Coulson Squared

Cheating Cowboy Got Cheated

"Either someone cracked our comm system, or Dr. Hall's movements leaked from inside SHIELD," Phil stated solemnly as everyone in the lab watched Fitz and Simmons examine the tiny device.

"You really think we have a mole?" May asked.

"I think you should go through the communication logs, rule it out," he suggested. "We'll work the tractor tread that we found on the scene."

"I can do that instead of pull-ups," Skye volunteered.

"Alongside your pull-ups," you corrected.

Skye glared at you, then continued. "I can upload an image of the tread pattern, check to see if there's any sort of--"

"Already done," Ward cut her off. "Matched it to a 2010 model. Found a list of purchasers within a 500-mile radius, narrowed down to those with priors, financial troubles, or propensity for risk-taking." He tapped some buttons and put pictures of three men up onto the screen. "Three suspects."

"Who may have sold their construction equipment to the kidnappers," Phil concluded. "We'll ask."

"And intimidate, if necessary," you added.

Ward turned off the screen and left, satisfied with his recognition. You and your father were about to follow him out the lab doors, but Skye stopped you.

"Hey, so, Ward said a funny thing," she began. "He said that you guys don't have a truth serum."

"Did he? Ward said that?" your father asked, a noncommittal smile resting on his face.

"Yeah," Skye confirmed.

"Interesting," he shrugged, turning away and making his way out of the lab.

"Yeah. Hey, wait--" she protested his exit, but then was interrupted by May handing her a huge binder full of paper.

Skye gave her a look. "Do you want me to bench press this?" she questioned.

"Read it," May ordered. "Every communication out of HQ since they decided to transfer Dr. Hall." She walked away, too.

"Hang in there, Doc. It's gonna be a while," Skye grumbled to herself.

"Hey, I'll take half," you offered.

"Are you for real?"

"Hey, why not? I don't have anything better to do until we get to the first guy. Let's take these upstairs to we have somewhere comfortable to read."

--

Your first excursion took you about 450 miles southwest to a little town called Barnroof Point, Colorado. One of the suspects owned a bit of property there, so you, Ward, and your father took a little trip in Lola to try and find the guy. After Ward was safely out of sight (in order to appear friendlier, it was decided that he should not be in the picture), you began to wait for the suspect to show up.

Sure enough, after not too long, he did, on horseback.

"Excuse me," your father began cordially.

"Who the heck are you?" the suspect asked not quite as cordially, slowing his horse.

"A concerned citizen who happens to be a member of a giant bureaucratic organization that's tracking your every move," Phil responded casually.

The suspect lifted a hand innocently. "I haven't done anything wrong," he said.

"We weren't suggesting that at all," you replied.

"Of course not, but you sold your excavator to some people who did," Phil continued, removing his trademark aviators. "And you're hiding out here until things cool down because you know it. We just want to know who paid you."