From: pecan@hotmail.com   
      
   Author Linda61   
      
   l.vanmaanen@chello.nl   
      
   Category. MT, A, SA   
      
   Rating PG   
      
   Disclaimer Fox and CC own it. I love to play with M&S and then wash them   
   before i send them back to the nurturing arms of their dad CC   
      
   Feedback Yes after the MR Contest.   
      
   Written for MR December fanfic challenge. Train planes and automobiles. 1st   
   place.   
      
   Tracks of my tears.   
      
      
      
   Mulder was pissed, totally. He was called to a case in a town he had never   
   heard of before, Scully wasn't able to come with him because she had to do   
   some 'body slicing', and on top of it all the case turned out to be a hoax.   
   When he wanted to go home, he found his car had broken down and of course   
   there was no way to get another rental here and he wondered if the people of   
   this tiny backwater town had ever heard of planes before, at least that's   
   the impression he got from their vacant looks when he asked for an airport.   
   But there was a train station. Deep joy. So now here he was. Pissed, alone   
   and in a musty old train with several hundred other miserable looking   
   passengers. What a week.   
      
   Reading the file he had wasn't doing him much good this time and of course   
   he didn't think to bring a book along for those boring moments.  He thought   
   it might be best to call Scully to tell her he would be home at the end of   
   the day, but actually he just missed her and wanted to hear her voice.   
   Taking out his phone he pressed the speed dial 1.   
      
   "Scully" .  He smiled, even just hearing her voice put him in a better mood.   
   "Hi, it's me, guess where I am?"   
      
   It got quiet for a couple of seconds and Mulder thought he had lost the   
   connection. "Scully? You still there?"   
      
    "Yeah  I am, I'm listening Mulder. Sounds like you are on a train?" Mulder   
   sighed, how is it possible he got the best FBI agent as a partner and of   
   course best friend. "You really are good Scully, I'm proud."  Scully   
   laughed. "Don't overdo it G-man, everybody could hear the wheels going over   
   the track." Mulder told Scully what happened and after ten minutes they   
   ended the call. Right before Mulder broke the connection he whispered "Love   
   ya", leaving Scully staring at her phone wondering if she'd  really heard   
   what she thought she'd  heard. She walked back to the body she was working   
   on, a vague smile on her lips.   
      
    Hours went by and Mulder decided he needed a drink. He thought he had seen   
   a lounge car when he first got on the train and he decided to go and see if   
   he was able to get a soda there. Stretching his legs wasn't a bad idea   
   either.   
      
   He walked through the train, trying to find that illusive lounge car with a   
   hopefully open buffet. He hadn't been on a train for ages and he took his   
   time just take a look here and there, watching the ever changing countryside   
   roll past. He saw someone returning to their seat holding a drink and asked   
   where he got it. The man pointed in the direction Mulder was going saying;   
   "You can't miss it". He was just crossing a car with compartments when his   
   trained ears suddenly heard something. Quietly he took one step back,   
   knowing the people in the compartment couldn't see him anyway and listened.   
      
   "Andy and Joe, you two go to the front of the train and keep the   
   engine-driver under control. Be sure the train keeps going. While you two do   
   that, the rest of us will spread throughout the train.   
      
   Mulder couldn't believe his ears. Never one to ever usually take a train,   
   but the moment he has to, trouble starts. Maybe he should just ignore what   
   he'd heard and walk on. He sighed. No way he could do that. Duty was too   
   strong in him. He had to stop whatever they were planning, but how? And what   
   exactly was going on?  He decided to warn the driver first, but the moment   
   he turned around the door flew open and he was looking at a gun being stuck   
   under his nose.   
      
   "Stay quiet and walk in front of me back to your seat."  Mulder complied   
   with angry gruff voice, he had no choice knowing so many people were on the   
   train. He didn't have the time to think things over. If only Scully was   
   here, together they could do something constructive while they watched each   
   others backs. He should try to reach her, but with these guys around it was   
   impossible to call her. His gun was in his bag, the other around his ankle,   
   but the risk that they just would start to shoot indiscriminately and hit an   
   innocent bystander was too great.   
      
   When he reached his seat he sat down. First he needed to find out what their   
   plans were before he could do anything. He sighed loudly. The man held the   
   gun low under his jacket so other people couldn't see it and Mulder asked:   
   "So, don't suppose they are a shooting 'Diagnosis Murder' episode? What now,   
   you're gonna rob us?" By trying for lightness he hoped to get some answers   
   and he was a bit surprised when the man hissed; "Do I look like Dick Van   
   Dyke? no! Shut up!" Not much information, but at least Mulder knew it wasn't   
   a robbery.   
      
   Suddenly the man, Mulder later discovered his name was Luke, produced his   
   gun and gestured with it clearly to the people in the train, amidst shrieks   
   of alarm. "Okay!! Everybody stay in your seat. Nobody talks or turns around.   
   If you do what we say, nothing will happen, no one gets hurt and this will   
   be over before you know it!" A wave of shocked gasps went through the train,   
   but knowing they hadn't much choice the terrified men and women complied   
   immediately. Then the gunmen took out a picture and started looking at it,   
   turning around scanning the people's faces.   
      
   'I get it' Mulder thought. 'They're looking for someone'. Carefully he tried   
   to take a look at the photo, Luke was still standing near to him. He had to   
   ease out of his seat a little to get a better view, but suddenly Luke's hand   
   grabbed a fistful of his hair and pushed him back. "I said STAY in your   
   SEAT!! Next time I'm not going to be this friendly." Finally let go of   
   Mulder's hair but not before he had enough time to take a peek. Mulder   
   winced, cradling his his head, but he seen the picture and knew who the   
   intended victim was that they were looking for.   
      
   Luke walked away still searching faces, leaving terrified people behind.   
   When he was far enough Mulder lifted his leg and checked his ankle gun. Next   
   to him a man stared at him, huge frightened eyes following his movements.   
   "Are you a cop?" he whispered. "Ssshhht" Mulder said "FBI" but if they know   
   what I am they will surely kill me. "Maybe you can help me" the man   
   whispered again "I think, no, I know they're looking for me, even though I   
   didn't see the photo." Mulder looked up surprised. "Don't think so, I saw   
   it, it wasn't you." He concentrated on what he was doing, ignoring the man   
   who he thought had it totally wrong. Carefully he took out his other gun   
   from the bag and stashed it under his jacket. Also he checked the phone in   
   his pocket. "I have to warn Scully" Mulder muttered more to himself than his   
   neighbor.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)