His cell phone buzzed in the dark, and Joe Nolan reached to the passenger side seat for it. He listened, responded with a yes, and then hung up. He exited the car and made his way into the hotel, knowing exactly where he was going. He took the elevator up to the third floor and walked down the hall. Finally, he knocked on the door of room three fifteen.

A very tired and worried looking Tony answered, "Nolan, what's going on?"

"Nick wants to see you Army."

"Is it about Roxie?"
Nolan nodded, "You need to come with me now."

Booth sensed an opportunity and took it, "Is that all you are to him Joe? A mouthpiece?"

The former boxer stared at him, "What are you getting at?"

"You used to be the man, Sloppy Joe Nolan. You used to fight clean, you were the champ, and now, what have you been reduced to?"

"Watch your mouth Army."

"You can get that back Joe, you could be legit again, maybe even regain that self respect. I can help you," Booth tried.

Nolan raised an eyebrow at him, "Who are you?"

Booth grabbed a leather wallet from the table and flipped it open revealing his badge, "I'm with the FBI, Special Agent Booth. Roxie, she's my partner. I need your help Joe. I know you know where she is, and if you help me, and help us bring down Nick and whoever else is working with him, we'll help you."

Nolan was silent for a few seconds, "You're investigating her murder, aren't you?"
"Yes, Billie's murder. We like you for it Joe, but if you can tell us otherwise, that would help."
"I didn't kill her man, she was a sweet kid."
"Who killed her?"
Nolan shook his head, looking at the floor, "They just sent me to bury the bodies…"

"Joe, you can give these people justice if you help us," Booth stood in front of him, "You can save my partner."

The older man raised his eyes to Booth, "You promise I'll get a deal?"

"I promise. Now where is she?"

Nolan gave him a location, and as soon as he had written it down, his cell phone rang.

"Booth."
"Oh my God Booth! I don't know what just happened but I got a call from Brennan's cell but she didn't say anything, just breathed into the phone," Angela spoke rapidly.

"She didn't say anything?"
"No, which is what scared me. There was just heavy breathing."

"Did you say anything Angela?"
"Yeah, I told her we were worried and that you were looking for her."

Booth swore under his breath, "This could mean a number of things. Maybe Brennan's got her cell and tried to call for help, maybe she's even escaped. It could also mean someone else has her cell. Think Angela, did you mention my name, hers? I need the specifics."

"I said your name, hers and I said the FBI was looking for her. Was that bad?"

Booth swore again, louder this time. He glanced at Nolan, "Let's hope she was trying to call for help. I've got to go Angela."

As he hung up, he felt a sense of foreboding come over him. He slowly spoke to Nolan,

"Is Roxie tied up or does she have her cell phone with her Joe? I really need to know."
He thought for a moment, "She's tied up, she won't have her purse with her."
Booth felt sick to his stomach.

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Brennan heard the footsteps on the stairs and tensed at the sound.

"How are you doing Roxie?" Nick asked, his voice velvety smooth, his hand once again snaking from her back to her neck and then further down. She recoiled from his touch, but he still ran his fingers down her arm. The feeling sent shivers down her spine.

"Turns out that Tony backed up your story. He said he has cop friends here."

She couldn't believe her luck that Booth had come up with the same lie. Brennan hoped again that this meant she would be granted freedom.

"Since your stories match up, I would have to let you go at the next fight, but…"
Her heart sank at that word, "I can't. You see, I found something that doesn't fit with your story, something that is not right. Maybe you'd like to see it," he held out her cell phone so her screen showed, and Brennan's eyes grew wide.

"As far as I know, you're name is Roxie, not Temperance Brennan. So I thought maybe you had someone else's phone. I called one of the numbers and I got a very interesting earful from a woman in Washington D.C., saying something about the entire Vegas chapter of the FBI looking for you," Nick's voice went from smooth to rough, an irritated, angry rough.

"You lied to me Roxie, or should I say Temperance," his voice rose again, "And I don't like it when people lie to me!" he screamed.

Nick hit her hard across the face, and then shoved her chair onto it's back. He sent a hard kick flying into her side, and she winced in pain. He ripped the gag from her mouth and yelled, "Who the hell are you bitch?! Who is Booth?! Why is the FBI looking for you?!"

She opened her mouth to speak but he hit her again. The pain was almost to much to bear and she wanted to slip into unconsciousness. His yelling was becoming muffled by the ringing in her ears, and body felt like a dead weight. Brennan didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

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Booth jumped out of Nolan's car and the former boxer followed him. They were met by a team of FBI agents and SWAT. Walt stood a few feet away and Booth went to him.

"You were undercover as well?" Nolan asked Walt.

"Fooled you, didn't I."
"Nolan says the place is two blocks away. Did you scan it?" Booth asked.

"Heat sensors place five people in the building. Three upstairs, two in a basement. Booth, we need to get in there and get her out if you think your cover is blown," Walt said, looking worried.

Booth had told him about what Angela had said earlier, "What's the plan?"

"We send Nolan in, and when he has Brennan in a safe spot, he signals, and we take them down."

"Nick expects me to bring Tony, I mean, Agent Booth, in with me," Joe said.

"To dangerous. You're going to have to make up some excuse as to why he didn't come. If Nick really knows who he is, it risks both their lives," Walt replied.

"Do you know where Dr. Brennan is being held?" Booth questioned Nolan.

"In the basement."
"That's what I thought. Ok, you know the signal. Go get suited up, and then go in there and help us out," Walt instructed the former boxer.

Nolan was wired with a mike and then he got back into his car to go see Nick. As he left, Booth grabbed a bullet proof vest, throwing it on along with an FBI jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Walt asked Booth.

"I'm going in with the team to find Bones. Give me a gun."

"Don't you think that's a little risky given the situation?"
"Once SWAT takes down Nick and his men it won't be risky. That's my partner in there Walt."

There was no talking Booth down, so Walt nodded, "Ok, SWAT and the agents are getting into place. Go with the next van out ok?"

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The blood was warm and sticky on her face and she felt it trickling from her sliced lip as she coughed. It hurt to take a deep breath, and she knew she had broken ribs.

"Who the hell are you bitch?! Who is Booth?! Why is the FBI looking for you?!" Nick repeated his order.

He grabbed her arms, hauling her chair back up and then roughly took her face in his hands, "I said, who the hell are you?"

Through the haze in her head she weighed her options. Lie to Nick, tell him she was Roxie, he'd probably beat her again. If she told him who she really was, he might kill her.

"I'm Roxie," she answered weakly, and she prepared for the next blow.

It came and she doubled over in pain, "Who is Temperance Brennan?"
"I don't know…"

She recoiled, knowing what was coming, but was surprised when it didn't.

"Maybe Tony will be able to tell us. I sent Nolan to fetch him for me. Do you want that Roxie? Do you want me to beat Tony in front of you?"

She froze in fear. She knew Booth would come, but she didn't want him to suffer, she couldn't bear to see Nick beat him in front of her.

Someone called out Nick's name from the top of the stairs, informing him that Nolan was back. Brennan felt tears in her eyes.

"I'll be back very soon with Tony, then we'll see if you'll change your tune," he threatened her before stuffing the gag in her mouth again.

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Booth waited in anticipation outside of the warehouse surrounded by the SWAT team. Nolan was inside, it was only a matter of time now. He silently said a prayer that Bones was alright, that the bust would go down as planned.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder. The signal had been given, and the team was giving the orders to go in.

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Nick berated Nolan upstairs, in front of the other men for not brining Tony back. He didn't pick up on the code word Nolan said, informing the waiting people outside to start the action.

Suddenly the windows on each side of the building were smashed in. Canisters of gas exploded, white smoke filling the room, sending everyone to the floor. No sooner had the gas hit when dozens of SWAT team members burst through the doors and windows, shouting for everyone to stay on the ground and drop any weapons.

Booth rushed in just behind the team, his weapon drawn, his eyes peeled for his partner. He spotted Nick being apprehended and went over to him. He was in the process of being cuffed by two agents.

"Where is she?!" Booth yelled at him.

"I knew something wasn't right about you two," Nick spat back.

"Agent Booth, over here!" someone called to him.

Before he turned from Nick, Booth growled, "If you so much as laid a finger on her, so help me God…"

And he jogged away towards the basement stairs, he'd deal with Nick later.

"Agent Booth! She's down here! We need a medic!" a male voice called to him from further in the basement.

He began running, taking the stairs two at a time, the stretch to where she was seeming impossibly long. Then he saw her, illuminated by a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling, her back to him. He could see her raw wrists bound together, her head hanging down and he feared the worst. Finally, he was in front of her and the sight took his breath away as he dropped to his knees.

She was bound and gagged, her face bloody and bruised, her clothing torn and stained. But she was staring at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her blue eyes, which normally sparkled, were lost in terror, faded to a dull grey, half open yet full of pain. His own eyes filled with tears at the sight, his own pain mixed with the joy of finding her alive.

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The room spun, her vision hazy, her head swimming in pain. She dipped in and out of consciousness. She wanted to give into the darkness, to slip away from the pain, but she couldn't. Booth was coming, she had to stay awake and strong for him. She had to show Nick she could take what he dished out in order to save Booth. He had to live, he had a son, a family to live for. She had decided, even through her foggy thoughts, that she would sacrifice herself for Booth because he had so much more to live for.

Suddenly she heard loud banging from upstairs. Something was going on, but she couldn't place the sounds, and she didn't want to guess what was going on. She hoped that Booth wasn't trying to fight them, and she felt tears mix with the blood on her face at the thought.

Then there were footsteps on the stairs, and she closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Agent Booth! She's down here! We need a medic!" a male voice yelled from behind her.

She heard his name, that was all. Whatever else the man had yelled didn't register in her mind, only his name. She tried to move, but the pain was to much.

"Oh my God, Bones! Can you hear me? Please…"

And he was suddenly in front of her, gently pulling the gag from her mouth, stroking her hair. There were tears in his eyes.

"Booth…" she barely whispered, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I'm here Bones, it's ok, it's all over…"

Freeing her from the ropes, she fell into his arms, and he held her close as she sobbed into his shoulder. It was eerily reminiscent of when he had saved her from Kenton, and the thought chilled him to the bone.

Finally the paramedics arrived, and he pulled her gently away from him. It was only then that he realized how weak she was, how broken she looked. She could hardly hold herself up. He cringed, knowing it was all his fault that she was in this position.

"Sir, we need to take her to the hospital," the medic was speaking to him, as they slowly took her from his arms, placing her lightly onto a gurney.

He nodded, still grasping her hand. He watched her eyes opening and closing, as her head lulled with each movement. Then her eyes didn't open, and he looked wildly between each paramedic, "Is she alright?"

"She's passed out, probably a combination of the pain and the drugs we gave her for it. We'll know more at the hospital Agent Booth."

He followed them upstairs, and he was vaguely aware of Walt telling him that another agent would drive him to the hospital.

Just outside the building, on the way to the car, he spotted him, the man that had put his Bones through all the pain. Booth stalked over to Nick, and with each step his anger grew.

Nick was handcuffed outside of a squad car, the officers still making notes and asking him questions. One of the agents saw Booth approaching and motioned for the other to move aside.

With one swift motion, Booth pinned Nick to the squad car, his elbow and arm across the man's throat.

"You son of a bitch! You sick, twisted bastard! I should kill you right now and you know what, none of these guys would give a shit if you lived!"

Booth loosened his grip and slammed Nick against the car again, "But you know what, I can't kill you, so instead, I'm going to make sure you rot for what you've done, not only to my partner, but especially for the people you killed!"

The FBI agent gave the criminal one last push and a death stare before turning away from him. Nick wasn't expecting Booth to turn back around and deliver a crushing blow to his face though.

Booth rubbed his knuckles, and looked around. Nick stared wide eyed at him, "That's police brutality!" he choked out.

"Did anyone see that?" Booth called out to the surrounding agents and officers, who shook their heads no, "Good. As far as we're concerned, you resisted arrest."

And with that, he walked away.

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Awhile later, Booth found himself standing outside of Brennan's hospital room with her doctor.

"How is she?"

"Dr. Brennan has three broken ribs, one of which nearly punctured her lung, and she was severely dehydrated. On top of that, she has multiple lacerations, bruising, and she was in shock with the medics brought her here. She's going to be in some pain for the next few days, but she'll be alright. She's resting right now, and she'll probably be out for awhile from the pain medication."

Booth thanked the doctor and went into Brennan's room. He took the seat next to her bed and held her hand, watching her. She looked so fragile lying there, so vulnerable.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered to her.

He would stay with her until she awoke, and not sleep a wink until then.

To be continued…

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