CHAPTER 9

July 4, 2012
California Cavern
Mountain Ranch, CA
08:56 AM PST

"Good morning, folks! Happy Independence Day!"

The bubbly blonde college student smiled at the small group of cavern explorers that were assigned to her 9:00 a.m. tour, counting twenty-two people in total. She shifted, her hiking boots gripping the rocky ground as she stood confidently, dressed in her California Cavern logo polo uniform shirt and her cargo khaki shorts. "My name is Aimee, and I will be your tour guide today. Before we begin, I'd like to take a roll call." She laughed, knowing everyone always thought the concept silly, considering it was an 18-plus-age outing. "I know, when was the last time you had a roll call, right? It should bring back some memories for sure. Hang tight, we'll be on our way to seeing these beautiful caverns in no time. Alright … James Aldo … Veronica Barrett …"

"This is ridiculous," one of the men said in the back, frowning. He clearly was a seasoned hiker, fit from scaling trails and equipped with the best gear.

"Oh come on, Owen," the woman next to him argued, "would it really be all that boring to you?" She, too, looked experienced in outdoor recreation, putting her hands on her hips that were covered in utility shorts.

"Jax, it's amature stuff," Owen argued back. "This shit is for tourists."

"Owen Erickson?" Aimee called, smiling when he reluctantly rose his hand.

"For God's sake, Owen," Jax argued, "I'm sure there's something interesting in there."

"Jacqueline Torres?" Aimee asked, seeing the woman nicknamed Jax raise her hand. "And finally, Walter Tramble?" She nodded, snapping her small notebook shut, satisfied that everyone was accounted for. "Okay, we're ready to go! Please remember the tips you picked up from our helpful orientation video, and stay with the group. Your surroundings can become disorienting, so if you find yourself separated from the group, please blow your whistle you've been provided and someone will assist you." She gestured to the two other uniformed college students, one with a mop of hair that barely stayed out of his eyes and the other with a uniform shirt that was one size too small on purpose to show off his biceps.

"Great, we have two Backstreet Boys joining Britney Spears," Owen mumbled.

"God, you're old," Jax teased. "Those kids probably don't even know who they are."

"Hey, you're four months older than me."

"Whatever."

Owen reluctantly followed Jax into the large cavern, shaking his head in disgust as he walked behind the tourists who pretended they knew something about outdoor expeditions, their smart phones snapping pictures and selfies in front of stalactites as they gushed about how "cool" it was. "Come on, Owen," Jax said, frowning at him, "at least pretend you're interested."

Owen frowned back at Jax. "I will when I see something interesting enough to pretend for."

"Ugh, you know what? I can't take you anywhere."

"Come on, Jax. Let's get out of here. It's a four mile hike to the Mercer Caverns. I bet there's a hell of a lot more interesting things on the hike there than in here."

"Seriously?"

"If I make the puppy-dog face, will you ditch this crap with me?"

Jax eyed Owen. "Make the face," she ordered, smiling when he did. "Fine, you pain in the ass. Let's go."

Waiting until the rest of the people followed Aimee and the two college boys that led them like the group of cattle Owen thought they were, he and Jax left the cavern, Owen sighing in relief as the summer sun hit his tanned skin. "Thank God," he mumbled, hiking quickly away from the cavern as Jax followed.

"Hey dumbass, wait up!" she yelled, laughing at him.

10:18 AM PST

"Jax, check this out!"

Jax frowned at Owen, who was crouched over a small opening to a cave as she watched, sipping the water from her travel bottle. "What is it?" she asked, not moving.

"Come on, Jax, just get over here!" Owen said, smiling. When he heard her approach, he gestured to what he was focused on. "I think they're bones."

Jax eyed the bone fragments, nodding. "They look big," she commented.

"Big … like human bones?" Owen teased.

"Yeah right."

"Maybe there's a monster in there," Owen continued, shining his flashlight into the cave.

"We are in the wild, Owen. There's a really good chance something got hungry and ate something else." Jax shook her head. "You're such a guy."

"You mean to tell me that you're not the least bit curious?" Owen asked, picking up one of the larger bones. "This looks like a full tibia to me." He threw the bone on the ground after feeling something slimy on it. "Eww, shit."

"Aww, what's wrong, princess?" Jax now teased. "Touch something?"

Owen held up his hand, examining the black goop that clung to his skin before he shook his hand, flinging it onto the ground. "Do you think that's like … some weird animal shit or something?" he asked, trying not to panic as he rid himself of it.

Jax laughed loudly. "It's probably cave monster diarrhea."

"Shut up."

"There's a stream nearby," Jax said, her tone attempting to be serious as she fought her laughter. "Come on, we'll go wash your hands."

Standing, they scaled down the rock to the small nearby stream. Owen dipped his hands in the cool water, scrubbing the slime off of his hands. "Hey," he said over his shoulder, "go upstream and fill our bottles."

"Please and thank you are always nice," Jax grumbled, snatching Owen's bottle from him.

"Here, I'll do you one better. Por favor y gracias."

"Screw you."

"What? I'm all about celebrating your culture."

"If you think by playing to my heritage that you'll get some later, you're wrong."

"Damn."

Jax moved upstream, uncapping their bottles and letting the clear, running water fill them, taking a long drink before refilling and capping hers. "Here, jerk," Jax said, making her way back to Owen, who stood quietly with his back to her, looking at the water. He turned slightly toward her and took the bottle.

"Thanks," he said, his tone soft and even.

Jax's eyebrow raised. "You okay?" she asked, thinking it odd when he didn't have some kind of smartass comment to send her way.

"Never better," Owen said, smiling at Jax.

Searching his eyes, Jax let a relaxed smile wash over her. "Come on," she said, "let's get down to the caverns."

"Right behind you," Owen said, watching as Jax started ahead of him, expertly hiking the rocky pathway. As he slowly blinked, his eyes filled with the black oil that had previously covered his hand, then dissolved after another slow blink.

Hoboken Police Station
Hoboken, NJ
2:10 PM EST

"Got the results back from the autopsy," Reyes said, handing Doggett the file folder she was carrying to him as he sat at the desk that used to belong to Will and Cara. "No trace of the virus whatsoever."

"So … it transferred again?" Doggett said, sighing. "I ran the sketches from the witness accounts through the database, which matched a security guard there. They questioned him, but got nowhere. His polygraph was clean and he has an airtight alibi."

"Do you think it was a bounty hunter?" Reyes asked softly.

"Probably … they're cleaning up things."

"If that's true, then Chad Wentworth is in danger, John."

"Last I heard, Chad Wentworth was taken in by his uncle and aunt in Basking Ridge. I'll head over there now. How about you go down to the Terminal and review the footage from last night to see if you can catch him on camera?"

"Sounds good."

"I'll call Mulder and update him."

Farmington, NM
12:21 PM MST

Cara laced her fingers with Will's tightly as he walked alongside her down the main street of Farmington. The gauzy bright blue sundress Cara wore flowed over her baby bump, its thin straps showing off her tanned arms and shoulders. Her golden brown hair, woven in a loose braid, rested over her right shoulder as her left hand was caressed by Will's right hand. American flags decorated the lamp posts of the town's street, red, white and blue sprinkled all over the shops and restaurants in the form of streamers, flags and Americana decor.

"This is nice," Cara said, feeling Will squeeze her hand.

"It is," he replied softly, still staring straight ahead through his aviators. Cara took a long look at her husband, knowing he had caught the eye of more than just Joy in his dark denim pants, white tee shirt, western boots and messy brown hair that he hadn't had cut in quite a while, seeing the glances some of the women they passed on the street gave him. Will, though, was focused - Cara wasn't even sure if it was her he was focused on, or whether he hadn't quite relaxed enough to stop looking for bounty hunters around every corner they passed.

"Will, you need to relax," Cara said bluntly, eyeing him.

"I am relaxed."

"Yeah, and I'm Mother Teresa."

"I'm just keeping an eye on things."

"Damnit, Will!" Cara said, stopping and turning to look at him. "All I ask is for one normal moment for the year 2012. Is that too much to ask?"

Will sighed, looking down at her through his sunglasses. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Cara eyed him silently for a moment. "What happened last night, Will?" she asked gently. He refused to tell her the night before when he came to get her shortly after she hung up with her mother.

"Predictions of the future," he murmured, knowing she would be irritated with his vague reply.

"Will …"

"Really, that's it." Will put his hand over his heart. "I promise."

"John had a vision of the water?" Cara asked.

Will nodded. "That, and horizontal lightning that would run coast to coast that would cause people to die."

"Do you think it's literal horizontal lightning?"

"It's probably scientifically impossible, Cara."

"So are we, supposedly."

Will frowned at her. "Come on. Mom and Dad are probably already at the restaurant." He knew he was clear enough in indicating he didn't want to talk about it anymore. She remained quiet, wanting to respect his unspoken wish as they continued down the sidewalk.

Holding the door to the small Mexican restaurant they had agreed to meet Mulder and Scully at, Will took off his sunglasses and followed Cara inside, spotting his parents at a small table in the back corner of the room. Instinctively, Will pulled Cara's chair out for her, sitting beside her across from his father, his back to the entrance of the restaurant. "You guys have fun at the parade?" Scully asked, sipping her iced tea.

"It was nice to see civilization other than at the settlement," Cara mumbled, still irritated at Will's lack of personality due to his obsessive focus on protecting her.

Mulder raised his eyebrow. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"It's my fault," Will said softly. "I just … can't seem to relax."

"In his defense, he's just concerned," Cara said quickly, surprising Will.

"You do need to enjoy this time, William," Scully advised.

"I just don't feel like it's wise to let my guard down right now," Will said, sighing. "I guess flying under the radar is more comfortable."

No one responded - they didn't know how to. They each knew Will was right, that laying low had its benefits as far as having less worry associated with it. Yet, they knew he knew how crucial it was for Cara to feel like she had a somewhat normal life right now. "We're headed down to the rodeo after this," Will said finally, a glint of humor in his eyes. "Cara wants to see hot cowboys riding bulls."

"Can you blame her?" Scully said, a small, teasing smile creeping onto her face.

"Your mother always had a soft spot for reckless behavior in a man," Mulder commented, amused. "After all, she ended up with me."

"I guess that's one quality you didn't get from your father," Cara said with a smirk.

"Hey, I can be reckless," Will defended.

"Sure, sure you can."

"This is pretty damn reckless for me, parading you out here around town right now."

"Reckless for you is child's play for everyone else."

"Fine," Will said, his lopsided grin highlighting the mischievousness in his eyes. "You want reckless? I'll give you reckless." He leaned in, whispering something in Cara's ear that Scully and Mulder saw made her blush instantly. "How does that sound, Adventure Girl?" Will added after he withdrew from her side, still grinning as he sipped his water through the straw in his glass.

Cara cleared her throat, sipping her own water quietly. "I'll believe it when I see it," she replied.

"He really is your son, isn't he?" Scully said Mulder, laughing gently at the exchange between Will and Cara.

As he smiled, Mulder caught sight of two men entering the restaurant, his smile fading quickly. "Will, take Cara out through the back. Now," he ordered softly, seeing the men in dark suits talking to the hostess, showing her a photograph.

Knowing better than to turn around or question his father, Will stood, gripping Cara's hand as they quickly left the table. Will pressed Cara through the back door after opening it quietly, now finding himself in an alleyway behind the restaurant with her. "Come on," Will said, gripping Cara's hand as he fled toward a mass of people.

"Who was it, Will?" Cara asked as Will checked over his shoulder at their surroundings.

"FBI," he replied. "I heard their thoughts as soon as my dad told us to leave. They're looking for us."

"I thought they'd given up," Cara mumbled.

"Me too."

Will stopped, his mind telling him to immediately turn left down a street he hadn't been before. "This way," he said, dragging Cara as she tried to keep up with him, rushing down the sidewalk further from the restaurant.

"Will, I'm carrying two kids in my uterus. Can you slow down just a bit?" she asked sarcastically.

"Not really," he quipped. "Not if you want to keep carrying those two kids in your uterus."

They wove through the people that filled the town; Cara was unsure of her bearings, but knew that Will had control of their destination. His grip never weakened on her hand, but rather seemed to tighten as his eyes frantically scanned the crowd. She knew he was most likely reading the minds of the people they saw, seeing the pain he tried to conceal as his mind worked overtime to ensure he didn't miss someone who was out to get them.

Will paused momentarily, seeing Cara's need for a break. He blocked her against a stone wall, shielding her from every direction as he let her catch her breath, still carefully analyzing the people around them. "Will, I think we lost them," Cara said softly, seeing the tension and panic in his face.

"Maybe. Maybe not," was his reply as he scanned the sidewalks and road in front of them.

"Will." He turned, feeling her hand on his arm. "Will, let's go home."

"No," he said softly, knowing how badly he wanted to give her a moment of normalcy in her life. "I think you're right. I think we lost them." Will pulled out his phone, seeing a text from his father:

All clear here. Where are you?

Will swallowed, typing back quickly:

Northeast end of town.

Will waited a bit, then saw the reply from his father come through:

Meet you at the square.

Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Will looked carefully at Cara, reaching up to touch her face. "You okay?" he asked, seeing her wincing in pain. "What's wrong?"

"I'm okay," Cara replied, her hand on her stomach. "I think … no, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

Cara nodded. "Yeah, just probably a false alarm."

"What do you mean?"

"Contractions. I think that's what they were anyway."

Will's eyes widened. "It's too early!" he said, his voice rushed. "Are you okay? You need to lie down and-"

"Will, it's probably Braxton Hicks contractions," Cara assured him gently. "They just took me by surprise, that's all. I think it was the running that spurred them on."

Will nodded. "Okay, we'll take it easy from now on," he said, stroking her cheek. "You sure you're okay?" He smiled when he saw her nod. "I told Dad we'd meet him at the square."

"Okay."

"Do you want me to carry you?"

Cara laughed. "I think you might draw more attention by carrying me a mile down the road."

"I just … don't want you to be hurting."

"I'm fine, Will. I promise."

"Alright, come on," Will said, leading them back toward the meeting place. "Well," Will said softly as he scanned their surroundings, heading toward the town square, "was this reckless enough for you today?"

A crooked grin formed on his face as he felt Cara's distinct right hook land into his arm.

He stared out into the crowd now forming near the site for the fireworks that evening through his dark sunglasses, his cell phone pressed against his ear. "We've got a location on Mulder and Scully," the agent said after waiting for the other line to pick up. "What are your orders?"

"Let Joy handle them, like we said before. I want you and Buckley to get me Caraline English," Klim said firmly.

"Sir ... she wasn't with them."

"Then find her," Klim growled into the phone. "She's seven months pregnant. How hard can it be to spot her?!"

"We can't gain an advantage with William's abilities," the agent argued defensively.

"Well," Klim said, his eyes narrowing, "I suggest you find a way, or else find yourselves the hunted instead of the hunter."

The agent swallowed. "Yes, sir."

As they waited for Will and Cara to arrive at the busy town square, Mulder heard his phone chirping in his pocket. He fished it out and immediately answered, seeing it was Doggett.

"Mulder."

"Mulder, it's Doggett," Doggett said, driving in his car as he talked to him. "Which do you want first, the bad news or the worse news?"

"Does it really matter?" Mulder mumbled, beginning to feel defeated at the idea of such negativity awaiting him.

"Alright. Bad news is, the virus transferred and we currently don't have any clue as to where."

"Where did it happen?"

"The Hoboken Terminal. Monica is on her way now to reviewing security footage to see if she can pinpoint anyone who might have received it."

"So what's the worse news?" Mulder asked, meeting Scully's eyes with his own.

"The second person it transferred to, a college student named Kenny Greenwood, is dead." Doggett sighed. "One shot by a nine millimeter caliber weapon to the head."

"Execution style," Mulder said softly. "They're cleaning up the mess."

"Which is why I'm on my way to try to intercept Chad Wentworth. He's next on their list if they haven't gotten to him already. Without Chad, we don't have a damn thing to connect back to the cave."

"Shit." Mulder paused. "What about Jenson?"

"We followed up at the pharmaceutical company this morning, but it wound up being a dead end. All we have are six names that check out through every system. We can't seem to find any indication that the deferasirox has been sold to operatives in the government."

"You won't find that on paper," Mulder mumbled. "When you can, send me the files on the six doctors. I want to take a look at them."

"Sure. What are you hoping to find?"

"A miracle."

Mulder hung up, looking down at Scully. "The virus transferred again. The second infected person was executed," he explained softly.

Scully's eyebrow arched. "Bounty hunter?"

"More than likely."

"Is there any indication who it transferred to?"

"Monica is reviewing security footage. Doggett's trying to locate the first infected kid to protect him."

"Where did it transfer at?"

"The Terminal."

"Mulder … it could have gone anywhere," Scully said, her eyes widening. "I mean, I know the Terminal probably only serves a certain section of the Northeast, but there's no way to tell how far it could have gone after that."

"Let's just hope that Monica pulls something from the footage. I've got Doggett sending me the background checks. I want to look at them myself." Scully saw Mulder's fist tighten beside him. "Damnit, I feel so useless out here," he said, his voice strained with worry.

Scully was silent, her eyes falling on the crowd as she looked for Will and Cara. "Maybe … maybe we need to divide," she suggested quietly, feeling Mulder's gaze on her as she looked away from him. "Maybe you need to go to New Jersey."

"What about you?" he asked gently.

"I'll stay with William and Cara," she offered.

"I'm not leaving you behind, Scully," Mulder replied.

"What choice do we have, Mulder?" Scully asked, turning to him. "They need your expertise on this. We … we need to stop this before it keeps growing."

"William will never allow it." Mulder sighed deeply. "Besides, do you think the police and feds would be so willing to let me waltz around Hoboken after aiding and harboring a fugitive?"

"Maybe it'll be like last time," Scully suggested. "Maybe you can work a deal."

"With the FBI?" Mulder asked, not convinced. "No one in the FBI cares about us anymore, Scully. They'd rather see innocent people die than to admit they need us."

"Mulder … if we don't stop this virus, there's no telling how far it will go." Scully's voice wavered, the fear evident in it.

"This wasn't designed to be stopped, Scully," Mulder whispered, combing her hair behind her ear. "It wasn't even designed to be maintained."

"Mulder, a virus is out there, infecting God knows how many people with no possible way to contain it. As a medical doctor, it goes against everything I stand for to sit back and let people become infected."

"What can we do, Scully?" Mulder asked gently, trying to help her understand the bleakness of the situation. "All we can do is try to find the men behind it. If we stop them, we stop everything."

"These men … Mulder, these 'men' will never be found." Scully swallowed. "We're kidding ourselves to think we can gain an advantage on them."

Mulder nodded gently, knowing Scully already knew he was aware of their predicament, but chose to try to comfort her instead of feed into her worries. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Mulder …" Scully said softly, searching his eyes. "But … if our son is the answer, like the prophecy said … what will he have to sacrifice to end this?"

"I won't let him sacrifice himself, Scully," Mulder whispered, taking her hands into his. He saw she was about to interject, and gently pressed a finger to her lips. "We're not losing him again, Dana," he said, letting his finger remain on her full, partially-opened lips. "I promise."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," Scully said softly after he removed his hand from her mouth.

Basking Ridge, NJ
3:31 PM EST

"Mister and Missus Wentworth?" Doggett asked, seeing the two adults, Chad's paternal uncle and aunt by marriage, answer the door to the large tudor-style home. "I'm Agent Doggett with the FBI. Is Chad home?"

"He's … in the guest room," Mrs. Wentworth said softly. "I thought this matter was cleared already?"

"Ma'am, I have reason to believe that your nephew may be in danger," Doggett said. "I'd like to take you all into protective custody until we can resolve this."

"Why would Chad be in danger?" Mr. Wentworth asked.

"Can we speak inside?" Doggett asked. Mr. Wentworth hesitantly opened the screen door, allowing Doggett to step into their hallway. "Chad's friend, Kenny Greenwood, was found murdered last night at the Hoboken Terminal."

"Oh my God," Mrs. Wentworth said softly, clutching her husband's hand.

"And you think Chad is next?" Mr. Wentworth asked, baffled.

"Your nephew was the only other student who went on the expedition to Sybil's Cave. We believe that whatever they recovered from the site is valuable enough to kill for." He looked up the staircase leading to the bedrooms. "I'll wait here. Please, pack a bag and I'll take you to a safe haven until we're able to take the shooter into custody."

Nodding with worry, the Wentworths headed upstairs, disappearing into the hallway where Doggett could no longer see them. A few moments later, Doggett heard several rounds fired and he instantly flew up the stairs with his gun drawn. He peered into the open rooms, carefully trying to see where the shooter was. It was then that he saw the lifeless bodies of Chad and his aunt and uncle in what appeared to be the guest room. After checking their non-existent pulses, Doggett saw the window was open, the air blowing inside freely, causing the curtains to dance. He looked out of it, seeing a tall figure running away.

He quickly bolted down the stairs, threw open the front door and ran after the man he saw fleeing the scene. "FBI!" he yelled, seeing a glimpse of him in the distance as he ran hard and fast. "Stop right there!" Doggett aimed his gun expertly at the figure in front of him who had stopped. "Drop your weapon!" Doggett ordered, keeping his aim on the man as he stepped a bit closer. The man complied, his hands lingering at his sides. "On your knees!" Doggett watched as the man dropped to his knees. "Hands behind your head!" Fishing out his handcuffs, Doggett approached the man as he laced his fingers behind his head.

As he was about to cuff him, Doggett was thrown back with incredible strength into a fence behind him by the man, who quickly turned toward him. His gun fell onto the ground and skittered away as Doggett slammed into the wood, the boards cracking against his back. Groaning in pain and trying to move enough to retrieve his gun, Doggett's eyes widened as the man appeared over him, looking at him with a small smile.

It was Billy Miles who stared down at him, readying himself to finish Doggett.