The Seeker

Max pulled the Jeep out of the driveway and peeled out down the street. Isabel twisted around and ran her fingers down Maria's cheek. "Something weird happened with Maria a couple of days ago," she told Michael. "We were in English, and she had a little spell or something. Like a blackout. When I asked her what happened, she wouldn't tell me."

Michael gave a growl of frustration. "That happened when she was with me, too. I should have known she was hurting herself. She looked like she was half dead when she was paralyzed."

"What are you talking about?" Max demanded.

"Maria's psychic. Every time she uses her power, she gets paralyzed. Can't move, can't talk, nothing. She made it sound like it was no big deal. But she couldn't see herself when it was happening. If she could-" Michael broke off and shoved his fingers through his hair.

"Psychic? Are you sure?" Isabel exclaimed.

Max pulled into the UFO museum parking lot and parked the Jeep at the foot of the stairs leading to Ray's apartment. "Do you want help with her?" he asked Michael.

"No. No, you go ahead. Tell Ray what happened. I'll be right behind you." Max and Isabel jumped out of the Jeep and took off up the stairs.

Michael climbed out of the Jeep and took the stairs more slowly, trying to jar Maria as little as possible. "Ray's going to know how to help you," he told her. He wanted her to know what was happening.

Ray met him at the front door. "Put her down in the living room and let me look at her," he said.

Max shoved a couple of the beanbags together, and Michael carefully laid Maria on top of them. He sat on the floor nearby, keeping her hand locked in his.

Ray knelt down next to them. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. With a shaking hand he lightly touched one of the red spots on Maria's face.

"Bounty hunters," he whispered.

"What?" Michael demanded.

Isabel joined them in the living room. "I called Alex. He's going to get Liz and come over."

Ray grabbed Michael by the arm, his fingers squeezing hard. "Max said you saw some kind of creatures when you co

"Yeah. Why? What's going on? Can you help her?" Michael asked.

"The things you saw… they're bounty hunters. A race of creatures from our planet," Ray explained. "Their bodies are designed for hunting, and our people used them to track down criminals. They use a kind of… mental warfare. It leaves spots like the ones on Maria."

"Mental warfare? What's that?" Isabel demanded.

"It's something the hunters use to kill from a great distance," Ray answered. "They use their minds as weapons. Their power is staggering."

"Kill?" Michael exploded. "Someone's trying to kill Maria?"

"It looks that way," Ray said.

"But you're saying an alien did this," Max jumped in. "Why would an alien target Maria?"

"Good question," Ray said. "I don't-"

"I have a better question," Michael interrupted. "How do we stop them? What do we have to do to save Maria?" He stared down at her face-and saw her eyelids flutter. "She moved!" he cried.

He rubbed her hand between his. "Maria, can you hear me?" Michael demanded. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes slowly opened. They had lost their horrible blank expression. "Thirsty," she mumbled.

"I'll get water," Isabel said.

Michael brushed Maria's hair away from her face. He smoothed her shirt down over her stomach. He couldn't seem to stop touching her. "You scared me," he said.

"Sorry." Maria's voice was thick and scratchy. Isabel rushed back in and handed Michael a glass of water. He wrapped one arm around Maria's shoulders and helped her sit up enough to drink.

"Do you feel well enough to tell us what happened?" Ray asked.

"I don't know what happened. How did I get here? What-" She was interrupted by a frantic pounding on the front door.

"I got it," Max said. He hurried out of the room and returned a moment later followed by Alex and Liz.

"Are you okay, Maria?" Liz cried.

"What happened?" Alex half yelled.

"I stopped by Maria's and found her passed out on the floor," Michael explained. "She had these red spots all over her."

Maria raised her hand in front of her face. She gave a soft whimper when she saw the spots.

Michael tightened his arm around her. He knew it was going to be really hard for her to hear the rest. "Ray says alien bounty hunters were after her." He locked eyes with Maria. "They're using some kind of mental weapon on you, but we're going to figure out a way to stop them. Right?" he asked Ray.

Ray didn't give Michael the answer he wanted. He didn't say he knew exactly how to stop the bounty hunters. He just smiled at Maria. "First I think we need more information," he said. "Tell me about your psychic powers-and the spells you get."

"She doesn't have any psychic powers," Liz burst out.

Maria looked up at Liz. "Actually, I do. I was going to tell you. I just-"

"Maria," Alex said gently, "just tell us the facts."

"I… I found a ring in the mall, a ring with a strange stone," she said slowly.

A ring? Michael thought. Maria hadn't told him about that.

She cleared her throat, and Michael gave her another sip of water. "The stone helped me tap into psychic powers I didn't even know I had. Healing. And I could touch any object and then see the person it belonged to-know exactly what they were doing right at that second."

Michael could feel Maria trembling. But she was holding it together, telling them what they needed to know.

"Can I see the ring?" Ray asked.

Maria pulled the gold chain off her neck and handed it to Ray. A ring set with a green-purple stone hung on the end.

Ray ran one finger over the stone. "It's one of the Stones of Midnight," he said, his voice hushed and solemn. "I never thought I would hold one in my hand."

Isabel leaned over for a look. "That's Nikolas's ring!" she cried.

"I found it the night… the night he, you know," Maria said. "I didn't know it was his."

It was good to hear her talking. Plus her skin was cooler and those little red dots were gone. He'd been so afraid… Michael didn't even want to complete the thought.

"How could Nikolas have gotten the Stone?" Max asked.

"The Stone was stolen by the stowaway on our ship," Ray reminded them. "Maybe someone found it at the crash site. Or somehow it was attached to Nikolas's pod-"

"Who cares about that right now," Michael snapped. "We have to stay focused on Maria."

"Well, now I know why the bounty hunters have targeted Maria," Ray said. "They're after the Stone. The consortium must have hired them to track down the fugitive and retrieve it."

Ray ran his fingers through his thi

Maria cleared her throat again. "Wouldn't they be able to tell I wasn't an alien?" she asked.

"Not necessarily," Ray answered. "The hunters are probably still too far away to tell anything except that the Stone is being used."

"So if Maria stops using the Stone, it's over, right?" Michael asked. "If she doesn't use it, she doesn't send out a signal, and the bounty hunters can't find her, right?"

"I don't think they'll be able to find Maria if she doesn't use the Stone again," Ray agreed.

"Good. Problem solved. I'm taking her home," Michael said.

He decided he would sleep on her floor. No, not sleep. Lie on her floor and watch her, make sure she was okay.

"I'm fine," Maria protested. But she sounded awful. And Michael was pretty sure if he moved his arm, she wouldn't be able to hold herself upright.