By Kathy Foote
kmfoote@charter.net
 

Date: August 22, 2005
Spoilers: None
Summary: Even Skinner can't get Mulder and Scully to the
seminar
Rating: PG
Category: M/S/Sk Friendship, Adventure, mild violence
Disclaimer:  Fox and Carter own the characters.  I don't make
any money off this (who would pay me anyway), but I sure do
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.
Acknowledgements: This is for Emmy who insists that I keep
writing (you can quit poking me now).  Thanks to my Mom for
all her incredible help and to Vickie Moseley for her amazing
beta work.  They are both instrumental to the quality of the
story.
Note: This is not sequel to my earlier stories of the same name.
It is merely another story in, what has become a series of stories
with a common theme.  If you interested in reading the previous
stories, they can be found at: http://x-files.bytewright.com.

Feedback should be sent to kmfoote@charter.net.
 

How to Avoid Seminars Without Really Trying IV

Assistant Director Skinner's Office
9:15 am

"Agents Mulder and Scully are here."

Assistant Director Skinner looked at the intercom on his desk as
the announcement from Kim, his secretary, was heard.
Reaching over, he pressed the Talk button.  "Thanks.  Please
send them in."

Seconds later, the office door opened and the agents entered.
Skinner watched his troublesome agents as they made their way
across the room and took their usual seats in front of his desk.
Agent Mulder...immaculately dressed as usual in his tailored
charcoal Armani suit, brilliant investigator, superior
intelligence, believed in everything.  Agent Scully...likewise
dressed in her navy blue 'power' suit, as Skinner thought of it,
equally brilliant investigator, medical doctor, believed in
Mulder.  They both had a knack of finding trouble wherever
they went, which of course, is what brought them here today.

"You wanted to see us, sir?"

Scully's question shook Skinner from his thoughts.  "Yes,
agents, I did.  You may have heard that the annual FBI
Symposium on Investigative Techniques is being held in
Portland, Oregon this year."  Mulder began to squirm at the
mention of the word 'symposium'.  Skinner noticed his sudden
change in posture, but continued.  "I have been requested to
give the keynote speech at this year's meeting."

Scully spoke up first.  "Congratulations, sir.  The Investigative
Symposium is probably the largest gathering of FBI agents in
the country.  That's quite an honor "

"Um, yeah...sir...congratulations," Mulder managed to
stammer out, still unsure of what this had to do with him and
Scully.  "What does this have to do with us?"  He was dreading
the answer even before he posed the question.

"The Symposium begins two weeks from Monday and...well,"
Skinner paused, struggling with the best way to say this.
Finally, he clasped his hands together, placed them on his desk,
and looked straight at his agents deciding on the direct
approach.  "As you know, you two have managed to avoid
every seminar that the FBI has sent you to for the last two years.
Since it is a requirement for FBI agents to attend at least one of
these events every year, you will be accompanying me to the
Symposium in Portland."  There, he had said it.  He took a
breath and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the fireworks.

Mulder looked stunned and just stared at him.  "But, sir, we're
working on a case."

"I'm quite confident you and Agent Scully will wrap up that
case within the next two weeks.  If not, I don't think a few days
away from it will jeopardize its resolution."

Mulder decided to try a different tack.  "But, sir..."

"Look," he interrupted Mulder with a hand in the air, "this is not
an option.  You and Agent Scully will be attending this seminar.
I'll have Kim make all the arrangements.  And Mulder?"
Skinner fixed the agent with a steely stare, which made him
somewhat nervous.  "Don't even think of trying to get out this.  I
will accept no excuse."  He continued to hold his stare for a few
more moments to make his point.  He then broke eye contact,
reached for the folder at the top of the stack, flipped it open,
and began reading.  Without even looking up, he dismissed the
pair.  "That will be all, Agents."

They were silent all the way back to the basement.  Mulder
went straight to his desk and sat heavily in his chair with an
exasperated sigh.  "Why me?" he asked as he looked to Scully
for some kind of answer.

Her answer was a raised eyebrow.  "Me?"

"Us...I meant, why us?  I can't believe we are being chaperoned
by the Assistant Director."

"Oh, come on, Mulder.  You know it's a requirement to attend
regular seminars.  We haven't been to one in a long time.
Besides, maybe it won't be that bad.  I'm sure the
accommodations arranged by Kim will be a step above our
usual."

"There has got to be a way to get out of it."  Suddenly, an idea
formed in his head and his eyes lit up as he looked at Scully.
"I've got it!  Maybe your mother could come down with
something.  I don't mean life threatening or anything like that,
but something that would require us to stay in town."

"I can see where that would help me, but not
you...Mmmm...maybe that's not a bad idea.  I could stay here,
while you and Skinner went to..."

"Forget it, Scully!  Forget I said anything.  If I have to go, so
do you."  He looked at her using his best sad puppy look.
"Please, Scully, don't make me go by myself to Portland."

She gave him a brilliant smile.  "You wouldn't be alone.  You'd
be with Skinner."

"You know what I mean."

"Face it, Mulder, there is no way out of this.  You should just
make the best of it."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right.  Come on, let's get back to this
case."
 

DoubleTree Hotel, Portland, OR
2 weeks later

Despite Mulder's best efforts, he had been unable to come up
with any viable excuse to get out of the seminar.  Scully had
begun looking forward to it and some of her enthusiasm was
beginning to rub off onto Mulder.  It wasn't as if someone they
didn't like was accompanying them.  In the last few years, they
had formed a friendship with Skinner and when they weren't
working, they actually enjoyed each other's company.  Of
course at work, he was the quintessential boss, bellowing orders
and keeping a tight rein on them.
 
Mulder and Scully met Skinner at the airport ticket counter.
They were booked on one of the few non-stop flights from DC
to Portland.  That was a mixed blessing.  At least they wouldn't
have to make a connection, but 4 hours in the air, without any
break, was hard; especially post 9-11.  No longer were
passengers allowed to 'get up and move about the cabin' as they
were once encouraged.  Now they were required to stay in their
seats.  Mulder had been dreading the thought, until they got
their boarding passes.  Skinner's secretary must have good
connections; because she booked them all in exit row seats;
Mulder and Scully on the two-seat side and Skinner in the seat
across the aisle.

"Exit row seats!" exclaimed Mulder, as he showed his boarding
pass to Scully.  "At least the flight will be comfortable."

Scully knew how uncomfortable airline seats could be for
someone of Mulder's height.  Of course, she had plenty of room
and usually ended up sharing part of her space with him.

The flight from Washington to Portland had been uneventful.
Scully read from her book and napped.  Mulder and Skinner
discussed the upcoming football season and exchanged
predictions of their beloved Redskins' chances.  All in all, it
was a very pleasant flight.  Upon arrival, they took a taxi to the
hotel.

The Symposium was taking place at the Double Tree Hotel in
Portland.  The hotel was very nice; the lobby furnished with
comfortable looking leather sofas and several straight-backed
chairs.  The lobby itself was three stories high, affording a view
of the second and third stories where the conference rooms
were.  The rooms were in the hotel tower, which were
accessible by three glass elevators that disappeared into the
lobby ceiling.  A restaurant and bar could be seen just off the
lobby.  Along the far wall was a sign announcing the Annual
FBI Symposium and a long registration table.

The trio made their way to the long wooden counter to check in
to their hotel rooms.  "We have reservations.  The name's
Skinner."

The pretty young blond smiled at the group and retrieved the
room details.  "Yes sir, Mr. Skinner.  We have three rooms; two
connecting rooms on the 12th floor and...it looks like you rated
a suite, Mr. Skinner.  Your room is on the 15th floor.  Please
sign in and I'll need a credit card."  Skinner took care of all
the arrangements.  The desk clerk gave out the keys and the
complimentary chocolate chip cookies.

Mulder immediately took a big bite of the warm cookie.
"Mmmm, that's good.  I'm starving.  That little bag of pretzels
from the plane just doesn't keep you satisfied very long."

"I agree, Agent Mulder.  Why don't we all get settled into our
rooms and then get some dinner?  Let's meet in my
room...1565...in...an hour.  How's that sound?"

"Can you hold out that long, Mulder?" Scully queried.

Mulder shoved the last bite of his cookie into his mouth.  He
looked a little unsure, but then finally nodded his head.  "I
guess so.  One hour and then we eat."

Scully took pity on him and handed him her chocolate cookie.
"Here...I'm on a diet."

He took the offered cookie with a huge smile on his face.  "I
love you, Scully.  You know that."

She merely rolled her eyes, "That's your stomach talking."

Skinner interrupted their semi-private conversation.  "Come on,
let's get freshened up, so we can get dinner."  With that, they
moved to the bank of elevators, Mulder happily munching on
his second cookie.
 

Skinner's Suite - Double Tree Hotel
30 minutes later

Skinner's suite was expansive.  It actually consisted of a living
room, bedroom, dining area, and a kitchen.  There was a large
balcony that ran outside the entire length of the room.  One
could enter the balcony from the living room or the bedroom.
He walked in and immediately opened the curtains, being
rewarded with a magnificent view of Mt. Hood.  It was a
beautiful sight, a single peak tinted orange by the setting sun.
He stepped onto the balcony and for a moment, enjoyed the
view and the peace and quiet.

He unpacked his suitcase and hung his suits in the large walk-in
closet.  He was thinking about changing for dinner, when there
was a knock on his front door.  He looked at his watch and saw
that it had only been 30 minutes since he left his agents to
unpack.  He was irritated that he hadn't had a chance to change
or freshen up.  He had said an hour, not 30 minutes.

"Mulder, can you tell time?" he snarled, as he threw open the
door.

He found himself face to face with a security guard holding a
gun in his gloved hand.  The gun was leveled at Skinner's chest.
In his other hand, he carried a duffel bag.  "Back up, Mr.
Skinner," he stated quietly, motioning with the gun.  The guard
followed him into the room, matching each backward step.

Skinner studied the guard's face.  He thought the man looked
familiar, but he couldn't place him.  He wracked his brain,
trying to remember who the man was.  "What's this about?"
Skinner inquired.

The guard only glared at him.  Obviously, he was not going to
impart any information.  Skinner stared at the man, silently
weighing his options.  The guy was smart; not giving away any
clues and staying for enough away that Skinner could not make
a move.
 
"Move!  To the dining table!" he ordered, again motioning with
the gun.  "Let's start with your gun...on the table.  Slow and
easy."  The guard shifted his aim, so that his gun was pointed
directly at Skinner's head, who carefully removed his weapon
and laid it on the table.  "Very nice.  Now, everything else;
empty your pockets."

When his pockets were emptied, the guard told him to take a
chair, step back from the table a few steps, and sit down.
Skinner complied with his demands, seeing no other alternative
at this time.  Once he was seated, the guard placed his duffel
bag on the table and picked up the handcuffs.  He moved behind
Skinner, keeping his gun pointed at him the entire time.

"Who are you?" Skinner tried again.

"Hands behind your back," was the reply.  Obviously, this guy
wasn't going to divulge any information until he was ready.
Skinner brought his hands together behind the chair, where they
were immediately cuffed together.  Before Skinner could ask
another question, a strip of cloth was pulled between his teeth
and tied behind his head.

Skinner kept an eye on the guy as he came back around into his
view.  The man slid his gun into the waist of his slacks, opened
his duffel bag, and placed Skinner's gun inside.  He began
searching through the contents from Skinner's pockets,
apparently looking for something in particular.  He finally held
up his prize, with a satisfied "a-ha" and then slid it into his
pocket.  Skinner recognized the item as his handcuff keys.

Pulling out a chair and placing it so that it faced Skinner's
chair, the man took a seat.

"What's this about?" he asked, mimicking Skinner's earlier
question.  "You'll find out soon enough," he said, answering his
own question.  "Who am I?  Frankly, I'm disappointed that you
don't recognize me _S_A_C_ Skinner.   I mean we did work
together once.  Well, I guess we didn't work together; I worked
for you."

Skinner's eye widened as he realized the identity of the man.
Richard Logan.  He hadn't heard anything about him since he
was booted out of the bureau.  He was an agent that had once
worked under Skinner.  Unfortunately, Logan was not a good
agent.  Skinner never could understand how he had graduated
from Quantico, but guessed that he had slipped through the
cracks or had everyone around him fooled.  That is, except
Skinner.  Logan was arrogant, fought with other agents, thought
he was right about everything and rarely was, etc.  He blamed
everyone else for his mistakes.  Skinner had written him up
several times and finally had him fired.  Logan made
threatening remarks to Skinner when he was being escorted out,
but he hadn't heard anything from him in ten years.  He
assumed he was just blowing steam.  Apparently not.

"I see you remember me," Logan said with an evil grin, "Good!
I bet you're wondering how I knew you would be here?  You
know, I've kept track of your career since 1995.  I still have
some friends at the bureau."  Of course, Skinner could not
respond, being gagged as he was, but his eyes spoke volumes.
They spoke of anger, betrayal, and hatred.

Logan was about to continue, when there was a knock at the
door.  Skinner knew it had to Mulder and Scully.  He could hear
them having a conversation on the other side of the door.  In his
current situation, there was no way to warn them.  They would
walk right into the same trap as him.

Logan moved to the door and opened it slightly, staying hidden
behind the door.  They assumed they were expected to come in,
which they did.  Mulder saw the view out the balcony and let
out a low whistle.  "Nice digs, sir.  Our rooms face the office
building next door."  They scanned the room and saw Skinner
bound to a chair.  Suddenly, the door slammed behind them.
They spun around to see a security guard covering them with a
gun.

"Well, well, well...if it isn't Spooky and the missus.  You,"
pointing the gun in Scully's direction, "take your weapon out
and toss it over here."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance that spoke volumes.
What should we do?  Can we take him?

"Now!" he shouted, which broke their psychic conversation.
She reached behind her back for her gun.  Logan moved the gun
so it was pointed directly at Mulder's chest.  "Careful now.
Somebody could get hurt."  She carefully removed the gun with
her fingers around the butt and threw it on the floor at his feet.

"Now you, Spooky.  Let's have your weapon."  Mulder did
exactly as he was told; this guy, whoever he was, was holding
all the cards, at least right now.  He tossed his gun on the floor
next to Scully's gun.

"Any more?" he asked.  They both shook their heads.  "Oh
really?  Take off those jackets, throw them on the ground, and
turn around."  They complied with his demand, revealing no
more visible weapons.

"Pull up those pants; let me see your ankles."  Mulder gave him
an irritated look, but then reached and lifted the pant leg on the
left, revealing nothing.  "Now the other one."  He lifted the
right leg exposing the holster beneath.

"Do you _think_ I'm _stupid!" Logan shouted.  Mulder was
going to respond, but thought it might not be a healthy idea, so
he reached down, removed the gun and holster, and tossed it
with the others.  "That's one mistake.  You had better be careful,
because you don't get many more."

Mulder glanced over at Skinner.  He was gagged, but his eyes
screamed a mixture of apology and anger.  "You okay, sir?"
Skinner gave a slight nod indicating that he was unharmed.

"Forget about him!" Logan screamed, drawing their attention
back to him.  "You two.  Move over there and sit on the couch."
Not wanting to anger him further, they did as they were told.
After they sat on the couch, Logan picked up their weapons and
deposited them in his duffel bag, with Skinner's gun.

While Logan stashed their weapons, Mulder quickly looked at
Scully and found that she was looking at him.  Her face was full
of questions.  Questions that neither of them had answers for.
Mulder gave her a small shake of his head, indicating he didn't
know what was happening, but he was going to try and find out.

"So, you obviously know who we are, but we're at a loss as to
your identity.  Who are you and what do you want?  Surely this
isn't about the towels we were planning to steal."

"Very funny, smart ass. You won't be laughing for very long,"
Logan said as he sat down again at the table.  "You want to
know what I want?  I'll tell you.  Payback!"

"Payback?" Mulder asked quizzically.  "For what?"

"Skinner took away my career, my family, my future and now
he'll pay for that.  I have some special plans for the AD and now
that you two showed up, you can help me out.  We're all going
to take a little trip to my cabin, where we can continue this
discussion undisturbed."

Logan grabbed his duffel bag and carried it over to where the
Agents' had dropped their jackets.  With one hand pointing the
gun in their direction, he searched through the pockets in their
jackets, removing two sets of handcuffs.  These were added to
his growing stash in the duffel bag.  "Stand up and empty your
pockets on the coffee table."

"I don't have any other pockets," Scully replied.  He looked a
little irritated at that, but could plainly see she was wearing a
skirt with no pockets and a blouse.

"Fine," he replied, "but you do, Mulder.  Get to it."

Mulder stood and dumped everything from his pockets on the
coffee table and sat back down.  Richard rummaged through the
pile and retrieved his set of keys, which included his handcuff
key.  That was all he was interested in.

Logan thought about the unexpected situation he now found
himself in.  He had wanted to snatch only Skinner.  Now he had
these other two agents to deal with.  He wasn't sure how he was
going to get them all to the van he had downstairs at the
delivery entrance.  He couldn't very well cover them all on the
journey to the van.  He couldn't handcuff them either; what if he
ran into someone; that would look suspicious.  He had stuff that
would knock them out, but how would he get them downstairs
if they were unconscious?  He couldn't knock them out until
they got to the van.  No, he had to somehow occupy them until
they got downstairs.  That gave him an idea.

He stood up and addressed no one in particular, "Time to go."
He picked up his duffel bag and swung the gun until it was
again aimed at Mulder and Scully.  "Get up.  We're leaving."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a look and then resignedly stood
up.  "Where are you taking us?" queried Scully.

"And what about him?" asked Mulder, pointing at Skinner.

"Oh, don't worry, Mulder, he's coming with us.  Hell, he's the
guest of honor."  Logan moved to stand behind Skinner,
keeping his gun pointed at the group.  He reached into his
pocket and retrieved Skinner's keys.  "Here," he said, pitching
the keys in Mulder's direction, which he deftly caught.  "Get
around here and un-cuff him."

Mulder moved behind Skinner and, using the key, unlocked one
side of the handcuffs.  Skinner let out a painful grunt as he
pulled his hands in front of him and began to massage his sore
wrists.  Before he could straighten up, Logan brought the butt of
his gun down sharply on Mulder's head, rendering him
unconscious.

"Mulder!" Scully screamed.  She began to run toward his fallen
body when Logan pointed the gun in her direction, stopping her
in her tracks.

Skinner leaped out of his chair and spun around to see Mulder
on the floor in a heap.  Using his freed hands, he removed the
gag, and turned toward Logan.  "You son-of a-bitch!  What the
hell did you that for?"

"I needed something to keep you occupied until we get
downstairs.  _You_ get to help him", tipping his head in
Mulder's direction, "and _I'll_ help Agent Scully."

"Please, let me take a look at him.  He's hurt," pleaded Scully.
She could see blood trickling from behind his ear, dripping on
to the collar of his white shirt.

"He'll live."  He heaved his duffel bag over his shoulder and
moved forward to take hold of Scully's arm.  He pressed the gun
he held in his other hand into her side to ensure her cooperation.
He turned back to ordered Skinner.  "Pick him up!"

He pushed Scully toward the front door.  "Come on.  I haven't
got all day."

Skinner bent over and seized one of Mulder's arms and put it
over his shoulder.  He straightened up, bringing the unconscious
man to his feet.   Skinner put an arm around his waist to keep
him from falling and began to shuffle forward toward the door.

"We're going to take the service elevator down to the basement.
If we should run into anyone, I would suggest you tell them that
he has had too much to drink or some other bullshit.  If anyone
gets suspicious or tries to stop us, Scully gets it first, then
you.  Now, open that door and let's get out of here."

Logan shoved Scully toward the service elevator down the hall.
He was constantly scanning the hallway, hoping no one would
see their small parade.  He was anxious to get to the safety of
his van.  "Hurry!" he growled and he roughly pushed Scully
forward, toward the waiting elevator doors.

Scully's mind was a whirl.  She was worried about Mulder.  She
looked around anxiously, hoping to see someone who could
help them and, at the same time, terrified that they would.  What
does this lunatic want?  She had to calm down and start thinking
like an FBI agent, if they were to have any chance to get out of
this.  Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do right now
with a gun stuck in her side.  She would have to be prepared
when an opportunity presented itself.

Several steps behind them, Skinner was struggling to keep
Mulder upright.  The man was dead weight.  His muscles were
beginning to scream in agony from the stress being put upon
them.  Skinner shook his head to clear his thoughts.  He had to
think of a way to get him and his agents out of this.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do right now with
his hands full of Mulder.  He would have to be prepared when
an opportunity presented itself.

Finally, they reached the elevator.  "Push the button," Logan
ordered.  Scully pushed the down button and the doors opened
immediately.  Logan pushed Scully to the far corner, away from
the floor buttons.  Skinner dragged his burden through the door.
When they were all aboard, Logan yelled for Skinner to push
the basement button.

When the elevator doors opened in the basement, they were
faced with a large darkened room.  During the day, this area
was probably bustling with activity.  Now, it was very quiet and
completely void of any other people.  Logan sighed with relief.
He had planned to make the snatch at night, because he knew
how deserted this area would be after hours, but one can never
be sure.  There was always the chance of an unexpected late
night delivery.

Not wanting to push his luck, he hustled the group toward the
nondescript white panel van parked in the corner of the loading
dock.  When they reached the van, Logan pulled out a set of
keys and had Scully unlock the back doors.  When they were
open, he backed up a few steps with Scully.

"Put him inside," he told Skinner.  He laid Mulder down in the
back of the van and then stood up straight stretching his abused
muscles.  He couldn't believe the relief of putting him down.
The man may be lean, but he was muscular and weighed a ton.

Logan pulled a set of cuffs from his duffel bag and pitched them
to Skinner.  "Cuff him."  Skinner attached a cuff to one hand
and was prepared to cuff the other, when Logan's voice stopped
him.  "Behind the back.  Cuff his hands behind his back."
Skinner carefully rolled him onto his stomach and, pulling his
hands behind his back, cuffed them together.

"Good.  Now, turn around, face the inside of the van, and put
your hands behind your back." Logan demanded.  He did as
requested.  Logan finally released his grip on Scully and shoved
her forward.  "Put that cuff back on his hand."

After cuffing Skinner, Scully spun around to face their captor.
"Now what?" she demanded, clearly irritated.

"It's your turn."  He pulled out the final set of cuffs and used
them on Scully.  He ordered them to climb up into the van and
then slammed the doors.  He looked around the loading dock
one more time to ensure he was still alone.  Now that he had
them secured and loaded into the van, it was time to take the
show on the road.

Once the door to the van had shut, Skinner let out a long sigh,
ending with a whispered "Dammit!"  He couldn't believe what
has just happened.  They had just checked into their hotel,
preparing for a nice relaxing dinner after having flown across
the country, and now, here they were, handcuffed in the back of
a van being taken god knows where by a lunatic bent on
revenge.
 

Somewhere in Oregon
9:30 pm

"Scully, you okay?" Skinner whispered.

"Yes, sir, but I'm worried about Mulder.  He took a hard hit to
the head and he still hasn't shown any sign of regaining
consciousness."

As if Mulder knew they were talking about him, he began to
stir.

"Mulder?" she asked in a quiet voice.  "Mulder.  Are you all
right?"

He could hear someone calling his name very quietly, as if from
a distance.  His head was pounding.  He tried to raise his hand
to his head, but found that he could not move them.  He tried to
move his hands and realized they were cuffed behind his back.
He could feel the metal of cuffs dig into his wrists.  Why were
his hands cuffed?  "Scu...ully?"

"Shhhhh!" they shushed in unison.

She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Calm down,
Mulder.  You need to keep quiet.  Do you remember what
happened?"

He opened his eyes and could just make out the shadow that
was talking to him.  He blinked his eyes several times and was
now able to recognize the shadow as Scully.

"I...remember un-cuffing Skinner and then...nothing.  What did
I miss?"

"That guard knocked you out and now he has kidnapped us.
We're in a white panel van going...I don't know where we're
going," she replied.

Mulder finally managed to maneuver into a semi-sitting
position next to Scully.  He could make out another shadow,
which he assumed was his boss.  He glanced around the interior
of the van.  There were no windows, except for the front
windows, which let in very little.  It was obviously dark outside.
He couldn't see his watch, so he didn't know how much time
had elapsed.  There was a metal grate between the back cargo
space and the passenger compartment.  He could hear music
coming from the front, but he couldn't tell if it was the radio or
some recording.  From his position, he couldn't see anything,
let alone determine the direction in which they were traveling.

"This guy seems to know us, especially you, sir, but I've never
seen him before.  I take it he used to work at the bureau?"

"His name is Richard Logan," Skinner said in a hushed voice.
"He was an agent under my command when I was an SAC in
the Chicago office.  He was the worst agent I have ever had the
displeasure of working with.  He was arrogant, always thought
he was right, rubbed everyone the wrong way, made more
enemies than friends."

"Gee, sounds a lot like me," Mulder interjected.  Obviously
trying a little humor to lighten the situation.

"Maybe, Agent Mulder, but unlike you, he was not very smart
and was almost always wrong.  No one wanted to work with
him.  I finally had to fire him.  He did not take it well, to say
the least.  Accused me of having a grudge against him, afraid of
his talents, etc.  He threatened me when they escorted him from
the field office.  That was 10 years ago and I haven't heard
anything about him since."
 
"Well, he obviously has kept tabs on you, sir," Scully remarked.

"Yeah and he must still have contacts within the bureau," added
Mulder, "because he sure knows who we are.  How else would
he have known you were going to be here this week?"

"I'm sorry, you agents got caught up in this.  If I hadn't made
you come to this seminar..."

"That's enough of that, sir," Mulder interrupted. "We're here
now.  Let's see if we can figure a way out of this, before he
wreaks his revenge.  The man is obviously an angry and
unstable individual.  Unfortunately, the odds aren't in our favor.
He has all the weapons and it will be hard to make any kind of a
move all trussed up like this."

Suddenly, the van slowed down.  It felt like it exited what they
assumed was a highway and turned right onto another paved
road.  It seemed likely they were nearing their destination.

"I think our best chance will be to try and take him when he
opens the doors," Skinner suggested.

"I'm not so sure, sir," Scully countered. "He is likely to be very
cautious when he opens the doors to the van.  It might not be
our best opportunity.  Maybe it would be best to wait until we
are all out of the van."

"I have an idea," announced Mulder.  "He doesn't know I woke
up.  I could pretend to be unconscious.  That way, Logan would
have to get me out of the van, which would leave him
vulnerable and give you an opening or he would have to un-cuff
you, sir, and make you get me out of the van.  Either way, that
might give us the opening we are looking for."

"I agree," said Scully.

"Me too," added Skinner.

Having made their plans, they rode in silence, contemplating
their chances.

After a short while, the van made a left turn, this time onto a
rough road.  The road was obviously unpaved; made of dirt and
full of potholes.  The trio was bounced around the back of the
van until it came to an abrupt stop.

"Get ready," Mulder whispered, lying down in his original
position, as he if he had never regained consciousness.

They heard the front door open and could feel the van shift, as
Logan exited the van.  Skinner and Scully were alert; ready to
attack as soon as the moment was right.

Logan opened the back doors of the van and then stepped back.
In his left hand was his duffel bag and in his right was his
weapon, pointed directly at them.  "All right, everybody out,"
he shouted.  Skinner climbed out first, followed closely by
Scully.  Logan waited for Mulder to come out, but he had not
moved.  "Come on, Mulder, get the hell out here!" he yelled, as
he took a step toward the van.

"He's still unconscious," stated Skinner.  "He hasn't moved
since you hit him.  I think you might have really hurt him."

Logan gestured to his right with the gun.  "You two move over
there."  Skinner and Scully moved to the right and took several
steps away from the van.

Logan looked into the van and could see Mulder lying exactly
where he put him originally.  He must have hit him pretty hard,
he thought to himself, for him to still be out.  Logan leaned into
the opening of the van and yelled, "Get up!"  Mulder let out a
moan and stirred slightly.  "Oh, for God's sake.  I don't have
time for this shit," Logan said disgustedly.  He jabbed Mulder's
leg with the gun barrel, prepared to yell again, when Mulder
made his move.

Mulder kicked his legs out straight catching Logan in the gut
and gun arm.  The gun went flying out of his grip, as Logan
went down hard onto the ground, the duffel bag still clutched in
his left hand.  Scully immediately dropped to the ground to get
her cuffed hands from behind her back, while Mulder struggled
to do the same thing while in the back of the van.  Skinner
dropped on top of Logan in an attempt to pin him to the ground
until his agents were able to get their hands free.

Logan was not a small man and was able to buck the AD off the
top of him.  He quickly opened his bag looking for another
weapon.  Scully had managed to get her hands in front of her
and was going for Logan's original weapon, lying on the ground
several feet away.  It was a race to see who could get to a
weapon first.  Skinner assessed the situation and decided to try
slowing Logan down by ramming into him.  He ran toward him
and lowered his head for attack.  Just before he reached him,
Logan pulled his weapon from the bag, side stepped Skinner,
and brought the gun down on his head.  Skinner dropped like a
sack of wet cement.  When Scully reached the other weapon,
Logan had already regained control.  His weapon was pointed at
the unmoving AD.

"Drop it!" he called out to Scully.  She hesitated for only a
moment before disgustedly tossing the gun aside.  He turned his
attention back to the van.  "Get the hell out of that van right
now, Mulder, or he gets it.  MOVE!"  Mulder had gotten his
cuffed hands in front of him, but it was too late; the altercation
was over.  He stepped out of the van with his cuffed hands held
up in front of him.

Logan's face was red with anger.  "You will all pay for that," he
bellowed.

"Oh, yeah," answered Mulder, "you planning on killing us
twice?"

Logan glared at Mulder, the hand holding the gun to Skinner's
head trembling with rage.  He took a deep breath to calm
himself.  He brought the gun up so that it was now pointed at
Mulder and Scully.  "Don't...tempt...me," he said menacingly,
punctuating each word with the barrel of the gun.  "You make
one more stupid move like that and we're going to be one
redhead short.  GOT ME!!"  He continued to stare at them,
breathing heavily, until he was able to calm himself.

Skinner started to stir.  Logan snatched up his bag and quickly
stepped away from the fallen man, before he could attempt any
more treachery.  "Get him into the cabin," he ordered.

Mulder looked at the cabin in front of them, partially obscured
by trees.  Funny, he had not noticed it before in all the
excitement.  The cabin was a wooden structure that had
obviously seen better days.  It probably had not seen a coat of
paint since it was originally built.  There were three steps
leading up to a large covered porch that spanned the front of the
building.  Logan had opened the front door of the cabin and
switched on a light.

Mulder and Scully stepped forward and each taking hold of an
arm, they managed to get Skinner to his feet.  He was unsteady
and slightly disoriented, but they were able to guide him into
the door of the cabin.
 

Logan's Cabin
Midnight

The inside of the cabin was sparse.  There was a worn couch, a
rickety coffee table, and a dining table with four chairs in the
corner.  There was a door on the far side of the room, which
Mulder assumed led to a bedroom and a kitchen that was
separated from the main room by a low counter.

Logan positioned himself by the dining table, so he could keep
a watchful eye on the trio.  Mulder and Scully laid Skinner on
the couch and Scully examined the cut on his scalp.  "I need
something to clean the wound," she told Logan.

"Tough.  You think I care?  It won't matter in a little while
anyway," Logan answered back.

Mulder and Scully exchanged a worried look.  They didn't like
what that last statement implied, but then again, what were they
expecting, a friendly fish fry?  Scully blotted the bleeding gash
with the sleeve of her blouse.

"How does it look?" croaked Skinner, his eyes squeezed tightly
shut.

"It's not too deep," she said quietly.  "It will probably need
stitches if we get out of here.  I mean, _when_ we get out of
here," she corrected herself.  Skinner opened his eyes at her
comment and looked at his two agents.  His eyes were full of
apology, but he saw no recrimination on their face; only
concern.

"Enough chit-chat," Logan exclaimed, interrupting their private
conversation.  "Let's get this play started."  He pulled one of
the chairs away from the dining table and placed it in the center
of the room.  "Bring him over here."

Scully stood up and faced Logan.  "He's hurt.  He shouldn't be
moved."

"I told you once...I...don't...care.  Now get him up and into
this chair before someone else gets hurt."

Skinner was struggling to get up from his reclining position.
"It's okay, Agent Scully.  Just help me to my feet."  They knew
they had to play along until they could figure out a way out of
this.   They wouldn't stand a chance if any of them were injured
further.  They helped him to his feet, but he shrugged off their
help, as he moved to sit in the chair.

Logan pulled a rope from inside his bag and used it to secure
Skinner to the chair.  He then dragged one of the other chairs
from the table and positioned it opposite Skinner.  "You two
have a seat on that couch, while I have a little talk with my old
_friend_ Skinner."  He only had eyes for Skinner; eyes that
were full of hatred.

"So, what's this all about, Logan?" asked Skinner.

Logan laughed maniacally.  "What's this all about?  Surely you
haven't forgotten what you did to me.  You ruined my _LIFE_!
Did you know my wife left me after I was fired?  I lost my
house, my wife, my _friends_, all because of you."  He leaned
in close to Skinner's face.  "Did you know that I've exacted
small pieces of revenge over the years?"

Skinner made no comment and showed no emotion as Logan
continued to ramble on.

"Yeah, I have," Logan continued with an evil grin on his face.
"Do you remember Agent Rains?  Car accident?  It's hard to
stop when you have no brakes."  Skinner showed his first
emotion, which was one of shock.  Logan's smile grew bigger.
"Now you're getting the picture.  What about Agent Findley?  I
believe his death is still unsolved.  Not anymore."

Skinner showed his second emotion, which was rage.  He was
having trouble controlling himself.  He couldn't believe this
man was killing FBI agents as payback against him.

"In fact," Logan added, interrupting Skinner's thoughts, "I might
just kill your two precious agents over there.  They are
obviously favorites of yours.  That would be devastating,
wouldn't it?"

Skinner knew what Logan was trying to do and he would not let
Mulder and Scully die as some psycho's revenge.  He laughed
incredulously, "Favorites?  Those two loose cannons?"  He tried
to control his laughter, as he continued, "You'd be doing me a
favor.  Ridding me of two thorns in my side."

Skinner's laughter only angered Logan.  "Shut up!" he screamed
as he struck Skinner in the jaw with his fist.

Mulder and Scully sat quietly listening to the conversation.
They both knew what Skinner was trying to do.  They were
constantly analyzing the situation, looking for any possible
weakness or avenue of attack, but at this point, it was best to
stay out of it and let Skinner make his move.

Logan stood up from his chair and began to pace.  He was
extremely irritated with Skinner.  He grabbed the lapels of
Skinner's shirt and yelled in his face, "You're lying!  You're
just trying to save their necks."

Skinner continued to bait Logan.  "I have been looking for a
way to get rid of them for years.  If it weren't for the higher
powers, they would be long gone."

Logan stopped and stared into Skinner's face, trying to
determine if the man was lying.  He could see no signs of
deception; the man spoke the truth.  He sat back down and
thought about this.  It looked like Skinner didn't like his two
agents; any more than he liked Logan.  He wasn't about to do
Skinner any favors, that's for sure.  However, the agents
appeared to care about him.  The red head seemed very
concerned about the cut on his head.  Logan decided that even if
he didn't like the agents much, he would still take their deaths
badly.  He knew the AD felt responsible for all the agents under
his command, whether he liked them personally or not.  Well,
everybody except him.  Logan knew Skinner never cared for
him personally or professionally.

Logan was deep in thought when he heard movement on the
couch.  He jumped from the chair, bringing the hand that still
held the gun up, aiming at the origin of the sound.  Mulder had
shifted himself to a more comfortable position.  Sitting on the
worn couch was like sitting on a cloth-covered rock.  "Sorry to
disturb you," Mulder apologized, "but my ass was going to
sleep."

Logan blinked and shook his head, as if he had just awakened
from a dream.  At the mention of sleep, Logan looked at his
watch. It was 2:00 in the morning and suddenly, Logan felt very
tired.  In fact, he was exhausted and needed to sleep.  He would
have to wait and finish this in the morning.  What would he do
about them?  He didn't trust them.  He decided it would be best
to sedate them while he got a few hours sleep.  He would sleep
better knowing they were not only restrained, but also
incapacitated.  He reached into his bag and retrieved a handful
of syringes that were pre-filled with Chloral Hydrate.

Scully immediately noticed the syringes in his hand   "What are
those?" she asked.

"Oh, just a little something to make you sleep.  I think everyone
could use some sleep right now, don't you?" Logan replied.

"Yeah, well, I never touch the stuff.  Got a TV around here?  I'll
just watch a little late-night Sci-Fi till I get sleepy," Mulder
offered.

Logan gave Mulder an annoyed look.  "No TV here...this'll
have to do."  He threw three of the syringes into Scully's lap.
"Here you go, Doc.  You get to help me out."

Scully held up her cuffed hands.  "I can't very well give shots
wearing these."

Logan pondered this for a moment.  He pulled the keys from his
pocket and pitched them to Scully.  She undid one cuff.  She
started to undo the other cuff, but Logan's voice interrupted her,
"That's enough.  Throw those keys back over here."  Scully
complied.

He moved so he could see what Scully was doing.  She
removed the first syringe from its package.  She undid Mulder's
right cuff and pushed the sleeve up to reveal the inside of his
elbow.  She looked up at him.  Her eyes said she was sorry and
his said he understood.  "Do you have any alcohol to swab his
arm with?" she asked Logan.  "I don't want the injection site to
get infected."

Logan scoffed at her request.  "I think that's the least of his
worries.  Get on with it."
 
She depressed the plunger, injecting the contents of the syringe
into his arm.  She removed the needle and watched him as his
eyes became unfocused, his head lolling back against the couch.

"Good.  Now him," ordered Logan, pointing at Skinner.

Scully had a bit of a problem getting to Skinner's arm. Of
course, Logan wouldn't remove his cuffs, but she managed to
reach a vein without too much trouble.

"Now you."

Scully returned to the couch and took her spot next to Mulder.
She rolled up her sleeve and injected the contents of the third
syringe into her own body.  She threw the empty syringe onto
the table with the other two and laid her head back against
couch, losing her battle with consciousness.

Logan looked around the room and everyone was sleeping like
babies.  He snatched the empty syringes off the table and put
them in his duffel, which he took with him into the bedroom
with him and prepared to go to sleep.  He figured the drug
should keep them out for about 5 hours.  He would set his alarm
for 7:00 am.  He lay down, but as tired as he was, he didn't fall
asleep immediately.  He was thinking about the morning and
how sweet his revenge would be after all the years of waiting.
Finally, he fell asleep.
 

Logan's Cabin
6:30 am

Mulder was the first to awaken.  He felt as though he was
encased in cotton.  He was very comfortable where he was, but
had a feeling that he needed to get up.  He tried to open his
eyes, but his mind was slow to respond.  He kept trying and
finally his eyes fluttered open.  His vision was initially
blurred, but cleared up as he blinked his eyes several times.  He
felt something warm against his side and turned his head in that
direction.  He saw Scully leaning against him, her head lying on
his shoulder.  Further away, he could see Skinner, strapped to
the chair.

Suddenly, his mind cleared and he remembered what had
happened.  He quickly looked at his watch and realized that he
had been out a little over 4 hours.  He did not see Logan, so he
assumed he was asleep in the bedroom.  He figured Logan
would be waking soon, so this would be their only chance.

As quietly as he could, he tried waking Scully.
"Scully...Scully," he quietly whispered into her ear.  When she
began to rouse, he placed his hand over her mouth, shushing her
before she could make any noise.  "Scully, it's me.  You've got
to wake up."  His words were working, because her eyes slowly
opened.  She was somewhat dazed, but she did seem to
recognize him.  "Come on, we have to get out of here before
Logan wakes up."  That did the trick.

"Where's Logan?" she quietly asked.

"Asleep...I think.  Let's get Skinner and get out of here."

They quietly moved next to Skinner.  Mulder went to work
untying the rope holding Skinner to the chair while Scully
attempted to wake him up.  "Sir?" she said quietly, as she gently
shook his shoulders.  He was quick to awaken and his eyes
opened almost immediately.  "Sir, we have to get out of here.
This may be our only chance."  Skinner nodded in
understanding.

They helped Skinner up from the chair and started across the
room, when they heard the alarm go off in the other room.
"Shit!!" they cried in unison and moved quickly to the front
door.

Logan thought he heard movement in the other room, so he
grabbed his gun and rushed through the door.  He arrived just in
time to see Mulder throw open the front door to the cabin.
Scully ran through it, followed closely by Skinner, with Mulder
bringing up the rear.  Logan pointed his gun toward the group
and fired.

Mulder felt the pain immediately as the bullet entered his right
leg just above the back of the knee, dropping him in his tracks.
Scully and Skinner heard the shot, but continued running.
When they reached the tree line, they realized Mulder was not
with them.  They turned to see him lying on the front porch,
with his hands wrapped around his leg, just above the knee.
Behind him, Logan stepped out onto the porch.
 
"Stupid bastard!" he snarled at Mulder and rewarded him with a
kick to the chin.  Mulder fell back onto the porch, his hands
slipping from their grip on his leg.  He lay there not moving.
Logan moved forward to point his gun at Mulder's head.
"Skinner!  Scully!" he yelled, "Get back here right now or I'll
shoot him...again."

Scully stepped into the clearing and walked slowly toward the
cabin.  She stopped at the foot of the steps.  Logan moved the
gun, changing targets from Mulder's head to Scully.  "Skinner!"
he yelled again, louder than the first time, "I'll shoot Scully
first if you don't show yourself.  I'm not going to ask again."

Scully noticed that Mulder's eyes were open and he was looking
right at her.  She knew immediately that he was planning
something.  This would be their last chance; they would not get
another.

Skinner stepped out of his hiding place in the trees and into
Logan's sight.  "Get up here.  I'm ready to end this...NOW!"

Skinner walked toward the cabin.  He couldn't see an
alternative.  Logan would shoot his agents.  Unfortunately, he
might shoot them anyway, but every moment he could keep
them alive, there was hope.

Scully watched Mulder mouth a countdown...3...2...1.  He
swung his arms out, catching Logan behind the knees and
dropping him to the porch.  Scully also dropped to the ground at
the same time.  The gun went off, but the aim was altered and
the bullet hit nothing.  Mulder moved like lightning and seized
Logan's wrist to wrestle the gun away.  Logan still had his
finger on the trigger and it went off again.  Mulder managed to
get on top of Logan and slammed his wrist down onto the porch
several times, until he finally released the weapon and it popped
free.

Scully quickly got to her feet and went to find the gun that had
been discarded the previous night.  She ran toward the van
where she had last seen it.  She frantically searched the ground
behind the van.  With the low light of dawn, she was having
difficulty trying to find the weapon.  At last, she found it.  She
seized the gun and ran back to the porch.

Mulder snatched the gun, but before he could use it, Logan's fist
connected with Mulder's already sore jaw.  The blow knocked
Mulder off balance, but he kept his grip on the gun.  Logan was
now trying to wrestle the gun from Mulder's hands.

"Freeze!" Scully shouted as she raised her weapon to point at
the tangled pair.  "Logan, let him go!"  Logan paid no attention
to Scully's demands.  He was so focused on getting control of
the gun.

BANG!

Suddenly, there was no movement on the porch.  The moment
seemed to be frozen in time.  Skinner looked at Scully, but she
shook her head indicating that she had not fired the shot; it had
come from the porch.  Scully began to advance toward the
porch, her gun still aimed at the pair.

As if in slow motion, Logan slowly slumped to the side, having
taken the bullet in the chest.  As soon as the weight was off him,
Mulder moved backwards away from the fallen man, raising his
gun to keep him covered in case he tried anything else.  Scully
raced onto the porch.  She glanced at Mulder, who nodded that
he was okay, and then she knelt down to check out Logan.  She
couldn't find a pulse and he wasn't breathing.  The bullet had
obviously struck the heart.

Skinner stepped up onto the porch.  "How's Logan?" he asked
Scully.

"He's dead," Scully conveyed to the group.

Mulder and Skinner let out simultaneous sighs of relief.  Mulder
dropped the gun and returned his hands to his throbbing leg,
gasping as they made contact.

At the sound, Skinner turned to his fallen agent.  "How are you
feeling, Mulder?"

He thought about the question for a moment.  How was he?  He
was in quite a bit of pain right now, but that would pass.  They
were virtually 'circling the drain' a little while ago but now
it's over; we're alive.  "Actually, sir, I'm feeling pretty damn
good right now."

"Umm, Scully?" Mulder asked, "Could you find the handcuff
keys?"

She searched through Logan's pockets and retrieved the set of
keys.  She stood up and released Skinner from his cuffs first.
Skinner grimaced as he moved his arms back and forth, trying
to get the circulation flowing again.  He had been handcuffed
for almost twelve hours.  Scully undid the cuff still hooked to
her hand and gave them to Skinner.  Scully knelt next to Mulder
to check him out.  He was sitting up against a post, gripping his
leg between his hands, moaning.  Now that the adrenaline was
wearing off, he was really feeling the wound in his leg.  She
gently took hold of his wrists and raised his hands, so she could
remove his handcuffs.
 
"Thanks."

"No problem, partner.  Now, let me have a look at that leg."
His pants were soaked with blood and there was a small tear
about four inches above the kneecap.  "Sorry about this," she
apologized, before she ripped the fabric apart, exposing the exit
wound.  Mulder winced, although she wasn't sure if it was from
pain or the destruction of his pants.  It appeared the round had
gone straight through the muscle of his right leg, missing the
bone.  It was still bleeding though.

"Sir, can you look in the house for something I can use to apply
pressure to this wound?  Towels...a sheet...anything."

"Sure, Scully.  Be right back," he replied, and then ran into the
house.  He headed to the bedroom first.  The room contained a
twin-sized bed.  Next to the bed was a bedside table and on the
table was a phone.  He couldn't believe his eyes.  He picked up
the receiver and was relieved to hear the sound of a dial tone.
He thought about pulling the sheets from the bed, but that
would be a last resort.  There was a smaller room off the main
bedroom, which turned out to be a bathroom.  He found a stack
of towels in a cabinet behind the door.

He returned to the porch and handed the towels to Scully.  "Do
you need any help?" he offered.

"No, thank you, sir, I've got it," she replied.

"In that case, there is a phone inside.  I'm going to get us some
help out here."

She was beyond relief.  A little while ago, they were facing
certain death and now, help was on the way.  She placed towels
on the top and bottom of her partner's leg and used another
towel to secure the bandages in place.
 
Skinner placed a call to 9-1-1.  When the operator answered, he
explained that he was a federal agent who had been abducted
from his hotel in Portland.  He had a wounded agent and their
captor was dead.  He requested police, paramedics, and the
coroner.  He had no idea where he was, but the 911 operator
knew their exact location and assured him that the police and
ambulances were on the way.
 

Portland General Hospital.
Later that evening

Mulder was sound asleep in his hospital bed.  Scully was in her
usual position; seated at his side.  The bullet wound to his leg
wasn't too bad; however, he did have a slight concussion, a golf
ball sized lump on the back of his head with four stitches, and
his jaw was turning a lovely shade of purple.

The door opened and in walked Skinner.  He was sporting a
bandage that covered the five stitches it took to close the gash
on his head.  He noticed the sleeping agent and kept his voice
low.  "How's he doing?" he asked Scully.

"He's doing great, sir," she whispered in reply.  "He's going to
have a headache and a limp for a while, but considering where
the situation was headed...well, we're pretty lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, I'd say we owe him our lives, but don't tell him I said
that."

"You're welcome," mumbled Mulder.

They both turned at the sound of the voice to see that Mulder
was awake.

"You faker!  Why didn't you tell us you were awake?" scolded
Scully.

"And miss out on all the glowing compliments?" Mulder
answered with a smile, "Not likely."

Skinner had just returned from a briefing at the local office.
They had been looking for him and his missing agents.  When
he didn't turn up for the keynote speech that morning, they
checked his room and found he hadn't slept there.  They found
Mulder's stuff on the coffee table and checked his and Scully's
room.  Again, no one had slept there.  The local FBI office was
notified and a search was underway, however they had no clues
as to their whereabouts.

"You know, sir, you put on a pretty good act back there at the
cabin.  If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were
serious about not liking us," Mulder stated.

Skinner gave them a serious poker-face look.  "Who said I was
acting, agents?"

They both stared at him with a stunned look on their face.
Surely, he wasn't serious?

After he had let them suffer enough, he broke into a broad
smile.  "Seriously, agents, I'm sorry about getting you into this
situation in the first place.  I promise, the next time I take
you to a seminar..."
 
"Whoa!" Mulder interrupted, raising his hands like a traffic cop.
"Please don't do us any favors.  No offense, sir, but Scully and
I get into trouble just fine by ourselves."
 

The End