Venus POV
It's been a few weeks and finding a clue of a single family member or someone close to any of the 31 children I was in the program with, is much more difficult than I anticipated. But it's something I won't give up on, even if I'm tired.
Luckly Temp and I are receiving an amazing find of a boat ship that was used for slavery back in the day. We were given the honor to identify the remains of each victim in that boat and I have cleared a space in the Jeffersonian to display the exhibit and to commemorate them.
Right now Temp and I are at Booths door as today he has to get some papers signed from Sweets as Temp keeps on knocking on his door calling him out, "Booth!... Booth?... Are you there?" I look at Temp, "I'm sure he's coming right now to answer the door Temp." We then hear Booth say, "No, I'm in South Beach, working on my tan."
He finally opens the door for us as we both smile at him seeing that he was in his robe as Temp tells him, "You need Sweets to sigh your post-Afghanistan Fitness for Duty report." He seems that he forgot as I chuckle a bit, "Did you forget?" He pretends he didn't letting us in while taking the bag of breakfast I brought for him beginning to look inside "Me?".
I smile shaking my head as Temp and I both enter as Temp then states, "Well, generally you wear more clothing, and you've been avoiding this for weeks." I close the door as Booth explains, "Well, I couldn't sleep. And I got up at the crack of dawn."
He starts stretching as we could hear his bones cracking as he felt relief as Temp asks, "Do you always have this pronounced a release of gas in the morning?" It seems he misunderstood what Temp was saying looking at us asking, "Is it that bad?" I chuckle a bit, "Not the same gas you're thinking of Ranger. It's called synovial gas, that's what the cracking is." "Synovial gas? What's that mean?"
I wasn't sure how to slowly ease it up for him until Temp tells him bluntly, "Well, there comes a point when your body can't hide all the abuse it's taken." Booth confused asks, "What do you-what do you mean, 'certain point'?" I then nod a bit with a small sweat drop, "Well, considering you've been shot and beaten, and jumped out of airplanes. The skeletal damage alone is..." It seems he was catching up as he sighs, "Oh, God. I'm falling apart." I shake my head, "No, you're still fine." But Temp adds, "It's your skeleton that's falling apart."
Booth then looks at me, "Then what about Blueberry? She's about the same as me when it comes to injury." I scratch my cheek a bit, "Well... I'm a bit different from you Booth... It's not determined yet if I will get to the stage, you're at when I'm older, because whatever was injected in me during that time is well... never conducted before until me." He nods a bit seeing my point as we go sit in his living room as he goes get ready in his bedroom.
We are now at the FBI headquarters as Temp was still in the same topic of Booth getting older as she tells him, "The compression fracture to your T3 alone should have incapacitated you years ago. Then, there's the fracture to your sternum from when that obese girl shot you and Ven. Fractures to your metatarsals from when you were tortured. Rib pitting from when you foolishly tried to act as a human shield." He questions her, "Rib pitting?" "And that's before we even get to your compromised ligaments, both intertransverse and interior longitudinal."
I nod, "Yeah, that's pretty much accurate." I sigh a bit remembering all those times, "I remember it as if it was just like yesterday." Booth points to me at first before Temp, "First off, that's a bit creepy. And second how do you have room in your brains to remember all that?"
I shrug, "Well, it's easier to remember all of it, especially if it's people you care most about." Temp nods, "We care about you, Booth. And the more abuse a body takes, the sooner it degenerates." We get to the elevator entering as Booth says, "That's it? That's all you got for me?" I shrug a bit as I try to find a bright side to it, "Well, it can be a good thing Ranger."
Temp nods trying to support me, "In tribes, men like you are elders. They don't have to hunt an more." I press the button to get to Sweets floor as Booth explains not liking what Temp said, "Well, I want to go hunting." I nod, "Well, then you'll feel better after you get your form signed." "Yeah, by the way. Why didn't you get one to be signed." "Easy, I don't work in the FBI. I'm Director of the Jeffersonian, which means I and the FBI work alongside each other." "Right..."
We get to Sweets room as Booth opens the door as we all stop seeing Daisy and Sweets on the couch... doing it... I quickly cover my eyes blushing, wishing I never saw this as Daisy says to Sweets, "You know I will." I was first to say loudly, "Oh God!" As Temp followed with, "Oh!"
They both freeze turning to us as Sweets says startled, "Agent Booth!" I could hear Daisy startled to as she says, "Dr. Brennan! Dr. Venus!" I turn away stating, "I can't unsee this!" Temp then tells Daisy, "You should be at work, Ms. Wick." I nod adding not even turning or opening my eyes, "Yes, it is a very important day."
Booth takes the opportunity to hand Sweets his papers knowing that Sweets will have no choice to sign it, "Can you sign this?" "Are you serious?" "Sign. Just sign and get back to your fun." I shake my head, "No! No, I don't need to hear that, or know anything about it after we leave." Sweets quickly sign and we were out of their way quickly not wanting to be there any minute longer.
Temp and I were at the Jeffersonian walking getting everything ready for the shipment to arrive as Daisy catches up to us as she begins trying to explain, "Dr. Brennan, Dr. Venus, about this morning..." I say, "Don't remind me about it..." While Temp says at the same time, "What about it?"
But Daisy continues, "I don't want you both to think that Lance and I are dating again, because we're not. That was purely accidental intercourse." I then say, "I never heard of an accidental intercourse... What were you trying to do, Daisy?" "I was returning a book." That confused me as well as Temp as she asks, "And your pants fell off?"
We get to the front entrance as the remains come in as well as the ship pieces as Cam and Angie were taking care of it as Cam tells the staff bringing them in, "All of the pieces of ship without remains attached straight to the Early American workroom, door on your right." I get there as I ask the two, "How's it going?" The two look at me as Cam tells me, "Everything seems to be running smoothly." That's good." They then bring another piece of a ship with an arm attached as they ask, "Where does this go?" I point over to the platform, "Take it up on the platform." "Got it."
They leave as Cam then asks Temp and I, "Okay. How much of this is there?" Temp shrugs, "I have no idea." I answer, "I was sure I emailed you that it was a ship of remains." She nods, "You did... but I didn't think you'd actually meant a whole ship filled with remains."
I give her a smile as I reassure her, "Don't worry, you guys are only dealing with the remains, the other department will focus on creating the exhibit and put the ship back together." "How lovely..." Angie then says amazed at the parts coming in, "This is incredible. I can't believe this is an actual slave ship. Where did they find it?"
Temp answers, "Off the coast of Maryland. This could shed enormous light on the slave trade." Cam adds, "Or give me nightmares. One or the other." Hodgins then comes in with another part excited as he announces to us, "Mytilus edulis." I smile knowing what that is, "Blue mussels." "Awesome right." "Defiantly." I then hand some papers to Angie, "This is for you Angie, your guy's task here is to identify the remains." Cam looks at me, "How? These people have been dead for nearly 150 years."
I nod, "Ah, that's where the papers Angie has will come in handy." Angie looking through them says, "Yeah, this will help. It's a copy of the outgoing manifest, and it list all the slaves they were transporting to New Orleans. There's age, and race, and degree of color. This is really detailed, in a totally horrible, disgusting, sucky kind of way." I nod agreeing as Hodgins says, "Slaves were considered property. They were as carefully catalogued as livestock or silverware."
Up on the platform we had many staff on the platform helping identify which body parts goes with which remains as well as who each body is as Temp says, "Male child, under ten years old. 130 centimeters." I nod as I add, "The blue mussels compromised the bone, but the skull shows a mix of negroid and Caucasoid characteristics, suggesting that he would be listed as mulatto." Angie nods looking through the list, "Got it. Polidore Nelson." Daisy with another body then says, "Symphyseal rim well defined. Partial ectocranial suture closure. Female, 40s, five feet tall."
Angie nods, "Okay. There's only one woman that small." But she got interrupted by Cam as it seems urgent, "Over here. Now. Uh, n-not kidding, even a little bit." We all stop and quickly going towards her as I get there first seeing what she meant as I then say, "Hodgins. Over here." Everyone comes as Hodgins comes over quickly, "Yeah? What have you got?" "It's something that you will definitely like."
Cam asks, "What the hell is that?" Hodgins comes over amazed picking up the skull filled with pink fluffy things as I say, "It's some kind of organism that anchored to the bone." Hodgins nods placing it carefully onto the table as we get a camera to get a better closeup look on the screen as he says, "Interesting."
Cam then says, "Alien Sea life hitchhikes in on a slave ship, and that's all you can say- interesting?" I nod, "I agree with him." Temp adds, "I think in this context, interesting is a way of acknowledging life-forms beyond Dr. Hodgin's or Ven's expertise." Hodgins then reassure everyone, "A temporary condition I assure you."
I then turn to the rest of the staff, "Everyone listen up. Pull any other bones with pink slime and bring them over here, please." They all nod beginning to find anymore parts as Hodgins says still looking at the skull, "It's possible that 'alien' is an appropriate adjective. I mean, we may be looking at NTI, here."
While the staff bring us more bones with the pink slim Cam asks, "What's he talking about?" Temp just shakes her head, "I have no idea." I explain, "NTI stands for Non-Terrestrial Intelligence." Angie then says over it, "Oh, no." Hodgins nods adding, "If alien life-forms were going to exist somewhere on Earth, the ocean floor would be it."
Cam hoping this wasn't true asks him, "Please tell me you're kidding." I sigh shaking my head, "He's not..." Temp that has been checking the rest of the remains tells us, "Judging by the weight and texture, all of the affected bones appear to belong to the same skeleton." I nod, "At least we have the whole remains here with us."
I pick up the skull to get a better look at it as I look under the skull finding something very odd and unusual compared to the rest of the remains found as I let everyone know, "Something is very wrong. Daisy, I need you to take photos of these remains and send them to me. Hodgins, I want you to start figuring out what these organisms on the bones are and figure out how to get them off the bones.
Angie, I want you to continue identifying the other remains and try to create a image of this one. Cam, you're in charge of the rest." They all nod getting to work as I look at Temp, "Let's go inform Ranger that these remains are recent and very likely homicide." She nods as we both leave to go see Booth.
We get to the FBI headquarters as I go to the conference room to set up the tv as Daisy was quick sending me the photos as I put the up on the screen as Temp went to get Booth from his office. I see them come in as Booth sees the bone images as he says, "Come on, Bones, do I really got to look at these images?" "Yes."
I then get another email as I open it up on the screen seeing x-ray images of the skull as I smile, glad Daisy did that too as I then begin to explain to Booth, "Penetrating trauma to the cribriform plate and palatine bones." I zoom in the image of under the skull head where the mouth is as there was a hole underneath.
Booth nods pointing at it, "Okay, you mean that jaggedly looking hole there?" "Yes." Temp then elaborates it more to him, "The puncture would have extended upward into the anterior base of the brain, resulting in immediate death." Temp then continues but demonstrates it as well making a hook finger and placing it into Booth's mouth pushing upwards onto the roof of his mouth as I looked a bit shocked while Booth groans grabbing her hand, "This man was hooked through the mouth like a fish."
Booth removed her hand away from him, "Okay, got it. Thank you very much." I nod, "I don't think he needed a close demonstration there Temp..." Booth nods as he asks, "I just don't know how I can help you two with a murdered slave, though." I shake my head pointing out the big issue, "They may have found him in a slave ship, but given the condition of his cartilage, this man died less than a month ago, and... this is murder."
Temp and I are back at the lab going up the platform as we see Daisy examining one of the slave victims as Temp takes a look as well as she points out, "Abrasions to the pisiform. It's likely this person was wearing manacles." Daisy nods seeing it as Temp then ask, "Why are you working on remains from the slave ship when you know our recent murder victim has priority?"
Daisy explains, "Because Dr. Hodgins is still trying to remove the unidentified deep-sea life-forms." I nod understanding as I then suggest, "How about we review the murder victim's X-rays instead?" Temp nods, "Yes, good idea." Daisy nods as we look at the computer as she brings up the victim's x-rays as I then point a certain area, "Incomplete epiphyseal fusion. He was at most 20 years old."
Daisy then brings up the skull, "Chipping on the zygomatic arch. Hairline fractures to the mental foramen, all heavily remodeled." She changes the x-rays once more, "Metaphyseal fractures to the left tibia and right ulna. Never properly set." I nod as these injuries are familiar as I say, "I've seen these types of injuries before." Temp nods agreeing, "I have as well."
Daisy looks at us wanting to know as I explain, "They happen when someone has their extremities wrenched over and over again at a very young age." Daisy then says a bit sad, "Suggestive of child abuse?" I nod as Temp then says, "We have to identify him." She then looks around the other staff up on the platform, "What is taking Dr. Hodgins so long?"
We are in the car as Booth then explains to us about the victim as they got the identity, "He wasn't on the Missing Persons Database, but I got hit from FBI's facial recognition software." Temp reads out the file, "Mike Casper." "Yeah, his wife lives in, uh- what is it- Calvert County." I then ask a bit confused, "He's married?" "Yeah, he's got a kid and a dog and a cushy aerospace job."
This confused me as Temp seemed to also agree saying, "No, that's not possible. He's 19, 20... 21 at most." "All right, Bones, he's 28." "No, there's no way. Booth, you really need to double-check these things." I nod agreeing, "I agree with Temp here Ranger. The guy on this file is not the same person as our victim."
He looks at his rear-view mirror at me quickly, "Really? You to blueberry?" I nod as he then adds, "Look the battle scars are to the body, not the brain, okay?" I raise my hands surrendering as Temp looks at him, "You're being very touchy." "I'm not being touchy. This is Casper's driver's license. It's the same face Angela drew right there." We see it was the same face as Temp says, "Okay. It's possible he had cerebral palsy. That could retard bone development."
Booth then says, "Or you're just wrong." I then input, "Or, just what if he stole someone's identity." They both look at me as I raise my hands, "I did say what if. No need to give me looks." We finally arrive at the apartment as Temp then says, "I'm not wrong." Booth shakes his head, "You're wrong." "Nuh-uh." I then say, "Or I'm the right one." We then see the door open as we quiet down as we see a lady answering the door as she looks at us asking, "Yes?"
Booth asks, "Mrs. Casper?" "Yes?" Booth shows her his badge explaining, "I'm Special Agent Booth. These here's my partners, Dr. Brennan and Dr. Venus." "How can I help you?" "You mind if we come in?" "I'm actually in the middle of something right now." She flicks her hair back a bit as Booth then says, "It's about your husband." Temp then adds, "We believe we found his remains off the coast of Maryland." Booth adds, "Any reason to believe that he might have been on a boat recently?"
She looked surprised, but not emotional... rather confused as she then tells us, "Ask him yourself. Mike?" We then see her husband come to the door wondering what's going on as I turn looking at Booth and Temp as I then say lowly, "My theory doesn't sound so bad now does it...?" I could feel them both giving me a look as I give the married couple a small smile.
Booth had the couple brought in for further questions as we then meet at the dinner as Wendell was with us as we were supposed to have lunch together as Booth then asks, "How am I supposed to figure out who killed him when I can't even figure out who he is?" Temp shrugs as I then say, "All we can tell from the X-rays is that he had multiple fractures that were never properly set." Temp nods adding, "He also sustained repeated facial trauma between the ages of two and 14."
Wendell nods, "So, the victim endured child abuse." I nod as he then asks, "He wasn't on the missing persons Database, right?" Booth nods, "Yeah, why?" "So wouldn't that mean no one was missing him." I nod, "Correct." Temp then says, "You're stating the obvious Mr. Bray." "Well, I was thinking if he endured abuse during his adolescence, wouldn't he have tried running away at least once?"
I nod as I then see where he was going with this as I smile kissing his cheek, "You're brilliant, Mr. Bray." He smiles, "I'm glad to be of some help." Booth then tells us, "Yeah, yeah, good idea. Keep all the gooey lovey stuff on the low here. I'm trying to eat." I stick my tongue out at him playfully as he smirks a bit tossing a fry at me as I catch it in my mouth eating it as Temp then points out, "But he wasn't a kid anymore. He was 19 or 20 when he died."
"But it doesn't mean he hasn't run away before Temp. Remember when a kid runs away someone reports him missing." Booth nods, "Yeah, like a school, a neighbor. Someone." Temp seem to catch up as she says, "We were looking at the wrong database." I nod as I feed Wendell a fry as he happily eats it.
Temp and I are back at the lab in Angie's workspace as she has the victim she created out as I then tell her, "We need to reverse the craniofacial growth patterns and run the results against the Missing Children's Database." She nods asking, "Send him back to childhood, huh?" I nod as Temp then instructs, "Retain the cranial proportion, but reduce the jaw, narrow the neck, and raise the ears." Angie nods doing so as Temp continues, "Change the proportion of the head to one-part facial mass to two and a quarter parts cranial mass."
Angie does so as the victim is looking younger as there are still a few things that has to be adjusted as I say, "Could you decrease the size of the upper and lower jaw." Angie does the final touches as Temp and I nod as she says, "Done." Angie then says, "You know, it's hard to believe that ten years from this, he's going to be stealing IDs and getting himself killed."
We then see that the database got a match to the image as we see the young boy as Angie says, "Okay. That's him. We found him." We sent Booth what we had found so far as he went straight to get more information about the victim and any of his history.
It's a new day and Booth found something on the victim as I went to his office as Sweets was there as well as Booth plays us a video he found of the victim as we see him playing basketball as the announcer then says, "Nine-year-old Liam is tonight's Thursday's Child." We then listen to Liam interview, "I like all kinds of sports, but mostly basketball, even though I'm kind of short. But maybe I'll grow right? And I'm really good at math. 'Cause I like numbers." The announcer then continues, "If Liam can find a family, all those numbers are sure to add up to one very bright future."
Booth pauses it as he looks at Sweets and I, "Okay. That sounds a little like puppy adoptions, you ask me." I sigh a bit, "Those have always been a type of joke to me." Sweets shrugs, "Well, when I was in the foster system, we used to think the kids that got on Thursday's Child won the lottery. You know? One day they're on TV, next day, a big car pulls up to take them to the suburbs. Every single time."
Booth then starts explaining, "Yeah, well, Liam didn't get adopted. Would have saved the juvie system a whole hell of lot of time if he did. The court unsealed his records because of the murder. He was busted two years ago for a B&E with another foster kid by the name of Hunter Lang." The name Lang sounds familiar to me as Booth then opens up the file of Hunter Lang.
I stood shocked at the picture of the boy as his features are similar to someone I knew. They really have similar dominate features and they have the same last name as my stomach starts turning a bit as I might found one of many as I then hear Booth say, "We're trying to track him down now." I then say a bit worried, "Why?" The two looked at me a bit confused as Booth explains taking a good look at me, "Well, Liam testified against Hunter in exchange for a suspended sentence." Sweets shakes his head, "Ooh, that's not good."
I nod agreeing, "Rule number one: foster kids stick together." Booth nods seeming to come up with something, "Huh. Well, was that the kind of thing a guy would kill for?" I hoped he didn't if he really is who I think it is as Sweets says, "Depends on the guy. I know these kids. I'll talk to them and let you know." Booth nods as Sweets leaves as I stayed back a bit, once he was gone Booth was first to talk, "What's going on?" I look at him for a moment as he just stares at me waiting patiently as I sigh a bit, "I-I just was reminded of something during my past..."
Booth nods, "Is it the whole foster thing case, this kid Lang in particular?" Nothing can get past Booth as he already knew it was about Lang and was just waiting for me to admit it as I give him a nod, "Yeah... I was wondering if you had anything else on Lang." He nods a bit, "Yeah, I did some digging into this kid as well. You think he has anything to do with the murder?" I shrug, "I don't know... what did you find?"
Booth nods as he starts going through Lang's file as he tells me, "Kid's almost 22 years old, went into the foster system when he was 5." "Anything about his family?" "Parent's passed away in a bank shoot out... and he and his brother who was 11 at the time were put into the system since their grandparent wasn't fit to take custody of the two." I tense up a bit at that as I continue to ask, "You found anything on his brother as well?" "No, brother Jaxxon Lang went missing at 15 years old. Never been found since."
That's all I needed to know to confirm that I really found someone who remembers them other than me. It made me a bit happy that my effort is starting to show, but it wasn't over yet as I still need to find the rest as I ask Booth, "Jaxxon is spelt with two x's right?"
He nods, "Yeah. Why?" I think for a moment, but I know Booth will figure it out eventually as I walked to his door closing it and go back to him as he was a bit confused wondering what I am up to this time. He knew it had to be important for me to close the door as he asks, "What's going on Blueberry?"
I take a deep breath as I take out my keys as there was a flash drive attached as I took it off handing it to Booth. He takes it and inputs it to his computer as he sees the drive pop up and opens it revealing 32 files all labeled from 1-32. He looks confused asking, "What's this?" I sit against the counter behind him explaining, "Open file 6."
He listens opening it as I begin telling him what's in the file that I've been working on,
"Jaxxon Lang last seen in June 1998 in Washington DC. 15 years old at the time of disappearance.
Record number 6
African American
Height- 5'6
weighs approximately 156 lbs.
Physically healthy.
Test 1- Failed. Fainted, started feeling nasus after first dosage emplaced on right shoulder. No signs of changes.
Test 2- Failed. Couldn't withhold pressure emplaced onto him. Second dosage emplaced in inner left arm, caused muscle soreness, higher blood pressure. Show's promises of being successful."
I look at him seeing him sitting there a bit confused at what this was as I tell him, "All the reports are in the file." "What is this? Why haven't I've been given this file?" "These aren't files are classified, that no one should have or know. I was able to get it thanks to my friend." "Why do you have this and does it relate to our case?" I shake my head, "No, I'm sure that Jaxxon here relates to the case, but it seems that this case lead me into finding what I've been looking for."
He looks at me to confirm, "Hunter Lang?" I nod as he then adds, "Alright, "But why do you have this file of Jaxxon Lang? Especially if it's classified government files." I nod continuing, "Go out and look at file 15."
I wait as he does what I said as I then tell him, "Record number 15... Rafi Basu missing June 1998 at 12 years old. Mother died in a car accident when he was 7 years old and was then put into the foster system. Father was a leader of a large underground cartel organization in India but was assassinated when Rafi was 11 years old by his own brother and took over. Rafi's uncle went looking for him and landed in Oregon, but only found that Rafi was reported missing."
Booth nods, "Alright, other then the two going missing in the same month and year, there's no connection." I nod, "That's true... but a few months ago when we were back in the army and when I went kidnapped for four months, I was reported that one of our own were leaking information to an unknown group of some classified information the government doesn't want out. " Booth was perplexed but then realized something, "And they sent you to figure it out." I nod a bit as I add sympathetically, "Yes... I wanted to tell you, but I was restricted not to, and the less people who knew..."
He nods sighing understanding as he then says, "Alright, but what do these two kids have in connection to your-" But he then seems to make a connection himself as he says, "It was Rafi's uncle who was wanting getting the information." I nod, "Yes, when I was taken for four months I was able to figure that out. I was able to get rid of him and everyone who knew of the classified documents, as well as extract who our rat was after being tortured for those months. It wasn't easy, but I got it done."
Booth nods seeming to think as he says, "Alright, so the classified information that you have right here are the ones that he wanted." I nod, "I only added a few things to these documents that Rafi's uncle wanted." "So all he wanted was to find his missing nephew that the government sealed away? And seeing that there are 32 files I'm assuming that these are 32 children that went missing as well. But what I don't get is why seal the other 31 files from the public and why those specific missing kids."
I hum a little as I then add, "The thing is that all 32 weren't missing at all Ranger." He turns to me, "What?" I nod, "They were reported missing, but if you check all their records you can see the dates, showing that they were alive during the process of reports." Booth quickly checks, "1999, 2000..." "It only stopped after 2 years. If you look at all the others you'll find them all the same." He nods seeing, "Yeah, but why stop right after two years? What where they trying to accomplish in two years, with them, and where are they now?"
I then look at the ground sadly answering, "They're all dead..." Booth turns looking at me a bit shocked, "What?" I nod a bit as he adds, "There should be some record showing that they are deceased. How did you find that they were all deceased." My mind goes back to that dreadful day, where I had lost my second family and took up the burden of living for them as I tell Booth dreadfully, "There was actually only one sole survivor left who witnessed everything, and the government deceived and manipulated them quiet for many years."
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "BONES". IT IS OWNED BY JOSEPHSON ENTERTAINMENT, BY HART HANSON. I ONLY CLAIM MY CHARACTER VENUS BRENNAN. I ALSO DON'T OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES. THANK YOU.