he who hesitates is toast

The thing is, with Kwan dead and Gray contained, Irma is still a viable cover. It might be hard, seeing as she dropped off the face of the earth after winning the auction, but it's just possible her name could be used to make a few connections.

But she doesn't know how to even begin broaching a subject like that to Bucky. He'd been worried enough about the auction. "He said this Green was selling to mercenaries," she tells him. "I might have a few old contacts who know something about that."

Not mercenaries themselves – exactly – but familiar with the world.