"Well, Mulder, what do you think?" Scully turned and looked up at her partner. He was watching the woman as she drove off in a midnight-blue Millennia.

"Attractive. Potential date material but may wish for commitment. She is to be avoided at all costs." He turned and smiled at Scully, as she gave him one of her now famous looks. She always looked cute when she expressed mock annoyance.

"Ha, ha, Mulder. You know what I mean. Do you think that she knows something?"

"I don't think that she does. We'll just have to keep looking for Mrs. Granger ourselves and hope she can tell us who are esteemed 'bug zapper' is. We can contact someone at the local office to help us." Mulder was making his way to the car when he noticed that Scully had stopped following him. "What's up, Scully?"

"Mulder . . . You didn't happen to catch the name of that woman did you?" Scully gave him a puzzled look as they again continued to the car.

"You know, Scully, it hadn't even dawned on me to ask. It was as if it wasn't important." He too, seemed puzzled, as he glanced at his partner across the roof of the sedan. They both looked back in the direction that the car had gone, and then got into their car and drove off.

The Holiday Inn

2:30 PM

She had registered here as Samantha Loss. She had always liked the name Samantha, and when she was younger she had insisted on being called by that name. He had put a stop to that. Looking down at her, with the forever-present cigarette in hand, he told her that the name simply showed her weakness. That was why she was called Vesper. It was representative of her purpose. Her purpose, though still not clear at such a young age, was to be an instrument in the safe keeping of the good of the government and the people. She was a half-light. Living in the twilight. Trained to keep America's interests, the Syndicate's interests, intact. Looking back she thought of how insane that idea was - is. It's a wonder that he was unable to successfully turn her. All that she ever remembered, from her first memory, was the Operations Center. Yet, throughout that whole time, she maintained the belief that these people that watched over her, trained her, were utterly wrong. They treated her like an experiment. Hell, maybe she was. It just never felt completely true. Which brings her back to the appropriateness of the last name she chose.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she decided on a strategy for tonight's venture. Meeting the two agents had given her an idea. They would prove useful should things go according to plan. If things should go wrong, they would be the unknowing backups she would require. Either way, a monkey wrench would find its way into this dark machine. All that she needed to do was make one phone call to get the ball rolling.

Boston FBI Field Office

2:40 PM

"Did you get anything off our mysterious friend's license plate?" Scully asked, as she entered the makeshift office. She carried two cups of coffee in a small drink carrier, and a bag with a couple of sandwiches, which she placed on the desk in front of Mulder.

With a small smile, and a nod of thanks, Mulder took a cup from the carrier and a sandwich from the bag. "You won't believe the name that popped up on the DMV's file. According to their records, our mystery woman's name is Lola Brummagem. 'Brummagem' is another word for phony. Whoever she is, she's good. Except for the name, all the information I have been able to dig up appears legitimate. You have to have a lot of skill and knowledge to create such an elaborate background."

"That or name really is Brummagem and you are grasping at straws."

"Nah. That's not it."

"Right, Mulder," Scully said, smiling and taking a sip from her coffee before she continued. "How do you think that she's connected to this case?"

"Well . . ." just then his cell phone began ringing, "Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, do you know who this is?" The voice that came out of the phone was feminine and familiar.

"That would depend. Is your name really Lola Brummagem?" Scully took the hint and picked up the desk phone to have the number traced.

"Bravo, Agent Mulder. I commend you. You're quicker than I had expected; you're going to need to be. I was expecting to have to work at getting your attention, now I'll simply come straight out and give you the reason for this call. I don't know the exact reason for why you're investigating the Granger fire, but I can direct you to the one responsible for it."

"Who are you really? What's your real connection to Felicia Granger and why should I believe you?"

"I'm just a concerned citizen trying to do the right thing, Agent Mulder. It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. In any case, I believe that you'll follow up on what I have to say. As to Felicia Granger, she no longer exists. She died the day that her family was taken from her. Just meet me on the docks, pier 13, at 5:00 PM. You'll get your answers then. I'll be waiting. Oh and, Agent Mulder?"

"Yes."

"Dress accordingly. We wouldn't want to stick out. Let your partner know that this is a no-heels engagement." The smile was evident in her voice as Mulder heard the click of the phone on the other end of the line.

Scully looked up from what she was writing. "I got the trace," she said hanging up the office phone, "it originated from the Holiday Inn."

"We may not need it, Scully. She was calling to set up a meet on the docks, at 5:00 PM. I can also safely assume that she probably knew we were tracing the call, so catching her at the hotel will be fruitless. However, we might find something there that we can use to figure out who she is. Let's get a warrant and a forensics team on it. Maybe we can get some prints from her room."

The Holiday Inn

3:00 PM

Front desk

Mulder walked up to the manager at the front desk and flashed his badge, "Special Agent Fox Mulder, with the FBI. We traced a call to this location and have a warrant to search the room that this number belongs to." Mulder put his badge away as the manager reviewed the warrant before looking up the number. Scully arrived at his side with three agents trailing behind her.

"Here we go, Agent Mulder. It's room 10."

"Who's registered at that room?"

"It's registered to a Samantha Loss," the manager replied.

"Samantha Loss?" Mulder asked. He had a bewildered look on his face that matched the one that Scully was showing upon hearing the name. Scully knew good and well that Mulder immediately made a connection to his lost sister. "How did she pay?"

"She paid cash and it appears that she has not checked out."

"Can you show us to the room?"

"Certainly." The manager waved someone to the desk to take his place as he lead the agents, the three agents followed carrying what appeared to be large boxes with handles, down one of the hallways that sprouted from the lobby. When they reached the room, Scully knocked on the door.

"FBI, open up." After waiting a moment, Mulder directed the manager to open the door, then dismissed him. He and Scully entered first and swept the room. The room and the bathroom were both clear. Mulder and Scully moved to the side as the other agents, forensics specialists, entered. One entering the bathroom to the right of the front door, the other two taking positions at opposite sides of the room. From the looks of things, it appeared as if she had just left. The bed wasn't made and the TV was still running.

"Looks like we just missed her," said Scully. Both agents scanned the room. On the table by the window they spotted a small book. Coming closer they noted that it was a New Testament pocket bible. It was the kind that some small churches gave out to new parishioners. Opening it to the index, Mulder noted that under "Christian Virtues and Character," Freedom, John 8:31-36 . . . 185 were marked. Turning to that reference, Mulder read aloud:

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,

'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples

indeed. And you shall know truth, and the truth

shall make you free.'"

"So, Mulder, what do you think?"

"For once, Scully, the message is clear. The mystery is how a 'routine' X-File investigation led to a clue to my sister's possible whereabouts."

Scully looked at Mulder and saw the excitement flaring in his eyes. He'd had so many clues thrust at him in the past that ended in so much frustration and more unanswered questions that she didn't think she could bare to see him crushed again. She just prayed, and not for the first time, that his leap of faith would prove fruitful this time.