Work. That is my excuse.

Sorry guys, I have a two week intensive and then I'll be back to normal.

PS. Thank you edwards-lamb! That's the highest praise and author can get!

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CHAPTER 26

"Anne?"

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How do you know my name?" her voice was clear and raw, like a the sound of glass breaking.

"My name is Temperance Brennan. My partner and I were working on your case."

"I have a case?"

"Yes. Your dissapearance, the murders of four women…"

She flinched, withdrawing slightly back into the wall, thin long limbs contracting to form a safe ball. I knew that gesture too well.

"How did he get to you, then?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure. He drugged me. The water… but really, he caught me off guard. Any normal day I probably would have gotten… I don't know. Maybe I wouldn't be here." Booth had been so right. I had to be responsible and take proper care of myself, if only to be alert. It was dangerous to keep up the rhythm I tried to maintain. Unhealthy.

But thinking of Booth right now inly brought a sharp pain everywhere in my body but especially in my clenched stomach, like a fist sqeezing tighter and tighter…

Anne was speaking. "…that's what happened to me too. The water… and he was already inside when I… he was waiting."

For the first time she looked slightly shaken, and I saw through the solid armour of courage she wore around her. Her young mind had created an image of bravery and selflessness which she lived off of. It was incredible, and showed just how tough this girl was. The protection wasn't to keep people coming in, however. It was to prevent emotions from spilling out.

I was surprised at myself for the very Booth-like observation.

"Who is it, Anne? Who's doing this?"

She didn't hesitate.

"I can't tell you. He told me not to, else he'd hurt my mother."

"How will he…"

"Cameras. Everywhere." She nodded at the screen, still showing the Jeffersonian and everyone moving around. But none of my friends. They'd all left. "He loves playing with cameras. Is that somwhere important to you? Is that where your family is?"

"Yes."

"He did that to me too. He had a camera in my mom's place, even the new one. And one in my dad's cell. I have no idea how he did that."

"The cellmate was an ally of this killer…" I began to explain.

"Don't call him that." She said, panicked.

"Why not?"

"He hates that word. There are cameras in here too, remember? He can hear everything we're saying. Please don't call him that. He'll hurt my mom…"

"Okay, okay calm down." I tried to be soothing and responsible. Even though my neck was beginning to feel sore because I was twisted around, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I'd been looking for her so desperately… and now she was here.
And I might die.

"Your father…"

"… is dead. I know." She didn't sound very sorry. "He was an asshole. So who gives a shit, right?"

I lowered my gaze for a moment, because this girl had suffered too much. She'd seen and experienced things no one should have to feel, and she had felt them all at her age. The unfairness of this world made me shiver with rage.

"Anne, we'll get out of this, all right? My team are incredibly good. They can probably find us, soon. Trust me, we'll be okay."

"I'm sorry, what's your name again? Temperance?"

"Just call me Tempe."

Again I surprised myself. I'd never asked anyone to call me Tempe. Sometimes the men I dated did, as a form of endearment. Even Jared had started calling me that without my permission, but I'd never told him or anyone else to actually do so. Mostly Brennan. Or Temperance, because it didn't feel so special if it came from someone else's lips but Booth's.

"Tempe…" she gave her first small smile, but it was rapidly gone. "I don't think we're going to get out of here. These past days I've been trying to live to help my mom, but now everything's changed again. You're here, and I don't know what he wants." She looked up, defiant, and spoke to the ceiling. I did too, but saw no obvious camera lens. "Do you hear me? I still can't figure out what you want from me!"

There was no answer, but the silence had tensed so thickly I could almost feel another presence witness to our conversation. Could almost hear the shallow breaths of poisoned lugs taking air meant for human beings, and not monsters.

"Anne…" I whispered. "Anne, please relax. We'll be fine. I'm going to help you. I'm here to help you, okay? Now tell me… does he… I mean when does he feed you?"
"He used to let me eat alone in the toilet. Locked me in, see? But I haven't eaten all day, not since you're here."

"Okay. What about water? Does he buy it or make you drink the tap water?"

"Tap. Always."

I took it in. Tap meant less trips out.

"Has he ever left you alone inside the house?"

"Of course. He got you didn't he?"

"He may have someone helping him."
"No. He's alone. There's never been an accomplice or stuff like that."

Alone. That meant something.

"Besides yesterday night, has he ever left?"

"Loads of times. Sometimes I think he's gone the entire day. But there's no way to escape. If he leaves, I'm locked inside the cellar with a bottle of water, and I can scream my lungs out but he doesn't care. I never know where he keeps my mom. I never see her."

"You said cellar? We're in a house, then."

She flinched again. I had the feeling she was answering my questions as a way of defying this man, but she was too afraid to tell me who he was yet, or give too much away.

"Anne…" I bega softly, but a scream from the screen cut me off. I recognised that voice: it was Angela.

I frantically turned around to look at the lab, begging for my friend to appear within the camera's range, so that I could figure out what ailed her. But nothing seemed to change until I began to hear loud voices and more shouts, growing in intensity. A commotion seemed to have begun, and finally people stopped working and turned to search for the source of the disturbance.

"Angela!" Cam's voice rang out in the silent lab, and a moment later she was in my sight, for a second before running from her office to Angela's.

"No! Let go of me! Somebody call Booth! Where is he?"

"Here!" My heart seemed to jump in my chest as his voice was heard as well. But I still couldn't see anyone, could only hear.

"What's happened?" Booth… "Where is she? Have you found something?"

And suddenly I could see them both, running side by side toward the platform with Cam trailing behind them.

"I just found something… stand here!" Angela put her arms on Booth's shoulders and planted him right in the middle of the platform, and also right in the middle of my screen. I could only watch, breathing heavily.

Then she ran off again, giving my partner no other explanation.

"Angela! Is it about Bones?" he yelled, a catch in his voice.
"Of course it's about her!" I heard faintly. "Everything is, now!"

Cam stood next to Booth, and a deep pain seemed to claw at my insides as I wished that I could be the one with her hand on his back, rubbing gently to ease the expression of pain on his face.

And suddenly the clang of shoes against metal steps was very loud. Closer.

But it couldn't be… could it?

"I found something!"
The voice was too loud, even distorted. It was unmistakeably Angela's.

And then the frame moved.

She'd found the camera lens.

A gasp right next to me made me jump. Anne had slowly dragged herself to sit beside me and was watching the events open mouthed.

"Are those your friends?" she whispered, almost as if in awe.

"Yes." I said, feeling the tears trickle down my face but not caring one bit.

The colours on the screen blurred for a moment, and then Angela's dear face was magnified so her eyes filled everything.

"This isn't a security camera! Guys, this was planted here to spy on us! We're going to find Brennan and get the son of a bitch that did this to her."

The sound of his steps became loud and fast, and I shivered in anticipation of seeing his eyes again. Any second now I could see his face. I'd missed it so much.

"We're going to get you!" The fury shining in my best friend's eyes made me smile with fierce pride, even as I kept crying silently. Something inside of me was waking up once more. Something deeper than the determination find a way to save myself and stay alive no matter the cost.

Something that made me feel more alive than ever.

"Do you hear me? We'll find you!"

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Thanks so much for bearing with me! Yes, it was short, but I'm reeeeaally busy! Please accept my apology by reviewing?

Wait, that came out wrong. I promise it sounded more subtle in my head.

Oh well.

;)