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Chapter Six
Well, with very few questions asked. She hoped they'd had the good sense to consider that Eric's call for help could have been coerced. It wouldn't be the first time that their enemies had used someone Mulder cared about as bait. If it was a trap, they were about to walk into it for the second time. "If we leave right after we talk to Eric's professor tomorrow, we can be there by noon," Mulder broke into her thoughts. Willis had drawn them a map on a cocktail napkin, and Mulder had been studying it in between bites of cheeseburger. "Do you think we need to take camping gear?" His child-like excitement made her smile at the same time that it chilled her. There was so much he didn't understand. "I guess it couldn't hurt to be prepared." He nodded, returning to the map. "The Jeep was a good choice." Willis was still behind the bar, tending to the dozen or so customers who had begun straggling in about half an hour ago. He kept glancing apologetically in their direction, but it was clear that their conversation was over for the evening. He'd written his home phone number beneath the map. They could try to catch him tomorrow before they left for the site. "If we want to get an early start tomorrow, we should get some sleep." Mulder looked at her plate. "You're not gonna eat?" She had choked down only a few bites. "We'll have a big breakfast in the morning. Right now, I need a shower and a bed." He nodded, glancing toward the bar. "Looks like we've had our last crack at Willis for the night." He dropped a ten dollar bill on the table and got up. No coaxing her to eat. No worried frown. Scully got up to follow him out, feeling inexplicably abandoned. The night air felt almost icy as they made their way back to the room. Scully was shivering by the time they locked the door behind them, only to find that the A/C had kicked in with a vengeance. While Mulder fiddled with the controls, Scully fished through her suitcase for her pajamas and toothbrush. "Do you mind if I have the bathroom first?" He waved over his shoulder, giving the unit a solid thump with his other hand. "Take your time." The hot water was surprisingly plentiful, and she let it cascade over knotted muscles until her fingers pruned. When she emerged in a cloud of steam thirty minutes later, the room was lit only by the glow from the television. Mulder was stretched out on the other bed with his eyes closed. She snapped off the television and got into the other bed, shivering between the cold sheets. She was just drifting off when Mulder's soft voice came out of the darkness. "Good night, Scully." "Good night, Mulder." Wide awake once more, she listened as his breathing began to slow and deepen. It was as if he'd been waiting for her to return before he would let himself sleep. Sleep eventually claimed her too, but with a much lighter grip, snapping her awake every time he stirred. * * * San Juan Community College The college was perched on a hillside above town, its sprawling campus as improbably lush and green as the narrow strip of land that bordered the river below. They found the registrar's office in a glass-walled corner of the main building, overlooking the meticulously landscaped grounds. "Eric Hosteen, you said?" The young woman at the counter consulted her computer screen. "Ah, here he is. And this must be the class you're talking about, Anthropology 288. Meets Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 am. Professor Wilson Kendrick." "Where would we find Professor Kendrick?" Scully asked. The woman glanced at the clock. "Getting ready for class, I would imagine. You'll probably find him in his office on the third floor. Take the elevator and go to your right, all the way to the end." As they rode up, Mulder shared a cheery thought. "You don't suppose we've already been here, too." "Let's hope not." Scully doubted that the same ploy she'd used with Willis Jordan would fool a college professor. The office door was open, and a middle-aged man with a gray ponytail looked up as they entered. "Can I help you?" They displayed their badges. "I'm Agent Scully and this is my partner, Agent Mulder. We're investigating the disappearance of one of your students, Eric Hosteen." The man frowned immediately. "You said you were coming on Saturday. I waited for two hours." "We were unavoidably detained," Mulder responded smoothly. "May we have a moment of your time now?" "I have a class in twenty minutes. I'll give you ten." He waved at the chairs in front of his desk and sat down They took their seats, Mulder on her right. Scully began, "We understand that Eric Hosteen came to see you before he disappeared, and that he showed you something he found in the desert." "He told me about it. He didn't show it to me." She saw Mulder frown out of the corner of her eye and surreptitiously touched his arm. "What did he tell you?" Kendrick sighed impatiently. "Look, don't you people share information? I've already been over this with two of your colleagues." He looked at his watch. "When was this?" "Monday morning. I assumed they'd been sent in your place." Mulder leaned forward in his seat, ignoring her touch. "What did you tell them?" Kendrick frowned. "They wanted the location of the dig site the class had been working. I gave it to them, and they left before I could ask how this concerns the FBI. Perhaps you would enlighten me?" Scully stepped in. "Professor, the people who came to see you were not with the FBI. We believe they were after the artifact and may be responsible for Eric's disappearance." That shook him. "Oh, my god. You don't think I... that it's my fault...?" "No, not at all. But we do need you to tell us exactly what you said to them." "I don't understand." He was shaking his head slowly. "From Eric's description, it wasn't even a valuable piece. I told them that." "What exactly did Eric tell you about the ring?" Mulder asked. "That it was made out of something that changed color and texture in his hands. He wanted to know if I'd ever found anything like it. Of course, I hadn't." "Is that were he found it? At the class dig site?" Kendrick gave Mulder an appraising look. "That is an excellent question. One the other men failed to ask." "Would you have answered if they had?" The man tipped his head back, squinting at the memory. "I had the distinct impression that their interest in Eric was a ruse. I'm not sure why." He met Mulder's gaze once more. "So, no. I don't believe I would have." He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Eric never told me the precise location," he handed the sheet to Mulder, "The blue outlines are the sites we've been working for this class. The area shaded green is a secondary site I offered for extra credit. I believe that's where he was working when he found the ring." "May I keep this?" Mulder held up the map. "Of course." Kendrick looked at his watch and stood. "Now, I'm sorry but I really need to prepare for my class." When they got back to the car, they compared the professor's map to the one Willis had drawn for them. The area Willis had marked was near the center of the professor's secondary site. Scully started the engine, adjusting the air vents upward toward her face. Just the short walk from the building to the Jeep had sweat trickling down her back. "I think we need to get out there before it gets much hotter." "You don't want to wait for dark?" He sounded mildly alarmed. "I think it would be more dangerous skulking around out there at night. We'll blend in with the tourists this way." Mulder shrugged and returned to his maps, but the way he was chewing his lip spoke volumes. "Mulder, do you want to wait for darkness?" He put down the maps and looked at her. "Willis said we went out there in daylight the last time. I was just thinking that we'd be less... conspicuous." She pulled out onto the highway before she answered, choosing her words. "We aren't familiar with the area. The site is remote. It's going to be difficult enough to find it in broad daylight." He was silent for a moment. "That didn't stop us last time." Last time, I had a partner with his training and memory intact. Out loud, she said, "And we know how well that turned out." He tipped his head, conceding the point. "So, what's the next step?" "Wills is meeting us at the bar. I called him while you were in the shower this morning. He's bringing supplies." There was a lone pickup truck in the Cold Beer parking lot which they correctly assumed to be Willis Jordan's. They found him inside mopping the floor. "Have you all had breakfast? I could fire up the grill." He plopped the mop into the scrub bucket, drying his hands on his jeans. "Thanks, we stopped at Denny's on the way to the college," Scully responded. "So, you saw the professor? Was he any help?" Mulder handed him the maps. "He never saw the ring, either, but he thinks this is where Eric must have found it." Willis studied the markings. "Where?" Mulder pointed at the shaded section. "That's a lot of ground to cover." He looked at them, frowning. "You won't be able to do it in a day. Three, maybe, but not one. You sure you don't want me to come along and help?" It wasn't the first time he'd offered. Scully turned him down each time, but he kept trying. "Thanks, Willis, but you know that's impossible." She glanced out toward the parking lot. "How much do we owe you for the supplies?" He made a dismissive gesture and headed for the door. "I owe Eric my life. You find him, and that's all the payment I could ask for." Scully had parked next to the pickup. As Willis unloaded the supplies and handed them to Mulder, he explained why each was essential. The sleeping bags seemed silly for a day trip, but Scully supposed that they would preserve the illusion for any observers. Next came lots and lots of water, a first aid kit, plus the requisite flash lights and spare batteries. Mulder passed the items to Scully, and she packed them away in the Jeep. When a two-man tent and camp stove appeared, her eyebrows shot skyward. "Except for the canteens, this stuff is going to stay in the Jeep. Don't you think we're taking 'appearances' a bit far?" "I might have agreed with you before I saw the area you're trying to cover. Now I wish I had a CB radio for you, 'cuz your cell phones aren't gonna work worth a damn." His genuine concern touched her. "We'll be fine." She waved at the impressive pile of gear in the backseat. "Even if we have to spend the night. Thank you, Willis. I mean that." They all shook hands, Willis looking worriedly from Mulder to Scully. "Just take care. I don't need two FBI agents on my conscience." Scully smiled at him. "We'll be back in time for supper." At Willis' insistence, Scully trotted back to their room for heavy clothing. She tossed sweatshirts and jeans in a duffle, then added their toothbrushes. Just in case. When they finally pulled out of the parking lot, their benefactor stood there waving like a nervous mother sending the kids off to summer camp. * * * Both Willis' and Kendrick's maps left a lot to be desired in terms of landmarks, and the street signage had disappeared when they'd left the main highway outside Chaco Canyon park. Still, Scully was reasonably confident that they were on the right course, albeit forty minutes behind schedule. The road was simply too difficult to distinguish from the surrounding sand, and they hadn't been able to drive much above forty miles per hour for the past thirty miles. "How's the gas?" Mulder broke into her concentration. Scully risked a quick glance at the gauges. "The gas is fine, but I'm starting to worry about the radiator." The engine temperature indicator had been creeping steadily upward almost since the moment they'd left the highway. "Maybe we should stop and let it cool off." "We should be there soon. Then it can cool off for a few hours." She smiled reassuringly, already sorry that she'd given him something more to worry about. "Keep an eye out for the pueblo cliffs." Mulder nodded and started looking. The Jeep's digital clock read 1:49 pm when Scully realized that the distant hills had begun to close in on the road from both sides. They were getting close to the site. "I guess we don't have to worry about blending in with the tourists," Mulder observed dryly. They hadn't seen another car for over an hour. "I think that's our destination," Scully squinted through the glare, pointing toward a cluster of rocks with a distinctive shape that both maps described. "Finally." Mulder undid his seat belt and reached into the backseat for their canteens. Scully parked next to the rock formation to make it easier to find the car later. When the doors opened, the heat nearly took their breath away. "Your hat, ma'am." Mulder handed her one of the baseball caps Willis had thoughtfully included. The bills were long and wide to keep the worst of the sun out of their eyes. Scully pulled her hair back with a rubber band, then plunked the hat on top. "Let's make this quick." They found the excavation site almost immediately, and soon devised a search pattern that seemed to work. Mulder took one side of the wide expanse of sand, and Scully started from the opposite side. The plan was to meet in the center... unless one of them turned up a clue sooner. Twenty minutes passed, then forty, and all they were finding was sand, rocks and empty holes marked with sticks and twine. Scully kept glancing up to make sure Mulder was still in sight, his crouched form shimmering in the waves of superheated air. As they approached the one hour mark, she was deeply regretting her insistence that they do this during the day. "Scully! Over here!" Thank god! she whispered through parched lips, and stood up. Mulder was about fifty yards away, waving his hat in the air. "Put that back on your head before your brain fries," she yelled over to him as she trotted around holes on her way to see what he'd found. She was close enough to see his sheepish grin as he started to comply. And then he froze with the cap halfway to its destination, all expression gone from his face. "Mulder, what--?" He seemed to be looking behind her, and she automatically glanced back over her shoulder. There was nothing to see. Before she could turn back to Mulder, it hit her: tingling waves of sensation that seemed to be everywhere at once, over every inch of her skin, tickling the pit of her stomach and the tips of her fingers and toes; a deep droning buzz in her head that set every bone in her body vibrating. An instant later, it was like throwing a switch. There was no sensation at all. No thought. Nothing. * * * End of Chapter 6
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