(The Corpse on the Canopy)

A/N: this chapter is rated T for violence and language.

I don't own Bones.

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They woke from a deep sleep with blood dripping on them from the canopy overhead and that triggered a moment of terror for both Hodgins and Angela. Someone had been killed, the body flayed and draped over their canopy. For that to have been accomplished without waking them, both Hodgins and Angela had been drugged which left them defenseless and that terrified them.

In a state of panic, they called Booth and Brennan who came over to the house as soon as possible. It took Booth awhile to calm his friends down, but he knew they all needed to remain calm. It was obvious that Christopher Pelant had left a gruesome calling card and things were about to escalate in ways they couldn't imagine.

"I thought you had someone watching Angela, Hodgins?" Pulling back a window curtain, Booth didn't see anyone parked on the street.

"Yeah, I do when she's at work but not when she's home. I'm here and I thought." He paused and looked up at the gruesome body lying on the canopy above the bed. "I thought Pelant would never try anything if I were here with her. I mean we have security alarms on the doors and windows . . . I . . . I was wrong and I'm sorry Angela."

Slowly shaking her head, Angela stepped closer to her husband and placed her arms around him. "No, don't do that. You're not responsible for what he did. That man is a monster and . . . and we're going to get him. He is not going to get away with this. He isn't."

"Shh." Hodgins knew that his wife was afraid and so was he. "I'm going to make sure someone is watching us all the time until Pelant is captured. He is not going to do this again. I swear it Angela. I swear it."

His attention upon the body, Booth sighed. "We have to find out who this is and fast. This is a message. We need to find out what this message means."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Tom Molnor was angry, but unlike most people who were powerless to do anything about a wrong done to them, Tom had his own private army. It had taken him years to put Serberus into operation, but that was time well spent. His company had an international reputation that gave him power and connections to many heads of state. He provided security for many dictators, kings and princes in the world. Rich businessmen and women used his services as well and they trusted him to keep them safe. His business was built on that trust and one man had tried to destroy what Tom had taken years to build. One man.

"Christopher Pelant." Leaning back against his chair, Tom stared at his head of operations, Adam Church. "Somehow Pelant killed Xavier Freeman and left his body in Dr. Hodgins' house. How is that possible?"

"Xavier was Special Forces. The man was a Navy Seal for God's sake." Adam still couldn't get over the fact that one man with no military training, who had never served in any branch of the service had killed a man who should have made mincemeat of him. "From what I understand, Pelant is a fucking computer nerd. I can't believe this either. He had to have help. He didn't do this alone."

Slowly shaking his head, Tom knew they couldn't deny what had happened. "No, Agent Booth says this was done by one man and Agent Brewer told me that Pelant is their only suspect . . . Apparently Pelant is a psychopath and he's suspected of killing four other people besides Xavier. He doesn't care who he kills as long as it moves his agenda along, whatever the hell that is."

His jaw clenched, Adam rubbed his chin with his hand and stared at a painting on the wall behind his boss. "We can't let him get away with this . . . When the word gets out that a man like Xavier was murdered by Pelant, it will destroy this company. If we can't protect ourselves then no one will trust us to protect them."

"I know that, Adam." Tom leaned back against his chair and placed his hands on the arms of his chair. "It's time Pelant was stopped . . . permanently."

Adam agreed. "We don't have a choice. I'll contact Jason. He can handle this."

"Jason?" Tom thought about it for the moment and nodded his head. "I think you're right. It has to be Jason."

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Jason Lau had joined the United States Navy right out of high school and during his career he became a highly decorated Navy Seal. He served with Xavier Freeman and when Xavier left the service he talked Jason in to joining him in working for a new company that offered to pay high wages and allowed them to continue to use the skills they had learned as Seals.

Jason and Xavier were close friends and when Tom called Jason into his office, he didn't expect to hear what he was told. "You're telling me some computer nerd killed Xavier?" His voice was calm, almost emotionless, but inside he felt a white hot anger burning through him.

Solemnly, Tom explained what had happened to Xavier and he could see that he had Jason's undivided attention. "According to Agent Booth, Xavier was tortured and the intense pain he went through caused him to die . . . his body was stripped of it's skin and then the body was dumped at the home of Dr. Jack Hodgins. Hodgins works for the Jeffersonian in their Medico-Legal Lab. Apparently, the man who did this, Christopher Pelant was sending some kind of warped message to the doctor. Now Agent Booth didn't tell me it was Pelant that murdered Xavier, but I do know that Pelant is their only suspect."

Slowly releasing his breath, Jason finally responded. "Do we have any connection to this Pelant? Any connection at all?"

"No, Agent Booth asked the same question, but we've never done business with Pelant nor have we had contact with the man . . . I don't know why he chose Xavier. Maybe you can ask Pelant when you find him." Tom stared at Jason and waited for the man to respond.

A grim, evil smile on his face, Jason nodded his head. "Christopher Pelant will not like the questions I plan to ask him." Glancing at his watch, the mercenary nodded his head. "I have some reports that are due at the end of this day, but I think they're going to be late."

"I understand." Tom stood up and shook Jason's hand. "I don't want any paper work on this particular job. Just come see me when you're done."

"Of course." Jason walked over to the door and looked back before he opened the door. "I'm going to be out of pocket for a few days . . . Let Adam know."

Seated behind his desk, Tom smiled at Jason. "Adam knows already. Don't underestimate Pelant. Xavier was one of the best."

"Oh, I won't. You can be sure of that, Sir."

Oooooooooooooooo

Groggy, feeling disoriented, Pelant opened his eyes and blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision. His throat dry, he worked up some saliva in this mouth and swallowed. Not sure why he felt so badly, he tried to move off of his bed and found he couldn't. His vision clearer, he looked up and realized he wasn't in his bedroom. Struggling, he found that his arms were tied down to a table of some kind as were his legs. "What . . . What's going on? Heh, what's going on?"

He heard a door open behind him and because he couldn't move his head, he had to wait for whoever had tied him up to move around the table and come into his line of sight.

"It's about time you woke up."

Afraid, he looked at the man standing over him wearing camouflage clothing and he feared the worse. "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped me? You'd better let me go. I'm not someone you should anger."

Amused, Jason leaned over Pelant and smiled. "Think a lot of yourself, don't you? You've got away with the murder of five people . . . one of them was my best friend . . . you shouldn't have done that."

"I haven't murdered anyone." Pelant was sweating. "If I'd killed someone the FBI would have me in custody, but they don't. There is no proof I killed anyone. Let me go and I'll forget all about this."

Chuckling, Jason shook his head. "I've read your file. I know who you are and I know the FBI suspects you of killing a reporter, an exchange student, a school counselor, a scientist and . . . and Xavier Freeman. Somehow, you've managed to make sure there was no evidence for three of them, but you screwed up with the counselor and Xavier."

Afraid, Pelant started to struggle against his bonds. "The FBI is trying to frame me. They want to get rid of me because I'm a hacktivist and they don't like my activism. This government has done evil things with the help of the FBI and the CIA. I tried to show what they've been doing to the people of this country and they stopped me, but I have a mission. I'm going to continue to show the world what they've done."

Jason let Pelant talk until he ran out of things to say. "I have a friend who works for the FBI and like I said, I've seen your file . . . you're a serial killer and you've found a way to make sure there is no evidence to convict you up until now. You're a wanted man. Why you stayed in this country is beyond me, but you crossed lines no one should ever cross."

"The FBI can't prove I killed anyone and neither can you." Feeling a little spark of confidence, Pelant licked his lips. "Look, I am wanted by the FBI and they probably have a reward for my capture. Turn me in, but you'll find out that they don't have anything on me because I didn't kill anyone."

"Who said I was going to turn you over to the FBI?" Jason leaned closer to Pelant. "You killed my best friend. You desecrated his body . . . An eye for an eye, Mr. Pelant . . . I'm a firm believer in an eye for an eye."

Terrified, Pelant began to scream for help.

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