Thanks to sarali1983, jade254, Aria-wolfstar, Hopeless Heart, Lifeguard, LittleMissRandom-x, shrimps1995, and DemonicAyngel for your reviews of Ch.1; you guys rock!
Agent Ryan stood silently, giving no indication that he was going to respond to Booth's question.
"Jim, do you know where they're keeping Kenton?" Booth asked again.
Agent Ryan lowered his eyes, unable to meet Booth's fierce gaze. "Sorry, man. I can't tell you that."
Booth resisted the urge to strangle him. He had known Ryan for years. He was a good guy and a good friend. Surely he could be convinced to give up Kenton's location. "Why not?"
Ryan slowly lifted his head to look at Booth. "Cullen said that no one could tell you where he was," he answered apologetically. "You understand."
"No, I don't understand," Booth shot back angrily. My boss ordered my colleagues to keep this a secret from me? All my hard work, everything I've done for the Bureau, and he doesn't trust me?
"Come on, Booth. Kenton tried to kill your partner. It's only natural that you'd want revenge. If someone went after my partner, I'd want him dead too."
"I don't want to kill him." I just need him to get my partner back. Of course, whoever I hand him over to will probably kill him so he can't testify. I'd be helping to silence a witness in a federal court case. Maybe he deserves to die for trying to harm my Bones, but can I really deliver him to his executioner? I'll worry about that later.
"What do you want then? Just to smack him around a bit?" He leaned in close to Booth and whispered conspiratorially. "Don't you think our guys did that already? You have a lot of friends here, Booth. We all know how much you care about Dr. Brennan. Believe me, we made Kenton suffer for what he did to her."
Booth knew that Ryan was trying to make him feel better, but his words had the opposite effect. Dark, disturbing thoughts were besieging his mind. We all know how much you care about Dr. Brennan, he repeated in his head. Is someone from the FBI responsible for Brennan's kidnapping? Someone who knew that I would do anything to protect her? Maybe Kenton's not the only traitor around here. "What do people say about me and Brennan?"
Ryan shifted his feet uncomfortably. "I don't like to repeat gossip."
"I know, and I respect you for it, but I need to know. Please, Jim."
"You're not going to like it. You promise not to shoot the messenger?"
"I promise."
"Alright. They're saying that you love her. A couple guys are taking bets on when you two will get together. Others think that you're already together and hiding it. For days after the Kenton incident, people marveled at how you broke out of the hospital to save her and how you were holding her after you shot him. Then there was the time she and the other doctor were buried alive. They talked about how you raced down a hill and dug her out with your bare hands. People compare you two to Mulder and Scully from the X-Files."
Great. Just great. My colleagues are gossiping about me and Bones like we're some television couple. "When you say 'people', are you talking about a few specific individuals, or--"
"A lot of people," Ryan interrupted. "It's a fairly common topic for discussion. I'm sorry, Seeley. Your relationship with Dr. Brennan shouldn't be anyone else's business."
"Have you heard any particular agents express a special interest in my partner?"
"Sully."
That bastard. He almost took Bones away from me. I hope his stupid boat sinks. "Anyone else?" Seeing Ryan's reluctance, he added, "I wouldn't be asking if it weren't important. Trust me on that."
"I've heard Agent Morris repeatedly express admiration for your partner's...uh...physical features."
"Tom Morris?"He's lucky that she didn't hear him. She'd break his arm.
"Yeah."
"Have you ever heard Morris or any other agent make threats against her?"
"What? Of course not! If I heard someone threaten Dr. Brennan I would tell you immediately." Ryan paused as the pieces fell into place. "That's why you punched the wall, isn't it? Someone threatened her."
"Yes," Booth admitted. "That's why I need to know where Kenton is. I believe he has information that could save my partner's life."
"Cullen would rip my head off if he found out I told you."
"No one needs to know that you were the one to tell me. Come on, Jim. We've known each other for what, five years now? In all that time I've never asked you for a favor. But I need one now. Please. Please help me save her." He heard the desperation in his voice and hated it.
"I'm sorry, Booth." As Ryan spoke he took his notepad out of his pocket and began to write. "I can't help you." He handed Booth a piece of paper with an address written on it. "I have to go."
Booth looked at the address and put the paper in his pants pocket. "Okay. Thanks anyway."
"Anytime, Booth. Good luck." He winked at Booth and walked out of the office.
What now? Booth thought. I go to this address and politely ask the agents guarding Kenton if I can borrow him for a while? No, I'll need a good story. I'll think of something in the car.
On his way down the hall he passed Agent Morris' office. The door was open and Morris was sitting at his desk. Remembering what Ryan had said, Booth stopped for a moment and glared at his fellow agent.
Morris looked up and saw Booth giving him a look of death. "Can I help you with something, Booth?" He asked nervously.
"No, no I'm fine," he said, his voice dripping with venom. Get over it, he chastised himself. You don't have time for this right now. "See you around."
Shit. Booth's pissed at me. I don't want a former sniper pissed at me. "Wait. Did I do something wrong?"
Booth stared at him as if he were a suspect. "What do you think?"
"I think your partner told you that I was hitting on her. I'm sorry if I crossed the line, but I didn't think you two were dating. Are you?" If you are, I owe Agent Young fifty bucks.
Booth ignored the question. Jim was right; his relationship with Bones shouldn't be anyone else's business. "Yeah, she told me," he lied. She probably didn't even know you were hitting on her. "Why don't you tell me your side of the story."
"It was last week, when you brought in the suspect in the Adams case. I was walking by the interrogation room and I saw her watching you through the glass. I started a conversation with her. I told her how good she looked and all that other stuff women like to hear, but she wasn't interested in me. She was too busy watching you work. You're a lucky man, Booth. She loves you very much."
That was the last thing Booth expected him to say. "Why...why do you say that?"
Wow. He really doesn't know. "I'm a profiler, Booth. It's my job to study human behavior. I could tell she loved you by the way she was looking at you."
"Oh." Brilliant answer, Booth. "Well, no hard feelings, okay? I'll...talk to you later." He hurried out of Morris' office and sprinted down the hall. Is it true? He wondered as he headed to his car. Does Bones really love me as much as I love her? There's only one way to find out- I have to ask her, and to do that I need Kenton to get her back He got in his car and drove toward the address Ryan had given him. I swear to God that I will save you, Bones... no matter what it takes.
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