15.

The team look to find Sweets, a task they are finding near impossible as Carter is well hidden. Sweets is trying to hang on while he adds on his injuries and the painful assault of making terrible decisions for other captors.

"Agent Patterson's profile is correct, she did have some family but they have no whereabouts." Booth reported from his car to the group. He didn't know particularly where he was going or what he was looking for but he couldn't stand around in a lab.

"Right, well one thing that stood out for me is that Patterson has a lease in her name for an old plant on the west side." Angela explained. "I'm thinking that if Carter trusted her on his little scheme against Sweets - he's trusted her with some other valuable information."

"Sweets could be there." Booth said. "Give me the address."

"Not until you promise you have back up." Brennan said.

"I'll go." Gillespie said writing down the address.

"While I find you quite capable Mr. Gillespie I would prefer something like a small arsenal." Brennan said.

"I'll make the call." Booth said hanging up.

Booth called Skinner and while much arguing went on he was only able to obtain a dozen agents despite his claim that Carter could be holding many people captive and possibly have dozens of people working for him. Finding a dozen would have to do, Booth called Angela back and received the address. He headed there immediately.

Sweets head pounded but then he considered what body part didn't hurt. He felt like he had been left alone for a while and wondered where everyone was. He was exhausted not only from the poundings, a constant assault on his body and his mind but his hunger was reaching a new level. If I don't get something to eat soon there is no way I'm getting out of here. Sweets ability to thrive to survive was deep - the one thing he held onto for when it slipped he knew he was done for. Rogers is dead, how will they ever know where I am? Sweets wondered. If I could get myself out I would but this place is like a fortress - there is no way out, I need help. I just have to hold on until hope can come.

Hope wasn't exactly the next answer when the door opened and the place began to fill with screams and calls for food as Julie appeared with her familiar bucket. Sweets, unlike the other prisoners who stood with hands out, laid on the ground while she passed. When she reached his door he noticed she stood and stared at him with sad eyes but once again she passed by. Sweets had the suspicion something was going on, it then occurred to him why he was being passed over for food, a suspicion that came true as the remainder of the bucket was dumped in the middle of the floor.

Sweets adrenaline was at full max when the door opened and one of the men pulled on him to come out. Though his one knee was still recovering and two fingers broken, along with a myriad of bruises and fractures he limped along, fueled by the fear and anticipation of what was going to happen next. The other prisoners made noises and sounds - screams and calls that were loud. Carter smiled as they all began to shout out.

Sweets turned as another man was released from his cell. Sweets looked at the pile of food - random at best - day old bread rolls, a variety of vegetables, all items that if they were in his own fridge at home would be trash but now they looked like a delectable feast - such was his hunger.

The other man emerged from the cell. He was fearful and scared, Sweets felt the urge to comfort the man until he saw the look in his eye. It went from Sweets to the pile of food, the urge for food was surpassing the desire to reason. Sweets wanted to suggest to the man that the most reasonable use of their energy would be to split the pile of food. But he could see the survival instinct was winning past all others. He looked at the man, wondering how best to approach this conversation but the man was mounting his assault.

Sweets figured that Carter knew he was in little shape to fight - this was Carter's way of merely issuing another beating for Sweets that he himself didn't have administer and foster hatred towards his fellow inmates. Sweets looked at the man and considered a few things - it's him or me, I can't stand another beating and I need food if I want out of here. If I win, I can save this man another day - once I am free.

The man charged at Sweets who raised his arms and struck the man across the face. In the corner of Sweets eye he saw Carter sit up in surprise, he wasn't prepared for Sweets to fight back. Sweets looked back at the man with a burning hunger, he wasn't about to give up the fight either.

"Is this the place?" Gillespie asked walking up to Booth's SUV. Booth was outfitted with a black tee, a hastily added bullet proof vest and an intense focus on loading multiple weapons.

"This is it." Booth said concentrating on his weaponry.

"Where are the backups?" Gillespie asked.

"Twenty minutes out." Booth said adding his remaining fire arms.

"Shouldn't we wait?" Gillespie asked.

"I've waited long enough."

"Well hang on a second." Gillespie said and Booth wanted to argue why he didn't want to wait. "I'm a little light, mind if I load up?"

Booth stood aside, "please do."

The fight was nearly even, both men were growing tired which only increased their desire to eat. Sweets knew if he lost then Carter won. He was locked in the heat of battle with only his focus on winning now, to prove a point, to eat, to survive. The other man noticed Sweets knee was twitching - he came at Sweets weak knee and Sweets went down. The man then punched Sweets in the face but Sweets grabbed the man's ankle and pulled him onto his back, with an adrenaline rush he had little explanation for Sweets punched the man while he was down. He hit him again and again, his survival instinct becoming stronger. The man's head bobbed to the side, he had been nearly knocked out. Sweets was victorious.

"It doesn't have much light on it, but makes sense." Gillespie said.

"Look at these tracks." Booth said pointing to them. "Someone's been here recently, and a lot."

"Do you hear anything?" Gillespie asked.

"Let's go." Booth said advancing towards the door.

Sweets headed for the pile of food quickly and grabbed the day old roll from the top of the pile and shoved it in his mouth. The taste of the old yeast filled his mouth along with a small sample of blood from his cup lip. He chewed the food and looked back at the man on the floor. He was in tears as he watched Sweets eating over his pile of food. Sweets swallowed the bite of bread but it was too hard to swallow it and he coughed it up, he couldn't stomach it.

The adrenaline running off quickly he stood on wobbly feet and walked to the defeated man. The man cowered back not wanting another hit when Sweets held out the bread. Timidly the man reached for it when he saw Sweets eyes were not filled with hate. The man quickly took the bread and ate it. Sweets motioned towards the food, suggesting the man go towards the food and have it. The man quickly moved and began to eat it. Sweets looked up at Carter whose eyes narrowed at Sweets. He had not expected Sweets to win the fight, he certainly did not expect Sweets to give up the bounty.

"I will not become a monster like you." Sweets shouted.

Carter's eyes filled with a fiery stare and he motioned for two men to head towards Sweets. As they approached Sweets tried to stiffen for whatever came next but stood tall. The one took a swing at Sweets which he blocked but it was the last of his energy. The other man kicked him from behind, topping him to the ground as his back screamed in pain. The proceeded to kick him as the rest of the prisoners watched, changed by what had happened and shouted for the men to stop.

Booth raised his hand to Gillespie counting down. On the last count they placed the charge on the door that blew it off its hinges. Once the door was removed they ran inside.

"Enough!" Carter shouted at the top of his lungs. The men kicking Sweets stopped too for they weren't sure it was meant for them or the others.

"Silence of I hang him her and now!" Carter boomed again and the room silenced.

"Sir, we have an issue." Another man said to Carter who quickly left the room.

Booth and Gillespie stood in the room. It was silent. And it was filled with bags, boxes and assorted suitcases.

"What is this place?" Gillespie asked of the vacant room. "Looks like a storage facility."

Booth walked to one of the bags and opened it - clothes, toiletries and other items a person would pack to take with them.

"Personal items." Booth said.

"These must belong to the people Carter has taken." Gillespie said looking around. He and Booth stood in silence at the sheer large number of bags present.

"So where's Sweets?" Booth asked as backup arrived, unneeded.

The men tossed Sweets back in his cell, he rolled to a stop. A few more kicks to the stomach hadn't done much but the hit on his back was burning. Having surrendered his last attempt for food Sweets was now sure he was done. He lay on the floor, mouth bleeding, a cough was starting as his body shook from the cold, his torn fingerless gloves doing little good, his feet numb, his energy gone and hope fleeting. I didn't really expect it to end like this.

Sweets closed his eyes and wondered when the end might come when a loud skidding noise came towards him. He opened his eyes to see a small black square in front of his face and barefoot steps running away.

He opened his eyes further and tried to sit up to see the device - a cell phone.

"I don't know how sir but they found the storage facility." One of the men explained to Carter as they were in the car on the way there.

"Keep a distance." Carter demanded. How the hell did they figure that out. They might be as smart as that kid says they are. If they are, I've got to get rid of him.

Booth and Gillespie searched the building but no one was there. Booth called Brennan to tell them what they found.

"I'm sending Hodgins and Abernathy to collect some of the evidence." Brennan reported. "We could get names off the luggage, maybe some DNA to match them to missing persons."

"And then what?" Booth asked hopeless. "We know who he took but where?" Booth's anger was mixing with sadness. "Bones it's been two days…Carter he was angry… Sweets he can't be…"

"Don't say that Booth, we don't know that." Brennan urged him.

Booth took the phone from his ear to see a call was coming in, he didn't recognize the number but didn't want to ignore any calls.

"Booth here."

"Booth?" Sweets asked to be sure.

Booth's eyes lit up. "Sweets!?"

Gillespie stepped forward to make sure he heard Booth correctly. Gillespie called Angela's phone number he had given her, platonically to tell her to start tracking the phone coming into Booth's cell.

"Sweets where are you?"

"I don't know." Sweets said though Booth ached with each word Sweets said, he sounded completely broken.

"Are you okay Sweets?"

"Booth, can you track this call?" Sweets asked.

Booth looked at Gillespie who nodded that he was working on it.

"We're trying now Sweets, do you have any idea where you are?"

"No Booth, it's just a big building and I don't know …getting here…" Sweets words were getting confused. "Booth!" Sweets said suddenly. "I wanted to call because…"

"Yeah, we're looking for you Sweets, don't give up…"

"No Booth, listen… watch the kids..." Sweets was breathless from talking so much, his chest was seizing in pain.

"What?" Booth didn't understand.

"Carter, he takes people, puts them into slave trade, he knows you're …he's to start taking kids… Michael and Christine…."

"Okay, Sweets we're on it, just please hang in there while we keep tracking your signal….Sweets? Sweets?"

"Can you pick up what they are talking about?" Carter asked as one of his guys held up a noise tracker from the distance they were. "What did they find?"

"I don't know they're both on the phone." The man said listening more intently.

"What are they talking about?" Carter asked wanting to reach for the headphones but kept looking thru his night vision binoculars.

"They're trying to get some sort of signal." The man said trying to listen intently. "What, what did you say that guy's name was again?"

"Who? Lance Sweets? Why?" Carter asked.

"That guy keeps shouting 'Sweets hang on'."

Carter's face drained of its color. "Let's get back. NOW."

"Sweets, can you hear me?" Booth asked again. "Sweets, just hold on."

The phone lost connection but Booth waited a few moments more to be sure. He tried to call the number back but it went nowhere.

"Did they get anything?" Booth asked Gillespie.

"The pretty one is working on it. She said the signal is bouncing."

Booth wasn't filled with a deep hope that it was going to work, he knew of Carter using the burner phones. Sweets is alive! Booth rejoiced in his mind but he felt a sick reminder of the man's unsteady voice. For now.

Julie took the phone from Sweets and was worried that the man's breathing became more shallow. She put a hand on his neck and still felt a pulse. He opened his eyes and looked her.

"What you did for him, no one's….no one's ever done that. Ever." Julie said of Sweets' fight with for the food.

Sweets nodded considering what Julie had just done for him.

"Will you get in trouble?" He asked considering the consequences too late.

"I think I can delete the call off." Julie said. "I have to hurry, they may be back soon."

Julie seemed to hear a noise so she backed away and out the door. The cell door was made of upcycled materials so when she shut it, it did not close completely. Sweets looked at the door that while shut, was not locked. He started to pull himself towards it to shut it so that Julie would not get in trouble when he looked at the mere opening as an opportunity. He left it, and waited, his heart pounding.

"What do you mean nothing?!" Booth shouted over the phone. "I was on the phone with him!"

"Yes and a signal that's bouncing like damn Wimbledon game!" Angela shouted back.

"We have nothing?" Booth asked hearing the faint tone of Sweets voice playing back in his mind.

"I'm afraid so."

"Where the hell is she?" Carter's voice could be heard thru the whole place.

Sweets could hear Julie get smacked to the ground and a small scream. He pulled himself closer to the door.

"Follow the plan dammit." Carter shouted, his voice getting louder as he reached the main room. "Get the trucks! They could be here any moment."

Sweets mind raced. Did the phone call work? Wait, crap he knows I called someone, Julie!

Carter emerged before Sweets cell with Julie in his grasp.

"Look at her one last time!" Carter demanded. "Where she's going you can't even imagine." Carter dragged Julie kicking and screaming behind him. Sweets got closer to the cell door to go after them but at this rate he would never make it. Soon the room was filled with more men opening doors, more doors than ever before. Something had spooked Carter big time.

"How do we know they know?" The one man asked Carter. Carter looked at Sweets for a second then back at the man who asked him the question.

"Just do as I say! Ship them all out!" Carter boomed back towards his office. "Except him!" Carter pointed to Sweets. "He's mine once we're done with this shipment."

Sweets heart raced even harder, he knew this was definitely going to be the end of him and it was going to hurt - bad.

They're on their way Sweets reminded himself, or Carter wouldn't be so spooked. Are they really though? Could they get a signal? What if I just spooked him enough to think they are. If that's all it is, then I'm dead and no one will find these people again. I have to get out of here, I have to find Julie, all of them. I need that log book, and I need out, now!

There were more prisoners than 'guards' but there was no way to make them realize that or organize them right now Sweets knew. Most of them weren't in the health to hold a revolt against the well fed and highly muscled help. Sweets watched as Carter directed people to the waiting moving trucks. He pulled the door of the cell open very carefully.

The weight he placed on his own body was intense but he pushed past all the pain, praying for a moment's reprieve as he slowly made his way to the office. The room was packed with prisoners being lined up, the guards were busy with them, Carter leading them and all of them sure Sweets was locked away, and unable to move. The door to the office was open, the confusion was working to his advantage. Getting the log book was easy, it was on Carter's desk. Sweets swept it up and walked back to the main room. The log book was the size of a novel but no one held anything in their hands. Sweets looked to put it in his pants but the dress pants that he had now worn for several days and once fit were now too large to hold the book inconspicuously. Needing it out of sight quickly Sweets merely held it under his shirt, under his arm. He quickly joined a line trying to keep his head down but his tall figure kept him too visible. He tried to walk slouched but it put too much pressure on his knees. The short distance was becoming much for his sickened frame, his vision blurred and he knew he was about to pass out.

As darkness beckoned and his knees weakened he felt a strong arm on him but it wasn't a painful grip like that of the callous henchmen. Sweets looked up to see the familiar face of the man he had hit, but given his food to. The man motioned for Sweets to keep his head down as he and another man placed Sweets between them. They knew what it meant if Sweets were to stay - Sweets knew what it meant if he were to be found with them. Still, if he made it out, somehow, he could get the log out, all of the girls, these people would all could all be found. That was if he could get his coughing to stop. He feared it would draw attention but soon he heard coughs from those around him. He soon realized that they had grown to know him, and what he was trying to do, and repay them in the only way they could.

The group was pressed closer together as they neared the door like a funnel that drew closer at the end. Sweets was squeezed tighter as they passed thru the door which while was easier to conceal himself was putting pressure on his entire body.

Sweets could feel a rush of cold air which not only helped to invigorate him but also told him he was nearly outside. He could hear Carter barking orders and checking off people going in the trucks - Sweets knew he couldn't go in the truck. As he drew closer to the door and the possibility of being seen two women broke out in a fight. Sweets wasn't sure why until one of the two men holding him up nudged him and motioned for him to make a run for it, the fight was a diversion.

The guards and Carter rushed towards the women and Sweets made a dash forward but didn't get far as a man was about to step out of one of the large moving tucks. He ducked under the truck and avoided detection but saw the fence around the property, the bright lights shining everywhere - there was little chance to go much farther undetected and his wobbly legs reminded him that going at it on foot was an unlikely success.

Holding his arm tight against the book the trucks resumed loading. He hated how they were being loaded as cattle but his voicing his opinion now would do little to help. Sweets noticed the underside of the truck had a lot of bracing. Hearing the trucks startup he knew he had little time so he pulled himself up onto the bracing and while it provided minimal support it did provide a beam to be on. With one arm on the book and the other holding the brace, his good knee wrapped around the other steel brace he held on as tight as he could as the truck began to move.

It would have helped however if he wasn't feeling so weak. With each wheel turn he felt the adrenaline wear off, his arms and legs grow more heavy. Falling wasn't an option though as the truck picked up speed.

Reviews welcome.