Connections

14: Hotel Inessa

I had been in my cell for two days now. I can assume its been that long at least. My head was rushing still from everything that had happened. I sat down onto the bed and leaned my body forward. I placed my hands over my face, shutting my eyes tightly. I just sat there, knowing I couldnt cry. They would use it against me.

Footsteps could be heard echoing the hall beside me. I pulled my hands away from my face as they got closer. I shifted my eyes over as the cell doors opened. I took a sharp breath as Bucky stood in front of me. I quickly stood up, and watched his movements. He set a tray of food down onto the desk they gave me. His eyes shifted to me before turning around.

"Wait." I called out. I ran up to him and grabbed his arm. "Please wait."

He quickly shifted his head around, looking down at my hand on him. I breathed heavily as the anger began to set into his face. He quickly pulled his arm away and shot his metal arm to me. His cold fingers wrapped around my neck. His arm shook as his grip tightened. I struggled to breath. His eyes dark and scary.

"Bucky." I croaked as I stuggled against his hand.

"Stop calling me that!" He yelled. His gripped tightened even more. I felt my head becoming light.

"James...please." I called out again. I felt a release against my neck. I fell to the floor as I gasped for air. I reached for my neck, feeling the indentions of his grip on my skin. I looked up at him, trying my best to catch my breath.

Bucky just stood there as his eyes shifted around the floor. I could tell he was remembering something. His eyes shot up to my face as fear began to set in. Nothing but my breathing filling the silence. Bucky slowly walked backwards as he shook his head. He quickly moved out of the cell before shutting the doors behind him.

I took one last deep breath as the pain on my neck subsided. I let out a soft scoff. He was far gone in a way I didn't even know was possible. I looked over at the tray off food and noticed a small manila folder peaking under it. I stood up and grabbed the folder. Flipping it open I could see a picture of a man with details about his life.

"I see you're doing the reading on our next target." A voice said behind me. I quickly closed the folder and turned around. Albrecht stood there with a slight smile on his face. I just glared at him before looking back down at it. He opened the cell doors and stood there staring. "Come on. You both leave tonight."

I felt the guilt rush over me. I didn't want to be apart of this. I thinned my lips as I looked up. Albrecht just continued to smile as he shifted to the side. Holding his hand out to gesture me to come out. I dropped the folder onto the bed and moved out of the cell. My eyes not leaving his. If was going to get Bucky and I out, then I was going to have to commit to this one hundred percent.

Bucky and I sat in the back seat of a large black SUV. I stared off into space in front of me as the car shifted my body a bit over each bump. I didn't want to do this. I took a deep breath and looked over at Bucky. He just glared in front of him, not even moving. The car stopped abruptly. I looked out the tinted window seeing a huge hotel on the other side of the road.

I took a deep breath as I shifted the pistol in my hand. I leaned forward as I set it into its holster. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I closed it behind me and pulled my sunglasses out. I looked up, outside of the car it looked even bigger. Bucky stood next to me as he put his mask and goggles on. I watched as his face disappeared behind them. I nodded and grabbed his shoulder. He flinched a bit before calming down.

I focused my energy before we both began to shift away from the car and into the hotel. I let go of Bucky quickly. We stood on the top floor of the lobby. I looked down as a group of people walked through the lobby. I looked passed them at another man walking through. He had about ten men surrounding him.

"There he is." I said quietly. Bucky turned his head to me and nodded. We both quickly moved around the room and behind a wall. I took a deep breath as we both listened for the group to come up. Silence surrounded us as the lobby became quiet, and the people in the hotel began to sleep. Bucky slowly shifted his goggles off of his face and looked ahead of him.

Footsteps became louder as a few of them stopped a head of us. I shifted my eyes over to Bucky and took a deep breath. In an instant he broke his arm through the wall and grabbed on of the guards. The mural in front of us ripped apart as I grabbed onto the wood frame above me. I kicked myself forward as the man in front of me fell backwards.

Bucky walked out behind me as he quickly threw a knife at the other one. I looked around seeing a couple more man running down the balcony near us. I looked over at Bucky as he stood back up.

"I have them. Go after him." I spoke out. Bucky nodded before moving quickly. I walked over to the men as one by one they began to attack me. I punched my way through before the last one. He put up a good fight against me. His kicks actually landing a couple times. He wrapped his arms around my neck and brought me into a choke hold. I struggled against and pushed back slamming his body into the wall behind us. Slowly his arms began to loosen. I grabbed onto his arms and flipped him off of me and onto his back.

I quickly reached my hand over my thigh and pulled out a knife. I held it against his throat pausing for a second. I could see the fear in his eyes. The guilt began to wash over me. He breathed heavily knowing what was going to happen. I took a sharp breath and closed my eyes. My knife moved across his neck as I looked away. His groans filled my head as I stood up. I took another deep breath before opening my eyes.

I walked over to the balcony and saw Bucky pushing our target through some doors and into another room. The bodies of his bodyguards surrounded me. I closed my eyes tightly, forcing the sight out of my head. I heard a gunshot as it echoed around the lobby.

I shot my eyes opened and looked over at where it came from. I moved quickly down the stairs and towards Bucky. I pushed the door opened quickly as they slammed into the wall beside them and walked in. As I did Bucky quickly turned around aiming his pistol at me.

Our eyes locked. I let in a sharp breath. He stared at me for a second before the gun began to shake a bit in his hand. I shifted my eyes away from his and looked over behind him. My face dropped as I looked at a young man slumped over against a door. My heart broke realizing Bucky had killed him. It was obvious he was just an innocent man. Someone here at the wrong time.

My breathing picked up as Bucky glared down at me. I nodded as I slowly approached him. I put my hand lightly on his wrist, pushing the gun away from my face. He lowered it with my hand. He didn't react, but he didn't shift away either. Voices began to yell behind us. I turned to see a couple more people coming up this way. All innocents. All just curious what the commotion was.

"Come on...We need to get out of here." I said quietly. I needed to get him out before more was done. Before more people were killed. Bucky nodded slightly as I gripped tightly to his wrist. I kept my eyes on him. I focused the energy in me as if shifted around my body and into his as well. In a blink of an eye we were back at the car. I just stood there and looked at Bucky.

He quickly pulled away from me and walked to the other side of the car. My eyes just followed him as I thought about what I saw. He killed an innocent man. Just for being there at the wrong time. I felt my heart break a bit as I opened the door. I sat down in the car and took off my gear before sitting in silence once more.