Part 17
Scully pulls up to 1276 W. Jefferson Avenue. She parks the car and steps out. She pulls her Smith & Wesson from its holster and approaches the corner of the building. She cautiously rounds the corner. She sees the door and the buzzer and starts to walk toward it. Her foot steps on something. She looks down and her heart drops to her stomach. She kneels and picks up a crushed Nokia phone identical to her own. "Oh God Mulder", she whispers. She glances up and looks around before rising. She turns and walks away from the building noticing several red spots trailing to an ending point in the parking lot. Nearby she notices a cigarette butt on the ground. She kneels down and picks it up. Her worst fears are confirmed when she rolls it around in her fingers to read the brand name - Morley. "Cancer Man", she whispers. "Why am I not surprised."
She walks to her car and gets in placing the cigarette into an evidence bag. She returns to headquarters and reports to Skinner again. "This is who your kidnapper is", says Scully flinging the evidence bag on his desk.
"Popular brand", replies picking up the bag.
"Cut the crap", says Scully. Her eyes are flashing with hurt and distrust. "I want to make a deal. I don't care how you do it, but I want you to pick up that phone and make it happen", yells Scully pointing to the phone.
"Its not that simple", says Skinner sighing.
"Are you sure you're not making this difficult Sir?", asks Scully.
"I don't understand. What are you trying to say Agent Scully?", asks Skinner.
"You know what I mean and I'm not leaving without some satisfaction", says Scully.
"I'll see what I can do", says Skinner avoiding Scully's eyes.
"Thank you Sir", says Scully backing toward the door.
She returns to her office, unlocks the door and glances around. Theres been many times that she has walked into this empty office, but today seems different. She walks towards Mulder's desk and picks up his nameplate. She stares at it blankly as she hears Mulder's voice saying, "If something should ever happen to me..."
Just then the phone rings. Its Skinner. "He is willing to deal. He says something about some computer data Mulder had. Its encrypted and he says you know what he means. He'll trade Mulder for the translation."
"Set up a meeting", says Scully.
"I'm making the trade", says Skinner. "You give me what he wants and I'll see that Mulder is returned."
"No way!", says Scully. "This one is mine."
"I can't allow you to do that", says Skinner. "Let me rephrase this. I won't allow you to do this."
"All right", sighs Scully. "But so help me God, if something goes wrong."
"Don't worry. It will be okay", says Skinner hanging up.
Scully hangs up and walks to her table and retrieves her purse. She digs down inside for her keys smiling at the Apollo 11 keychain. She scans through the keys until she finds the small silver one that Mulder had given her over four years ago. He had given it to her when he finally felt that he could trust her. She grabs her coat and heads for the bank.
Scully pulls up to 1276 W. Jefferson Avenue. She parks the car and steps out. She pulls her Smith & Wesson from its holster and approaches the corner of the building. She cautiously rounds the corner. She sees the door and the buzzer and starts to walk toward it. Her foot steps on something. She looks down and her heart drops to her stomach. She kneels and picks up a crushed Nokia phone identical to her own. "Oh God Mulder", she whispers. She glances up and looks around before rising. She turns and walks away from the building noticing several red spots trailing to an ending point in the parking lot. Nearby she notices a cigarette butt on the ground. She kneels down and picks it up. Her worst fears are confirmed when she rolls it around in her fingers to read the brand name - Morley. "Cancer Man", she whispers. "Why am I not surprised."
She walks to her car and gets in placing the cigarette into an evidence bag. She returns to headquarters and reports to Skinner again. "This is who your kidnapper is", says Scully flinging the evidence bag on his desk.
"Popular brand", replies picking up the bag.
"Cut the crap", says Scully. Her eyes are flashing with hurt and distrust. "I want to make a deal. I don't care how you do it, but I want you to pick up that phone and make it happen", yells Scully pointing to the phone.
"Its not that simple", says Skinner sighing.
"Are you sure you're not making this difficult Sir?", asks Scully.
"I don't understand. What are you trying to say Agent Scully?", asks Skinner.
"You know what I mean and I'm not leaving without some satisfaction", says Scully.
"I'll see what I can do", says Skinner avoiding Scully's eyes.
"Thank you Sir", says Scully backing toward the door.
She returns to her office, unlocks the door and glances around. Theres been many times that she has walked into this empty office, but today seems different. She walks towards Mulder's desk and picks up his nameplate. She stares at it blankly as she hears Mulder's voice saying, "If something should ever happen to me..."
Just then the phone rings. Its Skinner. "He is willing to deal. He says something about some computer data Mulder had. Its encrypted and he says you know what he means. He'll trade Mulder for the translation."
"Set up a meeting", says Scully.
"I'm making the trade", says Skinner. "You give me what he wants and I'll see that Mulder is returned."
"No way!", says Scully. "This one is mine."
"I can't allow you to do that", says Skinner. "Let me rephrase this. I won't allow you to do this."
"All right", sighs Scully. "But so help me God, if something goes wrong."
"Don't worry. It will be okay", says Skinner hanging up.
Scully hangs up and walks to her table and retrieves her purse. She digs down inside for her keys smiling at the Apollo 11 keychain. She scans through the keys until she finds the small silver one that Mulder had given her over four years ago. He had given it to her when he finally felt that he could trust her. She grabs her coat and heads for the bank.