�You�re serious?� Koskie asked.
Mulder didn�t answer. He was too busy thinking about the first time that he�d seen the creature. When he�d been in all those ice caves. When he�d gone to find her. He shook his head again.
He really didn�t need to be thinking about her right now.
�Yeah.� Mulder said softly. �I believe that the alien grows inside a human host, using it to survive. Then it�s birthed directly from the human. Tearing it�s way out, just as you said.�
Koskie was silent for a moment. �You sure I shouldn�t be the one addressing you as Your Royal Highness?�
Mulder smiled again.
�You going to tell me anything else about the chicken?� Koskie asked as they continued down the hall.
�Not much you need to know.� The music was louder as they approached the end of the hallway. Mulder drew his gun as they stopped in front of a door. �It�s strong, it�s fast, it�s ugly, it has really long claws and it�s been in a bad mood every time I�ve seen it.�
Koskie took out his own gun and held it in the ready position. �Sounds beautiful. But can I ask you a question?�
�Ask away.�
�What, exactly, are you planning on doing?�
Mulder seemed confused. He tilted his head. �What do you mean?�
Koskie gestured at the door with his gun. �You just going to run in there and hope the rubber chicken behaves when you pull the gun on it?�
�Other than what?� Mulder asked. �Standing out here waiting to be invited for a drink?�
�I don�t know, Spooky.� Koskie said, stressing his name. �You tell me.�
�If you want me to tell you, why the question in the first place?�
�Charging in there like this doesn�t seem wise.�
�Charging in like what?� Mulder asked.
Koskie nodded his head at the door. �Sounds like there�s a lot of people in there.
�All the more reason to get in there, before the rubber chicken can hurt someone, or worse.�
Koskie hesitated, then shook his head and held his gun back up. �You�re the boss.�
Mulder tried the door to find it unlocked. He looked at Koskie to make sure he was ready, then pushed the door open.
Music spilled into the hallway.
��Creeping up the back stairs�Slinking into dark stalls��
A heavy, rhythmic beat flooded their ears as they slid around the corners of the doorway. Mulder blinked in the darkness. The only light was the neon glow of whatever was shining under the black lights and the flashing of the strobe lights. A blanket of fog created by dry ice hovered three feet off the ground. Hundreds of people were crammed into the deserted warehouse, dancing to Siouxsie and the Banshees.
So this is a retro rave, Mulder thought to himself.
Koskie looked over at him and set his gun straight down by his leg, not wanting to draw attention and create a panic. Mulder did the same as they both began to try to weave their way through the people.
The crowd was insane. There were too many people jumping around, dancing, and rubbing against the two of them. A thick haze of smoke from cigarettes hung in the air and the aroma of marijuana was overpowering.
��Peek a boo�Peek a boo��
Mulder caught Koskie�s eyes and got his returning nod before venturing deeper into the crowd. They couldn�t get far because of the wall to wall people. Mulder caught sight of something off to his right, in the corner of the dark room. He tried to see in the darkness through the smoke and flashing of the lights.
He slowly moved towards the dim form as the music pounded against his skull.
��She�s jeering at the shadows�Sneering behind the smile��
Mulder inched closer, step by slow step. He was squinting his eyes, straining to see the vague form huddled in the corner. What the hell was that? A person? Or something worse.
The shape suddenly passed by him in a blur, leaving him momentarily stunned and frozen. Warm wetness peppered his face as the person on the right of him fell down first, then the person on his left. He blinked in confusion, trying to pinpoint the retreating form through the crowd. Mulder got his feet moving, raising his gun up by his face. He was weaving in and out of people; never losing sight of the creature as it slashed it�s way through the crowd.
The sound of someone screaming could be faintly heard over the music.
Mulder kept his eye on the retreating figure as he chased it back the way he�d just come from. He nearly tripped over something and in a quick glance down, saw it was the body of a young girl. People began to take notice of him and his gun. They began to glance around in confusion.
Oh god, he thought, please don�t let them panic.
Mayhem broke out in the warehouse.
The whole crowd seemed to surge towards the doors on the opposite side of the warehouse. Everyone was yelling and shoving, screaming and crying. Mulder focused on getting to the creature, kept moving against the crowd. He thanked whatever god was out there that he was hadn�t ventured too far away from their original starting point. He dimly thought of Koskie, wondered where he was.
The last of the crowd shoved past Mulder and the rubber chicken spun around, facing him.
Mulder froze with his gun pointed towards the creature, and stared in awe at his alien. The gun in his hand was jumping up and down due to the shaking of his hands. His eyes were wide as he tried to look over the alien, take in all of its features for future reference.
I shouldn�t be scared, he thought. I�ve been waiting for this for years.
Shit, it�s tall.
The creature hissed at him and Mulder involuntarily took a step backwards. As if in response, the alien took a step forward.
��Golly�Jeepers�Where�d you get those peepers��
He and the alien regarded each other for a moment, the latter tilting its head to one side.
Mulder�s mind was suddenly filled with curiosity. Fear. Incredible sadness.
Tears filled Mulder�s eyes. His whole body began to shake. He�d never felt so scared in his life, so alone, and wondered if they were his feelings, or the alien�s.
Don�t do this, Mulder told himself as his resolve began to fade in sympathy for the confused creature.
It simply stared back. Mulder kept getting the same feeling from the creature, over and over. The only translation he could maybe understand was, why, why, why?
Mulder�s lower lip began to tremble with emotion. Scared? Hell, he was damn petrified.
He tried to assess the weight, the height, the color. He couldn�t. All he could see was the eyes.
��Peep show�Creep show�Where did you get those eyes��
�Mulder?�
Koskie�s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. The alien hissed again and was gone in an instant, breaking their contact. Mulder heard a surprised yell and tried to locate the source of the sound.
�Koskie?�
He only got music in response.
��They�re slinking out the back door�She gets up from all fours�Rhinestone pools and silver dollars�Curl into bitter tears��
He scanned the layer of fog that filled the room, waiting for the alien and several of its friends to pop up and use him as a nail file.
��Peek a boo�Peek a boo��
�Koskie!� Mulder yelled louder.
��Golly�Jeepers�Where�d you get those peepers��
�I�m okay.� Came the strangled reply.
�Where are you?�
�Over here.� Koskie�s faint reply came. �I�m okay.�
That statement alone spoke volumes and Mulder followed the sound of his voice, thinking to himself. Isn�t it supposed to be; �I�m fine�?
He kept moving in slow, purposeful steps, scanning the haze. �Where are you, Koskie?�
�Over here.�
��Peep show�Creep show�Where did you get those eyes��
Something grabbed Mulder�s foot. He let out a yelp and spun around, pointing his gun down and the figure on the ground.
�I�m okay.� Koskie said softly.
Mulder cast a nervous glance around the room before kneeling next to his partner. The front of Koskie�s shirt was covered in blood.
�That doesn�t look okay, Koskie.� Mulder said. He was torn between putting his gun away to check out Koskie�s wound, and dragging his partner out while keeping his weapon at the ready.
�Can you walk?�
Koskie nodded. �I think so.�
�Let�s get out of here and call for backup.� Mulder pulled Koskie up by arm with one hand and kept his gun in the other. He got a closer look at Koskie�s face. He couldn�t see much in the bad light, but he believed Koskie was in shock. �You sure you�re okay? You look like you�ve seen a ghost.�
�No ghost.� Koskie replied, his teeth chattering. �Just a giant, rubber chicken with an attitude problem.�
***
Mulder leaned against the back of the ambulance, watching the paramedics treat Koskie. He wanted a look at the wound under that shredded shirt. He took another glance at Koskie�s pale face and felt a twinge of guilt. What must he be thinking? Mulder had years leading up to a close encounter. Koskie knew nothing about it and it must have been quite a shock to be clawed by an alien.
�You okay?� Mulder asked for the tenth time.
�I told you, Mulder.� Koskie snapped. �I�m fine.�
Mulder sighed, he almost felt better hearing those words. Almost.
Three Town Cars sped towards them, kicking dust up into the air.
�Uh oh.� Mulder said. �Here comes the cavalry.�
Koskie glanced up and leaned out to see the cars sliding to a stop. He grinned. �Smackdown time.�
Mulder chuckled. �It�ll be my smackdown, don�t worry.�
Skinner jumped out of the first car and stalked over to them, a stern look on his face. �What the hell are you trying to do?� He reached the back of the ambulance. �Put me in an early grave?�
�Sir?� Mulder and Koskie both responded in unison.
�I�m being told that there are several dead bodies in there, Agents.� Skinner was furious. �Several dead TEENAGE bodies.�
�Well, Sir.� Mulder started. �We haven�t been back in there since our escape-�
�Escape from what?� Skinner�s face was beet red.
Mulder nodded his head towards his partner. �From whatever attacked Agent Koskie.�
�You were attacked?� Skinner voice was harsh.
�Yessir.� Koskie replied.
Skinner narrowed his eyes. �By who?�
�By what.� Mulder corrected.
�By whatever did this.� Koskie said, pulling his shredded shirt open for Skinner.
There were four deep gashes across Koskie�s chest. Skinner leaned in close to get a better look before turning to Mulder. �What did that?�
Mulder cocked his head at his superior. �What do you think?�
�Don�t tell me.� Skinner said sarcastically. �One of your little green men?�
�We prefer the term �rubber chicken�.� Koskie said.
�This the same chicken you were talking about at the shipyard?� Cooper�s voice materialized out of nowhere and they all turned to see him standing behind Skinner. They all stared at him in silence.
�You found something�� Cooper prompted them. �You said it looked like chicken skin.�
�Oh yes.� Koskie said. �Same chicken.�
Cooper turned to Mulder. �How do we handle something like this?�
�I don�t know.� Mulder shrugged. �I don�t know how to follow it, unless it�s leaving skin everywhere.�
�Damn!� Skinner exclaimed �What the hell is that smell?�
�That would be us, Sir.� Mulder replied.
Skinner was clearly frustrated with everything that was happening. �What happened?�
�We stopped at Nordstrom�s on the way over.� Koskie went on. �Tested a new aftershave. Eau de Les Sewer. You like it? Because it�s on sale for fifty percent off-�
�Shut up, Koskie.� Skinner cut off his rambling.
A guy in a suit walked up to Cooper. �We�ve set up the perimeters, Sir.�
Cooper nodded. �Has anyone brought in the fans that I requested?�
�They�re setting them up now, Sir.�
Cooper turned back to the three men. �If we�re going to get a jump on the scene, now�s the time.�
Koskie hopped down from the ambulance and the three of them followed Cooper.
The four of them stepped inside the warehouse and surveyed the scene.
It was grisly.
Three people, two male and one female, had been crushed to death in the stampede to get out of the building. As for victims of the �unidentified assailant�, there were five victims and counting.
The dry ice and cigarette smoke was being blown out the doors and now open windows by the industrial fans that had been brought in. It was eerie watching body by body appear out of the fog as it was all being blown out the back doors. The sound system had never been stopped and �Closer� by Nine Inch Nails was blaring down at them.
Skinner shook his head as he let out a deep breath. �Mulder, this is going to reflect badly upon the Bureau.�
�I know that, Sir.�
Skinner turned towards Mulder. �What am I supposed to tell the press?� They were speaking loudly to be heard over the music.
�Well-� Mulder began to speak but Skinner angrily interrupted him.
�What am I supposed to tell the Director?�
�Agent Mulder�s only concern was public safety.� Koskie interrupted, a hand pressed against the wounds on his chest. �When I displayed hesitance against entering the building, Mulder expressed concern for the people.�
Skinner stared back at Koskie. �You didn�t want to enter the warehouse?�
�I hesitated.� Koskie said, choosing his words carefully so he wasn�t lying. �But Mulder was afraid that the rubber-um, the unidentified assailant was going to attack the people inside.�
�Is this true?� Skinner turned to Mulder.
�Uh�� Mulder wasn�t sure how to respond to this. �I was worried��
Koskie nodded encouragingly, signaling for him to elaborate.
�It was my opinion that the �unidentified assailant� would react with hostility.� Mulder said, trying not to break out in laughter at the pathetic attempt he was making to explain himself.
Skinner regarded him for a moment. �You lucky bastard.� He said softly.
Mulder raised an eyebrow. �Excuse me, Sir?�
�Scully was always covering your ass.� He replied, trying to hide a grin. �Now you�ve got someone else willing to do it.� Skinner abruptly turned and walked away, towards the nearest cluster of bodies.
Mulder and Koskie exchanged a glance before following him.
Skinner reached the nearest body, a girl of around sixteen, and huffed as he turned back towards Mulder. �What am I supposed to say about this?�
Mulder looked down at the body. It was gashed open, the intestines hanging out. �I don�t know, Sir.�
�The media will eat us alive.� Skinner said, turning towards Cooper.
�The media doesn�t need to know anything.� He replied, staring down at the fallen teenager.
Another body appeared as the fog retreated, then another.
�How do you expect to keep this quiet?� Skinner asked.
�They cannot see through the walls.� Cooper replied solemnly.
�There were a couple hundred people here.� Mulder said. �I�m sure some, if not all of them, will talk.�
Someone had found the stereo and the music abruptly went silent as the disappearing fog revealed yet another slain victim.
�Agent Mulder.� Skinner said. �You were on this scene, which means you are responsible. Please tell me you entered this building after all this was over. Please tell me there was nothing you could have done to prevent it.�
Mulder was saved as Skinner�s cell phone rang at his side and he snatched it up.
�Skinner. Yes. Yes.� He flipped open a notepad and scratched a pen across it, taking a couple of steps away.
Mulder and Koskie glanced at each other, then turned and looked at Cooper.
He gave Mulder a small grin. �Review panel.�
Mulder made a face at him. �Bite my ass.�
Koskie laughed, then stopped and clutched his wounds. �Ow, don�t make me laugh.�
�Bend over and you�ll get something implanted on your ass.� Cooper shrugged. �It may not be the indentation of my teeth, but I�m sure you�ll enjoy it either way.�
Mulder grinned. �Don�t turn me on, Chip.�
�Don�t make me laugh.� Koskie said again, holding his stomach.
Cooper pulled a straight face as the Assistant Director walked back towards them.
�Yes, Sir.� Skinner clicked the phone down and glared at the two of them. �There�s been another murder.�
�What?� Mulder and Koskie both asked.
�You heard me, Agents. I need you out there, the Director sounds like someone lit a fire under his ass.� He eyed Koskie. �You up to this?�
�Yessir.� Koskie said.
�It�s barely been over an hour.� Mulder consulted his watch. �This is going to be a mess if the chicken isn�t caught soon.�
�It already is a mess, Agent Mulder.� Skinner ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to Mulder. �This one has the governor nervous. Get there ASAP, ignore the press on the way out, and Mulder?�
Mulder had begun to walk away after he snatched the address out of Skinner�s hand. �Sir?�
Skinner yanked a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it out towards him. �For god�s sake, wipe that blood off your face.�
***
�I can�t believe we�re going to another scene looking like this.� Koskie said, looking down at himself as they drove towards Park Avenue.
Mulder grinned. �Not to mention smelling this way.�
�I�m fairly certain there�s regulations against our appearance.� Koskie sighed and rubbed his eyes before looking out the window. The sun was rising. �I�ve been awake too damn long.�
Mulder suddenly slammed on the breaks and threw the car into park.
�What? What?� Koskie looked around.
Mulder turned on the hazard lights and got out of the car. �Cream or sugar?�
�What?�
�How do you take your coffee?� Mulder leaned back in and looked at him.
�Black.� Koskie replied. He watched Mulder walk into a doughnut shop and shook his head. Guy slams on the breaks and leaves his car in the middle of the street to get coffee. Definitely spooky.
A dozen horns blared from behind and Koskie leaned out of his window and threw up his hands. �What, are you friggin' blind?� He yelled back in a New Yorker�s accent. �Can you see the hazard lights? We got us a problem here! Go around! Go around!�
Mulder heard the commotion and looked outside. He grinned at the sight of his partner; sleep-deprived and filthy, throwing up his hands and yelling out the window. He shook his head and grabbed the cups of coffee, smiling his thanks at the man behind the counter.
�I see you�re making friends?� Mulder handed Koskie a cup of coffee and set his own on top of the car. He turned back towards the angry drivers and flashed his badge. �Sorry about the inconvenience. Official FBI business. We�re leaving now.�
Koskie grinned as Mulder got in the car. �Are we trying to break every rule and regulation within the first week of our partnership?�
Mulder looked over his shoulder and eased out into the traffic. �If so, we�re off to a fine start.�
�A damn fine start.� Koskie took a sip of his coffee. �Oh wow.�
Mulder looked over at him. �Strong?�
�Bitter.�
�Putrid?�
�Rank.�
Mulder rolled to a stop, as it became apparent that the cars stopped in the street were there to stay. �It�s so nice to know that two highly educated men such as ourselves have such deep and though provoking conversations.�
�It restores my faith in formal education.� Koskie said. �And I�m taking an educated guess by saying this must be the place.�
The whole street was blocked off by news vans and police cars. They got out of the car and made their way through the mess of people and lights, the ever present helicopters buzzing overhead.
Koskie buttoned up his jacket to cover his shredded, bloody shirt. �Damn reporters.�
A camera and a microphone were shoved in Mulder�s face. �Sir, are you with the FBI? What do you think of the Senator�s murder? Do you have any leads?�
�No comment.� Mulder said, brushing past the reporter.
An officer with the NYPD stopped them at the crime scene tape. �I need to see some identification.�
They both pulled out their badges and the officer shook his head. �How many of you do they need in there?�
�The FBI is already here?� Mulder asked.
�No Sir, but ATF is.�
�ATF?� Koskie asked. �What the hell are they doing here?�
The officer shrugged. �I don�t know anything standing out here.�
Mulder and Koskie ducked under the tape and walked across the perfectly manicured lawn.
�The house is on the corner.� Mulder said. �Directly across the street from the park.�
Koskie followed his gaze. �Implying the chicken got here through the sewers and hit the first house it saw upon exiting that drainage pipe over there?�
�I was just wondering how much a place like this would go for.� Mulder replied.
�Agent Mulder?�
They both turned as a man walked up to them, clad in an expensive, well-tailored suit. He didn�t offer to shake hands.
�That�s me.� Mulder said, instantly disliking him.
�I�m Agent Anderson, ATF. We�ve been waiting for you. I got a call from some goon with the NSA, instructing us that nothing was to be touched until you got here. He said you�ve already been following leads pertaining to this. He said you were to take charge here.�
�ATF is here because�?� Koskie asked him
Anderson eyed Koskie with distaste. �Who are you?�
�This is my partner, Agent Steven Koskie.� Mulder said quickly, not wanting Koskie to shoot off his mouth and get them both reprimanded.
�Senator Fletcher was an avid gun collector.� Anderson said, turning back to Mulder. �He has damn near close to a small armory in his basement. Illegal weapons. That�s why we were called in. What I want to know is why the NSA is getting involved in a simple murder case.�
�I�m sure the NSA told you everything they needed to.� Mulder rubbed a hand over his face.
�This is my squad here.� Anderson said. �If there�s something going on, I think I should be aware of it.�
�Of course there�s something going on.� Koskie replied. �A man has been murdered.�
�And I�m sure the NSA is concerned with the fact that the man was a Senator.� Mulder said. �We�ve been following a string of murders, which originated in a naval shipyard not too far from here twenty-four hours ago. You have to see where the NSA would be concerned. There may be a connection between a Naval shipyard and a Senator.�
