Who Killed Jack Thompson?

Chapter 1

The phone rang at the Los Angeles S.S.R office, and Chief Daniel Sousa picked it up hurriedly. "Chief Sousa." He said quickly. "Daniel," Agent Peggy Carter said, "Have you heard from Jack?" Her tone was pressing. She had left for New York a few days prior, and assuming from her call, Agent Thompson had not turned up yet. "I thought he went back to New York with you?" Daniel said, leaning forward in his desk chair. There was another call trying to come through the line at that time. "Peg, hang on a sec, I have another call coming in." He hit the receiver button to answer the call. "Is this the workplace of Agent Jack Thompson?" said a man with a stereotypically gangster accent. "Yes," Daniel said.

The next two words would hit Daniel in the chest and leave him breathless, unable to respond. "He's dead."

Daniel arranged for a hearse and forensics team to arrive at the hotel where Jack was found. He switched back over to Peggy's line. "Jack is dead," he said coldly. "Excuse me? Did I hear you incorrectly or did you just say Jack is dead?" She responded. "He was killed early this morning," the Chief said, "you might want to alert the main office." She replied solemnly, "Will do."

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Jack's body was flown up to New York for his funeral; he wouldn't have had it any other way. The autopsy had revealed that he was shot by a Russian handgun, but its owner and whereabouts were unknown. The mortician stitched his corpse back up, and prepared him for burial.

The church was filled with S.S.R agents and Agent Thompson's friends and family. His mother cried into a handkerchief, his younger sisters sat in a daze, and his father comforted them all. The usually lively Peggy Carter was clad in black, but did not leave out the usual swipe of red lipstick. Daniel admired her beauty from a distance, as he didn't want to cause a scene. So many of these people still assumed that he was still engaged to Violet.

The priest spoke a few words, and the church sang Jack's favorite song: Amazing Grace. No one ever would have guessed how much he loved that song during his short life. When the song was over, Daniel stood shakily and hobbled up to the pulpit on his crutch. He cleared his throat.

"Chief Thompson was a difficult man. A good man, though. He had a difficult past in the war, and came to the S.S.R for a second chance. We had our ups and downs with Jack, but he was dependable, and smart. He was always striving to make the Strategic Scientific Reserve better, and although I don't have any funny stories about him, Jack was born to serve, and died serving. Thank you." Daniel said, and slowly made his way off the stage.

He took a seat next to Peggy, rather than beside a stranger. He looked to his left and saw Howard Stark, Edwin and Ana Jarvis, Dr. Jason Wilkes, and Dr. Samberly.

Peggy was deeply affected by Thompson's death. Although he had personally humiliated her in the days after the war, he helped to make her the agent she inevitably became. So with the help of her friends, they would find Jack's killer.

After the funeral and burial, Peggy returned to S.S.R Main Office in New York, overwhelmed. Daniel shortly followed her. Peggy had kicked off her black high heels under her old desk, and was looking through all the files left there for her. When she heard the ever so familiar sound of Daniel's uneven footsteps, she said, "Is there any possibility that Dottie Underwood could have killed Jack?" Daniel nodded. "I thought the same thing, but we don't have any leads on her whereabouts."

Peggy sighed. "He can't die in vain. We have to find who killed him." Daniel took a seat beside her and said, "We have time." Peggy mentally disagreed, though. All of the previous enemies of the S.S.R had been extremely careful in hiding. This person must have had a really good reason to want him dead.

"You know, the New York chapter needs a new chief," Daniel said. "You know no one would stand for a woman as their chief," Peggy said, shaking her head. "I would. And I appoint you." Daniel said. There were a few moments of silence, and had this been a movie, violins would play softly in the background.

A phone rang from Jack's old office, and Peggy rushed to answer it. "We found Underwood," Howard said.