Chapter Seventy-One: Every Day Surrounded by Hydra [New Book—Please Add to Favorites and Recommend]

Controlling Sindragosa, Roald plunged headlong into the Atlantic Ocean.

The previous battle had already demonstrated the beast’s terrifying power. The air force squadrons could only watch helplessly as he disappeared into the distance, and everyone in the military’s air command felt the pain of today’s losses—no one dared to give the order to pursue.

Through the video conference screen, Ross watched coldly as the attendees deliberated whether to dispatch a fleet to track the beast’s whereabouts. He had no intention of getting involved in such a mess.

Thanks to the super soldier project, he had become the greatest beneficiary. Every passing second now felt like he was ascending to the pinnacle of life.

The sensation of becoming stronger was simply exhilarating.

His adjutant quietly approached him. “General, Mr. Stark is here.”

“What’s he doing here?” Ross was somewhat puzzled, but he still stood up and walked out. Whether it was due to Grommash and Vikan’s connection or Stark’s own status, Ross felt it necessary to meet with him—there was no harm in it.

He hadn’t even left the conference room when Stark, clad in his armor, appeared before him.

“Mr. Stark, how did you get past all the surveillance around here? I don’t recall you having a military pass, nor did you make an appointment.” Ross found it hard to believe. He was a general, after all—shouldn’t Stark have at least gone through a security check or scheduled a meeting?

More importantly, this was a military research facility, heavily guarded. His adjutant had only just reported in a few minutes ago, yet Stark stood before him without a single alarm being triggered.

Was their research base really so lacking in security? Or was it as porous as a sieve?

This realization made Ross deeply uneasy and more than a little annoyed.

“Hey, General, don’t blame those diligent young men. Honestly, the base’s alarm system is just too rudimentary for me,” Stark replied, his helmet vanishing as he came forward to shake Ross’s hand.

The military’s smart systems were no match for “JARVIS.”

“General, allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m Stark—Anthony Edward Tony Stark. I have a very important question for you.”

This was the first time Ross had seen the playboy Stark act so formally. He extended his own hand, observing all the proper courtesies.

“I am Thaddeus E. Ross, as you can see—an Air Force Lieutenant General, also serving as Secretary of State.”

Even seated as Secretary of State, he still placed his military rank first.

“Excellent, Mr. Secretary. I have a proposal regarding organizational cooperation and planning. Would you care to hear it?”

“I’m all ears,” Ross replied, sitting down and gesturing for his adjutant to leave and close the conference room door.

“JARVIS, cut off surveillance in this area. I don’t want anyone interrupting our conversation,” Tony ordered at once.

“Yes, sir.”

...

Somewhere in a HYDRA military base, a HYDRA strike team had escorted Rogers all the way from New York to this location.

A group was already preparing inside the base.

HYDRA’s capture of the Captain was earth-shattering news.

For every loyal HYDRA operative, it carried profound significance. More importantly, it meant they could now hope to successfully replicate the super-soldier serum from the Captain.

After all, he was a living legend and, as far as anyone knew, the only super-soldier experiment to survive. While there were other superhumans, Rogers was by far the most accessible and replicable.

“Hey, Barton, we hit the jackpot this time!”

“We only had to deploy a single squad, and we’ve returned with Captain America.”

As the HYDRA strike team leader shouted to Barton while disembarking from the plane, Barton froze upon seeing Rogers being escorted off.

“Captain... no, Rogers?”

What was going on? Had his undercover mission been exposed? Or was the Captain a HYDRA mole as well? Why had he been captured alive?

What was the Captain playing at?

Barton’s mind raced with confusion and turmoil, but he maintained his composure. He walked over, greeted the squad leader, and then turned his attention to Rogers.

...

Elsewhere, Nick Fury was preparing to use Hill to test Alexander, that old fox.

Soon, Alexander returned to his office and sat down with Hill. Now that he knew Hill was a HYDRA agent, he appeared less stern.

“Ms. Hill, are you with HYDRA?” Alexander asked casually.

“Yes, I am. My entire family are members of HYDRA,” Hill replied calmly, her demeanor utterly unruffled.

“Excellent. Tell me, who is your handler? And what led to your exposure? You younger operatives are always so reckless,” Alexander said as he poured himself a cup of coffee, thoroughly at ease.

Hill looked at Alexander Pierce, lips pressed together, silent.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Alexander asked, somewhat puzzled.

“It seems you’re not aware yet, Director.”

“Our infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been discovered by Nick Fury—especially your own involvement. He knows everything about you now. The fact that we infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., used its resources to grow, and continued our covert operations has all been exposed,” Hill said.

Alexander took a moment to process her words, staring at Hill for a long while before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter.

...

“What are you laughing at?” Hill asked in confusion.

“Nothing. I just felt like laughing. But I am curious—who betrayed you? No, who betrayed HYDRA’s secrets?”

“Let me put it another way: who do you think sold you out?”

“My handler,” Hill replied, her mind turning quickly, already calculating who would make the best scapegoat.

But Alexander didn’t believe her—he was, after all, the handler for everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D.

How could he betray himself?

But then—

“That’s impossible, Hill. A HYDRA handler would never sell out their own people or secrets!”

“You’re not HYDRA at all!”

“???”

“!!!”

Hill’s eyes widened. As clever as she was, she felt she suddenly understood something.

But she wasn’t really with S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway, so what did it matter to her?

She considered for a moment, then looked at Pierce.

“Director, so I ‘also’ am not with HYDRA (or S.H.I.E.L.D.),” she said.

The cunning Pierce instantly grasped her meaning.

They exchanged a knowing smile, and he stood to pour her a cup of coffee.

“Ms. Hill, I suspect Nick Fury can’t do without you as his deputy.”

“No, Mr. Pierce, it’s S.H.I.E.L.D. that needs a director.”

When falsehoods are taken for truth, and truths are taken for falsehoods, everything is exposed, and yet nothing truly is.

They probed each other, but both obtained the information they wanted.

A tacit understanding passed between them.

With that, Pierce’s investigation into Hill was over.

Nick Fury.

A complete disaster!