I'm posting chapter two, and possibly chapter three as well today. School is about to get busy and I don't know when the next time I can update will be. But I am going to try my best to have more posted by the end of the week. :)
Chapter Two
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Max Keenan walked into a local bar called Charlie's. The old bar has been around for seventy five years and it is one of the best known bars in the city. The old wooden building looked like The Long Branch Saloon, right out of Gunsmoke. Well kept and the best atmosphere.
It was three thirty and this bar is known as Esthons' hang out. Esthson arrived at three and stay until they closed. He practically ran the bar and everyone in under circuit knew it.
Max sat down next to him, "Hey Jerry," Esthons downed his shot before looking over at Max.
"Max Keenan, you've been out of the game for a while. How's Joy?" Esthons sneered.
Max rolled his eyes, "I'm not here to talk about my girl, Jerry,"
"Hey Sam, can I get a beer?" max called out to the barkeep.
"Sure thing, Max!"
"Then why are you here?" he looked Max right in the eye and swallowed another shot of Tequila.
Keenan took out a newspaper clipping of Booth that he found on the internet. He slid it across to set it in front of Esthons.
"I need to know what you know about one Special Agent Seeley Booth,"
"Well I know he's a pain in the ass," Esthson snickered.
Max huffed, "Yea well tell me something I don't know,"
"Well he's in Afghanistan and his merry band of scientists are scattered around the world. I also heard that someone has his kid, trying to get information about his father."
"Really?" Max asked pretending not to already know that.
"Yea, he's a strong kid; small but strong. He won't give up a word about his dad. You know who 'Bones' is? Apparently he has been doing a lot of asking for her." He sneered and took another shot.
"Nah, not a clue. Who has the boy?" Max asked drinking his beer.
"Klein, had him for three weeks now. Paid mom a couple grand and took the kid. I'm shocked that agent Booth hasn't come looking for him yet."
Dammit, Max cursed to himself. This would end very badly. Klein is not a nice man at all. He is the worst of the worse when it came to torture. Back when he knew him, he favored emotional and psychological torture rather than physical, but if has been three weeks with no information out of Parker, than he has definitely gotten physical by now.
Max's phone rang and he grabbed it from his jacket.
"Hello?"
Hey dad, I'm on my way to the lab. I just landed so I should be there soon.
"Right, four o'clock. Got it, see you there." Max really didn't want Esthson to know who was on the phone if he could help it.
Keenan hung up and swallowed what was let of his beer.
"Good talken to ya man. Thanks," He turned to leave but Esthons grabbed his arm.
"Hey latest news is that his partner scientist lady is on her way back here. She better keep herself out of Klein's way. He plans on going for her next."
Max nodded and left really quickly; that was it. Klein was going to have be ended, not just taken into custody. Klein has more connections than anyone. If he decides he wants Tempe taken out all he has to do is say the word. There would be nothing Max could do to stop him.
Brennan called Booth's phone a dozen times and each time it was sent to voice mail after one ring. That meant someone was purposefully ignoring her calls. She called Caroline and had her get Booth's commanders' number.
"Hunter," he answered. The mans voice was gruff and loud.
"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan. Where is Sergeant Major Booth?" Brennan asked.
"He's unavailable. I have his phone. You must be the person who keeps calling. "
"Yes I am. I need to speak with Booth. Now." Brennan asked again, getting very annoyed with this man.
"He's not available."
"Booths son has been kidnapped. He is almost certainly dead. Listen here Command Sergeant Major, I personally know the Lieutenant Colonel. If you do not put me in touch with Sergeant Major Booth I will call the Lieutenant Colonel, he owes me a favor. Do you understand me?" She demanded out of breath.
"Yes, but I don't respond to threats." was all he said and hung up.
Temperance let out a scream of frustration and tossed the phone onto the dashboard of her car. She pulled into her parking spot and stalked inside, mad and aggravated.
She walked in and everyone was looking at one of the tables on the platform.
"Whats going on?" Brennan asked seriously hoping that there were no bones on that table. She walked up and looked down at the pictures that were scattered across the table. They were pictures Zach had taken at Rebecca's place. The house was a disaster, there was trash everywhere, along with food and clothes. Brennan looked closer at one of the pictures and caught Angela's attention. Angela looked at the picture and whispered.
"Are those..." she trailed off and Brennan finished for her.
"Used condoms and needles? Yea, they are." Brennan was shocked.
"Why weren't those needles picked up by forensics?"
Caroline shrugged. "I have no idea, but trust me, first thing in the morning I am going to make it my mission to piss off that head Forensic investigator."
"Look at this Bren," Angela drew Brennan's attention back to the pictures. "In these pictures, certain areas are clean. Parker's room is spotless as is the area in front of the TV and Parker's walk in bathroom."
Brennan laughed dryly. "He is Booths kid. You wouldn't know it by Booths office, but Booth is a very organised person. The military taught him that and Booth taught Parker."
They all spent hours looking through the photos and sorting the evidence Zach brought back.
She was getting aggravated with the evidence so she looked over to Caroline who was sitting behind them.
"Okay Caroline, I want to know why Rebecca was arrested."
"Well Cherie she was in possession of heroin and cocaine and not just a little bit either. She would have made Scarface proud. When they raided her house and realized there was a kid's room they asked where the kid was. She said she sold him. Now, that in its self was weird when I heard it because I could not see Seeley Booth allowing that. Turns out she lost her job about a week after agent Booth left and she had been living off unemployment, barely, and using the money she should have been using for food, on drugs."
"And she won't tell us who she sold him too?" Brennan asked unable to believe that Rebecca had changed so much. Rebecca loved Parker to death. She didn't understand how Rebecca could let all of this happen.
"Nope, said she can't remember, but they gave her a couple grand."
At that moment everyone heard the beeping of the platform security. Max jogged up; ignoring the security guard who tried to stop him. Brennan looked to the security and assured him that Max was fine.
"Tempe, from here on out you are to go nowhere without me. Got it?" he practically ordered.
"Dad, I can take care of myself," Brennan defended but Max just shook his head.
"On a normal case I would say yes you can, but not this one. Klein, Nigel Klein is behind this and you are his next target. Bad news is Parker has been held for three weeks and is being tortured for information on Booth, and if doesn't give up any information soon he going after you. Now the good news is Parker is alive and I know where he is." Max said stumbling over his words; he couldn't get them out fast enough.
"Where is he?" Everyone barked all at once.
"Abandoned Rec. Center somewhere in Alexandria," he answered quickly.
"That makes sense; I found soil in the samples that Zach brought back. The particulates can be traced to southern Alexandria." Hodgins ran over to the computer and started typing.
"There is only one abandoned Rec. Center in the area the particulates came from." Jack looked up with a triumphant grin.
"Caroline, call Booths assistant Charlie, have him send back up." Brennan ordered.
Brennan ran to her office and grabbed the two guns in her desk; one revolver and one Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Just because Booth and the FBI wouldn't issue her a gun, didn't mean she didn't have any.
She ran back out and saw her dad checking the gun in his hand. She had to bite her tongue and not yell about him, a felon, having a gun.
Brennan turned to Angela, Zach and Hodgins, "Angela, Zach, stay here and wait for more information from me. If you don't hear from me in a few hours, call Charlie. Hodgins, here," She thrust the revolver into his hands, "You're with us,"
"Alright, let's go," he said with a slight smile. He was like a kid on Christmas. He always wanted to experiment with field work but his heart lied in the lab.
As they all ran out, Angela yelled at Hodgins. She was worried about him. "Jack you better not get yourself killed!"
TBC