Winter Baron

Chapter Sixteen

After suiting up, Sam, and Bucky spent the rest of that morning asking if anyone had seen the blond, blue eyed man. According to the article he'd written, and the name on the facebook page. His name was Curt. Every person they stopped to ask would look at the photo, and shake their heads.
"Nope."
"Don't know him."
"Never seen him around here before." Finally the pair stopped by the docs.
"This is useless. No one knows who this guy is." Bucky said in frustration.
"I know." Sam shook his head, trying to think of what their next move should be, however that was quickly decided for them when they heard people talking about a bombing at the airport.
"Oh my god!"
"I hope no one's hurt."
"Was it a terrorist attack?"
"Hold on." Sam said as he ran over to a group of his neighbors. Bucky followed.
"What's going on?" He asked. A man turned to him.
"Someone just tried to blow up the airport." He informed the super soldier. Bucky looked at Sam.
"That's gotta be our guy." Sam nodded. The two quickly ran off, and jumped into the car. They sped off towards the airport. Once they arrived, the two noted all of the police, ambulances, and fire trucks. The firefighters were hard at work putting out the fires. The EMT's were helping the injured, and the police were doing both search, and rescue as well as trying to find the bomber. Sam, and Bucky immediately went into action, helping the injured, and searching, asking if anyone had seen this man before, during, or after the bomb went off.
Not a single person saw him, but soon enough the police had caught someone attempting to flee the scene. Bucky, and Sam ran over to the officers.
"This him? Is this the bomber?" Sam asked.
"Captain America!?" The cops were stunned to see him.
"We believe so, he was caught running out one of the back doors." The officers explained. Sam noted the man has dark hair, and brown eyes. He pulled up Curt's photo.
"Do you know him?" He asked the culprit. The man shook his head, but once he noticed Bucky standing behind Sam, he began to nod. Sam glanced at Bucky.
"You recognize him?" Sam asked. The man nodded. Sam stepped aside, and Bucky stepped forward. The man tried to wriggle out of the officer's custody. He was clearly afraid.
"Let's try this again." Bucky said firmly.
"Who is this?" He asked, holding up his phone with the Facebook profile.
"Says Curt." The man shrugged.
"Not what we asked." Sam chimed in.
"Do you know who this guy is?" Bucky asked again. The man shook his head before glancing at the ground. Bucky was getting annoyed. Reaching up he grabbed the man's neck firmly with his vibranium hand. The man, and the officers flinched. Sam held up his hand so the officers wouldn't see Bucky as a threat. Bucky wasn't going to hurt the man, his grip was a bit firm, but not enough to cause harm.
"Come on man, don't make this harder than it has to be who is he?"
"Curt. His name is Curt, or at least that's the name he gave us."
"Us?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. Everyone else got out already, and are going to meet Curt."
"Everyone else?" Bucky didn't like that. From the sound of it this Man they were hunting was far from alone.
"Where are they meeting?" Sam asked. The man grinned.
"You know where." He smirked, and Bucky let go. He turned around, and began to run off. Sam turned to follow when the man shouted.
"You will never be Captain America!" Sam, and Bucky both stopped in their tracks, and looked back at him.
"Sam." Bucky ran back to his friend. Sam felt a bit of a sting with that. The man then glared at the two of them.
"Hail Hydra." He smirked before doing something Bucky hadn't seen for a long while. The man bit down on Something in his mouth before going limp. The officers watched him sink to the floor. He was convulsing, and foaming from the mouth.
"Poison." Bucky said. The officers knelt down, but the man died almost instantly.
"Coward!" One of the officers shouted at the corpse.
"Hydra agents used to end their lives when they got caught with a capsule of poison they hid in their mouths." Bucky explained.
"We gotta go." Sam said. Bucky nodded, and the two ran off. Instead of using the car, Sam's wings spread out. More like an eagle than a falcon now. He flew off towards the house as fast as he could. Bucky stopped for only a moment to watch as Sam blocked out the sun for an instant. He was incredible in Bucky's eyes, and always left him in awe. Bucky climbed into the car, and sped off.
                                          ~
Meanwhile, Zemo was at the house with Sarah, and the boys. A.J was playing a video game. Zemo was coloring with Cass in the kitchen, and Sarah was putting away some dishes she'd just washed when she heard a noise.
"Shh!" She hushed Zemo, and Cass's giggling suddenly. They grew quiet. Zemo stood up, and stepped over to Sarah.
"Did you hear that?" She asked softly. Zemo shook his head, but was now on edge.
"I think someone is here." Sarah whispered. Zemo nodded. They immediately went into action. Zemo singled Cass to keep quiet with a finger to his lip, and they went to the living room together to get his brother. A.J left the game on, but got up, and stood close to them. Sarah went to her room, and found the hidden safe in the back of her closet. It was her husband's. She put in the numbers on the combination lock, and opened the door. Inside was her husband's hand gun. She was hesitant. She had never once opened it, nor did she often go through his things.
She sighed, and picked up the pistol. Zemo, and the boys waited at the bottom of the stairs for her. Sarah came down, and handed the gun to Zemo.
"Stay behind me, and stay quiet." Zemo whispered.
"Do you have a plan?" Sarah asked softly.
"We move quickly to the truck, and get out of here." Zemo replied. As they began to walk slowly through the house. The sound of several windows breaking was heard.
"Get down!" Zemo said loudly, but in a hushed tone. The boys immediately dropped to the floor. Sarah crouched down behind Zemo, and smoke began to fill the house. Slowly Zemo crawled through the living room with Sarah, and the boys behind him. The four of them leaned against the wall under one of the windows. Zemo covered his nose, and mouth with the crook of his elbow, and instructed the others to do the same. He wasn't sure how long the boys could stay in there with all the smoke.
There are at least four. Zemo thought as he recounted how many windows he heard breaking. Zemo then reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out his mask. The boys watched in awe as he put it on. Just as he did, a man climbed in through the broken window above them. Due to the smoke, he couldn't see them. He stepped over to the tv, and noted the gaming console still on. Zemo singled the boys to close their eyes, and cover their ears. Silently he stood up. Sarah held onto her boys. All three of them had their eyes closed, and the boys covered their ears tightly.
Zemo lifted his arm, gun pointed at the man. He hesitated only a moment because of the presence of the boys. The man turned around, and flinched when he saw Zemo, and then Zemo fired two rounds into the man's chest. Sarah, and the boys jumped at the loud sound that could still be heard even with their ears covered.
"Go!" Zemo shouted as he ran over to the door, and opened it. Sarah, and the boys ran out towards the truck. Zemo followed as more men came running to the sound of the gun fire. Zemo's intuition kicked in quickly.
"Wait!" He shouted, and the group stopped. He motioned them to follow, and they did. The four of them ran behind a tree. The same one that's roots tripped Bucky during the race.
"Down." Zemo ordered. They all got down on the ground just in time for the truck to explode. It was loud. Sarah covered her boys, and they covered their heads with their hands. Debris that was now ablaze flew past them. Zemo peeked out, and watched the truck. The force has sent it up, and onto its back. The cabin was crushed under the weight, and it was now in flames. The smoke rose up into the air. Now what? Zemo thought. I have to take them out. It's the only way we live. I got one, there should only be three now.
"Stay close to me." He said as he stood up. I need to hide them first. Two more men ran into the living room. The man Zemo had shot opened his eyes, and one of the others helped him up.
"Where are they?"
"I don't know. Fucker shot me twice!"
"Check outside, we'll check upstairs." They said before running up. The man Zemo had shot stumbled out of the front door. He was coughing from the smoke. Bullet proof vest. Zemo signed inwardly. This time he lifted his arm, and fired a single shot between the man's eyes. He fell to his knees, and then flat onto the ground. Zemo looked over his shoulder at the boys. Both of them looked absolutely terrified. Tears in their eyes. Zemo felt horrible. He'd just shot, and killed a man in front of them. To protect them yes, but he hated they had to see it. They didn't deserve that. A familiar feeling came over him. Rage. Vengeance. He decided to switch tactics.
"Stay here, stay down, and stay hidden." He said before going back into the house slowly, arms raised, holding the gun with both hands. He disappeared into the smoke. It was then Sarah realized something. They came here somehow. She began looking around for a car. She got up slowly, and motioned the boys to follow. Slowly she led them down the long driveway. It's gonna be away from the house. She thought as she looked around near the trees. It's probably hidden.
                                           ~
Inside Zemo was showing no mercy to these men. He managed to find a pair of them sweeping the upper floor. He was crouched on the stairs waiting like a cat hunting a mouse. The first man's back was to him, and he pounced. The man choked as Zemo's arm wrapped around his neck, gun to the man's temple. His partner ran out into the hall, and he aimed his gun at Zemo. The man Zemo had captured, dropped his gun to the floor as he was losing oxygen from the choke hold.
"Don't." He gasped.
"Don't sh-shoot." He begged his friend. The other man wasn't sure what to do now. Zemo quickly moved the gun from the captive man's head, and pointed it at the man across the hall. He fired two shots into the man's knees dropping him to the floor, before releasing the man he held. Zemo lifted his leg, and kicked his prisoner squarely in the back, before shooting him in the back of his neck as he stumbled forward. He fell onto his knees clawing his throat as blood poured from the wound. The second man still on the floor watched as his partner choked, and suffocated on his own blood before he died. Zemo crossed the hall now standing over the still living victim.
"Is that what they taught you in EKO Scorpion, Sokovian?" The man groaned. Zemo didn't expect to hear that. Zemo didn't respond. He raised his arm ready to fire.
"Hail Hydra." Was the final words the man spoke before Zemo fired a single shot into his forehead. I knew it. Zemo thought as he crept back down the stairs. One more. He made his way through the living room, and noted the door to the basement was open. He made his way down. He saw a rather large man in the laundry room.
                                          ~
"There." Sarah found the car. Pulled over into the grass, near the edge of the trees. The car was old, and rusting. It was mat gray, there were two symbols painted on the driver side of car with white spray paint. One she didn't recognize. A skull with tentacles coming out of it. The other she did recognize. The symbol the flag smashers had used. She walked around to the driver side with the boys and noted the swastika on that side of the car. Along with a confederate flag sticker on the back window, and white supremsist symbols, and anti lgbtq+ stickers. Any kind of hate imaginable seemed to be present on the vehicle. Her skin crawled, and her stomach felt sick. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Every fiber of Sarah's being warned her of how much danger they were in, and who these people that had attacked her home were. Nazi's... It hit her then. Hydra, they came for Bucky. Now she felt fear not only for herself, and her children, but for her brother, and her friends. She noted the keys in the car. She grabbed the door handle, and just as she had heard the snapping of twigs behind her.
"Mom!" A.J grabbed her sleeve. She turned around, and saw two men step out from the woods.
"I told you we shouldn't have had a smoke break. The one man said. His hair was buzzed. The other was dressed in camouflage, and had a long beard. He was missing several teeth.
"Hands up sweetheart." The buzz cut ordered as both men pointed their guns at the family.
"Start walking." They ordered, and began to march Sarah, and the boys back up to the house. The bearded man spoke into a walkie talkie.
"Got the sister, and kids. Over."
"Copy that." Came a response. Sarah, and the boys walked back up the driveway with their hands up.
                                     ~
  Zemo aimed the gun at the back of the larger man's head. The man was checking the washing machines in case the boys were hiding in them when suddenly a voice on his walkie talkie said.
"Got the sister, and the kids. Over." Zemo's heart almost stopped. Got. What did that mean? No. No, not again.
"Copy that." The large man said. His voice was deep as expected. He seemed to be some sort of bodybuilding meat head. The rage in Zemo built, he was about to pull the trigger when he heard footsteps behind him. Shit! he spun around on his heels, and fired a shot. He missed. Rather than hitting the fifth man whom he had no idea was in the house, the bullet went into the vent. The larger man turned around when he heard the noise. Zemo put up his arm's defensively as the man before him threw a punch. Zemo stumbled back into the larger man who Simply grabbed Zemo by the back of his coat's furry collar.
"Time for a nap." The other man said before striking Zemo hard on the temple with the butt of his gun. The larger man drug Zemo out of the house by his coat collar.
"Got him." The smaller man grinned as they tossed Zemo on the ground, and cuffed his hands behind his back.
"Little miss here thought she was being slick. She tried to steal the car, and escape." The man with the buzz cut told them.
"The sokovian wasn't easy. He killed three of us."
"Yeah, but we got him. They died doing their jobs." The bearded man glared down at zemo. Sarah, and the boys were on their knees with their hands up.
"Boss. We're ready for you." The larger man said into his walkie talkie. Not a moment later, a black car came up the driveway. It stopped, and Curt stepped out.
"Very good." He clapped his hands together.
"Captain America's sister." He grinned.
"We've met again."
"What do you want?" Sarah glared, before being struck in the cheek by the back of someone's hand. She gasped, and toppled over.
"Mom!" The boys cried out. Curt held up his hand to halt any assault from his men.
"I'll be the one asking the questions." He smiled. Zemo's eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurry, but he could have sworn he heard Hieke shouting, and Carl calling him. He opened his eyes, and saw Sarah. Her check was red. He saw the boys crying. He pulled himself up to his knees, and noted his hands were cuffed behind his back. He began to struggle. Curt looked at him, and grinned.
"Take that stupid thing off." He ordered. The larger man pulled Zemo's mask from his face, and tossed it in the grass. There was a shallow cut on his forehead that was bleeding.
"Where is the winter soldier?" Curt asked Zemo.
"The winter soldier is gone." Zemo answered. Curt smirked.
"No he's not. I just saw him in New York. Twice. Once I saw him. With you."
"You said you didn't know me just the other day." Zemo  glared.
"I lied the same as you." He smirked.
"Where is the winter soldier?"
"As if you don't know." Zemo grinned.
"You know exactly where he is. He's coming here now. That's why you approached Sarah, and I. You wanted Sam, and James to go looking for you, so you could attack us, and lure them back into a trap."
"You got me." Curt laughed.
"The thing is. I've realized I'm missing a few. You killed them. I'm outnumbered now. The five of us can't take the super soldier, and Wilson alone. They're avengers. They'll wipe the floor with us, but I think we've sent a good message here. We've got they're full attention now." Curt hummed.
"Are we switching things up?" The bearded man asked.
"Yeah. Yeah we are."
"What are you trying to do?" Sarah glared at them.
"You came here, and destroyed my home looking for Bucky. He's on his way here, and now you're running like cowards." She said trying to make them stay as she knew they were not a match for Sam, and Bucky together. Zemo tried to shush her, but it was too late. She'd already said it. Curt crouched down, and grabbed Sarah's chin.
"Well, aren't you testy?" He grinned. Before giving the large man a single. With his fingers. The larger man grabbed Cass by the neck, and lifted him up.
"No!" Sarah jumped up, and was quickly pinned to the ground but the bearded man. The fourth man stood behind Zemo, gun pointed to the back of his head. The man with the buzzed hair laughed, and A.J stood up. Curt pointed his own gun at A.J.
"Don't be a hero kid."
"Stop!" Zemo shouted.
"Please don't hurt them!"
"Are you gonna follow my orders then?" Curt looked down at him.
"Yes! Anything you want!" The fear was prominent in his eyes. He meant it. Cass was gagging, and kicking his legs struggling to get free.
"Stand up." Curt ordered. Zemo stood up, and Curt singled the large man to let Cass go. He dropped the boy onto the ground. Cass immediately crawled into his brother's arms.
"Take him to the car." Curt ordered. The larger man once again grabbed Zemo by the back of his coat, and pulled him off towards the car. Curt followed with the other three men behind him. Guns still aimed at the family to discourage them from following. Sarah glared at them, and held her boys closely. The large man shoved Zemo into the back of the car. Curt, and one of the others got
Into the front. The other three went to take the second car. Zemo looked over his shoulder at Sarah, and the boys as they drove off.