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The Y-Files

Case File #1Y5 - 2723: The Sky Is Falling

Part I

From: Jadzia      

 

ATTENTION SPECIAL AGENTS!

The following is the sixth in a series of cases that have been designated "Y-Files". These cases have been referred to us by Special Agents Fox William Mulder & Dana Katherine Scully via the office of Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner. These are X-File cases that Agents Mulder & Scully have not been able to investigate due to time constraints or other extenuating circumstances. Agents who are interested in participating in this investigation should post a message stating that they are en route to Boulder where they will rendezvous with their fellow agents to begin the investigation. Please report in regularly.

 

Sincerely,

SAC Jadzia

 

CASEFILE #Y-2723: The Sky Is Falling

 

BOULDER, Colorado: An overseas phenomenon literally hit home three days ago when a twelve-pound ice ball crashed through the roof of Michael and Leah Straub. This strange ice ball phenomenon has been reported for the past week in several different regions of Spain (see http://news.excite.com/news/r/000120/13/odd-iceballs), but this is the first report of these unusual ice balls in the United States.

 

Needless to say, the Bureau wouldn't usually investigate or have jurisdiction in a matter like this. The heads of several insurance companies have pressured the government to look into this matter for fear of people "copycatting" the incident in order to collect home or medical insurance benefits. The U.S. government has assured the insurance industry that the FBI would look into this matter, and the case ended up in The Y-Files' in-box.

 

Lab reports from tests done on the ice ball from the Staub's house are not yet available. It is also possible that other ice ball projectiles may strike the Colorado region. Please exercise due caution when in the field.

 

Your assignment, Agents, is to determine the nature and origin of these strange projectiles. Please report in regularly.

 

Sincerely,

SAC Jadzia

 

 

From: Fayme

 

 SA Fayme reporting for duty again.

Yes finally I can get of my butt doing something useful again. And this time no ghost's they only freaked me out.

But as any good agent I wont do anything until I have at least one partner.

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

To: SAC Jadzia

Re: #Y-2723

SA Mortis reporting for duty. I read the file on this case and I am fascinated. I hope that you will see fit to assign me to it. I am a relatively new agent, but I feel certain that I could be of assistance here. I await your response in this matter.

 

Sincerely,

SA Mortis

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

TO: Agent Mortis

FR: SAC Jadzia

RE: #Y-2723

Agent Mortis, it's good to have you working with us on The Y-Files. I am sure that your and Agent Fayme will do an excellent job with this investigation. Please proceed to Boulder, and I will make sure that any other interested agents rendezvous with you at this location.

 

I look forward to reading your field reports.

 

Best regards,

SAC Jadzia :)

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

TO: SA Fayme

FR: SAC Jadzia

RE: #Y-2723

Thank you for reporting for duty SA Fayme. I sincerely hope that there will be no ghosts involved in this case since SA Sabalore still seems to be having some residual "visitations" as a result of #Y-1121.

 

Agent Mortis has also reported for duty, and you two will be partnering on this case -- unless there are any objections. You are both scheduled to fly out to Boulder this evening.

 

I look forward to reading your field reports.

 

Best regards,

SAC Jadzia :)

 

 

From: SAMMCGEE1

 

OFFICIAL MEMO

TO: SAC Jadzia

 

FROM: Boulder Police Department

 

RE: Casefile #Y-2723

 

This is to inform you that Micheal and Leah Straub have both been hospitalized with an unknown illness. Doctors don't have a clue what's wrong with them, but it may be related to exposure to the ice ball. They have been admitted to Saint Vincent's Hospital in Boulder.

 

Please advise your agents to exercise extreme caution while investigating this case. There could be a nasty contagion involved.

 

***************************************************************

 

Sgt. Vern Hinkson

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

10:10pm

1/31/00

I arrived at Will Rogers World Airport to board the "red-eye" to Boulder. I took out my laptop and proceeded to make reservations at the Dew Drop Inn in Boulder and to check my e-mail. I found a report from Sgt. Vern Hinkson of the Boulder PD advising that the Straub's had contracted an unknown illness suspected to be related to the ice ball with which they had contact. I intended to interview the doctors at St. Vincent's A.S.A.P. after my arrival. I needed to find out what symptoms they had presented with, etc. I had enough medical background that I might at least be able to glean a clue as to where to begin with this investigation.

 

The plastic airport seat hurt my butt as I sat in the terminal waiting for my flight to board. I was so nervous. This was my first case. I had never met Agent Fayme but I wanted to instill a sense of confidence upon our first meeting in Boulder. I straightened my standard issue black suit dress, stuffed my laptop into my briefcase and hoped for the best as the butterflies fluttered about my stomach. The flight attendant called for everyone who was traveling with small children to board the plane.

 

The flight was undersold so I got bumped to first class. The main difference between first class and coach seemed to be that we got to order drinks before take off whereas the rabble from which I had been plucked had to wait until we were airborne. I took a long deep pull off my vodka and tonic and prayed that we wouldn't run into too much turbulence. I didn't want to meet Agent Fayme for the very first time *totally* potted. The engines began to whine and I felt myself being pushed gently back into my seat as the nose of the plane ascended to the heavens. I took a deep breath, muttered a little prayer to whatever deity happened to be on-call and got ready to tackle my first case. God willing, we would be landing at DIA in three hours. I downed the rest of my drink, closed my eyes and tried to get a little sleep.

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

I'd be happy to assist on this case in whatever capacity I can.

 

 

From: OPERANDI

 

SA Operandi reporting to duty. I'd love to be part of this investigation as I'm now fully recovered of that Ghost thing. I think I owe you guys everything now, and I'll be helpful in everything I can. Interactive

 

 

From: Agent Mortis 

 

My plane landed without incident at Denver International Airport. I made my way through the sparsely populated hallways to the baggage claim area. The place had the feel of a huge mall after hours. The chrome and glass halls felt endless and airy, and by tricks of lighting the tent roof seemed miles away. I was grateful that I was able to claim my luggage quickly and find the main concourse without a guide.

 

I hailed a cab and fell soundly asleep on the 5 minute ride to the Dew Drop Inn on the outskirts of Denver. I was greeted by a sleepy desk clerk who looked as though he'd rather be having a root canal than sitting in his little Plexiglas box watching TV. He handed me a card through the metal slot and I dragged my stuff 5 doors down to room 48. As I slid the magnetic strip down the lock, it clicked and the door swung open. I spilled in the door, falling over my bag and briefcase. I quickly picked myself up and looked around to see if anyone had been witness to my oh, so professional-looking demonstration of grace. I didn't see anyone, so I pulled my things inside and fell exhausted on the bed.

 

It was 1:15am local time. I decided to forego calling on Agent Fayme tonight, slipped into my sleep shirt and brushed my teeth. I would interview the doctor as soon as I met Agent Fayme in the morning. I turned back the bed and pushed my toes into the cold sheets. The place wasn't fancy, but it seemed clean. I nevertheless probed the foot of the bed cautiously with my naked toes. I reached over and picked up the phone. Mr. Congeniality assured me that he would see to my 6:00am wake up call. Then I slipped into unconsciousness while arranging my itinerary and composing a to do list in my head.

 

 

From: Fayme

 

In the morning I called Agent Mortis because we had an appointment to go talk to a doctor. She asked me where I was staying and I told her I saw at the Dew Drop Inn. Hey she said me too what room are you in? I'm staying at number 54. I said. Oh that's right down the hall I'll pick you up when your ready it's on the way down. she said. Let me get ready.

So after an hour she came knocking on my door she said SA Fayme here? Well you're looking at her. I said. But you're like 18 how can you be a SA. well acutely I'm 16. I'm one of those smartasses. I told her. I even have medical experience. her mouth dropped to the floor and I was having the time of my life. well let's go don't want to be late for our appointment. I told her I have already called for a rental car but you have to drive I don't have my license yet.

And of we went to go and see that doctor. 

 

 

From: reef666

 

Just to let you know,

that when you do eventually get to the Boulder hospital where Michael and Leah Straub are being treated,

they won't be there.

Nor will their medical records.

(maniacal laughter in a key of evil...)

 

 

From: reef666

Oh, by the way, all that ice that's been falling is just a big ol' practical joke. Just a bunch of teenage kids trying to get on the news by making giant balls of ice and throwing them at people. Nothing more. Honest.

Would I lie?

 

Actually, I like the "frozen urine from airplanes" theory myself. That's why that couple got sick. Frozen pee hits you in the head, let's see how you feel.

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000121/18/int-spain-mystery-ice

Oh wait, there never was a couple. There is no ice. Forget I said anything.

From: SAMMCGEE1

The agents may also want to exercise a bit of caution when returning to their hotel rooms. There could be a surprise waiting...

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

I shook hands with my new partner, admittedly surprised by her age and we headed for the car. I figured that she must have the “right stuff” or she wouldn’t have made it through the academy. I wondered briefly how the FBI dealt with issuing a firearm to a minor, but decided not to give it any more thought. I slid behind the wheel of the rental and we headed northwest on Highway 36 toward Boulder and St. Vincent’s Hospital.

We found the hospital without too much trouble and I slid the standard nondescript blue Ford sedan in an empty space. “Fayme, why don’t you see if you can locate the Straubs’ medical charts and doctor, while I look for the Straubs.” I suggested. “I’ll meet you back here in 20 minutes, okay?” “Sure,” Fayme replied, “I’ll see if I can help the doctor with that diagnosis.” She grinned a mischievous little grin and bounded off toward the emergency department. I got the feeling that this young agent had an ornery sense of humor. I had to suppress a grin of my own. I liked this girl, although I wondered how the notoriously sober AD Skinner dealt with her. I figured her for a bit of a maverick. Add to that my own predilection for manifesting my Murphy ancestry and it suggested that we were in for a wild ride.

 

I headed for the admissions desk in hopes of tracking down the Straubs for an interview. I really hoped that we wouldn’t have to get all dolled up in isolation gear to see them. The suits were hot and inspired claustrophobia in me. From the sound of Sgt. Hinkson’s report, they may have already called in the CDC. I arrived in the main lobby and found a plump older woman sitting behind the desk labeled “Admissions” and smiled as I showed her my ID. “Hi. I’m Special Agent Mortis with the FBI. I’m trying to locate a couple that was brought in by ambulance two days ago, Michael and Leah Straub? Can you help me?”

 

She smiled warmly at me and looked at her computer screen. “Let me see sweetie…Straub?" she said, tapping her keyboard. "S-T-R-A-U-B, right? No. Are you sure of the name?” she asked.

 

“Yes, ma’am,” I said politely, “Straub. S-T-R-A-U-B. Michael and Leah.”

 

“I’m sorry, Hon, but I just don’t have any record of anyone named Straub having been admitted here in the past week.” She looked at me as if I might have been feeble, smiled again and said, “Sorry.”

 

“Well,” I thought, “this is not starting out like I had imagined at all.” I thanked the lady for her time and went in search of Agent Fayme, hoping that she had had better luck.

 

 

From: reef666

 

I smiled as I rounded the corner. Having just overheard Agent Mortis's conversation with the admissions nurse, I couldn't help but be happy with myself. I grinned a big, toothy grin like a shark in heat and walked past the admissions desk where only seconds before the meddling FBI agent met with blockage and disappointment: something I hoped would soon become a recurring theme in her life.

I let out a little chuckle. The admissions nurse looked up at me. The look in her eyes was no different than if I had just peed on the floor. She made a gesture like she was about to chastise me for being such a big evil man in a sanctuary of health and recovery. But I got there first. Index finger to my lips, I whispered "Shhh." Her eyes widened; my evil, evil glow was...well...glowing. She was obviously taken aback. "There's people trying to sleep." I left her there, slumped in her chair and crying.

Yeah, people sleeping, I thought to myself. Much like two certain Y-File agents who must be sleepwalkin' through this investigation. I took the stairs down to the parking garage, got into my car, and drove to the airport. I had a flight to catch, and a date with a club and some baby seals.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

SAC Sara,

 

Would you mind if another SAC tagged along as an assistant on the case? It looks like fun! :)

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty 

 

Absolutely! Come along. I just arrived, and there's an empty room across the hall from mine. Right now I'm just looking over the case file and trying to come up with some leads. Maybe by the time you get here I'll have found one. Of course you will understand my extreme secrecy in discussing it, as people may be listening. I think I'll go through the room and check for bugs just in case. The electronic variety. Though I hope to find neither. 

 

 

From: Fayme

 

As I went into the hospital I saw a strange looking figure looking at the car I just stepped out of. He didn't notice me seeing him so I took a good look at him and then went into the hospital. I looked around if saw a sign with doctor Hazzard because I didn't want to announce my coming so his assistant wouldn't send me away or something or would say he wasn't there. ah there it was Hazzerd third floor. So I took the stairs up. When I got to the door of that area a guard stood in front of it so I flashed my badge and he let me through.

When I was in the hallway the doctor came up to me. "He little miss this is a restricted aria you will have to leave" "Ah Special agent Fayme with the FBI" and at the same time flashing my badge. The doctor froze "yes ah well what can I do for you." "Well I would like to ask you some questions sir"

"Well if it's not going to take much time." "ah no of course not" Did you treat the Straub couple?" "ah No I didn't never heard of that name." "You know that lying to a federal agent is a crime sir?" I said. "yes I know that is as I said I have never heard of that name. "well can you explain to me why your name and signature on this police report and medical chart that was with it? So do you now recall their names doctor?" Ah well now you put it that way yes I do. "Well I think this is going to take longer then I thought. Would you please accompany me to the police station sir." "Ah yes of course."

So we walked down the hall and his assistant asked where we were going. "Ah I will be back later on today miss Wells please reschedule al my appointments please. So as he came with me when I got outside I dialed agent Mortis her number but heard a cell phone go off behind me and saw it was her. She gave me a who's the dude look. "This is doctor Hazzerd who treated the Straubs he kind of lied to me and so I'm taking him in." "Huh I was told the Straubs didn't get treated at this hospital." Well I had the police report which said they did with a signed form and chart with his signature and hand writing on it. So that helped.

"So lets go to the station."  Mortis said

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I arrived in Boulder somewhat tired from my previous investigations in Oakland. I had left that case with AD Skinner's voice ringing in my ears....do things 'by-the-book', follow 'proper procedures and methodologies AND instill this concept into all of the Special Agents', and whatever else, 'try to have one investigation in the Y-Files occur without any paranormal or extreme incidents'.

I had nodded my head vigorously and agreed with AD Skinner about how cases should be handled. Of course, what should be done and what was actually done...well, sometimes they weren't always the same thing.

 

Arriving at the Inn, I could tell that it was merely another version of the Comity Inn...just the local equivalent in Boulder. I went to the desk and picked up the key for the room across from SAC Sara's. I located my new temporary home-away-from-home quite easily and placed a few things on hangers before too many more wrinkles could develop.

 

I checked the batteries in my flashlight, the clip in my weapon, and dropped a fresh package of mints into my pocket. After brushing my hair and touching up my make-up, I went across the hall to SAC Sara's room.

 

::knock, knock::

 

"Sara!" I called, and I waited for a moment. I knew she was supposed to be in her room. Maybe she was in the shower or something. "Sara?" I knocked again and then looking up and down the hallway first, I put my hand on the doorknob which turned easily.

 

So much for an investigation without incident. "Sara?" I called as I pulled my gun free from its holster and held it ready. "It's me, Samantha. Are you in here?" I put my hand on the knob, turned it, and then prepared to shove the door open with my foot.

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

When I joined Agent Fayme, she had one Dr. Hazzard in custody and looking very uncomfortable. We escorted him to the car and carted him off to the Boulder field office. While Fayme took Dr. Hazzard into an interrogation room and made him look even more uncomfortable, I decided to take a moment to call and check in with SAC Sara. I punched in her number into my cell and waited.

One ringy dingy. Two ringy dingies. Three. “The cellular customer you have dialed…”

 

Drat! Something started to itch me in the back of my mind. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I had the feeling that something just wasn’t right here. I stuck my head in the interrogation room door. “Fayme, something’s up. SAC Sara isn’t answering her phone. Grab those files and let’s go.” “Agent," she told a startled man in a standard issue blue suit "don’t let this man out of your sight." She grabbed the Straubs’ charts, shot a triumphant look at the good doctor (who looked completely unnerved) and we headed to the car at a trot.

 

Four minutes later we pulled up in the parking lot of the Dew Drop Inn. There were now three standard issue FBI rentals in the nearly empty lot and I could see that SAC Sara’s door was ajar. Fayme and I pulled our weapons and headed up the stairs at a dead run.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

Shoving open the door to Sara's room with my foot, I looked into the darkened room. My gun was out and I cautiously took one hand away from my normal two-handed grip to feel for a light switch. I found the switch but pushing it down, up, and then down failed to turn on any lights.

"Damn," I whispered softly to myself. A room whose lights were not working was not a good sign in my own investigative experience. I slowly pulled out my flashlight and turned it on. I could see nothing but an ordinary motel room, a laptop computer lying on the table, several folders and notepads strewn across the top of the bed, an open can of soda on the bedside table.

 

"Brrrrrinngg"

 

I thought I would jump through my skin at the unexpected noise, but then I recognized the noise as a cell phone ringing. Only it wasn't my pocket that was ringing. Figuring that any intruder would be aware of my presence by now, I hastily searched the rest of the room. No intruder, no sign of Sara. The only immediate things I didn't spot were her trenchoat and her flashlight, but that didn't necessarily mean anything significant.

 

By now the phone had stopped ringing and I couldn't locate it, although I knew it had to be nearby. Looking around the room again, a faint noise made me look up...and to my surprise I saw a panel in the ceiling slightly ajar.

 

Climbing up onto the dresser I realized I was still too short to reach the ceiling. But maybe whoever was up there didn't know that. "Federal Agent!" I yelled, my gun pointed at the ceiling, thankful that the Dew Drop didn't have a guest room above this one. "Come out of the ceiling!"

 

Just then I heard rapidly approaching footsteps. Not good. I could hear movement in the ceiling above me and running footsteps outside the door which I had left open. Not good at all.

 

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

I sighed.   "Please don't shoot me, Sam." I said, before I poked my head out of the ceiling.

 

SAC Samantha nodded and spun around to face the door, holding her gun steady until Agents Mortis and Fayme appeared, also aiming their guns.

 

"And you might not want to shoot each other, either. Sheesh, who would have known getting assigned to the Y-Files would make everyone so paranoid."

 

Samantha looked back up at me. "Alright, so what are you doing up there, and how did you get up there? I'm not even tall enough to reach..."

 

"I've got the three stooges with me."

 

"What?"

 

A mass of tangled blond hair descended through the opening in the ceiling. "She means the lone gunmen." Langly said, as his glasses fell off his face to the floor.

 

I glanced over at him. "Same difference." I said.

 

SA Mortis looked up at me with raised eyebrows. "Speaking of paranoia.... All *three* stooges are up there?"

 

"Yes." I said, lowering myself down to the dresser and climbing down to the floor. "We found something."

 

Langly, Byers and Frohike followed. Frohike was carrying a laptop and some other electronic devices.

 

SAC Samantha frowned. "Okay... one, what are you three doing here, two, what did you find, and three why don't the lights work?"

 

"We happened to be in town for a con-" Frohike elbowed him in the ribs before he could finish.

 

"For a ski trip." he finished. "Then when we realized you guys were in town, we researched your case and decided to pay you a visit."

 

"And since they were here," I said, "I had them help me look for any unauthorized recording devices. We found a small camera which is apparently feeding into a network. It would appear that all the rooms have one. They're feeding into a website that requires a password to log on. It looks as though the source keeps changing, so we can't pinpoint who exactly is keeping an eye on this. I would, however, like to speak to the management. The stoo- uh, they guys here think our friendly forces of evil are keeping tabs, but it seems more logical that it's part of some kind of internet porn ring."

 

Agents Samantha, Fayme and Mortis all shuddered, instinctively crossing their arms.

 

"Though if that's the case I'm sure your friendly forces of evil would be able to access the site." Byers said.

 

"And the lights?" Sam asked.

 

"I busted the light bulb." I said. "I don't know about you, but I sure don't want every geek with an internet connection to be watching me."

 

"You know, there is such a thing as a light switch." Sam said. "I thought you were dead or kidnapped."

 

"Yes," I said, directing everyone out into the hallway, "but note the complete darkness of the room which we are *all* standing in. Whoever is watching doesn't know we've found the cameras. Upon my insistence, I had them disable the cameras in all the rooms we don't have agents in. However, we may be able to use this to our advantage."

 

"Agent Zeuty," Samantha said sternly, "as you just mentioned, this is probably part of some kind of unauthorized, illegal porn ring. As such, I don't see how we could use that to our advantage."

 

"I didn't say we *had* to, but on the off-chance that say, Morely and his gang are keeping tabs on us, we have the option. It's up to you. The bathrooms are safe, by the way, so if we don't disable the cameras I'd suggest you do your changing in there. There's also an audio feed, so watch what you say. Only say things you *want* to be overheard."

 

SA Samantha looked over the three lone gunmen. "Sara, you've been hanging out with these guys a little too long, I think. And what, exactly, did they come here to tell us?"

 

Frohike cleared his throat. "We just thought it might be of interest that there is a possibility that a small plane carrying four people went down, and that the Straub's home was in it's flight path. Well, below it anyway."

 

Agent Fayme glanced at him sharply. "And why haven't we heard about this?"

 

"Someone wants to cover it up." Byers said. "We've spoken to a source at air traffic control, who was told that the little blip on the radar was a malfunction and should be disregarded."

 

"He says it whatever it was, went down, and that it was certainly not a malfunction." Langly said. "We can't tell you where he is, but we have a meeting with him in two hours. We thought one or two of you might like to come along."

 

 

From: Morley Cigs

 

To: SAMMCGEE1, reef666, and Martini Drinking Man

From: Morley Cigs

ENCRYPTED 39481202

There appears to be a glitch in the camera system. Unknown outside sources may be helping subjects. Maintain covert surveillance, and proceed at your discretion. I will make further contact if necessary.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I looked over at Sara before I gave Langley, Byers, and Frohike a long, stern glance. I bit my lower lip and looked at Agents Mortis and Fayme. Finally, I holstered my weapon, and looked back at Sara. "Agent Zeuty, could I speak with you for just a moment?"

"I think that's our cue to exit stage right," Byers said in a voice loud enough for all of us to hear.

 

"Well, don't go too far," I called as they filed out of the room. I nodded to Mortis and Famye and mouthed the words 'keep an eye on them' as the three men disappeared from my line of vision. Agent Mortis nodded and went to stand beside the door where she had a clear line of vision to where TLG were standing outside the motel room, obviously discussing their latest findings. Agent Famye took up a similar position, and I turned to Sara.

 

"Sara," I sighed. "I know that you trust these guys as reliable informants. Word has it that they've assisted Mulder and Scully even, but I don't know these men! Can you be sure that they weren't trying to spy on you themselves?"

 

"Sam!" Sara's tone made Agents Fayme and Mortis turn slightly towards us for a moment. "Do you think I'd follow an unreliable source?"

 

"No," I shook my head. "I have too much respect for your abilities as an agent. I just don't want your...ah...interest in Frohike, right? I don't want your interest in him to cloud your professional judgement."

 

I hoped Sara understood that I was trying to walk the fine line between following AD Skinner's directives to the letter, and my first impulse to trust the instincts of my fellow SAC.

 

"An internet porno ring," I sighed. "I'll never get to sleep tonight. Maybe I should think about sleeping in my car? No, that's just begging for something awful to happen." I sighed. "Just be careful when you go with those guys, okay? And take either Fayme or Mortis with you. This case is not getting off to a great start, and I don't want you to get stuck in the middle of --" I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know what defending Groucho, Harpo, and Chico there. And you're sure there are no cameras in the bathrooms?"

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

"Nope, no cameras in the bathrooms. We went through everything. And as for TLG, they're mostly harmless. I'm keeping Frohike's computer just in case he decides he wants to, uh, surf the net in the middle of the night or anything. And if anything, I'm not sure they completely trust *me* yet. Those three are so paranoid..."

Samantha nodded as I continued. "But I'll make sure to be extra careful. And you, too. I don't want you to get kidnapped again or anything. I don't know what Morley's interest in this case would be, but since people are *already* disappearing, we should watch our backs."

 

"Agreed."

 

I looked at my watch. "Two hours to kill until this meeting. Apparently it's supposed to be at a local diner, anyone else going to be hungry?"

 

 

From: SAMMCGEE1

 

It began to snow shortly after I arrived in the Straubs' neighborhood. Not the sharp, mean snow like you get in the Dakotas, but a lullaby snow, all soft and downy. It turned the mass-market suburban blight into a Currier and Ives pastoral. I don't particularly care for Currier and Ives and I grown to loathe snow.

I parked down the block from the Straubs' pathetic little fake Tudor in an equally pathetic brown minivan borrowed from a nearby shopping mall. The vehicle smelled of stale Happy Meals and wet dog.

 

Charming.

 

It had taken me less than ten minutes to plant the beacon on the roof of the Straubs' house. No one noticed, of course. I sipped my coffee and waited. I have become very adept at waiting over the years. If patience is a virtue, its the only one I possess. I checked my watch and rolled my window down an inch. The sound was faint at first, but quickly grew louder. It was the drone of a small plane.

 

Right on schedule.

 

The pitch of the engine suddenly changed. It seemed to hesitate at first, then it sputtered, gasped and died. A rectangle of gossamer blue nylon blossomed in the sky where the plane had been and floated easily down through the falling snow. I heard a peculiar whistling noise and turned my attention back to the house. The plane, spinning out of control, crashed gloriously in the Straubs' back yard. Burning fuel sprayed over the house and it was quickly engulfed in a CinemaScope-Techicolor extravaganza of flames. I snapped a few pictures with my digital camera to email later to the FBI agents staying at the Dew Drop Inn.

 

I smiled.

 

A familiar figure bundled in a snorkle parka drifted through the growing throng of gawking neighbors. He casually opened the passenger door and climbed into the seat. He sniffed the contents of my thermos and grimaced. Not his type of drink.

 

"Hey Martini," I said. "Most excellent."

 

The Martini-Drinking Man sketched a quick bow. "Don't you love it when a plan comes together?"

 

I pulled away from the curb, laughing. The first police cars and fire engines were arriving at the scene--we waved as we passed them.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I remembered my personal promise to myself from my last case...always eat a meal when the opportunity presents itself. You never know when you might have the opportunity again, but still... I stepped backwards so that I could glance at TLG who were still waiting just outside Sara's room.

TLG were such an enigma to me. Just from looking at the trio, I couldn't imagine how the three men had ever met and formed this odd alliance in the first place. But still...I shook my head.

 

"I'm going to pass on this meeting. Ask Jadzia, I don't like sitting and waiting too well, even if this isn't a regular stake-out." I glanced over at Agents Fayme and Mortis who were still keeping a discreet eye on TLG...while TLG returned with (more or less) discreet return glances of their own.

 

"Why don't you take Agent Fayme," I nodded in the agent's direction, "and ride out with the Larry, Darryl, and Darryl there to meet this mysterious informant. Agent Mortis and I will review the evidence on our missing Straubs and go from there. Sound good?"

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

 “Yes, ma’am.” I nodded trying to look more confident than I felt. “I think we might be able to learn something from the Straubs’ hospital charts. Agent Fayme grabbed them before we left Dr. Hazzard in custody of the local F.O. I’ll go down to the car and grab them.” I trotted out to the car and grabbed the pair of folders from the center of the front seat. I passed Fayme, with TLG in tow, in the hallway on the way to their secret squirrel meeting. “Watch your back, partner.” I told her with a smile and I hurried back to SAC Sara’s room.

“Hungry, boss? There’s a greasy spoon across the way if you’d like to grab a bite while we have a look at these.” I suggested as I rounded the doorway and heard SAC Jaythree’s stomach growl. She fixed me with a "look" and I felt chastised. We headed across the street to the truck stop cafe from hell.

 

I slid into the seat opposite my new boss and passed her the folders with the Straubs’ treatment records from St. Vincent’s. With all the excitement I hadn’t bothered to look at them. Sam opened the folder and looked up with the look of someone who was expecting a punch line. “Is this your idea of a joke?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. I looked at the folder to see that everything in it had been crudely redacted with a laundry marker. “Great! Murphy strikes again,” I thought to my self. “I think maybe we’d better get our food to go. Something tells me that Dr. Hazzard may not be available for an interview for much longer and he is the only evidence we have that the Straubs ever set foot in St. Vincent’s. I don’t know, but it seems that someone is going to an awful lot of trouble to keep us from talking to a pair of alleged victims.”

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

TO: SAC Sara & SAC Samantha

FR: SAC Jadzia

RE: #Y-2723

Greetings from beautiful Hawaii! Agent Black and I are in the middle of compiling some information, but while I wait for her email, I wanted to see how your investigation is proceeding.

 

Mainly, I was wondering who the field SAC for this case is and if there have been any new developments. There was a report on CNN today about a small plane crashing into a house in Boulder. I'm hoping that has nothing to do with this Y-File, but we don't seem to run into too many coincidences in the course of our investigations.

 

I appreciate your keeping me apprised of this situation and hope to hear from you both soon.

 

Best regards,

Jadzia :)

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

"I think you're right, Agent Mortis," I shook my head over the hospital records, but it didn't do any good to dwell on the matter. "Excuse me?" I called to the nearest waitress, and then I turned to my partner, "What would you like?".

This was a truck stop, so the cooks were accustomed to preparing food quickly and to go. As I paid for our food, I nodded to Agent Mortis. "Call ahead and make certain that the good doctor remains in protective custody until we arrive."

 

Agent Mortis was still talking on her cell phone as we headed towards my rental car. As I slid behind the wheel, I quickly opened my coffee and put it carefully into the cup holder. I unwrapped a corner of my grilled cheese sandwich, took a bite before my stomach could growl again, and fastened my seat belt. "What did the local authorities say?"

 

"I spoke with an Agent Crushing who assures me that Dr. Hazzard is alive and well and wanting to leave."

 

"Good," I nodded as I rested my sandwich on my lap and pulled out of the parking lot of the Dew Drop. "Let's hope he stays that way."

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

TO: SAC Jadzia

CC: SAC Sara

RE: Y-2723

Remind me to personally thank both you and AD Skinner for sending me straight from Oakland to scenic and exciting Boulder while you're basking in a Pacific paradise.

 

SAC Sara is the SAC on this case. I am merely here as an additional agent at the moment.

 

I haven't had any airplanes or houses fall on my head at the moment, but I haven't been near CNN either. I've been finding things and people hidden in motel ceilings. Did you know that it's possible to fit SAC Sara + TLG into the ceiling tiles of one room?

 

Will check on the airplane, but I doubt it has anything to do with our case. Then again, nothing would surprise me at this point.

 

Don't forget to use sunscreen, and I'll forward my field notes or make a more formal report later.

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

TO: SAC Samantha

FR: SAC Jadzia

RE: Thanks for the report

 

Well, I currently don't need a heck of a lot of sunscreen since I'm stuck researching stuff in my lovely Comity Inn room at the moment. But maybe you'll have a chance to go skiing while you're out there in Boulder. Just don't pull a Kennedy or Bono, okay?

 

Thanks for sending over the case update so quickly. I hope that all goes well.

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

As I walked out of the Motel with TLG and Agent Fayme, I wondered how in the heck I always became SAC of a case without even knowing it. It reminded me of the nights I spent during college working in customer service: An irritated customer would walk up, and everyone else I was working with would chorus "Not it," leaving me to deal with things...

Not that I particularly minded in this case. So far no agents had been in any life threatening situations which I could be held responsible for. So far.

 

TLG led us to their VW van. "You guys take this everywhere, don't you." I said, shaking my head. "Agent Fayme and I will follow in my car."

 

Byers, Langly and Frohike glanced at each other. "Actually, Agent Zeuty, we'd rather you not be able to lead anyone to our...informant if it should come to that." Byers said. I frowned at him. "We'd uh, like to blindfold you both for the ride over."

 

I snorted. "Yeah, right."

 

All three of them looked at me, while Agent Fayme shifted her glance from them to me and back again. TLG looked completely serious. I wondered if they were really going to make me go into how ridiculous that was, considering we were meeting at a cafe which would have its name printed on all the menus and its address in the telephone directory. I stared levelly at Byers, taking my keys out of my pocket and turning to walk to my rental car.

 

"Yeah, sure, okay so we'll see you there." he called after me.

 

Agent Fayme and I had a chuckle, while I introduced myself, seeing as we hadn't previously met. "When we get there," I said, "don't ask too many questions. I don't want to scare this guy off." Fayme nodded. "And lets not make any sudden movements. TLGs sources tend to be even more paranoid than they are."

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

About thirty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of a cafe that was about a ten minute walk away from the hotel. I let out a shriek of impatience, and Agent Fayme hid a smile.

I was still shouting as I got out of the car. "What do you three think you're doing??? You took us all the way through town, on the highway, to freakin ATLANTIS to go FIVE BLOCKS??"

 

"We wanted to make sure we weren't being followed." Langly said, seriously.

 

"WE WERE FOLLOWING YOU!" I yelled, exasperated.

 

"By anyone else." Frohike said. I gave up, following them into the cafe. We took an empty booth, and were joined shortly by a tall, lanky, somewhat frightened looking man who looked all of 18. I had a difficult time believing he was an air traffic controller.

 

He really didn't say anything more than what TLG had already told us: The night the ice ball allegedly went through the Straub's roof, he was on duty, with a new supervisor. A blip on his radar appeared in his airspace, flying too low and in a collision course with another small plane. There was, however, plenty of time to correct this. After repeated attempts to contact this new plane, he contacted the other small plane to have them adjust their altitude. Then, suddenly the unidentified plane began losing altitude and disappeared from radar. He was told by his supervisor that the stress was getting to him and he was seeing things. He was then sent home.

 

"Look, I have to go now." he said abruptly, after he'd finished. "I don't know who's watching me." With that he got up and left.

 

Agent Fayme looked at me. "Either he's telling the truth, or he's schizophrenic." she said. I nodded.

 

"Or the stress really is getting to him." I said.

 

I looked at the little drawing he had done on the place mat, of the supposed flight path of this mysterious disappearing plane. If what he said was true, it put the plane in the general vicinity of the Straub's house.

 

"Has anyone talked to the Straub's neighbors yet?" I asked Agent Fayme.

 

"They didn't really have any." she said, "They were basically in the middle of a big field. About a mile away from everyone and everything in each direction."

 

"Well of course." I said, sighing. "What about those news reports? About a plane crash?"

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty (SARAZ) Feb-5 5:10 am 

      To: ALL  (67 of 266) 

 

 

  Frohike chuckled, and Byers smiled slightly.

"If you're enjoying this case so far, you're going to love this.." Langly said.

 

"What?" I questioned warily.

 

"There was indeed a report of a plane crashing into a house. Apparently there were some UFO watchers out in a field, well away from city lights. They claim to have seen a small plane, carrying no more than four people, crash about half a mile away."

 

"Well great! I want to know who they were and where I can find them." I said.

 

"Easy enough." said Frohike. "They were arrested. Seems they were all on LSD at the time, and had enough on them when they went to report the crash to keep tripping for the next forty years."

 

I put my elbows on the table, held my face in my hands, and sighed. "Then why," I said, not taking my face out of my hands "Did CNN report on a plane crash?"

 

"It was actually a story on busting one of the largest LSD manufacturers in the United States." Byers said.

 

"What?" I said, raising my face.

 

"But why would... I mean, if I was... I wouldn't be out tripping with... and UFOs... and then go to the police station.."

 

"America's dumbest criminals, or a vast government conspiracy? You decide." Frohike said, matter-of-factly.

 

"Excuse me." I said. "I need to visit the lady's room. Agent Fayme, will you please keep an eye on Fred, Shaggy and Scooby here? And see if you can get them to tell you what they think is going on. I can't take anymore of this just yet."

 

 

From: Fayme

 

"Of course I can" I told agent Zeuty "I think I can handle the three Stooges by myself I have my gun" I said with a big grin on my face. So she went of to the ladies room but first gave me a glance to behave. As close as I was watching the TLG they were watching me. "Guess you never seen an FBI agent as young as me huh" I asked them. "Of course we have" they tried to answer casual. "Well what you all staring at then." I asked irritated. "Nothing" they said and looked away. after that a big silence fell it was broken again by agent Zeuty who came back from the ladies room. "So you all behaved while I was away" she asked but none of us answered. So she let it go. "I think we should go meet up with the others again" I said "this little trip didn't get us much further maybe they found something" I said with not much hope about that in my voice. "Well you never know" Zeuty said. "Well we are going back to the Inn Fayme and I will take the short route back but you guys can take the detour to make sure that you are not followed. She said to TLG still annoyed about our first little detour. If the rest are not at the Inn I'll call agent Mortis to ask where they are.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

"My agent just spoke with your agent," I repeated through gritted teeth. "And *your* Agent Crushing just told us that Dr. Hazzard was alive and here.

 

"Ma'am," the ASAC was doing his best. I realized that, and I tried to calm down. "Ma'am, as I told you, we don't have any Special Agent Crushing assigned to this office. None of our office personnel have that name."

 

My hands were on my hips, but I was forcing my palms to remain open, not balled into fists. "How is it possible that a witness in a Federal case disappears from an FBI field office in broad daylight? Not only that, but there are people answering the phones here who don't even exist?"

 

"I assure you, SAC Jaythree, we'll get to the bottom of this. We'll find out what happened, and we'll being immediately trying to locate this Dr. Hazzard." The ASAC was not trying to throw the blame onto anyone else, and I forced myself to calm down.

 

"Keep me informed." I nodded to the ASAC and then turned to Agent Mortis who had been assisting the other local field agents in a search for immediate clues or witnesses to the disappearance. "Did you find anything?"

 

"We found one man, a maintenance worker, who saw three men exit the rear of this building within the past hour. Two of the men were assisting the third one."

 

"I don't suppose he got the license plate?"

 

"A partial," Mortis smiled at my disbelief. "Two letters were the same as the maintenance man's son, LH." Agent Mortis looked down at her notes. "They entered a black, late model sedan with dark windows. They drove through the alley behind the building at a moderate speed and then turned left when the reached the road."

 

"Good work, Agent Mortis," I nodded. "Have they run the plates yet?"

 

"No match on the plates yet," another field agent came into the room and shook his head. "But we're trying to cross-reference them. It could take awhile."

 

"Let me know the minute you turn up anything," I nodded to both of them. Agent Mortis and I left the field office somewhat glumly.

 

"Mortis," I said as we were heading out into the parking lot. "So far, what do we have on this case? We have unidentified objects falling through people's roofs. We have two people who were in a hospital -- disappear. We have the doctor in the case placed inside an FBI field office and what does he do? He disappears."

 

We walked down the length of one row of cars, and Mortis added, "Then we have the *possibly* unrelated surveillance devices in the motel where we happen to be staying." She shook her head. "Aside from that, what do we know here? That something's falling from the sky, and somebody's using a lot of resources to hide the evidence."

 

"Or at least to hide the people," I agreed. I stopped as we had now walked around the entire parking area twice. "You know what else we know?"

 

"No," she shook her head. "What?"

 

"Our rental car is missing, Agent Mortis." I sighed heavily. "I know I parked it right there," I pointed to a small oil stain that remained in the parking space.

 

I pulled out my cell phone. "Sara's never going to let me hear the end of this. I just hope that TLG didn't insist on something like 'total communications silence' for this meeting of theirs." I punched in the number. "Why don't you call the Boulder PD and report our car missing?"

 

 

From: reef666 (so evil he glows)

 

Sitting in the living room of my luxurious Alaskan hideaway admiring all of the seal pelts that I had "collected" during my time off, I realized that I had not heard about this Boulder business for some time now. Opening my laptop, I check my email and, to my surprise, find an encrypted message. Knowing that this must be an important communication from my superiors, I frantically search for the decryption program. My search ends badly however, as I soon come to discover that the decryption program is formatted for PC only and I am proudly using a Mac.

"Dammit" says I.

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

I nodded, pulled out my cell and unlocked the keys. I dialed the Boulder PD and asked for the auto theft division. “Hello, I’m Agent Mortis with the FBI. I need to report a stolen vehicle. … Not exactly… No, not part of our case … Yes … our rental. … Yes, it is ironic.” I kept my voice calm and polite, but I clenched my teeth tightly together to keep from grinding them. “Yes, I can see where one might find an element of humor, but I doubt that my SAC does. Well, if you’d be kind enough to send us a detective with a sense of discretion…” I gave our location, “Okay, thank you. Bye-bye.” I clicked off the phone. “Well, there is a Detective Harris on the way. He should be here in about 15 minutes.” As I stood there, it occurred to me that my laptop was in the rental. “Damn!” I swore.

“What is it, Mortis?” SAC Jaythree asked.

 

“My laptop. I just realized that all my case notes and research, -- my whole life, in fact -- is in that car.”

 

“Case notes?!” Sam asked, worried.

 

“It’s okay, they can’t get into the files. No one can get in without me. It has a voice recognition password. But that isn’t what really upsets me. I had some very sensitive files that I wanted to show you. I had been corresponding with a Dr. McNatt at NOAA here in Boulder by computer. He showed me some Doppler data that he recorded the night of this alleged incident that was, well, disturbing if confirmed. Dr. McNatt was certain that this phenomenon was not a natural one. He showed me evidence that indicated this ‘ice ball’ didn’t crash, so much as execute a controlled landing. It’s a good thing that they, whoever ‘they’ are, don’t know what they have there. I think that the information I acquired would interest them very much.”

 

“Well, let’s just hope that this Det. Harris is worth his salt and we recover the car before anyone has the chance to get curious about what’s in it.” Sam said.

 

Just then, Det. Harris pulled up. I could see the amused look on his face and knew that SAC Samantha Jaythree would not appreciate too much levity on his behalf. She was a very “by-the-book” kind of SAC from what I had heard and I hoped that he had the good sense to treat her with respect and not try to be cute. I had heard that she could flay an insubordinate agent with a few sharp words. SAC Sam and I told him everything we could about the car while Det. Harris filled out the incident report.

 

No one saw the man through the dirty window of the garage across the alley pull out his cell phone. “Yes, sir. The files are in the computer, but it’s voice encoded. Agent Mortis, sir.” His face hardened and his eyes flicked up to look out the window. “Understood, sir.”

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

SAC Sara was out like a light. The bedside alarm clock showed that it was 6:17AM in the morning when her cell phone suddenly began to ring. Sara sat bolt upright in bed, but since she had been sleeping on the edge of her bed, that wasn't a very good idea.

 

*THUNK!*

 

"Ow!" Sara yelled as she hit the floor, her cell phone was still ringing in the background. More than a little pissed, Sara untangled herself from the sheets she had pulled down with her and reached up to grab her cell phone from her trenchcoat pocket.

 

Flipping it open, she growled, "Who are you and what the heck do you want?"

 

"Hey, it's even earlier here in Hawaii, so just think about how I feel," came the response from a familiar voice that sounded pretty sleepy as well.

 

"Jadzia? Oh shit! Sorry. I just rolled out of bed. . . literally. I was so startled when my phone rang that I fell off the bed".

 

SAC Jadzia's laughter rang through the phone before she said, "Well pick yourself off of the floor hon. I've got a favor to ask. Remember that little souvenir you picked up from the Orville Institute? The one we gave to the guys to check out?"

 

Sara's sleepy mind whirled for a moment before everything clicked. <Oh, the

disk> she thought. <We gave it to The Gunmen after we got it back from Skinner, but they haven't told us if they've found anything yet. What the heck

does Jadzia want with it now, and why can't this wait for a decent hour of the

morning?>

 

But over the phone, Sara replied nonchalantly, "Oh, that little trinket. I remember it. Hasn't proved very useful yet". Clearly Jadzia was worried that someone might be listening in on their conversation.

 

"Yeah, well I just had an interesting conversation with someone who suggested that it might be more useful over here in the Aloha State".

 

"Anyone we know?" Sara asked.

 

"Not sure. I had just woken up and it was hard to tell if our 'someone' was a male or a female. But I'm going to send you an email with my address over here so you can send the souvenir. Keep an eye out for the email, okay?" Jadzia said, stifling a yawn.

 

"Sure. Fine. Will do," Sara said as she sat down at the room's little table and powered up her laptop.

 

 

From: Jadzia

 

<Level 5 Security Clearance required>

*** Warning: records indicate that 3 attempts have been make to access this

message ***

<Security Clearance code accepted>

Decrypted message follows:

TO: SAC Sara

FR: SAC Jadzia

RE: The Trinket

 

Sorry to wake you. I need to get a copy of the disk over here in Hawaii. I received a tip that it contains the answers we're looking for. Since I'm not sure who this informant is, though, I'm concerned that it might just be a Consortium ruse to bring the disk out in the open so they can retrieve it.

 

Pls. ask TLG to make several copies of the disk to be sent over here through different means. Please send one via U.S. mail, one via UPS or other private carrier, and please try to have someone hand deliver a copy. Maybe one of the boys can fly over with a copy of the disk?

 

Thanks!

 

~ Jadzia

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

TO: SAC Jadzia

FR: SAC Zeuty

RE: Trinket

 

Someone has been trying to access my email. Oh well. As it so happens, I'll be vacationing in Hawaii with the love of my life. I'll send you some postcards for kicks, but since I haven't seen you in awhile maybe we could get together. I'll only be in town for a couple hours, as I'm needed here at work. However, I believe you'll enjoy the gift I have for you, not only is it decorative, it's functional. And I know you're a pretty practical gal. See you soon.

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

I sighed as I sent the email to SAC Jadzia. As if anyone who would be trying to access my email didn't know what was going on. Otherwise, *why* would they be accessing. But somehow it made me feel better to be cryptic.

 

Frohike had told me after a meeting with a witness that they had managed to find out there was *something* on that disk, but that it needed some particular type of software to run on and decrypt it. Evidently the disk and the software were created for each other, and there was no way to obtain it or hack into it in such a small amount of time. Apparently someone seemed to think that Mr. Yamamoto's laptop held the key.

 

I got up, put on a robe, and felt my way through the dark to the door. Walking down the hallway, I knocked on Frohike's door.

 

"Who is it?" I heard Frohike question.

 

"It's me, open the door." I hissed, groggily. I could see his eye in the peephole and knew he knew it was me.

 

"Me who?" he asked.

 

"Don't make me get my gun." I said. The door opened.

 

"Alright, hey, just messing with you."

 

I walked into the room. Byers and Langly were up, sitting at a small table by the window. They stood up as I entered. "Don't you guys ever sleep?" I asked.

 

They grinned. "Actually, we were working on something. It's-"

 

I put up a hand to stop them. "I don't want to know. I need to talk to Frohike, alone please." They glanced at each other before nodding and leaving. Frohike looked somewhat worried. I sighed. "You squashed the bugs in here, right?" I asked, glancing at the ceiling. He nodded, looking slightly more nervous. "Good. We're going to Hawaii. Jadz needs that disk. I want you to make eight copies of it. We're going to mail five, you're going to take one, I'm going to take one, and one is going in a safe deposit box. Seeing as we have a bit of... bad luck, with our evidence, I'm not taking any chances on this one."

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

  Frohike nodded. "Hawaii, eh?" he said.

"Don't get too excited. We'll only be there for a couple hours. I've booked our flight for tomorrow afternoon and we'll be back by tomorrow night. I've got a travel requisition for my ticket, I'm paying for yours. Don't tell the others, I don't want to put them in a potentially dangerous situation, and I have a feeling that if they really don't know anything they aren't going to get bothered. I know you guys are tough, so to speak, but you are still civilians."

"Well then, why do I have to go?" Frohike asked.

 

I winked and smiled. "Because I like you, Fro."

 

"Uh, well it sounds a little dangerous." he said.

 

"Hmm. Well, you don't have to go. Though I heard that Agent Scully might be in Hawaii for a bit and I won't say who, but *someone* specifically requested I bring a lone gunman..."

 

Frohike's eyebrows raised. "Oh really..." he said. I felt the faintest twinge of guilt, but it passed.

 

"Yes. Now lets get to work on those copies. I'm going out to get some packing supplies. I want you to make one copy at a time, and then I'll go out and mail each one individually. It's no good if I’m carrying all the copies on my way to the post office and get shot down."

 

I stared straight ahead for a moment. "My god," I said, "I'm starting to sound like you."

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

As I left Frohike to make copies of the disk, I stopped at SAC Jaythree's door and knocked quietly.

 

"Who's there?" she called almost immediately.

 

"Sam? It's me, Sara."

 

The door unlatched and opened. Samantha was still wearing the same clothes she had on that day.

 

"Haven't you slept?" I asked. She looked up at the ceiling as an involuntary shiver shook her body. I nodded. "Maybe it's best if we just disconnect everything. Especially considering what's going on now"

 

Samantha looked at me curiously. I took her out into the hallway and explained everything to her.

 

"So she wanted me to send one of TLG with the disk as well." I finished. Samantha's eyes narrowed.

 

"I know you all trust them, but I still don't think that's wise. Assuming they are 100% trustworthy, he could still wind up getting himself killed."

 

"I thought of that already. I'm going with him. And I'm not sure what's on it, but I've had it for weeks now, I'm sure Morley knows I've had it, and so far no one has tried to get it back. Whatever it is, it can't be that important."

 

Samantha shook her head.

 

"We'll only be gone for a day, and it has to be done. You know how all of our evidence winds up when we mail it. And I *know* the post office isn't *that* incompetent. You'll have to make up some excuse to the others, I don't want them talking about it where they could be overheard, especially Langly and Byers, and I don't want anyone to know too much and get hurt."

 

Samantha stared at me. "You're starting to sound like TLG." she said.

 

I stared back. "I know..." I said, almost dazedly. "Scary, isn't it? I think I need to be smacked around a little, I'm starting to annoy myself." I shook my head. "Anyway. I'm going out for packing materials, and hopefully the bank will be open by the time I'm on my way back. I'm going to get a safe deposit box. If anything happens to me, well Ill swallow the key before I take my last breath. Just make sure Scully does the autopsy."

 

Samantha stared at me again, slightly nauseous looking. "Thanks for that imagery." she said. I shook my head again, as if I was shaking demons out of it.

 

"I really need to stop that." I said. "How about I just give the key to you?"

 

Samantha nodded. "That's probably a better idea. Much less Hollywood."

 

"Yes..." I said. "It's just that, after the MWF case, and the Dawson's case, I am *not* going to lose this evidence. I've had it with all of that. Keep me updated on this case, if anything goes down before I get back. I won't be gone long. And please, BE CAREFUL."

 

Samantha laughed. "Now you're starting to sound like me." she said.

 

I walked back to Frohike's room. "We've got a problem." he said, as I walked in.

 

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting together.

 

"I can't copy this disk. If I try, I'll lose everything."

 

I stared at him. I had been doing that a lot lately. Finally a few choice curse words slipped out and I kicked the door. "Of course." I said. "Then gather up some blank disks. If someone stops us, they'll be in a hurry, and I want them to take the first disk they find and run with it."

 

 

From: reef666

 

I awoke to the sound of my computer's alarm blaring. Still half conscious (and half drunk) I swiped at my alarm clock a few times before realizing what was really happening. My mouth tasted like kerosene soaked mothballs that had been lit on fire and put out with my saliva. My head pounded, sending small metal spikes through the centers of both my eyeballs and into my brain where they spun noisily around catching my gray matter in an ever tightening knot. God, had I really drank that much last night. I need to stop taking these little breaks from being evil, I thought. My body can't handle too much down time.

I opened my laptop computer to see what all the commotion was about. Two email messages from the Y-Files agent flashed up on screen. Silently I laughed to myself. I can intercept and decrypt email from the Federal government while I sleep, but I can't decode a simple line of text from my own fellow conspirators.

My eyes widened as I read the two messages. Something about some computer disk and some program-something my own superiors had not mentioned to me, and didn't matter to me in the slightest. What grabbed my attention was the mention of an informant. An informant?! There's nothing that makes me madder than someone who can't keep their damn mouths shut.

Someone was going to have to take care of this stoolie.

Suddenly my hangover was gone...

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I walked back into my motel room at the Dew Drop in. Great. This was just great. Well, at least I was awake now. It had been bad enough, lying in my clothes in a semi-dark room, knowing that everything I did or said was being recorded. I had tried turning on the TV to make myself fall asleep. Then I thought about unknown strangers watching me while I slept. So I had played spider solitaire on my laptop until my eyes were drooping.

Then I would just slip into sleep and a dream...and I kept seeing this vision of AD Skinner anchoring the news on CNN, saying that the sky was falling and that Lucky Ducky and Goosey Lucy were in a conspiracy with the Teletubbies and Barney to overthrow civilization as we knew it.

 

Waking each time with a start, I finally realized that anyone watching me would be convinced by now that I was an insomniac due to bad dreams.

 

And now Sara was flying off with Frohike. I knew Sara could handle Frohike. I was also certain that Sara could handle protecting both herself and Frohike.

 

Leaving me to deal with Byers and Langley was another story.

 

I eyed the bathroom cautiously and then selected some clean clothes. Might as well take a shower and get ready for the day. I'd grab Agents Mortis and Fayme as soon as I was ready, and we could resume our investigation.

 

Perhaps Langley and Byers would never notice that Frohike and Sara were missing.

 

And maybe Elvis was the mystery man on "How to Marry a Millionaire."

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

Dressing inside the tiny bathroom of the Dew Drop had been quite a challenge simply because I was now convinced that the bathroom had been designed by people even shorter than myself.

Ready, at last, to greet the day and get some fresh coffee, I went out and stopping at Agent Fayme's door, I rapped lightly. "Fayme?"

 

Agent Fayme appeared within moments. "Yes? Are we ready to go?" She looked as if she were eagerly awaiting the new day of investigation, and I smiled at her welcome enthusiasm.

 

"Yes. How about we grab some breakfast with Mortis, and then we'll proceed with our investigation."

 

"Sure thing," Fayme nodded. "I'll put my notes together and meet you at the car. What about Sara?"

 

"Sara is taking care of a personal matter at the moment," I hedged slightly. "She'll be rejoining the investigation shortly." I looked over towards the parking lot. I could see the battered Volkswagen van which belonged to TLG. I didn't see Sara's rental car. Great. I hadn't obtained a new rental car since ours had been stolen the previous day.

 

"While I'm telling Mortis that we're ready to leave, do you mind calling to see if you can get another rental car delivered to us?" I smiled at her. "Thanks. Meet you by the lobby in fifteen minutes."

 

I headed on to Agent Mortis' door. "Mortis?" I knocked softly. When there was no answer after a few moments, I knocked again. "Mortis?" I tried the door handle. The door was unlocked.

 

This was beginning to feel like a moment of major deja vu. Pulling out my gun, I cautiously pushed open the door. "Mortis?" I called and stepped into the room.

 

I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but I heard a noise coming from the bathroom. "Federal Agent!" I called. "Come out of the bathroom!"

 

To my utter amazement, Byers stepped sheepishly from the bathroom, his hands raised in the air. "Don't shoot, Samantha," he smiled somewhat nervously. "It's only me."

 

"What are you doing in --? Where's Mortis?" Before Byers could reply, I heard another noise from the ceiling above me, and I pointed my gun upwards in that direction.

 

"Don't shoot!" Byers called to me. "It's just Langley."

 

"Langley!" I yelled in frustration. Why had Sara left me with these two?? "Come down out of the ceiling immediately!"

 

"Coming," Langley's long frame dropped to the ground and his hands went up when he saw the gun still in my hands. "Whoa! Don't shoot! You won't believe what I found?"

 

"If you tell me that Agent Mortis is in the ceiling, I'm not going to believe you," I returned my gun to its holster. "Where is she?"

 

"We don't know," Byers stepped forward and then turned to Langley. "Did you find anything?"

 

"Nope," Langley's hair shook slightly as his head went side to side. "Somebody disconnected the mechanism for this room. No data whatsoever."

 

"But besides that," Byers stepped closer to me and his soft voice forced me to look at him. "Frohike and Sara have disappeared as well."

 

"Forget about Frohike and Sara for a minute--"

 

"Told you so," Langley said to Byers. "Pay up."

 

"How did you know that Mortis was missing?"

 

"We wouldn't have suspected a thing, but Frohike kept coming and going from the van all night," Byers ignored his friend's outstretched hand for the moment. "So I was awake much earlier than usual this morning. I observed one of the cleaning personnel come to this room, much earlier than normal, and --"

 

"Wait a minute," I shook my head. "You spent the night in your van? In the parking lot of a motel? Are you guys that paranoid or that cheap?"

 

"Paranoid," Byers instantly replied.

 

"Cheap," Langley insisted, almost in unison.

 

"Okay," I held up my own hands this time. "Whatever. The cleaning person came to Mortis' room and ---?"

 

"We saw the cleaning person, a large woman pushing a cart, enter Agent Mortis' room at 6:36 a.m.," Byers picked up the story again. "She was inside this room for approximately 11 minutes at which point she came out of the room, pushing her large cleaning cart back down the side of the building and away from our direct line of view."

 

"At which time, Byers and I realized that Frohike never came back from his last trip outside the van." Langley shrugged and pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "We didn't think too much about that at first. There is a lot to see around a place like this. But then when the cleaning woman never reappeared --"

 

"Nor did Frohike," Byers chimed in.

 

"We decided to see if your Agent Mortis was okay."

 

"So you broke into Mortis' room?"

 

"The door was unlocked," Byers replied.

 

"Mortis?" Fayme's voice called through the door I had left open behind me.

 

"In here, Fayme!" I called to her. The girl entered the room and stopped abruptly when she saw the two men already standing there as well. "Is there a problem, Agent Fayme?"

I went over to speak with her so that Byers and Langley weren't breathing down our necks.

 

"The car rental agency refuses to give us another rental car until you turn in a police report for the stolen car."

 

"I did that," I sighed. "Okay, we'll take care of that after breakfast. We have a bigger problem. Mortis is missing."

 

"At least we know Sara's safe, because you said she had personal business." Fayme looked at the other two LG. "Where's Frohike?"

 

"He's with Sara," I replied distractedly, already thinking through what had to be done next.

 

"Told you so," Langley repeated with even more assurance in his voice. "Pay up," he held his hand out to Byers again.

 

"Agent Fayme," I turned to her. "You're in charge of following the investigation into the Straub's disappearance right now. Them. Their doctor. Their house. The airplane that may or may not have gone down nearby. Take a taxi wherever you need to go.

 

"I'll call Sara and let her know that we have problems at this end." I ran one hand through my hair as I thought. "And I'll start looking for any leads to Mortis' whereabouts."

 

"What can we do?" Byers' soft spoken voice once more compelled me to look in his direction.

 

"I can't authorize you boys to do anything as private citizens, but if you want to keep your eyes and ears open..."

 

"You got it," Langley nodded.

 

 

From: Fayme

 

"Agent mortis is missing??" I said. Jeez I probably could have prevented this. How could you be so stupid Fayme."

"What is it agent Fayme do you know something about this." SAC Samantha asked.

 

Okay here it goes, when agent mortis and I were at the hospital I saw a man looking at our car. I took a closer look because he didn't notice me looking at him."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier " Sac Samantha asked me "this can be very important information."

"I'm so sorry I totally forgot about it but I would recognize him if I would see him again or his picture."

"Well that's something to go on. You think you could make a sketch of him or let a sketch artist do it." The Sac asked me.

"yeah I can do that of course I can do that but let us first get some breakfast we can eat on the car I'm starving." "Yes I could really use some coffee how about you? "well I prefer a tea or a hot chocolate." "That's fine to she said." "So what do we do about the car thing."

"Well now it's only the two of us and we still have the car I rented for me and agent Mortis so we don't need the other car. Oh but she had the keys let me see if I can find them. Lucky us she left them on the night stand."

"well let's go" she said

 

So on our way to the local field office we got some breakfast to go.

 

"No no, he has a bigger nose I think" I said to the sketch artist. "well you really got a good at him this is a really precise sketch." SAC Sam said. "Yeah I did. I can kick myself for not telling this before.

Well at least we have a face to go on now.

 

 

From:  Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

***Please refer to the Damned Fence case for more details***

 

As I stumbled along a small airfield in Hawaii, toward a hanger, I realized I was still holding onto my cell phone.

 

I made two calls. One to SAC Jadzia, whose phone was busy. The second was to SAC Samantha Jaythree. Her voice mail picked up.

 

I spoke quickly and hoped my slurring made any sense. "Sam it's Sara. I need you to take over this case until I get back, I think I'm going to be a little later than I had anticipated... Please, get someone to question the supposed Acid tripping witnesses who saw the plane crash. I want them in our custody, I think they've most likely been framed. Also - oh, shit, gotta run."

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I didn't realize that my cell phone was turned off until I was hastily eating my breakfast and I pulled it out of my pocket to make a call to the local PD. Activating it, I checked my voice mail and heard Sara's rather odd message. Repeating it to Agent Fayme, I sighed. "I'll bet she's in trouble."

"I thought you said she was gone on 'personal business'," a familiar male voice spoke behind me. I turned to see Langley and Byers standing behind the booth where Fayme and I were sitting.

 

"Professional, but personal business," I clarified without explaining further. "Listen guys, Agent Fayme and I are going downtown so that she can describe a suspect and see if we can develop a composite. You're meeting us there to do the same for the woman whom you saw enter Agent Mortis' room."

 

When the two started to protest, I offered to arrest them as material witnesses in the investigation of a missing Federal agent. That seemed to encourage their cooperation, and they spoke with the police artist after Fayme completed her description of the man in the car.

 

"Good," I nodded. "Now we have two ideas of the persons for whom we might be looking."

 

"Are you sure we can't be of further assistance?" Byers looked longingly at our rental car. It probably had much better shock absorbers than that VW van.

 

"No, thank you, but I would appreciate a call if Frohike turns up. That should mean that Sara is nearby."

 

"Shut up, Langley," Byers didn't even turn his head as Langley's mouth opened for another round of 'I told you so.'

 

"Fayme, come on," I headed for the car. "We have to round up the rest of our witnesses before they disappear like everyone else in this case. We have to locate Mortis. Damn, we might even have to enlist the aid of the other two Lone Gunmen."

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

I woke up with a foul, chemical taste in my mouth. I was sitting up. Why was I sitting up? I tried to get up, but found that I had been secured to a chair by what seemed to be an entire roll of duct tape. The only light in the room emanated from a crack close to the floor under what I assumed was a door.

 

I heard a metallic rattling that sounded like keys so I closed my eyes and played possum. I figured that if whoever was coming through that door was friend, they’d try to wake me and if foe, they would be more likely to talk if they thought I was still out from whatever that nasty tasting stuff they’d Shanghaied me with was. As the door opened, a metric ton of stale cigarette smoke boiled into the room, followed by a man’s voice.

 

“She’s still out. Why did you use so damned much of that stuff? You knew that we need her conscious and talking.”

 

“I couldn’t have her waking up on the trip here,” came a woman’s voice right behind him. “You wanted her here alive, that’s what I brought you. One Federal Agent – alive. If you disapprove of my methods, then perhaps you should find yourself another gal to do your dirty work.”

 

“Perhaps you are right,” he replied and then punctuated his sentence with a gunshot.

 

I jumped and gasped. I opened my eyes as I felt a hand grab my hair and yank my head back. Looking into the face of my captor, I saw a devastatingly handsome man in his mid- to late-thirties with beautiful green eyes. His demeanor radiated malice and I felt my blood turn to ice. “So glad to see you awake, Agent Mortis. Now let’s talk…”

 

 

From: SAMMCGEE1

 

Vern Hinkson woke with a start. Heart pounding, he groped under his pillow.

"Looking for something?" Hinkson froze at the sound of the voice. He saw a shape, shrouded by shadows, sitting in the corner of his darkened bedroom.

 

Hinkson wiped a shaky hand across his mouth. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

 

"Vern, Vern, Vern, Vern, Vern--you disappoint me," Mcgee said. "My associate and I went to a lot of trouble to bring down that plane. Imagine my surprise when I found out we crashed a plane on the wrong house."

 

Hinkson gulped. "I-I-I couldn't help it. I'm in enough trouble enough already."

 

"That you are," Mcgee said. A tiny red dot appeared on Hinkson's chest.

 

"Where do you want it, Vern, in the heart or in the head?"

 

"Please!" Hinkson begged, "I can make it up to you."

 

"Yes," Mcgee said, "I do believe you can."

 

Hinkson saw a bright flash in the corner and suddenly found it very hard to breathe. He slumped back on the bed, blood spreading across his T-shirt. Mcgee walked casually across the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

 

"Say goodnight, Vern." She pressed the muzzle of the Glock against his forehead and squeezed the trigger. She pulled a group of snapshots from the pocket of her leather jacket and scattered them across Hinkson's body. She patted his cheek.

 

"I don't like being disappointed, Vern."

 

 

From: SAMMCGEE1

 

From: The Boulder Times Online

BOULDER COP FOUND DEAD

 

Boulder police Sgt. Vernon Hinkson, 48, was found shot to death in his home yesterday. According to sources, several photographs of a recent small plane crash in a suburban Boulder neighborhood were found near the body.

 

Investigators from the NTSB have not yet determined the cause of the crash but they believe the plane may have been brought down deliberately. Four people were believed to be aboard the plane when it left the Boulder airport.

 

So far, only three bodies have been recovered.

 

Hinkson, a 20-year veteran of the Boulder Police Department, was just recently cleared of corruption charges. A spokesman from the District Attorney's office said the corruption investigation will likely be reopened.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I had dropped off Agent Fayme at the crash site where the house had been before the airplane had landed into it. "Talk to the FAA investigators. Talk to anybody. Find out something. Anything."

 

I left Agent Fayme with Special Agent Lemming from the Boulder field office. I had just started to turn left after stopping at the end of the long road which ran beside the crash site when I saw the familiar appearance of a VW van.

 

"Agent Samantha?" Byers head poked out of the driver's window.

 

I sighed heavily, but rolled my window farther down. "Yes?"

 

"We may have a lead on Agent Mortis. By using a series of commands and signals from our mainframe and bouncing them off various Palm Pilots in North America we managed to triangulate, track, and eliminate 95% of them in the greater Boulder area as potentially belonging to Agent Mortis. That just leaves us with 5%, and we believe one of the remaining ones belongs to you."

 

"If you could turn yours on for us for just a moment," Langly's voice yelled from the back of the van.

 

Still sitting in my car, I reached over beside me and flipped on my PDA.

 

"Got it!" Langly's voice still emerged.

 

"And do you know if Agent Fayme has her PDA?" Byers asked.

 

"I'd guess so," I nodded my head.

 

"Great!" Langly's head emerged suddenly from behind Byers. "So that just leaves us with three primary locations where Agent Mortis could be."

 

"Assuming that Agent Mortis had her PDA with her at the time she was kidnapped," Byers nodded, "and that the kidnappers are holding her in close proximity to it."

 

"Well, where are the locations?" I snapped at them.

 

"Follow us," Byers threw the van into reverse.

 

I grabbed my cell phone and hit the AutoDial. "Agent Fayme? It's Sam. I'm following a lead on Agent Mortis with the two remaining Lone Gunmen. Call me if you find out anything at all about the crash site or the missing victims. And stay with Agent Lemming, okay? I don't want to tell Skinner that we have two missing agents in Boulder...plus Sara who's probably getting the tan and time of her life in Hawaii."

 

"Hawaii?" Fayme's voice sounded understandably annoyed. "Why didn't we go on that one?"

 

"Because we're stuck in Boulder," I replied in an equally annoyed tone. Closing the connection, I put both hands on the wheel to keep up with Byers' ability to make a vehicle that old move that quickly.

 

 

From: Fayme

 

I really didn't mind staying with this agent lemming. Even though he was like 10 to 15 years older then me he was quite the looker. "Focus Fayme you are on a very important case." I told myself. Then my mind drifted of to SAC Sara who was probably in Hawaii.

 

what was she doing there? Now I was really confused.

"Well one thing at the time Fayme first this crash site."

 

Jeez this place was a mess. I remembered the time when I was 6 or 7 and I had seen a plane go down. If that plane would have crashed earlier me and my family would have been history. But we were lucky not like the hundreds of people who died because the plane had crashed just between two apartment buildings and they both got on fire.

 

"Wow what?"

Agent Lemming snapped me back.

"Is something wrong agent? he asked

"ah yes ah no ah no I mean. The site of this just got to me for a sec. I'm fine now. Lets go and talk to the FAA"

 

After a talk with the FAA I was still pretty clueless. They just said the plane got some engine problems. I called SAC Sam to tell her what I had found (which was almost nothing) and to see if she would know anything I forgot to ask and if she had made any progress on finding my case partner.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I nodded my head as Agent Fayme relayed her latest findings. "Well, I have a new lead," I told her over my cell phone. "Byers here found an article in this morning's newspaper about a dead police officer who was found with all sorts of interesting airplane photos spread around him. Go with Agent Lemming, and see if you two can learn if this dead officer is connected to our case in any way."

 

"We'll get right on it," Famye replied after copying the details which I read to her over the phone.

 

Hanging up, I looked over at Byers. "So have we narrowed down our leads on Agent Mortis?"

 

"Only two more locations to check out," Langly replied from the back of the van where he sat with an impressive amount of equipment surrounding him and headphones around his neck.

 

"I seriously suspect a conspiracy here," Byers began.

 

"When don't you suspect a conspiracy?" I countered. "Let's just go, guys, okay? I would really like to find Agent Mortis."

 

"Yes, ma'am," Byers gave me a wry grin, and I sat back in my seat, wondering about where poor Mortis might be.

 

If Sara came back with Frohike, and they were both tanned, I might be seriously tempted to accuse them both of being John Delphi clones and shooting them.

 

 

From: Agent Mortis

 

I ran my dry tongue over my dry lips. My captors had not been hospitable when I refused to help them, and had left me to die in this place – where ever this was. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, days, a week? I figured SAC Sam was looking for me, but I had given up hope of ever being found alive. I couldn’t remember when I last had water. I had been drifting in and out of consciousness and was certain I was about to meet my maker.

 

I surveyed my surroundings. I saw several long tables with different tools attached to them. It seemed to be some sort of machine shop, a warehouse perhaps. Wait, no. I saw a rudder and a prop. I must be in some sort of hangar.

 

I began to rock side to side, not caring if I made any noise. The chair went over with a bang, slapping the side of my head into the cement floor. I imagined I could feel my brain ricochet around my skull. “Well, that wasn’t such a good idea, now was it?” a little voice inside my head asked me. When the throbbing subsided, I began to struggle feebly against the tape, marshalling my remaining strength in a vain attempt to escape. I would be damned before I laid down and just died without a fight.

 

 

From: SAMMCGEE1

 

Lena Tjeerdsma left her house, carrying a bag of garbage. She kept her eyes focused on the ground, muttering to herself, as she shuffled towards her trashcan. When she saw the man standing by the garbage can, she was, to say the least, surprised. Her eyes traveled up from the ground slowly. Bare feet, bare legs, bare...

"Ole!" she screamed, "get the gun, there's a naked man out here!" She snatched up the lid from the dented can and held it up like a shield.

 

"You stay away from me, you pervert! Ole!"

 

The man looked dazed. "I-I lost my watch," he said pointing to his wrist. "I think they took it."

 

Lena backed towards the house, still clutching the metal lid. "O-LEEE!!!"

 

The man followed her. "They took my clothes..." His forehead furrowed as he tried to concentrate. "All those tubes..."

 

Lena shrieked as he grabbed her by the arms.

 

"There was a man there," he babbled, "an evil man--so evil he glowed!"

 

He released Lena and grabbed his head. "He took me to a horrible place--they did tests..." He dropped to his knees and started to cry. "Leah--they did the tests on her, too..."

 

He raised his hands up to the old woman. "You have to help me," he sobbed.

 

Lena's eyes narrowed as she stared at the blubbering naked man.

 

"F*** you," she said. She raised the lid and smashed it over the man's head. He collapsed onto lawn, unconscious.

 

 

From: DEEPERTHROAT

 

Agent Mortis could hear footsteps approaching her from behind. She continued to struggle- to free herself from her bonds- but to no avail. The footsteps became louder as the mysterious stranger continued his slow approach...

"Whatever are you doing lying on the floor agent?' I said. (me, being the approaching stranger.) "That is wholly undignified for an employee of the federal government. What would your superiors say if they could see you now?"

 

Agent Mortis continued to struggle. There was no use in continuing her charade of feigning unconsciousness, I knew she was awake.

 

Slowly and deliberately I reached into my long black trenchcoat and pulled out my machete. "Hold still," I told the agent, and brought the giant knife down in one great arc.

 

Cut pieces of rope fell by Agent Mortis's side - she was free. A look of gratitude upon her face was quickly replaced by one of distrust. As she stood up, she looked me up and down. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded. "And what the hell happened to your face."

 

I tossed the agent her cell phone and unloaded weapon. "You are free to leave here now," I said, completely ignoring her questions. "But you must hurry. One of your key witnesses - one of the people you originally came out here to investigate - has been returned. But he will not be safe for long. Already factions are moving in to cleanse him."

 

Agent Mortis cut in "You mean...Straub? But... I figured them for dead."

 

"Call your fellow agents Ms. Mortis. There is not much time." I turned around and began walking towards the exit.

 

Agent Mortis called after me, "But who are you? Why are you helping me?"

 

I paused briefly before turning around. "When you find the man responsible for this cover-up and for your kidnapping, I want you to pass on a message for me." I reached in my pocket and pulled out a dum-dum lollipop. I slowly undid the wrapper and stuck the lollipop in my mouth, biting down hard on the sweet candy. I removed the stick from my mouth and dropped it on the floor. "Let him know," I continued. "that when he tries to kill a man, that he'd better make sure that that man is dead."

 

And with that, I turned back towards the door and walked away.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I had abandoned my own car for the convenience - certainly not the comfort - of riding in the van with Byers and Langly. We were down to our last possible location where Agent Mortis might be held when Byers let out a sharp exclamation followed by, "What's that?"

 

I looked up. A black sedan was turning left on a street far ahead of us, but almost directly beside us, I saw the pale and bewildered face of Agent Mortis.

 

"Mortis!" I threw open the door of the van and was out of the VW before Byers had even stopped the vehicle. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? How did you escape?"

 

 

From: Sam Mcgee

 

I slipped around the corner and hid behind a door when I heard the approaching footsteps. A man had entered the dim room and walking towards Agent Mortis. I drew my Glock and aimed at the middle of his back--I didn't want Mortis dead--yet. He pulled out a machete--I started to squeeze the trigger--but then I saw he wasn't going to kill her. I exhaled slowly and lowered my weapon. He had come for the same reason I had.

 

I waited while he freed the agent, then I followed him out the door. He stopped in the hallway and faced me. He wasn't the least bit concerned about the Glock I now had pointing at his chest. He seemed amused.

 

"Why Ms. Mcgee, what would Morley say if he saw you here?"

 

"Probably the same thing he'd say if he knew you were here," I replied. I put my gun away and he laughed.

 

"Come, let me buy you a beer--it appears we have much to talk about..."

 

 

From: Deep R. Throat

 

A dark, low-rent, smoke filled bar. Harley bikers and leather clad lasses pounded whiskey while sucking on big fat cigars. Two shadows entered through the ghost town style saloon doors and slunk silently into a secluded booth. A haggard looking waitress came slowly up to the table, cigarette dangling from her mouth, ash half an inch long. She didn't look much more than 30, but her eyes said she was 100.

"What the hell ya want?" she said, clenching the cigarette in her teeth, the ash dropping to the floor. She looked at my face. "Jesus H. Christ, what the fuck happened to you?"

 

I could understand her surprise. A good three quarters of my face was covered by gauze, only my right eye and my mouth were exposed. Not that those portions of my face were all that pretty, but I had to see and speak somehow.

 

My charred and crusted lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing teeth blackened like a Twinkie in a microwave. I was about to tell the waitress where to go and how to get there when my companion spoke up.

 

"Bottle of your finest whiskey and two clean glasses with ice." I turned and looked at Sam as our waitress turned with a huff and walked away. Sam gave me a half smile as if she knew what I was thinking.

 

"No one but you knows that I'm still alive." I said. "I really hadn't planned on running into you like this. I'd really appreciate it if you could keep this fact to yourself."

 

Sam laughed. "You know that I go to the highest bidder. I can't promise you a damn thing."

 

"Dammit McGee!" I half shouted, my throat hoarse from both my injuries and my thirst. "This is no joke here. I want you to keep quiet about this."

 

"Yeah, yeah." she sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I'll go along with this for now. If for no other reason than for sheer curiosity of what you have planned."

 

The waitress returned with two dirty glasses, half filled with ice, and a plastic bottle of Bourbon.

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

From my hospital room in Hawaii, I placed a call to SAC Jaythree.

 

"Sam, I'll be returning to Boulder in the morning." I said after she picked up.

 

"Sara? What happened? Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'm, ow, fine. I'll see you in the morning, just wanted to give you a heads up."

 

"Thank god. I don't think I could have taken another day with you know who and you know who else."

 

"Speaking of which," I said, smiling, "Could you arrange to have Frohike picked up at the airport? He's flying in tonight."

 

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then a long, low sigh. "Sure, fine, whatever." Sam replied. "Remind me to kill you once you're fully recovered."

 

"Oh, come on," I grinned. "You love me and you know it."

 

Then she hung up on me. I was still grinning.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I hung up the phone, relieved that Sara was returning, happy that she was alive so I still had the possibility of killing her myself for leaving me with Byers and Langly.

 

Okay. They weren't *that* bad once I became accustomed to dealing with them. They had a unique perspective on life, I tried to remind myself. I found myself constantly reminding myself of that fact.

 

"We can't find any prints at all, Agent Jaythree." I turned to look at the Boulder forensics expert who had come to scour the site where Mortis had been held hostage. "The only thing we can find in this building that doesn't belong here is this," he handed me a small scrap of paper enclosed in an evidence bag.

 

"What is it?" I squinted at it, trying to see if there were words too faint to read, but it looked like a blank piece of paper with a few ink smudges.

 

"I think it's the bottom of a credit card receipt. See the lines there?" He pointed.

 

I looked. "And you can identify this as a credit card receipt based on that?"

 

"No, ma'am, but it's our best shot."

 

"Thank you," I nodded and smiled. I had sent Mortis to the ER with a paramedic team. We (the Boulder police and I) would finish the debriefing once I was sure that my agent was physically okay. Now Byers approached as soon as the Boulder police officer moved away from me.

 

"I found this," he held up a small stick. "You want to bag it?"

 

"Where did you find it?" I was still wearing gloves so I took it from his forceps. "Do you always carry forceps with you when you travel?"

 

"Had 'em out in the van," Langly looked smug.

 

"Of course you did," I put the stick into the bag. "It just looks like a lollipop stick to me. Could be trash."

 

"It could be," Byers nodded his head. "But this place had been otherwise wiped clean, so I'm willing to bet it was a last minute item. You could run a DNA test on the saliva."

 

I stared at Byers for a long moment. "Thanks for the suggestion," I finally replied. "Agent Zeuty called. Frohike should be landing in Boulder sometime this evening. You boys will take care of picking him up at the airport, won't you?"

 

"Absolutely," Byers nodded.

 

"He better have brought me a present," Langly added.

 

"Agent Jaythree," one of the detectives moved closer to me and threw a suspicious glance at the two civilians. "I'm headed to the hospital now for Agent Mortis' statement. Need a ride?"

 

"Thanks, don't mind if I do," I smiled at the man. "You two will take care of Frohike, right? I don't know what plane he's coming --"

 

"No problem," Lanlgy waved a hand.

 

"We'll see you at the motel," Byers added as I left.

 

"See you there," I replied and walked outside to a waiting unmarked police car.

 

"Are those men some sort of undercover Bureau agents?" The detective asked.

 

"They're unique," I replied and hoped the detective wouldn't ask me again.

 

 

From: Sam Mcgee

 

To: Special Agent Fayme

CC: Special Agent Lemming

From: Arlene Guthmiller

National Transportation and Safety Board

 

RE: Boulder Plane Crash

 

Our preliminary analysis of the crash debris strongly indicates that the engine failure was caused either by pilot error or design, i.e., the engines were simply turned off.

 

We found a small piece of an exotic electronic device in the wreckage. The technicians were able to lift a serial number and we traced it back to the manufacturer. The device was one of several designed under a Department of Defense contract. The exact agency that received the units is classified, as is the exact function of the device.

 

It appears to a type of homing device. The technology is similar to what the military uses in "smart bombs". A targeting beacon would be used to direct the ordnance to its target.

 

We also received a statement from an eyewitness who claims he saw someone parachute from the plane before it crashed. The jumper then left the scene in a brown minivan driven by someone else. The local PD didn't bother to mention this to us until this morning. That could explain why we only found three bodies in the wreckage.

 

These findings suggest that we may be dealing with a highly sophisticated terrorist organization. The Boulder PD are investigating the homeowners for any possible links to terrorist activities.

 

We will continue our investigation and keep you informed of any further developments.

 

Arlene Guthmiller

 

 

From: Sam Mcgee

 

The waitress slapped the glasses and the bottle on the sticky table. I picked up one of the tumblers--the ice was even dirtier than the glass. The waitress slouched with one hand on her hip and the other extended, palm up.

"Fifteen dollars, lady."

 

I examined the bottle. "Fifteen dollars for this stuff? We'll be lucky if we don't go blind drinking it."

 

The harpy bent over the table, showing a frightening lack of cleavage. She balled up her fist in front of my face.

 

"Fifteen dollars, bimbo."

 

DRT started to chuckle. The waitress snapped at him.

 

"What's the matter with you! Are you a child?"

 

That tone--that attitude--it was so familiar... As a test, I showed her my gun. She looked at me like I was an insect.

 

"I don't want that," she snarled.

 

I looked at DRT and he shrugged. "Go for it."

 

A pop, a flash and the annoying waitress folded up and dropped to the floor.

 

DRT poured the bourbon and we silently toasted the dead waitress. I tossed the foul-tasting liquid back and barely suppressed a shudder as it burned its way down my throat. DRT sucked his down and poured another round, looking like Hannibal Lecter with a plateful of pancreas.

 

I drank the second glass. "How can you drink this crap?" I asked him. "It tastes like liquid Drano."

 

"I'm on a liquid diet," he said pouring himself another glass. "Because of my injuries, you know."

 

I filled my glass again--maybe it didn't taste so bad after all.

 

"So I take it Hawaii wasn't all Don Ho and poi, eh? What the hell is poi anyway?"

 

DRT drained his glass. His eye was starting to water. "Beats the hell outta me--if I can't drink it, I can't be bothered with it." My glass has mysteriously refilled itself.

 

"So what happened to you?" I asked him. "You look like...(careful)...uh, like not your normal self."

 

He leaned across the table, charred skin flaking off his blackened lips.

 

"Morley," he hissed.

 

I understood only too well. Who else could have scared Vern Hinkson so much that he would lie to me? Who else would have wanted to set me up? It was beginning to make sense to me now...

 

I leaned over the table and looked him straight in his one eye.

 

"We've got to get that ice ball," I whispered.

 

 

From: Deep R. Throat

 

The bottle finished along with the waitress, the conversation traveled back outside.

The sun was half hidden behind bronze clouds. A cold breeze blew making eerie whistling sounds through the dilapidated bar roof. The shingles rattled like the bones of a dead man waiting for his turn to be judged. "I'm gonna go underground for a while McGee." I said. "There are a few things I need to take care of before going after Morley."

 

McGee nodded in agreement. "I could tell that just by looking at you." she said. "You're in no shape to even be walking. Hell, you look like a mummified Sam Spade in that getup." We both reached into our jackets for a cigarette. Trademark Morley .

 

I took a puff and held the smoke in my lungs for a long time. Exhaling through my nose, smoke filtered by layers of bandages, I threw the barley smoked butt on the ground and put it out with my shoe. "I think it's time I changed brands."

 

McGee merely smiled at me. "I don't know" she said. "Smoking is life, it is addictive. I'm not going to quit cold turkey." She looked me up and down. "Christ," she said. "You're lucky to be alive."

 

"Nope." I replied. "I'm just that good."

 

We shared a little chuckle as the cold wind blew through her hair. I could feel the cold sting through my coverings, sending little pins and needles of gooseflesh over the course of my body. What hair I had left, the hair that had not been burnt from my flesh, stood on end.

 

"I need you to watch him for me." I told McGee. "Keep track of his actions. Find a pattern to his life. Find a weakness and get ready to exploit it when the time comes for action."

 

Mcgee nodded in silent agreement.

 

"In the meantime," I continued. "There's the matter of that Straub gentleman who I recently dumped from the project. He'll undoubtedly be picked up by local officials for public nudity and...I don't know, Insanity or something. I need you to get word to the feds investigating this case. Start to set a trap for the man."

 

McGee started to protest, but I spoke first, cutting her off. "I would do it myself but there are a few agents working this case who could potentially identify me. As it is, there are already too many people who know that I am still alive."

 

I could tell what McGee was thinking. She knew that I was including her in the list of "too many people." There was an unsaid bond that had just formed between us, a bond between liars. Neither one of us could be trusted, and we both knew that we would kill the other if it would aid in our plans. But for now we were partners.

 

As I walked away she asked, "How will I get a hold of you?" already knowing the answer.

 

"You won't," I replied. "I contact you when the time is right."

 

I walked on, feeling the cold wind more than ever.

 

 

From: Sam Mcgee

 

Well--that was a neat trick. Now *I'm* supposed to keep tabs on Morley Cigs, a man I've never even met in person? Oh well, I thought, I do like a challenge. I hailed a cab (another neat trick in this neighborhood) and went home to clean up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Dressed in a conservative business suit and armed with the proper identification, getting into the psych-ward at St. Vincent's hospital was a breeze. The nurses didn't seem too happy to have Michael Straub back in the hospital, nor were they pleased with the presence of yet another FBI agent.

 

The ward nurse showed me to Straub's "room", an eight by ten foot padded cell. Straub was huddled in a corner, hugging himself and nodding his head. The nurse held out her hand.

 

"I'll have to take your weapon, Agent LeBarge," she said. "He's quiet now, but he does have violent outbursts."

 

I grit my teeth and smiled thinly as I surrendered my gun. She unlocked the door and pointed to red button near the door frame.

 

"When you're finished or if he gives you any trouble, just hit that button," she told me.

 

I entered the padded room and she locked the door behind me.

 

I walked over to the cowering man.

 

"I want to help you, Mr. Straub, but you have to help me, OK? Good. Now I need you to listen very carefully." I held up a pencil. "Now concentrate on the pencil and relax--just let yourself go..."

 

Straub's eyes glazed over as he stared at the pencil. That was sure easy--the Project technicians must have done a very good job on him.

 

"Now Mr. Straub, you don't remember who took you from the hospital, do you?"

 

He shook his head. "It was an evil man..."

 

"No, Mr. Straub, you don't remember anything about leaving the hospital."

 

"I don't remember leaving the hospital," Straub repeated in a monotone voice.

 

"Very good. Now, the man responsible for your abduction is called Morley Cigs. He's a very dangerous man and its important that you tell the FBI agents that he gave all the orders. Everything that happened to you and your wife was ordered by Morley Cigs. Can you remember that?"

 

Straub nodded, a thin rope or saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.

 

"Morley..." he said slowly.

 

I patted his head. "Very good. Now I'm going to count to three and you're going to take a little nap. When you wake up, you'll remember everything we talked about, but you won't remember me. One, two, three..."

 

Straub fell over, sound asleep.

 

I buzzed the nurse and she let me out of the room.

 

"Mr. Straub sure is popular today," she said nodding towards the desk. I looked down the hall--DAMN! The real FBI.

 

"Where's my gun?" I asked quickly.

 

"Oh dear," she said, "I must've left it at the desk."

 

I looked down the hall. The agents looked back at me, suspiciously. There was no other way out. I followed the nurse to the desk. I smiled and shoved the nurse into them and ran like hell.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I had picked up Agent Mortis from the ER at Boulder General and then proceeded to Saint Vincent to see if the man picked up by authorities was really Michael Straub. If so, he had quite a few questions to answer.

"I'm positive that it *is* Mr. Straub," the nurse nodded her head at me as Mortis and I stood by the nursing station. "I was working the trauma unit when he was initially admitted to St. Vincent's the first time."

 

"Wait a minute," Mortis protested, her face still rather pale. The ER doctors had released her, but the fact that she had suffered a mild concussion had made her account of events during her kidnapping somewhat inconclusive. "I interviewed the hospital staff who said there was no record of the Straubs or --"

 

"Computer glitch," the nurse shrugged. "It's been happening to lots of our data. One minute the records are there. The next minute, they're gone."

 

Mortis and I looked at each other and nodded. Delphi clones. If they were attacking the hospital's systems, who knew what would be their next target?

 

"My goodness, Mr. Straub must be involved in a very important case to be receiving so much FBI attention." The nurse added.

 

"What do you mean?" Mortis asked.

 

"Agent LeBarge is talking with Mr. Straub right now. Didn't you know that?"

 

I looked at Mortis. Mortis looked at me. I turned back to the nurse. "Is -- 'Agent LeBarge' still with Mr. Straub?"

 

"Why, there she is now," the nurse pointed to a woman in a conservative suit who was walking down the hallway towards us with another nurse beside her.

 

"I think we should speak with Agent...ah...LeBarge, don't you, Mortis?" I was already reaching back for my weapon as the woman approached us.

 

The unknown agent appeared calm and non-threatening until she and the nurse beside her reached the nursing station. At that point, the woman shoved the nurse beside her into Mortis and me. I heard running footsteps echoing down the hallway.

 

"Check on Straub!" I yelled at Mortis. I took off in the direction which the unknown woman had last been seen. I saw an emergency exit slowly swinging shut ahead of me. Grasping the edge of the door, I stepped inside and found myself in a stairwell. I looked up and down, listening for footsteps. Hearing the faint clatter of what sounded like heels striking concrete, I hurried down the staircase in pursuit -- I hoped -- of this mysterious 'agent' on the case.

 

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, thankful again that I never wore heels except for formal affairs. I could hear the clatter of footsteps below me. Then they stopped. I nearly smacked into the interior concrete wall as I also stopped to listen. With my gun already out, I pointed it over the rail and peered cautiously below me.

I could just make out the edge of a door swinging shut. Pushing back into high speed, I ran the rest of the way down to the level where I had seen the door closing. Taking a deep breath, I flung open the door and led the way out with my gun...

 

...into a covered parking garage. I looked, but there was no sight of anyone running away. While there were plenty of cars, the area looked otherwise deserted. I took a few hesitant steps into the dimly lit structure.

 

Taking another deep breath, I quickly sprinted, gun held down but ready, the length of the lower level of the parking garage. It was hopeless. I saw no one, and the number of places to hide were too many for a single agent.

 

Returning my weapon to its holster, I walked slowly back to the stairwell door to climb back up to see if Agent Mortis had learned anything, and if our witness, Michael Straub, were still alive.

 

 

From: Sara Kathryn Zeuty

 

MESSAGE TO: All Investigating Agents on Case #Y-2723

FROM: SAC Zeuty

RE: Briefing

 

I just wanted to let you all know I have returned to Boulder, alive, well and untanned.

 

I'd like to call a meeting at the Comity ASAP, so that I can be updated on the status of investigations thus far, and we can determine how best to proceed.

 

From: SamanthaJ3

 

I reached the psychiatric ward of St. Vincent's. I was slightly winded, but nothing like a good run to remind you that you're still alive. "Where's Agent Mortis?" I asked the duty nurse.

"She's in Mr. Straub's room," the woman pointed back down the hall.

 

"Thank you," I nodded my head and started walking in that general direction. I wasn't sure what Mortis had found in the room...a crazed patient, a dead body, or merely a burn mark of the floor where our witness had last stood? At this point, I would discount nothing.

 

::RR--iing RR--iing::

 

"Samantha," I answered my cell phone after flipping it out of my pocket.

 

"It's Sara," the voice on the other end sounded too relaxed for me at the moment. "I'm back in Boulder. Where are you?"

 

"I'm at St. Vincent's. Working on this case and not spending sunny afternoons on the beach with Frohike."

 

There was a pause. "Do you feel better now?" Sara remarked rather dryly.

 

"Yeah, sorry," I sighed. "I just had a potential suspect get away. I didn't mean to take it out on you. Someone was posing as an agent and using that to visit Michael Straub. He turned up again, naked and incoherent, in a Boulder suburb."

 

"Any ID on the mystery agent?"

 

"She identified herself as an Agent LeBarge. Apparently showed the nurse a badge that looked genuine. We have the suspect's gun which she left at the nursing station."

 

"This doesn't sound good," Sara observed. "What about Straub?"

 

I peeked through the small observation window. I could see Mortis talking to the man, but I couldn't hear if he was replying.

 

"Straub is still alive," I felt slightly better. "Don't know if he has anything useful to say, but he's still alive."

 

"When you're finished there, meet me back at the Comity. I want to review the evidence."

 

"Sure thing. Agent Fayme was with Agent Lemming from the Boulder office. And the two stooges were supposed to pick up the third at the airport. Give us another half hour here, and we'll head back towards the Inn. Oh, and Sara?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Sorry I was rude earlier. Forgive me?"

 

"Not a chance."

 

"I didn't think so," I smiled. "What if I buy dinner for everybody tonight?"

 

"You're forgiven."

 

 

From: Fayme

 

Boulder morgue

 

"Agents Richard Lemming and Fayme Rach."

 

Agent Lemming said while we flashed our badges and they let us through.

"Ah could you show us the body of Sgt. Vern Hinkson?" Agent Lemming asked

"Of course" the lady said.

 

"Ah Ma'am I'd like to do another autopsy on the body. To see if the last one was conclusive." I said.

 

"Well knock yourself out" the lady replied to me.

 

"Where are the victim's belonging's because they are really important to this case." Agent Lemming said

"well the local PD has them" the lady said really irritated.

 

"Well I'll go and pick them up while you do the autopsy and I'll meet up with you here again.'' Agent Lemming said

 

"Sure" I replied.

 

So I changed into some latex gloves, some eye protectors and a white coat and I was ready to go.

 

"18-2-2000 5.34 PM starting autopsy on the late Vern Hinkson, a 48 year old male." I sighed.

"Probable cause of death: a bullet was shot through the scull with a revolver which was found next to the body but without a serial number along with some crash site pictures.

Before he was shot he was badly abused but survived the punches and was after that shot. Bla bla bla........."

 

Just when I was ready agent lemming showed up again with the pictures. He dropped me off at the Motel and gave me the pictures along with my autopsy report. And he went off to his own home.

 

When I knocked on Sac Sam's door, to my surprise, Sac Sara opened the door.



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