GIFT FOR: kds
Fandom: The X Files
Title: Las Llamas de la Sierra
Author: Dryad
Spoilers: post-series
Rating: PG
Summary: It's funny who your come across when you least expect.
~*~
Major Ulises Diaz Pena rocked with the motion of the Humvee as it made its way up the washed out dirt track. He liked to imagine he was in Umbria, instead, on the way to the dilapidated castel he was rebuilding, having inherited it from an uncle four times removed. Or perhaps in the Atlas mountains, racing to the fortress he had come into from a grateful client, whose children he had saved from a fate worse than death. Alas, instead he soon would be riding the Berlin train, greeting Carolina and the children at the station and taking in the sights of medieval Quedlinburg. He hoped he could convince Alejandra and Octavio to walk the Harz with him this time. They were bigger, now, they could last longer on their feet. Besides, he knew they weren't fond of their great-grandparents, who were not particularly loving people. He could only mark it down to cultural differences and light candles in church to thank god for Carolina, who was kind, and decent, and everything a mother and wife should be.
Unlike the woman he was going to interview.
As soon as he had seen the poorly lit image on Juan Quintero Madrona's phone he'd known he had to go into the mountains.
Two days later the Humvee carrying Ulises pulled into a small village, really no more than some houses divided by a few streets, a tiny tianguis with a few women waving fans over their meat and produce in the center square, a white church just visible beyond the rooftops. The local comisaria, a modern building of newly painted concrete block with a gated entrance, was just out of sight of the tianguis, down the street on the left.
Inside the comisaria was all the technology Ulises had hoped for, but never expected to see; tv screens showing the village beyond the gate, the cells on the sub-level, racks of high-powered weaponry including HK AG36s and two Mikor MGLs in locked storage, plus a separate, old fashioned powder room for their magazines.
Not bad. Not bad at all. He knew his colleagues up North would find the video on the inside of the camera overkill, but they didn't have to deal with an endemic level of corruption, did they?
Captain Miguel Rodriguez de Rosa brought Ulises to the interview room on the ground floor. Before allowing Ulises inside, de Rosa said, "She hasn't said anything. We don't even know her name."
"I know who she is," answered Ulises, trying not to sound impatient. One had to be careful with these rurales - no, that wasn't fair. A ridiculous nickname for police who faced hard odds and deserved proper respect. He took a deep breath and nodded once. "Has she eaten?"
"No, but someone will bring you coffee and churros."
Ulises nodded again, noted the code de Rosa punched into the keypad. The door thunked, unlocked, opened, and there she was, sitting in the chair with her back to the wall.
She was filthy, her face no longer pale and delicate, but heavily freckled and shaded with ground-in dirt. Even her hair had been bleached by the sun to salted roan. She wore a white tee shirt with a faded orange and blue Fanta logo on the front, and from what he could see of her legs underneath the table, threadbare blue jeans and ragged huaraches. The chipped color on her toenails was RougeNoir, Carolina's favorite.
"So...Dana," he said in English, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. She was well trained; she did not betray herself with any reaction other than the barest widening of her eyes. "I am Major Ulises Diaz Pena of the Policia Federal, the Federales. I hope you've been comfortable here in the comisaria?"
She said nothing.
"We've never met, if you're wondering. I was in Chicago several years ago attending a conference in law enforcement. Your photograph was among the many that were handed out over that weekend. I got to talking with one of your colleagues, a Noriko Takahara? Yes, I see that means something to you. We keep in touch, she and I. Ah - gracias," he said to the officer bringing in the tray of coffee, churros, and freshly sliced fruit. Excellent, a pot of cream.
Ulises waited until they were alone again before pouring himself a cup of coffee, and another for her. "Sugar?" he asked, glancing up to find her eyeing the fruit and licking her lips. When she didn't reply he added cream, too, and then using his wooden stirrer, pushed chilled slices of mango and watermelon, a peeled sweet lime, and a bit of banana onto the small plate so provided. She would have to eat using her fingers, but she looked like she was already used to doing that.
Taking a churro for himself, he ate half of it while she dug into the fruit. She was still working through the sweet lime when he asked, "Why are you helping Diego Las Llamas?"
"Someone had to," she muttered, her voice low and sweeter than he had expected.
"No, someone didn't."
"Your English is very good," she countered.
Americanos, honestly. Did she really think he was that simple, to be so deflected? "I was born here but grew up in Los Angeles."
She frowned, looked down at her plate. "Sorry."
"The question remains. Why Diego Las Llamas?"
"I..."
"He's a spiritual leader," Ulises said, using air quotes. "He lures in the tourists and performs his rituals and they eat it up, along with his magical drink of the natives, yes?"
"If you know all this, why ask me?"
"Because I've read your file. Jorge Espada gave it to me personally three days ago."
Agent Scully contemplated her coffee. She sipped, sipped again. "Then you should let me go."
"Should I tell Noriko Takahara you're still alive?"
She huffed a laugh even as her cheeks reddened. A low blow, he knew, but one he had to use. As he was going to use her, if she allowed it.
"No...no."
He motioned towards her half-empty plate. "Eat. You'll need your strength."
She finished her plate, and her coffee while he sat and watched. He poured her another cup, she drank that too. "Now what."
"I need information - "
"You seem to know everything already."
"- about Diego's activities to the south and beyond."
"The south?"
Ah, that sparked her interest. "Of course," he said. "Now that everyone knows you're here - they're listening right now, word will go out - it won't take long for the FBI to come looking for you both."
She looked at him sharply, lip curled in disgust. "The FBI has no jurisdiction in your country."
"Oh, we both know that's not quite the truth, don't we? You get me the information I need and I promise to help you when you need it. And we also both know you're going to need my help sooner or later."
"You won't be able to find me once I leave here," she spat.
Ulises shook his head. "Dana. I am the police. I can find you anywhere in this country."
He was fairly certain he could, too. There was always someone to be bribed. But he would sweeten the deal. "I can provide you with contacts at the border. For both of you," because it was clear from her records that she was not a one woman team. Noriko had also been most clear on that subject.
'"You can't understand it until you see them working together," she had said, staring out over Lake Michigan on a breezy September day. "I worked several murders with them - you can only dream of having a partner like that. Even when they're not in the same room they're together. It's almost creepy."'
"Alright," said Agent Scully abruptly. "I'll do it. But I have to get out of here now."
"Of course," he said mildly. He finished his churro and drank the rest of his now lukewarm coffee. As soon as his empty cup hit the saucer the door opened, de Rosa on the other side looking nervous.
"Your driver is ready," de Rosa said, glancing down the hall.
Ulises wasted no time in rising and escorting Agent Scully out of the interview room. He followed de Rosa, oh they were walking swiftly, maybe de Rosa was the weak link, Ulises would have to find out more upon return to Mazatlan, up the back stairs fast, curious looks as they rocketed past open offices into the foyer and outside.
Juan had the Humvee running, passenger doors open and waiting. Ulises made sure Agent Scully was inside before clambering up himself, then it was through the gate before he'd even closed his door, and a peal-out into the street.
"The church!" shouted Agent Scully, and Juan swung next to and then stopped behind in a slide of gravel and dust. "Ulises Diaz Pena, Federale, I'll call you!" she said, hopping out of the car and racing for the church's front door. As she went up the steps the front door opened - Ulises caught just a glimpse of dark hair and white skin before she slipped through and the door shut again.
Juan didn't hesitate. He pressed the gas pedal and they spun out, bumping over the rough road out of town.
Ulises didn't bother using his phone, any service he might get out here would be suspect, everything was suspect as of this moment. He had been a police officer for a long time and he knew things would be in motion. With luck, it would pass over him, treat him as inconsequential, and why should he be considered dangerous, anyway? He would request the original recordings at the comisaria. He could easily pretend Agent Scully was just a tourist, a mere drug trafficker whom he was using for information. After all, he hadn't used her name, or told anyone who she used to be, or why she was on the run with her partner, Agent Mulder.
No, all he had to do was make it to Germany, the longest four days of his life. At least he wasn't going to have to worry about Carolina, too, or hire extra security to keep the house safe. And if Agent Scully kept her word - and he was sure she would - he could take out Diego Las Llamas once and for all, a golden feather in his cap.
Four days.
Only four days.
~*~ fin ~*~
Note: I've never been to Mexico! And I don't speak Spanish., so hopefully I've used the words with the correct meaning. If not, my apologies.
Title: Las Llamas de la Sierra
Author: Dryad
Spoilers: post-series
Rating: PG
Summary: It's funny who your come across when you least expect.
~*~
Major Ulises Diaz Pena rocked with the motion of the Humvee as it made its way up the washed out dirt track. He liked to imagine he was in Umbria, instead, on the way to the dilapidated castel he was rebuilding, having inherited it from an uncle four times removed. Or perhaps in the Atlas mountains, racing to the fortress he had come into from a grateful client, whose children he had saved from a fate worse than death. Alas, instead he soon would be riding the Berlin train, greeting Carolina and the children at the station and taking in the sights of medieval Quedlinburg. He hoped he could convince Alejandra and Octavio to walk the Harz with him this time. They were bigger, now, they could last longer on their feet. Besides, he knew they weren't fond of their great-grandparents, who were not particularly loving people. He could only mark it down to cultural differences and light candles in church to thank god for Carolina, who was kind, and decent, and everything a mother and wife should be.
Unlike the woman he was going to interview.
As soon as he had seen the poorly lit image on Juan Quintero Madrona's phone he'd known he had to go into the mountains.
Two days later the Humvee carrying Ulises pulled into a small village, really no more than some houses divided by a few streets, a tiny tianguis with a few women waving fans over their meat and produce in the center square, a white church just visible beyond the rooftops. The local comisaria, a modern building of newly painted concrete block with a gated entrance, was just out of sight of the tianguis, down the street on the left.
Inside the comisaria was all the technology Ulises had hoped for, but never expected to see; tv screens showing the village beyond the gate, the cells on the sub-level, racks of high-powered weaponry including HK AG36s and two Mikor MGLs in locked storage, plus a separate, old fashioned powder room for their magazines.
Not bad. Not bad at all. He knew his colleagues up North would find the video on the inside of the camera overkill, but they didn't have to deal with an endemic level of corruption, did they?
Captain Miguel Rodriguez de Rosa brought Ulises to the interview room on the ground floor. Before allowing Ulises inside, de Rosa said, "She hasn't said anything. We don't even know her name."
"I know who she is," answered Ulises, trying not to sound impatient. One had to be careful with these rurales - no, that wasn't fair. A ridiculous nickname for police who faced hard odds and deserved proper respect. He took a deep breath and nodded once. "Has she eaten?"
"No, but someone will bring you coffee and churros."
Ulises nodded again, noted the code de Rosa punched into the keypad. The door thunked, unlocked, opened, and there she was, sitting in the chair with her back to the wall.
She was filthy, her face no longer pale and delicate, but heavily freckled and shaded with ground-in dirt. Even her hair had been bleached by the sun to salted roan. She wore a white tee shirt with a faded orange and blue Fanta logo on the front, and from what he could see of her legs underneath the table, threadbare blue jeans and ragged huaraches. The chipped color on her toenails was RougeNoir, Carolina's favorite.
"So...Dana," he said in English, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. She was well trained; she did not betray herself with any reaction other than the barest widening of her eyes. "I am Major Ulises Diaz Pena of the Policia Federal, the Federales. I hope you've been comfortable here in the comisaria?"
She said nothing.
"We've never met, if you're wondering. I was in Chicago several years ago attending a conference in law enforcement. Your photograph was among the many that were handed out over that weekend. I got to talking with one of your colleagues, a Noriko Takahara? Yes, I see that means something to you. We keep in touch, she and I. Ah - gracias," he said to the officer bringing in the tray of coffee, churros, and freshly sliced fruit. Excellent, a pot of cream.
Ulises waited until they were alone again before pouring himself a cup of coffee, and another for her. "Sugar?" he asked, glancing up to find her eyeing the fruit and licking her lips. When she didn't reply he added cream, too, and then using his wooden stirrer, pushed chilled slices of mango and watermelon, a peeled sweet lime, and a bit of banana onto the small plate so provided. She would have to eat using her fingers, but she looked like she was already used to doing that.
Taking a churro for himself, he ate half of it while she dug into the fruit. She was still working through the sweet lime when he asked, "Why are you helping Diego Las Llamas?"
"Someone had to," she muttered, her voice low and sweeter than he had expected.
"No, someone didn't."
"Your English is very good," she countered.
Americanos, honestly. Did she really think he was that simple, to be so deflected? "I was born here but grew up in Los Angeles."
She frowned, looked down at her plate. "Sorry."
"The question remains. Why Diego Las Llamas?"
"I..."
"He's a spiritual leader," Ulises said, using air quotes. "He lures in the tourists and performs his rituals and they eat it up, along with his magical drink of the natives, yes?"
"If you know all this, why ask me?"
"Because I've read your file. Jorge Espada gave it to me personally three days ago."
Agent Scully contemplated her coffee. She sipped, sipped again. "Then you should let me go."
"Should I tell Noriko Takahara you're still alive?"
She huffed a laugh even as her cheeks reddened. A low blow, he knew, but one he had to use. As he was going to use her, if she allowed it.
"No...no."
He motioned towards her half-empty plate. "Eat. You'll need your strength."
She finished her plate, and her coffee while he sat and watched. He poured her another cup, she drank that too. "Now what."
"I need information - "
"You seem to know everything already."
"- about Diego's activities to the south and beyond."
"The south?"
Ah, that sparked her interest. "Of course," he said. "Now that everyone knows you're here - they're listening right now, word will go out - it won't take long for the FBI to come looking for you both."
She looked at him sharply, lip curled in disgust. "The FBI has no jurisdiction in your country."
"Oh, we both know that's not quite the truth, don't we? You get me the information I need and I promise to help you when you need it. And we also both know you're going to need my help sooner or later."
"You won't be able to find me once I leave here," she spat.
Ulises shook his head. "Dana. I am the police. I can find you anywhere in this country."
He was fairly certain he could, too. There was always someone to be bribed. But he would sweeten the deal. "I can provide you with contacts at the border. For both of you," because it was clear from her records that she was not a one woman team. Noriko had also been most clear on that subject.
'"You can't understand it until you see them working together," she had said, staring out over Lake Michigan on a breezy September day. "I worked several murders with them - you can only dream of having a partner like that. Even when they're not in the same room they're together. It's almost creepy."'
"Alright," said Agent Scully abruptly. "I'll do it. But I have to get out of here now."
"Of course," he said mildly. He finished his churro and drank the rest of his now lukewarm coffee. As soon as his empty cup hit the saucer the door opened, de Rosa on the other side looking nervous.
"Your driver is ready," de Rosa said, glancing down the hall.
Ulises wasted no time in rising and escorting Agent Scully out of the interview room. He followed de Rosa, oh they were walking swiftly, maybe de Rosa was the weak link, Ulises would have to find out more upon return to Mazatlan, up the back stairs fast, curious looks as they rocketed past open offices into the foyer and outside.
Juan had the Humvee running, passenger doors open and waiting. Ulises made sure Agent Scully was inside before clambering up himself, then it was through the gate before he'd even closed his door, and a peal-out into the street.
"The church!" shouted Agent Scully, and Juan swung next to and then stopped behind in a slide of gravel and dust. "Ulises Diaz Pena, Federale, I'll call you!" she said, hopping out of the car and racing for the church's front door. As she went up the steps the front door opened - Ulises caught just a glimpse of dark hair and white skin before she slipped through and the door shut again.
Juan didn't hesitate. He pressed the gas pedal and they spun out, bumping over the rough road out of town.
Ulises didn't bother using his phone, any service he might get out here would be suspect, everything was suspect as of this moment. He had been a police officer for a long time and he knew things would be in motion. With luck, it would pass over him, treat him as inconsequential, and why should he be considered dangerous, anyway? He would request the original recordings at the comisaria. He could easily pretend Agent Scully was just a tourist, a mere drug trafficker whom he was using for information. After all, he hadn't used her name, or told anyone who she used to be, or why she was on the run with her partner, Agent Mulder.
No, all he had to do was make it to Germany, the longest four days of his life. At least he wasn't going to have to worry about Carolina, too, or hire extra security to keep the house safe. And if Agent Scully kept her word - and he was sure she would - he could take out Diego Las Llamas once and for all, a golden feather in his cap.
Four days.
Only four days.
~*~ fin ~*~
Note: I've never been to Mexico! And I don't speak Spanish., so hopefully I've used the words with the correct meaning. If not, my apologies.