*~*~*~*~*~*
Connected
by Lovesfox
*~*~*~*~*~*
lovesfox@rogers.com

Headers in Part 1

***
Part 8 of 12

Unknown Location
Tuesday 


The sound of the cell door crashing open pulled Scully from
an uneasy sleep.  Confused and disoriented, she was slow to
react, separating herself from Mulder's embrace and struggling
to her feet.

Beside her Mulder did the same, his hand brushing her fingers
in a warning of sorts.  A quick glance at him showed that his
face was drawn, his body tense.  She gave him a barely
perceptible nod before facing forward, cautiously alert.  Her
heart was thudding rapidly in her chest, fear-induced adrenaline
beginning to course through her veins.

Two things registered at once -- their cell was no longer dark,
as if there were some kind of hidden lighting system in
operation, and there were two black-clad figures entering the 
room.

No words were spoken.  One of the men raised his arm and gave 
them a 'come here' gesture with his hand, rather impatiently,
while the other stood just behind and to his right, watching.

The natural instinct was to resist, of course.  Scully backed
up a step, the backs of her knees hitting the cot.  Her eyes
darted from one figure to the other, noting first the visible 
lack of guns, and then their action-ready stance.  Swallowing
thickly, she flicked another glance at Mulder, sending him
a silent question.

<>

His arm moved back a bit, fingers brushing hers once more as
he answered.  He kept his gaze locked on the commandos however.

<>

His reply didn't make sense, seemed cut in half, and Scully 
blinked in surprise.  What did he mean?

<>

The commando who had gestured spoke then, his voice brusque
and sharp.  "Move, now."  The sudden accompanying display of 
a stun gun, and its silent but implicit threat, accentuated 
the order.

The sight of the stun gun brought her earlier experience with
one vividly to mind, had her trembling in remembered pain and
fear.  When the commando had yanked her out of the van so many
hours ago, she had panicked, believing she was being separated
from Mulder.  She had struggled, and received a jolt from the
stun gun as punishment.  She could have lived with that; she
had been warned.  Except she had caused Mulder to be jolted as
well.  She vowed silently to herself that she would not allow
that to happen again.

With jerky steps, she moved towards the commandos, feeling 
the heavy weight of their suspicious gaze upon her.  A second
later she heard Mulder shuffle forward as well.

A black-clad arm reached out and grabbed her by the biceps
as she neared the first man, and she was spun around, her
arm twisted and yanked up behind her back.  Unable to contain
the tiny yelp that escaped, she quickly gritted her teeth to 
hold back any further sounds.  She would not give them the
satisfaction of hearing her distress.

Before she was forced forward and out of the cell, she managed
to look briefly at Mulder.  Saw that he was held similarly
by the other commando, a grimace on his face.

In the hallway there were two more commandos, also clad in
black.  Standing on guard several feet from the door, their 
weapons -- automatic, she noted semi-dispassionately -- clearly 
visible and held at the ready.  Obviously she and Mulder were 
considered a flight risk.  Given half the chance, they damn
well would be.

Her escort turned her to the right and herded her down the 
hall, his grip on her arm easing only slightly.  His booted 
feet thudded dully on the tiled floor, and though she could 
not see Mulder, the thuds from behind her partially assured 
her he was being helped along in the same direction.  She 
sent a mind query for further affirmation.

<>

There was no reply, and Scully stumbled a little, dread 
increasing her heart rate.  Wondering if he had in fact been 
taken elsewhere.  The hold on her tightened in response to 
her misstep, yanking her up a little straighter.  She sent 
the thought again, almost screaming his name in her head.

<>

This time he answered, and she exhaled heavily in relief, 
shoulders sagging.  Which resulted in another jerk on her 
arm from her captor.  

<>

Thusly reassured, or as much as one could be in this kind 
of situation, she tried her best to concentrate on their 
surroundings.  Though she had not been fully cognizant the 
night before due to the stun gun jolt she had received, she 
did recall the blank-faced doors that had lined the white 
hallways she had been dragged along.  There were more of the 
same now.

After what felt like several minutes, and two turns -- one 
to the left and another to the right -- she was yanked to 
a halt in front of one such blank, white door. 

It opened silently without any action from the commando who 
held her, and she had a moment to muse about sensors before 
she was simultaneously released and shoved inside.  Turning 
to face the door, she was forced back several steps by 
Mulder's body slamming into hers as he was also pushed into 
the room.  The unexpectedness of his weight on her nearly 
caused her to fall.

His hands grasped her forearms, held her steady.  "Got you," 
he whispered, and then shoving her behind him, he spun around.

Past his shoulder she could see that the doorway was empty, 
the door closed.  Her partner rushed forward, hands swiping 
over its smooth surface, but the portal remained shut.  His
fingers got busy checking the seams, searching for a way to 
trigger the sensors.

Believing it would not open unless They wanted it to, Scully 
turned in a slow circle to survey their newest location. 
Her gaze took in the rectangular-shaped room that appeared
to be roughly the size of their previous cell, and the low
bench that ran along one of the shorter walls.  On said bench
were two small stacks of what looked like clothing.  

Approaching, she nudged the closest pile and realized the 
items were scrubs of a pale, almost-white blue color.  

After taking in the two partitioned bathroom stalls on the 
opposite wall, and the two sinks just to the left of the 
stalls, understanding dawned.  They were to make use of 
these facilities and change into the scrubs.  Trepidation 
filled her, had her tensing, as she wondered why the scrubs 
were necessary.

<>

Her partner left his survey of the door at her mind-call, 
frustration clear in his eyes.  His gaze followed her finger, 
which pointed at the scrubs, and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

<>

His eyes widened at the supposition she had mind-sent him, 
and a deep frown developed on his face.  His reply echoed 
her feelings exactly.

<>

She nodded; no words were necessary.  Picking up the first 
set of scrubs and checking the tag inside the collar of the 
shirt, she saw it was an extra large.  She handed them to 
Mulder, and when he had taken them from her, reached down 
to pick up the other set.  Size medium.

Making her way to the two doorless stalls, she took the one
on the right.  Mulder followed a second later and entered
the other stall.

<>

The wry comment brought the slightest of smiles to her lips, 
and she quickly made use of the facilities while pushing away 
her embarrassment about the situation.  Then she stripped down 
to her undergarments, and dressed in the scrubs, pulling the
cloth slippers on her feet.  Gathering up her clothing and
shoes, she exited, careful not to peer into Mulder's stall 
as she returned to the bench.  

By the time she had folded her own clothes and placed them
on the bench, Mulder had joined her.  His gaze raked her from
head to toe, and an irreverent grin curled his lips.

<>

Several responses, none of them appropriate, sprang to mind,
but she merely shook her head chidingly at him.  Still, his
teasing statement, one she knew he had said to ease her
tension, brought a small smile to her lips.

His grin widened, and he gave her a bolstering look.  After 
dumping his own unfolded clothes unceremoniously next to hers, 
he went over to the pair of sinks and began to wash up.

The sound of the water, and the sight of her partner repeatedly
cupping it in his hands and splashing it on his face had her 
realizing how grubby she felt, and she hastened over to make 
use of the other sink.

Just seconds after they had returned to the bench, having 
cleaned up as best they could and slaked their thirst with 
the cold water, the cell door slid open.

Confirming her thought that they had been under surveillance
in this room as well.

Not wanting to give the commandos a reason to stun them, or
use other force, Scully immediately stepped over to the first 
man when he motioned to her.  Despite her compliance, her 
arm was grabbed as before, and she was yanked out of the room.

Down those same hallways, past those same doors with two 
other commandos as back-up for the first pair.  To another 
white door that opened soundlessly and effortlessly.

This time she and Mulder were not thrust inside the room, they 
were escorted in by the commandos.

***

The first thing his sight registered when he and Scully were
taken none too gently into the room were the two dentist-like
chairs placed dead-center, facing each other.  Those, and the
straps that dangled from both chairs.

Straps meant to hold a body down.

Fight or flight instinct had Mulder struggling against the
iron grip on his biceps.  The element of surprise and adrenalin-
fueled strength on his side, he actually succeeded in breaking
the hold.  Had even twisted partially free, when he heard 
Scully's choked off gasp.

"Muld-"

Still fighting, he craned his head to the left, found his
partner a few feet away.  Saw the arm tight around her neck,
her chin held in a bruising grip, and the stun gun shoved 
into the soft flesh just below her ear.

He subsided, his body and spirit sagging in defeat, and was
rewarded by a strong punch to his kidneys.  Weakly sucking 
in air, he arched his back before curling in on the pain
spreading through his midsection, bringing his arms up to 
encircle his waist.  He barely registered Scully's panicked 
thought, mind-heard it as if through a haze.

<>

Hands gripped both his upper arms then, and he was dragged
over to one of the chairs.  Manhandled into it, still wheezing
from the blow, he saw that there were two commandos standing
on either side of the chair he now occupied.  They held him 
down while a third busily strapped him into place, starting
at his feet.

Twisting slightly, Mulder managed to find Scully again.  She 
was standing in the same spot, up on her tiptoes due to the 
commando's brutal grasp, the stun gun still pressed into her 
neck.  Despite the fact that the commando's hold on her chin
forced her head upwards, her gaze was focused on him.  Fear
and pain were clear in her eyes, causing him worry.  He sent
a frantic message.

<>

She blinked her eyes at him, but then her gaze seemed to take
in what was happening to him.  A panicked sound emerged from
her lips, and he quickly sent another thought.

<>

Finished restraining him -- quite effectively, he discovered
after a futile attempt to pull away with both arms and legs 
-- the commandos turned away from his chair.  And towards 
Scully.

Regardless of his warning, Scully did struggle somewhat as she 
was brought to the other chair and forcibly put on it.  Mulder
frowned and gritted his teeth, there was nothing he could do but 
watch.  Watch and try to mind-speak to her again, to get her to 
stop expending her energy uselessly.  To not anger them.

<>

She didn't even look in his direction -- she was staring with
apprehension at the set of straps around her ankles and calves 
the commandos were busy putting in place.  He wasn't getting 
any actual coherent thoughts from her, but rather impressions 
-- fear, worry.  Memories of past experiences, where she had
previously been restrained.  He tried to speak to her again, 
concerned they would use the stun gun on her, or worse.

<>

Whether his previous warning had not registered, he did not
know, but Scully finally responded.

<>

He gave her an infinitesimal nod and watched as she seemed to
settle down.  A grimace crossed his face briefly as he realized 
then that he had unintentionally been leaning forward against 
the straps.  As if he could get up and go to her, all his 
muscles tensed.  He forced himself to relax and took several
deep breaths until his racing heart rate slowed. 

The commandos adjusted the last of Scully's restraints, did an
about-face, and marched towards the door.  Craning his neck,
Mulder was able to watch as two of them exited, and the other
two took up their posts -- one on either side of the door.

When neither guard moved, and no other activity became apparent, 
he began to examine their newest prison more closely.  Aside 
from the chairs he and Scully were strapped into, and equipment 
whose use was unknown to him in one corner, the room was empty.  
Three of the white-painted walls were bare, but the fourth had 
a large, mirror-like window, like those found in police station 
interrogation rooms.  Rooms with one-way viewing.

A tickling sense at the back of his mind told him that there
were people on the other side of that window, observing him
and Scully.  As surreptitiously as possible, he glanced at 
her, and it appeared that she was checking the room out as 
well.  With her interest focused on the machines in the corner, 
Mulder didn't think she had noticed the observation window, so 
he mind-called to get her attention.

<>

Nothing.

<>

Still no response.  He tried harder, 'shouting' her name.

<>

She visibly startled, her head whipping around so she could
stare at him, eyebrows high.  Her message came quickly, and
he heard the surprise and the ire in it.

<>

Angling his head just slightly, so that it faced away from the 
one-way mirror, he shot his gaze towards it and back quickly.
Sent a mind-warning as well.

<>

She frowned, tilting her head a little, reminding him of a
reaction people made when they couldn't quite hear.

<>

Frowning as well, he shot another look towards the window and 
re-sent his thought.  Once again tensing in his seat, his hands
tightly clenched.

<>

Comprehension dawned, and she instinctively glanced at the
one-way mirror.  Mulder had only a few seconds to contemplate
why it had taken Scully so long to respond, to attempt to
assess and analyze the situation, because the door opened 
then and a white-coated, bespectacled man entered the room.  

A technician of sorts, Mulder surmised.  The man did not 
acknowledge the commandos in any way that Mulder could detect, 
and immediately walked over to the grouping of machines.  He 
did, however, look at the window for a moment as he passed by 
it.

There was a compact laptop with stylus and a blood pressure 
cuff in the man's hands when he went to Scully's side, items 
Mulder assumed had been retrieved while he had checked on 
the machines.  Mulder watched tensely as the man, who did not 
speak to Scully, proceeded to check her blood pressure and 
take her pulse, apparently entering the results on the laptop
immediately after.  Next the man checked the straps around her 
wrists and ankles, and then walked over to Mulder's chair.

The technician repeated the same examination of Mulder's 
restraints, still not uttering a word.  Mulder briefly 
considered making it difficult for the man to take his 
readings, but remembering the commandos still in the room, 
and their stun guns, decided to speak to the man instead.  

In as non-confrontational a tone as he could manage, he asked, 
"What are you going to do to us?"

He was not graced with an answer.  The technician did not even
spare him a glance, merely busied himself wrapping the blood 
pressure cuff around Mulder's upper arm.

Mulder tried again, in a much stronger voice.  "What the hell
is going on here?"

<>

Scully's admonishment came through loud and clear, but he
ignored it, his gaze boring a hole in the man's forehead, 
willing the technician to look at him.  To respond.

But the only response was to finish taking Mulder's blood
pressure and pulse, which the technician made note of on his
laptop.  Finished with that, he met Mulder's eyes briefly, 
his face expressionless, before turning and going back to 
the machines in the corner.

***
End Part 8 of 12

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