Ordinary encrypted data tablets were made by military contractors and prioritized durability over user experience. They could be stuffed into a Kevlar vest as chest ballistic ceramic plates and provide bulletproof protection no worse than the real thing. Although Victoria Hand's encrypted data tablet was also made on Mars like the others, its hardware encryption level was far higher. Through Kamar-Taj's satellite network, it connected to the Defense Intelligence Agency database. Only after the tablet displayed an icon of a golden skeletal hand against a black background did she use her authority to open an archive marked with a gray eagle emblem and enter the keywords: Montana, ranch, cattle herd, cult, 2012.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had once taken over this case from the Montana Livestock Brand Enforcement Division, but eventually handed it over to the local FBI. The former had been the first law enforcement agency to handle the case, after large numbers of livestock on nearby farms died. Then they discovered they could not contact the ranch owners, followed by the discovery that the entire family had vanished. The latter classified it as a cult sacrifice. Although no bodies had been found to this day, blood left at the scene had yielded DNA samples from ten humans, along with a large number of dissected cattle. Their organs, torsos, and heads had been piled separately in three different locations.
At the time, Nick Fury had thrown nearly all available manpower into New York. Since this type of case required a lengthy investigation and it was difficult to find the bodies quickly, S.H.I.E.L.D. withdrew from the investigation. It merely left a note in the archive and waited for the Montana FBI Office to share intelligence.
The Montana FBI Office had yet to respond.
However, the details Master Hamir described matched the investigative intelligence