Do not own Bones, but I do have a plastic skeleton in my Halloween stuff!
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Chapter 8.
Booth was not taking it too slow as he and Sweets headed to the Jeffersonian. Emma went back to her desk a bit confused on what went on and why she had to wait there until an agent could escort her home. She just assumed work late because she wasn't going to be relaxed at home, that was a no brainer.
Booth looked to Sweets who sat contemplative in the passenger seat. Booth thought of how they hadn't gotten to finish their talk but it seemed now that was going to have to wait. He didn't like the uncomfortable silence in the car between he and Sweets. He may have felt annoyed at Sweets at times, but it wasn't that now, it was genuine worry. Worst of all Booth realized, he didn't know how to fix it.
"She looked upset." Sweets said finally and Booth felt relieved that for the first time in a long time Sweets was starting a conversation, even if he had no clue what he was talking about.
"Uh, who are we talking about Sweets?" Booth said softly, not wanting to get bit by Sweets sarcastic side, or worse, make him feel bad enough he would stop talking all together.
"Emma, she looked upset."
"Well, I'm sure we dropped a bit of a bomb on her when we rushed out after telling her about Pelant." Booth said more casually, feeling more relaxed.
"Before that. We were going over files, she seemed bothered by something, before the Pelant bomb." Sweets said and Booth realized Sweets was being contemplative about Emma, not Pelant. Booth wondered if that was a good or bad thing.
"She's nice." Booth said not sure what else to add but he continued anyway. "She seems concerned about people, like you." Or how you used to be before we all got to live with sarcastic and moody Sweets Booth said to himself. "She hadn't met you, she came with me to the hospital one night."
A small smile crept across Sweets face, something Booth hadn't seen in over a week. "So that's where the puzzle book came from." Sweets said amused.
Booth wasn't sure what to comment but for a moment he recalled the discoloration on Emma's neck. He tried to figure out how to work that in conversation but they arrived at the Jeffersonian with bigger problems at the moment.
"Dr. Sweets!" Cam said surprised as he and Booth walked in the Jeffersonian area where they all were. Brennan turned to greet Sweets but was taken aback by his appearance causing her stomach to sink a little.
"Dr. Soroyan." Sweets acknowledged back and followed Booth to Angela's office. Cam looked to Brennan, surprised at Sweets curt reply. Brennan tried to give her an encouraging smile but it was hard for her to back it up with a great deal of confidence that that situation of Sweets mood was going to improve. They followed the others into Angela's office.
Angela turned to greet Sweets with intentions of a big hug when she saw Cam motion to not to and she figured she would get the rest of that story later. Right now it was business as they all turned to Angela's screen.
"Are we all up to date so far?" Angela asked looking around and paused when looking at Sweets.
"Yeah, Booth told me back at the office." He explained.
"Well I've spent the last couple of hours trying to figure out how Pelant could pull this off. There are a number of software programs he could have combined. The issue is figuring out how to stop him, since he's like a super computer."
"Are there other programs you can run that could do….something?" Sweets asked pointing to the screen not knowing what to call such software.
"Sweetie, I don't even entirely understand what he is using now, or what he is now. This is just so weird." She said rubbing her head.
"Have we ruled out a copy cat?"
"Are you serious?" Hodgins asked since they all knew how much Pelant liked to play with them.
"Well yes. This doesn't fit Pelant's MO in my opinion." Sweets began. "This all would have to been uploaded prior to Pelants death. He was way too cocky to think he was going to lose."
"What I don't understand is why now?" Hodgins asked. "I mean he's been dead for a while now, why did he suddenly pop up?"
"I think I do have the answer to that." Angela said pulling up some documents on the screen. She glanced at Sweets nervously as she clicked away. Sweets was confused in regards to her demeanor.
"The answer is Sweets." She said pulling up Booth's 911 call when they found Sweets.
"Why are we playing this?" Booth asked with an annoyed concern.
"Because during this call the server Pelant is using, become active." Angela explained.
"So something in Booth's call triggered Pelant to become active?" Cam asked. "What did Booth say?" She asked looking between Angela and Booth.
"I think it was the combination of 'Dr. Lance Sweets', 'officer down', 'ambulance' and 'life-threatening emergency'." Angela said while bringing up more screen shots. "See when Booth says those phrases the computer here, activates and locks onto those words."
"But why Sweets?" Brennan asked. "Why would Pelant become active based on Sweets being possibly being dead?"
"Because he thought Sweets was going to die." Booth said cautiously. Sweets looked back at Booth for a moment and then back at the screen. He considered the idea as well as absorb the fact that everyone in the room was staring at him though he pretended to not pay attention.
"How would that make a difference?" Cam asked and Booth immediately answered before anyone else could speak.
"Because Sweets was the only one that Pelant tried to kill. Sure he terrorized Hodgins because he got close, but Sweets was the only one he tried to physically remove." He paused to let it sink in. "Sweets was his match, the only one, in Pelant's opinion, who could realistically and intellecturally take him down."
"Booth may be onto something there." Angela began pulling up more screen shots. "This database was begun on Pelant's part the same day that he sent that girl to kill Sweets in traffic. It may have occurred to Pelant that for the first time that he could lose."
"Then I retract my previous thought. He is even more egotistical because he sought a way to live- forever." Sweets said.
"And when he thought Sweets was out of the picture again, he activated in the system." Hodgins pieced together.
"No one to stop him." Cam said understanding.
They all turned to Sweets though unintentionally. Sweets read their faces which shouted wordlessly, 'figure out how to stop him, quick.' In Sweets mind a nasty thought reared its head, a psychopathic killer picks you above the rest, but do your friends?
Before anyone could say anything more out loud Dr. Edison came to the door. "Um Dr. Brennan, you are going to want to see this."
"Not now Mr. Edison we are…"
"It's another body, I think it was from Pelant." He said trying to stay composed.
While Sweets and Booth knew they weren't going to examine the body, they still felt the need to come along.
"It was delivered here, same as the last one." Dr. Edison explained.
"Do we have any more information?" Brennan asked.
"Apparently the victim was hit by a train. The engineer swears that he pushed the signal button but the arms were up signaling that it was clear. The victim was killed instantly." Dr. Edison explained.
"Pelant could easily have over ridden the signals electronically." Angela explained irritated at the endless possibilities.
"Do you have an ID?" Booth asked but Dr. Edison shook his head to the negative.
"Well, it looks like we have some work to do." Brennan said approaching the mangled body.
"There was no car at the scene?" Booth asked.
"The officer said he was ordered to send the car off."
"So we'll need to ID this person, someone who is…" Booth began.
"It's Daisy." Sweets said and everyone turned to him.
"Sweets, we don't know…" Booth began but saw that Sweets was staring at a partial of the victim's leg.
"It was a one of kind tattoo." Sweets said and Booth saw what he was looking at now. He felt sick and looked at Sweets who closed his eyes and walked away.