Title: Safe Harbor Part IV
Author: shawntaw
Category: MSR, Mulder/Scully/Skinner friendship, X-file
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Ain't mine, just borrowing. This is my story and I'm 
sticking to it.

Summary: As the case heats up, it looks like they might have a 
personal stake in the outcome...

NOTES: Thank you for all the feedback!! You can stop threatening my 
life now - here's Part IV!!*L* 

*****************************************************

The killer lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, breathing in short 
quick breaths. 

The time was getting near. 

*October 20th, my birthday. Not long now. Another sacrifice. Happy 
now, Dad? Happy now?! That'll show you...one less...kill them 
all..that'll show you...*

A pitiful sob sounded in the darkness.

******************************************************

Skinner was driving fast. Too fast. He could feel the adrenaline 
pumping through his veins. 

He remembered this feeling. 

The case was moving forward. They had a lead. They needed to jump 
on it right away.

Scully white-knuckled the dashboard. "Uh, sir? Could you slow down a 
bit? We're not going to do anyone a bit of good dead."

He very deliberately released some of the pressure on the accelerator.

"Sorry, but we finally have a lead," He hit the steering wheel with 
the palm of his hand, "FINALLY."

Scully tried to relax and smiled at her boss. 

He looked like a kid who'd just opened his most-wished-for Christmas 
present. 

"You really did miss being in the field, didn't you, sir?"

Skinner arched an eyebrow and glanced over at her.

He tried to remain nonchalant, but an un-Skinner-like smile crept 
across his features.

"I guess I did."

"So, that really WAS the reason you came with us. There isn't any 
secret agenda here," she stated.

"I told you and Agent Mulder that there wasn't, " Skinner said, a 
little miffed about not being trusted and reverting into his 'formal 
mode.'

"We know, sir, but you have to admit it was unusual for you to 
accompany us. You've never done it before."

He glanced at Scully, back at the dark road, and back at her again.

"Well," he cleared his throat, "there might be something else to it," 
he admitted, reluctantly.

Scully recognized one of his nervous habits - throat-clearing - and 
just KNEW if he had his hands free, he'd be cleaning his glasses - 
another one of his nervous habits.

Her curiousity was peaked.

"What?"

He looked at her again as if debating whether to tell her or not.

*She'll think I'm an old fart. An old fart having a mid-life crisis*

He sighed.

*I AM an old fart having a mid-life crisis*

"I turned fifty about two weeks ago," he blurted as casually as 
possible.

Scully relaxed. She hadn't known what to expect, but that wasn't it.

"Happy belated birthday, sir."

"Thanks." he was absurdly pleased.

"So, what? You were wondering if you could still be an effective 
field agent?"

He smiled again. It sounded so much nicer the way she said it instead 
of the way he thought it.

*I wonder if I still got it or if I'm a used-up old desk jockey?*

"Yeah, something like that."

Scully seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Well, sir, you are the one who came up with the delivery person 
idea."

Scully pulled out a small notebook and a pen. "So, wanna review the 
case again? Heck, it worked before."

Skinner nodded eagerly, glad to drop the subject of his birthday and 
all the emotional baggage that it entailed.

He also recognized the compliment and his heart was warmed by it.

"Ok, so now we've got a suspected female serial killer, age 25-35, 
probably a delivery person in the Burton, Iowa area. She picks 
young, athletic, guys who like to buy a lot of vitamins. She kills 
one victim on October 20th every year, which means this date is 
significant somehow. We're going to find out which delivery service 
the 'Smart Move Vitamin Company' uses and start narrowing down and 
interviewing suspects. I mean, how many people can there be making 
deliveries in Burton, Iowa?"

Skinner was nodding. *The ol' synapses are really firing now* 

"Oh," he interrupted, "We also need to look at recent customers of 
the vitamin company as potential victims for this upcoming October 
20th. Maybe stakeout those with big deliveries recently?"

Scully was nodding her head now, and writing in her notebook.

She tapped the pen on her knee and stared into space for a moment.

"You know what keeps bothering me? The third victim. The one who 
wasn't dehydrated. That HAS to be significant somehow; I just can't 
figure out how."

She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I could make those 'connections' like 
Mulder - Oh, Mulder!"

Scully pulled out her cellphone. "We should tell him about all of 
this!"

Skinner was turning onto their exit. "And tell him we'll be there in 
about 30 minutes."

Scully let the phone ring at least 10 times.

Mulder didn't answer.

**********************************************************************

Mulder's lean, muscular legs pumped up and down as he ran for all he 
was worth.

His lungs felt like they were going to burst, but he ran harder.

The cool wind caused his eyes to tear up, clouding his vision.

Mulder's bare arms swung, pushing him faster, faster..

He finally slowed and then stopped, gasping for air.


Sometimes a good, hard run cleared his head.

Tonight it didn't seem to be working.


He hunched over and clutched his bent knees, sweat dripping from his 
damp hair, lean and athletic in his jogging shorts and sleeveless 
gray sweatshirt.

A figure watched from the shadows along the side of the street, 
holding a dog on a leash and not believing the fortune of having 
found the lamb so close to home.

The perfect sacrifice.

**********************************************************************

Mwa ha ha ha! - (evil laugh)....SORRY, JUST SEEMED REALLY APPROPRIATE 
HERE....*L*