Chapter 4

The night was filled with coyotes on the horizon howling, at their mates. The rattlesnakes and scorpions' scurried about in the vast distance. Mulder couldn't help but fear that maybe one or two of the creatures would get into his bed roll. He kept opening his eyes just about every half hour, thinking he might have been stung or bitten by one of the fatal creatures. Worse, he had no medical attention around to save his sorry ass for the predicament he put himself in- dragging Scully along and losing her in the midst. He had to find her and get back to the reality. Tomorrow was another day and it was going to be a long, sleepless night.

LONGHORN SALOON

Theo hurried Scully into the adjacent room at the top of the steps. He was waiting for word on what was to befall the prisoner. Meanwhile, the chorus girls sang downstairs to a crowd of drunkards while table dealers dealt players their hands over the felt tables. The roulette wheel spun round and round, stopping on a lucky or unlucky number as the cowboys lost their pay day earnings to the house. The saloon was a full house tonight and it was perfect for debuting the new saloon girl or chorus girl. Scully's role was still undecided as Theo paced back and forth. The door swung open, revealing the cigar smoking man. He shut the door with a loud thud and clicked the lock. Theo joined his boss, sauntering over to him in a quick motion.

"Well, what's the word on our prisoner," Theo asked and looked back in the direction of where Scully sat on the bed, looking out the pane glass window.

"The manager of the saloon is very interested in her. But as far as one of the 'soiled-doves' I don't think she'll fit in. Maybe she can be of use on the floor as a saloon girl. I figure we'll get top- dollar for her if one of the 'miner's' see her. That'll be more gold in our pockets," the boss explained, as he puffed on his cigar, filling the room with thick smoke.

"Mabel would have a hard time with the rest of the girls if she joined their troupe," Theo laughed out loud.

"Yes, I'm sure she would," he grinned back at Theo and leered at Scully.

Scully listened carefully as the men spoke of where she was going to be placed. She hoped hopefully she wouldn't become one of the dreaded 'soiled-doves' that Mulder had mentioned. Luckily, from over hearing the two crooks were conversation she was relieved that she wasn't going to become one of 'those girls'. She got up from the bed's edge, and walked over towards the window, looking out into the desert night. The glass pane was streaked with dirt and dust. The full moon hovered brightly into the sky, and she thought of Mulder. She wondered if he was safe or if he was still in the mine.

In the early morning hours, a wagon drudged slowly across the landscape with three men aboard. Two of the men were seated on the bench and the third man sat with the covered boxes in the back of the wagon. Frank and Tucker had been up since first light; cornbread, coffee, and eggs were their breakfast. The smell didn't go unnoticed by Mulder, as the coffee roused him from his slumbered state. He kicked his bed roll off, checked his clothing for any unwanted critters and smoothed his hands through his hair. Putting his hat on his head, he joined the two men.

"Care to join us, Austin? We're going to have a long day ahead of us," Frank handed him a plate full of grub.

"This has to be a dream," he mumbled to himself, yet the two miners overheard him.

"Are you okay? Is the heat getting to you, or what?" Tucker handed him a cup of coffee.

It was at the very moment that the three men heard hoof beats and wagon wheels rolling across the desert. They looked in that direction. There were three men in the wagon and Mulder recognized; them as the Lone Gunmen. The two miners smiled at each other and greeted the trio in the wagon.

"Hello, glad you made it safe and sound," Frank took hold of the horses' reins while Tucker went to look at the goods they had brought.

"Yes, we nearly got caught by a band of bandits about a piece away," the blonde man spoke up, wiping the dust off his spectacles.

"Who do you have there?" the older man spoke up. He sized Mulder up and but though he thought he looked familiar, he said nothing.

"Well, that's Austin Cooper. He just started working this claim with us, but he won't be here long. He's looking for a red-haired angel. Haven't seen one. Have you seen one around these parts?" The men boasted with laughter and then turned back towards Mulder who peered above his hat brim, but he did not respond to their comment.

"Ah… If there is such a 'red-haired angel', we haven't seen her," the younger of the three men added, taking the gold pouch that Frank handed him and tucking it into his pocket.

"Don't spend that in one place, you hear," Frank shook his hand as Tucker and the other two unloaded the dynamite from the crates. Turning the wagon back in the direction of town, the three men and their wagon disappeared just as they had appeared. Frank and Tucker finished their breakfast as Mulder looked at the crate of boxes, ignoring his breakfast for the moment.

"Austin, you'd better eat. You're going to be awfully hungry later," Tucker said, cleaning his plate off. He then took his plate into his tent and finished his coffee. Mulder returned his attention to the plate that he put aside earlier, before he was interrupted by the 'lone gunmen' visit. Frank and Tucker entered the mine as Mulder stood back, wondering what was going to happen if he re-entered the space without having Scully with him. He didn't want to lose her if she was still in the area. Pausing for a few minutes. Frank and Tucker turned around with their lanterns and looked back toward the entrance, noticing that their new companion was stalling. Mulder looked nervously back at the two men, then entered the mine. He pulled a scarf over his mouth and nose, grabbed a pick-ax and followed the men inside.

FBI

Washington DC

Thursday

Present Day

Assistant Director Walter Skinner was burning up the phone lines trying to locate his agents but to no avail. Scully was to give a report on her findings to the Assistant Director but be he had not received anything via phone nor email. Mulder and Scully had not given any indication of how long the case would last. Skinner took the elevator down to the basement only to find the door locked. He knocked loudly with no response. He called the head of security down to the basement in order to unlock the door. Opening the door to the darkened room, he found a light switch, flicking it on, searching for anything to give him clues to their whereabouts. He saw a copy of directions in the garbage can. Skinner retrieved it from the trash pile. Unfolding it revealing that it had been printed on Monday. Skinner skimmed the document for any clue as to the whereabouts of his missing agents. He found an address to the Dutchman's Lost Mine in Arizona. He realized that was likely where his agents had gone, and he tucked it into his jacket pocket. He retreated to his office and called on available agents to join him. A dozen agents packed into Assistant Director's office and the search was on.

Dutchman Mine

1888

Mulder loaded the cart full of debris from the wall which Tucker had blasted with dynamite in an effort to find the 'mother lode'. Blasting was a quick way to rupture the hardened walls. The use of using the dangerous blasting powder made a cave- in imminent, but timing one was unpredictable. Frank hitched the burro up to the cart and the animal moved as if on cue out into the light of the tunnel. Mulder walked in front of the slow moving animal and stopped at the front entrance. He gathered a bucket to load the debris into the hopper. He sifted and shook the rocks and other loose debris to separate it from any gold as he poured water into the screens. The Salt River Water provided a plentiful stream/supply of water because of the nearby spring that ran down through the vast canyons.

As Mulder lifted the arm bars of the hopper. He sifted through the dirt and debris in the bottom tray. It was pain- staking, but little by little, small gold nuggets appeared before his eyes. Mulder placed them aside in another pan. Frank hauled out another cart full of debris for him to pan through. It was hard work and the hot, dry climate didn't help matters much. His shirt was soaked to his skin and stuck to his heated flesh. Mulder became uncomfortable as hours progressed/ as the day got longer. He dipped his handkerchief into the water pale and wrung it out over his dirt covered face. He wiped it along his face before tying it back around his neck, but received little relief.

Back at the Longhorn Saloon, Scully's fate was decided. She was going to be a saloon girl, which was a relief to her because she didn't want to be tossed around like the other girls, from one man to another. She was informed of her duties; she was to entertain men to get them to spend their money at the saloon while sleeping with them was forbidden. Scully was introduced to Dixie, a dark haired, slender woman.

"Dixie, I want you to welcome our new saloon girl, Lily Rose," the boss- man said, finishing his cigar.

"Glad to meet you," Dixie said to Scully. She then spoke to the two men. "I assume you want me to take her to get her clothes changed?"

"Yes, I want you to find the best dress in the saloon. She'll be packing in men from all over the territory. I'm sure Morris will get a kick out of this 'painted cat'," Theo smirked, as he pulled a cigarette out of his concealed case, to light it and took a slow drag.

Morris was the bar keep at the Longhorn Saloon. He wore dark slacks, a white shirt with black sleeves and a dark bowtie. His sleeves ensured he wouldn't have to worry about spills. He was thrilled to be the bar keep. Although, he was married he loved the ladies and the attention he got from them. He just couldn't keep his hands to himself and as of late, he wondered why in the world he had gotten married in the first place. Deep down in his heart, he did love his wife. However, after his two kids came along, the passion wasn't there anymore.

Dixie and Lily Rose had found a perfect dress in the back room; black with white lace around the waist, it had low shoulders, which showed Scully's cleavage a little more than she liked, but if this is what she had to do in order to pay her debt off, she would do it. Dixie gathered the necessary supplies to make Lily Rose a respectable saloon girl. Lily Rose applied plenty of blush to her cheeks and ruby red lipstick to her lips. She tossed her hair so the tresses hung on the side of her head, and she pinned them with a white rose.

"Too bad we don't have a lily for your hair. It would go with your name. You're going to be a knock- out for sure, Lily Rose." Dixie said, appraising the new saloon girl.

"A white rose is just as beautiful." Scully responded as she rolled the black netted stockings up her slender legs. She put on/donned her high heels, and adjusted herself in the mirror. With a few squirts of the bottled perfume she was ready to get this over with. Hopefully she could make enough money to pay off the entirety of her debt tonight.

Dixie's appearance at the top of the banister stunned the saloon crowd into silence. The piano player stopped playing "Camp town Ladies" while the two beauties looked on at the saloon in awe. The only sound was the roulette wheel as it spun and a few clinks of the beer glasses as a couple of cowboys turned to witness the beautiful women. Morris finished serving another round of beer and whiskey for the ranchers and turned to see the new addition to the saloon.

"Oh my," he barely managed to breath out.

The ladies descended the stairs slowly, as to not to trip over their long dresses. Theo and his boss took notice of the fact that the room had grown quiet, and the two men stepped into the room adjacent to the bar. Theo and the boss escorted the ladies towards the stage. Theo grasped Scully's wrist tightly to guided her up the steps of the stage towards the howling crowd. The cigar smoking man was close behind and he joined Theo and their prisoner on the stage.

"Silence! All of you! I want you all too welcome, Lily Rose. There will be absolutely be no marriage proposal's. If I hear of such a thing, you'll be a dead in twenty-four hours," the boss bellowed through his cigar smoke.

"Dance and drink to your heart's desire. Unless you have plenty of coins to purchase her," Theo interrupted.

"How much for Red!?" one young man called out, laughing with his three buddies.

"Yeah, how much you want for Lily!?" An older man called out. He took a sip of his whiskey, and Scully noticed that he looked like a lot like her former paramour, Daniel Waterson. Scully couldn't believe eyes nor her ears. She was to be auctioned off like a piece of livestock. The men in the saloon soon started a bidding war. However, the bids were too low to suit Theo and he waved his hand in the air, ignoring the shouting men.

"Five thousand dollars in gold coins!" Theo shouted. He looked at his boss for approval which he gave. The cowboys, ranchers, and misfits, settled back into their wooden chairs, and continued with their games. They were eager to drink up their fill before the night was over. Scully walked away from the stage and over to the bar stool with Theo in tow, who grasped her elbow tightly. Morris eyeballed Scully way too long for her liking and she finally spoke.

"Something interest you mister?"

"Of course it does, Miss. Lily Rose. You have no idea what a redheaded woman does to a man like me," he chuckled, and winked at her with wicked grin on his lips.

"You ain't man enough to handle this."

"You wanna try me, Lily Rose?" he leaned forward just inches from her face.

"You are not even my type."

"Well, most of these men around here are probably not your type. Ain't nothing you going to do about that since you ain't bought nor paid the boss's debt," he smirked.

"How do you know about that?"

"It's not secret as to why you came here. The boss and Theo already told me and it's no accident that you fallen into their trap," he motioned for the younger saloon girl to pick up another order, giving her back side a swift swat.

"Hurry back, sweet thing!"

"This is a damn dream I need to wake up right now." She shook her head in disbelief, she was whisked away onto the dance floor to dance, with an older gentleman. Morris had informed her that all the saloon girls drank colored water instead of liquor so that the men would keep drinking while the girls would keep them entertained on the floor so that they would keep spending their money.

Meanwhile, Mulder tired, filthy- dirty and sweaty. His aching muscles and the day seemed to drag on. Tucker and Frank continued to find pockets of gold as they struck the vein they had found earlier in the day. The two men could have been more than comfortable for the rest of their lives, but it was greed that kept them digging. Mulder wiped the sweat out of his eyes with his handkerchief, and joined the men back in the mine to continue hauling out the cart in sifting, looking for pieces of gold. The evening was settling in and while Mulder wanted to turn in, it was not on Frank's or Tucker's mind. They took a break to eat a light supper while Mulder finished sifting through the last loaded cart.

"Austin, that's great that you kept up with unloading and sifting the carts. I believe we owe you some payment," Tucker said, handing him two sacks of the gold nugget's that Mulder had bagged earlier in the day.

"Don't you want half of that, since I did borrow money for the horse?"

"No, don't worry about that. We struck a vein and she just keeps on giving. I don't think we'll ever run out of gold," Frank said, sipping on his coffee then getting to his feet, pouring the rest on the ground.

"Here, let me give you something Austin." Frank went to his saddle bag and reached for a sheathed knife to give to him.

"This is a token of friendship between us. When you don't have any weapons nearby, this comes in handy. At all costs, don't ever lose it. Keep it close to you. I mean especially when you are alone, you'll never know when you might need it."

"Thank you, Frank."

"Well it's time to turn in," Tucker spoke up, finishing his beef jerky strip.

"Yeah, we get to work a half day tomorrow and then we go to town."

"Ah… that's right. We get to scrub off this grime and sweat and maybe get lucky at either the table or with one of the girls," the two men laughed at each other.

"Wonder if your red-haired angel will be there?" Tucker teased Austin, kicking his boot and shaking him out of his revere.

"If I see her again," he wondered.

"Yes, I believe you will."