[S1E21] The Soldier On The Grave |TOP|

Brennan and Booth go to investigate an apparent suicide in Arlington National Cemetery, but soon find out that it was murder and that the victim was a soldier who had served in Iraq. The investigation leads to a lot of unanswered questions about the military unit of the victim, with all clues pointing to a cover-up. Booth meanwhile recalls his shady past as a sniper in the military and the horrors of war.

[S1E21] The Soldier on the Grave

Booth and Brennan walk to the crime scene located in a military cemetery and discuss their views on the war. Booth is angry that someone used an important place as a staging ground for their protest. The victim is a charred corpse positioned so that the body is leaning against the grave of Charlie Kent. He was a rising basketball star about to drafted into the NBA before he shipped out to Iraq as part of the National Guard. He died protecting his unit from insurgents. The victim is a young African male and government organizations are pressing for a positive ID. Brennan assumes that they plan to brand him a traitor to give the public a common enemy. Brennan walks over to Booth when he is distracted by a nearby grave. It belongs to James Richards who was a ranger with Booth but was killed by a roadside bomb, leaving behind a wife and two kids. His grave's proximity to the crime scene bothers Booth.

CAMPBELL (voiceover): He took the unit to the house. [The soldiers are advancing up the street carefully] The street was quiet. I was waiting. [Cuts to Campbell sitting alone in the driver's seat.] Then I heard the pop, pop, pop of the AK-47. [Cuts the interrogation room to Booth, who stares at her intensely.] Then Kent and Lefferts firing...the captain and the others breaking down the door. Then everything stopped.

Brennan and Booth arrive at a cemetery where a charred body was found on the grave of deceased soldier Charlie Kent on the one-year anniversary of his death. Charlie, a former NBA hopeful, was killed while serving in Iraq. Agent Booth is troubled by strong memories of his time in the service.

Back in the Jeffersonian lab, the team examines the charred remains of the corpse found on Kent's grave in an effort to identify the body. Dr. Hodgins and Dr. Goodman begin arguing about the politics of the war in Iraq. Angela quickly identifies the charred remains as Devon Marshall, a former National Guard member who served in Iraq with Charlie Kent. Dr Brennan believes that Marshall did not commit suicide, but was murdered and burned on Kent's grave to make it look like a suicide protest.

Bones and Booth visit the National Guard base to see if they can glean some information about Marshall and Kenta's experience in Iraq and talk to other soldiers who served alongside them. National Guard Capt. Fuller explains an incident in Mosul that Kent, Marshall and Jimmy experienced. The platoon was on a routine patrol when they encountered a household containing insurgents. The group moved in to investigate when Kent charged in attacking when he saw an insurgent wielding a weapon. The conflict ended with 3 dead Iraqi insurgents and the death of Charlie Kent, shot by insurgent AK-47 fire. Booth explains Marshall was murdered.

Booth continues to have difficulty dealing with the situation, as he is constantly reminded of his tour of duty. The Jeffersonian team continues the investigation on the body of Charlie Kent while Booth goes to talk to Jimmy again about the details of the combat resulting in Kent's death. Booth then interrogates Campbell, another member of Kenta's platoon who was there during the fire-fight. She gives the exactly same account of the incident, nearly word for word. Booth suspects the they've been coached on their responses. Booth interrogates the remaining member of the Platoon, Peter Lefferts, the national guard soldier who was the first to find Kent. Again, the same account of the incident.

Back at the lab, Bones discovers M-14 rounds were the source of Kent's death, not the AK-47 rounds. M-14 is an American weapon carried by national guard soldiers: friendly fire. Bones and Booth race to go question Lefferts again, who they now believe to be the person responsible for Kent's death in Iraq. They arrive to find Lefferts dead, suicide by hanging. He couldn't live knowing he killed Kent, and his assistant says Leffert was out of town when Marshall was killed, so the murderer is still out there.

The team is called in to investigate after the burned body of a war protester is found on the grave of a war hero at Arlington National Cemetery. As they uncover more information about the case, all clues point to a potential military cover-up with regard to the soldier's death.

Ed begins helping the people of Central with their problems through alchemy to try and get attention, quickly becoming a "celebrity." Mustang soon meets with him, and while talking, Mustang mentions of Marcoh's disappearance and this was likely done by the Homunculus. While questioning Ed's recent activities, Ed confirms to Mustang it is to attract Scar to him and while the two argue about how useless they were against Scar last time, Hawkeye notices that Scar has arrived. While Ed starts the fight, Al explains that it is to fish out the Homunculus since as sacrifices they can't let either of them die. Al then suggests that Mustang work on diverting the MP's to avoid any interference since Scar getting shot would ruin their plan. While the Elrics begin using their transmutations, Ling and Lan Fan watch the battle from above. As Al has to keep two MPs at bay that arrived, traveling with Hawkeye to use the radio equipment at Fuery's apartment and disguising his voice, Mustang sends out false Scar sighting reports as Henry Douglas at the Central Command office dispatches soldiers to confirm these sightings. As Bradley heads out with Gluttony to Scar's true location, Ling and Lan Fan sense Gluttony and immediately head after them. As Ed cancels out Scar's decomposition technique with alchemy, it exposes his tattoo, confirming to the Elrics that he killed Winry's parents. Lan Fan knocks Gluttony into a building and as Ling demands to know how many souls he possesses, they point out it is pointless for him to flee due to their ability to sense his Qi. Upon learning of this, Bradley unsheaves his swords, seeing their ability as a hindrance. Seeing Bradley's speed as he charges towards her, Ling orders Lan Fan to get out of the way, but Bradley quickly strikes her and breaks her mask in the process as Ling calls out to her.

Garrett survived those wounds, and would soon be recruited into HYDRA while maintaining his cover as a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. With the help of the Cybertek corporation, he became the first test subject in Project Deathlok, a project carried out by Garrett's new allies in HYDRA and Cybertek to build a super-soldier via cybernetic prostheses. Decades later, Garrett's organs would start failing, and his biomechanical parts would be the only thing that kept him alive.[3]

In 1999, Garrett met Grant Ward in a Juvenile Detention Facility in Massachusetts, where he was serving time for burning down his family home with his brother inside. Garrett informed Ward that his brother wished to have him tried as an adult to get the maximum penalty. Garrett explained that he worked for a secret organization that was looking to recruit young men like him where no one would ever screw with him. He made him a one-time offer to join HYDRA when Ward agreed, Garrett's soldiers broke him out of prison.[3]

They were able to track down Deathlok to an abandoned race track in Pensacola, Florida, due to a tracking round that Felix Blake had shot at him. Garrett joined Phil Coulson and Grant Ward. Garrett briefed his soldiers on what to expect during the fight, while Leo Fitz noted that the area was likely empty of civilians. With their weapons ready, Ward asked Garrett what their tactic would be and Garrett informed him they would be knocking on the door, which was their code for blasting down the doors and charging inside.

Upon landing at the Hub, Hand's soldiers used the Overkill Device to take out the ship's guns while Garrett updated Ward on what was happening, telling him that Coulson's team mistakenly believed Hand was the Clairvoyant. They were then forced to hide as the entire Bus was shot at by the agents outside who shattered the glass. Having been told by Melinda May that Nick Fury had been killed by the Winter Soldier, Garrett and Ward discussed if this was possible, with Garrett noting Fury had proven to be a hard man to kill before questioning if they needed to hide anything from Hand.[2]

Once landed at the Hub, Garrett aided Phil Coulson and his team into successfully sneaking past all Victoria Hand's men, who had been ordered to open fire on the Bus' crew. With Hand's soldiers using a Pick-Lock Device to break onto the Bus, Garrett and Leo Fitz left a small grenade behind to distract them while they made their escape. Using the Mouse Hole designed by Fitz, the team was able to successfully get off the plane without detection, as Garrett and Fitz discussed the Mouse Hole, Garrett noted that devices like that would have been taken by top brass.

While Coulson noted that Fury would have killed Garrett for such betrayal against S.H.I.E.L.D., Garrett only mockingly noted that all Fury could do now was roll over in his grave. Garrett noted how he could have had Edison Po kill Coulson when he had the chance but did not because he still viewed Coulson as his friend. Garrett then ordered his men to execute Coulson's Team, telling them to only shoot Fitz in the kneecaps. With thanks to Grant Ward and Skye, however, the power was cut out in the room and Coulson attacked Garrett while Melinda May fought the other agents.

Garrett and his team prepared for the Raid of the Fridge, gathering all the guns and ammunition they would need. Garrett spoke to one of his commanders, Kaminsky about the mission and was informed that although they were outnumbered, HYDRA had successfully stolen a helicopter that could be used during the raid. Delighted to be a part of the mission, Kaminsky raised his arms and gave the HYDRA salute, exclaiming "Hail HYDRA". However, Garrett mocked him for his over-enthusiasm before going to his soldiers and inspecting all their weapons and giving them their mission orders.[22] 041b061a72