Dangerous Undercurrents

Title: Dangerous Undercurrents
Author: Chad Moore
Email: Chad_Skywalker@webtv.net
Feedback: Yes, please
Status: Complete
Rating: PG13
Pairing: M/O
Fandom: The X-Files
Spoilers: None, this is pre-XF
Disclaimer: Fox Mulder belongs to CC and 1013. Azathoth and the Great Old Ones
are creations of HP Lovecraft and are now the property of Arkham House.
HUGE Beta Thanks: Bertina
Author's Note: "It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for." A very
special thank you to the angelic Michele, Jo, Speed, Junior and especially my
beautiful beta Bertina for your support and encouragement.

Chapter Nine: The Deliverer
By Chad Moore

"Who is it? Who's there?" Mulder questioned the darkness. Nearby, Professor
Wickham held his leather satchel protectively and Ryan wielded a thick, broken
limb as a weapon.

The figure that stepped from the shadows surprised them all. For it was a
short man wearing a long, tan trenchcoat. A cigarette hung from his mouth at a
jaunty angle. He eyed the trio suspiciously.

"Inspector Trevor Winston," he announced while lighting his cigarette. "I've
been watching you three characters for some time. Would you like to explain
what you're doing in these woods?"

Closing his fist around Jamie's bracelet, Mulder started to back away. He
didn't have time to waste with the local police. Impending doom passed over the
large, full moon and it was only a matter of time before Jamie was sacrificed.

"Inspector," Wickham stepped up with a friendly smile. "How do you do? I am
Professor Douglas Wickham. My two students and I are engaged in a scientific
study of the lunar eclipse." He pointed upwards and as the inspector looked
Wickham gestured behind his back for Mulder to hurry away. His detective senses
alerted, Trevor tore his eyes away from the moon.

"Hey, you! Hold it right there."

Mulder stopped and turned angrily. Once more the professor intervened. "My
dear fellow, surely you understand the importance of this moment?"

"No, and frankly sir I don't care. There are two murders left unexplained and
I find you three sneaking around campus. Do I have to take you into the
station?" Trevor snapped.

Mulder bolted forward. "Look, the reason behind the murders is in these woods!"

Trevor shook his head. "What?"

"There's going to be another tonight if we don't stop it!" With gritted teeth,
Mulder took off into the woods. The bobbing beam of the flashlight disappearing.

"Hey!" Trevor knew there was something suspicious about these three nutters.
He reached inside his coat, and then mentally slapped himself for leaving his
walkie talkie in his car. Now he couldn't call for back up.

"Inspector, you have to believe us," Ryan said, keeping one eye on Mulder's
retreating form.

"Everything he said was true," the professor nodded. "If you want to find the
answers, you'd better come with us."

Unbelieving the gall of the old man, all Trevor could manage was, "I think
you'd better tell me the whole story."

Far ahead, Fox Mulder trudged through interlacing vines. He knew that he was
on the right track. Jamie's bracelet had been near, and the blood had barely
dried on it. He loved that boy so much and the moment he found him... Holding
back tears, Mulder focused on finding Jamie first. Flashing the torch across
the forest, he was surprised to find a small clearing. The knarled trees formed
a circle around a large clump of boulders. 'Odd place for rocks,' he thought.

Venturing inside, Mulder felt a strange chill. The whole place smelled of the
occult. This was it! Casting about, he called loudly, "Jamie? Jamie!"

The half shrouded moon cast an eerie glow over the rocks. It was so bright in
fact that if Mulder switched off the flashlight he'd still be able to see.
Moving closer to the boulders, he noticed how the light glittered across the
surface.

His heart dropped at the thought of Jamie alone and scared somewhere. "Come
on, Mulder!" he told himself.

"Mulder?" Ryan's voice called.

"Over here," he replied. Kneeling down, Mulder examined the stones more
closely. One thing he was certain, rock formations were considered sacred.

Ryan jogged into the clearing and let out a low whistle. Just across from him,
Mulder was examining a set of boulders. "I wish I'd known these were here," he
commented. "I could've been climbing." His attempts at levity went unnoticed.

Mulder gestured with the flashlight. "Ryan, try looking round the other side."

Nodding, Ryan moved away. He paused as the professor and the inspector emerged
into the clearing. Wickham finished relating the events and Trevor wore an open
mouthed incredulous look. Scurrying up the rocks, Ryan decided to avoid the
fireworks.

"You're off your rocker!" Trevor exclaimed.

"Think whatever you like, inspector, but there will be a sacrifice tonight,"
the professor said, adamantly.

Mulder, growing increasingly frustrated, glanced up to find Ryan standing atop
the boulders like a steeplejack.

"A human sacrifice?" the inspector repeated, aghast.

"Yes!" Wickham shouted.

Trevor paced back and forth. This was serious, deadly serious, if what the old
man said was the truth. Ryan shook his head at the scene below. Then something
extraordinary happened. As Ryan stood atop the stones he felt one move beneath
his feet! The sound of a body falling to the ground interrupted them. Mulder
broke into a run and found Ryan picking himself up, the wind momentarily
knocked out of him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," he coughed. "Mulder, it moved!"

"What?"

"One of the stones moved under my feet!"

"Which one?" he asked, excitedly.

Ryan quickly found the place. There was a slight gap between the boulders. "It
shifted under my weight."

Mulder frantically examined the stone. He pressed his fingers along the edges,
carefully exploring. Discovering a small niche, he beamed at Ryan. "Come on,
help me!"

Together, they heaved and the front of the stone swung away before them to
reveal a secret passage beyond. A narrow flight of steps lead deep into the
ground. Mulder breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, Inspector?" the professor smirked.

The proof staring him in the face, Trevor relented. "This is the craziest
thing I've ever heard but, ..." his voice faded, "but I guess I'll have to
believe you."

"Good," the old man faintly smiled.

"Do you mind telling us what the hell is down there?" Ryan cut in.

Professor Wickham stared into the thick darkness beyond. "A place my ancestors
have been trying to find for years. Catacombs for the Cult of Azathoth."

Lightning pierced the sky, followed by a sudden downpour of rain. It was as if
the forces of nature sensed the evil brewing below ground. Not waiting any
longer, Mulder set off down the stone staircase and into the murky gloom of the
catacombs. He found himself in a warren of dark stone passages. Mulder realized
that it must trail beneath the lake because the air was damp and cold. Besides
the flashlight he carried the only other source of light came from burning
torches set at irregular intervals along the walls.

Hearing the others catching up, Mulder shivered involuntarily. The caverns
were eerie, with tunnels carved right out of the rock. Gravel scrunching
beneath his boots; Mulder took a closer look at the rotting wooden props
supporting the roof.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Inspector Winston was asking.

Wickham stared all around him. "According to the stories, there will be a
sacrificial chamber. Its part of the structure itself," he waved a hand about
and Mulder flashed his torch over a series of bizarre frescos made from marble
depicting the sacrifice.

Mulder turned to Wickham, curiosity overwhelming him. "What will happen if the
sacrifice takes place?"

"More evil than you could possibly imagine," the elderly man replied,
cryptically.

"I have a very vivid imagination." Mulder puffed out his cheeks. "Why won't
you tell me? Why won't you just say what you're thinking?"

The professor remained silent, and Mulder gripped his arm. "Professor, I have
to know," Mulder took a deep breath, "what will happen to Jamie?"

Wickham sighed, the concern in the younger man's eyes willing him to explain.
"The cult require a sacrifice the moment the eclipse is complete. In the
legends, the life force of Azathoth exists in a box, the naga box. Once the
life essence enters their Chosen One, he will be changed forever. Mentally, he
will no longer exist."

Mulder swallowed. "No, I won't let it happen."

"Listen to me carefully." Wickham gazed into his eyes. "I'm only going to tell
you this once. If the sacrifice takes place we will have to destroy him."

An intense fire sparkled in Mulder's eyes. "No, you listen to me! Don't you
even think twice about laying a hand on Jamie."

"You haven't heard a single word, have you? Jamie will be gone! What will
dwell inside his body will deliver evil into the world!"

Breaking free of the old man's grasp, Mulder darted away into the tunnels.

"Impetuous boy!"

Rounding a corner, Mulder stopped and leaned back against the wall. His body
shook not from the chilled air but from fear. Tears flowed down his cheeks. He
couldn't believe this was happening, he just couldn't believe it.

"Mulder?" Ryan appeared and moved toward him.

Quickly wiping his eyes, Mulder sniffed and held the flashlight tightly. "I'm
alright," he said, unconvincingly.

"Don't listen to that crazy old man! We're here and we still have time to find
Jamie. You've got to hang onto hope, Mulder."

Mulder smiled warmly at his friend, fresh tears welling. "Ryan, I know I'm
certifiable sometimes, but thanks..."

Ryan held up a hand. "Don't mention it. I want to find him as much as you do.
Carolyn was right."

"About what?" he asked.

"Jamie's the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"Ryan," Mulder's tone turned serious, "whatever happens, promise me that
you'll get Jamie safely away from here, please."

"I promise," he nodded. "Now let's find him!" He patted Mulder firmly on the
back and they pressed on.

~oo0oo~

Escorted between one of the cult and Sebastian, who kept a firm hold on his
shoulder, Jamie constantly felt on the verge of tears. Lonely and lost, he felt
anything that happened would be preferable to this.

~oo0oo~

Hugging herself to keep warm, Carolyn stood beside her bedroom window and
watched the storm raging outside. What was happening out there?

~oo0oo~

In a vast underground chamber deep beneath Oxford, the sacrificial chamber
echoed with the sound of a low and eerie chanting. Ten black-cowled figures
marched slowly round the dark stone altar in the middle of the room. From a
side tunnel the High Priest entered carrying an intricately carved box. He made
his way to the altar and the brothers surrounding him knelt low.

A harsh whispering emanated from the box, which the priest held high above his
head. The chanting rose to a hysterical pitch.

~oo0oo~

"Professor?" Trevor glanced back to find the old man sitting on an
outcropping, fanning his face.

"Don't worry about me," he assured the inspector. "I'll be fine once I get my
second wind."

Trevor shrugged. "If you're sure? I'm going on ahead to find those boys."

As soon as the inspector disappeared, Wickham sat down his satchel. Opening
it, he rummaged around inside. The world was on the edge of destruction and he
couldn't allow Azathoth to escape. Holding a tubular object in his hand, he
struck his lighter and ignited the end.

~oo0oo~

The tunnel opened out and Mulder walked down another flight of steps into a
chamber. "Well, which way do we go?" Ryan wondered.

Five tunnels split off from the chamber and it was anyone's guess which one
would lead them to Jamie.

"Hey!" a voice called. Mulder and Ryan turned to find Inspector Winston
hurrying after them.

"Where's the professor?" asked Ryan, looking behind him.

"He'll be along in a minute," Trevor replied. Looking back his eyes bulged in
horror. "Stop!"

The sparkling stick flew through the air...

Mulder stood perfectly still. There was a slight trickle of dust from the
roof, a grinding that increased in volume to an ominous rumbling. Then the
explosion rocked the catacombs.

~oo0oo~

In a side tunnel, Jamie lost his footing and stumbled against his two captors.
Dislodged gravel fell onto the floor. Sebastian leaned forward and gripped
Jamie's arms firmly. "Go on ahead and find the High Priest," he ordered the
brother, nervously.

At that moment, a violent aftershock caused the ground beneath them to rumble.
Jamie didn't stop to think. It was now or never.

"Do that," said Jamie. "And pass this on while you're at it!"

Sebastian cried out as Jamie stamped his foot down, hard, onto his. Surprised
by the tremors and Jamie's sudden attack Sebastian fell back. The Brother
rushed forward but Jamie whirled around and planted his fist in the man's solar
plexus. The unprepared cultist howled and doubled over, allowing Jamie to dart
away into the shaking passageway.

~oo0oo~

Dust. That's all he could see and breathe. Coughing, Mulder picked himself up
from the tunnel floor where he was thrown when the explosion hit. His head
ached abominably. Through the choking cloud he peered with watery eyes to find
Ryan and the inspector.

"Are you alright?" Ryan asked, rushing forward. Mulder sported a gash on his
forehead.

"Yeah," groaned Mulder. "A rock didn't like me so it decided to try and crush
my skull."

"What the fuck happened?" Ryan wondered aloud.

From the folds of his coat, Trevor pushed a handkerchief into Ryan's hand.
"Here, you take care of his wound."

Mulder watched the older man stalk back the way they'd come. Ryan turned and
began wiping away the trail of blood. "You could have a concussion," he said.

"I don't," Mulder insisted.

A sudden commotion grabbed their attention as the inspector dragged Professor
Wickham through the opening. "You could have killed us all you crazy old fool!"
he shouted.

Mulder stood shakily and quickly intervened. "What did he do?"

"Just a little insurance," Wickham said, clearly not in the least bit afraid
of the burly inspector.

Trevor released him and turned to Mulder. "He threw a stick of dynamite into
one of the chambers."

"What?" Mulder knew that the old man would go to any length to stop Azathoth,
but burying them alive? With gritted teeth, he turned on him. "Do you have any
idea what an explosion can do in an enclosed space?"

"Certainly!"

"Did you seal the way we came in?" Ryan exclaimed.

"I think it's still open," Trevor said, half-heartedly. "But who knows for how
long." He snatched the professor's satchel from his hands. "You'd better not
have any more TNT in there!"

"How dare you, sir!" Wickham spluttered. Any further argument was halted as a
support beam creaked ominously overhead. Mulder glanced up and his heart
quickened.

~oo0oo~

Stones smashed into the floor of the central chamber. The High Priest spun
around as Sebastian and the brother assigned to escort the Chosen One rushed
inside. "What is the meaning of this?" he bellowed behind his mask.

"My lord," Sebastian bowed low.

"Well?"

"The Chosen One has escaped."

"What??!" he shrieked. "So near the supreme moment!"

Huge clouds of dust rolled through one of the tunnels set into the chamber.
The High Priest turned to the assembled cult. "Come with me!"

~oo0oo~

Jamie ran, tumbling against the wall with each new vibration. He felt a breeze
coming from somewhere, and when there's a wind, there's a way! Sebastian would
have sounded an alarm and the cult would be hot on his heels. He had to find a
way out. The torches along the walls created eerie shadows and Jamie thought he
could see cowled shapes reaching out for him.

He scrambled toward the cool air, wincing as he cut his hand on a rock. Heart
jumping, he could hear running in the distance. Jamie ran faster, realizing
that capture was imminent. Turning a corner, he crashed headlong into someone
in the darkness. He screamed, trying to release himself from the desperate arms
clinging around him. But fear drained away. The body felt warm and familiar.

Opening his tear stained eyes, Jamie gasped in disbelief at the handsome face
beaming down at him.

"Mulder!" he cried.

"Jamie!" Mulder pulled him close and pressed a kiss full of desire and relief
on his lips. Jamie sobbed, holding his face to Mulder's shoulder. Tenderly,
Mulder lifted his chin. "I'm sorry about Sebastian," he said.

Jamie hugged him close. "I kept telling myself it was all a bad dream. That I
would somehow find myself back with you."

Mulder stared into his eyes. "It's over now. I'm going to get you out of here!"

Grabbing Jamie's hand, Mulder ran back to rejoin the others. Scratched by
slivers of rock, they stumbled blindly through the maze of passages. Ryan's
eyes widened in surprise. "Jamie!" he exclaimed.

"So, you found him," Wickham observed, fixing the boy with a steely gaze.

"Don't worry," Mulder whispered in his ear.

"Just a minute," Inspector Winston interjected. "Where are the people who
kidnapped you?"

"You can introduce yourself soon enough if we don't leave, now!" Mulder told
him.

Not waiting for a response, Mulder nodded at Ryan and together with Jamie they
hurried toward the tunnel leading back up to the entrance. They had not moved
far when a familiar sixth sense alerted Jamie to danger. Glancing over his
shoulder, he cried, "Look out!"

Mulder looked round wildly, and pulled Jamie protectively behind him. Slowly,
Professor Wickham and the inspector backed away while Ryan took up a defensive
stance. From the tunnel mouths, the ghoulish cult appeared.

Jamie swallowed hard as the High Priest emerged, the golden mask reflecting
off the torchlight. In his hands he clutched the ancient naga box. The strange
breathing from within chilled Jamie's soul.

"We've got to wrest that box from him," the professor whispered to Trevor, who
was staring at the priest in stunned amazement.

"Give us the Chosen One!" the priest's voice boomed.

Trevor, stepped forward. "I'm Inspector Trevor Winston and you can just
consider your whole evil lot under arrest."

"You were very foolish to venture into our domain," the priest laughed,
insanely.

"Yeah, well I think we'll skip the costume party," Mulder said, smiling at
Jamie who nodded enthusiastically.

"But I insist you stay. The time of the deliverer is now. Take him!"

The High Priest motioned to the brethren who converged on the small group. The
hooded figures emerged fully, like rats from their holes. In their hands, razor
sharp knives slashed through the air. Trevor cast his eyes about and picked up
several hefty rocks, hurling them at the attackers.

High above, fissures cracked the roof's surface. A fragile beam buckled
sending rocks and dust crashing down. Jamie leapt back to avoid the fall, and
as he did so, two arms appeared behind him and grabbed at his shoulder. He
cried out and twisted round. Gripping the flashlight, Mulder started attacking
the arms that were clutching Jamie. Breaking free Jamie looked quickly for a
weapon to help Mulder.

Across the chamber, Ryan punched one of the cult members in the chin. The
winded man slumped to the ground and Ryan proffered the knife from him. He
stabbed at the air, daring one of the black robed figures to try their luck.

"Hold them back!" shouted Mulder. He suddenly cried out as Sebastian leapt
onto his back. He struggled to free himself, dropping the torch in the chaos.

"No!" Jamie snatched up the fallen flashlight and with a mighty wallop, sent
Sebastian reeling! Catching his breath, Mulder grinned at his fiery lover. A
trickle of dust made him look up.

"Jamie!" Diving forward, Mulder hurled Jamie to the ground. Recovering,
Sebastian unsheathed a knife and lunged. There was a further shower of dust,
and Sebastian screamed his defiance as huge boulders crashed down upon him.
Jamie buried his face from the grisly sight.

The distraction allowed Trevor to jump at the High Priest, chopping him down
with a single blow. Wickham, who fended off two of the brothers with his
satchel, raced forward and scooped up the fallen naga box.

The cultists fled back into the catacombs. "Wimps!" Ryan shouted after them.

Helping Jamie to his feet, Mulder brushed a streak of dust from his face. "Are
you okay?"

"Thanks," Jamie breathed.

"For what?" Mulder asked with a crooked smile.

"You saved my life," Jamie looked up at him, his eyes glowing.

"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Mulder held him tightly
and glanced across at the insensible body of the High Priest. His mask had
fallen away and Mulder gasped with astonishment.

"I'll be damned," Inspector Winston said.

Jamie turned and joined the others as they stared in horror at the face of
Vice-Chancellor William Blair III!

"I don't believe it," Ryan whispered.

The roof groaned overhead and Mulder noticed the professor holding onto the
box. Ins an instant, he bodily lifted Jamie and ushered him toward the exit.
"Mulder!" he protested.

"Get as far away from here as you can!" Jamie hesitated, what was going on?
Mulder quickly turned to Ryan. "Get Jamie out of here -- now!" he shouted. Ryan
took hold of Jamie's hand, but he pulled back.

"What about you? I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be right behind you," he gestured forward at the passage leading back to
the surface. "Now, go!"

Jamie's impending protest turned into a gasp as Ryan gave Mulder a knowing
wink and pulled him out of the room. Jamie took one more look at Mulder, the
concern in his eyes shining. "I love you," he said softly, before Ryan lead him
away.

Mulder heaved a huge sigh of relief. With Jamie in Ryan's safe hands he felt
as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Turning back to Wickham and
Trevor, he found them examining the box.

"I still can't believe the Vice-Chancellor was behind all of this," Trevor was
saying.

"What do we do with the box, professor?" Mulder asked.

"I'll take charge of it," he said.

"I say we destroy the bastard!" Trevor wrenched the ancient box from Wickham's
grasp.

"No, you fool!" the professor cried.

Trevor hurled the wooden box to the floor. Contacting with a jagged rock, the
lid burst open and a deafening whisper filled the room. Mulder's eyes widened
in horrified fascination as a thick, black mist erupted forth. Despite his age,
Wickham dove for the box and quickly snapped the lid shut.

"Professor!" Mulder exclaimed. He hurried forward and dragged the old man
back. Circling the air like a bird of prey, the dark cloud floated away into
the rumbling cave system.

"What the hell was that?" Trevor asked.

"A fraction of Azathoth that you stupidly released, you blundering fool!" the
old man spat.

"How was I to know?"

"A fraction?" Mulder questioned.

Wickham patted the box. "Yes, my boy. Like Pandora I managed to capture the
rest before it could all escape."

~oo0oo~

The whispering mist floated purposefully through the catacombs. Its surface
rippled like black velvet, the sentience within lost from the greater whole.

~oo0oo~

Racing through the rumbling tunnels, Ryan followed the path back up to the
surface. His heart pounded furiously. The tremors were getting worse. He
gripped Jamie's hand tightly, afraid that the boy would turn loose and run
foolishly back to Mulder. Avoiding a shower of falling rocks, Jamie looked back
over his shoulder.

"Mulder? Mulder!" His voice echoed along the walls.

Moving ever upwards, the pair continued to run, Jamie's desperate calls to his
love going unanswered. Soon, they passed the strange marble frescos and Ryan
burst into a huge smile. "Thank God," he whispered.

The explosion had not blocked the entrance and fresh night air pumped in
around them. "Jamie, come on," he said, gripping his arm.

"No, wait!" he cried, twisting himself free. He ran back a few feet and called
desperately, "Mulder!"

"Come on!" Ryan took his hand again and the pair turned toward the exit...

Only to find three of the cult waiting for them. Jamie felt Ryan's hand
tremble. It suddenly felt so cold. His eyes tore away to find a knife sticking
in Ryan's chest.

"No!!" he screamed as Ryan convulsed and crashed to the floor. Jamie knelt
beside him helplessly. "No!"

~oo0oo~

Mulder froze in terror. Jamie's cry echoing back.

"You killed him! Why did you have to..."

Suddenly, his voice cut off. Mulder shut his eyes tight in fear. He bolted
forward, but two pairs of strong hands held him back.

"Let me go! They've got Jamie!" he protested, twisting and turning.

"No, my boy, it's too late!" Professor Wickham shouted, trying to get through
to him.

Mulder, furious and frightened, wrenched himself free of the old man. "I've
got to get Jamie out of this and I'm not going to let you stop me now!"

In the midst of the heated argument, Trevor searched the cavern. "Just a
minute you two, where's the vice-chancellor?"

Eyes wide with fear, Mulder instinctively dashed headlong into the nearest
tunnel. The professor watched him go, the inevitable repercussions sinking in.
"We've got to find the central chamber," he told the inspector. "That's where
they'll be heading."

~oo0oo~

Laid out on the cold, obsidian stone, Jamie's arms and legs were held down by
two brethren. He cried freely now, the tears choking in his throat. From a side
tunnel, Vice-Chancellor Blair entered the large chamber. Walking toward the
sacrificial stone, he gazed down at Jamie in triumphant. "You cannot fight
destiny, Chosen One."

Jamie glared up at him with one last spark of defiance. "Without your box of
tricks, the ceremony won't work, will it?"

Blair laughed contemptuously and pointed upwards. Jamie looked and pressed his
head back. A dark mist swirled high above him, screaming like a banshee.
Through a hole in the ceiling, water fell and lightning flashed. He could see
that the moon was almost completely obscured. Sections of the roof continued to
cave in and plummet to the floor.

"You are so important to us, Chosen One." He nodded and one of the brethren
hurried forward, bearing a curved knife on a velvet cushion. He bowed low
before the High Priest. Taking the blade reverently into his gloved hands,
Blair slowly raised it high above his head. "The time of the deliverer is at
hand!"

The cult's chanting rose and a terrified scream began to form in Jamie's
throat. Torchlight glinted off the wicked athame.

"Jamie!" Mulder's frantic voice called.

Turning his head, Jamie saw his beloved Mulder racing down a tunnel toward
him. Trevor and Wickham followed close behind. Blair turned, the knife frozen
above Jamie. "You're just in time gentleman!" he sneered. He pointed at the
altar and the chanting continued. "Mighty Azathoth, accept this sacrifice!"

The athame rose again...

Mulder raced forward, determined to stop him. Sensing his presence, Blair
turned...

Jamie watched, horrified. The Vice-Chancellor would kill Mulder! From within
the depths of his soul he found the strength to shake the brethren's hands
loose. "No!" he roared. Throwing the two men off balance, Jamie slid off the
stone and charged at the High Priest.

Blair turned back and Jamie felt a sharp, stinging pain enter his body...

Mulder stumbled and fell to the floor, open mouthed in anguished shock as the
knife plunged deep into Jamie.

The cold steel leaving his body, Jamie stared up into the gleaming zeal of
Blair's eyes. Wrapping his shaking hands around his stomach, they came away
wet. He held them up, tears flowing in confusion and disbelief. He stood frozen
in time staring at the blood staining his hands.

"NO!!!!" A despairing wail erupted from his throat while the chamber shook in
furious response.

Blocks of stone and earth crashing around him, Mulder cried out as the man he
loved crumpled and slowly fell to his knees. The horror of the truth viciously
wrenched his heart. Mulder's moans of despair were drowned by the gloating
cackles of Vice-Chancellor Blair.

Beside the altar, the High Priest to Azathoth turned back, the brethren
kneeling beside the stone. "You have fulfilled the prophecy!" he shouted
exuberantly. "The Chosen One's sacrifice brings forth AZATHOTH!!"

"JAMIE!!" Mulder's hoarse voice screamed in anguish.

"Grab him!" Professor Wickham instructed a stunned Trevor. Shocked back to
reality, the inspector gripped Mulder under the arms and started to forcibly
drag him from the disintegrating chamber. Mulder struggled and kicked
frantically, unable to break free.

"NO! JAMIE! JAMIE!!!!!"

A cascade of boulders smashed into the ground where he'd been. Behind them,
large chunks of debris rained down as the roof cleaved apart. Wickham and the
inspector struggled with Mulder through the impending cataclysm. Back inside
the tunnels, Mulder broke free just as the professor fell onto the floor
clutching his satchel and the box. A fresh stream of rocks crashed across the
tunnel entrance and Mulder lost his footing. As the opening filled up he caught
his last sight of Jamie... Time seemed to stand still... Jamie's pale body slid
to the floor, and for one brief moment their eyes met...

A section of wall caved in. Boulders bombarded the entrance in an entombing
rock fall. Beyond an ear splitting tremor released a crushing avalanche. Mulder
fell against the rocks and pounded his fists until they bled. "No!" he screamed.

Trevor grasped his arms and hauled him away. "Come on, it's too late!"

The roof imploded, enveloping the cave in darkness. Mulder slipped into
unconsciousness...

***** THE HAUNTING OF OXFORD Sarah-Jane Smith, reporting *****

For centuries tales of ghostly visitations have flitted among the cloistered
halls of Oxford University. Could there actually be truth to the stories? Two
unexplained murders, drastic changes in weather, strange sounds heard in the
night, and secret catacombs discovered in a supposedly haunted wood during an
eclipse... perfect ingredients for a Gothic novel. Although the local inspector
refuses to comment on the events he witnessed, a reclusive professor adamantly
believes an ancient cult to be involved; his claims have been dismissed as
traumatic ravings. At this time there is no clue as to what Vice-Chancellor
William Blair III, three students, and eleven members of the community were
doing down in the tunnels when they collapsed. After an extensive search, the
excavation was deemed impossible and the unfortunate victims presumed dead. As
one local woman observed, "They were meddling with things best left alone."
Perhaps the legendary ghosts are to blame?

[Metropolitan Magazine, October 1983]