The Dead End Gang had survived far longer than any street-level criminal outfit had a right to. They owed that longevity to one man: the local police commissioner, whose steady stream of bribes had kept the law looking the other way.
That was exactly why Phil Coulson had gone to see him.
On the drive over, he’d allowed himself a sliver of optimism. Maybe the commissioner was just another greedy official. Corrupt, yes, but ignorant. Someone willing to protect a gang for cash without knowing who might be hiding inside it.
That would have been the better outcome.
Instead, the man’s dying scream shattered that hope.
"Hydra!"
Coulson had heard it clearly.
"Take the body back," he ordered immediately. "Full forensic workup. I want every contact he’s had, every financial record, everyone he’s met recently. Leave nothing unchecked."
As agents hurried to carry out his orders, none of them noticed the tiny floating eye tucked into a shadowed corner of the office.
Its emerald iris and golden pupil blinked once...
...and faded into nothing.
"Perfect timing."
Evenson lowered a hand from the eye he’d been covering and let the spell dissolve.
The Eye of Kilrogg. A simple Warlock scouting spell, but invaluable.
Sarah continued dusting the bookshelves with exaggerated diligence, as though they weren’t discussing murder.
"Master," she asked with a grin, "how did you know the poison would activate at exactly the right moment?"
"The same way you knew that old fool would shout your fake name before he died."
Sarah burst into laughter.
"So that’s what you were counting on."
The room filled with shared amusement.
For a Warlock, controlling the precise moment a curse or poison took effect was hardly difficult.
For a succubus, nudging the thoughts of a terrified man whose mind was collapsing under the weight of imminent death was even easier.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
With the commissioner’s death, SHIELD officially wrapped up its operation against the Dead End Gang.
The explanations for the public, the press conferences, and the inevitable political cleanup would fall to government agencies and media spokespeople.
SHIELD had never specialized in public relations.
After processing the prisoners and returning to headquarters, Coulson headed straight for Director Nick Fury’s office.
"The operation is complete, sir," he said as he entered.
Nick Fury turned from the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Triskelion. His single eye studied Coulson’s expression.
"I’ve been waiting."
With permission granted, Coulson began his report.
"The Dead End Gang has been dismantled. Nearly every member has been taken into custody..."
Fury cut him off.
"Skip to the ’however.’"
Coulson rarely looked that grim unless something had gone badly wrong.
Coulson drew a slow breath.
"Before we launched the operation, eight gang members disappeared without a trace."
Fury’s face tightened almost imperceptibly.
"They ranged from low-level enforcers to senior officers," Coulson continued. "On the surface, they had little in common except one thing."
"They kept to themselves."
"They weren’t close with the rest of the gang."
He paused.
"And?"
"And one of the missing enforcers rigged the entrance to his apartment with three grenades."
Silence settled over the room.
"The arrest team triggered the trap as soon as they opened the door. Team leader Zealot and three agents were killed instantly. Another agent was critically wounded."
Fury leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked.
"Old trick," he muttered. "The Japanese used booby traps like that throughout the Pacific War."
He looked up.
"But was it meant for us?"
More importantly...
"Can we actually prove these people were Hydra?"
Even after authorizing the raid, Fury had struggled to believe Hydra would bother infiltrating such a pathetic street gang.
The Dead End Gang was insignificant.
Hydra wasn’t.
Coulson stepped closer, both hands resting on Fury’s desk.
"Street thugs disappear all the time."
He locked eyes with the director.
"Street thugs don’t build precision grenade traps."
Running from the law was one thing.
Constructing a lethal clustered explosive designed to kill whoever breached the door required military training, planning, and discipline.
None of those qualities described common gangsters.
"And there’s more."
Coulson’s voice hardened.
"When I went to interrogate the police commissioner, he’d already taken poison."
"He died right in front of me."
"The autopsy found an entirely unknown toxin. Every internal organ suffered catastrophic failure and rapid necrosis. By the time the medical examiner opened him up, there was barely an intact organ left."
Even seasoned forensic pathologists had struggled to stomach the sight.
Fury’s expression darkened.
"The police commissioner."
He spoke carefully.
"Do you understand what that implies, Agent Coulson?"
"Yes, sir."
Coulson nodded.
"It means Hydra may already have infiltrated local government."
"A disturbing conclusion."
Fury folded his hands.
"Are we certain he poisoned himself?"
The distinction mattered.
If someone else had poisoned the commissioner, he might have been nothing more than a corrupt official protecting criminals for money, unaware of Hydra’s involvement.
If he’d chosen suicide instead...
...then he had died as one of Hydra’s own.
Coulson shook his head.
"I’m confident it was suicide."
"I know of no poison capable of remaining dormant while still producing damage that extreme the instant it activates."
"And before I entered his office, no one else had been inside."
There was no conventional toxin that could reduce a man’s insides to ruin in seconds.
Science simply didn’t work that way.
Magic, however...
That was another matter entirely.
"And one more thing."
Coulson’s jaw tightened.
"I heard his last words myself."
Fury stared at him.
"What did he say?"
Coulson answered without hesitation.
"He shouted one word."
"Hydra."
The office fell silent.
For several long seconds, Fury covered his face with both hands.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and heavy.
"They’re back."
He lowered his hands.
"Issue warrants for every missing gang member."
"Place every surviving Dead End Gang prisoner into isolated interrogation."
Then his gaze fixed squarely on Coulson.
"You and Melinda will also undergo internal review."
His single eye narrowed.
"Don’t disappoint me, Coulson."
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