"I'll handle the grill," Alice said cheerfully. "You two go fish. I'll pour you some beer while I roast the meat. Feels like a real Christmas Eve just, without the snow."
James glanced at her.
Still nothing suspicious.
But soon, he'd know for sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thanks, Alice. Great idea," James said with a smile. "You're welcome to join us for fishing. We've got plenty of tackle."
He started moving the gears to the stern. The back platform was wide and open—perfect for grilling and casting lines.
The grill was already hot, coals blazing under the metal grate. James and Carlos sat down in folding fishing chairs, baiting their hooks.
"What do you think of her?" Carlos asked, eyes fixed on the water. "You think someone sent her?"
James kept his voice casual. "The more I look at her, the more she reminds me of her."
"I'll go and check her palm readings later."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "You know palm reading now?"
"I understand people through interaction. Do you trust me?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
The December wind cut cold over the Hudson river, but the two were layered in warm jackets. Alice brought out ingredients and focused on grilling behind them.
Then, within minutes, James's rod bent. A fish had taken the bait.
"Oh, wow! That was quick," Alice said cheerfully.
James reeled it in and dropped it in the bucket. "I've got a bit of luck on my side. That's why I picked this spot, from the results of my fortune telling."
"Really?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah. In fact, I can read people's luck through their palm. Wanna try palmistry?" He held out his hand. "Give me your hand. I'll show you something of ancient mysticism."
Curious, Alice placed her hand in his.
[Bio-wave activating. Bio-energy linking. Neural scan initiated,] Cortana said.
James's heart picked up pace. His perception slowed. Energy starts flowing through his palms into hers. A sort of wave starts resonating through his palms into mind. He traced the lines on Alice's palm as he spoke.
"This is your Life line, and here is your Fate line…"
Cortana's voice filled his mind.
[Alice Roy, real name confirmed. Age: thirty-two. Family records are real, but personal experience in the U.S. is fabricated. Level 5 SHIELD agent. Loyal to HYDRA. Current mission: infiltrate and recruit Carlos and James Gibson.]
"What do you see?" Alice asked, brow furrowed.
James toned down on his smile, but tried to keep tension low. "You're living on the edge of your luck."
Carlos, still facing the water, got the message immediately. The look in James's eyes told him everything. Being calm and professional, Carlos didn't make a sudden move.
He just spoke softly. "James, just do it. I'll take care of the rest. This is unforgivable."
James gave a slight nod. "Understood."
Alice's smile faded. "What? What's going on?"
In one swift motion, James twisted her wrist and flipped her body. She yelped as her knee hit the deck. Before she could react, he kicked her behind the other knee, dropping her fully to the floor.
"Augh!, Carlos? What's happening? What's wrong with James?" she shouted.
James drew his pistol and pressed it against the back of her head.
"Who sent you?" he asked coldly.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about!" she stammered. "Carlos, please! What did I do?"
Carlos put down his fishing rod and approached. He looked at her with a quiet fury.
"You crossed a line," he said. "You used her face. You played on something sacred—to him and to me. That was your mistake."
"I don't understand," Alice said, tears welling in her eyes. "If you're firing me, just say it. Please, don't kill me. I have no idea why you're doing this."
James said nothing. He looked at Carlos and understood what he wanted to say.
'Check her. Her attire and her belongings.'
Carlos just nodded at the look and got to work. He searched her body, then went through her bag.
'Cortana, anything internal?'
[No cyanide capsule and no tracking equipment.]
'Good.'
James stepped back and stood next to Carlos, keeping the gun trained on her.
"You won't admit it, so I will," he said. "Your background is fake. You're a Level 5 SHIELD agent. You're loyal to HYDRA. Are you talking now?"
Alice was shocked. "How… how do you know that?"
James smiled. "Special skill. You know why I asked to touch your hand? Because when I do, Everything you know, everything you feel, and everything you see becomes transparent to me, there is no hiding from me once I have you in my hands."
Her face turned pale.
"That's impossible."
"Is it?" James tilted his head. "You're caught. You've lost. The only question is, what do we do next?"
He handed the pistol to his father and walked back to the grill, resuming his cooking like nothing had happened.
Carlos didn't hesitate.
With one sharp motion, he swept his leg and kicked Alice off the edge of the yacht. She hit the water with a splash. A moment later, the pistol popped once. A bullet struck her clean in the skull.
She slowly sank to the bottom, only to be found once she's decomposing and floating.
Carlos holstered the weapon and returned to his fishing rod, calm as ever.
The father and son spent the rest of Christmas Eve in peace, grilling, fishing, and sleeping under the stars on the yacht. At dawn, they turned back for shore.
Ross was there when they returned.
"Mr. James, only the two of you are coming back?" he asked, then immediately regretted it. Not his business.
"She was my father's employee," James said without a care. "And she quit."
They drove home in silence. Once inside, James sat on the couch and pulled out his phone.
He dialed Maria Hill.
"Hey, beautiful. You miss me?"
"I did, actually. How was Christmas?"
"Great. Just had some barbecue and fishing with my dad. Wanna join next time?"
"Tempting, but I was working last night. Pulled some intel on that woman. Everything looked normal."
James smirked. "Then it means you're surrounded."