Act VII - Ulu

Ulu is the Inupiaq and Yupik words for the uniquely Alaskan knife which is still used as a daily tool for everything from cleaning animal hides and filleting fish to dicing carrots for stir-fry. No native would be without one and Dr. Harrington's use of his knife was fascinating.

"Care for an orange slice? Citrus fruit is rare this time of year." Benjamin Harrington sliced open the orange and handed Scully a piece.

Mulder declined. He was still reeling from the report that the skin sample that Scully tested had cells that were minutes' old compared to the cells surrounding it. The impossible was reality. Someone had punctured Cynthia Drewer's carotid artery, drained her blood and then healed the wound before she died. The speed that would have taken is alarming—and the stuff of legend.

"You are taking this information well. Isn't it odd that a woman's flesh was healed so quickly?" Mulder stared at the coroner and his partner as they slurped their way through the tender citrus fruit.

Harrington rose and wiped his mouth. "Naturally, I'm concerned. However, I'm not sure how much your partner has told you about my suspicions but, I'm not surprised. Cynthia Drewer's blood was sucked from her body by two small holes about the space of a human's incisor teeth. The whole town believes there are vampires about and until Cynthia's death, no one really cared. The families that lost their daughters were moving on, but this tragedy showed that as long as they were out there, no one was safe."

"Did you call the FBI, Dr. Harrington?" Mulder was almost sure what the answer would be, but needed to ask.

The old doctor looked him in the eye. "No, son. I think you know who called them and why. Dana refuses to accept that. I'm glad you are not as obtuse."

"I resent that, Ben." Scully took a break from her orange. "I understand, but I don't subscribe into your conspiracy theory that all of this was for my benefit."

"Maybe not all of it and none appear to be to your 'benefit', Dana. Colsyn Bane wants you to be part of his army of the undead. He is a vampire and changed all those women into vampires. Now, he has set his sights on you. I'm sure, as the day I was born, that he made the call to the FBI. He wants you here, under his spell and your partner and I are the only ones standing in his way."

Mulder piped up. "What about Captain Impala?"

Harrington snorted. "I don't know what to think of that man. All I know is that he isn't doing his job. If you weren't here, Cynthia's death would go unexplained and eventually someone else would get hurt."

"I think Captain Vee is doing the best he can." Scully tried to defend him. "He has to deal with superstition vs facts."

"Ok." Harrington stood indignant. "Let's uncover another fact. Unwrap your bandage."

"Why?"

"I think you already know, but do it so all of us can see."

Mulder watched as Scully hesitated. Faced with such a reasonable request and the expectation of two men, she complied. He gasped as she uncovered her hand to show a fully healed wound. The hand showed no signs of injury at all. Just a few hours ago, it wouldn't stop bleeding. Now, there is no trace.

"Scully?" Mulder was officially worried. "How is this possible?"

Harrington was smug. "Colsyn Bane kissed it. He healed that laceration, just like Cynthia Drewer's carotid artery." He approached Scully. "Why are you protecting him? You know what he is."

"I didn't want to believe it," Scully said as she discarded the useless dressing. "He told me he didn't kill her and I believed him. I still believe him. I can't…"

Mulder turned her towards him. "Scully, he's not the same man you once knew."

She chuffed. "Actually, yes he is. Despite what he told me, he is still unsure of himself and trying to find his way. I don't know, Mulder. I think we should give him a chance to explain."

"Are you still in love with him?" Mulder was trying not to get angry. He won't let him have her.

Scully looked him in the eye. "No, Mulder. I never was in love with him in the first place. That's why I don't understand why he went through so much trouble." She pulled away. "However, I think he was in love with me. You're right, Ben." She turned to the coroner. "He brought me here. He said as much last night."

"What?!" Mulder exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a subtle reference at dinner and I read between the lines. You were watching when he dropped me off. I told him it was over between us. I thought I could end it and no one else needed to get hurt."

"Like Cynthia?"

Scully faced her lover. "I'm not convinced of that. Cole would never kill anyone."

"I guess we will see. Impala and I are going to try to meet these mysterious women tonight. Dr. Harrington, I would appreciate if you stayed with…"

"I'm going." Scully said it and Mulder knew there was no argument. "I need to know."

"Alright," Mulder agreed. "But if things go sideways, you have to promise me to defend yourself, even if it's against Cole."

Scully nodded. "I think I have an idea what we are up against—as fantastic as that is. I want to know the reason I was brought here and I want to help."

XXXXXXXX

Calqueg Forest, AK

8:13 PM

Vlad the Impaler, Mulder the Smitten, Scully the Siren and Cole the Vampire all stood around in the dark woods near the cave that was found earlier that day. Cole tried to talk, but Vee shushed him. It didn't take long for a response. An eerie sound was heard.

"Show yourself." Mulder took command of the situation. He was surprised that Impala did not considering this was his idea.

A sprite of a woman emerged from a nearby cave. She almost looked as if she occupied two universes at the same time. She was there—but not there. Mulder approached. "Who are you?"

"My name is Sabra. I am the one you seek. Let Colsyn go and we will talk."

"Talk about what? I want to know where the other missing women and Noah Gardner are. Can you tell me that? Can you tell me who killed Cynthia Drewer?"

"Yes. I'll tell you everything." The apparition hissed. "Let him go."

Impala found his voice. "Tell us now. If it wasn't Cole that did it, I'll let him go."

The woman laughed. "Of course, I should have suspected that you, Vladimir, would get a change of heart when she showed up." Sabra gave a scathing glance at Scully, but quickly turned back to Mulder. "Personally, I'm glad you are with her. It's too bad you can't keep her forever, being mere mortals, but I will tell you what you want to know."

Mulder remained calm. He was sure this entity was dangerous. His primary purpose was to protect Scully, but to do that he would have to send her away, and she would refuse to go. This creature was offering resolution. He needed to take it.

"Who killed Cynthia Drewer?" Mulder was afraid of the answer.

"I did." Sabra seemed amused even as Cole tried to break away from Impala's grip.

"You bitch!" Cole screamed. "I had hoped it wasn't you. I should have known…"

Sabra came near to him, but was just out of reach. "Cole, your fascination with that whore was unhealthy. You don't even know for sure if that child was yours—do you?" Her words lashed like a whip as she stared at Impala. "I decided that you needed to make a clean break from the past."

"That's why you wanted me to call the FBI. I should have never told you…" Cole's voice was dead. "You used me."

"Just to get to her." Sabra said lightly. "You were obsessed with the chit even after all these years. Once she was disposed of, you would turn back to us. You are one of us, Cole. We wanted you back."

"I have made terrible mistakes in my life." Colsyn Bane lamented. He looked at the wistful creature in front of him. "You are the most dangerous one. I should have never trusted you, Sabra. I hope you rot in hell."

"I'll have you for company, if that happens." She smiled. "Did you tell your girlfriend about what you are? Did you tell her that you slaughtered those cows at your farm to quench your blood lust?" Sabra's form grew in intensity. Her green eyes glowed and her figure radiated a cold heat. "Did you tell her that you turned all those other women into creatures of the night? Did you tell her that you were going to do the same to her?!"

"Shut up!" Cole screamed. "Dana isn't like us. She isn't broken without hope for repair. I made a choice a year ago to submit to your seduction. It was a mistake. As much as I wanted Dana, I would have never forced her. I…I love her."

Sabra rolled her eyes. "You are incapable of loving anyone. That's why you chose to come with us in the first place." She looked at the trooper. "Let him go. You cannot hold him."

Mulder wasn't shocked when Impala unshackled Cole. The other missing women came out from the cave and he and Scully witnessed their semi-corporal forms. Mulder had to know. "Was this a voluntary choice for all of you?" The women nodded. "Where is Noah Gardner?"

"He did not work out." Sabra said with contempt. Noah was our first choice for a consort. You will find his body by the river. In the end, he was too human and couldn't live with what he was. Cynthia was just in the way. Cole got too involved. When he refused to bring her across and impregnated her, she had to die. Now, Cole will be with us forever and not be haunted by a life that could have been." She looked directly at Scully. "The fact the you turned him down at the motel, saved you. I would have killed you, otherwise. Cole saw you and your partner together and I stopped him from killing your friend. You should thank me for that. It was for the best that he understands that life isn't for him anymore."

Mulder had moved closer to Scully, but now he stood in front. "What happens now?"

"You leave." Sabra said plainly. "The disappearances were voluntary. You asked that question of them, yourself. I admitted to killing Cynthia, but I doubt you can catch—much less prosecute me and Cole remains with us. He may be guilty of giving these women a way out of their pathetic existence and into a new and more powerful one, but it was by choice. We will take him away and leave the area. Our families will move on and the town will heal. What more do you want?"

"Someone to pay for Cynthia Drewer." Unexpectedly, those words came from Captain Impala. "That person is you, Sabra."

Before Mulder could stop him, Captain V for Vengeance took out his gun and fired. The bullet hit the ethereal woman right in the heart and the look of surprise and betrayal was something Mulder never forgot. Sabra fell and her body immediately started to rot. In seconds, there was nothing left but a few pieces of flesh on a rotten skeleton.

Cole turned to the trooper. "Thank you. I couldn't have tolerated eternity with her. We will leave now." Scully approached, but was held back by Impala. Cole addressed her. "Dana, I'm sorry. It's true that I had hoped you would come with me, but I should have known from the moment I saw 'him' in the bar that you had another life to lead. Agent Mulder would have never let you go and like you thought—I'm not a killer. I'm also not ashamed of what I have become and I'm not ashamed of saving these women from a miserable existence. I didn't know Cynthia was pregnant and I'm sorry she's dead. Sabra was right about one thing. It's time to move on. Goodbye and we will always have our memories." Scully nodded at him as all three watched the women and Cole fade into the night.

"I guess that puts an end to things and justice has been done." Impala broke the silence. "Let's go back to town. We will talk about this in the morning."

XXXXXXXX

Mulder and Scully slept together that night, but neither wanted sex. The closeness of their bodies celebrated the narrow escape they had and emphasized their commitment to each other. Mulder was especially shaken because he could have lost her so easily. He didn't sleep a wink as he held her in his arms and pressed kisses into her hair, face and neck. That was a close one. It was looking like they all were as of late.

Surprisingly, Mulder was refreshed the next morning despite not having slept. Often, he went without sleep, but now realized that the company was much more important than a few delta waves. He roused his companion. "Hey, sleepy head. We are going to miss breakfast."

The subtle motions she made in his embrace and the slow blink of the eyes, didn't prepare him for the full, frontal assault of those peacock blue depths as she focused on him. My god, this woman must have been Helen of Troy in a former life.

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah. The only game in town. We miss this and it's granola bars until lunch."

"Okay. I'll take my shower later."

They ate lukewarm oatmeal, coffee and corn syrup flavored juice before returning to their room. Making love directly after a meal isn't as advertised. While both were satisfied, Mulder decided the next serious round was going to build their appetite rather than try to burn it off.

After their showers and discussion on how to handle this case, they walked down to the trooper post to find it closed. What was interesting is that their fixed rental car was parked bedside it with the keys in the ignition. Mulder climbed in to find a carefully written note.

Special Agents Mulder and Scully,

I have business in Tok and won't be back for several days. Dr. Harrison is willing to sign off on an unexplained death for Cynthia Drewer. When I talked to the family, they agreed to put it to rest. I'm sure you are interested in getting back to your normal FBI lives and after the events of last night, I don't blame you. I'll file a complete report about the explained disappearances of the women and end the whole matter. Noah Gardner's death was a suicide and that will be part of my report.

I wish you well,

Captain Vladimir Impala

"I guess we have been dismissed." Mulder said as he handed his partner the note. "What are your thoughts?"

Scully read it and tried not to look sad, but Mulder can tell she was affected. "I'm sorry for Cole and those women. I wouldn't want to live for eternity preying on others to survive."

"Cole killed animals instead of people. Maybe there is a place for them in this world."

"Maybe." Scully sighed. "Let's go home."

"You forgot the Dream Team B-Ball game tomorrow night."

Scully smiled. "Did you really intend on talking about our relationship during the game?"

"No," Mulder said, "I was going to talk to you before that. I was hoping for a little nookie after the game."

She laughed. "I'll give you one thing, Mulder. You are diligent in your pursuits."

"And I'm glad that diligence pays off. I made hotel reservations this morning. It's a 5-star. Personally paid. Off the books. Joining me, Agent Scully?"

"As if I could resist, Agent Mulder."