Season Six:
Episode 13

Apartment 4B
R Street
Washington DC
5:16 pm

Jeffrey Spender sits in front of his laptop computer. His attention is divided between the screen and a list of what appear to be printed instructions on the desk next to it. In fact, he's concentrating so hard that he's oblivious to the world around him. The message indicator on his answering machine is blinking red. The telephone rings again. He ignores it, and the answering machine picks up.

As he waits for an instruction to be executed by his computer, Spender lets his thoughts drift back to the cellular telephone call he had taken at an Ohio airport. A male voice, speaking softly, had verified to whom he was speaking, but wouldn't identify himself. Not in the mood for games, even ones granting the much coveted "access" he'd been promised, Spender had reacted angrily. The man had assured Jeffrey that the only games he played were of the high stakes variety. He then proceeded to tantalize Spender with hints of important new information to come, adopting a more conspiratorial tone. Interested, despite himself, Spender gave voice to his frustration.

Finally, the man relented, and Spender was hooked. "Jeffrey," he had begun in a more normal conversational voice. "Certain communications have been sent and received. Promises have been made. Deals have been done. These activities constitute a direct threat to the security of the United States of America. Fortunately, the threat is not yet imminent."

"A record of these communications is being procured. Lives will be lost in the effort. It's imperative that the communication record be delivered to someone who can interpret it. He'll recognize the identifier 1013, and be able to precisely identify the North Dakota location to which it corresponds. He'll also be able to access 1994 DEFCON missile launch codes. This data is essential to evaluating and eliminating the threat to our national security. Find him and work with him."

Spender's reverie ended when the telephone conversation he was remembering had. He was jolted back to the here and now by the flashing red LINK ESTABLISHED announcement on his computer screen and Diana Fowley's voice and insistent knocking on his apartment door. "Jeff, are you in there? We're going to be late."

Jeffrey Spender observed the activity on his computer screen for another few seconds, before moving toward the door.

Dana Scully was nervous and quite tense. She had returned to her FBI life approximately seventy hours ago. During that time, she had watched the video tapes that Spender and Skinner had received, and answered about a million questions about her absence. She had reviewed the events, appropriately edited from her perspective, of what everyone else referred to as her "ordeal" a number of times. Thus, she was annoyed when Mulder asked her to do it again, although she understood why.

They had not had any significant time to themselves since her return. The interactions they did have had been strictly professional. They hadn't connected on an emotional level. Scully thought Mulder was seeking to regain the greater intimacy that they had shared of late. She wasn't ready for that, but had to admit that acceding to his request was a way to pass the time. Scully and Alex Krycek had agreed to meet seventy two hours after he dropped her off at the J. Edgar Hoover building.

Scully, Mulder and Skinner had already arrived at the safe house that Dana had specified for the meeting. Fowley and Spender were late. Some problem with Spender's phone, Dana thought she recalled Skinner mentioning. She reluctantly met Mulder's eyes and sighed. "Looking for inconsistencies Mulder?" she asked, not even trying to keep her tension from showing.

Mulder looked hurt. Like a scolded puppy. It was a look that generally worked on Scully. Got her to forget whatever he had done to annoy her. Today, she wasn't moved by it.

"We just want to make sure we've got everything straight, Agent Scully," Skinner replied. "It's quite a story."

Scully supposed she should be grateful that she merely had to repeat her story for Mulder and Skinner. The Assistant Director had managed to convince his peers that an extensive psychological evaluation was not warranted. The crux of his argument was that the same facts could not be interpreted differently. From his (and the United States of America's) perspective, Scully had been and was currently engaged in assisting a former FBI agent with a medical problem. Krycek, by act of the President, was no longer a wanted criminal. The powers that be had reluctantly accepted Skinner's logic.

Trying to muster some enthusiasm, Scully began her story once again. "After Cancerman left, we talked about the future. We discussed Gibson Praise at length. Trying to get a reaction from those observing us. There was none. I have no idea what happened to him. Al...Krycek said he'd see what he could find out."

Both Mulder and Skinner had heard the aborted "Alex." They disliked her use of Krycek's first name, being uncomfortable with the level of familiarity it implied. However, neither man could fault her explanation for the occasional usage. She and Krycek had spent a lot of time together in a highly stressful situation. Skinner, at least, appreciated that Scully was trying to accommodate them on this point.

"In the morning, Krycek went over the car with a fine tooth comb, looking for explosives or other problematic devices. He located, but didn't deal with a tracking device and several listening devices. He just pointed them out to me."

"Were there any incendiary devices?" Skinner asked, watching Scully closely. There was very little perceptible reaction. Skinner wasn't sure exactly why, but her ambivalence on this point surprised and disturbed him.

"Two that were relatively easy to find and deactivate. Krycek thought they weren't really trying to stop us. His twisted theories regarding the implications of that limited effort made my head ache. We got on the road at about 8:30 am. Krycek blindfolded me, so that I couldn't specify the location of the compound with any particularity. I'm not even sure what state or province it was in. We drove all day, more or less in silence. We found a motel and took only a change of clothes and some toiletries into the room. After checking the room and what we had brought with us for listening devices and finding none, Alex outlined his plan for the next day."

Skinner realized for the first time that Scully's narrative implied that she and Alex Krycek had shared a motel room. For a variety of reasons, he chose not to interrupt to comment on that subject. Instead he asked, "Where was the motel?"

"Newberry, Michigan." I'm not sure, but I think the compound where we were held was in Canada. Maybe Ontario or...Manitoba."

"Spender's got a map with location predications based upon earlier interviews," Mulder commented in an effort to be helpful.

When Skinner merely nodded in Mulder's direction and returned his attention to Scully, she continued. "We got up early. Using the interior lights of the car, Alex removed the tracking device. He then quickly destroyed the listening devices by smashing them with a large rock he'd found somewhere. That attracted the attention of some fellow motel guests. They followed us, but we lost them. Taking turns, we drove through the night. In the morning, we bought a used car in a small town in upstate New York, I think it was Glenfield, for $1500.00. I drove the "new" car, and Alex drove the other, until we found a secluded area. After abandoning the original car, we drove to New York city uneventfully. There was no sign of a tail."

Skinner noted that Scully had adopted "Alex" once again, but let it pass. He reluctantly admitted that it sounded more natural than "Krycek," when Scully referred to her compatriot in this particular adventure.

"We checked into the Plaza hotel for the night, paying cash," Scully continued. "Alex retrieved a plastic key that had been sewn into the lining of his leather jacket and headed for La Guardia airport. I tagged along. The key opened a locker that held an expensive-looking black leather brief case. It contained an account book at a local branch of Chase Manhattan bank. We went there next to get some cash and traveler's checks."

"Other contents?" Skinner asked softly.

"Two more bank account books, a few file folders, three compact disks and a smaller envelope with Krycek's name on it. I assume the compact disks were computer readable. I don't know for sure. And I never saw the contents of the smaller envelope."

"Krycek said he had a few other things to attend to, gave me some traveler's checks and asked me to buy some clothes and other items for him. Having nothing better to do, I did."

"What did you purchase?" Skinner interrupted. Noting Scully's irritation, eloquently expressed by her completely closed posture, the Assistant Director continued. "I'd like to get as full an understanding as possible of what he might be planning."

"He needed some suits." Scully smiled, without realizing it, at the memory of the discussion she and Alex had regarding his request. Mulder and Skinner exchanged a worried look. They both felt that Krycek had established an undesirable level of influence on Agent Scully.

"Nice ones," she specified. "He hadn't been fond of his junior G-man bland wardrobe. And I got a few items I needed." Dana Scully had consistently avoided any detailed description of her purchases. She saw no reason to mention Alex's suggestion that she get herself whatever caught her eye and her taking him up on it. Irrelevant data, in her view. "He also wanted a high end laptop computer, various peripherals, two cellular telephones, more ammunition for his weapon, a compass, some propane and a deck of cards." Holding up her right hand in a "stop" gesture, she added "Don't ask. I have no idea why."

Scully grinned, as she saw both Skinner and Mulder shut their mouths. "Krycek met me back at the hotel. He had bought a Jeep to replace the used car we had been driving. I don't know what else he did. I asked, but his response was admirably vague. We then talked about what we'd do when we got here, and came up with the idea for this meeting. We completed the drive from New York to DC the next day. And here I am."

Fox Mulder had said nothing during Scully's monologue. He noted that she had stuck to the basic facts, embellishing nothing, unless Skinner specifically requested her to do so. In a sense, this version of her story was the most sterile he had heard. Her initial interview with Special Agent Benten, a psychologist, which took place immediately upon her return, had certainly been more revealing as to her mental and emotional state. She had been under extreme stress, and the mental and physical manifestations had been obvious. At that point, Scully had been exhausted and drained. Her natural reserve had been worn away, leaving her ... exposed and vulnerable. Agent Benten had been gentle, but his insightful and probing questions had elicited a more complete picture of Scully's experience. After that first interview, Dana had withdrawn bit by bit, slowly but inexorably closing Mulder and other interested parties out. Mulder had been surprised that Margaret Scully seemed to face the same rising barrier.

Fox Mulder thought then, and he continued to think now, that Scully had left out some potentially relevant details. He wasn't sure how to ask her without causing her to retreat even further into herself. He was distracted from contemplating strategies for drawing her out by the arrival of Spender and Fowley. Even with his mind focused on other matters, he didn't fail to observe Scully's distrustful glance at Diana or Diana's appraising look at Scully.

Cigarette Smoking Man's desk in a stark, battleship gray office, was the home of a stack of folders, housing details of his many current operations. He had developed and refined the shorthand he used to record relevant operational details in the decades that he had worked on the Project. Consequently, obtaining the folders, a non-trivial task, far from assured access to Cigarette Smoking Man's information.

Entry into Cigarette Smoking Man's inner sanctum was the privilege (or the curse) of very few. Entry, without Cigarette Smoking Man's knowledge and previous authorization, was unheard of. His enemies, of which there were many, could not approach him here. Security was top notch.

Thus, Cigarette Smoking Man neared his office with the quiet confidence of a man who is completely in control of his environment. His attention was occupied with a variety of matters, including his upcoming meeting with Alex Krycek, his role in the Consortium's counter-measures aimed at Katarina's organization, his offer and down payment of access to Jeffrey Spender, his interest in expanding Assistant Director Skinner's role in future events, his efforts backing the United States' attempt to match (and then surpass) Russia's understanding of alien organisms, and issues of similar ilk. As a result, his surprise showed, as he found two men in his office, one at his desk idly leafing through the mission folders.

His recovery was swift. "How did you get in here?" Cigarette Smoking Man asked conversationally, as he removed his overcoat and hung it on the gunmetal gray coat rack in the corner of the room.

David looked up from the folders, smiled and responded, "The correct magnetic strip affords ingress to just about anywhere. Institutional security systems are all predictable in that regard. Now then, is this a good time for a discussion or should we return at a later date?"

Cigarette Smoking Man glanced at Russell and frowned. David always did the bulk of the talking. Russell was the listener ... and the thinker. David was charming and urbane. Russell was dangerous. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Answer one question, and we'll trouble you no further," David replied, before standing and offering Cigarette Smoking Man his own desk chair. Russell remained motionless, but watched Cigarette Smoking Man avidly.

For his part, Cigarette Smoking Man merely nodded and took the chair that David offered. "Proceed."

"We understand that certain ... arrangements have been made, either by you or at your behest. Those arrangements suggest some interesting possibilities for the future. Which of those potential outcomes do you favor?" David had been pacing as he spoke. When he finished, he ceased all motion and focused his attention completely upon Cigarette Smoking Man.

David's position shielded Russell from Cigarette Smoking Man's view. Such a disadvantage did not suit him. Yet shifting his location in order to bring both men into view could be interpreted as a sign of weakness. To avoid any such misunderstanding, Cigarette Smoking Man remained where he was and clarified "Are you asking what my goals are?"

"Precisely," Russell answered, moving next to David. Russell's expression indicated to Cigarette Smoking Man that he had been aware of his discomfort and had chosen to alleviate it.

"My goals are simple," Cigarette Smoking Man began carefully. "I believe that they are in line with your own." When the other two men merely waited for him to continue, Cigarette Smoking Man sighed and began the process of lighting a cigarette. When he had finished, he looked at David and then shifted his attention to Russell. "The long term goals of the Project are at risk in the current climate of expediency and acquisition of personal power. I plan to see the Project through to completion. To accomplish that, I'll do what I must."

David looked uncertain. Russell nodded and gestured to his companion to follow, as he moved toward the office door. "See that you do," was his parting comment. David simply followed. Cigarette Smoking Man frowned and wondered what this encounter signified.

Fox Mulder was observing his partner as unobtrusively as possible. Outwardly she seemed calm. Spender, Fowley and Skinner probably believed that she was, but Mulder could tell she was worried. Krycek was late. Quite late. They were approaching 74.5 hours, and everyone was getting nervous. "You ok Scully?" he asked softly, so only she could hear. Her negative reply was almost inaudible.

"Awful quiet in here." All five FBI agents turned toward the speaker. Spender and Fowley drew their weapons. Unalarmed, Alex Krycek leaned against the opening in the wall between the kitchen and the living room, where all of the FBI agents had congregated. He had come in the back door. Silently.

Mulder's first reaction was alarm, the adrenaline surge he generally experienced in Krycek's presence. He then noticed how tired the younger man looked in his somewhat rumpled gray Armani suit. Krycek looked like he hadn't slept in the 70 plus hours since he and Scully had returned to Washington DC.

Skinner was concerned. A number of FBI agents were stationed in and around the safe house. None of them had raised an alarm. "I trust that my people remain unharmed," he stated offhandedly, but the barely veiled threat in his eyes more accurately reflected his true views on the subject.

"The ones that were in the backyard are investigating what sounded like running footsteps at the south end of the property. What they find will keep their attention for a while." The grin that accompanied Krycek's statement aroused Skinner's curiosity, but he didn't bite. Krycek was too good at manipulation of that type. "As for the house, there was no one in the kitchen. The lock wasn't challenging. You don't use this location much, do you?"

"You're late," Mulder interjected before Skinner could respond to the implicit challenge in Krycek's words.

"Things got a little complicated." The words were general, but Mulder observed that Krycek's attention had focused on Scully. She was looking Krycek over with obvious concern. Their eyes met, and Krycek winked. To Mulder's surprise, Krycek barely reacted before Skinner had closed the distance between them, threw him up against the wall and began to search for weapons. "I'm unarmed," Alex muttered through clenched teeth. Skinner made sure, none too gently, and stepped away, reluctantly. Krycek and Skinner faced each other, mutual hostility apparent. Krycek turned away first, shaking his head slightly. "Who're they?" Krycek asked, gesturing to Fowley and Spender.

"I'm Special Agent Diana Fowley, Mr. Krycek," Diana began. Dana observed Alex's eyes shift briefly to Mulder before re-focusing on the woman speaking to him. "This is Special Agent Jeffrey Spender. We've been working with Mulder in Scully's absence."

Krycek looked at Spender. To Scully, it seemed that he was sizing Spender up or trying to remember where he'd seen the FBI agent before. Dana made a mental note to inquire. Mulder chalked Krycek's scrutiny up to residual male dominance behavior left over from the mini-confrontation with Skinner. Spender's answering look was simply curious. He'd heard quite a bit about the man who was now, for some reason, staring at him. Impulsively, Spender blurted out the question that had been weighing on his mind. "Does the identification number 1013 mean anything to you? I think it's associated with a government or military installation."

"Should it?" was the reply, spoken in a light off-hand tone. Krycek's expression was neutral. Neither Krycek nor Scully missed the questioning looks directed at Spender by Mulder, Skinner and Fowley.

Dana Scully also recognized the effort that Alex expended to achieve that particular tone/expression combination. Before Spender could retract the question or change the subject, which seemed to Scully the most likely options for Jeffrey under the circumstances, she interrupted. "Regardless of whether it should, it does. If this truce, or whatever you want to call it, is going to work, we've got to start acting as if we want it to."

"You first," Krycek countered, sarcasm evident. "I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here." Meeting his eyes, Scully realized that Alex had been, consciously or unconsciously, relying on her to even the odds. Assuming he had expected only her, Mulder and possibly Skinner, he had been anticipating a more even playing field. Five to one had to be a difficult adjustment, particularly given his obvious fatigue.

"Well, if you've got access to 1994 DEFCON missile launch codes, you're who I'm looking for," Spender offered.

Mulder, who had been getting annoyed at Scully and Krycek, feeling left out of what appeared to be some significant unspoken communication between them, suddenly had another target for his wrath. "Just what are you involved in Spender? Are you working for Cancerman despite all of your protestations to the contrary? Or is he just using you like he uses everybody else.

"Agent Mulder," Assistant Director Skinner began in a manner that suggested that argument with his upcoming remarks would not be successful. "It seems that Agent Spender has come into possession of some new information, which he has not yet had the opportunity to disclose to us. As a gesture of good faith, I suggest he does so now." Concluding his statement, Skinner diplomatically turned to Krycek, seeking agreement.

The younger man nodded affirmatively, before turning his attention to Spender.

The young man that had reported to the First Elder on the status of the operations designed to eradicate Katarina's organization was elated at the opportunity presented to him by the Consortium. He was very ambitious. They knew that, of course. In fact, they called him Ambition Boy behind his back. They would be surprised that he knew of the nickname, and even more surprised that it didn't bother him. Ambition, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. So long as it is tempered with careful deliberation and augmented by political savvy. That had always been his philosophy.

Losing Krycek and Scully had been a failure. A blow to the ego, but certainly not a fatal one. Especially since he knew where they were going. Losing Krycek in Washington DC after he and Scully had split up had been more of a problem. However, once again, he had known where to deploy his people. The man that picked up Krycek's trail, about 18 hours after they lost him, called it in immediately. Krycek had surfaced at a small bar in Annapolis. Within shouting distance of the naval academy. The man he met there was an instructor of World War II naval warfare. His special interest was in the use of air support. And he had certain other talents that were known to the Consortium. They two men talked until midnight, and then took their discussion on campus. The followers could not get close enough to the subject of their surveillance at the Naval Academy to observe him closely, but they knew that he left Annapolis at approximately 9:30 am.

Krycek went from there to Rockville Maryland. To the offices of the National Institute of Health. The woman he met there was a grandmotherly type. She was in charge of record keeping for the organization. That capacity gave her access to many different types of information. A certain flair for computing gave her access to much more. She had admitted Krycek to her office at about 1:30 pm, and he remained there until approximately 6:15 pm. She then insisted on making sure Krycek got a square meal, to his mild annoyance and to the great amusement of the men assigned to keep an eye on him.

Leaving Rockville at 8:00 pm, Krycek returned to Washington DC. He reached the Twenty-First Amendment bar and sat in a booth in the back alone. Two of his watchdogs chose a table within earshot. Several George Washington University coeds sought to alleviate what they deemed to be wholly inappropriate solitude. Krycek politely but firmly declined. At 10:30 pm, a young man, with a geek-identifying pen holder in his front pocket, entered the bar. Seeing Krycek, he moved quickly to the booth and asked "What have you got for me?" Krycek simply stood and exited the bar, with the young man tagging along behind. The two men proceeded to a Georgetown apartment. The night was spent in front of two high powered computers.

After keeping tabs on Krycek for 36 hours, the men who followed suggested that the prey no longer wanted to be "lost." He was moving with too much deliberation. Ambition Boy agreed, until Krycek went AWOL again. Effortlessly. The young man's report to the Consortium would, of course, emphasize the positive. To avoid unpleasantness, he knew that he needed to locate Krycek again.

In the meantime, he had been identifying resources the he could deploy to make Krycek's new leadership role more challenging. His search was aided by the fact that Alex seemed to have formed some sort of alliance with Dana Scully. Dividing his time between seeing to his new organization and attending to that alliance would make Alex's life complicated. More time devoted to the latter would not well serve the former, in the young man's opinion. Thus, some unfinished Xfiles business could also be used in furtherance of his current efforts. Those thoughts brightened Ambition Boy's spirits. Considerably.

Jeffrey Spender had relayed the information he had received regarding the national security-related information uplink. He had done it with his attention focused on Krycek. His indifference was easier to face than Diana's disappointment that he had not confided in her. It was also easier than dealing with Mulder's anger, Skinner's suspicion and Dana Scully's mere presence. Scully always had made him nervous. As he finished, Spender could almost feel everyone else's attention shifting to Krycek.

Alex Krycek sighed and risked a glance at Dana Scully. She had that expectant look on her face again. Krycek, not for the first time in the last thirty minutes, wondered what in the hell he was doing here. He was too tired to play this game. Way too tired. Too late to back out, however. Krycek straightened his shoulders, stifled a yawn and started to speak.

Although he didn't appear to be addressing anyone in particular, Diana Fowley sensed he was speaking to Dana Scully. She found that fact quite interesting, and potentially useful.

"A missile silo in North Dakota has the identification number 1013. And I have the launch codes you specified. How either of those things relate to your uplink, I haven't a clue."

Spender nodded. The North Dakota connection was confirmed. Consequently, Spender could turn his attention to his instructions. He was to give the downloaded information to this man. How to do it without Mulder and Skinner flaying him alive was the question.

"How did you come by classified missile launch codes?" Diana Fowley inquired intensely.

"Does that matter or are you just curious?"

Diana Fowley reluctantly admitted that she found Krycek's grin infectious. The temptation to lower your guard around this man was difficult to resist. Difficult ... but far from impossible. "Security breaches of that magnitude are worrisome."

Krycek continued, mimicking Diana's seriousness. "But not all that uncommon."

Walter Skinner had observed these exchanges with interest. He had also been doing a bit of thinking about how this meeting should proceed. It seemed best for him to direct the next phase of the conversation. Primarily addressing Krycek, he delivered a summary of the situation from his perspective. "Agent Scully has been re-instated. She and Agent Mulder will continue their work on the Xfiles. Agents Spender and Fowley will aid in those investigations, as required, and also investigate separate matters, including that of the uplink we've discussed today."

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, the uplink and the related information constitutes an Xfile."

Skinner considered Mulder's comment for a moment. "Then I suppose we will, on occasion, have two investigative teams deployed on the Xfiles." Skinner wondered what J. Edgar Hoover would think of that. "All of those investigations will, as usual, be coordinated through me. Krycek, your status remains an open question."

Skinner's pause seemed to invite comment, and Krycek complied. "Anything official will be detrimental. But I should be able to help with ..."

"Help?" Mulder questioned incredulously. "Krycek you can probably eliminate the need to investigate half of the open Xfiles."

"Probably. But not the ones that matter." Responding to Mulder's grunt of disbelief, Krycek continued. "I know what I know, Mulder. Maybe someday we can spend a few weeks somewhere warm and discuss all of the fine points over drinks with umbrellas in them. I don't have that kind of time right now. I've got to come up with a way to move forward, or the whole house of cards is going to come tumbling down."

"What's happening Alex?" Scully asked softly. At one level, she was pleased that he turned toward her and began speaking without hesitation. At another, she saw Mulder (and Fowley and Skinner) notice and knew that at least Mulder would want to use that "trust" against Alex in the future.

"Katarina's organization is a mess. The people that the Consortium haven't eliminated are scattered and scared. All I can tell them is to lay low. That will be acceptable only for so long. When Katya decides it's time to move, I better have something in mind. Otherwise, I'll lose them."

His expression was unreadable as he paused, so Scully tried for clarification. "Would that be so bad?"

"No. Manpower makes certain things easier, but isn't necessary." Some of Krycek's irritation found its way into his tone as he changed topics. "It's just that Katya'll try some fool stunt and get them killed. All to make a point and generate the high drama she seems to thrive on. Kat's people deserve better than that."

Fox Mulder was lost in a memory. Krycek's tone as he spoke about Katya was exactly the same as older brother Fox used to use when speaking about certain activities of younger sister Samantha. The irritation and frustration was tempered by affection. With an effort, Mulder focused on Dana Scully's words.

"How much time do you have?"

"Don't know. Katya's only listening to me now, because her mother insisted. If things get any worse ...." Krycek stopped somewhat abruptly, and tried to cover his discomfort with a shrug. The habit of talking to Scully was one he'd have to break.

Dana saw his troubled frown and interpreted it correctly. No matter what she did, she appeared to be on "the other side". Stepping closer to Alex, she tried to communicate her earnestness with her eyes and with a sincere "Can we help?"

Krycek noted the effort and, in recognition, decided to answer her question rather than avoid it. "No. Unless there's something useful in the uplink information. I've got to strike back at the Consortium. There aren't many options to effectively accomplish that. And they all involve a deal of one sort or another. A choice of allies really. A choice I'm not sure I'm ready to make."

"What about the Englishman's information?" Mulder asked and was rewarded with a surprised look from Krycek.

Alex glanced at Scully and increased the distance between them. Krycek knew he should've expected this. Dana had an obligation to tell her colleagues everything. But he thought ... they had an understanding. He was too tired to think. That was the main problem. Another was that he felt some remorse at the pain that distancing himself from her appeared to cause Scully. Pushing those issues aside, he responded. "I haven't had time to retrieve it yet. Or even to find out if I still can."

"Your meeting with Cancerman?" Spender asked.

"Haven't seen, heard or even sensed him. He'll turn up when he's good and ready."

Diana Fowley had seen enough. This had not gone badly, but it had not gone well either. She sensed the possibility to salvage the situation, and seized the opportunity. "Mr. Krycek, let's be frank. You're practically asleep on your feet. This location is secure. Get some rest. We can continue this discussion in the morning. If that isn't feasible, we can see that the information Jeff mentioned earlier is made available to you."

Scully looked at Diana in surprise. She had been trying to figure out how to do what Fowley had just done. The fact that she had actually managed to do it annoyed Scully.

Krycek was trying to consider all of the potential ramifications to staying versus going, but his brain wouldn't cooperate. The thought of sleep was simply too compelling. "The morning will be fine," he answered. Diana caught his eye and smiled before setting about the task of deflecting any arguments from the rest of the participants. Alex was impressed, and was sure that Fowley knew it. At that point, he didn't care.

A man entered a telephone booth located next to a convenience store. He deposited the correct change, dialed a number and the telephone at the other end rang three times. He hung up. Then he deposited some more change, dialed a second number and the telephone at the other end rang twice. He hung up. Then he deposited still more change and dialed a third number. The phone was answered after a single ring. The person on the other end of the line did not speak.

The man in the phone booth did. "The red ball has gone through the bay window." The message was followed by coordinates, specified in military fashion.

Alex Krycek was sound asleep, sprawled across one of the queen sized beds in the safe house. He had been asleep, as soon as his head hit the pillow. All he had managed to do was remove his suit jacket and tie. The effort to remove anything else, including his shoes, had proved too much.

Fox Mulder had gone home and fretted. Krycek was here. He was available and reasonably talkative. A few moments of rationalizing allowed Mulder to convince himself that Krycek had had a nice nap and was probably as anxious to talk as Mulder was. Thus, Mulder removed his already loosened tie, traded his suit coat for his black leather jacket and exited his apartment.

Dana Scully had allowed Assistant Director Skinner to drive her home. She had dutifully answered all of his questions. The ones about whether she was all right and how she thought the meeting had gone. The ones about how she thought Alex would handle the meeting in the morning, his new responsibilities and the like. The ones about how she would handle future interactions with Alex. The ones about her mental and emotional state. Skinner had noticed that her answers had progressed from carefully considered and specific to guarded and vague. So he backed off, driving the rest of the way to Agent Scully's apartment in silence.

After arriving home, Scully admitted that Skinner's questioning had made her angry and restless. Her restlessness led her to contemplate the parts of her "ordeal" that she hadn't shared with her colleagues. Those thoughts led her to get back into her car and return to the safe house.

Jeffrey Spender thought about the uplink information all the way home. When he got there, he looked at what his computer achieved in his absence. An index appeared on the screen. The data appeared to be related to unexplained phenomena, with index entries including Area 51, crop circles and alien abductions. Spender appreciated the irony. Aiming the cursor on an index entry with his MicroSoft mouse, Spender double clicked the left mouse button. A password was requested for access to the underlying files. Spender considered for a moment. He tried 1013. Access was denied. He tried Krycek. Access was denied. No new ideas immediately sprang to mind. Suddenly, Spender realized that he was extremely anxious to get this information to Krycek. He wasn't sure why, but his intuition was generally good.

Spender noted the directory and file name associated with the index, shut down his computer and packed it and certain peripherals in the carrying case. Armed with his computer, Spender headed for his car.

It was late. There was no moon. Agents responsible for giving the safe house its name were deployed throughout the neighborhood. None of them who survived saw or heard the intruders. Krycek's exhaustion and the intruders' well conceived and executed plans prevented him from defending himself. Krycek was taken from the safe house and placed in a black van.

Moments later, Spender, Mulder and Scully arrived on the scene.