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 Liz hears the sound of her heart pumping, just a bit too fast; each breath, just a bit too ragged. Her head pounds and she can barely see. Her mind races as her eyes begin to adjust. The pitch darkness begins to lift, but it's still very dark, very gray, very cold. Liz shivers. She wants to move, but can't. Why? Think, she tells herself. The drug. It must still be in her system. Where is she? It's hard to think. Can't feel legs, hands. Arms and torso ache. She has to be bound. If only she could focus better! There's the sound of footsteps, echoing ... slow, regular, louder. Liz's eyes dart back and forth, trying to concentrate, to get her head clear, to see who ... Oh God, Max, if you can hear or see me ..!
"What do you mean, the enemy?" says Ms. Topolsky. "And who are you?" she says, addressing Tess.
"Tess is one of us," says Max. "She found us ... after you left."
"The Skins are our enemy," says Tess.
"So there are four of you." says Topolsky.
"Yes," says Max.
"And no," continues Isabel.
Topolsky looks from Isabel back to Max.
"There are four others," says Max.
"Duplicates," says Michael. "They look like us, but they're different."
"Way different," says Maria. "They're like Spinal Tap rejects."
"Our people ... in order to protect Isabel, Michael, Tess and I ... also sent the duplicates."
"But ..."
"They are working with the Skins," says Isabel. "They have the ability to pass themselves off as any one of us."
"And they kidnaped Liz?" questions Topolsky.
"Yes," says Max.
"When did this happen?"
"This afternoon," says Maria. "She was just coming into the Crashdown. We had evening shift together. I saw her stop to talk to Michael and Isabel ..."
"Only it wasn't us," continues Isabel.
"Then I realized it was Lonnie and Rath when I saw Nicholas," says Maria. "They were gone by the time I got to the door."
"Who is Nicholas?"
"He's a Skin," says Michael, "some sort of general."
"Why did they take Liz?" asks Topolsky?
"To get to me," said Max, followed by an almost inaudible whisper (unheard by all but Isabel), "Liz."
"Alex?" says Liz, barely able to contain her shock. But he seemed different ... in his walk, his mannerisms, his dress.
"Kivar to you," he says.
"What have you done to Alex?"
"I thought you had eyes for Max only," with a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"What do you want?"
"I thought Nicholas said you were the smart human."
"I can't tell you anything."
"I'll leave that to Nicholas. I just wanted to see why Max is so interested in you," he said.
"You're going to kill him, aren't you?" says Liz, trying to control the nausea she was feeling from the drug and the fear that was building inside her.
"I told you, she wasn't as dumb as she looks," says Lonnie, sacheting into the room and grabbing onto Kivar. Then, to Liz, "He's not half bad when you take the cornball out of him."
"Alluring, isn't she?" says Kivar about Lonnie. "And how do you catch a fish ... with a lure!"
Lonnie rolled her eyes and looked at Liz.
"He never could tell a good joke."
"Max won't come," says Liz. "We're not even dating any more." Her lies seems weak, even to her.
"He'll come," says Lonnie. "He's in luv. Max's got pictures of her everywhere. I've seen um."
Liz shot Lonnie a look, trying not to reveal too much and sensing that she might have.
"Well, I think it's time for Nicholas to go to work. And just in case ...," says Kivar, pulling a needle from his pocket. "This will keep you very cooperative."
"What is that?" asks Liz.
"Don't fight it," he says, sticking the needle in her arm. "It's just a little insurance ... to make sure you tell us the truth."
"I don't know anything," Liz insists.
"See that," says Kivar to Lonnie. "Miss Perfect lies."
The FBI agent walks into Valenti’s office. Hanson is also there, ignoring the sheriff's dismissal, anxious to make points in front of the agent. The agent drops the photo of Michael in doctor's scrubs on the desk.
"Isn't that the Guerin boy?" says the deputy. "You know, the one we hauled in here when we found those bones."
"Yes," Valenti reluctantly admits.
"I need to bring him in for questioning."
"What's he done?" says Valenti.
Hansen is leaning very close to Valenti with an almost reptilian look to his eye, studying the photo, looking for clues that weren't there.
"Impersonating a doctor for one thing."
"He's a sly one, all right," says Hanson. "He's been in and out of the office many times, but we never seem to have enough evidence to catch him on anything."
"Is that right," says the agent, eying Valenti carefully.
"He's just a young dude flexing his muscles a bit, that's all," says Valenti, "You know, boys will be boys."
"Is murder just flexing?"
"Murder?"
"Hank Guerin."
"Hank Guerin's in Las Cruces. I saw him the night he left."
"He never made it. His body and car were found over the county line less than a hour ago. So unless Mr. Guerin found a way to kill himself, and then bury himself, we have a murder on our hands."
"How do you know that?"
"I have my sources."
"Do you want me to put out an APB?"
"Not yet, not until an autopsy is done. Right now, I'll just settle for an address."
"Is there anything else?" asks Valenti, handing over Michael's file.
"I'll let you know."
Max pulls Isabel away from the group so he can talk to her alone. He looks to make sure that Maria isn't nearby.
"Isabel, I saw Liz," he says, with a quick glance over his shoulder. "I'm worried. She's sick and she's frightened, but she doesn't want me to come."
"Did you see where?"
"No, I don't think she knows. We have to find her. She's been drugged. Nicholas and Lonnie, they'll hurt her."
"What do you want to do?"
"Can you dreamwalk Liz ... you know ... to see if you can figure out where she is?"
"I don't know, Max. If she doesn't know ..."
"We have to try."
"You know it's a trap."
"I have to risk it. I can't lose Liz."
Isabel nods. She couldn't refuse Max, not over this.
"I don't want to tell anyone ... until we're sure where Liz is. ... She's in real danger and I don't want anyone, especially Maria to know just how much."
"Okay, got it. I'll handle it. You just keep everyone away."
"Thanks, Is."
"My, my, my," says Nicholas, circling Liz. "If only Max could see you now."
"What did you do to Alex?"
"Alex? Oh, his body's just on loan for a while until Kivar really arrives."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?"
"The geeky guy? Not likely."
Liz wants to throw up, but can't. Her stomach feels seismonic, like two plating colliding and rolling over the top of each other.
"Why don't you just kill me now?"
"Why would we do that?" says Nicholas, "It's much more fun this way. You see, as long as you're alive, Max will do whatever we want him to do ... that is, until we don't need him anymore. Now, let's see what you can tell us, hmmm."
Nicholas puts his hand on Liz's head.
"Let's hope it's more than your sister. She's just brain dead."
"No," says Liz, trying to dislodge Nicholas' hand by twisting and turning her head.
"It's worse if you fight it."
"No!" she screams, and in that instant, she feels free. She's no longer bound. She's floating above herself. Nicholas is trying to read her mind, but he can't. Nicholas doesn't see her. It's like she's invisible. Liz drifts near the ceiling. She feels light; the nausea's gone. She puts her hand out as if to balance herself and she sees her fingers pass through the ceiling. Then she's through the ceiling, drifting outside the building, away from herself, her body. What's happening? Where is she? Almost immediately, she's in front of a sign, Chaves Co. Electrical Plant. Wasn't that the same place they took Tess? Then, just as quickly, Liz feels the pull on herself, violent and swift, as if she's being sucked down a black hole and the awful snap back into her body, the nausea, and drug-induced stupor.
"Max," screams Isabel, "Max!"
Max comes running, as does the others.
"She's at the Electrical Plant. We have to hurry."
"We need to call Valenti," says Max.
"I'll do it," says Maria, whipping out her cell phone.
"Isabel, Michael, Tess ... I need you to come with me."
"You're not going without me," says Maria.
"Someone has to wait for Valenti," says Max, "and I don't want you to get hurt."
"No way," says Maria. "Liz is my best friend."
"I'll stay," says Topolsky."
"Hey, what's the party?" says Alex as he makes a late entrance, then says "Ms. Topolsky?"
"This is getting us nowhere," says Nicholas. "She's just as bad as her sister! What is it with these humans?"
"Chill!" says Lonnie. "She's nobody. She's just Max's little side piece."
"If Max loves her, she's NOT just anybody. Do I HAVE to explain everything?"
"You got too many drugs in her."
"I want the Granilith, Lonnie and I want it NOW!"
"You'll get your precious Granilith. Max'll give up the Granilith to save his Liz."
"No, no," says Liz, "he won't."
Nicholas' head whips around.
"You know about the Granilith," Nicholas says venomously, sensing the kill. "Well, I guess it's not only Michael who can't keep secrets."
"I can't tell you anything," says Liz.
"Where is it?"
"I don't know," says Liz, realizing that maybe she made a mistake.
"Well, maybe I should have another look," says Nicholas.
"This is a frigging waste," says Lonnie.
"Don't count on it," says Nicholas.
At that moment, Max, Michael, Maria, Isabel, and Tess arrive.
"Yes," says Max, "don't count on it!"
"Lookie, here," says Lonnie, "It's The Justice League of America! I'm sooo scared."
"You ought to be," says Max.
Rath enters.
"Yo, you wanna flex? I'm ready, man."
A power struggle ensues as podsters and Skins exchange blows. Nicholas bowls down Isabel, Tess, and Maria with a flick of the wrist. Rath tries to stop Michael, but he's quicker and Rath goes down. Lonnie shoots a fireball in Max's direction, but he counters with a force shield.
Tess regains her footing and begins a counterattack on Lonnie.
"Watch out for the genocidal one!" says Nicholas, who has burst the water pipe near Liz. Water begins to pour around and on her.
"Max," screams Maria, as she realizes what Nicholas is doing.
He rushes toward Liz, but Nicholas knocks him down. Lonnie and Rath realize they are outnumbered and outgunned and start to retreat. Nicholas follows suit, but not before he grabs a live wire.
Max steps in front of Liz and holds her while he puts a force shield around them. Isabel, Michael, Maria, and Tess watch in horror as Nicholas throws the wire into the water and ...
"Liz!" shrieks Maria. "Max," says Isabel who unknowingly begin to redirect the electrical force away from Max and Liz. Tess and Michael realize what Isabel is doing and they all join forces and concentrate to successfully divert the electrical charge away from Max and Liz. Nicholas, Lonnie and Rath make hasty retreat through the door.
Max drops the force field and sinks to his knees.
"Max?" says Liz weakly as Topolsky, Valenti, Kyle, and Alex arrive.
"Oh, my God," says Valenti when he sees Max and Liz.
Max slowly gets up and hugs Liz.
"Are you okay?"
"I can't feel my body," she says.
Isabel comes over to Max and touches her shoulder. Tess and Michael hang back.
"Are you okay, Max?"
"Yeah," he says, still holding Liz. "Can you (looking up at the cuffs) ..."
Isabel unlocks the cuffs and Liz drops heavily into Max's arms.
"I can't stand," she says.
"It's okay. I have you."
"I think I'm going to be sick," she says.
"You and me both," says Maria, hugging both Max and Liz.
Liz and Max both manage weak smiles.
"I think it's time to get you out of here," says Valenti (to Liz).
"I still don't believe what I saw," says Maria, sometime later as she and Michael are relaxing in his apartment. Isabel and Alex are also there. So are Tess and Kyle.
"That was just so aMAZing," says Alex. "How did you guys do that?"
"I don't know," says Isabel. "I just knew Max was in trouble and ..."
"... by pooling our powers together," continues Tess, "we could save Max."
"And Liz," added Maria.
"And Liz," says Tess, guardedly, knowing how protective Maria was of Liz.
As they continue talking, there's a knock on the door.
Michael gets up and answers, expecting the Sheriff and Topolsky. Instead, there are several law enforcement individuals.
"Michael Guerin?" asks a man in a suit, with piercing blue eyes.
"Yeah," says Michael.
"FBI," he begins, flashing his ID card. You're under arrest for the murder of Hank Guerin ..."
Michael looks back in the room. Maria and Isabel are horrified. The rest sit up and are very concerned.
"This is a joke, isn't it?" asks Michael.
"... and the murder of FBI Special Agent Daniel Pierce."
They begin to read Michael his rights.
"Get Valenti," says Michael to Maria.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to reach him," says the agent.
"Why's that," says Kyle.
"Sheriff Valenti has also been arrested."
"What?" says Kyle.
"Never play with fire," says the agent, addressing Michael as he pushes him out the door.
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