A/N: YIKES! Guys I apologize for the temporary hiatus of this story. I am in the midst of some pretty brutal midterms, so sadly I haven't had any time at all for writing. I hope this chapter will make it up to you! Thank you so incredibly much to everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing this story. Oh, and this chapter goes out to the lovely MissBennet for PM-ing me and getting this chapter rolling along! I think I needed that little push out of my studying-induced coma!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, just this storyline.
Previously: The intruder flipped open the phone and waited for the other line to respond.
"Who am I talking to?" Booth answered steadily. Brennan's eyes closed in relief. The phone was located so close to the intruder that she, too could hear her partner's voice.
That voice was going to be her lifeline; it was her connection to the other side of the glass.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Who am I talking to?" Booth repeated into the cell phone, not moving from his position on the other side of the door.
"You took her, you took her, you took her…" the man began, his distressed voice escalating in pitch until he began to wail.
This caused Brennan to clench her eyes shut and kept her mind focused on the man's hand against her throat. "Come on Booth…" she thought to herself. If there was anything they didn't need now, it was for the intruder to finally snap. He was clearly unstable, and on the verge of tears.
Booth clenched his jaw and inhaled steadily. If he couldn't keep himself calm, then there was no way this man was going to do the same. "You have to calm down, you just have to breathe with me…" he said forcefully into the phone, but as tenderly as he could manage given the circumstance. The last thing Booth wanted to do was push this man over the edge.
Brennan silently praised Booth as she felt the man's ragged breath slow lightly, but never did he loosen his death grip on her body.
"What is your name?" Booth tried again.
"Alex" the man said breathily, after a moment of tense silence.
"Okay Alex, my name is Seeley. Would you please let my partner come out now? Then you and I can sit down and I promise I'll help you find whoever you're missing…" Booth began, stepping an inch closer to the door and praying for a miracle. He would do anything to trade places with Brennan at that very moment. She must be terrified…
The man never answered Booth's offer, instead he vehemently shook his head which caused the knife to slip slightly, drawing a speckle of blood on Brennan's vulnerable neck. She bit back a whimper, knowing that the sound would likely drive Booth mad.
Brennan summoned up the strength that had been building up inside of her and she opened her mouth to speak. "Alex" she whispered, sensing as the man's attention shifted from the phone to his hostage's voice. "Is Sara your wife?" she tried, still griping his arms tightly in an attempt to loosen his grip.
Booth could hear the slight tremble in his partner's voice, but immediately was drawn to her line of thought. It was if Brennan knew what was going on, and was trying to inform Booth somehow.
Brennan gathered from the man's tangible silence that she was correct in her assumption. "Is Sara dead, Alex?" she asked quietly, her eyes straining to reach his angst-contorted face.
"Shut up!" the man screamed viciously, tightening his grip and accidently drawing more blood from just below her chin.
"Alex! Alex!" Booth called into the phone, but was quickly left yelling at the dial tone. Booth could hear muffled, tense voices coming from inside the bathroom but he had no idea what was going on. This terrified Booth.
Booth swore and felt moisture come to his eyes. This was just becoming too much. If it had been any other case, he would have been able to maintain his professionalism and think systematically. But this was not a regular case. This was the case that had haunted his dreams for nearly a month. This was the case that could end his partner's life and, consequently, his own. He let out a shuddered breath and then sensed an agent approaching him from behind.
"Booth, we've closed off the street and we're attempting to locate a safe vantage point for a shot."
Booth nodded, trying his best to stay calm. He needed to pretend that it wasn't Bones on the other side of that glass with a knife to her throat. No, he needed to picture Bones in the lab… she was sitting in her office, she was peering over a microscope, she was taking a secret nap on her couch… she was anywhere but here.
Just then Booth's cell phone chirped in his pocket. It was not the intruder again, but it was the next best thing.
"Booth" he answered.
"Agent Booth, this is Zach. I need to speak to Dr. Brennan. Her phone seems to be turned off." Zach rambled. He always felt nervous when it came to speaking with his teacher's partner.
Booth quickly considered filling the squint in, but he knew he didn't have the time to spare. "Tell me what you were going to tell her." Booth said evenly.
"We've identified the victim as Sara Crawford. Twenty-eight year old female."
Booth felt a gnawing sensation fill his entire being; all of a sudden everything became crystal clear. Alex must have kept Sara's body in the house for all of those months, but why? Whatever his reasons, this man was seriously disturbed.
"Good work, Zach" Booth said as he clicked his phone shut and ran a hand through his short hair. The sweat from his forehead beaded delicately on his temples, and he wiped at them agitatedly. The man on the other side of that glass partition was maddened by his grief at his wife's death. On some level, Booth nearly felt sympathy for him. That, of course, was before he heard his partner's anxious voice from the other side of the door.
"Booth!" she called, desperation gnawing into her usually calm, cool voice. Booth heard the sound of shuffling feet and he walked leapt towards the door.
"Bones, I'm here." Booth called back. I'm here, I'm here, I'm here… The desperation in Booth's thought process reminded him of Alex's earlier outburst. Were these two men the same? Both were driven over the edge, both couldn't let go of their partner.
The difference between the men existed in the knowledge that Booth could never let go of Brennan. He would never live to see her rotting away in a bathtub, each day deteriorating in front of his very eyes. Brennan had to live through this, Brennan was stronger than that…
Booth punched the door frame out of frustration and whirled around to see all of the agents cease in their duties and eye him curiously. It was time for Booth to take control of this situation.
"You." Booth said, pointing directly at one of the officers. "Get Dr. Camille Saroyan on the phone and explain to her what's going on. She needs to tell her team; they deserve to know what's going on." He ordered curtly as he pulled his gun out of his holster and loaded it.
Gun in hand, Booth walked towards the stairs of the house and headed down to the main floor. He hated to leave Brennan up there without him within earshot, but this was just the way it had to be.
"Agent Booth, where are you going?" One of the agents called down after him.
"I'm gonna take this son of a bitch down."
TBC!
What did you think? Wanna make a stressed out student really happy?
I think you know what I want… well, other than my very own Booth… ;)
