Mulder sat in the back of the squad car, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, the events of the past few hours swirling around in his mind. The officers had shown up with little warning, like a well-oiled machine, escorting him out of the facility for loitering—*loitering*. He couldn't help but feel the absurdity of it all. He had been *standing* outside, trying to get information on his partner, trying to make sense of the situation. And now, here he was, in a cop car, being carted away as if he were some kind of criminal.
As they pulled up to the station, Mulder was already planning his next move. He wasn't going to stop—he couldn't. Not when Scully was still locked away in that facility, not when every instinct he had screamed that something was terribly wrong.
A few minutes later, Skinner appeared at the station, his face a mixture of annoyance and something darker, something that Mulder couldn't quite read. The assistant director wasn't the type to make a spectacle of things, but Mulder could tell that his arrival wasn't for show—it was for business.
Skinner's eyes narrowed as he approached the desk, a scowl tugging at his lips. "Mulder," he said, his voice tight with barely restrained frustration. "You've got some explaining to do."
Mulder stood up from the bench, brushing off the indignity of the arrest as best he could. He wasn't going to let it distract him. "Sir, something is wrong with that facility. Scully is not there by accident."
Skinner raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but his tone softened just a touch. "I really don't know how she kept up with you," he muttered, shaking his head. "I mean, you're constantly in trouble, Mulder."
Mulder shot him a look that could only be described as *irritated*. "This isn't about me," he said, his voice low but urgent. "This is about Scully. She's being held there, and I don't know why, but I know it's not just for her 'well-being.' There's something off about the whole place. And this doctor—he's the same one who was connected to Penny Northern's death."
Skinner's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes. "What are you saying? You're telling me this is connected to Northern's death? That Scully's not in there for the reasons we were told?"
Mulder's voice grew more urgent. "Yes, I'm telling you that. The facility is hiding something. The people running it—this doctor—he's involved in something bigger. I can feel it. Something happened to Scully, and it wasn't her decision to go in there. She's being manipulated, controlled, and I can't just sit here while they keep her locked up."
Skinner was silent for a long moment, processing the weight of Mulder's words. Finally, he spoke, though his tone remained measured, like he was trying to hold onto some semblance of authority, even as he tried to make sense of what Mulder was telling him.
"You've got no proof of any of this," Skinner said, his voice laced with doubt. "And you've already crossed the line by getting yourself arrested. If you want any chance of making this a case, Mulder, you need to stop acting like a vigilante and work within the system."
Mulder wasn't about to back down, though. "I don't have time for that," he snapped, feeling his pulse quicken with frustration. "You don't understand. Scully's life is at risk, and the longer she's in that facility, the worse it's going to get. We have to move fast, before they do something else to her."
Skinner's face hardened. He was a man of procedure, a man of the law, but even he couldn't ignore the urgency in Mulder's voice. After a moment of silence, Skinner finally sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.
"Fine," he said, his tone resigned. "I'll bail you out. But this better not blow up in our faces, Mulder. You're already walking a tightrope with this investigation."
Mulder's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Skinner to come through for him so quickly. But he knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time. He had to get back to the facility, to Scully, and figure out what was really going on before it was too late.
"Thanks, sir," Mulder said, his voice steady. "I won't let you down."
As Skinner walked away to finalize the bail, Mulder's mind was already racing ahead. There was no going back now. He had to get to the truth, no matter what. And with Skinner's help—or despite it—he was going to get Scully out of there.