The Unknown Enemy ∘ Marvel [3]

Chapter 31: Amassing Storms

Julianne's hand reacted back to touch the sore spot on her neck where the unadjusted helmet had dug into her skin while watching the Avenger ponder over what she had said. Several times within the space of a minute it seemed Firman might say something, but thought the better of her comment. Caris didn't know whether to be grateful for the quiet or if her discomfort with not knowing what was transversed through the darker-haired woman's mind was justified. Yet if you took in the bigger picture, the entire span of the last seven weeks had made the techie live in a perpetual state of stress, special agent's silence or not.

Sienna still was soaking in the truth. For what seemed like eternities she had tried to remember the reason she was on the Lemurian Star after disappearing for five months. The answer that some enemy comms agent, part of the organization that had infected SHIELD, had been the sole reason for her escape was one solution that had never crossed her mind.

She still didn't have the whole story.

"How are you here then?" Firman asked, continuing to keep her tone level, "Why aren't you at the base in Germany?"

"That operation doesn't exist anymore." Julianne admitted, which made the other raise an expectant eyebrow, "Once you didn't show up on the right ship, some higher-ups went absolutely haywire. They figured out it was us who made the mistake. They didn't have time figure out which one of the fifty of us stationed there did it because they were busy trying to find you, so they didn't look too much into the evidence that they found that pointed them towards my boss."

Sienna didn't find herself too surprised when the redhead's eyes lowered to look at her lap. Falsifying evidence to make another take the fall for her actions? She'd seen women even less intimidating than this sleep deprived tech do more nefarious things.

Caris continued after pointing left to signal to turn their vehicle that way, "The whole catastrophe was enough to shut the small base down. My next commission was for the Triskelion because they didn't know where else to put me, I guess. I got stuck with monitoring messages and passing along info."

"And now you're here to tell me all of this?" Firman's brows knit together at the awful timing of her arrival, something not quite adding up, "I was in the hospital here for over a month-"

At that observation, Julianne arrived at the point in the conversation she was most apprehensive about. She closed her eyes, blowing out a breath, "Actually, that's where it gets complicated."

Of course it gets more complicated. In the last ten chapters absolutely everything has gotten complicated, the Avenger thought to herself, very done with this scenario.

She sighed, "Okay, go on."

Julianne pushed out the next flow of words, fearing the impact, "For the last month, I ended up being the one monitoring you from cameras in your hospital room."

Sienna's fingers wrapped tighter around the steering wheel, inhaling sharply before setting her jaw.

"And for the last few weeks, I've been receiving the communications from Agent Bradley on your status and passing them onto my superiors." Caris' words became even more quiet, fearing the reaction that was coming.

Firman's chest suddenly decided to compress while she felt heat crawling up her throat. Bradley. That scumbag nazi who had used Layla and Zerina to get to her, who had lied to them for years. She was in league with him, "And why exactly did you save me only to keep working for the organization intent on conquering the world?"