So, where are the queen and your sister today, Max?» «That's partly why we've come here," Max said. «We sent Isabel, my sister, away. Liz has been having premonitions, and she recently had one where Isabel was being vivisected by Special Unit agents.» «Special Unit. I hate those guys," Langley said. «But I thought Nasedo shut them down.» «Hardly," Michael said. «They've been coming after us in a major way for the last year.» «Tess came back," Max said, explaining. «My son was rejected on Antar, so she came back so they wouldn't kill him. But her ship got shot down above Roswell and crashed. The air force got it, and she barely escaped with our child.» «Boy does this sound familiar," Langley said snidely. «Why anyone would bring a ship anywhere near Roswell is beyond me.» Liz gave Langley a cool look, then continued where Max left off. «After she gave us Max's son, Tess went back to the air force base and blew it up. Completely. That's when the Special Unit really started coming after us.» «We've been on the run ever since," Max said. «We've had a couple of scrapes with Skins along the way.» «Not to mention those scaly, pointy-headed uglies with the pointy, nasty teeth," Maria said, pantomiming fangs by curling her fingers in front of her mouth. «And yesterday," Max continued, «we almost got caught by government agents.» «Ah, the good old reliable Men in Black," Langley said. «You know, those movies have more truth to them than most people realize. Except the MiBs aren't friendly to any aliens. Oh, and none of them have the charisma of Will Smith.» «I liked Tommy Lee Jones better," Michael said. «Yeah, somehow I guessed that," Langley said, before turning back to Max. «So what are you here for this time? What is it you need now?» «We're tired of running, and tired of fighting. We want to find a way to either get rid of the Special Unit once and for all, or…» Max hesitated. «Or what?» «Or we expose them for what they are and what they're doing. But if we do that, we won't be able to avoid exposing ourselves, too.» Langley didn't say anything, and instead took a quick swig from the Tabasco sauce bottle that had been sitting in front of Michael. «There's more," Maria said. «The Special Unit guys have taken Max's parents prisoner. And Liz's. It happened early today.» Langley nodded. «Almost ironic that it's humans who are doing the abducting to find aliens, isn't it?» He let the question hang in the air for a bit, then turned to Max. «And you're expecting me to help you get out of this mess?» Max didn't know if Langley was being glib, or if he was looking to blame the ex-king for whatever action Max was about to order him to take. They both knew that Langley was genetically programmed to obey any command Max gave him. He maintained steady eye contact with Langley. «You will help us. You will do everything in your power, use all of your money or your resources.» The kitchen was silent for a moment as Max continued staring into Langley's eyes. Finally, Langley gulped and nodded. «I thought you were going to say that. Since you asked so nicely, I'll sit down and figure out a plan with you. But first, you guys really stink. Go take a shower, and I'll have some new clothes for you.» Inhaling discreetly, Max caught a whiff of himself. He decided that Langley's idea sounded terrific. Maria and Liz were in the bathroom upstairs. Liz dried her hair as Maria stepped out of the twelve-nozzle glass-tiled shower. The marble-floored bathroom was filled with steam, but now that the showers were off, fans were sucking the vapors up and out of the room. «You could fit ten people into this shower," Liz said, impressed. «I have never been in a place this nice," Maria said as she toweled herself off. «Maybe I'll look for a place like this after I get my big non-soul-sucking music contract.» Liz was amused. «Is there any such thing?» She remembered when Maria had turned down a recording contract she had been offered in New York because they were trying to turn her into «a prefab, breast-implanted, BritneyChristina-j. Lo clone.» «There's gotta be, girlfriend. P. J. Harvey or Dido or lots of other grrrls are doing what they want," Maria said. «And they're successful. Why not me?» Liz nodded. «Maybe after all this is over.» «So what about this Langley guy?» Maria asked. «Is he anything like what you imagined?» Liz remembered what Max had told her about the alien protector who had wanted to be human, no matter what the cost. «Yeah, pretty much. Max told me quite a bit. Actually, I was expecting him to be more of a jerk.» Maria snorted. «Do not repeat this, or I will kill you, but he actually reminds me of Michael. Like maybe he's Michael in another twenty years. If Michael had a future, and a lot of money, that is.» Liz moved her thumb and forefinger across her mouth. «My lips are sealed.» She thought that maybe Maria was being too hard on Michael, but now wasn't the time to say it. No, it is the right time, she thought. «Maria, you've really been down on Michael about his future lately, and pretty doom-and-gloomy about yours, too. I know we're all stressed and tense, but we're going to make it through this. And I really need my old bouncy, happy buddy Maria back if I'm going to hold it together until this is over.» Maria looked at her oddly as she wrapped the large towel around herself. Then she walked over and hugged Liz. «Okay, Liz. I'll try to be the one-woman Roswell pep squad for a while. Will that help?» «Just don't do any cheers," Liz said, grinning. Later, they were all gathered in the palatial study located on the second floor of Langley's mansion. A terrace outside offered a gorgeous view of the city at night, a veritable galaxy of lights. But after some initial oohs and ahhs, the four teens turned their attention to the plans they needed to make. Liz was in much better spirits than she had been just hours earlier, even though she still worried about her parents. At least we're finally making some progress toward freeing them, she told herself. Langley had spread a large map of the greater Los Angeles area out across his expansive dining room table, and Max placed the alien compass on top of it. Then he began unloading the other alien devices from his bag. «You've been using the ken-teef, huh?» Langley asked. «The what?» Michael replied. Langley pointed at the compass. «That. The ken-teef. It's an alien-tracking device.» «Umm, I can't say we've been using it," Max said. «We just got it. We don't even know how it works.» Langley sighed. «Boy, Nasedo really didn't give you much to go on, did he? Okay, which one of you is the most psychic?» Liz raised her hand. «I guess I am.» «Well, you pick it up, then," Langley said. «Now, think about what you want to find. Think about aliens in the immediate vicinity.» Liz concentrated, and the white nodule on the top of the device began blinking. «Notice how the lights are pointed in multiple directions?» Langley asked. «That's because there are three aliens in this room, and another in the house. It's trying to show you all of them. Now, concentrate on one alien.» Liz did so, and the white segment nearest Max started blinking rapidly. «Good," Langley said. «See, it's not so hard, once you focus.» «And if you know what the hell you're doing» Michael said, half under his breath. «Now turn it over so the white part faces the map," Langley said. As Liz did so, he said, «Now think of all the aliens in the area. It's only got about a forty-mile range as a locator, and it won't work with humans, so don't even try to use it to locate your kidnapped parents.» «So how did Eddie find us with it, then?» Michael asked. «He was farther than forty miles away from us.» «Maybe it was the Chameleon's help," Maria said sarcastically. Liz ignored them and concentrated, and was surprised to find a multitude of lights dotting the map. «They're all over!» «Who'd have thunk it that Hollywood would be/ull of aliens," Langley said with a wry smile. He pointed back toward the map and said, «Now concentrate on only the Antarian aliens in the area. It should show my house here with the three " Liz's mouth fell open as the clusters of lights from the ken-teef settled. On two different areas. One was clearly Langley's house, and three white spots were visible there. But the other was in the City of Industiy, which lay near the map's southeast edge. Three white spots could be seen there as well. «Is there something you're not telling me?» Langley asked. He reached for the ken-teej. «Let me try that.» He looked down at the map, and one light shone in his sector. «There's me.» The light shifted position slightly. «There's Max.» A moment later, two more lights appeared near the location of the first two. «That's Michael," Langley said, looking up at the others. Liz's mind raced to find an explanation, but Max found it first. «The Dupes. From New York. They must be out here as well. Maybe they're on the run from the Special Unit the same way we are.» He turned to Langley, concern showing on his face. «Look for the signatures for Ava and Vilandra.» Two dots on the map appeared at the City of Industry location. One of them was flickering, like a guttering candle flame. «That's them," Langley said. «But one of them is in big trouble.» 11. Elk, New Mexico In the darkness, Jim Valenti hugged the wall of the building, moving slowly but surely toward his target. The gun in his hand was his service revolver, but the rest of the equipment he carried had been provided by Agent Duff. He had never had occasion to wear a bulletproof vest during the course of his duties in Roswell, much less the other assorted pieces of body armor that protected his limbs and torso. A black stocking cap mask was rolled up over his forehead, helping to hold in place his night-vision goggles, as well as the earpiece communicator and its wire-thin throat microphone attachment. He and Duff had come here in the same sleek black helicopter that Duff had used to reach Laurie Dupree's sprawling Tucson estate. The ultra-advanced chopper was yet another thing that Valenti wasn't used to; he had ridden in a few helicopters during his training days, but had repeated the experience only a handful of times in the years since. And it was quite another thing to be in one of the high-speed, long-range «black helicopters» that the UFO nuts, conspiracy buffs, and insomniac long-haul truckers so enjoyed discussing over the talk-radio airwaves during the wee hours. When Duff had first arrived in the chopper at the Dupree estate, Valenti had expected a pilot to climb out of the cockpit after she did. Instead, he had been surprised to note that she was the pilot. He felt ashamed of his initial sexist impulse; he realized that he never considered that a woman might be rated as a helicopter pilot. She had wasted no time disabusing him of that prejudice, informing him that her military specialty prior to joining the FBI had been rotor-based aircraft. Tonight, after leaving Amy and Laurie behind in the relative safety of the Tucson mansion, Duff and Valenti had landed the specially equipped chopper a half mile or so away from the Special Unit safe house, and then covered the remaining ground on foot. Duff had outfitted Valenti with the latest in combat gear; he felt a little silly getting dressed up, but now that he was nearing the target, he was grateful for the additional protection and weaponry. Strapped to his leg was a hand-held, high-voltage stun gun, and his gloves were weighted with shot, like an oldfashioned sap. He also had an ASP baton in one leg pocket, but he wasn't trained in its use. The Roswell Sheriff's Department hadn't used them. In fact, Valenti had only rarely had occasion to take his PR-24 side-handle baton out of his vehicle while on duty. Walking carefully so as not to break any sticks or kick any rocks, he peered around the corner of the building. The main ranch house was ahead, the night-vision gear turning it an eerie emerald hue. Most of the windows were covered with curtains, and the lights inside were either dimmed or shut off entirely. «You in position?» he heard over the earpiece. «Yeah," he said into the wire microphone. «Ready as I'll ever be.» «Okay, let's move in," Duff said. Valenti caught a glimpse of her as she moved across the wide driveway, which he noticed was conspicuously devoid of cars. She was moving forward quickly, her sidearm in her hand. As she made her way to the area in front of the raised front porch, Valenti circled around to the rear. The door there was illuminated by a single glass-encased bulb, and was as unguarded as the front entrance had appeared to be. «I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Valenti whispered into his mike. «Where are the lookouts?» «They may not have any," Duff said. «Are you sure this is the right place?» «We'll find out in a moment," Duff said. «In five.» Valenti edged along the wall toward the rear door, pulling the stocking-cap mask down over his face and goggles as he advanced. «Four.» Valenti quickly double-checked the perimeter to make sure no one was standing in the shadows nearby. «Three.» He leaned over and peeked into the back window. He thought he saw a furtive movement in a darkened hallway. «Two.» He grabbed the doorknob, feeling it turn freely in his gloved hand. Unlocked. His breath felt moist against the mask. «One.» Valenti quickly pushed the door open, his gun at the ready. He moved as silently as he could manage, though he felt sure that whoever he'd seen moving inside the house must have heard him. He could also hear Duff entering through the front door on the opposite side of the house. He moved down the hallway toward the spot where he had seen the movement, and heard a sound on the other side of one of the interior walls. Footsteps were headed toward him from beyond a nearby open doorway. Valenti switched the gun to his left hand and cocked his right hand back into a fist. As soon as the figure came forward and he saw immediately that it was a man wearing dark paramilitary clothing, clearly not a civilian he let loose his strongest punch, straight to the man's jaw. The shot-filled glove gave his punch extra power. The man stumbled backward, obviously completely surprised, his arms pinwheeling wildly. Still conscious, he struggled to regain his balance and was trying to yell something. But Valenti could see that his jaw was now at an odd angle, and the shout that emerged was incoherent. The man swung at Valenti and missed, and Valenti poi