"Most people are good only so long as they believe others to be so." Friedrich Hebbel
Chapter 2:
Bedlam
On the River. Wednesday, 8:07.
Their skins looked like wet newspapers. A pale grayish-green. Their eyes were empty red sockets. That was bad enough. But the sheer terror frozen on their faces- it shook him. A wild and primal look. Like hunted prey. It was like the bodies still writhed in agony. The eyes would normally show a victim's pure fear. That was why he was glad they'd been cut out this time. They had been dead for days. There would be no more anguish. All they needed now was some justice.
Oh, he'd seen brutality before. Back when he was on Violent Crimes. He thought he'd numbed himself. Thought his skin was tough enough. But every so often… something tugs at your insides. Makes you wonder about human nature. About what makes us better than animals…
Mulder closed the folder. He rubbed his eyes. It was never good to look at that stuff for too long. He'd seen veterans lose it. Big time. And the last thing he wanted was to flip out in the middle of a -what was it?- oh yeah, "shitstorm."
They'd been chugging along for a day now. The sky had held its fury. There would be no rain yet.
"Well that's nice. But that certainly ain't stoppin' the River from risin'" Butler had noted.
He was right. Since they had left Ognoc, the churning muddy River was at least 7 feet higher. And it showed no sign of stopping.
Mulder got to his feet. He took the folder off the table. He didn't want anyone else knowing this bloody business. Mulder found his duffel bag and put the folder back. Reed slumbered loudly again on the top bunk. He didn't seem to do much of anything. Well, he was all beat up. Mulder shook his head. He thought back to some of his years in England. They'd been pretty rough too. But then again, that just made it more fun.
Mulder wanted some air. He stepped outside. He's gotten his balance the night before. Now all he had to do was get used to taking a piss while the boat rocked. Mulder leaned against the doorframe. He stared out at the destruction of the River. They hadn't passed any towns, but the River's power was still clear. All around the boat, bare trees just poked above the water. They were silent sentinels to the pure strength of the River. The ones that hadn't been ripped away tilted oddly with the flow. It was as if a giant had brushed his hand across the land. Mulder tried to bring his mind to bear on the case. But it wouldn't stick. He kept on wondering about the River. About that rushing force of water. There seemed to be no end or beginning to it. It was just there. To awe man and animal alike. Mulder was certainly lost in it. There was something untamed there…
"Agent Mulder! We got a town comin' up!"
Mulder turned. It was Butler. He stood by the wheel. A map lay across the instrument panel. The blue River snaked across it.
Butler turned to Mulder.
"It should be around the next bend."
Butler turned back to the wheel.
"We'll be makin' a stop there. I'll be seein' what supplies they'll need airlifted here."
Alec came in from the aft section. He held an oily rag.
"Anchor's fixed up, Chief."
Alec nodded to Mulder. Then he walked to the kitchen area. He dropped the rag in the sink. Then his hand emerged with a bottle of beer. Alec looked to Mulder.
"Keeps the cold out," he said offering the bottle to Mulder.
"No thanks. I'm fine."
"Suit yourself, bro," Alec said with a smile, "but you'll be needing this once the River starts getting angry. You, know it's just toyin' with us now."
Alec was prodding Mulder. Testing to see what he was made of. Mulder wasn't about to show weakness. And he wanted to test Alec as well.
"Don't worry about me."
They eyed each other. Alec sipped his beer slowly. Mulder leaned against a wall. Only the hum of the engine and the rush of the River were audible.
"Town's close!"
They both stepped up behind Butler. As they rounded a hill, the town slowly came into view.
"Damn."
The town was farther up along the riverbank. It was safe from the water for now. But it wasn't safe from Man.
Butler turned to Alec.
"Wake up Reed. And get the equipment."
Alec went off. Butler turned to Mulder. His face was blank. But his eyes flickered.
"Agent Mulder- if you have a weapon- I'd get it now."
Mulder went back to his bag. He pulled out his pistol. He put it on his back, in his waistband. He'd forgotten his holster back in Washington. After he'd been called…
"Hey!"
Butler's call brought Mulder's mind back.
"Kent! Get up here!"
A string of swears replied back. But soon enough they were all by Butler. They all stared at the town.
Along the flooded River's bank, three buildings blazed wildly. Their flames leaped up at the pale sky. People ran wildly about the cluttered streets- smashing, stealing, destroying. If Mulder thought he'd seen chaos at Ognoc- he was wrong. This was anarchy. Pure and terrifyingly simple. Cars were upturned. Some burned. Bodies lay sprawled on the sidewalks. They were ignored by the living. Above the River's roar there were yells, shrieks, and moans.
The boat pulled up into a street. The River had risen that high. Alec ran to the aft and tossed the anchor over. It splashed into the shallow water. Alec ran back in.
Butler spoke up.
"Listen- you boys'll guard the boat. Me and Agent Mulder are gonna go ashore and get some information."
Butler looked to Mulder. The chaos unnerved him. But he had a job to do. Answers to find. Justice to serve. Mulder nodded back.
"Here, Chief."
A bleary eyed Reed handed a shotgun to Butler. Mulder raised his eyebrows. Butler caught the surprise. He smiled, and they walked to the aft.
"Agent Mulder, once, in northern Oklahoma, I came in after a tornado touched down during a church sermon. Most people survived. But half the down was knocked down. They took it upon themselves that God was punishing the town for its wicked people. So they went to the local prison and started beating everyone in there. Beating them badly. So when I got there they thought I was a messenger of Satan. I barely got out to call the state police. By the time they got back, 5 guys were in comas."
Butler stopped at the boat's edge. He turned back to Mulder.
"Since then, I always bring a little protection." Butler lifted the shotgun- "Because I've seen what disaster can bring out in people. And it ain't something pretty."
Butler turned back to the water.
"We'll be getting' a little wet."
He jumped. Mulder followed. The grimy water rushed around them. They trudged up the street. Butler brushed aside a facedown body that floated by. Mulder wanted to check it. But Butler waved him on. He wanted to spend as little time in the dying town as possible. Eventually they passed the River's reach. Mud clung to their sides. People raced around them. The floodwater was seemed calm in comparison.
"What do you think? Should we head for the police station?"
Mulder knew this wasn't the town he needed to be in. But it would help to have some information.
"Yeah. That's our best bet."
They ran down the street. Where, they didn't know. They just knew they were in a hurry. Along their side a row of broken buildings stood. All the windows were empty. Glass was strewn on the pavement. People jumped in and out of the shops. At one point a man ran head-on into Butler. They grappled frantically. Mulder stepped in. But before he did anything, Butler knocked the man over with the shotgun butt. He kneeled over the stammering figure.
"Hey! Buddy! I'm with FEMA!"
Butler grabbed the man's collar. The man's darting eyes met Butler's.
"Where's the police station?"
The man laughed wildly.
"Hey!" -Butler shook the man- "Where is it?"
The man's shaking hand pointed to a building. A burning one. Butler let out a low whistle.
"So where's your police chief?" Mulder asked.
The man laughed rowdily again.
"Gone."
"Gone?"
"Took the last boat left- along with his family."
The man snapped his fingers for emphasis. Butler got up. He stepped back with Mulder. The man got up. He jumped into a shop. Crashing sounds followed.
"There's nothing we can really do here. We haven't-"
Butler ducked as a rock flew by. It broke one of the few remaining windows. Mulder stared as people jumped into the store. It had appliances. Lord knew they didn't need appliances at a time like this. But Mulder doubted usefulness mattered. Convenience was more like it. Butler just continued like nothing had happened.
"We haven't got the resource or manpower to do anything here. After all, I'm just here on reconnaissance. I just radio in where supplies can be airlifted. I can't return law and order to a place like this. The best we can do is call in what we've found. We've got more towns to check."
He looked at the ground. His shoulders slumped
"Christ. Up close, this is worse than I thought it'd be."
Mulder was glad Butler didn't ask about his business. If Butler knew what Mulder was there for… well then it would be a lot worse than he thought.
"Come on. Let's go," Mulder said in a low voice.
They ran back through the chaos. Through the looting people. Though they looted en masse, they still fought over goods. It was an odd combination. But Mulder didn't have time to think about it. He just kept running after Butler. Eventually they made it back to the street leading to the boat. Mulder was tempted to look back. To take in the mayhem. To see how human nature, as Butler put it, "ain't something pretty." But Mulder didn't look. He was turning his back on these people. And he knew he'd stay- flood be damned- if he looked back. His conscience was in a struggle with his mind. Mulder wasn't sure who'd win.
But then they reached the boat. Butler started up a rope ladder. Mulder followed him. But halfway up, he looked over his shoulder. The people still ran about. Mayhem. Chaos. Bedlam. Mulder stopped. The struggle was over.
Then an arm reached down and pulled him up. Mulder found himself sitting on the deck. Alec smiled at him. He'd seen the hesitation.
"So how was it?"
Mulder got to his feet. The boat started moving. Reed was at the wheel. Butler was yelling irately into the radio. Mulder felt dirty. And not just from the mud.
"I'll take that beer."
Behind him, another building burst into flames.
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Well- I would've had this in earlier, but it seems me and about 50 million other people were lacking in electricity. If you're wondering about Scully, I'll explain her absence (along with Mulder's 'business') as the story develops. But she might come into the story later. I'm not sure yet. Anyhoo, I'm off on vacation for 10 days or so (hey, a guy's gotta grab R&R when he can). So it might be sometime before there's an update,
- Your (hopefully) Favorite Author
P.S. I wondering if you can pick the story (and author) this is homage to. I've left some hints in the story. If you get it, you're clever- not in the least for making some sense of my odd writing.