Chapter 10
A/N: This chapter has a sad ending, kind of. It's was hard to write, I admit. But I think you'll like the next chapter. It's really cute!
Disclaimer: I don't own this, except August.
Booth slammed his hand down on the alarm clock. He climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. After showering, dressing, shaving, and brushing his teeth, Booth walked into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Hmm. Strange. August woke up before me yesterday, and she went to bed pretty early last night. She must be pretty tired. Booth got to work on the pancakes. He got out the syrup and poured two glasses of milk.
"August, come eat. We have to get to the lab to help find Bones!" There was no reply.
"August! AUGUST!" Still no reply.
"Fine, I'll just have to wake you up myself," he grumbled, walking into Parker's room. All he saw was an empty sleeping bag. August's backpack was still there, and surprisingly, her iPod which she took everywhere was there too. Her phone was gone, along with that New Zealand hoodie she'd yesterday.
"August, this isn't funny. Get out here and eat!" Booth tried again, but there was still no response. I'll call her cell phone. Booth grabbed his phone and dialed her number. The answering machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached August's refrigerator. Her message machine isn't working right now, but if you leave a message, I'll write it down and stick it to myself with one of these little magnets that are pretty colors! I'll have August get back to you later. Thanks!" BEEEEEEEEP. Booth hung up. He tried again, just in case. This time someone picked up.
"Agent Booth. How nice to talk to you. Listen, I have both of them now. Don't worry, I plan on killing them both, just like you asked. Oh, wait, Dr. Brennan has something to say to you." There was a pause, then a loud scream of pain which sounded suspiciously like How could you betray me, Booth?
"What did you do to her?" Booth yelled into the phone. Betray her? What?
"Oh, nothing. Just something with a sharp belt is all. Dr. Brennan is stubborn though, I don't normally get that much of a reaction from her. August is different though. I can't figure out what to do with her. Half the time, she screams and yells and cusses me out, but other times she's just completely silent and stone faced. It's like she can switch off her nerve endings or something. Well, I hope to see you soon. But not too soon. Otherwise, your girls won't be dead. Oh, and by the way, Brennan says that she hates you for betraying her."
"Betray? I didn't-" But the line was dead.
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"Hodgins, you better know what that clue said." Booth marched up the platform, not caring as the alarms sounded loudly.
"Of course I know it. I have it. Let me get it for you." Hodgins walked off as the guards stopped the alarms. Several minutes later, he reappeared.
"I can't find it. Why?"
"August is gone. I think the kidnapper got her."
"How could he get her in your apartment. We checked, it isn't even bugged!"
"I don't think he got her in the apartment. I think she went looking for Brennan. Her flashlight, cell phone, and dark blue hoodie were all gone. I think she was doing a stakeout but got caught."
"Well, I know that it said. 'Find her at the intersection of Brodham and… um… Cradle? No, umm, Crapes? No, umm, Crescent, Crème Brule… crap."
"What?"
"I don't know the second street." Angela suddenly walked in, holding a pink sticky note.
"Crane?" She asked, looking pleased with herself.
"Yeah. How'd you get that?" Hodgins asked her.
"You left it on my desk when we left last night. I figured you probably needed it when I heard you two talking about it."
"Thanks. So, yeah, Booth. It was the intersection of Brodham and Crane."
"I'll see you later." Booth walked away.
"Wait!" Hodgins called. "Don't you want us to come with you?" But Booth was gone.
"Now I know what August felt like when she got left behind." Hodgins mumbled, and he and Angela went back to review the evidence.
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Booth parked at a small 24 hour café and walked inside. A petite blonde waitress walked up to him and smiled.
"How can I help you?" She asked.
"Well, actually, I was just wondering if a girl came in last night between the hours of ten and twelve. FBI, by the way," Booth said.
"Well, I wasn't working last night, but my friend Carla was. Let me get her for you." The girl walked off. About a minute later, a tall brown haired waitress walked up to Booth.
"Hi." She grinned. "I'm Carla."
"Hi. Did you see a girl come in here last night between the hours of about ten and twelve? She's tall, with longish red hair. She was wearing a navy blue hoodie that said New Zealand."
"Oh, yeah! She ordered hot chocolate. Said her name was Jennifer. She said she was 16 when I asked her. Told me her curfew wasn't until one."
16? Jennifer? Well, she does look like she's about 16, unless you consider the fact that she wears no make up. Thought Booth.
"Thanks." He walked out of the café and looked around the intersection. There wasn't really much of interest. An Applebee's, a Walmart behind the café, a construction sight. Wait! I bet that's where she went! Booth jumped in his car and drove around to the sight. He called for back up, just in case, and hopped out of the car.
Booth climbed in through a window. There was a long chamber. He walked over to the nearest door. When opened, it lead into a basement. It looked like it was used for storage.
This is weird. Booth walked around. He should have brought a flashlight. Then he kicked something. It was a flashlight. It was yellow with green tape wrapped in stripes around it, just like August's. Why did she even bring a flashlight with her?
Booth shined the flashlight around. He could see much better now. He walked over to the first door. Nothing. Nothing at the second, third, or fourth doors either. But then, at the fifth door, there was a little pink sticky note. It had a letter written in tiny letters on it.
"Wow. I'm shocked you made it this far. I thought for sure that the Playfair Cipher would fool you, Agent Booth. I bet your little assignment figured it out for you, didn't she? Well, you'll be pleased to know that your little Brennan is fine. Well, she isn't dead. So here's the next clue: 13 12 4 8 19 22 18 8 26 7 7 19 22 12 15 23 18 24 22 9 18 13 16 12 13 20 9 22 7 12 13 8 7 9 22 22 7. Good luck."
What the hell? Booth grabbed the knob to the door. He slowly opened it and was shocked at what her saw. Brennan was sitting in the middle of the room. There was no one there but her. No one guarding her, ready to leap out and attack Booth. He isn't a very good kidnapper.
"Bones!" He ran towards her unconscious form tied to the chair. He undid her bonds, noting the slices across her wrists and the cuts he could see across her back through her ripped T-shirt.
"Oh, Bones. You're okay." Booth wrapped his arms around her form and took her into his arms.
"Come on. Come on, Tempe. It's okay." Brennan stirred a bit. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Booth?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it's me, Bones." He was shocked when Brennan jerked away.
"What? Did I hurt you?"
"Let's just go." She said coldly, as she unsteadily made her way out of the room. Booth followed her, perplexed. They continued walking. Booth was shocked that Brennan could even stand after the beating.
"What happened to August?"
"The man said to use the new clue to find her, instead of to find me."
"That's all?" But all he got was a glare.
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The car ride was uncomfortable. Booth stopped the car at the hospital and climbed out, expecting Brennan to follow him. When she didn't, he climbed back in the car.
"Come on. You need to go to the hospital."
"No. Take me home."
"You're injured."
"I know the extent of my injuries. None of them need stitches. Just bandages, which I have at home. Take me to my apartment."
"We can't go there. It's bugged, and we don't know the extent of it. We're going back to my apartment," Booth said, starting the car.
"No. I don't want to go there."
"Why not? Did I do something wrong?"
"Yes."
A/N: Oh, that chapter was so sad! I was so sad when I was typing it. The next chapter will be a ton of fluff though! Love you all! Please review!!