last time she ever saw him.
Liz stared down at Max's face. He'd fallen into a restless sleep, so for once she could really look at him, study the changes in him, without worrying that she would frighten him.
She noted each detail as if she were 'in bio lab. Somehow that made it a little easier. Small patches of his skin were flaking away. His lips were dry and chapped, with a few spots of dried blood. His eyes were sunk deep into his head. His cheeks were sunken, too. His neck was-
Stop, she thought. Stop reducing him to all these little pieces of damaged flesh. This is Max. It's still Max, the guy you love.
Liz reached out and took his hand. She wondered if the sensation worked its way into his dreams somehow. She hoped so.
She checked her watch. Michael, Isabel, and Ray should be at the compound soon. She wondered how long it would take them to find the crystals. She was afraid that-even if they found them immediately-it would be too late. Max's deterioration was accelerating at a terrifying rate.
He was slipping away from her, and she was powerless to stop him. She tightened her grip on his hand, lacing her fingers with his. But it wasn't enough. She needed to be closer to him. Even closer.
Liz kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed next to Max. She wrapped her arm across his chest and buried her face in his shoulder. 'I'm not going to let you go, Max,' she whispered.
He was so cold. It was like his body wasn't throwing off any heat at all. She pressed herself closer, trying to share her warmth with him. 'I love you, Max,' she said. 'I love you. Stay with me, okay? You've got to stay with me.'
She pulled Max's arm around her, trying to get closer still. It lay there limp and heavy. Lifeless. The arm of a corpse.
She sat up fast and sprang off the bed. She pressed her fingers against Max's lips and felt the reassuring puff of air as he let out a breath. 'Sorry, Max,' she whispered. 'I didn't mean to freak.' She smoothed the covers over him and fluffed his pillow. She felt something hard and cool against her fingers and pulled it out.
Her silver bracelet. Max had turned it to liquid on her wrist the day that he had told her he was an alien. He had been trying to convince her he wasn't lying.
She'd been so totally terrified. Terrified of Max. When he'd re-formed the bracelet and taken a step toward her to give it to her, she'd bolted.
And he'd kept it. He'd actually been sleeping with it under his pillow. Liz ran her finger over the braided silver, and the tears came flooding out of her. Max didn't need this seeping into his dreams. He didn't need her weak and wailing. He needed her to be strong, holding on tight, willing him to live.
She rushed out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and sat down on the edge of the tub, rocking back and forth, letting the sobs overtake her.
After a few minutes she stood up and moved to the sink. She splashed some cold water on her face and dried her face roughly. She met her gaze in the medicine cabinet mirror. 'Enough,' she said firmly. 'Max needs you with him.'
She turned and walked out of the bathroom and down the hall. When she stepped through Max's doorway, his eyes were open. He cleared his throat hard. 'Was I dreaming…' He cleared his throat again 'Or were you in bed with me before?' he asked.
She smiled at him. 'You weren't dreaming,' she answered.
'Not how… I imagined it.'
It was obvious the words were taking a tremendous effort. Droplets of sweat were running down his face. He winced as they stung the cracks in his skin.
'There will be another time,' she promised him.
She hoped she was telling the truth.
'Liz said there was some kind of remote to open a door in the rock formation, which we don't have,' Michael said as they drove the car Ray had rented toward the compound.
Michael hadn't even thought about the fact that the Project Clean Slate people could trace a car as easily as they could a face. Easier. He was glad Ray had had the idea of renting the car under one of his old identities. Ray had switched faces and names a few times since he'd been stranded on earth.
'I'm sure they have some kind of surveillance cameras,' Ray answered. 'We'll just give them a good look at your Valenti mug, and I'm sure someone will scurry right out and let us in. Probably even apologize for not doing it faster.'
That worked for Michael. There were advantages to being a Valenti clone. Although every time he caught sight of his gray eyes in the rearview mirror, it gave him the wiggins.
Michael's own eyes were gray, so it wasn't that much of a color change. But he couldn't shake the feeling that when he looked into his reflection, it was Valenti staring back. Valenti, the guy who wanted him dead or locked up in one of those cells Liz had seen and experimented on for the rest of his life.
'You okay back there, Iz?' he asked over his shoulder.
'Yeah,' she muttered.
Didn't sound convincing. He knew it was freaking her out to be in the same car with him looking like this. Isabel had had nightmares about Valenti from the time she was a little girl. The sheriff was the embodiment of her darkest fears about what could happen to her if anyone found out the truth.
'You're not going to ask if I'm okay?' Ray joked.
'You better be because we've arrived,' Michael answered. He pulled to a stop in front of the rock formation. Michael got out of the car and stared straight ahead, trying to look mildly pissed off. A moment later a massive door slid open.
'Welcome to the Bat Cave,' Michael muttered as he slid back behind the wheel. He pulled into the elevator Liz had told them about, and when they got to the bottom, he parked in the reserved space. He was Valenti. The big cheeseball.
A guard hustled over as soon as he, Ray, and Isabel set foot out of the car. 'We weren't expecting you until tonight,' he said.
'That's why I'm here. I want to see what things are like when I'm not expected,' Michael answered. He didn't bother to tell him who Ray and Isabel were. He figured Valenti wouldn't bother to explain himself to a peon.
Liz's plan was working out great. He could just act like he was doing some kind of inspection or even giving Ray and Isabel a tour, and they could search every inch of the place.
But actually, why search? This peon would fall all over himself to do whatever Valenti wanted. 'I want to show my associates the ship,' he said.
My associates. He liked that. Kind of mysterious and you're-way-too-insignificant-to-know-who-theyreally-are. Maybe he should take this show on the road. Do a tour as a Valenti impersonator.
He couldn't believe that thought had popped into his mind. He felt like he was partially buzzed or something. He was actually going to see the ship. He'd spent almost his whole life looking for it, and it was here.
The guard nodded and led the way through a maze of cement corridors, stopping now and then to punch in a security code. When they reached a huge set of metal doors, the guard stepped back. He obviously wanted Michael to do something, but what?
'Please step up to the red line and remove glasses for retina scan,' an automated female voice instructed.
Michael automatically moved into position, but his intestines were practically squirming around inside him. His eyes looked like Valenti's, sure. But there's no way his retinas would be a match. No possible way.
A beam of light passed over his eyes.
