"I don't want to eat that Booth. It looks very unsavory."

"They said you had to eat before they'd release you, so just try it." Booth again presented her with a scoop of what the hospital claimed to be mashed potatoes. This time, under threat that she might have to spend more time in the hospital, she opened her mouth and accepted.

"Good girl. Do you want me to make airplane noises next time?"

Her glare cut through him but she was rewarded with a lopsided grin. "Will making airplane noises ensure that the next bite actually resembles potatoes in taste?"

"Vroom …" Booth was in the middle of another dive bombing of food when Hodgins opened the door.

"I have –" he stopped midsentence as he took notice of Booth. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Booth believes that imitating the sounds of passenger aircraft will stimulate my taste buds into enjoying this decidedly horrid tasting cafeteria food."

"Did you have a reason for almost busting the door down Hodgins?" Booth put down the spoon and shifted on the bed.

"Yeah, yeah. I think we caught a break."

"In finding my mom?"

"Yeah, maybe. I found a new alias for your mom's friend. George Santora was the name he used the entire time he was here. But when he left he booked his flight under the name George Harmon. Now, when I ran that name through the system I found an arrest warrant."

"Why would he use a name he knew we could trace?" Booth wanted to know.

"I have no idea. But it's the first time he's slipped up. I was able to research his case. I found a list of known associates. Specifically a man named Herman Gomez. That name was on the manifest of a flight that took off bound for LAX on the day Brennan disappeared. Now I was able to trace Gomez's movements after he got off the plane in Los Angeles. He rented a car."

Hodgins was fidgeting, moving his weight quickly from foot to foot as he continued to talk without pausing to take a breath.

"Fine, ok, he screwed up, can we get to the point here?"

"Yeah. I found what is almost certainly an address for The Facility."

Within an hour Brennan's hospital room had become ground zero for the planning of an invasion of The Facility.

Hacker had been in contact with the field office in the northern California town where they believed The Facility to be. He had offered to have a task force of men there sent into the building to take down The Leader and free The Inhabitants. But Booth was worried about what might happen to his mother if that was how things went down. He told Hacker he wanted them to wait on him. He needed to be there when The Facility was raided. It was the only way he could make sure everything was handled properly. Hacker agreed that it was a good idea and arrangements were being finalized.

There was only one problem.

"I'm going with you, Booth."

"No, you're not. You're in a hospital Bones. You almost died three days ago; I'm not letting you back on an airplane."

"You're not letting me?"

The tone of her voice sent four FBI agents and Caroline Julian cowering in the corner to avoid the conversation.

"I love you Bones. And I almost lost you. That's not happening again."

"You didn't almost lose me. The doctor says that I'm fine now. My kidney function has returned to normal. There isn't any reason that I can't go with you. And plenty of reasons why I should."

"You were unconscious, barely breathing. Yes, I almost lost you. You may not want to believe it now but you had a very close call."

"We'll consult my physician. If he says I can go, then you have to defer to his judgment."

"There's no good reason for you to go with us Bones." He racked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't need this right now!"

"Cheri, I hate to butt in but there is good reason for her to go."

"Caroline, don't even-"

"Come on Booth, she's been there. You said the ladies were nice to you? Friendly?"

"Exceedingly so, yes."

"They'll trust her Booth. If we charge in there and all hell breaks loose who knows what will happen to those people. Last thing we need is to have to arrest all of them and traumatize them more. Or to have them resist arrest and end up harming themselves. Dr. Brennan can help them understand the situation."

Booth had his jaw set tightly. "Fine, but only if the doctor approves. And only if you promise to stay in the van until it all goes down. Once The Leader is captured and we know it's, safe we'll bring you in to talk to The Inhabitants."

Hester and George had been back at The Facility since the night before Brennan had been returned. He had given her all the information he had on the evacuation plan. An exact replica of The Facility existed in another state. It was there as a contingency plan if anyone ever breached the walls of the current location. Moving The Inhabitants would be the easy part.

They were used to blindly following orders.

"Do you really think we should do this? That we can do this?"

"He lied to us George. What about your family?"

"Hester, I know that he lied to you. But I was there. I was witness to the demise of my family. There is no way that what I saw was faked. My family is here."

"I understand that. But everyone here deserves the truth."

"What if they want to go find their old lives?"

"Then we'll let them. We're not going to be him. Everyone here deserves the truth. Everyone will be welcome to return to their old lives. I saw my boy and I still returned. We will allow everyone who wants to leave to do so. But only with the warning that their old lives are already gone, and there is no way to get them back. I know these people, and most of them will choose to stay with us. But it has to be their choice George."

"When do you want to do it?"

"Tonight. Midnight. When he goes outside to take his tea."

"Hester, if this doesn't work …"

"Then we'll be in the same situation we're in now. If we fail, then we'll tell The Leader that the FBI has the address and he'll initiate the evacuation plan. But if we succeed we'll move everyone ourselves. Seeley will find The Leader's body and we can get back to our old lives. Do you have all the resources in place?"

George sighed. "I do."

She squeezed his hand and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Then I'll see you at midnight."