By Kathy Foote
kmfoote@charter.net
 

Date: November 10, 2004
Spoilers: None
Summary: Mulder and Scully manage to get out of yet another
seminar
Rating: PG
Category: minor MT, Adventure
Disclaimer:  Fox and Carter own the characters.  I don't make
any money off this (who would pay me anyway), but I sure did
LOVE playing with them for a while.
Archive:  Sure thing, I'd be honored, but it would be nice if you
dropped me a note letting me know.
Thanks: To Emmy and the guys at Mulder's Refuge who
encouraged me to write another story, to my Mom who
tirelessly proofreads and listens to me endlessly talking about
the story, and to Vickie Moseley, my fabulous beta who is re-
teaching me the use of past and present tense; I guess I should
have paid more attention in English Composition...thanks :)
Note: This is not sequel to an earlier story of the same name.  It
is merely another story in, what might become, a series of stories
with a common theme.  You can read the first story, which I would
love, but it is not required.  It can be found at:
http://x-files.bytewright.com/arcHo/HowToAvoidSeminars.html.

Feedback should be sent to kmfoote@charter.net.
 

How to Avoid Seminars Without Really Trying II

Interstate 70, just east of Lawrence, Kansas
Early Monday afternoon

Whoever had the bright idea that Mulder and Scully should fly
to Kansas on the morning of the seminar never considered
delays.  The thought was that if they didn't have a lot of time
before the seminar, they would not have time to get into any
trouble.  That, of course, did not work out as planned.  They
were scheduled to arrive in Kansas City at 10:30am, which
would leave them plenty of time to drive to Topeka, get
checked in, and make it to the opening session of the seminar by
1:00pm.  The day started with storms in the DC area, which
caused the initial delay.  That had delayed the flight 2 hours.
Finally, the storms had passed the airport, moving off to the
northeast.

The passengers boarded the plane, only to have another flight
delay due to an instrument malfunction.  The mechanics were
expected shortly, so the passengers remained on board.  After
waiting twenty minutes, the pilot announced that the mechanics
had found the problem and were checking if they had the part in
stock.  Twenty minutes later, the pilot announced they were still
looking for the part and begged for everyone's patience.
Twenty minutes after that, the pilot announced that the part had
been found and was on the way to the airplane and as soon as it
was installed, the plane would be on its way.  Another twenty
minutes later, the pilot asked the flight attendants to prepare
for departure.  That made the total delay almost 3 1/2 hours.

So it was after 2:00pm when Mulder and Scully landed at the
Kansas City airport.  By then Scully was not in a good mood.  It
was as if she blamed Mulder for the delays and making them
late for the seminar.  Before they had left DC, she had assured
AD Skinner they that _would_ make it to this seminar.

They had no trouble getting their rental car, which amazingly
was not a Taurus.  They actually had a spot of luck.  Due to the
lateness, the rental agency had run out of full-size cars, so they
upgraded them to a Mercury Grand Marquis.  Scully snatched
the keys declaring that she was going to drive.

That is how they came to be on Interstate 70 heading west
towards Topeka.  It was now close to 3:00pm and they probably
would miss the entire first day of the seminar.  Missing it
wouldn't be too bad, since the first day was mostly introductions
and they would be there for the other two days.  Scully was
looking forward to the obligatory wine and cheese reception,
since after the day they had had, she could use a couple glasses
of wine.

They were making good time, even though there was quite a bit
of road construction.  The traffic was practically non-existent,
which helped.  All of a sudden Scully noticed something in the
road immediately in their path.  She swerved to miss it, but
there was just not enough time to avoid hitting the object.
Mulder, who had been dozing lightly, woke up when the car
swerved.

"Jeez, Scully, can't a guy catch a cat nap.  Are you having
trouble keeping the car on the road?"

"There was something in the road.  I tried to miss it, but I think
I caught it with the tire."

They both noticed the tell-tale feel of a flat tire at the same
time and exclaimed in unison, "Damn!"  She slowed the car down to
a crawl and turned on the emergency flashers.

"What did you hit?"

"I don't know...I think it was a chunk of metal.  What does it
really matter?  It was obviously big enough and hard enough to
blow out the tire."

"Great!  Well, we have to pull over somewhere and change that
tire."

"Where, Mulder?  There is no shoulder on this road.  We can't
just stop in the right lane and change the tire.  This is a toll
road and the next exit isn't for another 15 miles."

"Well, I don't think we can drive that far on a flat tire.  We
have to think of something soon or we'll be driving on the rim."

"I think I saw a sign that said there is a rest area just ahead.
Maybe we can make it that far."

"We just have to, Scully."

The car limped slowly down the right lane of the freeway.  They
could feel the rubber tearing from the rim when they spotted the
rest area exit sign.  Scully said a small prayer of thanks and
pulled the car into the rest area.  She parked the car in front of
the restrooms, which were away from the highway.

Mulder stepped out of the car and stretched out his tired
muscles.  It seemed like he had been sitting all day long.  He
removed his jacket, threw it into the back seat, and asked Scully
to toss him the car keys so he could get to the spare out of the
trunk.  "Guess I better get started."

Scully exited the car also, to see if there was something she
could do to help.  Mulder said he had it covered, but she could
keep him company if she wanted.  She proceeded to engage him
in idle chitchat, detailing her eventful weekend spent with her
family.  Mulder removed their luggage from the trunk so he
could get to the tire and jack.  Thankfully, he had no trouble
with the jack and soon had the car up and was loosening the lug
nuts on the flat tire.
 
Dan Prescott had been watching the couple, since they pulled
into the rest area.  He had hoped someone would eventually
stop here, but he had begun to lose hope.  It was only a matter
of time before the authorities caught up to him.  A little over 24
hours ago he was on a work detail from Lansing Correctional
Facility.  He had been the ideal prisoner, never causing trouble
and as such, was selected for numerous work projects.  He had
been planning a way to escape from one of the work details for
a while now.

He could tell the car had a flat tire by the way it bumped and
swayed as it drove across the lot.  There were two people in the
car; looked like a woman and a man.  He didn't think they
would be a problem.  He would just wait until they had changed
the tire and then snatch their car.  He almost reconsidered when
the man got out and removed his coat.  Dan immediately
spotted the gun in the holster at the man's waist.  The man was
probably some kind of cop and Dan could make use of his gun.
He watched as the man removed luggage from the trunk of the
car and finally the spare tire.  The luggage gave him an idea.
The cop was about the same build as he was; perhaps there were
some spare clothes in one of those suitcases.  Dan needed to get
out of that prison jumpsuit before someone spotted him and this
was a perfect opportunity.

After laboring about 15 minutes, Mulder had the new tire on
and was lowering the car with the jack.  He put the old flat tire
back into the trunk.  Looking at his hands, he saw that they were
covered in grime from the tires.

"Just about finished up here, Scully.  I just need to get
everything back in the trunk and then see if I can scrub this
gunk off my hands."

"Ok, sounds great.  I'm going to visit the little girl's room
while you finish up and then we can be back on our way to Topeka.
We might still make it in time for the reception.  I don't know
about you, but I could sure use a glass of wine."

Dan watched as she reached in the car to get her purse, made
her way up the sidewalk, and disappeared into the women's
restroom.  He decided this was the best time to strike.  Dan had
found a hefty stick that he could use as a weapon.  It was no
match for a gun, but he hoped to surprise the man.

Mulder was just putting the jack back into the trunk of the car
when he felt a crushing blow to the side of his head.  Everything
turned black as he dropped like a sack of cement.  Dan quickly
removed the gun and its holster.  He felt better just having the
gun in his hand.  He searched the pockets of his victim, finding
his handcuffs, keys, car keys, wallet, and badge.  Opening the
badge, he discovered the man was not a cop, but an FBI agent.
What would an FBI agent be doing here?  Things were getting
better and better.  He looked toward the restroom and there was
no sign of the woman.  He needed to hurry.

Dan shoved everything into his pockets, with the exception of
the gun.  He rolled Mulder onto his stomach, so that he could
cuff his hands behind his back.  He stood up and seized Mulder
under the arms and lifted the top half of him into the trunk.  He
grasped the agent's legs and heaved them into the trunk, when
he felt something around the ankle.  He lifted the pant leg and
found a second gun.  He angrily snagged it from the holster
strapped to the man's ankle and slipped it into his pocket.  He
couldn't believe he had almost missed the gun; he would have
to be more careful.  He had to hurry.  He had to get to the
woman before she left the restroom.  He threw the suitcases into
the trunk on top of the agent, shut the trunk, and moved off in
the direction of the women's restroom to capture the other one.

Scully was just finishing up in the restroom.  She looked into
the mirror as she smoothed out her skirt, deciding that she
looked presentable.  She slung her purse over her shoulder and
turned to leave the restroom.  She found herself staring into the
barrel of a gun being held by a man in an orange jumpsuit.  It
looked a lot like Mulder's gun, which meant something had
happened to him.

"That's far enough.  Drop the purse to the ground and...how
does that go?  Oh yeah, assume the position."  He snickered as
Scully turned to face the wall.

He moved up behind her and shoved the gun into her back.
"Don't move.  I don't want to hurt you, but I will."  He removed
her gun from its holster hooked to her waist and shoved it into
his pocket, along with Mulder's gun.  He found nothing else in
his search, so he took her purse and dumped it on the ground.
He grabbed her cuffs, her cell phone, and her badge.  Flipping it
open he found that she too was an FBI agent...Dana Scully.

He threw her badge back at her, "Pick up your stuff and let's get
moving.  I've got a _plaaan_.  First I need to change out this
jumpsuit and I sure hope the other one brought a change of
clothes in those suitcases."

"Where's Mulder?  What have you done to him?"

"Oh he's OK, I guess.  He's just taking a little nap.  Move!"  He
waved the gun towards the door indicating that Scully should
head that way.

As they moved from the restroom back to the car, Scully
noticed the rest area was completely empty.  She could hear a
few cars pass by on the road, but you really couldn't see them
because of the trees that obstructed the view.  Just their luck,
they had to pick a deserted, out of the way, rest area that was
harboring an escaped prisoner.  This had to be Mulder's fault,
although not directly.  She had begun to refer to it as "Mulder's
Law"...if anything could go wrong, it would...and it
had...again.

She also noticed that there was no sign of Mulder.  The tire had
been changed and everything had been put up.  They moved to
the back of the car.  "Here", Dan got her attention and pitched
her the car keys.  "Open it up and get his suitcase."

She opened the trunk and gasped when she saw Mulder.  There
he was, handcuffed and crammed in the trunk of their car.  The
suitcases had been tossed haphazardly in on top of him,
obscuring her view of his head.  She removed his suitcase and
dropped it on the ground beside the car.  She turned back to get
a better look at Mulder and saw that he was bleeding from a
wound on the side of his head.  It probably looked worse than it
was, at least she hoped so, but there was a lot of blood.  He
appeared to be breathing all right, but he was unconscious.  She
started to reach into the trunk to check him out, but Dan hooked
her arm and shoved her back toward the restroom.  "He'll live."
Dan slammed the trunk lid closed and removed the keys.
"Come on!  Grab that suitcase and get moving."

They walked back toward the restrooms, this time entering the
men's restroom.  Dan cuffed Scully to the pipe behind the men's
urinal and got to work.  Opening Mulder's suitcase he let out a
satisfied sigh.  "This is better than I thought.  He has
everything I need.  This is going to work out perfect."

"What is going to work out?"

"Lady, you're getting a new partner."  With that, he proceeded
to get cleaned up.  He scrubbed off the dirt, shaved, combed his
hair, and finally, donned one Mulder's fine Armani suits.  He
stood before the mirror, admiring the view.  He hadn't looked
this good in years.  "I got to hand it to the fibbie, he's got
great taste in clothes.  I have no idea how he can afford them on
a government salary, but I sure like it."

He hooked the holster to the waistband of the slacks and turned
to model for Scully.  "How about it?  Think I could pass for an
FBI agent?"

She was amazed at the difference some cleaning up and a suit
could make.  From a distance, she would have mistaken him for
Mulder.  "You do realize that this is kidnapping, impersonating
an officer, not to mention assault.  I don't know what you hope
to accomplish."

"What I hope to accomplish is to get out of here...first.  Second,
we are going to collect what is mine, and third...I don't
know...I haven't decided that yet.  Let's get the hell out of
here."

Dan put everything back into Mulder's suitcase.  He released
Scully from the cuffs and they made their way back to the car.
Again, he pitched the keys to Scully and ordered her to open the
trunk.  Mulder was still there and still unconscious.  He did look
like his head had stopped bleeding.  "Please let me check him
out...make sure he's OK", she pleaded.

"He's fine.  I need something to tie up his feet.  You got any
hose in that suitcase of yours?"

"Why do you need to tie his feet?  He isn't going anywhere."

Dan just pointed the gun at Mulder's head, "I guess I could
ensure he stays put another way.  Would you prefer that?"

Scully shook her head as she reached for her suitcase, opened it,
and pulled out a pair of hose.

"Get that shirt too.  We need something to use as a gag."  She
grabbed the shirt, shut the suitcase, and threw it further into
the trunk.  She tied Mulder's feet with the hose.  When she put
the gag on him, she used the opportunity to check his pulse.  She
placed her fingers on his neck and was relieved to find a strong,
steady pulse.  She noticed that his head had stopped bleeding,
but there was blood all over his neck and shirt.  Her fingers
were stained with his blood from where she had placed them on
his neck.  Finally, she placed the blouse into his mouth and tied
the ends around his head.

Dan checked her knots.  Satisfied with her work, he slammed
the trunk closed.  "Let's go.  You drive."

Scully took the keys from the trunk lock and moved to the
driver's side door.  She kept an eye on Dan, who was also
keeping an eye on her.  He opened the passenger door and got
in the car.  Scully followed him, getting into the driver's side.

"Where to?"

"We're going to get back on the highway and head west.  If we
get stopped, we're just two FBI agents...what the hell are you
two doing here in the first place?"

"We were on our way to a training seminar in Topeka."

"All right.  We're just two FBI agents on our way to a training
seminar.  Don't try anything and everything will be OK.  Don't
forget I have the guns."

Scully started the car and drove through the rest area back onto
the highway.  They were headed west toward Topeka and, she
wondered, where after that?
 

Interstate 70, westbound towards Topeka, Kansas
Late Monday afternoon

Suddenly, the shrill sound of a cell phone ringing began.  Scully
recognized it as Mulder's phone.  Dan followed the sound until
he found the phone in the pocket of Mulder's jacket, which had
been thrown into the back seat of the car.  He retrieved the
phone and looked at the caller ID.  "Skinman?  Who the hell is
Skinman?"

"Oh, just one of Mulder's crazy friends", she lied; not wanting
him to know it was their boss.

"I guess they'll just have to chat with him later, seeing how he's
all tied up."  Dan laughed, as he switched off the phone and
stuffed it in his pocket.

Scully needed to find out who this guy was, where he had come
from, and, more importantly, what he had planned.

"So what's your name," she asked without taking her eyes from
the road.

He smiled at her, "It's Fox Mulder, but you can call me _Fox_."

She looked at him, and if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man.
"I meant your real name.  I refuse to call you Fox."

He thought about how to answer.  He might as well tell her,
because she would probably find out anyway.  "Dan...Dan
Prescott.  Happy?"

"Ecstatic!  So tell me Dan, how did you come to be wearing that
fashionable orange jumpsuit?"  She looked over at him again
and smiled, "...and, where can I get one?"  Mulder must have
been channeling through her for her to make such an
antagonizing statement.

He frowned at her last comment.  "Oh well, I might as well tell
you since there isn't a thing you can do about it.  I have been a
_guest_ of the Kansas Correctional Facility up in Lansing for
about three years.  I took some money that didn't belong to me
and they seemed to object to that.  It was bad enough that I
robbed the bank, but when I wouldn't divulge the location of the
loot, they doubled my sentence out of spite.  There was no
chance of parole unless I gave up the money, which I had no
intention of doing.  Anyway, I played the model prisoner for the
last three years, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to make
my escape.  It wasn't that hard to get away from the work detail.
I made my way to that little rest area and just waited for
someone to happen by.  Oh yeah, thanks for that."

"Not a problem; glad we could be of assistance.  So where did
you stash the money?"

"You'll see.  Just keep driving."

They had been driving for about 30 minutes in total silence,
when they spied the flashing lights ahead.  "OK lady, now just
play it cool.  We're just a couple of FBI agents on our way to
Topeka.  No tricks."

A million ideas rushed through Scully's mind, but none of them
were any good.  He had the gun and she didn't think he would
hesitate to use it on her.  He seemed pretty desperate.  She just
had to get through this roadblock and then look for another
opportunity to get his gun.  Correction...guns.

She slowed down and moved in line behind several other cars.
When they pulled up to the officer, she rolled down her
window.  "Afternoon ma'am", said the young officer as he
peered into the window.

She had her badge ready and flashed it to the officer, "Special
Agent Dana Scully and this is my partner Fox Mulder."  Dan
followed Scully's lead and showed his badge to the officer.
"What's this about?"

"We have an escaped prisoner from up in Lansing, ma'am.  Dan
Prescott.  Have you seen anyone suspicious?  Six foot, dark
hair...last time he was seen, he was wearing an orange
jumpsuit."

"No sir.  We have been on this road since Kansas City and
haven't seen a thing."

"What's the FBI doing out this way, if you don't mind me
asking?"

"We're headed to a training seminar in Topeka.  Listen, we'll
keep our eyes open and let you know if we seen anything."

"Thanks ma'am.  You two have a good day."

With that, Scully moved on through the blockade of cars and
slowly picked up speed as they continued on down the turnpike.

Dan clapped his hands, "Very good, Agent Scully.  I'm
impressed.  That worked out better than I had hoped.  I might
just have to keep Agent Mulder's ID even after I get my money.
It could come in handy."

After another thirty minutes, they came to the tollbooth in
Topeka.  "Now what?" she queried.

He removed a couple of bucks from Mulder's wallet and handed
it to Scully.  "Just pay the toll and take the turnpike south
towards Wichita."

"We're going to Wichita?"

"Actually, Agent Scully, we're headed for a little town called
Medicine Lodge southwest of Wichita.  Just stay on the
turnpike.  I'll tell you where to turn."
 

Interstate 35, just northeast of Wichita, Kansas
Late Monday evening

Mulder finally came around, slowly regaining consciousness.
His first sensation was a pounding in his head.  Next, was that
he couldn't move.  He could feel the bite of metal around his
wrists, which could only mean handcuffs.  His feet were bound
and he had some type of gag in his mouth.  He slowly opened
his eyes to darkness.  Well, not total darkness.  There was a
reddish tint to everything.  He started to turn his head to get a
look at his surroundings and immediately regretted it.  He felt
queasy and struggled not to lose the contents of his stomach.
He closed his eyes and willed the feeling to subside.  After a
few minutes, his stomach stopped feeling the need to rebel and
he opened his eyes again.

He realized that he was in the trunk of a car, but was totally at
a loss as to how he got there.  Last thing he remembered was
changing the flat tire on their car.  Was he in their car?  Who
tied him up?  Where was Scully?  He could tell the car was
moving, because he felt the steady sway, but where was it
headed?  He decided that eventually the car would stop and he
needed to get untied if he hoped to mount some kind of defense.
First, he had to get his cuffed hands from behind his back.
Thankfully, the trunk was of a good size and allowed him more
room for movement.  Maybe he was in their rental car,
remembering the unexpected upgrade to a larger vehicle.  Now
he had another reason to be grateful other than the increased
legroom.  However, one usually wouldn't consider the amount
of maneuvering room in a trunk when selecting a rental car.  He
managed to roll onto his back and keeping his weight off his
cuffed hands, began to slide them down under his hips.  The
cuffs pulled painfully at his wrists and he knew they would be
sore.  After what seemed like hours, he was finally able to get
his hands under his hips to the crook of his knees.  He had to
stop and rest.  He had broken out into a sweat from all the
exertion.  Moving one's hands from behind your back to the
front was a lot harder than people realized.  Maybe it wasn't
hard for an escape artist like Dr. Blockhead, but for normal
6-foot people, it was difficult to say the least.

Actually, as it turned out, moving his hands from behind his
back to behind his knees had been the easy part.  With his feet
tied together, slipping them through his cuffed arms proved to
be much harder.  Lying on his side, he brought his knees as
close to his chin as possible and began working his feet through
his cuffed hands.

Before they actually got to Wichita Dan ordered Scully, to take
the exit to highway 54 towards Pratt.  "We're getting closer
now; maybe a couple more hours.  It will be over soon."

Over? thought Scully, that sounded ominous.  "What's going to
happen to us when we get to Medicine Lodge?"

"I haven't decided yet" and then added with a laugh, "but hey,
you will be the first to know."

Scully's mind was working in overtime, sorting through her
options.  Mulder was out of the picture; at least she couldn't
count on any help from him.  Dan had all the guns.  Eventually,
the car would stop and perhaps that would be her best chance.

Mulder struggled to get his feet through his cuffed hands.  He
stretched the cuffs as far as they would go.  He felt the metal
cutting into the flesh of his wrists.  Finally, he was able to get
his cuffed hands over his feet.  He was exhausted and his wrists
ached from the abuse they had received.  He closed his eyes
against the pain and lay there panting through his nose.
Everything from wrist to shoulder ached.  He was drenched in
sweat from the heat in the trunk, plus the exertion expended in
struggling to free his hands.  He moved his hands to his mouth
to remove the gag and inhaled a lung full of stale air.  His arms
were killing him, but he needed to get his feet free from their
bindings.  He again brought his knees to his chest and reached
his hands down until he felt his bound feet.    His fingers moved
over the material around his ankles until he felt the knot and
began to work it loose.
 

US-160, just outside of Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Monday night

Scully saw the sign that announced they were entering the city
limits of Medicine Lodge.  The town was dark, even though it
was only a little after 9:00.  Little towns usually shut down
early in the Midwest.  All the inhabitants of this town were
probably already home, preparing to go to bed.  The streets
were deserted; not a car to be seen.

Scully was deep in thought and was startled when Dan finally
spoke.  "Turn left up here."  He hadn't spoken for at least an
hour.  She turned left onto what she thought was a seldom used
cow path.  The road had seen better times and was extremely
rough.  She wondered if Mulder had awakened and how he was
faring in the trunk from the bumpy ride.

Mulder had freed himself a while back and was just lying there,
resting.  He cradled his injured wrists against his chest trying
not to move his arms too much.  He came alert as the car
slowed.  The left turn signal blinked brightly in the darkened
trunk, as he realized the car was turning.  He was unprepared
for the change as the car left the smooth paved surface and
drove across what he thought must be an open field.  He
bounced violently around in the trunk, repeatedly landing on the
other objects in the trunk.  The ride was treacherous as he was
hit with everything that was not secured in the trunk.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car slowed to a stop.
Mulder was thankful for this reprieve.  His head was again
pounding from the numerous hits it had taken against the trunk
lid, the floorboard, and what he thought was his suitcase.
Basically anything that had not been tied down had banged into
him at some point.  He moaned from the pain in his head, but
became silent as the engine shut off.  He strained to listen as he
could finally hear voices.

"We might need some light...got any flashlights in here?" came
an unknown man's voice.  Mulder had never heard that voice
before.

"I have a small pocket flashlight in my purse."  Mulder
recognized Scully's voice.  He let out a huge sigh of relief as he
silently thanked God that she was all right.

"Get it and get out!" demanded the unknown voice.  "You're
going to help me get my money".

"Money?  What the hell was that about?" Mulder thought.  All
he knew was that Scully was in trouble and he would have to
get out of the trunk, if he was going to help.

Dan pointed the gun at Scully and took her arm with his other
hand, dragging her from the car.  He grabbed the flashlight and
turned it on, illuminating the worn path through the trees.
"Let's go!"  Scully stumbled forward on the uneven path, trying to
stay on her feet as she watched where the small flashlight lit the
way.  After about 50 yards, they came upon a darkened cabin.
There were no cars in the area, so she assumed it was empty.  It
looked well kept, so she doubted it was abandoned.

Dan had no trouble breaking open the front door.  Obviously,
the owner had never heard of sturdy dead bolts.  Dan motioned
for her to enter the house and then shoved her into the room.
He switched on a table lamp and the room was bathed in bright
light.  "Good.  Now I won't need your flashlight."  He threw the
unneeded flashlight onto the floor.

They were standing in a large room with a massive fireplace
that took up most of the far wall.  There was a couch, coffee
table, a couple chairs, and end tables.  The room had a cozy,
lived in feel.

"Come here" Dan called to her.  Scully moved closer, as he
pulled her handcuffs out of his jacket pocket.  "Turn around."

She eyed him for a moment, weighing her options.  If she were
cuffed again, she would stand little chance of escaping.  As if he
could read her mind, he raised the gun, pointing it at her chest.
"Don't test me.  I don't really want to hurt you, but I will _do_
what ever it takes to get what is mine."

She continued to stare at him, not making any movement to
comply with his command.

"Fine.  I'll just go drag your boyfriend out the trunk and see if
he can get you to turn around."

He noticed a change in her eyes, as if he had struck a nerve.
Maybe these two were more than partners.  That would be a
handy tactic if he had trouble with her in the future.
Acquiescing to his demands, she slowly turned and placed her
hands behind her back.  He fastened the cuffs around her wrists
and pushed her towards the corner. "Sit down and do _not_
move."  He moved the couch and coffee table out of the way
exposing the floor beneath.  He took the fireplace poker and
began to pry up the floorboards.

Mulder waited until the voices and footsteps faded away.  The
man obviously thought Mulder was still unconscious or had
forgotten how easy it was to get out of car trunks these days.
Waiting until he was sure they were out of sight, he pulled the
handle located inside the trunk that released the trunk lid.  He
carefully opened the lid a fraction so that he could scan the
area.  When he was sure no one was around, he let the lid open all
the way and slowly moved to get out of the trunk.

He moved slowly, as every muscle and joint in his body ached
from being in such a position for what must have been hours.
He noticed it was fully dark now and it had been afternoon
when they had stopped to change the tire.  He had absolutely no
idea where they were, but he could make out a cabin partially
hidden in a stand of trees.  There was a light burning in the
windows.  He quietly crept up the cabin and peeked in one of
the front windows.

He could see Scully sitting in a corner with her hands behind
her back.  There was a man in the center of the room, wearing
what looked like one of Mulder's suits, intently digging at the
floor.  He looked like he was trying to pry up the floorboards.
Mulder spied his gun lying on the ground beside the man.  He
wouldn't get a better chance.  He silently slipped into the cabin
through the busted front door and made his way toward the
man.

Scully noticed Mulder as he entered the house, but showed no
reaction on her face.  She needed to distract the prisoner, so
Mulder would have a chance at a surprise attack.

"Dan?  I don't understand how you expect to get away with any
of this.  You can't just kidnap two federal agents and expect to
just disappear.  They'll come after you."  Dan had turned his
head to look at her as she spoke.

Good work, Scully.  The distraction she caused allowed Mulder
to get close to the guy.  He brought his cuffed hands down on
the back of the prisoner's head and Dan fell forward to the floor.
Mulder tried to muster all the strength he could, but it was not
enough.  Dan began to rise from the floor shaking his head to
clear it.  Realizing his mistake, Mulder lunged for the gun, but
didn't make it.  Dan responded by slamming the fireplace poker
across Mulder's gut, which brought him to his knees.  Dan tried
to reach for the gun, but Mulder managed to kick it away...in
Scully's general direction.

Dan brought his fist around catching Mulder directly on the left
side of his face, which drove him to the ground.  Just as Dan
moved to attack him again, Mulder kicked out with his right
foot and caught Dan just above the knee.  Dan dropped like a
rock as he screamed at the pain in his knee.  Before Mulder
could move, Dan pulled one of the guns from within his pocket
and pointed it directly at Mulder's face.  That froze Mulder in
his tracks.  It was Scully's gun.

While Dan and Mulder were battling on the floor, Scully
worked to get her cuffed hands from behind her back, so that
she could help Mulder.  When she got her hands in front of her,
she reached for Mulder's discarded gun and then aimed it at
Dan.  "Freeze!"

Stunned, Dan turned and attempted to bring his weapon to bear
on Scully.  She shot him in the shoulder, which drove him to the
ground and caused the gun to fall out of his hand.

"I said freeze," she repeated as she moved forward to cover the
downed man.  Mulder rummaged through Dan's pockets and
removed everything, including his keys, which he used to
unlock his own cuffs.

"On your stomach."  Dan was stunned by this turn of events.
How had everything gone to hell in a matter of seconds?  He
weighed his chances against the man and his armed partner.
"Now!" Mulder ordered.  Dan removed his hand from his
wounded shoulder and managed to roll onto his stomach.
Mulder pulled Dan's hands behind his back, eliciting a gasp of
pain, and cuffed him.

Mulder and Scully both let out a sigh of relief in unison.  Scully
kept the gun trained on Dan until her concentration was broken
by the jingle of keys.

"Here, Scully, let's get those cuffs off."  Scully held her hands
out to him, so Mulder could unlock the cuffs.

As he neared her, she noticed the bruising on his face and his
rapidly swelling left eye.  She placed her hand on his chin, so
she could turn his face and get a better look.   She saw the dried
in blood in his hair and where it had dripped down his neck to
his shirt.  "Mulder, are you OK?  What happened to your head?"

"That guy hit me with something...big...and hard...when I was
putting the jack back in the trunk.  That's all I remember."

"Mulder, help me get him off the floor and into a chair so I can
examine that shoulder.  Then I want to take a closer look at
you."  He seized Dan by his good arm and pulled him into a
standing position, then pushed him into one of the chairs.  He
picked up all the items he had removed from Dan's pockets and
placed them into his own, and then he himself dropped onto the
couch, the adrenaline rush rapidly wearing off.

Scully checked out Dan's shoulder and determined that he
would live.  "He'll be all right.  The bullet went straight
through.  Come on Mulder, let's have a look at you."

"Whatever makes you happy, Scully, but first I have to know a
few things, like what in the _hell_ happened?  What's this about
money?  Who is this guy and why is he wearing my clothes?
Are we still even in Kansas?"

Scully had a closer look at Mulder's injuries as she explained
everything that had happened from the time he had changed the
tire until now.  "Looks like you are going to need a few stitches
here."  Mulder only moaned at the prospect.  "You're also going
to have quite a shiner.  How are the ribs?"

"A little sore, but I think they are fine.  So Scully, do you
think the money is under the floor?"

"He said it was.  Why don't you see if you can finish prying up
the floorboards?"

Mulder retrieved the fireplace poker and resumed the job Dan
had started.  After he had three boards removed, he used the
discarded flashlight to peer beneath the floor.  He spotted
something white.  He reached into the hole and removed the
white canvas sack with the name First National Bank of Wichita
Kansas emblazoned on the side.  He opened the top and looked
inside.  Letting out a whistle, he reached in and pulled out a
bundle of hundred bills.  "Look at this Scully", said Mulder
holding up the bundle of bills.  "There must a couple of hundred
thousand in here.  No wonder Dan-o here was willing to take so
many risks."

"Well, what do we do with him and the money?  Maybe we
should call Skinner."

"I guess we should, but he's going to ream us about missing the
seminar or at least for being late."  Mulder removed his cell
phone from his pocket and turned it on.  It immediately beeped
that he had three messages.  He dialed his own number to listen
to the messages.  The first one was from Skinner.

"Mulder?  Skinner.  Where the hell are you two?  The seminar
registration was 2 hours ago.  You better have a damn good
reason if you miss another seminar."  He pressed 7 to delete the
message.  The next message started the same.  "Mulder?
Skinner".  Mulder skipped the rest of the message and deleted
it.  He did the same with the third.

"Skinner sounded pretty mad about us not being at the seminar
on time.  Maybe we could just call the local cops for
assistance."

"In Medicine Lodge?  Mulder this one horse town probably
doesn't even have any local cops.  I think our best bet is to
notify Skinner, turn over Dan and the money, and get you
checked out."

Mulder dialed Skinner's home number, since it would be close
to 11:00pm in DC.  It rang twice before he answered.  "Mulder!
Where the _hell_ are you?"  Mulder winced when he heard the
tone of Skinner's voice.  He, correction, they were in deep
trouble.

"Uh sir...uhmm, I can explain.  It really wasn't our fault this
time."

"It's never your fault, Mulder.  Where are you and Agent Scully
right now?"

"We're in a little town in not far from Wichita called Medicine
Lodge."

"Medicine Lodge?  Agent, the seminar started 10 hours ago and
I was informed that you and Agent Scully were not there.  I
have tried yours and Agent Scully's cell phones several times
today and no one answered.  Why aren't you at the seminar?
Dammit, this is getting ridiculous."  Skinner stopped to take a
deep breath and let it out.  "All right, let's hear your tale, and
Agent?  It better be good!"

"Well...sir...it started with the bad weather in DC.  Our flight
was delayed for several..."

"Skip ahead Mulder.  I know you landed in Kansas around
2:00."

"Oh...uh...OK...uhm", Mulder stalled trying to regain his
thoughts.  "Well, we had a flat tire and when we stopped at a
rest area to change it, we were accosted by an escaped prisoner.
He knocked me over the head and stuffed me in the trunk.  He
then assumed my identity and made Agent Scully drive across
Kansas to Medicine Lodge.  The prisoner, named Dan Prescott,
had been jailed for bank robbery.  He had stashed the money
from his robbery under the floorboards in this cabin on the
outskirts of town.  I managed to free myself from the trunk.
Agent Scully and I managed to take down the suspect and
recover the money.  The prisoner was wounded in the exchange,
but he will be all right.  That's about it...sir"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few
seconds before Skinner finally spoke.  "I swear to God Mulder,
I don't know how you and Agent Scully always manage to fall
into these things.  Are you two all right?"

"Usual aches and pains, sir.  Scully says I might need some
stitches, but other than that, we're fine."

"How far from Wichita are you?"

"A couple of hours, I think, sir."

"All right.  There is a Jurisdictional Office in Wichita.  I want
you to head there, with the prisoner and the money, and I will
make arrangements to have some local agents meet you there.
They can also see that you get medical attention.  After that, I
want you and Scully to hightail it to Topeka and try to attend
some of the seminar.  Oh, and Mulder?  Try not to run into any
more trouble on the way there."

Mulder relayed the gist of the conversion to Scully.  They
bundled Dan and the money into the car and headed to Wichita.
Scully drove while Mulder kept an eye on their prisoner.
 

FBI Jurisdictional Office, Wichita
Early Tuesday morning

It had been a long night for the agents.  They finally arrived at
the FBI office in Wichita around midnight.  True to his word,
Skinner had several Kansas agents meet them there.  The
Kansas agents wanted to take them immediately to the Wichita
Police Department to book Dan Prescott, but Scully insisted that
he and Mulder needed medical care first.  Scully being Scully
and damned determined, the group made a stop at the Wesley
Medical Center Emergency Room.

Dan, in the custody of the Kansas agents, was seen by the ER
doctors.  The bullet went straight and, amazingly, did little or
no damage.  He didn't even lose enough blood to warrant a
transfusion.  His wound was cleaned and dressed and he was
discharged to the Kansas FBI agents.

As Scully had predicted, Mulder needed 5 stitches to close the
wound on the side of his head.  He now had a nice little shaved
area on his head.  It would take a while for his hair to grow over
the spot.  The doctor also checked out his face and ribs.  The
bruising would not cause any problems other than discomfort
and he was told to take Tylenol for any pain.  He had bruises
and abrasions on his wrists from the cuffs and they had been
cleaned and wrapped in gauze.

They finally made it to the Wichita Police Department around
3:00 am.  Dan was booked and placed into a cell awaiting
transfer back to Lansing.  The money was processed and was
now the responsibility of the Wichita Police Department.  The
amount of money in the bag totaled $220,000.  The president of
the bank in Wichita had been informed and was ecstatic to get
the money back, even though it would be a while before it could
be released.

Several hours and half-a-dozen cups of coffee later, Mulder and
Scully had finally finished their statements.  Mulder folded his
arms across the table where he sat and lay his head down.  He
wasn't sure when he had ever been this tired.  His head was
throbbing despite the Tylenol.  Everything was sore and hurt.
He just wanted to drop into a bed and sleep.  "I hope we get out
of here soon, Scully.  I don't know how much longer I can last."

She sat beside him and absently ran her fingers through his hair,
"It shouldn't be much longer, Mulder.  We've given our
statements.  There's nothing more we can do here."

The door to the room opened and two of the Kansas agents
entered.  "You two look dead on your feet", observed one of the
agents.

Mulder lifted his head with some difficulty and looked at the
agent who had spoken.  "Yeah, well it has been long day.
Nothing that a few days of rest won't cure."

"Would you like us to get you a hotel room here in town so you
can rest?"

Mulder started to respond in the affirmative, but Scully jumped
in, "No!  We have a seminar to attend in Topeka and baring any
more confrontations with escaped bank robbers, we are going to
make it.  I think we'll be heading to Topeka when we're through
here."

"Well, I believe we have everything wrapped up here.  We can
always contact you in DC if we need anything else, so if you
want to head out, feel free."

"Thanks.  Come on Mulder.  If we leave now, we can be back in
Topeka by 9:00.  We will have all day to rest and still make it to
the last day of the seminar."

"Fine, as long as you're driving.  Oh, and Scully?  No more flat
tires.  That last one almost killed me."
 

Capital Plaza Hotel, Topeka
Tuesday morning

Scully finally pulled into the Capital Plaza Hotel parking lot.
It had been a long drive from Wichita, but uneventful.  Mulder
had slept the whole way.  He dozed off the minute he was
buckled in and had not moved for the last 2 hours.  She had
checked on him several times during the long boring ride, but
he was simply sound asleep.

"Mulder?  Mulder?"  She reached over and stroked his cheek.
"Come on sleeping beauty, wake up.  We're here."

"Jus' a few more minutes, Scully.  'm so tired." Mulder
mumbled as he swatted at her hand.

Scully regretted doing it, but she pinched his ear lobe, which
instantly brought him wide-awake.

"Hey!  Why'd you do that?"

"We're here Mulder.  Come on, let's get checked in, so we can
_both_ get some sleep."

"Oh...yeah."  Guiltily, he looked at her, "Sorry Scully.  You're
right."

They took their suitcases from the trunk, entered the hotel, and
walked to the registration desk where they caught sight of
themselves in the mirror behind the desk.  They looked like
death warmed over.  Scully's hair was a mess, as was the suit
she was wearing.  Mulder was worse.  There was blood on the
collar of his shirt and the rest of him was covered in grease and
dirt.  His left eye was practically swollen shut and you could
just make out the bandage on the side of his head.  They had
both seen better days.

The desk clerk stepped forward and eyed them cautiously.
"May I be of assistance?"

Mulder took the lead without skipping a beat, "Yes, you may.
We have reservations.  Agents Mulder and Scully."

The desk clerk snorted, somewhat in disbelief, but he checked
the computer and found their reservations.  They were FBI
agents there for the seminar.  He stared at them in amazement.
"You're late, but we still have your rooms.  Adjoining rooms as
requested."

While they signed the registration forms, the desk clerk kept
staring at them.  They obviously had run into some trouble.
"Are you all right?"

"We're just fine, thank you." Scully replied.  "We just had a
little...uh...car trouble."

With keys in hand, they headed across the lobby to the bank of
elevators, when they had the misfortune of running into the
Seminar Registrar.  "Agents Mulder and Scully?  Is that you?"

They stopped and looked at the person who had confronted
them.  She gasped at their appearance.  "Where have you been?
What happened to you two?"

Scully was not in the mood for this, so she stepped in.  "Look, if
you don't mind, we have been up all night.  As you can see, we
need to clean up and we're in desperate need of some rest"

Not to be squelched, the registrar continued, "AD Skinner has
been trying to get hold of you two since yesterday.  He asked
that _I_ have _you_ check in with him immediately upon
arrival.  That is, _if_ you actually made it to the seminar,
which, of course, he had serious doubts about, given your track
record.

Mulder just stood there like he was watching a tennis match, his
head moving between Scully and the Registrar.  He knew Scully
would win, but he couldn't believe the woman simply wouldn't
back down.

Scully narrowed her eyes and gave the woman a look that
would make a cold-blooded killer back down.  "We have been
in contact with the AD and he has been apprised of our
situation.  For your information, we have just spent the last 18
hours apprehending an escaped convict and nearly getting
killed.  We _will_ be attending the final day of the seminar, so
technically we won't miss it."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise at Scully's revelation.
Sheepishly, she looked away and then back at Scully.  "I'm
sorry, Agent Scully.  I didn't know.  Unfortunately, the final day
is really just wrap up and award presentations for the groups
that participated in the activities.  It probably won't do you
much good to attend.  You've already missed all the important
stuff.  Maybe you should get some rest.  I'm sure everyone will
understand why you missed the seminar...you know...given the
circumstances."  She moved away as fast as she could.

Scully pushed the elevator button with more force than she
needed, expressing her displeasure.

"Scully?  You okay?"

She turned on Mulder.  "Dammit, Mulder.  We missed another
seminar.  This has got to be a record of some sort."  At that
moment, the elevator arrived and she stepped inside.  "Looks
like you've another chapter for your handbook on avoiding
seminars, Mulder."

He followed her into the elevator, immediately defending
himself, "Hey, it wasn't my fault this time...you were driving..."

The End