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Chapter Five: The Cabin
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: The agents go to 'the Cabin' in search of James Parker and Elena. They don't know what to expect. What do they find? Read to find out.
Disclaimer: The X-Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them intact and in mint condition, though I might hang onto Mulder a little while longer. :o)
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Six hours later, after assembling and briefing a team, ten FBI agents approached Parker's cabin in the woods. All ten agents were dressed in the uniform navy FBI jackets, and each wore a bullet-proof vest. Not knowing what to expect, three of the male agents carried heavier and more powerful guns. After reviewing what would go down once they got inside, the agents dispersed, and Dana moved to charge to the front. Her husband grabbed her arm.
"No, Dana. You stay back." She was indignant, and her temper flared.
"God damn it, Fox! There you go trying to shelter me again! I can handle this, and I want to be up front when we get into that house," she hissed.
"No. I won't have you rushing in through the door in the first wave. We don't know what to expect in there, and I'm not going to have you risk your life or our baby's." Dana's expression softened.
"But you're going to rush in there yourself? I don't want you to risk getting shot either, Fox. We've got a baby on the way and three more at home who need their father," she replied. He reached up to touch her cheek.
"I'm going in second wave. I'll be okay. But I need you to hang back so you can evaluate Elena's medical condition once we get inside, okay?" She nodded, and as he turned to walk away, she pulled him back and rose up on her toes to kiss him deeply. Doggett ran by Mulder and backed up a step or two to hit him lightly in the arm. Breaking the kiss, Mulder turned to look at Doggett.
"C'mon. First wave's goin' in. You ready?" Doggett queried. Mulder nodded, and placed a kiss atop his wife's head before jogging off after the other agents. Dana shook herself mentally, readying herself for what she might find inside. Agent Reyes was about to walk past her, and Dana called out,
"Monica!" Monica stopped and turned to face her friend and colleague.
"What is it?"
"Will you pray with me, please?" Monica nodded in affirmation, and Dana took her hand and bowed her head in prayer after making the Sign of the Cross.
"Heavenly Father, please watch over those men and women present here tonight, and keep them safe. Also, please help us to bring James Parker to justice for what he has done to Jenn Carver and her daughter Elena. And Father, please protect Elena, and help us to find her safe and healthy. Amen," she finished. Beside her, Monica mumbled, "Amen."
She jumped at the sound of the door being broken down, and her heart thudded loudly in her chest. Monica broke free from her grasp and readied her gun running toward the rest of the agents. She could hear shouting from inside the cabin, and Agent Doggett's voice stood out as she heard him yell,
"Freeze!" She could hear Mulder shout.
"You Goddamn bastard, if you so much as move from that spot, I won't hesitate to shoot you, you sorry son of a bitch!" She stood, frozen to the spot outside the cabin. Everything moved in slow motion as she watched two agents from the San Diego field office haul James Parker out in handcuffs. Moving her leaden feet, she stepped forward, and Parker's eyes locked with hers. His gaze was piercing, heartless, and unwavering as he was led over to the police car provided by the State Police. She shuddered, and felt cold all over. The air was not chilled; the cold came from the dread she felt. Her husband hadn't rushed out of the house to tell her that Elena was alright, nor had the girl herself given any hint that she was okay. Her heart was roaring in her ears, and her entire body became clammy as she felt herself covered in cold sweat. She asked herself that painful question she had pondered since Christmas night. The question she had only uttered once aloud, fearing that saying it aloud might make it come true. She was so absorbed in her own dread that she didn't see Monica rushing toward her.
"Dana! Dana!" She snapped out of her reverie, and looked toward the distraught woman standing beside her. "Elena's alive, Dana. But she needs you… and she needs a hospital…" She broke into a run, charging up the steps to the cabin. As she burst through the living room door, Agent Doggett caught her with an arm around her waist. She struggled in his grasp.
"How badly is she hurt?" she asked, frantically.
"Agent Scully, she's bad…" he said. "I don't think you should go in there." Ignoring his protests she wrestled free from his grasp and ran into the other room, pushing past several agents who stood in the doorway. She stopped short. Her breath caught in her throat, and several agents watched in horror as her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed, falling into her husband's arms.
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Author's Notes: Okay, so I leave you with another cliffhanger. I'm sorry this chapter's shorter than the rest. The next chapter will be fairly long, and I only foresee one more chapter after the next one. (In plain English, there are two chapters left, I suppose. Unless, that is, I have a sudden fit of inspiration (or insanity, whichever you choose to call it) and throw another element into this story. Then there could be more than two. But I promise there won't be any less than two more chapters. Okay, so I'll shut up now, because this is getting ridiculously long. Thanks, and don't forget to read and review!
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