Starve.Org White Noise Usenet Archive: "[atxc-pi] NEW: J is for Jealousy (7/8)"

*NO ARCHIVE* at Gossamer/Ephemeral

J is for Jealousy
by Donnilee
donnilee@snet.net

Part 7
See part 0 for header information.

<911 operator, what's your emergency?>

"Hello, this is Special Agent, Dana Scully, with the FBI." I need an ambulance
in Cornwall at the entrance to Dark Entry Road off Route 7 as soon as
possible."

<Dudleytown?> The astonished dispatcher asked.

Did everyone in Connecticut know about this place? "Yes."

"No, send whoever is closest. We have a 25 year old male with multiple cuts
and abrasions and a serious muscle tear in the left anterior quadricep.
Possible dehydration, possible broken ribs."

Beep. Boop. Cling, Chime. Murmur, murmur, murmur.

<O.K., Cornwall ambulance is on the way. The closest hospital is Sharon
Hospital in Sharon, or you can have them take him to New Milford, but that will
add 20 minutes to your trip.>

"Thank you, and I need one more thing."

"Yes, Agent? You're a real FBI agent?"

Oh brother! "Yes, I am and I need for you to call the New Milford Police
Department and have them send Chief Wasley and Captain Seavers out here, along
with at least four other cops. I'm on a cell phone and I had to go an hour and
half to get this signal. I'm not confident that I can make another call to
them. Can you do that for me?"

"As a matter of fact, tell them we found Carl Lehigh and we have a good idea
where the others are and we need man power out here."

<Yes, ma'am! Uh, Agent ...>

"Scully, Agent Scully, they'll know who I am."

<Yes, Agent Scully, consider it done. You can count on me!>

"Thank you, I appreciate it. Bye now." And I hung up. For God sakes, you'd
think these people had never heard of the FBI before. But I suppose there
lives were pretty dull most of the time. I doubted high crime was a common
occurrence around here.

We waited for nearly 20 minutes for an ambulance to show up from Cornwall. It
was frustrating. In the city, we were used to ambulances being on the road at
all times and there was rarely more than a 10 minutes wait. Out here,
volunteers had to travel from their homes to the ambulance 'barn' before
heading out to the scene. In the midst of my frustration over the wait, I took
a moment to realize the dedication and total selflessness that must come with
being a volunteer EMT.

You had to really WANT to help people in order to do this for nothing. No pay,
no perks, only the occasional gratitude of a patient who might have died
without your willingness to rouse from your bed at 2:00 AM, stumble into
clothes and drive into the middle of nowhere to transport you to the nearest
hospital. Out here, that was a big deal. There were no hospitals closer than
20, 25 minutes away. Christ, we were spoiled in the city. My aggravation
faded as I saw the ambulance pull into the entrance, bouncing over the uneven
ground.

It barely came to a stop when two females disembarked from the rear. One was
yanking a stretcher from the back of the rig and the other was trotting to the
car, carrying a portable oxygen tank and portable suction, an oxygen mask and
stethoscope hanging loosely around her neck. A Philly collar was wrapped
around her bicep. Her hair was jammed into an uneven ponytail. Her face was
all business as she nodded to me and Mulder with a curt, "Howdy, I'm Pauline,
that's Carrie."

I introduced us. "Agents Mulder and Scully, thanks for coming out."

"No biggy, that's what we do, no?"

Then she turned to the car and leaned in over Carl. I marveled at her calm,
knowing that less than a half hour ago, this woman was sound asleep. I'd seen
the Morpheus fog in her eyes that hadn't quite cleared. She was tired and
ignoring it like a professional. It reminded of my days in residency, where
you had to suddenly wake and become alert having only had three or four hours
sleep. But I had a goal then, to become a doctor and make decent money doing
it. These women did what they did for FREE. All that training and testing and
re-certifying and not planning on getting a dime for it. It was altruism in
its purist form. The concept was totally foreign to me and I realized that
there was lot more goodness in the world than I cared to notice sometimes.

She was cooing to Carl. "There now, buddy, we're going to put you on that
stretcher first, O.K.?"

Both women helped him out of the car and strapped him onto the stretcher. The
driver, bearing an armband over his denim jacket declared him as an MRT,
'Medical Response Technician'. Basically, they were trained in advanced first
aid. He stood patiently and waited as the two women, placed the oxygen mask on
Carl and tested his straps and collar and took vitals.

She called to the MRT. "Coty, help us out here." He jogged to the stretcher
and helped the women maneuver the stretcher to back of the rig and load it in,
deftly releasing the retractable legs as it slid home and locked into place
against the wall. He retreated to front and jumped into the driver seat.

Carrie turned to us, watching us through the back of the open door. "Are you
coming?"

"Uh no, but we don't know which hospital he wants to go to."

She looked at Carl. "Any preferences?"

"I'm not from around here."

Carrie nodded. "There's Sharon, about 25 minutes away and there's New Milford,
which is about forty minutes away, or thirty depending on how Coty up there
drives."

Her little attempt at levity was not lost on everyone and we all smiled. Carl
asked, "Agent Mulder, where are the police coming from?"

Mulder answered, "New Milford."

"Take me there then, it will make it easier. I'm sure they want to talk to me."

Mulder looked concerned. "Are you sure you're up for the ride? Don't worry
about us, we'll come to you. We're mobile."

"No, I'm O.K. Take me to New Milford."

They nodded.

"Could we borrow some supplies?" I asked tentatively.

"What do you need?" Pauline asked.

"Well, we suspect we may find three more people in need of medical attention in
there and I only have that measly first aid kit. I used up most of my gauze
and sutures on him."

Carrie tilted her head. "You sutured him?"

"Yeah, left leg. I'm a doctor. You can bill us for it. We'll gladly replace
it."

"Oh, yeah, that doesn't matter. What do you need." Carrie asked.

"Could I borrow a box of gauze, some latex gloves and some more antibiotic
ointment."

"Yeah, we don't have sutures here, but we have the big butterfly band aids and
some clamps," she responded.

"Yeah, those too. It wouldn't hurt if I stole a compression bandage or two,
just in case."

She nodded as she gathered up the materials and put them in a huge zip lock bag
and handed them out the back door. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks for your help. You guys are great!"

She beamed under the compliment. "Thanks, we do our best."

They waved farewell, closing the back door and pulling out onto the darkened
street that held no street lamps to illuminate their way. The ambulance almost
looked suspended in air as it pulled out into the blackness of the night, its
headlights the only light showing on the road. The backdrop was totally black.
We stood there and watched until we could no longer see the light.

Mulder turned to me. "Well, do we wait for the police or go ahead?"

"Go ahead where? We may need a chopper to search the woods."

"I don't think so. He gave me a rough idea of the path he took and I drew a
map. He says the cabin isn't that far away and he was surprised no one knew it
was there."

"Well, we should leave the cops a note if we go in now."

"Yeah, where though?"

"How about the windshield?" I volunteered.

He nodded and slid into the car, opening the glove box and pulling the notepad
and pen out that we always kept in there. He scribbled a note as I watched
over his shoulder. -C. Lehigh taken to NM Hospital by Cornwall Amb. We have
returned to our camp. We will wait there. Have a description of a trail
leading to cabin. Expect to find perp and other three victims. Agents Mulder
and Scully.-

He put it under the windshield and then scribbled on another note, -Check out
the windshield of the car.-

He tossed the pad and pen on the seat and strode over the wooden sign marking
Dark Entry Road. He peeled a sliver of wood away and jammed the note behind
it. Hopefully if they didn't see the note on the windshield, they would see
that. We flicked on our flashlights and began hiking back. I was cold from
standing in the breeze for such a long time, but walking got me warmed up
again. Mulder had taken my hand as before.

Mulder had been quite for a while, concentrating on surveying the ground ahead
of us. "Those women are pretty amazing, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I never really thought about it much. But it's pretty inspiring that
there are people willing to go through all that training and do that stuff for
free, don't you think?"

"Yeah, almost makes me feel guilty for getting paid." He chuckled. "But not
that guilty."

I smiled. "It kind of restores your faith in the basic human goodness of
people, ya know?"

"Yeah, I commend them, really I do, but you couldn't pay me enough to do it."

"Well, you're not a medical person."

"I know, but would you do it for free?"

"I would like to think if I lived someplace like this, I would, but I honestly
can't answer that for you."

"I bet you would. You have such a kind heart, I bet you wouldn't be able to
resist."

I squeezed his hand. "You think way too much of me sometimes."

"No, I don't." Silence lapsed then again and we walked companionably back to
camp. We weren't in a rush. We had no desire to go searching for this guy
alone in the dark. Time was of the essence if one of the victims was dead
already. Every minute we waited, one of those women could be raped again. On
the other hand, we weren't doing them any favors by rushing in unprepared and
possibly being caught up ourselves. In the past, we would have rushed in. But
getting into a romantic relationship had other perks. It made you a bit more
cautious. It made taking unnecessary risks, no longer seem worthwhile. I for
one, thought that was a good thing. I didn't know what I would do if I lost
Mulder, but if I ever did, I didn't want it to be because of something
stupid.

Freaking out over your partner being in danger was one of the very reason the
Bureau frowned on romantic relationships between partners. But we freaked out
anyway, sex or no sex. That wasn't going to change. I loved him, we loved each
other and we were going to go nuts whenever one of us was at risk. That
wouldn't be less of a factor just because we abstained from sex. We'd already
proven that.

I remembered my father's old, crude, military saying. Whenever we kids and did
something stupid, he would say, 'Remember the six P's.' They stood for, 'Prior
planning prevents piss-poor performance.'

Mulder asked what I was smirking about and I told him. He chuckled. "Your dad
was a great guy."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, don't you?"

"Yes, but I never considered what you thought of him."

"If he were alive, he'd probably have a fit if he knew his little girl was
screwing an alien chaser!"

I chortled. "No, I think he would have liked you. You never really got to
know him. He was rigid in a lot of ways but he was not quick to judge people
like my brother, Bill. He tended to give people the benefit of the doubt. And
he had a lot more faith in me and my choices than Bill, Jr. does as well. He
would have trusted my judgment. He would have respected your dedication. If I
loved you, he would have too."

He smiled at me and pulled me into a spontaneous hug as we entered the clearing
of the old abandoned town. He ruffled my hair with his chin. "I love you so
much, Scully. Promise me you won't do anything stupid out there."

I heaved a sigh. "I know, I'm being protective, but I want to have a lot more
days and nights with you in my arms. I don't want it to end before it really
begins."

"That door swings both ways, Mulder. And let's face it, you are much more
prone to diving in with both feet and your eyes closed."

"Yeah, I guess I am. But I'm thinking for two now, is that what you're trying
to tell me?"

"Yes, promise me you'll be careful too."

He squeezed me tight and then let go. "I promise. That's why I'm waiting for
back up, although my first instinct is to dive into those woods and hunt this
bastard down."

"Me too." We walked to the tent. "Let's get on some warm clothes."

We had made it back to our camp sight in about a forty minutes. Going was a
little tougher in the dark. Neither of us needed to sprain an ankle at this
point so we had been careful. I changed into a warmer shirt and my socks and
hiking boots. Then I pulled a windbreaker on over my long sleeved shirt.
Mulder pulled on a sweater over his flannel shirt. We were cozy now and
stirred up the fire again. He totally unloaded one of the back packs and began
rearranging things. He stuffed the first aid supplies, his knife and the spare
flashlight into the pack, along with three long sleeved flannel shirts that he
had bought. He handed me a pen light.

"Why did you buy so many?" I asked, nodding toward the shirts he was rolling up
and stuffing into the bag.

"I tried one on and loved the way it felt. They are really soft and warm. Even
though we only planned on being up here for a night, I decided I wouldn't mind
owning a few of them."

"I like them on you."

He looked up at me then, smiling. "Do you now?"

"I never thought I'd hear myself say that I love a guy in flannel, but you look
so sexy in your outdoor get up."

"Outdoor get up?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well, if flannel turns you on, I'll see if I can find any dress shirts made of
flannel!" he teased.

We both laughed then. We finished up our preparation and sat on the log
outside the tent, holding hands and staring into the fire. Our silence was
companionable and I leaned into his shoulder as he brushed my arm up and down
with his hand. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to do this with him.
Just to enjoy touching. Mulder was such a tactile person, much more so than
me. Or so I thought. But maybe I just had never allowed myself to enjoy it.
I was finding this cuddling up stuff extremely enjoyable. Almost as enjoyable
as knowing I might get to have sex on a regular basis for the first time in
years. Well ... almost as enjoyable!

We heard the cops talking as they approached about a half hour later. I went
to pull away and Mulder kept me locked to his side, not allowing me to pull
away. Apparently, he was not concerned with letting them see that we were a
couple. I knew I should be upset by that and that it was totally
unprofessional to flaunt our new relationship in front of them. But we were
hardly in a professional situation out here. I also knew that Mulder had been
jealous of Officer Seaver flirting with me. He was trying to pretend it wasn't
a big deal any more, but I knew that he wasn't going to become totally secure
overnight. I had to cut him some slack in this area. I'd hardly been the icon
of security and trust in the last twenty-four hours myself.

I snuggled back into the crook of his arm and placed my hand on the inside of
my thigh. He gasped a little and whispered in my ear. "Careful, Agent Scully,
I don't want to go hiking with a hard on," he joked.

I chuckled low and rolled my head on his shoulder to watch the cops, six in all
enter the clearing. They all stopped chattering as they stepped into the
clearing and saw us. I was experiencing a surprising lack of discomfort at
this public display. It wasn't blatant but the message was clear. Sure
enough, Mulder's eyes went directly to Officer Seaver and he stared at him with
a slightly challenging look on his face for a few seconds until Seaver broke
eye contact. Alpha Male was staking his territory. The thought made me smile.
It was almost a good feeling that he was so possessive ... almost.

We stood casually and approached the cops. Mulder didn't let go of my hand
until I tugged gently as we approached them. No need to make a show of it. He
let my hand drop and held his right hand out to Chief Wasley who was leading
the group. "You got here quick," Mulder observed.

"Not much traffic this time of night, we were able to fly out here."

Mulder and I both weren't quite quick enough to suppress the laugh the bubbled
up at that comment. We both squashed it quickly, not wanting them to take
offense. The Chief merely grinned. Mulder apologized. "Sorry, no disrespect,
but your idea of traffic and ours are two totally different things."

Everyone chuckled at that and we sat down around the fire to work out a plan of
attack. Mulder suggested that we all stay together and not separate until we
found the cabin. Then we could surround it and send one of us in to peek in
the windows and try to scope out the situation. He related Carl's description
of the layout of the cabin and the four twin beds against one wall in the large
front room of the cabin. Apparently the guy had a wooden table and chair in
there also and no other furniture. A separate room held a kitchen and a
port-o-potty. A third room held a bedroom with a giant King size bed in it
that the man slept in.

He explained that there was only one window on each wall that he covered with
blankets to keep the cold out. There was a fireplace opposite the beds and
table on the same wall as the front door. There was a small porch in front,
and no second story. There was apparently no running water. Carl had said
you could smell the guy coming and he looked like a nightmare version of
Jeremiah Johnson or Davey Crocket. He wore overalls with all sorts of weapons
in the many pockets, including knifes. Carl said he never saw a gun but that
didn't mean he didn't have one. He did see a bow and arrow though.

The cops surmised that he probably didn't have a gun or he would have to leave
the cabin to get ammunition. If that happened, someone would probably know
this guy. As far as they knew, no one had ever heard of anyone living up here.
Someone that large and unkempt would surely attract attention if he were to
venture into town. He probably didn't have money anyway.

So, our plans were made and Mulder copied a crude drawing of the map on the pad
of paper and handed one to each cop to carry. They all had flashlights and
billy clubs. Mulder and I holstered our weapons on our jeans. Mulder strapped
a small derringer to his ankle. It had a small holster with a clip that clung
nicely to the top of his boot. He pulled his jean leg down over it with some
difficulty and then stood up. He asked me if I had my badge and I realized I
didn't. "I know it seems stupid, but these guys are in uniform, we're not and
we should probably identify ourselves. I'd hate for the guy to get off on a
technicality if we are able to take him into custody."

"You're right. I grabbed both our I.D.s out of the tent and we stuffed them
into our back pockets. All was ready and we began the slow, arduous hike up
one of the narrow hiking trails that led away from the Dudleytown village and
up the mountain into the denser forest. The feeling was oppressive. I was
wondering if we shouldn't wait for daylight, but then firmly quashed that idea.
Time was off the essence. No telling what this misfit had done to those
people. I just hoped that no one was dead.

***
***

PART 4 ( R )
SOMEWHERE IN THE WOODS
OVERLOOKING CORNWALL BRIDGE
3:30 AM

I was tired. We were all tired. I watched Scully carefully to make sure she
was holding up. She always did but I couldn't help but be concerned. I saw the
expression on her face when she heard about those women being raped. I had
felt rage and horror, but Scully could empathize with that situation, being a
woman, much more than I could. I knew things that this disturbed her the way
other things rarely could. None of us was used to this hiking in the dark
business. And we were all tense besides, trying to be quiet, not knowing when
we might come upon the cabin.

Obviously the guy had made many trips between his cabin and Dudleytown. The
path was well worn and the branches were cleared away from the path the further
we hiked. I wondered what would possess a man to live out here by himself. He
was obviously a misfit, probably lacked human contact for years and was
probably paranoid about protecting his little sanctuary. I had a sudden memory
of Mr. Petie, the mountain man. Curiosity seekers in Dudleytown were probably
viewed as a threat to his secret and solitary existence. I wondered how many
others he'd nearly snatched that had never been reported. Out here, who knew?
The population was so spread out. Someone might be able to be missing for days
and no one would notice. I realized that the reason these couples were missed
was because they were out of towners who had set schedules and careers where
people looked for them when they didn't show.

We came upon the cabin suddenly. It was as though someone drew a line. The
trees and foliage ended as the path abruptly emptied into a clearing. It was
perhaps a half an acre, cleared quite nicely of all trees and brush. There
were grass and tiger lilies dotting the lawn, visible under the moonlight.
They swayed like tiny sentinels before the cabin and gave the place a creepy
look. I doused my flashlight and the cops followed suit. I pointed at two
cops and whispered, "You guys go around back, stay inside the tree line and
check out the back of the cabin. They nodded. I pointed at the other two. I
couldn't remember any of their names and indicated the left side of the cabin.
The other two I directed to the right side. The Chief and Seavers, I told to
wait there and watch the door of the cabin in case anyone came out. They
didn't seem to have a problem with me taking over and I was relieved we weren't
dealing with a bunch of inflated yahoo egos here.

Scully whispered, "Guys, leave your walkie talkies here on the path."

They looked down and nodded, realizing an untimely squawk from one of them
could blow the whole deal. They carefully removed them, turning them off and
laid them in a pile just to the side of the path. We were all in dark clothing
so that wasn't a particular concern of mine. But the moon was bright and
unlike in Dudleytown where it didn't seem to pierce the gloom and foliage, it
did here, lighting up the clearing enough to see the cabin rather clearly.
Scully looked at me again. "I want to do the snoop, Mulder."

I shook my head in the negative and saw her eyes flare, even in this low light.
"Don't start, Mulder. I'll be careful, I promise. But I'm small and I can
crouch low. I'm the least likely to be seen and you know it." Her voice was a
hiss.

I didn't like it but I realized she was right. I was to be the one to lure him
out of the cabin when the time was right. Scully had a pen light on her that
the 'snooper' was going to flash at us when it was time to execute the plan.
The idea was to lure him out of the cabin and away from the victims so Scully
and a couple of the cops could make there way in and protect them and check out
their wounds. I wanted cops on all sides in case the guy made a break for it,
there would be at least two of us that he didn't have a head start on, no
matter which direction he might choose. "O.K., but please Scully, be careful.
She nodded. The cops began to slowly make their way around the edge of the
woods to get into position. We waited while Wasley and Seavers looked on.

I really wasn't trying to show off my hold on Scully. I really was just
terribly concerned about this situation. Hearing what this guy had done to
those women, I shuddered to think of the consequences were he to get a hold on
Scully. But as she had pointed out yesterday, we were armed and the victims
weren't. We were ready for trouble and they weren't. But I couldn't help it.
In case something happened, I had to say it one more time before I let her walk
away. I stepped into her carefully, close enough that she had to tip her head
back to look up at me. I quickly put my hand on the back of her neck and
pulled her up to my lips, giving her a quick but crushing kiss on the lips.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the cops shuffle a bit and look away. "I
love you, Scully. Be careful."

She was shocked by my move and possibly even angry, but then she must have seen
the fear in my eyes and she reached up to smooth her palm over my cheek,
surprising me with this break from her usual professional demeanor. "Always,"
she whispered.

Then she made my heart and my ego swell about two sizes when she quickly kissed
me again and whispered, loud enough so Wasley and Seavers could hear her, "I
love you, too, Mulder. I'll be back before you know it." She winked at me
with mischievous smile on her face as she saw the surprise and shock etched on
my face. She was used to me doing inappropriate things, but I was totally
unprepared for her to do something like that in front of others. She winked
again.

She turned on her heel and crouched down and slinked away from me until she was
near the cops on the right side of the cabin. The largest window in the cabin
was to the side of the front door. There was a tiny sliver of light coming
from inside the cabin, but the light source was small and not in direct line
with the window. I suspected a candle. I didn't care if the cops heard me as I
whispered out loud, "God, Scully, be careful."

I swallowed hard and felt a hand on my forearm. I jerked around to look at
Wasley, holding my arm. He dropped his arm but looked me in the eye. He
whispered, "She'll be fine. We won't let anything happen to her. We outnumber
him eight to one."

I nodded and whispered back, "I know, but that's ..." He probably didn't care
but I said it anyway. "That's my life sneaking up to that cabin and I can't
help but worry." He nodded.

"I'd feel the same way about my Jeanne." We stood in silent communion after
drawing our weapons and watching Scully like a hawk. After a minute, she
darted across the lawn in a sprint. She crouched low beside the three porch
steps and peered carefully over the edge. She waited. We didn't sense any
movement or sound. She stood, still crouching and carefully placed one foot on
the first step. It made no sound. I was acutely aware of every sound. I was
afraid the stairs would creek and give her away. I was afraid she would have
to cough or sneeze. My paranoia was at full alert. I watched her like a hawk.
She carefully placed one foot in front of the other, staying low, her weapon
drawn and slowly made her way across the porch.

Although I knew stealth and caution were necessary, I was mentally biting my
nails as she inched her way to the window. It was taking so long and my nerves
were on edge by the time she reached the window and sat in a full squat. She
grasped her weapon in both hands and lifted her head to peer into the window.
Unlike Carl's prediction, there was no blanket covering this window, but I
suspected the others were covered. She was unearthly still for a moment and
then her head sank below the window. I watched her for a signal but none
came.

She eased herself onto her knees and raised herself up again, exposing more of
her head into the window. I was holding my breath, my ears tuned to the
slightest sound. My eyes riveted to the window waiting for any shadow to cross
my line of vision. There was nothing but the eerie silence. A slight breeze
swayed the tiger lilies and made shadows from the moon bounce across the
clearing. It was almost ethereal, the look of the place. Finally, she sank
down again and I released the breath I was holding.

I heard Seavers clear his throat in amusement at my nervousness and I glared at
him. He retreated, looking at the ground almost immediately. He knew I was not
amused in the least. I didn't care.

I watched Scully holster her weapon and literally crawl on her hands and knees
to the edge of the porch. She skipped the stairs this time and hopped to the
ground off to the side of the steps and darted back across the lawn. I waited
while she carefully made her way back to me through the trees. When she
emerged on the path, I caught her up in my arms without preamble. I was
slightly embarrassed by the fact that I was shaking. My released tension was
making my muscles quiver. Even I hadn't realized how tense I was.

She ran her hands up and down my back, comforting me and not saying anything
for a few moments. Then she gently disengaged from my arms and turned inside
them to face the cops. She didn't protest when I left my hands on her waist,
so I left them there. Touching her and feeling her whole and solid had always
been a comfort to me, even before this new fear that came with being her
lover.

She whispered. "I can see the four beds. There are people in three of them.
They are all tied to the bed posts with rope, hands and feet. I couldn't
assess any damage from there but they don't look good. There is a fire going
in the fireplace, but it's not blazing." She pointed to the sky and I noticed
the plume of smoke from the chimney for the first time.

"He isn't in the room. I suspect he's in his own bed. There is one candle
burning on the table in there, that's it. I don't see any other furniture,
just like Carl said, so it shouldn't be too hard to maneuver in there, but if
we have to bust in, two of you should go straight for the table and push it to
the side."

They nodded. She flashed her pen light once at the cops on either side of the
cabin, which was the signal to stay put for now. Two flashes were the signal
to storm the place or rush in as back up. Three flashes meant to gather near
the porch and wait to ambush the guy as he came out. I took a few calming
breaths. I watched as the cops on the side flashed their flashlights once at
the cops in the back that we couldn't see.

I think I'll go up and see if I can attract him by simply making noise opening
the door and shoving it in. When he emerges, I can try to push him towards the
stairs and get him off balance. Then you guys can surround him and bear down
on him. Be careful though, he may have a weapon. According to Mr. Lehigh, he
was real handy with a knife and he's apparently a giant. He probably has
several weapons hidden on his person if he's clothed so watch out. Try to stay
out of arms reach until we can get some cuffs on him."

They were all nodding. I looked at Scully. "Wait for me to get up there. I'll
signal you when to get the guys up to the porch. When they are in position,
I'll wake this bastard up. If we're lucky, he will be in nothing but his
jammies."

They all smirked at that. Picturing a six foot, six mountain man in jammies
was an amusing picture. She threw my words back at me. "Be careful, Mulder."
Then she teased trying to lighten the mood. "You're not as light on your feet
as I am."

I smiled at her and nodded. I kissed her forehead quickly and ruffled her
hair. Then I made my way through the trees to the side of the house, following
the route that had worked for her. From the side, I could see that the window
on this side was indeed blacked out by some sort of window hanging. That stunk
for seeing inside but was good for hiding my approach. I quickly sprinted
across the lawn and slowed upon reaching the porch. I took her lead and
crawled up onto the porch, not really caring how ridiculous I might look with
my ass in the air.

I stood and pressed my back to the wall between the door and the window. I
peered sideways into the window and saw everything Scully had described. The
problem was, I couldn't tell if the door was latched in any way. Carl said
he'd loosened his bindings over the coarse of his time there and had finally
pulled a hand free when the guy left. He assumed he had gone hunting because
he left with his bow and arrow. He had fed them nothing but water and some
kind of watery gruel that he assumed used to be venison stew. But they were
all weak from the lack of food. He had said there was a type of hook and eye
latch on the inside but he didn't latch it as he had gone outside and would
need to get back in. Carl said there was no lock, just that piece of wood that
slid down behind a block of wood to latch the door shut.

I flashed Scully and then put my flashlight on the ground and pulled out my
weapon. I watched as the cops slowly made their way up to surround the porch
and peer at me over the top of the floor boards. Scully scurried up onto the
porch and I gave her a murderous look to stay put. She carefully placed our
backpack on the porch and looked at me with a look that said, 'Forget it,
Mulder.' She shook her head firmly and positioned herself on the other side of
the door. Stubborn woman! Well, there was nothing for it now. I waited while
she drew her weapon again. She nodded at me that she was ready.

I said a silent prayer to a God I don't really believe in and reached gingerly
for the door handle which was an old cast iron, curved bar with a thumb plate
on top. I carefully pushed the thumb plate down and gripped the bar firmly.
Then I quickly leaned my shoulder into the door and shoved with all my
strength. I was almost surprised at how easily it opened and swung inward,
almost taking my body with it. I let go before it pulled m inside behind its
weight and jerked my body back against the wall next to the now open door. It
had creaked rather loudly.

The stillness and silence that ensued was nerve racking in the extreme. I
heard a grunt and then a distinctly female whimper. I looked over to see
Scully cringe. I saw her body leaning toward the doorway with the urge to peer
inside at the victims and I grunted softly and frantically shook my head in the
negative in warning. I saw her chest expand on a deep breath and she
retreated, letting her body sag to the wall. I let go of the breath I had been
holding once again. We waited and the silence stretched. I began to hear the
cops shuffling their feet and moving around at the sides of the porch. I tried
to look at them fiercely but they couldn't see my face. They knew I had turned
to them though and the shuffling receded. They weren't used to situations like
this. The waiting in any of these types of situations was undoubtedly the
worst, but it didn't pay to rush in.

I laughed inwardly at me thinking that statement. I was the King of rushing
in! But not anymore. There was too much at stake personally now. It sounded
stupid, even to me and I would never say it aloud. But I had something to live
for now and I wasn't going to needlessly throw my life away by being impetuous
anymore. I hoped I could stick to that resolve.

Finally, I gestured to Scully that I was going in. Her brow crinkled but she
nodded firmly. I picked up my flashlight, laying it on top of my weapon to
light my way. I ducked inside the door, weapon ready and scanned the room. I
could see the three people tied to the beds. There was an open archway leading
into a kitchen that was nothing but blackness beyond the doorway. I could see
the open door leading into a small vestibule. There was a half opened door
there that I could only assume led into the guys bedroom that Carl had
described. I heard another whimper and turned to see Patsy Lehigh. Her head
was lifted from her pillow, arms stretched above her head. Tears were in her
eyes and they were wide as saucers. I carefully placed my finger over my lips,
indicating that she should keep quiet. She whimpered louder. I glanced
between the bedroom door and her and saw her tongue pushing at her gag, trying
to pull it down. I crept over to her and pulled it down.

A deep breath followed as she sucked fresh air into her lungs. She panted.
"He isn't here. He left a couple of hours ago when he found Carl missing."

I nodded in relief but then thought that he could sneak up on the guys outside
unawares. They thought he was in here. I said, "Just a second. We're going to
get you out of here."

"Carl?" she asked in a pleading voice.

"He's O.K., he's on his way the hospital. Probably there by now. That's how
we found you."

She nodded and her head fell back on the pillow in relief. I poked my head out
of the cabin. "Scully!"

She snapped to attention. "What?"

"Put the cops on alert to watch for the guy and then get in here. He isn't
here. Patsy says he went after Lehigh a couple of hours ago when he discovered
him missing."

"Christ, he probably got to our campsite when we were down below with Carl."

"Yeah, but then what? Where did he go? He had to have seen our camp site. He
could be watching us right now!"

She nodded and trotted to the edge of the porch, hastily telling the guys to
find some cover in the edge of the woods and hide and keep their eyes open. If
he appeared, she instructed them to shoot to disarm him only and shout for
help. They all nodded sagely and fanned out back into the tree line. Scully
practically ran into the cabin, dragging the knapsack behind her. We both went
to work untying them. Caroline and Keith were both unconscious, but with
relief I found a pulse on both of them.

"Scully, they're both alive! They're out cold, but they're alive!" I was
panting with the adrenaline rush that was only now starting to wear off.

She tended to Patsy first. I rubbed her wrists and ankles to get the
circulation going again as Scully pulled open her ripped shirt and went to work
on her lacerations. When she was through, she pulled out one of my shirts and
helped Patsy button it up. Patsy's hands were too shaky to deal with the
buttons. She sobbed in relief. It was cold in here despite the fire, which
was now sputtering with the last of the flames that would soon be nothing but
embers. Being tied down and laying still couldn't have helped either. All
they had were thread bare blankets over them, one each. Patsy sat and watched
with open curiosity as Scully went to work on the others. I helped the best I
could by handing her whatever she asked for. I looked at Patsy and caught her
serious glance. I realized we hadn't even introduced ourselves. We were so
caught up in what we were doing.

"We're Agents Mulder and Scully with the FBI." Her eyes got a little rounder
at that statement. "There are also six other local cops outside watching for
this guy. We will get you out of here as soon as possible but we need to patch
you up first."

She nodded and then I barely heard her breathy, "Thank you. Thank you." I
nodded. I saw her shivering and made my way over to the fireplace and threw
on a couple of logs, stirring up the flames. I took the one chair in the
place and put it in front of the fire. I returned to her and gingerly helped
her to her feet. She swayed. Scully turned just in time to see me sweep the
woman up in my arms and cross the room to place her gently in the chair in
front of fire. It was then I saw the most curious thing. On the table was a
dog eared copy of the bible.

I realized suddenly how carrying Patsy must have looked and my head shot up to
find Scully gazing at me. My fears were blasted away as I saw the tenderness
and love shining in her eyes. She was pleased with me and I felt a warmth
spread through my chest just because of that knowledge. Scully was pleased
with me. I think I was going to spend the rest of my days trying to please
Scully. The feeling it gave me compared to none other. I retraced my steps to
her, smiling a little coyly and took up helping her to patch the other two up.
I gently lifted them while she placed the extra shirts on them and then
carefully laid them back down. Now, how the hell to get out of here?

The thought no sooner completed, when I heard a gun shot. Scully and I were on
our feet in seconds and headed for the door. Patsy let out a wail of fright.
I turned to her quickly, nearly shouting. "It's all right. Just don't move."
Like she would, anyway!

Then we exited the door, weapons drawn again. The sight we beheld was like
something out of a movie. A giant of a man was in the center of the clearing
surrounded by the cops, all bearing their weapons down on him. He held a
gigantic bow and arrow and circled cautiously pointing it at each of them in
turn. Every few seconds, he would let out a bellow of rage, but he said no
words. He was without a doubt, the biggest man I had ever seen. I thought
Carl's estimation of six foot six was probably conservative. His shoulders
were easily twice the width of my body. He wore shapeless overalls so it was
impossible to tell how muscular he was, but judging by his arms, he wasn't a
bowl of Jell-O. His hair was a mass of wild tangled curls that stuck out all
over his head. His beard was like a lawn on his face, reaching to the center
of his cheekbones. Beady little eyes were set way too close together.

We made our way down the stairs. I shouted, "We're FBI, you've got no chance!
Put down your weapon." I had no doubt that we could kill him if we needed to.
I also had no doubt that he could easily take one of us with him if he fired
that bow. I suspected he was an expert with it. Then Scully said, "Mulder, he
may not know what the FBI is."

I shouted again. "Look man, we are all police here and we are all armed, now
put down your weapon down slowly and no one will hurt you."

I had a really bad feeling about this. This man was like a wild animal and he
was not going to give up without a fight. He let out a bellow and charged
toward Scully and I, pointing his arrow at me as he ran. I dove to the side.
Scully jumped out of his path and then fired. Being an incredible crack shot,
she hit him directly in his rotator cuff even though she was in motion when she
did it. He dropped the bow and arrow and screamed in pain as he dropped to his
knees, holding his shoulder. I pulled my cuffs off my belt and advanced on
him, circling to the back. Scully's voice was concerned but level and calm.
"Mulder, remember he may have knives."

"O.K." I acknowledged her to let her know I heard her. We were too far apart
to read each other's faces at this point. The man swiveled his head like a top
trying to locate all of us. I announced my approach. "Now Mister, I'm going
to put these hand cuffs on you and if you come with us nicely, nobody gets more
hurt. My partner over there is real good with that gun. Now we don't want to
hurt you any more, but you have to cooperate with us." I paused. "Do you
understand me sir?"

He twisted around on his knees, still holding his shoulder, to face me. His
voice was gravely and uneven from little use. "The Lord will make you pay for
damaging one of his angels, mister."

"Yeah, well, where I come from, angels don't kidnap and rape women, buddy. So
forgive me if I'm not that concerned about God's judgment of me at the moment.
You might want to look to yourself."

(Continued in part 8)