'The Bus' touched down on the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft carrier and Ward, May, Coulson and I stood in the loading dock ready to meet out guests. I was in my tactical gear – the full-length, zipper front, black suit and boots, without the bullet proof vest and weapons. Ward and I stood 'at ease', with our hands behind our backs, for our superior officers.
I watched as the ramp lowered and Agents Hand, Blake and Sitwell walked up the ramp, accompanied by Garrett and Trip.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice." Coulson said to the group.
"A little unconventional meeting this way, isn't it?" Sitwell asked and I noticed Trip eyeing me. I glanced at him and smirked slightly before looking back to the conversation.
"Oh, from the reports I've read, "unconventional" seems to be Coulson's middle name these days." Blake replied.
"I'll explain everything as soon as we hit fifty-thousand feet. This way." Coulson said, and showed everyone into the lounge area.
"Cruising altitude reached." May reported as she joined the group.
"Sorry for the song and dance but we brought you here as a precaution." Garrett said.
"A precaution against what?" Sitwell asked.
"The Clairvoyant." Coulson replied. "If there is someone out there who can read minds, at least up here we're as far away as we can get."
"You know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standing on psychics, they don't exist." Hand said. "Are you suddenly a believer?"
"Not definitively." He replied. "But I had a recent experience with an Asgardian who could bend people's will with his voice." He said and Ward glanced at me. "Forced me to open my mind, so to speak."
"All we know for sure is the Clairvoyant's been a step ahead of us, stealing plays from our playbook." Garrett continued. "We recently encountered Mr Peterson, or Deathlok, in Sydney, Australia and he's alive and kicking."
"Agent Garrett and I have been tracking him the last few weeks." Trip added.
"And we think the Clairvoyant's super-soldier bodyguard came after us for a reason." Garrett continued. "We're getting close."
"To what? His identity?" Hand asked.
"We've narrowed the list to thirteen candidates. I've been taking a look at those who were rejected from the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gifted index. Specifically those who are believed to have psychic abilities." Garrett finished.
"Let's assume what you're saying is possible. What then?" Hand asked. "If we're going after an actual clairvoyant, how do you suggest we combat that?"
"By compartmentalizing the information." Garrett replied.
"As you know, Agent Rook here is an expert at analysis and strategy." Coulson continued. "I'm sure she'll come up with something good. You have an hour." He finished, looking to me and I nodded before leaving the group and heading to the control room.
After an hour, I had sifted through all the possible candidates and their locations, and had prioritised them, focusing on the top five. Soon, everyone met back in the lounge area and I gave them the run down of the op.
"I've prioritised the candidates on Garrett's list. We'll start with the top five. I've located them, and I'll pair everyone off into random teams. That way, only one person knows the full scope of the mission. We'll make it a double-blind, one person from each team will get the potential coordinates and the other will have the identity. That way, no one person will have the full specs of the op until you get there." I explained. "If everyone's ready, I'll give everyone the details." I finished.