Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 29

Asia sat with the rest of the team in the Command Room, arms and legs crossed, glaring at an image of Ian Quinn, poster boy, millionaire, from a magazine. She liked to imagine all the ways she could kick the shit out of his pathetic body.

"You found him?" May asked, breaking the silence which had fallen over the room when the image had been pulled up.

"No, but we think we know how we can." Coulson said, a slight hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Skye tracked down a big invoice from one of his shell companies. He made a big purchase recently."

Skye couldn't help grin from behind her computer screen. "10 million dollars big." Such a silly mistake Quinn had made.

"Any idea what is was?" Asia asked, looking over at Skye.

"No clue. But it was designed and built by Cybertek, Inc. A small firm that deals in advanced technology and research," Skye explained, typing at her screen till an image of the companies logo floated in front of them.

"Which is where it gets interesting," Coulson continued. Skye pulled up the image of a train on the screen. "They've hired a private-security outfit to transport the purchase, former military, ex-mercs."

"That's a lot of muscle for one package," Ward said as he studied the screen.

"And they know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got eyes on Quinn," Coulson nodded.

"Which is why they're transporting it old-school," Skye tapped away at her laptop.

"On a train, through Italian the countryside, from Verona to Zagreb – very rural, very isolated," Coulson nodded at the screen and a route map appeared.

"You think Quinn's on the train?" Asia asked.

"No," Coulson shook his head, "but I believe that they're delivering the item to Quinn himself. We got our intel from Italian authorities who have been monitoring the situation."

"And they don't mind us taking over the op?" May asked, voice twinged with doubt.

"I asked very nicely," Coulson smirked. "If everything goes as planned, Cybertek's security team won't even know we were on the train."

"So we're going in under cover?" Ward asked.

May let out a long, low sigh. "I hate undercover."

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They were split up on the train, all dressed precisely for the roles which they were cast. "May and Ward," Coulson said over comms, "You're front and center. Asia, Fitz, Skye, you're running communications. Skye, you stay in the back car with your laptop, keep servers up. After the package is tagged we'll follow it to Quinn."

Near the end of the train, Asia and Leo walked into a compartment, close to one another, gabbing, Asia throwing out a fake laugh. As they continued to walk, they passed May and Ward, Ward dressed as a bus boy, carrying May's bags, and May dressed as a wealthy woman, hair done in an elaborate updo. Asia and May met eyes for the smallest second, then kept going their opposite directions. When they made it to their car, they sat at a table opposite each other.

Leo lay his hand on the table, open for her, and she placed her hand in his. In their undercover aliases, they were dating. Yet, the way her hands fit in his was almost too good. Absentmindedly, Asia riffled through tourist maps of the surrounding area.

"Are you nervous?" Leo whispered to her from across the table.

Asia shrugged, "Just ready to get to the action. This isn't my first time undercover," she teased.