Author's Note:
Scully and Mulder meet up once again with a blast from the past. Two more chapters after this one until part two is complete. Part three (the final section) looms on the horizon!
Chapter Nine
Mulder pulled the car into a gas station to refuel for their trip to Maryland and Scully got out of the car to buy them a couple of cold drinks inside the convenience store. What she needed was a stiff drink: the parting with her son for the third time since they'd first left him at her mother's had taken its toll and she didn't feel like she could keep mentioning the pain to Mulder. Not when she'd been the one to insist that they come back to D.C.
As she pulled two bottles out of the refrigerator units, the cold air from the unit made her eyes tingle as tears threatened to spill out. She blinked them back quickly and closed the airtight door before walking to the counter to pay for the drinks. She glanced over her shoulder as the teenaged clerk began to ring her up. Mulder was leaning against the car, seemingly having finished with the pump.
"We're pump number four," she said to the clerk.
She finished paying, took the plastic bag with their two drinks, and walked back towards the exit. A man in a black leather jacket was standing near the door almost blocking her way, but he must have heard her coming, because he held the door open for her as soon as she was upon him. As she brushed past him she saw his profile for the first time.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said with a wicked grin.
Scully stepped through the door and spun around, so as to avoid having her back to Krycek. She wasn't certain if he was carrying a weapon and she didn't want it to end up pointed at her back.
"Stop following us, you son of a bitch," she ordered through gritted teeth.
"I know where you're going."
"Is that right?"
Scully wanted to believe that he was bluffing, but she knew better. Krycek always seemed to be in the know.
"I thought you might appreciate being told that you're walking into a trap."
"And I'm supposed to believe you?"
"Get Mulder to talk to me," he said gesturing over Scully's shoulder towards their car. "I just want a chance to talk with you about this before you go off half-cocked."
Scully shifted on her feet, gripping the handle of the plastic bag tightly. "Why should I speak for you?"
"You ask a lot of questions. Let's just walk over to Mulder and get in the car, so we can talk like civilized people," Krycek said, taking a step forward and causing Scully to take one step backward.
Scully shook her head. Civilized—an interesting choice of words. "If Mulder turns around and sees you here with me, he won't think twice."
"You know, I'm getting a little tired of you two threatening me, when I'm just trying to help," he hissed.
Scully stood face to face with a man she considered to be a monster. He had taken more than his pound of flesh from both her and Mulder. He should be the last man either one of them would ever listen to, but they were back in Washington thanks to his stunt, and now they were walking into a situation they knew nothing about and with nothing more to go on than Troy's reports and Mulder's feverish recollections. If Krycek had anything worth sharing, it might behoove then to listen.
"Walk in front of me," she ordered.
She had to maintain control of the situation. If Krycek had the opportunity to pull a weapon on her, Mulder would cave. She knew this. She just hoped Krycek was less well informed on at least this one crucial point.
They came around the pump and Mulder was no longer propped against the car. He'd already gotten back into the driver's seat and she could see the back of his head looking forward oblivious to Scully's companion in tow. Scully opened the passenger side door and let Krycek slid in.
"What the hell?" Mulder said in startled exasperation.
Scully was already opening the back door before she could respond to Mulder's displeasure. She tossed the bag she'd been holding onto the bench seat and situated herself behind Krycek, pulling her gun and training it at his back.
"You've got five minutes, Krycek," she advised.
"You weren't just stopping for gas before a Sunday drive, I suppose," Mulder asked, eyeing him with clear disdain.
"No, I've been following you. Damn good thing too. You're walking into a trap."
"And you're here to save the day once again. When did you take up the superhero game?" Mulder sneered.
"Look, I knew you'd get back in. But, I'd rather you didn't die in the first weeks back. I could use people with half a brain working to subvert the plans."
"We're not working for you on any plans. I can tell you what my current plan is, however. Drive you a couple blocks and then kick your ass to the curb. You can walk back to your car before you start trailing us again."
"Didn't it occur to you that it was too easy to get the address for this facility? That the facts were all too clear?" Kyrcek asked, seemingly amused at their folly.
"It wasn't as easy as you think," Mulder grumbled.
"Then you've gone soft."
"Four minutes, Krycek," Scully said, glancing at her watch.
Krycek raised his good hand, begging their indulgence. "They're carrying a lot of plates right now. You could easily make them drop a few, but this isn't the way to go about it."
"You're wasting our time with meaningless metaphors," Scully replied, still watching the seconds tick away on her watch.
"Let me spell it out for you, then. The project is over extended. There are serious weaknesses. The one thing they've got going for them are these manipulated men. You go after one of their breeding facilities and you're going to end up lunchmeat."
"So what would you suggest we do, Krycek?" Scully asked.
"Turn around. Go home. Although, that little love nest you're cozying up in seems a little snug. I'd also suggest getting an apartment."
It made Scully's skin crawl that Krycek knew where they'd been staying. It was a never ending lack of privacy that she had hoped to leave behind when they left the X-Files.
"We're not turning around," Mulder said, turning the key in the ignition. "So, you can get out now, or I'll kick you out going fifty like I planned."
"Fine. If you won't listen to reason, then I'm coming with you," Krycek said as he reached for the seatbelt.
Mulder laughed. "Why would you want to walk into a trap, if that's what you think this is?"
"I'm hoping to save your asses."
"It's precious that you think I'd take your treacherous ass anywhere," Mulder said shaking his head in disbelief.
"Look, you're making a mistake. You should focus on the areas we can make a difference."
"What areas?" Scully asked, letting the gun drop somewhat.
"Like I said, they're off-balance and there are viable options. Snooping around this facility is nothing but a death trap. Whose stupid idea is this, anyway?"
It was hers. She had demanded evidence. Evidence pertaining directly to colonization was not immediately forthcoming, so they were going after another piece of the puzzle. Mulder insisted that it would end up in disaster. Krycek seemingly believed the same thing. She waited for Mulder to call her out, but he remained silent.
"I know this is your specialty, Mulder—running around like a chicken with its head cut off and calling it bravery. But this is madness. What exactly do you know about this facility? What do you know about these men they're creating?" Krycek pressed.
"Enough," Mulder answered.
"No need to act tough for the redhead, Mulder. I've been to this facility. I know what you're facing. You're going to need me. I can get you in. And if we're lucky, I can get you out."
Scully watched from the backseat as Mulder mulled over Krycek's words. He was trying to gauge the likelihood that Krycek was speaking some degree of the truth twisted for his own benefit no doubt. If he'd actually been to this facility and they could trust that he wasn't going to betray them, then his knowledge would be useful. It was more than they currently had—an address.
"Are you armed?" Mulder asked Krycek, sizing him up.
"Yes."
"Get out of the car," Mulder instructed coldly.
Krycek complied, and Scully watched as Mulder also stepped outside of the car and walked around to meet Krycek. He roughly pushed Krycek against the car and began to pat him down.
"It's strapped to my back," Krycek said with a laugh, seemingly amused by Mulder's precautions.
Mulder disarmed Krycek and continued his pat down. Satisfied, he opened the passenger side door again and pushed Krycek head first into the seat.
As Mulder walked around the front of the car, Krycek twisted in his seat to face Scully. "You're damn lucky I don't knock a couple of his teeth out."
"I'm only going to warn you once to drop the threats," Scully replied.
Krycek shrugged, "I'm just saying."
…
The sound of their shoes crunching in the gravel of the parking lot filled the otherwise silent surroundings. Theirs was the only car in the lot, as it was a Sunday. Mulder didn't really expect that they'd be alone once they got inside, however.
The facility was situated in a somewhat rural locale. Tall trees nearly obscured the expansive multi-storied white metal building from the road. The signage on the road was small and unassuming. Not BioFit this time, but Agro-Surplus. The kind of nondescript agricultural company you might expect amongst the trees and fields of rural Maryland. It was a pleasant place for the creation of monsters meant to play a part in a battle for the fate of the planet.
Krycek began to inspect the heavy metal door at the front of the building and the adjacent rectangular window.
"What's the security system here?" Mulder asked, also peering through the poorly cleaned window into the murky darkness of the building. He could only make out metal shelving. "Are we going to end up with some aggravated men in black breathing down our necks?"
"We should avoid that," Scully said, wishing she could take part in the visuals, but the window was too high for her without asking for a boost from one of her male companions.
Krycek sniffed, "The last time I was here, there wasn't a security system."
"No alarm system?" Scully asked in disbelief.
They'd let Krycek come along, counting on the fact that he might be able to help them in some way. Maybe he was just helping them get killed.
"The product protects itself," Krycek said in a low tone of voice.
"So we're counting on being caught by the super soldiers, instead of tripping alarms. It's nice to have options," Mulder said brightly before leaning down to examine the silver metal doorknob.
"A regular Sophie's choice," Scully grumbled. "Don't you have a better plan? I thought you were going to help us."
"I haven't been here in months," Krycek replied defensively. "I'm not eager to be discovered either," he said to Scully, as Mulder jiggled the doorknob. "Move," he ordered roughly.
Mulder glanced over his shoulder at Krycek before side-stepping out of the way. Krycek stepped forward and delivered a blow with his foot to the door. The door rattled, but otherwise remained intact. Mulder came to his aid, but after several attempts, there was still no visible change in the solidity of the door.
"You think with all this noise the metal men have woken up inside?" Mulder chuckled.
"Break the window. I'll crawl through and let you in from the other side," Scully said.
"No," Mulder said firmly. "I'm not going to let you do that."
"Neither of you can fit," she insisted.
Sometimes her size wasn't a disadvantage.
"We don't know what's waiting on the other side of that door," Krycek warned.
"I'm aware of that," Scully said with a carefully composed face.
Krycek shrugged. "The lady is willing," he said, before walking off to look for a rock sizable enough to break the window.
Mulder grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. "You don't have to do this."
"Maybe not, but we need to know what is going on in that building. Do you have any other ideas?"
He stood looking her in the eyes for a moment silently. She imagined that he was trying to read her. See if what she was saying matched what she felt.
Krycek returned and didn't wait for further discussion, smashing the window with a rock the size of a baseball. No alarms sounded. Perhaps Krycek had been right. It certainly seemed that the building was still unprotected by any electronic monitoring system.
"Ready?" Krycek asked, holding his hand out to Scully.
"I've got this," Mulder said, shouldering past Krycek.
"It's okay," Scully said, trying to assure him as he lifted her into the air.
"Watch the glass," Krycek advised as Scully latched onto the window frame and began to pull herself up.
Scully had scrambled in as far as her waist, when she looked down at the fall that awaited her. Head first into a scattering of shards of glass. She could end up breaking her neck. Mulder had his hands still firmly around her knees and she considered demanding to be pulled back out. She awkwardly craned her head up to see what was in front of her. There was a pair of metal shelves within arm's reach. She reached forward and got a grip on the slick surface. She had no assurance that they were secured to the wall, but it was the only solid thing within her grasp. She tugged on the shelving and wiggled further through the window. Mulder gave her a shove and her feet cleared the window. The weight of her body now completely depending on the strength of her grip, her body swung forward, crashing into the shelving. Her hands slipped and she dropped to the floor—on her feet. She was banged up and a little shaken, but it was a better landing than her face would have afforded her.
She pushed the hair out of her eyes and scanned the room. It was dark and the only light streamed in from the small broken window. There were rows of metal shelving and tables, but seemingly nothing of interest in the confined room that served as the entrance. She turned towards the door and began to throw the deadbolts. She turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, the sun and her male companions' faces greeting her.
"Let's go, gentlemen."
