So hopefully by the time this chapter is posted things will die down for me. I am so tense it's not even funny.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, come on people.
Suezanne: Thanks, things should die down by the middle of next week or so
Rochelle Templer: I am so happy that you thought I was right about Sweets. Thank You so much for all your suggestions and all of this gave me a few ideas of how to effectively write this chapter. So once again thank you so much.
Chapter 42
Bitter Sweets
When Zack finished his examination of the bones the results were, frightening. Apparently she had been beaten to death over a period of twelve hours. After that there was really nothing else to do so we began heading home.
Booth had asked me to get in contact with Jack and Angela and to ask them to come home due to recent events. As Zack and I were heading out I spotted Sweets sitting on the steps; his hands over his head.
I turned to Zack, giving him my keys "You go on ahead, I'll be right there." he nodded. I walked over to Sweets and sat down. "So let me guess, you became a psychologist because you had a shrink growing up who helped you out."
"Can I help you with something Althea?" he asked.
"As much as I hate the entire process of psychoanalysis, I have decided to put away my hatred and analyze you." He didn't speak. "You are suffering from what Psychologists call guilt. I already have a profile on this guy. He is not smart, he is cocky. He has a lot of pent up rage. My advice, stop feeling all sorry for yourself and for your friend and start working on protecting yourself and my girly. If I'm right he wants to hurt you, a lot. Greg Lerner sounds like a vindictive kind of moron to me. He's going to kill again and he's saving you for last."
"Your point?" he asked. Perhaps I had made him feel worse when my intention was to make him understand?
"My point is that if anything happens to Jackie, Greg Lerner will be the last of your worries." I looked around. "Where is Jackie?"
"She's talking to Booth." he pointed to the higher platform where Jackie and Booth were having a heated discussion. Most likely it was over the profile, specifically the part where I recommended that Jackie and Sweets be placed in protective custody.
Her hair was on fire, contradicting its blue color. She waved her arms out in defeat as she began coming down the steps.
She glared angrily at me before turned to Sweets.
I said nothing as I turned and began walking to my car.
Jackie was angry. I couldn't really blame her. I mean I was the one who suggested to Booth that she be put under protection.
When we arrived home I immediately called Jack, I got his voicemail. I chose not to leave a message, the contents of this case were two sensitive to be left on an answering machine.
The following day we got another body. This time it was a male, again elderly with a love of golf.
Zack handed me the skull, once the tissue markers were applied and attempted to help me make a facial reconstruction. I still could not believe how Angela managed to do it. I supposed it was an artist thing.
The body was of Frank Norris, a retired cop. According to his file, Norris was the one who arrested Lance's birth-father.
I thought harder. He wants to make Sweets suffer, that much was obvious. This proved further that he was saving Sweets for last.
Once again evidence of beating emerged, but unlike with Corrine, Frank Norris fought back. He was a cop and retired or not a cop is always a cop.
I sat in my office attempting to figure out where he kept his victims when Jackie stormed angrily into my office. Her hair was still an electric blue color, thought it had faded slightly giving off looking more like a mix of the clouds with the sky. Although her mood did not reflect her hair, in fact it contradicted it.
"H…hi Apple Jacks." I said weakly with a large, worried smile.
"Don't Apple Jacks me, Althea Liliya. You told Booth to put me on protection."
"I did, you are in danger. This guy…Greg Lerner, right?" she nodded "He wants to hurt Sweets and the best way to do it is by going after you." I got out of my chair and walked over to her. "You angry, I understand, but you need to understand that this is a case like no other."
She nodded slowly still glaring daggers into me. "I get it." she said "I don't have to like it, but I get It." she paused and lifted the anger off her face a little "At least those FBI guys have the decency to keep at a distance."
"There you go." My work phone rang and I went to answer it, putting it on speaker. "You're on with Dr. Calloway."
"You better have a damn good reason for interrupting my honeymoon." Said an agitated male voice!
"Hello to you too, cousin," I said unaffected by his angry voice.
"Well, I'm listening."
"Let's see…we…we need you guys to head home right away."
"If you miss us, that does not qualify." said Jack
"Actually I am not missing you. I can finally sleep in peace and quiet without hearing strange noises coming from the bedroom down the hall." I said and heard him choke a little. "The reason I'm cutting your honeymoon short is because we have a serious issue here at the Jeffersonian."
"And that would be…." encouraged Angela.
"How do I put this delicately? Sweets's birth-father was let out of prison and now he's out on a mass killing spree in order to hurt him. This putts Jackie in danger and he already killed to victims and we need our best bug 'n slime guy to come in and figure out where he's keeping them." I finished. Jackie sighed.
"You should have just started with that. We'll be on the next flight home." said Angela and the two hung up. I hung up as well.
"I'm going to go…sit with Lance."
"Jackie why did you and Sweets come here?"
"We figured it was the safest place for us to be." she replied and I nodded. It would be hours before Angela and Jack would arrive and we desperately needed to find out where the victims were being held and only the bug 'n slime guy could figure it out.
Typical me, I began pacing in my office to try to figure something out. Zack came in and stood infront of the couch, watching me as I paced.
"I do hope you realize that there is nothing you can do while pacing here," he said. "Rationally speaking…"
"I KNOW!" I snapped, causing Zack to cringe and stagger back. I calmed down instantly and walked over to him. "I'm sorry, Zack. I didn't mean to snap."
"I...it's alright. I understand that you are under a great deal of stress. If there is anything I can do…" I hugged him.
"You're doing it." I told him
Booth walked in, another body coming in behind him. "Let's go squints…and geeks." he added. "We have another body."
He was working fast. I'd estimate that he'd been holding each victim for at most twenty-four hours. He took them all somehow, nocking them out, possibly with a stun gun. Cam had found two small marks that are identical to that of a common stunner. He would torture them for a few hours, maybe more. I walked out of the office, following Booth.
"Booth, do we have a place of residence for Lerner?" I asked.
"Not yet, still waiting to hear from his Parole Officer. I haven't been able to get a hold of him. Damn bastard probably lost Lerner after my first call." he said.
Dr. Brennan walked up to me holding her lab coat in her hand.
"Dr. Calloway, I will be heading out with Agent Booth, will you assist Zack, please?"
"Of course Dr. Brennan, should I call if we find anything?" She nodded.
"We're going to talk to Lerner's lawyer." called Booth.
After I informed Jackie and Sweets that there was another body, I joined Zack on the platform as well as Cam, since the body was more flesh than bone. This victim was male late seventies, early eighties. His right hand showed evidence of wear and tare on his middle and fore finger, as well as his thumb. This guy wrote a lot. Those tazor marks were clearly visible on his neck. I ran his fingerprints and came up with Alan Graham, the judge who sentences Lerner.
Who else was there? I went online and checked on the case file. Still on the upcoming bodies would likely be the prosecutor Trina Fisher and the defense attorney Michael Sanders. I didn't think that Greg would have been all too happy with his lawyer's performance. I informed Booth of this and spotted Jackie and Sweets walking to the parking lot.
"Jackie Irakami Kayamodo don't you dare leave this building." I shouted running after them. The two appeared not to hear me.
I finally caught up with them as they got to Jackie's car. "You two cannot leave." I said. "You're in danger."
"I laugh in the face of danger." said Jackie. "Ha, ha, ha." Quoting the Lion King wasn't going to get her far.
"I see nothing f….funny here." said Sweets looking behind us. We turned around just fast enough to see Greg Lerner hitting each of us with the stun gun.
My head hurt, my neck was all in knots. I made a mental note to ask Jackie for the name of that Korean Massage place she goes too. I needed a serious spa day. Unfortunately I momentarily forgot what had happened. I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was blurry. I felt around the cold wooden floor for my glasses and found them just inches away.
I placed them on my face and looked around. The words serial killer basement came to mind. This was a killer dream. Thick wooden walls laced with sound proofing material. The windows were locked and the big metal door most likely had elaborate locks on it.
I looked around and saw Sweets huddled in a corner knees up to his chest. His hands covered his head as he rocked back and forth, back and forth.
Jackie was in the corner farthest from me, trying to get closer to Sweets.
"Took you long enough." said Jackie. Her hand was cuffed to a radiator as she tried to reach for something, something that wasn't there. "Can you help me?" I wasn't chained, perhaps because I hadn't woken up in time. By the looks of it Sweets was the first to wake, followed by Jackie a short while later. There was a chair with a smaller stool in the middle of the room and all the windows, save for one were boarded up.
I tried to stand, but fell to the floor, I could not regain balance. Instead I crawled over to Jackie and tried to figure out how to un-cuff her. It was times like this that a girl really wished she had a lock-picking kit.
"Do you have any idea where we are?" I asked groggily. I was the child who had been abruptly pulled out of the dream world.
"Gee, why don't I check out my GPS, oh wait it's in my other pants." snapped Jackie.
"Geez, I was just asking."
The door swung loudly screaming, praising to be opened. Lerner stood in the opening holding what I guesses was a whip and a crowbar. Why he needed both instruments was beyond me. One thing was for sure, though. We were in deep shit.
YAY!!!! I am so happy that I was able to finish this chapter. Its a few days later and everything seems to have calmed down. So…what do you think?
As usual I would love to hear suggestions and theories. I do need a little help since after this is over there will be a month left over before Zack and Althy's wedding.
TW16
