Michael was staring at him strangely. "Why don’t you tell me, Maxwell. You sort of blacked out there for a while."

"Blacked out?" Max frowned. "That’s all? You didn’t see a bright light? Like the sort you create?"

Michael raised an eyebrow. "No… You yelled, I came, you fell against the wall and blacked out. Is Liz all right? I thought…"

It all came back to Max in a rush. The hatred building against Tim who was torturing Liz. Feeling her intense pain. Talking to Liz. Talking to Liz? That had only happened, sort of, while he was being kept by Jans and his henchmen. How had they managed it now?

Max… It was whisper-soft in his mind. Tim is… he’s dead, Max. And I think, I killed him!

Max was completely stunned for a moment. Liz killed Tim? Liz killed anybody? How is that even possible? He felt her distress levels spiking and tried to calm himself so he could speak to her rationally. Liz honey, it’s okay. Whatever happened, we’ll figure it--.

No Max! Liz was starting to sound really upset. My Mom said he looked like he was hit by lightning while touching me. And I… I felt this surge of electricity. Max, I’m really scared! What is happening to me?

Michael watched in concern as Max suddenly went pale. "Maxwell…"

"We have to find her, Michael! Now!" Max’s tone brooked no argument. They turned to Eric. "Where would Tim have kept them? Is there any place--."

"Yes." Eric straightened. If only he had known earlier his own people had Sarah. His mind reeled with the fact that he had been betrayed like this.

"Let’s go!" Max had to force himself to partially block Liz’s distress from his mind. He needed to concentrate on finding her first.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz was having a hard time not falling to pieces completely. She was light-headed and nauseous, her body was bruised and burnt and at her feet lay a man that she had apparently unwittingly killed. Her mother was staring in front of her like a zombie and Sarah was still hanging from the opposite wall, unconscious. Liz felt that there wasn’t much more she could take before going insane. She was clinging to the only thing that she could. Max was coming...

She risked a glance at Tim. He looked like he was just sleeping. Only he wasn’t breathing at all. It was scary looking down at the man that had nearly killed her and that so obviously wanted to kill Max. I’m glad he’s dead. The thought shocked and sickened her. But it was true. He would have killed any of them without blinking…

"Mom, are you okay?" Liz could barely talk. She was shivering violently from reaction to her ordeal.

Nancy stared up at her daughter. Okay? That probably wasn’t the word she would use! She had just witnessed a crazed alien assaulting her daughter and then watched him being thrown off Liz like he had touched a live wire. All this while Liz was close to being unconscious from the pain. She nodded mutely and couldn’t believe the next words were coming out of her mouth: "I wish Max would get here…"

She heard Liz’s gasp and didn’t blame her for being surprised. She had all but told Max to stay away from Liz. But now, after getting to know Max a little better these last few days, she, just like everyone, was instinctively turning to Max to fix everything. More than that, she was hoping he would save Liz. Which was ironic really. She acknowledged for the first time that she didn’t need to protect Liz from Max, she needed Max to protect Liz from the world. And somehow she just knew that he would…

~*~*~*~*~*~

They met outside with the Sheriff, Tess and Eric’s men. Eric explained that one of the places they had rented when coming to Roswell had large a basement. He suspected that’s where Tim was keeping the women.

Max was quiet while they discussed tactics, letting Michael do the planning and talking. It was clear that his friend and second-in-command was really good at this, fitting naturally into his role as protector and soldier. Max, not knowing all the details, had decided not to tell anyone about Tim’s possible demise yet. Or of his suspicion that his intense reactions to what Liz had been going through had somehow caused the guy’s death.

They phoned Isabel at the camp, telling her only that they were making progress and ascertained that everything over on her side was still normal. Then they executed their plan, with Michael in the lead.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was deathly quiet in the room. Liz was slowly losing her grip on consciousness, sliding into a foggy world of terror only to fleetingly come to, before starting the slide into oblivion again. She so wanted to stay alert so she could help Max when he came, but right now she was losing the battle. And, in the process, delirium was setting in.

Nancy monitored Liz worriedly. The burn on her stomach looked serious, while a heavy bruise had formed around her throat. Her eyes had drifted closed and she murmured unintelligible things every now and again. Nancy was not surprised when the only word she could make out on occasion was "Max".

It was a half and hour later when the door opened first at a crack, only to be thrust open completely when the guy saw Tim sprawled on the floor. He rushed in, kneeling next to the body, before turning frightened eyes to the three women. Finding two of the three unconscious, his gaze finally rested on Nancy. "Who are you?" his voice was filled with fear and awe.

Nancy had a wild urge to laugh hysterically. This guy obviously thought she was the one that had killed Tim. Instead she just stared at him mutely. Anything to spare Liz another session of torture.

Nancy slumped on the cot when Tim was dragged from the room and the door securely locked behind them. All her bravado had disappeared. She looked over at Liz again, she was turning paler and her body shook with tremors. She was going into shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"She’s there." His voice was quiet and sure. They were all assembled about a block away from the house and Max was staring at it as if he could see through the walls. He turned determinedly to Tess. "We need a distraction. See how many of them you can get to come out of the house." She nodded, not meeting his eyes and started to walk away. Max grabbed her arm, spinning her back towards him. "But if you betray me, I swear--."

Tess jerked her arm from his grip. "Don’t worry. I’ll do my part to save your precious Liz. But see what she has gotten herself into yet again. She is a liability. Now our people have to run over to try and save her from her--." She shut up when Max and Michael advanced on her, fury on their faces. Glaring at them one final time, she stalked away bitterly.

Michael watched her retreating figure. "I hope this works, Max."