Chapter Two

The Body in the Pentagon

All four of them rode in Booth's car. Rose and the Doctor had to sit in the back, so that Booth could confer with Temperance. Booth told her some of the details of the investigation. The Doctor tried to listen in, but Booth was playing the radio and talking softly. The Doctor couldn't hear them over the song. He could catch a word or two, but then the music would intervene. He wondered whether Booth was playing the radio that loud deliberately.

"Are you serious?" said Temperance.

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender,

Adrift in a world of my own;

I play the game, but to my real shame…

"…top security procedures. Took me a lot of negotiation to get a pass for Doctor Harkness there."

Too real is this feeling of make-believe,

Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal…

The Doctor leaned toward Rose. She was looking out the window.

"Gorgeous scenery, don't you think?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, charming. Look, Rose, something's not right."

Rose turned to look at him. "How d'you mean?"

He went on, "Think about it. We found those skeletons on the butterfly planet, transported straight from Earth this year." He lowered his voice when he mentioned being on a different planet.

"So?"

"So, what was the point in moving those skeletons?"

"Maybe he didn't want to get caught. You know, hide the bodies."

"But it didn't work, did it? Agent Booth up there, his people found the body. How's that? And how is the killer going to transport the body now? It's in the custody of the FBI. And another thing. Those bodies we found, there were several. Booth didn't mention more than one body."

"What does that mean, then? This is a different case after all?"

"Oh, no, they're definitely related. That wound pattern is unmistakable, even if it's just a trace left on a bare skull. But I can't see where this is going. Maybe this is the first case and the killer is getting ready for his big mass murder, and the bodies we found are evidence of that. Or maybe so far he's gotten away with it and transported the bodies, but something went wrong this time and he couldn't. Anyway, it doesn't sound like our agents up there are ready for a serial killer, but that's what they're getting into."

"Well, they'll find out sooner or later, won't they? When they find more bodies."

"If they find more bodies. Remember, the others might be on the butterfly planet already."

"So what? They're the law enforcement, aren't they?"

"But Rose, you've seen crime dramas, haven't you? They get one thing right. An investigation of an isolated murder is very different from an investigation of a serial killer. Motive is totally different. If they're going to catch the killer, they need to know that he wasn't targeting that single victim."

"But it's none of our business. It's not our responsibility to help them catch him."

The Doctor lowered his voice even more. "I want to know who has that transporter. I want to know why he's using it, how he got it, if anyone is helping him. That's my business, and it's my responsibility too."

There's a room where the light won't find you,

Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down…

Temperance turned around to look at them. Rose feared for a moment that she had especially keen hearing, that she had heard their discussion over the sound of Tears for Fears. But she said nothing but "Booth says we're almost there. We'll be entering a very high-security building. You'll need special badges giving you clearance." She handed them some badges.

"Great, fantastic," said the Doctor with his huge grin. "We'll be on our best behavior, don't worry."

Everybody wants to rule the world…

"What is this building, exactly?" Rose asked.

"Look, it's the Pentagon, all right?" said Booth. "So just don't touch anything, no flash photography, turn off your cell phones."

"The Pentagon?" Rose almost screamed.

"Oh, the Pentagon," said the Doctor. "Been a while since I was invited there. This should be easy sailing, Rose. They know me here."

"You're familiar with the Pentagon?" Temperance asked conversationally.

Booth said, "Wait, wait. They know you here? Well then, 'Jack Harkness' isn't your real name, because they didn't recognize it. It took me a lot of work to convince them to let you in."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Nothing but an alias. Bit of a precaution, I'm afraid."

"You can't tell us your real name?" said Temperance.

"Afraid not, Tempe. Back to being the Doctor, I suppose. But that's not too bad, is it?"

"Not at all. An alias adds an element of mystery, especially considering your archeological expertise, and I find it intriguing. To be honest, I found 'Jack Harkness' something of a disappointment."

"So did I," said the Doctor, with a glare at Rose.

"So you're telling me," said Booth, "if I had told them that the Doctor wanted to check out the crime scene, I could have saved myself ten minutes of screaming into my phone."

The Doctor considered for a moment. "Probably. I'm awfully sorry about that. Still, at least now you don't have to worry that it was a mistake to let me come!" He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Booth, as if inviting him to consider forming an alliance.

Booth didn't say anything.

Temperance spoke up. "Booth is actually much more socially skilled than I am. I would attribute his consistent lack of courtesy toward you as an effect of his stress over this case."

"I don't need you to apologize for me!"

"I wasn't apologizing, I was explaining. It's become almost a reflex ever since I've been a leading expert in my research field."

"Yeah, apparently we're flooded with experts today."

"An embarrassment of riches," said the Doctor.

"Come on," said Rose, tapping Booth lightly on the shoulder and smiling. "We're not so bad. I promise. You wouldn't believe how many secrets we can keep."

"That's what makes me nervous," said Booth.

After driving through the elaborate drives and careful security, Booth parked in a secluded lot reserved for those with rare parking decals. The four investigators walked through the River Entrance and were met by an intimidating woman in uniform.

"Agent Booth?" the woman asked.

"That's right." Booth shook her hand.

"Lydia Bristol, PFPA," she said, returning the handshake firmly.

"Pentagon Force Protection Agency," the Doctor told Rose.

Lydia asked Booth, "These are your guests?"

"Doctor Temperance Brennan, Miss Rose Tyler, and…the Doctor."

"Doctor Harkness?" the woman asked, looking at the tall man in black.

"Not exactly," he said with a smile. "Bit of a mix-up. Just 'the Doctor' will do."

Lydia frowned. "Hang on." She picked up her walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Bill, I've got an unidentified guest coming in with FBI authorized personnel. Advise."

"You can ask Director Skinner at the FBI," said the Doctor. "He'll recognize me."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Who do I tell him is here?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Bill, can you get hold of Director Skinner at the FBI and ask him if he's heard of someone called the Doctor? Just 'the Doctor'."

"Roger that, Lydia," said the voice over the walkie-talkie.

"We'll get this straightened out in just a minute," Lydia said. She continued to assess the Doctor's appearance. There was a moment of silence until Temperance spoke up.

"Agent Booth was informing me about the case on the way here. I understand the wounds are unusual. The body was found in one of the basement levels?"

"That's correct," said Lydia. She kept looking at the Doctor.

"It remains unclear to me why the F.B.I. was consulted at all. Was the PFPA considered unfit to deal with this case?"

"Bones!" said Booth.

For the first time, Lydia smiled—or smirked. "We wanted your forensic expertise. Definitely not your PR skills though."

The voice over the walkie-talkie spoke again. "Lydia, Director Skinner has cleared the Doctor. Let them in."

"Roger that," said Lydia. To the four visitors, she said, "Follow me."

Lydia took them inside, into an elevator, and down some hallways. She explained some details of the case as she went.

"The body was discovered this morning by a custodian. Unfortunately, he fainted and didn't call it in before some other workers got here. We have no idea how extensively the scene could have been interfered with before the PFPA was notified. But we're fairly sure that the unusual wounds were not inflicted post mortem. They seem to be a side effect of the cause of death, which, as you probably heard, was a piercing of the skull by some kind of sharp instrument."

"Did the instrument pierce straight through the brain?" Temperance asked. "It seems possible that such an injury could result in severe damage while allowing survival."

"It's hard to say whether the brain was run clean through. Brain matter was coming out of the wound. It looks as if the brain has been scrambled. Liquefied."

Rose said, "That's disgusting."

"Is that your professional opinion?" Lydia asked. "The higher-ups have been complaining all day because I've refused to take the body off the scene before you got a chance to look at it. They say it absolutely has to be gone by fifteen hundred hours."

They had reached the crime scene. Rose covered her mouth and nose with a moan. Booth swore. The Doctor and Temperance moved closer with some eagerness. They each went under the yellow tape securing the hallway and knelt down by the crumpled body surrounded by odorous liquids.

Meanwhile, Booth asked, "Who was he? Was he supposed to be in this hallway?"

"His name was Edgar Arlington. He worked two floors above this one. Nobody knows why he was down here."

"What's around here, on this floor?"

"Just routine offices, a few storage rooms. Some electrical rooms, maybe."

"So he wasn't poking his nose where it didn't belong?"

"My best guess is that he was lost. He was killed after hours, which means he shouldn't have been here either way. But if he was looking for anything special, he came to the wrong part of the building."

"Fascinating," came the Doctor's voice from behind the yellow tape.

"Any progress over there?" Booth asked them.

"These wounds are extraordinary, Booth. It's almost as if…I'm not sure. I need this to be taken back to the Jeffersonian."

"I'll have to clear that," said Lydia.

"Tell them the Doctor agrees that we need to move the body."

Lydia frowned again.

Booth's phone rang. "Hang on," he said, and answered it. "Yeah? ...What? … You're sure? …Okay, okay….Hold on a minute." He took out a pad and pencil and wrote something down. "Yeah. Thanks." He put away his phone and said, "Two more murders. Same wounds."

Temperance said, "Two?"

"Yeah. In different locations. Looks like we might be dealing with a serial killer. This is just great."

The Doctor asked, "Where were the other bodies found? More government buildings?"

"Nope. I've got the addresses. I guess we're going there next." He turned to Lydia. "Do you need us for anything else?"

"No, but thanks. It's a relief to think this might be unrelated to any government activity. Even so, I'd like an explanation of why he was in here so late and why a serial killer would break into the Pentagon after hours to find a victim."

"Well, that's not really our department. We're just forensics. But I'm sure you have plenty of experts on serial killers." Booth turned to the other three visitors. "Come on, we'd better get there as quick as we can. Three serial murders in one day… Thanks for your help, Lydia."

"Anything we can do to help. And we'll let you know if we need you again. Meanwhile, I need to talk to the PFPA about finding that expert you mentioned."

"Well, good luck."

"Oh, I have someone in mind already. Another FBI man. Will Graham. Ever heard of him?"