A/N: A couple of favorite characters that we know and love come in here. Some have been in Love on the Inside, others haven't. Any guesses? :)
Bren and Clara will be in the next one.
"I gotta check on a few things, but I think I know who did it."
Teddy's eyes widened. "Who?"
"Russian 'businessmen'. I left Lewis' house a bit ago and I talked to a couple of the neighbors. Said that Olga was afraid of Lewis and wouldn't let her go back to Russia to visit a sick family member. Give me a little leeway on this: Olga came to America on a fiancé visa, right? What if she was caught up in some sort of scam, or a black market business? She marries Lewis, thinking maybe if she can get some money out of him to help her sick family back in Russia, but gets a little less bang for her buck, so to speak, and he kills her because she's not the doting wife he thought she'd be. Lewis bought her from the Russians, he changes his mind, they kill her and take Clara and Bren to get me to stop investigating."
Teddy let out a whistle. "That is a lot of speculating, Sarge. Do you really think that's possible?"
Booth shrugged. "Who else have I pissed off lately to get my wife and daughter kidnapped?"
"Those guys at the bar the other night…"
"I paid them. They got their money. And it was only one game! They weren't that mad."
"Seel, do you really think the Russian mob kidnapped Bren and Clara? I mean, I know Drew said it was Russian he heard but, his adrenaline was pumping and he's only six. Was it really Russian or does he think it's Russian."
Booth was starting to lose his patience. "Look, Ted, I trust my kid. If Drew says these clowns spoke Russian, then I believe him. The kid's smarter than I am! Drew got his mom's genes on that one."
"I just don't want you going and getting yourself in trouble with Hacker because you're investigating Bren and Clara's disappearance. I gotta admit, your boy's a genius, but I just don't want you get your hopes up if this doesn't pan out. What's your plan to get to the head honchos?"
"I don't know but it's worth looking into."
Marcus came into the bullpen with files looking less than pleased with himself. "Fingerprints from your kitchen, Booth, came back as Victor Petrov and Pavel Stanislav. Russian nationals who have known, established ties with the branch of the Russian mob that's located in D.C. The organized crime unit has been looking for them for a long time. But they've been looking for their ringleader for longer. Petrov and Stanislav report to Anton Igorovich. His prints weren't found at your house but normally when these two guys are involved, so is he."
"Why'd they take Bren and Clara?" Booth wanted to know.
Marcus shrugged. "That's your job. I don't do that detecting stuff, but my guess is that you're working on a case of theirs and they want you to drop it."
"Makes sense. I'm gonna head over and see what this Igorovich has to offer. Maybe I'll cut him a deal if he gives up Petrov and Stanislav," Teddy said, taking the files from Marcus.
"If you know where they are, I'm coming," Booth said forcefully.
"No. Not until I know exactly where they are. Check out the husband again. Run a background on him and see if anything pops up!" Teddy said as he grabbed his sidearm and jogged toward the elevator.
Booth sat anxiously at his desk waiting for a report back from Teddy. He had looked up John Lewis' background like Teddy suggested. Born and raised Maryland, went to college in Boston and resettled in D.C. His law firm partner was a friend of his throughout law school and checked out clean. On a hunch, he checked passport and U.S. Customs records. John Lewis had flown out to Russia on the same day as Igorovich, Stanislav and Petrov. A week later, the three returned the same day and checked in with customs just minutes after each other.
"Agent Booth?"
"What?" he snipped.
"I'm Agent Perotta with organized crime. I've heard you're chasing Anton Igorovich."
"And?" His patience was waning.
"I want to know why."
"Afraid I'm going to catch him first?"
"No. Only afraid you're going to screw up my case."
"Your case?"
"He's suspected of smuggling." He could tell Agent Perotta wasn't willing to tell him much, but he pushed anway.
"Smuggling what?"
"Vodka, street drugs, and women, among other things," she said.
"Do you want my help or are you trying to steal my case?"
"Your wife and daughter are missing."
"Word gets around quick."
"I have a list of every known location that Igorovich and his cronies use for so-called storage. Do you want help?"
Hacker eyed them as he walked though the bullpen.
"Thank you, Agent Perotta, but you should give that list to Agent Parker," Booth said loud enough for Hacker to hear. The higher up gave Booth an encouraging nod and sad smile as he exited the room.
"Uh…okay," Perotta drawled out the last word, confused about Booth's actions.
When he was sure Hacker was gone, however, Booth turned back to Perotta and said, "You got that list with you?"
It was late into the night when Teddy returned. He walked into the bullpen to find an unfamiliar blonde sitting at his desk.
"Uh, you get a new partner while I was gone, Sarge?"
"Didja find 'em?" His voice was frantic.
"I would've called."
"Where were you?"
"Doing some surveillance. I got nothing. No one came or left while I was watching them. I have two other agents watching the place to let me know if Petrov, Igorovich, or Stanislav leave.
Booth nodded. "Parker, this is Agent Perotta from organized crime."
"Switichin' sides, Booth?" Teddy gave him a smirk.
"She knows everything there is to know about Igorovich," Booth ignored Teddy's teasing.
"Oh…uh, wow. And you wanna help?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Teddy rubbed his hands together before pulling up another chair. "Nothing like a little inter-agency cooperation."
"Ted, inter-agency would mean us and the ATF or the DEA or somebody else. Perotta's FBI," Booth pointed out.
"Ah, well," Teddy shrugged off his embarrassment, "Nothing like inter-division cooperation!"
Perotta rolled her eyes as Booth dropped a stack of files in front of him. "Let's just get to work, okay. Clara's scared. Bren's hurt. I want to get them out now."
Late night became early morning and Perotta had narrowed down the storage units to two. Booth argued for one, saying it was closer to their home in Georgetown while Perotta claimed the other was obvious due to the close location to Igorovich's house.
"I'm telling you, Agent Perotta, Bren and Clara are by the airport."
"I'm not convinced, Agent Booth. What evidence do you have that they're at that warehouse?"
"What evidence do you have for the storage locker over by the Navy Yard?"
"We can't send back up to both places," Teddy pointed out, "We need to pick one, and then go to the other if they're not at the first one."
"We have a problem, though," Booth pointed out.
"What's that?" Perotta was confused, and worried she had forgotten something important in her attempt to keep up with the homicide agents.
"We have no proof Bren or Clara are at either of these."
"Can't we get a search warrant?" Teddy asked.
"Oh, Cherie, that's a question for me. And you better have a good reason for wanting a search warrant. I'm not about to wake up a judge this early in the morning for circumstantial evidence.
"Uh, someone kidnapped Booth's wife and kid?" Teddy offered hesitantly.
Caroline Julian's lips pursed. "Seeley Booth, you are going to get this case thrown out of court for even helping our little Teddy bear, here. Got any evidence?"
"My case is connected to Bren and Clara's case," Booth defended himself angrily.
"I'm sure it is," Caroline deadpanned, "Evidence?"
Teddy handed the prosecutor a file. "Fingerprint analysis shows that two suspects in Booth's case about the dead Russian girl were also at his house last night," Teddy did some calculating in his mind, "Well, two nights ago."
Booth cringed at the time that had lapsed since Bren and Clara had been taken. He looked out the bullpen window at the rising sun and prayed that they were okay.
"And you want a search warrant for?" Caroline was losing her patience having to prompt the agents.
"The warehouse they're in." "The storage locker they're in." Booth and Perotta spoke at the same time, obviously annoyed with the other.
"Look, I need specific evidence that Mrs. Booth and Little Booth are being held at one of these. One!" Caroline emphasized.
Teddy leaned over and whispered loudly, "Uh, if you ever meet Bren, don't call her Mrs. Booth. She's Dr. Brennan.'
"It don't make any difference right now, Cherie!" Caroline threw up her arms, "I know time is of the essence here, but I can't take this case to court if you just go barging in somewhere without a warrant."
"There won't be anyone to try," Booth said through gritted teeth.
"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that," Caroline mumbled.
"I'm gonna go give my guys a call, see if they can scrounge up anything else," Perotta said, heading out to the hall for some privacy.
"I'll call the agents sitting outside of Igorovich's house and get an update," Teddy walked off to the other corner of the bullpen.
"Keep me in the loop, Cherie. I'll get the search warrant ready. As soon as you know something, I'll get a judge to sign it." Caroline stalked out of the bullpen and to the elevator. The doors opened and she nearly collided with a frantic man who came careening into the bullpen just as Booth was about to sit down.
"Where's Tempe?"
"Oh, great!" Booth threw his arms up in the air. "Are you kidding me? I didn't think you were stupid enough to walk right into a building full of armed federal agents who want to nail your ass. How did you even get in here?"
Max Keenan didn't respond to that, but asked instead, "Where's Tempe and Clara?"
Booth's patience had totally evaporated by this point. "Oh, let's see, you want to know where your daughter who you abandoned and the granddaughter you don't know are? Hmm, well they're missing! Don't tell me you have information for me about them or know where they are?"
"No, but the husband of your dead girl is dead now too. John Lewis, right? I heard you were working that case."
"How do you know about that?"
"Connections," Max said vaguely.
"John Lewis is dead?"
"Yes. If you want, I can find out where exactly they dumped his body."
"I think you should leave that one to us," Booth told him.
"He's somewhere in the Potomac."
Booth sighed and pulled open the top drawer of his desk, searching for his handcuffs. "Max Keenan, you're under arrest for the murder of Robert Kirby. You have the right to remain silent-"
"Sarge! That's Bren's dad!" Teddy's jaw was practically hanging on the floor.
"You find out anything?" Booth asked his partner, momentarily forgetting about his new problem.
"No one in or out," Teddy told him, carefully choosing his words around the felon.
"Damn." Booth ran his hand over his face.
Max took advantage of his still free wrists and Booth's vulnerability. A quick upper cut to Booth's jaw rendered him surprised and incapacitated for a few seconds while he fought with Teddy to get out of the door. He raced for the staircase and when Booth and Teddy had both recovered from their momentary defeat, they chased after the old con man. Max was at least two flights of stairs ahead of them by the time they began the chase and was out the front door. Max hopped in his waiting car and took off down the street. He was out of sight by the time Booth and Teddy made it out of the building.
"Old man got the drop on me," Teddy commented, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
"I have to go wading through the Potomac," Booth told him, "According to him, Lewis is dead and so is my prime suspect in Olga's death."
"I don't wanna know how he knows that."
"Me either."
They took the elevator back up to the bullpen and were met by Andrew Hacker and a kid that seemed oddly familiar.
"Ah, Agent Booth, there you are. Can I speak to you in my office?"
Booth nodded wordlessly and looked at Teddy. His partner only shrugged. Booth followed the two away from the bullpen and to his boss' office.
"Take a seat, Agent Booth." Hacker took a seat at his desk and examined his employee.
"I'm alright."
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine."
Hacker raised his eyebrows at the agent. "I'm under the impression you're extremely stressed. Your wife and daughter are missing and there hasn't been much headway in the case."
"I'm fine. I trust Teddy to find them," Booth said being careful to avoid mentioning his involvement.
"Agent Parker is one of our best," Hacker agreed, "But I want you to meet someone. I have a feeling you'll appreciate having someone to talk to. He rose from his desk and over to the kid that had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation. "Booth, this is one of our psychologists, Dr. Lance Sweets."