Thor and Jane Foster got to their feet, brushed the dirt off themselves, and headed toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. camp not far away.
Although night had completely fallen, the powerful floodlights in the camp illuminated the surroundings as brightly as day. Walking one after the other, their shadows stretched long across the sand.
As soon as they approached the outermost barbed-wire fence, someone spotted them.
"Hey! You two!"
A beam from a flashlight swept over and shone on their faces. Jane instinctively narrowed her eyes and raised a hand to block the light.
An agent in black tactical gear and an earpiece emerged from the darkness. He held a flashlight in one hand, and the holster at his waist hung open.
The agent walked up to the fence and looked the two of them over from head to toe.
Were they residents from a nearby town? Had they failed to get here during the day, so they had come under cover of night to satisfy their curiosity?
"What are you here for?" His tone was not harsh, but it was stern. "This is federal police property. It's not somewhere you're allowed to set foot."
He patted the handgun at his waist, making sure they saw it clearly. "Go back now, or we may have to arrest you."
Jane stepped forward. "I know you're S.H.I.E.L.D. I know one of your leaders, Coulson, and someone named Lin Hai. So how about you let us in?"
The agent gave her a suspicious look, then glanced at the silent blond man behind her. Coulson had never mentioned anyone he knew coming over.
Playing it safe, the agent still said to Thor and Jane Foster, "Wait here. I'll ask."
He pressed the radio pager attached to his arm, turned slightly aside, and began reporting in a