From fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Fri Nov 29 01:45:56 1996 This story has no spoilers, though I do use characters from the third and fourth seasons, which is in itself a spoiler, I guess. You should be able to follow it fine though, even if you've not seen those seasons (I haven't seen four myself). The characters in this story, except Igor and his Master, belong to 10.13. Everything else, including the story, is mine, though you'll note a homage to a certain crime writer (I stole from her again). Please forgive any errors in this one. The idea came to me on the evening of October 28th, after a discussion began on the M&S comments group about whether or not Marita, Mulder's new informant, was a Good Thing or a Bad Thing. It inspired me to send them a list of ten generally hated X-files characters and ask them to vote for the five they most wanted to die (I didn't realise the connection to "The List", until I got an e-mail from Juliettt and Ra saying "I only get five?"). I awarded five points to their first choice, four to their second etc. As an added bonus I told them eight of the ten would die, but the two with the fewest points would be saved, would kiss either Mulder or Scully, and would win the lottery and live happily ever after. I wasn't able to really start much until I got the results, and due to server problems that was the evening of the 30th, which left me with that evening and part of Halloween itself to get this done, which is why it might be rough in places. I owe thanks to all the M&S comments list - I've been following their discussions, and they inadvertently gave me a few ideas (thanks Lee Ann!). And thanks to Vickie Moseley, whose comments on wanting to kill people off horribly also sparked the idea for this game. This story contains violent deaths and some bad language. You have been warned. These then, are the results of the comments list's votes (plus Juliettt and Ra). Eighteen people voted (yes I know I said seventeen, but Ra bribed me and I let her in. She'd had e-mail problems, and lost the original letter. Besides her votes didn't alter the survivors). Vanessa Beanland started a "Let Krycek Live!" campaign. Did she succeed in saving him? Please....read on... Poetic Justice. A Halloween Massacre Story. by Michelle Hiley. fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk It was a dark and stormy night. *Crash* The peal of thunder caught Tom Colton by surprise. Oh great. A storm. He'd been driving through this God forsaken wilderness for miles, trying to find the turn off. He looked at his map again. He had to be close now. He peered out at the dark country lane. ***** Damn. Flat tyre. Detective White sighed, pulled over and got out to put on the spare. She hoped it wouldn't take long, she'd never seen a storm as bad as this one. When she'd agreed to investigate this case, she hadn't expected Dunkelheit Manor to be so deep in the country. Cursing to herself, she rolled up her sleeves and began. ***** "Turn here," Cancer Man ordered. Krycek obediently turned the car up the narrow country lane. In the backseat, Mr X yawned. "Remind me why we're here again?" "We need somewhere quiet for a while, to question our friend here." Cancer Man jerked a finger at Bill Mulder. "I want to know how he survived that gunshot wound, and where he's been." X shrugged. "Nothing strange in coming back from the dead. We've all faked our own deaths at some time." Cancer Man sneered. "Yes, but Bill here didn't consult me first. And I want to know why. Dunkelheit Manor is one of our safe houses, it was recommended to me. Just the place for a nice quiet chat." Bill Mulder swallowed hard. ***** The doorbell of Dunkelheit Manor rang. After a moment there was a shuffling, and a wizened butler opened the door. "Yes?" Phoebe Green looked at him disdainfully. "Ms Green. I'm here for the weekend party?" "Oh yes, Ms Green. Please come in." The butler ushered her into the hall. "I'm afraid the other guests haven't arrived yet. And the master hasn't yet come down." Igor the butler thought. "Very well, I shall wait." "In here please." Igor ushered Phoebe into an elegant sitting room and poured her some sherry. "I shall inform the master of your arrival, and have your bags taken to your room." Phoebe nodded curtly and sat by the fire. Filthy night. If it hadn't been for the tip off she'd got from a friend that the Master of Dunkelheit Manor was filthy rich, she'd never have accepted his invitation. Still the house was certainly impressive. This might turn out to be a good weekend after all, she thought. ***** Dr Bambi pulled up outside the impressive manor house gratefully. She hoped she wasn't late. She'd only received the invitation to the Third Roach Analysis Presentation at the last minute. She grabbed her bags and ran through the rain to the door. ***** Tom Colton had finally found the turn off, and was feeling happier. When his contact had insisted on meeting all the way out here, he'd been unhappy at coming all this way. But he'd been told the place was some kind of country hotel, and a good place to meet. Besides, the weekend would be paid for, provided he used his official status to do a few people some favours. Colton had no problem with that. ***** The doorbell rang again. Igor shuffled to answer it. "Mr Von der Hoelle?" "No madam. That will be the master. Might you be Ms Marita?" Marita nodded. "I've been asked to call on Mr Von der Hoelle." "Indeed. Do come in." Igor opened the door wider. Marita stepped in out of the rain, impressed by the hall but trying not to show it. This Mr Von der Hoelle was a new high ranking diplomat, and she'd been asked to spend the weekend here, briefing him on the UN business at hand, and generally helping him settle into American life. But if this new guy wanted to learn American ways, why the hell had he rented a place so far out into the country? John should have been here, she thought resentfully. Trust him to be in a hit and run accident the day before, leaving her to have to look after the latest diplomatic idiot. Seeing how isolated the place was had made her nervous as well. Still, she'd been assured that Mr Von der Hoelle was respectable enough. She followed the butler into a sitting room, where two dark haired women were sitting by the fire. Marita relaxed a little. Other women here at least then. ***** "Do you need some help?" Detective White looked cautiously into the car window but smiled and nodded. "If you would. It's easier with two." Colton got out and gently pushed her aside. "Please, allow me. A lady like yourself shouldn't be messing around with such things." Detective White considered whether or not to shoot him, but then decided against it. Fine. Let him get wet and dirty. Colton grinned to himself. He was impressing the lady, that's for sure. "Going far?" She shrugged noncommittally. "Can you tell me if I'm on the right road for Dunkelheit Manor?" he asked. "You're going there too?" She bit the words back, as his face lit up. "Yes! If you know the way, can I follow you?" She sighed. "Sure. Though I've never been here myself either. But I'm pretty sure it's just down this road." ***** "What the hell are these other people doing here?" Cancer Man hissed at Igor. The butler's face remained wooden. "They've all been sent for by the master, sir. He said you'd want them here." "And why would that be?" "I have no idea sir." "Never mind," muttered X. "Bill will be on his best behaviour. Won't you Bill?" The man nodded, brokenly. "We'd better join the others then. Or people might stare," said Krycek. Reluctantly Cancer Man nodded, and they joined the women. ***** "So, you're in law enforcement too?" smarmed Colton as he and Detective White approached the front door. "What a coincidence! Do you know, I bet we have a lot in common." Detective White pretended not to hear him above the storm. ***** Igor smiled to himself, cruelly. Nine here. Only one...erm, *guest* left. And by the sound of the footsteps on the path, here she came. The bell rang. "Come in Ms Kristen." Kristen showed no surprise that he knew her name. She expected nothing less. She'd been told there was a powerful man here who could teach her about vampires, *real* vampires. She allowed herself to join the rest of the party. Five women. Five men. Igor ushered her in, and cleared his throat. "Excuse me ladies, gentlemen. Dinner will be served in the Great Dining Room across the hall in one hour. Please, allow me to show you to your rooms, so that you may freshen up." "And where is our host?" asked Marita. "Because he has questions to answer," muttered Cancer Man. "Mr Von der Hoelle will be joining you. Now, if you'd be so good as to follow me?....." ***** One hour later, the guests assembled in the main dining room, where a sumptuous meal awaited. There was however no sign of either their host or Igor. Simply dishes of food being kept warm. "So, we serve ourselves?" asked Bambi, puzzled. Colton had inspected the dishes. "Mmm. Cream of mushroom or tomato soup. Seafood. Melon and orange cocktail. Roast lamb, looks like some kind of vegetarian casserole as an alternative. Profiteroles, gateaux...." his voice trailed off as he regarded the food with pleasure. His shock at seeing other FBI agents, and his disappointment at not having his contact to himself, paled beside the prospect of such hospitality. "Guy sure knows how to live," nodded Krycek. "Five fine wines, and plenty of them. He didn't forget a thing." He gestured towards the full coffee percolator bubbling to itself. They all helped themselves and ate hungrily, finally sharing the coffee and introducing themselves to each other. "Well," said Bambi "I like our host, even if it does seem this conference isn't what he lead me to believe it was." "But where *is* he?" said Phoebe, annoyed. She had bought a new dress for this. "And what is this?" asked Kristen. She held up a package she had found behind the coffee percolator. Ripping it open she held up an audio tape. "It says 'British Dance Music.'" Phoebe looked unnerved. "We don't want to play that." "Why not?" Bambi asked. Before anyone could stop her, she had grabbed the tape and put it into the nearby tape player, hitting the play button. Phoebe ducked, but there was no explosion. Instead a deep rich voice filled the room. "Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Dunkelheit Manor. Forgive our rudeness in not joining you for dinner. But I, and Igor, have other duties. While you were preparing yourselves for dinner, we took the liberty of removing your weapons...." Cancer Man patted his pocket. The gun was still there. "...or at least the bullets..." Damn. He knew he should have taken it into the shower with him. "...and of course your mobile phones. The manor's phone has been disconnected. Igor has now shut the gates, removed your cars, and released various wild animals into the grounds. You are now all my guests. Permanently." "What the fuck?" cried Colton. "Allow me to explain," the tape continued smoothly. "You ten have been specially chosen to die here. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. A vote has been taken, your sins weighed up, and Points of Damnation allocated. The more guilty you are, the higher the points, the more brutal the death you face here....." Marita screamed. Phoebe snorted. "Bullshit. It's some prank." "You will please observe near the coffee table by the window, ten china aliens locked in an immovable unbreakable glass case...." All eyes turned reluctantly towards the window. "It's a little idea I got from one of Ms Green's countrywomen. I'm sure the rest will become clear to you. Keep watching the skies....and the walls....." The tape fell silent. For a moment nobody spoke. Then Krycek strode to the window and looked out. "See anything?" asked Bambi. "No." Krycek turned back to face the rest of them. "Storm's so bad you can't see a thing." "Reckon we should risk the grounds?" said Detective White. "Well I for one am staying right here," said Phoebe. "Ridiculous. And not funny either." A few of the others looked at each other. "We could search the house. Our host must be here somewhere, with Igor," offered Kristen. Colton nodded. "Good idea. Let's split into teams of two." He smiled at Detective White. They rose to leave. One person however didn't rise with the rest of them. Bill Mulder suddenly began to choke, clutching his throat. "Bill? What's wrong?" asked Cancer Man. Bill gave one last despairing cry and fell forward. For a second everyone froze. Then Detective White rushed forward and felt his pulse. Her face said it all, and there was really no need for her words. "He's dead." ***** An hour later they had combed the house from top to bottom, but there was no sign of their mysterious host. Suspicious and frightened, they reconvened in the dining room. Bill's corpse had been carried into a small side room by X and Colton - Detective White's insistence that the scene not be touched having been overruled. Pair by pair they reported failure. Mr X prowled, like a nervous cat. "I just don't get this. Who the hell would go to this much trouble? And what does this group of people have in common anyway?" Phoebe shrugged. "We're obviously dealing with a deranged mind. Who can say?" She seemed about to continue, when she was interrupted by a gasp from Marita. "Look! The wall!" They turned to where she had indicated, a shadowy corner. Someone had written on the wall. Colton strode over and read it aloud to the hushed group. "Ten little aliens, sitting down to dine. One glass full of Purity, and then there were nine." "I read that book," said Phoebe. "Check the cabinet." Colton did so, and looked puzzled. "One of the china aliens has been broken!" Phoebe nodded. "We're not only dealing with a deranged mind, we're dealing with a deranged Agatha Christie fan." Detective White nodded. "One of her best books that one." At Colton's questioning look she explained. "Ten people are murdered one by one, their deaths being linked to a nursery rhyme. And ten china statues are smashed one by one, as the people die. Our killer is imitating the book. The first victim obviously drank something called Purity, whatever that is. It must have been some slow acting poison." Cancer Man and X blended back into the shadows a little more. "And the nursery rhyme on the wall? That's about Bill Mulder's death?" "Yes. Either the killer lined Bill's glass with the poison ahead of time, or they knew he'd be the only one to try that particular brand of wine," Phoebe said slowly. "Because he knows nobody else here likes that type? That must mean he knows us though!" gasped Marita. Colton re-examined the wall critically. "Oh." "And what about over here?" asked Krycek. He had been examining the walls while they spoke. "This corner has Bill's name written on it. And some numbers. It says 'Bill Mulder. 17.'" Phoebe had been thinking it through. "Let's listen to that tape again." "Do we have to?" asked Bambi. Phoebe ignored her, and ran the tape again. She smiled to herself when it was finished. "I'm guessing whatever infernal jury awarded the Points of Damnation awarded Bill 17 points. His death was quite quick, therefore I'm guessing that wasn't too high a score." "And the rest of us?" asked Colton nervously. "We'll die in as brutal or gentle a manner as our points allow. And as we do, the aliens will be broken, and that poem added to." Colton swallowed. "Maybe we *should* risk going into the grounds." Bambi shook her head. "No. People will miss us....won't they? They'll come looking?" Detective White and Colton both nodded. "I made arrangements if I didn't call," Detective White said. "Then," Cancer Man muttered, "we just have to try and stay alive long enough for help to reach us..." "OK," said Kristen. "We all stay here. We keep watch." "And the killer just throws a bomb into the room," said Krycek. "All at once. Very neat." "Well have you got any bright ideas?" Krycek nodded. "I think one of us is in on it. I don't trust any of you. Frankly, I think we are better off watching out for ourselves." X and Colton nodded. "We can look after ourselves. We're trained," said Colton. "Though naturally we wouldn't dream of leaving you ladies unprotected." He smiled winningly at them. Simultaneously the five women all decided they could protect themselves just fine. ***** Nobody felt much like going to bed yet, so they wandered around the ground floor, trying to keep in sight of each other. Marita and Phoebe found a chess board in the games room, and began an uninterested game of chess. Colton, after having unsuccessfully tried to chat them up, wandered towards the library, where Kristen and X were examining the shelves. Detective White sat in the parlour and listened politely to Bambi's explanation of the mating habits of roaches, while Cancer Man brooded in the corner. Krycek continued examining walls, saying he felt sure their host must be using secret passages. Two hours passed before abruptly the quiet was broken by running footsteps. Krycek burst into the parlour. "Come quickly! The wall! The aliens!" His panic had attracted the others, and the group rushed into the dining room. Another alien had indeed been broken, and Krycek pointed to the wall. Two more lines had been added to the rhyme. "Nine little aliens playing games till late. A snake went and bit one, and then there were eight. "Who's missing?" cried Kristen. Detective White however had already realised she wasn't being pestered. "Tom Colton," she said quietly. They crossed to the other wall, where Bill Mulder's name had been written. Sure enough, there below it was written "Tom Colton. 52." "Fifty Two?" said Cancer Man, incredulously. "Urgh," said Phoebe. "That must have been messy." "But...he went to talk to *you* guys. In the library," said Marita accusingly. "He never came into the library," X replied. Kristen nodded. "I guess," said Krycek, "that we'd better find him....." A search of the house ensued. Finally a cry arose from one of the cellars. "In here!" They crowded down the steps. Most of them took one look and gagged. Colton had been crucified spread-eagled on two ladders that had been nailed in an X to one of the cellar walls. Ropes bound him, and as they looked they could see to their horror that snakes were crawling all over him. Bambi and Krycek ventured nearer. "Peruvian black headed snakes," said Bambi. They looked at her. "What, you think I only know about bugs? Be careful near these though. Their bite is fatal if not treated instantly, and the result is a very slow agonising death. Usually takes a good hour, even if this many bite you." Krycek cautiously examined the body without touching it. "Looks like someone stabbed him in the back too. Just a flesh wound, but it must have hurt." "A backstabber huh?" Phoebe said thoughtfully. "You knew him a little didn't you? Type to backstab others was he?" Krycek nodded, reluctantly. "Looks like we really are being given a taste of our own medicine then." "What's that in his mouth?" asked Detective White. Krycek cautiously pulled out the piece of paper between Colton's lips. It read "The Winner." X snorted in disgust. "Doesn't look like much of a winner to me." "I don't wish to put a damper on this discussion," said Cancer Man from the back of the group, "but we appear to only be seven." They began counting heads in horror. "Where's Kristen?" cried Marita. "Oh God," said Detective White, "let's hurry. We might find her in time." "Check the walls in the dining room," Phoebe advised. "I don't have time for playing this idiot's stupid games!" "But it might give you a clue where Kristen is. Assuming she is the next victim, and hasn't just tried to make a run for it." But in the dining room their worst fears were confirmed. A third alien was broken. On the list of names had been added "Kristen Kilar. 31." And there were two more lines of poetry: "Eight little aliens praying hard to heaven. God thought he'd claim one, and then there were seven." They found her in the manor's chapel, face down before the altar, pale as death itself. None of them were qualified doctors, but Detective White seemed to have the most medical knowledge. She examined the body. "What do you think?" Marita asked her. Detective White shrugged. "She's incredibly pale. And look at those needlemarks. I think she died from blood loss. I think someone drained her blood and left her to die. She was too weak to go for help." They shuddered, and Cancer Man surprised them by reaching forward and shutting the corpse's eyes. "I suggest we leave her here." "It would seem the best place." They trudged back to the dining room. "Maybe we should put a watch on the walls in here," offered X. "Do you want to volunteer? Knowing that the killer has a way into and out of this room that we can't work out?" X shook his head in silence. Detective White sighed. "It's late. I suggest we lock ourselves in our bedrooms for the night." "But if there are secret passages," argued Marita, "locking the door won't help." They looked at each other. "Then we sleep in groups," said Krycek. "It makes us an easier target, but he's less likely to take us by surprise." "Or she's less likely," Cancer Man pointed out. "Very well," said Detective White. "Us four women will share a room. You three men share another. And lock the doors anyway." ***** "This is almost fun," said Bambi innocently. "Like a slumber party." Phoebe looked at her incredulously. They turned at the sound of footsteps, but it was only Marita bringing her possessions into Bambi's room. "So who gets the bed?" Marita asked. Her question was never answered, because there was a sudden scream of agony from Phoebe, who had begun to take her make up off. "What the hell?" Marita sprang to Phoebe's side. Phoebe was clutching her face and screaming. "I'll get help!" Marita ran from the room, leaving Bambi watching in terror. Running to the men's bedroom she hammered on the door. "Come quickly! Please! It's Phoebe!" Detective White, who had been on her way back from the bathroom, came running to her side. A moment later there was another scream, followed by the sound of terrified footsteps. It was Bambi. "I thought I left you with Phoebe!" snarled Marita. Bambi however was too terrified to talk. Detective White grabbed her shoulders, and shook her. "What? What happened?" "The wall," quavered Bambi. "It opened, and there was a man...wearing a mask....and I ran..." Abruptly the door to the men's bedroom opened as Krycek managed to undo the last bolt, over the protests of Cancer Man. "What happened?" "Phoebe. We need to get back there right now!" But they were too late. The sight that greeted them was truly horrific. Phoebe's face had gone, burnt off by the acid that had been added to her cleansing cream. Her protruding tongue was likewise burned, presumably with acid poured down her throat by her killer. "Acid tongued," Krycek shrugged. "It fits." "And the heart?" X asked. In a final bloody touch someone had torn out Phoebe's heart, thrown it on the floor and stamped on it, judging by the dirt. Krycek shrugged. "She must have done the same thing to someone at some time I guess." Marita had begun to cry. "So, do we go and see what the walls say?" "We might as well," X said. They went downstairs, carefully watching each other and the walls, but there was no incident. The familiar sight of another broken alien greeted them. Phoebe Green's name had been added, with the number 45 after it. "That's a high score," murmured Marita through her tears. "No wonder it was so gruesome." Krycek had moved to the other wall and read the latest part of the rhyme out to them. "Seven little aliens, learning make up tricks. One got an allergy, and then there were six." Bambi voiced their thoughts. "The author has a sick mind." Nobody disagreed with her. Sombrely they returned upstairs. Bambi fetched her things from her room, trying hard not to look at what was left of Phoebe, and joined the other women in Marita's room. Everyone barricaded themselves in. It is doubtful whether they slept much. ***** Breakfast was a gloomy affair, only partly helped by the fact that they had all survived the night. They'd been frightened to try any of the food stocks, but Bambi had brought some cookies with her for the journey, and they reluctantly ate some of them and drank a little tap water. Daylight showed that there were indeed wild animals roaming the grounds, and it was a long way to the perimeter fence. "So we sit and wait to die?" asked Marita. "We sit and wait for rescue," replied Detective White firmly. "Some of the people here are Feds. They'll come looking for them. And for me." "Feds?" said Bambi. Detective White nodded. "Colton told me he was, and that you were." She nodded to Krycek, who said nothing. "We just sit tight, try not to brood." Cancer Man laughed, an unpleasant sound. "I'll try and be sure I have an enjoyable morning." "Do we stay together as one target, or spilt up?" asked Krycek. "We stay in small groups, within sight of each other again," said Detective White firmly. "It offers the best chance of survival. Marita? You want another game of chess?" Marita nodded. "It helps pass the time. What are the rest of you planning on doing?" "I'll be in the library again," said X. "Maybe there's some way to think ourselves out of this, some clue we've missed. The only thing I can think of is looking through our host's book collection, since he's basing this on a book. Maybe we can figure out his next move." "I'll help you," offered Krycek. Bambi looked at Cancer Man. "Know anything about bugs?" he thought. They went into the parlour, to talk about spiders and flies. ***** The next death occurred just before noon. A sudden crash from the dining room brought X, Krycek, Cancer Man and Bambi running into the hall. "What was that?" "It came from the dining room." Bambi grabbed Krycek's arm just as he was about to run in there. "The door to the games room slammed closed as we ran into the hall!" Desperately Krycek pushed on the games room's door. "I can't open it!" X joined him. "We'll have to try and break it in." They threw themselves against the door, while Cancer Man and Bambi hurriedly checked the dining room and returned to them. "Before the fact this time I assume," said Cancer Man. "A smashed alien, and two more lines added to the poem." "And Marita's name," added Bambi, significantly. Finally the door gave and they burst into the room. Detective White lay on the floor, unconscious but apparently unhurt. A cloth beside her smelled strongly of the chemicals that had been used to sedate her. Marita had not been so fortunate. A needle stuck out of her lifeless arm, and her mouth had been stuffed with grass. Krycek slowly removed the needle and examined the traces left in it, noting Marita's agonised expression. "She's been injected with some plant derivative I think. And look," he lifted her top lip up, "her mouth is full of grass. Plant? Grass? Reckon she was some kind of informant?" X looked uneasy. "Let's see what the wall said." They returned to the dining room, supporting the gradually waking Detective White. There, as Cancer Man and Bambi had said, was Marita's name, with the number 21. The poem had again been added to: "Six little aliens tried to stay alive. One did not try hard enough, and then there were five." "Bastard," said Krycek with feeling. "Now what?" asked Bambi. "Splitting up doesn't help. Staying together doesn't help, he can still pick us off. There's only five of us." "There's only two of them, this Von der Hoelle guy and Igor." "We can't be sure of that." "What we do," said Cancer Man, "is lock ourselves in." "We know that won't help. There are secret panels." "Not in the brick cellars," came the reply. "I'm going to lock myself in one of those. Let's see him get into that any way other than the door." He made for the door. "I wouldn't advise the one Colton's still in," said Krycek quietly. "He must have dragged Colton through the door." Cancer Man paused. "Though if you want to accompany me down there, I'd be grateful." Half an hour later, Cancer Man had been barricaded in his cellar. X and Krycek returned to their examination of the books in the library, for want of a better idea, while Bambi took Detective White to the parlour window, and opened it as much as she dared. "I think we should be OK with it like this. Nothing could get in. Does the fresh air help your head?" Detective White nodded weakly. "Yes, thank you. They sat in companionable silence for a while. "Do you think we'll survive this?" Bambi opened her mouth to reassure her, then thought better of it. "I don't know." "Neither do I." There was a sudden muffled pounding. Weak though she was, Detective White was the first into the hall. "The cellar!" They fled down the cellar steps. Smoke greeted them halfway down. Coughing and choking they fought through it, but the pounding on the door had stopped long before they reached it. It took agonising minutes to break it open. Cancer Man's burnt body fell out at their feet. They retreated back up the stairs, until the smoke had cleared, then cautiously investigated. "How?" cried Bambi. "How did they get in?" "They didn't," Krycek said grimly. "Look." He pointed to a corner of the cellar, where the brickwork had been blown out. "There was an incendiary device hidden amongst the brickwork. The bricks in front of it were probably fake. They activated it by remote control, it blew and filled the cellar with a fireball. They probably rigged all the cellars ahead of time." "But how could they know he'd lock himself away like this?" "I wasn't surprised when he did it," Krycek replied. "A weasel like him would do just that. They know us very well, they anticipate the moves we'd make. I guess they knew no matter how frightened she was, that Phoebe woman would follow her beauty routine. They knew when things got very bad he'd hide. So he was trapped underground in a burning room he couldn't escape from. Someone considered that poetic justice for some reason. Let's check the wall shall we?" X and Detective White had already turned back. They went into the dining room, noting the sixth smashed alien. There was a name they didn't recognise on the wall, beside which someone had written "Also known as Cancer Man." The number was 45. "That's high," said Krycek. "Well, he never made friends easily I suppose." X meanwhile had read the latest lines added to the end of the poem, and laughed mirthlessly. "Guess they did know our friend, huh?". They all read it: "Five little aliens, smoking more and more. One smoked a bit too much, and then there were four." "That's horrible," said Bambi. "Poor man." X turned to her. "Don't waste many tears. Our most important concern now is staying alive." Abruptly there was the sound of the front door opening. "Help's arrived!" cried Bambi. They rushed into the hall. But instead of the agents they were hoping for, they found themselves faced by a lioness peering in through the door that had been opened for her. She growled menacingly. "Nobody make any sudden moves," whispered X reaching for a chair. The others shrank behind him, all eyes on the big cat. A long tense moment passed until suddenly Krycek heard a sound behind him. Forgetting X's advice he spun and cried out as he saw Detective White, who had been behind him, being dragged back into the dining room. The angry lioness lunged forward. "Be quiet!" hissed X, knocking Krycek aside. Krycek tried to get to Detective White, but was too late to prevent her being dragged into the dining room as the door slammed in his face. At the same moment a shot rang out from somewhere and the lioness jolted and fell to the floor unconscious. X investigated carefully. "She's been hit with a tranquilliser dart. Quick, help me manhandle her out of the front door." "Are you sure it's safe to?" "A lot safer than leaving her to awaken in the hall, I assure you." He rounded on Krycek, who was trying to force open a door for the second time that day. "What the hell are you doing?" Krycek bit his lip. "While you were playing with the lioness someone dragged Detective White into that room." X looked from the closed door to the lioness. "Then help me get this cat outside quickly and the front door shut. Then we can see what we can do for the lady." The dining room door opened easily enough on the second attempt. But of Detective White there was no sign. Just the smashed alien and the writings on the wall. "Detective White. 26," read Bambi. She joined the others who were reading the poem: "Four little aliens, scared as they can be. One went and died of fright, and then there were three." They found her on one of the beds in an upstairs room. She had been pinned down fully clothed to the bed with ropes. Her hair had been bleached pure white, and an expression of terror was etched on her face. "Was she raped?" asked Bambi quietly. Krycek shook his head. "No. Her clothes haven't been touched either. In fact, I think she was tied to the bed like this *after* death. It must mean something. Someone was angry at her for pinning someone or something to a bed in this way." "There's a different poem on this wall," X noted. "It says 'Mrs White, had a fright, in the middle of the night!'" "It's a children's rhyme," Bambi said. "Maybe someone just felt it was appropriate. Did she die of fright then?" "Well the gunshot wound certainly helped," Krycek replied straightening up. "And now we are three," muttered X. ***** Lunchtime passed without a death, but without food either. Bambi's stock of biscuits was low, and they decided to hoard them just in case. Unsure of where they were safe, they propped open all the doors against sudden attack, being careful to keep each other in sight. Krycek, still unsure of what to do, continued combing through the library books, hoping to try and get an insight into the killer's mind. Bambi, close to breaking point, sang softly to herself and rocked on a chair in the sitting room. X sat in the hall, staring at them both. A sound of breaking china unnerved them at about two. "One of the aliens," whispered X, as Krycek paused in his examination of the shelves and Bambi stopped rocking. "Someone in there just broke an eighth!" The others moved to join him, but there was a sudden grating sound above Krycek's head. He looked up in horror as a trapdoor opened above him, and a huge heavy book came crashing down on his skull, knocking him to the floor. "No!" screamed Bambi, as she saw the blood. X grabbed her, pulling her away. He pulled her, weeping and unresisting, into the dining room. But their host had gone. There on the floor was another smashed alien. The list of names bore a new one; "Alex Krycek. 14. Dead by just Three Points." "What does dead by just three points mean?" asked Bambi. "Aren't we all going to die?" X was reading the rhyme though; "Three little aliens, searching for a clue. One found the answer, and then there were two." He turned to speak to her, when abruptly there was the sound of sirens. "Maybe some of us are going to survive after all. Looks like our tormentor just realised the cavalry has arrived." Running to the window they watched as teams of handlers rounded up the animals. A few minutes later there was a pounding at the front door, and X and Bambi ran gratefully to let their rescuers in. Mulder and Scully burst into the hall. "Are you OK?" Mulder eyed them worriedly. "I got an anonymous tip off you were in trouble," he told X. Bambi threw herself at Mulder, gluing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. Mulder didn't struggle, until he felt the deathgrip on his testicles. "Umm, Bambi...don't grab me so hard there please." "I'm not grabbing you there, Fox." "Scully....would you let go? Please?" squeaked Mulder. Scully obligingly let go and pointed her gun at Bambi. "I get to shoot her now, right?" "No. I'm sorry, I'm not sure it's allowed," said Mulder, still gasping. "Fair enough," said Scully, pulling Bambi off Mulder and punching her in the face. Bambi crumpled quietly to the floor. Scully looked down at her pleased, until she felt herself being spun round. "My turn," said X, and pulled Scully into a passionate kiss. "Yuck. Gross," said Mulder. X released Scully, who looked flustered, but didn't hit him. "Do you mind?" she spat. "Sorry." "I'll overlook it this time," she said, wiping her mouth. "Could have been worse." Bambi came to her senses and groaned as the FBI team swarmed into the house. As they did so, a letter drifted down into the hall. "Where did that come from?" asked Mulder. Scully looked upwards. "Someone's up there, leaning over the staircase." She motioned for the FBI teams to check it out. Mulder picked the letter up. "It's addressed to you two. And it's already open, so I guess it's not a bomb," he said to X and Bambi. Bambi took it and opened it. Inside was a winning lottery ticket, made out in both their names, and a piece of paper. "It has our scores on it," X told Mulder. "Bambi scored 11. I scored 8." "Scores?" asked Scully. "We'll tell you later," said X. "Now, if we could be leaving?" As they turned to go there was a sudden shout. An FBI agent ran into the hall. "Agent Scully! Come quickly!" "What is it Agent Beanland?" "We've found a wounded man!" She dragged Scully to the library where Krycek lay. Beside him lay a heavy book entitled "Cable Car Management." "Looks like the book hit him on the head," noted Scully. "He's lucky to be alive." Krycek groaned. "He'll be OK," said Scully. "Get a stretcher in here, Agent Beanland. Can I leave him to you to look after?" At the woman's nod, she rejoined the others in the hall. "It was Krycek. He'll live." Bambi and X smiled. "Guess our host didn't hit hard enough." "Guess not," floated in a disembodied voice from a hidden loud speaker. "Very well. You and the bug lady go spend your money and enjoy your lives. Do you know hard it is to trick the lottery into bringing up the numbers you want? Spend it wisely. Krycek escapes with his life, which is more than he deserves. Game over." Mulder and Scully looked at each other, baffled. "What's going on?" "Just a little points game," came the voice again. "Actually somebody voted for you two." "Us?" said Scully. The voice laughed. "Yes Agent Scully, you and Agent Mulder were suggested. But I disallowed it...fortunately for you. Goodbye." Mulder opened his mouth to reply, but X grabbed him. "I am getting *out* of here. We'll discuss it *later*." He pushed Mulder and Scully out of the door. ***** Case notes. X-file 31101996. Investigating Agent: Dana Scully. The events at Dunkelheit Manor still appear to have no logical motive. It would seem that everyone in the house had some connection to myself or Agent Mulder, other than Ms Kristen Kilar. I suspect however that Agent Mulder might actually have known her, since when I asked him he winced and said he'd rather not talk about it, in case I grabbed him again. As to why those ten people were chosen and murdered, we still have no answer. A thorough search of the property failed to find anyone. The case remains open. The end. Comments welcome at fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Happy Halloween....