𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒 ~ 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠

Chapter 16 - The Hunter and The Prey

Sadie stared at the dull, vanishing stairs for a moment before fumbling her hands on the wall for a light switch - hoping that by some miracle, power still worked in this run-down dump.  

Her finger latched onto a switch and flicked it on. No lights in the staircase appeared, however, a dull stream of light now came from the basement, providing just enough illumination for Sadie to not trip and roll down the stairs. 

As cautiously and quietly as she could, she tip-toed down the flight of wooden boards that squealed loudly in protest until her feet reached a dungeon-like basement. 

The smell of mold and mildew quickly rushed up her nostrils.

The walls were a cracked cement and a layer of dust coated multiple metal tables with beakers and jars filled with strange, different coloured liquids. There was another small filing cabinet sitting next to a small workbench on the other end of the room - no doors insight.

The filing cabinet seemed untouched along with the mysterious jars, except for a few smudged fingerprints in the greasy grim. 

She started to slowly navigate her way through the rows of tables to the filing cabinet, her entire body tense and on alert. 

After some fidgeting, she determined the cabinet was locked and she didn't have the precious time to search for a key, so she removed a small knife from her belt and started slipping it between the locking mechanism that was elevated from the sides surface and the metal cabinet. After applying some pressure, she cut off the circular keyhole system, and it fell to the ground with a high-pitched metallic clatter. 

She opened the top door of the cabinet with her back to the rest of the room and started running her fingers over all the wrinkled yet organized manilla folders. Picking an unknown folder up, she began to read the typewritten Russian writing, her eyes scanning the page, that is until she sensed a presence behind her. 

She kept her composure calm and collected, pretending to not acknowledge whoever had tried to sneak up on her. Sadie could tell they were slowly getting closer and closer, but she had to wait until they were in arms' reach before she could engage if she wanted to go for the element of surprise. 

Just a little bit closer. 

The unknown figure continued to silently pursue until they were just close enough for Sadie to drop the folder onto the top of the cabinet and whip around, grabbing onto the person's gun in their outstretched arm and aiming it at the ceiling with the figure's firm grip still attached to the firearm. 

Surprisingly a bullet didn't go off, but the sound of the basement door closing did strike her ears. 

She twisted the person's arm back and kicked them in the gut, sending them stumbling backwards and against the wall while Sadie held the gun in front of her, pointed at the figure. That was when she got a better look at them. They were tall - really tall - probably 6' 3" from the bottom of their boots to the top of their helmet. They wore a strange helmet with a mask to hide their face along with dark clothing that concealed every inch of their skin. Based on the figure's build, she guessed it was a male. 

He didn't give up and accept surrender, however. Instead, they pulled out a decent-sized combat knife and started stalking towards Sadie. Even from a distance, his menacing height and bulkiness towered over her petit yet muscular form. 

"You've got a lot of nerve coming after someone with a gun like that," she said as she took a few steps back, not in fear but so that she could try to keep the distance between them.

"The Winter Soldier doesn't kill anymore," he replied in a deep and husky voice, obviously through a voice-changer in his mask.

He swiped at Sadie with the knife, and she had to duck her shoulder down to the left to avoid being impaled.