"Well, let's get in there," the Sheriff said, taking slow steps forward. He stepped inside the door slowly and turned to see if the others were following; no one else had moved. Michael, seeing that the Sherrif was waiting, took a quick step forward and into the building with Tess at his heels.

"Well?" Michael looked at Maria and Isabel.

"Michael, are we sure about this? I mean, we don't even have a clear plan," Isabel was stammering nervously.

"You're right." Michael's bluntness surprised Isabel. "But it's too late now. Max is in there, and he's waiting for our help, so let's go," Michael ordered, turning around to walk farther into the building. Isabel quickly realized her responsibility and duty to Max as a leader and a brother and stepped inside behind Michael. Maria was now the only one who wasn't moving.

Michael rolled his eyes and turned around again to face Maria. "What's the problem, Maria?" he griped.

"I-I don't know," Maria's eyes were wide and her feet seemed to be glued to the ground. "I just can't..." her voice quivered as she spoke.

"Can't what, Maria?" Michael tried to be patient with an obviously petrified Maria.

"I-I can't go in there!!!" Maria whispered. Michael sighed and walked to her.

"Look, if you don't want to go in, that's fine. You don't have to. Stay in your car, stay out here, whatever. But if you go in, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Maria could tell he was trying to be comforting by his softer tone of voice and wandering eyes which looked everywhere but into her own eyes. Tenderness always embarassed Michael.

Maria closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She opened her eyes and stood up straight. "Okay, let's go," Maria said resolutely.

Michael lowered his eyes to hide the smile that was creeping onto his face. That was the first thing that he had noticed about Maria's personality. No matter what happened, she always held in together and put her all into everythihg she did, even if she did tend to overact and freak out sometimes. Maria always came through when it mattered the most.

Not a second after the last person had taken their last step into the building, a light clicked on and a collective gasp went out from the group.

From where the light came, a man in a suit stood, and next to him, a nervous looking Liz was sitting in a chair, with a gun pointed at her head.

"Could you shut the door behind you, please?" the man was smiling calmly and looking directly at Maria. The fear that she had just dispelled of came rushing back.

Maria numbly reached out for the handle and shut the door with her eyes still wide and mouth hanging open.

"Okay, well let's get right down to business," the man said to the stunned faces in front of him.

"My name is Agent Phillips, I'm sure that Liz has told you who I am though," Agent Phillipps looked down at Liz who was trying to decide whether or not to take the risk of getting hurt and tell the group where Max was.

"What do you want?" Sherrif Valenti spoke before the Agent could continue explaining his plan.

"Well, first of all, Jim, before we go any farther, I want you to take off your gun and slide it over on the floor to me," the man's slimy grin still hadn't left. Slowly, the Sherrif took out his gun from the inside of his coat and put in on the floor to slide it across the room. The Agent picked it up and tucked it into his jacket.

"Okay, now then, what I want is for each of you to do what I say. If you do, then Liz will live. If you don't, Liz will die...immediately." The man's head was turned away from Michael but he immediately turned and saw Michael with his arm outstretched, attempting to use his powers to kill the man.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Agent Phillipps' voice took on a taunting tone. Michael continued holding his arm out, prepared to kill the man at any moment.

"And why is that?" Michael demanded through grit teeth.

"Because, Mr. Guerin, we know who you are, and we know your powers. Now true, your powers are quick, but so is the trigger of a gun. You make one wrong move, Liz dies, and then each of your friends here." Michael lowered his arm in exaspertation. As much as he hated it, the Agent was right. He couldn't risk Liz's life like that without Max around to heal her. And where was Max anyways?

The man attempted to continue, but Michael interupted him suddenly, "Where's Max?"

Liz took Agent Phillipps' confusion at Michael's question as her opportunity to help save Max. It was now or never.

"He's in the white room, Michael!!! You have to save him their-" Liz's frantic yelling was interupted by Agent Phillipps' pistol hitting her heavily on the head. Her eyes immediately rolled into her head and she slumped down out of the chair.

"Liz!" Maria cried out, horrified at the sight of her lifeless body.

"Nobody move!" the Agent yelled loudly at Maria, who had taken a step closer to Liz, and Michael, who was attempting to ease his way slowly to the Agent.

"She's not dead! But one more step and she will be!" the Agent's grin had dissapeared and he was now aiming the gun back and forth from Liz, to Michael, to Maria, and then back to Liz. He stood pointing the gun for several more minutes, breathing heavily and making sure that no one was still attempting to move closer to him.

"Okay," he said more calmly but still angrily. "Now, all of you, through that door," he pointed at a door on the far side of the room with his gun. The group began walking slowly to the door.

"Wait, Sherrif, you carry the girl," he said motioning toward Liz, who was now lying on the floor, unconscious but breathing.

Sherrif Valenti picked Liz up and the Agent pointed for him to walk in front. On the other side of the door was a dark, cold hall, with several doors lining the walls.

"Stop here!" Agent Phillipps' suddenly called out. "Open that door," he commanded Maria. Maria turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Now, go in, just you," he again commanded Maria. Her eyes widened and she didn't move. "I said go in!" the Agent's own voice had began to sound shaky and unsure. "You too," Agent Phillipps motioned to the Sherrif.

When Maria and the Sherrif were both in the room, Agent Phillipps pulled a key ring and threw it at Michael.

"Now lock that door," he barked. Michael looked into the room before shutting the door and saw the Sherrif trying to wake Liz, and Maria standing in front of the door, staring at Michael with a terrified look on her face.

'At least she'll be safe for a while in here..." Michael thought to himself as he locked the door and handed the keys back to the Agent.

"Now, you three," he looked at Michael, Isabel, and Tess and hesistated before speaking. "Start walking. And I'm warning you, you so much as blink when I say not to and this gun goes off," the Agent was trying his hardest to hide his fear of the three aliens, but Michael had already heard it, and he had a plan.