All of Me - Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D

Chapter Forty Five

 

CHAPTER 45

Open Lounge Area

The two assassins and senior agents were seated on the couch once again. Natasha and Melinda sitting beside one another in the middle while their partners sat on the opposite sides of them. Nick Fury was standing in front of his agents in his usual serious stoic stance.

“He doesn’t know anything,” the red head supplied with certainty. “His ‘grandfather’ kept him out of the loop, most likely if something like this happened. I bet he was the one that had all of Kelly Dalton’s information removed from the internet. Whatever this organisation is - they’re good.”

“Yeah, but we’re better,” the Director voiced with certainty. “Phil, this is your new mission. You and your team track down Hart’s wife and father, see what you can find out about Liam’s mother. He might be keeping information from us that he has told the wife. Plus the father was married to her until she disappeared. He might know something. Inform the wife that the child is in Witness Protection and give limited information about the child and what the husband did to her, pose as Marshals. I am sure you'll think of something. If we figure out who Kelly Dalton is …”

“Then we’ll know who Alex Dalton is,” Phil added. “My team are the best,” he assured his boss with confidence.

Nick could hear the pride in Phil's voice when he spoke about his team. “I am gonna need the two of you to keep certain details from them,” he ordered, looking towards Phil and Melinda. “They cannot know about the wolves within S.H.I.E.L.D,” he expressed, cold sober. “Just let them know the basics, that you’re looking into Hart because he may lead you back to the people that were funding his little operation. If they wanna know more, just say 'It's Classified'.”

Phil and Melinda turned their gazes on another and shared a look. The team already knew more than the Director did.

“You want me to lie to my team?” Phil expressed, not pleased.

Nick looked at one of his surrogate sons, somberly. “I want you to withhold information,” he correct. “Look Phil, I know that you’ve grown a bond with the members on this bus over the last six months since assembling this team. I know you have a habit of adopting people into your family, but this is big and until I know that I can trust them - then they cannot know. Understood?”

Phil wasn’t happy about it. “Yes Sir,” he answered, unpleased.

Silence fell over the room for a good thirty seconds before the Director spoke again.

“Now let’s discuss the other reason for my visit,” Nick supplied in a lighter tone. “The reason why you guys are here in the first place,” he added as his good eye locked on Melinda.

The room went quiet because the four S.H.I.E.L.D agents knew exactly what their boss was referring to.

Phil reached for Melinda’s hand and laced their fingers, giving her hand a squeeze.

Nick watched the emotionless expression etched across four of his top agents faces. He knew that they all knew the reason why the female agent healed so quickly. “Oh, don’t all speak at once,” he voiced, sarcasm thick in his tone. He noticed the interaction between the older partners and found it interesting.

“Why is it important?” Phil asked after a moment.  

Nick fixed his attention onto the blue eyed agent. “We’re heading into an unknown war, Coulson and I need my best soldiers at full strength for when we’re forced into battle,” he vowed.