37.

Nathan didn't waste a second, pulling up a map on the nearest screen to plot the coordinates. "It's in the middle of the desert," he noted, eyebrows furrowing. "Remote. Difficult to access."

"Exactly where someone would hide a high-value target," Natalie replied, already gathering her gear. "Let's not waste any more time."

Rushing back to Kai's office, the duo rushed in a hurry only to be greeted by Kai who was casually playing games on his console.

"Hello there..." Kai causally said not turning back at them,

"She has completed your task, sir." Nathan said in a hurry, "I don't say this often sir, but she's a hidden gem-"

"Yeah yeah..." Kai cut him off as he gave him an annoyed look, "I know you're in a hurry to be with your family, so go on ahead."

"Sir? I mean, yes sir." Nathan almost saluted, clearly relieved to be dismissed. He gave Natalie a brief nod before hurrying out of the room.

Kai finally turned his attention to Natalie, pausing his game and setting the controller aside. "Impressive, Miss Rushman... it seems you've completed the task I've given you with a few minutes to spare."

Natalie smiled in reply but even her composed expression couldn't help but shed bits of annoyance, 'Just impressive? I've just completed an almost impossible task!'

"Do you have any complaints?" Kai asked.

Natalie quickly composed herself, forcing her expression to remain neutral. "No complaints, Mr. Kai. Just eager to proceed."

Kai's eyes glinted with amusement as he leaned back, studying her. "Good. I like eagerness. Now, tell me more about these coordinates. What exactly did you find?"

"The coordinates point to a remote location in the desert," Natalie explained, handing him a printout of the map. "It's the perfect place to hide someone like Tony Stark. Isolated, hard to reach, and easy to control access."

Kai examined the map, nodding thoughtfully. "And you're certain about this intel?"

"I trust it, sir," she replied confidently. "After going through Obidiah Stone's chatlogs, I believe with certainty that he's the one holding Tony Stark hostage."

"Why do you think so?" Kai asked standing up as he rolled up his sleeve, 

"He has the most to win if something happens to Tony but I believe he's keeping Tony alive because he wants something from him." Natalie spoke her mind as she couldn't help but ask, "Are you leaving for somewhere, sir?"

"We are..." Kai smiled, "Well now that you've barely managed to pass my first test, how about we go test your 'Combat skills'... since you know what kind of operation I am running, you should be able to fight, right?"

"Yes sir..." Natalie said with a tinge of concern in her voice.

'I should probably pick up on some acting classes in my spare time...' Kai thought to himself watching the damsel-like expression on her.

Bringing himself closer to her, with his tall stature he towered over her, a playful yet intimidating smirk on his face. "Have you ever killed, Miss Rushman?" he murmured, his voice low and taunting.

"N-NO sir!!" She took a step back and replied in almost a shriek, 

"Well, there's a first for everything." Kai shrugged, "Or are you going to quit?"

Kai watched Natalie act out an entire struggle within herself, however in reality she couldn't help but despise the man in front of her more. She had seen it all and of course, it wasn't her first time acting out as a spy but no one, not even the most heinous men she had encountered over the years had asked a secretary nonetheless to kill.

If she wasn't desperate to join his 'organization' and gather info on the man, she would've long lashed out questioning what job requires someone to be a killer.

"I-I'll give out my best sir..." She replied meekly after a long acted-out battle within herself.

"That's what I like to hear." Kai chuckled wondering how far he could push his luck with her as he snapped his finger, "What are we waiting for then?"

"Where are we heading to sir?"

"Was that not obvious?" Kai pointed at the table she was holding, "Let's go extor- I mean save a man's life."

Natalie raised her eyebrow as Kai walked past her leaving the office, and she immediately sent out a message to Shield and began preparing what was needed for their journey.

--------------------------------------------

Hours later, they found themselves aboard a private jet, slicing through the night sky toward their desert destination. The inside of the jet was luxurious, but Natalie barely noticed. She was too busy going over the plan, ensuring every detail was accounted for. She glanced over at Kai, who was engrossed in a handheld gaming console, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of their mission.

As they neared their destination, the plane began its descent. Natalie gathered her gear, her thoughts focused on the mission ahead. Kai, on the other hand, continued to play his game until the very last moment, only putting it away when the plane landed on a makeshift runway in the middle of the desert.

They disembarked the jet and were greeted by the scorching heat of the desert. A dune buggy waited for them, loaded with enough weapons and ammunition to arm a small town. Kai, still nonchalant, climbed into the passenger seat, leaving the driver's seat for Natalie.

Natalie slid into the driver's seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she glanced at Kai, who was already back to playing his game. She couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance at his nonchalant attitude.

"Ready?" she asked, trying to keep her frustration in check.

"Ready when you are," Kai replied without looking up.

Natalie started the engine, and the buggy roared to life. They sped off into the desert, the hot wind whipping around them. The vast, unforgiving landscape stretched out before them, and Natalie focused on navigating the treacherous terrain.

As they drove, the heat became almost unbearable, and sweat dripped down Natalie's face. She glanced at Kai, who seemed completely unaffected, still engrossed in his game.

"Are you ever going to put that thing down?" she asked, her irritation slipping through... "Sir!"

Kai finally looked up a lazy smile on his face. "Why? You're doing great."

Natalie gritted her teeth and focused on the road ahead. The buggy bounced and jolted over the uneven ground, the sun beating down on them mercilessly.

Despite the harsh conditions, they made good time, and soon the coordinates were within reach. As they neared their destination, Natalie slowed the buggy, scanning the horizon for any signs of activity.

"There," Kai pointed, finally putting his game away. "That looks like the place."

Natalie followed his gaze and saw a cluster of tents and vehicles in the distance, partially hidden by the dunes. She stopped the buggy and turned to Kai.

"What's the plan?" she asked, her voice steady.