Mulder lay on his stomach next to her with his hands bent uncomfortably onto the back of his head making his coat rise up and a cold draught breeze up his back. He squirmed on the floor trying to get more comfortable when it became obvious this wasn't a quick in and out job. Scully lay perfectly still next to him and he knew she was running through her options but having been through the same training as her he knew all their options and without a common language he knew they we limited.
There was no way they could talk them down, bargain with them to release the hostages when they were having trouble ordering a cup of coffee. Letting out a sigh he caught her movement and turned to face her. With his eyes he asked her what she was thinking but the smallest shake of her head let him know she had no ideas.
"Nous sommes ici pour affecter fonds à notre famille. Vous vous conformerez à tout que nous disons et ne montrerez aucune résistance ou vous souffrirez le même destin autant d'ont suffert avant vous." Shouting loudly, the third man who still showed no obvious weapons, walked around the room looking at all the customers individually and making his way around to the gateway to the staff. "Je sais que vous avez déjà activé l'alarme silencieuse et il ne sera pas longtemps avant les policiers arriveront, ainsi, mettons-nous ceci en route!"
"Mulder, what's going on?" she whispered her voice barely a breath of noise.
"I have no idea. I think he's waiting for the police."
"Waiting to be caught?"
"Making a protest about something."
"If that's right then this could turn nasty."
"I think it's about to."
She followed his eyes and spotted the elderly security man who had been thrown to the floor inching his way towards the door. Willing him to stop Scully looked around that the gunmen and saw they were busy supervising the bank staff as they filled the shoulder bags full of cash. But then one of them cast a cursory glance around the room and saw him.
"STOP! DON'T MOVE!" he shouted jumping over the gateway and rushing towards the security man who had managed to get the door open and one foot through. The gun shot was so loud in the confined space that scully reached to cover her ears her eyes wide open at the sight of the falling man who hit the floor with a dull sickening thud. Mulder dropped his head onto the floor hitting it softly with his forehead repeatedly.
"Puisque notre puissance a été montrée vous choisirez d'obéir," the leader spoke softly as if it had all been planned and part of an agenda.
As they went back to filling the bags the shooter went to the door and pulled the body away locking it after him. He stashed the body behind a desk in the corner and resumed his supervision of the hostages. Moving them all against the back wall Mulder was glad to be off the floor and have a better vantage point to weigh up his options.
"You're American?" a soft voice behind him whispered.
"Yes."
"So am I. Do you speak French?"
"No," Mulder said with a soft chuckle half turning to see a tall blonde man hunching his shoulders and drawing his knees up to his chest as if he was trying to seem smaller then he really was.
"Me neither," he admitted with a grunt. "Dammit. We need to communicate with these and let them know we are people no just faces he can kill."
Recognising the line of training towards hostage negotiation Mulder turned to face the stranger more fully. Scully who was sitting next to him heard the conversation and faced him too.
"You're FBI?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "You?"
"Both of us."
"But none of us speak French," the stranger said with a crooked smile.
"Typical."
"I speak French." They all turned to see the teenage boy who was wearing an ill-fitting suit listening to them and trying to convey an air of confidence, without luck.
"La Famille a pris ses fonds et nous voulons que vous savez que tout sera dépensé sagement." The leader stood up onto a table and perused the room with a regal eye.
"What did he say?" Scully asked the kid.
"He said they had taken their money and they would spend it wisely. He calls them the Family."
"The family?"
"Mais ce n'ai jamais si facile, n'est-ce pas?" He called out nodding at his men who went over to the main door and lined it with grey dough.
"Plastosine bomb?" Mulder guessed aloud.
"He's setting a booby trap."
"Ainsi, tandis que nous partons par l'arrière, les policiers qui je peux voir l'envie les démangent d'entrer ici, viendront à l'avant." Faint noises of approaching sirens could be heard in the distance.
"Yes he said they are going out the back and the police will rush in the front," the kid translated for them.
"Blowing the bloody place up."
The three, armed men pulled the heavy bags onto their shoulders and retreated out through the back offices of the bank. As soon as the door was closed behind them Mulder stood up and rushed over to the front door. The other FBI agent followed and helped him block it with a heavy ornate bench.
Scully stood up and with the help of the young kid translating for her she told them that they were FBI and would get his over with as soon as they could She urged them to keep calm and asked if the Manager could make himself known. A tall balding man who she guessed was aged around fifty-stepped forward with profuse apologies spilling from his thin pale lips.
Mulder appeared by her side at that moment and shook hands with the manager who spoke a broken English.
"Scully meet Agent Andrew West."
"Hello," he said shaking her hand with a small smile.
"Are you a field agent here?"
"No just passing through on my way to Montreal."
"Seems like a common problem around here. This is the manager of the bank and he doesn't speak great English."
"I've been translating," the kid spoke up eager to get the pat on the back he was expecting.
"What's your name?"
"Jacque. Jack."
"Well thanks for all your help. We need to get in touch with the police out side can you ask him if he can contact them for us?"
As Jack turned and spoke to the manager Mulder and Andrew walked over to the window to see if they could catch the guard's attention. A single shot smashed through the frosted pane of glass and whizzed between their heads landing in a concrete wall across the room. Mulder and West ducked quickly beneath the window ledge each of them holding their breath and their eyes wide open in shock.
"You okay Mulder?" Scully called out from the ground where she laid next to the manager and Jack.
"Yeah, yeah we're fine," he dusted himself off and both of them made their way over to the desks crouched low to avoid attracting another shot.
"The Manager here is speaking with the police out side, he's told them the assailants have left out the back, and that the banks front door has been rigged with a bomb."
"Tell his to say there are 3 FBI Agents in here," Mulder said touching the kids arm to make him translate.
The kid spoke with the manager who in turn spoke quickly and quietly into the phone nodding his head and talking to the kid.
"He said they will not fire any more shots but everyone must stay down."
The manager spoke again half listening to the phone and half relaying the information to the kid.
"They are sending a squad in to look at the bomb and they need us to stay as far away from the door as possible."
"What if they rigged the back door after they left?" Agent West said thoughtfully.
"People would be safe in the...well in the safe." Mulder looked up over the rim of the desk and glanced over at the safe entrance.
"We wouldn't need to close the door, just get them in there." West agreed and started to make his way over to the now empty safe. "C'mon."
"Alright Jack can you tell them to follow Agent West and to keep low."
Jack called out to the other customers and staff about following Agent West who was now standing up in the safe waving at them to join him. Slowly the small crowd made their way into the safe where they sat low against the wall. Scully and Mulder remained by the manager's desk waiting further instruction from the police and Jack joined them.
"I can't believe this is happening." Scully said aloud letting her head fall back against the wide oak desk. Mulder sat beside her their legs stretched out in front of them and their hands resting on their laps.
"It's just another day in the lives of Mulder and Scully, they should make a movie."
"It would be a TV movie on living TV."
"Oh so cheap Scully!" he slapped his hand on his chest as if he was in pain.
"C'mon you know it would be!"
"Who'd play you?"
"I dunno, with my red hair...Julia Roberts?" she said smiling.
"She might be a little tall. We'd want it to be accurate."
"Well who'd play you?"
"With my rugged good looks...a young Sean Connery!"
Scully let out a burst of laughter that shocked him into silence. Her smile didn't recede when she looked over at him but he was just happy to keep her mind off the situation.
"Whatever about the TV networks, Skinner is never going to believe this," he said aloud but the phones ringing cut off any further discussion. Jack reached for it and spoke into it for a moment.
"They are going to blow the door from the outside...take cover."
Jack crawled over to the safe where the others were waiting to warn them but Mulder and Scully kept their positions, shielded from the blast by the large desk they managed to manoeuvre it around and held their backs to the wall. Scully pressed against him and he lifted his arm over her shoulders to shield her as much as he could. Her head rested on his chest and her hair was covering her face but the tight grip she had on his hand told him how she was feeling.
Seconds seemed like hours, as everyone in the bank held their breath waiting for the blast that they hoped wouldn't bring the building down on top of them and just as Mulder was beginning to think that the kid had gotton the wrong message a bright flash made him shut his eyes tight and hold Scullys head closer though he didn't think it was possible before. A loud bang resonated around the room but after the tension of waiting for the almighty blast it seemed an almost anticlimax.
Smoke plumed around the room in a dust grey cloud and was followed by five armed swat members who shouted orders in French to the room. Agent West walked out of the safe first with Jack and the others behind him and they all held their hands up over their heads. Mulder and Scully emerged from behind the desk and made the same motions coughing through the thick smoke they were led outside into the cold fresh air where ID's were checked and Jack translated for them.
Scully went to the car to retrieve their FBI ID's as Mulder tried to relay as best he could what had happened. They ID Numbers were noted down and their photos taken by the police before they were allowed to continue on their journey. Finding Agent West in the crowd proved a little more difficult than they thought but they finally found him crouched over the bonnet of his car unfolding a large road map.
"Getting directions?" Mulder asked. "Surely your FBI training would let you navigate out of this small province."
"Surely yours would too!" West quipped laughing at the sight of Mulders own map in his hand.
"We are so lost I'm not sure what continent we are in anymore."
"Jack here is going to show me the way, I'm sure he'll help you too."
"Of course anything I can do to help."
Jack spent the next ten minutes drawing the route on Andrew's map then shaking hands with him and saying goodbye.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Agent Scully I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"You too Agent West."
"Safe home Agent Mulder," he called out waving his own map and getting into his car. Mulder smiled and waved but turned back to Jack who was showing him how to get to Milean. The route seemed winding and long and almost back in the direction they had come from. After going over it for a third time Mulder seemed confident enough that he could make the journey in the four hours it would require.
Finally back on the road and driving in the right direction Scully pulled her cell phone out of the glove box and Dialled Skinners Number.
"AD Skinner please...its Agent Scully."
"Oh Agent Scully thank god you called," Kim's voice was awash with relief at the sound of Scully's voice.
"Why? What's happened?" Mulder glanced over at her words but kept his eyes on the road not wanting to miss another turn.
"AD Skinner has been trying to contact you for the past hour. He got a call from a police officer in Saint Pier saying that you were involved in a bank robbery."
"What? No we were in the bank..." Scully let her voice trail off and decided there was no use. "Is AD Skinner there?"
"Yes I'll put you right through."
"Agent Scully!" Skinners voice was terse and low so she knew immediately the call from the police wasn't one he was expecting.
"Yes."
"You have some explaining to do."
"Yes sir. It's a long story. We went into the bank to get some directions to Milean-"
"You're not in Milean yet?"
"No sir we've been a little detoured. There was roadwork's going on then a storm pulled in last night from the north," she said hoping it sounded a lot more plausible to Skinner then it did to her.
"So where are you?"
"About an hour and a half outside the village."
"Okay well get there as soon as you can. Michael is getting more and more anxious as time goes by."
"Yes sir we'll call you with a progress report tonight."
"Okay. And I want a full report on the incident at the bank."
"Yes sir."
Scully switched off the phone and looked back to Mulder who was laughing silently beside her. She slapped his arm and reached into the back seat for the file folder.
"Okay Mulder so far on this case you've made me lie to my superior, got me caught in a bank robbery, made me sleep in a hovel during a snow storm and got the truck stuck in the snow nearly giving yourself hypothermia."
"You can't blame me for all that-"he began but she jumped in and cut off his protestation.
"I can and I will. Skinner will be expecting our call this evening and unless we get to Milean in the next couple of hours we're not going to get anything to him in time."
"It's at least another three and a half maybe four hour drive."
"Well put the foot down and shave as much time off that as you can."
"Have you looked out the window Scully, it's a blizzard out there. We shouldn't be driving at all let alone speeding!"
She opened the file and read through it again and tried to garner more information from the meagre amount they had already been given. Mulder concentrated on driving and they made the next 2 hours in silence save for a few words about the heat. The snow kept falling thicker on some roads than others but it never let up always hampering their visibility. They travelled through 3 villages and mentioned lunch but by now they were eager to get to Milean and everything else seemed to come second.
"Do you want me to drive for a while Mulder? You must be tired."
"No I'm okay. I'd say we've got less than an hour left."
"Do you know where the Salvation Camp is?"
"Apparently it's in the centre of town."
"Shouldn't be hard to find then," she said glancing down at the map to check how much they had left to go.
"Well with our track record on this case lets not hedge our bets."
Snow fell harder still and Mulder slowed down. Now that their destination was in their sights the rush seemed less important and they just needed to make it there in one piece. The road was barely visible and little or no traffic came against them giving Mulder no line of sight for the tarmac area. More than once he had veered off into the grassy verge finding out only by the turbulence that shook the truck.
This time after steering the truck onto the grassy verge he didn't seem to be able to steer it back in the direction of the road. He battled with the large wheel trying desperately to get back control but the truck was winning. Pumping the brakes Mulder tried to slow down but the wheels slipped and spun on the soft snow unable to get a grip and their speed only increased as the truck turned towards an incline.
Scully held her seatbelt tightly and tensed her body waiting for the impending impact. Every thought in her head told her to loosen her muscles and save them from breaking but she couldn't do it. Her hand reached out to Mulder and gripped his leg but just as she looked up out through the windshield the tree came into clear view through the snow and the truck all but wrapped it.
The impact was fast and sudden throwing them forward. Scullys airbag inflated almost immediately cushioning the blow but Mulders remained hidden causing him to smash his head against the wheel and loose consciousness.
Silence rang out eerily but a Scully only heard a high-pitched tone ring through her ears. The unfamiliar sensation of the roughened silk cushion beneath her head confused her for a moment. Forcing her eyes to open the shocking reality of the situation came springing forward when she saw Mulders blood dripping head on the steering wheel.
"Mulder," she croaked surprised at how much the sound of her own voice stung her head. "Mulder."
Sitting up she tried to ignore the sharp pain in her side but it became too intense as she leaned over towards him forcing her to sit back in the chair. Her hand reached out to his neck to feel for a pulse and she could feel it strong and steady.
"Mulder wake up...Mulder."
She slapped his cheek to try to rouse him and gradually his eyes began to flutter open. Keeping her hand on his cheek she smiled over at him but he blinked a few times then they shut again.
"Mulder!" She called out but he made no response. Feeling for his pulse again she felt it slow down but still remain strong. "Gotta get out of here!" she said aloud but to her self. Undoing the seatbelt was easy but opening the door was impossible. The engine wall had saved their legs from being crushed but it had also caused the impact to carry to the side of the truck curving the door hinges and essentially keeping them locked.
"Dammit!" she yelled after throwing her shoulder against it a few times. Rolling down window she cursed the still falling snow and decided she would need to climb out the small frame.
Pain in her ribs flared up and ran riot through her torso. She felt as thought she was going to be sick but resisted the urge. Taking a few deep breaths and letting them out slowly she held in the last one and with tremendous effort pulled her aching body from the car. Vivid memories of playing Dukes of Hazard with Charlie in her father's car appeared from nowhere making her smile until her body landed in the deep wet cold snow that covered the ground.
She managed to get up and make her way around to the driver's side of the car. But there was no way she could open the door. Deciding she'd have to return to the road and flag down help Scully went back in through the window and grabbed her coat from the back seat. She tried to revive Mulder again but with no luck and not wanting to move him she promised him she's be right back and climbed back out into the snow again.
After only a moments hesitation Scully decided to follow what was left of the tyre tracks back up to the road. Her visibility was null and with her coat tied up tightly and her hood up protecting her head she barely had a chance to see the four shadows that approached her from the east.
"Qui êtes-vous?" a voice called out that she thought she imagined over the howling wind. She looked up and suddenly the snow cleared up enough for her to see them standing beside her, slowly circling her to stop her escape.
"Who are you?" the leader repeated taking a step towards her.
"Our car crashed...my friend is hurt," she blurted out hoping that they would understand her.
"You're an American."
"Yes yes. I don't speak French." She almost cried with relief at the sound of his English words.
"What are you doing out here?"
"We got lost. We're trying to get to...Montreal."
"We?"
"The car...Can you help us get to a hospital. My friend is unconscious and I think I may have broken a rib...he's over here."
Scully led them back to the car where they peered in the fogged up windows to see Mulders crumpled body lying over the wheel. The leader seemed to be the only one who spoke English and he spoke quietly to the others in a soft French accent nodding towards scully as he finished. The three other men ran off into the blizzard without another word and Scully looked on in confusion.
"Can you help us get to a hospital?"
"The weather has turned. We will take you to our camp and to the hospital when the storm has cleared."
"He really needs to get medical care straight away."
"He will get it."
The leader who Scully noticed hadn't introduced himself stood by the driver's door and with what looked like a simple tug he yanked the door open almost pulling it off it's crooked hinges as he did. Mulders body shook with the movement of the car but he remained resting against the wheel.
"We heard the crash and came out to see if anyone had been hurt."
"Your camp is close by?"
"Maybe 1000 yards that way." He pointed behind him with a vague gesture.
Carefully he leaned in and hooked one arm under Mulders knees and the other around his shoulders. Scully scooted low to help heave Mulders weight out of the car but it wasn't needed. The stranger lifted the limp body with ease and had already turned and started walking away before Scully had stood up. She hurried to catch up with them and struggled to see him in the heavy falling snow.
"Quickly we need to hurry!" he called out to her hastening his steps and motioning to her with his head. Scully pulled her hood up tighter around her face and hurried to catch up. Suddenly as if it was appearing out of thin air a large twelve-man tent stood before them. Carrying Mulder the mysterious stranger walked in and stood back to let Scully by.
The tent was well over eight feet tall and wider then most city apartments Scully noticed as she pulled her zip down and watched him lie Mulder down on a prepared pump up bed. By the bed a small wicker locker held a kerosene lamp, which seemed dated and unsafe allowed a dim shadowing light around the room.
"He needs to see a doctor."
"We have doctors here."
"How many people are on your team?" She asked crouching down beside Mulder to take his pulse again.
"There are twelve of us set up her and another 1500 in town."
"1500?" she glanced around and saw him peel out of his body suit and hang it over the back of a small wooded chair.
"My name is John."
"Dana Scully. This is Fox Mulder," she brushed the hair from his face and looked around the room for something to clean his wound with. "Can you get me some medical supplies?"
"The doc will be right along."
"He can't wait!" Scully yelled back noticing how deep the wound was. "He needs help now!" Looking around the room caused a sharp pain to circle her torso below her breast.
"Looks like he's not the only one."
John brought a chair over to Mulders bedside and patted it, signalling with a smile that she should sit down. Just as she stood to claim the seat four men entered the tent through a door Scully hadn't noticed before.
"Jean, tu as des troubles?" one of them said glancing at Mulder and Scully then back to John who stood over them.
"Une collision de voiture. Il est mal blessé et elle se peut qu'elle ait cassé quelques côtes. Ils ne parlent pas de Français."
"ils ne devraient pas être ici," he said softly his French saving the words from Scully but his voice still low.
"Ils ont besoin de notre aide."
"Trevor wont be happy."
"He never is!" one of them barked back.
"Okay, okay what have we got here?"
Out of the small group the eldest man stepped forward holding what Scully recognised immediately as a medical bag and crouched beside Mulder. He took his pulse and blood pressure then cleaned out the wound on his forehead and bandaged it with a wide bandage that almost covered his left temple and eye. Throughout the examination Scully tried to ask a few questions but John touched her arm and held her back. Shaking his head in a few sharp shakes Scully took the hint and kept quiet all the while watching what they were doing to Mulder.
"How about you miss?" The doctor stood up and faced her with a warm kindly smile that immediately disarmed her. She couldn't help but return it.
"I think I may have broken a rib. How is he?" she asked pointing at Mulder.
Her questions went unanswered as the doctor walked towards her. For a moment Scully thought he didn't understand her and maybe his English was limited to friendly comments and gestures. A brief smile flickered across her lips as she thought of him asking her for directions to the tourist office.
"You need to take your top off." Johns voice cut through her small reverie and she glanced over to him.
"Sorry?"
"Doctor Johansson wants to examine you but he needs you to take your top off."
"No I'm fine I don't need..."
"Miss Scully we cant fix your problem if you don't let us examine you."
Reluctantly Scully looked around the room at John who stood to her left and the four men who seemed to be blocking the exits. She felt the satisfying bulge of her FBI issue Sig saur and wondered what they would make of it when they saw it.
"Would it be possible to get a little more privacy?" she stalled.
"Of course." John looked at the three men and said a soft command in French. They glanced at the doctor for confirmation and left the room aftr he nodded a small assent. Scully removed her jacked with careful movement half trying to keep the gun in its holster and half trying not to move her chest.
Reaching around the back of her jumper she pulled the gun out and held it within the folds of the cotton sweater while lifting it off over her head. Clutching the sweater to her chest trying to keep what little dignity she felt intact Scully stepped forward.
The doctor approached and reached out to take the jersey from her hands but she quickly turned and put on the bed next to Mulder. Holding her arms out the doctor pressed all her ribs and rotated her shoulders. He made her bend over and individually inspected the vertebrae along her back all the while remaining silent save for a few hums of satisfaction.
From the small black bag on the floor he retrieved an elastic strap bandage and wound it around her torso. Pinning it in place he patted it softly and smiled at her again. Scully quickly reached for her jumper and careful not to drop her gun she slipped it on and sat down in the chair next to Mulders head.
"Goodnight."
Doctor Johansson turned with a wave and left the room following the three other men. John lingered behind waiting by the flap holding it up.
"What did he say about Mulder?" Scully asked keeping her eyes on him and trying to read his blank expression. All of a sudden and without warning John smiled. The wide curve of his lips showed his top row of perfectly formed white teeth and made his dark blue eyes twinkle even in the dim light of the tent. It immediately made her feel welcome and relaxed warming her from the inside with a glow as if she had swallowed the embers.
"He'll be fine Miss Scully."
"Thank you John."
"We can set up another bed for you and there will be food brought through to you in a couple of hours."
"How long will it take before we can get to a hospital?" she asked looking down at Mulders feverish body.
"First light we'll take you out there if you still want to go."
"Thank you."
John watched her for another moment then turned and left the low sound of the zipper the only evidence he was gone. Scully pulled the chair closer to Mulder and with one hand caressing her fingers through his hair the other holding his wrist taking constant note of his slow but strong pulse.
"Hey Mulder, we've done it again," she whispered with a little chuckle. "We couldn't just land in Montreal and drive to Milean, we had to take the Xfiles Regulatory Detour and end up crashing the car and sleeping in a large twelve man tent with a group of men who make the Kindred seem like misunderstood Walton's."
She heard her hushed laugh in the silence and suddenly it didn't seem so funny anymore. Suddenly the situation was dangerous and the only thing between herself and Mulder was her gun that she didn't think would do much good if they all stormed in here at once. Twelve men and fourteen bullets would require some fine shooting she admitted and although she was a good shot she didn't think she was that good.
Hours had passed and the wind picked up outside the tent. It shook the thin fabric but Scully was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was. Even with the wind waving around the walls moving them like a prowling predator she felt no breeze or chill and even had to admit her ribs were feeling a lot better.
"Excuse me?" A small nervous voice called out from the side door that Scully had to presume led to another tent rather than the snowy outdoors
"Hi."
"I have...food...for you." A young man who Scully guessed was as young as twenty walked in carrying a bowl of soup and a plate of warm bred. He placed it down on the locker beside her and also left a thermos on the ground.
"Thank you."
He bowed a little and backed out of the room. Scully looked down at the soup her first thought of sleeping pills melted into the innocent looking liquid but her stomach argued with her hesitance and forced her to pick it up. The simple vegetable soup filled her immediately the taste like nothing she had ever tasted warming her up even more the bread filling the spaces the soup couldn't reach. After finishing the adequate meal Scully inspected the contents of the thermos and saw it was filled with ice-cold water. Pouring a little into the lid she rubbed a little over Mulder lips and even managed to get his unconscious body to take a drink.
As if they had been watching her eat as soon as she placed the empty soup bowl back onto the tray and closed up the thermos to keep the water cold, two men came in and cleared it away. They soon returned with another bed and left it set up complete with thick sleeping bag on top and left without another word.
Slightly shocked by the abruptness of it all Scully sat for a moment waiting for the next show to arrive but when it didn't she decided to crawl into the bed. Keeping her clothes on she kicked of her shoes and slid beneath the warmth. Reaching out her hand she found she could reach Mulders so she grasped it tightly and soon didn't feel the tiredness wash over her as she fell into a deep and restful sleep.
The wind died down and stopped trying to enforce it's cold onto the tent. The snow outside remained thick on the ground but with no new flakes falling into the fray it gave hope of a clear path into town. Mulder woke up and was surprised to find he couldn't open his left eye fully. A shaky hand lifted up to his brow revealed the bandage that rested there. He tried to sit up but a heavy wooziness set in forcing him back down to the pillow.
With his one open eye he scoured the room and tried to figure out where he was. Turning his head to the right brought Scully into view; her sleeping body curled beneath the sleeping bag was easily recognisable even though all but one hand was covered. He didn't need to call out to her as he head stirred beneath the covers and she popped out drowsily.
"Mulder you're awake," he said her voice heavy with unshaken sleep but she threw the cover open and went to his bed. "How are you feeling?"
Pressing her hand against his forehead and then to his pulse she looked down to his expectant face with a small smile.
"Beat up."
"Are you in pain?"
"I ache but not pain. What happened?"
"The truck went off the road. We hit a tree and your airbag didn't inflate."
"Where are we?"
"A group of men came to our rescue!" she said trying to ease his obvious worries.
"Who are they?"
"I don't know. They seem to be a team. At first I thought they were hunters but..."
"But what?"
"I dunno something just seems a little off."
"Another adventure in the days of the Xfiles." His voice was croaked and hoarse so she reached for the thermos and let him take a drink.
"Let me take a luck at your head. You were pretty cut up but the storm had been to bad to get to a hospital."
"Another scar to add to the collection," he said ruefully as Scully sat on the edge of her mattress and he all but rolled onto her lap with the depression on it. Carefully she peeled the strap off and slowly removed the padding to peer at the clear unbroken skin beneath.
"What the..."
"What? What? What is it?" he asked worriedly.
"The cut, the gash that was there yesterday, it's gone."
"Gone? Completely?"
"There isn't even a mark."
"How bad was it?" he asked sitting up a bit and was surprised by the ease of it.
"Mulder you were bleeding all over the place. Look at your shirt?" He glanced down at the collar of his shirt and spotted the large bloodstain.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, last night a doctor came in and cleaned it up, he put the bandage on it and strapped it on. My ribs..."
"What?"
Scully stood and pulled off her sweater. Her limbs moved with ease her torso free from pain as she twisted from the waist and removed the strapping.
"I had a broken rib last night, maybe two and now...they are fine."
"Maybe we should find out what happened." Mulder gingerly pushed the covers away and twisted his legs off the bed. His momentary weariness evaporated as he stood and Scully retrieved her shoes. He waited for her to tie them and checked that she had her gun with a silent gesture. Scully led the way her weapon held down tautly by her side and walked through the side door. Mulder followed her closely but as they went through the small corridor and into the next tent they found it empty.
No chairs, no beds, no lamps. The bare tent had no evidence of ever having been lived in. The door at the other end of the room was closed and locked with a small padlock from the inside. There was no other exit except through their own sleeping quarters and Scully was sure no one had passed through during the night.
"Where are they gone?" she said aloud.
"Looks like no one was even here."
"Mulder last night I saw at least six different men aged from twenty up to maybe forty. They brought us food. One of them carried you from the truck."
"I know Scully, I know. I believe you. But where did they go?"
Stumped for an answer Scully walked over to the outer door and unzipped it to step out. The snow outside was untouched, a clear blanket across the ground with no tracks or footprints apart from the ones they were making now. Running around the outside of the tent Scully was determined to find some tracks anything that she could follow but as her circle finished and she made it back to Mulder all she could do was frown.
"This is..."
"Du du du du," Mulder said singing the twilight Zone Tune.
"Shut Up Mulder. We have to get to the road and get checked out before the storm picks up again."
They went back into the tent and collected their coats. Zipping up tight Scully took one more look around before joining Mulder back in the lightly falling snow.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Fine. Nothing hurts."
"It's...unbelievable." He took a moment to let her take it all in then led the way towards the road.
"How do you know this is the right way?" she asked after they travelled for a while in silence.
"I don't."
"Mulder you could be taking us deeper into the forest!"
"Shhhh Listen!" he brought a gloved finger up to his lips and held his breath. "Do you hear that?"
"No...what?"
"Traffic?"
Taking off towards the left Mulder dashed through the trees and batted the low branches away with his outstretched hands. Bursting through the final ditch and landing on the slush covered road Mulder looked to the left in time to see an articulated truck baring down on him. The driver's lights were bright and stung his eyes and he stuck frozen to the spot at it neared.
Scully reached the roadside and grabbed his hood, pulling him off the road and falling with him on the ditch. She landed on her back and he face down on top of her.
"Jesus Mulder!" she breathed heavily panting from the weariness and exertion.
"That was close." He waited where he was as the truck passed, its wheels kicking up a wave of half melted snow in its wake that all but covered them both.
Mulder found a grip and heaved himself up throwing out a hand to help her to her feet. They dusted themselves off and took a more cautious look to the roads. A jeep was coming from the other side so Mulder ran out waving his hand around and yelling out to make sure they would get the drivers attention. Luckily they were spotted in time and the battered dark green jeep stopped on the side of the road and rolled down the passenger window.
"Hi, would you be able to drive us to the nearest town?"
"Eh...parlez vous Francais?"
"Non," Mulder said deflated his shoulder. "Parlez vous...l'anglais?"
"Small..."
"We..." He gestured between himself and Scully. "Need lift..." He pointed into the jeep at the seat. "Into Town." Pausing for a moment Mulder thought of how to explain it. "La Ville?"
"Ahh Oui, entrée vous!" He reached over and opened the door. Mulder jumped in first and Scully scooted in beside him thankful to be off her feet but weary of the destination.
"La...Police?" Mulder added with a bemused look.
"Oui."
The fifteen-minute journey was silent save for the soft music from the radio. The village they reached was Milean, Mulder was equally delighted and annoyed to see, and the driver dropped them outside the police station.
"Merci!" Scully said waving as he took off and Mulder turned to her with a smile.
"You've been holding out on me Scully?" he teased walking with her up the steps to the station. "You got any more French stored up there?"
"Only what I learned from Pepé La Pew!"
In the police station it didn't take long to find someone who spoke English and Scully explained in great detail about the car crash. She continued to speak her Federally trained mind imparting with information a usual witness wouldn't think important as she described the men in the tents.
The police exchanged hooded looks as her story finished and they took a closer look at Mulders head to examine him for other marks. Neither of them had a bump or bruise visible on them and it was clear that they didn't believe her about the car crash.
"Well go find the truck then. Go see if it's wrapped around the tree!" she yelled out spilling her coffee as she stood in anger to pace the room. But even as she said it she had an image of the rental truck parked beside the tree not a scratch or a dent on it. But that was impossible she decided shaking her head to rid herself of the traitorous image.
"We will take a chopper out to the site to see if we can locate the alleged crash," Officer Lynden said.
"Alleged? What possible benefit would I make from making this all up?"
"We get a lot of tales in here ma'am."
"I am a Federal Agent. I don't make an issue of visiting strange police stations to make up tales."
"Scully," Mulder said softly trying to get her to calm down.
"No Mulder! What about the town site? They said they had a team of 1500 people in town?"
"Who said?"
"The men from the tents?"
"Of course they did. But there is no such team in this village."
"What other towns are near then?" He anger was reaching boiling point where her blue eyes flamed with injustice and her limbs became stiff by her side. "We should canvas the area. Try to find them. No one runs like that if they are innocent."
"Lets find that...crash site first, shall we?"
Trying not to take the bait he was dangling before her Scully sat down next to Mulder with a sigh. The police asked her to locate the truck on the map then left them alone in the interrogation room. The large mirrors against the wall across from them dispelled guilt into the room.
"Scully...you know what they are going to find out there." He spoke softly almost as if he was afraid to be on the receiving end of her wrath.
"A mint condition green Ford pick up?"
"It would make sense."
"Sense? How would that make sense?"
"Not to me but to the whole situation."
"You don't have a theory then?" she asked her lips receding for a small smile.
"None that you want to hear."
An hour seemed so long sitting in the interrogation room. They heard the helicopter leaving from the roof and Mulder made a smart comment about the small village needing a helicopter in the police force. But as they drank cup of coffee after cup of coffer it seemed like it was never going to return. Finally a small knock on the door preceded a young officer walking in and asking them to follow him. They walked through the station, curious eyes following them as they went out the front door where Scully stopped short of the steps.
Parked by the path was their truck. It was covered in snow and dirty from the drive but it was in near perfect condition. Mulder rushed down to get a closer look but it was all she could do to stay standing. He opened the door and jumped in running his hands over the seat covers to see if he could find newly places tacks. All their belongings were in the back their bags ruffled but still closed. The case file they had been working towards was stowed away neatly in the glove box. Mulder beckoned her over but before she could reach the truck officer Lynden held out and arm and stopped her.
"It happens a lot out here. People get caught in a snow storm, trapped in their truck and they start to see things...hallucinate."
"I wasn't hallucinating."
"We don't want any fuss made so if you follow officer Brent he'll escort you back to Montreal."
"Montreal? We are working here sir, we have the jurisdiction."
"Not without a court order in my town you don't."
Mulder closed the truck door and walked over. His hands rested awkwardly on his hips with his heavy coat hindering them from finding their usual position.
"Are you ordering us out of town sir?" Scully challenged him her small stature suddenly not seeming so small.
"I don't want it to come to this. But you can plainly see there truck has sustained no damage from the alleged crash. We searched the surrounding area and found no evidence of any camp. The snow is even, with only your two tracks barely traceable."
"We can force you to allow our investigation to continue," Mulder counter already knowing what his reply would be.
"You can. But only with the proper authority."
"We'll be in touch." Mulder spoke with finality taking Scullys elbow and leading her back to the truck.
"Mulder!" she exclaimed when they had climbed into the car. "Those people are hiding something."
"I know Scully I know. But what can we do?"
"Our jobs!"
"We'll get to Montreal and call Skinner."
Reluctantly Scully slunk back in her chair her glare connecting with Lynden's in a spark of rage until the truck had moved and she could see him no longer. The police car in front of them drove slowly through the lightly falling snow and tooted its horn as it spun away from he airport parking grounds.
"We should turn this car around and go back to that camp site, gather evidence, make our own investigation!" Scully said eagerly.
"Scully you heard him, the camp site was gone. There was nothing left...maybe..." his voice trailed off and he busied himself looking for a space in the Hertz rental lot.
"Maybe what Mulder?" Her anger turned towards him as he reversed into a tight spot and switched off the engine. "Maybe I did dream it? Maybe it was all in my mind?"
"No..."
"You saw it too."
"I saw the tent."
"Mulder for Christ sake!"
"Listen to us! Swapping sides. Maybe the bang on my head did affect me!"
"This isn't funny Mulder!" He climbed out of the car and went around to the boot to collect their luggage.
"What about Adam Tyson? The missing kid that we were sent up here to look for?"
"Scully you know as well as I do that this case was a farce. Skinner couldn't help it and he needed to show a concerted effort to find this guys son. There is nothing we can do now. We were in Milean and we were essentially kicked out. To go back we will need the proper authority and I don't think that's going to happen do you?"
"Proper authority? Since when-"she argued hurrying to catch up with him at the airport entrance.
"Since now Scully. Since now." He stopped and turned to her.
His anger was a sudden burst that she could see he regretted immediately. Watching her for only a moment longer he walked over to the rental desk to return the truck.
"Any problems sir?" the receptionist asked smiling.
"No, none at all." Mulder replied glancing at Scullys scowling features.
She walked away form the desk and pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Delighted to see a good reception Scully dialled Skinners number. After a few minutes Kim put her right through and Skinner answered with a jovial voice.
"Sir?"
"Agent Scully. When does your flight get in?"
"Flight?"
"Into Dulles when do you land? Will it be too late to get a report from you then? Or would you prefer to leave it until morning?"
"Our flight is landing at 4pm in Dulles."
"Ok well we'll leave it until tomorrow then. Good work out there Agent Scully. I knew you two were the right people to send." Skinner voice was full of pride and Scully imagined his already broad chest expanding further.
"Sir?"
"I spoke to Michael this morning and he told me to pass on his thanks."
"Thanks for what sir?"
"Adam is delighted to be home too and also sends his gratitude."
"Sir I am totally lost."
"We'll talk in the morning Agent. Safe journey."
The phone went dead and Scully glanced down at it. Mulder was standing beside her looking up at the departure board trying to find the Washington flight.
"What's wrong?"
"Skinner...he said that...Adam was home."
"Adam Tyson?"
"Yes. And they wanted to thank us for our good work."
"The missing kid?"
"Yes. He said he knew we were the right agents to send. And he wanted to know what flight we had managed to book home."
"How did he know we were leaving?"
Scully said nothing only lifted her bag onto her shoulder and shrugged. Mulder grabbed his bag too and they made their way to the check in desk. Relieved to finally be able to speak in English without sounding like a five-year-old child ordering a drink Mulder collected the boarding passes and led Scully to the gate immediately.
The plane was boarded and ready for take off in less then ten minutes and glancing around at the numerous empty seats Scully couldn't help but think that the flight from Montreal to Washington must be in demand as she puffed her pillow against the window and rested her head back. She noticed Mulder ordering a whiskey but declined the offer to join him wanting instead to lie back and see if her mind could make sense of the past few days.
By the time they had landed and he had driven to her apartment she had made no headway managing only to raise more questions than she had answered. Mulder made no move to join her for coffee; their usual back in town routine and she made no offer so soon she found herself standing alone in her dimly lit kitchen listening to the water bubble under the heat of the kettle. Her tea was sweet and tasteless so she poured it into the sink and went to bed hoping the light of day would help her understand things better.
FBI Basement OfficeMulder was standing leaning on the edge of his desk facing the door when Scully walked in. He noticed immediately the tired circles under eyes, the hurriedly brushed hair tied back into a tight ponytail. Her case was dropped without due care onto her desk and she was already slipping off her jacket to hang it up when he stepped forward and stopped her with a hand on her elbow.
"We have a meeting in Skinners in ten minutes."
"Can I just get a coffee first?" she snapped taking her coat off and putting it on the stand.
"Sure."
In the hallway where the coffee stand was she made a strong coffee and went back to where Mulder was still waiting. He had a slim folder in one hand and an expenses sheet in the other.
"Did you do up a report?" she asked sipping her drink.
"Yes."
"So did I."
"Well maybe it's for the best if we do deliver separate reports this time."
"Okay..." glancing at him with hooded eyes Scully led him out of the room and into the elevator. The ride up to Skinners office was silent and tense filled with a million thoughts and words unsaid.
Kimberly sent them straight in and offered them a drink. Both refused with tight smiles and went into the office only to be greeted by Skinner and a man they recognised only from the file photographs.
"Michael Tyson." Mulder shook his hand and scully did the same both of them a little more surprised then they could hide.
"Agents Mulder and Scully!" he gushed his smile broadening. "There are no words to express my gratitude."
"Sir-"Scully began wanting to explain that they didn't deserve his gratitude but Michael Tyson wouldn't let her continue.
"No I wont hear of any modesty. My son says you spoke to him with a refreshing honesty and it made him see the truth."
"The truth?" Mulder queried glancing from Tyson's gratifying smile to Skinners proud stance then to Scullys defensive expression.
"He will be resuming his studies after the Christmas break and I have none to thank but you two."
"We did-"
"Only our jobs," Mulder interrupted shaking his hands again with a smile.
"Well if only there were more like you in the bureau."
Michael Tyson made another round of vigorous hand shaking his smile broadening with every shake before he left the room. Skinner gestured towards the seats and they all sat separated only by the wide expanse of his desk.
"Sir, what was all that about?" Scully asked immediately.
"He just wanted to say thanks for a job well done."
"Job sir? What job? All we managed to do in Canada was get lost, get caught up in a bank robbery and crash our truck in a blizzard."
Skinners face fell and he looked between the two of them hoping to see the glimmer of a joke. "Sir we never spoke to Adam Tyson."
"He said you did."
"We didn't speak to him sir." Scully looked over to Mulder for support but he didn't meet her gaze.
"I spoke to you and you told me you did."
"When?"
"The night before last. When you called me with your progress report."
"Sir that was the night we had the truck crash. I didn't call you. I don't know who did but it sure wasn't me," she exclaimed angrily.
"Is there a problem here agents?"
"No sir there must have been an accident...of some kind. I am missing over 14 hours of memory where as Scully is not."
"I see. So can I expect an angry call from a rental company?"
"No sir. The following morning after we hitchhiked into town, Milean, the police searched the forest for our truck." Mulder spoke clearly and concisely his voice practiced and free of emotion.
"They couldn't find it?"
"They found it sir. In near perfect condition parked near the side of the road."
"Was it your truck?"
"All our belongings were in it. Including our case file and case history. So someone could have gotton the information and used it to call you!" Scully said suddenly her voice thick and heavy with frustration.
"For what purpose?"
Neither of them had answers for that so they remained silent. After it filled the room to and unbearable level Skinner turned to Mulder looking down at the folders he held on his lap.
"Is that the report Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked obviously confused and not enjoying the misinformation.
"Yes sir but it's from my perspective only. Agent Scully will be filing her own report."
"Is there a problem here agents?"
"No sir but there is a discrepancy in our accounts so we thought it was better if we filed separate reports."
"I see." Skinner took both files from them and the expense report. "I will call you when I am done with these."
He dismissed them with ease and continued to read the files as they left the office and returned to the basement room.
"What happened out there Mulder?" she said quietly after they had been sitting at their desks for a while.
"I don't know Scully." Absently he was rubbing his head where the cut should still have been. "I just know I wanted to get out of there and get back to DC."
"Maybe some form of hypnosis was used on us."
"To make us solve our cases then forget about it?" he joked leaning back a little in his chair.
"I don't know I just cant understand-"
"Maybe we're not supposed to." He mused.
"I can't believe you'd give up so quickly Mulder. It's not like you."
"I just think some things are better left unturned."
Strange words coming from Mulders lips but she had heard stranger she mused as she pulled herself in closer to her desk and started work on her PC. Another Xfile ending on less than certain terms with more doors open and others closed than they thought were even involved and yet as she glanced over at him ripping the edge of his paper with a sharpened pencil she wondered if he had really given up on it or if he was storing it for later use.
"Hey Scully, I did learn something from our travels..." he said suddenly.
"What's that Mulder?" she asked without looking up.
"A little more French..."
"Yeah?" She sat back and looked across at him a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
"Ou est l'hottel?"
"What does that mean?"
"Where is the hotel? And it ties in nicely with my other useful phrase don't you think?" At her frown he smiled and sat forward pinning her to her seat with his gaze. "Voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"
Laughing she turned her attention back to her computer but she could feel a slight blush colouring her cheeks.
"What?" he said with mock indignation.
"Maybe you could take a night course Mulder."
"In French?"
"Or pick up lines. How to meet women, Dating in this century. I'm sure there are loads suited to your needs."
"Trés funny Scully, trés funny."
The End
Skinfull 2004
A/N : So did this one go off on a few tangents or what? LOL I had great fun writing this fic I hope it brought a few smiles to your day!