Simpson trawled through the room. He had been waiting for ten minutes before the crime scene team could get there and he watched the clock tick the seconds by. Finally with his hands on the fingerprint kit he started on the bathroom. Other agents took photos of the bedroom and bagged Scully's clothes. Simpson was finished dusting the phone and had just replaced it when it rang loudly making him jump.
"Yeah?"
"It's Bob Travis, that you Simpson?"
"Yeah, what you got?"
"I got the video from last night and this morning, you should see this."
"I'll be down in a sec."
He replaced the receiver and handed his evidence bags over to the Scene operator. Snapping off his latex gloves he left the room, throwing them into the trash. He found Bob in one of the conference rooms that the management had set up to view the security videos.
"Hey, how's it goin up stairs?" Bob called.
"Slowly. We know it was them but there is no evidence of a struggle. I know that Agent Scully was a small woman but this kid was 16 for god's sake. She should been able to take him. We found no gun, or casings or powder…in fact we don't even know if he had her gun." He pulled a chair from another table over to where Bob was sitting and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands rubbing his face. "What have you got here?"
"Here we have Scully and Maguire entering the Inn…" he pointed to the two figures entering through the front door and Simpson watched in disbelief. "The next footage we have is of them leaving this morning. They got cameras in the stairwell's here but not in the corridors or lifts."
"She doesn't look too…stressed…does she?" Simpson said.
"No, in fact see here…" Travis said rewinding the video to the start.
They watched as Liam stepped up to the reception desk to speak to the member of staff and Scully turned away from them idly leafing through the magazines and brochures that rested on the table. She fixed her hair and removed her jacket. They could see her gun holster clearly empty as she turned top join Liam and they walked towards the lift.
"What about this morning? Was she under duress then?"
The following video showed Scully stepping from the Lift alone and reached a hand back towards it. Liam stepped out behind her clasping her hand and they both walked up to the desk. Liam seemed to be paying the bill and Scully watched around her, looking for something or someone. Watching over her shoulder as they left she tossed her loose hair over her shoulder and walked on…slower this time, less sure.
"Nice outfit," Bob said.
"She didn't come into the Inn with that dress, neither of them had any luggage. Find out to see how long the room had been booked for," Simpson ordered, pulling out his mobile. "And see if they got the dress delivered or if maybe it's one of her own…maybe he had it there waiting for her."
"I'll get right on that…" Bob said as he walked out of the room. Simpson held his phone up to his ear and waited for Mulder to answer.
"Mulder"
"Hey, it's Agent Simpson… How's it going?"
"We are about 10 min away from this church, How about your end?"
"We've gone through that room with a toothpick, no gun here, cant find it at the house either…he might have thrown it out."
"Any clues as to where they might be?"
"No Sir." He seemed to hesitate a bit, as if unsure what to say. "We took a look at the video footage."
"Yeah, it's Liam isn't it?"
"Yes…but there is something else."
"Spit it out…" Mulder said impatiently.
"Well to be honest, it doesn't quite look like she was kidnapped."
"What?"
"She could have run, she had plenty of opportunity, she didn't"
"You think she's there on her own accord?" Mulder said angrily into the phone, ignoring the curious looks from Brody.
"I'm just telling you what it looks like…"
"Listen you just try to find them…we're almost there. I'll call you when I find something."
Mulder hung up the phone slipping it into his inside jacket pocket. He looked over at Brody who drove silently looking straight ahead.
"They looked at the footage of Liam and Scully entering the building…it looks like she wasn't…forced…too much."
"Liam has a way of charming people." Brody said softly.
"I noticed it before, he seemed to look right into her soul and capture her thoughts…it was amazing the hold he had on her."
"People say that that was how he convinced his parents to let him…experiment…with his brothers…some kind of mind control."
With those words Mulder seemed to snap his head around and stare at Brody.
"What if the things that kidnapped him did experiments with him and gave him some sort of power…some sort of brain activity that would allow him to control others…make them do things they wouldn't normally do?"
"Mind control?" Brody said unsure, "This isn't the Twilight Zone!"
"You sure about that?" Mulder pointed out towards the church, the pathway was marked with smouldering patches up to the front door.
"What the-,"
Brody stopped the car and followed Mulder up to the first smouldering patch. He fingered the ash and brought some of it up to his nose.
"This is still warm," Mulder said brushing his fingers off the edge of his trousers.
"Could be just kids…" Brody saw Mulder pull his gun from its holster and followed suit. He walked up to the church door and Mulder waved his arm towards the back of the building. Nodding he circled round the church, holding his gun up in front of him, walking softly, trying not to crunch the leaves that covered the ground. Mulder peeped around the door spotting nothing then dove for cover behind one of the final pews. He heard no sound and looked up over the edge. He could make out Brody's shadow through the half broken stained glass windows. I was then he saw her. She sat limply in a chair that was in the middle of the alter. He stepped to the side of the room with his back against the wall and made his way up to the top of the room.
"Scully…Scully" he called softly.
A loud bang from behind the alter made him jump and he turned his gun onto the noise only to see Brody appear dusting himself off.
"Sorry about that."
Mulder knelt in front of Scully and felt for a pulse. It was weak but it was there. He began undoing the straps and allowed her to fall into his lap.
"Call for an ambulance," he shouted at Brody who was already calling for one.
"Scully…wake up, it's okay."
He brushed her hair from her face and gently stroked her cheek. It was then he noticed her dress. Looking down he stared at the soft material, touching it softly. Her feet were bare but not cut. Mulder presumed she had worn shoes into the church and walked over all the broken glass and wood. Just then she moaned and his eyes shot back up to hers. They fluttered and finally opened.
"Scully…are you hurt?"
"Liam?"
"No, it's Mulder…Fox Mulder," he said trying not to be surprised.
"The ambulance will be here soon," Brody said over his shoulder. "I'm just gonna take a look around."
"Where's Liam?" Scully asked, her voice hoarse and raw.
"I dunno. We're looking for him now." Mulder helped her into a sitting position, and then she stood shakily. "Do you remember anything?" he asked softly.
"I…I'm not sure…I remember some stuff, but I don't know what's real or not."
"Sit down, relax…the ambulance will be here soon."
"No Mulder I don't want to sit down."
She pulled her hair back from her face and twisted it behind her head, but it fell around her cheeks again. She straightened her dress and smoothened the creases suddenly aware of what she was wearing. Her shoes were beside the chair neatly standing next to each other. As if sensing her thoughts Mulder reached for her shoes and handed them to her.
"Not very sensible shoes for out here," she said quietly.
"Goes with your dress though."
She looked up at him suddenly needing his approval, his soft gaze to be one of admiration not disdain. She saw the wonder in his eyes as they travelled the length of her body and the soft smile play across his lips. She returned the smile and leaned against him to put on her shoes.
"The lady in the store said I could return it if I wasn't satisfied."
"You might not be but I certainly am!"
She ignored his comment and stood, this time less surely. Mulders hand reached out and caught her before she fell.
"Come on, let's go outside."
Still holding onto her he led her out into the cool day. He slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She smiled inwardly at the long gaze he sank into her almost bare back. He kept his arm around her shoulders, gently stroking her as if in an effort to keep her warm. From the back of the church they heard Brody calling. Mulder looked down at Scully who nodded and he ran around to find Brody leaning over a small well.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure but I think I got someone down here."
"Hang on I'll grab some stuff."
Mulder returned to Scully and led her over to the car and sat her into it.
"Wait here. The ambulance should be here soon."
"I'm fine Mulder…I just need a change of clothes."
"Just wait…" He rummaged in the boot for a torch and rope and closed the door on Scully, who sat in the back seat. Locking the door after him, he ignored her glare and went to join Brody.
"Here, I'll go down," Mulder said untying his tie.
"You'll never fit…I'll go."
Mulder looked at the small hole and decided he was right. He ties the loop into the rope and slipped it over Brody's shoulders and under his arms. Brody took the torch and gently lowered himself into the well. His calls went unanswered into the darkness. Mulder felt the rope slacken when he touched the bottom and rushed to the edge to see Brody stepping from the rope.
"What do you see?" He called.
"You wouldn't believe…" Brody's torch shone brightly on things Mulder couldn't make out.
"Try me…" Mulder yelled down after him.
"Bodies…lots and lots of bodies."
"Dead?"
"Eh…yeah…some for a long time…some are still kinda warm."
"You better get outta there…" Mulder said the hairs on the back of his neck creeping to a stand.
"Wait I think I see one of them moving…they could be alive"
"Brody, get out!"
Watching the beam of light move around the well Mulder shouted for Brody, but got no response. He yelled his name repeatedly down the well and got only silence in return. The movement of the torches powerful light was his only clue to Brody's whereabouts. Just then a hand rested on Mulders shoulder and he rolled over his gun already in his hand.
"Sir…"
Mulder pulled his gun off the young officer and reholstered it.
"We got a man down there, we need a team-,"
"Mulder," Brody called form below.
"Brody?"
"Yeah, pull me up…pull me up quick"
Mulder and the officer pulled on the rope until Brody came tumbling through and fell onto the ground panting. He rested his hand on his chest and waited for his breathing to ease. He sat up and turned to see Mulder watching.
"There is someone down there. Took my gun, attacked me."
"They didn't shoot you?"
"No, they took my gun."
"They? More than one?"
"No…yeah…I dunno."
"What about the bodies?"
"Maybe a hundred…may be more…all at different stages of decomposition…not pretty."
"Suddenly I'm glad I didn't fit." Mulder held out a hand and pulled Brody to his feet. "We need to get a team down there."
"It's like there are tunnels all over the place there. A Labyrinth."
"First we'll need to open this well wider."
He turned to the young officer and ordered him to call his office and get a digger out there to open the well. The officer nodded and ran around to the front of the church, where Mulder and Brody found the Ambulance Technician talking to Scully through the half opened window. Mulder watched as Scully pointed over towards them and the technician turned to face them, anger etched clearly across his face.
"You got the keys?"
Sheepishly Mulder opened the car and held out a hand for Scully. Smiling she took it and he led her over to the ambulance where she sat to be examined.
"We found a cave of tunnels…full of bodies…" His voice was low and she stopped smiling.
"Who are they?"
"We don't know yet. Brody is trying to get a team out here to widen the well so we can get some men down there. Someone attacked him. He says they tried to drug him…squeezed his head."
Scully shivered involuntarily and tried to avoid Mulders gaze, but he lifted her face and looked into her eyes. She winced slightly as the EMT took some blood.
"What did they do to you?" he asked softly almost to himself..
"I…I don't remember…"
"When they are done here I will take you back to the motel. Let you get some rest. Shower, change your clothes."
"Thank you," she murmured, unable to match his gaze anymore she looked away and he let her.
"Mulder…" Brody stood beside the squad car and called him over, waving a sheet of paper.
With a final look at Scully he squeezed her hands and went over.
"We will have the team out here in about 20 min. But one of your guys just faxed this through."
Mulder took the sheet and scanned through the writing. Looking up in amazement he saw Brody look angry.
"How can a dead man steal a car?"
""I am the resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever believes in me shall never die", Liam said that back at the house just before he took Scully."
"It's a chapter from the bible. John 11:25-26."
"Well if this is right, Then Murphy isn't dead. Just like the night we saw Liam jump into the ravine…that should have killed him."
"You saying he's immortal?"
"I dunno, but it sure would explain a lot."
"What about the bodies I found? If this has something to do with Liam, wouldn't they be alive?"
"Maybe they are non-believers," he quipped.
Darkness fell around the motel car park as Mulder held Scully close, leading her up to her room. She tried to shrug him off but he held tighter. He opened the door a hand always on her lower back and gently pushed her in ahead of him.
"Mulder…I'm fine…I just want a shower and a change of clothes."
"I know…but I'm not taking any chances."
"What chances?"
"Just humour me Scully!" He lifted the curtains edge and saw the black car pull up, reverse parking into a spot so that Scully's door was clearly visible.
"What are you looking at?" She brushed past him and immediately spotted the car, its occupants unmoving. "Who are they?"
"Guardian angels?" Mulder joked.
"You're having me watched?" her voice heavy with anger.
"Not watched…protected," he corrected.
Without a reply she stormed into the bathroom the door slamming behind her. For a moment Mulder considered calling them off, but then he heard the bath filling. He reached over to the phone and called for room service.
"A Pizza, Scully or a sandwich?" When she didn't reply he ordered the pizza and lay flat on the bed, his heavy eyelids finally claiming sleep.
The persistent knocking on the door made him roll over away from the noise and slip a pillow over his head. With the sound of the door closing the bed swayed and he turned to see Scully, her hair wet and wearing a heavy dressing gown, sitting on the edge of the bed, resting a pizza on her lap.
"Some bodyguard you'd make."
"I was tired."
"Sleeping on the job," she rolled her eye and shook her head.
He sat up next to her and tried to open the pizza box but she held it away from him.
"C'mon Scully, I'm hungry."
"Shouldn't you be off somewhere digging up the bodies?"
"I think they can do without me for an hour or two."
She seemed to consider his answer before making room between them for the pizza box. Opening it she saw all her favourite topping lavishing the base and smiled, suddenly realising how hungry she was.
"How did you know?" she joked.
"I didn't work next to you for three years without learning a thing or two." Scully scoffed as she took a slice.
They ate in silence as Mulder tried not to think of the "what if's" and Scully tried not to remember the emerging images. Their eyes met and for a second Mulder saw her pain and her struggle. Without a word he put his slice down, moved the box away and sat closer to her. Her face rested against his shoulder and he put his arm around her, holding her close she wept silently. Her tears fell freely onto his shirt. She slipped her arms around him and held him tightly, needing to feel him close, needing to feel him holding her. He whispered softly into her hair and returned the gesture, not wanting to break her spell he made no attempt to move and just held on.
Brody and Simpson sat in the front of the car. The headlights were on and shone brightly onto the large digger that cleared a pathway into the well. Bob Travis appeared at the door, handing them both a cup of coffee.
"Looks like it's gonna be a long one," Bob said leaning against the car door.
"Where's Agent Mulder?" Simpson asked.
"He brought Scully back to the motel. He said he didn't want any calls unless it was an emergency. Also said he'd be back in a couple of hours."
"I'd need a more than a couple of hours with that dress!" Travis said laughing, but stopped what he saw Simpson and Brody looked at him not smiling. "Oh come on…you don't think-? But she's beautiful…and that dress, enough to get me goin!"
"Doesn't take much does it?" Brody said stepping away from the car and walking up to the dig.
He could see clearly into the well and watched as the men slowly lowered themselves into the steep incline, lining themselves up to make a human carousel. The bodies were handed out along the line of hands and placed in order under the large marquee that had been set up. Several people walked along the bodies taking notes and numbering each bag. Removing personal belongings, bagging them and labelling them. So far they had taken 40 bodies from the well.
Brody walked along the rows of bodies and looked into the faces. They ranged from ten years old to eighty years old. Some of the bags had names on them where a wallet had been found. They were waiting for information from the missing persons database, to confirm identities, but Brody could feel it in the foul air. The stench held firmly to the atmosphere, refusing to let the feeling of death evaporated. He held the mask over his mouth and quickened his pace to exit the marquee. He careened into Simpson, who had come looking for him and ran over to be sick behind a tree.
"You okay?" Simpson rushed over to Brody's bent figure.
"Yeah…I just…" he stood up wiping his mouth with his cuff, "I never seen anything like this before."
"I know, it's tough the first time…let's just hope that this is the last time too." Simpson offered him a cigarette but Brody declined. Lighting up himself, he moved away from the marquee and urged Brody to follow. "It looks like we have a mass suicide here."
"Suicide? But these bodies have different levels of decomposition?"
"I know, but we can break them into intervals. Some of them are long dead and some of them not long. It looks like this place has been used several times for different suicides."
"You think Liam has something to do with this?"
"It doesn't look good. We need to find him, and fast. They may know we've found this site and may be looking for another. We got a chopper searching the areas for small fires, strange lights…if we don't find them soon it may be too late."
Liam stood at the front of the crowd. They followed silently, the darkness closing around them as the wandered through the forest. Car lights up ahead caused Liam to stop and the others followed suit. The car pulled over at the side of the road and the lights were turned off. Liam watched as Sgt Murphy climbed out of the car and ran directly to him as if he stood on broad daylight.
"Liam…I found you," he said kneeling in front of him. Liam placed a hand on Murphy's head and smiled.
"Did they follow you?"
Murphy laughed, "They think I'm dead." He stood and looked at the crowd that stood behind him. "It's time isn't it?"
Liam looked at him and smiled again, this time turning to face the crowd he lifted his hands into the air.
"For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly."
The crowd murmured softly, staring at Liam unmoving they waited for him to speak again.
"They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord, for they have borne alien children. Now the moon shall devour them with their fields."
Again the crowd murmured, this time louder, more feverant. They crowded around Liam and followed him as he walked out of the woods and into the barn. Murphy looked around the large open barn and realised that it was here that he found Liam, all that time ago. He watched as Liam stood onto a bale and the people sat around below him, watching him in awe, waiting for his pearls of wisdom, hoping for maybe a piece of what he felt. What Murphy saw was desperation and loneliness. Fear, borne from a life of hardships and solitude. He turned to see Liam watching him, a knowing smile on his smug face.
"You know my life, you've seen my power? Do you reject me now?" Liam's voice was low but seemed to echo around the room. All eyes suddenly turned to Murphy who stood at the back of the crowd. He took a step backwards but suddenly found his way blocked by two men. They ushered him to the front where Liam was standing and threw him to the floor.
"Wait no…you have to stop this…enough people have died…"
"Including you?" Liam said.
Murphy looked down at the hand Liam rested on his shoulder and suddenly felt the pain rifle through his body. Dropping to the floor he convulsed against the pain trying to move, to escape, but he knew he couldn't. He allowed the sensation to caress his skin and finally he stopped moving, his skin melting rapidly across his body as his muscles tightened around his skeleton.
Mulder pulled the car up outside the crime pate and looked over at Scully. She had changed into a black pantsuit with a light blue blouse. Without her gun holster the line of the suit was even and Mulder saw he fixing it, as if she missed the familiar bulge.
"You sure you're up to this?"
"I have to Mulder, I have to," she said without looking and stepped out of the car. They found Simpson and Brody standing near the dig site and walked up to them.
"Agent Simpson, Officer Brody, this is Agent Scully."
"Hello, glad to have you aboard," Simpson said calmly, as if they hadn't found her near death four hours ago.
"Hello Ma'am." Brody tipped his cap and stared at her; unable to believe she was standing there. Scully smiled at the contrasting reactions and looked at Mulder.
"So what did we find?" he asked, diverting the attention away from Scully. She smiled at him warmly, giving him a wink before following them to the Marquee.
"One Hundred and Twenty bodies in total. Some of them have been identified, some of them not. We got fresh meat here that couldn't be more than 12 hours dead and we have bones dating we think back possibly last year."
"That's when Liam Maguire really re-appeared." Mulder said.
"What?" Scully was bent over the first body; obviously fresh and looked up suddenly.
"It seems that Liam first reappeared last year and has been doing certain experiments on siblings and neighbours since then."
"Experiments?"
"He had four brothers."
"Dead?"
"Actually they were found in the well. In the bone section," Simpson said. "We had dental records sent over from the local office and we started with his family."
"He was doing some sort of mind control experiments, using his brain, thinking about doing something to their brains and it happened."
"Mulder-," Scully began but Brody stepped forward.
"It's true. He had four brothers; they were regularly showing up to school with cuts. People reckon that he was trying to turn them into the way that he used to be, then one day they disappeared. Robert said that they died and he had burnt them."
"And that was okay?" Scully said incredulously.
"Well Murphy went out there to investigate…"
"And we all know how that story ends…" Mulder finished for him.
Scully stepped forward, away from the three man for a second, her thoughts flying, her mind racing.
"Scully…" She felt Mulders arm on her shoulder and turned to see the concern on his face.
"I'm fine Mulder," she squeezed his hand and turned back to the others but before she could speak Brody's radio crackled to life.
"Brody," he said into it.
"We found a car out on the I-43, the plates match the ones that were reported stolen."
Four sets of eyes collided and they all ran towards the parked cars.
"Any body near the car?" Brody called into the radio as he ran.
"No sir, nothing round here for miles, 'cept for a barn about five miles away."
"I-43?"
"Yeah."
"Get over to the barn and check it out. Don't land though.
"Yes sir. Over and Out."
"Bakers barn. Follow me."
Mulder and Scully jumped into their rental and waited for Brody and Simpson to take off in the squad car. The dust kicked up around them swirling over the two cars as the streaked onto the main road. Scully tightened her seat belt and looked over to see Mulder without one.
"Put your belt on Mulder"
"At this speed?" he smiled and without taking his eyes off the road reached around for the buckle and handed it to her. She snapped it into place and sat up again.
"Anyway at this speed chances are I won't see them brake in time and our belts will only hinder our escape."
"If he was operating on them with mind control why would they have cuts?" Scully said suddenly.
Mulder did a double take and looked back out the front window. "What?"
"Brody said they turned up to school with cuts…"
"Yeah but I'm talking about what he did to the bodies…he started on the kids…badly…then progressed into a subconscious state of probing where he didn't need to cut his victims."
"But-,"
"Come on Scully, you know what he did to you?" he glanced at her, and for a horrifying moment she thought he knew.
"What do you mean?"
"The security footage of you and Liam entering the hotel…he didn't force you, you went willingly. The dress…I'm sure he didn't dress you, he was there when you called my mobile wasn't he?" Mulders voice wasn't accusing but it rang true to her painful mortification. She felt weak, helpless to resist against Liam and yet her mind screamed out to get closer to him.
"It was like nothing I ever felt before…" she started quietly. Mulder said nothing and let her speak. "I felt like he knew me, like he knew how I felt and how to make me feel good…" her cheeks blushed and she looked down to her fidgeting fingers. "I imagine it's what it feels like to be loved," she glanced at him, happy that he was trying too hard to keep up with Brody to be staring at her with his intense green eyes.
"You are loved…very much." He whispered, still watching out the windscreen, loud enough for her to wonder if he'd spoken at all, but soft enough for her to hear the words.
Brody took a sharp turn and pulled the car up outside the small white house. He got out and waited for the others to join him.
"That's the barn over there. The chopper called and said that they couldn't see any movement. We could be to late."
"Late?"
"The final mass suicide," Mulder said trying not to think of Scully's body among the dead.
They crept up to the entrance of the barn and through the slots Mulder could make Liam out. He walked among the crowd touching peoples heads and as he did they fell to the floor.
"Get in there now," he said to the others and they broke through the door. Liam turned surprised at them and the rest of the people that hadn't fallen to the ground stood up, protecting them. Brody and Simpson circled around the crowd their guns held out. Mulder stepped in front of Scully and blocked Liam's vision of her.
"I knew you'd come, Dana."
"Shut up!" Mulder shouted, his face red and angry. "Come out where we can see you Liam."
Liam stepped between two large men and held his hands out in the crucifix position. Mulder heard Scully gasp when she saw the blood running from them and he felt her grab his shirt, holding him back.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."
"Liam, get down on the floor," Simpson shouted, his gun waving towards the ground.
Liam reached out and placed a hand on the man standing beside him. His eyes closed and the man crumpled to the ground. Reaching out to another her touched a head and another fell to the floor, both unmoving.
"Liam, Stop," Scully's voice was loud and he turned to her. "Don't do this."
"Come to me Dana, you know I can love you like no other," he rested his hands on a woman who was kneeling before him and she fell. "Let me forgive your sins and release you."
Scully stepped forward but Mulder grabbed her hand. Her face was clear and serene, free from the anguish he saw, he felt, in her earlier.
"No Scully, stay with me… Stay with me," he pleaded. She turned to face him and watched as Liam touched another, this time a child.
"I have to go…I need to."
"Dana…I need you to stay"
Scully reached up to his face and caressed his cheek with her fingers. Turning back to Liam she saw him standing with only five people joining hands around him. The opened their circle and allowed her to enter the middle with Liam.
"For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me."
"Psalms 38:17" Scully said softly.
Mulder came closer his gun aimed squarely at Liam face. He watched Brody and Simpson close in on other sides.
"Liam, let them go…"
"I will." He reached for the first persons hand looked sharply at Brody. "If you want to shoot…do it now"
The loud crack of the gun surprised everybody. Mulder lunged for Scully taking her out of the line of Fire and rolling with her to safety. Liam staggered from the blast and looked at the open wound on his shoulder.
"For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born," he spat at towards Brody who fired again, this time hitting him square in the chest.
Mulder lay on top of Scully holding her still, fighting her struggles.
"LET ME GO," she called "SAVE HIM." She struggled and squirmed beneath him but his hold was tight.
Simpson joined Brody his gun also aimed at Liam. They stared at him as he staggered and remained standing. Mulder lifted his head and watched as they fired more round into the boy, who kept coming at them until finally falling to his knees. His hands held into the air he seemed unaware of the blood on his face and body. He cried out shouting for Scully.
"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you," he cried out her name "DANA, HELP ME…save me"
Mulder held tight onto Scully but suddenly felt her leg rise to meet his groin. His grip loosened enough for Scully to wrestle him off her and she rushed over to where Liam lay. He had fallen back his legs bent beneath him.
"Dana…"
She lifted his head and brushed his hair away from his face.
"And when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them." he whispered his voice barely audible.
"Shhh…Liam, stay still, we can save you,"
"I have failed in my mission…I am beyond redemption and cannot be saved…"
"Everyone can be saved, Liam, everyone."
"Even me?"
"Especially you."
He looked into her eyes keeping the contact until the last breath shuddered weakly from his body and his eyes closed. Realising he was dead Scully held him tightly, silent tears fell onto his face as she cried. Mulder came up from behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Urging her to leave she gently rested Liam's head into the hay and stood away from the body.
"You okay?" Mulder asked as he joined leaned against the car bonnet next to her. The barn was alive with another crime scene team. The yellow tape glittered in the artificial light and reminded Scully of tinsel on a Christmas tree. Only four of the people who followed Liam were still alive. They had been rushed to the hospital, many of them in shock, having been left alone in the world, their friends and family dead.
"I dunno."
"How do you feel?"
"I'm tired…worn out…how about you?"
He grimaced at her small smile and held his hand over himself protectively. "Getting better…could be a while though. Quite a kick…good aim."
"Sorry about that. I know you were trying to protect me."
"Of course I was, you'd do it for me."
"Only if you promise not to kick me."
"I promise nothing."
He slipped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. She didn't struggle this time and leaned into it.
"I want to do an autopsy," she said quietly.
"On Liam?"
"Yeah…see if I cant make sense of it…"
"I figured as much…I've arranged for you to start in the morning."
"Thanks Mulder…for everything."
"Only for you Dana, only for you"
They drove back to the motel in silence, Mulder wondering what to say, afraid to cause her more pain. Finally they reached their rooms and he stood by as she opened her door.
"Will you do me a favour?" she asked quietly, avoiding his gaze.
"Anything."
"Will you stay here? I'm afraid to be alone."
Without hesitation Mulder crossed to her door and stepped in behind her. As she watched he pulled off his tie and threw his shoes into the corner. Scully watched, smiling as he claimed the remote and lay out onto the bed. He patted the space next to him and she laughed.
"Only if you watch Discovery with me!"
Mulder woke to find Scully's room empty. For a moment he stood and stared at the tousled bed. Wondering if she'd slept well, wondering if she'd slept at all. He had heard her moving in the bed but apart from reaching a hand out to comfort her he left her. Looking at the clock he saw the time read ten thirty and jumped for the door. He changed quickly and made his way out to the hospital where he found Scully, mid autopsy.
"Decided to get up a while?"
"I was working till late on a…case?"
"Yeah? What case?"
"Alright I was watching the box…old B-Ball Games!" He smiled, happy to see her smiling, happy to hear her laughing. "What you got?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nope, no scars, not damaged tissue, no drugs in his system, not penetration marks…then only interesting I found were his tattoos. All bible verses marking certain quotes in the bible. See here?" She lifted Liam arm and showed Mulder the black test the reached up his arms and across the top of his chest.
"Do you know the quotes?"
"Some of them…a lot of the ones he was always saying are here."
"Isn't that a bit weird?"
"Actually…it is. I mean we all saw him bleeding from his hands and cuts on his foreheads…I saw a bad gash on his side, but there are no traces of any wound here. The tissue has completely healed."
"Cell regeneration…rapid cell regeneration."
"I've sent some for testing back at Quantico."
"So how about his remarkable recovery?"
I'm about to go into the brain, if you want to stick around," she said reaching for the bone saw and switching it on, close to Liam's head.
"Maybe I'll go out and get some coffee, want some?"
"Sure."
Mulder walked into the hall and saw Brody approaching. He smiled and held a hand out to the deputy.
"Brody, how are you?"
"Not too good."
"No, what's up?"
"I got a call from the morgue…"
"What is it?"
"The bodies…from the well…" Brody scuffed his foot, waiting for Mulder to guess as if he was afraid to admit the truth. "They are gone."
"What? All of them?" Mulder exclaimed.
"No, just the ones that we estimated to be dead within the last day or so."
Mulder turned and went back into Scully who was bending close to the head, a fine spray of bone showering her facemask. Mulder stood back waiting for her to stop.
"Don't hover Mulder…"
"I got news Scully…" She turned off the saw and turned to face him, giving him her full attention. "Some of the bodies from the well…they are gone."
Her face showed no changed as he told her of the empty body bags that were found in the morgue that morning. She didn't try to blink away the tears he thought she'd shed, as they didn't try to fall. He didn't try to comfort her, as she showed no sign of weakness. She pulled the facemask off and then the scrubs. With a final glance at Liam she walked towards the door and tossed them into the bin. Mulder caught up with her as she brushed past Brody.
"Scully…" he called after her.
"Just leave me Mulder…I want to be alone."
Scully stepped into the brightly lit church quietly. Holding back as if she was intruding she sat on a pew near the back. The priest on the alter spoke clearly and loudly trying to be heard without a microphone. The congregation broke into song at that moment and she sighed deeply. Feeling the emptiness well up inside her, she bowed her head, afraid to show her feelings. Just then a body stood next to her urging her to move in. She looked up and saw Mulder standing beside her. She slid along the seat and he sat next to her. Without a word he took her hand and held it between his own on his lap. Interlocking his fingers he held them tight and looked up to the priest who had begun his sermon. They remained that way until finally the mass ended and the church slowly emptied.
"He's gone, isn't he?" Mulder turned to look at her and she didn't need his answer. She already knew. She bowed her head and fingered her gold cross.
"Are you alright Dana?"
"Dana? Since when?"
"I was just trying it out…Scully?"
She smiled up at him and looked at the concern in his eyes. "Liam said to me that I wasn't loved. That I could never fall in love…I was at a stage where I believed him…"
"Scully…"
"No, wait, listen…I know he was lying. He might not have been a miracle or a telepath or whatever crazy theory you have cooked up this time but he was a very smart young man. He knew my weakness and he used it against me."
Sensing now was the wrong time to try to convince her of the power he thought Liam possessed, Mulder looked at her, watching the array of emotions play through her eyes.
"I know a few bible quotes myself you know," he said.
"Oh yeah?"
He stood and took her hand leading her out into the bright sunlight. They made their way down to the bottom of the stairs and Mulder stopped her from getting into the car. Turning her he placed and hand on each of her arms.
"Behold, this is the joy of his way; and out of the earth others will spring."
"Job 8 : 19."
How about this one… You shall not fear them; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you."
"One of my favourites…Deuteronomy 3:22"
"And my favourite…Proverbs 24 : 26"
Scully looked at him for a moment frowning, before the smile broke through, onto her lips and reaching her clear blue eyes.
"He who gives the right answer kisses the lips," he said solemnly, his eye never leaving hers.
She laughed beautifully, her laughter caressing his ears and causing him to smile. She stepped up closer to him her lips inches away from his. His breath caught in his throat and he stood still unable to move.
"I haven't asked any questions…"
"I…I…can…" he stammered.
She laughed again, a lovely sound that began low in her body and bubbled up into a delicious sound that Mulder basked in. Finishing her move she kissed him lightly on the lips. He blushed slightly at his own awkwardness and tried to smile.
"Let's go home Mulder."
"Sure, I already packed for us," he said.
"Great, that means you can try to explain your theory to me uninterrupted."
"I dunno if we have enough time for that."
"A three hour drive and a four hour flight?"
"It's quite complex."
"Try me."
"Well as long as you remember that you asked for it."
They sat into the car and Scully rolled her eye visibly at him.
"I'll try to keep up."
THE END….
