Blood of the Covenant |1| The Dark Waters Series (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Chapter Thirteen: T.R.A.C.K.S.

"Ian Quinn," Genevieve announced as the team gathered in the command centre, putting up an image of the man from a magazine cover on the holocom.

May raised her eyebrows. "You found him?"

"No, but we think we know how we can," Coulson explained. "Skye tracked down an invoice from one of his shell companies. He made a big purchase recently."

"Ten million dollars big," Skye nodded.

"Any idea what it is?" Simmons asked.

Skye winced. "No clue. But it was designed and built by Cybertek, Inc. A small firm that deals in advanced technology and research."

"Which is where this gets interesting," Genevieve added. "They've hired a private security outfit to transport the purchase—former military, ex-mercs."

"Lot of muscle to move one package," Ward commented.

She nodded. "And they know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got eyes on Quinn, which is why they're transporting it old school, on a train through the Italian countryside from Verona to Zagreb—very rural, very isolated."

"And you think Quinn's on that train?" May assumed.

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

"And they don't mind us taking over the op?"

Coulson shrugged. "I asked very nicely."

***

"You're not asking me at all, Agent Coulson," Russo had complained, days earlier. "You're telling me and my team to step aside to hand over our investigation to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Try to think of it less as a handover and more as a handoff," Coulson had advised. "You've done your part, now we'll do ours."

***

"If everything goes as planned, Cybertek's security team won't even know we were on the train," Genevieve finished.

"So we're going in undercover," Ward realised.

May sighed deeply. "I hate undercover."

"May and Ward, you're front and centre," Coulson ordered. "Once we locate the package, you'll tag it with a tracker. Skye and Fitz, you'll be running communications. After the package is tagged, we'll follow it to Quinn. Once we capture Quinn we'll be one step closer to the Clairvoyant."

They all nodded, except Simmons. "And what about the three of us, sir?" she asked.

***

The three of them boarded the train together, all wearing civilian smart-casual clothes. Coulson and Simmons were wearing fake glasses, and Genevieve had pinned a large flower into her hair—which had prompted Fitz to spend most of his prep time wondering where on Earth she'd got it from.

"Here, let me get those," Coulson said, putting her bag on the overhead rack for her.

She smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Beside them, Simmons beamed. "Oh, yes, thanks, Dad." She didn't seem to notice Coulson and Genevieve sharing an amused look.

***

Ward and May were dressed lavishly, Ward in a suit while May was all made up with a large fur-lined coat. As they passed Fitz and Skye, giving no indication that they knew them, Ward called over to the conductor in Italian. "First class?"

"Through here, sir," the conductor told him cheerfully. "Would you like me to show you to your room? It would be my pleasure."

May just gave him her trademark icy stare, moving past him. Ward winced, playing the part of the weary husband. "We'll find our own way, thank you." He pulled out a few notes to tip the conductor.