PART 17
Mulder's first thought was to try the lone gunmen for help, but he wanted as few people as possible to know what was happening. He'd already got more people involved than he should have; he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. He went to Scully's apartment to see if there were any clues there, but he couldn't find anything. He turned the place upside down but found nothing out of the ordinary; it was as if she'd vanished without a trace, without ever being found.
He sat down on her couch and looked at the mess he'd created around him. It was the story of his life really; everything he touched got messed up or destroyed. He couldn't keep anything safe and away from harm, he felt like a failure. And when he felt like that there was only one person who could lift his spirits back up. One person that could make him smile. But she was nowhere to be seen, and as far as he knew, he may never see her again.
Scully had gone about three miles before having to stop for a rest. She knew she had to keep going, but no matter how much her head was saying run, her body was saying stay. She was sitting on a large rock with her head between her legs. She felt sick and dizzy. She'd not eaten or drank for 48 hours; she was ready to give up for good. But as she sat, she could hear something moving in the bush.
Her first thought was that it was Krycek or CSM, but she discarded that thought because she was sure they'd have just ran out after her and not have hung about first. Waiting for the right moment to pounce. No this was different, something was getting closer and closer to her, louder and louder, and she didn't know whether to stay or go, but she didn't really have a choice. She couldn't physically get up to go, so she waited. She waited for it to reach her.
"Who's there?!" No reply. "I said who's there?!" Still no reply. But as she turned around a hand wrapped itself around her mouth and stood her upright.
"Don't be alarmed please. I can help you."
Scully tried to struggle out of his tight hold on her, but it was no use. He was a big man, and his strength exceeded her own without questioning. He was tall too, but she couldn't see his face. He finally let his hand go from her mouth and turned her to face him.
"Who are you?"
"I don't have time to explain, I have a place you will be safe, please come with me, and I will explain once you have gotten your strength back."
"But why, why should I trust you?"
"What is your alternative? Stay out here all night and die of thirst, starvation, cold? Or
maybe all three."
As Scully contemplated going with him, another noise came from the bush, and a series of other people evolved from the surrounding area.
"What the hell is this?"
She stood up to leave and get away from them, but as she did so her footing went from beneath her. And as she blacked out her body shouted for victory, because she was no longer physically capable of getting up and running. And there was the question of whether she needed to run from these people anyway.
She'd never know unless she woke up. But she lost her freewill, as she was carried to a set of small huts in the middle of the forest where it appeared that maybe at last she was safe from Krycek and CSM. But what of her new company?...