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I don't own Bones, but I wouldn't mine owning just a little bit if Hart Hanson is offering.

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Tired, Booth closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain he was in. "I scouted the area around the Freeman farm and found an old abandoned house about two miles from his place. I parked my car next to the house and walked through the woods over to the Freeman farm. When I got there, there were several cars and trucks parked in front of Freeman's house and two near the barn. I decided to stay in the woods and watch from there. The two cars parked near the barn had Pennsylvania tags, but the other cars near the house were mostly out of state, three from Maryland, one from West Virginia and one from Pennsylvania."

His ribs throbbing, Booth folded his arms carefully across his chest and continued, "I wrote the tag numbers down and left it with my bag in the woods. I need to get that back as soon as I can. . . . Almost all of the people visiting Freeman left around eleven yesterday morning. The two locals that owned the cars near the barn stayed behind and argued with Freeman for about fifteen minutes and then they all came down to the barn and went inside. They were in there for about ten minutes and then I heard some shouting and they came out again. One of the locals knocked Freeman down to the ground and the other one stood by while it happened. Freeman just lay there looking at them. The two then shouted some threats and just left."

Curious, Hodgins asked, "Do you have any idea what they were fighting over?"

Shaking his head, Booth opened his eyes and stared at the road ahead, "I was too far away to really hear what was going on. I heard some choice cuss words and the one that knocked Freeman down threatened to kill him, but that was as he was walking over to his car and he was shouting. Whatever happened, it looks like Freeman has pissed off a few people."

His turn off ahead, Hodgins took the on ramp onto the Lincoln Highway and asked, "Do you think it has to with Agent Darnell's death?"

Closing his eyes again, Booth replied, "I don't know. . . . After the two locals left, Freeman got up and went up to the house. I decided that might be a good time to get a look at the barn, so, that's what I did. I took my time once I was in there and took pictures of some fans that were disassembled. I got their serial numbers and make and model. The barn really didn't have anything else except farm equipment and some cattle feed and some hay so I went back to the woods, grabbed my bag, made a few notes, emailed my pictures to Angela and then waited to see if Freeman would leave his house. He finally did that around one."

"Why didn't you call me and let me know what was going on?" Driving the speed limit, Hodgins overtook a semi, passed it and returned to his lane. "Maybe I could have come out and helped you."

Soberly, Booth shook his head and responded, "No, I needed you where you were just in case this blew up in my face. Since it did, well . . . After Freeman left, I entered his house and I had a look around. I didn't find the lab I was looking for, so we need to look elsewhere for that. Anyway, I was walking across the yard back down to the barn when someone came out of the woods on a four-wheeler. He had a rifle on him and he took a shot at me. I ran down to the barn and around it. I didn't have a lot of choices so I ducked in to the barn and waited to see what would happen. He wasn't alone. Another guy came out of the woods on a four-wheeler and he was armed too. Long story short, they cornered me. . . . I must be getting old. I'd never have let that happen when I was younger."

Amused, Hodgins shook his head, "You aren't superman."

Ignoring him, Booth stared out of the passenger window, "They wanted to know who I was so I told them I was Buck Moosejaw working for the Jeffersonian. I told them about the trees but they weren't buying what I was selling. They handcuffed me and then attached a chain to the cuffs and then one of them attached it to a post in the barn. They weren't my cuffs, so I have no idea where they got the ones they used on me. If I had to guess they may have belonged to Agent Darnell . . . The older one beat the shit of me trying to make me change my story. . . I didn't which just made him angrier. I'm pretty sure the guy was Reed O'Neal, looked like his picture anyway."

Booth felt the dull pain in his ribs intensify and gave Hodgins a half smile, "What an Amateur. Bones hits harder than he does. . . Anyway, Freeman came back after a while and freaked out when he found me in the barn with his friends. He told them I was working for the Jeffersonian but those two bastards said that I was probably a government spy and they didn't want to let me go. Freeman was furious and told them that the Sheriff might arrest them for assault if I pressed charges but those two clowns told him that I couldn't do shit if I was dead. Freeman . . . well, he made them leave the barn and go up to the house to talk. That was around sunset and I never saw anyone again until you showed up."

A headache creeping in, Hodgins rolled his shoulders, "This whole thing is a mess. What are we going to do now?"

Watching the road head, Booth finally replied, "We'll go back to the motel and when Kevin and April get back tomorrow morning, we'll go get my car and bag. The bag is still out in the woods. We'll run down the license plates from my notes and we'll see what Angela found out from the pictures I sent her. Right now, I have Freeman and those two bastards where I want them. I can arrest them for kidnapping and assault of a Federal Agent but we need to wait a bit. We need to find the lab and make sure they don't have any more Polonium-210. That's the important part. We need to find the Lab."

"I talked to Kevin and he said they still didn't get a chance to check out Reed O'Neal's barn or his house. The man's wife is home sick and he has some dogs chained up outside the barn." Spying the Breezewood exit, Hodgins signaled that he planned to take the exit, "Maybe that's where the Lab is. Kevin said he planned to check it out tomorrow."

Glumly, Booth nodded his head, "I think O'Neal may be the guy we're looking for not Freeman. I think we can use my kidnapping and assault as probable cause and get a warrant. We'll have some agents come down from Pittsburgh to give us a hand implementing the warrant."

"I think the first thing we need to do is for you to let me look you over." Driving slowly down the main throughway of Breezewood, Hodgins informed his friend, "You look terrible."

Leaning against the passenger door, Booth replied, "I feel like shit. While you're fixing me up, I need you to take pictures of my injuries. When those assholes go on trial we need to be able to prove that I was injured."

Oooooooooooooooo

Sitting on his bed, Booth pulled his lips between his teeth as Hodgins wrapped his ribs.

Worried about his friend, Hodgins advised him, "I still think you need to see a doctor. I think you have at least three cracked ribs and those contusions you have on your chest and stomach look pretty nasty. The worst one is on your left thigh though. What did he do, kick you?"

Stoic, Booth replied, "Yeah, he did."

Grimly, Hodgins shook his head, "Dr. B is going to have a cow when she sees you like this."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "It won't be the first time."

Closing his first aid kit, Hodgins responded, "It's a good thing I brought a first aid kit with me."

Curious, Booth asked, "Why did you?"

Chuckling, Hodgins answered him, "Angela said I'd probably need it. She says you have a tendency to get hurt and I better be prepared."

Not amused, Booth glared at his friend, "Ha ha, very funny. . . . Thanks."

Nodding his head, Hodgins assured him, "Not a problem, Booth. I'm your partner and partners take care of each other. You do know that Dr B is going insist that you see a doctor?"

Resigned, Booth acknowledged him, "Oh yeah."

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