Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 14

As Tony, Loki, and Bishop drove out to the location of Daniel Diaz, silence rested heavy on the three agents. Bishop held her gun in her lap, ready to shoot Loki should he try anything. She was seated in the back while Tony drove. Loki sat in the passenger seat.

"So, Loki, this is how it's gonna go down," Tony began. "Bishop will head up to the front door and knock. You and I will sneak around to the back. Bishop will announce us as Federal Agents, and he'll probably trip over himself trying to get out the back door. That's when we'll confront him."

"Very well," Loki said, glancing at Tony. "I can do that."

"Then we'll bring him in for questioning," Bishop added. After a moment, she added, "Remember what side you're on, Laufeyson."

Loki twisted around to meet her eyes. His gaze was deadly serious. "I never forget what side I'm on, Agent Bishop."

Bishop held his gaze. "You tend to."

"That whole thing with Asgard," Tony said in a helpful tone. "And the other thing with the Avengers?"

Loki didn't move. His gaze was still locked on Bishop. "They weren't on my side. Nobody is ever on my side but myself."

"This is a team," Tony informed him. "There's no I in TEAM."

Loki looked at Tony, breaking his rather intense stare with Bishop. Bishop was rather glad about that. She had started admiring the color of his eyes and trying to put a name to the hue.

"And that means...?" Loki prompted.

"That means we have your back," Tony said, glancing across at the god of mischief. "As long as you have ours."

"Loyalty, then," Loki said. He sat in silence, considering the concept. "All right, I understand. I trust you, you trust me, and nobody dies."

"Yeah, kinda," Tony said with a frown. "Except – sometimes we do die." He fell silent.

Bishop knew he was thinking about Kate, who had been killed by a sniper after taking a shot for Gibbs. She had never met Special Agent Kate Todd, but sometimes Tony and McGhee talked about her. Gibbs almost never did.

*****

Tony pulled up a short distance away from a small trailer located in the woods of a hundred acre piece of land out in Virginia.

"When McGhee pinged Diaz's cellphone, it was located here," Bishop said as they stepped out of the car. She placed her hand on her pistol. "This is Petty Officer Samson's girlfriend's place. Like her weekend hideout."

"Have you spoken to the girlfriend yet?" Loki inquired, easing the knife out of his belt. Tony took a rapid step away from him.

Bishop nodded. "We brought her in to ask her about Samson once. Clare Leopard. Pretty nice girl. Devastated that he was dead."

Loki snorted. "Or really good at acting."

"Such a pessimist," Bishop muttered. "Okay, you boys head around to the back. I'll knock on the door. If Diaz is still here, he'll try to run."

Tony and Loki nodded and headed off for the back. Bishop walked up to the front door and Loki could hear her knocking. Then she knocked again. "Federal Agents!"

Loki could hear someone easing open the back door as they paused at the corner of the trailer. Tony drew his gun and Loki eased his other knife out of his sleeve.

A dark shape leapt down from the now open doorway and landed lightly. It began to take off running as Tony burst around the corner, his pistol up. "Federal Agents!"