The National Zoo was prepped for opening. The grounds were clear, gardens trimmed and watered, cut grass blown neatly off the sidewalks. It was going to be a great summer day in D.C. Tourist season was hitting its stride and the zoo was hoping to cash in on some of that flow from the National Mall. It was superb planning to connect all the big destinations by the newly refurbished subway system.
Kathy Purcell, the chief veterinarian, was walking the grounds to the infirmary, her radio swinging from her belt. It squawked with the usual morning chit chat of the keepers, counting critters, feeding and complaining about the cleaning. A voice from the main office reminded them of how many minutes till opening.
Suddenly a voice called out from the primate area, " Dr. Purcell! The gorillas! One is missing!" Kathy's mind grabbed her radio and looked at it for a split second in utter disbelief.
" Code 10. Call security. I'm getting the dart gun.", she replied and ran to the infirmary for the rifle with both non lethal and lethal ammunition.
When she arrived at the gorilla exhibit, the police and security were fanning out, checking behind bushes, retaining walls, and inside the building as well. The search continued for about an hour before it was concluded the missing gorilla, Kojo, was not on the premises. He was the youngest of the six housed at the zoo at only seven years old and a crowd favorite. As the security detail wrapped up their equipment, all the primate keepers, the director of the zoo, the police sergeant who responded and Kathy gathered outside the building main doors.
" When did you notice Kojo missing?", the Director asked the main keeper, James Quince.
" Only this morning. When we locked up and cross checked they were all accounted for.", Jim replied.
" No signs of a break in?", the officer asked
" None. No broken windows, busted locks, no gates left open. But, a trank cartridge was missing from the medicine box.", Jim replied.
The officer picked up his radio, " This is unit 210. We need a full evidence team here at the National Zoo stat. Possible theft of an animal." The radio dispatch crackled a reply that they were on their way. The group looked around at each other in disbelief. Who would steal a gorilla from the National Zoo?
Seeley was processing paperwork from a finished case when his phone rang. " Are you sure?", he said incredulously, " Ok. I'm on my way." He rose and put on his sport coat, checked his holster and wallet, then departed. As he walked, he flipped open his cell phone, " Bones?"
" Yes, Booth.", she replied. He could tell she was on speaker phone, probably standing in the exam area with her squint posse.
" Wanna go to the zoo?", he asked jauntily.
" Now? Are you cutting work? It's not the weekend you know.", she said with the tone of a mother admonishing her child for playing hooky.
" No, this is work. Someone stole a gorilla from the zoo. I'm going to check it out.", he replied and then definitely knew she was on speakerphone when Hodgins and Angela pleaded with her to go too. Booth shook his head and rolled his eyes. Why me?, he asked himself.
" See you in few minutes.", Bones replied and hung up.
The zoo did not open on time, at least around the primate area. Yellow tape seemed to grow like the immaculate foliage of the park, it was everywhere. People were curious though and hung about in groups, craning their necks to get a better view. Booth drove his black SUV directly up to the primate building and hopped out. Brennan and the squint squad were already there talking to the security detail.
" Are there any video cameras present in the building?", Brennan asked.
" No, only at the gates, commissary and infirmary. There are no cameras stationed around or in the buildings.", the security officer replied.
" There were not signs of forced entry?", she queried.
" No, and so far the techs haven't found any prints except the gorillas.", he replied. Booth listened in.
" Were the animals agitated this morning?", Hodgins asked.
" Not that we were told. You'd have to ask the keeper staff and the vet.", the officer said and pointed out where they were standing. A cluster of people stood talking to the side, three were wearing a khaki uniform and one much taller woman was wearing chinos and a short sleeved chambray shirt. Booth and the team thanked the security detail and moved towards the group.
" Excuse me, are one of you Dr. Purcell?", Booth asked flashing his badge.
The four turned to look at the Jeffersonian/FBI team and the taller woman extended her hand to him," I am. Dr. Kathy Purcell, pleased to meet you.", Her grip was firm and she was eye to eye with Booth. Her bright chestnut hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her hazel eyes didn't appear to miss much. She shook the hands of the other members, and Hodgins seemed to linger on her. Angela poked him in the ribs. He coughed and cast her a look.
"I am Agent Booth, FBI and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan and her team." Booth introduced with a wave of his hand.
" THE Temperance Brennan? Author?", Dr. Purcell interrupted and Brennan smiled politely. " I love your books. I've read every one. Is this your model for your FBI character?" She gestured towards Seeley.
" Oh no.", Brennan replied," Seeley is not who I look for in a fictional character."
" Hey!", he Booth exclaimed. Everyone ignored him, but Kathy gave a smirk of appreciation. Once Seeley had regained his dignity, he asked, "We'd like to talk to all of you about the details of the incident."
" Of course. Let's all go to my office at the infirmary. We have a meeting space we can use there to sit down and talk.", Kathy replied and gestured up the walk way past the yellow crime scene tape. " It's so nice to see fellow members of the Jeffersonian family here. " Kathy commented to Hodgins, Angela and Tempe.
" Yes, it's hard to imagine were all part of the same team.", Angela replied with a grin, " You have this pretty place to work and we get the lab with stinky bodies."
" Have you ever smelled an elephant?, " Kathy replied with her eyebrows up. Everyone's nose wrinkled with the imagined odor," Now THAT is stinky." She chuckled good naturedly.
They talked as they walked about the schematics of the building, the procedural protocol for animal care and why or how a gorilla could escape. Once inside the building, they passed the surgical suites, where there was a gargantuan stainless steel table. It sat on a hydraulic press below. The floors were tiled in a robin egg shell blue and more stainless steel countertops and cabinetry held surgical equipment. Booth stopped for a moment and whistled in appreciation as he peered through the hallway window, " Man, the Jeffersonian doesn't have anything like this!"
Brennan looked at him, " Well, we have much more sophisticated smaller equipment. " She sounded envious too.
" You must also remember Agent Booth, we have living specimens here who vary greatly in size. You should have seen the dental exam we gave to the Sumatran tiger last week.", Dr. Purcell intoned, " We really watched the anesthesia on that one!" She laughed heartily but everyone else paled slightly. The thought of working with large carnivorous creatures didn't really appeal to them.
The meeting room was decorated, of course, in a jungle theme with tasteful pictures of various types of wildlife. They sat around the large table, the three keepers and Dr. Purcell on one side, Tempe, Booth, Angela and Hodgins on the other.
" So, Dr. Purcell…", Seeley began as he pulled out his pad of paper for notes.
" Kathy, please.", Kathy interrupted. Hodgins was still staring. Angela punched him under the table.
" Ok, Kathy. Who was working in the Primate building last night?", he inquired.
Dr. Purcell looked at the three keepers in their uniforms and work boots. The first one, a medium built woman, her black hair French braided tightly out of her face replied, " I was and so was Jennifer. "
" And your name?" Booth asked.
" Penny Duncan and this is Jennifer Perry.", Penny replied, gesturing to a smaller woman with blonde hair and freckles. The third keeper was a man, moderately proportioned with a short buzz cut reminiscent of the Marines.
" And you sir?", Seeley jotted all this information down.
" I'm Peter Wells. I work in more than one department, but I was not at work yesterday.", he replied. Booth wrote.
" You all have keys to the building?, Seeley asked. They all replied yes, " And the animals all trust you and are used to having you administer medications?" Again the reply was yes, "Well until I have the report from the evidence techs I have nothing else to ask you. We'll be in touch though. "
The keepers rose, said their polite goodbyes and returned to work. Dr. Purcell looked concerned and a bit frustrated but remained calm. Brennan was starting to wonder why they were there, and not just Booth by himself, since there were no body parts to examine. This was just a Federal theft case. That's when the screams became audible on the radio.
Booth and Brennan flexed together, instinctively, to the door from the table, Dr. Purcell quickly behind them Angela and Hodgins hung back. Once outside, it was a short run back to the primate exhibit and found Kojo, but not all of him. He was a small primate, only seven, and about the size of a nine year old child but heavier. The body was behind a stack of boxes in the back of the building. Flies circled lazily in the warmth.
Bones skidded to a halt in front of the assembled police and keeper group and whipped out her gloves. There were not many bones to be found in the remains of the small gorilla. Dr. Purcell was close behind and Booth hung back some, letting the pros handle their area of expertise. Brennan looked up at Kathy somewhat questioningly, "What do you make of it?"
" This was done quickly, and the butchering was hasty, like the person wanted to get something important and then get out.", Kathy poked around in the corpse after she slipped the gloves Brennan proffered to her. You see the animal's throat was slit, looks like no sign of resistance, probably because he was sedated. All the long bones are gone, both hands and feet and his canine teeth were knocked out. " Kathy sat back on her haunches and looked up at Booth. He never thought bloody and gruesome could look so good with two pretty women crouching on the ground, " This was done for the black market body part trade. I saw it in Rwanda, when I was doing a post-doc at the gorilla reserve."
Hodgins jumped, "I can analyze the fly larvae and give you how long he's been dead, in hours. That will help to narrow who was here during that time window."
" I will look at the cut marks and determine the weapon used and we can run toxicology too to see if it was the missing tranquilizer. ", Brennan added looking sadly at the veterinarian.
Kathy nodded, upset. Kojo was born at the National Zoo. Kathy helped with his prenatal and post natal care. He was a special animal and tears welled up in her eyes. She stripped the gloves off and put a hand to her face to hide her emotion. " I'll want to do a full necropsy on him but right now I need to be excused. " she said and departed for some privacy.
The team let her pass and then returned their gaze to the crime scene. The body had apparently fallen out of one the boxes stacked near by when the trash crew came to do pick up. Brennan helped to put the gorillas' body into a body bag, which seemed so strange, but as she looked at the animals face, although bloody from his murder, she was touched by his expression in death. Tempe had also spent time in Rwanda, but dealing with human crimes of war. It was curious to her that people would also spend time working on the animals crimes of war. Brennan felt a mutual respect for this vet; she had a mutual purpose of finding the truth, like she did.
Booth let the team bag, collect and transport the gorillas' remains to the infirmary building while the police once again strung up yellow tape. Seeley plugged into his observational skills as he walked slowly around the backside of the building. There were the freight doors, where food, bedding, waste and new animals could be brought. It was a huge door, probably not how the building was accessed. A smaller door was next to it and a small window, but big enough for a person or gorilla to climb out. He looked closely at the window frame on tip toe. A few black hairs were stuck to the frame. He motioned to an evidence tech to take the sample and then check for prints. Before he moved though he looked down at the ground. A partial boot print barely existed in the dust below. " Hey, shoot a few pictures of this print then get the hair." he requested. The technician did and Booth backed off, now his mind wandering to other avenues: a motive.
Once the team set on a course of action, it was difficult for them to let go. Dr. Purcell invited them into her necropsy suite of the hospital to observe and help in the examination. Angela took meticulous notes as they dissected the gorilla. Hodgins combed over the animals coat and skin picking anything of interest off him. Blood samples and tissue samples were sent to the Jeffersonian for more precise testing. Tempe assisted Kathy in the actual necropsy.
It was well into the later afternoon and almost early evening when they reached a stopping point. The cause of death was determined. Brennan would bring back selected bones for analysis of the weapon to the Jeffersonian and they were all very tired. Booth had checked in on the squint squad shortly after they had officially concluded. " How about we clean up and grab some dinner?", Kathy suggested.
Tempe thought that was a good idea, even if Booth and Angela were not all the hungry. Hodgins appetite seemed unfazed. " Where to?", Booth sounded intrigued.
" How about your neck of the woods… I hear the Royal Diner has awesome pie.", Kathy put a weary smile on her face. Bones and Booth gave each other a look and smiled too.
" Sure.", they said simultaneously.
Kathy showed Tempe to the locker room for a quick wash up. They had worn protective coveralls and masks, but their skin reeked of blood and gorilla musk. Tempe was thankful for the chance to wash up, even though it was in a zoo. Not the first time I cleaned up in a strange place, she thought to herself.
" So, Dr. Brennan, if you don't mind me asking, " Kathy said from an adjacent stall, talking over the running water, " Are you sure Agent Booth isn't a model for your 'Ryan' character?"
" No, why do you ask?", Tempe replied thinking of all the crazy stuff she'd written about that character.
" Well he seems pretty spot on to me!", Kathy chuckled.
Tempe did not reply but thought this woman had a definite sense of humor.
While the doctors were showering up, the rest of the party waited in the office area of the hospital. " Dude, what an Amazon!", Hodgins remarked with a low whistle.
Angela shot him a dirty look, " Well excuse me if I'm not 6 foot two, with a warrior physique!"
Booth regarded the two with amusement, " I guess it helps to be a Amazon when you have to wrestle with alligators on a daily basis."
Hodgins looked back at Booth, " Oh tell me your eyes aren't inspiring you!"
Booth raised a hand to his chest, fingers touching his lapel, " Me? Are you thinking I could ogle a woman I've just met?" His tone was dripping sarcasm but he twitched his eyebrows upward suggesting something differently.
Hodgins and Angela both laughed out loud as the two women, who were chatting animatedly, approached. "What so funny?", Tempe queried.
" Nothing Bones. Just your friends trying to get me in trouble.", Booth replied casting a look at Kathy then at Hodgins. Jack grinned a carnivorous smile.
" Now where's that pie?", Kathy commented with a smirk of her own. Boy, did the Jeffersonian hire only smart-alecs?, Booth thought to himself as they all moved towards the SUV.
The diner was not terribly full but it was close seating. Kathy sat next to Booth, Brennan across from him and Angela and Jack filled in across from Kathy and Angela was at the end of a booth with a chair. Dr. Purcell was regaling the group with strange and wonderful tales of caring for the National Zoo's collection. Everything from a sea lion with gastric reflux, to the hippos having constipation to working with the Chinese government and the panda's breeding program. " Now imagine producing the next generation of pandas with a syringe and sedated female. Not really romantic eh?", Kathy laughed with genuine mirth. Brennan laughed at the scientific conundrum of the situation, as did Hodgins and Angela. Booth looked a bit uncomfortable discussing any sort of reproduction in front of Bones.
" What do you all need us for then?", Booth quipped taking a sip of his coffee.
" I don't know. Want to fill us in?", Dr. Purcell gave a good natured knuckle shove into Booth's shoulder like a male friend would. Angela watched Brennan's eyes at this. She was not tense, but aware of that motion. Booth absorbed it easily laughing at her and even poking back. Kathy was such an easy going personality it was hard not to feel like you'd known her for years.
The evening wore on until everyone knew they needed some sleep to start working on the more gruesome parts of the case. Seeley drove the squints back to the Jeffersonian, where their cars were parked. Hodgins and Angela got into their vehicle and Bones began to walk to hers. Booth watched her and then she turned as if to ask a question but Booth said, " I'm taking Dr. Purcell back to the Zoo. Her car is there." Brennan nodded and then completed her walk to her car. Seeley didn't get back in until she had turned the ignition on and began to pull away. He was not sure of the expression on her face as she drove by. She looked slightly agitated.
Seeley shrugged it off and hopped back into the car, " Back to the jungle."
" You really don't have to do this, you know.", Kathy intoned. " I'm pretty independent."
" No problem, really. I am used to being a chauffer. And I'm a bit old fashioned. ", he replied. It was strange not having Bones in the passenger seat to talk to.
" Ok, I'll indulge you, but please call me Kathy.", she said and patted his forearm good naturedly. Booth smiled, she made him feel like he was the one being protected.
The Zoo the next day was crawling with reporters. Every news venue in the nation had sent someone to talk about the gorilla murder. Booth spent his time investigating any leads with Dr. Purcell, while Brennan and the team examined evidence. Angela was helping to reconstruct any crime scene data with her supercomputer and talking to Brennan, " Man, that vet sure is funny. I could have listened to her all night."
" Uh huh.", Tempe replied.
" So what do you think of her?", Angela asked carefully, more out of curiosity than spite.
" She is a professional, like us, who cares deeply about her work.", Bones replied giving Angela a glance. She didn't want to admit she was envious of Kathy's physical ease and casualness with Booth, something she wish she could show him. She quashed the thought that it was just because the "he" involved was Seeley. Bones chalked it up to the maleness of her job that Dr. Purcell is used to interacting with men. They both returned to their work in silence but Angela kept watching.
Booth was munching on a hot dog and sucking down a coke with Kathy at the Zoo all in the name of discussing the case. He found her conversation logical and her smile easy without having to explain every nuance of pop culture to her like Bones. He perished that thought. Bones was his partner and they fit together very well, despite how easily he got along with this vet. But Kathy's firm grip in modernity really helped conversation progress, and she was kind of cute too.
" Are the any connections between the keepers with keys to the building and black market animal parts?", Booth asked between bites, wiping mustard from his chin with a napkin.
" None that I can see or every knew of. The Zoo does a criminal back ground check for not just felonies, but also associations with PETA and other animal rights organizations. None of those people have a known association.", Kathy replied, her hazel eyes serious and thoughtful.
" Techs found a window open and gorilla hair stuck in the frame. Perhaps the animal was trained to let itself out?", Booth conjectured.
Kathy didn't look surprised. She had seen many animals do some very amazing things in captivity, " I wouldn't be astounded but that would have to be someone who had access to them frequently and had time to teach them how to use keys and open locks. Their bedrooms are more sophisticated than you think."
Booth took a drink, " Are there any other people, besides keepers, with that access?"
Kathy thought for a long moment, pushing her hair away from her face and a look of enlightenment dawned upon her, " There is a team of grad students from Georgetown, in the Psychology departments and Computer Science. They have been working on some artificial intelligence using the gorillas as a model for their programming."
" Then we have some more people to talk to." Booth said and stood from the picnic table, " But first I need to call someone who may be able to help us." Kathy said she'd see him later as he departed with Sweets phone number on speed dial.
Sweets, was as always, happy to hear from Booth," Agent Booth, what a pleasure. What can I do for you?"
" Do you have any connections still at Georgetown?", Booth asked.
" Of course. I do many guest lectures there. What do you need to know?", Lance replied.
" We need to know if one of them is a gorilla murderer.", Seeley replied and set up a meeting, almost mentioning Dr. Purcell as a guest, but shook his head. Bones would be there.
The three of them convened for dinner, not at the diner like usual, but at the Jeffersonian so they could share information. The meal was take out, but still tasty especially with juicy case details to chew over together.
" How was your day?", Bones asked Booth as they set the food down, just out of Sweets earshot.
" Fine, just peachy.", Seeley replied with a smile.
" Just fine?", Bones said before she could stop herself. She turned away from him just as Sweets approached close enough to hear. Booths mouth opened and snapped shut. His trademark index finger stopped mid point. Sweets looked curious but for a change did not ask. Booth cast Bones a slanted look and she returned it full gaze.
They sat to eat and share details of the days' work. " Kathy said that it was possible to teach a gorilla to let himself out and through a window with the proper training. She mentioned a group of graduate students at Georgetown who were psychology and computer science majors working on artificial intelligence.", Booth relayed, " And so I wanted to know, Sweets, if you have any idea what kind of person would be a poacher?"
Sweets furrowed his brow as he pondered the two departments and who he knew there personally, " Well, going by our victim and what was removed, it would be someone who had some sort of medical-type training. Also, someone who was probably not American, but that's not a certainty."
" Did the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service pick up any tracks of Kojo's remains?", Bones asked quietly not looking at Booth.
" No. Wherever they went, they were processed quickly into something else. They had no hits on their usual suspect buyers. ", Seeley replied as he poked another bite onto his fork.
" I can compile a list of people of interest from Georgetown. We can then question them.", Sweets suggested.
Booth shot him a firm look, " No, Bones and I will question them. Thanks for the help though."
Sweets looked at his watch, " I gotta run! Sorry… I'll get on that list first thing tomorrow." Booth and Bones looked at him, puzzled.
Once he left, Booth volunteered, " Maybe he's got a hot date."
" I doubt it.", Brennan replied. Booth chuckled a low laugh. That was about the last comment he'd expect from her.
Seeley looked at his partner as she was chewing her last bite, " You know, I feel like a stake out tonight. "
Tempe's eyebrows went up, " Why? We have no suspects."
" I dunno. I just have a feeling.", he replied gazing towards the door.
" I think it's indigestion.", Tempe replied, " Are you sure you're not just hoping that Kathy is there by some coincidence?"
" A bit jealous of her are you?", Booth teased.
Tempe set her jaw, " No. You're free to ogle who you please!"
" Then do you want to do this stakeout with me or not?", Seeley replied with his dashing smile and a light bow.
" Fine, do I get a gun?", Tempe asked, serious.
" No. You might shoot me.", Booth replied with a slightly mocking look.
" It would serve you right.", Tempe replied as she headed for the door, as always about two steps ahead of her partner.
The dashboard clock read 9:30 pm and the zoo locked up tight. Tempe was starting to wonder if she was somehow becoming nocturnal with all the night time forays she and Booth had been conducting over the last three years. Booth got out of his SUV to talk to the head security guard. The night detail had been increased since the murder but they asked no questions once Seeley flashed his badge. Booth pulled the SUV into a staff parking space just inside the front gate and they exited the vehicle. Darkness, moisture and the smells of wildness surrounded them as they walked towards the gorilla exhibit. " Well this is going to be different.", Booth remarked.
" How so?", Bones replied trying to avoid puddles from the grounds keepers sidewalk hose down.
" We don't have our car.", he said looking at her. The security guard said that unless they were escorted by a zoo employee, he was not allowed to drive on the grounds.
" Then it's not a stakeout.", Bones replied.
" Just a walk in the park.", Booth responded as they approached the gorilla area and unsnapping his holster.
" We're not in a park. It's a zoological garden.", Tempe reprimanded him primly. Booth cut her a look and stuck out his arm as they entered a large area of shadow cast by a very tall hedge.
Both their eyes had adjusted easily to the dim light, but Booth had picked up movement. His skills as a Ranger had not disappeared over the years. He held Tempe into the shadows, even though she hissed at him like an angry cat. Seeley met her eyes and made a head jerk motion and a hands down motion. She nodded, although she wasn't exactly sure what he meant. She was never good at military hand signs, but she could read hieroglyphics and ancient Sumerian script on clay tablets.
All zoos employ a night keeper to make rounds, administer medications and check on animals who were sick, young, pregnant or new to the zoo. This person had free roam of the grounds and so it could be that person Booth was stalking at this moment. He was mindful of that, not wanting to hurt anyone, but his cop senses were tingling that something was not quite right.
To access the back staff only area, Bones and Booth hugged the shadows past the front of the building and circled left. What ever it was that Booth saw had disappeared into the inky dark corners behind there. They were still on edge having the distinct feeling something or someone was watching them.
Bones reached out and put a hand on the small of Seeley's back just as a huffing pant sound echoed from behind them. Seeley couldn't spin fast enough to draw his gun and push Tempe out of the way before the African Lion leapt. Tempe fell sideways with his shove onto her right knee. She felt something twist and cried out in pain as she watched the lion swat the gun from Seeley's hand and pin him to the ground just about to rip his head off in his massive jaws.
Luke was over 400 pounds and had Booth's head between his paws. His mouth opened and four inch canines were revealed. Seeley kicked wildly at the big cat and happened to catch the cat in the belly making the lion back off and prepare to spring again. Seeley couldn't find his gun in the dark landscaping. He scrambled like mad, while blocking Tempe from the cat, " Bones! RUN", he shouted.
" I can't…. my leg!", Tempe yelled and searched in vain for a weapon of some sort.
Luke circled them warily because he was a zoo animal, while still wild, he had experience with humans and was not in the mood to kill to eat, just kill to play. He lowered his head and gave a chuffing sound and snarl tensing his hindquarters.
" Here he comes!", Booth shouted as he threw himself between the cat and Bones. Luke used his meat hook-like claws to grab Seeley's shoulders and pushed him back onto Tempe, preparing for the death bite to his neck. Tempe's legs were crushed beneath them both which set her wounded knee on fire but her hands were free. Just as the cat leaned in for the bite, she smacked the lion as hard as she could in the face with her shoe, the only weapon she could find. The hard heel of the shoe landed above the lion's eye and he jumped back with the sudden rapping on the head.
For a moment, one of those frozen in time moments, Tempe lay there breathing heavily in the damp, musky grass, Booth, also catching his breath, laying across her lap claw marks oozing blood from his shoulders. She tried to sit up as the cat circled back for the last time. " Booth- here he comes…",she trailed off as she swallowed hard. This was the end- death by mauling.
Luke gathered himself for the final pounce. His muscles tensed as he let loose into his leap, the crack of a shot rang out and he fell heavily on top of Seeley and Bones. Both of them groaned under the weight of the cat. " Get him off! I can't breathe!", Seeley gasped, mane fur in his face and the muzzle of the animal digging into his left shoulder.
With a combined effort and a 1-2-3 Seeley and Bones pushed the sleeping lion off of them, a nice tranquilizer dart protruding from his backside. Dr. Purcell jogged up quickly with a rifle resting across her shoulder, which made Bones think of a picture of Teddy Roosevelt on safari in Africa. " Oh thank God you're both alive!", she exclaimed.
The partners both lay panting next to the sleeping cat trying to come down off their near death experience. Seeley was a mess of blood, water and lion spit. Huge gashes decorated his sport coat, which was only useful for rags now. Bones' knee was very swollen, her pants ripped where she had hit the ground. She was also soaked by the wet grass. " This is Kathy. Get me a lion crate, EMS and the police!", Kathy said into her radio. Sirens were heard shortly after. " What the heck are you two doing here?", she admonished them as Seeley disentangled himself from Tempe's lap. He groaned in pain from his claw wounds.
" Why are you here?", he returned trying to take off his blazer and not quite being able to. Kathy put her rifle down and helped him; Bones sat in the grass nursing her knee. Looked like a bad sprain, no ACL tear, hopefully. When Bones looked up, she gasped. Seeley's white shirt was streaked red with blood from the puncture marks in almost perfect semicircles around his shoulders. The pattern looked like Luke had been drawing Seeley in for a hug. A deadly hug.
" I had our security notify me whenever anyone or anything comes in or out of the zoo. I got the message you two came to investigate something and I figured that was not a good idea. So I followed.", Dr. Purcell returned now stripping Seeley's shirt off. Bones cast an envious glare at the two, despite the openly bleeding wounds. Tempe lingered over the bullet wound scar over his right pectoral muscle. She longed to touch it, like Thomas had touched the wounds of Jesus, just to make sure they were real and to push those memories away.
EMS rolled up shortly after that and began to take care of Booth and Brennan. Seeley would need a trip to the hospital for stitches and a tetanus shot. Bones would need and MRI of her knee just to verify no torn ACL. Kathy supervised the loading of the lion into the crate and transport to the hospital so he could recover from his tranquilizer. How the blazes did this cat get out, she pondered and decided to grab the evidence tech and go a looking. She put another tranquilizer dart in the rifle as a precaution.
The lion exhibit was about 100 yards straight line from the gorillas. The exhibit was an older one, with tiers of concrete, faux stone, grass and several large trees. The night holding area for the cats was inside this fake mountain-like construction and the entrance semi underground. The tech and her walked carefully with a flashlight to see the main door open and more chuffing noises from the other cats inside. There seemed no sign of foul play on the door and she asked the tech to dust for prints. He started his work as she went inside, almost commando style, rifle drawn on one her right shoulder, flashlight in the left. The only cage open was Luke's. She checked the locks on all the other cats, who were actively awake now with the commotion. The tech finished the printing of the door and moved inside to take photos of the cage, door and enclosure. The cats began to roar with the flashing lights, nearly deafening them. Kathy went into the keepers' kitchen and grabbed some horse bones. They were for tomorrow's diet anyway so getting them early wouldn't hurt. She approached cautiously and stuffed the bones between the bars. The cats took them quickly and began to chew, sharp crunching noises and contented purring, a chilling combination. The tech thanked her for saving his hearing and finished his photo shoot. Kathy relocked the gate and they backed out, triple checking all the locks before leaving.
Back at the gorilla exhibit, it was discovered one of the female gorillas was loose, but inside the building, safe. She had not climbed out the now open window where Booth had seen the tuft of hair snagged. Once she was secured, the police descended again to check for evidence. Nothing new apparently, but they'd have a full report in the morning. Kathy, weary, but satisfied that the crises was under control for now headed home. Tomorrow, she decided to check on her two new found friends at the hospital. After all, a near death experience is a great bonding agent!, she thought.
Bearing three cups of steaming coffee from Starbucks, Kathy found Bones first at the hospital. The Jeffersonian team was kind enough to let her know where she was and Bones was getting ready to check out. " Knock, knock!", Kathy said brightly as Tempe was adjusting a knee brace strapped on the outside of her clothes. Angela had dropped off a fresh outfit last night, Tempe was grateful. There was no torn ligaments, just a deep bruise and sprain. Aleve for a week, ice at night and no hiking the doctor had said and she'd be right as rain, whatever that meant, Tempe had thought to herself at the time.
" Good morning." Tempe said neutrally, a bit surprised to see the vet. She handed her a cup of the coffee.
" Cream and two sugars, right?", Kathy asked.
" Yes… how did you know?", Bones replied surprised.
" Agent Booth told me.", Kathy said with an amused look. Tempe thought it was vaguely reassuring that she had called him 'Agent Booth'. " Anyway, I thought I'd come to take you both home. He's upstairs getting ready to discharge too.", she continued.
" Thank you, that's very kind.", Bones said as she picked up a cane the hospital had given her for getting around. She was glad the rest of her injuries- the bruises on her bottom- were hidden from sight.
They walked, or more like hobbled, to the elevator and went up one floor. Seeley's room was easy to find; it was the one with the nurses hanging about unnecessarily as Booth had shut the door to get dressed. Kathy cleared her throat to get their attention. The women turned and looked up... Kathy was half a foot taller than most of them. " Excuse us please.", she said tersely. Bones drew herself up as much as she could too, but she was still shorter than Dr. Purcell.
The nurses sniffed and departed. Bones knocked softly and Seeley hollered something about not needing a sponge bath. Kathy snickered and replied through the door that it was the two of them.
Booth cracked the door and peeked out to make sure then let them in. He had not put his shirt on yet and turned his back to the women to pick it up from the bed. There were puncture wounds in a fan shape all across the upper part of both his shoulders and back, each held delicately together with sutures and little white steri-strips, so many to Bones eyes that it looked like feathers, arranged in such a way that they could be angel wings. She again found herself longing to touch them, to baby him, even if he didn't need it. She blinked to clear her mind as Seeley threw the shirt stiffly over his head. It was just a t-shirt but he was still sore after being sat on by 400 pounds of feline.
" You know, I'm not getting any younger. This stuff is really getting to me.", Seeley smiled ruefully.
" Ah… you don't look to bad for someone who almost became catnip.", Kathy joked casually. Booth looked up and grinned at her. Bones felt small. " Cup of coffee?" Kathy offered.
" Sure, thanks.", he took the proffered cup and sipped it gingerly. " How about we blow this joint and pick up the car?"
" My plan exactly.", Kathy replied.
" How are you feeling there Bones?", Booth asked putting an arm around his partner and giving a small squeeze.
" I'll live, no thanks to you.", Bones replied, enjoying his touch especially after his banter with the vet.
" You know, your life would be so dull if it were not for me.", Booth chided her and helped her out the door.
" Don't delude yourself.", Bones retorted, which made Kathy chortle.
" You two… oil and water!", Kathy commented and they both shot her a look, but did not reply because she followed up," Which makes a really tasty vinaigrette."
" Huh?", Bones said, " What does salad dressing have to do with this?"
Booth leaned down as Kathy strode ahead, " She means we compliment each other." Bones enjoyed his whisper as she understood the vets' meaning.
Kathy filled them in as she drove the trio back to the zoo. Again, no prints, no sign of foul play but it was agreed the gorillas would be under heavy security until this was solved and Sweets list of grad students would be closely interrogated today. There was one unsolved mystery in Booth's head though. " I had no idea you were a marksman.", he said as they drove the streets of D.C.
" It helps in this line of work.", Kathy glanced in the rearview mirror. Bones got the front seat as was custom, but also because her leg needed to be stretched out.
" Where did you learn?", Booth said intrigued again. Bones squirmed.
" Olympic team, 1992. Sharpshooter." Kathy said with a tinge of sadness.
" Wow.. did you get a medal?", Seeley asked.
"No.", was the unelaborated reply. Bones looked at the vet and Seeley did not press further.
Kathy took them back to the Zoo to get their SUV. She mentioned that she needed to check on Luke, the lion, and some other patients. Booth and Bones thanked her for the ride and coffee and jumped into the vehicle for a quick trip to Sweets office. He promised he'd have that list of Georgetown students for questioning. The car was fairly quiet for a while as the DC scenery passed by.
" Booth?", Bones began hesitantly.
" Yes pardner?", he drawled, Texan style. Brennan cut him a look, but then smiled genuinely.
" I just wanted to say thanks for saving my life again.", Bones said quietly remembering the saliva dripping from the lions mouth as it tried to close down on Seeley's neck… the bullet scar on his chest. She was looking at him, but he only glanced at her, wanting to keep his eyes on the road. D.C. drivers were notorious for being terrible.
" Well, as I recall, it was Kathy who saved us both in the end.", he reminded her gently. Bones frowned, but Seeley knew her so well he caught it out of the corner of his eye. " Bones.", he sighed," I asked you before- are you jealous?"
" No.", Bones replied firmly crossing her arms.
" Come on now… I know you better than that!", Booth scoffed at her and shifted his weight in the seat.
" She just seems to have a lot in common with you.", Tempe returned.
" How so?", he asked intrigued to hear what appraisal she had.
" She's tall, she's athletic, she's a sharpshooter!", Bones began to ramble on. She caught herself. Booth smirked. He thought it hilarious when Bones went on these tangents.
" And we've known her for …. Two weeks?", he postulated back making it very clear that his time with her was much more valuable. Bones looked at him again, and he shot her a glance, eyes back on the road.
" I guess… I just wish I could do some of those things.", Bones admitted, feeling like she was going back to grade school where kids form their cliques and learn their abilities. All she seemed to ever have were her brains, and while proud of her academic prowess, she secretly has wished as most kids did while growing up she was more diverse in ability. Maybe a cheerleader?, Bones thought in her head and then quashed that thought as she imagined herself in a tiny skirt and tight top. Oh that would go over well with Booth!, she chided herself.
" You know what, Bones?", Booth said knowing this was one of Bones weak times. She's had more of those self-doubting moments since he'd been shot, " You are perfect to me! I love you just the way you are…", he began to sing the Billy Joel song, off key and in pantomime. Brennan had to laugh. There was nothing as funny as Seeley singing. The mirth lasted until they got to Sweets office.
" Booth.", Tempe said as they got out of the SUV," Whatever you do, don't mention this to Sweets. He'll have us in there for hours discussing our inner demons." Booth smiled and agreed as he held the door for her. Just saving the Federal government money, Booth thought to himself, being my own therapist!
Sweets was playing Guitar Hero on his flat screen TV and Wii, when his favorite couple walked in, unannounced. He was in the middle of a Van Halen riff, head banging, body gyrating, when he saw them. He froze. Booth let out a huge guffaw, as he cramped up laughing, arms around his waste, trying to catch his breath. Tempe also enjoyed a good rolling laugh but was of course more lady like. Sweets face turned a unique shade of red as he quickly stopped the game and put the guitar controller down. " Is my secretary not out there?", Sweets asked in a tight, embarrassed voice.
" Ha.. .ahah… yeah, she was out there…. Snigger…. Hahaha…", Booth was trying to catch his breath as he grabbed onto the arm of one of Sweet's desk chairs to steady himself.
" She thought we could use some amusement.", Tempe said with great amusement.
" I'll have to talk to her about that.", he said in mock anger, still feeling his face hot with humiliation. " Have you come for your weekly session or something else."
Tempe stepped in for her partner who was still chortling away with the amusing memory, " You have a list of Georgetown students for us?"
Sweets softened a bit, feeling the blood draining from his face," Yes, I do. There are only five of them." He handed Tempe a paper with names, photos and addresses. She looked critically at them, as if she could tell who would train an animal to walk willingly to its death.
By this time, Seeley had calmed down and stopped laughing, standing up, " Thanks Sweets. We may need you to help profile these guys after we get done with them."
" Certainly. Now would you like to have our weekly chat?", he volunteered.
" Actually, Sweets, we need to get this rolling.", Bones stepped in taking Seeley by the back of the arm and turning him towards the door. Sweets looked let down. " By the way, where were you off to in such a hurry last night?", Tempe asked.
" No where.", Sweets squirmed. The duo looked at each other for a split second.
" We'll see you, Sweets.", Booth said as they left.
Booth radioed that he needed five suspects brought in for questioning as they stopped to get a quick bite to eat. It didn't take too long for the graduate students to be brought in to the interrogation room at the Hoover building. Bones elected to stay out while Booth asked the questions.
They were not the typical lot of sloppy looking college students or pocket protector squints. They were dressed in collared shirts, all brand name and Polo cargo shorts. The five men walked in confidently, if not a bit curious as to why they were there. Booth motioned them to take seats, while he arranged himself on the opposite side, folder in hand. " Gentlemen, I can gather you're a bit surprised to be here.", Booth began looking down at the file then up in that classical eye move that Bones knew sometimes drove people to confess.
The first one closest to Booth answered, " Well, after Kojo was found, we figured it would not take too long before we were here."His hair was a purposely styled jumble of brown curls and he had a strong jaw, like Seeley. His friends nodded their heads in agreement. They locked eyes for a moment and Seeley could read that this twenty-something was angry that he was interrupted from his work.
" You are perceptive, " Booth slightly mocked him, " So tell me do you all have alibis for that night?"
" Yes.", the first student answered.
" Mr. Fields?", Booth asked and the man nodded.
" We were all together for an all night programming session.", Fields replied.
" Can anyone outside your immediate group verify you were all together between the hours of 1 am and 5 am?", Seeley asked, looking not at the first student but the other four. A pale blonde headed grad student swallowed as Seeley gave him a hard look.
" Yes, we have computer logs- ", Fields said.
" No, I mean human beings.", Seeley cut him off. Fields straightened up and set his jaw. Bones immediately felt repulsed by this man.
" Yes, our girlfriends were all there as well.", Fields replied tightly.
" Ok, now we're getting somewhere.", Booth replied and continued the questioning as a group.
After thirty minutes it was apparent that it would be no use to question them all together. Seeley got up from the table and told the well groomed group to stay put, he'd be right back. He needed to talk to Tempe.
Booth entered the observation room where Tempe was watching and crossed his arms. " Which one do you think it is?", he asked. The fivesome were huddled shoulder, like a football team before a play, obviously talking, faces hidden from the mirrored glass.
" Well that is hard to go by with just psychology, you know that Booth.", Tempe said with a shrug.
Suddenly, Booth looked hard at the back of one of the students. His legs were crossed at the ankles, knees bent back under the chair so the soles of his shoes were visible as he leaned forward to conspire with his friends. Booth recognized that shoe. " I got an idea.", he said and have her shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving. Tempe looked as he left, puzzled.
Booth had the suspects separated, the shoe boy left behind in the room alone. The FBI techs dug up the picture of the partial foot print and gave it to Booth. The alibis did check out, but Seeley made sure they didn't just leave it to the girls. He had his assistants dig a bit deeper, which was about all the time he needed with this kid.
Tempe watched again from the observation room as Booth entered and sat down, photograph in hand.
" Let's see, you are Josh, correct?", he asked casually, leaning back in the chair, photo turned down on the table.
It was the pale haired boy, " Yes."
" So do you want to tell me where you were the night Kojo was murdered?", Booth asked calmly.
Josh swallowed nervously again, why did Fields have to put him up to this? " I told you, I was with my team programming. We just made a breakthrough with Kojo and wanted to get it down in code." His reply was rehearsed.
Booth looked through him like he was made of glass; the kid shivered. " Sure… that "break through" was you could get an animal to let itself out and walk to his death."
" No! Why would we do something like that? He was our research project!", Josh retorted, his hands getting sweaty.
" Hmm… and do you own these shoes?", Booth flipped the photo over showing the partial print on the dusty ground.
Josh eyed the photo uneasily, " Oh come on… That is not my shoe! Really, how many people have this shoe?", he said incredulously.
" Apparently not too many." Booth fiddled with the picture on the table, " They are a unique brand. But even so, we could subpoena your shoes and get you to walk across some wet plaster. Everyone has an identifying foot print, just like finger prints.", Booth leaned in almost menacingly. He knew he had this kid scared and about to break. " I believe you're wearing them right now?", he suggested.
The kid hunched down low, sweat beading on his forehead then looked down at the table. " Ok… ok ok… oh my God….", his breath was coming in pants, " If I tell you something, can I… can I get a deal or something?"
" Perhaps.", Booth said with a satisfied smile and a thumbs up to Bones. She smiled too.
Kathy cocked her rifle and took a steady aim as the sunlight streamed down on them both at the FBI gun range. It was a glorious morning for target practice and boasting. The target was over 100 yards away. The crack was a punctuation mark to her brag that she would be dead center. Seeley looked over at her, head phones on and shooting glasses and thought, darn that was some woman! Using military issue binoculars, Seeley looked downrange at her target. A perfect shot, right in the middle.
Kathy smiled broadly, not boastfully, " Ok G-man. Your turn."
Seeley squared up and put his custom rifle to his shoulder. The stitches where Luke had pierced him itched and it was mildly distracting but he took a deep breath and centered himself. The trigger squeeze was gentle, the results a resounding snap-crack. Kathy held up the binoculars as Seeley let out his breath in a sigh. It had been so long since he'd exercised his extraordinary skill with a rifle and it was a little bittersweet. " Well?", he asked.
Kathy looked defeated for a moment, but then brightened, " Sorry G-man. You're off."
"What?!", Seeley couldn't believe his ears. She snatched the binoculars out of her hand. Yup, she's right, Seeley thought. His hole was about half an inch off center. A killing shot, but going by points, Kathy had the gold, he got the silver.
" Don't worry there, G-man. You can't win them all.", Kathy extended a hand. He took her handshake, firm as ever. Her eyes were warm, kind and crinkled at the corners with her easy going smile.
" Ahem.", Tempe said coming up from behind. She held her own weapon in her hands, "Mind if I take a shot?"
Kathy and Booth looked at each other and then at Tempe. Booth's hands went up in placation, " You know Bones, sharp shooting is not something you just walk up to. It takes years and years of training." He sounded serious, but was really trying to make sure Tempe didn't hurt someone. Kathy nodded in agreement.
" What about me too?", the voice of Sweets could be heard as he rounded the shooting aisle. Booth's jaw dropped as he saw Sweets holding a target rifle in his hands too.
" Sweets!", Kathy exclaimed and walked towards him, looping an arm around him which only accentuated how much taller than average she was.
Bones and Booth looked at them both, " How do you two know each other?", Tempe asked after they approached.
" Oh, well, when I heard Hodgins talking about Kathy, I knew I just had to see what a lovely woman she was!", Sweets asked, his amber shooting glasses making his face look comical.
" And he fits his name… just so Sweet!", Kathy replied, tousling Sweets hair playfully and giving him a smooch on the cheek.
" Uh huh." Booth managed to get out of his mouth, still astounded at the company he was seeing.
" You know what all this shooting is making me hungry. Let's go to the diner for lunch! Booth is buying! ", Kathy said.
" But I didn't get my chance to shoot!", Bones protested.
" Later, Bones. I'll give you personal lessons." Booth said softly in her ear. She caught herself blushing.
" If you say so.", she replied taking off her amber glasses and unwrapping the headphones from around her neck. That would be something she could look forward to.
The End!
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