The Stowaway

"Ways where noone ends up dead," Maria added.

"Let's talk about it on the way to the bus station," Alex instructed. "No matter what we decide to do about DuPris, we've got to find Isabel and Adam."

Michael turned back around, and the Jeep jolted back down the highway. "We could just kill DuPris," he told them. "I had a problem with the consciousness using Max to do it against his will, but I have no problem with going in there and doing it myself."

"That's crap," Max shot back.

Liz agreed. She could see Michael killing if he had no choice, if there was no other way to save an i

"I don't know if you could kill him if you wanted to-no offense," Alex added. "It was DuPris's power combined with Adam's that turned Valenti into the Abominable Ashman, remember?"

"Too bad we can't use the ring," Maria said. "The Stone of Midnight might be strong enough to send DuPris back without using any of Max's power."

"If we knew how to work it." Liz loosened her hair and immediately reknotted it.

"And if it didn't send a signal to the bounty hunters that would not die," Michael added. "I thought I killed one of them, and it just divided into two parts. Both alive."

"Hold the phone!" Alex exclaimed.

"Hold the phone?" Michael repeated. "What are you, a dork?"

"A dork who's going to save Max's smooth pink butt," Alex answered. "The bounty hunters were hired by the beings on your home planet because they wanted DuPris brought back for judgment. Let them do their job."

Suddenly Liz felt as if she could breathe again-deep, full breaths of the cold night air. "So we give DuPris the ring. He won't attack because Max almost killed him the last time."

"I don't think I could do it again even if I wanted to," Max said. "I would need the strength of the consciousness, and they don't want him dead anymore."

"We have to pray DuPris doesn't know that," Liz said. "So anyway, we give him the ring."

"We tell him it's in exchange for Adam and Isabel so he won't get suspicious," Maria suggested.

"And then we stand back, way back," Alex concluded. He gave a couple of little bows. "Thank you, thank you."

"So what do you think, Max?" Liz asked, feeling her chest start to tighten up again when she saw the somber expression on his face.

"I think it could work," Max said. "But if it doesn't…"

He let his words trail off, but Liz knew what he'd pla

"Wait here," Michael ordered as he pulled up in front of the Albuquerque bus station. He leaped out of the Jeep and raced inside. "Did the bus from Roswell come in yet?" he called to the woman behind the ticket counter.

"That's it out there," she answered. She pointed out the back window at a bus. An empty bus.

"Did the people already get off?" he demanded.

She blew a big bubble, and Michael got a whiff of grape gum and garlic. "Do you see anyone on it?"

He rushed up to the counter. "When did it get in?" he asked.

"Not more than a few minutes ago." She blew another bubble, this one so big, it. obscured half her face. Michael resisted the urge to reach out and pop it.

"Did you see a girl get off?" He was talking so fast, his words were tumbling out on top of each other. He forced himself to slow down. "She's tall, about five-ten, thin, short red hair?"

"Answers to the name of Cameron?" a voice asked from behind him.

He spun to face her.

"If you decided to give me another thirty seconds, forget about it," she told him. "I have nothing else I want to say to you." She started toward the door.

Michael lurched forward and blocked her, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Where is she?"

Cameron tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. He was not going to let her go until she'd told him everything. She jerked up her head and stared him right in the eye. "Where is who?"

Truly an excellent liar, Michael thought. "Isabel. And Adam. You know where DuPris took them."

"Last time I saw them was in the museum with you, okay? Now let go, or-"

"Or what?" Michael interrupted. "Or you'll find the Albuquerque sheriff and turn me in?"

Her eyes darkened, and he felt the fight go out of her. She stood there passively, no longer trying to get free of him. "If I knew where they were, I would tell you," she said. "I would do anything I could to try and make up for… I just don't know. I don't."

Michael started to shove her away, then he saw something that made him tighten his grip until Cameron winced. "You don't know where they are," he repeated. "Then you want to explain to me where you got Isabel's necklace?"

Cameron's hand flew to her throat. "A little girl dropped this in my lap as she was getting off the bus."

"Is there some kind of problem?" the woman behind the counter asked, cracking her gum.

"No," Cameron answered.

She could have said yes. She could have tried to get him booted out of there. But she didn't.

Michael released her. "A little girl? Was she alone?"

"She was with a guy in his twenties, her dad, I thought. There was a little boy with them, too." Her eyes widened. "Do you think it was them? You think DuPris changed their appearance?"

"I think it's possible." Thank God, Isabel had found a way to drop him a clue. "Where did they get off? What stop?"

"It wasn't one of the scheduled ones," Cameron explained. "They got off near this old ranch house in the desert. The bus driver didn't want to stop. It was kind of an issue."

"Can you show me?" he asked.

Cameron nodded.

"It's over there. See it?" Cameron pointed to the left and Max could just make out the moonlit shadow of a low ranch house in the near distance.

"Should I drive right up?" Michael asked.

"Why not? We're just here to make a little trade. We come in peace, right?" Alex said.

"I think that's supposed to be my line, earthling," Michael told him.

Max ignored them. He was trying to get ready for whatever he was going to have to do in there.

"You okay?" Liz asked him.

He nodded without looking at her. Looking at Liz was the last thing he needed right now. If he had to open the wormhole, he might never see her again. For him death didn't mean obliteration. He knew that now. If he had to… make the sacrifice, he'd join the others of the consciousness, join Ray and his parents, live on as part of the billions.

But he'd never be able to touch Liz again. Never be able to smell her hair. Never be able to see that dimple that appeared and disappeared in her left cheek. What else was death but losing all that?

Maybe the plan will work, he told himself as Michael pulled up in front of the house.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Cameron asked.

"Wait out here. You can be the getaway driver," Max answered as he climbed out of the Jeep. Michael had seemed basically okay with her when they came out of the bus station, but Max hadn't been able to find out exactly what her deal was yet. Until he did, she wasn't anyone he wanted around in a dangerous situation.

Michael led the group over to the door. "Do I knock or what?"

Alex reached out and rang the doorbell. "Candy-gram," he called softly.

Maria started to giggle. She shoved both fists up to her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter.

"Oh, very intimidating," Liz told her.

Her giggling stopped abruptly as the door swung open and a handsome, blue-eyed young man appeared. Max's eyes immediately sought out the man's right hand. He'd been able to regrow the finger.