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chrisevanslovesposts · 2 months ago

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The Man in the SUV

Bones masterlist

Charlie woke up to her alarm going off and she leaned over and slapped the stop button before rolling back over and five minutes later the alarm on her phone woke her up again. With a groan Charlie hit the alarm and got up and took a cold shower then got dressed.

Charlie went to the Jeffersonian were Brennan was waiting by the truck with all the equipment and Angela.

"Case?" Charlie asked and Brennan and Zack nodded then got in and Charlie followed behind them.

"Okay so what happen?" Charlie asked Brennan as the truck started moving.

When they got there they stood at the corner waiting for Booth and when he didn't come they moved closer until they finally saw them.

"Bones! Thomas! Guys! Over here!" Booth called with Grant.

"Where have you been? You said you'd meet us on the corner." Brennan said as they walked over to them.

"There's a lot going on, in case you haven't noticed." Booth said as they reached the security.

"These's girls, they're with us, Dr. Temperance Brennan, Dr. Charlie Brennan, and Angela Montenegro from the Jeffersonain." Grant told the police officer.

"I need ID." The officer put his arm out stopping Charlie and two others from going.

Grant moved the police officers arm away before pointing at his paper's.

"Check the RI-5 list, Homeland Security. They're the top forensic anthropologists." Grant said as the guy marked on the paper.

"They're clear." He said

"Thanks.Come on." Booth said rushing them

"God, what's that smell?" Angela asked as Brennan pulled her hair up as they got closer to the body.

"Burnt flesh." Brennan told her.

"Are there a lot of injuries?" Charlie asked Booth.

"Four known dead, 15 injured." Booth said as they walked past the fire truck to see he car blown up, and the coffee shop beside ruined.

"Oh, my god." Angela said

"Details. Whatever you have." Brennan said as Charlie watched police walk around asking questions wondering how Brennan could be so calm and not fazed but she already knew that answer.

Charlie and her sister were different in those aspects of life. Charlie had the normal human emotions but Brennan on the other hand didn't show that side to people and let it stay hidden so long it kinda just disappeared really. They started walking towards the car as Booth talked.

"Not much. Witness said they saw a Middle-Eastern man, mid-30s, pull up to the cafe, and the car just blew. The vehicle's registered to Hamid Masruk, head of the Arab-American Friendship League." Booth read of the notepad.

"If you know who it is, why do you need us?" Charlie said as they reached the car and they both looked at the body.

"Because we're hoping we're wrong. Masruk is a White House consultant in Arab relations. Had lunch with the president just last week." Agent Gibson from Homeland Security said

"You remember Agent Gibson, Homeland Security? Dr. Temperance and Charlie Brennan, and Angela Monternegro. If Masruk was involved in a terrorist attack, it means we have a huge national security problem. Not to mention a very humiliated president. The press is already running with this." Gibson said as Charlie walked around the car to the other side to look at the body.

"If you think we're going to alter our..." Brennan started

"Not at all.. But maybe it's not Masruk. We need to be sure. Booth and Grant say you guys are the best." Gibson said as both girls looked at the two guys who looked a little embarrassed as they looked away.

"I need surgical gloves and masks for the retrieval team, sterile medical bags and vegetable oil." Charlie told Zach who had just got there.

"Vegetable oil?" Grant asked walking around the car.

"The oil will loosen the seared body parts stuck to the metal." Charlie told him.

"It's no different then steak on a grill that sticks." Brennan said as Zach ran over with the stuff.

"It's okay, you know, I trust you." Grant put his hands up for her to stop.

"Should I photograph the scene?" Zach asked

"Focus on a 30-meter radius from the blast." Brennan told him as she put gloves on.

Zack grabbed a red bag and gave it to Charlie and she took as she put her left gloves on her hand.

"Okay to pick up?" Charlie asked Grant who was holding the vegetable oil.

"Yeah." He nodded his head as Charlie and Brennan stared down at the burnt leg and Zack took photos and Booth and him walked over with Angela behind them.

"Ya know, its okay to be upset." Booth told them.

"I wish this is worse thing I've seen." Brennan said as she held the red bag out for Angela to take.

Charlie stared at the leg taking a deep breath and she shook her head.

"Not matter how long we've been doing this job, it doesn't get any easier." She said putting her hands on her hips.

"You know, uh, I don't think I can...Sorry." Angela said handing the bag to Booth as Charlie handed Grant a red bag.

Brennan picked up the leg and put it the red bag the booth held and Charlie started picking up the chunks of skin and small piece of bones and putting them in the red bag Grant held. As Charlie put the skin and bones in the bag and Grant sighed and made a face.

"If you can't either.." She told him.

"I'm fine. I'm cool." He said as she set the piece in his bag.

"Zack I need two more evidence bags." Charlie said as her and Brennan went over to the car.

"Facial epidermis and the finger tips are completely decimated." Brennan said as they looked at the body on the platform.

"We're not gonna be able to ID anything from the flesh. It basically carbon. " Charlie commented

"We're missing the lower left leg and the lumbar spine." Zack said

"Here's C2 and right ischium." Brennan said as she picked up two bones

"If smokey here had access to the president why would he attack a cafe?" Zack asked

"Smokey?" Brennan asked

"It's how I deal with stress." Zack shrugged as Hodgins spoke up.

"Targeting everyday places causes panic, people stay home, the economy is crippled-- it's terrorism 101, man." Hodgins shook his head, taking his gloves off.

"Take samples from the clothes, see whatever you can find, traces of cologne, laundry detergent.... anything that can link us to Masruk's home." Charlie said as she leaned on the table.

"I'll grab any particulates that can identify type of bomb." Hodgins walked around the table.

"Isn't that the FBI's job." Zack asked

"You trust the FBI? You realize those guys are gonna suppress whatever they need to cover their asses." Hodgins asked as neither three doctors listened.

"I found a portion of the clavicle." Zack said using tweezers to pick it up and give it to Brennan.

"Are you even listening?" Hodgins asked

"No" Zack answered blatantly

"They have a separate division, you know. That way their hands are always clean. In 1974.." Hodgins started

"Jack! We're trying to work!" Charlie told him as she tried to focus on the bones in front of her.

"Someone seems really defensive about the FBI lately. You realize Grant is just another government stooge.." Hodgins said as Booth, Grant, and Gibson all walked up on the platform behind him.

"This has nothing to do with Grant." Charlie told him sternly as Booth cleared his throat.

"You know I don't enjoy having squints on my team anymore than you like me on yours. But, you know, we're supposed to be working together. Okay?" Booth asked putting his hands on his hips

"Sure. So what do we do? Group hug? " Hodgins said going to hug Booth who put his hand up stopping him.

"Agent Gibson here will be overseeing things for homeland security." Grant said pointing at the guy who stood next to him staring at the chard bones.

"I'll try not to be in the way." He said as Charlie made a face.

"No, we don't need to be overseen." Charlie told Grant

"That's really not your call, Thomas." He told her.

"How soon can we get a DNA match?" Booth asked getting out his notepad.

"That will take days. I can get a match much sooner than that. I have all we need." Brennan said

"You're gonna be able to get a ID from that?" Gibson asked pointing down at the body.

"Asking stuff like that is 'in the way'." Zack told him as Hodgins stared at him mad.

"Remove any flesh and particulates you can, and then macerate him. If that's all right with you?" Charlie asked Gibson then walked past him as Brennan, Booth, and Grant followed her.

"This is my lab! I'm a scientist, a doctor." Charlie told Booth and Grant who walked over her and Brennan.

"Yeah, so I've heard." Booth told her as she rolled her eyes.

"Would you be able to do your job if someone was looking over your shoulder all the time?" Charlie asked putting her hands in his face.

"We do. I developed a tolerance." Grant told her leaning close to her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand the advantage of compromise." Charlie said as she made a face.

"It's a terrorist attack, Thomas. It's bigger than you, and it's bigger than me." Grant pointed at her.

"No, the job is the same." Charlie told him

"No, it's not! We're dealing with someone here who devalues an entire culture, terrorizing people by using God to justify mass murder." Grant told her as she walked into her office leaning on the door as Brennan and Booth walked to Brennan's office arguing

"Your making it personal. That doesn't help." Charlie told him in a calm voice.

"It is personal, Thomas. All of us die a little bit on on like this." Grant told her making her sighing knowing he was telling the truth.

Charlie, Grant, Brennan, and Booth all walked into Hodgins lab where Zack, Hodgins, and Gibson where with a glass case in front of them.

"Al the trace evidence has been stripped. Hodgins scavenged as much as he could." Zack said he looked down at the clipboard in his hands.

"Okay, let's get started." Brennan said crossing her arms and Zack and turned and grabbed two jars of beetle's and set them on top of the glass case.

"What the hell are those?" Booth asked

"Dermestes maculatus." Zack said pouring one of beetles into the glass case with burned body parts in them as Grant got level with the glass and watched.

"Flesh-eating beetles. It's how we clean the bones of burn victims." Charlie said as they all watched in silence as the beetles started eating the skin before Gibson phone started ringing.

"Gibson. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. The president wants to know how long the ID is going to take." Gibson asked walking up to them.

"Why don't you ask them." Brennan told him and walked out.

"You've made a mistake. It can't be my husband." The girl that was Masruk's husband said.

"My brother was no terrorist. He hated those people. You can read his speeches, talk to anyone." Masruk's brother told them.

"We aren't making any accusations." Booth told him calmly.

"It's all over the news. It's all anyone's talking about." He said

"We can't control the press, Mr. Masruk."

"What about your men? They've searched our house. They've talked to our friends." She said in a sad voice.

"Until we can identify the body, we have conduct a thorough investigation." Grant told her

"So identify the body. The longer you wait....Do you know what it's like for us?" Mrs. Masruk asked

"His body was fragmented by the blast. We're still retrieving pieces..." Brennan said until Booth kicked her leg

"I understand how difficult this is, not knowing. I'll work as quickly as I can to get what you need. That's why I asked for his history-- where he grew up, any injuries from his youth, medical records..." Charlie said putting her hands on the back of Brennan's chair.

"Of course. I brought you what you asked for." She said handing the folder full of papers to Brennan.

"Thank you." Booth said then looked at Masruk's brother.

"We lived just like you.We came to this country because we love it. We are Americans. It can't be Hamid. It can't. My husband was not a terrorist." She told them as more tears rolled down her face.

Charlie and Brennan walked in to the lab to see Gibson stood at a cubical and Zack and Hodgins in the cubical on a computer.

"Okay, we're back. How are we doing?" Brennan said walking right passed Gibson up to Zack.

"We have his detergent brand, cologne, shampoo. He died a well-groomed man." Zack said handing Charlie the folder as Brennan looked over her shoulder and they both walked forward passed Gibson who followed.

"Thanks." Charlie said

"Dr. Brennan's." Gibson said then Charlie turned going right pass Gibson again.

"Are the bones done yet?" Brennan asked

"I'll check the beetles." Zack said and walked off quickly.

"Dr. Brennan whatever you have there...." He said as Charlie walked pass him to her office and Brennan walked down to her office.

"It's a piece of paper, that's all, with some writing on it." She told him dropping her stuff off in her office then walking down to Brennan's who had already laid out the stuff she got from Zack, Charlie sat down beside her laying out all of Maruk's records before grabbing a cracker from Brennan box of crackers she was eating at the moment.

They were sat there for a while before they heard someone speak.

"Hard at work? There's a shocker." Angela said looking down at the two sisters who were staring down at papers spread out all over the floor.

"We just saw his wife. She gave us his medical records, photographs... apparently he was ill. They were testing for lupus. Which would explain the face..." Brennan told her as Charlie leaned back against the couch that sat behind her and Angela nodded.

"Must have been painful." Charlie shook her head as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Look, I... I know that you needed help out there.... at the crime scene... and I wanted to, but...." Angela told them.

"It's okay. You see it. You both do. I don't anymore. I don't know what's worse." Brennan said get up off the floor and sitting down on the couch and Angela sat down beside her.

"You holding up okay?" Angela asked

"His wife doesn't believe it was him. I've got to give her an ID." Charlie said laying her head back on the couch by Angela's leg.

"Whatever I can do." Angela told her.

"Yeah, I know." Charlie sighed.

"And abut this weekend..." Angela said in a light voice.

"Angela, I don't know." Brennan said

"I don't think I'm going." Charlie told her.

"Oh, come on, Brennan, Charlie. I know this great club.. They play trip-hop and trance...." Angela told them as they made faces.

"I don't know what the means." Brennan told her

"It doesn't matter. We'll grab Booth and Grant..." Angela shrugged her shoulders.

"No." Both sisters said quickly.

"I think they like you guys. God, if I were one of you, I'd buy a ticket on that ride." Angela sighed.

"Look, I'm going to be very bust this weekend.Even after the ID, I have these...." Brennan said pointing to the three boxes of remains.

"Remains from World War 1?" Charlie asked looking at her sister expecting a better excuse.

"That's what the Institute pays me for. I've got hundreds of these waiting." Brennan reasoned.

"And they can't wait one more weekend?"

"They've got relatives. They've waited long enough." Brennan said.

"It's not the scary, Brennan. You have a few drinks, you move to the music... you might even smile." Angela said and Brennan let out a light chuckle before there was knocking on the door.

"The bones are clean." Zack said

"I've got to run. You hang around. I may need you." Brennan said as Charlie got up and followed her out of the room.

They went to the bone room where the clean bones where laid out.

"Comparing remains to detail provided of Hamid Masruk, age 37, of Afghani origin. Texture of pubic symphysis indicates age of bone consistent with Masruk, as is height." Brennan said into her recorder.

"Complexity of the cranial vault sutures matches a statistical probability of Eurasian descent..." Zack said looking at the skull in his hand.

"Good." Brennan siad

"Too bad we can't tell why is did it. Is't that what we all really want to know?" Angela asked

"Uneven growth patterns in the vertebrae indicate malnourishment as a child." Brennan said

"Consistent with the diet where Masruk was from. Probably evident on the calvaruim." Charlie said

"Zack, why don't you reconstruct the skull, check it out?" Brennan told him.

"My first cranial construction." Zack said bumping his fist in the air.

"Evidence of multiple fractures to the bottom of the feet consistent with methods of torture used in Afghanistan and consistent with Masruk's history. I'm convinced. We have a statistical match." Brennan said turning her recorder off.

"So Masruk's is the bomber?" Gibson asked

"Yes." Brennan nodded her head.

"What about the skull you're having the kid reconstruct it." Gibson said

"This is an educational institution. He want's to learn. Is that okay with you?" Charlie asked

"For a forensic ID we have all we need. Now I'd like to get this data to Booth as soon as I can." Brennan said grabbing all the papers and files but Gibson stepped in front of her as she went to walked out.

"I'll take it." He held his hand out.

"No I don't think so I work with Booth. That's my deal." Brennan told him.

"Dr. Brennan I have jurisdiction." Gibson said with a small smile on his face.

"Then why don't I destroy my notes and let you guarantee the identity of the remains?" Brennan said then walked out.

Charlie smiled brightly and chuckled as she walked out.

"Man I love my sister." Charlie muttered at she followed Brennan.

They went to Theodore's and Booth's apartment cause their apartments are in the same building and Charlie went to Theodore apartment and Brennan went to Booths. Charlie knocked on his door just for him to open the door in a button up shirt that wasn't buttoned up.

"Thomas." He said then looked behind him as he started to button his shirt.

"Yeah." Charlie said looking down at the ground.

"Did we have an appointment?" He asked

"No, I... It's him. Masruk is the bomber." Charlie said walking and giving him the file making him stop buttoning his shirt up half way.

"I guess the wife didn't know the husband very well." Theodore said as he looked through the file.

"Hey." They heard and Charlie turned to see a blonde girl in nothing but a bra, underwear, and one of Theodore's button ups.

"Hi. Sorry." Charlie said as she put her hand on her forehead looking down at the ground.

"Kendall, this is Brennan. Kendall Jankow, Dr. Charlie Brennan." Theodore said finishing buttoning up his shirt.

"Oh, hi. I've heard a lot about you." Kendall said shaking Charlie's hand.

"Really...." Charlie asked looking at Theodore.

"Kendall's an attorney." Theodore said tucking his shirt in.

"Corporate. Keeping the fat cats fat." Kendall said as something popped into Charlie's head.

"I was just studying a cranial fissure on a corporate attorney last week. Of course, he was... dead, so.." Charlie said finishing awkwardly.

"interesting." Kendall said

"thanks." Charlie said as she looked at the ground again as it got silent and awkward as Theodore zipped his pants.

"Well, the Bureau. I was just heading to the Bureau. Santana called, said, uh, something about the bombing, and I thought you were at the lab. Maybe, uh, you should come." Theodore said grabbing his blazer before walking back over to Kendall.

"Sure." Charlie said walking back to the door.

"See you later?" Theodore said then kissed her and smiled at her.

Charlie opened the door as Theodore grabbed the file and shut the door behind him.

They went to the Bureau in a separate then Booth and Brennan who went to the lab instead. They were stood in the elevator as Charlie let a few chuckles slip as Theodore put his head in his hands. They stepped out the elevator doors open and Charlie chuckled again.

"What is so funny?" Theodore asked

"I just never figured you'd be in a relationship." Charlie chuckled again.

"Why? Do you think something's wrong with me?" Theodore asked defensivly.

"No, not wrong. You just have alpha male attributes usually associated with a solitary existence." Charlie said as they walked into the Bureau waiting for Santana.

"Oh, me? You're solitary." Theodore said pointing at her.

"No, no, I'm private. It's different. And we weren't talking about me." Charlie told him.

"I was." Theodore shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't. Look, I'm happy for you. Relationships have anthropological meaning. No society can survive if sexual bonds aren't forged between...." Charlie started.

"I hate when you go all bones. What the hell are you talking about?" Theodore asked

"Grant!" Santana called

"Yeah?" Theodore asked

"You got that ID?" Santana asked walking around the corner into view.

"Yeah, it was Masruk." Theodore said putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh, that's too bad." Santana said looking at the file in his hands.

"He killed four people and injured another 15." Charlie asked walking up behind Theodore.

"The report came back from Ballistics. Now, the explosives were placed underneath the car with a trigger connected to the odometer. Masruk was murdered." Santana said handing Theodore the file as Charlie looking at over his shoulder.

"So Masruk wasn't a terrorist." Charlie said.

"Somebody tried to make him look like one. Any leads on who did it?" Theodore asked

"That's why we're paying you and Booth, Theodore." Santana said it like it was obvious.

Charlie and Theodore looked up at him as he turned and walked away and Theodore made a face looking at Charlie.

"We're very sorry, Mrs. Masruk." Booth told Mrs. Masruk as he slid a box full of files across the table towards her.

"I told you Hamid was the victim, but you wouldn't listen. You couldn't imagine an Arab who was a peace-loving man." She said walking towards the table.

"That's not true." Booth told her

"No? "We must investigate everything, Mrs. Masruk. We must turn your house upside down because we believe you husband was a good man." Is that the truth?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.

"No, they searched your house because Muslim extremists have declared war on the Untied States. Preliminary findings made your husband a suspect, which we are required to.." Brennan told her.

"It's not bureau policy to target or profile any ethnic group. It wasn't our intention, but I can understand why you may feel offended." Grant told her as he paced back and fourth.

"I can't." Charlie rolled her eyes at the impeccable woman in front of her

"Thomas.."Grant hissed in a low voice.

"What? She's been apart of a criminal investigation, that's all. Her rights haven't been violated. It's unfortunate that her husband's ethnicity is a factor, but to say that it isn't would be disingenuous." Charlie said shrugging her shoulders.

"I have to apologize for Dr. Brennan." Grant said shaking his head.

"It's fine, Mr. Grant. Honestly is always a welcome relief. So when can I bury him? When can I give him peace?" Mrs. Masruk asked looking down at a picture from the box of files.

"Some of the body parts that I'm still examining. Others are still seared to the surface of the wreck rage." Brennan told her

"I'm sure Mrs. Masruk doesn't really need to know the details." Booth told her in a low whisper.

"If I can retreive more remains of her husband, Muslim law requires that I do. I spent some time in Iraq identifying bodies. I'll give you whatever I can so that he can be purified for burial." Brennan said walking over to Mrs. Masruk.

"Thank you. Is that all?" Mrs. Masruk asked Booth and Grant.

"One last thing, a few calls were made to, uh.. his cell phone from your house minutes before the blast." Booth asked

"Yes. We argued. It was a family matter. My final words to him were words of anger." Mrs. Masruk said with tears in her eyes as she stared at the photo of her and Hamid.

"I'm very sorry. That must be very painful." Grant said quietly.

"You looked very happy in that picture." Charlie said as she looked at the photo in Mrs. Masruk's hands.

"Yes." She said putting the photo away in the box and grabbing it and turning to walk out.

"Thank you. If there's anything else that, you know, you can think of, give us a call." Booth said and she nodded her head and walked out.

"I think she's having an affair. Personally." Grant said taking the ball off the table and throwing it at the wall for it to come back.

"Me too!" Booth grabbed the ball and threw

They went to Booth and Grant's favorite restaurant arguing all the way.

"She was having an affair!" Booth yelled as they walked through the entrance.

"I'm sorry, but that's an offensive assumption." Brennan yelled back as they walked in and people stared at them.

"All the signs are there." Grant shrugged as they sat down at the bar.

"You can't make wild accusations about somebody's personal life based on a feeling." Charlie yelled at him.

"It's more than a feeling, okay? That photograph is evidence just as solid as the markers that you squints pick up looking at your little, you know, bones." Grant said grabbing a peanut and eating it.

"The evidence we find is empirical. What you consider evidence is merely conjecture." Brennan told him.

"She dyed her hair, she lost weight, you know? She shoved a little Botox in her forehead, and she's still feeling guilty over the last fight she had with her husband." Booth said

"Oh, you are an insufferable, arrogant... man." Brennan said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, so only a woman can know a woman? I thought woman wanted us to understand them." Grant said pointing a finger.

"Not really. A magician never wants to reveal her tricks." Angela said walking over and sitting down.

"We're having a private conversation." Grant said loudly.

"I'm not here." Angela put her hands up.

"So you think you know women just because you live with some sexy lawyer? Unbelievable." Charlie said pointing chopsticks at him.

"You live with a sexy lawyer?" Angela asked

"She has her own place, okay?" Grant said with a chuckle.

"They think, just because Masruk's wife started working out, had a little makeover, that she having an affair." Brennan told her.

"How long were they married?" Angela asked

"11 years" Booth answer quickly.

"I'm with the boys." Angela said

"Yes, exac- okay we're men." Grant told her

"hmm." Angela looked him over or twice

"There is no concrete proof." Charlie said

"Boobs perkier?" Angela asked

"Mm-hmm." Booth smiled

"I don't believe this. If you're so sure, then why didn't you confront her?" Brennan asked

"Because, if she or her boyfriend were involved, she would warn him." Angela said

"Very good." Grant said looking at Charlie with raised eyebrows.

"I'm a constant surprise." Angela said as she grabbed her chopsticks to get food out of her bowl.

"All right, I will be in the lab getting us some real data." Charlie said standing up and walking out with Brennan hot on her tail.

In the Lab

"How's it coming?" Charlie asked as her and Brennan walked up on the platform putting gloves on.

"The ethmoid and sphenoid fragments won't piece together." Zack said as he tried to put piece's of the skull together.

"Zack, I'd like to return the remains to the widow before her demise." Brennan told him.

"I'm doing my best, Dr. Brennan. The integrity of the bone seems to be compromised. I don't know if it's from the metal fragments from the blast.." Zack told her

"I examined the chemicals used in the explosives. The perchlorates I found can have a degeneratve effect." Hodgins cut Zack off.

"Not this quickly. Excuse me." Charlie said walking over as he got up out of the chair so Charlie could sit down and look in the microscope.

"Unusually soft bone tissue... You know, this has nothing to do with the blast." Charlie said

"I owe you an apology, Zack. Do you have his medicals?" Brennan asked and Zack slide them over and she started going through them.

"Stiff joints, facial disfigurement... There's a disorganized trabecular pattern here that his doctors wouldn't have been able to see. It could be a degenerative disease." Brennan said

"I don't get it. How does his medical condition figure into the murder?" Hodgins shook his head.

"Now its a murder, before it was terrorism, because we didn't have all the facts. You don't overlook anything when you're looking for the truth. Check for lupus and paget's. Do you have enough tissue?" Charlie asked pointing at the bone tissue sat on the clear casing.

"Yeah, I can manage it." Hodgins nodded his head.

"If those come back negative, he might have been exposed to a toxin, which would mean his brother was, too. He's exhibiting similar symptoms. I'll get the brother's medicals." Brennan said as her and Charlie walked off the platform.

They called Booth and Grant and went to Hamid's brothers house where he brought them tea as Booth and Grant looked around.

"Yes, I am a Christian. But Hamid was Muslim, and Sahar... I converted. Hamid could never accept it. Religious differences cause too many problems." Mr. Masruk said after coming back in the room with the tea and saw Booth looking at the cross.

"Seems to be a consistent fact throughout history." Brennan said as she looked through the Bible sat on his table.

"Please. I tried to make peace with my brother, but it was difficult. There was more than religion between us." Mr. Masruk said as Booth and Grant squeezed onto the two person couch beside Charlie and Brennan.

"Sahar mentioned that there were some, uh, family problems." Booth said looking at Brennan

"Yes."

"I can understand how, uh, delicate they can be." Grant said reaching for a tea and gave it to Charlie then got his own.

"Did she tell you any more than that?" He said grabbing his tea.

"No, but, I mean, if you have, uh, any other information that could help us in the investigation." Booth asked him.

"It's not my place." Mr. Masruk said leaning back in his chair.

"We're just trying to find out who killed your brother." Grant said making Mr. Masruk look at them.

"Sahar was seeing another man, but I can't believe she'd hurt my brother." Mr. Masruk said and Grant look at Charlie who glared at him.

"Do you know who this other man is, or is it just a "feeling" you have?" Charlie asked looking at Grant.

"I've met him. Ali Ladjavardi. He worked with Hamid at the Friendship League. I wanted Hamid to confront Ladjavardi." He said

"Did both you and Hamid have contact with Ladjavardi?" Brennan asked

"Yes, once. A meal. I brought Hamid to meet him. Sharing a meal is a gesture of peace. I was trying to save their marriage, but Sahar and Ladjavardi were not going to their affair, so I told Hamid to repudiate her."

"I'm sorry?"

"In Muslim law, it's a method of divorce. It's called Talaq." Charlie said leaning a bit on Grant's shoulder as the four of them were sat shoulder to shoulder on the two person couch.

"I still respected his traditions."

"You and your brother seem to share a medical condition."

"Y-yes. Why is that important?"

"We don't mean to embarrass you, but Dr. Brennan is just trying to figure out the condition. It's routine, part of the investigation." Grant said as Charlie looked at him.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Brennan said cutting off the end of Grant's sentence.

"Yes. He believes it's a genetic disorder we shared. He was going to call Hamid's physician to discuss it." Mr. Masruk told them.

"Would you mind if we saw your medical records?" Booth asked

"Of course not. If I could be helped, I welcome it." Mr. Masruk said and Grant and Charlie looked at each other.

After leaving they got the guy Mrs. Masruk was having an affair with and put in the interrogation room with Grant and Booth while Charlie and Brennan watched through the glass.

"I'm not proud of the affair. I admired Hamid. But Sahar and I are in love. I can't change that." Ladjavardi told them

"You worked with Hamid. You had access to his car." Booth said

"That's ridiculous!"Ladjavardi said

"You also had contact with his brother, Farid, who said you were less than friendly with Hamid." Grant said

"Have you ever been in the middle of a messy relationship, Agent Grant? Or are you a perfect man?" Ladjavardi asked putting his hands up

"I'd prefer to ask the questions, Mr. Ladjavardi." Grant told him

"And I have a right to an attorney. Have you called the number I gave you?"

"Of course. You know, I would never deny anyone his rights." Booth said as Santana walked in.

"Mr. Ladjavardi.... I'm Special Agent in charge, Santana. We're sorry for the inconvenience. You're free to go." Santana said as Booth and Grant made a face.

"Thank you." Ladjavardi said and walked out.

"You're finished." Santana said

"What the hell was that all about? He was a prime suspect." Grant asked

"He's a mole for Homeland Security. They planted him in the Arab-American Friendship League." Santana said

"He admitted to the affair." Booth said

"Maybe, but Homeland Security says he's clean. They do not want his cover blown." Santana said as Grant rolled his eyes.

"But, sir.." Grant started.

"Do I look like I'm discussing this?" Santana asked then walked

"Bitch." Grant muttered as Booth punched the wall.

Booth, Grant, Charlie, and Brennan were sat in the car quiet as Booth drove all over the place. Charlie and Brennan stared at him as he mutter something and honked his horn.

"You want me to drive?" Brennan asked

"No, why?" Booth asked

"You're angry."

"I'm not angry." Booth chuckled

"Yeah, you're furious. You're going to kill somebody." Brennan said pointing at the road.

"I'm not angry. Believe me, you do not want to see me angry. That's the last thing you want to see."

"Okay, okay."

"This is me accepting reality."

"Okay, my mistake."

"My superiors, they make the decisions, Bones. All right? They don't think them through, that's really not my problem." Booth kept going on.

"If I were you, I'd be mad. Homeland Security is preventing you from doing a proper investigation of a murder case." Brennan said rationally.

"I'm a grown-up. I'll deal. You know that thing where you ask for the strength to change the things that you can, and the wisdom to know the difference?" Booth asked calmly

"Not really." Brennan said looking out the window.

"Well, that's a good thing."

"Who do you ask?"

"For what?"

"For the strength and the wisdom?"

"God."

"And it works?"

"Can we talk about something else?" Booth asked

"Sure. Kendall?" Charlie looked at Grant, who's head popped up from leaning against the window, with a sly smirk

"Kendall?No. Why do you want to talk about Kendall?" Grant asked

"Why? Why not? I'm sorry. We won't talk about Kendall." Charlie said raising her hands.

"I prefer if we would just stay on point and talk about things that you like to talk about, like dead people. Dead bodies." Booth said to both of the sisters.

"Sure, sure. You've killed a lot of people, right? When you were a sniper?" Brennan asked

"Maybe we shouldn't talk at all."

"Right, 'cause you're angry."

"I'm not angry. Not." Booth said and it was quiet for a moment.

"We'll find out killed him, Booth. We've got Hamid's body. You can always count on the dead." Brennan said and it was quiet for a really long time before Charlie spoke up.

"Just admit, you're angry." She said

"GOD DAMN IT, CHARLIE!" Booth yelled smacking the steering wheel.

When they got to the lab they quickly walked up onto the platform.

"When Booth sends over the brother's medicals, I want them matched to Hamid's." Brennan said as Hodgins walked over with a paper handing it to Brennan.

"I'm starting on a tox screen." Hodgins said putting his hands in his pockets.

"Farid said that his doctor suspected a genetic condition. Maybe we're overlooking something. What is that?" Brennan asked looking at the random thing on the table.

"We used the trace elements we recovered to try and rebuild the bomb. It might give you another link." Zack said

"Isn't the FBI working on that?" Charlie asked leaning down and looking at the bomb.

"Yeah. This is just for fun." Hodgins said making Charlie look at him.

"To see who's better?"

"Maybe. A little. Yeah."

"Good luck."

"Ta-da." Zack said bringing over the finished reconstructed skull.

"Nice job." Charlie said as he handed it to Brennan who walked over to the microscope.

"No wonder you had such trouble with the reconstruction. Look at the spread of the trabecular pattern in the bone." Brennan said as the other three walked over.

"Microscopic fissures, like cracks." Zack whispered to Hodgins.

"I knew that." Hodgins said with attitude.

"I don't think so." Zack said

"Can we focus? The spread was too rapid for any organic bone disease or genetic condition. It's definitely a toxin. Is there any surviving marrow to test?" Brennan asked Zack.

"I'll try and find some." Zack told her

"Let's do it" Brennan said and Zack and Hodgins walked off.

After doing bone Marrow test and looking at Hodgins and Zack show Charlie and Brennan.

"The marrow's degraded. I can give you basics, but that's it." Hodgins told them

"Well, according to these tests, the liver function was impaired." Zack said

"His body was trying to get rid of whatever was poisoning him." Brennan said as Angela walked up onto the platform.

"There is trouble in paradise." Angela said as Charlie and Brennan looked at her confused.

"I beg your pardon?" Charlie asked

"Kendall does not feel secure in that relationship. I think she's threatened by you." Angela said as Charlie looked at her in disbelief.

"You talked to her?" Charlie asked

"She didn't say much but, even though she was a phenomenal figure, she was chowing down on a fat-free muffin. And she was reading about unsolved FBI cases. She's obviously feeling insecure." Angela scoffed

"She's spying for you?" Hodgins asked in disbelief.

"No. No!" Charlie yelled shaking her head.

"Even if you have nothing in common, it's difficult to sublimate intense sexual attraction. And we hear it's been a while." Zack said after a few seconds.

"Okay, stop!" Charlie said

"He's there for the taking, honey" Angela scoffed at her shaking her head.

"Okay, I couldn't get his medical records." Grant said walking up the stairs with a card in his mouth then took it out as everyone turned to look at him slightly awkward.

"What?" He asked as Charlie looked at the ground.

"Uh...nothing." Charlie said turned and leaning on the table as she looked at the computer.

"Trying to track down the doctor." Grant asked as Booth came up on the platform behind him.

"Don't need him. It's definitely a toxin, but we can't determine what kind." Charlie said

"Too bad the liver is cooked. That could tell us everything." Zack said tapping his knee with a pen.

"I need subtitles walking in here." Booth said pointing at him.

"The liver is like a filter." Brennan said as both agents still just looked at her weird.

"It would contain evidence of any toxins in the system, but we don't have the liver. Or any of the flesh left." Charlie said

"But we do have the beetles." Hodgins said as Charlie and Brennan looked at him and nodding there heads as Booth and Grant made even weirder faces.

They went to Hodgins office we're the beetles we're kept.

"They ate Hamid's flesh and whatever organs remained. And, as we all know, you are what you eat." Hodgins said Zack opened the jar.

"So you can ID the poison from the beetles?" Grant said looking around.

"You can't kill them. They have names." Zack said

"We have to, Zack. Some." Brennan said grabbed a handful of beetles then putting them in the empty jar that Hodgins held

"In Thailand, they're sauteed in peanut oil. Mmm..." Hodgins said putting the lid on and shaking the jar then walked out.

They went onto the lab and got back into work.

"We're gonna to have to run a simulation. I need you to input the skull and give me a face." Brennan told Angela and handed her the skull.

"You got it." Angela said as Charlie spun around in her chair flinging pencils at Zack as he tried to work on the bomb.

"Ow! Dr. Brennan please stop! Throw them at Hodgins." Zack said as he tried to concentrate.

"And no more talk about Grant. You shouldn't have gotten involved." Charlie told her.

"That's what friends are for." Angela bumped her with a smile.

"Please, Angela.." Charlie said

"Hey, whoa. Where did you get this?" She heard Grant's voice behind her making her turn in the chair and she him and Booth staring at the bomb that Zack and Hodgins were making.

"I'm building it-- theoretical construct of the bomb based on the particulates we gathered." Zack told him.

"This isn't your job. Bureau is doing this." Booth said

"Got it! They were poisoned by dioxin. A very pure form. It would stay in his system for years, cause cancer, diabetes, heart attack and facial cysts and bones degeneration we saw." Hodgins said and gave the paper to Brennan.

"Give me the saturation levels. Angela can use it in the simulation to give us an approximate date of ingestion." Brennan told him and he nodded his head walking off.

"How much would it take to poison them?" Booth askd

"Just a little slipped into their food. Like at that lunch they both had with Sahar's lover." Charlie said as Brennan walked away.

"Impressed?" Angela asked Grant and he just looked at her then back at Charlie who was now walking away.

Later

They stood in Angela's office reading stuff off a piece of paper for Angela to put in her computer for the simulation.

"Dioxin levels were 5,600 parts per trillion. Speed of bone degeneration is an 80% increase over baseline osteoporosis. Date of death was..." Brennan said marking stuff on her clipboard.

"I remember that one. Thanks." Angela said

"Run the scenario." Charlie said as all the lights turn off and the 3d body popped up.

"I will never get use to this." Booth said

"Yeah. Chicks with toys." Angela said as she zoomed in on a piece of his cheek.

"Poor bastard." Grant said

"Match it to his INS photograph, see how accurate you are." Brennan said and Angela clicked a few buttons and his picture popped up

"Good work, Angela." Charlie said as Angela continued to click buttons on her tablet making the photo disappear.

"Probable date of exposure about four months ago-- I'd say first week in June." Brennan said

"Let's go pay a little visit to Mr. Ladjavardi." Grant said making Charlie and Brennan look up at him with raised eyebrows.

They all get in the car and drive to were Mr. Ladjavardi is located.

"I thought you were told to stay away from them." Charlie said as they got out of the car.

"Yeah. And, as an FBI agent, I cannot disobey my superior. But you two aren't FBI agents." Booth said as him and Grant took there ties off.

"Hey!Hi. How you doing?" Brennan smiled and clapped her hands as they walked up to Mr. Ladjavardi.

"What the hell are you doing here? You had orders." He said

"No, not us. We just have a couple of quick questions for you." Charlie said

"Look, I'm not involved in this. Sahar won't even talk to me anymore." He said looking behind them out Booth and Grant.

"Yeah. I wonder why." Brennan looked at Booth who shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm calling Santana." Mr. Ladjavardi said getting his phone and turning around.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Charlie said getting in front of him.

"I'm warning you." He said putting his hand up

"I wouldn't threaten her if I were you." Booth said with a chuckle.

"Look, I just want to know where you were in June--first week-- to see if you poisoned Hamid and Farid." Charlie said getting frustrated.

"Subtle." Grant said nodding his head.

"I'm leaving. That's it." Mr. Ladjavardi said and reached out to hit Charlie.

Charlie blocked it and flipped him over on his back. She put her foot on his neck to hold him there.

"Told you. She doesn't like being touched." Booth said

"I didn't poison anybody."

"Then tell me where you were in June."

"In Utah, for training with Homeland security. I didn't get to D.C. until August 12. Check with the department."

"All right, thanks." Charlie said.

They all got back in the car and started to come up with idea.

"How about this? Sahar wants out of the marriage. Hamid refuses. Sahar poisons him so that she can run off with Lajavardi." Booth says

"Doesn't make sense." Brennan shook her head.

"When someone dies, the first suspect is the spouse." Booth said trying to reason

"What about Hamid's brother? Did she poison him, too?" Brennan asked

"Why not? You know, he's pushing his nose into their marriage. I mean, suddenly, Sahar's facing, you know, a devout Muslim and a fundamentalist Christian. And, you know, nobody allows divorce, and she's pushed to murder."

"That eschews logic."

"Aw, come on, Bones! Just work with us here! All right? It's what we in law enforcement call positing a scenario. And don't use to word eschew." Grant called from back seat.

"What if you and Kendall were going to break up, but you didn't want to?" Charlie asked him.

"Which I don't." Grant said

"Well, I'm positing a scenario. Kendall wants to break up, and you don't want to, so she poisons you." Charlie said

"No, no, no." Grant shook his head.

"And then, just to make sure, she blows you up with a bomb." Charlie continued.

"Why would Kendall do that?" Grant asked with a smile.

"Exactly. Thank you."

"See, 'cause Kendall and I that's a bad example."

"You're a couple in love, right?"

"Why do you keep bring up Kendall? I mean, why? What's the big deal? I mean, is it so odd for you that I have someone in my life?"

"We were talking about couples. It's a natural segue."

"All right, you know, you have to quit using the word segue. All right? It, it sounds French."

"You keep changing the subject. I get it. You're sensitive about you and Kendall." Charlie said waving her hand looking out the window.

"Why aren't we talking about you and your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Charlie smiled

"You just said that as though it's a good thing. And you know? It's a very, very, sad comment on your personal life."

"Look, your angry again." Charlie said as her phone started ringing and Grant chuckled shaking his head.

"Charlie."

The bomb insulation was made from pyrobar, which is used by an architect named William Allard. He was known fro developing the Woodley Park neighborhood around 1910. Zack spoke from the phone

"Hang on a second, Zack. The bomb was made in Woodley Park." Charlie told everyone on the car.

"That's where Farid lives. Okay, hold on." Booth said then made an illegal U turn.

"No wonder we couldn't get his medicals. He already knew what was poisoning him. All right, just stay in contact with your boys, and tell them we're going need them. All right, listen, Bones and Thomas, we're heading into a very unknown situation. I think it's best that you two just stay in the car." Booth said and Grant agreed but both woman gave both the men a look.

"Okay, then, you know, if you have to come in with us, then you stay behind us. Fine. Just be careful, all right?" Booth said

When they got to the house Booth and Grant got there guns out then Booth knocked the door down.

"Okay, anybody asks, that door was open. Stay right here. FBI, Farid." Booth called out.

Charlie and Brennan walked in anyway as Grant and Booth walked in two different directions.

"Show yourself. Okay. Clear." Booth said as Charlie and Brennan walked into the kitchen where there was all kinds of things on the table and Brennan got out her phone.

"Can you get me Hodgins." She asked

Yeah.

"Farid was making something here. Okay, I've got melted plastic, bottles of chlorine." Brennan said

Dioxin. That's how you'd make it.

"Thomas! Bones!" Booth called out

"Yeah?"

"The insulation. Farid definitely made the bomb. He killed his brother."

"Stay with me, Hodgins."

Yeah, yeah, yeah

"Hamid must have been killed cause he found his brother making dioxin. All right, that's probably how they got contaminated. Come on. Mechanic's Guide for Hamid's SUV." Grant said grabbing the book of the table.

"Page on the odometer... dog-eared." Booth said flipping through the pages.

"Ah! He wasn't a Christian. Deceit in the service of Allah is holy." Charlie said pulling out books and pages from a chest for of blankets.

"The Koran?"

"No. An Imam's twisted interpretation of the Koran, so that mass murders don't have to feel guilt." Charlie said as Booth pulled something out from under the bed.

"He's made another bomb. It's out there right now." Booth said after finding stuff in a bowl.

"I'm convinced. What's the dispersal rate for a bomb packed with, say, two liters of dioxin?" Brennan asked picking her phone back up.

A homemade device similar to the car bomb? That could be 300 to 500 meters. If the victims weren't killed, they'd develop cancer, blindness, lesions, diabetes. Hodgins spoke

"Today's day is marked. Call homeland security. They'll secure the apartment." Booth told Brennan then they all got into the car.

"There's a convenience store across the street from Farid's apartment. The owner saw him get on to a bus and head downtown." Grant said into the phone.

"We're not sure what bus. Grant is checking with the FBI now. If you find anything-" Charlie said

I know. It's just these bus schedules are totally confusing. Angela said

"Yeah, we saw his day book. He had 5:30 circled. Just check anything that has anything to do with 5:30-begins, ends, whatever. Yeah. I'm not going anywhere." Grant said

"Angela's checking, too. I still don't understand why Farid would kill his brother." Charlie said

"Because both of them were developing symptoms, man, and people were gonna start asking questions and then Farid- he would have exposed. He had a mission to accomplish." Grant said moving the phone from his ear.

"How the hell does he think he's bringing about a better world by blowing people up?"

"Fanaticism and logic don't go hand in hand."

"It's almost 5:30. Come on, Angela. Anything between Woodley Park and downtown."

Okay, okay. Um... three movies start at 6:00, there's a lecture at Fuller Hall on birds. I can't imagine that will be crowded. And a peace conference at the Hamilton Cultural Center. There'll be speeches by Arab moderates and a congressman. That looks like the one.

"Peace conference, Hamilton Cultural Center. That's it." Charlie said

"That's got to be it. Okay, Gibson, just get your boys over to the Hamilton Cultural Center. Just keep them back when you get there. You understand me? If you spook this guy. he'll blow himself up before we can take him out." Grant said into the phone.

"Thanks, Angela."

"You know, you don't have to come." Grant told him as he closed his phone and put it in his pocket.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Charlie gave him and a look and he shook his head.

When they got there all of four of them walked in calmly.

"We'll start down here and we'll make our way upstairs." Booth said and they all started looking around as they head for the escalators.

"There are too many ways in. Where are the reinforcements? Aren't there always reinforcements?" Brennan asked after stepping on the escalators.

"I'm sure they're downstairs tying up the horse." Grant said

"Sarcasm doesn't help" Charlie turned and leaned into him.

"Okay, they're mobilizing SWAT teams and additional agents, but it takes time. And if Farid has the bomb, spots them, that could be bad." Grant said as they made it to the top and started looking over to side.

"If you see him, will you shoot?" Brennan asked Booth.

"No, he might not have the bomb." Booth said

"You don't believe that."

"I'm not taking out a target, Bones, unless I'm sure."

"Is that how you make it easier? Calling him a target?"

"You know, you really picked an odd time to have this conversation." Booth said as they moved the other side.

"Booth." Brennan pointed at a man they thought me him.

"Farid?" They asked and they guy turned and it wasn't him.

There! That's Farid." Charlie said running to the side where a guy on the floor below them walked with a bag and a limp.

"I'm not sure." Booth said as him and Grant pulled out there guns.

"Look, his walk his labored from the dioxin poisoning, and the parietal bones in his skull match his picture." Brennan said pointing.

"His back's to us. What if you're wrong?"

"This is what I do, Booth. Do you really want to wait? He's carrying something heavy in his camera bag. See? The actual weight is causing his shoulder to-" Brennan continued.

"No, I can't." Booth said frustrated.

"He has all the markers, Booth." Brennan said

"I need a face. I need a face!" Booth said as Charlie and Grant looked at each other.

"FARID!" Charlie yelled making him turn around.

"On the ground!" Grant yelled.

"He's going for the bomb!" Charlie said panicked.

Before Farid could push the button Grant shot his gun hitting Farid in his head. Everybody started screaming and panicking. They watched Agent Gibson walked over and take Farid fingers off the bomb trigger. They opened the case to see wires and other stuff. Gibson looked up at Grant nodding his head. Grant leaned against the railing with his head down.

Later Charlie and Grant went to a restaurant.

" I told them to tell the press that it was an undercover operation." Grant told her

"But it would be a Rose Garden ceremony. That's an honor, right? I thought you FBI guys liked your medals?" Charlie asked drinking a beer.

"There's no pleasure in taking someone's life. It's nothing to celebrate." Grant said drinking the last of his beer in his glass.

"You saved so many people, Grant. Don't forget that." Charlie said putting her hand on his arm and he smiled at her.

"Want another drink?" Grant asked her .

"Shouldn't you be getting home? Kendall will be worried about you." Charlie asked him leaving her hand on his arm.

"Yeah. I guess I should." Grant said standing up.

He grabbed his jacket and got his wallet out taking a ten out and throwing it on the table.

"Thanks for your help, Thomas." Grant said

"Sure." Charlie said and Grant stared down at her for a second before walking away.

Charlie turned watching him walk out before downing the rest of her beer and leaving. She went to the Jeffersonian where she helped Brennan go through all them world war l bones.

#bones

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