Kyle stood there, arms crossed in front of his chest, glaring at the man who was so obviously lying his ass off. Any second now, Kyle expected to see chunks of ass hit the floor, because there was no way Liz was dead.

And still, Dr. Garrett stood there, pretending sympathy for Mr. Parker, and for the almost hysterical Whitmans.

Kyle kept wondering what was making Garrett wait, why didn’t they just announce Alex’s “death” and get it the hell over with.

He sucked in a tense breath. As soon as this crowd dispersed a little bit and Joey got here, Garrett was going down. Kyle looked away from the crowd briefly and rubbed a hand across his face. He needed a shower, or maybe some more coffee.

As he lifted his gaze once more, one of his Dad’s deputies caught his eye. He was in the corner, leaning against the wall and watching the three-ring circus in front of the ICU.

Good. That meant Kyle’s Dad had gotten his back-up. Kyle tried to get the deputy’s attention, but he turned and started walking back down the hall quickly. On instinct, Kyle followed.

The long white hallway was quiet and Kyle made sure to keep his footfalls quiet, although he still wasn’t sure why he felt that he should. This guy was one of his Dad’s own, someone he should trust. Maybe being up all night had just made him hyper. Just as he decided that it had, the deputy reached the door and went out. Kyle followed and looked through the window in the door. A cigarette. The guy had just needed a cigarette break. Some back-up.

Kyle turned back and started walking. A door to the left of him opened and the State Health guy walked out. He nodded to Kyle and walked on toward the ICU. The door he had come out of was marked “Dr. Ross Meredith.” Kyle hesitated. He had seen how chummy the State guy was with Garrett, and now he was hanging out in the doctor’s offices. Kyle decided to check it out.

No one was coming down the hallway. Perfect timing. He opened the office door and slid it open. The front desk was deserted, no secretary yet. The back rooms were mostly dark, except one. That one was lit and the door was open a crack. Kyle crept forward, listening.

“Hello?” The voice suddenly got louder. “Anyone there?” Kyle’s heart thudded in his chest. They must have heard him open the door. “Hang on a minute, would ya’? Damn interns are always snooping around.”

Kyle dove into the first office and held his breath as he ducked behind the desk. He heard footsteps pass by in the hallway. “Anybody here?”

A pause. Kyle didn‘t move a muscle. Finally, the guy walked back by. Footsteps paused in front of the doorway, and then kept going to the back office.

Kyle took in a deep breath. He was going to get himself killed for Liz Parker one of these days.

The desk chair squeaked as the guy sat down and picked up the phone again. “Okay, there’s been a change in plans.” The voice got quiet again and Kyle scrambled to his feet as quietly as possible. He crept out the doorway and walked closer to the lit office. “Yeah, I know what they said. We have another pick-up and disposal... At the same price... Dammit! You- fine. They’ll pay it. Just get over here and take care of it... You’re not paid to think. It doesn’t matter who it is. They’re dead. Just get over here. Same procedure.” The man slammed down the phone and muttered under his breath.

Kyle snuck away down the hall, his heart thundering in his chest. They were going to get rid of a body. Another body, which meant that probably the first two had already been disposed of. Which meant they were most likely talking about getting rid of “Liz’s” body.

Kyle was running out of time. If that body disappeared...

He held his breath as he opened the door, but his luck held. His exit was silent and quick.

******

Maria picked up the phone and hesitated. Her gaze went over to where Max was lying on the bed. He had one arm slung over his eyes in an effort to hide the tears.

His reaction to dreamwalking Liz was terrifying. Was Liz really that bad off? It was killing them to not know the truth.

Which was why Maria was going to try Joey again.

“Hello?”

Maria felt instant relief as she heard Joey’s voice. “Joey, this is Maria-”

“Oh, Maria, I was just going to call you. I have to tell Max what’s happened. Or, what we think has happened.” Joey’s voice was weak and she sounded like she had been crying.

Maria steeled herself. “What is it, Joey?”

“There was some kind of a viral outbreak, what they call a level four, I think. That’s the kind that kills people.” Maria blinked. This wasn‘t what she expected at all. “It killed an old couple at the Crashdown and now they’re saying that... Okay, wait, let me figure out how to say this...“

Maria shook her head and got down to the heart of the issue. “What about Liz? And Alex?”

“How did you- Oh, god, that’s right. So Michael already knows?”

Maria felt like she could strangle the girl. “Knows what, Joey?”

At that, Max uncovered his eyes and sat up. Maria looked away. If he kept looking at her with those hopeless eyes, she was going to scream.

“That Liz and Alex contracted the virus, or at least that’s what Kyle says the CDC has been saying. They’ve been-”

“The CDC?” Maria looked over to see Max climbing to his feet, his eyes suddenly alert at her words.

“The Center for Disease Control,” Joey answered. “They’ve blocked off a wing of the hospital and wouldn’t let anyone in to see Liz or Alex. And now they‘re saying that Liz... is dead. But it’s not true. It can‘t be true. Kyle says it‘s a cover story.“

Maria’s mind spun its wheels for a minute, trying to process it all. “Joey, Liz isn’t dead.” Maria took a deep breath before she continued; saying the words made it seem so much more possible. “Max and Isabel just dreamwalked her.“

“Was she okay? Kyle says these CDC guys are cranks, that someone probably took Liz and Alex.”

“I think that- I think that Kyle is right. From what Michael got from her last night...” she trailed off as Max stood beside her. He held his hand out for the phone. Maria hurt to see the fierce light in his eyes, but at least it was better than the hopelessness. She told Joey goodbye quickly and handed the phone to Max.

“Joey, tell me everything you know,” he said fiercely into the receiver.

Maria just watched Max as he listened with a desperate air. She finally turned away. This was all way over her head. Why would the CDC want Liz? How did Kyle know the truth? Poor Mr. Parker.

Maria crossed to Michael. He was still trying to contact Liz, guilt etched in every tense muscle of his body. He wouldn’t relax and he wouldn’t believe her when she said it wasn’t his fault. She didn’t try again.

******

Isabel was sitting on the bed, tears running heedlessly down her cheeks. They had Alex. Her sweet, sensitive Alex who had never done anyone any harm. In fact, he spent his- whole life trying to take care of others, especially her. And now, these people were going to hurt him.

She knew exactly what Liz meant about Alex being brave. He would be trying to protect Liz, not caring about himself at all. That’s just how he was.

Max sitting beside her pulled her from her thoughts. “At least we know who has them now.” His voice was dark with anger. “The CDC.” He flipped on the television and went to a local newscast.

“How do we know that?” Isabel watched the t.v. for a moment and then looked up at him with teary eyes.

“The CDC took over the Crashdown hours before Michael felt Liz‘s...” Isabel tensed. Max wrestled another minute inwardly and then went on. “Hours before Liz and Alex were taken. The head guys said that they were taken to the hospital, but no one ever saw them.”

Isabel stared at him in disbelief. This was turning into some huge conspiracy thing. “Why,” she spat out vehemently. “Why Liz and Alex?”

“Because of her transformation,” he said tightly. “Because of what the orb turned her into.”

Isabel sat completely still as this idea settled into her brain. Her hand went to her forehead in reflex. They wanted Liz because of what she’d become. But why Alex? Was he just at the wrong place at the wrong time?

She looked up to see Max over at the window, Michael and Maria watching him as well. He stood and stared out at the lightening sky. “Christopher has already told us that the FBI knows a lot more about us than we think. They’ve already had one captive- Melanie. And they may have Kate. But Liz is different from them, she was human first.” He turned back to look at Isabel with haunted eyes. “If they know that, then why wouldn’t it worry them? A perfectly normal human has been turned into one of us. Don’t you think they’d want to know how? Why? And if it can be duplicated?”

Isabel stared at him, her mind slowly connecting the dots. “Duplicated? You mean, that’s why they took Alex? They’re going to experiment on him?”

The silence was her only confirmation. “Oh god,” she whispered.

“We’ll find them, okay? I swear we‘ll find them soon.” Max’s voice was filled with his usual optimism and determination. She stared at him. How had he gotten it back so quickly, when all she wanted to do was die?

“Max, look!” Isabel glanced over to see Maria in front of the t.v. There on the screen was a still picture of Liz in the background as the reporters closed out their telecast.

“Turn it up,” Michael barked out.

“-has just been declared dead at Roswell’s West County Hospital. The strange virus that claimed her life has also taken two other lives. Although the disease appears to be an offshoot of the deadly Ebola virus, the Center for Disease Control and the New Mexico State Health Department have released a joint statement that declares the situation contained. Miss Parker will be remembered for inspiring the nation as she endured the tragedy of losing her young groom on their wedding day. That was, amazingly enough, just over a week ago today. Our hearts go out to the friends and family and the people of Roswell. My, those people do seem to be having their share of problems these days, don’t they?”

“Turn it off.” Max’s voice was deadly. Maria moved forward and the screen went black.

Isabel shook her head. It was all a lie. Liz wasn’t dead.

Michael cursed roundly as he shoved the chair back and paced to the window.

“You know,” Maria’s whisper barely reached Isabel’s ears. “I always said you guys were like Romeo and Juliet, but this is getting creepy. I mean, think about it. First, you died, but you really didn’t. Now, she’s dead, but she really isn’t. Please tell me you guys aren‘t going to keep going, because this is...”

Isabel huffed out a breath and stood to her feet. “God, could you be any more depressing, Maria?”

“We have to do something.”

The panic in Michael’s voice gripped Isabel immediately. “Do what, Michael? We have no idea where they are.”

Max agreed. “She’s right. Until we know which direction to head in, there’s no point in leaving.”

Michael was rocking back and forth and biting his fingernails. “So we just sit here and wait and let them-”

The way he was moving...

Isabel felt fear grip her heart. “Michael, can you feel Liz?”

He turned his eyes to her and she could immediately see the pain there. “She’s waking up,” he said shortly.

Isabel looked over to see Max’s face drain of all color.

Maria gasped and ran to Michael’s side. “Oh my god. And you can feel... what they’re doing to her?”

Michael started to answer, then his face convulsed with agony. “Oh GOD!!”