The young doctors.

Oh shit! ITS A RAT!

~(episode 16: Woman in the Tunnel)~

We were in some climbing gear, slowly making our way down into the tunnels for the sewer system and probably old war tunnels. But Zack didn't seem to be enjoy the decent down into the dark abyss of the unknown.
"Where are we?" Temperance questioned.
"Apparently, this was an access shaft to an underwater aqueduct which has never been activated." Seeley explained.
"Pretty sure there are old war tunnels down here. I only know cause I'm part of this group of war buffs. There's this one dude in Santa Barbara that's related to Colonel Muscum T. Lassiter, which is pretty cool."
"No, no, I mean where are we geographically?" She asked ignoring what I had said.
"Oh, somewhere beneath Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenue near the National Cathedral." He told.
"Definitely around there I'd say."
"How far down? We seem very far down." Zack told as he held onto to rope as we lowered further down.
"Oh, about 60 feet so far." Seeley told not helping Zack cool.
"Is there any other way?"
"Zacks not a fan of this." I stated.
"It's a giant maze down here, but this was the fastest way to get to the body." Seeley told trying to help but not doing a great job.
"I'd hold your hand for it Zack, but it's not safe. So I'm holding your hand in spirit!" I told.
"That doesn't help Ash."
"Worth a shot."
"I've done plenty of climbing. These lines have low tolerances that are more than adequate." Temperance explained.
"What about shock tolerance? The rope jerks, pounds-feet of kinetic energy increases and snap- we fall to our deaths." Zack ranted.
"Dude, chill. We are fine, I looked at the ropes before hand to see if there were any faults. We are ok, honey bee."
"Oh... Okay. I say we just stop the chatter." Seeley told as he now began to panic a little.
'My god they shouldn't think that stuff, it'll freak them out.'

We walked towards the badly decaying body which was covered in rats feeding on the rotting flesh.
'Oh shit! It's a rat!'
"Two city workers found it. DC public works are under federal jurisdiction, so this is your party." A cop that was there told.
"Oh... Any idea what's at the top of that shaft?" Seeley asked.
"Utility tunnel for accessing steam pipes." The cop explained.
"May I borrow your gun?" Temperance asked.
"Why do you want my gun?" He asked her.
"I'm not going to shoot anyone. I promise."
"It's not a hammer or anything." He told.
"We've been working together for months, Booth. A little trust would be nice."
"Careful." He told her as he handed it to her.
"Here. Hold this." She told giving him the torch she held before shooting the gun a few times, hitting a couple of the rats before giving the gun back to Seeley. "Now they'll eat each other and leave our remains alone."
"It works I guess."
"You know, you do know I have to file a report with the review board each time I discharges a round from my weapon." Seeley complained but we ignored it.
"Pictures, Zack. The rats scattered the remains, so give me a five-meter radius. The velocity of the fall shattered her body on impact. Tibia's and fibula's broken below the knees, vertebrae compressed and shattered..." Temperance spoke, getting interrupted by Seeley.
"Her?"
"Yeah. I just hope that she was dead before the rats got to her."
"Oh, God. Any idea how long she's been down here?"
"We should have some answers when Hodgins and Ashley analyzes the bugs, but rats can strip a body in days."
"So at the moment, nope." I told as I bagged samples for me and Jack to go over.
"Shirt, pants, but no jacket or shoes. No way rats can carry that off." Seeley told but a man in the distance had caught Temperances attention.
"Excuse me! Sir? Sir!" She exclaimed as she ran after him, causing Seeley to run after her.
"We'll wait with the body!" I told as they ran off. "Besides, we should also watch out for sewer gators."
"Ash!" Zack exclaimed causing me to chuckle from how much he got scared from just the thought.
"Don't worry. We are safe." I told giving his cheek a quick kiss. "I'm not gonna let any body nor thang hurt you, Honey bee."
He didn't say anything but looked at me and it looked like he quickly looked at my lips.
'Weird. Probably the lighting.'
"Gator." I told making him jump and me laugh.
"Ash!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't help it." I told before laughing more as I went back to collecting things.
'I love hanging out with Zack.'

We were in the medico-legal lab with Jack now joining the little group.
"Her name is Marni Hunter, 24. 1.7 meters tall, left-handed. Documentary filmmaker." Temperance explained.
"Yo Zack, we taller then her."
"I guess we are."
"What about me?" Jack questioned.
"Your the same height as her. I know this cause your shorter then Zack who's 1.8."
"How tall are you?"
"Taller then Zack/me." We both told as one before Seeley talked about the case.
'I forgot he didn't know I was taller then them.'
"Fiancee reported her missing ten days ago." He told.
"The police find the guy?" Temperance asked.
"Your mole man? No."
"Don't call them mole man. That just seems offensive." I stated.
"What are we meant to call them then?" He questioned.
"I don't fucken know.... Oh wait, no I do. People."
"I've heard of those people. They patch into electrical grids down there. Some can even tap cable. I'd set time of death at about ten days, when the Missing Persons Report was filed." Jack told.
"I second that."
"You sure?" Seeley asked.
"See the ratio of fly larvae to Silphidae beetles?" Jack questioned showing it.
"He won't, so he's just gonna believe our word in it."
"Yeah. Ten days. I believe you." He spoke making me and Jack bump elbows.
"She fell approximately 40 feet and landed feet first, which explained the crushed tibias." Temperance explained.
"That what killed her?"
"Not necessarily. Her skull sustained traumatic injuries that are inconsistent with a feet-first fall."
"We found blood traces and bone chips on pieces of exposed pipe and rebar jutting from the side of the ventilation shaft." Zack continued.
"So that's what killed her?"
"No, not necessarily." Temperance told.
"The fingernails are totally clean." Me and Zack told as one.
"If she were falling, she would claw at the wall to slow her descent. It's an instinctual response."
"So she was dead before the fall."
"No. Not necessarily."
"Bones. Please. Just tell me."
"She may have simply been unconscious."
"Basically, she was alive when tossed down the shaft and the landing contributed to killing her." I told