Chapter 14. Puzzle Pieces

Bucky

When I hung up after Jane's call, I felt like punching a wall. I wasn't the only one. Thor was on his phone immediately, trying to get hold of his supervisor, Regina Frigg. When she heard I guess she let loose with several choice words and promised to take it to the director himself. None of us were in any mood to continue training for the day so our ride was called, and we were transported back to the house. Thor and the other FBI agents on the assignment accompanied us, wanting to show that they supported us in this.

"Six months of background work and Deputy Assistant Director Westcott just unilaterally decided to accept John Walker's help in this investigation?" he muttered as he paced in our living room. "I don't buy that. Even when we turn a subject of interest to give testimony there is no way we let them become part of the investigation. That's not procedure."

"What do you know about Westcott?" I asked. "Is he part of it? Why else would he bring Walker into the office with Jane? Just having him in her presence is going against her protection order for starters."

Thor stopped and looked at me, giving me a look that can only be described as angry. "He's ambitious, I can tell you that much. He's been a golden boy until now, but this raises all sorts of red flags. They're on the way back here, right?" I nodded. "I need to know everything that Westcott said."

Rig Heimdall had sat quietly in an armchair, leaning on his hand. "Westcott has a connection," he stated. "It's tenuous and I have to confirm it but it's the only reason I can think of that he would do this."

We all looked at him, expectantly waiting for more. The big man was quiet but authoritative in manner. He was an expert level hacker and had been a major player on several high-profile cases. He had a large messenger bag with him, and opened it up, pulling out a laptop and connecting it to the wifi in the house. Logging into a secure website he did some searching. After a few minutes he nodded his head and turned the screen towards us, showing a picture of an older man, a middle-aged man and John Westcott.

"The middle-aged man is an associate of Westcott's mentor, Thaddeus Ross, the older man," he said. "This image is from about eleven years ago when Westcott was part of a joint investigation into illegal guns being run into Mexico and Central America. After a year or two of being used there, they would end up back in the hands of criminals here in the United States. The associate, Emil Blonsky, was a Brit but a master of disguise and accents. He put himself into harm's way as an undercover operative on the investigation. Ten years ago, they were ready to bring him in, and arrest the main suspects in the gun running. Then Blonsky disappeared without warning. He just didn't check in and didn't show up at a planned rendezvous. Westcott was ordered to bring him in. He didn't."

"What do you mean, he didn't?" asked Thor. "He wasn't successful? Couldn't find him? Blonsky got away?"

"It was redacted," said Heimdall. "At Ross's request. There are very few images of Blonsky. I came across this one by accident and didn't see another one until we got the footage from the security cameras at Erik Selvig's place this morning. I think the man who shot Selvig was Emil Blonsky but I want to put this photo through some software and age him digitally to confirm. It might be coincidental, or it might be deliberate to keep us from identifying Blonsky but I don't believe much in coincidences. When I heard about Westcott bringing in John Walker all I could think about was this image."

"This Ross guy, is he still with the agency?" I asked.

"Retired," replied Heimdall. "But still very influential. He called himself a by-the-book, law and order type but there were occasions when he expedited some procedures. His wrist would be slapped for it because the results were worth it. Personally, I thought he was a loose cannon that was given way too much leeway. He still has dinner with Westcott at least once a month."

Thor stood there, his brain going into overdrive, and he finally grunted. "Find an existing connection between Ross, Blonsky, and Westcott," he said. "I have all sorts of alarms going off in my head that Walker's inclusion into this investigation was more to keep an eye on us."

"And to mess with Jane's head," I suggested, to the nods of the others. I looked at my watch. "How long does it take to get here from D.C.?"

"45 minutes," said Thor. "They should be here any moment." He looked at me with determination. "I meant what I said about keeping her safe. If I have to find her a place off the books I will, and you'll go with her. If this is a move to isolate Jane and make her vulnerable, I'll find a way to counteract it."

I didn't want to say anything more without Jane there. She deserved to be involved in any discussion about how to handle this latest issue. Sam went into the kitchen and I followed him, watching as he began making coffee. I leaned back against the counter with my arms crossed but said nothing. We had been partners for so long that it wasn't always necessary for us to make small talk. Then we made eye contact, and I knew he had something to say.

"Spill it," I said.

"Don't you find it odd that Walker shows up just before we're about to begin our final training prior to implementing our part of the undercover operation?" he asked. "The timing is awfully convenient. He had to know that Jane wasn't going to cooperate. Westcott should have known that much, right? I mean, he's in a leadership position and should have known that this team wouldn't accept Walker's involvement since he was also a subject of investigation."

"You think it was a setup?" I asked, seeing where he was going with his supposition. "Making us close ranks and back away? That would make Westcott part of the militia, wouldn't it?" Sam shrugged, unwilling to say that out loud. "Thor said that Loki and Sylvie had found something out. What if this is a play to keep us away from that information? What if we've already been made?"

Sam let out a slow whistle and I could tell he hadn't considered that. Both of us went out to the living room where Thor was still pacing like a caged lion.

"Did Loki and Sylvia tell you what they had found out?" I asked.

"No," he said, "just that it was an opportunity we had to take advantage of. Why?"

I looked at Heimdall. "When was the last time you monitored the social media accounts of the militia? Were there any rumours about anything happening in the next couple of weeks?"

He didn't say anything but brought up his links right away and scanned over several accounts, finally shaking his head as he frowned.

"Something's going down," he said, reading the screen. "There's talk of trapping some rats." He looked up at Thor suddenly. "You need to pull Loki and Sylvie out now. I think they're in danger."

He looked at Heimdall blankly at first. "What if Westcott brought in Walker to make us consider dropping the investigation and keeping us away from it?" I said. "Perhaps he's compromised and in deep but still has enough loyalty to the Bureau to try to keep us out of harm's way. Would we have gone to Loki, or would he have come here?"

"We would have gone there," replied Thor.

"What if it was a trap?" I posed. "Maybe it was the only way to warn us off because if it wasn't, it was a pretty blatant attempt to compromise the investigation, one that could see him relieved of duty."

"Then the militia must have something on him," said Thor. "Forced his hand. This just gets more and more bizarre. I'm calling Frigg."

Dialling his supervisor, he let it ring for some time until it went to voice mail. Then he placed another call, to an agent on duty in Washington.

"Dallas, Odinson here," he said. "Tell me, is Deputy Assistant Director Westcott still in the building? When did he leave? He was with Walker and Ross? What was Ross doing there?" I could see how agitated he was getting. "How about Regina Frigg?" He paused. "Okay, would you tell her to phone me as soon as possible? I have new information. Thanks."

Without stopping he dialled another number. "Buchinsky? Are you still en route?" he asked. "Okay, bring them to the house on the base, not the Academy. The drive has been uneventful; no one following you? Good, stay alert." He hung up and swore. "Thaddeus Ross was in the building, supposedly to see another old-timer on his last day before retirement. As soon as Jane, Bruce and Tony left, Westcott and Walker also left, in a vehicle with Ross. The others are five minutes away." He sent a text on his phone then looked at everyone. "I've given the emergency withdraw code to Loki and Sylvie. If they follow procedure, they'll drop everything and report to the supervisor of the nearest FBI office. I'm waiting on their acknowledgement of the code."

We sat and waited, while Sam brought out coffee for everyone. Nothing was said but there was an undercurrent of frustrated anger that everything we had worked on was in jeopardy of being yanked out from under us. We were all law enforcement professionals and right now the criminals seemed to have the upper hand. Outside we could hear the sound of a vehicle pulling up and heard the car doors slam. Tony Stark entered first, followed by Jane and Bruce. Immediately I went to her and held her. Her eyes were still a bit red, but she seemed calmer than when she phoned me.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I'll live," she replied. "We talked on the way home and Tony has a theory why John's involvement was sprung upon us."

"We have a theory as well," I said. "First, Thor wants to know everything that was said to you."

She nodded and sat on the couch, recounting what Westcott said to them. Tony then repeated what was said while Jane was in the ladies' room. Thor, to his credit, didn't interrupt, giving them free rein to say everything without distracting them. Then he looked at me and Sam.

"I hate to say this, but I think you're right. Westcott may be compromised but he was trying to get us off the case, perhaps for our own safety. Considering I haven't yet heard from Loki or Sylvie I'm guessing our whole operation has been compromised. I just don't know how."

A text alert on his phone took Thor into the kitchen to make a call while we continued to talk in the living room. Heimdall was still monitoring things on his laptop then he swore and called out to Thor, who had apparently just heard the same thing on his phone call.

"Loki and Sylvie were abducted a couple of hours ago," he announced, raising his phone. "Regina just told me. An unofficial APB has been put out for Ross, Westcott and Walker. Westcott's wife received a text from him with a code that told her to get to safety. She packed up their kids and reported to the nearest FBI office."

I'd never seen anyone as disheartened as Thor Odinson at that moment. His closest friend abducted, a man high up in the FBI chain of command compromised, and it all had to do with our investigation into a militia made up of retired and current military and law enforcement members. We didn't know who to trust outside of this house.

"Are we safe here?" asked Jane.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore," replied Thor. "There must be leaks in the bureau. Maybe Westcott found out and tried to stop them, but the militia threatened him or his family. Maybe he's one of them under duress." He rubbed his face for several seconds, looking weary. "I'm open to suggestions."

Tony and Bruce looked at each other, then at Heimdall and Jane. "We could always try hacking them," said Tony. "We could go back to New York, to a lab I own that has the highest security in the country. They won't be able to trace us there. It also has living quarters attached to it and Happy can make sure we're protected. I would put him and his crew up against a militia anytime." He looked at Thor. "That could leave you to assemble some agents that you trust and our NYPD people to go back there with the appearance of having their tails between their legs."

"Then what?" asked Thor. "I can't mount an official rescue, not without support."

"But if you have a helicopter pilot you trust we can always find a helicopter," said Carol. "I know a pilot we can second to fly copilot. I'm still licensed to fly, just not military equipment. Nothing is stopping me from flying a civilian or police helicopter."

"Just like nothing is stopping us three from being on the rescue," I said, gesturing to myself, Sam, and Joaquin. "I mean, you already have us on your team for the undercover investigation. It's just a reassignment because the mission has changed. You should clear it with our captain, but he won't say no, not if it means we can identify those active cops that have been corrupted."

He thought for a moment then looked at Sif, and Heimdall. They both looked at him eagerly. "This is going to be off the books," he said. "We have to compartmentalize it to keep the wrong people from knowing our next move. I can tell Regina we're going dark but other than her there's only one other person that I would trust to be on this team."

Her name wasn't said but I knew who he meant, Sergeant Jane Foster. If her father was still in critical condition she likely wouldn't come. She also had no jurisdiction on this side of the border. However, I knew that the FBI had cooperated with the RCMP on investigations in the past, specifically those related to national security, trafficking, and child pornography. If she could be seconded to the RCMP then it seemed possible to include her on this team. So many ifs were at play ... if her father was out of danger, if she could be seconded, if she would even come. Odinson went to the kitchen again to make some more calls while we all waited to hear what our next step would be.

Jane was sitting with me and interlaced her hand with mine. "I'm glad I'm here with you," she said. "You would have been proud of me, of how I stood up to that Westcott guy."

"She was on fire," interrupted Tony. "Made Walker think twice. Did that incident with an older woman really happen?"

Jane nodded. "You've heard of Margaret Harrison? She kicked his ass when he accosted me in a restaurant after I filed for divorce. Grabbed him by the family jewels and threatened to cut them off if he didn't leave. He slunk out of there pretty good."

"She's a formidable woman," said Tony. "I think she's involved in one of the women's shelters we support." He looked at me. "I understand you have some ideas about supporting the homeless in your precinct. Specifically, homeless women. When we get through all this I'd like to hear more."

"I learned a lot when I was undercover earlier this year," I replied. "Women especially are at greater risk of assault, or worse. Even just keeping clean is almost impossible, and if they don't already have some mental illness when they start living on the streets, they're sure to develop issues being there. The stress on them is almost unbearable. I'm sure Thor could tell you some stories. We were both undercover at the same time but didn't realize the other was in disguise. That's how I got this assignment. He thought together we would be pretty convincing as right-wing militia types."

Jane smiled. "Thor was pretty scary," she agreed. "He still hasn't paid back the 20 he scammed from me. Neither have you for that matter, at least not in cash."

A grin crossed Tony's face, but it went away as Thor came out of the kitchen with a dark look on his face. He stood and looked at everyone before focusing back on Tony.

"We're on our own," he said. "The Director has okayed us going dark, but he can't give us any support that isn't traceable. Frigg has been ordered to take over as Acting Deputy Assistant Director from Westcott while he's missing. So, I can only use the resources that are here in front of me. Stark, what else can you do for me?"

Quickly Stark reiterated his offer of a safe place in New York to work from, hinting that he might be able to acquire access to satellite feeds so we could track Westcott from when he left FBI headquarters with Ross and Walker. There was also a chance they could find where Loki and Sylvie were being held. Stark could possibly arrange for a helicopter that Carol would pilot when they were ready to make their move. She offered to approach her pilot friend, Major Jack Landon, the same man who flew Jane and I out of the city when we first went underground, to join us. I offered to call Steve and bring him up to date on the status of the assignment.

"Would Fury and Hill agree to be involved?" asked Thor. "I'm sure they would like to make up for Rumlow escaping their surveillance."

"Wouldn't hurt to ask," I replied. "What about Jane Foster? Are you going to ask her?"

"Erik is still in the ICU," stated Thor. "Her place is with him. It would take too long to get her seconded to the RCMP and that's the only way she could legally be involved."

With that announcement the FBI team went back to the Academy to pack up. Tony got on his phone and began arranging for a private jet to fly us all to New York. The rest of us went up to our rooms and began to pack. We wanted to be out of there before dinner time. As Jane and I packed we kept making eye contact with each other. I knew there was more to be said so I stopped and held my hand out to her, pulling her close to me.

"You okay with the plan?"

"Mostly," she said. "Obviously I worry about them finding us. When I first saw John in that office I panicked and left but the longer I was in the ladies' room the angrier I became. It was like everything he ever did to me suddenly infuriated me. I don't think I'm afraid of him anymore and he didn't like that."

"Hold on to that feeling," I told her. "I'm sure your attitude when you came back from the ladies' room surprised him. There's so much about this investigation that has everyone on edge. I mean, we're investigating people who we work with, people who are supposed to uphold the law. That Rumlow went through the academy with me and Sam. He was ex-military, just like us and we seemed to hit it off okay. When we got our assignments, he went to Queens and the next time I saw him it was like he was a different guy, harsher, more judgemental."

"In what way?" asked Jane.

"Well, I guess he seemed to develop a hate for certain types of people," I said. "Making generalized racial comments that would raise eyebrows. He busted a few kids and was disciplined for using too much force. Both Sam and I went to night school to get our degrees and he would put us down for buying into social justice issues, saying most kids got off too easy when they did wrong. He thought they needed a firmer hand. It rubbed both of us the wrong way."

"How long ago was that?" Jane asked.

"Seven or eight years ago. About the time Alexander Pierce became a member of the Police Commission. Pierce was a developer in Queens, had quite a few high-end combined retail/residential complexes on the go. Said the presence of criminals prevented his developments from being successful. Lobbied for a more effective police response to his calls. That's when Rumlow was assigned to that beat."

Jane looked at me strangely. "What does Pierce look like?" she asked.

I pulled my phone out and looked him up, handing her the phone. Immediately, she looked at me with alarm.

"John did business with him," she said. "About the time I joined the company. Said it was for a high-end security system but only he worked on it, not the team. Pierce picked him up from the office once. Why would Pierce come to a Los Angeles area company for a security system when Stark Technology is in the same city?"

"I don't know but it's not a coincidence, is it?" I replied. "Maybe we need to do some digging into Alexander Pierce's business." I looked at Pierce's photo on the phone. "I'll let Thor know about this new bit of information as I definitely think it's worth investigating along with everything else."

An hour later we arrived at the airfield, our numbers divided between two SUVs with trusted drivers from Quantico. Tony was in our SUV and was on his phone the entire time, with Happy, his head of security. As we boarded the jet, he finally ended the call and sat in one of the plush seats.

"It's all set to go," he said. "I've even reassigned a couple of my employees to help in the hacking area." Thor looked at him in alarm. "Don't worry, they're trustworthy. I would stake my life on it. Jane can vouch for them as well." She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Peter and Ned. I've officially inducted them into the White Hats."

He chuckled at himself, seemingly excited about this not quite legal operation. Glancing at Jane I was reassured to see her smile and nod her head. If she was comfortable with them being part of the hacking team, then I had to trust her judgement. As the last person boarded and the hatch door closed a flight attendant came, making sure everyone was buckled in. Jane took my hand as we sat side by side. It wasn't quite the return to New York either of us had envisioned but at least we would be on familiar ground. As long as we were together, I was good.