Author's Note: Please keep reviewing and following some really important chapters are coming up and I need the encouragement to actually write them.

Chapter 15 – Trapped

The second he heard the front door slam Ward wondered if he had made a terrible mistake. He wondered if he should have told Skye the truth about who was after her, about what was after her. He'd made it seem that whatever was coming was coming for the team as a whole, when the truth was it was coming for he and the team was in the way.

Over the next couple of days Ward continued to wonder about Skye. He worried that keeping the truth from Coulson and the team would put them in more danger. In his weekly report to Fury Ward asked permission to share some of the truth, at least with Agent Romanoff so at least one other person knew the truth. His request was denied. Then Ward suggested the team relocate, he's stopped two more groups in the past three days, the team's location was compromised. Again his request was denied. Slamming the laptop shut Ward got angry, Fury's excuses were flimsy at best and non-existent at worst. Ward briefly wondered if Fury knew more about Skye's father than he was letting on, probably, but Ward doubted he'd be given answers if he asked for them. No, if Ward wanted answers he would have to get them himself.

Ward's chance to get answers came two days later when he noticed surveillance on Simmons and Fitz on their morning coffee run. The two man team wasn't exactly being discrete, FitzSimmons never noticed them but the other members of the team would have. However Ward was surprised when the surveillance team didn't get up to follow the science duo back to base. Usually this would be the time Ward would arrange an accident for the surveillance, maybe a car accident or a trip down the tube stairs. Not today though, today Ward was going to follow them and hopefully find out where they were getting their orders from, or at least find a base of operations for all the lackeys. Ward felt something close to guilt when he followed the duo to Greenwich, the last time he had been here it had been with the team cleaning up after Thor's visit. That visit had led to the berserker staff and whole other world of problems for Ward. He cringed, not just at the memory of the staff but at the memories the staff bought up in him. The same memories that Ward had suppressed for over a decade. He briefly wondered about maybe talking to someone about his past, maybe getting some of his issues worked out but then the car carrying the surveillance team stopped and the thought was gone.

The team had stopped at what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, Ward knew from experience that places like this were never truly abandoned, just the property of people who liked to hide things.

Choosing a building across the road from the warehouse, also abandoned, he climbed to the roof. The higher vantage point allowed Ward to see the entrance of the warehouse, hopefully without being seen himself. That, however, was not to be the case.

"So you're the one keeping me from my daughter."

Grant Ward had seen many things in his life, things that would haunt almost anyone else but nothing prepared him for the sight that awaited him when he turned to face the voice. On the roof behind Ward stood a man, he looked human except for the fact that he was covered from head to toe in blood, it dripped from a thousand cuts that covered his body.

The man smiled at the look on Ward's face, taking a step forward he looked the specialist up and down, "I did wonder who had both the audacity and skill to take on my minions."

Ward held back a laugh, who used the word minion but Ward quickly decided this wasn't a man who would take being laughed at well. The urge for Ward to step back as the man advanced was strong, but Ward held his ground. If there was only one thing he kept from years with Garrett it was not to show weakness in front of a potential enemy. Ward looked the man up and down, trying not to cringe at all the blood, behind the man was a trail of blood exactly the same as he had found in Raina's house. There was no doubt in Ward's mind that this was Skye's father and he was dangerous.

The man raised a blood covered eyebrow when he noticed that Ward was holding his ground, "It takes a very brave soul not to flinch when I walk towards them. Tell me, did you think I wouldn't notice the constant accidents that seemed to befall my minions? Did you think I wouldn't find a way to find you?"

Ward clenched his fists when he realised the truth. The surveillance team had been a trap. And he'd walked right into it.

Grand Ward was so surprised that he'd fallen into the trap that he missed the first punch heading for his face.