p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"stronguspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Chapter 3/span/u/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Uphill Crater Lake, Crime Scene 3, /span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"8/12/1999, 10:28 p.m./span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The drive up the hill was smooth and didn't take long, but the walk was the opposite. A very steep path, feeling like a climb instead of a short hike, led them to the crime scene 20 yards next to the pathway. Even if they had their flashlights on, it was hard for them to adapt to the darkness, being used to the 24/7- lights of the city of Washington. The crime scene was more lit, due to the police and the rangers working there eagerly to save every trace of the victim and the offender. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Good evening agents. I am Sheriff John Miller. I am very relieved that the FBI sent you on such short notice. Thankfully, we could convince the media to stand back and wait for our statements. That's why everything calmed down since the first two victims had been found. Also the tourists could calm down a little. They got distracted by the new movements of the Old Man and started watching the lake instead of us doing our job. We also ordered for the CSI team to save really every trace. I hope you can see things we don't. See, my colleges here are not so fond of fibbies and don't like to be watched, but I really need every hand I can get. We are a small department and so teamed up with the rangers. God, I hope they didn't take traces away. They are not trained to do such a crimson work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder and Scully reassured him their help and went to take in the crime scene. The corpse was looking like it was carelessly dumped into the green thicket. The chest was cut into multiple parts, supposedly with an axe. The face was nearly splattered by the same cuts as well as bruised and smeared and sprinkled with blood but not as smashed as the last victim. The vertebrae was twisted in an awkward right angle, arms and legs spread wide from the body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully went straight to the body examining the way it lay there as well as the outer appearance in all detail, while Mulder talked to the sheriff and his deputy. She took out a little pad and wrote notes on her findings. What she stopped at, were the cuts on the torso and the head. They seemed to be really precise and done by a pro. The cuts on the head were deep but didn't split the skull, whereas the cuts on the torso worked its way through the vertebra. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She turned around and asked the ranger standing next to Mulder if there have been any forest workings around here. The ranger thought about it briefly and said that there have been some lumberjacks two weeks ago. He also mentioned that there has been an accident. A car of the lumberjacks slid down a dirt road to the shore of the lake, but luckily it didn't hit the water. The men freed the car and could go on with their way out of the woods. Scully noted it on her pad and went back to examine the victim. She ordered the CSI to bring the body to the local M. E., so that she could perform an autopsy the next day. She scanned the area of the crime scene, but couldn't come up with much, because of the darkness. Her scanning stopped on Mulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Studying his movements, she smiled to herself and then moved over to him and the sheriff. While Scully talked to him about the crime scenes of the other two killings, Mulder drifted of and moved around, taking in the crime scene from every angle and looked for tracks on the ground. Crouching over one spot, he called for her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She crouched down next to him and he said, pointing at a footprint before him "Look, that must have been a big man. You can see two foot prints here and one indentation in between. It seems that the killer has dragged his victim to this spot. The foot prints must be size 11 or 12. A huge fella. The shoes must be working or hiking boots due to the depth and the tread pattern." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully looked at him and replied "That seems very logical. Boy scout all over again, aren't you? Trying to impress me? You know that this isn't necessary anymore after all those years." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"He chuckled slightly and helped her up into a standing position. They went back to the sheriff "We cannot do much more until daybreak. It would be good if we meet here at 7 and see what else we can find. Please make photos of the prints all around and put them into the file." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You are right Agent Mulder. We come back here tomorrow. Here are our reports on the first two victims. I will show you the other crime scenes as well. It is all directly in the woods, so hiking equipment is recommended. Bring water 'cause it will be a hot day tomorrow." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"They shook hands and Mulder and Scully walked back towards the car. "We have to study those files before we head back here tomorrow. If this is a serial killer, there must be a pattern. So we have to compare every single detail also with the files from the fifties." Scully said and knew that there wouldn't be much sleep tonight, but sadly not because of what they had in mind before the call of the sheriff. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And so it came that they were taking turns with sleeping while the other one worked on the files. Mulder took down notes and was already sunk into his profiler mode, which made it hard for Scully to make him get some rest, at least for two to three hours, but surprisingly he complied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"On the next morning, they just got a cup of coffee and a bagel for breakfast and swiftly headed back to the crime scene. At daylight there were still many traces to follow and so Mulder used his boy-scout experience to see where they were going. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Together with Sheriff Miller and two CSI specialists, he inspected the crime scenes of the three killings, while a deputy was escorting Scully to the morgue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully introduced herself to the coroner who was very rejective and not really fond of seeing her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I am doctor Perenty, Josef Perenty. I have to tell you that you might not find anything on those poor slaughtered creatures. I am very thorough with my examinations. Honestly, I don't know why you have to look into them again." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully replied in her no-nonsense-voice: "I am not here to contradict your work. I am thorough as well as you are and as far as we seem to follow a serial killer, we have to find a pattern, an MO. The best way is to see the victims myself, because my partner and I have a lot of experience with those kind of cases. How about you guide me through your first two examinations and we do the last one together in order to find something linking the victims?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Doctor Perenty looked at her with astonishment about her straightforwardness, shrugged his shoulders and said "Fine. If you insist to join forces." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"He then opened the first compartment and both moved on either side. He wanted to start talking but Scully stopped him with a raised hand said "Please, let me see for myself for a minute." He rolled his eyes but let her do what she asked for. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Concentrated, Scully started at the head and the slaughtered rests of skin and brain matter. There were accurate cuts, seemingly done by someone knowing how to use an axe. The cuts are deep but didn't split the base of the head in parts. Ears were still in one piece. 4 inches long and 5 inches deep, she measured on the cuts. Starting at the edge of the lower lip up to the forehead's hairline, the 5 cuts were running. Why didn't the killer run the blade down to split the skull? Five times? Making a mental note to run that by Mulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then she moved lower towards the torso. The clean cuts of the y-secession showed that Dr. Prenenty was indeed thorough. She looked up at him and asked him to sum up his inner examinations. Relieved to be finally talked to, he started: "After cutting the ribcage open, which have been astonishingly intact till the rip arch, I extracted the lungs and the heart, but there hasn't been any anomalies. The rests if the smashed liver had greases on its lower parts but according to the 220 pounds of the body that wasn't surprising. All organs seemed to be intact by the time of death, no tumors or other hints of severe deceases. The male victim in his mid-thirties was in a good state of health even if he was slightly obese. I sent in brain matter and blood samples, as well as saliva samples. The results can be examined in the file. What I found astonishing was a very small amount of mycotic spores found in the brain matter. The origin of the fungus couldn't be determined. I can only imagine that the victim fell or was laid on top of a fungus on the ground." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully interrupted him "Wait a second. Was there a fungus found at the crime scene?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Did you find traces on the clothes, hair, skin or somewhere around the body?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well, I found traces on the rest pieces of the nostrils but it was even less as on the brain matter. I didn't note it down, because that could also have to find its way there from the brain matter splashes during transportation."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully was silent and let those information shortly run through her brain. "That is the most logical explanation but not an explanation of the spores in the first place."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Dr. Scully, I have to admit, that you are really exact and good in your examinations, which shows your broad experiences with rather strange murders. I am sorry that I was so repellent."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully smiled at him and nodded as an exception of his apology. Together they went on and also on the second victim found similar cuttings as well as rests of the spores on brain matters and the nasal cavities. Then they went on with the third victim, going through a whole autopsy process. Again they found the cuttings, stopping right before splitting the body parts completely, as well as the precision with which the blade of the axe must have been used. Scully sent samples of the spores to the labs in Quantico, hoping that they might find out of which fungus they originated. After those 5 hours of working together with the coroner, Scully excused herself and found a deputy giving her a ride back to the last crime scene./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder already waited for her. He grinned at her and also had that certain soft look in his eyes that she fell for right away. Slightly blushing, she crossed the distance between them and smiled back at him. "We have to talk. I found a pattern how all three victims got killed and one thing makes it definitely to an X-File and not just a violent crime." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With these words Mulder's face lightened up even more. "You really know what I love to hear after a day full of exhausting work, don't you?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She chuckled and asked what he found. "I definitely have to show you. But are you up for a hike? You look exhausted." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Typically, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, balanced on her right hip and said with an annoyed voice "Really? You know that I am totally capable…" He finished the sentence for her "…of taking care of myself and my work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She gave him a raised brow and her don't-mess-with-me- look and hit him with her elbow in his chest. "Owe. Okay, okay, that went a bit too far, but you have to stop being annoyed with me when I want to take care of you. You must know by now that I can't help myself." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Leaning into her side, he whispered into her ear "You know you mean so much to me that I can't stop caring about you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Her heart skipped a beat and a warm feeling ran through her stomach. She had to fight the urge to hug him but instead secretly grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Mulder squeezed back and they both started walking along the path where they found Sheriff Miller. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder explained: "After finding the footprint yesterday night, we found more of them along that path that leads directly from the lake up here. It is a 20 min hike and pretty steep. The footprints were sent for analysis with the CSI. CSI Detective Raynolds could already say that the owner of the prints must be 330 pounds and 6 feet 30 or 40 inches. So I was right with assuming a big guy, which excludes women as suspects as well. Along some of the foot prints we found two trenches that you could only find back here, but becoming one bigger and deeper trench further up the scene. Look." He pointed at the little red flag in front of them marking a trace spot. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Both crouched over it and he went on "These trenches show that he carried the victim up here in one arm, so that one foot was scratching the ground. The trench on the other side is slightly deeper and broader fitting the blade of an axe. Therefore, that guy was not only big but also a very strong one. To carry a 200 pound man like that needs a lot of strength in the arms as well as in the legs regarding the steepness of the hill. He must be a bodybuilder or someone in an amazingly good shape." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully stood up and considered his words carefully. "Could he be a lumberjack?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Possibly. But still, having this kind of strength almost seems superhuman." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Giving him a lifted brow again, she went on "You know, that strangeness fits the evidence of the autopsies. We found mycotic spores in the brain matter and the nasal cavities of which we don't know the origin or how they got there. We should find a biologist or somebody knowing about fungus growing here." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Nodding, Mulder said "Yeah, that might be a good idea. I know some fella back from Oxford, also American, who became a biologist and geologist with the USGS. I think he said he is around here, when I last mailed him. I'll give him a call." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""An old friend of yours. That's going to be interesting." She smirked at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""What do you have on your mind right now, huh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Nothing, Mulder. Absolutely nothing." Smirking again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder smirked back and put his hand at the small of her back to guide her back to the crime scene. On their way, Mulder told her about the other crime scenes that have been nearly equal to this one and the traces of the same footprints and tracks. What was strange, was that the scenes were so diffusely picked by the killer. They seem to have no connection, which is strange for ordinary serial killers who tend to have a deeper meaning in picking the places to kill their victims, often wanting to send a certain massage. Being back with the police, the sheriff sent everybody home to get some rest and ordered for a meeting at 6 a.m. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder and Scully headed back to the lodge, totally exhausted and hungry. They had dinner in companionable comforting silence and went back to their room. The little sleep he got last night settled in on him, so he hit his side of the bed right away. Scully went to the bathroom and started to fill the tub. After a nice 45min soak, getting most of the kinks out of her back, Scully changed into her pj's and switched the lights off in the bathroom. As she stepped into their bedroom, the only light was coming from the little lamp on the nightstand. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She saw the shadows dancing on his face and sighed at the beautiful sight in front of her. She felt the urge to settle right behind him and hold him through the night She hoped he won't have any nightmares with her comforting touch. So she snuggled herself behind him and moved one hand to his hair, stroking the soft dark curls, the other hand smoothing gently around his waist. He groaned and sighed lightly, shuffled under the sheets till he nuzzled into her even more and went still. His steady breathing soon lulled her into sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Uphill Crater Lake, Crime Scene 3, /span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"8/12/1999, 10:28 p.m./span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The drive up the hill was smooth and didn't take long, but the walk was the opposite. A very steep path, feeling like a climb instead of a short hike, led them to the crime scene 20 yards next to the pathway. Even if they had their flashlights on, it was hard for them to adapt to the darkness, being used to the 24/7- lights of the city of Washington. The crime scene was more lit, due to the police and the rangers working there eagerly to save every trace of the victim and the offender. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Good evening agents. I am Sheriff John Miller. I am very relieved that the FBI sent you on such short notice. Thankfully, we could convince the media to stand back and wait for our statements. That's why everything calmed down since the first two victims had been found. Also the tourists could calm down a little. They got distracted by the new movements of the Old Man and started watching the lake instead of us doing our job. We also ordered for the CSI team to save really every trace. I hope you can see things we don't. See, my colleges here are not so fond of fibbies and don't like to be watched, but I really need every hand I can get. We are a small department and so teamed up with the rangers. God, I hope they didn't take traces away. They are not trained to do such a crimson work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder and Scully reassured him their help and went to take in the crime scene. The corpse was looking like it was carelessly dumped into the green thicket. The chest was cut into multiple parts, supposedly with an axe. The face was nearly splattered by the same cuts as well as bruised and smeared and sprinkled with blood but not as smashed as the last victim. The vertebrae was twisted in an awkward right angle, arms and legs spread wide from the body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully went straight to the body examining the way it lay there as well as the outer appearance in all detail, while Mulder talked to the sheriff and his deputy. She took out a little pad and wrote notes on her findings. What she stopped at, were the cuts on the torso and the head. They seemed to be really precise and done by a pro. The cuts on the head were deep but didn't split the skull, whereas the cuts on the torso worked its way through the vertebra. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She turned around and asked the ranger standing next to Mulder if there have been any forest workings around here. The ranger thought about it briefly and said that there have been some lumberjacks two weeks ago. He also mentioned that there has been an accident. A car of the lumberjacks slid down a dirt road to the shore of the lake, but luckily it didn't hit the water. The men freed the car and could go on with their way out of the woods. Scully noted it on her pad and went back to examine the victim. She ordered the CSI to bring the body to the local M. E., so that she could perform an autopsy the next day. She scanned the area of the crime scene, but couldn't come up with much, because of the darkness. Her scanning stopped on Mulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Studying his movements, she smiled to herself and then moved over to him and the sheriff. While Scully talked to him about the crime scenes of the other two killings, Mulder drifted of and moved around, taking in the crime scene from every angle and looked for tracks on the ground. Crouching over one spot, he called for her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She crouched down next to him and he said, pointing at a footprint before him "Look, that must have been a big man. You can see two foot prints here and one indentation in between. It seems that the killer has dragged his victim to this spot. The foot prints must be size 11 or 12. A huge fella. The shoes must be working or hiking boots due to the depth and the tread pattern." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully looked at him and replied "That seems very logical. Boy scout all over again, aren't you? Trying to impress me? You know that this isn't necessary anymore after all those years." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"He chuckled slightly and helped her up into a standing position. They went back to the sheriff "We cannot do much more until daybreak. It would be good if we meet here at 7 and see what else we can find. Please make photos of the prints all around and put them into the file." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You are right Agent Mulder. We come back here tomorrow. Here are our reports on the first two victims. I will show you the other crime scenes as well. It is all directly in the woods, so hiking equipment is recommended. Bring water 'cause it will be a hot day tomorrow." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"They shook hands and Mulder and Scully walked back towards the car. "We have to study those files before we head back here tomorrow. If this is a serial killer, there must be a pattern. So we have to compare every single detail also with the files from the fifties." Scully said and knew that there wouldn't be much sleep tonight, but sadly not because of what they had in mind before the call of the sheriff. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And so it came that they were taking turns with sleeping while the other one worked on the files. Mulder took down notes and was already sunk into his profiler mode, which made it hard for Scully to make him get some rest, at least for two to three hours, but surprisingly he complied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"On the next morning, they just got a cup of coffee and a bagel for breakfast and swiftly headed back to the crime scene. At daylight there were still many traces to follow and so Mulder used his boy-scout experience to see where they were going. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Together with Sheriff Miller and two CSI specialists, he inspected the crime scenes of the three killings, while a deputy was escorting Scully to the morgue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully introduced herself to the coroner who was very rejective and not really fond of seeing her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I am doctor Perenty, Josef Perenty. I have to tell you that you might not find anything on those poor slaughtered creatures. I am very thorough with my examinations. Honestly, I don't know why you have to look into them again." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully replied in her no-nonsense-voice: "I am not here to contradict your work. I am thorough as well as you are and as far as we seem to follow a serial killer, we have to find a pattern, an MO. The best way is to see the victims myself, because my partner and I have a lot of experience with those kind of cases. How about you guide me through your first two examinations and we do the last one together in order to find something linking the victims?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Doctor Perenty looked at her with astonishment about her straightforwardness, shrugged his shoulders and said "Fine. If you insist to join forces." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"He then opened the first compartment and both moved on either side. He wanted to start talking but Scully stopped him with a raised hand said "Please, let me see for myself for a minute." He rolled his eyes but let her do what she asked for. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Concentrated, Scully started at the head and the slaughtered rests of skin and brain matter. There were accurate cuts, seemingly done by someone knowing how to use an axe. The cuts are deep but didn't split the base of the head in parts. Ears were still in one piece. 4 inches long and 5 inches deep, she measured on the cuts. Starting at the edge of the lower lip up to the forehead's hairline, the 5 cuts were running. Why didn't the killer run the blade down to split the skull? Five times? Making a mental note to run that by Mulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then she moved lower towards the torso. The clean cuts of the y-secession showed that Dr. Prenenty was indeed thorough. She looked up at him and asked him to sum up his inner examinations. Relieved to be finally talked to, he started: "After cutting the ribcage open, which have been astonishingly intact till the rip arch, I extracted the lungs and the heart, but there hasn't been any anomalies. The rests if the smashed liver had greases on its lower parts but according to the 220 pounds of the body that wasn't surprising. All organs seemed to be intact by the time of death, no tumors or other hints of severe deceases. The male victim in his mid-thirties was in a good state of health even if he was slightly obese. I sent in brain matter and blood samples, as well as saliva samples. The results can be examined in the file. What I found astonishing was a very small amount of mycotic spores found in the brain matter. The origin of the fungus couldn't be determined. I can only imagine that the victim fell or was laid on top of a fungus on the ground." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully interrupted him "Wait a second. Was there a fungus found at the crime scene?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Did you find traces on the clothes, hair, skin or somewhere around the body?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well, I found traces on the rest pieces of the nostrils but it was even less as on the brain matter. I didn't note it down, because that could also have to find its way there from the brain matter splashes during transportation."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully was silent and let those information shortly run through her brain. "That is the most logical explanation but not an explanation of the spores in the first place."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Dr. Scully, I have to admit, that you are really exact and good in your examinations, which shows your broad experiences with rather strange murders. I am sorry that I was so repellent."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully smiled at him and nodded as an exception of his apology. Together they went on and also on the second victim found similar cuttings as well as rests of the spores on brain matters and the nasal cavities. Then they went on with the third victim, going through a whole autopsy process. Again they found the cuttings, stopping right before splitting the body parts completely, as well as the precision with which the blade of the axe must have been used. Scully sent samples of the spores to the labs in Quantico, hoping that they might find out of which fungus they originated. After those 5 hours of working together with the coroner, Scully excused herself and found a deputy giving her a ride back to the last crime scene./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder already waited for her. He grinned at her and also had that certain soft look in his eyes that she fell for right away. Slightly blushing, she crossed the distance between them and smiled back at him. "We have to talk. I found a pattern how all three victims got killed and one thing makes it definitely to an X-File and not just a violent crime." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With these words Mulder's face lightened up even more. "You really know what I love to hear after a day full of exhausting work, don't you?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She chuckled and asked what he found. "I definitely have to show you. But are you up for a hike? You look exhausted." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Typically, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, balanced on her right hip and said with an annoyed voice "Really? You know that I am totally capable…" He finished the sentence for her "…of taking care of myself and my work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She gave him a raised brow and her don't-mess-with-me- look and hit him with her elbow in his chest. "Owe. Okay, okay, that went a bit too far, but you have to stop being annoyed with me when I want to take care of you. You must know by now that I can't help myself." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Leaning into her side, he whispered into her ear "You know you mean so much to me that I can't stop caring about you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Her heart skipped a beat and a warm feeling ran through her stomach. She had to fight the urge to hug him but instead secretly grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Mulder squeezed back and they both started walking along the path where they found Sheriff Miller. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder explained: "After finding the footprint yesterday night, we found more of them along that path that leads directly from the lake up here. It is a 20 min hike and pretty steep. The footprints were sent for analysis with the CSI. CSI Detective Raynolds could already say that the owner of the prints must be 330 pounds and 6 feet 30 or 40 inches. So I was right with assuming a big guy, which excludes women as suspects as well. Along some of the foot prints we found two trenches that you could only find back here, but becoming one bigger and deeper trench further up the scene. Look." He pointed at the little red flag in front of them marking a trace spot. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Both crouched over it and he went on "These trenches show that he carried the victim up here in one arm, so that one foot was scratching the ground. The trench on the other side is slightly deeper and broader fitting the blade of an axe. Therefore, that guy was not only big but also a very strong one. To carry a 200 pound man like that needs a lot of strength in the arms as well as in the legs regarding the steepness of the hill. He must be a bodybuilder or someone in an amazingly good shape." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Scully stood up and considered his words carefully. "Could he be a lumberjack?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Possibly. But still, having this kind of strength almost seems superhuman." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Giving him a lifted brow again, she went on "You know, that strangeness fits the evidence of the autopsies. We found mycotic spores in the brain matter and the nasal cavities of which we don't know the origin or how they got there. We should find a biologist or somebody knowing about fungus growing here." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Nodding, Mulder said "Yeah, that might be a good idea. I know some fella back from Oxford, also American, who became a biologist and geologist with the USGS. I think he said he is around here, when I last mailed him. I'll give him a call." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""An old friend of yours. That's going to be interesting." She smirked at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""What do you have on your mind right now, huh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Nothing, Mulder. Absolutely nothing." Smirking again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder smirked back and put his hand at the small of her back to guide her back to the crime scene. On their way, Mulder told her about the other crime scenes that have been nearly equal to this one and the traces of the same footprints and tracks. What was strange, was that the scenes were so diffusely picked by the killer. They seem to have no connection, which is strange for ordinary serial killers who tend to have a deeper meaning in picking the places to kill their victims, often wanting to send a certain massage. Being back with the police, the sheriff sent everybody home to get some rest and ordered for a meeting at 6 a.m. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Mulder and Scully headed back to the lodge, totally exhausted and hungry. They had dinner in companionable comforting silence and went back to their room. The little sleep he got last night settled in on him, so he hit his side of the bed right away. Scully went to the bathroom and started to fill the tub. After a nice 45min soak, getting most of the kinks out of her back, Scully changed into her pj's and switched the lights off in the bathroom. As she stepped into their bedroom, the only light was coming from the little lamp on the nightstand. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"She saw the shadows dancing on his face and sighed at the beautiful sight in front of her. She felt the urge to settle right behind him and hold him through the night She hoped he won't have any nightmares with her comforting touch. So she snuggled herself behind him and moved one hand to his hair, stroking the soft dark curls, the other hand smoothing gently around his waist. He groaned and sighed lightly, shuffled under the sheets till he nuzzled into her even more and went still. His steady breathing soon lulled her into sleep./span/p