AN: Thanks for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this chap.

Part Two: Nausea

Brennan reached the entrance to the warehouse a few steps ahead of Booth. A CSU technician stood just outside the door. His eyes were glassy and locked on something that only he could see. In one hand he held a box of latex gloves, in the other he held booties to slip on over shoes.

Brennan paused and looked at him.

"Booties and gloves, sir, I mean…ma'am…I mean…" The CSU tech's face contorted and he shoved the gloves and booties into Brennan's hands. He made it about four feet before hitting the ground and throwing up.

Booth stepped up beside Brennan and quickly grabbed a pair of gloves, as well as some extras for his back pocket. He slipped the booties on over his loafers and waited for Brennan. Brennan snapped the latex gloves on expertly and pulled the booties over her boots.

"Ready?" Booth asked.

"Yes."

They took a deep breath, and walked into the gaping darkness.

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The smell of meat was overpowering. There was no other way to describe it; freshly slaughtered meat. Brennan felt cool blood wash over her booties. She could almost swear that the blood was seeping up her leg.

At first, their brain refused to process what they were seeing. The walls were coated blood, and the floor ran thick with it. Thicker pieces of people were strewn about the room.

The blood wasn't the cherry red of movie blood. It was that dried rusty color that blood gets after it sets. Under the meat smell was the smell of so much blood, a metallic smell, almost like a tang to the air.

Booth held his hand over his nose, trying hard not to smell everything. He opened his mouth to breathe, but Brennan tapped his arm and shook her head.

"Breathe through your nose, I know the smell is terrible, but you'll taste it if you breathe through your mouth."

Booth nodded and continued to breathe shallowly through his nose. He would never get this stench out. Oh well, better than tasting it.

Booth wandered along the walls, numbly taking in what he was seeing. He had seen some bad stuff in his time, but nothing like this. This took slaughter to a whole new meaning.

He paused near a large piece of meat and lowered himself slowly. It had been a torso once. He poked it with his gloved finger. It had been female; of African descent. The only reason he could tell was her breasts were still intact.

He stood up and continued his sweep of the room. He wondered how many of these body parts belonged to the African woman. He glanced up along the wall and saw a shelf. He took a few steps back so he could see what was on it.

Trophies. It was a trophy shelf. Lined up in perfect symmetry, each one hanging limply…he blinked a few times, just to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing.

Penises, the shelf was lined with penises. He stared in openmouthed shock for a few minutes. That…was painful. He knew that each one would be tagged and taken to the FBI lab in Quantico for analysis. They would be able to tell if the poor bastards had been alive when their manhood was sliced from their bodies.

He noticed a door and shoved it opened lightly with his foot. Booth shone his flashlight around and paused in horror.

There was a girl nailed to the wall. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old. She was completely naked, her prepubescent body bloody and beaten. Her brown hair hung limply around her face. Booth's eyes traveled down the girl's body.

Her undeveloped chest was torn open, revealing her internal organs. Booth swallowed and took another step forward.

There was something in her vagina…he looked closer and bit back a wave of bile. A blade, someone had shoved a blade of some kind in this girl.

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There was an altar set up near the center of the room. The hunk of meat that was strapped to it had once been human, but no more. The legs were missing, as well as all outward sex indicators. From a distance, one couldn't tell if it was male or female.

Brennan stepped up to the altar. The corpse had been skinned, professionally. It was very difficult to skin someone and leave almost no trace, but she couldn't see what had removed the man's skin.

It was fascinating to see. Whoever had done this had left all the muscles in tact. It was like looking at one of those invisible human models, where the muscle could be seen and nothing else.

Brennan leaned close to the corpse's groin. The hips were not wide…male or very young female. "I think it was a male."

The body's eyes flew open and his skinless hand grasped Brennan's bare wrist. The hand slid up and down on her arm, leaving a trail of blood. The hand wouldn't have slipped so much, but without skin, there was no traction.

"Help…me…"

Brennan stared at the man in shock. He was alive! He had no skin, but he was alive! She did the only thing she could think of.

She screamed.

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Booth came tearing back into the main room at Brennan's scream. His heart was in his throat, hand on his gun. He slid to a stop and stared. The girl had been horrifying, but this was just plain down right psychotic.

The man, who everyone had assumed to be dead, was clutching at Brennan's wrist, begging for help. The man had no skin.

Booth shuddered, trying not to imagine the skinless touch. He took another slow step forward, not wanting to panic the man (or Brennan for that matter) any more than they already were.

Brennan was pulling away from the skinless creature (it was so very hard to think of it as a man). His skinless hand finally lost its grip, and Brennan fell backwards.

Booth watched, half in horror, half in fascination, as Brennan fell. Her feet scrambled for any purchase, but the blood soaked floor refused to give way. Booth ran forward carefully, not wanting to share the fate that his partner had.

Brennan hit the floor with a whump and a splash. Blood and thicker things flew everywhere. Her black jeans were quickly becoming the violet of blood soaked clothing. Her hair became sticky and clumped together.

Blood spattered across her face, some doubtlessly landing in her mouth. She swallowed convulsively and stared in silent horror at the skinless man.

Booth was there. He reached down and pulled Brennan to her feet.

"Bones?"

She just stared at the skinless man, not seeming to hear Booth's words. Booth turned and looked at the man as well.

"We'll send some paramedics in to help you…" he said quickly, before turning Brennan around and guiding her from the warehouse.

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"PARAMEDIC!" Booth bellowed as soon as they were out of the warehouse. The flashing strobe lights momentarily blinded them. Three paramedics appeared from the light.

"There's a man in there, the one on the altar," Booth started, the EMTs were nodding, "he's alive."

"I don't think that is possible si-"

"Look, he's alive, trust me. Get in there and give him some help."

"He had no skin," another said.

"Trust me, I know," Booth snarled and attempted to lead Brennan by them. Her knees gave out and she hit the ground. She threw up, blood dripped from her hair, mixing with the bile.

Booth knelt next to her. "Let's get you cleaned up, and we can brief the Squints, alright?"

Brennan nodded, heat rushing up her face. She never threw up at scenes.

But then again, this wasn't most scenes.

AN: there ya go. I realize that the thing w/ Brennan screaming etc may be a little OOC, but imagine being grabbed by a skinless hand and feeling the muscles slid over your wrist. The strongest person alive would scream.