The Other Bones

The Father

"Max, what do you want" Seeley asked as soon as Max answered the phone "I know you've been watching and I know you aren't happy with us but there's nothing you can do. Just tell me where she is" Seeley said, feeling the anger rising in his chest. If Max had taken Mia he would kill him. It didn't matter how much Mia, Russ or Temperance loved him.

"What are you talking about Seeley?" Max asked, feeling more confused than ever.

"Mia, where is she?" Seeley growled into the phone. Hodgins was watching him carefully.

"I don't have her" Max replied now he was worried. If he didn't have Mia where had she gone? Who had taken his daughter?

"You promise?" Seeley asked, hoping his new father-in-law would be honest.

"Seeley, you're family now I wouldn't lie to you especially not about Mia's safety" Max said knowing he would probably have to go help them find Mia. He knew Seeley could do it but would be too emotional since his wife was missing.

"Max" Seeley breathed feeling slightly relieved that Max didn't have Mia but panicked because Max didn't have Mia.

"I'm on the way" was all Max Keenan said to his son-in-law before hanging up the phone.

For a second Seeley's mind was just swimming. He was worried about how he was going to tell Bones her dad was on the way. Then he realised it didn't matter because Mia was the only person that mattered right now. Bones was with Russ; safe. No one knew where Mia was.

Within twenty minutes Max arrived at the Jeffersonian. He was nervous walking into the lab. This was Tempe, Booth and now Mia's comfort zone. He knew Booth was in an awful mood so it felt like walking right into the lion's den. He took a deep breath and opened the lab doors.

He was quickly met with a gun held to his face. It was Seeley. Max pulled up his confident demeanour.

"That's no way to treat your father-in-law" Max said with a cocky smile. Instantly Booth dropped his weapon. He was clearly desperate for some help to find Mia.

"Max" Seeley said sternly but politely stepping out of the way so Max could enter the lab.

"How much" Max asked, knowing there must have been a ransom if the person didn't want Mia.

"10 million" Seeley replied sadly knowing even Max Kennan probably didn't have that much money

"Or what" Max asked knowing the kidnapper probably hadn't got a thought-out plan or what they had done could lead Max straight to them.

"She suffocates to death slowly" Seeley said, earning a confused look from his father-in-law "She's buried alive Max" Max's face dropped. It was his fault. She was on her way to meet him when she was taken. "What is it?" Seeley asked, noticing how Max's expression had changed.

"She was on her way to meet me at your apartment" Max said sadly expecting some form of yelling from Seeley since it was his fault Mia was gone. But nothing came. He just looked sadder. The realisation had hit him. Someone had been waiting for Mia to be alone. "Where's Russ and Tempe?" asked Max.

"Getting evidence from the apartment" Seeley said. They shared the look that they're safe because whoever had taken Mia had chosen her to hurt Booth and possibly Max.

"I've got a message" Angela yelled running towards Seeley and passing him her phone.

C UG 12N 6W

He laughed. It was all he could think to do. His wife was way smarter than anyone ever imagined. Even him.

"Booth?" Angela asked, looking increasingly more concerned before showing the phone to Jack and Cam who both looked equally confused. Whatever the text meant Angela knew it was for Booth.

Suddenly another text came through from a different number.

8112026

They all stared at the phone. Whoever was texting them had lost their mind.

"I'll take the second text" Jack whispered to Angela quickly scribbling the numbers onto his hand. "You work on the first one with Booth" With that he walked away back to his office.

"Booth?" Angela asked again now he had stopped laughing.

"She's a genius" Booth said with a smile earning confused looks from everyone around him. It was at that exact moment Russ and Temperance came in holding evidence bags.

"That's not the right time" Temperance said, looking at the clock which was projected onto the wall. Booth's smile dropped. The timer was down to 4 hours now. What would they do?

"It's how long she has left Tempe" Max said using Temperance's old nickname hoping she would remember him. Temperance looked panicked at her father. It had been years since she'd seen him and she didn't know what to say. "Russ" Max said addressing his son who simply nodded "Why don't we go to your office Temperance and talk" Max suggested passing the evidence bags to Camille.

Cam quickly laid them out on the table in the lab. She sorted through them before passing anything bugs, slime and dirt onto Jack and investigating the other items herself.

Meanwhile, Angela had sat Booth down with the phone, a cup of coffee and the leftover brownie that Mia had brought in that morning.

"She's a genius you said" Angela started the conversation with the last thing Seeley said praying it would jog his mind.

"Yeah, the text" Seeley said, taking a small bite of brownie as he remembered the information. Angela had to hide her smile so far she had got him to remember the conversation and eat some food. Now all they needed to do was find Mia. "it's code" Seeley continued earning a small but encouraging nod from Angela. "It means she's in a car underground about 120 miles north and 60 miles west from my apartment"

Finally, it was enough of a breakthrough to find her. They quickly drew a square covering the area 120 miles north and 60 miles west of Booth's apartment. It was mainly an area of desert. Perfect for burying someone alive. The trail had gone cold. Where could she be? Should they just start digging up the desert and hope she's there?

"I have an idea about the numbers" Jack said walking up to the area where Cam, Angela and Seeley were looking at the map.

"Bones" Seeley yelled. He had a feeling that this could be the breakthrough plus he needed to ask the Brennan's about if any of the areas had a significant meaning to Mia.

Once everyone had assembled around the table on the platform Jack finally explained what the numbers meant. They were elements in the soil.