CHAPTER 18

Cara followed the tall bounty hunter guard to a new room, one much like the treatment room she had just occupied. She studied his face as he slammed the door behind her, realizing for the first time that all of the bounty hunters' faces were exactly the same - the same cold and calculated expressions masking their true identities. Her head still felt heavy from the constant pounding inside of it, but she was relieved not to be bound, though she fearfully wondered what had transpired during her times of unconsciousness, given her constant unapproved clothing changes.

The room was tiny, stark white and void of any furniture or windows. A single lamp hung from the ceiling, imposing its light into the center of the room. "Phase Two," she muttered, recalling so many criminal profiles she had studied while in the academy. She knew that when a killer changed his or her tactics midstream, it was usually due to a shift in the master plan, one either caused by mitigating circumstances or psychopathic impulsion. She would be willing to bet the first, given the fact that she doubted alien bounty hunters had impulsions ever at all. Will's coming, she thought slowly with both happiness and hesitation.

Most likely, they were easily able to track him without her protection of being a Shield. Remorsefully, she silently wished her father could have told her what, exactly, activated such a power, or if it was just merely her presence that bore the Shield. Was it a choice, a choice to become something that would shelter others? Cara took a long look at the bottle Dr. Yarborough had given her; its contents reminded her of the vial she schlepped across the country that Will wound up administering himself, before they ... She sighed. It felt wrong, but she couldn't help but remember how warm his body was, how electrifying his lips were against her skin.

She tucked the bottle in the only place she had available to store anything, inside her bra cup, shivering as the cool glass hit her skin. She paused with purpose, her mind running through the conversation she had with her father. "Love," she whispered, tracing the white wall in front of her. Would the secret to the Shield really be something as, dare she say, cheesy as that?

Her mind was spinning wildly, recalling a mass she attended as a teen with a friend and her family. The Roman Catholic church was ornate and mysterious, its stained glass windows telling stories of sacred beliefs and powers beyond human understanding. Though she hadn't been raised in any one particular faith, the few masses she did attend with her high school friend etched a very personal corner in her memories, the peace that exuded from the smoking incense making a mark on her soul. She remembered the words of the young priest, his hair sandy brown and eyes a vibrant green. He was full of a joy that Cara never understood; it felt unattainable.

"We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know I part; but then I shall know even as I am known. And now there remain faith, hope and love, these three: but the greatest of these is love."

The scripture from 1 Corinthians haunted her mind, the possibilities spinning out of control as she processed the potential connections. Dr. Yarborough had said Will was to bring hope. The faith would come from the people. Was it love that bore the Shield, the greatest protection against all evil? Could her father have designed such an intricate science based off of an ancient scripture that almost everyone knew? Faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love.

Her father wanted her to have a choice, as he had said, with the most important decision of her life. Yet, had the science of changing her entire biology determined the decision? Or was it truly an act of faith from her father that trusted her love would find the world's hope?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, the bounty hunter who had first taken her captive entering the room with purpose. "It's time," he said.

"Tea time already?" Cara replied, the sarcasm spread thick.

"It will be entertaining," the bounty hunter responded, taking her arm roughly. "For me, at least."

1:14 PM

The drive to the gorge was nearly unbearable. Will was certain he could have made it faster by running, though he knew better. He knew his father drove with purpose, his mother beside him and he in the backseat; Doggett and Monica followed closely behind in their rented SUV.

They had narrowed down the potential location based off of Cara's observation of moisture, focusing on the Western end of the gorge where the climate was that of a temperate rain forest. It still left plenty of space to be covered. The plan was to divide and conquer, Mulder and Scully accompanying Will to ensure his safety while Doggett and Monica searched further east. It was drizzling out, which Will was grateful for so he would stay wet after his chilly dip in the Columbia River once they arrived.

After a silent 72 minute drive, Mulder parked the car on a dirt path overlooking part of the densely wooded gorge, vegetation blocking most of the view of the surrounding rock. He remained in the driver's seat for a moment after turning off the ignition, his head drooped in struggle with letting Will make the decision he was about to. Will had promised Scully he would remain with them, so he sat in the seat, reading his father's worried thoughts with sadness and guilt.

"You ready?" Mulder finally said, turning slightly back to look at Will.

"Are you?" Will questioned back.

Mulder didn't answer. He opened his car door, visibly bothered. Scully followed him in silence, Will behind her. As soon as Will's feet hit the ground, Scully turned and looked at her son with intense worry. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I feel fine," Will reassured. He did. He didn't feel anything abnormal.

The three trekked closer to the gorge, seeing a winding path down into the river below them. Mulder led the charge, skillfully descending into the gorge as Scully followed, equally as adept. Will traced their steps, his heart beginning to race as the dark rock came closer with each step.

After reaching the bottom, Scully turned back to Will, who was right behind her. "William?" she asked, her concerns the same as before.

"I'm good," Will lied, feeling his joints ache the instant his boot-covered feet hit the base of the gorge. He needed to get into the water, and fast.

She stared accusingly at the doctors as she entered the newest room of her underground prison, their carbon copied faces emotionless as they moved to secure her to a bed. Cara hadn't given up fighting, though she knew to wait for the right moment. With as much speed as she could muster, Cara tried to attack one of the doctors with a nearby surgical tool, her eyes widening as the acidic green ooze leaked from the scalpel's entry point. She knew there had to be a way to kill these things but also knew she had now failed twice. With a scream of pain, Cara was slammed onto the bed, bound and secured with the same webbing as before as she fought against the blank-faced aliens. She whimpered as she felt the webbing tighten around her body, pressing into the already infected and sore cuts Dr. Yarborough had tried to heal.

"I admire your tenacity," her original captor said, peering down at Cara. "Be sure to save some fight for when William comes."

Before she could respond, she was gagged tightly and Cara screamed through the obstruction, her voice muffled by the thick material lodged in her mouth. Her eyes widened as the bounty hunter ripped her scrub top open, the fabric hanging loosely at her sides. She tried to kick as he moved for her bottoms, shredding them easily as she protested against her gag.

She saw him leave, and others who looked exactly like him surround her, placing various marks on her chest, stomach and legs with a surgical marking tool. Incisions, she thought in a panic, realizing she was about to be sliced open, wide awake. Her desperate screams lost their ability to travel against the gag, and the webbing closed in tighter and tighter as she resisted their hands on her skin.

Steady, Will. You're alright. Just get in the river.

Will tossed his phone to Mulder, shivering in anticipation as he looked at the full, rushing waters. He waded out, realizing the drop off point was sooner than he expected. He slipped under suddenly, and Scully screamed. "WILLIAM! WILLIAM!" When he didn't resurface, Mulder rushed to the water, pressing the phone into Scully's hands. Just as Mulder was about to dive in, Will resurfaced, gasping as he took in a gulp of oxygen, shaking the water from his eyes. His long arms paddled against the current, and Scully watched in concern as he finally made it to the shore, wincing as he touched the speckled magnetite-ridden sands. Both Mulder and Scully stared at their son, their faces wrought with distress. "William?" Scully asked softly, watching him brush his hands off.

"That shit is cold," Will grumbled, dripping wet.

"How do you feel?" Mulder asked quickly.

"Other than like I've got burns on my hands, I'm fine."

Scully looked at Will's bare hands, seeing the flesh speckled with various tiny burn marks. "The sand," she said. "Put your hands in the river."

Will complied, dipping his hands into the icy waters with a groan. "Damn, that hurts!" he yelled. For good measure, Will splashed himself with more water, shivering as it made contact with his skin. "Let's go," he said, heading down the river bank.

The sound of Will's phone ringing cut through the natural atmosphere of the gorge, only challenged by the sound of the running body of water next to them. Shaking the excess water off of his hands, Will grabbed the phone from Scully, opening it quickly. "Cara?" he asked, turning his back to his parents as he shut his eyes in pain, waves of aching running sharply throughout his body.

He didn't hear a response, not a direct one anyway. Instead, he knew the phone was set on speaker, the background noises vibrant and more chilling than any conversation with the bounty hunter could be. His pulse quickened as he listened to the muffled screams coming from Cara, a symphony of buzzing and whirling joining her suffering. "CARA!" he shouted, now running down the river bank, desperate to find her. He slammed the phone shut after the line went dead, turning back to look at his parents, who now caught up to his frantic pace. "They're ... doing something ... to her," he said angrily.

"William," Mulder said firmly, "you have to focus. You'll only locate her by focusing."

"We have to go deeper," Will yelled. "I know we do."

Scully looked ahead, seeing the rock walls in the near distance growing in size and proximity to one another. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Fine," Will growled, turning toward the gorge walls ahead and running.

As Will gained a bit of lead on his parents, Scully grabbed Mulder's arm and stopped him for a moment. "Mulder," she said softly. "He's in pain."

"In more ways than one," Mulder said in agreement, joining Scully as they caught up with Will.

"We've inserted the exsanguination lines," one of the bounty hunters said to Cara's captor.

Cara's captor smiled down at her; her eyes filled with tears as she helplessly watched her body being abused. "Let's begin," he said.

Will refused to let his parents see any outward sign of pain, each step closer to the imposing gorge walls like a sting that grew in intensity. The water continued to roll off of his head, dripping into his eyes as he pressed forward. He was hoping, praying for some sort of sign - an indicator of some kind. A neon sign would be nice, he thought, wincing as some of the sand kicked up and brushed against his hands. So far, the water was working to some extent, but he knew there was much further to go, and it would only get harder.

It was Mulder behind him, grabbing his shoulder as he came to Will's side, that stopped him. "Look," Mulder said, pointing into the openness of the opposite side of the gorge. After a second, Will saw what his father was referring to - a cave-like opening that was partially shielded by vegetation. Mulder traced the opening with his eyes to the rest of the gorge, realizing the thickness was more than sufficient to have carved out an underground building.

Will nodded. "Alright, stay here." He knew he had to cross the river, and it was only because of his inhuman strength that he was able to fight the furious currents.

"Cross, then wait for us," Mulder said, still holding Will's shoulder. "We'll go across from the top and call Doggett and Reyes."

Will squinted, seeing the rickety bridge Mulder had spotted about 500 feet ahead suspended in the air. "Are you sure it's stable, Mulder?" Scully asked, her hands resting on her hips.

"Only one way to find out."

As Will turned for the water, Mulder grabbed his arm roughly. "Wait for us," he said with seriousness. He searched his son's eyes, sensing Will was considering going against his request.

With a small nod, Will headed into the waters, diving into the churning flow of the river, his strength propelling him across it with relative ease. Groaning in pain as his hands came into contact with the magnetite from the sand, he stood, feeling almost as cold as he felt in the car with Cara before he administered himself the vial.

Seeing that he made it safely, Mulder and Scully began their trek back up to the top, heading toward the bridge that would carry them across the gorge. Will watched them, grinding his teeth as the pain seared through him. He was close enough to rest on the rock, and it felt as if his body was slowly being pulled from the inside out. He glanced up at the opening, seeing it was a mere climb away, then back toward where his father and mother had gone.

Another surge of pain hit his body, and with hesitance, he whispered, "Sorry, Dad," heading up toward the opening. He knew in his heart he wouldn't be able to last long enough to wait for them, and he had to keep pushing. With each touch of the rock, Will lamented in anguish, his hands feeling raw under the burn of the magnetite. He was thankful he was still soaked by the time he reached the top, somewhat adjusting to the waves of pain as he imagined a woman in labor would adjust to contractions.

Pulling large vines aside, Will ducked into the cave, praying his parents would know his intentions were for the best, and that he would survive to be able to tell them he was wrong.