Medusa

Written By: Frank Spotnitz

Rewritten By: Samantha Wilkinson

SOUTH STATION T STATION

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

NOVEMBER 20, 2000

12:03AM

Brett Philbrick wearily leans against one of the walls of the

South Station terminal. The last commuter rail trains have left for the evening, the eateries and booths dotting the area have closed down, and only a handful of people remain, waiting for buses or Amtrak trains. Philbrick sips his coffee, cursing when a few drops spill on his MBTA police uniform. Suddenly, the sound of running feet grabs his attention. A boy in his late teens races through the nearly empty station. He is wearing tight-fitting black jeans and a black leather jacket. Philbrick snaps to attention, however, when he notices the racing figure clutching an incongruously floral purse. As the boy clatters down the stairs towards the subway section of the station, Philbrick starts running after him in pursuit. The officer grabs his walkie-talkie from his belt clip. As he chases the young thief through a maze of corridors lined with the temporary walls that are the hallmark of constant construction, he barks into his radio, "This is Officer Philbrick. I'm heading towards the inbound platform at South Station. Got a purse-snatcher, white, late teens, brown hair, buzz cut, black jeans and jacket. Am in pursuit."

His target vaults the turnstile and heads down the stairs to the platform. Philbrick follows, hearing the rumble of the approaching train. As he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he spots the boy heading into the rear car of the train. He dashes into the nearest car, narrowly avoiding being caught by the closing doors. The car is empty except for an elderly Caucasian man and a couple of smirking college students whose laughter fades into unease as they catch sight of him. The cop heads towards the rear of the train where he saw the suspect enter. He slowly reaches behind him and unholsts his weapon. After verifying that the person he has been chasing is the only occupant, he cautiously opens the door of the car and steps inside. Suddenly, the lights go out and he hears a scream piercing the darkness. The lights flicker on and off as the thief stumbles into him, face contorted with fear and pain. The lights in the train go out completely.

ALEWIFE T STATION

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

12:24AM

A recorded announcement reminds passengers, "Last stop. Don't forget your belongings," as Joe Alvarez strolls along the length of the train that has just pulled into the station. He tugs his navy MBTA jacket closer around him to ward off the late-night chill of the station.

A familiar face pokes out of the driver's window, and he amiably calls out "Hey, Linda" as he ambles toward her. Out of the corner of his eye, he spies someone lying across several seats. "Hold on a sec," he tells her.

Alvarez leans his head in the car and says, "Sir? Sir?" Getting no response he enters the car and puts his hand on the man's shoulder. "Come on, sir, time to wake..." he begins. He recoils when he sees the man's face. Raw flesh shows through the sections not covered by burned and blistered skin. The body is barely recognizable as Officer Philbrick.

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING

7:03AM

A knock on his office door alerts Skinner that he has a visitor.

"Come in," he calls. Agent Scully walks in and slumps into a chair in front of his desk. He discreetly examines her. Mulder's disappearance has sapped her emotional resources. Although she presents an unflaggingly professional demeanor to the rest of the world, he can see that worry and exhaustion have taken their toll on her. "How are things going, Scully?" he asks her gently.

He means it as a general question, but she chooses to interpret it in a professional sense. "Not well. The Gunmen have still been unable to find any clues to the current whereabouts of the ship. The only thing remotely promising is a report I found on one of the MUFON boards on the Internet. Several people who claim to have been abducted from the Boston area returned two days ago.

There were three total disappearances staggered over a week to two weeks after Mulder's abduction."

"Are you planning to investigate?"

Scully sighs and resignedly says, "I can't afford not to. If there's any chance, no matter how remote... I have to look into it." A touch of desperation tinges her voice with the last sentence. Skinner nods in understanding. Scully adds in a more professional tone, "I need you to sign off on a 302 so I can go up there to investigate. I can't waste personal time that I'll need later." She glances down at her stomach significantly.

Skinner looks down at his desk, then back at Scully. His face reflects his guilt and frustration. "Scully, I've got Kersh constantly looking over my shoulder. You know there's no way he's going to approve anything that reeks of 'alien abduction.'"

"What do you think he'll say to this?" Scully hands him a piece of paper. Skinner looks at it: it's a news article printed off a web site. The headline blares, 'MBTA Cop Found Dead on Train.'

"One of their officers was found on a subway train with his face eroded by some caustic agent. I've spoken with a Deputy Chief Karras at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

According to him, the medical examiner has so far been unable to determine what caused this damage. He's had to shut down one of the busiest sections of the system and would, quote, 'welcome any help the FBI can provide.'"

Skinner hands the sheet back to Scully. He straightens up, grateful to be able to do something to assist her search. "Well then, Agent Scully, it looks like you've got business in Boston."

TRANSIT OPERATIONS CENTER

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

12:34 PM

Scully strides into the transit operations center, Doggett a step behind her. Computer terminals line the sides of the room. On the wall is a map of the Boston subway system, with blinking lights showing the positions of the trains in the tunnels. A separate map details the status of the commuter rail system. Several figures hunch over monitors, typing furiously.

Over in the corner, two men stand talking quietly together. As they notice the agents' presence, they move to greet the two arrivals. The closest one, a stocky man in his 50s wearing an ill-fitting suit steps forward. He looks at them warily, conspicuously not offering his hand to shake. "Deputy Chief Karras," he introduces himself. "You are?"

"Special Agent Dana Scully. This is Special Agent John Doggett."

Both agents flip open their IDs.

Karras relaxes and smiles at them. "Right, we spoke on the phone.

This is Lieutenant Mike Bianco with the transit police." He gestures towards a tall, bulky man in his late 30s. "He'll be acting as the T police liaison in this investigation."

The four shake hands and exchange the required pleasantries.

Scully looks around the room. "Is there anyone else we're waiting for?" she asks Karras.

"There're two more people waiting for you at South Station, where Office Philbrick last reported in. We're guessing that was where he met up with, well, whatever killed him. As soon as we heard from the M.E. that we got some kind of 'unknown agent' responsible for Philbrick's death, we shut down that tunnel."

Karras sighs and runs his fingers through his thinning gray hair.

"This morning's commute was a nightmare. Things have slowed down right now, and I got shuttle buses transporting people around, but there's gonna be a wicked mess again at rush hour. Come four o'clock, the only people who're gonna be happy are the cab drivers. I need you guys to get me answers ASAP."

"We'll do our best," Doggett earnestly assures Karras.

Karras' voice turns harsh, and he steps forward in the manner of a man used to intimidating his subordinates. "That ain't good enough, Agent Doggett. I got thousands of pissed-off commuters who're gonna want to get home on time. And I got a pissed-off mayor who wants me to do one thing, and one thing only -- get that train running."

"I hear you, sir." Doggett holds up his hand to placate the upset man. "Rest assured, Agent Scully is an expert when it comes to equivocal death."

Up until this point Bianco had been looming at the edge of the conversation. Now he repeats skeptically, "Equivocal death? What the hell is that supposed to mean? I mean, you're dead or you're not, right?"

Scully looks uncomfortable. "Deaths for which there may be many explanations or for which an explanation may be hard to find."

Bianco's only response is a soft snort. He turns to Doggett and challenges him, "So what are you an expert in?"

"I'm just a good shot," Doggett replies calmly, refusing to let Bianco ruffle him. He turns to Karras, "So, do we gear up here or down at the station?"

"We've got stuff for you down at the station. Mike'll take care of you." He claps Bianco on the shoulder.

Doggett heads towards the door. He suddenly stops, then turns to look at Scully, who hasn't moved. "Hey, Agent Scully. Aren't you coming?" His face is puzzled.

Scully's right hand twitches towards her stomach, but she restrains the gesture. "Actually, Agent Doggett, I've decided I would be more effective up here. That gives me a chance to coordinate with the medical examiner and perform any scientific analysis that might be necessary." She stares at a spot over Doggett's left shoulder, unable to completely look him the eyes.

Doggett stares at her in disbelief, "Yeah, but I'm just tagging along here. This is your thing. You've got all the experience in this area."

Scully finally meets Doggett's eyes, doing her best to convey assurance and sincerity. "You're going to have capable people with you, Agent Doggett. What I need down there are eyes and ears. Deputy Karras, we'll have radio contact with the crew in the tunnel, correct?"

"Yeah, there's a headset for your partner down at the station. Audio and visual." He glances back and forth between the two agents suspiciously, uncomfortable with the disagreement between them.

Doggett continues to look at Scully who once again is avoiding his gaze. "Okay. I'll be your eyes and ears," he finally relents. "But I wish somebody would tell me what the hell I'm supposed to be looking for."

Scully makes no reply. "Hey, Wyatt Earp, are you comin' or not?"

Bianco interjects impatiently from the doorway. Doggett walks out of the room with Bianco close behind.

SOUTH STATION T STATION

INBOUND PLATFORM

Two people stand chatting next to a pile of scientific gadgets and protective gear as Doggett and Bianco reach the platform.

Doggett takes a moment to size up the other members of his team.

One of the chatters is a tall African-American woman in her late 30s. She is dressed sensibly in jeans, workboots, and a fleece pullover. Whereas she looks fit and confident, her companion's physique suggests a life spent behind a desk. Also dressed in jeans and boots, the man sports medium-length reddish brown hair, a full beard, and a beer gut.

The woman hears Doggett and Bianco approaching and turns toward them, smiling. "Dr. Hellura Lyle. I'm with the CDC." She alone of the quartet looks excited at the prospect of the search.

Doggett and Bianco introduce themselves. Dr. Lyle's conversation partner steps forward. "Steven Melnick, Chief Structural Engineer with the MBTA. I'm your tour guide for this trip."

Doggett and Bianco begin to pull on their bulletproof vests. "So, Dr. Lyle," Doggett begins casually, "if the CDC is being pulled in, shouldn't we be wearing HAZMAT gear or something?"

"Someone from one of the local universities already sent robotic sniffers through the tunnels before I got here. Everything came up negative. I'm just here to help cover all the bases." She picks up a heavy-looking backpack and settles it on her shoulders.

"This whole thing is crap," Bianco scoffs. "No disrespect or nothin', but we're lookin' for a cop killer, and we don't need the FBI or the CDC or any other three-letter organization to do that."

Doggett, already impatient with Bianco's truculent attitude, testily rebukes him. "Hey, we're all on the same side here. Let's just go in there and get this done." He puts on the radio headgear allotted him. A small camera is attached to the side that should allow Scully to see almost everything he does. "Agent Scully, you there?" Upon receiving her assent he tells her, "We're ready to rumble. How's the picture?"

Scully's voice comes in through the radio. "I'm not ready to give up cable, but you're coming through. Third rail's powered down.

You're clear to enter the subway floor. As long as you stay on this line, there should be no risk of accidental shock or electrocution. You copy that, Agent Doggett?"

"Yep, we're going onto the track now. Stay tuned to this channel." Doggett pushes back the short, swinging gate at the end of the platform and climbs down the few steps that lead him to the track. The floor of the subway tunnel is covered with coarse gravel and littered with the occasional cigarette butt and piece of trash. A narrow partition lined with advertisements and movie posters separates the track he is on from the one going in the opposite direction. A few slits through the partition allow him to see through to the other platform. As he waits for the rest of his party to join him, he jokingly calls to Melnick, "So, how long we gonna be walking today? I need to break these boots in."

"Karras has shut down the system all the way out to Alewife, which is the last stop on the Red line in this direction. That's almost seven miles from here. If we don't find anything, we'll return on the other track." He pats his paunch and grins, "I may need to lose a few pounds, but I'm personally hoping we don't have to walk all that way."

"If we've got that much tunnel to search, we better get started, then," Dr. Lyle butts in. She gestures towards the tunnel entrance and nods towards Melnick, "After you." Melnick and Bianco head into the darkness, turning on their flashlights. Lyle follows eagerly behind with Doggett bringing up the rear.

The four searchers send their flashlight beams bouncing all over the tunnel, illuminating alternately the floor, sides, and ceiling. Regularly spaced lights dimly illuminate the braced concrete tunnel walls. The top of the tunnel is shadow-filled and it is difficult to make out anything other than the girders that support it. "So, Agent Scully, what exactly are we looking for?" Doggett asks into his radio microphone.

"Anything that looks out of place, no matter how insignificant it seems. Until we know more about what we're dealing with, everything should be considered important. I wish I could be more specific for you. Karras is getting the number of the M.E. for me. Hopefully after consulting with him, I'll have more to give you."

Scully sounds apologetic and Doggett rushes to reassure her, "No problem, Agent Scully. Whatever information you can give me would be great."

The foursome walks along in an uncomfortable silence for the next half hour. Even Dr. Lyle's exuberance is dampened by the monotony of the tunnel and the fear of the unknown.

A splash echoes through the quiet tunnel as Lyle steps in a puddle. "Damn. I guess I should have worn my waterproof boots," she comments wryly. "I didn't expect there to be water in the tunnel."

"Must be a leak in the ceiling," Melnick offers. "I felt something drip on my neck." He rubs absently at his collar.

"Maybe I should go stand over there," Doggett jokes. "I'm starting to work up a sweat."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Melnick chuckles in reply. "Unless you enjoy being itchy." He scratches the back of his neck as he speaks.

"Stop worrying about your neck and keep your eyes peeled," Bianco chides, in a not unfriendly manner. "I want to get out of here as soon as I can."

Suddenly Melnick shrieks and hunches over, clutching at his neck. "My shirt, my neck. Omigod, get it off! Get it off!" His voice rises in panic.

"What the hell is going on?" Bianco bellows as he and the other members of the team rush to Melnick's side.

"Agent Doggett, what's happening?" Scully asks urgently over the radio.

Doggett peers at Melnick's neck, illuminating the area with a flashlight so that Scully can get a good view. Dr. Lyle reaches into the backpack she's carrying and pulls out a jar of ointment, the contents of which she daubs on Melnick's neck. After examining the engineer, Doggett answers Scully, "I don't know what happened. He's got a burn on his neck, silver-dollar sized.

Could have something to do with that puddle we just passed." He continues to Melnick, "What kind of seepage do you get here? Melnick?" he prods when he realizes the engineer is still distraught. He lays a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder, careful to avoid his wounded neck. "You gonna be okay there, buddy?" he asks gently.

"Umm, yeah," Melnick stammers. He takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. "We're near the waterfront, and the Big Dig construction is always stirring stuff up."

Dr. Lyle suddenly looks nauseous. "Oh God. I stepped in that puddle."

"There's no reason to panic until we know what we're up against," Doggett soothes.

"I know my job, Agent Doggett," Lyle responds indignantly. She pauses then goes on in a calmer tone of voice, "Sorry to snap at you. I guess this trip is bothering me more than I thought.

Forgiven?" She gives Doggett a small, tentative smile.

Doggett waves it off, "Completely forgotten, Dr. Lyle."

Lyle offers a full-fledged smile in response then announces, "I'm going to get a sample. Tell Agent Scully I'll email her the results." She heads back down the tunnel, unslinging a device off her shoulder the general shape and size of a hardback book.

Doggett turns his attention back to the radio. "Agent Scully, is it possible it's not a man we're looking for but some sort of toxic leak?"

"I wouldn't rule that possibility out. However, we won't know for sure until we get some definitive results either from Philbrick's body or from Dr. Lyle's sample. How's she doing down there?"

"Hold on a minute," Doggett replies. "I'll go check on her." He starts towards Lyle, who is peering intently at the screen of her analyzer, but Bianco's hand on his shoulder interrupts him.

"Are you going to share with the rest of the class, Agent?"

Bianco asks belligerently. "What is all this crap about a 'toxic leak'? We were told this tunnel was clear of contaminants."

Bianco begins to glance around the tunnel nervously. Meanwhile, Melnick's hand hovers near the burn on his neck, his face strained with pain, and his eyes widening in fear at Bianco's words.

Lyle returns to the group, fiddling with her machine. "Tell Agent Scully I'm transmitting now, " she directs Doggett. "However, I don't know how much help this will be. The analysis is only showing carbon, bromide, boron, and calcium."

"You gotta interpret for me, Doctor," Doggett drawls.

"In other words," Lyle sighs with frustration, "it looks like plain seawater."

"Tell Dr. Lyle I received the data," Scully's voice interjects.

"However, before we rule anything out, I'd like to get a molecular analysis done on the sample. Since Melnick's injured, send him back to the station. I'll get on the phone and see if I can get someone to do the analysis. Tell Melnick someone will meet him to receive the sample and get him to a doctor."

Doggett relays Scully's instructions to the others. Melnick looks relieved, but Bianco frowns. "Hey, what about us? Is she expecting us to stay down here? I've got no desire to end up like Philbrick."

Doggett opens his mouth to respond, but Scully speaks to him before he can do so. "Right now we're just hedging our bets. We can pull you out if you feel the situation warrants it. However, we still need to determine if the transit officer was attacked by someone or fell prey to contagion in some manner. We have to make sure there are no vectors for contagion in the tunnel. And if there are, we need to identify them before they spread above ground."

"We'll keep going down here," Doggett promises.

"Speak for yourself," Bianco mutters under his breath.

Ignoring the testy transit cop, Doggett continues, "If our guy's down here, we'll find him. Only one question, how are we gonna navigate without our guide?"

"One of the technicians in the control center here can direct you remotely," Scully offers. "I'll pass you off to one now while I go make some phone calls."

* * *

Scully glances around the center, searching out the least busy person. Spying the perfect target, she walks over to where a young man is laughing with a co-worker and taps him on the shoulder. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"

The man she has selected has curly dark brown hair and freckles and barely looks old enough to be out of college. "Sure," he smiles, pleased to be of help. "I'm Dave Parker. You're Agent Scully, right?" He holds out his hand and Scully shakes it briefly.

"I need you to monitor the crew in the tunnel for a few minutes," she says briskly as she leads him to the post she just vacated.

She waits until he's seated then heads toward an empty corner of the room. As she walks away, she overhears Parker introducing himself to Doggett.

Once she reaches a relatively quiet area in the center, pulls out her phone and refers to a piece of paper she holds in her hand, dialing the number written there. Someone picks up on the other end. "James Parry," he announces in a nasal voice.

"Dr. Parry," Scully begins, "this is Special Agent Dana Scully with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I understand you did the autopsy on Officer Brett Philbrick, and I wanted to follow-up on the results of the tox analysis."

"So far we haven't come up with much out of the ordinary. There was a higher concentration of electrolytes around the burn area, but nothing that could have proved fatal. He died on the Red Line, right?" the doctor goes on without waiting for a response.

"I heard they shut down the subway around South Station. At least the commuter rail's still running -- I have a chance at making it home on time tonight."

"What do you mean?" Scully wonders with growing suspicion.

"Well, you did know that South Station is the terminus for the southern half of the commuter rail system, right? Heck, it's also the hub for all the commercial bus lines and the Amtrak trains."

"No, Dr. Parry," Scully replies frostily, "no one bothered to mention that to us. Call me at 202-555-0113 if you get anything more. I've got to go." Scully hangs up the phone and stalks over to where Karras is leaning over a technician's shoulder.

"Deputy Chief Karras." Scully pronounces each word slowly and separately, giving them weight. "I am given to understand that you still have trains and buses running out of South Station."

"Yes." Karras stares at Scully unblinkingly, unwilling to give her any slack.

"If we're dealing with some sort of contagion situation here, you could be endangering lives all along the East Coast, if not the country. You've got to shut down the whole station until we know what we're dealing with." Scully focuses the full force of her steely gaze on the bureaucrat.

"Look, Agent Scully," Karras says patronizingly, "I've been listening to your conversations with Agent Doggett. You said you're hedging your bets, right? I shut down the subway line, but I can't afford to do anything more than that without more evidence. Right now you've got...seawater. Give me something to go on, and I'll cooperate, but for now those trains keep running." He makes a great show of speaking in an ultra-reasonable tone. Scully almost expects him to pat her on her head and send her on her way. She bristles in response.

"Then I'll go over your head," she warns, "as high up as I have to in order to find someone who will listen to reason."

"Fine, do that. Just don't expect a different response." Karras turns his back on her. "I've got work to do."

Scully angrily whips out her cell phone and begins dialing the MBTA main office. Her frustration escalates as she is passed from person to person, each denying the necessity of fully shutting down the station. Finally, she snaps the phone shut with a scowl and rigidly walks back to where Parker is talking to Doggett. From what she overhears of the conversation, they're discussing the relative merits of their favorite sports teams. She holds out a hand in front of Parker, and he passes over the headset without comment, sensing her foul mood.

"Agent Doggett, you there?" Scully asks as she adjusts the headgear.

"Agent Scully, welcome back. Anything turn up?" Doggett responds.

"Well, we've got a bit of a situation..."

* * *

"Son of a...," Doggett mutters after listening to Scully's summary of the situation. His team has stopped for a break while he talks with his partner. Lyle plays her flashlight aimlessly over the ceiling while Bianco leans wearily against a wall. "Well, we haven't found anything down here. Except for a few mice, the whole place is as silent as a..."

"Agent Doggett," Bianco hisses and draws his gun, adopting an alert stance. Instinctively, Doggett follows suit.

"What? What is it?" Doggett asks him quietly. He quickly glances in every direction, searching for any potential threat.

"There's somebody in the tunnel," Bianco whispers and points with his gun into the darkness.

"All right, let's go find him."

Bianco and Doggett proceed down the tunnel, walking rapidly, trying to minimize the echo of their footsteps. Doggett can hear Hellura Lyle following a few feet behind. He periodically looks over his shoulder to check on her. At one point he notices her absently touching her bulletproof vest as if to reassure herself of its presence.

As the beam from Doggett's flashlight bounces along the walls, it illuminates a section of loose clear plastic the height of the wall. Pulling it aside he reveals a side tunnel. "Agent Scully, does anyone up there know what this is?"

He hears Parker's voice instead of the one he expects. "It's part of an obsolete line. We mostly use it for storage these days."

Doggett pushes through the plastic and enters the tunnel, gun still held out in front of him. Bianco and Lyle nervously glance at one another then follow.

"Agent Doggett," Scully cautions him, "be careful. You don't know what's in there."

"I'm just taking a look," he protests absently. He is concentrating more on looking around than what his partner is saying. The tunnel is in an obvious state of disrepair. Dankness and rust coat the walls and litter is scattered along the tracks.

Doggett stares intently down the passage, straining his ears for any sound that might betray the presence of another person.

However, aside from the ragged breathing of his two companions, he hears nothing.

After a few minutes of stillness Bianco grumbles, "All right, there's nothing here; let's get out of here."

"Lots of places to hide in here," Lyle suggests.

"I agree, let's keep going," Doggett decides. Bianco shoots him a resentful look that Doggett ignores.

Lyle glances suddenly to the right and shouts, "Agent Doggett, look out!"

A figure rushes out of the shadows towards the trio. Doggett's flashlight briefly illuminates the burned face of what appears to be a teenager before the boy bowls him over. Bianco runs after the fleeing figure while Dr. Lyle kneels on the ground next to Doggett, inspecting him for any sign of injury. Finished, she leans back.

"Everything looks okay, Agent Doggett. How do you feel?" Lyle asks him.

Scully chimes in, concern evident in her voice, "Agent Doggett, what happened? Are you all right?

Doggett attempts to catch his breath. The force of the collision had been enough to knock the wind out of him. "Yeah, I'm okay," he finally manages to choke out.

Bianco trots back into view. He holsters his gun and offers a hand up to Doggett.

Doggett waves him away, "Nah, just give me a minute. What hit me?"

"It came at you like some kind of phantom," Lyle comments breathlessly. She is still wide-eyed from the shock of the encounter.

"Some kid." Bianco shrugs. He seems unfazed. "He matches the description Philbrick radioed in of the guy he had been pursuing.

Anyway, he's dead now." Bianco gestures back the way he came.

Doggett raises his eyebrows in surprise. "What happened?" he asks incredulously. "I didn't hear a shot."

"Hey, I didn't touch him," Bianco lifts his hands defensively.

"Come see for yourself."

The three make their way back to the main tunnel where they find the body of the young man draped over the track. Lyle stares at it for a minute, then turns away suddenly. She clutches her gut as if she's going to be sick, but quickly regains her composure and turns back to examine the dead boy.

"Would you call that equivocal?" Bianco asks snidely. He crosses his arms and stares down his nose challengingly at Doggett.

Doggett isn't interested in playing macho games with Bianco.

"Agent Scully, got any thoughts?" he asks instead. He leans over the corpse and positions himself so that the camera gets a good angle of the body.

"Uh, okay, I see it. It looks like a match for the wounds on Officer Philbrick, but it's hard to tell without more detail."

"Sorry the picture quality's not the best."

Dr. Lyle perks up, "I've got a digital camera with me. I can probably get some better shots for Agent Scully." She rummages through her backpack and pulls out a camera. She proceeds to circle the body, photographing it from different angles.

"You've got a gadget for everything in there, don't you Dr. Lyle," Doggett teases her.

She smiles at him in return, "One thing you can say for the CDC: they give you good toys." Lyle sets up her gadgetry to email Scully the photos. "Tell Agent Scully the pictures should be coming through...now."

"Did you catch that, Agent Scully?"

"Yes, I just got them," Scully replies. "I'm opening the first one...My God!" she gasps. "Poor kid. We can't let this spread!"

"If there's something down here to be found, I'll find it," Doggett vows. He heads further down the tunnel in the direction his team has yet to explore.

"What're you doing?" Bianco demands. "This man fits the description called in by my transit cop. We found what we were looking for. Let's get him wrapped up and go home."

"So you're saying this guy accidentally killed himself with the same stuff he used to kill your man?" Doggett asks incredulously. "That doesn't sound too plausible to me. We've got to keep looking, make sure we've covered everything."

"Fine," Bianco states snarkily. "Tell me, what exactly are we looking for?"

* * *

Scully grimaces as she listens to the bickering between the two men. She adjusts the radio so that she can monitor Doggett's party without them hearing her, the picks up her phone. After arranging to have Dr. Parry retrieve the young hooligan's body, she sets her phone on the table and rests her chin in her hands thoughtfully. Until she gets the analysis of the seawater sample back or Doggett finds something, there is little she can do. She glances back and forth between the monitor showing Doggett's progress and a folder she has brought with her. Finally, she reaches a decision and opens the folder. She reviews the posting authored by Bart Jameson, one of the three men who had just returned. Phrases jump out at her: "painful injections," "cut into me without anaesthetic," "some kind of goo that blistered me when they spread it on my genitals." She squeezes her eyes shut against the cruel words.

Although Bart's account is self-contradictory, and at times even silly -- the aliens apparently spent time debating American pop culture with him when they weren't performing their agonizing experiments -- her imagination nonetheless tortures her with images of these unthinkable acts being performed on Mulder. She forces herself to open her eyes, at last reaching a paragraph in which Bart accuses a Dr. Victoria Nguyen at Mass General Hospital of being part of a conspiracy to cover up his experiences. Deciding this is a good place to start, she gets the number of the hospital from information and quickly dials it.

* * *

The developing blister on his left heel reminds Doggett of the downside of new shoes. He, Lyle, and Bianco had reached the end of the line and were now trudging back towards South Station on the southbound track. Suddenly, he trips over something as he steps around a curve in the tunnel. He shines his flashlight on the obstacle he stumbled over. The object in question is the body of a shabbily dressed man with unkempt hair. He appears to be in his late fifties. He, too, suffers from burns covering much of his face and body.

"Agent Scully, we got another body. Looks like a vagrant male." As with the first corpse, he crouches to give Scully the best possible view.

"Yeah, I see him. Can you get any closer?" she finally replies.

Doggett crinkles his nose. "Smell's a little overpowering. He's been here for a while."

"I see signs of the same tissue degradation we saw in the other victims. We may have a contagion here after all."

Lyle and Bianco exchange nervous glances, sensing from Doggett's worried expression that the news is not good.

The brief sound of crunching gravel filters in from further down the tunnel. "Somebody's over here!" Lyle cries out. The other two rush off in the direction the noise came from, guns at the ready.

"What did you see?" Doggett asks Lyle.

"Somebody out here just took off," Lyle answers while looking up and down the empty tunnel.

"I don't see where." Doggett frowns.

Bianco also glances perfunctorily along the tunnel. He turns to Lyle and says, "Look, we're all on edge right now. You heard a rat. There's nothing else down here. We're done. Let's just get this show on the road."

Lyle balls her hands on her hips and glares at Bianco. "Look, I know what I heard. It was too loud to be a rat. Plus I saw a human-sized shadow."

"Agent Doggett," Scully says over the radio.

"Hold on a minute, lieutenant," Doggett cautions. He grabs Bianco's shoulder to stop him from leaving.

Scully continues, "Agent Doggett, if there's somebody else down there you're going to need to find him."

Doggett opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by Karras' voice. "What are you doing, Agent Scully? Get those people out."

"'Those people' have found two dead bodies and I want to know what happened to them." Doggett smiles, enjoying hearing his partner take on the obnoxious pencil-pusher.

"So, we'll bring up the bodies as well and you can do the autopsies, or whatever it is you get paid to do." Contempt tinges Karras' voice.

"You don't understand," Scully responds insistently. "They could be infected and contagious."

"With what? Seawater?" Karras sneers. "You're being irrational here.

The instruments said there are no contaminants. I'm going to take their word on it."

"What about those dead men. How do you think they died?" Scully challenges, anger and frustration clear in her voice.

"Easy, the same guy that killed our officer killed this homeless man. Now he's dead. Problem solved." Karras speaks as if reasoning with a simpleton.

"Then take a look at the man who fits the description of your killer, okay?" Doggett assumes that Scully is referring to the pictures Lyle sent her. "Just look at his injuries, sir. He died the same way as your officer and the vagrant. There is something down there and I am not going to risk bringing it up here before I figure out what it is!"

Scully's voice rises in volume throughout her speech, forcing Doggett to listening to the conversation with the earphone held slightly away from his head. He seizes the opportunity to jump into the conversation, "Agent Scully..."

"Yeah?" she snaps.

"What do you want us to do?"

The irritation in Scully's voice lessens slightly. "I want you to leave those bodies where you found them and go after whoever it is in that tunnel. We need to know whether he is causing this or if he's infected himself. Either way, he may kill more people."

Doggett turns to Lyle and Bianco. "All right, we just got our order. We're going to continue on."

Bianco puts his hands on his hips. "Says who?"

"Says the boss," Doggett replies calmly.

He heads down the tunnel leaving the other two no choice but to follow.

Bianco catches up with him. "Agent Doggett. This agent you work with deals with weird stuff, right?"

Doggett looks surprised at the question, but answers anyway, "We work on something called the X-Files -- FBI cases dealing with unexplained phenomena."

"You know her at all?"

"Yeah, I know her. We've worked together for a couple months."

"I wonder why she sent you down here instead of coming herself."

Doggett stops and looks fully at Bianco. "I've seen Agent Scully put herself on the line before. She's no coward. In this case, it's the right call. You got a problem, Lieutenant?"

"Yeah. A problem when somebody I don't know keeps me down here in the dark looking for jack squat when we've already found our man," Bianco blusters. Lyle rolls her eyes at the macho posturing and folds her arms across her chest, waiting for the dominance issue to be settled.

"It's a question of contagion. Agent Scully is a scientist. She's needed up there to analyze the evidence," Doggett counters.

"It's a question of who's in charge. And I don't see Agent Scully adding much to this investigation." The two stand staring at each other. A scream jolts the men out of their impasse. Dr. Lyle tumbles to ground, clutching her leg. She curls up in a fetal position, moaning. Her eyes tear up. She yanks up her pant leg to reveal blistered skin, sparking as if electrically charged. "My leg, ohgodithurts, my leg," she sobs over and over. Doggett rushes to Lyle's side. He reaches out to her, then pulls back, unsure if he should be touching her. Bianco is at a loss as well, his usual sour expression replaced by uncharacteristic concern. "Agent Scully, what do I do?" Doggett asks, beginning to panic.

"Yeah, um, get some fresh water on it!" Scully stammers. "Dr. Lyle should have some distilled water with her."

Doggett decides it's safe to put a hand on Lyle's shoulder to get her attention. "Dr. Lyle? Where's your water?" he asks. She looks at him uncomprehendingly. "Water?" he repeats. She raises a shaking hand to point to her backpack. He retrieves a bottle and pours its contents over her blistered flesh. The water douses the sparks and seems to ease Lyle's pain. Her cries gradually soften as her panic subsides. However, her clenched expression testifies to the agony she is still feeling.

Lyle manages to choke out, despite the pain, "What the hell is this?"

Doggett frowns. "I don't know, and I don't like it that you don't know! Agent Scully, talk to me."

Scully's voice sounds uncertain over the headset, "I don't know what to say... I, mean, i-it's something attacking the dermis."

"Attacking? It's eating her leg off!"

"I know, Agent Doggett." Scully sounds angry and defensive. "I can't be any more specific. It takes time to run the tests and analyze the data. Right now, although the fact that both Dr. Lyle and Melnick developed symptoms after exposure to what seems to be sea water suggests that this is something naturally occurring, we still can't rule out other possibilities up to and including some kind of biochemical weapon."

Doggett groans. "A biochemical weapon?"

Bianco snaps to attention upon hearing that. "What the heck did she say?" Bianco demands.

"She said a lot of people might be taking cabs home tonight. This might be a terrorist using some kind of biochemical agent."

"Might? What, is she guessing?" Bianco's patience is clearly stretched to the limit.

"Agent Doggett," Scully breaks in, "Parker and I pulled up a map of the subway grid where you are now. We have an idea of where your mystery man may be hiding."

Doggett nods his head periodically as he listens to her directions. He then turns to Lyle and Bianco. "Okay, Agent Scully's telling me there's a new tunnel being built from South Station heading under the harbor to the airport. Bianco, I guess you'd know about it -- she said it's part of the Silver Line.

Apparently, it's the only place for a couple of miles that this guy could be hiding."

Lyle's eyes are clenched shut with pain, and she rocks back and forth, grabbing her leg. "There's no way I can go on any further."

"I'll have a HAZMAT team come down here and prep you for quarantine," Doggett decides.

"Got that, Agent Doggett," Scully pipes in. "I'll send a team in."

"Come on, Lieutenant, let's go," Doggett addresses Bianco. Bianco shows no inclination to go anywhere, leaning insolently against a wall and idly scratching the back of his hand. Tired of wrangling with the man, Doggett does an about face and heads off down the tunnel. Finally he hears Bianco's footsteps catching up behind him.

KENDALL/MIT T STATION

INBOUND PLATFORM

Scully rushes in as a team in HAZMAT suits carries Lyle out of the tunnel on a stretcher. Lyle is in obvious pain and periodically groans as the movement of the stretcher jostles her.

"Dr. Lyle." Scully manages to get the doctor's attention. "How are you feeling?" she asks with concern.

"I...I think it's getting worse," Lyle groans.

"Well, we got vehicles on the way. The CDC doctors have been informed of your condition. They've been treating Melnick with an alcohol bath. So far this seems to be working, although we're still not sure exactly what we're up against."

Lyle is clearly in no condition to continue the conversation, so Scully backs off to allow the suited figures to carry her to a waiting ambulance.

Scully spots another team carrying the two bodies from the tunnel off into the opposite direction from Lyle's stretcher. She runs after them, yelling "Hey! What are you doing? Hey, where are you taking them? Those bodies go to the CDC. Look, as a federal agent I order you to stop and explain yourself." The figures quicken their pace, but otherwise give no sign of hearing her words.

"Agent Scully," she hears the voice of a woman behind her. Scully continues pursuing the retreating men. "Agent Scully," the woman repeats more loudly, catching up to her. She's around thirty, with mocha colored skin and black hair pulled back neatly in a bun at the base of her neck.

Scully sighs and stops. "Yes, can I help you?" she asks. She folds her arms and gives off her best 'keep away' vibes.

The woman continues undeterred. "I was told I could find you here. I'm Dr. Kai Bowe." Scully stares at her blankly. "I'm a marine biologist from BU. I was sent a scribbled note and a saltwater sample for analysis."

Scully's confusion clears and she lowers her arms. "I'm sorry. Yes, Dr. Bowe, please. Um... Did you get an analysis?"

"Well, yes, I have something to show you, that's for sure. I'm going to assume you're in a hurry." Dr. Bowe sets her laptop on a nearby bench. After some fiddling a picture appears on the screen. "This is an image taken from a stereo microscope of what's called a medusa. Your saltwater sample was rather deceptive. Its components are exactly as you'd expect except for higher levels of calcium. This creature is primarily that."

"Calcium?" Scully peers more closely at the laptop screen, intrigued.

"Yes," nods Dr. Bowe, happy to have an interested audience, "it's what powers its movement and gives it bioluminescence."

"No wonder the sniffers missed the organism," Scully realizes, "it blends right into the background." She loses herself in a moment of scientific wonder.

Dr. Bowe ploughs on enthusiastically, "Well, it's hard to find. I daresay I'm not even sure if it's of the sea. But wherever it's from, it... it's quite incredible."

"It's killing people." Scully's momentary awe wanes as she recalls the reason for this conversation.

Dr. Bowe looks shocked. "How?"

Scully shrugs. "I was hoping you could tell me. There is seawater in that subway tunnel and it's eating people's flesh off. It's producing some kind of a...a reaction that looks almost electrical."

"On contact?" Bowe asks, horrified.

"No. There's a delayed reaction."

"Have you seen it first hand?"

"No, my partner has. He's down in the tunnel now, and I fear the worst."

SILVER LINE TUNNEL

Bianco and Doggett walk along an unfinished tunnel. Scaffolding and girders line the walls, monuments to the massive construction projects that have engulfed the city. The two men are stiff with tension due to both the situation and each other's presence.

"We're in the tunnel now, Agent Scully," Doggett announces.

"Agent Scully?"

Parker's chipper voice floats over the radio. "I've got you right now, Agent Doggett."

"Parker, where's Scully?"

"She went down to the station to check on Dr. Lyle. She should be back soon."

Bianco, privy only to Doggett's side of the conversation, complains, "Here we are, pissing away our time, and she's off fixing her makeup," he tosses off derisively. He stops in front of Doggett and faces him confrontationally, "Come on, Agent Doggett. Make a decision. Let's get out of here."

Doggett shakes his head, equally as unbending as Bianco. "We got to find whoever it is that's still down here, Lieutenant."

"And what if we don't find him? Maybe it'll be us they find lying facedown on the floor, dead." Bianco leans down to hiss this in Doggett's face.

Doggett responds unfazed, "Agent Scully knows what she's doing. This is about saving people's lives."

"If she's so worried about saving lives, then why isn't she down here?" Bianco face begins to purple and he is about to continue his rant when he notices Doggett staring at him intently. "What?" he demands.

"Lieutenant. Walk towards me," Doggett directs in his most soothing voice.

"Why? What is it?" Bianco starts to worry.

Bianco's arm and face are covered in the green substance. Bianco looks at this arm and recoils. His voice is tinged with hysteria as he says, "The stuff's on me. You see that it's spreading. I told you, Agent Doggett -- we should've gotten out."

"That's exactly why we've got to stay. We've got people to protect."

Bianco looks scared. "You saw! You saw what it does." He frantically scrubs his hands on his clothes, to no avail.

"Yeah, I saw what it did. But I don't see it having any other effect on you, so just calm down." Despite his reassuring words, Doggett's tone is impatient.

"Fine," Bianco relents. "One more hour, then I'm leaving."

Doggett starts back down the tunnel. He senses Bianco moving behind him. A sudden pain pierces his skull as something heavy hits it. He falls forward, his world turning to black.

* * *

Scully enters the control center in time to overhear Parker crying, "Agent Doggett! Agent Doggett!" She glances at the monitor but only sees a close-up of what she eventually realizes is a piece of gravel. "Parker, what's going on?" she demands.

"I dunno," the tech replies. He's clearly unnerved and at a loss as to what to do. "All of a sudden he just stopped transmitting."

Scully grabs the headset from him and before she even has it fully settled on her head is yelling into the microphone, "Agent Doggett? Agent Doggett?" No one replies.

Scully paces nervously back and forth along the floor, glancing at the monitor each time she passes it. Finally she is rewarded by a groan. "Agent Doggett, are you all right?"

Doggett takes a moment to respond. "My head hurts. I think Bianco clocked me. His arm and face were covered with that green stuff, and he started panicking."

"I'm going to send a quarantine unit down to get you, Agent Doggett, okay? I want you to stay right where you are."

Doggett cocks his gun. "I appreciate the offer, Agent Scully, but I can't do that. If we're going to stop the spread of this thing I gotta stop Lieutenant Bianco."

"Fine. I'll send a team down on standby. You track down Bianco. But make sure you don't touch him," Scully cautions.

Suddenly a shot rings out in the tunnel. Doggett jogs cautiously towards the sound, gun at the ready. He comes upon a body lying on the floor, blood oozing from a chest wound. Doggett kneels down and checks the man's pulse careful to avoid the contaminated portions of his skin. "Agent Scully, it looks like we've found our mysterious tunnel rat." He examines the body further. The dead man's face and much of his exposed skin are covered with burns identical to those of the other victims. "Looks like he was also infected. I'm going on; send someone to pick him up."

Doggett bursts into a run. He turns a bend to see Bianco standing on a ladder banging at a service hatch. "Lieutenant Bianco, stand down!" he commands. He points his gun at Bianco. The officer turns around and Doggett can see the sparks on his arm and face.

Bianco's face is scrunched up in pain as he cries out, "It's burning me; I've gotta get out of here." He turns his attention back to the hatch and begins to raise it. Doggett sights along his gun. He hesitates, knowing he needs to stop the other man, but not wanting to shoot him. Finally, he clicks the safety back on his gun and holsters it. He rushes at Bianco, grabbing the man's legs and pulling on him. The two tumble to the floor. Doggett's flashlight spins away. In the resultant darkness, green bioluminescence begins to creep over his hands. Bianco has collapsed on the floor, huddled in a ball moaning. As the minutes pass, sparks spread steadily across Doggett's hands and arms, leaving angry burns in their wake. By the time the quarantine team reaches them, he is hunched with his back against the wall, teeth gritted with pain.

RESIDENCE OF KEVIN FLAHERTY

BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS

NOVEMBER 21, 2000

Scully glares at the twenty-something man slouching nonchalantly in the easy chair across from her. "Let me see if I've got this straight, Mr. Flaherty. You say the aliens, and I quote, 'drugged you up with something then telepathically raided your mind to learn about earth culture.'" Scully delivers this in her most deadpan tone. Kevin Flaherty misses the sarcasm in her voice and nods earnestly. "That's interesting," Scully continues, "since I have a report from a Mr. Bart Jameson -- coincidentally a member of your bowling league -- who claims that," she reads off of her notebook, "'the aliens all spoke English and talked about how much they loved "Seinfeld."' I won't even get in to what your co-worker, Mr. Christopher O'Meara, said." Scully wrinkles her nose in disgust.

Kevin Flaherty finally begins to realize he doesn't have a sympathetic audience and starts to fidget in his seat. "Now listen here, Miss..."

"Agent," Scully instantly corrects him.

"Okay," he smiles ingratiatingly, "Agent Scully. They were torturing us. Of course we got a little confused. Doesn't mean we didn't suffer. It'll be months before I can go back to work."

"That's odd," Scully comments with a suspiciously flat expression, "since I spoke to Dr. Nguyen, who examined you at the hospital when you reappeared, and she reports that there is nothing physically wrong with you."

"Alien technology?" Kevin offers weakly.

"You tell me," Scully leans forward, fixing him with her stare.

"Is there any part of your story you'd like to change?"

Kevin's face adopts a sickly expression, as he realizes he is trapped.

NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER

NOVEMBER 22, 2000

11:53AM

Scully cautiously enters Doggett's hospital room and inquires,

"How are you feeling Agent Doggett? Ready to go home?"

"Well, I can't recommend the exfoliant treatment," Doggett comments wryly. "But at least there's one bright spot -- we've got a nice black and white case report to turn in, tied up with a scientific explanation. Not even Kersh could complain."

"Actually, we don't even have that. Some people claiming to be from the CDC took all of our samples, our data, even the bodies you found in the tunnel."

"What do you mean 'claiming'?"

"Dr. Lyle was as surprised as I was to hear about them. And when I called the main headquarters, they denied any knowledge of the appropriation of our evidence."

"But who would have done such a thing? And why?"

Scully shrugs, "I imagine there are any number of parties who would be interested in an organism that could be used as a near-undetectable biological weapon."

"How can they get away with this? What do we do now?" Doggett looks ready to charge out the door and single-handedly wrest the evidence from whoever stole it.

"They've already gotten away with it, Agent Doggett. And we go back to Washington once again empty-handed, with no data to support our conclusions." Scully's voice starts out matter-of-fact as she begins this statement, but gradually a touch of anger creeps into her speech. Her tone is bitter as she adds, "If you're going to stay with the X-Files, Agent Doggett, you'll need to get used to that."

"Will I also have to get used to being unable to trust my partner?" Scully blinks in surprise at Doggett's sudden anger.

"What exactly are you referring to, Agent Doggett?" she questions calmly, folding her arms across her chest and cocking an eyebrow.

"I called the hotel yesterday to check for any messages. The desk clerk informed me that you had received a fax from a Dr. Victoria Nguyen. Figuring it had something to do with this case, I gave her a call." As Doggett speaks, the hauteur drains from Scully's face to be replaced by a blank expression. Doggett continues, "Imagine my surprise when Dr. Nguyen informs me she had been consulting with you on three cases where the patients claimed to be the victims of alien abduction." Doggett spits out the last two words. "As both your partner and the agent in charge of the investigation into Agent Mulder's disappearance, I should have been kept in the loop about this."

"Why should I keep you in the loop, when you'll just dismiss anything I say having to do with the subject." The guilty expression Scully's face had begun to adopt is burned away in anger. "You've been following all the...,"Scully sneers, "standard procedures, but all the 'Missing' posters and calls to hospitals in the world are not going to help find Mulder." Scully is in full throttle at this point. Although she is too self-controlled to yell, her narrowed eyes and tense posture betray her ire.

"You and Skinner keep promising me that you'll each be the one to find Mulder. I have yet to see any results. He's my partner! My responsibility! And I will do whatever it takes to find him."

"And what exactly does it take?" Doggett counters. "Letting your partner go without you into a contaminated area because you've got to stay safe to save Mulder?"

Scully winces as the accusation hits home, but stonily replies "I explained my reasons to you, Agent..."

Doggett cuts in, "Then why did I get the feeling you were keeping something from me? You know, Mulder's not the only one I investigated when I was first appointed leader of the task force. The agents I spoke to who had worked with you before all said you could be relied on when the chips are down." Doggett pauses, then sneers, "I guess they didn't know you very well."

Scully blanches, and Doggett looks apologetic, realizing he's gone too far. Doggett's tone, although still frustrated, lacks the bitterness it had before, as he continues. "Look, Agent Scully, that was outta line. I'm sorry. But I don't know how to convince you that I'm not the enemy here. I want to find Agent Mulder almost as much as you do, and we're not doing him any good if we're working against each other."

Scully stares at Doggett, then drops her eyes. She looks back up at him with a repentant face and opens and closes her mouth twice as if about to speak. Finally, she sighs and says resignedly. "The lead didn't pan out. It was just some friends who decided to ditch their wives, then decided they didn't enjoy doing their own cooking and cleaning. Right now you know as much as I do about Mulder's whereabouts -- nothing." Scully's shoulders slump, allowing Doggett to see her weariness and desperation for an instant before she pulls herself together again.

"We'll find him, Agent Scully." Doggett smiles. "Together." He turns serious again, waving his hand dismissively, "I'm just havin' trouble believing that a bunch of 'Extra-terrestrial Biological Entities'," he pronounces the phrase carefully, as if quoting it, "are zooming around in their space-ships kidnapping people." He pauses, then goes on, "Tell ya what. I'll keep lookin' for clues on this world, and you take everywhere else. But we work together, okay?"

The corner of Scully's mouth turns upward and she nods. "The doctor says you're ready to be discharged. Why don't you get dressed and I'll go wait for you in the lobby."

"Sounds good to me," Doggett responds. Scully heads to the door, pausing at Doggett's next words. "Hey, Agent Scully." Scully turns toward him. "No more secrets, right?" Scully gazes at him for a beat and then exits the room. Doggett frowns at her retreating figure.

Outside the door, Scully nearly bumps into a gray-suited man.

"Excuse me," she mutters, too absorbed in her own concerns to pay any attention to him. The figure enters Doggett's room. Doggett's voice floats cheerily into the hallway. "Well, if it isn't Agent Crane. What the heck brings you to this part of the woods, Gene?"

* * *

SHERATON COMMANDER

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

Scully performs her customary final check of her hotel room, searching for any items she may have neglected to pack. As she reaches for a trouser sock under her bed, her cell phone rings.

She answers it with her standard greeting: "Scully."

"Please hold for a call from Deputy Director Kersh," a bored female voice recites.

"Agent Scully?" Scully wrinkles her nose in disgust at Kersh's voice on the line, but crisply replies, "Yes, sir?"

"Agent Scully, I was under the impression you were in Boston to offer your medical expertise to help solve some mysterious deaths on the transit system, but I've just received a report informing me you've been interviewing alleged," Kersh stresses the word, "alien abductees."

Scully stiffens in anger while listening to Kersh. "Sir, I..."

"Save it, Agent. I want to see you in my office Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. And I hope for your sake you've got a good explanation for this." Scully clenches her fist at hearing the smugness of Kersh's voice.

"Oh, and Agent Scully," Kersh adds.

"Sir?" Scully spits out.

"Have a Happy Thanksgiving." The click on the line indicates Kersh has hung up.

Scully hurls the cell phone onto the bed, hissing a single word: "Bastard!"

She looks up at the ceiling and silently vows, "I won't let anyone stop me from finding you, Mulder. I promise."

THE END!