Ch 16
Zola went into a prison cell.
A guard handed him his glasses then left.
Phillips walked in with a food tray and told Zola to sit down.
"What is it?" Zola asked.
"Steak." Phillips replied as he tucked into his meal.
"What is in it?" Zola asked, warily thinking it was poisoned.
"Cow." Phillips said. "You know how difficult it is to get it where we are?"
"I don't eat meat." Zola replied.
"Why?" Phillips asked.
"It disagrees with me." Zola said simply.
"Does cyanide disagree with your rumbly tummy, too?" Phillips asked sarcastically. "Every Hydra agent we've tried to take alive has crunched a little pill before we can stop him. But not you. So, here is my brilliant theory. You want to live."
"You are trying to intimidate me, Colonel." Zola stiffly replied.
"I brought you dinner." Phillips said, then handed him the letter he sent to the President.
""Given the valuable information he has provided and in exchange for his full cooperation, Dr. Zola is being remanded to Switzerland." Zola read with a confused tone.
"I sent that message to Washington this morning, of course it was encoded." Phillips explained.
"Schmidt will know this is a lie." Zola said with a scoff.
"He's going to kill you anyway, Doc." Phillips pointed out. "You're a liability. You know more about Schmidt than anyone. And the last guy you cost us was Captain Rogers' closet friend, so I wouldn't count on the very best of protection. It's you or Schmidt. It's just the hand you've been dealt."
"Schmidt believes he walks in the footsteps of the gods." Zola explained. "Only the world itself will satisfy him."
"You do realize that's nuts, don't you?" Phillips asked.
"But the sanity of the plan is of no consequence." Zola said.
"And why is that?" Phillips pressed.
"Because he can do it!" Zola replied.
"What's his target?" Phillps asked, the last important question he had.
Zola had only one answer.
"His target is everywhere."