“Listen carefully. What you hear today is never to be repeated,” the CIA officer says to you (agent 001) and five other spies—agents 002, 003, 004, 005, and 006—in a tone colder than the all white room you all sat in around an even colder white table.

“The Absinthe Emerald—the world’s largest natural emerald—has been stolen from a million-dollar security system at the Smithsonian Institution here in Washington, D.C.,” he continues. “You, an A Team of the US’ six foremost spies, have been selected to recover the gem—a dangerous and quite possibly lethal mission, considering the intelligence of the heist. We have leads in Istanbul, Paris, and Shanghai,” he says, slamming three confidential evidence files aptly labeled “I, P, and S” on the table. “You must split up in pairs, gather intel, then reunite to clinch the gem when you are sure of its whereabouts using your combined skills.”

“Time is of the essence: as we speak, the Absinthe Emerald’s chances of being cut up and sold rise exponentially,” his voice grows more severe. “And of course, never share any personal info with anyone—if one of you is captured, the rest of you will be dragged down. And remember—the reward for finding this is millions—for each of you. Good luck. You’ll need it.” With that, he leaves.

First things first: who will you choose, and where?