Stealing a moment of leisure in a fleeting life. The two men drank and chatted, enjoying the beautiful, warm afternoon.
After seven or eight rounds of drinks, the drug in Billy's system began to work. His face was flushed, his eyes glazed over, and he began to ramble.
Clint seized the opportunity, steering the conversation toward their living arrangements. "Billy," He asked, "Have you ever been to the boss's house? Is it super luxurious?"
Billy's head drooped as he fought off sleepiness. "Luxurious? Yeah, it's luxurious," He slurred with a sneer. "But what's the point? He lives out in the forest, totally cut off from the city. There's no fun at all."
The forest? Clint frowned. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence, Jason preferred penthouses. Why would he be living in a forest? It seemed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s entire investigation had been going in the wrong direction.
"Heh," Clint chuckled. "My dream house is out in the country, too, close to nature. I wonder where the boss lives. I'd love to be his neighbor."
Billy shook his head, his mind hazy. "He's in the Hudson Valley," He mumbled. "A farm... not far from Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area!"
The moment the words left Billy's mouth, Clint froze. An ecstatic expression spread across his face.
So he's hiding in the Hudson Valley. No wonder S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government could never find him. They'd been focusing their entire search on luxury hideouts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Clint looked up at the bartender; she was also visibly overjoyed. After a whole month stuck in this dump, they finally had a breakthrough.
They exchanged a look and nodded in perfect understanding.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to take a call," The bartender said with an apologetic nod before disappearing into the back.
Drying her hands on a towel, she pulled out her phone and dialed her superior. "Hello, Agent Coulson... We got him!"
............
The Triskelion, Washington, D.C.
After receiving the intel, Coulson immediately went to the Director's office.
"Director, we've got a lead from Clint's team. Jason isn't in the city at all. He's across the river in the Hudson Valley."
Nick Fury stopped what he was doing and looked up with a cold snort. "The bastard's good at hiding. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government have been looking for two months and came up with nothing."
Coulson smiled with pride. "He can hide as deep as he wants. Clint still dug him up." Then he asked, "Director, what's our next move?"
Fury frowned. "We've already failed once. Jason's guard will be higher than ever. This intel was hard-won. We can't let him get away again."
"Immediately assemble all Level 7 agents and above. We need a foolproof plan. We have to take him down in one shot."
"Yes, sir. I'll notify them right away." Coulson nodded and quickly exited the office.
.........
Ten minutes later, the S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical operations center was full. Everyone present was a Level 7 agent or higher—the backbone of the agency, core personnel with access to the highest levels of classified information.
"Agent Coulson, why did the Director call this meeting? What's going on?"
Coulson remained silent. "You'll know when the Director gets here."
Seeing his tight-lipped expression, everyone sensed the gravity of the meeting.
Nick Fury strode in, his face grim and cold. "Seal the room."
In the next instant, blast shields slid down over the windows and doors, plunging the room into dim light. A powerful EMP was activated, disabling all outside electronics.
Fury took his seat at the head of the table. "Agents," He said gravely, "You've probably been wondering why Agent Barton hasn't been around S.H.I.E.L.D. lately."
Everyone nodded, their faces filled with curiosity.
"That's because I sent him on a special assignment: to infiltrate the Joker Organization and locate Jason Walter's hideout."
A murmur went through the room as the agents exchanged looks of realization.
One of the agents asked, "Director, does this meeting mean Agent Barton has completed his mission?"
Fury nodded with a smile. "That's right. Agent Barton performed exceptionally. He has successfully located Jason Walter's hideout."
He turned in his chair to face the massive holographic viewscreen behind him.
"Activate satellite tracking. Location: New York—Hudson Valley."
"Satellite tracking initiated."
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s proprietary satellite activated, transmitting a live feed of the Hudson Valley onto the large viewscreen. Fury walked to the front, manipulating the holographic display with gestures. He quickly located a farm hidden in the valley. With a flick of his fingers, the map zoomed in, showing a high-definition satellite view of the property.
Fury turned back to the room. "According to Agent Barton's intel, Jason has been hiding out on this farm ever since he escaped prison. This recently expanded villa is his base of operations."
A wave of excitement went through the room. The great villain, Jason Walter, was finally in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s grasp.
Everyone began to discuss how to deal with him, while Fury sat and listened, looking for the most foolproof plan.
An agent spoke up. "Director, I propose we immediately dispatch a strike team to apprehend Jason Walter and his associates."
"Negative," Another agent countered. "Don't forget, Walter and his associates are all powered individuals. Sending in a standard tactical team would be a massacre."
"Agreed. We can't entertain the idea of taking him alive. The only option is to wait until his guard is down and hit the entire compound with a high-yield missile."
Fury smiled. He liked the sound of that.
But an objection quickly followed. "The assassination attempt a month and a half ago proved that plan won't work. Besides, using a missile on U.S. soil requires presidential authorization. The process is too slow. What if he runs?"
The first agent retorted, "That attempt failed because they were awake and on the move. I'm proposing a strike late at night, while he's asleep."
"As for authorization, I suggest we have former Director, now World Security Council Secretary, Alexander Pierce, speak to the President. He could get us the green light within a few hours."
The room quieted as the agents considered the plan's feasibility. Jason's powers had been thoroughly analyzed by S.H.I.E.L.D. The upper limit of his energy absorption was not very high; a powerful enough missile would completely overwhelm him. The only tricky part was the suspected teleportation ability. If they had even a few seconds to react, they could escape. Their investigation indicated the teleportation range was about a kilometer. Almost no conventional missile has a blast radius that large. It would take a tactical nuke to guarantee a kill. But if Fury dared to suggest that to the President, he'd be submitting his resignation the next day. Anyone who proposes using nuclear weapons on U.S. soil is either malicious or an idiot, neither of which is fit to be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
After some debate, the majority of the agents agreed with the missile strike proposal.
Fury stood. "I'll speak with Pierce immediately. For now, notify Level 6 Agent Sitwell. Have him dispatch a team to the Hudson Valley to put the farm under covert surveillance. And make this clear: they are not, under any circumstances, to engage Jason."
Sitwell was Pierce's man, promoted by the former Director himself and loyal to him. By giving Sitwell this high-risk mission, Fury was essentially handing him a major commendation on a silver platter—a political overture to Pierce. The agents in the room were all sharp enough to understand Fury's political maneuvering.
S.H.I.E.L.D. may be a secret agency composed of the world's elite, but like any human institution, it was not immune to factionalism. The two largest factions within S.H.I.E.L.D. were the one loyal to the current Director, Nick Fury, and the one loyal to the former Director and current Secretary, Alexander Pierce. Capturing Jason would be a monumental achievement, but it was also an incredibly difficult task. To succeed, Fury and Pierce would have to work together and share the credit. If either man tried to hog the glory, the mission would inevitably fail.
After the room cleared, Coulson approached Fury. "Director, Stansfield has been with us for a week now. Given the circumstances, should we send him out on a field assignment?"
Fury frowned, considering it for a moment before shaking his head. "He's on desk duty. Sending him into the field so suddenly could arouse suspicion and tip Jason off. Besides, we still don't know where his loyalties lie. It's too risky. Let him stay here at HQ. And make sure someone keeps an eye on him. If he makes one suspicious move, terminate him immediately."
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements." Coulson quickly left the room.
Fury disengaged the lockdown and walked to the window, looking out at the stunning view. "Stansfield," He murmured, "I'll find out what you really are soon enough."
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
500 power stones.
Top 50. All time.