24
One Year Earlier.
Hydra Location.
Washington.
It was a few days after Daisy’s supposed joining of Hydra, she had been allowed to rest, Hydra agents had taken her somewhere where was she was placed in a room to rest, her body had never felt so drained, it was as if all her senses were pulled and pushed, she could’t understand how they had done what they had, she had to keep reminding herself that she had survived, she wasn’t dead and her mind was still hers…she had to just keep playing as she was a part of Hydra. Though she hadn’t seen or heard from her Father or sister, she knew she was being watched.
Laying in bed she been put in, she turned over and closed her eyes, she felt a tear roll down cheek uncontrollable, she wanted nothing more to have Renata there to talk to her and give her normality, to make all the nightmare go away.
Renata…Was she okay, would her Father harm her or make her join Hydra? Daisy thought.
With her eyes closed, she knew that she must gave nothing away and she needed to plan what to do next. There had to be a way that she could stop what was going to happen with Project Insight, she knew that her Father was going to begin soon but how soon she didn’t know. Daisy thought carefully about what her Father had told her about his plans for the next few weeks that she there was nothing out of the ordinary, the only thing she knew about was her Father telling her he was due to introduce a new wave of security for Shield, which meant ‘a lot of paperwork’, as he had put it, on the 13th of that the next month, which was over 14 days away.
Think Daisy, think. She told herself.
There had to be a way she could stop it…but how, she was 100 pounds midget who knew nothing about doing anything of use, she was a Doctor, she knew how to operate and diagnosis but she couldn’t fight or shoot or…kill.
Shield…it still existed, not everyone could be a part of Hydra, there had to people she could tell that could help or stop Project Insight, but who? She knew no-one within Shield, she had meet a few people at her Father’s party but who could possibly, without a doubt not be a part of Hydra?
Sleep overcame her but Daisy knew that the small amount of peace she would then in her sleep she had to savour because she was had her work cut for herself if she going to do this.
One Year Earlier
Washington, Normanstone Terrace.
Alexander Pierce sat at his kitchen dining room table with his newspaper in front of him, next to him was a cup of black coffee and now untouched oatmeal, it was early morning, the sun was streaming into the kitchen, the day was normal, outside the planed glass door to his garden, the local gardener tended to his grass and the spring flowers. He sat alone but from behind him his housekeeper Renata was putting away the groceries she had bought that morning for the household, she was quiet and her face stern, when finished, closing the fridge Renata looked over at Pierce and pushed her lips together, holding hands by her side, she begun moving her fingers, so they creaked at her side, this was angry habit she had developed over the years, when she didn’t want to speak ill or out of turn of people.
Turning the page of his newspaper Alexander Pierce took a sip of his coffee. “What is it Renata?”
Clearing her throat, straightening her back, looking at Pierce the same way she would when she had found he had been eating cheesecake Renata said. “Its been 4 days Mr Pierce and Daisy hasn’t been home.”
Not turning around and replying matter-of-factly Pierce said. “My daughter is 26 years old Renata and she’s perfectly capable of looking after herself, I do not have to keep tabs on her.”
“Hmmm.” Renata said. “She hadn’t take any of her things.”
Scanning his newspaper with his finger and speaking in a annoyed voice but still not turning around Pierce. “She hasn’t gone far Renata.”
Walking towards where he sat, Renata Meiser’s face was filled with concern and worry, all the emotion she had hidden, flowed out, she held her palms together in a almost pray like appearance. Standing behind him, she said in a pleading voice. “Mr Pierce, this is not like Daisy, she would never go like this…something has happened. You MUST contact the police!”
Lifting his head up away from his paper, Pierce knew this would be coming eventually, he admired the fact Renata had managed to keep herself composed for as long as she had, he had thought by at least the second night she would of voiced her concerned, but she had wanted until the fourth day. In a way, he felt touched that Renata was still as concerned for his daughter as she was when Daisy was 7, but he knew that he was going to have to put a stop to this, there was to be no more of it, if Renata was going to be allowed to live she was going to have to behave and be more compliant. Pierce didn’t worry though, he knew that as long as Renata lived she would care and do anything for Daisy, which would work very much in keeping her controlled.
“Renata…” Pierce said firmly looking at her from the reflection of the windows in front of kitchen dinning table, he expression was stern and aggressive, his brow narrowed and eyes tight. “Daisy is fine and there is nothing to worry about, nothing has happened to her.”
“But Mister Pierce!” Renata begged, stepping closer so that she was standing right next to him. “Where has she gone, she has never done this before!”
Still looking at her through the reflection he felt the urge then to kill Renata, he disliked being questioned and he really didn’t want his housekeeper poking into his family business but he stopped himself. Less angrily he said again. “Daisy is fine.”
At the moment the sound of the front door opening and someone coming in came from the other room. Still looking at Renata, Pierce let a small smile play onto his lips. As if a firework had gone off in the other room, Renata turned round and looked to the doorway, she begun to walk towards the doorway slowly, besides those in that room there was only two other people who had keys to the house to be able to come in.
Standing up from the table, holding his coffee cup Alexander Pierce stood looking at the doorway.
Walking in, wearing smart very famine red and black pencil skirt suit was Caitlin Pierce, she walked with the grace and elegance of a cat, her high heeled shoes making gently click, click noise as she walked. As she saw her Father a small smiled played on a her lips, she let her eyes flick to Renata briefly, before she walked over to her Father side at the table.
Slowly into the room, following Caitlin was Daisy. She too was dressed smartly, she wear pant suits with a slim fitting blazer with the sleeves rolled up, her hair was neat and sleek, her posture was straight and head was high. Her lips was in a firm line as she walked in, her face expressionless, she stood in the entrance way, Renata to the side of her.
Renata’s face was in shock she had never seen Daisy dressed as she was, she looked as she come from a finance meeting.
Not turning her head but letting her eyes turn to Renata, Daisy nodded an acknowledge to Renata that she had seen her.
“Bubabla?” Renata asked slowly.
Not answering she looked over at her Father in front of her. She gave a small smile and said a calm voice. “Good Morning Father.”
Putting his coffee cup down and straightening his back, Alexander Pierce smiled at his daughter and asked in a inquisitive smooth voice. “Morning Daisy. How are you feeling today?”
Letting a bigger smile on her face Daisy answered. “Well, I am ready to comply with anything that needs doing today.”
Watching the interaction between Daisy and her Father, Renata’s face read like a riot, shocked and confused, her eyes darting back and forth between the two, she knew many sides of Daisy, she had seen how she was when she was working, she knew Daisy as if she was her own…but the person in front of her, the way her smile on her didn’t allow the dimple that Renata knew and loved so well to appear, shocked her.
“Wonderful.” Pierce said clapping his hands together and smiling pleased back at Daisy he walked over to her. When in front of her, he kissed her on her forehead, like he had done many times before but this time it was done in different manner, it was more formal than Renata had seen them do so before. “I’ll get ready and we’re get started.”
“Yes Father.” Daisy replied, with that strange smile on her Father.
Now with both Father and daughter in front of her, Renata mouth of open in shock. What was happening in front of her?
“Renata.” Caitlin’s voice said firmly across the room. “Shouldn’t you be cleaning or something?”
Turning her head around to look at Caitlin Pierce, Renata narrowed her eyes and shoot her a look that could sharpen knives. Since Caitlin had return Renata had had little interaction with her, to which she was grateful, the two had been on unfriendly enemies to one another for many years, Renata had held her tongue many times when it had come to how she felt about Caitlin, she considered caitlin the complete opposite to her sister, who was kind, sweet, honest and decent to all and everyone, something that Caitlin was not. Caitlin Pierce considered Renata a busy body whom should have been replaced years ago.
“Yes.” Renata replied curtly to Caitlin.
Turning back to look at Daisy, she didn’t see a flinch or a twitch from her, usually she would try to smooth anything between the two but she stood doll like and looking at her Father.
Saying no more, Renata left the room and begun to start her daily chores, she managed to look back at Daisy from outside the hallway when she picked up the laundry basket from the floor, she could see that Alexander Pierce and Caitlin were talking to each other for a moment away from Daisy, and Daisy stood perfectly still looking out a head in to the garden.
With her eyes focused on the garden outside, trying to listen in her Father and sister as they spoke, whilst maintaining her perfect appearance and composure, Daisy mentally willed her mind to try to apologise to Renata, knowing full well that Renata knew something was very wrong and off. Inside Daisy felt terrible, she been rude to Renata, she worried Renata and she had said nothing, she had allowed Caitlin to be rude to Renata…but she knew that she had to, she had to keep it up, she couldn’t put Renata at any risk and she had to see her plan through.
I’m so sorry Renata. Daisy thought to herself quietly.