Hey all – I am sorry you always have to wait for my updates, I am back in the game on this one though and have gotten re-excited about this one! I hope you like where it's going – but I won't know unless you review and tell me! THANKS!!

Previously on Mistaken Identity (Chapter 18) . . .

He knew he would have to either attempt such a feat soon, or find ways to cat nap whenever he could to keep his mind as sharp as possible. His giddiness and pondering thoughts were about to come to an abrupt and painful end. The door to the room slammed against the inner cement wall as someone entered it with a vengeance. Booth instantly noted that the sound of this intruder's shoes, sounded different than the two thugs who delivered him to his new cell. This had to be the 'Boss' they kept referring to. 'Well, here we go' Booth thought, preparing himself for a very long and most likely painful evening.

Mistaken Identity

Chapter 19

Brennan's Office – Jeffersonian . . .

Brennan's deep concentration and focus on the case file was shattered by the ringing of her cell phone, causing her to flinch in shock of the alarming intrusion. She grabbed her phone with unusual speed in hopes that it was one of her forensic team with news about Booth possible whereabouts, or another call from the person who contacted her when her partner first went missing.

"Dr. Brennan" she answered.

"Ahh yes, the lovely Dr. Brennan. Quite nice to hear your voice." the caller said in a very patronizing tone.

While she was listening, she had already started walking out of her office, making her way toward the main lab. She needed to somehow alert someone so they could tape the call to listen for background noise later. Also to use some software programs to assist in detecting background noised or anything that could help determine Booth's location.

"What do you want?! Why are you taunting me with these calls? You tell me nothing, you ask me for nothing. A least be a man and make your point!" she said hoping to anger him enough to slip up.

"Oooh, you are feisty today aren't you? I bet Agent Booth likes it when you're feisty. Speaking of the man – do you want to know why I took him?" He then didn't even bother to wait for her answer, instead he chose to continue. "Well Dr. Brennan I will tell you. You can just consider him my human insurance policy. Yes that's right, or perhaps he's going to be the 'get out of jail free card' for Ms. Taffett if you will."

"So - he is still alive?" she said, barely able to control the emotion from showing up in her voice but not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how scared she was to even ask that question.

"Oh yes Dr. Brennan, I assure you he is very much alive. Now I'm afraid I must go, I am eager to have a conversation with our guest and I am sure you want to start analyzing this call you most likely taped. I will be in touch again very soon." he promised, ending the call abruptly.

By now she was already in the lab where she had been able to at least tape the tail end of the call by putting her cell on speaker near one of the lab's fancy recording devices. Cam and Angela were in the lab with Wendell when they first saw Brennan come rushing in, her cell phone to her ear and her index finger over her lips flashing them the universal symbol to be quiet. They knew she was in contact with the kidnapper again, being able to tell just by the somewhat panicked express on on her face. Only worry over Booth's safety and well being could invoke the kind of emotion and fear that was written all over their Forensic friend's face.

So once the call had ended they all immediately went to work to try to decipher any background noises – looking for anything that would them to get closer to finding where they were keeping their friend.

Back At The Warehouse . . .

Booth's exhaustion and head wound were taking their toll, he was no longer able to keep his head from dropping forward onto his chest into a fitful doze until the clamorous sound of the heavy metal door as it hit the wall, having been being was flung open with moderate force. The noise starled Booth and he became even more disoriented after opening his eyes to nothing but darkness since the blindfold was still tightly secured around his head.

"Well well well, if it isn't Superman himself - Special Agent Seeley Booth in the flesh" sang out the obnoxious and sarcastic voice of Mr. William Burton as he walked towards Booth, unable to see his face but still able to detect the tired slumping of his body. fatigue and the dried blood on the back of his white shirt.

Burton walked closer leaving a trail of cigar smoke from his expensive Cuban in his wake as Booth slowly raised his head up, still unable to see whom had entered the room but remaining silent as he tried hard to place the deep voice.

"Cat got your tongue Agent? Don't you want to know why you are here? Who I am? Nothing?"

~Silence~

"Okay. Well I have no problem doing all of the talking - for now. But I will forewarn you that if you continue with this stubborn disobedience and refrain from answering my questions for too long, well I'm afraid I will have to take appropriate measures tooo . . . wellll, let's just say to . . . 'encourage' you to be more conversational."

Booth remained stoic and silent.

Burton walked closer to him and to Booth's uncomfortable surprise, the man began to unbutton the front of his now filthy shirt. From a short distance Booth could hear additional footsteps coming into the room and knew the other men were returning to 'assist' their boss most likely. Booth had to resign himself to the fact that he was probably not going to enjoy what was ahead for him. But knowing that the longer he could keep them focused on him, and thinking that he was their most threatening witness, the safer things would be for his Partner. He had to do whatever it took to keep - her - safe!

Forensics Lab . . .

Hodgins had entered the room and immediately noticed the change in the air, the new focus Angela seemed to have on the Lab's fancy sound system and synthetic voice analyzer and experience from past cases told him they were doing some kind of background noise reduction on something. "Wow," he began, "What did I miss? Cuz I know I missed somethin' the way all of you look right now so someone going to fill me in?" then he answered his own question before anyone could speak, having figured it out on his own. "Dr. Brennan got another call from Booth's kidnappers didn't she?!"

Angela looked up at him and only nodded in response. The mood in the room was solemn so Hodgins decided to give them all some news that would turn the mood to that of hope instead.

"Well hey, I think I have some news that should re-instill everyone's faith that we will find Booth" he announced.

"What do you have Dr. Hodgins?" Brennan asked him, her eyes lighting up more just at the thought of getting closer to finding him.

"I was able to trace the serial numbers on some of the parts we recovered from the bombing device in the car. Then I reduced the list to manufacturers located within a 3 State radius of DC. I was left with a list that wasn't ver long since there are not a lot of places who even make these parts anymore. People are starting to move on to some of the more technically improved versions of the same par-"

"Hodgins please!" Cam begged, encouraging him to skip the rambling details and get to the point!

"Yeah okay, sorry. So to make a long story incredibly short, I got some names for us to run to look for any who might have a criminal record or outstanding warrents!" he stood there smiling and quite pleased with his announcement. "That's great Hodgins, thank you!" Brennan gave him the kudos he was waiting for so they could grab the list and run with it. Then she moved on to Cam - "Cam, you have a history in Law Enforcement, do you have any contacts you can utilize to have them run these names?"

"Yes of course Dr. Brennan. Hodgins give me the list and I will get started making calls." she answered in her usual professional manner.

"I'm one step ahead of ya - I already emailed all of you your very own copy of the list." he stated proudly. With that Brennan left Angela to continue with the tape and immediately went to her office again. She needed to look over the list of names for herself to see if she recognized anyone from any cases she had worked with Booth. Perhaps assuming his kidnapping was connected to the Gravedigger cases, was a bit presumptuous.

Warehouse . . .

Sam and Nik arrived upon the request of their boss. This wasn't their first time at the rodeo so to speak. They had helped their boss 'interrogate' many others in the past and they had the routine down quite pat. As they entered the room one of them had a tool box of sorts that held various devices meant to instill pain on their victim. Sometimes they needed them, sometimes they did not. Setting the box down Sam and Nik immediately went to their boss but they stood behind the bound Agent awaiting further instruction.

"Welcome gentlemen." Burton greeted them. "It seems that our visitor here has decided to become a Mute for the time being. Unfortunately as you know, that will not work for what we need to achieve here tonight." he continued as he took his lit cigar and pressed it into the exposed flesh of Booth's upper chest not far from the shoulder region having unbuttoned his shirt for this very purpose. Booth felt the searing pain and that combined with the smell of the cigar, made it very clear what the creep had just done. Booth remained silent as he felt his own teeth grinding against each other in response to the pain. "Now, Agent Booth, you can consider that just an appetizer of what will happen to you should you choose to stay silent. I can assure you it will only get worse from here on out." he threatened.

"So, let me ask you something simple to ease you into this. Just what do you recall from the night you were kidnapped and left upon that ship? Hhhmmm? I am referring to when you were first taken that night, in your apartment."

No response.

"Okay, maybe you don't remember anything. Lucky for you, I am in the mood to give you another chance to start doing as I say Special Agent Booth. Let's try breaking that question down – perhaps I need to be more specific. Do you recall hearing anyone talking between the time you were tazed and injected with the knockout drugs?"

Burton nodded his head in the direction of the one of the men behind Booth, he knew his boss was signaling him to grab an instrument of his choice from the 'tool box'. Within under a minute Sam had produced an item and handed it to his boss. Burton smiled an eerie grin when he looked at what had been presented to him.

A pristine silver scalpel.

To Be Continued . . .