Chapter 8

Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport 9:15 am

The flight from Miami had been relatively short and there was no hassle grabbing their things. Booth and Brennan met up with Agent Jackson who was an older southern gentleman with a southern accent. He gave Booth a run over with his eyes and made a comment about how agents were getting younger and younger every year. Then turning to Brennan, he smiled and said,

"I take it the Jeffersonian absolutely loves you going out in the field. I've always been of the mind that squints don't belong in the field maybe you'll prove me wrong."

"I intend to. I've been in the field many times. However, I thought you would have brought the body to the morgue. The longer it lays in water the worse the chances of recovering useable fingerprints or evidence." Brennan answered as the three began walking toward the exit of the airport.

"Oh we did bring the first body back to the morgue but there seems to be another one." Agent Jackson told them.

"I received a phone call while I was waiting for you. The local PD's divers were attacked by an alligator and they shot and killed it. We're hoping that it was one of the gators that bit our victim." He continued.

"You haven't been out to the scene?" Booth asked.

"I went out to the scene and accompanied the body back to the morgue. However, I guess after I left the alligator made his attack. One of the divers had to be rushed to the hospital with a bite on his side. The other diver pulled his partner near the boat and the officers in the boat, shot and killed the gator. When I received the phone call this morning, Police Captain Welling said a necropsy showed a human forearm in the stomach of the alligator. The victim wasn't missing a forearm so you might have to go out in the field after all and find another body." Agent Jackson explained.

Baton Rouge Coroner's Office 10:00 am

Brennan looked at the body and from all outward appearances the body was definitely linked to the Miami case. It was missing its teeth and the wrists and ankles were still bound together. Pieces of the victim were missing, so the alligators had had some lunch. Quickly, she whipped out her laptop and plugged it into an outlet the coroner said she could use.

"Zach Addy."

"Zach, I know its you. You don't have to do that." Brennan said.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan." He answered.

"We have another body and I'm sending along with it a forearm. The forearm isn't from our victim and I need to see if you can get any DNA and try to link it to someone." She told him. Zach nodded and she continued.

"Also I need to know about any samples you get off the rope that binds the wrists and ankles."

"There wasn't anything useful on the last rope and as far as any tool marks; I have what appears to be plier marks on the upper and lower jaws." Zach explained.

"I need you to give me your best age approximation on the forearm. I know that it's been digesting in the alligator's stomach but we need to know for how long. I've made an estimation but I'd like your opinion." Brennan said.

"Dr. Brennan, can I ask you something?" Zach wondered.

"Yes." She replied.

"Why are you having me do all this work? I mean, I'm only a student." He asked.

"I know you're a student Zach but you won't learn anything if I always do all the hard work for you. Goodman wants me to give him a review of your performance." Brennan said. Zach's eyes went wide.

"Have Angela call me when you guys get anything." She finished and disconnected the video conference.

Jeffersonian Medico-legal Lab 9:00 am

Back in Washington D.C. it was an hour earlier (due to the time zones) and Zach Addy got off his chair and raced down to Angela's office. The student had seen her come in about twenty minutes ago. He knocked on the door and heard shuffling noises.

"Be right there." Angela's voice came through the door. In a minute the door opened and the forensic artist was smiling as usual.

"What is it Zach?" She asked letting him in.

"Dr. Brennan and I just had a video conference and she said Dr. Goodman wants a review of my performance." His eyes gave away his nervous feeling.

"Maybe he wants to fire you." Jack smirked. The entomologist didn't move from in front of Angela's computer.

"Don't listen to him. What did Brennan have to say?" Angela asked.

"She's sending a body and a forearm from Louisiana. She wants you to call her with information we get. Why doesn't she want me to call her?" Zach wondered.

"Probably because she wants to hear how well you're doing from someone else, that's all." Angela tried to make him feel comfortable. He only nodded and walked away from the office.

"That was close." She sighed as she shut the door.

"It certainly was." Jack now moved from Angela's desk chair and walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Their lips met. The last few days at work, they had been hiding in her office whenever they could. Angela's last boyfriend had been more interested in his own life and she had come into work after dumping him, looking for Brennan. The forensic anthropologist had been in a meeting with Goodman and Jack had seen the look on her face.

He'd been harboring feelings for her for some time and he had told her there was someone out there for her. His sudden sentimental statement made Angela look at him. Deep down he was a sweet guy but he didn't want anyone to know. Despite his conspiracy theories, Jack was actually a good listener and soon their conversations turned into make out sessions. Neither one knew where this quasi-relationship was headed but it didn't matter. Soon they forced each other to let go of each other and they got back to work.

To Be Continued…