From: mrkeller829@gmail.com   
      
   =====o============================o=====   
   "Chermera" by Mary Ruth Keller Part 17  of 45   
   E-mail: mrkeller@eclipse.net, mrkeller829@gmail.com   
   PG-13   X-File: Myth-arc   Disclaimed in Part I   
   Already sent to Gossamer   
   =====o============================o=====   
      
   X-Files West   
   San Diego FBI Field Office   
   San Diego, CA   
   Wednesday, June 10, 1998   
   7:31 am   
      
   Sandra had tugged the sheets free from her backpack to spread them out on the   
   desk before Nichols had reached it. "So, what I'm wrestling with, right now,   
   is exactly which of the sub-corporations are outside of the Osaka Collective -   
   "   
      
   Nichols held up his hand. "Take a seat, please, Sandra, we're not all here,   
   yet."   
      
   Her dark eyebrows drew together. "Oh? Are we waiting for Doctor Rosen?"   
      
   The stocky ASAC rubbed his mustache before nodding. "She'll be here in ten   
   minutes, Doctor Miller. Then we can get started."   
      
   Sandra blew out a long, perturbed breath. "That won't help, Nichols."   
      
   One greying blond eyebrow arched at her dropping his title. Like her brother,   
   it was obvious formality meant little to this woman. "Oh?"   
      
   She tossed her chestnut waves. "Andrea dropped by to discuss Evans's   
   retirement funds. Whittington's firm is up to something illegal. We won't know   
   the details until we get the background on James Andrews and his art dealings.   
   That's why we don't need to    
   wait."   
      
   "Don't need to wait for what?" Andrea Rosen spoke from the doorway before   
   hurrying over to stand by her former partner. "Sandra, Andrews may be a   
   dead-end, literally. I've been trying to track him down since we spoke on   
   Monday. He was scheduled at a    
   major arts show in La Jolla yesterday, but he never appeared. He had posted a   
   list of exhibitions he would be attending on his web-page, but some phone   
   calls I've made indicate he had missed them all since June Third." She pointed   
   to the papers. "So,    
   take your time explaining all this. These may be our only leads."   
      
   "Thanks, Ros." Nichols turned to look up at her. "I'll put a couple of my   
   agents on checking into his activities, since both you Themyscirans agree   
   that's where we need to look next."   
      
   Donato and Gonzales exchanged a glance. "Now we'll see this move forward,   
   Rich." The thick-chested detective grinned while his Latino partner nodded   
   energetically.   
      
   Sandra eyed the younger woman with approval. Here was a mind she could work   
   with. If her brother had made common ground with her, perhaps he was not the   
   intellectual lightweight she had feared. She set about explaining the   
   connections to the former    
   partners.   
      
   As she concluded, Phil Nichols chewed his mustache before turning to the San   
   Diego detectives. "So, did you ever run across a Doctor Isimaru or Zama in   
   your researches?"   
      
   Jerry Donato rose from his seat. "No, should we have?"   
      
   Rosen, who had been propped against the window behind Nichols, crossed her   
   arms. "His name had shown up in one of the cases Mulder and Scully   
   investigated about three years ago. I read about him while we were in their   
   section. A real nasty piece of work."   
      
   The balding Montanan grunted. "His ethical standards for his medical research   
   were far, far below what anyone who has taken a Hippocratic oath should   
   follow, shall we say." He glanced up at his former partner, whose short curls   
   bobbed once. The three who    
   had come to see them were not yet ready to know what they knew.   
      
   Sandra was adding a note to one of the papers. "I'll ask around with some of   
   my Japanese colleagues. They may be able to give me contacts inside the   
   medical community that I can follow up on." She eyed Jerry. "So, has this been   
   helpful?"   
      
   The thick-chested detective nodded. "It's at least pointed out some new   
   avenues of investigation we can explore, Sandra." He turned to his partner.   
   "Rich, shall we get going? I think the Sarge would like to be updated on this."   
      
   Richard Gonzales cocked a black eyebrow. "Yeah, he will." He began to extend   
   his hand across Nichols's desk, bumping a leaping mustang as he did so.   
   "Sorry." He righted the sculpture. "So, since we know your hours, we'll have   
   an idea of when we can drop    
   by, ASAC Nichols, if that's alright with you."   
      
   The balding Montanan shook his head. "Normally, I'd say yes, but, Ros and I   
   will be in DC for most of the next week."   
      
   The brunette astronomer drew herself erect. "A couple of our colleagues back   
   at the Bureau are tying the knot this weekend, then Scully gets her   
   commendation on Tuesday." She paused while she and her former partner smiled   
   gleefully at each other. "We'll    
   be in the air tomorrow. It's hardly worth flying back until next Wednesday. We   
   can brief Mulder and Scully fully on what you have found."   
      
   Sandra crossed her arms. "Commendation?" The cases she knew her brother and   
   his partner pursued would seem to involve little positive official recognition.   
      
   Nichols chuckled. "Jerry? Do you want to enlighten the Professor?"   
      
   The black curls bobbed. "Remember the explosion at the Alexandria courthouse,   
   Sandra?"   
      
   She spun. "How could I not? It was all over the news for days."   
      
   The detective sidled up to the chestnut-haired woman, now motionless in the   
   middle of the room, before he reached out to grasp her elbow. "Scully was   
   caught in that, and she worked with the rescue crews to pull people out of the   
   wreckage."   
      
   Her dark eyebrows canted. "So, where was this brother of mine?"   
      
   Nichols crossed his arms on his desk. "On Santorini." He held up his hand at   
   her snort. "He was looking out for your Mother, Sandra, and Scully's as well."   
      
   Andrea Rosen stepped over to her. "Although, knowing him, I'm sure, once he   
   was aware where Scully was and what had happened to her, it took all of their   
   persuasions to keep him from racing back to DC."   
      
   Sandra looked from Rosen to Nichols. "Are you saying what I think you are?"   
      
   The balding Montanan sighed. "Not at all, Doctor Miller. Agents Mulder and   
   Scully are law enforcement partners, exceptionally close and high-functioning,   
   but not any other kind."   
      
   Jerry dropped her arm. "Like Maria and I were." Unable to meet her startled   
   gaze, he bit his lip.   
      
   Sandra put a hand on his shoulder. "Jerry, I didn't mean-"   
      
   He shook his head. "No, most people don't." He stepped away from her. "I would   
   happily have taken that bullet for Maria. If I had been just a little closer,   
   or a few seconds faster, I could have. Losing her was..." He gaze traveled   
   around the room, his    
   eyes unfocused. "So, I know how your brother felt, okay?" He was out the door   
   before his current partner could block his path.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)