Salvation
By San aka Humbuggie
© 2001
san@sv-tales.com
http://www.sv-tales.com
 
Disclaimer: Don’t shoot me for borrowing these characters! All copyright
belongs to people that I don’t know personally.
 
Type of story: Lots and lots of MTA, UST and MSR, no rating required
other than this J
 
Story: When a desperate mother contacts Mulder to find her daughter who
ran away to join a cult, Mulder gets an unforeseen chance to deal with his past.
But when he infiltrates in the cult, Scully must do everything in her power to
save her partner from his ‘salvation’. 
 
Spoilers: Lots of spoilers for ‘The Field Where I Died’, a few for ‘The
X-Files Movie’ and smaller ones for other episodes like ‘Pusher’, ‘Little Green
Men’, the whole Samantha-abduction thing and ‘Anasazi’.
 
Timeline: The story takes place about two years after the events in
‘TFWID’, thus somewhere in the sixth season timeline. The events occur before
‘Closure’ with Mulder still looking for his missing sister.
 
All lyrics are copyrighted, written and sung by Roxette
They were my inspiration for this story, and I thank them deeply!
 
 
Prologue
 
Her blood was on his hands when he carried her outside towards the man
waiting with his car. He would take over her body and make sure she got her final
resting place. But he was the one that killed her. He saw the blood and
realized what he had done.
 
Before, it had all seemed strange. Unreal. Out of this world. But he saw
clearly now that he had done that what he had feared others to do for so long
now.
 
He stared at her slim forms and the shadows on her face. She looked so
pale, so innocent and so sweet. And now she lay in his arms and she was dead.
 
‘Put her in the backseat of the car,’ the man ordered, opening the door
for him so that he could carefully put her in.
 
The man closed the door, satisfied with what he saw. Then he turned
towards him and said, ‘Now join Dominique and the others.’
 
He nodded and left, like a puppet following the pulled lines.
 
But everything inside of him screamed for her. And he knew he would not
get the salvation that Dominique had preached for so long now. For him, nothing
would matter ever again.
 
Because he, Mulder, had killed Scully.
 
 
 
Part I: Seeking
 
You crashed by the gate
Captured my fate
Salvation
My eyes couldn't see
I hardly breathed
I was diving so deep
Salvation
 
 
-1-
 
 
He touched her skin, just barely. His finger lingered underneath her
chin, raising her face so that she was forced to look at him. Her eyes met his
and she found the faith she had lost so many weeks before. He smiled, giving her
the strength and qualities the others had all so admired in him. She nodded
slightly, as if to tell him she was going for it.
 
He knew she would. They always did. He wrapped them around his finger and
they all obeyed his every wish. That was the only power he had ­ the only
power he wanted to use in this godforsaken world.
 
‘Are you ready to take the step to salvation, Vickie?’ he said softly,
using the timbre of his voice that had overwhelmed so many others before her.
Again she nodded, this time smiling with that one gesture, full of
expectation.
‘I need to hear you say it,’ he whispered.
 
‘Yes,’ she said, hardly recognizing her own voice. ‘I am.’
He opened his hand, allowing her a look at the white tablets that lay on
the palm of his hand. ‘You’ve been feeling under the weather lately,’ he
softly said. ‘You don’t know what’s wrong with you. You don’t feel like you
deserve to be here anymore. You just know that you want something else in your life
than what’s been given to you. And therefore you came to me, and told me that
you wanted to be with me. Is that what you want, Vickie?’
 
‘Yes.’
 
‘You say that you put all of your trust in me. You claim that I am the
one that will be the most important person in your life from now on. Are you ready
for that, Vickie? Are you willing to give it all up for me? Are you willing
to neglect your mother from now on? Are you willing to ignore your friends
should they beckon you?
 
‘Yes.’
 
‘Take this tablet and show me that you care.’
 
Her hand didn’t tremble when she took one of the tablets from the palm of
his hand and put it in her mouth. It felt dry and seemed to stick to her
tongue but she swallowed it without complaining and opened her mouth again. He
looked inside of her mouth, then at her and smiled as he leaned forward and
kissed her on the lips. Then his tongue explored her mouth and she closed her eyes
as she felt his grip on her. He had already decided that she would be his next.
He loved her slim figure and the way the forms of her perfect body reacted
to his touch. She was perfect and would suit him just fine.
 
The fact that she didn’t like him to stick his tongue in her mouth didn’t
matter. The moment she swallowed the first tablet, she had taken the
plunge.
 
He pulled himself away from her and smiled as she closed her eyes and let
herself drift away into the land of oblivion. He moved his hand just
slightly and immediately two of his followers appeared and took her away to her
new resting place. She had a room next to his. He had decided it to be that
way until she would move in with him. They would all feel when the time was
right.
 
But he had to be careful with this one. She was under aged. If they found
out, he might be in trouble. And the others didn’t like him fooling around
with her. In fact, they dreaded that she was here, fearing that the cops or Feds
would now have a reason to invade their shelter.
 
He had ignored their protests, claiming that no one could stand up to
him. He was stronger than them all and if they were honest with themselves, they
knew this was true.
 
He could be patient though. In three weeks her birthday came up. She
would turn eighteen. After that, they would not go after her any longer. She would
be an adult with a mind of her own. By then she would have signed all rights
over to him. She would be able to tell them what she wanted and what she desired.
By then she would be in his grip forever, and she would not even think about
going back. He had decided that it would be it this way.
 
He walked to the window of the white painted building and looked outside
over the gardens that he kept so well. He saw them work. They all loved this
place. They loved the everlasting sun and the fabulous smelling flowers. They
didn’t want to return to the real world with bills, payments and problems. They
all had their own reason to be here ­ as did Vickie. He never chose one that
didn’t have a problem or a reason to run away. He checked them out carefully, and
selected them one by one himself.
 
He walked over to the locked cabinet behind him, and pulled out the file
on the girl with the chain of keys he carried on his belt. The other set of keys
were in the hands of Dennis, his most trusted watcher. In a few weeks her
mother would suffer a grave accident. The girl would inherit it all. By then she
wouldn’t mind donating her income to keep this place up and about. And
then he would take off, after plucking the last of them.
 
He smiled. If there was one thing he liked more than a beautiful girl, it
was a beautiful girl with money. And with Vickie Moss, he had both.
 
-2-
 
Fox Mulder couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the plastic alien on the
night table. ‘Cute,’ he said.
 
The woman in her late forties stared at him first as if she didn’t
understand what he was on about. Then she looked down at the alien and sighed, ‘Oh
yeah. She’s always been nuts about aliens. I never quite understood why. These
rubbish things cost quite a bit of money.’
 
‘Does she believe in aliens?’
 
‘What?’ The woman looked up strange at the redhead agent that stood in
the doorway and had asked the question. ‘I guess so. She loved shows like
Star Trek and The Outer Limits. I guess she must have believed in them. I’m sorry,
but what has that got to do with her disappearance?’
 
‘Nothing,’ Mulder said, throwing questioning glances at his partner as if
wondering why in the world she would start talking about aliens at a time
like this. Scully just glanced back and raised her shoulders slightly for only
him to see.
 
In thoughts Mulder’s finger touched the plastic alien and his eyes
explored the room to track down what was missing. There was nothing here to indicate
that the young woman had ran away from home, yet everything in him said that this
was the case. There were many young women who couldn’t find their place at home,
and just took off.
 
But here Vickie Moss had just left with nothing on her. Her clothes were
all in the closet, her shoes were all there except for the pair of boots that
she wore, and all of her bags were still present. Her diary lay on top of the night
table, and her make-up was all there. Nothing indicated that she had ran away. 
 
‘I don’t understand why she took off,’ Mrs. Moss said. ‘She had a good
home. We got along even though there was a lot of discussion about her father. She
never told me she was in trouble. As far as I know she didn’t get herself
knocked up. But she chose another sort of life. Why in the world would she do that?’
 
‘Teenagers often have a strange look to life, Mrs. Moss,’ Scully said
politely.
‘Vickie might have seem perfectly happy in your eyes but in truth be a
very unhappy young woman. Can I ask you why you are so sure she ran away and
wasn’t kidnapped?’
 
‘She has taken money out of her bank account yesterday afternoon. The
bank called me this morning because it was a large amount. They didn’t know of
course she ran away.’
 
‘Couldn’t she have been forced to take off this money? Can it not be that
you will still be contacted for ransom? You are a wealthy widow, Mrs. Moss.
People have done stranger things for lesser money.’
 
‘I’m not that rich,’ Elaine Moss protested. ‘Sure, my parents left me
some money but most of it has been spent when I bought this house after my husband
took off. Whoever took her, might not know this. Still, I would have heard
something by now, wouldn’t I? It’s been two days. No, I know where she is.’
 
Mulder and Scully glanced at each other again, both expecting Elaine to
come up with the truth soon enough. The woman sighed and sat down, rubbing her
face. ‘I cannot believe this is happening again,’ she whispered numb. ‘I thought
Vickie would be wiser. But no ­ she had to do it.’
 
‘Do what, Mrs. Moss?’ Mulder asked gently as he sat down beside her on
the bed. Elaine took a picture from the night table. It showed three happy people
with no care in the world.
 
‘That picture was taken right before her father died and left me with
her,’ Elaine Moss said. ‘Of course I should mention that two days before he
croaked, he ran off with a blonde bimbo and dropped our daughter off at my place
after picking her up from school. Since then, I saw a change in my girl that
terrifies me.’
 
‘Why did you wait this long to contact the FBI, Mrs. Moss?’ Scully asked.
 
‘To be honest,’ Elaine sighed, ‘my daughter is not the easiest of girls.
She’s been into some problem a few years ago, and she’s got a reputation of
being difficult to handle. But I don’t blame her for that. I blame Henry.’
 
‘Is she on medication or drugs?’ Scully asked.
 
‘Not that I know of, but I’m not sure.’ Elaine Moss sunk on her
daughter’s bed and stared at the picture in Mulder’s hand. ‘I know you must think I’m
crazy, but I knew she’s living with the wrong crowd at this moment. I know where
she is ­ at least I think I know where she is.’
 
‘Then why did you contact us?’ Mulder asked. ‘Instead of warning the
police, you called the Bureau and asked for me specifically. I don’t recall us
meeting. How did you get my name?’
 
This time Elaine Moss looked up and said calmly, ‘we have a mutual
acquaintance.’
‘Who?’
 
She stood up and left the room, going to a small closet in her own
bedroom where she dug out a photo album that seemed to have been gathering dust for
some time now. She took out two articles and a set of photos and handed the set to
him.
 
‘Your name was all over this case,’ she said, as he read the articles
about the case they handled a few years ago. The Temple of the Seven Stars. The
name brought back a lot of memories for Mulder. They were memories he had
never dealt with. And now he stared at Melissa’s photo as it had appeared in the
newspapers as one of the many casualties of a mass suicide.
 
Mulder couldn’t help but swallow away the pain and guilt he had felt for
so long now as he stared at the photos of Melissa and Ephesian. It all seemed so
long ago, yet it felt like it had happened yesterday. He looked up at the
woman, knowing he couldn’t hide his pain.
 
‘Melissa was my niece,’ she said softly as she gave him a picture of the
woman he had shared so many lives with. The one he couldn’t save. ‘My sister is
ten years older than I am. She had a daughter way before I did. Melissa took
off to a cult, just like I am sure Vickie did.’
 
‘I can’t help you,’ he said, handing her the pictures back. ‘Melissa died
and that case was closed two years ago. Cults is not my jurisdiction. I
cannot do this.’
 
‘But you were there. I read about it in the papers. You tried to help her
and the others but couldn’t. Now I fear that my daughter has fallen into the
same trap. I don’t just fear it. I know it. I read about it.’
 
Elaine Moss pointed at the diary on her daughter’s night table that had
been left as evidence of her whereabouts. During the past few days Elaine had
wondered if her daughter had left it especially for her to read, so that
she could know where she was if she needed help.
 
‘I remember so much about Melissa,’ Elaine said softly. ‘She was
everyone’s favourite because she was the oldest. She used to come here when she was
little, long before my daughter was born. She changed. She met Ephesian and she
got hooked. He was like a drug to her. He wheeled her in and kept her in that
cage that he called a Temple. It destroyed my sister. She had to watch in pain
as Melissa changed and eventually disappeared out of sight. When the Bureau
called her to say that Melissa was dead, she collapsed. I don’t want that sort
of phone call, Agent Mulder.’
 
‘What cult are you talking about, Mrs. Moss?’ Scully asked gently. 
 
‘They call themselves Salvation Awaits and claim that they’re a help
group for people with problems, issues, whatever. They hand out flyers and promote
their so-called yoga-sessions. You can read the diary. She wrote about it. She
met this man who calls himself Dominique and got hooked instantly. She
skipped school to attend one of the sessions. Then they recruited her. And the
last passage in her diary says that she went to see them. She hasn’t come back
since. Should I draw further conclusions here?’
 
Elaine continued as her eyes stared outside to the streets with people
that had no cares in the world. ‘I know that she has changed. I know she used to
come home on time every night and now sometimes stayed away for hours. I know
she’s been skipping classes. One of my friends saw her wondering around the
Square, talking with those people. He warned me about them, and said that there
was a large group of people ­ mostly women ­ already living in an old school
that they renovated right outside of town.’
 
Mrs. Moss turned to Mulder and said, ‘I heard rumours that there was
something going on between you and Melissa. I informed myself about this case. I
know you tried to help here and persuade her not to go back to that … nut. What I
want from you now, is to stop this from happening to my daughter as well. If
and when she’s in a cult, I want her out of there before they decide to kill
themselves too.’
 
Mulder nodded slowly. Scully glanced at him. It was his call to make.
Then he simply nodded and said, ‘We’ll talk to our superior and see what we can.’
 
Scully glanced at Mulder, speaking for the two of them as she said,
‘Cults fall under the FBI’s field of expertise. I’m sure we will have no problem
assigning ourselves to this case.’
 
‘Thank you,’ Elaine sighed. ‘Thank you so much.’
She turned and left the room, leaving the two of them inside. Scully
looked at Mulder, walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. ‘Mulder,’ she
said softly, forcing her partner to look at her. ‘You don’t have to do this if
you don’t want to. There are enough colleagues that can take over. I know how
sensitive this lies ­‘
 
‘You know,’ Mulder said, interrupting her before she could finish her
excuses, ‘when Melissa died, I felt like I owed it to her to go to the funeral,
but I didn’t. We didn’t go. I know that to most of us thought she was just a
victim in a case that we couldn’t help. So I didn’t go, and I felt regret
afterwards that I let her be buried without saying goodbye to her. But I knew we would
meet again ­ not in this life but in our next. It seemed useless to mourn her
death.’
 
‘I know ­‘ Scully began, but Mulder raised his hand and looked at her.
 
‘There’s always been something missing in my life, Scully. It’s like a
gap that only she could fill in. I know that now. She was supposed to be part of
my life. If only we had met under different circumstances, she might still be
alive and I might ­‘
 
‘- No, Mulder,’ Scully interrupted. ‘Melissa fell into the wrong hands
but that happened long before you met. Everyone makes his or her choices early in
life. You met, probably because you believe it was destined. But you couldn’t
have saved her. For that, it was already too late.’
 
Mulder sighed, looking aside. ‘I shouldn’t talk about this,’ he said
quickly. ‘It’s been so long ago.’
 
‘No,’ she said, ‘I want you to talk about it. You mourn her. You have
every right to.’
‘It’s been too long. I can hardly remember her face.’
‘No, you remember every feature of it. But she rests in your heart,
Mulder. Like everyone that is dear to you, rests in your heart. She’s there with your
sister ­ with Samantha.’
 
He smiled. ‘Thank you.’
She smiled back as her fingers lingered on the back of his hand and they
both felt the connection that had been established so long ago.
 
 
- 3 -
 
Dominique Durant stood before the window of his small office and looked
outside. He had chosen this room as his office because it gave him a clear view of
everything that went on in his gardens. Despite the fact that everything
seemed to be going its own way, there was something that drew his attention. The
tension hung in the air when two women started arguing with each other
and a few of the children were sitting on the lawn watching it.
 
He knew both women by heart and by body. They held no secrets for him.
But the jealousy hung so thick that it became a danger to all of them. He didn’t
interfere though. He liked it when they argued about him. At least then
he could feel that they still would do anything for him.
 
Gretl especially was one of his most special women. Several times she had
sworn that she would do anything for him. She was even prepared to kill her own
father for him of she had to.
 
The catfight slowly came to an end. It worried him in a way that they
weren’t drugged enough to avoid this argument. But he had reduced the amount a
bit on his senior followers. Now it seemed that they were too much in control.
He would have to deal with that later.
 
Now he had more urgent things to deal with. In a few days the cult would
inherit a million or so when Gretl’s father would die from a failing heart. The
doctor was already taken care of. The coroner went for his usual amount. The
amount paid to keep these people in his pocket was nothing compared to what he
would have left. He would have to switch his MO though. Soon enough someone
would pick up the connection and start asking questions. That was one thing he
couldn’t afford.
 
But in a few weeks they would believe he was dead anyhow, and no one
would look for him. It would resolve itself pretty soon.
 
He left the office and used the hidden door to gain access to his locked
apartment. In the bedroom he put his hand against the far wall. On the
other side rested the girl that would soon be in his bed. If only he could be
patient enough …
 
- 4 -
 
The FBI-offices seemed nearly empty when they knocked on the door of
Skinner’s office. It was already late but Skinner didn’t mind seeing them this
late. It had been a busy day going through all the documents and information they
had on Dominique Durant, the leader of ‘Salvation Awaits’.
 
‘Come in,’ Skinner said, offering them a seat and coffee. Mulder declined
the coffee and put a file on the table with the information they had gathered
in the course of the afternoon. Skinner drank his coffee, leaned more
comfortably in his chair and said, ‘Tell me about this case.’
 
Mulder sat down and started explaining about the phone call they had
received from Elaine Moss. He opened the file and dug out the photo of Vickie they
had been given by Elaine.
 
‘We’ve been talking to the local PD about this cult that Mrs. Moss claims
exists,’ Scully said. ‘In truth, we cannot be sure at this moment that it
is a cult we’re talking about, but it sure sounds like this is the case.’
 
‘The cult where Vickie could be in, calls itself ‘SA’, or ‘Salvation
Awaits,’ Mulder started. ‘They distribute leaflets all over town, promoting their
yoga and self-knowledge exercises. They lure people to a former high school
outside of town that has been transformed into a secluded home for its members.
It’s been renovated about three years ago and is very strictly guarded. No one
gets in without an invitation. ‘Salvation Awaits’ focuses on a particular
target of people. They only recruit those with money and not many relatives, and
preferably those with problems or issues. In short ­ people that are in
need of a bit of attention and comfort.’
 
‘How do they find these people?’ Skinner asked, glancing at a list of
people that had their official residency at the former Henderson Institute.
 
“By chance,’ Scully said. ‘They are invited to join an introduction
class. Dominique who calls himself the chairman selects the members personally.
No one gets in without passing him. Every single of them was recruited on the
streets.’
 
 
Skinner glanced at his agents, returning his attention to the file they
had carefully put together with the help of the PD and ‘Salvation
Awaits’-Website. Mulder didn’t seem to be paying attention to what Scully said, but just
looked tense at the file in Skinner’s hands.
 
Skinner couldn’t help but remember what had happened a few years before.
He too was reliving the events. Finding those bodies in that secluded room was
one of the most gruesome things he had ever seen. He didn’t want to look back at
it. 
 
‘What do you know about this Dominique?’ he asked.
 
‘He’s an American citizen with French roots,’ Mulder said, handing a
newspaper clipping about the man. ‘Dominique Durant is a man in his late thirties
who has been convicted for fraud about ten years ago. He spent three years in
jail. After his release he secluded himself in the south of France at first,
and then returned to the US where he bought the old school and started renovating
it. There have always been doubts about where he got the money to do so.
Rumours have it that he married a rich French girl who drowned mysteriously,
leaving him her fortune. Her parents had filed a complaint against Durant but that
never made it to court.’
 
‘And he uses this building as his haven?’
 
‘Yes, sir,’ Scully said. ‘It seems that Durant has a way with persuading
his members to donate large amounts of money to him. With the money coming
from France he renovated one wing, but with their cash he did the other wing
as well. In total, according to the information that we have, there are
twenty-three members living in that building right now. We don’t know how many guards
he has. There are a few men that stand out. One of them is Dennis Withers, a
ex-convict Durant met in jail. They were roommates.’
 
‘How can we get this guy?’ Skinner said. ‘Looking at this file I would
say that there is nothing out of the ordinary to this guy. He hides himself behind
this yoga-movement he started, and everything seems legally in order.’
 
‘It’s true that we cannot get him back on the financial side of his
business, sir,’ Scully said. ‘But we do believe that there is something wrong
there. Several members inherited shortly before or after they joined the cult.
Almost all of them donated their entire inheritance to the group. That’s their
means of income. We believe that despite the sober lifestyle Dominique called into
life, he in fact is saving up for a rainy day.’
 
‘So money is his motive,’ Skinner said, ‘that’s not really noble, is it?’
 
‘Unlike other leaders of cults, Dominique doesn’t claim to be guided by
God or any other power,’ Mulder said. ‘That perhaps makes him more dangerous
than all the others. He’s prepared and willing to do anything for money. The
police have reason to believe that he’s a murderer, but there’s no evidence. All they
have are the names of a doctor and coroner who have signed the death
certificates for these sudden deaths. That alone is not proof enough to arrest Dominique
or the people he works with. There has to be reasonable doubt to exhume the
bodies.’
 
‘What can you do then?’ Skinner asked. ‘Arrest him and question him? The
moment you walk in that home of his, he’ll get rid of all the evidence. He won’t
succumb to your questioning. There’s no way you can prevent this working
from the outside. You need proof from the inside.’
 
‘First of all,’ Scully said, ‘we need to find out if Vickie Moss is in
that cult. She’s underage so we have the authority to get her out of there. However,
if he sees us coming, he’ll make sure she’s out of sight. She’s not on his
registration list yet. He’ll probably claim she’s vacationing there or
something. However, in about three weeks she turns eighteen. When she’s
legally an adult, we won’t be able to get her out.’
 
‘What do you propose then?’ Skinner said.
 
‘I’m afraid,’ Scully began, ‘that we will have to ­‘
 
‘- I want to try to get in there,’ Mulder interrupted her. ‘Get in that
cult and win his trust. If we become a member of his cult, we’ll have a way of
watching what happens from the inside.’
 
Scully looked at her partner. ‘You can’t do that. He’ll figure you out
from the start. You’ll only endanger yourself and the others.’
‘Not if he thinks I’ve got nothing to loose.’ Mulder looked aside. ‘I’ll
just have to persuade him that I mean what I say. And we can do it, basing the
lies on top of the truths. Sir, if I can get in there and let him believe that
I’ve burned all my bridges, he’ll take me in.’
‘He’ll distrust you from day one!’
‘I’ll make him trust me.’
‘No,’ Scully said hard, ‘you’re only doing this because of Melissa. But
Vickie Moss is not Melissa, Mulder. You don’t have to do this.’
 
Mulder looked at Skinner and said, ‘you know I’ll do it one way or
another. If you think about it rationally, you know that we will never be able to
prevent a disaster from happening when we’re standing on the outside looking in. If
you go to that cult and arrest him, he’ll have gotten rid of every piece of
evidence. He’s able to kill them all just like Ephesian has done and so many others
before him. They all believed that they were divine. This man only believes in
one god: Money. So let’s give him what he wants.’
 
‘You don’t know what he does to get these people to believe him,’ Scully
protested hard. ‘They might be on drugs or medication to keep them calm.
They might not be able to take care of themselves. How are you going to
protect yourself against this?’
 
‘You are going to protect me,’ Mulder said quietly. ‘We’ll be in constant
contact. But I need your support on this or it’s not going to work and
you know it. I need you to trust me, Scully.’
 
Scully sank down on her chair, feeling angry with herself and her
partner. She knew he was right but she wasn’t willing to give in just yet. She turned
to Skinner, ready to use her boss against her partner. But Skinner had
already agreed to the idea. She saw it in his eyes. Mulder had been undercover
before and it had worked out in some way. He could take care of himself.
 
‘All right,’ Skinner said. ‘You have three days in there. If you are in
trouble, we need you to get in touch with us. We’ll smuggle a cell phone in that
compound if necessary. And don’t do anything stupid, Mulder. Your job is to get
Vickie Moss out of there, and find evidence to murder or fraud. Don’t be a hero
and face Dominique by yourself.’
 
‘No sir,’ Mulder said.
 
Scully already feared that he would be taking too many risks. ‘Know thy
partner,’ she mumbled, as they left the office.
 
 
- 5 -
 
The square was crowded with people, but it wasn’t too difficult to find
the members of ‘Salvation Awaits’. They were all dressed the same way, acting
similar. They all seemed to be in their own place in time and space, as
if they didn’t have a care in the world.
 
Mulder walked over to one of them, passing the woman carelessly.
‘Salvation Awaits, sir?’ she asked.
‘What?’ he turned and looked at her as she offered a flyer with words
written in bold letters.
‘Are you interested in finding out more about relaxation techniques and
yoga-exercises? We have an excellent program for stressed out people that
are seeking a bit of relaxation after office hours. You look like you need
it.’
 
He smiled vaguely. ‘Really?’ and accepted the folder. ‘Thanks.’ Quickly
he glanced over the leaflet and returned to look at the young woman. She was
a pretty looking blonde. In fact, all the men and woman that were members
of the cult seemed to be attractive and appealing. Besides money, they also had
looks.
 
‘What exactly is this ‘Salvation Awaits’?’ he asked, getting her
attention. She smiled, expecting this question from him.
 
‘Why don’t you find out for yourself and come to our meeting tomorrow?
Our introduction session is for free and right outside of town. You’ll love
it.’ ‘I’m not so sure that this is my cup of tea. I’m always very busy and ­‘
‘- The more reason to come over. Why don’t you give it a try? I promise
that you’ll be taken care of. Just ask for Gretl when you get there. I’ll
guide you.’
 
 
Mulder nodded and smiled as he walked further, nodding at the other
members of the cult that stared at him. At ease he walked over this car, pretending
to be reading the folder. He could feel their eyes pierce in his back.
 
When he drove off, an attractive man clad in a business suit walked over
to Gretl and said, ‘Who was that?’
 
‘I have no idea but he’s coming tomorrow to our meeting,’ Gretl said
pleased.
‘Dominique, he might become one of your new followers.’
 
The man in the suit nodded and smiled as he kissed Gretl. ‘You did well,
my love.’
 
Gretl smiled back and returned to her spot, pleased with the attention he
gave her. It was always hard struggling for a spot in his good books and now
that she had it, she would do anything to stay there. It was where she belonged.
 
 
- 6 -
 
The newspaper article received a special place on the front page, drawing
the attention of anyone that read the paper. FBI investigating disappearance
of agent’s sister again, the headline read, with a subline saying, Argument
around case-investigation still ongoing. The article referred the reader to an
article on the second page.
 
Dominique glanced over it as he drank his coffee; more interested in the
stocks he had bought a few weeks ago. All was going perfectly. In about a month
or so he would be able to leave the country with enough money to spend the rest
of his life in luxury. Everything he had set up during his time in prison was
coming to a close.
 
The new recruitment session would start in about half an hour. Dominique
was especially interested in the man that had been talking to Gretl. He had
seemed interested enough. From the way he came over, he might do anything for a
living, Dominique thought. But he wore expensive shoes and an Armani-suit. Money
would be no problem.
 
Gretl had seemed eager enough to talk to him. She told Dominique that she
was in need for some fresh blood in the house. It had been too long since she
had met someone interesting enough to stop her from feeling bored.
 
He sighed as he rubbed his temple. Sometimes he really got fed up with
all the women in this place. If he didn’t keep them under control with the
tablets, they would have taken off instantly.
 
He glanced at his watch, looking outside. The first cars were already
arriving. They were early. A tall man got out and looked around him, insecure. It
was the same man he had seen the day before. He seemed to be even more nervous
when he walked up to the front gate and was allowed in by one of the guards. Then
he stood in the middle of the driveway until Gretl walked over to him and he
seemed relieved to meet a familiar face.
 
Dominique put his newspaper aside, suddenly catching the picture of the
FBI-agent that was featured on the second page. It was the same face he
was looking at outside. He was the one whose sister had disappeared over
twenty years ago and had not stopped searching for her. He was the one reopening
the investigation to her disappearance, causing arguments within the FBI.
 
And now he was here.
 
Dominique felt a shiver run down his spine. Somehow the fact that there
was an FBI-agent on his premises, didn’t appeal to him. But when he sent the man
away, he would immediately become suspicious.
 
But this was an outcast. And he had money.
 
Dominique straightened his shoulders, glanced at his features in the
mirror and used the regular stairs down. By the time he reached the lawn, the six
invited guests had arrived, and his game could begin.
 
 
- 7 -
 
‘What do you do, Mr. Mulder?’ Dominique asked as he sat on the bench
before the man.
 
Mulder looked him straight in the eyes and said, ‘I’m an FBI-agent. Well,
I was an FBI-agent until yesterday.’
‘Really?’ Dominique said soothingly, folding his hands over each other.
‘What happened to you yesterday?’
 
Mulder’s eyes darkened and he didn’t seem to be willing to talk about it
first. But Dominique’s soft voice seemed so charming and honest it felt
difficult not to respond. There was something in his voice that appealed to people. He
was able to get the deepest secrets out of them. Slowly Mulder realized that
he too would be able to become a victim of this man, hadn’t he realized
beforehand that all of it was just a way to get to him.
 
‘Mr. Mulder,’ Dominique said friendly, ‘in this house we tell each other
the truth. You are here for relaxation techniques. But those techniques do
not help unless you confide in me. I cannot help you until I know what bothers
you. What drives you. What brings you here. Without those answers, you are not
eligible to become a member of our selected group.
 
‘My sister,’ Mulder said as his eyes drifted off, refusing to look at the
others. ‘She disappeared when I was twelve years old and she was eight.
Everyone always blamed me for it: my parents, the community and our friends. I was
at home and had to watch her. But I couldn’t stop her from disappearing. I
spent my entire life looking for her. My fellow colleagues have tried to stop me.
Even my partner didn’t support me when I followed a lead into my sister’s
disappearance. I finally got so fed up that I left. I decided that I can only find her
on my own terms. I don’t need their resources to help me.’
 
‘So you just packed your bags and quit the FBI?’
 
‘That’s what basically happened, yeah. I didn’t need to be there for the
money. My father left me a large inheritance. I’m planning on investigating her
disappearance on my own terms from now on. She’s very dear to me and I
want to find her. It’s been my life’s goal and it will stay that way until I
finally track her down.’
 
‘Do you believe that she’s still alive?’
 
‘I know that she is. I’ve seen evidence that she’s out there, waiting for
me. When I find her, I’ll tell the world that they were all wrong. I don’t
need my so-called friends to tell me that.’
 
Dominique looked very serious when he moved away from the wooden bench he
sat on, and put his hand on Mulder’s shoulder, forcing the agent to look at
him. ‘You haven’t had a second’s peace in your life, have you, Fox?’
 
Mulder winced at the use of his first name but nodded slowly. ‘No, I
haven’t.’ ‘And you came here to find that peace. You want confirmation that what
you did was right.’
‘I don’t know why I’m here. When I talked to that woman yesterday, she
sounded so happy. I just ­‘
‘- You just want to be happy yourself, don’t you? That’s what anyone
wants.
That’s why you are here.’
 
‘But I’m not allowed to be happy. I lost her.’
‘You were just a child. You couldn’t be held responsible. If anyone’s
responsible, it’s your parents for leaving you alone.’ Dominique started
walking and took place behind Mulder who still sat down and stared before him.
‘Why are you really here, Fox?’
 
Mulder straightened his shoulders. ‘I want another life,’ he said firmly.
‘I want to live with people that don’t blame me for my sister’s abduction
and don’t push me back when I want to find out what happened to her.’
 
‘Do you believe you’ll find that here?’
‘I don’t know what I’ll find here. I don’t know anything about this
place. I just came here because that woman told me I could find some peace and
rest here. I should be out there, looking for her, but right now I can’t. I’m just
exhausted. I want some rest.’
 
Mulder hid his face between his hands. His shoulders shook as he leaned
forward. The other guests looked at him and nodded in compassion. Dominique leaned
forward and put his hand on his back. ‘You’re going to be fine, Fox. We
all are. I promise you that you’ll get through this and that you will never have
to be alone again. I guarantee it.’
 
Mulder looked up, staring gratefully at Dominique who smiled and nodded
just as compassionately as the others had done. A few moments later the group
parted. Dominique walked his guests to their cars, and looked at the group of
people that glanced at him hopefully. All of them expected a resolution to their
problems and he was able to give it to them. But resolution had its price
and he already knew whom he was going to select.
 
The FBI-agent would be among them soon. His first test would be a test of
faith. After that, it would become clear if he was telling the truth or not. And
then it would be very simple to wheel him in. The risks he took for granted.
Life was full of risks. This was no exception.
 
It just made everything more fun.
 
- 8 -
 
She watched as he packed his bag, staring in despair at his moves. She
didn’t want him to go. She could sense that it would all come to a dramatic end
if he did. But he had made his decision and she knew better than anyone that he
was unstoppable.
 
When he put his cell phone in his bag, she stopped him. ‘Don’t,’ she
said, ‘they’ll check and take it out. You should hide it. I’m pretty sure they
won’t strip you down to the bone.’ Her hand lingered on his, and they both
looked at it.
 
‘I’m sure stripping is not a part of their agenda,’ he grinned back,
shoving the cell phone in the pocket of his jeans. ‘But you’re right of course. I
should be careful.’
 
‘And check the room they give you for bugs. You can never be sure enough.
And ­‘
 
‘Scully, I know what I’m doing,’ he said, stopping her before she could
finish. He took her in his arms, forcing her suddenly to lean into him. Her first
reaction was to shove him away, but then she embraced him and put her
head against his chest.
 
‘I have this feeling I won’t see you again,’ she whispered, looking up at
him. He didn’t respond at first. Then he smiled and made sure she saw him.
‘You don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily? I promise you that we will
stay in touch constantly. The moment it gets rough, you get me out of there.’
 
‘I’m just afraid he’s going to prevent us being in touch.’
 
Mulder sighed and moved away from her, closing his bag. ‘I don’t want to
go through this again, Scully. You know I have to do this. If I don’t, I’ll
regret it for the rest of my life. We’ve never backed out of a rough spot
before. Why should I start now?’
 
‘You’re leading yourself by your emotions, Mulder. That’s what I fear the
most. You’re not doing this because you believe it’s the best way to act. You
do this because you don’t want Vickie to become another Melissa. But you said it
yourself; Dominique is a more dangerous Ephesian. As soon as he figures
out that you’re there for a purpose, he’ll kill you and you’ll have no defence.
You can’t take your gun in there. You’ll be an easy target to him.’
 
‘Then I’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t figure it out,’ Mulder said,
putting his bag on the floor. ‘I’m not afraid of him, Scully. I just
don’t want you to panic on this. I need you now more than ever. You need to pull
yourself together and be there when I need you.’
 
‘I’ll always be there for you,’ she responded. ‘I just don’t like the
idea of you being locked up in there. I dread the idea that you might be fed
medication or drugs. It’s the rational side of me speaking, I know. I wish I could
come with you.’
 
‘I know.’ He smiled reassuringly. ‘The fact that you’ll be around to
cover my back, is enough to keep me up and about in there. Trust on that.’
 
‘I only trust in you,’ she responded seriously.
He didn’t need her to say that. From all the doubts in the world that he
had ever had, there was one that had been resolved a long time ago. There was
just one person he trusted and she stood right in front of him, ready to do
anything to help him.
 
That alone, was more than enough to take this dangerous step.
 
Scully knew that. When they said their goodbyes, she took the back door,
allowing her to leave in the darkness and unseen. They both knew that her
presence in his apartment could mean his end, yet they couldn’t deny that
they needed to say goodbye in a proper way.
 
And so she left, as if she had no right to be there any longer. And he
spent the last night in his apartment by himself, staring into the darkness while
the VCR played one of his favourite movies. But for the first time, he didn’t
watch it.
 
 
Part II: Finding
 
You crashed by the gate
Captured my fate
Salvation
My eyes couldn't see
I hardly breathed
My heart was asleep
Salvation
 
 
- 1 -
 
The room was filled with people clad in light colours. Their faces were
bright and happy, yet showed signs of a strange sort of numbness, as if they
weren’t able to think for themselves. They loved being in this room, surrounded
by the ones they loved. They had chosen to be here. Yet, some of them seemed to
be out of place and out of time ­ waiting for something that they couldn’t
grasp.
 
Amongst them was a young woman that by far seemed to be the one most out
of place. She had entered the group last, and was still adjusting to this
new pace in her life. Everything had come to a stop, including her thoughts,
dreams and ideas. She felt that something was wrong. Yet she too wore that same
expression that they all had to the bone. She was a part of them. And she didn’t
want to be anywhere else. Even if she had wanted to, she could not leave.
 
‘Today,’ Dominique started with the voice that spoke of trust and faith
to his followers. ‘Today, I have found what I have been looking for. I searched
for people that were in search of me. We encountered and discovered each
other, and now they are here because they chose to be. They’re standing before you
as they have come. They will live here amongst you and share their belongings
with you. They will love you and take care of you, as they love and take care of
me.’
 
Dominique stretched out his finger and pointed at the three people
standing before all the other members on a small podium. They looked nervous and
out of place. But the ones that stood on the podium smiled and nodded, as if to
assure them that they had made the right choice.
 
‘These newcomers still seek their place in society. They have chosen to
be excluded from their own worlds to live with us. They want to be a part of
our family. I expect you all to give them the friendship that they deserve.’
 
Dominique looked at the woman in her late forties he had selected. She
was standing beside Mulder and seemed to be the most nervous one. She was a
widow. Her family had deserted her when she married her late husband, making her
choose between them and the man she loved. After their marriage he had made
himself a small fortune that now belonged to her. Dominique had chosen her after
running an thorough background check. Even though she was one of the oldest women
around, she would also be one of the easiest targets he’d ever had. If
she died, no one would investigate. She had no one that would care.
 
The woman, Renata Lowe, glanced at the two people beside her that were
newcomers, like her. She felt like she was standing on a stage, acting in
a play. This seemed all so unreal that she was already dreading the choice
she had made. She didn’t have to be here, yet she was.
 
Beside her stood a young lady in her early twenties that had been keen on
being part of the group instantly. He didn’t want to have her at first, because
she wouldn’t bring in enough money. But she was able to pay the entry-money
and would make for a nice extra to the fortune he was gathering. Plus, she
had a great body. If he were lucky, he would still enjoy that for a while
before the grand finale he was preparing.
 
The one he worried about the most was Mulder. The ex-FBI-agent seemed to
be standing there expecting a huge change in his life yet there was
something in his eyes Dominique couldn’t read and didn’t like. The background check
had shown that the agent had been telling the truth. He had quit the FBI, leaving
behind everything. He had handed over his badge and gun.
 
An insider he had used before confirmed that the FBI-agent had always
been an outcast and was nicknamed ‘Spooky Mulder’. He was a joke to a lot of his
colleagues because he investigated cases of the paranormal. He had also
insisted for years that aliens had abducted his sister. When he resigned, a lot of
high-ranking officers had been quite pleased. It seemed that they had
been trying to get him out for years.
 
Dominique had no idea why he took in Mulder that easily. Dennis had asked
him bluntly why he took the risk, and he couldn’t answer. There was something
in the man that appealed to him. During the short time he had been followed by
one of his men, he had not sought out contact with his friends or former
colleagues. He had lived in seclusion in his apartment, not even going out for food. He
had lived on junk food all the time, delivered at home. He acted as they had
all acted before the final decision. Waiting. Expecting. Wanting more from
life than what was given to them right now.
 
During the three conversations before the selection, Mulder had come
across as a self-assured man on the outside with a lot of issues on the inside. It
took Dominique some time to force some personal information out of him. The
only time he had watched the agent collapse was during the very first session,
where he had told them about the one issue in his life that had never been
resolved.
 
But finally the agent did seem to give in and talked about his past and
the one woman that had deserted him: his partner, Agent Scully. He had called her
a traitor that worked for the FBI and was sent to debunk his work. He had
worked for years with her, yet always doubted her loyalties.
 
He told him that Scully had sought him out a couple of times, trying to
get in touch with him. Her description matched with that of a redhead woman that
had been seen walking in and out of Mulder’s building a few times but who had
left almost instantly, as if she had been sent away.
 
But Dominique was still careful. He needed to make sure it was true. And
there was only one way to find that out. It would be Mulder’s first test, and
the one that mattered the most.
 
And so the test of faith began as the newcomers were welcomed by their
‘family’ and invited to join them for lunch. A large, bright dining room was set
for a group of thirty people. There were no children on the premises. Dominique
refused mothers or fathers with children, even when they had a fortune to
spend. He didn’t want marital or legal issues in his little world.
 
There were twenty-six followers now, counting the three newcomers. From
the six guards that walked around on the compound, three were invited to join
lunch. Dennis, Dominique’s most trusted right-hand sat at one side of the table,
glancing occasionally at Mulder. Dominique took a seat at the head of the
table. The two other guards took place between the very quiet groups of
followers.
 
All guests were invited to sit at the simple lunch table. All the plates
were white and plain. The table was not decorated. Everything breathed
simplicity. Besides each plate stood a very small white cup with a white tablet on
it. Mulder was seated next to Gretl, the woman he had met on the square, and
Denise, a young woman who didn’t seem older than fifteen but was in fact
twenty-eight. Vickie Moss sat at the far end of the table. There was no way he could
speak to her now without acting suspicious.
 
He watched them all, trying to read something of their faces. Their
expressions were blank and they hardly spoke a word, even though they didn’t seem
unhappy. They simply sat still, waiting for a move from Dominique, who looked them
over, crossing his hands under his chin.
 
Only when he moved to take the white tablet out of his cup, the others
did the same. The newcomers watched as the followers took the tablet and put it
in their mouth, swallowing it with the glass of water that was foreseen for
everyone. The three new ones didn’t have a tablet.
 
Mulder glanced at Dominique who stood at the top of the table and watched
his followers. But he didn’t take his tablet. He brought his hand to his
mouth and put the tablet in, but with a very quick move that was hardly noticeable,
he spit it out again in the palm of his hand.
 
Then his hand moved towards the napkin and shoved it underneath. And no
one saw ­ except for Mulder, who tried to not to look too openly at the man that
deceived his people.
 
Lunch followed, as it would have done everywhere. The food was prepared
simple but good. There was only water to drink. There was no selection possible.
Everyone received the same food. Everyone emptied their plate; despite
the fact there was more than enough.
 
At first Mulder was tempted to leave a bit on the plate, but didn’t. He
didn’t want to arouse suspicion. He was a good, little boy after all.
 
Everyone ate in silence. Not a single word was uttered until the plates
were empty. Then a few people spoke to each other but the conversations were
whispered in silence.
 
Then Dominique rose and asked the three newcomers to follow him.
Surprised the three rose and followed the man up the stairs to the third floor, and
through a large corridor into separately locked quarters. The leader used a key to
unlock two French doors and asked them to take a seat on white chairs in a small
waiting area. The three took a seat and waited in silence until he
returned and invited the shy young woman in.
 
The woman seemed surprised that she was the first one to go in, but
followed without questioning. The second pair of doors locked behind her. Mulder
leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. It all seemed to so unreal
and strange, and far from a good idea.
 
‘What is all this?’ Renata suddenly whispered beside him. ‘I thought this
would be some sort of resting place, but I feel like I’m in a cult or
something.’
 
‘I don’t know,’ Mulder responded, liking the woman instantly. Her bright
eyes seemed to be as sceptic as Scully’s.
‘I’m not so sure that I like what’s going on here,’ the woman continued.
‘Do you think it would be too late to tell them I changed my mind?’
 
‘I don’t know,’ Mulder responded, wondering why an attractive woman like
her would be in a place like this. Little did he know that she was wondering
the same thing about him. ‘I think I’m going to hang around to see what
happens next.’
 
She smiled and offered her hand. ‘Renata Lowe.’
‘Fox Mulder.’
‘Just promise me one thing, Fox,’ she said with a conspiracy look in her
eyes, ‘the moment I start acting strange, tell me so I can work on it.’
 
He laughed, surprised that it felt so good to have a bit of humour in
this place. It was something to cling onto.
 
A few moments later the meek woman came out and walked past them. She
didn’t seem to notice them. Dominique came out and asked Renata to follow him.
The woman winked at Mulder and walked after the leader into his quarters.
 
Mulder rose up from his seat and walked over to the barred window. As he
looked outside he saw the others on the lawn. They seemed to be part of a
Victorian novel. They all sat or walked over the lawn. Some of them were reading.
Others just sat there in silence to enjoy the sun. He watched as the meek woman
joined them and sat down as well.
 
They all reminded him of zombies. Whatever that tablet did or didn’t do,
it was probably one of the most dangerous drugs out there to cause this result.
And he knew that soon enough they would be forced to go the same way.
 
Mulder thought of the cell phone he had hidden in his room. Before lunch,
they had been given the chance to unpack their belongings. He hadn’t dared to
leave the phone in the pocket of his pants. Instead he had hidden it in a pair
of socks in the bottom drawer of the small closet he received.
 
Before entering the compound, they had received instructions on how much
stuff they could take with them. One of the specific conditions had been not to
bring books or music. Books were available in a huge library in the main
building, and music played from the stereo system that could be heard all over the
building. Of course modern music wasn’t allowed. All that played was selected,
classical music.
 
There was no television available in the rooms, but one of the main halls
had a small television room that was open between specific hours. There would
always be a guard available to monitor the program selection. No violence was
allowed.
 
All of these conditions just added to the sense of seclusion and
isolation. There were no newspapers or means of finding out what was happening in
the outside world. There were no telephones, except for one in Dominique’s
office. And the guards all had cell phones to be in constant touch with each
other.
 
Several times that morning and during lunch, Mulder had wanted to call
Scully and tell her that he was pulling back on his decisions. But he wasn’t a
quitter. Looking at the people in this place, it seemed that they could use a bit
of help. At least now he would be able to find out for himself what was
going on in this place.
 
Dominique most definitely had the best of views on the garden. From this
spot he could watch any activity and see any intruders coming from afar. Mulder
wondered why he had chosen the third floor though. It would take him some time to
go from one end of the building to the other.
 
The door opened again. This time Mulder was asked to come in. Renata
Lowe, the woman he had spoken to just a few moments before, now ignored him as if
he didn’t exist. She had changed in a few minutes time.
 
Dominique waited for him in a white room with a large desk, a cupboard
behind that desk and a table with two chairs. Against the back wall a white
couch was supposed to bring a bit of comfort to the room, but in fact it just added
to the coldness of the room. With the light furniture and lack of decoration, it
seemed to be a doctor’s office.
 
‘Fox,’ Dominique sat, inviting the man to sit down on one of the chairs.
‘Welcome to ‘Salvation Awaits’. I am very happy that you decided to join
us and take this time to get your life in order. I was doubting for a bit that
you would take the step, but I’m glad that you did.’
 
‘I am happy,’ Mulder said with steady voice. ‘But it feels strange. I’ve
never lived with this many people together. I’m not so sure that I’ll be able
to fit in.’
 
‘You will get used to that soon enough. Remember that you always still
have your own room left if you want to be alone. You are free to go wherever you
want except for my offices. The doors will always remain locked. My quarters
are on the second floor, just like yours, but again ­ you are not allowed to go
there. That goes for all the rooms. When in private, everyone should respect
everyone’s decision to be alone.’
 
‘I understand that,’ Mulder nodded.
 
‘The grounds are large and appealing for strolls. You can compare it with
a small park. Our garden is one of the most beautiful in the country. You
can do whatever you want to feel at home. We support hobbies and pastimes. If
you like to paint or sculpt, we will provide the materials. And if you want to go
in search of one your talents, we will help you as much as we can.’
 
Dominique smiled. ‘I’m sorry; it sounds like I’m laying down the rules
here. I don’t want to chase you away. You are free to go whenever you want. You
are not a prisoner here. If you feel like you don’t belong here anymore, you can
leave. But I can guarantee you that no one has done that ever since I started
‘SA’. There’s never been a desire to leave us. I’m very proud of that.’
 
‘I understand,’ Mulder said as he relaxed a little bit.
Dominique leaned against the desk and placed a hand on the man’s
shoulder. ‘You needed help, Fox, and you found it with us.’
 
Dominique stood up, leaving the desk as he walked to the barred window
and glanced outside at his people. ‘As you know, our income exists of
yoga-classes and relaxation techniques. My advice is that you follow those classes.
Soon you will be asked to recruit new people, like you have been recruited on the
square. But that’s for the future. Right now I want you to relax and enjoy.’
 
Mulder smiled, thinking that this was the end of it. But of course it
wasn’t. Dominique put his hand in his pocket and stretched it out before him,
opening it so that Mulder could see a tablet on the palm of his hand. ‘There’s one
last thing that you need to do before becoming a member of our community. You
need to show me that you mean what you say.’
 
‘What is this?’ Mulder asked, looking at the tablet.
 
‘You already know. Your friends already take these tablets. They’re not
drugs, Fox. They’re homeopathic products that will help you to relax a little
bit. Everyone that comes in here is so tense and stressed out that we need to
help you a bit when you start out. These tablets will do that for you. You
will feel a lot better.’
 
‘I don’t want to feel numb or out of control,’ Mulder objected weakly.
‘You won’t. You’ve seen all the others. They take those tablets
voluntarily. It makes them feel good about themselves and that’s what they need right
now. Every single person out there has been in trouble one way or another. They all
suffered for something that was beyond their power. I help them as I will
help you forget about your sister’s disappearance.’
 
‘I don’t want to forget.’
‘Yes, you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.’
‘No, I came here to find peace, not oblivion.’
 
‘The only way you can find peace is by forgetting what has driven you to
this point in time. I know what pushed you in the past, Fox. You haven’t had a
life since the day your sister disappeared. You put your life at stake so many
times to find her. Isn’t it time that you stop doing that and start living your
own life? Don’t you deserve that much?’
 
‘I do,’ Mulder said quietly, ‘but I refuse to take these tablets. I want
to be in control.’
 
Dominique sighed deeply and said, ‘Then I’m afraid we have nothing
more to talk about, Fox. I ask you to do one thing for me and you refuse. I
cannot help you any longer if you don’t scratch my back for once. But I understand.
I’ll have Dennis help you pack and leave.’
 
‘No, wait,’ Mulder said weakly, stopping Dominique before he could open
the door. ‘Is this the only way I can stay?’
 
‘I’m afraid it is.’
‘And they’re not drugs?’
‘I guarantee it. Why don’t you try it out and see what it tells you?
You’ll feel fantastic, I swear.’
 
Mulder took one of the tablets from Dominique’s palm. The leader handed
him a glass of water and said, ‘Show me your faith, Fox.’
 
Mulder closed his eyes as he swallowed the pill, knowing what it would
do. But he had no choice. Dominique watched as he drank the water. Then Mulder
opened his eyes again, staring at the cult leader. The effect was noticeable
instantly as the drug entered his bloodstream and did its job.
 
Mulder smiled, as the world seemed to become a new place suddenly. The
change was so clear, deep inside of him. He wanted to fight off the drugs but
couldn’t. Every worry seemed to be far away; every reason for existence
unimportant. There was just this place and no worry in the world. Everything outside of this
room was another man’s worry.
 
 Dominique leaned over, patting him gently on the shoulder. ‘I’ll take
care of you from now on, Fox,’ he whispered, using that voice he had learned to
use so well over the past few years. ‘You’re mine now and I’ll never let you
go.’
 
Mulder nodded and stood up. Dominique grabbed his arm and guided him out
of the room. ‘Why don’t you join the others?’ the leader said, leading Mulder to
the staircase.
 
The FBI-agent quietly made his way down. His footsteps were noticeable on
the wooden staircase that had been restored two years ago. Downstairs he
joined the others in the garden, taking a seat on one of the benches. There was a
comfortable silence amongst them.
 
Dominique glanced through the window at his three new kids. They acted
like they all did. Tomorrow he would know how they would react to the drugs. Some
of them couldn’t stand them and became ill. Most of them went through the motions
without too many hassles.
 
But one thing the drug did for all them of: It never lost its grip on
them. It unwound the toughest of people, and delivered them in his hands like
lambs to the slaughterhouse. And he could do with any of them whatever he wanted
to do. This drug not only controlled them; it also set their minds open to him.
And when he ordered them to do something for him, they did. Not one of them
had ever refused.
 
The agent had passed the test of faith for now. But it had only just
begun, and the coming days he would keep a strict eye on him. He would have never
let the agent go. Even if he had decided to refuse those tablets, he would have
forced the drugs upon him. He couldn’t allow any of them to leave. For that it
was already too late the moment they walked into his house.
 
 
In the middle of the night Mulder woke up with a splitting headache,
lying on the bed in his small, private room. It took him a while to realize he was
at the secluded compound. Before long he realized what had happened. But he had
no recollection of anything that happened after he had taken the tablet in
Dominique’s office.
 
He couldn’t remember having dinner. He couldn’t remember talking to any
of the others. And he didn’t know how he had gotten to his room. There was just
the realization that somehow he had lost half a day of his life and there was
no way of getting that back.
 
And the worst part was that he would not know if he had betrayed himself.
 
 
- 2 -
 
In the middle of the night Mulder sat on his bed with his cell phone in
his trembling hands. It had taken him some time to gather his wits and to
explore the room for bugs or cameras. There didn’t seem to be any. Dominique
probably thought everyone was so under the influence of drugs that they would
cause no harm. And the doors were locked. He couldn’t get out even if he wanted
to.
 
He had difficulty dialling her number. In fact, it just seemed outright
impossible to talk to her in a normal way. She seemed to be part of
another world that he couldn’t reach anymore, and that after spending just one
day and night in this place.
 
She picked up the phone instantly, despite the fact it was nearly three
a.m. ‘Mulder,’ she said with worry in her voice that sounded like heaven to
him. He wanted to be with her right now and feel secure in her presence. Instead,
his seclusion only seemed to become worse by the minute.
 
‘Yeah,’ he said hoarse, ‘I’m here.’
 
‘Why didn’t you call me sooner? Are you okay?’
 
He wanted to tell her he was fine but he couldn’t lie. She would figure
it out instantly. She knew him too well. Quickly he explained what had happened.
She listened in shock when he told her he couldn’t remember a single moment
after leaving Dominique’s office.
 
‘You have to get out of there, Mulder,’ she insisted, ‘this is getting
way over your head. You’re no use to anyone if you walk around drugged in there.’
 
‘No,’ he said firmly, ‘I need evidence. I haven’t been able to talk to
Vickie yet, but I will in the morning. I’ll try to get through to her.’
 
‘How can you, when they feed you drugs?’
 
‘They only fed them to us during lunch. My guess is that they believe the
effects last a full day. But I woke up in the middle of the night. What
if those drugs have more influence to your system after a while, numbing you
completely after more exposure? That buys me a bit of time.’
 
‘Don’t you think they see through you?’
 
‘I can play a druggie,’ he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit.
‘Scully, I need to steal a few of those tablets. If they are drugs, we
can get him on that. I need to talk to Vickie Moss and a few of the others first
before I get out of here. If I leave now, he’ll know and destroy all evidence. You
know what he’s able to do.’
 
‘That’s what worries me the worst,’ she said. ‘Have it your way, Mulder.
I’ll give you one more day. But I’m getting you out of here after that, you
hear?’
 
‘Okay.’
 
Reluctantly she hung up, more worried than angry because he had waited so
long to call her. But the fact that he was slowly losing control scared the
wits out of her. She resisted the urge to call Skinner and ask for his permission
to fetch Mulder. Instead, she slid out of bed and turned on the lights. She
had not been able to sleep. Now she couldn’t even if she wanted to.
 
So at four a.m. she found herself in her kitchen, drinking instant
coffee, wondering what her partner was doing right now.
 
After the call Mulder laid awake on the bed, staring at the cracked
ceiling. The floor squeaked outside of his room. They were doing their rounds,
probably checking up on their victims. Mulder couldn’t help but wonder about
Renata Lowe and the other young woman that had joined with him. Had they woken up in
the middle of the night as well? Had they wondered about this place too?
 
He was glad when the morning came and the bell rang for breakfast. At
breakfast the same ritual followed. Everyone sat down quietly but there was no
tablet. That would come during lunch. He didn’t dare to look at the others and
ate his croissants quietly. But when his eyes shifted restlessly, they met
Renata’s who sat opposite him.
 
From the clear look in her eyes, he knew she was her normal self as well.
He nodded slowly, unnoticeable to the others. They would talk during
breakfast. Somehow there was something different about Renata. She had a secret that
she wasn’t telling.
 
Mulder drank his coffee, trying to glance at Dominique, who was occupied
with Vickie Moss sitting next to him. He spoke softly to her. The girl’s eyes
seemed meek yet her gesture spoke of tension. Then the girl turned away from
Dominique and drank her tea. Her eyes glanced at Mulder, and then shifted again,
ignoring all of them.
 
After the group parted, a number of them returned to their quarters.
Everyone had received strict orders to keep their room clean. There was no
housekeeping, except for two women who came once a week to scrub the floors. Everyone
made their own beds. There was a daily check-up in every room.
 
It was already rather warm for the time of year. Mulder waited to see
what Vickie and Renata would do, and then walked after Vickie who left, apparently
for a stroll down the artificial park.
 
He walked after her, taking a slow pace. There was a gardener at work who
ignored him. One of the guards that usually watched the gates, talked to
one of the women. They were on the other side of the pond.
 
‘Vickie,’ he said softly so that she alone could hear. She stopped and
turned to look at him. Instantly he knew she wasn’t under the influence of the
pills. Her eyes were bright and alive, unlike those of the others. He knew she
noticed the same thing.
 
‘Who are you?’ she asked, refusing to look him straight in the eyes.
‘You know who I am.’
 
‘No,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I know who you pretend to be. Now tell
me who you really are.’
‘Can’t you guess?’
 
‘You didn’t quit the FBI, did you?’
‘No.’
‘Did my mother send you?’
‘Yes.’
 
She frowned, exploring his face. ‘I know you,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen your
face before, but ­‘ Suddenly she seemed to recognize him. ‘You worked on Melissa’s case,
didn’t you? My mother kept articles and pictures of her death. You were in them. I
remember now. Is that how she got in contact with you?’
 
He nodded slowly. ‘She worries about you. She contacted me. It was my
idea to do this.’
‘What exactly are you doing?’
‘I’m trying to gather evidence that our friend Dominique Durant is a
liar, a drug-dealer and a murderer.’
 
Vickie smiled, baring her white teeth. She was a beautiful young woman
that had everything going for her. By far she seemed the brightest of them all,
having somehow overcome the effects of the drug.
 
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘He is all that. But you cannot prove it.’
‘Can’t I? I’ve got you, haven’t I?’
‘Who says I’m willing to testify?’
 
Mulder sat down on one of the wooden benches near the pond. She hesitated
for a moment and then sat down beside him. Both glanced at the guard on the
other side of the pond. He didn’t seem to find it strange that they were talking.
 
‘If you weren’t willing, we wouldn’t be sitting here,’ Mulder said.
‘You’re not under the influence. Care to explain?’
She raised her shoulders. ‘I didn’t want to feel so numb. I don’t take
those tablets anymore.’
‘But you are willing to stay and be put in constant danger.’
 
She sighed. ‘I came here for seclusion and peace of mind. That’s what I
found.’

‘At the cost of what? You obviously don’t feel at home here, or you
wouldn’t question Dominique like you’re doing by refusing to take those pills.
There is something bugging you and you know it, Vickie.’
 
The girl glanced angry aside. ‘My mother had no right to send you. I’ll
be eighteen in a few weeks. I can do whatever I want then. If you take me
home now, I’ll cause hassles and expose you.’
 
‘You know that they’ll kill me.’
‘Like I care.’
‘Of course you do. Don’t act like a tough girl, Vickie. We both know it’s
just a façade.’
 
The girl seemed worried by his words. ‘I can’t go home. We haven’t had a
good contact for ages. At least here I’ll be able to think things through. But ­‘
Suddenly Vickie stopped talking when Gretl walked over to them and asked
to be seated beside them. Vickie nodded and changed. Instantly she became a
meek woman without a mind of her own. Mulder realized instantly that Gretl was not
to be trusted.
 
The other woman smiled at Mulder and asked, ‘Do you like it here?’
 
Mulder nodded and smiled back. ‘I love it.’
A few moments later Vickie got up and walked back to the house. His
chance to discuss matters with her was gone.
 
The remainder of that morning Mulder didn’t have a chance to talk to
Vickie, and there was no chance to see Renata.
 
At lunch Mulder felt eyes of Dominique rest upon him when the cup with
the tablet waited for him. He couldn’t take the chance of dumping the tablet.
Dominique knew all the tricks in the book. If he acted suspicious now, he
could forget his investigation.
 
He sighed as he took the pill and then startled when Gretl put her hand
on his wrist and said, ‘It gets better. After a while you don’t feel so numbed
anymore. Your body will get used to it and adapt.’
 
Mulder nodded, dreading the effects that would start as soon as the
effects of the drug entered his system. Within a few moments his body seemed to turn
into the zombie state that they were all in. He could feel the change come
over him. 
 
 
Later on, he would not remember that they had taken him to the gardens
where he sat down for several hours, just staring into nothingness as if he was a
psychiatric patient that had been tranquillised for his own good. Only
after dinner he could slowly feel some of his senses return.
 
By that time he was already starting to feel sick as a dog. 
 
When he woke up around two a.m. he felt nauseated and sick, puking out
his guts as he rushed to the toilet of his small private bathroom. His dinner was
already digested and nothing but bile came out. With that bitter taste in his
mouth and feeling like crap, Mulder leaned his head against the cool wall and tried
to gather his wits.
 
After a while the pain started to succumb. He splashed cold water in his
face and washed his neck, face and wrists, regretting the moment he had
decided to infiltrate this place. After drinking another cup of cold water, he
returned to the room.
 
Lying on the bed he called Scully. He wasn’t even able to rest his head
against the board. He just wanted to lie down, trying to deal with the dizziness.
He knew his body was resisting the invader in his bloodstream. Dominique had
said that some had difficulty adapting. He had hardly ever taken painkillers
in his life. Even at the worst of times, fighting for his life at some hospital,
he had mostly refused to take any sedatives.
 
And now suddenly he was forced to take something that could be considered
a very strong sedative. No wonder he wasn’t dealing too well with it.
 
Scully sounded very alert when he called her up. He knew she had refused
to rest until he called her, ready to call the cops and break down the doors if
necessary to save him. He knew she was ready to get him out of there, and
to be honest ­ that’s what he wanted to most. But he also knew he just needed
one or two conversations with Vickie Moss to persuade her to leave with him. She
would be his evidence. And then they could use his testimony to arrest
Dominique on the basis of drug-dealing and test his followers.
 
‘You’re sick,’ Scully said when he had barely spoken her name.
He couldn’t deny that he was.
 
‘I’m getting you out of there, Mulder,’ she said. ‘This will only get
worse and you know it. Everyone in that place is drugged up. Sooner or later your
body will collapse or give in. If that happens, we might already be too late
to deal with this properly. You know you can’t investigate.’
 
‘I’m getting to Vickie, Scully,’ he said weak. ‘I need one more day to
persuade her to get out of there. He can’t stop her. If I have her, we have our
evidence.’
 
‘You can’t deal with it and you know. You’re sick. You sound like you’re
barely able to stand on your feet.’
 
‘I can manage,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay in bed during the morning and get to
her in the afternoon. But I need to persuade her. If I leave now, she’ll shut
down and refuse to talk. I’ll deal with my daily dose somehow. I’ll call you in
the evening. If it’s still bad or you don’t hear anything from me, you get me
out of there. Okay?’
 
‘Agreed,’ Scully said, despite the urgency she felt inside of her. When
she hung up, Mulder sighed and put the cell phone back in the pair of socks he put
in the bottom drawer. Before long he fell asleep, feeling weak and exhausted.
Whatever the drugs were that they fed him, his body was resisting it. At least
that was worth feeling so sick.
 
 
- 3 -
 
Mulder’s absence was immediately noticed in the breakfast room. Dominique
sent Gretl to check up on him. In the morning the doors to the bedrooms were
always automatically unlocked. She found him lying feverish in bed, begging to
be excused at the breakfast table. He did look like hell. He didn’t even
have to fake being more ill than he already was.
 
‘I’ll send Dominique,’ Gretl said, alarmed by the way Mulder looked. She
had never seen anyone sick since the day she had first entered the home. She
wasn’t used to seeing this. But she had heard stories about others feeling sick
as well.
 
A few minutes later Dominique came to Mulder’s quarters and found his
follower just like Gretl had said. Dominique sighed, realizing this was the third
time something like this happened. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want doctors
on his premises. They had to deal with this themselves. He would have to reduce
the dose and make sure Mulder adjust slowly to the drugs.
 
‘I’ll be fine,’ Mulder mumbled, lying exhausted in bed. ‘I just need a
bit of rest.’
‘I’ll have Gretl bring you some toast and tea. You need to eat something.
If you don’t, you’ll just weaken more,’ Dominique said friendly, sitting on the
edge of the bed as if he made a house call.
 
‘I couldn’t stand eating,’ Mulder said, closing his eyes already. ‘I’m
sorry to be such a pain, Dominique.’
 
Dominique smiled reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry about it and get well. But
promise me to eat something. If you don’t feel better in the afternoon, I’ll give
you some medication or send for a doctor.’ 
 
Gretl, who entered the room with a tray with toast, jam and coffee
disturbed Mulder again later that morning. A cup with the white tablet lay next to
the plate with food. ‘Dominique wants to make sure you eat everything,’ she
said. ‘And you should take that tablet as well. It will help you heal.’
 
Mulder ate three bites of the toast and put the pill in his mouth,
drinking some water. Gretl smiled and stroked his hair when he closed his eyes and fell
asleep, feeling restless.
 
When she left, he hurried out of bed and spit the tablet out in a
washcloth he kept in his toilet bag. Then he shoved the tablet in the bottom of his
toilet bag. It would never be found there. Before long he was able to catch a
normal, restful nap.
 
When he woke up, he found another tray in his room that had been brought
in when he slept. On it he found toast and orange juice and a bit of dry meat.
There was no tablet this time. He ate a bit of it, feeling much better. The worst
seemed to be over.
 
Quickly he took a few bites and glanced at his watch. It was after two.
Most of the members would be outside right now, strolling the gardens. He walked
over to the window that looked out on the gardens and noticed that about a dozen
people were there. The others were gone. If he remembered correctly it was
Monday afternoon. Chances were that some of them had left for the city to
recruit new people. There were two guards walking the premises. Dominique was nowhere
in sight.
 
With a bit of luck, he would be the only one in the house right now. He
had to take the chance that Dominique had gone to the city with the others. This
could probably be the best chance he had.
 
Quickly Mulder slipped on a jeans and T-shirt, socks and sneakers and
left his room, closing the door carefully. If anyone checked up on him, he would
have a problem, but it was a risk he had to take.
 
The bedrooms were on the second floor of the second building. Using the
big wooden staircase he could hurry upstairs, where Dominique’s office was.
But the doors were always locked. It would have no use to try to get access
there.
 
The only other place he could think of right now was Dominique’s bedroom
that was on the same floor as theirs. It would be a good place to start.
Quickly Mulder hurried down the corridor until he came to the far door to the
biggest bedroom in the building.
 
His first impression was that the door was locked, but it just needed a
bit of a push to get in. Quickly he walked in, closing the door behind him. The
bedroom was a spacious place that held a small sofa, a bar and a cupboard that
was locked.
 
Mulder looked around. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The closet
held clothes in the style he had gotten used to. Three pairs of shoes waited
for their owner on the bottom of the closet. There was no extra luxury;
nothing to indicate that Dominique lived a rich life.
 
In the top drawer of the night table, Mulder found a single key. It was
large and seemed very old. Somehow it seemed out of place. Mulder took it and
put it in his pocket.
 
Quickly Mulder closed the drawer and left the room, nearly bumping into
Dennis who came from the other side. Mulder hurried, walking as light-footed as
he could over the creaking floor. He was sure that someone had heard him,
but Dennis didn’t come after him.
 
Without further incidents Mulder reached his room and took the key out of
his pocket. There was something with that key that he couldn’t define.
Something told him to keep it with him. But where? If he were out of luck, they
would search him and find it. He put it in a handkerchief and shoved it in his
shoe. It would walk a bit uncomfortable but at least no one could find it
there.
 
Then a hard knock on his door shook him up. Mulder startled and walked
over to the door, realizing that he was still dressed. Quickly he removed his
sweater and kicked out his sneakers and ruffled his hair, trying to look tired
and sick.
 
 
Dominique stood there with Dennis.
‘Fox,’ he said, ‘how do you feel?’
‘Better,’ Mulder said, knowing he still looked very pale.
 
‘Did you leave your room, Fox?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Where did you go?’
‘I wanted to go out for some fresh air, but when I reached the staircase,
I felt nauseated and had to come back. I’m better now though. I would like to go
outside for some air.’
 
Dominique glanced at Dennis and nodded. ‘Why don’t you take Fox out? I’m
sure he could use the fresh air.’
‘Yes, Dominique,’ Dennis said, putting his hand under Mulder’s elbow,
forcing the agent to come with him. Dominique stayed behind in the room, glancing
around. Then he closed the door behind them, locking himself up in
Mulder’s room.
 
‘What’s going on?’ Mulder asked dazed.
‘Dominique wants to make sure you’re not under any bad influences, Fox.
He’s going to search your room to see if you brought any illegal stuff in
here.’
 
Mulder grinned nervously, wondering if he should fight Dennis off and
make a run for it. The two of them made their way down the stairs. Dennis was a
strong man and could easily outrun him. No, this was not the right time.
 
Outside the sun burned on their faces. Mulder glanced at the group of
followers that seemed complete again. Vickie stared at him for a brief moment when
Dennis put him on a bench and said, ‘I’ll be around.’
 
Mulder nodded and closed his eyes. The dizziness was passing slowly. At
least that was something. And if he were a good actor, Dominique would still
believe he was under the influence. He was pretty sure Gretl informed him about
taking the drug.
 
He felt someone touch his shoulder and looked up. Vickie sat down next to
him and stared before her, ignoring Dennis’ fierce eyes that tried to figure out
if they were talking. Vickie didn’t say a single word. Then she stood up and left
him alone again.
 
A few moments later Dominique came out and spoke briefly with Dennis.
Mulder knew they had found the cell phone. He bit his lip, trying to act as numb
as possible. When dinner came, he sat down at the table with the rest of
them. They ate in silence.
 
But there was a tension in the air that they could all feel.
Suddenly Dominique stood up and said loud, for all of them to hear, ‘I
unfortunately have bad news. One of our people has acted against the
rules and will be punished. No matter how much I regret having to do this, I must
act accordingly.’
 
Dominique’s eyes looked at them one by one. Then he moved away from his
seat and walked beside them. Surprised and in shock Mulder watched when Dominique
touched Renata’s shoulder and asked her to get up. The woman shared a glance with
Mulder before she turned and faced Dominique.
 
‘You know what you did wrong, Renata,’ he said.
The woman nodded.
‘Why, Renata?’
‘I ­‘ she stopped, not able to give the correct answer.
 
Dominique’s face looked sad and disappointed when he nodded towards
Dennis and one of the other guards. They guided Renata out of the room, closing the
door hard behind them. It gave a tremble that went through everyone’s soul.
 
Mulder opened his mouth to ask what was going on, only to be stopped by
Gretl, who sat on her regular spot beside him. Her eyes gave a warning glance.
 
Dominique’s eyes rested long on Mulder before he turned away and walked
back to the head of the table. ‘I feel ­‘ he started, ‘that my world is coming to
an end. That, what I have created and put my faith upon is crumbling
underneath me. When a reporter is able to infiltrate this secluded and private
community, only to spread lies about us, I fear. I am afraid that I can no longer trust
any of you. And the basis on which I have built this communion, was trust.’
 
He turned away dramatically, sighing deeply. ‘I will have to make a
decision that might affect every single one of you. I will inform all of you
tomorrow of this decision.’
 
This time the crowd seemed disturbed and restless. They mumbled to each
other when Dominique left them alone. Mulder sat in shock, realizing that he
wasn’t the only one undercover in the compound. But somehow they had discovered
that Renata was a reporter. How could he be sure they didn’t know he was still
an FBI-agent?
 
Confused Mulder decided not to try to go after Vickie again. Instead he
would call Scully and tell her to organize a bust. If Dominique were to make
that important decision, it could very well mean the end for all of them.
Something told him that an era was coming to an end.
 
He realized all too well that there was much more at stake now than just
Vickie Moss. Renata Lowe’s life could very well be in danger. She might already
be dead. He needed to find her quick, before they ended her life. If needs
be, he would go in search of Vickie and Renata, and leave with them.
 
When he reached for the pair of socks with the hidden mobile phone in the
drawer, he came back empty-handed. His phone was gone. Suddenly a noise
behind him surprised him and the sound of a turning key shook him up.
 
‘Hey!’ he shouted, trying to stop the door from locking. But he could do
nothing but bang his fists on the door and hope that someone would hear. No one
came to respond to his call. It was only a little after seven and already he
faced a night filled with boredom. He could not get in touch with Scully and tell
her what was going on. He wouldn’t be able to help Renata out, and might as
well be facing his own death soon.
 
Unless someone unlocked the door and got him out.
 
But no one came. And night fell as if everything was as it should be.
 
 
- 4 -
 
Scully’s instincts told her that Mulder was in trouble. She picked it up
as a sixth sense as she had done so many times before, saving his life a few
times in the process. Now all she could do was inform Skinner and get him out of
there instantly.
 
It was nearly seven a.m. when she called him. His voice sounded alert as
if he was already at work. ‘Meet me in my office in half an hour,’ he said,
when she finished her introduction.
He hung up before she could say anything else. Relieved she hurried to
the office, meeting him in the hallway on his way in.
 
A few moments later Agent Wilkes stepped in as well. Skinner had
contacted him on the way in. It seemed everyone was up for a very long day. Scully
recognized him from her previous meeting with him and Mulder to discuss ‘Salvation
Awaits’. Then, Wilkes had said that ‘SA’ didn’t have their immediate attention.
There had been lack of evidence to show ‘SA’ was becoming a danger to its members.
Now things had changed.
 
Wilkes listened in silence when Scully explained about the few phone
calls she had done with Mulder. Skinner had already been informed about the first
one, agreeing with Mulder then that they had to wait and see. Now his worry
grew when he learned that Mulder hadn’t called, and that he had been sick during
their last talk.
 
Wilkes frowned, listening to the explanation of the drugs the followers
received. Then he put a file on the table and said, opening it, ‘after
our meeting a week ago, I did a bit of research on my own, even though my
A.D. still doesn’t believe we have enough to go after Durant. I extracted bank
statements from five ‘SA’-members, and saw that they all extracted large amounts
from their accounts. Plus, suddenly the name Durant seems to appear everywhere. With
what you are saying, I believe I might be able to convince AD Gersh to
organize a raid to arrest Durant.’
 
‘With all due respect, sir,’ Scully said, ‘but my partner will not live
through that. Durant is able to kill them all before we are able to get to them.
If they see us coming, it might already be too late.’
 
‘With all due respect, Agent Scully,’ Wilkes interrupted her, ‘but your
partner screwed up. He’s become a victim himself and jeopardized not only his
life but also the lives of all the other inhabitants of that compound.’
 
Scully turned forcefully towards him. ‘You weren’t interested in
investigating how a seventeen-year-old girl could become a member of a cult. You didn’t
care about the strange deaths that are a part of that cult. In fact, you
didn’t even believe it was a cult, did you? At least Mulder did something, and he has
the proof he needed. What more do you need?’
 
‘That’s enough, Scully,’ Skinner said hard, calming her down with one
look. ‘It’s no use blaming each other. Agent Wilkes, I’m sure, had his reasons
not to go after Durant. Let’s see how we can help those people now, shall we?’
 
Wilkes nodded, clenching his teeth. He wasn’t interested in getting hell
from a fellow agent who didn’t know how they handled cults. On the other hand,
he knew perfectly well how she felt, and why her partner had done what he did. He
was there when Ephesian and over forty people killed themselves. It was worse
than the worst war to witness.
 
‘I want to try and get Mulder out of there myself first,’ Scully said.
‘We have to make sure he’s alive and well. He can tell me what the best way to go
about is. He alone can tell us what to do.’
 
‘I’m not sending you in there,’ Skinner said strict. ‘I’m not risking you
too.’
 
‘Sir, you know we have to do this. They have no right to stop me.
Legally, I can pull strings. Mulder signed all his rights over to me in case of mental
instability or medical issues. If I find Mulder legally unfit to act I
can use a warrant to get him out of there. Durant cannot stop me from doing that.’
 
‘Okay,’ Skinner said. ‘I’ll have a warrant ready in case you need it. Are
you going right away?’
‘I’ll be going around noon. Mulder told me they get their daily dose
around that time. I need to prevent them from giving him those drugs. I might as well
use any means necessary.’
 
‘Good. I want to hear from you before five this afternoon, Scully. If I
don’t, I’m signing a search warrant myself. Got it?’
 
‘Yes, sir.’
 
Skinner turned to Wilkes. ‘You’d better advice Gersh to have his team
ready. The moment Mulder and Vickie Moss are out of there you’re going in. I want
your guys ready.’
 
‘I’ll try to fix that, sir,’ Wilkes said weak.
 
‘No. You’ll do it or I’ll have your badge. I’m through being polite when
it comes to political issues like this. One of my best agents is in
immediate danger thanks to your lack of help, and I won’t stand for that. I don’t
want a second Ephesian here, got it?’
 
‘Yes, sir,’ Wilkes said, excusing himself.
 
When he left and shut the door, Scully couldn’t help but smile. Skinner
looked at her when her smile faded into worry. ‘He can take care of himself,
Dana,’ he said, moving from his chair to a seat next to her. ‘He always has.’
 
‘I know,’ she said. ‘But I’m angry.’
 
‘At him?’
 
‘No. At the situation. I hate feeling this helpless.’
‘You’re helping him now.’
 
Scully nodded, not wondering if it was already too late.
 
- 5 -
 
Suddenly the door unlocked. He shifted up from his seat near the window
where he had stared through the bars at the garden where the others sat. He hadn’t
had breakfast. They hadn’t unlocked his door. He had been secluded from all
the rest.
 
Dominique came in with a look on his face Mulder hadn’t seen before.
‘Fox,’ he said seriously, ‘it seems that we have a slight problem.’
 
‘We do?’ Mulder asked numb. ‘What problem might that be?’
‘It seems that you are still in touch with your friends at the FBI. Last
night I didn’t want to believe that you would be capable of betrayal, but I could
not deny the evidence at hand.’
 
‘What evidence might that be?’ Mulder asked, feeling weak in the legs. He
felt hungry and unstable.
 
‘You brought a phone in this house that you used several times. You
called your friend Dana Scully. I don’t know what you told her, but this is
forbidden.’
 
Still debating if he should lie or not, Mulder realized quickly that a
chance of getting out of this game with his story intact, was not an option.
Dominique’s eyes changed colour when he said, ‘She’s come to see you.’
 
‘Who is?’
 
‘Dana Scully. She’s here, waiting for you in the lobby. You told her you
wanted to leave, didn’t you?’
‘No, I didn’t. How could I? You took my phone.’
 
‘You told her lies about us. Why else would she be here?’
 
‘Perhaps she just came to see how I was doing.’
 
‘Do you want to leave, Fox?’
 
Mulder didn’t give an answer, knowing that his lies would be discovered.
Dominique sighed. ‘That’s what I dreaded.’
 
Almost unnoticeable Dominique nodded towards Dennis. Only then Mulder saw
that there was a second guard who had been standing outside, waiting for a
sign. The two of them grabbed him before he could react.
 
‘Hey!’ Mulder shouted, trying to fight off the guards who got a firm grip
on him. ‘What is this?’
 
Dominique watched as the two guards pushed Mulder onto the bed, using
their full strength to keep him down. Mulder was thrown on his belly, his arms
stretched aside so he couldn’t use them. His wrists were clung to firmly. Mulder
fought for all he was worth, kicking and screaming like crazy. But they were too
strong for him and kept him down easily.
 
Dominique had closed the door behind the second guard. The thick walls
and door kept the noise inside the room.
 
Then Dominique leaned over and grabbed Mulder’s left arm, pushing a
syringe into the flesh. Quickly he emptied its contents and pulled it back out.
Mulder’s body seemed to convulse at first, fighting the contents of the injection.
 
Then he relaxed and hardly moved anymore, closing his eyes. Dominique’s
moves caused the guards to stand down and they watched while their leader
turned Mulder on the bed. The agent remained quiet and almost lifeless when
Dominique lifted his eyelids and said softly, ‘Fox, can you hear me?’
 
Mulder swallowed, sighed deeply, opened his eyes and looked at Dominique.
‘Yeah,’ he said. His pupils were dilated. Numbness had set in. He stared
into nothingness. The only thing he could do was listening to Dominique’s
voice.
 
‘Are you here to get me down, Fox?’ Dominique asked gently. ‘Do they know
what I’m doing?’
 
‘Yeah.’ Mulder’s answer mumbled and difficult to hear. Dominique watched,
as the agent seemed to struggle within, still trying to fight the contents of
the syringe. But the sedative was too strong to ignore, even for a man with a
will like Mulder’s.
 
‘You’re doing great, Fox,’ Dominique said softly, helping him to sit up.
The agent still seemed to have difficulty to stand straight. Dennis had to
keep him up. Mulder hardly seemed to move when Dominique put his left index finger
under the agent’s chin and forced him to look up.
 
‘He’s a goner,’ Dominique said to Dennis. ‘He won’t be able to say his
own name.’
 
‘If you keep this up, you’re going to kill him.’
 
‘We all have to die. Besides, by tonight it will all be over. First he’s
going to do something else for me though. By now I’m sure our agent knows who’s
the boss.’
 
‘I hate to say I told you so,’ Dennis said angrily. ‘You shouldn’t have
taken him in. He and that damned reporter have forced us to move things
forward. They’ve put the plan in jeopardy.’
 
‘The plan stands as it is. We had everything ready as it was. In a few
days we’re out of the country, enjoying their cash, my friend.’
 
Dennis nodded, pushing Mulder forward. Like a zombie the agent walked
down the stairs, followed by Dominique and his guards.
 
 
- 6 -
 
Scully waited nervously in the lobby of the huge building, biting her
fingernails. A few women passed her but they didn’t look at her. She felt
nervous. If Mulder were like that, how would she be able to talk to him?
All she could do was hope and pray they hadn’t harmed him. It did take quite a
long time for them to fetch him.
 
The French doors opened and three men walked over to her. She recognized
Dominique immediately from the photos. They didn’t do him justice. He was
a handsome man with the charisma of an old-fashioned movie star. No wonder
he could persuade all of his followers to take drugs. When he spoke, he
sounded attractive and honest.
 
The second man didn’t interest her. But it was her partner that gave her
the biggest shock. Before her stood Mulder, staring blank at her. His body
slumped a bit and he was unshaven. He looked like he hadn’t slept for weeks.
 
‘Mulder,’ she said, resisting the urge to grab his hand and take him out.
Instead she took two steps and stared at him in despair. He wasn’t
responding to the sight of her. In fact, she could have been anyone. He would have
reacted the same to anyone.
 
This had nothing to do with the illness he had told her about. His pupils
were dilated and didn’t seem able to focus on reality. They were restless and
nervous. He looked like a drug-addict searching for the next kick. He had
lost weight; his clothes seemed baggy and didn’t fit.
 
‘Mulder,’ she repeated, trying to get a grip on her partner. He just
stared at her, not able to recognize her. She bit her lip angrily, then turned
towards Dominique and bit, ‘what have you done to him? He’s a zombie!’
 
‘Your friend has been a bit ill but he’s fine. Our doctor gave him
medication to make him well. He’ll be fine in the morning. He’s just feeling
under the weather.’
 
‘He’s not going to stay here until the morning,’ she said, ‘he’s coming
with me.’
‘On what authority?’
‘I’m a medical doctor, his friend and guardian in case of medical
urgency. I have a written statement of him assigning me to take his decisions.’
 
‘I’m sure that only counts when it comes to mental unfitness. But your
partner is doing just fine.’
 
‘He’s not. Anyone can see that. He needs to be in a hospital. If needs
be, I’ll get a warrant.’
 
‘Why don’t you do that then, Agent Scully,’ Dominique said calm. ‘Your
friend is no longer an FBI-agent. He’s resigned. He chooses to be here. He’s not
here against his own will.’
 
Dominique softened as he looked at Mulder and leaned forward a bit
towards Scully. ‘I know you’re worried about your friend, but he’s in good hands.
It’s time he forgets about the past and starts living in the present. I’ve
offered him a place of rest ­ a home ­ that what he’s been seeking for so long.
Are you going to deny him that?’
 
‘You fed him those lies,’ Scully said, not wanting to betray Mulder by
telling Dominique he was still at the FBI. Anything could happen. ‘You claim that
you want to help him. Have you ever considered that you have fed him that
urgency to find his sister? He might have had a better life if you hadn’t pushed him
all this time.’
 
‘Is that what he told you?’
 
‘It’s what I see. Fox has said several times that he wants peace and
quiet. He’s getting that right now. Aren’t you, Fox? In fact, he has already said
that he will give me full consent. He’s fed up with you, Agent Scully.’
 
Scully stared in shock as Mulder nodded slowly as if to confirm.
 
She blinked her eyelids forcefully and swallowed away the dryness in her
throat. She needed to get Mulder out of here now. She couldn’t wait for Skinner.
In despair her voice sounded hoarse when she spoke again.
 
‘I want to speak with him alone,’ she said.
‘I can’t let you do that.’
‘I need to hear it from himself that this is what he wants. If he cannot
tell me, I’ll call my superior right now and get that warrant before you can
blink your eyes. As long as I have his consent, I will use it at any cost, even
if it means declaring him mentally unfit.’
 
‘All right,’ Dominique said, pointing towards the secluded garden. ‘You
have five minutes.’
He opened the door for them and showed them out. Mulder walked beside her
in the same zombie-state-of-mind that he had been all this time. She brought him
out, putting her hand on his wrist to lead him to one of the wooden benches
near the pond.
 
There were more people in the garden but they all kept their distance.
They could have been alone in the Garden of Eden ­ that quiet and peaceful it
seemed. But it was artificial and Scully knew it. She could understand a bit
better now how someone could want to spend their time here. Still, anything was
better than this ­ even the hard, cold world outside these walls.
 
A woman looked at them from the other side of the pond. She was reading a
book, lying on the grass. Yet her glance always seemed to return to them,
watching them with a careful look. 
 
Scully made sure her partner could see only her and took his hands in
hers. ‘Mulder,’ she said, using the softest tones of her voice. He didn’t turn
towards her. She put a hand under his chin and forced him to look at her.
 
‘Mulder, please try and understand this. I need to get you out of here.
You’re in danger. Can you hear me? You have to understand what I’m saying now.
If you don’t, I won’t be able to help you. I will have to be forced to leave you
alone again, until I can get help.’
 
His eyes blinked twice but he didn’t respond. Wherever he was, he wasn’t
able to understand her. Whatever they had drugged him with; it had its effect on
him. He listened only to one voice and it wasn’t hers.
 
‘Mulder, please listen to me. You alone can get yourself out of here at
this moment. You need to persuade them you want out. Can you do that for me,
partner? Do you remember why you were here in the first place?’
 
She leaned over and kissed him softly, her lips lingering for two seconds
on the corner of his mouth. He didn’t react. But there was some change in the
way he looked at her. He was trying to fight the drugs from within, to be able
to communicate with her. She was getting through to him!
 
The woman across the pond got up and hurried towards the building. She
had dropped the book on the grass. Scully knew she had not much time left.
 
‘Mulder, speak to me. Tell me what you want!’
 
Her partner opened his mouth, blinking his eyelids again. From the house
Dominique rushed towards them. Scully refused to look at the ‘SA’-leader
and kept her focus on Mulder.
 
‘Let go of him now,’ Dominique said, ‘or I will be forced to use extreme
measures.’
 
‘I’m taking him out of here,’ she said firmly, pulling him up.
‘You can’t. He doesn’t want to come with you.’
‘Yes, he does. If you don’t let him go, I’ll scream fire and send this
place to hell.’
 
Dominique wasn’t ready to argue. Pulling her up by the right arm he
extracted her from Mulder. ‘He’s staying!’ he said.
 
From the corner of her eye, Scully saw her partner’s lips move. ‘He’s
trying to say something,’ she said, pulling herself free.
Dominique turned and stared at the male agent. Then he leaned forward so
that Mulder alone could hear and whispered, ‘If you give one kick, I’ll kill
her right here. You know I will.’
 
Mulder’s body seemed to shift on his seat. Then it relaxed again and he
shut his mouth, refusing to look at Scully.
 
‘I think he’s made his point, Agent Scully,’ Dominique said, releasing
her from his grip. ‘Why don’t you leave now? You’ve upset him enough. You have no
place here.’
 
‘I’ll come back,’ she said hard. ‘You can count on that.’
 
Dominique only smiled when he guided her to her car and watched as she
drove off. On the bench, her partner still sat quietly, as the numbness slowly
took off.
 
 
 
- 6 -
 
‘You know we can’t keep him here any longer,’ Dennis said as he glanced
at the man on the bench. ‘He’s betrayed us. He’s a danger to us all. Kill him
now, Dom, before he destroys us.’
 
‘He’s of no danger now. He doesn’t even remember his own name.’
 
‘Those drugs will wear off soon. And then what? Are you going to keep on
feeding him drugs until you decide to kill him after all? Just get it over it!’
 
‘No, he has to die with the others. It’s suitable. He came here to help
them and he will die with them. At least then his death will have some meaning.’
 
‘What the hell does that mean?’ Dennis exclaimed. ‘She’s getting a damned
warrant!’
 
‘She won’t be able to do so, Dennis. It’s all been taken care of. She’s
not leaving the house. And tonight it will all be over.’ Dominique sighed.
‘Unfortunately we will have to do with less than we expected, but nothing
will stop us from starting anew. By tomorrow morning there will be nothing
left of this house.’
 
‘Where is she then?’ Dennis asked in fear. ‘Did you kill her?’
 
Dominique smiled. ‘Of course not. I had to let her go so my little
children wouldn’t be disturbed. Remember, they believe they live in paradise. I
want them to believe in my goodness, until the very last second before their
death.’
 
‘Where is she then?’
 
Dominique pointed at the window. A car drove to the back of the building.
A guard got out and opened the back door. Then he opened a car door and
lifted the redhead female agent out of the car. Then the door closed and everything
was as it had always been.
 
The only ones seeing it were Dominique and Dennis, from the window of
Dominique’s private dining room. 
 
 
- 7 -
 
His eyelids blinked as he lay on the bed of his impersonal room. His
hands rested on both sides of his bodies but Dominique could tell that he was
slowly getting his senses back. Patiently he waited and smiled when Mulder
eventually seemed to become aware of his surroundings.
 
Dominique handed him a glass of water and smiled as he sat on the edge of
the bed. ‘How do you feel, Fox?’
 
‘I don’t know,’ Mulder mumbled, feeling the dryness in his throat.
Thankfully he emptied the glass of water and leaned back tired against the pillows of
his bed. ‘What happened?’
 
‘You were very ill. We had to take care of you. Don’t you remember that
you passed out in the dining room this morning?’
 
‘I passed out?’ Mulder asked with a thick voice. ‘How come?’
‘You didn’t take well to our homeopathic products, but we’ve corrected
that now. It’s been a rough patch for you but the doctor said you should be feeling
better soon.’
 
Mulder closed his eyes, rubbing his eyelids with his fingers. ‘I remember
something ­ I saw Scully.’
‘Scully?’ ‘My FBI-partner … a friend. She came here to talk to me. But she left.’
‘That must have been a dream, Fox. There was no one here.’
 
Mulder rolled on his side, trying to get a grip on the dizziness he felt.
He remembered vaguely things that were out of the ordinary. He remembered
being locked up, two men grabbing him, a syringe, sitting in the yard and
listening to Scully. His left arm ached as if he had been injected. He stared at the
floor, ignoring Dominique who waited until he would look at him again.
 
‘It was a dream, Fox,’ Dominique said with that voice that was so hard to
disbelief. ‘You’ve been very ill and I feel guilty about it. But that
won’t happen again. I guarantee that from now on we’ll monitor you day and
night to make sure you’re adapting to our ways. You’ll feel better soon.’
 
Dominique offered his hand with two different tablets in it. ‘Here,’ he
said. ‘Just take these and you’ll feel better. They’re sleeping pills. You’ll
wake up bright and fresh in the morning.’
 
Mulder didn’t object but swallowed the two pills down with a glass of
water. The