Brotherly Love
By wired2damoon
Chapter 17: Riddles And Realisations
A/N: WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE, SUGGESTIVE SEXUAL ABUSE AND ANGST.
Just a head's up, this is the longest chapter yet! (8,332 words) Xx
There are a lot of things in the world that we as human beings take for granted. The soft flickers of the early-morning sun basking our lives with light and ridding us of the darkened night like a haloed angel watching over us. The sounds of the sea as it crashes against the cliffs on a rocky sea shore. The laugh, omitting from a small version of yourself that brings pleasure and pride to your ears as you witness the utter tranquilly that is the life your innocent child.
All these things can be easily forgotten in your day to day routines. But one thing that can never be erased is the feeling you experienced when all these small, but mighty moments graced your presence.
The feel of your freshly washed clothes against your moist skin as you finishing showering. The fantasy which you always relished in when you were entirely alone…the one where the knowing smile your other half throws you makes your heart swell the morning after your intensive love-making. The feel of your lips against her's, the soft butterfly kisses you trail along her neck, the high-pitched giggle that rises from her throat as you nibble in just the right place.
But are these moments which are taken for granted what really makes up your life?
Does the sun, sea, laugh of your small child, soft garments and a fantasy where you are so much more then 'just partners' with the woman you love really what makes your life special?
Or is it the dramatic events in your life that makes it significant?
The amount of times you witnessed another human being die right in front of your eyes? The amount of bodies you saw pile up day after day on an utterly sterile, steel examination table? The number of times you risked your own life so full with these 'taken for granted moments' for a greater good? Or was it all of the faces you saw change, when they realised that you pulled your trigger and ended their life for good?
Well, is it?
All day, every day, moments are made, witnessed, experienced, and some forgotten.
Feelings accompany mostly, but feelings are a lot harder to ignore.
Anger, hurt, pain, joy, happiness, content, calm, panic, fear, angst, worry, pride, love…all these feelings, some good, some bad, existed in the universe, and still do…not matter how much we as humans, sometimes try and forget.
Do you forget?
No…you don't, you can't, you won't…
You see, no matter how hard a memory can be to remember, enjoy, or experience, the feeling that comes with it is always the hardest part.
For sometimes, you can forget minute details, events, conversations or simply what you were doing at the time…but never, never do you forget how you felt. Never, do you simply pass over the little burst of pride that makes you grin widely as your son shows you his painting, the soft panging of your heart as betrayal sets in, the little sense of satisfaction that proceeds to make you want to do the conga in a ridiculous and utterly embarrassing fashion, the love that swells your heart to the brim as you witness your partner red raw and baring her soul to you and only you…never, ever do you forget that…
And yet, why is it now, that you seem to forget how one smile form her makes you lose your breath?
Why is it now that you forget how her laugh makes you laugh, your chest filling with a sense of utter calm and tranquilly?
Why is it now, now that you know that she is once again in harm's way that you start to break down and suddenly forget why you do what you do?
Are you scared Seeley?
Are you absolutely terrified, that you won't get to her in time so you're preparing yourself now for the worst?
Preparing yourself for her demise? Her banishment from your life?
Are you banishing her from your life now Seeley by forgetting all the things that make you be so very much in love with her?
Are you?
Aren't those significant memories? Are they what you never want to take for granted?
Are they?
Are they what you always want to remember with a happy heart, years from now as you grow grey and old?
Are they what you always want to tell her you love about her and are what makes her special in your eyes?
Is she worth everything you ever knew, know and have?
Is she?
If so…then get out of the damn car!
Suddenly, Special Agent Seeley Booth took his head off the steeling wheel of his car and wretched open the door, and stormed across the street towards the Royal Diner where he was parked opposite.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the glass door and watched confidently through, not entirely sure what it was exactly he was looking for.
His chocolate-brown eyes scanned the diner intensely for a moment and rested upon a blonde waitress who looked vaguely familiar.
Where have I seen her before? he pondered, before he began to draw attention to himself.
"Are ya eatin' in or out today hun?" asked a plump, dark-haired, friendly woman Booth knew as Wendy.
"Um…I'll…uh…I'll have-"
"-A slice of pie? Cook just made some fresh this mornin", Wendy smiled, knowing fully well by now that the scrumptious agent on front her was very partial to apple pie.
Booth could only nod politely as he sat down at the counter, feeling utterly helpless as he would have to sit here and figure out something to do with pie, whilst his brother and partner could be wounded or worse.
The waitress leaned forward and began to withdraw a piece of pie out from under a glass dish when something caught Booth's eye.
On the bottom of one of the plates of pie, the corner of what looked like a white envelop could be seen sticking out.
"Hey wait-um…could I have that piece instead?" the agent asked pointing at the pie with the card nervously, knowing it must have looked strange, him asking for a specific piece of pie.
"Well, they're all the same darlin' but sure…" Wendy grinned, replaced the pie she took out and withdrew the one with the envelop.
"Would you like some coffee with that?" she asked, her cheap perfume looming towards his nostrils as she leaned over the counter towards him.
"Uh…n-no thanks," he mumbled, ignoring her presence now, willing her to go away.
Sighing, the older woman rolled her eyes and stalked off, tending to some other customer.
Once she was out of ear-shot, Booth tentively slipped his hand under the plate and slid out the envelop.
With a great ferociousness, he ripped the card open and began reading, his eyes frantically running past line after line rapidly.
GOOD DAY AGENT BOOTH.
I HAVE TO SAY I AM SURPRISED THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN AS FAR AS YOU HAVE. I ALWAYS THOUGHT COPS WERE STUPID…YOU IT SEEMS, ARE THE ONLY EXCEPTION. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT YOU'D KNOW THE MATHEMATICAL TERM FOR 3.14? I AM IMPRESSED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS MORE THEN LIKELY JACK HODGINS WHO GAVE YOU THAT INFORMATION.
NOW ONTO BUSINESS…
YOU ALWAYS WANT WHAT YOU CAN'T HAVE
IT'S REALLY PATHETIC, ALMOST SAD,
AND HERE YOU FIND YOURSELF AGAIN
CRAVING SOMETHING THE SAME AS MANY MEN
THE THING WHICH YOU WANT THE MOST
COMES AT A COST AND SITS BY A COAST.
YOU NEVER DID LIKE RIDDLES DID YOU SEELEY? WELL…LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT MY ONE MEANS!
AGAIN I'LL REMIND YOU THE CLOCK IS TICKING.
I'M THINKING OF UNTYING DEAR TEMPERANCE FOR A WHILE, MAYBE GET TO KNOW HER BETTER…SHE REALLY IS SUCH A FASCINATING AND BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.
BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT, DON'T YOU AGENT BOOTH?
TICK TOCK GOES THE CLOCK…
UNTIL WE NEXT COMMUNICATE.
Booth shut his eyes tightly as he read the end of the note.
That bastard better not lay a finger on her, or I'll rip him to shreds! he thought furiously, gripping the edge of the counter tightly.
Before he could blissfully think of ways to murder the son-of-a-bitch that was doing this, his cell phone began ringing.
"Booth", he grumbled, slamming a few dollar bills down on the counter and storming from the diner without a backwards glance.
"Booth…it's Angela…how-how are you doing?" the artist asked nervously.
Booth wretched his SUV door open and climbed in, starting the engine.
"Well, I got the next clue, but I'm stumped…" he replied, trying desperately to refrain himself from slamming his fists into the steering wheel.
"Well what is it sweetie, maybe I can help?"
A light bulb went off inside Booth's head.
Angela! She was good at these types of things!
"Yeah sure, it's a riddle, wait, I'll read it," he mumbled, flicking open the card and beginning to read.
When he was finished there was a slight silence on the other end of the phone.
"Angela-"
"-Well what is it exactly that you want that many other men want also?"
A beautiful woman…Bones… Booth thought involuntarily.
Then it hit him like a tonne of bricks!
The 'thing' that this mystery guy was referring to was Bones!
That made perfect sense! He always did want what he couldn't have, and something he definitely can't have is his partner!
But what did that mean? His partner…his partner what?
"Uh…um…well I think I got it Angela, thanks for your help", he mumbled as he suddenly took a left, towards Brennan's apartment.
"Oh wait Booth don't go! I-I've something to tell you…" Angela trailed off, sounding more jittery then the agent ever heard her.
"Well what is it Angela?" he asked softly, trying not to sound impatient as he knew she was going through a hard time too.
"Um…well…Bren's Dad called…"
Seeley slammed on the brakes of the car and screeched to a halt outside the familiar apartment block.
His eyes widened in shock.
He completely forgot about Max…
Oh God! Why do you hate me?
"Uh…uh…what did he say?" he asked quietly, half afraid of what he was about to hear.
He heard Angela sigh dramatically, "well, what would you say if you found out Parker had been kidnapped and no one remembered to tell you?"
When Booth cringed and didn't reply, Angela continued, "he said, he'd be at the Jeffersonian as soon as he could and that he was going to kill that rat-bastard Agent Booth for keeping this from him…"
Booth sucked in a gust of air as he heard that.
He knew Max Keenan well enough to know that when it came to threats, he didn't fall short…
"Okay, okay, look Angela please just…just try and keep him at the Jeffersonian and as calm as possible. Tell him that I'll be in touch as soon as I can and for God's sake tell him not to do anything dramatic, let me handle it…"
Booth was making his way up the flights of stairs now, towards his partner's apartment.
Angela sounded like she was going to retort but he cut her off.
"Hey, you don't know where Bones' spare key for her apartment is do you?"
Angela frowned in confusion.
"What the hell are you doing at Bren's apartment Booth? She's not going to be there!"
"I know, just, where is her key?"
"She doesn't have a spare key…"
"But what if she forgets-"
"-She never forgets her keys…look sweetie, I don't know what you're doing over there but if you want to get in, I suggest you use that manly strength of yours to break down the door."
Booth rolled her eyes at her suggestion.
"Okay, I'll do that…thanks Angela, I'll be in touch…"
"Good. Oh and Booth?"
"Yeah?" he asked, standing back and preparing himself for the impact of his shoulder slamming into the tough wood.
"Find Bren…" the artist mumbled, the tears in her voice evident.
"I will…" he mumbled, closing his phone, and racing towards the large, wooden door, slamming into it with great force.
The door burst open immediately and Booth raced through the door, only stopped to catch his breath when he was standing in the middle of his partner's living room.
"Now what?" he asked himself aloud, completely stumped.
Why did he let Angela go?
Okay Booth think, what does the card say? his mind asked him.
He plunged his hand into his pocket and snatched the card, re-reading it quickly.
"The thing which you want the most, comes at a cost and sit by a coast…" he mumbled to himself, looking around himself frantically, his eye catching the clock with lay on the mantel piece.
1 hour 19 minutes to go.
God he was running out of time, fast!
Think Seeley think! his mind screamed at him as he began racing around the apart, looking for something, anything, that would help him in this crazy quest.
And then he saw it.
A coast!
It was a painting that was in Bones' hallway of a sea-side town.
His heart leapt at the sight of it, he stumbled forward and with shaking hands he took the painting carefully off the wall.
His eyes scanned it for an envelop but he found none.
Turning it around he glanced at the back and found some writing.
To Bren, I hope this helps brighten up your new apartment. Happy Birthday sweetie, lots of love, Angela. xx
His mind began to panic, there was nothing there!
Just when he was about to give up, his eyes caught something.
At the corner of the painting, there was a tiny rip.
Sighing, he knew that the card was behind there.
This would be the 'comes at a cost' part, he would have to destroy a wonderful picture painted by Angela for Bones' for her birthday.
He took at deep breath, shook his head and began ripping the back of the painting until a little white envelop could be seen.
It was scrunched up in a little ball, so it could fit into the tiny opening that the mysterious guy made.
He tore it gently off and put the picture back on Bones' wall.
Sighing he opened the envelop.
GOOD DAY AGENT BOOTH.
WELL, WELL WE ARE QUITE THE INTUTITIVE ONE AREN'T WE? I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO GET THE COMPLEXITY THAT IS GREAT RIDDLING.
BUT ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH TO GUESS THE NEXT?
YOU ARE QUITE THE FAMILY MAN
YOU FATHER YOUR CHILD AS BEST YOU CAN
YOU ALWAYS HAD AN ADVENTUROUS SENSE
ALWAYS WAITING FOR THE DAY TO COMMENCE
LIFE'S A GAME YOU KNOW THAT BOOTH
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION TO KNOW THE TRUTH
YOU HELP HIM LEARN AND COACH HIM WELL
GO AND FIND A SECRET TO TELL…
TICK TOCK AGENT BOOTH.
BETTER HURRY.
UNTIL WE NEXT COMMUNICATE.
Hurriedly, Booth shoved the card into his pocket, ran to the door, which was swinging slightly off its hinges and gently began pulling it with him, so that when he stood outside it gave the illusion that it was fully closed.
He would have to remind Bones to get a new door.
If she made it out alive that was…
The agent shook his head to banish those thoughts from him, this was not the time.
He was making his speedy way back to his SVU when his cell phone began ringing again.
Rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth, he jumped into the car, started the engine and flipped open his phone.
"Booth" he muttered, the riddle echoing in his ears.
"SEELEY BOOTH YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH! WHERE THE HELL IS MY DAUGHTER?!"
Booth jumped violently and held the phone a foot away from his ear.
The booming, angered tone of Max Keenan continued.
"DID YOU NOT EVEN THINK TO CALL ME BOOTH? I AM HER FATHER YOU KNOW! HOW DARE YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME! MY LITTLE GIRL COULD BE HURT OR…WORSE AND YOU DON'T EVEN THINK TO LET ME KNOW!"
"Max, Max listen I'm sorry alright things have just been kinda hectic right now…I-I'm out on some stupid quest for a freak kidnapper who wants revenge on me! He has my brother too Max… I'll find Bones okay? I promise", Booth mumbled apologetically, ache in his heart as he thought about his partner.
His partner's furious father huffed down the phone.
It seemed after all the yelling he was beginning to calm down.
"Just find her Booth-I can't lose her again…please, find my little girl".
The sound of Max's voice made Booth hang his head low and shut his eyes.
He sounded so desperate, hurt, dejected, terrified…
All the things that he himself felt as he thought about his brother and the woman he knew he was in love with.
"I…I'll find her…" he croaked, before pressing the end call button and resting his head on the wheel again.
Life's a game…you coach him well… Those words suddenly formed in Booth's brain as something began to click.
This guy was obviously was talking about Parker, he went on about being a father after all…then he mentioned a game and coaching his son well…that couldn't mean…could it?
Suddenly, Seeley slammed his foot down on the accelerator and took off, he knew exactly where he was going…
Temperance Brennan's head lolled to the side as she fought to stay awake.
Exhaustion was beginning to set in now but she wouldn't let her mind or body succumb to sleep, she was too uncertain, too exposed, too unsafe…
All of a sudden she could hear heavy foot steps pounding towards her, her heart-rate instantly quickened.
When the owner of the footsteps entered the room, they slowed down considerably, tip-toeing agonisingly slowly towards Brennan, their steps echoing menacingly against the walls of the chamber-like room.
"Well hello again Temperance," came the cool, utterly calm tone of Mike Johnston.
Brennan head snapped towards the voice instantaneously.
A harsh chuckle omitted throughout the room at her words. It sounded bitter, angered, yet so very amused.
"Oh doctor Brennan…don't be alarmed, I'm not going to hurt you-"
Mike continued to laugh softly, grabbing a chair and placing it on front of Brennan before removing her blindfold and gag and sitting down.
"-I'm not alarmed!" she spat defensively, glaring at him, utterly disgusted that he thought she was afraid of him.
Smirking he stared into her sea-blue eyes deeply, "you know Temperance, you and I are not that different…" he trailed off, looking pensive.
Brennan's face grew even more disgusted.
"I am nothing like you!" she exclaimed erratically, fidgeting against her restraints.
"Oh I'd say that we are Temperance, you see, I was a lot like you once. I was…highly intelligent and I knew it, I used it to the best of my advantage but unfortunately until my later years it was utterly useless and wasted on the considerably of-lower-intelligent adolescents that I was surrounded by… Did you ever feel like that doctor? That you were surrounded by a bunch of idiots?" he asked, sounding bitter, yet eager for her response.
Brennan's brain began to work extremely fast as she processed what he just said.
She started to formulate a theory about him. A theory so odd, yet, she was beginning to convince herself that it may indeed be correct…
Annoyed that she still didn't answer her question, Mike leaned forward towards her, so close that their noses lay a mere inch apart.
He began speaking, in an eerie, hissing whisper, "my whole life I was surrounded by a bunch of blabbering imbeciles, who thought they were better then me and could push me around. Not anymore, I'm getting my revenge on them, one by one, starting with your dear friend Seeley…"
Brennan's eyes widened as yet another thing clicked into place.
Taking a deep breath she gasped something quietly that Mike failed to hear.
"What?" he asked in his arrogant tone.
Brennan rolled her eyes and repeated yourself.
"Your name isn't Mike Johnston, is it?"
A slow smile crept across Mike's face as he minutely shook his head.
"No…"
A large, black SUV pulled up outside the gate, and a tall, muscular man stepped out of the vehicle and began racing towards the entrance.
Booth huffed powerfully as he jogged towards the gate and swung it wide open, stepping onto the field.
This is where he coaches Parker's little league team, and hopefully, if he was right, this was where he find his next clue.
"Where could it be, where could it be…" he mumbled to himself over and over as he stood in the glorious sunlight in the middle of the field, turning around and peering about.
Suddenly, he spotted something in the near-distance, a white sheet taped to the locker-room doors.
He took off at break-neck speed towards the changing rooms and nearly slammed roughly into them as he reached them.
He slowed to catch his breath and raised his head to look at the paper, a deep frown beginning to form on his face.
It wasn't a notice like he originally thought.
No, it was so much more.
Taped to the wall was a printed out photograph on a white sheet of paper.
But that was not the shocking thing, it was whom was in the picture.
Four teenage boys, all tall and well built, stood laughing and smiling at the camera, looking as if they hadn't a care in the world.
The first, was a young man named Eric Billson who had dashingly good looks and broad shoulders, captain of the high school football team back in 1989, the second was a slighter shorter, blonde young man called Joseph Pinson, the son of the local sheriff and star quarter-back, the third was David Malcolm an African-American young man with a cheeky smile, who was the captain of the basketball team. But it wasn't these young gentlemen that caught the agent's attention. It was the forth teenager.
The forth teenager was a tall young man, slightly muscular with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes. He was the star point-guard of the basketball team and had such a smile that would make any girl's heart melt. His name was Seeley Booth.
Booth looked at the picture of himself and his old high school friends and shook his head.
Under it there was a caption printed in the familiar capital, bold writing.
OUR FOUR TEENAGE HEROES BACK IN THE DAY WHEN SPORTS WAS EVERYTHING IN HIGH-SCHOOL. ARE'T THEY SOMETHING?
He bit his lip when he finished reading.
It had been such a long time since he'd seen any of them, he had no idea how they were now, where they were now, or if they even were still alive…it was sad really…
Reaching forward, he pulled the page off the wall to look at it closely.
There was no hidden message in the caption as far as he could tell so he flipped it over, and there is where he found the envelop.
Bracing himself, he tore it off and opened it, his eyes beginning to read intently.
GOOD DAY AGENT BOOTH. SUCH A BLAST FROM THE PAST ISN'T IT? BACK IN YOUR GLORY DAYS?
YOU WERE QUITE THE PLAYER WEREN'T YOU? BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. SUCH A LADIES MAN, GIRLS WANTED YOU AND GUYS WANTED TO BE YOU…SO TYPICAL!
WHAT IS IT WITH SOCIETY AND SPORTS ANYWAY? EVEN NOW I CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY THE JOCKS WHO ARE AS DUMB AS A BOX OF BRICKS GET ALL THE GLORY AND SCHOLARSHIPS WHILST THE FUTURE DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS GET PUSHED INTO THE SHADOWS AND HAVE TO WORK THREE JOBS TO GET THROUGH COLLEGE! IT'S AN OUTRAGE!
IS THAT HOW YOU DID IT AGENT BOOTH?
NO…I REMEMBER, YOU DID OUT YOUR KNEE AT A MATCH DIDN'T YOU? PITY…YOU COULD HAVE GONE ALL THE WAY, YOU WERE QUITE THE BASKETBALL PLAYER, AND GOOD AT HOCKET TOO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY…
YOU COULD HAVE ENDED UP JUST LIKE THE OTHERS.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE NOW?
I BET YOU DON'T…
PEOPLE JUST LOSE TOUCH AFTER HIGH SCHOOL…IT MUST BE HARD BEING THAT POPULAR, YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER A LOT OF PEOPLE DO YOU?
LIKE ME…YOU DON'T REMEMBER ME…
BUT I REMEMBER YOU SEELEY, I REMEMBER YOU WELL.
SO COME ON, COME AND GET ME AND SEE IF YOU KNOW ME THEN.
PROVE TO ME THAT YOU'RE NOT AS DUMB AS A BOX OF BRICKS.
SOLVE MY LAST RIDDLE AND HELP SAVE YOUR BROTHER AND THE WOMAN I KNOW YOU LOVE…
TIME'S RUNNING OUT-FASTER THEN A CAR,
YOU ARE NEAR BOOTH AND YET SO FAR,
JUST TURN THE PASSAGES AND YOU WILL SEE,
SOMETHING THAT'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT TO ME
PUT US TOGETHER, BEARING IN MIND
WHAT IT WILL HELP YOU FIND
NOT JUST YOUR BROTHER, PARTNER OR ME
BUT THE TRUTH WHICH WILL SET YOU ALL FREE.
BETTER HURRY AGENT BOOTH, I'M CALCULATING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME LEFT…
UNTIL WE NEXT COMMUNICATE
Booth closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Who the hell was this guy? He obviously knew him from the past, from way back in High School…
As the agent stood there, trying to make sense of the riddle he just read, he also urged himself to remember who on earth in High School would want revenge on him…
He searched and searched his mind but came up blank, he knew he couldn't be expected to think back that long in such a serious situation.
Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he fumbled to look at his watch.
49 minutes left.
Oh god! I have no idea what this riddle means! Booth chastised himself in his head as he ran back to his car.
Wrenching open the door, he climbed in and rested the card on front of him on the steering wheel.
Silently he read it again.
"Turn the passages…" he mumbled to himself. "Turn the passages…"
He frowned deeply. Didn't passages mean like writing, letters, notes?
Turn the notes? he thought.
Biting his lower lip, he flipped the card over and stared at it intently.
On the back the was a load of little lines and bits of letters that made absolutely no sense to him.
"What the hell?" he said to himself angrily, banging his hand on the dashboard loudly.
It looked like some cryptic code, with dashes and lines and some full letters and half letters.
1 ) l - - - - 7 -(
He stared at it intently, hoping that the harder he stared, the easier he would find the solution, needless to say, it didn't help him accomplish anything.
He glanced at his car clock. He was running out of time, fast, just as the riddle stated.
Growing more frustrated, Booth flipped the card back over and re-read the riddle.
"Put us together, bearing in mind, what it will help you find…" he mumbled.
"Put us together? The passages?" he asked himself.
Suddenly it hit him, he had to put all the cards together!
Scrambling and shuffling in the front seat, he plunged his hand into his pocket and withdrew the other three cards that he'd received.
He turned them over and saw the same little lines and letters on the back of them.
Fumbling awkwardly, he tried to assemble the cards together, first side by side.
It still made no sense.
Gritting his teeth he then arranged the three cards on top of each other, so that each card over lapped with the other.
A broad smile crept onto the agent's face as words began to form.
109 WAREHOUSE 7 CHERRIE BARD STREET.
Quickly, Booth withdrew his cell and text Deputy Director Cullen the address, he would alert the back-up, just the way they had planned.
Feeling more confident, Booth threw everything aside and started the car, revving the engine loudly before taking off at the speed of light.
He had to get all the way across town, it was starting to rain and the traffic was growing heavy.
His heart pumped wildly in his chest as he turned on his siren and drove ever faster, weaving in and out of vehicles.
He just had to get there in time or…well…he couldn't think about it…
31 minutes to go.
"Where's Jared?" Brennan demanded, as 'Mike' stood up and made his way towards the door that his guard just walked through.
The two men conversed quietly, both ignoring the anthropologist.
"I SAID, WHERE'S BOOTH'S BROTHER?" Brennan yelled, trashing about, still trying to break free from her restraints but they just wrapped tighter around her as she continued to pull.
Her loud demand caught the attention of her kidnapper.
"That, Dr. Brennan, is none of your concern", he smirked, his arrogant, sleek tone making the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.
He now stood on front of her, menacingly glaring at her, as he basked her in shadow.
"Now Temperance, is time for a little fun. My associate here is going to untie you now. Don't think about using any of those fancy moves on he or I either, because that would be extremely…unintelligent, which doesn't suit you," he sneered, whilst withdrawing the large gun from behind his back and pointing it directly between her eyes, as his minion began untying her.
"Now stand up," he ordered, as the last of the ropes fell away from Brennan.
Temperance felt the guard snatch her arms and hold her in place as she stood.
Roughly he began pushing her out of the room as Mike watched backwards with them so he was still facing Brennan and the gun was still directly on her forehead.
The three all trudged out into the open area of what Brennan could tell was the main part of the warehouse.
But it wasn't the room that the doctor felt her eyes become drawn to, it was what resided in the room.
A bed.
Her eyes bulged at the sight of it, this was worse then she thought.
She squirmed, trying desperately to escape the clutches of her capturer but he just gripped her tighter and Mike dug the gun into her skull.
"Ah-ah Tempe, that's not very nice! I've arranged this comfortable bed for you and you aren't being very appreciative at all. I thought after a whole day of sitting on a hard, wooden chair, a bed would be a god-send…" he smirked, he voice utterly condescending and patronising.
Brennan glared at him, her cold, blue eyes boring a hole in him.
Mike leaned closer to her, his lips merely a milometer from her ear, his breath bouncing off her neck, making her cringe, "so…feisty…aren't you? I bet Agent Booth gets a real kick out of it…now…these silly, little clothes just won't do…let's slip you into something a little more comfortable…"
As Mike lunged to begin unbuttoning her blouse with one hand, Brennan suddenly snapped her head and roughly smashed it into her capturer's chin making him stumble back and release her, whilst she whirled around to hit Mike.
But it was too late…
A shot fired, startling the anthropologist.
Looking down, she glanced at the blood that was slowly omitting from her.
Her eyes bulged and her mouth hung open but no sound came.
Mike smirked evilly, watching her knees buckle from under her…
Seeley Booth pulled up outside warehouse seven with exactly three minutes to go.
With his pulse racing he jumped out of the car and raced to the entrance but stopped abruptly in his tracks when he heard a single gunshot.
Gasping, he wretched the door open and sped inside, gun at the ready.
He was plunged into a semi-darkened environment.
Peering around himself, he tried desperately to see where the shots might have come from.
He found no people brandishing weapons anywhere in the vicinity but there was something that caught his attention.
In the corner of the room he saw a dark figure that looked like it was hunched over.
Squinting, he failed to get a better view and decided to step closer.
At the sound of his foot falling to the floor the figure instantly jumped and looked up at the noise, whimpering quietly.
"It-It's alright, I'm FBI", Booth mumbled drawing closer, still trying to get a better look at the captive.
The person then started squirming and mumbling loudly, fighting against his restraints and gag.
It was as his head was thrown back finally Seeley saw who it was.
"Jared!" he exclaimed, racing forward and beginning to untie his older brother.
"S-Seel, h-he h-has D-Doctor B-Brennan", Jared gasped, "h-he h-has a g-gun…"
Seeley's heart thumped in his chest with alarm.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked hurriedly.
Jared nodded, "yeah okay, just a little battered and bruised, I think I've a broken nose but other then that…"
Booth helped his brother stand up.
"Listen Jared, a swat team will be here soon alright, you just get out of here and get as far away as possible and when you see them-direct them here".
Jared began to protest. "No way man! I'm not leaving you here on your own with no back-up, are you crazy?"
Booth rolled his eyes and argued, "look Jared, it's my job alright, I'll be fine, all I'm worried about is getting Bones back!"
Jared threw him a look of pity and understanding told him he understood and began to make his way out of the warehouse.
At the last minute he turned back to his little brother.
"Are you sure you will be okay Seel?"
Booth turned, "yeah I'll be fine…go!"
"Ok, look after yourself", the older man said cautiously before limping his way out of the warehouse.
As soon as his brother's back was turned, Seeley jumped into action and made his way into the next room where he could hear voices.
"Strap her down…she's a fighter, she'll kick…" he heard someone command.
Booth tentively tip-toed in the shadows, stepping behind the four men who were gathered around a bed.
His eyes grew unbelievingly wide as he saw what lay on there.
There, positioned on her back, her head flat on the pillows, her arms tied to the bed-posts on the head-board and her feet tied to the bed-posts on the end of the bed, was his partner, Temperance Brennan.
She was trashing around wildly, and Booth could now see that there was a lot of blood pooling at the end of the bed.
She was shot, that was for sure, right in the thigh.
At the sight of his injured partner, bound to the bed, Booth snapped and instantly began firing his gun, hitting one of the guys in the back.
"What the-"
The other three whiled around at the noise and began firing wildly into the darkness, but Booth dodged the badly aimed bullets easily.
"Glad you good join us Agent Booth", spoke one man who was half-hidden by a gloomy shadow.
Booth stayed in the shade as the man continued talking, this time to the remaining two guards, banishing them from the warehouse. They took off at the speed of light, leaving Booth standing alone with one man.
"Why don't you drop your weapon, slide it out to me and step out of the shadows Booth like a good little agent," the man smirked cheekily, pointing his gun down at Brennan who had now passed out on the bed, "either that or your partner will die quicker".
Gritting his teeth, Booth did as he was told, there was no way he was risking Bones' life.
His gun slid loudly across the floor and he watched intently as the mysterious man picked it up, removed the bullets and threw it away.
"Okay, now, c'mon out", he barked, bringing the gun closer to Brennan.
Taking a deep breath, Booth took a large step in front of him, and was immediately basked with a dim sunlight omitting from the window above them.
The man smirked when he saw him.
"You're just as I remember you, tall, muscular with a cocky air about you…" he snarled, his face suddenly twisting into an ugly glare.
Booth glared right back and spat, "what the hell is your problem? I don't even know you!"
A harsh chuckle pierced the tension and the man shifted to the right so now Booth could view him clearly.
"Of course you don't Seeley! Why would you ever remember me? I was the scum at the bottom of your shoe in High School! You were a God and I was a jester for everyone to laugh at!" the man roared with fury, his gun never leaving Brennan's direction.
Booth's eyes were glued to the man's face as it was now clearly visible, he recognised him immediately. He spoke tentively, "so…you know me from High School huh? I think I'd remember you and I don't recall a Mike Johnston…"
The sickening smirk was back, "so you figured it out did you? You figured out who I am?"
Booth nodded his head, everything falling into place now.
He began quietly, "you must have befriended Jared specifically for you revenge. You knew that when you faked your own kidnap, your girlfriend Ella would tell your so-called friend Jared who happened to have a brother at the FBI named Seeley Booth. It was the most perfect way for you to get revenge on me".
Mike was now smiling widely.
"Well, well, well, you are good aren't you? Once you get going…you are right about everything so far…but you still don't know who I am."
Booth frowned deeply.
"You were right Agent Booth, you didn't go to High School with a Mike Johnston".
Now the Agent was just confused.
"But you just said we went to school toget-wait…" Booth trailed off, squinting his eyes and studying his face a little deeper. There was something about him that looked oddly familiar.
"You…you're name isn't Mike Johnston is it?"
'Mike' laughed again, "wow…you are a better Agent then I thought…clearly better then the philistine you used to be…"
Booth gasped at his words.
Did he just say philistine?
Taking another attentive step towards him Booth peered at him, trying to imagine him as a teenager with thick black glasses, slightly thinner and shorter with a lot of acne.
When he came to his conclusion he asked quietly, "Harlan? Harlan Kinney?"
The man turned his head as he saw Booth come closer. His ear pricked up.
"Yes Seeley?" he smirked, his fingers clutching the gun and turning deathly white.
Booth closed his eyes for a second as it all began to slip into place.
"Starting to realise now Agent Booth? Starting to get why I had to do all this?" he whispered menacingly, this time jabbing Brennan in the side of the head with the gun.
Booth leapt forward and cried out when he saw him continue to hurt his unconscious partner.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" he roared, forgetting himself.
Harlan smirked devilishly and reached out with his hand to touch Temperance's arm.
He began stroking up her arm, towards her neck and down to her chest with the back of his finger, ever so gently.
"She's so soft Agent Booth, has skin like an angel…I bet you'd love to touch her like this…" he murmured, throwing him a smug grin.
Booth bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from screaming at him, he began to shake as he saw Harlan's finger edge towards his partner's breasts.
"Stop. It." he spat, gritting his teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously.
Harlan withdrew his finger and turned to face him.
"Why are you doing this Harlan? What did I ever do to you that makes me deserve my brother and partner being kidnapped?" Booth asked softly, noticing with relief that he had withdraw his gun from his partner and was now aiming it at him instead.
Harlan laughed hysterically, his maddened tone alarming Booth dramatically.
"What did you ever do? You're joking right? YOU AND YOUR BUDDIES COMPLETELY HUMILIATED ME! YOU TREATED ME LIKE SHIT! YOU-YOU DATED THE ONE GIRL I'D GIVE THE WORLD FOR!" he roared, his face shinning a deadly red and his hand holding the gun started to shake.
Booth opened his mouth but was cut off abruptly.
"Now granted Agent Booth, high school was a long time ago…I have since forgotten all the childish behaviour that went on…the fact you stole Jenny Pinkinson from me, you humiliated me on front of our entire year, you strutted around the school as if you were some sort of God…those little things I can easily forget…but then, then you did the unthinkable…" he paused and Booth found himself holding in his breath in anticipation.
"You killed my brother…" he mumbled softly, almost to himself.
Booth leaned forward, convinced he had heard him wrong.
"What? I never-"
"-DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT BOOTH! I KNOW IT WAS YOU! YOU-YOU KILLED MY BROTHER IN COLD BLOOD!"
"Nick?" Booth asked, feeling utterly unsure of himself.
"NO NOT NICK! NICK WAS KILLED BY MY OLD BOSS FOR OWING MONEY FOR DRUGS! NICK'S MY COUSIN NOT MY BROTHER, I'M TALKING ABOUT MY BIOLOGICAL BROTHER RALPH!" he boomed, his hand getting shakier and nearer to the trigger by the moment.
Booth was tremendously confused.
"What are you talking about? I never even knew your brother!"
"OH YOU DIDN'T? I THINK YOU DID AGENT BOOTH! HE WAS TRAINING IN THE FBI WHEN YOU STARTED! HE WAS UNDER THE NAME JOHNSTON BUT HE WAS STILL MY BROTHER AND YOU KILLED HIM!"
Booth was exasperated, confused, and getting rather edgy at the sight of the gun and the amount of blood loss omitting from Brennan.
He would keep Harlan talking for as long as he possibly could until the SWAT team got here, he strove for something to say, anything!
"Harlan I swear I had nothing to do with your brother's death, I-I didn't even know your brother. I-I mean is Nick not your brother? I don't really follow what you mean…"
Harlan laughed again in that insane, manic way of his.
"Of course you don't! I underestimated you Booth, I think you are still a philistine just like you were when you were seventeen. Nick is my cousin, my uncle-who was my mother's brother and his wife adopted us when Ralph and I were teenagers when our parents died. After I graduated High School I started going by the name Mike-my middle name because I was teased in school for my first name, and when I was twenty one I changed my name to Johnston-my uncle's and mother's last name…god do I have to spell it out for you?" he spat, wiping his hand across his brow, feeling utterly flustered.
Suddenly, something caught Booth's eye, a flicker of light coming from the other room-barely visible from the slightly ajar door.
It looked like his back-up had finally arrived.
Just keep him talking, he thought to himself eagerly with a frightened look at his partner.
"But that doesn't explain why you think I killed your brother? I mean how did he die?" he asked, trying not to sound too anxious as he saw many men quietly shuffle into the warehouse.
"He died whilst training and doing target practice! A gun accidentally went off and the bullet went straight through his heart!" Harlan yelled, beginning to sob uncontrollably.
Booth wracked his brain, the story was beginning to sound familiar. He was beginning to remember, his first week of FBI training…
"Wait…I remember, he was a small kid, maybe two or three years younger then us…he-he had a 22 calibre we were using to hit the targets, he-he was standing to my left and he turned to me…" Booth mumbled, frowning as he tried to remember.
Harlan began to nod his head vigorously, "you see? You're starting to remember now are you Booth? Did you really forget that you killed someone that young? Did the army really fuck you up that much?!"
Booth gripped his hands into fists.
"No Harlan! I wasn't the one that shot him, I remember it specifically! I was standing to his left and we turned to each other to swap sides, if I was the one that shot him then the bullet would have entered the right part of his chest, missing his heart!" he rambled quickly.
Harlan frowned at him, "no-no…I-I was told that he was killed by another FBI agent! I-I was given a list of people that were there and as soon as I saw your name I…I knew it was you! It had to be! You must have known he was related to me! That's why you did it!"
He was getting desperate now…
"No Harlan, that's not what happened! The guy, Johnny Davidson on the other side of your brother, it-it was his gun that went off…not mine. I know 'cause he…put a pistol in his mouth for it six months later…" mumbled sadly, remembering reading the obituary of the young man who was once so full of life.
"NO!" Harlan roared, seemedly fed up of talking now and held the gun up to aim at Booth's head.
"I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID SEELEY! FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WHAT YOU DID TO MY BROTHER! YOU ARE GOING TO DIE TONIGHT!"
And he raised the gun and squeezed his finger.
"NO!" someone roared from behind him and shoved him just as he pulled the trigger, making him miss his target.
Booth ducked as the bullet went whizzing by his ear and watched in shock as Harlan fell to the floor and the figure of a furious-looking Temperance Brennan glaring down at him as she lay upright on the bed.
She had kicked him with her good leg, hard. It was beyond Booth how she managed to get one of her legs untied.
"Bones I-"
"Watch out!" she yelled as Harlan jumped up whiling his gun, aiming at Booth.
Booth was too fast for him and punched him in the face, making him stagger backwards and drop the gun.
Booth now began to attack him, obviously having the advantage as he was bigger and stronger.
Harlan struck back, winding Booth making him double-over. He jumped on his back and wrapped his arms around his throat, trying to strangle him.
Booth choked and pulled at his neck, swinging around desperately, trying to throw Harlan off, he did…
Harlan Kinney went right through the window.
Booth watched in shock as Kinney's body went flying through the window, he didn't have time to breath however as after a moment he saw the man push himself up off the ground and stagger off into the impending darkness.
God he was determined.
"KINNEY! KINNEY!" he roared to no avail, getting ready to take off after him.
The swat team now burst in through the door, but they were too late.
Booth had half his leg out the window when he heard something that made his heart stop.
"Booth…" Brennan mumbled, her voice so quiet and childlike, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back against the pillows.
Seeley's eyes widened and he raced over to her where she now had passed out again.
Quickly he began to wrap her blooded leg tightly up in sheets before lifting her up like a baby and carrying her out of the room, following the swat team, running as fast as his legs could carry him all the time thinking desperately to himself, please don't let her die, please don't let her die, please God don't let her die…
A/N: Wow…that was the longest chapter yet! Sorry if it got a little rushed at the end, I guess I was just getting impatient! Don't worry folks there's still more chapters to come, Mike/Harlan has to be caught after all and of course we have to find out Brennan's fate! Thankies to everyone who has supported me so far, you guys are amazing! xx