The Game
by Humbuggie
based on an idea by Roxcatje
san@net4all.be

Situation : This story takes place right after the events in The X-Files
: Fight the Future, but before season 6, with Mulder and Scully
reassigned, but still under Skinner's care.  In other words : Season 6
has been completely ignored. :)
Spoilers : All seasons, including the movie.  Special references to
'Young at Heart', 'Demons', most of the mythology-episodes, 'Paper
Hearts'. 
 
Type : Profiling X-File, M/S UST, PG for strong language and disturbing
child murder, and a few explicit sexual references without any sexual
scenes. 

Story : Mulder is contacted by his former boss at the VCS to help him in
the profiling of a serial killer, that he arrested before.  Eight years
later, the man guides Mulder through a new series of murders, forcing
the agent to deal with unresolved tension, past events, and the deaths
of seven girls, dead ringers to his abducted sister. 

Archive : Go ahead, make my day - Just let me know

Disclaimer : Well, in case you failed to notice, Mulder, Scully, Skinner
aren't mine.  CC's their daddy.

The Game

Part I : Joanna

Washington DC, September 20, 1990

Robert David Pinkett knew the FBI was ganging up on him.  He had felt
their presence around the naked building at the outskirts of town.  The
abandoned warehouse seemed the perfect place to kill his last victim, as
he needed the quiet of this place to say goodbye to his demons. 

She was lying at his feet.  Sixteen years old she was.  Sweet sixteen. 
And so beautiful.  And all his.  He sat by her side and watched her
awaken the drug-induced sleep.  He had injected her with Demerol, a
present from his own last hospital visit.  During the night, when the
guards were down and the nurses uninterested in taking care of their
patients, he had snuck into the nurses' station and pinched ten
syringes, filled with the good stuff.  Even then, while healing his
wounds, had he decided he would kill.  
The dreams came then, to tell him what he should do.  To destroy his
demons, he had to kill.  It was as simple as that.  All he had to do, is
find the right victims.

He thought of his family.  At one time in his life, he had loved them. 
And then his father died, and it was over.  She - the woman that had
given birth to him - had fucked someone else before her husband was six
feet under.  Robert had killed her.  He didn't mean to at first, but it
just happened.  Fighting and arguing on top of the stairs.  One little
push and she was gone.  She was still breathing at the bottom of the
stairs; her head shattered and smashed against the cold tiles of the
hallway.  He had taken a pillow from the living room couch and had
pushed it over her face.  She didn't fight.  She couldn't.  She was
unconscious after all.  

When the ambulance came, he didn't have trouble faking the tears that
flowed over his cheeks.  An autopsy was not performed.  After all, she
had fallen off the stairs.  He stood alone at her coffin, only four days
after they buried her husband.  The house was his now.
She was his first victim.  He couldn't think of himself as a murderer
back then.  After all, it was an accident.  

But the slumber remained.  The dreams continued.  He saw her as she laid
down with his father's friend.  He saw her on top of him, kissing him in
his father's bed.  And then he heard her voice when she told him he
needed to get help.  There was something wrong with him after all.

He found himself looking at her photos.  The ones taken by her parents
when she was a teenager.  He stared at those photos for hours, rummaging
through them day after day, night after night.  He envisioned her image.
 Curve by curve, nose, mouth, ears, eyes, hair.  She became his demon.  
And when he was in the hospital, she haunted him day and night, until he
couldn't resist anymore.

He found his first victim within a day after his release from the
hospital.  It was as if it was meant to be.  He saw her within two
blocks from the hospital.  She was a dead ringer for his mother.  His
vision blurred.  She w=E0s his mother.  She had come back to haunt him. 
She was walking in front of him, and he wanted to kill her.  To destroy
the image she had brought back into his life.  After al, he had killed
her once.  He could easily kill her again. 

And so he did.  He left her body on the beach in full sight.  He didn't
know why.  It just felt good to leave her there.  To make sure the rest
of the world had seen it. 

After all, his actions required the necessary attention, didn't they ?

He had killed more of them.  Could hardly remember who, or how many.  He
just did.  He had three syringes left when he got to this girl in the
warehouse.  Yes, seven girls he had killed.  She would be the last one. 
His lucky number eight.  

She slowly awakened, staring at him with terrifying eyes.  She was
afraid.  She tried to scream against the duct tape that covered her
mouth.  And then he heard the sirens.  They came to find him.  They were
surrounding the warehouse by now.

He would have to keep the girl alive for just a little bit longer.  She
might come in handy.
He heard a loud knock on the door.  And then a male voice said :'I'm a
Federal Agent, Mr. Pinkett.  I'm unarmed.  I need to speak with you.'

Pinkett pulled out his gun, ready to pull the trigger on the girl.  A
strange sense came over him.  What better way to make a mense with his
past by having a Fed watching the last execution ?  It would be perfect
! 

'Open the door slowly, and keep your hands where I can see them,'
Pinkett said out loud.  'One wrong move and the girl is dead.  You got
it ?'

'Yes.'

The large door slowly opened and let in daylight.  Pinkett saw a tall
man, short brown hair, a dark suit, red-and-black tie.  A young Fed. 
Why would they send in a young Fed ?  The man's hands were in the air.

'Close the door and get your ass over here.' 

The man closed the door and slowly approached him. 

'You carrying a gun ?'

'No.'

'Open your jacket.'

The Fed opened his jacket.

'Let me see your ankles.'
The Fed looked surprised and then pulled up his pants so Pinkett could
see his ankles. 

'Good.  You're telling the truth.  Are you bugged ?'

'Yes.'

'Another truth.'

'I need to wear this bug so my colleagues won't storm in here when they
think things go wrong,' the Fed said.  'Do you want me to get rid of it
?'

'No.'  Pinkett smiled.  'If your friends want to listen to the show,
they can.  Sit down here.'  
Pinkett pointed towards a chair.

'I need to make sure the girl is alright first,' the Fed said.  'If
she's dead, you will go down, Robert.  They will be in here before you
can pull that trigger on me.  But if she's alive, you stand a chance of
getting out of here alive.'

'She's right over there.'   Pinkett let the Fed walk over to the back of
the large room, where he saw a girl lying on her side.  Duct tape on her
face, feet and hands.  

'She's okay,' the Fed said for the people outside.   He turned to
Pinkett.  'Why don't we talk about this, Robert ?  After all, you don't
want to do this.'

'What do you know about my needs ?'

'I know a lot about you, Robert.  I know about your family.  Your
mother.  You're angry at your mother, aren't you ?  You've been killing
girls who looked like her.  Why, Robert ?'

For a moment Pinkett was stunned.  Then he said :'You're a profiler,
aren't you ?  I heard about you guys.  You crawl inside the heads of
serial killers.  Th=E0t must hurt.  Am I a serial killer ?'

'You killed seven teenagers, Robert.  I guess that makes you a serial
killer.'

'What's your  name ?'

'Fox Mulder.'

'Okay, Fox.  Sit down on that chair and we'll talk.'

'I prefer Mulder if you don't mind.'

'Whatever.  Sit.'

The Fed in the nice dark suit sat down.  'Are you going to tie my hands
?'

'Are you going to make a break for the girl ?'

'No.  I'm just here to talk.'

'Good, then I won't tie your hands.'

'Thank you.'  The profiler relaxed a bit, throwing a glance at the girl.


'She's not going anywhere, agent Mulder.  Now, let us talk about me.'

'Do you want to talk about yourself ?'

'You tell me.  Are you a psychologist ?'

'I have a degree in psychology, yes.'

'What are you doing at the Bureau then ?'

'I want to prevent teenagers like this girl to be murdered.'

'Do you get off on it ?'

'What ?'

'Do you get off on it ?  On saving people ?'

'No.  It's my job.  I became an agent because I felt I could make a
difference.'

'And are you making a difference ?'

'I think so.'

'Who's your Supervisor ?'

'Excuse me ?'

'Your Supervisor, agent Mulder.  You must have a Supervisor, don't you
?'

'Yes, I have.  His name is Terence Davis.'

'Does he force you to crawl in someone's mind ?  How deep must you go to
save people's lives ?' 

'He doesn't force me to do anything.  It's my choice to be a profiler.'

'So you don't see in my head ?'

'I do.  I try.  But it doesn't always work.'

'Why not ?'

'I don't like what I see in your head, Robert.  You need help.'

Robert smiled.  'You definitely are a very honest Fed, Mulder.  How deep
did you go in my head ?'

'Deep enough to know you don't want this.  Every time you kill a girl,
you think about your mother.  Even though her death was ruled
accidental, I believe you killed her.'

'Why did I kill her ?'

'Because she was having an affair.  You could never prove it, but you
had an argument with her, and she tripped and fell down the stairs.  It
was an accident, wasn't it, Robert ?'

He sighed.  'Yeah, I suppose it was.'

'And since then you've been fighting off these demons, but you see her
every day.  You looked at her pictures when she was a teenager and you
knew she would never leave you.  So you killed her over and over again
until today.'

Pinkett sat down on a chair opposite him.  'You're good, Mulder.  How
did you find me ?  How did you know it was me ?'

'The similarity between the girls was too cunning.  We went looking for
someone whose family members resembled the girls.  Someone without a
family, someone within the Washington and Baltimore area.  And someone
who had recently been in hospital.  Witnesses reported a black Sedan at
the abduction-scenes.  We started looking.'

'How did you figure that one out ?'

'You left a mark on the bodies, Robert.  The Demerol.  You brought them
to a high.  You can only get Demerol in a hospital.  It was a long shot,
but it worked.'

'So you've been in my house ?'

'Yes.  We found the wall with your mother's picture plastered all over
it.'

'How did you profile me ?'

The Fed hesitated.  'I'm not sure you want to know.'

'I want to know.'

Mulder took a deep breath.  'I figured you were a loner.  Someone who
drove around for a living, not able to keep a desk job.  Someone who
needed to be outdoors a lot, afraid to be cooped up in between walls. 
Someone who didn't have any friends to talk to about his problems.  The
only way to vent his problems were to kill.'  He paused.  'Am I right,
Robert ?'

Pinkett smiled.  'Yeah.  You got it on the dot.  Now, have you seen
what's inside my head ?'

Mulder sighed and hesitated again.  

'Come on, Mulder.  You know me.  So what did you see in my head ?'

'I don't want to talk about that.'  Mulder looked disturbed.  

'I want you to talk about it.' 

'I'm not here to discuss this, Pinkett.'

'You want to save the girl, don't you ?'

'Yes.'

'Then talk about what you see inside of me.  If you're a good profiler,
Mulder, you have to know.'

Mulder closed his eyes.  He knew that outside of this warehouse, people
were listening to every word the both of them said.  And he knew that by
giving in to Pinkett, he was going to have to cross FBI-policies.  But
he would do anything to save this girl.  It was his job.

'You live in darkness,' Mulder continued softly.  'You can't see beyond
that anymore.  All you see is what your mother did to you.  But that's
not all, is it, Robert ?  What else did she do to you ?  Was she doing
other men while your father was still alive ?  Did she taunt you with it
before you killed her ?'

'Yes.'  Pinkett laughed.  'But that's not why I killed her.'

'Then why did you ?'

'She was a bitch.  Pure and simple.  She used my father to get what she
wanted, and then she killed him.'
'Your father died in an accident.'

'An accident she caused.  Your regular soap.  She was screwing the other
guy while my father was still alive.  She killed him.  Pure and simple. 
She's a bitch.'

'That's no reason to kill someone, Robert.  It's no reason to kill this
girl.'

'Oh, but Mulder.  You've been inside my head.  You must know that I do
this for fun.  I enjoy killing those girls.  They're worth nothing in
this material society.  Brought up in the wealth of their families. 
They wouldn't be able to provide for themselves.  And at the end they
all turn out the same, like her.'

'Not everyone is like your mother, Robert.  You cannot punish these
girls for something that happened so many years ago.  Do not kill her. 
If you murder Joanna Whillman now, you won't be killing your mother
again.  She's been in her grave for over five years, Robert.  Don't let
Joanna be punished for something your mother did.  Control the urge that
you have and face reality.  She's someone's daughter and sister.  Don't
put them through the pain you were in when your mother betrayed you.'

Robert looked at him steadily.  'You lost someone, didn't you ?'

Mulder startled.  'What makes you say that ?'

'I can see the urge in your eyes when you tell me not to kill this girl.
 Did you lose a sister, Mulder ?  Someone like her ?'

Mulder didn't respond.

'That's why you're here risking your life, isn't it ?  To redeem for
your loss.  You lost her somehow and couldn't get her back.  You feel
sorry for her loss and guilty because she left when you were taking care
of her.'

Mulder resisted the urge to get up and knock Pinkett off his feet.  'My
personal life is something I wish not to discuss,' he said slowly and
carefully.  They were on dangerous ground now.  He had to bring up a
different subject.

'What was her name, Mulder ?'

Again he startled.  'Samantha.'

'How did you lose her ?'

'She .. she vanished.'

'How ?'

'I don't remember.'

'You were there when it happened, weren't you ?'

'Yes.  But I can't recall what happened.'

'Does it haunt you ?'

'Yes.'

'How many times do you dream of her ?'

'Every night.'

Pinkett smiled.  'Replace her face with my mother's, and you'll know
what I'm going through every day of my life.'

'I know what you are going through,' Mulder said.  'And it still doesn't
give you a reason to kill those girls.'

'Everyone has his good and bad sides,' Pinkett said.  'I chose to listen
to my bad side.  One day you will cross the line, Mulder.  And then
you'll see.'

'No.'  Mulder slowly got out of his chair, and felt the rage
overwhelming him.  He couldn't go on with this much longer.  'I've
already been there, and I refuse to go back.'

'Back where ?'

'Inside your head.  You need help, Robert.'

'Did it upset you ?'

'Yes.'

'What did you do ?'

Mulder recalled fits and rage, anger and fear for his own sanity.  One
step too far, as Reggie Purdue had called it.  Sooner or later every
single one of them went too far.  He had.
Mulder sat down again, resisting the urge to cover his face with his
hands.  But he couldn't give in to the darkness that was so typical for
Robert Pinkett.  He had to prevail to save this girl's life.

'Your Supervisor must be very proud of you.'

Mulder looked up.  'Why ?'

'Because of your capacity to crawl into my head.  And you're so young
still, agent Mulder.  Don't let those demons take over.  Sooner or later
you won't be able to resist it anymore.'

'That's what someone else told me some time ago,' Mulder said softly,
remembering a long discussion with Bill Patterson.  He was the first one
who noticed Mulder's capacity to get into someone's mind.  He was the
one pushing Mulder over the limit when he thought he couldn't go any
further.  Bill Patterson, Terence Davis.  He couldn't even recall which
one of the two was the worst in pushing him over the edge.  But not
Reggie.  He knew Reggie would be outside right now, ready to burst in
here to save him when he needed to be saved.  

'You are far gone in your thoughts, agent Mulder,' Robert Pinkett said. 
'Are you thinking about your sister ?'

'No.  I was thinking about this teenage girl.  Let me take her outside,
Robert.  You may still have a chance to save what's left of you if you
save her.'

'You think I'm insane,' Pinkett smiled.  'That's why you are in here. 
You think that my insanity can save me from the electric chair.  What if
I told you I wasn't insane ?'

'The more reason you have to let her go.'

'Alright.'  Pinkett looked at him closely.  'What can you do for me when
I let her go ?'

'I can get you the help you need.  You will spend a long time in jail,
Robert.  But I'll talk to the judge and jury to get you a mild sentence.
 You can stop this right now if you let her go.'


'Okay.  If that's what you want, Mulder, I'll let her go.  You can pick
her up and take her outside.  Then you can come back for me.  I'll be
waiting here for you.  But only you, Mulder.'

Mulder held his breath.  'You mean it ?'

'Yes.'

'I have your promise ?'

'Yes.'

Mulder slowly got out of his chair, and looked at the gun Pinkett was
still holding in his hand.  'You'll have to get rid of the gun.'

'Okay.'

Mulder held out his hand.  Slowly Pinkett gave it to him, surrendering
to him.  Relieved Mulder held the gun to his side.  He didn't have cuffs
with him, nothing to tie Pinkett up with.  But he had the gun.   Pinkett
was defenseless now.  He sat down on the chair.

Mulder walked over to the girl and said :'Joanna, I'm here to take you
home.  You're going to be okay.'  His hands pulled her on her feet,
forcing her to use her restrained legs.  He knelt down and pulled on the
duct tape around her ankles until it gave way.  She shivered and swayed.
 He knew she wouldn't be able to walk outside on her own.  He freed her
from the duct tape around her wrists.
Mulder looked aside and saw Pinkett still sitting on the chair.  'I'm
bringing her out,' he said for the folks outside.  'Come and get him.'
He picked the girl up.  She was a lightweight in his arms. 
'I'm going to get you outside, okay ?' He said as he looked at her.  She
nodded.  Tears were floating down her cheeks.  'Put your arms around my
neck.'
She did what he asked.  He felt her face buried against his shoulder as
if she was a small child being carried by her father.  She relaxed a
bit, feeling save in his embrace.
Then, as Mulder turned around, Pinkett stood before him, pointing a gun
at him.

'What the hell are you doing, Pinkett ?'

The man smiled.  'Always double check a suspect, agent Mulder.  You boys
aren't the only ones carrying two guns.'

'You promised to let her go.'

'I lied.'

Mulder's right hand lifted the gun but he was already too late.  He felt
an enormous blow against his head as he stumbled backwards, dropping the
gun.  But he was still holding on to the girl, clinging to her,
protecting her.

Pinkett's hand was steady as he brought up the gun again, aiming it
directly at the girl's head.  

'Don't !' Mulder heard himself shout, and tried to get the girl out of
Pinkett's reach.  He couldn't.

The gun went off again.  Mulder saw the eyes of the girl turn numb.  Her
mouth seemed to straighten and change form.  A curious look was on her
face.  It was contorted.  She sagged in his arms.  Her weight forced him
to the ground.  Then there was blood everywhere.  As his hand touched
the back of her head it returned drained in blood.  As she fell over
him, he saw the back of her skull.  It had been blown away.  Blood and
brains were everywhere.  They were on him, polluting him.   He closed
his eyes, sighing heavily.  The pain overwhelmed him as he tried to get
the girl off him.  Then, as he opened his eyes, he saw the barrel of a
gun pointed at his face.  He closed his eyes again, ready to accept his
death, numbed with the pain in his head.


He heard shouts, shots, noise, voices.  They were all over him in the
room.  The girl was pulled away from him.  Someone bent over him,
touching his throat and face.  'Mulder ?  Mulder, it's Reggie.  Stay
still, you've been shot.'

Is that what being shot felt like ?  He'd never taken a bullet in his
life before.  He hoped he would never again.  His body started to
shiver.  He looked at his hands.  Her blood was on it.  Everything
seemed to slow down in the world.  He stared at Reggie taking care of
things.  

Someone was pushing a piece of cloth over his head, trying to stop the
bleeding.  The cloth turned red immediately.  He felt an enormous pain
going through his body.  Reggie stayed with him, saying :'You're going
to be fine, Mulder.  The paramedics will be here soon.'

Then another face hovered over him.  Section Chief Terence Davis.  He
knelt down besides him saying :'You did well, Mulder.  Just relax,
you're going to be fine.'

'The girl is dead,' Mulder heard himself say.  'How can I have done well
?'  His voice came from a distance, he could hardly make out the words
himself.

'You tried.  We've got the bastard.  He'll never see the outsides of a
prison for as long as he lives.'

There were more people in the room now.  They covered the body of the
girl with a sheet.  He couldn't stop looking at it.  Reggie tried to get
his attention, to stop him from looking.  Then, after what seemed an
eternity, they were there, taking care of him.  Afterwards he heard it
had only taken a minute for them to get inside.  They had been waiting
outside to intervene where necessary.
He was lifted on a gurney, and closed his eyes as soon as it started to
move.  
After that, everything turned into a blur. 


Washington DC, September 21, 1990.

He woke up a day later in the hospital.  Reggie was there, waiting
patiently until he came out of it.  
'You gave us quite a scare,' he said.  'You've been out so long you had
the doctors worried.'

'What happened ?'

'You needed surgery.  The bullet hit your temple but didn't penetrate
your skull.  They needed to relief some of the pressure on your brain. 
You're going to be alright, Mulder.'

Mulder touched his wrapped head.  Then he remembered the blood on his
hands.  He looked at them.  They were clean.  

'I killed that girl, Reggie.'

'No, Mulder.'  Reggie sat down on the bed.  'She was dead already.  At
least you gave her a chance of getting out of there alive.'

'We shouldn't have done it this way.  We shouldn't have busted in there
to kill him.'

'He would have killed her before we were through the door.  Pinkett -'

'I profiled him, Reggie ! I should have seen it coming.  She's dead
because of me.'

'Don't do this to yourself, Mulder.'  Reggie looked at him firmly. 
'Believe me when I tell you there was nothing you could do.  There's no
way you could have known he had a second gun stashed in that warehouse. 
Nobody could have known.  Your first priority was to get that girl out.'

'I screwed up.  The Bureau will think the same.'

'No, they don't.  Davis thinks the world of you.  He's raving about you
at the top executives right now.  It took guts to go in there unarmed,
Mulder.  It could have cost you your life.  We should have seen it
coming.  We should have been there before you took that bullet.  This
shouldn't have happened.  You shouldn't be in this hospital.'

'What happened to Pinkett ?  Is he dead ?'

'No.  The bullet that brought him down only wounded him.  He's better
off than you actually.  He'll be transferred to the prison hospital
pretty soon.'

'I see.'  Mulder closed his eyes and recalled the moment the girl died
in his arms.  How would he ever be able to forget that ?  He opened his
eyes again, looking around the private room.  There were flowers
everywhere.  Did he have that many friends in the Bureau ? 

'Davis wants you in his team indefinitely,' Reggie continued.  'I've
told him I'd be discussing it with you.'

'Me ?  What for ?'

'To become his top profiler,' he said.  'He says you've got what it
takes.'

Mulder thought of being involved with serial killers full-time.  The
thought of working for Davis was appealing.  But he thought of that
basement office he had seen for the first time not so long ago.  The one
with all the strange files he had started reading in his spare time.  If
he worked for Davis for a year or so and impressed the boys on the hill,
maybe then he would be able to do what he wanted.  Work on those files. 

'Mulder ?  You still with me ?'

'Yeah .. Yeah.  I think it's worth a talk with Davis,' he said slowly. 
'As long as I can help keeping bastards like Pinkett off the street,
it's worth it.'

Reggie slowly turned away from him.  'Mulder, think about it.  You'll be
sacrificing a lot.  Profiling is not something you would want to do for
the rest of your life.  It's risky - for your health, your personal
life, your every day moves.  You'll be forced to go in their dark world,
and see what goes on inside their heads.  Pinkett was - is - dangerous. 
But there are more horrifying cases out there than him.  You cannot get
personal involved.'

'I know that, Reggie.  But at least I'll be doing something useful.  I
don't care about the risks.  Whatever is happening out there, is
something I can prevent from happening.  And maybe ..' He hesitated. 
'Maybe some day I'll be able to find out what's happened to my sister.'

Reggie looked at him.  'Are you saying you believe she's been murdered
by a serial killer ?'

'I don't know what happened to her.  But as long as she hasn't been
found, I'll keep looking.  If that doesn't work, I'll try hypnosis to go
back to that night.  I've got an appointment set up with a Dr. Werber. 
He's going to try and figure it out.'

'Be careful, Mulder.  Don't let him screw with your head.'

Mulder smiled.  'I'm always careful, Reggie.'

'Yeah, right.  Get some rest, Mulder.'  Reggie left the room, leaving
him alone to remember the blood of the girl on his hands. 




Washington DC, September 28, 1990
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Section

Terence Davis waited outside the interrogation room until Mulder
arrived.  
'Welcome back, Mulder,' he said, shaking the younger agent's hand.  'How
are you feeling ?'

'I'm fine,' Mulder said.  All that reminded him of being shot was a
small band aid on the spot the bullet had hit him.  After a week's
forced rest, Mulder was eager to get back to work.  And to see Pinkett. 
And Pinkett seemed to eager to see him again.  He had requested to talk
to him.
Mulder looked inside and saw Pinkett, dressed in a navy-blue prison
overall.  'How's he doing ?'

'Cocky.  I've never seen anyone as cold as him.  He hasn't said a word
about the murders.  He wants to speak to you.'

'Alright.'

'Mulder.'  Davis held his arm, thus preventing him of walking inside. 
'Don't go in his head anymore.  You've done well, but leave it at that. 
We've got enough on him to convict him.  The only reason why you go
inside to talk to him, is to find out if he's murdered any more girls we
don't know about.  If we can put some parents at rest by finding their
loved ones, it's been worth it.  If not, you get the hell out of there,
understood ?'

'Yes, sir.'

Mulder slowly opened the door and heard it being locked right after him.
 Through the window several people would be looking and listening. 
Inside the room it was dead quiet, except for the breathing of two men. 

'You've got a thick skull, agent Mulder.  I thought I'd killed you.  The
slug didn't even keep you out of the office for that long, did it ?' 
Robert Pinkett got out of his chair and turned his back to Mulder,
looking straight into the window.  He couldn't possibly see the others,
but he knew they were there.

'Maybe I just wanted to live,' Mulder responded.  'Just like Joanna.'

Pinkett turned to him.  'You know I've been treated bad over the past
week ?  I was in hospital for less than two days, and then brought to
prison.  They didn't think it was necessary for me to stay in hospital
there, so they gave me some pain meds and put me in a cell.  I don't
like it there.  It's a cold and dark place.'

'Do you think you deserve better ?'

'Yes.  Yes, I do.  I'm human after all.'

'Some of us think differently, Robert.'

'Still the shrink, hey Mulder ?  Too bad that gunshot wound to your head
hasn't knocked some sense into you.  You're wasting your time here.  You
should be going after other serial killers.  Look, you already got me.' 
Pinkett showed him his cuffed hands.  'I'm caught like an animal in a
zoo.  I can't even get some water.'

Silently Mulder poured some water in a cup and handed it over.  'Here.' 

'Thanks.'  Pinkett drank rapidly, coughing as the water entered his sore
throat.  

Mulder sat down on the other side of the table, and looked at him. 
Pinkett studied him carefully.  'Does your head still hurt ?'

'No.'

'Are you angry with me 'cause I shot you ?'

'No.'

'But you are angry.'

'No, I'm disappointed.  You shouldn't have killed Joanna.  They're going
to put you to death, Robert, and you brought yourself to that spot. 
You'll have a fast trial in a few months, and there isn't a judge or
jury in the world that will feel sorry for you.  I could have saved your
life if you had saved Joanna.'

'You're a liar, Mulder.  You wouldn't have testified in my behalf.  All
you wanted was to get that girl out and receive a reward and promotion
for your skills.  I've read about you this week, you see.  Fast-tracking
inside the Bureau.  Oxford Graduate.  Behavioral Science Unit. Violent
Crime Section.  I know it all.'

'How ?'

He laughed.  'It isn't so hard.  I've got friends, believe it or not.'

Mulder made a mental note to check out on these friends of his.  He
didn't like it when someone like Pinkett tried to find out more about
him.

'I've read about your sister too.  You were there when she vanished but
you can't recall a single thing of her vanishing.  You were found
unconscious and she was gone.  You were brought to a hospital and
underwent psychological tests.  You have a photographic memory but that
couldn't help you from finding out what happened that night.  There's an
old FBI-file on her, and that's the reason why you went to join the
Bureau in the first place, wasn't it ?  You wanted to use the Bureau's
resources to find her, but so far you haven't succeeded.  Are you
desperate, Mulder ?  Would you do anything to find her ?'

Mulder stayed calm. 'My past is of no consequence here.  I've told you
that before, Pinkett.  My reasons for joining the Bureau are known with
my superiors.  Right now I'm here to help you come to terms with what
you did, and to make peace with your murders.  But what I need to know
from you is whether or not you can help other people come to peace with
their past.'

Pinkett sat down and smiled.  'That's it, isn't it ?  You're afraid I've
killed more people.  That's why you're here.  Not because you care about
me, or want to know why I did it.  You need to know in order to tell
them you have found their dead child.'

'Did you ?'

'No.'  Pinkett leant back and put his hands on his head.  'You've got
every girl I murdered.  You've got enough to put me away.  Are you happy
now ?'

'No.  You've killed too many people.'

'And I'll kill more.'

'You won't see the outsides of prison anymore for as long as you live,
Robert.  And you're going to die.  You'll be sentenced in Virginia.'

'Why there ?'

'You've killed most of the girls there.'

'And Virginia uses the death penalty.'

'Yes.'

Pinkett smiled.  'It doesn't matter.  I'll get out.'

'You won't.'

'Watch my words, Mulder.  Listen to what I'm telling you.  I will get
out, and I will strike again.'

'You sound like a broken record, Pinkett.'

'Oh, it's Pinkett now ?  Whatever happened to Robert ?'

Mulder got out of his chair and knocked on the door.  'We're through.' 

'Mulder.'  

Mulder turned around and looked in Mulder's eyes.  'I know you hide your
fear and anger well, but your eyes don't lie.  You know I'm telling you
the truth.'

'I'll be keeping an eye out for you, Robert.  And I'll make damn sure
the switch is pulled on you.  Perhaps I'll even come and watch.'

Pinkett smiled and sat down.  'See you soon, Mulder.' 

Fox Mulder trembled as he walked outside.  A few of his colleagues
watched him as he walked away quietly.  Davis went after him.  'Mulder,
you okay ?'

Mulder didn't stop until he was out of the corridor.  Then he turned
towards Davis and said :'I can't do this anymore, sir.  I thought I
could but I can't.'

'Mulder, you've been through a lot.  You came back too quickly.  If  you
take some time off, you'll see things differently.'

'No.  Men like Pinkett should be gassed immediately.  No trial, no
sentence, just the gas chamber.  He doesn't regret a single thing he
does.  Alive he's a risk to the outside world.'

'He's getting to you.  That's what he wanted.  Get out of his head,
Mulder.  Stop searching.'

'You were the one who wanted me to get inside his head ! And now you're
telling me to back away.'

'Because you're getting in too far.  Mulder, I've never seen anyone this
dedicated to a cause as you.  You worked for weeks to get Pinkett.  You
profiled him as if he was your next door neighbor.  You are an excellent
profiler.  But at a certain point in time you need to back away.  I told
you before you went into that room, that you needed to back off in time.
 You haven't.  Now you have to.'

'I can't.'  Mulder turned to face away from his boss.  'Pinkett is too
great a risk.'

'You  need to trust the legal system.  He'll be sentenced and sent to
the chamber.  He'll die within a few years.  He'll never get out.  You
have to move on ! Take time off, get some rest.  Work on other cases if
you will.  But forget about Pinkett.  That's an order, Mulder.'

Mulder nodded and saw a few of his friends at the VCS looking at them. 
Why was it so easy for them ?  How could they sleep at night ? 





October 12, 1990
Washington DC, Federal Bureau of Investigation

A letter was waiting for him when he returned to the office two weeks
later.  Davis had him on sick leave, thus forcing him to recuperate.  At
first the dreams didn't subside, but then he started to forget the
feeling of her blood on his hands.  
When he got back to the office, Davis welcomed him back, as did his
colleagues.  Mulder felt at ease at his desk, rummaging through files
and a new workload.

Davis shortly after came to him, and put a file on his desk.  'This is
something you need to see, Mulder.  It's a file on a new serial killer. 
We're clueless here.  We've found several bodies of young girls with a
heart cut out of the cloth of their nightrobes.  Are you up to it ?'

Mulder sighed softly before taking it in his hands.  'Yeah.  I'm up to
it.'
Then he noticed the letter near his computer.  'What is that ?'

'It came for you yesterday.  Thought you might want to open it
yourself.'

Mulder tore open the envelope and took out the letter, written in a
clear handwriting.

'Fox, 

Glad to hear you're back at work.  I'll be thinking of you.

					Robert Pinkett'

Mulder dropped the letter in the garbage can and tried to forget about
Pinkett.  Unfortunately Pinkett didn't forget about him. 


Part II : The Escape

Virginia State Prison, September 1, 1998

The daily shift bored Andy Walters.  Breakfast at seven, showers at
eight, a walk around the block at nine, back to the cells by ten. 
Lunch, visitors, an early evening walk.  And then the cells again, with
only a TV to keep them company.  Four years he had been here now, and
all that time the routine remained the same.  
The only thing he had at the end was cleaning the long death row line. 
He and two others had been chosen to scrub the hallways and prison cells
under the supervision of two guards. 
He had grown attached to his job.  He loved seeing another building
except his own.  He even enjoyed talking to the men waiting for their
death.

Last week Carl Meecham had been gassed.  His cell was empty now, waiting
for another victim.  There was talk about gassing the others quickly. 
Some of them had been here for over ten years, still waiting for their
date with death.  
They weren't bad folk.  He loved talking to them, discussing some things
of the outside world.  And he even liked it when they asked him
questions about things going on in the other buildings.  After all, even
the less well guarded buildings were better than what they had here.

'Hey, Andy,' he heard Quinn Belt say.  'Did you bring my cigarettes ?'

Andy quickly looked at the guard on duty.  The man pretended not to hear
the question.  He probably had.  But the guards weren't bad folk either.
 They understood what the criminals must be going through.  

'Here.'  Andy reached through the cell door and handed him his pack of
smokes.

Quinn quickly lit one and said :'Have you heard about Pinkett ?  He's
got his date.'

'Oh yeah ?  When ?'

'A month from now.  The governor has denied his request for an appeal. 
I think they figured it's about time he got gassed.'

Andy thought of the quiet man in his cell.  He hadn't spoken that much
since Andy came to work on death row.  He thought of the man, reading
all day long.  Looking at the photo of a young girl, probably his
sister, or daughter.  It was an old picture.  And there were letters. 
He always wrote letters but they returned unopened.  He could hear him
groan sometimes, as if he was angry or in pain.  

'Don't mind Pinkett,' Quinn had said at one time.  'He's obsessed with
getting his revenge.'

'Revenge ?  On whom ?' 

'Some Fed.  Nailed his ass back in '90.  He can't get over it.'

'But he'll never get out of here.'

'Of course he won't.  But maybe that's all that keeps him going.  We all
need something.'

Andy thought of his own sentence.  He would be getting out in a few
weeks.  He walked over to Pinkett's cell.  The man was writing
furiously.  Andy looked at him.  The man didn't look like a killer.  But
he had murdered eight teenagers before the FBI caught him.  Andy slowly
shook his head and wanted to leave, when he heard Pinkett's voice.

'Hey.  Andy.  You still there ?'

'Yeah.'  Andy walked back to the cell and looked through the bars. 
'Whassup ?'

'I was wondering if you could do me a favor.'

'Sure.'

'I'm gonna die in a month, man.  I need some stuff to keep me occupied.'

'What do you need ?'

'Some smokes.  A few magazines.  Some shit.  Some booze.'

Andy looked at the guards.  'I'm not sure I can get to the booze. The
other stuff won't be a problem.'

'Great.  Fix it.  I'll pay you.  I've got some money stashed away.'

'That's okay.  It's on me.'

'Heard you're coming out in a couple of weeks, Andy.'

'Yeah.'

'Do you think you can get me the stuff before you get out ?  The good
stuff I mean.'

'Sure.  I'll get you what you want.'

'Great.  Thanks.'

Andy nodded and continued his stroll.  As he and his companions left the
corridor, he knew he wouldn't get in trouble ever again.  Giving Pinkett
the 'good stuff' would be his last achievement.

Being inside prison was no guarantee of kicking the habit.  Andy knew
for a fact that heroine and dope strolled freely around the cells.  It
was just a matter of knowing the right people at the right places.  Andy
knew how to take care of himself.  And the others knew he had the money
to pay. 
He bought a few ounces of dope at a very considerate price and stashed
them in his overalls until he went back to death row.  It would be his
last visit there.  He was paroled and would be getting out in two days. 


'Hey Derek, how ya been ?' He greeted the older guard as if he was his
best friend.

'Hey Andy,' Derek said.  'Heard you're out soon.  Congrats.'

'Thanks.'  He lifted the magazines and smokes.  'Mind if I give these to
Pinkett ?'

'Go ahead.'  Derek stepped aside and let the prisoner walk over to
Pinkett's cell.  Just like the others he knew Pinkett would be dead
soon.  What harm was there in giving the man one last chance to enjoy
his life ?

Andy walked over to Pinkett's cell and handed him the stuff.  He
whispered as he said :'Your 'good stuff' is inside the pack of smokes. 
Be careful with it, it's uncut.  Take care now.'

'Thanks, Andy.  I'll be seeing you.'  Pinkett smiled with triumph as he
opened the pack of smoked and took out the small package with cocaine. 
Carefully he opened the package and tasted it, putting one finger in and
licking off the top.  

Then he sat down near the small table, the only piece of furniture in
the room besides his bed.  He tore open the plastic which contained the
dope, and looked at it. 

'Hey !' Quinn Belt shouted until someone heard him.  'Something's wrong
with Pinkett ! Someone get over here !'

Immediately guards ran over to Pinkett's cell and saw on the floor,
convulsing and apparently in shock.  On the table lay a piece of plastic
with the remains of coke still on it. 

'Jesus, get a doctor !' Derek Aimes shouted.  'He's O.D.'d.'

Immediately there was a commotion around Pinkett's cell.  He was
transferred to the hospital sick bay, where doctors worked to save his
life.  After ten minutes his condition was stabilized.

'I want this man guarded night and day until he's well enough to return
to his cell,' Greg Mitchell, the warden said angrily.  'How the hell did
he get this much coke ?  I want a full investigation, now !'

Derek Aimes was questioned, leading to the questioning of Andy.  Even
though the prisoner denied every knowledge, he was put through the
wringer until he admitted to having given the coke to Pinkett.  He was
put in isolation, his parole denied.  With regret Andy realized he would
now have to stay another six months in jail.  

Virginia State Prison, September 11, 1998

Pinkett slowly awakened in the soft hospital bed.  His room was dark and
windowless.  His hands weren't restrained.  An IV was running and poured
saline in his veins.  He sighed.  So he was still alive.  He almost
smiled at the thought of having doctors and nurses fighting for his
life.  In two weeks they would be pulling the plug on him.  

He knew there would be guards outside.  One, maybe two.  He strained
himself to switch on the night light.  He had no idea what time it was,
but it had to be nighttime.  Minimum guards, and his only chance to get
out of here. 

He touched his hand, swiftly pulling out the IV.  Nothing attached to
his body.  No machines which gave away his heartbeat and blood pressure.
 Nothing that would get in nurses and doctors to see if he was still
alive.  Guess they didn't care that much anymore after all.

Slowly he slid to the floor.  He was dressed in an hospital gown.  His
legs shaked when he walked over to the door.  He knocked on the door. 
Immediately he heard keys and someone opened the door.  He looked at a
guard he didn't know.  There was another one closeby.

'Hey,' Pinkett said.  'Can you get me a doctor ?  I don't feel too
well.'

The guard debated whether or not to leave Pinkett alone with his
colleague, but said :'Sure.'
He looked at his partner, who came closer to Pinkett, ready to intervene
where necessary.  'Get back inside, Pinkett.  We'll get someone to take
a look at you.'

Pinkett slowly made his way back to his bed and waited patiently until
the door opened again, and a doctor came in, accompanied by one of the
guards.

'How are you feeling, Mr. Pinkett ?' The doctor asked in a not
unfriendly tone.

'Fine.'

'Do you remember what happened ?'

'No.'

'You took an overdose of cocaine.'  The doctor took out a small penlight
and looked in his eyes.  Then he took Pinkett's pulse and checked his
blood pressure.  'Almost back to normal,' he said.  'Are you in any pain
?'

'Yes.  I feel wasted.'

'The first signs.  Your body is trying to kick off.'

'I don't want to kick off.'

'You're not a drug addict, Mr. Pinkett.  Why did you start now ?'

Pinkett smiled.  'Sometimes drugs can be of use.'

'I'm going to give you something to help your system to adjust.  It's a
sedative to calm you down.'

The doctor pulled out a syringe and looked at Pinkett's hand.  He had
pulled out the IV.  As he put the needle down to reinstall the IV,
Pinkett grabbed the syringe from the table, and pulled the doctor
towards him.

'Hey !' The guard yelled, pulling out his gun, aiming it at Pinkett.

'Back off, cop, or he gets this in the brain.'  Pinkett held the needle
to the doctor's head, confirming his intentions.  

'Put the needle down, Pinkett.  There's no use doing this.'

'Oh yes, there is.  I'm going to die soon, cop.  Get off your feet, doc
!'
The doctor was pulled up, feeling the needle against his head.  The fear
was notable in his eyes.  'Open the door and get out,' Pinkett told the
guard.  The man knew he couldn't do anything but obey Pinkett.  As he
opened the door, the other guard turned and looked at them.  Pinkett
pushed the doctor forward.  'Both of you against the wall or he gets
it.'

The guards backed off.  Pinkett pushed the doc forward.  'You, give me
your keys.'

More people were now in the hallway, looking at the scene taking place. 
Pinkett was barefoot, and still dressed in his hospital gown.  He
couldn't care less right now.  Freedom was within reach. 

The guard he had spoken to gave threw the keys in his direction. 
Pinkett grabbed them and gave them to the doctor.  'Open the door.'

The doctor was  nervous.  He had to try several keys until he found the
right one.  More guards approached.  Pinkett yelled at them, telling
them to back off.  The doctor was bleeding.  The tip of the needle had
accidentally touched the skin behind his ear.  

'Drop your guns to the floor, now.'  The guards obeyed.  'Slide one gun
to me.'  The gun slid in his direction.  He picked it up and pointed it
at the doctor's head.  'Start running, doc.'  Pinkett made way as soon
as he had broken off the key in the lock, thus keeping the guards behind
the bulletproof door.

'Is your car parked inside this compound ?'

'Yes.  Just inside the gates.'

'Okay, let's go.'

By now the prison was in state of full alert.  The doctor opened the
second door which led them to the open square within the five blocks. 
Lights blinded Pinkett but he didn't keep his eyes off the doctor for
one second.

'He's dead before you can shoot me !' He yelled out loud.  'I want out
!'

A voice called out to him.  'You know we can't let you go, Pinkett.'

'Right now I've got nothing to loose,' Pinkett shouted back.  'Open the
goddamn gates !'

He pushed the doctor over the square until they reached his car, parked
just where he said it was.  Pinkett could hardly believe it was so easy.
 'Get behind the wheel and start the car.'  Pinkett waited until both
cardoors were unlocked, and got in on the front seat, keeping his gun to
the doctor's face.  
The doctor drove the car to the gates and waited nervously until they
opened.  When they did, the doctor drove until they were far outside the
compound.  Cars were following them.  Pinkett knew the cops would be
setting up roadblocks everywhere, to stop him from leaving the State. 
But he wouldn't be leaving the State.  Not until he got rid of his hair
and current appearance.

'Why are you doing this ?' The doctor asked. 

Pinkett smiled.  'You were right, doctor.  I'm not a drug addict.'


September 12, 1998
Washington DC, 6.45 a.m.

Mulder couldn't figure out at first whether or not the phonecall had
been part of his dream.  Then his body seemed to realize it needed to
wake up.  Reluctantly he opened his eyes and reached for the phone lying
on the coffee table near the couch.

'Mulder.'

'Mulder, are you awake ?'

'I am now,' he sighed.  'Who is this ?'

The voice sounded familiar.  Only his mind couldn't form the connection
yet.  The man laughed.  'How you been, Mulder ?  You never got around to
finding that sister of yours, did you ?'
Mulder got up, trying to push back the throbbing headache that had
formed in the back of his head.  It wasn't that long since he had
returned from the Antarctic.  The fear for Scully's safety were still
buried somewhere inside of him.  

'Who is this ?'

'Come on, Mulder.  It disappoints me you don't remember.  Do I need to
give you more hints ?'

Mulder sighed.  'I'm in no mood for games.  I'm hanging up now.'

'Don't tell me you've forgotten all about Joanna, Mulder.'

'What ?'  Mulder slowly got on his feet, staring to the opposite wall. 
Images of blood on his hands.  He hadn't had them for years.  Worse
nightmares and a different lifestyle replaced the ones he had since he
nailed Robert Pinkett.

'I can tell you're remembering now, Mulder.  You haven't been paying
attention again, have you ?  If I were you I'd turn on the TV and see
the breaking news about my escape.'

Mulder switched on the TV.  On the Fox Network a newsbreaking story was
being told about Robert David Pinkett, who'd escaped from the Virginia
State Prison just hours before. 'Jesus Christ,' Mulder whispered.

'Shouldn't you be asking me by now why and how I escaped, Mulder ? 
You're losing your touch.  Then again, I've been told you are working
with a cute red-head now.  Do you like her ?  Did you do her yet ?  I'm
sure she was good.   I hope she isn't getting your attention off the
more important things in life, Mulder.'

'Where are you, Pinkett ?'

He laughed.  'Like I'd tell you.'

'I can get a trace on you right now.'

'But you won't.  Because you know I would hang up the phone the moment I
sense it.  And believe me, I'd know.'

'What are you going to do ?  Leave the country and start a new life ?'

Pinkett sighed.  'Nah.  Too boring.  You and I are going to play a
little game, agent Mulder.  I want to see how much you remember about
me.  How good you can recall who and what I am.  I want you to get
inside my head again, Mulder.'

'Why ?'  

'I like you.  I want to help you.  You're looking for your sister,
aren't you ?  You were paying more attention to her than to me.  I told
you I'd get out.  But you didn't listen to me, did you ?'

'No, I didn't.'  Mulder debated whether or not to contact Scully on his
cellphone to let her listen to this conversation.  But she had no idea
who Pinkett was.  Nor would she know what was going on. 

'Now a price will have to be paid, Mulder.  You and I are going to play
a little game.  It's called Stratego.  Do you remember Stratego, Mulder
?  You played it with your sister the night she vanished.  Have you
played it ever since ?'

Mulder felt his throat go dry.  'No.  I haven't.'

'Well, you are going to now.  I'll be handing you the pieces and at the
end you and I will recapture some events from the past.  Maybe this time
you c=E0n save Joanna.' 

A click, and he was gone.  Shocked Mulder stared at the newsreport that
spoke of the body of the prison doctor, found floating in a river just
outside Raleigh, Virginia.  He'd been shot in the head. 
It had started all over again.  He had known it would happen, but he
didn't believe it at first.  Terence Davis had sent him an email just a
couple of days ago, to let him know Pinkett would be put to death in two
weeks.  Now Pinkett would start killing again.  As sure as he was of his
friendship and trust in Scully, as sure he was of Pinkett's future
kills. 

Mulder quickly showered, changed, and left his apartment.  On his way to
his car he got on the phone with Skinner, notifying him from Pinkett's
call.


September 12, 1998
Washington DC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 8.45 a.m. 

The Bureau was one big buzz when Mulder arrived.  He had tried to reach
Scully on her cellphone but she had it turned off.  He knew she would
arrive soon enough.  
He knocked on the door of Skinner's office but needn't be bothered with
it.  Skinner opened it as soon as he arrived and invited him to come in.
 A whole assembly was gathered in his office.  Mulder recognized most of
his colleagues, who nodded as he entered.  

'Agent Mulder, I've notified our colleagues from the Violent Crime
Section of your recent phonecall with Robert Pinkett,' Skinner said. 
'Assistant Director Terence Davis has requested your assistance in the
capture of Pinkett.'

Mulder was aware of the promotion Davis had made about two years ago. 
But he wasn't looking forward to working with the man again.  He
remembered how things had gotten ugly when Mulder had requested his
transfer to the X-Files.  

'I am sure you realize, agent Mulder, that this takes full priority of
the means of the FBI.  The X-Files, the section you are currently in
charge of, will have to wait.'  Skinner frowned, as he continued.  'I
believe you will make no objection to this ?'

'No sir.'

Skinner continued, looking at the small bruise still visible on Mulder's
temple, from the gunshot wound inflicted to him barely a few weeks ago. 
'I realize that you are fatigued from the recent events, however, we
feel that -'

'I thank you for your concern, but I am fit for duty and ready to work
on this case, sir,' Mulder interrupted him.  

'Good,' Skinner said short.  'Even though you will be working for
Terence Davis, I will still be your Supervisor, agent Mulder. 
Arrangements will be made to secure your safety.'

'My safety, sir ?'

'Yes.  Terence Davis shot you once, he might try to finish the job.'

Mulder looked at the joined company and said :'With all due respect,
sir, but he is not going to.  He wants to play a game first.  He said so
himself.  My opinion is that he will try to relive his past.'

'You spoke of Stratego ?'

'Yes, sir.  Back in '90 - during my conversations with Pinkett - he
mentioned my sister several times.  He said he had been doing checkups
on me.  Apparently he has someone telling him all about me.  He knows
the exact events of the night of her disappearance, and the game we were
playing before she was .. abducted.'  
He hesitated while looking at the others.  No one laughed.  Mulder
sighed with relief.  It has been a while since he didn't get smart
remarks from fellow Federal Agents.  Mulder hesitated, thinking of
Joanna Whillman.  Her blood on his hands.  Those blue eyes piercing into
him as he felt her dead body slide on his.  He shivered.  He couldn't do
this anymore.  Go inside this man's head and get out what's inside of
it.  Some things were better left uncovered.

'Agent Mulder ?'  Skinner touched his sleeve.  He looked at him.  

'I'm sorry, sir.  I was thinking about Pinkett.'

'I understand.  You will be working from the VCS-section as of today. 
Pinkett's file is already waiting for you there.  We need something to
go on, Mulder.  You know this man better than anyone.  Whatever you can
give us, is something we can start looking for.'

Mulder looked at his colleagues.  'Pinkett used Demerol to drug his
victims.  We need to check hospitals in the vicinity.  And he will have
changed his appearance.  The last time I saw him he had a neatly trimmed
haircut, but I believe he let his hair grow in prison.  He might have it
short again, and probably bleached.  We will need new mugshots which
need to be handed out at the security of every hospital in the
Washington and Baltimore area.  He will not attempt to get inside a
Virginia hospital.  Too risky.'

'Why Washington and Baltimore ?' Eric Gellar asked.  

'If he wants to relive his past, he'll do everything exactly as he did
the last time.  He was hospitalized in a D.C.-hospital prior to his
first kill.  That's where he got the Demerol.  But he won't be going to
the same hospital again.  He knows I know about it.  So we have to check
out the other ones in the area.'

'Alright,' Skinner said.  'We'll start there.'

'Sir, can you notify agent Scully as soon as she gets in ?'

'I've already taken care of that, Mulder.'

'Sir, I believe she's at greater risk than I am at this moment.  He
seems to know everything about me.  If he wants to hurt me, he'll try to
hurt her.'

'Agent Scully will be protected, agent Mulder,' Skinner said calmly. 
'Assistant Director Davis is waiting for you at the VCS.  I'll join
you.'

Mulder nodded.  'Thank you.'

As the party broke up, Mulder knew that the only way to get Pinkett was
to track down his moves one by one.  To go back in time, and check on
the confessions Pinkett did while being interrogated.  To try and get an
accurate time and date on what he did where. 

Suddenly it became clear to him.  On September 20 it would be exactly
eight years when he was first confronted with Pinkett in the warehouse. 
He would have eight days to kill the girls he intended to kill.  Every
second, minute, hour counted from now on.  

September 12, 1998, 9.05 a.m.
Washington DC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, VCS

Scully arrived around 9 a.m., right after the phonecall she received
from Skinner.  When she heard his voice, her first thought was :
Something's wrong with Mulder.  But Skinner simply requested her to come
directly to the VCS-Unit.  Mulder would meet her there.

When she arrived, she was greeted by several Federal Agents working hard
to catch one killer.  She had heard it on the news.  The escape of
Robert David Pinkett was all over CNN.  But she didn't have a clue why
Mulder would be here.

Both Mulder and Scully had taken it easier after Scully's last
appearance in front of the committee regarding the virus.  Mulder had
insisted on her taking some time off.  He knew that her body was still
mending and recovering from what had happened to her.  She had come to
work though, and naturally had found her partner there.  

There had been a new sort of commitment between them.  His eyes shone as
soon as he saw her, and he was content when she was in the room, even if
she didn't speak.  He had taken it easier himself, actually relaxing a
bit.  She had enjoyed seeing him relaxed.

Now, as she approached the small, glass office at the rear end of the
floor, she saw the strained body of her partner as he was in deep
discussion with Skinner and Assistant Director Davis.  She knew Davis
only by name.  Knew that he ran the VCS with an iron glove, but had a 79
% solving rate on serial killers.  He had a couple of top field agents
working for him.  And she knew that sometime before he chose to work for
the X-Files, Mulder had worked for him.

Mulder had never told her what went down between the two of them, but he
didn't have to.  Anyone could see through the glass that things didn't
exactly go right.  

As she knocked on the door to get attention, the discussion between the
three men subsides, and she entered the room.  Mulder calmed down as he
saw her, and said :'Dana Scully, Terence Davis.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you, sir,' Scully said.  'I've heard a lot
about you.'

'The pleasure's all mine, agent Scully,' Davis responded, looking at
Mulder.  'I'm sure your partner will update you on what's going on.  If
you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the Director in ten minutes. 
Walter, will you join me on this matter ?'

Skinner nodded and followed Davis outside.  As they left, Scully
couldn't help but notice who both AD's had the same kind of authority. 
They both got what they wanted with one look. 

'What's going on, Mulder ?' she asked her partner.  He looked straight
through her, not seeing her at first.
'Mulder ?'

'Yeah.'  He sighed as if he tried to gather his full attention to talk
to her.  'You'd better sit down, Scully.'
She was surprised when he closed the glass door and sat besides her,
feeling the eyes of the VCS-agents piercing in their backs. 

'Back in '90, when I was working with Reggie Purdue, I got the attention
of Section Chief Davis, who was in charge of the Behavioral Science
Unit.  He also worked on the side for the VCS, solving serial
killer-cases, the most gruesome ones.  He knew about John Barnett, and
what had happened at the warehouse, but he talked to me about it, and
told me that I had an unique gift of profiling, probably due to my
photographic memory.  He knew I could see minor details in things others
couldn't see, and wanted to try out those skills by having me work on a
case nobody could figure out.'

'Robert Pinkett.'

'Yes.  I profiled the man, concluding he was a loner without a family,
living in the area, who might have murdered one or more members of his
family - female members.'

'How did you conclude that ?'

'All the girls bared a remarkably resemblance.  I figured that the
killer was trying to murder the same person over and over again.  I've
seen this behavior before, in other cases.  One killer - Ted Bundy for
example - kills the same type of girl all the time.  There's a pattern
in most every serial killer-case.  As for Pinkett, it turned out it was
his mother he was murdering.'

'So you grabbed him ?'

'Yes.  It took us a long time and great effort to do so, and a lot of
coincidence.  He drugged his victims with Demerol.  I suggested that we
would be looking for a man who had recently been hospitalized and
probably treated with Demerol, thus knowing what the drug could do to
knock someone out.  Since all the murders took place in the Washington
and Baltimore area, I figured he must have been from here.  It was a
long shot but we managed to get a list from every hospital in the area. 
Then we started looking for single men, with deceased relatives.  It
took us days to run every name through the system, but eventually we
ended up with a shortlist.
When we arrived at Pinkett's house, we found a room filled with photos
from his mother when she was about sixteen years old.  Each photo
resembled the deceased girls.'

'What happened then ?' Scully asked with tension in her voice.  She
looked at her partner who got more stressed when he told her the rest of
the story. 

'Pinkett saw us going through his house and took off.  A police vehicle
spotted him and followed him until he reached the harbor area.  We soon
found him in an abandoned warehouse.  We knew he had taken another girl
- his last victim - Joanna Whillman.  Davis wanted to storm in and try
to put Pinkett down before he could kill the girl, but we all knew it
would be pointless.  
I suggested Davis to go inside the warehouse unarmed and try and talk
sense into him.  Davis agreed, and as I went inside, Pinkett and I
started talking.  I thought I was getting through to him but ..'

'It didn't work.'

'He made me pick up that girl to get her outside,' Mulder said with a
strain voice.  'I held her in my arms and talked to her, telling her she
would be home safe soon.  Pinkett had handed me his gun, but as I turned
around, he waved another one in my face.  I remember feeling a blow to
my head and falling, and as I did, he fired again and blew away the back
of Joanna's head.  She died in my arms.'

'Mulder, I'm sorry.'  Scully put her hand on his arm, forcing him to
look at her.  He did, but she knew he wanted to bury his head between
his hands and forget all about it.  'It wasn't your fault.'

'I screwed up, Scully.'  He said it with confirmation in his voice, as
if only he knew what he had done.  'I talked to him afterwards and
almost lost it.  We got into a discussion and I was ready to walk out of
the VCS forever.  Davis went after me and convinced me to stay.'  Mulder
smiled faintly.  'Of course my luck was getting the John Lee Roche case
next.  It was the last one I did before I turned my back on Davis and
the VCS.  Davis of course never forgave me.  Just like Bill Patterson he
hated me for wasting my talents on something meaningless as my sister's
abduction.'

'Sounds to me like he was trying to force you to profile serial
killers.'

Mulder smiled weakly.  'I thought you didn't know Davis ?' 

'I know of his reputation.'

Mulder sighed and got out of his chair.  As he walked towards the
window, he said :'It doesn't matter, Scully.  No matter what he did or
said to me, I got Pinkett the first time, and now I'll have to get him
again.'  He turned and pointed at a desk sitting there for him behind
the glass.  'He's got the file all ready for me, and he knows that I
will do anything to get my hands on Pinkett again.'

'Will you ?'

'Will I what ?'

'Do anything to get Pinkett back behind bars ?'

'Yes.'

'Why ?  He's no longer your burden, Mulder.'

'It doesn't matter whose burden he is.  Can't you see I have no choice
in the matter, Scully ?'

'There's always a choice.'

'Not in this case.'

'Look at yourself, Mulder,' she said.  'You've just been through a lot. 
You're not rested, you're strained.  How can you take care of this when
you can't even take care of yourself ?'

'People don't crumble that easy, Scully,' he said.  'You of all people
should know that.'

'How far do you need to go to get him ?  Will it take you a slide into
his mind again ?  If so, I'm not leaving your side, Mulder.'
He looked at her, forcing himself not to touch her face.  He knew that
she understood.  She always did.  'I know you won't,' he smiled.  'Even
if it was just to make sure I eat and sleep.' 

'You betcha, partner.'

Mulder sighed and looked at the VCS-section, tangled up in every day
business.  Even without Pinkett there was enough work out there to keep
them occupied for years and years to come.  But right now the priority
at hand was Robert Pinkett. 


September 12, 1998 - 9.45 a.m.

Mulder barely sat down at his temporary desk when Davis returned with
Skinner right behind him.  'Mulder, Scully, Gellar, Weinstein,
Williamson - my office, now.'  

Scully glared at her partner and figured Davis wasn't a man of many
words.  Once in his office, Scully noticed a few others had entered the
room as well through the other door.  Davis had closed the blinds, thus
making sure no one from the outside noticed what was going on on the
inside.

Davis introduced the people in the room to one another.  Then he sat
down and invited them all to take a seat.  When everyone was in place,
he said :'We've just returned from a meeting with the Director.  No one
is very pleased with Pinkett's escape.  We are pretty convinced that
despite the roadblocks and extra precautions he has left the state of
Virginia and is already on his way to Washington DC  I have requested
agents Mulder and Scully to join us.  For those who weren't at the
previous unofficial meeting, this is the inside info on what we have. 
Agent Mulder has profiled Robert Pinkett eight years ago which lead to
his capture and conviction.  Robert Pinkett has contacted agent Mulder
and told him that it wasn't over yet.  We have reason to believe Pinkett
is armed, dangerous and ready to start his killing spree again. 
Warnings are issued all over the country, but we all know that is
meaningless.  We cannot force parents to keep their children inside as
long as we haven't caught this guy.  When he needs a victim, he will get
one.

We have set up lookouts at every hospital in the area, believing Pinkett
might be using his old MO.  He used Demerol to drug his victims and thus
abduct them.  Everyone coming in and out of the hospital will be
thoroughly checked.  So far that's the only thing we can go on.  Agent
Mulder will profile this character again, hopefully leading to more. 
His old house is under surveillance, as is the warehouse he has killed
his victims in.  Until we know more, we hope that he will contact agent
Mulder again.  

Weinstein and Williamson, you will be interviewing inmates and guards at
the Virginia State Prison.   Gellar, you will stay with me and make
daily reports on the efforts made by the VCS.  Agent Scully will be
autopsying possible victims - god forbid it will come to that - and give
her medical opinion on the matter.  Scully, I also want you to
cross-reference this case to the cases in the past.  Backtrack Pinkett's
MO and see if anything he did back then might help us to catch him now.'

'Yes, sir,' Scully said, immediately realizing she would have to force
Davis to stay with Mulder.

'Assistant Director Skinner, as Mulder and Scully's immediate
Supervisor, will be joining us temporarily to keep an eye on things.' 
Davis looked at Skinner.  The two shared a glance that could be only
described as hostile.  Scully suspected them of having had a serious
discussion before returning to Davis' office. 

'That's it,' Davis said.  'Time is not on our side, folks.  Let's get to
work.'

Mulder got out of his chair and moved almost silently to the desk
waiting for him.  As he sat down, Scully took a seat next to him, and
prevented him from opening the file by putting her hand on it.  
'Are you okay ?' she said seriously.  'Don't lie to me cause I know when
you're lying.' 

'No, I'm not okay,' he answered truthfully.  'But if you keep asking me
you're going to force me to lie.'
She smiled and sat back.  'I suppose I'll be getting you a couple of
bags of sunflowerseeds now, right ?'

'Don't forget that iced tea.  After all ..'

'.. It could be love.'  She grinned and kissed him lightly on the cheek
before leaving him.  Surprised by her public expression of affection he
forgot Pinkett for a moment and stared at her as she left the floor. 
Then, as he moved his head slightly, he saw Davis look at him with a
peculiar look in his eyes. 


September 12, 1998 - 10.30 a.m.

Mulder didn't want to take a look at the photos again, but he knew he
had to.  His photographic memory had still captured every gruesome
detail of the case, but he needed to refresh it.  Somewhere in those
photos might be a link to the past.  Something that would describe
Pinkett's possible MO. 

He sighed and looked at the tapes with Pinkett's confession on it.  He
hadn't heard it yet.  He had refused when Davis invited him to listen to
them, in order to turn himself away from the case forever.  Now, eight
years later, he would be forced to listen to them. 

He sighed again as he put the first tape in the recorder and started
listening. 


Part III : Denise - Denise 

Washington DC, September 30, 1990
Statement Robert David Pinkett, interview by Section Chief Terence Davis
Additional Notes on September 12, 1998 by Special Agent Fox Mulder 
Current assignment : Violent Crime Section.

'When did you first start making plans to kill Denise Forbes, Robert ?'

'When I was in the hospital being treated after the car-accident.  I had
vivid dreams back then.  I knew that sooner or later I would give in on
them.  After all, what is there else in life than to try and fulfill
your dreams, right ?' 

'How did you go about making plans ?'

'At night, I believe it was the last night of my stay at the hospital, I
snuck into the nurses' quarters and stole several syringes of Demerol. 
Someone was stupid enough to leave her keys on the table, and it was
nighttime.  There was hardly anyone there.  I stole ten syringes.'

'Were you planning on killing ten girls ?'

'Yes.  It was a nice, round number.  I felt like I could say goodbye to
my mother after those ten.  But of course I never got around to that, so
I suppose I'm still trying to make a mense with her.'

'Where and when did you first spot Denise Forbes ?'

(a few seconds of silence) 
'I believe it must have been around September 12.  I never really
planned on killing her the following day.  I didn't have anything
planned really, except where to kill her.  I chose Richmond, Virginia,
but drove her to Washington to murder her there.  Didn't take that long
to bring her here.  I had chosen a nice abandoned warehouse near the
harbor to kill her there.  Rented it under a false name.  I knew nobody
would hear her should she scream.  And there was nowhere for her to run
to should she manage to escape.'

'Why Richmond ?'

'My mother was born there.  I felt it right to get someone there.  I
thought (laughter) that I could find a dead ringer for my mother's
features in the state she was born.  And as you know, I did.'

'Why did she have to resemble your mother ?'

'Haven't you read agent Mulder's profile, sir ?  What use would it have
been to kill those girls if they did not resemble mom ?  It was her I
was trying to kill over and over again.  The world had to be freed from
everyone who looked like her. After all, she was a menace to society,
and should have been eradicated at birth.'

'Where did you abduct Denise Forbes ?'

'Just outside her school in Richmond. Schools are the best places to
find the ones you want to abduct.  They're all so strapped in their
routines it was fairly easy.  Most of them have classes, go to practice
or dance class or whatever, or go home.  They all take the bus or go on
foot.  Denise was on feet.  She lived only four blocks away from her
school.  She walked with someone else, and I was willing to take that
girl too even though she didn't look like my mother.  But about a block
before her house, the other girl said goodbye and she walked alone.  I
parked my Sedan a few yards before her house and got out with a map in
my hand, and the Demerol in my pocket.  I walked over to her and asked
her if she could show me directions.  She was hesitant of course but
since she was close to her house, I knew she felt somewhat safe.  As she
was pointing out to me where I needed to be, I drove the needle in her
upper arm.  She tried to scream but I held my hand before her mouth, and
within seconds she was out like a light.  I pushed her in the back seat
of the car and drove off.  I think people might have seen me, but since
I had stolen license plates on the car, it didn't really matter.'

'What did you do next ?'

I drove her outside of town, stopped at a parkinglot near the highway
and got out to change the license plates.  Then I taped her up, and put
her in the trunk of the car.  I put a blanket over her to keep her warm.
 I got back on the highway and drove to Washington.  About three hours
later I arrived at the warehouse.  By then it was about 7 p.m. I
believe.  Yes, I remember I was listening to the news.  It was all over
the news of course.  I thought it was funny.  The cops and Feds were
checking out Virginia and all the State Highways but of course they
couldn't track me down.  They were looking for a car with Boston license
plates after all. 
By the time I brought her inside the warehouse she was still out.  I
checked the tape and put her on a blanket in the corner of the building.
 I had the doors unlocked, that convinced I was nobody would find us
here.  I had the car parked inside the warehouse.  The building was
after all, abandoned.'

'What did you do next ?'

'I talked to her as soon as she woke up.  Like I said, she was a dead
ringer for my mother, and I'm not very sure if she understood everything
I was saying.  I talked to her as if she had given birth to me, you see.
 I showed her my mother's picture, and accused her for her misdoings. 
She didn't understand I suppose.  But she would grow up just like her,
and therefore she had to die.'

'How did you kill her ?'

'I wanted to make it an easy death.  I suppose I really wanted to gut
her, but I owed it to my father not to do that.  After all, she had made
him happy for a while.  I knew dad would be angry at me if I caused her
too much pain.  I don't think she knew what happened to her.  I simply
put a gun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger.  It was kind
of messy but I cleaned it all up.  Her eyes were open.  I don't think
she realized what had happened to her.  There was this look of surprise
on her face, you know.  Like she didn't know what was going on.  I
wrapped her in the blanket I had bought especially for her, and put her
back in the trunk of the car.  Then I drove off and left her in an alley
in the city near the FBI.  Hey, I wanted to make things easier for you
after all.' 

'What did you do next ?'

'As soon as I left her there, I got rid of the car somewhere downtown. 
I was attached to that car but I knew it would eventually lead to me if
I kept on using it.  Of course I got rid of everything blaming me.  The
papers, the license plates, etc. etc.  Then I set fire to the vehicle,
and watched it burn before taking of.  By the time the fire squad had
arrived, there was hardly anything left of the vehicle.  The cops
probably had a field day trying to figure out whose car it was.  Since I
had stolen the vehicle myself right after I left the hospital, they
would track down the owner eventually.  
Since I loved taking risks I stole another black Sedan, a later model,
and used the Virginia license plates to drive back to Richmond.  I
arrived there around 4 a.m. in the morning, got a room in some sleazy
motel and planned my next move.' 


September 12, 1998 - 11.21 a.m. 

Mulder turned off the tape recorder and looked at the notes he had
scribbled on his pad.  Scully watched him.  'He's going to be around
schools, Scully,' he said.  'He'll try and find his next victim there.'

'Where ?'

'Richmond, Virginia.  We must make sure that there are enough Federal
Agents around and issue a warning to the students in the area.'

'Richmond must have at least ten schools,' she said.  'Do you have any
idea which one he'll chose ?'

'No.  He took one victim in every school.  He might change that part of
his MO, knowing we'll be there too.  But we'll have to make sure it
doesn't get that far.'

'Mulder,' Davis walked towards him.  'We just received a report on a
stolen car and wallet in a county hospital just outside Virginia.  One
of the local cops recalls having seen a driver that matches the
description of our boy driving that car.  He let him through because the
man resembled the photo on his ID and seemed to have the necessary
papers.  He already changed his appearance.  He lost the long hair and
beard.'

'So he's out of Virginia ?'

'For sure.  We tracked down the calls made to your apartment this
morning.  One of the calls came from a cellphone belonging to the robbed
doctor.  Also, a stack of Demerol syringes went missing in the same
hospital.  We're having his old mugshots distributed right now
throughout Richmond, Baltimore and Washington.'

'How many syringes did he take ?'

'About twenty.'

'He won't be using all of them,' Mulder said.  'Not if he wants to
repeat his past.'

'It doesn't matter, Mulder.  He's already preparing for his first kill. 
You'll have to go to Richmond and aid the local police department.'

'Sir, you might want to check on all the abandoned warehouses in the
area.  If he wants to kill his victim the same way, he'll have to find a
good spot first.'

'I'm on it,' Davis said, leaving for his desk.

Mulder took the photo of the murdered teenager Denise Forbes from the
file and compared it to the photo of Annelise Pinkett, Robert's mother. 
They could have been twins.  Despite a difference in minor features, the
eyes, mouth, nose and hair were the same.  And somehow Pinkett had
managed to find seven other girls looking just like them in other parts
of town. 

He put aside the photo of the smiling girl, and took out the crimescene
photos.  The girl was lying on a blanket in an alley, near a garbage
container.  Her arms were lying next to her body, her fingers spread. 
Her eyes were open.  There was no evidence of sexual assault, nor any
other torture inflicted on her body.  But the backside of her head was
completely blown away with a .32.  The pathologist had stated the girl
was dead instantly, before she'd even hit the ground.  Evidence stated
the girl had not died in the alley.  There was not enough blood even
though the blanket was soaked with it.  She had lost 3 out of 5 liters
of blood.  Nothing could have been done to save her.  The kill could
have been done by a hired killer.  

Mulder put down the photo and stared at his hands.  The tingling feeling
of Joanna Whillman's blood returned to the tips of his fingers.  He
could even smell the sweet scent of blood.  Scully knelt down and
touched his wrist.  He looked at her.  

'I don't know why but I have the feeling he won't be going after the
same types of girls this time, Scully,' he said.  'He wants me to pay
attention, to play a game of Stratego.  What does he mean by that?'

'I don't know, Mulder, but you'll find him before he kills again.  Let's
go to Richmond and find out.'
She got up and grabbed his jacket and coat, placing it in his hands.  As
they got ready to leave, Skinner entered the room and walked up to them.
 'Where do you think you're going ?'

'Richmond,' Mulder said, 'and this time not because anyone of us needs
medical attention.  I'm sure the insurance company will have a field
day, sir.'

'You're not going by yourselves,' Skinner said, walking over to Davis'
office.  'Davis, didn't I tell you my agents need around the clock
protection ?'

'You did, Walter.  Several times indeed.  And I've got it covered. 
Hanson and Schreiber are joining them.' 

'No, leave Hanson here.  Schreiber and I will go,' Skinner said firmly. 


'Sir, we can take care of ourselves,' Scully said, not exactly eager to
be guarded all the time.

'I'm sure you can, but you are my responsibility.  Let's go.'

Skinner clearly didn't want any discussion, and walked in front of them
to the car in the garage.  Mulder got in next to him, Scully sat in the
back seat, next to the quiet Schreiber.  The trip to Richmond went
quietly.  Mulder didn't know there were two people in the car worrying
about him. 

13 hours earlier 
Richmond, Virginia

Robert David Pinkett knew they would not be looking for him in this
area.  Only hours before had he escaped the hell he'd been in for the
past eight years.  About two hours ago he had left the body of the
doctor in the river, after stealing his coat, wallet and car.  He knew
he couldn't drive the car for much longer.  They would be looking for
it.  But he wouldn't have need for it much longer. 

He drove to a local county hospital inside the borders of Virginia.  He
pulled the doctor's coat over his blue navy overalls and walked inside. 
It was quiet in there.  He snuck in the nearest men's room and checked
himself out in the mirror.  He had grown a beard and long hair over the
last couple of months, preparing for this moment.  Of course they would
still have the mugshots of him as he had been eight years ago, but that
didn't matter.  He had to get rid of this hair soon.   And the overalls.


He walked through the hospital, checking open doors, until he found what
seemed to be a dressing room.  He found the green slacks that surgeons
wore.  Lockers harbored their daily outfits.  Suits and jackets, jeans
and sweaters.  He chose a pair of jeans and a gray turtle sweater. 
Despite his long years in jail and lack of space, he had managed to work
out a bit in his cell, keeping his body firm.  He had even developed a
bit of muscles.  

He found showers nearby and decided to take a quick one before shaving
his beard and cutting his hair.  It took about ten minutes and he came
out the room dressed in his new clothes.  It really was his lucky day !
He found a cellular phone, one wallet with attached keychain and carkeys
(probably forgotten by accident) and some cash. The picture in the
wallet even resembled him.  With a bit of luck the cops wouldn't think
further when he drove past them, showing them his ID. 

The next move was to cut his hair.  He found a raiser in the dressing
room and a long pair of scissors in one of the lockers.  He cut off his
hair until it was rather short, and resembled the haircut on the photo. 
Then he shaved himself until his chin was smooth again.

He put the overall in a bag and left the room.  The nurses' quarters
were nearby.  He checked the keys on the chain and hoped one of them
would resemble the lock to the medical cabinet.  He got lucky.  A small
key opened the cabinet.  He saw a stack of syringes and medication.  He
snatched a pack of twenty syringes and closed the cabinet again.  No one
had seen him. 

He left the overall and doctor's coat in a garbage can and left the
hospital with his new ID, wallet, cellular phone and carkeys with
attached alarm.  In the doctor's parkinglot he tried the alarm until a
car made the familiar sound.  It was a silver BMW.  'Not bad,' he said
out loud to himself while starting the car.  He knew he didn't have much
time before the theft would be noticed.  He would have to get behind the
police barriers immediately. 

On the radio he heard the police had set up roadblocks on every road
leading out of Virginia.  Right now he would leave the state, letting
the police to believe he was heading to Washington.  But he would return
tomorrow, when everybody knew he had 'left the state'.  And after he had
made his first phonecall to agent Mulder. 

Pinkett knew he was taking risks with every move he made, but he felt
very relaxed when he showed the cop at the roadblock his ID.  'Can I see
your driver's license, and would you mind opening your trunk, sir ?' the
cop said.

'Of course, officer.  What's going on ?'

'We're looking for a fugitive, sir,' the cop said shining his flashlight
on the ID and then in his face.  He smiled.  'Do I look like a fugitive
to you ?'

'No, sir,' the cop smiled in return.  'But we cannot make any
exceptions.'

The cop shone his light inside the trunk, seemed satisfied and closed
it.  'Have a nice trip, sir.'

'Thank you.'  Pinkett drove further and didn't look back, even though he
expected them to come after him.  They didn't.

He drove the miles to Washington DC, realizing he was one lucky son of a
bitch.  Just outside the city he checked into a motel.  It was after 2
a.m. when he finally made it to bed.  Fatigued he lay on the bed,
staring at the ceiling.  Already imagining what he was going to do next.
 After all, Mulder would be waiting for his moves soon.

In the morning he called Mulder and told him about the little game he
was going to play. 


September 12, 1998
Washington DC

Pinkett took his time driving around in Washington DC  He figured that
by now everybody knew he had left the State of Virginia, and knew about
his new appearance.  He would have to dye his hair.  He smiled, thinking
about his black hair.  Blonde would be a definite change.  

In a store he bought a pair of sunglasses, dye and a game of Stratego. 
The Shop Assistant looked at him openly, smiling at his attractive
features.  He was 45 by now, but he knew he looked attractive.  His
mother had always complimented him on his appearance.  He took care of
himself.

He paid in cash and returned to the BMW, knowing with regret he would
have to leave the car somewhere in the city soon, and get another one. 
Near the store he stopped the Beamer and looked around.  There was a
huge parkinglot near the train station, always filled with cars,
unguarded.  He walked around slowly, taking his pick.  He chose a blue
Ford Taurus.  It took him five seconds to crack the door and switch off
the alarm.  He hadn't lost his skills.  The Beamer he left but the
wallet and cellphone he took with him.  After all, he would have to call
Mulder on a daily basis.  And he'd have to contact his helping hand
within the Bureau. 

He left the parkinglot and headed downtown, looking for the right spot. 
Near the harbor would be too dangerous this time, but perhaps he would
find something else interesting. 

In Maddalena Street he found what he was looking for : a 3-story
building with shattered windows and a huge parkinglot behind the
building.  An old sign said :'For Rent' with a telephone number.  He
called and got an appointment immediately.  

The woman at the counter of 'Maxi's Rental Agency' didn't ask too many
questions. He paid in cash for a 2-weeks-rent.  She handed him the keys.
 He returned to the building and checked it out.  Old wires running
throughout the building.  Ventilation pipes.  Old carbon and wood on
every floor.  Even old desks, still reminding of a time when the
building was of some use.   It was perfect. 

Using an old sink and rusted water he dyed his hair.  When he looked in
the mirror again, he was blonde.  With the sunglasses on, he was not
recognizable.  He would have to get some new papers with his new
appearance stamped on them. 

At the postoffice he got a mailbox.  In the train station he had
passport photos taken.  He bought a few envelopes and tucked them in,
writing a short letter to his helping hand.  He put a stamp on the
envelope and put it in the mailbox, leaving his new Washington address. 
Then he bought a newspaper.  His picture was on the cover of every paper
he saw.  He smiled behind his sunglasses, reading the article on his
past and present.  Mulder's name was in it several times as the Fed who
caught him.  He saw a recent picture of the man.  
'Not bad, Mulder,' he mumbled, staring at the photo of the attractive
FBI-agent.  'You've improved over the years.' 

He folded up the newspaper and walked to his car.  On his way to
Virginia he turned on the radio to hear the latest developments in the
search for him.  The female reporter said that within the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the Violent Crime Section and Behavioral Science Unit
were working together to catch him.  Agent Fox Mulder, the agent who was
responsible for his first capture, was involved in the investigation.

'What, no aliens this week, Mulder ?' he said out loud.  'I'm
flattered.'

Near the Virginia border things went as he had expected.  Every car
going out of Virginia was still being checked, but every car driving in
the state was free to go wherever they wanted.  He passed the checkpoint
and waved at the cops across the street.  They waved back.  He smiled as
he drove to Richmond. 

Around 3 p.m. the newsreporter announced that the checkpoints in
Virginia were being closed.  Confirmation had come that Robert David
Pinkett had left the state and was now residing in the Washington and
Baltimore area.  Everyone who spotted the man should report this
immediately.  He was considered armed and extremely dangerous.  Special
news bulletins were being held on every television station throughout
the country to warn the population against this criminal.  There was
reason to believe Robert Pinkett would abduct teenage girls pretty soon.

But Robert Pinkett had no intention of abduction teenage girls this
time.  He had a little surprise in store for Fox Mulder. 


September 12, 1998
Richmond, Virginia

Fox Mulder checked out the dressing room the surgeons used while in
surgery.  It was a simple, square room with attached shower space. 
Lockers were used to contain the every day clothes and shoes.  

'You never lock this room ?' he asked the guard on duty.

'No, sir.  We're a small hospital.  Everybody knows everybody.'

'Wouldn't you have spotted a stranger in here then ?'

'Normally there's always a guard on duty, sir, but yesterday Marty fell
ill and we didn't have anyone to replace him immediately.  I guess no
one was paying enough attention.  It was visiting hour after all, and
people walk around the corridors all the time.'

'I see.  Which locker has been stolen from ?'

'This one.'  The guard pointed to the last one in the row.  'Dr.
Matthews always leaves his wallet, keys and cellphone in here.  He
usually locks up though.  I guess he forgot.'

Mulder's hand touched the insides of the locker, trying to imagine
Pinkett as he was at that time, still dressed in the prison slacks.  
'We found the overall in the garbage can along with a doctor's coat.  Oh
yeah and a bunch of hair.  Looks like he took the time to cut his hair.
'

'Where is it ?'

'Right here.'  The guard directed them to a table nearby where he had
put everything he found.  'I haven't touched anything, figured you might
want to check for prints and stuff.'

'You did well,' Skinner said.  'Can you get us a few large plastic bags
?'

'Sure.'

The guard left them alone in the room.  Mulder's fingertips were already
touching the overall.  He closed his eyes as he tried to block out the
sense of darkness he had felt only a few times before.  John Barnett,
John Lee Roche, and now Robert Pinkett.  This was what happened when he
got too close.  He didn't want it to happen anymore.

'No.' Quickly he pulled his fingers off the overall and rubbed them
against his jacket as if he had infected them. 

'What is it ?' Scully asked, standing next to him.  

'He was already planning his next murder when he was changing.  I -' He
shook his head.  'I can't see what he wants.  He's dreaming of the kill.
 There's more to it this time.  He needs to kill to get his fix.'

'Is he thinking about his mother ?' Skinner asked in amazement.  He'd
heard of Mulder's skills to get inside someone's head.  He had rarely
seen it happen.  

'No.  He's thinking .. of me.'

Mulder's eyes were focused somewhere in the distance, as if he couldn't
think of anything worse.  Scully gently forced him to look at her, but
he saw straight through her.  'He's in the area.  I can feel it.'

'He left the state, Mulder,' Schreiber put in.  'He's gone.'

'No.  He's come back.  I can feel it.'   Mulder said stubborn.  'He's
already thinking about his first victim.' 

'Alright,' Skinner said.  'We're staying in town.  Schreiber, arrange a
hotel for us for the night, and contact the local PD.  We'll talk to
them about our next move.  Make sure that the agents are still checking
out the schools in the area.  Have them check specifically for any
teenagers that fit the profile.'

'Yes, sir.'  Schreiber left them alone.  They could hear him on the
phone just outside.  Skinner looked firmly at Mulder and said :'I know
Davis wants you to get inside Pinkett's head, but I oppose this.  If you
feel you can't do this anymore, you have to tell me and I'll have you
off this case in no time.  You got it ?'

'Yes, sir.' 

'Good.  Let's go.'


September 12, 1998 - 2.45 p.m.
Richmond, Virginia

Skinner was definitely in charge as they drove off to the local police
station to have a discussion with their colleagues in blue.  During a
quick meeting he described Pinkett's actions in the past, and his
possible moves in the future.  

The boys in blue knew immediately how serious the situation was when
Skinner showed them copied 
photos of the victims Pinkett had caused.  When he told them about the
conversation with Mulder early that morning, they looked at the quiet
FBI-agent.  

Skinner had not even finished his story when a knock on the door
shattered the silence in the room.  An officer looked in and said
:'Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we just had word.  A young girl has
been abducted outside her home right here in Richmond.  Her mother saw
it happen.'

Mulder stiffened.  'How old was - is - she ?'

'Eight, sir.' 

Mulder knew instantly he wouldn't have to look at a photo of the girl to
know what she looked like.  His legs shivered.  He grabbed the edge of
the table.  *Samantha* was all he could think when he heard Skinner's
voice saying :'Let's go.' 


September 12, 1998 - 2.05 p.m.
Richmond, Virginia

Denise Mary White lived in a Victorian house with her parents and sister
when everything ended for her.  One minute she was outside playing with
her dog, the next a man with blonde hair walked over to her and asked
her with a map in his hand if she could help show him the way. 

She was sitting on the lawn in front of the house.  It was still warm
for the time of the year.  He had walked over to her, and had said :'Hi,
what's your name ?'

She hesitated before saying her name.  Mom had always told her not to
talk to strangers.  But he smiled and cuddled the dog and she liked him.
 'Denise White,' she responded. 

'Hello Denise, I'm Bob.  Can you help me find the way ?  I'm a little
lost here.'

She looked around to the house.  Her mom was in front of the window but
didn't see her.  She was cleaning up the living room.  'I don't know,'
Denise responded.  'I'll go get my mom.'

As she got on her feet and turned to walk to the house, something sharp
stung her.  She looked aside and saw a needle in her arm.  She didn't
like needles.  She'd been in hospital once, and the nurse had hurt her. 
But before she could think about it, she was already loosing
consciousness.  The man lifted her up.  Her small body rested in his
arms.  Then everything turned black for her.  

Alicia White turned to the window to see her daughter being picked up by
a man in jeans and sweater.  'Denise !' Her cry died in her throat as
she ran to the door, opened it and went after them.  She saw the car. 
Her little girl on the back seat.  And he drove off while she ran after
them.  In the middle of the street she stopped, crying and screaming for
her daughter.  Hysterically she fled back to the house where her husband
ran downstairs.  He had had the night shift and was sleeping upstairs. 
He had trouble calming her down as she screamed that her little girl was
kidnapped.  Immediately he called the cops. 


September 12, 1998 - 2.47 p.m. 
Richmond, Virginia

The adrenaline rush in Pinkett's body came to a quick stop when he got
on the highway and stopped at the nearest space he could find.  There
were hardly any cars there but he knew he would be taking a risk putting
the girl in the trunk now.  He couldn't take a chance of anyone peeking
into his car though.  

He quickly got out, and grabbed the girl, pulling the blanket over her
body.  He lifted her and tucked her in the trunk.  He took out the tape
he had bought in the store and taped her up, making sure she could
breath through her nose.  When she woke up she would be in a panic, but
he'd given her enough Demerol to keep her quiet for at least 6 hours. 

He got back in the car and knew this was the last time he would be able
to get a girl in Virginia.  Maybe he should leave her here, as a sign
for Mulder that he wouldn't be returning here.  Yeah, that's what he
would do.  He'd keep the new warehouse for tomorrow's prey. 

He made a U-turn at the nearest exit and got back on the highway leading
him into town.  He chose not to enter the city center, but chose the
industrial area instead.  It was nearly 5 p.m.  Soon, at nightfall,
everyone would be going home, leaving the site practically empty.  Then
he would watch the girl die. 


September 12, 1998 - 3.30 p.m.
Richmond, Virginia

Alicia White was in shock.  Pure and simple.  She could barely keep
herself straight, let alone have the FBI interrogate her.  But there was
something about the younger man who sat in front of her and slowly got
her to calm down.  He looked at her, grabbing her hand and comforting
her with the simplest of words.

'Mrs. White,' he said softly.  'I am going to be very honest with you. 
Your daughter is in the hands of a very dangerous man who will kill her
if we don't find her before tonight.  We need your help.  Anything you
can give us to go on.  Something you might have noticed.' 

Her eyes, shed with tears, looked up at him.  'I can't - There was
nothing I could have done to prevent this.  I should have had her inside
the house, but she was playing just outside.  How could I have foreseen
this ?  She's always been safe here.  We moved here because it was such
a safe area.'

'The car he drove.  Did you take a good look at it ?'

'It was a blue Ford Taurus.  I can't recall the license plates.  I -
There was something in the front mirror.  I can't remember.  The man
wore a jeans and sweater.  Turtleneck.  I remember because he didn't
wear a jacket over it.  It was warm.'  She sighed.  

'Do you remember seeing his face ?  His hair ?'

'It was blonde.  He had blonde hair.  It seemed unnatural somehow.  Not
fitting, you know.  Attractive.  I only got a glimpse of him.  And then
she was in his car.  She seemed unconscious, not trying to free herself
from him.  I screamed at her to struggle, to fight.  She didn't.'

'She was drugged, Mrs. White,' Scully said softly, sitting next to the
woman.  'He used Demerol in a syringe.  She couldn't have fought even if
she wanted to.'

'Why her ?' The woman looked at the people in the room.  'Why my little
girl ?  What has she ever done to him ?'   She got out of her seat and
took a framed photo from the fireplace.  'She's just eight years old.' 

Mulder slowly stood, and without looking anyone or anything, he said
:'He took her because of me.'  He opened his wallet and took out the
photo from his sister, taken two months before her abduction.  

'He took her because she's a dead ringer for my sister.' 

Mrs. White stared blindly at the photo he gave her.  It was as if she
was staring at her own daughter.  And she screamed before sliding into
darkness.  Her husband grabbed her before she fell.  A few moments later
she was on her way to the hospital.  Paramedics had already been
notified to calm her down.  At least during the night, she wouldn't have
to stand for the long wait for news.  Mulder knew her daughter would not
make it. 

Doug White looked at Mulder before getting into the ambulance with his
wife and oldest daughter.  'Is it because of you he's doing this ?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Then you get that rat bastard and nail him to the wall.  Make sure he
doesn't do anything like this to someone else.  And find my baby girl.'

Mulder nodded and watched the ambulance leave.  As he walked towards the
car, Scully and Skinner were waiting for him.  Schreiber was talking to
the local cops.  The place was buzzing with activity.  FBI-agents were
still working around the neighborhood, trying to find witnesses.  But no
one had seen anything until Mrs. White screamed her head off.

'You okay, Mulder ?' Scully asked as she put a hand on his sleeve,
touching the top of his hand. 

'Yeah,' he said, waving a hand across his tired eyes.  'Now we finally
know what he's after.  Dead ringers for my sister.' 

'I'll spread the word around.'  Skinner shared a glance with Scully and
left them alone to make the call.  
Scully followed her partner as he walked up to the grass where Denise
White had been playing before she was abducted.

'It's no coincidence he picked out another Denise, Scully,' Mulder said,
touching the grass.  'He wants everything to be perfect.  But he'll have
to change his MO anyhow.  He won't be coming back to Richmond.'

'How can you be sure ?'

'It's too risky for him.  He's already taken a risk by coming back here.
 He must have ditched the Beamer somewhere in Washington and picked up
the Taurus to return here.  He must have dyed his hair in DC, bought
whatever he needed to get to the girl, and then returned here.  But
he'll kill her here tonight.  He won't take the chance of returning to
DC with her in his trunk, knowing the roadblocks will be back again. 
He'll probably kill her in an abandoned shack, warehouse, or building. 
And then he'll finish what he's started in Washington.'

'He'll need a gun.'

'He's probably already got a gun.  I'm pretty sure he's got help from
someone with authority.'

Scully looked surprised.  'Why ?'

'I haven't told you yet, and you haven't read the file yet.  He checked
up on me back in '90.  When I got out of the hospital he already found
out everything he wanted to know about me, including my sister's
disappearance.  I didn't believe as much as I do right now.  I thought
she might have been kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer.  But he
knew everything I thought - everything I had put down in a file I had
made on her.  And when he called me early this morning he told me I
should forget about chasing aliens for a while to get after him.  How
can he know all that ?  By having someone on the inside informing him on
everything I've done over the past years.  That same someone will
probably help him with a fake ID, and with getting a gun.'

Scully slowly nodded her head in surprise.  'Mulder, you're scaring me.'

He looked at her with a hint of amusement.  'Why ?'

'You really are inside this guy's head.  You know what he's going to do
as much as he knows about you.  But you have to use that gift in another
way.'

'How ?'

'By focusing on the present.  If he's going to kill that girl right here
in Richmond, we need to start a search party towards the areas in this
city where he might have taken her.  Every city has its abandoned
places.  I'm sure Richmond is no different.'

'You're right,' Mulder said.  

She looked him in the eyes.  'I know you hate going inside this man's
head, but right now it might save a girl's life.  If you were Pinkett,
where would you bring her ?'

He hesitated for a moment.  'I would want to take her to a place
resembling my previous murder site.  I would want to relive the thrill
of the past, by looking for something that is equal to the warehouse in
DC  I'd be looking for a windowless building where I can easily hide the
car, or a 2-story building in an abandoned area where I can kill her
without anyone hearing her screams.'

'Let's go then.'  Scully quickly walked over to Skinner and explained
him where they would start the search.  Skinner immediately got a couple
of cars, boys in blue and Feds, to start the search.  With the help of
the local PD several sites were cleared where Pinkett could be hiding. 
At the end only a few possible sites remained. 

Skinner drove their car as fast as he could behind a police car.  No
sirens, they had said.  Just a quiet  stroll through the night in order
not to scare Pinkett off. 


September 13, 1998 - 11.45 p.m. 
Washington DC, Maddalena Street

Pinkett carefully placed the girl on the blanket and watched her
breathe.  She lay on her back, her hands tied behind it with the tape. 
He knelt down and touched her innocent face.  His fingers strolled her
features and rested on her cheek.  'Samantha, Samantha,' he said out
loud, as if he wasn't able to differ Mulder's little sister and this
little girl.  Her name rolled over his lips, and then changed into
Denise. 

He had never known Samantha.  Of course not.  When she was abducted, he
was just a little boy.  But he would have loved to get to her and kill
her.  To see the life disappear out of her little body.  To make Fox
Mulder watch her die.  Soon that time would come.  The sonofabitch would
pay for the eight years of hell he had put him through.  Oh and he would
enjoy playing The Game.  After all, life was full of games, wasn't it ? 

He walked back to the car parked within the building and got out the gun
he had stashed underneath his seat, taped to the top of it.  He had
found it just where his little helping hand had promised him he'd find
it.  Even after eight years, no one had traced it.  The bullets were
waiting next to it.  It was a .32, for old times' sake. 

He quickly loaded the gun and closed the cardoor, walking back to the
girl.  By now the sedative should be losing its firm grip on the girl. 
He watched her slowly awaken, confused because of the tape on her mouth.
 He smiled and sat down beside her, pushing the long hair from her
pretty little face. 

'I'm glad you're awake, Denise,' he said.  'Look at me.'

The girl's panicking eyes stared into his, trying to focus on her
whereabouts.  Oh, she was still so young and innocent.  How would Mulder
feel when he saw her photo ?  Would he be forced back to think about his
own sister as she had been before she vanished ?  Would he feel the
guilt again for letting her slip out of his fingers ?  Would he cry for
her when he found her ? 
The girl tried to get up but couldn't without his help.  He removed the
tape from her ankles, watching her little legs ready to run.  Her legs
were stiff and cramped from the ride in the trunk of the Taurus.  

'Don't be afraid,' he whispered as he pulled her closer to him.  'I want
to help you.  You see, once there was this little girl that was just as
afraid as you are right now.  She was kidnapped, just like you.  Her
brother didn't do anything to help her, and she disappeared.  She was so
scared.  She didn't know where she was.  And her brother spent the
better part of his life looking for her.  It's his fault you're here
now, Denise.  And Samantha's.'

She didn't understand him.  Of course not.  As he looked into her
questioning eyes, he realized he w=E0s feeling the thrill of the kill
again.  He w=E0nted to murder this girl and make him feel the pain and
hurt all over again.  And he wanted to kill her in front of him.  But
not now.  Not before the game was over. 

He checked his watch.  It was after midnight.  September 13.  Exactly
eight years ago he had murdered Denise Forbes.  Now, in his arms, he
felt the body of another Denise.  Oh, how he wanted to kill her. 

'He's around here somewhere.  I can feel it.  He's here.'  Walter
Skinner looked aside surprised to see his agent holding his body with
both arms clung to it as if he was cold.

'Mulder ?' he asked questioning.  'What's going on ?'

Mulder didn't listen to him.  His mind seemed far gone, focused on the
senses he had developed over the years.  His instinct had warned him
several times before when there was danger, but he had pushed away the
feeling.  He had resisted the urge to try and concentrate on others
around him when he quit the VCS.  Now the sense was back, and enveloping
him as if he was inside Pinkett's head.

Skinner wanted to put his right hand on Mulder's arm to shake him awake,
but Scully stopped him.  'Don't interrupt him, sir,' she said softly. 
'He's trying to find out where Pinkett is.'

Suddenly the rambling was over.  Mulder focused on the quiet site in
front of him, and said :'Drive to the right.  He's there.'  Skinner made
a quick turn.  Other cars followed him.  The police vehicles now
strolling the area used flashlights to check out unusual events. 

'There !' Mulder pointed at the vaguely lit insides of an old building. 
The few windows were shattered and covered with black plastic, but they
couldn't prevent them from seeing the light that came from the inside. 
'It's him, I know it.'

Skinner stopped the car abruptly, forcing the ones behind him to do the
same.  Before he stopped the car, Mulder was already out and on his way
to a window covered with black plastic. 

Then, as he approached the site, a shot ran through the dark night.  It
came from within the building.

'No !!' Mulder heard himself shout as he ran to the large doors and
pulled them open.  The roar of a car engine warned him from danger.  As
he pulled the door, the Taurus rammed the half open door, throwing
Mulder backwards, gasping for air as the car hit him roughly on the
side.

'Mulder !' Scully was with him within seconds but he barely heard her. 
Cars already started the pursuit.  Police vehicles covered the entire
site.

'Check out the girl,' he said, getting on his feet.  'I'm fine, check
out the girl !' 

Skinner ran towards them, and then after them inside the building. 
Scully was faster than her partner, approaching the girl with caution. 
The blanket covered her body but not her face.  Instantly she saw the
resemblance with Samantha, then the back of her head which was blown
away.  There was nothing left to do to save her life.  

She turned in time to stop her partner from looking at the girl. 
'Mulder, no.  Don't look at it.'

He ignored her, and stepped aside.  As he saw the face, the world seemed
to become one big black pool, and his legs swayed.

'Easy Mulder.'  Skinner's strong hands stopped him from hitting the
ground.  He forced him on the floor, pushing his head between his knees,
forcing him to take deep breaths.  All strength seemed to abandon him.

Scully reached for the top of the blanket to pull it over her face, when
she suddenly saw it.  A small red plastic toy beside her throat.  Slowly
she picked it up and stared at it.  It was a piece of a Stratego game. 
The Game had begun. 


September 13, 3.05 a.m. 
Richmond, Virginia - Randall Hotel

'How's Mulder ?' 

Walter Skinner hardly ever let the concern rule his voice, but this time
he didn't take the effort to conceal it. 

'Resting.  The car bruised his ribs but he'll mend.  No need for a
hospital right now. I gave him a sedative.  He didn't react too well to
the sight of that piece of Stratego.'  Scully sighed, rubbing her eyes. 
It had been a very long day.

'I can imagine.'  Skinner said, remembering how passive Mulder had been
when they drove to the hotel.  He was hardly responsive, looking at the
plastic piece in his hand all the time, trying to get in Pinkett's head.
 At one time he had said :'He loved the kill.  He loved the fact she was
my sister.'  

Then he had dropped the piece to the ground and simply hugged himself as
if he was cold.  Scully had brought him inside and straight up to the
rooms Schreiber had taken care of.  

When they'd gotten inside, he didn't bother undressing.  Only when she
checked out his torso, had he pulled up his shirt and made a smart-ass
joke about her freezing hands.  When she was still examining him, he'd
already closed his eyes and fallen asleep on her.  She didn't want to
take the risk of him having nightmares and had taken the decision of
giving him the sedative.

'Does Mulder know you injected him ?' Skinner said, faintly smiling.

She thought for a second.  Her partner hadn't even flinged when the
needle entered the flesh of his arm.  He had made useless efforts of
touching her hand, until his own hands simply dropped next to his
exhausted body.  'No.  But I won't tell if you won't tell,' she
responded, smiling at the irony of it.  

She glimpsed at her partner in the king-size bed of his hotelroom and
closed the door slowly.  Outside she rested against the doorpost.

'You should get some sleep, Scully,' her boss said.  'It's after 3.'

'I know, sir, but I don't think I can sleep right now.'

'Let's get some coffee then.'

She was surprised to see Terence Davis in lobby of the hotel, waiting
for them.  Dan Schreiber was with them.  He had been there all night and
day, watching the both of them like hawks as they went inside the
abandoned factory where they'd find the girl. 

'How's Mulder ?' Davis asked without much interest.

'Not too good,' Scully said angrily.  'You're putting him on too much
strain.  He shouldn't running around like this, profiling a murderer
someone else let go.'

'I'm sure he appreciates your concern, agent Scully,' Davis replied. 
'But at the end he's all we have to catch this guy.'

'Then why did the cops let him go ?'

'The hunt is still ongoing.  He won't get far.'

'Like hell he won't.  A girl died and we wouldn't have found her if
Mulder hadn't brought us there in the first place.  We had the best
chance in the world tonight to find him, but he got away.'

'He's smart.'

'So are we.'

Davis leant back.  'Does your idealism always get in the way of rational
thinking, agent Scully ?  I'm sure Mulder needed time to adjust to your
behavior.'

'What's that supposed to mean ?' 
She got out of her chair, reading to battle Davis, when Skinner pulled
her back in her chair and said :'Scully, calm down.  It's been a very
long day and we're all tired.  Our first concern now is to catch
Pinkett.  When all of this is over you can have a mud fight, okay ?'

She relaxed, leaning back.  'I'm sorry, sir.' 

Davis waved away her apology, and turned to Skinner.  'Do you think your
boy will be able to handle the pressure ?  I believe he lost it when he
saw the dead girl.'

'Mulder will be alright,' Skinner said.  'What did you expect, that he'd
take a look at the girl and turn away ?  She could have been his sister
for goodness sake.  As long as this case is ongoing, his partner and I
will be there to assist him.'

'You have a lot of concern for your agents, Walter.  It's almost
touching.'

Skinner frowned and wanted to begin the mud fight he'd suggested just a
few moments ago, but thought the better of it.  Davis wasn't worth it. 

'We're going back to Washington in the morning,' Skinner said.  'Mulder
is convinced Pinkett is on his way back already to find his next victim.
 I've issued a warning to all TV-stations, newspapers and radios and
have handed them a photo of Samantha Mulder.  Every family in Washington
with an eight-year-old girl who resembles Samantha will be warned.'

'You don't think they'll keep their kids inside ?' Davis said cynically.

'Perhaps not.  But at least it will lower the odds.  Schools will be
under surveillance, sportscentres and other outdoors-activities will
have to be monitored closely.  That's all we can do for now.   That and
wait.'

Davis emptied his cup of coffee and said :'And have Mulder nail this
guy.'

Scully opened her mouth to say something vicious, but Skinner was ahead
of her.  'Today he only got hit by a car, Davis.  What will it take for
you to realize Mulder is only human ?  Do you want Pinkett to put a gun
to the back of his head too and blow his brains out ?'

'He won't kill Mulder,' Davis said angry.  'He wants to finish what he's
started first.'

'That's right,' Scully said bitter.  'And then he won't rest until
Mulder's gone.'

'Don't get hysterical, agent Scully, or I'll be forced to remove you
from this assignment.'

'No,' Scully said. 'Tomorrow morning I am going to perform the autopsy
on that little girl and then return with my partner and Supervisor to DC
 With all due respect, sir, you cannot get me off this case.  I work for
Walter Skinner and only when he tells me so, will I withdraw. 
Goodnight, sir.'

Furious and outraged she turned her back towards them and walked to the
elevators that brought her to the fourth floor.  The building was filled
with Federal Agents.  Some of them to guard her, some of them because
they had been assisting in the manhunt.  They all looked exhausted. 

She nodded towards the man that guarded her room and closed the door
behind her.  Schreiber had arranged for adjoining rooms, knowing that
Scully wouldn't want to be too far from her partner.  She opened the
door to check up on Mulder, expecting him to be asleep.  Instead he sat
straight up in bed and looked at her.

'Samantha ?' His voice sounded like that of a twelve-year-old looking
for his sister.  She realized immediately he wasn't really seeing her
but through her, overwhelmed by dreams that brought him back to
Chilmark.  

'No,' she said softly.  'It's Scully.  Go back to sleep, Mulder.'

Now his eyes seemed to filled with fear.  'Where's Samantha ?'

'She's sleeping,' Scully slowly said, walking up to the bed.  He looked
at her.  The T-shirt he wore was soaked with sweat.  She put a hand on
his forehead.  He was running a fever.  'She's in the next room, Mulder.
 Try to get some sleep.'

She pushed him back on the sheets, pulling the blanket over him.  He
grabbed her hand as she carelessly touched his shoulder.  'I had a dream
about Samantha.  She wasn't abducted.  She was dead.  She died in my
arms and her brains were gone.  She was so scared, and all I could do
was hold her until she died.'

'She didn't die, Mulder.  Samantha's alive.  You'll find her soon.' 
Scully frowned, thinking back at the conversation Mulder had with her
about the woman he had seen in the diner.  The one the Cancerman had
brought to him.  He had told her he could never be sure she was actually
his sister.  She knew he didn't dare to believe in it anymore.  After
all, he hadn't heard from her in so long.  And the Cancerman was his
nemesis.  How could he ever do something right in Mulder's life ? 

'I haven't found her yet ?'  His question came so sudden and innocent
she had trouble finding an answer.

'No, but you will soon.  Sleep, Mulder.' 

He leant back in the pillows, looking at her, putting his hand on her
face, feeling his fingers run over her mouth.  She let him.  After
everything that happened in the past, intimacy like this seemed only
natural for the both of them.  She touched his hand with her own, and
kissed his fingertips.  Then she leant over and kissed his flushed
forehead.  She couldn't be sure he was feverish because of the sedative
she'd given him, or because of the dreams he was encountering.

'Stay with me.'  His request was simply but firm.  She couldn't be sure
if it was him speaking or the boy inside of him, wanting to seek comfort
after Samantha's disappearance. 

'I'll be here.'  She sat on the side of the bed and looked at him until
he slept again.  He turned on his side, one hand under his pillow, the
other on his side.  She covered him again with the blankets and closed
the connecting door.  It would be a very short night.