So say no, she told herself. Say that there's another reason you pulled away. Say you have a boyfriend. Say you have a headache. Say something.
'Yes,' Cameron said.
Michael leaned toward her. You can still stop this, Cameron thought. Just pull away again. Kissing him is the worst possible thing you could do.
She reached out, ran her fingers through his hair, and gently pulled his mouth down to hers. And for a long moment she forgot everything but the taste of him.
Then she pulled away. This was it. This was the moment where he was going to be the most open. She could feel it.
'I never thought anyone who knew what a total freak I am would want to kiss me,' she said. She wasn't even going to have to ask him anything directly. He was going to tell her everything all on his own.
'You've never met anyone else who's… like you?' Michael asked.
'No,' Cameron answered. Her stomach twisted itself into a knot. She ignored the pain.
'I had it so much easier than you did,' Michael said.
Bring it to me, Cameron thought.
'I had Max and Isabel. They're… like me,' he continued. 'Their parents aren't. They don't know the truth at all. But the Evanses are great. They even call me their other son.'
Game over. Those were the names she needed. Cameron's stomach cramped again.
'Are you okay?' Michael asked.
'No… no,' Cameron said slowly. She added, 'Actually, I'm sort of nauseous,' she answered. 'I'm going to see if the guard can get me some antacid or something.'
Cameron shoved herself to her feet and knocked on the door. 'I'm feeling sort of sick,' she told the guard who opened it.
'Come with me,' he said.
'We'll finish our game later when you're feeling better,' Michael called.
'Okay,' she answered, without looking back. She didn't want a last look. She had plenty to torture herself with already. She kept her eyes locked on the guards back as he marched her to Valenti's office.
'I want five thousand dollars, and I want you to tell my parents that I'm heading to New York,' Cameron announced the second she sat down in the chair across from Valenti's desk. She didn't want to give herself any time for second thoughts.
'While you'll be trotting off to California, I suppose,' Valenti answered.
Cameron didn't answer. Valenti seemed to remember he'd lost their last round of the silence game. 'I'll give you twenty-five hundred dollars,' he said. 'And no more. As soon as you give me the names.'
'The other aliens are Max and Isabel Evans.'
Max handed the binoculars to Adam. 'There's the surveillance camera. See, it's in that crack at the top of the rock formation.'
Adam nodded. He felt as if his body was freezing from the inside out, the coldness paralyzing more and more area with each moment.
'All we need to do is crack the glass,' Max said. He grabbed Adam's wrist. Adam could hardly feel the pressure of Max's fingers. If their plan worked, in a few minutes he would be back inside the compound.
And in less than an hour you'll be back out, Adam reminded himself. The coldness invaded his heart. He knew there was no way it had stopped beating, but he couldn't feel it anymore.
'Everyone, get ready to run,' Max ordered. He turned to Adam. 'On three.'
Adam kept the binoculars up so he could focus on the camera. He didn't need to see it, but it helped.
'One, two, three.'
Adam took the power that had been growing since he and Max connected and hurled it out, out, out. Was it strong enough to make it all the way to the camera lens? He heard a soft popping sound, and the camera exploded into metal and glass confetti.
'Run!' Max yelled.
'Nice shooting, Tex,' Alex called from behind Adam as they all raced toward the rock formation that hid the opening to the compound. Adam smiled. Or at least he thought he was smiling. He couldn't quite feel his lips anymore.
When he was about a hundred feet away from the formation, Adam slammed to a stop. He watched the others run past him and take up their positions. Then he waited. If Max was right, in a few minutes a couple of guards would come out to check on the camera.
This could be my last minute in the sun, Adam thought. But he couldn't feel the warmth. Even the New Mexico sun wasn't strong enough to penetrate his cold skin.
Come on. Come and get me, Adam thought. Just standing here, passively waiting to be led back into his prison, was the hardest part of the plan.
It shouldn't take them too long. It had only been a week since Michael and Isabel had broken into the compound. The guards would still be extra alert.
Adam heard a low humming sound, and the rock formation slid apart in one smooth motion. It was time. He waited until he could see the guards moving toward the opening, then he ran toward them.
'Stay where you are!' one of the guards barked.
'I want to come back!' Adam cried. 'I want to see my father!'
'We're coming out to get you,' the other guard called. Adam noticed that she had her hand on her electric prod.
'Okay. Hurry! I'm scared!' Was that too much? Adam thought as the guards hesitated.
No, they were moving toward him. Side by side, they stepped through the opening in the rock formation. And Max and Isabel attacked. The guards never saw it coming. They fell to the ground, unconscious.
Adam raced up to them. 'Help me move this one inside,' Alex said. Adam hoisted the guard's legs and Alex grabbed her shoulders, then they carried her into the massive elevator just beyond the entrance.
Alex knelt down and quickly bound the guards' hands and feet with duct tape. He slapped a couple pieces of the tape on their mouths. 'I love this stuff. You can use it on anything,' he said.
'They can breathe and everything, right?' Maria asked, staring from Alex and Adam's guard to the guard Max and Isabel had just finished restraining.
'They'll be fine,' Max reassured her. He hit the elevator button, and they started down.
Adam slid his hands under his armpits, trying to warm up his hands. How deep underground were they already? Ten feet? More?
The elevator continued its smooth descent. Finally it came to a stop with a tiny bump. The doors slid open.
Adam heard pounding feet. He scanned the small parking lot and saw a guard running away.
'We've been spotted,' Max cried. 'He's going to sound an alarm!'
They were here. Michael could feel them. Isabel, Max, and Adam. Coming to the rescue.
What were they, insane?
Michael sprang up from his cot and started to pace. They needed him. Something had already gone wrong. He'd just gotten a jolt of fear from all three of them.
He shot a glance at the two guards outside his cell. They clearly had no clue anything unusual was happening in the compound. At least not yet. That was something.
Michael took another lap in the small space to the right of his cot. He wished Cameron would get back. He didn't like the idea of her being out in the corridors right now, even with her guard escort. It would be way too easy for her to get caught in some kind of crossfire situation.
And he wouldn't be able to do anything about it, sitting in this cell. He wasn't exactly going to be able to back
