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[Frog] Chapter 219: The Mastermind—Alan Ford
🕑 Added 2024-12-19 18:12:23 +0000 UTCWashington D.C., office building.
After receiving the latest instructions from Zola, Pierce and the Secretary of Defense began preparing for the next phase of their plan.
"Nick Fury is an exceptionally sharp individual. When Carter and Howard chose him to be the second director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I already knew that we Hydra operatives would need to become even more covert," said the Secretary of Defense.
There was a trace of apprehension in his heart for this so-called king of American spies. After all, Fury held a vast amount of incriminating information, including the dirty secrets of several high-ranking officials in the United States.
Although the Secretary wasn’t worried about his Hydra identity being exposed, those skeletons in the closet were enough to ensure his downfall.
Pierce cast a disdainful glance at the Secretary of Defense. The man’s depraved private life had reached revolting levels. Were it not for his useful position, Pierce would have long since erased him from existence.
"Nick Fury must have realized from those two incidents that there’s a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D.," Pierce said, holding a USB drive in his hand with a cryptic smile. "That’s why he handed me the USB drive containing the Insight Plan."
"What a shame," Pierce sighed. "Such a talented individual. If he could be used by Hydra, he would be an unstoppable weapon."
"By the way," Pierce continued, "what’s the situation with that journalist tasked with tarnishing Emperor’s reputation?"
"Everything is proceeding according to plan. Once the Daily Bugle publishes the story, our operatives will immediately organize protests and demonstrations," the Secretary of Defense replied.
Pierce nodded, satisfied for once. This scheme to target Emperor served multiple purposes: it was a performance for the upper echelons of the United States and a warning to the world’s superheroes—never interfere with the decisions of the United States, no matter how noble their intentions might be.
"Unless there’s anything else, get back to your post and do your job properly," Pierce ordered. "During this critical period, make sure you don’t leave any traces. If Hydra’s grand plan is compromised because of you, you’ll answer with your life."
Sensing the murderous intent in Pierce’s words, cold sweat formed on the Secretary of Defense’s forehead.
"Understood, sir. Hail Hydra!" He clenched a fist and placed it over his chest in a gesture of loyalty.
He was well aware that Pierce controlled Hydra’s deadliest weapon—the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier’s assassination missions had never failed. Even prominent figures like Howard and Maria Stark had fallen victim to him.
Knowing his personal security detail was nowhere near as strong as Howard’s, the Secretary dared not take any chances.
After reaffirming his loyalty, the Secretary of Defense turned to leave. Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Pierce gestured for him to answer.
"What is it?" the Secretary asked coldly.
After listening to the voice on the other end, his expression turned complicated. He glanced back at Pierce, who frowned.
"What’s happened?" Pierce asked.
The Secretary ended the call and spoke gravely:
"Nick Fury… on his way back… was ambushed."
"What?!" Pierce shot up from his chair. "What exactly happened?"
"While returning, Nick Fury’s convoy was suddenly attacked by several police cars and a special forces unit. A gunfight broke out in the streets. His car was overturned under heavy fire, but he escaped through the sewers."
"Based on the damage to his car, it’s estimated that Fury was shot at least three times and suffered multiple fractures," the Secretary added.
Pierce furrowed his brow. "Do we know who’s responsible?"
"Wasn’t it your order?" the Secretary asked, his face filled with confusion as he looked at Pierce.
The person reporting this incident was undoubtedly one of Hydra's own. Other than Pierce, who else could have issued the order?
Nonsense!
"Nick Fury does need to die, but I haven’t given any orders for his assassination!" Pierce fumed. "Who the hell did this?"
Pierce was livid, not because he didn’t want Nick Fury dead, but because the man was exceedingly difficult to kill. It required meticulous planning—either no action at all or an all-out effort to ensure Fury’s demise.
If Fury escaped an assassination attempt even once, it would not only raise his suspicions but also make future attempts almost impossible.
Even with his prized assassin, the Winter Soldier, Pierce wasn’t entirely confident in eliminating Fury.
And now, Fury was suddenly ambushed out of nowhere, and someone had the audacity to claim it was Pierce’s order?
"The report came from Rumlow..."
"Rumlow?"
Pierce knew him well. He was the one who placed Rumlow in S.H.I.E.L.D., intending to control its security forces.
But Nick Fury had manipulated the situation, assigning Rumlow to lead the Special Response Team, leaving him holding a grudge against Fury ever since.
Could this be a personal vendetta?
"Get him here immediately!" Pierce barked.
"Y-Yes, sir," the Secretary of Defense stammered, now convinced that this wasn’t Pierce’s doing. If it were, he wouldn’t be this furious.
After making the call, Pierce turned to the Secretary. "You’ll stay here as well. I want to find out who’s impersonating me and giving unauthorized orders!"
Pierce wasn’t sure if this was Rumlow acting on his own or another senior operative overstepping their bounds.
A few moments later, Rumlow appeared at the office door. Before he could knock, Pierce shouted, "Come in!"
Rumlow, a seasoned soldier, could instantly tell from Pierce’s tone that he was enraged.
Well, it made sense—after all, the mission failed, and Fury escaped.
As soon as Rumlow entered, he didn’t wait for Pierce to speak. "Sir, my deepest apologies. The mission failed, but I assure you, Nick Fury won’t survive!"
Hearing this, Pierce’s anger boiled over. He grabbed something off the desk and hurled it at Rumlow. "Who gave you the order to kill Nick Fury?"
Rumlow didn’t dare dodge and took the hit directly. He looked at Pierce, bewildered. "Wasn’t it you who gave the order?"
"When did I ever tell you to kill Nick Fury?" Pierce demanded. "And on top of that, you let him escape!"
Without hesitation, Rumlow pulled out his phone and showed the communication log with Pierce.
The Secretary of Defense took the phone and reviewed it carefully. "Sir, this command definitely came from your private account!"
Pierce took the phone and examined the message himself. It was indeed sent from his personal account.
But he was certain—he hadn’t issued this order.
"Could it be that someone has discovered us..." the Secretary of Defense speculated, fear evident in his voice.
Pierce dismissed the idea immediately. "Impossible. My account is protected by..."
A sudden realization dawned on Pierce.
He quickly retrieved a secured laptop and powered it on. As the screen lit up, the green digital face of Zola appeared.
"Pierce, I’ve told you to contact me only when absolutely necessary," Zola’s voice stated. "Unless it’s something critically important."
"My apologies, Dr. Zola!" Pierce replied, his tone deferential, akin to how the Secretary of Defense behaved before him.
Pierce held great respect for Zola, who had not only saved Hydra but also integrated it seamlessly into the U.S. political system, allowing the organization to operate undetected for years.
As Zola’s image flickered, he seemed to glance at Rumlow. "I assume the assassination attempt on Nick Fury failed?"
Rumlow flinched at the remark but quickly said, "My deepest apologies, it was my oversight."
At that moment, Pierce’s suspicions were confirmed.
His private account, protected by Zola’s algorithms, was nearly impossible for any hacker or organization to penetrate. It had to be Zola who issued the command.
"But Dr. Zola, why?" Pierce asked. "Why order Fury’s assassination without informing me?"
"My algorithm predicts that Nick Fury will soon pose a significant threat to Hydra," Zola explained. "Therefore, he must be eliminated swiftly. Are you questioning my judgment?"
"I wouldn’t dare, Doctor," Pierce replied hastily. "I just needed clarity, as I was unaware of this action. After all, Hydra’s success wasn’t easy to achieve."
"As long as you understand," Zola said curtly before the screen abruptly went black, ending the conversation.
Pierce was about to speak when his phone rang. After answering, he turned to Rumlow. "You succeeded. Nick Fury is dead."
The call had been from S.H.I.E.L.D., confirming that Fury succumbed to his injuries despite their attempts to save him.
...
"Master, how was my performance just now?"
The Red Queen beamed at Alan, clearly seeking praise.
The Zola who had spoken to Pierce was actually the Red Queen, who had hacked into Zola’s systems and impersonated him. The email to Rumlow had also been sent after the Red Queen infiltrated Pierce’s account.
It was all part of Alan’s meticulously planned scheme.
Alan smiled at the Red Queen. "Flawless. When Hydra collapses, we’ll let Zola wake up again. I wonder, though, will a program like him get angry?"
—(To be continued)—
