“Fine, Hansen. Good work.”

Kyle rolled his eyes at Joey and she managed a little smile. It was taking everything in her not to run for the door. Did Garrett have her picture in that envelope? She looked around the hospital atrium nervously, but no one was looking their way.

The Sheriff took Hansen by the shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. “Now, I’m leaving you with an important task.” Hansen straightened and a glazed-over expression rested on his face as he listened. “You are going to stay here with the other men. I need you to make sure that tape of Jennifer Trilling’s confession gets into the right hands in about ten minutes. I won’t be here to do the press conference like I had hoped, but you can handle it.”

A young black officer walked up from the direction of the dismantled ICU and spoke up uncertainly. “Uh, sir, actually, you might want to re-think that a bit. Five men from the EIS have just arrived. And I’ve got a letter here from the Division of Bacterial Diseases addressed to you disavowing any prior knowledge of this ‘drill.’” A grin lit up his face. “Things are happening now, sir. It‘s unraveling, just like you said it would.”

Hansen looked up at the Sheriff with wide eyes. “You heard him, sir, things are happening...”

They wanted him to stay. Joey looked over at Kyle, her uneasiness growing by the minute. She swallowed and slid her hand into Kyle‘s. “The EIS? What’s that?”

Kyle looked over at her. “Uh, let‘s see, that would be... the ‘Egomaniacs who were Inbred Syndicate.’ Garrett‘s a charter member.” He gave her a wicked smile and she felt just a bit better. “Don‘t worry about it. I gave up on the alphabet soup hours ago. All I care about is that they rock Garrett’s world.“

If things got really bad for Garrett, then maybe no one would believe his crazy story about aliens...

“The EIS is the Epidemic Intelligence Service.“ Joey nodded politely at Hansen and looked back over at the Sheriff. He just had to go with them to Berkeley. What if the others didn’t make it? She and Kyle and Nathan would never be able to free Liz and Alex, especially with parents in tow. Everyone in the group was silent as they awaited his decision.

Joey started bouncing nervously and the Sheriff looked over at her. She shifted under his clear gaze. Then he seemed to make up his mind. “I’m leaving. You guys can handle it. Schear- you make copies of that letter and hand it out to the press. Jones- find out what’s taking Jeter so long with those info on the two cremated bodies. We should have something by now. Hansen- you take charge of the tape. Release it in five minutes, after we’re gone. Charlie-” Another man in a uniform came over quickly. “Yeah?”

“I’m taking the Parkers, the Evans, the Whitmans and Ms. DeLuca with me. These people need privacy right now. If anyone asks, especially hospital administrators, tell them we’re consulting a lawyer. I want you to make sure no one follows us and no one asks too many questions. And all three of you, keep an eye on Garrett. My son says that something happened earlier that may have changed his plans. Watch him. I’m on the cell; you all have the number. But- don‘t call me unless you have an important update.”

Joey was already moving for the door. Kyle and the Sheriff followed as he continued. “And Hansen, for God’s sake, keep your cell phone ON! Got it?”

“Yes sir.”

Joey bit back a smile as they headed to the parking lot. The van was waiting for them out front and her Mom and Dad were already getting in. The two names almost felt natural now.

“Who’s driving the van?” Kyle and his Dad stopped briefly.

“You are, son.”

Kyle froze. “I’m sorry, Dad, these alien-induced hallucinations are really becoming a problem. I just thought you said that I was-”

“Just get in the van and drive, Kyle. I’ll be in my SUV.” He looked ahead at the others. “Amy, you ride with me.” Ms. DeLuca nodded grimly and headed over for the Sheriff vehicle, her long, patterned skirt flapping in the breeze.

Joey followed Kyle over to the van and suddenly noticed that Nathan and the guardian were nowhere to be found. Her hand automatically went to the orb in her jacket pocket. Where did they go?

******

Liz ignored the smell of charred flesh and stepped over the bodies gingerly. She stopped at the door and leaned against the melted metal, feeling her stomach revolt despite all of her efforts. She was buzzing with adrenaline and power, and exhausted from the energy release that had helped kill those men. It hadn’t seemed to bother Max nearly as much. He was already through the door and-

Liz felt the energy release that signaled another attack. She needed to help him. She stepped through the hole and was immediately pulled up short by his hard body blocking the way.

Max?

*Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just... I hope that’s not... Alex.*

She looked up at his face as he turned to glance at her and then looked around the room. Max moved forward and she saw that Alex’s metal bed was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a large, rectangular metal box that stood on a rolling platform. It actually looked a lot like a- It looked like a coffin. Liz felt horror slam into her at the thought. *It’s not him, Liz. It can’t be. You just left him, right?*

Liz nodded and took the hand that Max offered. They started forward cautiously. There were two bodies strewn on the floor, but Liz didn’t have the willpower or the stomach to study them for long. They were dead.

The room was silent as they crept on, and Liz could feel Max fighting off the same dark thoughts that she was.

Finally, they reached it. It was silvery metal, and cold to the touch- freezing cold. Liz jerked her fingers back in surprise and watched Max as he walked forward and studied the box intently. Something about his face made her hesitate.

What is it?

Then she saw where he was looking. A small window was built-in to one side of the lid. From where he was standing, he could see directly inside...

*It’s not Alex.*

Relief washed through her and she took a moment to be thankful. But the feelings she was getting from Max weren’t helping.

What is it, Max?

*It’s...*

Liz stepped forward and looked through the lid curiously. If it wasn’t Alex, then...

Liz gasped. It was the face of an angel beneath the glass, her wide brown eyes open, though sightless and her curvy lips were parted in soundless last words. Her skin was so pale and gray that she couldn’t be alive. Liz felt tears sting her eyes.

*It’s Kate... Krysnasetsa.*

Liz’s mouth opened in painful realization. Michael’s sister. Justin’s sister.

*Yeah. She looks a lot like Delia, except Delia’s eyes are green.*

Liz could feel the guilt eating away at Max. One more that he hadn’t been able to help. One more- Liz reached out to grasp his hand.

Max, you didn’t even know she was here. You didn’t even know there were more of you until after she was brought here. There’s no telling how long she’s been... like this. You weren’t responsible for her-

*I was and I am. That‘s what it means to be king.*

Liz stared up at him as he pressed his face into his hands. After a moment, he moved his hands away and studied Kate’s face intently. He was trying to mentally prepare himself to give an account to Michael when he saw him again. Liz insinuated herself under one of Max’s arms and tried to let her body give him some comfort. Then she looked down at the girl in the box, mourning the loss for everyone involved. Even though Liz didn’t like Justin, she had a feeling that he had been different when Kate was alive. How well would anyone handle the disappearance and probable torturing of a loved one? Liz shivered and Max pulled her in closer.

We can’t leave her here like this.

*I won‘t. They might still... do things to her.

Liz grimaced and felt her stomach cramp.

Max shifted and reached around Liz to manipulate the lock. It clicked and the top started rising. Kate was naked in the coffin. Tears pooled in Liz’s eyes.

“My god!“ Max whispered as he turned away. Liz reached out to touch the plastic surrounding Kate’s body gently, frantically, wanting a blanket or something to cover her with.

Then there was a click as the lid raised to its highest position. Liz jumped at the sound and looked up.

*Liz!*

A force knocked her backward until she landed on the cold, hard tiles. She couldn’t answer for almost a full minute.

******

“Maria, just eat the damn thing!” Michael’s low growl immediately kicked her bitchiness into overdrive.

“What does it look like I’m doing, spike boy?” Maria scowled at him as he barely watched the road and shot her venomous looks.

“I don‘t have time to watch your every move, DeLuca. I’m driving.” He gestured at the road as if it was all that was occupying his thoughts and she should KNOW that.

“No, you’re annoying the hell out of me, that’s what you’re doing.”

“Oh right, and with all that crinkling and smacking and... Why can’t you just shove it in your mouth and eat it like a normal person?”

Maria sputtered. “Hel-lo! I‘m so normal, we can‘t even have sex!”

But he ignored her. “And what kind of candy bar is that, anyway? You spent ten minutes in that damn store and that’s what you pick? Only a freak eats Zeros.”

Maria was stunned. He had never been this outright rude before. Or, well, okay, he had been. But still, this was over the top. But her anger cooled as she caught sight of how the corners of his mouth kept turning down. Finally, he wiped at his mouth and covered it with one hand.

Okay, got it. “Pull over,” she said in a low voice.

He glanced over at her and his face started working hard.

“Pull over now.”

His shoulders started shaking and he jerked the car over and slowed to a halt. The van behind them screeched to a halt yet again. Maria looked back at Isabel. “You’d better drive for a while.”

After a quick switch, Michael and Maria were settled in the back seat. He folded up his long body and buried his head in her lap. God, when she saw him like that... She felt the sobs shake him and whispered into his ear. “It wasn’t your fault. She‘s going to be fine.”

“I’m sorry,” he managed eventually.

“I know.”

“No,” he turned his tear-stained eyes to look up at her. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

“I know.” She kissed his forehead and he turned his face back into her stomach. Was that a kiss he planted there, or were the butterflies in her stomach doing a line dance?

Maria sighed.

How is it possible for a man to be sexy even when he’s sobbing?