4759/Iron Fortitude: Oral Tradition

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Iron Fortitude: Oral Tradition
Date of Scene: 17 January 2021
Location: Ash Shalfa, Saudi Arabia
Synopsis: SHIELD finds the victims of Naasif el-Lodi and gathers evidence of his wrong doing. Perhaps enough to convince the UNSC to start a serious investigation in to him. Perhaps alerting Naasif that SHIELD is on to him.
Cast of Characters: Bobbi Morse, Daisy Johnson, Peggy Carter, Achilles, Phil Coulson, Jethro Glass




Bobbi Morse has posed:
    They've come to Saudi Arabia again, this time seeking enlightenment. Seeking evidence of Naasif el-Lodi's warcrimes a decade ago. Seeking to find the people who have hired mercenaries to take out Naasif and his family. But earning the trust of these strangers in a strange land may be difficult.

    Landing a short walk away from Ash Shalfa in the middle of the Saudi Arabian deserts, a small Bedouin village forgotten by time or the concept of modern roads. Nestled in a valley of massive sand dunes, even on this clear blue skies day the sand whips around demanding eye and mouth protection.

    This country is not one of SHIELDs allies and they possibly suspect SHIELD was involved in the heist of their vault a week ago. So the cloaking stays on even after they've landed. Bobbi spins down the engines and unclips herself from the pilot seat. She enters the staging area where the rest of the team is and says, "It's a five minute walk that way." She points and pulls up a face covering and settles her tactical goggles in to place.

    It's early morning which means the desert hasn't become oppressively hot yet, nor freezing cold as it does over winter. How people live out here is an example of human tenacity. She nods to Phil, "Sir. Over to you." She gives a little nod to Jethro. His first mission she thinks? after joining up as a recruit, "Jethro." She then looks to Daisy and says, "Don't worry, we're not breaking in to any vaults this time."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Great, back to Saudi Arabia.. And Daisy can't even say she has had time to heal from her ordeals last time she was here, physically and mentally! But the mission was the mission, and they had been here for a reason, to get information on El-Lodi's crimes, a web which seemed to grow even further with the info they had found. So naturally she was here to follow up on it.

"Sir..." And this she says to Coulson. "Please tell me we won't be going into any undeground vaults under the desert. For my poor heart certainly wouldn't be able to handle it.."

She is dressed to match what's used here, a brown tunic that fits most of her body and a wrap about her head to protect her from the harsh sun that is often felt out here. She brought her tools of the trade, which meant her advanced laptop, along with a few gadgets to survey the area. But with at most them having a satellite uplink it would be limited coverage.

As they walk out and Bobbi says that she just smirks, "Promises, promises."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peg hasn't even had the time to get rid of her faint freckles and sunburn from her last weeks in the desert, albiet on the other side of the world, and she's going back there again. While Peggy is mainly here to just be quiet back up and maybe a diplomatic voice, she's dressed to match the culture and not in her usual vintage style or even an obvious tac suit. She's in light cream linen and an elegant light green scarf about her head, matching her stride to Daisy's walk, so the two really look like somewhat pale locals out for a stroll. It does mean the tunic is loose enough she's got some minor body armor under it and, of course, a few weapons and tricks of the trade. Just in case.

Achilles has posed:
    It has been a long time since Angelo spent any time in such heat. He grew up in a more humid Mediterranean heat, but the fight in Turkey (Troy?) was a dry coastline. But he did actually travel through the desert many times in the past. His memory isn't flawless, and three thousand years is a long time to try to recall. But he -does- know that one wears loose and flowing light colors when in the desert sun and heat. So he has a head wrap on, and a white robe over his lightweight armor. He's been quiet and calm for most of this, having prepped his own gear... an ICER because they are always useful. But also a lightweight MP-7 machine-pistol... what, it looks futuristic enough to be a SHIELD weapon. He also has a pair of stun batons hanging from his belt. The bronze bracers are still on his wrists and he stands off to one side, waiting to be told where to go, what to do. His earbud comm -is- active, and his green eyes narrow as he peers out at the desert. Then... he makes a move. He lifts a pair of amber-colored sunglasses to place over his eyes. Their use is not to darken his vision so much as to eliminate overbright glares.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Having dressed as much like a locals as he can, Coulson looks around at the others as he checks his equipment carefully once more. "Remember, we're trying to find evidence here, and stay out of trouble." It's offered with a bit of a nod, before nodding at Daisy's words. "We will do whatever we can to avoid that happening," he offers. Putting on his own sunglasses, after all protecting the eyes is a good thing, he smiles. "Shall we, then?" In other words, let's move.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro is bundled up to the point of unrecognizability. He's used to operations in the heat of the desert. What he's not used to is being quite so comfortable or packing quiet so light. It's honestly a welcome relief for him as he sets out down onto the ground feeling that welcome land.

     He tucks his face away buttoning down tight as he adjusts his belt. ICER on his hip right next to that old style black powder revolver of his, along with a sword. Each step is taken with care allowing him to glide across the desert sands as he'd done ten thousand times before. Of course those sands were more the deserts of Austin and the Alamo then they were the deserts of the Middle East but he seems to be adjusting just fine as he keeps his eyes peeled.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The approach to the desert is not painful. The sand isn't too deep and signs of small civilisation crop up almost immediately. Some domesticated camels tied to a post and a yurt. There's the equivalent of a road, a well worn path that the sand doesn't seem to want to stick to that leads in to a smattering of single story cargo container style buildings. Some of them sport bullet wounds.

    "Quick question for the group, how many of you speak Arabic?," Bobbi asks. It's a nice pop quiz because even senior agents are constantly learning new languages, accents, regional dialects. It's a never ending task for a spy to be able to blend in to a local population or communicate with a foreign group.

    The group of strangers walking in to town does gather interest. The kind of interest that carries AK47's. Wearing all white with his face covered and hair bundled away, one man walks out to meet the group. "allah maeak, min 'ant," (God be with you, who are you?) he says even as others of his tribe start to flank the ground. Some have their finger closer to the trigger than others. This group appears to be used to conflict.

Achilles has posed:
    Lifting a hand, Angelo indicates that he understands Arabic. "Which dialect?" he asks. "I know three. Plus Farsi. I have not used them in some time so, I studied up on modern Arabic and Farsi on the flight over." he offers.
    But he also knows that in the local society, females are looked at as less of authority figures. His skin is a bit darker tone than the classic Caucasian also, being Greek in origin. But his blonde hair tends to stand out. Thank the gods for head-wraps.
    However, he does not assume that he will be speaking for the group. He is not a senior agent. Hell, he's still a probie. But then when the man steps forward to greet them, he remains calm and casual. One thing that can instantly set a group ready for violence into -committing- violence, is projecting discomfort or aggressive behavior. So he just waits to find out if he is the only speaker of local tongues.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Coulson's answer has an Daisy start to sloooowly raise an eyebrow, she murmuring. "That's not very reassuring ...." but then again she should had expected it. So she takes in a breath, gets her gear together, slaps in her tactical goggles and off she goes with the rest, wandering down the road with them. "I don't." She answers Bobbi, but quickly adds, "Unless we count SHIELD translate." a very advanced version of google translate! "But for some reason don't think that's what you are interested in.."

"So.., who's the culprit for the General?" She quietly asks Peggy, "My bet is on Lance. We are doing a pot back at Tech on who's the most likely to have done it ..."

Yet soon enough as they get closer to the village and find the town dwellers her game face comes on, just a faint smile given to the villagers but she does eye the various weapons they carry. This could turn messy if there was conflict.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"I do, though it's...rusty. I won't sound like a native. I can communicate." Peggy's entire career started with her knack for languages, back at the top of the second great war. Another several decades of life, spy, and diplomatic work only increased her breadth of languages, so it's not a surprise. She tilts her head to Angelo in not so much deference, but acknowledgment that he might be able to get further than her considering this area. Especially if his accent is better.

She chuckles a bit beneath her breath as Daisy asks who the culprit was, but the momentary grin on her lips is one of both guilt and amusement. "Come now, you think Lance has enough access to budget to get a hologram that life like installed in there? Mm. Maybe look a little higher up. Besides, May deserved to properly relax a bit." Peggy's eyes glimmer with conspiratorial pride at the General's new home in the Swordfish.

Phil Coulson has posed:
"Just don't want to jinx it," Coulson replies to Daisy, before he nods a little bit at what's said. "Some, but since there's someone that speaks it better..." He trails off as they meet the welcome comittee. "Tell them why we are here, and that we mean no harm," he offers to Angelo, before he adds, "Could ask if they speak English too, just in case." Making sure not to do anything the locals could think of as a threat.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     "Been argeed a barly known english afore." Jethro admits in his heavy accent as the group comes up on the locals. He falls silent and into his firm stance. His method of walking manages to leave almost no trail at all on the sand blocking off much of his pathway and obscuring the tracks of the group if not the direction they came from at the very least their number. One of the perks of a lifetime as a hunter.

     He stands with the firm pride of a guardian, body language often the only universal language. His intent to protect the group clear even if he had to do it with his sword. Even in the harsh light of the sun his eyes focused just fine used to and welcoming that bright light with each moment.

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding to Coulson, Angelo strides forward. His arms are spread wide as he speaks, "allah maeuk. 'urjuk samih lihjati alrahibat fi laghtak aljamilat. nahn huna nabhath ean 'aeda' nasif allawdii natahalaf maeahum. naseaa lilhusul ealaa dalil ealaa 'anah airtakab jarayim harb ymkn 'an yaqif fi mahkamat duliatin." (English: God be with you. Please forgive my terrible accent in your beautiful language. We are here searching for enemies of Naasif el-Lodi with which to ally. We seek proof that he has committed war crimes that can stand up in an international court.)... again, with non-confrontational body language.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    "Definitely not Lance. I know everything that man gets up to and designing a holographic stripper is not one of them," she adds in to the mix before they get to the not entirely friendly meet and greet.

    "I speak English," says the man and then looks over the group of people that have arrived. "This isn't a tourist destination. Turn around and go back where you came from. You're not welcome here." A dog runs past with a small scarf around its neck.

    In the distance a body of water can be seen with actual palm trees on its edges. It's an oasis. Not exactly the picturesque Hollywood romantic notion of one. Not with all the misc car parts laying about. People are starting their morning routines, collecting water in buckets from the desert spring.

    One of the men flanking raises his gun when he hears the name Naasif el-Lodi. The man in charge lifts his hand and motions him to lower his gun. "lays baed," he says to his posse. "el-Lodi is a dangerous man, you'd be unwise to make an enemy of him," he says. A woman comes up behind him and hits him on the back of the head and motions to the group. They start talking to each other intensely. The translator in Daisy's ear helps marginally.. it appears she's upset that they have guns trained on other women.

    The commotion draws other women in the group out and they approach Peggy, Daisy, and Bobbi, placing their right hand over their heart, "as-salaam 'alaykum" they say and then attempt to split the party toward one of the larger tents.

    The man in charge presses his lips together firmly, clearly unhappy with this turn of events, then slings his gun over his back, "You'd best come with me." He motions and heads toward one of the larger container shaped buildings.

    Bobbi places her hand over her heart and repeats back to them, "as-salaam 'alaykum" and then glances at Peggy and Daisy with a small shrug of 'well that works i guess' and follows the other women.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The hackerette blinks in surprise at Peggy.. But at least she doesn't gasp! Instead she gives her mock-scandalized look but stores that for later. There was a mission underway afterall. She lifts her tablet up to take a peek at it while Angelo speaks, the words appearing on her screen after a moment once she hears it through the earpiece. Nothing like visual and auditory translation! She turns the tablet towards Jethro so he can follow the talk going on.

She doesn't do the repeat greeting, but offers them a nod and a smile, ready to follow after the women.

"So far they don't seem *entirely* hostile..." she comments to the others near her.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The mock-scandalized look gets the briefest of winks from Peggy, but no other commentary. They DID have a job to do. Then her dark eyes turn back towards the approaching women. The familiar greeting from the woman makes Peggy smile and she follows Bobbi's motions, hand across her heart and head slightly bowing as she gives the common response to the greeting: "Wa-Alaikum-Salaam." (And unto you peace.) Her accent isn't quite as good as Angelo's, but it's clear she speaks the language and knows what the woman has said. She lets a natural warmth slip into her features and her voice, going from paranoid spy on high alert to casual, gentle, and deferential to the women who have come to speak to them.

Then her dark eyes go back to the man, clipped British accent warm and respectful as well, "We very much appreciate it. You would be surprised... we may be able to make all your lives a little easier." The dog is tracked with her eyes for a moment, the scarf a touch concerning as she searches to see if there is any sort of possible artillery attached beneath it. That's the only trace of paranoia left in her expression. She really can turn on a dime to doing her best to help keep everyone at ease. Her eyes flicker back to Phil, to see if they have permission to go with the women, as he's still calling the shots here. She nods in slight agreement to Daisy, but is still careful to keep eyes on all their surroundings. She knows this situation is a powder keg, no matter how relaxed she seems.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Phil Coulson nods as he hears the man's words, "He is, which is why we are here. After all, it's in the best interest of everyone to make sure he can't cause any more harm. We learned you might have evidence of his actions. That will be of great help for us to make sure he will answer for what he has done." As he sees the look from Peggy, he offers her a nod in return.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro watches the conversation at hand barely moving an inch for the longest time until the rest of the group starts to move. Then once they've started off he follows right behind ready to go right along with them.

     He does take a peak at the tablet marveling at the wonders of modern technology beneath his thick facial covering. It's clear from even a glance at him that the man spends almost all of his time outdoors in the sun and the rain and the storm hunting away the day. He's lived his entire life outside and very little if any of it in an office.

     There's a light glint in his eye as they talk about the target, just for a moment. Something on his back mixed in with the thick bundle of his cloth shifting as he moves. There's always that little hope.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The men are lead in to what feels like an oversized camper van. The dog with the scarf is in there eating food from a bowl. The man puts his gun down by the door and unwraps his face. He hasn't shaved for a few days, his dark skin and dark spotted beard lend him an air of authority.

    "Alright, since my wife has decided you are our guests.. you're our guests," he says though apparently none too pleased with the prospect. He motions to Phil, Angelo, and Jethro to enter and take a seat. The floor is linoleum and the seats are cracked from the heat and age.

    "Who are you and why are you asking such dangerous questions?"

    --

    The women are lead in to a rather grand tent. There's carpets on the floor and pillows. In the middle, a stove boiling some kind of stew and a kettle over that boiling a tea. The women take off their veils and smile to their guests. "Don't worry, we all speak English here," she says with a thick accent but vaguely British sounding. "I'm Saamiqa. This is Nu'ma and Taaliba." The other women nod to their guests and proceed to pour out cups of tea. "Please make yourselves comfortable and tell me why you have travelled so far to speak with us about that dreadful man."

    Bobbi takes a seat down on one of the pillows and accepts the cup of tea. She lets the warm liquid warm her insides and then looks over to Peggy and Daisy. "Well.. let's not mince words. Thank you for your hospitality. I'm Bobbi. I'm an agent of SHIELD. We want to bring Naasif to justice at the UN security council, but we need proof and testimonies."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The group being separated has Daisy glance over her shoulder to take another look around the camp. She doesn't like it much. But fine enough, so she follows on, keeping her tablet out while it does a sweep on the area. Always good to look for 'bugs' in the area, just in case there could be any chance this meeting could be overheard by their enemies..

"Good to meet you all." she then nodding at what Bobbi says.

"We need those who are prepared to join us in fighting against him. But it mostly seems something you have been doing all your lives already, fighting against people like that."

She doesn't take any tea just yet but does sit down with a thankful smile to their hosts.

Peggy Carter has posed:
One last, worried look is given in the mens' direction, but Peggy knows they are all capable agents. "Stay in touch..." She murmurs quietly to Phil and Jethro, before breaking off to follow the women back into the other tent. Her eyes flicker about the place, looking for any possible recording equipment and any guards that are watching them with weapons (be it inside the place or through windows.) She just likes to get they lay of the land, even as her smile hasn't faltered and she's doing her best to project trust and comfort towards these people.

"Thank you for vouching for us, also... I suspect your words went a long way to getting to have these conversations at all. We quite appreciate it." SHe gives a respectful nod towards each of the women as their names are given, echoing them to firm up in her head and also be certain she's pronouncing them correctly. People's names are important, and getting them right is a show of respect. "Saamiga. Nu'ma, Taaliba. It's an honor. I'm Margaret." With that, she falls quiet, letting the others do the proper talking as she stands a bit back as if she were simply a body guard of sorts herself.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Phil Coulson looks around as they're led to the camper van.As the other man unwraps his face, he does the same, taking off his sunglasses as well. "Thank you," he replies as he moves to take a seat. There's a brief moment as he looks to the dog with the scarf as well, then back to the man. "My name is Phil Coulson. We are from SHIELD." Studying the man to see how he reacts, he continues. "We learned about crimes General el-Lodi and his associates have been comitting, and we re working to bring them to justice." There is a brief pause before he adds, "Both for the victims of the crimes, and to ensure they will not happen again."

Achilles has posed:
    Well, guest rights are a thing. Especially with such a domineering wife presiding over them. Angelo falls silent since his ability to speak the language isn't truly needed. But they -know- he speaks it now, so people won't be trying to communicate in secret using that particular tongue.
    Either way, he follows the men and observes, listening to any conversation happening. For the moment however, he plays his role of silent muscle. Making sure others see that he is confident and relaxed, yet alert. For now, he is waiting for orders to do anything other than merely 'be present and ready'

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro unwraps his face as well his thin wiry hair forming a thick spiral moustache and beard along with lengthy hair that's far longer than one would expect from any sort of modern soldier but still kept in order. He allows the wrap to rest on his shoulders looking on with those intense eyes as he sizes up the situation in silence.

     The man's got every look in his eyes of a killer and he doesn't hide it the sheer gruff intensity radiating off of him as he closes off his body language ready for just about anything.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The man nods to Phil and says, "Raadi al-Basha." He seats himself and stares at the three men in his home for a moment. "You should know better then, as SHIELD, that some times the bad guy gets away with it. Why would you care about our struggles?" How these people scraped together the cash to pay for mercenaries is entirely unclear. "You do not know how dangerous this man is. You will fail. He has powerful allies."

    He pauses a moment and then seems to capitulate to the situation he's in. A hand rubbing his forehead, "If it's evidence you want..." he gets up from the table and walks over to a closet. From it, he takes out a piece of metal. It is charred and torn and warped with heat, but part of a logo is still clearly visible on it: AIM. He places it on the table, "Now tell me what you would do with this if I were to give it to you."

    --

    The women look amongst each other and then back to the trio of guests they have handing out tea to Peggy and Daisy too. "We try to live peaceful lives. We have our problems with neighbours from time to time. But el-Lodi and his men. He has foreigners working for him too. They came out of no where and attacked us just to see if their new weapons worked," Saamiqa says. Nu'ma draws in a sharp breath, then from her clothing reveals a cell phone. "I never thought strangers from the west would ever care..." she shakily hands over the only bug or recording device in the tent. On it, pictures in a folder named 'aibnatu' of a corpse. Chemical burns down one side of their body.

    "They came back, with guns, and burned the bodies. They didn't want any evidence. Anyone who tried to get in their way - they shot them," Taaliba says in support of Nu'ma.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Daisy eventually takes the tea, and is just about to go for a sip when there's that reveal of a cell phone. Hello there, gold mine! The tea is set aside and she quietly asks. "Can we get a copy?" and presuming that the permission is given she will set about getting one done up to her tablet. That would certainly help.

"This will help tremendously in getting proof of what is going on here." she says, a frown as they describe how they got rid of the people.

"We already have some of our best people finding out more about that group which came here. I am sorry for all you went through.." a faint, mirthless smile on her lips.

Peggy Carter has posed:
While Peggy is quite good and schooling her features of emotions, this time, she lets some trickle through. A mix of anger on these people's behalf and sympathy for the dead. But the anger is more prevelent. She accepts the tea with a dip of her head, "Thank you..." And then steps a little closer to look over the phone, that anger peeking through even more at the sights they are presented. "...This man and the people he is working with are monsters. That alone makes it clear. And we're here to stop the monsters."

She nods in agreement with Daisy's questions, but trusts her colleague with that cellphone far more than herself. Peggy's still not really a tech person. She gives the tea a little bit of a curious sniff and then a deep sip, showing a bit more trust and thanks for their hospitality.

Phil Coulson has posed:
"That is true. Some tgimes the bad guy gets away with it. This is an unfortunate fact of life," Coulson replies, studying the man a bit carefully. "That doesn't mean we should give up on making sure they won't. I'm very sorry we did not know about what they did before, so we could have stopped them from what they did here, and I know that bringing him to justice will not bring back that which is lost." A pause, before he adds, "But I believe you hired a mercenary named Gavin Hedgecroft to help take him down? That tells me that you are not willing to let the bad guy get away with it in this situation either, Raadi al-Basha. And we all stand a better chance of managing to beet him and his powerful allies by working together."

As the man moves to place that piece of metal on the table, his gaze goes to it, and the logo still visible. "Our scientists would examine it further, to find out more about it. We will work carefully on discovering more evidence to help builiding a solid case against these people." His gaze lifts from the piece of metal to the man. "I know your people lost a lot due to this man. Would you not work with us to make sure others would not lose as much? We are not the enemy, those that did this are."

Achilles has posed:
    No longer able to keep his trap shut, Angelo says softly, "A wise man said once... all that is required for evil to flourish, is for good men to stand by. We... all of us are here because not a one of us can stand idly by."
    His voice is in a bit of a reverent tone, "I always liked that quote."
    But he shrugs and falls silent once more, studying the piece of metal.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro slides his shoulders down slightly as he adjusts himself on the spot lowering down. He reaches onto his side pulling out a canteen from himself and taking a low swig. "How much is an ounc'a lead these days?" Jethro looks over speaking up again in that thick accent just one moment his voice as grough as a ten mile road paved with broken glass of whiskey bottles and gravel.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Raadi gives Jethro a confused look and shakes his head, "I do not understand your question." He frowns at Phil and says, "Pretty words are for stories, not real life. You cannot protect us or fight this war for us. When you are gone they will come and now that SHIELD stopped Hedgecroft from killing Naasif, he will come seek vengeance. You have doomed us. So tell me why I should trust you..." his eyes turn to Angelo and Jethro too. SHIELD did stop Hedgecroft not once but twice. Then, for anyone looking from the outside, he disappeared. Hedgecroft warned SHIELD that they were protecting the bad guys.

    There's a knock on the door and then a man steps in carrying his AK47, "A patrol is coming." Raadi nods to him and says, "Your time is up. Convince me or leave empty handed. You have ten minutes to get out of here if you don't want to end up dead."

    --

    Saamiqa glances to Nu'ma and then nods to Daisy, "Please take it. We have been mourning those we lost and continue to lose. While ever we breath, Naasif el-Lodi feels insecure. We will be moving our home again, so you will not find us again." There is a man's voice from outside, "Patrol is coming, time to wrap things up sayida." Saamiqa responds to the title and puts her own tea down, "It's time for you to leave. tusbih alaa khayr," she says with a dip of her head.

    Bobbi looks at the picture of the woman who was killed by some kind of chemical attack. Her eyes narrow and she places the tea down, "tusbih alaa khayr Saamiqa, Nu'ma, Taaliba. Thank you for your time." She pulls her mask back up and rises up, checks her gear and then nods to Peggy and Daisy, "Let's find the guys."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Two good things here tonight for Daisy. One, that she doesn't get the aibnatu word translated yet, not knowing what it means. And second that she doesn't have her powers up and going. Or there could be trouble for patrols and mercs that could be moving about. She is still frowning, the images not easy to watch but she is also a professional so she copies the images quickly enough before handing the phone back to Saamiqa, "Thank you.." she whispers, getting back up to her feet.

"We won't let you down." She says in ways of farewell, offering the women a nod of respect and joining the others on the outside. She takes in a breath before wrapping the cloth about her face again, nodding in agreement with Bobbi.

"I haven't heard shots yet, so that's a good sign." this said about the guys! They have a little army in terms of armament with them afterall.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"If there is anything we can do to help protect you...or fight back, do let us know..." Peggy offers quietly, as it's clear things are wrapping up. She then reaches into the slit at the side of her tunic and pulls out her little black SHIELD card. Sure, it's old fashioned, but Peggy's still an old fashioned woman. It just has her name, a phone number, and an email on it, but it's enough that the women could get in touch again if they'd feel safe doing so. She passes it in Saamiqa's direction then, after a moment thought, pulls out two others to give to the other women. Just in case someone dies in the future messes.

Then she gives Bobbi a brief nod and steps back, turning on the ball of her foot to get ready to go meet the men. But something happens -- for just a moment the whole room swims. She slightly stumbles in her step, knees loose. Hopefully no one else noticed, as she's been taking up the rear, but it lags her behind a few heartbeats. She tries to shake it off, rewrapping her own head as she moves to catch up with Daisy and Bobbi. Probably just the heat.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Frowning as he listens, Coulson lets out a bit of a breath. "When we stopped Hedgecroft, it looked like he was the bad guy, but thanks to him, we learned the truth. That might also be a factor in why we are here now." It's said a bit softly as he studies Raadi carefully. "If I may ask, what made him decide to help you against Naasif? I mean, from what we have seen since we arrived here, you would not have been able to afford hiring such a skilled mercenary on your own." A brief pause, before he adds, "No offence meant. It leads me to think he might have lost something in this as well." At the mention of the patrol, he frowns. "Naasif's men? Which direction are they coming from?" Just in case leaving here would take them straight in the direction of the patrol. "What do you have to drive them back with?"

Achilles has posed:
    "I imagine their plan is to hide and let the patrol slip by. But... on your orders sir.." begins Angelo with that oddly almost gone hint of an English accent, "I could set an ambush that has good odds of taking them down without giving away our presence... and without letting them call it in." the old man offers.
    He glances towards Jethro and adds, "It'd be easier if there were two of us."

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro closes his eyes for a moment looks like he's lost deep in thought but in reality he's listening. Tuning out the conversation, tuning out the sounds of the RV, the air conditioning, everything that might get in the way. There's nothing superhuman to it, just a lifetime of training, and hunting looking for anything out of the ordinary.

     He takes several silent steps towards the window listening through it to the outside word. His mind drifts to the soundscape building a basic profile of what he hears. Animals fleeing from vehicles would be a start the rumble of the unfamiliar would be a bonus discussions and the like blending together everything adds up to build a general profile to give him a basic understanding before the discussion drops.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Raadi studies Phil for a while and then nods his head, "It is yours." He pushes the piece of metal across to the three Agents of SHIELD. "Hedgecroft is a man of honour," he says, "he could not allow his former employer Iron Fortitude to get away with what they have done here."

    He nods to the west, "They will come from the west, they always do. We defend ourselves today with compliance, tomorrow by relocation, and the day after whatever the fates have in store for us. Now go before you start a fight we cannot afford."

    Outside Jethro can see that the men are moving camels behind structures and tents, clearing a path and hiding crates of goods. They are all armed with AK47s, this is not a war that has ended simply because Naasif got promoted to diplomat. In fact, the opposite, it's heating up as Naasif searches for the people who sent Hedgecroft after his son. They are 'battening down the hatches'.

    --

    Bobbi misses the beat on Peggy. Though, even she had seen it she wouldn't have jumped to any significant conclusions. Not every day is our best day. She taps on her comms <<Coulson, we have incoming and a five minute walk back to the quinjet. Incoming estimated eight minutes away west bound. Recommend we say our goodbyes and leave these people be>>.

    She turns to look at Daisy and Peggy and says, "The sad thing is, if Hedgecroft hadn't set off a bomb using one of our stolen experimental explosive devices, this never would have even blipped on our radar.."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Our intelligence services aren't perfect. Nor can they be." Daisy says back to Bobbi with a gentle nod, "But we do what we can. And now that it's in our radar it will be time to take these guys down. Do you think Hedgecroft is still alive somewhere? Hiding under some hole in the ground?"

Daisy also doesn't seem to notice what happened with Peggy, but she does look over her shoulder to the other woman. "These people deserve better.." she lets out a sigh, glancing towards the direction their quinjet is. "We aren't thinking on interfering with this patrol, are we?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"They do deserve better. Maybe they'll be willing to call for help. We've extended the hand... it's up to them to take it. Trust is hard, especially with all they've been through." Peggy mutters to both of them as she double times it to try and catch up after that momentary wavering. Heat or not, hopefully it doesn't happen again. There's something slightly off behind her voice, but it could just be worry for the women we are leaving behind.

<<They asked us not to interfere... we should respect that. We've got information and evidence. That's all we came for.>> Peggy backs up Bobbi's recommendation, as she finally catches up with the other women and starts getting back into her high alert, somewhat paranoid stance she usually keeps. Double timing it for the Quin Jet seems the right answer to her so, unless told otherwise, that's where she's headed.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Phil Coulson nods as he gets to his feet, moving to take the piece of metal. "Thank you." Hearing what comes over the comms, he pauses again, as that combined with Raadi's words make him nod slowly. "If you need our help in the future, let us know. And I promise we will do everything we can to take them down." He then looks to Angelo and Jethro, shaking his head before speaking into the cmms.

<<Let's hurry back to the quinjet. We will help better by taking what we have found out back so we can use it against these people.>> A smile is offered to Raadi. "Farewell, and be safe." After that, he moves for the door, to start leading the way back to their ride home.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro drops the button of his holster on the off chance he needs it and falls back from the window forming up on Phil. He moves right for the exit more than ready to make a go for it as he wraps right back up for a bit of travel on the open desert.

     There's no clear shift in his expression as he wraps back his face and hair to cover himself properly. He's not to broken up by the whole thing at a glance as he gets ready to go into that hot desert sun.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi says to Daisy, "I don't know. You put all that tracking gear on him and half way back to his house he vanished. Someone set us up." She glances toward the direction of the quinjet too and says, "I sure hope not. Saudi Arabia and SHIELD are not friends and we may already be on their radar since last week."

    Bobbi turns on her heels and starts walking toward the quinjet, <<Yes sir, heading to Quinjet>>. She nods to Peggy and Daisy, "I'll be glad to get out of here before the heat hits. Midday in this desert? killer."

    The dog shoots out the door past Phil and starts barking toward the west.

    The team meets back at the quinjet with minutes to spare. Bobbi moves to the pilots seat and starts up the engines. She nods to the co-pilot seat, "Peggy. Come pilot with me." She smiles to her idol and idly chats as they take off, "Tell me about the main console..." The quinjet exterior flickers a moment as it adjusts from sand to sky and disappears. They are gone before el-Lodi's men even knew they were there.

    Hopefully.

Achilles has posed:
    "Back to the Jet. Copy." says Angelo. He follows orders. Sometimes too literally. Sometimes too energetically. But he follows orders. So he finds himself following them here too, and heads back towards the jet, making sure he has his suppressed SMG out just in case, and is tracking potential targets most of the way back. But without saying another word, he boards and prepares to take a ride.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
What they had seen back at the encampment was enough for Daisy to not even complain or call to go to the cockpit when Peggy goes for her flying lesson, instead her focus is another, starting to already study the images they got, along with the rest. Figuring out how they'd use it for their advantage and to present as proof for the case.

There was a lot to be done still, and time was of utmost importance.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The commentary about the tracking gear makes Peggy frown a bit more, but she wasn't there. She's just filing notes away for the future and has reading to do on the way back home to catch up on the last mission out this way. Her mind's slightly in another place when Bobbi asks about the heat and she blinks, answering a *little* too fast, perhaps on edge about something: "Heat? Oh yes. Awful. I'm still a touch pink from the Mojave. I'd like the freckles to go away before I need to sun bathe in *another* desert again." Peggy chirps out because, yes, clearly this heat has gotten to her.

Then they're climbing onboard the thankfully cooler jet and Peggy's just about to strap in when Bobbi invites her up. "Mm... suppose I'll catch up on files later. Johnson, flag anything you find? I'd like to go over it all with a fine tooth comb later myself." But she trusts Daisy's eyes, especially on the first round of study. Then she's looking back to Bobbi, "Yes, ma'am. Coming." She slips up front then, starting to go over the main console, the six standard things found in every plane and then onto the fancier stuff. She's clearly been studying, there isn't even hesitation now as she goes over the modern technology. See? She's not a complete luddite! Only by comfortable habit.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Phil Coulson might be feeling a little on edge until they are safely back in the quinjet, but once they are, he lets out a deep breath. Waiting a few moments, before he drops down into his sesat. Once he's there, he looks to that piece of metsl again, studying it carefully. "Let's get home and see if we can uncover more of this," he offers.

Jethro Glass has posed:
     Jethro sets himself with his back against the window looking into the center of the quinjet as soon as he gets on. There's no attention paid to the world outside those windows as they take off just like he did when they were on the way out this way. He just looks towards the center of the plane.

     "No idea what we just did, but hope we did it well." He speaks with a gravely grumble as he pulls off that head dressing and tosses it down onto the seat beside himself, while pulling the rifle that was concealed against his back just in case. He looks genuinely relieved that he didn't have to use it a contented expression that nothing went wrong as he gives that warm smile.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi responds to Phil's instruction, "Yes sir." She sets flight coordinates on the controls - taking each step more deliberately so Peggy can follow. Once the flight computer is set in, she adjusts the controls and begins flying them south out of Saudi Arabia the quick way, then back to the Triskelion.