5590/Questioning Vogel

Questioning Vogel
Date of Scene:	15 March 2021
Location:	Lance Hunter's apartment
Synopsis:	Peggy, May and Hunter take Vogel to Hunter's place to be interrogated. What they hear isn't what they expect and likely nothing any of them wanted to hear.
Cast of Characters:	Lance Hunter, Peggy Carter, Melinda May, Bobbi Morse

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Lance Hunter has posed:
The drive from Philly to Westchester felt longer than it was, what with a high level HYDRA operative trussed up in the car and god only knows what might be coming after them. Though that made their arrival at Lance's place in the Dawnrise apartments in Salem something of an ambivalent moment since he volunteered the place to be their makeshift black site. Still once they're there he gets them to park by the stairs in the underground and hustle Vogel up to his suite which he rented under the name of the Captain of the Liverpool Football Club, Jordan Henderson.

Once the man's been brought inside he nods towards the bathroom, "In there?" he asks the others as he goes around the place to collect the guns he had hidden around that he didn't want Vogel to find if he got free. There's not much to the place, TV, kitchen, dining room set, couch, presumably a bed somewhere and a fair amount of Liverpool FC merch on the walls, but then spies tended to be minimalist when it came to decor.

If they take him to the bathroom it's as simple as the rest of the place, tub, toilet sink and not much else, with just enough room to do what they needed to Mr. Vogel.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy has been mostly silent for the drive, trusting the others to keep the man unconscious so they don't have a fight in a car. Going only 5 over the speed limit and acting as normal, calm, and proper as a car on New York and Jersey roads can be, she does nothing to draw attention to themselves. She checks on the man with narrowed eyes on occasion, in the rear view mirror, but says nothing.

Once they are approaching, she nods to Lance, "I've got a few things in the back for restraining... but the bathroom sounds wise. Interrogations get messy sometimes anyway, and I'd hate for you to lose your security deposit." Those words are said entirely deadpan, flat enough that they might be a joke, but it's not clear either way. She does swing around to the very back, pulling out a dark duffle back and black case she bought with her to the hotel. Interrogation... Helpers. "Come on, buddy. That's the last time we let you drink that much on a weekend..." She mutters to Vogel as they are trying to carry him in, just in case anyone is watching.

Melinda May has posed:
Bathrooms are also very cramped, given the number of people they have. "I recommend the kitchen," May notes evenly. "Though I suggest garbage bags on the windows, in that case. But the bathroom is a little small."

That said, she's really only here as muscle. And maybe to lend a dispassionate voice to the proceedings -- though that's neither intentional nor, perhaps, something the others are anticipating. She's not really been circulating much in public since she left Nepal.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The bathroom really was too small for four people.. the kitchen worked just fine, once the guns and knives and forks were removed. Cuffed to a chair Vogel's groggy head snaps out of a lull. Short curly dark brown hair he looks up at the three people before him.

    Their attack on his security forces at the hotel was profession. That rules at many opportunists or movements that don't have the skill and money to pull it off. He smiles with a touch of concern as his vision focuses, "You could have made an appointment."

    Dressed in his business suit, shoes shiny, tie knotted with just the right amount of slack, rings with actual expensive stones embedded in to them. The man looks to enjoy the life of a rich businessman - which he is. That's not all he is, which is why he's here today.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter is more than happy to move Vogel to the kitchen and get the chair to secure him to before getting all the knives and other dangerous items including a gun put in a box of cereal out of the room. Once that's done Lance moves to loom in the doorway one of his guns in hand giving Vogel a long flat stare. He'd done this sort of thing before and knew his role was best to be one more ready weapon on hand to threaten the subject as needed.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy gives him as many restraints as he needs, for both arms and legs, and then even restraining the chair to the wall so the man can't flop it over with his body weight. She's watched criminals get out of things too many times before and, hell, has slipped her own restraints more than once. She's taking no risks. May gets a little bit of a look, a frown of concern, as the woman's icy demeanor hasn't changed once since the mission. Not in the car. Not here. Not even when they were alone. Peggy doesn't have time to worry about it now, but she's clearly noticed.

She picks up the black case she brought, then, carefully opening it on the kitchen counter. Inside are a series of syringes, each with a small, different label beneath them. Most are clear. Two are dark. She gives Vogel a smile that does not reach her eyes as she lays out cotton swabs, iodine, a tourniquet. Everything she'll need to inject him if she so chooses. "Mr. Vogel... so lovely to finally meet you in person. You'll have to forgive me, I don't care to make appointments on HYDRA's schedule. But this conversation can go very easily for you...or very hard. And that is going to be fully up to you. My associates and I don't like to make a mess, but we'll do what is necessary. Am I understood?"

Melinda May has posed:
May moves to lean against a doorframe, watching the scene impassively. She doesn't say anything. She just watches. She notes Peggy's brief scrutiny of her, and can guess the reason -- simply by extrapolating from her conversation with Daisy.

Still, as Vogel tries to project unconcern and confidence, she ignores his posture and starts concentrating on his tells. She's a profiler, and one whose current evaluation isn't coloured by rage or disgust or even the fatigue of a long day. There are, she reflects silently, some advantages to this new state of being. Maybe that's her superpower.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The way his eyes flick toward those syringes makes it quite clear he's not a fan of them. He looks over the three before him again. The muscle.. the other muscle.. the one talking. "You appear to have me at a disadvantage. Call me Kirk," he says and squirms just a touch in the large amount of bindings. He looks down at them all and says, "I'm flattered you think I'm secretly the hulk, but I'm really just a business man in a suit. My power comes from my chequebook."

    "So.. easy way, sounds easy. Let's do that, how about you start by telling me who I'm talking to. I can't hardly put my best offer on the table if I don't know who is behind this impromptu sojourn.." His eyes roam around the apartment taking in the Liverpool FC paraphernalia. "Whoever lives here has good taste in teams. Never win anything, but all spirit." He may have the accent of an American, but he spends plenty of time in Europe - enough to have developed a taste for real football.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter doesn't flinch as the needles come out or when Vogel backhandedly compliments his team like he does, he just remains in place, watching, gun in hand, a subtle reminder for what's at stake for the businessman if he doesn't play ball.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A deeper smirk crosses Peggy's features, especially as he asks who they are. "I'm almost insulted. After fighting you all for eighty years and you don't recognize me? I suppose we shall leave it that we are agents still loyal to SHIELD's original cause. I know there are some of you in our ranks. You can start by telling me who in SHIELD's ranks is loyal to HYDRA and we can see how that goes." Her dark eyes then lift to May and back to Lance, clearly including them in the conversation, "When my associates have questions, you answer them as well. As long as you cooperate, no one has to hurt more than they already do."

Melinda May has posed:
May watches the man as Peggy holds tight rein on her anger as she questions him. She notes Lance is playing the tough in this scenario. More than she herself is. So, she pushes off the door and wanders slowly towards Vogel, circling him slowly. Her expression is thoughtful, though still in that neutral way that's become her wont of late.

This man, she decides, is a businessman. He's used to his money solving all his problems. And he doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone else because he's never had to. The Nazi ideals of Schmitd and even Whitehall aren't his deal, any more than they were Huttz.

She pauses behind him, and says softly, almost in an off-had way: "We stand between the right and the wrong, human nature dictates that this is the eye of the storm where we shall call home." The others might recognize it from the temple under the Vatican. "It doesn't really matter who we are, does it, Mr. Vogel? You're as willing to help us as you are the Cabal, Leviathan, SPEAR, or anyone else..."

As she says it, she looks meaningful at Peggy, wondering if the elder spy will understand what she's saying: That the dig for the moles in HYDRA won't be won from this guy by force. At least... she doesn't think it will be. All he wants is to be the guy left standing at the end. He doesn't care who else is standing.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Kirk stares at Peggy for a long moment and then gets a subtle look of enlightenment. "Director Peggy Carter? ..you look spry for someone who is meant to be dead," he says as his voice warbles a touch in confusion. He squints a touch as he fights what is most likely an itch on his face now that he can't actually reach it.

    "Ahh.. well. I can't confirm that that's true mind you.. you might be right, you might be wrong. I don't really know who the others are in HYDRA," he says with a touch of amusement. "We do meet, virtually, holograms.. no faces, messed up voices. It's all very cloak and dagger. I honestly don't pay much attention in the meetings. Boring politics."

    His chin lifts just a touch as his eyes look over that gun held by Lance. He's sizing them up - not in terms of 'can he take them', but in terms of -- what here is real and what is for show. A radical wing of SHIELD run by Peggy Carter? the glint in his eyes show what could only be described as fascination. The man sees opportunity.

    And then that opportunity seems to become a reality. May walking past, sizing him up. Then speaking words he knows well. "Ah. So you're the ones who broke in to the temple. Not the Cabal. Interesting," he nods his head as he thinks about this. "Oh it matters.. Agent. You can't stand in the eye of the storm if there's no storm. For that you need sides. When HYDRA has no enemies we make them."

    There's a small smirk, "Heck we made SHIELD. Now look at them. Giant building. World renown, offshoot hero group Avengers, fleets of quinjets. A giant helicarrier battling invading aliens." The way he talks about SHIELDs assets he seems to admire them. It seems obvious that if his version of HYDRA pits one side against the other.. may be... just may be... this guy is on Team SHIELD.

Lance Hunter has posed:
When Lance is included in the conversation he flashes Vogel a mirthless smile suggesting what might happen if the man doesn't answer their questions, a smile that doesn't go away when the man does offer his answers. "Bollux I say we put a bullet in him and bury him out back," he says. "Anyone can claim what he's claiming, but where's his bloody proof?" he asks the others and by extension Vogel. He turns the man's way, "So, what you got to in the way of details? Because right now ^all I'm hearing a lot of HYDRA propaganda."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy's eyes watch May curiously as the woman paces, especially with that last commentary, a slight dip of her head coming in agreement and approval to the woman. She knows May is right. But then she's looking back down to Vogel for his response, a hint of a smirk crossing red lips as he does finally recognize her. She gives him a cold laugh, "My associate is right... that is a lot of hot air, especially considering I know who made SHIELD. I was one of those people. I watched us build it from the ground up. And just because you may have gotten some claws into us through Paperclip, doesn't mean you *made* us."

Peggy sighs deeply, fingertips tracing down to the very last syringe in the box. She steps over to him, grabbing ungently at his arm and starting to tie the tourniquet. "Talk is cheap and without you gving us a single, concrete bit of helpful information, I'm tired of wasting my time. Have you ever had malaria, Kirk? Or maybe you remember reading about the biological weapon that Howard was developing in the 50s using a rapid acting strain of malaria..."

Melinda May has posed:
May studies Vogel impassively still. She hears his words, his bland admiration. Not surprised by it. They've done nothing to rattle him. She lays her hands on his shoulders as Peggy speaks about the malaria strain, however. They may not necessarily need to restrain him further, but it seems prudent.

Of course, as she does, for the first time in nearly two weeks, her expression... changes.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    May be a radicalised of SHIELD isn't such a fun idea after all. "Hey now no need to go shooting anybody, especially me." He regards Lance cooly. He's hired many people like him - mostly those in HYDRA. There is, however, the smallest twitch of surprise when Peggy mentions she knows who made SHIELD. That she was one of those people.. that she thinks they got claws in to it with Paperclip. A telling subtle and quickly repressed raise of an eyebrow. He does know something after all.. the first hint that of a lie of omission when he says, "Right you are.."

    He physically tries to draw away as she approaches with the needle though and his neck muscles tighten. "Can't say that I have or that I do.. but I can tell you .. want something, but you're not sure what it is you want - else you'd have asked me a question I have an answer for. I'm being open and honest with you," he says with slightly panicked voice at the idea of getting malaria. "I can't read minds!," he insists, "Just because you don't like the answers doesn't mean they're not the truth.."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter watches the whole thing like he's trying not to be bored but the shift in May's expression definitely breaks that façade as he looks over at her with momentary surprise. Though it's Vogel's words he responds to, "Nah, doesn't look like I need to does it" he says of shooting the man. "We've got other sorts of shots that'll be loads more fun. Ever see someone die of malaria? Nasty stuff, saw my share of it down in Sierra Leone. Hope your shots are up to date... actually probably won't matter, the brains we've got in R&D, stuff'll probably melt you like Ebola and be immune to just about everything under the sun. Don't worry though, you'll get time to think about your choices, even when it works fast it kills slow, well slower than a bullet anyhow."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The change in May isn't missed. Peggy looks up, her frown deepening just a little more. She really doesn't want to show their weaknesses, or that something is off, to Vogel, but she is worried. She now keeps her attention split between the two, but cherry red fingernails now slap gently at the surface of Vogel's skin, helping to bring up a few veins so she knows just where to inject. For a woman who always considered herself to cling close to her morals, she seems to be handling a biological weapon with quite a bit of ease.

"My gentleman associate is right... Malaria is a miserable way to go. This strain has been engineered to run it's full course to death in a short 24 hours. It's not a pleasant time. Fortunately, there is an antidote... and if we get sufficent answers from you, I'll be happy to administer that as well. Something you don't even have to pay money for. See? I can be generous. But now... you know something. Maybe about Paperclip. I saw the change in your eyes. Start there. What aren't you telling us?" And then the needle dips into his skin, plunger pressed. The fever will come on fairly quickly, if this drug still works the way it did 70 years ago.

Melinda May has posed:
The expression on May's face reflects Vogel's more self-righteous sneer for a moment. But a subtle widening of her eyes and flare of her pupils reflects a deeper fear. Her hands pull back from his shoulders and she steps back quickly, regaining her equalibrium after only a heartbeat of separation. Her impassivity returns and she straightens, frowning faintly as if puzzled. Almost concerned. But not quite reaching that level of emotion again.

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, she realizes: They can't let him leave. Whatever else they do to him, he can't leave here. He knows too much about who they are and what they're after. But he's afraid. She's deeply certain, now... he's very much afraid he's not walking out of here alive.

Still behind him, she meets Peggy's eyes. Her hand touches her jacket briefly, where it conceals her 9mm, using the guesture as a message to the other woman.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Vogel winces as the needle breaks skin and the fluid is injected in to him. "So I was wrong then...," he says as he starts to sweat not from a fever but from pure fear. "SHIELD becomes HYDRA all on its own." Perhaps talking of a bet he had with someone else in HYDRA as Peggy injects him with the virus.

    "And I guess I don't live to tell Malcolm he was right after all." His wide scared eyes look up to Peggy and he says, "I have no guarantees.. that I'll get an antidote, or live through this, or anything. This isn't how you do business.. deals."

    He looks down and jerks against the bindings again. He shakes his head, "I can't believe you've been at this so long and you think Paperclip is how we got our hooks in to SHIELD." He laughs as if it's the funnist joke in the world and slumps a bit defeatedly. "Everything you know about us, about HYDRA, you don't think we weren't pulling the strings behind World War 2? what better way to test our weapons and make Schmidtt put his money where his mouth is? Please. Carter. You needed money to make SHIELD and we made sure you had it."

    "You've been ours the moment you wanted to turn a dream in to a reality. HYDRA won... we won a long time ago. We will continue winning.. forever. Because you can't stop what's in peoples hearts Carter. We're monsters, we always fight - and when we're not fighting we find reasons to start a fight.. and HYDRA.. HYDRA will always.. *always* be there to help both sides escalate." There.. a sneer. "Business is booming."

    He looks over to May and says, "You know Arturo's words. The man was a genius. He saw how people are and used it. You do it too.. spies.. leveraging people against your enemies, trying to break them."

    ".. we want the price of oil to go up? need to topple a government.. everyone has dirt, a bit of that dirt lands on the desk of a SHIELD agent and away you go.. doin' what you think is good. And may be it's a little bit of good and I applaud the news but you're still just pawns. Our pawns. You are just a reflection of us and you don't even realise it. You -are- HYDRA."

    He glares angrily at Lance, "There, how's that truth for you. Here's some more truth. Give me the antidote now and I will help your weird little SHIELD splinter group get everything you ever wanted. I see potential in you. You've got what it takes."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter blinks at Vogel's words, it was all a little much for him and he wasn't invested in SHIELD like the others in the room, he couldn't imagine how those words hit them. "Again hearing a lot of talk but where's the proof," he says. "What can you give us that proves any of this?" he figured that was something worth asking, all th same his pistol remains ready to use at a moment's notice.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The flash of the 9mm from May gains Peggy's eyes and the older woman gives the most slight shake of her head in response. Not yet. Peggy isn't actually as emotionless as May is, she hasn't had them pulled out of her body, but she's firmly locking her own emotions down now. She can't let herself feel this, process the possibility that his words even have a grain of truth, or she'd probably need to be sick somewhere. So she carefully bricks up every last emotion she has, cold, dead eyes now landing on Vogel's face.

"...Answer the man. Give us some useful information on HYDRA's plans for SHIELD and some proof, or we're done here..." The fever is probably starting to creep up. Howard's accidental cold inducing drug was remarkably effective in how quickly symptoms set on. "If you actually convince me you are of ANY assistance to us...this is yours... but you have a very short amount of time. Answer the man's questions and give me information on this Malcolm and Arturo." Her hand reaches over for a second syringe. But she doesn't pluck it from the case yet.

Melinda May has posed:
Vogel's words simply don't have the emotional impact on May they do on Peggy. Indeed, they have less of an impact on her than they do on Lance, even. Odd as that is.

"Huttz says Arturo founded HYDRA about four or five hundred years ago," she notes conversationally. "I didn't get it at the time. But, I think I do, now." She steps into his field of view. "You're afraid you're not going to leave here alive." Her tone is still matter-of-fact. "If she has her way," she says, gesturing to Peggy, "there may be some basis to that fear. Now, he doesn't much care one way or the other, but he's happy enough to pull the trigger and call it principle." She gestures to Lance as she says it. Then: "Me? I think we can make a deal. You're a reasonable man. Everything you do has a purpose, leans on Malvolo's dogma. You want to be in the center of the storm, well... you are. Albeit not in the *eye* of it. Not currently. You're always going to create enemies, sure. But I don't your version of HYDRA is actually Schmidt's or Reinhardt's version of HYDRA. I think yours is older. More pragmatic. So, be pragmatic, Mr. Vogel. Tell us what's brought you here? Tell us what your fellow Heads are doing. Chances are, we can stop them. And... Well, let's face it: We all know SHIELD makes deals with people who help them."

Her tone isn't cajoling, however. It's just matter-of-fact, businesslike, and way, way more reasonable compared to the others.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    The words from May seem to get to him. Something about her cold calculating manner speaks to his inner sociopath. The demand for real information from both Lance and Peggy makes him think for a moment. His jaw sets and he smirks a moment, "Fine you want to know what our plans are for SHIELD? why you can't ever win? the world is a complex place. Full of many moving variables. So we asked AIM to build us a machine. A computer system, back in the 80s. Beyond state of the art. A miracle of technology. It could simulation the whole world."

    "The machine gave us a plan, a perfect plan, with odds and percentages and all the things a spreadsheet geek loves. We could, effectively, predict the future. It was made by an AIM scientist.. Dr. Radcliffe I think. This wasn't ever part of my work. If you want to know the plan you're going to have to go find the computer. It's deep in some old AIM facility underneath New York. We nicknamed it The Sphere."

    He chuckles with the revelations of a man facing his own death as he feels the fever starting to come on. "And you're right, this isn't the eye of the storm. Mistakes have been made - you shouldn't even have even known I exist, yet here we are.. dog biting the hand that feeds it. May be my agenda can change - get me out of this," he says to May directly, "and when I'm sitting in a HYDRA board meeting I will have _your_ best interests at heart."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter gives Vogel a long withering look before yawning dramatically. "Still not hearing much in the way of proof, and no way this guy plays ball once he's back with his buddies and his billions, best put him down now, we can work back on what he told us ourselves," he says lifting his pistol taking care that neither of the other agents in the room are in his line of fire. "So if you want to keep living tell us where to find this sphere, who's on this board and whatever else these ladies ask you and you might have a shot," he says, before glancing at the syringes and adding dryly, "No pun intended."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...No use wasting the antidote on a dead man." Peggy mutters quietly, shifting back and away from Vogel now. It seems she's going to be content to let Lance do the dirty work, if he's actually willing, should Vogel not answer his questions. "I am tired of your grandstanding...we aren't here to make deals, and you haven't answered the man's questions." Peggy steps backwards, getting clear of the body as her arms fold coldly across her chest. She seems very willing to let the man die now, unless he comes up with something immediately concrete and useful. Though, the computer is helpful. She flickers a thoughtful look up at May, almost questioning, but they can discuss it later. Right now, she's readying for a man to die.

Melinda May has posed:
The Sphere. May glances to Peggy as Vogel reveals that. He's earned his antidote, from her point of view. Not his freedom, of course, but the antidote, at least. "He's not lying," she tells the others. It might piss Peggy off, but she's started this roleplay. She'll let it play out. "Not about the Sphere, anyway."

She actually does give a smile, but it's an odd smile, one devoid of any real feeling. As she does, she moves to pick up the syringe Peggy seems disinclined to use. She moves toward him. "There is still a problem, though," she tells him evenly. "I don't think you're really telling the truth about keeping our best interests in mind at your boardroom table. You'll need to be a *lot* more convincing about that."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    He scowls a touch, "You're not _listening_ to me are you. You want facts and figures? small stuff?" He rubs his balmy palm against the chair arms and takes in a deep breath. His eyes following May as she gets the syringe. "Everything is kept compartmentalised in HYDRA. We're more paranoid than you lot."

    "Our interests can align. It's easy. I'll help you take down List. He's trying to follow in Whitehall's footsteps. You know who I'm talking about right? he's teaming up with Strucker, that German psychopath. They still worship Schmitt - they think he's still alive."

    He frowns and says, "There is someone.. it could help you. You want names - Vasily Karpov. FSB. Russian spy. If you think there's HYDRA hiding in SHIELD.. there probably is - he might know who. Spy stuff is his thing. He's desperate to reach partner, but we'll never let him. He's too nationalistic. Now please, the antidote..."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter listens to what's being said without much reaction, until List is mentioned and his eyes cut towards Peggy for her reaction to that offer, obviously still after the man. The rest is met with an impassive look, it all sounded like stories to him, except for the Russian. He steps forward next to Peggy, "What do you want me to do ma'am?" he asks her, the familiar setting and events making him fall back on his old British Army habits.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The threat of death and the growing fever actually seem to have been effective. Peggy's brows arch and after a long, too silent moment, she gives May a small nod. "Give him the antidote." No one needs to know that it wasn't Malaria, but some overblown headcold he was shot up with. She needs to keep herself someone to be feared. Her other hand then comes up, palm down, towards Lance. "Stand down...he might be useful after all. We'll keep him secured here until we figure out if his information plays out or not. We'll need to take turns playing guard but... if he's been honest, maybe we'll all live through this after all." Peggy then closes the rest of her interrogation case, once May has the 'antidote'. She won't need anything else in there for now.

Melinda May has posed:
May moves towards Vogel with the syringe, now. She sticks him carefully with it, depressing the plunger to adminster the antitdote to... well, yes. The common cold. "Good choice," she says to him mildly.

She returns the depleted syringe to Peggy. It should likely be disposed of in a sharps container, but they're rather short on such things right now.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    With the antidote administered he chuckles softly, drenched in sweat now. "You've really kicked the hornets nest now. I hope you know what you're doing. HYDRA has a heck of a sting." He lulls his head back and tries to arch his back a bit. "See this is business. I scratch your back you scratch mine. You've got the guns and the kung fu moves, there's no need to keep me tied up. Give me my dignity and we will work together to take down List. Deal?"

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter lowers his gun at Peggy's order. "Sure thing," he says. "Want me to lock him up in the bathroom then?" he asks ignoring the bit about dignity for now, except to say. "If you play nice I may even lock you up so you can actually use the toilet, other than that you'll tell us what we need to know anyhow."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"He asked for his dignity. Lock him up so he can use the loo. That's dignity enough." And with that, Peggy scoops up the two empty syringes as well as her closed case, readying them all for disposal. "I'll see you all back at the car..." Clearly, Peggy doesn't want to talk any more of this over in front of the man. She also needs to get out, get the syringes dumped, and get some fresh air before she screams. One last look to the room, and she's headed out, as calm and cool as a life long spy should be. No one gets to see the cracks that come when she's alone. And come they will.

Melinda May has posed:
"Guess you have first shift," May tells Lance. "I'll drive the director home and cycle back later." She turns to Vogel and meets his eyes for a moment, a faintly curious expression piercing her impassivity. His feelings linger in the back of her mind.

Then, she turns away and heads for the door. She opens the door to let Peggy out and the steps into the hall herself, leaving the HYDRA head with her fellow agent. There's still a lot of work ahead of them, after all.