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 There's dead silence in the van as it speeds north toward the Gallinas mine. The further from Eagle Rock they travel, the more the rain slackens. It's down to a light rain. The Parkers are in shock. Diane Evans studies Isabel. She had seen Isabel handily sweep aside the agents. She's not sure how or even why. Why were they all fleeing the FBI? What's really going on? But it's Amy DeLuca who voices what she is thinking.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on and what exactly are we doing?"
Maria cringes in her seat and tries to make herself small. She turns to Michael and gives him a look, but no one answers.
"Fine!" says Amy, throwing up her hands in disgust.
"When everybody's safe," Isabel says finally. "Not before."
By the time Max and Liz exit, the van is nowhere in sight. There are several men running for vehicles, including a jeep. They hear minor explosions from inside where Max has started a couple of diversionary fires.
"Let's go," says Max.
As the jeep starts and kicks into gear, Max runs and pulls the driver from the vehicle. He jumps in and puts it in neutral. Liz runs and climbs in the passenger side. They hear gunfire as he shoves the jeep in gear. Liz half falls into the seat.
They speed out the gate followed by several other vehicles.
"Hang on," says Max, as he floors the accelerator and makes for the highway, west, away from the van.
"They're gaining!" shouts Liz. Gunfire erupts and several bullets tear through the fabric on the jeep's cover. One hits Max in the arm. Blood spurts and spatters the windshield.
"Max!" screams Liz.
She looks in the back for something to stop the bleeding.
"Stay down!" warns Max.
"You're hurt!"
Liz tears at the leg of her scrubs.
"What are you doing?" asks Max.
"Just drive," say Liz, as she rips along the seam to just above her knee. She finds the strengthen to tear the leg away and begins to tie it around Max's arm as a tourniquet as he drives. He's always amazed at how quickly she acts, how she knows what to do even when they're floundering. There's more gunfire. They both flinch.
"Get down on the floor," says Max.
Liz slides off the seat and slips to the floorboard on her knees.
Max sees a big semi in front of him, clenches his teeth and aims directly for it.
Michael pulls the van to a stop. The mine is directly before them and he remembers his words to Valenti which ring so true to his ears: They're no such thing as safe. He swings the door open and gets out. Maria just stares ahead at the mine and has a deja vu experience.
"I can't believe we're back here," she says.
Amy DeLuca cocks her head and all the parents exchange blank looks.
Valenti opens the van's side door and begins to help everyone out. Isabel shoots a look at Valenti, then goes directly inside. She's angry with Valenti and angry with herself for being so easily duped.
"What is this place?" asks Diane Evans as she exits.
"A safe place," says Valenti, "at least, for now."
Phillip Evans follows, then Jeff Parker who helps his wife. Kyle is the last to emerge and he shakes his head.
"We should all go inside," says Valenti.
The semi sees the jeep coming straight at him and swears. He pulls his horn. Max steadies his nerve and continues. More shots come from behind. The semi begins to jackknife as the truck driver hits his brakes, hard. At the last minute, Max swerves left off the road; the jeep spins 360º as it hit the shoulder. He sees the cab slide down the highway, perpendicular to the road. It clips one of the pursuing vehicles and rolls it. Another tries to avoid the cab, but can't clear it. It ricochets off the cab into the first jeep. A third crashes head on and burst into flames.
Liz crawls back into the seat and her mouth drops to see the damage. Max puts the jeep back in gear, turns, and points the stolen jeep west.
"Sheriff," says Jeff Parker, "you seem to know something about what's going on here. I demand to know what's going on. Just what kind of trouble is Lizzie in?"
Valenti looks from Jeff Parker, to Nancy, the Evans, and Amy DeLuca. They all eye him curiously, but he just shakes his head and lowers it.
"Dad, don't you think this has gone on long enough?" says Kyle.
Amy looks surprised.
"It's our fault -- Max, Michael and I," says Isabel. "All of it."
"Isabel ..." cautions Michael.
"Max isn't here," says Isabel. "And everyone deserves an explanation. This has gotten so out of hand."
"What has, honey?" asks Diane.
"Everything ... everyone. We hurt everyone we know ... and Alex ..."
"Alex was an accident," says Diane.
"No, no ... that's not true."
"Isabel, this is not the time ..." says Michael.
"And when is?" interrupts Isabel. "This has gone on long enough. Kyle's right."
"I am?"
"Maybe you should wait until Max arrives," says Valenti.
"And what if he doesn't? We just left them. Anything could have happened to them!" Nancy Parker shakes her head and leans closer to her husband.
"Max and Liz will be fine," says Valenti. "They are decoying the FBI from the van ... to protect all of us. They'll be in touch as soon as they can."
"How long do we wait?" asks Maria.
"I'm not sure. 24 hours?"
"Then what?"
"I don't know."
Max feels a little woozy. They had crossed the state line into southern Arizona, to the outskirts of Willcox. The jeeps swerves.
"Max," says Liz. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just a little tired."
"You want me to drive?"
"No, we'll stop here, find a motel room."
Willcox is a small old cow town, He takes the exit and looks for a motel that still open and has a vacancy. Max pulls into the parking area of the Days Inn and begins to get out.
"Wait here," he says.
"Max, wait, your arm."
She looks in the back and pulls the military MP jacket she had seen on the floor.
"Here, put this on."
"Thanks," he says, putting on the jacket and disappears into the office. A moment later he returns with a key.
"I'll hide the jeep. You take the key," he says, handing it to Liz. "Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"I don't know if there's anything open, but I'll see what I can find."
Liz unlocks the door and flips on the light. Not exactly Bali Hai, but it was nice and clean and that's all Liz really wanted. She goes in the bathroom and turns on the light. She looks in the mirror and is horrified by what she sees -- she looks like a war-torn refugee from Bosnia. She definitely needs something else to wear. But more than anything, she wants a shower.
When Max returns, he's carrying some chips, crackers and cheese, chocolate, and a couple of Cokes. Liz is just coming from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Suddenly, Liz seems much more tastier than his meager bundle.
"Everything's closed," he says, "this is the best I could come up with."
"This is fine," says Liz, taking junk food and placing it on the bedroom night table. She then strips off Max's coat and unwraps her makeshift bandage.
"Can you fix it?"
Max nods and places his hand over the wound. Liz watches as his hand begins to glow, then just as quickly stop. He withdraws his hand and his arm is like new. She touches the spot, never ceasing to be amazed by Max's gift.
"If you want a shower, the water's reasonably warm," she says.
"Yeah, a shower would be good," says Max, painfully aware of the discomfort growing between his legs and a hunger that food couldn't satisfy.
"Just how do you expect to hear from Max?" asks Diane.
"Well, Liz, I understand, always has her cell phone," says Valenti.
"No," she doesn't, " says Maria, "All our book bags are still at school. Liz keeps hers in her bag. We never got our bags."
"She's right, Dad," says Kyle. "They just got all students out. The bags are probably still on the floor of the school."
Valenti curses himself.
"Isabel?"
"Max usually carries his phone in his pocket, but I don't know if he had it with him."
"You have your phone, don't you Kyle?"
"No, the secret police took it."
"Then if Max had his, the FBI probably confiscated his, too."
Diane Evans is clearly disappointed.
"Does anybody have a cell phone?" asks Valenti.
"I do," says Phillip Evans.
"Great," says Valenti, then to Isabel, "What's Max's number?"
Phillip Evans dials the number, but there's no answer.
"Guess that answers that."
The Evans walk away and begin to talk with the Parkers.
"Isabel, why don't you just dreamwalk Max?" asks Maria.
"It doesn't always work," says Isabel. "I couldn't reach him in NY. I'm not sure I can do it when he's awake or far away."
"It's worth a shot," says Michael.
"I need someplace private," says Isabel, looking at their parents.
"I think I can arrange that," says Valenti.
When Max emerges from the bathroom, his eyes light on Liz. She's more beautiful than ever, he thinks. She sits on the bed, under the sheets and dries her hair with the towel. She doesn't see him at first, but when she does, there's her radiant smile.
"What?" she asks, a little shyly.
"Nothing," he says and walks to the bed and sits next to her. He takes the towel from her hand and begins to dry her hair. She surrenders to his gentle touch and closes her eyes. No one, no one, makes her feel the way Max does. She wraps her arms around him to pull him close to her and hungrily seeks his mouth. Max forgets the towel and runs his hands through the tangle of her damp hair. He feeds off her hunger, feels the warmth of her body beneath the sheet as she leans back against the pillows and draws him unto her. He pulls back a moment, sees her desire, then slowly lifts the sheet from her skin. He feels his need for her grow and he sees it in her eyes as she unhooks the towel from his middle and strips it from his body. He lowers himself unto her, feels her respond as their bodies touch. The food on the table lies wrapped, untasted.
"Oh, God," says Isabel, as she breaks from the dreamwalk.
"What is it?" says Michael, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. ... Nothing. They're fine." says Isabel.
"Are you sure?" asks Valenti.
"Yeah, I'm sure," says Isabel.
"No problems?"
"No problems." Valenti nods and walks away.
When he's out of earshot, Michael asks, "What did you see?"
"Michael, can you leave it?"
"Come on, Isabel, you saw something."
"I did see something, but I don't want to talk about it."
"What could be so bad that you can't talk about it?"
"Michael, if you really must know, seeing my brother and Liz Parker having sex is the last thing I wanted to see."
"Really?" say Michael, slightly amused.
"It's bad enough I have to see them making out in public together! It just gives me the creeps!"
"I guess we can assume they're somewhere safe," says Michael, "Did you see where they were?"
"Michael!"
Liz wakes with a start. Max is gone.
"Max?" she call out, but there's no answer.
She sits up, pulling the sheet around her. On the end table, she notices a note and picks it up to read.
"Gone to pick up a few things. Back soon." She drops it back on the table as Max comes through the door.
"Hi," he says."
"Hi," says Liz, "What time is it?"
"Quarter of 11."
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"I couldn't" he says, putting some bags on the table.
Liz gets out of bed, wrapped in the sheet and walks over to the table.
"What have you got here?"
"I picked up some things for you," says Max, handing her one of the bags. "I hope they fit."
Liz peeks in the bag. There's a pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, underwear, and some flip flops. She smiles as she sees the one size fits all tags on the underwear.
"I've never bought woman's underwear before," he says shyly.
"Thanks, they're perfect," she says and gives him a peck on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom to change.
"I've got some breakfast," he calls out, "Nothing fancy."
"I'm sure it's fine," says Liz through the door.
Max sets the table while Liz dresses.
"How did you pay for all this?" asks Liz, exiting the bathroom.
"I cashed my paycheck a couple of days ago, so ..."
Liz nods. She puts the flip-flops on, using the door frame to help keep her balance.
"When we get back to Roswell, I'll pay you back. You shouldn't have to pay for these."
"I don't mind," says Max. The jeans are too long, even though they were marked short. Liz had rolls the ends up a good couple of inches, but the red top is a good fit and shows her figure off nicely.
They sit at the table and munch on some donuts, juice, tea and coffee.
"This tastes sooo good," says Liz.
"Liz, we're not going to the mine," says Max.
Liz looks surprised.
"We're not? What about the others? How are we going to let them know?"
Max whips out a TracPhone.
"$19.99 special."
"I should have known," says Liz, realizing that Max has a plan. "Where are we going?"
"South of Tucson."
"Tucson, isn't that where Laurie Dupree lives?"
"Yeah, but that's not why we're going."
Liz looks puzzled.
"We're going to a place called The Boneyard."
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