Thanks for the reviews!
Thanks to my excellent beta, MintExpresso.
I still don't own Bones, or make any money from any of this - it's purely for entertainment. Thanks to Kathy Reichs and Fox TV for bringing us Booth and Brennan.
Wednesday 10.10pm
Booth sat back on the couch and gave out a long sigh. "This is like a nightmare," he said soberly. "I feel useless sitting here, but there's nothing I could do anywhere else."
By unspoken agreement they had all adjourned to Brennan's office, where the empty pizza boxes still lay stacked on the table. Angela made strong coffee for all of them and handed round the steaming mugs.
"You're tired, Booth," Brennan pointed out. "Hell, we're all tired. We could all do with a good night's sleep. Maybe we'll figure out something in the morning."
"Yeah." Booth nodded. "I just want to wait a while. Cullen is going to send a team out to bring Maria in, and I want to hear what happens."
"So, what happened to you?" Angela asked the question the squints had been desperate to know the answer to all evening.
Booth told them of finding a note in Cotton's file notes, referring to a meeting at the warehouse. How he'd gone to the warehouse to have a look around and been captured, and how he'd managed to escape through the window when the men were distracted by the sirens.
"It was dark," he explained. "I managed to get away into some bushes, but there was a lot of blood. I heard them talking, they reckoned they'd shot me and I wouldn't get far injured. Then I heard them set fire to the place. I guess they hoped I'd go up with the building, but I managed to get clear. I hid out for a couple of days, I didn't know who I could trust. I thought I'd better stay clear of everyone. But in the end I had to have help. Bones here was the only person I knew would help me, who couldn't possibly be the informer."
The phone rang, making them all jump. Booth looked across at Brennan, who answered it. "Yes, he's here." She held out the receiver to Booth.
"Yes, Sir." Booth listened. He exchanged a few words with Cullen, then hung up.
"They found Anna-Maria. She told them where Harris was headed. A warehouse near the one I got captured in. Bones, can I borrow your car?"
"No way!" she retorted. "I'm coming with you."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
" You're injured, remember. You shouldn't be driving, not with your shoulder in that condition."
Booth started to argue, then shrugged. "You've got a point," he admitted. "Okay, I guess it's your turn to drive – this time."
Brennan nodded and reached for her keys, wondering if Booth had given in a little too easily.
"Well, I think I'll head for home," Hodgins commented, standing up and stretching.
"Me too," said Angela. "So glad to know you're okay, Booth. Take care."
They all walked together to the parking lot, then Angela found her car, Zack and Hodgins climbed into Hodgin's small red mini, and Booth and Brennan got in Brennan's blue sedan. Booth gave directions, while Brennan drove. The roads were quiet at that time of night and the journey was uneventful. They pulled a few hundred yards away from the warehouse, in an area buzzing with cars and men.
Wednesday 11.37pm
"Stay in the car," Booth ordered, as he opened the door. He was not surprised when Bones ignored him and got out herself.
Booth walked up to the agent in charge of the operation, who recognised him. "Good to see you safe and sound, Agent Booth," he greeted him.
Booth nodded. "What's the situation?"
The man indicated the warehouse, which could be seen round the corner of the building. "We're about to go in. We think Harris is in there with two men."
"Get me a gun; I'm going too."
The man nodded and yelled over his shoulder for a gun and some body armour. Brennan caught Booth by the arm. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"It's my job, Bones," he snapped, then smiled at her and said more gently, "I'll be fine, don't worry." He took the proffered gun and held onto the body armour, looking at it. He tried to lift up his left arm to slip it through the armhole, then winced in pain. Brennan took the armour from him and held it open, helping him ease it over his bad shoulder. "Thanks."
Brennan looked from Booth to the warehouse, then back again. She looked like she was about to say something to him, but in the end she settled for "Be careful."
He tried for a reassuring grin, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I promise." He turned to the agent standing next to him, whose gun remained in its holster. "Agent Palmer, I want you to look after Dr Brennan for me."
Then he joined with the other men who were standing by the corner, and all of them moved forward towards the building.
Brennan paced backwards and forwards by the cars, watching as the men entered the warehouse and moved out of sight. Then she returned to her car and opened the door. She tried sitting in the driver's seat, but was soon back on her feet and pacing again. It felt like a lifetime had passed, and yet it could only have been a couple of minutes. The men were maintaining radio silence, and the few people left outside were watching silently, waiting for something to happen.
More time passed, and still nothing. Then a shot rang out, breaking the silence. A few seconds later there was another shot, then another following so fast that it could have been just an echo of the previous shot. A voice was heard over the radio. "We have an agent down. Repeat, we have an agent down. Request a medical team ASAP."
Sorry, this cliffhanger crept in.
Hey, what am I saying? I'm not sorry at all! And you know Booth will be alright, don't you? Or do you? Just imagine how Brennan feels right now ;-)
Reviews very welcome :-)