Part 20.
John walked back to his office after his conversation with Skinner. Theories and names swam around in his head as he tried to sort out details. Somehow he had to come up with a way to get to Monica without alerting these Red Guns that he was onto them.
John swung open the office door and Scully and Mulder looked over quickly at the brooding agent. Scully was sitting at Monica's desk and Mulder was leaning over her. Seeing the blush that was creeping up over Scully's face, John didn't even want to know what Mulder had been whispering to her.
Regaining her composure, Scully pushed Mulder away and straightened in her chair. She looked at John as John sat down at his desk. Mulder leaned on Monica's desk and crossed his arms. He had been doing that pose a lot lately in the office. Of course, he had no desk at the moment. All three stared at each other until Mulder finally spoke.
"So where have you been? I thought we were meeting here an hour ago."
"Yeah, we were. But I decided to speed things up by questioning Skinner on what he knew."
Mulder laughed. "Yeah, and after he finished bull shitting you, you should have been back here within thirty minutes ago."
John sat back in his chair and stared coolly at Mulder's smug face.
Recognizing male testosterone at war, Scully quickly jumped in the heated battle.
"Look, before the two of you decide to start a wrestling match, can we just go over the facts here?"
John still stared at Mulder as he said blatantly, "Oh, no need for that. Besides, Skinner's told me everything he knows."
Mulder's mouth dropped open in shock but he quickly regained composure as he stared down at his shoes. John had to give him credit for his fast recovery.
John continued on with what he had found out. Scully and Mulder listened and when John had finished, Scully jumped up and let everything sink in. Stepping over Mulder's feet, Scully turned to look at John.
"Okay, now we need to find a way to secretly get you to LA. Monica needs to be warned."
"Exactly what I was thinking."
Scully nodded and paced a bit. Both men watched her, practically seeing the wheels turning in her head.
"And it can only be you, at least at first. Mulder and I are still well known around here for obvious reasons," Scully sighed wearily at that, "so it seems wise that you go alone so your disappearance won't be noticed quite as easily."
John nodded and tapped a pen on his blotter. "But what about when people do begin to realize?"
Mulder stood up and stood next to Scully, putting his arm around her shoulders. "We make up some story about the case needing your immediate attention in Virginia for a few days. The cover will get blown eventually but will at least buy us some time. In the meantime, Scully and I will do some more checking into the case, just to make sure no one gets suspicious that," Mulder went and sat down in Scully's vacated chair and put his arms behind his head, "we're getting lazy down here."
"Ha! You lazy? Now who the hell would think that?" Scully sat down on his lap and put her hand over his mouth before Mulder could come up with some snide comment. Mulder eyes lit up. Scully would never have been so flirtatious with him a year ago.
John grinned at the couple and thought this was good time for him to leave and start making travel arrangements.
Just as John was about to walk out the door, Scully said, "How are we going to get around Skinner on this? He'll never allow you to go and he can definitely stop us if he wants to."
John turned toward them and leaned against the doorway. "Yeah, I've thought about that. He really thinks Monica's okay out there because he's 'looking into things' here. He really doesn't know what danger she's in and he's trying to blindside that. He thinks he'll be able to bring her back here safely because she's one of his 'agents.' But he really has no idea of what he's up against. That's what scares me the most. The unknowing."
Knowing all to well what he was going through, Mulder and Scully sent him sympathetic looks.
Mulder looked at Doggett with a newfound admiration for the man and said, "We'll get you to her. Count on it."
Part 21.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Monica looked up from her desk and saw Agent Ryan at the door to their office. He had both of his hands braced in the doorway and his face was red with anger.
"What's wrong?"
Ignoring her, Agent Ryan walked into the room and calmly shut the door. Too calmly, Monica thought, for the murder he looked like he wanted to commit. Turning around slowly he said, "I thought, as partners, we would be working together. We would share information, share theories, and evidence."
"What-"
"As partners, I thought I could trust you to back me up. To share what you know."
Monica stayed silent during his pause, letting Agent Ryan get whatever he had to say out in the open.
"And then I hear you went behind my back. Well, let me tell you something."
Leaning over her desk, he looked Monica square in the eyes. She felt very nervous at how empty his eyes looked. The coldness. All she could do was stare into them. "I don't tolerate partners who aren't trustworthy. When I find out they go behind me back, I get pissed off. And then bad things start to happen. Very bad. Do you catch my drift, gorgeous?"
Monica was too stunned to speak. Before she could work on an answer, Agent Ryan stood up and brushed off his slacks. He then calmly walked out of the office, closing the office door softly behind him.
Had she just been threatened? What the hell? A little shaky, Monica stood up and walked to the window that looked out over Los Angeles. So he must have found out about her meeting with the Simpson's this morning. But how? She hadn't told anyone. Had someone followed her? Had Agent Ryan followed her?
As much as she wanted to go kick his ass for speaking to her like that, he did have a point. She was suppose to share everything with him. Share anything that would help the case.
But what if telling him didn't help the case? She felt fairly certain that there was something very different about him. Something that scared her. She had never felt this way around another FBI agent or police officer before. So what was it that made her nervous around him? She had gone through his background over and over but nothing stood out. His papers just basically said he was a pompous ass with recommendations all over the place.
Shaking off her questions, Monica decided to put him aside for right now. She had some follow ups to do at the last crime scene and she needed to get outside for awhile before she wondered herself into craziness.
Monica walked out of the building, carefully avoiding any signs of Agent Ryan. She probably should have told him where she was going, but at this point Monica could care less if he got more pissed off. Besides, he knew this needed to be done and if he wanted her reports on it later, he could come find her and get them.
Feeling better about the situation, Monica navigated around LA toward the jewelry store. Seeing the sign for it, Monica pulled in and turned off the engine. Staring at the building for a moment, she could see the yellow police tape over the doorway. No civilians were allowed access until tomorrow. This was a long time for a crime scene to be taped off just for a robbery, but this wasn't a normal robbery and the local police were feeling uneasy about releasing the place back to the owners. Monica didn't blame them.
Monica got out of her car and walked gingerly around the markers on the ground toward the entrance. Gently pushing the door open so not to disturb the tape, Monica entered the building.
"Hello?"
Monica figured she was alone since there were no cars parked outside. But it never hurt to check. Satisfied when no one answered her, Monica set out to work. Kate had told her where she had thought she had entered. The door behind the cash register. Which was unusual because it was kept locked at all times and only the owners carried the keys. Monica went up to the door and was surprised when it turned easily in her hand. Pushing the door open, Monica peered inside the dark room. There was suppose to be another door at the other end. She knew from the owners that this was where the merchandise was brought in to be inspected before being displayed. It was quiet chilly and Monica resisted the urge to rub some warmth back into her arms. Finding her flashlight, she flicked the switch. Immediately to her right she could see the huge vaults. There were three of them and about seven feet tall, she estimated. Monica swiveled around and looked to the other side. Work tables were set up with lamps and all sorts of tools.
Monica stepped closer to get a better look at the tools when she heard a rustling sound behind her. Heart caught in her throat, Monica whipped around. Nothing there. Just her imagination running wild. Taking a deep breathe, Monica turned around to look at the work stations.
There it was a gain. That sound. Almost like a candy wrapper being rubbed over and over.
"Is someone there? I'm Special Agent Monica Reyes and-"
She saw the figure dressed in all black by the second vault.
"Stop right there and put up your hands where I can see them!"
Drawing her gun up, she pointed it at the figure who remained still and stared at her.
"I said, put-"
Something hit her on the head and she fell into complete darkness.