Chapter Fifteen

Scully was beginning to imagine the worst by now. It had already been an hour since Kayla was taken, and the only clue they had been able to find was an address for a "safe house." They were on their way there now, and Scully couldn't even begin to imagine what they would do next if they didn't find her there. She didn't feel very optimistic about it either. The old laboratory was nothing but an abandoned old warehouse now. Who was to say this "safe house" wasn't going to be just as abandoned?

The snow had begun to pick up and Mulder was finding it difficult to drive, since he was only able to see a few feet in front of him. At least the roads weren't full of traffic, but even still, Mulder didn't want to drive too fast, they still had to arrive safely.

"Do you think we should have called for backup?" Scully asked suddenly, feeling a reverse of thoughts. Even though she greatly doubted they would find anything at this place, she couldn't help but also fear what would happen if they did. Mulder simply shrugged.

"If it turns out to be a bust, then what? We've both got guns, Scully. For now, that'll have to do. Just, you know, watch my back." He offered a smile. Scully breathed out, smiling back just slightly.

"I will as long as you watch mine." She replied.

"We'll find her, Scully." Mulder said. Scully sighed.

"I should have just listened to you in the first place, Mulder. I know it sounds crazy, and it doesn't make an ounce of logical tangible sense, but somehow, she saw them coming, and if I had just listened to you-"

"Hey, don't you dare blame yourself. Even if we had stayed with her, one of us could be dead right now. These guys sound tough. I don't think they would have stopped at anything to get her out of there." Mulder replied, quickly glancing over. "Besides, you did believe her, you got me and we checked it out."

"But we were looking in the wrong place, Mulder. They infiltrated the police station. They went after her from the inside!" Scully felt angry for leaving Kayla alone, she should have sent Mulder with some officers. She should have stayed with Kayla, no matter how much of a risk it placed on her life. Kayla was her neice, she couldn't deny that anymore, Kayla was family. Melissa never would have left her alone.

"I think they were sloppy. Pulling a kidnapping stunt in a police station, especially if they know what Kayla can do. They should have assumed she could see them coming." Mulder explained. Scully shook her head.

"No, I don't think they were sloppy at all. They know their stuff. Coming in as cops was the best way to do it. Kayla never remembers what she sees, remember? If they knew that about her, then they wouldn't have anything to worry about, would they?" She asked. Mulder raised an eyebrow.

"But this time was different, you heard what she said. Kayla just failed to mention they were dressed in cop uniforms." He pointed out.

"With the state she's in when she has these visions, if that's what they are, I doubt she'd be conscious enough to realize she has to be descriptive." Scully added, looking out the window. She couldn't see much, but she knew they were getting close. She only hoped that wherever Kayla was, she was okay, and she hoped that if they really did find Kayla at the "safe house," they would get there before it was too late.


They finally found the road that veered off the highway and down through the countryside and it wasn't long before they were pulling up to an old cottage that appeared just as abandoned as the warehouse on King Street. It was hard to tell with all the snow falling, but it almost looked as though the windows were intentionally painted black.

Scully followed Mulder's movements of pulling her gun out as she exited the car. Now that they were here, the place seemed more and more suspiscious. Whether or not they would actually find Kayla here or not, Scully had a feeling they would find something.

Mulder led the way as they slowly made their way around the back of the building where they found a rusty door that was unlocked! Scully felt her heart in her throat - could it mean there was somebody inside?

They quietly entered the building and found themselves in a dark entrance. Mulder pulled out his flashlight, still holding his gun up as he led the way further into the house. They were both intentional about staying silent; if there was somebody in this building, they would have to make sure they were quiet, especially if Kayla was here. They couldn't put her at risk.

Even though the exterior of the house looked much like an old cottage, the inside was completely different. It looked more like an old warehouse, very similar to the one on King Street, except this one was a lot more dirty. Garbage was strewn all over the floor, curtains were ripped, dust was flying up in the air. To the naked eye, it looked as though nobody was here. Maybe the door being unlocked meant nothing.

There didn't seem to be anything that would give them any clues as to where Kayla could be, and Scully immediately felt angry at another dead end. By now, whoever took Kayla could have her halfway across the country. No, she would not think that way. She had to find her.

"Mulder, let's go, there's nobody here. Let's go back to the police station, maybe they found something." Scully said, brushing sweat off her brow. Mulder shook his head.

"They would have called if they did." He pointed out.

"Still, there's nothing here, it was a dead-" She saw the look in Mulder's eyes. He heard something. She shut up and strained her ears to listen, and then she heard the muffled murmurs coming from above them. It sounded like men. Then, one of the voices got louder.

"Will you quit worryin'? No one's gonna catch us!"

Mulder and Scully exchanged quick glances, pulled their guns and found the staircase. Thankful the stairs didn't creak on their way up, Mulder led the way once again, and followed the sounds of those voices. Scully had to control her breathing. If she found Kayla hurt, or worse...well, she couldn't think that way.

Now on the second floor, the voices were louder, and more clear. Scully heard three distinct voices. They were outnumbered, but it didn't matter - those men weren't aware they were about to ambushed.

Soon Mulder and Scully were standing outside the closed door where the voices were coming from. Mulder glanced at Scully to make sure she was ready. Scully held her gun up and gave a small nod. With all his force, Mulder kicked down the door.

Those three arguing voices quickly became frantic screams and sounds of panic as Mulder held his gun up to the three men who stared at the two FBI agents incredulously. Scully wasn't watching them, though. She caught sight of Kayla laying on a gurney of sorts, hooked up to some machine, and her whole body was trembling. Her face was pure white, her lips blue, and Scully was sure she saw a familiar line of green fluid entering her body through an IV tube.

But Scully didn't have a chance to do anything about it, because the three men charged at Mulder, but Mulder was too quick for them. He ducked the punch of the first man, and used his elbow to knock out the second guy. While the third guy approached Mulder, the first man went at Mulder from behind, but Scully jumped him, and hit him hard over the head with her gun. With two guys down, Mulder pushed goon number three to the ground and held the gun to his head.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot, okay?" The man said in a panic, shakily raising his hands in the air. "I-I didn't want to do it, okay? I'm sorry, don't hurt me!"

"Who are you?" Mulder asked, pressing the gun hard against the guy's temple. He winced and shook like a leaf.

"B-Bender, my name's Bender." The man explained, closing his eyes tightly. Mulder took his eyes off him for a moment as his eyes followed Scully's to where Kayla was shaking violently. Mulder gave Scully a nod, as if to say he had everything under control. Scully pocketed her gun and ran over to Kayla, but not before both Mulder and Scully noticed a digital readout on the machine Kayla was hooked up to. "95% Complete."

Scully forced her tears away as she took Kayla's shaking hand into her own and gently removed the IV drip that was forcing whatever poison this was into her body. Kayla was convulsing, and strange sounds were coming from her mouth. Scully tried to hold her still as she reached into her pocket for her cell phone, quickly calling 911, trying to keep her voice steady.

Mulder, shaking with rage, turned back to Bender with anger in his eyes.

"Talk! What is this machine, and what were you pumping into her body?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"I-I swear I don't know, man! I-I was just following orders. Th-that's the only reason I'm here, I swear to you! I didn't want nothing to do with any of this, but I'm just following orders! I didn't mean to hurt nobody!" Bender replied, still shaking.

"Whose orders?" Mulder ordered.

"I-I don't know, I never m-met them! Skolski's the one who got the orders. He's the only one who ever talked to them. I-I did see 'em once though. Just in passing, b-but Skolski talked to 'em." Bender finally met Mulder's eyes. "C-call me crazy, but I didn't think th-they were human."

Mulder stared at him, convinced he was telling the truth. Everything he had believed all this time about extra-terrestrial involvement was partially confirmed. He wouldn't know everything until he was able to question this Skolski character, but he was currently unconscious.

Mulder reached into his jacket pocket, and after handcuffing Bender to a chair, he called for back-up, watching Scully over his shoulder, who was smoothing Kayla's hair out of her face, and saying something to her. The kid was out cold, and not doing well. Mulder swore he saw a tear in Scully's eye. The machine said 95% Complete. Mulder couldn't be sure, but just by looking at Kayla, he could only assume she was 5% away from being dead.

He hoped the ambulance would get here soon.