Thanks to those who read the first part. I was hoping for one or two more reviews but I saw some people followed the story and added it to favorites so I'll release a second part. Bear with some smaller chapters as I get the story together in my head. Please try to review and let me know what you think.
A companion episode for this story could be a deeply underrated episode from season 3, Oubliette. Season 3 I think is the best of the series and some true gems get lost in the shuffle. Oubliette is one of them. Ok intro over.
J. Edgar Hoover Building
5:36 AM
Mulder stepped off the elevator and found Scully walking towards him. She was dressed for work but Mulder had just thrown on a shirt, jeans, and a jacket.
"Scully. So what happened?" asked Mulder.
"Look, Mulder, I don't think you're going to get asked onto this task force. Skinner brought your name up but the agent in charge shot it down pretty quickly,"
"Whose in charge?"
"Agent Crowder. Not your biggest fan. To be honest not mine either. But he has a good track record with kidnappings."
"Then he's the right man for the job, sure. Listen, Scully, I need to talk to you. In private. Preferably down in my office."
"I can't step away right now, Mulder. Skinner wants me on this."
"Agent Mulder," exclaimed special agent Glenn Crowder, as he came out of the meeting room being used to create the situation room for the task force.
"Agent Crowder," greeted Mulder.
"I don't remember asking for you," replied Crowder.
"I heard about what happened. Came down to offer my help. I've profiled a few kidnappings in my time," explained Mulder.
Crowder obviously wanted to say no but he also couldn't deny that before his work on the X Files Mulder had been one of the top profilers in the bureau. So he just nodded.
"Alright, you want to write up a profile, that's fine by me. But you listen to me, Mulder. I know about the absurdity you call your work on the X-Files. So you write up a profile and stay out of my way and my team's way," warned Crowder.
"I guess I'll have to live with that," replied Mulder.
Crowder nodded.
"Agent Scully will fill you in,. You're welcome to look at what we have for now," said Crowder.
He went back into the war room, as it was being called, leaving Mulder and Scully in the hallway.
"So what do they have? If anything?" asked Mulder.
"Gerald Leeds woke up to get a glass of water. He went downstairs and found the alarm system had been disabled. He went upstairs to check on his children. He found Jack gone and his window open. There was a ladder leading against the house. The garage door was open as well," explained Scully.
"Obviously where the kidnapper got the ladder. So this guy either knows the alarm code or knows how to hack them?" asked Mulder.
"Those are the theories that Crowder is going with. SO what did you want to tell me?"
"Why don't we go down to my office?"
Scully sighed but accompanied Mulder down to his office. He turned on his lights and then went over and started looking through the cabinets with the X files.
"Don't tell me this reminds you of an X file?" asked Scully.
"Not the actual kidnapping now. Scully, do you know if the Leeds family is religious?" asked Mulder.
"Actually they are. Jack Leeds and his sister go to private Catholic schools in Bethesda," replied Scully. "I'm afraid to ask why that's relevant."
"I saw him in my apartment."
"Who?"
"Jack Leeds."
"Oh, Jesus, Mulder."
"On May 5th 1984 a nine-year-old boy named Henry McNeil went missing in Wheeling, West Virginia. Left his house to walk to the bus, never made it. His father was away on a business trip. In San Francisco. He woke up at around the same time as his son was being kidnapped. Swore he saw him in his hotel room. The same thing happened to me tonight. Jack Leeds was in my apartment."
"Do not tell that to Crowder or Agent Leeds and his family. Mulder, even if I believed this, why wouldn't Jack Leeds appear to his father and not to you?"
"I don't know. Not yet anyway."
"And why is it important that he's religious?"
"Prayer is supposed to be a powerful tool in religious all over the world. In some religions it's almost like a chant. Certain Native American tribes for one use intense chanting to leave their bodies or possibly even travel to other planes of existence. So I think Jack Leeds in some way prayed himself out of his body and came to me asking for help."
"Mulder, I, don't even know how to respond to that. Do not turn this into an X file or Crowder will try to ruin you. Skinner can only protect you so much."
"I'm not turning this into anything. I'm going to write up a profile but also investigate this and try to save Jack Leeds. You with me, Scully?"
Scully found herself at a crossroads. This case was going to become a powder keg real fast. Right now everyone was cooperating because it was early on. A colleague was in need and people were agreeable. But that would change real fast. Fingers would start to be pointed. Crowder had a short temper. Scully had seen that when she worked on a task force with him early on in her career. He didn't like it when a case went nowhere. Mulder's access to this case would not last long. Scully knew it. A part of her wanted to talk him into just writing up the profile and keeping his distance. But at the same time she knew that if there was the possibility of a supernatural element to this case, no one was better suited to help then Mulder.
"Alright, Mulder. I'm with you. But we tread lightly and keep our theories to ourselves for right now,"
There was a knock on the door and Mulder and Scully looked over to see Skinner standing in the doorway with a file in his hand.
"Sir, please come in. What brings you to my humble abode down here?" asked Mulder.
"Agent Crowder put together a summary for you. I volunteered to bring it down to you," replied Skinner.
"Crowder has you running errands for him?" asked Mulder.
Skinner gave Mulder a dirty look as he put the file down on his desk.
"I was coming down here anyway to talk to you s soon as Crowder told me you were involved. Now you better be completely honest with me, Mulder. WHat's your angle here?" asked Skinner.
"I don't have an angle, sir," answered Mulder. "I want to help out."
Skinner saw the X file on Mulder's desk and went over and picked it up, opening it to read it. He shook his head.
"The Henry McNeil case. Crowder and I were on the task force. Why is this an X file?" asked Skinner.
Mulder shared a look with Scully who shrugged. He decided to trust Skinner and told him about the McNeil case and about Jack Leeds appearing in his apartment. Skinner groaned.
"Damnit, Mulder. Really? You can't leave this alone?" asked Skinner.
"I'm just typing up a profile, sir. Nothing else," promised Mulder.
Skinner sighed and looked back and forth between Mulder and Scully. He finally nodded.
"You see your head down and get that profile to Crowder as soon as possible. You do not mention anything X file related. Do I make myself clear, Mulder?" asked Skinner.
"Crystal, sir."
