Title: The Rescue Part 2 of 3
Author: Fatcat
Rating: PG (or less)
Category: X File/MSR
Spoilers: Everything up to November 5, 2000.
Summary: Tomorrow night everyone will know Chris Carters story. This is my
Season 8 answers.
Disclaimer: So you think you're the only ones with answers, Mr. Carter? Thanks again to FOX, 1013 and all those others for the use of their characters. I hope it continues to be fun during season 8 and 9.
Feedback always appreciated
It had been two hours since Morris Fletcher had dropped his bombshell.
"Why? Why are they doing this to Mulder, to all those people?" Dana whispered.
"Why?" Morris spat, "Because they can."
"Why are you doing this? Why do you care?" Dana impaled him with her eyes.
"I told you. I feel like I owe Mulder a big debt. He opened my eyes to how much I love my wife and kids. I owe him big time." Morris delivered that statement with a quiet dignity that was not usual for him. He seemed to feel uncomfortable with the depth of emotion he exhibited before Dana and the others but he also seemed sincere.
Because they can. How many atrocities had been committed by the human race just because they could? How far back into our history did one have to go to find the time this first happened? How far into our future will we have to go to find the last? Dana chewed on this as she listened to the conversations swirling around her. It had become too much and she did something she had not done for several weeks. She passed out.
The four men who had been arguing about the timing for the assault to kidnap Mulder back did not notice it at first. As soon as Byers realized what had happened, he quickly mobilized the others to help her.
In a matter of moments, after silent incriminating glares being exchanged by the men, Dana regained consciousness.
"All right, all right!" She said as she held up her left hand—her right still held her pistol.
"Let me get this straight. What possible reason could they have for developing such as technique?" Dana said.
"Dana, Dana, Dana." Morris Fletcher shook his head. "Why do you think they would develop such a weapon? Why did we develop Nuclear Warfare? Chemical Warfare? Biological Warfare? We want to be number one in the weapons race. Don't be fooled by all the "Kinder, Gentler" talk of the politicians. We are constantly increasing our arsenal of weapons, accelerating the development of ways to subdue our enemies. How else will we win all the marbles?"
"But, why Mulder? Why all the abductees?" Dana asked.
"What group of people could they just snatch in the night with no new elaborate explanation needed?" Morris shrugged. "They were all people that had a history of disappearance and return. They all were less than credible in the eyes of society. If they could reshape the minds of these people they knew the process was successful. Their wild stories would only fuel the indifference of the law. They were the perfect group to test the new transport and the new brainwashing chemicals on. Do you understand now?"
"Yes, unfortunately I do." Dana closed her eyes and thought for a minute. "Whatever we are we going to do next needs to involve food; I can't take a chance of keeling over during an assault. And I think we should call Walter Skinner."
Another maelstrom of discussion erupted over her last statement. Everyone but her thought that it was a bad idea to involve A.D. Skinner in their plans.
"That's It!" Dana raised her voice. "Walter is in. He needs this as much as I do. Losing Mulder devastated him. He deserves the chance to redeem his soul, so to speak. That's my final decision."
Everyone in the room knew when Dana spoke with that kind of resolve it was a done deal!
A call to Walter Skinner brought immediate response. He arrived at Mulder's door within a half-hour, Chinese take-out in hand. He was mildly surprised when Langley opened the door and ushered him in. You could have knocked him over with a feather when he saw the rest of the assembly.
"Agent Scully, Byers, Frohike, Langley." He greeted. He glared at the unknown man in the room, uneasy with the look of him.
"Sir, I would like you to meet Morris Fletcher. He's with The Company. He knows where Mulder is."
After a few rounds of verbal sparing with Fletcher, Skinner looked at Scully and asked. "Do you believe him, Agent?"
Dana was immersed in a huge plate of food at the time and looked straight into the Director's eyes.
"I feel his explanation is more plausible than an alien abduction. I think we should at least go to West Virginia to check his story out. He is willing to go with us. I can always shoot him if he's lying." She calmly said as she continued to eat with her chopsticks.
'So much for the weaker sex' was the general consensus of all the men in the room.
Walter Skinner growled, "You won't even get a chance Agent Scully. He'll already be dead."
"Is this any way to talk about a man who had brought you your first real lead?" Morris Fletcher was definitely pale.
They continued their discussion for another two hours. Langley, Frohike and Skinner left to make all the arrangements and to gather the items they all felt they needed. They were to meet back at Mulder's apartment in three hours.
"I suggest you sleep, Scully. Byers can watch Fletcher while you get cleaned up and take a quick nap. I doubt you'll want to sleep much in the car later.
Dana quietly agreed and went into the bathroom as the others left. She packed and then showered and got dressed in some black jeans and a black cowl neck sweater she had in Mulder's closet. It seemed as if her head had hardly touched the bed when she was awakened to leave.
She stood at the alley entrance to Mulder's apartment in amazement staring at the van Skinner had brought back.
There were Amway bumper stickers on it and a large banner that proclaimed "F.E.D. 2000 Charleston, WVA." in the back window.
"Sir?" She turned an incredulous face to Skinner. "Aren't we supposed to be sneaking up on them?"
Walter Skinner had one of his rare smiles on his face. It looked out of place. "This is just to get us to West Virginia, Scully. I needed to find a way to transport our motley crew that wouldn't arouse suspicion. There's a large Amway function this weekend in Charleston and I felt this would suffice to get us out of Washington. I have a fully equipped assault van waiting for us in Beckley—along with some well-trained, trusted men I have known for a long time. Sometimes you need to hide in plain sight."
"Bitchen'!" Was the general consensus of the Lone Gunmen.
They all piled in and took off. They arrived in Beckley in early morning and arranged to ditch the Amway Van.
The next few hours of waiting were the hardest of Dana Scully's life. They needed to wait for the cover of darkness to close in on the hidden facility. The plan was polished and timed. Everyone but Scully was a nervous wreck.
As she had drawn closer to Beckley, she had become more and more sure that Mulder was near. She was concerned about his mental state, but she knew he was alive. She stayed calm by thinking of the new life growing in her. She slowly stroked her gently rounded stomach and concentrated on Mulder. 'Help me, baby! We need to contact your daddy.'
'Hold on Mulder, we're coming. It's not aliens. Did you know I'm pregnant with your baby? I found out right after you disappeared. I don't know how. I thought I was barren. If anyone could make a baby I should have known it would be you. Your child and I are on our way to rescue you. We're going to shut down this operation. You will be safe by midnight. Hold on, my darling, I need you more than you can ever know. Don't give in to the lies being told to you. It's just another conspiracy. Just human monsters, Mulder, not aliens. Think of me! Mulder, think of names for our child! What do you want Mulder? A girl or a boy? I don't care. I just want a husband to go with a healthy baby. Will you marry me Mulder? Will you be ours for the rest of your life? Think of us! Hold on Mulder, we're coming….' These thoughts circled Dana's mind like a mantra. They allowed her to remain calm and ready to act.
'Hold on my love, we're coming!' Over and over her thoughts poured out. She envisioned a warm glow of love and comfort surrounding Mulder very similar to the feeling she had during the presence of the Angel who had come to earth to rescue his four children from the Devil—very similar to the glow she felt during her vision at the Buddha.
She did not believe in the ability to project thought—and she certainly was not one who had ever tested as having one grain of psychic ability. But as she immersed herself in total concentration on these thoughts she began to believe she could feel Mulder's mind with her mind. She could feel his questioning, could feel his love being radiated back to her.
She concentrated harder trying to get him to maintain the mind contact. She needed to know how to reach him once the perimeter of the compound was breached. They were not communicating with mental words, just feelings. She needed to be able to feel the strengthening or weakening of his thoughts to guide her to him. She did not trust Morris Fletcher to know everything. She needed to trust her own mind—her own love—her own proof.
"Agent Scully, it's time." Skinner said.
End Part 2 of 3