So Long

Chapter 10: That Someone Somewhere

Ward stood silently in the back of the command centre, his expression tense as he watched Agent Haze work at the computer table. Her fingers were flying over the keyboard with the speed and precision of someone far more accustomed to – and comfortable with – using a computer as both their main tool and weapon than him. Which was exactly why he was so glad that he had been able to hand the research work over to her. The task had kept his mind busy for a while, but by now Ward was itching to get back into the field and track down their only current lead on Centipede, Doctor O'Leary, the old-fashioned way.

At the moment, all the information they had on the scientist was displayed on the various monitors of the command centre and Agent Haze was skimming through financial records, employment details and phone bills, searching for a clue on his current whereabouts. But so far, nothing.

This had been going on for a while, when the agent suddenly leaned with both hands on the table and heaved a heavy sigh of frustration.

"This is getting ridiculous," she exclaimed, exasperated. "It's like O'Leary's dropped off the face of the earth." Trying to come up with a new angle for their approach, Ward stepped closer to the computer and looked down at the display.

"Did you manage to find anything new on that organisation he's working for?"

"The Maher Foundation?" Agent Haze asked, prompting a short nod from Ward.

"Yeah, I didn't really get anywhere looking into them," he replied, but the female agent just shook her head negative.

"No, me neither. All the records on them check out, and I couldn't find any traces of criminal activity or Centipede being involved, but they're a secretive bunch. No one was willing to talk to me about their employees or any projects they might be running at the moment. Even if the foundation as a whole is legit and Centipede is just using one of their branches as a front, it was still a very good choice. Without someone on the inside it's going to be pretty much impossible to get any substantial information on them."

"Which brings us back to having to find Dr. O'Leary first," Ward concluded, barely suppressing a sigh. "It's like we're going around in circles."

"Agreed." The voice had come from the door, startling the two agents and causing them to turn around, only to find Agent Coulson leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Neither of them could tell how long he had been standing there, watching them work together.

"Sir?" Ward asked tentatively, not sure where his C.O. was going with this.

"So what you're both saying is, that you've exhausted all possible sources of information to find a lead on O'Leary, right?"

Both Ward and Agent Haze nodded as they looked at Coulson, curious to find out if he had come up with a different plan.

"Right. But I've been thinking, and it suddenly hit me that we've all been ignoring the biggest lead on him that has been staring us in the face from the get go." Judging by the expression on his face, Coulson seemed to expect at least Ward to follow his train of thought, but the younger agent still looked at him in confusion. After letting out an annoyed huff, Coulson finally continued.

"Skye!"

Ward's brow furrowed as he kept staring at his superior in silence, not understanding the connection he saw between the missing scientist and their wayward hacker.

"Sir, I don't see how—", but Coulson interrupted him immediately, clearly having thought about this argument for some time.

"The way I see it, there are two possible explanations for Skye's disappearance. The first is, that she might have actually left voluntarily. But given the timing and the difficulty of removing the tracking bracelet without us noticing, it is highly possible that she may in some way be involved with the people responsible for Dr. O'Leary's disappearance." Coulson interrupted himself for a brief moment, his expression turning grim.