TITLE : Mummy Dearest
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
CATEGORY : SBR
RATING : R
SPOILERS : Probably
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.
SUMMARY : A series of bizarre murders lead the VCTF team to Brooklyn, and a strange encounter brings Sam and Bailey closer than ever.
NOTES : I like crime-solving things, and crime-solving things take time; the scene has to be set, the plot must thicken, the characters must develop. . . and so on. So, bear with me and maybe it won't be as dull as you think. grin Feedback always welcome, despite my disgruntled state!
Cheers!
Gomes.
---------------- Mummy Dearest, part 3. ----------------
Bailey was leaning against the wall, one hand on his hip. He was watching the people walk by, as he and Sam awaited John and Nathan to surface. He glanced at Sam, and found her skimming through a tabloid magazine. "Sam." He sat down beside her. "What are your thoughts, so far?"
Sam put the paper down and shrugged. "We have barely anything to go on. I mean, right now, it's the Exposition at the Museum, which seems to have attracted two out of the three people we want to meet."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and Jones will show up." Bailey glanced at the tabloid paper. "It's already hit the papers." He pointed to an article on the top of the page. "Victims' Families Blame UFO Abduction Testing Gone Wrong."
Sam rolled her eyes. "Any way to make an easy buck." Sam looked at her watch. "We have time until the ceremony - do you think we could stop by the scene where the three bodies were discovered?"
Bailey looked at her intently. "Why, do you have a feel of the situation?" He asked her supportively. He nodded. "Provided those two stop primping themselves up. . . " He finished the last word as John and Nathan emerged from the elevator.
"Sorry we're late, John was hogging the bathroom." Nathan muttered as the four agents went outside. They got into the rental car, and Bailey headed towards the crime scene.
"Has Grace called with any news?" Sam asked.
Bailey shook his head, his eyes still on the road. "She called, but the body shipment has been delayed. She was about to come over and do the autopsies here, but they promised her that they'd be shipped out by tonight."
"Anyway, I think Grace is much more comfortable dissecting her subjects in the vicinity of her own lab." John quipped.
"As comfortable as one could be." Nathan grimaced.
***
Goro Warehouse, Brooklyn
The team reached the warehouse and filed in silently. It was dank and only a few stray ceiling lamps cast lights to guide them. Their footsteps echoed through the old creaky building, as they made their way to the crime scene. Bailey held up the yellow tape for Sam to walk under and then let it drop in front of John. "Thanks Bailey." The younger agent replied sarcastically, Bailey just grinned.
Sam narrowed her eyes, as she approached the concrete tomb. She walked all the way up to it, and peered inside. Bailey, who had been looking around, stopped short and observed Sam. He longed to feel her body against his, to experience her energy as it mingled with his - to merely share life with her. He blinked a couple of times and willed himself to focus on the case.
Sam leaned in and scraped her fingers along the inner wall of the concrete tomb. She took her flashlight out and lightened it up a bit, noting that there was no blood. "They weren't killed here, that's for sure." She remarked to no one in particular. She placed both hands on the edge of the tomb and lifted herself in. Stepping in the tomb, she noted that it was large enough to walk around a bit. Walking from side to side, she tried to get a feel of the situation that had transpired not a few days ago. Images of arms lifting, of a ladder, and of an elephant flashed through her head. Sam placed her hands over her eyes, trying to understand the cryptic messages that had just appeared to her. What do they have to do with these murders? She asked herself. She knelt down, and felt the base of the tomb. Scraping her fingers on the bottom, she brought them up to her nose and inhaled. "Bailey!" She called out, still crouched down.
Bailey was at her side in seconds flat. He looked down on her golden head, and had a strong urge to run his hands through her beautiful hair. "Sam?"
Sam stood up and whirled around, facing her mentor. She thrust her hand towards his face. "Smell this."
Bailey held his head back slightly, and grabbed hold of her arm by the wrist. He unconsciously caressed it with is his thumb and brought it up to his nose. His brow furrowed as he took in the smell. "What is that, wine?" He kept a hold of her soft hand.
She nodded. "And spices." She remarked pensively. She placed her other hand on the edge of the tomb, and stepped out with Bailey's aid. "I'm starting to think there's a stronger connection to the exposition." Sam dusted off her skirt.
"Why?" John asked, removing his white gloves.
Sam leaned against the tomb. "I think that the suspect wanted to mummify these people." She looked back at the tomb. "The whole wine and spices just confirmed it."
"Maybe they went out for an expensive dinner before." John laughed.
Bailey rolled his eyes. "There are roughly seven steps to mummification, and the first is cleansing the body." Bailey informed.
Sam agreed. "The bodies are usually washed in a solution of wine and spices, which is what I found traces of, inside the tomb." She paused for a minute then looked at Bailey. "I'm done. Maybe we can get someone to get some evidence from inside the tomb."
Bailey nodded then turned to John and Nathan. "Did you guys find anything?"
Nathan shook his head. "Nothing. Couldn't even find any footprints," he pointed to the ground which was covered in a heavy dusting of sand and dried mud, "because there have already been so many people on set." John dropped his head. "Great, what a waste of time, we have absolutely nothing to go on!" He complained.
"Hey!" Bailey warned him. "We have a theory now, and a damn good one, thanks to Sam's observations. So don't tell me that this was a waste of time." Bailey turned and headed towards the exit, followed by Sam and Nathan. John lagged behind a couple of seconds, pondering Bailey's actions, and jogged to join the others.
Once in the car, Sam turned to Bailey. "Thanks." She smiled.
"For what?" He focused on the road, afraid that his eyes would reveal his deepest emotions.
"For what - for sticking up for me. It means a lot, Bail." She looked at him, trying to communicate her thanks.
Bailey gave her a half-smile, and glanced at her side-ways. "Let's go to the exposition."
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
CATEGORY : SBR
RATING : R
SPOILERS : Probably
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.
SUMMARY : A series of bizarre murders lead the VCTF team to Brooklyn, and a strange encounter brings Sam and Bailey closer than ever.
NOTES : I like crime-solving things, and crime-solving things take time; the scene has to be set, the plot must thicken, the characters must develop. . . and so on. So, bear with me and maybe it won't be as dull as you think. grin Feedback always welcome, despite my disgruntled state!
Cheers!
Gomes.
---------------- Mummy Dearest, part 3. ----------------
Bailey was leaning against the wall, one hand on his hip. He was watching the people walk by, as he and Sam awaited John and Nathan to surface. He glanced at Sam, and found her skimming through a tabloid magazine. "Sam." He sat down beside her. "What are your thoughts, so far?"
Sam put the paper down and shrugged. "We have barely anything to go on. I mean, right now, it's the Exposition at the Museum, which seems to have attracted two out of the three people we want to meet."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and Jones will show up." Bailey glanced at the tabloid paper. "It's already hit the papers." He pointed to an article on the top of the page. "Victims' Families Blame UFO Abduction Testing Gone Wrong."
Sam rolled her eyes. "Any way to make an easy buck." Sam looked at her watch. "We have time until the ceremony - do you think we could stop by the scene where the three bodies were discovered?"
Bailey looked at her intently. "Why, do you have a feel of the situation?" He asked her supportively. He nodded. "Provided those two stop primping themselves up. . . " He finished the last word as John and Nathan emerged from the elevator.
"Sorry we're late, John was hogging the bathroom." Nathan muttered as the four agents went outside. They got into the rental car, and Bailey headed towards the crime scene.
"Has Grace called with any news?" Sam asked.
Bailey shook his head, his eyes still on the road. "She called, but the body shipment has been delayed. She was about to come over and do the autopsies here, but they promised her that they'd be shipped out by tonight."
"Anyway, I think Grace is much more comfortable dissecting her subjects in the vicinity of her own lab." John quipped.
"As comfortable as one could be." Nathan grimaced.
***
Goro Warehouse, Brooklyn
The team reached the warehouse and filed in silently. It was dank and only a few stray ceiling lamps cast lights to guide them. Their footsteps echoed through the old creaky building, as they made their way to the crime scene. Bailey held up the yellow tape for Sam to walk under and then let it drop in front of John. "Thanks Bailey." The younger agent replied sarcastically, Bailey just grinned.
Sam narrowed her eyes, as she approached the concrete tomb. She walked all the way up to it, and peered inside. Bailey, who had been looking around, stopped short and observed Sam. He longed to feel her body against his, to experience her energy as it mingled with his - to merely share life with her. He blinked a couple of times and willed himself to focus on the case.
Sam leaned in and scraped her fingers along the inner wall of the concrete tomb. She took her flashlight out and lightened it up a bit, noting that there was no blood. "They weren't killed here, that's for sure." She remarked to no one in particular. She placed both hands on the edge of the tomb and lifted herself in. Stepping in the tomb, she noted that it was large enough to walk around a bit. Walking from side to side, she tried to get a feel of the situation that had transpired not a few days ago. Images of arms lifting, of a ladder, and of an elephant flashed through her head. Sam placed her hands over her eyes, trying to understand the cryptic messages that had just appeared to her. What do they have to do with these murders? She asked herself. She knelt down, and felt the base of the tomb. Scraping her fingers on the bottom, she brought them up to her nose and inhaled. "Bailey!" She called out, still crouched down.
Bailey was at her side in seconds flat. He looked down on her golden head, and had a strong urge to run his hands through her beautiful hair. "Sam?"
Sam stood up and whirled around, facing her mentor. She thrust her hand towards his face. "Smell this."
Bailey held his head back slightly, and grabbed hold of her arm by the wrist. He unconsciously caressed it with is his thumb and brought it up to his nose. His brow furrowed as he took in the smell. "What is that, wine?" He kept a hold of her soft hand.
She nodded. "And spices." She remarked pensively. She placed her other hand on the edge of the tomb, and stepped out with Bailey's aid. "I'm starting to think there's a stronger connection to the exposition." Sam dusted off her skirt.
"Why?" John asked, removing his white gloves.
Sam leaned against the tomb. "I think that the suspect wanted to mummify these people." She looked back at the tomb. "The whole wine and spices just confirmed it."
"Maybe they went out for an expensive dinner before." John laughed.
Bailey rolled his eyes. "There are roughly seven steps to mummification, and the first is cleansing the body." Bailey informed.
Sam agreed. "The bodies are usually washed in a solution of wine and spices, which is what I found traces of, inside the tomb." She paused for a minute then looked at Bailey. "I'm done. Maybe we can get someone to get some evidence from inside the tomb."
Bailey nodded then turned to John and Nathan. "Did you guys find anything?"
Nathan shook his head. "Nothing. Couldn't even find any footprints," he pointed to the ground which was covered in a heavy dusting of sand and dried mud, "because there have already been so many people on set." John dropped his head. "Great, what a waste of time, we have absolutely nothing to go on!" He complained.
"Hey!" Bailey warned him. "We have a theory now, and a damn good one, thanks to Sam's observations. So don't tell me that this was a waste of time." Bailey turned and headed towards the exit, followed by Sam and Nathan. John lagged behind a couple of seconds, pondering Bailey's actions, and jogged to join the others.
Once in the car, Sam turned to Bailey. "Thanks." She smiled.
"For what?" He focused on the road, afraid that his eyes would reveal his deepest emotions.
"For what - for sticking up for me. It means a lot, Bail." She looked at him, trying to communicate her thanks.
Bailey gave her a half-smile, and glanced at her side-ways. "Let's go to the exposition."