The Lives We Take For Granted
Chapter Nine
By Mistreated and Forgotten
Summary: Booth is undercover on a very dangerous assignment and Brennan is worried. But Booth's safety isn't the only thing that she's worrying about. BxB, AxH
A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry for the massive delay in posting this chapter. Turns out I had finished this chapter months ago and misplaced it on my laptop then my motivation towards Bones ff dropped off and real life was being real life. Anyway here's the long awaited Chapter Nine :)
"I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news," Doctor Finn paused for a moment. "So far we have been unable to identify the reason for your miscarriage."
"Your miscarriage may have occurred as a result of the stress you've been under recently. I wish I had better news, I may know some more in a couple of hours and I will let you know if I do."
"I'm sure you have done all that you could," Brennan's words disguised how she felt inside. There was a heartache that she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Booth and Lil' Johnny stood in the shadows of an alley way between two buildings in downtown Chicago. They watched on as a man in his late fifties with salt and pepper coloured hair went about his daily business.
"That him?"
"Yeah it is Lil' John."
"Well let's go get him," Lil' Johnny was almost fifteen years younger than Booth and was eager to catch this man to please their boss.
"Nah, he's gotta walk past here when he goes back to his car. That's when we'll get him."
"For someone who ain't been around for long you sure know what to do. You must've been a cop or something in another life, ai Danny."
"Yeah," agreed Booth. "Something like that," Booth added under his breath.
Not two minutes later and the man they were watching, Josh Bowman, walked past the alley way. The pair quickly dragged the man into the alley way and into the back of the nearby Mercedes. Lil' Johnny climbed into the driver's seat while Booth climbed into the back and tied Bowman's hands behind his back.
The whole time that Booth had been undercover he hated being sent out to do tasks like this but he knew he had to so as not to blow his cover. Having to no longer be sent out to collect the men that owed money to Big C was, until recently, Booth's motivation to wrap up this case as soon as possible. Now his motivation was to get home, back to Brennan.
Lil' Johnny and Booth forcibly led Bowman into a small dark room. They sat him down in the chair in the centre of the room. Bowman's already bound wrists were tied to the back of the chair followed by his ankles to the legs of the chair.
Booth and Lil' Johnny stood back so they were both standing two feet in from the corners on each side of the door. The restrained man didn't know where to look whilst under the intimidating stare of the other two occupants of the room.
Bowman started to become increasing anxious as the seconds ticked by until the door sprang open. He flinched at the crack of the door made as it made contact with the wall before Big C walked in.
"Flinching is a sign of weakness. I don't like weak men," said Big C harshly. "Where's my money Josh? You were supposed to give it to me yesterday."
Being a loan shark was just one of the many things Big C and his thugs did. It also just so happened to be one of the lesser of the atrocities they committed.
"I...I'll have it for...for you by Th...Thursday."
"Not good enough. I thought that you would have learnt from last time." Big C turned to Booth, "Danny D?"
"Yes Boss."
"You know what to do."
With that Big C turned and walked out the room, Lil' Johnny followed behind him. Booth stared down at Bowman as he circled the restrained man like a shark would its prey. He stopped at the back of the room. Bowing his head, Booth prayed to God that he would forgive him for what he was about to do to this man.
"P...Please don't kill me," pleaded Bowman when Booth stopped in front of him.
Booth's response to the older man's plea was to back hand him across the face. The blow was strong enough to knock the man around a little but not strong enough to tip the chair over or knock him out.
The beating continued on for some time. Booth had become entranced in his undercover persona and had gotten a little too carried away with his task.
Booth's final blow, a nasty right hook, caused the chair to topple to the ground. In the process Bowman's wallet fell from his left pocket. Booth picked it up and opened it. In the dim light he saw several photos. One of the older photos caught Booth's attention so he pulled it out. There were two adults, Bowman and presumably his wife, standing either side of a teen age girl holding onto an award. Booth recognised the girl. It was Brennan.
As Booth drove out of the city his thoughts were on what he did to that man last night and on what he had discovered. After he'd discovered the photo Booth took it upon himself to conduct a little interrogation. Josh Bowman relented to the undercover agent's questioning and had admitted to having been one of Brennan's foster parents. But what burned most at the back of Booth's mind was the fact that he'd beaten this man up. Brennan never liked to talk about her time in the foster system unless she had to. So Booth had no idea if Bowman had been one of the bad ones or one of the few good foster parents.
Booth pulled the Orange 1970 Dodge Challenger off to the side of the road. Booth reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a cell phone. He was only meant to use this phone to contact the FBI in the event he thought his cover had been blown or he had gathered enough evidence to take down the gang and its leader.
Booth climbed out of the car and walked around to the front. He leaned up against the hood of the Challenger, the black racing stripes running along the centre behind him. Flipping open the cell Booth dialled Assistant Deputy Director Andrew Hacker's office number.
"Hacker."
"It's Booth."
"Booth, I wasn't expecting a call from you for a while. Please tell me your cover hasn't been blown."
"No it hasn't Sir, I'm calling to tell you that I have all the evidence we need to make a move on these guys."
"Do you have everything with you?"
"Yes I do Sir."
"Okay, stay where you are, I'll have an agent from the Chicago field office come collect the evidence."
"When can I head back to DC?"
"Booth, I'm aware of what's happened to Temperance and I know you want to get back here as soon as possible but I'm afraid you're going to have to stay in Chicago for a few more days. We need to make it look like you've been arrested as part of the gang just in case things don't go to plan."
"Yes Sir," replied Booth in a solemn voice.
"I'm sorry Booth."
With that Booth snapped the cell shut.
Thirty minutes later a black SUV pulled up in front of Booth. By this time Booth had sat back in the car. When he saw the agent get out of the driver's side he too got out of the car carrying the folders that contained all the FBI needed.
The agent walked up to Booth. He was tall, had brown hair and blue eyes and looked to be about thirty. "I'm Agent Taylor."
"Afternoon Taylor, here's the files to bring down Big C's operation," Booth handed the younger agent the folders.
Meanwhile back in DC Brennan had been home for almost five days now.
At first Angela was sceptical about leaving Brennan on her own but her friend had said she didn't want her there, that she would be fine on her own. Angela's worry was not unwarranted as Brennan had hardly spoken since her brief talk with the doctor about the miscarriage.
On the eleventh day after Brennan was released from hospital Angela had gone to visit her only to find Brennan sitting in one of the armchairs with her knees tucked up to her chest. By the looks of the apartment Brennan hadn't been eating or taking the medication the doctor prescribed when she started to show signs of depression. Only because Angela had insisted that Brennan go see her doctor.
Angela knelt on the floor in front of her friend and placed her hand gently on her knee. "Sweetie, when was the last time you took your meds or had any food?" Angela didn't get a response. Brennan just continued to stare off into space.
Angela was so worried about Brennan. So much that she was prepared to go to Sweets and she know how much Brennan would hate that.