The hallway was long, and the only light came from dim overhead fixtures. It was cold and there was only one door at the end of the hall which Max and Liz were quickly approaching.

Liz suddenly stopped short in front of the door, her hand still gripping Max's tightly.

"Max," Liz whispered, her eyes wide. Max turned to look at Liz.

"What are we going to do? What if they just kill us right when we walk in? Oh my God, Max," Liz could feel herself start to panic.

"Liz, I need you to calm down," Max was speaking quietly and trying to ease her grip on his hand.

"But Max you don't even know what you're going to do yet!"

"Yes I do, Liz. I told you, we're both going to play along until Sherrif Valenti gets to us, and then you're going to get out of there, and we'll take care of it." Max's calmness amazed Liz. He had more of a reason to panic than she did, yet he was holding it together so well.

Max seemed to hesitate as he looked down at the floor and let go of Liz's hand. He finally looked up and carefully touched her cheek. "Liz, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. Don't worry."

Liz felt her face flush and her worry diminish. Max had done it again. He had taken away every ounce of fear by just looking at her with those eyes.

"Are you ready?" Max said as he dropped his hand and turned to face the door. Liz took a deep breath and nodded. Max looked at her for a second and pushed one of the adjoining swinging door open. Liz pushed the other door and they cautiously stepped in.

The room they entered was another hallway, but shorter, with more doors along the walls. At the end was the familiar seperation fence and clear wall. The glass wall appeared to be gone but the fence remained. Access to any points beyond the wall required fingerprint identification.

Max and Liz were standing frozen in the hallway, unsure of where to go or what to do next, when Agent Smith and Agent Phillipps walked out of one of the rooms.

"Good afternoon Ms. Parker," Agent Smith nodded at Liz. "And you must be Max. He focused his gaze on Max.

"Well, I suppose you're wondering why we're here, Max," Agent Smith's familiar slimy grin appeared. It suddenly occurred to Liz that as far as the Agents knew, Max had no idea why he or the Agents were here.

Max nodded slightly and asked Agent Smith, "Who are you?"

"Well, Max, that is a long story. We'd just like to talk to you and Liz both. Is that okay?" Agent Phillips answered. In response, Max nodded slowly again.

"Well, then, if you would, just follow us, please," Agent Smith and Agent Phillipps turned and began walking down the hallway. 'How stupid do they think Max is? Do they really think that Max would just take a stroll into the very place where he was tortured and gladly follow two FBI agents that just happened to be in the place?' Liz was shocked at the stupidity of the agents. 'No wonder they lost their jobs...'

Agent Smith stopped in front of the metal gate and signaled Agent Phillipps to help him. Liz had thought right. The glass wall was gone and all that remained were chunks of glass scattered around the floor.

Together the men lifted the fence. Liz looked over at the fingerprint identification lock. It appeared to have been blown up or melted.

The Agents signaled for them to continue following them. The next hallway was one that Max instantly recognozed. He even remembered which room it was. The Agents seemed to sense Max's anxiousness and spoke.

"I'm sure you remember where we are, Max," Agent Smith grinned while speaking to him. "But don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. We just want to talk to you." The Agents stopped before reaching the room where Max been been kept and motioned for Max and Liz to go in.

Max swallowed and walked in slowly. The room was small and colder than the hall. The walls and floors were gray and on one of the walls were three chairs. Aboe the chairs was a small mirror. Max turned to make sure Liz was following him, but she wasn't there. Instead, Agent Smith was closing the door and glaring at Max.

"Where's Liz?" Max demanded through clenched teeth.

"Max, we know what you are," Agent Smith pretended not to hear him.

"Where is Liz!?"

Max, I suggest you forget about Ms. Parker for the moment," Agent Smith's tone turned annoyed. Max lifted his hand to use his powers, but Agent Smith put his hand up in protest.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Max," he said tauntingly.

"Then where is she?" Max was trying his best to hide his fear for Liz.

"She's fine, at the moment. But if you even remotely use your powers on me, she dies." Max raised his hand again to destoy him.

"And how is anyone going to know if I kill you right now?" Max felt his anger rising with every word.

"Well you see, Max, that mirror over there," Agent Smith pointed to the wall behind Max, "It isn't really a mirror. It's a window. Liz is on the other side, with Agent Phillipps. In face they can hear everything we're saying." Max continued looking at the mirror.

"Oh, and Max," he turned his head to look at the Agent. "You make one wrong move, Liz dies," Agent Smith was grinning. It was the same grin that Peirce had. It made Max sick even to look at.

"So, with that being said, let's go," Agent Smith pulled out a gun from inside of his jacket and motioned Max out of the open door.

"What are you going to do with Liz?" Max asked as they began walking down the hall, to the white room, Max guessed.

"Will you stop worrying about Liz? She'll be fine. You should really be worrying about yourself now, Max." Agent Smith opened the door at the end of the hallway. Max cringed at what he saw.

It was a small observation room, with a table and a few chairs in the center, and a huge window. Beyond the window was the white room. In the corner of the room was the door into the room. Agent Smith held out a hand and signaled for Max to go in.

'I have to do something! I can kill him now. Phillipps would never know..." Max's thoughts were becoming so frantic he didn't move for a second.

"Wait," Max turned around and looked at Agent Smith. He rolled his eyes and waited to hear what Max had to say.

"What now? What are you going to do?" Agent Smith looked at him for a second and smirked.

"Now, we wait for your friends to get here." Max felt his heart sink. They were walking right into a trap. He knew they should have planned more.

Agent Smith pointed the gun inside the room and motioned Max in. He hesitated but then slowly stepped in.

A shiver ran through his body. The white room looked exactly the same, and all the same feelings of helplessness that it brought returned to Max.

He jerked around and saw Agent Smith leaving and closing the door.

"Wait!" Max yelled behind him.

Agent Smith opened the door a crack but didn't turn around. Max was searching for something to say; something that would convince Smith to let him out. But he couldn't think of anything.

Smith turned around and looked at Max for a moment before speaking. "Max, don't try anything. I know you'd hate it if we killed Liz, Michael, Isabel, Tess, Maria, and the Sherrif." Smith turned around and shut the door behind him.