Katar stepped toward Liz and extended his hand. She stood without accepting it and began walking toward the portal. When Katar reached the wall, he bent over and took her hand. Liz recoiled imperceptibly, reacting to his cold, lifeless touch. She waved her free hand in front of the wall until the glowing handprint appeared. Then she placed her hand over it and looked up at Katar. He covered her hand with his own and they pressed into the rock.

Nothing happened. They looked at each other in surprise and then back at Seranna. "Again," she spat.

They repeated the process with the same lack of results. "Again!" Seranna insisted, her voice rising. The final attempt was no different.

"What are you doing differently?" she shouted at Liz.

"Nothing! This is exactly how Max and I did it!" Liz cried defensively. This was her only value to them. If she couldn't do this, then her life was over.

"Perhaps this is the wrong portal," suggested Seranna, a superficial calm taking over her speech and actions. "We'll simply find the right one."

She ordered Liz and Katar to search for a new portal, but as they moved further and further from the original spot, they knew they would not find one. Seranna became increasingly agitated, targeting Liz with her venomous mood.

"I warned you, Liz Parker. I warned you what would happen if you did not cooperate. You have signed Max's death warrant!"

***************

Paul and Max were starting to shiver as the desert gave up all its heat to the night. It was almost dark, and the men had expected to see some activity around the kiva. Max was worried. Once again, they were blocking his connection with Liz, but he felt something was terribly wrong.

"Something's not right. We need to go down there."

"How will that help, Max? We'll just be visible to them when they come out."

"They would be out if they could get out." Max's eyes lit up. "They can't get out! It didn't work!" In spite of the additional danger this presented, Max couldn't help but be pleased at the knowledge that the bond he and Liz shared was somehow special, different from what she could form with one of "them." He should have known that. In his heart, he did know it, but his mind often fought with his heart. It was an old battle.

"We have to go in and get her," Max stated calmly. Paul looked at him in surprise.

"You have a plan?"

Max thought quickly. "If we can somehow divert their attention or trick their minds somehow. Oh, Tess, I could use you now," he muttered. He turned to Paul. "You've never said if you have any powers. Now would be a good time to mention them, if there are any."

Paul looked at Max, a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Max. I've never pursued that aspect of my life before. I was never sure I really wanted to know. I wish now that I had. What can you do?"

"Well, I can connect with people, but I have to be touching them. I'll never get close enough for that. Besides, I don't know how that would help." He paused, his eyes darting as if he might spot something that would give him an idea. "I can manipulate molecular structure." He was suddenly still, his eyes wide. "I can manipulate molecular structure! That's it! What have you got in your backpack?"

Paul watched in confusion as Max began to empty the contents of his backpack on the ground. He picked up several items and discarded them. Then his hands grabbed Paul's mess kit and a smile crossed Max's face. He knelt down and concentrated on the mess kit passing his hand over it. He shook his head, dissatisfied. Again he brought his hand over the face of the metal. Then he looked at Paul, his face expectant.

Max set his finished product down in front of Paul. "What do you think?" he asked anxiously.

Paul began to smile. In front of him was a metal headpiece, encircled with what could have been lights, had it been real. "I'll be damned," he muttered. "How'd you know what it should look like?"

"I don't," shrugged Max. "But neither do they."

The men stood, looking again toward the kiva. There was no activity.

"I'll take this into the tunnel and try to communicate with Liz. If she can pretend to find it, they should be distracted enough to give her time to climb into the tunnel. Then I'll seal the floor and hope that slows them down enough to get us out."

Paul nodded. "I wish I could be more help."

"I'm grateful for everything you've done, Mr. Hernandez. But I got Liz into this. I want to get her out."

Paul nodded. "I carry a gun, Max. Never used it on a person, but it might slow them down if it comes to that."

The men locked eyes, understanding the danger they were about to face. Max turned toward the kiva. "Let's go."

The two silent figures stole down the rocky grade, illuminated only by a waning moon. Max motioned to Paul to follow him down into the kiva. Paul stationed himself near the opening in the floor and pulled out the gun. He nodded a go-ahead to Max, who lowered himself into the tunnel, tucking the fake Criston under his arm. He moved along faster this time, more familiar with what was ahead, and more motivated to go quickly. If anything happened to Liz, he couldn't face her family, her friends . . . he couldn't face himself again.

As he neared the other end, he concentrated on Liz, willing her to detect his presence. She knew he was there immediately, but forced herself not to look toward the center of the room. She reached out to him with her mind, felt the connection. It steeled her nerves just knowing he was only a few feet away.

She continued her pacing, casting a sidelong gaze toward the hole she had seen in the floor. Her mouth opened as she saw a hand quietly set a metal object on the edge of the opening. The hand disappeared immediately. She could feel Max working to communicate with her. Open your mind, Liz, she coached herself. You did it before.

She remembered the last connection with Max had only been clear when she was feeling great anger. Perhaps strong emotion was the key. She focused her thoughts on Max and was instantly filled with an overpowering sense of him. She opened her mind to the love she felt. It wasn't hard to let it take over. Liz! Pretend that's the Criston, he was urging. Distract them!

Liz slowly worked her way toward the console that hid the hole from view. She bent quickly to open a compartment and swept up the Criston at the same time. "What are you doing over there?" shouted Seranna.

"I thought we might as well look some more. Max and I meant to come back later. We hadn't really finished searching." She bent once again to reopen the compartment. "What's this?" she asked as she straightened.

"What? What did you find?" Seranna and Katar began to come toward Liz.

"Here!" she yelled, tossing the object over their heads. They immediately turned to retrieve it and Liz darted into the hole. Blind faith in Max, she reminded herself. It had brought her through crises before.

Max was instantly pulling at her, fighting the urge to pull her to him and never let go. There was no time now. Max extended his arm past Liz's head as he heard the cries from within the chamber. "She's gone! Over there!"

He sent a beam toward the opening, bringing rock from the side walls tumbling into the tunnel. The dust was making them cough, but he needed to be sure the blockage was substantial enough to slow the two aliens down. "Cover your face!" he shouted to Liz. After a few seconds, the small rock slide stilled, and the two began to work their way backwards through the tunnel. They could hear faint shouting from beyond the rubble.

As they struggled toward the kiva, Max kept contact with Liz, his hand on her ankle. It was dark and he couldn't spare a hand to produce any light. Without warning, they felt a strong tingling sensation, as if the tunnel had begun to vibrate.

"Max!" cried Liz. "What is that? Do you feel it?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what it is. Hurry! The tunnel may collapse!" Liz raised her hand to the side of the tunnel so she could push off and speed their retreat. She caught a ray of light out of the corner of her eye and turned toward it. "Max! Look!"

He peered up toward Liz and saw it. Another glowing handprint. "I don't understand, Max. You don't think there's another room, do you?"

Max stopped. Could it be? Was it possible they could get this lucky?

Max inched forward again, pressing tight against Liz in the narrow tunnel. He placed his hand on hers and a panel slid open. Liz reached her hand in, pulling out something cool and hard. "I've got something, Max, but I can't tell what it is."

"Just hang on to it. Let's get out of here."

They continued the tortuous route back to the kiva. When they reached the opening, Max called for Paul. He was there immediately, pulling Max up from the Sipapu hole. Max handed him the object they had found and turned to lift Liz up to the floor. As soon as she had cleared the opening, Max's arms were around her. "Liz! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Max, I'm okay. It's okay." She lost herself in his arms and felt again that no matter what happened to her, she was always safe there. Max began to shower kisses on her hair, her eyes, her lips, her neck. "Liz, I just couldn't lose you. Couldn't . . . ." He grabbed her tightly to him again.

Paul had wanted to give them a moment, but it was time to go.

"Max! Liz! We're not home yet. Come on!"

Max and Liz knew their reunion had to wait. They sprinted across the Cliff Palace ruins toward the parking lot. There had been no sign of the aliens yet, but that was little reassurance. They reached the car, breathless and impatient to get away. They clambered in and squealed out of the lot.

When they reached the campgrounds, Paul ignored the turnoff and headed toward the highway. "Where are we going?" yelled Liz over the din of the car engine and the gravel flying.

"As far away from here as we can get on a tank of gas!" Paul yelled back.

"But the journals! My grandmother's journals!" Liz was panicked. They couldn't leave those behind.