Author's Note: Next chapter. I tried to not have such an evil cliffhanger this time, but I think we are reaching the point of no return as far as that sort of thing goes. ;) So enjoy one of my longest updates ever...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

Thank you again, to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

TimeWitch93: Torches and pitchforks do seem apropos for Andrew at this point. I'm sure they will fit in with all the other weapons that others will be bringing. Things will be taking a dark turn for a while, but you can be sure that B&B and all the squints won't be giving up any time soon. :)

LadyKale1985: Thanks as always for the reviews. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Lives in the now: I figured that Sweets probably had an impact at the Jeffersonian that reached beyond people like Cam, Hodgins and Angela, thus the interns. And you're right in thinking that Sweets' insight and intelligence will make a difference as this continues. Thanks again for the review and the encouraging PM that you sent. :D

Super Ario: Yes, as mentioned, things are going to get darker at this point. And Andrew is a creepy guy, so no surprise there. Thanks as always for all the support. :D

RandyKorn: Sorry about the recent cliffhangers. Hopefully this chapter will be a bit of a relief. And as for sledgehammers and flamethrowers...Why not? It will help light up all those torches that will be needed. ;)

D: I won't worry about that. As a psych major, I get to spend lots of time contemplating those kinds of disturbing psychological elements. As dark as they are, they are quite fascinating...I'm glad that you enjoyed my "tribal" analogy for Brennan. It seems like something she would come up with, doesn't it? And I like your notion of Sweets being the tribe's shaman. Shaman heal, but also give wise instruction and direction to others in their care. An apt description of Sweets, I think. :)

Cobalt6233: Well we all know how much Booth feels the need to take on responsibility for those he's in charge of...Anyway, I hope you enjoy this update.

Peanutmeg: Thanks for the review. :D I agree with you about the official little brother bit (especially in light of recent episodes of Bones), and him saying goodbye would have had too much finality for Booth. Enjoy this latest chapter as well.

AbandonMorality: I expect that you may feel the same way after this chapter is over. Thanks for reading.

Buttercups3: It made perfect sense to me to have Arastoo and Fisher help out considering their interactions with Sweets during Season Five. And I'll admit that Wendell was added just because it seems like something he would do and because I was inspired by our fic that we are working on...Thanks for your comments on the emotions of the team. I am able to take comfort in knowing how everything turns out, so the trick for me is conveying that anxiety for the characters and the readers...And I have a feeling that many readers are in your position...wanting to see what happens next, but dreading it a little at the same time.

Fearlee: Sorry, sorry. Maybe this chapter will go down easier. And as you will see, we are getting closer to answering your questions.

iEaTNekkozzz: Thank you for all of your recent reviews along with favorites and alerts. :D I hope you enjoy the rest of my work as well...As for Andrew, I can say that there will be some retribution coming...I just won't say when or how it's coming. Enjoy this latest chapter. :D

Blazing Rubellite: Actually many of my loyal readers will tell you that I'm notorious for my use of cliffhangers. They are a weakness of mine, I'll admit...And feel free to join the Andrew Hunting Posse. They are always looking for new recruits who want nothing more than to make Andrew suffer. ;)

Misscruel: Sorry this update took longer. Thanks for all your reviews. :)

Fear Herself: Thank you. :D I have a great love for getting into people's heads, so it's something I enjoy bringing to my fics...As to how soon they will find Sweets...wait and see. And by the way, no fair to bring a whole army of woodland creatures against just me. ;P

The Measure of the Spirit—Chapter 14

After thoroughly processing the scene, Brennan and her team began to pack their things up so they could return to the Medico-Legal lab. As she began to walk away from the scene, Booth walked quickly out from the hotel lobby and went over to meet her.

"Hotel manager says that no one came to the front desk asking about any other guests," Booth said. "Burnet probably told Jensen their room number. So that leaves out the staff as potential witnesses. But we were able to get a make and color of a car that was seen speeding away from the scene from some of the guests, and there's some surveillance cameras around that might have caught something. Our guys are going to go over them, and I'll make sure to send copies for Angela to look at once she's back in the lab."

"Hodgins and my grad students were able to find a lot of particulates and trace evidence in the hotel room," Brennan responded. "We're taking everything to the lab for analysis."

"Ok, you guys get on that and call me the second you know anything useful," the agent nodded. "I'm going to follow up on some leads of my own. I'll stop by later to see what you've got."

"All right. See you then, Booth," the anthropologist said as she walked away. Booth watched her leave and then pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Agent Perotta?" he said once there was an answer. "It's Booth…Does the Bureau still have Browder in custody? Good, go ahead and move him to an interrogation room. I need to have another talk with him.

"You know, Lance, my old man used to say to me that a son is supposed to be the greatest gift a man will ever receive," Andrew said, his fingers still grasping some locks of Sweets' hair. "But I always had a feeling that he didn't really believe that…And after you were born…Well that was all the proof I needed to know that that was nothing but a big, fat lie."

Andrew stopped and stared at Sweets for a moment, and then he yanked the tape off his mouth. The psychologist flinched slightly, but showed no other reaction.

"Ever since you came into my life, you've given me nothing but grief," Jensen continued. "I mean, everything was going good until that whore gave birth to you. Then she showed me what a piece of trash she really was when she left in the middle of the night and stuck me with a squalling brat."

"Is that why you killed her?" Sweets asked. "To get back at her for what she did to you? To get even for the pain she caused you?" Andrew narrowed his eyes at him, and backhanded the psychologist in the face. Sweets felt his split lip reopen and begin to bleed again.

"Don't talk back to me," Andrew yelled. "You will speak only when I tell you to speak." Jensen stood back up and glared down at Sweets.

"I don't know what those geezers taught you while you were living with them," he added. "But the fact remains that I'm your father, and you will show me the proper respect."

"No," Sweets responded, his tone defiant. "You were never my father. David Sweets was my father. And no matter how many times you beat me, that will never change."

Jensen was silent for a moment and kept clenching his hands as he shook with rage. Then he suddenly took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, Sweets shuddered at the gleam of amusement that was present. Andrew then began to crack his knuckles.

"I see that you need to relearn some things that you've seemed to have forgotten," he said as he drew closer to the psychologist. "The funny thing is, I don't mind. I've been looking forward to having a chance to do this for years."

Back at the Hoover Building, Booth met up with Perotta, who had a file to give him.

"Has he said anything to you?" he asked her as he watched Browder through the glass of the interrogation room.

"Not really," Perotta answered. "Just keeps wondering if we are going to give him some kind of leniency in exchange for all of his 'assistance'. Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

Booth then informed her of everything that had happened at the hotel, including his theories about Burnet. She appeared stunned, but then shook her head as it sank in.

"I guess I'm not as surprised as I thought I'd be," she said once Booth was finished. "Burnet was always way too full of himself. Still…a part of me can't believe that he went that far….By the way how's Coel?"

"She's going to be fine," Booth answered. "She'll be out for a while though."

"And Doctor Sweets?" Perotta swallowed. "Do you…do you think he's…?"

"There was no body at the scene," Booth answered dully. "Procedure says we should assume that he's alive for now. So we're going with that."

"What can I do?" she asked.

"I need you to find some information," Booth said.

Almost a half hour later, Booth walked into the room where Browder was sitting. This time the dealer looked even more agitated, if not terrified at the agent's presence.

"Look, what do you want from me?" Browder squeaked. "I told you everything you wanted to know. How long are you going to keep me here?"

"Until you stop holding out on us," Booth answered. The agent sat down a file he had brought in onto the table and glanced through it for a second before returning his gaze to Browder.

"What was your connection to James Burnet?" he said as he looked up.

"Who?"

Booth pulled out a photo from the file and slid it across to the dealer with a finger.

"FBI Agent James Burnet," Booth repeated. "We know that your friend Jensen knew him. We were able to find a disposable cell phone in Burnet's possession. The last call on it was to another disposable cell phone. And guess what? They match up with a batch of cell phones we found in your house. So…when are you going to start talking?"

Browder gulped and kept twisting his fingers about on his lap. His eyes darted around the room as if he was looking for a way out, but could find none. He shuddered as he looked back to see Booth still giving him a venomous stare.

"Ok, look, how many times do I have to say it? Andrew is no friend of mine," he said finally. "And as for that other stuff…well you wouldn't have believed me if I had told you."

"Try me now," the agent growled. Browder swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

"When…when Andrew first started working for me, he really didn't stand out all that much," Browder said. "In fact, I was kind of looking for an excuse to ditch him. I just never got around to it because, well…he's not the sort of guy who's pleasant to be around when he's mad. Plus, he's surprisingly crafty at times…Not a great combination."

"Go on," Booth hissed.

"Anyway, I found out at one point that Andrew had been working freelance and had somehow managed to get friendly with some people who worked with my biggest competitors," the dealer said. "At first, I'm freaking out, thinking that Andrew's looking for a way to shut me down. But then one day he comes to me and says that he has a proposal for me: I make him a full partner in my business and in exchange he 'takes care' of some of my competitors."

"And you went along with it?" the agent asked.

"I thought he was full of crap," Browder responded. "I mean, how's a guy like that going to take out such big operations? But then a week later, I'm watching the news and I see that some Fed was able to make this huge arrest, effectively dismantling a group of dealers who had been giving me trouble for a long time."

"And Agent Burnet was the person making that arrest?" Booth inquired.

"Exactly," Browder answered. "I read somewhere that he had gotten an anonymous tip…Some tip. It was Andrew, I was sure of it. So when he saw me again, I asked him about it, and let's just say he confirmed my suspicions. He told me that he had some kind of 'arrangement' with some Fed where he'd supply him with information about other meth labs as long as this agent stayed out of his backyard. Plus, Andrew guaranteed me that business would pick up due to some 'recommendations' he was able to make."

"So you gave him what he wanted," the agent nodded.

"Yeah I did," the dealer said. "And for a while it was working out great for everyone. My business was becoming more profitable, and that Fed got to be in the news as some kind of hero."

"And how was Jensen benefitting from all this?" Booth asked.

"Well he was getting a healthy cut of the cash along with whatever 'product' he wanted for his own personal use," Browder said. "Plus…I can't really put my finger on it, but I got the feeling that he was getting something else out of that Fed…I heard Andrew arguing with someone on the phone once, and I'm pretty sure it was this Burnet guy. Andrew said something like 'it's time you give me what you promised, or else'. Something like that anyway."

"And you didn't think it was important to mention any of this when I talked to you earlier?" Booth said growing angry. "You didn't think I'd want to know that you had an agent of the Bureau in your pocket?"

"Hey, you wouldn't have believed me if I told you any of this," Browder protested. "And…and…For all I know, you've got Burnet on the other side of that glass, and you're just waiting for the chance to turn him loose on me."

"Burnet's dead," Booth replied. "Shot by your buddy, Jensen."

"He killed him? Oh man…" Browder said, shaking a little as he mopped some sweat off his forehead. "Look…Andrew is not my buddy, all right? I had nothing to do with that. Andrew's insane. I mean you've seen what he's done, right?"

Booth regarded him silently for a moment and then leaned toward him.

"Where is he?" Booth said. After asking he got up and began to pace around the dealer.

"Andrew? I don't know where he is," Browder whined. "I told you, I haven't seen him in almost two weeks."

"He didn't give you any indication about where he was going or what he was doing?" Booth asked, stopping behind Browder and placing his hands on the back of his chair. "No hints at all. Because if I find out that you've been 'omitting' things again…."

"I swear there's nothing else to tell," Browder whimpered. "It's not like I kept tabs on the guy…Hey…Hey, you know who you should talk to? Jean. Jean was his woman at one time. He still might be talking to her. Jean Bergan is her name. She lives here in DC."

Booth went over and wrote the name down on in the file he had brought in and then closed it up. Suddenly he grabbed Browder by his shirt collar and yanked him close.

"If I find out that you haven't been straight with me, or that you shielded him in any way…Jensen will be the least of your problems," Booth hissed at him. Browder trembled at the icy glint in the agent's eyes and shook his head vigorously. Booth let him go and grabbed the file as he stormed out of the room.

Once he was in the hallway, he met up with Perotta.

"FBI techs just gave me this," she said as she opened a file. "They didn't find much of interest at the scene other than the fact that Burnet's wallet and badge were missing."

"What about his gun?" Booth asked.

"Hadn't been touched," Perotta answered. "Kind of weird, isn't it? That he would go to the trouble of stealing the wallet and badge but leave the gun alone. Do you suppose he needed money?"

"No," Booth said. "Browder mentioned that Jensen had been having a generous cash flow for a while, plus he took a bunch more from him before he disappeared. So he shouldn't be hurting for funds. No, there's something else going on there….Have you found out any more about Burnet and the stuff he was doing?"

"Well the situation around here is pretty tense with Burnet having been an agent and all," she said. "But I was able to find out about some files that Burnet had pulled. You were right, Burnet had made copies of the Bureau's files on Doctor Sweets….and he managed to get a little info on your people at the Jeffersonian."

"And?" Booth asked, sensing there was more.

"Burnet also accessed some of your information," Perotta said somberly. "He didn't get as much on you as he did Doctor Sweets…but you may want to take some precautions, just in case."

"Send a couple of agents over to Rebecca's house and make sure that she and Parker stay there," Booth said pulling out his cell phone. "I'm going to call over there and make sure they're ok and explain the situation to them."

"I'm on that," Perotta said. "Anything else I can do?"

"Yeah, track down this woman," Booth said handing her his file and showing her the name he had written down. "Jean Bergan. Browder said that she was in a relationship with Jensen, so there's a chance that she might know something."

"All right," she nodded. "And where are you going?"

"To the Jeffersonian," he answered. "I'm going to see if Bones or any of her squints have found something our guys might have missed." He had begun to walk away when Perotta tapped his arm.

"Booth…listen…we're going to find him," she said. "Those people at the Jeffersonian…they always come through. And I know that they'll be even more determined this time to find something…And besides that, Doctor Sweets is a smart guy. If there's a way to psych Jensen out, he'll think of it."

Booth nodded, and then turned to leave. After making a quick call to Rebecca to check on Parker, he settled into his SUV and sped off down the road.

Normally he would agree with Perotta. Sweets did seem to have a way to get inside people's heads. Even much to the agent's discomfort at times. Still, Booth couldn't shake the feeling that Jensen had some kind of edge in this situation since he had nearly broken Sweets as a child. At first Booth felt angry that Sweets was probably re-living some of the worst parts of his early childhood, but that soon veered toward concern over how Andrew could damage Sweets both physically and mentally.

The agent gripped the wheel even tighter. One thing he was sure of was the fact that he would make Jensen pay for whatever he did….one way or another.

Sweets found himself alone again in the dark, and he was grateful for the respite.

Andrew had just spent over an hour beating him relentlessly. When Jensen tired of using his fists, he took to using his belt to deliver the blows. Sweets tried to remain as stoic as he could throughout, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. But toward the end, it had been impossible for him to stop himself from crying out in pain a couple times.

One thing that he had been able to do was not give in to Andrew's demands. Over and over, Jensen had taunted him to cry, scream or beg for mercy, but Sweets refused to say a word. Then Andrew insisted that the psychologist acknowledge him as his father, but again Sweets remained silent, only speaking to insist that David was his father and that no one else ever would be. Eventually he tired of hitting him, and left the therapist alone.

As he lay there, Sweets moaned as he tried to block out the pain. Other than his initial blow to the face, Andrew had avoided his head; however, no other part of him was safe from Andrew's beatings. Sweets mused on the thought that that might have been due to some old habit from when he was a child, and Jensen was careful to hit him in places where the resulting injuries wouldn't be seen by other adults. Sweets was sure that there would be masses of bruises and welts all over his body.

Now that he was alone, Sweets felt himself starting to pass out from the pain. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his breathing, but even that was difficult since he was sure that Andrew had broken some of his ribs.

After what had felt like only a few minutes, Sweets jerked about in response to water being splashed onto him. His eyes flew open, and he saw Andrew standing over him, pouring a giant bucket of water, that was filled with ice onto him. When he was finished, Sweets lay there, gasping and shivering violently.

"Uh uh, Lance, we can't have you falling asleep," Andrew grinned as he sat the bucket down. "Then you'd miss out on all the fun." Jensen then pulled a syringe that had been filled with a clear liquid out of his pocket. He torn the sleeve on Sweets' shirt and jabbed the needle into his arm.

"There now," Andrew said as he injected the liquid into Sweets' arm. "I think this will help you stay focused on the things you need to listen to."

As the drug coursed through his blood, Sweets felt his breathing slow down and his mind drifting off. As he felt panic rise up within him, Sweets was unsure if it was the drug causing it or if it was his own fear over what Andrew had in store for him next.

Whatever hopes Booth might have had about a break in the case were quickly dashed away when he found Brennan in her office, looking over some reports on her computer screen. He sat down on the couch, and his mood did not lift as she reported all of the things everyone had done thus far.

"Hodgins is pretty sure that some soil from a shoe print at the scene was from Jensen due to the print's size and indentation on the carpet," she said. "He's hoping to narrow down the areas that it could have come from by comparing it to samples we already have."

"What about the rest of your squints?" Booth asked sourly.

"They are still running tests, but it's a lot to sort through, Booth," she said. "We still had a lot of things to go over with the other three victims." Booth nodded and slumped down into the couch, scowling. Brennan got up and joined him there. She hated seeing him so upset, but was unsure as to how to improve his mood. After a couple of moments of pensive silence, inspiration finally struck the anthropologist.

"My grad students will be busy gathering evidence for a few hours before I will be able to make any conclusions," she said. "Perhaps now the two of us could pursue some other lines of investigation."

"Other lines of investigation?" Booth said, quizzical. "Your people are looking over all the forensics, and I've got at least a dozen agents tracking down any leads that Browder and Burnet could give us. What else is there?"

"I'm not sure," Brennan frowned. "I suppose if Doctor Sweets were here, I would recommend talking to him, but since he isn't…"

Brennan was cut off when Booth nearly leapt to his feet and started to leave her office. Brennan got up and followed him out the door.

"What is it Booth?" she asked as they walked along.

"What you said, Bones," Booth responded. "In a way, Sweets is here…And I know who we need to talk to."

After a quick cell phone call, Booth and Brennan drove back over to Wyatt's restaurant. It was after hours, but the lights were still on inside. Booth rapped on the door, and the maitre'd let the two of them in.

Once inside, Booth and Brennan found the chef sitting at a large table at the back of the dining room. He was not alone. Sitting next to him was a man who looked to be in his mid-20s with sandy brown hair and vivid green eyes. The two of them stood up as Booth and Brennan approached. Brennan noted that the man was broad shouldered and around 6'4, but what grabbed her attention was the man's facial features. They seemed familiar to her, and she struggled to place them.

Booth was also watching the person standing next to the chef. He noticed that the man had a quiet but piercing stare, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being sized up.

"Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan," Wyatt smiled. "I was just getting ready to telephone you when you called. Any pertinent updates on the case? And how is Doctor Sweets getting along these days?"

"Doctor Sweets has been kidnapped by Jensen," Brennan said, not moving her gaze from the man beside Wyatt.

"Bones!" Booth hissed.

"What?" the man said, his expression swiftly becoming angry. "I thought he was under FBI protection. How could he be kidnapped?"

"I don't know who you are, but this is a federal investigation," Booth said, narrowing his eyes and taking a step closer. "And we are not going to discuss…"

"Wait, Booth…I think I know who he is," Brennan said moving closer.

"Bones, what are you…?"

"The similarities in the zygomatic arch and shape of the mandible along with hair and eye color are quite striking," the anthropologist continued, staring closely at the man's face. "I'm convinced that this man is a close relation to Sweets' adoptive father. A son or a nephew, perhaps?" The man took a deep breath and gave a slight, but sad smile.

"Lance told me about you, and now I can see what he means when he said that you're the best at what you do," he said. He then held out his hand to her.

"Staff Sergeant Peter Sweets, at your service. Lance Sweets is my cousin."