The Enemy Unknown (ALL,Teen/Mature) Pt 60 3/24/06 COMPLETE

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and it’s characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: Teen/Mature for inappropriate language and some violence.

Author’s Note: Thanks to everybody who read Love Changes Everything, and Tomorrows Yet to come, the first two installments in the Antar to Earth and Back series. The Enemy Unknown is the third, and I think, final part of the series. I hope you enjoy it.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter One - Crash

July 1, 1947 – New York City

The cloaked ship landed silently in a deserted waterfront area in New York. The four figures inside looked carefully around, checking their scopes to make sure they were undetected.

“Are you sure the location is secure?” asked Cladar.

“Yes, of course I’m sure,” snapped Nasd. “These humans are such simpletons. They never see what they don’t expect to see. We could remove the cloaking device, and they still wouldn’t see us.”

“And what about the location for the chamber? Do you think it will be safe? Lord Kivar wants these four to be safe.”

“They’ll be safe, don’t worry,” said Ticada. “You are far too suspicious, Cladar. We know what Lord Kivar wants done, and we shall do it.”

“How are we to get the chambers to their new home?” asked Cladar.

“Watch,” said Ticada. He held up one hand and a bright light filled the ship. When the light subsided, Ticada stood before them in human form.

“Now I will simply find a method of transportation that is used on this backward planet, and we will move the chambers to their new location,” said Ticada.

He climbed out of the ship and walked purposefully down the deserted alley towards the sounds of traffic. He returned several minutes later, driving a panel truck with ‘Rub-a-Dub Laundry Service’ painted on the side.

“Help me load them,” said Ticada, climbing out of the truck. “And take care nothing happens them!” he ordered, imperiously.

Cladar and Nasd climbed slowly out of their ship, cautiously testing the atmosphere almost like children sticking their toes in the ocean for the first time. Nasd fought the desire to turn and rush back into the ship. He loathed humans, both the ones on Antar, and the ones he felt all around him here on Earth. It galled him to be sent to the planet that was the original home to the Antarians that enslaved him.

Cladar forced himself to hang back. It wouldn’t do for either Nasd, or Ticada to realize how anxious he was to experience this new planet. He held up a hand, and in a burst of dazzling white light, he transformed his appearance to that of a human as well.

“Nasd, you’d better transform yourself,” he said to his companion. “What if somebody comes back here?”

“Then we kill them,” said Ticada calmly, opening the back of the truck to reveal the body of the dead driver. “Just like I did this one. Nothing is going to stand in the way of our mission for Lord Kivar. But Cladar is right Nasd, you need to transform yourself immediately.”

Nasd transformed his appearance, unwillingly, and the three Gadori began to remove four of the incubation pods from their ship. Once their cargo was loaded, Ticada climbed back into the ship to confer with the remaining Gadori.

“We will be back as soon as possible,” he said. “If we do not return within three Earth days, you know what you must do.”

“Yes, Ticada, I will fulfill my duty,” said Wylaria.

“You will take the ship up, and hover above this space, and track our movements,” instructed Ticada. “If anything happens to us, you must protect the pods with your life. Do you understand?”

“I understand Ticada, and I will do as I have been instructed,” answered Wylaria. “Go now, and I will launch our craft and track you. If you are not back within three Earth days, I will do whatever I have to do to ensure the safety of the pods.”

· * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Did all go according to plan?” Asked Wylaria when the others climbed aboard the ship. “I was quite concerned when you were delayed. I saw you take the pods into their hiding place, but you took so long to return, I began to fear for you. What happened?”

“We ran into some trouble,” said Nasd. “Noting we couldn’t handle, of course. Some ignorant creatures that reside on this planet decided they wanted to make their home in the same area we decided to hide the pods. We dealt with them, and now, they are no longer a problem.”

Wylaria shot a bleak glance at Cladar, and bowed his head to hide his expression, but not before seeing it mirrored in Cladar’s eyes. Neither of them were comfortable with the glee Nasd and Ticada felt at killing the people of this planet.

“The ship is fully charged, and we can leave whenever you are ready,” Wylaria said.

“Now,” said Ticada. I do not relish spending one second longer than I have to.”

“But what about Lord Kivar’s edict that we remain here to guard the pods, Ticada?” asked a worried Wylaria.

“I care not,” said Ticada. “We are bound by our oath not to harm the royal family. Not guarding them isn’t harming them, and as they cannot give us a direct order in the state they are in, I do not see why we need to stay.”

“But Lord Kivar has ordered it,” said Cladar.

“Bah, another useless human,” interjected Nasd. “We are not bound by any oath to him. We do not serve him.”

“We would be wise to ally ourselves with him, though,” said Cladar, stalling for time. “And lest you forget, he is a member of the royal family, however indirectly, and as such, we are honor bound to follow his orders.”

“And we are, Cladar, we are,” said Ticada. “He ordered us to oversee the transport and off loading of the gestational pods, and he asked us to ensure their safety. He didn’t say we needed to stay and stand guard over them until they emerged.”

“You are very wise, Ticada,” said Wylaria, nudging Cladar with his foot. “You have found a way for us to fulfill our duties and still return home. I thank you. I long to return to Gador and see my family again.”

“Well then, get us out of here, and to our next destination,” said Ticada. “The sooner we offload our cargo, the sooner we can return home.”

Wylaria hands moved over the controls gently, coaxing the ship to rise carefully up between the buildings and into the night sky. Once they cleared the buildings, the ship shot through the skies towards the west.

July 4, 1947 – Roswell New Mexico

The ship shot unnoticed through the skies over the desert. Cladar plotted the course that would bring them to the hiding place for the other four pods.

“Take the controls for a moment?” asked Wylaria. “I need to stand up and stretch my legs for a while. I’ve been piloting since we left Antar, and I couldn’t leave the controls at all while you hid the other pods.”

“Certainly,” said Cladar. “It is too bad that Ticada and Nasd think piloting the ship is beneath them.”

“Yes, yes it is,” answered Wylaria, distractedly. He waited until he was sure Cladar’s attention was focused on the controls before he walked quietly over to where the pods were stored. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t observed and quickly slid something into one of the chambers, making sure it was hidden from view.

“The pods seem fine,” he said to Cladar, returning back to his seat behind the controls.

“That is good,” said Cladar. He watched Wylaria move his hands across the control panel, deactivating the course that he had only just plotted.

“Wylaria, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Ensuring the safety of the royal family as I am obligated to do by my oath,” answered Wylaria. He flipped a switch and disarmed the cloaking device and slowed the ship’s speed.

“I’m sorry Cladar, but I have to do this,” he said.

“I know,” whispered Cladar.

Wylaria jerked on the ship’s control, and sent it plummeting to Earth.

[majiklmoon]

Thanks for the great feedback already everyone. I can't promise that the updates will be as frequent as with Tomorrows yet to Come, but I'll do my best.

********************

Disclaimer: Roswell, and it’s characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.

Author’s Note: Richie and Hal are borrowed from Summer of ’47. No copyright infringement intended.


The Enemy Unknown


Chapter Two – Discovery

July 4, 1947 - Roswell, New Mexico

The ship, instead of crashing into the ground in a fiery explosion, scrapped against the ground for several hundred feet before coming to rest, it’s front end embedded in the ground. It was a testament to Wylaria’s superior flying skills that they didn’t end up in a giant fire ball.”

Cladar unstrapped himself and leaned over to check the pilot’s condition. He was alive, but barely. Groaning, he climbed out of his seat and dragged himself over to check the condition of the pods. All of them glowed from within, indicating that their precious cargo hadn’t been disturbed.

From there Cladar moved to the back of the ship where Ticada and Nasd had been resting. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not to see that they were both still breathing. Step by agonizing step, Cladar pulled himself to the front of the ship to release the door. He had to do his duty and see to the safety of the chambers before anything else happened.

He made his way carefully out of the ship and began to plot his position based upon the stars.

“Very impressive, Wylaria,” he said to the empty night. “We are thousands of miles away from the area Ticada had chosen for the pods.”

His keen sense of hearing picked up a droning noise, and he struggled to return to the ship before it was too late. A crashing in the underbrush told him he didn’t have a chance of making it back to the ship. He threw himself onto the ground, and put his body into the hibernation mode they used for space travel. This would slow his heart rate and breathing so that both were virtually undetectable. With the technology on Earth, he felt safe that, were he discovered, he would be taken for dead.

Several hours past, before Cladar allowed himself to come out of the hibernation state. He opened his eyes slightly and looked around and found that he was no longer lying on the hard desert ground. A swift perusal of his environment caused his heart to sink. He was in the back of a truck, similar to the one they used to move the other pods, and lying next to him were the bodies of Wylaria, Nasd and Ticada.

Using his powers, he caused the engine of the vehicle to fail, and he felt it slow down gradually, before coming to a halt. He heard the muttered conversation from the front of the vehicle but he was unable to distinguish the words. A slam alerted him to the fact that someone had gotten out of the vehicle, and he lay quietly, waiting for the opportunity to free himself and his companions.

The opening on the back of the vehicle moved, and Cladar saw the face of a human, staring at him, his eyes reflecting a mixture of revulsion and awe.

“Richie! Richie, man you have to come see this!” the man shouted.

“Damn it, Hal, our orders were to transport these, not look at them!” shouted the other man. “This is a direct violation of orders. Now get back in the truck.”

The cover of the truck flapped back into place, and Cladar felt his breath leave him with a whoosh. That man wasn’t his enemy, he couldn’t have killed him, even if he had the strength. He wasn’t like Nasd and Ticada. He disliked violence, and indiscriminate killing. He felt the truck start back up, and start to move as he lost his grip on consciousness.


· * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cladar felt Wylaria’s scream of pain in his mind as their scientists cut into his body. He felt his friend’s life slip away bit by bit as they explored the interior of his body. Stretching his mind out further, Cladar felt Nasd and Ticada, still alive, but unaware of what was happening to Wylaria. He could feel the hate coursing through Nasd’s mind. He was consumed with rage for the people that had captured him. From Ticada, he sensed arrogance. Ticada was sure they would escape, and if lucky, kill most of the humans that captured them in the process.

A sudden sharp pain ripped through Ticada, and Cladar felt it as he probed Ticada’s mind. Then, there was a sensation of floating, of drifting away. Cladar pulled himself out of Ticada’s thoughts, lest he be caught by the same drifting sensation. He knew he would need all his faculties if he were to escape, and rescue the pods.

Cladar vowed that he would honor his friend by ensuring that the pods were safely delivered to their final hiding place. A darkness filled his heart as he felt the life fade away from both Wylaria and Ticada. He pulled himself up and looked around, relieved to find out that he was in a room, along with the four pods that had been entrusted to their care.

He climbed off the table and slipped out of the room and quickly located the truck that had carried them to wherever they had been taken. He rushed back inside and made short work of moving the pods into the safety of the truck. Feelings of guilt sent him back into the building to try and locate Nasd. While inside, he came face to face with the man who had peered into the back of the truck earlier that day; the man called Hal.

Cladar looked into his eyes, and saw that the man was not an enemy. This human would not betray him.

“Hurry,” said Hal. “They’ve killed two of your friends. The other one got away. I’m sorry, I didn’t think they’d do that to them. You must get out of here before it’s too late. Once they discover your friend got away, they’ll come after you.”

Cladar raised his hand and in a burst of light, altered his appearance so that he looked like the man that was with Hal.

“Holy shit,” said Hal. “You look just like Richie.”

“Will that get me off of this place?” Cladar asked. “My looking like this Richie person?”

“Yeah, Richie’s everybody’s golden boy. You can do anything if you look like him.”

“Thank you Hal,” said Cladar.

“Quick, get going,” Hal whispered. “I hear someone coming.”

Cladar wasted no time. He rushed out of the building and climbed into the truck and engaged the ignition. He managed to find his way off of the base, and drove deep into the desert. Using the stars to track his position, he located a large sandstone enclosure he felt was suitable to house the four pods. Using his powers, he created a door in the large rock and proceeded to blast out a chamber large enough to contain the pods.

Acting quickly, he brought them inside out of the hot desert sun. He used his powers to carve out another room, one he thought he would use as his own when he came to check on the pods. He went to check the pods to make sure they were safe, when he felt a burst of energy, and heard a rumbling noise in the other chamber.

He stepped into the chamber and stopped shocked by what he saw. In the room was the Antarian holy artifact. It was their Granolith. Cladar bowed before it and backed away in fear. This was a sign that he had to honor his oath to the royal family. Cladar knew his obligation was to make sure that these pods survived, but he also knew that his sense of self-preservation was stronger still.

“I will come back, and I will check on them,” he swore. “But I will not let myself be captured again. I will live among these people as one of them. If I do not live, I cannot protect the pods.” He thought about Nasd and the hateful feelings he felt when he probed Nasd’s mind. He decided then and there to block all thoughts of Nasd from his mind and close of any portals so that Nasd was unable to probe his mind. “It is better to be alone,” he thought, “Then ally myself with someone such as Nasd.”

Cladar slipped out of the rocky cavern he had created and climbed into the truck and drove off into the desert. He had done what he could to prevent Nasd access to his mind, but he had not done it quick enough. Nasd had managed to steal another vehicle and follow Cladar through the desert.

Nasd entered the sandstone cavern, and looked at the four pods stacked neatly in a corner where they were sheltered from the entrance.

“Nicely done, Cladar,” he said, his voice echoing in the chamber. “You are very loyal. Too bad it will someday get you killed.”

Nasd moved over to the pods and began to pass his fingers over the individual pods, trying to assess the best way to destroy them. A burst of energy struck him from behind, throwing him across the room.

“Cladar?” he shouted, turning around, but there was nobody there. He cautiously made his way into the other chamber and stopped and stared in horrific fear.

“They sent their Granolith?” he whispered. “How? Why?”

Looking back into the chamber that housed the pods, he noticed a glowing force field around three of the chambers. He carefully made his way towards the pods, and began to examine them.

“Zan, Vilondra and Rath,” he said. “They are protected, and Ava is not. Damn, damn, damn, that means we made an error. We mixed up the pods. This Ava belongs with the others. She is the one Kivar has marked to come back. The others are too good. Damn. How can I fix this?”

Cladar thought for several minutes, then leaned over and began to work feverishly over the pod that housed Ava. Finally, he leaned back, exhausted, but satisfied with what he had accomplished.

“There, I have repaired the gestational timer mechanism. She will not emerge when the others do. Hopefully, I shall return in time to remove her before the others are ready to emerge. Have faith Ava, I will return to ensure that you take your rightful place on Antar alongside Lord Kivar.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and it’s characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.


The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Three – Living Life

July, 2004 - Roswell, New Mexico

Liz Parker Evans sighed and pushed her textbook out to one side and nibbled absentmindedly at the plate of Saturn Rings that sat in front of her.

“What’s up, Parker?” asked Alex, slipping into the booth across from her.

“I’m not sure,” Liz admitted. “Something is bothering me, but I can’t quite figure out what’s wrong.”

“Come on, and tell old Uncle Alex about it,” said Alex, reaching out and grabbing one of Liz’s Saturn Rings.

Liz looked around the alien themed restaurant owned by her parents, and sighed again. Her gaze missed nothing, from the UFO mural on the wall to the tacky inflatable aliens that her father had hung from the ceiling.

“It’s been over a year,” she said to Alex, finally. “And nothing has happened, but we know they’re out there. We have this unknown, unseen enemy, and we can’t even start to fight them because they can look just like us. About the only thing we know is they don’t have a well-developed sense of humor, or at least Nescado didn’t. I can’t stand living this way, any more.”

“Have you told Max how you feel?” asked Alex. “I mean I’m one of your best friends Liz, and you can tell me anything, but you should let Max know how you’re feeling, too.” He reached out to grab another Saturn Ring, stopping only when Liz slapped his hand lightly.

“You can order your own plate,” she said. “I need these. Dr. Deluca prescribed them. She said I needed to eat something salty and greasy to help bring me out of my grumpy mood.”

“I’m glad to see you are taking the word of a specialist,” laughed Alex. “Is it working?”


“Not so much,” admitted Liz. “And I have talked to Max, and he’s feeling the same way I am.”

“Where are Max, and Maria today? Isn’t it time for our Alien Lunch Bunch meeting?”

“Max is on his way, he said he had to stop at the store and that he’d meet me here. Maria and Ava took a little side trip today. She’s convinced that Zan is going to starve to death, so she wanted to bring him some spaghetti sauce, and Ava went along to keep her company.”

“So that explains why Kyle just walked in looking like he just lost his best friend,” said Alex, looking towards the door.

Kyle stopped at the counter and placed his order before sliding into the booth next to Liz.

“Hey,” he said, his voice glum.

“Cheer up, Kyle. She’ll be back in a few days,” said Alex. “You’re not going to die without her.”

“No, but it sure feels like I will,” said Kyle. He reached over to grab one of Liz’s Saturn Rings and had his hand slapped.

“Will you people leave my food alone,” Liz said. “This is a restaurant you know, they have plenty of food her for you. You don’t need to keep eating mine.”

“Jeez, sorry, Liz,” said Kyle. “If I wait for Agnes to bring my order, I’ll be an old man.”

“Here you go, Kyle,” said Jeff Parker, sliding a Will Smith burger across the table.”

“Hey, thanks Mr. Parker,” said Kyle, reaching for the plate. “What happened to Agnes anyhow?”

“She’s on a break,” said Liz’s father with a sigh. “What else is new?”

The three friends began to laugh, and Liz’s father walked a way with a look of mock anger and disgust on his face.

“Why does your dad keep Agnes on, anyhow?” asked Alex.

“I don’t know,” said Liz, munching on a Saturn Ring. “Loyalty, I guess. She’s been here forever. Blech, these are cold.”

She threw the ring down in disgust and took a sip from her Cherry Cola.

“Allow me, madam,” said Kyle. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching before he passed his hand over the plate of Saturn Rings. When he was finished, the rings were as hot and crispy as if they had just come out of the deep fryer.

“Thanks Kyle,” Liz said sarcastically. “I could have done that myself.”

“Alex, telephone!” Jeff Parker shouted, holding up the receiver.

Liz and Kyle watched Alex amble across the café and pick up the phone. It was obvious from the grin on his face that it was Isabel was on the other end.

“I think its bad news,” said Liz, watching the grin on Alex’s face fade.

Alex hung up the phone and came and sat back down and rested his head on his hands.

“What’s wrong?” asked Liz. “Is Isabel okay?”

“Yeah, she just wanted to let me know she’s ah, going on a little trip,” said Alex.

“Hey, what did you just tell me?” laughed Kyle. “I believe it was cheer up, she’ll be back in a few days. Wasn’t that it?”

“That was different,” said Alex, morosely. “Now we’re talking about Isabel.”

“You guys are too much,” said Liz. “I think you’ll both survive. See, Max isn’t here, and I’m not falling apart. Oh, wait, there he is,” She added excitedly, jumping up from the booth to wave to him.

Max walked across the crowded floor of the CrashDown, a worried expression on his face.

“We have a problem,” he said before he even sat down.

“Why do I think this is alien related, and not the flat tire variety of problem,” said Kyle.

“Because it is,” said Max.

Suddenly the door to the CrashDown opened wide, letting in a burst of the hot New Mexico summer.

“Oh my God!” shouted a woman, standing in the doorway. “Someone dial 9-1-1! There’s a dead woman in the alley!”

“Oh no, Agnes!” Liz cried, jumping up from the booth. She started to run, but Max held a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“Liz, don’t,” he said, his voice urgent. “It isn’t safe.”

“No kidding,” Liz said, bitterly. “Someone else is dead because of us, Max, and I’m not going to sit back and let it keep happening.” She pushed his hand off her shoulder and walked resolutely out the door.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.


The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Four – Shocking Revelations

“She’s pissed,” said Kyle.

“Ya think?” asked Alex?

“Liz wait!” Max yelled, running across the café. He reached out and grabbed her just before she walked out the door. “Don’t go out there.”

“Max, I have to,” she hissed. “I told you back on Antar, I wasn’t going to let anybody else I cared for die because of us. Someone did, and I’m going to find out who did it.”

“Liz, will you shut up for a minute,” said Max. “I’m trying to tell you, I saw who did it, and the thing is, she looked like you.”

“What?” said Liz. The blood rushed from her face, leaving her expression a ghostly white. “Are you saying you think I killed Agnes?”

“No, I’m not saying that at all,” whispered Max. “I’m saying whoever did it looked exactly like you.”

“Oh God, they’re really here, aren’t they?” She leaned against Max, pressing her cheek to his chest. “The Gadori, they’re here.”

Max took Liz by the hand and led her back over to the table where Kyle and Alex watched and waited anxiously. In the background they could here the sirens of the ambulance, and the sheriff drawing closer. Liz slid into the booth next to Kyle, who wrapped an arm about her shoulder.

“Liz, look, we’re not going to sit here and let this happen again,” he said. “After things settle down out there, Alex and I will scout around and try and see what we can find.”

“Well, let me make it easy for you,” Liz said, her voice trembling. “Look for me.”

“What? What are you talking about Liz?” asked a confused Alex.

“Max saw who did it, and he said she looked like me,” Liz answered, her expression filled with grief.

“Liz, come on, snap out of it,” said Max. “She looked like you, but she wasn’t you. You didn’t do this.”

“I have to go call Michael and Isabel,” said Max. “Will you guys keep an eye on her?” he added, looking pointedly at Kyle and Alex.

“As if you have to ask,” said Kyle.

“Max, wait,” said Alex. “You be able to get a hold of Isabel today, she um, she went on a little trip.”

“Oh great,” groaned Max. “So you’re telling me that Maria, Ava and Isabel are all visiting Zan?”

“Not exactly,” said Alex. “She’s not visiting Zan, she’s visiting your mother. She had some things she wanted to talk to her about something.”

“Why can’t she talk to our mom here?” asked Max, distracted for a moment from the danger at hand.

Alex flushed, his forehead turning a brilliant shade of red. Liz watched in amusement as the color slowly traveled from his forehead, down his face to his neck. She was positive that is he took of his shirt, his torso would be equally as red.

“Well, see, the thing is, we were kind of thinking about having a baby, sometime, and Isabel wanted to talk to your mother about the challenges of raising a child with powers, explained Alex. “No offense to your mom, Max, but while she can answer the diaper and burping questions, she can’t field those questions.”

“I can’t believe you guys are thinking about having a baby,” cried Liz, happiness pushing away the fear that had shown in her eyes only moments before.

“Yeah, well, obviously, we’ll be tabling that plan for a while,” said Alex. “What with the new alien invasion and all.”

Alex’s comment brought them all sharply back to Earth. Max stood up and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in Michael’s number. He walked over to an empty part of the restaurant while he waited for Michael to answer. When he did pick up, Max quickly relayed the information to Michael, and he agreed to meet them at the CrashDown.

Max returned to the table coincided with the entrance of Sheriff Valenti, along with the woman who had come in earlier screaming about the dead body.

“Jeff, can you get this woman something cold to drink?” asked Jim, escorting the still hysterical woman to a nearby table.

“Sure thing, Sheriff,” said Jeff, rushing to bring them two glasses of ice water.

“Jeff, look,” said Jim Valenti in an undertone. “I hate to tell you this, but the dead woman is Agnes. She was attacked in the back alley. I’m assuming she was on break?”

“Agnes was always on break,” said Jeff, his voice flat. “I can’t believe it. What happened, a heart attack?”

“Well, no, it seems, according to this woman over here that Agnes was attacked by a dark haired woman who. Apparently, she put her hand on Agnes’s chest, and seconds later, Agnes fell to the ground.”

Jeff shifted uneasily and looked over to the table where Liz, Max, and the others sat. Jim noticed Jeff’s uneasy glance, and shook his head imperceptibly.

“I’d better try and contact Agnes’ family,” said Jeff.

“I’ll do it if you want,” offered Jim.

“No, Agnes was like one of the family,” said Jeff. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll go ask Lizzie to watch the counter while I go make the call.”

Jeff walked across he floor of the CrashDown and joined Liz and the others at their table. He quickly explained what was going on, and asked Liz if she would cover the counter for him. Liz agreed, and stood up, and the woman with Sheriff Valenti began to scream again.

“That’s her, that’s her!” she yelled. “That’s the woman I saw in the alley!”

Everyone in the CrashDown turned to see whom the woman was pointing at. Their eyes followed the path of her outstretched arm and landed on Liz.

“Me?” squeaked Liz. “You think you saw me out in the alley. Sheriff Valenti, there must be some mistake, I’ve been in here the entire afternoon.”

“I’m telling you, that’s the woman I saw touch the other lady in the alley right before she fell to the ground!”

“Mrs. Jackson, calm down,” said Jim. “Are you certain this is the woman you saw in the alley. Take your time and think carefully before you answer. I’m sure there was a lot going on, maybe you’re mistaken.”

“No, that’s here, I’m positive,” said the woman, her voice creeping higher and higher as her hysteria grew.

“Mrs. Jackson, calm down,” said Jim.

“Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down?” shouted the woman. “That woman over there killed someone, and the only thing you’re doing about it is telling me to calm down!”

“Mrs. Jackson, I can’t do anything while you stand here getting hysterical,” said the Sheriff. “If you’ll just calm down, I can do my job.”

Jim turned his back on the woman, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He looked at Liz, trying to telegraph his disbelief at the woman behind him.

“Elizabeth Parker Evans, I’m bringing you in for questioning in the death of Agnes Myers. Please come with me.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.


The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Five – Book ‘em Danno

Liz leaned her head against the glass of Sheriff Valenti’s cruiser, and watched the scenery flash by. She swallowed, trying to tamp down the feelings of nausea that choked her throat. Again and again the acrid taste of bile filled her throat as her mind created images of Agnes lying dead in the alley, a silver handprint burned into her chest.

“Why are you bothering to bring me in?” she asked Jim in a frighteningly dead voice. “You know as well as I do, that if I did do it, I could do it to you, too.”

“How can you even say that?” asked Jim, slamming on the breaks in shock. “I know more think you’re guilty than I do my own son. Christ, Liz, I know you didn’t do it. What kind of a person do you think I am? I never for one second doubted your innocence.”

“Then why are we going through this?” asked Liz.

“It was the only way to shut that Mrs. Jackson up,” explained Jim. “We need to keep all suspicion off of you, and having her proclaim your guilt at the top of her lungs certainly wouldn’t do that. I thought if we brought you in, went through the motions of questioning you, and come up with an airtight alibi, it would keep people of your tail.”

Liz turned her attention back to the window, watching the city she grew up in pass by in a blur. She grew up thinking Roswell was a safe place to live, but now it housed a new enemy. She raked her fingers through her hair, trying to find a solution to the problems that echoed in her head, but none were forthcoming. Finally, she gave up with a sigh, and leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

She felt the car come to a stop, and she opened her eyes to see where they were. She felt her stomach drop when she realized they had reached the sheriff’s office already. Despite Jim’s reassuring words, she still felt a strange sense of foreboding in her heart.

Jim climbed out of his vehicle, and came around and opened the rear passenger door, and reached in and helped Liz out of the car. He surreptitiously gave her arm a squeeze to reassure her that everything would be all right before he escorted her inside.

“This way, Mrs. Evans,” Jim said formally, pushing the door to the Roswell Sheriff’s Department open. He hung back and allowed Liz to enter the dark building before him.

Liz stood inside the doorway, unsure of where to go, what to do, or how to act. Jim took her by the elbow and escorted her to a chair beside a desk and motioned for her to sit down.

“I’ll be right back, Liz,” he said softly. “Just sit there, and I’ll get someone to bring you a cool drink.”

“Thanks, Sheriff,” Liz said.

She watched Jim walk across the office. He stopped and spoke softly to Deputy Blackwood, who looked quickly in Liz’s direction. He nodded several times, and slipped out of the room. The sheriff stepped into his office and closed the door.

With the sheriff out of view, Liz allowed her gaze to roam around the room, taking in everything from the faded wanted posters tacked up on the stained walls to the state of the art computers perched incongruously atop the ancient desks that filled the room.

“Liz?” said Deputy Blackwood.

Liz looked up, shocked to see the deputy standing beside her. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard him approach. He leaned down and placed a can of soda on the table next to her.

“Sheriff Valenti asked me to bring this to you,” he said. “He also asked me to take a statement of sorts from you. Just to make everything official,” he added quickly.

Owen Blackwood sat down at the desk and punched a few keys on the computer, pulling up a form on the screen.

“Where were you today, at approximately 12:15 p.m.?” he asked.

“At the CrashDown,” said Liz. “I came by around 11:45 a.m. I was supposed to meet Kyle Valenti, Alex Whitman, and my husband, Max Evans for lunch at noon. I arrived a little bit early to visit with my father,” said Liz.

“Did you leave the restaurant for any reason?” asked Deputy Blackwood.

“No, I ordered some Saturn Rings, and a drink and sat there and ate them,” said Liz. She paused for a moment to formulate her next sentence, not wanting to say anything about Maria and Ava, lest anybody ask where they were. “When Alex showed up first, and then Kyle, and both of them ate my Saturn Rings. In fact, my father brought Kyle’s order over and mentioned that Agnes was on break at the time.”

“And can anybody verify your whereabouts?” asked Deputy Blackwood. He looked up, over Liz’s shoulder, his expression widening slightly, and Liz turned to see the ubiquitous Mrs. Jackson standing in the doorway.

“Make this look good,” the Deputy whispered in an undertone. “Mrs. Evans,” he continued, his voice louder. “I asked you can anybody confirm that you were in the CrashDown Café from 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. today?”


“Yes,” said Liz, succinctly. “Kyle Valenti, the Sheriff’s son, as well as Alex Whitman, my father, Jeff Parker, and the 15 or so customers that were in the café at the same time.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Evans,” said the deputy, formally. “The Sheriff will be with you in just a moment. Hang on,” he whispered. “I’ll go see what’s up with our friend.”

Deputy Blackwood rose from the desk and crossed the room to stand beside Mrs. Jackson.

“Yes, ma’am, may I help you?” he asked formally.

“Yes, I’m here to make sure that woman is arrested for killing the poor woman in the alley,” Mrs. Jackson said in a shrill voice.

“Ma’am, allow me to assure you that we are doing everything possible to find out what happened today. In fact, Sheriff Valenti told me that you would be in to make your statement, and he asked me to escort you to his office as soon as you arrived. Why don’t you come with me?”

He reached out and touched the woman’s elbow lightly and escorted her to the door that separated the sheriff’s office from the rest of the department. Deputy Blackwood knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open, escorted Mrs. Jackson inside. He exited the office quickly, and closed the door behind him, but not before Liz heard the strident tones of Mrs. Jackson.

“Come on, Liz,” said the deputy. “Jim asked me to take you back to the CrashDown.”

“I’m confused,” said Liz. “Aren’t you going to book me or something?”

“Liz, you’ve been watching to many TV shows,” laughed the deputy. “You were in a public place, in the company of the Sheriff’s son. If that’s not an airtight alibi, then nothing is. When the Sheriff asked me to get you a drink he also filled me in on what happened, and on your new friend, Mrs. Jackson. He knew nothing would appease her more than seeing you here, in the station. He told me as soon as she got here, to bring her to him, and get you back to the café. So come on, before Jim loses it and throws that woman out on her, um, ear.”

Deputy Blackwood and Liz exited the Sheriff’s office quickly, and he drove her back to the CrashDown, which was still crowded with several other deputies who were busy taking the statements of several customers.

· * * * * *

Mrs. Jackson smiled to her self as she climbed back into her car.

“There,” she said to the empty vehicle. “That ought to keep them busy for a while.”

She started the car, and drove quickly out of town, and parked in the parking lot of an out of business gas station. She looked around quickly, then extended her hand out in front of her. The car filled with a bright white light, and began to shake violently. When the light faded, and the shaking subsided, Mrs. Jackson was gone, and in the drivers seat was a young woman with flowing red hair and emerald green eyes. She started the car, put it in gear and drove off down the highway out of town.

[majiklmoon]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

__________________________________________

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.

Chapter Six – Visitors From the Past


Liz stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes absentmindedly as she stared out the window into the murky twilight. Max, Michael and Kyle sat in the other room of their small apartment, trying to come up with some kind of plan. Alex had already left for Antar to update the others, and try and gather some more information on the Gadori.

A face appeared in the window above the sink, shocking Liz. Her scream filled the room, causing Max to come running.

“Liz, what is it; what’s wrong?” he asked rapping his arms around her trembling frame. “It’s all right, Liz. I’m here, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Th-there’s somebody out there,” she said, pointing a trembling hand toward the window.

Michael pushed past Max, and ran out the back door, and the slam of the front door alerted them to the fact that Kyle had charged out of the apartment that way.

They heard the sounds of struggling outside, and several minutes later, Michael and Kyle reentered the apartment through the back door, dragging a struggling man between them.

“Eddie?” Liz asked, looking at the man Michael and Kyle held. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” snapped the handsome Native American. “Long time no see. Now, would you mind calling off your watchdogs?”

“As a matter of fact, I do mind,” said Liz, the color returning to her face. “Was that you staring in my window?”

“Yeah, I was trying to get your attention, but you were totally zoned out. Then you screamed, and scared the shit out of me,” said Eddie. “Come on,” he added, struggling to free himself from Michael and Kyle’s grasp. “Let me go.”

“I don’t think so, Tonto,” said Kyle. “Not until we find out why you’re here.”

“I’m trying to tell you,” said Eddie, “But you’re really starting to piss me off.”

“And you’re starting to piss me off,” said Liz, her voice as hard as steel. “Why are you here, Eddie? I haven’t seen even a glimpse of you for the past four years, and all of a sudden, you show up? What gives?”

“Owen Blackwood was out at the reservation this afternoon,” said Eddie. “He came flying out there, sirens screaming, lights flashing, looking for River Dog.”

At the mention of River Dog’s name, Liz relaxed slightly. The elderly Native American had been nothing but a friend to them. “Let him go,” she instructed Kyle and Michael.

“Thank you,” said Eddie, his tone sarcastic.

“But watch him,” she added, her voice still cold. “If he makes one move, kill him.”

“Wow, what happened to the little waitress who was embarrassed to because the menu carried redskin baskets on the menu?” asked Eddie. “All grown up and killing people, now?”

“I suggest you watch it, if you don’t want your arm broken,” said Michael, conversationally. “I don’t like you, I never did, and it isn’t going to take very much right now to piss me off. Got it?”

“What the hell is wrong with you people?” said Eddie. “Screw this, if River Dog wants to talk to you, he can come and see you himself.” Eddie pushed past Kyle and started towards the back door, stopping when he found Liz standing in front of him, her arms folded in front of her, staring at him.

“What?” he cried, his voice exasperated.

“Why were you staring in the window?” asked Liz. “Why didn’t you come to the door like a normal person?”

“Because I wasn’t sure if I had the right house, so I looked in the window to make sure,” explained Eddie. “That’s all. There wasn’t any ulterior motive, I promise.”

“Fine,” said Max. “Look, I’m sorry if we over reacted, but we heard Liz scream. I guess we’re all just a little jumpy tonight.”

“Gee, ya thing?” said Eddie.

“Let’s go sit down, and start over again,” said Liz. “Eddie, I’m sorry, but there’s been a lot of stuff going on recently, and we’re all on edge.”

She turned and pushed the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Why don’t all of you go on in, and I’ll grab some sodas for us. She watched and waited until they left the room, then leaned against the wall, trying to control the flood of emotions that had welled up inside of her.

She reached into a cabinet and removed several glasses, and looked in the refrigerator to see if there were any cold sodas. She cursed softly when she couldn’t find any, and reached into one of the cabinets for a six-pack. She threw a bag of chips into a large bowl, put them, and the glasses on a tray. She picked up the six-pack and held it in both hands. In seconds, beads of moisture appeared on the cans, as the liquid inside cooled rapidly.

Liz grabbed everything and walked into the living room. She put the tray on the table in front of the sofa, and went to sit on the arm of the sofa, next to Max. While the others made meaningless small talk, she looked around the room. She was happy with the way their small apartment looked. She and Max worked hard to create a happy, safe environment, and she hated knowing that they were in danger of losing everything again.

“Nice picture,” said Eddie, looking at the painting that held the place of honor over the sofa. “What is it exactly?”

“It’s a picture of our wedding day,” said Liz softly. “Painted for us by a very special friend.” She looked at Michael and smiled her thanks at him once again. Not only did the picture remind her of the day she and Max were joined by the Granolith, it was also responsible for helping her climb out of the pit of depression she had fallen into after she lost her baby.

A small shudder passed through Liz as she remembered the fight with Tess that caused her to miscarry, but she shoved the sad memories aside, and forced herself to focus on what was happening now.

“So what happened out on the reservation today, Eddie?” asked Max. “You said Deputy Blackwood came out there looking for River Dog. Why are you telling us? We haven’t seen River Dog in years.”

“I wasn’t supposed to hear the conversation between Owen and River Dog,” said Eddie. “Owen told River Dog about a woman who was killed today in town, and that Liz was accused of the murder.”

“I didn’t do it,” said Liz.

“I know that,” said Eddie. “You’re not a killer. Owen knows that too. So does River Dog, but that wasn’t the interesting part of the conversation. It was how the woman was killed. There was a silver handprint on her chest. Owen thought it was important that River Dog know about that.”

“Why?” asked Michael, drawn into the story despite his intense dislike of Eddie.

“I don’t know. After Owen left, River Dog called me out of the kitchen. He knew I had overheard everything, and he told me I had to come and bring you to the reservation. He said it was important.”

“Why didn’t he come himself it it’s so important?” asked Kyle.

“Because he’s dying,” said Eddie, baldly.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.

Chapter Seven – River Dog

“Dying!” cried Liz. “Why, what’s wrong?”

“He’s old, Liz,” said Eddie, gently. He could see that his news bothered Liz, and despite his brusque manner, he didn’t want to cause her any pain. “His body is wearing out. The doctors said he has cancer, but he won’t go for treatment. He said that if it is his time, man and science shouldn’t interfere with what the gods have in store for him.”

“We have to get out there, Max,” said Liz. “We can help him.”

“River Dog doesn’t want your help,” said Eddie. “He says he has information to help you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Michael, unexpectedly attempting to diffuse a potentially tense situation. “Let’s just get out there and hear what he has to say.”

Michael elected to ride his motorcycle, and Max, Liz, Kyle and Eddie all climbed into Max’s car, and followed Michael, through the night to the reservation.

Eddie directed Max to park his car outside a small home located on the edge of the reservation. Michael pulled his bike up beside them and climbed off and left the helmet sitting on the seat. He waited until Eddie climbed out of the car, then grabbed him and slammed him against it.

“Michael, what are you doing?” demanded Max.

“It just dawned on me that he might not be who he says he is. What if he’s one of them?”

“Michael, it’s Eddie, will you let him go?” said Liz

“Yeah, how can you be so certain?” asked Michael, not loosening his grip.

“Simple, one of them wouldn’t know about the conversation Eddie and I had about the redskins baskets at the CrashDown,” said Liz, calmly.

“Oh,” said Michael, abruptly releasing Eddie so that he fell back against the car. “My bad.”

Eddie glared at Michael, as he motioned to the others to follow him. As they walked, Kyle pulled Michael back and whispered to him.

“Did you really think that he wasn’t who he said he was?” Kyle asked.

“Nah, I knew it was Eddie, I just don’t like the guy, that’s all,” said Michael, flashing a grin.

“You are such a jackass, Guerin,” Kyle said. “No wonder I like you, and I’m right there with you, I don’t like that guy. He’s wicked arrogant. What about this River Dog guy, what’s he like?”

“Pretty cool,” said Michael. “At least he was. For a while, I was pretty positive that he was one of our protectors. That was before we knew that our protectors weren’t really our protectors,” he added unnecessarily.

“Are you two coming?” Eddie asked, standing by the door. He knocked softly on the door and pushed it open. He stood beside the door and waited for the others to enter before closing the door behind them.

The small living room was crowded with the mementos River Dog had gathered over his long life. A small fire burned in the fireplace, despite the fact that the heat of the day still lingered. Beautiful, hand woven blankets graced the backs of the sofa and chairs. Kyle reached out and ran a finger over the skull of some desert animal.

“That is a rabbit skull,” came a quavering voice.

Kyle whirled around, trying to find the owner of the voice.

“River Dog, what are you doing up?” asked Eddie. “You should be in bed, resting.”

“There is no time to rest,” said River Dog. “There is much for me to finish before I cross over. Welcome friends. It has been a long time since we have seen each other.”

“Hello, River Dog,” said Max. “I’m sorry we haven’t been out to see you.”

“You have been very busy, I know,” said River Dog. “Owen Blackwood has told me about some of your adventures.” River Dog watched the looks pass between the friends and laughed slightly. “Do not act so surprised, I charged Owen with keeping you safe. He has watched over you for many years now.”

“We, we never knew,” said Michael.

“You did not need to know. Had you needed him, he would have been there to assist you. Your need was never great enough for him to reveal himself to you,” explained River Dog. He began to gasp for breath as if the effort required to speak was too much for him.

“Maybe you’d better leave,” said Eddie, moving across the room to hover protectively over River Dog. “This isn’t a good time for him.”

“Silence, Eddie,” said River Dog, his voice coming in gasps. “We don’t have much time. I have wasted so much of it. I must tell them everything, before it’s too late.”

Max shot Liz a telling look, and she grabbed Eddie by the arm, and pulled him towards the small kitchen.

“Before we get started, why don’t we grab some drinks for everybody, Eddie?” she asked. She forcibly dragged Eddie through the small house into the kitchen, and positioned herself in front of the door so he couldn’t leave the room.

“Mind telling me what that was all about?” he asked Liz.

“Yes, I do mind, now why don’t you get some glasses and some water or something?” she answered.

While Eddie, reluctantly got the drinks, Liz turned and looked back into the small, darkened living room. She saw a silvery glow fill the air highlighting the planes and angles of her husband’s face. When the light subsided, and the room was lit only by the glow of the fire in the fireplace, she turned back to Eddie.

“Come on, we can go back in now.” She reached past him and grabbed two of the glasses off the counter and went back to the living room.

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on here?” demanded Eddie, following Liz out of the kitchen.

A loud, resounding no filled the room as Kyle, Max, Michael and Liz all answered Eddie’s question at once. Eddie, however wasn’t paying any attention to River Dog’s guests. All his attention was focused on the elderly man, lying on the couch.

“River Dog! What happened, what did they do to you?” he cried, kneeling down beside the man.

“Don’t be foolish,” said River Dog, waving his hand. “I am fine. I must tell these young people about the Nescado, about the visitor.”

“But River Dog,” interrupted Liz, gently. “You already did tell us about him, remember?”

“Not everything,” said River Dog, his voice surprisingly firm. “There is much you do not know; much I must tell you, before it is too late.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.



Chapter Eight – Secrets

River Dog settled heavily back against the old leather sofa wheezing as he tried to fill his lungs with air. Liz looked questioningly at Max, wondering if for some reason, Max couldn’t heal him. River Dog saw the glance that passed between the couple and smiled.

“Do not worry,” the old man said falteringly. “He did as you asked, and cured the illness, but only death can stop the ravages of time.”

“River Dog, I’m sorry,” began Liz.

“Don’t be. I’ve lived a wonderful and full life, and it is time for me to travel a different path, but before I do, there is more I need to tell you. There are some things about Nescado that I kept from you.”

“Do you think you can tell us now River Dog?” Michael asked, gently. “Or do you want us to come back another time?”

“There will not be another time, my young friend. We must do this now, before it is too late. Before he comes back again,” said River Dog.

Eddie helped River Dog to sit up, then held the glass of water to his lips, and he drank deeply, soothing his tired voice. When he was finished, he sank back against the pillows and resumed his tale.

“I told you of our visitor, whom I called Nescado. He stayed with us for a while, and learned as much as he could about the outside world. He would disappear for days at a time, but always, he returned to his cave; the cave I showed you. I never questioned the fact that when he returned, he would sometimes have a different face. It was just one of the many things I accepted about him.” River Dog stopped talking and began to cough violently. Eddie and Michael helped him to sit up again, and Liz quickly brought the glass to his lips. River Dog took several small sips of the cool water, and his coughing subsided. He lay back against the pillows again, and Liz settled the blankets around his shoulders.

“River Dog, this is too much for you,” said Eddie. “Whatever you have to tell them can wait.”

“No it can’t, Eddie, and I not only tell them, I am telling you, for I am passing on my charge to you,” said River Dog. “Just before he left, Nescado took me to a secret place where he had hidden something of great value, and he charged me to look after them, and keep them safe.”

“Them, them who?” asked Eddie, clearly confused.

“Us,” said Max. “Nescado wanted River Dog to keep us safe.”

“What are you talking about?” demanded Eddie. “River Dog said Nescado was her in 1947.”

“Exactly,” said River Dog, rejoining the conversation. “I was charged with watching over them. But I failed. After Nescado left, I watched over them, and then it happened. I went out to Nescado’s secret place, and he was there. I was happy to see my friend, but he wasn’t happy to see me. He demanded to know what I was doing there, it was then that I realized he wasn’t Nescado. This person was evil. I was afraid.”

“How did you know it wasn’t Nescado?” asked Michael.

“When I touched him, I saw evil. I saw the dark and terrible things that he had done. Nescado, my Nescado was not like that,” said River Dog.

“What happened next?” asked Kyle, totally absorbed by the story.

“I left, and didn’t go back for almost a year,” continued River Dog. “Then one day, a movie crew from California came here to film a movie. One of the crew members sought me out, and revealed himself to be Nescado.”

“Was it your Nescado?” asked Max.

“This time it was,” River Dog replied. “He told me he had created a life here for himself, and he was resigned to spending the rest of his days here. I was happy for my friend, and I didn’t want to ruin his acceptance of his new life, but I had to tell him what had happened the year before. My news alarmed him, because he realized there was more of his kind here.”

“More of his kind? What the hell are you talking about?” shouted Eddie. “What the hell have you done to him? He’s having hallucinations or something?”

“Eddie, enough!” said River Dog, his voice unexpectedly strong. “You will listen. There will be time enough for questions, later.”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said, sounding incredibly like a sullen child.

“My friend was very worried,” River Dog repeated. “He didn’t understand how this was possible. He thought the others had all died. He had felt them die. Nescado said there was a way he could probe my mind, and see the images I had seen, but he would only do it if I allowed it.”

“And did you allow it?” asked Liz, anxious for River Dog to continue his tale.

“I did, and he was shocked at what he was able to retrieve from my mind. It was then, and only then that he told me everything. He told me that his name was Cladar, and the being I had seen before was called Nasd. He told me the people of a world called Gador, a neighboring planet of a world called Antar, and they had been charged to provide safe transport of a very precious cargo from Antar. He said they were bound by an oath to protect this cargo, but they were resentful of it. Two of the members of his crew, Nasd and Ticada hated anything to do with humans, and were resentful of being here. They didn’t care about the oath, or their cargo. The third crewmember, Wylaria, felt much like Cladar did. They too were resentful of humans, but they didn’t hate them the way Nasd and Ticada did. Both of them felt that humans were nothing but a substandard species which deserved to be removed from the universe.”

“What happened to them?” asked Kyle. “How did they die?”

“Wylaria caused their vessel to crash.” River Dog stopped, his head falling back against the pillow.

“River Dog?” Liz said, her voice a whisper. She knelt down beside the elderly man, and pressed her ear to his chest. “He’s still breathing,” she said with a sigh of relief. She lifted one of his eyelids and watched the pupil contract against the light. “I think he’s just asleep,” she said.

“I want you out of here, now!” said Eddie. “Before River Dog wakes up! You’re killing him.”

“Eddie, we’re not killing him,” said Liz, gently. “Time is doing that, and I honestly think the only reason he’s lasted this long is because he feels that he has to tell us what happened.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t give a shit what you think!” said Eddie. “Now get the hell out of here before I,” he stopped talking, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“I didn’t want to do that,” said Max.

“Max, you didn’t?” Liz asked, her heart in her throat, afraid of his answer.

“He’s only unconscious, Liz, and not for very long. He wasn’t helping the situation any, and with all his yelling, I was afraid he’d wake up River Dog, and he obviously needs to rest,” said Max.

“Let’s find a place to put him,” said Kyle. He and Michael lifted Eddie’s unconscious body by his arms and legs, and followed Liz down the narrow hall of River Dog’s home.

“Here, put him in here,” said Liz, pushing open a door at the end of the hall.

Michael and Kyle dumped Eddie’s body unceremoniously on the bed and left the room without a backward glance. Liz took a moment to smooth a blanket over Eddie’s body before joining the others in the living room.

The shifting logs in the fireplace sent a shower of sparks up the chimney. When Liz looked back at the sofa, she was amazed to find River Dog awake, and watching them alertly.

“Where is my grandson?” he asked.

“Grandson?” asked Michael. “Is Eddie your grandson?”

“He is,” said River Dog, simply.

“Well, um, Eddie had kind of a freak out,” began Max.

“You mean he didn’t handle the news very well,” said River Dog.

“Well, yeah,” said Max, looking embarrassed. “So I kind of encouraged him to take a nap.”

“Please revive him,” said River Dog. “He needs to be here. He needs to hear the rest of my confession as well.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you’d be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.

Chapter Nine – Strange Visitor

Kyle and Michael carried Eddie back to the living room, and dumped him unceremoniously into a chair. River Dog watched them, a glint of amusement playing in his eyes.

“There is no love lost between Eddie and you, is there?” he asked, unnecessarily.

“Not much,” said Michael.

Max leaned over Eddie’s supine body and pressed a hand to his forehead. Within seconds, Eddie’s eyes flickered open and he groaned.

“What happened?” he asked. “I feel like I was hit over the head with a brick.”

“You, uh, bumped your head on the corner of the mantle,” said Liz. “Then you got kind of dizzy, so we had you sit down and put your head between your legs. Don’t you remember?”

“No,” said Eddie, baldly.

“Yeah, look, you were bugging us, so we knocked you out,” said Michael. “Can we get on with the story?”

“You would do well to put your enmity behind you,” said River Dog. “All of you! You are going to need each other in the future. Do not turn your backs on each other they way I did, for so long.”

“Do you feel ready to continue the story?” asked Liz, softly.

“Yes, but only if you are ready to listen with not just your ears, but also with your hearts,” said River Dog. He looked at each of them intently, waiting until each of them nodded in agreement.

“Cladar was very worried for my safety when he realized that Nasd had survived and had been to the hidden chamber. He offered to release me from my charge, but I refused. After everything he had been through, it didn’t seem right.”

“What had he been through?” asked Max.

“After the crash, they were captured and taken to the Army Air Corp Base. Cladar told me that their people are connected somehow, and when his companions died, he felt it, just as he felt the torturous experiments they performed on them before they died.”

River Dog looked at them and saw that his words affected all of them greatly. He smiled to himself, taking a sip of water to disguise the tell tale grin on his face. Good he thought to himself. Let them know of the pain and suffering Cladar felt. Maybe they’d all develop some compassion.


He placed the glass on the table and resumed his story. “Cladar managed to escape with the help of a young pilot named Hal Carver. He also rescued their cargo, and found a safe home for them, but this you already know. Anyhow, Cladar tried to convince me that it was no longer safe for me to watch over the cargo, but I refused to stop. Then the bodies started to appear on the reservation.”

“Bodies?” asked Kyle. “What bodies?”

“For a period of a month, a string of mysterious disappearances occurred on the Reservation,” said River Dog, sadly. “Nobody paid much attention at first, until one by one, the bodies reappeared, each of them with a silver handprint on their chest. Cladar made me swear never to return to the hiding place again. He said he would contact me again if there was ever any need for me to go there, and he told me how to contact him if I ever needed him. He was using the name Cal Langley, and he said that I would always be able to contact him if the need was great enough. He said we too had formed a bond like that which he shared with those on his crew. He would know if I were in danger.”

“We never read anything about a lot of deaths out here when we were doing our research,” said Max.

“That is because Cladar and I buried the bodies ourselves. We didn’t want this kind of news to leak out to the rest of the town,” said River Dog.

“Did you ever see him again?” asked Michael.

“Once,” admitted River Dog. “Shortly after you emerged, he came to me in a panic because three of you had left your chambers, but the fourth was still there. Together we returned to the hiding place, to find that the fourth was now also gone, but that her chamber had been opened forcibly.”

“Tess,” said Liz, choking on the name. “Nasd took Tess with him.”

“Yes,” said River Dog. Cladar, Cal, that is, tracked the others down, but it was too late for him to retrieve them. So he told me to help you if you ever came looking for me.”

“River Dog, what you’re telling us doesn’t seem like anything you need to confess,” said Kyle.

“I am not done my story,” said River Dog. When Cal left, I returned home, to find my wife, dead, a silver handprint on her chest. Heartbroken, I did not know what to do at first. Then I made a decision, I closed my mind off from Cal. I vowed never to have anything to do with him, or any of you again.”

“But you did,” said Liz. “When we came to you before, you helped us.”

“Not like I should have,” said River Dog. “I should have told you all of this then, and told you how to get in touch with Cal. It could have made a difference in your lives. I could have saved people if I had told you.”

“River Dog, don’t,” said Liz. “You can’t blame yourself. Look at what you were faced with. We don’t blame you River Dog, please, don’t blame yourself.”

“Eddie,” River Dog said, pulling himself up to a sitting position. I am passing on my charge to you. Protect them and help them. Contact Cal Langley, he will help you.”

While River Dog was talking, there was a knock at the door. Michael stood and opened the door, his attention on River Dog’s words, and not who was at the door.

“Friend,” said River Dog, weakly. “You came.” He held out a hand to the figure in the doorway.

“Why?” asked the stranger, entering the room. “Why did you close yourself off from me. I could have helped you, River Dog. The King could have helped you.”

“Do not blame yourself, nor our young friend here,” said River Dog, pointing at Max. “He tried to help me, but nothing can cure the ravages of time. I failed you, I failed them, I,” he gasped for breath. “I failed.”

River Dog collapsed against the pillows, and closed his eyes. He exhaled heavily, and then breathed no more.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. If I was lucky enough to own them, you just know the show would still be on the air, and you’d be watching that instead of reading this.

Rating: TEEN to MATURE for inappropriate language and some violence.

Chapter Ten – Gadori 101

“Grandfather!” Eddie shouted. He pushed past Max and knelt down beside River Dog

“This is all your fault,” he spat venomously. “I told you that this was too much for him but you didn’t care. You kept pressing him for details, and now he’s dead.”

“Eddie,” Liz said calmly, stepping forward. She started to reach out a hand to touch his arm but Eddie pushed it away violently, causing her to stumble.

“Keep away from me, you alien freak bitch!” Eddie shouted.

“Watch it,” snapped Max, don’t make me hurt you.”

“Right, blast me with your alien powers, you freak. Go ahead, do it,” taunted Eddie.

“Shut up, you idiot,” said Michael shoving Eddie down into a chair. Or I’ll be the one to kill you, and with my bare hands.”

“Well, as amusing as this little drama is,” said Cal Langley, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. “I do believe I’ll be leaving now.”

“No, I don’t think you will,” said Max. “I order you to stay.”

Cal looked at him and laughed. It was a nasty sound that sent shivers down their backs.

“You don’t really expect me to obey your orders, do you?” he asked snidely. “Please, the pact that was forged by our high priest ended when he was murdered by Kivar. When he died, the bond he enslaved us in was broken. We no longer live to serve you, we only have to ensure your safety.”

The four friends exchanged worried glances afraid of what this news would mean to them. Max tried to speak, but found he was unable to put the hundreds of thoughts that flashed through his mind into words. Finally Liz found the courage to speak.

“Well, why are you here, then, if you’re not going to help us?” she asked.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to help you, Liz, I said I didn’t have to. There is a distinct difference you know, my dear,” said Cal.

“I’m not your dear,” snapped Liz. “My name is Liz, use it, or don’t bother to talk to me at all.”

“Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” said Cal. “I can’t see that attitude playing well on Antar.”

“I don’t give a damn about Antar, and besides, they didn’t have a problem with my attitude when I helped to overthrow Kivar,” said Liz.

“Wait, who’s Kivar?” asked Eddie; still sitting in the chair that Michael had pushed in.

“Shut up,” said Michael. “We so don’t need to hear from you right now.”

“Y-you’ve been there?” asked Cal. “Kivar is gone?” He fell heavily into the chair beside the fireplace and bowed his head. “This changes everything.”

“Why, what do you mean?” demanded Max.

“As long as Kivar was alive, and in control of Antar, you were safe. He let you live in case he ever needed you to bolster his role as leader. If he’s dead, you all are in great danger.”

“No shit,” said Michael, his voice ripe with scorn. “Tell us something we didn’t already know. Wait, we didn’t know that. Did we?” he looked at the others in the room, his confusion apparent.

“Let me get this straight,” said Max. “The pact that was formed by my father and your head priest became null and void when Kivar killed the head priest. Kivar in turn must have formed some sort of pact with someone ensuring our protection. River Dog formed a pact with you, which you released him from, but he refused to be released and tried to pass the pact on to Eddie. Is that it?”

“Pretty much,” said Cal. “Glad to see you’re not just another pretty face.”

“Eddie,” said Max turning toward the other man. “As far as I’m concerned there isn’t any pact, and you don’t have any responsibility to us. The only thing we will ask is that you please keep our secret.”

“This is all to whacked for me to even figure out,” said Eddie, rising from the chair. “I always knew there was something weird about you, but I never, in a million years expected it to be this. Aliens? No friggen way!”

“Not really aliens, Eddie,” Liz explained, gently. “Max and Michael are human, their ancestors came from Earth. We don’t really have time for a history lesson, but lets just say some of those theories about Atlantis were right on target.”

“This is just a little hard to, I don’t know, believe. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I won’t betray your secret,” said Eddie. “But now, I need to contact some people about my grandfather.”

“Thank you, Eddie,” Liz said, softly. “And I really am sorry about your grandfather. He was an incredible man.”

“Thanks,” said Eddie, bowing his head.

“Listen, we’ll just leave if you want so you can, you know,” said Max.

“No, stay,” said Eddie. “I have to go notify some people, and I don’t want to – to leave him here alone.” His voice caught as he tried to choke back the tears that threatened to spill out. Before the others could respond, Eddie flew out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

They all stood awkwardly listening to the sounds of Eddie’s truck start up and pull away. Nobody knew what to do until Michael stepped forward and placed a blanket over River Dog’s body.

“Why don’t we go talk in the kitchen?” he said. “I don’t think Eddie meant he wanted us hovering over, well, hovering.”

“Michael’s right,” said Kyle, grabbing Cal by the arm. “Besides, I think we have a lot to talk about with our new friend.”

“Surrounding yourself with more muscle than usual, aren’t you, Zan?” asked Cal.

“I’m not Zan,” said Max, shooting Cal a malevolent glare. “Zan is on Antar, right now. He’s the king.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Cal. “You don’t mean the other set of pods survived, too?”

“Yeah, they did,” said Max. “We’ll go into all of that later. We need to know about the Gadori. How can we tell who they are, and how can we kill them?”

“You can’t,” said Cal, flatly. “Tell them apart from a human I mean. They’re shape shifters, they can take on the physical characteristics of any person, or any thing. As far as killing, the usual methods will suffice.”

“By the usual methods, you mean what, exactly?” asked Kyle.

“Shooting, strangulation, stabbing, plus anything the Royal Four can pull out of their hats, power wise,” said Cal.

“That’s the Royal Nine,” said Kyle. “Glad to see you kept track of what your charges were doing.”

“What Royal Nine?” asked a clearly confused Langley. “What are you talking about?”

“We’ll file that under the things we have to talk about later, category,” said Max. “Right now we have to,” he stopped talking, his attention drawn by the sound of a truck slamming on its brakes, followed by the sound of a slamming door.

Footsteps pounded across the ground outside, and the back door flew inward, slamming against the wall, the force of the impact causing the glass to shatter. Eddie stood in the doorway, gasping for breath.

“You guys have a problem, you have to go, now!” he panted. “I stopped at the tribal council building to notify them about my grandfather.” He stopped talking, and bent over clutching his stomach, trying to get his breath. “I got out of the car, and there was my grandfather, waiting for me.”

“Oh, no, Eddie,” Liz said. “That must have been so horrible for you.”

“At first I thought it was his spirit, reminding me of his charge to me, but when he spoke to me, I knew that wasn’t it. He was different. He asked me to find you, and bring you out to the cave. I told him I would, and then got the hell out of there as fast as I could. You guys have to go, you’re in danger.”

“Eddie, so are you,” said Max, bluntly. “As soon as word gets out that your grandfather is dead, Nescado is going to realize that you knew it wasn’t him.”

“Max is right,” said Cal. “You’re in danger. You all are,” he added looking at the group.

“Come on,” said Liz, pulling Eddie by the arm. “Let’s go get a bag packed for you. We have to get out of here, fast.”

“We’ll go back to town and grab our emergency bags and meet you at the pod chamber,” said Max.

“I’ll start calling parents,” said Kyle, reaching for his cell phone. We don’t want them freaking once we disappear.”

“Be careful, Liz,” Max said, unnecessarily. “I love you.” He hugged her tightly and ran his hand over her hair. “We’re going to end this, I promise you.”

“I love you,” Liz whispered. She hugged Michael and Kyle in turn and watched as the three friends ran out of the house. She turned and pushed Eddie down the hallway to his room and quickly helped him pack a bag, while Cal looked on, an amused expression playing across his face.

“You’ve done this before, I see,” he said as Liz sorted through Eddie’s belongings.

“Yeah, we’ve had to become pretty self sufficient since there wasn’t anybody here to watch over us,” she said, bitterly. “Is there anything you particularly value?” she asked Eddie in a kinder voice. “If so, get it now, because we have to get out of here.”

Eddie left the room, and returned several minutes later with a small bundle in his hand. “I’m ready,” he said, picking up the bag Liz had helped him pack.

“Let’s go,” she said. “Langley, I won’t say it’s been nice getting to know you.”

“You are the feisty one,” he said with a laugh. “And anyhow, I’m coming with you. I failed River Dog once; I won’t do it again. I’m going to do everything in my power to keep Eddie, and the rest of you safe.”

Liz didn’t waist her breath arguing. She decided this was one problem Max could take care of later. She wasn’t betraying any secrets by brining Cal to the pod chamber. He was the one who had placed the pods there to begin with. They hurried down the hallway and out the back door just as the front door began to open slowly.

“Shit, run,” said Liz. “She climbed into the drivers seat of Eddie’s truck, while he and Cal climbed in the passenger side. “Where are the keys?” she asked. Eddie began to search his pocket, frantically.

“Never mind,” she said, and used her powers to start the truck. She slammed it into gear and tore off across the yard and onto the road.

“How’d you do that?” asked Eddie.

“Here, turn here,” said Cal, gesturing frantically to his left.

“That doesn’t go anywhere but out into the desert,” said Eddie.

“I know,” said Cal, but eventually it comes out onto the Pullman Ranch. There’s a service road there we can take to the pod chamber.

Liz drove like the hounds of hell were on her tail, eventually slowing down when she came upon the access road that Cal had described.

“We’re here,” she said, pulling the truck in behind the giant sandstone outcropping that housed the pod chamber.

The trio climbed out of the truck and walked up the path to the rocks. Liz passed her hand over the hidden panel, and the door slid open, and they walked inside to the cool interior of the cavern. Liz leaned against the wall and slid to the ground.

The three sat in silence, until the door slid open again, and Max, Michael and Kyle walked in. Liz jumped up and ran to them and hugged them tightly. “I was so worried,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” Max said. “We’re here. We’re going to figure out what to do. I brought the belts, and.” He stopped talking as the chamber began to rumble and shake.

“What the hell is that?” Michael yelled, over the noise. He was thrown to the ground, as were the others.

As suddenly as it began, the chamber started to shake, it stopped. The small group climbed to their feet and looked around.

“Was it an earthquake?” asked Kyle.

“No, it wasn’t,” said Cal. “I felt that once before, when I placed your pod chambers in here. Shortly after that, something from Antar appeared.”

“Yeah, the Granolith,” said Max. “My father sent it down to Earth.”

“Well it sounds like it just left,” said Cal.

“Wrong again,” said Kyle. “It left a while ago. It sounds to me as if it just got back, and that can’t be a good thing.”

The entered the chamber that housed the Granolith, and it stood in its former position, surrounded by a host of Antarians, their weapons drawn.

“Put down your weapons,” Max ordered. “We are friends.”

“If you are,” said one. “Then you will be able to answer the question King Zan has asked. Where is the best pizza in the world made?”

“New York City,” answered Max, Michael, Kyle and Liz in unison with a laugh.

The Antarians knelt down, inclining their heads towards Max and the others. As they did, they the Granolith came into full view, along with Isabel’s body, which lay in its base.