X-PROOF

PART TWELVE:  (Conclusion)

“You’re going to do what, Rache?” 

Deidre saw Terry’s eyes grow slightly bigger as they both listened on speaker-phone

to the rapid-fire explanation at the other end of the line.  It was near noon, two days

after Terry had been thrown from the rooftop and while the moratorium declared

on the nanoblood  made an accelerated  recovery unviable,  Terry was bound and

determined not to let a little thing like a bruised body, a broken bone, and poison

slow him down.   That included  trying to keep up with what  was going  on in the

Czech Republic and the attempt to snatch Cort back from Mikol.  However, Rachel

beat Terry to the punch by calling first and launching almost immediately into a tale

of her doings in Hromada since last they talked.  Deidre knew Terry got the gist of it

the first go round, but like her, was too incredulous to believe his ears.

“I said I have a way to get into the castle without provoking suspicion,” the young

woman explained, sounding a bit defensive.  “Gerta and I have been talking and

she’s been telling me all about what Mikol’s been doing.  I’m going in as a maid to

fill a position that came open a few days ago.  This way, I can find out what they’ve

been doing to Cort and maybe find a way to get him out completely.  Trust me, this

is going to work!”

”I’m not worried about you, luv, I’m worried about the others.  I don’t want you

getting into a situation you won’t be able to get out of.  Castles are just as good at

keeping things in as they are keeping things out,” Terry replied, patiently.  He was

sitting up in the hospital bed, looking quite a bit scruffy from lack of comfortable

sleep and needing a shave, but was far more alert than he had been the day before

when the pain medicine was at its highest dosage.   His voice was still scratchy as

well from the respirator, but Rachel did not seem to notice that.

“Yes, Daddy Thorne, but I’m a big girl now and I can take care of myself,” Rachel

sighed.  “Sheesh, Dee, I thought you were going to do something about that stick in

the mud.”

“He discovered I had a few weaknesses of my own and laid his trap,” Deidre said,

laughing.  Terry put his finger over his lips, to indicate he didn’t want her speaking

of the damage he had suffered.  They had actually discussed it before they decided

to call her, that Rachel would have enough to worry about in regards to Cort without

becoming upset with how her Aussie friend nearly lost his own life.   

“Yeah, well, this is better than what I had started out with.  I took a chance and told

Gerta that I knew about Cort and she’s rather worried about him, too.  Says he’s

being kept in a tower and is looked after by a doctor.  Oh y’all, Gerta says he’s been

through a horrible time!  God knows what Mikol plans to do with him.  She said that

when he came through, he nearly died….”  They heard her voice catch as she tried

to bring her emotions under control.

“Is Gerta able to reach him?  Is she able to come in contact with him?” Terry asked,

watching the phone intently as if that would reveal Rachel’s expressions.

“Well…” Rachel hesitated.

“That’s it.  You don’t do anything until I get there,” Terry growled.  He looked down

at the IV stint and Deidre knew he was thinking about pulling it out.  She shook her

head fiercely at him, torn between scolding him outright and calling in the nurses to

strap him down.  “Whatever Mikol’s got planned for him, I doubt it will be much until

Deidre and I can come.”

“We don’t know that, Terry!  I…”

“Maybe I should bring you back home while we take in the heavy artillery?  I shouldn’t

have sent you off by yourself, again, anyway.  I’m sorry to have done that, my dear.  But

I can’t let you go in by yourself and risk blowing the deal, not while we still have the

element of surprise.”

“You’re gonna ground me?  Oh, wow.  I haven’t had that kind of threat since I was

sixteen and snuck out of the house to go to a concert.”  Rachel sounded miffed, but

hardly offended.

“He can’t come anyway,” Deidre told the phone, ignoring the dirty look Terry was

giving her.  “There’s been some chaotic things happening here and anything he tells

you now is just all bluster.”

“Because of Tom’s murder?  ”  Now it was Rachel’s turn to sound panicked.

“That, and due to unforeseen circumstances,” Deidre sing-songed, “they’re having to

shut down production of the nanoblood.  Terry’s been inundated with phone calls from contractors, distributors, media.  He’s swamped, Bud’s overwhelmed, and the rest of

the company…well, we’re just a bundle of confusion and contradictions in the face of

it all.  It would be a bad move for Terry to leave now when it sounds like you have the

best plan you could come up with, with or without the heavy artillery,” she concluded,

giving Terry a significant look of her own.

“Shut it down?  Why?  Did the supply get tainted?”  Rachel asked.

“You might say that,” Terry replied.  “The Feds alerted us and we’ve got our hands

full trying to make sure that things can get back to normal.”  Deidre nodded to show

her agreement, to him, at least.  That was about as general an explanation as they

could come up with.

“Well, I was hoping you would come, after all. I don’t mind saying that I’m still making

things up as I go and could use the encouragement.  Something about having you guys

around makes me feel invincible,” Rachel admitted.  “But really, Terry, how else were

we going to get in?  I scoped the area around the castle and it's not only impenetrable,

it's on a virtual cliff.  I didn’t think I could just show up on the doorstep and say ‘Hi,

I’m here about a certain Old West gunfighter turned preacher,’ now could I?  Gerta

knows Mikol all too well, and has assured me she can cover for me if things get dicey.”

“I guess that’s the best hope you’re going to get,” Terry replied, his worry now turned

to resignation.  “When do you start?”

“Tomorrow.  Gerta and I have been going every detail we can think of.  She’s got an

entire wardrobe staked out for me, and she’s coming over in the morning to help me

get ready.”  They heard her blow out a deep breath, as if in relief.  “I do wish y’all

were here, though.”

“Me too, Jedi,” Deidre said, wanting to make sure that Rachel knew she was still

listening. 

“Call us back after your first day, okay, luv?”  Terry directed, his voice turning more

formal now because the door to his room creaked open and revealed Dana Scully and

Fox Mulder peaking in to check on him. 

“I will…and thanks, Terry.  I’ll get to him somehow.  I just know it.”

After the phone clicked off, Terry and Deidre turned to the agents with expectant looks,

both of them hoping they didn’t look too guilty for not explaining who was on the other

end of the  line.  They were conscious  that even  with all that had been revealed,  the

missing member of their team was still a curiosity to Scully and Mulder, if for no other

reason than what she would know about Tom and how Dimetri would be connected to

their own particular case.

“We won’t be long,” Scully assured them.  “We actually came to make our goodbyes. 

We’re heading back to D.C. this afternoon.”

“That’s too bad,” Terry said, and meant it.  Despite the circumstances and the pall of

a watchdog government suddenly sensitive to the operations of NanoCorp, the agents

themselves had proven to be personable and engaging.  Of course, it helped that they

all knew things about each other that were well outside the main of normality, but

Terry knew well enough it could have been vastly different had agents other than the

two who guarded the X Files shown up.  “It's only now that we’ve just had a chance to

really deal with things.”

“Not to worry,” Mulder said.  “I’m sure you’ll be hearing from us again.”

“I’m guessing to talk to Rachel when she returns?”  Terry asked.

“I don’t know when your co-worker will be back from her particular…mission, but

we’d still like to talk with her, since she worked closely with Tom,” Scully replied.

Terry considered for a few minutes.  Scully and Mulder had been quick to explain the

disk that the Bounty Hunter had chased them all over the building for, something he’d

only had just begun to question when they visited with him the day before.  With all the subterfuge, he was not as disturbed as he might have been, had it not been for Tom’s

unusual demise, but it did bring into question just what could have been on the disk

that the  Bounty Hunter was  so  determined to take away or keep  from the agents. 

Somehow, in his mind, this translated into a further determination to find out just how

deeply NanoCorp had been infiltrated and used for purposes beyond their control. 

“I’m hoping that can be arranged…soon,” he said.  “But we just heard from Rachel…

that was her on the phone as you came in, and the mission is still in its early stages. 

I’m not sure when she’s going to be back.”

Mulder glanced at Scully, as if making a final decision to cross the final line of secrecy.

“You mentioned earlier that a man by the name of Dimetri Zoloft had betrayed this…

Cort, was it?  Would you be willing to tell us more about him?  Would she?”

Terry and Deidre looked at each other and Terry sighed. 

“I’m not reluctant to share any information that I think would be helpful in your finding

out how NanoCorp is involved with your boss’s illness,” he began.  “Obviously, what

affects him, will affect us.  But I’m not entirely convinced, after all, that this has anything

to do with missions that involve our warp.  Dimetri was employed by a…rival.  His name

is Mikol Grovensky and he is far more secretive than we about our retrievals.  He took

an interest in our company and has, from time to time, employed spies and double agents

to steal from NanoCorp.  He’s even developed a warp technology that’s supposed to rival

ours.  Dimetri was one of his spies, a former KGB agent working for God only knows

what motives now.  I’ve run across him once or twice since I…well, since I was retrieved. 

People think the  Cold  War  is over, but it isn’t, not  where  this  warp technology is

concerned.  It wasn’t until he showed up on a mission Rachel was involved in that we

began to get the idea that former Soviet bloc governments may have interests in both

NanoCorp and Grovensky Construction.  But I’m sorry, I just don’t know any more

than that.  Maybe, if Rachel is successful in getting Cort back, she will have found out

more information about Dimetri and Mikol and whether or not they have the

connections you’re looking for.”

Mulder nodded to show he understood. 

“Have you heard of a man named Alex Krycek?” he asked after a few moments thought. 

When Terry and Deidre shook their heads, he went on. “He’s acted as a double agent as

well, knows almost as much as Scully and I do about what’s going on with the alien

abductions and experimentations.  It’s possible that he’s been in contact with Dimetri. 

My suspicion,  my  hunch,  is that  if  Dimetri trafficks in  alien  technology,  then

nanotechnology is included and that in itself should lead to some things, some things

that we haven’t been able to pin down yet.”

 

“You mentioned you had hit some dead ends.”

“Yes. But because Skinner shut down his particular case, we have no way of confirming

possible leads.”

“And since we’re not Federal agents, you’d like us to do some undercover work, is that

it?”  Deidre asked.  “Skinner can’t order us to stay away.”

“Something like that,” Scully admitted.

“You’ve done a great deal to help so far, opening up to us the way you have,” Mulder

went on.  “Scully and I understand how you are not connected to the clones in any way,

but still, whatever  NanoCorp is  able to  contribute  would be of benefit  to us  both.

Anything Rachel finds would enhance things greatly.”

“When I’m able, I plan to fly to the Czech Republic, where Grovensky is located,” Terry

said, watching Mulder’s face intently.  The FBI’s words could be taken with far more

menacing intent – help us out or we’ll screw you – but the tall, scholarly man was quite

sincere in his gratitude, as was the young woman sitting beside him, even though her

demeanor was cool confidence.   “Is there anything you’d like us to keep an eye out

for?”

“Little green men riding covered platters,” Mulder said with a grin and they responded

with soft laughter of their own.  “Mostly, what you are able to find out about Dimetri

and what his connections are.  Dimetri himself would be nice.”

“I think if Rachel is able to swing it, we can persuade her to leave a piece or two for

you,” Deidre said.  “She’s got some scores to settle with Dimetri,” she added, seeing

the agent’s look of bemusement.  “Cort is her fiancé.”

Little light bulbs went on over both their heads.

“That’s why you guys were so adamant,” Mulder said. 

“I’m sure Rachel will cooperate when she gets back,” Deidre said.  “But I doubt you're

going to get anything more than a pledge to save Cort right now.”

“What would this Mikol want with Cort?”  Scully asked. 

Terry shrugged. “I have a feeling the answer lies in helping you with your quest,” was

all he said.

There was quiet for several long moments before Mulder and Scully decided to stand

and make their excuses to leave.  As they shook hands, an odd look crossed Deidre’s

face, one that Scully asked about.

“I was just remembering something,” Deidre replied, her thoughts like quicksilver

expressions on her features. “I don’t know if it makes much of a difference apart from

the account I gave you about what the Bounty Hunter did, but it’s stuck with me and

I can’t seem to let it go.  When he jumped down next to Terry, I thought for sure he’d

stomp on him or do something that would kill him.  He bent down and put his hand on

Terry’s back and then…” she said, with a soft laugh, “he looked back up at me as if to

make sure I saw him do that.  And then he ran off.  I just remember thinking that was

awfully strange after all the damage he did,” Deidre said.  She then looked abashed. 

“It was probably nothing.  It was getting dark and I could have imagined it.”

“That could explain why there weren’t the usual complications with Terry’s fall,” Scully

said, in sotto voice to Mulder.

“You mean why I didn’t die?”  Terry asked, knowing that Scully meant for him to hear

that.

“You have shown remarkable progress, despite the fact that you haven’t had to use the nanoblood,” Scully agreed.  “Although, I imagine a broken arm was probably the least

of your injuries, our examination of you after the fact revealed a recovery process that

I wasn’t  expecting  to find.  It could be,”  she said, “that the  Bounty Hunter  did do

something to give your life back, if you had indeed, died.”

“The Bounty Hunter has been one of the more frustrating figures in our experience,”

Mulder said.  “He acts as a kind of monitor for the clones, so it's no surprise that he

was here.  In fact, we are almost certain that it was he who killed Tom, and not…

your friend Rachel.  And he killed the one that gave us that disk.  But he’s also like

some others that we know of that have healing powers and, well, that may have been

what the Bounty Hunter was doing.”

“Oh.  So…he used some of his powers to start healing me…right after he threw me

over the edge.  I see,” Terry intoned, unconvinced.  “Ladies and gentlemen, I have

to say, I’m the last person to complain of weirdness in this world, but that pretty much

takes the cake.”

“Maybe he knew you wouldn’t be able to use the nanobots,” Deidre offered.

“And then there are some things that just have to remain an X File,” Scully said. “Such

as why a handful of men have every mark of being clones, but are not.  Mr. Thorne,

Ms. Montgomery, I think we’re going to take our leave of you.  If we hear anything

significant, we’ll be in touch.  And let us know the progress of sweeping the nanoblood

for those indicators I gave you.”

“Well, Mulder, I don’t suppose Dorothy quite knows what to say about Emerald City,

now,” Scully said as they made their way back to their car.  Looking back across the

parking lot where the green glass of the office complex rose like modernity itself above

the spreading trees, she had the strange sense that it would not be the last time she’d

find herself wandering its halls.

“Who knew the Wizard had such powers, eh?”  He asked and they both slid into their

seats.  He leaned over to give her a broad smile and a lascivious look.  “Click your heels

and say three times: there’s no place like Mulder’s apartment.”

Deidre had pulled her chair up as close to Terry’s bedside as possible, on his free arm

side, and leaned into his pillow next to him as they both sat in silence, letting their

thoughts about the events of the last few days begin their sorting process. 

“What if Rachel doesn’t make it back,” she finally whispered, wondering if Terry’s

silence had shifted him back to Rachel’s phone call.  They were worried about her,

worried about Cort, plagued by frustration over Sid, and more than a little nervous

about the future of the company altogether.  Bud had returned to his work in the

hallway where Sid disappeared into his secret laboratory and John tried to restore

security back to normal, while repairs were already underway for the windows and

equipment damaged by their chase.  In all of that, though, Deidre knew Terry’s one

thought was not failing people he had come to view as family.

“I’m not ready to give up yet, Nolia,” Terry replied, placing his arm around her and

drawing her close.  “Not without a fight.”

DIRECTLY CONTINUED AS "TOO QUICK TO DIE"

which is also the merge of all three storylines, X-Proof, Montana Crosswinds,

and In the Time of Fog.

If you haven't read Cort and Rachel's story in the Czech Republik and would like to,

that may be found here: MY HEART IN STONE . Terry and Dee join in that storyline

towards its end, before Too Quick To Die.

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BACK TO PART 11

BACK TO INDEX OF ALL NANOCORP STORIES