Chapter 11
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 4:37 pm
Author's Note: Yep kiddos, this fic is about to end. When you ask? Chapter 16. It's sad but true. Chapter 14 is the big OH SHIT chapter I've been building up,
. Hopefully, you guys take it that way.
Thanks for all the feedback and who the hell is out there? So many suspects. He he.
And it being a Crash fic, I might've busted out with a new character, lol.
<sigh> Oh well.
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Chapter 11
Max/Liz Room
“Maxwell, there’s someone out there.”
“Max?” Liz called out, this time right beside him with one hand clutching onto the covers and the other hand over his, that was holding on to the doorknob.
“Get dressed.” Max ordered her and then looked back to Michael. “Go downstairs and get Dominic.”
“Maxwell, we can do this ourselves.” Michael argued, seeing Liz in the background gathering a armful of clothes and then closing the door of the bathroom behind her.
“Yeah, but he can stay here and take care of Liz and Maria.” Max explained, seeing Michael struggle with himself before finally giving in and heading downstairs with Maria right behind him. Max quickly put on his socks and boots, looking around frantically for his warmer and sweater.
“Max, what’s going on?” Liz questioned as she stepped out of the bathroom untucking the hem of cotton turtleneck sweater from her dark denim jeans and then flipping her hair out from the neck of her sweater.
“Michael says someone’s out there.” Max replies as he slips in his warmer and sweater and then moves over to stand in front of Liz who’s tying the laces to her boots. “It’s probably nothing. A raccoon or something.”
“Max, it’s never nothing when it comes to us.” Liz answered sadly, tying the last bow to her boots and standing up to see that her comment had struck a nerve for him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--”
“No. You’re right.” He answered and then looked to the door when it opened, seeing Michael, Maria and Dominic standing in the hallway. “Let’s go.” He said, taking Liz by her hand and meeting with everyone in the hallway.
“Max, what’s going on?” Dominic asked as they all followed Max and Liz down the stairs and into the living room.
Living Room
“I need you to stay here and take care of Liz and Maria.” Max asked as he caught the gloves and ski hat Michael tossed to him and put them on.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“We don’t know yet but they will be safer with you here.” Max answered, opening the door and waiting when he saw Maria pull Max.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.” Maria asked, tugging on his arm.
“I will.” Michael answered, giving her a quick kiss and then exiting the front door, where Max flashed Liz an assuring smile and then followed after.
“Okay, so what are ‘we’ suppose to do?” Maria questioned Dominic.
“I don’t even know what’s going on.” Dominic reminded.
“Cliff notes version. Possible bad guy outside. So what’s our move?” Maria questioned more irritated. Both her and Liz watched as Dominic pensively pondered and then watched him move steadily to the light switch and turn off the lights to the living room. “What are you doing?” Maria asked, feeling Liz clutch on to her arm as she was did with Liz.
“You asked me to do something right?”
“Yeah, Luther Vandross…” Just as Maria was going to complete her insult, Dominic bee-lined his way to her and covered her mouth with his hand while his other held the back of her head.
“Look. If we turn off the lights, whoever’s out there can’t see us. And if the can’t see us, they won’t know where we are right?” He asked, making Maria’s head nod before releasing it. “So you two start turning off the lights while I turn out the fire.” He assigned, watching the two split up and start turning out the lights while he tossed sand on the burning fire, leaving them in a pitch black cabin.
Outside
“You sure you heard something?” Max asked as they moved further into the woods, hearing the snow crush beneath their boots and then heard a twig snap from in front of them, making the two freeze where they stood and then look at each other.
“Definitely sure.” Michael answered then signaled Max to be quiet and to move to the white barked tree to the left of them while he move to the one to the right of them.
Pressing his back against the cold bark of the tree, Max picked up a thick piece of bark he spotted peeking out of the snow and held it closely to him in a batting position, ready to swing when Michael would signal him to.
They stood silently against their trees, seeing their breath in the cold air and tears start to build up in their eyes from the cold. Max held out a hand, questioning Michael on what was happening, only getting a shrug from Michael until other snap was heard this time from behind them.
Max and Michael quickly moved to the trees across from them, pressing their back against them and lower close to the frozen ground as they heard another twig snap and this time a hint of dim light from a flashlight, cutting through the night and wobbling around.
Michael signaled Max with a peace sign, calculating two people in the woods with them from the different direction of the twig snaps.
Max watched as Michael maneuvered himself covertly to the same position as before, signaling Max to take on whoever was coming from the behind him and he would take whoever was coming from in front of them.
The adrenaline started to rush through both Michael and Max’s bodies, making them forget about the cold air hitting their bodies like a million needles. For those few minutes, their hearing had become as alert as a blind man, hearing the wind blow by and another twig snap, this time closer than the second one they heard.
Max’s patience was wearing thin, noticing Michael’s was practically holding on by a thread. He noticed the wobble of the flashlight again, this time followed by another snap of the twig and the sound of crushing snow at a slow pace. Whoever was coming, was coming cautiously, but for some reason, the approaching person wasn’t Max’s deepest concern, he was more worried about the second person, the person he could no longer hear.
Michael crossed over again, squatting back to the tree across from him when he no longer heard the cautious steps coming from the approaching person from behind them, but instead heard a quickening one, almost as if the person was charging towards them.
The steps sounded closer and closer, faster, almost at the same speed their hearts were beating. They could hear the snow crunching louder now and the flashlight shining brighter. And as soon as Michael could determine where how close the person was, he lifted himself up a little, knees bent, and readied himself until he heard a twig snap right beside him and then dove straight at the mystery person.
Max bolted up, bark in the air, ready to slam down, until he heard the mystery man repeat the word ‘no’ as Michael turned him around with the flashlight now in his possession and shined it on the man, revealing the last person they would’ve imagined.
“Dominic?!” Michael and Max questioned confused, while Dominic held his hands defensively in front of his face as he watched Max lower the bark and Michael step back off of him to catch his breath.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Michael questioned in anger as he inhaled and exhaled the cold air.
“I thought you could use my help.” Dominic answered, picking himself up from the snow and dusted whatever snow didn’t melt into his clothes off of him. “I know these woods like the back of my hand.”
“You were suppose to be taking care of Liz and Maria.” Michael reminded, letting the sounds of Liz and Maria names hang when he looked over to Max and realized what he had just realized from that statement.
“Hey, you’re the kids. I’m the adult.” Dominic argued but then noticed Michael and Max stunned faces. “What?”
“You left them alone.” Michael answered in a low tone and with that statement alone, Max bolted back towards the cabin, hearing Michael and Dominic running behind him.
Running with all his might, Max spotted the dark cabin with all the lights turned off and could feel the heated panic rush through his body. When he reached the front door, he stormed in and stopped Michael’s speed, who ran into him as Dominic ran into Michael, leaving the three standing closely together under the doorway.
“Maxwell?”
“Michael. Look.” Max pointed out with his chin and eyes. Michael pointed the flashlight down to the pine wood floors and spotted a beeline of melted snowy footprints, following the line and noticed it led upstairs. Max and Michael exchanged worried looks, assuming the worst and then slowly followed the footprints to up the stairs.
“Wait.” Dominic called out in a whisper, moving to behind the stair and moved the bookcase. Michael and Max watched confused as Dominic rummaged through a loose floorboard and then came out cocking a gun. “Okay. Let’s go.” He suggested, noticing Max and Michael’s skeptic looks and then signaled the two to move it along with his gun.
Cautiously, the three made it up the stairs and to the hallway, where they followed the prints to the direction of Max and Liz’s room, which door was closed.

Thanks for all the feedback and who the hell is out there? So many suspects. He he.


_____________________________________________________________
Chapter 11
Max/Liz Room
“Maxwell, there’s someone out there.”
“Max?” Liz called out, this time right beside him with one hand clutching onto the covers and the other hand over his, that was holding on to the doorknob.
“Get dressed.” Max ordered her and then looked back to Michael. “Go downstairs and get Dominic.”
“Maxwell, we can do this ourselves.” Michael argued, seeing Liz in the background gathering a armful of clothes and then closing the door of the bathroom behind her.
“Yeah, but he can stay here and take care of Liz and Maria.” Max explained, seeing Michael struggle with himself before finally giving in and heading downstairs with Maria right behind him. Max quickly put on his socks and boots, looking around frantically for his warmer and sweater.
“Max, what’s going on?” Liz questioned as she stepped out of the bathroom untucking the hem of cotton turtleneck sweater from her dark denim jeans and then flipping her hair out from the neck of her sweater.
“Michael says someone’s out there.” Max replies as he slips in his warmer and sweater and then moves over to stand in front of Liz who’s tying the laces to her boots. “It’s probably nothing. A raccoon or something.”
“Max, it’s never nothing when it comes to us.” Liz answered sadly, tying the last bow to her boots and standing up to see that her comment had struck a nerve for him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--”
“No. You’re right.” He answered and then looked to the door when it opened, seeing Michael, Maria and Dominic standing in the hallway. “Let’s go.” He said, taking Liz by her hand and meeting with everyone in the hallway.
“Max, what’s going on?” Dominic asked as they all followed Max and Liz down the stairs and into the living room.
Living Room
“I need you to stay here and take care of Liz and Maria.” Max asked as he caught the gloves and ski hat Michael tossed to him and put them on.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“We don’t know yet but they will be safer with you here.” Max answered, opening the door and waiting when he saw Maria pull Max.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.” Maria asked, tugging on his arm.
“I will.” Michael answered, giving her a quick kiss and then exiting the front door, where Max flashed Liz an assuring smile and then followed after.
“Okay, so what are ‘we’ suppose to do?” Maria questioned Dominic.
“I don’t even know what’s going on.” Dominic reminded.
“Cliff notes version. Possible bad guy outside. So what’s our move?” Maria questioned more irritated. Both her and Liz watched as Dominic pensively pondered and then watched him move steadily to the light switch and turn off the lights to the living room. “What are you doing?” Maria asked, feeling Liz clutch on to her arm as she was did with Liz.
“You asked me to do something right?”
“Yeah, Luther Vandross…” Just as Maria was going to complete her insult, Dominic bee-lined his way to her and covered her mouth with his hand while his other held the back of her head.
“Look. If we turn off the lights, whoever’s out there can’t see us. And if the can’t see us, they won’t know where we are right?” He asked, making Maria’s head nod before releasing it. “So you two start turning off the lights while I turn out the fire.” He assigned, watching the two split up and start turning out the lights while he tossed sand on the burning fire, leaving them in a pitch black cabin.
Outside
“You sure you heard something?” Max asked as they moved further into the woods, hearing the snow crush beneath their boots and then heard a twig snap from in front of them, making the two freeze where they stood and then look at each other.
“Definitely sure.” Michael answered then signaled Max to be quiet and to move to the white barked tree to the left of them while he move to the one to the right of them.
Pressing his back against the cold bark of the tree, Max picked up a thick piece of bark he spotted peeking out of the snow and held it closely to him in a batting position, ready to swing when Michael would signal him to.
They stood silently against their trees, seeing their breath in the cold air and tears start to build up in their eyes from the cold. Max held out a hand, questioning Michael on what was happening, only getting a shrug from Michael until other snap was heard this time from behind them.
Max and Michael quickly moved to the trees across from them, pressing their back against them and lower close to the frozen ground as they heard another twig snap and this time a hint of dim light from a flashlight, cutting through the night and wobbling around.
Michael signaled Max with a peace sign, calculating two people in the woods with them from the different direction of the twig snaps.
Max watched as Michael maneuvered himself covertly to the same position as before, signaling Max to take on whoever was coming from the behind him and he would take whoever was coming from in front of them.
The adrenaline started to rush through both Michael and Max’s bodies, making them forget about the cold air hitting their bodies like a million needles. For those few minutes, their hearing had become as alert as a blind man, hearing the wind blow by and another twig snap, this time closer than the second one they heard.
Max’s patience was wearing thin, noticing Michael’s was practically holding on by a thread. He noticed the wobble of the flashlight again, this time followed by another snap of the twig and the sound of crushing snow at a slow pace. Whoever was coming, was coming cautiously, but for some reason, the approaching person wasn’t Max’s deepest concern, he was more worried about the second person, the person he could no longer hear.
Michael crossed over again, squatting back to the tree across from him when he no longer heard the cautious steps coming from the approaching person from behind them, but instead heard a quickening one, almost as if the person was charging towards them.
The steps sounded closer and closer, faster, almost at the same speed their hearts were beating. They could hear the snow crunching louder now and the flashlight shining brighter. And as soon as Michael could determine where how close the person was, he lifted himself up a little, knees bent, and readied himself until he heard a twig snap right beside him and then dove straight at the mystery person.
Max bolted up, bark in the air, ready to slam down, until he heard the mystery man repeat the word ‘no’ as Michael turned him around with the flashlight now in his possession and shined it on the man, revealing the last person they would’ve imagined.
“Dominic?!” Michael and Max questioned confused, while Dominic held his hands defensively in front of his face as he watched Max lower the bark and Michael step back off of him to catch his breath.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Michael questioned in anger as he inhaled and exhaled the cold air.
“I thought you could use my help.” Dominic answered, picking himself up from the snow and dusted whatever snow didn’t melt into his clothes off of him. “I know these woods like the back of my hand.”
“You were suppose to be taking care of Liz and Maria.” Michael reminded, letting the sounds of Liz and Maria names hang when he looked over to Max and realized what he had just realized from that statement.
“Hey, you’re the kids. I’m the adult.” Dominic argued but then noticed Michael and Max stunned faces. “What?”
“You left them alone.” Michael answered in a low tone and with that statement alone, Max bolted back towards the cabin, hearing Michael and Dominic running behind him.
Running with all his might, Max spotted the dark cabin with all the lights turned off and could feel the heated panic rush through his body. When he reached the front door, he stormed in and stopped Michael’s speed, who ran into him as Dominic ran into Michael, leaving the three standing closely together under the doorway.
“Maxwell?”
“Michael. Look.” Max pointed out with his chin and eyes. Michael pointed the flashlight down to the pine wood floors and spotted a beeline of melted snowy footprints, following the line and noticed it led upstairs. Max and Michael exchanged worried looks, assuming the worst and then slowly followed the footprints to up the stairs.
“Wait.” Dominic called out in a whisper, moving to behind the stair and moved the bookcase. Michael and Max watched confused as Dominic rummaged through a loose floorboard and then came out cocking a gun. “Okay. Let’s go.” He suggested, noticing Max and Michael’s skeptic looks and then signaled the two to move it along with his gun.
Cautiously, the three made it up the stairs and to the hallway, where they followed the prints to the direction of Max and Liz’s room, which door was closed.