Her eyes lingered on the clock behind the bar. It had been almost an hour since she'd seen Max. She was almost afraid to go home when she was done here. Afraid to see what new changes she'd see in him.

Isabel scanned the crowd again, just in case she'd missed anyone. She didn't see even a flash of recognition on anyone's face. Maria's plan was insane. This was never going to work. And searching for the compound was turning out to be one step above counting all the grains of sand in the desert. Just another flavor of impossible.

A squeal from the next table jerked her attention in that direction. Her waitress was glaring at a prepster college boy and his two smirking buddies. The front of her T-shirt was soaked.

"Hey, sorry," prepster boy said, not very sincerely. "I thought I heard them announce the start of the wet T-shirt contest. You wanted to enter, right?"

"Wrong," Isabel answered for her. This was one problem that wasn't impossible, and it would be her very definite pleasure to deal with it. She turned to the prepster. "Apologize."

The prepster stared at her a moment, eyes glazed. Then he turned to the waitress.

"I'm sorry," he told the waitress. Then he winked at his buds. "Let me help dry you off."

Isabel leaped up before he could touch the girl. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him out from behind his table. Then she pulled back her meaty arm and slammed her fist into his nose. She smiled when it squirted blood.

It was good to have a problem with an easy solution.

Liz felt someone tap her on the shoulder. This was great. She'd only been at UFOnics for about half an hour, and somebody had recognized her. She turned around and felt a jolt of pure dread.

Sheriff Valenti stood in front of her. "Come with me," he ordered. He turned around and headed for the exit.

He thinks you're the guard, she told herself as she followed him out into the parking lot. He thinks you're some guy who works at the compound. This could be a chance to get some good info. Just chill.

Valenti headed straight for his cruiser. The sound of his boot heels against the pavement made her teeth ache. He climbed into the car, obviously assuming she'd just get in, too, without asking for any more information.

Liz walked around to the passenger door, hoping she didn't move too differently from the guard. She didn't have an especially girlie walk in her own body, so she was probably doing okay. She jerked open the door, slid inside, and slammed it closed.

She took a fast peek at Valenti. For once he wasn't wearing his mirrored shades. But it was still impossible to figure out what he was thinking. If Valenti's eyes were the mirror to his soul, then clearly he didn't have one. Alert the media. As if that wasn't painfully obvious already.

Valenti pulled out of the parking lot and headed away from the center of town. "You need to take part in some tests at the compound. Nerz got sick, and no one but you has clearance. Fortunately you're predictable in your after-hours activities."

Liz felt relief explode through her like a fireworks show. Maybe once she got inside the compound, she'd be able to find a way on board the ship. Maybe she'd be able to get the crystals tonight! Even if she didn't, they would be so much closer to saving Max's life than they had been before.

"Something amusing you, Towner?" Valenti asked. Probably because her smile was covering her entire face.

Now at least she knew her name. Towner. "No. Just thinking of a joke someone told me," Liz answered. She figured there was no chance Valenti would be interested enough in humor to ask, and she was right.

As they passed the chamber of commerce billboard on the outskirts of town, Liz checked the odometer. When they pulled off the highway, she'd check it again. She could hardly believe she was being handed the location of the compound by Sheriff Valenti himself.

Unless… what if the real guard is already at the compound? she thought. What if Valenti knows that? What if that's why he's bringing me there-because he thinks I'm an alien with the ability to alter my appearance? What if he doesn't care if I know the location because he's not planning on ever letting me leave?

Suddenly it felt as if half the air had been sucked out of the cruiser. And the air that remained was thick with the odor of smoke and sweat.

Even if all that's true, there's nothing you can do about it now, she told herself. What, are you going to dive out of a moving car and take off into the desert? Valenti would probably shoot you.

That thought didn't help her anxiety. She stared out at the empty highway and tried to count the dotted lines as they sped by. She needed something to focus on. But Valenti was going too fast.

He made a sharp left and swung the cruiser off into the desert. He was heading toward the chicken rock. At least Maria got that part right.

Two-and-a-third miles later, they passed the rock. The cruiser kept bouncing across the desert in a straight line.

Liz's eyes kept darting to the odometer. -Three miles. Seven. Eleven. Fourteen. They were heading toward a large rock formation. That would be a good landmark. She'd have to remember it.

"Open the entrance," Valenti told her.

Liz's heart lurched up to her throat. Obviously this was something she was supposed to know how to do. There must be some kind of remote or something. She hoped.

She popped open the glove compartment. Papers. Sunglasses. A couple of flares.

"Exactly how much did you have to drink tonight?" Valenti asked.

"I didn't know I'd be working," Liz answered.

Valenti gave a disgusted snort. Then he grabbed what looked like an ordinary garage door opener with a few extra buttons off the dashboard and thrust it at her.

Pick a button, any button, Liz thought wildly. She jammed down the one closest to her thumb. Nothing happened. She shot a glance at Valenti. Had he noticed?

Don't think about that, just try another one, she ordered herself. She stabbed down the button in the upper-left corner. Nothing. She tried the one next to it… and the middle of the rock formation split open.

No wonder Max and Michael searched for years without finding this place, she thought. A gasp escaped from her lips. She tried to cover it with a coughing fit. Was Valenti picking up on any of her little screwups? There was no way to tell. His face was impassive, as always. She bet he didn't even blink when he shot Nikolas.

Don't go there, she thought. She couldn't think about Valenti killing someone. She was way too nervous already.

Liz struggled to keep any sign of amazement off her face as Valenti drove straight into the opening. I'm probably supposed to shut the door, too, she thought. She hit the button that had worked the last time. With astonishing speed the doors slammed shut. Clipping off one of Valenti's tail-lights.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"No problem. I'll take it out of your salary," he answered.

Sorry to you, too, Towner, Liz thought as the car started to descend with a slow, even motion.

They'd driven into a massive elevator. It opened into an underground parking garage. Valenti pulled into a space marked Reserved.

He climbed out of the car, again assuming Liz would follow. She scrambled after him. He led the way down a long cement corridor, like the one Maria had seen the night she used the Stone to track him.

Liz was so close. The ship could be around any corner.

They reached a huge metal door. Valenti keyed in a code. The door split open, and they continued into a huge open room. Inside were two rows of glass cells. There was a bed in each of them, but only one was made up.

A shudder swept through Liz. Is this where Max, Michael, and Isabel would be brought if Valenti ever learned the truth about them? Would they be kept in here like lab animals, constantly monitored?