The Collector by CheeseBK posted 18/09/2007

Posted 18/09/2007 03:50:10 AM AUTHOR: CheeseBK
Title: The Collector
Author: CheeseBK
Rating: M (although not from the beginning)

A new fanfic that came into my mind.... beware ANGSTY!
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The Collector…

Chapter 1 - Trapped...

There was a sound… the first thing she sensed was that sound. After some time she identified it as the muffled sound of a radio that was playing in another room.... too far away to make out words.
The next thing she sensed was, that she was lying on something hard....and that her left leg hurt like hell. She tried to open her eyes, although it hurt to do so. A single light bulb was dangling from the ceiling and when her eyes had adjusted to the light she could make out details.... not that there were many of them.

It was an nearly empty small room, with concrete floor and naked walls. Since there was no window she assumed it had to be a cellar. There was a table with a single chair and she could see from her place on the floor that there was a bottle with water on it. She looked around and saw that she was lying on a blanket, a pillow nearby.
Pain was searing through her leg when she tried to get to her feet. She fell back on the blanket, cursing under her breath. She examined her leg and saw that there was deep gash on her thigh. It started to bleed again, now that she had moved. She looked around for a moment, then grabbed the pillow and removed the cover, tore it in two pieces and dressed the wound as good as she could.

She finally got to her feet and made her way to the table, slow and staggering, but she reached it. She collapsed onto the chair and reached for the bottle, but then she saw that a single white sheet of paper had been placed on the table. Her hands shook when she unfolded it and she read the message:

“Dear Dr. Brennan,
you should have stopped looking... Now you belong to me... You are going to die here, but I think you already knew... how unfair you have more information on what is going to happen to you than all my other collectibles... I will visit you soon, my dear doctor...

Yours sincerely,
The collector...”

She swallowed hard, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to come.

‘He got me... that sick bastard got me’ were her last coherent thoughts before drifting into unconsciousness.
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what do you think so far?

Posted 18/09/2007 08:54:32 AM
by filou

Please more!! The beginning is very good!

Posted 18/09/2007 09:03:25 AM
by bnsbns

Oh this is sooo exciting.. Please update soon... I want to see how Booth save her & of course some fluff

Posted 18/09/2007 09:59:44 AM
by CheeseBK

Hi there... well, thanks for your comments, here we got the next part, but I fear you will have to wait for a rescue...

Just in case somebody wonders that the plot seems to be familiar: The whole collecting thing I got from the book / movie Kiss the girls....


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Chapter 2 – The women…

Temperance Brennan regained consciousness only minutes later, but she did not know, since there was no possibility for her to measure time in the small chamber. She was still sitting on the chair, her head and arms resting on the table.... slowly she sat up.

She could not believe he got her... They had been hunting that sick bastard for weeks now and finally he had got her instead. She shook her head. She was a realistic person and she knew that she was in a hopeless position.

The Collector had been kidnapping young women for months, he left no traces, he made no mistakes... the only thing they found were the messages The Collector had left. She recalled the last message they had found at Celine Brown’s apartment “I always wanted a ballerina..... “

He always left messages like that... “Found a girl to play the guitar for me....” or “Needed a red haired for my collection...” All signed with Yours sincerely, The Collector.

She sighed. Then, eight weeks ago, they had found the first body.... only bones left and that was where she had come in.
She had identified the woman as Maude Brezsinksi, a pianist, 25 years old, her father Pawel Brezsinksi had been a famous polish pianist. The note for Maude had read “Skilled fingers are always useful...” when she had disappeared.
The Collector had also placed a note nearby the remains... this note had read “Collectible replaced”

They now had found four bodies with such a note.... “Collectible replaced”, one only the day before. Some of them had died only some days before their discovery, others had been dead for weeks. They had been undernourished and some of them appeared to be severally beaten. Two of them had bruises that indicated rape... although they could not find DNA... obviously he had used a condom. Other bodies – such as Maude’s - had been too decomposed to find out if they had been raped too. All of them had been strangled to death.

Maude Brezsinksi had not been the first woman to disappear, she had been missing for four months when her body was found. They had found out that she had been dead for 4 weeks when the body had been discovered, but the heat and the surrounding area had quickened the decomposing.

The bodies appeared on different places, obviously randomly chosen. There seemed to be no pattern in the dates of the kidnapping of the women and their death, but usually The Collector replaced his “collectibles” within a few days.

Obviously the replacement for Anna DiMartino, the young cheerleader they had found dead the day before, had been chosen quickly: Dr. Temperance Brennan, the forensic anthropologist and writer.

Brennan briefly wondered, what “her” note read... and who was going to find it. Booth? Angela? She shuddered, when she thought about her partner and her best friend. They would do anything to find her, but The Collector had never made a mistake so far....

Then she reached for the bottle of water still standing on the table. She had to try to stay as strong as possible..... just in case there was a way to escape.

Although she had no hope when she looked around in her dimly lit cell.
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liked it or not?????

Posted 18/09/2007 11:57:06 AM
by bandbi

I like it I like it!!

Great job cheese... keep up the good work!

=)bandbi

Posted 18/09/2007 11:59:06 AM
by CheeseBK

thanks!!! I am working on the next chapter... will be Booth's POV

Posted 19/09/2007 03:57:18 AM
by CheeseBK

here's the next chapter....
I am mad you know... 3 ongoing fics
I hope to be able to do more updates today or tomorrow...

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Chapter 3 – Full of worries…


“Angela!” Booth jogged after the artist, which turned around. “Hi, Booth!”
“Angela, have you seen Bones?” Booth asked the best friend of his partner.

Angela looked confused “No...I thought you were off for a case together, when you both did not show up in the morning.”

“Actually I left her a message to meet me at Anna DiMartino’s house since it’s near her apartment.... but she did not show up. Of course I had to talk to the DiMartino’s first, but then I called her... she did not pick up... So I thought she would be here...” Booth’s voice trailed away. She was not here... Angela had told him already. She had not been at the DiMarino’s and she did not answer her cell phone.

“Hold on, I call at her apartment” Angela said “Maybe she just slept in or something.” Her voice did not sound convincing in Booth’s ears.

Angela dialled the number and waited, after some time she shook her head. “Only the answering machine...” Booth and Angela exchanged worried looks.

“I am going to check at her apartment, Angela... if you hear something, call me immediately!”
Booth stormed out of the lab. There was this notion, this certain notion that was nagging on him. “Let her be asleep or in a meeting with her lecturer or at her mother’s grave.... I do not care... “ he murmured.

Minutes later he left his car in front of her building... he saw that her car was parked in the usual place and mumbled “Asleep or in the shower... yeah, just taking a shower....”

Finally he was standing in front of her apartment door and was about to knock, when his gaze fell on a folded white sheet of paper lying in front of the door. His jaw dropped and his heart skipped a beat. “No, no, no!” he muttered, the paper looked too familiar.
His hands were trembling when he reached for it, but then he stopped and rummaged in his pocket for the gloves Brennan had insisted on having with him all the time. He put the gloves on and carefully unfolded the paper.

“She had not been on my list,
but will surely enrich my collection for some time...

Yours sincerely
The Collector”

Booth closed his eyes, he did not want to look at those words, he did not want to acknowledge that his partner, his Bones had been kidnapped by The Collector. But the words had already imprinted themselves and he could not shut them out.

“Oh Bones...” he whispered, trying to force back the urge to scream, cry and punch the wall at the same time. “Oh Bones...” He took in a deep breath and tried to calm down. ‘Think, think, think. Freaking out does not help her.... ‘

He folded the paper again and carefully dropped it in a plastic bag. Then he called the FBI to get some CSIs over to her apartment to secure traces... if there were any.

After making the call he had to do something he dreaded... he had to call Angela... Angela who cared about Brennan as much as he did. He tried to brace himself for the conversation and dialled the number.

“Booth? Did you find her?” Angela had recognised the number on the display.
“No... Angela... I am sorry, but .... I found a note at her apartment door.... It’s..... it’s..... Oh God...” His own emotions overwhelmed him and he could not say it.

“The Collecter” Angela completed.... a hardly audible whisper.
Booth swallowed hard “Yes” he confirmed, his voice raspy.

“Oh God.... Bren...” he heard Angela sob and he had to muster all his strength not to join her.
After some time he said through gritted teeth. “We will do our best, Angela... We have to find her. We will get that sick bastard and if it’s the last thing I do..... As soon as they find something I’ll come over with it for Hodgins and you to work on it.... okay?”

Angela mumbled something in agreement. After a short time he heard her whisper his name “Booth?”
“Yes.”
“What about Bren’s father.... shall we.... inform him?” Angela asked.
Booth sighed, he had not thought of it, but it was true, he needed to get informed officially. “I’ll take care of it, Angela. Now, tell the others.... I’ll come to the lab later, okay?” He waited for her to say “Yes” and hung up.

Then he dialled another number and waited until somebody answered, then he said
“Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI.... I need to speak to Max Keenan, it’s very urgent..... No it can’t wait and yes I know that normally you can not just call prisoners like that, but it is very important.... “

While he waited to get to talk with the right person, he heard sirens coming near. He closed his eyes.... ‘What a nightmare’.
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puh-lease review! :cyclops:

Posted 19/09/2007 12:37:10 AM
by BGWGscienceteacher

Okay, I'm hooked now. Therefore, I NEED MORE, MORE, MORE PPS

Posted 19/09/2007 03:54:19 PM
by Turi ray of sunshine

I AM HOOKED TOO!!!.. HOOKED HOOKED!!!.. want more more more more more more

Posted 20/09/2007 03:23:23 AM
by CheeseBK

I am working on it, I promise

Posted 20/09/2007 07:52:08 AM
by bnsbns

Gah I'm hooked too ... Please update soon

Posted 21/09/2007 05:32:31 AM
by CheeseBK

Okay, here we go... the next chapter...
all booth's pov

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Chapter 4:


“Agent Booth?” One of the CSIs was calling his name. Booth turned around, he was still standing outside Brennan’s apartment. He had just finished a call and had preferred to stay outside the apartment until the CSIs had done their work.

Now he went inside for the first time. “Yeah?” he asked, not sure which of the men had called his name.

“Over here please, Agent Booth........ We found blood.” An elderly man motioned for him to come into the kitchen. At the sound of the word blood, Booth’s heart skipped a beat, but he fought down the emotions and joined the CSI.

He gazed down on the floor which was besmeared with blood and he simply knew it was her blood. He did not need a DNA test or anything for proof, he felt it... her blood. He swallowed hard. “We may be able to restore footprints, at least partial ones...” the man told him, while pointing to the respective blood stains.

“We also found this here, Agent Booth.” He presented a bagged kitchen knife, the blade was covered in blood.

Booth briefly closed his eyes, then said “Okay. I want these things to get transported to the Jeffersonian. I know you could do these investigations too, but the people there are the colleagues of my partner and they need something to concentrate on, something to do.... I think you understand me?”

“Sure.... That won’t be a problem, we have plenty of work left even without this case.” The man answered.

“Thank you. I need all the pictures too.” Booth pointed towards a young man who had been taking pictures. The CSI simply nodded and Booth. “Anything else?”

“We found some blood stains in the hall, but not much.... We have plenty of fingerprints, but if it’s really been The Collector I doubt there will be any of him.... ”

"Fingerprints... yeah, we never found any..." Booth recalled absently, his eyes still fixed on the kitchen knife.
‘This is not his usual procedure... he never attacked, he drugs them or something like that... Maybe it was Bones who first had the kitchen knife, fighting him... but I know, I simply know this is her blood.’

“Agent Booth?” The man asked, obviously he had said something, but Booth had been lost in thoughts. “Sorry, what did you say?” Booth asked apologetically.

“I said we are finished here.... All evidence will be transported to the Jeffersonian, as you requested... EHhm... I hope you can find her, good luck, Agent Booth.” He added awkwardly.

Booth heard the doubt in the man’s voice, but he appreciated the effort... he nodded and thanked the man and with one last look at Brennan’s apartment he left.

_ _ _ _


When Booth arrived at the Jeffersonian, he told Angela, Hodgins and Zach that all evidence would be at their lab soon and they all sighed in relief.... finally something to do, to distract them.

“Where’s Cam?” Booth asked Angela, which pointed wordlessly towards Cam’s office.

He knocked and opened without waiting for her answer. “Cam?”

She looked up at him and he could see, that even Cam, just like Angela had been crying. She might not be Brennan’s best friend, but they had grown to respect each other, maybe even really like each other and to know that a cruel man who raped and murdered women had her in his grip, hurt her.

“Cam.... We will get pictures of her ap.... of the scene soon.... I want you to have a look at them” Booth stumbled over his words... he could not say ‘her apartment’ he’d rather go with ‘the scene’.
’That’s something Bones would do... rationalise it, shut the personal stuff out....‘he thought.

“Why?” Cam asked him, looking confused.

“They found blood.... and that’s more your territory, isn’t it?” he tried to force a smile on his face, but did not succeed.

“Oh no...” Cam gave him a worried look, but added an instant later “I’ll do my best....”

Booth nodded. “There’s also a kitchen knife with blood on the blade, I need a DNA on that.... They will also send us fingerprints, but I doubt they will find any from The Collector... there’ll be Bones’, mine, Angela’s ....maybe Sully’s....” he sighed.

“But at least something to work on” Cam remarked and Booth nodded. “Yes.... something to work on....”

“Booth?” Angela called from outside Cam’s office “They are here...”

Booth and Cam looked at each other and left her office.

_ _ _ _


Some minutes later they all were staring at the pictures of Brennan’s kitchen floor. Angela let out a stifled gasp.

“We do not know if it is her blood yet, Angela.” Hodgins tried to calm her down, but Booth quietly said. “It is.”

“How can you know?” Zach asked him incredulously.

Booth shrugged. “I just know. I ... knew it when I saw it. It is hers. You will of course have to test the DNA, but... I feel it.”

Everybody was silent. Despite their need to prove everything, to have facts nobody really doubted Booth’s gut, especially not when it came to ‘his Bones’.

“Cam” Booth addressed the woman near him “I need you to tell me... whatever you can find out with this picture. First of all... is this ...the blood, I mean....” For a moment the emotions overwhelmed him and he could not ask the question he wanted to.

Cam looked at him. “I don’t think that this is enough blood to come from a mortal wound. You said they only found small and few blood stains in the hall and on the stairs.... I assume it did not bleed very strong. Of course it depends on the kind of wound and where she got wounded.”

Booth sighed in relief. He had seen worse, he sure as hell had seen things that were thousand times worse than a puddle of blood on the floor...... but it was Bones’ blood and that was what made the difference. And the fact that he had not known if the blood loss had been mortal.

“Stabbed.” Angela whispered.

They turned around to look at her. She cleared her throat “The kind of wound... stabbed.” She pointed towards the bagged kitchen knife and the others understood.

“Check the blade for DNA too.... maybe she was able to wound her attacker first. She’s a fighter.” Booth’s voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Cam nodded and turned towards her team. “We will do our best, right?” They all nodded wordlessly.

“Good.... Angela could you please try to restore the footprints here and here” Cam indicated the partial bloody footprints on the picture. “And Zach, you’ll do the check on the fingerprints? Angela will have to give you hers for comparison. Hodgins, you will work on that knife.... and I am going to run the DNA for the blood on the floor” She looked at Booth “Just to make sure.”

They all nodded and left to work with the few evidences they had, trying to keep their minds busy, so that they had no time to think of Brennan.

Booth watched them all run off in different directions, busily working and sighed. “I am going to look at the video tapes..... I’ll use Bones’ office if that is okay?” he asked Cam and she just nodded in approval.

Booth went over to Brennan’s office and held his breath for a moment, when he entered. It smelled of her and that was both distracting and comforting. ‘She is not gone... we will find her.’ He thought and started to watch the video tape.
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liked it or not?

Posted 21/09/2007 06:08:15 AM
by bnsbns

This is sooo intense.. Please update soon

Posted 21/09/2007 11:17:19 AM
by BGWGscienceteacher

OOOO, that was good. So intense and heart wrenching. Keep going. Definitely keep going. PPS

Posted 21/09/2007 01:20:36 PM
by CheeseBK

thank you so much for your wonderful comments... really... thank you!!!!!!