The Intruder

With Michael. That was the key phrase-underlined and italicized.

Cameron heard the lab door swing open, and her eyes popped open. A guard walked in, bringing the room's guard total to three. "Sheriff Valenti wants to see you," the new guard told Cameron.

"Oooh. Someone's in trouble," Michael singsonged, trying to conceal his concern.

"Watch out for the doctor," she mouthed before she left the room, escorted by the guard. In silence, she followed him down the corridor.

The guard stopped in front of Valenti's office and knocked once. "Enter," Valenti answered. The guard opened the door for Cameron, and she stepped inside. The guard shut the door behind her.

Cameron sat down in one of the chairs in front of the sheriff's desk without waiting for an invitation.

"The security camera showed you with a machine gun," Valenti said.

She kept silent for a few more seconds. "That's right," she finally replied. "You want Michael to trust me. Do you think he would trust someone who didn't back him up during the escape attempt?"

"So the machine gun was just for realism," Valenti said. Cameron couldn't tell if he was buying her story or not.

"Michael knows I'm not stupid," Cameron answered. "It would look pretty suspicious if I left a weapon on the floor when we were supposed to be fighting our way out of this place."

"I see your point," Valenti agreed, "but I also see that you're getting pretty tight with our buddy Michael. I see the looks you flash him. You're having a little too much fun. It's all right to have fun, gypsy girl, but you better come up with some info soon. And I expect advance warning if Michael comes up with another escape plan. All you have to do is pretend you're sick, and one of the guards will bring you to me."

"Whatever," Cameron said. "So is that it?"

"Pretty much," Valenti answered. "Has there been any problems with the parapsychological abilities cover story?"

"No, all the little tricks have been working fine."

"And you remember that if he touches you, he will learn a great deal about you, possibly including the fact that you have been sent to spy on him," Valenti said.

"Yeah, I remember." Cameron stood up and turned toward the door.

"Don't leave yet. I thought you might be interested in this," Valenti said.

Cameron turned around. Valenti was holding out a sheet of paper. Reluctantly she moved toward him, took it out of his hand, and flipped it over. Her hand was shaking.

Don't lose it in front of him, she ordered herself, but her hand wouldn't stop shaking. The paper fluttered to the floor. She glanced down at it and saw her own face staring back. The words Have you seen this girl? were printed in huge letters underneath. "It's nice to know how much your parents care, isn't it?" Valenti asked her. "They've plastered these posters over most of the state."

"I'm not going back there," Cameron said. Her voice was shaking, too.

"If you don't want to go back, you know what to do. Get me the names of the other aliens," he said. "But know this-I'm not willing to wait forever."

Cameron looked indignant, almost mad. "But he didn't even admit he was an alien until I said-"

"You're free to go," Valenti told her.

Free, yeah.

Cameron turned and walked out the door. She shut it quietly behind her. She'd shown Valenti way too much emotion already. Her hands were still trembling.

The guard led the way back to the lab. They got there way too fast. Cameron pulled in a deep breath as they headed inside. Michael gave her that killer grin of his the second he saw her, and a wave of hot nausea rushed through her.

It's not like I lied to him about everything, she thought. I did run away. Valenti did find me. And my parents do see me as a freak, even if it's not for the reason Michael thinks.

His friends, whoever they are, they have powers, like Michael, she reminded herself, trying to stop the sick feeling from building. Even if I give Valenti their names, it's not like he's just going to be able to go round them up. And if he does, if he does, at least they'll have each other.

I'm the only one looking out for me.

Look! Down in the dirt! It's a worm! It's a bug! No, it's Alex Manes… Understanding Guy!

Yep, that was him. Who else would have agreed to stake out the compound with Isabel only days after she'd shown him the door? Other guys would be cursing her name, poking out the eyes in every picture of her, telling their friends that she was evil spawn. But not our hero. Understanding Guy just sucked it up and said sure, if Isabel wanted him to spend ten or so hours crouched down behind some scratchy bushes in a little arroyo, he could do that. With a smile.

Alex took a swig out of his sports bottle. No matter how much water he drank, he felt like he was sweating out more.

"Uh, Alex, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Isabel said. "You know the other day, when I said I didn't think we should see each other anymore?"

He nodded, although he didn't remember it quite that way. First, Isabel hadn't said anything, she'd shrieked. And what she'd shrieked had been, well, not quite so polite.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it really didn't have anything to do with you," Isabel continued. "You were right about me being totally stressed about Michael and everything. And now there's Adam to deal with. It just seems like there's too much going on for me to be with anybody right now. Even someone as great as you."

This was definitely a job for Amazing Understanding Guy. Alex put on his best all-is-for-given smile. He opened his mouth to say something that would make her feel totally okay for slamming him-but no words came out.

"I mean, if it was a different time in my life," Isabel said.

She kept talking, but Alex couldn't listen anymore.

He just did not need this. Sure, Isabel was beautiful. And when she touched him, instant meltdown. But she was totally selfish, spoiled, conceited, thoughtless-He stopped himself. He'd need his computer to do a really complete list.

"You know what, Isabel? You don't have to worry about it. The whole thing is fine with me," Alex told her. "In fact, it's great. You saved me the trouble of coming up with a nice way to break up with you."

"So, we're just going to break in?" Maria asked. Her feet felt like they'd taken root in the sidewalk across the street from Sheriff Valerius house. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to move from this spot.

"We probably won't have to do the breaking part," Liz answered. "I bet there's a door or a window open in back. At least there always is at my house."

"If we wait for Kyle, he'd probably just let us in," Maria said. "Having you in his house has to be one of his major fantasies."

"You don't think he'd find it kind of suspicious if I just came over to his house after telling him to stay away from me, like, four thousand times?" Liz asked. "Besides, he knows I'm with Max."

Maria smiled at her. "I don't think Kyle exactly thinks with his brain when you're around."

"Oh, gross." Liz scrunched up her face in disgust. "You have just given me a picture I really did not need to see," she complained. Then she pulled in a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"I guess. Except for this problem I'm having with my feet. They won't actually move," Maria answered.

"We're doing this for Michael," Liz reminded her.

"Oh, that was low," Maria said as they started across the street.

"But effective," Liz shot back. "Let's just act like we've been invited and head straight through the back gate."

"Do you think Isabel will end up with Michael now that she and Alex are broken up?" Maria burst out as they crossed the Valentis' front lawn.