Author's Notes: Still don't own any of the characters, in Peter's case not for want of trying, believe me. No copyright infringement intended nor any profit made or expected from this.
This story is complete, so it will be updated daily. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
As always, I am eternally grateful to my wonderful beta mvariorum for her input and support.
Part 1 of 7
The black SUV rolled to a stop in front of a chain link gate. Olivia Dunham turned off the ignition and scanned the area behind the crisscrossing wires. The open space was overgrown with weeds. In the distance a building that looked like an old fashioned red-brick factory sat next to a low, long structure that used to house the miners. Not a single window on either building was intact. She turned to the man seated in the passenger seat.
"Does this look familiar, Walter?"
Walter Bishop was not looking at the layout, his eyes were fixed on a crooked sign that hung from the gate. It was of the standard 'No Trespassing' variety, but somebody had scrawled the words "Danger - Keep Out' over it in big red letters, followed by the crude drawing of a radiation symbol.
"Yes, Agent Dunham, this is it," he replied. "Do you see the warning in red? I put that there."
"Okay, let's check it out," Olivia decided. When she opened her car door she noticed that the only sound was the rustling of the leaves in the forest that streched for miles around them. Otherwise it was eerily quiet. Not a bird or insect could be heard.
The young man seated in the back seat had obviously made the same observation.
"Are you sure this is safe, Walter?" Peter Bishop asked his father.
"Of course it's safe," Walter replied heatedly. "Or I would have requested protective suits." He turned to his son. "The radiation levels this mineral emits are negligible, and only harmful over the very long term. That warning was meant to keep busybodies away who interrupted my work."
"And you're positive this mineral was used to create that monster?" Peter was obviously in one of his recalcitrant moods today. Olivia groaned inwardly. Working with the volatile old scientist and his non-conformist son was taxing at the best of times. When they were at odds with each other she sometimes felt like a Big Top lion tamer on a hot and stormy day.
Predictably, Walter lost his patience. "No, I am not positive," he snapped back at Peter, giving his door a violent shove that caused it to fly open and bounce on its hinges. "Which is why we're here to take samples. And your unnecessary questions are keeping us from doing just that."
When Peter opened his mouth for what was most probably a sarcastic retort, Olivia intervened.
"Peter, would you have a look at that lock, see if you can get it open?" she asked.
"Oh sure, I'm only along for the breaking and entering anyway."
As Peter stalked towards the barrier in front of them Walter muttered "Impudent young whippersnapper" under his breath. But his irritation faded somewhat when Peter managed to jimmy the lock open in just a few seconds with an implement he pulled from the inside pocket of his black windbreaker. As he tugged one side of the gate open, Olivia reached for the key to restart the ignition, but Walter stopped her.
"We better walk from here on," he suggested. "The compound is riddled with tunnels and shafts from the mining activities, and even back in the days when I did my research here many of them were in advanced stages of deterioration. The weight of this vehicle could easily cause a cave-in."
Olivia nodded, pocketing the car keys. "Okay. You two go ahead, I get the lab kits from the back."
A few minutes later they were picking their way gingerly through the overgrowth and debris that covered the area. The Bishops were still bickering, and Olivia tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible so as not to be caught in the middle of their latest quarrel.
As they approached the buildings, she stopped. "So, where is the entrance to this mine?" she asked Walter.
The scientist pointed at a hill that rose behind the structures. "The main tunnel begins back there. But there is a lab in this building that I used to conduct my experiments." He swung his hand around to indicate the red brick structure. "There should still be samples there - unless they cleaned everything out when this operation was shut down."
"So," Peter drawled, "Toss up between crawling through a dark old mine in imminent danger of collapse, or entering yet another of Walter's little shops of horror. I think I'll take my chances with the mine, thank you." He turned to go, but stopped to deliver one last jibe. "And Olivia, if you find anything lying around that looks edible - don't. Walter can turn even something as innocent as an omelet into a toxic science gizmo."
"You know perfectly well, Peter, that you had no right to interfere with my…" But Peter had already disappeared around the corner of the house. Walter stared after him, his expressive features holding a mix of rage and longing. Olivia gently took his arm. "Let's go check out the lab, Walter," she said.
As they turned towards the entrance they heard the sound of splintering wood followed by a scream.