Chapter 22. The Hero in the Hold.
Booth's bedroom. Booth is looking in the mirror and putting the final touches on his rented tux…his cocky belt buckle.
"Look at that." He said smiling and popping his collar as his cell rings "oh, it's got to be Bones." He said reaching for his phone and checking the caller ID. "Yup." He answered it smiling. "I'm on my way Bones."
"Do you need directions?"
"No, I do not need directions… because I am driving." He lied leaving his bedroom.
"My GPS can provide perfect directions in several languages."
"nah Bones. I'm good thanks."
"ok." Brennan nodded.
"well I bet you are looking beautiful, huh? Because I am in the finest tux that money can rent." Booth said smiling and adjusting his bowtie.
Brennan laughed. "not yet, I'm on my way home to get dressed. …But you need to be there an hour and a half before me to watch the tribute video. My GPS says you're 25 minutes away from the hall Seeley. This is my big night Booth please don't be late."
"you don't have to worry, alright Bones. I will be there when they crown you super scientist… I will be the guy in the cocky belt buckle and the snazzy rented tux, cheering you on and kissing you drunkenly at the after party alright" He hears a knock on the door. "Someone's knocking on my door. Gotta go."
"How can there be a knock at your door if you're already driving?" Brennan asked knowing he was lying. Booth looks at his phone and hangs up as he walks to the door.
An hour later. The Jeffersonian lab. A dressed up Brennan rushes in to meet Cam, Sweets and Angela.
"You're late." Cam pointed out with a sigh.
"I know. It took me longer to get dressed than I thought but don't worry my GPS will get us there on time." She said as they turn and head out
"It's not a time machine sweetie." Angela laughs pulling her jacket on.
Brennan's cell phone rings and she slows down as she grabs it from her purse.
"I call shot gun." Sweets said walking out with Angela and Cam shakes her head with a laugh.
"Brennan." She answered amused by her friends.
"I have taken Seeley Booth." The gravedigger's voice said, scrambled as always. Brennan grabbed Cam's phone and began recording the message as Cam turned around anxiously. "He has been buried alive. He has 21 hours to live." Angela turns around, followed by Sweets, to see what's wrong her face dropping when she sees Brennan's look of worry. "Bring the evidence to the SW5 DC Boundary Stone in return for which you will receive GPS coordinates. If you involve law enforcement I will know and Seeley Booth will die. This is my final communication." The phone cut off and Brennan was met with dead silence.
"What's going on?" Cam asked worried.
"The Gravedigger has Booth." She said a look of terror on her face.
"oh god." Angela said stunned.
Meanwhile. Booth wakes up in pure darkness. He uses the light on his watch to, unsuccessfully, try and figure out where he is. He begins to pound on the lid of the small container he's locked in and it doesn't take him long to realize what has happened. He has been kidnapped by the Gravedigger.
15 minutes later. Brennan uses her key to open Booth's apartment door. They enter cautiously, Sweets holding one of Angela's stilettos for a weapon.
"Booth?" Cam calls praying for an answer that doesn't come.
"He's not here. I told you." Brennan said with a sigh as they began looking around for other clues.
"I was hoping it was…like a prank call or something." Angela said taking her shoe back from Sweets and putting it on her foot.
"The door was locked." Cam pointed out.
"What does that mean?" Sweets asked curiously.
"Well, I doubt that the Gravedigger would take the time to lock the front door on his way out." Angela explained.
"Especially lugging 190 pounds of unconscious Booth." Cam nodded as they slowly enter the living room.
"He was dragged…toward the window." Brennan said pointing to the open window and the messed up blinds.
"Oh my god. Okay, alright, we need to call the authorities." Angela said as she began to freakout. Brennan looked to her seriously. "Don't give me that look sweetie, We are in way over our heads here."
"We can't, Ange." Brennan said shaking her head.
"we don't have a choice."
"No no, no. I read up on this guy. If we want Booth back, we need to pay the ransom." Sweets said seriously.
"The Gravedigger wanted evidence. What evidence?" Cam asked crossing back to them.
"It has to be the same evidence that the state attorney and the FBI think that I have… which I don't." Brennan said with a sigh.
"what are you doing?" Sweets asked watching Angela pull out her phone and begin dialing.
"They called in Hodgins too." Angela pointed out.
"You think he stole the evidence?" Brennan asked surprised.
"I know you didn't." Angela said walking out.
Darkness. Booth forcefully kicks the top of the container trying to get it open until he can't anymore. Exhausted, he begins feeling around for another way out, finding bolts in the corners. He begins kicking at one, unsuccessfully, and decides to try a different tactic. He pulls out his keychain and attempts to loosen the nuts, its difficult but it works. He kicks the bolt again and it pops out letting in a small beam of light. He smiles lightly, taking solace in the fact that he was at least above ground, as he begins working on the other nuts, slowly freeing himself from the small container.
Booth climbs out of the container and looked around to see that he was in the hull if a large ship.
"oh my god." He said realizing his situation and praying to god he's not too far from shore. "Who's there? Who's that?" Booth asks hearing movement in the dark corner of the room.
"It's me." A familiar voice called from the dark.
"Who's me?" Booth asked uneasy, ready to strike whoever comes out of the darkness.
"the best buddy you ever had." He said emerging from the dark. "Your words Sarge."
"Teddy?" Booth asked shocked as Teddy looks at him and smiles. "This isn't real." Booth said in disbelief.
Teddy hits the container Booth was in, causing a metal sound to ring out against the iron walls. "I'm gonna go with real. Nice monkey suit by the way. I would never have thought to go formal to a kidnapping." He said with a laugh.
"…Look, no offense, but… I've been drugged, electrocuted…stuffed in a…Beatles toy." He said really looking at the container for the first time and realizing it was a yellow submarine. "You're …you're a hallucination, that's what you are. You're a hallucination."
"Aww, that's nice. I show up to help you and you toss me off as a hallucination." Teddy said closing the lid of the submarine.
"You're dead corporal. I felt your heart stop."
"No use crying over spilled milk, Sarge." He shrugged.
"You know what? You're not real. This isn't real. …I am gonna focus on what is real, alright?... Real, like getting out of this place. Okay…" Booth said looking around and finding a hatch door high up above the catwalk and Teddy follows his gaze.
"Nah, Sarge. It's too high. How about that one?" he asked pointing to one at their level.
Booth nodded. "right, I already saw that." He lied walking over to the door.
"Now you're getting competitive with a hallucination." Booth glares at him. "What? Oh, right. Nope. Still here." Booth turns his concentration back to the door. "wow, you really haven't changed, Sarge. Once you knew what has to be done, nothing can stop you." Teddy shook his head stepping closer to him.
"Enough already, okay?" Booth snapped and Teddy straightened and clicked his heels.
"Yes sir, Sergeant, sir." He shouted saluting at full-attention.
"at ease." Booth sighed walking to the submarine and pulling off one of the propellers for a prying tool.
"Hey, look at that. You're making progress." Teddy said smiling.
At the lab. Brennan walks in finding Hodgins doing rapid push-ups.
"Could you stop that, please?" Brennan asked uncomfortably.
"sorry. I was just working off adrenaline." He said standing. "How long ago did the Gravedigger get Booth? What kind of time do we have?"
"I know you have what the Gravedigger wants. The evidence that the judge told us about. The Gravedigger thinks that I have it. But he's wrong. It's you isn't it?" Hodgins doesn't reply. "Give it to me jack, Please?"
Hodgins hesitates momentarily before pulling out a metal briefcase and opening it, showing her the file inside. "That's everything." He promised as she looked up at him.
"The judge was after a specific piece, Hodgins, something that you stole from the FBI."
Hodgins sighs defeated and pulls a small vial out of the case. "it's the bumper sticker you found in my leg. It probably came off the bumper of the vehicle the Gravedigger used to run me over. Only shortly before he buried me alive." He said handing it to her.
"With me." Brennan reminded him looking at the vial.
"I'm pretty close to…discovering the manufacturer. …Which will help us narrow down the suspect pool."
"Booth doesn't have that kind of time." Hodgins reaches for the vial and she pulls it back closer to herself.
"What is that?" Cam asked walking in with Angela and Sweets right behind her.
"it's evidence that the Gravedigger wants. …Sweets, you…you shouldn't be here. The Gravedigger said no FBI involvement."
"I'm a psychologist, not an agent." He pointed out.
"An FBI psychologist. Dr. Sweets, get gone, now." Cam clarified, not about to take any chances. He nods and exits, visibly annoyed at being left out of the loop.
Angela turns to Hodgins, looking angry."You stole evidence?"
"You don't know what it was like. Being buried in that car." He defended.
"I do. I was there." Brennan said growing very frustrated with him.
"I know. And if we turn over that evidence we will never catch the Gravedigger."
"Booth only has 19 hours." Cam pointed out trying to make him see reason.
"Okay, okay. Let's just take 10 of those hours and see if we can do both." He suggested desperately and Cam and Angela look to Brennan for the decision. "Brennan, I'm telling you the answer is there." He pleaded knowing it was their last hope to find the Gravedigger.
Brennan stares at the vial, worried about taking the chance, and shakes her head.
"10 hours Dr. Brennan? We can get this guy and save Booth"
Angela looks to Cam and Cam looks to Brennan who sighs looking at Hodgins and then back to the vial once more. "8 hours … And Dr. Hodgins is never left alone." She insisted.
"You don't trust him?" Angela asked surprised.
"No. I don't." she said handing Cam the vial and walking out.
The hold. Booth is trying to use the propeller to open the hatch when the blade breaks.
"Fresh one?" teddy asked holding out a different propeller and being met with a look. "What? Oh, hallucinations can't help out a little."
"Give me that." Booth said taking it from him and turning back to the door.
"No, Sarge. Pry with your legs so you don't hurt your back." He advised, watching Booth.
Booth pushes harder, growing more frustrated and the door opens a little as water starts to pour in at the bottom. "That can't be good." Teddy observed stepping back.
The water is coming in harder now drenching Booth as he tries to shut the door. His efforts are unsuccessful and the door bursts open, a wall of water filling the room.
A few hours later. The Jeffersonian platform. Brennan and Angela rush onto the platform meeting Cam and Hodgins.
"Okay, so… there was no voice match but there was a point of origin on the call." Angela said pulling up the file and playing what she had found.
"Seagulls?" Cam guessed, surprised.
"I talked to Booth an hour and 47 minutes before I got the ransom call." Brennan informed them setting the time table.
"That's a merry-go-round…" Cam has a moment of realization as she listens closer to the ambient noise. "The boardwalk! King's Beach Boardwalk."
"Wait. I got it." Hodgins said holding up Vega's book on the Gravedigger.
"Vega?" Brennan asked confused.
"Vega lives in a penthouse apartment just off the boardwalk." Hodgins informed them and Brennan and Cam share a look.
A parking garage near the boardwalk. Hodgins and Brennan get out of her car and walk through the garage.
"Do you think this is my fault?" Hodgins asked as they begin looking for Vega's car.
"If you hadn't stolen the evidence the Gravedigger would never have taken Booth." Brennan pointed out.
"Rationally speaking, it was inevitable. It would have happened anytime we got close." He rebutted.
"Is that Vega's car?" Brennan asked as they approached a small silver car. "…who is that?" she asked seeing the bloody body in the driver's seat.
"It's Vega." Hodgins said angrily kicking the tire. "what are you doing? He's dead." He said as Brennan opened the door.
"It looks like he was killed somewhere else and then placed here."
"We should take his body back to the lab." He said looking around and Brennan glares at him. "what? Obviously the Gravedigger killed him. There's got to be some evidence that we can use."
"And remove a body from the crime scene?" Brennan asked disbelievingly.
A car pulls up quickly, screeching to a stop infront of them, and Agent Perotta steps out. "Dr. Brennan is right, Dr. Hodgins. That would be a very bad idea. Step away from the car, please."
Brennan looks around confused "were you following us?"
"I'll ask the questions Dr. Brennan. You and Dr. Hodgins wait over there." She said pointing to her car.
Perotta walked back to them as the FBI is wheeling Vega's body away on a stretcher. "what were you doing here?"
"we had an interview with Vega." Hodgins lied, his arms crossed as he leaned against the SUV.
"You were here for an interview?" Perotta asked raising an eyebrow.
"yes" Brennan nods.
"Mr. Vega was writing a sequel to his book, 'Surviving the Gravedigger' and wanted to talk to us."
"At 5 in the morning?" she asked disbelievingly.
"It was a…breakfast meeting. We're very busy people." Hodgins said matter-of-factly.
"Why were you following us Agent Perotta?"
"maybe because you two are both suspected of stealing evidence." She said sarcastically. "but this doesn't go very far in clearing you of suspicion." She said looking at the crime scene.
"Well was he under surveillance? Because a fat lot of good the FBI did him." Hodgins said angrily.
"Well it appears that he was the one who had the evidence. …Are we free to go now?" Brennan asked, in a hurry.
"Why not? They have us under surveillance." Hodgins said pushing off of the SUV and shoving past Perotta.
"I'll be in touch." Perotta said smiling as they walked away.
The Hold. The water has filled up half the hull and Booth and Teddy are treading water as it continues to rise.
"if the water rises up far enough I'll be able to get to that door and open it." Booth said pointing to the catwalk.
"What, the room isn't filling up quickly enough for you already?" teddy asked watching Booth swim over to the wall and following right behind.
Booth reaches up and barely reaches the broken off ladder. He sighs in relief and pulls himself up, finding Teddy already sitting between the bars.
"you know what. You always were the guy to be with in a tough spot." Booth said sitting next to him for a moment before standing.
"You never said anything like that, Sarge. Mostly you just grunted. And made me get you coffee."
"yeah I know." he said walking over to the door and trying to turn the wheel handle.
"So what makes you think what's behind that hatch is going to be any better than the last thing we opened?"
Well… I'm either gonna drown fast, or really, really slow." He said pulling his jacket off.
"Well It's filling up pretty fast here too, Sarge." Teddy said looking down at the water. "and we don't have enough time to mess with that door." He said jumping off the edge.
"Teddy what the hell are you doing!?" he called after him. Teddy reemerged from the rising water and climbs back on the catwalk, a large yellow pipe in his hand. "What the hell's that for?"
"It's a fulcrum, Sarge. We, uh, both work it together." He said spitting out water.
Booth positions it and Teddy pushes on the pipe as Booth pulls on the wheel, slowly causing it to budge. "Get in." he said pulling it open.
"Hey, real people go first, Sarge." Teddy said smiling.
Booth grabs Teddy by the shirt and pushes him in "Get in before I change my mind, will you?" he stares at his hand for a moment realizing that he actually touched Teddy, before walking through and sealing the door behind them. "…You are not a hallucination. You helped me open up that hatch. I wouldn't have been able to open up that hatch without you."
"…Okay, okay. So what does that make me?" Teddy asked curiously.
"I don't know… maybe you're… aha you are a ghost."
"I'm a ghost?" he asked disbelievingly as he examined the new room they were in. "hey why aren't you scared?"
"You being a ghost is not even on the list of things that scare me." Booth said confused at the skeleton in a pirate costume that hung near him.
He looked away deciding that there were more important matters at hand than the decor. He spotted a gated fence that separated them from the larger portion of the room and crossed over to it. "damn it's locked." He sighed and began kicking the door.
"I kept telling you. I said, 'learn to pick a lock.' You remember your response, Sarge?" Teddy asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah." Booth nodded. "'Any lock worth picking is worth kicking.'" he gave the lock another hard kick, still not getting anywhere. "And I still stand by it."
"Oh, hey, please, stand by it." He said sarcastically, squatting and looking at the lock eye to eye. "Advice like that. It's a miracle I lived as long as I did. …You got a cuff link?"
"Yeah." He said taking it off and handing it to him and being met with an amused expression. "you were 20." He said quietly.
"What's that?" Teddy asked missing it as he picks the lock.
"…that wasn't long enough. You were 20 years-old when you died."
"I still am." He nodded standing and pushing the door open. "You, Sarge, I've got to say…you've put a couple years on. Hey is it true that the 30s is when your body really starts going south on you?" he joked as Booth entered the larger compartment.
"haha very funny."
"…Hey, you got any kids, Sarge?" he asked suddenly curious.
"…yeah, I got a boy."
"What's his name?" he asked curiously watching Booth move around the room.
"you're probably going to take this wrong." Booth sighed.
"Why? What'd you do? You name him something stupid like…like Cutter? …What, Tanner?" Booth looks down, clearly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. "Brady? Aw, God, you didn't name him Sebastian did you?"
"no" he said looking up at Teddy. "Parker. I named him Parker." He admitted.
"…That's my name." he said stunned. "You named your kid after me?"
"Yeah."
"What's he like?" Teddy asked curiosity back.
"He's uh…he's just like a kid you know, but uh, he's even cooler."
"does he like you?" he asked following Booth as he looked through cupboards and on shelves for something useful.
"of course he likes me, he loves me. I'm his dad, you know?"
"ok…What about his mom?"
"yeah, she uh…she likes me." He said uncomfortable again. "But uh…she didn't love me." He said moving to a small door on the wall.
"You loved her though?"
"Of course I loved her. I still do." He said straining to open the door "I just don't like her too much. Besides it's a different kind of love." He manages to open the door and finds a porthole. "We're definitely on a ship." He said looking at the distant ships in the harbor.
"…Uh…Sarge?" teddy called looking the other way.
"Yeah?" Booth asked trying to gage the distance from shore.
"This particular ship…ain't going to be floating much longer."
Booth turns around to see C4 lining the walls and ceiling. "C4 explosives. …this place is gonna blow."
A park just outside of DC. Brennan's car pulls into a spot and Angela, Cam, Sweets and Brennan all climb out.
"the boundary stone is through the clearing." Brennan pointed out as Angela got the equipment set up in the open trunk.
"… This is weird. Something nearby is broadcasting a video signal." Angela said a confused look spreading across her face.
"There. A camera. Up in that tree." Sweets said pointing to a tree near the clearing.
"That's how the Gravedigger will see that we brought what he wants." Hodgins added.
"I might be able to hack into the camera's broadcast frequency." Angela said typing furiously.
"I gotta say, it doesn't seem to be the smartest move to just hand over this evidence. We need to be rational. We should maximize the chances to catch the Gravedigger, not minimize them." Hodgins said in a last ditch effort to persuade her.
Angela looked to Brennan and she didn't respond, an evident look of despair on her face at the thought of risking Booth to catch the gravedigger. Angela takes her by the hand and leads her around to the side of the car.
"Listen to me, Brennan. Somebody you love is buried alive." Brennan looks defensive at the word 'love' "You're allowed to save them no matter how irrational."
Brennan hesitated. "I… I don't love Booth." She denied, feeling a lump in her throat.
Angela sighed. "Yes you do. …So do I. So do all of us. …Just take my advice and hand over the evidence and get Booth back, then have hot naked sex with him." She advised with a smile.
"Ange!" Brennan said giving her a look.
"hey a girl can try." She shrugged. "now go save your partners life."
"alright let's do it. Come on Hodgins." Brennan says making her way onto the park's freshly cut grass and Hodgins follows with the briefcase of evidence.
Angela stands by Sweets at the car trunk watching the monitors. "Watch very closely. Tell me if anything changes, okay."
"By anything you mean…"
"Anything." She clarified and he turned back to the monitor with a nod.
Hodgins and Brennan approach the stone as Angela hacks into the video feed. "Okay. I'm in. I've locked into the video."
They watch intently as Brennan and Hodgins reach the rendezvous point and Brennan opens the case of evidence.
"I really, really hate him." Hodgins said angrily as he turned to the camera. "I will find you!" he yelled promise ringing out in his voice.
Brennan takes out the vial with the sticker and holds it up to the camera and the video feed zooms in on it. "Whoa. Did you do that?" Sweets asked surprised.
"No. No. Uh. That's the Gravedigger." Angela said uncomfortably watching as the Gravedigger scans the sticker on the video feed. "It's definitely the vial he's after. …God, and its receiver is within a 500 yard radius. He's really close." She said growing worried about this plan.
Sweets looks around as something on his monitor beeps. "Oh, uh, Oh my God. Angela, this pointy bit here just got way pointier." He said pointing.
"At what frequency?" she said typing and trying to zero in on the location of the receiver.
"um… 2.2 something."
Angela looks at the monitor. "Oh my God. That signal's not coming from the camera." She turns from the car and yells to Brennan and Hodgins. "Get back! Run!" she shouts and they look back at her and begin to walk away. "Run!" She shouts again.
"Go, go. Go, go, go." Hodgins said and they begin running as fast as they can, barely making it out of the reach of the blast as the stone explodes and knocks them down.
A car pulls up and once again Agent Perotta gets out. "What the hell is going on here?"
Hodgins and Brennan sit up staring at the fire as the evidence burns. "You okay?" he asked looking at her and standing.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Come on." She said as he helped her up and they hurried back to the car, the heat from the fire radiating towards them.
Back at FBI headquarters. Perotta is explaining the situation to Judge Williams and Heather Taffet. Brennan, Angela, Hodgins and Sweets are standing around the table.
"We followed Dr. Brennan's car to the Boundary Stone. We arrived moments after the explosion." She explained.
"What the hell were you people doing?" the judge demanded.
"We have nothing to say." Brennan stated confidently.
"We found evidence at the crime scene believed to be related to the Gravedigger investigation." Perotta pointed out knowing exactly what they were doing.
"I believe they returned evidence to the Gravedigger." Taffet said with a nod.
"Agent Perotta, you will deny all of these people access to this case." The judge ruled.
"May I make a request, your Honor? I'd like to see Thomas Vega's remains. I need to examine them immediately."Brennan said seriously.
"Denied. You will examine nothing. You people will stay away from anything to do with the Gravedigger." He said walking out of the conference from.
"It's been almost 2 hours. Why hasn't the Gravedigger sent us Booth's coordinates?" Brennan said as they waited for the elevator.
"I think we have to accept that the Gravedigger isn't going to release Booth. He's cleaning up." Sweets said with a sigh.
"Cleaning up?" Brennan asked confused.
"Yeah. He destroyed the evidence. Now he's trying to destroy everyone who'd gotten close to him…Vega, Agent Booth, you and Hodgins."
"It's over. Booth's dead. It's….my fault. We're out of options." Hodgins said hopelessly.
"NO!" she said angrily turning to Hodgins. "No, it's not over. …not yet. …And I know exactly who to ask for help." She said pulling out her phone and taking the stairs so no one could see her fall apart.
15 minutes later. The founding fathers bar. Jared walked in signaling a drink from the bartender and sat next to Brennan.
"So what's so important you couldn't tell me on the phone?" He asked curiously.
"You're brother has been kidnapped by the Gravedigger." Brennan said emptying her glass.
"Seeley's been kidnapped? ...When?" he asked stunned.
"he'll be dead in 6 hours…if you don't help me." She said her voice shaking. "…What I need you to do is hijack the remains of a murder victim and then bring them to me." She said composing herself again.
"I'm in military intelligence, we don't hijack dead bodies."
"The victim's name is Thomas Vega." She said ignoring him.
"So you want me to steal the remains of a murder victim from the FBI?" he asked disbelievingly.
"Yes! As soon as possible."
"I can make a few calls…" he offered.
Brennan stood angry allowing him to see her pained eyes for the first time. "No. This is not a situation where you make a few phone calls!"
"that's who I am, Tempe! I am the guy who makes a few calls."
"…Booth has never turned his back on you. You are a selfish coward and you never deserved him." Brennan said storming out.
The Ship. Booth is working on the transponder.
"We can feed the transponder signal through the ship's antenna." Booth explained.
"Well, you told me sometimes you've got to stand and fight and sometimes you got to…run like hell for help. Are you sure this isn't one of those times." Booth stares at him for a long moment. "Sarge… you ok?"
Booth shakes his head. "You never should have gone on that last mission. …taking on another sniper that was…that was way beyond your…capabilities. There was…you could…that's why you're haunting me, right?"
"Can't an old army buddy just show up to lend a helping hand?" Teddy said smiling.
"…Yeah. Of course you can."
"You got a partner now?" Teddy asked changing the subject.
"Yeah." Booth nods.
"You two tight?" Teddy asked turning off the flashlight.
Booth stops working and nods again with a small smile. "yeah, Um…we're…you'd like her. She's…"
"Her? Way to go Sarge…" Teddy said laughing. "…so uh… just how close are you two?"
Booth ignores the comment. "Look, just focus here on...uh…alright, Corporal? Whoever is monitoring the sinking of the ship should be able to pick up the signal."
"Very cool, Sarge." Teddy nodded.
Booth plugs it in and flips the 'On' switch. The transponder sparks and dies out. "What!? No." he sighed frustrated.
"it shorted out. It's useless now."
"Damn it!" Booth growled frustrated and threw it against the wall.
"Hey, at least we still got this flashlight." Teddy said pointing out the bright side. And Booth drops his head into his hands.
4 and a half hours until the ship explodes. The Lab Brennan and Cam are on the platform when Vega's body is wheeled in by Jared and two assistants.
"Vega's remains." Jared said handing Brennan a file.
"Thank you." She said hugging him.
"do me a favor, and save my brother, Tempe."
"I will I promise." She said getting to work.
The ship. Booth and teddy are searching for a way out, the flashlight leading the way.
"So…just to sum things up. The ship's about to explode and now there's no way to stop it."
"Rub it in why don't ya. I got you killed twice." Booth said with a sigh.
"Where we going anyways?"
"We're getting out of here."
"Okay… but even if we get out onto the deck, we're gonna have to jump into the ocean." Teddy pointed out.
"That's right." Booth nodded.
"Where if the fall doesn't kill us we'll get hypothermia and drown."
"Oh no. I get hypothermia and drown. Who knows what'll happen to you?" Booth clarified.
"If you die Sarge, I'm gone. There's not a single person left on the planet who will remember me. It'd be like I was never here." He said depressed.
"No. That's not true. There's…there's that uh…girl. She won't forget you."
"You mean Claire?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Claire. You know, every year on the anniversary of your death I…I go to your grave and I uh…I visit you. And there's always flowers from Claire."
"Did you ever see her?" Teddy asked curiously.
"From a distance, yeah."
"Why don't you talk to her?"
"because she blames me for your death." Booth said guiltily.
"That's crazy." Teddy shook his head.
"That's not crazy." Booth said as they reached a dead end and doubled back. "I blame me too." He said as they turn another corner and find another open space.
"…Sarge?"
"Yeah."
"Tomorrow's the anniversary. I need a favor."
"If I survive this, anything." He said looking around the room.
"I need you to tell Claire that I loved her." He said a serious look on his face.
"You never told her?" Booth asked surprised.
"I was 20. I didn't know how to say it." He said defensively.
"What? You say, 'I love you.' I mean, what's so hard about that?"
"What? You're telling me, that you've never loved somebody and didn't tell them?" Booth thinks for a moment and walks to the wall, avoiding the question. "…So maybe that's why I'm really here. …To get you to say 'I love you' to somebody."
Booth feels along the wall. "We can get through here."
"Who do you love sarge?" teddy asks sitting against the wall.
Booth sighs sliding down next to him. "My partner." He admitted. "Temperance Brennan. …she's smart …brilliant actually… and beautiful, god is she beautiful" he said pulling out his wallet and showing Teddy a picture of them laughing and kissing.
"Damn Sarge. You did good."
Booth shakes his head. "she doesn't love me though. …or at least she won't admit it. Every time it comes up she freaks out and we end up in a huge fight and have to start all over again."
"maybe she just needs some time, Sarge. Let her come to the conclusion in her own time."
"yeah." He said putting his wallet away. "maybe."
"so what's your plan Sarge? How are we gonna get through a solid metal wall?" Teddy asked standing.
"No, its-its not solid, there's stairs." He said standing and pointing at the stairs. "You see the bolts go up as the stairs do, and the thinnest interior bulkhead of a ship is going to be along the stairs. …We're going to blast our way through this."
The lab. Brennan and Cam are examining Vega's body.
"Rigor indicates he's been dead less than 24 hours. About the same time Booth disappeared." Cam observed.
"Vega must have been killed just after we were threatened by that judge." Brennan agreed.
"Two full thickness burns to the posterior triangle of the neck corresponding with a high-amperage stun gun." Cam said examining Vega's chest.
"…Stun gun…" she got a flash, a sting of pain, and she unintentionally reached up to the scars on her neck.
"…you ok?" Jared asked concerned.
"…yeah. I'm fine." Brennan nodded.
"How'd you pull this off?" Cam asked Jared.
"It's masked as a Military Intelligence Operation. …National Security." He whispered smiling.
"how long before they find out the truth?" Brennan asked concerned.
"Not long if you keep talking so loud." He said giving Brennan a look.
"You're going to get in trouble, Jared. Definitely lose your job." Cam pointed out.
"I'm aware." He nodded. "Better make it count."
"These burn marks are not in the usual place. On all the other victims they were equidistant from the inferior nuchal line."
"yeah… I know Cam." Brennan said reminding her.
"…how many other victims have you two investigated?"
"enough…" Brennan said brushing her hair aside and showing him the scars.
"oh my god." His eyes widened connecting the dots.
Cam nodded moving on. "This time, they're angled about 4 cm to the right." she said referring to the burns on the chest. "This is deep. The stun gun was held here near his heart for an extended time. Caused fatal fibrillation which would be cause of death."
Brennan looks at his x-rays displayed on a monitor "He has a hairline fracture to the olecranon process of the right ulna."
"What does that mean?" Jared asked confused his eyes transfixed on her neck stil.
"The victim damaged his right medial and lateral epicondyles as well as his coronoid fossa, possibly consistent with a defensive response to a posterior assault." Brennan continued in science jargon.
"Our victim got a piece of the bad guy." Cam explained so he would understand.
"He elbowed the assailant. Striking someone that hard, there's going to be damage…at least broken ribs." Brennan said looking closely.
The Ship. Booth is stripping the end of C4 wiring when Teddy enters with a C4 brick molded into the shape of a mermaid.
"Got it." He said holding it up.
"Good job, kid. What the hell is that supposed to be?"
"A well shaped charge. It's a mermaid, you get it? It's not sexist cause she's mostly fish." He said handing it to Booth.
"Right… that's real cute." Booth said giving him and look and sticking it to the wall. "Okay…all we need now is a power source." Teddy looks at the flashlight in his hand then shines it on Booth. "Right. That was what the flashlight was for." He nodded.
The Platform at the lab. Hodgins and Brennan are working while Jared is observing when the alarms for the platform go off and Taffet approaches.
"I have an injunction here reclaiming jurisdiction in this case." Taffet said holding up a form.
"On what grounds?" Jared asked blocking her way.
Hodgins swipes his card to turn off the alarms and she watches as he passes her on the way back up. "One missing FBI agent is not a case of National Security."
"Grab a coffee guys." Jared said turning to his assistants.
"Do you have the warrant?" Brennan asked walking over.
Taffet shows her the warrant, her right arm shaking "Right here…signed by the judge."
Brennan looks suspicious. "I don't think there's any more reason for us to keep the truth from Ms. Taffet."
Jared looked down at her confused by her response. "No. What? Wait… the Gravedigger said that we…"
Taffet interrupts, her interest piqued. "You've been in touch with the Gravedigger? The Gravedigger has Agent Booth?"
Brennan whispers in Hodgins ear. "She can't seem to extend her arm."
"What?" he whispers back confused and Taffet stares at him. "Oh." He said realizing her point. "It's…possible. She had complete access to FBI files and evidence. Nobody wanted the Gravedigger case; it's a career killer. But with Kurland out of the way…"
"Have you injured yourself recently, Ms. Taffet?" Brennan asked feigning curiosity.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Taffet asked getting worried.
Hodgins lunges towards Taffet but Jared and Brennan hold him back. "Don't let Dr. Hodgins go." Brennan said seriously looking to Jared then to Taffet. "…Could I see the warrant, please?" As Taffet struggles to raise her arm, Brennan hits her in the rib cage causing her to bends over in pain. "Broken ribs."
"…She's the Gravedigger?" Jared said surprised.
"It's her." Hodgins said fighting.
"Can you prove it?" Jared asked holding him back.
"No. …Is that a problem?"
"Not for me." he lets go of Hodgins and walks to Taffet, grabbing her by the neck and straightens her up. "You got a place to lock her up?"
"yeah." Cam nodded leading the way.
Jared binds Taffet's hands together behind her back and slams her into a chair as Brennan, Angela, Cam, Hodgins and Sweets surround her.
"Where's Booth?" Brennan demanded but Taffet says nothing.
"She's not going to say anything." Sweets informed her.
"You haven't even asked."
"I've read extensively on the Gravedigger. I'm acquainted with the profile: very intelligent, very calm. She won't speak." Sweets explained.
"Then what do we do?" Cam asked concerned.
"You have to do 'spring cleaning' on her." Hodgins said looking to Jared.
"What is that? Is that some kind of torture or something?" Cam asked hoping it was.
"Nothing. It doesn't exist." Jared denied.
"The government keeps secret, black, illegal files on every US citizen. It's called 'spring cleaning' because everything's brought out into the light and turned upside down." Hodgins explained.
"Okay, that is complete paranoia. Right?" Sweets asked hopefully.
After a beat. "I'll need access to a secure terminal." Jared said looking to Cam.
"follow me." She said leading him out.
"And only conspiracy nuts call it 'spring cleaning.'" He informed Hodgins as he walked out.
The Ship. Booth is placing the wires into the C4 while Teddy watches over his shoulder.
"Uh, Sarge?"
"Corporal Parker, I really need you to stifle yourself at this juncture, okay?" Booth said as he spaced the wires just right.
"Okay. Yeah, I get it. I mean if these two leads touch, that explodes, and BAM you become Booth jam." He nodded.
"That's correct." He said adjusting the lead, and slowly pushing them closer.
"Of course, say a bead of sweat completes the circuit…then…BOOM!" Teddy said with a small laugh.
"Uh huh."
"Can I ask you one more question?"
"What is it, Corporal?" Booth asked annoyed.
"It's just…how are you going to complete the circuit from 100 yards away… at which distance you might survive the blast?"
"One thing at a time, okay?" he said nudging them just a little bit more.
"Okay." Teddy said as he stands and runs to hide.
"First time I've ever heard of a cowardly ghost. What a wuss." Booth mumbled standing and walking back to Teddy.
An office of the Jeffersonian. Taffet is sitting silently in the chair when Hodgins steps closer.
"I'd like to kill you." He said coldly as Taffet glares up at him. He turns to Brennan. "I hate her. I think I could murder her."
"If any group of people can murder someone…and get away with it…it would be us." Brennan nods.
Jared strides in and whips Taffet's chair around to face him. "I'm not going to ask you any questions, I'm just gonna tell you what's going on. I went through your file. As Heather Taffet you have led a very tiny, transparent life. But in 1998 you married a man named William Burton for exactly one month before you had the marriage annulled…which was long enough to create an entire identity…a whole untraceable identity…which you used for one thing, and one thing only: to rent a storage locker in Spring Hill." He said leaning in. "I got you bitch." He spun her around so she was facing the wall, her face void of any emotion.
The Ship. Booth removes his Cocky belt buckle and places it on the ground between the two lead wires. He takes a step back behind a wall holding a long pipe reaching with the pipe to push the buckle to connect the leads.
"God, I got to get closer."
"You're too close now, Sarge." Teddy said as he reached again and nearly fell. "Too close. Look, I'll get it." He steps from behind the wall and picks up the belt buckle, bringing it back to them. Teddy smiles at Booth and slides the buckle across the floor to the leads, triggering the explosion. Booth and Teddy are thrown back into the wall.
Teddy's shoulder is injured and he is lying against the wall, bleeding.
Booth crawls to him "Teddy?"
"Yeah." He says weakly.
"I can't see very well. I looked at the flash. Are you okay? Huh?"
Teddy groans. "Uhhh, I think I could use some help Sarge."
"I see light." Booth said looking to where the explosion went off and then back to Teddy. "Did we find a way out?"
"We always find a way out, Sarge." Teddy said smiling.
"come on." Booth throws Teddy's arm over his shoulder and helps him to his feet and he groans in pain. "I'll be your legs, you be my eyes. Which way, Corporal?"
"Towards the light. …Now that sounds bad, huh? Move towards the light." They laugh as they make their way to the stairs.
"You still with me, Teddy?" Booth asked a silent Teddy as they neared the top of the stairs.
"Yeah. But I got to tell you, I feel like we've kinda…been here before." Teddy said with a smile.
"I'm sorry I got you killed." Booth confessed. "I was so anxious to get off that shot, take out my target that I forgot to tell you…"
"You told me to get down twice. You gave the order. I didn't listen." He admitted as they reach the bottom of another set of stairs. "Sarge, stop. I didn't come here to haunt you. I came to tell you it wasn't your fault. "
Booth looked at him for a long moment then began to haul him up the stairs.
30 minutes left. The Platform of the Jeffersonian. Hodgins is reading the results of the Mass Spec analysis on the paint chips found in Taffet's storage unit.
"Active amine hydrogen, epoxy, hydroxyapatite and silica." Angela looks up from reading Jared's iPhone, confused "It's…it's an obsolete composition of deck coating used by the Navy prior to 1961." Hodgins explained.
"So she was on a Navy vessel within the last 24 hours?" Angela asked surprised.
"Yes! Yeah, an old one. Most likely decommissioned."
"Wait a minute, a ship? Listen to this." She said crossing to him and showing him the phone. "Taffet was a volunteer at the aquarium. They were prepping an old Navy ship to be sunk. They're making some sort of reef."
"The Navy's not afraid of explosions or sinking ships." Jared said taking his phone from Angela and speed dialing a number. "Plus it'll really annoy my brother, the Army Ranger, to be saved by a Squid." He said walking off of the platform.
Angela and Hodgins look at each other then Angela hurries out and walks into the office where the grave digger is tied up to tell Brennan the good news. "Brennan, they know where Booth is. Jared is getting a helicopter to take you there. He's on an old Navy ship."
"Thanks." Brennan said and begins to exit but pauses on her way out, picking up the briefcase and hitting Taffet with it knocking her out of the chair. Brennan drops it and hurries out, satisfied.
The helicopter. Brennan is riding over the ocean out to the ship talking with Jared through the headset.
"Temperance, can you hear me? I'm patched through via cell phone."
"Jared? …I don't understand, why aren't you here…on the helicopter with me?"
"Typical Navy red tape, nothing to worry about." He lied as a navy marshal held the phone up to his ear and another handcuffed him. "But listen. They couldn't cancel the detonation. Something's wrong with the transponder."
"What do we do now?"
"The ship blows in 9 minutes. They Navy's only given you 5 to get there and get Seeley off."
"No, Jared, Booth could be anywhere on that ship. 5 minutes is not enough time." She said angrily.
"These guys don't negotiate, Tempe. They won't risk anymore lives." He said sternly.
"Are you alright?" Brennan asked concerned about him.
"It's all worth it as long as you save my brother." He said with a sigh. "promise me you'll get him off that ship in the next 5 minutes."
"…yeah. …ok." Brennan said hopelessly knowing that if Booth isn't near the deck there's no way to save him.
The Deck of the Ship. Booth and Teddy walk through the door onto the deck.
"Rangers lead the way, Sarge." Teddy said growing delirious.
"Right, just lead the way, Corporal." Booth said leaning them against the wall as he looked up and saw the helicopter closing in.
"Sarge?" Booth looks from the helicopter back to Teddy. "I knew what you did for me…How far you carried me." Booth looked back to the helicopter waiting anxiously for it to land. "Sarge? …One more thing I got to tell you."
"yeah Teddy?" he asked looking to him.
Teddy smiled. "No way you're getting the deposit back on that tux."
Booth couldn't help but smile as the helicopter touched down and the door flew open.
"Booth!" Brennan yelled and he looked back surprised to see her there "Hurry Booth! Come on!" Booth looks back once more at Teddy, but his body is gone. "Hurry, Booth, come on!" he begins walking to the helicopter but can't help looking back again to where Teddy was. "Booth! come on! HURRY!"
Booth finally snaps out of it and runs to Brennan and climbs into the helicopter as the guy shuts the door behind him. Brennan grabs him kissing him and pulling him in for a long hug. She leans her head on his shoulder as the helicopter takes off from the ship. He looks out the window as the ship explodes behind them. "I love you tempe. … I am head over heels crazy about you." He confessed.
Brennan slapped him across the face and pulled him back into a hug.
Later that night. Booth's apartment.
"alright. I'm out." Cam said standing and kissing Booth on the cheek. "see you tomorrow big guy."
"bye." He said smiling lightly as she walked out.
Brennan moved over sitting next to him. "I got you something." She said handing him a small box.
"what is it?" he asked smiling.
"its nothing." Brennan shrugged as he opened it.
He pulled out a shiny new 'Cocky' belt buckle. "heey. 'Cocky' that's really hard to find." He said smiling a Boothy grin. "Thank you." He said leaning in to kiss her.
Brennan pulled away standing. "it… its getting late. I should be going too." Brennan said uncomfortably and turning to leave.
"Tempe." He said taking her hand.
She turned back facing him. "yeah?"
"I'm sorry. Can you please stay?"
She hesitates for a moment then nods, sitting back down.
"you're not still mad at me are you?... because I was drugged… I couldn't help it."
Brennan shakes her head. "I'm not mad, Seeley. …but I don't know if we can do this anymore. I can't keep hurting you like this. And …the lying, the secrets, I can't keep lying to everyone about how I feel about you. If I lost you I couldn't stand it. …and in this line of work it's only a matter of time until we're too late and you're gone forever. And I can't deal with that. …I've been thinking and I think there is a reason the bureau says we can't date. …so stuff like this doesn't happen. …this relationship has gone farther than we should have ever let it Seeley. …we need to just be partners from now on."
"… alright we'll be partners again and when you're ready to—"
"no Seeley. Forever. This has to be forever. I can't be yours anymore. I'm sorry." She stood walking out and leaving him behind. He stared down at the belt buckle for a minute then angrily chucked it across the room, hitting a vase and shattering it into a million pieces.
Brennan reached the elevator, allowed the doors to close and slammed on the stop button sliding down to the floor, tears flooding her eyes for the second time today.