The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 11

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Spring 2015

Both Rogers and Barton eyed Nadine warily as she lowered the guns, not that she could blame them. But they didn't react further, save to look to Natasha's lead on how to handle this newest development. Nadine was nearly tempted to laugh. It was incredibly clear on Barton's face that he didn't trust her in the slightest despite his odd bit of insight to her situation, and Rogers was barely able to withhold his own caution any better.

Visibly gritting her teeth, Natasha levered herself up from where she'd landed against the bulkhead to make her way back to the central portion of the aircraft, Barton shifting to place himself between her and Nadine, a steadying hand rising to brace against the redhead's back. With a short head tilt and a calculating look, Rogers gestured for Nadine to follow the two spies.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., think you can lend us a hand?" As Nadine stepped past Rogers, projections and consoles were beginning to light up the interior of the aircraft even as a disembodied voice answered Natasha.

"Of course, Ms. Romanoff. What is it you require?" Natasha glanced to Nadine.

"We're looking to track down whoever is blackmailing Ms.—" it was Rogers who spoke, turning questioningly to Nadine as he did. She hesitated before steeling her nerve and replying.

"Rykova. Nadya Rykova," she offered, "though I go by Nadine, these days." Rogers nodded in absent acknowledgement, if not thanks.

"—Ms. Rykova, alias 'The Ghost'. Whoever is doing so is the one who put out a hit on Romanoff."

"Certainly, Captain Rogers. I will be pleased to provide any assistance." Immediately information began flashing through the cabin as the highly-advanced program began pulling everything he could find on Nadya Rykova and The Ghost. It was incredible what he was finding and how quickly he was finding it, accessing databases and information the average person would need days, even weeks to dig through or even access. And he was doing so in seconds; her birth records, information on her parents—both of which were supposed to be long erased—even top secret records and stats from her time as a KGB recruit in the Red Room, likely leaked with the HYDRA/S.H.I.E.L.D. file dump nearly a year before; plus information on The Ghost—confirmed kills, success rates, known clients, communications, online discussions concerning, the works. It was with no small bit of satisfaction that Nadine saw no evidence of her life as Nadine Ryker coming up in conjunction with her birth name, or either of her names with that of The Ghost; further confirmation that she had done a good job hiding herself away.

But it also baffled her. If a system as sophisticated and proficient as this one seemed to be couldn't make the link, how on earth had someone else?

Then J.A.R.V.I.S. began organizing and mapping out her professional life, listing her past confirmed targets and even a few unofficial ones before systematically tracing and linking them to clients, establishing chronologies and discerning patterns. It was astonishing. Nadine was one of the best in her field and working up something like this would have taken her weeks, if not months or even years of dedicated work and intensive research.

And truthfully it had. She had done all this already, trying to figure out something, some link, some trace that would lead her to her blackmailer.

"I have pulled everything I could find on Nadya Ivanovna Rykova and The Ghost. Thus far, I have isolated four targets in the last eight years that appear to have been contracted by the same unidentified party. Between the security measures enacted by both Ms. Rykova and the unidentified client to hide their respective identities and financial records, there is unfortunately not enough for me to go on without obtaining more data or avenues by which to establish a trace.