They watched the footage several times, yet nothing ever seemed to make any sense. How could a truck that size simply vanish? No one seemed to have an answer, although Hunter was quite sure he wanted an ale. "And none of the other camera's have a view?" Patten asked as he leaned on the chair as Fitz leaned on the table with his elbows both staring intently at the screen.
"Ey," Fitz groaned. "They all go dead at the same time and come back in sync, each exactly a minute after the other."
A can popped from behind them as Hunter sipped on the now fizzing ale. "Maybe if we hit other camera's in the direction this truck was headed we can find it?" Hunter suggested.
"That's actually crazy enough to work," Patten turned to see the smug look on Hunter's face.
Fitz quickly began searching for other targets in range that may have a visual on the southbound truck. He watched as a different box truck passed in front of a camera, but no ale truck. "Hey," Mick sighed as he watched several different pieces of footage streaming showing the ale truck before it vanished. "What if this truck is our target just disguised?" Fitz paused as he turned looking at Mick with a disgruntled face, then clearly began contemplating.
"That would mean whoever was driving had some kind of camouflage feature, and have to know the location of every camera along their path," Patten said as Mick shrugged.
"I mean, it's possible," Fitz admitted. "Not probable, but possible."
"The kid may be onto something Fitz," Hunter sipped loudly.
"Do you realize how much planning that would take?" Patten barked.
"Just hold on," Fitz muttered as he began to run an analysis program on the two trucks. Something must've caught his eye during the scans as he used an even more detailed scan which somehow revealed the back of the truck had a special coating. He then scanned the second box truck, revealing it too had the same coating. "Bloody 'ell." His expression was in full disbelief.
"Good eye," Hunter pat Mick on his shoulders as Patten stared at the screen in awe.
"It was just a lucky guess," Mick shrugged.
"A ruddy good one," Hunter took another swig. "Maybe you should buy a lotto ticket."
"Can you get a bead on that plate?" Patten looked at the slightly blurred picture.
"Not a good one from this angle, but now that we know our truck has camouflage," Fitz smirked. "I can use this recognition program to follow it until we get a good view."
"Just let me know when I need to move," Hunter kicked back in a chair relaxing.
"When," Fitz said quickly. "We need to get closer to some of these camera's. Signal is too weak to hack from here."
"On it, just tell me when!" Hunter said as he walked up front cranking the RV. The motor roared to life with a loud pop and black smoke pouring out the exhaust.
"Make sure those satellites don't fall!" Patten said pointing up as Mick nodded, using a chair to peak out the small roof window. He eased open the window and webbed them still as they started to shake when the RV picked up speed. "Any luck?" Mick called out.
"Got it!" Fitz exclaimed. "Truck belongs to one Enoch Coltrane."
"I need an address!" Hunter called out.
"Working on it," Patten said as he started up to the front. "Just don't drive like a loon so we don't lose any of these satellites!"
"Can't make any promises mate," Lance chuckled. "These Illinois drivers are something else!"
"I'm not sure it's them!" Fitz teased as he left the passenger seat joining Mick and Patten at the table.
"Looks like he lives in Hyde Park," Patten said as Fitz and Mick nodded.
"Grand," Lance groaned. "Love city traffic."
"I'm not too keen on being so easy to track," Fitz fussed. "But right now I don't bloody care. I just want to get Jemma and the others back."
The home was a rather modest looking home for such an nice neighborhood, all white exterior with a little garden out front. Everything looked as clean as it could be. "We don't know what to expect from this guy, but if he's got tech to disguise his vehicle, he's probably got security too," Patten said tossing Lance a pistol.
"Do you want one?" Patten asked as Fitz shook his head, as did Mick. "Your loss."
"Hopefully we don't need to shoot anything," Fitz said as they climbed out of the RV.
The four approached the house, carefully ducking under windows and watching for any camera's. They reached the back door as Patten carefully reached out, surprised by the fact it wasn't locked. Lance and Patten then took point, as they cleared the mud and laundry room, then made their way toward the kitchen. "There's someone in here," Patten whispered as he glanced at all of the child like drawings posted on the walls.
"This seems a bit creepy," Mick muttered as they carefully entered the kitchen to see a bald man in a wrinkle free suit standing at the fridge.
Lance made the move to close in with Patten quick on his side. "I've been expecting you." The man's tone was almost robotic.
"Excuse me?" Fitz stepped forward as both Patten and Lance gripped their guns pointing it at the man's head.
"There's no need for violence," the man turned to face them, his emotionless face matched the robotic tone.
"What do you mean you were expecting us?" Mick asked with unease.
"Agent Mick James Bellouve, Agent Leopold James Fitz," the man said as Lance and Patten seemed surprised by the matching middle names.
"So you know our names," Mick barked.
"Where are the others?" Fitz and Mick demanded in unison.
"Two, zero, nine, one," the man said as the four glanced between each other in confusion before looking back at the man. "Earth year two, zero, nine, one."
"Twenty ninety one? Like the future?" Lance mocked.
"Exactly," the man said as he walked into another room with a computer set up on a table. They quickly followed looking at the pages of strange symbols covering the walls like wallpaper. The man then opened a video on the computer that showed Coulson, May, Daisy, Mack, Yo-yo, and Jemma standing in a small room. Then a large white wave crashed over them, then to the ground, leaving nothing behind as the liquid then reformed into a large white rock.
"No," Fitz gasped as Mick watched the replay. "Not a bloody monolith!"
"Indeed," the man said as Mick began to snarl.
"Just who the heck are you?" He snapped.
"My earth name is Enoch Coltrane," he replied with a nod. "I am a sentient Chronocom from a planet that revolves around a star in the constellation you know as Signas."
"Whoa," Lance seemed a bit reluctant. "You expect us to believe that nonsense?"
"This writing," Patten looked over the walls. "I've seen it in a few off the book locations. Why?"
"I am what you would call an anthropologist," Enoch stated. "I was sent to study the human race."
"So why send them into the future?" Mick asked.
"It was prophesied," Enoch responded much to Fitz's displeasure.
"Then why leave us?" Fitz barked.
"You two were not mentioned in the prophecy," Enoch shrugged.
"How do we get them back?" Patten asked as Enoch showed a small glint of emotion.
"The monolith can only be opened from the future," he replied.
"So how do we tell the future to send them back?" Mick asked as Fitz slammed his hands on the desk.
"I am not sure," Enoch stated.
"Then you need to bring us to someone who can tell us," Fitz snatched the gun from Lance pointing it at Enoch who simply raised his hands in surrender. "Either bring us to your supposed prophet, or I'll end your bloody future now."