Chap 7

Hours later, Skinner hadn't returned. Mulder's anxiety grew with every passing minute, dreading the fact that his fears might well be substantiated. As he paced along the fence like a caged tiger, he began to lose hope. He's not coming. Either he's hurt, or, more likely, he headed for the nearest town. And why not? I practically asked him to leave. Only Scully would have known not to leave me for this long. Scully. Where is she? I need her here! If anyone could use a touchstone…

Out of the corner of his eye, Mulder saw movement. Skinner? He thought, moving as close to the fence as he dared. He could barely make out a figure walking towards him, carrying something heavy looking. Skinner! Yes! He found something.

As Mulder watched the figure struggle towards him, his senses screamed. Something was wrong. The man's shoulders were too slim to be Skinner's, his coloring all off. He's got hair! That's definitely isn't Skinner, not unless he joined the Hair Club for Men and it really worked. The heavy object the man was carrying began to look suspiciously like a body. Oh, God. He's got Skinner! Please, don't let him be dead. Please. Mulder begged silently.

The man threw Skinner's limp body to the ground just outside the fence. Mulder peered over the slim man's shoulders to get a better look at Skinner. His back was to him, but he could see the restraints around his swollen wrist and his ankles. Good. Mulder thought, ironically relieved. You don't tie a dead man. The man strode up to the fence, sneering at Mulder.

"So, one of you managed to escape, though not unscathed. Unfortunately, he wasn't smart enough to run while he had the chance. I actually found him heading back towards here, and quite determinedly, too." The man scoffed, incredulous at the stupidity.

He was coming back for me! The thought was bittersweet, filled with relief and remorse. Yah, if he had just left me, he'd be safe now. Be careful what you wish for.

"He put up quite a fight. I'm almost sorry I had to sedate him. It was necessary, though. I had to show you that escape has its punishment." The man strolled to Skinner's body, tying his feet to a nearby sapling and checking the rope that bound his wrists behind his back. Once he was certain Skinner was secure, he started to dig in his backpack.

"What are you going to do? If anyone needs to be punished, it's me! He didn't want to escape, I made him! He was even headed back!" Mulder yelled, alarmed at the preparations.

"Don't worry; you'll get your turn. Now what can I use? I'm afraid you caught me woefully unprepared. Ah, this will do." The man said, pulling out a nearly empty bottle of imported rum.

"Kind of apropos, isn't it?" The man chuckled, humming a familiar tune as he put his right knee across Skinner's shoulders. He whacked the tree with the bottle, breaking the end into razor sharp edges and sending shards of glass flying.

The sound of the bottle shattering seemed to rouse Skinner from his stupor, and he began to stir, blinking his eyes to try to clear them of the haze that obscured his vision. His senses returned quickly at the sight of the UNSUB hovering above him.

"Get the hell off of me!" Skinner screamed, jerking away. He pulled at his restraints, without success. The man ignored him, pushing Skinner's torso into the dirt with his knee and unbuttoning Skinner's shirt.

"Let's get started, shall we?" The man said, lowering the bottle.

"No!" Mulder cried, standing by helplessly, only feet away. As the man began, Skinner screamed wordlessly.

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum..." The man sang over the screams, the broken bottle making jagged gashes in the shape of stickmen across Skinner's chest.

Mulder watched from the other side of the fence, fighting the impulse to tear through the wires and rip the man's head off. After a few minutes, Skinner's screams grew weaker as his voice began to give out.

Finishing the fifteenth man, the man paused in his work, blinking as if waking from a dream, his shirt and designer jeans scarlet from the blood. Without the energy to fight, Skinner could only whisper curses at the man who was causing him such pain. Mulder's throat was a mass of knots, struggling to keep from breaking down at the sight of such callous and indifferent torture. The UNSUB looked over his shoulder at Mulder and grinned.

"Let's go lower this time. Maybe then he can find his voice." The man said, sneering. Mulder flushed with anger.

"You touch him again and I'll kill you. I swear." Mulder growled.

The man ignored him, scooting down to get better access to Skinner's lower body. As he began to unbutton Skinner's slacks, Mulder lost control.

"I'll kill you!" He screamed as he leapt towards the UNSUB, fully expecting to pass through the electrified fence and strangle the man.

Mulder hit the fence, full force, and froze. Electricity flowed into his body like a thousand ants crawling through his bones, and, before he collapsed, he heard a polished voice whisper in his ear.

"If you won't be broken, I'll break you."