Even if I wait forever

Chapter twenty three

Maria moved her weight from one foot to the other. "Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful."

"Can't kill you if you're already dead." I smile at Fury's words. "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust."

They all left the room to go and clean up. Natasha sat down and told Fury what she knew. Then Maria had her turn.

Fury got of his bed and sat down at the table. "This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

"We have to stop the launch."

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore."

"What's that?" Sam's looks over at the case Nick just opened.

Maria turns the laptop around. "Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized."

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own." Nick explains.

"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die." I could see the concern in Maria's eyes.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..."

Steve finally speaks up. "We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it."

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you've said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed."

"And how many paid the price before you did?"

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

There it is again the sharp pain through my heart.

Steve place his arm around me in comfort. "Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes."

"He's right."

Fury looks at Natasha then Sam. "Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower."

"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

I duck out underneath his arm grabbed my blood bag and made my way to my spot on the roof. I looked out over the forest. I can still see his beautiful smile in front of me. My heart felt like it was breaking apart.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Steve staring forward.

"He looks good. He didn't recognise me but he looks good." He looked at me. "You have to save him. I know if anyone can do it, you can."