Chapter 11

It had been just over 9 hours since she'd been taken, and Booth had no new information. No ransom request, no phone call, nothing, and he was at the end of his rope. He knew that there was one more picture yet to come, and the waiting was killing him. He wasn't allowed to work the case because she was his partner, much to his dismay. He had gone head to head with Cullen on it, but made no leeway. His boss refused.

Booth pointed out to Cullen that he had worked the Gravedigger case, but his boss refused, saying the circumstances were different, as Hodgins was involved then. Thankfully, everyone was keeping him in the loop, knowing about his partnership with her. The pity in their eyes angered him though, and Booth had all he could do not to totally lose his cool. It didn't seem like they were working hard enough or fast enough. Booth had a gut feeling time was running out.

Angela was totally inconsolable; Zach was doing his best to compare information on both cases, to see if there were any similarities, as to whom it could be doing this. Cam seemed indifferent, and Hodgins was busy trying to keep Angela distracted. He had no idea where to reach Russ, much less her father, so that idea was out. He wished he did, because Max may have more information on where to look, who to talk to, him being a masterminded criminal.

Swallowing, and shifting his eyes, as if someone could hear what he'd just considered, he was ashamed at the very thought. His job was to uphold the law, not look for assistance because of a situation he had no control over. Booth tipped his head back and closed his eyes a moment.

After a moment, he stood abruptly and began to pace. Feeling useless in his office, he stopped pacing and decided to go back to Bones' apartment and see if there were any clues he could have missed there before. Perhaps there would be something on her answering machine, a note….something. Then he'd go back to his place, to the parking garage to see if he or the crime scene techs overlooked anything. Normally, on cases, he was use to Bones being at his side, picking up things he missed, or vice versa.

The image of Brennan in his apartment incased in ice in his bathtub, her lips blue kept running through his mind, over and over. Her on ice, her in the ambulance. The paramedics telling him she was gone. It was horrible flashbacks he had no control over.

He had to find her. But he had no idea where to even begin.

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Temperance Brennan struggled up from unconsciousness. She felt drugged, heavy. Her limbs leaden. She also felt exposed somehow, and cold. She could feel her bare flesh unclothed, which confused her. How could her skin be exposed? She was fully clothed earlier…wasn't she? Searching her memory, she remembered leaving Booths' apartment go and get her laptop, but nothing after that.

Her eyelids felt too heavy to open, so she just lie where she was, and listened to her surroundings. She could hear movement in her general vicinity; however she had no memory of how she had gotten to where she was. How do I always manage to get myself into these situations she wondered sleepily

I must be with the person sending those photographs she surmised logically. With much effort, she managed to crack open one eyelid. This room seems familiar somehow she thought to herself, her mind racing at where she could be, and how she could escape. Hearing the other person approaching, she quickly let her eyelid fall closed. Unconsciousness threatened to overwhelm her again, and she struggled against it.

She felt fingertips against her forehead, brushing her hair off her forehead gently. "Nearly time Doctor" the man whispered to her.

Wanting to cry out, to let him know she could hear him, she willed her eyes to open, just as another chemical smelling cloth was shoved in her face, causing momentary panic, claustrophobia, and then nothing.

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The man calmly looked down at the now scantily clad Temperance Brennan. Any other red blooded man would be aroused by her, but not him. Dr. Brennan was no Jenny. She was wearing exactly the same lingerie that his Jenny had been wearing when she died.

It took a lot of illegal work to get this information, but where there's a will, there's a way. The man didn't have the means to kill her the same way his Jenny wanted to, he had a better way. A way that would insure she would not survive this time. No Agent Booth to swoop in and save the day. Not this time. Booth would soon feel the pain he felt at loosing his Jenny. Temperance Brennan dying was Jenny's wish. He was fulfilling it.

Taking one last long look at his prisoner, he tore his gaze away and stooped to pick up the 2 plastic containers. Carefully pouring the contents of each container around the single bed, his heart felt light. Happiness was nearly his. Soon, his vengeance would be complete, and he could move on with his life. Setting the 2 containers aside, he glanced over his shoulder. Still unconscious. Good.

Trailing the contents of a third container through the empty living area, he was satisfied with his work.

Thoughtfully, he gazed at the pack of matches in his hand. All it was going to take was one match. One flick of his wrist, and it would all be over.

Smiling, in one fluid motion, he lit the match…..

A/N: Huge cliffhanger, I know! Review!