From: njamos@mBox.com.au Date: 2000/08/10 Subject: xfc: Killer Times Four (Chapter 1/1) Source: atxc Cancerman Files TITLE: Killer Times Four Chapter 1/1 AUTHOR: N.J.AMOS E-MAIL ADDRESS: njamos@mBox.com.au DISTRIBUTION: Xemplary and on any of the archives. PLEASE tell me where they are. SPOILER: None RATING: NC-17-graphical violence, coarse language, etc. CLASSIFICATION: Angst, torture. DISCLAIMER: All regular characters belong to Fox & C.C. and not me so don't sue. But Kelly Rainer and other characters you don't recognize belong to me. Permission to use my characters denied to other writers- sorry! NOTES: This is the second part of my Cancerman Files series. FEEDBACK: I'd love some feedback so send it to the email address above. SUMMARY: They call themselves the "Killer Times Four". When four dangerous killers escape from prison, they start hunting down the one person who put them there-Special Agent Kelly Rainer... CHAPTER ONE FBI Headquarters Washington D.C. 10.30 am Fox Mulder leaned back in his chair as he watched the morning news on BBC with interest. According to the newsreader, four killers had escaped their maximum security prison in Washington are on the loose. Mulder grabbed a pad and started scribbling down their names. Once he finished, the door opened and assistant director Walter Skinner entered the room. " Did you watch the news?" Skinner asked in his no-nonsense tone of voice. " Yeah," Mulder sat standing up, " I'm right on sir. Those killers won't be on the streets for very long once the FBI starts looking for them." " Don't be so confident Agent," Skinner warned him, " These killers are brilliant. They actually escaped from their prison and Washington State Prison is one of the best high maximum security prisons on this side of America. If they can escape right under the guards' noses, then they can outwit the FBI." " Whose side are you on?" Mulder asked jokingly, " Where's Kelly this morning? She's very late." " She called me this morning. She has something to deal with this morning," Skinner shrugged his broad shoulders, " She didn't tell me what." Kelly Rainer was a special agent with the FBI from San Diego, having being recruited by Skinner over a month ago when Agent Fox Mulder needed a temporary partner while Agent Dana Scully was away. Her first assignment was to investigate the villain of the X-Files-the man they called the Cancerman. But there was a twist of fate when Kelly and the Cancerman fell in love. This was why Mulder found it hard to trust her. Kelly was stunningly beautiful with shoulder length brown hair with blonde streaks and hazel eyes set in a clear complexion. She was also brilliant, quiet and warm-hearted. She had lost her father recently when he abducted her from her apartment. Her mother died several years ago-killed by the insane George Rainer. " I want to you get some background on those killers," Skinner continued, " Get on it Agent-before people are killed." He left then and Mulder turned on his computer. Ten minutes later, Kelly arrived, looking pale and tired. " Hi Mulder," Kelly greeted him. Mulder motioned her over, " Four killers have escape the prison," he answered without even saying hello back," I don't have to tell you that's our assignment-putting them back where they belong." " You'll be doing that by yourself," Kelly said, " I'm going to ask Skinner for another assignment," " Why?" Mulder asked in surprise. " Because I've dealt with these killers before," Kelly explained, " I was the one who put them behind bars in the first place." " And you think they might be after you for revenge?" Mulder guessed. Kelly nodded, " They hate me as much as I hate them." " Kelly, those killers wouldn't be sticking around in Washington. They'd be long gone by now. Perhaps heading across the state." " I don't know about that." Kelly sat down and closed her eyes, " I still remember the last words the leader said to me; " If I ever get out, the first person I will kill is you. You will never be safe again." " Leader? Are they a gang or something?" " No. The leader is Ken Bennett. He just prided himself as being leader. They call themselves the 'Killer Times Four' for the obvious reasons." " You are the best person to ask about them. I'm going downstairs to the archives to get their files. I'll be back in a bit," he left the office and Kelly sighed. When she heard about their escape early this morning, her past came rushing back to her like a tidal wave. CHAPTER TWO In a hotel, Washington D.C. " Are you fucking crazy Robert?" Ken Bennett snapped as he locked the door to their hotel room, " We should have gotten out of D.C. hours ago. Instead you book us a room in this dingy hotel as if where on a holiday!" Robert Granger glared at Ken, " Look, we got no money. How do you expect us to get out of this city with no money?" " And yet you book a hotel with no money," Ken snorted as he filled his gun with bullets. " I didn't book this room," Robert retorted, " I'm holding the owner hostage in the basement. This whole fucking hotel is ours." " I'm going to burn it down after we leave." Reggie Bicks spoke up, " To get rid of all evidence suggesting that we were ever here." Ken switched on the TV just in time for the news report-about their escape, " Hey look guys, we're famous." He grinned and raked a hand through his dark brown hair. His dark green eyes had an evil glint. " So, when are we going to hunt down that FBI agent?" Reggie demanded Ken; " I thought you were planning to kill her as soon as we get out. It's been two hours, and she ain't dead yet." Ken spun around to face him, " How do you know? What if I killed her already?" " Without us?" Robert looked hurt at being left out of a murder. " He didn't kill Rainer," Reggie assured Robert, " I saw her walk into the FBI building while we were making our escape." Ken took out a photo of Kelly and lit a cigarette. He burnt the eyes out, leaving two small holes. " She'll be shit scared for her life once she knows we're hunting her down." " She probably already knows," Reggie added. CHAPTER TWO " All right," Mulder sat down in his chair and opened the first file, " Ken Damon Bennett, age 31. Crime: raped three women killed their families and everyone else who was in those women's lives. He had a life sentence term...until now." Kelly picked up Ken's mug shot photo and shivered at the icy look in Ken's eyes. " Dark brown hair...blue eyes, six foot two and half. He's a monster." " What was his past like before he committed those crimes?" Mulder asked her, " This stuff in his file only tells me the bare necessities of him." " Do I have to go there?" Kelly pleaded. " It took me years to get over Ken and his cronies." " Kelly, if you want the lives of New York's citizens to be safe from these killers, then yes, you do have to face the past." " he had a bad childhood, like most psychopaths," Kelly sighed, " He was the only child. Brilliant, but was a loner at school. When he was eighteen he made his own bomb and used that to kill his parents. He was sent to a mental institution, but as we know, it didn't help him- didn't contain him. He escaped and was on the run for three years-under a different name. Then he committed his crimes and was sent to prison, for good this time. Up until now he never made an attempt to escape." " Reginald Brian Bicks," Mulder read from the second file, " Younger brother of Samuel David Bicks. Both have red hair and blue eyes with a pasty complexion. Crime: involved in an attempt to assassinate the governor of Washington, but was caught red-handed." " They had normal childhoods," Kelly shrugged, " They just got a little wacko since their father died of cancer when they were twenty." " Not much on them. They'd be easy to catch," Mulder opened the third file, " Robert Granger. Age: 39. He caught his wife cheating on him with another man. He killed that man, his family and everyone else his wife knew. Blonde hair. Blue eyes." " If you can believe it, he was one of the successful ones. Went to college, got a degree in law, became a hot-shot lawyer. He married his long-time girlfriend Megan-Ann Granger and they had been happily married until he walked in on her with her district attorney and all hell's broke loose. And the strange thing is, he didn't kill her-just everyone she knew." " She could be still around," Mulder scribbled her name down, " I'll run a background check on her and try and get some more information on him. Maybe she can help us." " And that's the four of them." Kelly grabbed the files from Mulder, " Let's shelve these and you can get on with the assignment." " Not so fast. You're going to help me. You know these men better than anybody." Mulder located the phone book and handed it over to her, " You can start by finding this Megan-Ann woman." Kelly gave him a wounded look, " I thought you were going to find her." " I'm giving you the easy job." Mulder countered before walking out of the office. XXXXXXXXXXXX Kelly waved away a puff of smoke as she tried to reason with him. She was used to him stinking out her apartment with Morley's, but when can he take a hint that she can take care of herself? " Look, I don't want to do this myself, but Agent Mulder's right. People's lives are in danger if we don't get them back to prison pronto." " And your life will be endangered," the Cancerman reminded her. " My life is always in danger with this job," Kelly retorted, " Why should this make any difference?" " At least I can prevent from you getting hurt by those men," the Cancerman stood up from her recliner which he has claimed as his own, " I'll see to it that you get protection." " Whatever. But I've got Agent Mulder to protect me." " Agent Mulder can't even protect himself," the Cancerman said. When she left, the Cancerman sat in the recliner and thought up an idea. He reached for the phone and dialed a number, " Yes, I'd like to speak to Josh Banks please." He waited a bit longer, " Banks, meet me at the corner of eleventh and Bleeker streets. I have a proposal for you." " I know where she lives," Reggie Bicks looked proud of himself as he entered the hotel room, " I followed her from work to her apartment. We can start sending her clues now." " Good work Reggie," Ken grinned, " At least you can prove to us that you're not as useless as you look." The door opened and Robert came in, his hands slick with blood. He was holding a small wooden box, " I did it," Robert said putting the box down on the coffee table, " Boy was that a rush." Ken lifted the lid of the box and peered inside, " We can deliver this to Kelly because we know where she lives. Who'll do the honors?" " I will," Reggie was eager to please his leader. " I'll do it," his brother Sam argued, " You already found her apartment. I should get to do something!" " Don't fight children, " Ken chastised, " Sam, you can deliver this little gift for her and make sure you don't get seen." He handed Sam the box and he hid it under his black leather jacket. " I won't let you down," Sam promised Ken. " Why don't you salute him too?" Reggie asked sarcastically as he sulked on the couch. Sam left the hotel and headed for Kelly's apartment. XXXXXXXXXXXX Kelly arrived home and found a small box in front of her door. She picked it up cautiously and stared at it suspiciously. She let herself in to find the Cancerman waiting for her. " What's that?" he asked, nodding towards the box. " I don't know. It was on the floor. Did you hear anyone deliver this?" she asked him and he shook his head, " I just got home myself...I had some business to take care of." In all this time while she had been his lover, she never asked about his ventures and knew she was better off not knowing. For the moment, she was just contented in being with him. She hung up her jacket and put away her coat. She slowly took the lid of the small box and peered inside. Kelly's face went pale and she gasped, throwing the box to the floor. Blood and a human heart rolled out and stopped at the Cancerman's feet.... CHAPTER THREE " Get rid of it!" Kelly said to the Cancerman, " Before the blood stains my carpet," The Cancerman looked calm as ever as he obediently did as he was asked, " I'll go put this is the dumpster." He told her before leaving. Kelly shuddered. She's seen some awful things during her years of being a FBI Agent, but this had to be the absolute worst. Who would do such a thing? The heart had obviously belonged to a dead person, but the question was-whose heart was it? She picked up the jewelry box and discovered a note taped on the bottom. She pulled it off and scanned it, her face growing even more pale and frightened: The CSM will be holding your own Heart very soon! She knew it was from Ken Parker. How did he know about Spender? He must have followed her home and discovered where she lived and whom she lived with. Ten minutes later, the Cancerman returned and washed his slick, blood hands. He watched as the blood swirled down into the plughole, " It was from Ken and his cronies," Kelly said to him, " Oh my God...they know where I live!" she glanced at the door as if expecting them to come barging in any moment. " And they know about me," the Cancerman reminded her, " No one in your life is safe at the moment. I suggest that we live somewhere else until they are caught." " But no matter where we stay, Ken would always find me," Kelly replied but she to agree. She. The Cancerman and anybody else in her life weren't safe. They had to hide out. The phone rang catching Kelly off guard. She hesitated as she picked it up, " H-hello?" she stammered. " Is this Agent Kelly Rainer?" an unrecognizable voice asked. " Yes...who is this?" Kelly demanded. " I'm Megan-Ann. You contacted me yesterday about my ex-husband?" Kelly's eyes widened, " I'm glad to hear from you Megan. I hope you'll be able to help me with this case. Can we meet?" " I don't know..." Megan trailed off. " I assure you, no harm will come to you," Kelly promised, " We can meet at my boss's office if you'd like." They set up a time and Kelly put down the phone. " I have to go now," Kelly told the Cancerman, " I have a meeting with someone who might help me with this case." The Cancerman just nodded and Kelly left, heading back to the FBI HQ. A tall woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes was already waiting for her near Skinner's office, talking to the secretary Kimberly. " Megan-Ann Granger?" Kelly inquired holding out her hand, " I'm Special Agent Kelly Rainer. It's nice to meet you...given the circumstances." Megan nodded, " My name is Megan-Ann Pike. I've remarried," she admitted. " I see," Kelly replied, " Come with me to the office I share with my partner. He's not here today, so feel free to tell me anything." " I really don't know anything," Megan confessed, " When Robert killed everyone I loved, I cut off all ties with him. I met another man and married him...just to get back at Robert. But now, I love my new husband and-" Megan smiled, " I'm due to have a baby in six months." " Congratulations," Kelly said, " to both you and your husband." They sat down in Mulder's office and Kelly switched on a pocket tape recorder, but the meeting with Megan didn't go well. Megan had trouble remembering what went on the night Robert killed her family friends and lover. Kelly knew Megan was refusing to remember. " I-I'm sorry," Megan stuttered, " I just...can't," " That's okay Megan," Kelly assured her feeling disappointed, " Maybe another time." She walked Megan to the door and Megan left, feeling relived. XXXXXXXXXXXX Watching from his vantage point, the man with the weapon aimed his gun at the tall blonde woman walking down the street. With careful timing, he pulled the trigger and watched as Megan slumped to the ground in a pool of dark red blood... CHAPTER FOUR Ken was swearing as Robert arrived back at the hotel, looking grim- faced, " I can't believe you made me do that," Robert told him, " I loved Megan." " Whatever. But you we saw her walk into the FBI building. She probably told Kelly all about us." " She wouldn't do that. She'd be risking her life," Robert protested as he threw his rifle down onto the couch. " Did anyone see you?" " No," Robert sighed and rubbed his neck, " We have to get out of here Ken. The cops will be bearing down on this place in day now." " You're right. We have to leave...as soon as I kill Kelly." XXXXXXXXXXXX While Ken was out, Robert, Reggie and Sam waited for him. They had their stuff packed, all ready to go and Sam was looking over a road map. " Maryland," Sam said finally, " then we'll cross the boarder. We'll head for California." " Did you guys hear something?" Reggie suddenly asked. " No. You're getting paranoid," Robert replied impatiently, " I wish Ken will come back soon." " I really did hear something," Reggie insisted, " and I'm not paranoid," he went over to the door and threw it open, " Who's out there?" he called but of course, there was no answer. " I'm gonna check downstairs," he told them, " be right back." Reggie cocked his gun as he slowly walked down the stairs. " Hey!" he shouted, " I heard you! Show yourself so I can blow your fucking head off!" he heard the footsteps coming from the basement. Someone found the body of the hotel manager, Reggie thought, well, that doesn't matter. I'll just get rid of the witness. He pushed open the door to the basement and walked down the steps. He could see a faint silhouette of a person standing in front of him, holding a gun pointing right at him. " Oh fuck," was the last thing Reggie said before a bullet hit him squarely in the chest. When Reggie had been gone for nearly half an hour, Robert went down to find him, and he did-lying in a pool of his own blood. " Oh, Jesus! He exclaimed out loud, " Oh Reggie, who did this to you?" he rolled his friend over and the blank eyes of Reggie stared up at him, his mouth wide open in obvious surprise. Someone's after us, he thought, and it's not Kelly...then who is it? CHAPTER FIVE Kelly stared wide-eyed at her enemy. Ken was roving about in her apartment, rifling through her things. She was tied up, lying on the living room floor, bleeding. She closed her eyes as the memory of confronting Ken rushed back... She had just come home, exhausted and frustrated about getting nowhere on this case. As she started to unlock the door, she realized it was already unlocked. Frowning, she pushed it open, " Spender?" she called, " Are you here?" There was no answer as she went into the living room and checked her answering machines for messages-there were none. Kelly was getting the feeling of being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she took off her coat and went to make herself a cup of herbal tea. While she waited for the kettle to boil, she heard soft footsteps creeping up behind her. She whirled around just in time to see Ken whack something against her temple-then everything went black... Kelly opened her eyes and the steady trickle of blood dripped down her face and onto her shirt. She wished she could wiped the blood away- it was making her itch. She wriggled around, trying to loosen the knots. Ken heard her and gave her a swift kick in the ribs. " You stop that!" he shouted and kicked her again making her moan beneath the gagged stuffed in her mouth. Her eyes watered and tears slid down her cheeks. The phone rang then, making Ken jump. He waited for the machine to pick it up and Mulder's voice came onto the line. He sounded frantic with worry, " Kelly? Are you there? I've got some bad news-Megan has been killed. She was found shot in the street-in broad daylight. Pick up the phone if you're home Kelly." Mulder paused, " that's it-I'm coming over." There was a click and a dial tone. Ken laughed, " The only thing he'll find here is a dead body," he said and removed Kelly's gag, " Anything you like to say before you die?" " Just get it over with," Kelly replied, her voice hoarse, " Do it now Ken." Ken paused, " Not yet Kelly. I like to see you in torment," then he went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and came back. He sliced it through her arm making her scream in pain. Blood seeped through the cut and he smiled. " Want another one?" he asked and nicked a bit of skin from her hand making her flinch, but she didn't cry out. " You better kill me now Ken," kely' told him, " Mulder's place isn't far from mine. He'd be here any minute now." Ken snorted, " You're bluffing," Ken said and at that moment, the door flew open and Mulder barged in, his gun at the ready, " Put the knife down Ken," Mulder shouted. Ken glared at him and slashed the knife across Kelly's ribs making her scream again before running towards Mulder. Mulder fired once and Ken went down in a heap, blood pouring from the bullet wound in his neck. Mulder cautiously moved Ken with his foot-he was dead, but there were still three other gunmen on the loose... CHAPTER SIX " Reggie is dead," Robert declared to Sam in the hotel, " And Ken still hasn't come back yet." " Don't stress, he'll be back," Sam was upset his brother was dead and vowed to find the killer. They both knew Kelly didn't kill him-she didn't even know where they were hiding out. But someone was definitely after them-probably hoping to kill them all before they killed Kelly. The phone in their hotel room rang and Robert stared at it, " Who knows we're here?" he demanded Sam. " No one but Ken," Sam answered as the phone continued ringing. " Well, pick it up! It might be him." Sam picked up the phone, " yeah?" " Ken is dead," an unfamiliar voice of a guy greeted him, " Two down, two to go." " Who the fuck is this?" Sam demanded. " I know where you guys are hiding," the voice went on, ignoring him and Robert grabbed Sam's shoulder. " There's somebody outside the door!" he hissed in Sam's ear. " You can run...but you can't hide," the voice added as Robert headed for the door and Sam went cold with dread as he realized... " Don't open the fucking door Robert!" he shouted but it was too late. The door was thrown open and a man they had never seen before was standing in the threshold, holding a cell phone in one hand and a gun in the other. The gunman switched off his phone and smiled. " Shit, shit, shit, get the gun!" Sam screamed at Robert as Robert dived for the couch. The gunman fired, a torrid of bullets hitting Robert in the back. Robert rolled of the couch and lay still. " Your days are over," the gunman told Sam before firing once. Sam went down, and the phone dangled uselessly from its cord. The gunman pocketed his gun and dialed for the police. Then he left the hotel and went to meet his employer in the nearby alley. " It's done. The three of them are dead," the hitman told his employer. " And what about their leader?" " He's dead too, Agent Mulder would have gotten to him by now. My job is done." The hired hitman said. " Good job," the employer handed him the cash from his pocket, not noticing that something had fallen out. " I never want to see you again. Leave the city. Now." Then his employer turned and disappeared down the street. The hitman picked up the fallen packet. It was a half-empty packet of Morley cigarettes. Jackpot! This was better than cash any day. He took one, lit it and sauntered away. The End What did you think? Any comments? Email me at: njamos@mBox.com.au