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Shifters of Shield Search for Answers Chapter 36
"Hell no," Maria Hill growled seeing a sheepish Grant Ward sitting on a long bench sitting against one of the military hangers. One side of him stood Agent Jacobson. On the other side stood Agent Shade.
Grant Ward had the presence of mind to look down in deference of his status to Coulson and Hill.
"He is all yours," Jacobson held out what a device and gave it to Coulson. This is a stunner tech came up to attach to that shifter device thingy in his ear to prevent him from shifting. He acts up just press the button. There are four more of these things for everyone on your team to carry on the op. Jacobson told Coulson then turned to Hill and handed her four more devices the size of a key fob.
"The fob has mutual fuctions. It is a key unlocks the cuffs. The fob has a stunner for the device implanted on the ear. Fury's had his most trusted working on this outfitting Hydra shifters and shield sleeper shifters," Agent Shade shared. "It's been a real mess since round-up." Agent Shade handed Director Hill a folder and flash drive. "Mission details and co-ordinates are all here. Ward here did a lot of the framework for it after Fury got the information out of Sitwell on when he was turned."
"And where is Sitwell?" Coulson asked concerned for his family members, particularly Natasha.
"Currently housed at the abandoned facility in Gitmo used for the terrorist detainees before the US president closed it," Jacobson told the pair.
While the five talked, Hill's phone rang. The brunette stepped back to answer it.
"Hill"
"Fury"
"I don't like surprises sir. Especially not warning me I was given orders to work with a man who tried to kidnap my son and "niece". Not to mention, he beat Tasha who is like a daughter to me and collared her."
"He is still useful and has been an asset since his implant was removed. His blood has been invaluable extracting the enzyme to help Tasha. Ward's knowledge of those in the group home as put us in the right direction of getting a clearer picture of how all of this started years back. You and Coulson are experienced lethal capable agents, if he becomes an issue you can subdue or kill him." Fury told his second in command over the phone.
"He stays in the cell or interrogation area Stark put in place. I don't him around my boy or Skye," Hill growled into the phone. "And this is temporary. I don't want him around Romanov at all. I leave him at Gitmo with this Summers guy."
"Acceptable. This is his first test. It should be a straight extraction. I think the person you are going after made the devices implanted on the shifters. He did not start work with Malus till a few years in Dr. Malus's tenure. We already have determined only the younger men had the implant in their brain. The older shifters we have found did not have the device. Stiwell did not have an implant. Ward did."
"Fine but he does not even set eyes on the babies," Hill told her superior.
"I sent May and Romanov on a separate mission because Ward would be working on this op with you. Romanov needs to feel useful and when I contacted them earlier, she was piloting the "cruiser". Just go get it done and onto Gitmo. Fury out.
Without talking Hill and Coulson took on their duties to get the op started. While Coulson secured Ward to his cell/bunk and let the younger man share his INTEL on their target; Maria had Simmons bring in the play pen and set it up in the cock pit. Maria would baby sit and watch her two charges while they flew to their destination. Fitz and Simmons still could continue to work on their assignments from Fury.
Maria was far from thrilled to be taking this mission. Fury had been smart to keep all the details from her. If he had told her, she might have took the whole yacht and gone of grid with Mel and Tasha.
(Meanwhile)
"Finish your food Jr," John Garrett told the two year old sitting on Ingrid Merkel's lap. "If you finish it I will spring for desert. You like that boy?"
Young Thomas responded by turning his face into his mother's chest. This man smelled of danger and of a shifter to the toddler and he was frightened.
"Come on Thomas, just a bit more. Mother is not sure when he will eat again. Take a few more bites," Malus's mistress told her son taking her fork and spearing some of her own food and put it in the boy's mouth.
"Ms. Merkel, you are my guest not my prisoner," John Garrett told the woman sitting across from him in the outdoor café. "I am here to serve as your protector from those at Shield who would see your son is nothing but a science experiment the rest of his life. I also have found that your lover's work ethic has improved greatly since you have joined my and my associate's company."
"I am no lover of Shield but you forgive me if I don't seem more appreciate of your hospitality after you have spirited me and my son in the middle of the night. You forced me to make a video begging for my lover's co-operation on this secret project of yours like I and my baby are prisoners of war. And you sit there across from me with a gun in your pants pocket," Ms. Merkel answered curtly. She speared more vegetables on her fork and fed them to her son.
"Oh lets have none of that talk. I have a sea side villa prepared for us and we are having a catered steak dinner," John Garrett answered back smoothly not at all fazed by the irritation in the gorgeous blonde. "And I am sure your little baby shifter there would love a nice steak right boy?"
The little boy just scooted closer to his mother. He remembered this man. He had held him down and given him a big shot while his daddy cried. Now he was different than his mommy and more like daddy.
"I'm going to the restroom," Ingrid Merkel told Garrett standing with the boy in her arms.
"Not with him sweetheart. The boy stays here. I don't trust you," Garrett replied quickly putting money on the table to cover the tab.
"Well, I don't trust you either Mr. Garrett. Follow us to the ladies room if you must. I won't run. If I do you will kill my lover," the blonde answered in a critical tone. Annoyance flashed in her blue eyes.
"Oh course, wonderful suggestion," Garrett took the woman's arms like a true gentlemen and escorted the woman and her son to the side of the building. Garrett was glad the facilities were not inside any building. It would make an escape for the woman harder.
Melinda May fired a shot with her Icer as the blonde entered the woman's restroom. The Asian saw the size of Malus's son and cursed. She could not fire a shot and sedate the boy. He was too young and it may kill him. It was then she saw a flicker of amber in the little one's eyes. The boy shifted into black leopard cub right before her eyes. He jumped from his mother's arms and took off like a shot.
"Romanov, we got a cub shifter in black leopard form loose. Do you have a visual?" Melinda spoke into the comma on her ear.
"I am on the street. Garret is on the run heading south. He must have heard the gunshot in the bathroom," Natasha Romanov told Melinda May. The Russian had not thrilled that she had effectively been put on look-out with no weapons. But now she thought it might have been luck that she had not. "I am going to shift and pursue him. I will meet you at the plane."
Natasha the Leopard caught the cub's scent immediately on the wind. The cub was running up the sidewalk dodging people's feet. He was heading forwards the open outdoor market. The little one was fast but Natasha Leopard had longer legs. She barreled into the crowd not dodging but pushing people out of her way. The boy had reached the market place and was running between the vendor's carts. Natasha knew she needed to reach the cub before he reached the open street and busy traffic.
Natasha ignored the kick to her ribs and a broom that landed in three hard whacks to her head and weak not fully healed shoulder. She increased her stride. She was almost to him. She jumped catching the shifter cub by the scruff just before a truck heading out of town could hit him. Natasha Leopard could hear people pursuing behind her. She had the boy now she had to get back to the plane. It did not help she was carrying a yelping, crying cub who was trying to slash at her leopard face. He had managed to bite at her chin right before she grabbed his neck's scruff. She knew the cub was scared so her leopard did not retaliate. Natasha Leopard jumped into the bed of the truck that had tried to mow her down. The driver was oblivious listening to some Spanish radio station. Natasha the leopard held the cub firmly in her mouth growling at him in a low voice just to let him know she was his dominate and he was to remain still.
Thank goodness for small favors, Natasha Leopard thought to herself noticing the driver of the truck was heading in the direction of the plane.
The Leopard hopped off cub in her mouth and crossed a dirt road to the grassy area where the cruiser was parked. She could smell Melinda and a human she could only guess was their other guest. Natasha Leopard stumbled into the plane and barely got her footing as the door was shut by May and then Asian was putting the plane in the air.
The woman that they had picked up had a bag over her head and was in restraints on the bed appearing to be sedated, Natasha the leopard noticed. Natasha the Leopard stood firmly in place holding the now limp cub in her arms. He was heavier in her arms that Skye or Kori so Natasha felt her must be a bit older than her "babies". The cub still was definitely young though his baby fur tickled her chin. Only when Melinda reached a cruising altitude and engaged the auto –pilot did Natasha the Leopard walk to her Alpha cub swinging loosely from her mouth.
The snow leopard dropped the cub into the Alpha's waiting arms and slunk down to the corner and dropped down in pain. The kick had hurt her ribs and her shoulder hurt like hell. She wondered if she had wood splinters in it. She also had taken a whack to the head and had a headache.
Natasha Leopard watched in wonder of how her Alpha's purr settled the cub. She petted him and carried him to the back of the plane sitting with him on the bed. May nestled him by his mother. The cub looked at his mother happily and snuggled into her body for comfort and safety. His little soft purrs joined Melinda's alpha ones. Then the cub closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
"You ok Tasha?" Melinda asked her omega walking back to her omega who was huddled on the floor. "I see he bit your chin. Damn you got splinters on that same shoulder. That's going to take some time to get out. Did you get hit with a broom?"
The Leopard chuffed in reply and rubbed Melinda's hand that was checking her over. Natasha Leopard whimpered softly seeking comfort. The Asian granted it stroking Tasha's back. Melinda dabbed at the blood on the leopard's chin holding it there till it clotted. It would need stitches.
"I got the cruiser at full speed. We should be in DC within an hour. Can you wait? I can give you something for pain? Not a shot, one of the patches. I see the pain in your expressive leopard eyes," Melinda purred in her throat stroking the leopard distracting her with the strokes while she grabbed a patch from her vest pocket.
Natasha Leopard felt herself getting sleepy and the pain faded away as she got drowsy.
"You did good back there Tasha. The mission almost went south. Our INTEL did not reveal Malus's son was a shifter," Melinda praised the sleepy leopard. "You and I are a good fit as partners. Rest now. I will wake you when we get to DC."
Melinda sat there with the Leopard's face in her lap till Natasha's breathing evened out. The Asian checked on their two passengers sleeping on the bed then moved back to the pilot seat.
Mission accomplished, Melinda told herself opening a channel to talk to Fury. She could not wait to see her mate, her child and be with her family again. She was ready to go home.