Title: Harm Intended Author: Eileen Whipple Classification: X Rating: PG-13 for mature subject matter Summary: Just a regular X-File. Disclaimer: I don't own Mulder, Scully, Skinner or Pendrell. Chris Carter and 10-13 Productions do. The rest of the characters are mine. Author's Notes: I worked on this story for nearly two years but here it is, finished. Also there's no cult called the Lundyrs and the Baltimore suburb of Winterburn was made up. I began this story long before we discovered Scully's infertility. **Harm Intended** D'ARCY RESIDENCE WINTERBURN, MARYLAND JUNE 21, 1996 10:33 PM "Gwen, I'm home," Talisa D'Arcy called as she came in the dark front door of her even darker house. "Gwen!" She was calling her daughter Gwendolyn. Talisa could hear music playing down the hall, in Gwen's room. Setting her purse down, Talisa sighed. She'd just finished her shift at Baltimore General Hospital. Being a doctor was very fatiguing. Talisa padded down the hall. She figured Gwen had fallen asleep with her stereo on. As she entered her daughter's room, she felt a cool draft on her bare feet. She screamed at what she saw. AGENT FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA JUNE 22 8:54 AM "Would you like some breakfast?" FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder asked his partner Dana Scully as she came into his apartment. "That depends. What do you have?" Scully asked suspiciously. In a cheesy French accent, Mulder said, "This morning at the lovely Chateau Mulder, we are serving a fabulous dish of wonderful leftover fried rice, Szechwan beef and kung pao chicken." "I think I'll pass." She set her briefcase down. "Now, why am I here?" Mulder said, "We have a case and this time, it's closer to home." "Closer?" Scully echoed. "It happened in Winterburn, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore," Mulder explained. They went into his messy living room. "Sit down." "Uh, no. That's okay," Scully said, avoiding her partner's glance. She leaned against the wall. "What exactly happened?" "It's a kidnapping and a possible homicide. A doctor named Talisa D'Arcy came home about ten-thirty and discovered her daughter Gwendolyn was missing. The girl was taken from her bedroom; her window was completely destroyed and her mother made a grisly discovery on the wall." "And that was?" Scully urged, "A satanic symbol painted on the wall in blood." Mulder shifted in his seat. "They don't know if it's the girl's blood but they're running tests and the results should be in later today." Scully stood up. "Well, then. Let's go." D'ARCY RESIDENCE WINTERBURN, MARYLAND 9:47 AM "We've dusted the window sill for prints," Agent Isabella LeVine said, pointing to the broken window. "There's a couple. We're going to see if they're Gwendolyn's and if they aren't, we'll run them in the NCIC database." There were many police officers and FBI agents scouring the grounds outside the house. Scully saw the inconsolable Talisa D'Arcy as she spoke to a police officer. "Do you mind if we take a look at the symbol?" Mulder asked LeVine. She nodded and took them inside. The sign was a star with a ring around it--the sign of Satan. There was one difference: there was also a crescent moon in the circle. "Obviously a cult conspiracy," said LeVine, "or something like that." She looked at Mulder, grinning flirtatiously. "What do you think, Agent Mulder?" "Obviously you haven't read my monograph on the occult and serial killers." He was very nice saying this. Scully listened to the conversation. "The lab analysis should be in by dinnertime," LeVine said. "Here's my number." Mulder handed LeVine a card with his phone number on it. Scully did the same thing. LeVine smiled and walked away. "So, what do you think, Mulder?" Scully lifted her arms a bit and let them drop against her sides. "Scully, have you heard of the Lundyrs?" She shook her head. "Well, the Lundyrs are a satanic cult. They get their name from the French 'lune' meaning moon. That's what the crescent moon symbolises." They walked out of the room and headed for the back door. Mulder explained, "They lure members when they're young. You hear about teenagers getting into cults all the time. Maybe Gwendolyn was involved with the Lundyrs." "She's fourteen so it's possible," Scully said. Mulder smiled. "You agree with me, Scully?" Scully grinned. "I guess so." SCULLY'S APARTMENT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 7:52 PM There have been extensive searches for the missing girl, Gwendolyn Hannah D'Arcy. Usually, in a missing persons case, we'd wait twenty-four hours before starting any searches but blood was found at the crime scene, indicating possible homicide. The results from the blood tests are not in yet. Scully had started typing her field report. She was required by her superiors to do so. The phone rang, making her jump. She turned it on. "Hello?" "Hi, Scully." It was Mulder. "I have the results from the blood tests." "So?" Scully urged. "Is it Gwendolyn's?" Mulder let out a deep breath. "No, but they think they know who it belongs to." "Well?" Scully said. "Whose is it?" "The blood contained feline DNA and after we left, they found a dead cat in a neighbour's yard." "What do you think?" asked Scully. "I don't know," Mulder answered, "but I do know there are some woods in Winterburn where Lundyr ceremonies take place and no one has searched them yet." Scully raised her voice. "No way, Mulder. We've gotten caught too many times before. We don't need any letters of censure in our personnel files." "Aww, come on, Scully," he whined. "I promise that if we don't find anything, we'll leave." Scully sighed. "Fine but remember that." As she hung up, she wondered what she was getting into. LARSON FOREST WINTERBURN, MARYLAND 10:42 PM "Are we looking for Gwendolyn or the Lundyrs or both?" Scully switched on her flashlight but she pushed the button only enough to let a dim light shine. "Both, I guess. If we find one, we'll probably find the other." He turned on his flashlight. "If I seem out of it, it's because I'm so damn tired." Mulder did look and sound tired. Scully's angry look softened. "I know. This case is really tough." "Ever since the Lundyrs moved to Winterburn, lights have been reported in these woods, every two nights. There's also been reports of demonic possession and infestation around the suburb." Scully snickered. "They expect anyone to believe that? That's absolutely absurd." Mulder interrupted her. "Look. There's lights up ahead." He pointed. Deep in the forest were slowly moving flames. They were small but visible. Scully and Mulder moved closer, tiptoeing silently down a beaten path. Mulder turned off his flashlight and motioned for Scully to do the same. Ahead of them was a clearing where dark figures loomed eerily. "The Lundyrs," Mulder whispered. The chanting began. "We come tonight, our Dark Lord, to praise you, to worship you." Like almost every other satanic ritual documented, there was an altar and the participants were wearing dark-coloured robes and carrying dark candles. The hooded figures formed a circle around the altar. As they chanted, Mulder moved closer. A tall, cloaked person went behind the altar. "The High Priest," Mulder whispered to Scully. She rolled her eyes. "We come before you two days before the Great Sacrifice, to make a smaller one." He held up a dove whose wings were broken. The figure drew a dagger from his cloak and placed the bird on the altar. Scully bit her lip as the dove was killed. The man produced a goblet and drained the blood into it. Two macabre shapes left the circle and went into a nearby thicket. A few moments later, they returned with a gagged, struggling girl. They brought her to the centre and removed the gag. "I don't want to be here," the girl cried. "Let me go home. I don't like this." The girl was trying to indo her bound wrists. "You didn't think about that when you joined," the figure mocked. The girl sobbed. "I didn't know you were bad." "Shut up!" the man scolded, slapping the girl across the face. The girl cried harder as the man poured the blood over her blonde hair. Scully gasped. The figure faced in the direction of the agents. "Someone's intruding." The fleeing Mulder tugged Scully to her feet. He let her hand go as they ran full speed to their car. Mulder's hand shook as he put the key into the ignition. He quickly started the car and sped away. "What the hell was that?" Scully asked. "I don't know." She crosses her arms. "Was that Gwendolyn?" "I don't think so. In the picture I saw, Gwendolyn had brown hair, not blonde. Maybe when we talk with Talisa D'Arcy tomorrow, she can tell us any places where her daughter might run away to." Scully nodded. "Okay. Tomorrow." SCULLY'S APARTMENT JUNE 23 12:17 AM "Damn!" Scully switched off her TV set, throwing the remote control to the other side of her couch. There was nothing on TV but old, black-and-white films. She stretched and got up to turn on a lamp and get her book. She tried to read but couldn't. All she could think about was that poor girl...all that blood. It made Scully feel dirty. She yawned as she went into her bathroom. She turned on the faucets of her antique bathtub. She knew a hot bath would be relaxing. After pouring in some bubble mixture, Scully rubbed her calves; she was all cramped up and her legs ached. As the water ran, she removed her clothes, leaving them in a careless heap. She set a fluffy blue towel on the toilet seat and slipped into the hot water after turning off the taps. The water was soothing. Scully sighed, resting her head against the tub. Tap, tap. Scully looked around, startled. "It's only rain," she said out loud as several raindrops spattered against the windowpane. She realised she was trembling. She stood up carefully, grabbing the towel, wrapping it around her wet body. "Why am I so frightened?" she asked herself, planting her feet firmly on the cold floor. She walked slowly to her bedroom. Securing her towel, she pulled her blue silk pyjamas from her dresser. Tap! Tap! The rain fell harder against the glass. Scully decided she would try to sleep after dressing. She shut off the lamp and grabbed her cordless phone, just in case. As Scully was falling asleep, the phone started ringing. It was annoying. "Hello?" Scully said. She heard breathing. "Hello?" she repeated angrily. A voice rasped, "Stay away, Dana Katherine Scully, if you know what's good for you." "Who the hell is this?" Click. Scully, puzzled, hung up the phone. She thought, Who was that? Not many people knew her middle name. Thinking harder, she said crossly, "Mulder!" Scully turned on her phone and jabbed at the numbers, dialling Mulder's number. When he answered, he sounded exhausted. "What do you want?" "It's me," Scully said. "Where do you get off calling people and threatening them? It's not funny." "Me? You were the one who called me!" Mulder said rudely. She said calmly, "You're one of the few people who knows my middle name. If it wasn't you, who was it?" "I don't know but whoever called me used my middle name, William." "How could anyone know my name? I don't keep it hidden, but I don't publicise it either." Mulder yawned. "I don't think it's any of the cult members. How could they know our names? We'll try to figure this out tomorrow. Until then, keep your doors and windows locked and your gun nearby. And try to get some sleep, okay?" he added softly. "Yeah." She hung up. Taking Mulder's advice, Scully checked her front door and windows. Afterwards, she got into bed, praying for the terrified girl she'd seen that night. Continued in part 2... D'ARCY RESIDENCE 1:07 PM "Mrs. D'Arcy?" Scully asked the woman with ash-blonde hair. "Yes," the woman sobbed. "I'm Talisa." Scully sat beside Talisa while Mulder remained standing. "I'm Special Agent Dana Scully." She motioned to her partner. "This is Agent Mulder." "Yes, I know." Talisa wiped her eyes. "Agent LeVine said you might be stopping by today." Scully was about to say something but Mulder interrupted her. "Is this Gwen?" He held up a picture. "Yes. Gwen's eleven there." It was a photo of a birthday party. Gwen was laughing and had her arms around Talisa's neck. "In all these pictures, her hair is brown. In this picture, she has blonde hair." "Yeah. She bleached it. I didn't want her to." Going on his cult theory, he asked, "Talisa, does Gwen have many friends?" "She did. She'd been very popular and had many friends. Gwen even had a boyfriend, but she became quiet, cutting off from activities. She'd go out and come back many hours later. I'd ask her where she'd gone...and..." Her voice trembled and she burst into tears. "And what?" Mulder said. "She'd never tell me. She'd just go to her room and listen to music. Her grades dropped from As to Cs. She didn't have to go to summer school though." Mulder asked, "Do you think she could have been involved with a cult? The Lundyrs?" Talisa shrugged. "Why?" Mulder sat down. "The symbol found on Gwen's wall was the Lundyr sign." He continued quietly, "Last night, Agent Scully and I witnessed a Lundyr gathering and we saw a girl that might be your daughter. We didn't know that she had bleached her hair so we couldn't be sure." "Oh, no," cried Talisa. "I was trying to make sure she didn't get involved with them." "What do you mean, Talisa?" Mulder asked. "When I was sixteen, I was a member of the Lundyrs. My boyfriend was as well. They forced us to have sex in front of them. We didn't want to but it was part of a ritual and I was the only virgin in the cult. They'd all threatened to kill us if we didn't do it. "I found out that I was pregnant and my boyfriend and I both knew that they were going to sacrifice the baby after it was born. That was the whole point of the ceremony, he'd told me. After he told me, the Lundyrs killed him." "And you kept the baby," Scully said. "You kept Gwen." Talisa nodded. "I couldn't bear to get an abortion. I'm Catholic and my parents wouldn't hear of it either, even though they were angry I didn't wait until I was married to lose my virginity. I told them I was forced to have sex. They believed me and then, Logan--my boyfriend--was murdered. "My parents didn't want to move so they kept a close watch on me and my baby. When Gwen was bout two, I received a mysterious phone call saying that the Lundyrs would sacrifice Gwen one way or another. That was twelve years ago and I thought it was all over." "What do you think is going to happen?" asked Mulder. Talisa wiped her eyes. "They could have her in the same ritual that I was in but I don't know if she has her period. She never told me because we grew apart." She clenched her hands. "They could sacrifice her, like they said they would." "We'll try to prevent both," said Mulder. "Thanks." Talisa smiled a bit. Mulder stood up. "How often do the Lundyrs meet?" "If I remember correctly, every two days. Since they met last night, they'll probably meet tomorrow." "What do they look for in members?" Mulder asked Talisa. "It doesn't matter. Members can be old or young, rich or poor." Scully spoke up. "Do they go after a lot of teenagers?" Talisa nodded. "When I was a member, they went after kids. Our youngest member was eleven." "Thanks, Talisa. Agent Scully and I will have the woods searched for evidence." Talisa said, "Please find my daughter. Find my baby girl." LARSON FOREST 2:37 PM "What are we looking for?" Scully asked her partner. She was crawling around, looking for evidence. "Anything." Mulder was rustling around in the bushes. They searched: Scully was looking in the clearing and Mulder was in the surrounding woods. "Mulder! I found something." He came running. "What did you find?" he asked. Scully slipped on a pair of rubber gloves. "It's a pair of girls' underwear. They're stained with blood." "Damn! I told Talisa we'd prevent Gwen from getting pregnant." Scully said calmly, "Listen, Mulder. We don't know for sure if the Lundyrs raped Gwen and also, we don't know if Gwen has started menstruating yet. We shouldn't get worked up until we know for sure. These might not even be hers." "Here." Mulder handed Scully a plastic evidence bag. She dropped the underwear into it. "We don't know if Gwen has her period yet so this could easily be menstrual blood," Scully said matter-of-factly. Mulder examined the panties. "But if I remember health class correctly, isn't the first period light and usually a brownish colour?" "Sometimes. Menarche may differ with each female. It can be a reddish colour and heavy, but who's to say this is Gwen's first period? Talisa said Gwen didn't tell her anything so maybe, she began menstruating and didn't tell her mother." "Yeah. You're right." Mulder pocketed the plastic bag. "I'll get this tested to see if it matches Gwen's blood type." They headed back to the car. "We have to find Gwen. The Lundyrs said something about the Great Sacrifice that is taking place in one day. I believe the sacrifice may be Gwen." "We'll find Gwen, Mulder. We have to." J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING FBI HEADQUARTERS MULDER'S OFFICE 5:23 PM "Hello." Agent LeVine entered Mulder and Scully's office. "Where's Agent Scully?" Mulder looked up from his notebook. "She took some evidence to Agent Pendrell to be analysed and then, she said she'd go pick up some dinner." LeVine sat on Mulder's desk and crossed her long legs. Her blue skirt lifted past mid-thigh. "Any leads?" "No. Not really." Mulder moved away from LeVine. She got off his desk. "Well, if there are any leads, find me. And tell Agent Scully I said hi." LeVine had been gone for several minutes when Scully came in with several paper bags. "I saw LeVine. What did she want?" "Nothing much. How long do you think it will take the lab to determine if that blood is Gwen's?" "Agent Pendrell said it would take a while so all we can do is wait." She removed some cartons from the bags. "There's noodles, chicken balls, sweet and sour ribs and egg rolls. I even got chopsticks instead of forks." "Thanks." Mulder took out a napkin. "I'll need this if I'm to eat with chopsticks." Scully chose the carton of noodles. "LeVine seems desperate. She's throwing herself at you." "She can do what she wants but I'm not interested." Scully ate a mouthful of noodles. "I suggest we go home and I'll get Agent Pendrell to call me with the test results." "Fine." SCULLY'S APARTMENT 11:17 PM Scully studied a picture of Gwen. The young girl at the cult meeting resembled Gwen but Scully knew it could be anyone. She knew that Gwen could've just ran away." Her phone rang and she picked it up. She was expecting a call from Agent Pendrell. "Hello, Pendrell." All Scully heard was breathing. Several minutes later, someone said, "Leave the case alone, bitch!" Click! "Not again," she said. She knew that if the mysterious calls continued, she'd have to get a phone trace. The phone rang again but this time, it was Pendrell. "Agent Scully, the blood types match. Maybe that's a good thing. At least you know where the girl is." "Thanks, Pendrell. I'll call Mulder. 'Bye." She hung up. She wasn't really sure how she and Mulder would find Gwen. They had less than a day but she knew her partner would come up with a spectacular plan. Scully turned on her cordless phone and dialled Mulder's number. She got his answering machine. "Mulder, it's me. The blood types match. Now, we have to find her in less than a day. Perhaps we can stake out the meeting tomorrow." Scully walked into her kitchen and flipped on the light. "No!" The phone fell with a clatter. J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SKINNER'S OFFICE JUNE 24 7:06 AM "I need to speak to you, sir," Mulder said, entering Assistant Director Walter Skinner's office. "It's about Scully." "What about her?" "She's missing. I believe she was kidnapped. I got a message from her and at the end, she yelled, 'No!' and I heard a bang. I called out the police but no blood was found at the scene. I believe she was taken by the cult we were investigating. I need your permission for a stakeout of the forest where the cult's meetings take place. There's supposed to be a sacrifice tonight and Scully and I believed it would be the missing girl we were looking for." "Oh, the Gwendolyn D'Arcy case. How do you know she could be the sacrifice?" "Her mother was a member of the Lundyrs and they're the ones who got her pregnant with Gwen. They told Mrs. D'Arcy that they would sacrifice Gwen after she was born but they didn't. That's what they're trying to do now. I also think Scully may be in danger." "Other than being kidnapped, what dangers are there?" Skinner asked, picking up the phone. Mulder knew he was going to authorise a search and stakeout. "Mrs. D'Arcy believes that if the Lundyrs don't sacrifice her daughter, they will ritually rape her to get her pregnant and then, they'll sacrifice the child after it's born. The only problem is that Gwen might not be capable of conceiving children yet, if you know what I mean. She's only fourteen and might not be finished going through puberty. That's what they may need Scully for. She's capable of conceiving and bearing children so they may rape both Gwen and Scully." Skinner dialled a phone number. "Agent Samson, get some agents to the D'Arcy house in Winterburn. Agent Mulder will meet you there and he will give instructions for a search and stakeout. We're not just searching for the D'Arcy girl anymore. Agent Dana Scully has been abducted and we'd like both found alive." He hung up the phone. "Thank you, sir." Mulder started to leave the office. "Agent Mulder, I trust you will be able to save both Scully and Gwendolyn." "I won't let anything happen to them. I can't." D'ARCY RESIDENCE 8:36 AM "Okay, this cult sacrifice is taking place tonight and we either have to find the abducted, Gwen D'Arcy and Dana Scully, before then or intercept the ritual tonight. As most of you know, Dana Scully is one of our own. We have to be careful in our approach. We don't want to lose them," Mulder explained to the FBI agents in front of him. "We will divide into groups of four and begin searching Larson Forest and surrounding houses. Every two hours, certain groups will be radioed to report back here. They will inform us of what they turned up in their search, such as evidence or responses from civilians. They then will be relieved by another team and so on. Any questions?" "What if we're approached by anyone with a lead?" an agent asked. "Notify us by walkie-talkie and we'll send in a unit to follow up on it." Mulder looked at his watch. "Okay. It's time to start. And if you are accosted or threatened by a possible suspect, do not use your weapon unless it's necessary. If we have suspects, they can help us find Scully and Gwen. Now, divide into teams and move out." Mulder felt great having authority. Nobody usually listened to him but now, they had to. He was going to stay at the D'Arcy house until a team needed to be relieved. He was eager to get out and search. He had to find both abducted women. Scully was his partner and he'd made a promise to Talisa to find Gwen safe and sound. All he could really do was wait. 10:42 AM "Agent Mulder, I'll get your men some drinks, okay?" Talisa said, poking her head outside. "How about lemonade?" "That sounds great, Mrs. D'Arcy," he said before radioing several teams in. Agent Jim Samson and his group were close and arrived in a few minutes. "We didn't find anything. Did anybody else?" "We don't know yet." A team arrived about five minutes later. "We found this, Agent Mulder." The agent held up a bag containing a necklace with a small gold cross on it. The chain was broken. "That's Scully's necklace. She never takes it off. They probably tore it off." Mulder took the bag. "Where did you find it?" "Near the woods. Perhaps the canvassing will turn up some leads." "We have to keep searching. We have about eleven hours until the sacrifice, or rape, or whatever." Talisa returned with a pitcher of lemonade and some plastic cups. She saw the group of agents. "Did you find Gwen and Agent Scully?" "No, but we did find this." Mulder held up the evidence bag. "This is Agent Scully's necklace. It was found near the woods so we'll begin concentrating on the houses in the vicinity." "Thank you for spending so much time on this." Talisa hugged Mulder as best she could. "You are a saint." "Well, these other agents are helping." "But you got the search started. I do appreciate all the help." "Don't thank me until we find your daughter." 3:16 PM Their search was slow. They talked to many people around the suburb, many claiming they saw Gwen with a group of punks. They weren't able to check on these claims until they went door-to-door and met one of the punks, Zoë Marsden. "Have you seen this girl?" Mulder asked, holding up a photo of Gwen. "Sunny? No, I haven't seen her around for a while." "I think you have the wrong girl. This girl is Gwendolyn D'Arcy." "Yeah, I know. We started calling her Sunny a couple years ago. She was always so cheery. What do you want with her?" "She was kidnapped two nights ago. We are looking for her. We're with the FBI." Mulder motioned to his associates standing on the sidewalk. "I heard she ran away, but stories change a lot around here. If I do see her or anything suspicious, I'll try to get in touch with you." The girl tossed her magenta-streaked hair over her shoulder. Mulder pulled a business card out of his pocket. "Call me on my cell phone, or contact me at the D'Arcy house." "Sure." Zoë closed her front door. Mulder lifted his walkie-talkie to his mouth and said, "Anything there, Samson?" "Nothing, Mulder," came the reply over the walkie-talkie. "Okay, people, let's head back." 5:49 PM It was nearly dinnertime and there hadn't been any leads. Mulder couldn't give up. He was hot and tired but had to find Gwen and Scully. He would never forgive himself if any harm came to either of them. He was angry because Gwen might have been raped already. Despite the events that had happened, Talisa was trying her best to stay positive. She made sandwiches for the FBI agents and served them all more drinks. "I haven't seen Agent LeVine," Talisa said to Mulder as she gave him a ham sandwich. "Is she off today?" "I'm not sure, Talisa. Probably." He was surprised LeVine wasn't there, hitting on him. He found it easier without her around. He checked his watch. The ritual would probably start around eleven. They had five hours to find Gwen and Scully but with no leads, that seemed downright impossible. Mulder started praying they'd find a clue, anything that would help. "Agent Mulder, what if we don't find the kidnapped women?" Agent Samson asked. "We'll stake out the woods then and stop the ceremony." Mulder shuddered at the whole idea of the planned ritual. It was disgusting, perverted. How could any people rape a child and expect her to bear the baby conceived from that forced union? That's why he wanted to find Gwen so badly. He didn't want her to be fourteen and pregnant. Scully was his best friend and he didn't want her to be put through the trauma of rape. He didn't want to see her hurt in any way. The same went for the young Gwen. "Mrs. D'Arcy, do you have any dark-coloured blankets I could borrow?" He had an idea. He'd use it as a robe and intrude on the ritual. "I think so. Why?" "It's for the investigation, in case we don't find Gwen and Scully before the ritual starts." "Are you going to intrude on the meeting?" Talisa asked curiously. "You read my mind, Talisa." He grinned. "You're a very dedicated man, Agent Mulder. I'm glad you're on my daughter's case." "I'm glad I am, too. This might be a case I actually solve. I only wish my partner was here. I could use her help." "I hope you find both of them unharmed." "I will. I have to." 10:52 PM "I'm the only one going in," Mulder said, wrapping a black blanket around him. "If there's too many extra at the ritual, they might suspect something." He fidgeted with the microphone taped to him. "Testing. Testing." "We can hear you loud and clear, Mulder," Agent Samson said from inside the nondescript van. Mulder could hear it through his earphone. "We'll keep hidden in the woods. Our sharpshooters are setting up, just in case." "Just make sure they don't hit Scully or Gwen." He turned around and began walking to the forest. 11:19 PM Mulder wasn't noticed in the group of people all dressed in black. He'd pulled the blanket up so his face couldn't be seen. Nobody else's was visible. He went by a tree and whispered into his makeshift cloak, "No traces of them yet, Samson." All the Lundyrs had arrived and the ceremony was about to start. It started off with some chanting. Mulder followed as best he could. He was given a candle and he held it tightly as they began moving around the fire. After they'd chanted and danced, two figures went to the top of the circle, to their wooden altar. One boomed, "As you all know, tonight is the Great Sacrifice." Four Lundyrs went into a clearing and came back slowly. They'd paired off and now, each twosome was carrying a woman. The first was Gwen, wearing a short white dress. She was followed by Scully, dressed in a longer red dress. They were both laid on separate beds of sticks. Both were unconscious. "We have Sister Gwendolyn, whose birthright was to be sacrificed. If anyone remembers, she is the beloved daughter of our former Sister Talisa. This other unfortunate soul is one who does not believe and is an enemy of the Lundyrs," the other figure said. Mulder knew it was a woman under the cloak. She was the High Priestess. The High Priest, the one who'd started speaking, said, "We need to sacrifice Sister Gwendolyn but we need younger blood. This other woman will bear the child that is prophesied to be our even greater sacrifice. It would've been Gwendolyn if she was much younger." He looked around. "Let us pray to our Dark Lord as Brother Michael prepares to plant his seed in the disbeliever." They chanted their prayers as a cloaked man, Brother Michael, approached the still Scully. He put her hands above her head and tied them to the sturdy stick bed. He pulled her legs apart and secured them to the bottom corners. Mulder said into his robe, "Samson, you have to get out here. Get all the men out." "They're coming," Samson replied. Brother Michael had slapped Scully awake so she could be conscious as he raped her. She looked around groggily. Mulder was close enough to see tears in her eyes. He also saw bruises and scrapes on her limbs. He looked over his shoulder to see if Samson's men were coming. He focussed on the dark woods and saw shapes moving toward the gathering. He turned his attention back to Scully. Brother Michael had pushed up her skirt and was kneeling on the bed, preparing to rape her. "No! Please, don't do it!" she cried shrilly. "FBI!" many voices yelled, including Mulder's. All the Lundyrs scurried around, attempting to get away. Brother Michael had pulled away from Scully, leaving her unscathed. Mulder didn't care about the Lundyrs; there were enough agents to capture all the members. He had to get Scully and Gwen. Mulder threw off his robe and ran to Scully. Closing his eyes, he pulled her skirt down, covering her up. He left her after untying her arms and legs. She'd probably been drugged and she had to clear her head. He bolted to Gwen's side and shook her gently. "Gwen, open your eyes. I just want to know if you're okay." The young girl slowly came to. "Please don't hurt me," she pleaded. "I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Fox Mulder. I'm an FBI agent. I'm here to help you," he said as she sat up. "You have to help that lady. They're going to rape her." Gwen tried to stand but fell back. She was apparently under the influence of the same drug as Scully. "She's fine. I got her untied and she's safe, and so are you. You don't have to worry about the Lundyrs. They're being captured." A few gunshots rang out. He guessed the agents had to use force to apprehend some members. Agent Thomas Buchanan came up behind Mulder. "I'll give you a hand with these ladies." He picked up Gwen in his arms. "Get Agent Scully. We have to get them checked out by paramedics back at the D'Arcy home. Twenty agents are holding the Lundyrs in a field until enough police cars get here. We'll interrogate them all at the Winterburn precinct." Mulder went to scoop his partner up but she said, "I want to walk. Just help me." He pulled her to her feet and put an arm around her to assist her. "Are you okay, Scully?" "I just want to get clean." JUNE 25 12:24 AM "I'm so glad you're okay, Gwen," Talisa cried, hugging her daughter after she got out of the ambulance. "I'm sorry for joining the Lundyrs, Mom. I didn't know they were that dangerous. Some of my friends had heard they were a cool group. I joined so I could be popular and fit in." "I forgive you, Gwen. I thought the same thing when I joined." "You were a Lundyr? Why didn't you tell me?" Gwen asked. "It was a bad time in my life but the best thing happened to me during that period." She smiled down at her daughter. "You were born." Scully was huddled on the front step of the D'Arcy house. She had a blanket around her and held a cup of hot coffee in her hands. Talisa had also given her a pair of slippers to wear. Mulder was talking to Agent Buchanan when Samson ran up to them. "You'll never guess who the High Priestess is: our own Isabella LeVine. She's the one who threatened you and Scully over the phone. That's how she knew your middle names and our every move, except our plan to invade the ceremony." "I guess that's good news," Mulder said. "I'll go tell Scully." He went over to the step. "Hey, Mulder," Scully said quietly. "What's up?" He sat down beside her. "The cult's High Priestess is Agent LeVine. She's the one who threatened us but I'm guessing she wasn't the one who abducted you. You would've known if she had been your abductor." "No. It was a man who kidnapped me." She looked down into her cup. "I'd like to thank you for putting so much effort into this case. If you hadn't found Gwen and me, I would've been raped and Gwen would've been killed." "I had to find you both. I didn't want you to get hurt and even though you weren't, I can never get rid of the emotional scars that this whole traumatic event has left on you." "Mulder, I'll be fine. I've been through a lot and I always recover." "But I'd like you to go see an FBI counsellor, just to talk." "Don't worry. I'm going to see Karen Kosseff tomorrow." Mulder knew she was trying hard to keep her composure. He just put his arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Oh, Scully, we found this." He dug into his pocket and put the necklace that belonged to her in her hand. She smiled her gratitude. "Um, Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, can I talk to you?" It was Gwen. She was standing in front of them. "I don't mean to interrupt but my mom told me about all the things you both did in searching for me. I'd just like to thank you." "You're welcome, Gwen," Mulder said, smiling at the girl. "It's our job." Talisa came up to them. She'd already thanked them. She asked, "Would you two like to stay overnight here? I'm sure you both are too shaken to drive, after all you've been through." "I'd like that, Talisa," Scully said. Mulder nodded in agreement. Scully asked, "Can I take a shower?" "Sure." Talisa opened the front door. "I'll make up the guest rooms. Agent Scully, you can have some of my old pyjamas to sleep in and Agent Mulder, you can wear some of my father's old clothes." "Thanks," both agents said. They couldn't wait to get out of the cold and into the warmth of the D'Arcy house. 2:26 PM "It's good you're safe, Agent Scully," Skinner said as Scully and Mulder entered his office to have a meeting to discuss the case and give him their report. "Thank you, sir." She sat down in a chair and crossed her legs. "So what is the outcome of this entire ordeal?" Skinner asked both of them. Mulder answered, "Members are being charged with endangerment of a child, kidnapping of a federal agent, unlawful confinement and battery. Some were also charged with a murder and sexual assault that occurred fourteen years ago. Of course, Agent LeVine is being dismissed and charged with uttering threats." "And was Gwendolyn ever raped by the cult?" "No. We've included that the blood on the underwear was Gwen's but it was menstrual blood. They only inflicted bruises and cuts on her when they beat her. They never sexually assaulted her in any way. They also beat Agent Scully but I stopped them before they actually sexually assaulted her." The beatings the Lundyrs had inflicted on Scully were visible on her face and arms. Her clothes covered the other injuries. In addition to the abrasions on her face and limbs, she also had bruises on her back, hips, shoulders and sides. She also had her emotional pain to deal with. "I don't know why these people did these awful things but I'm sure it was a power and acceptance issue. Cults are usually about those things. They lure in susceptible people, especially young kids, and treat them nicely but in fact, they're miles away from nice. That's when they start to be controlling and overpowering but it's too late to get out," Mulder said. "Well, congratulations on the case but it doesn't belong in the X-files. Your names will be on it however." As the agents stood up, Skinner added, "I'm very pleased with your work." "Thank you, sir," Mulder responded as Scully exited the office ahead of him. When they were out in the hallway, Mulder said, "Don't you have an appointment with Karen Kosseff, Scully?" "I'm going there right now." She started to walk but turned back and said, "Mulder, it's cases like this one that make me appreciate the X-files." "You appreciate them?" he said. "Of course. Why would have I put up with them for so long?" "I don't know, Scully." They both turned and went their separate ways. End ****************** Comments welcome at: whipples@connect.ab.ca