Chapter 25
... bruised ...

Booth swallowed hard, hearing the words of Officer Simmons. Then he managed to utter "Is she okay... I mean not...?"

"Some bruises but nothing serious. I know what you mean, but she's okay. She said Dr. Brennan saved her... and made it possible for her to escape." Simmons answered.

Booth closed his eyes and relieve swept over him. 'She's alive' he thought.

"Agent Booth, I think you should talk to Miss Greene. We know, where they are with Dr. Brennan, but I think we have to react quickly or they will be on their way. Miss Greene could give you information about the house. We already have some people there to observe it, but..."

"We'll go in there with our team. I'll inform Agent O'Brian. Where are you?" Booth interrupted. 'No time to loose' he thought.

Officer Simmons told him where they were and Booth and the other FBI agents left McGillen's farm, leaving back only two agents to wait for Mary's father and explain everything. While they were driving Booth called Angela to keep the Squints informed.

Fifteen minutes later Officer Simmons led Booth and O'Brian to Tamara Greene. She was sitting in an ambulance car, wrapped up in a blanket and holding a cup of tea. She looked small and fragile, but her eyes showed no fear.

"Hi, Tamara, I am Agent Booth, this is Agent O'Brian. I am Dr. Brennan's partner"

Tammy cocked her head thoughtfully, then asked „Partner? But I thought she was working with old bones?" Booth nodded "That's right, but sometimes we need her to help us on current cases too... Tamara, could you please tell me what happened?"

She took in a deep breath, then started to explain. He told him how two men kidnapped her and how she had feared they would spot her little brother in the tree house. Then they had blindfolded her, so she could not see, where they were driving. After what seemed hours they finally reached their destination and one of the men had brought her to the cellar where she had met Dr. Brennan.
"She was... very kind. We have been talking most of the time... I don't know how long I was there... We slept a little. Tempe said I'll need my strength... Then the man came. He said it was his house... he said something about not being like the other two man, that he wants grown-up women... " At this part Booth closed his eyes. "... and then she hit him ... he forgot to close the door and she told me to run and inform Agent Booth of the FBI... I made it out of the house... nobody there, so it was easy..." Suddenly her eyes were filled with tears. "The man... he beat her... I hope she is not hurt... She was so kind..." she stammered.

"It's okay, Tamara. We'll get her out. Just tell us more about the house, okay?" O'Brian gently asked her, knowing that Booth was still struggling to keep the professional appearance.

Tamara told them about the cellar and the staircase that led into the kitchen, where she had found a backdoor to escape. "It is a farm... you know. No houses nearby... I thought if I stay on the road, they are going to see me! So I ran through the fields and then I found this house and Mrs. Pickley here... and she called the police for me... although I told her to call the FBI!" Tammy frowned.

Booth cleared his throat, then said "Thank you Tamara... you really are a brave girl. Officer Simmons and his collegues will take you to your parents now, is that okay?"
She nodded, smiling at the thought of seeing her parents again, but then her face went serious again. "Will I meet Tempe again?"

Booth gave her a wry smile "I hope so, I really hope so..."

Officer Simmons interrupted "Come, Tammy... let's go... don't you want a ride in a police car?" he offered her his arm, playing the perfect gentleman for a lady and she smiled. "Yeah, my little brother is going to be soooo jealous!"

When they had left, O'Brian looked at Booth. "It's been about an hour now, since Tamara has left the farm... ten minutes, running through the fields... it would have been less time, if Mrs. Pickley had believed the girl and called us immediately, but I guess she did not want to call the FBI because of a girl's story..."

Booth only nodded. In his head the words "he beat her... I hope she is not hurt" where still twirling.

"Agent O'Brian?" a young female agent was approaching them "The team is now ready!"

"Okay... let's go!" O'Brian and Booth turned to follow the other agents.
'God, I hope she is there... and alive' Booth thought.

30 minutes earlier

Brennan was awake, but she'd rather be sleeping... the pain from the bruises and the laceration on her face were always there, but bearable... but after Tammy's company being alone seemed to be even more hopeless than before.

She sighed and tried to will herself back to sleep, but when she heard loud voices from above she concentrated to overhear the argument.

She could identify the voices of Archibald Marks and Robert Spencer... the third voice had to be the man that had hit her. They were quarrelling, the voices were loud enough to make out every word.

"... are you an idiot? I mean... leaving the door open... why did you even go there? I told you not to open the door!" this was Marks' voice.

"...this is my house...!" the unknown man interrupted.

"...and the girl could escape because you are stupid!" Marks shouted. "Rob... I told you... don't trust anybody. I wanted the girl... she belonged to me! I wanted her to make friends with Brennan... It would have been the greatest satisfaction to have her ... and hurt the woman with it... instead that idiot left the door open!"

"...Archie, calm down, we have to leave..." Spencer wanted to interrupt.

"... hey... don't call me an idiot... NOT IN MY HOUSE!" the other man's voice was furious.

"... idiot!" Brennan heard Marks scream, then she heard rumble and noise from above. It sounded as if they were fighting but suddenly everything went silent.

"...GOD! Arch, what have you done? He... He is dead!" Spencer shouted panicked. "You killed him!"

"... he lost my little toy, he deserved it!" Marks voice came nearer, Brennan heard his footsteps on the stair.

She decided her best chance was to pretend to be unconscious and maybe surprise them, but her spirits were low. 'I am too weak..., but ...Tammy made it out...that's good... at least she is going to survive...' she thought.

Then somebody opened the door.