Chapter 838

Coulson falling into enemy hands had sent more than just Evenson into a panic.

His special team was even more desperate to find him. To them, Coulson wasn’t merely their commanding officer.

He was family.

At least, that was true for most of them.

Unfortunately, a train was only as good as its engine, and without Coulson at the front, the team had suddenly found itself without anyone truly steering the thing.

Under standard S.H.I.E.L.D. procedure, command should have passed to the next-ranking officer after Coulson disappeared.

Melinda May.

And purely from a professional standpoint, May was more than qualified. She was arguably the real backbone of Coulson’s team, and her actual clearance level was even higher than his.

The problem was her relationship with Coulson.

They were too close.

Nick Fury was worried that May’s personal feelings might interfere with her judgment, so instead of handing her command, he parachuted in someone from outside the team.

Level Eight Agent Victoria Hand.

Evenson knew Hand.

She was an icy woman who could, with considerable generosity, be described as beautiful.

Provided you went back twenty years.

Hand was the textbook definition of a career professional. Efficient. Hard-edged. Ruthlessly practical.

And she almost never smiled.

The first time Evenson had met her, he’d immediately decided that she was going to be difficult.

He’d also concluded that she had personally murdered every humor cell in her body with chemotherapy.

Really, what was so offensive about asking whether she’d suffered a facial injury when she was younger and that was why she could only make one expression?

Why had she pulled a gun?

And why had it been loaded?

It wasn’t his fault!

May could at least change expressions occasionally. Hand looked like someone had permanently selected one facial preset and forgotten how to change it.

Still, her professional ability was undeniable.

Especially her command ability.

The agents under her were disciplined to an almost frightening degree. Where Coulson was often described as the ideal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Hand was arguably closer to the real thing.

She was perfectly willing to do whatever the mission required.

Whatever it took.

Apparently, Fury had finally managed to sneak an actual S.H.I.E.L.D. professional into the situation.

The moment Agent Hand arrived on the aircraft carrying Fury’s orders, she took command.

It didn’t take her long to capture a broker with ties to the Centipede organization, either. The man had played a significant role in Coulson’s disappearance.

Unfortunately, the mercenary appeared to have a surprisingly strong professional code.

He hadn’t said a word.

Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. simply hadn’t tried bribing him yet.

"What have we got?"

Hand was discussing their next move with several agents when an unwelcome voice interrupted the meeting.

She hadn’t even identified the speaker before her hand instinctively moved toward the holster beneath her jacket.

Then she turned.

And immediately understood why.

Evenson stood in the doorway.

He’d somehow arrived aboard the aircraft without anyone noticing.

Alone.

Gabriel had decided to wander around on her own after they left Mephisto.

"Where’s Skye?"

Evenson walked into the room and looked around.

The troublesome young hacker was nowhere to be seen.

"She was removed from the aircraft by Agent Hand."

Fitz approached Evenson as he spoke.

The young scientist glanced nervously toward Hand.

Evenson followed his gaze.

He noticed the fear immediately.

"I have to say, that’s a little harsh, ma’am."

Hand’s hand moved toward her gun again.

Evenson immediately corrected himself.

"Miss Hand."

"You removed her from the aircraft? Do you realize she was brought onto the team by me?"

Hand shook her head.

"No. The personnel file didn’t mention that."

She looked at him coldly.

"But it did mention that she hacked into a S.H.I.E.L.D. data terminal and persuaded someone to shoot Agent Sitwell with a tranquilizer rifle."

Her eyes narrowed.

"As her sponsor, are you willing to take responsibility for that?"

"Her sponsor?"

Evenson gave an awkward smile.

"What sponsor? If it isn’t in the file, then I suppose it doesn’t count."

He smoothly changed the subject.

"Have you found any leads on Coulson?"

"You don’t have clearance for that information."

Hand turned away.

She didn’t even bother looking at him.

"Well, that’s convenient."

Evenson smiled.

"Director Fury specifically asked me to assist with the search for Coulson."

Hand glanced at him.

"Next time, lead with that."

Her tone was openly annoyed.

"We’ve captured a key individual. If he talks, we’ll have a major lead. I’ve heard you’re good at interrogations."

She gestured toward the detention area.

"Perhaps you could make yourself useful."

"That might not be necessary."

Evenson’s expression changed.

"I received information from a rather unusual source. I already know where Coulson is being held."

Hand turned around.

"What?"

One eyebrow rose by roughly half a centimeter.

For Hand, that was practically a dramatic outburst.

"Source?"

"Sorry. Classified."

Evenson’s smile became infuriatingly innocent.

Hand’s eyebrow dropped again.

She was annoyed now.

"I am a Level Eight agent."

"Come back when you’re director."

Hand stared at him.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then she took a breath.

Hand was nothing if not disciplined. She clearly wanted to pursue the issue, but her training won out.

"Fine."

She folded her arms.

"How confident are you in this intelligence?"

"Absolutely."

Hand waited.

"Of course, I can’t guarantee it’s accurate."

Her expression flattened.

"How reliable do you think it is?"

Evenson hesitated.

"That’s... difficult to say."

He couldn’t exactly explain that his information had come directly from Mephisto.

He knew Nahash had only just left Coulson’s body.

Therefore, if he could determine where Nahash was, he’d have a fairly good idea where Coulson was.

The problem was that Evenson had no idea where Nahash had gone.

Mephisto did.

And, remarkably, he’d given Evenson that information for free.

The problem was that free information from the Lord of Hell wasn’t exactly the sort of thing you accepted without reservation.

"Then we can’t establish its reliability."

Hand considered the situation carefully.

"I can’t authorize an operation based on unverified intelligence."

"Seriously?"

Evenson’s eyes flickered.

He deliberately sounded irritated.

"We’re racing against the clock here. We don’t have time to hesitate."

"Which is exactly why we can’t waste time on the wrong operation."

Hand shook her head.

"If you actually want to help, interrogate the prisoner."

"If what he tells us matches your information, we’ll move immediately."

For an agent, being too rigid could be just as dangerous as being reckless.

Evenson’s eyes narrowed.

"Someday, that inflexibility is going to get you killed."

"An agent who ignores procedure dies faster."

Hand didn’t blink.

She wasn’t rejecting Evenson because she disliked him.

Quite the opposite.

She understood the situation perfectly.

They were running out of time.

Evenson had information, but even he couldn’t vouch for its accuracy. How could she ask the team to risk everything on it?

If they launched an operation and discovered the intelligence was false, they could ignore the wasted manpower.

They couldn’t get the lost time back.

So, when she had another option, Hand wasn’t willing to gamble.

"Then we’ll do both."

Evenson shrugged.

"I’ll interrogate the prisoner while you send people to the location I identified."

"We don’t have enough personnel."

Hand’s voice sharpened.

That had been her first thought too.

The problem was that she simply didn’t have enough agents to divide the team.

"Then I’ll find someone else."

Evenson pulled out his phone.

"Coulson is somewhere in the United States, right?"

Hand frowned.

"Who are you going to call? 911?"

"Actually..."

Evenson dialed.

"That’s exactly what I’m doing."

The entire room went silent.

Several agents exchanged bewildered looks.

Evenson waited for the call to connect.

"Hello? Black Badge hotline? Yes, I’d like to report a crime."

Hand stared at him.

"You’re calling Black Badge?"

Of course she’d heard of the newly established U.S. government special division.

She also knew that Black Badge had already clashed with S.H.I.E.L.D. during one of its early operations.

Specifically, it had clashed with Coulson’s team.

"What’s the problem?"

Evenson smiled.

"When you’re short on resources, you ask for help."

He shrugged.

"Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to Director Fury."

As if Fury needs much explanation.

After the little video Ghost had sent back previously, Fury already knew Evenson had connections to Black Badge.

And he wasn’t likely to complain.

Besides, Hydra was becoming increasingly bold.

That meant the Insight Project was nearing its final stage.

Soon enough, there wouldn’t be much reason to worry about Fury’s feelings or S.H.I.E.L.D.’s opinion.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was already standing on the edge of a cliff.

This was the perfect time to make sure Black Badge established itself.

And besides, Evenson hadn’t actually just decided to call them now.

He’d already contacted the Eredar Twins after speaking with Fury and had sent people out.

There was one particular target he cared about.

The Clairvoyant.

Someone supposedly capable of seeing the future.

Evenson wanted that person.

He wasn’t about to let someone else get there first.

At almost the same time, Coulson slowly opened his eyes.

His mouth was dry.

His body felt strange.

Something was missing.

He couldn’t explain what.

He carefully checked himself.

Two arms.

Two legs.

Everything appeared to be where it belonged.

So he dismissed the sensation as the lingering effects of whatever had happened to him.

He slowly pushed himself upright on the equipment.

Raina was sitting across from him.

The moment she noticed him awake, she gave him her usual alluring smile.

"You’re awake."

Coulson steadied himself and studied her.

Something about her seemed different.

Not visibly different.

Something in her presence.

Something oddly familiar.

"You work for the Clairvoyant?"

"Something like that."

Raina smiled.

"Then you can stop wasting your time."

Coulson’s attitude was the same as ever.

Mostly.

But after waking this time, there was something missing from his usual certainty.

"You really don’t want to know the answer?"

Raina leaned back.

"You died once."

Coulson froze.

"And now you’re alive."

She smiled.

"Don’t you want to know why?"

Coulson lowered his head.

For a moment, his thoughts became muddled.

I died?

Something stirred inside his mind.

Fragments.

Images.

Memories he couldn’t quite grasp.

Whenever he reached for them, they vanished.

He shook his head sharply.

Had he really died?

Why didn’t he remember it?

It was easier to believe there was something wrong with his current memory than to accept that an entire portion of his life had been removed.

"Your Clairvoyant told you I died?"

Coulson looked up.

"He claims to be a prophet, but maybe he just found something online."

He gave a tired smile.

"Read too many conspiracy novels and started believing his own nonsense."

"Who knows?"

Raina shrugged.

"Maybe you’re right."

Coulson continued.

"Don’t assume it’s impossible. A while ago, I met a Norwegian couple who took a trashy online novel into the woods because they thought it contained clues to a treasure."

Raina’s smile became mysterious.

"But they really did find treasure."

Coulson’s expression changed.

"Didn’t they?"

"That was one of the Clairvoyant’s predictions."

Coulson went still.

He had mentioned the Berserker Staff purely as a test.

He’d wanted to see whether Raina—or more importantly, the Clairvoyant behind her—knew about the mission.

Apparently, they did.

A classified S.H.I.E.L.D. operation had somehow reached someone who supposedly knew everything.

Could the Clairvoyant actually see the future?

And if so...

Had Coulson really died?

"These things don’t matter, Agent Coulson."

Raina’s voice softened.

"You wanted to know the truth."

"You searched for it."

"And when you were denied the answers, you were left wondering why."

She watched him carefully.

"Am I wrong?"

Coulson’s years of experience as an agent came to the forefront.

"I trust the system."

His voice was steady.

"Secrets exist for a reason."

"You’ve sacrificed too much for S.H.I.E.L.D."

Raina continued.

"And after everything you’ve given them, they couldn’t even tell you the truth."

"Not even why those sacrifices were necessary."

The muscles in Coulson’s face tightened.

Ever since the incident the organization had officially classified as his death, his life had changed beyond recognition.

But his answer remained firm.

"Those sacrifices were part of the job."

"They were necessary."

"I was willing to give my life for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You already did."

Raina’s voice became quieter.

"But you sacrificed more than your life."

She had seen the hesitation.

Now she pressed harder.

"You gave up your chance to live as an ordinary man."

"You gave up love."

Coulson’s expression finally cracked.

Everyone had a weak point.

For Coulson, it was her.

The woman who played the cello.

The woman he’d loved.

After S.H.I.E.L.D. declared him dead, he could never see her again.

Not ever.

"She loved you."

Raina’s voice was gentle.

"You know she did."

"Do you miss her?"

"Do you miss hearing her play?"

Coulson’s eyes reddened.

"You didn’t even get to say goodbye."

"When S.H.I.E.L.D. told her you were dead, she was devastated."

"They broke her heart with a lie."

Raina leaned closer.

"Don’t you want to know why?"

"No..."

Coulson lowered his head.

"I can’t..."

His eyes filled with tears.

He kept repeating the same words silently.

Don’t listen to her.

She’s manipulating you.

"You don’t want to know what Tahiti really was?"

Coulson’s answer came instantly.

"It’s a magical place..."

Then he froze.

His head lifted.

"I always say that."

His brow furrowed.

"But I don’t know why."

Raina smiled.

"Then maybe we can find out."

She walked over to the machine and rested a hand against it.

"This can help you remember."

This time, Coulson didn’t refuse.

He couldn’t.

He wanted the truth too badly.

He lay down voluntarily.

The machine activated.

Within moments, its hypnotic effects pulled him into unconsciousness.

And the memories that had been buried began to surface.

Raina watched.

The moment she got what she wanted, her expression changed.

The alluring smile disappeared.

She didn’t even seem particularly interested in what the machine was doing anymore.

"Hm."

She smiled faintly.

"That was easier than I expected."

"You really are good at lying."

A voice echoed inside her mind.

At the same time, something began moving beneath the skin of her neck.

A serpent-shaped mark slowly crawled upward.

It spread across her cheek until the head of the snake covered half her face.

Raina didn’t move her lips.

Instead, she spoke silently.

"So..."

"Does that mean I passed the test?"

"You succeeded."

The voice inside her head sounded pleased.

"You broke down his resistance using nothing but words and convinced him to lie down on the machine willingly."

"Excellent."

"I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together."

Raina’s eyes narrowed.

"But the Clairvoyant—"

"Don’t worry."

The voice laughed.

"I am the master of deception."

"Do you have any idea how many times I’ve played the part of a false prophet throughout history?"

"Some of the stories would make your skin crawl."

The serpent’s head seemed to grin.

"So, with all my considerable experience, I can tell you with absolute certainty..."

"The Clairvoyant is a fraud."