"Booth!"
Booth and Brennan turned to see Agent Sanders following them.
"Hey, Sanders. How's it going?" Booth stopped to shake Sanders' hand. "I guess you've been busy with all the Salvadoran gang stuff, right?"
Sanders nodded. "Yeah...Mala Muerte's in the middle of a shake up and it's causing some collateral damage. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that Ramon Ortez is out of the picture."
"Really." Booth was surprised. "I thought he was the man."
Sanders grimaced. "He was the man until someone shot him between the eyes." Sanders nodded at Bones. "I guess you won't have to worry about that hit any more, right, Dr. Brennan?"
"What?" Brennan was confused.
"We gotta go. Thanks, Sanders."
"Booth, what was Agent Sanders talking about?" Brennan refused to budge.
"Ortez didn't take kindly to you kicking his ass." Booth shook his head at the memory. "He put a hit out on you, so I went to visit him and convinced him that he really didn't want to do that."
"Booth, I can take care of myself! You don't need to be my protector!" Brennan crossed her arms over her chest and stamped her foot. "I'm not afraid of people like him!"
"I know you're not, but you need to be afraid sometimes. A hit like that would be something you wouldn't see coming. I wanted Ortez to see that he had nothing to gain by taking you out, because I'd take him out. He got the message. Now that he's dead, Mala Muerte won't be interested in you. Besides, I wasn't protecting you. I was being practical. I need you to help me solve crimes, and you can't do that if you're dead." He grinned. "You know I'm right."
Brennan thought for a minute, then smiled slightly. "I suppose so. Thanks, Booth."
"No problem, Bones."