When Mulder walked into his office early the next morning, the Lone Gunmen were there waiting for him.

"Hey Mulder, listen to this," Langly said. He put a cassette tape into the stereo system and pushed 'Play'. Mulder's eyes grew wide as he recognized Scully's voice on the tape.

Mulder, I'm trusting you'll be able to make sense of what's on this tape. I had no other way of contacting you. Please try to understand that I weighed the risks. I couldn't divulge these plans without risking them and I promise you that I weighed everything. Our current location is northbound on the upstate expressway. We are driving my FBI fleet sedan. I will promise I will get these tapes to you as fast as I can.

Langly pushed 'Stop'.

"Where did you get that?" Mulder demanded.

"You really should go through your mail more often. Two envelopes containing cassette tapes were mailed here to your office," Frohike said. "One is post-marked two days ago and the other one post-marked yesterday. I recognized Scully's handwriting on the envelopes. You gonna arrest us for opening your mail, G-Man?"

"You recognized Scully's handwriting? What, don't tell me she's been secretly sending you love letters too," Mulder quipped.

"He wishes!" Langly joked.

"Shut up, hippie jerk!" Frohike yelled back.

"What else is on that tape?" Mulder questioned. "Is she okay?"

"We haven't listened to all of it yet. Thought you might like to do that yourself," Byers said as he handed Mulder the other envelope. "Looks like you need to head north. We can set up a satellite to track the expressway for her sedan."

"That won't be necessary," Mulder said. He grabbed the first tape out of the stereo and ran out of the office.

"You know that she's carrying a wire," the Black-Haired Man stated. "She's mailing tapes to Mulder."

Spender blew out a puff of smoke from his Morley. "Of course she is. I wouldn't expect anything less from her. Mulder will find out where we are. It's only a matter of time. I had him sent on that wild goose chase to DARPA to get him out of the way in the beginning, so that I could win her trust. But now the pieces are falling into place. Let him come."

Mulder headed his Ford Taurus northbound on the expressway, listening to the tapes Scully sent him.

You question my sincerity. You think I'm heartless. Would it soften your opinion of me if I confessed that I've always had a particular affection for you? I assure you my intentions are honorable. I have affection for Mulder, too. My affection for you is special. I held your life in my hands. Your cancer was terminal. I had a cure. Can you imagine what that's like- to have the power to extinguish a life or to save it and let it flourish? Now, to give you that power, so you can do the same.

Now Mulder understood. Spender was making this too personal for her. Scully was questioning Spender's intentions, but the scientist and doctor in her could not ignore his offer. He couldn't blame her; Mulder remembered how desperate he was to find a cure for Scully's cancer. He had played along with Spender's antics then, so why wouldn't she do the same now? She had been given the chance to finally find out how the technology works and use it to save others. But Mulder's blood boiled nonetheless. It was far more dangerous this time; she was being blind-sided. And the way Spender was talking to her, playing with her emotions, pinning down her character- how dare he have an affection for her.

There was a time when you feared for your future, for your career when you were first partnered with this man. You're drawn to powerful men but you fear their power. You keep your guard up, a wall around your heart. How else do you explain that fearless devotion to a man obsessed, and yet, a life alone? You'd die for Mulder but you won't allow yourself to love him.

He didn't know if he could listen to any more of this. It sickened him. But he had to. There had to be a clue as to where they were headed. When the first tape ended, he popped it out and put the second tape in. All Mulder wanted to do was rip the guy's throat out. But after what he heard next, he wanted to put a thousand bullets through that bastard's chest.

How do you take your coffee?

Unadulterated, thank you. You drugged me.

I did nothing of the sort.

How the hell did I get out of my clothes and into bed?

I carried you. You'd been up for over 30 hours. You were delirious. I only wanted to make you comfortable.

Where are we?

Milford, Pennsylvania.