What Evil Lurks

CHAPTER THREE

"Well?" The dark haired man flailed the air as the door clanged shut before him. He whirled around to direct a pointed stare at his companion. "Well?" he demanded again.

The other man shrugged, approaching Krycek's cot.

"That one belongs to Kry-rat," Mulder groused, waving toward two empty cots on the opposite wall. "Try those."

Sandy-hair arched a brow. "Kryrat? Is that the guy you assaulted?"

Mulder had the grace to blush.

"What'd he do to ya, anyway?" The other guy asked. "Joshua absolutely freaked out when he found out someone had attacked that one."

Mulder gave him a cool glare. "Long story."

Sandy propped himself on the cot, drawing one knee up to rest his hand while the other stretched out before him. Tilting a jaundiced glance at the door, he grinned coaxingly. "Think we have time."

Mulder tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. "You look familiar. Have we met?"

"Dammit, Cade, what are you doing?" the other guy jumped in quickly, pacing kinetically, his arms waving like windmills. "We've got to get out of here before they decide its time to dissect you."

"I'm open to suggestions, Eddie," Cade said softly.

"Well....how about..No....Ah, yeah, let's...ah, no that wouldn't work..How about..." Eddie wound down, slumping on the cot next to Cade. "So, what we gonna do?"

Grinning, Cade gathered the other man into his arms and eased his head down against his chest. "All in good time, Eddie. Rest now. I want to get to know our...roommate."

Mulder's narrowed gaze widened suddenly. "I do know you." He scrambled to his feet. "Cade Foster. Wanted for murdering his wife. Then following up with a nation wide killing spree. Word is you claim your wife was killed by aliens. The people you've killed are supposed to be....Ga...? Rah..?"

"Gua."

Mulder nodded. "Yeah, what you said. I know them as the Colonists."

"Exterminators is more like it," Eddie said. "Or enslavers. Either way I don't want any part of it."

Cade pressed a tender kiss on the older man's forehead. "Trust Joshua, Eddie. He's covered our backs all the way so far. Why question him now?"

Eddie slanted him a pouty glare. "I don't like him."

Chuckling, Joshua tightened his arms around the nervous bundle in his arms. "You don't like to share."

"How can you be so sure that's our Joshua and not...?"

"I can tell. Our agent inside the Gua Council reactivated his lifeforce before she was uncovered."

"And put him back inside an identical husk. A husk that looks just like the Gua that's leading the attack against us."

Mulder cleared his throat. "Are you crazy saying all that in front of someone you don't know? Someone who could be a plant?"

Eddie arched a brow, grinning. "Fox Mulder. Son of Bill Mulder, who was a prime player in the Consortium, a group of fools who sided with the aliens to aid the invasion thinking they would be placed in stations of power. The senior Mulder was involved in the planning and apparent abduction of his daughter.

"How...?"

Cade gave Eddie and affectionate squeeze. "Eddie is something of a paranoia freak where this invasion is concerned." Cade explained. "Keeps tabs on all the main players."

Mulder grimaced. "Isn't that special," he drawled, glaring distrust at his companions.

Cade shrugged off the sarcasm. "You been here long?"

"Don't you know?"

Eddie snuggled down in his friend's arms. "You really don't trust anyone, do you?"

Mulder stared at them, tight-lipped.

"What do you know about that guy they took out of here, Mulder?" Cade demanded suddenly.

"Krycek?" The agent drawled. "He used to be my partner once upon a time."

"A plant, more to the point." Eddie contradicted. "Under direct orders by old man Spender. The bastard would sell out his own mother if he thought it would get him an inch ahead."

"If you know so much why are you asking?" Mulder grumbled, his gaze moving to the door. "What do you think they're doing to him?"

Cade shrugged. "Something nasty. Does it concern you?"

Mulder shook his head. "Doesn't worry me, dammit." He continued to watch the door, chewing at his lower lip.
"Whatever that guy gets isn't half of what he deserves." His thumped his head against the wall, frowning at the door. "How long has he been gone anyway?"

Eddie slanted a glance at Cade, grinning. "He don't sound worried to me. How about you?"

Cade laid a finger on Eddie's overactive mouth. "Don't dig into the nice FBI man, Eddie. We're both on the wanted list, remember?"

"What's he gonna do, slap cuffs on us and interrogate us? Shoot us?" Eddie threw a look at Mulder. "You gonna shoot us, Mulder?"

Mulder growled, "Don't tempt me." He flung himself off the bed again. "Dammit, what are they doing to him? You don't think they're going to kill...."

The door swung open and Krycek wandered into the room, grinning.


TBC