He was pacing. He was always pacing lately. Mulder had taken up home at the FBI headquarters. There was an ongoing investigation to find Scully and he was doing everything in his power to try and crack the case. He needed to be inside of Cohen's head. He needed to find her.
Detective Hayes entered the room and stopped when she saw Mulder. He scratched at his stubble covered cheek and halted his pacing.
"I thought I told you to go home," Hayes said, her tone crisp.
"You have no authority over me," Mulder replied.
The other agents in the room stopped their work and watched the exchange between Hayes and Mulder. She approached him.
"Agent Mulder," she lightened her tone. "We're doing everything in our power to find your partner."
"It's not good enough!" Mulder exclaimed. "Do you know what he does to his victims, Detective Hayes?"
"I read the case file." She planted her hands to her hips.
"He tortures them any way he can," Mulder said, eyes locked with hers. "He makes a calculated game plan, gets into their head, psychologically destroys them and physically hurts them. He's evil and the longer Agent Scully is with him, the more likely she will never recover... or end up dead."
"Agent Mulder, a word."
Mulder looked to the doorway to see Skinner. He glared at Hayes, believing she went to Skinner over this. He brushed past her and walked out into the hall. Skinner joined him and closed the door to the room.
"You're going to take me off the case," Mulder stated.
"Not if you get home and get some rest," Skinner told him.
"I can't." Mulder shook his head. "Not with Scully missing."
"Then at least pretend to get some rest," Skinner replied. "You've been here for three days, Mulder."
"Right," Mulder agreed. "Rest." He drew in a breath, needing to make a decision. He didn't want to get taken off the case. "I'll be back this morning though. Early."
"Fine."
Mulder returned to the room and swiped his jacket from the back of his chair. He stormed back out and went to the elevator. He harshly jammed his finger into the button.
He wasn't going to be able to rest at home. If anything, being at his apartment made his worrying worse. He figured he would just review the old case and try to figure out where Cohen would take to hiding.
When Mulder arrived home, he stepped into his apartment and flicked on the light. He froze at seeing Cohen standing in the middle of his living room. Cohen turned toward him and smirked. Mulder withdrew his gun and aimed.
"Hold it right there, Cohen," he commanded.
Cohen's smirk grew and Mulder watched as he faded away into air. Mulder approached the spot where Cohen stood, gun still aimed. He looked around, but soon realized he was alone.
"Damn," Mulder breathed out and placed his gun on his desk.
He sat down at his desk and put his face in his hands. He was tired, but the thought of Scully with Cohen kept him awake. Mulder had to get inside this guy's head; he had to know him, understand him, which led to his mind imagining all the terrible things he could be doing to Scully this very moment.
But he saw Cohen, or at least, his presence, a projection of himself. If Cohen had been in his apartment, it meant the real him had to be in the trance like state to project himself. Being in a trance meant he wasn't hurting Scully.
"I gotta find her," Mulder said. "If I were Cohen... where would I go? It's gotta be a place I know... a place easy to get to, somewhere... somewhere somewhat close..."
Mulder stood from his desk and began to pace his living room.
"I can't forget that stupid guard," he continued speaking his thoughts aloud. "He could be helping. Between them, they could have a hiding spot." Mulder sighed. "I need somewhere with space. It can't be around others. If I wanna do what I do best, I need to be sure I won't be heard. Where would I go?" He stopped pacing. "Damn it."
He flopped down on his couch and placed his face back in his hands again. He let out a frustrated cry and ran his hands through his hair.
The light came on, but she hadn't been sleeping. She blinked against the brightness and prayed he would turn the blasting music off. She couldn't sleep with it on, she couldn't think. The only thing the music could do for her was give her a headache.
But she knew that was his plan. He wanted her hungry, thirsty, and without sleep. By now, it had gotten to her. So much so that she couldn't think clearly. The world was blurred at the edges and everything her eyes managed to focus on became surreal.
It felt like she was alone in the basement for over a week, but she knew it couldn't have been that long. She wondered how many days had passed since she was left in complete darkness. He kept the music on, but he didn't return. Not until now.
Each creak of the stairs stood out sharply against the music as Cohen came down to her. He approached slowly and hesitated a moment, locking eyes with her, before clicking the CD player off.
"Have you been sleeping?" he asked.
She looked away from him instead of giving an answer. No, she hadn't slept, but she didn't want to tell him that.
"Are you all ready and willing to talk to me about Agent Mulder then?" Cohen approached. "I need information and I'm sure you can provide it."
"I can't," she said, raising her gaze to him.
"So you're willing to die for him then," Cohen concluded.
Her eyes were locked with his. "He's my partner."
Cohen sighed and walked toward the center of the room, where another support beam stood. He stopped and faced her.
"And he'd do this for you?"
"Yes," she answered crisply.
"How do you know?"
He made his over to her quickly and she pressed herself into the couch. He loomed over her, but she didn't completely back down. Her gaze was still focused on him.
"Because he's my partner," Scully told him.
"Oh." He backed off. "Okay." He nodded. "I'll be back later."
Cohen went toward the staircase. He stopped at the CD player and reached out to turn it on. Scully let out a cry, causing him to stop.
"Wait." She sat up straighter and the room swayed a moment. "No... Don't go. Please."
"Why not?" He smirked.
She raised her eyes up to meet his as she breathed in and out heavily. Scully couldn't take the music anymore. It was the same eleven songs, the same fifty two minutes, over and over again with their loud bass and incessant drumming.
"Please," she begged. "Don't."
"Dana Katherine." Cohen took a step toward the couch. "Katherine. Kat." And another step. "Dana Kat." And another. "Dana... Kat." He stopped at the arm of the couch and lightly touched the support pole. "Are you ready to talk, Kitty Kat?"
Scully felt she was beginning to lose her ground. She didn't want to be around Cohen anymore, but she knew his leaving meant the music would be back on, which she was certain she couldn't listen to again. She just wanted a chance to sleep.
She looked up at him and decided to continue to engage with him. She was willing to take the risk to see where this would go. Scully knew she couldn't give up her partner, but Cohen was really starting to break her.
"You're going to kill him," she said.
"Why on earth would I want to do that?" Cohen played innocent.
"Because he put you in jail," Scully stated.
"My own actions did that," Cohen replied. "Now, Dana Kat, we can keep going on like this... or you can tell me what I want to know."
"But I can't." She shook her head and blinked back the tears that suddenly formed.
"Yes, you can," he told her gently. "It's easy. Once you start talking, nothing can stop you."
Cohen smirked. He was enjoying this more than he should. He didn't want to get carried away, but seeing her so desperate, so upset, was really turning him on. After all, he knew all he needed to know about Mulder. She really was expendable.
"Dana Kat, I want to help you." Cohen knelt beside the couch, coming down to her level. "Are you thirsty? I want to give you water. Are you hungry? I want to feed you. I would love for you to get some sleep. But you won't let me help you."
"I can't do that to Mulder," she responded and lowered her eyes to the floor.
"All right." Cohen nodded.
He stood erect and headed back to the CD player. Cohen turned the music back on and walked up the stairs. He turned the light off at the top and closed the door behind himself as he left.
Once she was alone, Scully began to cry. She leaned against the side of the couch and brought her head to her handcuffed wrist. She pressed her ear to her hand and covered her other ear with her free one.
Scully closed her eyes, wishing this would all go away. She wanted to pass out, to fall into unconsciousness so she could finally get some rest. But she wasn't going to be so lucky. She opened her eyes and stared across the room, gaze fixed on the darkness around her.
Immediately, she zoned out. She could picture Mulder in her mind and she saw Cohen walking up to him and firing a gun. The bullet went through Mulder, his blood splattered, and he collapsed to the floor. He bled out, right there, and she wasn't around to save him.
The light coming back on tore her away from her thoughts. She lowered her hands and watched Cohen approach her, a plate in one hand and a glass in the other.
"I brought you something," Cohen said. "If you're willing to give a little, Dana Kat."
She was so thirsty and she couldn't remove her attention from the items he was holding. He placed the plate containing a sandwich and the glass of water on the floor before turning off the music.
"Now... I brought these for you." Cohen picked the plate and glass back up. "Do you want them?"
Scully lifted her gaze to his face, but didn't answer. She spaced out a moment, losing her concentration, but he brought her back when he spoke.
"Do you?" he prompted. "I'd like an answer. Do you want them?"
She swallowed hard. "Yes."
"Tell me about Mulder," Cohen instructed. "His address, phone number, the car he drives, where he works. I want all the information. I want to know where you think he is, what he's probably doing."
"If you're not going to kill him, what will you do?" Scully asked, her eyes glancing down at the glass of water.
"That's a secret, Kitty Kat," Cohen told her. "If you talk with me, I'll let you eat, drink, and sleep. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Scully nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes. But I can't live with that guilt."
"There is no guilt," Cohen assured her and she almost believed him. "You will have none, Dana."
"I will," she meekly responded.
Cohen drew in a breath. "I guess your mind's made up. I'm sure you'll fall asleep eventually, but it'll take a little while yet to starve to death."
He turned his back to her and began for the staircase. Scully's eyes followed him.
"Wait."
Smirking, he stopped. He paused a moment before facing her.
Cohen walked toward her and stopped beside the couch. He lowered the plate so she could take the sandwich. Scully looked up, waiting for permission.
"Tell me what I'm looking for and it's yours," he said.
"And I can sleep too?" she asked him.
"Of course." Cohen nodded.
"Okay," she agreed, her eyes fixed numbly on the sandwich. "Okay."
Mulder was seeing him everywhere. Cohen was in his apartment, at work, in the parking garage. It was him, but never him. The projection would remain stoic and would make eye contact sometimes and then smirk.
It angered him every time he saw him. Of course, for a minute, he thought it was the real Cohen, in the flesh. But he soon realized by lack of response that it was only his image, nothing more. Mulder knew it was a taunt, Cohen showing he had power over Mulder and that this game was not going to be an easy one to win.
It was a day later and Cohen had seated himself on the floor, his back against the wall opposite her. She watched him from the couch, wondering what his plan was.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Dana Kat," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You ever see something like this?"
She stared at him. "Like what?"
"Agent Mulder could never figure it out," Cohen told her. "That's what drove him crazy. It's not complicated once you understand."
"Understand what?" she replied.
Scully watched as Cohen closed his eyes. He became completely still, breathing slowly and evenly. She sat up a little more, the cuff sliding further down her wrist.
The image of Cohen, fully standing, formed in front of her eyes. She looked from him to the Cohen that appeared to be asleep on the floor.
"How did you do that?"
The image of Cohen smirked at her and stepped closer to her. He eyed her up and leaned toward her. Scully pressed herself back into the couch and suddenly Cohen had vanished. The Cohen on the floor stirred from his trance. He stood to his feet, his eyes locked on Scully.
"Mulder was right," she said in awe.
"Oh?" Cohen stood to his feet. "So, he does know how it works, huh?"
She shook her head. "It's impossible."
"Is it, Kitty Kat?" Cohen walked toward her. "You just saw it with your own eyes."
"I'm sleep deprived and hungry," she offered as an excuse because she didn't want to believe it.
Cohen frowned. "You didn't get enough sleep last night?"
"No," she answered quickly. "What you just showed me was a trick. You didn't fool me."
"It's not a trick," Cohen replied. "It's quite simple. You have to reach a higher level of your mind, get into that place, and then forget everything else. Focus on what you want and where you want to be. Of course, it takes a lot of work and practice to master." Cohen shook his head as he looked down on her. "Dana Kat, you are quite confused when it comes the ability of the mind."
He made his way over to the CD player and turned it on. Scully held back a groan at the music and then watched as Cohen left her alone in the dark. She rested her head against the couch and stared across the room.
She wondered how much longer she would be here, she wondered if Mulder would find her. Her thoughts remained there, with Mulder and she thought only of him. How worried he must be, how little sleep he must be getting.
When the CD came back to the beginning, Scully realized just how much she zoning out. She was losing time, missing it, tuning it out. But just as suddenly as she had been alert, she was zoning out again due to her extreme fatigue.
Her gaze still fixed on the black in front of her and she felt as though the music was starting to fade away. She was glad for the break, hoping maybe she'd fall into an unconscious state to escape for a little while. However, she was surprised when she suddenly found herself standing in Mulder's apartment.
Mulder awoke with a jolt and sat up on the couch, causing the papers that had been resting on his chest to fall to the floor. He drew in a breath and then froze at the sight of Scully standing in his darkened living room.
"Scully."
Her back was to him and she turned at hearing the sound of his voice. Mulder stood to his feet, still in shock.
"Scully, how did you get here?"
She began to speak, but there was no sound. It was her image, but she wasn't fully there. Mulder approached slowly.
This was what Cohen had managed to achieve and here Scully was, doing the same thing. It gave Mulder a sudden hope. If she was projecting herself, it meant she wasn't dead.
"Can you tell me where you are?" he asked.
Scully realized she couldn't vocalize her thoughts. She frowned at her partner and walked to his desk. Mulder followed her and lingered close to her. Slowly, Scully used the tip of her finger to write the letter D an inch above the desktop.
Mulder grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the letter down. He continued as Scully spelled for him until he came up with DOUGLAS.
"What about him, Scully?" Mulder said. "He's in on it? Is he with you?"
Scully stared at him a moment before going back to spelling. Mulder jotted down the five letters and then stared at the pad that read back CABIN.
"He has a cabin?" Mulder asked her. "Is that where you are? Scully, I'll come to you, okay? I'll find you."
He couldn't stop himself from reaching out and touching her shoulder. The moment he had, she vanished from his sight.
"Damn it," he cursed.
Mulder threw the pad and pen to the desk and grabbed his coat. He put it on as he headed to the door. He would find out where Douglas' cabin was and he would go there. He just hoped he would make it there in time.
The air was cool when he stepped out of his apartment building. The night was dark and there was no one around. From behind a shadow, Mulder saw a figure emerge. He stopped and realized it was Cohen.
Mulder drew his gun and aimed it. He approached slowly as Cohen stood there, smirking.
"I'm going to find you, Cohen," Mulder told him. "I know where you are."
Cohen spoke to him without sound. Mulder tried to read his lips, but it was too dark.
"Game's up," Mulder said. "You're mine, Cohen."
Mulder turned to get to his car when Cohen began to approach him. Mulder stopped and faced him, waiting to see what this apparition would do.
"Actually, Agent Mulder," Cohen spoke. "You're mine."
The shock that Cohen had tricked him froze Mulder to the spot. He was too slow to react and before he could get his gun raised, Cohen had knocked him out cold.