A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I'm so thrilled that people are actually reading this - please drop me a review and let me know how I'm doing:-)

Disclaimer: Nope, Bones is not mine... but the storyline is, I guess!


Booth walked quickly through the Jeffersonian, his right hand absently fingering his poker chip. It was nearly midnight, and other than the clanking footsteps of security guards patrolling or the occasional beep of a machine, everything was deathly quiet. There was something so haunting about this place at night, something so mysteriously serene.

Upon reaching Brennan's office door, he knocked against the wooden panel and waited for a few moments.

"Bones?" he called, waiting for any sound of life from the other end of the door. Booth took a few steps back and crouched on the ground, trying to peer under the door --- there clearly were no lights on in her office.

"Something I can help you with, Agent Booth?" a familiar voice asked. Booth turned to see a security guard looking at him curiously.

"Yeah I'm looking for Bon—Dr. Brennan. Do you have a key to her office?"

"I do, but it won't do you any good. Dr. Brennan left a few hours ago, I saw her leave myself. She looked pretty tired, so I figured she went home."

"She's not in her apartment." Booth said, looking at the security guard straight in the eye.

"I have to get back to work, but I'll let you know if she comes back."

"Yeah, thanks." Booth said, taking one last look at his partner's closed door before turning to exit the building. On his way out to the car, Booth pulled out his cell phone to call Brennan's apartment.

"This is Angela" the voice on the other end said, her usual bubbly tone slightly subdued.

"Ange it's Booth, Bones isn't at the lab. Have you heard from her yet?"

"No, nothing. Booth do you think we should be worried? I mean, she's probably just gone out to clear her head, but it's not like her not to answer her phone."

"I don't know what to think, I just want to know where she is. Look, I'm on my way back to the apartment, just sit tight for a couple minutes." Booth clicked his phone shut and put his head against the headrest. Bones… where are you?


Brennan watched in horror as the numbers continued to flutter by – the bright digits staining imprints on her eyes. The device was so tight against her that it was difficult to get a deep breath; she was also afraid that movement might trigger the detonator.

Slowly regaining her usual level of coherence, she searched her memory for any clue of how she ended up like this. The last thing she remembered was opening the door to her apartment, then there was nothing. It was as if this were a dream, a horribly real dream.

The past week the team had been working on a case dealing with the Moretti family – a well known DC family under suspicion for ties with the mafia. Four men had been murdered, execution style, with a single gun shot to the head. What had made the case so curious was the notes that had been attached to the victims chests – they were riddles, each of them leading to the next victim.

Booth had been so angry with Brennan when he discovered that she had gone to speak to one of the Morettis without him. Furious, actually. Brennan knew she had been playing with fire, but the information she had gained from the meeting was invaluable and could put away Gino Moretti for years – maybe even solve their case.

She was drawn out of her thoughts when the numbers on the panel flashed, marking the beginning of a new hour. 5:00:00:00 the clock read. 5 hours.

Temperance had 5 hours left to live.


"Ange it's me, open up." Booth said, knocking on Brennan's apartment door.

"Anything?" she asked, stepping aside as Booth entered the apartment.

"The guard said she left the lab a few hours ago, and there's no sign of her here. I called Sid on my way here and he said she hadn't been in either."

Angela nervously ran a hand through her hair, "So now we just wait? We can't just sit here doing nothing. Her car's still here, maybe we should drive around –"

All of a sudden the window shattered as an object careened through and crashed to the floor. Angela screamed and Booth whipped around to face the window, his gun drawn. Tiny shreds of glass sparkled on the floor, surrounding a large brick.

"Booth! Booth what is it?" Angela said, her hands over her mouth still in shock.

"Stay away from the windows." Booth barked, leaning to pick up the brick. It was in that moment that Booth was sure his heart skipped a beat. He flipped the brick over to reveal a piece of paper with dark bold letters:

I now have your attention

My message should be clear

Five hours before the instant death

Of the doctor you hold so dear


Booth dropped the brick and ran out of the apartment as fast as he could towards the stairwell. Booth could hear Angela shouting behind him, but he didn't care. He was going to catch whoever threw that brick, and when he did he was going to come as close as he could to killing them.

Inhale

He nearly threw himself down the flight of stairs, his feet barely touching the metal steps. His gun was drawn as he smashed himself against the door and ran out into cool spring air. Street lamps illuminated the dreary pavement, as he ran towards the front of the building where the brick would have been thrown. "FBI" he yelled as hard as he could, his voice nearly breaking. He reached the front of the building, and there was no sign of life at all. Burnt tire tracks left a tell-tale design on the pavement; Booth knew he was too late.

Exhale

Booth swore and started to pace manically. He was about to throw his gun on the ground out of pure frustration when he looked and heard sirens coming his way. Angela had called the police moments after Booth had begun his chase, and for that he was grateful.

"Agent Booth, we got a call that –"

"They're gone. Follow me." Booth yelled, running towards the building entrance with the group of agents behind him.

The next half hour was torture, though not in the literal sense of the word. Angela remained frozen on the couch, tears running down her face and clutching Brennan's phone. Booth, on the other hand, was livid.

A team of investigators swarmed Brennan's living room, and several other agents had accumulated in the apartment as well. "Agent Booth, the riddle matches those on the Moretti case. Same rhyme scheme, same style –"

"You think I don't know that?" Booth snapped, then attempted to regain his composure. "Look, this has to mean something… there has to be a clue in this." He said, pacing back and forth furiously.

"Five hours before the instant death…instant death… that has to mean something."


Come on Brennan, think. There must be something you can do… she thought to herself, clenching her eyes shut. She focused hard on the sounds around her – trying to listen for car traffic, animals, anything to give a hint to her location.

As if mirroring her thoughts, Brennan heard footsteps and a door creak open. "Help! Please, who's there?" Brennan shouted, trying not to move the device. "Booth? Booth is that you?"

"Hello Dr. Brennan." A man's voice said quietly. There was not an ounce of emotion in his voice. Kept in darkness, Brennan strained her eyes to see the man, but to no avail.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Brennan hissed into the darkness, trying to keep all fear out of her voice.

"You should have kept his advice, Dr. Brennan. You should have just let the case go…" the man's voice whispered hauntingly.

"What do you want?" Brennan asked, stalling for time. She couldn't quite place his voice, but knew it was so familiar.

"I want nothing, Dr. Brennan. I want no ransom, I want nothing but your life. And that I will have."

Brennan let out a dry sob, up until now she had tried to stay calm and suppress emotion and any hint of claustrophobic thoughts. She had to stay strong, she had to stay focused.

Hearing the footsteps retreat and the door creak open she cried out, "Wait! Please wait!" She heard the door slam shut, and she was left alone again with the flashing red numbers.

Maybe this was it. Maybe the bomb would go off and pieces of her body would anonymously scattered and collected by her own team. Maybe they would never know what happened.

Maybe.


"Agent Booth, we found this in Dr. Brennan's car, it's addressed to you." The younger agent handed Booth a folded piece of paper and Booth grabbed it immediately. Before opening it, he said a silent prayer. Please let me find you… Bones I need to find you… He opened the paper and found more large bolded letters:

There's nothing left to do

You can't rewrite the past

If you want to see her alive

You'd better get here fast

Flipping the paper over the instant he had finished reading the sickening rhyme, Booth's eyes widened:

194 Wharf Street, Warehouse #2D

Booth was on his way, but he had no idea what he was about to witness.


Whew! So what did you think? Oh, and holy angst alert for the next chapter... but I hope you like it so far! Please review!!