Facing Your Destiny [Book 2]: A Grant Ward FanFic

Chapter 7 - No Regrets.

The Writing on the Wall.

Taylor, Bobbi, Tripp and Hunter are at a bus station waiting for Ward to show up. Bobbi talks over comms to May in the quinjet.

"Shield 2-1-8 this is Morse. I have agents positioned at multiple locations. We've been sitting here for an hour." She states.

"He has 11 hotboxes within 200 miles of his last known position." May reminds. "Odds are, he'll show up at one of them."

"Why isn't there a nationwide manhunt? He escaped from federal custody." Bobbi asked.

"Senator Ward is covering it up. No one's looking but us." May replied. Taylor sees Ward enter. A voice on the speakers says 'welcome to Philadelphia. 30th street bus terminal.' Ward walks across a lobby and Tripp peeks out from around a sign and spots him, he turns on his comms.

"Triplett here. I've got eyes on the prize." Tripp says.

"Same." Taylor adds. Ward has stopped and picked up a pamphlet.

"I got a clear shot and a trigger finger that needs some love." Tripp comments.

"No." May dismisses. "Stand by and wait for your orders." Tripp glances around the sign to see Ward moving toward him. Ward passes him and goes to a set of lockers. He enters the code on the locker and opens it, taking out a bag while Tripp watches. Ward lowers the bag to the floor and opens it. Inside are rolls of cash, a phone, passports and something wrapped with duct tape. He zips it up, stands up and walks away from the lockers.

"Director, say the word and I can end this." Tripp says.

"Senator Ward wants him alive." Coulson states.

"What do you want?" May asks.

"Bring him in...by any means necessary." Coulson orders.

"Copy that." Tripp puts his hand on his gun and moves around the sign to get a better look. We see Ward exiting a door, perhaps to the bathroom. He now has a baseball cap on his head as he glances around. He makes a show of lifting up his shirt and we can see something taped to his side, it looks like plastic explosive. Tripp watches closely as Ward lifts his hand to show he has a button device in the palm of his hand as he scratches his cheek. After he makes this display, he starts walking toward the exit. "Damn. Tay, he's headed your way. But be careful because I don't know how, but he knows we're on him. He's got a dead man's switch and enough C-4 to take down the block." Trip watches helplessly as Ward makes his way to the door. "He's on the move."

"Do not engage. He's not bluffing. Keep an eye in the sky, May. Have agents Hunter and Morse in position at the next stop. If we can't bring him in, at least we can see where he's going." Coulson explained. Taylor shook her head knowing she could do something.

"But sir, I could bring him in and even if I can't, I can talk him down." Taylor explained. "He'd listen to me. You know that."

"Negative. We track his movements. As I said he's not bluffing and you're lucky to be on this mission since you're the reason he escaped." Coulson told her. She saw him walk past her, showing the button again. He knew she was there. She couldn't just let him leave again.

"Fine, have it your way." She said over comms. She could hear Coulson's confused face. She took her comms out of her ear and 'accidentally' stepped on it. She ran up to him and called after him. "Grant! Wait up." He turned round at the sound of her voice. "I'm not on comms, I just disobeyed a direct order by doing this, you know that, right?"

"Doesn't surprise me. If you've come to talk me down, it won't work." He tells her. She laughs and shakes her head.

"I know where you're going. I'm coming with you." She tells him. He shakes his head.

"No, stay at SHIELD, where it's safe." He dismisses her. She scoffs.

"Safe? You really think it's safe? They all want to kill me because I helped you. It's safer with the both of us anyway." She confesses.