CHAPTER #16
Agent Barton and agent Romanoff followed the two men all over Angeles City. The stops the men made appeared to be random, but not to trained operatives. Agent Barton saw an usb flash drive passed to one of the men, when they paid for lunch. Another day found their targets purchasing a large quantity of a pharmaceutical drug, illegally. The drug was p38 MAPIC, used as a neural inhibitor. Apparently these men had a shopping list to fulfill. Agent Romanoff interrogated each person the men came in contact with, but no one knew anything. Thanks to agent Barton's phenomenal eyesight, they were able to maintain a loose tail.
"I think they use some kind of drug to cause memory loss with anyone they come in contact with," Natasha observed.
"Must be. Too many people are immune to your interrogation. They're doing something to them," Clint agreed.
"They've made at least a dozen stops. Strange that there's no urgency."
He nodded. "Look, if we plot a map with their movements, a pattern does develop. Also it's moving us further south west and away from Angeles City."
"Towards Manila?" Natasha asked.
"Maybe. What did that last guy tell you?" Clint asked as he studied the map.
"The guy with the finger missing?" She asked to clarify.
"Yes. That's the guy they bought the p38 MAPIC from right?"
She nodded, then answered his first question. "He said the name 'Rafael'. Why?"
"What if that wasn't a person's name, but the city? It's the right direction if they're going to Manila," Clint observed.
"That's a long shot without much information, but it's all we have."
He looked down the street, "they're on the move again and they changed to a different taxi," Clint reported.
Agent Romanoff put their rental car into gear and followed their mark. Three blocks later and the taxi stopped. Agent Barton watched as the HYDRA men entered a restaurant.
"They went into Yats Wine Club- The Grill Room. Unusually classy for them," Clint said.
Agent Romanoff pulled over, "I'm going in there. I want to see who they're meeting."
"You can't go in wearing what you are and there's no time for you to go change."
"Damn. Well then you go in, as a waiter or something." Natasha said with frustration.
He was already out the door and heading towards the alley beside the restaurant. "Can you hear me okay?"
"Yes. Let me know what you see," she said.
"Don't I always?"
"Do you always have to be a smart-ass?"
He smirked even though she couldn't see it. "Better than being a dumb-ass." While they chatted he'd already knocked a waiter unconscious and stollen the clothing.
Agent Barton confidently walked through the kitchen and grabbed the water jug. He scanned the dining room and saw the table where the HYRDA men were. He filled some water glasses from other tables as he went, before approaching their table. He topped off the glasses. The other person at the table was a woman. He dropped a tracking device in her purse as he passed by her chair. He returned to the kitchen.
"It's a woman and no one we've seen before. She's not a HYDRA agent, as no tattoo on her wrists. I dropped a tracker into her purse."
"I wonder who she is. I'll report to Fury, while you get back here." Natasha's voice said in his ear.
"I think her accent was Lithuanian."
"That's odd," Natasha remarked. "Fury said we stick with the HYDRA agents."
Agent Barton took off the waiter's cloths and put them back on the guy he'd stollen them from, as best as he could. He returned to the car shortly after. This cat and mouse surveillance continued over the next few days. As agent Barton had predicted, they travelled slowly south towards Manila. Most of the distance travelling was done at night. The HYDRA men changed cars regularly and continued to make various stops during the day, on the way there. Agent Barton and Romanoff traded off the driving, so that they both got cat naps of an hour or two at night. Since the time with her eyes closed was short, agent Romanoff had no nightmares.
Agent Hill reported that the Lithuanian woman was identified as a brain surgen that had her license recently revoked. They had another agent tailing her, but she hadn't left Angeles City as of yet.
"So far nothing surprising has happened. The body bags had adults in them, but we know that HYDRA is involved with the human trafficking of children. Any reports of children's dead bodies?" Natasha asked agent Hill.
"Not yet. I'll contact you if anything new develops." Agent Hill disconnected.
"They just entered Intercontinental Manila Hotel. Shall we?" Clint asked.
"I hope they stay the night. I'll be right back," Natasha said with a wink. And then ten minutes later she was. "The front desk clerk said that they paid for a room until the end of the week. He also mentioned that a message had been waiting for them. The note apparently said 'on schedule. Arrival tomorrow room#256.' He confirmed no one currently was in that room, but it was prepaid under the name Smyth."
"Did you book us a room or two?"
"One room two beds," Natasha confirmed.
"Finally a bed to myself to sleep in," Clint grinned.
Natasha wrinkled her nose. "I recommend a shower first, or you can sleep in the hall."
"You don't smell like a daisy either," he teased.
"Exactly."
She loaded him up with their gear after parking. She already had the room key. As soon as they were in the room, she started stripping off her uniform on the way to the shower.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Clint said.
Natasha called after him, "check on next door while you're at it."
When he returned she was talking on the phone. After she hung up she said, "the thing about nice hotels like this one, is no shortage of hot water and room service."
"Our guys already did the same. The empty dishes are outside their door. They ate a lot. I left some money with your favourite desk clerk, to ring us if they see them leave." Clint said as he rummaged around in his pack. He took out fresh cloths and then disappeared into the bathroom.
The food came while he was still in the shower, but she was too hungry to wait for him and began eating. Somehow being on the road, made the food taste all that much better. Clint came out of the bathroom already in fresh cloths. "Leave anything for me?"
"I'm hungry, but not heartless."
He raised an eyebrow, but let it go. "Oh this just tastes great." He too ate his fill.
"Nothing on TV, not like I expected there to be."
Clint gave her an odd look and then said, "I'm going to bed. This clean, comfortable bed."
He did exactly that and shortly she could hear his even breathing. She on the other hand lay in bed for an hour, before sleep finally came. But she woke up every two hours, like clock work. She'd look at the clock, roll over and go back to sleep. This happened three times, before she gave up on sleep. Agent Barton continued to sleep soundly and she envied him for that. Using an optical scope, she went out into the hall and checked to see if the HYDRA agents were still in their room. Everyone was sleeping, except for her.
CHAPTER #17
The mystery person that the HYDRA agents were meeting, was spotted by agent Romanoff. She excitedly reported to agent Barton, "he's here! The scientist is who the HYDRA guys were meeting."
Clint could tell that she wanted to get her hands on the man. "Patience Natasha, just watch them for now. Where are you?"
"In the bar across the street. I know my job, stop reminding me." She replied with annoyance.
He didn't respond until he was in position to watch the scientist. "I've got him in my sights."
"I've got a tracker, but those agents might recognize me," Natasha said.
"I'll see what I can do and I'll report in to Fury," Clint said. Then he switched his ear piece to the other frequency and contacted the Director. "We have the scientist under surveillance, any instructions?"
Agent Hill relayed Director Fury's instructions. "No matter what don't loose him Hawkeye. We need agent Romanoff to get as much information out of him as possible. Black Widow has permission to do whatever she needs to."
"Understood," Clint said and the call ended. "Natasha, you have a green light from Fury. He wants Black Widow to get information from this scientist."
"Finally," Natasha said. She flexed her hands and cracked her knuckles. "First chance I get, I'm isolating him from HYDRA. Don't get in my way."
Clint grinned, she was all business. "I know better than to get in your way. You'd just knock me out."
She chuckled, "like when we were in Somalia. I did apologize after the operation, for the stitches you had to get."
"I have a thick head, but I learned my lesson well." Clint touched the scar from that incident.
"They're on the move."
"I see them, they're getting in a black SUV….. I have a tracker on it. I'll meet you a block up." He knew she would get a cab or steal some wheels. He ran and jumped to the next building. This was done 3 times, then he slid down a drain pipe to the ground. He closed his bow and flung the poncho over the quiver. She picked him up in a car.
"Stollen?"
"Of course. We should be able to catch up no problem….. See traffic is slow, they are two cars ahead of us."
Clint looked out the window, "and all three men are still there."
Ten minutes later agent Romanoff made an observation, "we're going in circles. Do you think they know we're back here?"
"They didn't see you steal this car and we've gone past them a few times. Not only that, but we've taken parallel streets and side alleys. They don't know about our tail. Could be someone else is tailing them. HYDRA's made a lot of enemies over the years," Clint concluded.
"Just in case I'm going to ditch this car and get another," Natasha said.
"Wait, they just stopped in front of the German embassy. I'm getting out and I'll be on that building. I'll have a birds eye view of the surrounding streets. Let me know when you have a new vehicle," Clint said getting out of the car.
"Hawkeye, see if you spot their other tail."
He nodded and ran across the street. He took an elevator up and then went out a service door to the roof. "I'm in position," Clint reported.
"They're still inside. I"m going to get another car now. Keep me posted of their movements."
With Hawkeye up above and agent Romanoff in a car, it made surveillance of the scientist much easier. He found the tail and she reported the information to agent Hill. They followed HYDRA and their man all day, only to end up back at the hotel.
Natasha was frustrated, "we need to get a tracker or something on this scientist. Maybe I can get housekeeping to let me into his room or something."
"While you do that, I'm going to get us some food."
"I didn't even notice I was hungry until you said the word food. A few bottles of water too please," she added.
While she hit on the front desk clerk and found out information about housekeeping, agent Barton got food and water. He was back into their hotel room before she was. Agent Romanoff found out from the clerk that the scientist was having a tuxedo delivered and attending a party that evening, with the Manila elite. She had what she wanted and returned to her own room.
"He's got a tux on the way which we can tag or just snatch him from the fancy party he's attending. The later is what I would prefer," Natasha said deviously.
"Let's try and do both. I guess I need to order a tux too. Did the clerk say what company the scientist is using for the tux?"
"Yes, I have the information here," she handed him the business card. After she ate, she added "I'm going out to find a dress and shoes that will be suitable."
He gave her some money for her purchase. While she took a shower, he finished eating. Then he made a phone call to make an appointment to get a tux. While he was at the location, he mentioned he was staying at the Manila Hotel. In a way that agent Romanoff would have been proud, he managed to let them give him the scientist's tux to take back to the hotel. Making sure not to mix up his with the other's, he put a tiny tracker under the lapel at the back of the neck. Then he gave the tux to the hotel clerk, before returning to his room. The clerk had let slip where and when the party was that the scientist was attending. Eventually agent Romanoff returned, her hair all done up for the party.
"You look pretty good as a blond. That might be enough to keep the HYDRA agents from recognizing you," Clint complemented. "Make sure you've got your ear piece in before we leave."
"Already in and on. I just have to get dressed, like you."
Clint nodded and added, "I put a tracker on the scientist's tux jacket. If the HYDRA men don't scan him, then we're good to go."
He hated these parties, but it was part of the job and agent Barton accepted it. But agent Romanoff loved this sort of thing, she could dazzle men and women with her charm, whit and beauty. They would tell her all kinds of interesting secrets without even realizing it. Whenever they worked together at a party, agent Barton would give her one or two dances, grab a glass of champagne and go as high up out of the crowd as possible, so he could watch everything. This time the dances would wait. He used it as away to rescue agent Romanoff and to reel her in, when she got too caught up in what she was doing. A balcony hallway circled the dance floor. The halls led to the washroom facilities. But also gave people an escape from the crowd below. There were a few benches lined up against the walls, couples here and there lounged on them. He saw the two HYDRA agents. One was above like he was and another was leaning against a pillar and watching the scientist. When agent Romaoff got the scientist to dance with her, the agent on the ground floor didn't recognize her. The agent on the balcony was squinting at her and scratched his head. So agent Barton put a tranquilizer dart into him and then pretended to help a drunk friend to a lounger. He took out the dart and moved away, back to his post. The remaining HYDRA agent had not removed his eyes from the scientist and therefore didn't see his missing partner.
"Darling you should come with me to get some fresh air," the scientist said.
Natasha replied, "yes getting some fresh air sounds good, it is so hot on the dance floor."
Agent Barton knew she was on the move and going to make her play. He had to take out the final HYDRA man. He took the stairs down to the main floor and made sure he bumped into the agent. At the same time he shot the dart into him, before the agent had time to react. He too was moved to a chair, seemingly too drunk to stand. Agent Barton followed the tracker on his watch gps. He knew that they'd hailed a cab, as agent Romanoff relayed information with hints in her conversation. The scientist apparently was very hands on. He didn't like that, but agent Romanoff could handle herself. Agent Barton didn't hail a cab, instead he stole a car. It was a black Toyota Corolla, that had dents in the side door. It was perfect for using as a tail.
In his ear Natasha was talking, "where are we going? I thought you were bringing me to your hotel, baby."
The scientist chuckled, "I'm taking you to where I work, which is even better. We're almost there."
"What do you do for work?" Natasha probed.
"You will see my dear, you will see."
Agent Barton didn't like the feeling he was getting, "be careful Natasha, he's up to no good."
She too was getting a strange vibe from the man in the car with her. This is what she had been so well trained to do. Even if he tried to restrain her or do otherwise, they'd find out where he was doing his research and work. This was a huge breakthrough for S.H.E.I.L.D.
"We're here. Let me just pay the cab," the scientist said. He then helped her out of the cab and they walked to a normal looking industrial building. He pulled out a key card and scanned the door open. They went inside and he greeted a guard. "She's with me."
"You know the drill," the HYDRA agent said, then put a needle in her neck, before she could stop him.
"Don't worry baby, you're all mine now."
The guard picked up the blond and carried her to the scientist's lab. "You picked a pretty one to be your test subject. Are you sure no one will look for her?"
"She has no ID on her and she came to the party by herself. So I think she's a whore just working the party."
"Well I guess it doesn't matter now." The guard knew that most of the scientists test subjects ended up dead and disposed of.
"Leave us, I have things I want to do."
The guard knew what a pervert the scientist was. "I'll bet you do. Keep the noise down this time."
After the guard left, the scientist tied the woman to his table. He noticed the hearing aid device and took it out, then smashed it. "So you are not perfect, well played."
When the ear piece buzzed in agent Barton's ear, he removed it. Either she had to ditch it due to a scan or agent Romanoff was in trouble. He had to gain entry into the building. On the roof he found a vent open, where a service person had been careless. It would take him a while, but agent Barton would find his partner. The question was would it be in time or would the Black Widow come out to play?