Timeless (23/?) by Elisa P. Black Mulder found the radio station's door locked. Not surprising when people needed to lock doors for their own safety, but what rules applied to a vampire at night? He wondered if it would be better to try breaking/sneaking in, or to knock and simply hope for the best. In the first scenario, the "NightCrawler" would probably not be surprised -- or amused -- and might immediately kill him. In the second, the vampire might not respond, or might still kill him. He didn't like either idea. As he stood around waiting for inspiration to hit, a muffled noise suddenly caught his attention. He listened carefully, and pinpointed its location. There was something rumbling on the other side of the door! "Oh, sh--," he muttered to himself. "I hope its not a *bad* vampire." Figuring that he had nothing to lose, he pulled out his gun and poised himself, ready to kick down the door. With a foot hanging in midair, he realized then that rumbling wasn't really so menacing. Slow, with rhythmic stops and starts, it sounded very much like... "Snoring." He laughed softly and lowered his foot. Pulling out a lockpick, he wrestled with the lock for a few moments, and finally yanked open the door. The rumbling snore rolled out at him like a sonic boom. He stumbled back and shook his head. "How can they go on the air with that in the background?" A quick check reassured him that the boom came from an unmenacing old sleeping guard at the front desk. He carefully shut the door and tiptoed down a hallway. Hopefully he could surprise the NightCrawler if the snore -- he winced -- covered up the sounds of his arrival. Many offices and studios were empty and dark. Soon, he found himself in an area where thankfully the sound did not penetrate so well. However, it meant that his own movements were that much more audible. He spotted a soft light in the distance. Crouching down, he moved as quietly as possible toward it. When he was right outside the studio, he peeked in. A solemn figure in black leaned towards a microphone. Lights on the equipment panel colored the man's head fuzz a pale purple. Unable to look away, Mulder stared in fascination as the NightCrawler turned slowly to look right back at him. A second passed. Then two. The NightCrawler turned away indifferently. This irked Mulder very much. Getting a good grip on his gun, he kicked open the door, and pointed the weapon at the DJ's back. The NightCrawler swiveled around in his chair, looking straight into Mulder's eyes. The vampire's calm stare made the gun seem as insignificant as a water pistol. Mulder tried to shake his feeling of vulnerability by waving the weapon a little. "What do you know about Detective Nick Knight?" At the mention of the name, the NightCrawler's eyes sparkled. It was a vicious light, full of menace and mischief. An evil smile passed over the pale face. "One moment please," the gravelly voice murmured, and its owner spun back briefly and worked several controls. "There, I've put on a pre-recorded show. Now you were saying?" Once again the dark eyes bore into him, and he felt a vague discomfort. The NightCrawler's sudden interest at the mention of Detective Knight caught Mulder off-guard. He could tell that the menace had not just been directed at himself, but also at Knight as well. Together with the evil that he could sense in the NightCrawler, he felt that he and the detective might be in serious trouble. Maybe he shouldn't have come here after all... The vampire looked expectantly at him, waiting for his next move, somewhat like a cat playing with a mouse. Possibly his only chance would be to talk his way out of here. "Uh, I asked you what you might know about Detective Knight, Mr... Mr.--?" "LaCroix." "Mr, LaCroix, what do you know about Knight?" LaCroix' sudden look of evil amusement had his stomach doing flips. "What has the dear boy done now?" 'Dear boy?', wondered Mulder. What was the relationship between the two vampires? Why did this one make Detective Knight sound like nothing more than an errant schoolboy? "Now *that* is very true, in *many* ways, Agent Mulder." Mulder blinked in surprise. That was a loaded sentence LaCroix had just uttered. He was certain that it referred to the thought he'd just had about the 'errant schoolboy' bit. The NightCrawler must have read his mind. But to admit it so blatantly, meant that the vampire had some plan in mind. Some 'dastardly' plan, he thought jokingly. "How did you know my name?" LaCroix steepled long, fine fingers and smiled over them. "It is my business to know." "Oh, then you *do* know something about Knight. And about the exsanguinations." "Perhaps, but I am *not* in the business of telling." LaCroix stood, looking him straight in the eye, and continued with a new growl in his voice. "I suggest that you leave it alone... and *forget.*" The last two words were spoken with a compelling resonance, and glowing amber eyes. He felt an extreme urge to obey, but realized just in time what was happening. The vampire was trying to hypnotize him! He had to fight the influence of that growl, those all-encompassing eyes... He would... He would make cross eyes into that gaze to break its hold! He did it. LaCroix burst into hearty laughter. Once again the dark 'gentleman,' the vampire shook its head. "I really must go now. I have errands to run." LaCroix departed, leaving Mulder to sway on his feet, too dazed to follow. End of Part 23