"We still don't know if there is anything we can do," Michael said.
Isabel shook her head, "I haven't been able to contact her again. She may be awake or drugged, or out of it, or…”
"I don't think so. I saw Jimmy go to her funeral and she hasn't… turned up yet. But I think we're running out of time," Liz said.
"Another vision?" Max said.
"A feeling," Liz said.
"I don't know what else we can do, besides keeping our eyes open," Michael said.
"Then I guess we keep our eyes open," Max said.
"Are we even going to consider the possibility that… well, what Gomer said," Maria said.
"That the girls were taken by aliens?" Michael said.
"Isabel did see a monster in the dream," Maria said.
"And you said that monsters were metaphors," Michael replied.
"I know, I'm just saying that we should consider the possibility," she said.
"I don't think so," Liz said. "What are the odds of us running into aliens out here?”
"Isabel?" Maria said.
Isabel shook her head and said, "I don't know. The dream was awful, but that monster was like no alien we've ever seen. It just doesn't seem likely.”
"I agree," Max said. "We're dealing with a psycho or maybe a small group, but we have no reason to think any- thing else. Either way, we do the only thing we can and keep our eyes open.”
"I read a thriller about a kidnapping in Texas," Liz said. "The kidnappers are caught something like ninety-five percent of the time.”
That got Max's attention. "That's good," he said.
Liz nodded. "The problem is that eight-five percent of the time, the victims don't make it.”
Another spell of silence descended on the table.
"If I stay up late, I might be able to patch the van up so that we can make a quick getaway tomorrow," Kyle said.
"No," Max said. "We're in this for the long haul and we're going to need the van in good shape. Do it right and take the time you need. We'll leave when we're ready and can get far away from here. Besides…”
Max turned to Michael, smiled, and said, "When it starts to go down in the street…”
"We don't leave until it's finished," Michael replied.
Max heard a sharp intake of breath and then, Smack! "Ow," Michael said, rubbing his shoulder where Maria had struck him.
"This is not a gangster movie!" Maria said. "And it's just as well. They tend to end badly, Mr. Sonny Corleone.”
"It was just a joke," Michael said.
"Not a very funny one," Maria said.
Kyle rose, explaining, "I'd better get back. I want to at least get the engine back into the van.”
"Be careful," Max said.
"Always," Kyle said as he left the diner.
Everyone remained silent. Kyle wondered if they were all thinking the same thing he was: that there wasn't much time left before…
He wasn't sure what was coming, but he was certain that it was coming quickly. Like Liz said, it was a feeling.
17
When Kyle approached the garage he was glad to see that there was no sign of Gomer's pickup. He was also sur- prised to see movement through the office window. He caught a flash of blond hair. Dawn.
He entered the garage quietly through the large door. Kyle hadn't seen her enter the shop area since he had started at Johnny's. With any luck she would just go whenever she was done.
Back at the van, he was glad he had already rigged up the engine on the lift. He was getting tired after the long day. And he was slowing down after eating, as well. Max had said they were in this for the long haul. There was no point in staying up all night to work on the van.
He would have a long enough day tomorrow.
Well, if he pushed a little, he could wrap up the work in maybe an hour. He would have the engine set and bolted into place by then. He could take care of the finish- ing work tomorrow.
About an hour later, he tightened the last bolt on the last engine mount. Then he decided to clean up and join the others.
As he closed up the engine compartment, he realized there was something different about the air. It smelled…
Cool hands reached around and touched his face, then covered his eyes.
The air smelled nice.
It was Dawn. "Guess who?" she asked, laughing.
He placed his hands on hers and held them there for a long moment. Then he gently pulled them away. Without thinking, he realized that he was smiling. "I don't know… Dan," he teased as he turned around.
Her eyes flared in mock anger for a second, then she smiled.
"Oh, it's you," he said.
"Yes, it's me," she said. Then she just looked at him silently.
"Working late?" he asked, his voice rough. Surprisingly, he found that he was nervous.
She shook her head. "Dan's Web site. You're going to have to help me with that," she said.
"Maybe tomorrow… or…," Kyle began.
"I didn't mean tonight," she said. "I'm sure we can come up with something better to do tonight.”
Kyle's throat went dry. She watched him with a look of mild amusement on her face.
"What do you think, Kyle?" she said.
As it turned out, Kyle found that his mind was com- pletely blank. Then all he could think of was how good she smelled. What was that perfume? he thought.
And then she was moving. She leaned into him and put one hand around the back of his neck. As she pulled his head down, she extended her own neck.
Then she was kissing him. Soft and then open. For a moment, Kyle felt it. Sweet relief. This was exactly what he had wanted from the first second he had seen her sitting at her desk. There were no aliens, no Special Unit, no bullets slamming into his chest, no secrets… only her. And she was sweet.
For what seemed like a long time, Kyle lost himself in her. He kissed her firmly, and she answered back even more forcefully. This was what he needed. He wasn't a monk. And Buddha's Middle Way did not ask him to be.
Dawn was what he needed… but what he wanted was…
Isabel.
Not Dawn.
When the realization hit him, it did so with a sudden force that he felt in his stomach. He pulled his mouth away from hers. For a moment, she pulled him back with her tight grip. Then he was free again, pushing himself away gently but firmly.
"What is it, Kyle?" she asked, a light still on in her eyes.
"Ah… I can't, Dawn," he said weakly.
She glanced down and smiled at him again. "I know for a fact that isn't true," she said. She was still smiling, but the smile was getting tighter by the second.
"I like you. I really like you, but I won't be staying in Stonewall," he said, gaining more confidence in his own voice. The light in her eyes was almost completely out now. The look on her face hardened.
"I didn't ask you to, did I?" Dawn reminded him.
"And the van's full. I can't take anyone with me," he said.
Her eyes cold, she said, "I didn't ask you to do that, either.”
"I'm sorry, I…," he began.
"I know, you can't," she said sharply.
"Please understand," he said.
"Understand what?" she asked.
"I mean, I do like you," he said.
Her cold stare told him that she was expecting some- thing more. From him. But how to explain? How could he explain that it meant more to him to sit next to Isabel than it did to kiss her? How could he explain that he would rather talk to Isabel than… anything with her. Isabel was an impossible situation. She was still married, and up until days ago had been living happily with her husband. She wouldn't care what Kyle did with this girl.
But he would care. It would matter to him.
He couldn't make Dawn understand all that that. And she probably didn't really want him to try.
"I'm sorry, I really am. But there is someone else in my life," he said.
He saw a brief flash before the side of his face exploded into red.
Smack! His hand was touching his cheek before what had hap- pened registered on him. As he rubbed the place where she'd slapped him, she began shouting.