Max shook his head. It was only his second day on the job, and he was still trying to get used to the way the guy was always saying something outrageous.
"I want you to go on-line and see what you can dig up about him. I think his name is Barrett, something like that," Ray said. "You can use the computer at the information desk. If anyone comes up with a question you can't answer, call me. We get some pretty wackadoodle questions here."
"You got it, chief," Max said. He headed over to the computer and logged on. This should be kind of fun. He always liked reading people's theories about the Roswell Incident. One of his favorites was that the aliens were really angels. It was pretty funny to think of Michael as an angel. Or Isabel. His sister wasn't exactly the angelic type.
He typed aliens and Elvis in the search box and hit enter. He shifted on the hard metal chair. All the rhinestones of his Elvis jumpsuit were sticking into him. He just hoped that Ray didn't decide to do some exhibit on the connection between Marilyn Monroe and aliens because he was not dressing up like her, cool job or no cool job.
A list of more than a thousand possible matches for aliens and Elvis came up. Max skimmed the first twenty on the list, trying to figure out which one was the most likely to have the info he needed.
Max heard footsteps rushing toward the information desk. He glanced up and saw Liz. He jumped to his feet and hurried around the desk to meet her. "What's wrong?" He knew it was something serious. Liz's usually placid aura was leaping and dancing around her head, streaks of red shooting through the beautiful amber color.
"Max, why don't you take your break," Ray called.
"Come on." Max led Liz to the little coffee shop in the back of the museum. It was almost empty. He pulled out a chair for Liz and sat down across from her. "Tell me."
"Valenti ambushed me when I got off work," Liz said in a rush. He could hear a tiny tremor in her voice. "He says he knows there's still an alien in Roswell."
"Was he just pumping you, or does he have some-" Max began.
"He said someone broke into the bowling alley last night. They knocked out the security guard-but the guy didn't have a lump on his head, and he wasn't drugged or anything. Valenti thinks an alien used his power to do it."
"Nikolas," Max said. Why hadn't he found a way to stop Nikolas yet?
"Yeah." Liz looked down at her hands, which were clenched together on the table. "And Max? I think Isabel was with him. Yesterday night when we all went to the movies-well, except you-Isabel took off with Nikolas," she went on in a rush.
Max slumped back in his chair with a sigh.
"I thought about calling you," Liz said. "But I didn't because I didn't think there was anything you could do. You or any of us."
Max dropped his head into his hands. He didn't need anyone to call him. He'd felt power being used last night. Why hadn't he kept Isabel away from Nikolas? He should have tied her to a chair if he had to.
Yeah, like that was a real option. But there must be something he could have done, some way of-
Liz reached out and took his hand. "You look just like my papa when he's thinking about my sister. He stares into space, and I can practically hear him thinking, 'What if, what if, what if.' Don't start blaming yourself, Max. It's a waste of time."
She was right. It was a waste of time. He should be figuring out what to do now. He scrubbed his face with his fingers. Okay. First thing he had to do was warn Isabel about Valenti.
"I'll be right back," he told Liz. He stood up so fast, he knocked over his chair. He left it lying there and searched through the museum for Ray. He found him dusting some fossils in the exhibit that illustrated how man really evolved from aliens and not from primates.
"Uh, Ray, I have sort of a family emergency. I know I just took a break, but I need to leave. I'll come back. I'll work late. You don't have to pay me or-"
"Go," Ray said. "And let me know if there's anything I can do."
"Thanks." Max trotted back to the coffee shop. "Let's go find Isabel," he said to Liz. They rushed out to his Jeep. "I guess we'll just try my house first. If she's not there, maybe Michael, Maria, and Alex will help us look."
"Of course they will," Liz answered.
He pulled out of the parking lot. He wanted to floor it, but he forced himself to drive at the speed limit. Getting stopped by Valenti right now would not be a smart thing to do.
It was only a couple of miles to his house, but it felt like hours before he turned onto the street.
"She's there," Liz said. "I can see Nikolas's motorcycle in your driveway."
Max checked for his parents' car. It wasn't there. Good. He pulled up in front of the house, leaped out of the Jeep, and strode across the front lawn. Liz was right beside him. He was glad she was here. He knew he shouldn't be. But he was.
"Isabel," he yelled as soon as he was through the front door.
"I'm right here," she answered from the living room. "What's your problem?"
He rushed down the hall and saw Isabel and Nikolas on the couch. She was practically sitting on his lap, and her lips looked all swollen. Obviously he'd interrupted a major make-out session. He didn't even want to think about Nikolas touching his sister.
"Congratulations, Nikolas," he spat. "You've been back in town, what, a few weeks? And you've already got Valenti coming after you."
"What?" Isabel cried.
"He asked me a bunch of questions," Liz said. "He knows I have some kind of connection to the aliens he's looking for. He just can't prove it."
"Are you okay?" Isabel began.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Max interrupted. He locked gazes with Nikolas.
"I told you I'm not worried about Valenti," Nikolas answered.
"I guess you weren't worried about that security guard at the bowling alley, either. The one you knocked unconscious," Max said. He turned back to Isabel. "How could you let him use his power like that? You know we never use the power to do harm."
"Hey, she didn't let me do anything," Nikolas said, anger creeping into his voice. "And you may have a lot of rules about how you use your power, but I don't."
"Max, he didn't hurt the guy," Isabel said.
"Don't defend me," Nikolas snapped. He stood up and pulled on his jacket.
"How do you know he didn't hurt the guy?" Max demanded. "How do you know that he didn't do permanent damage to that guard's brain or something?"
"Oh, please. I can't stand listening to one more second of your whining," Nikolas said. "You want to see what I did to the guard? Will that make you feel better?"
In three long strides he reached Liz's side.
"Nikolas, no!" Isabel screamed.
Nikolas touched Liz's forehead, and she crumpled to the floor.
"What did you do?" Max bellowed.
"Just a little demonstration," Nikolas replied as he strolled out of the room.
Max wanted to run after him and pound him into the ground. But he couldn't leave Liz. He dropped down on his knees next to her. She was so still, so pale.
"Is she okay?" Isabel cried.
Max ignored her. Form the connection, he ordered himself. Forget Nikolas. Forget Isabel. Forget everything but Liz. He gently rested his hand on her forehead. Instantly he was in. He had become so close to Liz that he could probably form a connection without even touching her.
Okay, what did Nikolas do to Liz's body? No, to their body. Nothing separated Max and Liz now. He could feel her heart beating inside him. Feel her blood rushing through his veins.