Chapter 11

Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab 10:30 a.m. on Saturday

Angela Montenegro walked into the Lab to find it not as deserted as it should be on a Saturday. Hodgins was looking through some things at his station, which seemed to be odd considering he never spent time in the Lab on the weekend, unless he had to.

"Hodgey, what are you doing here on a Saturday?" Angela asked.

"If you're here to tell Dr. Brennan all about your date with Agent O'Connor last night, she isn't here." Hodgins ignored her question.

"Excuse me?" Angela asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't play games with me like that, Angela. You fell for his accent and good looks the moment he walked into the Lab." The entomologist moved so that his face was inches from hers.

"For one thing it's none of your business what I did last night and for another thing I thought we both agreed that what we have been doing wasn't exclusive." Angela told him.

"I know we said that but I can't…" Hodgins stopped. Angela was about to say something but she never got the chance. The entomologist put his hands on her cheeks and pulled his lips to hers. Angela didn't put up a fight as she unfolded her arms and moved her hands to the side of his head. Hodgins' fingers found their way into the forensic artist's slightly curly brown hair.

Their lips separated but their foreheads didn't. Angela put her arms around Jack's neck and his arms were around her waist. The forensic artist was smiling but Hodgins had a concerned look on his face.

"Angela, you were right. It wasn't any of my business about what you did on Friday. It's just that I…" she cut him off.

"I didn't do anything Friday night. I couldn't do anything Friday night because you didn't ask me to. I told Agent O'Connor I was seeing someone." Angela smiled and she watched Hodgins' lips part into a smile.

Bogotá, Colombia, Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

Booth paced back and forth in Eduardo Santana's apartment, well more like hobbled. Brennan tried to force him to use the cane but he refused.

"You're sure that Senoritas Estavez and Chavez will be safe?" Booth asked Eduardo. He was nervous because he didn't want anything bad to happen to the two ladies who'd saved his life.

"Si. There is no way Perez will ever find out it was them who helped you. I told them to go visit their grandparents in Ibagué for a little while; it's a city west of here. So what's the plan?" The ex-police detective wondered.

"The plan is to get to Perez before he gets to me and somehow get my rifle back so they can't tie me to Santiago's death. Perez promised to make it look like Santiago was shot during the shootout and I'm sure my disappearing act didn't play into his plans." Booth said.

"And just how do you expect to do that? You can barely walk and your right arm is practically useless. I find this whole plan disconcerting and illogical." Brennan finally spoke up from her spot on the sofa. Booth could see her trying to hide her concern.

"You were incredibly lucky that Senorita Estavez recognized Perez and that she had a cousin who worked as a nurse in a hospital. If she hadn't helped you, I'd be picking up your body." Temperance continued. Her concern was being to overtake her calm logical self and she was beginning to get very angry. Booth knew she was right and carefully placed himself next to her on the couch.

"I know I was lucky but I can't let Perez get away with this." The FBI Agent tried to make her understand.

"Why so you can feed your Alpha Male tendencies and that humongous ego?" Brennan's words struck a chord. Booth was about to say something when Eduardo cut in.

"This isn't going to help us. How can you two work together?" The ex-police detective was dumbfounded. When neither one gave an answer, Eduardo continued.

"Now how can we get Perez?"

"As far as we know, Perez doesn't know that I'm even alive so I doubt he's going to figure out that I know he is dirty." Booth said.

"So maybe we surprise him." Eduardo replied.

"What like walking into the police station?" Temperance asked. The ex-detective nodded and looked at Booth.

"Why not? It would be the last thing anyone would expect." The FBI Agent said.

"Walk into the police station and tell them to arrest Perez? With what evidence?" Brennan asked.

"It's a case of he said, I said, and I can't blow him in without the chance of being blown in myself. This whole affair is ugly." Booth put his head in his left hand.

"The only way this goes away is by telling the truth. 'Getting rid of' Perez may sound like the easiest thing to do but how are you really going to be able to deal with it? You're the one that is going to have to deal with your conscience and your god with what you want to do. The truth may get you into trouble but it's the only way you'll be able to live with yourself." Brennan told him.

"The truth will take my badge and my career. Plus that will not stop Perez from trying to kill me." Booth said.

"Are we even sure that's what he was trying to do?" Temperance asked.

"Why else would that man be running into the building and why would he be running upstairs? The teams would definitely follow him up into the building and find him. It would be like running into a dead end." Eduardo spoke up.

"Maybe he was doing what I was doing. On the lower floor in a special spot I hid my tactical gear but maybe the guy hid some sort of weapon on an upper floor." Booth told them.

"Could be but I'm sure whatever it was it is long gone. Perez would have picked it up by now." Eduardo said.

"And that would have included my tactical gear." Booth said.

"Well I think we should sweep the building anyhow. It can't hurt to look over everything. We'll need more than just hunches and 'gut feelings' to get Perez to back off." Brennan told them. The men nodded.

"All right let's go." She said.

"No, I'd better go alone." Eduardo stopped her.

"No one will notice another Colombian man around the building but if you show up people are going to start to wonder especially since they might have seen you when we visited the crime scene." He continued. Brennan was about to object but Booth spoke up first.

"He's right. We can't have anybody follow the two of you and ruin our only chance of surprising Perez." Temperance knew he was right and watched as Eduardo got up and grabbed his coat and left the apartment.

To Be Continued…