The next morning, Hacker entered the lab at the Jeffersonian and exclaimed, "Hello, Dr. Brennan." He could see Brennan and her intern Wendell perched over a skeleton that had been found in the Hoover building. As he approached Brennan, he examined the bones on the table. Most people felt disgust or sadness at the sight of at flesh and bones that had a few days ago been a person. Hacker felt nothing- no empathy or sadness as he stared at the victim that died because of his doing.
"Hello, Hacker," Brennan answered without taking her eyes off the remains. Hacker narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Brennan's antisocial nature usually didn't offend him, but with the investigation into th bombings and dealing with Booth, it irritated him greatly.
"Dr. Brennan, I would like to have a word with you regarding your partnership with Agent Booth." Hacker's statement finally caught Brennan's attention. She glanced over to Wendell, who began processing the bones. Brennan took off her gloves, walked down the platform, and approached Hacker. He smiled and stated, "May we talk outside? "
"Of course." Brennan slipped off her lab coat and hung it on the railing of the platform. She walked towards the entrance of the lab with Hacker behind her. As they walked, Hacker felt concerned looks follow him. He knew that they were interested in knowing the status of the partnership between Booth and Brennan. One glare that caught Hacker's interest was one from Hodgins, who was on his way out the door as well. He glared Hacker right in the eye as they passed him.
Just another paranoid squint, he thought to himself as they left.
Once outside the building, Brennan spoke, "I'm concerned about Booth. He seems on edge ever since the bombings. Regarding our partnership, I do not understand why we need to discuss it." Hacker watched her as she spoke, noting the worry on Brennan's face. Suddenly, an idea sparked in Hacker's mind.
"Yeah, that's the main reason why I'm here," he replied. He quickly thought of a lie and said, "Booth has me quite worried as well. He's become very antisocial, irritable, and looks like he hasn't slept in since the bombings. There has been talk around the office about whether Booth should talk to someone. Those factors had led me to the conclusion that I need to temporarily cut the partnership between the two of you. It would keep him out of the field and would give him time to recuperate. It would only be for a few months."
"I do not believe that is necessary. I have not noticed any of those characteristics in Booth as of late," Brennan answered. Something is not right, she thought, I would have noticed if my boyfriend was depressed.
Meanwhile, Hodgins entered the remains of the Hoover building. The left side of the building had been reduced to a giant pile of rubble. Hodgins walked to the right side of the building which had sustained a small amount of damage. A feet away from him stood Hack'ers old office. Parts of the office had been destroyed by the fire, but most still stood intact.
Hodgins approached the office and glanced inside. The only thing in the office was a small bookshelf and a desk which were still in good condition The bookshelf and desk looks too good to have just survived a fire, Hodgins thoguht. He examined the desk and concluded that it had recently purchased.
While trying to figure why Hacker had a brand new desk in the office, a small light caught Hodgin's attention. It had reflected from under the desk. Hodgins bent down and found a small firebox . Before opening the box, Hodgins glanced over the desk looking to see if anyone saw him. The three FBI agents who were conducting the investigation stood at the other end of the floor, distracted. He then opened the firebox and found a stack of papers. As he glanced over the papers, his eyes widened in shock of what was on the papers. After he finished reading, he stuffed the papers in the bag and stood up. He began to speed walk towards the exit. The three agents did not even notice Hodgins leave the building.
An hour later, Hodgins, Sweets, and Booth all stood in the Ancient Ruins wing. Booth watched hodgins pace back and forth, once again in one of his paranoia moods. Sweets asked, "Dude, what did you find?"
"This is big. This is so big. This is Kennedy assassination big," Hodgins muttered. He stopped and turned to Booth and Hodgins.
"I found blueprints," he stated, "of the Hoover building. He had marked X's over where each of the bombs went off on each floor. There was also a list of everyone who was working that day at the time of the bombing. Why would he have blueprints of where the bombings occurred after the act in the remains of the Hoover building? This is..proof that Hacker was behind this. Dude, we need to go to someone high up, like the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the President!"
Booth answered, "First, that was an illegal search and seizure. Regardless, it is still a government building. If we turn this in, we will probably go to jail. Second, why would he leave something that big of evidence in the building?"
"Well, while I was there, there were three FBI agents that watched me like a hawk when I first got there. Luckily, they were distracted by something which gave me enough time to grab the papers."
"Those three agents are the only ones allowed to investigate the bombings. Those three are Hacker's favorites. "
"Well, we can use that as well. I really don't care about going to jail if it gives me the chance to make Hacker pay for what he did!"
"I do. I have a son and so do you, Hodgins. I don't want my son, Parker, to see his father go to jail."
"Well, think of it like this. Parker's father spent a year or two in jail after taking down a man that killed 103 innocent people. I think he would be pretty proud of you."
Sweets nodded and exclaimed, "Hey, I have nothing to loose so I'm in."
Booth hesitated and said, "Ok. Let's do it."
Back at the CIA building, Hacker watched his three agents enter his new office. Hacker tapped his pen on the desk and stated, "Is everything going to plan?"
The youngest of the three agents stammered, "Actually, no. Um, I'm sorry sir, but the papers in the firebox are missing."
Hacker's blood began to boil." What do you mean they are missing?"
"There is nothing in the box, sir."
"Ok, you three were at the building all day today. Did anyone else come by?"
"A few D.C cops, but we kept them away from your old office. There was also some scientist from the Jeffersonian who came in. He was there for only 20 minutes before he left with…..out…any one of us noticing…I'm so sorry, sir."
"Shut up! Describe the scientist."
"Male, brown and curly hair, about my height, sir."
"Jack Hodgins," Hacker muttered. A sly smile spread across his face. He scanned the three agents before demanding, "Arrest him."
Back at the Jeffersonian, Hodgins, Angela, and Brennan stood on the platform in the lab. Angela and Hodgins were discussing their son while Brennan was reading over notes. All were oblivious to the three FBI agents approaching until they set off the platform alarm. Brennan and Angela watched in horror as one of the agents arrested Hodgins while reading his Miranda rights. Angela followed them as they took Hodgins away while exclaiming, "What did he do?"
She stopped at the entrance of the lab and turned to Brennan with tears in her eyes. Brennan quickly whipped her phone out and dialed Booth's number.
"Booth." He answered.
"Hey, it's me. Three FBI agents arrested Hodgins!"
"Ok, I need you and Angela to meet Sweets and I at the place where we went for our 1 month anniversary in 1 hour. Do you remember where that is? I'll explain everything when we meet up."
"Yes, I do. I will see you there."
