2

Wren Reed tapped her nails against the desk while she listened to the message that was being left for Pierce. As his assistant, her job to literally do everything for him kept her on her toes. Especially as she was working for a man who had ties to the devil himself.

No one could ever suspect Wren of being a Hydra operative when they looked at her. Just like Pierce could ever suspect that she was undercover for SHIELD at Nick Fury's request.

"The situation is delicate Reed, I have reason to believe a dear friend of mine is conspiring – I need my suspicions validated, and that's where you come in." Fury had stated while he was briefing her on the assignment in question.

Wren had nodded at this. "Just tell me where I'm going, and I'll make sure to get you what you need sir."

And so he had told her, and at first it had been a simple case of Fury referring a friend's daughter to Alexander about the job. But since she'd started working there, she'd soon found out exactly where she was.

Hydra's own HQ. Or as she had dubbed it in her own mind, the Serpents lair. What should had been a quick and easy assignment had then extended into a longer one. They needed her on the inside to find out just what was happening. So far all Wren could confirm was that Alexander was part of Hydra, and currently was trying to keep tabs on key players. Including Captain Hydra himself.

Wren had yet to see him. The man was an enigma, even to his own organisation so it appeared. In terms of plotting, Hydra had nothing to offer that she'd seen so far, but there was something bubbling under the surface. Files on Pierce's computer that were security coded, so even she couldn't access them. Phone calls that sometimes when directly through to him and not her.

To the Agents of SHIELD, Captain Hydra was a rumour – but Wren now knew he was very much real. Where he lurked was a mystery. Pierce had never once mentioned him to her since she'd started working for him. It was clear she'd need to try harder. Fury had made it clear that she was staying put until they had grounds to act upon.

"It's Hydra? Surely that's enough grounds?" She'd told Fury one evening as she checked in with him.

"We can't do nothing for now. Keep on digging Reed, but remember should the situation become too dangerous for you? You get yourself outta there."

She could back out at any time. But Wren was no quitter – which was now why she found herself jotting down a message from some government official, asking for Alexander to return his call. "I'll have him call as soon as he's back at his desk. He's currently at a meeting with the Council, so he could be another couple of hours or so?"

"Just have him call." The official grunted and hung up.

"Snooty bastard." Wren muttered, putting the phone down and adding the message to the others that she'd taken.

Sometimes she wondered whether she was in over her head, sitting pretty at Hydra HQ when there was every chance that she could be exposed.

It was mad.

She was mad.

Wren had never intended on becoming an agent. In fact she'd merely started off working in admin for SHIELD until she was presented with the opportunity to be trained up. Her mentor had been Phil Coulson, and he'd been one of the very best that she could have learnt from. His passing had saddened her. They'd been partnered up for many an assignment – perhaps that was why Fury trusted her with this one.

"Miss Reed!" Pierce's voice made up jump as she noticed him walking in and Wren immediately pretended she'd been reading an email out of the many that were still unread on her screen. Most were confidential and could only be forwarded anyway.

"Good afternoon Mr Pierce, you have some new messages." She jumped up, grabbing the notepad, and following through into his office that she was situated outside of. At least she could keep an eye on him and anyone who he met with in there through the glass that divided them.

Pierce rounded his desk, unlocking the drawer and putting the sealed documents he had with him inside. "Thank you, I have a job for you. We have a celebration coming up, orders from above..." and threw her a knowing look.

"From the Captain, Sir?"

"Indeed." Pierce grinned. "With the organisation's anniversary coming up, the Captain wanted to do something special." There was no way he was disclosing any kind of information to anyone about the true nature. Hydra employees or not. So the cover for now would be a normal reason for a celebration. "I want you to put in some calls for some waiting staff, event décor – the usual crap that people have at these things."

"A band sir?"

Alexander paused at the suggestion. "Yes. A jazz band. That will do nicely!"

Wren jotted this all down. "Does the Captain want any particular theme?"

"Black tie – I doubt he'll prefer anything else."

Wren nodded her approval. "A man of expensive tastes then." And wrote the words 'black tie' and underlined it. "Will he be there?" She asked as innocently as she could. If she could find out who he was then that would be a big breakthrough.

"Most likely, but he could change his mind. He is a busy man after all."

Damn.

"I should hope so." She smiled her best cunning smile. "We have a lot of work to do."

"Indeed Miss Reed. And we are well on our way to achieving so much more than we could have expected."

Wren swallowed, hating the times that she'd have to say the two words that made her skin crawl. "Hail Hydra."

Pierce nodded. "Hail Hydra – now if anyone else calls I'm indisposed of for the rest of the day, oh and the party will be on this date" He passed her a piece of paper, and waved her away as he seated himself behind his desk.

"Of course sir, I'll be sure to let them know."

The remainder of her work day was spent organising the Hydra party as well as answering and forwarding countless amounts of confidential emails for Pierce. Usually she'd clock out around 5pm, but as the hours ticked by, she found herself still at her desk when Pierce left to go home.

"Goodnight sir." She nodded to him as he shrugged his coat on to leave.

"Miss Reed, you do realise the curfew for this place is 8pm?" He reminded her firmly, and gave her a look as if to say, 'stay one more minute and you're dead'. Of course Hydra had curfew. They couldn't take any risks of anyone doing overtime. This was the first time she'd seen Pierce look remotely threatening.

"I was simply finishing securing the waiting staff for..."

"Now." Pierce told her sternly. "We wouldn't want the Captain to find out that you're not following orders now would we?"

His expression said it all. If the Captain found out then she was as good as dead, and Wren couldn't afford to dice with it.

She shook her head and turned off her computer. "No sir..."

"The last thing we need is him angry, It wouldn't be a good outcome for either of us, now – go home. Securing the waiting staff can be finalised tomorrow."

Wren pulled on her coat and walked out with Pierce, the locks securing automatically as they left. Oh well, she'd tried her luck. There was no chance of trying to see what else he was up to when the place completely shut down at a certain time.

Which begged one question.

"Sir...if the curfew is at 8pm, then what time will the celebration end?" she frowned. "I need to get the details smoothed out."

"Ah yes, well it will be extended to midnight on that occasion." He confirmed.

Perfect. Maybe she'd have a chance to slip out unnoticed and access the office then. "Do you need a ride to your apartment?" Pierce then asked to which Wren politely declined.

"It's a short walk from here." She lied, "But thank you again all the same. You have a good night and sorry again for forgetting curfew."

He brushed it off. "It just shows that you're dedicated to the cause Miss Reed." And got into the car, bidding her goodnight.

Wren watched the car pull away and then made her way home. The sooner this party came around, then the closer she'd be to finding out what else Pierce had up his sleeve. Perhaps even meeting Captain Hydra himself.

What Wren couldn't have anticipated was just how caught up in this she would become.

She was playing with fire.

And fire could burn.