CHAPTER - 7 { Hacking the Hacker }

"What! The hell Rick! Why would you even do that! All our hard work, you gave it to him? Are you nuts!"

Skye shouted on top of her lungs in rage, she couldn't believe that Rick poured water on the book that wrote. (metaphor)

"I am sorry, Skye. I had no choice. He would have killed both of us. Trust me, he would have…"

"Trust you? Motherfucker! So that's why you were quiet, trying to keep that away from me while that bitch was here."

"Please, Skye."

Rick looked at Skye with red teary eyes, his face full of sorrow and pain. He was also disheartened because even more than Skye, he worked.

He worked day and night, to collect all he had in his computers only to give it to someone else. What more could happen?

Yes, it did. Creed made him wipe all his computers, all he stored, leaving him with empty files.

He would have to start from scratch, it might take years to be where he was a few hours ago but he had no choice.

"... I can't."

While Skye was fuming in rage and explaining how they should get back the memory card from Creed, Rick muttered in a low voice.

"What did you say?"

Skye asked with a frown on her face to Rick. He lowered his head, then sighed and raised it to stare at her.

"I can't. Let's stop."

"Are you crazy! What did he do to you? No, I don't know you! The Rick I knew would have fought back and never admit defea-"

"He knows… about my little sister."

"...."

Outside, Creed walked on the footpath while listening to the conversation between Skye and Rick through his earpod.

In Skye's phone, he inserted a small device used for eavesdropping, data transfer, tracking and phone detonation.

He even had a hidden app in her phone for extra caution. Rick's computers and other equipment also had these small devices on them.

All connected to his phone.

The best thing about those gadgets was that it was very hard to detect them.

"I must know, how they were able to find out about me. Even if it's not related to my hitman identity. I must learn…"

In the evening time, with the sky in a mixture of dark yellow and orange. Creed went to his apartment and scrolled through all the data in the memory card.

There was new information which he didn't know of, like that Hydra wasn't completely destroyed and the members were just in hiding.

[Winter Soldier]

One of the files with a very eye-catching title. Creed read it and saw the only image in there. It was of a man, with a metal left arm.

"He, so he is the Winter Soldier."

Creed leaned back on the couch and rested his head, his mind was filled with various thoughts.

There were more files about mutants but no evidence or clues. For now this Rising Tide group only knew and were aware of the S.H.I.E.L.D. and their weight.

Some reports of agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. on different missions around the world.

Ring Ring.

The custom phone rang loudly beside the laptop on the table. Creed picked it up and pushed the green button to receive the call.

"Is the one I am talking to the Hitman, At Top?"

"Whom to kill?"

It was a female voice, rare for Creed. In his hitman career he only made deals with five women, all criminals.

"None. I have something else for you."

The woman on the call said in a soft voice. Creed silently waited for her to completely explain herself.

"Accompany me while I do my work. I need a partner this time, someone who is best in their work. Money is not a problem."

"... How much?"

"Two million. Half before, and half after my work is done."

"Where do we meet?"

"Los Angeles, the date and exact place will be…"

After Creed wrote the location, the woman hung up. He didn't have enough time so he had to start packing now.

Six hours flight wasn't much but he had to be sure the woman wasn't tricking him or it all was a trap.

"But if I think about it, she must already be prepared."

Creed murmured while putting his clothes in the large bag. Taking guns with him secretly in the flight was easy so he didn't worry about it.

It didn't take long for him to prepare everything and take an emergency flight directly to Los Angeles from New York.

* * *

Los Angeles.

The largest city in the state of California, the second most popular city in the United States after New York City, and one of the world's most populous megacities.

In one of many hotels, inside a spacious room. A woman, wearing a beautiful red dress matching her short red hair, placed her phone on the table.

Before the woman, seated was a man wearing black clothes and an eye-patch on the left side.

"What did he say?"

"He is coming."

The eye-patched man nodded his head. The woman slowly stepped away to get herself a drink in the kitchen.

"You told me about him, is he even reliable? Nobody has seen his face. Why the blind trust?"

To the man's words, the woman thought and turned her eyes to look at him.

"Because if someone can go with me in that place, and bring me safely out without getting killed. He's our guy. And I am not blindly trusting him. He won't either."

She said to the man while pouring her wine in a slender glass. Two actually, one of which was passed to the man.

"Romanoff, do not forget what I said. Don't share the details with him. This mission is to be kept top secret."

"Uff, I know that. Clearance level-10 is it?"

"Now tell me his stories. I am really interested in inviting him to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Haha, really? Have you heard of the Blood River? It's him killing a hundred people inside a room with blades and leaving behind a long warm and fresh river of blood!"

While the two talked, Creed got on the flight and was in the air watching the dark sky. The stars glittering and the moon reflecting sunlight in silver.

The next day, at the planned location. The woman arrived early and waited patiently for Creed with some chocolates.

"It's too sweet."

She ate the chocolates and commented. The location was a deserted warehouse in the outskirts of LA.

Before it was used for storing equipment but later when everyone moved, it was no longer used and left.

"Boss, did he come? I am getting really bored."

She said while stretching her arms and legs. The voice that responded to her, wasn't what she expected.

"And here I thought you would come alone."

Creed spoke to her in a disappointed tone. The woman stopped her movement and glanced around her.

Then she came out and looked up at the hill far away from the warehouse where her boss, the man with the eye-patch, was supposed to be keeping an eye.

She narrowed her eyes and saw a man, or his tiny figure in the distance like a dot at the top of the hill.

"I hope my boss isn't dead yet. He still needs to pay me my salary."

"He isn't. Just passed out by my slap. Now hurry, I am waiting for you here with your boss in the car trunk."

'Fury would be so angry. I can only listen to his lecture silently.'

She thought in her mind as she ran towards the direction of the warehouse. How stupid she was for not bringing a bike or car with her.

She made a mistake asking her boss to drop her off here while he stayed so far only to be discovered and knocked out first.