[MD 1, 6:35 AM, EDT, UD Cunningham's Office]
Damien rubbed the bridge of his nose as he paced. Xan, his wife and
partner, had had to go to the lab immediately. He was going to be out for
at least a day, and the deadlines they were under in Forensics were not
going to go away just because he'd gotten a temporary promotion.
The silvers and greys of pre-dawn had faded to the rose and peach of
sunrise. He stopped and stared out the window for a moment, watching the
Reflecting Pool turn to liquid gold.
He picked up the personnel folders. Some of them, he recognized. Woods,
Kelly, Calloway... Others, he didn't know.
Damien grimaced, wishing for Xan's soothing presence.
He sat down at the -- his -- desk and pulled the case file, going over it
carefully. One of the dangers of the X-Files was that it wasn't unusual for
the cases to be a front for something sinister... or deadly... But, for
however long he held this position, these were going to be his people, his
agents -- and he wasn't going to send them out without any idea of what was
going on...
----
[7:55 AM]
The now-buried little box on his desk buzzed. An unfamiliar voice came over
the line. "Agent Sarianna Kelly, Director."
Damien made a note to get a member of the secretarial pool that he knew for
a secretary. He shuffled some of the papers out of the way. Hitting the
button to open the line, he said, "Send her in."
Sarianna Kelly walked in. He saw her eyes take in the mess he'd made going
over the case file, and he could almost hear Xan scolding him for his
disorganization. He shrugged and grinned at her, holding out a hand.
"Welcome to my mess, Agent Kelly -- may I call you Sarianna?"
"I prefer 'Sari,' sir."
"Damien, please. Or Cunningham, if you prefer... 'Sir' is my wife."
Sari laughed, remembering meeting his wife, and Xanthippe Xavier's cool
efficiency. "Yes, I suppose she is."
He laughed with her. "So... are you ready for this?"
----
[2:45 PM]
Sarianna Kelly walked into his office for the second time that day, her eyes
serious. "Are they here yet?"
"No. But they should be here soon."
There was a knock at the door.
"Come." Damien's voice had the strong ring of authority. A woman, perhaps
in her thirties, poked her head in the door. Damien felt almost a shock as
a quick, sleek figure prowled into the room. Intense green eyes, cold as
beryls, flickered around the room.
"I was looking for UD Ekert."
"He was killed last night," said Cunningham, his characteristic energy
suddenly subdued. She glanced at him, expression opaque. "Can I help you?"
She smiled, revealing canines that were almost fangs. With a strange jolt,
he realized that her eyes were odd -- their pupils seeming almost slitted,
like a cat...
"No." Her low voice was smooth, deeply piled velvet. He could almost hear
a purr in the back of it. "That's alright. Thanks for your help."
The woman closed the door, and Damien stared at the door. Sari looked at
him. "Who was that?"
"I have no idea."
The intercom buzzed. He'd cleared the desk, and everything was in place.
Damien pressed the button. "Yes?"
"Several agents are here to speak with you, sir." Distaste was evident in
the secretary's voice. It was all he could do to control his expression.
"Send them in. No interruptions."
"Yes... sir."
Sari looked at him, and he shrugged.
The agents filed in... There was Woods. He smiled at the younger man, who
seemed to be ill at ease. He nodded to the others, equably.
"Welcome back to DC, sir, ladies. I realize that this has been very
confusing -- we apologize for that. I've pulled what strings I can, and
your next flight isn't until late tomorrow, so you'll have a little time to
rest and to get to know each other." Damien stood, towering easily over
everyone else, and suddenly making his small office seem tiny. "For those
of you who don't know me, I'm Damien Cunningham. Normally, I serve as Chief
of Forensics, but due to the sudden, untimely death of the previous UD, I've
been pressed into service. Several of you were in training with my wife,
Agent Xavier."
Woods, Calloway, and Kelly all nodded.
"Now... Let me introduce you to your Team Leader. This is agent Sarianna
Kelly -- her record has been exemplary, and I'm sure that she will take good
care of the lot of you in the field. Agent Kelly, this is Agent Calloway,
Agent Llywelyn, Agent Woods, and Agent McCormick." He gestured to each
agent in turn. "They're your team... Now, to get to your case..." He
pulled out a stack of identical folders, passing them out to each agent.
"There have been some strange deaths at Karellon University. Eleven young
women have disappeared. Four of these were found, clothed in wedding
dresses. Each had her throat slit, the ring finger of her left hand cut
off, as well as the thumb of her right... Each girl belonged to a
sorority... Any questions?"
"Okay. Reservations have been made at a hotel in Virginville -- your flight
is scheduled for 4:00 PM, tomorrow afternoon. It comes into Garretsburg,
which is about 30 minutes away from Virginville. Good luck!"
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