TITLE:	The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
  BY:	nychen
  EMAIL:	nychen@gatech.edu
  WEBSITE:	http://nychen.com/xf/
  CATEGORY:	x-files || angst
  RATING:	PG-13 || violence, language

  SUMMARY:	Mulder and Scully discover an experiment being committed that soon jeopardizes one of them.
  SPOILERS:	Season Five
  DISCLAIMER:	i don't own anything except this story.
  ARCHIVE:	post anywhere just remember to give me credit and links.

  WRITTEN:	08.07.00
  LAST UPDATED:	03.04.02

 [ THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES // Part 1 of 1 ]


09.11pm, Abandoned Car Repair Building

With his arm, the man swiped Scully's handgun away and slid it under the car. Scully's eyes followed the gun as it slid across the slick floor and mangled itself among coils of wire. Her eyes came back to focus on the man as another arm swung towards her head; she ducked just in time to bend forward and tackle the man in the chest.

The man fell over, and with Scully on top; he jerked his body to get the upper hand. Scully tried to grab the man by the shirt, but her fingers lost grip as she was struck in her stomach. Scully was short-winded, and the man took advantage of the situation. He gave Scully a swift whack in her right jaw with his left elbow, and shoved her body away, making her roll away on the ground a couple feet beside him. The man dropped and rolled toward her, reaching inside his jacket for something.

Scully gasped a breathe of air and pushed herself into a crawling position. Her jaw ached immensely and her body was tired of fighting a man almost twice her size...but she was determined.

Her determination crumpled as the man rolled beside her and grabbed a handful of her hair, then bashed her face into the cement. A loud moan escaped Scully's mouth, and the man soon positioned himself on top of the woman's thighs. He felt Scully's breathing quicken and body start to struggle when he dropped two objects onto her back: one was heavy and cold, the other light. In the middle of her thought, both her wrists were grabbed and wrestled behind her back. Scully protested, but the man's hands quickly wrapped cords around her wrists and twisted them until she felt them going numb.

The man's hands felt strange, different. With a blurred vision, she glanced back seeing a flash of something black and shiny - possibly a black leather glove on his left hand.

"No peeking!" grunted the man, and with a powerful backhand knocked the woman's head against the floor.

Scully's vision blacked out for a moment, the pain throbbing in her head. Then Scully felt the heavy object previously set on her back taken off, and suddenly, felt it slammed upon her back.

A mighty scream of pain ripped from Scully's throat when she felt the solid impact slam against bone, pain echoing through her ribs. The pain soared into her brain, and she squinted her eyes and cried out again as the pounding continued. The heavy, blunt slams hurt like hell, bruising her body. The dull thuds of the object pounding skin echoed in her brain and Scully tried to flip over, but the man refused to let her.

The man repeated his ritual over and over, until the woman's screams slowed to agonized moans and raspy intakes of air. Several times, he had to keep her quiet by slamming his fists into the back of her head. The man lifted her jacket just enough to see through the undergarment; he could see bruises and pelts and blood forming. He knew the woman had enough; still on top, he leaned over to get a closer look at her face. The face of the woman laid still on the floor, her eyes were closed shut, and he could see a wetness around her eyes...knowing the pain he caused her led to those tears. Scully's head was throbbing; thoughts were not forming clearly in her mind. He noticed her mouth was open, mumbling phrases of diluted help.

No one heard.

Scully didn't move much; she was in so much pain at the moment, the slightest movement hurt. Her back was sore, pained and agitated. Her face flat to the ground, cold and bare, her thoughts started wondering as she was close to losing consciousness. When she felt the weight lifted off her, pulling and turning her over, she only moaned. She struggled, but without the use of her hands, she couldn't do much. Goosebumps arise all over her skin when she felt the rough fingers touch the sensitive skin on back of her neck.

The woman opened her eyes; the crystal blue pupils reflected back an indignant yet stern look. The man settled down and laid his body outstretched parallel to Scully's, then he clamped his hand tightly over the woman's mouth and held it there while the other hand, still holding the foreign object traced the woman's jaw line. The blood from the object smeared itself on her skin, and streaked a red line. As he did this, the man's hip and legs straddled the woman's while she was trying to wiggle free. The man was almost nose-to-nose with the woman's face, as his hip moved in a slight thrusting back and forth motion.

"You know, you shouldn't have come here, Agent Scully," he growled in his rough voice, like an animal hungry for play. "You're not going to like it...Maybe you won't remember at all." Scully felt the hot breathing on her face, the man's steaming breath so close to her ear. It chilled her. She was up against an animal. An intelligent one who seemed to know more about her than she knew about him.

Scully twisted her face from the hand, "Wh-what do you mean by that?" not letting the fear into her voice. She noticed William had stopped moving.

He paused, letting the silence take over. His arms now pressing her shoulders to the floor, crushing the tied hands behind her. "You'll know soon enough. You'll know when your mind isn't itself anymore."

"You're going to kill me like the others?"

"I didn't kill them.  They killed themselves.  They just couldn't take it anymore." He said, his eyes glistening with power and lies.

If only to see what the monster appeared as, and if only to see into the eyes of death when there was nothing else to look forward to...his eyes of darkness and light reflected into her own, a seemingly hopeful glance into a seemingly hopeless pit of dread. She stared for a brief second at the man's gloved hand holding the object - it was a gun, the handle stained with her own blood.

As the man's eyes shifted to look at her, she turned away and at the gun as tapped against her temple. Scully adrenaline was rushing through her; thinking the gun could go off any second. A tap there, a tap here, and BANG!

"What do you mean killed themselves?" Scully questioned slowly, keeping her voice steady.

"I mean, they couldn't handle the pressure. They rather've died than not be in control. But you're not like that, right?" he asked staring boldly at Scully; she gulped. Control - she hated losing control. "I chose you because you're a worthy opponent against this thing. I've heard about you, from Agent Mulder…from the other agents. You've got a reputation for being a hard shell to crack."

Scully clenched her jaws. Her mind rushing through thoughts.  Mulder told him? He must've been studying her all along, he didn't want Mulder, he wanted her. The message about faith, that was her! She hadn't realized, until it was too late. Hopefully Mulder would realize soon. Mulder, god, where was he? This military maniac was going to put her to the test, and she wasn't sure she'd like the results. Flashback memories etched into her brain, unnerving her.

"Come on, we can't be lying around here all day," William griped, backing up off of the agent and pointing the gun at her head. "Get up, Agent Scully." He extended his free arm, grabbing her under the shoulder and pulling her up to stand.

Scully stood, lightheaded and still woozy. His tight grip still on her arm, he motioned the gun to where they were going.

Scully lead, but she wasn't going to give up so easily. She was already conjuring up a plan of escape; escape - like Matthew Jenkins. NO! Not like him..

William pushed the gun into her back, urging her forward. She looked ahead, seeing darkness lit only by the outside lamplights shining through into the broken windows of the building.  They walked into a narrow hallway, took a stairways down and turned several times.  Her mind already losing direction in the dimness.

While walking, Scully tried loosening up the cords around her wrists.  It was difficult but she managed to tear her skin enough so that they were pretty loose.  She tried talking to distract William. Talking would buy her time to free of her bonds.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, hoping to get a better answer than Mulder's theory.

"I've been through this. It's not for me, it's for you.  I only pick the best. I would not put just anyone to be subject of the tests. I want to help you…We are close to achieving the perfect test results."

"But the 'Eyes' are no longer experimenting. This isn't a practiced -"

"SHUT-UP!" screamed William. "I'm not with the 'Eyes!' Who said that? Who mentioned that to you? It's just a small test…It's for your benefit. It's helped me discover who I am."

"A guinea pig for the government?! You don't have to deny it, William! I know about the tests done on you. You don't have to hide an-" Scully blurted exasperatingly, but was abruptly interrupted when the gun butt struck her on the back of the head.

The agent's body collapsed instantly. William didn't even bother catching the agent as her body landed on the ground with a dull thud. "I told you to shut-up."

Reaching down, he grabbed the agent's shirt collar and pulled her the rest of the way through the hallway. They finally stopped at a room: bare, empty, dark and damp.

The perfect atmosphere for losing your mind.

=====>
01:41am Basement

Moans, that's all Scully could force herself to do. Her body had sustained quite a lot of minor injuries. She felt cold on the ground, her body giving in to shivers.

She had just awakened, and discovered she was alone in a large room. She remembered everything, everything that is before everything blacked out.

Scully lifted her head, a rushing pain of numbness and nausea came and she groaned. Her head hurt immensely, the pounding she took resulted in several lumped bruises beneath her blood-matted hair, another on the side of her head. Managing a little more strength, Scully eased her body to it's side, laying on her tied hands had made them numb and useless. She slowly made the effort to try and sit up. It was matched with blinding spots appearing in her vision.

She wasn't going to get far with such a violent concussion.

She licked her lips, her mouth dry and pasty. The taste of copper reminding her of the physical torture already endured, and surely, of more to come. She squinted into the darkness, illuminated by a sidewall of windows.

Maybe it was an escape route...

Too late.

The door on the farthest wall opened, and the man known as William Ofoto walked in crushing all hope for escape at that moment. Maybe even future moments.

Her captor had returned holding a pitcher of liquid in one hand and a bat in the other.

"Welcome. I didn't give a proper introduction, but you already know who I am. You, Agent Scully, I know. Trained FBI agent working, also as a forensic pathologist. I bet you examined those people I tested earlier…Did you find anything interesting?" William spoke loudly as he approached the woman.

"What did you expect me to find?" Scully scooted herself away, further into the far corner as the man approached. "What are you doing?"

"Ohh, abnormalities in the brain…I just wanted to give you some water."

"William, wait - you know I'm an agent with the government. I'm on your side, if you let - "

"SHUT-UP! already," he raised the bat, swinging it back and forth forcefully.  Then walking closer cornering Scully, her body automatically backing up. He extended the bat in his hand and poked at her. She kicked the bat away the first couple of times. But he smartened up.

"Thirsty?" he blurted out, suddenly throwing the pitcher of ice water on Scully; the ice cubes bouncing off her, water dripping into her vision. While Scully was momentarily distracted, William swat the bat at the agent's head, making contact and worsening her concussion. Scully cried out and fell over limply, the nausea escalating.

"There you go! There won't be any more bad behavior from you after this. I'll see to that myself!" he laughed and shoved the bat once again at her head. The previous contusions reopened, and began to swell and bleed again.

William turned and walked away, leaving Scully wet and cold. The throbbing in her head returned unwelcome, her body shuddering. She licked her lips, trying at least to get a bit of water into her system. She wouldn't give up so easily.

He wouldn't let her.

And she wouldn't let herself become like the others.

She wouldn't let herself.

=====>
Earlier that week
Tuesday, May 9th
09:15am FBI basement

"Morning, sunshine!" Mulder greeted.

"Mulder, you're brightened up today? What's the occasion?" Scully replied.

"I'm in a good mood, that can't happen?"

"Not unless you spotted Elvis this morning!" smirked Scully.

"Hmm, you're right, Scully! I did, and he told me to tell you 'Hello, my babe!'" Mulder said doing his best Elvis impersonation.

"Right..." Scully smiled. "So seriously, Mulder...what have you been staring at this morning?"

"Ok okay...there is a case that I started reviewing since yesterday, about several instances of abductions down in Atlanta. The police down there haven't found much clues left behind at the scene of the crimes. The abductees -" Mulder scanned Scully's face, "uh, kidnap victims vary between the sexes.  So far, one woman, two men have died. None of the victims survived except for the man; there seems to have been a bad case about that one though..."

Scully pondered for a moment, and hung her coat over the back of a chair and walked over to stand beside Mulder, who was reading the case file and viewing several photographs. Scully reached over, brushing up against Mulder's hand, and grabbed the photographs for a closer look.

"Hmm, all victims taken sustained physical abuse, from minor to major stages. The report states - " Scully said.

"- Massive concussions, broken bones, lacerations." Mulder continued as his partner flipped to the next couple of pictures. "The one woman sustained several broken bones, burns and was poisoned. All the men share similar injuries to the chest and genitalia, and broken bones and burns like the women.

"The first two victims died from loss of blood, brought on by the abuse they sustained. The third victim died from a heart attack; apparently he couldn't take the pain.  The man still alive is in the hospital undergoing surgery on his, ugh…manliness," Mulder said mumbling the last sentence.  He shifted his eyes over to Scully for a response. Her eyes were twinkling, squinting in disgust. Still looking at the images.

"Frightening thought - our killer hates the sexes, probably sex too!  Imagine that!" Mulder said making a similar face. "There is evidence of who the kidnapper is, a well-known man in the community."

"Who? He's well known, Mulder? What happened to the third victim again, the male?" Scully questioned.

"Well, if you look at the photograph of the man that's in the hospital…" Mulder reached over and touched Scully's hand and flipped to the next series of photographs. "Matthew Jenkins, 28 year-old male, local policeman, found here - " pointing to a trash bin. "The body was disposed of near a trash-dump behind a cleaners in Eastern Cobb County. That's about half an hour minutes away from where all the other bodies turned up.

"Jenkins was found half-dead; he lost a lot of blood. He must've escaped, but I doubt that, since our suspect isn't stupid enough to leave us a witness.  Nah, he's looking forward to someone else."

"How come our suspect didn't kill Jenkins? Do any of the victims know each other?"

"Here, take a look at this..." Mulder said while he dug through the paper piles on his desk. "Here! If you look at each of the victims, all are in high position jobs. Leslie Ottlite, CEO of a large company; Bryan Diego, security officer; and Kurt Anthony, neurosurgeon. Jenkins, though, is a cop. Jenkins is one of us, a g-man. He patrols the city. Now, our suspect - a man known by William Ofoto, has been at this game for a while. Several years in fact, over the span of a decade."

"So the man we're after is attacking the local law enforcement? Taunting us by setting him free?" questioned Scully in surprise.

"It seems that way. He's taking on a larger role for himself, making himself feel more powerful. Jenkins isn't considered a victim in Will's book, no - he just got in the way somehow. He didn't want to kill him. I gather Will's looking for a better opponent. He's preying on higher-status people. It's a bigger, better thrill for him. He's playing his game and he's not afraid to lose," cited Mulder, filing his notes and grabbing his coat.

"Mulder, where are you going?"

"The police found Matthew Jenkins wearing in a Cobb County tshirt. They questioned his parents, who said they had never seen that shirt before. So Jenkins's must've grabbed that shirt from Will's playhouse. Lucky for us...Come on, Scully!"

"Off to Hot-lanta! _We're_ going to get this guy and win him at his own game."

Grabbing her coat and things, Scully closed the door behind her and asked one last question before they were off to the airport.

"What makes this an X-Files, Mulder?" she screamed behind him.

"Oh, it's got 'X' written all over it! Something about Derail Will believing he's conducting the will of the big G..."

"God?"

"No, Scully...our Big Brother, the Government." Mulder smirked as he pushed the button to the elevator.

"Great.." sighed Scully.

=====>
Arrival in Atlanta, Georgia
Tuesday, May 9th
05:02pm Hotel

"Mulder, so you haven't told me your explanation for Derail Will, his big plan." said Scully, sitting at the table, examining the files again.

"Hmm, let's see. Matthew Jenkins. He's the brother of one of the victims, Leslie Ottlite. He was probably there while Will was after the sister, and got taken along. I think Will's got a thrill out of Jenkins; he was a toy to play with. But Jenkins decided to run away, thus he got shot." blurted Mulder, busy flipping through the TV channels.

"So why take the brother at all? Why not just leave him out?"

"Our man is being more selective. He's taunting us, testing the waters so to speak, by killing or not killing. He's showing us the power he has," responded Mulder, putting the remote down. "Yes!"

"What?!" Scully said, glancing over at her partner. He was turned to the TV, smiling.

"Lakers vs. the Knicks! 43 to 57!" Mulder proclaimed excitedly.

"I should've guessed..." Scully smiled, turning to concentrate on the files. She read over the rest, discovering that Matthew Jenkins was in the ICU at the hospital for severe burns and genital surgery. His chests and genital areas received second and third degree burns, and he was found with high dosages of Dextroamphetamine in the bloodstream. Scully noted that Dexedrine [short] caused wakefulness and hallucinations; Jenkins had complained of people wanting to kill him.

Scully reread the chart, discovering that Jenkins reported that his captor interrogated him for hours. Jenkins stated he was given a message to deliver: 'The power of faith and the power of passion. One is greater, the other is a stranger. Will.' Scully cringed at the message.

"What do you suppose that means, Scully?" said Mulder, now hovering behind her shoulders.

Scully gasped as the surprise closeness and comment.

"I was just going to ask you that, Mulder. I suppose if Ofoto knows the police are after him, he knows about us?"

Backing up, Mulder seated himself on the end of the bed.

"Yes, William Ofoto's intelligent, from the military. An X-File I dug up from 1996, reports that a place known as the Isles, is centered right near where the military base Will used to work. He was a hired hand in a secret government organization called the Thousand Eyes. Rumors are that they conducted experiments on people in the surrounding counties. Nothing much was ever learned about this place, but since Will left the base - well, he's made a name for himself. These recent killings by him resemble the ones reportedly conducted by the Eyes group." Mulder said, running his left hand through his hair.

Scully eyed Mulder's ruffled hair.

"Why have the Eyes experiment still kept on after 1996? And is the base still occupied?"

"Simple. It's a government operation. It never actually ended. Some say it's still going on because the tests weren't successful. Others say that it ended years ago, but whichever way, our man Will is continuing on by himself. The base was supposedly torn down in 1998, but no one really knows for sure since no one has tried to find out.

"Over the years, most of the men from the military have either died or retired, or just disappeared. There aren't any records of who were members, or if they had family..." Mulder said trailing off, thinking again.

"Hmm, so are there any previous victims still alive? That can tell us what the experiments were about?"

"All the ab-uh, kidnappings last within a span of a few days to weeks. The victims are usually a handful, but have increased over the span of the decades. Some say thousands, thus the legend of Thousand Eyes. The military has denied all the rumors, saying there were never any experiments done on residents. But a small number still say that the experiments were about mind-control. Memory and brainwashing. Others say gene-manipulation for - what other than alien-takeovers! No one really believes anyone else."  Mulder finished with a look of certainty.

"What do you believe, Mulder?"

Mulder lowered his head, looking at Scully. Her face was beautiful under the soft light of the lamp. She was sitting hunched over the case file, papers strum everywhere across the table. Her hand holding a pen, twirling it in deep thought. Mulder smiled.

Over the past years of their partnership, they had undergone a lot of different and difficult cases. From monsters to conspiracies to life and death, Dana Scully had stuck by him. He cherished their friendship like no other in the world, and with each smile or touch from Scully, he knew she felt the same.

"Mulder. Mulder, hello? You out there?" Scully asked looking at a dazed Mulder who had closed his eyes and was laying on the bed now.

"Huh - ?! What, yes Scully?" Mulder blundered, zapping himself out of his thoughts.

"Look it's late. I can tell when I'm boring you." Scully smiled, joking. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. We're going to the hospital to question Matthew Jenkins right?"

"Right, sorry, Scully. See you tomorrow."

Scully started gathering up the papers and photographs.

"Just leave those, Scully. I'll clean it up later." 

"Okay, thanks, Mulder. Night." Scully whispered as she exited her partner's hotel room and closed the door behind her.

The sky has turned dark blue during their conversation. The clouds were barely visible, but the stars were already shining through. Scully stifled a yawn, shook her head to waken herself more, and headed two doors down to the next room. She was getting tired herself. She smiled to herself as she remembered Mulder's ruffled hair. How could he like the Knicks so much? She never got into basketball much, but she loved watching Mulder's reaction to games. He had so much passion.

Scully unlocked the door to her room, and stepped inside. She turned the lights on and walked over to open her suitcase of clothes. Her thoughts tracked back through the numerous memories of such late-night chats and road-trips. She had never thought of taking a trip around the world [so to speak] like this, especially with someone who she endeared herself to so much. Trust was everything in their partnership. There wasn't much she wanted else in life at the moment.

She had a best friend, a dedication to her job and travel.

Another yawn succumbed Scully and she looked at the clock.

Time to take a shower and sleep.

-11.21pm-

"Geez!" Mulder said looking at the clock. The game just ended, Knicks won by 4 points. He clicked off the TV and rolled off the bed, and sat at the worktable. Scully had been studying the files for over two hours. She was so concentrated. He liked that. He noticed her studious characteristics were much like his; it was easy to relate. Both were always having '21 Questions' during the night.

He could feel Scully's dedication, to the cases, to her work, to him. Even with all the wild and occasional unbelievable theories he had, Scully never questioned his knowledge, or their trust. Mulder smiled to himself, gathering up the files.

He stopped as he picked up the photographs of Matthew Jenkins. The young man had survived a lot of physical inflictions and torture. The picture, although and black and white, revealed the man had his genitalia punctured and chemically burned. Further examination revealed that Jenkins had a needle puncture along his receding hairline, near his left temple. It was barely noticeable, but the swelling there led to further findings. Mulder cringed as a chill ran through him.

He wasn't sure how Scully had reacted at the totality of the images, but he was a little terrified. He had seen this before in another case, from the 1950s. People were taken, but never returned as they were; they suffered loss of memory, seizures and even psychotic episodes. The ones returned were never the same; they never recovered emotionally or mentally. Mulder was definitely worried. 

He put the first picture down and picked up another. The CAT scan image showed Jenkins had some abnormal fluids in his brain, which was probably causing his partial memory loss. Mulder suspected Ofoto must've been trained in his particular area of control, mind-control. Experimenting on people was revenge for his own experience under the needle. Mulder knew about Ofoto's troubles, but he had not mentioned much to Scully.

He wasn't sure how to. Ever since Scully's own abduction, she wasn't the same person. She didn't lose any of her admirable qualities as a genuine person, but she had suffered emotionally. She was less open about talking privately; who could blame her though, he wasn't much of a talker himself. His own feelings about his partner only gradually got better over the years, but they had never discussed her abductions. He would never push her past what Scully wanted to discuss, but he hoped deep inside, one day they would be able to sit down and have a good discussion beyond aliens and conspiracies.

Mulder sighed. He felt a strange sensation in his hands. He looked and suddenly noticed his hands were trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and put the photograph down. This was definitely a sign of weariness. Yeah, that's what it was. He wasn't going to let this case take him, or any other victims down.

He glanced at his watched -2:20am-

He stretched and slowly got up from the seat, and walked over to his open suitcase and grabbed a few article of clothing and headed into the bathroom.

=====>
Friday, May 12th
7:32am, Basement

Scully woke up to a pounding headache. Her head felt like it had be put in a vise, and was squeezed until her eyes popped out. She sighed softly, and crinkled her brows; she was exhausted. Her concussion would eventually lead to shock. Her body going into it's own self-defense.

Still lying on the floor, Scully barely slept through the night. The previous night's struggle had drained a lot of her energy. Her bound wrists hurt, and the skin had torn from chaffing and was bleeding. She was unsuccessful at slipping out of the binding cords. She hadn't had any food or drink since the morning before. Her stomach churned with emptiness and hunger. Her mouth had become dry and pasty.

She thought about what William said before. Experiments nearing perfect test results, what did he mean by that? People losing their minds? Control? How did they relate? She knew about the previous victims, all had swellings in their brain, an unknown fluid in the system. Maybe it was cerebral hemorrhaging? She didn't like the sound of that; she couldn't begin to think about suffering more loss of control, forgotten memories, another three months…

She didn't like it here already.

Ofoto was right, she shouldn't have come here.

She shivered as the thought entered her mind; worries filling her head. She just hoped Mulder would arrive in time. Mulder would blame himself for losing contact. He was probably already going crazy, not sleeping looking for her.

"Come on...where are you, Mulder?" she whispered to herself. Pleading into the air, she balanced herself against the wall again.

And waited.

=====>
Piedmont Hospital
Wednesday, May 10th
09:30am

The hospital was a busy atmosphere, already bustling along with doctors and nurses attending patients. There were quiet buzzing of phones and beepers and machines. Everything was in perfect order.

"Whoa!" Mulder said as he rushed in after Scully from the pouring rain outside. Mulder thrashed their umbrella against the wall while Scully brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ears.

"Mulder, watch it!" Scully warned as backed away from Mulder's thrashing umbrella.

"Oh sorry, Scully." Mulder apologized before folding up the umbrella. Then he straightened up his coat and wiped his shoes dry on the mat.

As the agents walked towards the hospital counter, neither Mulder nor Scully noticed someone sneaking in after them through the automatic doors. The figure wore a plastic raincoat and hat and walked over to one of the benches; sitting down, reached into the raincoat's pocket and unfolded a newspaper to read.

The figure's eyes followed the two agents at the counter, until they disappeared around the corner. Then the figure stood up and followed not too far behind. The agents' small talk was barely audible from the distance, but the figure wasn't after the conversation; that was not the target.

As Scully entered Room 315, Mulder followed closing the door behind him, noting that a figure was tracking them. He whispered to Scully as he quickly opened the door and ran out, looking for the figure in the raincoat.

He wisped his eyes up and down, left and right, front and behind the halls, but no figure in a raincoat. He ran up to a few people in the hall and curiously asked if they've seen such a person moments ago. No one confirmed him.

"Damn!" Mulder cursed as he headed back inside the room.

Scully had already introduced herself and starting questioning Matthew Jenkins. Jenkins had agreed to discuss what he remembered about the kidnapping. Mulder walked to stand beside Scully, as he noticed the young man was being monitored by several machines. The young man had a tube attached to help him breathe and a couple IVs running into his arm. Memories of Scully in the hospital flashed before him; Mulder was stood still thinking.

"Right, Agent Mulder? Mulder?" Scully said, not getting a response from her partner, she gently touched Mulder's arm. His face shocked as he was seemingly awakened from a bad dream. "Mulder, are you alright?"

"Uh yeah, I'm fine, Scully. Just thinking..." Mulder replied slowly. "What did you say?"

"Pardon us, Matthew." Scully said politely as she pulled Mulder aside, her hand still on his arm. "What's going on, Mulder? Was there someone out there? Are you sure you're fine? You've been pretty tired lately."

"Yes, I'm good, Scully. I checked the halls; no one says they saw anyone. I'm fine..I just don't like hospitals." Mulder replied softly, reassuring Scully. He then grasped his partner's hand and squeezed gently.

"Yeah, Mulder. I know the feeling." She smiled, as they both turned to see Matthew Jenkins tearing up.

"What's wrong, Matthew?" Mulder asked in surprise.

"It's - it's just that I know I'm not suppose to be he-here." he sobbed.

"Why do you say that?" Scully said.

"I - I don't know. I don't even remember what happened, but I have this sickening feeling inside me. That bastard did something to me! And I can't help but to miss whatever he took…" Matthew Jenkins exclaimed. "I just know I don't have a sister anymore."

"I know how difficult this is, Matthew, but we really need your help in catching this guy. He's after other people, other people's sisters and brothers, daughters and sons." Scully lamented. Mulder clenched his jaw. "Please, anything you can tell is may be helpful."

"I - I don't know. This guy, this monster, what he did to me..I will never forget. I can't, I can't even...I remember this room, I was left there. He came back with these devices…in his hand and started asking me questions. He screamed and yelled until I said something. But even I don't remember what I said; it was all out of fear. I didn't want to die there…"

"Matthew, please tell us what he did." Mulder said, trying to bring focus to the discussion.

Mulder and Scully sat listening to Jenkins's story as time passed by. The figure outside sat still pretending to read his newspaper. He had changed clothes during the time the agents were in the room. He wouldn't be recognizable now. He reached in his pocket, pulling out the long chain to his pocket watch.

-10.44am-

A doctor entered the Jenkins's room, moments later, both agents appeared outside the door. The female agent uttered a last 'thank you' as she exited. Her partner stood tall, almost a foot taller than the woman. What an endearing couple. But he only needed one.

The mystery man's eyes edged over his newspaper and sat there, calmly as both agents walked right past him. He could hear them discussing the boy they just visited. How much tragedy the boy suffered. Too bad he wasn't dead, the figure thought. Not yet anyways.

=====>
11:10am, Car

The weather outside was hazy; clouds were floating around but formed no specific puffy shapes. Mulder was driving and Scully was still thinking about Matthew Jenkins's statements.

"What do you suppose Ofoto took from the Jenkins boy, Mulder?"

"Probably his sanity. The boy's story has a gap, between the time he said he was injected with something till he escaped."

"Mulder, the boy's suffering from shock. Understandable in his condition, he just underwent surgery and has been questioned by the police and us for hours. I doubt he can remember everything."

"Hm, I don't think so. He knows something; he doesn't know he knows it, but he does. I saw it in his eyes. The way he spoke, he was trained to say all those things. I'll bet Ofoto's done something to the boy's head and he's able to control what Jenkins will say."

"What?! How is that possible? Hypnosis?"

"Close, Scully. It's the injection itself. I haven't told you about them…There are previous cases of mind-control and brainwashing where the abductees are subjected to experiments of hazardous injections and sensory deprivation. These injections are not lethal, but cause severe side effects, such as memory loss and psychosis.

"The puncture wounds are very well hidden, along the hairline mostly…but the treatment causes swelling. The swelling produces even more side effects, headaches, dizziness. Overall, I think that Ofoto's trying to gain access to memories in the brain he's lost himself. He can't feel the pain his victims are suffering, but he can visualize. It's a second-hand experience for him. He needs it because that's what the Eyes took from him, and now he's taking the same from others," theorized Mulder, taking a turn into the Atlanta police station.

"Wait, Ofoto's suffering memory loss? Physical sensations?"

"Yes, both…partial loss of memory, most all of his childhood. He's still got a bit of feeling left in him, but let's just say," Mulder continued, "he's not as happy as he used to be!"

"So Ofoto will do this until what? How do we even stop him?" Scully murmured as she realized where she was.

"I haven't figured that out yet."

"And what am I doing here?"

"I set up an autopsy. I got the locals to pull out Diego and Anthony's bodies for you, see what you can find out," Mulder said matter-of-fact closing the passenger door as Scully got out.

"Wait! Where are you going, Mulder?"

"I'm going to check out Cobb cleaners. Pick up my dry-cleaned socks!"

The car whizzed away leaving Scully standing alone by a patrol car. "Great," sarcastically enthused Scully, who turned and walked into the building "When did Mulder start doing laundry…"

The figure appeared again. He walked out from behind the telephone booth, eyeing the female agent as she disappeared from sight. He smiled, looking at his watch.

Too early.
















=====>
09:55am, FBI Meeting

"Okay, everyone pay attention to Mulder. He's got something new on this guy we're after. Go ahead, Mulder." Skinner finished, turning his attention to his Head FBI Agent.

"Everyone should know what's going on, but let me recap. The man we're after, he's got an Agent with him so that puts this case at a high-priority!" said Mulder. Pointing at a map on the wall, he continued, "Now, he's currently within the boundaries of Eastern Cobb County, a 11 mile radius! He's been spotted at a liquor and drug store here, about 6 miles north of where we think he is.

"We know he's armed with a shotgun and at least one Sig-Sauer. He's dangerous, known to act impulsively and attack anyone that's in his way. Everyone should be careful, and watch out for traps. This guy's smart, but he's not going to win.

"Okay, we're done here, so let's get on with the search. Everyone listen to Agent Shanquil as he gives out the patrol teams. Thanks!" Mulder yelled, then he walked off in a heated sweat. He was worried, inside his head, he didn't know if he'd make it. He hated being a lead agent in search of another, especially since this case hit home. But that was the point - it was Scully!

"Mulder, wait!" screamed Skinner, outstretching an arm to stop Mulder from walking out the door. "I know this is hard on you, just listen to me for a second. When they call this in, we have to be prepared. That means anything and everything, Mulder. Don't let me down...Now, let's go."

Mulder nodded. He let Skinner walk out in front of him. He wasn't afraid of letting Skinner down or the department, or even himself, he was afraid of letting his partner down.

He glanced at his watch, 10.20am! He hurried out after the teams.

=====>
12:04pm

Sitting there, unmoving, Scully had nodded off. Sleep called to her, and she couldn't deny it. There wasn't anything else to do.

She had been staring at the wall for hours.

Noticing bugs crawling around. Even they had more freedom than she.

Then the door opened.

She looked up, and William smiled and stepped towards her.
 
"Today's the day. It'll take a couple days for the process to set in, but I'm sure you'll do just fine."

Scully looked into William's eyes. There was a slight glint of light. His eyes were blue, crystal blue like hers, yet she could almost see the reflections of the other women in his eyes, tortured and beaten and dead. The man still alive, was lucky, he was still alive.

"What are you planning, William? You don't have to do this, you - "

"Oh yes I do! I'm so close to finishing the Project. It's been my life. And it's going to cost you yours if you don't cooperate…" William said bluntly, grabbing Scully's arms and pulling her to stand. "Stand still."

Scully's head spun as the vertical rush blurred her mind. She had no time to recover as William shoved her chest flat against one of the walls. Her head was now throbbing even more severely. His left shoulder jabbed firmly in her back, and his left hand held her head steady as something approached her face.

"William! Wh-what are you doing?" Scully demanded, trying to break free. When the needle appeared in sight, she struggled harder. "What the hell is that?!"

William furled his brow, and without warning, he kneed Scully in the ribs. Scully groaned. He repeated it for a second time, causing her to waver in pain and loss of breath. To hold her in place, he leaned his entire body weight against her.

He carefully brushed her hair aside, and found a spot to insert the needle, right along her previously bruised temple. Scully refused, shoving back against him and managed a brutal kick to William's solar plexus. He stepped back screaming, and grunting, but never losing his balance. Scully turned regaining her ground and headed for the door as fast as she could.

But William tackled her from behind; both fell hard on the cement floor. Scully was pinned beneath him, struggling again. William backhanded her again and again. He got up while she remained on the floor in pain.

"You want to make this difficult?! Huh?!!" he screamed at the agent. William kicked the woman, slamming his boots into her body; the woman writhing defenselessly on the floor. He stopped a few minutes later as Scully ceased her movements, but laid on the floor only breathing.

He knelt down, relocating her hairline and injected the liquid slowly into Scully, who jerked at the initial puncture. He held her tightly until the needle was empty and discarded it on the floor.

"No-no-noooo…" murmured Scully as her eyes followed the needle as it fell and rolled away from her. At first, she didn't feel anything from the injection. Her vision began clouding up, her battered body hurt eased.

Then the sudden wave of pain struck her.

Scully screamed as her head exploded with burning sensations, tiny sparks of white-hot agony burst in her mind, shrouds of pain consumed her nerves as she felt her thoughts turn into horrid illusions of anguish.

Her body shook violently, jerking and twitching on the floor. Her neck snapped back and Scully cried out. Her mind crying out for mercy from the everlasting pain; even though it was an instant, it seemed like an eternity. Her eyes were tightly shut; bearing all the excruciating pain that exhausted her body so.

Memories of herself and her family flashed, memories of mother and father, her sister in college, her graduation from the FBI…

Scully screamed.

Memories of meeting Mulder, going to the forest, her sister getting shot, shooting Mulder, getting cancer, the men that took her, the experiments, the drilling, the tests…

Scully screamed again. Louder. Thrashing on the floor.

Scully's wrists pulled and strained at the binds, finally snapping free as her body jerked a final time. Her free hands, bloodied wrists and loose flesh, flew to grab her own head, pulling at her own hair trying to kill the pain.

She screamed again and again, fading into an endless repetition of silent pleads for unconsciousness.

The loud pounding inside her head continued, as her body arched back one last time in pain and thudded harshly upon the cold cement floor. Scully moaned and her lips quivered at the last few intakes of breath as she gave into the consuming darkness.

William stood back, staring at the woman's body, which was now unmoving and silent. The room hushed with only breathing. He eyed Scully's body; her head amass with blood that seeped forth from the puncture and fresh wound along her forehead. The seizures had taken over the woman's body, wrecking havoc as it slammed itself against walls and floors.

The physical injuries were really only minimal compared to what was really happening inside the body; the mental injuries would be far worse. They would not heal as easily, if at all.

William circled an unconscious Scully, and picked up the discarded needle. He flipped the woman's eyelids and checked her pupils, dilated and bloodshot.

Done, William got up and rubbed his groan.

He turned and walked out, making sure to slam and lock the door behind him.

"Bitch."

=====>
04:20pm

He entered the room again. The female agent was still lying on the floor unconscious. William put the key back into his pocket and kneeled down to examine the woman.

His slightest touch urged a small sound from her. She would gain full consciousness soon enough if he didn't proceed with his plan.

He lifted Scully's head up from the floor, supporting her neck with his arm and caressed her face. Another moan escaped from the woman's lips. Her lips were barely moving; she was trying to say something.

William bent closer to hear as Scully uttered quietly: "The pain…pain, please stop it."

William nodded in agreement. He knew what it felt like, he'd experienced everything firsthand years before. He knew the torment he was causing on others now, as "they" had done to him before. He knew.

And he liked it.

He glanced at the agent, whose body was limp in his arms. Her face was tense, wet with sweat yet her skin cold to the touch. Her lips still quivering slightly. Her eyes never opened as she continued to mumble.

"Please, where's Mulder? Is he…he okay?"

Still now, even in the worst moments of her own suffering, this woman was asking about her partner. William puzzled over her question. Why would she care for someone not even here, not even suffering with her? 

He wanted to play her game. Give her hope. So he lied.

"He's fine. He'll be here soon. I promise."

"Mulder? Here? No…no…"

"I promise I'll take care of him as I'm going to take care of you." William said, knowing the meaning of his own words. He always carried through with his promises.

The agent eased a soft sigh at his words, and fluttered open her eyes. Her pupils came into focus, and a sickened expression appeared as she half-realized who she was speaking to.

At that instant, William felt the woman's body tense and struggle but he was quicker. He put his hand over her mouth, quieting her groans and with his other hand free, put pressure on her injured temple.

Scully screamed; her screams muted silent by her captor's hand. As jolts of lightning agony flew to her head, Scully's thoughts immediately scattered, and pain took over again.

Tears of pain flooded her vision. Throbbing nerves exploded again. Her body started trembling.

William held the agent's body tight in his arms. He could feel the rapid beating of the woman's heart. His adrenaline rushed as the sight.

Scully's head twisted in pain, the pressure on her temple still there. Her throat constricted, blocking her ability to breathe.

"It's okay. I know." William said calmly, as he eased his fingers off the agent's temple. Scully's body responded almost immediately; her agony receding into uneasy relief as the pressure in her head left. Her mind drowning in tiny bursts of hurt as Scully immersed herself again in unconsciousness.

As the agent's body went limp, William retrieved a needle from his jacket. This would be the second dosage; it had to be given within 24 hours after the first dosage for optimal effect. He carefully found the previous puncture and injected another dose of the liquid into the woman's temple.

Scully's body jerked quickly and went limp just as quick.

William noted the reaction. He finished, and rechecked the agent's pupils: the same as before. He looked Scully over; she would make it. She would have to; she was to be his last.

"I'll bring him here, don't you fret. I'll get you your precious, Mulder."

=====>
08:40pm, Mulder's apartment

The day had not been productive.

Not as productive as he'd wanted it to be. He didn't know what to do, how to continue on. He was running on exhaustion.

Skinner had ordered him to get some rest. He would soon enough. He just needed more time.

He just needed to gather his thoughts.

Mulder walked around his living room table, thinking and thinking. How many times had he gone over each of the details? He was losing count. The facts were all there, the evidence, the traces of Scully. But yet, he still hadn't a real clue.

He just needed one more hint.

Mulder jumped as his phone rang loudly, clearing the still air.

He really didn't want to answer. He was in the middle of several thoughts.

But the phone kept ringing.

So he picked up.

"Yeah? Mulder."

Silence on the other end.

"Hello?! Hey, who the - " Mulder blurted impatiently.

Silence.

Then breathing.

"Who is this?!"

"This is who you're looking for," the phone vibrated.

Mulder paused. Thinking.

"Ofoto? Where's - "

"Don't worry about her," the voice cut in. "She's doing great. Although she misses you." The voice was rough. It sounded hollow. The words spoken sounded malicious.

"Listen to me, you bastard! Tell me where she is! Is she…did you hurt her?!" Mulder demanded into the phone. Ofoto wanted something; that would be the only reason to call him. To tease and bait him in, but this would also be the only way to find Scully.

"You're in no position to demand anything, Agent Mulder. I'm only calling for the goodness of Agent Scully. Like I said, she misses you. She asked for you, and out of the goodness of my heart, I am offering you a chance."

"A chance? For what?"

"To save Agent Scully, of course."

"What?! What kind of game are you playing, Ofoto? If you think - " Mulder questioned furiously. He knew this chance would be his only choice, but Mulder wanted more.

"No! If you think…think now. Two choices: you either see your partner one last time, or so she dies alone…with me."

Mulder didn't hesitate as he gave his stern answer.

"I'll come."

"Good, that's what I thought. Go to the corner of DeVille Avenue in an hour, wait for me there. Don't be late…and come alone."

"How do I know this isn't a trap?"

Silence.

"It is. That's the fun of it all."

Mulder paused at the truthfulness of Ofoto's words. "Let me speak to her. Please." He needed confirmation that Scully was alright. He needed to hear her speak. He needed her gentle voice to reassure him she was still safe, still alive.

"I can't do that. Trust me, Agent Mulder. She's waiting for you, and so am I."

With a ~click~ of the phone, the line was dead.

Mulder stood still for a moment, letting the conversation repeat in his head. He blinked, staring at the phone. Then he hung up and dialed out.

"This is Special Agent Fox Mulder, badge number J1234332…get me a trace for 505-555-3455.

"Are you sure?" Mulder said, his fingers tapping against the wall. "Okay, thanks…" And he hung up the phone.

Then slammed his fist into the wall.

"DAMNNIT!!" Mulder yelled to the wall, to himself. The trace was to Scully's cell phone.

Mulder looked at his watch.

He rubbed his knuckles, grabbed his coat and keys and slammed his apartment door.

It would take him about an hour to get to DeVille Avenue.

He had just enough time.

=====>
09:31pm

Mulder had driven faster than the speed limit in order to arrive in ample time. He didn't care about the risks. He just wanted to see Scully.

The streets around DeVille Avenue were clear. No one was around.

That was strange.

Mulder walked about, pacing the curb. Glancing up and down the street corners, trying to gleam into the dark shadows the streetlamps didn't illuminate.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Not his cell phone.

He looked around; he hadn't even noticed the payphone in the shadows behind him.

He hurried to answer.

"Ofoto."

"Good. You're alone."

"Where are you? Let me see her…talk to her."

"I'll get to that…Let me put her on."

Mulder could hear Ofoto fumbling with the phone. Strange sounds in the background pierced his eardrums. He was listening so intently, pressing the phone to his ears.

At first, all he could hear was soft mumblings. A moan. Then Ofoto's voice urging Scully to speak.

"…Wh-who is it?"

Mulder tensed. Hearing her words, her voice speaking to him so softly, yet it seemed so drugged and slurred. She had to ask who he was. It ached in his heart.

"Scully? Scully, it's me, Mulder. Are you alright?"

"…Mmhmm…Who?" A startling moan of pain. "No…ooo…don't - "

Mulder could hear some more fumbling noises in the background. And then a soft sigh.

"HEY!! Scully? Please…"

Silence.

"No, no." A different voice. Ofoto's. "No more. Meet me around the corner two blocks down. In the warehouse. You'll know which one."

"Leave her alone! I'm coming…"

Mulder hung up.

And raced down the street.

=====>
09:48pm

Mulder was huffing and puffing heavily as he arrived outside the warehouse. He took in several deep breaths, steadying his panting and drew his gun.

Both his hands grasped the gun tightly, his knuckles turning white. He was not going to let anything go wrong; he was not going to let Ofoto control the situation.

As he entered the building, Mulder surveyed the scene and surrounding buildings, making sure to eliminate the most obvious traps. He took out his flashlight and shined it around the darkest shadows, hoping to see a glimpse of Scully before Ofoto appeared.

Walking down the dark corridor, he could hear his own footstep echoing around him. The soft *tap* tap* of his shoes and the hushed breathing of himself.

If he had doubts of where he was going, or being lead, Mulder only needed to search the rooms. He could tell the difference between the rooms, if they'd been occupied or not in the last few days.

Had it been that long?

Mulder walked faster, thinking to himself the danger he was putting himself in. The danger he was putting Scully in by not allowing a backup team to track them. But he knew this was the best way.

Letting the captors know they were in control was part of the game. The easy part. The hard part was trying to win that control over unto yourself.

The silent search was broken when Mulder realized he had happened upon a large opening at the end of the hallway. He was cautious stepping down the stairs, taking each step with a confident yet alert stride.

The building he was in was almost dilapidated beyond recognition, the walls were covered with overgrown moss and plants, the ground wet and damp in areas, and old metallic parts were strewn everywhere. Wires and bolts and plastic lay on the floor, useless and unseen.

As Mulder neared the center off the opening, he could see a dark form in the middle of the artificial light. The light was coming from nowhere, yet focused only in the center on the form.

Mulder stepped closer, taking breaths and pointing his gun.

He squinted into the darkness at the form.

He could almost make it out.

Then he saw the figure move.

Scully.

He didn't instantly call out to her, that would be too easy. He was betting Ofoto was watching from somewhere.

What was he to do?

Mulder looked up, peering into the top floor trying to eye Ofoto hiding somewhere. Ofoto was probably hoping he would just step into the light and reveal himself.

He didn't know how long he stood there. Seconds? Minutes? It seemed so long.

His focus broke as he heard the figure whimper, unable to decipher the words. Scully must be trying to get his attention. Maybe she was hurt. Maybe she was already dying.

What if Ofoto already waited too long? What if he was too late?

He had to go to her.

Mulder stepped out into the center light, nearing Scully but keeping his guard up. The closer he got, he could see clearly it was her.

Scully was sitting passively in a chair, her wrists strapped down with duct tape. Her body was slumped over, as well as her head so that it rested close to her chest.

Mulder could tell she was still alive, breathing rhythmically.

He just couldn't see her face.

He looked around the room, paranoid of every surrounding sound.

He kept the gun in his right hand, using his left to gently touch his partner's chin.

She flinched slightly. Then moaned something.

He lifted her head up, to see her face.

Mulder gasped and grimaced at the sight.

Her face once so scar less and pale, was now so inflicted with bruises and abrasions, cuts aligning her forehead and cheek; her cheeks swollen pink and blue.

He could not see her eyes though.

They were taped shut; duct tape stripped over her eyelids. Her mouth was also taped so she could not speak. Or cry for help.

Mulder swallowed hard. He had to get her out of here. Fast. As soon as possible.

His finger traced her face, touching her skin.

Scully started moaning incessantly, her face twisting in pain. Her head bobbing in Mulder's hand. Her head shaking uncontrollably.

Surprised and stunned, Mulder retracted his hand quickly. Thinking that he might've hurt her. But she kept shaking.

"Scully?! Scully, what's wrong?"

Mulder looked down over her body, checking her. Then he noticed as she was shaking her head, a black cord appeared from behind her ears, dangling loose.

She was wearing ear buds.

He grabbed one of the ear buds and listened.

"…him here. I will kill him. Then you will die. You brought him here. I will kill him. Then you…" the voice repeated itself in an hypnotizing mantra. It was Ofoto's voice, no doubt about that.

Scully had been listening to this for who knows how long. She was most likely in a state of mind where she believed it. Mulder knew the experiments Ofoto conducted were not approved of scientifically or by any other means. He didn't know what Ofoto had done to his partner, but he knew causing havoc on her mind was Ofoto's priority.

This was part of the trap.

And seeing his partner act so unstable was distressing.

Yet she had enough control to warn him, to tell him of the ear buds.

She was fighting Ofoto all the way.

How long did she have before she would break?

Mulder didn't have time to think about the answers, as he grew more furious with each passing moment listening to the mantra.

He pulled the ear buds off of Scully, her head still reacting defensively to him.

"Scully, it's me, Mulder. It's going to be okay. Scully - Dana…It's me…" Mulder repeated to her softly. He gently tugged at the duct tape covering her eyes. Slowly they opened, her eyes revealed a glazed and hazy stare, bloodshot and dilated.

Scully could barely keep her eyes open. The strange dimness hurt, her eyes trying to adjust to light and focus on the dark blur in front of her. She could feel a warmness around her body. Hands touching her, fingerings roaming her body, her face. She heard a kind, deep voice. One she recognized, but could not place a face to the sound.

Her head throbbed. Pain etching into her brain as she tried to form thoughts. Everything was unclear. She was not sure where she was. Where she had been. What had happened. What was happening.

She just remained mostly lifeless; her tired and weakened body letting itself be taken care of. By her captor. By a stranger.

The voices in her head were suddenly taken away. Her reassurance bereft of her. She had acknowledged the words; it was her fault she was here. If she hadn't…hadn't what? She couldn't even remember correctly. 

Thoughts did not form.

She only remembered the words, "You brought him here. I will kill him. Then you will die." Words that held strange meaning. An undeciphered dark meaning that was somehow empty in her head.

Brought who? Kill who here? Die…Die.

The words scrambled in her mind, spinning out of order.

=====>
10:13pm

Mulder started pulling away at the duct tape covering Scully's mouth, his gun still held in his hand. He was very much focused on his partner. Taking care of her. Protecting her.

Perhaps he just didn't know the events happening around him. Perhaps he was shielding her all this time.

The red dot was on the back of Mulder's head, then trailed down to the shoulder. Ofoto had a clear shot.

He took a moment to look as both agents were in the center of the light; the male agent helping the female agent. Ofoto almost wished he had a camera to take a picture of the moment.

So beautiful.

So dedicated.

So short lives.

He fired the gun.

Mulder wasn't sure if he heard or felt the gunshot first, as the bullet drilled through the air and into his body.

The direct shot pierced his right shoulder, the impact hit him and he fell forward. He landed on Scully, whose chair tilted backward and thudded on the cement floor. The sound echoing throughout the empty building.

Scully groaned painfully into the duct tape. Her eyes began watering, tearing up at the pain. The bullet had pierced clean-through Mulder's shoulder and into her own shoulder.

Her left shoulder was enraged with agony.

The blood oozed from her shoulder. The shot was close, only a centimeter or two closer and she'd be dead. The pain gripped her, her body trembling out of control.

Her head filled with images flashing in her mind, but she could only feel the pain.

She was cold.

She could hear an echoed laugh in the background noise.

A man laughing.

Mulder groaned. He turned quickly around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the shooter. He rolled off of Scully and brought up his gun. His vision blurred for a moment, it cleared as he heard the same laughing.

"You didn't think I'd let you visit without giving both of you a souvenir did you?!!!" echoed the walls, resembling Ofoto's voice. "Now I know you didn't come here to just visit…"

Mulder recalled the words, 'both of you.'

What?!

He turned around, his shoulder aching as he did.

Blood. There was blood all over her. Her shoulder was drenched in red. Her mouth spitting up red.

Scully also had been shot.

Then he realized.

He wasn't the target. Not at all.

Scully was.

How selfish of him. She was sitting in the chair helpless, her hands bound, unable to slow the bleeding; her mouth half-taped, unable to cry for help.

"Do you see now?! This is the game. She brought you here. You will die. She will die. You both will die…Only she goes first!" Ofoto screamed into the hollow building. He then stood out of the shadows and started running.

He was going to escape.

"NOOOO!" Mulder screamed back. He edged near Scully, whose body was quivering; she was going into immediate shock. Her face wet, glistening with cold sweat. Her eyes fluttering erratically.

He didn't know what to do.

Things were happening too fast.

He had no control.

He had to choose.

Help Scully or go after Ofoto.

He would never forgive himself if he left her alone.

He made his choice.

Mulder tracked Ofoto with his eyes; he had disappeared into the dark shadows again. Mulder dropped his gun next to his partner; safety clicked. He quickly accessed that his shoulder was not badly damaged, a clean shot, minimal bleeding.

As opposed to Scully's, whose condition was worsening every minute. The shot had pierced her in the right shoulder, so close to her heart. Her body had already endured a lot physically, and in her drugged-like state, she wasn't going to last long without care.

Mulder didn't have time to unbind her hands, so he pulled off the rest of the duct tape from her mouth to ease her breathing. He wiped the blood from Scully's mouth with his shirt sleeve and turned her head to the side. Quickly, he tore open Scully's blouse and took off his own shirt. He crumpled it up into a ball, and pressed it firmly into her shoulder.

Scully screamed.

The scream gurgled in her throat, as more blood seeped from her chest. She coughed harshly. The pain etched on her face as her body shook with each cough. No matter, Mulder held firm, both his hands pressed down on her shoulder.

"God, I'm sorry. Scully, I'm so sorry…" Mulder said, releasing one hand to reach for his cell phone. He flipped it open with his fingers and started dialing.

A large dark shadow loomed them. Mulder's phone was suddenly knocked out of his hand, and fell to the floor with a loud crack. His eyes followed as a boot stepped on the phone and shattered it into broken pieces.

"I don't think so, Agent Mulder." A voice said, picking up Mulder's idle gun. He shoved the gun into the waist band of his pants. And laughed.

Mulder looked up. It was Ofoto, staring him in the face with a grin.

"Wait, please…she's hurt. You've got what you wanted…" pleaded Mulder.

"Oh? Do I?" He grinned, smirking. He scratched his forehead and ran his hand through his thick hair.

"You've got me here, Ofoto. Agent Scully's hurt, dying…What else do you want?"

"Just the pleasure of making sure…I want Agent Scully to remember me. To be the last voice she hears. And yours to be the last pathetic face she sees." Ofoto smiled. Then he face became serious. "Back up. Over there, move!"

Mulder didn't move.

Ofoto loaded his gun, and pointed it at him; the red dot now on Mulder's head.

He still didn't move.

Ofoto pointed the gun at a barely conscious Scully still bound to the chair, lying on the floor.

Mulder slowly eased the pressure on Scully's shoulder, and then left his sponged shirt on her as he backed away. As he did, he heard her small protests and whimpered sighs; his heart ached.  Mulder backed away a couple of feet, his hands in the air, but still kept his attention on Scully's breathing.

Her chest raised up and down erratically.

She was having trouble breathing; going into deep shock from massive blood loss.

Mulder looked on.

Ofoto used his free hand and lifted the chair with Agent Scully to stand upright. Mulder could see Scully's body fall limply forward from the stirring, her head wobbling along. The crumpled blood-soaked tshirt fell into Scully's lap, useless. He watched as Ofoto grabbed his partner's hair and pull until her head was taut against the back of the chair.

Mulder fidgeted. His hands balled into fists. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. The muscles in his jaw clenched.

Scully barely grunted at the unwelcome force. It seemed her entire body was now a rag doll, easily manipulated and quiet. The blood had soaked up the entire left side of her blouse. Blood was dripping down her arms and chest; blood trickling down the sides of her mouth.

Scully's face was emotionless, blank. Her eyes now closed, though her mouth was still slightly open.

"I'll show you something, Agent Mulder. Your partner here isn't such a hard shell to crack," Ofoto twisted Scully's hair in his fingers, her neck loose in his grasp. "She's a tough girl, but there's no comparison to Jenkins. At least he was fun, nah, Agent Scully is just too stubborn. But I'm going to change her. She'll know what it's like…one final dosage and it'll be complete. And you get the honor of watching…"

Mulder grimaced at the thought of Ofoto's next move. He was going to inject Scully one more time. The final lethal dosage. Just like the others. The other never made it alive, or was left changed forever.

He had to think of something.

Mulder carefully looked around while Ofoto was fishing for something in his pockets.

Nothing.

Distraction.

"Maybe there is something wrong with the experiments. Why do people have to die? I don't believe the Thousand Eyes ever meant to kill anyone." Mulder questioned, stalling for time and a chance.

"Hmm, good consideration. There is nothing wrong with experiments themselves; there are problems within the people tested. Don't you see?! I survived! I've gone through a change! I'm more than the frightened little boy I used to be…I'm not afraid of anything." Ofoto replied back, now flicking free the needle cap with his teeth; his other hand nudging the loaded gun underneath Agent Scully's chin.

"Change?! You call kidnapping people against their will and screwing up their memories and lives, change?! This IS NOT a game!" Mulder argued.

"It is to me," Ofoto said surely. "If you aren't willing to play the game, Agent Scully is here to take your place."

"WHAT? No, wait…if I can take Agent Scully's place, take me. I'll do whatever you want." Mulder appealed.

"Enticing…but no." Ofoto made eye contact with Mulder. And smiled.

Mulder watched helplessly as Ofoto prepared to inject Scully. Mulder kneeled, and tried to step closer, but Ofoto's caught him and shook his head and pushed the gun deeper into Scully's chin.

The terrible pain was still there, in her chest. Her upper body throbbing countless times, her heartbeat pumping blood that was losing itself with each pump. Scully had blacked-out several times during the events surrounding her. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't care.

She just wanted the pain to end; the pain that consumed all her energy to keep herself awake. During conscious moments, she had been able to struggle in her bonds more, cutting her own flesh along the tape. She risked skin and blood for freedom.

She had managed to slip loose of her bonds before she fell over in the chair.

She was remembering.

One of the voices she heard recently was familiar. Familiar enough that she trusted her body to risk itself and break free. Pain was unbearable, but she had to. She was determined to help herself. Help him, whoever he was.

Scully jolted awake as felt a cold hard object pressed into her skin. Words being spoken, nothing understood; just words here and there.

She just knew the man helping her was keeping her alive, for however long he could.

Her body shivered, chilled to the bone. Her hands were not steady, but they were movable. No one seemed to notice.

The pain in her head multiplied all of a sudden. She recognized it as it punctured her temple. And the nerves inside her head screamed again.

Ofoto had Mulder kneeling a few feet away, a needle in Agent Scully's head and a gun beneath her chin. He was in his ultimate condition.

His ultimate high.

He was achieving it all.

"Agent Mulder, I will have you know, by the time this is over…I'll have had the pleasure finishing up an experiment worthy of the Noble Prize. Thank you." Ofoto congratulated Mulder, he began the slow injection when suddenly the body beneath him twisted, the needlepoint broke and gun pulled from its victim.

A shot suddenly went off.

Mulder was in awe as his awakened semi-conscious partner took control of Ofoto in just enough time that he grabbed the gun from his ankle holster and fired.

Ofoto dropped instantly, dragging down Agent Scully in her chair again. Both tilted backwards, this time Scully on top. He saw Ofoto loosen the objects from his hand; the needle rolling from his fingers and gun dropping inches away.

A long growl and then silence.

"Scully?! Scully?" Mulder repeated rushing over to the chair, checking her face for a gunshot wound.

He saw that Scully's wrists were torn and chaffed horribly, blood now also at her hands. Mulder carefully touched his partner's cheeks, caressing softly. 

She was beautiful.

Even now.

Luckily, Scully had pulled the gun far enough that only the powder was on her, as well as fresh stippling near her chin and nose. Mulder looked at the fresh puncture, the needlepoint was still more than half was stuck in her temple. He didn't dare touch it. Scully's body unconscious, but her fingers were still twitching. Mulder felt for her pulse, it was beating unsteadily.

The small amounts of drug in her system were beginning to take charge again.

Mulder looked around. Desperate for a phone. Call 911. Call 911. The mantra in his head. He didn't want to leave Scully. She was not able to help herself; he had to think of a way to help her.

He prayed.

He didn't know where the words were coming from, out of desperation? Out of fear? Out of time? He wasn't sure, Mulder prayed for his partner. His friend. His soul mate.

He didn't know the god to whom would hear his words, but he pleaded so sincerely maybe all of them would hear his cry for mercy.

=====>
11:15pm

Sirens.

He could hear sirens in the background. He could differentiate the two blaring sounds in the background, getting closer and closer: police and ambulance.

Help was coming.

Someone had heard.

By now Mulder was already tearing up. The wet streams trickling down his cheeks. Scully had only woken up for a couple of minutes that seemed like hours they had been waiting for help, and convulsed violently at the excruciating pain wrecking her body. 

Mulder knew enough of the mysterious liquid had been injected that it was now seizing control. Possibly wiping out precious memories of Scully's life, her childhood, her family, her career and even him.

His heart aching at the thoughts. At her inner pain.

Mulder waited alone; Scully now unconscious and oblivious to her surroundings.

Her body would not respond to the pressure he had on her shoulder, still trying to stop the bleeding wound. His hands were covered with blood, underneath his fingernails, in his skin. Everywhere he touched, red remained.

The needlepoint still stuck in her forehead. It was a horror to look at it. Another foreign object in her body. Metallic…

He hadn't realized all the commotion surrounding him: the lights that were shining through the windows and cracked wall of the building, or the droning of the sirens. He had felt low voices around him, but didn't acknowledge them as he held tightly on to his Scully.

They kept mouthing words to him, motioning him away. Hands and fingers touched him, grabbing him to stand and pulling him away from her. People dressed in red and white blurs moved in front of him, hovering over his partner. His eyes never leaving her as people in blue and black grabbed him.

He didn't struggle, somewhere in the back of his brain, thoughts where telling him they were trying to help her. They were here to help.

There was help here.

He didn't fear anything, just her survival. Her revival.

Soon, he lost sight of her as he felt himself being pulled away into a bright light, something puncturing his arm and pressure building in his shoulder. There was pain, but nothing he couldn't take.

Then a familiar face was speaking to him. Softly and reassuring him of things he knew and didn't know but were thinking about.

He blinked almost absentmindedly, trying to remember every action that happened. All the commotion, the shouting, the pleading, the shot and the bleeding. It was all too much.

He struggled to break free, grabbing the familiar face. But he felt another prick, and the world became distant and he blacked out.

===intermission===
06.49pm
08/07/00
===intermission===