Disclaimer: (A futile gesture, no doubt). Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, Margaret Scully, "Danny" (who has no last name, poor guy) and The X-files are property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, the Fox Network and anyone else to whom they belong. No copyright infringement is intended. Rachel Kellerman and the other original characters in this story belong to me.
Thank you to: Corrine for encouraging me to write my first fanfic. If it sucks, tell *her*. Next time maybe she'll be more selective about who she encourages. : )
Feedback: Yes, please. This is my first attempt at a fancfic, and all feedback will be greatly appreciated. Even if you flame me. (Just tell me *why* it sucks, so I can do better next time.) Please send all feedback to Susan72869@aol.com. Thanks.
The Chen Tao Village Garland, Texas 5:45 pm "WE'LL TAKE THE BACK! CONRAD AND GOMEZ TAKE THE EAST SIDE OF THE HOUSE! CRISTOFF AND ERICKSON --THE WEST SIDE! COOPER AND WEST-- YOU'RE WITH US! LET'S MOVE PEOPLE!" Mulder heard his partner shout these directives to the remaining tactical officers who had taken their positions around the perimeter of the main house. He and Scully were crouched behind a tarp-covered tractor just south of the rear entrance of the house. As she rose to her feet, he followed and they quickly made their way to the entrance, careful to stay low to the ground and out of the "fatal funnel", the area around the door where shots would most likely be fired from. They stood, one on each side of the door, facing each other, and quickly glanced to make sure the other agents had gotten into their positions. Mulder's Glock was slippery in his hand, damp with the rain and with his perspiration as he held it, pointing upward, on the side of his face. His heart was beating loudly. This was an important bust for them--the culmination of three months of work between the FBI, DEA, and local law enforcement agencies. Mulder glanced at his partner, and saw that she too seemed nervous. Her Sig Saur was clenched tightly in her right hand and her lips were drawn into a thin line across her face. Her clear blue eyes seemed darker, almost lapis in color. He took a quick look around the yard again, but everything was still in the evening twilight. Agents West and Cooper had joined them and were holding the battering ram between them. In his left ear he heard the other agents verifying their positions and he turned his attention back to Scully, waiting for her to give the "go" order. She met his eyes, signaled silently with her free hand that she would go in ahead and that Mulder should take the fall-back position, covering her. Mulder nodded. "GO! GO! GO!" Chaos. West and Cooper hit the door hard, and it flew open with a loud, splintering crack. Pieces of wood and trim shot through the air and then all four agents were inside. From the other side of the house they could hear men shouting and what sounded like a woman screaming. "FEDERAL AGENTS! EVERYBODY DOWN ON THE FLOOR!" Scully had taken the lead and was searching for inhabitants of the house. She and Mulder entered into the main living area and found Agent Gomez already there. Face down on the floor were six men and two women. One of the women, a blonde in her early twenties, had begun to cry. "I've got these," said Gomez. "The rest of the ground floor is clear. Conrad and Erikson are going upstairs. " "Where's Holloway?" asked Mulder "Not down here" "West, stay here with Gomez. Cooper, help Mulder and I check the basement" ordered Scully. They proceeded through the living area and then into the kitchen, a large room with gleaming stainless steel counters and a huge island in the middle of the room. It was the type of kitchen that was usually found in restaurants or other commercial establishments. It would need to be large, to feed the one-hundred and forty members that resided in the Village. Once inside the room, the agents, immediately turned to the east, heading for the staircase that they had been shown on the blueprints. Mulder stopped next to the entrance to the stairway, and quickly ducked his head for a view of the stairs. They appeared empty, and the agents could hear no sounds coming from below. Still, Mulder dreaded this scenario. A staircase was always difficult to maneuver , particularly if you were walking down. Should there be an armed perpetrator below and he decided to step out onto the landing below and fire, the agents would be caught in a narrow passageway from which they would have to back out. "FEDERAL AGENTS! WE ARE ARMED! STEP OUT OF THE BASEMENT! STEP OUT ONTO THE STAIRCASE WHERE WE CAN SEE YOU!" Mulder shouted. Nothing. Mulder shrugged at his partner. Scully started down the staircase with Mulder and West close behind. As they reached the bottom step, a dry scratching noise came from the basement. All three agents froze. Mulder gripped his gun a little tighter. "FEDERAL AGENTS! WE ARE ARMED! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" Silence. Scully took a quick peek into the basement and then quickly pulled her head back. She leaned back slightly, and into Mulder's ear whispered "It's too dark, Mulder. I can't get a really good look." He nodded once, quickly, then stood waiting. Scully was the SAC and it had to be her call. Scully entered the basement. Behind her she could hear Mulder and West taking cover positions, but there was no other movement in the dimly lit room. Suddenly, there was another scratching sound to her right and she swung around, gun held in her right hand, left hand under right for support. Then she relaxed. The scratching sound was a small section of chicken wire that partially covered the basement's only window. It had been torn loose on one side and was now swaying in the draft. Scully took another look around the room to be sure it was unoccupied, and moved forward. The window was directly over one of the basement's three clothes dryers. She holstered her gun and pulled herself up onto the dryer. Mulder and West joined her, each standing on one side of the dryer. She yanked back the chicken wire with her hand. It would be a tight fit, but a human being could crawl through the small window. She glanced down at her partner. "So who went out the window?" Mulder asked. "The real question is *where* did they go." Scully sighed and looked back out the window across the yard of the Village. She could see other agents already walking hand-cuffed suspects to the police cruisers that were parked to the east. There were two rows of cabins flanking each side of the main house and all had agents assigned to them. If anyone had gone out of the window in hopes of hiding in one of the cabins, they'd have been wasting their time. Scully started to turn away from the window, then noticed something out of her peripheral vision. A small tool shed stood at the end of the south row of cabins. She didn't remember the tool shed as being on the blue prints of the Village. Maybe it was a recent addition. Maybe it was too small to have been seen in the aerial photos taken by the DEA. Maybe they should check it out. Scully turned back to her partner. Mulder held out his hands to her. She took them and jumped down from the dryer. "Do you remember a tool shed being on the blueprints?" Mulder raised his eyebrows a little. "Tool shed?" "Let's go."
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Mulder reached the tiny structure before Scully. As he approached the door to the building, he could hear voices inside--first a man and then what sounded like a young girl. He waited for Scully to catch up. As soon as she was in position, he kicked open the door. Paul Holloway stood with his back to them. His left hand was tightly clamped around the upper arm of a young girl who was looking up at him with eyes filled with fear. His right hand was at the small of his back, and Mulder could see the butt of the gun that was stuffed into the back of the man's belt. "FEDERAL AGENTS! PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!" Holloway didn't move. Hand still poised over his gun, he only stared at the child in his grasp. "I SAID PUT YOUR HANDS UP! DO IT NOW!" Mulder shouted Mulder leveled his Glock. Should the man draw the gun from his belt, he was prepared to fire. The girl was staring at Holloway. She was trembling and Mulder could hear small whimpers of fear emanating from the child. But Mulder had a clear shot at him--and he knew that was all that mattered in this situation. The girl was very near to Holloway, but because of their height difference, Mulder was sure that he could get a clean shot. The girl only came up to Holloway's chest. Mulder planned on aiming high. Holloway still didn't move. He didn't even seem to register the presence of the two agents. Instead, his complete attention seemed to be focused on the girl. He stood as if completely transfixed by the child, intensely staring into her eyes. Then in one quick movement, he pulled the gun. Scully shot him before she even realized she was going to do it.
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Holloway lay face-down on the dirt floor of the tool shed, blood spreading out in a circular pattern around the entry wound in his right shoulder blade. As soon as he Holloway went down, Mulder had stepped next to his body and removed the gun from his grasp, placing it in his own holster. Scully was now there beside him checking Holloway's vital signs. She cocked her head to the side and spoke into her two-way radio. "We have Holloway. He's down. We're going to need the EMT crew" As she did this, Mulder approached the girl. When the shot had been fired she had screamed and covered her ears. Now she was leaning against the back wall of the shed, head down, sobbing. Mulder knew she hadn't been hurt, but was traumatized to the point of incoherence . She had drawn her arms across herself and was shuddering convulsively. He wanted to speak softly to her, but knew her ears were probably still ringing from the gunshot. Between the shock and the temporary deafness caused by the gunfire, he didn't even know if she'd be able to hear him at all. "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. It's okay. We're going to take you out of here." Mulder walked slowly toward the girl, hoping to not spook her anymore than she already was. "It's all right. You're going to be okay." The girl looked up at him. Her long, chestnut hair covered most of her features, but Mulder could still see the stark terror on the girl's face. "No one is going to hurt you. Don't be afraid." As he spoke, Mulder reached for the girl. As soon as his hand touched her arm, she screamed. She quickly slid out of his reach, then tried to run. Mulder knew that Holloway was most likely incapacitated from his wound, but he didn't want to take any chances on the girl getting close enough to Holloway to be harmed. He took a few strides forward, and caught her, holding her against his chest. The girl became even more hysterical and still screaming, tried to free herself from Mulder's hold. She twisted and kicked but the agent would not release his hold on her. Then suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his right hand. During the struggle he had placed his hand too close to her face and the girl was now biting down on his hand. Hard. He tried to pull his hand back, but the girl only dug her teeth in deeper and Mulder could now see blood, his blood, dripping down the corner of the girl's mouth. He still had a firm hold on her with his other arm, however, so for a moment they just stood frozen together like that--neither one would release. "HEY!" Scully shouted in their direction. This startled the girl and she released Mulder's hand. He quickly adjusted the girl in his grasp so that she would be able to inflict no more bodily harm on him. She struggled a little more, but was beginning to tire. After another moment, she was still. Mulder began walking her out of the shed. The paramedics were there now, attaching an IV to Holloway and preparing to roll him over onto the backboard. Mulder paused as he passed Scully, and giving her a half-smile leaned down and said quietly "Next time *I'll* guard the dangerous criminal. You get the sweet, innocent little girl."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulder tucked the now docile child into the back of a cruiser and then approached Gomez and West. "What'd we get?" he asked "Not a whole hell of a lot." replied West. "Some handguns, five I think. A few ounces of party favors." "*A few ounces*?" Mulder was incredulous. This was supposed to be a big bust. A big, big bust. "Holloway's got the stuff stashed good. We got dogs going through the cabins now, but so far nothing." West glanced down at Mulder's hand. "Hey, man, you're bleeding." "Yeah, I know." "Did somebody pull a knife?" asked Gomez Mulder opened his mouth to tell them what had happened, then closed it again. He was none too eager to explain that his wound had been caused by an altercation with a child who was probably young enough to sell girl scout cookies. He reached under his jacket and tore a strip of fabric from his T-shirt. He wrapped it several times around his wounded hand. "No. No knife." Then he walked away to find his partner. He caught up to her at the rear of the ambulance where they were loading Holloway. "Is he going to make it?" he asked Scully. "Yeah. He won't be using that shoulder for a while, but he'll live. And you should let the Paramedics look at your hand." Mulder waved off this suggestion and said "We're going to have to question him as soon as possible. He's obviously got the drugs hidden--I just talked to Gomez and West and they haven't found his stash yet. What hospital are they taking him to?" "County" "Ok...you drive." Mulder said, waving his injured hand. Assistant director Skinner was waiting for them at the car. "What the hell happened? The DEA is telling me we came up dry out here." Scully could hear the frustration in her boss' voice. "They've still got the dogs going through the area, but yes, so far we haven't found anything significant, Sir." "Well, somebody sure as hell better find something. We've spent too much time and manpower on this thing to come up empty now." The two agents said nothing. They already knew how important this case was. "Tell me about the shooting." He was looking at Scully and she knew he must have already been briefed of the incident. "Holloway was around back in a tool shed. He had a child with him, a young girl of maybe thirteen. He drew a weapon." Scully explained. "Agent Scully had just cause for using deadly force," Mulder said in support of his partner. "I'm not doubting that. But right now we need Holloway strong enough to withstand questioning. How severe is his wound?" "He'll be fine. They're taking him over to County General now. Mulder and I are on our way over there as well." Scully replied. All right, get going then. I want you two to be the first thing Holloway sees when he opens his eyes." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mulder could feel the tension radiating from his partner as they stood in the hallway outside of Holloway's room. The suspect had been placed on an intravenous drip and was receiving blood to replace what he'd lost after the bullet tore through his shoulder. Now Mulder and Scully were awaiting the okay from the doctor to question the man. Scully didn't say anything, but Mulder could tell from her body language that she was eager to get started. "Shouldn't be much longer now." Scully said, more to herself than to Mulder. "Yeah. So, Scully, what do you think was going on in that tool shed?" Mulder was as anxious to question Holloway as Scully was, but right now he wanted to get his partner's thoughts on the events of the morning. "What do you mean? Holloway was trying to escape." "So he went into a six by ten building with one door and no windows?" That doesn't seem like much of an escape plan, Scully. "So what do you think he was doing?" Mulder shrugged. "What about the girl? Why would he take her?" "As a hostage." It seemed obvious to Scully. "Why her? There were a dozen other people in the house." "Well, she was small enough to fit though the basement window with him." Mulder was silent. "You think there's more to it than that, don't you?" asked Scully. Another shrug. "I don't think he intended to use her as a hostage. He didn't even seem to know that we were there. Or else he just didn't care. Did you *see* the way he was looking at the girl? He had two armed federal agents pointing guns at his head, but he never even so much as glanced our way." "He knew we were there, Mulder. He pulled the gun." "I don't think the gun was for us." "You think he intended to kill the girl all along?" "I think it's a possibility, yeah." Scully sighed. She wasn't sure she agreed with her partner, but she had learned over the years to respect his hunches even when they didn't seem to make sense. Why would Holloway feel more threatened by an unarmed child than by the two agents? That wasn't a rational judgment, but maybe Holloway wasn't a rational man. According to their informants, Holloway had strange ideas about a lot of things. He'd been one of the original followers of cult leader Hon-Ming Chen in the eighties and had followed the group to Taiwan and then back to California in the early nineties. Hon-Ming Chen had predicted that God would appear on national television on March 31, 1998 and that the apocalypse would then begin. When that didn't happen, Chen returned to Taiwan with several of his followers and the remaining had moved on to Garland, Texas. According to the literature, they had chosen Garland because it sounded like"God-land". The sect, now known as the Chen Tao, consisted of about one hundred and forty members, all of whom had been under investigation since the early 1998 when the federal government began receiving complaints from people who had been bilked out of their life savings by the sect under the guise of "donations" and "immigration expenses" to and from Taiwan. According to their sources on the inside, Holloway was now the group's leader. There was very little personal information available to the agents on Paul Holloway. He'd been born in Sunnyvale. California in 1969 and had gone to college at UCLA. However, in his mid-twenties Holloway began joining various religious groups and soon quit his job with a successful software company in Sunnyvale to travel to Asia for the purpose of studying Buddhism, Taoism and other Eastern belief systems. By 1997 he had cut off contact completely with his family and joined Hon-Ming Chen in Taiwan. He'd stayed in Garland after Chen's return to Taiwan and, according to the information they'd received from an ex-member of the sect, was now stock-piling guns and ammunition in preparation for the impending Holocaust in Europe, which he believed would come at the beginning of the new millennium. He was apparently financing these purchases with money from the sale of drugs and other contraband. The village, once a religious commune, had become little more than a drop-off and pick-up station for drug trafficking in the South. Scully knew that she and Mulder had only been assigned to the matter because of the "cult" element, but she didn't really care. It was good to be working on a case where the truth was actually attainable. This was an investigation in which the prime suspect was not only tangible, but more important, prosecutable. To her, it was a welcome respite from their usual investigations in which the perpetrators never saw the inside of a court room. The doctor, a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and round spectacles stepped out into the hallway next to the two agents. "You can talk to him now, if you'd like, though I expect you to keep your questions brief. I understand that the man in a suspect in a criminal investigation, but I can't allow you to jeopardize his medical condition. He's conscious right now, but he's weak from the blood loss, so I'd like you in there no more than fifteen minutes." Mulder nodded tersely to the doctor and opened the door to Holloway's room for Scully. He followed her inside and gestured to the uniformed officer that was standing guard over Holloway. "We'd like to speak with him alone, if you don't mind." The young cop nodded and left the room. "Mr. Holloway," began Scully, my name is Agent Scully and this is Agent Mulder. We're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We have some questions for you. Have you been read your rights.?" As she spoke Holloway turned his head to the window. He remained silent. "Mr. Holloway, are you aware of the charges against you?" Holloway turned to Scully, his dark brown eyes meeting hers. "Your charges don't interest me." he said smugly. "I have only one judge, and you most certainly are not *it*." Then he turned his attention back to the window. "Mr. Holloway, are you aware that we found narcotics on your premises?" Scully didn't mention that they'd only found enough to charge him with possession. That wasn't information that she felt he needed. "And more seriously, you'll most likely be charged with the attempted murder of a child. Do you realize the gravity of these charges, Sir?" "As I said, your charges don't interest me." replied Holloway flatly. "Why kill the girl?" asked Mulder. "Who said I intended to kill her? Besides, the girl is mine, to do with as I please." Holloway replied, the air of superiority still evident in his voice. Scully knew that cult leaders were usually narcissistic, but this guy was unbelievable. Did he think he could just murder with impunity? "The girl is yours?" repeated Mulder. "Yours how? Is she your daughter?' "Jade belongs to me, yes." "If she's your child than why harm her?" "I have no intention of speaking with either of you any further on this matter. You have no understanding of my beliefs, or even of who I am. " "And exactly who would that be? I mean aside from being a pompous, arrogant drug dealer and a bully when it comes to small children--what else you got goin' for you, Paul?" Mulder asked sarcastically. He didn't like this man, for obvious reasons, and wasn't afraid to let his displeasure be known. "I was walking this earth before your soul was even forged, Agent Mulder. I will walk it again, long after you have been reunited with the void." Mulder glanced at his partner to see how she was reacting to this little revelation by Holloway. Just as he'd thought, she was looking at the man with her eyebrows slightly raised, the expression of skepticism clear on her face. "You've been here before have you, Mr. Holloway?" Scully asked. She had gotten used to these types of claims during interviews. She'd heard them several times before, in fact. Ever since she started working with Mulder. Holloway smiled slightly. "Oh my, yes." "Really? In what capacity, if you don't mind my asking." Scully hated to waste valuable time on this man's delusions, but if she could bring him back to reality by exposing his fantasies, maybe they could get back to the real questions. Like where he'd hidden the drugs. She'd read many claims of reincarnation in the X-Files, but the claimants never gave specifics and she knew Holloway would be no different. Everybody was either a former queen of Egypt or a brave knight fighting for King Arthur. Nobody ever flipped burgers or scrubbed out toilets in their past lives. She was sure he would give the same vague stories of the "past" as all the others. "I've lived under many different names in many different places, Agent Scully. At the beginning of the century, I was even in law enforcement, though I'm sure that may be difficult for you to believe given the present circumstances. But it's true. My name was Reynolds then, Jonathan Reynolds and I was one the first men assigned to the Department of Justice in 1908. In the Nineteen sixties, I fought in Vietnam, though not on the side of the U.S. My name was Anh Chau and my village in Laos was completely decimated by U.S. troops. They dropped napalm for three days straight. I remember it quite vividly, particularly the screams of my mother and younger sister. I also...." the man tried to continue, but was taken over by a fit of coughing. He was beginning to weaken. While Scully was surprised at the detailed accounts the man had given, it wasn't enough to convince her that she should give any credence to his claims. For all she knew, he may have made it all up, including the names that he had given them. But when she looked over at her partner, Scully could see that Mulder was keenly interested in what the man was saying.. This sort of thing was right up Mulder's alley, and they both knew it. However, Scully realized that they didn't have much time left with Holloway and they needed to get some answers about the present, not the past. "Mr. Holloway, I would encourage you to cooperate with us. We currently have over a dozen DEA and FBI agents searching the cabins and main house of the village. We will most certainly find the drugs that you have stored there. Should you decide to aid us in our search, however, I can promise that your cooperation will be taken into consideration when you are prosecuted." Silence. A slight smile. It was obvious that the man believed he was untouchable. "Mr. Holloway," Scully continued, " Do you realize you're facing a serious amount of time behind bars?" Holloway smiled again. "What is time to *me*?"
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An hour later Mulder and Scully were at the Garland precinct Tired and frustrated after their fruitless interview with Holloway, they had arrived at the station hoping they'd hear good news-- that the drugs and weapons in the village had been found. Instead, they were met by an even more exhausted-looking police captain. "I'm glad you two are here. We could use the extra help. We've been processing the commune members as quickly as possible, but we're only about half-way through. There's still at least sixty or seventy more to go. And nobody's talking. I hope you got something from Holloway, because these people are nothing but a dead end. We can charge the ones who had drugs in their cabin, of course, and we've got a couple more we're charging with illegal possession of firearms, but the rest of these people are going to be out of here within forty-eight hours. And if they *do* know where the drugs and weapons are being kept, you can bet they're not going to leave them around for us to find. You get anything out of Holloway?" Scully shook her head. "No, the man is clearly delusional. And he's more focused on his fantasies of his "past lives" than he is on the charges facing him. I don't think we're going to get anything from him." "Yeah, well *none* of these people seem too concerned about the here and now. Most of them won't speak at all when questioned. The ones that will speak claim not to know anything about drugs or guns in the village. I questioned the last two personally. You know what they did when I asked them about Holloway?" the captain asked rhetorically. "They told me he was a great prophet anointed by God and then they curled up in the "lotus" position and closed their eyes. They've been chanting-- *all* of them--ever since." The captain removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "It's getting late, and we're not getting anywhere." It *was* getting late, and Scully could feel the long night starting to wear on her. The raid on the village had begun at dusk but that was over three hours ago. Now it was after nine and they didn't have anymore than they'd started with. "We can help with the questioning, if you'd like." Scully offered "Ok, that'd be great, let me just..." "Captain," Mulder interrupted, "where's the girl? The one that was with Holloway. Is she here?' "Uh, yeah. I think she's still here. Social Services was called for her a little while ago, but I don't think they've picked her up yet. One of my men tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't talk to him." "Can we speak with her?" asked Mulder "Yeah, sure, you can try. But I think you'll be wasting your time. Even if she does talk to you, a doubt a young kid like that is going to know where Holloway hid thousands of dollars in drugs and weapons. " Scully didn't say so, but she agreed with the captain. Their best bet was to one of the older commune members to talk. One who could lead them to Holloway's stash. But Mulder was insistent. "Still, I'd like to speak with her." "Okay, I'll have her brought into the holding area."
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As Mulder and Scully passed the vending machines in the east hall of the precinct, Mulder paused and patted his pants pockets in the futile hope of locating a few quarters. "Hey Scully, got any change?" She stopped and turned around, shaking her head, but by that time Mulder had located a crumpled dollar bill in the pocket of his FBI-issue wind-breaker and was attempting to shove the dog-eared bill into the slot on the front of the soda machine. Scully continued down the hall ahead of her partner, but stopped outside of the room where the girl was being held. She turned back to check on Mulder who was, at last, successful in convincing the machine to take his money. He punched one of the buttons with the side of his fist, leaned down and fished out his soda. "Thirsty?" Scully asked as he approached. "Nope. It's a peace-offering." They entered the holding area, a dim room with two small rectangular windows about eighteen inches down from the ceiling. The room was usually used in the interrogation of suspects and Mulder felt a small wave of dread at having to question the girl in such depressing surroundings. Still, it was the best accommodations that the small precinct had to offer. The girl was sitting at the table, staring down at its surface. As the two agents entered she glanced up briefly, then nervously looked away. Since there was absolutely nothing else in the room, she found herself staring back down at the table by default. The two agents pulled out the chairs across from the girl and sat down. Now that he was eye-level with her, she sneaked another look at the male agent. Mulder saw a flicker of recognition cross her face and he knew she realized he was the one who had taken her from the tool -shed. He tried to smile at her, to put her at ease, but she broke eye contact with him so quickly that he didn't get the chance. "Jade," Scully began in a gentle, calm voice, "my name is Dana Scully and this is my partner, Fox Mulder. We'd like to talk with you." Silence. "Will you talk to us, Jade?" The girl shifted uncomfortably in her chair, but stayed silent.
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Big Star Motor Lodge Garland, Texas 7:17 a.m.
Scully had been dressed and waiting for Mulder in the car for over fifteen minutes. Her partner was frequently late and she told herself she should be used to it by now, but the truth was that his lack of punctuality never failed to irritate her. They had a forty-five minute drive ahead of them to the social service hospice to pick up the girl, then another drive further south to the Village. If they were lucky they'd make it by 8:30. If Mulder ever came out of his motel room. Finally, he emerged next to the driver's side of the car, carrying two Styrofoam cups. Scully leaned over and popped his door open for him and he reached in and handed one of the cups to her. The coffee from the motel vending machine was hot but it had the bitter, oily taste to it that Scully was becoming accustomed to after six years of drinking it. Mulder gathered his navy blue trench coat around him with his free hand and sat down next to her. He took a manila envelope from the inside pocket of his coat and tossed it on the dashboard. "Sorry I'm late. I didn't get to bed until after two this morning." "The Playboy Channel running one of your favorites?" Scully asked in a teasing tone "Yeah, you know, as a matter of fact they were....but unfortunately I had to miss it. I was at the university library all night. Doing a little research." Mulder's eyes had the glow they got when he'd found something that interested him. Scully recognized it right away. She was almost afraid to ask. "Research into what?" "The Chen Tao sect. Did you know that they believe in UFOs, Scully? Chen Tao teaches that UFOs are God's vehicles and at the apocalypse the believers will be transported in UFOs into God's kingdom." "So......you're thinking about joining?" Scully smiled. Mulder smiled a little himself. "No. Actually that's not even the element of their beliefs that I found the most interesting." Scully supposed she'd have to take the bait. "Okay, what *did* you find so interesting?" "This. Here take a look." Mulder opened the manila envelope from the dashboard and took out a photocopied sheet of text. "Chen Tao teaches the possibility that there are "outside souls", beings who experienced a violent or unexpected death in their past lives. They believe that these souls become lost and in order to survive they feed upon and drain the spiritual light of others. "Drain the spiritual light?" Scully repeated skeptically. "Yeah." Mulder knew he partner wasn't buying any of this, but he felt compelled to continue just the same. "Like the girl said last night, Chen Tao has most of the elements of many mainstream Eastern religions, including the idea of reincarnation. Transmigration of the soul.. Only in this case, these souls that are being reborn are damaged in some way, even corrupt. Are you familiar with the term "samskara", Scully?" Scully shook her head. "According to Eastern texts, samskaras are the things that you have done in your past life that made a lasting impression on you. These impressions are carried with you into your new life. Part of Karma. This is actually what brings a man to this physical plane--they're the reason we're born again and again and the reason why we feel attracted toward some things and some people and feel an aversion to others. We remember, subconsciously, what we've done in our past lives and will try to repeat it. Only if you're one of these corrupt 'outside' souls, the things that you're trying to repeat are most likely violent, even evil in some way." "Mulder, this is all very interesting, but I don't see...?" "Holloway. It has to do with Holloway. And the girl. I put a call back into the field office last night. I had Danny pull some records for me. Remember the names Holloway gave us yesterday? Well, they check out. There *was* a Jonathan Reynolds assigned to the department of justice in 1908. There were a few little details Holloway left out of his stroll down memory lane though." Mulder continued "Reynolds was thought of very highly by his fellow agents. He had an exemplary service record. Several service commendations. His personnel file describes him as "charismatic". He had a great career ahead of him. Until he shot his wife in the head one night as she slept." "Shot her?." "Yeah. With his service revolver. Then he shot himself. He was thirty when he died. The same age Holloway is now. Scully could see where Mulder was going with this. "But Mulder, just because that name is valid doesn't *mean* it was Holloway. He could have read that somewhere. He's delusional, Mulder. Or else just playing with us." "The other name he gave us checked out too, Scully. There was an Anh Chau living in Laos in 1968. There's a record of him being captured by our government during a raid on a Laotian village. He was released after almost a year in a prison camp. He married shortly afterwards. Care to guess how he and his wife died?" Scully said nothing. "Anh Chau died three days before Holloway was born." Scully sighed. "You're telling me that you believe that Holloway was Reynolds? And Chau? That he's what? An 'outside soul'?" "It would explain why he was so focused on the girl, so intent on killing her in that tool shed." "Because he believes she's his wife?" Mulder shrugged. "Well, at least he's consistent." "She's a thirteen year old girl, Mulder. That's all she is. If Holloway is too mentally ill too realize that, ok. But you should know better." "But Jade...I mean Rachel...said herself that she felt she knew Holloway before, that they'd been together." Mulder argued. "Yes, but she's just a kid, Mulder. And it's likely that she's been *taught* to believe that by Holloway." countered Scully. "Yeah, maybe. But didn't she seem older than thirteen to you Scully? When she was talking to us at the precinct she didn't sound like a child. She sounded much older, didn't she?" "That doesn't mean she's the reincarnation of those dead women." Mulder exhaled slowly. He knew he wasn't going to convince Scully. Her rationality wouldn't let her take the kind of leap necessary to accept his theory. He'd just have to let it lie for awhile. He tossed the manila envelope back on the dash and started the car. "Let's go pick up the girl."
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The MacClearon Children's Home was a large renovated house that provided temporary shelter for up to a dozen children each evening. Most of the children that came to the center had been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and were there awaiting placement in the Texas foster care system. The building was old but well-kept and as Scully walked beside Mulder up the front steps leading to the entry way, she could see that the house had been freshly painted. Mulder pushed the door bell and a blonde woman in her early thirties appeared before them. "Hi. Can I help you?" she said, smiling ` Scully pulled her badge from her trench coat and held it up for the woman to see. "Good morning. I'm Special Agent Scully--this is Special Agent Mulder." said Scully nodding a little towards her partner. "We're here to pick up Rachel Kellerman." "Oh, yes. Someone from the sheriff's office said you'd be by. Please, come in." The living room of the house was large and decorated in a pastel shade of blue. Toys and stuffed animals were scattered in various locations, but the room didn't appear messy, only comfortable. There were two young boys, ages six or seven rolling a fire truck between them on the carpeting. " My name's Corrine Ryan. I'm the director of the program here at MacClearon." She extended her hand to Scully, then Mulder. "Rachel's upstairs. I'll send one of my aides up to get her. Please, sit down." The woman disappeared into an adjoining room that Scully assumed was the kitchen. The two small boys that had been playing with the fire truck stopped long enough to check out the two visitors. Scully smiled warmly at the red-haired boy. His hair and generous spray of freckles reminded her of her brother Bill as a child. The other boy, a brunette, looked up as well and as he did Scully saw that his left eye was swollen shut. It looked like a recent injury and when she glanced at Mulder she could see that he had noticed it as well. Mulder sighed and looked away, but Scully could still read his mixed expression of sadness and irritation. She was pretty sure he'd like to get his hands on whoever had inflicted the wound on the child. So would she, for that matter. Corrine reappeared from the kitchen. "I sent Amy up to get Rachel for you. I wasn't sure what time you'd be here or I would have had her ready for you." "Oh, that's no problem." replied Scully. How is she doing?" "Well...." the woman's voice trailed off and she looked over at the two boys playing nearby. "Jacob, why don't you and David take the fire truck into the kitchen. It will roll better on the tile floor, okay?" The red-head stood up and nodded, though he eyed Corrine suspiciously, like he knew he was being gotten rid of so that the adults could talk freely. He picked up the fire truck and left the room, with the smaller boy tagging behind him. Corrine turned back to the two agents. "Rachel had kind of a rough night. I checked on her before I went to sleep, about ten o'clock, and she was still awake. Then about two in the morning, I could hear her talking in her room. I thought maybe one of the other children was awake as well, so I went to check on them. Rachel was in her room alone, and she was crying in her sleep. I didn't know if I should wake her or not, so I didn't. But whatever she was dreaming about got more intense and after a few minutes she woke herself up. She was very upset, but when I tried to comfort her she pulled away from me. I asked her if she'd had a nightmare, and she said that she had. But when I asked her what it was about she wouldn't tell me. I sat with her for over an hour. First I tried to get her to talk to me about the nightmare, then I gave up and just sat with her, waiting for her to fall back asleep but she didn't. She was still awake when I went back to my room at three thirty. She took a shower this morning, but I couldn't get her to eat any breakfast. She said she wasn't hungry, but that can't be true. She told me herself she didn't even get to finish her dinner last night before the...um...interruption." Interruption.
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Since he was unfamiliar with the town of Garland, Mulder simply stopped the car at the first establishment that looked like it might sell food. It was a small mom and pop diner with a bright yellow awning and a "no shirt no shoes no service" sign perched in one of the windows. They went inside and seated themselves in a both near the back of the diner, Rachel sliding in next to Scully. After a moment, a waitress wearing a bright pink polyester uniform approached the table and automatically poured Mulder and Scully coffee. Mulder supposed everybody in the town of Garland, Texas drank coffee. She introduced herself as Cindy, dropped three laminated menus on the table and walked away to refill the coffee cups of two men sitting at the front counter. Mulder opened his menu. "Let's see. I think I'll have three eggs, hashbrowns, a side of pancakes. And maybe some bacon." Scully looked at her partner incredulously, but stayed silent. Mulder's eating habits would make a trucker cringe. So, what are you going to have, Rachel?" Mulder inquired "I'm not hungry" the girl said quietly. She hadn't even glanced at her menu. "Oh, c'mon" cajoled Mulder. "Scully here is probably going to order a cup of yogurt, or maybe some whole-wheat toast with no butter on it and I'm going to be sitting here with all this food looking like a pig. You gotta order something, Rachel. Help me out." Scully knew that Mulder could care less what anyone thought of his breakfast, he was just trying to convince the girl to eat. And it worked. "Well, I guess I could eat something, she said hesitantly "Maybe some cereal" "Cereal? Nah. We've got a long day ahead--you need something besides cereal" "Um...well...I like pancakes." said the girl "Now you're talking" Inwardly, Scully was touched by Mulder's obvious concern for Rachel. In their work together Mulder didn't often get to express any feelings toward the people he came in contact with. The nature of their job simply didn't allow for it. But now, with Rachel, Scully could see his thoughtfulness and she smiled to herself. She also wondered how much of his compassion for the girl was based on his loss of Samantha. Scully could see how Rachel might remind Mulder of his missing sister. Rachel was a few years older than Samantha, but had the same long dark hair, fair skin and blue eyes. Even their circumstances were somewhat similar. They were both little girls taken from their families and forced into situations beyond their control. Scully was sure that none of this had escaped her partner., even if he didn't speak of it. When their food arrived, they ate in silence for a few minutes, then Mulder said "I hear you had kind of a hard night, Rachel. You didn't sleep well?" The girl stared down at her plate, then shook her head a little. "Corrine said you were having nightmares. You want to tell us about them?" Scully asked softly "No, that's okay. I don't remember that much about them." she said quickly Mulder thought the girl was lying. He'd be willing to bet she remembered them. Vividly "It's okay to tell us. Really, anything you tell us will just stay between us. Promise" The girl exhaled slowly. "It's not that big of a deal. I've always had bad dreams, as long as I can remember. My mom and Dad used to take me to doctors to try and find out why, but nothing ever changed." "Well, what happens in them?" Mulder asked "I don't know. They're always different. Sometimes I'm on a ship and there's a man with me and he has a gun. Then I wake up. Sometimes I see this other man, he's standing over me and I'm lying in bed. His name is Jonathan. I have that dream a lot. Like I said, they're always different. I can't even tell you what the people in the dreams are saying because sometimes they don't speak English. It's like I understand them in the dream, but when I wake up, I can't remember what they were saying. It's weird. I don't know." The girl shrugged. While the girl was speaking, Mulder was looking at Scully. He watched her eyes widen a little at the name 'Jonathan', but Scully quickly looked away. Mulder knew she wasn't going to let herself be convinced so easily. Instead, his partner changed the subject. "Are you finished eating, Rachel? We should get going, Honey." Scully said, reaching for the check. "Okay."
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Rain had begun to fall softly as their car neared the entrance to the Village and Mulder flipped the dashboard switch that engaged the wipers. The girl had been silent since they'd left the restaurant and she appeared to be dozing when Mulder checked on her in his rear-view mirror. He and Scully had been quiet as well for the entire drive, partially because they didn't want to disturb Rachel and partially because they both understood that any conversation between them regarding the case was likely to lead to an argument. In Mulder's mind, all the information that he and Scully had so far uncovered in the case led him to conclude that Paul Holloway and Rachel Kellerman were examples of reincarnation; In fact, they were two of the strongest cases he'd ever come across since he began working on the X-files eight years before. To Mulder, the details that Holloway had given them about his past- life activities and the girl's corresponding nightmares could be explained no other way. But Mulder knew that Scully would never accept his theory--her background in medicine and science would simply not allow it. He deeply respected Scully's opinion and was always willing to listen to her thoughts on their cases, but her inability to concur with him on the extreme possibilities at hand always frustrated him. Mulder stopped the car at the fence surrounding the commune and flashed his badge to the guard posted at the gate. The guard waved him forward and Mulder brought the car to a stop outside of the main house and turned off the ignition. He and Scully got out of the car and Mulder opened the rear drivers side door. The girl stirred in the back seat and looked up at Mulder. "We're here, Rachel." He told her. "'Kay," she said, yawning a little and getting out of the car. DEA agents were still searching the area and Mulder could see them combing the hillside to the west with metal detectors. A few others were at the rear of the main house removing the tarps from various farm machinery. Mulder recognized one, Agent Wilkins, from the night before and waved him over. "Did we get anything yet?" inquired Mulder "No, and we were out here last night until midnight. We started going over the place with a fine tooth comb at dawn this morning, but so far no luck." "Well, we've got someone here we think can help us out." Mulder nodded at Rachel who was standing a few feet away beside Scully. "The kid knows where the drugs are?" Wilkins sounded doubtful. "She knows how to get into the tunnels that run underneath this place." explained Mulder "Tunnels? Seriously? I'll grab a couple other men and meet you around back." Mulder caught up with Scully and Rachel at the side of the house. "Okay Rachel, where do we go?" he asked The girl pointed towards one of the far cabins to the south of the main house. "There. We can get in that way." The girl began walking with the two agents following her. Halfway to the cabin that Rachel had specified, they were joined by three men from the DEA. The girl continued walking, head down with her arms crossed folded across her chest. Mulder thought that she seemed tense and he couldn't blame her. Leading law enforcement to a drug stash wasn't a fun job for anyone, and it was a lot to ask of a thirteen year-old kid. He felt a wave of pity for the girl-- she shouldn't have this responsibility. She didn't belong out here in the rain with half a dozen DEA agents. Still, they needed her to put and end to Holloway's trafficking and to get any weapons that might be on the premises into safe hands. So, although Mulder felt an urge to protect the child, he could do nothing but follow silently behind her as she entered the cabin. The cabins in the village where all the same--small and functional; built for shelter, but not for comfort. They consisted of four walls, a door, a wooden plank floor, and a bed. They were obviously built for people who were not concerned about material possessions or personal space. Once inside the cabin, the girl pointed to the metal-framed bed that took up most of the floor space in the small room. "You'll have to move that." she said quietly. Two of the DEA agents quickly stepped forward to comply. They shoved the bed into the far corner of the cabin with ease. Once it was out of the way, Mulder looked at the area of the floor that the bed had covered. He could see what looked like newer wooden planks in a small area, maybe three feet across. Rachel walked over and knelt down on the floor, then glanced up at Mulder. "Do you have a knife?" she asked. "Yeah..." he said, digging in his pocket. "Here." Rachel took the knife from him and pushed the blade into a small crack in the floorboards. Grunting, she pried the floorboards up a little, enough to get her hand in the crack, then pulled out the knife. Mulder knelt beside her and together they lifted up the three-foot square of boards that was the entrance to the tunnel. Even without a flashlight, Mulder could see the makeshift stairs constructed from two by fours leading to the dirt floor below. He looked up at Scully and raised his eyebrows. "So...ladies first?" he inquired. "Flashlights are in the car." she reminded him. "Oh, yeah, well I'll..."he started to reply "That's okay, I've got one." replied one of the DEA agents. "I'll go down first." The man approached the trap door and shone his flashlight down. "The stairs look sturdy enough, I guess." He took a few steps down with the other two DEA agents began following him. When they were down, Scully began her descent, then stopped to see to see why Mulder wasn't following her. He was standing looking at the entrance to the cabin, where Rachel now stood. "Rachel, aren't you coming down with us?" asked Mulder She shook her head and continued out of the cabin. "Where are you going? Rachel?" no answer. Mulder looked at Scully and shrugged. "Go ahead down , Scully. I'll catch up with you later. I want to see where she's going." Scully nodded and disappeared down the trap door.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mulder had followed Rachel across the back lawn of the village and watched her enter the main house. He had called out to her twice but she had either not heard him or simply ignored him. He'd finally caught up to her in the hallway outside of the house's kitchen. "What are you doing, Honey?" he asked. The girl looked down at the floor. "I've been thinking about something. About what you and Agent Scully asked me about last night. About Paul." The girl kept her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke. She was speaking so softly that Mulder had trouble hearing her, but he didn't want to ask her to speak up. She seemed to be on the verge of telling him something, or wanting to tell him something, and he thought it best to just stay quiet and not interrupt. He leaned down closer to the girl, but stayed silent. "I know that Paul's not what he says he is." she continued quietly. He's not a holy man. He's not even a good man. He tells me that he loves me, but I don't think he does. He watches me all the time, hardly even lets me out of his sight, but I don't think that's love is? I mean, not really. He says he's going to marry me when I'm a little older. He says it's what's meant to be. But I ...." the girl's voice broke and even with her face down, Mulder could see one tear sliding down her cheek. Mulder wanted to comfort her, to hold her. The girl was in so much pain that Mulder could actually feel it emanating from her body. He was too afraid of startling her as he had the night before to risk it though, so instead he tentatively reached out and gently placed his hand on one of her shoulders. Very lightly. When he was sure she wasn't going to pull away, he spoke softly to her. "You don't have to marry anyone, Rachel. And certainly not Holloway. In fact, I don't think he's going to be available for a long, long time. He's going to jail--you understand that don't you?" The girl nodded. "There's something else." she said. As she spoke, she reached up and wiped some tears from her face with one hand. "What's that?" Mulder asked quietly "I know what my dreams mean." Mulder was surprised. "What do you think they mean, Rachel?" She looked up at Mulder and met his eyes. "It's Paul. In all those dreams, even the ones that are hard for me to remember. It's him with the gun. And he's Jonathan--I know he is. I've known for a really long time, I just didn't want to think about it. He told me the truth about that, didn't her? He and I *have* always been together. But I don't think it was like he said. He says that we've always loved each other. But in my dreams, I don't feel love. In my dreams I'm always afraid of him. I think he wants to hurt me. I think he already has." Mulder didn't know what to say. The girl sighed. "He doesn't love me. He never has. I believed him at first. I wanted to because he was sort of like a father to me when I first came here. And I missed my dad *so* much. Paul knew it--he knew I was lonely and missed my dad and he used it. Used it to get...close to me." The girl swallowed hard. "Like I said, he's not a holy man. He's not even a *good* man. Mulder knew where the girl was going with this, what she was trying to say without actually saying it, but he didn't want to accept it. He didn't want to think of just how "close" Holloway may have gotten to Rachel. Because if he had to think about that, about Holloway touching this little girl, he thought he might lose it. He clenched his jaw and waited. But instead of speaking, Rachel turned from Mulder and walked toward the staircase leading to the upstairs of the house. Mulder followed her up and stopped when she did, outside of a closed door at the top of the stairs. She stood with her hand on the doorknob for a moment and it looked to Mulder like she was taking a deep breath, gathering her courage. Then she opened the door and they both stepped inside. It was a large bedroom, by far the largest and most elegantly furnished room Mulder had seen on the compound. A king-sized bed was in the middle of the room, covered by a down comforter. Eastern and occidental art hung on the walls and two giant bookcases lined one wall.. Mulder glanced at the books on one of the shelves. Texts on Eastern mysticism and primers on Taiwanian folk religions. Holloway. This was Holloway's bedroom. Mulder glanced over at Rachel. Since they had entered the room, she had been silent. She stood now in the middle of the room staring at the bed. She seemed transfixed by it. Then she shuddered and crossed her arms over her chest in what Mulder knew was a protective gesture. She shook her head quickly, as if to clear it and approached the large oak headboard of the bed. Mulder watched as she slid her hand behind the headboard, then ran her hand down the small space between the headboard and the wall. When she pulled her hand back out, she was holding a large white envelope. "He doesn't think I know where he hides this, but I saw him put it back there one night. He thought I was asleep." She walked over to Mulder and without looking at him pressed the envelope into his hand. Then she walked out of the room without saying another word and closed the door behind herself. Mulder watched the door close. He stared down at the envelope, but did not open it. He could tell by the size and weight what the contents were. Photographs. He clenched his jaw. He looked around the room again. He looked at the bed. He wondered exactly what went on in this room. He had a pretty good idea. He knew if she opened the envelope he would find out for sure. He swallowed. He put the unopened envelope in his jacket and left the room. When he got outside, he could see Rachel sitting in the back seat of their rental car. He knew she'd had enough for one day, told him as much as she could in her own way. Scully was coming across the yard now and waved a little at him to get his attention. He walked over and met her halfway. "Hey, where'd you disappear to?" she asked. "You missed it." "What'd I miss? he asked to be polite, not because he really cared at that moment. His mind was on Rachel. "We got it. Everything." Scully smiled happily. "There's got to be half a million down there in cocaine. Enough guns to make even Charleton Heston nervous. Skinner's going to be thrilled." Mulder nodded, but he didn't smile. "Mulder, *you* don't look too thrilled." Scully was looking pensively at her partner. "We can charge Holloway now, Mulder. Trafficking charges that will stick. Weapons charges that will stand up in court." Damn it, why was she *explaining* this to him.? He *knew*. Why didn't he seem happy? "We can charge him with something else, too." Mulder replied. Scully looked at him expectantly. He handed her the envelope from his jacket pocket, then looked away as she opened it. He could hear her shuffling through the photos. He wanted to know, but he didn't want to look. He didn't want to see Holloway with Rachel. If he did, he thought Holloway might never be lucky enough to make it into a courtroom. Not if Mulder could get to him first. But he had to know--to make sure. "Are there any of Rachel?" he asked. His voice sounded faint and far away to him. Not his voice at all. Scully sighed and shoved the photos back in the envelope. "They're *all* of Rachel."
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They were halfway back to the social service hospice when Mulder's cell phone rang. He took one hand off of the steering wheel and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pushed the green flashing button with his thumb and pulled up the antenna with his teeth. "Mulder" "Agent Mulder, this is Detective Adney at the Garland precinct. You asked us to give you a call when we finished questioning the girl's mother." "She's there with you now?" Mulder asked "Yes, sir, she is. I just finished talking to her myself. Not that she did much talking. She gave her name as Sarah Holloway when she was brought in. We would have never even known she was the girl's mother if you hadn't told us she'd be using another name. She's not being charged with anything, though. Her cabin was clean." "Okay. Keep her there for me, will you? I have someone that wants to see her." Mulder glanced at the girl in his rear view mirror. "She'll be here. I don't think she has anyplace to go." "All right. Thanks for the call." Mulder pressed the "end" button on the phone. Mulder looked up in his rear view mirror again. "Rachel? Honey, we found your mom. She's down at the precinct. Would you like to go and see her?" Rachel had been sitting in the back seat staring silently out the drivers side window for the past twenty minutes since they'd left the Village. She hadn't spoken to either of the agents and Mulder and Scully were careful not to discuss the case in front of the child. Neither of them wanted to distress her anymore than she already appeared to be, nor did they want to embarrass her by discussing the contents of the white envelope. However, when Mulder mentioned her mother, the girl brightened considerably. She smiled and for the first time since they'd discovered her in the tool shed she looked genuinely happy. "I can see her?" she asked Mulder excitedly. "Sure, if you'd like. We can go there now." "Yes. That would be so great. I haven't had a chance to really see her or talk to her in....I don't know. A really long time." Scully turned and looked over her shoulder at Rachel. At the moment, she looked like any other young girl despite the trauma of the past twenty-four hours and the horror of what she'd been going through with Holloway for God-only-knew how long. She smiled at the girl, but inwardly Scully cursed Holloway. It wasn't enough that he had sexually abused the child, he had separated her from her mother as well, a woman she obviously loved and needed. Bastard. Scully knew how hurtful it was for a mother and child to be separated. Although she'd been given only a painfully short time with her own child, Emily, she still missed the little girl every day. Even after only holding Emily a few times, her arms ached for her. And Scully would have given anything to have not lost Emily, to not have been separated from her. To think that Holloway had deliberately imposed that type of pain on Rachel and her mother made Scully furious.
By the time they arrived at the precinct, Rachel seemed like a different child. She had come to life in the car after hearing that she would soon be reunited with her mother and had even spoken animatedly about how different things were going to be now that she and her mother would be together. Mulder was glad to see the girl so happy, but he was concerned as well. He knew that in Rachel's mind she was already making plans for the future with her mother. But the future was going to be complicated for Rachel and her mother and Mulder understood that. Her mother had spent the last three years of her life in a religious commune and most likely had her every thought programmed for her. He knew that Elizabeth Kellerman probably deeply resented the FBI's intrusion into what she most likely perceived as a peaceful life in the village. If she believed the sect's doctrines, and Mulder had no reason to think otherwise, she would now feel that she was being driven from her home and put out into the street. It was also likely that she had no money or any type of material possessions left at all after three years in the commune. It would not be easy for her to start over with Rachel. But Mulder was counting on the woman's natural love for her daughter to give them a place to start. Rachel was very young, with most of her life still ahead, and he knew that she would need the love and support of a parent, particularly after everything that she'd been through. When Mulder pulled up next to the curb, Rachel jumped out of the car before he'd even had a chance to turn off the ignition. She bounced ahead of him and Scully into the entrance of the precinct. Then turned back to them impatiently, waiting for them to catch up. Mulder approached the desk clerk, showed his badge, and asked that Rachel's mother be brought in to the holding area. As the three of them sat at the table waiting for her, Rachel fidgeted anxiously and Mulder could feel the excitement bubbling out of the girl. He looked over at Scully and smiled. Finally, the door to the room was opened, and Elizabeth Kellerman entered, followed by one of the detectives. As soon as she saw her mother, Rachel leapt from her chair and ran to the woman, hugging her. Elizabeth leaned down and hugged her back, then smiled at Rachel. Mulder could see the resemblance between the two of them. Rachel had her mom's features, the same small nose and wide-spaced blue eyes. But as Elizabeth caught sight of the two agents, her smile faded. Mulder rose and introduced himself and Scully to the woman, then extended his hand. She looked at him coldly and ignored his gesture. Mulder let his hand fall back to his side. Elizabeth turned to her daughter. "Jade, where have you been? I've been waiting for you for over an hour." she sounded slightly annoyed. Mulder was surprised the woman referred to her daughter by the name that Holloway had given her, instead of the name that she had chosen for her child. "We went back to the Village, Mom. They needed me to help them find something." explained Rachel. Elizabeth's face darkened. "You *helped* them?" she asked. It sounded like an accusation. "Well, yeah, Mom..."Rachel hesitated at the change in her mother's tone. "I showed them where the tunnels are." "You *what*? How could you do that, Jade?" her mother demanded, growing angry. Rachel stared at her mother with a bewildered expression on her face...."Mom, they just wanted to get the drugs out of the ..." Rachel's voice trailed off. Her mother was looking at her with such an expression of rage that Mulder was afraid for the girl's safety. "Mrs. Kellerman," he began "I think that you and I should talk privately about this before things go any further. If you'd come with me for a few minutes, I can explain...." "I'm not going anywhere with you people." Elizabeth replied harshly. "I have no desire to talk to you about anything. How *dare* you people come into our home, a sacred and holy place, and drive us out. And these charges are ridiculous. Drugs. Guns. Paul Holloway is a prophet, one anointed by God, and you people are treating him as though he were a criminal. And *you*" she turned to Rachel "*Have you forgot everything that Paul has taught us? Everything that he has done for us? How could you be so ungrateful? To help those who are persecuting him. To aid them in their lies." Rachel was staring up at her mother with large, frightened eyes. "Mom, I.." the girl began with a tremor in her voice. "I thought I was doing the right thing. Paul really *did* have drugs down in the tunnel. I saw them being carried out when I was sitting in the car. And I..." "Quiet Jade!" Elizabeth scolded harshly. "That's enough. Obviously these people have infected you with their lies. They've convinced you to turn against Paul, though I don't know how." "Mrs. Kellerman, no one has lied to you or to your daughter." Scully stood up and approached the woman so that she could look her in the eye. "I assure you that the charges that Mr. Holloway is facing are not only substantiated, but will be proven in a court of law. We have no intention of misleading either you or your daughter." Scully's voice was icy. The woman's behavior toward her daughter was reprehensible. "Mom, please listen. They're telling the truth, Mom. Paul lied to us. He's not what he says he is. Mom, he...." Rachel began to cry. "He hurt me mom. He hurt me a lot." The girl continued to cry, head down, unable to look at anyone in the room. Mulder wanted to reach for her, to hold her close. He looked at Scully. His partner looked like she was near tears herself. Elizabeth's expression changed. She was no longer looking at Rachel with anger and she seemed calmer. But she still made no move to comfort her child. "What do you mean, he hurt you?" she asked quietly "At night. He hurt me at night." The girl could hardly speak. Her cries had turned to sobs and her chest was rising and falling heavily with each breath she took. Her face had turned a deep crimson with pain and shame. "He...he...touched me." Elizabeth's face registered shock. Mulder watched as her already fair complexion turned even more pale. She swallowed hard. "He touched you...sexually? You're saying Paul molested you?" the pitch of her voice went up an octave. "Paul?" Head still down, Rachel could only nod. Elizabeth looked at her little girl, her only child, standing sobbing and trembling before her. Mulder could see the torn expression on Elizabeth's face. He knew that she was struggling,, trying to choose between the words of the child she had given birth to, and her belief in the man who had controlled her life for the past three years. She stood in silent deliberation, just staring at Rachel. Then before Mulder knew she was going to do it, she reached out and slapped her daughter across the face. "LIAR!" she spat. "BLASPHEMER!" Mulder stepped between Elizabeth and Rachel and protectively pushed the sobbing child behind his back. He wanted to slap Elizabeth's face, as she had done to Rachel and he had to fight to keep his hands at his side. The detective that had entered the room with Elizabeth now took ahold of the woman's arm and began to lead her from the room, but Elizabeth continued to hurl insults at her daughter. "DEVIL! JUDAS! HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH THINGS? HOW COULD YOU HURT PAUL LIKE THIS?" Scully had enough. The woman had done enough damage to her already-traumatized child. She grabbed the woman's other arm and together with the detective dragged the woman, still screaming, from the room and closed the door. Mulder turned to Rachel, but she wasn't standing behind him as he'd expected. She had slumped to the floor and was sitting with her arms tightly wrapped around herself, face pressed into her thighs. She was sobbing so loudly that it echoed off of the walls in the small room, and as she cried she rocked herself back and forth at Mulder's feet. Mulder knelt down next to her. He now had no fear of touching her, of upsetting her because she was already near hysteria. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. He felt her pull back a little at first, then she wrapped her arms so tightly around his waist that he had trouble inhaling. She sobbed against him, burying her face in his suit jacket as he rocked her in his arms. He stroked her hair with one hand and spoke as tenderly as he could to her. He didn't even know what he was saying, but he figured it didn't matter. "Shhhh....it's okay, baby. It's all right.....shhhhh...." He held her for a long time like that, waiting for her sobs to subside. Eventually they lessened a little and she loosened her grip on him, but didn't let go. He rubbed her back. "I know you're hurting, but it's going to be okay." he said softly. "She didn't know what she was saying, Rachel. She's been with Paul for three years and she can't think for herself. She didn't mean it." Mulder had no desire to defend the woman, but he would have said anything at that moment to lessen Rachel's pain. Rachel's sobs tapered off and became little hiccoughy cries. Mulder kept his arms around her while she attempted to gain control of herself. All the while he kept talking softly to her, assuring her that everything was going to be all right. That with help, her mother would come around. That she was going to be safe. He hoped he wasn't lying to her. She stopped crying and released her hold on Mulder. She sat by his side on the cold tile floor of the interrogation room, not looking at him. He stayed silent and kept one arm around her shoulders. Her hiccoughs were fading. He wondered what she'd say when she finally regained her composure enough to speak. After a few moments, she reached up and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her sleeve. Then for the first time since she'd given him the photographs, she looked Mulder straight in the eye. He waited for her to speak. He couldn't have been more surprised by her words. "I want to see Paul." Fox Mulder was rarely surprised. By anybody. His years of studying human behavior while working toward his Ph.D. is psychology combined with his experience as a profiler for the FBI had gained him insight into human nature that most people, particularly those in law enforcement, would envy. He generally knew what another person was going to do or say before the fact. But Rachel's request caught him off guard. "You want to see Paul?" he repeated, slowly. "Yeah. I do." There was a determination in Rachel's eyes now. And a certainty in her tone that Mulder hadn't heard before. "Why would you want to do that?" Mulder was genuinely puzzled. Most abuse victims would give almost anything to *not* see their abuser again. "I want to see him. I want to tell him what he's done. I want him to *know*" she took a deep breath., then continued. "You know, I've been afraid of him all this time. For three years. Do you know that? I've tried to avoid him every day of my life for the past three years. I told you that I used to play hide and seek down in the tunnels, remember? Well, I wasn't really *playing* Guess who I was hiding from? Three years of pretending I was asleep every night when he came into my room to...get me. I was afraid--all the time....but not anymore." As she spoke, there was so much bitterness in her voice that Mulder thought she sounded like a different person. Then he thought of Rachel's dreams, her nightmares. Maybe she *was* a different person. And although he never would have admitted it to Scully, he felt a little shiver go down his spine. Maybe this wasn't Rachel sitting with him at all, maybe it was the ghost of those dead women. Speaking through this child. "That's what I want to tell him. That I'm not afraid of him anymore. He'll never hurt me again. I won't let him." "You're right, Rachel. He can't hurt you. He's going to be in jail for a very long time, hopefully the rest of his life. I know you're angry and you have every right to be and I can understand your wanting to confront him. You have every right to do that, too. And I think it's a good idea, that it would be good for you, you know what I mean? But I think maybe you should wait a little while, Honey. You've been through so much in the past twenty-four hours. Seeing Paul right now may be more difficult for you than you think, and you'll have a good opportunity to confront him at the trial. Judges do that in court, did you know that? They let the victims speak in court, confront the person that has hurt them. I know you feel like you want to do this now, but maybe it'd be better to take some time." Mulder applauded the girl's courage in wanting to stand up to Holloway, but he was concerned for her well being. Bur Rachel was adamant. "I want to do it now. Before I lose my nerve. I want to tell him *now*." her voice was hard. Mulder sighed. "You're sure?" "I'm sure" Mulder nodded and stood up, extending his hand to Rachel. She took it and Mulder pulled her up to her feet. "All right. Let's go"
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A nurse approached Mulder and Rachel as they made their way down the corridor to Holloway's room. "Excuse me, sir?" Mulder turned and faced the woman. "The patient in this room is not allowed visitors." Mulder pulled his badge and held it up for the woman to see. "We won't be long." The nurse looked at the badge, nodded, and walked away. As Rachel reached to open the door, Mulder caught her wrist. "Rachel, are you sure you don't want to wait?" She didn't answer, but tugged her wrist from Mulder's grip and pushed open the door. Holloway was laying in bed with his eyes closed and Mulder thought for a moment that the man was asleep. Then Holloway's eyes opened and he saw Rachel. He seemed to smile. But Mulder thought it was more of a sneer than a smile. "Well'" he said. So nice to have a visitor." The man's tone was mocking. Mulder held his badge out to the female officer sitting with Holloway. "Could you excuse us please?" She put the magazine down that she'd been reading and left the room. "Hello, Jade." Holloway said brightly. "Rachel." she corrected flatly "Yes, well, whichever. You know it's funny, I was just thinking of you, my dear." "Were you?" Rachel's tone was ominous. As she looked at Holloway, Mulder swore he could see little flashes of fire behind Rachel's blue eyes. "Yes. My attorney was here only a few moments ago. He informed me that someone had led the police to the tunnels that run underneath the Village. And asked myself, Now, who would do such a thing? Who do I know that would betray me?" Holloway asked rhetorically. "Of course, I assumed it was you." "*I betrayed *you*?" Rachel's voice rose. "After everything that you've done to me, everything that you've put me through, you think I betrayed *you*? "I knew you would of, course. You always have. Every time. Not once in all the centuries that we've spent together have you ever stayed faithful to me." Holloway sighed. "I was so hoping this time would be different." Holloway's tone was light. He spoke as if this was all just a minor annoyance. As if being shot, prosecuted and sent to prison for the rest of his life was no different than a bee sting or a flat tire. Something that would pass quickly away. Maybe for him it was. "I didn't come here to talk about that. I came here to tell you something, Paul. To give you a message." Rachel's voice was thick and Mulder thought she sounded old. Not *older*--old. "And what would you like to tell me, Sweetheart." Holloway was smiling, mocking her, and Mulder fought the overwhelming urge to wrap the man's IV tubing around his throat. "I'm not afraid of you anymore." she said it matter-of-factly. She looked Holloway straight in the eye when she said it, too. Mulder was proud of--maybe even impressed by-- her. "Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad. After all, why would you be? I've done nothing but take you in and care for you for the past three years. You and your mother both. I did everything in my power to help you. Although I must admit, your behavior today certainly lacks the ring of gratitude that I would have expected." "GRATITUDE?! YOU THINK I SHOULD BE *GRATEFUL* TO YOU?" Rachel shouted "Come on Rachel, let's go." Mulder took her by the arm. He had brought her here, let her say what she needed to say to Holloway, but now he could see this situation was going to deteriorate very quickly. He wanted to get Rachel out of there before Holloway could do anymore emotional damage to the child. But Rachel snatched her arm from Mulder's grasp and turned to Holloway, her blue eyes blazing. "You want me to be *grateful*? You stole three years of my life from me. You stole my mother from me." Rachel spit out the words. "I hate you. I've always hated you. I'm glad you're going to jail. I hope you die there." Holloway's expression never changed as Rachel spoke. When she was finished, he asked brightly "So, did you show them the pictures?" A sudden look of fear and shame crossed Rachel's face. Holloway had pushed the right button. Mulder wanted to kill him. Not hurt him. Not hit him. Kill him. He found himself suddenly wondering what type of pattern Holloway's brains would make on the wall behind his bed. He had his Glock with him. He was willing to find out. Instead, he put one arm around Rachel's shoulders and began to lead her to the door. As he walked her out he leaned down and said quietly "It's all right. Let's go. He can't hurt you. You'll never see him again. It's over." They were almost to the door. "Oh, quite the contrary." Holloway called to them. "It's not over. It'll never be over. You know that don't you, Jade? It wasn't over in 1908. Or 1968. And it certainly isn't over now. You do understand that, don't you my dear?" Holloway smiled again. Rachel turned back to Holloway. Mulder could feel her trembling, but when she spoke her voice was clear and full of conviction. She looked directly at Holloway. "I *do* know. I understand that we're not finished. But for now, it *is* over. You've taken three years of my life, this life, from me. And I won't give you another second." She turned back and walked ahead of Mulder to the door. She had just placed her hand on the doorknob when Holloway spoke again. "See you in your dreams."
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EPILOGUE---ONE WEEK LATER
MacClearon Children's Home Garland, Texas
Mulder and Scully were seated together on the swing on the back deck of the social service hospice waiting for Rachel to come out. They both had news to tell her. Mulder watched his partner as she nervously twisted her necklace, the one she always wore, around one finger. "Mulder, what if she doesn't like the idea?" Scully asked. "What if she says no?" "Why would she say no? You worry too much, Scully." Just then the sliding glass doors opened onto the deck and Rachel stepped out. She was dressed in jeans and a light blue sweater that accentuated her eyes. She looked considerably better than the last time the agents saw her. She smiled when she saw them and leaning down, gave them each a brief hug. "Corrine said you guys were here. I'm surprised...I didn't think I'd see you until the trial next month." She sat down in the small space between the two agents, so that all three of them were stuffed rather tightly into the porch swing. "Well'" said Scully "There was something that I wanted to discuss with you" "What's that?" Scully looked at Mulder and he nodded in encouragement. "Well, I've been thinking. Corrine told me that your stay here at MacClearon's is almost over. That you're going to be placed in a foster home next week." "Yeah, I guess they only let kids stay here for a week. Then they have to be placed somewhere else. I wish I was going to live with my mom." the girl added sadly. "I know you do, Honey." Scully replied. "And I'm sure that'll happen eventually. She's getting the help she needs now, you know. It's just going to take her some time to put things behind her." "I guess so." "But, anyway, I was thinking how you need a place to stay until then. And I thought of someone who could use the company." "Really? Who?" The girl seemed surprised. "My mom. Her name is Margaret. I know that you don't know her, but I've told her all about you. She'd really like to have you come and stay with her." "Your mom? She wants me to live with her? Why?" the girl seemed genuinely surprised. "Well, like I said she knows that you need a place to stay. And she lives alone now. My father and sister passed away last year and she's been kind of on her own ever since--the way you are right now. She has a big house all to herself, and I know she'd appreciate your company. She said so herself. You'd be welcome to stay with her for as long as you like. Until you can work things out with your mom, I mean." Scully didn't mention to Rachel that she herself had considered taking custody of her. She had been tempted. But in the end, her pain in losing Emily was still too new, the wound too fresh. And there were practical matters to consider. Scully's work with Mulder caused her to travel a great deal--she'd hardly see the girl. Alone in Scully's apartment, the girl would have been almost as isolated as she'd been in the Village. Scully hoped for something better for Rachel. So she had done the next best thing she could. She had asked her mother to take the girl. "And I can just move in there? I mean, I'm like a ward of the state right now. Can I just..." "That 's all been taken care of, Honey. I was able to pull a few strings and get my mom's application for a foster care license rushed through." She smiled at the girl. "One of the perks of working for the government. And I've already spoken to Corrine about your placement there. All you have to do is say yes." "YES!" the girl said. "That would be great. I don't know what to say. Thank you." "Good. I'll tell her that you'll be ready to go then next week. She'll fly out here and meet you. so that you don't have to travel alone." "Fly? Where does she live?" "Virginia" "Oh. Okay. Well, I guess I'll just have to fly back out here next month to testify." Scully looked at Mulder, who'd been sitting silently until now. He placed his hand on Rachel's arm to get her attention and said "Well, actually that's something else we need to discuss." Rachel gave him a perplexed look. "Why? What happened?" "You won't have to testify, Rachel. There's not going to be any trial." Mulder explained. "What? Why not?" "Holloway's dead, Rachel. He died yesterday afternoon." "Died?" She looked stunned. "Died how?" Mulder had hoped to spare her the details. But she had asked and he wasn't going to lie to her--it would be in the papers by morning anyway. "He committed suicide. Hanged himself in his cell." Rachel sat dazed for a moment, digesting the information. Scully wished that they didn't have to give her the gruesome news, but in a morbid sort of way, she figured it was for the best. The issue with Holloway was finished and Rachel would be spared the trauma and embarrassment of testifying to the details of what he'd done to her in front of a courtroom full of people. It might not have been the closure to the case that they'd expected, but at least it was over. In a way, Rachel was lucky. Scully looked at the girl sitting beside her. But when Rachel spoke, it was to Mulder. "He's already waiting for me again, isn't he? That's why he did it. He didn't win this time, so he just started the game over." Mulder didn't know what to say. He'd been thinking the same thing since he'd received the news of Holloway's death. But he didn't want to add to Rachel's fears by agreeing with her. He looked at Scully. Scully put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Rachel, Holloway is dead. Regardless of what you believe, what you've been taught, he's dead and *you* have your whole life ahead of you. You have people that care about you. Mulder and I care for you a great deal, Rachel, and my mom adores you already and she hasn't even met you yet. You've missed out on a lot of the good things in life for the past three years, and now you have the opportunity to make up for that time. I'm not going to try to change your beliefs, those are for you to form as you get older. But I will tell you that worrying about what may happen in another life will only make you miserable in *this* one." Rachel sat quietly for a moment, then nodded. "Besides," continued Scully "You won't have time to worry. You'll be going to school, making new friends, doing the things you should have been doing all along." Rachel smiled. "Will you come and visit?" "Of course. And I'll bring Mulder." Scully gestured to her partner. "He needs to get out and meet new people even more than you do." Scully smiled at Mulder. He made a face at her. "Okay." Rachel stood up and gave Mulder and Scully another hug. "Thanks for everything" "Thank you, Honey. And my mom will give you a call and find out when you're ready to go, okay?" "Okay. Bye." The girl disappeared back through the sliding doors. Mulder and Scully walked back to their car. Now that there would be no trial in Garland they were due back in D.C. in the morning. Skinner had already called them earlier in the day and briefed them on a case involving the disappearance of a scientist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Scully wondered where this new case would lead. She realized Rachel wasn't the only one who felt like she was caught in an endless cycle. She sighed and got into the car.
The End