CHAPTER 17

 He kept pacing back and forth in front of the pay phone. Slowly, Little Jack began mumbling the tune that kept running in his mind, “just a hunk of, hunk of, burn…” After checking his wrist watch he then grumbled, “can’t even depend on myself!” He was very anxious and he showed it. He sighed as he looked across the street to the tall tower that was lit up like a Christmas tree. The fountains, just in front of the casino, kept shooting off in an electric dance with streams nearly two stories tall. This place was certainly captivating. Why else had they chosen to come here? “How could I have been so stupid. The hands that snatched up Little Jack, and spun him around, came seemingly as an answer to the question. Relief came when he saw who it was. Little Jack dropped his fists.  

    

Big Jack did not release his grip, “that’s what I keep asking myself.”

Little Jack pushed his way free and took a step back. This time he was grabbed and spun around by someone coming from the other direction. Janet’s hands didn’t go for the collar but rather the throat. Little Jack coughed out some words but Janet did not understand what he was saying, or even care.

Big Jack seemed too, “why should I stop her? You stole my truck.”

“The hell with your truck,” Janet growled, “you stole my daughter!”

Only when Daniel walked into the light of the gas station parking lot did Little Jack finally manage to break free. He put distance between himself and everyone else.  

“That was not funny, Janet!”

“Oh it wasn’t, was it?” She cocked her head and reached under her jacket, “well let’s see how funny my pistol is when I blow your head off.”

Big Jack finally stepped in. He really had to wonder how serious Janet was and figured that it would be best not to take the chance, “not yet. I can think of some more painful ways.”

Daniel shook his head in disbelief before stating, “well in case anyone is curious, the coast looks clear for now.”

The kid sprung back into action, “you didn’t trust me?”

“Hey!” Big Jack responded to the kid that shared his genes and memories, “you haven’t exactly left us with a clean record to trust, now have you?”

With his hands on his hips the kid responded, “I only did what you would have done.  In fact…”

“AHHH!!!”  Jack became self conscious even after the kid shut up. Then he saw that it was to late. Daniel had caught on and unfortunately so did Janet. Her stare could have cut steel. Jack backed off, “it’s nothing. Really.”

Before the conversation could go any further Daniel, much to Big Jack’s relief, stepped in, “guys I don’t think this is all really important right now. What we need to know is what you couldn’t tell us on the phone.”

Janet’s eyes fired even worse, “where is my daughter?!”

Little Jack pointed to the tall casino across the street, “I followed them to there. There were six of them. They tried to nab me too but hey….”

“Oh don’t be such a smart ass,” Big Jack replied. He took a look at the casino and realized this was going to be a serious problem, “I thought bad guys were supposed to go to places like deserted warehouses and stuff?”

“Actually Jack,” Daniel replied as he studied the Vegas Casino across the street, “that’s only in cheap syndicated television shows and stuff. Cheaper on the budget.”

“Yeah,” Big Jack replied, “well I wish we were in one right now.”  Jack talked into the collar of his jacket, “Carter, you get that?”

The response came thru the small transparent ear piece, “roger that sir. We’re already on it.”

Sam put down the headset and moved past her “company” to the back doors of the van. She took the opportunity to get a first hand look at the building down the street, “holy shit.”

Mulder joined her and with a flat voice he noted, “maybe we can get in a couple of hands of Blackjack while we’re here.”

Dana Skully had been to busy on her cell phone up till now. Finally she folded it up and stepped outside the van to join her two compatriots, “all right I think I have something we might be able to use.”

“Hold on a minute Skully,” Mulder quickly said cutting her off. He clicked his teeth and looked Sam in the eye, “before we hand over any confidential information, whatsoever, I want to know what’s going on here.”

Sam crossed her arms, sighed, and looked away, “Agent Mulder I think we made it very clear…”

“So far you people haven’t made anything clear to me at all.”

Dana wrinkled her nose, “you know Fox. I’m the one who actually did all the work here. Maybe I should be the one…”

“That’s not important right now Skully,” Mulder said cutting her off. “What is important is that the American people have a right to know all the secrets our government keeps from them.”

With her arms still crossed, Sam huffed, then answered, “the American people or you?”

“That’s not important right now Major Carter. What is important is that I can’t think of any reason why so many people, so high up, would want to kidnap a college student just to get the Air Force and the FBI at each others throats. Now this girl has to have some kind of value to someone.”  

In a rare instance Dana had to actually agree with Mulder. It was shocking, even to her, but she followed his lead. Fox smiled at the Major, “so before we divulge any further information we have to know what’s going on. It’s only fair." Whatever it was, Dana was certain, it would not be what Mulder assumed it was. She shoved a stick of gum in her mouth and began to chew, while waiting for the answer.  

It was obvious that Major Carter was having a hard time deciding what to do here. Mulder was paranoid, he was always leaping at answers, and in general had a one track mind. Yet somehow he always managed to stumble on things that were very real. This had to be the only thing that kept him from getting fired.

Sam took a deep breath and responded, “she’s an alien.”

 Fox did not flinch. However he did reach up and pull Skully’s wad of gum out of his ear. That was where it landed after she almost choked on it. After he tossed it aside he asked his partner, “you need a pat on the back or something Skully?”

Hunched over and coughing, Skully managed to creak out, “no I’ll be all right.”

Now Mulder became more easy, “please Major Carter. Don’t insult our intelligence. I’ve seen this girls picture and she looks human to me. Besides, everybody knows Aliens don’t go to college and Major in English. They generally go for Modern Art majors.”

That caused Dana to slap her forehead, “I don’t believe this.” She then blew up at her partner, “all these stinking years Mulder! How many years have you been chasing every two bit, schizophrenic, sociopath that had a bad reaction to his medication and saw lights over the airport!!? Answer me that!!? Now all of the sudden you find your wet dream!! An actual government official who tells you exactly what you have wanted to hear!!! And what do you do? YOU DON’T EVEN BELIEVE THEM!!”

He seemed to have missed the fact that she was slightly upset with him. Mulder’s voice did not change, “you have to just understand how disinformation works Skully. You know I read on this internet web sight once…”

She slapped her hand over his mouth and looked to Carter, “anyway this is what I found out. That hotel over there is owned by this guy named Terry Benedict. Ever heard of him?”

Sam just shrugged, “ not really.”

“Unfortunately when I worked the Mob Squad his name came up more than once.”  

Dana pulled her hand away from her partners mouth. Before Fox could speak she got in his face, “and that is exactly where I’m going back to if I hear another peep out of you. You can do your own damn crime scene processing, your own errand running, your own specimen collecting, and your own socks for that matter!”

Carter was feeling a bit uncomfortable watching these two go on. She tried to inject, “excuse me a second there Dana. I just need to ask. So what do we do here?”

 Before Dana spoke again she shot a quick nasty glance at Fox to make sure he stayed quiet. Then she answered, “we need to go see a man named Reuben. He might be able to help.”