TITLE: Chess Game I: The Pawns

ORIGINAL TITLE IN SPANISH: Tablero de Ajedrez. Los Peones

AUTHORS: Rafael Zea (rafaelzeap@terra.com.co) and Missy K

(missy_kath@hotmail.com)

DISCLAIMER: The characters from The X-Files used in this

story belong to Chris Carter, 20th Century Fox and 1013

Productions. It is not our intention to infringe the

copyright laws.

CLASSIFICATION: WIP (1/3); X-File, with a subtle touch of MSR

and DRR.

RATING: PG-13

SPOILERS: This story takes place after "Existence". There are

some references to "Syzygy," "Invocation," "Dead Alive," and

"Empedocles". "Jump the Shark", "William", and "Release"

never happened.

SUMMARY: Doggett, Reyes, Scully and Mulder are just pawns in

a huge chess game...

Author's Note: This tale was first published in August 2001

and is available at

http://www.silverbug-x-files.com/relato910.htm

-------------------------------

UNKNOWN LOCATION

2:30 A.M.

"It's possible that the sedatives are no longer working," the

nurse said, looking through the window of a closed room.

Inside, a woman was walking around, whispering phrases that

made no sense. "It's dangerous to be in contact with her, and

we'd rather not get her angry. She usually has violent

episodes and she's hard to control by force because she's

very strong."

"Is she always in this condition?" a woman in black clothes

asked.

"Yes, she is. She has attacked two doctors this week. I

advise you not to enter. She is very aggressive," the nurse

said.

"I know," the woman admitted. "But I will get in... Right

now," she added immediately, pushing the nurse aside, who

stepped back, scared.

The woman entered the room, closing the door behind her. The

walls were covered with padding in order to protect the

patient from hurting herself when she hit them during her

frequent violent episodes. A closed-circuit camera watched

over every movement inside the room, not only to prevent her

from injuring herself, but also to inform the doctors about

the tiniest change in her behaviour. The temperature was kept

constant and relaxing music was heard day and night. It was

the typical cold hospital room: one bed, one chair and one

table were the only furniture. The visitor went over to the

patient, who looked at her without recognizing her.

"Long time no see!" the woman exclaimed, greeting the

patient.

The patient, a skinny, pale woman, did not answer. She was

clad only in a white robe and slippers of the same colour.

Some of her fingers were bandaged because she had tried to

tear them off. Facing her unknown visitor, the patient tried

to remember the name belonging to that somehow familiar face.

As the two women were facing each other, the patient got

flustered and began to pull her own hair, emitting a

threatening sound. She tried to evade the visitor, but the

anonymous woman stopped her. The disrupted patient became

violent and was no longer a human being. Like a wild animal,

she howled in anger and fell upon the visitor.

The alarm went off and the steps of doctors and nurses were

heard in the hall.

Screaming and using her fists, the patient pushed the visitor

against the wall. It seemed like she couldn't speak any

coherent words. In spite of being attacked, the visitor

stayed quiet, and when the attacker wanted to hit her, she

gritted her teeth and grabbed the patient's wrists, coming as

close to her as she could.

"Finally, we see each other again, Diana Fowley..." the

visitor whispered as she injected the patient in the arm with

a strange drug.

Immediately after the injection, the patient began to give up

her fury. As she heard her own name pronounced by the

visitor, her eyes glowed with a special, old shine. The

visitor, Marita Covarrubias, smiled.

"You came to make sure I was dead, didn't you?" Diana asked,

lowering her arms and feeling even more of the effects of the

injected drug.

"This isn't the first time that we've had to pretend that one

of our members was dead, Agent Fowley," Marita answered.

"Now, I'm here to offer you the chance to come back to

life..."

"In return for...?"

"Before I answer your question, I want you to catch up on

some things that have happened while you were locked away in

this padded room. First, Agent Mulder was abducted by aliens,

and then he was released in such a serious condition that he

was declared dead and buried. But three months later, he was

dug up, alive. In order to save Mulder's life, it was

necessary to inject him with an experimental vaccine

developed by the doctors of the Consortium. Second, the

Cigarette Smoking Man and Agent Krycek are both supposedly

dead. Third, I am in charge of fighting the war against the

invaders, along with some survivors from the old Consortium.

And fourth... Agent Scully became pregnant by Mulder, and

although several attempts were made to prevent her from

giving birth to her son, he was born..."

"Damn bitch! Wasn't she barren?"

"Well, that is another long and hard-to-believe story, like

the one about the existence of intelligent beings beyond

Earth. But that's why I came here. We want you back with us.

We know about your past with Agent Mulder and that you hate

Agent Scully, so you can help us to get their baby, who is

worthy of the Consortium's attention from a *scientific*

point of view because it seems that he is the first

successful prototype of a hybrid race able to survive the

alien invasion."

"Believe me, Marita, I'll be very pleased to help the

Consortium one more time."

"OK. An order from me and we will be travelling to Washington

within five minutes. Time is our enemy right now, so we need

to hurry!"

-------------------------------

WASHINGTON D.C.

6:10 P.M.

Marita Covarrubias gave new clothes to Diana Fowley and, as

Diana changed, Marita filled out the paperwork necessary for

Diana's release. The two women and a mysterious man in a

black suit, who had accompanied Covarrubias, left the mental

hospital in a car that took them to a US Air Force airplane

with a destination to Washington. Diana thought that the

insane asylum in which she had been locked away was located

far away, due to the fact that the flight wasn't until the

early morning, with a stopover at an unidentified military

base. Finally, the plane landed at Andrews Base when the sun

was setting on the horizon. Then, Diana, Marita and the

Black-Suit Man got in a limousine parked on the runway of the

military airport. A few minutes after leaving Andrews Base,

the car stopped to pick up a man, who had been impatiently

waiting for them for a long time...

The door of the limousine was opened and Marita Covarrubias

invited the man to get in the car.

"Special Agent John Doggett? Please excuse us for making you

wait so long. Come with us."

Doggett, with his gun grasped inside the pocket of his coat,

got in the limousine. The car started running again,

screeching its wheels on the pavement. There was a surprise

when Doggett saw the passengers...

"Agent Fowley!" Doggett exclaimed. "What are you doing

here... Alive?"

"Oh, John Doggett. I'm seeing you and I can't believe it!"

Diana said, recognizing Doggett. "You were seriously wounded

in Lebanon and came back home. Weren't you dead?"

"I could say the same thing. You were supposedly killed for

having helped Mulder to escape from a scientific-military

complex. Weren't you?" Doggett replied.

"As you see, I'm not dead at all. It seems like both of us

are definitively alive, for better or worse..." Fowley joked.

"Do you two know each other?" Marita asked as she heard the

familiar exchange of words between Doggett and Fowley.

"Let's say that we know each other because of our respective

reputations. Agent Doggett was well known for his work as an

outstanding military man in the Middle East," Diana answered.

"...And Agent Fowley has a very long record of successfully

solved cases related to the fight against terrorism," Doggett

added. "But, please, let's put this issue to one side and get

to the point. What am I here for?"

"As you and Agent Reyes know, Agent Scully gave birth to a

boy conceived with Agent Mulder, and *helped* by the

technology developed by our scientists," commented the Black-

Suit Man, talking for the first time. "As far as we know,

that baby is the first perfect prototype of a species of

*superhumans*, able to survive the alien invasion because he

is immune to human illnesses and the virus that the

extraterrestrials are trying to use to destroy mankind and

take over the Earth," the strange man continued.

"That's not true. The boy has been examined by several

physicians, and they didn't find anything abnormal or

anything *superhuman*, as you say, in him," Doggett said in

denial.

"He's just apparently *normal*. As he grows, the special

characteristics that make him different and useful to our

purposes will begin to be evident," Marita corrected Doggett.

"And...? I don't understand what I have to do with the whole

thing yet..." the agent pointed out.

"You are the key man for our interests, Mr. Doggett. As Agent

Scully has the FBI's protection, we need someone to make

things easier for us to break security and get the baby,"

Covarrubias said, clarifying the situation for Doggett.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Doggett answered in

anger. "Of course, I wouldn't take part in such a cowardly

act against Scully, Mulder and their son!" Doggett added

furiously.

"Mr. Doggett, don't hurry to say no. When we called you, we

said that we had some information that could be very

interesting to you," the Black-Suit Man said, trying to tempt

Doggett.

"That's the only reason I'm here. What kind of information do

you have for me?" Doggett asked, losing his last bit of

patience.

"You must go to this place tomorrow," the Black-Suit Man

said, handing Doggett a card with an address written on it.

"There, one of our men will talk to you about the whereabouts

of your son, Luke."

"My son is dead," Doggett said, trying to reject the card.

"You and the rest of the world thought the same thing about

me but, as you can prove yourself, I am alive... And your son

is also alive!" Fowley assured him.

Doggett hesitated for a second, then he took the card and put

it in his wallet, along with his FBI badge. The mere mention

of Luke had disturbed him a lot. The agent filled his lungs

with air.

"In simple terms, what you want is to exchange one boy for

another. You want to blackmail me with Luke in order to

achieve your goal. Don't count on me for that. I won't allow

you to take advantage of my mourning to kill an innocent

baby... I had enough pain with the death of my own son to

have another boy's death on my conscience. Neither Mulder nor

I will allow you to do that!" Doggett replied energetically.

"Think it over anyway, Agent Doggett. We are offering you the

chance to get rid of your pain by recovering Luke and helping

mankind in the process," Marita said, trying to convince

Doggett to think over the proposal.

"I can't understand how the death of a kid is regarded as

*helping mankind*," Doggett said in confusion.

"Nobody has said that Mulder and Scully's son has to die. On

the contrary, it is more convenient for us to keep William

Mulder III alive. We must study his exceptional condition

and, based on it, develop an immunological strategy against

the invaders, in addition to creating clones of him with his

same physical strength and his capability to regenerate

himself," the Black-Suit Man pointed out.

"For God's sake! He's not a laboratory mouse! Forget it!"

Doggett exploded. "Stop the car! Stop this damn car right

now!"

The limousine braked roughly. Doggett opened the door and got

out of the car by leaping. Then, the agent walked away

without looking back.

"No matter what you say now, our contact will be at the

address we gave you tomorrow at noon. You have all night to

make a decision. It is convenient for you..." Marita

Covarrubias said, her voice heard by Doggett outside the car.

The last words from the woman made Doggett stop, but the man

didn't turn around. The wheels of the car screeched once

again on the pavement as the vehicle turned the next corner,

disappearing in darkness.

-------------------------------

POTOMAC CAFE

WASHINGTON D.C.

8:55 P.M.

While his mind was an actual battlefield between his feelings

and loyalties, Doggett wandered the foggy streets of the

capital of the United States, and found himself in front of a

cafe that he and Monica used to visit frequently in their

spare time. Surprisingly, she was there, drinking a

cappuccino and reading a book. As soon as Doggett saw Reyes,

he walked in the cafe and went over to her table, sitting

down beside her.

"Hi, Mon," Doggett greeted his partner, kissing her right

cheek. "I didn't think to find you here."

"Hello, John," Reyes answered, kissing him the same way. "I

was calling you all afternoon, but your cell phone seemed to

be turned off. Where were you?"

"I was collecting confidential information on a possible

case," Doggest said as an excuse, lying.

"That's strange. Before I left the office, I ran across

Skinner in the hall and he didn't say anything about the

subject. Did you talk to him?" Monica asked, surprised.

"No. Not today. Yesterday, he told me about it but had no

details. He asked me to pick up some documents, and that's

what I did."

"You look worried."

"It's nothing..."

"I know you better than anyone else, John Jay Doggett,"

Monica emphasized, grabbing Doggett's face with her hands.

"Please, look at me and tell me what's going on... You're not

good at telling lies..."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Doggett answered, not even

convinced by his own words and trying not to look into her

brown eyes. "I simply had a rough day."

"Luke?"

"I guess that it's impossible to conceal anything from you,

Mon. Your gifts of perception can reveal any secret," he

said. "Yes, I was thinking about Luke..." he added and,

although it was true, it worked also as an excuse for his

behaviour.

"Shhh... Both of us suffered for him," Monica said him,

pausing to clear the lump in her throat. "We worked hard

looking for him, and then we found him... murdered..."

"As it happened with Mulder and his sister, and then with

Scully and Mulder..." Doggett admitted, bowing his head.

"But unlike Samantha and Luke, Mulder's case had a *happy

ending*, absolutely illogical and defying common sense, but

undeniably real," Reyes added.

"You know, Monica, it'll sound foolish, but after everything

that happened to Mulder, I've thought more than once that..."

"No, John!" Monica closed Doggett's mouth by placing her

index finger on his lips. "We both saw Luke's dead body. We

were together at his burial. It was three years ago... It's

impossible..."

"Since I was assigned to the X-Files, I have heard that word

hundreds of times, and you've also heard it several times,

even though you're here less than I am," Doggett said.

"Please, don't talk about such painful memories anymore," she

said. "Why don't you tell me why what you're investigating is

so secret anyway?"

"Monica, it's past 9:00. Besides, I didn't get any really

significant..." Doggett trailed off. He had nothing to tell

his partner, really. "The world won't end if we take the

night off."

"You're right," she admitted, picking up some papers and the

book she was reading. "Let's go. From this moment until

morning, you are mine."

They both immediately went to Doggett's house.

-------------------------------

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT

GEORGETOWN, VIRGINIA

(THE NEXT DAY)

Mulder was not part of the FBI anymore, neither as Special

Agent of the Bureau nor as someone directly related to the X-

Files Section. Since the beginning of John Doggett's

investigation against Deputy Director Alvin Kersh, and after

having proven some charges of corruption against Kersh, the

FBI had offered Mulder the position of External Adviser of

the Bureau. He was not hired as an employee but as a

consultant who provided his analysis on a specific case with

psychological or paranormal elements that, in the opinion of

Doggett, Reyes or Scully, deserved to be investigated with

non-traditional police methods. On the other hand, though

Scully was still in the X-Files Section, as her maternity

leave had ended, she was not assigned to dangerous cases. She

taught classes at Quantico Academy, researched databases,

questioned suspects, and conducted medical evidence analysis.

Doggett and Reyes were in charge of the "dirty work," and, by

Skinner's order, Scully had been banned from doing autopsies.

Mulder spent most of his time with Scully and Maggie, who

lived with them and her grandson. Since William had been

born, Mulder and Scully had publicly acknowledged their

relationship as a couple. First, because it was impossible to

deny it any longer given the events, and, second, as Mulder

was not an FBI employee anymore and, therefore, was not

Scully's partner, the rules of the Bureau could not stop them

from living together.

The ex-agent would be happy in his new role as a father,

although he hadn't grown accustomed to it yet. At forty years

old, Mulder thought, it was a little late to start a family

because by the time he was sixty, his teenage children (And

he thought of children in the plural) would look like his

grandchildren, not his children. However, after being

abducted, declared *dead*, buried, and dug up, Mulder

regarded his new situation as a second chance that life had

given him, and he had to take advantage of it because it

could be his last chance...

"What are you thinking about, dear?" Scully asked, seeing

that Mulder's mind was miles away.

"Oh..." he answered, coming back to Earth. "I was thinking

about all of the changes that have occurred in such a short

time... I was *dead* for three months and my recovery is

almost unexplainable. You were barren and, in spite of it,

our pleas were heard and you got pregnant. William was born,

the X-Files weren't shut down, I was given a part-time job,

etc, etc."

"Now we are three."

"Four. Don't forget Reyes."

"I wasn't talking about the FBI, but us and the baby. We are

a family now, and we can't take the same risks we used to. I

can't imagine my life without you."

"Neither can I."

"You and I are now *parents*. It sounds strange, doesn't it?"

"Have you ever thought about the fact that when our son

finishes high school, we'll be a pair of old people?"

"Of course I have... you'll be 60 and I'll be 57."

"And we are just referring to the eldest... What about the

younger ones?"

"What do you mean 'the younger ones'?"

"I'm assuming Will won't be the only one..."

"Yeah, as you aren't the one who has to deal with a big belly

and pushing for hours in a maternity room, dealing with

contractions..."

"I know exactly what it's like. I gave birth to you and

Melissa, Bill and Charlie..." Maggie Scully said while

knitting. She had been listening to the conversation, but

hadn't wanted to take part in it. "Believe me, daughter. The

pains and the sacrifices are worthwhile."

"You heard your mother, Dana. We should follow her advice,"

Mulder hinted in sarcasm.

"Ha, ha!" Scully answered. "Stop thinking about increasing

the birth rate of the District of Columbia."

"OK, whatever..."

-------------------------------

JOHN DOGGETT'S RESIDENCE

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

It was 9 a.m. After a very intense night, Doggett and Reyes

had lost all sense of time. They would both arrive at the

office later than usual. However, Monica didn't care about

that as much as the feeling that Doggett hadn't told her

everything that was happening to him.

"Come on, John! Tell me what's going on," Reyes insisted from

Doggett's bed.

"You're too sensitive, Mon, but, although you don't believe

me, there's nothing wrong with me," Doggett said from the

bathroom while shaving. As he walked out, completely dressed,

he stared at her in a thoughtful way. She smiled, challenging

him.

"Of course I'm sensitive. And I know that something has

happened to you, John. You're having some sort of inner

conflict you don't want to tell me about. And it has nothing

to do with Luke."

Doggett came closer to her, walking slowly. As he knotted his

tie, he bent towards Reyes' ear.

"If it were true, what would you give me in return if I tell

you?" he whispered.

"You know... something like last night," she mumbled.

"Equal to that?" Doggett asked, kissing her left ear gently.

"Hmmm, maybe raised several times..." Reyes pointed out,

smiling. Then she moved ahead to kissing his lips.

Doggett's cell phone interrupted the romantic moment between

him and his partner. Reyes stood up and went to the bathroom

to take a shower. Doggett answered the call.

"Doggett."

"Good morning, Doggett. It's Mulder."

"Hi, Mulder."

"I was thinking about coming into the office. Do you have

anything for me? I'm so tired of changing diapers all day."

Doggett kept quiet for a few seconds, remembering last

night's conversation in the limousine. The agent remembered

the card he had been given and the appointment at noon about

Luke...

"Helloooo... Are you there...?" Mulder questioned from the

other side of the line, not hearing Doggett's voice.

'Uh... oh... look, Mulder... I have to run some personal

errands this morning before going to the Hoover Building. If

you want, go there after lunch. I'll tell Monica to look over

the new cases and see whether there's anything paranormal for

you, Mulder. Anyway, wait for me if you get there earlier,"

Doggett said nervously.

"Perfect. See you this afternoon."

"OK."

Doggett shook his head in concern. The noise of Monica's

shower brought back the image of the park where Luke's body

had been found, the shower reminding him of the wet leaves

blowing in the wind. When Mulder had called, Doggett had been

determined not to go to the appointment where he would be

given proof of Luke's survival, in exchange for his

cooperation with the Consortium. But now Doggett believed

that he must go. In the end, he thought, he had not signed

any contract nor made any deal with anyone, so he had nothing

to lose. If the information wasn't reliable, the issue ended

right there. Nobody would know. Never. Not even Monica. It

wasn't pleasant to bring back that sad memory, which had

allowed him to first meet her but was very painful for them

both. And what if the information was reliable...?

In the bathroom, Monica Reyes finished her shower. She

gulped, looking at herself in the mirror and feeling the same

lump in her throat she had felt last night when she had

talked to Doggett about Luke. Something inside her said that

John hadn't told her the truth.

And Doggett was lying to her...

-------------------------------

UNKNOWN LOCATION

11:48 A.M.

"It wasn't at all nice that you made me *die*," Fowley

complained. Marita looked at her in irony.

"As I told you, this isn't the first time that we've had to

*retire* one of our members for a while."

"So tell me why you did it."

"After you made the very stupid mistake of helping Agent

Scully to rescue Mulder, we realized that things weren't

right."

"I had my own plan..." Diana said, trying to defend herself.

"We didn't know anything about your plan. Helping to rescue

Mulder was regarded as treason by the Cigarette Smoking Man

and the survivors of the former Consortium," Marita replied.

"It was decided that you must be neutralized for a long time,

so that the rest of the world would think you were dead. That

night, at home, you actually were shot, but the bullet was

not a real bullet but a sedative. While unconscious, you were

taken to the mental hospital with another name. A hybrid

clone was placed in your house and your murder was officially

announced."

"That's disgusting!" Diana exploded.

"Shut up! You asked me to tell the truth. Scully got a false

call reporting your 'death'. She went to your house and

identified the 'corpse' as yours, completing the deceit.

Mulder was also informed by Scully, and the whole FBI

believed that Agent Diana Fowley had died. You underwent some

neurological and behavioural experiments in that insane

asylum."

"You bitch..."

"Eventually, the Cigarette Smoking Man ordered another test

to be run on you, Diana," Marita said, interrupting her. "He

wanted to prove that in normal people, like you, the

stimulation of the temporal lobe of the brain can turn a

normal human being into an animal."

"Damn bastard!" Fowley exclaimed. "I was used as a guinea

pig!"

"All of those scientific experiments were started by the

Consortium as part of a research program in which the special

characteristics of Fox Mulder's brain was its best sample."

"You're right, but the Consortium did not have any right to

experiment on my body," Fowley said in a bitter tone.

"Our cause demands several sacrifices from its members, my

dear Diana," Marita added. "As a result of the tests that

doctors made on your neurological system, you lost your mind

and went back to the most primitive human condition. In

simple terms, the verbal and psychomotor areas of your brain

became atrophied. You were like an animal..."

"Damn all of you!"

"But the experiment was a success," Marita Covarrubias

asserted coldly.

"So now what?"

Marita's cell phone rang, causing Diana to start.

"I was waiting for your call. Right..." she paused then a

smile of satisfaction appeared on her face. "Perfect!

Thanks." Marita turned off the phone. "It was our contact. It

seems Agent Doggett has swallowed the hook. This is the first

step in our plans."

"If Doggett accepts, I would like to ask you for a favor,"

Diana Fowley said.

"What is it?" Covarrubias asked, turning around and looking

directly into Diana's eyes.

"Once we approach Scully, could we also catch her? I can't

wait to get my hands on that redhead!" Diana exclaimed in a

morbid way.

"First thing first, Diana. Our priority is the baby. Then, if

possible, you can do whatever you want with Agent Scully.

It's not my business whether she lives or not... It depends

on whether Agent Mulder comes back alive from the place we'll

be sending him. Nevertheless, his genetic condition is only

one reason why he's still alive. As the Cigarette Smoking Man

once said, 'Mulder is more useful to our purposes alive than

dead...'"

"And what about me?" Fowley asked, concerned about her own

future.

"I don't know yet. You are still *dead* to the rest of the

world," Covarrubias concluded.

------------------------------

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

WASHINGTON D.C.

11:57 A.M.

Doggett arrived at the Lincoln Monument, the place that had

been chosen for his appointment with the Consortium contact,

at three minutes before noon. To get rid of Monica, Doggett

had said that he needed to trace a clue related to the case

he had been secretly investigating the day before. Once the

investigation against Deputy Director Kersh had closed, Agent

Doggett started making time in his schedule to work on

another project, without Monica's or the rest of the FBI's

knowledge. He was trying to tie up the loose ends of the

case involving Bob Harvey, the alleged murderer of his son,

Luke. John wanted to know whether Harvey had committed the

crime alone or in complicity with someone else. In addition,

Doggett had tried to establish whether Luke had been an

isolated victim of the killer or part of a series of serial

killings, and whether Jeb Dukes, the strange man shot by

Reyes, had had any involvement in the issue. However, his

former theories made no sense if Luke John Doggett was alive.

If his son was alive, John was determined to pay the price to

get him back, whatever it was. He just needed proof. One

single piece of proof and he would believe...

"Agent Doggett?" a man in a black suit, with umbrella and

raincoat, asked, walking towards Doggett. It was a different

man from the one Doggett had met yesterday.

"Yes, I'm John Doggett. Who are you?" Doggett said, raising

his eyes because the other man was taller than him. He was

almost two meters tall.

"My name doesn't matter. What does matter is what I have for

you..." this second Black-Suit Man said, opening a briefcase

with a yellow envelope inside.

"Is my son alive...? Do you know where he is?" Doggett asked

quickly, trying to take the envelope.

"Not so fast, my friend!" the second Black-Suit Man stopped

him. "Your son Luke John Doggett is alive, in perfect

physical condition, and in a safe place. More details about

his location are in these documents, which will be delivered

as soon as you fulfill your part of the deal."

"We don't have any deal, OK? First of all, I need evidence,

solid evidence that proves what you're telling me is true. Do

you have that? How do I know you're not deceiving me, and my

son is, as far as I know, dead?" Doggett argued, his right

hand shaking.

"If you need to see to believe, then see," the man declared,

giving Doggett a photograph. In the picture there was a group

of kids at a child's birthday party, held apparently in an

orphanage. On the edge of the photo a date was printed:

September 7th, 2000.

"Imagine the wish the boy blowing out the candles is making,"

the second Black-Suit Man said.

The boy from the photograph was blond and blue-eyed, with

messy hair and a birthmark on the left side of his neck, just

below his jaw, in exactly the same place Luke Doggett had had

one. If the picture was genuine, the date printed on it was

Luke's tenth birthday. The boy had disappeared on December

8th, 1997 and, shortly after, was found dead...

"He is Luke! It's his birthday party!" John Doggett

exclaimed, stunned. His eyes were wide open in surprise.

"He was rescued from Bob Harvey's hands. Harvey was a mad man

who once worked for us, but then wanted to change his

loyalties. That's why we had to make up the whole case and

send Agent Reyes to investigate it along with you..."

"Are you telling me that Monica is also on your side?"

Doggett said, even more surprised. "I know her like the back

of my hand and I can't accept the idea that she's involved in

this dirty plot. We both were there. We both saw Luke's body.

We both identified him..."

"Please don't misunderstand me, Mr. Doggett. Agent Reyes is

an absolutely honest person, and one of the best agents in

the Bureau. She was simply manipulated. You were both

manipulated. We made you see what we wanted you to see and

know what we wanted you to know. Everything in that case was

false, from the first piece of evidence to the last."

"You could be doing the same thing right now," the agent

replied skeptically.

"If you don't believe me, there is something else that will

convince you," the second Black-Suit Man took a military

shield from his pocket. The same military shield from Lebanon

that Doggett had given to Luke on his last birthday. The

agent took the shield in his trembling hands and looked at

the man.

"Do you still have any doubts?" The man asked.

"That's enough!" Doggett shouted. "Tell me what I have to do

to get my son back," he added after a pause.

"I see that you're finally understanding," the man asserted

as he opened another compartment in his briefcase and gave

two folders to Doggett. "In the first stage of the plan, two

false cases will be assigned to Agent Reyes and External

Adviser Mulder, in order to keep them away for a few days.

These folders contain information on a pair of false cases in

South Dakota, which will attract Mulder and Reyes' attention

for sure. It would be better if Agent Reyes and Mr. Mulder

believe that the investigations are legitimate and not

suspect anything."

Doggett listened to the man quietly. The man went on

speaking.

"In the second stage, while they are wasting their time in

South Dakota, you will be here in Washington helping us get

Scully's baby. As soon as we have the boy in our

laboratories, you will be given the location of your son, and

Luke will be back with you and Agent Reyes."

"Scully doesn't deserve this. Neither does Mulder or

William... I feel like a damn spy!" Agent Doggett grumbled

sadly.

"Let me remind you that, if at last minute you decide not to

help us, you will never see Luke again, and Agent Reyes will

have an unfortunate accident, along with Mulder, at Mount

Rushmore..." the second Black-Suit Man said, threatening

Doggett.

"You son of a bitch!" John bellowed, wielding his gun.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try to do that, Agent Doggett. If you

shoot me, you won't be able to take a single step before

being a dead man," the second Black-Suit Man warned Doggett,

pointing out several men who were watching them.

Without saying a word, Doggett took the two folders and went

away.

--------------------------------

X-FILES OFFICE

1:26 P.M.

Doggett came back to his office in the Hoover Building's

basement and didn't find anyone. On his desk, he found a

written note that said:

John, where the hell are you? I had to go out for lunch

ALONE. I'm coming back at 1:30. Monica.

After reading the note, the agent grimaced in anger because

he was *sure* that Monica had had lunch with Assistant

Director Brad Follmer, who Monica had once been in love with

and who never missed the chance to flirt with her every time

he - Doggett - focused his attention on other issues.

The door opened at that moment.

"Good afternoon, Doggett," Mulder said as he came in.

"Hi, Mulder," Doggett answered, his back turned to him

because he was taking a look at the folders the second Black-

Suit Man had given him. Then, turning to Mulder, Doggett

shook his hand. "How are Dana and Will?"

"Fine, thanks. Sorry for arriving late, but Ma Maggie

wouldn't let me go until all of us had had lunch..." Mulder

said, trying to excuse himself, thinking he was late.

"Never mind. I only got here a couple of minutes ago myself.

I was getting information on two cases in which we could use

your knowledge on so-called *paranormal* phenomena. Here you

are," Doggett said, stretching out his arm to hand the

folders over to Mulder.

"Hello, Mulder!" Monica Reyes cried, greeting Mulder from

behind. Although she had just entered and was saying hello to

Mulder, her eyes were fixed on John Doggett.

Mulder turned around and greeted her politely. Reyes walked

towards Doggett and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi, John."

"Hello. How's everything?" he answered back, knitting his

brow. "I hope that A.D. Follmer invited you to lunch at a

good restaurant," he added sarcastically.

"Ha, ha! We'll talk about it later, *Doggie*," Monica told

him, staring at Doggett with a killer glance. She then stood

beside Mulder. "What's this?" she asked, looking at the

folders the External Adviser had in his hands.

"They're files on two cases that I just received. I want you

to work on them, Monica, with Mulder acting as your advisor.

The first one concerns the disappearance of a group of

teenagers. All of them were 16 years old, all of them male,

and it seems like all of them took part in some sort of

satanic cult," Doggett commented. "There were seven of them

and they disappeared at the same time on the same night.

There are no witnesses, but their parents believe that the

boys were kidnapped by a evil being or spirit," he added,

taking a short pause.

"The second one deals with several alleged UFO sightings,

related to fires in wheat fields and fires causing damage to

other cereal crops. Both cases stem from South Dakota, near

Mount Rushmore," the agent concluded, trying to sound

convincing.

"That's interesting... I haven't visited the Presidents'

monument for a long time," Mulder mumbled.

"John, why don't you come to South Dakota with us?" Reyes

asked.

"As I've said, the events are directly related to UFOs and an

alleged satanic cult. I think that both cases are aimed at

open-minded people, like you and Mulder, not me. I'm not

*useful* in those cases. I would rather stay here with Scully

- for security reasons," Doggett explained. It was part of

the reason why he wished to stay, but it wasn't completely

true. The protection staff looked after Scully all day.

"Good point, *Doggie*! It's not a good idea for Scully to be

alone right now. I don't trust her body guards at all,"

Mulder admitted. "Reyes, what if we were to leave

tonight...?" he asked, heading for the door.

"No problem, Mulder," Monica answered, smiling a little.

"Are you going?" Doggett inquired, watching Mulder walk away.

"Yeah, I'm going but, believe me, it's not going to be easy

to convince Grandma and Ma Scully that I need to travel all

the way to South Dakota..." Mulder said, closing the door

without saying good-bye.

Now that they were alone, Monica was determined to find out

what Doggett was concealing from her.

"For the last time, John... what the heck is it?" Reyes said,

her voice raised. Doggett stared at her, assuming a defensive

attitude. "Yesterday, you disappeared from the Earth's

surface for almost the whole day to investigate who knows

what, then, at night, you appeared from the fog with nothing

in your hands. This morning you left me at home, wrapped in a

towel and scrambling for clues. I had to have lunch alone.

And now you have two folders packed with information on two

cases that look like they were pulled from a magician's

hat... I have a hunch - whether you're willing to work with

me or..."

"OK, OK, Monica!" Doggett sighed. "I had promised myself that

I wouldn't say a word to anyone, but..." he lowered his

voice. "Er... Mon, the reason why I've been so secretive is

because this is about something important that affects both

of us. In addition to staying here to protect Scully, I've

got to be in Washington to meet someone who has information

about Luke's disappearance, and the possibility that we've

been deceived, and he's alive..."

"My God!" Reyes gasped. She could barely speak.

"As I'm still not sure if this story's fake, I didn't want to

tell you anything about it because I didn't want to give you

false hope about something that could turn into

disappointment for us..."

It was true - partially true because one thing did not have

to do with the other. Nevertheless, Monica felt guilty for

having distrusted - unfairly, she thought - Doggett.

"Forgive me, John," she apologized, placing her forehead on

his and gently caressing his cheeks. "All of your mysterious

actions made me think that it was about... I don't know..."

"Another woman...?"

"Yes... Although it's embarrassing for me to admit it," Reyes

said, blushing. "But tell me, what else thing could I imagine

if you, along with Mulder, are one of the most well known

Casanovas in FBI history?"

"Please, Monica. Don't exaggerate. I don't say a single word

when you smile at Assistant Director Follmer..."

Touché.

Reyes kept quiet for a few seconds. Doggett had attacked her

weakest spot. Her affair with A.D. Follmer was as heavy a

burden as a wooden cross. Still blushing, she sighed deeply

and made ready to counter-attack her partner.

"That hurt me. It had nothing to do with my question... And

regarding your reputation, I'm not exaggerating at all. When

I was at Quantico Academy, I heard stories from several

female cadets about a certain Agent *Spooky* Mulder from the

Washington office. Then, later, I heard about a certain Agent

*Doggie* Doggett, who was devastating to all the skirts in

the Bureau..."

"Oh, Monica! What am I going to do with you?" Doggett

exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm 41. I'm not a teenaged boy

or a lady-killer."

"Maybe you're 41, but your 41 years weren't a handicap at all

last night, were they?" she joked, kissing him warmly. "I

must go pack my bags."

"Watch out for *Spooky*. He's also a Casanova!"

"Don't worry, *Doggie*. I know how to take care of myself.

Please promise that you'll call me as soon as you find out

about anything about... What you're trying to find out."

"I will. I promise."

-------------------------------

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT

2:45 P.M.

Mulder went back to Scully's home and told her and Maggie

about the cases he and Agent Reyes would be investigating.

The External Adviser was not pleased about the idea of being

away from Scully, but he believed that there wouldn't be any

danger if Doggett was still in the city.

"Maggie, Dana... do you have any message for George

Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln or Teddy

Roosevelt?" Mulder asked as he opened the door.

"Hello, Fox, you came back quickly," Maggie Scully said,

seeing Mulder in shirtsleeves and taking in the folders under

his right arm.

"That's right, Mulder. You weren't gone very long. What do

you mean about giving a message to all those Presidents?"

Scully asked Mulder, cradling little William, who slept

wrapped in a blanket.

"It turns out that Doggett has found a pair of cases that

exhibit weird phenomena and demand the experienced Spooky's

mind and Agent Reyes' keen extra sensory perception."

Scully knitted her eyebrows as if to say "So what?"

"One of them deals with disappearances that are supposedly

related to a satanic cult, and the other one has to do with

alleged UFOs that have ruined several farmers' fields in

South Dakota," Mulder explained. "Tonight, I have to travel

to South Dakota with Reyes, more specifically to Rapid City,

where we'll investigate the disappearances. The UFO case is

in Keystone, near Mount Rushmore."

"You'll never change, Fox. Not even now when you're out of

the FBI and the X-Files. You go on being obsessed with your

job," Maggie said.

"Let him be obsessed, Mom. If the aliens weren't able to

change his mind, neither will we." Scully stated, trying to

defend Mulder.

"You heard your daughter, Mrs. Scully. I am a lost cause,"

Mulder pointed out, hitting his head playfully with the

folders.

"We knew that a long time ago..." Maggie said.

"Isn't Doggett going?" Scully questioned.

"No. He'll stay here in Washington with you, for security

reasons. It's too dangerous for you to be alone," Mulder

declared, gesturing to Scully to give him the baby.

"It isn't good that you'll be away from me, from me and Will.

I don't want you to go there if UFOs are flying around," she

said, sounding alarmed as gave William to him, trying to not

wake the boy.

"Don't worry. I promise that I'll never be closer than 500

meters to a UFO," Mulder swore. "Hey, you're not thinking the

wrong thing about me and Monica, are you?"

"Now that you mention it, don't even try to be a *Don Juan*

with her. Poor you if I know anything about you and Reyes.

Poor you if John Doggett finds out anything. Special Agent

Monica Reyes is forbidden. She's untouchable... do you

understand, Fox William Mulder?" Scully warned Mulder,

folding her arms.

"Gee, Dana! What will your mother say?" Mulder said, giving

his son back to Scully. Look, I swear I won't even imagine

Agent Reyes naked. Boy Scout's honor."

"You pervert. Besides, as far as I know, you were never a Boy

Scout, Mulder," Scully berated him.

"No, but I know how to pitch a tent and light a fire."

"It doesn't matter. I believe you anyway."

Mulder, Scully and Maggie were together for the rest of the

afternoon, until about five. Then, Mulder put three or four

suits into his suitcase, fed his fish - that now lived with

him at Scully's apartment - and phoned Monica Reyes to make

sure that she was ready. As she said that her bags were

already packed, the former agent said goodbye to his three

loved ones and went over to Monica's place, which was located

in an elegant neighborhood on Bennet Avenue in Annandale.

Shortly after, the External Adviser, Mulder, and Special

Agent Reyes headed for Dulles Airport.

---------------------------------

RAPID CITY,

SOUTH DAKOTA

10:48 P.M. (CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)

After a very long and exhausting trip that took more than

five hours, including a stopover at Chicago airport, Mulder

and Reyes arrived in Rapid City on board a little plane that

landed in the local airfield. In addition to the details of

the false cases, the Agent and the External Adviser talked

about several trivial subjects, such as nursing little

William and the love affairs of Mulder in Washington and

Doggett in New York. They did not talk about those issues in

depth, as they both were very tired due to the trip and the

discomfort of the plane, a small single-engine airplane for

15 passengers. Mulder, moreover, did not like to refer to his

private life.

By the time they arrived at their destination, the rental car

agency was closed, and they had to take a taxi to a cheap

motel that was as uncomfortable as the plane in which they

had travelled to South Dakota. After checking in, they both

said good night to each other and went to their respective

rooms. Then, as if by a previous agreement, Mulder called

Scully and Monica called Doggett.

---------------------------------

7:49 A.M. (CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)

Mulder and Reyes woke up early in spite of their tiredness

after last night's trip. Both agreed that they would first

investigate the case of the disappearances in Rapid City,

making contact with the local authorities. Then they would

communicate with the investigators in Keystone in order to

save time before they went there. While they were having

breakfast, Monica read aloud the statement of one missing

boy's father:

"'Tim and his friends were involved in something strange, a

long time ago. Mrs. Daniels, Bobby's mother, phoned me

several times to tell me that her son was behaving weirdly,

and that she had broken into her son's bedroom and had found

a notebook filled with unknown signs drawn on the paper. The

handwriting of the symbols - in red - was not Bobby's, and it

seemed like it was written by scratching the paper...'"

"Listen..." Mulder said, reading the statement from the

mother of another boy. "'Before going out, Jack told me that

he was going to meet Bobby, Tim, Matthew and other friends of

theirs to go camping. It sounded fishy to me because I

realized that he didn't have adequate clothes for cold

weather and he didn't even take a bag to carry all the

necessary gear for camping. What's more, the most strange

thing was that he didn't wear his jacket, and so I could see

a tattoo on his arm because of his t-shirt.'" the External

Adviser quoted.

"Mrs. McLeod was asked to remember what she saw on her son's

arm, and this is what she drew," Mulder concluded, showing

Reyes a piece of paper with a drawing on it.

"That's the same symbol seen in this photograph from the

notebook that Mary Daniels found in Bobby's bedroom, and it

is identical to this other one from the mirror of Tim

Reynolds' bathroom..." Monica added, after comparing the

three images. "And Matthew Johnson, Sr. says that his son

Matthew Johnson, Jr. had the same symbol painted on a black

shirt that he never took off and didn't allow anyone to

touch. We have no evidence of the existence of that shirt but

the word of Mr. Johnson."

The drawing looked like a black goat's head with horns and

red eyes. The whole image was surrounded by a red circle with

a black edge. The picture looked similar to one that Mulder

had seen in a high school where people had displayed weird

behaviour due to an alleged planet alignment. The symbol had

a well-known meaning for Reyes from her experience on satanic

sects. All the graphic elements were traditionally linked to

secret cults in honor of the Devil and evil beings.

"What do you think, Reyes?" Mulder asked Monica.

"From what we've seen, it's evident that those four teenagers

disappeared for the same reason, whatever it is, and that

reason is directly related to a hobby or a shared activity.

It could be a secret cult, a gang, or simply coincidence, at

best." Reyes speculated, her theory based on the information

they had so far.

"We must talk to the parents of the other teenagers: Stuart

Nicholls, Mark Hill and Antony Taylor. Before we travelled

here, I called Sheriff Delani of the Rapid City Police. He

has the addresses for them, and he's going to help us in the

investigation. We have an appointment with him at 9:30,"

Mulder pointed out.

"As you wish, External Adviser Fox Mulder," Monica joked,

placing her hand against her right temple in a salute, like a

soldier receiving an order from a superior officer.

"This isn't an order at all, Monica. I simply like to be

ahead of the game," Mulder said, trying to soften his words.

"I think that's what Dana was referring to when she said that

she regarded you as an authority figure..." Reyes said,

allowing a brief pause. "Not in the way that you believe.

You're neither a tyrant nor a bossy partner, but someone who

is very enthusiastic and has a great sense of leadership.

Without your energy, the X-Files Section would never be what

it is today," she added, clarifying her ideas to Mulder.

"Reyes, you're going to make me blush with such compliments,"

Mulder told her, smiling. "And to be fair, I must say that

Scully has also talked about you in flattering terms. In her

own words, you have become a great friend in such a short

time, and it's something remarkable because Scu... I mean,

Dana, doesn't have a lot of friends..."

"Wow, the Flattering 'Spooky' Mulder in action!" Monica

exclaimed in amusement.

"We'd better finish our breakfast. Don't forget that we have

an appointment with Delani."

"Yes, Sir!"

----------------------------------

POLICE HEADQUARTERS

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

11:37 A.M. (CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)

After meeting with Sheriff Delani and talking to the parents

of the other missing boys, Mulder and Reyes went back to

Police Headquarters and met with Delani again in order to

discuss their new findings. Mark Hill's mother had shown them

a drawing that her son had made on his bedroom ceiling, just

above his bed. The drawing was identical to the other ones.

Stuart Nicholls' father, a Lutheran minister, could not speak

to them because he had been taken to the local hospital after

experiencing heart attack symptoms. And Antony Taylor's aunt

refused to even open the door, throwing them a key ring with

same enigmatic image.

"Those good-for-nothing boys were always sticking their noses

into other people's business! Sheriff Delani complained

angrily. "They usually got involved in a lot of trouble."

"Mr. Delani, according to their parents and relatives, all of

them had clothing in their wardrobe or places in their

bedrooms with this symbol. Have you ever seen it before?"

Agent Reyes asked the sheriff as she showed him the pictures.

"Does the symbol have any meaning for you?"

"If had seen it before, I'm sure I would have remembered it.

No, it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen..." Delani

said, emphasizing his negative response by shaking his head.

"You said that they got involved in trouble frequently. What

kind of 'trouble' have they gotten involved in previously?"

Adviser Mulder questioned.

"Several times, I had to reprimand them for damaging private

property or for causing disturbances on the streets...

Anyway, they haven't committed any serious crimes and, as

they're under 18, they do what they want because I can't put

them in jail," the sheriff said.

"But they haven't been connected to any murders, robberies or

anything like that, have they?" Monica asked.

"No, they have not. Although they have done things outside

the law, they are not criminals," Sheriff Delani explained.

"Now they have disappeared, and, according to the evidence,

the only thing we can do is go to the forest where Mrs.

Daniels said that Jack and his friends were going to go

camping," Fox Mulder suggested.

"We've already gone there, and we didn't find anything, Mr.

Mulder," Delani replied.

"Believe me, Sheriff Delani, sometimes there are things in

the forest that you can't see even when they're right in

front of your eyes. I know of what I speak," Mulder stated,

remembering his own disappearance in the middle of a forest

in Oregon.

Reyes didn't say a word and followed Mulder to the door.

---------------------------------

10th STREET AND 13th STREET INTERSECTION

WASHINGTON D.C.

2:05 P.M. (EASTERN STANDARD TIME)

Doggett offered to accompany Scully and Maggie to William's

medical appointment that day. It was the perfect situation in

which to carry out the deal with the Consortium, in exchange

for knowledge of Luke's whereabouts. Although Doggett was

reluctant to accept, he was forced to because they had

threatened to kill both Monica and Luke. Doggett had

unwillingly made the agreement with the conspirators to set

up a trap to get Scully's baby during their trip to the

medical center. Luckily, for the kidnappers, Scully's

vehicle, and the one belonging to their security escort, was

trapped in a traffic jam. The traffic jam was near the

planned spot for the kidnapping.

"We're going to be late," Scully said, looking at her watch

and then the long line of vehicles ahead of them.

"We *are* late, Scully. It's five after two, and we're going

to be here for a long time," Doggett replied, correcting the

redhead.

"You should call the doctor and let him know that we've been

delayed," Maggie proposed from the backseat, cradling her

grandson.

"Let's take a short cut," Doggett decided, putting the car in

reverse then heading for the street that would lead directly

to the place where the trap had been set.

John Doggett drove Scully's car onto a lonely one-way street.

The escorts' van was still some distance behind them.

Suddenly, a gasoline truck, driven by one of the

conspirators, drove in front of the van. The security escorts

didn't have time to react. They were shot by several snipers

posted in the windows and terraced roofs that surrounded the

place. Fifty meters ahead, Scully and Maggie turned around,

scared by the shots they had heard. They did not have enough

time to do anything because another van appeared from an

alley and moved in front of their car, blocking the way.

Doggett braked roughly and wielded his gun. Four strongly-

armed men in balaclavas got out of the van. One of them shot

Agent Doggett, who fell down beside the left door of the car,

apparently dead. The other three men went to Scully and

Maggie, aiming at them with their weapons.

"Get out of the car, grandma!" a man shouted, threatening

Maggie, whose trembling arms held little William. "Give me

that baby!"

"Nooooo! Not him! Don't take him!" Scully pleaded

hysterically, about to cry.

"You're coming with us. Come on!" another man yelled, pulling

Scully from the passenger seat at the front of the car.

A third man took William as two others pulled Scully to the

back of the van, where two other men were waiting for the

hostages. As she was pulled into the darkness of the vehicle,

Scully stuck her head out of the van and shouted in despair:

"Moooooom!"

"Danaaaaaaa!"

TO BE CONTINUED

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