The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Five
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer information located in part one.
Scully plugged in her seatbelt and pulled a small piece of tumbleweed from her hair. She still couldn't believe that she had let Mulder strip her naked and make love to her for hours, while they were officially on the clock. She was also beginning to think that the dry air and constant sun were taking their toll on her skin.
"Sorry about your sunburn, Scully." Mulder sat down next to her, trying hard not to grin. "I forgot how fair-skinned you are."
Scully smiled back at him, wondering how she was ever going to manage to go without a bra for the next couple of days, until her skin recovered. "It's my fault too, Mulder. I *know* how easily I burn."
Mulder started the car and leaned towards her. "I'll spread some cream on all your burned spots later, okay?" He sat upright at the look Scully gave him. "What?"
"How many times can you...perform...in one day Mulder?"
Mulder chuckled to himself, thinking he might have a performance or two left in him yet. He realized he just might reach an all-time personal best.
XXX
Back at Mulder's apartment, Scully tried to ignore the stinging from her sunburn and the soreness between her legs, as she pulled on her black t- shirt. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, amazed that barely 24 hours ago, she was had not been with a man for nearly a decade. Since then, she and Mulder had been going at it like a pair of rabbits. Rather impressive, she thought, considering their ages.
The thought of more rabbit-like behavior crossed her mind, when Mulder re- appeared dressed head-to-toe in black. He shrugged on his leather coat and winked at Scully, no doubt recognizing the gleam in her eye. "Later Scully," he teased, as he picked up his cell phone and flashlight from the table by the front door. He glanced at his watch. "It's just after one. We should get going."
Scully nodded and slipped on her own black jacket. She instinctively checked to make sure her weapon and flashlight were where they belonged, before joining him at the door. "Okay, let's go."
Mulder went over his plan with Scully again, as they traveled the dark, winding roads towards the facility. "It should be pretty easy really. We'll backup what's on Carlos's computer, and then e-mail it to the boys. They should have an answer for us by mid-morning. Oh great. Isn't that Suzie's car?" Mulder pulled into the parking lot next to a red Ford Taurus. Scully studied the car for a moment before responding. "Yeah, I think so. I wouldn't worry about it though, she probably went home with Carlos tonight."
Mulder paused a second before getting out of the car. "You're probably right Scully, but if you're not, we'll tell Suzie that I wanted to observe the Lights during the darkest part of the night."
They got out of the car and walked silently towards the main door. Scully unlocked it, and they entered quietly. After a quick look around to make sure they were alone, Scully led Mulder towards Carlos's office. "It's right next to the research room," she whispered, pointing down the hall. "The second door on the left."
Mulder tested the door, and finding it locked, quickly pulled out his lock- picking kit. He had the door open within seconds. Clicking on his flashlight, he motioned for Scully to enter ahead of him, and then followed her into the office.
The room was sparsely furnished, and contained little more than a desk with a computer, and a large drafting table. Mulder ignored the prints lying on the table, and headed directly for the computer. Within minutes he was examining Carlos's files. "Whoa! This is unbelievable, Scully."
"What is?" Scully turned away from the drafting table, and looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.
"The lack of security here. This facility has no alarm system, and Carlos didn't even bother to use a password to protect his files."
Scully patted his shoulder. "I guess they're not as paranoid down here as we are back home. Did you find what you need?"
"I think so." Mulder pulled a diskette out of his pocket and stuck it into the machine. Scully left Mulder to copy the files, and walked over to the large picture window that took up most of one wall. In theory, this office would be turned into additional research space at some point in the future.
Looking out over the desert, Scully was once again awed by the enormity of the Texas night sky. The stars really were big and bright down here. She was about to turn away, when a small flicker of light caught her attention. It seemed to be a small fire.
"Mulder." The sound of her voice made him look up and frown.
"Yeah?"
"Take a look at this."
Mulder pocketed his diskette, shut down the computer, and walked over to where Scully was staring out the window. He squinted at the flickering light, before sweeping his flashlight around the office.
"What are you looking for?"
"Binoculars. I thought I spotted some when we came in." Catching sight of them, Mulder picked them up and aimed them in the direction of the flickering light. He stood staring for a second, before putting down the binoculars and turning to Scully. "We'd better get out there. I think there's another Native American ritual going on."
Scully checked for her weapon, as they pushed through the door that opened out onto the viewing platform. They moved quickly and quietly, all business now. About thirty feet from the fire, they stopped as the smell of white sage and the sounds of chanting and an occasional moan, reached them.
Scully squinted at the two figures, and then grabbed Mulder's arm. "Oh my God, Mulder! It's Suzie and Carlos. I think she's trying to kill him."
She was about to grab her weapon and spring forward, when Mulder grabbed her arm. "No, Suzie told me that she and Carlos were 'soul mates.' If she really believes that, she may be trying to save him."
Scully glared at him. "Whichever it is Mulder, we need to get over there and stop her." Mulder took out his gun, and motioned for her to go to the left while he went to the right. At his nod, they broke apart and ran toward the fire.
Because of his longer legs, Mulder reached the blaze first. He stopped dead at the sight of Suzie drawing what looked like a sharp knife, over Carlos's belly. "Drop it, Suzie."
Suzie jumped at the sound of his voice, and looked around to see from where it came. She didn't, however, drop her knife. Scully approached her from behind. "Federal Agent, I'm armed. Drop your weapon Suzie."
Suzie, recognizing Scully's voice, turned around knife still in hand, with a look of pure shock on her face. "Ashley?" She turned at the sound of Mulder's footsteps. "Barry?"
"Drop it Suzie." Mulder said quietly "Drop it and step away."
XXX
Scully waited outside the Marfa Police station interrogation room, sipping what she hoped would be her last cup of bad Texan coffee. The local authorities hadn't been too happy about having a pair of undercover agents poking into their business, and were doing everything they could to inconvenience Scully. She had been waiting well over an hour.
Under normal circumstances, Scully would have accompanied Carlos to the emergency room, but she felt the need to talk to her friend Scully hadn't thought Suzie capable of murder, and desperately wanted to know what had driven her to it. Scully drained the cup of coffee, as her cell phone began to ring.
"Scully."
"Scully, it's me. You'll never guess what happened."
"Mulder, I'm too tired for games. . ."
"Okay, okay. We were right about the electrical system of the facility being compromised."
"Really? How did you figure that out?" She glanced at her watch. It wasn't even 6 AM yet, too early for him to have contacted the Gunmen.
"Carlos told me."
"Excuse me?"
"Carlos told me. Whatever Suzie slipped him in his beer did quite a number on his head. He was sure there, for awhile, that he was dying."
"And?"
"And he wanted me to know the truth about what happened."
"Which was?"
"He did it. He did it all." Mulder went on to explain to Scully how the resentment Carlos had felt over the years at having to do his father's bidding, had finally come to a head. He knew how much the research facility meant to his father, and he'd set out to slowly destroy it. "He altered the wiring, and installed a timer in the system, which sent out large surges of electricity randomly. He figured within a few months the facility would be closed."
"What about Suzie?"
"He is pushing to have all charges against her dropped. He claims she was only trying to drive the evil from him."
XXX
Thirty six hours later, Mulder and Scully sat in AD Skinner's office as he went over their report. The trip back from Texas had been somewhat strained, as neither of them wanted to broach the subject of their new relationship. They spoke only of the case, and even that conversation was limited to deciding who would write up their report. Since Scully had been on the case longer, they decided she would do it.
Skinner put down the report and looked at his two agents. He sensed something was amiss between the two of them, but decided against mentioning it, instead addressing their account of the events.
"Agent Scully, you mention several times that you and Agent Mulder were able to put together the pieces of this case by working together closely. How did you manage to find time alone without destroying your cover?"
Scully looked over at Mulder for a second, but answered the question herself. "Agent Mulder and I posed as lovers, Sir."
"Lovers?" Skinner choked on his reply, echoing her own words back to her. "I see." He paused a second before continuing. "The entire Texas congressional delegation has asked me to relay their thanks to you for handling this matter so efficiently. I'll put copies of their e-mails in both the case file and your personnel files, as well as send copies to DD Kersh and the Director. I will, however, leave out any specific details of how you handled your cover."
His eyes swept over his two agents and it looked for a moment like he was about to smile. "That is unless there is something else you'd like to tell me."
Mulder didn't even need to look at Scully before responding. "We have nothing more to report on the matter at this time, Sir."
"Very well. That will be all." Both agents turned to leave, and had almost reached the door. "Agent Mulder, a moment please?"
Scully looked at Mulder and then at Skinner, before leaving the office, and closing the door behind her.
Mulder turned and faced his boss. "Sir?"
Skinner stood up and walked over to Mulder, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Off the record, Mulder."
"Yes Sir?" Mulder voice reflected his suspicion.
"I assume that you and Agent Scully will keep this latest development in your partnership to yourselves."
Mulder opened his mouth to deny everything, but closed it instead, giving the briefest of nods. Skinner looked at him long and hard before speaking. "Don't blow this, Mulder."
"I'll do my best not to, Sir."
XXX
Scully was waiting for Mulder by the elevator. One look at him, eliminated the need to ask him what had just happened with Skinner. It wasn't until the elevator doors closed, that he spoke. "He knows." Scully eyes grew huge, and she looked a bit pale. They stood side by side in silence.
Mulder finally took a deep breath and spoke. "Do you think Ashley would like to go out with me tonight?"
Scully gave him a long look before answering. "No, I don't think she would." She shook her head, and Mulder's shoulders slumped. He was always ready to accept defeat when it came to her. "She might not, but Dana would."
Author's notes: The Marfa Lights really do exist and are seen almost nightly outside of Marfa, Texas. I saw them myself last December and they are truly incredible. If you would like to find out some more on them check out their official website: www.marfalights.com.
Scully plugged in her seatbelt and pulled a small piece of tumbleweed from her hair. She still couldn't believe that she had let Mulder strip her naked and make love to her for hours, while they were officially on the clock. She was also beginning to think that the dry air and constant sun were taking their toll on her skin.
"Sorry about your sunburn, Scully." Mulder sat down next to her, trying hard not to grin. "I forgot how fair-skinned you are."
Scully smiled back at him, wondering how she was ever going to manage to go without a bra for the next couple of days, until her skin recovered. "It's my fault too, Mulder. I *know* how easily I burn."
Mulder started the car and leaned towards her. "I'll spread some cream on all your burned spots later, okay?" He sat upright at the look Scully gave him. "What?"
"How many times can you...perform...in one day Mulder?"
Mulder chuckled to himself, thinking he might have a performance or two left in him yet. He realized he just might reach an all-time personal best.
XXX
Back at Mulder's apartment, Scully tried to ignore the stinging from her sunburn and the soreness between her legs, as she pulled on her black t- shirt. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, amazed that barely 24 hours ago, she was had not been with a man for nearly a decade. Since then, she and Mulder had been going at it like a pair of rabbits. Rather impressive, she thought, considering their ages.
The thought of more rabbit-like behavior crossed her mind, when Mulder re- appeared dressed head-to-toe in black. He shrugged on his leather coat and winked at Scully, no doubt recognizing the gleam in her eye. "Later Scully," he teased, as he picked up his cell phone and flashlight from the table by the front door. He glanced at his watch. "It's just after one. We should get going."
Scully nodded and slipped on her own black jacket. She instinctively checked to make sure her weapon and flashlight were where they belonged, before joining him at the door. "Okay, let's go."
Mulder went over his plan with Scully again, as they traveled the dark, winding roads towards the facility. "It should be pretty easy really. We'll backup what's on Carlos's computer, and then e-mail it to the boys. They should have an answer for us by mid-morning. Oh great. Isn't that Suzie's car?" Mulder pulled into the parking lot next to a red Ford Taurus. Scully studied the car for a moment before responding. "Yeah, I think so. I wouldn't worry about it though, she probably went home with Carlos tonight."
Mulder paused a second before getting out of the car. "You're probably right Scully, but if you're not, we'll tell Suzie that I wanted to observe the Lights during the darkest part of the night."
They got out of the car and walked silently towards the main door. Scully unlocked it, and they entered quietly. After a quick look around to make sure they were alone, Scully led Mulder towards Carlos's office. "It's right next to the research room," she whispered, pointing down the hall. "The second door on the left."
Mulder tested the door, and finding it locked, quickly pulled out his lock- picking kit. He had the door open within seconds. Clicking on his flashlight, he motioned for Scully to enter ahead of him, and then followed her into the office.
The room was sparsely furnished, and contained little more than a desk with a computer, and a large drafting table. Mulder ignored the prints lying on the table, and headed directly for the computer. Within minutes he was examining Carlos's files. "Whoa! This is unbelievable, Scully."
"What is?" Scully turned away from the drafting table, and looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.
"The lack of security here. This facility has no alarm system, and Carlos didn't even bother to use a password to protect his files."
Scully patted his shoulder. "I guess they're not as paranoid down here as we are back home. Did you find what you need?"
"I think so." Mulder pulled a diskette out of his pocket and stuck it into the machine. Scully left Mulder to copy the files, and walked over to the large picture window that took up most of one wall. In theory, this office would be turned into additional research space at some point in the future.
Looking out over the desert, Scully was once again awed by the enormity of the Texas night sky. The stars really were big and bright down here. She was about to turn away, when a small flicker of light caught her attention. It seemed to be a small fire.
"Mulder." The sound of her voice made him look up and frown.
"Yeah?"
"Take a look at this."
Mulder pocketed his diskette, shut down the computer, and walked over to where Scully was staring out the window. He squinted at the flickering light, before sweeping his flashlight around the office.
"What are you looking for?"
"Binoculars. I thought I spotted some when we came in." Catching sight of them, Mulder picked them up and aimed them in the direction of the flickering light. He stood staring for a second, before putting down the binoculars and turning to Scully. "We'd better get out there. I think there's another Native American ritual going on."
Scully checked for her weapon, as they pushed through the door that opened out onto the viewing platform. They moved quickly and quietly, all business now. About thirty feet from the fire, they stopped as the smell of white sage and the sounds of chanting and an occasional moan, reached them.
Scully squinted at the two figures, and then grabbed Mulder's arm. "Oh my God, Mulder! It's Suzie and Carlos. I think she's trying to kill him."
She was about to grab her weapon and spring forward, when Mulder grabbed her arm. "No, Suzie told me that she and Carlos were 'soul mates.' If she really believes that, she may be trying to save him."
Scully glared at him. "Whichever it is Mulder, we need to get over there and stop her." Mulder took out his gun, and motioned for her to go to the left while he went to the right. At his nod, they broke apart and ran toward the fire.
Because of his longer legs, Mulder reached the blaze first. He stopped dead at the sight of Suzie drawing what looked like a sharp knife, over Carlos's belly. "Drop it, Suzie."
Suzie jumped at the sound of his voice, and looked around to see from where it came. She didn't, however, drop her knife. Scully approached her from behind. "Federal Agent, I'm armed. Drop your weapon Suzie."
Suzie, recognizing Scully's voice, turned around knife still in hand, with a look of pure shock on her face. "Ashley?" She turned at the sound of Mulder's footsteps. "Barry?"
"Drop it Suzie." Mulder said quietly "Drop it and step away."
XXX
Scully waited outside the Marfa Police station interrogation room, sipping what she hoped would be her last cup of bad Texan coffee. The local authorities hadn't been too happy about having a pair of undercover agents poking into their business, and were doing everything they could to inconvenience Scully. She had been waiting well over an hour.
Under normal circumstances, Scully would have accompanied Carlos to the emergency room, but she felt the need to talk to her friend Scully hadn't thought Suzie capable of murder, and desperately wanted to know what had driven her to it. Scully drained the cup of coffee, as her cell phone began to ring.
"Scully."
"Scully, it's me. You'll never guess what happened."
"Mulder, I'm too tired for games. . ."
"Okay, okay. We were right about the electrical system of the facility being compromised."
"Really? How did you figure that out?" She glanced at her watch. It wasn't even 6 AM yet, too early for him to have contacted the Gunmen.
"Carlos told me."
"Excuse me?"
"Carlos told me. Whatever Suzie slipped him in his beer did quite a number on his head. He was sure there, for awhile, that he was dying."
"And?"
"And he wanted me to know the truth about what happened."
"Which was?"
"He did it. He did it all." Mulder went on to explain to Scully how the resentment Carlos had felt over the years at having to do his father's bidding, had finally come to a head. He knew how much the research facility meant to his father, and he'd set out to slowly destroy it. "He altered the wiring, and installed a timer in the system, which sent out large surges of electricity randomly. He figured within a few months the facility would be closed."
"What about Suzie?"
"He is pushing to have all charges against her dropped. He claims she was only trying to drive the evil from him."
XXX
Thirty six hours later, Mulder and Scully sat in AD Skinner's office as he went over their report. The trip back from Texas had been somewhat strained, as neither of them wanted to broach the subject of their new relationship. They spoke only of the case, and even that conversation was limited to deciding who would write up their report. Since Scully had been on the case longer, they decided she would do it.
Skinner put down the report and looked at his two agents. He sensed something was amiss between the two of them, but decided against mentioning it, instead addressing their account of the events.
"Agent Scully, you mention several times that you and Agent Mulder were able to put together the pieces of this case by working together closely. How did you manage to find time alone without destroying your cover?"
Scully looked over at Mulder for a second, but answered the question herself. "Agent Mulder and I posed as lovers, Sir."
"Lovers?" Skinner choked on his reply, echoing her own words back to her. "I see." He paused a second before continuing. "The entire Texas congressional delegation has asked me to relay their thanks to you for handling this matter so efficiently. I'll put copies of their e-mails in both the case file and your personnel files, as well as send copies to DD Kersh and the Director. I will, however, leave out any specific details of how you handled your cover."
His eyes swept over his two agents and it looked for a moment like he was about to smile. "That is unless there is something else you'd like to tell me."
Mulder didn't even need to look at Scully before responding. "We have nothing more to report on the matter at this time, Sir."
"Very well. That will be all." Both agents turned to leave, and had almost reached the door. "Agent Mulder, a moment please?"
Scully looked at Mulder and then at Skinner, before leaving the office, and closing the door behind her.
Mulder turned and faced his boss. "Sir?"
Skinner stood up and walked over to Mulder, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Off the record, Mulder."
"Yes Sir?" Mulder voice reflected his suspicion.
"I assume that you and Agent Scully will keep this latest development in your partnership to yourselves."
Mulder opened his mouth to deny everything, but closed it instead, giving the briefest of nods. Skinner looked at him long and hard before speaking. "Don't blow this, Mulder."
"I'll do my best not to, Sir."
XXX
Scully was waiting for Mulder by the elevator. One look at him, eliminated the need to ask him what had just happened with Skinner. It wasn't until the elevator doors closed, that he spoke. "He knows." Scully eyes grew huge, and she looked a bit pale. They stood side by side in silence.
Mulder finally took a deep breath and spoke. "Do you think Ashley would like to go out with me tonight?"
Scully gave him a long look before answering. "No, I don't think she would." She shook her head, and Mulder's shoulders slumped. He was always ready to accept defeat when it came to her. "She might not, but Dana would."
Author's notes: The Marfa Lights really do exist and are seen almost nightly outside of Marfa, Texas. I saw them myself last December and they are truly incredible. If you would like to find out some more on them check out their official website: www.marfalights.com.
