CHAPTER ONE
Carly opened the door to her new apartment and carried the boxes in one, by one. Because the apartment was available now, she was able to move in straight away…even hough the house was still on the market.
I'm glad I moved. Everything in that house reminds me of dad and his death…how he suffered.
Carly massaged her aching back before unpacking one of the boxes when someone knocked on her door. She answered and was surprised to see Mulder. Was he here on business or did he actually live here?
" Looks like we're neighbours," Mulder gestured to the boxes on her floor.
" So you live here then?"
" Yeah…its an okay neighbourhood," Mulder decided not to tell her about the murder that happened a few years ago. An old lady went crazy and shot her husband.
" Scully's doing the autopsy in the morning and will call you." Mulder told Carly.
" Did the morgue finally release Dad's body?"
" Yes after we told them it's for an FBI investigation," Mulder replied, " I'll see you tomorrow?"
" I'll be there in the morning. Thanks Agent Mulder." Carly smiled at him before he left. He was a nice man, about her age and Carly wondered why an intelligent man like Agent Mulder was wasting his time investigating the paranormal.
About two hours later, she received another visitor-a man she had never met before. He was a tall, broad-shouldered figure with a craggy face and blue eyes.
" Evening Ms. Garrett."
" What can I do for you?"
" I'd like to offer you my condolences about your father."
" You knew him?"
" We were…old friends." The man said.
" And me? How did you know about me?"
" Let's just say I know all about you Carly…ever since you were an FBI agent."
Carly stiffened at the mention of her former career, " How much do you know?" she demanded,
" I don't like the idea of a stranger knowing too much about me."
" I know that you quit working for the FBI and become a writer instead. I've read several of your short stories and the two books you've published." The man paused, " You're very talented Ms. Garrett." He paused, " and if I were you, I'd think a little more carefully before you start trusting someone nicknamed 'Spooky'"
" Who's Spooky?" she demanded him then it hit her, the man was telling her not to trust Mulder!
" What's wrong with Mulder? Is there something about him I should know about?" she asked.
" I'll let you find out for yourself," the man replied, " I'll keep in touch." He walked down the hall and was gone.
Carly closed the door and locked it. She leaned against it, thinking. What was it about Mulder that she shouldn't trust?
Carly, the only person you shouldn't trust is the man you've just met, she told herself.
Scully joined Mulder and Carly after the autopsy.
" Your father died from a virus that was injected into his bloodstream," she told Carly
" A virus?" Carly repeated, " What kind virus?"
" I don't know yet, the tissue samples still need to be analysed."
" If he died from a virus, why did his skin fall off?" Carly asked her.
" That is a side-effect from the virus, it's the only reasonable explanation I can come up with." Scully paused, " your father's blood was the colour of black instead of red."
" Black blood?" Carly looked shocked, " why would his blood turn colour?"
" I don't know, but I will have his blood looked at too."
" The virus could have been extra-terrestrial," Mulder suggested and Scully shot him a dirty look.
" Mulder, I don't think Carly is in the mood-" Scully started to say but her partner cut her off.
" Scully, how many times have we seen dead bodies riddled with viruses that were extra terrestrial?" Mulder demanded, " this hasn't been a natural death and you know it!"
" There were others?" Carly asked him and Mulder nodded.
" Most bodies we had looked at contained an alien virus called the Black Oil. It's possible your father died from the Black Oil. But skin shedding? That's a new one."
" We don't know for sure it's the Black Oil," Scully reminded her partner.
" Did you find any puncture wounds that suggested he was injected?" Mulder asked her.
" Several, in his left arm," Scully said, " someone injected the virus into him."
" So it isn't contagious?"
" Not as far as we know," Scully paused, " but I can give you a medical exam in case."
" Okay, you can do that…what if we find Dad's virus in me?"
" Then we have a dire situation on our hands," Scully replied bluntly.
The following night, Carly arrived home from a busy day. There had been the Annual Writers Conference in Washington and after that, Scully performed a medical test on her. She would have the results in 24 hours.
Carly's head pounded as she unlocked the door-when she realised the door was already unlocked. She frowned, pushing it open. That's funny-she could sworn she locked it on her out this morning.
She glanced around-nothing seemed stolen.
I'm getting forgetful, Carly thought to herself as she locked the door, I have to be careful!
Carly kicked her shoes off and padded into the bathroom to have a long, hot shower. Afterwards, she went into her bedroom, her body wrapped in a fluffy white towel-with nothing underneath.
She let it fall to the ground as she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a polo t-shirt. She felt so much better wearing casual clothes than a skirt and a blouse. The dress code for the conference had been formal.
Carly climbed onto her bed and started to lie down when a movement in the far corner startled her.
She grabbed her gun from the bedside table and aimed it at the person who was sitting in her chair next to the window.
" Who's there!" she shouted, " Show yourself-I am armed!"
" I can see that Ms. Garrett," the voice answered dryly, " you can put the gun down, I won't hurt you."
Carly reached over to turn on her lamp. The intruder was the man she met yesterday.
Oh My God, he's seen me naked! Carly thought when she remembered dropping her towel to get dressed.
" What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Carly demanded, keeping her gun aimed at the man. She was glad to have purchased the gun after quitting the FBI-it gave her assurance and protection.
The man did not seem rattled at having a gun pointed at him.
" The door was open-I walked in," the man answered matter-of-factly. He didn't move from the chair so Carly slowly lowered her gun. She put it down next to her.
" What are you doing here?" she asked again.
" I thought a lot about you last night Carly," the man said and it was the firs time had called her by her first name.
" So?" she demanded.
" I would like you to join me for dinner." The man continued and her mouth fell open. This was not what she expected!
" Are you asking me or is that an order?"
" I'm inviting you," the man said and he stood up suddenly. Carly grabbed her gun but he didn't move towards the bed. He was heading out the door, " I'll come by with a car this time tomorrow evening." The man paused, " I hope you'll accept."
" Well…all right, but you haven't told me your name yet."
" Spender. Call me Spender." The man said and he was gone.