Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my previous chapters, its very much appreciated :D. I meant to post this chapter a few days ago but I forgot and then I've been busy the last few days, so my apologies there for the lateness :). I'll post the next chapter saturday or sunday, depending on if I have time between shopping and partying on Saturday :D, it'll be on one of those days though anyway.

As always I don't own Bones :(.

***Chapter Four***

"Dr. Brennan we've removed the flesh on the body and sent the skull to Angela to do a facial reconstruction. She said she should have something in a few hours," Wendell explained. Brennan put her lab coat back on as well as a new pair of gloves as she followed the two interns back onto the platform.

"Now we can see more clearly that the body was in fact stabbed and shot. From the look of the bones the bullet passed through here," she explained pointing to the ribs that would've been near to an artery on the right hand side of the body. "Most probably passing through the artery causing the victim to bleed to death; death would only have taken a few minutes."

"Dr. Brennan, there's something with some of the stab wounds that doesn't make sense," Nigel-Murray stated, looking closer at the wounds. Brennan moved around the table to take a closer look, moving the magnifying camera around with her. She agreed with Nigel-Murray that something wasn't right and took a few minutes to take a closer look.

"It looks as though some of the stab wounds started to heal before the victim died. What does this mean Wendell?" she asked her intern.

"That the victim was stabbed numerous times before they were killed. It could suggest that he or she was tortured before they died."

"Well done Mr. Bray," she said sadly. "Would the both of you go and see how far Angela has got with the reconstruction while I see Hodgins? Then could you work out how long the stabbing was inflicted on the victim before cause of death." Both interns nodded their heads. "First I need to call Booth and tell him our findings," she said as she walked off the platform leaving two smiling interns. She had said 'our findings' as in theirs as in she had acknowledge their help. They both walked off to find Angela with their moods brightened.

Once Brennan had called Booth to tell him their findings on the body she made her way to Hodgins' workstation where he was printing out his latest findings.

"Hey Dr. B, you finished with the body then?"

"I've found out as much as I can for the moment. We discovered that the victim had been stabbed for a few days before cause of death; I have the interns figuring out how long at the moment. Cause of death was gunshot wound to the sternum; the bullet passed through an artery causing the victim to bleed to death. You found anything interesting?" she asked.

"Actually I have. From the particulates around the body, I found some that weren't supposed to be there. They'd been transferred from one crime scene to another. I haven't been able to get a location but I do know that the victim was kept in a shed which housed both gardening equipment and power tools. But, this could be any shed in D.C. I'm looking at the particulates from the wounds now," he explained as Booth walked back into the lab and up to where the two of them were standing. Hodgins quickly retold Booth everything that he'd told Brennan to keep him up to date.

"So he or she was tortured in a shed before she was shot in the chest which led to her bleeding to death?" he asked. "We still don't know what either of the weapons are or how long she was tortured for?"

"We're still working on it," Brennan confirmed. "Wendell and Nigel-Murray are looking now to see if they can get an estimate on how long she was tortured for and Angela is trying to get an identity on the victim."

"And I'm looking for what stabbed our victim. Tests should be done in two minutes." They stood around in an awkward silence while they waited for Hodgins' computer to tell them what the weapon had been made from.

After a few silent minutes the computer beeped letting them know that the tests had completed. Hodgins looked over the results quickly so that he could translate it into something Booth would understand.

"In simple English, the victim was stabbed with a copper instrument; this could be a number of things though a copper pipe, a knife or a number of Egyptian artifacts," Hodgins stated. Booth looked at Brennan who looked to the floor avoiding eye contact. Obviously, she was thinking the same as he was. "Oh..." Hodgins said as he realised what the tension was about.

"Bones, when was the last time you saw Max?" he asked. He expected her to stay silent so he was surprised when she answered his question.

"I saw him a week ago; we met up for coffee at the park and then we went over to Pete's for dinner. Pete had his father round for dinner also and he and my father were good friends when I was younger, that's how I met Pete. They got talking and planned a vacation to Florida to meet up with another friend of theirs. They're supposed to come back tomorrow," she explained.

"Who did he go with?"

"Tom... Edwards," she said barely above whisper. Hodgins' eyes flew open at the sound of the name.

"I'm gonna go and check on Angela," he said, giving himself a reason to leave the two of them alone.

"You mean the Tommy Edwards who's recently been let on parole for murdering a woman?" Brennan nodded a silent confirmation. "The same person who's been suspected of murdering dozens more, but never convicted? Both men and women? He kills anyone Bones," Booth yelled. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at her being in the same room as a murderer. Max was okay, she was his daughter, but Tommy Edwards... that was a different matter altogether.

"I know," she murmured. "But he's not like that Booth, he didn't kill people for fun, he's like my dad; he's protecting his family. He wouldn't hurt me, he classes me, my dad, and Russ as family, he wouldn't hurt me I promise," she stated. Booth still didn't like it, even though she obviously trusted the man but he didn't want to argue with her. Instead, he took a deep breath and changed the topic slightly.

"Do you know who they went to see?" he asked her.

"No, all they said was that he was an old friend that they had met when he was on the run from the police; he helped him out or something. I don't know Booth," she admitted and Booth knew she was telling the truth.

"It's okay Bones; it's not your fault. I just don't want to see you in danger. Let's go see if Angela has a name for us yet," he suggested. Brennan agreed and they walked to Angela's office together.

"I'm telling you I looked everywhere and I can't match the face anywhere!" Angela exclaimed. "I've looked on Missing Persons and the FBI database and everywhere else... There's no where I haven't looked. But she is nowhere to be found," Angela exclaimed as Booth and Brennan walked into her office.

"So I guess that answers my question," Booth said, announcing both his and Brennan's entrance into the room.

"Guess it does Booth, sorry. As I said before; I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to get a hit," she said handing Booth the paper pad she had drawn the sketch on.

Brennan's eyes widen in shock as she saw the face that Angela had drawn. This hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone but they had all silently decided to let Booth handle it.

"Bones, are you okay? Do you know who this is?" he asked her gently.

"It's... It's... That is Rachel Kent; I met her and her husband just over five years ago. She was supposed to be on a camping family trip this weekend, that's why she wasn't in this morning. She lives at the house we stopped at this morning, the first one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Booth, I'm sure," she murmured. "They weren't home this morning and there's no missing persons report... Andy would have filed a missing persons report... which means they've all been taken," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sweetie, have you got anything we could match it to, like a photo or something."

"Yeah, I've got some photos in my office, I'll be two minutes," she said walking to retrieve the photo, leaving everyone in the room to stare at each other. All worried about Brennan. She walked back into the room minutes later holding a single photo.

She handed the photo to Angela who scanned it into the computer. The photo was of Brennan and Rachel in the park three weeks ago. All of the children had been there as well as Madeline's mother and the family dogs. It had been a warm and sunny day. The adults had sunbathed while the kids had played then they had all had a water fight to cool down. It had been the perfect day. And to make it even better Booth had stopped by later that night with Tai food.

Brennan was brought out of her thoughts as the computer beeped. "It's a match," Angela confirmed handing her the results that had just printed. Brennan just stood still and nodded her head as tears started to swim in her eyes.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review :D

~LittleMiss :).