Secretary: greeting the unexpected arrival… "Good afternoon sir. Do you have an appointment?"

Visitor: a troubled look in his eye, but speaks very confidently… "No, but I'm sure Mr. Evans will want to see me."

Secretary: "May I have your name sir and tell him what this is in regards to?"

Visitor: "My name is Bob Swantson and no you may not."

Secretary: unperturbed by the last comment, she has no doubt he will not be seen, but finishes the polite routine anyways… "One moment sir while I check." Coming back out to the front office, she is surprised by the answer… "Go right in Mr. Swantson." She waves him into the lawyer's office.

Bob: seeing a much older Philip Evans than when they last saw each other at their college reunion, he puts on a happy face, but his eyes cannot hide his troubles… "Phil, long time no see. How's everything going? How're Diane and the kids?"

Philip: surprised and delighted to unexpectedly see an old friend, however the lawyer in him does not miss the look in his eyes… "Bob, what a great surprise. We're all doing fine. Diane's doing great, kids too. So how're Jane and Tom? Are they with you? Here, have a seat."

Bob: "Thanks. No, Tom's in school, he's a sophomore at UCB. Jane and I are moving out there as well; I took a consulting position at one of those new age firms they have out there. Jane went on ahead while I finished my last few months before my retirement."

Philip: "Wow, where does the time go? Tom's already gone away to college; you're retired. Man, it just flies by, doesn't it? I don't know what we'll do once our two leave for college. Glad we still have another year with them before we have to face that. So what brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Bob: suddenly feeling very guilty, he's no longer sure how to do this: {he remembers all the things Philip and Diane went through trying to have kids, then suddenly out of the blue those two little kids just fell into their lives: he and his family had visited not long after the adoption was completed: he had never seen happier, more overjoyed parents in his life, along with a couple of the sweetest little kids}: finally certain he had made the correct decision about his discovery, he takes out a large manila envelope and hands it to his friend… "Phil, do you know who Agent Pearce was?"

Philip: perplexed, he searches his memory… "Sounds familiar, wasn't there something in the papers about him last year?"

Bob: "Yes, he was an FBI agent in charge of… well, an alien hunting unit. After being denounced and removed from service, he disappeared. All the remaining material from his unit was compiled and a report was written. However about two months ago a couple of boxes of new material were discovered and I was asked to add it into the previous report." Taking a deep breath and looking his friend straight in the eye… "Philip, your son Max is all over that new material. He's also in the original report, but so much of the corroborating evidence is lost that no one is going to take that report seriously, however with that new material that could change. I should also tell you that Isabel, along with the sheriff and some other local teens, are also mentioned in the original report, but there's nothing to substantiate anything so they're in the clear. But Philip, I have to tell you that Max could be in a lot of trouble, dangerous trouble."

Philip: he's at a loss as to what to make of all this… "Wait a minute, you're telling me that my son is in an official FBI report based on material from… what was that again… a FBI alien hunting unit? Is this some kind of joke? What's in this envelope anyway?"

Bob: "It's the personal journals of Agent Pearce along with copies of medical reports and tests performed on your son. According to what I read, Max was… was detained and… interrogated by Agent Pearce last May. Philip, think, did Max disappear for a few days then?"

Philip: still dumbfounded… "Well, I'm not sure. I'd have to think, but it's possible. But it's just him and his friends going off for a few days. You know how teenagers like to spread their wings a little."

Bob: hating to bring this up, but needing to make his case… "Philip, has Max had any… emotional problems this last year?"

Philips: thinking very hard now… "Why would you ask me that? What exactly are you getting at?"

Bob: proceeding as gently as possible… "Agent Pearce's journal mentions in detail what they supposedly did to him during their… interrogations. It was very brutal… actually torture would be the correct word for it. I… uh… discreetly checked with some therapists and psychiatrists and they pretty much agree that anyone experiencing that type of… trauma would suffer emotional scars… nightmares, not eating right, withdrawing from loved ones, things like that…"

Philip: trying to grasp what he's being told… "Are you saying that this agent kidnapped my son, ran medical tests on him and… and…tortured him, then just let him go… and Max never said anything? Why? Why would he do that to him?"

Bob: "Philip, those medical reports were not normal and remember what kind of unit this was."

Philip: astounded… "You're trying to tell me that Max is an alien? Are you crazy?"

Bob: feeling very tired… "I don't know what you should believe. All I can say is that after reviewing all of the material; I came to the conclusion that someone believed it and they believed it enough to actually go after your son. So, out of friendship, I did what I felt was right. I destroyed or replaced most of the material and amended the report so that it would not throw further suspension on Max, Isabel, or anyone else in Roswell. In that envelope is all of the original material. I thought you had a right to know."

Philip: sits silently contemplating what he was just told: finally… "Bob, thank you for protecting my son, my family. What you did could have cost you your pension or even your freedom. I don't know what else to say at the moment other than thank you."

Bob: finally able to smile for the first time since starting this last project… "You're welcome, anything for a friend. I think I would like to head on out, want to make Albuquerque by early tonight." Gets up and shakes hands with his old friend, he departs without that heavy weight he had been carrying around for the last few months.

Philip: that heavy weight is now sitting squarely on his shoulders as he tears open the envelope and starts to read: he cancels the rest of his appointments and send everyone home early: after reading through half of it, he liberates bottle of Scotch from an associate's desk and places an urgent call to the sheriff of Roswell to meet him in his office, then settles in for what will be a very long night.