Ghost File

At the top of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, in the Triskelion, was Alexander Pierce's office.

Pierce sat behind his desk, his face clouded with worry. Ever since the Ghost File had gone missing, he had been afraid that someone would uncover Hydra's secrets and expose their true identities.

But so much time had passed, and nothing had happened. There were only two possibilities: the person who had it didn't want to expose their secrets, or they still hadn't figured out how to crack the Ghost File's code.

Pierce naturally favored the second possibility. The Ghost File had two passwords, and it also had a self-destruct safeguard. No one could uncover its secrets.

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. If someone really could get past Hydra's traps, they needed to be prepared.

As he mulled it over, a bald agent knocked and entered.

"Agent Sitwell, what is it?" Pierce slowly raised his head. The man who had come in was Sitwell.

Sitwell answered with a serious expression. "Sir, General Ross has reached an agreement with Tony Stark. On behalf of the military, he purchased a large amount of firearms and weapons from Stark Industries, including one special weapon."

"What weapon?" Pierce asked curiously.

"The newly developed Sonic Cannon," Sitwell said. "It can inflict massive damage on the human body and make metal vibrate, twist, and deform. It can destroy a house in an instant..."

Pierce smiled. "I'm guessing it's not meant to be used against ordinary people."

"That's right." Sitwell looked resigned. "It's all for dealing with that big guy."

"The Hulk?" Pierce raised his glass. "I have to say, Ross created a real monster!"

Sitwell continued, "General Ross has asked S.H.I.E.L.D. to help the military capture the Hulk."

"He makes it sound so simple. We might agree if we were dealing with an ordinary enemy. But the opponent is the Hulk. That's a thankless job. Go tell him we'll give it serious consideration," Pierce replied.

Sitwell nodded. Then he took off his glasses and wiped them with a cloth.

It was their signal—and Hydra's signal. What came next could not be overheard.

"Seal the office."

Protective panels rose over the windows and walls, sealing off the entire room. Pierce took a sip of wine and said, "Sitwell, how's the investigation I assigned you coming along?"

"I'm sorry. I still haven't found any leads on the Ghost File," Sitwell said with a sigh.

After the Skull Gang's downfall and the Ghost File's disappearance, Hydra operatives inside S.H.I.E.L.D. had cut off contact with Hydra outside the agency for a while, to avoid drawing Nick Fury's attention. They had only recently reestablished contact.

The Hydra operatives outside had begun to wonder if Pierce and his people had been exposed and secretly dealt with by Nick Fury.

As Hydra resumed operations, Pierce had also sent Sitwell to investigate the Ghost File's whereabouts.

"Idiot!" Pierce's expression darkened at Sitwell's answer.

He knew the secrets in the Ghost File were extremely important. If they got out, they'd be in serious trouble!

"However, we've been quietly checking the military personnel against that sketch. There are a lot of them, but we should have results before long," Sitwell hurriedly added.

"You're not as stupid as I thought..." Pierce said with a smile.

The next moment, his expression changed. He picked up his glass and moved to hurl it at Sitwell. Remembering what had happened last time, Sitwell quickly tried to dodge. Pierce snapped, "Did I tell you to move?"

Sitwell thought, If I don't dodge, I'm just standing here waiting for you to hit me? In the blink of an eye, the glass smacked into his bald head, splashing wine all over his clothes and the floor.

The glass hit the sofa first, then rolled to the floor. When it landed, several cracks appeared in it.

"What a bunch of idiots!" Pierce said furiously. "Are you trying to attract the military's attention?"

"No, sir," Sitwell hurriedly explained. "The military has been busy dealing with the Hulk lately. General Ross and his people don't have the time to keep track of us..."

Sitwell walked out of the office looking miserable. Pierce had just chewed him out and ordered him to find a lead on the Ghost File within a week. But finding it was harder than looking for a needle in a haystack. He felt like his head was about to go bald.

Actually, it already was.

Sitwell was in a foul mood. Not far down the hall, he saw a maintenance worker sweeping the floor. The worker wore a white uniform, a white cleaning cap, and a face mask, leaving only his eyes visible.

Maintenance workers were at the very bottom of the S.H.I.E.L.D. pecking order.

"Come here!" Sitwell barked.

The cleaner looked up, lowered his broom, and asked in surprise, "Sir, what happened to your head?"

Sitwell froze. He touched the bump on his head and winced in pain.

Pierce was such a bastard. Whenever he got angry, he hit Sitwell over the head with a glass—and he wouldn't even let him dodge. What did being bald have to do with anything? Just because he was bald, Pierce could hit him whenever he wanted?

"Mind your own business!" Sitwell glared at him. "Go clean the director's office. He spilled his drink just now, so get it cleaned up as soon as possible!"

"Yes, sir," the man immediately replied.

Once Sitwell had gone, the man rubbed his hands together and said, "I've waited so long. The opportunity's finally here!"

Who was he? Of course, it was William, disguised as a janitor.

Ever since the hidden Mission: Impossible task had activated, he had been trying to find a way into Pierce's office. After looking into it, he had learned that the World Security Council was on the top floor.

If he went there now as a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, he would arouse suspicion. Besides, Coulson would follow him.

He had finally managed to shake Coulson, disguised himself, and started sweeping nearby, hoping for a lucky break. He hadn't expected the opportunity to come so quickly. The bump on Sitwell's head might have come from Pierce.

And just like that, William made it into Pierce's office. Pierce was sitting at his desk, deep in thought. When he saw William walk in, he immediately asked, "Who told you to come in?"

"Agent Sitwell sent me to clean up," William replied quickly. He looked around, unsure how to get Pierce's fingerprints. Should he knock him out? No, that would expose him.

At the mention of Sitwell, Pierce felt his blood boil. The man was obedient and honest, but not the least bit clever.

He was even starting to wonder if he should find a chance to shoot him and replace him with a smarter subordinate.

William wiped up the wine on the floor. Just as he was at a loss, he spotted the cracked glass on the floor. The glass was already broken, but in the sunlight from the window, he could make out a faint mark on its surface.

Pierce's fingerprint!

The Ghost File's second-level password required a fingerprint to unlock. William had dressed up like this to find a way to get Pierce's fingerprint, since Pierce was Hydra's boss hiding inside S.H.I.E.L.D.

If a fingerprint was really needed, then Pierce was definitely the one he needed.

Without drawing attention to himself, he slipped the glass into the trash bag. Since it was cracked, Pierce would probably let him take it away. But William didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he cleaned the entire office.

"You're very diligent," Pierce remarked. "Are you new here?"

William nodded. "It's an honor, sir!"

Pierce smiled slightly, and William smiled back. His smile was very forced, but the mask hid it.

After finally finishing the cleaning, William hurried to leave. But as he reached the door, Pierce suddenly called out, "Wait!"

William's body stiffened. Pierce was Hydra's boss, unlike any of the other villains he had encountered. If Pierce noticed anything suspicious, William was dead.

Good morning~