7:30 AM The Lone Gunman Office
Scully, Mulder, Byers and Frohike are gathered in front of a 19" monitor; to Frohike's right is a stack of VCR decks. "Ok, I've edited on to one tape all of Modell's appearances I could find and left the day and time indexes." Frohike reached over and pushed the tape into play.
Modell is in his hospital bed looking quite comfortable, as two nurses and a doctor fuss about the room checking machines and monitors that seem to be in status quo condition.
"What's going on here? Frohike?" Mulder points to the doctor adjusting a machine almost out of video range.
"Oh, this is beautiful. Watch a bit more."
Dr. Collins looks up at the clock and tells one of the nurses something; she makes a notation in a file.
Scully shakes her head " There, the doctor is calling time of death."
"But," Mulder cuts in " he's got three people in there."
The other nurse begins shutting off equipment, as the doctor gathers up the paper work.
The fax machine chattered to life and Byers left the group watching the video, to retrieve the documents it was spitting out.
The doctor and company had left the room. Modell was now out of bed and had that smug look of a kid who had just pulled some stunt that should have gotten him detention, but he hadn't got caught. He got real close to the camera and said something to it, and then the picture turned to white noise.
Mulder hitting the rewind button "What did he say?" Was answered by Langly, who had just joined them, "Pretty sweet, eh Mulder"
Mulder and Scully looked up at the shaggy blonde "You do enough surveillance, you learn to lip read. Guess he knew you see the video."
Byers called out "Scully, you might want to have a look at these."
Mulder and Frohike continued through the tape.
8:00 AM The Lone Gunman Office
"I've compared Modell's old brain charts with these Iron Wood just faxed over. "Scully crossed the room back to the monitor "Look at these areas here and here, the increase in activity is at least ten fold of his older charts. The only promising thing in this report is a high rejection factor of the drug, that occurs after prolonged use."
"Scully," Mulder looked up from the reports " I do believe you have identified the natural abode of the 'whammy'."
"Mulder, he is much stronger now." Scully looked very concerned. " Last time we barley stopped him. How large a group on the tape did he push at one time?"
"Six" Frohike answered.
"Ok, if he is this strong" Mulder rose and began pacing the room "Why didn't he take us out up front? Why the little package to you?
Why all this time to figure out where he was and how he got out?"
"You said yourself, to agitate his prey, Byers referred to his over blown ego, he wants us to figure out his clues, so when we solve the clues, then in his mind we are worthy to challenge him."
"That would fit his profile, it is what he expects us to think, here look at this." Mulder motioned back to the view screen that Frohike was still checking "Every time he performs his whammy, his control looks complete and relaxed, but it is taking a great deal of concentration on his part. All the tapes white out or cut almost immediately after he's done. But. Look what do you see here?"
Frohike freeze framed the tape and manually advanced it very slowly.
Scully concentrated on the figure "hold, he's flushed, advance. Hold." The light was just right and Modell had sheen to himself. "God, he is covered in sweat, and his pupils are dilated." Scully straightened up "To much stress to push that many minds and possible side effects of the Zaxsinal might have left him needing down time?"
"Right all this time we've had for discovery, I'm betting he's used to recuperate from his 'demise'."
"Time's running out and he has nothing to lose but his chance at revenge. He is due for an appearance"
"As much as the Zaxsinal has enhanced his power, it's also speeding up his death. He can feel it. He will go all out, he won't even try to survive."
Byres was amazed "How are the two of you going to stop a guy who was almost unstoppable the first time?"
"The Two of us won't" Mulder stated flatly, while looking directly at Scully. "But the five of us will. That is if you guys care to help?"
The trio exchanged glances and all gulp a replied "Sure".
"Byres come here" Mulder walked to the far end of the room and had and quick and intense conversation with Byres the others could not hear, it ended with Byers vigorously nodding his head in agreement "Scully join us we need to draw up a strategy. Langly, I'm going to need a concealable communication device you can wire up for us. If you need something from the bureau we'll appropriate it.