From: mrkeller829@gmail.com   
      
   =====o============================o=====   
   "Chermera" by Mary Ruth Keller Part 09  of 45   
   E-mail: mrkeller@eclipse.net, mrkeller829@gmail.com   
   PG-13   X-File: Myth-arc   Disclaimed in Part I   
   Already sent to Gossamer   
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   Office of the Lone Gunmen   
   Alexandria, VA   
   Sunday, June 7, 1998   
   8:53 am   
      
   "Doc?" Langly's faint tapping had Dana Scully rolling onto her back. "Doc, you   
   okay?"   
      
   She blinked at the bright light streaming in through the windows. It seemed   
   she had just spread a towel on the pillows and lain down, after taking a soak   
   in the claw-footed tub Vicky had somehow managed to get set up in the   
   adjoining bathroom. "Langly?"    
   She rolled out of the enfolding down comforter to pull open the door.   
      
   The long-haired Gunman's knuckles whooshed through the now-empty air. "Hey."   
   He took a step back. "You and the G-man must have made a late night of it." He   
   waved in the direction of the living area.   
      
   As she stepped out of the bedroom, Scully hugged herself, suddenly cold in her   
   grey shorts and a t-shirt displaying a black bear striding up a red slope on a   
   gold background. "Mulder?" She had crossed the carpet to rub his quilt-swathed   
   shoulder.   
      
   A deep breath, then he was blinking up at her. "Hey."   
      
   She patted the quilt where it wrapped his ribs. "Hard to come back from those   
   trips through the Cosmos, I know, but we non-amalgamated thinkers require your   
   presence."   
      
   Frowning quizzically at the comment, Frohike had joined them. "Dana?" He held   
   out one steaming mug for her to take. He set the other down on the side-table   
   while the tall agent, bare-chested and sockless, but still in his jeans,   
   stretched, then sat up.   
      
   Byers joined them. "Agents, now that you're a little bit back on your feet,   
   there's something we need to discuss."   
      
   Mulder shifted out of the white wraps. "In a minute, guys." He headed for the   
   hall bathroom.   
      
   Scully settled on the still-warm cushions. "We know we can't depend on you   
   keeping these documents here in the long-term. It's not right that you should   
   be endangered on our behalf."   
      
   The dark-haired agent emerged, then, clucked at his partner until she pushed   
   the quilt out from beneath her hip so he could smooth it back over his legs   
   while he sampled the coffee.   
      
   She excused herself with a nod.   
      
   After a couple of sips, he looked up at the three. "What?"   
      
   The bearded Gunman shook his head, but remained silent, waiting. When the   
   auburn-haired pathologist stepped back into the living room, he turned to face   
   her. "Agent Scully, your Mother came to see us Wednesday evening."   
      
   She drew herself upright. "What? Is she okay? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"   
      
   Mulder found his feet. "Guys? What happened?"   
      
   Frohike crossed his arms. "The Smoker paid her a visit. But - "   
      
   The partners were now in motion, Scully headed for the guest bedroom as Mulder   
   reached for his polo shirt and shoes.   
      
   "Guys! Guys!" The round-faced Gunman was waiving his arms. "She's okay! Just   
   listen!"   
      
   The agents turned back to converge on him, Mulder straightening the grey knit   
   over his torso as he approached.   
      
   Frohike adjusted his glasses. "She's okay. He wasn't there to harm her. It's   
   like he was trying to mess with her head."   
      
   Hazel met green-blue as Mulder snorted. "He's good at that." He dove for his   
   cell phone, resting on the side-table by the cooling coffee. After four rings,   
   Margaret's answering machine kicked in. He frowned as he left a message   
   imploring her to return    
   the call, then rounded on the bearded Gunman. "If she's okay, then, why isn't   
   she answering?"   
      
   "Because she's at Mass, Mulder." The diminutive agent sighed from behind him.   
   "It's probably the safest thing she could do: go be in a large crowd of   
   people."   
      
   The three were nodding, before Langly explained for them all. "She wanted to   
   get a line through to the Med, G-man. She wanted to talk to Mr. and Mrs. L.   
   about him, but Mrs. L. needed us to encrypt this end of the conversation.   
   That's why she was here.    
   She said he had a photograph of the four of you at Atlantis, eating out on the   
   back deck. She said he threatened your lives and warned her to stay out of it.   
   Mr. and Mrs. L. wanted her to come back to Santorini, but she didn't want to   
   leave you, Doc, or    
   your brothers and their families."   
      
   "Then, she should go." Mulder stepped close to his partner. "We need to go   
   talk to her, make her see it's not safe here."   
      
   Scully shook her head. "No."   
      
   The tall agent bent into her face. "Scully, what do you mean?"   
      
   She took a step back. "I mean, Mulder, we need a plan. We can't just react.   
   It's exactly what he's hoping we'll do, run off half-cocked without thinking   
   things through first." She turned to the three Gunmen. "Guys, thanks for   
   telling us, but, -"   
      
   Frohike stepped forward. "Agents, you should know before we head out, we set   
   Mrs. Scully up with a hard-wired encryption unit, so she won't have to keep   
   driving from Annapolis to DC and back again. It's not foolproof, but it'll   
   resist most attacks, at    
   least for a few weeks. We'll drop by to change the firmware then, try to keep   
   ahead of the surveillance that way."   
      
   She smiled at the round-faced Gunman, who beamed back. "Thanks, Frohike, and   
   you two as well." She met their eyes in turn. "I haven't known how to begin to   
   help my Mom with all this."     
      
   Frohike pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "There's more Java. Enjoy.   
   We have to go pick up some more electronic supplies for that home-brew scanner   
   we're working on. Microcenter can get packed on Sundays since Arlington   
   Electronics folded." The    
   three headed out the door.   
      
   Once they were alone, Mulder took hold of both of Scully's shoulders. "She   
   should go back to Santorini. You, no, *we* have to convince her. Mom would   
   agree."   
      
   "But, she's not safe, even there, Mulder." She settled into the armchair,   
   curling her feet up and wrapping her arms around her knees. "If the Shadows   
   have them under long-range surveillance like that, then not even Mossad can   
   protect them."   
      
   Mulder knelt by the side of the padded chair. "We can put her in witness   
   protection. Skinner would arrange that for us." He leaned over the thick   
   burgundy-colored cushion. "He knows the stakes here."   
      
   She shifted, resting both bare feet on the floor. "I know he does. But, at   
   what price, Mulder?"   
      
   He frowned. "What do you mean, Scully?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)