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Rated: PG-17
Spoilers: None. Somewhere in Season 5
Category: X-File, Angst.
Summary: Can Scully catch Mulder's shooter in time?
Archive: Gossamer, any other nice home. Please ask first.
Feedback: patfiler2016@outlook.com
Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, any characters related to the
series, and The X-Files belong to Chris Carter, 1013
Productions, and Fox Studios. I do not make any money from
writing fan fiction, and I intend no copyright infringement.
Author's Note: This used to be a three-part story. I changed my
mind because it's a woman's right.
SATURDAY EVENING, 8:00 PM
Dana Scully walked out of the elevator in Mulder's building
carrying a stack of files that needed to be updated and
sorted. She had grown used to meeting with her partner outside
of the office now and then. Granted, it was usually done at her
apartment, but Mulder decided he would order in some food and
have her over to his place for a change. It wasn't that she had
ever complained about him coming over. He just decided he had
been imposing on her too often, and, of course, some of her
neighbours had been overheard chattering one night as he was
leaving.
Her knock was met with silence. Perhaps he was in the bathroom.
She used her key and walked into the apartment. As she called out
to him, she had an overwhelming sense that something was not right.
"Mulder! Did you hear me? I have the... Oh my God!" She shouted.
Fox Mulder lay in a puddle of blood in front of his aquarium.
There was a note beside the wound on his chest: "Once again
we meet. Delver."
As the paramedics were wheeling a still unconscious Mulder out
to the ambulance, Scully showed the note to Walter Skinner.
"I haven't seen this name in any of our files. Do you have any
idea who this 'Delver' is, Sir?"
Skinner was as worried as Scully was. "Right now, I think you
should get to the hospital with your partner, Scully. While
you talk to the police and watch Mulder, I'll see if anything
comes up from Scotland Yard or VCU. Maybe someone's been
released and has a grudge." He could see the worry in her eyes.
"Go on. Take care of Mulder."
"Thank you, Sir."
ER rooms were bad enough on a Saturday night in any city,
even Alexandria. But Mulder was a Federal Agent, and he had been
shot. The penalty for murdering him would be the maximum.
"He may have seen the shooter," Scully told the police. "Before he
was assigned to our office, he was with the Violent Crimes Unit.
I think this letter should be analyzed by the F.B.I. crime lab.
I'll keep you posted. Now if you'll excuse me, I am a doctor, and
this Agent happens to be my partner. Call A.D. Skinner if you find
anything more, and if you need anything from us."
She hurried into emerge in her scrubs. By then, Mulder was semi-
conscious and calling her name.
I'm here, Mulder. You've been shot."
"Scully. Look good in green. Delver. Not... not real name. Real
name ... " At that moment, he lost consciousness.
"We've got to operate NOW! She called to the surgical team. "It's
lodged in the ascending aorta... "
Five hours later, tired and worried, Scully left the operating
room. She doffed her mask and hurried to the waiting room.
Skinner was in the waiting area of Emergency. "Is he..."
"He has sustained massive blood loss, and there were moments he
had us worried, but he should be able to talk some time tomorrow.
What did you find out?"
"I was right. This one is from the VCU case he worked on.
Delver is a nickname for an extremely volatile man who was
released on parole last Monday. His name is Anthony Higby.
Extremely violent sex offender. Ring any bells?"
"No. Mulder never mentioned him. He was about to give me the name
before he lost consciousness. Oh, my, three in the morning." She
rubbed her sore neck. "Sir, go home and get some sleep. I'll let
you know... "
"I suggest you do the same, Agent Scully. I think you should
handle this case. Not really because you want a piece of the guy,
because we all do, but because you have the motivation. And I know
you want to get this guy. We want him alive. There are still some
unsolved cases he may be implicated in. I know you want to get
him."
"You don't know how much," Scully growled. "I'll need to stay the
night. Can you do me a favor and pull all the files on him? Maybe
I can go over them here till I'm sure Mulder's out of the woods."
"You need some sleep, Agent."
"I can catnap. Please, Sir. I am used to going on very little
sleep."
Skinner paused for a moment, weighing the situation. "All right.
And as soon as he is stable, you do the work away from here. We
need to act fast on this one. He may have other law enforcement
officers on his list, and he's extremely clever. And Scully?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"Thank you for being in there with him."
"I think you know me by now, Sir. He's my partner. He's my best
friend."
"Yes." Skinner didn't have to hear anything more. He knew how much
the agents meant to each other, even if it broke protocol, even if
nothing had been made official. Even if they themselves hadn't
admitted it openly. They didn't have to.
SUNDAY, 7:32 AM
Scully had fallen asleep in the chair at Mulder's bedside. A nurse
entered momentarily to check the I.V. and take his temperature. She
hadn't wanted to wake Scully, but then, Scully was a light sleeper.
The chair was no help, either. "Any change?"
"His temp. is back down, so there's a good sign. B.P. 135/70, and
pulse 84. He sure was lucky."
"He sure was." Scully yawned and stretched as the nurse left the
room. She glanced out the window and saw torrents of rain. Perfect
to fit the mood she was in. She didn't know whether to cry or scream
out in rage. Mulder had worked remarkably hard to put this shooter
behind bars, and now he was on parole, out for blood, and possibly
out for more females to violate. Her eyes were fixed on water, as it
swirled down the sewers, when Mulder tried to speak.
His voice was raspy and low, "Sc- Scully."
She rushed to his side, putting her hand on his forehead. "Thank God,
Mulder. You're going to be all right. We know who it is. We know who
Delver is, Mulder. Just relax and get better."
"You know... know Higby?"
"We know OF him, Mulder. And we know about him. Everyone's
on the look-out for him. Don't worry. I'm on the case, too."
"No... " Mulder was still terribly weak. "Not you. Not you,
Scully. Stay away from Delver. Stay away."
"Mulder, we've got to get him before he does anything... "
"To you. I think he knows you ... you work with me... will get to
you... to hurt me."
"Mulder, lay back and get some rest. I'm a big girl. I can
handle myself. Skinner has everyone he can get on the case, and
the P.D. is very much aware of what this guy is capable of."
"I put him away... I profiled him. He's... he's not like... "
"Not like your average rapist? Not like your average violent
offender with horrible, horrible fantasies? Mulder... are you
telling me he's an X-File type?"
Mulder drowsily nodded. "Yeah... " Then a small, wry smile
overtook his face. "Spooky-type."
"Well, at least now I know you're going to live, Mulder. I've got
some files to give back to Skinner. Look, you rest. I'll be back to
see you later. They're bringing up breakfast. I'll tell them you're
awake. I need to go home and clean up, anyway."
"Careful, Scully?" He extended his hand, grabbed Scully's and brought
it to his lips. "He's my specialty, not yours. Be very, very aware of
everything."
"I will. I will. Now, get some food."
"Sorry about last night... "
"Another time, partner. There'll be another time. I have to go... "
Mulder cast a worried glance at Scully as she closed the door to
his room. His partner was a petite female, and well-trained, but...
Maybe there was enough manpower out there. He just couldn't get the
fear out of his mind. He would never forgive himself if something
happened to Dana Scully. Even if justice had been done years ago,
and they felt him to be safe enough for parole. There was just this
nagging doubt, and Mulder hated the man. Hated the things he had done
to innocent young woman. Scully was young, beautiful, his partner...
Best friend.
"Please, not her," he whispered. Perhaps he was whispering
to God, perhaps to the Devil himself. He wasn't sure. "Not her."
MULDER'S APARTMENT
SUNDAY, 1:30 PM
The tape was still on the door advising that his apartment
was a Crime Scene, but the tattered tape just hung loosely.
Fingerprinting and photos were done, as were blood chemistry.
Scully decided to stay here as Mulder's place was closer to the
hospital than hers was. She had taken the time to stop at her
apartment for a change of clothing and other necessities.
With the files she had, perhaps she could make some sense of
the killer's modus operandi. What were his thoughts last night
when he shot Fox Mulder? What were HER thoughts, staying at the
scene of the crime? She shook that question off, and decided to
soak in his tub, then settle in for a nap with the cell phone
by her side.
The ringing of Mulder's phone shattered her fitful sleep.
"Scully."
"Dana, Dear? I've been looking all over for you! Remember we
were going to have brunch after Church?"
"I'm fine, Mum. Look... something's happened. Mulder's been
shot..." Scully fought not to let her mother hear her worry.
She lost.
"Are YOU all right?"
"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Look, I, uh, I have to get to the hospital
to check in on Mulder. Please pray for him, okay? I love you.
Good bye." She hung up before her tears flowed freely.
Glancing at the VCR, the time read 6:00 p.m., and her watch
confirmed the time. She ran a comb through her hair and headed
for the door. The phone rang again.
Probably Skinner, she thought. "Scully."
"So, that's the name of his latest beauty? Let's see what she
looks like?"
"Who is this?" she sharply asked.
"You'll find out." The man hung up before Scully could
identify herself as an FBI Agent.
She hurried to the hospital.
By the time she arrived at his room, Mulder had finished supper.
"You're looking better than when I left you this morning," she
said, smiling awkwardly. "I hope you managed to get some sleep.
I see here your vitals..."
Mulder read her false enthusiasm. "Stop it, Scully. You're as
white as a sheep. See those flowers over there? They're from my
secret admirer. Well, actually my assailant."
"Yeah, I meant to bring that up."
"Please do, and now? I'm not as sick as I look, Scully.
He contacted you, didn't he? Or you ran into him?"
"He called your place, and I answered... " she replied sheepishly.
"He didn't say anything threatening, Mulder. Don't worry about me.
Get better, and we'll get this guy."
"Or he'll get someone else first, maybe even you. This guy is
hungry to terrorize women after 14 years in prison, Scully. He will
do anything to satisfy that hunger, and he can sense you right
now. Chances are, he knows what you and his next victims look
like. Did I tell you he had that ability, Scully? Did I tell you
I couldn't put it into the records at the Violent Crimes Unit
because it was too "odd-ball" and "spooky" to add to the records?"
Mulder was becoming more upset by the moment. With every word,
his blood pressure was rising. "I'd rather you kept out of this.
Skinner should know better."
"Mulder, calm down." Scully drew a chair up beside his bed. "Look,
I'm okay. I even got some sleep today, right in your apartment so
I could come here at a moment's notice. Now, if what you say about
this guy is true, then thanks for telling me. And now that I'm
warned, I'll take extra special precautions..."
"That won't help!" he interjected. "Scully, after all these years,
surely you know when I'm right. You MUST know that I am very
aware of this guy. I was the one who put him away!"
"Well, let ME do it this time," she softly countered. "I have more
on the ball than you're giving me credit for." Mulder crossed his
arms and looked away. "Do you really think I'm the only agent on
this? Mulder, we have the Police AND the Bureau on this, plus the
State Troopers looking for him on the road."
"You just don't get it, Scully. All right, I certainly can't be
out there to help you. Just get off of this case. Just for my
sake." His eyes softened. "Please."
"For personal reasons? Not on your life, Mulder. He shot you,
and I am going to get my partner's shooter. That's the RIGHT
personal reason."
"Please, Scully. Listen, he really can see you in his mind... "
"Then he knows I'm wise to him, Mulder."
"You'd make a convincing lawyer, you know that?" He had to
concede that her argument was logical.
Just then a volunteer brought in a bouquet of chrysanthemums.
"From Skinner, I gather. Or the Gunmen... " He yawned. "Sweet
fellas."
Scully took the flowers and put them on his bedside table.
"To the late... " She gasped in horror.
"Scully?"
"Nothing..."
"Show me the card."
She gave him the card reluctantly. "*To the late Dana Scully.
I'll thrill you to death, Delver.* Now are you convinced?"
Scully was visibly upset, and she was quite aware it showed.
"No. I am a Federal Agent. I have my wits about me, my eyes
open, and agents all over the place. Just let me get this guy
for you, Mulder. Get better, and I will see you tomorrow. I
promise you this: I will be careful. Have a good night's
sleep."
"Can you?"
"Pfft!" Scully pretended not to care about his warnings. She
walked through the door and headed down the hall to the
elevator. Skinner was just arriving.
"Agent Scully?"
"He's a lot better, Sir. He should be back in the office in a
week or so. I have some files to go over so we can start getting
things back to normal as soon as possible." She abruptly left
Skinner and just about walloped the elevator button. "See you
tomorrow!" she shouted.
Skinner entered Mulder's room quickly. "I know what you told
me, Mulder. But she's determined."
"She's being stupid, Sir. And so are you, no disrespect intended.
I can't let her get hurt on my account."
"We won't let that happen. I see you got flowers?"
"Yeah. So did Scully. Her card was very nice." Mulder passed
the card to Skinner.
"I see. Well, I guess I had better get some protection on her
right away. Forgive me for leaving so soon."
"Well, the Knicks are on, anyway," Mulder cracked. "Go on." If
there was anything Mulder wanted the most in this world right now,
it was his mobility. Not Samantha. His mobility. He needed to
get to 'Delver' before he got to Scully. The way he saw it, this
man wanted to get to Mulder by killing him, and hadn't succeeded.
The other way to get to him would be through Scully. "It can't
happen," Mulder told the chrysanthemums. "It just can't happen."
Mulder's mind raced as he considered Scully to be in
imminent danger. He dialed out, calling Directory Assistance
and quickly typing Skinner's cell number.
The man was just reaching the hospital parking lot, and not
very far from Dana Scully. "Skinner."
"It's Mulder. Look, please follow Scully. She's going to my
place. Just keep an eye on her until you can get somebody
out there."
"Mulder... "
"Just... just do it, okay? This guy already has her up for
his next escapade. Trust me on this."
"All right. She's just getting into her car, and I'm at
mine right now. I'll see to it... Hello? Mulder... "
Mulder had come up with another idea. He quickly dialed the
Gunmen. "Frohike?"
"Hey! How's Mojo Man?"
"Knock it off and get down here. I don't need your gutter mind
right now. Scully's in danger. I need a gun and some clothes,
and I need to get out of here as fast as possible."
"Sure thing. Oh, and is that red head... Hello?"
Mulder was in no mood for Frohike's curiosity about Scully. He
desperately wanted to protect his partner from 'Delver' Anthony
Higby. He knew exactly what could happen if no one was there to
stop him. And he knew Higby like the back of his hand. Shrewd,
dark, prescient of his victims, and horribly twisted psychologically.
This was not going to be. It could NOT be.
Scully pulled into a parking spot and entered Mulder's Building.
She was unaware that Skinner had been near her, but she had
been extra careful that she hadn't been followed. Skinner had
been careful enough to take a slightly different route as he
neared Hegal Place. He parked the car, waited and watched.
It was 9:13 p.m., and Scully began to lose herself in the reams
of paper almost immediately. Except for the occasional stretch
and sip of instant coffee, she was immersed in theories and
newspaper articles about this particular criminal. And horrified
that anyone could go to such lengths to torture women. Nothing in
her training had prepared her for what she was reading.
Skinner hadn't thought of having the rear entrance to Mulder's
building covered. But Anthony Higby had thought of entering via
that route. He climbed the stairs to Mulder's floor so as not to
be seen by anyone in the elevator. The man could taste Scully as
he visualized violently kissing her, ripping her clothing off,
taking her by force as she gasped for air. Then ripping her
apart limb by limb by organ. His twisted thoughts had him
salivating as he reached Mulder's door and jimmied the lock.
Scully had put off going to the bathroom far too long. When
she went back into the living room, that 'Delver' was there.
"I've been seeing you in various ways, lady. Let's get the
party revved up! We'll start with a little duct tape and work
our way up... "
"Not if I can help it!" Scully shouted. "You don't want to
take on a Federal Agent. Just put the gun and the tape down... "
And that's when he lunged at her and taped her mouth, her hands
and her ankles. "The fight excites me more! The thrill of the
hunt... I've wanted THIS for quite some time now... and I see
Mulder has exquisite taste in the women he surrounds himself
with. Too bad he's not able to protect his little prize. Now I
win... "
Skinner decided to go up to the apartment. He'd seen the shadow
of a man through the window and was suspicious. He kicked
Mulder's door open and yelled, "FBI! Freeze!" Shots rang out
and he was lying unconscious on the floor. Skinner's bullet had
hit a wall and 'Delver' was a crack shot. The Assistant Director
sustained a severe chest wound.
Scully's protests were muffled by duct tape, and her frowns went
unheeded as Higby made room on the floor for his planned assault
on Scully.
"I know you're no stranger to men, but you've never in your
wildest adventures met a man like me... pity. Well, at least
for you. I think I like being on the outside..."
The Gunmen's van sped through the streets with Mulder in back.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Byers advised him. "You're
losing a lot of blood."
"This is nothing compared to what Scully might be going through,"
Mulder shouted. "Can't you push this thing past twenty?"
"We're going sixty," Frohike shouted. "What do you want? I know.
Shut up and drive..."
"Byers is right," Langly said, looking at the drenched shirt and
the seat of the van. "You're not in any shape to be out looking
for that goon!"
"He's my problem, I brought him upon her, and I should be the one
to deal with this!" Mulder had to silently confess he was feeling
far from strong at the moment. "C'mon!"
"Five more minutes," Frohike announced calmly.
By the time they arrived at the apartment, Mulder's lights were
out.
"You guys stay put. This is my job," Mulder ordered them. He was
very weak now, and he knew it. He entered the building and was
coherent enough to use the elevator. As he approached his unit,
he edged along the wall and slowly approached the door.
Scully was being stripped down quickly, face down on the floor.
As soon as Mulder saw Skinner's form lying there, he didn't even
think before pulling the trigger. Three shots rang out, when one
would have done nicely, and Higby was no more. He fell lifelessly
to the floor.
Mulder quickly put a blanket around Scully and unbound her mouth
and hands. "Are you okay, Scully?"
"Yeah, thanks to you," she said stone-faced.
"You sure?" He sat beside her on the floor and removed the tape
from her ankles.
Tears streamed down her face. "Look at yourself, Mulder. Neither
of us are okay," she sobbed.
The Gunmen rushed into the apartment.
"Oh God!" Frohike muttered. Byers dialed 9-1-1 and Langly found
a clean towel to press against Mulder's wounds, while Frohike
attended to Skinner, who was barely regaining consciousness.
Mulder put his arm around Scully. "I told you not to get involved
in this one, didn't I?"
"Yeah, Mulder. I wanted to get him for you. I wanted the collar.
In cases like this, time is of the essence."
"Never ever do this to me again, Scully. Never. Promise?"
"No," she whispered stubbornly. "We're a team. When one is down,
the other picks up the slack."
The paramedics arrived and began checking everyone's vital signs.
"We'd better get you to the hospital," a blond male paramedic
advised them.
His dark-haired partner exclaimed, referring to Mulder. "This guy's
hypovolemic! Let's go! Time is of the essence!"
"I couldn't agree more," Mulder blandly declared. "We're done
here."
END
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