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Although Smith Doyle already knew the answer, he still asked,
"These chemical agents… they can't control someone just through airborne exposure, right?"
Melina nodded and explained,
"No, not yet. If mere air contact could trigger control, Dreykov would've already ruled the world."
"It requires surgery. In other words, as long as someone is subdued and taken away, Dreykov can take over their mind."
John Wick commented,
"Even that level of control is terrifyingly effective."
Smith Doyle dismissed it casually,
"If that's all it is, then we have nothing to worry about."
"I'll handle them when the time comes."
Melina was surprised. Even someone like Alexei, enhanced with super serum, could be overwhelmed if surrounded.
At that moment, Alexei turned to Melina and said,
"Come with me for a second—I need to talk to you."
He stood and walked into another room. Melina followed him.
Back in the living room, only Smith Doyle, John Wick, and Natasha remained.
Smith Doyle said,
"You've seen who you needed to see. You've verified the intel I told you."
"I won't waste more time explaining. Next, we'll hit the Red Room, rescue your sister Yelena, and take Dreykov down."
Natasha nodded and replied,
"I'll get the Red Room's location soon. Once we have it, we move."
Smith Doyle smiled,
"You're not going to inform S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Natasha rolled her eyes,
"You think I still trust them?"
"No one knows what they're really up to. Frankly, I suspect this neural agent Dreykov has came from S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Did you hear Melina? Dreykov's operations in the U.S. might be just as extensive as in Russia."
In the other room, Alexei described Smith Doyle's abilities and how he'd rescued him. Melina was incredulous.
"You're not hallucinating or trying to fool me?"
Alexei looked serious,
"I don't know who Doyle really is—whether he's from S.H.I.E.L.D. or not—but in all your years out there, have you ever met someone like him?"
Melina shook her head,
"Never heard of anything like it."
Alexei continued,
"It's time we made a choice. Last time, I chose Dreykov, and he threw me in prison."
"This time, I'm putting my trust in Natasha. Smith Doyle is unbeatable."
Melina looked into Alexei's eyes,
"You're sure you're not exaggerating?"
Alexei thought of Doyle's reaction to the term "avalanche" and said,
"I might not even be describing a fraction of what he can do. Honestly, I'm not convinced he's S.H.I.E.L.D. at all."
"I saw the way he and John Wick reacted to that organization's name—completely indifferent, even disdainful."
Melina realized she had no choice but to trust Alexei.
"An organization like the Red Room shouldn't exist anyway."
"What if we align ourselves with him?"
"A group like the Red Room going down will cause massive waves—it won't be easy to hide afterward…"
Melina and Alexei returned to the living room.
Melina turned to Natasha, eyes serious,
"You want Dreykov's location? You want to kill him?"
Natasha nodded,
"Yes. I want him dead. I want the Red Room wiped out."
Melina glanced at Smith Doyle. She couldn't help but marvel at a man who could take bullets unharmed, fly, and fire energy blasts as powerful as RPGs. What kind of serum could create such a being?
Dreykov had to be stopped.
"Dreykov's base isn't on land," she revealed.
"It's a fortress in the sky, hidden in the clouds, constantly on the move."
"I left the base not long ago, so I can give you a general location. Wait too long and I won't even have that."
Natasha immediately thought of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier—she had seen one before.
At this point, if anyone tried to say Dreykov wasn't connected to S.H.I.E.L.D., she wouldn't believe it.
"How do we get into this airborne fortress?" Natasha asked.
Melina said,
"I have a plan. It's simple."
"I'll report that I've captured you. He's obsessed with you—he'll send a team to retrieve you for surgery."
"All we need to do is switch appearances. I'll look like you, and you'll disguise yourself as me."
"That way, you'll come face-to-face with Dreykov."
But Smith Doyle cut in,
"Natasha, you've got chemical agents in your body. If you get too close, you won't be able to act against Dreykov."
"There's no need for that level of deception. Melina, just give me the general coordinates."
Melina looked at Natasha.
"Do as he says," Natasha said. "If Doyle says he has a plan, he has one."
Melina nodded,
"My plan included carrying a tracker so you could find us. If your flight altitude is high enough…"
"But if you've got a better way, a direct assault could be perfect."
She gave them the likely area where the Red Room base could be found. But she couldn't help wondering—how would Doyle locate a floating fortress hidden in the clouds?
After all, blindly flying around and relying on eyesight wouldn't work.
What she didn't expect was just how simple Doyle's plan was. Once he got the rough location, he'd fly up and activate his combat power detector. With the second-gen model's range, he could scan the area in minutes. The high-altitude power readings would make pinpointing the base easy.
"Now that we've got the area," Doyle said,
"Gear up. We move out."
—End of chapter—
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