BOOK 7 THE INTRUSION
OF SHADES
(THE CLANDESTINED
DISCLOSED)
|
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ PART 5
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Friday, April 14th, 2000) (Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker's House) (Washington, DC) Vanessa watched Daniel from across the table. It never ceased to amaze her that a man
who had been appointed as the head of the super-secret FBI special unit less
than a year ago could be so free with the information. Yes, they had been dating for almost a
year and she had given him no reason not to trust her. She even appeared to share his concerns
about an alien invasion, but the first rule every good soldier knows, was
captured perfectly in a quaint Earth colloquialism - 'Loose lips sink ships.' She listened intently as he told her about the interrogation of
Agent Topolsky. "SheÕs had
first-hand contact with this creature, posing as a teenage boy, and maybe it
has used some kind of mind-control on her but she actually believes it doesn't
pose a threat." Vanessa was not totally convinced the FBI had actually discovered
one of the Royal Four and she pressed for more information. "What did she say about this
creature?" "She said it seemed like a typical, confused, even shy
teenager." He barked a
brittle sound resembling a laugh.
"Can you believe it?
This thing is here to decimate the population and take Earth for its own
purposes, and she thinks it's cute." "What are you going to do?" Vanessa asked, as she moved
around the table toward him. "I will finish getting all of the information I can out of
Agent Topolsky and then I will go to Roswell to check this thing out for
myself." Vanessa threaded her fingers through the wispy tendrils of hair
brushing his neck. "Will you
keep me informed?" He pulled her roughly to him and took her mouth in a hard
kiss. "Of course." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Saturday, April, 16th, 2000) (Bethesda Psychiatric Institute) (Bethesda, MD) Kathleen Toplosky waited until the nurse had left her room and
then she spit the pills into her hand.
She didn't know how long she had been in the mental hospital because she
had been drugged when she had been brought in. Pierce had finished with her for the time being and putting
her in a psych hospital was a convenient way to get rid of her, but still keep
her handy in case he still needed her. As soon as the drugs had started to wear off enough for her to be
conscious of what was happening, Kathleen had started palming the pills that
were given to her, and finally she felt confident the drugs were out of her
system. While she had bided her time, she had conceived a plan to
escape. In the evenings, the nurse
was a slight woman with blonde hair.
Tonight Kathleen would overpower her and force some of the drugs into
her. Then she would trade clothing
with the nurse and just walk out the front door. It would probably be hours before anyone discovered she was
missing and by that time, she would already have retrieved the orb from the
Special Unit vault and be halfway to Roswell. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Crazy) (Wednesday, April 19th, 2000) Tess flipped through the channels on the TV but none of the
programs held any interest for her.
"Tess," she said aloud, the sound of her new name
somehow making it more real. She
had been called many names over the years, but she liked this name. Somehow she felt it fit her. She used the remote to turn the TV off and started to pace around
the room, finally ending up by the window. Roswell, she thought, as she looked at the buildings out the
window. Just another town like so
many others where she had lived, but this time her family was here; Michael,
Isabel, and most importantly Max. She and Ed had only arrived in town that morning but she was
anxious to be reunited with her family.
Her 'father' had made her promise she would stay in the hotel room today
while he went to take care of some business for his new job, but it was
frustrating to be so close to them. Tess abandoned the window and sank back into the couch, opening
the box containing the pictures of Max and the others, and lifted out the one
on top. It was a picture of Max
sitting at a table studying. With
her finger, Tess traced the line of his jaw, continuing up the side of his
face, and over his hair. "Max," she intoned, drawing his name into several syllables,
as if speaking it would conjure him before her. Many times her eyes had greedily devoured the pictures of
him. Max was so handsome, he was
everything she had ever expected and more. She brushed her finger over his lips in the photo and then
touched her own. He was waiting
for her. He had been waiting for
her his entire life. Ed had told her that they had arrived in Roswell at the perfect
time. The planet Venus was in the
correct position to start their biological drives and Max would be drawn to her
more than ever. "Max and Tess," she whispered. Once they were together, she knew they would never be
parted. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kaldar had watched the girl, he had seen with Max in the desert,
for the last month and he had discovered a lot about her. Her name was Liz Parker and she
attended the same school as Max and the others. She was a good student and especially talented in science. She was dating Max and they were often
together. Her parents owned the
Crashdown Cafe where she worked, which explained why Max was there so
often. Liz seemed like a normal
human but Kaldar had the continuing impression that she was something more, but
he just couldnÕt seem to pinpoint what it was. He followed Max and Liz when they left the Crashdown, intending to
observe them further. He drove
behind them at a discrete distance and when they stopped, he drove past them
and parked a few yards away. He
climbed out of the car and looked around.
Kaldar didn't recognize the place and he carefully crept through the
trees until he had a good vantage point where he could observe them. He had noticed the other cars in the area and paid little
attention to them, but now he could see that each car contained a pair of
amorous teenagers. It was what the
humans called a make-out spot.
Kaldar smiled as Max and Liz climbed into the back seat of the Jeep
devoiuring each otherÕs lips hungrily, and he decided to leave them to
themselves, feeling like he was intruding. Kaldar had almost made it back to his car when he saw someone
emerge from the woods and head straight for the Jeep. He ran forward ready to defend Max and Liz, as the person
knocked on the window of the Jeep, but stopped just a few feet away as he heard
her words. "You're in danger, all of you." "What are you talking about?" Max asked. "The best way to protect yourselves is to just act like
normal kids," the woman said. "We are normal kids," Max said. "Okay," she said looking around, "I think I was
followed. Don't trust anyone. I'll find you again." "Topolsky," Liz said. Kaldar watched undecided as the woman retreated into the
trees. He didn't know who she was
or why she thought the children were in danger but the Max and Liz obviously
knew her. Instantly Kaldar decided to follow the woman Topolsky and find out
what she was up to. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Crazy) (Thursday, April 20th, 2000) Ed handed Tess some money for her lunch. "Remember Tess, the others have been living as humans,
among humans. Max is especially entrenched
in his human
existence." "I know," Tess said exasperatedly. "YouÕve already told
me." She started to brush past him and out the door, but he stopped her
with a hand on her arm. "I just don't want you to go charging in like a bull in a
china shop, so to speak. Be
patient. Give them some time to
get to know and accept you before you reveal yourself to them. They haven't had the benefits of the
memory recovery techniques. It is
probable they don't remember anything about coming out of the pods or about
their other lives on Antar. If you
just spring it on them, you might turn them from us." "But they are my family," she argued. "They will accept me." "What if they don't?Ó Ed asked. ÒWe don't want to scare them away." "Okay, okay" she agreed reluctantly. "IÕll do what you say." "Approach Isabel first,Ó Ed suggested. ÒShe would be more likely to welcome a
new friend than the boys. Use your
powers subtly and she will accept you." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tess saw Isabel sitting with a boy across the quad. Isabel was the first one of her family
Tess had seen, and she intended to make use of the situation. Tess focused her powers on Isabel as
she approached the table. "Can I join you?" she asked. The guy with Isabel glanced in her direction. "Actually, we were in the m, the
middle of something." "You're the new girl, right?" asked Isabel. Tess frowned at the guy and used another burst of power on
Isabel. "If you're busy, I
could..." "No," said Isabel enthusiastically, "have a seat. Join us. Sit down." "Thanks. I'm
Tess." "Isabel," she introduced herself and motioned to the
unfriendly guy beside her, "This is Alex." "Hi," Tess said to Alex, already not liking him. "Hi," he answered.
"So, welcome to Roswell." Tess focused her attention on Isabel, her main goal. Alex was merely a human, a
distraction. "I always hate
the first day at a new school." Isabel immediately caught her meaning, "Done this
before?" "Only about a hundred times,Ó Tess said. ÒEveryone's always so nice." Tess noticed that Alex frowned as he asked, "Is that a bad
thing?" "Well," she explained, "the guys are usually nice
because they want to jump my bones.
And the girls are usually nice because they want to find out if I want
to jump their boyfriends' bones."
She focused on Isabel again, "You must get that a lot." "Yeah," Isabel admitted, "How about the girls who
hang out with you to meet a better class of guys?" "Or the guys who say they understand you and really just want
to be your friend, but all they really want is fifteen minutes alone with you
in the janitor's closet." "We have an eraser room," Isabel said with a smile. "Thanks for the warning," Tess said, as she
absent-mindedly poured a packet of sugar into her yogurt. Isabel noticed at once, "Oh, my God. I do that, too." "Good," pronounced Tess, "I can't stand people who
use fake sugar. Nothing can ever
be too sweet. Don't you think? "Let me see your schedule," Isabel said, "I wonder
if we have any classes together." Tess smiled, mission accomplished. Isabel was already hooked and Michael and Max would soon
follow. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kaldar sat in the alley outside of the hotel where he had followed
Topolsky last night, and popped a few Tic Tacs into his mouth. So far he had not discovered anything
new, but when the woman left her room, he would search her possessions for
clues. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Isabel invited Tess to her house after school, and Tess eagerly
accepted. They entered Isabel's
room and put down their things.
Isabel motioned toward the hall, "The kitchen is that way. Help yourself to a drink or
whatever. I'll be there in a
second." As Tess approached the kitchen, she could hear male voices
within. She stopped just outside,
to listen, somehow knowing Max was speaking. "Um, try taking her out,Ó Max said. ÒSomeplace nice.
And, uh, surprises. They
love surprises. Like, you know,
little things. Like a note in her
locker, or a flower in the middle of the day." Tess walked into the kitchen, calling out, "How do you know
women so well?" She smiled at
the stunned expressions on the guysÕ faces. "Don't let me stop you. This is fascinating." MaxÕs eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. Before Tess could answer, Isabel came in behind her. "She's my friend." "How come we've never met her before?" Michael asked
belligerently. "God, Michael," Isabel said, "could you be any more
rude?" Tess smiled, remembering their earlier conversation. "Actually, it's kind of
refreshing." She focused her
attention and powers on Max, drawing him to her, "I'm Tess." When neither Max or Michael responded, Isabel broke the silence,
"This is my brother Max and our friend Michael." "Nice to meet you," Tess said, noticing with
satisfaction that her powers were affecting Max. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the whole time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kaldar had not found anything in Topolsky's room other than a
couple of changes of clothes, and he had waited for her to return determined to
follow her. He trailed her at a discrete distance, but almost lost sight of
her when she ducked into a restaurant.
Kaldar entered the restaurant and looked quickly around, spotting
Topolsky almost immediately. She
was sitting with her back to him in a booth and he was surprised to see a
frightened Liz with her. Immediately behind Topolsky stood a large aquarium, and Kaldar
slipped behind it to hear their conversation, noting the fear in Liz's voice as
she whispered urgently to Topolsky. "Why are you following us?Ó Liz asked. ÒWe haven't done anything wrong." "You can play that game all night, or you can listen to me
and maybe save all of our lives," answered Topolsky. "You're smart. I knew you were the one I could get
through to. They don't know I'm
here. If they did..." she let
the sentence trail off, not wanting to consider the consequences. Liz wanted clarification, "Who is they?" "The people I work for," Topolsky said. "The FBI," Liz intoned, the fear robbing her voice of
any emotion. Topolsky shook her head, "It's more complicated than
that. I've learned things, seen
things that no one would believe.
Sometimes I don't even believe them myself." "Where have you been all of this time?" asked Liz. "To hell," Topolsky said simply. "And I've come out to warn
you." She leaned closer to Liz and lowered her voice, and Kaldar had to
strain to hear. "There's a hunter, an alien hunter. He's buried deep inside the FBI. Even the president and the director are on a need-to-know
basis only. Do you understand what
I am saying? He answers to no one,
and he will stop at nothing to get what he's looking for." "What is he looking for?" Liz asked breathlessly, afraid
she already knew. "Max Evans, and anyone he thinks is involved with him. All six of your names are on that
list. You have to believe
me." "I believe you," Liz said softly. Kaldar could see that Topolsky was obviously relieved. "I knew you would,Ó she said. ÒWe can't be seen together, do you
understand? Meet me tomorrow
night, behind the theater at eight o'clock. I'll know more by then." Kaldar waited until Liz left the restaurant before he emerged from
behind the aquarium. He had no
idea how the FBI knew about the kids but he had to make sure they were safe. He walked a few blocks down the street and slipped into the alley
behind the local computer store.
It was closed for the evening but he used his powers to let himself in
and disarm the alarm. He had often
used the computers in the store's office after hours, to search for the
children. The computers were
top-of-the-line Earth equipment, but compared to the technology on Antar they
were like toys. Easily Kaldar hacked into the FBI secure mainframe and retrieved
all information about Topolsky. He
quickly scanned her bio and list of assignments, noting that she had been
assigned to 'special duty' over two years ago. Those files were behind additional security but he circumvented it
easily. The Special Unit, as her
current assignment was called, appeared to be mainly concerned in the existence
of extraterrestrials on Earth.
Kaldar scanned her reports from her assignments, stopping on the final
one, code-named - West Roswell High. He read the e-mails and reports submitted by Kathleen Topolsky
about Max and his friends, learning that Max had healed Liz in September when
she had been shot in an altercation at the Crashdown, bringing them to the
attention of the FBI. He also
found that KathleenÕs reports had been submitted without her knowledge to an
Agent Pierce who seemed to be in charge of the Special Unit. Pierce had personally written a report detailing Kathleen
Topolsky's exposure by the children whom she had been assigned to watch. He concluded that her feelings for them
had caused her to become careless and she had allowed herself to be
exposed. She had returned to FBI
headquarters and told her immediate superior of her failure, and Pierce had
blamed the fiasco on the two of them.
Kathleen had tried to resign but Pierce told her that she was theirs for
life. Then she had been gruelingly debriefed but Pierce had obviously
not liked her answers because he had finally consigned her to Bethesda
Psychiatric Institute under the care of a Dr. Malcolm Margolin. According to the report, Pierce had
told the doctor Kathleen had suffered a breakdown that caused her to believe
she was part of a secret group within the FBI who hunted aliens. There was also an additional report
from the doctor briefly outlining his initial examination of Kathleen and his
recommendations for her treatment, including heavy doses of anti-psychotic
drugs. Finally Kaldar found Pierce's report of Topolsky's escape
from the mental hospital and his supposition she would return to Roswell to
warn the aliens. Included in the
report was an order that caught Kaldar's attention. The broadcast from the camera in subject Guerin's apartment
will be kept under constant surveillance for evidence of contact by Agent
Topolsky. Kaldar sat back in the chair. Topolsky was telling the truth. Max and the others were in danger. He would have to find a way to protect them while being
careful not to expose them any further.
His first inclination was to go to Michael's apartment and destroy the
camera but he immediately rethought the impulse. He needed to consider his actions very carefully, the lives
of his charges depended on him. He typed in a search for the Bethesda Psychiatric
Institute to find a photo of Dr. Margolin. It might just come in handy, he thought to himself, to be
able to resemble Topolsky's doctor. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Pierce listened as one after another of his agents reported no
progress in their search for Kathleen Topolsky. "This is not acceptable," he said softly. "Roswell is a small town, there
are only so many places she can hide." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Crazy) (Friday, April 21st, 2000) Kaldar arrived early behind the theater for the meeting
Topolsky had set up with Liz, but after waiting more than an hour, it was
obvious Liz wasn't coming. By nine
o'clock Kathleen had obviously come to the same conclusion and she left the
alley. Kaldar followed her and was
surprised again when he saw who she was meeting. He listened to Kathleen's conversation with Sheriff Valenti and
wondered about his role in the children's lives. Kaldar had noted in the FBI reports that it had been the
Sheriff who had initially alerted the FBI to the children, but it sounded as if
he'd had second thoughts and even killed to protect them. A plan started to form in KaldarÕs mind and he thought the Sheriff
might be just the right man to help.
First he would take care of Topolsky and then he would turn his
attentions to Pierce. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Returning from the EvansÕ house, Tess let herself into the hotel
room and sank down onto the sofa.
She glanced at the note Sodan had left on the table for her. Working late. Brief and to the point.
That was typical, she thought with a sigh. He was never around when she wanted to talk. She had been so excited to spend the evening with Isabel at her
house, hoping to also spend time with Max, but her first disappointment had
been that Max had not been there.
He had gone on a date with Liz. Tess grabbed a pillow from the sofa and squeezed it in
frustration. She had thought it
would be so simple. She would just
have to show up and Max would immediately know they belonged together. She hadn't counted on him having
a girlfriend he was so loyal to. She had also been disappointed that evening to discover Isabel's
mind was somewhere else all evening.
Surely, Tess had asked herself, Isabel couldn't be in love with the geek
Alex. Isabel was supposed to be
with Michael, not a human. Sodan had told her many times over the years, that the four of
them belonged together, they were the only hope for their planet's
salvation. But, Tess reminded
herself, Max, Michael and Isabel didn't know that. She would have to show them they had a purpose and they needed
to be together. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Crazy) (Saturday, April 22nd, 2000) Kaldar popped a handful of Tic Tacs into his mouth as he watched
from MichaelÕs balcony, while Kathleen searched Michael's apartment. Kaldar had been using his powers more
than he should in the past couple of days but he'd had no choice. The safety of the children was more
important than the pain in his head.
He wasn't sure what Kathleen was looking for in Michael's
apartment but he tried to keep her in sight so he could see anything she
discovered. She finished in the
kitchen and started toward the living room and his hiding place. He stepped back into the shadows and
used his powers to change his outward appearance to blend into his
surroundings, effectively hiding himself from her. Kathleen searched the living room frantically, tossing things off
of shelves and overturning furniture.
Finally she entered the bedroom and started emptying drawers. Kaldar's attention was drawn away from Kathleen by
Michael's arrival, the sight of the devastation briefly stopping him before
Kathleen stepped into the room to confront him. "If I give you proof, will you believe me then?"
Kathleen asked. "Get out of my house," Michael commanded. Kaldar got a look at what Kathleen had been searching for when she
held up the orb to show Michael. "I know what this is," she said. "That's a paperweight," Michael said as he grabbed it
from her. "It's a communicator,Ó she said confidently, Òand there's
another one just like it. I took
it from the special unit evidence vault back in Washington. Now, I know they only work when they're
together, so if I bring you the other one, if I risk my life for you, I need to
know that you will take me with you when your people come to get you." "You're crazy," Michael tried to dismiss her. "No, Michael.
Look. We are all going to
die and it's not going to be pleasant.
We only have one chance. I
will meet you tomorrow night at Buckley Point with the other communicator. If you ignore me this time, there won't
be a next time." Michael considered her for a moment. "If I decide to come, what time?" Kathleen smiled in relief, "Anytime you want. Is midnight okay?" Michael nodded.
"I'll think about it." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Pierce smiled as he watched Michael and Kathleen on the
monitor. "Buckley Point
tomorrow, midnight." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Crazy) (Sunday, April 23rd, 2000) Kaldar stood in the alley behind the Crashdown, knowing sooner or
later that Michael would come out.
He had donned the guise of a homeless man he usually wore, and waited
patiently for his master, attempting to ignore the pain in his head. He did not know if Michael or the others would go to meet with
Kathleen but if they did, then he and the Sheriff would be there to watch over
them. If they didn't go, then he
would proceed with the rest of his plan without having to worry about Michael
or the others. One way or another
it would end tonight. At five o'clock, right on schedule, Michael pushed open the door,
hefting two large bags of trash, and headed for the dumpster. Kaldar emerged from the shadows. "Guerin?
Michael Guerin." Michael swung toward him with a suspicious expression, which
softened immediately when he took in the other man's appearance. "What do you want?" "A lady told me to give you this," Kaldar explained,
holding out a folded piece of paper. Michael looked at the paper but didn't touch it. "What lady?" Kaldar shifted from foot to foot, feigning nervousness. "A blonde lady, don't know her
proper name. She just said
Topolsky. Said she'd give me five
dollars if I brought it here." Michael quickly ran his eyes over the homeless man before
him. "Thanks," he said
as he took the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. "Wait here and I'll get you a hamburger and
fries." Kaldar nodded and gave his master a toothless grin. Michael quickly bagged the hamburger and fries he had made for
himself and took it out to the man.
"Go and tell the lady you earned your five dollars." He waited until the man had disappeared around the corner before
opening the note. 9pm instead of midnight. Same place. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Wearing the guise of Dr. Malcolm Margolin, Kaldar walked into the
Roswell Sheriff's office, with an outstretched hand. "Sheriff Valenti, I am Dr. Malcolm Margolin. I work at the Bethesda Psychiatric
Institute in Maryland." Sheriff Valenti shook his hand, "Nice to meet you
doctor. How can I help you?" "IÕm here about one of my patients who escaped a few days
ago, a Kathleen Topolsky." Jim couldn't keep the surprised expression off his face,
"Kathleen Topolsky is a patient of yours?" "I discovered you knew her when she was working here at the
high school. She had a nervous
breakdown and was sent to us, and I have been treating her for the last six
weeks. She has come to believe
there is a conspiracy in the government to cover up the existence of
extraterrestrials, who live right here in Roswell." "Is she dangerous?" Jim asked. "No. As a matter
of fact I have already taken her back into custody. But this morning when I found her, she was raving about aliens
and an orb. She told me that she
convinced some of your local kids to meet her at a place called Buckley Point
tonight at nine o'clock and I was worried something might happen to them. I just wanted to explain to them what
had happened and make sure they were okay. She was very upset but I think I made out the names Evans
and Guerin." Jim nodded, "I know them. Kathleen has caused trouble for them before. ItÕs nice of you to be so concerned
about some kids you never met." "It was our fault Kathleen escaped and I would feel
responsible if anything happened to them." Jim sat back in his chair.
"You don't mind if I check this out, do you? There have been a lot of strangers
around here lately that aren't what they claim to be." "Go right ahead,Ó Kaldar said. ÒAlthough it is Sunday, there will be someone at the
institute who can verify my identity and also my photo and bio are on the
institute's website." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kaldar, in the form of Dr. Margolin, stopped his car on a fire
road just a few hundred yards from the meeting place at Buckley Pont. He and the Sheriff had successfully
convinced the kids that Topolsky was crazy, and sent them home. Now all he had to do was get rid of
Pierce and the Special Unit. He
emerged from the car and shifted into the guise of a hiker. Kaldar started into the woods, heading toward his truck that he
had left earlier near the meeting sight.
He intended to get a look at the FBI men who came to meet Topolsky and
follow them to their headquarters.
Then he would destroy them all.
Suddenly he stumbled and caught himself on a tree, and after a
moment, pushed himself to continue.
After he eliminated the threat to the children, he could rest and
recover his strength, but now it was too important. He made the trip through the woods as quickly as he could,
falling three more times before he reached the camouflaged truck and slipped
inside. He sank into the seat and
let his head fall back against the headrest. According to his watch he would have to wait an hour before
Topolsky was due to arrive. He
popped the entire contents of the box of Tic Tacs into his mouth, the pain in
his head making it hard for him to see clearly. For a moment he thought he saw a shimmering light and then
it was gone. He closed his eyes,
trying to shut out the pain and reached into his pocket for another box of the
little mints. He attempted to open
the box but it felt strange in his hand and when he opened his eyes, he stared
at his hand for a moment in disbelief. The hand was not human as he expected, but the grayish-pink,
mottled skin of his true form. He
had reverted to his true form once before when he had over-used his powers but
this time it was too important, there was too much at stake. Sodan didn't know where the children
were and the FBI was too close to them. Kaldar concentrated on shifting back into human form but the more
he tried, the greater the pain in his head became. He continued to push through the pain but it felt as if
something inside him snapped and then the pain welled up from within as if he
were literally on fire. A scream
was torn from him as the pain became unbearable and he tried to stop but his
powers escalated wildly, consuming him from within. His last thought was overwhelming sorrow that he had failed his
master. Kaldar's body slumped onto the seat and after a moment,
disintegrated into a pile of dust. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape) (Sunday, April 30th, 2000) (Crashdown Cafe) Tess had been frustrated by Max's lack of reaction to her in the
last week. The only time he had
paid any attention to her was when she had used her powers on him. She just wasn't getting through to
him. He should be reacting to her
presence instinctively but things were not happening as quickly as she had
anticipated. It was obvious Max
and the others didn't remember anything about their past. They were fumbling around for any scrap
of information they could get. She had wanted him to recognize her and come to her and she had
been afraid if she used her powers on him too much, he would be angry when he
found out. But seeing Max with Liz
over the last few days had made her change her mind. Max was giving Liz the attention and love that rightly
belonged to her and Tess decided she would use her powers to get him to notice
her, to speed things along. They
were meant to be together and she decided anything she had to do to make Max
see it would be worth it. She looked through the window of the Crashdown. It was just as she thought, Max was
there with Liz and the others. Tess focused her powers at Max making herself seem alluring,
desirable. Then she opened the
door and walked toward the group, but they were so engrossed in their
conversation they didn't notice her.
Typical, she thought. She
stopped just behind them as Max spoke. "We don't even know what it is." "What is?"
Tess asked, drawing Max's attention to her. She knew she had walked into an important discussion when
everyone went quiet. "Oh,
sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." "No, no," Isabel rushed to reassure her. "Hey we were just, um...,"
she let her sentence trail off when she couldn't think of anything and quickly
changed the subject. "Why
don't you join us? Have a
seat." "Thanks," Tess said brightly, trying to keep up the
illusion of innocence. "Sure," Isabel said. "So, what were you guys talking about?" asked Tess. Liz tried again to change the subject, "Can I get you
something to drink, Tess?" "Oh, thanks," Tess responded, letting herself be
distracted because they were obviously not going to bring her into their
confidence. "Uh, Cherry coke
with lime." Instead Tess
turned her attention to Max, increasing her powers. She glanced at him to make sure she had his attention and
when she saw that she did, she planted images in his mind. She let the images swirl around him for a few moments before
bringing him out of it.
"What's the matter?" she asked, directing her question at
Max. "Do I have something in
my teeth?" "What?" Max asked, obviously still confused. "No." He turned to Liz, "Let me help you
with that." Tess watched as Max and Liz went into the back together, angry
that he would turn to the human.
Through the window she saw Max pull Liz to him for a kiss and sent him
another image, replacing Liz with herself. She changed the size and shape of the Liz's body in his arms, to
her own. She changed the texture
of Liz's skin and hair in Max's hands, to her own, and finally she changed
Liz's scent and the shape of her lips, to her own. Tess felt Max pull away from her as he realized the
differences, and she let the images slip away. Tess smiled, knowing Max was looking through the window at
her. She had his attention now. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape) (May 1st, 2000) (West Roswell High School) Tess watched Isabel as Alex passed them in the hall. He could be a problem if Isabel decided
to be with him instead of Michael, and Tess decided to see exactly what kind of
hold Alex had on Isabel.
"He's got it so bad for you," Tess said. "He's sweet," Isabel answered vaguely. "Sweet as in nice guy, or sweet as in potential love
connection?" Tess pushed. "Sweet as in I don't know." Isabel quickly changed the subject. "What about you? You've been here a couple of
weeks. You must have somebody on
your radar." "Still soaking it all in," Tess started. She had to make sure Isabel accepted
her destiny and it wouldn't hurt to start laying the groundwork now. "Although I have to admit, I'm a
little bummed your brother is unavailable. I'm sort of into those serious, wounded guys." "Yeah, well, you can forget it," Isabel laughed. "He's a total goner. You should hear him talk about
her. Oh Liz is my soul
mate. I never felt like this
before," she said
in a mocking tone. "It's enough to make you want to
gag." Tess was hurt by the words but continued. "That's weird. I thought I felt him..." she let
her sentence trial off, letting Isabel make of it what she would. Isabel was intrigued, "What?" "Nothing," Tess dismissed, "I'm sure it was
nothing." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Max stumbled out of the classroom unsure of what had
happened. The visions he'd been
having of Tess were getting more vivid and he couldn't control them. The one he had just experienced had been
so real he had actually caught on fire and not been aware of it. He wasn't attracted to Tess that way but there was something about
her that was familiar. It was like
he recognized her somehow, had known her in the past, but the feelings of
attraction he felt for her were wrong, false. And the most disturbing thing about the situation was
that he didn't feel in control of himself. Something was happening, changing within him, and he didn't
know what to do. Max saw Michael down the hall and ran to catch up with him. Michael knew him better than anyone,
they could figure it out together. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape) (Tuesday, May 2nd, 2000) Tess watched Max and Liz talking through the door of the Crashdown
as the rain poured down. She
couldn't hear what they were saying but she could tell by their body language
that things between them were strained.
She smiled, her plan was working already. They just needed another push or two and Max would be hers. She waited until Max had exited the building and walked past her
car, before alerting him to her presence.
"Max!" she called to him. "My car broke down. Can you believe it?" "No," Max said suspiciously. "No?" Tess asked. "No, I don't believe it." "What are you talking about?" Tess asked, amazed he
could see through her trap. "You planned this," he realized. "I planned what?" she asked innocently. "To be out here." Tess started pushing her power into him. This encounter was getting out of her control. "Max, you sound a little
crazy." Max could feel something happening, feel his will being taken away
from him. "You're doing
something to me," he accused. Tess continued to influence Max with her powers, trying to calm
him down. "Max, my car broke
down. I'm waiting for somebody to
help me. I didn't plan
anything." Max could feel the false emotions welling up in him, drawing him
to closer to Tess. "I'm with
Liz," he blurted out, as if saying it aloud would banish the other
emotions. Tess leaned closer to Max, while holding him in place, "I
know you are." He tried to leave but he couldn't move. "We belong together," Max continued, his voice the
only thing he still had control over. "I'm sure that's true," said Tess, moving closer. Max moved closer to Tess, against his will, with hesitating steps,
and fought it with everything that was in him. "I don't want anyone but her." "I'm sure you don't," Tess agreed as she
tightened her psychic hold on Max and brought him to her for a kiss. She glanced at the Crashdown and saw Liz move toward the door. This was
the perfect opportunity. Tess willed Max to take her in his arms, to hold her like he loved her. She sent him a barrage of images, showing him that they were intended to be together, then she let herself get caught up in Max's kiss for a moment. When she looked toward the Crashdown again Tess knew her victory
was complete. The look of complete
horror on Liz's face told Tess everything she had wanted was now hers, she just
had to sit back and wait for Liz and Max's relationship to destroy itself. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape) (Former Eagle Rock Military Base) (Wednesday, May 3rd, 2000) Pierce watched the tape of the final broadcast from the camera at
Michael Guerin's apartment, carefully studying Max's words. I kissed Tess. It was like something was controlling me. Pierce stopped the tape and turned to the Agent next to him. "Who is Tess?" "I don't know sir, but we will get on it immediately." Pierce fast-forwarded and started the tape where Michael was
speaking. Why come to me?
Why not go talk to your new buddy Valenti about it, all right? Max attacked him verbally, "Would you leave it alone,
already? He gave us back the
orb. Maybe he isn't just out to
get us." Pierce stopped the tape again, "They have the other orb and
it looks like Sheriff Valenti is right in the middle of this whole thing." "Do you want me to put someone on the Sheriff?" the
Agent asked. "Yes," Pierce said. "Keep someone on him and report to me immediately if he
discovers anything." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape) (Sunday, May 7th, 2000) Agent Marley stopped the van just down the street from where the
Sheriff parked his cruiser. He
watched out the back window as Sheriff Valenti attempted to keep the children,
he was following, in sight. The
kids were congregated around a house looking in a window. The Agent reached for his radio, "Control, this is
Marley." "This is Control." "The Sheriff is observing the subjects, who are staking out a
house." "Whose house?" control asked. "Unknown, but I can give you the address." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Ed waited until the front door had closed behind Max and Liz
before crossing to the window. He
carefully drew back the curtain just enough to see Max and Liz meet Michael and
Isabel and the humans, outside. It
was just as he had suspected, the whole thing had been a setup, an
information-gathering mission. He smiled. He had to
admire Liz. She had obviously come
into their house suspecting they were aliens. Anything could have happened to her but she had come alone. As the kids walked down the street and climbed into their cars, a
movement in another vehicle caught Ed's attention. The figure slumped down behind the seat in order to avoid
being seen, but Ed was able to make out who it was. Sheriff Valenti. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ TBC
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