A/N: Posting early out of town for several days...will try to post Wednesday again, but might be Thursday depending - Enjoy
Many thanks to "Terri1" my first beta, "Terri1" returned to Tears from Heaven. It seems fitting she was with me for the beginning and now for the finale. My grateful thanks for her efforts, always a pleasure Terri. Without her this story would have never been started and it would have been difficult to conclude as well. If you think it reads well, you all need to thank Terri and her wonderful edits.
Special thanks to "JenLovesBones" & "Angiebc" who spent hours with me assisting in constructing the finale.
Hugs to "Angiebc", she nursed me through the middle part of the story, I'm particularly proud of the "Wedding" and "Patty" Angie has a special touch and pointed out where I was definitely leaving gaps. Pa has her to thank.
All my Beta's have made me a better writer and I hope you enjoy our combined efforts.
Special thanks to all my patient readers for letting me finish this story on my own timetable, I've noticed I lost a few but I hope my consistent updates will make you feel more lenient towards my efforts. Those who have stuck with me, my grateful thanks
Visit the Wong Foo's & the Coffee Cart Sections of Bonesology or follow me on Twitter TravelingSue2
Question from last chapter - Favorite Brennan undercover personality is…? This is a real toss us Roxie definitely but I found Patty was actually very well recieved, but to declare a winner... of course it was Roxie :)
Chapter 54 – Where are they?
Brennan pulled back after a few moments and looked into Booth's eyes. She couldn't miss the rage simmering within them. She laid hand on Booth's cheek and said, "I'm all right. She's alive and that's what we have to focus on. We'll find her." Her voice caught as she added, "Won't we?"
Booth could literally see Bones was detaching herself as much as possible and took a calming breath knowing he had to do the same. Pulling her close he murmured into her hair, "Bones, are you doubting us?"
She pulled back and stared into his reassuring eyes. "No, never. We always find our man and I don't expect this to be any different."
Booth smiled grimly and said, "Okay, let's see how far that trace took us. Get John on the line while I get us back on the road."
Bones dialed the phone while Booth pulled back onto the highway.
John where are you?
"Just got back to the Jeffersonian with the squints. We've retrieved quite a bit of evidence from Scott Ferguson's house. Why?" John asked.
"Jack-Jack just contacted us a few minutes ago. Did you arrange for that trace?" Booth asked.
"Absolutely," John replied then turned to Angela. "Can you get a position on the last caller Booth received?"
"Sure give me a minute," Angela responded.
John turned on the speaker phone option and placed it on the desk next to Angela. She asked, "Booth, what happened?"
Booth looked at Bones and voiced their worst fears. "Jack-Jack abducted Issie and Max. We're heading back to DC unless you can give me a better destination."
Angela gasped. "Oh my god, you must be going out of your mind."
Booth sighed. "That's putting it mildly, but we won't find her if we're out of control and I'm counting on that evidence you found at Scott's house to help us determine where he might head next. Is Sweets around?"
Sweets stepped up to the phone and answered, "What do you need Booth? We're all here."
"Based on Jack-Jack's profile, what do you think his next move will be?" Booth asked.
"He'll be looking for a safe place to hide out. He's on the run. He has to be weak from the loss of blood… yeah he's definitely going into hiding. What did he say when he contacted you?"
Booth took a moment to fill them in and then added, "Angela, I doubt you can find anything useful but I have a proof of life video he sent me. Maybe you can figure something out from that."
"Send it over Booth. Oh by the way the Massachusetts State police just sent me a data packet, what's on it?" Angela asked.
"Video of where we think Max and Issie were abducted. I'm hoping the abduction was caught on the cameras," Booth answered.
"Okay, I'll load that into my mainframe along with all the photographs and documents we found at Scott Ferguson's house." She paused then added, "Bren, once I get everything loaded, I want to video conference you and Booth in. Maybe between all of us we can figure out Scott's next move."
"Good idea. Have you completed the trace?" Bones asked.
"Yeah it's just coming up. Now the cell towers he used are triangulating on the NY area. What time do you think the abduction took place and I can get a better idea of where he might be?" Angela asked as the squints all focused on a map that included the southern New England states and New York/New Jersey areas.
"About 2 hours ago?" Booth answered quickly.
"Okay, based on that, I'd say he's probably located in western Massachusetts or Connecticut." Surprised she asked, "Do you really think he'd actually try to cut through New York City?"
"No I don't. If I were him I'd be staying to the outskirts and circling the city even if meant it'd take me longer to get to where I'm going," Booth replied.
Sweets added, "I agree. Jack-Jack would be fully aware that more law enforcement would be focused on finding his vehicle on the interstates. I'd say he's going to be using back roads for the most part hoping to pass undetected."
Booth agreed. "I just received an Amber Alert update. The Massachusetts State Police identified the vehicle in the video they sent you along with the license plate. I'm sure Jack-Jack is monitoring those signals as well."
Then he asked, "Sweets any idea where he might be headed? Where he might feel safe?"
"I'd say we need to locate that cabin. Based on the existing profile I believe that's where he'd be headed," Sweets replied.
Booth pondered. "John, did Perotta interrogate Scott's co-workers yet?"
John nodded and replied, "Yeah, she has. Martin said Scott would often take off to his cabin to go fishing and hunting."
"Did he have any idea where it was located?" Bones interrupted.
"Not exactly but he thought it wasn't more than three or four hours away," John replied.
"Angela, can when you get those photographs uploaded? Let's keep the search within a three- to four-hour radius of D.C.," Booth asked.
"That makes sense," Angela replied.
Cam interrupted, her cop instincts coming to the forefront. "Booth, I'd stick to the interstate. If what we're saying is true, you'll make better time and if we have a little luck we might be able to give you a destination within a few hours."
Booth nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Call us when you're ready for the Web conference?"
"You got it Booth. Expect my call within the hour," Angela responded and then hung up the phone.
She turned to the others and said, "Okay, I need every one of you to start scanning the photographs and documents into my mainframe."
Hodgins who like the others had been standing by Angela's desk as they'd spoken to Booth and Brennan interrupted. "Ange, I'm going to examine the hiking boots we found. Maybe I can help pinpoint the area?"
Angela smiled at her husband and said, "Sounds good."
Bren, where are you?
"We're approaching the George Washington Bridge in New York," Bones quickly replied staring into the faces of her "family."
John replied, "You're making good time. Hopefully between all of us we can give you a real destination."
Booth interrupted, "Everyone, Jack-Jack said he'd be calling within the hour. So when I signal, all chatter ceases okay?"
Bones watched as her team nodded their heads and John replied for all of them. "You got it Booth."
Angela asked, "Sweets, would you mind directing? I can think faster if I can focus the technology."
"Sure Angela." Sweets began to explain.
"To provide this in the proper context I'm going to have Angela step through the evidence we found, so it may appear I'm not staying on point but there is a purpose."
Seeing Brennan and Booth's nods he began, "Right now, what you're seeing is a diary page from Corporal Peterson, Scott's father. It's dated August 1972. You'll notice on the diary page he writes of his time as a POW and that he'd been stationed at Khe Sanh. Marines and Naval aviators had been stationed there, which explains how he might have gotten the playing cards," Sweets detailed.
Angela changed the image to a cabin in the woods, with a mountain peak in the distance; she then split the screen and brought up a unique rock formation with the same peak in the distance. "These are pictures we found in Scott's photo album. Along with these he had pictures of his animal kills. We think this might be his hideaway."
"Can you tell where the cabin is?" Booth asked.
"Not yet and unfortunately we didn't find any documentation on property ownership. But I think we can determine the general area from the peak in the distance, which should at least narrow it down to an area of a couple hundred miles," Angela replied.
Brennan said, "Angela take into account the sun's angle on that peak. That should give us a better idea of direction were this photograph was taken." She added hopefully, "We might be able to cut that number in half if not more."
"Great idea. I'll combine this data and check it against the U.S. Geographical Mapping software. I'm pretty confident we should have a name to the peak in no time," Angela replied.
The ringing of Booth's phone interrupted all further discussions
Before they answered, Bones pressed mute on her laptop. Once done she nodded for Booth to pick up the call.
"Booth."
"Agent Booth, how are you?" Scott's genial voice somehow sounded more ominous than before.
"You know damn well how I'm feeling," Booth replied, careful not to call him Scott hence tipping his hand.
"I'm assuming you've been in touch with Dr. Brennan?" Booth raised a surprised brow and signaled quickly for her not to speak.
"And how would I do that?" Booth asked playing dumb trying to determine just how much Scott knew.
"Come, come Agent Booth. Don't tell me you hadn't heard that your lady love had been hiding in Texas all these years. And having seen her daughter, I don't have to be an anthropologist to know she's your daughter too." Booth pursed his lips then demanded, "Okay, if what you say is true, why would I know that Bones is alive and where she is? Don't you think I'd be trying to find her?"
"I've heard you've taken a shine to the new addition to the lab. I believe her name is Dr. Addison." Booth would have laughed had the situation not been so serious.
"What's Patty got to do with this?" Booth demanded.
"Now I was only able to determine so much from the limited access to the WITSEC database, but I have determined that Dr. Addison arrived accompanied by your daughter. What puzzles me is that you don't seem all that upset about Dr. Brennan." Jack-Jack laughed. "I believe your former flame would be offended at being cast off for a Brennan wannabe," he added.
Booth played into it not wanting to reveal Brennan was indeed alive and sitting right next to him. "We haven't been able to locate her. She was separated from her WITSEC protection. That's why Dr. Addison accompanied Issie and the WITSEC agent to DC."
"Well, then, Agent Booth, her daughter and father are in grave danger. I'd say you better redouble your efforts to find her?" Jack-Jack sneered.
"Okay, I'll play along. Where are you planning this exchange if it were to happen?" Booth answered gripping Brennan's hand tightly.
"Agent Booth, you surprise me. You actually think I'm going to tell you now, when I know you're trailing me as we speak?" Scott replied his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Believe me if I knew where you were I'd have already stopped you," Booth barked.
"I have no doubt, Agent Booth. Are you ready for your proof of life video update?" Jack-Jack asked.
"How do I know it's just not a video feed from earlier?" Booth demanded.
"Ah, you have learned a few things from your squints I see. Fine, Agent Booth. My associate will provide you a live feed. You'll have to forgive me, I won't be providing sound from this point forward. I will call again in a few hours to provide further instruction," Scott said his voice devoid of emotion once more.
Brennan and Booth then saw the phone transition from voice to video. As Scott indicated no sound was provided, which didn't make it any less heart breaking. Scott's accomplice had obviously rolled back the protective covering of the Navigator's cargo area. Issie's eyes blinked against the sudden introduction of light, her eyes initially sleepy and then wide with fear. Just as they confirmed their daughter was indeed alive the video feed was cut.
Dumbfounded they stared at the image of Issie's eyes wide with fear, frozen for it seemed an eternity.
"Booth, what do you need?" Cam asked breaking the stunned silence.
Glancing over at Bones their eyes met briefly, he said, "Our daughter."
Booth then looked back at the webcam and said, "I need a destination."
Okay where am I heading?
Two hours later Angela and the team had managed to scan all the documents and match them against the U.S. Geological survey maps. Booth and Brennan had just passed the outskirts of Philadelphia when Angela had called, less than two hours from D.C. The photographs had been indispensible. Angela and Zack had been able to pinpoint Jack-Jack's cabin from the location. It was just outside of Schwenksville, PA.
"Great job everyone," Booth said as he took an off-ramp to I-76 West. Then he asked, "Angela, can you get an exact address?"
"Booth, I'm sorry. I don't think I can unless he decides to call from there and we can triangulate," Angela said regretfully.
"That's okay Ange. Just be ready if he does," Booth said. "John, send pictures of the cabin to the local police in Schwenksville, see if they can't be of any help. Bones and I should be there within a few hours."
John stood. Brennan and Booth watched as he paced back and forth in Angela's office, his anxiety and determination seeming to build with each step. He said, "I'm coming. Don't do a thing without me."
"We can't wait John," Bones said. She looked at Booth. "We can't risk it."
"Bren, I'm coming. I don't think you two can subdue Jack-Jack and his accomplice without some help. This is definitely more than a two-man job," John said emphatically.
Booth said, "What do you suggest?"
"WITSEC has had a jet on standby since this all happened. I'll leave for the airport immediately," John replied, determination coloring his voice
"How long do you think it'll take you to get there?" Booth asked.
"About three hours in total," John replied.
Booth then looked thoughtfully at Bones and said, "John, if you're coming bring Riley and Costa with you. Make sure they have their sniper rifles with them." Then he asked, "Do you have any close quarters combat training?"
John nodded, "Yes of course. Do you have a plan?"
"Yeah, but I need to talk to Bones about it first," Booth said. It would be risky but he already knew Bones would do anything to save Issie. The question was, would he risk Bones? "John, bring both the camo and black-out gear. I'm hoping to hit them prior to dawn. They've lost a lot of blood and have traveled a long way"
"You got it. Leaving now, I'll call Riley and Costa and have them meet me at the airport. I'll call you when we've reached Philly Int'l," John replied, already moving.
"Okay John, talk to you in a couple of hours." Booth then focused on Angela and asked, "Angela can you work with Charlie to get that request into the Schwenksville police department?"
"No problem, Booth. Is there anything else we can do?" Angela asked. Her eyes met his.
"Pray," Booth said and cut the video feed.
A/N: R&R is very much appreciated. And thank you for spending sometime with my story, it's definitely my baby just as Issie is Brennan's... lol Question: Wow what date/timeframe do you think is on that slip of paper B&B burnt in BitB? This year, next year?
