Waiting for the Axe to Fall by Tarlan 30th Sep 1998

E-MAIL ADRESS: TarlanX@aol.com

SPOILER WARNING: This story starts after 'The End' and finishes after the XF
movie 'Fight the Future'. It is one of many possible futures for our boys but I
sincerely doubt it will be the one CC has chosen.

RATING: NC-17 - Krycek, Mulder, slash (Don't you just love those words together.)

CONTENT WARNING: Pretty graphic M/K, some violence, not much swearing.

SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully are assigned some 'help' on a new case.

COMMENTS: If you don't like slash then stop right here and go elsewhere for
'entertainment'. Thanks to Aqualegia for all the encouragement, advice and beta
reading. Oh yes... it's all your fault!! Any and all comments gratefully received
via Aqualegia - as long as its constructive. Flames will be used for making
toast.

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Alex Krycek and all other X-Files regulars belong to
Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and FOX Television. No copyright infringement
intended. Any characters you haven't heard of before, are copyrighted to me.

Waiting for the Axe to Fall

by Tarlan

There are those who fail
There are those who fall
There are those who will never win
And there are those who fight for the things they believe
These are men like you and me

*** Snows of New York by
Chris de Burgh

Krycek sneered at the retreating back well aware that yet another chance to kill
that smoking bastard had slipped through his grasp and he wondered how many more
times he would have to hold back on exacting his revenge. He gave a sideways
glance at his silent 'patron' then flicked his gaze to the rear view mirror to
find a large pair of eyes staring back at him from a young boy's face.

The Well-Manicured Man had not told him what he wanted with the boy but Krycek
knew it must have something to do with the man's continuing efforts to find a way
to resist the colonisation of Earth. This single-minded devotion to Humanity's
future was the only reason he had allied himself to this man - that and the
greater possibility of becoming the executioner of the person Mulder referred to
sarcastically as Cancerman.

He set the car in motion picking up speed quickly, perversely aiming for his
betrayer but pulling the car aside at the last moment sending a small shower of
stones that must have caught the back of Cancerman's legs. In the rear view
mirror he thought he saw an almost imperceptible slackening of posture before the
man continued to walk away - relief? - perhaps Cancerman had been expecting to
feel something high-speed slamming into him; a bullet or a car.

"Why do you want to kill him?"

Krycek glanced back in to the rear view as memories flooded into his mind of
being left to die in a dark place with no food, no water and only an alien
spacecraft with its sinister occupant for 'company'.

"....Oh."

A frown crept across his forehead, crinkling the skin over his nose and with it
came realisation: telepathy. Krycek raised a shield around his mind, just as he
had been shown by the alien who had once taken over his body, and watched as the
boy's eyes widened when the cacophony of voices fell to the single thoughts of
the Well-Manicured Man.

Gibson Praise opened his mouth to ask Krycek how he did it but remained silent
when he saw an unmistakable glitter in the green eyes. If there was one lesson he
had learnt in his young life it was that there were times when he had to keep
another's thoughts to himself.

The car pulled back onto the highway and Gibson spent the remainder of the ride
with only the unspoken words of the old man and his own fears for company.

His new apartment was small and impersonal. It wasn't in the most fashionable
part on the Upper East Side but it was close enough to ensure he could be at his
Employer's beck and call, night or day. The Well-Manicured Man had given him the
keys within moments of him handing over the stolen Russian vaccine as if he had
known all along what Krycek would do.

At first he had hesitated, unsure whether he wanted anyone to know where he
slept. Trust No-one. It was a motto he had lived by since going on the run but
the Well-Manicured Man had told him the apartment was there if he wanted it. To
be honest, his current financial situation left him little choice; the apartment
or a bed in some flea-bitten hostel used by society's dregs and dropouts. Of
course, he could have used his innate talents to part some unwary individuals
from their money but, despite everything, he still believed in law and order and
could not face the thought of breaking the law merely for personal comfort
especially when he had already been offered somewhere clean and respectable.

He remembered the first time he crossed the threshold. The rooms were tidy, the
bed made-up with fresh linen and the kitchen had been freshly stocked. It was
obvious someone had been there earlier in the day preparing the place especially
for him. Why else would there be half-a-dozen imported Czech lagers in the
refrigerator alongside a bottle of Russian Vodka.

Krycek frowned, deep lines drawing across the bridge of his nose. Somehow or
other he had managed to land on his feet again. When he had arrived on the
Uroff-Koltoff (Star of Russia) he had been hoping to buy his way back into the
Consortium's favour but events had not gone according to plan following his
betrayal by Marita Covarrubias. Yet, despite everything, the Well-Manicured Man
had decided to take him back into the fold - and to prove he was willing to trust
Krycek he had taken him on as his personal driver/bodyguard much to the annoyance
of the First Elder.

At first the absence of the Cigarette-Smoking Man had unnerved him but a few
words here and there had revealed the attempt on the man's life but no-one knew
for certain whether he was dead or alive. The body had disappeared although the
amount of blood at the scene had convinced most that Cancerman was dead.
Secretly, Krycek had hoped he was alive so he could have the pleasure of ending
the man's foul existence and, sure enough, Cancerman had turned up like the
proverbial bad penny.

Over three months had passed since his return from Russia and so far, in return
for the Well-Manicured Man's protection, he only had to chauffeur the man around
and perform a few relatively simple collections and deliveries. Not that a one-
armed man parachuting into a remote part of Quebec could be considered that
simple especially as his team-mate had paid the ultimate price for carelessness.
He wondered whether the simplicity of these tasks were because he was not trusted
with more delicate operations - or whether the Well-Manicured Man kept him apart
for another reason. Whatever the case, he owed the man his life and would be
willing to do almost anything for him. He sneered at himself. If the
Well-Manicured Man had told him to drop his pants and bend over he would have
done so without a struggle. He owed his Employer much more than his body but that
was unlikely to happen. If anything, he felt as if he was being treated like an
errant child, being brought back under control through extensive homework and
short, sharp shocks. He often wondered whether the Well-Manicured Man had
children of his own or whether he had decided to become a surrogate father to his
new agent. Whatever, Krycek felt he was being primed for more important things...
but what?

Krycek stared around the small apartment. The faded wallpaper had seen better
days but overall it was quite opulent compared to some of the places he had
stayed. The phrase, comfortable but practicable, sprang to mind. It's muted
colours, mainly of neutral beige and white gave it a clean, airy feel - a far cry
from the small, dark and dirty cabin he had onboard the Uroff- Koltoff but if
there was a single word that could describe his present accommodation then it
would be 'impersonal'. Krycek was in no hurry to fill it with personal
possessions. There was little point when he might have to leave at a moment's
notice. He thought back and realised that he had not remained in one place longer
than a few months since the day Duane Barry had kidnapped Dana Scully. His gut
twisted and Krycek frowned when he realised how much he blamed the diminutive
woman for the path he had been forced to take in the intervening years.

He laughed softly to himself, deprecatingly. How could he blame her? She was just
as much a victim of circumstance as he - no, it was unfair to make such a
comparison between them. He had brought about his own downfall through sheer
naivet*. Alexei Krycek; green, idealistic, out to save the World....believing he
was a cross between James Bond and Superman. That Morley smoking bastard must
have been pissing his pants in laughter when he recruited him out of College,
barely able to believe that he could find someone so gullible that they would be
willing to do just about anything for their country.

By the end of this, Krycek wanted him to be pissing his pants for a far different
reason and had gained some satisfaction over the past few weeks especially when
he had fired that warning shot and then, perversely, aimed his gun at the man's
head when sent to find him in Quebec.

//Take your shot, Alex// he had said trying to deny the fear that was so obvious
to the younger man. God, how he wished he could have pulled that trigger but he
had his orders to bring the Cigarette-Smoking Man back alive.

His thoughts returned to the brief conversation he had with his Employer after
Cancerman had delivered the boy. He had a clear shot and had offered to kill the
Cigarette-Smoking Man there and then but the Well-Manicured Man had told him
'no'. The words which followed had puzzled him for his Employer was usually very
precise. Not 'we' but 'you' might need Cancerman one day, however, Krycek could
not imagine any scenario involving that black-lunged bastard that didn't include
the man's death.

He threw himself onto the couch drawing deep breaths to get his emotions back
under control. Every time he thought about the Cigarette-Smoking Man he could
feel his chest tighten and his blood boil but there was nothing he could do
except avoid the man at all costs.

He slumped down, head thrown back and stared at the ceiling.

The hardest part about this job was the waiting. Whenever he was in the country,
Krycek would be called upon to ferry his Employer from his residence to the
'Club' at East 46th Street. The remainder of the time was spent reading the
highly sensitive material he was sent, although there had been several side trips
to DC and, of course, the assignment in Canada, to collect the Cigarette-Smoking
Man. Mostly, he stayed near the apartment, although sometimes, when the need for
human contact overwhelmed him he would haunt the local bars, but never in search
of company. Alone in a crowd, he would watch normal people get on with their
normal lives. He was not unaware of his good looks and, often, one of those
normal people, male and female, would try to strike up a conversation but if a
cold look didn't scare them off then the sight of his prosthetic arm usually did
the trick. He sneered. It was about the only advantage the loss of his arm had
given him and even that was a mixed blessing.

Most nights he would stay in and read wondering whether any of the other members
of the Consortium knew about the amount of data he had become privy to.
Sometimes, the sheer scale of the Plan and its implications became too much to
cope with and he would spend an evening vegetating in front of the TV. This was
such a night.

He settled down into the corner of the overstuffed yet comfortable couch and
flicked on the TV, surfing the channels for anything that even slightly
interested him but nothing did until a close-up of Lt Tom Paris filled the
screen. Star Trek; practically an institution nowadays but at least it provided
some escapism from his present existence. He just hoped it wouldn't be too much
of a moralistic episode as the last thing he needed to hear right now was Janeway
spouting about loyalty and justice.

He'd heard a similar speech from most of the people he had ever worked with but
very few had deserved such loyalty although most had attained some form of divine
justice by his reckoning. Mulder had been one of the exceptions. It still pained
him that he had been forced to betray the begrudging bond that had started to
form between them. If only.... His entire existence seemed to be full of 'if
only'.

The Well-Manicured Man listened to the debate in silence. He had heard it all
before and shook his head slightly in barely concealed disgust as the First Elder
re-emphasised the need to follow the Colonist's agenda to the letter. The men in
this room were supposed to be some of the most powerful people on the face of the
planet yet they milled around and argued pitifully about the consequences of any
opposition to the Colonist plans for Earth. They had bought the 'party line' fed
to them by the Aliens ignoring the truth like lambs waiting for the slaughter.

He thought again how fortunate he was that Alex Krycek had been in Kazakhstan and
had recognised the implications behind the mass murders at the Staging. More
importantly, that he had chosen to bring the sole survivor and a vial of the
Russian vaccine back to America as a bartering piece.

Until then no-one had any idea that Marita Covarrubias had been 'consorting' with
the enemy - in more ways than one. Somehow, she had managed to inveigle her way
into becoming Alex Krycek's associate, probably using her UN connections to help
him escape Russia with the boy. How else could she have known where to find
Krycek?

It was just as fortunate that when she decided to double-cross everyone for
Mulder, she had betrayed Krycek's whereabouts to the Consortium rather than to
the FBI Agent and, through sheer luck, she had chosen him to be the recipient of
that information. The Well-Manicured Man assumed the reason was to have Krycek
eliminated so he could not go after her. Of course, she could have told Mulder
but he had a habit of letting Krycek escape.

The Well-Manicured Man smiled slightly as he remembered the stunned look on the
young man's face as he searched around an empty room deep in the bowels of the
Russian ship. It was only then that he realised Covarrubias had betrayed both of
them and had taken the boy. Krycek had whirled round to continue his search only
to find himself being watched by the man he had disparaged on the phone only a
few hours earlier. The Well- Manicured Man had made sure Krycek spotted the gun
held loosely by his side and his expression made it obvious that he would only
use it if the younger man made any stupid moves.

Handcuffing the renegade agent to one of the many pipes that ran through the
storage room seemed the proper course of action for, without the boy, that left
only Krycek with the knowledge of what had happened in Kazakhstan.

It took most of the day to trace Covarrubias. She had managed to travel to the
outskirts of Washington DC before stopping to contact Mulder but the woman had
unwittingly allowed the stitches sealing the boy's eyes, nose and mouth to dry
out making it possible for the alien-controlled boy to remove them. The weakened
alien had transferred to the woman before she could complete the call to Agent
Mulder but the ever present tap on Mulder's so-called secure line at the Bureau
had led his people to her long before Mulder could arrive on the scene.

Convincing Krycek to part with the vaccine had turned out to be relatively easy
once he had explained the situation to the recalcitrant man. Fortunately, Krycek
had not called his bluff when he had proposed to let the Russian ship return to
Vladivostok with him still onboard. He contained another smile at the petulance
displayed as Krycek stated he had no intention of saving Covarrubias. His
statement had merely confirmed his possession of the vaccine.

By rights he should have extracted the information from Krycek and then killed
him but, instead, he had taken pity on the young man. He knew most of Krycek's
chequered history and had watched his fall from grace with a certain amount of
regret. The boy had shown great potential and he had hoped to entice him into
working for him instead of his cigarette smoking associate but the inexperienced
agent had been too clever for his own good. He had started to question the
methods and reasons for the actions he was being ordered to take, deliberately
going against those that did not sit well with his own sense of right and wrong.
When he had escaped the car bomb and gone on the run there was little that could
be done to rectify the situation. Krycek was on his own - or so it must have
seemed.

The Well-Manicured Man smiled slightly, wondering whether Alex Krycek had any
inkling of the hard covert work it had taken to keep him safe from the
Cigarette-Smoking Man over the past few years. Well, his time and effort had paid
off. If Krycek had not survived then it was unlikely the Americans would now be
in possession of the Russian vaccine. Also, if he had not converted Krycek to his
cause then he would not have been able to get a message to Mulder to save the
life of the Rebel leader.

Marita Covarrubias had recovered from the Black Oil, having unwittingly become
the guinea pig to prove the Russian vaccine worked. It had taken longer than
originally estimated probably because the Russians vaccinated first and then
exposed the victims to the Oilians. He had still not decided what to do with the
young woman. The others had wanted her 'taken out of the picture' but her actions
were no different from those of Alexei Krycek. Or were they? Someone had paid her
quite handsomely for passing sensitive information to Agent Mulder. The same
could not be said for Alexei Krycek who had given information to whoever could
cause the most damage - free of charge in most cases. So who was the more
trustworthy - the woman who could be bought or the man who truly believed in the
cause?

Yes, he mused, Alex Krycek's return had been most fortuitous giving him more hope
than he had felt in three decades. With the vaccine and with the Rebel Aliens on
his side he finally had the chance to turn the tables on the invading Colonists.

He sighed once more in annoyance. Despite all this, here they were, arguing
feebly about the consequences of using what they had gained, too afraid the
Colonists would withdraw their promise to spare the lives of them and their
families yet never considering how worthless such promises were. These frightened
old men had become the Planet's greatest enemies but he could not change that.
Every action had to be thought through carefully with no room for mistakes. If
they ever discovered he had aided the Rebel's escape and had been undermining
their attempts to end the Alien war then he had no illusions as to where the next
car bomb would be placed. All he could do was battle on quietly, leaking
information to the right people whenever possible - and hope he didn't get caught
before his work was done.

"She has produced results worthy of our respect. Her attempts to create a new
variation..."

"But her methods are questionable..."

"The results speak for themselves..."

The Well-Manicured Man decided it was time to speak.

"Her research is no longer of any relevance. We have a vaccine. She has become a
liability that must be removed."

The Cigarette-Smoking Man sucked hard on the ever-present Morley and exhaled a
cloud of blue smoke.

"You mean eliminated."

"My God, Man. Must everyone be murdered. Too many inexplicable deaths or
disappearances will put the World's media onto us. She knows nothing beyond her
genetic experimentation. She has no link to us or to our knowledge of
extra-terrestrials. Let her fall foul of the known laws of this land and its
consequences."

The First Elder spoke softly.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"Agent Mulder." The Well-Manicured Man glanced around and the puzzled yet
intrigued faces. "Tell Agent Mulder there is more to the girl's death than has
been revealed. The man is tenacious and has superior deductive skills. With a few
pointers in the right direction he will uncover her vile experiments and have her
taken into custody. The Court will ensure she receives a punishment to fit her
crime."

Silence followed until the First Elder made his decision.

"You will make the necessary arrangements?"

"Yes."

He glanced around the room as each nodded their agreement to his plan. As the
last person left the room he smiled. The renegade Doctor had worked quite closely
with his dead lover, Dr Bonita Charne-Sayre and Bonita had hated her, constantly
questioning her inhumane approach. It felt good to be the one to bring about her
downfall.

The smile faltered. In his own way he had loved Bonita and her murder had caused
him much personal grief. At first he had tried to locate the assassin, Vassily
Peskow, but knew the man was just doing a job. Further investigation had provided
him with the name of the man who had ordered the assassination: Comrade Arntzen
and his contact - Dr Martha J Hudson.

At first he had been mislead into believing that Alexei Krycek and Arntzen were
one in the same but it soon became apparent that they were two separate people.
Krycek had sent Peskow to America to dispose of the Black Oil rock not realising
that the assassin had received additional instructions from the Krasnoyarsk
Controller, Arntzen, to eliminate the intended recipient, Dr Charne-Sayre and
destroy her work. Arntzen was well aware that America and Russia were in a race
to be the first to produce a vaccine against the Black Oil with World domination
the prize at stake. By eliminating Dr Charne-Sayre and her work he would set the
Americans back by more than a decade.

A half-smile lifted the corners of his mouth. He had already set the wheels in
motion that would ensure Comrade Arntzen paid for what he had done and now he
would deal with Dr Hudson.

His thoughts returned to his new prot*g*. It was time to re- introduce Alexei
Krycek to Special Agent Fox Mulder and his partner. If his plan worked then, not
only would he be rid of Dr Hudson but he would have created a formidable trio
that may just make the difference in the coming fight for the future. Fox Mulder,
highly intelligent, determined, a crusader. Dana Scully, an expert in Forensics
and Alexei Krycek, currently being primed with all the knowledge he possessed on
both the Colonists and the Consortium's involvement - past, present and future.

The Well-Manicured Man reached for the telephone and dialled a familiar number.

The phone rang pulling him away from the depressing thoughts and he debated
whether or not to answer but then realised that only one man had this number: his
new Employer.

"Yes."

//Mr Krycek, I want you to feed some information to Agent Mulder.>

Krycek felt his breath catch. There were so few opportunities to indulge in his
favourite pastime: Mulder watching, that it gave him a feeling close to ecstasy
when he was actually given a task that would bring him back into contact with the
FBI agent.

He listened carefully, almost gratefully, as the Englishman stated his
instructions but left the delivery method up to the younger agent. Krycek smiled.
It was fortunate his superior rarely questioned his methods otherwise he might
have found it strange that Krycek went to such lengths to deliver the goods
face-to-face when a telephone call or cryptic note would suffice.

The smile faded. Despite his new alliance, Krycek knew it would be foolish to
allow his private hopes and dreams to become known. After all, his alliance with
Cancerman had left him sitting on top of a car bomb and, later, left for dead in
an abandoned missile silo in North Dakota. Who knows what use his present
Employer would make of Krycek's attraction to the FBI Agent should it become
known. No, despite everything he owed to the Well-Manicured Man, he would have to
be very careful not to reveal anything that could jeopardise his safety - or
Mulder's.

He pushed aside his concerns knowing the chances of anything happening were very
slim and focused his mind on the task ahead, wondering how best to approach the
other man.

His thoughts raced back to the first time he had contacted Mulder since their
return from Tunguska. He had waited behind the door and watched as Mulder walked
slowly towards the piece of paper he had left lying where the light from the
outside corridor would catch it. Mulder had crouched over and picked it up and,
for once, that paranoid mind had not connected anything overly sinister to that
scrap of paper, just puzzlement at what it could be doing lying on the floor just
there.

On reflection, Alex decided he must have assumed it had fallen from his own
pocket as he left his apartment that morning but Krycek had taken full advantage
of the other's distraction, getting his own back for some of the uncalled-for
punches that Mulder had dealt during past encounters.

With Mulder cornered, his own gun pressed against his chest, Krycek had delivered
his Employer's message with all the sincerity he could muster. Hoping to convince
Mulder that he was being handed something of great importance rather than being
used once again revealing more than he should but knowing how necessary it was
that Fox Mulder believed him. However, at the time, he could not explain the
sudden urge to kiss the other man; an urge he had acted upon. Nor could he
explain the nonchalant way he had handed over the gun after delivering the
message.

Even now he wondered at the indifference he had felt, unconcerned whether or not
Mulder would take the opportunity to avenge his father's death but no bullet had
slammed into his unprotected back. Instead, his thoughts still lingered on those
few seconds when his mouth had grazed Mulder's stubbled cheek and, in his mind's
eye, he almost believed Mulder had accepted the kiss, turning his face towards
him rather than away in disgust.

Since then, he had met with the FBI agent on two more occasions under the orders
of his patron, passing snippets of information that would both arouse Mulder's
curiosity and expose elements of the Plan that would have a detrimental effect on
the one true goal: to rid Earth of the invading Colonists. On both occasions he
had snuck up on the Agent unawares; once by waiting in the back seat of his car
in a darkened parking lot, the second time by waiting in the shadows beneath the
supposedly impenetrable FBI Headquarters.

Each time he had felt desire course through his nerve endings as he breathed in
the very real scent of this man; the fresh citrus tang of soap and after-shave
that drifted above an earthier smell which was unique to Fox Mulder. In the semi-
darkness, Mulder's eyes had seemed almost black, his golden skin tones washed to
sallow in the bleaching yellow parking lot lights but Krycek had his memories
garnered from watching Mulder from afar whenever the opportunity arose.

He barely withheld a smirk as he remembered one occasion when he waited in the
park in full view of all the early morning joggers. Mulder had run past without
even glancing in his direction, the sharp, incisive mind absent from that
athletic frame as it pondered the mysteries of the Universe. He was, after all,
just one more newspaper-concealed office worker taking a quiet break before the
start of another day. Krycek's eyes had followed the lean, almost lanky, figure
hungrily as the long legs carried him off into the distance, marvelling at the
sight of muscles bunching and releasing with each stride.

For a moment he considered leaving his assigned task until morning and waiting
for Mulder along his jog route, mentally visualising the muscular frame soaked in
sweat, hair dampened by the exertion but sighed in weary disappointment. The
message had to be delivered quickly.

Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. Following the destruction of the basement
office, Mulder and Scully had been reassigned to more mainstream FBI cases but,
if Mulder was running true to form then he would continue to work until late into
the night on a more personal case, that of trying to piece together the burnt
remains of the X-Files, giving Krycek plenty of time to get down to DC.

He decided on his plan of action and pushed himself off the sofa, tugging off his
white T-shirt as he moved towards the bedroom. Once there he strapped on the
prosthesis and re- dressed choosing a dark shirt, black denims and his black
leather jacket. He wasn't a vain man but quickly assessed himself in the full
length wardrobe mirror, running a hand through short, cropped hair before pulling
a dark leather glove onto his right hand. The artificial hand was already
covered. He paused once at the threshold, glancing back into the flickering
lounge but decided to leave the TV on. It might deter the local street gang from
breaking in if they thought the place was occupied.

FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder stepped inside his apartment, pushed the door closed
and shrugged out of his raincoat. He shook some of the rain from his head before
making his way across the room into the bathroom, switching on a table lamp on
route. He splashed water over his face and then stared at himself in the shaving
mirror. He'd made so little progress today despite his photographic memory. He
lowered his head as he felt the sting of tears. When had his life turned to total
crap? If not for Scully then he felt he would go mad. His existence seemed to be
spinning slowly round, aimlessly, except for those few occasions when Alex Krycek
popped his head out of the woodwork like the rat he had named him. Ratboy.

Mulder sighed. Why was it so impossible to stop thinking about Alex Krycek? Even
his dreams, once overflowing with erotic images, dredged up from his vast porno
collection, were filled with the dark presence. He couldn't even escape from him
while jogging, feeling almost certain he had seen Krycek, or at least someone
very like him, on one occasion but that couldn't be possible. The other man knew
better than to come out into the open anywhere near lest he find a bullet placed
neatly between his ears but Mulder could not shake the feeling that he had run
past the... the...

How should he describe Alexei Krycek? Ex-FBI Agent? Double, no, Triple Agent?
Traitor, Murderer, Russian Agent? Ratboy...? But none of these truly encompassed
the man, there was so much more to him, so many layers that he could spend a
lifetime peeling Alex Krycek down to the core. The Psychologist in him wanted to
try.. and so did another part of him that ached when he found Alex Krycek in his
thoughts.

His mind replayed the moment of the fatal kiss that had turned his life
upside-down. The sudden pressure of soft lips, the cool air against his damp
cheek as Alex pulled away. Why? Why did Alex kiss him? Did Alex know how it would
affect him? Was it some mischievous repayment for that stupid comment about
beating himself with one hand? A reminder that it didn't have to be that way -
for either of them?

"This is stupid. Stupid." Mulder castigated himself as he reached for a hand
towel.

He returned from the bathroom scrubbing his wet hair with the towel,
concentrating so intensely on the task at hand that he almost missed the small
shuffle as something moved in his apartment. Instinct took over and brought an
instant reaction as Mulder drew his SIG Sauer; the towel dropping to the floor in
a small insignificant heap.

"One of these days it won't be a friendly visitor."

Mulder relaxed slightly as the husky, well remembered voice reached him. Knowing
that, if Alex wanted him dead then he would already be quite dead, yet, at the
same time, wondering whether he had somehow conjured up this man while he was
thinking of him in the bathroom.

"You're no friend, Krycek."

Krycek grimaced as a heart-rending sadness crushed his chest and watched as
Mulder lowered the gun but make no effort to holster it. At least they had
reached a point where they could talk without needing to hold a gun to each
other's head. His own was lying near his right hand on the couch; a dull metallic
gleam in the lamplight.

"I assume your Master has some dirty linen he wants me to wash and air."

Krycek refused to be lured into a slanging match instead he pushed a cutting from
a newspaper across the coffee table towards his one-time partner being careful
not to move too far into the weak light emanating from the side-table. Mulder
picked up the cutting, his eyes never leaving the shadowed face, wishing he had
flicked on the overhead lights rather than the concealing lamp. It had been so
long since he had seen Alex Krycek in full light. He gestured to the piece of
paper in his hand.

"What is it?"

The silence lengthened until Mulder was forced to move towards the lamp where he
could quickly scan the paper to satisfy his curiosity. Krycek stayed deep in the
shadow, unmoving except for eyes that followed the tall agent as Mulder crossed
the room, casting long shadows that touched him as the Agent moved between him
and the lamp's meagre light.

"Jennifer Lewis, age four, drowned after wandering into the Everglades." Mulder
glanced back to where Krycek sat as if made of stone. "Tragic but?"

"Poor little Jennifer isn't the only accidental death in Christchurch, Florida."

Mulder scanned through the print once more, this time trying to read between the
lines of text.

"You're implying this wasn't an accident." Mulder watched as Krycek pushed
himself up from the couch. The former agent walked towards the door without
looking back but Mulder wasn't about to let him go and crossed the room in two
quick strides. The sudden grip on his arm swung Krycek around to face Fox Mulder.

"What's going on, Krycek? Is this another Emily?"

For the briefest moment, he thought Mulder was going to resume his habit of using
him for a punch bag and was half prepared to defend himself as he shrugged off
the hand that still clung to the sleeve of his leather jacket, but Mulder made no
move, despite the aggressive body language. He turned back towards the door
throwing one more sentence Mulder's way before shutting it behind him.

"Maybe I'll see you down there."

As he walked down the hallway his thoughts were in a turmoil. He had done it
again; turned his back on Mulder and walked away in a manner that could only be
perceived as arrogant. He wondered if Mulder would ever realise how much he
offered him... that if he had to die then death at Mulder's hand would be a far
better fate than any other he could imagine.

He turned up the leather collar and buried his good hand deep into the pocket of
his jacket as he entered the rain-drenched street. It had started to rain while
he had been waiting inside for Mulder, the pitter-patter of droplets striking the
window pane lulling his body into much needed sleep. Only the sound of the key
turning in the lock had awakened him but he had the sense and experience to
remain still, knowing how the human eye tended to catch motion.

Krycek paused mid-step, tempted to look back to see if Fox Mulder was watching
him from the window that overlooked the street but savagely pushed down that need
and carried on. He had left his car two blocks away to avoid Mulder becoming
suspicious of an unknown vehicle parked close by, wanting the total element of
surprise but now, as droplets forced their way down the back of his neck he
regretted that decision. His step increased slightly as he spotted his rented
Chrysler Neon in the distance.

As he crossed the last intersection he noticed a car drawing up beside him. His
first thought was that this might be a red- light district, the driver cruising
around looking for some paid company to shut out the chill of a cold, rainy night
but he had seen no sign of prostitutes or rent boys on the walk to Mulder's
apartment. His next thought was to run until a well- hated voice cut through the
night air.

"I assume you have passed on the information as instructed."

Krycek stood beside the car door, refusing to look towards his personal nemesis,
the rain running in rivulets down his face. So, this particular assignment was
not set up by his Employer. The Consortium must have made the decision to use Fox
Mulder and left the details to the Well-Manicured Man.

"Was he interested?"

Krycek pursed his lips, not wanting to speak lest it gave the other man some
right over him but he had no option. He had to work with this man no matter how
much it cut him up inside.

"I believe so."

"Very good, Alex."

The smug voice grated on Krycek's nerves and it was all he could do to stop
himself from turning and spitting directly into the man's face but, fortunately,
the electric window rolled back up before he could lose control. The dark sedan
pulled away smoothly, disappearing into the night leaving Krycek alone on the
dark, wet street, wondering whether he had somehow betrayed himself to Cancerman.

As his car sped away, the Cigarette-Smoking Man lit another Morley and smiled.

It had not taken him long to discover how Krycek had managed to ingratiate
himself with the Consortium once more although, at first, he had declined to
believe the rumour that his ex- prot*g* had been sleeping with Marita
Covarrubias. Sex could be a powerful weapon in the right hands and he had felt
momentary disappointment with Krycek for allowing her to deceive him so
effectively. No, he could not believe the agent would be so foolish as to trust
her implicitly and, sure enough, when he learnt that she had turned up infected
by the Black Oil he had felt an almost paternal pride in the younger man's
ingenuity.

He knew from personal experience that Alex Krycek was not averse to using sex as
a means to an end and had probably used her to provide a means of escape from
Russia with the Kazakhstan boy. It was one of the many reasons he had recruited
him rather than search for some other idealistic young man. He also knew Alex had
a preference towards males and someone willing to bed either sex was a much
greater asset to him in a game where blackmail and subterfuge played such a vital
role, plus, Alex Krycek was a very good-looking man.

His thoughts turned to the reason why he was driving through the streets of
Washington DC in the pouring rain so late at night. To his knowledge this was the
third time Krycek had chosen to visit Mulder personally to deliver information
rather than use more discreet methods.

He took a long drag, the red tip glowing brighter in the darkened interior of the
car. Perhaps Special Agent Fox William Mulder had become such a preference. He
exhaled softly. That would be a shame as he had renewed designs on the young man
for himself.

Alex Krycek had preyed on him from the very beginning. In the early days, Alex
had been more than willing to ensure his Employer wanted for nothing, his
response both wanton and energetic but gradually he had changed. Cancerman
realised too late that he had allowed personal lust to overcome discretion.
Krycek had too much intelligence to remain in such a state of naivet* forever. He
had started to question and the answers he found did not match the facts.

Partnering him with Fox Mulder had been a mistake although, at the time, it had
seemed an excellent way of controlling the inquisitive FBI agent but it was
inevitable that Krycek would be seduced by the other's quest, not understanding
why it was so important to keep Mulder from the Truth.

Several disobeyed orders had caused embarrassment but, even so, the decision to
remove his young prot*g* had not come lightly and, if truth be known, he was glad
the attempt had failed.

If it had been Krycek alone then he might have conveniently neglected to hunt
down the younger man, hoping he would disappear until he was forgotten by the
others but Krycek had taken with him the DAT tape containing more information
than any one person had the right to know. Even so, he had a strong suspicion
that someone had helped to keep Krycek safe.

Krycek's reappearance at his apartment as the host body to a strong Oilian had
presented him with a dilemma and he had no choice but to follow the Oilian's
request and return it to its ship. He needed the safe return of the DAT tape to
prove to the others that he could handle his job. The hardest part had been
waiting in the corridor outside Silo 1013 listening to Alex as he pounded on the
door, screaming, pleading to be let out and his resolve had almost weakened but
his orders from the Colonists were clear. No interference, so he had walked away
and tried to forget the beautiful green eyes and soft mouth, convincing himself
that there would be other more desirable bodies to warm the cold nights.

Against all the odds, Krycek had turned up once more to thwart plans to steal
samples of the Russian Black Oil that had been found within a meteor at Tunguska.
How he knew remained a mystery but the reason became clear when Cancerman
discovered how Krycek had infiltrated the Russian Consortium.

He thought back to his hiding place in Quebec. Somehow he had given away his
location - probably through those letters sent to his estranged son. The
Well-Manicured Man had sent Alex Krycek to collect him. He had spent several
hours seated next to his ex-lover on the journey back to the States, feeling both
elated and tormented by the nearness of the warm, familiar body, but Krycek had
sneered at every attempt to remind him of those early days and, by the end of the
journey, he had decided to take the arrogant young man down a peg or two and
slake his own renewed desires at the same time.

Yes, a real pity about Fox William Mulder but possibly the leverage he needed to
get Krycek to do his bidding and share his bed again, willing or not.

Krycek sighed as he shut the door to his apartment behind him.

The journey back to New York had been slower than he would have liked. Delays at
Dulles had added two hours to the trip and it was well after four by the time he
reached the small apartment. During the journey, most of his thoughts had
travelled back in time to a flight from Quebec with Cancerman. He had spent much
of that trip remembering a relationship he would much rather pretend had never
happened and when the older man had pressed his hand firmly on Krycek's thigh,
suggestively, he had barely managed to control the impulse to kill him and be
damned. He had made it abundantly clear that the cancerous old fool would never
touch him intimately again and, for one moment, had seen something very cold and
dark in those rheumy, blue eyes. Cancerman was not the kind of person you wanted
to cross unless you were willing to pay a high price.

This trip had been filled with similar dark thoughts, much to the concern of the
unwary business traveller seated next to him. Eventually, the man had moved away
to another seat, rather than remain within the crackling aura of cold menace
emanating from the handsome stranger.

Krycek took a long, hot shower, hoping to shake off more than just the chill
caused by cold rain seeping down his back. He had been careless - and he had
thought he was being so discreet. Cancerman had not reached such a high position
through lack of attention to detail and the very fact that he was in Mulder's
street waiting for him to leave Mulder's apartment proved he had already figured
out something of importance. How he used that knowledge against his former
employee was the concern.

The hot water eased away the stiffness from the cold, damp air but did little to
warm the chill that had crept into his soul. With a sigh of despair, Krycek
pushed his fears away. There was nothing he could do except wait for the axe to
fall and hope that he would be ready when it did.

He climbed between the cold sheets, pulling a blanket up to his shoulders and,
with the ease of a man who has had to sleep under the most difficult of
circumstances, he surrendered himself to the remainder of the night, hoping that
his dreams would not be filled with the same despair.

10:56 Upper East Side

New York

Krycek yawned. His sleep had not been peaceful. He had suffered from nightmares
ever since his confinement in Silo 1013 but last night they had altered to
include the menacing presence of his ex-Employer. In his dream, Cancerman had
been watching him through the small window in the silo door - he could see the
tip of the ever-present cigarette glowing in the darkness beyond. He had cried
out and seen the old man smiling at him before drifting away in the gloomy
shadows, leaving him to his fate.

His mobile phone trilled, dragging him away from the unpleasant memory.

Krycek smiled as his informant gave him the information he needed. He jotted down
a few details and then punched in the number he had memorised.

"Krycek."

He waited patiently for his Employer to take the call and was rewarded by the
sound of a clipped British accent.

"He's interested. Sources indicate he has already booked two tickets to Florida."

//So he's taking Agent Scully with him.//

Krycek didn't bother to confirm even though the partnership had been disbanded
following the destruction of the X-Files. For some reason, AD Skinner made every
effort to keep Mulder and Scully together using Dana Scully's expertise in
Forensics as justification although it helped that the Well-Manicured Man was in
a position to nudge those higher up in the FBI in the direction he wanted. Of
course it was also easier to manipulate the others when the case seemed to
involve 'normal' rather than 'paranormal' investigation.

//I want you to follow Agents Mulder and Scully. Provide them with direction as
necessary but do not make direct contact with them without my authorisation.//

Krycek nodded to himself, all the time wondering at his parting words to Mulder
and how prophetic they had turned out to be, yet, at the same time, concerned at
his sudden orders to keep a personal watch on the two FBI agents. How much had
Cancerman told the Well-Manicured Man about their past association? Was this a
set-up? Or was he being primed for something more?

Krycek waited until he had received all the information and then took a deep
breath as he exposed the cause of his latest nightmare.

"What about our cigarette smoking associate?"

There was a pause, short but noticeable.

//A difficulty but unavoidable.// Another pause. //I must be kept informed of all
progress. You have your instructions.//

The line went dead. It was clear his patron had not anticipated Cancerman's
direct involvement and yet was not surprised nonetheless. Krycek recognised the
emphasis on 'I' and 'all', well aware of the implication. The Cigarette-Smoking
Man was going to be a problem but his Employer had made it clear he was to report
directly to him rather than to any other member of the Consortium.

It gave him hope that he might be offered some protection from his former
employer but it was short-lived. Krycek could not shake off a feeling of dread as
something he had overheard came back to haunt him. When his Employer had told the
small boy there was no need to be afraid, Gibson Praise had called him a liar,
bundling him into the same package as Cancerman. He wished he had the ability to
read minds, to be able to separate the lies from the truth. To be able to place
his full trust in the man who had taken him under his wing.

For purely selfish reasons, Krycek wondered where the boy was now. Perhaps he
ought to make discreet enquiries.

20:35 Dawson Motel

Christchurch, Florida

The sun was very low in the sky by the time they pulled into the parking lot of
the small motel. After booking in at Reception Mulder watched as Dana Scully
retrieved her luggage from the rental. They walked in silence to their respective
rooms, lingering on the threshold to make arrangements for an evening meal before
each retreated into their temporary new home to freshen up.

As the doors closed behind them, Alex Krycek stepped out from the deep shadows
opposite and leaned against the wall. Scully's presence would make life difficult
but then again, maybe Mulder would stop threatening to beat him to a pulp if he
had an audience... unless she came from the Skinner School of Hard Knocks.

Krycek grimaced as he remembered that night spent on Skinner's balcony - and the
hard punch in the stomach that had preceded it. The AD had told him it didn't
make them even and Alex believed him. If only the man realised that the
incapacitating blows on the hospital stairwell were the only reason why Luis
Cardinal had not put a bullet through the Assistant Director's skull. Cardinal
had been a hot-headed Hispanic, far too willing to shoot first and then ask
questions as he had demonstrated when he killed Scully's sister, Melissa, and
then later when he had gut-shot Skinner - plus his orders from Cancerman had
been; 'If he tries to follow then kill him'. Only Krycek's intervention had kept
the AD alive.

Alex smiled. Cardinal was one of those men who had demanded loyalty, displayed
none and had been shown divine retribution... and Krycek was more than thankful
the sadistic bastard had ceased to be a problem.

His thoughts moved back to the job in hand. Whatever happened he knew he had to
keep a close eye on the two Federal agents and help them as much as he could
without them knowing. He sighed, wondering how much harder this job would turn
out to be now his paranoia was in full swing. If only he could guarantee
Cancerman was fully occupied elsewhere but he had little hope. There was a rift
within the Consortium and the Well-Manicured Man and Cancerman were on different
sides of that ever widening gap.

For a moment he re-considered letting his new employer know of his attraction to
Mulder but he quickly put that thought out of his head. He was just a small cog
in a very large mechanism - easily replaceable. The Well-Manicured Man would have
no reason to protect him in spite of all he had done in putting the Black Oil
vaccine into his possession. No, the axe was poised and he would have to find a
way to dodge it when it fell.

He gazed up into a beautiful starlit night and shivered despite the warmth of the
evening. The stars no longer seemed friendly. He had learned too much to ever
look up again and feel that sense of awe knowing now that humanity's
insignificance had become its downfall although some hope remained; a hope that
was tied up with the rebel aliens.

He paused for a moment wondering exactly who they were and why they wanted to
stop the colonisation. Could they truly care about the people of this planet?
Their extermination of abductees at Kazakhstan, Skyland Mountain and the Ruskin
Dam belied their good intentions but then, without the test subjects, the
Colonists would find their plans set back by many years giving the humans more
time to prepare defences. Or were the Rebels after this planet for themselves?

Krycek felt his head begin to spin with contradictory thoughts. Who could he
trust? His Employer? The Rebels? Mulder? During one candid moment the FBI Agent
had told him he trusted no-one. Krycek sneered, since the Piper Maru incident he
no longer even trusted himself.

He dropped his gaze to focus on the ground and walked back to his rental which
was standing a short distance away in the parking lot attached to a Denny's diner
debating whether to make a quick stop for a burger and fries. Thoughts of being
chanced upon by Fox Mulder as he waited for his order pushed that idea out of his
head. There was bound to be another diner closer to his own rented room.

He opened the windows fully on the short drive to his motel, hoping the fresh,
warm air would invigorate him, pulling him out of the blue funk he had sunk into
since the previous evening.

Mulder threw his suitcase on the floor by the side of the bed, dug around for his
toiletries and entered the small, impersonal bathroom. He glanced around. He
hated bathrooms ever since he found his father dying on the floor of one but for
all the wrong reasons. If his father had lived then perhaps he would have the
full truth about Samantha that he had been seeking for so long. Perhaps he would
have been able to put this one-man crusade behind him and start his life over.

He sniffed at this thought trying to imagine a different life to the one he had
led for the past decade. Perhaps, with his skills in psychology, he could have
been earning a fortune in Beverly Hills pandering to the delusions of movie stars
rather than staring at his reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror in a cheap
Motel in Nowheresville. How different his life might have been. Hell, he might
even have had a social life.

His mind replayed one of the scenes from his porno collection; two men pumping
together at the edge of a beautiful heart- shaped pool, the Californian sun
beating down on their golden tanned torsos as they writhed in ecstasy, with
alternating groans and cries of pleasure rising to a crescendo as the camera
zoomed in for a slow motion visual of their cum arcing across their perfect
bodies. He let himself become one of those men, imagining his voice, soft and
gentle, assuring the other man that this was the right way to deal with the
anxieties and stress of the fast lane. He pushed an errant lock of sweat- soaked
hair back from the high forehead and gazed into sated, deep green....

His eyes snapped open as the image of the other man blurred into Alex Krycek.
Shame and anger burnt his cheeks as yet another of his favourite fantasies fell
beneath the wheels of his desire for the dark-haired, green-eyed fallen angel.

Holding his temper in check, Mulder shook out a couple of Tylenol to forestall
the familiar headache that was threatening to grow behind his eyes and then he
glanced at his wristwatch before returning to the small bedroom. He had agreed to
meet Scully at Denny's in one hour but there was no reason why he could not go
earlier. Rather that than remain in the rundown motel room counting the number of
flowers on the peeling wallpaper - or thinking of Alex Krycek.

As he left the room a distant figure caught his attention. A familiar, muscular
frame walking across the nearby parking lot. Mulder moved off slowly then
increased his speed as the figure climbed behind the wheel of a dark vehicle. He
angled his run to try and intercept the car at the exit but slowed down when he
realised it was too far away. He jogged to a halt and stared at the receding tail
lights and then shook his head in annoyance. Why did every shadowy figure have to
remind him of Alex Krycek?

After he had placed his order for coffee, his thoughts turned back to his
ex-partner. It wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that the Consortium Agent
should be here. After all, Krycek's last words had implied that he might be
around but...

As he took his first sip the door opened and Dana Scully walked in. She slid into
the seat opposite.

"I called on you early and figured you might come here."

Mulder smiled, welcoming the company. Dana Scully raised a quizzical eyebrow as
Mulder's expression changed.

"Penny for them?"

He studied her face, tempted momentarily to inform her of his suspicion that Alex
Krycek was in Florida but decided not to. She did not know about his unasked for
contact with the ex-FBI agent and he could imagine her response if he let on.
No... Some things were best left unsaid.

08:32 County Sheriff's Office

Christchurch, Florida

The first point of call for any Field Agent had always been the Sheriff's office.
It was a common courtesy to let the local authorities know you were in their neck
of the woods. It was also the natural place to start the investigation on this
case but Sheriff Davis had 'gone 'gator hunting' and was unobtainable. The
covering Deputy was a little reluctant to release the file on Jennifer Lewis
especially when he saw the legend 'Accidental Death' stamped in red across the
front.

Mulder threw his head back in disgust. It was always the same whenever they had
to deal with the local cops but Mulder couldn't explain that their petty fears
were groundless. He was not there to tread on any toes, intentionally or
otherwise, or to prove they couldn't do their job... He was there because he
believed there was more to the case than others were willing to believe... and
because it was better than sitting behind a desk wondering where his lifework had
disappeared to, even if the assignment had been instigated through Alex Krycek.

The Deputy did a pretty good job in trying to persuade Mulder to come back later
in the day after he had managed to contact the Sheriff but eventually realised
that this was one Federal Agent that was not going to be put off. He listened
carefully to the Agent's reasoning and, finally, relented.

//What harm could it do?// he thought to himself as he handed over the file. He
had worked on the case himself and knew they had covered all angles. It was a
tragic accident and nothing more.

Mulder and Scully spent the remainder of the morning reading through the
statements from various notables: Dr Martins, the Coroner; Dr Hudson, attending
Physician; the men who found the dead girl and the Deputy who attended the scene.
All in all there were around a dozen reports and statements to sift through.

Scully leaned back and rubbed her hands across tired eyes.

"I can't find anything irregular here, Mulder. The autopsy shows fluid in her
lungs so to all intents and purposes, Jennifer Lewis wandered out of the grounds
into the Everglades, fell into the water and drowned."

"There has to be something we're missing. Pass me the statement from Dr Hudson."

"You've read it through twice, Mulder, and so have I. There's nothing there. The
girl slipped away from her supervisor and was dead by the time they found her.
Investigating cases of negligence is not up to the FBI. The local Sheriff's
Department has...."

"Done nothing. No inspection of the premises, no check on procedures. That's it."
Mulder looked up at Scully triumphantly as if he had just placed the last piece
in a jigsaw puzzle.

"What's it, Mulder?"

"Where's that Pathology report?"

"Mulder! I think you're making something out of nothing."

Fox Mulder scanned back through the Pathologists report. The autopsy revealed
very little except that the girl had fluid in her lungs. There was no Toxicology
report, no X-rays. He pointed this out to Scully.

"That's not unusual in clear cut cases such as this...."

Mulder threw his head back in exasperation.

"I don't get it, Scully. Why send us down here? There has to be something..."

An hour later and no further forward, Mulder threw down the report and buried his
head in his hands. He rubbed tired eyes before running his hands backwards
through his hair. He glanced up at his partner. Dana Scully sat across the narrow
desk, her small hands wrapped around a cold mug of coffee; a faint look of
boredom and frustration etched across her tired face. She reached for another
sandwich and grimaced. The edges had curled up in the heat and the cheese within
had started to sweat making it both look and smell unappetising.

"You're right. There's nothing here." A moment passed. "Wait a minute. He said
she wasn't the only accidental death..."

"Who said...?"

"There's a terminal next door. I wonder if they're linked to the Coroner's..."

"Mulder!" Scully allowed her exasperation to escape in a single word before
admitting to herself that it would be easier to go along with his train of
thought than fight him. "I'll check the records for the past two years. With a
town this small it shouldn't take more than an hour." //Then maybe we can get out
of here// she added to herself. As she left the room she could hear him
murmuring, "there has to be something here."

Three hours later they had sifted through a dozen more Death Reports and had
visited both the Coroner and the men who found the girl's body. Apart from a
nasty moment when one of the men had described in glorious Technicolor how an
alligator liked it's meal there was nothing new to learn... only that the girl
had not attracted any alligators. It was unusual but not unknown in these parts
but it set all the alarms ringing in Mulder's head.

"What are the chances of getting the body exhumed for Toxicology tests?"

"Nil. We have no justification. No new evidence to put forward..."

"The alligators, Scully."

Dana Scully brushed the hair back from her face. "Maybe they didn't like the
colour of her dress. Let's call it a day, Mulder. I could use a shower..."

Mulder sighed in acknowledgement.

"And a decent cup of coffee," she added, grimacing as the cold, bitter liquid
like sludge found at the bottom of a river slid passed her taste buds.

Back at the motel, Mulder placed a handful of ice into a towel and then lay down
on the bed placing the ice-filled towel over his face. In the background he could
hear the dissonant sounds from the TV and beyond that the steady hum of an
ancient air conditioner. He sighed as the ice cooled his sweating forehead. The
trilling of his cell-phone phone caught him off guard but he reached for it
quickly.

"Mulder."

//Dr Martha J Hudson.//

"Krycek?"

//She 'supports' a local institute for children with special needs....that's all
I can tell you.//

"Alex!" Mulder almost shouted his name but Krycek had already hung up. He drew
the mobile away from his ear and stared at it in frustration then switched it off
before dropping it onto the bed beside him and murmuring to himself.

"Dr Martha J Hudson."

Krycek had to have had a good reason for giving him that name. He leapt up from
the bed and walked the short distance to Scully's door.

"Scully, it's Mulder."

The door opened to reveal his partner wrapped in a bath robe, her hair caught up
in a towel. He didn't wait for permission but wandered passed her into the room
and sat down on the easy chair.

"I just had a call from my informant. He gave me a name: Dr Martha Hudson."

"The attending Physician?"

Mulder nodded. "Have you got the details from those other files?"

"No, but I could get them in the morning. You want me to check for the Doctor's
name?"

Mulder nodded again. "He mentioned the Institute. We need to check how many of
these deaths involved patients from the Institute?....I'm gonna make a call to
Frohike."

Scully sat back on the bed in exasperation as the large whirlwind that was
Special Agent Fox Mulder pulled his cell- phone from his jacket pocket.

"It's Mulder. I need a favour. What can you get on a Dr Martha J Hudson?.....
Yeah, the interesting stuff.... Yeah, I'll hold on."

The minutes passed in silence and Scully spent the time watching the variety of
expressions that moved across Mulder's face and then the dawning of
understanding.

"I'll bring you back a gift from Disney World." Then Mulder laughed in response
to something, disconnected the call and turned to his partner. "He said Disney
was an anti-Semitic fascist and they'd prefer something from the Cape."

Scully didn't bother to point out that the Cape was a fair distance away, knowing
that, somehow or other they would end up at Spaceport USA.

"Maybe I'll get the chance to take in a couple of IMAX: The Blue Planet or..."

"I didn't realise they showed that kind of film there."

"Scully, I'm deeply offended...."

"What did Frohike have to say?"

"Martha Jean Hudson. Biochemist. Spent nine years in Genetics Research at UCLA,
twelve years working for the Military before her 'resignation' two years ago.
Been working at this Private Institute since then...only the company paying her
salary seems to be connected to the Pentagon. The name Dr Charne-Sayre came up."

"You think she's experimenting on the patients?"

"Way to go, Scully."

"Mulder, you can't be serious..."

"Why not. They've been testing the Black Oil in the Old Folks homes so why not
the Children's." Mulder recognised the disbelief in her expression but thought
carefully before reminding her of the obvious. "Scully, they used Emily." He
hated to re-open old wounds but knew it was the only way to cast doubt into her
mind. "I think we should go pay Dr Hudson a visit."

"We can't go there just on hearsay. Don't you think we should wait until I've
rechecked the files?"

"If we wait too long we may lose her."

"You're taking the word of this informant a little too easy, Mulder. Have they
got some kinda hold on you? ....Mulder, what's wrong?" Scully ceased her tirade
when she noticed the strange expression cross her partner's face.

Mulder pulled himself together quickly and rose to his feet.

"Indigestion. Think I'll turn in now, check out the Pay to View channels."

Scully watched in exasperation as Mulder walked out the door shutting it firmly
behind him. She closed her eyes for a moment. Working with Fox Mulder was like
trying to lasso a whirlwind. He raced through your life, twisting back and forth
as ideas formed, were studied, plans made and discarded and then disappeared
leaving you to deal with the mental wreckage... but she loved it and, in a
sisterly way, she loved him too.

When he finally slept, Mulder fell into a strange dream. Teal green eyes, pupils
enlarged in the semi-darkness looked deeply into his own. Soft lips caressed his
cheek and he felt his body respond to the warmth that swelled within him. Strong
fingers carded through his hair, pulling his head forward until those lips met
his own. A silken tongue danced teasingly across but pulled away before he had
the chance to capture it. The wan light left deep shadows, emphasising the
generous mouth and high cheekbones but the figure continued to move back,
gradually disappearing into the darkness beyond.

"Alex!"

Mulder sat up, his breath coming in quick gasps. He spent a moment searching in
the flickering shadows within the room before realising it was all a dream.
Mulder shuddered and then lowered himself back down to the bed, his breathing
more controlled even if the rest of his body still cried out in primitive need.

An hour later, Mulder was still awake. The flickering of the TV in the darkened
room cast ever changing shadows across the ceiling but rather than having the
usual soporific effect they seemed to increase the frenetic activity in his
brain. Eventually, he realised he would have to deal with the thoughts crowding
in on him or he would get no sleep that night.

Scully had asked what hold this man had on him and he allowed his mind to drift
back to the day it had all started; when a junior agent had been assigned to the
same case. Despite the greased back hair and cheap suit Mulder could not deny the
attraction he had felt for the younger man. Krycek was his every waking dream and
his every night time fantasy. The dark, handsome looks, those beautiful green
eyes framed by long dark lashes. The mahogany hair, glinting shades of red and
gold, that fell over his face when he worked over reports. His voice soft, husky
and melodic, his body well-toned and well proportioned and that sensuous mouth -
eminently kissable.

That thought led him on to The Kiss. The feel of those warm, soft lips upon his
cheek, the rough brush against his own stubbled skin and the words that followed.

'My Friend', Krycek had said.

Mulder wondered whether Alex Krycek knew he had spoken in Russian - or if he
realised Mulder would remember the words and have them translated...but it was
more than just the words; it was the tone of his voice, the expression on his
face. There was no doubt in Mulder's mind that Krycek had meant what he said.

'My Friend'.

Since that day they had met three more times but always under cover of darkness
and there had been no repeat of that spontaneous kiss yet Mulder knew something
had changed between them. Gone was the intense hatred, barely controlled by his
need to keep the other man alive in order to solve the mysteries set before him.
Instead he felt deep anger and feelings of betrayal overlaid by desire.

But why betrayal?

Because he murdered my father! Because he framed me for the murder. Because he
helped them abduct Scully....because he left me to die at Tunguska.

Mulder stopped on that thought. Why did that hurt him so much? He had kicked
Krycek around, beat him, dragged him to Skinner's apartment, where he had been
punched and then left out on a cold balcony all night. Left him handcuffed him to
the steering wheel of the rental without caring if the man would be trapped there
until he died of thirst, then, after hearing Krycek swear at him in Russian, he
had dragged Krycek along on his crusade giving no thought to the other man's
safety. Both of them had been beaten by the guards before Krycek had convinced
one of them to take him to the people in charge.

Mulder felt his heart go cold as he realised one other truth. If their positions
had been reversed would he have made much of an effort to have Krycek freed from
the dank cell and the agony of the test? Mulder knew the answer was 'No' but,
more importantly, he recognised why.

Within a few weeks of working with Krycek he had fallen for him; if not in love
then most certainly in lust - and he had broken his own rule. He had started to
trust the younger agent and when Krycek revealed his true nature it had felt like
a slap round the face but it had not ended there. Like a miniature tornado,
Krycek had wreaked havoc through his life both mentally and physically.... but it
was the betrayal of that trust that had brought about the intense hatred. After
all, weren't love and hate flip sides of the same coin? So what had changed
between them? What had flipped the coin back into the air?

'My Friend'.

Mulder closed his eyes. He knew it could not be that simple. He carried too many
emotional scars from Alex Krycek but, deep down, he knew that he would have to
re-open those wounds one at a time before he could start the true healing
process. Unfortunately, it looked as if the bandage across one particular tear
had ripped away with a single kiss. Mulder decided to linger on the thoughts that
leaked through that old wound; the intensity in those beautiful eyes, the soft,
pliant lips against his cheek.

The anger still burned fiercely but so did his body when he thought of Alex
Krycek. He wanted to believe his original impression of Krycek was right, that
there was more to the man than a paid assassin and traitor. He thought back to
those early days when they had goofed around; the easy camaraderie as they
exchanged ideas and jokes and watched baseball. But how much had been the real
Alexei Krycek and how much had been an act to fool him into trusting. That was
the problem. That was the real reason for his anger and the true source of his
guilt.

Alex Krycek had killed his father yet it was this personal betrayal that had
mattered most.

Fox Mulder swallowed hard as he forced himself down a path he had considered
closed for a long time. His father: the reason why he had applied to a British
University when he could have had his pick of Yale, Princeton and Harvard. Even
then he had known his father was somehow involved in his sister's abduction and
the strain that knowledge brought had driven a wedge between them.

Mulder forced himself to accept another truth. Before the murder he had hated his
father almost as much as he had loved him but the knowledge he had gained since
his father's death had tipped the balance the other way. Now he could no longer
think about his father without a shudder of disgust. In fact, he was beginning to
doubt that William Mulder was his father but the alternative was almost
unthinkable.

Mulder felt his chest tighten as he prepared to think the unthinkable. What if
Cancerman was his biological father? Samantha believed it and he could not deny
that she resembled the man. What if it were true? X had shown him the photographs
of his mother with Cancerman and had implied there had been a lot more between
them than mere friendship.

Skinner had handed him a blood-covered photo found in the Cigarette-Smoking Man's
'private' apartment after the shooting - a picture of himself and Samantha. Why
would Cancerman have that particular photo? Mulder tried to explain it away as a
foster father wanting photos of his adopted daughter - but he must have taken
many far more personal photos of Samantha over the years so why did he keep this
one of brother and sister? Another thought - perhaps he wanted to be reminded of
the family he had destroyed - or lost.

Mulder knew DNA testing could confirm or deny paternity but obtaining samples
from William Mulder and Cancerman would be impossible and, to be brutally honest,
he was not certain whether this was a truth he wanted to discover.

He brought himself up short, aware of his attempt to avoid the real issue. The
true dilemma was that he felt guilty knowing he held more affection for this
murderer, Alexei Krycek, than he did for the man who had called himself his
father.

The Psychologist within him smiled and Fox Mulder took a deep shuddering breath
as some of his anxiety fell away in acceptance. It hadn't resolved any of his
feelings for Krycek but at least he would no longer transfer all his own guilt
onto the other man as well. Mulder closed his eyes and let this new knowledge
fill him and, eventually, he slept but this time without dreaming.

09:25 East 46th Street

New York

The Well-Manicured Man's seamed face creased even more as he read the report that
had been handed over to him. Activity around one of the Consortium's
pharmaceutical subsidiaries in Florida had increased alarmingly but, what was
more amusing was the number of calls placed to a Dr Martha J Hudson at the
Christchurch Institute.

He had suspected for over a month that the subsidiary had been taken over by
Colonists and he had been working to confirm or deny this suspicion by releasing
information to certain members of the Group. This new link between the various
parts of the organisation gave him the proof he needed and fulfilled his plan to
make Dr Hudson a real threat but he knew he had to act fast in case the situation
spiralled out of control. That left him one recourse, the option he had been
hoping would present itself; to authorise Krycek's direct involvement with Agents
Mulder and Scully.

He had been working to this end and was pleased that all was going to plan. His
earlier outburst against eliminating Hudson provided the desired alibi, throwing
any suspicion away from him. Her elimination - no, extermination, was now a
requirement but he had to carry on with the game-plan until the right opportunity
presented itself.

The time to be extremely careful with every word and gesture had come.

09:35 Dawson Motel

Christchurch, Florida

Krycek watched from a window booth at the Denny's diner as Mulder and Scully
disappeared off to the Institute. His eyes followed the tall, athletic frame,
marvelling at the gracefulness displayed so casually. The Florida sun caught
Mulder's brown hair highlighting the reds and golds - and then he ducked into the
rental and was gone. Krycek sighed and beckoned to the waitress. He ordered a
breakfast, ate leisurely and then waited a little longer until the small diner
had cleared the breakfast crowd before making the scheduled call at 10:00; it was
answered immediately.

"Krycek."

A moments delay was followed by the sound of a recognisable voice: the
Well-Manicured Man. His patron did not bother with pleasantries but went straight
to the point.

//The situation has taken a turn for the worse. Dr Hudson has become aware of our
displeasure and has been contacted by certain 'external' parties.//

One word swept across Krycek's mind: Colonists.

//I want you to assist Agents Mulder and Scully. Delay them as far as you can
without compromising yourself or their safety. I want the results of the
experiments but you must leave enough evidence behind for Mulder to gain a
conviction. We may still be able to salvage something from this unfortunate
affair.//

Although his expression did not change, Krycek was inwardly relieved by the final
order. He would never regain Mulder's trust if he became a party to the
assassination of the very criminal he had sent Mulder to bring to justice.

"And the 'external' party?"

//Leave them alone unless they intervene. We will deal with them by other means.
I will make the necessary arrangements for your protection. Expect to be
contacted again through more 'official' channels.//

A click was followed by the 'dead tone' as the man on the other end of the line
hung up leaving Alex Krycek lost in thought, the receiver still held against his
right ear. It was too late to catch up with the Agents, they would have reached
the Institute by now. All he could do was hope they didn't push Hudson over the
edge before he had the chance to hook up with them or it would make his job a lot
harder.

09:35 FBI Headquarters

Washington DC

AD Skinner picked up the phone.

"Skinner."

He listened in silence as his immediate superior gave him instructions.

"Sir, may I ask where these instructions originated?"

Walter Skinner placed the phone back on its cradle and rubbed a hand across the
top of his head. The instructions had filtered down from the Head of the FBI so
he had no choice but to follow them to the letter but he could not help feeling a
constriction in his chest as anger seethed beneath the surface. He called his
Secretary.

"Kimberley, I need you to take down a letter and get it faxed to the Florida
Office. Also, I need the local office to draw up a couple of Search Warrants.
Judge Wilkins will authorise. The details should be faxed to you shortly."

She entered carrying pen, paper and several sheets of Fax.

"They arrived while you were talking to the Section Chief."

Skinner drew his lips into a tight line of annoyance. Normally, when he wanted to
get anything done, the paper work and red tape took hours of preparation and
negotiation. It took him a moment to sort out the wording in his head before he
began to dictate the letter and he felt a stress headache building with each word
uttered. He didn't like this one little bit.

10:05 Christchurch Institution for Children with Special Needs Christchurch,
Florida

The driveway leading up to the Institute was well maintained with low shrubs and
flowers separating the grey gravel from the verdant grass. Mulder slowed the car
and brought it to a complete stop parallel with the wide doorway. He readjusted
his shades as he stepped out of the car and tugged at his tie to make himself
more presentable. Looking across the top of the car, Mulder caught the small
smile that crossed Scully's face.

"It could be my lucky day."

Scully deigned to reply as anything she said would probably be met with some
wisecrack or a hurt expression and she really felt too hot to play games.

"Let's just get inside."

"Heat getting to you, Scully."

Her glare of annoyance over the top of her sunglasses was met with a cheeky grin.
There was something about Mulder on a case that brought out the mischievous boy
in him. She followed him as he practically bounced up the short flight of steps.
Mulder removed his glasses as they entered the foyer but had to wait a few
seconds before his eyes could adjust to the relative darkness. He quickly scanned
the room.

On one side a counter ran the full length of the room with a hinged access flap
at the far end and behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman with slightly
greying hair tucked neatly up into a nurse's hat. She narrowed her eyes at them
in suspicion and waited for them to approach. Mulder reached into his jacket and
produced his FBI identification, holding the card before her eyes.

"Agent Scully, Special Agent Mulder. We have an appointment with Dr Martha
Hudson."

"Mulder...." The woman made quite a deal out of searching for his name on a short
list in front of her before pointing to a bank of chairs opposite. "If you
wouldn't mind waiting over there while I inform Dr Hudson."

Scully raised her eyebrows at the barely restrained hostility sharing a silent
look with Mulder before moving across the foyer to the seats.

"I have a feeling we're not welcome here."

"Well, let's hope we don't have to spend the rest of the day waiting here."

Mulder sighed, his previous buoyancy deflating as he recalled the number of times
he had been left to wait for hours on end in similar situations. However, to his
surprise the sound of purposeful steps echoing along the hallway towards them
heralded the arrival of a white-coated lady with blonde hair fading to grey
framing a face that could have been called beautiful a decade earlier. He took an
instant dislike to the woman but let his face remain carefully neutral.

Before going to sleep last night he had gone over this coming interview in his
head a dozen times. The Doctor was working for the Military and he had no doubts
where their loyalty lay. He was convinced that they were behind most of the
so-called Alien Abductions - including Scully's. On too many occasions he had
been thwarted by Military protocol and cover-ups. For starters, they had withheld
the toxicology reports from Duane Barry's autopsy and they had aided in the
destruction of the buried train refrigeration car in New Mexico.

He had decided to try and make this interview as light as possible wanting to
produce a reaction that could lead to mistakes but not so drastic that he would
lose his prey. He wanted Dr Hudson to become a little paranoid, to start trying
to cover her tracks because in doing so she might have to dig up the dirt first
and Mulder was planning on arriving with a shovel when she led him to where the
evidence was buried.

"Agent Mulder, I'm Dr Hudson."

"Dr Hudson, this is my partner, Agent Scully."

"If you'd like to follow me we can talk privately in my office."

The two agents followed the Doctor along the corridor and up a flight of stairs.
Almost opposite the staircase was a solid wood door with gold lettering etched
onto the surface: Dr M J Hudson.

Dr Hudson ushered them into the office and bade them sit while she walked around
to the other side of a large mahogany desk. She took a seat and began instantly.

"As you may well appreciate, I am a busy woman. I have patients to see so if we
could make this quick."

"We're here to investigate the death of Jennifer Jane Lewis." The Doctor raise
her eyebrows, a look of exasperation crossing her face as Scully continued.
"Perhaps you can explain how she came to be wandering about on her own outside
the Institute grounds."

"I've told all this to the local Sheriff. He took a statement from me at the
time...."

"Sheriff Davis is not available at this time so if you wouldn't mind
repeating..."

"This is most irregular." The Doctor huffed in annoyance.

As the interview progressed, Dr Hudson became more and more edgy. Questions
relating to Jennifer's escape were easily fielded but the more personal ones
relating to her work at the Institute left her feeling cold. She had been
promised protection in her work yet here were the FBI prying into her affairs.
Somehow she managed to complete the interview without betraying herself but had
the feeling that they were not completely satisfied with the answers she had
given.

From her office window she watched as the two Agents left the building and
climbed into their rental, waiting until the car had turned out of the driveway
onto the main highway before returning to her desk. She picked up the telephone
and dialled a number she had memorised many weeks ago.

"Dr Hudson. I accept your offer."

Dr Hudson sat at her desk for several long minutes, staring at the computer in
front of her before reaching forward to switch it on. She reached into a desk
drawer and retrieved a DAT tape, placed it into the zip drive and downloaded all
the important documents in compressed format. Once she was certain she had
everything she purged the hard drive, not once but several times.

She placed the tape into her pocket and moved across to the file cabinets. A
quick glance at her watch told her that she had a lot to, do but there would be
plenty of time before she was collected by her new employer.

***

When Krycek cautiously answered his hotel phone he had not known what to expect
but hearing the clipped British Accent gave him some relief.

//The corner of West Grove and Pine Street in 45 minutes. Collect the package and
deliver it to Agent Mulder personally. If he has a problem with accepting the
content then....//

Krycek listened carefully to the remainder of the message then replaced the phone
and pulled out the local map he had collected hours earlier. He pinpointed the
junction and estimated how long it would take to get there and then realised he
had at least 20 minutes to kill. He hated waiting but better that that hanging
around a drop zone too early.

15 minutes later he found himself behind the wheel of his car, having run out of
patience, pulling slowly out of the Diner's Parking Lot, heading northwards to
the rendezvous. He pulled up over a hundred metres away from the junction and
waited. Only 4 minutes to go.

A man arrived and Krycek found the corners of his mouth rising. The man looked
uncomfortable in his suit and tie in the Florida heat and had the air of someone
not used to hanging around on street corners. Probably a Fibbie. The man glanced
up and down the streets, stopping constantly to check his watch.

For one perverse moment, Krycek found himself tempted to let the man sweat it out
for another few minutes but sighed in resignation. His Employer had made it clear
that things were not going too well and Krycek knew he couldn't afford to foul up
this meet.

He stepped from his car and walked slowly toward the man, coming up behind him
stealthily, almost smirking when the man turned to find Krycek standing only a
few feet behind his unprotected back. A hand automatically jerked towards a
concealed weapon but faltered.

"I believe you have a package for me."

"Are you Krycek?"

Krycek smiled, imagining the sarcastic response the man would have gained from
Fox Mulder. The Federal Agent almost blushed as he realised his stupid mistake.
Fortunately, he had been given a description of his contact and, although the
hair was a lot shorter, the face more mature, he knew it was the same man. He
handed over the manila envelope.

Krycek nodded and waited until the other man had backed off before returning to
his car. Once inside he opened the envelope and shook out the contents. A broad
smile crossed the handsome face.

12:15 Denny's Diner, next to Dawson Motel

Christchurch, Florida

"MY room has wallpaper so old-fashioned Noah would refuse to hang it in the Ark"

"I've seen your wallpaper, Scully, and it would be classed as a modern
masterpiece compared to the cave drawings in my room."

Lunch had seemed quite a leisurely affair right up to the moment when a man
approached their table.

"Is this seat taken?"

"Krycek!"

Casually sitting down by Scully and placing his right hand in full view on top of
the table, Alex Krycek smiled as both FBI agents pulled their guns. He spoke
softly, a slight movement of his head indicating the nervous attention being
afforded the mismatched trio.

"You're making a scene."

He watched through cautious eyes as Mulder pursed his lips before placing his gun
back into its holster.

"It's OK, Scully."

"Mulder, he's a suspect in several murder cases as well as..."

"He's also my informant."

Scully regarded Mulder with incredulity.

"You came here on the word of this...liar and murderer."

"You can't deny the connections he has...."

"Had, Mulder. They want him dead just as much as..." Scully broke off, well aware
of what she had been about to say and, from the sudden closed look on the
handsome face beside her, well aware that Alex Krycek knew it too.

"Scully, we don't have to like him..."

"Well, that's good because I don't."

"...but we may need him if we want to get to the bottom of this case."

"I was instructed to give you this."

Krycek handed over a large manila envelope and then leant back before Mulder
could question him further. Mulder glanced at Scully before tearing it open and
emptying the contents on the table in front of him. Inside were several
documents: two search warrants for Doctor Hudson's office and home, a warrant to
bring her in for questioning and a headed letter legitimising their use of Krycek
in the investigation.

Mulder stared hard at the words on the paper and then handed the letter across to
Scully, both eyebrows rising as she issued an expletive that was totally out of
character.

"Scully, I didn't know a good Catholic girl like you knew such a word..."

"This is a forgery, Mulder. No-one in their right mind would assign him. We're
being set-up..."

"What's the problem, Agent Scully? As far as I am aware there have never been any
formal charges brought against me. You have no proof for any of the crimes you
allege I have committed..?"

Mulder snarled back at the younger man.

"You're not working with us, Krycek."

Alex Krycek reached over and snatched Mulder's cell-phone from the table top. He
pushed a series of buttons and listened to the dialling tone. The call was
answered.

"Agent Mulder wants verification."

He held the phone out and it was taken, reluctantly. Mulder held it up to his
ear.

"Mulder."

//Agent Mulder. I expect you have received some documents. Someone higher up
wants Krycek in on this. I don't like it but I have my orders and so do you. When
the case is over you're to cut him loose and give him 24 hours before making any
attempt to follow his trail. Do you understand?//

Mulder glanced across at Scully.

"Yes, Sir, I understand..."

//That applies to Scully too. I expect to be kept well informed on your
progress.//

Mulder pursed his lips in annoyance. Any attempt to circumvent the orders was now
virtually impossible. He disconnected the call and looked at his partner.

"Skinner. He's confirmed all this, including ...." Mulder indicated Krycek with a
dip of his head.

Scully shook her head in disbelief her expression telling him that she like it
even less than he did.

"Have you ordered yet?"

Krycek remained still as he tried to bring back some normalcy into the bizarre
situation. He continued to watch cautiously as Scully lowered her gun, her blue
eyes still locked on his, appetite chased away by the thought of eating a meal
with this man. Krycek looked over his shoulder and beckoned the waitress. She
straightened her pink-check uniform and approached the table reluctantly. Krycek
glanced at her name badge.

"Sally, I'll have the double cheeseburger with a side order of fries... and
coffee, strong and black."

Krycek looked enquiringly at his 'companions' and visibly relaxed back into the
well-upholstered booth as Mulder stated his order as if there had never been a
scene. The Agent gazed at his partner, noting the sour expression and the tension
in the blue eyes, knowing from personal experience how Scully was feeling at this
moment and knowing, also, that it would pass and she would be left feeling
hungry, and even more annoyed if she didn't order now, so he ordered for her.

"I'll also take the cheese salad, no mayo and two coffees."

Sally finished scribbling down the order and left the side of the table promptly
to relay the order to the kitchen. Mulder ignored the glare from Scully; she
would thank him later.

The silence between them grew more noticeable as conversations resumed on the
tables around them. Mulder looked across at the younger man. This was the first
time he had seen Krycek in full light since Tunguska and he had to admit the man
had become even more stunning as the years passed. Gone was the fresh- faced
junior G-Man with slicked back hair, polyester suits and a boring taste in ties.
The man who sat opposite had discarded his usual black leather jacket in favour
of denim due to the Florida heat. He wore his hair a lot shorter and his face was
slightly fuller but maturity had only added to his attraction and Mulder
wondered, for the nth time, how a remorseless killer like Krycek could be blessed
with the face of an Angel.

The green eyes caught his and Mulder felt as if he was drowning in the icy,
blue-green waters of the Baltic Sea. He looked away as the clatter of dishes
broke the spell he had fallen under, relieved that the waitress had arrived
before Scully noticed his distraction. A glance back revealed a frown on his ex-
partner's face and he hoped Alex Krycek would remain baffled by the attention he
had been paid.

"What do you know about Hudson's experiments?"

"Only that they involved exposing children to a particular disease...."

"Doesn't anyone realise what's going on? What about the Parents?" Scully
interjected and Krycek addressed his next statement back towards her.

"You've seen these kids...they've been dumped there by uncaring relatives from
birth. Most have the severe form of Down's Syndrome. Nobody cares what happens to
them... nobody visits."

"What about checks by the local authorities? Doesn't anybody..."

Scully broke off as she watched the disbelieving expression cross Krycek's face,
annoyed and frustrated by her own naivet*. Of course there would be no checks,
this was how the Consortium operated.

"So how did Jenny Lewis come to the attention of the Press?"

Mulder thought for a moment as Krycek raised both eyebrows as if he thought the
question inane. Mulder decided to answer it himself.

"My guess would be either someone was careless - or someone let her out." He
looked across at his ex-partner and saw a small smile of approval tug at the
corners of his mouth and eyes. He continued on, slowly, almost questioningly.
"Whatever, somehow she managed to get out of the Institute and the Press got hold
of the story before they could cover their tracks." Krycek nodded in agreement
and leaned back as Mulder continued. "All the evidence we need will be found at
the Christchurch Institution... but that still doesn't explain what you're doing
here."

Krycek looked deep into the hazel eyes.

"I'm your guardian angel."

Scully was none too pleased with Mulder and waited until Krycek headed for the
men's washroom before remonstrating with him.

"I don't understand you, Mulder. How can you be so casual with him? He murdered
your father. He was with Cardinal when that butcher gunned down Melissa. He's
never shown remorse for any of his actions...the man's a psychopath..."

"There's nothing wrong with his mind." //Or his body// Mulder felt himself start
to blush and quickly changed the subject before he gave himself away. "Look,
Scully, I trust him about as far as I could throw him..."

"You trusted him enough to drag us all the way from DC. This could have been a
set-up."

Mulder looked away. How could explain that this was not the first time he had
dragged them off on the word of the man he had labelled Ratboy. Worse still, how
could he explain why without betraying himself to the astute woman by his side
when everything she said about Krycek was true. No, not everything, he honestly
believed Krycek was no psychopath but didn't that make the man even more of a
monster knowing that his actions did not stem from a deranged mind?

"We'd better get a move on before Hudson flies the coop."

***

Krycek appeared, as if by magic, as they approached the car. He clambered into
the back seat as soon as Mulder activated the central locking and waited while
the two agents climbed into the front. His eyes caught Mulder's in the rear view
mirror and Mulder could swear he saw something more than just the briefest of
acknowledgements in those bright, green eyes. They had seemed to dance with an
inner radiance that gave the impression Krycek knew much more than he let on.
Mulder frowned.

//I bet the bastard does know more than he's told us// he thought to himself but
decided against meeting those eyes again. Within moments he had gunned the engine
and they were pulling away. In the passenger seat, Scully remained tight-lipped,
her head facing forward stiffly as if to deny Krycek's existence. Mulder glanced
back at Krycek through the rear-view mirror.

"Do you know what we're supposed to be looking for?"

"I'll know it when I see it."

The rest of the drive to the Institute was carried out in silence but Mulder
found those eyes watching him every time he glanced into the mirror and was
grateful when they finally reached their destination.

14:48 Christchurch Institute for Children with Special Needs

Christchurch, Florida

As the car drew to a halt, Krycek sprang out, slamming the door behind him.

Mulder sighed heavily as the afternoon sun beat down upon them. He had spent the
last 30 minutes feeling Krycek's eyes burning into the back of his head,
desperately wanting to turn around and capture them with his own.

"Should have rented one of those Fan boats. We'd have been here in 10 minutes."

The Institute was situated on a band of solid ground only a few miles beyond the
border of the town of Christchurch but the area in between was swamp, filled with
alligators. They had to travel a fair distance to reach the small bridge which
traversed a narrow stretch of the swampland.

The temperature was already beginning to rise above what he would consider
comfortable so Krycek stripped off his light denim jacket, holding it over his
shoulder like a model in a fashion magazine while he waited for the others before
deciding it would be better to dump the jacket on the back seat of the rental.

Mulder stared as Krycek walked ahead of them into the building, marvelling at the
way the tight black denim jeans contoured against the man's rear and legs but
could not help noticing the missing arm. Krycek was not wearing a prosthetic. He
wanted to ask why but shied away from initialising a conversation on such a
personal level. He didn't want to get personal with Krycek - or did he?

The interior was several degrees lower and seemed too cold compared with the
outside temperature. Mulder marched passed the reception desk, noticing that it
was still the same person on duty.

"Don't bother to get up, we know the way."

Krycek threw a sweet yet menacing smile over his shoulder as he followed the two
FBI agents along the corridor and up the stairs to the Doctor's office, ignoring
the outburst from the receptionist. She caught up with them just as they reached
the office, her cheeks bright red from the exertion, her breath coming in short
gasps.

"Dr Hudson... is at lunch. You'll have..."

"That's OK, we'll wait in here."

"I'm sorry...you can't go in..."

With a malicious grin of deep satisfaction, Mulder waved the search warrant in
front of the woman's nose and then tried the door handle.

"Key?"

When there was no reply he glanced at the stubborn set of the woman's jaw and
decided to take matters into his own hands. With one swift kick the door opened
and they marched inside. The receptionist turned on her heel but Krycek grabbed
her arm.

"I think you'd better stay with us."

He pointed to the comfy chair in the corner by the window and watched as the
woman hesitated before moving over as ordered. Scully frowned but then realised
it was better to keep the woman away from the telephone so she could not warn the
Doctor should she know of her whereabouts.

Mulder reached forward to flick the switch that brought the desktop computer to
life. He relinquished the seat to Alex Krycek with a wave, knowing the man had
greater ability with computers than himself but decided to watch over his
shoulder just in case Krycek was working to a different agenda. Armed with a list
of names taken from the Coroner's office, they began to search through the
directories for any relevant files while Scully started a manual search of the
desk and cabinets but there was nothing to be found, not even a file on Jennifer
Lewis. The computer had been purged, the cabinets emptied.

"Very clever. She's run a program to write to every byte of the hard drive. Most
people format the drive not realising that the data is still there and can be
rebuilt if you have the know- how. Her program has effectively destroyed
everything."

Mulder slammed his hand down on the desk in frustration before turning to the
Receptionist.

"Where's Dr Hudson?"

"I don't know. She left this morning, just after your meeting."

"Mulder!" Scully showed her partner the document she had found between the
cabinets. "This must have slipped down here when she was clearing out. It looks
like a biopsy report."

"Can you make sense of it?"

"No, not without knowing what they were testing for although..... Mulder, there's
something wrong with the tissue sample, its...."

"Scully?"

"I... don't know. It's wrong but I'm not sure...why." Scully looked up from the
report, her eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "The tissue sample may be down in the
laboratory - that's where we should head next."

Mulder took a step back as if he had been struck across the face. Of course the
Doctor was hardly likely to practice complicated medical procedures in her
office. Why had he not thought of this himself. The reason presented itself
almost immediately as Alex Krycek swept one hand through short brown hair and
brought those beautiful green eyes up to capture his own. Mulder felt his mouth
go dry and turned away, forcing his thoughts back to the job in hand. He turned
to the Receptionist with a questioning expression. She grimaced before giving
them directions.

"Scully, you wait here while I check out the lab. See if Dr Hudson left anything
else by mistake. Krycek, you're with me."

Alex Krycek smiled. Obviously, Mulder did not want to leave him with Scully and
judging by her reaction in the car earlier, it was a wise decision. He followed
the lanky frame out of the office and down the staircase.

"Just like old times..."

"Don't think for one moment I've forgotten who and what you are, Krycek. Your
'friends' may have managed to pull some strings to get you on this case but
you're not my friend."

Mulder swung open the door to the laboratory, his attention still on his
ex-partner and frowned as Krycek's eyes widened. Moments later he heard the
report of a gun and saw splinters fly out from the woodwork close to where his
head had been. He landed with a crash, the weight of Krycek's body driving all
the air out of his own. Krycek rolled off and was up in one smooth movement. By
the time he reached his feet he had a Glock 9mm targeting their assailant. He let
off two rounds and then checked back on Mulder. The FBI agent was still lying on
the floor, winded by the fall, so Krycek counted him out of the action. He broke
cover and leapt for a safer position behind a long bench by the wall, bullets
ricocheting off the floor marking his path. With his back to the wall, Krycek
paused to bring his breathing back under control, the Glock held barrel up before
him. He stared down at the debris on the floor behind him. Broken glass lay
scattered amongst numerous paper reports - probably those missing from upstairs.
A colourless, odourless liquid saturated the mess and he realised Hudson was
preparing to destroy all the paperwork from both her office and the laboratory.
He had to prevent her from completing this task if he was to complete this
assignment successfully. According to her military records she had never received
formal weapons and combat training so she was likely to consider surrender as a
viable option.

"There's no way out," he yelled. "You may as well put down the gun and come out."

A moment passed where he thought he may have misjudged her determination but then
a gun clattered along the floor stopping only a few feet from his position.
Cautiously, Krycek came out from behind the bench. He recognised Doctor Hudson
from his files and, using the gun, he motioned the woman to raise her hands where
he could see them and move to one side. As he went to kick her gun further out of
reach her features dissolved, reforming into someone else.

The moments hesitation was enough for 'her' to grab a set of test tubes from the
bench and hurl them at him. As he ducked, bringing the gun up to shield his face,
the shape-shifter struck a match and threw it beyond Krycek. Behind him, Mulder,
who had only just managed to regain his feet, yelled out a warning as a wall of
flames burst into life between them, cutting him off from Krycek.

The FBI Agent could only watch in frustration through thickening smoke as the
indistinct shape of the attacker grabbed Krycek, hurling him through the glass
panel that separated the laboratory from an operating theatre and then escaped by
smashing and climbing out of the ground floor window.

Scully arrived having heard shots being fired and quickly grabbed an extinguisher
but could not get the fire under control. There were too many highly combustible
materials in the laboratory.

"Alex!"

The billow of air through the window rewarded Mulder with the sight of a bloodied
but mobile body climbing back into the room through the panel but, try as he
might, Mulder could see no way through the curtain of flames. His own fear of
fire, although largely dissipated following the case with Cecil L'ively, came
back full force as he watched Krycek throw himself to the floor as the flames
became too fierce.

"The window."

Krycek held his chest with his one good arm as acrid fumes filled his lungs,
coughing hard as Scully's higher voice penetrated air thick with smoke and he
realised the window was his only escape route. He dragged himself along the floor
using the bench to lead him to the window and calling on the last of his strength
he hauled himself up and through it, barely managing to put out his good arm to
break his fall.

By the time he pulled himself to his knees on the ground outside there was no
sign of 'Doctor Hudson' but Krycek could see Fox Mulder racing towards him.

Mulder dropped to his knees beside Krycek, his arms grabbing the younger man
around the shoulders as Krycek coughed and wheezed, trying to clear his lungs of
the acrid smoke.

Alarm bells ringing and the distant sound of sirens approaching mingled with the
raised voices of men, women and children as they followed Fire drill instructions
and evacuated the burning building.

"You OK?"

Krycek nodded but did not resist when Mulder hauled him to his feet. Looping
Krycek's arm over his shoulder he half carried, half dragged him away from the
burning building, settling him back down on the verdant grass several metres
distant. Mulder dropped to the ground beside his one-time partner and handed the
man a handkerchief to stem the blood flowing from a gash in his forehead.

"Did you get a good look at who it was."

Krycek coughed, trying to take deep breaths in between to drag clean air into his
abused lungs. The question gradually sunk in and with it the realisation that
Mulder had been in no position to see their assailant, first because he had been
badly winded and then because the smoke had quickly become too thick. Despite all
this, he didn't want to lie to this man so he told a half-truth by conveniently
leaving out the shape-changing.

"Doctor Hudson."

Scully came over, her face, hands and clothes smudged by soot. She was
accompanied by a Fireman carrying oxygen equipment. The Fireman knelt down beside
Alex Krycek and strapped a mask across his face while Mulder and Scully looked
on. Krycek found his breathing ease and the desire to cough lessen as pure oxygen
filtered through.

"The lab's gone, Mulder. We can bring in a field team but..."

"Damn it!"

"There's worse. The fire crew have just intercepted another call. Doctor Hudson's
home has been raised to the ground."

"This man should go to a hospital for a check-up."

Mulder flopped back onto the grass, his eyes closed tightly. He brought his hands
up to his face, pushing the palms against his forehead before dragging them down
across his face. After a few moments of staring up into the bright blue,
cloudless sky, Mulder pushed himself back up onto his feet.

"I ought to go to Hudson's home. See if there's anything salvageable."

"Take the car. I'll stay here and hitch a lift back with the Deputy." Scully
glanced down at Krycek who had made no attempt to move. "What about him?"

Krycek dragged off the mask, thrusting it back at the Fireman as he turned to Fox
Mulder.

"I'm going with you."

15:00 1314 West Drive

Christchurch, Florida

Mulder picked his way through the rubble but it was obvious there was nothing
left. The two storey building had been reduced to a pile of blackened bricks
although parts of the wooden structure were still visible. These were smouldering
but were quickly dampened down by the Firemen on the scene.

He made his way back to the rental where Krycek waited in the passenger seat with
the air conditioning full on. Krycek coughed and swallowed painfully as Mulder
opened the driver's door and climbed in.

"There's nothing worth waiting here for. I'll drop you back at your motel."

"I'll make my own way."

Mulder stared at the other man in disbelief. In truth he had no idea where Krycek
was staying and had hoped to lull him into revealing his bolt-hole but Krycek had
not fallen into the trap. Despite the obvious discomfort, Mulder realised Krycek
was fit enough to find his own way and decided not to push the issue.

"Fine." He watched as Alex Krycek climbed out of the car and pulled on his
jacket.

"Krycek!" The younger man glanced back over his shoulder. "Thanks."

Krycek stared for a moment into the sincere hazel eyes and nodded, a slight blush
creeping across his face at the unexpected show of gratitude for saving Mulder's
life in the laboratory. As he walked away, his voice was even more husky than
usual.

"I'll catch you later."

Mulder watched until Krycek had disappeared round the corner before pulling out
his cellphone.

"Scully, anything?"

//There's very little left except some scorched labels on a couple of vials:
BioTechnics Ltd. I've run a background check but there's nothing unusual.// A
moments pause. //How's our 'partner'?//

"He's gone but I get the impression he'll be back. I expect he's gonna contact
the Group for more instructions."

***

Krycek called a cab as soon as he reached a phone booth, standing out of view as
he waited for the cab to turn up just in case Mulder should happen to pass this
way but nothing happened. He chose a circuitous route back to his motel, stopping
off at a diner on the way.

The phone booth at the back of the Diner was surprisingly private. He pushed in
the code and waited speaking only when he recognised the voice on the other end
of the line as that of his Employer.

"The Doctor has gone over to the others. How do you want me to proceed."

//You must delay Agent Mulder in his quest. Keep him away from BioTechnics until
we have the chance to deal with the Colonists. By tomorrow the subsidiary will
have been stripped clean. Take him there.//

Krycek hung up the phone, replacing it in its cradle and returned to the booth he
had selected earlier. He called the waitress over and nursed another mug of
coffee as he considered his options.

17:25 East 46th St

New York

The Well-Manicured Man checked himself in the mirror, hands moving to correct the
angle of his tie. He was as impeccably dressed as ever and knew that he could
allow no sense of elation to become apparent to any around him. Bonita would be
avenged. He turned back as the First Elder spoke.

"How could this happen?"

"Someone has betrayed us. "

"Who?"

The Well-Manicured Man barely stopped the astonishment from reaching his face. It
was obvious who had betrayed them. It had their Cigarette-Smoking associate's
fingerprints all over it. Of all those present, this man had the most to gain by
allowing the Colonists to continue with their plans unabated. He craved power -
and that was what he had been offered. However, there was no proof as yet so he
remained silent.

The First Elder understood the silence and, with a certain amount of regret that
his own man had failed in the attempt to assassinate the Cigarette-Smoking Man,
he continued.

"And Mulder?"

"It is too late to prevent his intervention. Agent Mulder is already in Florida."
The others muttered in concern. "However, I may be able to delay him while we
clean-up this mess. It appears the good doctor may have to suffer an accident
after all."

***

21:50 A Motel near Christchurch, Florida

Krycek eventually reached his motel without incident late in the evening.

He gave up trying to control the urge to cough as he wandered into the bathroom
for a glass of water. A soft click warned him that someone had entered his room
and he pulled out his gun, holding it before him as he edged back towards the
bedroom. He sucked in a deep breath and then swung himself into the room just as
the smell of a cigarette reached his olfactory senses.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to treat a guest, Alex."

"I don't recall inviting you in."

The Cigarette-Smoking Man inhaled deeply then flicked ash onto the carpet. He
patted the bed beside him, an obvious invitation that raised a storm of anger
into the sea-green eyes. Krycek had wondered when his ex-employer would try to
resume their affair, recalling the way he had been pawing him on the flight back
from Quebec. He raised his chin defiantly.

"Get out."

"Why, Alex, that's not what you used to say."

"Get out before I kill you."

Cancerman smiled and dropped the remainder of the cigarette onto the floor,
adding another hole to the threadbare carpet as he ground it beneath his heel.

"I was hoping we might... renew our association. You're still a good looking man
despite the... accident."

Krycek snorted in disbelief at the gall of this man. How he could possibly
believe he would wish to renew their affair after what he had done.. and it was
not as if he had ever loved the man. Hell, despite everything he didn't even know
Cancerman's real name.

Krycek thought back to the day when the man had first contacted him. He had been
majoring in Eastern Block Politics and was very proactive in the student union.
His outspoken views on Communism and the American way had drawn attention. This,
added to his natural fluency in Russian as a first generation American from Cold
War immigrants, had made him a desirable target.

He had not lied to Mulder when he had told him that he loved this country.
America was his home and Cancerman had played on his ardent patriotism. The young
agent had been taken under Cancerman's wing and his eagerness to please had been
exploited to the fullest extent.

At first he had idolised the older man, willing to let himself be led in whatever
direction this man wanted. Cancerman had taken full advantage, even taking him
into his bed, using and abusing his willing young prot*g* but it had all changed
after he had been assigned to partner Fox Mulder.

The increasing exposure to Cancerman's inhuman plans and the camaraderie he had
enjoyed with the FBI Agent had soured his view of the relationship - or had he
already started to grow out of the adolescent fanaticism. Whatever, he had
started to see his employer in a different light and Krycek often wondered
whether Cancerman would have ordered his execution had he not made it clear a few
weeks earlier that their sexual relationship was over.

"Get out. I'm not going to ask again."

The Cigarette-Smoking Man stood up and walked towards the door, opened it but
stopped on the threshold. He turned to face his former lover.

"By the way, Alex. When I leave here I shall be giving the order to have Agent
Mulder removed permanently. If you leave now you might just reach him in time to
warn him... but next time..." The man gave a predatory smile, letting the threat
hang in the air. "However, with a little... intimate persuasion, there need not
be a next time." He turned and walked away.

Krycek stared at the retreating figure in horror, knowing all too well what
Cancerman meant by 'intimate persuasion'. He rushed passed the loathsome man.

The Cigarette-Smoking Man lit another Morley, filled his lungs and then exhaled a
blue-grey plume of smoke as he watched his former lover race to his car. The
rental headed off in the direction of Mulder's motel, accelerating quickly. He
smiled, enjoying the little mind games he played. Alex Krycek was going to warn
Mulder of the threat to his life, thereby confirming that he valued that life. He
let ideas flow into his head, accepting and rejecting future moves in this new
game, pleased with the way he had manipulated events to his own end.

He punched out a number on his cellphone.

"After they have left the motel wait five minutes then carry out the assignment."

He was about to disconnect when his agent replied.

//What's the point if they're long gone?//

"They will know."

He switched off the phone and shook another cigarette out of the pack, placing it
between lips that were creased with age. Once lit, he took a deep drag, holding
it in his lungs for several moments before allowing the smoke to drift back out.
//More to the point, Alex will know//, he thought to himself and smiled as the
second part of his game plan swung into operation.

***

22:10 Dawson Motel

Christchurch, Florida

The screeching of tyres outside his room brought Mulder out of a light doze but
it was the frantic banging on the door and the sound of equally violent banging
on Scully's door that brought him to his feet, gun in hand. Whoever it was had
returned and was back outside his door. Mulder clicked off the safety.

"Mulder!"

"Krycek?"

The FBI agent flicked on the light and opened the door. Alex Krycek pushed passed
him and started to throw Mulder's few belongings into his case, grateful the man
preferred to live out of his suitcase rather than use the motel drawers.

"Get Scully in the car."

"What?"

"Don't argue, there isn't much time."

Mulder grabbed Krycek's arm and was taken aback by the determination written
across the handsome face and by the fear reflected in the wide eyes.

"What's going on, Krycek."

Krycek huffed in annoyance. "I'm trying to save your lives. Now get Scully."

Mulder stood still for a moment before deciding to follow the frantic
instructions and when he turned he found Dana Scully standing by his door, gun
raised and pointed at Krycek.

"Let's do what he says."

He forced her out and back into her own room where he grabbed the laptop and
quickly helped her to throw her belongings into her suitcase. Outside he could
hear the sound of his own suitcase being thrown into the trunk and hoped Krycek
had been more careful with his laptop... then Krycek was at the door.

"No more time, take what you've got."

Krycek's anxiety broke through and moments later they found themselves
frantically shoving Scully's belongings into the trunk. Mulder slammed down the
tailgate as Krycek started the car and was given barely enough time to get in
before it began moving. He pulled the door closed just as they exited the motel
parking lot and glanced over his shoulder to where Scully had been thrown
sideways along the back seat by the sharp cornering onto the highway.

"Where're we going?"

"I don't know."

Mulder glanced at the display on the dash. Only four minutes had passed since
that first frantic bang on his door and here they were speeding along the
highway. Mulder looked down at his bare feet.

"I hope you pac