Here is chapter 14. The search for Brennan continues in a ravaged El Salvador. Like I said in the previous part this is just fiction, reality is much worse especially when natural calamities take place around the world. I'd like to thank all the readers for the great response to my story and for the nice reviews I got so far. Enjoy the reading and review, thanks.

I do not own Bones.

Thank you Gregg.

CHAPTER 14

"I don't think you're gonna like this, sir." said Carter when Booth climbed into the APC.

"What's up?" asked Booth, thinking that the sun was rising to yet another horrible day in El Salvador. The night had been quiet. No aftershocks, no pouring rain; still his senses had never really gone to rest. Just like when he was in the Middle East, no matter how worn out he was, a part of his brain never ceased to be on full alert. And right now he felt exactly the same way.

"The operations base just informed me that the bridge we were supposed to cross on the Rio Lempa has been severely damaged by the quake, the recent heavy rains have caused several landslides and they're still trying to clean the Pan American Highway. I've been advised to take the Carretera del Litoral where all traffic circulation has been diverted. And Sir... the region around San Miguel?" -the Driver paused, and Booth gave him a concerned look - "That's pretty close to the where the epicenter was. Badly hit, so it seems."

"Dammit!" - exclaimed Booth turning toward Sommers - "Any sign of communications being restored down there, Lieutenant?"

"Not yet, Sir. The only lines working are those provided by the international emergency forces."

"We heard one of the main hospitals in the region appears to have collapsed," - joined in the doctor - "Hundreds of people and sanitary personnel are dead or still missing. They're busy getting medical equipment and mobile surgical units to the area. That's what all the medical supplies you traveled with were for, Agent Booth. And they're also trying to evacuate as many survivors as they can, but, really? Where the hell are they going to put all those people? From what I've heard not many structures have survived. And those which did... well, don't need to be an expert to tell in what state they might be."

Booth clenched his jaw. Could it get any worse? He was not really looking forward to seeing more devastation, nor scenes of human desperation. What really hurt him was the knowledge that even this time there would be hundreds, if not thousands, of stranded children whose destiny was yet to be written.

"Holy shit!" - yelled Carter looking at the incredible line of all sorts of vehicles in front of them when they reached the junction with the Carretera del Litoral - "We're gonna spend like forever to get through."

"Couple of hours at least, we've still got a long way to go" - stated Sommers - "Guess things will start to look pretty awful as soon as we leave the main road."

The sun was high in the sky when they took the RN17 which was to lead them to San Miguel. They soon began to realize that what they had seen so far was not the worst they'd have to bear. How badly Mother Nature had unleashed its forces in this unfortunate land was now plain to see. Not much was left of El Delirio and El Progresso. Entire villages simply did not exist anymore, the places had been evacuated and looked like ghost towns. Along the route, however, an endless procession of survivors moved silently toward San Miguel. Similar to a biblical exodus, feet deep in mud, those able to walk carried anything they had managed to save: a precious chicken, pots and pans, water containers, blankets and even mattresses.

"Oh man," - let out Carter - "Just when you think you've seen everything... This is a living Hell! What if the convent has been… too..." he went on, but the sentence died in his lips as Booth turned to give him a withering look.

"Don't!" he snapped.

"Hey, Carter, will you just shut your mouth and... drive!" ordered the Lieutenant.

Tension filled the vehicle and silence crushed once more on the squad. Words were so unnecessary. Sommers turned to Booth. The grave look on his face showed more than simple concern about a mission, the officer thought as bits and pieces of the conversation with the Colonel in charge of the Operations Base in Copalama surfaced in his mind.

Among the five missionaries there's a nun, not any nun. The big guns in D.C. want her back, alive. And they're sending us one of the best. Tough guy, Sniper, former Army Ranger, some serious ribbons, including a Presidential Unit Citation. He's FBI now. No messing around, Sommers. Is that clear?

More than clear now Sommers said to himself. He remembered the disappointment in Booth's face at not finding her among the people in the church the day before. He knew her and was deeply concerned about her. How deeply, however, was none of his business. One thing he had learned well over the years, obey and do not ask.

Booth stared at the void outside the carrier. Carter's words lingered in his mind mixing with the hopeful thoughts of Friar Nicholas before they left the mission in San Vicente.

Agent Booth, I am sure they are safe at the convent. Ours has resisted more than one earthquake in the past few decades, so will the one in San Miguel. We will pray our Lord for his mercy. And He will listen to our voice.

But what if Carter was right? What if...?

It was past one o'clock now and the distance between them and the convent seemed to never end. Booth looked at the GPS and sighed, another fourteen more miles till destination. Fourteen, long, interminable miles of silence and hope. Then he would finally know. The physical pain he had endured so far was nothing compared to the agony his heart was going through, and all he could do was to listen to the sound of its wild beat pounding in his ears.

B&B

San Miguel looked like a trampled ants' nest. People crawled everywhere and Carter had to further slow down. "Jeez!" - he let out as he drove past the main street - "That was close!" he went on steering suddenly so as not to run over a man who had decided to cross the street without paying much attention.

"Keep calm and watch out, Corporal. We should get to the end of the city pretty soon." Sommers pointed out.

"Roger that, sir."

Several languages could be heard all around, the world had promptly answered the call for help as usual, each country providing aid in its own way. Booth recognized the Doctors Without Borders logo in its French version Médecins sans frontières. There were really no frontiers, he thought. Men were all the same before natural calamities. Religious beliefs, political parties, skin color, nothing mattered except saving as many lives as possible and aid those in need in a desperate race against time.

The Convent of Saint Francis was situated just outside the city, on the road to Quelepa. Though the whole area had been ravaged by the earthquake the building was incredibly intact.

"I swear, guys, I don't believe in miracles, but after what we've been through this must sure as hell be a big one!" stated the paramedic as they walked through the open gate leading into the large complex. A fountain, surrounded by a number of neatly trimmed hedges, lay in the middle of the yard and welcomed them with the joyful sound of gushing water. Beyond the garden was a long series of arches, both on the ground and on the first floor of the vast convent. The red tile roof, though somewhat discolored by the sun, seemed perfect and so was the beautiful bell tower which reached up in the sky. They all stilled and looked at the place in awe, unable to believe how it had managed to survive. Many people moved around the arcades. A middle-aged friar turned and walked toward them, not at all surprised by the sudden appearance of the group.

"Good morning," - he welcomed - "We already have the aid we need to assist the people sheltered in our convent, but all the help our Lord sends is such a blessing right now."

"Father, we are more than willing to provide all the help we can, but," - said Booth - "we've driven all the way here to find Father Gabriel and Sister Temperance."

The Franciscan gave him a query look. Booth felt his heart skip a beat at the man's reaction and hastened to explain himself. "They were missing together with three other missionaries back in San Vicente. Communications were interrupted because of the quake, and I was sent to find them. Please tell us they are safe."

"Father Gabriel is here, attending to some badly affected people arrived at our convent over the past few days. Sister Temperance, however…," - he paused, and Booth remained suspended for what seemed an eternity before the man resumed his speech - "She's not here at the moment."

"Can you tell us where she is?" intervened the Lieutenant, thinking they had already had their fair share of distress too.

"She's at the dig."

Booth let out a deep sigh, and his face brightened up immediately. The rest of the squad was puzzled. "Can someone show me how to get there?" he asked.

"Of course. Let me call one of the boys," he said before leaving.

"Thank you," - said Booth. Then he turned to Sommers - "I think you can all stay here and see if these people need any more help. I can handle this on my own."

"Very well, Sir" replied the Lieutenant.

B&B

They walked in silence, and the boy led the way deftly avoiding the large pools of water along the route. Booth reckoned he must be fourteen at the very most. He mused on how excited the boy had been at seeing him all dressed up in his FBI attire, quite different from the rest of the military squad he was with. His eyes were as dark as his hair and shone with a light Booth remembered so well. It was the light that sparkled in his eager eyes when he was the same age. More, he always wanted to know more.

"You FBI?" asked the boy incapable of holding his curiosity any longer.

"Yeah," answered Booth.

"You kill bad people?"

"I did." - Booth pondered that in a few years' time his son would be asking him the same questions, too. Boys were all alike. - "Now, I don't. But I arrest bad people."

"You good police," stated the boy solemnly in his strong native accent.

Booth's lips slightly turned upwards. Suddenly the boy stopped to point out at a figure half visible some thirty yards on the right hand side of the road. "Sister Temperance," - he paused - "Very nice lady," he said truthfully.

Booth's feet stopped, and his heart beat stopped, too, as he looked at the familiar silhouette bent inside the large hole. He smiled, took off his blue hat, and placed it on the boy's head. "Thank you Felix. You can go back to the convent now," he said, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you," the boy replied, proudly running his slender fingers on the white letters of the cap.

A/N: so how did you like this new part? thanks for reading and reviewing, Lilly