Life's Pursuit {Book 2}

Chapter 7: An Escape

There was no explanation of the murder. Not a weapon lay in sight and there were no screams heard before the death. Even the security camera footage proved to be fruitless. Seconds surrounding the murder were missing, never saved to the database. Something was wrong.

The Avengers Compound was in immediate lockdown. It was crucial that the body was removed from the room and identified so that family could be contacted, if any. There needed to be a proper explanation, one that saved face. The Avengers were not responsible, but to the outside world, it would seem that way.

Agent Boldt had brought in a team from S.W.O.R.D. to sanitize the room and aid in the determination of what went wrong. S.W.O.R.D. was known for remaining inconspicuous, but had recently allowed itself to delve into matters involving the Avengers. Layton Boldt was the link between the two: an agent for the Avengers and an overseer at S.W.O.R.D. Because of Hope's sudden death, this gave rise to the suspicion that the killer was not earthly. S.W.O.R.D. was the perfect solution in taking the weight of this matter. They were a cover for the Avengers, a cover to help them remain "Earth's Mightiest Heroes".

"So much for making this easier..." Layten voiced his thoughts aloud, watching as the crew around him took pictures of the room, scanned the walls and mapped out the blood on the floor. Evidence would be saved before all was cleaned up. The only thing that had changed was the removal of Hope's body.

"What made Captain Rogers call us in again?"

Layten took a step back so as not to get in the way of another picture that was being taken of some blood splatter on the wall, looking over at who had spoken: Ellie, one of the youngest crew members there but the foreman in the forensic study that would take place. She held a tablet and observed the scene.

"He wanted S.W.O.R.D. involved to best explain this incident." Layten said. "They've been in messes with aliens and magic before, I think all of the Avengers want to be cognizant of the possibility of it happening again."

Ellie typed something on her tablet. "Pass it off to us and the mess is on us. The government's on our side."

"Precisely. And we can classify this as an extraterrestrial study if we find evidence suggesting it. Not to undermine the tragedy, but this works best for both teams."

"I would think so." Ellie paused. "I'll have a team come in and do an energy scan of the room. I'll get confirmation from Captain Rogers but I want to see if any magic was in use." She knew of the missing camera footage.

Layten turned to face her, ushering the both of them to the door knowing the crew would begin to clean the room soon. "I won't be surprised if we find any. There's no other explanation for this murder other than the Avengers being suspects, which is highly unlikely. Plus, we have the rest of the camera footage to prove them innocent. All that went missing was in that room."

Ellie nodded, walking beside Layten down the halls. She sorted files that were being sent to her tablet. "These will have to do."

Layten lifted an eyebrow at her slight mumbling. "What, are you disappointed?"

"No, but I can tell that none of us even know what to collect from this case. So far what I'm getting is already what I've seen in person."

"Ellie, we can't disregard anything. Those files will be useful to go back to during your research. I know this is only your first time leading a case like this but they gave you a pretty tough one to start with. Anything collected is priceless at this point."

Ellie subconsciously held herself higher at the mention of her lack of experience. Regardless of her feelings, Layten was right. She was young, and despite working and pushing herself up to this position, it was far more than anticipated.