The Intruder

One of the guards opened the door and Adam walked inside, his shoulders all hunched over like he was afraid someone was going to beat him up or something.

"I'm sorry," Michael said as soon as the door was locked behind Adam. "I'm sorry I had to make you play the game with Da-with Valenti. But you needed to know the truth about him. He's dangerous, Adam. This place is dangerous, for all of us."

Adam didn't answer for a moment. He didn't even blink. He just stared at Michael with his dead eyes. "Can we leave?" he finally asked.

"I think we might be able to," Michael answered. "But we'd need your help. Can you help us?"

Adam shuffled over and sat down in front of the cot. "I can help," he said.

"Okay, you remember how today we linked with Bill and found out what his mother looked like?" Michael asked.

Adam nodded.

"We're going to do that with one of the guards. But instead of a mother, we're going to be looking for kids, okay? Go over and ask the guards if you can have something from your cell. When they go to get it, you and I will link. Then when the guard comes back and opens the door, you link with him and together we'll get a picture of his kids, okay?"

"Yeah," Adam answered softly. He got up and walked over to the door.

Cameron leaned close. "You think you can trust Pinky?" she asked.

"We'll see, won't we?" he answered, trying to ignore the smell of the beach coming off her. He couldn't get distracted.

Adam tapped on the glass, and a moment later the guard opened the door. "Could I have my cards?" Adam asked. "I forgot them."

"Why not?" The guard locked the door and headed off. Michael stood up and moved behind Adam. When the guard came back, Michael noticed that he moved one hand to his cattle prod before he opened the door again. Michael had been trying not to look suspicious, but obviously it didn't work. He moved back a step, careful to keep his fingers on Adam's arm.

Adam reached for the cards. The moment his fingers touched the guard's, Michael was in. The two of them together really were powerful. Okay, kids, Michael thought. I need kids. The images blurred as they rushed past, then bam!-a little girl with dark braids and no front teeth appeared. Michael broke the co

"Deal us a hand of crazy eights," Michael told Adam. He wanted everything to look nice and normal in the cell.

"Crazy eights?" Cameron repeated. But Michael spoke up before she could pursue.

"So, freaky girl, is there anything you can do to help us bust out of here?" Michael asked as he watched Adam lay out the cards.

"Sorry. I'm, uh, the experiments tapped me out. I did some other ones before they brought me into the lab with you guys," she answered.

"Okay, here's my plan, then," Michael began. "I can do this thing where I change people's appearances. Have you ever done that, Adam?" Adam shook his head. Cameron looked stu

"Maybe you're the one I should call Pinky," Cameron said. "The guard knows his daughter isn't in the compound."

"Yeah, his mind knows that. But what's his gut going to say when he sees his little girl in here? He's just going to want to save her, right?" Michael asked.

"I guess. Unless he's like my father," Cameron answered. "You know there will be other guards between here and the exit, don't you?"

"Yeah, but we'll still have our little girl hostage. And Adam and I have power." Michael shot a glance at Adam. It was very hard imagining him using his power to hurt anyone. It wasn't anything Michael would want him to have to do, either. The thought started the acid in his stomach churning.

"Maybe it would work better if I changed Adam's appearance," Michael said. As the hostage, Adam wouldn't have to hurt anyone. Michael would just have to hope he could handle any of the pain inflicting that came up. The way he was feeling right now, he might even enjoy it.

Michael moved down to the floor and sat across from Adam. "Move around so you can help me block the guards' view while I make the change," Michael told Cameron. She slid into place beside him.

"You ready?" Michael asked Adam. As soon as he nodded, Michael reached out and touched his face. "What I'm doing is moving the molecules around in your skin and bones to make you look like the little girl we saw. You can help me. Just focus on the molecules and squeeze them apart or push them together to make the changes."

The changes began happening so quickly that Michael could hardly register them all. Adam's hair darkened and grew longer. His cheekbones lowered. His front teeth disappeared.

Our power is more than doubled when we're linked, Michael realized as he and Adam completed the transformation in seconds, something that would have taken Michael fifteen or twenty minutes to do alone. He was definitely going to have to try some of this with Max and Isabel. If the three of them co

"You really are a freak," Cameron said, her voice shaky.

Michael shot her a look. "You're not going to faint on us or something, are you?"

"No way," she answered. "I don't want to spend the best years of my life singing that chain gang song. Let's blow this pop stand."

"Adam, when I grab you, all you have to do is scream your lungs out," Michael told him. He stood up and jerked Adam in front of him.

"Hey," Michael yelled. "If you want your daughter to live, drop the machine guns and the prods… now!"

Adam let out a shriek that Michael figured was only half faked.

"Stephanie," shouted the guard they had linked to.

"Yeah, we've got Stephanie," Cameron shouted. "Now put the weapons down and get in here, or get ready to say good-bye to your baby girl."

The guard they'd linked to dropped his machine gun. He threw down the cattle prod, unlocked the door, and rushed in.

"Your partner, too," Michael barked.

"Eaton, do it!" the guard in the cell cried.

Eaton hesitated. "I can kill with a touch," Michael yelled. "They told you that, right?"

"Eaton, they're going to kill my little girl!" the guard in the cell screeched.

Eaton threw down the machine gun and the prod and stepped into the cell.

"Get over to the cot, both of you," Michael ordered. When they obeyed, he backed out of the cell, still holding Adam in front of him. The second Cameron stepped through the doorway, he slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Which way out?" he cried,

"That's the way they brought me," Cameron answered, pointing. She scooped up one of the machine guns. "Come on!"

Michael didn't hesitate. He flew down the corridor after her, keeping his grip on Adam. She skidded to a stop in front of one of the huge metal doors. "We have to get through here!"

He didn't even bother with the molecules of the lock. He focused on the molecules of the door, shoving them together with his mind. The door screeched open with a hideous metallic crunching sound.

Cameron ducked through. Then Adam and Michael. And they were ru

Earsplitting alarm bells started to ring. "I'll kill the little girl if I have to," Michael shouted, not even sure if anyone could hear him.

Cameron took a left, leading them into a long tu

This is actually going to work, Michael thought. The guards are holding back because they think we have the little girl. Although they'd probably figure it out in a few more seconds, as long as it took for Valenti to be informed.

"Okay, this is it," Cameron yelled. She slammed her fist against another metal door.