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Part 18.
John stared at the computer screen as he thought of different ways to break Agent Ryan's neck. Or rather the nameless Red Gun impersonating an FBI Agent. He stared at Agent Ryan's cocky grin for another few seconds and clicked the database shut. Leaning back in his chair, John stretched his arms and rested them behind his head. So he knew where she was. The question was, how to get to her? If Agent Skinner found out that he knew her location, he would try every mean to stop him. And anyone else in LA who knew why Monica was there and had been in on her secret transfer. Not to mention whoever it was that was after her. These Red Guns, which seemed bogus to him. Then again, he had witnessed a super soldier in action so why shouldn't he believe Mulder's insane theory about Agent Ryan? And also this thing about astral projection. How was that connected?
What he needed was information. And he wasn't going to get it from a computer.
John got up and left his office on a mission. He took the elevator and walked up to Skinner's office. His secretary wasn't at her desk so John just knocked.
"Come in."
John entered to find Skinner going through some paperwork. He looked stressed and tired. John barely acknowledged his condition as he sat in a chair in front of Skinner's desk.
"Sir, I need to run something by you."
"Okay, what's going on?"
"Well actually, I need to ask you something. Something...that means a lot to me. I know you have been sworn to secrecy about this, and I understand. But I-"
Skinner knew exactly where John was going with this. "Agent, I understand what a difficult position you are in but I can't reveal what happened to Agent Reyes. Or where she is. It's for her own protection, as well as yours. Please believe me."
"Look, I know you think you're doing what's best for all of us but I don't see how keeping me in the dark is going to help anything. I know that whoever these people are-"
"You don't know what you're talking about Agent Doggett. Stay out of it!"
John stood up and calmly leaned over Skinner's desk and looked down at Skinner. "Actually, I think I know something. Some people, who could be called aliens, go by the name of Red Guns and are after Monica. You must have found out she was being hunted and warned her to leave immediately. The quieter, the better. Am I right?"
Skinner stared up at John for one second before he stood up and faced John at eye level. "Look, I don't know where you got this information…on second thought I do. But listen to me very carefully. You, Mulder and Scully are all skating on some very thin ice here. You're involving yourselves in something extremely lethal. Something that could go very wrong, very quickly. Do you catch my drift?
"Oh yeah, I catch your drift. So here's mine. The woman I really care about is out there in Los Angeles fighting against God knows what. You say you have everything under control but are you sure? Because you are chancing Monica's life with people who probably have no clue as to what they are up against. Am I right Sir?
Skinner sat down and took off his glasses to wearily rub his eyes. He closed his eyes a second and then put his glasses back on and looked at John, who had sat down again and was staring at him.
"Okay Agent. What do you want to do then? You want to march into LA with guns blazing? Because you know as well as I do that that is not the way we should be handling these Red Guns."
Trying to keep his hope at bay, John said, "So I'm right about these people after her being Red Guns."
"Yes."
"Okay, now why don't you tell me how they threatened Monica and made her run as fast as she could to LA."
Taking a deep breathe, Skinner said, " The night she left I got an urgent call from someone anonymous. This person told me that a very dangerous force called Red Guns were forming and they were going after a Special Agent Monica Reyes. I was a little concerned but for the most part I brushed off the call. It just seemed like some sick joke. And you know as well as I do that we do get strange calls similar to that often. People threatening us or people trying to make themselves look like heroes."
John nodded to urge him to go on.
"So I brushed it off but I kept getting this nagging feeling that something wasn't right. All four of you weren't working on any cases as far as I knew because you hadn't been officially reinstated into the FBI yet. But I called Agent Reyes just to make sure nothing was going on that shouldn't have been. When I got through to her, she sounded very distant, as if in shock. After I explained the call I had received, she had begun to say, 'Oh my God,' over and over. I hung up and went over to her apartment immediately. I didn't call you or Mulder and Scully because I thought you already knew and were with her. When I arrived, I found her door wide open and Monica staring out of her living room window. She had turned around and said, 'I have to go. If I don't go, they'll find me.' I remember I kept asking her who was after her but she just kept shaking her head. She made me promise not to tell you, Scully and Mulder anything. So I arranged for her to fly anonymously and be transferred to LA quietly. Assistant Director Stevens is an old friend of mine and he promised to make her very low profile. I have been keeping in contact with her but she says very little. I don't know what these Red Guns are capable of, where they are and why they want Monica. I also don't know who contacted her and what spooked her enough to want to run. But she did."
John felt sick. Sick with worry and sick with anger that Monica didn't turn to him when she was in trouble.
John stood up and so did Skinner.
"John, if you go out there, you could very well get her killed. I don't know what kind of power these Red Guns have, or why they need her. But she's scared and that's enough proof for me that one wrong move could get her killed."
John nodded and looked at the door. He needed time to sort this out and to come up with a plan of his own. Suddenly he turned around and said ,"What about astral projection?"
"Astral projection? What are you talking about?"
John was about to tell him about the note he had found in his desk when he realized Skinner didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. He'd think about it later. He had enough to deal with right now.
Part 19.
Precisely a half an hour later Monica knocked on the door of the Simpson's home. She had hardly knocked when the door swung open and a wide eyed woman answered the door.
"Mrs. Simpson, I-"
Lucy grabbed her arm and almost yanked Monica inside and slammed the door. She hustled Monica down a narrow hallway that opened up to a huge family room. Gesturing to the couch, Lucy turned around and yelled for her husband and daughter.
Monica sat down on the long couch, a little overwhelmed and not sure as to what she should say. Before she could open her mouth, Kate and her dad, Seth, walked in and stood next to Lucy. All three looked at each other before dispersing themselves around the room. Kate sat next to her mom on the love seat and her dad sat in the easy chair that faced Monica.
Monica wasn't sure if she was suppose to start talking so she glanced at all of them and turned to Lucy.
"Mrs. Simpson, I-"
"Lucy."
Monica smiled and tried again. "Lucy, you said you didn't want my partner to hear this because you didn't trust him. Can I ask why?"
Kate answered for her mother. "He's one of the bad guys."
"He's one of the bad guys that are forcing you to astro project yourself?"
All three stared at her for a second before Seth said, "How did you know?"
Monica didn't actually know herself. It just came to her at that instant. It all began to make sense. Kate was actually innocent like Monica had thought all along. Kate was only at the crime scenes because there was a force that was manipulating her into stealing from these jewelry stores.
"They're manipulating you." Monica pondered this for a second and then continued with, "But why manipulate Kate into stealing from jewelry stores?"
Before they could answer, Monica answered her own question. "Because it's a test to see if they have complete control over Kate when they put her 'under'."
Kate looked at her mom, who squeezed her hand.
Lucy looked over at Monica, her eyes pleading. "But who are these people?"
Monica just shook her head in bewilderment. Super soldiers? Maybe. But from her own experiences, this was not how the super soldiers operated. Then again, super soldiers could not be trusted to do anything the way one might expect.
Monica stood up and crossed the room and kneeled in front of Kate. Taking her hand, Monica asked her what it felt like when she was astro projecting herself.
"Ummm…it feels weird. Most of the time I don't remember any of it. Almost like sleep walking. People say they have seen me doing things I don't remember doing." Glancing at her mom, Kate's lower lip started to quiver and she looked about ready to cry.
"Why would someone do this? I would never steal. I don't want to go to jail. I just want this to go away but…I don't know how to stop it."
Kate began to cry and her mom put her arms around her. Monica still held onto Kate's hand and Kate grasped it like she never wanted to let go.
After a moment Monica gently pried her hand away and stood up. Thinking she had better go, she looked over at Seth.
Seth stood up, and bending down to kiss Kate's temple, he led Monica out of the room.
They walked through the hallway in silence and when they reached the front door, Seth turned around. With worry written all over his face, he nervously twisted his hands together.
"Agent Reyes, what should we do?"
"I honestly don't know what to tell you right now. I need to look into this. But for right now, just remain strong for Kate. The police may think they have their suspect but they can't do anything about it because they have no evidence. Because this is astro projection we're dealing with, Kate is leaving no fingerprints. Videos are looking very sketchy and the cops know they don't have any damning evidence."
"This is just incredible! She's just an innocent little girl! Why would someone do this?"
"I'm sorry sir. I have no idea. But I will soon, trust me."
Seth nodded and opened the door for her.
Monica walked to her car and got in. Looking at the house, she saw Kate at one of the front windows waving to her with a tear stricken face.
Monica waved back and silently vowed to stop these people from hurting Kate and her family any more than they already have.