20.
Sorry for the delay, we are closing on a house, packing, setting up utilities, changing address. I know fanfiction is way more important though right? I know, I know. And now I have a fifth idea for a story. Better get this one finished eh?
Wesley, are you back from break yet? :) sdlovespandf thank you for sticking with me on this one. And lovely, always enjoy writing for you, hope you enjoy the end.
SO grateful & thankful to all those who have reviewed and favorited!
Sweets opened the door with his file folder and sat down.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Sweets said as he slid into the chair.
"No you're not." Burkhead said. "What's with the scrubs?" Burkhead looked over the injuries carefully. Sweets could feel the man's eyes on him.
"You are aware that Wittner & Mahaffey are dead, yes?" Sweets asked.
"Who are they?" Burkhead responded.
That's a yes Sweets thought reading the man's reactions. He knew Burkhead was looking him over, trying to figure out just how close Wittner had come to killing him. Each reaction to a question or how he looked at him gave Sweets an idea of what made the man tick.
"Right, you don't know the man who worked for you, well, men really." Sweets said again.
"Young man are you going to be as impetuous now as you were in my office?" Burkhead asked.
"Perhaps." Sweets flipped thru some pages he had in front of him. They were blank pages in a plain manila folder but Sweets poker face was holding up pretty well as he flipped thru them. He knew Caroline Julian was trying to dig up what she could but they had little time to wait for her to dig up papers, Sweets had to get the man to slip up somehow.
"What surprises me though is how you have divided up the funds to each of your departments. This one, the experimental sciences, has such a large budget." Sweets said reading his fake papers. He had no access to such things just yet and had no way to get them even if he did ask so he would try to smoke out the man for now.
"As compared to what other departments? The English department?" Dean Burkhead laughed.
"Right, funding the arts is always a source for humor." Sweets said sarcastically. "Why though put so much money towards the experimental sciences. Did they have a project they were working on that required a larger allotment?"
Burkhead was trying not to fidget in his seat. "They work on many projects. I can't think of any in particular."
Sweets figured Caroline could get some information on their programs, some of that information would be public, but it would all take time - they were running out of time.
"Right, you don't interact with people much. I remember now." Sweets said jogging his papers. How do I get this guy, why did he pick Mahaffey, wait how did he know him? "Tell me, what did you do before you were dean at MIT?"
Cam had an idea on where Sweets was going and ushered Angela to a computer to look.
"Sweets," Cam said over the ear piece. "We're looking that up now."
"Oh I worked a little here and there." Burkhead said vaguely.
"Damn Sweets good guess, he was working in the Soviet Union." Cam reported.
"You knew Bamsatt from the Soviet Union, didn't you?" Sweets asked.
Burkhead let a small smile slip as he looked to the glass. "Help from your friends?"
"I don't mind help from friends." Sweets said. "But you got help from friends, didn't you?"
Caroline Julian barreled into the room where the others were waiting. "No luck Cherie. No judge is going to give me papers on this guy. Not unless your questioning brings about something soon we have to let him go." Caroline looked thru the glass more closely when she saw someone in the interrogation room with scrubs on.
"Who is the Sam hell is that?" She asked and blinked. "Is that Sweets? Why the hell does he look so awful? Did he get run over with a truck or something?"
"Not yet." Cam said. "Sweets, Caroline is here, no pressure but we need something or we have to let him go."
"Your friend is telling you that you have to come up with something or I'm free." Burkhead said with a big confident smile. "I guess I'll be going now."
"Just a couple more questions." Sweets stopping the man from standing. "You don't want it to get out that you were an uncooperative person. That kind of thing at such a tight knit group like MIT could be damaging."
Burkhead smiled and sat back down. "A few more minutes then. It won't matter - you have nothing. Unless your friends have more ideas for you."
Sweets took the ear piece out of his ear.
"What's he doing?" Booth asked nervously.
"It's just you and me." Sweets said.
Burkhead looked at him as though it were a challenge. "What should we talk about?"
Sweets grinned as an idea came to mind. "Do you like chess?"
"Doesn't everyone?" Burkhead asked.
"I will offer you a deal." Sweets said sitting forward and crossing his hands. "One game of chess, if you win, you walk, if I win, you answer my questions."
"What's he doing?" Booth asked losing confidence.
Burkhead oozed with confidence. "Of course. Shall you fetch a chess set?"
"No need." Sweets said closing his eyes for a second and opening them. "I can see it."
"You intend to play the set in mind only?" Burkhead asked.
"Are you not up to it?" Sweets asked.
As Sweets guessed the man was not about to back down. "Of course not." Burkhead said as the two sat at the table looking at each other. "I'll take white."
Sweets nodded in acceptance. He knew Burkhead was not comfortable with the game of blind chess.
"Has Sweets lost his damn mind?" Caroline asked. "Playing games?!"
"Sweets is an excellent chess player." Brennan reminded her.
"He has a plan." Cam assured her.
"I'm not denying the boy is smart." Caroline said in her usual swagger. "I'm just concerned about him playing a chess game in his mind when he looks his body, as well as his head has been run thru a ringer a few times in the last couple of days."
"Knight F3." Burkhead announced. "You don't think you'll win this do you? I'm twice your age and three times as smart."
"That's a great deal of math." Sweets teased. "Knight to F6. You must have known that we would have found out about your connection to Bamsatt and the Soviet Union."
"Pawn C4." Burkhead announced. "What about, I travelled there briefly in college. So what?"
"Pawn G6." Sweets countered. "It was more than an visit, you were quite taken by the culture, the ability to rule with an iron fist, unquestioned."
"Knight C3, and?"
"Bishop G7, much like being the dean at MIT."
Burkhead yawned as though unamused. "My connection to a national conspiracy is a visit to Russia years ago? Pawn D4."
Sweets felt like he wasn't getting as far as he hoped, in the game and in the questioning. "Rook to F8, Queen G7."
Burkhead smiled. "You must be nervous Dr. Sweets, protecting your king from attack?" His smile faded. "Bishop F4."
"Pawn D5. I only prefer to make smart moves. I stayed alive this long." Sweets warned.
"Barely." Burkhead said of the chess game and his medical condition. "King B3."
"Pawn DC4."
"King C4, I'll take you pawn Dr. Sweets."
"Pawn C6." Sweets moved.
"Pawn E4." Burkhead countered.
"You went to the Soviet, you met Sargent Bamsatt, found out you had much in common with your reading about the Philadelphia Experiment. When you came back and made friends in the right places, brought Bamsatt over, changed his name. Knight BD7."
"Rook D1 and why would I do that?" Burkhead asked.
"Because you needed someone with far more personality than yourself to get the project off the ground. No offense, but you're quite a bit of an asshole. Knight B6." Sweets moved.
"I can be what I want, I get results. King C5"
"But you weren't getting results, no one wanted to work with you. With Wittner' s position in the CIA he got Bamsatt's named changed to Mahaffey, gave him a position and background, he got the backing for you didn't he? Bishop G4."
"Bishop G5." Burkhead said suddenly wondering if any of this could be traced.
"Knight A4." Sweets continued. "You got MIT money, that we can find, the good thing about colleges is when you start to ask where their money came from and if it was used in government experiments they offer up their books pretty quick. Especially if public money is involved, and government experiments."
"King A3."
"Knight C3, taking your knight." Sweets said sitting up. "Of course I already took your knight didn't I, it hurt to lose Mahaffey."
"Pawn BC2, I'll take your knight Dr. Sweets. Tell me, are many of your people expendable?"
"Knight E4."
"Bishop E7, removing your pawn."
"How many sailors were mere pawns in your experiments? King B6." Sweets asked.
Burkhead fidgeted some, he knew the sailors would be found at Davenport, could that be traceable to him he wondered. "Bishop C4."
"Knight C3, removing your pawn." Sweets said.
"Bishop C5." Burkhead countered.
"Rook FE8, we will connect you to these crimes." Sweets promised. "It's quite a long list. The worst would be murder."
"I've murdered no one. Queen F1."
Sweets smiled. "Bishop E6." Burkhead's shot up at the counter attack move, it was fierce, he had not expected it of Sweets. "Perhaps I can find out more from a Patient at Davenport, an MP with the initials, WB?"
Burkhead was obviously shocked not only at Sweets move but his revelation of his knowledge of the patient in question. "Bishop B6." He offered weekly.
"Bishop C4, taking your bishop." Sweets smile was confident, his plan in place.
"Queen G1." Burkhead countered.
Sweets countered back, "Knight E2."
"Queen F1."
"Knight D4." Sweets move.
"Queen G1."
"Knight E2." Sweets moved again.
"Queen F1."
"Knight C3." Sweets looked at Burkhead in the eye. "Exactly where are you going?"
"Queen G1."
"Pawn AB6, taking your Bishop." Sweets said as Burkhead looked to the glass of the two way mirror. "They're not helping me. You see the ear piece there. This is just us. Tell me, why the unknown man, why did he have to die, who was he?"
"King B4."
"Rook A4." Sweets could tell he was wearing the man down, he was distracting him with the game, one slip was all he needed.
"King B6, removing your pawn." Burkhead said though with less reverence than before.
"Knight D1, taking your Rook." Sweets was moving with confidence. "You knew he worked for you, what was his name?"
"Pawn H3." Burkhead answered. "I don't know his name."
"That's a lie, how did you not know? Rook A2, taking your pawn." Sweets ignored the fact that he had just gotten Burkhead to admit he knew the unknown man.
"Queen H2." Burkhead was concentrating on trying to win a game against a kid, Sweets searched for answers in the distraction.
"Knight F2, taking your pawn. He just worked there? I find that hard to believe." Sweets said leaning forward on the table.
Burkhead was concentrating hard on the game in his mind, trying to see all the pieces in play. "Rook E1." He offered.
"It's working." Brennan said observing. "He can't concentrate on the game and the questions at the same time."
"Yeah but how is Sweets?" Angela asked.
"Boy genius." Hodgins said admiringly.
"Rook E1, take Rook." Sweets ordered.
"King D8." Burkhead said.
"Bishop F8." Sweets said trying to control his patience, play a mental master game of chess and stave off the desire to pass out. "He worked in the experimental sciences didn't he?"
"Yes of course where do you think he worked in the world history department? I never talked to him, he was weird and kept to himself. Knight E1, take Rook!" Burkhead said excitedly.
The distraction still working Sweets pressed on. "Bishop D5."
"Knight F3." Burkhead answered.
"Knight E4. Did he associate with anyone?" Sweets asked.
"No he kept to himself, got paid in cash, that took some doing. I didn't care, I wanted him there, doing the work. King B8. Where did you learn chess Dr. Sweets?" Burkhead asked half admiring but mostly in disbelief, he had planned to crush the young man in few moves.
"My father taught me." Sweets said. "Pawn B5." Sweets let the move sink in. Burkhead's eyes jittered in his head as he mentally searched the illusory checkerboard surface.
"What?" Booth asked.
"Sweets has every piece and pawn of the black camp, his side, defended. The white queen has nothing to do."
"Does he win?" Angela asked excited though for imaginary stakes.
"Not yet." Caroline warned.
"How, how did your father teach you? I can't get kids to pay attention in classes. Pawn H4."
"Pawn H5. It was an excellent distraction when I was six."
"Six?" Burkhead asked in disbelief. "Knight E5."
"Queen G7." Sweets said. "Yes. How many people do you have working for you?"
"Queen G1." Burkhead moved, his answers grew more quiet. "Hundreds."
"Bishop G5, how many did we catch on that raid?"
"Queen F1, half." Burkhead said, he knew he was moving his pieces in useless patterns and his demeanor reflected it.
"You will give us the names and call off the hit, won't you? Knight G3."
"Yes." Burkhead answered in a whisper, his mind was elsewhere, defeated.
"He's giving up?" Arastoo asked.
"He is hopelessly entangled in Sweets nest."
"Queen E1."
Sweets moved. "Bishop B4."
"Queen D1." Burkhead motioned with his hand to move the piece.
"Bishop B3."
"Queen C1."
"Knight E2." Sweets continued to move, though they knew where the game was heading.
"Queen B1."
"Knight C3."
"Queen C1."
Sweets smiled. "Rook C2. Mate. Dean Burkhead you are under arrest for the conspiracy to commit murder, a whole list of conspiracy stuff really, actually." Sweets looked to the glass. "Caroline, maybe you can read the list to him?"
"Gladly Cherie." Caroline said heading out of the room though Booth was the first to exit.
Sweets looked to Burkhead who was replaying the game in his mind, wondering where he lost it, still distracted from the fact he had just implicated himself. Sweets smiled though he was exhausted, mentally and physically, relaxing his shoulders he looked down at the table and how inviting a quick nap might be if he only laid his head down a second.
The door opened and Sweets assumed it was Booth coming so he barely raised his head.
"Hey, I didn't know anyone was in here." An agent said opening the door. With his arm on the door his gun was brandished to Burkhead who removed it, pushed the agent back. Sweets looked up to as the agent went to the floor and stood up in reaction. Burkhead pointed the gun at Sweets chest as a gun shot went off.
Sweets looked at the table to see the blood droplets and wondered why it wasn't on the wall behind him. He looked up as Burkhead fell dead on the table in front of him, Booth at the door with his gun.
Sweets looked down to see some splatter but no holes seeping with crimson.
"Sweets are you okay?" Booth asked looking at Sweets chest. "I aimed at an angle, hoping to miss you, I didn't get you did I?"
Sweets shook his head no. He was wide awake now. "No, I'm good."
"You!" Booth said yelling at the agent who was getting off the floor. "What the hell were you thinking?! What are you twelve?" Booth asked the very young agent.
Sweets wanted to tell Booth to give the "kid" a break but he was busy getting the ringing in his ears to stop. He felt tired again.
"How about you sit down Sweets?" Brennan asked.
"I'm fine." Sweets said.
"You are certainly not fine." Brennan countered. "I would in fact suggest there are a number of medical issues that are…"
"Thank you Dr. Brennan." Sweets said cutting her off.
Brennan cleared her throat. "I feel worried, when I look at you. I am glad you are okay."
Sweets smiled at her words. "Thank you Dr. Brennan."
Booth came back in the room. "Okay, I think I got that kid sorted out." Booth looked to the body on the table.
"Just had to shoot someone in this case didn't you?" Sweets asked.
"Couldn't be the only one could I?" Booth asked.
"All I can see Cherie is a shit ton of paper work." Caroline said getting on the phone.
"So I guess the case is over." Cam said.
"Except for one thing." Sweets said.
"I'm not going to understand whatever you are going to say am I?" Booth asked.
"I'll make you a deal Booth, we'll explain the whole case on the way to Davenport." Sweets offered.
"Davenport?" Genevieve asked nervously.
The early morning sun was rising by the time the cars arrived at Davenport Booth & Brennan felt fully informed about the case though not completely understanding, it was a lot to sink in despite the time it took to get there. Though they were all tired from the busy night, they all wanted to see it thru to the end.
"So why are we at this place again?" Booth asked.
"One last mystery." Sweets explained. "Genevieve, perhaps you can help us find him?"
Genevieve led the way into Davenport, confidently with the assistance of the dozens of agents and officers that were escorting them. Arastoo, Cam, Brennan, Booth, Angela, Hodgins and Sweets followed Genevieve in where she located the limited records. With them all helping they finally located the patient in question, 'William Bellucci, room 210." Genevieve read.
The group made their way past the agents who were rounding up the 'doctors' for questions and figuring out what to do with the multitude of sailors that had supposedly gone MIA.
"What about all these men?" Cam asked as she & Sweets walked ahead of the group who followed them diligently, like they had on the rest of the case, the pair however hardly noticed they had again taken a lead.
"We need to find a way to help them." Sweets said. "You know it bothers me, the clues the unknown man left. Iliaom."
"Yea, the code word for the revised version of the Philadelphia Experiment." Hodgins recalled.
"It was the only clue crossed out." Cam remembered.
"Yes. Why?" Angela pondered.
"I wonder, I wonder if it wasn't important to him anymore." Sweet suggested.
"Maybe this was." Cam said. "Maybe this was more what he died for.
"Yeah but how can we help any of them?" Booth said looking at the mentally lost service men that were in room after room.
"He would have left a clue." Genevieve reminded them.
The group arrived at the room, Military Patrolman William Bellucci sat on the bed, and like the others, he was mentally absent.
"I don't understand." Hodgins said as they filled in the room and looked at the man who was in no way alert.
Sweets looked at the man curiously. Cam wasn't ready to give up either and leaned over to look under the bed. Sweets followed as their eyes met the same object at the same time. Sweets retrieved it and stood up with it.
"What is it?" Booth asked.
"A seventh edition copy of the Rubiyat." Cam explained.
"But that's like that other one, there isn't one, they stopped at the fifth." Angela reminded them.
"Which means this one is special." Cam said.
Sweets flipped it open as it appeared to be a regular edition but upon closer inspection he realized that every other line of the text did not fit.
"What? What is it?" Cam asked with great anticipation.
Sweets looked up and smiled. "It's the answer on how to help these men." He flipped to the back of the book where the words "Taman Shud" appeared again, only this time the words included were, "G, with all my love."
Genevieve's eyes filled with tears from her father's message.
"I would say that is a great last clue." Hodgins said.
"And the real reason he should be remembered by." Genevieve said glad her father would be known for a cure, not a weapon.
The group walked outside where Sweets stretched as the sun rose.
"Well, this is enough for me. I'm going home. To bed." Sweets said heading to the car.
"Wait, so who was the unknown man?" Brennan asked.
"We may never know who the unknown man is, we learned a lot about who we are." Cam said smiling at Sweets.
Sorry, While I wish I did, I know nothing about chess, hope that wasn't too bad. I hope you enjoyed and will check out the next story, or five…or more….