The E-Files File 1: The Pilot
Chapter 1

Swingston Estate Forest, 
Pikeville, Kentucky.

  Thunder crashed through the sky making Josh jump. He knew he shouldn't 
be here. They had told him he shouldn't be here and that was exactly why 
he had headed here. He heard a voice floating on the tumultuous wind. It 
was his sister, Suzanne. Damn! he thought. Had she followed him out of 
the house? Had she seen what he wanted so desperately to conceal?
  "Joshie, Jooshiee!" she called through the abandoned house. I know 
you're here. Come out, come out wherever you are!" Josh glanced around 
quickly to find a hiding place. A brief flash of light made him turn 
sharply. He was yanked off his feet and crashed heavily onto the 
floorboards. There was a slow creak as the wood began to splinter. Time 
ran into treacle as he flailed ineffectually at the floor which was 
suddenly rushing up around him.
  The light shone once again through the window. Josh had to turn his 
head to stop himself from being blinded. The darkness was now coated 
with purple and blue after images. Josh felt the panic rise. Had his 
parents sent the police out looking for him? He had only been gone for 
a few hours, surely even his parents wouldn't be that anxious after that 
amount of time.
  Was it a police helicopter outside? He couldn't be sure as the light 
made everything outside impossible to identify. A plan for escape leapt 
into his mind and he tried to get up. In this instant Josh realised with 
numb certainty that his legs were no longer any use. A gash in his left 
leg smiled an ugly red grin where a sliver of wood had caught him on the 
way down. Panic rose from the base of his spine. Should he call out for 
his sister? That would reveal his whereabouts and he didn't want to do 
that. But he couldn't see any other way out of it. Of all the stupid dumb
luck!  He knew to be cautious in this house but the shock of his sister 
turning up and the previous argument had made him reckless. Now he was 
going to be found out.
  He listened for his sister's voice to try and see if she was close but 
all he could hear was the sounds of the oak trees scratching against the 
fractured windows and the occasional piece of debris striking the floor 
from above. The light continued to etch patterns into Josh's eyes even 
when he had them closed. The silence was eerie in contrast to the thunderous 
uproar the had preceded it. Only the wind was left, a lone voice calling 
forlornly through the woods
  Suzanne suddenly started to call him again. The sudden noise made him wet 
himself. He started to moan silently to himself.  He was in real trouble now 
if his friends found out that he was so scared that his sister's voice made him 
pee his pants he would never hear the last of it. A thought occurred to him.
He could convince his stupid sister to not tell anyone about the things that
had happened here tonight. They could tell his parents that he had fallen 
in the woods. He was always doing that. Yeah! His sister was only seven she 
would do what he told her to do.
  The strangely silent helicopter intensified its beam of light, this 
coincided with his sister's playful calls mutating into a shrill scream. 
This unpleasant noise went on for longer than Josh felt comfortable about. 
What was happening to her? The scream vanished abruptly along with the light. 
Josh was momentarily blind but managed to make out an indistinct object flying 
off at impossible velocity. The pain in his left leg intensified as a brick 
shattered his shin.  His vision blurred and imaginary stars wheeled across his
world as he passed into unconsciousness.
  A number of small fires encircled the rundown house before, one by one, 
they were extinguished as a light breeze stirred the flames.
  Silence.

Chapter 2

  The foyer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was teeming with bodies.  
Special agent Dana Scully had trouble getting through the throngs of people.  
She knew she was already late for her briefing with three senior agents and the 
crowds weren't improving her temper.  When she finally got through she realised 
that she had forgotten her badge and had to wait another five minutes for security
to let her in to the main part of the Bureau.
  A deadly hush awaited her in the briefing room.
  "Sorry I'm late, but the traffic was terrible." she said as she took her place 
at the round table.
  There were two men, one noticeably old, and one woman sitting at the table, they 
looked impassively at her and almost immediately started asking her questions.
  "Are you familiar with the so called E-files?" asked the woman.
  "Yes," Scully broadly answered in an inquisitive tone, paused, then continued, 
"they are the files which document the cases which, should the public ever find 
out about the content of, would cause mass hysteria due to their peculiar nature."
she replied.
  "Have you heard of Special Agent Mulder?" inquired the elder man.
  "Only by reputation.  He has made a name for himself in the academy by solving cases
with next to no leads and improbable solutions." a distant smile flashed across 
her face, "at the academy he had a nickname, Spooky."
  "You have been chosen to debunk his files, Agent Scully.  You shall report to 
us at the end of each case with a report on the validity of Agent Mulder's work.  
You may now go and meet your new partner, here are the keys.", Scully deftly 
caught the keys before they hit the table.  She couldn't help but notice that they
for a room in the basement.
  The door that lay in front of her was a scruffy door.  Its paint was starting to 
peel off in one corner and was a stark contrast to the doors of the offices in the 
rest of the Bureau.  She knocked tentatively on the door.  "Sorry, Martians only 
meet here on Thursdays!" Scully couldn't help but smile at this self depreciating
remark.  She pushed the door open and was greeted by walls covered with UFO 
paraphernalia and assorted weird magazines with titles like Mysteries Uncovered!
or Alien monthly.  The room was in darkness except for a small desk lamp which 
allowed Scully to see the walls and the room's occupant.  
  Sitting at an incredibly untidy desk was a man in his late twenties. He was 
holding a plastic skull and chewing some gum.
  "Aaahh.  Doctor Scully I presume.  So who did you shoot?"
  "Sorry?" said Scully, not understanding what he was talking about.
  "Well why else would you be here unless you had done something really bad?"
  "I believe that I was picked because they thought someone with medical training 
would be able to assist you in your investigations."
  "But it's not what you believe that matters in these files Agent Scully. Take a 
look at this." Mulder said as he rose from his chair and reached for a dusty file 
protruding from an even dustier cabinet. 
  "In Pikeville, Kentucky, three children have gone missing. Each time a brother or
a sister were present when it happened. The local police have accused the children
of killing their siblings but there is no evidence." 
  "So?"
  "The only thing linking all three crimes are the scorch marks left around the 
sites that the children have disappeared from.  The police have put this down to 
simple log fires and have also accused the children of cannibalism." 
  "Why are we getting involved?" 
  "Because this file was sent to the Bureau, but for some unknown reason it came 
straight to me."  
  "Could be a clerical error." 
  "I thought so too, that's why I asked Dominic to check for me."
  A man, slightly younger than Mulder, walked in.  He put a clipboard and a pen on 
top of Mulder's already cluttered desk.
  "There was no error Agent Mulder, the file was specifically marked to come to you." 
  "Thanks.  Could you book me two tickets to Pikeville, Kentucky? Leaving as soon as 
possible."
  "Sure, no problem."
  Dominic picked up his clipboard and left the office.
  "Looks like we're on our way to our first case together Agent Scully. I wonder if 
you'll rise to the challenge?"
  Scully gave Mulder an incredulous look as she left the room.

Chapter 3

Pikeville, Kentucky.
16:37

  The sounds of raised voices greeted Mulder and Scully as their dark blue car pulled
up alongside the local police headquarters. The police station was in a state of 
disrepair. The windows were opaque from years of grime and the gardens in a state of 
neglect that neither of the agents had ever seen before.
  "Look's like my old bedroom" commented Mulder. Scully tried not to smile as they 
approached the arguing men. The tallest of the men was dressed in a police officer's 
uniform. He looked about forty and had a receding hairline, he was incandescent with 
rage. The younger, and more calmer man, wore jeans and a woollen jumper. He had thin 
metal spectacles and spoke in a level tone, never raising his voice or showing any 
emotion. He had all the hall marks of being a young council worker.
  "You can't do this!" shouted the policeman.
  "I can and I will."
  "These are just kids goddammit!!"
  "They are under suspicion of having committed murder, the council has voted and 
you must arrest them and place them in the cells."
  "Come on Bill you can't make me do this."
  "Marty, you have to do it or you'll be fired."
  The younger man shook his head as he walked off to his car parked nearby. When he 
had gone Mulder and Scully approached the officer. He was sitting on 
the side of 
the road with his head in his hands.
  "Excuse me", said Mulder "we're from the FBI you called us in. I'm agent Mulder and
this is agent Scully."
  "Oh. I'm sorry you had to witness that. I knew his mother. If she knew what he was 
doing now she'd be... Well I guess he's just trying to make a living. I'm Marty Turner. 
I'm half of the local law enforcement around here. For now anyway."
  "Is there somewhere we can go to talk privately?" said Scully.
  "Sure, if you don't mind wood worm."
  The interior of the police station was even worse than the outside. The hallway had 
a rank smell and dark patches were visible where the old wallpaper had peeled back. 
Dust hid the colour of the carpet except for a small path where a faded red and green 
flower pattern was exposed.
  "It's the cleaner's day off." joked Turner.
Scully could tell that he was touchy about the state of his workplace. She wondered 
briefly why the station was so messy but was too tactful to press the issue.
  "So Marty, why's this place so much of a dump?" asked Mulder.
  "I know it's not as flashy as your offices." said Marty, obviously affronted by 
Mulder's candidness.
  "I wouldn't say that." said Mulder.
  "Well the council got complacent after a hundred years of little crime other than the 
odd fist fight or two and they decided to cut down on the local law enforcement. So I've 
been sitting in here while the outside world has been slowly going to hell. Of course the 
council still think we're a little piece of paradise and nothing bad could ever happen 
here."
  "Until the killings." said Mulder.
  "No. Well, not until the third. They hoped they could just sweep it under the carpet. 
Not that it'd make much of a difference in this place. Now they want me to arrest nine 
year old kids! It just doesn't make sense. Why should they go from the council which 
denied all knowledge of the incidents to a council which will attracted attention from 
all across the world for locking up little kids for killing their relatives!
  "What are they trying to cover up? Just what are their motives? Have they been told 
to do this? Who told them?"
  He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
  "I guess you can see why I need your help on this one."

  "I don't get it Mulder, what makes you so sure that there's something paranormal going 
on here." Scully said while pacing up and down in Mulder's hotel room.
  "It's obvious to me that a serial killer is just using the kids as a smoke screen for 
the killings and the local police can't find evidence of this because of their limited 
resources. There is nothing weird going on except in your mind."
  "I expected as much from a bureau spy. You and your people are so narrow minded, you 
can't see past your little microscopes and litmus paper. Why is it that anyone in a 
position of power never has any sort of imagination? Does the altitude kill off all the 
creative cells in the brain?"
  "Ha ha, very funny Mulder. Why is it that maniacs like you refuse to believe that things 
can be explained without resorting to paranoid disillusions about little green men 
kidnapping people for the government?"
  "Listen Scully, I didn't want a partner. But I'm stuck with you, and you're stuck with me, 
so we'd better make the most of this. Did you notice anything unusual in the police station?"
  "Other than the appalling state of the building? No, not really."
  "Well look at this."
  Mulder reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of dust.
  "So? It's some dust from the police station. What's your point Mulder?"
  "Look very closely at it Scully."
  Scully bent over to look at the dust in Mulder's hand. A flash of light in the dust 
caught her eye.
  "Have you got a ring on?"
  "No. It's this dust that's reflecting the light."
  "But why? Why does this dust reflect light, and why is that significant to this 
investigation?"
  "I've only seen this sort of dust once before and I couldn't explain it then. But for 
now I think we should pay a visit to one of the crime scenes. Any preference Agent Scully?"
  "Where have you seen this before Mulder? What do you know?"
  "You're not ready for that yet. Come on let's go to the first scene."
  Mulder started for the door.
  "Mulder, why are you so secretive?"
  The only reply was a grunt and Mulder stepped out of the room.

  The cars headlights lit up the police tape strung from tree to tree across the crime 
scene. Mulder and Scully got out of the car and turned on their torches.
  "You pick the best times to go investigating don't you Mulder?"
  She got no answer. He hadn't said a word since the hotel when he said he'd drive. Mulder 
looked apprehensive.
  "Are you expecting something to happen here?"
  Silence.
  "Mulder stop this. You must trust me. Tell me what you're thinking."
  "Come on, let's get going."
  Scully shook her head sadly as Mulder headed towards the run down house.
  It was a basic two floor house made out of bricks and wood. It had a certain rustic air 
to it. It was the kind of house a lumberjack would live in. Even in the darkness Scully 
could see it was in a state of disrepair that was becoming familiar to her. Mulder hesitated 
as they approached the door.
  "What's the matter Mulder? Afraid of there may be ghosts in here?"
  Mulder gave her a sharp look, clearly irritated by the comment. He stomped into the house 
making a deafening noise and dislodging huge amounts of dust.
  "Hey! I was only joking." called Scully after him.
  Mulder stopped in the middle of the room. There was a small mound of fallen masonry on 
the floor and a gaping hole in the ceiling above. He nudged the debris with his foot, and 
then moved on.
  "What are you looking for?"
  "I'll know when I see it." 
  Mulder stood still on his own for a brief time then turned,
  "Scully, I'd like to apologise to you. I've been very hostile towards you. It's not you. 
Trust me. It's this case. It's starting to get to me."
  "But we haven't been on it for that long."
  "You haven't maybe, but I've been studying it for quite sometime and now I'm actually 
here there seems to be something wrong."
  "Wrong?"
  "Yeah. I've already determined what's happening here, but I can't find proof. It's 
incredibly annoying."
  "You mean you know what's happening here?"
  Mulder bent over and picked something up.
  "Great! I've found what I was looking for."
  Scully started to walk over and see what he was holding when a piercing white light 
shone through the window.
  "COME OUT OF THE HOUSE" came the distorted voice of a megaphone. 
  Mulder slipped the thing he had in his hand into his pocket and walked out of the building.
Scully followed and stepped into a circle of cars parked around the house, each with huge 
halogen lamps attached to the top of them. A man approached the two agents.
  "You are trespassing on a crime scene and private property, please leave."
  "We are federal agents." said Mulder as they flashed their badges.
  "We have the co-operation of the local police." said Scully.
  "I am the local police, and I haven't been told anything about this. Now will you please 
leave this area."
  "We spoke to an officer Turner he gave us jurisdiction to look over these crime scenes."
  "Well I don't know anything about that so you will have to leave and I'll check it with 
Marty first thing tomorrow."
  Mulder pulled out his gun and pointed it at the policeman.
  "We have permission to be here", shouted Mulder "So leave us alone!"
  Scully gulped as she heard the sound of a dozen shotguns being loaded.
  "I will ask you one more time to leave."
  "Come on Mulder." said Scully. 
  She took Mulder by the arm. He resisted briefly then sullenly started to walk back.
  As they walked away Scully noticed that the car's lights illuminated dark scorch marks on 
the ground. Mulder caught her eye and placed a finger to his lips.
  They were escorted back to their car and Scully drove them back to their hotel. As soon as 
they had parked Mulder got out, slamming the door and stormed off down the street. Scully 
had to run to catch him up.
  "What's wrong with you Mulder."
  "Nothing."
  "Dammit Mulder, you just pulled a gun on a policeman! Why did you do it?"
  Mulder said nothing.
  "Just what did you pick up? Why were you so hostile towards them?"
  "Have a look."
  Mulder took something out of his pocket and opened his hand. The dust caught the light 
from the street lights.
  "I don't get it. It's the same type of dust as the station's. What's the connection? 
Where have you seen this before?"
  "I can't tell you."
  "Mulder, I'm not a child. Why wouldn't they let us investigate the site? What's going on? 
Why are you so obsessed with this case?"
  Mulder stopped suddenly and wheeled around to face Scully.
  "Because what's happening to these kids happened to me!!" he shouted.

Part 2
Chapter 1

Swingston Estate Forest, 
Pikeville, Kentucky.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Scully stepped from the shower. 
She had been unable to coax any information out of Mulder after his 
initial outburst.
 She dressed quickly into a t-shirt and jeans and unpacked her suitcase.
Gently lifting her sleek laptop out of the worn bag she moved over to the
desk in the corner of her hotel room.
 The glow of the bulb illuminated the screen as she began to type rapidly
 "Case notes of Special Agent Dana Scully.
  So far we have found very little evidence of the suggested cannibalism.
  We have only encountered a lacklustre police force and local hysteria
  fuelled by the attention these mysterious disappearances are drawing.
  Agent Mulder seems especially drawn in by the occurrences, due in some 
  part to a personal tragedy he has suffered.
  A quantity of dust with unusual refractive qualities has been found at
  one of the scenes of abduction as well as at the police station, which
  is in a shocking state of disrepair. Further analysis of this substance 
  is required to discover its true origin. There are no facilities available
  in this state for the tests which are required and so I have sent a sample
  to Washington DC for analysis at the F.B.I's forensic department.
  Once the results of these tests come through it may shed light on this 
  baffling case."
 Scully saved her file and stretched her arms yawning silently.
 Just as she got up from her chair, there came a soft rhythmical rapping
at the door.
 "Who is it?" she called out
 "Scully it's me, Mulder"
 Scully, walked slowly over to the door and unbolted it. A soaked Mulder 
ambled in.
 "Nice place you've got here. Much better than my room."
 "But your room's exactly the same."
 "No it isn't. Your room hasn't got a dead body in it."
 "What?" she gasped.
 "Yeah I was pretty surprised too. Apparently a local transient. Fairly well
known to the town's people. Named Fred Stoifait. I would have come round 
earlier but there were complications with the police."
 "Complications? What kind of complications?"
 "The bullet wound kind. He was shot in the stomach about five hours ago.
He slowly bled to death."
 "Surely the police don't think you did it?"
 "No. I was at the crime scene when the murder took place"
 "Murder?"
 "Yes there was no way the shot could have been self inflicted. Mr Stoifait
suffered from a severe form of arthritis. He could barely move his fingers
let alone pull a trigger. And there is other evidence to suggest an outside 
party."
 "Which is?"
 "Before he died, in the hours of agony he must have endured, Fred tried to 
write a message for me. It must have been almost impossible for him, lying 
there knowing he was going to die. And yet, he managed to pull himself over 
grab a pencil and a pad to write a message of some sort."
 "What was it?"
 "I'm not sure. Because of his arthritis he had great difficulty in writing.
Take a look."
 Mulder produced a small writing pad from his coat pocket. It was still damp 
from the blood that had soaked into it. There were faint marks on the top 
piece of paper.
 "How did it get like this? You said he was shot in the stomach."
 "It must have fallen off the desk, or he could have dropped it."
 "Mulder. Do the police know you've got this?"
 "They don't even know about it."
 Scully gave him a disapproving look.
 "Listen Scully. I'm sure one of the cops is in on whatever is happening around
here. If they got hold of this then Mr Stoifait's sacrifice will have been for 
nothing."
 Scully looked closely at the pad. She could make out the faint scrawl of the
dying man. 
 "L w v e o v? What does that mean?"
 "I thought it looked more like an a than an e. But I see your point. It's very 
difficult to read. I'm going to send it to the bureau along with the samples.
Hopefully the graphologist will be able to recognise it. In the mean time we'll 
be doing some digging. We need to find out more about this hobo. Where was he
last seen did he have any enemies? Apart from the person who shot him, of course"
 "Of course. But first," she stifled a yawn "I need some sleep"
 "Do you mind if I take the couch. The smell of blood tends to keep me awake"
 "Sure, as long as you don't snore."
 Mulder grinned.
 "I was about to ask you the same thing."
 "Listen about before. Your sister."
 Mulder attitude suddenly became cold.
 "Just forget it."
 "Don't you want to talk about it?"
 "No. At least not right now"
 Scully sighed and headed off to her room.

"What about him?"
 "He is of no consequence. Mulder will not be permitted to get further."
 "But he has evidence."
 "That will be taken care of."
 "The operation will go ahead then?"
 "There is no reason to stop now. The plan must be completed."
 "What about her?"
 "She is being dealt with"
 "Ah"

Part 2
Chapter 2

Residential area
Pikeville, Kentucky.

"Hey you kids get out of my tree!"
  Joey ran laughing with his friends. Ever since the disappearances started he had found himself getting more and more time off school. His parents had told him to stay indoors throughout the day unless he had an adult with him. But as they were working most of the time he did what he felt like.
  He and his friends ran laughing as the tree owner yelled after them. It was a fine day and Joey's head buzzed with ideas. They were going to explore the woods or find the hornet's nest they'd been told heard about. the day seemed full of endless possibilities. they were young and nothing was going to stop them having fun, certainly not an old man with a tree worth climbing.
  The conversation got round to the missing children.
  "You know what I heard?" said the shortest of the group, "There's this wolf man out there and he's kidnapping all the kids because he needs to feed his family, so he picks the weakest he finds."
  "You'd better run then Drew, before he gets ya."
  "Shut up Steven."
  "You shut up. I heard my dad say there were some FBI guys round here now. They wouldn't send any FBI agents after a wolf man. My dad reckons there some sicko after kids. He's kidnapping them as trophies and he cuts out their tongues and makes ties out of them."
  "Ewww gross."
  "What's the matter Joe? Can't stomach it?"
  "Of course I can."
  "Yeaaahhh."
  "Shut up. I know what's really going on."
  "Yeah? Do enlighten us oh great one."
  Joey stopped walking and the others gathered around him. He broke off a stick from a nearby bush.
  "Well it all started fifteen years ago." he said in a conspirational tone. "There were these scientists working in a secret lab just north of the woods. Nobody knew what was going on there. Not even the cops.
  "One day there was this huge explosion. Everyone in town rushed to see what had happened and they saw this big shape rising up out of the building. My dad was there. It was huge he says. Bigger'n a house. It shot off really quickly, like in a big hurry. Noone saw it again. But a few hours later some men came round and talked to everyone who had seen it. They said they were government but there was something odd about them. My dad says they had this symbol on their jackets."
  Joey used his stick to etch a crude shape in the dirt. It was a rough circle with two straight lines coming from the circle. Imitating a clock face at three o'clock but the hands extended past the face.
  "Anyway, everyone was, like, what was that? what happened in that place? But they weren't told nothing. The guys just went away. So I reckon the thing that escaped from the building is back and is after revenge or something. going after all the people that were involved with whatever they were up to down there."
  "Oh yeah? I heard that story too except it was a spaceship and it was aliens that came round. And they had a VW logo on their clothes. And the ship's come back to take everyone off to Mars. So that Earth'll be empty for them to move in."
  "Hey I bet Joe here would like to go to Mars with Sally." said Drew.
  "Shut up Droopy."
  "Joey and Sally sitting in a spaceship.. k..i..s.s.i..n..g."
  "Shut up!"
  Joey had started to blush which only increased the taunts.
  "Oooh Joey's really upset it must be love guys."
  "Well I guess he won't be needing us any more. Let's go."
  "C'mon stop messing around." pleaded Joey.
  The boys laughter continued.
  Joey shivered. "Hey do you all want to come to my house? I got a new game."
  A wind sprang up from nowhere. The laughter died
  "Man it's getting cold. Let's go."
  Noone responded.
  "What's up with you guys?"
  A shadow drifted across the streets. The wind had vanished and an eerie calm descended over the small group. The world blurred, the shadow deepened. Joey felt himself floating down to the ground his eyes streaking with moisture. He thought briefly of his friends, his family and Sally as the abyss enveloped him.

Chapter 3

Pikeville police station
2:36 p.m.

"Were there any witnesses?"
  Mulder and Scully stalked along the corridor heading for the interview room.
  "Just the boy. They were in a fairly remote part of town." said Mulder "he's fairly shaken after his encounter that's why they wanted you along."
  "Me?"
  "Yeah I guess they think Dr Scully is the soft touch they need" grinned Mulder.
  "Soft touch or not, Mulder, there must be something happening to these kids."
  "So?"
  "So, it seems to me you've already worked out what's happened here and you're not telling me."
  Mulder was silent for a few seconds.
  "You're right Scully, you've been very professional though out this investigation and I've been discourteous in not telling you what I think is going on. I apologise. But now isn't the time."
  "Why not?"
  "Because we have an interview to conduct."
  Mulder stepped away from Scully and opened a door into the interview room.

  Inside the room were three wooden chairs and a rickety table. Behind it sat a dishevelled young boy. His hair unkempt and his clothes covered with dust. Marty Turner was standing in the corner. He noticed the agents enter and approached them with a serious look on his face.
  "The poor boy is so shaken, be very gentle with him. We don't want to upset anyone else round here" he said quietly.
  "Anyone else? Who have we upset?" said Mulder
  "Other than the rest of the police force? Well, it would appear that our transient had lots of friends, and they're blaming you for his death."
  "Me? Why?"
  "Well, you're FBI, you're meant to stop this sort of thing. Just tread gently, I've got enough problems without irritated parents bugging me."
  Marty left the room and the two agents exchanged glances before sitting down in front of the desk.
  "So Drew," started Scully, talking softly "why don't you tell us what happened?"
  Drew started to speak, sniffling and stuttering throughout.
  "We were just hanging around, you know there was no school. We ended up talking about all those kids that have gone missing. Just talking about stuff. But it started getting cold. This big shadow crossed over us and I guess I passed out.
  "I can't remember much, but when I came to I could feel heat all around me, there were these fires. they didn't seem to be burning anything it was really freaky. It think I passed out again. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital."
  "Did you hear any noises when the shadow came over?"
  "N-no sir. It was completely quiet."
  "Do you remember what your friends did when the shadow came over?"
  "Well Joey was trying to get us to come to his house. He had his back to it but I really don't remember much."
  "OK Drew, I think that's all we need to ask you. But if you remember anything else be sure to come find us." said Scully.
  Drew left the room.
  "Well?"
  "Well what Scully?"
  "Well now would be a time for you to tell me what's going on here."
  "Your really want to know?"
  "Of course."
  "You'd better sit down. What's happening here seems to be fairly typical."
  "Typical?"
  "Yes. I have many unsolved cases back at the Bureau documenting very similar cases from all over the world. Each one telling the story of children going missing in suspicious circumstances."
  "How have these been classed?"
  "For the most part they're regarded as runaways. Just kids striking out against their families or neighbours. They're generally not seen again."
  "So what's so special about these cases? Why do they help you any more?"
  "Usually I've been unable to gather evidence on the other cases, either I've been too late to gather hat was left or I've been blocked."
  "Blocked?"
  "Yes, for some reason I've been stopped from accessing some cases. I've been told it's cultural significance but the cases that I've been blocked from aren't in places which would have any reason to stop my investigations."
  "And now you have evidence?"
  "Yes. The scorch marks, the dust the eye witness. It's all very encouraging evidence."
  "Evidence of what exactly Mulder?
  "For centuries man has pondered the existence of life on other planets. It has captured the imagination of writers and artists. The twentieth century has developed a near obsession with the idea. The media is full of aliens. Everywhere you go. For the most part it's entertainment but projects like S.E.T.I suggest someone is taking it seriously."
  "And this means what exactly?"
  "What if the aliens have already arrived? What if they've made contact with someone and the public has yet to find out?"
  "The discovery would be monumental for the human race, why would anyone suppress it."
  "Think of the panic it would cause Scully. Governments would lose control mass hysteria would be prevalent. The major religions would also face quandaries. Many of them suggest no other life than that on Earth. Holy wars may break out. The reaction may not necessarily be good."
  "I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad Mulder."
  "Perhaps, but someone out there isn't taking any risks. Also there's no guarantee the aliens want to be revealed or are friendly. Think about it, if an invading force wanted to subdue the opposition what would they do first?"
  "Eliminate the weaker members?"
  "Exactly."
  "My God Mulder. You're saying these kids are being taken away by aliens to soften up the human race for conquering?
  "Exactly. These cases have given me proof I need to expose what is happening."
  "What proof? What proof do you have?"
  "The dust we collected. I got the results back from he lab a few hours ago. It's a complex protein chain, slightly oxidised. It contains an unusual atomic structure indicating an unknown element. At least unknown on Earth."
  "And?"
  "The scorch marks are consistent with the size and shape of reported UFOs, they are found in the classic 'flying saucer' shape and would require great temperatures to reproduce them."
  "This is hardly conclusive Mulder, certainly not for the elaborate conspiracy you proposed."
  "I know, but there is one piece of evidence I've yet to get."
  "Which is?"
  "Who killed Fred Stoifait?"

Part 3
Chapter 1

"I don't get it. Why would finding out who murdered Fred help with anything?" said Scully.
  "Traditionally homeless people turn up all over the place. Having no fixed abode leaves plenty of room for movement. They drift around towns, some settle to one particular spot until they get told to move on. They manage to turn up in the most unusual of places." said Mulder.
  "Fred was well known for being the most mobile of the local homeless population. He would explore everywhere, finding new and more comfortable places for his friends to stay, only to move on searching constantly. I did a little digging, it seems Fred was around the places the kids disappeared from on all three occasions"
  "So did the police question him? Wouldn't he be the most likely suspect?"
  "You'd think, but apparently not. At no point has he been contacted, possibly because of the difficulty involved in finding him."
  "So why'd he get shot?"
  "Apparently someone had decided to take the law into their own hands, or at least silence someone who may pose a threat."
  "Threat? A threat to what Mulder?"
  "Given that he travelled so much it's likely that Fred saw a lot, heard a lot. He would know an awful lot of secrets of people in this town. Have you noticed how people try to avoid looking at the homeless in the streets? They become invisible, living ghosts in our society. They can go pretty much anywhere, they'll rarely be noticed, noone would care about where they would be going to, Fred had been known to exploit this. Cheating husbands would be confronted by a grinning Fred asking for a generous donation to the 'silence' fund."
  "So you think an adulterer killed him?"
  "No Scully. That's insignificant. Noone would kill to protect that sort of thing, and anyway a guilty husband wouldn't be able to track down Fred to my hotel room. No the person who killed him must have been able to find out what Fred knew and who he'd got o tell me. Someone's following our investigation and they're willing to kill to protect their secrets."
  "What about the clue that Fred left behind? And if they were keen to put a stop to Fred telling us anything, why not just kill him instantly, why the lingering death?"
  "I suspect they didn't expect Fred to be so determined in getting a message to me and figured even if he did they'd be able to intercept it at the point where the police got involved, unfortunately for them, but luckily for us, I got there first."
  "And the method of the murder."
  "Well, who's to say this wouldn't happen again. What ever's behind this case it must have been going on for a long time, or at least will be going on after we've left. It's better to leave a warning of a long lingering death than a simple quick one. It would put the remaining homeless off exploring the town further for fear of discovering the same thing."
  "OK, but I still don't see how this purtains to the alien theory."
  "You saw the police station. It was covered with what we now know to be an anomalous protein molecule."
  "Yes."
  "Well the only place that stuff has turned up elsewhere is at the crime scenes, it's not something that you find in the forests round here or in the local cuisine."
  "So you're saying the local police are involved."
  "Almost certainly, it's the only possible solution. It's unlikely to be the whole force, maybe just an individual officer."
  "I see, you think that a corrupt officer is somehow involved in the abduction of the local children. Mr Stoifait uncovered his involvement and possibly tried to gain some financial security out of it. Using his resources the policeman tracked Fred to your hotel room where he shot him in the stomach as a warning to the locals not to go poking their noses in?"
  "Yup."
  "Exactly how do you come up with these things Mulder?"
  Mulder smiled, "Years of watching Columbo, Scully."
  "Are you saying that the clue left behind will somehow implicate the officer involved?"
  "That's my theory, I'm guessing it was a name written on that pad, unfortunately Fred's arthritis and the blood soaking into the paper made the name indecipherable, I'm hoping the lab will get back to us soon."
  "What are we going to do in the mean time then?"
  "We're going to go exploring."

Mulder and Scully walked side by side along the main street of the town. A young couple jogged past them knocking Scully slightly, calling apologies behind them as they ran on. The two agents were deep in conversation.
  "I still don't get it Mulder where are we going now?"
  "Like I've said before you'll see, but first I want to ask you some questions."
  "Ok." said Scully, slightly dubious as to where the conversation was leading.
  "Now, you're a scientist are you not Dr Scully?"
  "Yes I am."
  "Now part of being a scientist is basing theories on some sort of evidence or conjecture on the strong possibility of something being correct, this is how most theories are put forward is it not?"
  "I agree, for the most part that is how scientific method progresses."
  "Ok. Well given those facts why is it that so many scientists dismiss the possibility of extra terrestrial life out of hand?"
  "Well there's no evidence to suggest otherwise."
  "So you're saying that is most probable that in this universe filled with so many millions of star systems that only one has a population of life forms in it and only on one planet? What are the odds of that happening. It would be like finding life only under my fingernail on Earth. It's just not statistically viable that this would be the case."
  "OK, perhaps not then, but just because it's quite likely there's life out there it doesn't mean that it's visited us."
  "I'll admit that. The universe is probably teeming with life but that doesn't automatically mean that it's been here. Why would it, a smallish planet mainly covered in water, third out from the centre of a boring single star solar system. But once again you have to turn to statistical probabilities. Given the vast size of the universe we can assume that there is life out there. Now there is nothing to say that the life out there started to evolve at the same time as us. In fact given the quantity of life that must be out there, it is an almost certainty that there is life that was highly evolved millions of years before we were even twinkles in our protoplasm's surface. We have to remember the rest of the universe for the most part was up and about long before the Earth formed.
  "So we are lead to the point that there are higher evolved life forms out there wandering about. Now we can only guess at what forms these life forms may take on. It would be arrogant for us to even suggest that they would breathe oxygen. Oxygen is a dreadfully toxic gas which would kill us if it weren't for a simple bacterium in our lungs. So we have all these scientists sitting around saying 'well the planet will have to have this and that for it to sustain life'. This kind of thinking totally undermines all the wonder and splendour that you see in nature, creatures live in what we would consider to be a most hostile environments and yet they thrive. Just because we can't live there doesn't mean every other life form can't either.
  "Whatever life forms there are out there, there is also nothing to say they couldn't have visited us."
  "There's the huge gulfs between our solar system and even the nearest star to us. It would take us an extraordinary amount of time to cross it."
  "You're thinking like those scientists again, we can't do it so noone else can. We're always thinking along our own scale. It's far for us it must be far for everyone else. For an ant a journey across a garden must seem huge yet for us it's a few steps. For us a trip to Alpha Centauri seems ridiculous, for an alien race far bigger than is it could be like a trip to the store round the corner."
  "You're saying there are giant creatures walking amongst the stars?"
  "Heh heh. No. An intriguing thought though Dr Scully, perhaps we should write a paper on it."
  "Mulder" Scully said wearily.
  "Sorry couldn't resist. I doubt there are giant space walkers, but then again who knows? We've explored so little of our own small part if this universe we could be the ants of our little garden trying to avoid the footsteps of the giants above in the vain hope to learn what's beyond our own mound of earth. But still discounting the idea of aliens walking between stars for the moment, there's no reason they wouldn't possess a far superior form of transport compared to what we have now. Given in the last hundred years alone we've progressed so very far ourselves, who would have though at the turn of the century that we'd be travelling into space so regularly? And yet we were foraying into the final frontier so soon after. Technology is progressing at an accelerated rate. The more sophisticate the technology the faster the next generation can be developed, it's an exponential growth cycle which shows no sign of slowing. One need only look at the growth of the computer industry to realise this fact.
  "By the middle of the next century we may have ventured beyond our solar system, we may not. Noone on this planet knows, or if they do they're not telling me. But the point is, this period of technological must have been replicated in other species that have developed in the universe, or something similar. There would come a point where the society of this race would grow and continue to grow to a point where expansion into space would be logical. Evolving further and assuming a natural curiosity they would explore, preferably, but not limited to, in a peaceful manner. These creatures in the course of their evolution could develop ideas and concepts not even though of by any human, methods of faster than light travel, physics equations incorporating factors we never imagined, chemistry lessons where you won't feel compelled to doodle, things of science fiction.
  "So we have life that has evolved for longer than us and has better technology than us, they could quite easily disguise themselves from our paltry means and certainly visit us. Why they would want to beyond curiosity is anyone's guess, but it is my belief that they are here and have been for some time. Humanity, like in so many bad films, has proved a fascinating opportunity for study to them and they aren't going to waste it."
  "OK, Mulder I'll agree with you on some points. The universe is big enough that it may support other forms of life who have evolved perhaps further than us. They may have better technology than us but just because it's possible doesn't mean that it has happened. Book makers rely on the possible not happening for their living. Scientists shouldn't assume that there isn't life or that it will be like us, but also we shouldn't assume that it does exist and is here. Which is why we need..."
  "Proof. I know. That's what my devotion to the E-files has been about. It's all very well me going on about how likely it is that life is out there but another thing entirely to show it to everyone, allow the public to open their eyes to the possibilities inherent in the universe, and.."
  There was a short period of silence and for the first time Scully saw Mulder looking so forlorn that he seemed lost from his normal exuberant personality.
  "Mulder listen, I know there's something very personal tied to this case, to these files. Something that is affecting your judgement. If you'd like I could take over here, you don't have to carryon further."
  "No Scully I have to finish this. I appreciate your offer but I have to solve this case, I need to do this personally."
  "Ok, but if you start acting erratically we're going to stop."
  "How will you notice." Mulder smiled his usual boyish grin, relaxing some of the concern Scully had started to feel for her new partner.
  "So where now?"
  "Right here." Mulder looked up.
  Scully joined his gaze and stared at the outside of the police station.

A shaft of sunlight pierced the window through a small smeared region where the dirt was not so dense. The air inside was stifling motes of dust flashed as they spiralled through the lancing light.
  Sudden knocking at the door disturbed the peaceful calm in the station.
  "Mr Turner? Mr Turner we'd like to ask you some questions."
  The door swung inwards and Mulder and Scully stepped through.
  "Look Mulder, the carpets are clean. There's none of that dust left."
  Mulder said nothing and moved further into the building.
  Room by room the two agents stepped searching, looking for any clue as to what had happened in the station. In every room the dust had vanished.
  "Guess they finally got a maid in" said Mulder.
  Scully smiled gently.
  The sound of a chair falling over echoed in through the empty building.
  The agents spun round towards the door and drew their weapons. Mulder reached the hallway first and headed towards the location of the sound.
  A dark figure stood in the back room his hand on the back of the overturned chair.
  "F.B.I. agent don't move."
  The figure made a break for the rear exit.
  "I'm armed, stay where you are."
  The figure continued paying Mulder no heed.
  "Damnit."
  Mulder raced out the back following the figure with Scully behind him.
  The exit led to a back alley with the figure running 100 meters or so ahead, Mulder started off in long steady strides and soon he was far from Scully who could not run as fast. The figure turned a corner. Mulder rounded this without breaking his stride.
  "Halt or I'll shoot." shouted Mulder knowing he couldn't fire while running but hoped that the man he was chasing didn't know that.
  Still he ran on.
  For a further five minutes the man kept a head of Mulder staying just too far ahead of him, twisting a turning in his route. Mulder thought he'd lost him once or twice, only to hear the footsteps above the sound of his heart beating in his ears and once again sight the target.
  Eventually the man entered a factory looking building. Mulder slowed and followed him in.
  The interior was dark with just a few windows still providing light. The floor was greasy and all around were pieces of disused machinery. Mulder heard footsteps from a metal walkway overhead. He took the steps nearby and followed.
  "F.B.I.! Stop where you are and put your hands in the air." Oh please stop where you are thought the exhausted Mulder.
  Mulder turned a corner and saw the figure at the end. He was standing there seemingly doing nothing.
  "You are under arrest!" I'm not sure what for, making me run so much sounds like a good charge thought Mulder.
  The figure turned to face the bedraggled Mulder.
  A high pitched whining noise started and a wind sprang up. From  behind the man a bright white light grew in intensity. Mulder saw a smile flash across the man's face.
  The light grew further and engulfed the man, Mulder turned his head to stop himself from being blinded.
  The light subsided as did the wind and Mulder realised the man had gone.
  "Excuse me mister. where are we?"
  Mulder turned and saw three young children looking up at him from the end of the corridor.

Mulder sat with his head down in the station. Scully walked up to him with a piece of paper in her hand.
  "The lab has come back with a finding on the message wrote to you by Mr Stoifait."
  "And?"
  "It said Turner."
  Mulder was silent.
  "He hasn't been seen since last night, it was probably him we chased out of that station, he was probably trying to cover up the evidence of his involvement. Police are out looking for him.
  "They won't find him."
  "In the meantime, the returned children are giving evidence would you like to hear them?"
  Mulder sighed and wandered over to the interview room where a small girl was talking in an excited tone.
  "We seemed to be flying and then this man came over except he wasn't a man he had a big head and these big eyes, they stared at me, but they told me not to be afraid. There was a big light. Then the man put a mask on and walked away from me, then I remember being in the factory place."
  Mulder shook his head and walked away.
  "Mulder I know you're disappointed but it seems to me that this case in nothing more than a case of child abduction by Marty Turner."
  "Well the dust should provide evidence that something was odd about this case."
  "Ah."
  "That's not a good noise agent Scully."
  "After you pursued Marty I checked my pocket, the dust was gone."
  "So we have no evidence? No hint to anything beyond a simple abuse of power?"
  "I'm afraid not Mulder."
  The interview room door opened and Suzanne walked out clutching at a teddy bear followed by a social worker.
  The agents watched as she was led out of the station. Suzanne stopped suddenly looking up at the wall. Mulder craned to see what she was looking at.
  "That's the man! There! He was the mask man, he bossed the grey men about."
  Mulder looked up towards the point on the wall that she had looked at. On there was a picture of the two local law enforcers smiling to the camera, Marty Turner grinning ear to ear.

"So they have no evidence?"
  "Our agents were successful in the retrieval of any damning artefacts."
  "And our operative?"
  "He escaped easily sir. The agents do not seem to be working at their best together."
  "So the plan is going ahead on schedule?"
  "Yes, only a few minor alterations should be required."
  "Good."