Title: Caught in the headlights Part One Walter got used to answering the phone in the den that served as his office with a friendly: ‘Walt’s Woodwork.’ Fox got used to working on his latest manuscript with the muted sounds of Walter creating yet another piece of hand-made furniture in the background. Walter gave up trying to convince Fox that being outdoors was fun. Fox stopped nagging Walter about the real meaning of retirement. Apart from the occasional lost backpacker or injured animal, both of which they took in, their lives were uneventful. Peaceful, Walter said. Boring, Fox didn’t say. But Walter knew Fox still needed the big city now and then. So the money Fox earned from lectures at various Universities and other places eager to hear the psychology Professor’s views on the paranormal came in regularly. It was a useful supplement to their income between sales of beds and tables from Walter’s thriving business and advances and royalties from Fox’s writing. And being away meant coming back. Which meant Walter fussed over Fox more than usual for at least a day or two after his return. Which left him torn between leaving Walter, which he knew Walter hated, and being back in a large city with the bustle which was completely missing in their new life. ‘Fox?’ Folding the letter closed, Fox looked up. ‘Yeah?’ ‘Another lecture?’ Fox knew his face betrayed his attempts to hide the invitation. ‘Yeah. I…can’t go.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘I…um…’ Walter sighed and picked up the letter from under Fox’s elbow. ‘You’ve been to California before. Why don’t you want to go?’ Fox looked away. Predictably, Walter wasn’t going to let the subject drop. ‘Fox, why don’t you want to accept the Universities’ invitation?’ Finally looking up at Walter, Fox muttered: ‘You miss me.’ Walter laughed. ‘Of course I miss you. But I remember how much you enjoyed the last lecture. Call them in the morning and tell them you’ll be going.’ ‘Are you sure?’ Walter nodded. ‘It’ll take your mind off your new book.’ Fox groaned. ‘I just can’t get it right.’ Walter smiled. ‘You’re too hard on yourself. Your editor said your first two chapters were great.’ ‘How do you know?’ ‘I do talk to Peter, Fox.’ Fox smiled. ‘So you don’t mind if I go?’ Walter perched on the edge of Fox’s chair. ‘Fox, I would never stop you doing what you wanted.’ ‘Even if you don’t want me to go?’ Walter ruffled Fox’s hair in a gesture reminiscent of a much earlier time in their relationship. ‘I’ll miss you. But we’ll talk every day. And it’s only for three days.’ ‘Um…’ ‘Fox?’ ‘It’s Scully’s birthday the next day. I thought I’d drop in.’ Walter thought quickly. ‘Why don’t I fly up on your last day? We can spend some time together, and then both go to Dana’s.’ Fox smiled. ‘Great. She’d love to see you. I’ll organise it tomorrow.’ ‘Okay. I’m going to bed. Don’t work too late.’ Fox got up, folding his laptop closed. ‘Wait for me. I’m suffering from writer’s block.’ Walter grinned. ‘I wonder if I can do anything about that?’ Fox laughed. ‘How can someone who works as hard as you do have so much energy left at the end of the day?’ Unbuttoning his shirt, Walter said: ‘I pace myself.’ Fox pulled his sweatshirt off then stopped, watching as Walter’s body, toned, tanned and muscled, was slowly exposed as he undressed. As Walter’s strong arms reached for him, pulling him onto the bed, large hands carding through the thick hair, Fox whispered. ‘I’m unblocking already.’ Walter pulled Fox close, his hand reaching down. ‘So that’s what it’s called these days.’ ************ Cautiously, Walter got out of bed. Someone banging on the door in the middle of the night meant only one thing. Trouble. Thankful he’d fitted a spy hole in the heavy wooden door, Walter looked through. Seeing no-one, he slowly opened the door a few inches. He sprawled on the floor as the door was pushed fully open. He looked up into the barrel of a gun. ‘I need food.’ Walter’s eyesight had deteriorated a little in the few years since his retirement. But not that much. ‘Alex?’ Alex groaned. ‘Skinner? Jeez.’ Slowly Walter got to his feet. ‘Alex, put that away. If you’re hungry, you can have some food. You don’t need to threaten me.’ ‘I didn’t know this was your place.’ Walter walked into the kitchen. ‘So you just wake up complete strangers in the middle of the night and demand food at gunpoint?’ Alex nodded. ‘Yeah.’ Shaking his head, Walter reached down a tin of soup, a can opener, and a saucepan. ‘Sit down.’ Warily, Alex dropped into one of the chairs around the kitchen table. ‘What are you doing here Alex?’ ‘Nothing.’ Alex’s guilty tone negated his answer completely and Walter brought the steaming bowl of soup across, together with a spoon and a thick slice of bread. Sitting across the table, Walter waited until Alex had devoured the food. ‘You want the rest of the can?’ Alex got up. ‘Nah. Thanks.’ ‘Alex surely a few more minutes won’t matter. Have some more soup.’ Alex shrugged and sat back down. The only food he’d had in two days was beginning to make him realise how hungry he really was. He had spent so much time desperately hungry that now his brain simply ignored the signals until he ate. After the second bowl, and almost half a loaf, Alex sat back. The food was making him drowsy, and that was dangerous. Self-discipline kicked in out of habit, and he got up. ‘I gotta go.’ ‘Where Alex?’ Walter asked the question, not really expecting an answer. ‘Wisconsin.’ Walter sighed. He had no idea if Alex was telling the truth but part of him was relieved the younger man didn’t seem to want to stay. By the time he finished loading the dishwasher, Alex was preparing to leave, pulling on his familiar black leather jacket, zipping it closed against the autumn chill. ************* The two men hugged at the airport, one of the few places over the next couple of days where they would be able to show their affection for each other openly. Fox certainly seemed to be making the most of the opportunity. Eventually, Walter pulled away, holding Fox at arm’s length. ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘Nothing.’ Sighing, Walter held Fox’s arms tightly. ‘Fox?’ ‘I saw Krycek. Only for a second, but I’m sure it was him.’ ‘When?’ ‘This morning. I was getting into a cab to come here and he was across the street, watching my hotel.’ ‘He was at the cabin the day before yesterday.’ Fox was suddenly uneasy. ‘What did he want?’ ‘Food.’ ‘And?’ ‘Just food. Apparently he didn’t realise it was our place.’ As he related the details of Alex’s sudden appearance, Walter began to share Fox’s disquiet. Their cabin was pretty remote, and accessible via a road that was more dirt than tarmac. The idea of someone just happening across it was, now he thought about it, unlikely in the extreme. But Walter forced his attention back to Fox, who was clearly agitated, and set about reassuring him. ************** Fox dropped his case onto the bed and dropped down next to it. The episode with Alex had overshadowed the visit to Scully. He had been careful to hide it from her and he had almost succeeded. But she had heard him discussing it with Walter and demanded to know what was going on. Fox wasn’t sure if he felt better or worse after telling her. ‘Fox, come out here a second.’ Walter’s voice, as always, pulled Fox to its source, and he walked to stand beside Walter, whose arm snaked around his waist, fingers falling on his hip. ‘I think they must be the kids.’ Walter’s fascination for the deer family which inhabited the woodland around their cabin was lost on Fox. But he understood it made Walter happy to see them each night, and he dutifully stood and watched silently as the deer drank warily from the edge of the lake. Something startled the deer and they ran, leaving Walter frowning into the darkness. 'There’s never usually anything around to spook them.’ Fox shrugged and walked towards the couch. The unmistakable sound of logs falling from the woodpile outside had both men at the door in seconds. Walter reached into the bookcase, pulling out a small loaded pistol. Flicking the safety catch off, he opened the front door. ‘Don’t you know how to knock?’ Fox’s mouth dropped open as Walter dragged Alex in by his collar, releasing him only when he was sure his gun was pointing at the younger man. ‘Hi Fox.’ ‘Krycek.’ Walter flicked the safety catch back on. ‘I was just about to start dinner. Want to join us?’ Alex shrugged. ‘Okay.’ ************* Alex dozed in front of the fire while Walter and Fox played a closely fought game of chess. Walter looked across. ‘It’s almost possible to believe he was once just an ordinary kid.’ Fox smiled. ‘Until he wakes up and holds a knife to your throat.’ Walter moved a final piece and sat back. ‘Check.’ Fox groaned. ‘When did you start planning that?’ Walter shrugged. ‘About ten moves back.’ ************** The sound of the game being packed away woke Alex. Panicking, he looked around. ‘What time is it?’ Walter looked through into the kitchen. ‘Just after midnight.’ Both men saw Alex’s terror, in his face and in his shaking hand as he pulled his cell phone from inside his jacket. Dialling, his chest heaved as he waited for an answer. ‘Four…I know…I’m sorry…I…was asleep. No, wait…you can’t…’ Dropping the handset Alex stared unseeingly into the distance, his ragged breathing loud in the silent room. ‘Alex, what’s wrong?’ Walter got up and walked over to the younger man. ‘They…I...’ Frowning, Walter looked up. ‘Fox, you wanna go check your email?’ Fox was torn between anger at being dismissed and relief that he wasn’t expected to stay. ‘Alex, what happened?’ Close to losing control completely, Alex said quietly: ‘I’m supposed to call in every two hours.’ Walter said kindly: ‘You were exhausted Alex. You fell asleep. Surely if you explain…’ Alex shook his head. ‘They said…they said I was…unreliable.’ Walter had expected a much worse description of Alex’s failure, and had to stifle a smile. Clearly, the comment had hurt Alex deeply. Walter was almost pushed off-balance as Alex got up suddenly. ‘I have to go.’ ‘Where Alex?’ ‘Maybe if I can talk to them…’ ‘Who are you working for Alex?’ The question was obviously not one Walter was going to get an answer to, and he watched as the younger man pulled on his jacket. The bottle of pills rattled and Alex tried to hide the sound. He stood still, every muscle tense as Walter reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bottle. ‘Benzedrine? Alex, if you took these and still fell asleep, you must be way beyond exhausted. At least wait while I pack up some food for you.’ Alex shook his head, tears brightening his eyes. Reluctantly, Walter handed him the pills. ‘I’ll get something.’ Walter frowned. ‘By threatening someone at gunpoint.’ Alex shrugged, his hand on the door. ‘I wouldn’t hurt them.’ ************* Alex forced himself not to cough. The thick smoke surrounding Spender drifted around him, scenting and colouring the air. ‘Alex, if you can’t obey a simple rule such as calling in regularly, how are we to trust you to carry out our instructions?’ ‘I’d been watching the guy for three days straight. Even the pills didn’t work.’ Spender’s displeasure was almost palpable. ‘I trust he was unaware of your observation.’ ‘Yeah.’ Alex snapped crossly. ‘Very well. Go with Joseph. He will take you to the cabin your target rents in the summer. I understand he is due there the day after tomorrow. Off you go.’ ************* As usual, Walter was watching the deer. Busy finishing an order for a bed and four chairs, he had missed his usual swim. He would dive into the freezing lake, Fox’s bemused eyes watching him as he completed a couple of circuits. Then Fox would find novel ways of warming his shivering lover. One of the deer waded a few inches into the water, looking up as a large shape reflected on the water’s surface, the noise increasing as it neared the lake. Yet again, the deer ran, this time from the mechanical sound that Walter instantly identified as a helicopter. Swooping low over the lake, something large and well wrapped was dropped into the freezing water. The sound of the splash caught Walter’s attention. Angrily he got to his feet, walking to the door. ‘It’s not bad enough we have to put up with the walkers leaving their rubbish behind. Now they’re dumping it in my lake.’ Walking to the window, he looked out. The ripples on the lake were spreading out, but something else caught his eye. The large dark shape in the centre of the lake was moving. Shouting for Fox, Walter ran from the cabin, stripping his shirt. ‘Someone’s just dumped an animal in the lake.’ Walter swam quickly to the middle of the lake, realising as he closed in on the object in front of him that it was much too big to be a dog or cat. Barely managing to hold the heavy sack, Walter made it to the water’s edge and between them, they manhandled the dead weight onto the bank. Pulling a penknife from his pocket, Walter cut the wide bands of silver adhesive tape holding the sack closed. Peeling it back, he pulled the head out of the water, holding it by the dense short dark hair. ‘Fox, go and run a bath. Not too hot. And put the kettle on.’ Walter pulled the free of the sack and sat for a moment at the edge of the lake. The swollen face, bruised and bloody was barely recognisable in the moonlight. ‘Alex.’ Alex moaned slightly as Walter pulled him from the water. He was shaking so hard that his teeth chattered as he was carried in Walter’s strong arms to the cabin. 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