Title: Rubber Band (1/1) Author: Romantique Classification: XA - X Files/Angst Rating: R - Language, Sexual Abuse of Crime Victims Distribution: Archive anywhere, but e-mail me, please. dolph1n@sbcglobal.net Summary: Scully and Mulder race to profile a murderer before they find another victim. 2:30 a.m. Beale Street Hotel Memphis, Tennessee They had seen this before in crime scene photos of a murder in Montgomery and another in Baton Rouge. Only two days ago, they investigated a similar one in Biloxi. All had occurred within the last two months. All victims were male, ranging in age from mid- twenties to mid-thirties, and now, victim four appeared to be no different. Like the others, this victim's nude body was found in bed with a lethal stab wound to the abdomen. And then, there was the killer's calling card: a green rubber band carefully wrapped around the tip of the victim's tongue. Autopsies of the first two victims revealed the rubber bands in the victims' mouths had been splashed with some kind of an acid, dissolving them into a green "goo." Scully and Mulder initially believed this to be the work of Alien Bounty Hunters. But with the third victim, they were able to collect forensic evidence before acid had completely destroyed the rubber band. Forensic testing demonstrated that they were dealing with green rubber bands and NOT the paranormal. But now, the murders appeared to be moving from Alabama to Mississippi and into Tennessee. This was now fast becoming a Federal investigation. "Mulder, I'll conduct the autopsy, but it's just a formality. I'm betting I will find evidence of chloral hydrate in this victim, too. We've got to find this murderer before we find a victim number five," a gloved Scully spoke while examining the body. "Yeah, so much for visiting Graceland on this trip," Mulder quipped. Snapping on latex gloves, he began to survey the crime scene. Remnants of two, lipstick-stained joints lay in an ashtray near the bed. He quickly deposited them into an evidence bag and stated, "Look, Scully, the probable source of the chloral hydrate," and handed her the bag. Then, he reached for the victim's pants, draped at the foot of the bed. Rummaging through the pockets, he pulled out an unused matchbook. "Hmmmm. Rendezvous Club on Beale Street," he read aloud from the cover. And inside, the words "Rubber Band" were scrawled in ink. "Scully, while you perform the autopsy, I'd really like to check on this Club," and he left her to finish processing the scene. Mulder didn't have to go far. One only had to follow the pulsating rhythms down the street. At the Club's entrance, he noticed posters advertising the current Act appearing for its last night; a grunge group called "Rubber Band." Upon entering the smoke-filled club, Mulder met two bouncers clad in leather, zippers, assorted piercings, and tattoos. He flashed his badge and was allowed entrance. Allowing his eyes time to adjust to the strobe lighting, he made his way to the back of the club. His curious stares at the "freakazoid" patrons were met by stares of their own. In a suit and tie, Mulder was very out of place. Seating himself at a table in the back of the room, he shouted over the music and asked a young woman at an adjacent table when "Rubber Band" would be playing. She motioned to the band on stage. There, Mulder observed a singer, guitarist, and a drummer. The drummer was a female with long, blue- black hair, an exotic beauty. Her cheeks were pierced with safety pins and green rubber bands dangling from each end. The drummer made eye contact with Mulder from across the room, eye contact that she maintained until the end of the set. At the break, she sent Mulder a wickedly provocative smile, eventually, making her way to his table. "May I sit down?" she asked him in a voice as smooth as silk. "Sure," Mulder responded, pointing to an empty seat. His hazel green eyes locked with her emerald green ones, as they joined in a mutual hypnotic stare. "My name's Jade," she purred, as she moved her seat closer to him. "You act as if you're lookin' for someone." Just then, the waitress interrupted them to ask if they would like to order something from the bar. Mulder ordered a bottle of water, with the drummer making it "two of the same." When the waitress left them alone, Mulder leaned in closer and said, "Me, looking for someone? Maybe I found her." He dryly added, "I have a fascination with rubber bands, you see. Especially green ones." Jade raised an eyebrow. "I don't recommend them," she warned in a forbidding tone of voice. "They bring nothing but pain. ESPECIALLY green ones." And she ran the tip of her index finger along the row of piercings in her cheek. "Is that why you're called Jade? Hmmm, I'm fascinated, nevertheless," he continued. "And I'm not afraid of pain. In fact, sometimes I relish it." His gaze penetrated hers, and he sensed even more so that this woman was involved in the rash of murders. He had to play this just right. Jade appeared to accept his sadistic proposition, when she suggested that he wait for her to get off work from the Club. She explained the next set would be the band's last, as they were leaving town later on in the day. But she thought to herself that she had plenty of time to first have her way with this John. She placed her hand on top of his, giving it a squeeze and more than slightly digging her nails into his flesh. Mulder winced and then couldn't help but notice burns and scarring on her hands and arms. She finally released his hand, leaving marks in the back of his hand. And she blew him a sexy kiss, as she returned to the stage. Upon the short walk back, a waitress stopped Jade, whispering into her ear, "Rocko said that guy you were talkin' to flashed a badge when he came in to the Club. He's a Fed, not a John." "Oh, shit," Jade said. Looking down at the waitress's tray, she asked, "Are these the waters we ordered?" The waitress nodded, yes. Jade carefully pulled a small vial from her pocket and glanced at Mulder, who was talking to the couple at the next table. She quickly emptied the vial's contents into one of the water bottles. She asked the waitress, "Want to help me bed this Fed?" And the two young women giggled. "Sure. Never cared much for Feds, myself," the waitress smirked. Jade grabbed the other, untouched water bottle and climbed up on stage to finish her set. Within minutes, the waitress sat the laced bottle on Mulder's table, as the band began to play. As Jade slammed her sticks into her drums in time with the music, she locked eyes with Mulder's once again, as he began to unwittingly sip the altered liquid. 7:30 a.m. The Rendezvous Club 601 Beale Street Memphis, Tennessee Mulder slowly opened his eyes, trying to shake away the fog that surrounded his aching head. He began to experience some semblance of clarity, only to find himself sprawled on the floor with his head cradled in Scully's lap. "Mulder, what happened? Are you OKAY?" she asked, pulling up on each of his eyelids, somewhat alarmed at the size of his dilated pupils. "Oh, God, Scully. I had her," he answered in a panic. "Who," she asked as she reached for his neck to take his pulse. "The murderer," he said with much concern on his face. "Mulder, we found victim number five, an hour ago," Scully tried to brace her partner as she delivered the disturbing news. He attempted to lift up his head and noticed Memphis Police in the club, questioning a man and one of the bouncers. "Rubber Band," Mulder tried to explain. He was groggy, as if under the influence of an unknown substance. "We've got to find the drummer," Mulder tried to explain to his partner. "She's the one. Her name is Jade." Scully explained, "Yes, I immediately noticed the name of the band when I came here looking for you. The manager said the band has already left town." "Where is the waitress?" he asked, still trying to gain his bearings. "She drugged me. It was in my water." Scully quickly surveyed the tables in an attempt to Locate his water to use as evidence. But the tables had all been cleared. "Mulder, you've been drugged by 'who knows what.' I need to get you to a hospital, immediately," Scully admonished as she pulled out her cell phone. "No, I'm fine," he argued as he again struggled to raise his head. "Mulder, lie still. If you won't go to the hospital, then I need to obtain a blood sample from you, as evidence. We need to know what kind of drug is in your system. Now." And she pulled a syringe and tubing from her medical bag and lay it aside. "What do you bet that its chloral hydrate?" A resigned Mulder nodded his head in agreement. Scully helped him remove his coat and roll up his sleeve. She tautly wrapped a piece of elastic tubing around his upper arm, forcing blood down into his lower arm. She stretched a pair of sterile gloves over her hands and began tapping on the vein inside his elbow until it puffed up. Then, she popped the cap off the syringe and quickly drew two tubes of blood. She then placed a small bandage in the crook of Mulder's arm to stop the bleeding. A moment later, Mulder announced he was going to be sick, and he began to heave up the contents in his stomach. Scully tried to help him by rolling him over. The smell of bile was overwhelming. After the heaving seemed to subside, she helped Mulder move away from the pool of vomit on the floor. She then grabbed a tablecloth from a nearby table and wiped his mouth. "Ohhhh," Mulder moaned, looking pale and clammy. "My throat burns." "Mulder, I think I know why the rubber bands dissolved in the first two victims," Scully said with new enlightenment. "It was stomach acid, Mulder. A side effect of the chloral hydrate." He lay there taking in deep breaths, as he attempted to regain his composure and allow the nausea to settle down. Then, Mulder recognized the face of a woman standing behind one of the tables. "You!" Mulder shouted. "You drugged me, " he said, accusingly. It was, indeed, the waitress. She slowly came out of the background and approached Scully and Mulder. The waitress offered the sickened agent a glass of water. "Shit," Mulder yelled. "Do you honestly think I would ever take anything from you?" "Look," she slowly began. "I'm sorry, Mister. Let me explain. My boyfriend Rocko and me thought you was just another cop customer lookin' for some fun with Jade. She didn't want to do you, Mister." She paused, "Jade is my cousin." She continued on, "I knew she was hookin', but now ya'll come in here talkin' about murder? We don't know nothin' about no murder." The waitress appeared to be frightened, and yet, she seemed to be sincere. "What's your name," Scully asked. "Savannah. Savannah Wyatt," replied the young woman. Scully continued, "Well, Savannah. We have cause to believe that your cousin may be killing her customers. What can you tell us about her?" "Her band's been on tour. They came here after a gig in Biloxi. I hadn't seen Jade in a long time and thought she was pretty weird this visit. She's fucked up, but I'm not surprised. I mean, she was abused really bad by her old man when she was a kid." "Abused? How so?" Mulder asked. "Oh, she's told me some stories that make me sick. Her Daddy would do her every which way but loose, and when he was done with his business, he'd pass her on to his friends. He'd burn her with acid and lit cigars. Scarred her up bad so no one else would want her. And if she ever told on him, he threatened he'd kill her. He did once kill her dog." "Where was her mother during the abuse?" Scully asked with compassion. "Her Momma died when she was three. Her Daddy's been doing her as long as she can remember." The waitress went on, "He was wrong about the burns, though. Men pay a lot of money to be with Jade, and they don't care nothin' 'bout scars." "And where is her father now?" Scully inquired, again with genuine concern. "Son-of-a-bitch died of AIDS, last year," Savannah answered with little emotion. After a pause, Mulder asked, "Do 'rubber bands' hold any special meaning to you?" Looking down, Savannah said, "Jade said her Daddy used to tie rubber bands around her tongue real tight 'til she'd scream. Then, he'd do her until she'd shut up. Man, he was a sicko!" "Did she every mention green ones?" Scully added. "Green?" Waitress thought for a moment. "Well, of course, her name is Jade. And her last name's Greene." The waitress continued, "Jade and her band are headed for Dallas. She lives there with her Aunt. Y'all aren't gonna hurt her when you find her, are you?" Mulder sadly responded, "No. It's seems she's already been hurt far too much." "Will you excuse me for a moment?" and Scully walked toward one of the uniformed Memphis PD. After a brief discussion with the officer, they waited for information to be radioed back, and Scully and the officer began to exchange written notes. After a time, Scully walked back toward Mulder and the waitress. Mulder was now sitting up. His face still had little color. He was now attempting to drink some water, and he sounded as if he was just finishing up with the waitress. "Yeah, we know where to find you if we have any more questions. And here's my card if you remember anything more. Anything," he instructed. The waitress nodded, indicating she understood and left the two Agents. Mulder tried to stand, but he didn't make it up very far before his legs collapsed out from under himself. He didn't feel very well, at all. "You sit right here, partner, and rest," Scully helped him back down. "I'm going to wrap things up here and have you and your blood sample checked out. No arguments, Mulder." He knew she was right. Scully pulled out her cell, began entering numbers, and placed the call. "May I have the Dallas Office of the Texas Bureau, please." After a moment, Scully continued as Mulder listened. "This is Agent Dana Scully from the D.C. Bureau. We request you to pick up a Ms. Jade Greene for questioning. She's a suspect in a string of serial killings originating in Montgomery, Alabama. We believe she is en route to Dallas from Memphis, Tennessee. She left at approximately 6 a.m. local time with two young men, travelling in a red 1993 Pontiac Le Mans with Texas plates. Please, hold for a license plate number and physical description of the suspect." Epilogue While en route to Dallas, Jade Greene was arrested outside of Texarkana by the Texas Bureau of Investigation. Charged with five counts of murder, Ms. Greene currently awaits trial and is held in psychiatric custody. There were no more murders fitting the "rubber band" modus operandi. ~fin~