"Ok, you've got us." Mulder agreed calmly. "Now what?"
"Now you're going to take your sons and get back into your oh-so-stylish minivan and drive to your house. No tricks now, we know your address. When you get there, you're going to pack clothes for yourselves and for the children, and you're going to meet us in front of the house. Then you'll come with us, quietly."
"And if we don't?" Scully asked.
The man looked at Owen and Benji. "William is the only vital person. The rest of you are expendable if you cause problems."
Fear stabbed Mulder's heart, and he prayed that neither of the younger boys understood the connotations of the word "expendable." "We'll go with you."
"Very good." The man said, relaxing his grip on Owen. "But before you do, we're going to need your cell phones." Mulder and Scully handed them over without a word. "William has one too, I believe." He added, staring at William until his captors pulled it out of his back pocket.
The men followed Mulder and Scully closely, not letting the boys go until the minivan's door was open. They pushed the boys in once the adults had closed their doors.
"Do we do what they say?" Scully asked as Mulder started the engine.
"I don't think we have any choice."
Without looking back, he spoke to Benji. "Lean back so your face can't be seen, Benji, and use your cell phone to dial mom."
"What do I tell her?" He sounded frightened.
Mulder quickly explained.
"Mommy? It's Benji. Daddy said to tell you that whatever you do, don't come outside when we get home, and don't let Kyle or Avery come out either. Shut off all the lights so it looks like no one's home. He'll explain when we get there, but we're in big trouble."
"Was that good?" Benji asked nervously after he'd hung up on a worried Cat.
"Very good." Mulder assured him.
***
The other car pulled up behind them, and the grim faced men got out and stood by the vehicle.
"You have twenty minutes to pack." The apparent leader told them.
"All right." Mulder quickly agreed, herding Scully and the children into the house.
Cat was waiting for Mulder in their bedroom. He hastily explained what was going on.
Cat didn't take the news calmly. "What do you mean they're making you go with them? You should tell them to go to hell and call the police."
"The police would never get here in time. These men are ruthless and act quickly when they think they're not going to get their way. Don't think for a second I want to go. They're threatening to kill everyone but William if we don't...Including Benji and Owen."
Cat dragged a hand over her face, still trying to make sense of the situation."You really have to take Benji and Owen, too? They're just little boys, they should be with me."
Mulder shook his head. "I can't leave them behind, they were very clear that they expect all five of us out front in-"He glanced at his watch. " -fourteen minutes. I'm just glad that they don't know about you and the little ones. We have to be thankful that they don't know you even exist."
"Thankful." Cat muttered bitterly. He captured her chin with one of his big hands, forcing her to look at him. "I swear to you, I'll keep the boys safe. All five of us will be back as soon as we can."
She threw her arms around him. "I'm going to hold you to that." Her voice was fierce. "Don't let them do anything to hurt any of you."
"I'll do my damnest." Mulder promised. "And I know that Scully will do her best to protect the boys too. But I'm worried about the rest of you as well. I'm not sure you'll be safe here while we're...gone."
"So what do you expect me to do?" Frustration crept back into Cat's voice." Hire a body guard?"
A glint of good humor momentarily lit up in Mulder's hazel eyes. "No, but that does give me an idea. I'll send you to Doggett and Reyes for safe- keeping. If there's anyone else on Earth that I think is capable of looking out for danger, it's them."
"They'll love that." Cat smirked. "Do you suppose either of them have room for a woman and three children to stay with them for an indefinite amount of time?"
"Probably not. But Maggie Scully would probably actually be thrilled to meet you. Maybe you can bunk down there, Doggett and Reyes too, since it's a big house."
"Stay with my husband's ex's mother, with a pair of FBI bodyguards. Why is my life stranger than fiction?" Cat grumbled.
However, with a little more coaxing, Mulder was able to convince her that it was the best course of action. As soon as she agreed, he got on the phone and called his friends. All three readily agreed to help protect Cat and the little ones. When he hung up the phone he felt more than a little relief.
But just then, Kyle wandered in. "Daddy, Will, Benji and Owen are packing things. Are we going somewhere?"
They both looked at Kyle, wondering how they were going to explain.
"I'll let Daddy tell you." Cat said, squeezing by Kyle to leave the room.
"Now you're going to take your sons and get back into your oh-so-stylish minivan and drive to your house. No tricks now, we know your address. When you get there, you're going to pack clothes for yourselves and for the children, and you're going to meet us in front of the house. Then you'll come with us, quietly."
"And if we don't?" Scully asked.
The man looked at Owen and Benji. "William is the only vital person. The rest of you are expendable if you cause problems."
Fear stabbed Mulder's heart, and he prayed that neither of the younger boys understood the connotations of the word "expendable." "We'll go with you."
"Very good." The man said, relaxing his grip on Owen. "But before you do, we're going to need your cell phones." Mulder and Scully handed them over without a word. "William has one too, I believe." He added, staring at William until his captors pulled it out of his back pocket.
The men followed Mulder and Scully closely, not letting the boys go until the minivan's door was open. They pushed the boys in once the adults had closed their doors.
"Do we do what they say?" Scully asked as Mulder started the engine.
"I don't think we have any choice."
Without looking back, he spoke to Benji. "Lean back so your face can't be seen, Benji, and use your cell phone to dial mom."
"What do I tell her?" He sounded frightened.
Mulder quickly explained.
"Mommy? It's Benji. Daddy said to tell you that whatever you do, don't come outside when we get home, and don't let Kyle or Avery come out either. Shut off all the lights so it looks like no one's home. He'll explain when we get there, but we're in big trouble."
"Was that good?" Benji asked nervously after he'd hung up on a worried Cat.
"Very good." Mulder assured him.
***
The other car pulled up behind them, and the grim faced men got out and stood by the vehicle.
"You have twenty minutes to pack." The apparent leader told them.
"All right." Mulder quickly agreed, herding Scully and the children into the house.
Cat was waiting for Mulder in their bedroom. He hastily explained what was going on.
Cat didn't take the news calmly. "What do you mean they're making you go with them? You should tell them to go to hell and call the police."
"The police would never get here in time. These men are ruthless and act quickly when they think they're not going to get their way. Don't think for a second I want to go. They're threatening to kill everyone but William if we don't...Including Benji and Owen."
Cat dragged a hand over her face, still trying to make sense of the situation."You really have to take Benji and Owen, too? They're just little boys, they should be with me."
Mulder shook his head. "I can't leave them behind, they were very clear that they expect all five of us out front in-"He glanced at his watch. " -fourteen minutes. I'm just glad that they don't know about you and the little ones. We have to be thankful that they don't know you even exist."
"Thankful." Cat muttered bitterly. He captured her chin with one of his big hands, forcing her to look at him. "I swear to you, I'll keep the boys safe. All five of us will be back as soon as we can."
She threw her arms around him. "I'm going to hold you to that." Her voice was fierce. "Don't let them do anything to hurt any of you."
"I'll do my damnest." Mulder promised. "And I know that Scully will do her best to protect the boys too. But I'm worried about the rest of you as well. I'm not sure you'll be safe here while we're...gone."
"So what do you expect me to do?" Frustration crept back into Cat's voice." Hire a body guard?"
A glint of good humor momentarily lit up in Mulder's hazel eyes. "No, but that does give me an idea. I'll send you to Doggett and Reyes for safe- keeping. If there's anyone else on Earth that I think is capable of looking out for danger, it's them."
"They'll love that." Cat smirked. "Do you suppose either of them have room for a woman and three children to stay with them for an indefinite amount of time?"
"Probably not. But Maggie Scully would probably actually be thrilled to meet you. Maybe you can bunk down there, Doggett and Reyes too, since it's a big house."
"Stay with my husband's ex's mother, with a pair of FBI bodyguards. Why is my life stranger than fiction?" Cat grumbled.
However, with a little more coaxing, Mulder was able to convince her that it was the best course of action. As soon as she agreed, he got on the phone and called his friends. All three readily agreed to help protect Cat and the little ones. When he hung up the phone he felt more than a little relief.
But just then, Kyle wandered in. "Daddy, Will, Benji and Owen are packing things. Are we going somewhere?"
They both looked at Kyle, wondering how they were going to explain.
"I'll let Daddy tell you." Cat said, squeezing by Kyle to leave the room.