Chapter Four
As Mulder approached his apartment building its manager came
out of his apartment. "Package for you, Mr. Mulder!" he
cried, "Left by a special messenger."
The agent with Mulder grabbed him and pulled him back. "You
expecting any deliveries?" he asked. Mulder shook his head.
"Put it down!" the agent told the landlord. "Put
it down and get away from it."
The landlord looked startled, but quickly obeyed. The agent came
over, picked up the package, carried it out into an open space in
the parking lot, and backed off. "I'd say it weighs about a
pound," he told Mulder. "If it is a bomb it could do a
lot of damage."
Mulder agreed. It took the bomb squad a few minutes to get there
Their dog's reaction told everyone they had a device.
"Persistent, aren't they?" the leader of the bomb squad
moaned. "Let's get some pictures, then get rid of it."
A few minutes later he came back holding some x-rays. "This
is no amateur job," he explained, "highly sophisticated
little baby! We've got a microphone in there and a computer chip.
This thing was probably keyed to your voice, Mulder; something
you were apt to say when the package was handed to you."
"Well, I'm not going to say anything," Mulder answered,
"in the proximity of that thing!"
The bomb was loaded in a blast box and hauled away.
Mulder finally got to go to bed, though he was almost as nervous
about the two agents camped in his livingroom, and, the two
outside.
In the morning when he got up he went into the little office.
There was a brand new file folder lying on his desk. He picked it
up.
"Your files contained some really great information," a
note inside said. "Will be able to do some good hunting. But
here's several things you can take care of that will clear up
some mysteries. There's six cases here. I'm sure I'll find more
as time goes on."
Mulder went through the file. All the cases were old but still
active. He made some hurried phone calls. Agents in several parts
of the country made some good arrests that day, arrests that
would end a lot of misery.
There was a knock on the door and Scully entered.
"Something for you," she announced, holding out a
package.
"Thanks, Scully," Mulder acknowledged. The package
suddenly lit up.
"Thanks," Scully sighed. "A bit of common
politeness would have blown you out of existence. We saved the
triggering device from the bomb last night. This has got to be a
company rig. The bureau has no equipment THIS sophisticated! It's
got to be CIA!"
"Such speculation, Agent Scully," came their
supervisor's voice from the door, "could make hard feelings
between departments, and arise unwarranted distress. Kindly
withhold such comments until you have more precise
information."
"Yes sir," Scully answered.
"Still," Mulder put in, "I wouldn't mind having a
talk with Cancer Man."
Their supervisor looked angry but said nothing.
"Agent Mulder," he remarked, "I do not know where
you are acquiring your information, but this new contact has
proved extremely beneficial and accurate. If he will continue to
give you information, advise him financial reimbursement might be
possible."
"I'll let it be known, sir," Mulder answered, "but
I've got a feeling this person isn't too concerned with financial
reward."
The supervisor said nothing, but withdrew. "More news,"
Scully put in. "You remember Allied Chemical and their
little experiments?" Mulder nodded, remembering the swim in
the sewer with the half man half leech.
"Their President was stung to death this morning in his
bedroom by a swarm of wasps, drawn there by a malfunctioning
alarm clock which emitted a sound which angered them."
"Damn!" Mulder whispered.
Scully only nodded.
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