A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys. Sorry for the lack of updating, I'm in a show that's currently running. But with a break coming up you'll probably be getting updates more frequently (like every day). SO YAY!))
19CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Booth this is Krys. The box. The box is a recording device. He's going to get Parker. Seeley.. PICK UP YOUR DAMN PHONE." Angela's open laptop played the recording over and over again as various charts flashed on the screen. All of the squints crowded the screen, rather serious expressions on their faces and none of them in proper lab attire. A silence befell the group until finally, Jack Hodgins cleared his throat and spoke up a bit hoarsely.
"Can you estimate what time the call ended?" He asked looking very scruffy and sleep deprived as he stood there in ripped jeans that he had obviously pulled on in a sloppy attempt to not come in wearing his pajamas, a rocker t-shirt reading 'Never Stop Asking Questions' finishing off the look. Oddly fitting for the situation, if anyone had an appreciation of irony at the time.
"About an hour ago." Cam looked to the floor, seemingly the only one unaffected by such news or she was hiding it extremely well. "Combine that with the babysitter rushing to a neighbor's doorstep and the time actually becomes around fifty minutes."
"Why didn't Booth just pick up his phone?" Angela sighed aloud to no one in particular as she looked to the floor. The artist was the only one in makeup and fully dressed to the nines. Jack couldn't help but admire her, even under these circumstances. Did she just wake up this beautiful? Of course she did.
"He's not attached to his phone all of the time Angela." Temperance frowned, her arms crossed over her chest as her shoulders slumped in a little sigh. Reaching out with a gloved hand she picked up an evidence bag containing the numbers. "This was left on the table. The numbers we found on one of the victims." Bringing it up toward her face she squinted, trying to make something of it.
"Something about it must have set her off." Cam deducted carefully, leaning over the metal slab trying to catch a glimpse but it was useless when Doctor Brennan had her heart and mind set on something.
"She's been working on that for almost two weeks." Angela added, also craning her neck to see.
Meanwhile, Vincent spoke up, setting some files down on the empty metal slab. "She mentioned that she was getting close. She was really excited about it." Everyone except Doctor Brennan turned to look at him and his eyes widened slightly as he raised his hands in a haulting motion. "In passing."
Cam's eyes drifted over toward Temperance. "Does that mean anything to you?" She asked the famous anthropolgist, trying to mask the hope in her voice.
"Math class?" Jack spoke up flatly, unable to keep his usual flat quips at bay. In receiving a warning glare from Doctor Saroyan he immediately lowered his gaze and returned to sifting through evidence bags that had been collected from the area they were currently standing on (the last place Krys had been seen according to Sweets). Where was the boy wonder psychologist anyways? Late. Figures.
"Parker has been abducted. Miss Robin is missing." Doctor Brennan spoke up while still studying the numbers, not answering Cam's question, wrapped up in her own little world. "With our limited amount of evidence, and the eye witness is considerably shaken up. We can't build a case on that."
"Sweetie..." Angela spoke up with a frown. The last thing the team needed now was a downer, especially when a comrade was at stake along with Booth's son. They couldn't afford to mope.
Temperance continued on as she set the number sheet down on the slab rather defiantly. "It's true. We have limited means because Booth is personally invested in this case.."
"Sweetie, we're all personally invested in this one..." Angela interjected gently, but it did little to sway Temperance.
"Limited evidence from both scenes..." Temperance shook her head, finally falling oddly quiet so to at least save Angela's feelings. Even though Temperance was socially awkward and not much of one for social rules and regulations, she did care for her best friend... But she also cared for Booth...
"It's not all lost. It's just an unfortunate situation." Cam corrected, though really it was in a tone that was just trying to convince herself. She had to lead her team even if it meant lying straight through her teeth until they had two bodies in front of them. She masked an inward shiver at this thought, and how it would affect the team (especially Booth).
Jack Hodgins was now staring at the numbers before declaring aloud: "Krys already knew that these numbers were a zip code. Something like this would have set her off earlier, not now. It has to be something else." His eyes shifted to the side and he found the bagged grey box. Nearly throwing himself across the slab he reached for it and clenched his fingers around the bag, dragging it closer. "She pulled this apart. It wasn't like this before. I'll need to take a closer look."
"Do it and call Booth." Cam nodded, though she knew that Jack wouldn't even move to call the man. He was so set on his own little experiments. If Zack was still around there'd be no stopping him. Oh god... Zack. Another close to home case and that didn't end well. Was there a possibility that this could end even worse?
"I'll call Booth." Angela offered softly, pulling out her phone as she began to dial the numbers, doing her best to swallow her tears. As Hodgins opened the bag he frowned, watching his ex hurting actually hurt him. But he had to stand there working, pretend like it didn't even happen. This was more difficult than any case, even this one. "He's probably with Rebecca." Temperance immediately looked up, this being something that Hodgins also caught. What was with everyone lately? Oh yeah.. Stress. Lots of stress.
Cam Saroyan reached out, pressing the enter button on Angela's keyboard, playing the recording again. "Booth this is Krys. The box. The box is a recording device. He's going to get Parker. Seeley.. PICK UP YOUR DAMN PHONE." Frantic pounding on a door, probably Rebecca's, could be heard in the background. Everyone, even Bones, looked about ready to throw up. Maybe it was because for the first time they were hearing something other than sarcasm in Krys' voice. She sounded rushed... Even afraid. It was haunting.
"In tracing the call it is from Krys' cellular phone." Vincent Nigel-Murray said to Doctor Cam Saroyan with a certain solemness to his voice as he clutched a clipboard to his chest. A bit of red lipstick was on his collar, bright red, and it certainly wasn't a shade Vincent would ever wear.
Doctor Saroyan of course caught this, and despite the heightened dramatic situation, had to make a comment about it. "Didn't have time to drive home and change Mister Nigel-Murray?" She poised with her usual knowing tone before looking over her shoulder as Agent Booth came bustling in. "The phone was left at the crime scene so that's of little help."
"Is there any reason everyone is just standing around here? How the hell is that supposed to help?" He was breathless, a worn, worried expression which was trying so desperately to be neutral but failing. He was scared, scare for his son. And knowing that this man who had his son and Krys was a serial killer, and Booth being a father, downright frightened him. And time was running out. Anyone would be tense! Turning his gaze on a very nervous, but in his opinion very still, Nigel-Murray he glared with his impatience. "Get moving."
Now Vincent had no where to be other than on the lab floor with the team. That's what Doctor Saroyan wanted, however, as it was, Agent Seeley Booth was a tad more frightening than his actual boss so Vincent scurried off to go somewhere else that would at least please the secret agent.
"Booth..." Cam began only to be waved off by the agent, something she decided not to press. Not now. It definitely wasn't the time.
"No, I would love to hear the reasoning behind this." The agent was becoming increasingly irritated. His face getting redder by the minute as he was getting even more frustrated by his team not working nearly fast enough. "My son is missing and everyone is just standing here! Will someone care to explain me why the fuck that is?!" Everyone went silent, what could they say to that? No one dared to utter a word. "Krys and my son and everyone is just fucking standing around!"
"He has Krys?" Lance Sweets swallowed standing behind the group (apparently he had snuck up on them), looking positively sick his eyes sparkling with confusion, with the need to not comprehend what was going on. As though it was all some elaborate prank being played, even though he was ridiculously intelligent and knew that it wasn't the case.
Doctor Brennan swallowed as she turned to face the young man. "That seems to be the case Doctor Sweets."
That simple statement from the anthropologist was enough to get him on his feet and hurrying up the stairs. "We have to find her."
"We?" Hodgins snapped quickly, looking up as he blinked.
"Yes, we." Sweets panted looking dazed as though he wasn't even thinking properly.
"Listen kid.." Jack began, obviously about to say something scathing when he was interupted.
"Hodgins.." Doctor Saroyan warned, her eyes narrowing, playing the mother to the group and Hodgins fell quiet and returned to his work with the pieces of the grey box.
Lance could only look helplessly at the rest of the group, looking about ready to puke, before he swallowed, nodded his head and moved down the stairs making his way toward his own office. No one moved to stop him, no one had the heart to. Everyone else was wrapped up in their own crap to even try. All of their energy had to be focused on the case, now more than ever.
"We don't have time to just stand here like idiots." Agent Booth cursed as he was wearing thin and red in the face he shook his head, dismissing himself without even a word. Hurrying down the stairs as he ran his hand through his hair making his way toward his own office so that he would at least be doing some work. Since his son was involved he wasn't allowed to work officially on the case, but he had disregarded rules before and this was definitely one of those times.
Everyone was once again quiet, unsure of what to do, except for Temperance who removed her gloves and set them on the table before hurrying after her partner. She couldn't stand to see him upset, let alone when it was affecting her, what was affectionately termed, 'squint squad'. Those were two things she just couldn't tolerate.
"Booth!" In entering the room rather briskly she saw her partner quickly sifting through files at a quick pace. She doubted that he could even read them at the pace he was moving. "Booth, you can't keep acting like this regardless of circumstance. We're trying to help you and we can't possibly do that with you shirking us off at every possible chance."
"He has my son Temperance." Agent Booth looked up suddenly, slapping the last few files on his desk rather loudly, his eyes meeting his partner's from across the room. "He has my son. My boy. Parker. He has Parker. There's a good chance he also has Krys who went to warn him. My responsibility. She went to warn him because of me. She called me. I should have picked up. Why didn't I pick up?" Exasperated and obviously upset he plopped right down in his seat at his desk, hiding his face in his hands. A long sigh that had been held in all of this time was finally released though he didn't look up. Finally breaking the silence he spoke in a low, barely audible voice. "How the hell does everyone want me to act?"
Temperance, who had been standing in the doorway swallowed, looking up from the floor with her blue eyes she advanced toward the desk. Standing in front of the desk, looking down at the man, her partner, the man she cared for she spoke up in a barely audible tone. "Like this I suppose."
Seeley lifted his head, his brown eyes bright with tears despite their dulled over expression. No longer angry but in a way that Temperance had never seen before. Vulnerable. In this moment Booth, her rock, was vulnerable. Rising to his feet, his shoulders slightly slumped he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm sorry."
Temperance couldn't find the words, so instead she just nodded before deciding to make the first move and reaching out, carefully over the desk she wrapped her slender arms around her partner's body bringing him into a much needed hug. A little lapse of stillness in an ocean of chaos. Swaying slightly as she gave him a light squeeze she ran her hand over his back in a circular motion.
Meanwhile Lance had made his way into the men's bathroom, he found that his office was a building over and too far away to make in the time allotted. Closing the door behind him he hurried into the nearest stall and shut the door. It swung open and closed for a few moments until his shaky hands managed to grab the blue wood, stilling it, and fumbling with the metal lock he clicked it shut.
Reaching into his suit coat pocket he pulled out a piece of loose leaf paper with his handwriting on the inside. A note. On the outside it read in sloppy handwriting 'Krys'. Crumpling it up between his fingers he through it into the toilet, caught up in the moment, he then reached forward pressing the metal flush lever. The sound ringing throughout the bathroom as he shook his head, turning back around to face the stall door.
His feet pushed himself backwards and he fell right back on the porcelain seat with a loud clunk. Cringing his eyes shut he felt his head throb, his stomach go light and he frantically ran his fingers through his hair, nearly digging into the scalp. Cursing a bit he shook his head, whispering something under his breath as he felt something sting his eyes that he hadn't felt since he was sixteen and his prom date had dumped him at the dance to go and dance with the prom king. But this was worse. Far worse. Hunching forward he opened his mouth as some inaudible cry came out.
That was when he heard the door open. Swallowing he strained every muscle in his body to keep quiet, quickly lifting his legs as he heard the rustling about as whoever it was went about their business. Keeping his legs up as he was curled up in the stall he closed his eyes, burying his face in his thighs.