Author's Note: Next chapter. I'm thinking at this rate that this will be a four chapter story, and the next couple of chapters will be longer.
I do not own Bones or any of its characters. *sigh*
Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.
Stephaniew: Well I guess you got more than you bargined for in asking for this prompt. ;) And sorry about the speeches in my last message, I just get worked up sometimes...Anyway, glad you like it thus far. :D
Aysel Maha: Thank you. I love Booth/Sweets friendship fics, so expect more of that kind of fluffiness before this story is over. ;)
Littlemiss543, Iconcurvehemently: Don't worry, there will be more. ;)
Peanutmeg: Thanks, I like to have more than one thing going so that I can shift back and forth if I get stuck on any of my ongoing projects. As for what Sweets will do, well.....;)
The Narrow in the Margin—part 2
In less than an hour, what had been a mostly empty parking lot was now clogged with vehicles of every sort. The FBI had shown up, as well as the local police and fire department. Hacker had come with a SWAT team and a bomb squad. Hodgins had to park down the street when he arrived, but he, Angela and Cam were able to get past the police barricades with a nod from Hacker. Now, Hacker and a couple of his men were in a group with Sweets and the Jeffersonian staff, weighing their options for what the next move should be.
"We've been able to communicate with Agent Booth from the inside," one of the agents reported. "He's told us that Connor is in there, alone, with ten to twelve hostages including him and Doctor Brennan. Connor has a handgun, possibly more than one, and he has a bomb strapped to his body. From the description Booth gave us, it's the same type of bomb used in the other attacks."
"Any possibility that Agent Booth could help us subdue him?" Hacker asked. The agent shook his head.
"None," he answered. "He, the owner and Doctor Brennan are locked electronically in the owner's office and the only person who has a key is the security guard, who Booth is pretty certain is already dead."
Sweets swallowed hard at that. When he heard about Connor's shooting spree in the store, he became increasingly concerned.
'Connor is becoming more violent. The slightest provocation could set him off.'
At that point, he was glad that Booth and Brennan were locked in that office; Connor would probably want to kill Booth if he were to learn that he was an FBI agent.
"What about using a sniper to take him out?" Hacker said.
"No good. The owner apparently has placed bulletproof glass on all of the windows, and he made one of the employees close all the blinds and windows. So not only can we not see in there, it's doubtful we could even shoot through the glass."
"Perfect," Hacker sighed, rubbing his eyes. "And with that bomb and those hostages, storming the place is not an option either."
"So, what do we do?" Cam interjected. Hacker shook his head.
"Our only options are either trying to slip an agent in to take him out or send in a negotiator. Connor's been on the phone with us and he's been screaming for someone to go in to talk to him, so these seem like our best choices."
"Sir, you can't send in an agent," Sweets piped in. Hacker gave him a cold stare.
"And why not Doctor Sweets?"
"I've been working up a profile of this man for over a week," Sweets answered. "I can tell you that he suffers from clinical paranoia and delusions. He believes that the government is out to get him personally. If we send in an agent, and that agent is discovered, Connor is likely to perceive that as a direct attack from the government. He will then set off that bomb rather than be taken alive."
"Well then how about a negotiator?" Hacker said. Sweets shook his head.
"Connor does not want to negotiate," he said. "All the letters that he's left at the crime scenes, they all point to some kind of endgame that he has in mind for himself. He is what you would call a mixed serial offender."
"Which is what exactly?" Angela asked.
"Connor shows some qualities of what is known as an organized offender: he plans ahead, he makes sophisticated bombs, and he had a highly technical white collar job," Sweets explained. "But he also shows some traits of a disorganized offender: the rambling letters left at the scenes, the recent shootings accompanying the bombings and an overly strict, borderline abusive, family background."
"And all this boils down to what?" Hacker asked.
"The worst of both worlds," Sweets gulped. "Someone who is smart enough to set this all up and crazy enough to not care about the outcome."
"Oh God," Angela breathed, putting her hand to her mouth. "Brennan and Booth…" Hodgins put his arm around her.
"It'll be ok, Ange," he said.
"Well we can't just sit here and do nothing," Hacker said.
"Sir, I think our only option is a direct assault," one of the agents said.
"No, you can't do that," Angela exclaimed. "Then that psycho will blow them all up."
Sweets stood back and listened to the arguing around him.
'Connor is insane…if he even thinks there will be an attack, he will set off that bomb,' he thought.
'Apparently Connor's been screaming for someone to go in to talk to him…'
Sweets trembled as he considered what the agent had said.
'There's only one choice,' Sweets decided.
"I'll go in," Sweets said, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "I'll go in and try to reason with him."
"Whoa, what do you think you're doing, Doctor Sweets?" Cam said. "You can't go in there."
"Sir, I've spent the last week getting to know every facet of Connor's life," Sweets persisted, ignoring Cam. "I know him better than everyone here. Plus, I have experience in dealing with clinically insane people. I…I have to be the one to do it."
"You can't be seriously considering this?" Cam said, turning to Hacker. "Sweets is a shrink not an agent. He could be killed."
"And if we don't do something, everyone in that building will die," Sweets retorted. Hacker heaved another sigh.
"Get me Agent Booth on the phone again," he said. After dialing Booth's cell phone, an agent handed the phone to Hacker.
"Booth, what's the situation now?" he asked.
"Nothing's changed," Booth answered. "Connor just keeps wandering around the place, ranting about some 'shadowy forces' that are ruining his and everyone else's life."
"Does he still want to talk to someone?"
"Yeah," Booth answered. "It's about the only coherent thing he's said in the past hour. Why, are you thinking of sending someone in?" Hacker sighed and hung his head slightly.
"We are actually," he said. "We're hoping he can lure Connor out here where we can take care of him." Booth snorted.
"Well whoever it is, he has more guts than brains. This guy is certifiable, and he has a hair trigger temper. One of the employees sneezed and Connor just about blew his head off." Sweets shook a little at that, but maintained the look of resolve on his face.
"I'll make sure he's aware of the stakes," Hacker responded. "You just sit tight and tell Tempe that everything will be fine."
"I'll be sure to tell her that," Booth said with more than a little sarcasm in his voice. He then hung up. Hacker turned to Sweets.
"All right, Doctor Sweets. We'll go with your plan," he said. He then waved one of the other agents over. "Get this man a vest."
Sweets took off his suit jacket and handed it to Angela. Soon an agent came with a bulletproof vest and helped Sweets into it.
"Now remember, your job is to get Connor out here so that we can either subdue him or take him out if necessary," Hacker told him. "But whatever you do, make sure he does not set off that bomb."
"I understand," Sweets nodded.
"Sweetie are you sure about this?" Angela asked. Sweets nodded again. Hodgins patted his arm.
"Hey man, good luck," he said.
"Thanks," Sweets said. Cam placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Be careful Doctor Sweets," she said somberly.
"I will. Thank you Doctor Saroyan."
His vest firmly in place, Sweets began to slowly walk toward the building while Hacker got on the phone with Connor to let him know that they were sending in someone to talk. Cam shook her head while she watched Sweets go in.
"Well it's official," she said.
"What's official?" Hodgins asked.
"If Booth was merely irritated with Hacker before, he will positively despise him once he sees Sweets walk in there," she responded.
As Sweets made his way to the door, a cold sweat began to build on his brow. He found that he couldn't stop his hand from shaking as he opened the door.
'Cam's right. I'm not an agent. What will I do if he starts shooting again? Or worse if he tries to set off that bomb?'
Near the door, Sweets could see the body of the security gurard. The guard was completely still and blood had pooled around his torso. Sweets swallowed hard and tried to not be sick.
'If I say the wrong thing…make the slightest mistake…everyone in here will die.' Suddenly his hand brushed across the vest he was wearing and he looked down at it.
'If Connor sees me in this vest, he'll just focus on that and think of me as yet another agent of the government that is out to get him. He can't think that I work in law enforcement in any way.'
He knew that it was a dangerous and foolhardy move, but Sweets slowly peeled off the bulletproof vest and dropped it to the ground. He then took a deep breath, put his hands up and walked in toward Connor.
Meanwhile Booth was pacing around Fisk's office. Fisk had turned on the intercom so that Booth could listen to what Connor was saying and they were treated to some long and confusing speeches that declared the need to "end the tyranny of the shadow forces".
"What are they doing out there? Why aren't they helping us?" Fisk whined. Booth gave him a dirty look and the owner fell silent.
"Do you think Andrew's plan will work?" Brennan asked.
"If you ask me, I think it's a little crazy to send someone in here," Booth sighed. "But they probably don't have many ideas that don't involve people getting killed. I just hope whoever they send in knows what he's doing."
Noticing movement from the door, both Booth and Brennan moved closer to the glass so that they could see who it was coming in.
"It's Sweets," Brennan said, surprised.
They watched as Sweets approached Connor, his hands open and his arms up. Brennan looked over at Booth and noticed that he was clenching his jaw tight.
At that moment, Booth didn't know what angered him more: that Hacker had sent Sweets in or the fact that he wasn't wearing a vest.