Sasquatch: From the X-Files Ch. 02

"What Angel is trying to say is that you two were fucking too loud." Cathy said openly, though she hadn't actually heard a thing with her headphones in and Brad between her legs toying with his tongue and fingers she had been lost in her own world. Cathy clasped Angelica's pale hand, "though you and Todd were sounding pretty wild in the tree's before we found you." Angelica's face erupted in splotches of dark crimson and Cathy laughed, "Angel my dear you need to come out of your shell more."

"I will," she said timidly and noticed Rebecca smirk just before she turned her thin face, "I am," she said with more certainty, "it's just a little different to what I'm used to," which was so true. Angelica may be from California but free love and free speech was something she had only read about in history until she came to University.

She had met Cathy first and got on like a house on fire, she began to hear a few things as the months went on about Cathy and her friends. Angelica was too busy to listen to all the gossip and she had drifted from Cathy anyway different classes and different friends. When she met Todd her whole world suddenly stopped, Angelica was what her mother called ample, big thighs and breasts she was no cheerleader but no slouch either it was all in her genes. Boys had come to her expecting an easy lay and all left disappointed all except Todd.

Todd had never asked Angelica for sex for the first couple of months, he was if anything a gentleman. She lost her virginity to him in her room one rainy night and they had never been apart since, so when she discovered they shared a friend in Cathy, Angelica was already falling into the group that she had heard rumours about. Before Angelica had started dating Todd the group had consisted of Daniel, Rebecca, Brad, Cathy, Todd and Michelle they were all open sexually and shared partners, Angelica had to ask Todd about this and one day she plucked up enough courage to ask. When she did the whole group was present. "We're very open" Todd had said and Angelica found her heart was beginning to break, "but since meeting you, I've not shared." And the others had agreed Todd for the last three months had been with Angelica and no one else.

The group welcomed Angelica with open arms and had asked nothing from her except that she be open and truthful with them. "Different is good, you should try it," Cathy whispered into Angelica's ear as they walked down what looked like a disused trail.

Mount Baker National Park, August 25th

Scully had climbed from the truck full of apprehension at the idea of being in the midst of two males clearly intent on proving which one the alpha was. She was surprised and gratefully relieved when Mulder offered himself up for sacrifice before they had begun their trek, "Ben, this is your territory get us in and out safely is all I can ask." Mulder said direct to Mears, no sarcasm, no crooked smile or childish glint in Mulder's eyes just an honest statement.

Mears seemed taken aback by the statement, he eyed Mulder suspiciously then finally nodded slowly, "Okay agent fair enough. Follow my lead and if I ask anything of you please don't question it."

'Ask anything of me you like!' Scully thought and felt her face blush, she turned quickly to the open back of the truck hoping no one had seen her cheeks redden, Haskell was stood on the other side of the truck and she raised her eyebrows in question at the difference in the two men, Scully raised her own in response, they were both just as baffled and clearly relieved in the turnabout.

Haskell handed two rucksacks to Mulder and Scully while Mears put his own on and removed his rifle from its jacket before slinging it over his shoulder. "Try and keep up," he said over his shoulder as he moved with purpose up a small dirt track. He made no excuse for his pace, he wanted to be at the river by midday at the latest, any later chances were they would end up camping there and Ben did not like the idea of that. After a few minutes he looked over his shoulder and smiled to himself, both the agents were keeping up and were not out of breath. Up ahead the dirt track veered further east and Ben brought the group to a halt. "We're going to cut across here for a while, saves on time which I'm guessing we need," Mulder nodded as he took a small sip of water from his canteen. "Okay, keep up and holler if you get stuck." And with that they left the dirt track and pushed through the undergrowth.

Scully found the going tough at first, the tree's loomed over them blocking out the morning sun quickly and the bushes and overgrowth seemed to grab hold of them the moment they came into contact with any of it causing a lot of tugging at shirt sleeves and rucksacks with the always helpful addition of cursing when it failed to cooperate. But after they reached the top of a steady rise Scully was relieved to see that the worst of the growth was behind them and that a stretch of firs lay below them. Mears called for a stop and Scully sat down hard on a fallen log, she grabbed her canteen and took a long pull, "You holding up okay Agent Scully?" Mears asked standing over her.

"I'd better if there was a tarmac road, otherwise I'm okay," She replied as Mears sat down next to her his own canteen held loosely in one hand. "How much further until we reach the site?" She could smell the musky scent of sweat on Mears as well as a surprising undercurrent of aftershave something woody and spicy.

"Another couple of hours if we're lucky, you and Mulder seem to be keeping up pretty well." Mears swigged from his canteen.

"Well we've done our fair share of back packing for the agency," Scully replied and Mears looked at her with surprise, "we're not what the bureau would class as normal agents." And that was one hell of an understatement especially for Mulder. "I've seen my fair share of woods lately."

"What are the chances of Mears finding any tracks?" Mulder said in a low tone to Haskell even though Mears and Scully were out of earshot.

"Damn good," Haskell replied without hesitation, she always found it easy to protect or talk up Ben even when he didn't necessarily need it, "If there is even the remotest print he'll track down whoever or whatever is out there." She chanced a glance over at Ben and felt her stomach tighten when Scully brushed a length of her red hair out of her eyes and laughed at something Ben had said, she hated feeling jealous over a man who she wasn't dating, not really anyway the sex was just that, something mutual that they both enjoyed. They had tried dating a few years back but they both felt ineffectual and emotionally recluse to form a proper bond with one another...the sex on the other hand had been and still was amazing.

"How long you been seeing one another?" Mulder asked, he didn't really expect a response but he knew given a night and another day of these two avoiding even standing near one another he would have to shout it out, better to get it out there now and focus all their minds on the job at hand.

Haskell felt a weight lift from her, sneaking around was not her style and it had been Ben's idea that they should keep their distance out in the woods, "We're not really seeing one another. It's kind of weird and complicated." She bit her upper lip, a habit from her teen years "We are there when the other needs them." Was the best way she could have put it.

Haskell turned her eyes back on Mulder and he raised his hands in mock defence, "I'm not judging but I'd rather have you two focusing on what's going on here rather than keeping up appearances,"

Haskell nodded agreeing with the statement. She stood up and tightened the lid on her flask, "Okay breaks over," she said loudly, "Let's get moving."

Foothills, Mount Baker, August 25th, Midday

The curve in the river, the way the tree's stretched back up a slope the foreboding sight of Mount Baker behind them and the clear blue sky made Mulder catch his breath, his mind clicked to the images of Ansel Adams and for a moment Mulder felt just like him, wandering through the wilderness and finding these untouched wonders except here it had been touched and stamped and bled. The moment faded and Fox Mulder was back. They waded through thigh high water that was warm on top but cold beneath. As they crossed they held their hands out or in the case of Mears and Haskell high above their heads with their rifles, the slippery rocks beneath their boots threatening to tip them without any warning.

On the other side they came to a halt, idle chatter had stopped and they removed their rucksacks placing them together, the midday sun glared down on them drying their wet garments. Mulder pulled his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves as he eyed the clearing. Any sign of the violence that had taken place here was long gone, all Mulder saw was pebbles, dirt and leaves any thoughts of catching whoever or whatever was responsible for this was quickly disappearing from Mulders head.

Ben had wandered a little ways off from the group sticking close to the water's edge he had felt closed in by the other three even out here in the wide open space, he needed breathing room. He walked slowly lifting his feet gently in an odd gait as his eyes scanned the ground. This close to the water's edge he expected to find the marks of smaller animals as well as one or two deer perhaps a bear but that would be a wonder. Ben's brow knitted together and he crouched down, he moved a few old twigs and peered closer at the mud, the tracks here were old the recent heat wave had meant the river level had dropped so the tracks were pretty much left intact. From what he could tell the tracks were over two weeks old, nothing since the attack had come near this part of the river.

Mulder followed in Mears' steps, contamination of a scene was drilled into every young wannabe agent from day one. He reached Mears as he rose to his feet discarding a small handful of twigs as he did so. "Found anything?" Mulder was not expecting much but could not help but imagine being shown a massive, fresh footprint.

"Nothing," Mears said more to himself than in response to Mulder.

"Well it's been a while I guess," and the thoughts of tracking and capturing grew further and further from Mulders disappointed mind.

"It's not just that," Mears turned to face Mulder, "The tracks here are old, there's been no activity here since before the attack." He could see Mulder did not quite understand. "There should be plenty of fresh tracks here, we're in the middle of a heat wave and yet no animal has dared to come close to here, that's not right."

"Maybe they're afraid," Haskell said, putting a voice to what Mulder was thinking as both her and Scully joined them. What had happened here was shocking to a human but for animals to react to such violence...well that made Sarah uncomfortable.

Ben looked at her his mouth opening to speak then closing firmly, his jaw tightening as he walked off to the tree line. The tall Douglas firs grew close together, the ground was littered here and there with heather and blooming purple and yellow Aster's, Ben only moved about a foot in and the heat of the day dropped off and the piercing sun was lost in the green foliage overhead. He moved with a purpose heading to his left a few more feet to a half buried deadfall. He had gotten this far the first time when Sarah had pulled him out and they all returned back to town much to his annoyance.

Ben moved round the deadfall standing behind it and crouching down, the gap through the trees was almost like a green frame around the scene and with a little imagination he filled the shoreline with the two victims and their paraphernalia, they had watched from here he was certain of it. Even though Ben thought of them he knew it wasn't quite right no matter how many times he voiced the opinion, it was not two men or even one crazed man filled with mushrooms it had been a creature, a creature he had not seen since he was twelve.

Mulder had lost sight of Mears the moment he stepped into the tree line, he walked forwards and scanned left then right trying to pick him out but it was useless, "Over here!" the disembodied voice called from the tree's and Mulder leaned forward trying to see better, it was only Mears' waving hand that allowed Mulder to pick him out. When he reached the deadfall Mears motioned for Mulder to crouch down next to him.

"He watched them from here," Mulder said, the view was perfect nearly the whole camp would have been in view, Scully and Haskell were stood roughly where the fire would have been and Mulder's stomach flip-flopped as he imagined what the killer would have seen and felt at that moment. Mulder had read Scully's notes the woman had been totally naked, the man had been found with his trousers undone to guess they had been having sex or leading up to sex was easy, had it been enough to spur the killer into action.

Mears tapped on the deadfall, at first Mulder thought it was simply an acknowledgement of what he had said but it was only when he looked down that he noticed the deep gouges in the soft wood, four of them side by side two or three inches apart, "A knife I'd guess," Mears said, it was such a weak lie that Mulder picked it up instantly he wondered why Mears so against the idea of Sasquatch even with evidence beginning to mount up. Before Mulder could ask him, Mears stood up and turned pointing to the tree's "Just there, you see that break through," Mulder nodded slowly, all he could see was tree's, branches and more of the same. "Look lower down, the foxglove near the base of that tree." Mulder felt embarrassed and looked down at the pink flowers of the foxglove, it was a small clump that had been trampled through the centre, the long stalks here were flat and dying off.

Mulder followed behind Mears aware that they were leaving the women further behind, they moved slowly and Mears pointed out more and more trampled plants at one point a small clearing filled with purple aster had been trodden flat right through the centre, the stride was huge and Mulder's mouth hung loosely open at the sight, "It snuck up, but left in a hurry." He said.

Ben nodded, the agent knew his crime scene and criminology which was about as good as he was expecting from an agent out in the wilderness, "they'd just raped and killed two people, who wouldn't be in a hurry." Beyond the small gather of purple aster the tree's clumped closer together and began another climb up a steeper looking incline, "They went that way, right towards the mountain, not a lot of cover there. But there is a lake closer same direction it's an old sink hole that's filled in, plenty of hidden caves there."

"Can we make it by night fall?" Mulder asked.

Mears shook his head, "not a chance, we can cover most of this ground though before sunset." He had no intention of camping here.

Mulder hated disappointment but Mears was going up in his estimation and decided he knew best "Okay let's head back and get our stuff and the girls before they think we've run into some pig squealing hillbillies."

Sarah had noticed it first a quick glance at the red-haired agent confirmed that for the moment she was the only one to notice. The sound of songbirds had diminished and then with a certain finality disappeared the sound of the cicada's had also gone, Sarah walked idly over to where they had left their rucksacks, Scully remained kneeling by the remains of the camp fire. Sarah's movements were almost lazy as she moved two of the rucksacks out of the way to reveal her Winchester .300 hunting rifle. She reached down unzipping it from its cover when she stood with it in both hands Scully was on her feet her side arm a sig Saur P226 in her right hand pointing to the ground, "Something's wrong!" the agent said looking warily around.

Scully tensed up the moment she felt Sarah's hand land gently on her shoulder, her breath caught in her throat as Sarah leaned in her breath cool against Scully's ear. "Can you smell that?"

What little wind there was came cool off the slow moving water behind them, the smell was not carried on it though, it seemed to pervade from an unknown direction, for a moment it was enveloping them then the wind would pick up a fraction catching it and diffusing it. It made Scully wrinkle her nose and her stomach clench involuntarily. "Something dead..." her words trailed off as Sarah's hand slid from Scully's shoulder, down her arm coming to rest on her bare warm skin just beneath her rolled up shirt sleeve. Scully half turned the motion seeming to take ages as if her body was stuck in wet cement. Her hand that gripped her pistol tingled and felt numb her fingers relaxing allowing the gun to slip to the shale ground. "What..." Scully managed to slur before she felt Sarah's thin lips press gently against her own, full lips.

'What are you doing?' Sarah's mind screamed at her as her lips touched those of the agent, full warm and soft and meeting her own without reluctance. Sarah's hand tightened on Scully's arm while her second hand dropped her rifle without a care and rested on the agent's waist. Her touch was greeted by Scully reaching up and holding Sarah's waist sending butterflies erupting in her stomach and a deep tingling further below that. Though no matter how good it suddenly felt it also felt very wrong to Sarah, when she tried to break the impromptu caress the smell would invade again lingering one moment, there, then whisked away on an errant breeze while Sarah pushed further into the hold of the Agent.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, Scully was having the same argument with herself, she had reached her hands up to push Sarah away but found them resting on her slender waist instead, worse still they had taken hold of the Sheriff's t-shirt and had pulled it free of her jeans finding her hot skin beneath, Scully's touch sending a shiver through Sarah even as Scully tried to pull away from her. For a moment the kiss broke, their eyes opened and locked on one another, fear and want mixed between them a cry for help held back in their throats though they knew the other was no feeling the same way but was powerless to resist.

Sarah cried out as she felt the sharp stones of the ground beneath her back dig in as Scully almost forcefully pushed her down, the agent was next to her lifting up the t-shirt her tanned skin beneath turning to goose bumps even in the heat of the day, her white bra now exposed as Scully's hand rested over one and they kissed deeper still, Sarah's mouth opening expectantly for Scully's exploring tongue. Sarah's own hands had wrestled the buttons from Scully's shirt and were now fumbling beneath her bra finding her breasts warm and her nipples two erect points beneath her palm. Scully let out a sigh at Sarah's touch her own hand now finding its way beneath Sarah's bra in response to the Sheriff's touch while her free hand tugged at the button that held Sarah's jean's together. The button gave in and popped free allowing Scully's shaking hand to slip beneath and over the pale blue cotton panties beneath.

Scully had pushed Sarah to the ground in an attempt to stop what was happening though she found herself following her down, kissing her more deeply letting the Sheriff's hands wander over her body, willing her and letting her touch her soft breasts and feeling ashamed as she smiled at the feel of Sarah's fingers pinching her hard nipples. Through everything the smell continued to linger, only now it was thicker and was starting to make Scully's stomach roll the stark reality of the stench brought her to some semblance of awareness only for the madness to grip firmer and pull her further in an unwilling participant one moment, a giddy, horny willing participant the next.

Sarah lifted her hips meeting Scully's hand that cupped her sex, her panties damp with expectancy. Sarah had managed to lift one bra cup over Scully's right breast freeing it from behind the wired prison. The pink nipple stood erect in the air and Sarah's moth found it willingly, the salty taste of sweat and a light chemical one of antiperspirant greeted Sarah's tongue as her lips closed round the hard nub of flesh. Scully pushed forward, sighing with the sensation her cupped hand grinding down on Sarah's sex as she did so.