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The Four Corners Cycle Feedback- Who wouldn't love some? spookey247@msn.com http://www.oocities.org/spookey_247/ The stainless steel compartment doors glint in the dim light cast by their lantern. "We need to get moving." Despite his words, Mulder remains motionless. He puts his hand on one of the drawers and bows his head. "Richard," he says. "Richard?" Mulder nods. "Mulder, I don't get it." "Richard. This one was his. And..." He moves to the next compartment and places his hand on the door. "...Pauline...Heather...James...Max...Billy..." Dana follows him down the line, checking the names on the file folders affixed to the front of each drawer. "My god, Mulder. How can you remember their names after all this time?" He pauses in front of a drawer and lays his finger on the number marked on its surface. 191, Dana reads. "This was mine," he says, flatly. He lays his hand on another drawer. "Wynn. She was next to me for three years." Mulder's eyes shine like spring water in the lantern glow. He lays his forehead against the drawer and closes his eyes. "We learned to recognize each other by thoughts, dreams, emotions...after a few years it was like we had always lived that way, in our heads. When someone was taken into the lab, we all went with that person. We felt what they felt." Dana wants to put her arms around him, but he shrinks from her touch, pressing his cheek against the cold steel. "We stayed human that way, Scully." Dana turns to take the files from drawer #191. She wants to see if she can tell what the colonists were trying to do. "Mulder?" "Yeah." "Your files are missing." "It's been a long time, Scully. Lots of things are probably missing by now." "No, Mulder. Look." She shines the lantern down the line. "Yours is the only set gone." "Will!" Ben hisses from the end of the hallway. "I hear 'em." Dana follows Mulder out into the dark corridor. Suddenly his face has gone totally blank; grief pushed aside with a force of will Dana has witnessed many times before. He listens. Voices sound faintly from an indeterminate direction. "They're coming up from the basement," he says, starting off into the gloom. Dana follows quickly with the lantern. Ben, carrying the second lantern, takes up the rear. Their footsteps echo down the hallways as they follow Mulder toward the source of the voices. Suddenly he stops, listening again. "Headed back to the tunnel now," he mutters, taking off again. Ahead of them they hear the voices suddenly drop to a hush as their footsteps are detected; then the clatter of boots, running on tile. The force of the explosion in the basement nearly knocks them all off their feet. Mulder reaches back and snatches the lantern out of Dana's hand. He takes off at a dead run. Dana and Ben do their best to follow. ~~~~ Dru had no idea Wallace traveled with plastic explosive and detonators in his pocket. What the fuck, he thinks as he runs. It's not his place to question, though. Mr. Birch has obviously got his reasons for blowing the place. This is the Resistance, after all. Dru's trying to be a good soldier. The tunnel is dark, starting to get smoky; it's hard to see with only one light bobbing and weaving as they run. They scramble up to the surface, squinting in the blinding light and getting their bearings as they head for the van. "Jonah, let's go!" Birch shouts. Someone is coming up out of the tunnel behind them. "Dru!" Dru stops as he nears the van. He turns. Damn. That's Will shouting. He came after us, Dru thinks. What did he find out? "Will!" he shouts back, taking a few steps toward the sound of his father's voice. Suddenly Wallace grabs Dru from behind. "Fuck you, man, that's my father..." Wallace is one helluva big guy. Before Dru knows it Wallace is throwing him into the van. "Go, go!" Birch yells. Jonah hits the gas and throws it into reverse. Dirt flies as they swing back, turning to go. Dru kicks and struggles, reaching for the door. "Goddammit, man. Let go of me..." "Shut him up." Wallace pins Dru to the seat and smacks him one, backhand. Lip split and streaming blood, Dru looks around frantically. Where's Stephen? Stephen, the injured man who Birch had tended with fatherly concern only yesterday, is nowhere to be seen. What the fuck? Dru twists to look out the window. He sees Will, running. Ben's truck. Kaya standing up in the back of it, screaming at the van as it speeds away. His family, receding. ~~~~ Dana and Ben follow Mulder out of the smoky tunnel and into the bright light of midday. They arrive at Ben's truck to find Mulder standing on the decaying asphalt in a cloud of dust. Matthew has the hood of the truck open. "It's that damn wire that comes loose," he tells Ben in a hushed voice. "They're gone, Ben." Mulder has his back to them all. He remains motionless as Dana approaches. "Do you think we can still catch them?" she asks. "I don't know which way they'll go, once they get back up to South Road." They stand together in the blistering heat. Another explosion rocks the compound at their backs. "This is happening for a reason, Scully." "How do you know?" "Because I've seen..." His voice trails off and he swallows hard. "Mulder, what? What have you seen?" "There's a place somewhere not far from here. I don't know which direction. *He's* there. God, Scully, I don't know how it's possible, but he is still alive. And he's responsible for all of this." A huge explosion shakes the ground. Clouds of black smoke rise up over the desert. "He's the one who took our daughter away from you, Scully." Dana's body stiffens. "Mulder, there was never a baby that belonged to you and me. I can't accept that." He turns to look her way. His face is terrible. His eyes are hard. "We had been trying. Don't you remember?" "We...god, I don't know. If we were trying we never succeeded." Mulder's jaw tightens. His voice rises in pitch. "I'm going to tell you what I've seen, Scully." Dana looks at the ground. "I don't know if I can trust what you *think* you've seen." The smoke in the air grows thicker. Dana feels the sullen tone in her voice; feels, inexplicably, like a rebellious teenager. "Trust it or not," Mulder snaps. "I know it's true. Listen. You found out you were pregnant the day after they took me." "I don't want to hear this." She turns away. He talks to her back. "Colonization began shortly after your due date. He and his people took you, along with other women, for a purpose that I think we can both figure out. " Dana's soul fills with revulsion. "Mulder, shut up. I don't have to listen to this." He grabs her shoulders, spinning her around. "Listen, Scully. They took you somewhere dark. Somewhere underneath the ground. You went into labor soon after arriving." "Shut up." "The baby was a girl. Scully, they took the baby..." "Shut up! " Dana screams. She backs away, but he follows, reaching for her. "I've seen it, Scully. Through *your* eyes. Through *your* memory." "Get your hands off me. I want you to listen, Mulder. I...was...violated...repeatedly. And I remember *all* of it. Why would I block out only one thing? If it happened, why can't I remember?" Mulder stares at her intensely, hands clenching and unclenching. "You do remember, Scully. You just refuse to admit it." "Will!" Kaya shouts. She is standing in some bushes, not far from the truck. "Will, over here!" Ben and Matthew run to see what Kaya has found. "Holy shit." Ben says loudly. "Will!" Will and Dana are too deadlocked to answer them. Kaya runs to her father, grabbing his hand and shaking him. "Will. God, will you two stop yelling at each other and come over here? We need you." Mulder slowly transfers his gaze from Dana's face to Kaya's. "What?" "Come see." Ben and Matthew are crouched over whatever it is Kaya has found in the bushes. Dana follows Mulder to the spot. "Oh my god," she murmurs. It's Stephen, the man Mulder was taking care of two days ago, dumped in the underbrush; left for dead. ~~~~ The smoke is so thick they can barely see what they're doing as they load the man's lifeless form into the back of the truck. "Is he dead, Will?" Kaya asks, holding her scarf over her mouth and staring at the body. "He's dying," Mulder answers. "We need to know what he knows. We've got to get him somewhere fast, Ben. Somewhere I can work." "Where, Will? Back to Tuba? Second Mesa might be closer..." "Take West Road." "Oh, sure, I got it. Riverbend." ~~~~~ Early Afternoon The engine of the old gray truck strains and whines as they fly down the ruined highway. Dana finds herself seated in the cab, crushed between Ben and Matthew. "I still can't figure it out." Ben says, completely unnerved. He keeps his charcoal-gray eyes fixed on the road, swerving every few minutes to avoid yet another of the many pot holes that dot its surface. "Damn, dude," Matt remarks, "I couldn't believe it. We heard this big bang and then they came running out and that big guy just *POW* and dragged Dru inside." "Will didn't trust 'em from the beginning," Ben says. "Who does he think they are, Dana?" Dana leans her head back against the seat, shifting uncomfortably. She feels bone-weary and unbalanced, like she's standing on a steep hillside with loose gravel under her feet. "I don't know," she sighs. "He just thinks they're not who they say they are." She looks back into the bed of the truck. Mulder is sitting with Stephen's head in his lap, slumped over so that his forehead hangs inches from that of the dying man. His eyes are closed. Kaya sits near him, holding his hand. "There's the turn-off, Ben." "Yeah, I see it." They pull down a dirt road that winds off into the desert. Within moments they pass between two weathered stone columns. One bears a rusted plaque that reads, "Riverbend Estate." They travel downhill for several minutes, dust flying back in long columns from the motion of their tires. Dana notices that their altitude is dropping; the landscape is growing greener. Tall pines rise up off in the distance. We're headed towards water, she thinks. Ben pulls the truck around some tall bushes and slows down. Several buildings come into view. A minute later, they pull up in front of an enormous house. From the front it's hard to tell exactly how big the house might be, but if the size of its facade is any indication it must sprawl over thousands of square feet. Its thick adobe walls and a red tile roof were obviously constructed before colonization, but are in remarkably good repair. The circular driveway is shaded by a stand of Ponderosa Pines. Once expensive landscaping, now gone native, threatens to take over the rest of the front yard. The sun streams down through the branches of the trees. There is no one in sight. Ben lays on the horn, once, then twice. Dana looks back over her shoulder again. Mulder gives no indication that he is aware of their having arrived at their destination; he slumps lower over Stephen's body, almost as if he has fallen asleep. Kaya lets go of his hand and moves back a few feet, perching on the edge of the truck bed, watching her father intently. "What's up, K?" Matthew asks her as he and Ben come around the back of the truck. She shakes her head almost imperceptibly, eyes locked on Mulder and the dying man. Dana gets out of the truck and joins the men as Ben lowers the tailgate. "Kaya, what's Will doing?" he asks, quietly. "Don't we need to get this guy inside?" Kaya puts her finger to her lips. They wait for a long moment. Mulder is utterly still. "This is ridiculous." Dana jumps into the bed of the truck and grabs the dying man's hand. It is cold. Her fingers wrap around his wrist. There's no pulse there, and she's certain there hasn't been for many minutes. "This man is dead," she states, flatly. "Mulder, he's dead." "Shhhh." Kaya reaches out and pulls on Dana's arm to get her attention. "Dana, stop it. Leave them alone." "Kaya, the man is dead. There's nothing we can do for him now. Mulder..." She touches the back of Mulder's hand. It is nearly as cold as Stephen's. She spins toward Kaya, face frozen in horror. "I think he's gone after him," Kaya whispers. "He wants to ask what he knows." ~~~~~ Mid-Afternoon The air is like a hot-oil bath. Steam flies up from the engine of the white van as the man named Jonah pops the hood. "We're gonna have to let her cool down some," he calls. Birch slams his hand down on the dash with a curse and kicks the passenger-side door open. He joins Jonah at the front of the van. "Don't move," the guy called Wallace tells Dru, punching him in the chest with a meaty finger. He slides the side door open and gets out, heading off into the bushes. Taking a leak, Dru figures. Dru leans his head against the hot metal wall next to his seat, thoughts racing in ten different directions at once. What the hell is this, he thinks. What do these motherfuckers want with me anyway. Maybe he can find something out from those papers. Birch's backpack sits between the two front seats. Dru casts a glance out the front window of the van. The open hood obscures his view, but he can see Wallace, back from the bushes now, talking to the other men in front of the steaming engine. The air inside the van is oppressively hot. Dru figures no one will want to get back in until they absolutely have to. His foot snakes toward the backpack. Within moments he has hooked his boot through a shoulder strap and is reeling it in. He is careful not to move his upper body. Slow, boy, he thinks to himself. Don't tip them. He reaches one long arm down and slides the pack partially up his leg, fumbling blindly with the clasp. Eyes front, not down. Dammit, how does this thing open? The clasp springs open. He almost drops the pack, lunging to keep it in hand. Shit. Wallace stares at Dru through the front window for a long moment. Eyes front, boy. Wallace laughs at someone's joke and bends to light a cigarette. Dru reaches inside the pack. A thick sheaf of papers is stuffed in the very top, and he rifles through them, lifting them just enough to be able to see if he peers down over his nose... Holy Shit. Will's picture's on those papers. Wallace stubs his cigarette and dips out of sight around the front of the van. Dru stuffs the papers back in the backpack, closing that damn clasp as fast as possible and flinging the pack as close to its original position as he can get it. What the hell do they want with me, he thinks desperately. What do they want with my father? Wallace slides the side door open and sticks his head in the van. "Hey, Hayseed," he says, pulling a pistol out of his belt and pointing it in Dru's direction. "Mr. Birch says you're a mechanic." ~~~~~ Mid-Afternoon "Benjamin Caldwell, as I live and breathe. Why are you honking in my yard?" A tall woman in shorts and a threadbare t-shirt is coming toward them through the front yard of the massive house. She is in her early forties, rail thin, with blonde hair, long and tangled. Her greeting is hearty and cheerful, and she is carrying a rifle, which she sets aside to give Ben a hug. "Glad I didn't shoot first and ask questions later," she laughs, wrapping her willowy arms around him. She looks over his shoulder at Matthew. "Young Matthew. It's been a long time." "We've been out North Road for a few months," Matthew says, taking his turn embracing her. "Utah. Stopped in Tuba on the way back." "Well, it's been way too long. What's up? My god, is that...look at you, Kaya, all grown up. You probably don't remember me. I'm a friend of William's." "Yeah," Ben shifts nervously, glancing into the bed of the truck. "Kaya, this is Elise. You've probably heard Will talk about her." Kaya gives a shy smile as a greeting. "Yes, ma'am. I have." "And this is Dana," Ben continues. Elise extends a hand. Dana meets it. Elise's handshake is firm and confident. She stares at Dana with open curiosity. "I don't believe I've seen you before, Dana. That's odd in these parts." "No, no you haven't," Dana answers, not sure what else to say. "She's a friend of Will's," Ben interjects, coming to Dana's rescue. Elise smiles brightly. "Well, that's good enough for me. Welcome." "Thanks." Elise turns back toward the truck, looking toward Kaya. "Where is old Doc William, anyway? What brings you folks down this way?" Elise's questions bring the conversation to an abrupt halt. She looks from face to face, expecting some sort of answer, but is met only with looks of helplessness and confusion. Kaya looks into the bed of the truck and Elise's gaze follows the girl's. She stares down at the motionless form of her old friend, which is wrapped around the body of a man who is obviously dead. "Lord," she says gently, shocked. "I *did* have to ask, didn't I." ~~~~~ A few minutes later The sun beats down. "Probably the thermostat's blown," Dru tells them, as the engine temperature soars into the red once again. "Or could be the distributor cap. Either way you're kind of fucked." "You're the one that's fucked, Hayseed," Wallace snaps. "Look, if you're gonna call me names can you come up with something that actually fits? I'm not a farmer and even if I was I wouldn't be growing hay. This is the desert. What are you, some kind of moron?" "Shut up," Birch orders. "Lay off him, Wallace. Jonah, how far you figure it is into Desert View?" "Ten, twelve miles." "Well, if we get walking now we'll make it just after dark. We'll spend the night there and go the rest of the way tomorrow." What the hell, Dru figures. If they're figuring on killing me they'll do it whether I ask questions or not. "The rest of the way where?" he asks. "Son, you'll find out soon enough," Birch answers, licking his lips and grinning. "You're gonna like what we've got waiting for you." "Well if I'm gonna like it so damn much, why do you have to point a gun at me?" Birch doesn't answer. He reaches in the open passenger-side door and gets out his backpack. "Lock it up, Jonah. We'll send someone back for the supplies." Dru leans against the van. "I'm not walking anywhere 'til you tell me where we're headed." Wallace points the pistol at Dru's head. "You'll walk where Wallace tells you to walk, son," Birch says smoothly. "Or we'll fix it up so you have to be carried."
End Book Three, Chapter Two
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