"Renate, you really should knock."
As he spoke, Pierce picked up a handgun from the table and fired several shots at the housekeeper.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Aah!"
…
Elsewhere-
Onboard the aircraft-
Fitz entered the equipment room and quickly installed a secret line, then dialed Simmons.
"Connected, YES!"
When the call went through:
"Fitz."
"Don't use my name, Jemma."
Simmons asked in confusion, "Why not?"
"Aren't you...using...a secure line?"
Hearing Simmons' voice cutting in and out, Fitz quickly said:
"The signal is bad, hold on."
Simmons asked, "Are you there?"
"What's going on with...Ward?"
Fitz hurriedly replied, "I'm here. You mentioned Ward; we were all shocked, wait..."
"Keep talking, I'll see if I can clear the signal."
Fitz began checking the system while Simmons continued.
"Well, I...don't know either."
"Things here are...a complete mess..."
Fitz quickly found the problem, "Hold on, I think I found the issue."
"It looks like someone else has tapped into the plane's communication lines."
Simmons said, "Wait, Fitz, it looks like...something happened."
"All the agents are heading to the combat room."
Fitz asked, "What?"
"Jemma?"
"Jemma, can you hear me?"
Hearing the busy tone, Fitz hung up. He needed to fix the phone line issue first.
At that moment, Coulson arrived at the interrogation room.
Ward, seeing Coulson enter, said, "Sir, first of all, I want to say..."
Coulson interrupted, "Save it."
"I don't want to hear your apologies or excuses."
Ward shook his head and said, "I'm not trying to make excuses."
Coulson then loudly questioned, "I only want to know—was it your decision, or were you following orders?"
Ward looked puzzled and asked, "What?"
"Don't play dumb, Agent Ward."
"Answer me quickly."
"Were you ordered to kill the Clairvoyant?"
Meanwhile, Fitz, tracing the communication line, arrived at the cockpit, "May?"
Finding no one inside, Fitz entered and quickly discovered a hidden panel with a line.
"An encrypted, private line."
"What are you up to, Agent May?"
He closed the panel just as May entered the cockpit.
May looked at Fitz and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Fitz hesitated before replying, "I was just thinking..."
"Since we're heading to the Triskelion, I thought you might want a flight team ready for landing."
"They could help recalibrate."
"But I guess...it doesn't matter."
As he spoke, Fitz left the cockpit and closed the door behind him.
Running out, Fitz felt a rush of fear as he met Killer Bee in the hallway.
"Killer Bee."
Killer Bee looked at Fitz and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Realizing that Killer Bee was strong enough to handle May, Fitz said urgently:
"I need your help."
"I found an unauthorized encrypted line in the cockpit, complete with a thumbprint scanner."
"It's not in the plane's manual at all."
Killer Bee asked, "An encrypted line?"
"What's happening?"
Fitz explained:
"It's connected to a receiver. She shouldn't have that. Who's she talking to?"
"And Coulson and I just figured out that the Clairvoyant is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Realizing the implications, Killer Bee thought: Could May be a Hydra agent?
He quickly said, "Fitz, cut the line."
"Whoever she's talking to, just cut the line."
"Don't let her send any information out."
"I'll go inform Coulson immediately."
Fitz nodded and ran back to the equipment room, while Killer Bee went to find Coulson to share this news.
Inside the cockpit, May grew suspicious of Fitz's odd behavior.
After scanning the room and finding nothing, she opened the panel and scanned her thumb. Seeing the indicator light turn blue, she said:
"Agent Melinda May, updating log 95."
But before she could continue, the phone emitted a no-signal tone.
In that moment, Fitz had disconnected the encrypted communication line.
May looked at the phone, puzzled, and tried scanning her thumb again, but still got no response.
She realized instantly that Fitz must have tampered with it.
May grabbed the handgun stored in the cockpit, chambered a round, and walked out.
…
Meanwhile-
Steve and Natasha arrived outside Sam's house.
Looking at the house, Natasha asked, "Why not go to the Continental Hotel?"
"As far as I know, no one would dare kill us there."
"That place is Charles's territory, and it's an absolute safe zone. No one can commit murder there; violators face the wrath of the entire High Table and even the ninjas."
"I doubt Hydra would dare to pose any threat to us there."
Steve shook his head, "I don't have Continental coins."
Natasha reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful—at least a dozen coins.
"I have enough, even for one of us to enjoy a wax bath there."
After a moment of thought, Steve replied, "Before the explosion, Zola mentioned they had acquired the power to counter ninjas."
"I don't know what that power is, but we have to be cautious."
"The hotel is crowded, and I'm worried they'll send something capable of challenging ninjas to ambush us. That would be too dangerous."
Natasha remained skeptical, "I don't believe they have anything that can counter ninjas. If ninjas were that easy to handle, Nick Fury wouldn't have been so cautious."
"But your caution is warranted. If Hydra truly thinks they've gained such power, it might not match Charles and the others, but it could definitely be a threat to us."
Steve nodded, then stepped forward and knocked on Sam's door.
At that moment, Sam had just finished his running training. Back home, he opened the fridge to grab some juice to replenish himself when he heard the knock at the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
With a sigh, Sam set his juice down, walked to the glass door, and pulled the curtain aside.
He saw the dirt-covered Steve and Natasha standing outside. Opening the door, Sam greeted them:
"Morning."
Steve said, "Sorry to barge in, but we need a place to lay low."
"Everyone we know wants us dead."
Sam glanced at the two, then calmly replied, "Not me."
He stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter.