Different Call (Clintasha)

Chpt. 8 - Espionage

Clint

From down the hall I heard the woman's door open and the lock make its respective click. Her footsteps padded down the halls until they could no longer be heard. I waited about half an hour to make sure sue wasn't returning before suiting up.

I had the advantage of surprise and time right now and I wasn't about to spoil an opportunity that wasn't likely to come again.

I walked down the dimly lit hallway trying my best to sustainable in inconspicuous cadence. I held my gear as I walked in an attempt to stop the gentle clanging of arrows in the small quiver strapped to my thigh. Reaching the door I silently dropped to my knees, pulling out my lock pick. I would have rather used the automatic pick but SHIELD forbayed me from using any electronics at all. Despite the slight setback my prior experience proved true and the lock clicked open as the final bar fell into place. Before opening the door however, I carefully skimmed the seams where the door met the wall for traps, tripwires, and any other foul play the assassin might use. I found nothing. I can't help but wonder: Why wouldn't she rig it? Didn't she predict a situation like this? Take measures?

The hairs on my arms raised with the erie silence and lack of defense surrounding the cubicle enigma that was her room. Regardless of my instincts blaring with suspicion, I wouldn't abandon logic and so I swiftly reached with a gloved hand, wrapping my fingers around the shimmering glass handle and slowly rotating my wrist. The bolt of the door followed my every movement until it clicked, hitting the back of its chamber. I shoved the door open. The moment it no longer needed my force to swing it open I flicked my hand away from the knob resting it on my bow, snapping the arrow into place, and pulling my shoulders taught, drawing the string. The wood swung open unobstructed revealing a barely touched room. Everything lay identical to when I had first opened my hotel room, untouched. Only a small bag revealed the existence of its residence. My eyes drank in the scene before taking my first intrepid step into dangerous territory. Every muscle in my body was tense with anticipation . I was well aware of what I was getting myself into but I continued nonetheless.

The first sensation that hit me was the frigid air filling the alien space. The radiator sat in the corner of the room obviously neglected, the usage manual untouched. A laptop imprinted with the red star of the Soviet regime sat on the bed. My hand grazed across it; still warm. I sat on the bed in front of it opening the top and watching the screen light up as the instruments rebooted. I shifted my weight and I noticed a jingle, a sparkle behind me. I turned to inspect it and handcuffs met my eyes. One attached the bedframe the other hanging loosely on the pillow. The sight made me sick but at the same time a feeling on pity and sadness blossomed in the pit of my stomach. This wasn't ordinary. An assassin, paid, and esteemed at that, wouldn't be living like this. It seemed off. Animalistic and oppressive of free will. Finally computer binged and drew my attention back to the task at hand. "Password" white blinked on black. I tried a few obvious onea: Russia, Hydra, Black Widow; but none of them worked to unlock the computer. I had encountered a couple situations like this before joining SHIELD. I pressed down "ESC" "Ctrl" and power unanimously and asbpromised the screen flicked black before returning with a glowing yellow text menu. The choices were incrupted but I'd seen this text before when I would disable tracking on the electronics I had. Inside the menu I factory rebooted but before it could continue I bypassed the security enabling procedures and I was in. Immediately an image of my face accomanpied by my SHIELD file popped up on screen. In the upper right hand corner was a small box marked with red. In it was a picture of me during our encounter yesterday apparently in the middle of speaking. My eyes and face contour was dotted with red. Facial recognition. It was confirmed, she was undoubtably my target. An unimaginable weight was forced onto my shoulders like the weight of the world had been rested upon my back. Suddenly the danger of my already terrifying mission seemed all too real. I wasn't ready to face my potential death and despite her crimes I couldn't help but feel that she didn't deserve death either.

I scanned her computer, downloading a tracking and monitoring bug that should relay her activity back to SHIELD. The blue bar trailing across the digital screen reached its limits signalling the end of the download. I yanked my USB out of the port and slammed the screen down suddenly coming face to face with cold green eyes.