Title: Prisoner By: Tamara a.k.a. Jadeblueafterglow Disclaimers in part 1 Time Unknown Location Unknown Cold. Pain. Darkness, again. Mulder believed he was actually opening his eyes. His right eye was so swollen, even if it were open it would be nearly impossible to gain a measure of daylight. As his mind slowly returned to conscious thoughts, he felt the cold fire streaming from his suspended arms. Sending the message to his brain to move his wrists only ensued in excruciating pain. Whatever was tied on his wrists was razor sharp and digging into the tender flesh. His memory did not fail him to realize he should not attempt to lift his head just yet. If the swelling in his eye and the constant dull throb in his head was any indication he was suffering from quite a concussion. He swallowed the accumulating taste of copper in his mouth and was surprised when he didn’t gag. He then tried to wiggle his feet. His legs were like dead weight, numb and cold. His ankles seemed to be tied the same way as his hands; they were pulled taught to the floor. He was so cold, he wondered if he had any clothes on at all. Agent Mulder coughed repeatedly trailing with a pain filled moan at the end of each spell. In the near distance he could hear the sounds of water dripping onto metal and the faint sporadic sounds of a woman’s scream. “Oh God, is Scully here? Where is here?” he listened intently holding his breath, straining to hear the sound in the near distance. The sound echoed again, and with it carried a bone chilling scream, that wrapped him in goose bumps. This time it was a man’s scream. “Where in the hell am I?” He tried to produce enough motion to swing his body back and forth. As he swung his frame forward he felt nothing but the slithering tear of his flesh at his wrists and ankles, and the sudden stabbing pain of the small of his back crashing against something damp, hard and very cold. Vainly he tried to peer through the covering over his eyes. His mouth was still taped over. He relaxed his eyes and tried to remember what transpired to get him where he was right now. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and felt the labored breathing that accompanied it. He knew he was in trouble either way. {He saw himself sitting on the edge of his bed, consuming the medicine Scully prescribed for him. He looked at the clock on his night-stand, the numbers illuminating 3:14p.m. He laid back into his bed looking at the pale clammy reflection staring back at him in the mirror, pulled his comforter up to his neck, and quickly drifted off to sleep. His visions flashed quickly as he remembered being abruptly awakened by his shirt material choking him, and someone holding him down in his bed. Punches landed furiously to his face, his blood smeared over his hands, the pain in his thigh, his fingers being smashed to dust, the pain in his head, his neck, his shoulder, oh what the hell had he gotten himself into now. Then darkness.} He tried to scream, but the tape thwarted any efforts to do so he slumped his head forward, his mind going blank, his mind conjured up visions of beautiful fire and ice - his Scully. “She was on vacation, she must be still there, please let her still be there, and safe.” He pondered. He thought about the last time he saw her face, more than 5 days ago if his biological clock and his stomach were any correct indication. Friday, 126 hours before Mulder’s abduction J. Edgar Hoover Bldg. Office of Fox Mulder & Dana Scully Agent Mulder sat at his desk, with a box of tissues near his latex glove covered right hand. He felt his nose start to twitch as he tried to brush the sensation away with the sleeve of his light grey shirt. His face near his nostrils was tainted red from constant wiping and irritation. He’d been trying unsuccessfully to piece together burnt files and information from a “not-so mysterious” office fire 2 years ago. Without warning he sneezed launching the frayed ash covered paper particles fluttering about his desktop. “Damn it!!!!” he bellowed as his door creaked … opening slowly. He peered through his titanium rimmed glasses glancing up to identify the intruder. With a quick head to toe cataloging glance he returned to his work. Fox Mulder was suddenly startled by the ring of his desktop phone. “Mulder.” “Oh, Agent Mulder I didn’t know you were in yet. I’ll come to your office. I’ll be down in 5.” Mulder stared at the dead receiver “If you didn’t think I was here, Skinner then why in the hell did you call me?” The sound of healed shoes approached his desk, as he looked up again, never remembering her to look so casually fine this early in the morning. Mulder stared at her fair skin and cheek length auburn locks, and intentionally tried to ignore the beauty of her just standing there in dark sunglasses, a light colored, nearly florescent lavender blouse and perfect fitting blazer with matching hip-hugger slacks. She slid the glasses down mid way so that her eyes, a soul piercing bright blue, glanced over the rim. He knew she was just dying for him to comment about her new casual attire, but he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction. She was going on vacation soon and he lamented that she would be basking in the sun on some glorious island while he was stuck in D.C miserable and cold. “Hey Scully, the casting for the Don Ho-Miami Vice reunion special is down the hall.” Scully ignored the comment. “So Mulder, what do you think? Do these say ‘I’m on vacation? Don’t bother me unless you’re rich, single and mute, Senor another margarita por favor, or ‘More oil Miguel, I’m paying by the inch?” Mulder scoffed in disgust. “I think they say I couldn’t be more obnoxious if I tried. Are you gonna act like this all day Scully?” he replied in a nasal hoarse voice. She scowled at him removing her glasses and pouting her lips. “Just for you I am.” “You know Scully, I can save you some of that massive g-woman salary. If you want someone to rub oil on you, I’ve got a can of 10-30 in my dresser drawer I’ve been saving just for such an occasion.” “As tempting as that sounds, and as disturbing as it is to know you keep motor oil in your bedroom, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your nightly calls to Bambi….your 900 number mistress, or the very sad “Caddy-Shack” marathon weekend, so I’ll stick with sunbathing on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Cancun.” “That movie is a classic. A part of American history” “Well, so is the Titanic, but you refused to see that one.” “You know Scully. . . the Titanic sinks in the end . . .!” “When are you going to get rid of that greenish blue color you’ve been sporting for a week now. You look like a X-File, Mulder, … like some sort of wretched phlegm producing monster,” She asked walking towards her desk. Mulder looked up at her glaring with his right eye flickering shut. “At least I don’t have to tag along on my mommy’s vacation.” Scully stopped in her tracks. Unable to come up with a quick comeback, she continued towards the door. She was quickly face to face with Walter Skinner, the flush of anger quickly removed from her cheeks as she tried stealthily to cover up her blouse. “Good morning agents. Agent Scully, you look comfy, is your leave beginning right now?” “Uhhh no, sir I’ll be leaving from here going straight to the airport, and …” “No need to explain agent, I didn’t realize that it was coming up that soon. I have a case for you two, but instead I’ll have Agents Dippold & Wells take a crack at it. Mulder carefully placed his burnt files back in his desk drawer. “What is it? let me see the file.” Skinner placed the manila folder of faxed documents on Mulder’s desk. “I received an early morning phone, from Sgt. Brian Martin, MDPD.” “Yeah, I know Martin, what’s he gotten himself into?” “He inquired at Violent Crimes to see if they could lend him an agent or two, because he was having a bit of a problem, and is beginning to think that a series of crimes in the area are related. All of the VCS agents are tied up in finding terror cells, so it’s slim pickings.” Skinner sat on the edge of Mulder’s desk watching Mulder read. “From what he’s told me, and from briefly scanning the file, what is strange about it, is that they have only found two victims, one died of exposure, and another showed up at the hospital door so badly beaten she wasn’t identified until after she’d passed away.” Scully, pursed her lips around her glasses as she and Mulder shared a cautious glance. “He says that there are a number of people that have disappeared in the last week including a police officer from another precinct. The neighborhood and surrounding communities are on alert, especially after the woman (apparently a well known person in the community) was beat to death.” “Sir, based on these police reports, these cases aren’t related, these people went to work one day, went home and never came back, it’s like they disappeared without a trace, right from their own beds. Then there are some in this file that look more like a burglary gone wrong. This woman’s apartment, Court Stenographer Dashonda Packer, showed not only signs of a struggle but even of a sexual assault. There is a degree of severity in these cases that doesn’t match a link to just one person. I’d be interested to see what other evidence they have available.” “Mulder, you are in no condition to get involved in anything this deep right now, you are sick and this is something that you would obviously need my help with.” Scully remarked. “I’m fine it’s just a little head cold.” “Sir, is this a favor to Sgt. Martin, or is it something that can wait for Scully to get back off vacation?” “Never mind, Fox, it’ll keep till Scully gets back.” “Fox?” Mulder whispered to himself. Wondering when they had become so informal when addressing each other. “I can take it, Walter missing persons cases are not Scully’s repertoire.” “No, I think you may need her help though, it’s complicated, and I know for sure that they would like to have forensics and a qualified pathologist at their disposal.” “ You know I did work pretty well by myself before I had Scully, I mean before Scully and I teamed up. I think I can handle one case by myself.” “No one is doubting your ability Mulder, or you incredible knack of profiling criminals, I am however always reminded that you have a propensity of getting too caught up in your work, and in your present state, I cannot allow you to put yourself in this position, without the assistance of your partner, and approval of your doctor.” Scully felt a grimace come to her lips but quickly stifled it away when Mulder glanced in her direction. “For now agent Mulder, just take a look at the file and see if you can divulge anymore details that might be helpful to Agents Wells & Dippold. Are we clear?” Skinner demanded starring into Mulder’s puffy eyes. Mulder simply nodded. “Agent Scully?” “Yes sir?” “I hope you enjoy your week in the sun, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that your presence will be missed here.” He said with a smirk and nod in Mulder’s direction as he disappeared down the hall. The silence in the room was now quite thick as the heat rushed up from Mulder’s neck directly to his already peaked cheeks. Scully looked at him cautiously and then began to gather her things from her desk. “I’ll be over at Quantico for the rest of the day.” She announced. “You’re leaving now? What about my drugs?” “I’ll call in some antibiotics and something for your impending bronchitis.” She neatly stacked papers on her desk, and turned off her lamp. “Hey, Scully?” “What . . . (a brief pause) Mulder?” she asked spinning around to see that she’d finally gotten his full attention. “I love you, and I’ll miss you.” “I’m not calling in any Viagra™ and I’m not bringing you back anything or anyone.” “I don’t want anything, you’re my friend, and I just wanted you to know that, and have a good trip. ” He said putting on his glasses returning to his work. “Go to hell Mulder, I’m not falling for it.” “Falling for what? Exactly what are you insinuating?” there was dead silence as she stared at him, looking down at the work on his desk. “You have been bitching about me taking this trip for 3 months.” “Believe what you want, Dana. I know things have been strained around here with our monster case loads, and you absolutely deserve this vacation, but I’m not going to say I’m happy to see you go, but I just want you to be safe and have a good time.” He replied, his hazel depths turning a green color that nearly made her weak. Scully continued to look at him. She’d been fooled before, and wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. She put on her shades and walked down the hall. “If you need anything before 3p.m. just call me on my cell, otherwise I’ll see you in a week. I hope you are better by the time I return.” her voice trailed off down the hall. Slowly the tapping of her heels on the tiled concrete faded. Mulder took off his glasses and looked up at the door. A look of sudden sadness befell his face. Whether she believed it or not that she would actually doubt his sincerity, made him a little upset. He put his glasses back on and continued working. Present Time Location Unknown Another scream from the distance startled him from his memories. “ . . . So tired, . . . have to stay awake.’ he thought to himself, with a few short breaths his body and mind gave up as he loss consciousness again. Friday 7:12a.m E.D.T. Fire encircled his lips, and jaw as he was ripped from the darkness back to the life he so desperately tried to escape. The duct tape once adorning his lips had been ripped from its place, carrying a few delicate layers of his skin and whiskers with it. Mulder coughed up the blood in his mouth and throat. It splattered his coarse lips, as he extended his tongue to soothe them. The sounds of screams and silence were replaced with the approaching footsteps, and a deep sickness in his stomach. He still couldn’t see, but he knew that he was suddenly the center of someone’s attention. He remained motionless, hoping he could feign unconsciousness for a little longer. He quickly scoured the reaches of his mind, hoping his profiling skills were wrong. Subject is male, has considerable financial resources, has a medical background, never married, has a sibling, or parent that was murdered or died at an early age…..he pondered that last statement for a moment longer than he should have thinking that he could easily be describing himself. Lost in his stupor he’d pondered too long, He was snatched from his thoughts by a punch to his right jaw. He shivered involuntarily at the ferocity of the punch. “Man you guys are serious about paying those 900 bills on time. Tight Tawny told me it was alright if I slid a little behind on my payments.” “It’s good to see you still have your caustic sense of humor.” the voice replied. “Who are you?” the pain filled rasp that escaped his lips surprised him in its weakness. Another fist punched him in the stomach. He coughed straining to catch his breath. “Agent Mulder, or wait why I am I being so formal? Fox, it is so good to see you looking so morbidly ill.” “What do you want from me?” Mulder asked, trying to recognize the accent of his captor. “You poor sad little man, if I had known you were this ill I wouldn’t have taken you so abruptly, but unfortunately time was not on my side, and it wasn’t on yours either.” He said as Mulder now realized where he’d heard the harsh deep voice. “Palchak” he whispered. “Very good, you’re as cunning as a fox, if you’ll pardon the trite pun. You see, I thought I would save you the trouble of looking for me, and just find you instead. I just had to thank you for the wonderful fight you put up, trying to get a life sentence for me. Death would have been better than the deplorable conditions I was forced to spend the last 10 years in. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to pretend to be mentally disturbed?” The blindfold was snatched from his face his eyes suddenly assaulted by the bright light from the bulb hanging 10 feet from his head. “You weren’t pretending, you are insane Palchak.” Mulder replied. Palchak motioned to one of the men in the room, he reached up and grabbed the hand that was swelled by broken bones and twisted it. Mulder’s face contorted wildly as he screamed in agony. “So, now you’re going to kill me for putting you away?” he panted. “Oh quite the contrary Fox, you obviously don’t remember, I’ve never killed anybody. I’m completely innocent. I like to watch. The enjoyment of beating a jackal of a man into a vegetative state was merely human, watching him suffer was one of the few joys of my life, nearly orgasmic. I could never kill anyone. Well, maybe except for you. But I’d like to have some fun with you first.” “I’m all funned out, maybe some other time.” He motioned for one of his men to walk towards him. Mulder watched as a thin man with reddish brown crew cut hair, kicked off a piece of wood from the moldy, aging building’s flooring. He released Mulder from the fixture he’d been hanging from since his capture as he fell in a heap onto the floor below him. The sudden jolt filling his limbs instantly with fire. “I like to call this little number “the new guy.” It’s a rendition of what its like for someone newly acquainted to our beloved prison system.” Mulder struggled to focus his eyes, he caught blurred glimpses of the faces of those in the room he was in. He could not abort the rising panic in his mind, his breath catching, his lungs screaming for air, he began to cough uncontrollably, his cold symptoms worsening in the damp conditions. Out of the corner of his eyes he heard first and then saw the moldy piece of wood coming toward his side. The impact sounding like a baseball bat making contact with leather, the feeling like no pain he could possibly ever express. He merely whimpered, unable to catch enough air to produce a scream and cringed as the wood found its mark again, this time on his wounded thigh. The world began a desperate spin, a spiral into darkness more painful than he could ever have imagined. Another blow caught him between his shoulder blades, as he collapsed onto his stomach, any thought of retaliating shot by the sudden crack he heard from his shoulder. “Please…..” he whispered so soft he thought no one would hear it. At the wave of Palchak’s hand, his assailant was stopped in mid swing. “Please what Fox? Please kill you now? I’m afraid not, I want to see how much it will take to break you, I mean I know I have an unfair advantage with you being sick and all, but believe me, “ he stooped down and lifted Mulder’s head by his hair, “I will break you, and it will not come fast or easy.” He rammed Mulder’s head into the floor, and kicked him. A long groan burst from his lips. “Sc…ully.” He breathed silently as unconsciousness claimed him once more. Cancun Mexico Friday 6:12a.m. Submerged to her neck line in hot invigorating bubbles, the scent of aromatherapy candles encompassing every sense her body presented. She sighed heavily thinking she should try this simple pleasure more often in her own home. She slipped her hand out of the water and reached blindly for her glass of wine she thought was nearby. When her hand brushed it she felt it crash to the ceramic tile floor. Immediately she sat up in the tub to witness the damage she’d done. Removing the avocado slices from her eyes she glanced at the floor and felt her heart begin to leap from her chest. Instead of the red wine she’d been drinking spilled on the floor, the floor was covered in crimson, a trail leading from her tub underneath her door into the hotel bedroom. She silently pondered the location of her gun, realizing she’d locked it in her room safe. Dana quickly grabbed a towel from the edge of the tub, and with near silence escaped the warmth of the tub for the tip-toe steps of the Persian tile beneath her feet. Padding slowly away from the glass fragments, she reached down to touch the crimson substance on the floor, as if needing proof that the smell of blood her senses had come to recognize was in fact that. She wrapped her self in the white hotel issued terry cloth robe from the back of the door, and grabbed the bottle from the wine she’d been drinking, thankful the bottle was full enough to maintain its heavy weight. Slowly she peaked through the door. Pulling it seemed heavier than she’d remembered. As she stepped slowly into her shade darkened room. Dana searched the wall with her hands and found a switch that gradually begin to lighten the room. At first the room appeared to be normal, the exterior door was closed, her clothes still hanging in the closet but as she stepped toward her bed she felt something squishy underneath her feet. Dana looked down to find that the carpet was soaked in red, the crimson red that seemed to have freshly pooled under her. Quickly she checked herself knowing that she would not have the ability to stand if she’d lost this much blood. As she stared at the room and picked up the trail of blood again she saw finally where it was coming from. Dana felt her stomach lurch, her head spinning, her heart pounding so loud in her ears, she almost didn’t feel her body as it (almost on auto pilot) approached the bed 30 feet away. A man was in her bed, his blood dripping from his hands onto the floor; his body naked, skin like ground hamburger, long cuts that bubbled with blood. Her hands began to tremble as she reached the bed, now covered in this man’s blood. Hot tears filled her eyes, as she reached for the bloodied hand, pulling it to her face. Her eyes traveled up to see the man’s face, as she did her vision went black. The sound of her alarm buzzer going off ended the nightmare. She panted, perspiring heavily, sitting up in her hotel bedroom to find her warm bed beneath her un-bloodied and uninhabited. Her head slammed back down onto her pillow. She glanced over at her alarm clock, praying she hadn’t awakened her mother in the adjoining room. She stared up at the ceiling, tears streaming down her face. Awakened from her most frightening nightmare to date. She tried to put the thought out of her head, but the images had been permanently etched in her mind. Her vacation had been relaxing and nerve racking all at the same time. The nightmares she’d been suffering since before she left DC had not subsided and seemed to be growing in detail and intensity. She stepped from her bed, opening the blinds to witness the spectacular view of the warm Gulf of Mexico as the sun began to light the sky behind the hotel. Dana Scully turned to her nightstand, glancing at the tickets that would return her home today, to work, to her own apartment and to Mulder. She hadn’t spoken to him since she left him a week ago, she envisioned his face, wearing those glasses, his hazel depths peering at her over the rim, suffering with a cold, miserable and adorable. She smiled thinking about pitiful he looked, trying desperately to suppress a giggle at the vision of him. “Dana.” “Oh God Mom you scared me to death.” “ I’m sorry dear, I’d called you three times, you were lost in your own little world.” Her mother stepped away from her and fell back onto her bed, in an exasperated sigh. “Oh honey are you sure we have to leave today?” “Mom, Atleast you’ll be trading one vacation for another, Rome in November doesn’t compare to DC in November!” “You could always come with me.” “ You know that I can’t, we are buried alive in active cases all over the bureau, I was lucky to get one week, and besides …..” “Besides, your partner needs you, and if you don’t get back to him so you can ignore his affection for you in person you will go stir crazy.” Scully smiled and pulled her mother off her bed. ‘Out……go pack mom, I’ll get a shower and meet you in an hour so we can check out and get some breakfast.” “Okay dear, can I borrow one of your towels, I used mine at the pool.” “sure mom help yourself.” Scully replied, removing her suitcase from the closet. Maggie peaked in the bathroom and turned on the light. “Dana?” “Yeah mom?” ‘What happened in here did you break something.” Scully suddenly realized what her mother was asking as she turned from the closet and stood in the door beside her. There on the floor was broken glass, and drops of red on the otherwise clean floor. Remembering her dream, Dana nearly fainted there on the spot, quickly with purpose she grabbed a towel from her sink. “ Here you go mom, I dropped a glass last night while sleep walking,” “Well be careful dear, we don’t want to have to stop and get stitches for a souvenir.” Her mother returned to her room. Scully picked up one of the shards of glass and stared at it as if it was growing horns. Her mind racing she covered the debris with a towel, and headed to take that shower. End Chapter