CHAPTER 21

He could tell by the change in the rhythm of her breathing that she was awake. He admired her self control. She was smart, too. She didn't open her eyes or move at all, and he knew she was trying to figure out where she was and what had happened without letting on that she was conscious. He waited patiently. She would have to open her eyes eventually. Her breathing picked up some more when she discovered that she was bound tightly hand and foot and then she opened her eyes to glare at him. He smiled at her delightedly.

"Hello," he greeted her pleasantly as though they were meeting at a social event. She frowned and wet her lips, her gazing bouncing from him to the walls around them and then finally back to him. She had beautiful eyes. He could see why Agent Booth was so taken with her. He picked up a bottle of water and held it to her lips and waited while she took a couple sips.

"Who are you?" she croaked. He tipped the bottle so she could take another sip, then sat back.

"Let's not bother with that right now," he said, reveling in the power he held over her. "Let's just say I'm an admirer of your Agent Booth," he teased. "He's your boyfriend isn't he?"

Brennan frowned again and her color came up and he knew she was going to lie. That made him angry. "N-no, we're partners, we solve crimes together. I'm a forensic anthropologist for the Jeffersonian."

He shook his head sharply. "I saw you embrace. He loves you, I could tell," he insisted.

"I don't know what you think you saw, but you're wrong, we're just friends."

Suddenly he was furious. "Liar! I saw, you hugging and crying and later he went to your place and you went in together. I saw you kissing!" Breathing hard, he got up and grabbed the leather strap off the table. 'Thwack!' She bit back a cry as the strap hit her thigh, leaving a burning line of fiery pain. "Every time you lie to me, that's what you'll get!" Just as sudden as the fury had come, it was gone. He laid the strap back on the table and sat down again. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes, you were telling me how much your Agent Booth means to you."

Brennan closed her eyes, willing back the tears that threatened. Hurry, Booth, she thought desperately. I know you're looking for me, just hurry. She opened her eyes to see her captor looking at her with fascination. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. Her mind was still foggy from the drug. She looked around the tiny room again, struggling to make sense of the situation. Why had he kidnapped her?

"Nobody's going to pay a ransom, I have no family," she told him, and he laughed.

"You think this is about money? You're wrong. I don't need money. This is about payback, my dear. Your Agent Booth has to pay for what he's done. Now, don't worry, nobody's going to disturb us here. This is a secret room, completely soundproof, so you can talk, yell, whatever, you aren't going to disturb anyone. Isn't that cool?" He rubbed his hands together in excitement, a wide smile on his face. 'This guy is completely insane' she realized with a chill, and for the first time she felt fear. There was no reasoning with a 'psycho' as Booth would call him.

"Where did he send his little boy?" he asked, and Brennan's eyes darted to the strap. Her thigh still stung, but there was no way she was telling him.

"He sent him to a friend in New York City," she lied.

'Thwack!' This time she couldn't prevent a hiss from escaping at the burning pain.

"Lie to me again and I'll tear open the back of your shirt and start leaving marks on your back. I know when you're lying," he shouted, the fury back in full force. Brennan took deep breaths, fighting back tears at the searing pain.

The pleasantness façade was back. "Never mind the boy, I'll find him. Now, what do you think Booth will do next?"

Brennan's eyes met his. "He's going to kill you when he finds us," she promised coldly.

His eyebrows shot up and he laughed as though she'd told a funny joke. "Oh-ho! You think so, huh? But see, he has to find us first! And I've already taken steps to ensure that he won't. I've left some false clues and he'll be busy chasing them for quite some time. When he does find us, when I want him to find us, I'll be ready. Then we're going to have some fun," he finished with glee.

Tears formed a hard lump in her throat and she closed her eyes. 'Hurry, hurry, hurry, Booth,' she chanted to herself. When she opened her eyes, she was alone.