The process of entering Lighthouse Base went smoothly.
This was a passage that had never been breached. Narrow, damp stairs reflected an orange glow beneath blazing filaments, while the foul air reeked of rust and mold. There was no ventilation here, because this passage was meant to isolate nuclear radiation from the outside world. Without the switch in the central control room, the alloy doors at the end would never open. Every time Daisy Johnson stepped on the concrete floor, the soles of her rubber combat boots squeaked.
"I heard this place was built during the Cold War." She tried to find something to talk about to break the oppressive atmosphere. "Apparently, the New York Mafia was involved in the project too."
"Where did you learn all that?" Elena Rodriguez cooperatively asked. She had had enough of Alfonso Mackenzie's silence and vigilance along the way. He kept the shotgun fitted with an axe in his hands the entire time, and every attempt she made to strike up a conversation with him was rejected on the grounds that "it still isn't safe." That attitude was deeply unlikable, especially given that Alfonso Mackenzie had once been romantically involved with her.
"Do you remember the little Vibranium box Nick Fury gave Coulson? Coulson opened it to look for information on Lighthouse Base, then printed it out and put it in the archives. I got a copy while I was investigating the whole base with Fitz. The clearance level was pretty high."
Alfonso Mackenzie should have stopped Daisy Johnson from speaking so freely, but all his attention was focused on the rusty metal lift door ahead. Agent David, who was piloting the Quinjet, had not disembarked. Instead, he used the Quinjet's high-powered communications system to connect Alfonso Mackenzie's device to the base, preventing the