I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing
"Pop quiz!" it was the first thing Sam said as her partner entered the office that morning, Dana stared at her not really in the mood for questions before she'd even had time to take her coat off
"No." she held up a hand "No pop quiz just tell me about the case."
"Oh Come on" Sam argued but Dana held up the bag she'd brought with her
"I have donuts, if you want one then no pop quiz."
"I do want a donut, OK" she held out her hand and when the sweet dough was in her hand carried on "Since 1967, over 34 states have reported unsolved cases of cattle mutilations. Trace evidence is remarkably similar, incision marks of surgical precision the area around the mouth, often the sexual organs have been removed and there's a substantial degree of blood loss but not a trace of blood at the scene."
"We're investigating cow murders?"
"No we are investigating this" ripping into the donut with her teeth Sam moved over to the light switch and turned it off, next she switched on the projector "Joel Simmons 43 years old, widower the wife died of ovarian cancer, single father death by hypovolemia 95% blood loss"
"That's over 4 litres of blood." Dana was stunned and moved needing to see the picture closer "If this is where he died how is there not blood all around him?"
"The man's daughter, only 8 years old was away from his side for no more than 10 minutes from what we can tell. She doesn't remember anything and there was no trace evidence found at the crime scene." she finished the pastry and smiled as Dana offered her another "Thank you, had there been any evidence it would have be washed away by yesterday's rain."
"There were two small puncture wounds." Dana pointed to the marks "Exsanguination is easier than you'd think if you were to stick a needle into the jugular of any living creature, the heart itself would act as a pump."
"Ghoulish"
"Far as I can make out there's no sign of a struggle how could a man just sit through a blood letting?"
"The ME found traces of digitalis, could that do it?"
"Definitely, its a South American plant that's easy to find and produce and can be used as a paralytic drug." Dana picked up the cattle mutilation files and frowned "Wait a minute, these files indicate UFO related phenomena" she looked at Sam with an accusing expression.
"The witnesses often relate time loss it might explain why the girl can't remember anything and how she was gone ten minutes and all this happened."
"Samanatha why would alien beings travel light years through space in order to play doctor on cattle?"
"Maybe the same reason years ago we travelled far away to find new breeds of insects only to pull them apart or put a pin through their heads. Or for the same reason we cut up frogs and experiment on animals"
"They're worried their make up might cause a bad reaction?" Dana teased and Sam couldn't help but smile
"Perhaps" it was a good point, maybe aliens really did see them as rats in maze ready to further their own scientific work "but it looks like they've gone onto bigger and better things."
(m-s)
Getting to see Teena was their first port of call, the girl was quiet holding tightly onto a stuffed bunny, she was a rather plain child but her eyes were piercing as she stared up at them.
"Hi." Dana started crouching down to look at her as Sam stood awkwardly to the side, she could tell her partner didn't feel up to taking the lead here "My names Dana this is my partner Sam" she turned back to look at Sam who gave an clumsy wave "I know you must be feeling really sad right now maybe a bit scared but it's our job to find out what happened to your daddy so we can help stop whoever hurt your daddy. Okay?" the little girl gave a nod "Okay. Now I'm going to ask you a few questions, did you ever see any strangers with your daddy? Anyone you don't know?" the girl shook her head "Did you ever see... anyone yelling at your daddy or your daddy yell at them?"
"No." finally the little girl spoke and Dana smiled at her encouragingly.
"Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt your daddy? Anyone he was worried about?"
"No."
"Can we talk about what happened that day? About what happened in the back yard?"
"Yeah?" Sam finally joined in the questioning "Do you remember... any strange sounds or lights or anything like that?"
"There was the Red Lightening."
"Ok, ok" Sam nodded "Can you tell me more about the Red Lightening?"
"I can't remember... it all went dark."
"Had you ever seen anything like that before?" The little girl nodded and Sam looked over at Dana, she gave her a warning look trying to convey in the look that she shouldn't get too excited over this revelation "Yeah? When?"
"The men from the clouds, they were after my dad."
Dana's phone rang and with an apologetic gesture she moved away to answer it keeping half an ear open for what was being said "Scully"
"Agent Scully there's been another murder exactly like the one you and Agent Mulder are already investigating, the method of death is identical"
"Really where?" as she listened to the response she heard Teena say the words 'They wanted to exsanguinate him' and shared a surprised look with her partner at the long word. She hung up on her call and turned to see that Sam had finished questioning the little girl. As Sam turned to join her Dana spoke in a low voice not wanting the little girl to hear "There's been another one"
"Another one?"
"Exactly the same and Sam according to Pacific Standard time these two identical murders happened simultaneously."
"What are the chances someone saw red thunder?"
The journey to California is filled with the two of them looking over the paperwork, the two cases are uncanny, same cause of death, traces of the poison digitalis, puncture wounds on the jugular and the man's only child was a daughter who had been present at the time. Scully was of the opinion that they had two serial killers working in tandem but Sam disagreed as serial killers seldom work in pairs. They also received the news that during the night someone had taken Teena, they had teams searching for her When they pulled up outside the house it was scarily similar, the same style of house, neighbourhood and it even had a swing set in the back garden. "This is eerie"
"How so?"
"It all seems so calm" Sam knocked on the door and when it opened neither agent knew what to say. standing there is a little girl that looks exactly like the one they had left behind
"Teena?"
"Who?"
"I'm sorry what's your name?" Dana asked very confused
"Cindy Reardon."
"And you live here, Cindy?" Sam followed up
"Ever since I was born, 8 years ago."
"OK Cindy I think we need to speak to your mother."
Mrs Reardon was a motherly woman who was clearly completely thrown by the situation she now found herself in. She sat her daughter down in front of the TV with a fond kiss on the head before turning to talk to the FBI agents
"Doug and I wanted to spoil her we wanted to protect her from everything horrible in the world. She was such a daddy's little girl." she was crying as she spoke not looking at the agents as she struggled with her emotions. Dana glared at Sam who indicated that she should start the questioning, there was a short silent fight between the two women until finally Dana spoke up.
"Can we ask was Cindy adopted?"
"No. I gave birth to her at San-Rafael General."
"Can I ask if you have all the proper documentation?"
"Of course I do." the woman was clearly offended and Sam broke in with another possible question
"Was she the only child delivered at that birth?"
"What the hell kind of question is that? Look, I have told the police everything I know."
Sam pulled out the photo she had of Teena with her father "Mrs. Reardon, have you ever seen this man before?"
"Is this your suspect?" She started to get angry now "How did he get this picture with my daughter, did he do something to Cindy?"
"No. Mrs. Reardon. This is not your daughter, this is a girl named Teena Simmons. She lives 3,000 miles away in Connecticut and that man is her father. He was killed in the same manner as your husband.
"Cindy is my daughter. I can show you videos of her birth we tried for six years to become pregnant."
"Did you seek help, donor's invitro fertilization?"
"Yes, at the Luther Stapes Centre down in San Francisco."
They agreed to split up with Sam staying watch at the house and with Scully went to talk to the centre where she learned that Mr and Mrs Simmons had also gone for treatment during their own fertility problems. After being told a patient could not have received another persons eggs without their knowledge she soon learned about Dr Sally Kendrick. She was the supervising physician in both the Reardon's and Simmons' IVF program and it was clear she was experimenting at the clinic which changed the entire perspective of both agents on the case..
(m–s)
That night while she was talking to Scully Sam received a call from the man she had come to know as Deep Throat and needed to make a quick trip out. It was clear that her partner was suspicious of her behaviour but she couldn't tell her the truth and didn't want to miss the chance to see her contact. She walked to the waterfront and tried to look as invisible as possible as she walked down the path sticking her hands in her pockets and looking around as she walked by some bushes and hears a voice.
"Are you certain she hasn't followed you?"
"Yes. What are you doing out here?"
The old man came out of his hiding place and casually they walk along "I was hoping we could take in a Warriors game." Sam rolled her eyes and glared a little "Actually I was just in the neighbourhood and wondered if I ever told you about the Lichfield Experiments?" he made it sound as though the two of them regularly sat down to chat over coffee.
"No... no you haven't."
"It was the most interesting project. Highest level of classification. All records have since been destroyed and those who knew of it will deny knowledge of its existence for all time. It existed during the height of the cold war we got wind the Russians were fooling around with Eugenics. Their experiments were rather primitive trying to cross breed top scientists, athletes... to come up with the superior soldier. Naturally, we jumped on the band wagon."
"What did you create?"
"A group of genetically controlled children raised and monitored on a compound in Lichfield. The boys were called Adam and the girls were called Eve there's a woman currently being held in Whiting institute for the criminally insane who is the 'last known living' Eve. If you were to look into it you would soon discover that there were at least two others unaccounted for. I can make sure you get in but what you learn will cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people."
The next day Sam and Scully deposit their guns with security and are handed flash lights after being warned that the regular lights would cause a break down. The cell is dirty with garbage dropped on the floor and stained padded walls.
Sam walked in with confidence"Hello?" There is a woman crouching in the corner shackled down she had greasy unkempt hair and yellowing teeth.
"Well it looks like you got what you're looking for... One of us at least."
"This is Sally Kendrick..." Scully trailed off "Or someone just like her"
"Cut off the chains maybe then we'll talk."
"Experience tells me they're probably there for a good reason."
"No. I just paid too much attention to a guard. Bit into his eyeball."
She giggles hysterically and then gnashes her teeth "I meant it as a sign of affection are you going to give me an IQ test by any chance? I think I can top the 265 from last time, we're very bright we Eves."
"Where are the others?" Sam questions being careful to keep her eyes fixed on the woman "The other Adams and the Eves?"
"All that's left is me and Eve 7 and 8. 7 got away quite early on but 8 escaped about 10 years later."
"So one of them is Sally Kendrick?"
"Ah yes but she is me and I am she and we are together." she giggled at the song incorrect quote "I don't know exactly where and what they are I've been tied up like this for two years and for what reason? For no reason, I did nothing. They made me but did they suffer? No. No. I suffer. I suffer! They keep me alive for the Lichfield Project, they come in... they test me, they poke me... to see what went wrong but Sally she knows. She knows what went wrong. You two have 46 chromosomes. The Adams and the Eves ... we have 56 we have extra chromosomes. Number 4, 5, 12, 16, and 22. This replication of chromosomes also produces additional genes. Heightened strength. Heightened intelligence."
"Not to mention heightened psychosis."
"Always save the best for last." she sees their disbelief and points "I have proof. Look on the wall" The two of them look and Sam quickly brings Dana's attention to one of the pictures it shows the many Eve clones on a swing set and they all look identical to Teena and Cindy.
"My God it's them."Scully turned to Sam "So Dr. Kendrick was using the clinic to carry on the Lichfield Experiment! She was cloning herself and God knows how many times she might have done it."
"Suppose Eve 6 is right and there are two other Eves out there. That could account for the two identical murders occurring at exactly the same time Sally Kendrick does have an accomplice. Herself."
"Until I heard that, I was beginning to suspect the girls" Scully admitted
"No, I think the two remaining Eves are doing away with the parents in order to keep Teena and Cindy in the family."
"And then stealing them away for themselves."
"We need to get back and watch over Cindy" Sam turned to leave and the two of them raced away to the sound of Eve 6's maniacal laughter.
"You suppose these girls have any idea of what they are?" Scully asked as they headed away
"God I hope not."
(m-s)
Despite everything they attempted to do to keep Cindy safe she was stolen away and Sam was witness to another Eve this one looking a lot cleaner than the last one. Thanks to a good tip off they were able to discover the motel where the girls might be kept. They gathered a police team and stormed it with them, the scene they came upon was not what they had expected. The figure they were ready to arrest was slumped on the floor eyes wide open they entered Sam went straight to the little girls huddled under the window whilst Dana headed to the unconscious woman at the table
"Are you girls OK?" she asked with concern
"They said we all had to drink"
"They?" Sam turned to the other officers "Keep looking around there might be someone else here. Who's they?" the girls answered her finishing each others sentences.
"There was another woman"
"She looked just like her"
"They argued and we knew they were going to hurt us"
"They made us a drink"
"But we didn't"
"We only pretended to drink"
Sam nodded and sat back on her haunches "But you didn't drink a drop right?" they shook their heads and as Sam watched she wondered what it was about the two girls that was unnerving her, neither of them were crying and she tried to tell herself that was not too strange people reacted in different ways to extreme circumstances but she couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. "Ok girls lets get you in checked over" There was a paramedic and Sam let them come forward. She walked back over to Scully "Well?"
"Looks like the same as before, digitalis poisoning an easy way to poison the children because of it's sweetness."
"Sounds like the remaining eve's were more than just suicidal."
"Did the girls drink?"
"They say no, I think we need to take them back with us get them checked over and interviewed and definitely examined by a psychiatrist"
"You think the two of them might have the same tendencies?"
"It's more than a possibility. Just look at them, no tears, and Cindy hasn't asked about her mother once. Most kids that would be the first thing out of their mouth and I don't think she's even thought about her."
"It could be shock"
"I know but I think they're going to need some in depth care going forward."
"I'll tell them we're taking them with us" Scully spoke with the police whilst Sam herded the children to the car, they both seemed completely unharmed if a little quiet. It wasn't until Sam told them where they were going that one of them spoke and then it was only Cindy asking what was going to happen to Teena.
Sam could see that separating them might be distressing but she was unsure how Cindy's mother was going to take the information that her child was not biologically hers and that she had an identical 'sister' with no one to care for her. If the psychiatrists thought it was in the children's best interests keeping Teena close to Cindy might be possible, they could find a foster home nearby and maybe in time Mrs Reardon would come round if she took a liking to the child. Then again Sam looked in a the two girls in the back seat, they were still not talking but there was something about the way they sat clutching each others hand and seemingly communicating without speech. Maybe it would be better for everyone if they were kept apart, for all they knew close quarters might increase the tendencies. Finally Scully joined them and they were on the road, it was going to be a long journey and Sam had the radio on quietly playing classical music in the hopes of helping the girls drift off to sleep. It didn't work and soon it was dark, Scully looked closer to sleep than they were and when Teena… or Cindy she was getting mixed up mentioned that she needed the toilet, she was inclined to keep going until Dana admitted that she could do with a caffeine fix.
They weren't far from a rest stop and Sam pulled in, she was pretty thirsty herself and she'd long since run out of candy. When they went in Scully corrected her that she wanted a diet, whilst the drink was being made up they took the girls into the toilet Scully taking Teena and Cindy going in with Sam. Teena seemed to be taking her sweet time so Sam took her twin out to pay for their drinks. Cindy picked up two of the sodas and took them to a table, she seemed to sense Sam's eyes on her and turned to smile at her "This is the diet" she said lifting one and then went back to get the other two, Sam followed her but as she arrived back at the table there was a cry from inside the bathroom and Sam went rushing in, inside Teena was jumping around and Scully was trying to calm her down.
"A spider!" the girl squealed and the two women took some time to get hold of the young girl and take her outside. Once there the girl was calm again in fact she seemed a little too calm given her reaction just a moment ago. As Sam looks at the girls she sees a shared look a little like she and Mulder would have given each other when plotting as kids.
"You guys head out to the car" she grabbed her soda and sips making a face at the overly sweet mix, it was far more sugary than usual before heading to return the toilet key Scully took her soda and took a long drag on the straw.
"Taste's sweet, are you sure it's diet?"
"I saw her make them" one of the twins say as they exit and Sam frowns sipping hers again
"Can I get another full fat soda and another diet" she asks and when it comes it's definitely less sweet that the one she's just consumed. Frowning she turns and then in a moment it starts to fall into place, running to the window she sees that Scully is already in the car with the children. Pulling out her phone she calls her holding onto the diet soda only.
"Scully?"
"Don't react just listen. And don't drink any more" she sees her putting the soda down and relaxed "Get out of the car, keep your drink with you but close the door behind you" she hears Scully making excuses and the climb out of the car "Now lock it." Once she has done it Sam hangs up and walks out with her own freshly made drink, the two girls are watching them curiously but Scully had pretended to still be on the phone to someone. Sam takes a drink through her straw and watches as the girls seem to relax as she does so. Walking down she sees that Scully has now hung up and is looking at her curiously "They poisoned the drinks" Sam tells her "Keep yours we might need it as evidence"
"Are you sure?" Across the top of the car Sam and Scully exchanged drinks
"I had that one made just now. Taste the difference?" she could see that Scully could
"Mulder they might have just mixed up the diet and the regular"
"Scully think about it"
"We haven't had enough to get sick yet but I know when we test that it'll have poison in it" They look at the Eves in the car and it's as though they know they've been caught, suddenly their faces are hard almost angry. Getting into the car Sam stared the girls down.
"Long drive ahead girls perhaps while we're travelling you can tell us what happened"
"I don't know what you're talking about" one of the girls said and Sam gave her a smug smile, she didn't plan to take her eyes off these two until they were able to properly secure them.
"Look I get that the two of you might have been able to somehow sense the other, I am willing to believe that you were able to communicate across distance without the use of phones or other devices but one thing I do not understand and that's why you killed those men, you could have gotten together in any number of ways without murdering them. They loved you, they were your fathers in almost every sense of the word. So why did you do it?"
"Why not?" the answer was dispassionate with so little care that it sent a chill down Sam's spine, out of the corner of her eye she saw Scully' horrified expression, it was going to be a long drive.
(m–s)
Visiting Mrs Reardon had left a sour taste in her mouth and as Dana sat down to write up her notes on the computer she wondered how she herself would feel in a situation like that. She's always known her parents love was unconditional, their disapproval sometimes was understandable but even though her father hardly ever said it she knew she was completely loved by them. Picking up the phone she dialled her mother, maybe they could come by to visit soon.
Sorry again to the handful of people reading this, I had it ready to go up a few weeks ago and just forgot. Hopefully the next one will be up soon but I have... issues with it.