The four of them were sitting on the bottom step of the cement staircase, which led out of the UFO Center. Max had filled Tess in on everything that had been happening that evening. Tess didn't say anything about not having been told that they were expecting Larek, but Max was aware that he'd hurt her feelings by leaving her out of the loop. Despite her frequent avowals against having human emotions, he knew that the more time she spent with all of them since Nasedo's death the more in tune she was with her human side.

It had been wrong of him to exclude her from their meetings, and he knew he wouldn't be so careless in the future. Now, Tess was wondering, of all the people in Roswell for her to take over, why had Rina chosen Liz Parker.

"We're not sure."

"You know, she was with me at the time," Isabel said. "Maybe that had something to do with it."

"I don't think so." Max said. "Larek told us that it couldn't be just any human. The body of whomever he was taking over had to be prepared in some way. Brody's body had been changed so that Larek could use it."

"But how?"

"He didn't say. He did say that there weren't many humans that could be used. That one of the emissaries in New York had been changed specifically for that reason."

Michael added, "Since Brody had been changed before we ever even knew him, Larek thinks it was Nasedo that did it."

"Nasedo could have changed Liz, too." Isabel said quietly. "I mean who knows what he did to her the day he kidnapped her. Liz was scared to death of him." Liz's friend clearly remembered the emotions and feelings she'd gotten from Liz when they'd connected through the dream they'd shared and all of the dark haired girl's memories of Nasedo were dark, filled with fear and trepidation.

"No. It was me," Max said. "I did something to her without realizing it."

"It wasn't your fault, Max," Tess said, putting a comforting hand on his leg.

"You know what this means, don't you," Michael asked. "Liz could be taken over by our enemies whenever they feel like."

"Oh my god."

Max didn't say a word. Only the clenching of his hands relayed his reaction to Michael's observation.

"What are we going to do, Max?" Tess asked softly.

Max was saved from biting back the bitter retort of 'why did she keep asking him that when he clearly didn't have a clue' by the opening of the door to Larek's office. Rina stepped out and said, "I felt his presence. He's here, but not nearby. We need to go north, out of town."

As they were all standing up, Isabel's cell phone rang. "Hello," she said. She listened for a moment, and said, "No. Go back to his car and wait. We're on our way there now. No. Wait for us. Ok? Thanks." Ending the connection, she turned to Max. "They found Kyle's car abandoned on the old highway about seven miles from the old radio tower."

There was no need to explain who "they" were. Max said only, "Let's go."

As a group, the five of them headed up the stairs and into the early morning sunshine. They were eager to join up with the others and look for Kyle.

The appearance of his car so near the granilith chamber set off all kinds of bells and whistles. If Liz could be taken over, then it's possible that the change Larek had spoken of had occurred when Max had healed her from the gunshot wound. If that was the case, then Zelwyn could have possessed Kyle for the same reason: Max had healed him, causing his body to be changed.

Thinking the same thing, Michael groaned inwardly. If Kyle had been possessed, it was safe to assume he wasn't going to be happy about it. They were going to have to hear about it for the rest of their lives.

The teens all had to blink against the bright morning sunshine outside the UFO Center. Max looked around quickly, and seeing that no one was about, led the small group to the Jeep. Michael, Isabel and Tess crowded into the back, then Max assisted Rina into the passenger seat and helped her with her seatbelt.

In no time after that, they were making their way out of the city... and right past the restaurant where Sheriff Valenti had stopped for breakfast.

It was the merest coincidence that the older man spotted them going by. He was standing at the register, waiting his turn to pay. Liz Parker had been on his mind all night. He couldn't figure her out. Why she'd left the hospital if she hadn't gone to Max. Where was she? Today would be the third day of her disappearance. The Parkers were beside themselves with worry - as they should be. The news she'd gotten from the doctors just before her disappearance would throw anybody, even the ever-sensible Ms Parker. He just hoped she hadn't done anything desperate to herself. Unfortunately, the more time that passed by with no sign of her, the more real that possibility became.

He'd decided to pay another visit to Max today to A) make sure she wasn't hiding out with him and B) ask the alien if there was anything he or the others could do to help him locate her. He'd been absently looking out the window mentally going over everywhere he had looked, trying to think of some place he hadn't looked for her yet when he heard the sound of the Evans' Jeep. He focused his eyes on the dirty vehicle just as it passed by. And saw Liz sitting next to Max in the front of the car.

"Sonofab*tch!" Jim said aloud. He tossed his check and a ten-dollar bill to the girl who was running the register. "Here. Keep the change." Then he was out the door and climbing into his cruiser.

Having made it out of Roswell undetected, Max relaxed slightly. He glanced at Rina sitting next to him. She looked worried. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold onto this body. The connection is draining me of my power. I'll have to release her soon."

Max couldn't think of anything to say. She was obviously saddened by the thought of having to leave him, but he couldn't wait until Liz was returned to them. So he said only, "Thank you. For helping us."

She smiled sadly at him and whispered, "Zan, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. You know that. Have I ever been able to deny you anything?"

Max said nothing. He just gave her a small smile. His natural sense of caution was telling him to be careful around Rina. Watch what he said or did with her near. But a small part of him wanted to trust her. Wanted to believe that she was sincere. Whether it was an echo from his former self, the Zan he used to be, or his natural inclination to believe in Liz's honest face, he didn't know.

When they turned onto the old Highway, Max said, "Ok, we're going north now. Can you still feel Zelwyn?"

She closed her eyes and after a moment said, "Yes. He's closer now. So far he has no idea that I'm here, but he might sense me before we get to him."

She looked at him to say, "Don't worry. It changes nothing. We'll still find him and get him to return home."

Max nodded but kept his eyes on the road. Suddenly, for the back, Michael said urgently, "Uh, Max. We have a problem." At the same time behind them, Sheriff Valenti turned on his lights and blared the siren.

Max glanced in his rearview mirror. "Oh no. He must have see us going out of town." Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching vehicle, Max said, "Tess, take care of it."

Without further discussion, Tess closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Zan what is it? What's happening?" Rina asked.

Max answered, "It's the body you've taken. Being seen with her has put us in danger. She'd escaped from a testing facility and has been running from the law. The sheriff must have seen you with us."

"Oh, Zan, I am so sorry. It was the only available body that was remotely nearby. I never meant to... I am so sorry."

"There's nothing you can do about it right now. We'll just take care of it."

Meanwhile, in his cruiser, Valenti was gaining on Max and friends. He was surprised that the teen hadn't pulled over as soon as he spotted him behind him. As seconds passed and Max showed no sign of slowing, he said, "What's going on up there?"

Suddenly, from beside, him a familiar voice said, "Sheriff."

He turned and there sat Tess Harding. Jim nearly jumped out of his skin. "JESUS! Tess, you nearly scared me to death! How'd you do that?"

"I'm not really here, sheriff. You just think you can see me. Listen, we need you to turn off the siren and lights. Now."

Her urgent tone convinced him not to argue. "Ok." The sheriff reached over and flipped the appropriate switches. Immediately the sound of the sirens cut out. "Now tell me what's going on."

Tess bit her lip. "Sheriff. I can't. Max can explain everything to you later. We need you to back off."

"No way. I'm not going anywhere until I get Liz and take her back to her parents. You guys have no idea how much trouble you're in right now. All of you."

"Sheriff, there's something going on, and I can't tell you about it, but I need you to trust me. You're putting us and yourself in danger by staying here. Max wants you to turn around and go back to Roswell, but I know you better than that. I'm asking you to just back off."

"Tell Max to give Liz to me and I will go back to Roswell. But I'm not letting her out of my sight again."

"Sheriff, we can't."

"Why not?"

"That's not Liz." And then she was gone.

Valenti unknowingly took his foot off the gas pedal. Not Liz? Of course it was Liz. He'd seen her as clear as day. Unless... "Shapeshifter."

There was another Shapeshifter in Roswell and it looked just like Liz Parker. Whatever was going on here couldn't be good.

The cruiser coasted nearly to a standstill as his brain fought to absorb this information. He tried to come up with possible motives for the newest alien's arrival in town, but didn't really have any information with which to even build a hypothesis. He decided he would keep the others under surveillance until he knew what was going on, but from afar, as Tess had asked. He didn't want to cause the new alien to panic and do something drastic.

The Jeep was long gone, but there was pretty much nothing along this stretch of road, so Jim put his foot back on the accelerator and got back up to speed. Keeping his eyes open of any clues as to what they were all doing out here, he sped along the old highway.

The passengers in the Jeep all watched Valenti slowing down with relief.

Tess opened her eyes and said, "It's ok for now, Max."

"Which isn't to say he won't be back, right?" Michael asked. Tess nodded.

"I am so sorry, Max. I would never want to cause you trouble," Rina said again.

"Don't worry about it, Rina. It's nothing we can't handle," Max said with confidence.

"I don't understand what this human was doing with Vilan... Isabel... if she is dangerous to you. Unless your sister was up to her old tricks again."

Rina turned around to glare at Isabel. "Max did you know that she was with this human when I took it over?"

"Yes, Rina, we all knew." (Tess didn't know but she wouldn't contradict him.) "This person whose body you've taken over is sick. She knows about us and came to me for help. We were just getting ready to heal her when your uncle arrived. Isabel was waiting for us to return from meeting him to finish what we'd begun. She wasn't plotting a betrayal. She is not Vilandra anymore, Rina."

"I hope you're right, Max. I hope she is as loyal as you think she is."

"She is."

After that, it grew quiet in the Jeep as they continued down the road. Max's mind was preoccupied with what to do with Maria and Alex when they caught up to their friends. He wished Isabel had told them to go home instead of wait for them at Kyle's car. He and Michael hadn't had a chance to let her know their decision to keep their human friends out of the current situation as much as possible. So, when Alex had called to report Kyle's abandoned car, she had naturally told him to wait for them despite the fact it was the last thing Max wanted them to do.

When they'd hatched the idea of having Maria and Alex do a drive by, they hadn't really expected them to find anything concrete. It was more of a precaution than anything else. The fact that Zelwyn, assuming it was Zelwyn who left Kyle's Mustang parked out there, was this close to actually finding the granilith chamber was very disturbing to Max.

He hoped the missing alien was actually heading to the crash site on Pohlman Ranch which would put him about five miles from the pod chamber. If he had some sort of detecting device or ability that could track the granilith's power frequency or something, then they were all screwed. It would be just a matter of time before someone discovered it's location, and then it would be all over.

If anyone from their interplanetary system ever got their hands on the granilith, you could pretty much kiss Earth's future goodbye, Max knew. Especially if that someone worked for Khivar.