Liz: [To herself] With everything that has happened in the last week, this is the last place where I expected to find myself. Max finds his family only to find out that they aren’t who he expected them to be. Tess receiving phone calls and letters from mysterious people and then she kidnaps me. But what could she want with me? This is the question that I’ve been asking myself for the last few hours….

Scene: Sheriff Valenti’s office. The Sheriff has just sent his deputy out of the office and turned back to the chair in front of his desk where Max is sitting. He shuts the door and goes and sits at his desk.

Valenti: Okay. Let me have it, you wouldn’t be here this late if there wasn’t something really wrong.

Max: You’re right about that. It’s Liz, she’s been kidnapped.

Valenti: What? By who?

Max: Well, Tess for one and someone else, but we couldn’t find out who that person is. That’s where you come in.

Valenti: Sure, anything you need.

Max: All we know is that it was a new black Dodge Diplomat without plates, it was last seen heading out of town.

Valenti: Not much to go on, but…

[He presses a button on his intercom.]

Valenti: Put out an APB for a Black Dodge Diplomat around a 99 which has no plates or marking.

Deputy: [Over intercom] You got it.

Valenti: Notify me the moment anything comes in.

Deputy: Got it. Can I as…

[Valenti lets go of the intercom button.]

Valenti: Okay, well that’s a start. I’ll go out and check a few places I can think of. Stay by your phone and I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything out.

Max: Thanks.

Valenti: I just hope one day that I can repay what you did for me.

Max: Get Liz back safe and we’ll call it even.

Valenti: You got yourself a deal.

[Valenti gets up and puts on his hat and waits for Max as they leave his office.]

Scene: Tess’s House. It’s still night out and Michael and Maria are sneaking around the outside of the house. They peer through several windows on the front and sides of the house. Seeing that no one is home and there are no lights on, they make their way to the back of the house. They come up to the back door and Michael tries the handle and it’s locked. He places his hand over the lock and after a second we hear a faint click. And he opens the door.

Maria: Okay, no be real quiet.

[Michael just looks back her like, No, I was planning on turning on the stereo and kicking back.]

Maria: You know what I mean.

Michael: Okay, you take the front rooms, I’ll check back here. Let me know if you find anything.

Maria: Hey, why do I get the front rooms?

Michael: Okay, I’ll take the front room and you stay here.

Maria: Don’t you think it would be better if we stayed together?

Michael: But if we split up we can search faster and hopefully find something that will lead us to Liz.

Maria: Agreed. I’ll take the front room.

[She goes through the kitchen door into the living room and begins to look around. Michael starts going through drawers piles of papers on the table and checking in closets and eventually even opens the refrigerator. Maria is going around looking through different piles of stuff in the living room when she backs into one of the statues in the living room and gives out a little scream. Michael comes running into the living room with a chicken leg in his hand.]

Michael: What? What is it?

Maria: What are you doing?

Michael: I was hungry. Okay? So shoot me.

Maria: Whatever. Did you find anything?

Michael: Nope, how about you?

Maria: Me neither. Let’s check upstairs. After you.

Michael: Women….

[Michael goes upstairs and Maria follows right behind him, bumping into him each time he stops.]

Maria: Do you see anything?

Michael: Yeah.

Maria: What is it?

Michael: Do all women keep their places this clean?

[Maria just slaps him.]

Maria: Liz’s life is in danger and all you can do is joke.

Michael: I’m just trying to calm you down a little. We’ll find her.

Maria: I just hope in one piece.

Scene: The Crashdown Café. Alex and Isabel are just arriving when Alex goes for the door and finds that it is still unlocked. They sneak into the place trying to make sure to keep very quiet. Alex walks in to find a few overturned chairs and that’s about all. He reaches down and slowly picks one of them up and places it upside down on the table.

Alex: I shouldn’t have left her alone.

Isabel: You couldn’t have known that Tess would do anything like this. None of us did.

Alex: But, I still can’t stop seeing her being dragged off and there was nothing I could do.

Isabel: We’ll find her. I’m sure. Let’s just see if we can find anything here that can help.

Alex: Yeah. Okay.

[They continue to look around for anything that might help. Alex picks up and straightens another chair when a piece of cloth falls to the floor. He reaches down and picks it up. Suddenly realizing that it isn’t a napkin from the restaurant he puts it to his nose and take a little whiff then quickly pulls it from his nose.]

Alex: Chloroform?

Isabel: What did you say?

Alex: I think this is how they knocked her out.

[She lifts the cloth so that Isabel can see it. She starts to walk towards him.]

Alex: I think it is chloroform.

[He hands the cloth to her, when she takes it in her hand she is hit by a sudden flash of images. She sees a old run down house, an Interstate 285 sign, and an old windmill. She almost falls over from the impact of the images when Alex catches her.]

Alex: What? What is it?

Isabel: I think I’ve seen where they are holding Liz.

Alex: Where?

Isabel: I don’t know where, all I saw was an old run down house in the middle of nowhere, a 285 sign and a windmill, but maybe the others can help us figure it out.

Alex: Okay, we are supposed to meet back at Michael’s place in about thirty minutes anyway. Did you see anything else?

Isabel: No, I’m sorry Alex.

Alex: Well, at least it’s a start. Let’s lock up and get going.

[Alex sets the door to lock behind them and then they leave.]

Scene: Michael’s Apartment. Michael and Maria are there waiting for the others, when the door opens up and Alex, Isabel, Max and Valenti all come in.

Michael: Okay, we are all here.

Max: So, did you two find anything?

Maria: Other than the refrigerator? No.

Valenti: We’ve got an APB out for the car, but without anything else to go on, our chances of finding it aren’t too good.

Alex: Well, we may have found something at the Crashdown.

[He takes the cloth out of his pocket and puts it on the table. Valenti picks it up.]

Valenti: Chloroform.

Alex: That’s what I thought, but Isabel got something off of it.

Isabel: Yeah. There was an old house in the middle of nowhere. I haven’t ever seen the place before. It’s somewhere out on 285 and there is a windmill in the back of it?

Valenti: Was the windmill a dark red?

Isabel: Yeah!

Max: You know this place?

Valenti: It sounds like it might be the old Cooper place. It’s been abandoned for years.

Michael: So, what are we waiting for?

Max: We, can’t just go marching in there Michael, they’ll be waiting for that.

Michael: Then what do you suppose we should do?

Max: Well, first we’ve got to come up with a plan of attack.

Maria: Attack?

Valenti: Max is right. We can’t go rushing full guns in there or else something could happen to Liz. So here’s what we will do…

Scene: Inside the basement where they have dragged Liz to. Liz is still tied to the chair and she is trying as hard as she can to try and get free.

Tess: I wouldn’t try too hard, you might hurt yourself.

[Liz, realizing that Tess is right behind her, stops struggling and Tess walks around to the front of her.]

Liz: What do you want from me?

Tess: It’s not what I want from you. You are, let’s say, my insurance policy. I had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this, but you left me no choice. Max has a “higher” purpose to serve.

Liz: What is that supposed to mean?

Tess: Let’s just say. Max was created for a purpose, and we are going to find out just what that purpose is.

Liz: Max will never help you out!

Tess: As long as I have you, he will have no choice, but to do as I say.

Liz: Max will rescue me.

Tess: Oh, I doubt that. If he knows what’s smart for him. And the time has come for us to finalize this plan.

Liz: Plan?

[Tess just ignores her and takes a phone out of her pocket and dials it.]

[Cut to Michael’s Place where they are making plans when Max’s Phone rings and he is shocked but slowly grabs it and answer’s it. The other just stop and watch him.]

Max: What have you done with her…

[Cut to Tess on the other side of the phone.]

Tess: She’s okay. For now, as long as you do what you are told.

[Cut to Max.]

Max: What do you want?

[Cut to Tess.]

Tess: Isn’t that obvious by now? I want you. Now, Max, I want you to go alone to the old Radio Tower just outside of town. If you are followed she dies. Got it?

[Cut to Max.]

Max: I want to talk to Liz.

[Cut to Tess. She puts the phone up to Liz’s face.]

Liz: Max.

Max: Are you alright?

Liz: Yeah, but they got me…

[Tess pulls the phone back to her ear.]

Tess: Okay, now that that is out of the way. Meet me there in one hour.

Max: All right.

[Tess hangs up.]

Max: Okay, slight change of plans. I’ve got to meet with Tess.

Isabel: No, Max you can’t. You don’t know what could happen to you.

Max: But I do know what will happen to Liz if I don’t. So, you guys go to the place and try to get Liz, while I go meet with Tess.

Michael: I’m going with you.

Max: No, not his time. If you do, they will kill Liz and then we are all lost. So, you guys better get going. I’ll hold her as long as I can.

Scene: The Radio Tower. Max is there alone waiting. He is pacing in front of his Jeep which is running and the Head lights from it are the only source of light there is. He is suddenly surprised by the sound of a car coming towards him that suddenly turns on their lights temporarily blinding him. He slowly regains his vision to see Tess getting out of the passenger side of the car.

Tess: Well, at least we know you can follow directions.

Max: Who is this we?

Tess: Well, that is for another day.

[The driver does not get out of the car and since the headlights are glaring in Max’s eyes he can not see who is in the car.]

Max: Where is Liz?

Tess: She’s someplace safe, and will stay that way as long as you continue to do as you are told.

Max: What do you want from me?

Tess: For such a smart young man, you are very dense aren’t you.

Max: What do you mean?

Tess: I thought that by now you would have figured out that I am not who you think I am.

Max: Well, we know that you aren’t the fourth of us, but exactly who you are we haven’t figured that much out.

Tess: Well, kudos to you Max.

Max: Why did you have to kidnap Liz?

Tess: That is entirely your fault Max.

Max: How do you mean?

Tess: If you would have just followed the message none of this would have happened.

Max: Was that more of your doing?

Tess: I give you credit for figuring out the other things, but unfortunately, the message was real.

Max: How can I believe you now?

Tess: You have no choice. I’m the one holding all the cards. For all the things you have figured out you are missing the simplest one that is right in front of you face….

Scene: Outside the Cooper Place. Valenti and the others pull up in his Police vehicle and the get out of the truck and move to the side opposite of the house.

Isabel: That’s the place in my vision. I’m sure of it.

Alex: Okay, what should we do now?

Valenti: Michael and Maria, you two go to the back of the house. Alex and Isabel you two go to the sides of the house and check things out. I’ll go check out the front. Here.

[He hands them each a walkie talkie.]

Valenti: Use these to talk to one another. Everyone know what they are to do?

Michael: Yeah.

Maria: Sure.

Alex: Yep.

Isabel: Yes.

Valenti: Okay, now wait for the word before going in, and remember to keep very quiet.

[They each go their own way. Valenti towards the front of the house, Alex and Isabel towards the driveway side of the house. Michael and Maria work their way to the back of the house. Michael looks from window to window and looking through any open window he finds to make sure no one is in there. The work their way up to the back door, and wait for Valenti signal.]

Scene: The Radio Tower. Max and Tess are still there discussing what he must do.

Max: What do you mean by the simplest things?

Tess: Well, you have figured out by now that I’m the fourth alien, I fact I killed her more than ten years ago.

Max: So, you were the other alien with Nasedo in the Chamber room?

[Tess is taken back by this revelation.]

Tess: So, it appears that I have underestimated you once again. So, I see that Isabel has been going into my head. I guess I’ll just have to take precautions to avoid that again.

Max: But why?

Tess: This should be easy to figure out, Max. Think.

Max: If the message was real, then we are the only hope for our people, and you must have been sent to stop us.

Tess: Not bad, but not quite right. It’s taken me years to find out what has happened to the three of you, and now I want to know what was intended for the four of you to do.

Max: Thus, why you impersonated the fourth of us.

Tess: Bingo. What easier way to find out what your are intended to do, than to become one of you.

Max: So, all of this is just a ploy on your part. What about the book.

Tess: Just something we whipped together to help you believe our story.

Max: That’s why none of us can read it.

Tess: As far as I’m aware it’s not any language, but it was as close as we could come to your own language to still make it believable.

Max: So, what are your plans for us now?

Tess: Lets just say that you will continue to learn about your past, while we control you future.

Scene: The Cooper House. Valenti is walking up to the front door and takes out some lock picks and begins to work on the lock. He stands up and shines his flashlight inside the window on the door and is about to open it when a flicker catches his eye.

Valenti: [Into Walkie Talkie] Hold it everyone. It looks like we might have a snag.

Michael: [Over Walkie Talkie] What is it?

Valenti: [On the Walkie Talkie.] Hold on a second. It looks like they have booby trapped the doors. It will set off something should we go in.

[Cut to the back of the house and Michael looks through the windows on the back door. He sees what Valenti is talking about. He can see a thin wire running through a loop and tied to a screw on the door. The other end running off into the darkness.]

Michael: [On the Walkie Talkie.] Got it. Hold on a sec. Let me try something.

[He looks through the window and start to concentrate. After a few seconds the screw starts to wiggle, then unscrew itself. The screw comes loose from the door and falls safely to the side, and he opens the door.]

Michael: [On the Walkie Talkie] Okay, the back door is safe.

Michael: [To Maria] Tess is really going to hate herself.

Maria: Why do you say that?

Michael: Since she was the one who taught me how to do that.

[The others come up to join Michael and Maria.]

Scene: The Radio Tower. Max and Tess are still there talking. The stranger is still sitting in the car, not even moving or thinking of joining Tess.

Max: So what you are saying it that until you figure out what we are meant to do, you can’t kill us?

Tess: I’m not saying that at all. I can always kill you and you will never be able to serve that purpose. What I’m saying that as long as you cooperate with us, you and your friends will live to see another day.

Max: So, what exactly do you expect from me?

Tess: I expect you to come with us. We are going to try and figure out what purpose you could serve. Your “Parents” designed you in this form and ability level for some reason, and we are going to determine what that reason is.

Max: And how do you intend to do that?

Tess: Let’s just say that it can go the easy way or the hard way, and if you think that when Pierce captured you was bad, that is nothing compared to what I can do to you. Remember I have the ability to take you to near death, heal you and start all over again.

Max: So, you plan on torturing me to find out what I don’t even know.

Tess: Only if you force us too. The knowledge is buried somewhere in the mind of yours and I am going to get it out one way or another.

Max: But why did you have to kidnap Liz? Why not come and take me instead?

Tess: Because we had to make you aware that we are in control of everything. You may be able to defend yourself, but you can’t protect everyone.

Max: If you even think about hurting her, or anyone else I’ll…

Tess: You forget, that we are the one holding the bargaining chips not you.

Max: Just remember, if you hurt her, there will be no holding me back.

[Tess just starts to laugh at this.]

Scene: The Cooper house. Michael, Maria, Alex, Isabel, and Valenti have just entered the place through the back door that Michael had opened. Valenti is examining the wire that was tied to the door.

Valenti: So, how did you? Oh, never mind. It looks like the wire runs over this way, and to this…Explosives. They really meant business didn’t they? So, who are these people anyway?

Alex: Unfortunately we don’t even know.

Isabel: So, they were willing to kill anyone that found out where they were.

Valenti: All I can tell you is this is high tech stuff, and it also tells me that we are in the right place, why else would you be protecting an old run down building if there was nothing in it. So let’s fan out and see if we can find Liz, but remember to watch yourself.

[They begin to go through the house exploring the various rooms always being careful before opening any doors. The find that the front door was rigged the same way, and many of the windows as well.]

Maria: They really are thorough aren’t they?

Michael: It looks that way. Okay, we’ve searched this whole house and still haven’t found anything.

Alex: Did anyone search that room over there?

Isabel: I don’t think so.

[They all go to the door.]

Valenti: I think this door goes to the basement.

Michael: Well, only one way to find out.

[Valenti grabs his hand before he can open the door.]

Valenti: With the way that they set traps everywhere else in the house, this door is bound to be trapped as well.

Michael: But unless I can see what is there, I can’t remove it.

Valenti: Stand back, and let an old man work. You don’t have to be an alien to do everything. Sorry, no offense intended.

Michael: None taken.

[Valenti goes over to the door, and takes his knife off of his belt. He goes to the hinges of the door and removes the pins that hold it in place. Then he uses the blade of the knife to open the door from the opposite side far enough to shine his light through it and take a look. He sees that it is in fact set up similar to the other doors. He slides his arm with the knife through the opening and cuts the wire. Then he opens the door.]

Valenti: Allow me.

[Jokingly holds the door for the others. And they all go down the stairs into the basement. They start to look around, and Maria starts hearing some muffled noises.]

Maria: Liz is that you?

[More muffled sounds but louder. She turns her flashlight in that direction and sees Liz tied to a chair, and she runs over to her.]

Maria: Oh Liz!!! We’ve found you.

Alex: Thank God!!

[Valenti goes behind her and cut’s her loose and she stands up and removes her gag, and hugs Alex and Maria together.]

Liz: Thanks you guys. Where’s Max?

Isabel: He’s, uh, still with Tess.

Liz: We’ve got to go and help him. She’s crazy.

Michael: Don’t worry, he can take care of himself. No let’s get out of here.

Valenti: I agree with Michael. They could return at any time.

[They quickly make their way outside the house and towards the sheriff’s truck, when Michael stops and turns around to look at the building.]

Maria: Michael, come on!

[He turns and joins them in the car, but as soon as they are in the car, he looks back again and begins to concentrate. They pull away and suddenly the whole house behind his blows up.]

Michael: Covering our tracks.

[He just smiles to himself.]

Scene: The radio tower. Tess and Max are there still talking.

Tess: No matter what you think you could do, I could do it ten times worse. Don’t think that you could ever threaten me.

Max: That wasn’t a threat it was a promise…

[There is a sudden explosion in the background and it startles Max, but Tess doesn’t even seem surprised by it.]

Tess: Well, that’s one problem out of the way.

Max: What have you done?

Tess: Let’s just say I left a little gift for your friends should they manage to figure out where we were holding Liz.

Max: I’m going to….

Tess: You’re going to what?

Max: I’m…

[Max’s phone starts to ring. This really startles Tess more than Max. He just turns and runs to the Jeep and hops in it.]

Max: Guess you underestimated us again!!!!!!

[He turns and starts to drive away. The car that Tess came in pulls up and she hops in. and they start to chase after Max. They begin to catch up on it and Max is getting nervous. He keeps looking in the rear view mirror and they are getting close every time he looks. He figures that there is no chance of outrunning them, they just have the speed advantage over the Jeep. Realizing this he grabs the wheel and steers off the road into the soft sands of the desert. Tess and the other turn and continue the chase, but Max realizes that he has the upper hand here, and begins to push it. He begins bouncing and hopping over small hills and little ditches. The car that Tess is in is not handling the rough terrain as well, and it is visible, because Max is beginning to increase his lead when Tess’s car hits a ditch they can’t get out of and crash to a stop. And Max drives off into the night. Safe again. Tess get’s out of the car as well as the stranger, but due to the swirling dust we can’t see him, only hear him. Tess just slams her hands down on the roof of the car.]

Tess: Damn. He got away.

Stranger: This time, but there will always be next time.

Tess: But he knows more than he’s ever known. He’ll be on the lookout for us.

Stranger: That’ll go to our advantage. He’ll always have to keep his guard up, never knowing when we’ll come again. We’ve waited over ten years this far, so a little longer will not kill us.

Tess: But he’s got more friends to help him than ever before.

Stranger: Then, we’ll just have to use that you our advantage….

Scene: Outside the Crashdown Café. Liz is being dropped off by Valenti. The others have been dropped off at their places already.

Valenti: Well, Ms. Parker, here you are.

Liz: I don’t know how to thank you for all you guys did.

Valenti: I’m just glad that I could help you out. I’ll have a deputy drive by here through out the night to make sure that they don’t have a second chance.

Liz: Thanks again Sheriff.

[She gets out of the car and closes the door behind her.]

Liz: Night.

Valenti: Try to get some sleep.

[Valenti drives away and Liz turns to go inside. She can tell that the sun will be coming up soon, and she opens the door and goes inside the Café. She goes upstairs and goes into her room. It appears that her parents didn’t even know she was gone and she’s happy that she wouldn’t have to try and explain this one. She goes to open her window and let some air into her room when she is surprised to find Max standing there. She opens the window and climbs out onto the roof.]

Liz: Max.

Max: Thank god, you are okay. I’m so sorry this has happened to you.

Liz: It’s not your fault.

Max: It wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t know me.

Liz: You can not say that, and my life would be nothing if I hadn’t met you. The moment you came into my life that day in the café, was the first day of my life. And I would never change it for anything.

Max: But…

Liz: I would endure any amount of pain to spend my life with you.

Max: I love you so much.

Liz: Me too.