Title: "Spe" Author: Quim (quim@qtp.ufl.edu) DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, The X-Files and all its characters belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Network. But everybody knows that. If they were mine, Mulder and Scully would be busy making UberScullys. Since Mr. Carter insists in torturing X-Files fans everywhere with mind games (yeah, I like "Seinfeld" as well), I decided to play doll with them as relief for my frustration, driven solely by the deep admiration and affection that I feel for such characters. Other than that, I am not making any money out of this experience. In summary, No infringiment is intended. Rating: R. The typical action thriller associated with the Conspiracy theme. There is some violence and a couple of bad words, but nothing you won't see in the actual show. Classification: XA (X-File, Adventure). Mild doses of ScullyAngst and MulderAngst. Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons, especially the fourth one. It ain't fun otherwise. People might easily recognize in special "Zero Sum", "Tunguska" and "Terma". Very mild references to "Memento Mori" and "Wetwired". But this story stands alone. I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in "Gethsemane", because considering any option otherwise is downright stupid. Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST, just hints of MSR. Non-shippers (is there still anyone left after "Memento Mori" ???) should be fairly safe with a modest exercise of denial. Anti-shippers should bail out and go watch "One Breath" and "Memento Mori" until their eyes are open. Summary : The Lone Gunmen uncover the connection between a series of murders and a scientific experiment. Suddenly everybody connected to the ordeal is dying in misterious ways. Can Mulder and Scully get to the answers before the Consortium or the KGB make them disappear ? Author's note: thanks to Penny Daza for incentive and Emily Phelps for reading the story pre-post, criticism and very useful discussions. ********** Chapter I ************ Saint Petersburg, Russia August 13th 3:00 P.M. Vassily Peskov enjoyed the warm days of Saint Petersburg. A sophisticated man, he considered himself very fortunate. He lived in one the most beautiful towns in Europe, flooded with cultural flourishing. Each building was an architectural beauty. History also have been generous to the town. Few cities in the World had had the opportunity of seeing so many wars, revolutions and kings passing by. Saint Petersburg had, and survived. Peskov's own life had been full of adventure and excitement. Now retired, he still enjoyed the success he had previously experienced. He was quite good at his job, and he knew it. The condecorations he carefully kept in a box by his bedside often gave him a glimpse of the past. Glorious past in which he had put his life at risk for the Party and Mother Russia, and invariably got out alive. All missions accomplished. A tribute to both his skill and intelligence. And his ability to always be at least two steps ahead any opposition. Even though the times were not as good as before, he still enjoyed the reminiscing. A cup of samouvar also was a symbol of the comfort that characterized his present life. As he watched the sun still high, he sighed. Vassily Peskov was a very fortunate man indeed. However, he expected that sometimes the past came back to haunt him. His senses were still sharp and he felt someone watching him. He turned back to see a young man staring at him. The man lacked a arm. Peskov immediately knew that his retirement would be interrupted. "Zdravo, Tovarich Krycek. What brings you to Saint Petersburg ?" "I am here to ask another favor, Tovarich Peskov." "You know I am retired. I helped you last time." "Da, and I am grateful for that. But something new has come to our attention." Apartment 42 2630 Hegal Place Alexandria, VA August 13th 10:00 A.M. Fox Mulder woke up in his couch. Crap, I overslept, he thought. Another good saturday morning wasted. He had had a good dinner the night before, so although he was a little hungry, he decided to skip breakfast and have a nice lunch. Better be in good shape tonight, he thought. He would have dinner with one of the most extraordinary, generous, intelligent women in his life. Mulder had a good shower and dressed. He had to spend the entire afternoon, and he wanted to make sure it would have nothing to do with aliens or freaks or mutants. His first impulse was to get his telephone and call his partner Dana Scully, but he remembered she was participating in a forensics seminar at Quantico. The last time they had had some time together was their usual after-work drinks at the Headless Woman Pub. It had been only two days ago, but boy, did he missed her. It would be hell to spend two days without talking to Scully. Of course he could use his usual 900 number to alleviate the frustration, but he wanted to keep his telephone bill under control. Furthermore, lately his sexual sublimation routes were not so efficient as before. For some reason, any video watching invariably made his brain rewire into fantasies over the luscious, diminutive body of... Dana Scully. So he decided to get his thoughts away from such dangerous paths and simply have some good, honest laughter. Nothing better than chat for some hours with his friends, The Lone Gunmen. The wacky, paranoid computer nerds that ran the anti-government tabloid entitled 'The Magic Bullet'. He caught his gun and his coat and left, not failing to notice that the metal "2" on his front door was falling again. For once, he chose not to pay attention and simply left. 'The Lone Gunmen' Headquarters Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 11:30 A.M. Mulder checked one last time the alley behind. He knocked the door. Byers opened the door and looked around. Mulder couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry Byers, I was careful not to be followed." He entered. Inside the office, Langly was playing with the last technological gadget they had stolen. Frohike made some annotations and greeted Mulder with a smile and a hand waving. Mulder knew that their focused attitude meant they had come across something big. He dropped his coat. Frohike playfully teased. "What are you doing here in a Saturday, Mulder ? If I were you, I would take your pretty partner to a picnic by the Potomac or something." "She is out of town for three days. I was just passing by and I decided to hang in for a while." "You came just in time, we were about to go out for lunch." This is what I call a perfect timing, he thought. They left the office and went to a popular restaurant in Georgetown. After the lunch, they came back to the office. As Byers fixed some coffee, Frohike approached Mulder. "You will not believe what we came across two days ago. Look at that, these are patients of a cancer research clinic. They all suffered of different types of cancer. Some of them had been given six months of lifetime at best." Mulder frowned at the thought. He knew the boys had not stopped looking for answers to the mystery of Scully's cancer. Not since they had breached the security of the fertility clinic and Mulder himself had nearly died at the hands of one of the Consortium's hit men. Langly continued the report. "One month ago, the patients started to improve. All of them. It was like a miracle. Nobody knows exactly how it happened." "And how did you guys know about this mass miracle ?" He was almost afraid to ask. Byers took over the conversation. "Two of the patients had access to the internet. They sent messages talking about their recovery. They even participated in some chat rooms on cancer research. Word gets around. Several patients had such a dramatic improvement that they were released and went back to their homes. Friends and families made so much noise that they called the attention of the press in some towns. One of our collaborators passed us the information." "And what's the official word from the clinic ?" "Not a word. With all that brouhaha, the government has temporarily closed the clinic with the pretext that the establishment is under investigation for charlatanism and malfeasance. No details were released. The responsible for the project, Dr. Harold Forsythe, left the clinic and his whereabouts are currently unknown. But the best part is still to come." "One of the patients, a 50-year old man, was killed one week ago. Shot in his own home. You may have seen it on the news. The local police conveniently attributed the incident to burglary." "So ?..." Mulder remembered having seen something of the sort. "Another patient was killed three days ago. Similar circumstances. Just to be sure we were not imagining things, we waited for today's papers to check. And, bang ! There it goes. Another murder." Byers put the final touches. "This is not a coincidence, Mulder. Someone is killing these people. And it has to do with their miraculous cure. Perhaps it is a good opportunity for you to do some digging and make your salary be worth our tax dollars." Mulder could barely contain his excitement. This could mean that he might perhaps find a solution for the worst of his nightmares. Margaret Scully's residence Baltimore, MD 7:30 P.M. Margaret Scully lightened another candle. The dinner was almost ready. She was looking forward to see Fox Mulder again. They had not talked since Dana's last stay at the Hospital. Margaret was very fond of this strange, dark man who had completely taken over her daughter's life. Mulder rang the bell punctually at 7:30 P.M. Margaret opened the door and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you, Fox." "Same here, Mrs. Scully. I brought you flowers and a bottle of wine. White, because Dana told me you prefer it." "Thanks Fox. There was no need of it. Are you hungry ?" "Ah, a little. Actually I was looking forward to talk to you again." "Yeah, we haven't talked so much since..." The memory removed the smile from her. Both Mulder and Margaret found themselves staring at the pictures of Melissa and Dana, smiling like two little girls... Innocent... Happy... Before everything started. Before Dana's abduction. Before Melissa's death. Before Dana's cancer. Before Fox Mulder. Margaret knew the thought had crossed his mind. She had to talk him out of this guilty trip. "Don't be sorry Fox. I don't blame you for anything that happened. I know how you feel about Dana, and I know you are doing everything possible to save my baby girl. Dana told me how you supported her when she was in the hospital. How you discovered the treatment would not help her at all. You gave her time, Fox. Only for that you might have saved her. I know you will put things right. Don't lose faith. I haven't." Mulder felt uneasy about talking to Mrs. Scully about such things. But he admired this strong, well-meaning lady, who had lost husband and a daughter and undergone so much tragedy in her recent life, and still could inspire confidence in the future. I wish my mother had been that strong, he thought. But immediately he regretted the comparison. True, his mother had perhaps done wrong in her life, but Mulder still didn't know the details or the exact circumstances. He chastised himself for being so insensitive. He was surprised with Mrs. Scully's next words, which made him suspect she could read his mind. "Dana told me about what happened in Quonochontaug some months ago." Mulder didn't say anything. He was not sure how to proceed. "You see Fox, when Dana was gone you told me how you had been hurt all your life. By people whom you loved. I don't want to discuss the merit of these ill-doings. I always like to think that no matter what happens in our lives, happiness and love will always be within our reach. We just have to look at them. And know where to look." "I wish I could see it in your family, Mrs. Scully... But I have brought up so much pain to Dana's life... She deserves so much better." "Fox, you're wrong. God knows that you mean a lot to Dana. You are her best friend. You are the only one she trusts. Since that night when you came here looking for her, I have never heard Dana speaking of you except with love and admiration. Well, perhaps once or twice she complained of you leaving her behind." He felt reassured and chastised at the same time. This time he could not fail this family. He would not. "I will not give up Mrs. Scully. I will find a way of saving Dana. I don't know how, but I am looking. Everywhere." "I know dear. And I am happy that Dana has a man who cares so much about her. Dana is a difficult woman to be around, Fox. She's so vibrant, and intelligent. She has such a sense of duty. She got it from Bill, I guess. Sometimes she will not show how much she appreciates you being around. But she does." The rest of the night, they didn't talk about the past. For the moment, Mulder was glad that they could chat for some hours without him having to bring her bad knews. 46th Street, New York August 14th 10:13 A.M. The Well-Dressed Man impatiently paced around the office. This was not going according to the plan. On the table, his associates discussed possible alternatives to proceed with the project. The Cigarette-Smoking Man entered the room. He lit a cigarette while the Well-Manicured Man briefed the meeting. "I think we all know that the project has come to a breakthrough. The final experimentation was successful, perhaps too successful to keep discrete. Now it looks like information has been leaking, in more ways than we could ever anticipate." The Cigarette Man took over. He had to show he still controlled the situation. "We are now taking precautions for the patients to be conveniently removed. Our only problem is the main file concerning the final stages of the project." The Well-Manicured Man grew more and more impatient with this lack of security. Americans were so full of themselves, and yet they can't keep their own vaults locked without some joker telling everybody the secret. "What do you mean ? The doctor in charge should be removed immediately." The Cigarette-Smoking Man puffed the smoke. This movement always gave everybody else an impression of undisturbed confidence. "And he has been. However, the file is gone. Someone copied all the relevant information to a disk. And the disk was not found anywhere in the clinic. Don't worry, it is just a matter of time before we get it. We only have to be careful that the russians or the british don't get the disk before we do." The Well-Manicured Man was not convinced. "You make sure that they don't. Or you will have a lot of explaining to do. We cannot risk exposure." "Don't worry. I am well aware of the implications." Apartment 42 2630 Hegal Place Alexandria, VA August 14th 11:21 A.M. The telephone rang two or three times before Mulder got it. "Huuummm... Mulder." "Mulder, it's me." "Scully ? Where are you ?" "Home. I came back from Quantico early. That workshop was boring, and I didn't feel like wasting the Sunday. I got everything I wanted from the lectures on microscopic diagnosis and DNA polymorphisms..." "Scully, what are you wearing ? She couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, by the way, I talked to my mother this morning. Thanks for being there. You know, Charlie has been sort of out of touch lately..." "Don't mention it. I like talking to your mother. After all, she is the closest thing I have to a family. So, can I see you today ?" "Maybe. Do you have anything in mind ? Mutants, flukes or UFOs ?" "Nothing of the sort. I was thinking about something light, romantic. Can you meet me at our place ? What about, humm, in one hour ? We can talk about it, and I'll treat you for lunch. Real food." Scully raised her eyebrows at Mulder's invitation. "I'm impressed Mulder. I have to tell Mom to have you for dinner more often." "I don't think so. Your mother might spoil me, and I don't know if I can stand so much healthy food. Well, see you later. Our place, okay ?" "I'll be there. Bye Mulder." The reflective pool Washington Memorial Monument 12:40 P.M. Dana Scully carefully examined the papers her partner had brought to her. Meanwhile, Mulder chewed sunflower seeds. He knew Scully's opinion about The Lone Gunmen, but waited for her to voice it. "This is crazy Mulder. You know The Lone Gunmen cannot have access to this amount of information. At least, not legally." "Yeah, but I have learned to trust them in certain matters such as sneaking into classified information and do some funky pouching." Scully remembered the last time Mulder had ventured into some action adventure with The Lone Gunmen. She still didn't know if she should be grateful or angry for Mulder sticking his neck for her. "Well, what concrete information do you have ? I mean, other than news footage, internet chat and stolen documents from the government ?" Mulder took from his pocket a list of names and addresses. "Byers gave me the list of patients of the clinic that have not yet been killed. Three of them, two living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We could drive there, enjoy the local cuisine and take some pictures." "Your idea of a romantic Sunday afternoon is really spooky. Investigating murders. And starting from a tip from The Lone Gunmen." "Yeah, but at least I am not leaving you behind during the weekend. I didn't enjoy a bit the last time I did it." What the heck, Scully thought. At least they would have some outdoor activity. She was worried about the perspective of Mulder spending another weekend alone in the basement, working like Ebenezer Scrooge. And that was the main reason for what she had left the boring seminar at Quantico. She had been delighted to hear he had spent the evening at her mother's. Scully didn't quite understand the depth of the bonding her partner and her mother shared, but she reveled on the thought. After lunch, they stopped by her place to pick one or two things and hit the road. Barnes family residence 1013 W 14th Avenue Harrisburg, PA 3:00 P.M. Vassily Peskov rang the bell and waited. After some time, he noticed nobody was coming to answer. He put his gloves and tentatively grabbed the door knob. The door was open. Peskov immediately recognized that something was wrong. He carefully entered the house. Peskov examined the room. Everything was in an apparent order. He thought about calling to see if someone appeared, but his instincts told him to remain silent... and alert. He drew his rarely used gun. As he approached a door to a room, he caught a glimpse of what seemed like a shadow moving on the floor. Coming towards the corridor. Peskov only had time to throw himself to the floor. A man in black turned towards him with a gun in his hand. Peskov quickly fired two times. Cautiously approaching the body, Peskov searched him. If he was lucky, perhaps this whole ordeal might be over now and he would be able to go back to Saint Petersburg. Unfortunately for him, he didn't find what he was looking for. A quick search over Barnes' house revealed nothing besides the dead body of James Barnes, plus a total wreck at his reading room. Peskov infered that his now dead adversary had probably been looking for the same thing he was, and had not been successful. Therefore, there was no point in unnecessarily remaining in a crime scene. As he left the house, Vassily Peskov wondered if this mission was becoming a race against time. He took off his gloves and reached in his pocket for a list of names and addresses. He crossed out the name of James Barnes and checked the next address. As Peskov calmly headed towards his next target, he saw the lights of police cars and ambulances passing by him. Josh Davis' residence 566 S 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 3:10 P.M. Josh Davis was enjoying a warm afternoon. He contently put a sign "For Rent" in front of his house. As soon as he arranged a fair deal, he would get a cruise ship to the Bahamas. He had decided to taste every moment of his life, now that his time had been returned to him. Birds singing and flowers growing were undeniably enjoyable for him these days. He observed as a car stopped in front of his house. A young couple casually dressed left the car and approached him. Certainly newlyweds looking for a place to live in the neighbourhood, he thought. The small woman flashed her badge and addressed him. "Good afternoon. My name is Dana Scully, and this is my partner, Fox Mulder. We are with the FBI. Can we ask you some questions about your treatment, Mr. Davis ?" "Sure. But what's going on ? I hope this has nothing to do with the murders of the patients of the clinic. I decided to get out of here as soon as I saw the news..." "Unfortunately it has, Mr. Davis. We are trying to track down a certain piece of information that was probably in the possesion of the clinic. Did you have any recent contact with Dr. Forsythe ?" "Yeah, we were friends. It was him who gave me incentive to use the computers in the clinic to talk about the research in the internet." "Did he give you an address where you could reach him ?" "No, but he told me he was going to disappear for a while. You know, with the clinic being investigated, etc. I think he mentioned once that he had a summer house in Syracuse. But I don't know the address." Mulder decided to try something more along the lines of his personal agenda. "Did he ever explain to you what was the treatment about ?" "No, not really. I only know that, all of a sudden, we started to get better. All of us. It was like a miracle. I for myself am grateful." "It is quite understandable, Mr. Davis. Being cured of a terminal disease is not something to be taken lightly." "No, this is not what I mean. I used to think that at sixty-three I had nothing to look ahead. Now some time has been given back to me. And I am going to make the most of it. I am going to party. Take ballroom dance lessons. Play golf. Whatever." Scully was taken aback by the old man's enthusiasm and high spirits. She remembered how months ago, right before her cancer being diagnosed, she had fallen to a depression that led her to a reckless and almost self-destructive path. Meanwhile, Mulder was trying to get something more out of the interview. "Do you know anything about some piece of equipment... Or perhaps data... that could have anything to do with the treatment ?" "Well, he gave me a diskette the day before I was released. He said it had ideas for a web page for the treatment, once it proved successful. I never had the opportunity of using it. Seems to be uncoded, and my personal computer can't read it." Fox Mulder felt like he was about to grab the Holy Grail itself. "Mr. Davis, would you mind if we take this disk with us back to Washington and examine it ? It might contain information that could lead to Dr. Forsythe's whereabouts." "Humm... No, take it. I can't use it anyways." Scully didn't understand what Mulder was expecting to find in the disk, but made a mental note to ask him later, when they were alone. As they left Davis' house, Mulder noticed his partner was in a quiet mood. "You okay Scully ?" "Yeah, I... It is amazing how Mr. Davis is dealing with his perspective. I was reminded that life still is worth living." "Don't worry Scully. You will find a way out of this. We can't give up." "I know. And I won't give up. As far as I have you." Mulder felt like reassuring his partner. As they walked towards the car, Davis observed how Mulder gently put his arm around Scully's shoulder. She promptly put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. Davis couldn't help but wonder how lovely this couple was. Barnes family residence Harrisburg, PA 4:30 P.M. Mulder and Scully drove slowly along the streets of Harrisburg, looking for the next address in the list. When they reached Barnes' house, flashing lights from police cars and ambulances were everywhere. "What is going on here ???" "Looks like we missed a wild party." They left the car and approached the scene. As they were stopped by a policeman, Mulder flashed his badge. "Agents Mulder and Scully, FBI. Can you tell us what happened here ?" "Well, it looks like a burglary. Someone in the neighbourhood heard shots being fired and called 911. When we arrived, there were those two bodies inside. One of them was the owner. The other one has not yet been identified. The house is a wreck." After talking with the local police and the detective in charge, they both entered the house and examined the place. Mulder put the rubber gloves and approached John Barnes' body. From the pocket of Barnes' shirt he took a small piece of paper in which someone had written an address: SUMMER RESIDENCE 3466 SW 12TH ST. SYRACUSE, NY Mulder's eidetic memory reminded him that the address was among those in his list. Mulder discretely put the paper in his pocket as Scully approached him. "Mulder, John Barnes' name was in the list that Byers gave you. This murder has to be related to the clinic." "If someone is trying to make the patients disappear, he will wait two ot three days before he strikes again. Nothing will come from the investigation from the local police. Come on Scully. Let's get out of here." "And what are we supposed to do now ?" "Well, soon will be 5:00 P.M. What do think about we go to the park and take some pictures ? Watch the sunset ? We could have dinner later and watch the last show at the Museum of Scientific Discovery." She raised her eyebrow at his boyish grin. "You just can't get away from the flying saucers, can you, Mulder ?" "Come on Scully. It will be fun. After all, it is Sunday." ************************** End of Chapter I ******************************* Title: "Spe" Author: Quim (quim@qtp.ufl.edu) DISCLAIMER: see Chapter I. Rating: R. The typical action thriller associated with the Conspiracy theme. There is some violence and a couple of bad words, but nothing you won't see in the actual show. Classification: XA (Conspiracy with some mild doses of angst) Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons, especially the fourth one. It ain't fun otherwise. People might easily recognize in special "Tunguska" and "Terma". Very mild references to "Unrequited", "Kaddish", "Memento Mori" and "Wetwired". But this story stands alone. I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in "Gethsemane", because considering any option otherwise is downright stupid. Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST, just hints of MSR. Non-shippers (is there still anyone left after "Memento Mori" ???) should be fairly safe. Summary : The Lone Gunmen uncover the connection between a series of murders and a scientific experiment. Suddenly everybody connected to the ordeal is dying in misterious ways. Can Mulder and Scully get to the answers before the Consortium or the KGB make them disappear ? Author's note: Thanks to Penny Daza for incentive and Emily Phelps for reading the story pre-post, criticism and very useful discussions. ********** Chapter II ************ Planetarium Museum of Scientific Discovery Strawberry Square Harrisburg, PA 9:30 P.M. Mulder and Scully peacefully watched the show at the Planetarium. Mulder couldn't help but put his arm over Scully. She silently rested her head on his shoulder and relish every moment. Mulder whispered in her ear, "See, I told you it would be a lovely, romantic Sunday." "I have to agree. It's beautiful. I have not been in a Planetarium in ages." "You should trust my leaps more, Scully." "I will. You are the only one I trust, Mulder. You know that." Scully wasn't sure if she should allow herself to feel what she was feeling. Although she didn't want to spoil the night, something compelled her to shop talk for a while. "Mulder, what are we going to do about the doctor ? If The Lone Gunmen are right, his life might be in danger. We have to find him." "Tomorrow morning we start bright and early. With the resources of the bureau we should be able to find him more quickly. For the moment, I just want to enjoy." Scully looked at Mulder's face. As the stars and planets danced over their heads, she noticed how Mulder's eyes twinkled with fascination. He looked like a small kid in a candy shop. She gently put her head back to his shoulder and watched the show. Holiday Inn Harrisburg, PA 11:21 P.M. Mulder was really tired after the Sunday errands. They could have gone back to Washington, but had decided to spend the night at Harrisburg and start fresh in the morning. Since they were not officially on duty, Scully suggested they shared a room in a good hotel, instead of the usual two-rooms-in-a-dump arrangement. She showered first, while he turned on the TV and scanned the news. Nothing. He turned off the TV and prepared to shower. To Mulder's astonishment, Scully left the bathroom, wrapped up in a towel. Her hair was still wet. Her scent filled the room, and Mulder felt inebriated. He couldn't help but staring at her bare legs. The sight rendered him paralyzed. This was going to be a VERY long night ahead. "It's your turn, Mulder. There is still soap in the tub. Mulder ?..." "Ahh, yeah... I'm going. Did you bring your pajamas ?" "No, I didn't expect to spend the night here. This means that I will have to sleep naked. And don't you dare to peek." Inside, she was willing him to. Mulder chuckled and turned around. Two could play this game. He had stripped in front of her before, the last time in a military base in Albany, NY during the case of the flight 549 crash, so he knew she was not squeamish about nudity. If you can dish it out, you can take it, he thought. Without waiting for her to say anything else, he promptly took off his jeans. Scully got a very complete view of his muscular legs. And the red speedos. For seconds that seemed like an eternity, Scully remained speechless. Without looking back, Mulder quietly put his reading glasses, pretended to get something from his bag so as to give her a good view, and calmly walked into the bathroom. The sight rendered her paralyzed. Scully barely could keep still with the sight still haunting her senses. Why on earth did he have to put those glasses, she cursed to herself. As Mulder showered, Scully tucked in the bed and pulled the sheets to cover her bare body. She also noticed she was starting to feel very hot and wet under the sheets. Her own scent was at the same time a gift from Heaven and a reminder of how she didn't want to be in this awkward situation. She suspected Mulder knew what he was doing to her. Mulder left the bathroom, also wrapped in a towel. As he tucked in the bed, he turned his head and smiled at his partner. He still had the glasses on. "Good night Scully. Sleep well." Fat chance now, Scully thought. She turned off the lights. "Good night Mulder. Have nice dreams." "I will dream of you." Neither one of them got much sleep that night. Apartment 35 3170 W 53rd Road Annapolis, MD 8:00 A.M. Dana Scully had spent good part of the night peeking at her partner's bed on the other side of the room. Scully was quite relieved when they had come back to D.C. and she asked Mulder to go to her place to change clothes. Mulder had dropped Scully at her apartment, waving goodbye with the same boyish grin that had greeted her during breakfast at Harrisburg and during the trip back. Finally alone, she entered her apartment and headed directly to the shower to cool down her unpartnerly thoughts and regain some composure. However, as the drops of water and soap finally massaged her body, Scully couldn't help but give herself up to some self-indulgence. After all, I am only human, she thought. FBI Headquarters J. Edgar Hoover Building Washington, DC 8:15 A.M. Assistant Director Walter S. Skinner frowned as he saw the Cigarette- Smoking Man enter his office. This never could mean good news. "What do you want ?" There was no point in pleasantries. "It looks like Agents Mulder and Scully have been putting their noses where they shouldn't. The NSA is looking for them for interfering with an investigation concerning... public health. Of course, I reassured them that you would bring them both back to Washington." "I can't help you. I don't know where they are. I don't have the habit of keeping tabs on my agents during the weekend." "This is a very serious situation Mr. Skinner. Mulder and his partner might have intercepted information that both the russians and the british would like very much to have. If they are not found as soon as possible, not even I will be able to help them." Skinner was growing more and more irritated with the unpleasant company he was forced to endure. Finally, he snapped. "You never showed any interest in their welfare before. And as far as I know, you still didn't honor our agreement." The Cigarette-Smoking Man dragged another puff of the cigarette and blowed the smoke around, as to leave the office impregnated with his presence. "Rest assured, Mr. Skinner, that Agent Scully will get her miracle... When I find the convenient moment. However, I will not be able to save her if she is killed before that." He left the office. Skinner was left alone, silently cursing himself for having been so stupid as to deal with that man. He could only hope that somehow in the future Mulder and Scully might find a way of rescue him from the mess he had put himself into. FBI Headquarters J. Edgar Hoover Building 11:00 A.M. Dana Scully entered the small office in the basement still both relishing and regretting the feelings that had been aroused the previous night. Now, alone in the office, Dana Scully was glad that at least she was again in control. She wondered if perhaps that was what she feared most in Fox Mulder. He was the ultimate sublimation of her fear of losing control. It was with some surprise that she got a call from AD Skinner's secretary summoning both her and Mulder. She climbed the stairs and headed towards the Assistant Director's office, where she was received by a very unfriendly and grumpy AD. It was not the usual disgruntled way in which he shoved back to them unacceptable field reports. There was something else. Skinner seemed furious. "Agent Scully. Where the hell is Mulder ?" "Humm... I don't know, Sir. Is there something wrong ?" "At the moment, both you and Mulder are targets of the NSA and the Pentagon, not to mention a couple of foreign secret services. I have been calling half Washington this morning. What did Mulder mess with now ?" "Well, Sir... We were together yesterday. We spent the Sunday at Harrisburg. He left me at my place, and I have no idea where he is at the moment." Scully was lying. Although Mulder had told her nothing, she had a pretty good idea of where he was. Also, her instincts told her it would be a good idea to spare the Assistant Director of the details of the interview with Josh Davis. "And what the hell were the two of you doing at Harrisburg ???" "Just enjoying the Sunday, Sir. We took some pictures of the town, we had dinner and we watched the last show of the Planetarium." Scully certainly didn't want to get to this detail, but she knew there was the possibility of them having been spied. After all, Skinner knew she had been with Mulder. So perhaps it would be a good opportunity to gain the boss' confidence. "Excuse me, Sir, but what is this all about ? We have just spent a Sunday together. We know nothing about whatever it is that you are talking about." Skinner's patience was wearing thin. He realized he would not get anything out of Scully, regardless of her telling the truth or not. He decided he should, once more, trust their judgement. He was reminded of last November. How he was reluctant in sending Mulder and Scully to Demeter, VA to arrest Danny Markham. Back them, they had carried out the assignment quickly and discretely. What was of essence in a crisis situation. And it had been one of Mulder's mysterious leads that had led to the name of general Benjamin Bloch. And it had been Mulder's impecable timing that ultimately had saved the general's life. Mulder and Scully were his best agents. Still frustrated, and against his best judgement, Skinner decided to give them the call. "If I were you, Agent Scully, I would try to contact Mulder. Immediately. And tell him that if the both of you are not in my office by this afternoon, with a lot of explanations, you are on your own. I will not be able to help him. Or you. Good luck. You are dismissed." Scully promptly left the room. She started to wonder if Mulder had not told her everything about that trip to Harrisburg. 'The Lone Gunmen' Headquarters Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 11:30 A.M. Mulder was getting nervous by the minute. After leaving Scully at her place, he had immediately called The Lone Gunmen and let the disk with them for decoding. He had gone home, showered and put his working clothes. After taking five minutes to fix the falling "2" in his door, he had come back. Now, after three hours, Langly still had not broken the diskette. "How is it going ?" Mulder's tone revealed his impatience. "Almost there... The last two attempts almost got it. Now I am trying an alternative procedure." Byers felt like reassuring Mulder. "Don't worry Mulder. We will get it sooner or later. Langly has been playing a lot with this new software we stole from the CIA last month. Why don't you go home and rest ? You look like you didn't sleep well..." "Yeah, I was up late yesterday." Mulder felt a little uncomfortable. Frohike couldn't help but smile. He knew his friend so well. "You got a new video ? Is it good ?" "The best I've ever had. I could give up all others just for that one." "Gotcha !" Their chat was interrupted by an ecstatic Langly. Their eyes were drawn to the screen as the multitude of symbols collapsed into a very understable sequence of windows and icons. "What is that ? What does it say ?" Mulder could barely contain itself. "The directory contains several technical files... on medical procedures... Hummm, there is a lot of chemistry also... Description of FDA Phase I and Phase II trials, except that there is no official number associated with..." Byers' eyes were fixed on the screen. He looked over the icons and pointed at one of them. "Langly, get that one... Yeah, that one with the symbol of a crab and the word 'finalexp' under it." Langly prompted clicked on the icon. The file was empty. Mulder scanned the screen, looking for something familiar. Then he saw it. "Langly, try the third one... With the label 'Spe' under it." Langly tried again. The information started to scroll down. "How did you choose ?" Byers couldn't see the logic. "No reason. But 'Spe' is latin for 'hope'. So I figured, why not ?" "Geez. Thank God you went to Oxford." Frohike frowned. He had an idea of what was all that about, but unfortunately the interpretation of the data was beyond his capabilities. "Looks like a new inoculation was found... I can't read that stuff, I am not a doctor. Can you arrange us a visit from your pretty partner ?" "You bet. I will call her now." He took his cell phone and dialed the familiar number. 555-6354. It was off service. Damn ! "You guys see if you can find something else. I will go to the office and get her. Call me in my cell phone if you will." 46th Street, New York 12:00 P.M. The Well-Manicured Man and the Cancerman faced each other with clear disgust in their faces. Not only they still had not the disk, but one of their operatives had been killed. The situation was quickly going out of control. The Well-Manicured Man snapped at his associate, "We have to do something quickly. Your incompetence has put us in a very delicate position." The Cigarette-Smoking Man calmly dragged another puff of the cigarette. "Don't patronize me. You know how resourceful I can be in a crisis. We have not found the disk, but my sources with the russians tell me that they have not done it, either. It is natural to assume that Fox Mulder has the disk in his possession. He might be trying to access the information." "And how do you suggest we take the disk from him ?" "Fortunately for us, Fox Mulder is plagued by these misguided notions about truth and justice and love for your fellow man. We can use this in our advantage. One of my operatives is about to contact him. Even in the event it doesn't work, I have a backup plan. Don't worry. The disk is practically in our hands." The Well-Manicured Man was still suspicious. "I hope so. Enough of surprises." Somewhere in Washington 12:30 P.M Fox Mulder was battling the D.C. traffic when his cell phone rang. He promptly took the phone, expecting it to be Scully. "Mulder here." A feminine, husky voice answered. "Mr. Mulder ? Marita Covarrubias. Can you meet me as soon as possible ?" "Humm... Sorry, I can't. Not now. I am in a hurry. Business, you know." "If your business has to do with a certain diskette containing medical information, then I believe I can help you Mr. Mulder. By the way, if I were you I would not be around the FBI Building much longer. There are people looking for you... People that are not happy that you have this disk." "Humm, ok. Where are you now ?" "I can meet you at the Lincoln Memorial, like last time. See you in ten minutes." Mulder was not liking this. Somehow he knew he could trust no information coming from Miss Marita Covarrubias, which had proved less eager and less useful than his previous informants, Deep Throat and X. However, she had arranged the papers for his trip to Krasnoyarsk. And she had given him the name of general Bloch. Since the diskette was safe with The Lone Gunmen, he decided to play the game. Perhaps something new would come out of this meeting. Binghamton, NY 12:45 P.M. Vassily Peskov carefully scanned the neighbourhood. He didn't want to find more unexpected opposition after his last lucky escape at Harrisburg. He had taken from the last patient the information he wanted. Now it would be simple to reach Dr. Forsythe, and the information. Lincoln Memorial Monument Washington, D.C. 1:00 P.M. Mulder watched the Lincoln statue as he saw the languid and sensual figure of Marita Covarrubias turning a corner. He addressed the blonde, "What do you want to talk about ?" "Two weeks ago, some information reached my office at the United Nations... Concerning some research being conducted in American soil." "Research on which field ?" Mulder had learned that the best way to deal with informants was to deny any piece of knowledge he had, hoping they would let something slip. "Cancer. Apparently, someone finally established a protocol for a treatment. Quick, safe and effective. The cure is at hand. Do you understand, Mr. Mulder, how important it is that such research comes to public domain ?" "There are other interested parties, isn't it ?" "The monopoly of the possession of such knowledge is very alluring. Certainly there are people who would not want this information to spread." "Who ?" Mulder knew nothing would come of that, but he had to try his hand. "Russians. British. Who knows ? The important thing is, as soon as you get the disk, you should bring it to me. I will take the disk and the information to the Secretary General, and he will make it public. The cure of cancer, Agent Mulder. Think about it. Readily available to anyone who needs it. Might be the breakthrough of the Century. One of the darkest fears of Mankind, gone forever." Covarrubias' words, as carefully chosen as they were, and spoken in that distinct, silky voice, still inspired distrust in Mulder. As always, she had given him little or nothing. He decided there was no point in continuing this conversation. "I will contact you as soon as I find something." Mulder left. Alone in the monument, Covarrubias got her cell phone. "I don't think he bought it. However, he said he would call me." "Go back to New York and wait. We do have an alternative plan." 'The Lone Gunmen' Headquarters Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 1:30 P.M. Dana Scully was becoming desperate. She had lost at least half an hour trying to lose a van that followed her. Eventually succeeding, she decided to dispense with subtlety and follow the only lead she had. She went straight to the publishing joint called 'The Magic Bullet'. Mulder had started this with The Lone Gunmen, so she knew he should have been in contact with them. She knocked fiercely at the door in the dark, narrow alley. "Open the door, Byers ! It's me ! Open dammit !" The door opened and she was greeted by a slightly surprised but immensely delighted Frohike. "Agent Scully, it's a pleasure to see you. Come in please." "Don't lie to me Frohike. Where is Mulder ???" "Well, he left about two hours ago... He went to look for you." "Me ??? Why ???" Scully couldn't believe her bad luck. "He wanted you to look at the files we broke into this morning. He left the diskette with us. We were expecting for the two of you to come together." Oh my God, Scully thought. Mulder was loose in D.C. with everybody from the NSA to the military to the Pentagon looking for him. She had to get him before someone else did. She promptly took her cell phone and noticed it was turned off. Damn. She turned it on and quickly dialed Mulder's number. "Hello ?" Scully let out a sigh of relief when she heard his voice. "Mulder, it's me. Where are you ???" "I am going back to the office. I want you to take a look at something." "Mulder, listen to me. DO NOT go back to the office. There is a lot of people looking for you. You have to get back to The Lone Gunmen." Mulder had no time to answer. The last sounds that Scully heard were the screeching of tires and a crash, and her cell phone went mute. "MULDER !!!" ************************** End of Chapter II ******************************* Title: "Spe" Author: Quim (quim@qtp.ufl.edu) DISCLAIMER: see Chapter I. Rating: R. The typical action thriller associated with the Conspiracy theme. There is some violence and a couple of bad words, but nothing you won't see in the actual show. Classification: XA (Conspiracy with some mild doses of angst) Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons, especially the fourth one. It ain't fun otherwise. People might easily recognize in special "Tunguska" and "Terma". Very mild references to "Never Again", "Memento Mori" and "Wetwired". But this story stands alone. I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in "Gethsemane", because considering any option otherwise is downright stupid. Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST, just hints of MSR. Non-shippers (is there still anyone left after "Memento Mori" ???) should be fairly safe. Summary : The Lone Gunmen uncover the connection between a series of murders and a scientific experiment. Suddenly everybody connected to the ordeal is dying in misterious ways. Can Mulder and Scully get to the answers before the Consortium or the KGB make them disappear ? Author's note: Thanks to Penny Daza for incentive and Emily Phelps for reading the story pre-post, criticism and very useful discussions. ********** Chapter III ************ Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 2:00 P.M. Once the car had been bumped, Mulder noticed that his cell phone had been damaged in the crash. He somehow managed to leave the car and reached for his gun. He saw two men dressed in black approaching the scene. They did not look happy. Mulder took his gun and fired two shots, aiming high. As the two men in black took cover, he started to run for his life. He reached the nearest subway station and disappeared into the crowd. He had to think fast. Scully was safe with The Lone Gunmen. So was the disk. Mulder could not go back to the J. Edgar Hoover Building. And whoever wanted the information in the disk, was getting tougher. Mulder knew that he had to find Dr. Forsythe as soon as possible. He remembered the interview with Davis. Mulder peeked around the corner of an alley. He still wondered how the hell he had gotten out of that alive. Since he could not talk to Scully, he decided to go back to his apartment in Alexandria. He would be able to contact The Lone Gunmen from there, since he knew they kept his telephone bugged. 'The Lone Gunmen' Headquarters Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 2:10 A.M. Scully was completely overwhelmed. Mulder might be dead. She had to get to him. She started to head towards the door, but Byers stopped her. He always tried to keep cool in order to have things under control. "Wait, let's not rush. Scully, listen to me. If Mulder escapes, he will contact us. We have to proceed with the disk. That's why you came here." Still fighting the tears, Scully tried to think clearly. "You are right. We have to proceed. What is it that you wanted me to see ?" The Lone Gunmen led Scully to the computer terminal and started to scroll down the information. Apartment 42 2630 Hegal Place Alexandria, VA August 16th 4:00 P.M. Mulder left the elevator at the fourth floor and headed towards his apartment. As he approached the door, he raised his head and noticed the metal "2" was in a slightly different position than when he had left. Mulder stopped and his instincts clicked on. He started to go back to the elevator, first slowly, then increasing his pace, and finally running for dear life. At the same moment, the door of his apartment opened and the Grey-Haired Man appeared, already pulling his gun. Mulder barely had time to enter the elevator and push the down button. The door closed as the Gray-Haired Man fired three times, barely missing. Mulder stormed out of the building and ran to the street. So much for that idea. There was no time to lose. In the absence of options, Mulder took a cab and headed straight to the airport. He had only one lead. He prayed that whoever was racing against him didn't have anything better. FBI Headquarters J. Edgar Hoover Building 7:00 P.M. The Cigarette Man entered the office of the Assistant Director. Walter Skinner loathed himself for what he was about to do. He wished he had any option. He had tried to avoid the Cancerman during the whole afternoon, as to give Mulder the largest lead as possible. Now the time had come. He gave the Cigarette Man some sheets of papers. Faxes, field reports and airplane schedules. "Fox Mulder have been spotted at the airport this afternoon. I was informed that he took a flight to Syracuse." "Thanks Mr. Skinner. Your collaboration is very much appreciated. I will attend to this matter from now on." He left the office. I am not done, you bastard, Skinner thought. He called his secretary. "Kimberly, try to contact Agent Scully. Immediately. Try her cell phone or her home." 'The Lone Gunmen' Headquarters Somewhere in Washington, D.C. 7:10 P.M. Several hours later, Scully still tried to analyze the data from the disk. "Do you understand any of that ?" "I don't understand everything, but a lot has to do with the description of a protocol for a treatment of... Cancer. The procedure is somewhat unorthodox, and the drugs they used... I have never seen anything like that. This is technology years down the line. Oh my God. Look at that. The Gompertzian curves of each tumor type... This is crazy. They are all thousand times lower than usual." Scully patiently pointed at the screen in order to help The Lone Gunmen, as she knew they were not specialists. "The treatment does not affect host tissue in any way... Even tumors that show marginal or no response to chemotherapy, like hypernephroma or lung cancer or endometrial cancer, are all gone. The overall survival rate for histological history is reduced by months. This is incredible." Frohike and Byers were impressed. "Talk about hitting the jackpot. This is nuts. We have to make copies of those files. The next issue of 'The Magic Bullet' will be a hit." "This is what Mulder was after, isn't it ? A cure for my cancer ?" Langly saw Scully was really upset, and immediately got defensive. "Don't talk to us. We just broke into classified information. We help Mulder, and he helps us." "Scully, listen. Give Mulder a break. You know more than anybody how important this is to him. Last time, he had to put all our asses in the line of fire." Frohike was interrupted by the chimmering sound of Scully's cell phone. "Scully." "Agent Scully, this is Assistant Director Skinner. I thought you might want to know that Mulder is in Syracuse. If you want to reach him, you don't have much time left. I have contacts in the NSA that are in charge of this operation. Both you and Mulder will be safe if you contact them as soon as you reach Syracuse. Good luck." That was all that Scully needed to hear. "You guys make copies of those files. Lots of copies. I am going to Syracuse to get Mulder." She stormed out of the office and drove directly to the airport. Frohike sighed, "What a woman. Mulder, you are a lucky bastard." 3466 SW 12th St. Syracuse, NY 8:15 P.M. Fox Mulder was finally getting the impression that his luck had changed. After renting a car in the Syracuse airport, he had driven around town trying to reach the address he had retrieved from John Barnes' body. Once Mulder reached the house, he scanned the neighbourhood and saw nothing to be alarmed. He rang the bell and a man appeared. He talked to the owner of the house, who happened to be one of the patients of the clinic. The man gave him the address of the house where Dr. Forsythe might be spending the summer. As Mulder left the scene, he noticed a man in black stalking the house. Taking care not to be spotted, he drove around the corner and left the car some 200 meters away from the house. Mulder came back to the house and stalked the neighbourhood for some minutes, not losing sight of the man in black. After a while, he saw an old man calmly walking towards the house. The old man approached the door, rang the bell and waited. The house's owner opened the door and after some introductions, both entered. Mulder observed as the man in black moved towards the house. Some minutes later, he heard two shots being fired. He quickly approached the house, always taking cover. Mulder peeked around the door and saw the body of the house's owner in the floor. Besides him, the man dressed in black stood, pointing a gun to the same old man that had entered the house. Vassily Peskov was helpless. He started to think that he would never see his beloved Mother Russia again. Suddenly, he heard a young voice from behind the man in black. "Federal agent !!! Hands in the air !!!" The man in black turned towards Mulder and fired once, but Mulder was in better position. He fired twice and the man in black fell heavily to the ground. Mulder carefully approached the body and checked. He was dead. Peskov remembered that the police should be arriving at any moment. He started to walk towards the door, but he stopped as he heard the clicking of a trigger being setup. Mulder pointed his gun at him. Peskov recognized a Smith & Wesson 1056, 9 mm. He knew he had better not make a mistake in this situation. He slowly raised his arms. "It is not polite to leave after someone having saved your life." "What do you want ?" "To begin with, to know what a nice old man like you is doing in such a bad company." "I have nothing to say." Mulder was distracted by the sound of sirens and police cars approaching. As he lost his concentration for a second, Peskov threw himself through the window. For a moment Mulder was amazed of the speed and energy of the old man. He went to the window and observed as Peskov ran through the alley, disappearing in the shadows. At the same time, several men in black stormed in the house. Two grabbed Mulder, as the others attended to the corpse in the room. Mulder was very relieved to see Scully enter the house accompanied by the men in charge of the operation. He recognized the badges of the NSA. Scully barely could contain herself. She remembered she had felt like this during that odd Congressional hearing, when Mulder had appeared from nothing. She threw her arms around his neck and buried him in a fierce hug. "Mulder ! Thank God you are okay. What happened here ?" "It looks like our chat with Mr. Davis triggered a race. With no civilized rules, by the look of it." For one hour they were questioned by the NSA officers. Of course, both Mulder and Scully denied knowing anything about the clinic. Their silent communication allowed them to keep the inquiry under control. Once the frustrated NSA officers had searched both Mulder and the house, and concluded the diskette was nowhere to be found, Mulder and Scully were released. As they headed for the car, Scully was relieved to feel Mulder's hand gently touching her back. She had thought she would never feel that again. "Mulder, what are we going to do now ?" "I have to find Dr. Forsythe. If anyone can tell us what is in those files with detail, it is him. And I have to do it alone. I will leave you at the airport." "No way! I am going with you. I will not lose sight of you again." "Scully, you have to go back to Washington. Take a copy of that disk from The Lone Gunmen and show it to doctors. Not only your doctors, but several independent, renowned ones. We have to figure out how this treatment works, and release the information. To everybody. This is the most important thing now. And you are the only qualified person to do it." "You're right. But take care. I don't want to lose you." "Trust me, you won't. See you back in D.C." Oncology Center Johns Hopkins University Hospital Bethesda, MD several hours later Scully was exhausted. A group of Oncology specialists feverishly had been discussed with her the data on the files for hours. Finally, they had given up. Their faces were somber. "Dr. Scully, I don't know what you want us to say. This looks like something out of science fiction. Although your story is very compelling, we don't see any way of pursuing this... protocol. We have never seen anything like it. The descriptions are technically precise, but only barely recognizable. There is no references to begin with. We are at a loss here." "But you have seen the description of the treatment. The data gathered. Even if the information is incomplete, you should be able to figure out how to complete the study." "Study ? On what ? We don't know the principles behind this protocol. It is only a bunch of recipes, chemical formulas and dosages. We have no idea of whether it works. We don't even know HOW it works." Forsythe's summer residence Syracuse, NY 10:13 P.M. Dr. Harold Forsythe grumpily walked towards the living room. He didn't want company. When he opened the door, a tall darkhaired man flashed a badge. "Dr. Forsythe, I presume." "What... Who are you ?" "My name is Fox Mulder. I am a FBI agent. Can I talk to you ?" "I hope this has nothing to do with my clinic." "There is a lot of people dying because of what happened in that clinic, Dr. Forsythe. Have you gathered the information on the treatment somewhere ?" "Well, there were files describing the protocol. I copied it to two disks. I have one of them and I gave the other to one of my patients, in case the government wanted to make me 'disappear'. You understand." "Were you successful ? Does the treatment work ?" "I... I don't know anymore. I thought it did. I really did. But two or three weeks ago, some conflicting data appeared. Pointing in several different directions." "The diskette you gave to Josh Davis... It contains some information on the treatment, doesn't it ?" "Some of it. But the information is incomplete. The final piece was supposed to be added after the protocol was proven." "And what is exactly the final piece ?" "I... I don't remember. They took it from me. I knew it, but..." A shot interrupted Dr. Forsythe. Mulder watched, appalled, as the small hole on the doctor's forehead started to leak blood. Mulder immediately turned back to see a man in black pointing a gun at him. Mulder was already thinking about trying to seize the man in black, but he was never given a chance. From behind the man in black, he heard a soft sound like a gun with a silencer. The man in black fell to the ground. Mulder quickly approached the body of Dr. Forsythe and took the diskette. Some seconds later, Mulder watched as an old man took some steps forward, always pointing his gun to Mulder. "I shall have this disk. Please don't make any mistake now." Mulder handled the diskette to the old man. "I might as well as kill you..." Mulder gulped. Apparently, this time he had run out of his luck. To his surprise, Peskov lowered his gun. "...But this wouldn't be the way of a sportsman or a gentleman. Now we are even, and my job here is done. I will leave now. Dasvidania." Mulder would not let it go that easily. As Peskov turned to leave the house, Mulder launched forward, trying to seize the old man. Using the back of his gun, Peskov quickly and viciously knocked Mulder down. And calmly left the house. 46th Street, New York 6:20 P.M. "The information has been retrieved and is safe. This matter has been disposed of as discretely as possible. However, it seems that the Russians also had access to pieces of the information, as well as other parties." The Well-Manicured Man was furious. "You fool. Now we can be exposed." "There is no risk. As I said, the information is in pieces. It is effectively useless for anything else beyond speculation. The Well-Dressed Man was not convinced. "What about our operatives that were killed ? Their identities ?" "This is easier to be handled. It is not the first time that such unfortunate fate has met one of our hit men. As before, neither the FBI nor the CIA will find anything concrete in any of the national databases. No names, no fingerprints, no pictures. No history. No dental work. Those men never existed. There is no possibility of any connection to this room." "And what about Mulder and his partner ? They know." "They have no proof whatsoever. Agent Scully has already shown the information to several medical centers, and nobody managed to figure out how the protocol works. In time, we will be able to recover all the disks she has given away. On the other hand, Mulder has once again proven to be a formidable obstacle. In the future we will have to be more careful in dealing with him." The Well-Dressed Man sighed out of frustration. "Sometimes it looks like it would be easier if we killed them both." The Cigarette-Smoking Man smiled and dragged another puff of the cigarette. "Let me remind you that we can not do that. You know how important Agent Mulder is to the equation." The Well-Manicured Man nodded. They would have to deal with Fox Mulder later. Regardless of how inconvenient he insisted to be. Saint Petersburg, Russia August 16th 1:20 A.M. Vassily Peskov entered his small apartment looking forward to a cup of samouvar. The flight had been strenuous for a man of his age. He was not surprised in finding a young man lacking an arm waiting for him. "Iah sajaleioo... The information could not be retrieved intact." "Don't worry, Tovarich. Your work was fine as always. The piece you retrieved will be valuable in our own research efforts. And you didn't allow the final piece to fall into American hands." "Harashaw. Now I only want to rest. Iah boltche ne rabotaioo." "I will leave now Tovarich. Congratulations again. Spaseeva. Dasvidania." "Dasvidania, Tovarich Krycek." Peskov closed the door and went to his bedroom. The next day, he would go to the Park to feed the pidgeons and watch teenage couples necking in the grass. He might perhaps spend one hour in the Museum of the Revolution, and then watch the ballet. As he reached the bedroom, from his window he could see the lights of the streets of Saint Petersburg. The sumptuous buildings benefit from the nocturnal illumination. God, how I love this town, he thought. Vassily Peskov smiled. He was a very fortunate man indeed. Apartment 35 3170 W 53 Road Annapolis, MD 8:00 P.M. Fox Mulder sheepily waited outside Scully's apartment. She opened the door and motioned him to the couch. "Hi. What did you want to talk to me about ?" "I have talked to several doctors, in different oncology centers. I have discussed the data on the disk at both Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai. They all shared the same opinion. They say it is farfetched. There is a lot of missing information. Without more details, it is impossible even to formulate a trial protocol. The files are useless. However, I left copies of the disk with all of them." Scully could see the disappointment in Mulder's face. She knew she could no longer avoid the issue that really troubled her. "Mulder, there is more. This is not why I called you here." "Then why are we here ?" "Well... This is hard... I mean... Remember our interview with Josh Davis ?" "Yeah, you told me you were reminded that life was still worth living... Something like that." "Exactly. Hummm... I am fumbling the words. There is something I felt I should say while we still have time. While I still have time. I am very lucky for having you by my side, Mulder. And I am very grateful for that. Mulder, you are my best friend. I trust you with my life." "Thanks for the vote of confidence. But this is not about me, is it, Scully ?" "Yes and no. It is about myself, Mulder. But I really don't know anymore if I can distinguish our lives. I don't know where one ends, and the other starts." God this is hard, Scully thought. She wanted desperately to open herself to Mulder, but still held back. "You remember some months ago, when... during your vacation..." Sure as hell Mulder remembered. Although he desperately wanted to forget. "Philadelphia. Ed Jersey. Your tattoo." He almost added, "The desk." Scully realized that the subject was painful for Mulder as well. She gave up thinking too much and simply blurt out the words. "Since that time, I didn't let you see my tattoo. I thought it was a part of me you shouldn't see. It was personal. Private. I was angry and upset, and I thought that I should keep boundaries between us. To preserve myself. This is one of the reasons for which I didn't go with you to Canada." "I understand. I can't say I like it, Scully. But I understand. I was an asshole with you back then, and I surely know I am not the best partner in the world. You certainly deserve better. It is only natural that you want something to keep you grounded." "No, Mulder, that's not what I mean. Since my cancer has been diagnosed, and even before, you have been my support, my source of strength. You keep me grounded. I would have given up a long time ago if you were not there with me." "Yesterday, I was frustrated because you had not told me that this had something to do with me... I didn't know your cell phone had been damaged, and I thought you were ditching me again. But, all the time, you were looking for a cure. Running for your life. And then you were almost killed again. For me... I realized that I have not been so generous in showing how much you mean to me... How much I trust you." Mulder was not sure of how to proceed. He gave her a puppy dog look and gently took Scully's hand and intertwined their fingers. "You are welcome. You know you can count on me for anything you want." Scully knew. She raised her head to face him. Mulder saw that she was serious. He felt lost in those blue eyes. Scully finally spoke, half eager, half ashamed. "I want you to look at something." Mulder watched as Scully got up. She hesitated for a moment, and then turned around. With her back facing him, she partially lifted her shirt. Then she slightly pulled down her pantyhose as to expose the dreaded tattoo, just above her buttock. Mulder knew how difficult this was for Scully. She was doing what she feared most. Exposing herself. Allowing herself to be vulnerable. Losing control. Relinquishing control. To Mulder. Only to Mulder. Struggling to keep his mind away from how beautiful the body of his partner was, Mulder got closer, and took a good view of the tattoo. He tentatively touched the snake with his fingers, tracing a full circle. The hideous figure imprinted in the pure pale silk of her flesh was a reminder of how apart they once had been. Silently, both Mulder and Scully decided they would never be that apart again. Then, as tears rolled down her cheeks, he put his palm on her back, covering the tattoo completely. He rested his forehead on her back and whispered, "Sorry Scully. I used to think that I would make it disappear if I could. But this is not the truth. It was something you needed to do at some point of your life, and now it is part of you. Good or bad, you grew with that experience. Now you will have to live with it. And I will support you. I only regret I was not there with you. And now, I have failed you. Again." Scully turned around to face Mulder. She noticed he was on the verge of tears. Not for himself. For Scully. Only Scully. "No Mulder. You never fail me. Remember what I wrote to you when I was in the hospital ? There is no secret intervention. No miracle cure. Mulder, listen to me. You are not responsible." Scully held Mulder's face and allowed herself to get lost in those hazel eyes. Finally, he lowered his head. His cheeks touched hers, and their tears melt together. She supported him as much as he supported her. "Don't worry Mulder. Somehow we'll pull through all this. We'll find the truth. Together." Scully lowered her hands and embraced Mulder's waist. He gently caressed her head now comfortably tucked under his chin. Lost in each other's arms, both Mulder and Scully felt the other's pain washing out their own. And they both started to heal. The future still belonged to them. Together. A magazine shop Union Station Washington, D.C. Two weeks later The Cigarette Smoking Man approached the small shop and asked for a pack of Morley's. While he waited, he idly scanned the magazines. Most were cheap tabloids of no repercussion. We was amused to see a copy of the 'World Weekly Informer' with the top story that read, GOVERNMENT HIDES DISCOVERY OF CURE FOR CANCER. He smiled. After paying for the pack, he lit a cigarette and left. T H E E N D ************************** End of Chapter III *****************************