Author's Note: Happy TDitD day, everyone! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Parts of it may be a little OOC, but the characters are OOC for reasons that you will comprehend as you read. We see Brennan and what she's up to in this chapter, and Wendell is explained. I like the way this chapter is divided up- I tried to interject a little fun into this angsty mess :). Thanks as always to my fab beta Steph, and Alex and Candi, my right and left wings, respectively. Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or its characters, that all goes to HH and FOX. See you next Wednesday!
Ride the Wings of Pestilence by From First to Last
Hiding behind the shadows
I'll be waiting in the dark
to drive this blade straight through your heart
I'll drag your body to the car
as blood races down my arm
I think everyone will wonder where you are (tonight)
I'll hide you in my walls
your body will never be found
I'll wear your skin as a suit
Pretend to be you, your friends will like you more than they used to
I've been dreaming about you
in a pool of your own blood
with your eyes gouged out
by the work of my thumbs
the scent of your insides
from under the floorboards
the perfect perfume
for settling a score.
Chapter Ten: Pestilence
"Whatever this is, this is not safe. You said this would be safe. You said I could return home to my family in a week and it would be safe," he complained, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I said none of those things," Brennan clarified, defending her position, "You just didn't think I meant this." She smirked at her father, eyes returning to the road.
"Hey! I'm your family!" Brennan protested as his words hit her.
Max shrugged looking down, almost bashfully. Brennan nodded knowingly.
"It's a girl, isn't it, Dad?"
"A woman," Max corrected firmly. Brennan rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah…" Max studied Brennan carefully. In the last six months, a lot had changed in his daughter. Brennan felt him watching her and wondered why everyone was doing that recently.
"What's with you, Tempe? You're acting all… normal." Brennan tilted her head away from him. Max was always very frank- she knew she was the epitome of abnormal before Maluku. She knew she had changed. But all everyone had said was that her transformation was strange. Was it bad? Did they want abnormal? I can give them abnormal.
"Normal? Normal is defined as conforming to a standard. Usual. Expected. I am none of these things. Unless, of course you mean one of the countless other denotations of the word: my habitual choices, my growth and development, my sexual activity-"
"Whoa, whoa!" Max cut her off, eyes wide. "That's good, honey. You can stop there. In fact," Max fixed her with a level stare that told her he knew exactly what she was doing, "stop all this nonsense. I love you no matter how you change."
Brennan sighed and directed her attention to the road.
"So we're meeting who exactly?"
"He's bad… from the past," Max said quietly, as though someone else was in the car with them, "He won't recognize me now, I'm sure, but he'll definitely know who you are…" Brennan looked at him, alarmed.
"How will he know me? Have you been in contact, Max?" she said distrustfully.
"Honey, your face is everywhere! You've got to wear this one again," Max said holding up the platinum blonde wig. Brennan hissed with distaste.
"Why can't we do the black one again? The one with the heavy makeup… what did we name me?" Max laughed.
"… Andromeda? My sources are already beginning to connect her with Bo- with his case. We have to change it up. I've heard the FBI's on the lookout for her." Brennan gasped.
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Brennan exclaimed, worried. Max smiled.
"Because the FBI's looking for a tall, dark, strong PI man… not a blonde, Barbie-doll Southern lass." Brennan groaned.
"Dad… I'm absolutely hopeless with southern accents. And I couldn't be a Barbie if I tried- the corporeal proportions are impossible. I'm liking this less and less…"
"Here," Max cut her off, pointing to a path that led into the forest. "This is fine. Park on the shoulder." He got out of the car, starting a routine that had become familiar over the past couple of weeks. After about five minutes, Brennan opened the car door in an outfit that could only be described as… very pink. She sat on the hood to buckle the heels and held up a hand to signal Max to wait so she could reapply her lip-gloss.
"Getting into character, huh Tempe?" Max winked.
"Who's Tempe?"
o-o-o
"Wendell?"
Hodgins covered his eyes with the palm of his hand and groaned.
"Wendell… First Angie, now Temperance, who's next? Cam?" Wendell shook his head at Hodgins, extremely confused.
"Umm…"
"What the hell do you think you're doing! You fucking idiot! How dare you take advantage-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Taking advantage? I'm just keeping the place for Dr. Brennan while she goes on vacation with her father! Money's tight and she offered me her place for a month so I don't have to pay rent," Wendell explained. "Hey!" he said to Angela in surprise. "You're talking!"
o-o-o
She slinked into the musty room behind her father, her heels clicking and clacking like the second hand on a clock. The man looked up from his computer.
"Holtz," Max confirmed. Holtz looked up.
"You Ryder?" Max nodded.
"Yeah. You got the info?" Holtz raised an eyebrow, trying to see if Max was genuine. "Hm. Yeah. Sure. Whatcha got for me?" he sneered imperiously. Max stared and Holt impassively.
"Keenan sent me," he stated. Holtz started.
"Keenan?" Max smirked. He was secretly glad he was still able to instil such fear in such powerful men.
"Yeah. I've got 'im on my speed dial, son. Give me the info," Holtz didn't budge. Brennan took this as her cue.
"Look, Josh," she addressed her father's alias, "he doesn't believe us." She moved lithely towards Holtz.
"Darlin'- tell him," she drawled, pulling out her too-large gun, "that if he doesn't get us contact with Harley, I'll get Keenan to blow his fucking brains out." She smiled angelically at Holtz as she dragged the frigid, metallic barrel of the gun down his cheek. He was as still as ice. She laughed domineeringly and flicked off the safety. Holtz noticeably gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing furiously on his throat. Bringing her mouth to her his ear, she whispered throatily, "Too bad he didn't give me the okay."
She set the safety back on and sat across the table from Holtz, next to Max, who nodded at her in approval.
"So. What do you have for us, Holtz?"
"I can get you his phone number, maybe a hotel. I've spoken to him before, got him two guns and some ammo, but I haven't heard from him in a good three weeks. Sold him the gun that did that Diner in, good an' proper." Brennan sucked in a breath, stiffening. Stay in character, stay in character, stay in character…
"Saw that on the news," Brennan commented casually. "Nothin' too special, just got one guy and spooked the city- what'd you sell 'im?"
".22 Magnum," Holtz leered. Max whistled.
"Impressive…" Holtz nodded confidently.
"So how 'bout that number, eh?"
As Holtz rattled off the digits, Brennan felt a surge of hope that one day she'd redeem Booth.
The thought excited her more than the bones of a Mongol emperor, and the realization of just how much she cared was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
o-o-o
"You guys can… come in if you want…"
Hodgins' head (now separated from his hand) shook, overwhelmed.
"Wait… do you sleep in her bed?" Angela screeched, completely freaked out by the situation.
"How do you even speak at such a high pitch after having not communicated for over thirty days?"
"Why couldn't she hire a housekeeper?"
"Where did she go? Why did she go? Vacation? Max?"
"She just said-"
"Can't you see? She's taken advantage of her mourning leave to go off on some twisted revenge mission to avenge Booth's killing and has taken Max with her for aid in her crazed quest to kill Harley!"
It suddenly got very quiet as the other two squints contemplated Hodgins' outburst.
"Um… conspiracy theory much?"
"Come on, Jack, even you know that's a little far-fetched…"
Jack assented, realizing the error of his hypothesis.
"Sorry guys, you know how I jump to conclusions sometimes…" he apologized.
"Do you," began Wendell hesitantly, "want to come in and have a cup of coffee? She left me a number… we can call her if it makes you feel better." Angela shrugged.
"It's okay. Brennan probably wants some time away to relax. I wouldn't want to intrude. We can just…. text her or something."
o-o-o
Miles away, as Brennan and Max drove away from Holtz's, triumphant, the tone indicated Brennan had a new message.
Hope your vacation is going well- Ange, Jack, and Wendell
Brennan smiled darkly.
"You bet it's going well."
o-o-o
