A/N: I just wanted to hop on here and apologize for this chapter being shorter. Also, I wanted to let you guys know that there will only be two more chapters in this story. I know a lot of you guys don't want it to end, but I know it's time. I'm working super hard to make those two chapters amazing though. I hope these last few chapters don't seem too rushed either. I'm trying to depict Catherine's urgency. After this book is finished, I plan on taking a small break from writing since I've been working on this since August 2020. Once that small break is over, I have a Steve Rogers story coming out. I initially posted the two chapters, but found it too difficult to write two books at the same time so I unpublished it for the time being. As always, thanks for reading. And also, keep the comments respectful. I've seen people fighting and people saying not so nice things to me. It could be jokes, but it's hard to tell someone's emotions and intentions through a comment.
Catherine was in agony as she keeled over the toilet in SHEILD's New York office. She sat on the ground, head leaned against the bathroom stall as she wiped the bile off her mouth. The two altercations had really done a number on her. Her side was killing her. She felt like she was dying. When she finally caught her breath, she pulled herself out and stumbled to the sink.
She turned the water on, washed her hands and then scooped some water out to rinse her mouth out. When she looked up at the mirror, she was slightly taken aback. She looked terrible. Her eyes were red and puffy. Face pale. She redid her bun and straightened out her blazer before walking back out into the lobby.
"Cat, you okay? You look really pale?" Bucky asked as he noticed her.
"I'm fine. Just...tired." She assured him.
"Maybe you should take a break? It's only been two weeks. Your body needs time to heal." He told her. "Maybe we should call your doctor?"
"Bucky, I swear I'm fine. I'm suppose to see her in a few days anyways." She said. "Now, do we have any information on the guy we brought in?"
"We have a name. Kiev Dak. He was former Russian intelligence. Right after DC, he went dark. Many assumed he was dead. I guess he decided to joined Hydra." Bucky told her as they walked towards the interrogation room. "We also pulled a phone off the guy. It's highly encrypted though."
Catherine nodded her head understandingly. That phone could be useful, but they needed someone to crack it open for them. Torres! "Do you know where Sam is? I have an idea."
"I think he's waiting for us outside the room." Bucky told her.
The two of them picked up their pace. Sam stood outside the interrogation room, his body leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "He's not talking."
"I figured. I'm going to give it a shot though. Is your friend Torres around? I need his help breaking into the phone we pulled off Kiev." She asked.
"I'll call him and see if he can help us." Sam told her.
"Thank you Sam." She said. She stood outside the door of the interrogation room, trying to collect herself. She couldn't let this guy see that she was about to lose it any second. She had to remain calm. She felt Bucky's hand on her lower back, his thumb rubbing it gently.
"I've got you." He whispered.
"I know." She told him. She put her hand on the door and opened it. Bucky walked in behind her and opted to stand in the corner while Catherine took a seat across from Kiev. The guy had an almost amused grin on his face as he watched her.
"Do you know who I am?" Catherine asked as she folded her hands along the table.
"You have many names." He said with a thick Russian accent.
Catherine cleared her throat. "I must say, I'm disappointed in Hydra. It's weaker than I remembered. If I were you, I would have killed me. Swifter. Quietly."
"Who said I wanted you dead?" He asked and leaned forward. "Maybe we wanted you to suffer."
Her face hardened. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to tell me everything I want to hear. You have nothing to lose. You're being charged with the attempted murder of a federal agent. You're going away for a very long time Kiev. So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Remember, I was taught interrogation techniques from Hydra. What does Hydra want from us?"
Kiev was silent. He chuckled slightly and Bucky walked forward. Bucky grabbed the back of the guys head with his hand and slammed it against the metal table. Kiev groaned in pain as blood began to stream out of his nose.
"Start talking." Bucky told him. "You know who I am. You know I'm capable of worse. You not only pissed my wife off, but also me."
"Alright, alright." Kiev raised his hands up. "Hydra wants you two back. You're very valuable to us."
"You think you can control us? Especially him?" Catherine asked.
"We've developed new techniques." Kiev told her and glanced at Bucky. "Far worse than the ones we used before."
Bucky felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't think their techniques could get much worse.
"Hydra is trying to...revive themselves." Kiev added. "The whole Flag Smashers thing created a new reform. People want a world without borders, but you need someone to lead them."
Catherine scoffed. "Hydra wants to create a new world? Shocking. What does the Power Broker have to do with this?"
"Power. Control. Just like everyone else. The Power Broker sees the Winter Solider, Captain America and you as a threat. They think if Hydra regains control of you two, it leaves Captain America alone. It would make it easier to eliminate him." Kiev explained.
Catherine glanced up at Bucky. They needed to get this whole situation under control quickly. "Who is the Power Broker?"
"We don't know. I've never met them. All I know is that they work for the government. I think an agency of some sort."
"What does the Power Broker intend to do next?"
"I don't know. We wait for the messages and then we go."
"Thank you for your cooperation." She told him as she stood up. She motioned for Bucky to follow her out of the room. "We need to get into that phone. I-I need locations, list of members of Hydra. They can't get a hold of us."
Bucky reached out to gently grip her arms, stopping her. "Catherine, it's okay. We're closing in, hopefully. Just remember, you're not alone in this. Sam and I got you. Now, let's go check in with Sam."
The two of them walked back into the lobby and up a flight of stairs that would lead them to a small conference room. It was their temporary command center for the mission. They both walked into the room pleasantly surprised to see Torres already working on the phone.
"Get anything?" Sam asked.
"We got something." Bucky told him. "Hydra wants to take over the world, again. Apparently they're gaining momentum after the whole Flag Smashers ordeal. Hydra wants Cat and I. That would leave you alone Sam. The Power Broker sees us all as a threat, so they made a deal with Hydra. Hydra takes us. The Power Broker deals with you."
"Kiev also said that he doesn't know the identity of the Power Broker. No one does. However, he said that they work for a government agency." Catherine explained.
"That would explain how they're able to get their hands on government secrets." Sam said. "You got anything yet Torres?"
"I'm in." Torres said. "I've got it all. The program they use. Text messages. Locations of Hydra bases. This guy wasn't exactly smart to put everything on a phone. Wait. Wait a second. I got text message from the Power Broker."
Everyone shot up out of their chairs and crowded around Torres.
"What's it say?" Bucky asked.
"It's coordinates. The Power Broker wants to meet with Kiev, to discuss the next part of the mission and to collect their payment." Torres explained.
Catherine grabbed her laptop. "What's the coordinates?"
She typed quickly on the keys as he read out the coordinates to her. She zoomed in on the satellite image, trying to figure out what she was looking at. "It looks like some abandoned warehouse. Maybe 30 minutes from here. Text them back saying we can meet in an hour."
"Got it." Torres said. "It looks like we're a go."
"Are we sure this isn't a trap?" Sam asked.
Bucky drew a breath in. "I guess we'll find out."
"Torres, is there any way we can download the program onto one of our laptops? I want to send SHIELD teams out the Hydra bases to infiltrate them." Catherine asked.
"I can try. It may take some time though." He told her.
"That's perfectly fine." She said as she pulled out her phone to call Mack. "Mack?"
"Hey, what's up?" She heard him say.
"I've got a huge lead on the mission Fury gave us. Looks like we may be meeting the Power Broker soon."
"Holy shit. Nice work Cat. Do you want back up?"
"I think we're good. I'll let you know. One more thing, we were able to find the locations of the Hydra bases." She told him. "I want to send out SHIELD strike teams to take them out. Is that okay?"
Mack chuckled on the other line. "Catherine, you're the assistant director now. You don't need my permission. If you think you need to do this, then do it."
She smiled to herself. "Thanks Mack. I'll keep you in the loop."
"Okay. Tread lightly though."
Catherine hung up the phone and looked at Sam and Bucky. "You guys ready to do this?"