The Doom in the Boom

(engine revving)

(tires squealing)

You're not the police.

Yeah, not even close.

You the ones who called this in?

Yeah, like, 30 seconds ago.

Nice.

How'd you know?

I was down the street when I heard the call come in over my scanner.

What the hell are you two doing out here?

We were out here practicing our 50-50's, and we just found this guy lying here all dead and stuff.

Nice!

Well, you guys can get back to your skating.

I got this. Thanks.

Why are you filming him?

You some kind of freak or something?

I'm a news stringer, man.

I-I videotape crime scenes for a living.

People pay you for this?

How much?

Uh, something like this, depending on the news organization, I might get, like, $300 or $400.

Hey, we're the ones who found this body.

We should be the ones getting paid.

Hey, how much do they pay for an extreme close-up?

Come on!

You're ruining my...

Stop. Stop. Come on.

Whoa, whoa.

Please, just get...

(siren whoops)

(younger guys laugh)

Great!

Yeah, now the cops are here.

Yeah, got it.

Yeah, that was Aubrey.

There was a body found in Columbia Heights.

So does this mean you'll be missing date night?

Nah, Aubrey can take care of himself.

Besides, I don't want to miss that whore sauce.

Will you please stop referring to the puttanesca as "whore sauce."

I'm sorry but does (doorbell rings) "puttanesca" not mean "in the style of the whore" in Italian?

Yeah, it does, and every time I make it, I regret having told you that.

Whore sauce.

Hi.

Hi. Aw.

Looks like I'll be representing the Hodgins clan alone tonight.

Oh, Hodgins was called out to the scene at Columbia Heights, I presume?

Yeah. I guess that means there'll be more wine for us.

Tell you what.

We'll send home a doggie bag for bug boy.

Ooh, it smells good.

Oh, look at that!

Okay, that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Christine really loves her baby brother, huh?

Yeah, for now. Check back in ten or 12 years.

Have you had any luck convincing Hodgins to have another baby?

No. I think he's pretty happy with the way things are.

And I guess I am, too.

I'm just worried that Michael Vincent's gonna get lonely.

Booth: Worried?

Come on, I've seen that kid play down at the park.

He's got a bigger entourage than Floyd Mayweather.

Brennan: And even if he were lonely, studies show that having sufficient time alone is extremely beneficial to the development of a child's imagination.

Fine. Well, then, maybe he'll create some imaginary siblings for himself.

Do you know where the opener is?

No, but the whore sauce is burning.

(indistinct police radio communication)

Aubrey: Okay. Excuse me.

This is the body of a human being.

Want to have a little respect, please?

Tell you what. Can we, uh, go ahead and push that perimeter back another ten yards?

Oh, boy. So... what do my beautiful-brained colleagues have for me tonight?

Hodgins: Might want to watch the way you talk about Cam's brain there, Aubrey.

Wouldn't want her man overhearing.

Oh, the, uh, photojournalist?

His name is Sebastian, and he's not my man.

That's not what the smile on your face is saying.

The smile on my face is saying "Mind your own business."

(Hodgins chuckling)

What about the victim's face?

What's their face saying?

Saroyan: Uh, not much.

Looks like scavengers ate through most of it, but... the height of the pinna and length of the lobule suggest the victim was a male in his mid- to late-40s.

You got all that off half an ear?

I guess you could call me the ear whisperer.

Ooh-- sorry to interrupt your clever turn of phrase there, but something's not right underneath this guy's shirt.

It's like he's sucking in his gut.

Okay.

Okay, that does not look natural.

Saroyan: Ooh. Wow.

I'm gonna call the lab and tell them to prep the platform.

According to this little maggot mosh-pit, this guy's been dead for two days.

This is a high traffic area.

I mean, people come in and out of this lot all day.

Which means there's no way that this guy would go unnoticed for two entire days.

Someone dropped him here.

They wanted us to find this body.

(phone ringing, buzzing)

Maybe that's them now.

(ringing continues)

That's weird. There's a wire that's attached to the...

(shouting): Back! Everybody back! Now!

(explosion thundering)

♪ ♪

(siren approaching)

♪ ♪ ♪ Bones 11x10 ♪ The Doom in the Boom Original Air Date on December 10, 2015

♪ Main Title Theme ♪ The Crystal Method

♪ ♪

(siren wailing in distance)

Cam, what-what happened?

I don't know.

I ju... I just stepped away to make a call, and, uh, Hodgins and Aubrey-- they were... they were right there when the body blew up.

Oh, my God.

The doctors won't tell me anything.

I have no idea what's going on.

Just relax.

We're gonna get the answers when there's answers to give.

Is anyone else hurt?

Four dead so far.

Uh, all cops, all pronounced dead at the scene.

No, I can't... I can't do this.

I have to, um... I have to find out what's going on.

I'm gonna find the doctor.

Oh, my God.

Hey, hey.

Hi.

I'm okay. I'm okay.

Just a big ball of sore, but nothing a little aspirin can't cure.

How about Aubrey?

I-I saw them rushing him into surgery.

It didn't look good.

He pulled me out of the way.

He used his body as a shield to protect me.

Aubrey saved my life.

Montenegro: I think we should...

We should go home. You should... you should get some rest.

No way, Angie, no.

Not while the son of a bitch is still out there that did this.

Hodgins is right. This guy just blew up a bunch of cops.

He's gonna pay for what he did.

Well, then, let's get to work.

Look, everything goes through me, all right?

Until Aubrey gets better, I'm gonna take the lead on the case.

(soft piano song plays)

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

Booth: I'm having the bodies of the four cops killed in the blast sent to the lab for an autopsy.

Look, we're gonna have our hands full on this one.

Are you sure you want to take this case, Booth?

What are you talking about?

Aubrey may die.

Don't talk like that!

Aubrey is not gonna die.

He may, and if he does, I'm worried you'll... react the same way you did when Sweets died.

Okay, look, when Sweets died, I blamed myself.

You understand?

The weight of the guilt is what drove me to gamble again.

How do I know you won't find some way to blame yourself if Aubrey dies?

The jagged bone fragments positioned outwardly suggests the blast originated from within the victim's rib cage.

Well, that's certainly not the easiest place to plant a bomb.

Placing the bomb in this man's chest was not about ease.

It was about efficiency.

So, the killer wanted to use the ribs as shrapnel.

Angela, are all those photographs necessary?

What?

The skull is in pieces until it's put back together.

Any attempt at a facial reconstruction is pointless.

Sorry. I just...

My mind was somewhere else.

As it should be.

You almost lost your husband tonight.

But I didn't... and I just don't get it.

Why are we always the lucky ones?

Vaziri: Because someone needs to be there to help the ones who aren't.

Dr. Vaziri.

Arastoo.

Hi.

Hi.

I saw what happened on the news.

Cam, are you okay?

I'm fine.

I didn't know you were in town.

I wasn't, but I came as quickly as I could.

Well, thank you for your concern, but like I said, I'm fine.

Perhaps I can help.

That's very kind of you, but we're okay.

Brennan: Well, actually, I've been so focused on these remains, I've forgotten to call in an intern.

I don't think Arastoo wants to go back to being your intern, Dr. Brennan.

He wouldn't be.

He'd be my consultant.

I'll be whatever you need me to be.

I would just like to help.

Angela, can you please swipe Arastoo onto the platform?

(electronic whirring, beeping)

Is everything okay?

Yeah, it's just... it looks like something's glimmering on the lateral aspect of the victim's right distal femur.

Brennan: Dr. Vaziri is correct.

The victim has an artificial knee.

The serial number on it should be able to provide us with an I.D.

Wow, you don't waste any time, do you?

Booth: Okay, well, just give me a call as soon as you know something.

Great. Thanks.

Any update on Aubrey's condition?

It's been three hours; he's still in surgery.

That's not good, is it?

Well, it ain't great.

(sighs) I swear I'm gonna catch the guy who did this.

Eh, between Aubrey and the four dead cops, I'm sitting on a mountain of hell.

Yeah, well, your mountain just got a little bit bigger.

The lab's got an I.D. on the initial victim.

His name is Thomas Gallo. DCPD.

So a cop was killed, and his body was then used to blow up more cops.

The killer obviously has an issue with police.

I know a behavioral analyst down at the BRIU who specializes in these types of cases.

I'll have her down here first thing in the morning.

All right, fine.

Do whatever you need to do.

I will. And right now, that means saying a prayer for your scrawny little partner.

(sighs heavily)

Hey. I finished going through Gallo's clothing, which was covered in asbestos fibers.

Hmm. The piece of lung I examined didn't contain any.

Really? Which means Gallo was already dead by the time he was exposed to it.

So, maybe we can use the asbestos to pinpoint where the killer took Gallo's body to plant that bomb.

Unfortunately, the presence of asbestos still isn't as rare as it should be.

But, you know what?

I'm gonna find us something that'll help narrow it down.

I know you will.

I imagine this has to be pretty difficult for you.

If you're referring to the fact that I've got the bodies of four dead police officers in front of me, then yes, it is extremely difficult.

Yes, and if I were also referring to the fact that your ex-boyfriend were back at the lab?

Then I don't want to talk about it.

So I take it that means Arastoo doesn't know about Sebastian?

The last time I saw or spoke to Arastoo was the night he quit.

That was... months ago, Dr. Hodgins.

And yet the minute he heard what happened, he dropped everything to come rushing down here.

It's obvious Arastoo still cares about you.

And I still care about him, but right now I care more about catching a cop killer.

Is there anything else?

(knocking)

Yeah.

Hi. Hey! I am so sorry I'm late.

Actually, you know what, I was here on time, but I was going through security and I realized that I forgot my badge at home, so I had to drive home, grab my badge, and just floor it to get back.

I mean, I didn't floor it, you know...

I drove the speed limit.

Who are you?

Oh, God. You are Agent Booth, aren't you?

Oh, no, am I in the wrong office?

No, no, no, you're in the right office.

Yeah, I'm-I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth.

But I'm on my way into an interview.

Something I can help you with?

Um, I'm-I'm Karen Delfs.

From the BRIU.

The behavioral analyst.

Yeah. Which means I'm usually pretty good at picking up when somebody is upset about something.

Look, I'm so sorry I forgot my badge, but the only reason I did it is because I've been so hyper-focused on studying up on this case.

Look, I'm not upset at you.

I don't even know who you are.

I'm upset because somebody tried to blow up my friend.

Right. I'm so sorry.

Agent James Aubrey.

Yes. Aubrey.

So, you've been studying this case?

Yes.

Is there anything that you can give me to help me find the killer?

Absolutely.

I think that the fact that the initial victim was a cop speaks to a level of sophistication on the killer's part.

I mean, killing a cop takes a lot of planning and organization.

Right. Which means more likely that he's killed before.

I also think that there was a reason that Officer Gallo was targeted specifically.

See, we find that reason, and maybe we find our killer.

That's amazing.

You drove all the way down here twice just to tell me something that I already know.

Apparently, I did.

You did.

But thank you.

You're... welcome.

Great. Thanks, Lieutenant for coming in.

Can you have a seat?

Yeah, sure.

So, you are the head of the DCPD gang unit, is that correct?

Yeah, it is.

Gallo was one of my guys.

Been with my crew for the past ten years.

We have reason to believe that Officer Gallo was targeted specifically.

So you have some suspects in mind?

La Serpiente.

They're an El Salvadoran gun-running outfit.

Yeah, I'm familiar with them.

That's a pretty serious organization.

Yeah, and we haven't been able to nail them on anything substantial.

So we've been attempting to dismantle the gang by pestering them with minor violations.

Speeding, jaywalking, that sort of thing.

So you're saying that Gallo was targeted because he was passing out jaywalking tickets?

Four days ago, Gallo pulled over the head of La Serpiente for a broken taillight.

Searched the car-- found an unregistered .44.

It was the guy's third strike.

Four days ago.

That was the day before Gallo was killed.

Yeah, it was a big bust.

Made the local news and everything.

Gallo went out that night to celebrate.

Where?

Cop bar called Morty's.

He was last seen leaving there about 1:30 in the morning.

So you've been looking into this already.

Well, when Gallo went missing, I started to have my suspicions, but without a body, I couldn't get very far.

Well, do me a favor, next time you have your suspicions make sure you run 'em by me.

I'm head of this case now.

(door opens)

Caroline: Julian Molina.

Says here you're the right hand to the leader of La Serpiente.

If that's what your little piece of paper tells you, it must be true.

It also tells me, within the past month, you received two parking violations and a citation for littering.

All that pestering by the DCPD must have pissed you off.

I must have been careless with my bubble gum wrappers.

I can't fault the boys in blue for doing their job.

Not even when that job means taking down your boss on weapons charges?

(laughs): Is that what this is about?

You think I had something to do with bomb boy?

"Bomb boy" was the cop responsible for the big man's arrest.

So I blew him up, huh?

Then used his body to send a message to the force to back off.

My boss is a very smart man.

He's certainly not the type to leave an unregistered weapon in his vehicle.

If you know what I'm saying.

Yeah.

What your sorry behind is saying is that you planted the gun.

Who, me? No.

(laughs)

With your boss out of the way, you're in prime position to take over the gang.

Well, if that were true, I'd owe it all to bomb boy.

Do you really think I would kill the cop responsible for my promotion?

Well... clearly, loyalty isn't your strong suit.

(chuckles): Hey.

There he is.

Welcome back.

Were you guys just watching me sleep?

Caroline: Apparently, we're not the only ones.

According to the visitors log, Jessica Warren's already been by twice.

Ladies love a hero, huh?

I'd smile, but I'm in too much pain.

I feel like I got hit by a truck carrying more trucks.

Doctors pulled seven pieces of shrapnel out of that bony little body of yours.

Luckily, none of them hit any arteries or vital organs.

Hodgins: Brother, if I could take any of that pain off your hands, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I owe you big-time.

How's everybody else?

It was a rough night, Cher.

Morning, Dr. Brennan.

You'll be happy to know that I've already cleaned, separated, and rearticulated the remains, as much as possible.

Excellent work, Dr. Vaziri.

And I'm nearly finished with the reconstruction of the skull.

I must say I wasn't expecting you back in the lab today.

I told you, I wanted to help catch the killer.

I plan on being here until that happens.

And you've cleared this with your new employers?

Actually, I don't have an employer.

Oh. You've gone into the private sector?

I haven't gone into any sector.

Things have been pretty tough for me since leaving the Jeffersonian.

I'm sorry to hear that.

So, what have you discovered from your reconstruction of the victim's skull?

Evidence of projectile trauma on the parietal, near the lamdoidal suture.

The projectile exited through the glabella.

Judging by the size of the wound, this was created by a small-caliber weapon.

And the presence of gunshot residue says the weapon was fired from close range.

Cause of death appears to be consistent with a gangland assassination.

And further evidence pointing toward La Serpiente.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I just finished analyzing the shrapnel Cam pulled from the deceased officers.

Were you able to determine the type of device used in the attack?

The bomb was made of steel, and it was loaded with black powder and match heads.

A pipe bomb?

Yeah, exactly. I mean, this is Bomb-Making 101.

And not at all consistent with the type of bomb a sophisticated operation like La Serpiente would use.

Unfortunately, no, it's not.

Montenegro: So, DCPD uses a system known as ShotSpotter.

The red dots indicate the location of the gunshots heard three nights ago.

Well, the victim was last seen leaving Morty's bar at 1:30, so we can lose all the gunfire prior to that.

Montenegro: As well as where the arrests were made.

Saroyan: That leaves us with two.

Hopefully not after I run the gunshots through the sound-forging software.

Now we just plot the decibels as a function of frequency.

And what exactly are we watching for?

The frequencies at which the two gunshots came in.

Small-caliber firearms tend to have higher decibels, but not so much in the lower frequencies.

(recorded gunshots)

So the fact that the first shot had a higher decibel in the lower frequency means it came from a large-caliber weapon?

And since our victim was shot with a small-caliber gun...

Saroyan: Means we found where the victim was murdered.

ShotSpotter's accurate up to ten feet, so the murder had to have taken place somewhere around here.

Well, dark alley-- plenty of cover. I hate to say it, but this is the perfect place to ambush a drunk cop on his way home after the bar.

Saroyan: Well, Booth is contacting nearby businesses.

Hopefully, someone will remember seeing something.

Look.

There is blood speckled all over this wall.

All right, well, we know that the victim was shot at point-blank range, so I'm hoping that maybe we'll be able to find...

Bingo.

Bullet casing.

From a small-caliber pistol, just like the one used to kill Gallo.

Okay. All right.

When I head back to the lab, I'm gonna see if I can actually sw-- (groaning)

You okay?

Uh, yeah.

(phone ringing)

Just remind me not to, uh, stand near any more exploding bodies, huh?

(sighs)

Okay, Booth says that a busboy from a nearby restaurant remembers seeing a bright orange Mustang out here around the time of the shooting.

Wait a second.

There was a bright orange Mustang at the crime scene yesterday.

Yeah, I'm guessing that's no coincidence.

Booth: So, Seth, I've been talking to my friends over at the DCPD.

Turns out that you've made a lot of enemies inside the department.

So?

Fewer cards to send out at Christmas.

Why do you hate cops so much?

No, man.

I'm not biting. I've been around enough crime scenes to know how you guys work.

Have you been around so many crime scenes because you're the one who made them?

Are you kidding me?

Look, I'm around so many crime scenes because I'm good at my job, okay?

I-I know which neighborhoods to hang around.

Okay, look, you know what, we can place you at the alley where Gallo...

(whispering): Sorry. Keep going.

...was killed...

Keep going.

...three nights ago.

I-I intercepted a call about a possible shooting, but when I got to the alley there was nothing there, so I left-- I swear.

All right, well, we'll see about that.

Look at these. Hmm?

Seth: Is this my work?

I-I never gave you guys my camera, so how'd you get these images?

Oh, I didn't get these from you. I got them from the news organizations that you've been selling them to.

Which is, again, why I'm late. And I'm so sorry.

Shh, shh. Wow, look, these really are gruesome, aren't they?

Mm-hmm. Mr. Dirklin seems to be very comfortable around death and gore.

In fact, his work seems to be completely devoid of any emotion.

To be a successful news stringer, you need to be able to detach yourself from the job. That's all I'm doing.

Also, to commit a series of heinous crimes simply as a means of making money, you would need a certain level of detachment.

Right. Your footage of the bomb going off is being played across the country.

And every time it gets played, you're getting paid.

Right?

So he must be the only one who's profiting from these crimes.

That does not look good for you.

Mm-mm.

Creepy! This looks like one of those found-footage horror films.

Yeah, except this is real life.

This is footage Dirklin took in the alley on the night that Gallo was murdered.

What's going on?

Um... can you stop what you're doing for a second?

Yeah.

I came to tell you that...

I'm ready.

Ready? Ready for what?

To have another baby.

Or two.

Or... seven.

As many curly-headed little ones as you want.

But I thought... I thought you said, um, you were comfortable with what we have.

I know I did. I know, Angie, but after what happened yesterday, I realized that there's still so much in life I want to experience with you, you know? And I... I don't want to die. I-I want to keep growing. The only way for me to do that is to get out of my comfort zone.

Well, yeah, let's... let's keep growing.

Yeah? (chuckles): Good. (chuckles)

But let's catch this killer first.

Wait, I thought that Booth said that the crime scene videographer was looking good for it.

Well, he was, but then I looked through all the footage, and there's nothing there.

Yeah, but he could've shot this while he was waiting for the victim to leave the bar and make his way down the alley.

Hey, there's something back there.

Behind the Dumpster.

Like a rat?

Give me a second.

No, it's a human being standing over a dead body.

Dirklin caught the killer on camera, and he-he didn't even know it.

Which unfortunately means it isn't Dirklin.

Our killer's still out there.

Upon completion of the thoracic area, I discovered sharp force trauma on the body of the sternum, as well as the left and right side ribs, three through six.

Lack of hemorrhagic staining suggests these are postmortem injuries.

The trauma is also inconsistent with the damage sustained during the explosion.

The killer must have broken these bones to plant the bomb in the rib cage.

If we can determine the implement used to create these injuries, it may lead us closer to the killer.

The striae appear to have variant trajectories.

Vaziri: One set has a superior direction, the other inferior.

Which is suggestive of some sort of extremely powerful shearing tool.

Have Dr. Hodgins swab the wounds for particulates.

Saroyan: I was able to recover a print off the bullet casing we found in the alley.

Any match on the print?

I got a hit off IAFIS.

It belongs to a man named Scott Larette.

I'll notify Booth.

(sighs)

Uh, hey.

Hey.

Dr. Brennan said that you're having difficulties finding a job.

Oh, I'll find something.

How are things with you?

Oh, good.

Everything's good. Just... working, you know?

Sure.

I'm sorry. This is weird.

(chuckling): Yeah, extremely.

I'm gonna... go.

Yeah, yeah. I need to get back to the bones, so...

Yeah.

Aubrey: Behavioral analyst?

So you're like a real-life Clarice Starling?

I never thought about it like that before.

That is totally true.

All right, enough of the happy talk.

It's time to get to work.

Where's Booth?

On his way to pick up Larette.

So, in the meantime, we're gonna study up.

Here's all we got on the guy.

Larette's fingerprints are already in the system because he'd applied for a position with DCPD. Multiple times.

This guy wanted to be a cop?

Delfs: Well, that was never gonna happen.

I mean, according to his file, he failed his psychological exam due to anger issues.

So the cranky little man had to settle for part-time work as a security guard.

You know, the constant rejection at the hands of the police could have certainly fueled Larette's tendency towards rage.

This must have been his way of getting back at the force for rejecting him.

(phone rings)

No luck at Larette's apartment.

Booth's saying it looks like he hasn't been home all week.

We got to find this guy before he strikes again.

Got the results of the swab to the rib injuries.

Did you find anything we could use?

There were traces of latex in the wounds.

Well, the killer probably wore latex gloves to do the job.

No, if that were the case, I would've found anti-degradants in it.

Do you mind? So, this was preprocessed latex.

The only place that you're likely to find preprocessed latex is in a processing center.

Wow, there are at least a half a dozen of these places in town.

Yes, but only one of them recently shut down and used asbestos in their insulation.

And since we found asbestos on our victim's clothing...

It means that this has got to be the place the killer brought Gallo's body to plant the bomb.

Man: Agent Booth.

What do we got?

Got a body over here.

He's wearing a holster.

Think it might be another cop.

Okay, look, everybody back until we get the bomb squad out here.

(rats squeaking)

Move!

The victim appears to have suffered a single gunshot to the frontal bone.

Shot in the head.

Just like our first victim.

Yeah. Who also had a bomb stuffed into his chest.

So please tell me someone's checked to make...

No, I can assure you these remains are explosive-free.

(phone ringing)

(gasps)

Relax. It's me.

Yeah. Maybe put that on vibrate next time.

Sorry.

Hey.

Yeah, I'm fine. I...

I know. I'm sorry. I was at the lab late last night, and...

Seems a bit unlike Cam to take a personal call in the middle of a case like this.

(sighs) It's probably just Sebastian.

Who's Sebastian?

Hmm?

Hodgins, who's Sebastian?

He's... no one.

He's just a guy who exists in reality.

Are he and Cam dating?

(chuckling): What?

Why would you...

I mean, how would I...

What makes you think...

Yeah.

I wouldn't worry about it, dude.

Seriously, the guy's not really around that much.

I mean, he's this, like, photojournalist who's always off in some, like, war-torn country.

Which is actually really impressive. But not... not as impressive as you.

I mean, you're totally impressive, even without a job.

I'm gonna stop talking now.

No, it's great.

I mean, for Cam.

She deserves to be happy.

Based on the posteriorly slanted frontal bone and the angular eye orbits, the victim was a Caucasian male.

How's it looking for time of death?

Well, according to the third instar Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis larvae, this victim's been dead for about five days.

Meaning this victim was killed before Gallo.

Montenegro: Hey.

So it looks like Booth finally found Scott Larette.

That's awesome.

Yeah, nah, it's not that awesome.

According to my facial reconstruction, it's the man lying on this table.

Aubrey: Wait, so if Larette wasn't a cop, then why was he found wearing a holster?

The owner of the processing plant was having problems with scrap metal theft so he hired him on to work security.

Well, what kind of security guard carries a gun?

Uh, somebody who wants to become a cop, you know?

Bottom line is they didn't find the gun in the holster.

So the killer must have taken it.

Booth: Which would explain why we found Larette's prints on the casing of the bullet that killed Gallo.

Delfs: I could've sworn I put my phone in my purse before we left the office.

Karen, do you realize that we're just figuring something out right now?

I know, and I want to help.

Look, I was building a psychological profile of the killer, and I was storing the notes on my phone; I... so I...

Sorry. One second.

Okay. Wow.

Is that a mousetrap?

Why do you have a mousetrap in your purse? (chuckles)

I have no idea.

Okay. I'm just gonna...

That's not weird.

Okay.

Got it. Sorry.

So...

Right. The fact that Gallo was on TV shortly before his death suggests that the killer seeks notoriety.

So the killer wanted to be known for taking down a hero cop.

Gallo had become a symbol for good policing, and our killer wanted to destroy that symbol.

Wait, Larette wasn't a cop, okay?

How does he factor in all this?

Well, he may not have a badge, but he was walking around with a gun and a holster.

Both are obvious markers of authority.

So you're saying that our killer doesn't have an issue with the police specifically...

I'm saying that his problem is with authority in general.

Booth: Which means we have no idea who he's going after next.

Dr. Brennan, there appears to be chipping at the external edges of the entry wound.

Oh. This injury is common in suicides, where the gun is pressed against the skull.

The chipping occurs as a result of recoil.

So, like Gallo, Larette was also shot from close range with a small-caliber weapon.

Most likely his own.

Dr. Vaziri, I have come to the conclusion I would like to aid in your effort to find a job.

That's quite all right.

You've already done plenty for me.

I am very well-respected in my field.

My influence knows no bounds.

I know.

But I think it's time for me to leave the nest and learn to fly on my own.

Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm here for you.

There appears to be microfracturing on the left ulna.

Well, the location of the fracturing suggests a defensive wound.

Meaning it wasn't a well-planned assassination, like with Gallo.

The killer struggled with Larette before killing him.

And the more they struggled, the more chance the killer left behind something that could point back to him.

Brennan: Booth, I got your text.

What do you need to see me about?

We got nothing here, Bones.

We don't know who the killer is; we don't know what his next move is gonna be...

Which is why I should be back at the lab, working.

All right, look, if we could figure out his next target, maybe we could set a trap and catch the killer before he strikes again.

But you just said you have no idea who the killer is going after next.

I do if it's me.

What...

You want to make yourself a target?

The killer has an issue with authority figures.

If I could paint myself on the news as an authority figure on this case...

After all that you've been through with Jared?

I just got you back.

I know.

Caroline, please, can you give us a minute?

Oh, sure, but some other time.

You two need to see this.

...and if they think a few pieces of shrapnel are gonna stop me, they got another thing coming.

What is Aubrey doing out of the hospital?

By the looks of it, something severely shaded in stupid.

Damn it, Aubrey.

Now, let me be clear--

I am the authority, and I will catch the person responsible for these horrific acts.

You can count on it.

That boy just painted a big, bright target right smack in the center of his puffed-up chest.

(reporters clamoring on TV)

(sighs heavily)

(clamor continues)

Agent Aubrey might have bought us some time, but if he gets hurt again, it's on us.

It's not on us.

It's on him.

Agent Aubrey's actions were thoughtless and immature.

At least now we know who the killer's going after.

We don't know anything for sure, and until we find something on these remains, it'll stay that way.

You're right.

So let's get to work and find ourselves a killer.

That'll put us halfway there.

I just finished analyzing the tissue and found postmortem tears to the muscle surrounding Larette's hips as well as his shoulders.

Suggesting two people carried this body into the processing center.

So, two killers.

Two needles in a haystack are better than one, right?

There appears to be a depression fracture on the victim's occipital.

Vaziri: The diffused trauma indicates the wound was caused by a wide, flat surface.

And the presence of circular radiating fracture lines suggests an object being swung into the skull.

I'll have Hodgins swab the wound.

Well, let's hope he finds something.

For Aubrey's sake.

Booth: I don't know what you were thinking, Aubrey, but we do not go on national TV and taunt killers.

That's not how we do things around here.

You're just mad because I beat you to the punch.

I know you, Booth. You were thinking the same thing.

He's got you there, Cher.

How the hell'd you get out of the hospital in the first place?

I might have snuck out.

Snuck out.

I didn't need to be there anyway.

I'm fine.

You just put yourself in the crosshairs of a couple of deranged cop killers.

The last thing you are is fine.

Right, you wear that thing, okay?

Until we find these killers, 'cause now, you're a target.

Aubrey: Okay.

(phone trills)

It's Hodgins. They said that they found paraffin wax in the back of the victim's skull.

So, what, the killer hit him in the back of the head with a giant candle?

Wax.

Wait a second, that's it.

That would explain the wax that they found on the railing outside the abandoned plant.

Yeah, but didn't Brennan say that the weapon was swung into the victim's head?

Look, when Parker used to wax at the curb in front of our house so the skating would be smoother.

Brennan described the weapon as having a wide, flat surface.

The victim was hit in the back of the head with a skateboard.

Booth, the kids that called in Gallo's body-- they discovered it while they were skating.

And by discovering it, they gave themselves the perfect excuse to be at the crime scene.

They wanted to witness their work in action.

FBI. We're looking for your son Alex. Is he here?

Alex is in his bedroom.

What's this all about?

Would you step outside, please.

What?

Step out of the house.

♪ I would own you ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ Just for an hour ♪ ♪ Just for ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ I won't say ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Do I pull you in ♪ ♪ Like you own me ♪ ♪ Will I go insane ♪ ♪ How you have this hold ♪ ♪ On me ♪ ♪ And you know I ♪ ♪ I'm out of my mind ♪ ♪ Do I pull you in like you pull me ♪ ♪ How you have this hold... on me... ♪

(song slowly fades out)

Careful, Cher, or you're gonna pop a stitch.

It'll be worth it.

Caroline: Oh, there she is.

How was it with the little devil children?

Well... the leader of the two is an extremely intelligent kid with clear psychopathic tendencies.

A pretty deadly combination.

Aubrey: I'm guessing he's the one who was practically foaming at the mouth when we took them down?

Well, the kid's father was a cop.

He died years ago.

Seems the job took a toll on the man and he would then, in turn, go home and redirect his anger onto his wife and his kid.

When the authority figure in your life starts treating you like a punching bag, eventually you're gonna punch back.

Right, so when he and his friend got into a scuffle with the security guard over skating on private property...

He punched back.

And next thing you know, the little creep is manipulating his simpleton buddy into waging an all-out war on authority.

Okay, well, just so you don't have to keep calling them the Creep and the Simpleton, the boys names' are...

Caroline: I don't need their names.

The world doesn't need to know their names.

These fools wanted notoriety and I'm gonna make damn sure they never get it.

I second that.

Oh, my God.

I just realized I was so focused on this case that I forgot to eat today.

Could I just... Just, like, one bite.

Oh, my God.

From the other side.

Are you serious?

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm!

Mmm. Oh!

What are you doing?

Mmm...

Relax, tough guy. I'll buy you another one.

Are you sure? Because you might be so focused on eating it that you forget.

Ha, ha. Ugh.

You put pickles in here?

I want what she's having.

Hey.

Hey.

I guess this is it, huh?

I have to apologize.

I lied to you.

Lied to me?

About not having a job.

I don't understand.

I don't officially have one, but... there's this facility in Berlin that's been pretty aggressive in courting me.

I would have my own lab and everything.

That's incredible!

Congratulations!

I haven't decided if I'm gonna take the job.

Why not? It sounds like an amazing opportunity.

It's everything you ever wanted.

Why wouldn't you take it?

Because it's in Berlin.

And you're not.

Don't d... Please don't do this.

Look, I love you.

And I realize now I should have never walked away.

I'm not ready to give up on you yet.

You're more important to me than any job could ever be.

Hell, I'd go and make cheese sandwiches for minimum wage if it meant coming home to you every night.

I'm seeing someone.

I know.

But is it serious?

I... I don't know.

Well, if you don't know, then it's not serious.

Please.

I want to be back in your life.

What do you say?

(clattering, woman screams)

That sounds like... Angela.

Help!

Saroyan: Angela!

Oh, my God.

Angela, what happened?

I-I don't know.

We were just... we were walking out and-and he... and he fell.

Don't move him. I'm gonna call an ambulance.

Look, he's gonna be okay. It's probably just exhaustion.

Booth is right.

They'll probably just give Hodgins some fluids and send him on his way.

Ms. Montenegro.

It appears your husband suffered localized trauma during the blast.

As a result there's been significant swelling.

Brennan: Are these the results of his MRI?

Okay, um, I'm not sure I understand.

Hodgins, he was here.

He walked out of here.

He was fine.

There appears to be damage to the venous plexus surrounding the spinal cord.

And cord swelling tends to peak 24 to 48 hours after a trauma.

Okay, what-what are you saying?

Doctor: Dr. Hodgins had been taking aspirin, which caused his blood to thin.

This resulted in an epidural hematoma that is compressing his spine.

Montenegro: But it's okay, right?

I mean, he's gonna make it, right?

Of course he's gonna make it.

He's gonna be okay, right?

Somebody please tell me what's going on.

Please!

Hodgins is paralyzed, Angela.

(gasps)

♪ ♪

What's that mean?