Ray had no idea that Fury had already dispatched Deputy Director Hill to personally escort him back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Had he known, he likely wouldn't have bothered provoking Raina on purpose.
That said, the move wasn't particularly risky for him anyway.
—
Elsewhere, after leaving the Clockwork Psychiatric Hospital, Raina immediately called her handler — Addison, the leader of the Centipede Organisation, a front for HYDRA.
Raina wasn't yet authorised to communicate directly with the Clairvoyant. All her orders came through Addison, and he was also her sole point of contact.
Despite being imprisoned, Addison had unfettered access to the outside world, with the kind of communication freedom most people could only dream of — another reason Raina was certain the Clairvoyant held considerable influence.
After all, there weren't many people in North America who could treat a prison like their personal lounge.
"What? He refused?" came Addison's irritated voice once Raina had given her report.
"Yes. And he didn't seem particularly concerned by my threats," she added quietly.
"He might actually be insane, then. I've heard that even normal people lose it in mental hospitals — and he was already unwell to begin with."
"I can't say for certain," Raina replied, "but from the way he interacted with me, I'd say he's lucid most of the time."
"Then why isn't he afraid? That makes no sense... Unless someone's secretly protecting him." Addison paused, then continued, "Hold on. I'll check with the Clairvoyant."
"Yes, sir."
A few minutes later, Addison called back.
"The Clairvoyant says no one from S.H.I.E.L.D. is protecting him. He's bluffing — or he really has lost his mind."
"So what now?"
"Now you wait. I'll send a team to extract him from the hospital. Then you'll interrogate him personally. I refuse to believe he'll stay defiant once we've got him."
"Understood," said Raina.
After the call ended, however, a sense of unease lingered in her chest.
Even though the mysterious Clairvoyant had insisted everything was fine — that Ray was bluffing or mentally unstable — she couldn't shake the image of that condescending smile he'd given her, nor the subtle warning hidden in his words.
Something about it didn't sit right.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it…"
After dinner, night fell.
The patients at Clockwork Psychiatric Hospital gradually returned to their rooms, and soon the facility was cloaked in darkness.
At the southeast perimeter of the hospital, a heavily armed squad of nearly thirty operatives silently infiltrated the grounds.
Along the way, they expertly disabled every piece of surveillance equipment. To anyone watching the security monitors, everything appeared completely normal.
From their movements and gear, it was clear these were elite special forces — the kind who could storm even a high-security prison without much difficulty. A mental hospital? Child's play.
As soon as they were inside, the squad leader gave orders through his earpiece.
"Team A — control the surveillance room."
"Team B — sweep around the rear, ensure no one gets through."
"Team C — with me. We're hitting the front. Capture the target in under three minutes."
"Team D — remain on standby outside and watch for surprises."
"Remember: no unnecessary killing. The quieter, the better. Understood?"
"Copy that!"
"Execute."
With a wave of his hand, the operation commenced.
The squad quickly split into four teams as instructed. Team C, tasked with the direct assault, was the largest — eight members in total — which showed just how seriously they were taking the mission to capture Ray.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. did have agents protecting him, they were confident they'd get to him first.
—
At the same time, on the northwest side of the hospital, two figures in tactical gear were slipping into the facility. One of them wore the uniform of a S.H.I.E.L.D. field agent — it was Hill.
Beside her walked another woman, of Chinese descent — Melinda May. Her codename was "Knight," and like the famous Black Widow, she was a legendary agent in her own right.
A hardened veteran, May was a Level 7 operative, trusted as deeply by Fury as Coulson himself — perhaps even more.
Unlike Coulson, May was not cut out for leadership. She had no taste for politics or manoeuvring, which made her an ideal soldier but an unsuitable successor. That was why Fury had considered grooming Coulson for command rather than her.
Hill had chosen May not only because she was familiar with the Tahiti Project, but also for a very practical reason — her combat ability was off the charts.
Within S.H.I.E.L.D., higher clearance levels generally meant more experience and skill, but this wasn't a strict rule. Some Level 7 agents, like May, could outperform even Level 8s or 9s in battle.
She was one of the agency's strongest assets.
Black Widow, also a Level 7, was probably the only one who could rival or surpass her.
Hill herself was a Level 9, which reflected her administrative access rather than her combat strength — in a fight, she wasn't necessarily above May.
Bringing May was a calculated precaution.
"The situation's not looking good," May muttered, peering through her infrared monocular. "Looks like another team is infiltrating the hospital."
"Another team?" Hill blinked, then her expression darkened. "Damn it. They're fast."
"What's the plan?" May waited for orders.
"We have no choice. We're going in. We cannot let them take Dr Raymond!" Hill said sternly.
Without another word, she sprinted toward the residential wing. May followed without hesitation.