Day 6
"Mulder, the hairs are Doctor Scully's." Roberts had apparently been tasked with the unpleasant job of telling Mulder as soon as he got into the office that morning. He sighed; this was not unexpected.
"We also have a problem with your Will Graham theory – turns out that he was carted off id sentence to a prison unit until he attacked a prisoner, ripping his tongue clean out his mouth and was sent back. He's still at Baltimore State now." Kennison appeared from behind his partner. Mulder frowned, disappointed and feeling more helpless than before as he slid into his chair and covered his eyes. The two agents hovered self consciously by the door; despite previously stating an interest in the X Files, both disliked being down in the basement office. The phone rang on Mulder's old desk and he leaned over automatically to answer it.
"Agent Mulder I have a call for you from a Mr Crawford," the switchboard receptionist told him and patched the call through before he could say anything. The name meant little to him.
"Hello?" The voice came through the phone and it was the first time Scully had heard his voice for over 2 years. Her heart pounded
"Mr Mulder?" Her captor said silkily.
"Speaking." Mulder said disinterested.
"I have something here that means a great deal to you." The voice said and suddenly Mulder's stance changed.
"It's him," He mouthed to his colleagues and immediately they jumped into action, calling in traces whilst Mulder set his audio recorder to 'record'.
"I'm listening." He said coolly to the man on the phone, trying to keep his voice level.
"I want a million dollars delivered to The Virginia Capitol Building Saturday night at 10pm." The voice was smooth and Mulder couldn't place it. It didn't make sense to him; their suspect never asked for a ransom previously.
"Okay but how do I know she's still alive?" He said eying his colleagues.
"She is, I can't guarantee for how long though." Came the response.
"Let me talk to her, then I'll get your million dollars." He said calmly. Mulder heard movement as the phone was handed over, then a familiar voice.
"Hey," She said as it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Hey, how's it going?" He asked, his heart throbbing in his chest.
"I've been better." She said deadpanned and Mulder fell silent; he had so much he wanted to say but couldn't so he resorted to keeping it casual.
"Just hang in there, we're gonna find you and I won't let him hurt you." He said firmly and then the phone was yanked away from her.
"3 days Mr Mulder," the voice of Scully was replaced by the cold gravelly voice of her captor.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Mulder snarled and Scully closed her eyes in mental pain.
Beside her the man laughed. "Well that all depends on you doesn't it, Agent Mulder."
"You hurt her and I'll kill you." Mulder threatened but the phone clicked dead in his hand. He smashed it back into the cradle and looked at his uncomfortable colleagues. "The trace?" He asked them. Roberts shook his head apologetically.
"We lost it." He announced and Mulder sighed.
"Okay so we gotta apply to your assistant director for the ransom, we leave it where he says." Mulder's demeanor perked up slightly but Kennison eyed Roberts cautiously.
"Mulder, that's not going to happen." He said not unkindly but Mulder wouldn't accept that.
"We have to try." Was all he said and then he was out the door.
"We have millions of dollars in a reserve account for emergencies such as this, all I need is a million dollars to get Scully back." Mulder pleaded with the man 'upstairs', director Grimes, a formidable man that had taken over from Kersh 6 years ago and was a thousand times worse. He had no kindness in his eyes and ice in his heart. He looked back at Mulder blankly, Skinner looking awkward to his right and the two younger agents sitting beside Mulder.
"I'm going to ignore how you know about such things that do not concern you in the least, and refer straight to policy; we do not negotiate with-" The man started to say but Mulder interrupted him, already aware of policy.
"This is not about policy sir, this is about a woman's life, a woman who worked here for almost a decade!" He cried, frustration evident. Skinner crossed his arms in distant sympathy for his returned agent.
"Agent Mulder I'll remind you to keep you emotions in check. We do not and will not negotiate with terrorists am I clear?" Grimes stared coldly at Mulder who was becoming angrier the more helpless he felt.
"Very." He sneered and stormed from the room retreating to his familiar basement office. As he went he mentally assessed his assets – he had about fifty thousand dollars in a savings account and a hundred and seventy five thousand in the college pension fund that he could liquidate, his house was worth at least another seventy five.