“Michael, behind you!”

“Keep going.” He yelled to the others, then turned to face their pursuer, calling to himself all the power he had in him. He held it, concentrating it, until he stretched out his hand and directed it towards the enemy. It was met by a brilliant fire that reflected it and pushed it back on Michael. He was lifted off his feet, and Maria heard a sickening crack as he flew against the brick wall and crumpled to the floor.

They all watched, horrified, as Maria knelt down beside him. She took his hand and was rewarded with a slight fluttering of his eyelids.

It was all the others had time to see as the man, ignoring Maria and Michael now, continued towards them. He didn’t hurry, but strode forward purposefully, seemingly enjoying this game of cat and mouse.

They reached the end of the hallway and ducked into the stairwell. They could still hear his footsteps on the tile floor, getting closer.

Tess grabbed Max’s arm. “You guys go. I’ll hide the doorway until he goes past.” They hesitated, then Max nodded and they continued quietly up the stairs. Tess closed her eyes and searched for him. Their minds touched, and she began to alter the neural pathways that told his mind what he was seeing. But something unexpected happened. She couldn’t hold the connection, and when her eyes opened the doorway that she knew was there was gone. She was in a small room, with no windows or doors. She knew that it was all in her mind, that he was doing to her what she had tried to do to him. She struggled, but she couldn’t break free. Panicking, she began to beat against the walls. It wasn’t real, but she could feel the rough brick surface tearing into her skin as she pounded against it. Losing sight of reality, she screamed and clawed at the bricks, trying to find a way out. Finally, bruised and crying, she sank to the floor.

**********

Max, Isabel and Alex crouched on the hallway floor, listening for footsteps on the concrete stairs.

“She can’t hold it for this long. Something must be wrong.” Isabel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Max, what are we going to do? We can’t just run away. We have to do something to help Tess and Michael.”

“But what?” Alex asked. “I thought Michael was like the fighter, and that thing just blew him away.”

Max put his arm around Isabel and glared at Alex. “Alex, I want you to take Isabel and get out of here.”

Isabel grabbed Max’s arm. “Max, no. That thing’s going to get you, too.”

“I don’t hear him anymore. Whatever Tess did must have fooled him. I’m going to try to get Michael.” Max moved back towards the stairs. “Wait for me out front. But if I don’t show up, take the jeep and try to find Nasedo. He’s the only one who can protect you.”

*********

“Tess?” Her eyes were open, but she didn’t respond. It was like she was frozen. Even her skin seemed cold under Max’s touch. He tried to lift her up, but her body was rigid. He thought about leaving her there, but it didn’t seem right. Whatever had happened to her, it was because she had defended them. Even after the way he had treated her. He stood there, trying to decide what to do, when he heard a noise behind him.

“I hoped that you would come back to help her. After all, she is your wife.”

“What did you do to her?”

“Nothing. She’ll be fine as soon as I’m done with her. I have no interest in her. It’s you I want. You and your sister.”

The man raised his hand, and lightening exploded between Max’s temples.

**********

Liz was sitting at the kitchen table, playing a game with her cousin when she felt the pressure begin inside her head. It increased, and suddenly the dim kitchen bulb seemed to burn into her eyes. Startled, she gasped and the spoon she was holding clattered to the floor.

“Mi hija! Are you okay?”

“Fine, Auntie Rosa. I’m just getting a headache. I’m going to go get some fresh air.”

She walked toward the back door and could hear her aunt calling out behind her. “Don’t forget a jacket.”

As she reached for the coat rack the pain exploded inside her head. She quickly staggered outside and collapsed beneath a tree. She crouched with her head in her hands as the agony washed over her. The pinon scented air froze her lungs as she breathed it in and the sharp sensation helped her clear away some of the pain.

She was aware of Max, but she was aware of his enemy, also. Her hands dug into the brittle grass as a fresh assault hit her. Every disappointment and fear Max had ever felt was being dug up and held in front of him. It was psychological warfare and Max was losing strength fast. He was losing awareness that it was his enemy that was controlling this onslaught and began to give in to the hopeless of the emotions that were being intensified in him. Then it all crystallized into one moment. Liz saw herself at the moment she had told Max she was leaving and she felt Max’s heartbreak with a crushing force.

She could hear all the doubts that Max carried inside of him and she was aware that Max’s enemy was amplifying them, making Max believe that Liz had never loved him and that by being who he was he had endangered her life. It was more than Max could bear and she could feel the last of his strength slipping away.

She tried to reverse the connection, to let Max know that she loved him now, she always would, but she couldn’t reach him. She felt Max’s will waver and the lust of conquest rise up in the enemy’s mind. He would kill them all. But Max couldn’t feel it. All he could hear were the lies. She concentrated on just shutting them out, but she shared Max’s feelings and it was getting harder to resist them.

Then something inside snapped. Where Max’s will had retreated, hers moved in. His powers were hers now and she struck out against the evil. Burning fingers tried to reach into her brain but she pushed against them. Slowly they lost hold. The blood pounded in her ears, drowning out everything else until it was deafening. The pain behind her eyes exploded, then was gone and all she was aware of was the gentle beating of her heart.

*********

Isabel and Alex stood on the stairs, watching the silent battle taking place in front of them. They saw the shimmering haze surround Max and his opponent, and Max clutch at his head in agony, trying to drive away the presence in his head. Slowly he fell to his knees, and the haze around him wavered. Isabel ran to him, but the haze threw her back, and she could only watch as the energy drained out of Max in front of her eyes.

Then Max’s head snapped up. The air around him began to shimmer and sparkle until finally it glowed. It began to stretch out, tendrils pushing against haze. Slowly at first, then gaining power as the resistance against it weakened. Moving quickly now, it encompassed the man in a shimmering cocoon. He stretched out his arms against it, but it held him tight. He screamed, an inhuman noise that echoed through the concrete hallways. The air whirled around him with the fury of a tornado. Isabel shut her eyes against the violence of light and motion, but it shined brighter until all she could see was the red light of the blood in her eyelids. Then everything was calm. She opened her eyes, and the man was gone.

“Max.” He was crumpled on the floor, tremors racing through his body. “Alex, help me.”

They began to lift him up when they heard a groaning behind them. “Tess.”

Isabel swung her brother’s arm around her neck. “Let’s get him to the jeep. We’ll come back for her.”

“It’s okay, we got her.” Michael walked in, holding his side and wincing with every step.

“Michael, you’re hurt.”

“I’ll be okay.” He continued toward Tess. “Maria?”

Maria shot a worried glance at Isabel, then hurried to help him. Tess was starting to come to and struggled to get to her feet, which Maria was glad of. Although he was trying to be as strong as he could, she could hear Michael wheezing with every movement. Tess noticed too, and although still weak and disoriented leaned so most of her weight was on Maria.

The best Alex and Isabel could accomplish was to half-carry, half-drag Max. Isabel didn’t like how shallow his breathing was, or how he still shook fitfully. “Let’s go this way, I don’t want to take them through the dance floor looking like this.”

Isabel tried to lead them to the door at the back of the gym, hoping there might not be too many people there, but on a night like tonight knew there was no way to get out with out someone seeing them. The few groups who had gathered on the softball field for some fresh air quieted as they went past. For once Isabel found her attention was not on the people watching her and what they might think. She didn’t even notice the person who had come up behind her until he spoke.

“Here, let me help.”