PART 23
Mulder was in his office when Skinner finally found him; he'd been trying to get hold of Mulder all day. But he couldn't get to him. He had something he needed to run by him.
"Agent Mulder why aren't you taking your calls?"
"I'm sorry sir, you've been trying to reach me?"
"Yes, I have some information that I think you should hear."
"Go on."
"Agent Wilmore, whom Agent Scully was working with undercover, has told me that he saw a man fitting Smoking Man's description hanging around the area they were working in. He said that he looked suspicious but never thought about checking him out because he was already assigned to the case I'd put him on. A woman, fitting Diana's description, then joined him. I think checking out where they were might be a good place to start looking for Agent Scully."
"I think you're right. Thank you sir."
"You're going alone?"
"I think I should. If I find anything I'll contact you. I'll keep my cell phone with me and
switched on at all times."
"Fine. But I want to hear from you by night."
"That's not a problem sir. Where was it you said they were?"
"Georgetown."
"Not a moment to lose."
Meanwhile Scully was having a hard time convincing the people in the forest to escape before it was too late. She had no master plan, but she knew she had to get them as far away from there as possible. She suspected that CSM would kill them all with the blink of an eye. He wouldn't even consider letting them go, and she wasn't prepared to take any risks.
"I wish you'd listen to what we're saying Miss Scully."
"No I wish you'd listen to me! He will kill you all, he won't listen to you crying out to be
let free. He'll kill you all like those people you found. You've said yourselves that they
torture people, they make them subject to the worst kinds of human treatment that could
possibly be imagined, but you won't run from them!"
"It would be hard to get everyone out in secrecy."
Scully looked at the young woman that spoke up for the first time. She looked about 19/20 years of age, but she was on Scully's side. At last she had someone to work with.
"I think we should consider what she is saying. She knows this man; these men better than we do. She knows what they will do, I think we should at least try."
"It's ridiculous! I've never heard anything so absurd! We could not possibly manage such a task!"
"We'd all die!"
"Well if you stay put, you're going to die anyway. The choice is yours how you want us o do this. With a chance of survival, or giving in."
Each and every one of them looked at Scully as she spoke and then they all looked at the leader. He was not impressed, he wasn't used to someone else taking over his role of leadership. He wanted to be in charge. But if he were honest with himself, he wouldn't know where to start. He looked at the people around him that he'd helped live for so long. He decided he owed it to them at least to try surviving; he had nothing else left to lose himself anyway.
"Very well. We will do as you say. Whatever you ask of us we will do within our power. You're in charge Miss Scully."
"Thank you."
She'd got their agreement, their trust and help, but what she didn't have was any ideas. There were no roads or cities for miles around, it would take them days to walk anywhere, and there were the 500 that wouldn't be able to travel about during daytime. She had her work cut out for her, and time was running out. CSM wouldn't hang about for long. He'd get them out of his way as soon as possible; she was surprised he'd not already. But she had to stop him. As she was racking her brains for some solutions, the young girl, Nacelles, that had befriended her was holding the corner of her jacket, she was constantly at Scully's side.
Scully was so unsure of how to react. If she got too close to this child, she'd lose her and
it'd break her heart. But it was so hard not to fall in love with the small beautiful face and
young innocent eyes that called out for someone to love. She had more to deal with than she could handle alone. Still she longed for Mulder, and still he searched for her. As they both went to sleep that night, they could only dream of ever seeing each other again. And they both feared that they never would.