Here I Am
Chapter 6
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As much as Janice wanted to nurse her hand and cry tears of pity to her mangled hand, she had to care for Rory. Rory had not stopped screaming since Jamie had picked her up; her still swollen and bleeding fingers causing the poor child no end of pain.
Janice had not been surprise when Jamie had threatened her and removed her pinky but had balked when he threw her to the floor and then performed the exact same thing on an innocent child.
She could still hear the laugh that had followed him out the room until the locks turned and she was plunged back into the silence of the room and the poor child's screams.
She set her mind to the task of stopping the bleeding before something dire happened; she knew that babies could only lose a small amount of blood before they bleed to death.
"Come on precious. You need to stay strong for when you get home to Mummy. Do you want to see Mummy? Rory please hold on." She murmured trying to calm Rory, but it was as much for her as it was for the baby.
Hope that Lyndy would find them and take Rory to safety. She had no qualms that once Rory was safe, she, herself would be spending the rest of her natural born life behind bars for kidnapping. Though that fate she had brought on herself, all she wanted and prayed for now was to see this little girl in her mother's arms and safe away from this mad man.
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When Lynda opened the box all of her worse fears were confirmed. She stared at the tiny finger nestled in amongst the cotton wool and promptly fainted.
Booth caught her before she hit the ground but the box dropped and the finger flung itself into the crowd of waiting reporters causing a frenzy of cameras trying to get a glimpse of the object.
Cries of 'Oh god' and a couple of cusses escaped the crowd until Cullen picked up the finger and they all had to turn their attention back to the couple.
Lynda wasn't out for long and as soon as she could she snatched the finger back and held it up to the crowd.
"Can I have your attention please? My name is Dr Temperance Brennan," she heard a gasp from someone behind her; probably Angela, and Booth grasped her hand in support, "I was previously in a witness protection program with the FBI, but now the man I was trying to avoid has now got my daughter and I am going to need your help to find her. Her name is Aurora, but we call her Rory. She is 8 months old and has dark hair and blue eyes. She has been missing for 3 days now and I just want her home. Please. The man who took her is extremely dangerous his name is Jamie Kenton. He is 6 foot 3 has short cropped curly hair and blue eyes." It was at this point Angela handed her a poster she had made up with photos of Kenton and Rory. "If you see him around or know where he is please contact either your local police or me this is my number." She pointed to the bold printed number on the bottom of the poster. "Please, this is my daughter's finger and if we get her back in the next 5 hours she can have chance of having a fully functioning hand and growing up with no lasting damage."
She leaned back into Booth's embrace. "Dr Brennan?" He queried.
"No more hiding. Here I am." She gave him a small smile. "Like that was ever going to change."
The reporters were starting to crowd around firing questions at the couple when Jack stepped up. "There will be a 7 figure reward for the information leading to the capture of Jamie Kenton and safe return of Rory."
This gave the reporters some ammunition to start questioning Jack and he just looked exasperated, "and a reward for the first station to air this." Everyone was just staring at him like he was crazy. "That was my way of saying leave." He shook his head and grinned ruefully at Brennan and Booth. "Press."
Booth returned the smile. "Thanks. I owe you one."
"More than, but she is my god daughter and one of the most important people in my life, nothing is too much for her." He walked away from them and into Angela's arms.
"Does this mean you forgive him?" she asked hope filling her voice.
"I have too. Between you nagging me and Bren looking at him with gaga eyes I didn't have a choice."
Angela's beaming grin was all the reward he needed. "Come on you old softy I think I can set up a switchboard in the lounge room.
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Jamie watched the broadcast gleefully. It was being replayed every 15 mins on most channels and it never got old watching their faces when the finger was flung out of the box.
He was a little worried when She had declared her real name on the air but he knew there were only 2 people who knew where he was and one was locked in the room upstairs and the other had had her palm greased sufficiently to stop her from opening her mouth.
This really was shaping up to give much better satisfaction than feeding Dr Brennan to rabid, hungry dogs. She would falter soon enough when her precious child was delivered to her door step in pieces.
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Sarah was getting a beer out of the fridge when the face of her latest client flashed up on TV screen.
"I just sold that guy a house yesterday." She told her husband David. "What's he doing on the news?" She asked as she opened her drink.
"Kidnapping a child." He answered eyes still glued to the screen. "That is the baby's finger the mother is waving around. According to the countdown clock she has less than an hour before they can't reattach it." David heard the smash when Sarah dropped her drink and it started to make sense. "You know where they are."
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I figured I would put out a chapter while I am holed up in bed fighting off a cold. I managed to get through most of winter without getting one but the second spring rolls round I am the first to get sick. Don't you just love irony?
Let me know what you're thinking. Hit that submit review button. I double dog dare ya.