Rated NC-17 m/m sexual situations, bad words, violence, blah, blah, blah...

Summary: After A-VIII, the lovely Pat was pining for some good old Muldertorture, and asked if in my next story, I could have Alex rescuing a hurting Mulder from danger. Not sure if I hurt him enough for ya, hon, but I hope you did get some satisfaction from it. Anyway, Mulder gets himself involved in a hostage situation, and just when it looks as though things could get *really* ugly, Alex steps in and saves him. Atta boy, Alex. And now Mulder has gone from the frying pan and into the fire...so to speak.

Disclaimer: Mulder, Krycek, Scully, Skinner, and the Consortium belong to CC...not that he deserves them. The rest are mine.

Props to Nic, Orithain and Sue for assorted squeaks, squeals and squidges. And of course, the occasional threat. Big hugs to the lovely Pat for helping me kick off yet another series...cause you know, that's *just* what I needed...

Mmmmmm....feeedback....you can feed me at mmcusn@aol.com

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Not On My Watch

by Aries

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Dana Scully turned over and burrowed deeper into the pile of blankets over her body. That wasn't her doorbell she just heard. Couldn't be. It was still dark for goodness sake, and who'd be at her door anyway, on a Saturday morning besides...

The ringing sounded again.

...Mulder.

She opened one eye and attempted to focus it on the glowing red numbers on her clock.

Five-twenty.

"Shit."

Scully dragged herself out of bed and trudged into the living room. She peered through the peephole and groaned. This couldn't be good. She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing her partner to enter.

"Mulder, I thought you were going to spend the weekend in bed and try o get rid of that cold. And I assume that the reason you're here so early....on a Saturday...has something if not everything to do with that folder you're carrying."

"Sorry, Scully." Mulder walked over to the sofa and dropped down into the right-hand corner of it. He opened up the folder and splayed its contents out on the coffee table. He checked his watch, then proceeded to explain himself. "Do you recall a case we investigated three years ago in Washington State, where a man by the name of Roger Beals had convinced a large group of inmates at a local Washington state hospital that he was an alien visitor who had come to save a select few people before the whole world was atomized?"

"Yeah. He was a guard at the hospital, right?"

Mulder nodded. "He helped them escape and got them to commit a number of thefts before they were all rounded up and brought back."

"Right. He dodged local law enforcement for a while afterward. Killed a deputy and a seventy-year-old woman, then disappeared. You figured out where to find him, but none of the weapons or money that the inmates had stolen were ever recovered."

"Well, guess what?"

"Do I want to know?"

"He escaped from prison three days ago, taking four buddies with him, and six hostages they picked up along the way, and the police have tracked them into the Olympic Mountain range."

"What's this got to do with us?"

"They've surrounded him in an abandoned vacation lodge. Apparently *that* is where he had the weapons and money hidden all this time. They've taken enough supplies with them to last a good long while, and their hostages consist of three women, one man, an eleven-year-old boy, and a three-year-old girl."

"Ohhh..."

"Yeah."

"What does he want?"

"Me."

"What?"

"*I* found him. *I* made him miss his *ship*..."

"You...you mean he really thinks he's an alien?"

"Apparently. And he's pissed."

"And dangerous. Mulder, I hope you don't think you're going to..."

"There's not a whole lot of choice, Scully. Do you want to hear what he's threatening to do to those people and the children *before* he kills them?"

Scully gave no answer.

"Come on, get dressed. Our flight leaves in two hours."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Beals....*Beals*."

"What?"

"When are we gonna get outta here, man? These chicks are really starting to get on my nerves with all their whimpering and whining. And all that baby does is cry..."

"Patience, Leon. They'll come for us when I give the signal."

"Well, give it already!"

"Not yet. I have to settle my account with that fibbie who put me away, first."

"Aww, how the hell do you even know he'll come?"

"He will."

"Maybe they're just stalling, you ever think of that? Trying to keep us quiet until they can storm this joint..."

"Would you shut *up*? I know what I'm doing. You think they're gonna risk the lives of these women and kids?"

"Who the fuck knows what's on their minds? What if they call your bluff?"

Beals gave him an unsettling, blank stare. "Who said I was bluffing?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ford Explorer made its way slowly up the steep path, the deep treads of the tires kicking out fresh snow as they turned. The three people inside rode in silence, keeping all eyes on the road, or what could be seen of it through the heavily falling blanket of white.

The radio crackled, startling the agents and drawing their attention.

"Base to Burton, where are ya, Mike?"

"Hey, Wes. We're about a half mile from you...at least I think we are. Between the dark and the snow, it's kinda hard to tell."

"Well, ain't nothin' changed up here, so take it slow and we'll see you in a few."

"Okay, Wes. Out." The deputy turned to the woman who sat beside him. "This jerk picked a hell of a time of year to act up. Winter up here is no joke."

Scully nodded and looked back at her partner who had settled against the back seat and closed his eyes. She cursed him silently, noting the paleness to his skin. He should be home, taking care of himself. He'd been fighting this cold for almost a week now, and it wasn't getting any better.

She shifted her attention away from her irritation and back to his face. His eyes were still closed, but she knew better than to think he was resting. She could hear that mind of his clicking away, analyzing and re-analyzing the information he had on Roger Beals..reviewing his plan of action. And though he gave nothing away, Scully knew trouble loomed. The scent of it clung to him and she wished with all her heart that it would go away. Every foot they gained toward the base, increased her anxiety.

The Explorer skidded, drawing Scully as well as Mulder out of their thoughts.

"Sorry 'bout that," Burton winced, getting control of the wheel. "Hang on, we'll be there in a minute. Those are the lights up ahead."

Mulder pulled himself up with a soft groan, and pitched forward. His eyes scanned his surroundings, seeing nothing more than snow-covered darkness, and a few pinpoints of light in the distance. "What's the terrain like around here?"

"Runs the gamut. Rocky...dense forests...water...tough going for the experienced, next to impossible if you're not familiar with the area. Naturally, this weather only makes it worse. If we hadn't tracked Beals out here, he'd have been able to hide out for as long as his supplies held out. We gotta get him inside the lodge. He apparently knows his way around these mountains, and if he flees..."

Mulder fell back into silence as they slowly approached the base camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wes Lawson stepped out of the command cabin and hitched his collar up a little higher. He blinked and shielded his face against the driving snow, searching for Mike Burton's vehicle. The headlights became visible, cutting through the storm and bringing to the man watching them, a sense of irrational relief that there *was* life out there...that he and the small group of men inside the cabin *weren't* the only people out here on what seemed like the edge of the earth.

The Explorer pulled up in front of the cabin, and idled to a stop. Burton cut the engine, and he and his two companions climbed down out of the vehicle, joining Wes Lawson in his slow trek back to the small wooden structure. Once inside, the deputy did introductions.

Sheriff Wes Lawson, this Special Agent Mulder and Agent Scully." He pointed at the other men in the room, one by one. "And these yahoos are Deputies Jackson, Blumenthal, Smith, Ganon and Silva."

The agents nodded at the other men, and turned back to the sheriff. Mulder jumped right in.

"What's the last contact you had with Beals?"

"About three hours ago. He wanted to know when you were coming. Said the next voice he wanted to hear was yours, and if *we* tried to contact him, one of the hostages was going to be a very unhappy camper."

"How did he sound?"

The sheriff cocked his head.

"His tone. Did he sound nervous? Agitated?"

"Umm...no. No, he was actually very calm. Soft spoken, even."

"Did he ask for anything?"

"Just you."

Scully turned away.

"Has he mentioned the hostages?"

"I tried asking, but he said that he wouldn't discuss anything with us until you were here."

"Well," Mulder began, brushing some melting snow out of his hair, "I'm here. Let's see what he's got to say."

Lawson nodded and turned to the radio. He switched bands, and raised the handset to his mouth. "Beals? You out there?"

Silence.

He tried again. "Beals, this is Lawson, come on."

Nothing.

Mulder took the handset from the sheriff and held the button down. "Beals. This is Agent Mulder. You wanted me, I'm here." Mulder sniffed and cleared his throat, waiting almost a full minute before an answer crackled back at him.

"You know, I had a dog once that would *never* come when I called for him. I tried and I tried to teach him, but he just wouldn't learn. *You*, on the other hand, came the first time I called. What a good boy."

"They got dogs up on your planet, Beals?"

Silence.

"Look, you've got some people up there who would really rather be in the warmth of their own homes. Why don't you let them go? If you do, this'll go a lot easier for you."

"Me? Thanks, Mulder, but this is going just fine for me. But it won't be going too well for these nice people if you don't do what I say."

"What do you want, Beals?"

Scully's eyes widened. "Mulder," she whispered, "don't."

"You."

"You've got me. I flew across the country and drove up this damn mountain in the middle of a blizzard because you wanted me here. Now let those people go and we'll talk."

"No. No, no, no. I want to see you. You have to come up here. Then I'll think about letting them go."

"Mulder," Scully grasped her partner's arm. "We cannot give this man what he wants. You said it yourself. He's pissed at you. You walk in there, and I can almost guarantee that we'll be carrying you out. And you *know* that he isn't likely to let any of those people go. Let's please for once, do this by the book."

Mulder listened to his partner, then again raised the handset. "Beals. Let the two kids go now. We'll send two..."

"You want em? Come on up. I'll cut em loose as soon as you get here. You can bring your partner up with you and she can take em back."

"I'll come up with one of the deputies."

"No. If I see even one of them, it's all off. I'll kill these little monsters, then I'll go through the others one by...after we have a little fun with them, of course. Now, I know you got that pretty partner with you. You two always seemed to be joined at the hip. You know, if I had more time, I'd tell you to bring her on up into the lodge with you and we could party. Oh, well."

Mulder glanced at Scully, who was staring back at him, shaking her head imploringly.

"I'm coming, Beals. But I don't set foot inside until you send the two kids out and you allow Agent Scully to take them away."

"Hey, that's cool. No tricks, now. I don't want to tell you in mixed company what one of my friends has been dying to do. See, the guy we got up here ain't half bad looking, and poor J.T. is missing his bitch back home..."

A shudder ran through Scully, and she moaned softly. "Mulder....I'm not kidding. You can't go up there. I've got a very bad feeling..."

Mulder held a hand up, attempting to shush his partner. "Look, you guys are in enough trouble. Don't add any more charges to all the ones you've already racked up." His only answer was a static-laden chuckle.

"You comin' or what?"

"Yeah. It's going to take a little while though. The snow is really coming down out there."

"You have an hour."

The air went dead.

"Beals....Beals?" Mulder signed off and turned to his agitated partner. "Scully, this guy *will* kill those people."

"Yes, I believe that too. But he's going to do it whether you go up there or not. The only hope is to take him by surprise, and dammit, Mulder, if you're up there, it'll just make things harder."

"Scully, if I don't go, he won't let the kids go."

"What makes you think..."

"He will. He knows I won't go into the lodge unless he does. If I can save the children, I have to."

Scully closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Agent Mulder, if you don't mind me saying so, I don't think you should give in to him, either."

"I appreciate all the concern, Sheriff. Believe me, if I thought this could be resolved from the warmth of this cabin, I wouldn't be going. Now, who's going to take us up?"

All the men looked at their boss. Seeing that no objections were forthcoming, Luis Silva stepped forward.

"I'll do it."

Mulder nodded, and turned to Lawson. "I need two vehicles."

"Two?"

"Yeah, you heard Beals. He doesn't want to see any deputies, but I don't want Scully to have to drive back in this weather alone with two kids. Silva can lead us up there and wait at a safe distance for her to come back down."

"Mulder," Scully tried again. "I *cannot* drive you up to that lodge and just leave you there. We need a plan, we need..."

"And I'm counting on you to come up with one. I'll do my best to keep him talking while you do that."

"But we've got no way to keep in touch. How will I know what's going on up there? How will *you* know when we're coming in?"

Mulder smiled. "Turn on your E.S.P."

"Dammit, Mulder..."

Mulder laid a hand on Scully's goose down-covered shoulder. "I trust you to get us all out of there in one piece. Now, let's go. Those kids are waiting."

Scully followed her partner out, knowing that there was no way in hell that she could change his mind once it was made up.

Lawson directed them to a tan Chevy Blazer and handed Mulder the keys. "It's not far. Only about two miles straight up and to the right. You'll have to walk in from the road about fifty yards. The front entrance faces the road."

"What about other entrances?"

"There's one on the north side of the building and two on the east. It's three floors high, and there's a basement with an east exit. Used to be a tunnel, but I heard it was cemented over years and years ago." Lawson squinted up the road, then his gaze fell back on the man whose eyes he met almost on a level. "Good luck, Agent Mulder. Don't take any unnecessary chances."

"A little too late for that," Scully muttered, not looking at either man.

Mulder motioned to Scully, and walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle. Both doors slammed shut, and Scully tried once more.

"Explain to me again, Mulder, why we have to rush headlong into this. The man is unstable. He's a kidnapper, a killer, and God knows what else. He's fixated on the notion that *you* prevented him from leaving the first time and relegated him to three years in prison, and he'd like to make you pay for that. So tell me why the hell you're walking right into his hands."

"How many times are you going to ask me this, Scully?"

"Well, since we'll be at the lodge soon, this'll probably be the last time. I wish to hell you would give me an answer I could understand and agree with."

"You mean to tell me that if it was you some nut was asking for, and he was going to kill innocent children if you didn't go to him, you'd let it happen?"

Scully bit her lower lip and looked out the passenger's side window at the snow which seemed to have slowed a bit.

"I didn't think so. It'll be okay, Scully. Just get the kids to safety, then work on the rest of us."

The vehicle in front of the Blazer began to slow down from it's near-crawl, then stopped. An arm thrust itself out the window and waved them ahead. Mulder pulled up beside Silva, and Scully rolled her window down. The deputy pointed up the road. "A quarter mile straight ahead. Then look to the right and you'll see the lodge. I'll wait here for Agent Scully."

Mulder nodded to the man. "Thanks. If she isn't back with the kids in a reasonable amount of time, notify Lawson to take the place."

"Will do."

Mulder proceeded up the road, and just as Silva had instructed, stopped a quarter of a mile up. He and Scully found the glowing lights of the lodge off to the right, and he unfastened his seatbelt. He exited the vehicle, and waited for his partner to hop down from the passenger's side. He handed Scully his weapon, and she blanched.

"Mulder..."

"You know they're going to check me for it as soon as I come through the door. Why make it harder on myself?"

Scully tucked the Sig Sauer into her jacket, and the two trudged toward the lodge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, Leon, you don't really think he's an alien, do you?"

"Shit, no. But letting him think I believed him got me out of the joint."

"Yeah, but now look where we are. You think they're gonna let us walk out of here and go on our merry way?"

"The man's a flake, Ronnie, but he's smart. And he's determined. We'll get out of here. And as soon as we're in the clear, we break."

Ronnie peered out the window. "I think Skeez and J.T. believe him."

"Yeah, think about that for a sec. Skeez says he talks to people at night in his cell who aren't there, and J.T...I'm just glad that we nabbed a guy along with those bitches. You know I found him licking the guy's face a little while ago when I went to check on them? If he wasn't tied up, the man would've dug through the wall to get away from him."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"I....hey....I think I see something. Yep. It's them."

Leon rose from his seat by the window. "I'll go tell Beals. Keep an eye on them." The man slipped quickly out of the room and went off to find Beals.

Beals lay on the floor in the middle of the main dining room, stretched flat out on his back, hands behind his head, and eyes closed. The slight shift in air current alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone. His eyes remained closed as he spoke. "What is it, Leon?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Have you got something to tell me?"

"Yeah. They're coming."

A slow smile spread across the prone man's face. "Goodie. Get the brats."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The door to the lodge opened, and Scully's heart attempted to climb up out of her throat. She wanted desperately to hold on to her partner and not allow this to happen, but it was beyond her now. The faces of the children as they were led out of the lodge...the twelve year old boy, and more so, the wide, frightened eyes of the three year old girl, clutched at her heart. If Mulder didn't go through with this, these innocent babies would be dragged back inside, and more than likely killed. She fought to maintain her composure as Mulder took another step forward and spoke to the man in the doorway.

"Okay, Beals. Let them go."

"Come closer, Agent Mulder."

Mulder took two steps and stopped. "Now. Let Agent Scully take them."

Beals smirked at Mulder, skimming the boy's cheek with his gun. He paused, then released his hold. "Well, children, it's been lovely, but now you must be going. The nice lady over there will take you with her." Before he allowed the children to leave, he bent and gave the little girl a brief kiss on her cheek. "You behave for Miss Scully, now."

The children were finally released, and Scully gathered both into her arms as soon as they got close enough.

"All right now, Agent Scully. You've got what you came for. Shoo shoo. Agent Mulder and I have some business to attend to."

Scully looked desperately to her partner. "Mulder..."

"It's all right, Scully. Get those kids back to their parents."

Beals grinned and stepped to the side of the door, motioning Mulder in with a grand sweep of his arm.

Scully moved away slowly, watching her partner until he disappeared into the lodge, and the door slammed shut. She now picked up the three year old, and holding onto the boy's hand, made for the Blazer as quickly as she could move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roger Beals approached Mulder and stood smiling at him. "So. How ya been?"

Mulder shrugged as Leon searched him. "Ah, you know. Same old shit. Go to work. Come home from work. Eat. Sleep."

"Yeah, well, the same old shit can be a comforting thing when you're home. I could've been home three years ago, but noooo."

"Where *is* home?"

Beals planted one fist on his hip. "Would you tell me where *you* lived if I asked you?"

"Well, I'm curious, you know? You say you're not of this...world. That fascinates me. I'd like to hear more about it."

Beals raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you'll hear more, Agent Mulder." He motioned Leon away, and in one blinding movement, struck Mulder across the jaw with his weapon.

Mulder hit the floor with a loud thud. Blackness enveloped him for a moment, then red, and finally shooting light, as consciousness fought to take hold. A wavy figure squatted beside him, and he struggled to hear the slightly slurred words.

"But you're going to hear what I *want* you to hear. Did you know that I was pistol whipped quite often in prison? Oh, yeah, they *say* that the inmates are treated fairly, but that's bullshit, in case you didn't know it." He grazed the line of Mulder's nose with the barrel of the gun, then tapped his cheek with it. "Get up."

Mulder lay still, trying to get his body to work in conjunction with his head. When he was thinking clearly enough to register pain, he pulled himself up and staggered to his feet.

Leon watched from a distance, wincing. He remained quiet as Beals circled the wounded man.

"You want to hear about the other things they do in jail, Mulder? Huh? Sure you do. Let's play show and tell..."

"Beals."

The circling man looked up at the man who had just entered the room. "Yeah, Ronnie, what do you want?"

"It...it's J.T., man. He's all over the guy, and he's scaring the shit out of the women. I tried to get him to leave him alone, but he won't."

Beals shook his head. "J.T., J.T...." He looked up at Mulder and smiled. "Would you like to meet J.T., Agent Mulder? I'm sure he'd love to meet you." Beals spun the teetering man around and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. "Hands behind your back." He attached the cuffs, then pushed Mulder toward the hall. They climbed one flight of steps, then proceeded halfway down the hall. Beals pulled Mulder to a stop in front of the doors of a middle room, and listened to the frightened sobs within. He flung the doors open, and pushed the cuffed man inside.

The three women sobbed hysterically and tried to huddle together as the man called J.T. sprawled over the male hostage, biting and licking his shoulder while grinding his hips into his thigh.

"C'mon baby, give it up. You know you like it..."

The man squirmed underneath J.T., struggling to get away. "Get *off* me!" His voice crackled with fear. "*Please*..."

"J.T., get the hell off of him. Come on now, I got somebody for you to meet."

J.T. ceased movement, and licked the side of the hostage's face before slithering down and off of his body, leaving the man shaking and pale. J.T.'s eyes lit up as they scoured the length of the body that swayed before them. "Well, now. What have we here?"

"J.T., this is my friend Agent Mulder. Agent Mulder, this is J.T."

The man moved in for closer inspection. "Very pretty. What's your first name, gorgeous?"

Beals snickered. "Fox."

"You're kidding."

"I kid you not."

J.T. observed the darkening bruise that ran along Mulder's jaw. "What happened to your face, pretty Fox?"

Mulder lifted his chin a little and closed hs eyes. "Ask your buddy here."

"Agent Mulder and I were just starting a round of show and tell when I had to come up here and see what you were doing to our hostages."

"I didn't touch any of the chicks, but damn, Beals, I miss my Trevor. We should have brought him with us."

"Trevor was a wuss, J.T. He'd never have made it this far."

J.T.'s eyes slipped from Beals to the floor. "G-Dog is probably all over him by now....I need to get me some, man."

Beals pushed against the back of Mulder's head with the tips of his fingers. "See...in prison, this is what a lot of the men resort to. When I decide to continue with our game, I'll let J.T. take you on a typical cell block *date*. Oh, you ought to love that."

"Yeah," J.T. breathed against Mulder's cheek. "Mmm...damn, Beals, he smells good. I want him soon, okay?"

"When I give the word."

"Give the word soon. If you do, I'll promise to leave that one alone." He motioned with his head in the direction of the hostage.

"When I'm done with him, you can have him."

"Hey, uh...guys? Don't I get a say?" Mulder pitched forward, groaning as he absorbed a blow to the ribs. He fell to his knees, hearing the renewed whimpers of the frightened women as he felt something inside him crack.

"No, Agent Mulder, you do not. Just like you left me without a choice, now it's your turn. Now, get up and come with me."

Mulder remained on his knees, gasping softly, and trying to manage the pain. The kick just delivered to his ribs did nothing to help him. He doubled over, groaning.

Beals grasped his newest hostage by the back of his collar, and yanked him up. "I said, get up. He peered down at Mulder, studying the ashen face, dotted with beads of perspiration. "What's wrong, Agent Mulder? Did that hurt? Hurt like hell when the guards did it to me, I'll tell ya. But I gotta give you credit. You're a better man than I am. I cried like a baby. Yeah, that's right, I'm not ashamed to admit it. I cannot *stand* pain. I whimper and whine like..." Beals pointed to the man curled up on the floor, "..like that guy. Kind of embarrassing, really." He approached Mulder and rubbed the barrel of his gun under the agent's chin. "See, I have to make you understand that. You have to know first hand, the indignities I suffered because of you. I was respected in my world. No one would have dared do to me what those guards did. And I could have been back there if it wasn't for you, you son of a bitch!"

Mulder spoke softly, measuring every labored breath. "I didn't tell you to bust a bunch of psych patients out of a state hospital, make them commit a bunch of crimes, then kill two people. You did that on your own. And that's why you went to jail."

Beals smiled, then backhanded Mulder, amplifying the throbbing in his face. "When I want your opinion, bitch, I'll give it to you."

J.T. watched the scene, squirming where he stood. "God, Rog, you can't do this to me. Let me fuck him real quick, then you can have him back. I just need to take the edge off...."

"No. Agent Mulder and I got more to *discuss* first. Then I promise, you can have him."

Mulder stood, legs spread slightly, doing everything he could to keep his balance. His jaw ached with a dull, relentless throb, and he was pretty sure that he had cracked a rib or two. As welcoming as unconsciousness seemed to him at the moment, he knew he had to stay alert. Scully would be working on a plan to get them all out, and he had to keep his eyes and ears open. Besides, the thought of J.T. doing the things to him that he was dying to do, was more unpleasant than the intermittent beatings that Beals had been dishing out. He moved as soon as Beals had placed a hand behind his back and pushed him toward the door. The men split up in the hall, Beals, Mulder and Leon going one way, and J.T. and Ronnie going in the other. J.T. called to him as they disappeared from sight.

"I'll see you soon, pretty Fox. Then we're have gonna have us a party. Just you and me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The children slept soundly, safe and warm on two cots in the corner of the cabin. Scully watched them, her mind wandering to her partner.

//My God, Mulder, I understand your reasons, but...// She inhaled deeply, holding the breath for a long while before letting it out. //What's going on up there? Just...hang on, okay? The cavalry is coming.//

Part of "the cavalry" arrived a couple of hours later. Agents from the state office descended on the cabin, pushing the locals out of the way, and began to set up their own equipment. Scully found the senior agent and introduced herself.

"I'm Special Agent Scully. Thank you for getting up here so quickly."

The short, thin man in the rumpled suit shook her hand. "Agent Scully, I'm Agent Miller. What have we got?"

"My partner is up in that lodge, being held with four civilians, by five men. The leader, Roger Beals, is an unstable man who claims to be an alien. He's a charismatic man who somehow manages to convince others of this as well. Three years ago, he sprung a group of inmates from the state hospital where he worked as a guard. He talked these people into committing a number of crimes, mostly robberies. Money and arms were what he targeted. He killed two people before Agent Mulder tracked him down. Prison information on the other four are as follows..."

The other agents in the room gathered around to hear the information and look at pictures of the targets.

"...Leon Glassman. Two bank robberies and aggravated assault. For the most part, he's kept his nose clean while in prison until now. Umm...Ronnie Wilson. Dealing. Possession...assault....Bill Roberts a.k.a. 'Skeez'. Second degree murder. Psychotic. Holds lengthy conversation with no one. And John 'J.T.' Thomas. Aggravated assault, three rapes on young men, possession of illegal firearms. These aren't boyscouts up there, guys, and they've got my partner. No mistakes, all right?"

Miller laid a hand on her arm. "Don't worry, Agent Scully. We'll get your partner and the others out alive. Has anyone tried contacting Beals since Agent Mulder went up?"

"I tried once, but he wouldn't answer."

The other agent looked at the children in the corner. "What about them?"

"Their parents are on their way up. They should be here soon."

"Good. The fewer people in the way, the better."

"Well, we've got at least one more coming to the party."

"Who?"

"My boss. A.D. Skinner from D.C. I called to notify him of the latest developments, and he insisted on coming."

Miller raised his eyebrows. "You know, I've heard a little about your partner. He's supposed to be a brilliant profiler, if just a little bit cracked..." he held up his hands. "No offense. I'm just repeating what I heard."

"Agent Mulder is very good at what he does."

"Yeah, well he's gotta be something special to rate the personal attention of the A.D. I could disappear up here and my boss'd never miss a beat."

Scully shifted from one foot to the other. She just couldn't shift her attention enough to show the man any sympathy. "Yeah...well, uh...let's get to work, shall we?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mulder sat quietly in the corner of the dining room. His hands were still cuffed behind his back, but he had now been divested of his jacket and two outer shirts, leaving him in his jeans and undershirt. He shivered in the chilled air of the large room, and let his head drop to his chest.

Sleep. All he wanted to do was sleep the pain away, but the little voice in the back of his mind kept rousing him, telling him that he had to stay awake.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room. All was quiet and the room was empty except for himself and Ronnie. The other man must have felt Mulder's eyes on him, because he spun from his post at the window and peered into the dark corner.

"You awake, now?"

"Wasn't sleeping. Listen..." He paused to cough. "..Ronnie? That's your name, right? You guys are in a lot of trouble, here. Kidnapping is no petty crime. And if your friend J.T. there, touches that man, things'll be even worse for you."

Ronnie approached. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"He wants you bad."

Mulder turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. "Beals has already put you in deeper. Assault on a federal officer isn't a good thing. You let J.T. r-rape...me, and I can pretty much guarantee that none of you will ever see the light of day again..."

"Ronnie!"

Ronnie spun to his feet, meeting the angry gaze of the man who had just entered the room. "Rog..."

"What are you doing?"

"I was just...just checking on him. He seems to be cold."

Beals leaned over the man propped up in the corner. "Is that right, Agent Mulder? Are you cold?"

"It *is* a bit drafty in here."

"It was cold in the joint. Or hotter than hell...never a happy medium, you know? Hey...let me tell you about the time some of the prisoners started fires in their cells. The warden decided that rather than initiate a lock-down, he'd turn us all out into the courtyard. It was cold that day, man, and we had to hustle outside wearing nothing but whatever we happened to have on at the time. We lay face down on the ground for an hour, while they secured the inside. Can't tell you how many guys got sick."

"That's unfortunate."

"Yeah. For you, it is." Beals hauled Mulder to his feet, ignoring the soft grunts, and pushed him out of the room. Ronnie followed close behind.

"Rog...hey, Rog, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let my friend here experience what it was like that day, so he can fully appreciate what we've been through." Beals dragged the back door open, and pushed Mulder outside. The snow had slowed considerably, but the wind had picked up, making it feel twenty degrees colder than it actually was. The wind had drifted the snow away from the area around the door, and Beals made Mulder lie face-down there on the bricked patio. "Now, isn't this fun?" he asked, patting Mulder on the back. "Nice and cold, isn't it? Now, we're gonna stay out here for an hour, Mulder. And then we'll..."

"Rog..."

"What?"

"When they did that to us, it wasn't nearly this cold. You can't leave him out here that long. The man is obviously sick already. He'll *die*."

Beals considered the other man's words. "Well, I guess you're right about that, Ronnie. I wouldn't want to kill him too soon. Still way too much fun ahead of us. Okay, Mulder. Fifteen minutes. That should be long enough for you to get the picture."

Ronnie covered his face with his hands, then began to massage his temples. "Rog," he began evenly, "Rog, have you really thought this out? I know you're pissed with the guy, but Jesus Christ, the trouble that we're gonna be in if we're caught..."

"Don't sweat it, Ronnie. We will *not* be caught. We only need to hold out for two more days, all right? Then we'll be outta here."

"They're...they're gonna come for us?"

"Yeah. So we gotta be ready."

//Jesus Christ, this guy's a fucking fruitcake.// "What about the hostages?"

Beals gave him an odd look. "They won't be coming with us."

Mulder lay shivering, listening to the conversation.

Ronnie.

Ronnie was the weak link. He had to keep at him. He had to talk to him as often as he could. He needed someone else. Not that it would exactly even up the sides, but it would be a start. He shifted slightly, feeling the numbness begin in the parts of his body that touched the ground. Well, at least it dulled the pain...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daylight.

Scully stepped outside and stretched. God, she was exhausted. They'd gone all night without a word from Beals, and she was scared to death of what he might be doing to her partner.

Partial relief came in the imposing form of A.D. Skinner, just stepping down out of the Blazer that had carried Mulder into that maniac's clutches.

"Agent Scully," Skinner called as he approached, with two agents following behind. His eyes narrowed on his agent's drained face. "Any more word?"

"No, sir. Agent Mulder said he would make every effort to contact me. That he hasn't done so, has really got me worried."

"Agent Scully!"

Scully whirled in the direction of Mike Burton's voice.

"Beals is calling."

Scully and Skinner took off toward the cabin at a fast trot, plowing through the knee-deep snow. They burst through the door, and Scully snatched up the handset. "Beals?"

"Good morning, Agent Scully. How was your night?"

"Beals...I want to speak to Agent Mulder."

"Can't do that."

"Why not?"

"He's uh...asleep. You wouldn't want in interrupt pretty boy's beauty sleep, would you?"

Scully released the button and spoke to Skinner. "If Mulder is asleep, there's something wrong..."

"Agent Scully..."

"I'm here."

"Your partner easily susceptible to fevers?"

"*Dammit*!" She pressed the button. "Has he got a fever?"

"Mmmm, well, we spent a little time outside last night, and he wasn't properly dressed, and I'm afraid that he does feel a little warm this morning."

Scully heard the man stifle a snicker. "Listen, you son of a bitch..."

"Ah, ah, ah. Such language is quite unbecoming for a woman as lovely as yourself."

"I need to see him, Beals. I'm a doctor. I can take care of him."

"Take care of him? Why would I want you to do that?"

"Because if he dies, so will you. I'll see to it myself!"

Skinner grasped Scully's arm, attempting to calm her down. "Agent Scully...easy..."

"Tell them to clear the way, Agent Scully. I must be leaving here soon. If you promise me safe passage, I'll leave him here for you."

Scully looked to Skinner. Gaining a nod of approval, she spoke into the handset. "*Alive*, Beals. You leave him and all the others *alive*, and we'll let you come through."

"Yes, yes, alive. I'll be in touch. I'm off now, to check in on my special guest."

The air went dead, and Scully threw the handset down on the table. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, sir."

"Neither do I, Scully. We need to get the upper hand on him, somehow. We need an edge."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Word has just come down that the hostage situation in which Agent Mulder is involved, has escalated. Agent Mulder is apparently not being treated well, and if help doesn't reach him soon, he may die."

Smoke swirled through the room inhabited by roughly fifteen men. They looked from one to the other in silence. Finally another voice sounded.

"Agent Mulder was once an asset to us. We all know that now, due to recent events, he has turned into a liability. If this had happened two months ago, I would elect to influence the outcome of this standoff. Now, I believe that it would be best to let things travel along their natural course."

"This Beals person has been investigated. I don't believe that he will allow Agent Mulder or any of the other hostages to walk out of there alive."

"So be it, then. If Agent Mulder dies, it will be to our benefit."

A tiny hiss sounded from the shadows, not loud enough for anyone to hear. The hiss turned into a soft growl, then faded away, as did the undetected presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beads of sweat rolled down Mulder's face, and he shivered violently. God, he felt like shit. Between the ache in his jaw, his ribs, and now what felt like an internal heat to rival the flames of hell, he just wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep. The thought that he might not wake up again was the only thing that prevented him from doing so.

Leon entered the room, followed by Skeez, laughing and talking to no one in particular. Leon squatted, and pulled Mulder up into a sitting position. "Got some water for you." He held a small plastic cup up to the shivering man's lips. Very thirsty, Mulder took a bigger sip than he should have, and began to choke. Skeez giggled uncontrollably, and snatched the cup from Leon's grip.

"Skeez, gimme that."

The other man teetered in front of Mulder, keeping the cup out of Leon's grasp. "You want more? Huh, Foxy?" He giggled louder. "They said you don't like that...Foxy...you know, as soon as I was old enough to pull it off, I woulda killed my parents for stickin' me with a name like that..."

"Skeez..."

"So...more?"

Glazed hazel eyes peeked up at the man through a curtain of thick, golden-brown lashes. Mulder said nothing.

"Aww, I'll give it to you anyway." With a flick of his wrist, the man emptied the contents of the cup, and laughed hysterically as it dripped down Mulder's face.

"You're such an asshole, you know that, Skeez? Now I gotta go get him some more."

"What the hell for? Beals is gonna kill 'im anyway..."

"No he isn't. This fibbie is our ticket outta here. If he dies, they won't give a fuck about us. We gotta keep him alive at least until we're free and clear."

"Yeah? That what you're gonna tell Beals when he's ready to kill 'im?"

"Beals is as fruity as you are."

Skeez cackled, obviously amused.

"Now, you can go with him to wherever it is he thinks he's going, or you can come with Ronnie and me."

"You mean you don't wanna leave this planet with us?"

Leon shook his head. "Uh...no. No, I kinda like it here."

"Suit yourself."

"Right. Now, come on. Gotta go get him some more water."

Skeez hopped up from his position on the floor, and bent over Mulder. "Be back in a little while, Foxy. Don't go nowhere."

Mulder heard the door close, then open again almost immediately. Had he dozed off between the time the two men had left and come back, or was this someone else?"

"Morning, pretty Fox."

J.T.

//Shit.//

"I saw those other two losers leaving, so I thought I'd come in and see how you were doing..." J.T. squatted in front of him, and traced the larger than normal swell of his lips. "You're warm." He inhaled and exhaled audibly. "Wonder how warm you are on the inside..."

Mulder turned his head, trying to escape the other man's touch.

"I bet you're *real* tight....or not. Pretty as you are, I can't imagine that you wouldn't get lots of play from both sides of the fence." J.T. drew his fingers down Mulder's chin, then the long column of his throat. "Mmm....sweaty...slick..." He withdrew his hand and raised his fingers to his lips. "Salty..."

"J.T., leave him alone."

The squatting man winked at Mulder, then rose to his feet. "What's your problem, Leon?"

"You heard what Beals said. You're not to touch him until he says you can."

"I'm not doing anything. We're just getting acquainted, aren't we, pretty Fox? I figured we could dispense with the conversation and foreplay now, so we can just go straight to fucking, later."

"You're a sick motherfucker, you know that?"

"No, I believe *he's* sick. Tell Beals I want a piece of him before he up and dies on me." J.T. nudged Mulder's crotch with the tip of his shoe. "I'll be back, babe. Hang in there, okay?"

Leon watched the other man leave the room, then bent over, righting Mulder. "Let's see if we can't get more of this in you than *on* you, now. Skeez followed J.T. off, so we shouldn't have a problem."

Mulder managed to finish the water, then leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

Leon studied him for a brief moment, then got up and walked silently away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scully sipped at a cup of coffee that easily resembled sludge. But it was hot and it was strong, and that's exactly what she needed at the moment. She walked up behind Skinner, who was looking out the window. "Sir?"

The A.D. turned and accepted the second cup she held. "What's he waiting for?"

"I don't know. But Mulder's sick, and we have to get him out of there."

Skinner nodded, turning his attention back to the window. "We're going to have to find a way to sneak someone in."

"There are five of them. It'll take more than just one person to handle all of them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lone figure picked its way through the woods. Covered in white, he almost disappeared into the snowy background. The small bag he carried swished softly against the nylon of his jacket, creating the only sound in the gathering darkness. He stopped momentarily, checking his bearings, then continued on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, let's go over this again." Agent Scully paced as she briefed the team of three that they were about to send up to the lodge. "Stay low, stay in contact, and keep your eyes peeled. The minute you think you've got a window, take it."

The team leader nodded curtly. "Yes, ma'am. Try not to worry. We've never missed a target."

"Well, let's just keep that perfect record intact, all right? Four civilians and an ill federal agent are counting on you."

The men waited for night to fall completely, before advancing up the mountain. Scully, Skinner, and Sheriff Lawson watched them until they could no longer see. As they returned to the cabin, Skinner laid a reassuring hand on Scully's shoulder. "They're the best we've got, Scully. They'll get him out."

"I know, sir. But will they get him out alive?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beals' laughter echoed around the empty room. "You are a real tough guy, you know that, Agent Mulder? I love it." He lifted Mulder's head, studying the rapidly blackening eye. "Well....not too pretty any more, but at this point, I don't think that J.T.'ll much care. He's about ready to climb the walls....hey! J.T., I was just talking about you."

"Yeah? What about?"

"I was just telling our friend here, that I'm through with him. He's all yours."

J.T. was practically salivating. "Ohhhh, yes. Come on, baby. You and me are gonna have some fun..."

"Listen, you don't have to move him. I'll go. You can have the dining room."

"Uh uh. I want him upstairs. Want that other bitch to see what he's missing."

Beals laughed softly. "You really are a sick bastard. Okay, take him."

J.T. hauled the barely conscious man to his feet, bearing almost all of his weight. "I think I'm gonna need some help getting him upstairs, Rog."

"Okay, okay, let's hurry up, though. I got some last minute prepping to do before we leave tomorrow."

The two men lifted Mulder and dragged him out into the hall, where Ronnie was just passing into.

"Hey...what are you guys doing with him?"

J.T. have him a demonic grin. "My turn."

"C'mon, guys. Do you have to? The guy's so sick and in so much pain, he can't even stand up."

"Shut up, Ronnie, and get back to your post."

Ronnie gave the limp man a sympathetic look, and deciding that it was better Mulder than him, obeyed Beals' order, and went back down to the first floor.

The two men carried Mulder up to the room where the other hostages were kept, and laid him out on the floor.

"Okay, bitch," J.T. sneered at the male hostage, "let me show you what you *could* have had..."

The women began to cry, and the man closed his eyes and turned his head away as J.T. stretched out on the floor beside Mulder, and began to gently stroke his damp hair, then his stubbled cheek. "Come on, pretty Fox. Wake up. This'll be a lot more fun if you're conscious."

For the first time, one of the women made her presence known.

"Why don't you leave him alone, you animal? Can't you see the man is sick?"

Beals raised his hand, sending the three women scurrying against each other. They huddled tightly, crying and whimpering.

"Shut up, bitch. Nobody asked your opinion. J.T., have a good time. I got some stuff I need to do. When you're done with him, let me know."

J.T. winked at the retreating man. "That may be a while, pal." He turned back to the man beside him, unbuttoning his shirt. "A long, long time..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man quickly and quietly popped out a basement window. He stuffed his tools back into his bag, and slipped into the lodge. The basement was dark, but dry. He turned on his flashlight and searched the room. Empty, except for a few pieces of covered furniture. No exits other than the steps leading up to the main floor and the bulkhead on the opposite wall.

Wall...wall...the wall.

He approached the west wall and studied it. He touched the cement, and found that the blocks were loose.

Hmm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J.T. pulled the edges of Mulder's shirt away from his body, then ran a hand over his chest. He paused on each cotton-covered nipple, teasing them with the tips of his fingers. The unconscious man's body responded, puckering and tightening the small brown nubs.

"Well, I guess we can do this with or without your full participation." He leaned down, and brushed the swollen lips with his own. "It'll still be good."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The team of three approached the lodge. They took up position, and trained their night vision glasses on the structure.

"Two to team leader. I got one on the first floor...he's...he's moving around erratically. Like he's on something. I don't see anyone else, though."

"Okay, two. I've got two here on the east side. They seem to be talking to each other. No sign of hostages. How about you, three?"

"Sorry, I got nothing. Every room that I can see is empty."

"Okay, so that's two unaccounted for. I'll call it in to base, and see what they want us to do. Just sit tight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man crept through the darkened halls, all but invisible. His finely tuned hearing detected nothing on the first floor. He was about to find the stairs, when a sound did catch his ear.

Five doors down, and to the left.

He drifted to the door, and listened. Someone was inside. He determined that it had to have been one of the kidnappers, and with a quick breath, he opened the door.

The man dancing around, singing to himself, didn't notice at first that he was no longer alone. When he whirled around, he caught sight of the man in the doorway. He peered into the darkness, and by the time he realized that it wasn't one of his friends standing there, he was hitting the floor with two silenced bullets in his chest. The blood gurgled up in his throat, and seconds later, he was dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the...team leader, this is three. The man I've had in my sights has just dropped to the floor. There was another...I think, I can't be sure. I was too busy watching the other guy...Peter, I think he's dead."

The team leader listened, frowning. "Shit, two. Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. Pete, something weird is going on, here."

"Okay, just sit tight a minute." The leader changed channels, and radioed the base.

Scully dove for the radio, answering the excited call.

"What do you mean, one of the kidnappers is dead?"

"That's the report, Ma'am.'

"Who the hell killed him?"

"Don't know. One of the others, maybe? Wait...hold on....shit! The two I've had my eye on have just gone down. There was a series of flashes, and they hit the deck. They aren't getting up, either."

Skinner snatched the handset from Scully. "Get in there! Now!"

"Yes, sir!"

The air went dead, and Scully turned to the A.D. "What hell could be going on? Mulder, maybe?"

"I don't know. But it's time to find out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leon Glassman and Ronnie Wilson lay in a pool of their own blood, their bodies full of holes. Without so much as a backward glance, the man slipped out of the room, in search of his last two targets.

Before he found Roger Beals, the man happened upon a room where frantic whimpering could be heard.

Females.

He supposed he'd found the hostages.

What to do, what to do...ah, shit, he guessed he'd have to go in. He couldn't leave them there, and besides, maybe one or both of the other two were in here. Maybe Mulder was here.

He took a few quick breaths and opened the door. The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold, then caused it to boil up in his veins.

J.T. Thomas looked up and over to the door. He pulled his hand out of the unconscious agent's unzipped jeans, and snarled as he began to stand. "Who the fuck are you?"

The other man snarled back. "Someone you *never* wanted to meet."

"How'd you get in here?"

"Makes no difference. Step away from him."

J.T. squinted, appraising the man who stood before him. "You ain't law."

"No. And that's unfortunate for you. Now, step...away."

"Why should I?"

"Because I don't want to splatter him or any of these people with your blood."

J.T. laughed. "I'm gonna rip your fuckin' head off, asshole, then I'm gonna come back over here and fuck this man to death."

A low, menacing growl reverberated throughout the room. "Yeah? Well, come on, then."

J.T. lunged at the man who stepped quickly aside and cuffed him on the back of his head with the butt of his weapon. He hit the floor with a heavy thud, and as he was attempting to get back up, the other man was on him, holding him face down on the floor.

"What did you do to him? Did you rape him, you fucking dirtbag?"

J.T. struggled against the weight that held him down. "What's...what's it to you, prick? Why do you need to know?"

Alex Krycek lowered his head to whisper in the other man's ear. "Because he's mine."

A loud snap drew the attention of the others in the room, and J.T. Thomas' head hit the floor. The women began to scream as his lifeless eyes stared out at them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beals' head snapped up. "Aww, shit." The bloodcurdling screams sent him running up to the second floor. As he burst through the door, the cock of a gun behind him, got his attention.

"Turn around, motherfucker."

Beals turned slowly, meeting the fierce green gaze of a man he did not recognize. "Who the hell are you?"

Alex answered his question with a question. "Did you do that to him?" He motioned in the direction of the wounded and feverish Mulder. "*Did you*?"

"Who the fuck are you that I should answer your questions?"

"I'm the guy who's gonna kill you. Now, would you like to cleanse your conscience before I shoot your head full of holes?"

Beals smiled. "Okay, sure. I did it. I did it all. He deserved it, the fucker. He put me away. I could've gone home. They were waiting for me, before the feds caught me, and it's *his* fault. ..I could've gone home..."

"Well, tell you what. I'm gonna send you home."

Beals cocked his head, momentarily confused. Studying the look in the other man's eyes, he suddenly understood.

"Cover your ears, ladies..."

Two shots rang out, and the women began to scream again. They watched the dark figure stand over the man who lay dead on the floor, and pump three more shots into his body.

"Bon voyage, motherfucker." Alex turned to the four people hunched against the wall. The man squeezed his eyes shut, and the women began to cry frantically. "Shh. Shh, shh. Quiet. Listen, I'm not gonna hurt any of you. The feds should be here, soon, and you can all go home."

One of the women found the courage to speak up. "What...what about him?" She motioned toward the unconscious man.

Alex squatted beside Mulder, touching the palm of his hand to the perspiration-covered forehead. "I'm going to take care of him." He stroked Mulder's face gently. "Mulder....Mulder, can you hear me?"

A tiny sound left Mulder's lips, but he did not open his eyes.

"Mulder, come on. I've got to get you out of here."

"Wouldn't it be best to leave him here and wait for help?"

The shadowed face looked up in the man's direction. "I'm his help." Those were the last words he said. He looked around the room, and finding a blanket draped across a chair by the window, snatched it up and wrapped Mulder in it. He then hoisted the man in his arms, grunting with the effort it took, and slowly carried him out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scully, the A.D., and a dozen more officers plowed toward the lodge, following in the tracks left by the team. They made it inside, and found that the team had already breached the structure. The team leader found them on the first floor, and he approached to give his report.

"The hostages are fine, sir. A little battered, but all right. All five kidnappers are dead. Four shot to death, one has had his neck broken."

Scully's eyes widened. "Agent Mulder...where is he?"

"We don't...we don't know, ma'am." His head snapped around in response to the booming baritone that came from Scully's side.

"What the hell do you mean, you don't know?"

"We can't find him, sir."

Scully blew past the men. "He's *got* to be here! What about the shooter?"

"No sign of anyone, ma'am."

"This is ridiculous. How could someone get in here, kill five men, then disappear? Have you spoken to the hostages?"

"No, ma'am. I..."

"Where are they?"

The leader turned back to Skinner. "Second floor, sir."

Skinner hurried to catch up to Scully, who had already started for the stairs. They reached the second floor and went directly to the room that three officers were already outside of. Inside they found three women and a man, clinging together, sipping coffee from styrofoam cups. They approached cautiously, and showed their badges to the group.

"Is everyone all right?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. We could be worse."

"Tell us about the federal agent that was here. We can't find him. Do you know what they did with him?"

One of the women spoke up. "He...he was here until a little while ago."

"What happened to him?"

"A man...a man came. He saved Mr. Mulder's life. He saved all of us. He killed them. And he carried Mr. Mulder out."

Scully shook her head, completely confused. "Carried him where?"

"Don't know. He said he'd take care of him and took him."

"You said he carried him out..."

"Yeah."

"Agent Mulder was injured?"

The woman nodded. "They beat him up...well, Beals did. He kept favoring his right side. I think he might have some broken ribs. And his face was all bruised on one side. He was running a temp, and was in and out of consciousness. The other one...J.T....he was about to....to..." The woman stopped, visibly shaken.

"What was he about to do, ma'am?" Skinner asked gently.

"He was going to...rape him."

Scully closed her eyes and turned away.

"But that man...he came in just in time. I couldn't see his face really, none of us could...it was pretty dark, but his voice...he was very angry when he saw what they'd done to Mr. Mulder. He killed J.T. Just snapped his neck. We started to scream, I guess, and Beals came in a little while after. He hid, and caught Beals by surprise. They exchanged a few words, then the man killed him. Fired a couple of shots, dropped him, then shot him a few more times. He told us not to worry, then he covered Mr. Mulder with a blanket, and carried him out."

"And you can't tell us...you can't give us any description at all?"

All three women shook their heads.

"He was tall," the man spoke up. "Maybe a little taller than you," he nodded at Skinner. "Hard to tell from the clothes, but I don't think he was as heavily built. I think his hair was dark. His voice...it was low. Gravelly, almost. That's all I can tell you."

"Thank you." Skinner turned away from the group and aimed an intense stare at Scully. "Doesn't help much, does it?" he asked in a confidential tone.

"No." Scully stared at a point just beyond the A.D.

"I'm going to put out an A.P.B....have roadblocks set up. Whoever it is that took Mulder, he won't get very far."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The white Range Rover made its way down the almost deserted highway. The driver said a prayer of thanks that the roads were clear, as he drove on through the darkness. He looked down at the man reclining in the seat beside him. Pale, and lapsing in and out of consciousness, Mulder had no idea of where he was or who he was with. Alex took one hand off of the wheel, and felt the other man's forehead. Still very warm. He felt the chill keenly, but kept the vehicle cool, for the sake of his passenger. His hand slid down the side of Mulder's face, then rested gently on his cheek. He allowed his thumb to sweep back and forth, feeling the rasp of stubble underneath. He risked a glance at his silent companion. "You're gonna be fine, Mulder. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Alex turned his attention to the road, reviewing the events of the past few hours.

God, they'd just about made it out of there before the feds came in. Mulder was too heavy to carry the whole way, and fortunately, Alex didn't have to try. All the jostling had roused Mulder sufficiently enough to get him moving under his own power. Granted, the going was a lot slower than Alex would have liked, but at least he didn't have to throw his back out, getting the agent to his vehicle. Only yards away from the Range Rover, the terrain had become a bit rough, and Mulder fell, groaning in pain as he held on to his right side. At that point, Alex lifted him again in his arms, and carried him the rest of the way, making a mental note to check for possible trauma to Mulder's torso.

Once he was securely in the passenger's seat, Mulder again lapsed into unconsciousness, and Alex reclined the seat to make him a bit more comfortable. He picked his way through the woods, constantly checking for company. As he finally made his way out onto the highway, there was still no one around. Not one to question good luck, he moved quickly along, making his way toward Oregon.

And now they were moving along at a decent pace, seemingly alone in the cold, dark world.

Alex listened to the scanner he'd brought along, trying to pick up any news. From what he could hear, he was way past the danger zone, and he allowed himself to relax a bit. He pulled over onto the side of the road for a minute, and pulled out a squeeze bottle full of water. He turned in his seat, and slipped an arm under Mulder's neck.

"Mulder....Mulder?"

Mulder moaned softly.

"Time for some water. Come on." He held the bottle to the flushed lips and watched as they began to move, suckling clumsily at the tip. He pulled the bottle away, and comforted Mulder softly as he moaned his protest. "Just a little at a time. I don't want you to choke." He again placed the bottle at Mulder's lips, and watched the older man's mouth...that outrageously beautiful mouth, wrap around the bottle and pull at the tip. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to head off the massive erection he felt begin in his jeans.

//Sick bastard. Come on, the man's completely out of it. Christ, he's gotta be, or he'd never be lying here so passively letting *you* take care of him.//

Alex allowed Mulder a little more water, then settled him back into a comfortable position. He brushed the older man's hair back off of his face, then forced himself to pull back onto the road.

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"Nothing?"

"No, not yet. With the snow picking up again, it's covered any tracks that may have been made."

"But, my *God*. How can a man...*two* men just disappear like that?"

"He may be hiding in the area. It would explain how he vanished so quickly with a sick man." Skinner heaved a long breath. "So, the search is concentrated on the mountains and surrounding areas, though a state to state A.P.B. has been put out."

"Going to be hard, not knowing what kind of vehicle this person was driving...if any."

"I know it isn't going to be easy, but we'll find him, Scully. We won't give up until we do."

"Yes, sir. I just hope we find him alive."

"Look, Scully, whoever this person is who took him, killed five men to do so, and risked being caught by us. Anyone who would go to that much trouble, is not a person who is looking to hurt Agent Mulder or let him die."

"I'd like to believe that sir, but if they meant him no harm, then why didn't they just leave him there so we could find and take care of him? Agent Mulder and I have run across some real nut cases in our time together, any one of whom might have it in their warped minds to finish what Beals and his friends started."

Skinner fell silent, considering Scully's words. He tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling of the cabin. "Well. Let's just hope that isn't the case."

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Alex pulled around to the back of the cabin, and killed the motor. He exited the driver's side, and quickly moved to the other door, yanking it open and pulling Mulder from his seat. He half-walked, half-carried the older man to the door. He held Mulder to his body as he fumbled for the keys, then unlocked the door. "Okay, Mulder," he panted as he moved the softly complaining agent to the sofa that sat in the corner of the large room, "no more moving around, okay?" He settled Mulder into a reclining position, then straightened his back. "I have to go out to the car to get the stuff." He leaned over the perspiring man, and caressed his warm forehead. "You rest, and I'll be back in a few."

True to his word, Alex reappeared minutes later, having emptied the vehicle of all its contents. He sat at the edge of the sofa, and carefully unwrapped Mulder from the blanket. "Okay, let's see what we've got here." He gently lifted the t-shirt, and grimaced at the black and blue marks on the skin that stretched over Mulder's ribs. He gingerly pressed on the area, gauging Mulder's responses, and determining that the injury wasn't as bad as it could have been. "All right, Mulder, look...I'm going to have to bandage you up. It'll hurt at first, but when it's done, you'll feel a lot better."

Alex retrieved the necessary supplies from his first aid bag, and began the arduous process of bandaging Mulder's ribs. He winced through most of it, apologizing with every gasp from the other man. Finally, it was done. He breathed a sigh of relief as Mulder settled down and drifted back into sleep, then tended to his facial wounds. His job complete, Alex sat back and studied him. Anger bubbled up in his chest as he allowed the reality of what had been done, to finally sink in. "Motherfuckin' bastards," he whispered. "Wish I'd had the time to kill them right." He reached out, stroking the golden-brown hair, then reluctantly pulled the hand away, curling it into a fist, and dropping it into his lap.

//This is the most insane thing you've ever done, you know that, Alex? What the hell makes you think that you're going to be able to make him see you the way the you want him to?//

"Well," he sighed softly, "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

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