CHAPTER 3.
Mulder and Skinner walked along the street and turned the corner as the homeless man had instructed them to. Further down the street, they saw the local PD covering the area. "IDs please," an officer asked as he approached Skinner and Mulder. Both men held up their FBI passes and were allowed through. "What's the situation?" Mulder asked. "Do we have a positive ID on the female victim yet?" Skinner asked.
The officer shook his head. "Unfortunately, not yet. But we did track the creature to this old warehouse here," the officer told them, gesturing to his right. The two agents looked at the building. It was surrounded by officers who wore riot gear and were getting ready to kick the door down and invade the premises. "So you know for sure the creature's in there?" Skinner asked.
The officer nodded. "Fairly sure," he replied. "It's where these animal tracks end, anyway," he told them. He crouched down to the ground, and Skinner and Mulder crouched down too. The officer showed them a trail of what looked like half human, half creature footprints. Skinner looked at Mulder. "Were these the tracks you saw when you and Scully investigated the Jersey Devil?" he asked. Mulder nodded. "Almost. There's a slight difference in size, but they're mainly the same," he told him. The officer looked at them quizzically. "The Jersey Devil? You're joking, right?" he asked. Skinner and Mulder stared him down. "It's a theory I have, yes," Mulder told him. "Now, instead of arguing about it, why don't we find Scully before it's too late?" Skinner asked the officer curtly. The officer shrugged. "OK, your call, FBI," he said, and gestured for them to follow him to the front of the warehouse building. "OK, boys," the officer said. He drew out his gun and stood silently next to the two officers on their right, as they waited for his signal to enter the warehouse. Skinner and Mulder drew out their guns too, and waited to enter the building anxiously.