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Chapter 20
The failed mission was all anyone was talking about.
With Nick Fury in Europe, SHIELD was in different hands. It was clearly a big deal, as everyone involved was being interviewed. It would have been the same with Fury, of course, but it did feel different. No one felt safe at the idea of classified details being leaked, especially about the personal lives of agents. It was paramount that they found out how on earth Sartre had gotten hold of those documents.
Whoever was found out to be a mole was going to spend the rest of their natural lives in jail- that was the SHIELD line anyway.
Of course, certain powers had already picked their scapegoat. Still, they had to maintain a facade of normalcy until they'd executed the plan.
"Agent Collins, report to Meeting Room 2B, that's Agent Collins to Meeting Room 2B."
Emily sighed- these messages had been filtering through the comms all day and now it was her turn to be interviewed. She grabbed her things and headed to where she was supposed to be. All she could do was tell them what she knew, which was nothing. How they'd got the files, she had no clue. She hoped that she could be of help though, she wanted this mole found. They'd put her, two other senior agents and some scared trainees in danger. They could have quite easily hurt the man she loved, or her dear friend Natasha.
Arriving at 2B, she knocked on the door.
"Enter."
She knew Alexander Pierce's name, but had never met the man who had turned down a Nobel Peace Prize. Emily wasn't sure that she could be that selfless. Still, he was one of the most important men in America and at SHIELD, he was Fury's boss. Emily imagined that Fury didn't really trust anyone, so he must really have faith in Secretary Pierce if he was to hand over the reins whilst he and Commander Hill were away. Fury didn't like the government, as far as Emily understood anyway.
It was actually kind of intimidating, meeting him. She knew that her dad liked him anyway.
"Ah Agent Collins, welcome," Pierce stood up and went forward with a hand outstretched, with Emily accepting, "Please take a seat. Heather is here taking notes and as a third party to ensure that everything is properly witnessed."
"Thank you," Emily sat down on the lush leather chair.
"Well I have heard a lot about you, Agent. You're a Yale woman, yes?"
"Bachelors in Neuroscience, magna cum laude."
"Ah, I was a Harvard man myself, BA in Government and then an MPP at the Woodrow Wilson School in Princeton. I never quite grasped science myself. Were you not interested in being a SHIELD scientist?"
"I've wanted to be a federal agent since I was ten, Mr. Secretary. Having a backup option was important."
"Yes, I agree. Mine was to be a lawyer. Now, let us begin. As you know, confidential SHIELD documents were leaked to a terrorist organisation. We do not know the exact contents yet, but we do know they contained operations, personnel and internal memos. It is therefore vital that we track not only the mole, but who it was sent to in order to sweep it all up. Sartre wouldn't have talked anyway, so it was good that you managed to get him off of the way. I was told that you did an excellent job in dispatching him; we wouldn't have liked to lose you. Now let's start from the very beginning, Agent."
Emily nodded.
"Can you tell me about how you were given the mission?"
"Agent Sitwell asked to speak to me about a week ago. He and Agent Irving were overseeing a job an asked me to be the third agent."
"How did that make you feel?"
"I was very surprised to be given senior status on a job; I thought that would be a long time coming. Still, I was very honoured to have been given the opportunity."
"What were you told about the assignment?"
"I was told that we would be overseeing a training exercise by senior students at the Communications Academy. It was said that it was a routine operation and that they sent operations agents to oversee it, as it was on a ship containing important equipment. Agent Sitwell just said it should be straightforward, just watching the trainees to make sure they were ok and didn't do anything wrong."
"Did you share the details with anyone else?"
"I just said I had a role as a senior agent on a mission and that I was overseeing training. I was not told the nature of the ship, including its name or status as a joint law enforcement vessel. Even had I known, I would have made sure not to say anything I was unsure of the clearance level prescribed to it."
"Not even Captain Rogers?"
"It's like I said, I didn't know who I could tell. He doesn't tell me confidential information and I don't tell him confidential information. Steve would have learned everything when he was on the way to the North Dawn."
"Tell me what happened when the hijackers attacked."
"We were outnumbered and outgunned, it was a miracle there weren't any deaths, all of us nearly sustained hits. We were taken into a spare room. As soon as we arrived, we were told that I was wanted by Sartre and I was separated. I struggled, of course. I was later told that the remaining SHIELD members on board were tied and kept in that room, which I had assumed anyway. They brought me up to the captain's cabin where Sartre was, where I was tied to a post. It was then when Sartre started talking about the things he knew. He didn't go into details about what he knew, but he discussed reading my files. He knew of my relationship with Steve, but he clearly didn't read it properly, he didn't know I speak fluent French. There was something off about it though that made me think he'd been briefed beforehand."
"How so?" Pierce asked as Heather typed quickly.
"It's like he really knew us, about our relationship. Our relationship is mentioned in our files, i know that, but he was just so knowledgeable about it. He constantly talked about us being totally in love and that Steve would be ready to get me when he knew something had happened. I felt like someone had told him about this and that it had been an accidental find."
"Did he indicate someone had told him?"
"No, but I assume that he would have been paid not to talk about the mole if there was one."
"That's very interesting," Pierce nodded, "What happened when STRIKE attacked?"
"Well we heard the gunshots and firing, so we knew that they were here. Sartre made a comment about my 'beloved boyfriend' coming to the rescue. Steve threw in some kind of smoke grenade and shot one of the machine gun guards. I saw him trying to get into the cabin, but he got distracted by some stragglers so Sartre pulled me away. We were heading down the deck when Steve caught up. Sartre kept threatening to shoot me, telling Steve he wouldn't be able to get him without hitting me. That's when I saw the knife. I saw no other way out of it, so I slit Sartre's throat and got out. We then waited for clean up to arrive and that was that."
"So you think it was an inside job?"
"It could have been," Emily shrugged, "I mean, they surely couldn't have got as much information as you say without an insider. SHIELD has the best tech protection, so it was either the world's best hacker or someone inside. I don't know, but I don't think they got the info by accidentally climbing onto our ship miles away from Quebec."
"Was there any suspicious behaviour from anyone else on the ship?"
"No, exemplary behaviour from the trainees and my fellow agents. I cannot comment after the hijacking as I was separated from them, and I saw nothing of interest on the ride back from them or the STRIKE team."
"Have you any reason to suspect anyone on the ship?"
"No sir."
Pierce nodded.
"Well that's all I need to know. The information about Sartre's knowledge was very helpful; we will be using that to conduct further enquiries."
"It's worrying though, isn't it?" Emily asked, "That he knew so much. It means it could be a huge leak and that we're in danger."
"SHIELD does not scrimp on details Agent; we will find whoever is responsible and ensure that everyone is safe."
"Do I come to you if I think of anything else?"
"Of course," Pierce stood, Emily doing the same, "Thank you again Agent, you've been a valuable asset."
"Thank you sir," Emily smiled as she headed out of the door.
LIGHT ME UP-
"Captain Rogers, report to Meeting Room 2B, that's Captain Rogers to Meeting Room 2B."
Pierce had the biggest fake smile on his face when Steve entered the room.
"Captain Rogers, I cannot believe that it has been this long before we have met. It is a pleasure to meet you, truly, for you are the hero that saved New York and the world. My father met you once, said you were every inch the hero that you were made out to be. Please take a seat, Heather here is a third party taking notes."
"Thank you," Steve was never one to take praise.
"So you're aware of the leak that has occurred and I am conducting interviews to ensure that we have as much detail as we can going forward. I believe you were called in to be a rescue mission and were briefed on the way there. Why don't you tell me about that?"
"Yes, it was myself and the STRIKE team sans Agent Barton, who was on a foreign mission. We were told that the North Dawn was a joint law enforcement vessel currently being used by SHIELD for a training exercise. It was hijacked by a Quebecois independence organisation led by Sartre. As well as the agents on board, there was new tech equipment of extreme value. We were told the Communications Academy had its seniors on board, as well as Agents Irving, Sitwell and Collins."
"Did you have a strong reaction to learning that Agent Collins was on board?"
"Of course."
"Did you feel that you could successfully complete the mission knowing she was in danger?"
"I felt better knowing that we could use lethal force, because I was ready to kill anyone who had hurt her. Agent Romanoff was a great assurance and I also know that Emily is a highly capable agent in her own right. I was proven correct by her actions on the deck."
"So you went to find Sartre and by extent, Agent Collins, when you got aboard?"
"Yes Sir. I used a smoke grenade in an attempt to incapacitate those in the cabin, allowing me to kill one of the guards. I was unfortunately attacked before I could reach them in the cabin, but Agent Romanoff and I managed to peel the stragglers off. I heard Emily on the deck and when I arrived, Sartre had a gun to her head and was threatening to kill her. I tried to plead with him to allow her to be freed, but he was determined. Emily nodded at me to attempt to get him, but she managed to knife him before I had to make that risk. It was then determined that she, and the others, were unharmed by the hijackers."
"Do you know what technology was on board?"
"I know that it was important, but not the specifics of it, no."
"Were your actions towards getting Sartre motivated by knowing that Agent Collins was with him?"
"I didn't know she was there at first, but I have to admit that getting to her was important to me."
"Are you often on assignment together?"
"It happens from time to time, but it's more often not. This was of course only due to the hijackers; it was not planned for us to be together on this."
"Do you ever feel working close with Agent Collins risks assignments?"
"I know that Fury would not let us work together if he thought something would go amiss. He was reluctant before we started dating due to an Alaskan mission in which I go angry because we were put in unnecessary agent. He's never had any doubt with Emily; she's always been a consummate professional. We don't like to get personal at work."
"It is natural for you to protect those closest to you."
"Emily means the world to me, sir, but she doesn't need my help."
"Yes, I am told she is an excellent agent. Do you feel the Sartre knew of your relationship because of the file?"
"I'd guess so. He knew we were dating and he was almost gleeful about the thought of shooting Emily in front of me."
"Do you have any reason to think he would have been told?"
"Not from our encounter, but I suppose it could have happened. We still don't know how he found all the stuff out, so I guess it's pretty possible, I don't know."
Pierce nodded solemnly.
"I guess I have nothing else to add. Please see me if you can think of anything else, otherwise I will be moving on to the next interviewee. Thank you for your input Captain Rogers, it was extremely helpful- I am sure that we will use it when conducting our next round of inquiries."
He held out a hand again, which Steve shook.
"Thank you sir."
Steve left. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. If there was a security breech like this, he would have thought Fury would have jetted straight back over the Atlantic, as this would have taken precedence. Secretary Pierce was Secretary of SHIELD, but he wasn't part of its general internal structure.
He found Emily where he expected her to be, having a coffee break.
"Hi darling."
"Oh hey," she turned around and smiled, letting him kiss her on the head, "How was the interview?"
"It was..."
"...Suspicious," Emily completed.
"You think so too?"
She looked around to see if anyone else was here before continuing.
"There just wasn't something quite right, Secretary Pierce was so blasé," Emily pondered aloud, "I told him about how I felt that Sartre hadn't just read the files, but that he knew more about it, like someone had informed him beforehand. Pierce just didn't seem to care or was surprised, I felt like he knew more than he was letting on. It wasn't even that thorough an interview, it just covered basics. I don't know, it all seems pretty weird to me. Why him of all people? If this was so big, then Fury would be here surely?"
"I felt the same thing about Fury. Pierce seemed really focused on me being there when you were, like I was ready to risk everything to protect you. It wasn't about the mission so much, it was about who was there. He asked me the basics and then he was finished. I didn't like it, not one bit."
"Neither did I," Emily frowned, "I thought I was being paranoid but if it's not just me, then maybe something is a little sketchy."
"We'll ask Natasha too, but no one else."
"Agreed," the brunette nodded, "Whatever it is, it isn't right at all. I get this funny feeling about the whole thing. Still, if Fury trusts Pierce, then maybe he isn't so bad? I mean, Fury doesn't like anyone."
"I get a bad vibe from him," Steve disagreed, "I don't know what it is. Perhaps I'm being paranoid about him because of everything else. It's not him, it's whatever this is. We need to keep a close eye on this, just you, me and Natasha- the less people who know, the better. Let's keep our heads down and not cause any fuss. We can see how this plays out."
"Yeah, good idea. I have to write up the incident report for it anyway, so I better go do that."
"What a coincidence, so do I," Steve held out an arm, "Let's go."
LIGHT ME UP-
"Jesus Christ, I can walk better than that drunk."
Emily slouched on the couch. Claire O'Connell sat beside her, a little bit more poised. She met Claire early on when she arrived in New York, asking for directions when she entered her shop. From then on, the two were tight as anything, best friends. Claire knew about Emily's SHIELD life and who Steve really was, it made it a lot easier to explain why Emily had the Avengers at her birthday parties.
They were drinking wine and watching America's Next Top Model. Claire was opposite to Emily, more reserved and quiet, the sane woman against Emily's troublemaker.
"That guy looks like Daniel's last ex-girlfriend," Daniel being Claire's boyfriend.
"The one who he cheated on him then told him that he should get tested?"
"Bingo."
"You're prettier than her."
"She's not her."
"Still, you're prettier hun."
"Thanks," Claire smiled, "I can't believe it's been two years, it's nearly three for you and Steve."
"Yeah, time flies. Being single in the city is fun of course, I had my Carrie Bradshaw years, but it is nice being with someone you love."
"Well as long as I'm in your wedding party, it's cool."
"Do you know something I don't?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You guys have been together for three years," Claire reminded her, "Steve comes from a time where people got married real quick, especially during and after the war, I'm surprised he hasn't already asked. Oh come on, don't pretend you haven't thought about it. Three weeks ago you sent me a pretty bouquet."
"Yeah cause it was pretty and you're a florist."
"Still, I mean, I think after a few months Daniel will be starting to think about it. Steve is Mr. Commitment and he loves you. You must have thought of what you'd say if he asked."
"I'd say yes, however he did it."
"There you go," Claire agreed, "Maybe just sit and wait."
"I don't know if I can now you've planted it in my mind."
"Relax Em."
"No, I need to start practicing my bouquet toss," Emily laughed, "Stand back."
Claire went behind the sofa as Emily grabbed a stress ball. She threw it backwards as hard as she could, Claire jumping in the air to get it.
"Ah, I shall be next to wed," she laughed.
Emily started humming the wedding march, grabbing Claire's hand and starting to dance. The blonde started to, both giggling in between.
"You're already wine drunk," Emily told Claire, who was pretty much a lightweight.
"I rarely ever go past a couple of glasses, gimme a break."
"You better not get smashed at my wedding. My Uncle Stephen's cousin got married and the groom got really, really drunk. He head smashed the cake and it went everywhere, the bride was crying and the mother was baying for blood. He was so drunk that they weren't even going to attempt sex, apparently the bride wanted to annul it already because they hadn't consummated the wedding."
"Darn, I'd be super mad if Daniel did that."
"Steve can't get drunk, so that's fine. I'd rather die than have a dry wedding."
"Same," Claire agreed, "Showers of champagne everywhere."
"I'm gonna have showers of champagne like actual showers, so when you have a shower in the morning, it's champagne and not water," Emily illustrated, "Oh and baths too, bathe in champagne. Tony's rich, do you think he would do that for me?"
"He probably has them," Claire mused.
"All the alcohol."
They spun around, laughing. Emily was plainly unaware of the plot against the man she loved and her relationship. Right now, she was wine drunk with her best friend and drunken wedding plans that would likely be forgotten in the morning.
Little did she know, both things were closer than she thought.
Hi all, hope you enjoyed it.
Next Time: Steve and Emily hang out with their friends.
Thanks again, hope to see you next time and don't forget to review xxx