Capítulo 44: In the Spy’s Web -42
Following the intense meeting with Alexander Ricci, Natasha was led away by the head of his security team, a man whose presence commanded respect and authority. They walked silently through the maze of Ricci's mansion, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Finally, they arrived at a secluded area of the estate, far from prying eyes. The security chief stopped and turned to face Natasha, his expression serious. "I'm Markos," he introduced himself briskly. "I'll be briefing you on what you need to know for this mission."
Natasha nodded, her demeanor calm but alert. Markos began to outline the specifics of the operation, detailing the security arrangements, the roles of each team member, and the expectations placed upon her as part of Ricci's entourage.
"As Ricci's bodyguard, your presence needs to be visible but not intrusive. You'll be at his side at all times during the meeting," Markos explained, his words measured. "The Mandarin is cautious and has his own set of security protocols. We've been studying them for months."
He handed Natasha a tablet containing detailed maps of the Mandarin's estate, along with photographs. This was incredibly important information for Natasha as this was stuff even Shield had failed to gather; this was the data she had been sent to gather.
She would have to try to send some copies of this over to them when she has a chance to do so. For now, she just studied the information intensely, committing every detail to memory. She could pass it on if she didn't get a chance to pass on a digital copy, so she was ready for this mission as a guard.
"Your primary mission will be to act as an extra intimidating factor; that doesn't mean we don't expect you to hesitate to throw yourself in front of a bullet. Ensuring the security of this deal with the Mandarin is paramount; failure is not an option, and his protection cannot be compromised!"
He's stressed his final words heavily while staring down at the shorter Natasha with the burning intensity in his gaze. The feeling she got from him was that he indeed would not hesitate to jump in front of a bullet, and he truly believed that nothing in this world was more important than his boss's safety.
"You will be front and center and visible at all times; don't, however, try to intimidate the Mandarin himself because you will fail as to why, well, I will leave you something to read while we're flying. We will be taking off in a few hours. That time, you will spend familiarising yourself with a few of the details and equipment she will be graciously granted to use for this mission; any questions?"
The mention of leaving her something to read about the Mandarin while flying intrigued her further. It was an opportunity to understand more about the elusive figure they were dealing with. "No questions at the moment," she replied. Her tone was steady, but internally, she was piecing together the puzzle of the mission, each new piece of information adding depth to her understanding.
As Markos explained the equipment she would be granted for the mission, Natasha mentally prepared herself. She knew that in a few hours, as they took off towards their destination, she would have to be at the top of her game. Every piece of equipment and every bit of information could make a difference in the success of the mission.
Natasha's mind was already racing with scenarios and strategies, her training and instincts melding with the new information she had received. She was the Black Widow – adaptable, resilient, and ready for whatever lay ahead. In this world of shadows and intrigue, she was a force to be reckoned with.
Natasha was kept busy by this security briefing and her entire side of this mission. Alex had his own few last-minute preparations that needed to be done.
It wasn't much, but as he would not be able to visit his bunker for a while, he had to ensure that the foundation could work with only minimal input from him.
…
A few hours later, Alexander, Natasha, and a sizeable force of security personnel, including a large number of Alpha-1 members, shut off from the mansion to watch the airport.
Normally, Alex would have taken a quinjet, but he didn't want to show off that he possessed those two Shield just yet, and he had gotten rid of his helicopters as they took up the limited space of this underground hanger.
Natasha sat crammed in one of the cars, completely filled with heavily armed and armored security personnel. 'No room to move, three muscles pointed at me,' she thought, asking you to take stock of her situation. 'They clearly don't trust me much.'
Very differently from Natasha's situation, Alex had plenty of room in the back of the car he was riding in as only one member of Alpha-1 accompanied him, along with a single attendant.
'Going by car through this city is so slow.' Alex noted, I say, crawled their way through traffic towards the destination.
…
As he was a VIP and they were flying private, it was straightforward to get through security and onto his very, very large private plane. The plane itself wasn't empty as they arrived. No, it was already filled with both service and security personnel.
This further added to the impressive amount of security he brought along on this trip.
At every step, Alex had people eager, twisted still with whatever he might need. Natasha had people following her around, which was clearly more to keep an eye on her at all times than to assist her.
Settling into her seat, Natasha glanced around. The luxurious interior of the jet was another reminder of Ricci's immense resources. She could see Alexander in a separate section, surrounded by his closest aides, a king in his mobile court.
As the jet took off, soaring above the city, Natasha's mind raced with thoughts and strategies. The close surveillance meant she had to be more cautious than ever. Any mistake could jeopardize not just the mission but also her cover.
In the air, Natasha's attention was drawn to a dossier handed to her by one of Ricci's men - the promised information on the Mandarin. She opened it, her eyes scanning the pages.
The dossier contained detailed insights into the Mandarin's history, his rise to power, his connections, and his known preferences and weaknesses. It was a goldmine of information, crucial for understanding the man they were about to negotiate with.
Word after word, line after line, page after page. The more she read, the more amazed she got. Just the earliest dates of the Mandarin's appearance were mind-boggling to the extreme. 'If this is true, then he has to be at least 1000 years old! How can that be.'
Natasha was no stranger to the darkness of human society. What she was reading now introduced her to a whole new level of society, one filled with mysteries and impossibilities.
She had heard a little about such things from Shield but had not yet worked on any such things. Given that she hadn't been briefed about any of these either, she quickly realized that even her new employers did not know who the Mandarin and his organization, the Ten Rings, really were.
Not only was he clearly, if this report were to be believed truly impossibly old, but his influence in China and the region would also be far beyond the wildest estimations.
If he had truly been a successful warlord for as long as the reports suggested, then it was conceivable that he could be the secret shadow ruler of the entire region.
Not just any ruler but one endowed with superhuman abilities. The notes in the file hinted that the Ricci family believed only a nuclear explosion might pose a threat to him, suggesting a level of invincibility that conventional weapons couldn't breach.
The speculation that a nuclear warhead was necessary to threaten him underscored the extraordinary nature of his powers. The file was vague about the specifics of these abilities but emphasized the immense danger he posed. The necessity of nuclear force to counter him underscored his formidable defensive capabilities.
His offensive prowess was noted as being capable of single-handedly defeating armies—armies that, while technologically primitive compared to modern forces, didn't diminish his threat.
Natasha pondered that against modern infantry, without their armored vehicles, he might find them even easier to overcome. If he was indeed impervious to modern weaponry, then today's military firepower, lacking the protection of heavy armor, wouldn't be much of a challenge.
Eager to verify this information, Natasha knew these claims seemed too extraordinary to take at face value. Confirming the truth behind these reports was crucial.
Another thing that stood out as both alarming and curious is why and how Ricci believed that he could apply any kind of pressure on this man.
'Surely he doesn't have a nuke, does he?' She couldn't help but think as her eyes paused on the word nuclear weapon on the page.
Yeah, no matter what, if Ricci truly believed in this intelligence, well, then he must also believe in his own ability to deal with it.
This itself is frightening as this man, the Mandarin, seems to have the power of an army within his own hands and possibly a nation at his back and call, if not multiple.
Yet Ricci thought that he could somehow apply pressure to the Mandarin? Not to mention that he was in the possession of something the Mandarin would want dearly?
What could he possibly possess that an immortal warlord who seemed to have everything path that he wanted?
This had been a problematic mission right from the start, and now she truly started to feel the weight of it. This suddenly wasn't just a terrorist organization and a drug smuggling kingpin doing some kind of underworld deal.
This was massive world-changing underworld politics happening, and she had a front-row seat.
'Really wish I could make a report right about now and get some clear instructions found to deal with this mess.' She mused.
"Unbelievable, isn't it?" A voice suddenly startled her out of her internal dilemmas and musings.
She had gotten so absorbed in reading that she had failed to notice that her host, Alexander Ricci Hd, sat next to her.
Natasha looked up, slightly startled by Alexander Ricci's sudden appearance beside her. His presence was commanding yet subtly discreet, a trait she found characteristic of influential figures like him. She composed herself quickly, masking her surprise with the stoic expression she had mastered over the years.
"Yes, it is," she replied cautiously, her eyes locking with his. "It's hard to fathom the depth of the Mandarin's influence and power." Natasha's mind raced, wondering about Ricci's perspective on the matter. What did he know that she didn't? What was his actual stake in this game?
Ricci leaned back, a contemplative look crossing his face. "The Mandarin is more than just a man; he's a legend that has shaped centuries. Dealing with someone like him requires more than just brute force or cunning. It requires an understanding of the abnormal."
Natasha sensed a hint of respect, mixed with an underlying current of ambition, in Ricci's tone. His gaze seemed to pierce through the façade of the underworld kingpin, revealing a man who was playing a much larger game than most could comprehend, herself including.
"You're worried; that's very understandable," Ricci observed, his voice calm yet carrying an undercurrent of authority. He leaned forward slightly, bridging the gap between them, a gesture that seemed to acknowledge the gravity of the conversation.
"You see, Natasha, can I call you that? The world isn't quite as black and white as most think it to be. Nor is it all shades of grey; no, the world is a cascade of colors."
Natasha, feeling a shift in the atmosphere, nodded subtly, her eyes locked with his. She could sense the depth of experience behind his words, an understanding of the world that came from years in the shadows.
"The Mandarin retired years ago. Me and my… associates… we all believed that we were done with him, that he had become a non-issue moving forward. We truly believed he had settled down, ready to grow old and pass away peacefully. But now he is back and with a vengeance at that. He is much like a bull in a china shop right now, ruining carefully laid plans spanning decades."
As Ricci spoke, his hands gestured expressively, painting a picture of a world thrown into disarray. Natasha felt a twinge of unease, realizing the scale of disruption caused by the Mandarin's return.
"In short, he is bad for business. Getting rid of him is unlikely - I'm sure you have read enough to have an understanding as to why. Thus, disposing of him is not the strategy I am going with. No, I want him to retire once more. It is unlikely that he will fully do so in the short term, but I am a patient man if nothing else."
Natasha listened intently, her mind analyzing every word. Ricci's plan to maneuver the Mandarin into retirement was ambitious, and she wondered about the implications of such a move.
"And it certainly wouldn't hurt to take a bite out of his influence while I am at it. After all, it would be a shame to let all that power and influence he holds merely gather dust in the corner while he retires again."
Ricci paused, his gaze piercing. "Some might see people like me as a scourge on this world, but not you, Natasha. No, you have seen the darkness this world hides, and you have seen one of the colors, the color red."
Natasha felt a chill at the mention of red, a color that resonated with her past. She could see the parallels Ricci was drawing between their worlds, the murky realms they both navigated.
"Some organizations serve little purpose; others, while people might not like us, play a role in stabilizing everything. The Mandarin is one such counterweight. When he retired, others stepped up, and now that he is returning, everything is falling apart. I merely want to see order restored. So that the normal man, the innocent woman, and the blameless children of the world can all continue with their lives as normally."
Ricci leaned back, his demeanor shifting to one of solemnity. "I hope you will work hard to ensure this happens. I know why you're here; you want to do good. This is your chance to do something truly good. If we succeed at this, we will stop wars before they even begin. If we fail, well, let's just say that rivers of blood will flow before the Mandarin is sated."
Natasha felt the weight of his words settling over her. Ricci's vision of order, his justification for their actions, it was a perspective she hadn't considered. She remained silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of strategy and moral quandaries. This mission was more than a covert operation; it was a dance on the fine line between darkness and the greater good.
At that moment, Natasha understood the complexity of the task ahead. It was not just about surveillance or intelligence gathering; it was about influencing the balance of power in a hidden world. And she, the Black Widow, was right at the heart of it.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder