From: mrkeller829@gmail.com   
      
   =====o==================================   
   "Chermera" by Mary Ruth Keller Part 27  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=====   
      
   Chapter VI –  Living in Harmony    
      
   -----o-----------------------------------o-----   
      
   The ex-Sheriff is thrown into the saloon to land at the feet of the Judge.   
      
   Judge: (bangs whiskey glass on table) Let justice be done!   
      
   A jury assembles as the ex-Sheriff stands and frees himself of the ropes used   
   to drag him back into town.   
      
   Judge: (picks up gavel, bangs twice) Order! Order! Court is in session!   
      
   Ex-Sheriff: Charge?   
      
   Judge: Against you, none. You were only held in protective custody. You're   
   free to go.   
      
   Silently, the ex-Sheriff turns slowly to leave.   
      
   Judge: The People of Harmony against Katherine Johnson! Will the accused step   
   forward? You are accused of aiding a prisoner to escape. How do you plead?   
      
   Katherine says nothing.   
      
   Townsmember: Judge, you just said he weren't a criminal. He was bein' held in   
   protective custody.   
      
   Judge: She didn't know that.   
      
   Townsmember silently steps back.   
      
   Judge: How do you plead?   
      
   Katherine again says nothing.   
      
   Cut to the town square.   
      
   The townspeople wait inside the saloon. As the judge checks his watch, the   
   jury files back in.   
      
   Judge: Have you reached a verdict?   
      
   Foreman: We have, Your Honor.   
      
   Judge: Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?   
      
   Foreman: Guilty.   
      
   Judge: We'll pass sentence later. Take her away.   
      
   Katherine is led off. The Judge joins the ex-Sheriff, who has just asked the   
   bartender for a whiskey.   
      
   Judge: When you work for me, I'll let her go.   
      
   Ex-Sheriff: You're a bad judge.   
      
   Judge: We'll see. We'll see.   
      
   The Kid, who had been waiting by the horse trough, walks into the Saloon,   
   places his top hat on the bar, then wordlessly slides his second gun over to   
   the ex-Sheriff, who is still drinking his whiskey. The ex-Sheriff ignores it,   
   eventually looking at the    
   Kid. The Kid repeatedly tries to force a shootout on the ex-Sheriff, finally   
   grazing the ex-Sheriff's face and hand.   
      
   Judge: (enters, stopping the Kid) Hold it! I've been looking for you, Kid.   
   I've decided to offer you your old job back. Go and take care of the jail.   
      
   Ex-Sheriff: (slides the second gun back to the Kid) It takes two of these to   
   take care of a woman.   
      
   The Kid tries to shoot the ex-Sheriff, but the Judge blocks him.   
      
   Judge: There's always another time.   
      
   The Kid takes up his gun and hat and leaves.   
      
   Judge: The Kid's real fond of Kathy, but he does tend to get over-affectionate.   
      
   Ex-Sheriff: If anything happens, it will be paid for.   
      
   Judge: Nothing would happen if you were Sheriff.   
      
                              Living in Harmony   
      
   -----o-----------------------------------o-----   
      
   Fluid Dynamics Lab   
   Scripps Institute of Oceanography   
   La Jolla, CA   
   Friday, June 19, 1998, 7:51 pm   
      
   Guided by his partner's hands, Mulder staggered out, back the way they had   
   come. He could barely see, or hear, or think. Putting one foot in front of the   
   other took all the mental energy he had. Without remembering passing outside,   
   they were by the    
   Taurus, she shielding his head as he fell into the passenger seat as if he   
   were a handcuffed suspect. He numbly watched her buckle him in, close the   
   door, then climb behind the wheel. His gaze shifted to the concrete brick wall   
   of Sandra's laboratory as    
   a man in a turban, with several others he vaguely recognized as graduate   
   students, approached the Taurus. Scully was speaking to them, something about   
   a celebration, about offering support to someone, but he paid no attention to   
   the words. He heard the    
   sadness in her tone; knew the little group was dispersing, to where, he   
   remained unconcerned. It was as if he were at the bottom of a hole, the dirt   
   pouring in on top of him, but he cared not that he only had to stand to reach   
   the top, to crawl out. He    
   felt nothing as she turned the key, then they drove away.   
      
   --o-0-o--   
      
   roof of Northern Trust Tower   
   along La Jolla Village Drive   
   La Jolla, CA   
   Friday 8:09 pm   
      
   Luther spoke into the headset resting snug against his cheek. "Okay, I see   
   them coming. The blinker is on. They're turning in here. Your code got that   
   right."   
      
   'Ace''s voice was soft in his ear. "Okay. They didn't even slow down at my   
   location, so it's your show. There's a 75% probability they'll pull into the   
   Bank of America parking lot, so you'll have a clear shot of the passenger   
   seat. Take it when you can."   
      
   Since the long summer day was falling into twilight, the balding operative   
   rotated his IR goggles in his headset to view through them. "She's driving."   
      
   "There was a 40% probability of that. You'll have to try to get them out of   
   the car with the strobe. Mulder won't be able to resist checking it out."   
      
   Without raising the protruding lenses, he lifted the lamp out of his backpack,   
   then rested it on the gravel next to him. "She's coming." He swiveled the   
   silencer onto the barrel. "No, she's turning left into the parking garage.   
   I've lost the shot."   
      
   "Then get down to the upper balcony. They're 80% likely to drive to one of the   
   upper floors where they can minimize the risk of attack by an assailant on   
   foot while they converse, so you should be able to target them from there.   
   You'll be in the dark    
   where you are, and they'll be in light, so you should have a clear aim. Get   
   moving! Now!"   
      
   His rifle tucked under his arm, Luther scrambled to the roof access. "How do I   
   get onto the balcony without setting off alarms?"   
      
   He heard a few clicks. "The main power control for the alarm system is right   
   there as you leave the roof. The owners thought they were being clever by   
   putting it where it was hardest to get to from the ground."   
      
   "But, what about a guard?"   
      
   A soft snort of derision entered his ear. "That's what made this building so   
   perfect. The tenants went penny-wise, deciding they could cheap out by   
   depending only on electronic surveillance. I've long since tapped the secure   
   network back to the company    
   they use when we decided to try this, so I can induce a fake all-clear to   
   cover you when you take out the alarm system. They weren't expecting anyone   
   could stick a landing on that big 15 on the roof the way you did when you   
   parachuted in."   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)