A/N: Hola, guys. I know, I know, updating pretty quick. Be proud. Anyhow, this chapter is a little bit darker. It does contain some stronger language than normal. I won't make it a habit. I didn't get very much feedback on which way to go with the story but I think I'm leaning towards the darker version. It's more interesting that way. However, this is my disclaimer. You have to trust me. I am a firm believer in happy endings. Just remember that.
Thanks for the reviews! I got some from people I haven't heard from in a while. Nice to know that I've kept my early readers. I'm so excited for you all as you keep reading this story. Believe me, it's gonna be a hell of a roller-coaster ride. I just hope my muse can hang on with all the twists and turns coming up.
I found rightersblock. She wasn't MIA as previously thought. My email is messed up. Well, she was beta on this one, so hope you like it better than the last one.
The first thing that Jack did after leaving Booth was make a phone call. When the phone was answered, a happy, childish voice could be heard in the background. Angela herself, on the other hand, sounded rather stressed.
"Where are you and what's going on?" The rain pelted against the windshield as he merged onto the Anacostia Parkway. The late afternoon was prematurely darkened from the thick clouds. The weatherman was calling for severe thunderstorms all night. Lightning, thunder and all. Angela had told him that she hated the eeriness of storms, especially after watching the witch hunt video.
"I'm playing with Parker and Bren is taking crap from Rebecca."
"You're over at Booth's?"
"Yeah, Brennan invited me for lunch."
"How about I meet you at your apartment? There's a storm coming through, remember?"
"Okay. Can you pick up some sandwiches or something for later?"
"Yeah. I'll be there in about thirty minutes." After saying goodbye, Hodgins closed the phone and tossed it into the cup holder. He didn't really feel like stopping anywhere, but if it was what Angela wanted… well, then that was the end of all complaints. Hodgins changed lanes and began to fiddle with the radio. He found a political talk show and was soon exiting the freeway while laughing at the naivety of the radio host and his opponent.
- - - -
Booth swiped his ID card for the private Bureau parking deck. The gate opened and he drove into the gloom of the artificially lit cave. The yellow lighting cast dark shadows across the near-empty complex. Booth passed right by his assigned parking space and chose one right next to the door. He could get in trouble for the action but the walk across the dim parking deck was something to be avoided. Grabbing his briefcase from the backseat, he locked the car and started up the stairs. Once he reached the lobby, he took the elevator to his floor. A light was on across the bullpen where a small conference was in progress. Other than that, only a few lamps were lit over deserted desks, their owners probably in briefings or out for coffee. Booth recalled a time when he diligently appeared at work every Saturday and occasionally on Sundays. That had stopped after Parker was born. There was nothing that Booth wouldn't sacrifice for Parker. He had no idea he would be forced to defy that for the first time in his son's life.
- - - -
Jack pulled out his wallet to pay for the tuna on wheat and turkey on sourdough. It took him a second to find a twenty among the fifties and hundreds. Angela scolded him for carrying so much cash. That was one thing he wouldn't change. There was no telling when emergency cash was necessary or when the banks would finally crash, for that matter. The bleary-eyed teenager behind the counter accepted the money and counted out the change. It was taking a little too long for Jack's liking.
"You know what? Why don't you just keep that? It's a tip."
"Hey, thanks, man." The kid pocketed the extra six dollars. Jack took the brown paper bag containing the sandwiches and walked out. The door jingled as it opened. He was surprised at how dark it had gotten. It was only four o'clock and already like night. A popular bar was next to the deli, so Jack had been forced to park further down the street. He stayed close to the shop-fronts, taking advantage of the overhangs to stay out of the rain. The sidewalk was well-lit. Jack distractedly watched the rain fall in the lamplight. There was entirely too much on his mind. As much as he loved finding the truth behind the lies, it didn't excite him one bit when he found himself and his girlfriend right in the middle of a full-blown criminal plot. And there was some deeper element that he was missing, something that would connect all of the bizarre happenings.
Jack unlocked his car and climbed inside, placing the bag in the passenger seat. He was just putting the key in the ignition when he was startled by a voice from the backseat. "I'm here to warn you, Dr. Hodgins." Trying to turn in his seat, the man shoved him so that he was facing forward again. The man then reached up and violently twisted the rearview mirror upward. "Don't look at me. I'm not going to hurt you."
"What the hell…" Hodgins felt that his heart would beat out of his chest.
"You and I are on the same side." The voice sounded vaguely familiar.
"How can I be sure of that?" Hodgins tried to include a fearless edge to his voice but was failing at it.
"Because I'm going to save your life." Hodgins remained silent, waiting for the man to explain himself. "You're supposed to meet me in Arlington this week."
"You're my…"
"Quiet! I don't have much time and neither do you. They know you've talked with Agent Booth. You broke the rules and they're coming for you and your girlfriend, possibly as soon as tonight. You need to get as far away from D.C. as you can." The man made a move for the door handle. Hodgins' next words appeared to make him hesitate with the action.
"What about Dr. Brennan and Booth?" There was a moment of uncertain silence. The man lacked some of his former confidence.
"I'm taking care of that. Look, I have to go. I'm sorry this has turned out the way it has. I shouldn't have given you the information in the first place. But I guess there's a lot of things I shouldn't have done." The man opened the door, letting in a blast of chilly air.
"Who are you?" Despite the unspoken rule of anonymity, Hodgins wanted to know the identity of this intriguing character who had caused so much turmoil.
"You'd better hurry home." The door slammed and the dark figure quickly blended with the murk. The Mini roared to life and raced away in the opposite direction.
- - - -
Booth swiped his ID card again to unlock his office. He entered and shut the door behind him. Keeping the lights off, he turned on his computer and connected to the FBI's secure network. It only took a few minutes for him to enter the parameters of the search. The file had been updated recently. Booth could feel a chill on the back of his neck as he opened it. The latest addition to Andre Revetto's shady reputation was an unconfirmed association with a fraud ring which extended from Virginia, Maryland and even into parts of Delaware. Of course, nothing solid. The next entry didn't spark any revelations either. This guy had his hands in everything. Booth continued scanning the list. Once he got to events from a few years prior, he decided that he'd gone too far. Booth was sure that this was something recent. Booth adjusted the search to include the whole D.C. branch of the mob family instead of only Andre. There were twenty-three hits. The Rovettos must have been an impressive family considering that number was only the family members with criminal records. An hour later, Booth's tired eyes came to life and he sat up straighter as a tidal wave of dread and shock washed over him. An illusive piece of the deadly puzzle fell into its horrible place.
- - - -
Jack got to Angela's apartment a lot faster than was legal. The sandwiches were forgotten in the car, though they would come in handy for their getaway. He burst in the door only to find a dark apartment. Fear ate at him. It never occurred to him that he might be too late. Making his way to the living room, he saw the back of Angela's head resting against the arm of the couch.
"Ange?" Hodgins said her name timidly, afraid that there would never be an answer. There was no noise other than the sound of his breathing. He tentatively approached the couch. "Angela?" Raising his voice, he stepped around the couch so he could see her. She was curled on her side facing away from him, eyes closed. Her loose hair spilled across her face. Jack's hand quivered as her hesitated in touching her, terrified that he would find her cold and lifeless. He finally forced himself to touch her and almost died of both relief and fright when Angela whipped her head towards him and shattered the silence with a small, sharp, scream. "Oh, thank God."
"Jack, you scared me. Don't do that." Angela sat up, removing her earphones and turning off her mp3 player. It took only a second for Jack to recover before remembering the task at hand.
"Ange, pack a bag. I need you to move quickly. Bare basics and necessities only."
"What's wrong?" He could see the fear on her face and regretted that he had to put it there.
"I'll tell you in the car. Now hurry." Hodgins was thankful for her trust in him as she ran to her bedroom. Jack always kept a packed bag in his car, so he collected some smaller, but essential items. Cell phone charger, Angela's GPS, and other various electronics. In fifteen minutes, they were in Jack's car heading west. He explained every last agonizing detail as they ran for their lives and love.
- - - -
As Jack and Angela were making their escape, Booth was making a flight of his own. He printed the file 'Rovetto, Lena' and made a dash for the door. The elevator took an eternity to reach sublevel one where he was parked. The twenty minute drive to his apartment took thirteen minutes despite the beginnings of evening traffic. Booth skipped the ancient elevator and bounded up the stairs three at a time. Trying the door handle, Booth found with satisfaction that Brennan had kept it locked. Booth shifted impatiently from one foot to the other as he sorted through his keys with one hand. The door swung open after he found the correct key.
The lights were off. Booth was immediately on alert but tried not to overreact. He shut the door behind him and dropped the file on the end-table next to the couch. Maybe Parker had gone down for a nap and Brennan was taking advantage of the quiet to do the same. A peek into Parker's room disproved this theory.
"Bones?" The bedroom and the bathroom yielded nothing. The apartment was empty and Booth was rapidly becoming frantic. It would be sickeningly easy for someone to escape unnoticed from his apartment complex with a woman and a little boy. He was ashamed of the thought as soon as it came into his head. It was a cold day in hell when Temperance Brennan would go down without a fight. Booth took a few breaths to calm himself. They went to get some dinner, he decided. Brennan was independent and foolishly confident enough to go somewhere without calling him first.
Booth pulled his cell phone out and dialed her number. He sat down on the couch as he listened to it ring over and over. Cursing under his breath at her voicemail greeting, he left a quick message and hung up. Resting his head in his hands, Booth stared at the floor, trying to think. He jumped to action again, fingers dialing another number, as a one last idea came to him. A few months before, much to Booth's chagrin, Parker had proudly displayed a little device with five big buttons. It was a damn cell phone. He had started an argument over the thing. Rebecca claimed that it made her feel better to know that Parker had a way to call either of them if there was an emergency. Booth had finally conceded, though he didn't give her the satisfaction of thinking that he approved. He was certainly thankful for it now. Parker's childish voice answered on the third ring.
"Hi, Daddy." His normal cheerfulness was noticeably absent.
"Hey, buddy. Where are you?"
"McDonald's. I got a penguin toy in my Happy Meal." Booth relaxed his hand, which he was unaware that he had tightened into a fist.
"So you're with Bones?"
"No, Mommy made me go away." There was a distinct sadness present. "Dr. Bones is at your house."
"Yeah. Can I talk to Mommy?" Raking his hand through his hair, Booth was keenly aware of his racing pulse. The phone shifted hands and Rebecca came on the line.
"I'm sorry, Seeley, I picked him up early. I should have called."
"No shit."
"I was freaking out. I mean he could have…"
"Look, you can talk your head off later. Was Bones here when you left?"
"If you're referring to Dr. Brennan, then yes."
"Did she say she was going anywhere?"
"No." He heard her sigh, which made him even angrier. "Seeley, Dr. Brennan is an adult. She doesn't need a babysitter. Maybe she went back to her place. I think she was a little upset."
"Do you know why?" There was that sigh again.
"Seeley, we need to have a serious discussion about your visitation with Parker."
"Rebecca, what the hell did you say to her?" Booth stood from the couch and began pacing the area.
"It seems like she's always in some kind of danger. If you're going to continue to see her outside of work, I don't think it's a good idea for Parker to be with you." There was silence. Booth felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Rebecca was asking him to choose? His anger lulled as he considered her words. The desperation that found him was enough to empty his mind of everything else. It was impossible. He needed his son with every fiber of his being. Parker was the one person who managed to show him that the world wasn't so frightfully dark as he sometimes thought. And Bones was… essential. That was the single word that came to him. She was like air or water or sunlight. Simply and unequivocally essential. Booth could absolutely not make a choice between two indispensable people. "Seeley? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." He collected himself and tried to figure out what to say. "I have to agree with you. Bones needs me to protect her right now and I don't want Parker mixed up with this crap."
"Thank you."
"But you listen to me. As soon as I nail these sons of bitches, that policy is not going to fly. You cannot force me to make that kind of a decision."
"We can talk about…"
"Rebecca, there will be no negotiating. I have put up with your share of boyfriends. Bones is going to be a hell of a lot more permanent than any of them were." The anger that had been left to simmer was suddenly boiling again.
"Do not judge me, Seeley Booth. You've no right."
"And you had no right to tell Bones that shit."
"I thought it was fair to let her know."
"You pushed her into making that decision for me." It broke his heart to know that Brennan had left because of this. She obviously had no confidence in herself when it came to their relationship. "You don't know a thing about her or how she thinks. She's gone now because of you."
"I don't think you know very much about her, either." Rebecca's voice dropped to a near whisper. "You're always having to save her ass from something. That's not normal. And apparently, she knows nothing about you or she wouldn't hang around so much, you murdering bastard."
"Fuck you." Booth hung up the phone and would have thrown it had he possessed less self-control. He hoped to God that Rebecca hadn't said those things in front of Parker. His past as a sniper was something he planned on keeping from his son for a long time.
Pacing one more circuit, he squashed his rage. Selfishness was unacceptable. He had to find Brennan. Booth made sure he had his keys and then rushed out. The door slammed closed behind him, leaving a certain forgotten file sitting on the table in a dark, empty apartment.
Review. Is it in you?
