Raina held the dress close, and looked up at her rescuer. "Can you give me a moment?"
There was a burst of gunfire, and a scream. "I don't think I want to stand out there and wait," Ward answered. He drew his sidearm and pressed his shoulder against the wall next to the door. "But I'll try not to look."
He pressed a finger to his ear. "Target secure, extraction at primary LZ in five minutes." He glanced back at Raina. "Are you ready?"
Raina cocked an eyebrow at him, and he grinned and turned to the door again. She turned her back and pulled the brown prison shirt over her head. Stepping out of the matching pants, she picked up the new dress. It felt like freedom in her hands.
"I knew I'd be rescued," she said as she stepped into the dress. "But you're the last person I expected."
"There's going to be a lot of that," he said. The gunfire had died down, and he was listening intently. "The world is changing very fast right now. Can you keep up?"
"Zip me up?" she asked.
She watched as he turned to look at her, giving her exposed back a brief, appreciative glance. He crossed the tiny cell and slowly pulled up the zipper on the back of her dress. Once done, his hand slid back down to the small of her back, gently nudging her toward the door.
"I'm sorry," Raina said suddenly.
"For?"
"That night on the bridge, when we took Coulson. You were shot. I gave the order."
She felt his hand tense on her back, his fingers briefly digging into her flesh. She wasn't sure what his presence here meant, but he had been her enemy.
"Well. I guess I should take that as a compliment."
He opened the door and stepped into the hall, scanning both directions with smooth motions. He motioned for her to follow.
"You saw me as enough of a threat that you tried to take me out."
"And now you're rescuing me."
His hand had found its way to her back again. "How about that?"
They rounded a corner to find a half-dozen armed and armored men waiting. The soldiers lowered their weapons when they saw Ward. Several of them wore S.H.I.E.L.D. emblems on their uniforms.
A helicopter touched down as they emerged from the prison, the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem emblazoned on its tail. Ward guided Raina toward it.
"Where are you taking me?" she shouted over the roar of the rotors.
She was pushed into the chopper, followed by Ward and his team. Ward sat next to her, and helped her pull the seat harness over her shoulders.
"I'm taking you to your Clairvoyant."