Chapter 20

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My anxiety was through the roof the closer we got to the base. I couldn't sit down any longer. I was pacing around the quinjet, trying to find things to do. Steve set the jet into autopilot and made his way over to me with Bucky.

"So, tell me about the base," Steve said. "Can you guys tell me the layout?"

"Up in the mountains. He's going to need transportation that can deal with heavy snow and mountain terrain. The entrance of the base is blended into a rock with a code panel. Once we enter, there's an elevator shaft that'll lead us into the base," I answered.

"There are three exits. One through the elevator shaft, the back entrance, and the large roof hatch, but it's a bit of a climb. The other soldiers are in the same room that I was in, which is the farthest part of the base. It's closest to the roof exit." Bucky added.

Steve nodded, "You two going to be okay going in there?"

"We got to do what we have to," I replied. I looked at Bucky. "We also need to get the journal back somehow."

"Journal?" Steve questioned.

"It's a red journal with a black star in the center. It has information about how Bucky was programmed, along with the code words. If anyone gets their hands on it, they'll not only know how to control Bucky but can program others to be just like him."

"How did he get his hands on it?"

I shrugged, "I would've thought it'd be in Siberia."

"No, Karpov was in charge of the program. If anyone would have it, it was him," Bucky concluded. "Given that the journal is in that guy's hands, it's likely Karpov is dead."

"Too bad we couldn't find him ourselves," I mumbled.

A signal alerted, making us look. "We're here," Steve announced as he sat down in the seat to land the quinjet.

I made my way over to my weapons locker to grab what I needed. Bucky stood next to me. "What do you have for me?"

"Nothing you'll like, but I think Nat has a custom M249 in her locker." I pulled her locker open. "Not like she's going to use it any time soon."

"What about you?"

I already had my knives with me. I opened my locker and grabbed two of my handguns. I put one on my thigh holster and the other at my hip. I looked over at the open ramp. It was snowing with heavy winds, but I could see the entrance of the base still. I trembled at the sight of it. I reached into my locker to grab an extra magazine for my gun but dropped it because of my fingers shaking. Before I could get it, Bucky knelt and slipped it into his pocket. He grabbed another one from my locker and secured it to my belt.

"I doubt you'll need this many mags, but better safe than sorry." He leaned down to kiss my cheek. "I'll see you at the ramp."

I nodded at him and took a deep breath. After I closed my locker, I made my way over to the ramp. Steve and Bucky were talking about a girl named Dolores when I stood next to Bucky. I noticed he slightly shifted from one foot to the other before he cleared his throat.

"Did you call her 'doll' too?" I asked him coolly as I continued to stare ahead, trying to not smile.

Bucky looked at me, but I remained face forward trying my best to hold an irritated look. "It's pretty common to use in our time."

"Well, you're definitely not calling me that anymore," I joked.

"It's just like how everyone calls their significant other 'babe'," Steve explained.

"Wow, he's back for two days and you take his side over me," I scoffed playfully. "The nerve, Rogers...The outright nerve."

Steve and Bucky chuckled. Steve nudged his head toward the base. "I'm going to scope out the place first. You two follow when you're ready."

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