I sat down on the curb. I knew I must have still been on Pennsylvania Avenue. My heart stung with pain.

"What did I do?" I cried out loud putting my head in my hands.

I didn't care what it looked like. I knew a few people walked past me. But I didn't look up.

"Taylor, oh God, why?" I cried out loud.

Life didn't feel worth living anymore.

I stood up and walked back into the street.

*          *          *          *          *

"Hey Eddie," she smiled as she answered her cell phone.

"That's great, call me the second you know," she smiled as she hung up.

"Has he almost got it?" I asked.

"Yeah, he said it should only be a little bit longer, the last lines of encryption are almost broken," she exclaimed as we neared the White House.

*          *          *          *          *

"Mr. Hanson, what are you doing out here?" I heard some guy in a uniform asking me as I ran up to the gates.

"I gotta find someone," I panted, out of breath.

"Aren't you supposed to be on right now?" he asked. How did everyone know my schedule except me?

"That's not important," I heaved, still out of breath. I bent forward and rested my hands on my knees.

"Are you feeling all right?"

I winced as I rubbed the back of my neck. My head was pounding.

"No, but I gotta find him," I gasped as bolt of pain crashed through my brain.

"Someone call a doctor," I heard another guard shout as I felt myself being caught up under the arms.

"No, you don't understand," I tried to yell but my voice failed.

Everything began to blur. Somewhere I knew it was over. Somewhere dark, deep within me, I knew it was finished. Will had left, he wasn't coming back. The realization hurt, it hurt so much I couldn't go on. I felt my self falling as everything went dark.

*          *          *          *          *

"Help you, what?" I almost screamed at him.

"Help me get them?" he started.

"To a doctor I hope," I yelled.

He got this weird look on his face.

*          *          *          *          *

I knew she was going to be trouble, I really didn't have time to adjust the settings of the emitter. But I could try. I just had to get to my bag in the van, if that didn't work I'd just have to dispose of her later.

"I'll be right back," I exclaimed as I ran down the hallway.

*          *          *          *          *

"Yeah, well I'm not waiting," I growled.

"Hey yeah doctors, now," I snapped at a dude in a suit.

"They are on their way," he replied as he tapped his ear and listened to something.

*          *          *          *          *

"What the hell?" Fox exclaimed as we rolled up to the side gate of the White House.

"Geeze."

"Holy shit," he yelled as I realized that it was Taylor Hanson I was seeing being loaded into an ambulance.

"Oh shit, oh shit."

"Hey Ned, it's us," I exclaimed as we got out and ran to the security check point.

"Hey Dana."

"What the hell?" I asked as we ran up to the ambulance.

"Don't know, lil Hanson boy just had some kind of break down, passed out right here at the gate."

"Dana, your cell is ringing," Fox said poking me in the side.

"Mulder," I exclaimed answering the phone.

"Dana, hold on to your hat," Eddie started.

"Yeah," I asked.

"It's Tommy," he replied.

"What's Tommy, you mean, it's Tommy!"

"Yup, he's the one who's behind the MAST tampering, he's the one who murdered your insider, he's behind it all, we've already started the process," Eddie started.

I glanced across the driveway into the back. I saw a van.

"Ned, who's van is that?" I asked.

"That's the one the Hansons came in," he said glancing towards it.

I drew my gun.

"Hey, hey," I heard Ned exclaim as I rushed down the driveway.

"Lock down the White House," I yelled out.

*          *          *          *          *

"Fuck," I hissed.

"Remote access denied, home base signal not available," the indicator screen read.

"Signal not available, what the hell?" I growled as I punched in the access code again.

"MAST signal not present," the screen replied.

The hairs on my neck stood up, someone knew.

I glanced around, and noticed a car running, no one appeared to be inside it. I kept hitting the retry button as I got inside.

"MAST signal not present," it kept repeating.

I put the car into reverse and turned around. Just as I passed the outer gates they rolled shut.

"Shit," I muttered as I switched on my head set.

The White House was under lock down.

I laughed, I had made it out, and not even in my own car. Which was perfect.

"Time to take that vacation," I laughed out loud as visions of tropical beaches and blue waters flashed through my mind. Almost a year now, I smiled. It had to be ok now to finally empty that bank account. I glanced at my watch, it was half after eight. There was no way they were performing right now. Hell, they probably weren't even going to be a live for another five hours.

*          *          *          *          *

"Is he stable?" I asked as Dana ran off down the driveway as I turned to Taylor.

"Yes, but he seems to be slipping into a coma," the paramedic exclaimed.

"Keep him right here, don't leave," I said.

"Ned, where are the rest of them?"

"Inside, near the grand ball room," he replied.

"When were they supposed to perform?"

"Oh, about half an hour ago."

"Thanks," I replied as Dana walked back up to me.

"He wasn't back there, the van was open but no one was there."

"Come on, they are gonna hold Taylor, we need to see about the rest of them," I exclaimed as we started towards the door.

*          *          *          *          *

It was cold and damp. I pressed myself against the side of the dumpster. My eyes blurred as I looked around. I wasn't sure how far away I was, or where I was. The alley was dark. I could smell food distantly.

"Get the hell out of here, fucking bum," some man in wearing a uniform of some kind yelled at me as he came out of a back door with a bag of garbage.

I scrambled up and stumbled forward towards the sidewalk.

"Sorry," I muttered.

I noticed some people staring at me. I knew I must have looked like shit. I didn't care. It was all over now. Taylor didn't want me, why, I didn't know. But that didn't matter, if he didn't want me I'd stay away. I saw a bridge up ahead. It looked dark underneath.

"God I'm tired," I sighed as I headed for the bridge.

*          *          *          *          *

"I don't know where he went," she exclaimed.

"No clue at all?" I asked.

"No, Jammer came back, said he had left, and then Taylor went nuts and ran off," she exclaimed as she watched the paramedics handling Zac.

"He's gonna be ok right?" she asked.

"I don't know," I replied honestly.

Dana pulled me to the side.

"Fox, their conditions are rapidly decreasing, Taylor and Zac already have slipped into deep comas," she started as we walked a bit further away so the girl couldn't hear us.

"Fox, if they keep dropping deeper, their brain waves will slowly cease to exist."

"You mean the MAST," I started.

"Is turning them into vegetables," I replied.

"Well can't we switch it off?" I asked suddenly.

"Eddie made the call the second he found out, the MAST was shut down the second they discovered who was behind all this," she replied.

"Then why are they still getting worse?"

"They have MAST chips in them, there still is the original command signal being fed into their cerebral cortex, it's like, the television station has gone off the air, but the TV sets are still on. Only now they are being fed nothing but static. Those chips have to come out," she exclaimed rubbing her neck.

"Can we do that here?" I asked.

"No, it has to be done in Roswell, I've got everything being set up there now. The trouble is, where is Will," she asked.

"I don't know, no one seems to know," I replied.

"If we don't get to him Fox, he'll die in under ten hours," she exclaimed.

"He'll what?" we both turned around.

"She said he's gonna die?" the girl exclaimed looking horrified.

"No, what I mean," Dana started.

"Fuck you and your back tracking, I heard what you said," she snapped. I jumped slightly. Tough chick.

"Ok, you're right, he's going to die if we don't get to him fast," Dana sighed.

"Then we have to find him, now, you're the FBI you can put out an all points bulletin or something," she rattled off as she paced back and forth.

*          *          *          *          *

"Yeah, I know I'm late, I actually didn't even hear about it until late this afternoon," I replied over the cell phone.

"Well, you heard the news right?"

"No, I've been caught up in traffic from Ronald Reagan, why?"

"They didn't perform, something about them being sick."

"Geeze," I replied as I made the turn.

"I'll be there in about ten minutes, I'm," I started as I swerved to keep from hitting someone in the road.

"Shit," I muttered as the wet pavement caused me to spin out.

"What?"

"I almost hit someone!"

"In the middle of the road?!"

"I couldn't see them, we're under a bridge."

*          *          *          *          *

"We can't wait any longer, we have to get them out now," she exclaimed as she looked over them all, my eyes welled up.

"We can't go without Will," I cried quietly.

My world was suddenly some kind of weird nightmare. My cell was out of the area, so I couldn't call Amber or Cristin. Even though I was sure they had seen the news on television. I stood there watching Zac lie motionless on the gurney.

"I can't believe no one saw him," I said again out loud.

"We're going to have to go. Isaac's child is at risk with Shiye in this state," she replied to me.

*          *          *          *          *

"Well are you ok?"

"Yeah, hey, you there," the phone went dead.

"No Network."

"Crap," I sighed tossing the phone into the passenger seat.

I put the car into reverse and backed up slowly. Turning the wheel back toward the road I moved forward. The head lights caught someone lying in the gutter.

"Oh shit, I hit him," I groaned as I rolled up.

"Damn it," the cell still wouldn't pick up a signal.

"Are you ok?" I called from the window of the car.

"Sir," I asked, he didn't move.

I had to get out.

"Sir," I exclaimed again as I approached the body.

"Are you ok?" I asked as I squatted beside him.

"Hello, oh god," he was wearing a Hanson all access badge.

"Hey," I exclaimed as I turned him over.

"Oh my god, Will?!"

*          *          *          *          *

"Are you sure you're feeling ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine, why do you keep asking me that shit?" she snapped back.

"Alright, listen we're pulling out now, come on if you're coming you have to go with us now," I nearly pleaded with her. I knew Dana wasn't going to beg, so I had to.

"You don't understand, we have to get Will," she cried looking at me.

"I do understand but no one has seen him, we've had them broadcasting on the radio and television," I tried to explain.

I caught the sound of a cell phone ringing.

"Do you hear that?" I asked as we glanced around.

"Yeah, it's a cell phone," she replied.

"Yours?"

"No, that's not my ring, it's, hold on," she said straining to listen.

"Hey, you need to shut the phones off in here, they will interfere with the equipment," one of the paramedics said as she started to turn off the cell phone in her hand.

"WAIT!"

"Who's was that?" she asked.

"The father's, it just started ringing."

"Give it to me," she yelped as she snatched it out of her hand.

"Hello?!"

*          *          *          *          *

"Who's this?"

"Daphne Catanelli, who's this?"

"I think I have the wrong number."

"No, no, are you trying to call Walker Hanson?!"

"Yes, I am, who are you?"

"Nevermind that, who is this?"

"This is Patricia, I was coming to see the guys perform, I just heard all the news, and just a second ago I almost ran over Will, what the hell is he doing all the way out here lying in the road?!"

"Oh my God, get to the White House now, he's gonna die if you don't get him here!"

"He what?!"

"GET HERE NOW!"

"Alright, I'll be there in just a few minutes, I'm just down the street."

*          *          *          *          *

"They found him," Fox said as he rushed up.

"We have to go the second he gets here," I replied as Fox looked extremely startled.

"What?"

"Uh Dana, um," he stuttered.

"Miss Mulder," a voice exclaimed behind me.

"Yes," I started as I turned around.

"Mr. President," I almost gasped unexpecting of his presence.

"I understand these boys are in a tough situation."

"Yes sir they are, they've got only a few short hours to live," I exclaimed as silence grew around us.

"Well I'm leaving it to you," he began as a sudden bustle of commotion came up from behind.

"He's here," someone shouted as a middle aged woman came forward with Will slouched against her left shoulder.

"Help please," she groaned as she struggled to hold Will up.

"And this is," the President asked.

"He's with the Hansons, he's, well," I tried to find the words.

"He's their cousin," Daphne exclaimed before I inadvertently disclosed any information about Taylor and Will that they might not want released.

"I see, well Miss Mulder, as I was saying I'm leaving it to you to make sure they are ok, I've granted you and your partner as well as the paramedics access to the helicopter and Air Force One, get them down to Roswell," he smiled.

"Yes Mr. President," I smiled as I saluted him.

"Take care," he replied as he returned inside the White House.


On to Chapter Thirty-Five

Back to Chapter Thirty-Three

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Memories ... Of A Forgotten Past is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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