"So, um, why didn't you bring Tess? I mean, doesn't this kind of involve her, too?" Liz asked, finally braking the silence. Max lifted his head and looked at her.

"I was going to tell Tess about everything once we had a final plan," Max said authoritatively. 'Wow, I guess he really has accepted his role as leader,' Liz thought to herself.

"So, you don't have a plan yet?" Liz slowly asked. She knew they had a plan. It was apparent not only in the looks they kept passing back and forth, but also in Max's eyes: Liz knew how he looked when something was heavy on his mind.

"We have a plan," Michael interjected flatly. It didn't take much more question to know what Michael meant: they had a plan but they weren't telling Liz about it.

Isabel was staring at the ground and Michael was still looking at Liz when Max suddenly stood up.

"Liz, I don't think the Agents will contact you again, but if they do, call me. If I don't hear from you, then I'll be here on Sunday at 11:00 to pick you up." With that, Max turned around and began walking to the ladder with Isabel and Michael following. Liz watched the last head dissapear behind the building.

"Bye..." she mumbled.

Liz was completely dumbfounded. Max knew exactly what he was doing; it was clear by the tone of his voice. But he wasn't going to tell Liz. And she knew exactly why.

After everything that had happened, Max didn't trust her. If he did, he would have gladly told Liz everything he planned to do, like he had always done in the past when something big was happening.

Liz walked slowly back into her room and flopped down on the bed. It had to be the worst feeling in the world. She felt like a child who had been left at home while the big kids got to go out. And all because of what Liz had done.

The next day and a half passed by slowly. Out of pure boredom, Liz had worked all Friday night and Saturday at the Crashdown. At eight o'clock on Saturday night, Liz was reeling. She absolutely had to know what the plan was.

She picked up the phone and dialed Max's number. Max answered.

"We need to talk," Liz said almost forecefully, interupting Max.

"Okay..." he trailed off, sounding confused.

"Let's meet at the park," Liz spoke suddenly. The agonizing fifteen minute wait for Max to grace her balcony was beginning to get to Liz. She had to get out of the house. This would be the perfect oppotunity.

"Um, alright..." Max mumbled. Liz hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She knew that she was acting strange and that Max was probably confused by her actions, but Liz didn't care. Regardless of how much he hated her, Liz was involved in this, too. Her life was at stake just as Max's was. And she had every right to know what she was getting involved in.

Liz grabbed a jacket and breazed out of the apartment, passing her parents who were both sitting on the couch. Liz slammed the door behind her and then stopped at the foot of the stairs. She winced and turned on her heels to open the door again.

When she walked into the living room, her parents were still frozen, looking towards the door she had just slammed.

Liz took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"I'm sorry. Mom, Dad, I'm going out. I'll be back in a little while," Liz looked from parent to parent, waiting for their smiles to appear and their approval to be given.

"Who are you going out with, Liz? You don't need to go out alone, sweetie," her Mother said concerned.

"Um..." Liz hated mentioning Max in front of her parents. If she even said his name they automatically began asking questions that Liz hated answering. "I'm going out to meet Max," Liz finally finished, trying to sound and look as calm as possible.

To Liz's great surprise and relief, her parents said nothing, but instead smiled slightly and said goodbye and to be home by eleven. Liz knew she would be home long before then. This wasn't a date like her parents thought it was. Liz felt like she was going to war tomorrow, and tonight was just preparation.

Liz walked briskly to the park, breathing in and out the cold night air that brushed her cheeks. She reached the park quickly and spotted Max right away, sitting on a bench in the empty park.

Liz felt all her resoluteness fall away. Just seeing Max sitting on the bench, with his hands on his lap, waiting for her, made Liz want to cry. She didn't really know why. Maybe it was the way he always had a scared, slightly vulnerable look in his eyes. Liz stood at the entrance of the park, staring at Max, who was looking around. When he spotted her, Liz shook her thoughs and began walking towards him.

"Hi..." Liz said in a voice barely above a whisper as she approached Max.

"Hey," he replied back.

Max watched as Liz sat down slowly beside him on the bench. He continued watching her until Liz looked over at him.

Max turned his head quickly away and began looking straight ahead at the trees in the park. They sat in silence for several minutes. Liz had lost most of her nerve when she saw Max, and now she could barely remember why she had even wanted to meet him.

"So, Liz, why did you want to come here?" Max asked quietly, still looking straight ahead.

Liz suddenly remembered what she had come here for.

"Max, I need to know what's going on-what the plan is." Max didn't move. He didn't even flinch.

"Max, I know you don't want to tell me, because of..." Liz trailed off. She didn't even want to finish that statement. She tried to continue, "Because you don't trust me..." Liz felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. She looked down and blinked several times. 'Hold it together, Liz!' she chided herself.

Liz took another deep breath and continued again. "And you have every reason not to trust me..." Liz couldn't stop now. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She looked down as soon as she felt it on her skin. 'Don't do this, Liz! You can't cry in front of Max! He's the one who should be crying! Not you! Cry when you get home!' Liz told herself as she tried to wipe the teer off without Max noticing.

Liz looked up again. Max had still not moved. His brow was slightly furroughed, giving his face an almost angry look. Liz hated even to go on. But she knew she had to.

"But Max, I'm involved in this, too. And I need to know what's going on. I need to know what I'm getting myself into," Liz could already tell what Max was thinking. He would think she was in some odd way blaming him for the possible danger that the situation might bring.

"And I'm not going to back out or change my mind about anything, but I just...need to know," Liz finished. Max still hadn't moved. Liz gave him a few minutes to think what she had said over, but Max still hadn't responded after almost five minutes of silence.

"Max," Liz touched his shoudler softly. He finally turned his head to look at her. His eyes softened and Liz felt her heart relax.

"Liz, it isn't that I don't trust you. I just..." Max struggled for the right words. "I just don't want to involve you anymore than you have to be," Max said finally, looking into Liz's eyes.

Liz didn't know what to say. Her mouth went dry and she again felt tears coming to her eyes.

This what exactly what Liz had made Max believe that she wanted. And it was the worst feeling in the world. The only thing that mattered to Liz anymore was Max, whether he knew it or not.

Liz was searching her mind for what to say when Max continued.

"I talked to Sherrif Valenti about the Agents. He checked it out. Liz, the Special Unit the Agents said they were apart of..." Max paused and Liz looked at him waiting for him to finish, "it doesn't exist."

"What?" Liz impulsively asked.

"The Special Unit, it was dissolved, like Nasedo told us. The FBI hasn't reopened the case."

Liz was confused. "Then where did they come from, Max? Who are they?"

Max continued, "Their names are John Phillipps and Rick Smith. Sherriff Valenti talked to the FBI about them. They used to be Agents in the Special Unit, but when the Special Unit was dissolved, all the Agents were relieved of their duties and laid off. Apparently, Phillipps and Smith worked very closely with Peirce and were outraged at the decision to dissolve the Special Unit. They appealed to the FBI to reopen the case but the only evidence they could offer was personal experience, which wasn't enough to convince the FBI to reopen the case," Max finished.

"So what does all this mean, Max? Why are they here?" Liz was trying her hardest to understand the situation.

"Well, Valenti has been watching them, and they seem to be alone. The compound hasn't been touched since last May when we were there."

"So? What's going on?" Liz was still confused.

"They're going to try to recreate the white room," Max said quietly. Liz leaned back. She could tell that even the memories of the white room scared Max.

"Wow," Liz whispered. "Well, they can't do that, can they? I mean, there's only two of them, and there's all of you, and Sherrif Valenti..." Liz didn't finish.

"There's only one thing to do, Liz," Max looked over at Liz with fear in his eyes. "We have to kill them." Liz knew that Max hated even saying it. "We don't have any other choice. There's no way we can silence them after this. They'll just keep coming back. Neither one of them are married. The FBI hasn't been in contact with them since the dissolvement of the Special Unit. They don't have jobs, and from what Sherrif Valenti found out, they don't even have homes," his voice was starting to sound desperate. Max was trying to convince himself that there was no other choice but to kill the Agents as much as he was trying to convince Liz of it.

"Max," Liz put her hand on his shoulder again. "You don't have any other choice. And it isn't like you'll be killing two good people. These men, they're out to kill you. And not only you, Max, Isabel and Michael, too." Liz moved closer to him on the bench and ventured to put her arm around Max. He was looking at the ground, his eyes still frightened.

"I know. And I keep telling myself all those things, but it's still hard," Max said quietly.

"Yeah," Liz whispered half to herself. She tightened her grip on Max's shoulders and laid her head softly on his arm. They sat in silence for several minutes until Liz realized Max had still not told her what the plan for tomorrow was.

Liz removed her arm and sat up. "Max," he turned his head slightly towards her. "What's going to happen tomorrow?"

Max hesitated before answering. "I'm going to pick you up at eleven. We'll drive out to the compound and Michael, Isabel, Tess, and Maria will follow us in Maria's car. Sherrif Valenti will meet us there. As soon as we get inside and the Agents see that you're there, I'll give you a signal and when I tell you to, I want you and Maria to leave."

"Max, I'm not-" Liz started, but Max interupted her.

"Liz, I don't want you getting hurt. And Michael doesn't want Maria getting hurt either. I want you out of there, Liz." Liz knew he was only looking out for her.

"So what's the plan from there?"

Max took a deep breath. "I'm not sure. We're just going to steak the place out; act like we're going to do what they ask, and when the times comes," Max's voice grew small and his eyes drifted to the ground, "do what we have to do."

Liz couldn't help but think that Max sounded like a soldier going to war. He sounded so somber and serious. She knew that the inner battles he was confronting at the moment were probably worse than any that he would confront tomorrow. Max was just that way. If anything at all had gone wrong anywhere around him, Max automatically found a way to make it his fault. Many times Liz had wondered if Max had found a way of making her betrayal his fault. That thought killed Liz. She would rather have Max hated her than himself.

Liz stood up slowly and Max did the same.

"I have to go now, Max," Liz said quietly.

"Let me drive you," Max offered.

"No, that's okay. I think I'd rather walk," Liz said softly.

"Well, okay..." Max said looking down.

"So I'll see you at eleven?" Liz asked. Max nodded and looked at her. For a moment they both stood there, looking at each other. Liz took the opportunity without even thinking and stepped towards Max. Standing on her tip toes, Liz gently put her arms around him and hugged him. For a moment Max didn't move, but then he drew his arms from his sides and wrapped them around Liz.