Chapter 24- New Allies and Project Insight
Yelizaveta sat at the island in Sam's kitchen eating her fourth pancake. Granted, they weren't as good or as thin as blini, but it was a good, close second if she put lots of butter, jam, and maple syrup all over them. And bacon makes eating pancakes even better. Yelizaveta always liked bacon. Her favorite hamburger was the bacon cheeseburger.
"So, the question is, who at S.H.I.E.L.D. could launch a domestic missile strike?" Natasha asked as Steve brought Sam up to date to what was happening.
"Pierce," Steve and Yelizaveta both said. Steve had a thoughtful look on his face
"And he happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Yelizaveta said as she got her fifth pancake and poured syrup all over it.
"But he's not working alone, Liz. Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star," Steve said. A look of realization crossed Natasha's face.
"So was Jasper Sitwell," Natasha said.
"She's right. Sitwell doesn't do anything without Pierce's approval," Yelizaveta said.
"So, the question is, how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer in broad daylight?" Steve asked.
"The answer is, you don't," Sam said, joining in the conversation by putting a file on the table.
"What's this?" Steve asked, looking at it briefly.
"Call it a resume," Sam said as Yelizaveta, Steve, and Natasha stood up. Yelizaveta picked up the picture on top.
"Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?" Yelizaveta asked, quirking a dark eyebrow.
"Neither one of you said he was a Pararescue," Natasha said in an accusing tone as Yelizaveta handed the photo of Sam and another man in fatigues to Steve.
"Is this Riley?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," Sam said in a low, soft voice.
"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPG's. What did you use? A stealth chute?" Yelizaveta asked.
"No. These," Sam said, picking up the file and handing it to Steve.
"I thought you said, you were a pilot," Steve said dryly.
"I never said pilot," Sam said as Yelizaveta read the file.
"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason," Steve said.
"Dude, Captain America and the Winter Soldier needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in," Sam said.
"Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" Steve asked, raising the file.
"The last one is at Fort Meade. Behind three guarded gates and a 12-inch steel wall," Sam said.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Steve said as he put the file on the table, the words Falcon on the front.
Yelizaveta sat next to Sam as they watched Sitwell across the street. He was talking to Senator Stern. Yelizaveta had never liked the man and she liked him even less after what Stark and his friend, Rhodey, had told her about him trying to take the Iron Man technology. Yelizaveta wouldn't have been surprised if Stern was HYDRA too as HYDRA infiltrated every part of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government.
The two men parted ways and Sam picked up hos cell phone. "You ready, Ice Princess?" Sam asked.
"Ice Princess? Really?" Yelizaveta asked, rolling her eyes.
:Best nickname I can think for you," Sam said.
"Oh. And yes, call Sitwell," Yelizaveta said, keeping her eyes on Sitwell as Sam dialed Sitwell's number that Natasha had given him. The phone rang for a few seconds before Sitwell answered it.
"Yes, Sir?" Sitwell asked. Yelizaveta had rewired Sam's phone so Sitwell would think he was talking to Pierce.
"Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious," Sam said.
"Who is this?" Sitwell asked tightly. Yelizaveta grabbed the phone out of Sam's hand.
"The very dangerous former Russian assassin standing next to the good-looking guy in the sunglasses, your 10 O' clock. Your other 10 O' clock," Yelizaveta said as he looked around. "There you go," Yelizaveta said as his eyes met hers and Sam held up a drink in salute.
"What do the two of you want?" Sitwell asked nervously.
"You're gonna go around the corner to your right. There's a gray car two spaces down. You, me, and my new friend are gonna take a ride," Yelizaveta said.
"And why would I do that?" Sitwell asked.
"Because that tie looks really expensive, and I'd hate to mess it up," Yelizaveta said, a slight edge entering her voice. As a red dot appeared right in the middle of his tie from where Natasha had positioned herself. Sitwell looked up from his tie to all around him.
Yelizaveta, Steve and Natasha went to the top of a roof two blocks from the restaurant and Sitwell gave a groan of pain as Natasha shoved him through the door. "Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve said as Sitwell tried to get to his feet.
"Never heard of it," Sitwell said as he put his glasses back on and backed away from Steve and Yelizaveta to the edge of the roof.
"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?" Yelizaveta asked.
"I was throwing up. I get seasick," Sitwell said as he backed almost too far and nearly fell if Steve hadn't of grabbed him by his jacket. Sitwell gave a mirthless laugh. "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers, Markova," Sitwell said with a sneer.
"You're right. It's not. It's hers," Steve said, letting Sitwell go and indicating Natasha, who summarily kicked Sitwell off the roof. He went out of sight, screaming.
"Oh, wait. What about that girl from Accounting, Laura...Lis-" Yelizaveta started to say before Steve interrupted.
"Lillian. Lip piercing, right?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, she's cute," Yelizaveta said.
"Yeah. I'm not ready for that," Steve said as they heard Sitwell scream again. Sam came up, holding Sitwell by the back of his suitcoat. Sam had wings and landed gracefully behind them, things going into a jetpack. Steve, Yelizaveta, and Natasha walked to Sitwell, who backed up, fear in his eyes.
"Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insight's targets," Sitwell said quickly.
"What targets?" Steve asked.
"You! Markova! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa City, Bruce and James Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA. Now or in the future," Sitwell said. Yelizaveta's insides went numb when Sitwell mentioned Dr. Banner and Jimmy.
"In the future? How could it know?" Yelizaveta asked, stooping down to eye level with Sitwell.
Sitwell started to laugh. "How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it," Steve, Yelizaveta, and Natasha looked at each other confused. "Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your darn SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future," Sitwell said.
"Dear lord. And what then?" Yelizaveta asked, her voice small and hard.
"Oh, good grief. Pierce is gonna kill me," Sitwell said as realization crossed his face that he had just become Pierce's next target.
"Answer her. What then?" Steve asked. Sitwell backed up and Sam grabbed him by the back of his suitcoat to keep him from getting away.
"Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time," Sitwell said.
"Steve we can't let that happen," Yelizaveta said as Sam grabbed Sitwell by his coat and they left the roof.
The Soldier had watched as Elizabeth and her friends left the building. His daughter was standing so close to him. He had been given his mission. Pierce wanted the one who was a captain gone and the Black Widow as well and Elizabeth brought to the underground HYDRA base. The Soldier had been trained for fighting and he had a sedative in his pocket if Elizabeth wouldn't come willingly. If she was anything like her mother, she wouldn't. She would fight him and he would stop her with sedatives. She would sleep and then wake up knowing that her father and mother had always loved her.