Chapter 851

Someone who normally kept his head down, followed orders, and rarely voiced an opinion had suddenly chosen to object.

That alone was enough to make Pierce suspicious.

And Pierce was no ordinary man. He had built his career inside Hydra by manipulating people, replacing pieces on the board, and letting others take the risks for him. When someone like Sitwell suddenly started pushing back, Pierce naturally wondered why.

He had only just suggested dealing with Umbrella. He had even said they would merely detain its personnel. He hadn’t ordered anyone executed.

Yet Sitwell had immediately jumped in to object.

What was he really after?

Could he be an Umbrella plant inside Hydra?

Sitwell had clearly noticed the displeasure on Pierce’s face, but he showed no fear. Instead, he continued calmly.

"Umbrella has always operated behind a veil of secrecy. We have no reliable information on the true size of their organization or where their personnel are stationed."

"After we originally used Umbrella as a scapegoat to protect Whitehall and forced them into the open, Director Fury never stopped investigating them. Agent Hill even established a dedicated task force and poured considerable effort into the investigation."

"They may not be on our side, but their capabilities are undeniable. Yet even now, after all that investigation, they haven’t uncovered a single meaningful lead."

"So unless Umbrella never existed in the first place and Fury’s people have spent all these years chasing shadows, the simplest explanation is that Umbrella is simply powerful enough to conceal itself from S.H.I.E.L.D."

Pierce’s eyes lowered as he considered the argument.

Then he slowly nodded.

Years ago, he had personally promoted Nick Fury—an outsider who would eventually become one of Hydra’s greatest obstacles—to Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Pierce had chosen Fury precisely because of his ability.

Only someone like Fury could keep S.H.I.E.L.D. functioning smoothly while Hydra grew beneath it. Only someone like him could maintain the agency’s public image while unknowingly providing Hydra with the perfect cover.

And even Fury had been unable to make headway against Umbrella.

That alone spoke volumes.

"Now, this Gospel Corporation may have grown into a respectable organization," Sitwell continued, "but the only reason we’re paying particular attention to it is because we know it belongs to Umbrella’s network. Otherwise, it’s just one more corporation among thousands operating across the United States."

"So Gospel cannot possibly represent Umbrella’s full strength. At most, it’s the visible tip of something much larger."

"Like the tip of a kraken’s tentacle."

"Even if we move against them now—whether we merely detain their personnel or tear the entire company apart—it would barely inconvenience Umbrella."

"Instead, we’d expose our hand and warn them that we’re coming."

"That would be the inferior move."

"’Inferior’?"

Pierce was a shrewd old fox.

If his thoughts hadn’t been tangled up by several problems arriving at once, he probably would have reached the same conclusion himself.

Sitwell had merely dragged those thoughts out into the open.

But that last sentence had hooked him.

"Exactly how would it put us at a disadvantage?"

"Sir, may I ask where this intelligence originated?"

Sitwell stopped.

Then he lowered his head slightly, allowing a trace of nervousness to enter his expression.

"Forgive me. That was out of line. I shouldn’t have asked."

"It’s fine."

Seeing the familiar apprehensive expression, Pierce relaxed slightly.

He waved a hand.

"Although the report was submitted anonymously, we know the source. An employee of the Morgan family passed it along."

"The Morgan family..."

Sitwell’s expression shifted as though he were carefully considering the implications.

Then his eyes widened.

"That explains it."

Pierce raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"When have these financial dynasties ever cared about world peace?"

Everyone knew what motivated the great corporate families.

Money.

War or peace meant nothing to them except insofar as one proved more profitable than the other.

"More importantly, Umbrella is powerful enough that even Nick Fury hasn’t been able to uncover a single solid lead on them. How could someone working as a corporate spy for the Morgan family discover a connection between Umbrella and the Blood Tongue?"

"The Morgans may have deep roots and employ some very capable intelligence specialists, but surely you don’t believe their people are better at this than Maria Hill."

Pierce’s eyes narrowed.

He had a point.

Umbrella had successfully evaded S.H.I.E.L.D. for years.

And Pierce knew something Sitwell didn’t even have to mention: Peggy Carter herself was stationed at Gospel.

If a Morgan corporate spy could operate under those conditions without being detected, perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. really should hand the agency over to the Morgans.

"So..."

Pierce’s gaze sharpened as he followed the logic to its conclusion.

"You think Umbrella deliberately leaked this information to us?"

Sitwell neither confirmed nor denied it.

"Whether they did is ultimately irrelevant. What matters is how we respond."

"If they leaked the information deliberately, then they’re testing us. Our response will tell them exactly where our boundaries lie."

"And our options are both dangerous."

"The connection with the Blood Tongue could be interpreted as something serious or something insignificant. If we react as though it’s a major incident, we’d be telling Umbrella that we’re intimidated by them. Once they realize that, they’ll become even more aggressive."

"But if the information was leaked accidentally and we use it as an excuse to attack them, we’ll look like the aggressors. We’d be telling them that we’ve discovered what they’re doing and intend to confront them."

"They could retaliate immediately."

"Sir."

Sitwell’s tone became earnest.

"I know Umbrella is already becoming hostile toward us. I also know they’re likely to become an obstacle eventually."

"But we’re not at the point of open conflict yet."

"We have to watch for Nick Fury and the remnants of loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel discovering Hydra. At the same time, our larger operation has entered its most critical phase."

"We need to devote everything we have to that."

"Starting a war with Umbrella right now would stretch us too thin. Even if we won, we’d lose valuable time."

"And if something goes wrong..."

Sitwell allowed genuine concern to enter his voice.

"We could lose everything."

"You’re right."

Pierce nodded, his eyes gleaming.

"The closer we get to the finish line, the less room we have for recklessness. We need stability above all else."

"Exactly, sir."

Sitwell lowered his head.

The lenses of his glasses reflected the office lights, hiding his eyes completely.

Pierce leaned back.

"But Umbrella has still left me with a problem."

"You’re saying that if they leaked the information accidentally, we’d be better off pretending we never saw it."

"But what if they did it deliberately?"

"If we investigate, they’ll think we’re afraid of them."

"If we don’t investigate, they’ll think they can keep pushing us."

"Investigate or don’t investigate..."

Pierce frowned.

"Either way, we’re walking into a trap."

"Perhaps the answer lies between those two choices."

The corner of Sitwell’s mouth lifted.

"We can make a show of investigating without actually declaring war."

Pierce looked interested.

"How?"

"I’m a Level Eight agent. My position carries enough weight."

"I’ll personally lead the investigation into Gospel Corporation."

"But I’ll conduct it strictly by the book. We won’t mention anything beyond the official scope of the investigation, and we’ll stop before we start asking uncomfortable questions."

Pierce listened silently.

"If Umbrella deliberately leaked the information, then our response sends them a warning."

"You asked us to investigate, so we investigate."

"But we’re not afraid of you."

"They may or may not take the warning seriously, but they’ll have to consider it. At the very least, it could buy us some time."

"And if the information was leaked accidentally?"

"Then our investigation reminds them that there’s a hole in their intelligence network."

"We’ll also demonstrate that we have no intention of exploiting the information to launch an attack."

"That gives us another advantage. It costs us nothing to show goodwill, and it might make them lower their guard."

"Either way, we gain time."

Sitwell’s confidence grew.

"And time is exactly what we need."

"As long as we have enough of it, once our operation succeeds..."

He smiled.

"Umbrella won’t matter anymore."

"Not even if it’s backed by the entire organization."

Pierce studied him.

"An answer that covers every angle."

There was genuine admiration in his expression.

But something still bothered him.

Why was Sitwell suddenly so capable?

The man seemed almost like a different person today.

He wasn’t merely articulate. His reasoning was meticulous.

Then Pierce remembered something.

Of course.

Sitwell was an internal affairs officer. He rarely went into the field and spent most of his time handling administration.

He didn’t have the combat record of someone like Brock Rumlow.

He wasn’t as conspicuous as John Garrett.

But coordination between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra’s internal structure, security protocols, compartmentalization, and much of Hydra’s recruitment pipeline all passed through Sitwell’s hands.

It was tedious work.

Invisible work.

And Sitwell had never made a mistake.

That meant something.

Back when Sitwell had still been a trainee in one of Hydra’s training facilities, Whitehall himself had described him in similar terms.

Careful.

Meticulous.

Reliable.

Pierce had simply never noticed because Sitwell’s work had always happened in the background.

An invisible man doing invisible work.

Until today.

Pierce smiled.

He rose from behind his desk and walked around to Sitwell’s side.

Then he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.

"Agent Sitwell."

"Our ship will be leaving soon."

"You’re thorough, careful, and dependable. When the time comes, I want you aboard. You’ll oversee operations."

Sitwell looked genuinely startled.

"It would be an honor, sir."

He nodded quickly.

Pierce watched him start toward the door.

"Wait."

Sitwell stopped.

Pierce’s expression hardened.

"John Garrett."

"And the people under him."

"How is that investigation going?"

The question had come to him because Garrett had been on his mind already, and the Umbrella matter had brought several other concerns back to the surface.

After Pierce and Nick Fury had reviewed the footage recovered by the Ghost agents from Gospel Corporation, Pierce had learned something deeply troubling.

Evenson Richter—Avenger, trusted adviser to Fury, and seemingly one of the people closest to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s leadership—was connected to Umbrella.

Even worse, Peggy Carter herself had apparently aligned with them.

Since then, Pierce had been unable to shake the suspicion that Umbrella had infiltrated Hydra’s own ranks.

So he had quietly initiated an internal investigation.

John Garrett had quickly become one of his primary targets.

Garrett’s subordinate, Ward Grant, was practically his adopted son. Garrett had personally recruited him and repeatedly pushed for Ward to join Coulson’s special operations team.

That alone would have been suspicious enough.

But there was more.

Evenson had been involved throughout Coulson’s resurrection.

And when Coulson’s team was first established, Evenson Richter had personally put a young hacker named Skye onto the plane.

The girl’s background was remarkably difficult to verify.

She had been an orphan who had bounced between multiple foster families, but even Pierce couldn’t uncover much more than that.

That alone made her suspicious.

She could have been an Umbrella asset planted inside Coulson’s team.

And the more Pierce watched her, the worse it looked.

Yes, Skye was exceptionally attractive.

She was also competent.

But mostly, she caused trouble.

Not long ago, she’d attempted to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.’s data systems from inside headquarters.

To do it, she’d even arranged for someone to shoot Sitwell with a tranquilizer dart.

Why?

What exactly had she been searching for?

If her actions had been part of a legitimate mission, there should have been some explanation.

But why knock out Sitwell?

Then came the incident a few days ago.

John Garrett had his people abduct Coulson.

The operation had been large enough to irritate Pierce already.

But during the rescue, Skye had accomplished something that was almost impossible to dismiss as luck.

She had no formal field-agent experience.

At least, none that Pierce could find.

Yet after all electronic equipment had been disabled, she had managed to track down Coulson’s location by herself—before Victoria Hand, an experienced Level Eight agent, could do it.

Talent?

Pierce didn’t buy it.

He was far more inclined to believe she’d received extensive intelligence training and had access to a large support network.

And then there was the final operation.

Black Crest had participated.

Officially, Black Crest was a security organization operating under the military.

Its command headquarters, however, were located inside Gospel Corporation.

And who had coordinated Black Crest’s deployment during that operation?

Evenson.

Could that really be coincidence?

An Avenger had been involved in the operation to such an extent that he still needed outside support?

Then there was the matter of transportation.

Black Crest’s agents had arrived with Skye driving them.

Pierce almost laughed whenever he remembered it.

What was this supposed to be?

Was Umbrella so cheap that it couldn’t provide its own agents with vehicles?

Were highly trained operatives supposed to hitch a ride with a hacker to their next mission?

Not a chance.

Skye was an Umbrella operative.

Pierce was convinced of it.

And it didn’t end there.

Once Black Crest arrived, its agents had executed the enhanced soldiers who might have talked, eliminating every potential witness.

Every single one.

Except for one loyal woman.

Who were they covering for?

And then there was Garrett’s original plan.

He had wanted Ward—the handsome young fool—to seduce Skye and turn their relationship into a convenient romance.

The idea was supposedly to make Ward more useful inside Coulson’s team.

Pierce could only shake his head.

Who exactly was supposed to seduce whom?

And Garrett’s backup plan was even more ridiculous.

He had apparently considered having Ward turn his attention toward Melinda May and try to win her over.

Melinda May had entered the field at seven years old and been groomed inside S.H.I.E.L.D. from childhood.

At that age, John Garrett had still been in elementary school.

And he thought Ward could somehow infiltrate her life?

Worse, May had been brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. by Peggy Carter.

And Peggy Carter was Umbrella.

So Garrett’s carefully constructed plan had essentially been designed to connect Ward with one Umbrella operative after another.

Pierce couldn’t tell whether Garrett was trying to deceive him or insult his intelligence.

How could he not be suspicious?

"John Garrett is... adequate."

Sitwell considered his answer carefully.

"After we informed him about Umbrella, he was extremely remorseful."

"He immediately ordered Ward to abandon his original plans and told him to pay close attention to everything happening within Coulson’s team."

"Recently, Garrett has been trying to make amends. He’s determined to complete his mission ahead of schedule, regardless of the cost."

"Regardless of the cost?"

Pierce raised an eyebrow.

"His assignment is nothing more than a distraction. It’s meant to keep the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. occupied."

"Why would he risk everything over something like that?"

"What exactly is he trying to prove?"

"Perhaps he’s simply desperate to make up for his mistakes."

Sitwell smiled faintly.

"Yesterday, he even presented us with a little proof of loyalty."

Pierce’s eyes sharpened.

"What kind?"

"And can we trust it?"

"I wouldn’t presume to make that judgment."

Sitwell shrugged.

"I’ll leave that to you."

"He arranged a trap in Spain."

"He had Ian Quinn deliberately expose his whereabouts, drawing Coulson’s team into the ambush."

"Once they were committed, Garrett’s people split them apart and attacked them individually."

"Then, under Garrett’s orders, Ian Quinn seriously wounded the hacker."

Pierce’s eyes flickered.

Sitwell continued.

"She was shot three times in the abdomen. Several internal organs were badly damaged, and her spine was fractured."

"She was barely alive."

"Even if she survives, she’ll probably be paralyzed from the waist down."

"According to Garrett, the point was to trigger Coulson’s sympathy and force him to seek out the same treatment that once brought him back from the dead."

"A show of loyalty..."

Pierce’s mouth curled into a strange smile.

"Seriously injuring the hacker..."

He stared at Sitwell.

"Why didn’t she die?"

Sitwell remained silent.

"An apparently miraculous treatment exists that can bring the dead back to life, and Garrett wants Coulson’s sympathy?"

Pierce’s smile disappeared.

"Wouldn’t it have been much more convincing if she’d actually died?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"That isn’t a show of loyalty."

"It’s a cover-up."

Pierce’s eyes narrowed.

"Doesn’t it sound like a classic sacrifice play?"

"I..."

Sitwell hesitated.

"I can’t say."

"That’s for you to decide."

Pierce gave a quiet snort.

"You certainly know how to stay in your lane."

He waved a hand.

"Fine."

"After this, go see Garrett again."

"Consider it the last chance I’m giving him."

"When you get there, don’t interfere."

"Don’t make any decisions."

"Just observe."

"Then come back and tell me exactly what you saw and heard."

"I’ll decide what happens next."

He paused.

"Once you’re finished, the ship should be ready to depart."

"Not everyone aboard will be one of ours."

"I want you watching them carefully."

"You have my word, sir."

Sitwell bowed his head.

Then he turned and left the office.

Only after the door closed did his expression change.

He reached up and adjusted the tie clip beneath his collar.

Then he lifted it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss.

The engraving on the clip was unusual.

It looked almost like a winged cat.

But where its face should have been, there was nothing at all.

No eyes.

No mouth.

No features.

Just a blank, empty surface.