Chapter III
The sun peaked through the blinds of the window and streaked beams across the room and warmed over Booth as he lay outstretched on the bed, his arms extended over his head. He opened his eyes and turned to where he expected to find Bones lying next to him. The bed was cold. Booth felt a sinking feeling deep in his chest. She'd left before he could hold her and reassure her that their night together was not a mistake and before he could confess more affirmations of his love for her. She was gone and Booth felt empty and afraid that she was, once again, running away from him.
The squints were gathered around Angela's computer, eyes glued to the screen at a long continuous string of letters. Booth walked in behind them and searched the group for Bones. When he saw that she was not among them he queried, "Is this from the microchip?" Angela turned to Booth. "It's a code. I did some research Booth and it's the unsolved portion of the Kryptos code. You know the sculpture code installed on the grounds of the CIA?"
Booth interrupted, "It's a code within a code. It took the CIA 8 years to break it. The fourth section of the Kryptos is still unsolved but you have to have all 4 sections completely and correctly solved in order to solve the embedded code. None of this is classified so what's the big deal. Why would this person carry around a code anyone can download on a surgically implanted microchip? It doesn't make any sense."
Angela projected on a large computer monitor, the printed pages of the coded text. There were four coded ciphers and three decoded messages for the first three ciphers. Then there was an eighth piece of paper that Angela scanned and projected. It also contained a string of letters. It was ripped in half and written in red ink. Cam asked. "So what's this one?"
Before anyone could answer, Hodgins chimed, "I'll bet it's the fourth cipher decoded and re-encrypted to protect the encrypted message."
Bones walked in without anyone noticing and added to Hodgins conclusions, "or it was re-encrypted to protect the process that was used to decrypt it. This code was (and possibly still is) one of the most unbreakable codes since the Enigma. It would be incredibly valuable to governments, banks, and software companies to say the least. It's definitely a motive for murder."
Booth looked for some hint of anger, doubt, or angst in Bones. There was nothing. She was really good at compartmentalizing, a trait that Booth found, not objectionable, but annoying. He commended anyone who could effectively separate emotion from their work. He commended them, but he was not one of them. He couldn't so easily hide his feelings.
Booth, annoyed by her indifference, grabbed her by the back of the arm just below her shoulder. She yelled, "Booth, what are you doing?" She turned to the squints who didn't offer any help or require any explanation from Booth. They kept on doing what they do.
"Bones I need to talk to you." He hurried her out of Angela's lab and into her office shutting the door behind them.