Act V – Ice Road

The next morning, Mulder awoke to an empty bed. He was alarmed, but only for a moment until he heard the shower running. Settling back into the pillows, he reached over to the other rumpled sheets which still had some warmth to it. He could smell her sugar and spice on the fabric and the memory of the night before flooded him. He was sure the grin he had been wearing a lot lately was back, but he didn't care. Scully had surrendered to him and she was his. Too bad—so sad for the rest of you suckers out there. He must have done something right in his life if he was able to win a prize like this.

Scully came out of the bathroom with damp hair and a robe. Mulder watched from the bed. He was still naked from the night before. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

At first, she had her back to him, but turned slightly to acknowledge his greeting. The Mona Lisa smile was there, but it quickly blossomed into the 10,000 mega watt smile. My god, he put that smile there. Hooray for him.

"I slept very well. How about you?"

"Better than ever. No nightmares. We should do this more often."

Scully had turned back around, but he could still hear the smile in her voice. "I think we will. Hungry? If we don't get downstairs in the next 15 minutes we will miss the motel's breakfast."

Mulder didn't need an engraved invitation. His exertions last night made him famished and he wasn't missing out as there weren't too many places to eat in this one-horse town. "I'm in the shower now." He made for the bathroom, but diverted to the gorgeous woman that had just shared his bed. "I enjoyed last night."

"Me too. Take your shower." Scully allowed him to kiss her then he sprinted to prepare for the day.

Over breakfast, they discussed the game plan. Mulder still had to talk to Mari Pakak, the mother of the first missing girl and Scully was hoping for the results of her tests on the skin sample. Since it was so early, Mulder had a different idea on how to pass the time until the doctor's office was open and it was respectable to visit the Pakaks. The whispered suggestion brought a blush to Scully's cheeks, but was dismissed—as expected. Last night's timing could have been better as there was a warning from the motel management on their door this morning, but they still had a case to solve.

"I say we tramp in the surrounding woods and see if there are any structures or camps where the women could be." Mulder was curious. After what Colsyn Bane suggested yesterday, the women (if they were still alive) would have to stay somewhere. Even if they were now part of the army of the undead, their bodies still existed. Finding them was a priority.

Scully inserted reality. "Captain Vee said we shouldn't stumble around in areas that were unfamiliar. There are wild animals about."

Mulder considered that. If Bane was correct about the vampires, they could be a real danger. "How about we take Captain Impala with us? Honestly, he should have made a sweep of the surrounding forest for the girl's bodies anyway. Let's go down to the Calqueg trooper post and see if we can reach him."

As luck would have it, Captain V for Visionary was on his way here and would arrive in a few moments. When the large man walked in, he immediately focused on Scully and that angered Mulder. Yeah, the man was handsome and yeah, the man was even taller than Mulder by at least 4 inches. So what, if Impala could probably throw a full size grizzly bear several yards, Scully was his now. Back off or I'll shoot you where you stand.

"You wanted to see me?" Vladimir Impala stared at Mulder after drinking his fill of his delicious partner.

"Yes. We wanted to search the forest around Calqueg, but remembered that we shouldn't do that without a guide. Can you recommend one?"

Captain V for Verbose didn't say much for a few beats. Mulder was getting used to this. The folks up here used words carefully and seemed to prefer not to use them at all. He finally spoke.

"I did a cursory search a few months ago, after the 3rd disappearance. I guess it could use another run, especially after Cynthia. Are you dressed for it? We may hike for several hours out in the cold."

"I'm ready." Mulder turned to Scully. "This may take a while. Aren't you waiting on those tests? You should be here when they come in."

Scully crossed her arms. "Nothing doing, Mulder. I can take it as much as you. I bought some boot and hand warmers yesterday. I'm going."

While Mulder didn't want Scully in Captain V for Virile's presence more than necessary, he didn't expect his partner to back down. "Alright." Mulder turned to Impala. "When can we leave?"

"I have time right now. We will search for 3 hours only." Vee unconsciously glanced at Scully. "I think that will be safe."

"Good. Please include the areas where those wild animals were exsanguinated in the radius."

"Yeah." The Captain muttered. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXX

Not surprisingly, they found nothing—at least until the last few minutes when Scully wanted to investigate a strange formation while Vee and Mulder examined a drainage site for a wolf. When she returned, she was cradling her hand and Mulder was instantly on alert.

"Scully, what happened?"

"It was strange, but a figure, it could have been a branch or a fast, moving animal, went past me and caught my hand."

She showed it to the men and it was bleeding profusely. The trooper immediately reached into his small backpack and pulled out a bandage roll and some cotton. Sopping up the blood, he wrapped it and she seemed to be okay. It didn't look deep.

"Are you sure there wasn't any detail about what you saw?" Mulder was suspicious.

"The most I have is that it appeared to be white, but it could have just been moving fast." Scully looked at the ground. "I could have been a woman."

The Captain questioned her. "A woman? Dark hair…short hair…tall or short?"

"I'm not sure, but my guess is, dark hair, short, green eyes."

Mulder was inflamed. "You aren't sure, but you know she had dark hair and green eyes?"

Scully looked him in the eye. "It happened so fast, I could have imagined what I saw, Mulder. This is the best I can do."

He rubbed her back. "Ok. I think it is time to go back. Captain? I think we should mark the area that Scully made contact. It might be important."

"Okay." Captain Impala lumbered off.

When they were alone, Mulder looked into Scully's eyes. "Tell me. What did you really see?"

Scully heaved for a few seconds. "I don't know. She appeared to be like a ghost, but she was solid and fast. She tried to attack me, but I put up my hands to defend myself and she only sliced me with the first pass. She must have heard you coming for she stopped and left quickly. Mulder, she looked like Sabra Pakak from the case file. The first missing victim."

Mulder was confused. "Why didn't you say this in front of the Captain?"

"I don't know." Scully looked at the bandage. "The woman told me to stay away from 'him'. I wasn't sure who 'him' was. I thought it was best to play it safe."

Back in town, Mulder reluctantly let Scully got to Dr. Harrington's office while he tramped off to Mari Pakak's place to interview her about her daughter Sabra. The old Yupik woman that answered the door has dark skin, white hair and many wrinkles. However, Mulder noticed that her voice was strong and her eyes, bright and clear.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Mrs. Pakak. My name is Special Agent Fox Mulder. I'm with the FBI and we are investigating the disappearance of your daughter, Sabra."

The old woman blinked for a few seconds. "Did you find her?"

"Not yet. I would like to ask you a few questions, if I may."

She nodded. "Please come in." The woman stood away from the door.

Mulder entered a somewhat modern house, but inside, felt that he was going back through a time machine. Furs covered the walls and floors. Ancient patterns decorated everything from vases to pillows on the modern couch. Bone and ivory carvings sat on various shelving. It was like being in a museum.

"Thank you for your assistance."

She waved him a seat. "You are the first one that seems to want to do anything about it. That captain, his deputies and the rest of the town want to pretend this isn't happening. They don't see the evil among us and how it grows in power. I think you do. I think you know what it is."

Mulder was fascinated with the woman. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yes. It has already claimed my daughter, but…" She sat heavily on a chair. "Not without her permission. All the missing have chosen this path, that is why no one is really looking for them." She covered her face. "I see my Sabra sometimes. Always at night. Running through the forest. She is one of them now."

"Who is 'them'?"

Mari Pakak stood up. "The ones that live from the life force of the dead. I saw you and your woman the other night at that bar. I thought I saw Sabra in the shadows and went after her, then I saw...him. The one that desires your redhead. He has brought her here and if you do not act quickly, you will lose her—forever—just like my Sabra." Tears coursed down the old woman's face and ran into the rivulets of her deep folds. "You love her, I can see that. If I had had the ability to save my daughter…" Mrs. Pakak rallied. "If you do not fight for your woman, he will take her from you."

"Who?!" Mulder nearly screamed. "Is it the Captain or Colsyn Bane?"

"What does your heart tell you? Neither man is innocent in this matter. There is evil in them both. Which one has the desire necessary to steal a soul?"

"Colsyn Bane." Mulder's voice sounded dead to his own ears. "What can I do?"

"You must keep her away from him. Then you must prepare yourself for a war with a mystical creature and you will need foot soldiers. Lastly, she will have to choose, but you must destroy him no matter what her decision is or more like my Sabra will fall." She walked over to Mulder. "I am too old and heartbroken for such a task. You are not."

"What are his weaknesses?"

"His kind have very few, but he cannot force her into accepting him—however, he can trick her. Fire is the element most feared."

"Can't I stake him through the heart or expose him to sunlight?"

"You have seen him walk under the sun. I doubt you will get an opportunity to kill him. He has 6 followers—how many do you have?" Mari Pakak looked at him kindly. "Don't be disheartened and don't be afraid to remove any obstacles. The other families and I have talked about this. Our children have chosen this path. My beautiful Sabra is gone and I would rather see her at peace. These creatures are no longer human. Save your woman. I can help you no further."

The old Yupik woman showed Mulder to the door. "I wish you success."

"Thank you." Mulder walked down the steps knowing what he had to do, but unsure of how to do it.