Trial by Fire

"Remember, your to stay behind the glass." Booth turned his head and looked at her. They were on their way to the Hooover.

"What if I have a question?"

"I'll wear my ear piece. I'll ask it." he looked at her. "Bones, I need to know, you can do this?"

She looked at him,"You don't trust me, Booth?"

Booth reached over and picked up her hand, and brought it to his lips. "Bones, its not about trust." he gave a grin.

"I don't understand."

"Oh, let me see.....the last time you were with Heather Taffett, you knocked her out, Bones." he was smiling.

"She deserved it." she didn't regret, never would.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about."

"Okay, Booth, you made your point. I'll be good, and stay behind the glass."

"That's my girl." he pulled into the parking lot. "You ready?" he looked at her.

"I'm always ready."

*****************************************************

"Charlie, you got everything in place?"


"Got it covered, Booth, as soon as she leaves, we'll be on her. I got three different agents following her."

"She's smart, don't let them be seen. She'll figure it out."

"She'll never see them."

"Good, time to do this." he looked over to where Brennen was staring thru the glass. Heather Taffett sat at a table with her attorney, patiently waiting, staring at the glass, as if she could see who was behind it.

"Do you think she knows we're here?" Brennen asked.

"Not sure, Dr. Brennen." Sweets answered her. He'd also been studying Heather Taffett. He was convinced she was a sociopath. "She was in law enforcement, so she knows the procedures."

"I'm going in."

"Agent Booth, I really don't appreciate you dragging my client back down here, the charges were dismissed."

"Sorry to inconvenience your client, James, but we have some questions for her."

"Concerning..........................."

"This man." Booth sat down at the table, and slid a picture of Walter Canon, across the table.

Mas James, reached out, and picked it up, handed it to Heather Taffett.

"Do you know him?" Booth asked, staring her.

"Who is this, Agent Booth." James asked.

"Let's ask your client, James."

"Am I supposed to know this person?" shrugging her shoulders, nonchalantly.

Booth slid another picture across the table. It showed Walter, in a tux, and Heather Taffett, in a formal dress, sitting at a table together, arms linked, and smiling. "This is from a party given in honor of the mayor. Don't you remember? He was your date, for the party."

"Oh, yea, I do remember him. Vaguely." she smirked.

"I am advising you not to say anything else." he turned to Booth,"What is this about, Agent Booth?"

"Let me tell, you, what this is about. This man, Walter Canon, transferred into the NYPD, five or six years ago. He was a good man, a good cop. Your client," he nodded his head toward Taffett,"for what ever reason picked him out, befriended him, began a sexual relationship with him."

"That's not against the law, Agent Booth."

"Your client,"Booth refused to call her by name."was quickly making a reputation for herself, and was moving up the ranks, got transferred to D.C." he paused. "your client pulled some strings, and got Walter a cushy job at the Federal Courthouse. He was a perfect candidate for the job, he had experience, and excellent record, he was ideal for the job. A perfect fit, really."

"Where is this going Agent Booth?" Mason was puzzled.

"Somewhere, in between being at the NYPD, and being transferred to D.C. Walter, disappeared." he looked at Taffett. "Do you know this man?" Booth slid a mug shot picture of John Wallace across the table.

"Am I supposed to?" she looked at him.

"You should." Booth studied her face, "You were the prosecutor on his case." Booth let a moment pass,"Apparently, all the evidence, and the only witness, to his crime disapeared. Convenienient, huh? With no evidence, and no witnesses, all charges were dropped."

Mason James sat up. "Don't say anything, Heather."

Booth slid an object across the table, in a plastic bag. It was a name tag, and badge. It read, Walter Canon, but had the picture of John Wallace on it. "Apparantly, this man, John Wallace, was using the name Walter Canon, and working at the very same courthouse, that you pulled strings to get Walter into."

"A coincidence?" Booth looked at her again. "It just so happens, that this man, John Wallace, masquerading as Walter Canon, was working the day that Dr. Brennen was taken from the courthouse." a pause, "and also conveniently, he hasn't been seen since your case was dismissed."

"I don't know, anything about John Wallace."

"What do you know about Walter Canon?"

"We dated for a while, he was supposed to transfer, when he didn't show up, I just assumed he was still with the NYPD."

"So, you don't have any idea what happened to Walter, or where he is?"

"That's right." no expression on her face.

"Don't say anything else, Heather. Agent Booth, unless you have a warrant, we're done here." James stood up. "Time to go." He led Heather Taffett to the door.

"Agent Booth, if you have any other questions, you have my number." and they walked out.

"Agent Booth." he was stepping out of the interrogation room, and into the hallway.

"Sweets" he looked up, no Brennen.

"Where's Bones?" he was craning his neck, looking around.

Sweets looked a little nervous. "that's why I was coming to get you."

Booth froze and looked at Sweets. "What?" he didn't have a good feeling.

"Max Keenen was here."

"Did he know Taffett was in there?"

"Not til Dr. Brennen told him."

"Where is he?"

"That's the thing," Sweet's paused, dreading telling him the rest, "he followed Heather Taffett, when she left here."

"Damn, Sweets, you could have stopped him, or told me sooner." this wasn't good.

"Wait, where's Bones?"

Sweet's grimaced, "That's the thing, I've been trying to tell you. She went with him."

"What and you let her go." he barked at Sweets.

"I tried to tell her you wouldn't like it."

"Try harder next time." he was mad. Mad at them both.

*****************************************************

"Honey, how many times are you going to ignore his call?" Max looked at his daughter. "That's got to be the tenth call in the last ten minutes. It's from Booth, isn't it?"

"He won't understand."

"Maybe not, but you could still answer it."

"I will. They're turning left, Dad. Don't lose her."

Bones, pick up the phone. . Booth was pacing in his office, he snapped his phone shut, in frustration, still not quite believing that she was with Max following a serial killer. What in the hell was Max thinking letting her go with him? What was she thinking?



Booth tried Max's number, with no luck. He hardly ever answered his phone, "Max, I need to talk to Bones, where are you?" and silently added be careful.



******************************************************************



"She's a devious one." Max looked at his daughter. Taffett was leading them on a wild goose chase. Her series of sharp turns, useage of side steets, and random turns, during high traffic, had already managed to lose the FBI tails, that were following her. Her cab, merged into traffic, "do you think she knows, we're here?"



Brennen looked to her dad. "I don't think so. See, how she's doubleing back."



Brennen's phone rang again. She looked down at it, feeling guilty. "Honey, just answer it."



She let it go to her voice mail. "Tempi, I thought you and Booth, were... um, together." He looked at her.



"We are, but it's complicated, Dad."

"Why is it complicated?"

"It just is."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes." she didn't beat around the bush.

"Then call him."

"Booth feels the need to," she paused, searching her mind for the correct wording, "assert his alpha male tendencies around me."

"Sweetheart, that's what we men do, when we're with someone we love. We protect what is ours. I used to make your mother crazy, with it."

"It can be a bit oppressive at times, Dad. I am quite capable of protecting myself."

"Like yesterday."

"Dad, your supposed to be on my side."

"I am, Sweetheart. That's why I am telling you to call him."

*****************************************************************

"Crap!" Hodgin's was staring at what was left of John Wallace's van. It had been found, and hauled to the Jeffersonian. Not only had it been stripped, it had been set on fire.

He stuck his head in the open door. He could smell some kind of accelerant, maybe gas, or lighter fluid. The interior was completelly obliterated by the fire. The carpeting gone, the walls of the van, were down to the bare metal.

The front seats, were basicaly down to wires, and melted plastic, all upholstery incinerated. The dash was still intact, but melted. All the windows had been shattered, bits and tiny shards of safety glass littered the metal floor.

Booth was not going to like this, he opened his phone.

"Booth." he answered on the first ring.

"Hey, it's Hodgins."

"Got anything, yet?"

"Bad news, whoever stripped it, set it on fire. Probably didn't want any finger prints recovered."

"How bad."

"Dude, its been totally destroyed, there's nothing left on the inside."

"Keep looking, Hodgins, there's got to be something there. Something, we can use."

"If there's something here, I will find it."

"You haven't heard from Dr. Brennen, have you?"

"Yea, a few minutes ago. She wasn't with you?"

Errrrrr, that woman,"What did she say?"

"She just asked about the van, but it wasn't here yet."

"Did she mention where she was?"

"No, I thought she was at the Hoover."

"Call me, if you find anything, Hodgins."

*****************************************************

"Charlie, I need you to trace a cell phone."

"Give me the number." Booth rattled off the number, "Who's number is this?"

"Dr. Brennen's"

"Dr. Brennen's?" Charlie paused, "I thought she was with you."

"So did I Charlie." Booth snapped his phone shut.



Brennen and Max were caught up in traffic, still following Heather Taffett. "Wonder where she is going?"

"Well, it sure isn't the suburbs, headed in this direction."

Traffic began to flow more smoothly, as fewer cars were on the road. "Don't lose her, Dad."

"Honey, we can't get too close, she might see us." Her cab exited off the highway.

"Tempi, maybe you should call Booth now." as if on cue, her phone rang.

Brennen looked at it, Cam.

"Cam." Brennen answered.

"Dr. Brennen, we got the remains in a few minutes ago, I thought you would like to know."

"Thanks, Cam, have Mr. Nigel Smith start the initial exam, I'll be in soon."

"Dr. Brennen, you know Booth is looking for you?"

"I am aware."

"I think you should call him, he's very concerned,...."

Brennen cut her off. "I will, Cam."

"Sooner, rather than later, Dr. Brennen?"

"Dad, she's turning. Cam, I gotta go." and ended the call. "Don't lose her, now."

"Booth," it was Charlie, "Got a location on the cell number you gave me."

"Go ahead, Charlie," Booth pulled out a pen, and began to write.

************************************************************

Max and Brennen were sittng at a four way stop. "Which way did she go?" They were both craning their necks, looking in all directions, searching for the yellow cab.

"She can't be far."

"Wait a minute, isn't that the cab up there?" Max was looking straight ahead. It was coming toward them.

"That is definately her cab, Dad." The cab continued forward, stopping opposite them at the four way stop.

The cab pulled forward, and passed them. "She's not in there, dad. She must have gotten out somewhere." And somewhere close.

"Honey, you should call Booth, and let him know where we are." Max was starting to dread the thought of seeing Booth, again.

**************************************************************

Booth saw Max's car up ahead. It was parked next to a four way stop. He got out of his vehicle, and motioned with his fingers to the two agents that were following him.

"Come with me."

Booth walked around the car, and tapped on the window.

**************************************************************

Brennen was in the process of dialing Booth's number, when she heard a tapping sound. She looked over, and about jumped out of her skin. There was a face, two inches away from the glass, looking at her.

"Booth, I was just about to call you." she said, as she opened the door. He grasped her arm, and pulled her from the car.

"Gentlemen, I want you to escort Dr. Brennen to the Jeffersonian, she has work to do there."

"Booth!." She turned to him. "I'm staying here with you."

He didn't say anything, but turned toward her. She saw a muscle tic in his jaw. His eyes were hard, and angry. This was a side of Booth, she didn't see very often.

Still looking at her, "Take her to the Jeffersonian, she has remains waiting for her."

"Honey, just go." Max encouraged her.

Muttering under her breath, Brennen stalked to the agent's vehicle, got in, and slammed the door shut.

"Take her straight to the Jeffersonian, and escort her inside, and under no circumstances is she supposed to leave." Booth was looking at the two agents.

"Yes, Agent Booth." They turned and walked back to their vehicle.

Max was still sitting in his car. Booth sat down, "Give me a good reason, why I shouldn't arrest you, right now, Max?"

"For what Booth, driving in the bad part of town, not against the law, last time I checked."

"How about for being a idiot, Max. I can't believe you drug Bones out, chasing a serial kliller."

"Just how well do you know, my daughter Booth?" He looked at him. "You know darn well, when Tempi sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her. If I hadn't been there, she would have went by herself."

"And for the record, I was telling her to call you." Max looked at him.

"Look Booth, I'm not one for giving advice, but since she's my daughter, I'll give you some." Max blew out a long breath. "We Keenen's don't take orders very well, it goes against our nature, we like to be the one's in charge."

"She can be in charge at the lab, not chasing dangerous criminals, that's where I am in charge."

"Now tell me, what you found out following the cab." Booth was done, talking about Brennen. He still had alot to say, but Max wasn't the one who needed to hear it.