The Price of a SoulPart 1/? - Agent RusselPart 2/? - The LetterPart 3/? - Miss LakePart 4/? - The St

The Price of a SoulPart 1/? - Agent RusselPart 2/? - The LetterPart 3/? - Miss LakePart 4/? - The StewardessPart 5/? - An AssassinationPart 6/? - FalloutPart 7/? - Face to FacePart 8/? - Deals, Details, and Other DevilsPart 9/? - BaggagePart 10/? - Private FundingPart 11/? - Just Passing ThroughPeggy gets a chance to catch up with some old friends.-After a fewmonths in California Peggy had become used to that state’s predictably hot,clear weather, so it was something of a shock to the system to find the skiesin New York were slate gray and cold rain was falling steadily.  The landing was a little rough, but Peggy andHoward got off the plane in one piece. She tossed her single bag into the back of a rented car while he had hisvoluminous luggage put in a truck to follow him upstate.“From whatJason said on the phone, it’s gonna take a few hours to get everything puttogether for a proper test flight,” said Howard, as a driver pulled up in oneof his cars that he’d summoned from the city mansion.“Then I’llmeet you there,” Peggy decided.  “If Ihave some time, I’d like to stop by the Automat and see Angie.”  She had said she would do so next timeshe was in New York, she just hadn’t expected ‘next time’ to be so soon.  “Remember, not a word to anybody.  Don’t even tell Jason until we’re alreadyunderway.”“Mum’s theword,” Howard promised.They set offin different directions, with Peggy feeling slightly guilty that Howard was onhis way to work while she was going to spend time with a friend.  Then again, this kind of work was a pleasurefor him, and Peggy was technically both on medical leave and suspended pendinginvestigation into her conduct.  Shedidn’t have the technical skills to help Howard with his work, and shewasn’t allowed to do hers, so why shouldn’t she enjoy herself?  And if she ran into anyone else she knew,stopping in to visit Angie would help Peggy convince people that this was apleasure rather than a business trip.It was justafter one o’clock, and the Automat was just coming down from the lunchrush.  A few people were hurriedlyfinishing their meals so they could get back to their jobs, but there were alsoplenty of empty tables that just needed a cleaning before the next customercould sit down.  Angie was busy withseveral of these when she looked up and saw her guest.“Peggy!” shesaid happily.  “Pearl said you’d missedme!”“I did,”Peggy replied, “but I found myself with some unexpected free time.”“It’s almostbreak time for me, let me just get rid of these plates,” Angie said.  “And get a slice of banana cream for thisgentlemen.  Be right with you, Sir,” sheassured a man in an oddly familiar blue plaid blazer.This fellowwas already looking over his shoulder to see who Angie was talking to, and itwas a good thing Peggy had prepared excuses, because it was NedrickRussel.  “Agent Carter?” he asked.  “I thought you went back to California.”“I did,”said Peggy.  “Then Chief Sousa placed meon medical leave.  He’s worried thatspray might have done something to my lungs. Personally, I think he’s being silly.”Russel gaveher a sidelong look.  “That’s not whatThompson told me,” he said.Peggy camecloser, not wanting to discuss this in quite such a loud voice.  “Let me guess.  Jack said I’ve been suspended because Masterswants me investigated, and evidently sending an FBI agent to work withme was not a good approach.  That is alsotrue but I’m trying to focus on the positive.” She frowned and sat down across from him.  “What about you?  You were taken off my case.  I should think you’d be back inSacramento.  Or possibly in Houstontrying to win back Alice.”“He asked meto stay,” said Russel.  “Chief Thompson,that is.  He wants me to hang around andtalk about how working with Miss Lake is a terrible idea so he can tell me tostop being a worrywart because he’s got everything under control.  The idea is to make her think he doesn’tconsider her a threat…”“… so thatshe won’t realize just how thoroughly he’s taken precautions,” said Peggy witha nod.  The same role she hadrefused to play.  “Is it working?”“It’sdefinitely not any fun,” said Russel. “And I have no idea.  Whatevergoes on in her head, she never lets anything slip.”“Well, no,she wouldn’t,” Peggy said.  “Have youmade any progress at… oh, no, I suppose if I’m suspended you can’t answerthat.”  Imagine what Masters would thinkif he heard she’d been hanging around asking questions about the search forDottie, while she was supposed to be on leave a thousand miles away.“I want tokeep what shreds of respect people have left for me,” Russel agreed.Angiereturned with the banana cream pie, the coffee pot, and extra cups for herselfand Peggy.  “Sorry that took so long,”she said.  “You two know each other?”“A bit,”said Peggy.  “Agent Russel was assignedto spy on me a while back.”“No wonderyou look like you’re having a rough day,” Angie told him.  She poured the coffee, and then pulled upanother chair so she could join the conversation.Russellooked from Angie to Peggy and back again, not sure what to do next.  He had been unprepared for Peggy joining him,and doubly so for the waitress just sitting down.“Angie is afriend of mine,” Peggy explained.  “Sheknows what I do in general, but not the specifics.  And Agent Russel is not having a difficulttime because of me,” she told Angie.  “It’sChief Thompson, as usual.”“I rememberhim,” said Angie with a nod.  “Gram-Gram.”Russelseemed to spend a moment trying to figure out if this were supposed to meananything to him, but ultimately gave up. “It’s not just him,” he said. “It’s Miss Lake.  She’s watchingme all the time, and I think she’s trying to butter me up but in just theweirdest way possible… she’ll be talking about something and then suddenly it’sthis patronizing don’t you think, Ned? Or she told me that my tailor knew just how to cut trousers to show offmy legs, and then she said I just paid you a compliment, you’re supposed tosmile.”Peggy andAngie exchanged a glance.  “So when youmet her at the Coconut Club,” Peggy said, “what was your openingvolley?”He didn’tanswer right away.“Well?”Peggy asked.“She told meshe’d never met an FBI agent before,” he said, “and I replied that I couldarrest her if she wanted.  She asked mewhat for, and I said indecent assault on the dress she was wearing.”Angie lookedpuzzled.  “What’s that even supposed to mean?”“It meantshe looked good,” huffed Russel.  “In mydefense I was already a little drunk.”“I expectthat she didn’t know how to respond to that, and you suggested she ought tosmile because it was meant as a compliment?” Peggy guessed.“She wouldn’thave been wearing that dress if she didn’t want to be complimented on it!”Russel said.Peggy shookher head.  “If you had told her youlook lovely in black, that would have been a compliment.  A compliment should make a lady feel appreciated,not worry that she’s about to be subjected to a public strip-search.”“Just thismorning a fellow asked me if my legs went all the way up,” Angie put in.  “And if I hadn’t taken a step back I think hewould have lifted my skirt to check.”“You’retalking about the woman who drugged, robbed, and impersonated me,” Russel complained.  “What does she want me to do, apologize?”“Well, she didapologize to you,” Peggy said, remembering the word sorry writtenon the bag of Russel’s things.  “Mostly Ithink she’s hoping the next woman you flirt with in a nightclub will getbetter compliments.”Russelsighed.  “Can I get the check?” he askedAngie.“I’m onbreak, honey,” she replied.He went tothe counter to pay, and the two women helped themselves to his untouched sliceof pie.“Sounds likeyou’ve got a lot going on, English,” Angie observed.“I alwayshave a lot going on,” Peggy replied. “I’d die of boredom if I wasn’t in something over my head.  At least, that’s what Steve used to say.”Angienodded.  She knew that ‘Steve’ had beenthe name of Peggy’s wartime boyfriend, but not the specifics of thesituation.  “I don’t know who Miss Lakeis, but I think I already like her.”“Don’t betoo quick about it.  She tried to kill methe other night.”The words slipped out glibly, butthen Peggy found herself reconsidering them. Had Lake tried to kill her? She’d attempted to take Peggy’s gun away, but that might have been onlyso that Peggy couldn’t shoot her. Upon running out of other options she’d turned to the non-lethal andnon-permanent chili pepper spray.  Killing Russel would have saved Lake a greatdeal of trouble, but she hadn’t done that, either, and she’d made sure he gothis documents back.  The only personshe’d actually hurt was the one she’d set out to, and that was Dr. Zola.Angiesensibly understood that to mean she shouldn’t ask more about this woman.  “So are you gonna be in the city for a whilethis time?” she asked.“I’m afraidnot,” said Peggy.  “Howard Stark hasroped me into another of his crazy schemes and we’re heading up toCanada tomorrow morning.  Being asHoward’s involved, it’ll either come to nothing at all… or else it’ll be thebiggest thing you ever heard of.”“See youlater, Agent Carter!” called Russel, as he left the restaurant.“Good luckwith Miss Lake, Agent Russel!” Peggy shouted after him.“I’ll lookforward to hearing the story when you get back,” Angie said.  “The parts you can tell, I mean.”“I’ll lookforward to telling it,” said Peggy.  “Buttell me what you’ve been up to. You had an audition not long ago, didn’t you?”“I did, andI didn’t get the part,” Angie told her, “but the casting director told me he’dbe open to me trying out for his future projects.”  She settled down, eager to tell a story.  “So there were six of us, and he got us allon stage at the same time…”- When Angie’sbreak was over the two hugged and said goodbye, and Peggy got back into her carto go do a quick shop for the winter clothes and boots she would need, thenheaded north to meet Howard.  By fouro’clock the rain had stopped, though the sky was still gloomy, and the wateringhad made all the plant life along the roadsides look especially green andfresh.  She ought to appreciate thatwhile she could, she thought – there wasn’t going to be much plant life wherethey were going.It was aroundsuppertime when she arrived at the hangar where Howard stored his moresensitive aviation projects.  Its doorswere open and the interior was lit up, and as she got out of the car she couldsee the plane inside, with half a dozen employees and technicians workingaround it.  The craft Howard had chosenwas a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, partly for its range of some sixteen hundred milesand partly for its capacity to carry heavy equipment.  It still had the invasion stripes painted onthe wings and fuselage, but the USAAF logo had been covered up by a StarkIndustries one.“Goodevening, gentlemen!” Peggy called out as she approached.  “How’s it going?”“We’realmost done!” said Howard, who was working on something above the plane’s rear wheel.  “We’ll be ready to go first thingin the morning.”“I hope youmade plans for dinner,” Peggy told him. Howard often forgot about things like that… he was too used to havingMr. Jarvis there to take care of them for him.“I remindedhim,” said Jason Wilkes, and Peggy looked up to see him climbing out of thecockpit.  He had his sleeves rolled upand grease on the side of his face, which was a surprise to Peggy.  When she’d seen him in California, he’d wornsuits and ties, or a white lab coat when he’d been working at Isodyne.  What Howard had him doing must be far morehands on.  “Nice to see you again,Peggy.”“You aswell, Jason,” she said.  He dropped tothe ground, and she went and shook his hand. “How have you been?”“Busy,” he replied.  “Howard’s got me working on a dozen things atonce.  He doesn’t like anybody gettingbored.”“No dangerof that with him around,” Peggy agreed. “Has he told you what we’re doing?”Howard puthis tools down and got up to join them.  “Itold him we’re gonna try to map the seafloor between the islands up there, andwe might just find some interesting wrecks while we’re at it.”“He won’t tell me exactly what he’s lookingfor,” Jason said, “but I’ve got a couple of guesses.”“Yes?  And what are those?”“Well,there’s the obvious… but it seems a little too obvious, if you know whatI mean.  So I think it’s the FranklinExpedition.”  That was a pair of shipsthat had vanished in 1848, while looking for the Northwest Passage.  “It’d be a hell of a thing to find them in theircentenary year, don’t you think?”“It would,wouldn’t it?” Peggy smiled.  “You’ll findout tomorrow.”A hornhonked, and they turned to see another vehicle pulling up beside Peggy’scar.  This one was a delivery truck.“Aha,”said Howard with a smile.  “There’sdinner.” -- source link
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