“I should have let you do this a long time ago.”

“I know. You have no idea what you’ve been missing out on.” Michael turned around, placing a hand on either side of her and crawled along her body, forcing her to lie back until he was perched over her.

“Maybe it’s time I found out.” He bent down to kiss her but was interrupted by the sound of a key in the lock. “Oh, crap. Tess.”

Maria pushed him back so she could sit up and quickly yanked her shirt down. “I thought you said she worked tonight.”

“I thought she did.” He shrugged and looked up in time to see Tess walking through the door. “Hey, Tess. Do you think you could go get something to eat or something, maybe come back...” His voice trailed off as he noticed Nasedo behind her and the look on Max and Isabel’s faces. “What’s going on?”

Isabel looked on the verge of tears. “They attacked our house, our parents...” No longer able to control it, she slumped to the couch and covered her face with her hands, crying. Maria put an arm around Isabel, trying to comfort her but starting to feel scared herself. She looked to Michael for some explanation, he turned to Max.

“Who attacked you?”

“The Anasazi.” Nasedo was going through the objects that Tess had kept from his house, picking up some with interest and discarding others. “You know, the people who are after you. The reason you were sent here for protection. They know about you now, there will be more coming. There’s only one safe place for you now.” He emptied Michael’s trash out on the kitchen floor and placed his selections in the basket. “In fact, we should probably be going.”

“Going? Where?”

For the first time Nasedo paused in his collecting, apparently annoyed by such an obvious question. “Back to Tsigan. You are all together. We’ve found a ship, and assuming that it still works, I can finally fulfill my function and take you home.”

Max spoke angrily. “The only home I’m going to is my home to make sure that my parents are okay and get rid of the people who hurt them.”

Now Nasedo put the basket down. “That’s not possible. They know where you are now. The only way to get rid of them is to do what you were meant to do, return home and defeat them.”

“But what if we don’t want to go?” Max and Isabel were surprised to hear the question coming from Michael. He was the one who always told them that one day that would have to leave.

“I do have other options, but now it will take too much time. And what will you do?” He looked Michael in the eye. “They can sense your brainwaves. Your thoughts are constantly interacting with the electromagnetic signals that surround this planet. As they change them they create a distinct pattern. With your progressed genetics I’m surprised that your own abilities aren’t more developed. Although this one you’ve chosen is quite adept,” he nodded toward Maria, “it seems that’s the best it’s going to get for the human race. Pity. It’s a small skill, but it has it’s uses.”

“However, it also sends out a beacon that your enemies will be able to track. And although you may be able to run, staying out of their grasp for a while, I assure you, they will have no problem at all striking at you through any weakness you have, even if it means killing those you love. The best thing you can do to protect all of them is to leave, now. Once you are off this planet, they will have no reason to stay here.”

Tess touched Max’s arm lightly. “You must have known something like this would happen one day. It’s what we were made for.”

Max’s head was spinning. Isabel was sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her. He knew that she would stay with him whatever he decided. He turned to Michael, who gave a subtle nod.

“It’s like she said, Maxwell. It’s why we’re here.”

It’s like everything in Max’s whole life had been leading up to this moment. Whatever he decided, everything would change. He had a feeling that what Nasedo was saying was true, that if they didn’t go they would spend their life being hunted, but going meant leaving behind everyone who had ever meant anything to him.

In the coffee table, the stone Michael had the night of the attack began to glow and vibrate. “Time’s running out, Max. You have to decide.”

“Okay, we’ll go. But I need to say goodbye to Liz.”

A hum filled the air as the stone moved with greater intensity. The atmosphere took on a heaviness that they could all feel, telling them that their enemies were getting close.

“There’s no time.” Nasedo grabbed his basket and headed towards the door. He pulled Isabel to her feet and herded her and Tess out the door. “They’re here. Everybody out the door and out back to Tess’s car.”

Max grabbed Maria. “Tell Liz that we had to go. Tell her...Tell her that I love her, and if there’s any way possible I will come back to her. Tell her!”

Maria was still stunned by what had taken place tonight. She nodded numbly, then as if what was said had only just now made sense to her stared at Michael in disbelief. “I just got you back. How am I supposed to let you go?”

He gave her the same half grin that always made her want to either kiss him or kill him. “Like they say, easy come, easy go. No big deal. I was just having fun with you anyway.”

Her eyes began to tear, but her voice was clear and commanding as she looked him in the eyes. “No, Michael. Don’t make this the last memory I have of you.”

The grin dropped from his face. He brushed the tears off her cheek and slid his hand behind her neck to draw her to him. He looked into her eyes for a long minute, then kissed her. She concentrated with her whole body, wanting to never forget this moment. Something in the way it felt told her that this was the last she would see him and she might never feel this way again.

Her gently caressed her check then kissed her softly again. “Goodbye.”

He let go of her and she fell to her knees, no longer having the strength to stand.