Title: A Rescue?
Series: Possibilities, Chapter 12
Author: Bertie
Email: bertina1967@cs.com
Pairing: M/Sk/K
Date: 5/10/01
Rating: R
Category: Seems to be leading up to some major hurt/comfort
Disclaimer: Rico belongs to me, the rest belong to some strange corporation
Status: WIP
Warning: None really
Archive: please do
Note: I still do not know why the lovely Goddess Michele puts up with me:) 
 

Alex felt Rico's hot breath against his cheek when he woke to the sound of Jim knocking on the door. He had never heard such a surreptitious knock from such a big man before. He nearly laughed aloud until his eyes caught Rico's clear blue gaze, which blazed with anger and something slightly unbalanced that might have scared Alex a little had it not quickly dissipated when Alex looked into his eyes. Rico smiled, softening his features as he bent and covered Alex's lips with his own.

"I could forgive Jim anything as long as you are here with me," Rico whispered against Alex's cheek, after pulling away to breathe.

Alex's stomach fluttered. He actually felt better about the whole situation for a brief moment, thinking, 'at least he loves me'.

Rico cried out, "Come!"

Jim opened the door and peered in. After a second of hesitation, he let himself in and shut the door.

"Sorry to disturb you, Rico, but there was a breach of security in the northwestern section..." he trailed off, giving Alex an uneasy look.

Rico noticed Jim's discomfort, and said, "Just a moment, Jim. I shall be with you shortly."

Jim nodded and left the room, trying to shake the vision of his boss and Alex tangled together like two lovers. Jim was an open-minded man, to a certain extent; he had to be in his job. But those two. He shook his head. There was only so much he could put up with. He should have stayed put as the smoking man's lackey. At worst, the only thing he'd had to contend with from the old man was second hand smoke.

******

Rico smiled at Alex lying supine across the bed as he dressed. He looked so beautiful just lazing there, his body limp and relaxed from the sex and the sleep. Alex stretched out, and Rico's breath hitched. He would fight for his lover's affections and he would win. There was no doubt in his mind.

******

Walter had a bad feeling that his luck was about to run out when he came upon a man all in black who looked like he was patrolling the woods paramilitary style. 'I feel like I am back in Vietnam!' Walter thought before another man came up behind him and cried, "Halt there!"

"Who are you?" Walter asked turning to face the man, who held a large rifle in a vaguely threatening manner. As he spoke, Walter lifted his arms away from his body, not wanting to invite violence from this guard, or the other, who he could hear moving around behind him.

"I think that is something I should be asking you, buddy."

"Walter Skinner, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Who are you?" he asked again, growling through clenched teeth.

"I am a part of the security detail that patrols these woods, and unless you have a warrant, sir, or one hell of a good reason for being here, I suggest you leave this area immediately. It is all owned privately."

"I know who owns it. Mister Samuels is a friend of mine."

"Sir, this property does not belong to a Samuels. I must ask you to leave."

Just then the other man's 2-way radio beeped at him. He pulled up the antennae and said, "Yeah."

After a moment he said, "Just a moment, Jim." He turned to Walter and asked, "Hey, what did you say your name was again, mister?

Walter repeated his name and title. The man spoke into the 2-way radio listened for instructions that Walter could not make out, desperate as he was to hear them, and then finally switched off the radio.

"Seems you are welcome here, Mr. Skinner-you are to be taken to the main house. First, give me any weapons you may be carrying."

Walter gave him his FBI issue gun complacently enough, letting his mind wander back through years of hand-to-hand training as he did so. At least he was going to learn if Hank and his family were all right. He had an awful suspicion that Rico was long gone by now, along with Alex.

******

Rico dressed and a man came in to take the food that was left over from earlier.

"You may eat, or shower, or sleep if you prefer, my Beauty," he told Alex. The option to leave the room was not mentioned. "I will be away for just a while-business to take care of."

Alex nodded and waited until Rico left to rise and shower. He had to find out who it was they had found. He could not bear it if it was Walter trying to rescue him. He did not know what Rico would do if it was him. And if anything happened to Walter.

******

Walter recognized the house he was driven to by one of the security men. At least that hadn't changed. A large beefy man greeted him at the entrance and Walter recognized him as the man who was with Alex in Rico's limo.

'Shit,' Walter thought, realizing that this man was armed as well, not to mention taller and wider than Walter, and was obviously in a mood-definitely not a man to be trifled with.

Walter just nodded silently at the invitation to enter the house, and did his best to hide the tenseness knotting his belly. The big guy escorted him into Hank's house and resentment began to seep past the uncertain feelings Walter was having. He was taken into Hank's living room and noticed that everything seemed the same. Hank's family pictures were everywhere.

The big man gestured for him to sit down and Walter complied reluctantly.

He sat, trying to relax, but tension held him stiffly perched on the edge of the cushiony armchair. He leaned back with a sigh, seating himself more comfortably, and another man appeared in the doorway that the bulky fellow had just exited through. This guy was small and wiry, and looked more like a concierge than an assassin.

"Would you like something to eat, sir?" asked the man.

"No, thank you," Walter replied. The man nodded then walked away. Walter nervously began to drum his fingers against the arm of the seat.

"No reason to be nervous, Mister Skinner," a low voice nearly made him jump.

There at the entrance to the living room was a tall, heavily muscled blonde man. Walter gulped uneasily as he immediately noticed the truncated arm, which the man made no effort to hide with a prosthetic device. That made his stomach clench, thinking of Alex. Walter instantly knew that this was Rico and that his presence here did not bode well... not for Hank, not for Alex, not for himself. The man was only slightly smaller than his guard had been, and Walter realized immediately that this was not a man who would be the least bit intimidated by his title or what he represented. Walter just hoped he'd make it out of the house alive.

"So, what may I do for you, Assistant Director?" the big man moved closer, letting Walter get a better look at him. It was as if Rico were posing for him, telling Walter, 'See, I am better than you, old man. Younger, stronger and better looking.'

"I'm here purely for personal reasons, Mister..." Walter began, hoping he could get something from the blond man.

Rico just smiled and replied, "You may call me Rico, Mister Skinner."

Walter nodded and said, "Walter will do, Rico."

"Good. I like to be informal with my guests." Walter's eyebrow rose at that. "So, what personal business do you have here at my ranch?"

"Well, this ranch was owned, I am quite sure, by a Hank Samuels just yesterday and now I learn that this whole place is newly taken over by you." Walter looked pointedly at the pictures on the wall and over the fireplace. "Seems awfully sudden-Hank and I are good friends, you know. He didn't mention selling to me."

Rico moved closer and sat down on the sofa and gestured with his one hand to the whole room, "Mister Samuels has been preoccupied of late and has been unable to let his friends or associates know of his plans."

"And he asked you to take over his place? How do you know Hank?" Walter demanded, fear for his friend adding a surly edge to his voice.

Rico ignored the challenge and just replied calmly, "Mister Samuels and I are in business together and it became prudent that he be elsewhere for the time being. Luckily I was in the neighborhood..."

"What about Alex Krycek?" Walter hated that his voice wavered a bit over Alex's name.

Rico's face suddenly tightened and his smooth cultured voice took on a menacing tone. "Alex is my business, Walter. He came to me voluntarily. So...unless you have any other business here, I suggest you go with my guards back to your car."

Rico rose and Walter did the same. "This is not over, Rico," Walter warned him. Rico ignored the threat and pressed a button on the pager clipped to the belt of his pants. Immediately the guards were back in the room, guns held at the half-ready. Rico addressed the larger of the two men:

"Jim, see Walter out for me." Dismissing Walter and the stormy look he was given, Rico walked away. The guards waved their guns at him and escorted him quickly from the house. Walter knew better than to argue with armed opponents, so he held his tongue and thought about what his next course of action would be.

All three men left the house, and Walter was just about to enter the limo when he heard Alex cry out, "Walter!"

He looked up at the sound. Alex had opened a window and was calling out to him from the second story of the house. Alex had no shirt on and Walter thought he looked afraid and vulnerable. But before he could do more than take a single step away from the car, he saw Rico appear and pull Alex away from the window.

Jim, the walking mountain of a man, told him, "There is nothing left to see here, Mister. I suggest you just get into the limo and forget him."

Walter shook his head, knowing he would not forget Alex any time soon. He did comply, though, and entered the limo.

*****

When Walter was brought back to his car, he immediately called Fox on his mobile phone and told him what had happened.

"Come home, Walter. There isn't anything you can do at this point."

Walter sighed. "You're right, Fox, I just feel like a jerk not being able to help him."

"Don't blame yourself, Walter. You had no idea you were being followed."

"Well, I clearly wasn't careful enough."

Mulder sighed heavily into the phone. "Please come home. This beating yourself up isn't right. It gives me no room for my own licks."

"This is not a laughing matter, Fox." Walter grumbled.

"I am not laughing, lover."

There was an earnestness in Mulder's voice that even Walter could recognize. He sighed, then said, "All right. I'm on my way. See you later tonight." He glanced at his watch. "Maybe late tonight."

"I don't car how late it is, as long as you are here. I will be waiting for you in your apartment."

"Okay, bye." Skinner clicked the phone off and stared into the woods for a moment before starting his car and pulling away.

******

"Alex, you know that there isn't a thing Walter can do for you. You are mine, and soon, you will come to accept it. In fact, I think you will want to be with me. No other."