Okay, I try not to talk about current episodes in case any of you haven't seen them yet, and I won't spoil anything, but I have to say-last week's episode was the best I've seen since... I don't even know when! If you haven't seen it yet, don't put it off any longer. K, now I'm done.
Thank you so very much to everyone who has been reviewing, following, favoriting, retweeting...all of it. I realized it's been a couple chapters since I've said that, so please know that your feedback is a major factor in my desire to continue writing. This series is a monster of an undertaking, and it's planned out to the very end now, but I do still need encouragement to stay focused some days. In that same spirit, I want to thank my lovely beta chosenname as well. She has chatted with me pretty much every day and always has excellent insights when I'm feeling uncertain about something.
Enjoy and please review. :)
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Chapter 8
"Eat, Bones. I know you skipped lunch," he admonished, handing her a plate of vegetable stir-fry. He'd been in a meeting over lunch and hadn't been able to get to the lab until much later.
"You know, just because you're not there to watch me eat doesn't mean I don't eat," she replied sarcastically.
"Oh yeah? What'd you have?" he smirked knowingly. She merely rolled her eyes and took a bite of her food. "Yeah, that's what I thought." She gave him a chastising look that only made his smile stretch wider, and she resisted the urge to turn the conversation toward the case right away.
"Have you noticed anything odd about Angela and Hodgins lately?" she asked, hoping that her expert people-reader had noticed the same things she had.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… pet names, compliments, unnecessary touching…"
"You mean flirting?" he chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose that's what I mean. So you have noticed?"
"I've seen how Hodgins looks at her," he shrugged. "I didn't know it was a mutual thing though. That must be a new development."
"Hmm." Brennan resolved to bring it up with Angela the next time they were alone. It would be nice to be able to put her friend on the spot about her love life the way Angela had so frequently done to her. Her lips twitched at the thought.
"Speaking of pet names," Booth said, reclaiming her attention. "If you had a pet pig, what would you name him?" Brennan's brows lifted in surprise.
"Jasper," she replied, her expression suggesting the answer should have been obvious. He grinned affectionately at her and leaned in to kiss her softly.
"You know, I'm not sure a pet pig would fit into our lifestyle."
"I agree," she laughed, standing to take their dishes to the sink. She rinsed them clean of food and put them in the dishwasher while he watched her from across the room. When she stepped closer to him again, she found herself encircled by his strong arms.
"I don't like the idea of you in a room with Epps," he admitted in a serious tone. She nodded but remained silent as he continued. "There's got to be another way to figure this thing out, Bones. I don't want you anywhere near that psycho."
"It'll be okay, Booth," she soothed him. "I promise. I handled him before, and if need be, I can handle him again."
"That doesn't really make me feel any better, Bones," he scowled. Brennan sighed and began to pull him toward the stairs. He held her hand as they climbed them and entered their bedroom.
"Don't worry," said gently, removing his tie and shirt. "You'll be there with me. You'll keep me safe."
How can she still believe that after I've failed so many times? Too many, he lamented. His guilt rose up like a creature determined to consume him, and she must've seen it in his face as she continued to remove his clothes and then her own.
"I trust you, Booth."
"I've failed too many times, Bones. I don't want to take that risk with Epps."
"You've never failed me," she corrected. They climbed into bed and immediately sought the comfort of each other's arms. His muscles were tense, and Brennan smoothed calming patterns over his bare skin, willing him to relax. "Besides, there will be armed guards all around, even if he does try something."
"It's more than that, Bones. Epps messes with people's heads. He's evil; you can see it when he looks at you, you know? I don't want you anywhere near him. The thought of it makes me sick to my stomach."
Brennan deliberated for a few moments, understanding exactly what he meant by seeing evil in the man's eyes. She didn't necessarily want to be in the same room with Epps either, but it couldn't be helped.
"I understand why you feel that way, and it's completely valid. But I don't see another way. To beat Epps at his game, we have to play it for a little while first."
"That's pretty metaphorical for you, Dr. Brennan," he teased lightly, a reluctant grin lighting his features. She was happy to see it, and she smiled back.
"Thank you," she said genuinely, unsure if he was being sarcastic but appreciating the fact that he noticed her progress all the same. Booth laughed and hugged her tighter against him, sighing with resignation.
"Alright," he relented. "But the second he crosses the line, we're out of there."
"Agreed."
"And I wouldn't be all that upset if you broke something else. You know… if you're faced with a choice." Brennan chuckled warmly in response.
"I'll keep that in mind." She kissed him slowly and tenderly, feeling the need to give him something more pleasant to think about before he slept. Her tongue mated with his, and Booth felt his body responding to the invitation.
"Mmmm," he moaned against her lips. His hands wandered lower until one cupped her buttocks and pulled her against his arousal. Brennan gasped slightly in surprise and draped a long leg over his hips, pushing her center into his. He groaned at the contact and flipped her onto her back quickly, moving a hand to her breast as he nibbled hungrily at her neck.
Her hand drifted purposefully downward between their bodies, and he hissed with pleasure as her fingers wrapped themselves around him, moving skillfully and sending his blood racing thunderously through his veins. His lips reached the sensitive place below her ear, and she whimpered a little when she felt him latch onto the delicate skin there.
She guided him to her, pleading wordlessly, and his hand moved from her breast to her core, testing her readiness with a tantalizing sweep of his fingertips. Brennan gripped his upper arm with her free hand, nearly hard enough to leave bruises, but Booth barely felt it.
His lips returned to hers as he entered her with a single thrust, making her back arch upward against his muscled chest and abdomen. Brennan shuddered in his arms as he began to move, increasing his pace slowly until he was slamming into her rapidly, drawing cries of pleasure from her lips.
Brennan wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him deeper into her, and Booth moaned gratefully into her mouth, appreciating the new angle.
"Come for me, baby," he whispered into her ear. His warm breath sent a tremor through her frame, and she clung to him for support as his pace became even more frantic. He slipped a hand between their bodies and pressed his fingertips against her clit, applying exactly the right amount of pressure to send her spiraling.
"Booth!" she cried. The sound of his name on her lips as she came pushed him over the edge as well, and he came hard with her, his hips still rocking into hers until the delicious spasms ceased. They held each other while their pulses slowed, and he dropped tender kisses over her eyelids, forehead, cheeks, the tip of her nose…
When at last he eased out of her and collapsed onto the bed, she snuggled herself against his side and pressed her lips to his bare chest.
"I love you, baby. You're incredible. So amazing…" She grinned at the way his breath still came out in gasps as he said the words.
"You're incredible too. It still sometimes amazes me just how good we are together. It's like you know what I need even before I do…"
Booth gave her a cocky smirk and kissed her lovingly. She chuckled at the realization that she had just unwittingly enhanced his already-inflated ego, but she didn't care. In this area, he was absolutely entitled to his confidence.
"Your refractory period is also quite excellent," she complimented him, allowing her fingertips to dance lightly across his stomach. "That means-"
"I know what it means, Bones," he laughed. "And that's because I can never get enough of you." He made his point by kissing her deeply and pulling her slightly on top of him. She grinned when he released her lips and moved his hands downward.
"The feeling is mutual."
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"Who's that?" Brennan asked, referring to a rather plain and mousy-haired woman sitting with Howard Epps on the other side of the tempered glass window.
"Caroline Epps."
"Howard's sister?"
"Uh, no," he said as they watched the woman lean across the table and kiss Epps on the lips. "Howard's wife."
"He didn't have a wife last year," she commented, looking a little sick at the couple's affection. Booth explained that they got married about four months ago, and Brennan continued to eye the woman with incredulity.
"Heads up, Bones," Booth warned as Caroline was escorted to the door. "It's our turn to visit the psychotic, murderous, maniac-"
"Bastard," she finished.
Booth greeted Caroline Epps cordially and introduced himself as well as Brennan. Booth spoke to her pleasantly, not disagreeing with the woman when she claimed that Epps had asked God for forgiveness. Brennan looked alarmed at the congenial tone of the conversation. She felt as though she might be in a parallel universe, or at least that's how she would have felt if she believed in such a thing.
"Why were you nice to her?" she whispered, a bit exasperated at her own lack of comprehension.
"Because we might need her," he whispered back as they entered the room. Epps looked utterly delighted to see Brennan, and Booth forced himself to keep his expression neutral.
"Ah, Dr. Brennan. You came," Epps greeted her. Brennan sat across from him and looked him dead in the eye.
"I got your message. We're analyzing the wrist bone right now."
Booth sat next to her and watched Epps carefully, hating the look of enraptured obsession on the man's face. Epps eyes never left Brennan, and Booth saw his face twitch slightly when he noticed the mark Booth had left on her neck the night before. She'd laughed that morning when she'd seen it in the mirror and admonished him for it. Now Booth was feeling rather happy to have done it, though it hadn't been his intention at the time.
That's right, you sick fuck. Remember that when you think about her…
"We just met your wife," Booth said, snapping his fingers in attempt to shift Epps' laser focus away from his partner. "She seems very nice."
"Caroline's a hairdresser," Epps replied scathingly before turning his sycophantic gaze back to Brennan. "I'm glad you came. I hope you come back after you analyze the bone. Caroline's the best I could do in here," he smiled. The way he looked at Brennan made her stomach turn.
"Yeah, not your usual type, Howie. I mean… not young, not blonde-"
"Not dead," Brennan concluded.
"Bones, could you please shut up?" Booth said, never taking his eyes from Epps' face.
"Excuse me?" she asked in surprise, turning her head toward him and unwittingly making the hickey on her neck even more noticeable. Epps mouth tightened at the sight of it.
"Is this why you duct-tape their mouths? Because that, I understand," Booth told him conspiratorially. Epps remained silent for a brief moment, then sneered at Booth.
"That's the lamest attempt at bonding I've ever seen."
Booth didn't move or even blink at Epps, but Brennan averted her eyes downward, feeling sickened by the man's very presence. However, when Epps sniffed the air deeply, Brennan looked up to see his eyes closed.
"You smell that?"
"What? My stinky effort to bond?" Booth replied sardonically.
"Antiseptic. My mother smelled like that," he clarified in a soft voice. Brennan sat up a little straighter, knowing these words were important-because the room smelled nothing like antiseptic. "Obsessed with germs. She washed her hands in ammonia. Mine too. My one regret… I didn't make her my first victim. Put her under a little stone cross years ago." His eyes were fixed on Brennan again, and she nodded back at him.
"Okay," she replied, her jaw set in determination.
"'Okay' what?" Booth asked.
"Okay," she repeated, rising from the table and heading for the door. Booth followed her quickly, his hand moving to the small of her back as they left the prison at a swift pace.
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He could practically hear the wheels in her genius head turning, but he remained silent on the drive back to the lab so that she could think without interruption. When they arrived at the lab, she went straight to the Bone Room, and he followed her, coming to stand at the head of the table while her eyes checked each bone slowly for more clues. Booth was beginning to worry that she might be irritated with him for his ruse and felt the need to clear the air.
"You're not mad at me, right? My telling you to shut up was a ploy."
"Now he thinks you're an idiot," she said, arching an elegant brow at him before returning her focus to the remains.
"Game theory, Bones, okay? For two players to gain advantage over the one, they must be distinct from each other," he recited. She looked up at him again in surprise.
"Where'd you get that?"
"From me," Zack announced from the doorway. "I suggested that you be the smart one."
"Which, you know, left me making that ploy that was supposed to be lame," he smirked, looking pleased with himself.
"Don't enjoy this," she chastised him with a serious expression. "The only reason I'm playing his game is to discover the identity of this young woman." Booth's smile faded gradually, and he nodded his understanding that this was no joking matter. He sheepishly recalled the moment of satisfaction he'd had when Epps had seen the mark on her neck and wondered if she'd noticed as well. Though Booth thought it might not be all that wise to goad him at this stage of the game, he couldn't help but feel a little pleased that they'd managed to throw him off just a little.
"Well, we've made no progress on that," Zack spoke up.
"Check the minor golf leagues. Given the amount of wear to her shoulder, elbow, and spine, she must have started golfing at a young age," Brennan advised. Zack nodded and left the room, only to be replaced by Hodgins.
"I found minute traces of gypsum and selenium on the mystery wrist bone," he said without preamble. "Also phenolphthalein, which is a kind of laxative." Booth asked if laxatives would show up in bones, but Brennan said it wouldn't, even after years of ingestion. Hodgins clarified that the laxative was on the surface of the bone but admitted he had no explanation for its presence.
"We've scoured every inch of her, x-rayed her, run her through an MRI. What clue are we missing?" Brennan asked, her eyes still distant as her brain ran full speed ahead in search of answers. Hodgins asked what Epps had talked about this time, and Brennan parroted back the information.
"He mentioned his mother was a germaphobe, scrubbing his hands with ammonia-" she paused, giving Hodgins a significant look. "Ammonia."
"Ammonia," he echoed excitedly. "Why didn't you say so?" He left the room, looking thrilled, and Booth felt even more confused. Brennan noted his expression and explained the conclusion they'd reached.
"Another experiment?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes, but a necessary one. Nothing dangerous," she assured him, knowing how he felt about Hodgins and his experiments. She smiled at him in amusement before returning her gaze to the bones.
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Hodgins and Zack managed to get Cam's permission to expose the unexplained hamate bone to ammoniac gas, and the chemical reaction revealed a tiny symbol inscribed on the surface of the bone. It was a cartographic symbol for a mine, and Hodgins immediately got to work on finding a mine in the area that contained the gypsum and selenium he'd found on the bone. It didn't take long to track down, and by the time Booth and Brennan had finished their lunch, Hodgins had texted them the location.
"In prison, Epps mentioned a stone cross. That's what we should be looking for inside," Brennan told Booth as he pulled the SUV to a stop outside of the mine. Agents as well as local police were milling around, waiting for instruction. As the partners climbed out of the vehicle, Brennan continued, "Okay, this is the only abandoned gypsum mine within Epps' known killing ground to also contain selenium."
"Six entrances, hundreds of shafts, and half of it's flooded," Booth said as he lifted the crime scene tape and led her beneath it with a hand to her lower back. "You just follow my lead and watch yourself in there, okay?" She rolled her eyes slightly but nodded. "Thank you." They entered the mine shaft and scanned the area diligently with their flashlights. A mixed handful of law enforcement personnel accompanied them.
"I don't think Epps would make it that hard for us," Brennan commented, squinting into the darkness.
"Yeah, well Epps said he wished he'd buried his mother under a stone cross. I bet that's a hint," Booth replied. He began to call out instructions to the surrounding helpers, but Brennan was only half-listening. Something had caught her eye, and she caught Booth's attention to show him as well.
"Can we get some light down this shaft please?" he requested. The flashlight beams illuminated a meticulously stacked pile of rocks that were arranged in the shape of a thick cross.
"It's the cross, Booth. Will you help me move these?" she asked, setting her kit to the side. She began to lift the large rocks away, and Booth hurried to help her. As they shifted them out of the way, the smell of organic decomposition hit them full force, and they slowly revealed another set of remains. Immediately Brennan knew that something wasn't right.
"Well, it's definitely human, but-"
"What?" Booth asked through clenched teeth, wishing they'd skipped lunch.
"Well, Cam can be more precise, but I don't think this is more than a week old." A significant look passed between them.
"Epps has been in prison for seven years… which means he has an accomplice killing people on the outside," Booth surmised grimly.
"I wonder how many more there are…" The thought was unnerving, and Brennan got the forensic crew to work immediately on getting the remains back to the lab. Booth waited for her outside, craving the fresh air, but only after gaining her promise not to do any more poking around without him.
Booth was needed at the Hoover, so he dropped Brennan off at the lab to get started on the analysis, and she promised to call him as soon as they had something. After only a few hours, his phone was buzzing in his pocket.
Angela had used dental records to identify the victim as Sarah Koskoff, a sixteen year old girl who had gone missing from Bethesda. Brennan and Cam had teamed up on the autopsy and determined that Epps' accomplice had his own flair for the dramatic. He or she had hung the victim upside down for long enough to cause bone damage and had removed the hamate from the girl's wrist to swap it with that of the other victim.
"If all of the communications in and out of the prison are monitored, then how are they communicating?" Brennan asked, somewhat rhetorically. "It's got to be Caroline Epps, right?" Booth smiled approvingly at her conclusion.
"Most likely, yeah. Look, I'm gonna go talk to Sarah Koskoff's parents. Do you want me to pick you up?" She deliberated for only a moment before answering.
"Not this time; I think I'm more useful here at the moment. Let me know how it goes."
"Alright. Love you."
"I love you too."
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By the time Booth returned to the lab to take Brennan home, he'd not only spoken to Sarah Koskoff's parents but to Caroline Epps as well. Sarah's parents had informed him that she had worked as a hairdresser in Caroline's salon. Caroline claimed not to have seen Sarah in three weeks or so, at which time she had simply stopped showing up for work. She seemed stunned at the news that her former employee was now deceased, but her shock turned to discomfort when Booth implied that Sarah fit Epps' victim profile perfectly. When Booth threatened to get a warrant for a search of the premises, Caroline declared that no warrant would be necessary. She insisted Booth would find nothing suspicious, and her claim turned out to be true.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing Caroline Epps had said during their brief conversation was that she had petitioned the court to allow Howard to donate sperm so that they could have a child. The thought of another human being sharing any part of Epps' DNA was rather sickening.
Booth found Brennan in her office, sitting sideways on the couch with her legs stretched out in front of her. He smiled affectionately as he came through the door and closed it quietly behind him. Brennan looked up when he entered and returned his smile. When Booth crossed the room and leaned down to kiss her, she had to resist the urge to pull him right down on top of her. He'd removed his leather jacket to reveal a crimson t-shirt that fit snugly over his muscled chest and arms, and his face was now shadowed by stubble.
Booth encouraged her to scoot across the couch so that he could sit behind her while she leaned back against him, and his arms encircled her instinctively. Brennan let her fingertips play over the forearm that was crossed over her chest and felt him kiss the top of her head softly.
"What's that?" he asked, referring to a necklace she was holding in her hand.
"Religious medal," she answered, handing it to him. "Sarah had it in her possession. It was tucked into her shoe."
"St. Agnes. Patron saint of young women… Especially those who remain pure."
"It says S.A.H.S on the back."
"Yeah, St. Agnes High School…" he trailed off thoughtfully. "Except… Sarah Koskoff went to public school… Oh, God," he groaned. Brennan tried to sit up, but his thickly muscled arm was heavy on her chest, so she settled for leaning her head back to look at his face.
"What? What does that mean?"
"It means… I have to talk to a nun," he explained. Brennan's forehead wrinkled in confusion at his tone.
"Why do you say that as if you're discussing an impending dental procedure?" she inquired. "You're Catholic; don't you see nuns at Mass all the time?"
"Yeah, but the kind that teach at high schools like St. Agnes are not the sweet, soft-spoken kind, Bones."
"Hmm. Do you want me to come with you?"
"No," he answered immediately. She looked a little hurt as his abrupt refusal, and he continued quickly. "It's no big deal, Bones, I can handle it." He finished his reassurance with a charm smile, and she melted easily back into his embrace, looking content. They were silent for a few moments before she spoke again.
"I suppose we should go home," she commented, still moving her fingers in little swirling patterns over his arm. He squeezed her tightly and pressed another kiss into her hair.
"Yeah, let's go," he agreed, releasing her so that she could sit up. He felt her eyes on him as he grabbed his jacket.
"You know, I rather like that color on you," she remarked idly. He glanced at her and saw that she was gazing at him a bit hungrily. Booth wondered if he'd ever get used to that look. The look that made it seem as though she would jump him at any moment and that proclaimed her utter and complete possession of him. The look that made him painfully hard every time he saw it grace her beautiful features.
"Oh really?" he asked coyly.
"Yes. Perhaps even as much as I enjoy your black t-shirts…" she replied, tilting her head in speculation. She stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of him, running her palms over his broad chest.
"Mmmm. You like those a lot." His tone was flirtatious, and he bent his head to brush his lips against her jaw. "Not as much as my gray suit, though."
"And your shoulder holster," she added breathlessly, as his mouth left her skin tingling with each pass over her jaw line.
"And my belt buckle."
She released the breath she'd been holding and crushed her lips to his, relishing in the feel of his strong arms around her. He returned the kiss with equal fervor and deepened it, gently sucking her bottom lip. Brennan clung to him a little tighter as she felt the hand at her lower back slip into the waistband of her pants.
"You know, as much as we all enjoy the show, you really should close the blinds before you go much further," Angela interrupted loudly from the other side of the closed door. The couple separated with rueful groans and turned to look at her through the window. They had indeed neglected to close the blinds, and the artist was standing with her hands on her hips, looking rather smug.
They looked back at one another with matching sighs and reluctantly removed their wandering hands.
"Home?" she asked with sultry grin. Booth fought the urge to kiss her again and nodded.
"Home," he agreed.
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Meeting with Sister Karen Dunne the following morning wasn't quite as uncomfortable as Booth had feared, and although neither she nor anyone else at her school knew who Sarah Koskoff was, Sister Dunne recognized the medal immediately. She explained that the medal had been given to a student named Helen Majors, who had disappeared three days ago.
Booth picked Brennan up from the lab, irritably wishing that there were another way to get information from Epps that didn't require his girlfriend sitting in a room with him. Sister Dunne had given him a photograph of Helen Majors receiving the St. Agnes medal, and he handed it to Brennan once she was settled in the passenger seat of the SUV. When Booth relayed the information he'd gotten from the nun, Brennan looked alarmed.
"Three days ago, Helen had that medal. Yesterday we found it on Sarah Koskoff's dead body. It's possible Helen is still alive," she said hopefully.
"We have Caroline Epps under surveillance," he informed her. Booth didn't really think that Caroline was the accomplice, but at this point, it was the only lead they had. His phone chirped from inside his pocket, and he answered it in his usual fashion.
"I hate this," Brennan sighed, exasperated and sickened. "I don't want to find that girl's remains in some mine, Booth." She watched his expression as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the call.
"Reiner Hatin? Address… 7408 Haskell Street, Cleveland Park," he repeated back. Booth hung up the phone without another word and reached immediately for the radio handset. "22705 to Control. I'm en route to a possible HRT incident at 7408 Haskell Street. Requesting backup."
"Affirmative, 22705. 7408 Haskell."
"What?" Brennan asked as Booth replaced the handset with a grim expression. He quickly explained that the log for Epps' prison letters showed that he had written six letters in the last year to a man by the name of Reiner Hatin at that address. Brennan poked around on the ceiling, looking for the siren, but he gently swatted her hand away and flipped the switch himself.
When they pulled to a stop, Booth ordered her to stay outside while he went in to investigate, but she pointed out that the address was actually a vacant lot.
"Son of a bitch," he spat. Now there was no getting around it.
They had to go talk to Epps again.
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Epps was waiting for them once again as they entered the room, and his eyes zeroed in on the hand Booth held securely to the small of Brennan's back as he followed behind her. A muscle in his jaw twitched slightly as he watched the partners take their seats, sitting rather closer together than necessary. It wasn't a coincidence; Booth was intentionally doing his best to get under Epps' skin, hoping to break through that infuriating facade of serene bemusement.
"Did you hear? I'm gonna be a father. The judge granted our petition for artificial insemination." He focused his glittering black eyes on Brennan. "When I make my donation to the baby bank, I'm gonna be thinking about you."
Brennan cringed backward in revulsion, and she inched even closer to her partner. Booth's anger flared, but he managed to keep his expression somewhat controlled.
"Who's Reiner Hatin?" Booth asked in a level tone.
"Oh, Reiner…" Epps mused, seemingly unable to keep his eyes off Brennan for more than the span of a heartbeat. "Alter freund mit ahnlichem geschmack." Booth knew Brennan could understand Epps' words but decided to wait to ask for a translation.
"The letters were addressed to a vacant lot," Booth pointed out.
"I must've written the address down wrong. I'm slightly dyslexic, you know."
"Hey, come here," Booth whispered as he leaned in almost casually. Though Brennan could see the way Booth's fury had mounted, Epps did not, and he leaned forward willingly. Booth took hold of Epps chains beneath the table and yanked them roughly as he continued. "You know, I really enjoyed-" slam "-playing your game," he whispered harshly, anger surging through his veins. "Now, you know what? There is a girl out there, hanging upside down with duct tape over her mouth."
Booth was shaking with rage, still holding the chains taut so that Epps was unable to lift his head from the table. Brennan hated that a man like Epps had been able to bring about such a change in her partner, and she placed a hand on Booth's shoulder in attempt to soothe him.
"Booth, let him go. Let him go." She released the breath she'd been unconsciously holding when he not only did as she asked but stood abruptly from the table and paced away. For a moment, she thought he'd been about to leave the room, but instead he stood with his back to Epps and tried to regain control.
Brennan leaned forward and locked eyes with Epps, stifling the urge to vomit at the smug expression on his face.
"For all your… faults, Mr. Epps, you were never interested in letting your victims suffer. You didn't torture them. You're not that kind of man. She's an innocent child."
Apparently those were the words Booth had been looking for to push Epps off his game, because the man's face turned menacing as he replied.
"She's a young woman...and there's no such thing as an innocent woman." Epps' eyes flickered down to the mark that was still visible on Brennan's neck, and she instinctively lifted a hand to cover it. His lip curled in repugnance as his gaze returned to hers. "Look within yourself. You know I'm right."
Booth crossed the room in long strides with his hands outstretched toward Epps, almost growling, but Brennan was faster. She rose quickly from her chair and stood in Booth's way, her hands lifting to frame his face as she tried to force eye contact.
"Booth, stop!" After a short moment, Booth's hands settled gently at her waist, and his breathing returned to normal as his gaze locked with hers. He nodded stiffly to assure her that he was in control, and he stepped away again. Brennan reclaimed her seat, but sat on the edge of the chair, watching Epps speculatively.
Epps had managed to stuff his temper back behind his walls of complacency and offered up a smile. "You know...I'm just guessing here, you understand, but I think you'll find that Helen Majors has less than 24 hours to live. Better get going," he taunted.
Brennan glared at him for only a half-second longer before she stood up again and intentionally caught her foot on the chain beneath the table. Epps' face made a very satisfying smacking sound as it hit the table a second time, and Brennan tossed a smooth and unapologetic "Sorry," over her shoulder as she took Booth's hand and pulled him from the room.
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Booth and Brennan returned to the lab, and while he closed himself up in her office to call the Hoover and touch base on the investigation, Brennan headed toward Angela's office. In the twenty minutes it had taken them to drive from the prison to the Jeffersonian, Brennan's own anger had been growing steadily.
"I need help," she announced without preamble as she strode into her friend's office. Angela looked up from her skull reconstruction in surprise, trying to remember if she'd ever heard those three words come out of her friend's mouth."
"What do you need?"
"You said you've dealt with manipulative men before," Brennan reminded her, referring to a past conversation regarding unworthy boyfriends.
"This is about Epps?"
"Of course."
"Sweetie, this is a psycho killer, not some loser who wants you to cosign a loan for his jet ski."
"Epps is pushing me around, Ange. He's in control. I hate that." Brennan fell into a chair, facing Angela, and the artist considered the situation for a moment.
"You know, Epps is acting kind of like a boyfriend," Angela suggested, and Brennan looked at her in alarm. "You obviously fascinate him. He can't have you, and he can't kill you, so...he wants to make you hate yourself."
"What? Booth would never act like this… God, Ange. What kind of boyfriends have you had? And that reminds me, actually… What's going on with you and Hodgins?"
"Let's keep the focus on you and Epps, okay?" she replied, smiling ruefully. Brennan nodded, and Angela continued, explaining that Epps knew Brennan would never forgive herself if she didn't find Helen Majors while the girl was still alive. Brennan's eyes stung with the effort to resist tears.
"Of course I wouldn't. Not only is Helen being tortured, but...her family must be in agony."
"You see? This is what he's doing. He's putting pictures in your mind. He's messing with your objectivity. You have to step back, okay? Figuratively speaking," she added when Brennan's eyes narrowed. "Let the rest of us deal with the families. You find Helen. That'll keep Epps from… getting a jet ski out of you." Angela gave her a gentle smile, and Brennan did her best to return it.
She drifted from Angela's office to the platform distractedly, replaying her friend's words. Had Epps really compromised her objectivity? Had he ruined her ability to compartmentalize? The questions circled in her mind as she checked over the work Zack had done in her absence, and a short while later, Booth joined her on the platform.
"Bones," he said, pulling her attention from the computer monitor in front of her. "Caroline Epps...not an accomplice. She was at work when Helen Majors was kidnapped."
"'Alter freund mit ahnlichem geshmack.'"
"Right, I meant to ask you about that…"
"It means 'old friend with similar tastes' in German."
"Oh no, Epps telling us the name of his accomplice? That's too easy," he argued, shaking his head. There had to be something else important in what he said, Booth thought. He began to pace away from her, and she got up to follow him, asking why they hadn't found the accomplice if it was so 'easy.' "You know what? He talked about impregnating Caroline," he reminded her, hoping that perhaps she had heard something in Epps words that he hadn't. Booth had been too irritated by the way Epps had spoken to Brennan during that part of the conversation.
"What is with Caroline Epps?" Brennan groaned, becoming more frustrated with every step they took toward the platform stairs. "I mean, why have a child with a monster like him? What is she gonna tell the child when it grows up? 'Hi, your daddy's a monster…'"
Booth heard the tremor in her voice and reached out to stop her, forcing her to meet his eyes. They were dark and stormy with emotion: fear, hatred, guilt, stress… Booth moved his hands up and down her arms soothingly.
"Look, look… Time out. You gotta detach from this, alright? If we let Epps get under our skin, it's exactly what he wants," he reminded her. Brennan gazed back at him a little incredulously.
"You don't think that's a bit hypocritical, considering your behavior at the jail?" she asked tremulously. He looked appropriately chastised and tilted his head in acquiescence.
"You're right. It was just the way he was talking to you...looking at you…"
"I know. Zack was right. Epps is trying to break us. Not only did we save his life, but he's still killing." They turned as one and descended the platform stairs, and Hodgins materialized almost immediately to relay his latest findings. He'd found traces of ethylene oxide and high levels of an antibacterial agent on Sarah Koskoff's ankles, as well as a polymer residue most likely to have originated from a type of glove specifically engineered to handle toxic substances.
Brennan began to list the type of people who might use that type of glove, and Booth interrupted to ask if a prison guard would do so as well. Brennan shrugged a little and nodded, and Booth dialed Charlie on his cell immediately. While he waited for the agent to pick up, Zack approached the group with a handful of notes. He showed Brennan a photograph of what Booth assumed must be the victim they'd found in the woods.
"Lauren Hathaway," Zack announced. "A nationally ranked junior golfer in 1997." Brennan studied the photograph as Charlie answered her partner's phone call. Booth instructed him to check the records of Epps former prison guards in search of one who was named 'Reiner Hatin' in either the past or present. Brennan pointed out that the name 'Reiner' translates to 'pure,' and Booth added an instruction to translate the name to see if any others come up with the same meaning. After disconnecting the call, Booth peered more closely at the photograph of Lauren Hathaway.
"This the victim from the park?" he asked grimly.
"Her father is in your office," Zack informed Brennan. She looked up at him in surprise.
"What?"
"Why didn't you say that?" Booth asked.
"You were on the phone," Zack replied simply.
"Booth," she implored him, her fathomless eyes shimmering slightly. "I can't do this one. Maybe Angela can help…"
"Alright," he assured her softly. "I'll take care of it." Brennan nodded gratefully, and her co-workers vanished as Booth pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I'll handle it; why don't you go tell Angela and then wait in her office, okay?" She nodded again.
"I'm sorry…"
"No, no. Don't be. It's okay. I'll come find you when we're done, alright?" He pressed a light and tender kiss to her lips, not caring in the slightest that they were standing in the middle of the lab. Booth watched her walk back toward Angela's office, footsteps heavy and shoulders hunched, and he mentally cursed Howard Epps yet again.
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Oh, Epps. What a creep.