The Intruder

Adam didn't respond.

Max felt a trace of power in the room. It was building fast.

Do you think there's any chance he could turn on us?

Max whipped his head toward Adam. Adam smiled at him.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Alex screamed at the doctor.

Isabel gave another jerk, her eyes wide and staring. Alex could practically feel the pain in his own body.

The doctor dropped to his knees next to her. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I just gave her a shot of a fast-acting tranquilizer. It shouldn't have caused this reaction. I only wanted to detain you until I could call Valenti or one of the guards."

Alex reached down and yanked the doctor to his feet. He wrapped his arm around the man's neck to hold him still. Then he searched the pockets of the doctor's lab coat, coming up with two more syringes. He threw them across the room.

"I'm going to let you go now," Alex said into the doctor's ear. "And here's what you're going to do-you're going to do whatever it takes to save her life. She dies, and I do to your head what I did to that door." Alex used his free hand to point to the metal door Isabel had crushed open, then he shoved the doctor away.

"I may need to draw some blood to find out why she's having this reaction," the doctor answered, his words tumbling out on top of each other.

"Fine. Stay in sight. And if you think about doing anything stupid, I want you to look at the door and think again," Alex snapped. He sat dow

He reached out with his free hand and brushed her hair away from her forehead. He felt something wet under his fingers. Did she cut herself when she fell? Alex leaned close. "Get over here and tell me what this is," he ordered the doctor.

The doctor rushed to Alex's side and crouched down next to him. "It looks like some kind of primitive gill," he said.

"A gill?" Alex exploded.

"This happened to Adam once when he had a high fever," the doctor answered. "I don't know how much you know about your own physiology, but your body is designed to adapt to whatever environment it is in."

My physiology? Alex thought. Then he realized the doctor must think he was an alien, too, since Alex had taken credit for the door.

"Occasionally it can malfunction and adapt when it isn't necessary," the doctor continued. "Look, the gill is closing already."

Alex moved his gaze to Isabel's forehead just in time to see her skin smooth itself back into place.

"I think it will be safer if we just let this run its course," the doctor said. "I don't think it will take long. If I'd realized the tranquilizer could cause this reaction…" He let the sentence trail off.

"You're going to be okay, Isabel," Alex promised. "I'm right here with you. I'm going to be here the whole time." Alex felt her hand move in his. "Yeah, see, I'm here." He squeezed her hand back. Her fingers felt… different. Alex opened his hand so he could see hers.

Her fingers had always been long and slender, but now they were almost twice as long and as thin as pencils. As Alex watched, one finger was absorbed into the side of her hand.

His breath started coming in harsh pants. Maintain, he ordered himself. This is just Isabel. He closed his hand around hers again and turned back toward her face.

He didn't recognize her. There was nothing that remained of the Isabel he knew. Her head was huge. So were her eyes. And they were completely black.

Alex took the Isabel creature in his arms and began to run toward what he hoped was an exit. Then-in an instant so quick that it seemed like a hallucination-Isabel morphed back into Isabel again.

"Put me down, you big goon," Isabel said, smiling.

Alex set her down. Looking her straight in the eyes, he said, "We've got to get out of here, Izzy." Taking her cue, Isabel grabbed his hand and ran.

Michael had to get out of this cell. Now. Isabel needed him. He'd felt a blast of pain from her that had practically knocked him to the floor.

But Hubba and Bubba, his guards, were still out there. Still two of them. Still one of him. Right now they were sitting in a couple of chairs, facing Cameron's cell. They spent much more time with their eyes on her than on him, for obvious reasons, and they hadn't bothered to flip the chairs back around in his direction.

There's got to be a way to do this, Michael thought. If I surprise them, maybe I can manage to take them both out. Only there was this thing about glass cells. They made it hard to arrange any kind of surprise.

But he had to try. And he could think of only one possible way. He walked over to the wall behind the two guards and leaned on it with his hands pressed against the glass to either side of his waist.

Hubba-or Bubba, he still hadn't decided which was which-turned around. "Miss your girlfriend?" he mouthed.

Michael gave what he hoped was a sheepish grin and stared longingly toward Cameron's empty cell. Hubba-or Bubba-turned back around, and Michael focused his attention on the molecules of glass beneath his hands. He nudged them apart gently, taking his time.

This actually might work, he thought as a hole began to open up underneath both of his hands. It would definitely work if Cameron was over in her cell. Then there would be no chance these two would notice what he was doing.

Where was she, anyway? She didn't seem that sick. Could she and her guard escort have gotten captured by Max and the others? At least Adam knew Cameron, so he could tell everyone that she was on their side.

Michael gave the molecules a few more nudges, and he had his holes. Time to rock and roll. He shoved his hands through and grabbed Hubba and Bubba by the backs of their big necks.

Now would be a good time to co

"Don't they look sweet asleep like that," he muttered as he blasted a hole in the cell and stepped through. Time to find Isabel.

"Get out of here," Max ordered the red-haired girl. She didn't need to be told twice. She bolted. The feel of power in the room was growing stronger. Adam was clearly about ready to send Max off to heaven with Valenti.

But I'm not like Valenti, Max thought. Adam's not the only one who can use power. He focused on his own power, letting it build inside him.

It's gathering too slowly, he realized. I'm never going to be ready before Adam makes his move.

Max could run, but what good would that do? Adam would be right behind him, and out in the corridor Liz, Maria, and the girl would be in the line of fire.

Think. Be logical, Max ordered himself. You don't need the same amount of power as Adam. You just need enough to knock his power off course. And you already have that.

He did. He could feel it. But he had to use it at exactly the right moment. Too soon or too late, and he was dust.

"Come on, Max. Aren't you even going to try to save yourself?" Adam asked. "You could probably stub my toe with that little ball of power I know you've got over there."

"I told you, I don't use my power to hurt," Max answered. His so-called plan would only work if he just stood there and let Adam fire on him.