Coulson's sudden capture had certainly left more than just Evenson anxious and worried. His Special Squad had to be even more frantic, because to them, Coulson was not only their leader, but family. At least, that was true for most of them.
A train could only run fast with a locomotive at the front. Now that their great train lacked Coulson, its veteran driver, they seemed leaderless. According to S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol, after Coulson went missing, his command should have been transferred to his immediate deputy, Melinda.
And purely in terms of ability, Melinda was absolutely qualified for the position. She was also the true core of the Special Squad, and her actual agent level was even higher than Coulson's. But her relationship with Coulson was simply too close. Nick Fury feared that she might let her emotions affect her judgment, so he had parachuted in a new leader: Level 8 Agent Victoria Hand.
Evenson knew Agent Hand as well. She was an iceberg... barely a beauty, perhaps, provided she had been twenty years younger. She was a typical strong career woman, efficient and tough in her methods, with a face that always looked stern.
The first time Evenson met her, he had felt that this woman would be very difficult to get along with. She had definitely killed every humor cell in her body through chemical therapy. Really, all he had asked was, "Ma'am, did you injure your face when you were younger and end up with facial paralysis? Is that why you can't make any expression besides looking stern?" What was so outrageous about that? Did she have to get angry enough to draw her gun? And it had been loaded!
Besides, could he really be blamed? Melinda could at least change expressions and smile now and then. Hand,