Disclaimer I don't own Bones. 'Nuff said.
Ptara thank you for the correction. Someone remind me to ignore the guinness book of world records...
4evercasket yeah I had one of those teachers in school too. There's always one and if you're lucky you never cross paths.
Mendenbar as you know not all good teachers are good ones =/.
Thank you for the reviews everyone. Thank you for adding my story to your update alerts as well you silent lurkers you. Now without further ado...and please don't hate me...
Chapter 23 Day of the Butterfly
Maluku: July 10th
After her morning routine, which had now become somewhat of a public spectacle Brennan made her way to the kitchen for coffee. She sat in the camp chairs listening to the men discuss their patrols the night before as she sipped her coffee. Finishing her coffee she slipped quietly into the hut grabbed her shower supplies and went to take her shower.
As she slipped into the hut after her shower, she heard Booth shifting restlessly. Looking over she saw his eyes open and watching her. She grinned over her shoulder and began pulling on her clothes for the butterfly festival. When she was finished dressing she winked at him and left carrying the first aid box in one hand and her sandals in the other.
She sat back down in the circle of chairs and began dressing her foot. She heard the men hiss again as she poured alcohol over her foot. Chuckling she continued her bandaging. She slid into her sandals then went and got a second cup of coffee. She watched as the squints slid by going to the shower two or three at a time. Booth strode to the camp chairs carrying his coffee grinning at the wolf whistles.
Hodgins came striding out his blue and purple teluk beskap and black baggy pants. Booth snickered until he saw Angela approach from behind wearing something very similar to Brennan's but in purple and black instead of blue. Booth whistled with his eyes twinkling in appreciation. Angela gave her famous smile and winked.
Cam and Michelle came out next Cam in a green that was almost black and Michelle in spring green hues. Angela squealed and clapped her hands at their near matching outfits. Sgt. Jace approached wearing his red teluk beskap with black jeans. Brennan nodded then looked over as Charlie approached and nodded again. Sweets approached grumbling about his color.
Brennan gave a smile and then frowned counting, turning around she looked at Booth.
He turned and barked,
"Parks, Goodman let's go! You're holding us up." The two soldiers came stomping out of the tent frowning.
Brennan laughed behind her hand and said,
"Switch teluk beskaps. I am sorry I mixed them up."
They looked at her in question and she bubbled out,
"Your shirts switch your tops." They stripped their shirts and switched them.
Everyone climbed into the jeeps and they headed out. Finding a parking place, they climbed out and began to climb onto the barge.
"Why are we not taking the jeeps?" Booth questioned her with a frown.
"With the festival there will be no room on the barge," Brennan replied bluntly. The stood together at the prow of the barge and watched as Ternate came closer.
Turning she said,
"Ange as many pictures of the dignitaries as you can get and as close as possible. If they'll allow it try to get some with one of us in it." Angela nodded in understanding.
"Everyone try to get as many pictures as possible. Hodgins I know this will be exciting for you but please not too many pictures of bugs," she told them quietly.
Hodgins looked on in confusion not understanding why the bugs comment. The barge bumped against the dock and Brennan grabbed Booth's hand. They all casually strolled onto the dock and looked around. The market place was awash with colors and people. People dressed in green and black with butterfly decorations were everywhere. The smell of food burst around them and Brennan heard Booth's stomach growl.
Laughing she led him to a stall and ordered, Booth allowed her to choose. The others were spread around the market place taking pictures and shopping. Dignitaries were spread throughout the market place. Cam was smiling with Michelle and getting pictures of her with dignitaries. Brennan smiled and watched as Sweets walked with Cam and Michelle silently observing.
As Booth and Brennan passed a market stall, she heard the woman call out,
"You picked well that color matches her eyes exactly."
Stopping she turned and smiled then translated for Booth. He grinned and winked at the old woman who nodded with a smile. They spent the afternoon walking around watching the dances and ceremonies. Brennan took frequent pictures as they walked through the ceremonies. The sun was lowering in the sky when she pulled him towards the main square of the city. There were people standing around just standing there waiting, for what only Brennan knew. Booth looked around and found Angela, pulling Brennan towards them.
Reaching them, he asked,
"Do you know what's going on? Bones won't tell me."
Hodgins grinned and Angela told Booth,
"Jack won't tell me either."
As dusk settled firmly in place, the square became silent and everyone looked up. Booth looked up and saw a mass of butterflies descending on them. One by one, the butterflies perched on people, buildings anything not moving. Hodgins was squealing like a little girl taking pictures. Booth couldn't believe the beauty of thousands upon thousands of butterflies perching everywhere.
"Don't move don't make a sound," Hodgins said from behind Booth.
Glancing down but not moving he saw an amazing site that Hodgins was taking a picture of. Brennan stood facing him covered in butterflies, but the most amazing was a male perched on the bridge of her nose. Its wings opening and closing giving the effect of blinking eyes. Angela stood on his other side video recording with her camera.
The crowd hushed and moved away from them clearing a circle for the woman covered in butterflies. As the sun was setting, the butterflies took flight and Brennan was left standing alone in the middle of the circle. As the butterflies took flight, everyone turned to watch. When Booth turned around Brennan was gone.
"Bones! BONES!" He pushed frantically around looking for her but she was gone.
B&B
Brennan watched as the butterflies took flight with a small smile. Her face was covered with a cloth and the world went dark. She awoke later in a dark hole with her hands and feet tied, her Kebaya torn from her. She glanced around the walls were dirt, the floor was dirt and the ceiling appeared to be boards set loosely over her.
Taking a deep calming breath, she began to cry when it didn't help. Panic was setting in where was Booth. Taking another deep breath, she listened carefully and heard nothing to pinpoint her location. Then she felt the slow rumble and smelled sulfur. She heard grunting and then two boards were lifted and before she could get to her feet a body was dumped in the hole.
Scrambling towards it, she recognized Michelle and her heart stopped and then began to beat at a frantic pace. She pressed her fingers to her throat and felt the beat of her heart. Sighing in relief she pulled the girls upper body into her lap and sat back to wait. She listened in horror as a young woman screamed in terror. She heard noises she would rather never remember but knew would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life.
B&B
Booth's heart froze cold when he heard,
"MICHELLE!" Cam's cry of distress echoed across the square and Booth ran towards it Angela and Hodgins on his heels. They reached her and she was in tears, Angela pulled her into a hug.
"Seeley you have to find her," Cam cried. Booth snapped his attention to Goodman who was accessing the crowd. Sweets came running towards them; once everyone was together, Booth looked around.
"Belts off now!"
Everyone began pulling off their belts. Booth then began tying them wrist to wrist leaving himself at the front, Parks in the rear and Goodman in the middle with a belt at his waist leaving one hand free. Pulling out their weapons, he led them back to the barge and climbed on.
Reaching Tidore, they surrounded the jeep and began untying each other. Climbing in they made a break neck pace back to the base camp. The jeeps squealed to a halt and Booth began bellowing orders. In less than three minutes, there was an official meeting in the offices.
B&B
"Michelle I need you to stay quiet. I do not want to draw attention to us. These are slaveholders and if we don't draw attention, it will give us time to get out of here. I will call the attention to me so stay quiet and don't draw any attention to yourself," Brennan whispered when she heard Michelle's first groan. Michelle nodded and then froze as the sound of a young girl's cries reached her ears. Brennan hugged her close and let the silent tears fall for the poor young girl being brutalized. The horrific sounds drifted around them and with each agonizing scream Brennan shuddered and Michelle sobbed.
B&B
"What do we know?" Booth thundered at the stunned people in the room with him. Charlie opened his mouth and Booth slashed his hand at him.
"Charlie I appreciate that you are the FBI on this case, but this is a security issue which means it's under the military jurisdiction at the moment. This is not about the murders this is about getting Bones and Michelle back before..." Booth swallowed hard the thought of the catatonic intern popping to the forefront of his mind.
"What did they all have in common?" He scanned the room and no one said anything. He sighed and scanned again, he could see the squints minds racing for an answer.
"Okay while you guys are working on this I will go get the team ready to roll at a moment's notice," Booth growled as he walked out of the room.
Angela moved and began gathering cameras. She took them to the angelator and began uploading the pictures. When she was done, she began cross scanning for matching people in the pictures. She could hear Booth bellowing at the confused soldiers and she felt a pang of sorrow for his pain. She cried the silent tears of worry for her friends. Hodgins sat in front of his microscope reviewing his evidence frantically as Sgt. Nakamura paced behind him muttering in Japanese.
Hodgins glared at him over his shoulder, great he thought just what I need a Japanese Booth. Dr. Cane sat reviewing the evidence files for anything and Dr. Tanaka was examining the bones in hopes of finding something. Parks watched as Booth went into full Booth mode, making calls to Phoenix and the FBI. He had never seen Booth like this; he had never seen that strange light in his eyes. Angela came out to find Booth pacing and Parks watching. She walked closer, he glanced at her, and she sadly shook her head.
"How long will he be like this?" Parks questioned Angela who gave him a small smile.
"Until we get Bren back," she whispered," I've seen this too many times to count over the last five years. None of us will sleep until they are back this is what we do."
Angela moved off to Cam's hut hoping to be of some help to her. Walker made dinner and served it up however not much was eaten, as no one was hungry. Sighing Walker placed the leftovers in the fridge his eyes watering when he saw the leftover lava cakes still in the fridge.
Maluku: July 11th
Brennan watched as the moonlight drifted across the boards. It must be getting close to dawn she thought. Michelle had fallen asleep wrapped in her arms and Brennan cried while she slept.
"What are we going to do with those two," she heard from voices over her head.
"The boss said to hold them. We aren't selling them just holding them." Brennan's eyes got wide as she realized that the man spoke perfect English with a slight southern accent. Brennan sighed in relief but maybe too soon.
"Can we have some fun with them?"
"I don't see why not that snotty doctor needs to be broken. She thinks she knows it all, though the younger one might break easier," the man with the accent said slowly.
Brennan shuddered in fear knowing that she would have to get between them and Michelle. The men walked off discussing their plans and Brennan cried even harder knowing what she had to do. The hours passed and the sun crept across the sky and the pit remained somewhat cool.
The boards slid up and they were ordered to stand. Standing up Brennan pushed Michelle behind her and glared at their captors. The slovenly slave trader grinned menacingly at her and snatched her up by her arms. He got in her face and she grimaced at the smell of his fetid breath and rotten teeth. She reached back and scratched down the side of his face.
"I may not be able to break you for trade but I can break you just the same," he snarled as he jerked his head back from her hands. He pulled her from the pit and gestured for them to close it back up. Michelle stood struggling in her captors arms.
"Dr. Brennan noooooooo," she screamed in horror.
Brennan felt the humid air caress her body as he tore her clothes from her. Her captor roughly tied her hands to a tree stretching them wide. Pulling the top ropes up so her feet were lifted off the ground then tightening the ropes so she hung. Tying each foot to a different tree, he glared at her and walked off. Michelle was tied in a chair in front of her; she looked at Michelle and shook her head no. Michelle nodded with dull eyes that she understood; don't let them break you no matter what. Michelle's eyes flicked behind Brennan and widened in horror. Behind Brennan lay the beaten, broken and abused body of a young girl staring sightless towards them. A table leg sticking out of her where there shouldn't have been one. They left them staring at each other for more than an hour and then the man approached.
"When I am done you will not be so arrogant," he sneered out as she glared her hatred at him. Brennan saw the sawed off shotgun in his hands and tried not to shudder. He walked around the back of her and she closed her eyes and bit her lip. She heard the gun cock and she tensed her back not knowing what to expect.
The rock salt sprayed her back and she jerked in pain but did not let one cry escape her lips. Then she almost screamed when the salt water washed down her back. She did not loose consciousness, she wished she could but someone had to make sure Michelle was okay. Brennan saw Michelles eyes fill with tears and Brennan cleared her mind of the pain.
Brennan began to list mentally the bones of the human body as intended it brought her peace. She felt another bucket of cold ocean water run down her back and clenched her body to avoid the trembling of pain. She took a deep breath when the stinging stopped. She suddenly became aware of the horror in Michelle's eyes again.
Michelle tried to look away but as she did one of the captors would snatch her head back towards Brennan. Brennan felt the cold metal of a filet knife slide across her back in several places. There was no pain and she wondered what they were doing. She felt the cold trickle of water run down her back then her eyes widened as the water reached those spots and they began to burn.
Holding back her tears, Brennan bit her lip to keep from crying out as she felt the blood trickle down her back and legs. Then to add to the pain, there came the embarrassment as another bucket of water was slowly poured, with it Brennan felt the urine run down her legs. Michelle watched in utter terror as blood had begun to drip from Brennan's feet.
B&B
Nakamura watched as Booth paced, gently setting the coffee and plate down near the entrance to the tent. His friend was beyond speaking or rational thought. He sat watching, as did the rest of his men. Some were praying others just silently watching, they knew that their job would come with hazards but they wondered why Dr. Brennan? Why her?
They were still sitting there when Hodgins burst from the lab yelling,
"KING OF THE ISLAND LAB BABY!"
Booth jerked around as Hodgins came running up puffing out,
"Volcanoes, they had all been near Volcanoes. The women all had ash dust from Mt. Gamalama on Ternate!"
Booth began barking out orders and as quick, as Hodgins could blink they were geared and gone, the jeeps tearing out of the encampment.
B&B
Michelle let out a whimper as she watched the cat-o-nine tails shred into Dr. Brennan's back. The blood pool from the back of the unconscious Dr. Brennan was getting larger. Brennan's head hung between her shoulders in an unconscious slump and blood dripped down her back from the shredded skin on her back. Michelle glanced toward the sky to check on the time and noticed the sun was getting ready to set.
Michelle sent up a silent prayer for someone to save them before Dr. Brennan died if she hadn't already. She received an elbow to the back of the head for looking upwards and she immediately returned her eyes to Brennan watching for her to breathe and sucked in a breath but released it when she saw her take a shallow breath. Blinking back the tears, she pulled the strength from within herself so she would not cry out loud.
A/N Do they get rescued? Meh I'm not saying =P You'll have to read tomorrow to find out. Oh and since my cable company and I are at war I don't get fox. I watch it on huluu on Friday so PLEASE don't say anything in the reviews. I'd really appreciate it =)...
Reviews are awesome they make my day so please leave one. Hey even if you just grunt at me..I'm good iwth it..=D