Act I
April 7, 9:10 AM, Milton, Vermont
It was a quiet Sunday morning at the park. Doggett sat on a bench, waiting. He checked his watch, it was past nine already. Where was Scully? Down the street, a car was parked with two people inside. Agent Reyes in the driver's seat, and Tolson in the back. Reyes was using her cell phone to check an email address she had set up the day before. There was a message, from trustnoone . Two simple words. "What rendezvous?"
She fell back in her seat.
"Agent Reyes? What's wrong?" Tolson asked her.
"Nothing, just keep your eyes on John."
"Monica. We're a team. What's happening?"
"Agent Reyes. Something isn't right, and I think we need to keep a close eye on John Doggett right now."
"I got you." Suddenly, Tolson got out of the car, and walked toward some bushes.
"What are you…doing?"
He was gone before she could speak. Tolson moved into position to watch Doggett as a woman approached his direction. His gun was undrawn.
Doggett was getting worried. He muttered to himself "damn it Scully. Where are you…" where no one could hear. He was startled when a voice spoke from behind him.
"Hello, John." He turned, and did not see the woman he expected to see. Behind him was Shannon McMahon.
"Shannon?"
"We've got a lot to talk about."
"I bet. You want to start by explaining why I was expecting Dana Scully?"
"That's your problem, John. But you know I've left you alone, and I wouldn't call on you if it wasn't urgent."
"Alright, I'm listening."
She stopped moving for a moment. "So who's your friend?"
"Excuse me?"
"The man with the gun in the bushes."
"What are you talking about?" He looked and saw for himself. "Oh, the hell is he doing?"
"I didn't tell you to come alone. I told you to trust no one. Do you trust him?"
"Honestly, Shannon? I don't know the guy."
"Interesting. Book a room, when you're ready to talk I will find you."
"What, all this and I have to wait? Suddenly I'm not worth the time?"
"Loose lips, John. But I have to wonder what you were thinking would happen, if something happened to Knowle."
"Magnetite prices go through the roof?"
Shannon give a half-grin and turned away.
Now Tolson sprang to action, his gun pointed out.
"Are you Dana Scully?"
"Are you a dumbass?" She responded.
"Agent Doggett?" He nodded toward her.
"What do you think you're trying to do? Don't even bother with the gun."
"I'm watching your back."
"My back is fine, it's your trigger finger I'm worried about. But hey, knock yourself out, shoot her right in the face. Go on."
Shannon smirked at Tolson, then walked away from him.
"Agent Scully, I am a federal agent and I am ordering you-"
"She's not Scully, get that through your thick helmet of a skull!"
"Then who is she? Who are you, miss?"
"I am no one. Just a figment of your imagination. Goodbye, John."
"Don't tell me we came all this way so you could have a hookup. Tell me why I'm not going after her."
"Because that's not your job."
"And it's not yours either, Mr. Doggett."
"You're right. It's not. I don't know what I'm doing here either. Now put that damn thing away."
"Fine. Now who was that?"
Doggett is ignoring him.
"Where is Monica?"
"Agent Reyes, she's in the car."
"No she's not."
Across the park, Reyes was walking away while using her phone. She was sending an email.
Subject: No Redezvous?
What do you mean? Is D in danger? Are you and your partner safe? We were told to meet with S at a rendezvous.
She got a reply.
Someone is setting you up. You need to get out of there. Trust no one.
She turned around and went back toward where the car was. And the car was gone.
April 7, 12:02 PM, Wilkes Memorial Hospital, New York City
"Assistant Director." The Agent said as a man in a suit walked by, and let him into Skinner's hospital room. Skinner was in bad shape, still a big under from the previous night's surgery. The visit from another AD was unexpected.
"Hey, I didn't order room service." He said. Then watched in horror as the face changed before his eyes. He was looking at the Bounty Hunter.
"Don't call for help. You know it won't do any good."
"If you're here to take me out, you know I don't go out that easy. One hit, base of the neck, that's all it takes."
"If you want it that difficult. I wasn't sent here to kill."
"Oh no?"
"No."
The Bounty Hunter put his hands on Skinner's arms, pinning him down, then as he did a warm energy flowed and Skinner felt the surgery undoing itself, as well as the gunshot wound healing. This Bounty Hunter wasn't there to kill him, he was there to save him.
"What's your game here, Bounty Hunter?" It occurred to him that no one of probably called him that before.
"You live. There are men, great men, who want to meet you. Again."
"Don't they ever just die?"
"Get up. Get your clothes. We walk."
"Like hell."
The Bounty Hunter just stood there. Then he pulled the IV from Skinner's arm, healed the wound, and stepped back with his hands folded.
"You won't leave until I do?"
Silence.
"Fine. Let me just…"
Suddenly, Skinner was behind him, jamming the IV needle into his neck.
The green ooze poured, and Skinner's eyes burned as he started to cough. He made a rush for the door but the Bounty Hunter pulled him down to the floor.
"I can let you die, and no one will say a word. You mean nothing to me. Now come, follow me."
Even though the needle punctured his neck, it wasn't deep enough. The Bounty Hunter was no worse for wear, but Skinner's face and eyes were red.
The Bounty Hunter changed his appearance back to that of the other Assistant Director, then he and Skinner walked out of the room. They went down the hall, to another room on the other end of the hospital where a new patient was being admitted. There were guards around him as well, but the guards didn't acknowledge the two men approaching.
Skinner walked into the room, while the Bounty Hunter stayed outside. He saw a head wrapped in cloth, hooked up to all kinds of machinery. A man on death's door.
"Okay, what the hell is-" He started saying, then froze as he watched a nurse light a cigarette, and insert it into the body's trach.
"Oh Hell no, you've got to be kidding me."