Questions In The Dark

It was late and Scully was tired. She and her
partner had spent most of the night on a stakeout. Boring work, but there was not a lot happening
with the X-files lately.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner had assigned them to keep an eye on a young punk
that may or may not have ties to a major drug ring. Not normaly the kind of work that
they did, but Scully did not mind, after all, it was better then stumbling around forests in the middle of
the night. Or searching through empty warehouse and abandoned silos.

She tossed her keys onto the small table that sat near the front door of her apartment, then wandered
into the kitchen in search of coffee and something to eat.

She was just about to plug in the electric kettle, when the phone rang. Scully walked back into the
living room and picked the phone up.
"Hello, Scully speaking".
"Ah Ms Scully, I was hoping to find you in".
Scully frowned. "Who is this"?
"A concerned friend Ms Scully. was hoping to be able to have a word with you. Face to face if possible".

"May I ask your name please"? Scully's voice was brisk, no nonsense, hiding the rising feeling of
trepidation that she was begining to feel.
"My name is not important, but the information that have may be, especially to your partner, Agent Mulder".
Scully ran her tongue over her lips nervously. "What information might that be"? She asked.
"I am afraid that I cannot say any more until we meet Ms Scully". The voice replied firmly.
"I am not far from where you live. I believe there is a small coffee shop across the road from you
that is open all night. I suggest that we meet there in half an hour. There I can tell you everything that.
you need to know".

Scully thought for a moment. Then she agreed, more out of curiosity then anything else. She hung the
phone back up, then with a sigh, she pulled her coat back on. After checking her gun,
she gathered up her shoulder bag and left the apartment.

The coffee shop was nearly deserted. Scully took a seat at a small booth, picking up the menu.
May as well get something to eat while she was waiting.

The waitress came over, order pad and pencil waiting. "Are you ready to order now"?
"Yes". Scully replied, as she scanned the menu. "Coffee, black and a ham and cheese sandwich thanks".
She handed the menu back, and the waitress walked of to get the order.

Scully glanced at her watch, it was past one in the morning. God she was tired. She rubbed her eyes,
they felt gritty with lack of sleep.
"I am sorry that I have kept you up so late Ms Scully".
She looked up at the elderly man standing next to the booth. "May I join you"?
"Yes, of course". Scully replied. The man slid into the seat opposite. "Thank you for meeting me at
this dreadful hour". He said, folding his hands on the table in front of him. Scully noticed how long
and slender they were.

She decided to get right to the point. "What is this information that you wanted to give me"?
The elderly man smiled at her, his watery eyes lighting up.
"Ah a lady that likes to get straight to the point. Very well then". he leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"I have imformation that will prove invaluable to your partner Fox Mulder. I have been following his
work on the X-files for some time now, and I think that what I have here will be a major
break through for him.

"I see". Scully replied thoughtfully. "Why didn't you go to Agent Mulder with this...information"?
The elderly man sighed and looked away. "I'm afraid that Agent Mulder and I...we are not on friendly
terms. You see I knew Fox Mulder a long time ago when he was still a student at Oxford".

Scully nodded. "Please, go on".
"I was one of his tutors, he used to come to my office after lectures to talk. He has the most incredible
mind. Out of all my students, he was one of the brightest. One of the best. I had such
high hopes for him you know. I thought that he would end up going into scientific research,
but instead he joined the F.B.I".

"I take it that you were disappointed in his choice of careers then". Scully replied.
The elderly man nodded. "I was hoping that he would do something, more...challenging. But instead...."
He sighed and shook his head sadly. The weight of memories sitting on his slightly stooped shoulders.

He looked up at Agent Scully, watery blue eyes fixing on hers. "We argued. He came to me after
graduation, to tell me that he had been accepted into Quantico. To train for the F.B.I. I tried to talk him
out of it. But he would not listen to me. He ended up storming out, and that was the last I
saw of him. But I did keep track of him. Just to see if he did make it into the Bureau. And he did".

Scully smiled. "Knowing Fox Mulder like you do, you ever had a doubt that he would make it"?
The elderly man chuckled. "No, not really. That brilliant mind of his. Still do regret some of the things
that I had said to him that day. Looking back on it. I really had no right. But he was one of
my favourite students and I just hated seeing him throw everything away.

"He's hardly done that". Scully replied. "He has a fine career at the Bureau". "Chasing UFO's. Yes Ms Scully, I all know about his career. The fact that he is considered brilliant,but
more than a little odd. The fact that they call him Spooky behind his back.
And the fact that he has upset some very powerful people. People that could destroy him and his career
if they so chose".

"What do you know about those people Mr...."?
Sorenson Tobias Sorenson. I am sorry it was rude of me not to introduce myself before".
He offered his hand, reaching out over the table. Scully grasped it briefly. She could feel the bones
under papery skin. Everything about this man seemed frail and very fragile.

"Not a lot, but I do know that they are evil. Ms Scully. Amoral men whose only interest is power.
It is their god, Ms Scully. It's their Holy Grail. Power to control people, to control events. They are the
destroyers and they must be destoyed before they finally achieve their goal".
"And what is their goal...exactly"? Scully asked. Sorenson smiled bitterly. "To sell us all out to the very things that I never used to believe in". He replied.
"They are planning on selling us out to alien creatures that plan to colonize the Earth".
"I see". Scully replied cautiously. Damn, just as she as begining to like this old man, he turns
out to be another alien nut. She suddenly wondered if he had been telling the truth about
knowing Mulder at Oxford.

"I know what you are thinking, Ms Scully. You think that I am a crazy old man who sees conspiracies
everywhere. But I can assure you that I am not. I am telling you the truth. And I can prove it".
With that, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small glass jar. He handed it to her.
Inside there lay a tiny chip. Identical to the one that had been removed from the back of Scully's
neck.

She stared at it for a moment, then looked up at him. "Where did you get this"?
"From my wife, just before she died. Cancer. It was dreadful'. Sorenson reached into another coat
pocket a pulled out a large white handkerchief. he wiped his eyes with it.

"I am sorry to hear that Mr Sorenson". Scully replied sympathetically. He nodded, she could see that
he was desperately trying to bring his emotions under control.
She gave him a few moments, sipping the coffee that the waitress had brought over to the table a
little while before.
Finally he seemed calmer and even managed to give Scully a a small smile.

"Please forgive my...momentary lapse. It is just that my...my loss is still quite recent. Just four months
ago as a matter of fact. Nancy had been my wife of thirty five years and"....He trailed off.
"I know what it's like Mr Sorenson". Scully replied softly. "I recently lost my sister".
He nodded. "It's just that I had spent years denying the existence of the very thing that killed her".
He pointed at the tiny microchip in the jar. She was fine until they had taken her Ms Scully. Nancy
had been the very picture of health. Then one night, she driving down to visit her sister. She lives
in Hartford, then she was...taken. That's the only way I can describe it. She was gone for over a week.
As you can imagine, I was out of my mind with worry. I had called the police and reported her missing.
All those fools could do was fill out endless reports. They thought that she had decided
to leave me. But Nancy would never had done that. We were so happy". He stopped,
suddenly. Then drew a deep breath.

Scully could see the depth of rage and helplessness inside this grief stricken old man.
She could empathize with him, after all she had felt exactly the same after Melissa had died.
Suddenly she reached over and laid her hand on top of his.
He smiled at her gratefully. "You seem to be such a fine young woman Ms Scully. That is why I hate
to do this".
She stared at him, puzzled.
"Hate to do what"?
Before she could move, Sorenson suddenly clamped down on her arm. He then ran the back of his hand down
her wrist.

"Ouch". She cried. Something had scratched her. She stared at him, confused. Then suddenly, the room
started to spin around.
"You...you drugged...." She collapsed bonelessly onto the table.
Sorenson nodded. "That's right Agent Scully. He looked down at the small signet ring that Spender
had provided him with. It had a tiny needle tipped with a very potent knockout drug.
Agent Scully would be out like a light for a few hours. Enough time to transport her to the Center.
The waitress and the short order cook both approached the table.

"Call Curtis, tell him that Agent Scully is ready to transport".

*Skinner's office*

*The Center*

Scully sat on the hard metal bunk, back leaning against the cold steel wall. She had no idea how
long she had been cooped up in here. She had been allowed out once, to speak to her AD
on the phone. She had no idea how comforting she had found his voice until she had
assured him that she was unharmed. She had been fine, until the concern she had heard in his voice
had nearly bought her to tears.

But she had managed to keep her voice level like the good little F.B.I agent that she was.
The door to the cell opened and CSM and a tall slender well dressed man entered.
"Ah Ms Scully, so nice to see you again". The Brit said with a cool smile.
Scully got to her feet, facing the two men, her face set in hard lines.
"Why have you brought me here"? She demanded.
CSM, ubiquitious cigarette between his fingers smiled at her.

"I must apologize for the way that you have been bought here. Crude, but we were in somewhat of a hurry.
Still I am sure that you will understand once I have explained everything to you".
Scully's face hardened even further.
"What you want me to listen to more of your lies, no thanks. All I want is out of here". She looked around
the cell. "Wherever out of here might be".
"You will be released in time Agent Scully". The Brit told her. "But right now we need to have you as
our guest for a short while".

Scully sighed inwardly, as much as she would have liked to have been able to shoot both these men and then
walked over the tops of their bleeding bodies on her way out the door, she knew that right now
their was nothing she could do. Of course her own weapon had been taken from her, and by the very
little she had seen, the place she was in was heavily guarded.

There was little she could do, but bide her time and hope that she would either be able to escape,or
be rescued.
"We would be pleased if you could join us for luncheon". The Brit said. "After all, you must find this
cell extremely boring to say the least".
"Thank you, lunch would be nice". Scully replied, the sarcasm in her tone did not escape either of them.

The three of them walked down a long corridor, several guards, all dressed in identical gray uniforms
followed them. All were heavily armed. The place was like a fortress Scully realized.
That thought made her heart sink.
The only way she was getting out of her on her own was to hope for a miracle.

Finally they reached a large comfortable looking room. Leather couches and long low tables filled what
was obviously some sort of sitting room, or parlour.
"Please sit Ms Scully, luncheon will be served soon and I am quite sure you must be hungry".
Scully seated herself on one of the armchairs, looking around at the various painting and sculptures
that filled the room.

The Brit smiled as he noticed Scully taking in the pieces of art work.
"I see that you have an appreciative eye for art Ms Scully".
She glanced at him. "You do have some nice pieces here". She conceded.
"Over there, near the window, That's a very rare Renoir, took me ages to acquire. And this sculpture,
the very latest by a very talented but as yet still unknown artist. A young man that I
am sponsoring as a matter of fact".
"How very nice for him". This time Scully did not even try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Ignoring it, the Brit continued to give Scully the cooks tour of the room, explaining every piece of
art until the food was finally bought in. It was obvious that he was proud of all the pieces of art that
he had managed to acquire.
The large round table that sat in the middle of the room was set, and the three of them were soon
eating the steamed lobster and tossed salad that was set down before them.
A tall dark waiter poured the wine, a crisp white and a rich dark red that stayed on the tongue.
Scully had to admit the meal was one of the best she had eaten in a long while.
After the plates had been cleared away, desert was served .Tiny fruit tartlets smothered in a honey
glaze, and coffee and brandy.
Scully set the tiny china cup down onto the saucer.
"You said that you would tell me why I had been brought here".
Both CSM and the Brit looked up at her. The CSM smiled. "But of course Ms Scully".

Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter". The Brit called out. The door opened and Alex Krycek walked into the room. He smiled at
Scully and nodded to the two men.
"You wanted to see me". He asked. He stood, relaxed, hands tucked into the pockets of his leather
jacket, the picture of insolence.
"Yes Alex, as a matter of fact we did". The Brit replied. he seemed irritated by the lack of respect that
the Consortium's top assassin seemed to be paying him.
"As you can see, we have a guest. I do believe you know Dana Scully don't you"?
Krycek smiled as her easily. "Hi Dana, long time no see".
Dana smiled back at him. "Hi yourself Rat Boy".

Both the Brit and CSM seemed amused by the title that the red haired agent had bestowed on their
favourite assassin. Krycek did not seemed at all fazed by the insult.
"Ms Scully will be staying here for a short while Alex, you are to see to all her needs, please make sure
that she is comfortable and that she has everything that she needs".
"I have another job for you to do". CSM said. "Report to my office and I will fill you in there".
Krycek nodded, and without another word, left the parlour. Both CSM and the Brit rose from the
table.

"I am afraid we both have to leave you now Ms Scully. You will be taken to the room that we have
provided for you, I am sure that you will be happy to leave that dreary little cell of yours".
The Brit told her.
"I see". Scully replied, her voice cold. "I take it then the explanation for my abduction will have to wait for another time".
"I am afraid so, but we will explain everything as soon as we can".

With that, she was taken from the parlour and escorted down another long series of corridors. The guards
on either side of her saying nothing.
Finally she was shown to a large and very comfortable looking room. It was furnished with a large
oak and mahogany wardrobe large enough to fit the Persian army in, plus there was a lovely old
dressing table filled with oils and lotions of every variety.
Two side tables flanked the largest four poster bed that she had ever seen. It was covered with a
a heavy quilted doona.
Apart from the fact that the door was locked and bolted and that there were heavy bars on the window,
she could have been staying at an old fashioned guest house.
Scully sat on the bed, looking around at the lovely old oil paintings that adorned the walls.
"Christ Mulder, where are you"?

*Skinner's apartment*

*The Center*

"For such a wealthy group, you would think that they could have the roads kept up a little better that
this". Skinner commented, wincing as he felt one particulary nasty jolt judder his spine.
"The road is kept like this for a reason. Krycek replied. "No one comes down here, they think it's
open fields and farms.
"I see". Skinner replied. They said nothing further until they finally reached a gate.

It looked like ordinary gate, metal and wire, one found on any farm. Krycek reached into his jacket
pocket and pulled out a small remote control. He pointed it at the gate and it swung open.
He drove through and continued up what was now a paved road.
Soon they reached a collection of long low buildings, all spread out nestled among perfectly manicured
green lawns.

Krycek drove up a long circular driveway that led directly to the main building and stopped the car
in front of it.
Several large men in gray uniforms hurried over to the car and opened the doors.
Skinner stepped out, not sure whether he should be putting his hands behind his head in surrender.
The sight of all the heavily armed guards was unnearving to say the least.

Krycek flashed one of the guards an ID. The guard nodded. Take him up. They are expecting him.
Without a word, Krycek led the AD up the stone steps to the massive double doors. They opened, admitting them into a magnificent foyer.
Skinner looked around at the lavish furnishings and art work. If it were not for all the guards. The place
could have been a beautiful old country estate.

A tall well dressed man in his forties approached them.
" Mr Krycek, The gentlemen are expecting you and Mr Skinner, they are waiting for you in the main
salon. Please follow me.
He led them both down a long corridor that was lined with portraits an lovely old landscapes.
The marble floors glowed mellowly in the muted lighting. Skinner was not particulary impressed
with the rich surroundings, he was too busy formulating a plan to get Scully out of here.
That was if she was being held here, he corrected.

They finally reached a large comfortable looking room. The double doors was open, waiting for
Skinner and Krycek. Skinner recognized most of the men sitting around in leather easychairs and couches. They had all been speaking in low tones, but all converstaion stopped as both the men entered.
The butler showed them in, then quietly took his leave, closing the door behind them.
"Ah Assistant Director Skinner, I am so pleased that you found the time out of your busy
schedule to join us".
Skinner turned to look at the British man that had addressed him.

"It would seem that I did not have a choice".He replied.
The Brit smiled thinly. "Yes I am afraid that you are correct there Mr Skinner". he pused to take a
sip of brandy from the glass he was holding,
"I do believe that we have something of your, something that you would like to have back I imagine".

"Let's just cut the crap shall we". Skinner said, his voice cold. "You have my agent and yes, I would
like to get her back if it's all the same to you"
"That will be possible. But there are some things that we need from you first". CSM said quietly.
As usual, he was standing a little away from the group, watching the proceedings quietly. Smoke
swirling around him from the Morley that he held between his fingers.

"Such as"? Skinner asked, one eyebrow raised.
CSM smiled. "All in due time. But first I am sure that you would like to see your agent"?
The doors opened once more and Scully, followed by two guards, walked into the room. She took
one look at Skinner, her legs going weak with relief. Finally, the chance to get the hell out of here.
"Scully, are you all right"? Skinner asked, going over to where she stood.
She nodded. "Yes thank you Sir, I'm fine. Then she looked around. Is Mulder with you"?
"No, I was instructed to come on my own". Then he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"But he knows what's going on, don't worry, we'll get you out of here".

Scully nodded. Out of everyone she knew, it was Skinner that she trusted the most. She knew that
Mulder was devoted to her safety, but he had a tendency to act impulsively, not thinking things through.
That's usually what got in them both into trouble half the time. But Skinner was
level headed, he thought things through and nearly always managed to achieve results.
If anyone could get her out of here, it would be Walter Skinner.