I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing
"This is ridiculous, I'm calling Blevins they can't just pull us in at a ridiculous hour and then tell us nothing!" Sam was fuming, she was used to the silence the subterfuge but to call herself and her partner in to a morgue at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to examine a body and then refuse to tell them anything of value! She couldn't help but be a little smug under it all that she had a way of investigating this herself but it didn't temper her mood. She turned and found Dana staring at her "What?" she was surprised Scully wasn't as mad as she was. Neither of them had been happy to come down here and the three agents that had summarily dismissed them had obviously bugged her too. "Seriously, what?"
"You know what"
"OK now you're acting like the mannequins we just left behind."
Scully grabbed Sam's arm in a painful grip until they were further from the door "You lied. You have seen this before. You lied to them."
"I did not" she tried to sound offended but Scully wasn't budging "I'd never lie. I may wilfully participate in a campaign of misinformation."
"I don't know who they were but do you really think they'll see it like that?"
"No but abnormal post mortem muscle reflex, both corpses still responding to high levels of electrostatic charge, no sign of external legions or surface burns and bodies yet to cool down I don't think they'll come up with any evidence they'll like for that"
"What do you mean?"
"The X-file I'm thinking of can't be explained and they wouldn't like that, too voodoo for them"
"I still think you're just pushing back against 'the man' Sam, someone is dead a crime has perpetrated and it is out job to help solve it."
"Look I don't care who they are NSA, CIA, a convert organization Congress will uncover in the next scandal." Sam leaned close "It's not important who they are but what they have and they have no idea. You're right I have X Files, other cases each with an element of what we saw tonight. Residual electrostatic charge, internal mutilation without any external causality but this is the first time I've seen it in one case!" She was excited "Pop Quiz, without high pressure can the throat be crushed without the neck even being touched?"
Dana sighed it was clear to Sam the pop quiz questions annoyed him "No"
"Wrong, I have two words for you psychokinetic manipulation."
"Psychokinesis? As in how Carrie got even at prom?"
"You have no idea how many people have looked into this, the Russians, the Chinese! In world war two there was a project..."
"OK!" Dana interrupted holding up a hand "I'm not saying I agree but there was a crime as well as your psychokinesis how can we investigate? We have nothing to go on."
"Weeell" Sam drawled and held up a small magnifying glass set that she'd been using to 'examine' the body, breathing onto the glass she revealed that she had managed to gather several clear prints. Dana's expression was exasperated at first but after a moment she let out a chuckle letting Sam know she'd won her over again.
(–)
"I'm still not sure why you think it's a person" Sam twisted the photo from side to side as she inspected it, she just couldn't see how Dana could not think this was odd. The ATM photo that showed three men attacking the woman they were visiting had a strange smudge that was shaped like a human in the background and for some reason Scully was positive it was a bystander who had helped the woman escape.
"Why not?" Dana asked knocking at the front door, the house was nice, much better than Sam could imagine being able to afford on her salary in her area, how much did secretary's make exactly?
"Hello?"
"Miss Lauren Kyte?" when the woman indicated that she was the woman they looked for Sam gave her a hopefully reassuring smile "I'm Agent Samantha Mulder and this is Agent Dana Scully. We're with the FBI, Do you mind if we come in?"
"Um, I was just in the middle of ..."
Recognising the brush off Sam pushed forward "Thank you. We won't be long."
As she so often did Sam depended on Dana's apologetic smile as she looked around the place, out the corner of her eyes she see's Scully holding up a picture "Have you seen either of these two men before?"
"No.
"Please. Take your time."
"I'm sorry. I've never seen them before." Lauren denied again
"I'm afraid you have." Scully held out another picture this time "This is a surveillance picture from your an ATM, I imagine this wasn't hard to remember?"
"Oh yes" Lauren nodded running a hand over her eyes "I didn't see them properly that night."
"Can you tell us what happened that night?"
"Well... I was depositing my pay cheque when they grabbed me. Somehow I got away and then I ran. I just ran. I was terrified but I didn't want to file a report and go through it all again."
"They were found dead not long after this happened." Scully told her and the other woman reacted but didn't seem surprised "If you look at the picture again, there seems to be someone there. Have you ever seen this person before?"
"No. There's no face or body I'm sorry. It's why I didn't report the attack I won't tell you a thing."
"Won't not can't?" Finally Sam decided to join the interrogation "Does that mean you know?"
"It means I can't recognise anyone and won't be able to tell who it is in the picture."
"Ah, well when you can tell me, this is the number where I can be reached at anytime, OK?" She handed over a card "Let's go Scully"
Once inside their car Scully shook her head all appearance of gentleness gone "You and I with FBI training would have had trouble breaking free from those men, then she outran them? I don't buy it Sam."
"She also somehow crushed their necks and" Sam picked up the pictures that Dana had dropped onto her lap. "I think she knows who the other person in that photo is."
"Did you see the boxes? I think she's packing, she might be running away from whoever helped her they must have been pretty violent." Suddenly to Scully's surprise the car jerks back and the two women are jolted as the car reverses, "What the Hell?" Scully grabbed at the wheel attempting to control the car.
"The doors are locked" Sam pulls at the handle
"Oh Shit, Hang on Sam!" Scully was slamming her foot on the break and trying to steer but nothing seemed to be working.
"DANA!" They back straight into an intersection and another car runs into them. They are sent sliding but they've stopped and are relatively unharmed. Breathing heavily the women look at each other in relief. "Is it over?"
"Yeah. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Sam looked over at the other driver, who seems as confused as them about what was happening, turning she got a glimpse of Lauren still looking out the window until the curtains fall and she's hidden from sight.
(–)
"You can't ignore that the filaments were heated due to massive levels of electrostatic charge. Just like the bodies at the morgue. Don't you find it just the least bit odd that Lauren Kyte was present at both incidents?"
"Our car was obviously sabotaged, when would she have been able to do that, we were with her the entire time"
"What if it's possible somehow to raise a body's electrostatic charge and use that energy to affect far away objects?"
"Dammit Sam she be glowing like those lights on the car and her body would never be able to take that kind of abuse."
"I could quote evidence of this all through the X Files, People have seen furniture moving untouched, objects levitating, unexplained electrical discharges. Most people who have psychokinetic power are unaware of their ability."
"Look I still don't think Lauren Kyte crashed our car"
"Or!" Sam held up a hand "a poltergeist."
Unable to help herself Scully found herself imitating the little girl from the film of that name "They're here..."
"God don't do that, you know that kid creeped me out, also you know that film was cursed right? Actors from that film have died in strange circumstances."
Rolling her eyes Dana ignored this obvious attempt to distract her "Sam look at the tangible evidence. Mid-East extremists are killed trying to assault a woman working for a manufacturer connected to the Defence Department. At any point while we questioned her someone sabotaged the car. Maybe the same someone we saw in those ATM photos. The mystery isn't ghouls or energy, it's her accomplice. Hey there she is"
Lauren is standing up from where she has just placed flowers on a grave, waiting until she has left the two of them get out the car and run over only to be surprised by the grave they are in front of.
"You don't see too many people visiting their bosses graves!" Scully muttered
"Oh I plan to visit a few" Sam was grinning again "Of course I'll be dancing on them."
"Look at this one. Sarah Lynn Graves September 8, 1966 to August 3 1969, three years old that's a tragically short life" she looked around at the groundskeepers they'd walked past earlier "Excuse me, Sir? Is there an office here? I need to find out about these graves."
"I attend every funeral. I can help you out."
"Do you know how Sarah Lynn is related to Howard Graves?"
"His daughter. He didn't latch the pool gate and didn't notice when she got in, poor thing drowned. His wife left him a year later. She's buried up in the North-east corner."
"Thank you, Sir."
"If she'd lived, she'd be Lauren's age." Sam remarked and the two of them shared a look "Look we already know she isn't in touch with her family, hasn't been for at least 2 years perhaps the two of them filled a void in each others lives"
"That isn't exactly helpful, how are the attacks and the murders, if at all?" Scully shook her head "No the answers to these questions lie in finding the identity of Lauren Kyte's accomplice and there is a chance Graves faked his own death"
(–)
"I've had all the information double checked just to be on the safe side. The tests are conclusive, the dura mater does belong to Howard Graves." Scully sighed as Sam picked her up "He is indeed, very dead." Sam didn't answer but Dana noticed that they were heading back to Lauren Kyte's home "Are we going to Lauren's?" Sam nodded "What's going on?"
"She called me asking me to come round, she sounded scared."
"I looked into her life a bit more, there are no violent boyfriends or police reports for call outs to her address. I'd say she was completely clean if it wasn't for 2 speeding tickets in the last month."
Sam made a sound of understanding as they pulled up outside Lauren's home "Did you hear that?"
It sounded like screaming, both agents pulled out their guns and raced up to the house, Sam struggled with the door and when she finally got it open tripped over the body lying just inside. It's dark but it looks as though there is a man hanging in mid-air in the middle of the room. Just as Scully joined her the man fell to the floor, Dana ran from body to body checking for pulses but shook her head as she indicated that she found nothing. Sam went to Lauren who was whimpering in a crouched position on the floor, putting an arm around her she guided her out to the car.
They called for back up while the bodies were being bagged up and the house inspected for evidence Sam and Scully took Lauren to be interviewed. It was satisfying to see that she said nothing for the 'men in black' that first interviewed her, Sam was itching to get in and really talk about what was happening. It was Sam's belief in her that got Lauren to finally talk.
"I don't know if you've ever been a secretary. Sometimes your boss talks as if you weren't even in the room, it can hurt, you know?" she shook her head "Sometimes when things are bad and he doesn't have much outside the office you're all he has to talk to. That is how it was all the time with Howard neither of us had anyone to go home to. One night, I went into his office. He was crying, more scared than sad I think. The Pentagon contracts were being cancelled, the company was in trouble and he felt personally responsible for his employees, seeing and feeling their fear every day it wore him down. Then this one time, Dorland came with that group, that Mid East group the Isfahan they're basically terrorists. They'd buy parts at outrageous prices for as long as they could get away with it. That night Howard was crying he had just found out the Isfahan had just claimed responsibility for killing a couple of sailors in Florida. He was never the same and I thought that was why he killed himself. But he didn't... I saw ... Howard showed me how Dorland had him killed. They made it look like a suicide because he could see that Howard was going to put an end to the deal. He was going to tell people even if it meant trouble with the Isfahan.
"And now Howard is protecting you?" Sam asked the scepticism in her voice was clear to Sam.
"It sounds so ridiculous."
"But you believe it?"
"That man was closer to me than my own father. I told him that once and I still feel his presence sometimes. Every now and then I even smell his aftershave, I'm telling you f you just could've seen the things I've seen... I just want it all to go away. I'm leaving and then maybe it'll be enough, maybe I can leave him behind."
"That's not going to be enough." Scully told her walking forwards and taking her hand in hers "You've been given the chance to let him know how much he means to you again. Tell him you love him by showing him, help us finish his unfinished business. Will you ever be able to rest if he can't?" It was a convincing speech and even Sam felt like jumping up and saying that she'd help. It had the same effect on Lauren obviously as the woman nodded.
"OK." she wiped at her eyes and nose "I'm a mess. I'm going to wash up"
"For someone who doesn't believe you sure give one inspiring speech Scully."
"Mulder, there's no such thing as ghosts or psychokinesis. I am still sure there's a reasonable explanation but I do think that she believes that her old boss has come back and is protecting her. Our priority as law enforcement is to get her to help us stop Dorland."
"Sacrificing our best opportunity to observe spectral phenomena?"
"I'm giving us a chance to solve a case that's not only tangible but that could give our department accolades instead of hearing jokes while we chase after shadows."
They joined the team already investigating and numerous agents were pulled in for the search, Sam was impressed with seeing Dana in her element giving orders it was more than a little sexy to be honest. They charged in, it was an onslaught of blue coats with yellow letters barking orders and instructions. Sam stayed close to Lauren trying to reassure her, in the office Dorland never took his eyes off the young secretary and it was clear that his thoughts were predatory in more than one way. The search took time but they found nothing and the agents were becoming more and more disconsolate. Frustrated as she was Sam could see the looks being exchanged by her fellow agents and she knew exactly what they were thinking. They were sure she had messed up their investigation and she was starting to worry about it herself
Casual despite his dark looks Dorland was standing in a corner with the employees barely breaking a sweat finally despite everything. When they all begin to pack up his smug smile was infuriating, Sam could hear muttering around her about a waste of time and a years work down the drain. Finally she and Lauren are alone in an office as everyone else is moving out.
"Lauren, it's over. We have to go, what we're looking for isn't here." Lauren starts yanking pictures from desks and walls pulling them apart even as Dorland entered the room.
"Hey! She isn't an agent and I've been more than cooperative and I don't want to be combative, but she has no right destroying my personal property.
Lauren turned to stare at him in disbelief "Destroying property? What about that van that blew up and killed those servicemen? What about Harold?"
"I don't know what you're talking about you stupid little bitch!" Holding a letter opener Lauren runs at the man
"Lauren, No!" As she reaches him Dorland manages to deflect her and pushes her down, then there is a change in the air and the man is pushed against the wall by something unseen. The office door slammed shut and somehow out of literally nowhere a wind blew up. Against the wall Dorland is pulling at his neck gasping for breath
"No! Don't kill him! Please help us find the evidence we need!" in the next moment Dorland drops to the floor and around them the light bulb start exploding.
"Get down." Sam pulled Lauren away from the flying glass, the office door is still closed but she can hear Dana calling for her and banging on the door. The remaining pictures fly from the wall and the wind is getting wilder. Desk drawers open and papers start to fly around the room. The letter opener that Lauren had almost used as a weapon hovers in the air near Dorland's face and then suddenly turns and embeds itself in the wall. It cut into the powder blue wallpaper tearing it and the everything stops. The door flies open and the agents entered looking shocked at the mess around them. A little stunned Samantha Mulder walked across to the wall tearing at the paper she removed a floppy disk "I guess what we're looking for is on here."
(–)
"Seriously Fox I wish I'd been able to get it on tape, it was amazing" Sam grinned at her brother as she finished telling him about the supernatural events she'd witnessed. They had the game on and were watching it whilst he chowed down on sunflower seeds and she bit into a gummy worm.
"But Scully saw nothing?"
"She wasn't in the room and convincing her about the car was a lost cause, imagine trying to tell her what Lauren and I saw. It would be impossible."
"Must be frustrating to work with."
"Actually no" Sam shook her head "I have to fight for everything and she pushes back every time but maybe I need that. If you and I were in that office together you'd say Ghost, I'd say psychokinesis and neither of us would care about disproving the logical explanation. With Scully there I have to cover all bases and make sure everything every possible explanation is followed through. She keeps me grounded."
"And that's good?"
"Look if it weren't for her proving Harold was dead people would assume it was a case of faking his own death and ignore the real case entirely. When we went after Tooms she demanded reason from me, proof, so we went to an old detective and got more evidence. I would have just continued on my merry way without that and maybe I wouldn't have discovered his hidey hole."
"And someone else would be dead."
"Exactly, I think she might make the X-files more legitimate and she was right about helping solve that case. According to the AD we were 'invaluable' to it's success. It's been a long time since I was in that office for praise." they clinked their beer bottles together and then jumped to their feet cheering at a touchdown. Once back in their seat Sam smiled at Mulder "I think helping with that case kept the higher ups off ours back for a while."
"So what do we think, shall we let her stay?" Fox asked as though they had a say in Scully's future employ.
"Definitely, more than just what she does on the job, I like her. We hang out I can't remember the last time I had someone other than you to just do this with."
"And I'm not enough?" Fox pretended to be offended but there was a troubled look on Sam's face
"One day soon you'll stop chasing after girls and find an actual woman to date, then you'll get married and have kids and you won't have as much time for me, that's assuming I even like your wife you might choose an idiot.."
"Hey" he took her hand tightly in his "No matter what happens in life I'm going to be around for you and if I marry someone that you think is a complete idiot you have to tell me. I won't marry someone who doesn't get along with you or Christmas and thanksgiving will be awfully awkward.
"Because it's all good with our parents and my life choices?"
"They'll get over it all eventually," he ignored her snort of laughter "and hey you might be the one who settles down and leaves me in the cold."
"I don't think so Sam shook her head feeling disconsolate it's taken me almost thirty years to find a friend who can stand my weird ideas and behaviour. Finding someone who could do that and live with me? Very unlikely!" She noticed Fox looking sad at her words and grinned "Look I have the Gunmen as well but Dana is the first adult female friend I've really ever had so don't go sleeping with her and ruining it for me."
Fox wrinkled his nose at that "I'm not some hound dog who goes after anything with a skirt."
"No sometimes they wear pants" the deflection worked and Fox was soon teasing his sister as she bantered right back.
Please review, I feel like this episode and chapter was a little lacklustre, I'm looking forward to a more exciting one to write.