Frohike had been from sea to shining sea in America. He'd traversed 
the wilds of Canada and even sauntered into Mexico a couple of 
times. But he'd never left the continent of North America. Now, the 
hammer-like fist of African heat that wrapped around him as he 
stepped off of Candace's plane made him wonder why he'd broken 
tradition. He saw a string of white limo's standing at ready and a 
row of well-dressed gentlemen. He couldn't believe it. Candace had 
told them what to expect when they landed in the small, out of the 
way Egyptian airport. Frohike stared; amazed that he was in the 
presence of the Prime Minister of Egypt Atef OBEID and some of his 
flunkies.

There was much bowing done by the Prime Minister and his 
staff and Candace talked back and forth in Arabic with the PM. There 
seemed to be a minor disagreement but Candace seemed to have gotten 
her wish, whatever it was. She nodded and the Prime Minister bowed 
again.

"We get one of the limo's. We're not going to have dinner 
with his family tonight. We're going straight away to the lab. See 
if we can catch them there." Candace watched the rest of the limo's 
depart. She shrugged. Humans and their flaming traditions! This 
was more important then holding the traditional dinner she received 
whenever she returned to her homeland. "He wasn't too happy about 
it. He thinks I'm a national treasure. I am not. I am just me."

The boys piled into the limo's plush trappings. Candace got 
behind the wheel and peeled out of the airport with the tires kicking 
up a trail of red dust behind. The boys peered out of the tinted 
windows, admiring what view they could see. The way was filled with 
the traditional manner of housing one found in Egypt, the caked brick 
and stucco. Everything seemed to be white and beige and everything 
seemed to be wrapped in a wavering heat haze.

On the way, Langly watched as Candace with one hand on the 
wheel open the black bag she had lugged with her with the other. In 
it was a laptop, which she flipped open by hardly looking. There was 
a long cord connected into a port on the portable hard drive and she 
took the male end of the opposite end and plugged it into the 
connector behind her ear, directly into her brain. Langly shuddered 
at the thought. The ultimate hands free, he thought. But that was 
taking it just too far. 

Frohike had no idea how long they had been traveling but at 
least it was comfortable. There was tea and a kind of cracker thing 
that was very good. All too soon a building very unlike the kind 
that they had seen so far, a very large warehouse, which gave the 
Lone Gunmen a curious homey feel, came into view. It was a massive 
complex yet it boasted neither sign nor any markings of any kind to 
identify it. 

"Um, won't we be detected?" Langly asked nervously. 

"No." She responded with a hint of triumph, "I just hacked 
into their systems. After all, I was the one who put them there in 
the beginning, the amateurs. We are invisible out here."

"Someone's trailing us." Byers concerned comment caught 
everyone's attention.

"What?" Candace demanded angrily.

Byers pointed out the back of the limo's rear tinted window 
and through their trail of dust, they could see another trail 
following them.

"Who could that be?" Candace asked more to herself while 
grinding her teeth agitatedly.

She slammed on the brakes, throwing the boys forward, causing 
Langly to spill his drink all over the leather interior. The Lone 
Gunmen looked behind them at the approaching auto. Once the limo 
rocked to a halt, in her fury, she almost ripped the door from its 
hinges as she opened it. If it was Avery… she'd flame him, even WITH 
the Lone Gunmen watching. But as she sniffed the sweltering air, she 
could sense that Avery was inside the compound with his people. 
There were two people in the car, she could smell them faintly as 
their scents leaked from the air conditioner units. No, three. The 
black car neared them and slowed eventually stopping a few feet 
behind them. It was shrouded in dust. When the doors opened, their 
scents hit her full force. Three. A male and a female and… one she 
couldn't identify. That disturbed her. Her five senses were 
extremely keen and she prided herself on the learning and 
memorization of scents. Then she noticed the female was pregnant. 
That explained the third then. She knew they were also armed, she 
could smell the gun oil and powder.

"Federal Agents." The male with movie star good looks and 
sunglasses looked more at home in L.A. than in Egypt. He pulled his 
wallet out of his trousers pocket and flipped it open, showing his 
identification. The woman with short red hair and slightly angelic 
face on the passenger side mimicked him, showing her own I.D. Both 
had badges hooked onto their belts as well. "Identify yourself." He 
positioned his hand over the handle of his holstered gun.

F.B.I.? What were they doing here, Candace mused, quirking 
an eyebrow at their self-important manner. She could flame them both 
just as easily as if they had been Avery, and she could also survive 
multiple gunshot wounds to the head and the chest. 

"You will call me Candace." She decided to play the game.

"Step away from the vehicle." The woman ordered with her gun 
already out of the holster.

The passenger doors of the limo opened slowly, the Fed's 
guns, for the man had pulled his out too, both swung about, pointing 
at the movement.

"Get out of the limo!" The male barked.

"Jeeze, Mulder! You can put your guns down already. It's 
us!" Langly's voice came from inside the limo.

"What?" The man now identified as Mulder said with a 
bewildered look. The woman's face looked just as confused and amazed 
as the Lone Gunmen slunk out of the limo cautiously and guiltily.

"Well, you did want us to work on that case for you." 
Frohike began and relaxed a bit more when the agents put their pieces 
away. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Wait a minute." Mulder took a good look at Candace once 
more. "THIS is Candace Williams? The one in the file I handed you?"

"It is." Byers nodded primly. "We found her and have 
discovered something much more… bigger than you could imagine." He 
finished without letting the agents in on her big secret.

Silence.

"Mulder." The woman prompted, "We have to get in the 
warehouse."

"You haven't explained why you two are here." Frohike 
reminded.

Mulder gave in, "We have been tracking a string of mutilated 
bodies with organs missing. At first, we thought it was a black 
market dealer who specialized in body parts, but it all led curiously 
to Egypt… to this warehouse."

The smirk was wiped from Candace's face when she heard 
that. "What kind of organs?"

Mulder replied, "Brain and heart. We had thought it was odd 
that it was just these two that were taken when liver, kidney, and 
lung are much more sought after. Scully noticed all were done with 
the same blade that sliced into the skin and the same extraction 
tool."

Candace glanced a weary eye in the direction of the warehouse 
over her shoulder.

"When was the last victim discovered?" She asked and looked 
like she knew something she wasn't about to tell.

Mulder looked across the car at Scully who shrugged, "Two 
days ago. Why are you interested in this?"

"Then we may not be too late." The dragon said more to 
herself.

"Too late for what?" Scully demanded.

"They're still testing the initial reactions of the D.N.A. on 
human tissue. Avery's not a fool after all." She went on.

Mulder didn't hide his surprise, "How did you know the 
perpetrator's name?"

Candace said most truthfully, "Because I used to work with 
him. Not by choice."

"Stay here." Mulder ordered them and he and Scully advanced 
with purpose. 

The dragon wasn't about to have that. "And you think they'll 
listen to you because you have guns? They don't care. They'll be 
willing to sacrifice a few of their own for their project to 
succeed. You F.B.I. are so used to hiding behind your guns. I have 
something they fear more than guns."

"Your socks?" Mulder said glibly and slightly annoyed.

"My breath." And at that, she grinned.

"Gotta vouch for that one, Mulder." Frohike said.

"Why Frohike, you stud." Scully purposefully 
misinterpreted. 

Frohike sighed.

"You'll see." Candace said.

continued in part 3..............