Chapter 910

S.H.I.E.L.D. was finished. There was little reason to doubt it.

If Malick and the Eredar Twins were telling the truth, the organization had been thoroughly infiltrated and effectively replaced by HYDRA. Destroying HYDRA would inevitably bring S.H.I.E.L.D. down with it.

Even if a handful of its personnel survived, what good would that do?

Governments around the world had granted S.H.I.E.L.D. extraordinary authority and poured billions into its operations. They had done so because they expected the organization to protect global security.

Instead, it had helped resurrect the most infamous terrorist organization in history—and was now preparing to slaughter ten percent of the world’s population.

Once the truth came out, those governments would be looking for someone to blame. And S.H.I.E.L.D.’s surviving leadership would be at the top of the list.

Elizabeth even found herself hoping Nick Fury had died in that morning’s assassination attempt. At least then, he might receive a respectable funeral. The American government might even drape a flag over his coffin.

Otherwise, she could easily imagine him sitting in the dock at The Hague.

Gross negligence. Criminal misconduct. Enabling a terrorist organization. Endangering public safety.

Any one of those charges could ruin him. Together, they might well earn him the death penalty.

Still, there was something rather remarkable about the people sitting around this table.

S.H.I.E.L.D.—or rather, HYDRA—hadn’t actually fallen yet. Its leaders were still alive and kicking. And here they were, calmly discussing how to divide up its estate.

They hadn’t even waited for the funeral before planning the inheritance.

If HYDRA’s leadership ever heard about this meeting, the sheer audacity might give them a heart attack.

"How should I put this?" Elizabeth tilted her head, offering a faint smile. "Your plan is... ambitious. Taking over S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assets in their entirety—even limiting the operation to its American operations—won’t be easy."

She glanced around the table.

"You’re certainly early to recognize the opportunity, but you won’t be the only ones trying to seize it. The moment S.H.I.E.L.D. collapses, the smell of blood will bring every predator in Washington running."

She didn’t need to explain further.

"The CIA and FBI have been watching S.H.I.E.L.D. for years. They’ve practically worn holes through it with their eyes. Both agencies would love to acquire the same authority and resources."

Elizabeth paused.

"How long has your Black Badge Division even existed? What makes you think it can compete with those two giants? Last time, you told us a story about the forest and the deer. Allow me to offer one in return."

Her smile sharpened.

"Hyenas might reach a carcass before a lion and enjoy a few bites while they can. But once the lion arrives, the hyenas have no choice but to leave."

"An insightful comparison."

There was a trace of mockery in Elizabeth’s voice, but the Eredar Twins didn’t seem offended. If anything, her objection was reassuring. At least they weren’t dealing with fools.

"We know our limitations," one of the twins replied. "That’s precisely why we’re asking for your help."

"Our help?" Elizabeth gave a quiet laugh. "Do you have any idea how much money our families would have to commit? How many political connections we’d need to call upon? Even then, we’d only have a chance of making this work. So let me ask you something: why should we help you?"

"Oh..."

Saloras pushed out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. The expression could probably have charmed an entire room under different circumstances.

Unfortunately, nobody present was in the mood to appreciate it.

"That’s rather hurtful. I thought you’d agree without making us beg."

"Don’t put words in my mouth." Elizabeth waved a hand. She had, in effect, become the spokesperson for the three shareholder families. Of the people present, she was the only one capable of handling this conversation without getting lost in it. "We’re business partners. If the word partner has given you the wrong impression, we can call ourselves business associates instead."

Her expression grew more serious.

"Business is business. If you expect us to help, what do we get in return? What kind of profit are we looking at? And if you’re planning to promise that this new organization will provide our families with every possible service, save your breath. That kind of arrangement would make this venture even less likely to succeed."

Her family and the other shareholders had considerable influence in the United States, particularly in political circles. Under the right circumstances, getting a president fired might be easier than getting rid of a CEO.

But that didn’t mean they could bend the entire country to their will.

If they could, the CIA and FBI would already belong to them. They wouldn’t need the Eredar Twins to open the door.

Silence settled over the room.

Elizabeth’s questions had been pointed enough to leave little room for a casual response. For several long moments, nobody spoke.

Then the Eredar Twins quietly produced a cigarette.

They reached for a bottle of hot sauce and spread a generous amount over its surface.

Gideon Malick watched with growing disbelief.

The twins lit their cigarettes and inhaled deeply. A moment later, they exhaled together, looking thoroughly satisfied.

Malick shifted a little farther away.

Did they smoke like this all the time?

Were their lungs genetically modified? Had someone subjected them to some sort of demonic enhancement? Judging by the blissful expressions on their faces, they could probably inhale radioactive waste and ask for another serving.

"Care for one?"

Saloras noticed his reaction and offered him a bright red cigarette.

Malick quickly covered his nose and shook his head.

There were limits to how much he was willing to risk for the sake of good manners. He still intended to live a few more years.

After finishing her cigarette, Saloras finally raised her eyes.

"First, let me correct a few misunderstandings."

She spoke unhurriedly.

"The CIA and FBI may want to compete with us for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assets, but they won’t succeed. In fact, they’ll face considerably more resistance than we will."

Elizabeth listened without interrupting.

"When this is over, the entire world will understand just how dangerous an intelligence agency can become when it’s given enormous resources and privileges without sufficient oversight. Do you honestly think the American government—or the president—will want to create another organization like S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Saloras gave a faint smile.

"Unless the next president is an idiot whose only interests are posting on social media and watching videos online, the answer is no. The CIA and FBI won’t inherit S.H.I.E.L.D.’s authority. If anything, they’ll lose some of their existing powers and find themselves subjected to much stricter oversight."

Elizabeth was about to respond, but Orriseth raised a hand.

"I know what you’re thinking. You’ve misunderstood our intentions. We have never said we want to establish another government intelligence agency."

She leaned back.

"We’re businesspeople. We’re discussing business. Even now, Black Badge Division works with the American government as a private contractor. If we acquire S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assets, we won’t turn them into another intelligence agency. We’ll establish a company."

"A company..." Elizabeth lowered her gaze, considering the idea.

The shift in direction was substantial enough to make her pause.

Moore DuPont, seated nearby, picked up the thread.

"Something like Blackwater? A private military company?"

"I prefer the term security and strategic consulting firm," Orriseth replied. "But yes."

She shrugged.

"I have no interest in intelligence work. It’s exhausting. You spend your life crawling through sewers like a rat, and somehow you’re expected to shoulder responsibility for everything that goes wrong."

She sounded genuinely displeased by the prospect.

"A security company is different. The government issues a contract, pays the bill, and we do the work. We sell them the peace and security they want."

Elizabeth was beginning to understand.

Perhaps she had overestimated the Eredar Twins’ ambitions. They weren’t necessarily trying to build another S.H.I.E.L.D.

Still, she didn’t agree immediately.

The twins knew why.

"For decades, S.H.I.E.L.D. dominated the intelligence world," Saloras continued. "The CIA and FBI spent most of that time operating in its shadow. They can catch criminals, recruit informants, and track down spies. Those are things they understand."

She tapped a finger against the table.

"But what are the most pressing security threats in the modern world? What frightens the public most? Extraordinary threats."

Her voice grew more emphatic.

"Alien invasions. Ambitious individuals wielding biological weapons. Superhumans whose abilities are awakening all over the world. These threats are hammering away at the public’s sense of security."

She let the words settle.

"In the past, S.H.I.E.L.D. handled all of them. Neither the FBI nor the CIA has much experience dealing with these situations. The same goes for the security agencies of most other countries."

Her smile returned.

"But we’re different. We have Black Badge Division. Over the past year, this small department has repeatedly demonstrated what it can do."

The twins had Elizabeth’s full attention now.

"The American government already understands that Black Badge’s capabilities are comparable to those of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s finest special operations teams. More importantly, when dealing with extraterrestrial threats, we’ve demonstrated that we can handle matters more effectively—and with greater respect for the law."

Saloras glanced at Malick before continuing.

"I think everyone here can understand why Black Badge Division was established so smoothly. Mr. Malick’s assistance was certainly important, but there was another reason. The American government wanted an organization capable of standing against S.H.I.E.L.D."

She spread her hands.

"All we need now is a little more support from you and the families behind you. With your backing, Black Badge can expand into a major corporation. Once that happens, it will be perfectly natural for the American government to outsource its conventional security operations to us."

"And as a private company, we won’t carry the same obligations as a government agency. We can work for the United States, but we can also accept contracts from other governments. Once America sets the example, NATO members may decide to place orders with us as well."

Orriseth smiled.

"Consider the scale of that market. Consider the profits."

She paused, then added another incentive.

"Naturally, your families would receive shares in the company. And to thank you for your support, we can provide your families with security services free of charge."

Her expression became almost sympathetic.

"Bioterrorism and superhuman terrorism are becoming increasingly serious problems. Given the wealth and influence your families possess, you’re obvious targets. I doubt ordinary bodyguards would be enough to protect you against something like that."

Elizabeth’s fingers began tapping against the back of her other hand.

Anyone who knew her would recognize the habit. It meant she was thinking hard.

But she wasn’t calculating the potential profits. She didn’t need to. The figures would be handled by the professional accountants employed by her family. All she needed to know was that the opportunity was enormous.

What interested her far more was something else.

Were the Eredar Twins really telling the truth when they claimed to have only recently learned about HYDRA and the Insight Initiative?

Recently was a rather flexible word.

Yesterday could qualify. So could several months ago. And for beings who had lived for thousands of years, even a century might count as recent history.

Since its establishment, Black Badge Division had been steadily demonstrating its capabilities. Much like the satellite launch earlier that day, each operation had served as another public demonstration of what the twins could offer.

But what if that hadn’t been the real purpose?

What if they had known about HYDRA’s infiltration from the beginning?

What if Black Badge hadn’t been created to investigate the extent of HYDRA’s influence at all, but to prepare for the moment when S.H.I.E.L.D. finally collapsed?

If so, the scale of their planning was frightening.

Elizabeth’s gaze shifted between the Eredar Twins and Gideon Malick. For an instant, her expression changed.

Then she concealed it.

She had no intention of asking such a pointed question. Not yet.

Instead, she gave a measured response.

"If things are as you’ve described, the resistance we’ll face will be considerably weaker. Our chances of success will improve, and the overall cost will be much lower."

Americans could be peculiar about trust.

They didn’t trust the government or its agencies. They didn’t trust major corporations or wealthy families, either. But when forced to choose, they often preferred a private company over a government institution.

There was another curious contradiction.

Offer Americans something for free or at a suspiciously low price, and many would assume they were being cheated. Charge them a fortune, however, and they might finally believe they were getting their money’s worth.

Elizabeth wasn’t quite ready to commit.

"That said, we’re still only talking about the possibility of making this work."

Her words were deliberately vague. Personally, she was leaning toward accepting the proposal, but she couldn’t make the final decision on behalf of her family. The ultimate authority rested with the people at the top.

And she had one significant concern.

"You want to acquire S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assets. But if you intend to put those assets back into operation rather than leave them gathering dust, you’ll need an enormous amount of capital."

She considered the figures.

"Even if you sign a formal contract with the government and establish a complete financial pipeline, it will take time. You’ll need to finance at least a full year of operations yourselves."

Elizabeth looked directly at the twins.

"Considering how deeply S.H.I.E.L.D. is embedded in the American government, that first year’s operating budget could easily exceed ten billion dollars. Even our three families couldn’t raise that much at short notice."

She leaned forward slightly.

"So I’ll ask you directly. Can you afford it?"

"Heh."

Orriseth gave her a knowing smile. She picked up a spicy snack stick, dipped it into the hot sauce, and held it between her lips like a cigar.

Then she answered with complete indifference.

"How do you know we can’t?"

The room went still.

Elizabeth and the others stared at her in disbelief. Even Gideon Malick, a man who rarely allowed himself to be surprised, couldn’t help turning toward the twins.

He remembered Evenson’s earlier visit.

Evenson had asked him to bring several wealthy families into the project so they could invest and help replenish the twins’ funds. He had even mentioned that the treasure reserves in Wolf’s Den No. 2 were nearly exhausted.

Apparently, nearly exhausted meant they still had several hundred billion dollars to spare.

If they had that much money, why were they asking anyone else for investment?

They were a financial power in their own right.

An absurd thought crossed Malick’s mind.

America had defeated the Third Reich, only for the Third Reich to buy the entire country afterward.

Of course, the truth was rather different.

The Eredar Twins didn’t actually have several hundred billion dollars sitting around. Even if Evenson sold both kidneys, he wouldn’t be able to raise that kind of money.

But they didn’t need to have the money.

They had something else.

Sambora.

...