Thank you for reading my story. Remember that this story is AU.

A/N: This chapter makes me very nervous. If you hate it then so be it.

I really don't own Bones.

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Circling the plant, Booth picked an area that wasn't well lit. Studying the fence, Booth felt his upper arm being poked. The darkened shape beside him leaned over unzipped the bag he was carrying and pulled something out of the bag. Handing it to Booth, the agent realized that Max had given him a bolt cutter.

Impressed, Booth took the cutter and used it to make a hole in the fence. Once he had a section down that allowed them entrance to the yard, he handed the cutter back to the older man. After they'd entered the grounds, Booth pointed at himself and then motioned for Max to follow behind him.

Moving rapidly in the poorly lit yard, the two men moved through the area until they found a door leading into the plant. Trying the door, Booth was surprised to find it unlocked. Cautiously, he opened the door and found the room to be well lit but empty. Moving across the room, he exited out into an area that was semi-dark and filled with mysterious equipment. Moving slowly, Booth and Max searched for any signs of human activity.

After a slow and lengthy search, the two men came upon a room with computer equipment lined up on a table with several servers. The equipment was on and two computers displayed a slide show of various shots from cameras located outside the plant aimed at the two main entrances to the plant. One other computer was displaying video captured from a camera located in the Jeffersonian Parking garage, the focus being Temperance Brennan's car.

Pointing towards the open doorway across the room, Booth motioned for Max to stay where he was while he checked the room. Nodding his head, Max lowered his bag to the floor near the door and raised his right hand, showing Booth his .45.

Crossing the room, Booth kept his rifle ready as he quickly entered the next room. Finding Pelant sleeping on a cot in the corner of the semi-dark room, Booth pulled a Glock from his holster, walked quietly across the room and placed the end of the barrel against Pelant's forehead.

Startled, Pelant opened his eyes and cringed. Realizing that his adversary was a very dangerous man, the computer hacker smiled, "So, you found me. I don't know how you did this, but really I must congratulate you. I really underestimated your abilities."

Hearing Pelant speak, Max moved across the computer room and entered the room where Pelant lay. Watching, Max moved to the right of the door and stood still.

"So what happens now, Agent Booth?" Pelant studied Booth and decided that he'd cooperate with the Agent. "So, I obviously give up. You won this hand and I congratulate you."

Stepping back, Booth motioned with his gun. "This isn't a game. It was never a game. Get up."

Careful not to do anything too suddenly, the hacktivist slowly moved the blanket from his body, swung his legs off of the cot and carefully stood up with his hands up, palms towards Booth. "As you can see, I'm unarmed and I will cooperate with you fully."

Motioning towards the open doorway, Booth ordered him, "Walk in front of me. We're leaving now. If you make any sudden moves I will kill you without hesitation."

His hands firmly up, Pelant smiled, "Yes, I understand. You're a very dangerous man, Agent Booth and I understand that if no one else does. You tell me what to do and I'll do it. No one needs to get hurt."

As they approached the door, Pelant chuckled,"Max Keenan, now you surprise me. I really thought you'd retired from this kind of thing. Doesn't your hip bother you, tramping around the countryside?"

Sneering, Max assured him, "Not a bit."

Shrugging his shoulders, Pelant walked slowly past Max and into his computer room. "I had a lot of interesting things I was working on. It's a shame they're going to be delayed."

"Keep walking and stop talking." His anger clearly heard in the words he spoke, Booth glared at the back of Pelant's head, "You keep talking and I may shoot you just for the hell of it."

Worried, Pelant shook his head and replied, "Alright although you and I both know that you aren't a murderer and you won't shoot me unless I give you a good reason to do it."

A cold anger washing through him, Booth advised him, "Keep talking and you may find out that you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Swallowing, Pelant bit his lower lip and walked over to the entrance way, Booth and Max following close behind.

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Nearing the fence, Booth ordered Max, "Go through the hole I made and stand on the other side."

Moving carefully, Max stepped through the hole in the fence, walked ten feet, dropped his bag and turned to face the fence. Holding up his gun, he called out, "I'm ready. Send him through."

Calmly, Booth shoved the computer genius, "Go through the hole, walked about four feet to the left and stop."

Doing as he was told, Pelant stood on the other side of the fence while Booth moved through the hole in the fence.

Once they were all on the other side, Booth walked over to where Pelant was standing, opened his bag and removed a pair of zip tie cuffs. Pulling the man's arms behind him Booth placed them around his captive's wrists, jerked the man around and motioned towards the woods behind Max. "Follow Max, he's going to lead the way."

Uncertain where he was supposed to be going since this was the opposite side of the main entrance, Max leaned over his bag, pulled out a flashlight and aimed it at the trees. Seeing a faint path leading through the trees, he picked up his bag and walked over towards the trees with Pelant meekly following.

Booth, quickly pulling out some night vision goggles from his bag, placed them over his eyes and followed the two men into the woods.

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After twenty minutes had elapsed, Max stopped and turned, "Okay, I'm tired. We need to rest."

Squatting down, Pelant smiled, "Not a problem."

Walking over to where Max stood, Booth pointed at rotten log, "Sit down and rest." Taking the flashlight from Max's hand, Booth carefully turned it off and gave it back to Max. "I'm going to check something out, I'll be right back. Keep an eye on the asshole. If he does anything stupid shoot his ass."

Watching Booth move further into the woods, Max waited until the Agent was no longer in sight. Turning his flashlight back on, he walked over to where Pelant was resting and glanced back towards where Booth had disappeared to make sure the man hadn't reappeared. Staring down at the amused man, Max glowered at him, "You think this is all very funny. You probably think you'll be out of custody by tomorrow morning, after all, that's how it's worked so far."

Shrugging his shoulders, Pelant grinned, "You know they can't keep me in prison. I have a mission and I'm going to finish it. Dr. Brennan is really too good for Agent Booth. He doesn't appreciate her genius like I do. She just needs to see that he's keeping her from greatness. You and everyone around her have actually been a pain in my side long enough. Unfortunately for you that is about to change and there isn't anything you can do abo . . ."

His hands on the back of Pelant's head and chin, Max quickly snapped the man's head to the side. His neck broken, the hacktavist fell to the ground, his empty eyes staring at nothing. Staring at his hated enemy, Max growled, "Booth told you not to say anything you dumb fuck."

A sense of relief flooding him, Max walked over to his bag and removed a portable shovel. Unfolding it, he walked back towards the body, stopped a foot from where Pelant lay, knelt on the ground, and started to excavate a grave.

After fifteen minutes had elapsed Booth returned to find Max digging. Angry, Booth strode over to where Max was and glared at the man, "What the hell did you do?"

Resting the shovel against the ground, Max looked up at the agitated man, "I couldn't let you do what you were going to do, Booth. It would have ate you alive. You're not that kind of man and lets face it, I am. I did what I had to do for you and Tempe. My family comes first Booth. It will always come first. If I'd let you murder him then it would have destroyed you."

Standing stiffly over the body, Booth stared at Pelant for a while. Finally moving, he removed his night vision goggles and nudged the older man on the shoulder, "I'll do it."

Handing the shovel to Booth, Max stood up and walked stiffly over to the log. Sitting down, Max sighed, "It had to be done. Eventually he would have killed you or Tempe. God knows what that psycho was going to do next. He had to be stopped. I couldn't let you kill him so that left me. I need you to be able to face your God with a clean heart. My soul is already stained. One more stain won't change anything for me."

Ignoring the older man, Booth dug the grave they would need to hide the body.

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After scattering the extra dirt in the woods, Booth carefully moved leaves and branches over the filled in grave. Studying the area with his night vision goggles on, he policed the area and advised Max, "Make sure you have everything you brought with you and don't leave anything behind."

Standing, Max used his flashlight and swept the area slowly. Satisfied that nothing that belonged to either of them was laying on the ground, Max nodded his head, "You think you dug it deep enough?"

Weary, Booth folded the shovel and hand it to Max, "A little over six feet is pretty deep. I scattered the extra dirt in the woods and the grave is covered with leaves and branches. It's fine. If it isn't then . . . I'll deal with it if it isn't. There isn't anything I can do about it. I removed the handcuffs and it's in my bag. I washed his head and chin where you touched them with bottled water and a clean cloth. I used gloves when I handled his body. Can you think of anything I missed?"

Shaking his head, Max sighed, "Not that I can think of. Have you done this before?"

Not answering, Booth shouldered his bag, "Let's go. It's getting pretty late and I'm tired."

Following Booth through the woods, Max replied, "If you need an alibi, tell Temperance that you were at my place tonight. We can say that we were watching a game together. Just make sure you tell me what game we were watching. I'll come back tomorrow night and remove the computers and wipe down door knobs and shit like that. We have time. He's obviously been here for awhile and no one has noticed. I'll make sure that no one knew he was even here."

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Reviews would be wonderful and appreciated. Thank you.

A/N: I wrote this chapter three times. It is what it is.