Chapter 2

Eva awoke to the sound of Ben's snoring coming from the other side of the hotel room. It was still dark outside; the digital clock on the nightstand read 4:47 AM. Quietly getting up out of the squeaky hotel bed, she crept to the room's door and managed to open it without making a sound. She quickly descended the stairs leading down to the main floor. Avoiding the lobby, she easily located one of the doors leading to the courtyard containing the swimming pool. The water beckoned enticingly from behind a locked, five-foot tall chain-link fence. Eva grinned and shook her head. This'll be a piece of cake.

 

The links were wide, and Eva was able to easily scale the fence. Once at the top she leapt down to the other side of the fence, barely feeling the coarse granite under her feet. She took off the oversize T-shirt that served as a nightgown and slipped down into the cool water. Eva let herself sink to the bottom of the deep end, only occasionally kicking or waving her arms. It was peaceful and almost silent under the water, so Eva simply lay on the bottom, letting her mind go blank.

 

When the first rays of sunlight illuminated the sky, she swam over to the ladder and clambered out of the pool. The chlorine was starting to irritate her lungs; she had felt a slight burn in her chest when she was breathing in the water. It took Eva only a few more minutes to get back up to the room. The Tennysons were asleep, even with Ben still snoring. Eva quietly made her way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the warm water washed the chlorine and grit from her body, a wave of contentment swept over her. For the first time in months, she was with people who didn't treat her like a freak.  

 

* * * *

 

Traffic outside of Copper Square was barely moving. Heat waves shimmered above the road, and Max had had to turn the air conditioning in the RV to full blast to keep it comfortable. Ben gazed outside at the cars surrounding them, which he thought must be full of people who were as bored and fidgety as he was.

 

"Uhhh.  This is a total waste of tiiime," he whined.

 

"I know. At this rate we're never going to get anywhere." Gwen said in frustration "And the Arizona Science Center is letting people in for free to see the new astronomy exhibit!"

 

Eva looked up from her half-eaten sausage sandwich. "Does that include free food?"

 

"You just ate two of those sandwich-things," Ben said to her irritably.

 

"What, you want the rest of this?"

 

"NO!"

 

Max turned around to look at Eva. "You sure have an appetite!" he laughed.

 

"Always have."

 

Gwen leaned over the table, trying to get a better look out the front window. "Is that a roadblock?"

 

The reason for the heavy traffic was just up ahead; a roadblock consisting of two Army jeeps and a familiar, black armored vehicle. A stern looking blond man and two armed soldiers were watching as the cars squeezed through the remaining two lanes.

 

"Hey, I think that's Lt. Steel!" said Ben "That guy with the Special Ali--mmph!"

 

Gwen had clapped her hand over Ben's mouth. "Shut UP!" she whispered angrily. "You want Eva to find out about everything?!"

 

Eva, though, was looking straight at the SACT vehicle and Steel, her eyes wide with horror. She dove under the table and flattened herself against the side of the RV.

 

Gwen looked down at her in shock. "What's wrong?"

 

"Don't talk to me! They can't know I'm here!" Eva's voice was hushed and panicky.

 

Ben and Gwen felt the RV slow to a stop as Max edged it to the side of the roadblock. Lt. Steel approached the driver's window. He was smiling, obviously recognizing Max and the kids.

 

"Tennyson," he said, nodding to Max "Just the man I wanted to see. Our current situation may be of interest to someone with your...expertise."

Max gripped the steering wheel. "What happened?" he asked, lowering his voice.

 

"There's been a breakout at a secure facility in New Mexico. Perhaps you've heard of it,"

 

"Dulce? How could I not have?"

 

Steel nodded. "Good. You'll need to stay vigilant; the thing that got out is highly dangerous. Smart, too." He nodded to the soldiers. "All right, we'll let you go now. Be sure to contact the SACT if you see anything. If it's loose in the city..." Steel's voice trailed off. "Anyway, you can go through now. Be careful."

 

Max shook Lt. Steel's hand firmly. "Don't worry. If the fugitive's in the city, we'll be sure to find it."

 

After passing through the roadblock, they drove in silence for a few minutes. Eva had re-emerged from under the table. She was still pale and frightened-looking.

 

"Okay...what was that about?" Ben asked his grandfather.

 

"Eva, could you come up here for a minute?" Max didn't answer Ben.

 

The young girl slowly walked to the front of the RV and slumped in the passenger's seat. Only taking his eyes off the road for a second, Max gave her a quick once-over. He was already beginning to suspect the worst.

 

"Do you know anything about what Lt. Steel said happened?" he asked in a kind voice.

 

Eva twisted her hands in her lap "I...I can't..."

 

"You have to tell me. Maybe we can help you."

 

She fell silent again.

 

* * * *

 

Eva had been outside in the front yard, sitting on the crooked branch of the big crabapple tree. Her parents still hadn't come back from the restaurant yet, but she didn't mind. They knew she could easily take care of herself; it was one of those things that made her...special. But they didn't say much about those things in front of other people.

 

The smell of damp grass drifted up from the ground to meet her as Eva jumped from the tree. She didn't see the SACT vehicle pull up on the other side of the road, didn't hear the men until it was too late. Large hands grabbed her, a man with heavy body armor and a stun gun appeared in front of her. She couldn't scream for the hand covering her mouth, even as she felt herself dragged away towards the transport. Eva tried to struggle, kicking and biting and flailing around furiously. A man she couldn't see shouted a command, and the soldier with the stun gun pulled the trigger...then everything went black.  

 

* * * *

 

"What do think they were talking about?”  Gwen whispered to Ben.

 

"I dunno. Aliens, I guess."

 

Gwen shook her head. "I mean Grandpa and Eva,"

 

"Welp, she doesn't look like an alien to me. And I know aliens." He said wisely, holding up the Omnitrix.

 

The Tennysons and Eva soon got out of the RV in front of the Science Center. There were numerous banners and signs advertising the new exhibit. Gwen looked at one of the posters and called to Ben and Max.

 

"They're still letting people in free today and tomorrow. Let's go in an--"

 

Gwen stopped in mid-sentence. She could only stare as she watched Eva, who had been behind Ben, run down the sidewalk at an amazing speed and disappear around the next block.