04x21 - Zero Sum

[bunniefuu]

Cover for me in case dorkface comes back.

Where are you going? For a cigarette.

You had one 15 minutes ago. 45 minutes.

Why don't you get one of those patches or that gum?

What do you think I'm chewing? Then maybe you should just quit.

Look, just cover for me, OK?

Tell her I got a stomach bug or somethin'.

Thank you.

Jane, come on. You're gonna get in trouble.

Jane?

Hey, Jane.

"Brody, Jane L."

We've got the pathologist's work but the crime scene hasn't been checked yet.

Let me see what you got. Your name?

Special Agent Fox Mulder.

Workin' the late shift?

Yeah. Somebody's got to. You need to sign that.

I'm all set here.

Finished? Yeah. Thanks.

No problem.

Agent Mulder!

I'm glad I caught ya.

Who are you? Detective Thomas. Ray Thomas.

I'm the one who e-mailed the pictures to your office.

Officer Robbins said you'd come down to take a look at the forensic evidence.

That's right.

So, does that mean you've found something? Something worth lookin' into?

I'm afraid not. No?

Nothing to recommend my further involvement.

How do you explain the woman?

She walks into a bathroom. A minute later, she turns up... Look, you saw the pictures.

I saw 'em.

I was told you were part of somethin' called the X-Files. You'd look into stuff like this.

If there's really nothin' to this, why come all the way here in the middle of the night?

I'm just doin' my job, Detective, same as you.

Oh, you are home. Yeah. What are you doin' here?

I was tryin' to reach you. Your phone's off the hook.

I needed some sleep.

Is that why you're takin' the garbage out at 4 a.m.?

What do you want, Agent Mulder? I want some answers.

Concerning? The death of a postal worker...

..that somebody has gone to great lengths to keep unexplained.

These photos were sent by a detective who thought I might have a fresh take on it.

But when I went to retrieve them from my e-mail, somebody had hollowed out the files.

Then where'd you get 'em? From his partner.

When?

After he finished questioning me about the detective's death.

His body was found near the precinct two hours ago.

Possibly by the same person who forged my name to gain access to the forensics lab.

What do you want from me? I'd like your help on this, sir.

What about Agent Scully?

Agent Scully's in the hospital.

Has something happened?

She's undergoing some imaging tests.

Her oncologist was concerned that, uh, her tumour may be metastasizing.

Anyway, I'd like you to take a look at those photos, please.

Yeah, first thing in the morning.

You want me to, uh, dump this on my way out?

No, I got it.

Was it you?

Did you pull the trigger or did you have him do it for you?

I'm not here to answer your questions. You m*rder*d him!

You k*lled an officer of the law. Keep your voice down,...

..unless you want your neighbours to know the hours and the company you keep.

I won't be a party to m*rder.

I wouldn't get too comfortable on your moral high ground, Mr Skinner.

This only happened because you left your job unfinished.

I handled him just like I've handled everything else you've asked me to do.

I've followed your instructions.

You failed to neutralize a potentially compromising situation.

You didn't have to k*ll him.

He didn't have to die.

You're in no position to question the terms of our arrangement.

Then we have no arrangement.

You'll find it's not that easy to walk away from.

No?

A man digs a hole, he risks falling into it.

Skinner. Her body's gone, sir.

What are you talking about? The postal worker.

It was stolen from the morgue along with any evidence that might explain how she d*ed.

Slow down. I'm sorry, I can't.

I'm playing catch-up here.

The man who impersonated me at the forensics lab replaced a blood sample.

How do you know?

The blood sample in the police forensics lab is B-positive, as is the postal worker's.

She suffered from a mild form of anaemia characterized by folic acid deficiency.

The blood sample at the police forensics lab has a normal folic serum level.

Any suspects?

No, but I have a place to start. The g*n that k*lled Detective Thomas,...

..Ballistics has identified it as a Sig Sauer P-228.

Ballistics are running comps on all weapons registered to federal agents and local officers.

Sir?

Let me know what they find. I will.

Yes. You can't do this!

You sound agitated, Mr Skinner.

Was it my g*n? Your g*n?

Used to k*ll the detective.

If it was, you'd want to report it to the police immediately.

Don't think I won't. Then why are you calling me?

You realized you'd be admitting to obstruction of justice,...

..criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence?

The consequences could be very serious,...

..even if you were able to persuade the authorities that you didn't k*ll the detective.

What did I cover up?

I think the less you know, the better, under the circumstances.

I need to know what that man d*ed for.

He d*ed for you, Mr Skinner.

He d*ed so you could have what you wanted.

A cure for Agent Scully. Isn't that what you want?

Agent Scully is in the hospital.

If you can do anything for her, I want it done now.

I'm aware of Agent Scully's progress.

If anything happens to her, I will expose you. I'll turn state's evidence.

I don't care what happens to me.

Agent Scully stands to live a long and healthy life.

I would hope the same for you, Mr Skinner.

Right in here.

The police said we could use the bathroom. But the truth is, no one wants to use it,...

..not after what happened yesterday.

Do you mind my asking what you're looking for?

I need a hammer.

Any reason you're not running this through the FBI lab?

This evidence is classified. We've had some controversy over security.

I'd appreciate your discretion. Certainly.

Can you tell what kind of bees made that? I might be able to give you an answer.

If I told you the bees that made that could be lethal, would that help?

Any kind of bee can be lethal, provided you get stung by enough of them.

Even Africanised honeybees, "k*ller bees",...

..have the same venom as European honeybees.

It's just that they att*ck in swarms.

Ah, you may be in luck.

What is it? Royal jelly.

A highly nutritious secretion of the honeybee's pharyngeal gland.

It's fed to the very young larvae in a colony.

Here, see for yourself.

Is that gonna hatch?

Once they pupate, I should be able to give you some definitive answers.

The minute you learn something, I'd appreciate a call.

Is this related to that other case?

If you don't mind my asking. What other case?

I got a call from an agent about six months ago, asking me about k*ller bees.

Who was it? Uh, name was Fox Mulder.

I wondered if there's any connection.

No.

Anyway, I'll call you.

Sir?

You looking for me?

I was just writing you a note.

Where have you been? First Nations Bank of Virginia.

What am I looking at? The bank is adjacent...

..to where the detective was k*lled.

A surveillance camera caught this. That man is Detective Thomas.

This man in the baseball hat was identified by the officer on duty at the forensics lab...

..as "Agent Mulder".

Can you get a usable image off this? I'm gonna deliver it to Special Photo now.

What did you want to talk to me about?

You were writing me a note.

I was, uh, I was just checking on your progress.

Ms Covarrubias? I'm Walter Skinner, an assistant director at the FBI.

Yes? I was hoping you could help me.

I understand Agent Fox Mulder has been in contact with you about a project.

A project?

An agricultural project involving bees or bee husbandry.

Yes, but I wasn't able to give him any information.

Why was that?

The project he cited turned up no viable evidence.

Evidence of what? Beehives or bee husbandry.

What if I said I had access to that evidence?

You have access to these bees?

I may, soon. Very soon.

Agent Mulder. Thanks for gettin' here so quickly.

What is it? A break. Maybe even a lead.

I wanted you to look at this body before somebody stole it.

See these pocks and blisters?

They're the same as we saw on the deceased postal worker.

Symptoms of what? Smallpox.

The first reported case in over seven years.

Smallpox?

It's an especially virulent strain caused by a mutated variola virus.

Caused how? How could he have contracted a disease that doesn't even exist anymore?

From these.

What are they?

Bee stingers and venom sacs recovered from the victim's face, arm and neck.

He was stung by bees carrying smallpox?

He was a forensic entomologist. I consulted him months ago about a similar fatality.

You've seen this before. But I've never had any evidence until now.

I think that's what somebody's trying to prevent.

Why? I can only guess.

I think somebody is trying to engineer a method of delivery,...

..for a disease that has k*lled more people throughout history than any other contagion.

I can suggest an appropriate response... Can they be stopped?

We don't know who they are. And we won't until we know the identity of that sh**t.

How close are you? Very.

I've got a photo tech working on the surveillance video.

He can show me something soon. I told him you'd authorize the overtime.

Of course.

I'm gonna go over there right now.

Tell me what you find.

Just grabbin' a cup of coffee.

Misty Nagatta?

My name is Walter Skinner.

I was just going. We only get a ten-minute break, and my supervisor's pretty strict.

I need to talk to you, Misty.

About your coworker. If this is about Jane,...

..I already told the police everything I know.

Everything?

I don't wanna lose my job. You're not gonna lose anything.

I'm asking you to cooperate in a criminal investigation.

Jane? What do you mean?

Jane's death may not have been an accident.

What?

She was my best friend.

I'm sorry.

We worked it out so that our vacations overlapped.

We were going to Palm Beach.

Both of us were tryin' to lose weight so we could buy new bathing suits.

The men who came here,...

..they said if I talked to anyone, I'd lose my job.

Did these men say who they were?

No, and I didn't ask. They just wanted the package.

What package?

Damaged packages are routed here for inspection before they get reshipped.

The place where these packages are kept, how close is it to the rest room?

It's just the next door down the hall. They've got a storage room.

The damaged package that they wanted, do you remember where it was being sent?

No. Not offhand.

Is there any way of finding out? I can look up the tracking number.

That would be a big help to me, Misty.

And maybe to Jane.

We went through every inch of that tape to find the best angle for identification.

It was videotape, sh*t at a distance, under extreme low light.

So this is the best you could do?

It's better than I thought it would be. I tried every trick.

I'm not trying to be difficult. It's just that this is very important to me.

I need to be sure.

I need you to print out a hard copy of that for me.

This is the last remaining specimen.

The bees from the scientist's house have been contained and destroyed.

And the body?

It also has been sanitized.

How did this happen?

The details are unimportant.

Details are everything.

Much more important than your vague assurances.

You'll have to trust my assurance that all breaches have been handled.

Handled by whom?

I have a man in place.

A man with no other choice but to succeed.

And what "assurance" can you give us that he can be trusted?

We can't risk even the slightest exposure.

He has nothing to expose,...

..except his own duplicity.

Should we assume that the trial run is proceeding as planned?

It's already begun.

Hey, it's my turn. No, it isn't.

Ow! Ow!

Mrs Kemper! Billy got stung by a bee!

Mrs Kemper!

Everyone, inside! Everybody, inside!

Inside! Move it, move it!

Slow down!

Oh, my God! David!

David, get up!

Quick!

Come on! Run!

Dr Linzer?

My name's Walter Skinner.

You're overseeing the treatment of these children?

Yes.

You'll wanna hear me out. I'm in the middle of it.

If you're treating them for bee stings, you're wrong.

What should I be treating them for? Smallpox.

Is this a joke?

Every child in this town who hasn't already been infected needs to be vaccinated.

We don't vaccinate against smallpox because there is no smallpox.

Run tests if you don't believe me.

I don't need to. Smallpox has an eight-day incubation period...

..and these kids were stung a few hours ago.

How do you reconcile that?

I can't.

Excuse me.

Let me know when you've got an answer. In the meantime, I've got things to do.

Doctor! Mr Skinner?

How do you know who I am?

Because you contacted me. I'm Marita Covarrubias.

What are you doing here?

Your call about those bees prompted me to make inquiries.

Into what?

Seven packages that were sent from Canada to a PO box in Payson, South Carolina.

I came here to find out what was in those packages.

You're a little late to do anything about it. So are you, apparently.

What brought you here?

You came to me for information, but you still haven't told me what you know about this.

My office has to answer to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

This is a very serious matter. I need to know what's going on.

I think it's some kind of experiment.

An experiment? Using bees as carriers.

That's what was in those packages?

Have you told Agent Mulder this? Not yet.

Why not? I can't.

Why?

Are you involved in this, Mr Skinner? I didn't...

No, I'm not involved. Then what are you doing here?

What aren't you telling me? Nothing.

If you know who's behind this, you have to come forward, Mr Skinner. No one else can.

Put the g*n down and move away from the desk.

I was just calling... I said put the g*n down!

You don't understand.

No. I do now.

No, you don't.

Is that the g*n you sh*t the detective with?

No!

You sh*t an innocent man.

I didn't k*ll him! You're a liar!

You've been working with the Smoking Man.

You knew when he k*lled my father and when they took Scully.

Listen to me. I've heard enough.

He set me up! He stole my g*n and then he put it back!

So the police are probably on their way.

I don't believe you. Look at my desk drawer, Agent Mulder.

Look at it!

Why would I force my own lock?

If I lied to you...

I have lied to you, and I won't make excuses for those lies.

But there's a reason that I did what I did.

One that I think you're in a unique position to understand.

I advised you against a certain course of action some time ago,...

..concerning Agent Scully.

I didn't follow my own advice.

Give me the g*n.

How soon will you know if that's the w*apon that k*lled Detective Thomas?

As long as it takes to put one of these slugs into a scope and run a comp.

This is the slug we recovered from the detective's body.

You see this stria here and here?

They're rifling patterns, imprinted from the barrel of the same g*n.

So this is definitely the m*rder w*apon?

If I were called to testify, I'd say without a doubt.

So where'd you find it?

In a sewer grate, around the corner from the crime scene.

Hm. Sometimes you get lucky.

And sometimes you don't, right? What do you mean?

The serial number - it's been filed clean off.

Now, unless Forensics pulled a print, this g*n's virtually untraceable.

Leave it off.

I'm starting to get used to the dark.

Is this part of our deal? We never had a deal.

No?

Agent Scully is dying and you haven't done a damn thing about it.

You think that's funny? Just enjoying the irony, Mr Skinner.

Only yesterday you said you wouldn't be party to m*rder. And now here you are.

Yours isn't the first g*n I've had pointed in my face, Mr Skinner.

I'm not afraid to die.

But if you k*ll me, you'll also k*ll Agent Scully.

You have no intention of saving her. You never did.

Are you certain?

I saved her life once before when I had her returned to Agent Mulder.

I may save her life again.

But you'll never know if you pull the trigger, will you?

Now, unless you intend to k*ll me, I'd like to answer my phone.

Yes?

He was just here.

He threatened to k*ll me.

I'm sure Mulder will be contacting you.

He'll want to know if Skinner's seen all there is to see.

I'll tell him what you want me to tell him.

Tell him what he wants to hear.

I made this!