Before We Rise

Chapter 22

I watched from a little ways down the street as he leaned over the plum. He picked up one with his hand and turned it over. He looked around as he placed the plum back and moved away from the market. I followed him as he walked across the street.

He picked up a newspaper then looked around again, not noticing me. He started to walk backwards then back onto the busy street. I followed him a little ways, knowing where he was going. I slipped through the short cuts, making it back to the apartment before he did. I slid in through the window as Steve turned to me.

"He's coming." I told him. He nodded.

"Heads up, Cap. Special force Germans coming in from the South." Sam told us from his position on the roof.

"Understood." Steve told him. I looked around the kitchen, seeing protein bars and other odd things. I turned slightly, seeing Bucky looking at me. Steve turned and noticed him also. "Do you know me?"

"You're Steve. She's Riley. I read about you in a museum." Bucky answered.

"They set the perimeter." Sam warned us. I glanced at Steve and saw he was a little stiff. He placed the notebook down that he had in his hands and walked closer to Bucky.

"I know you're nervous and you have plenty of reasons to be. But you're lying." Steve told him.

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore." Bucky explained to us. Steve turned to me and I raised a brow.

"They're entering the building." Sam warned us even more.

"Well the people who think you did, they're coming here, right now. And they're not planning on taking you alive, Bucky." I said his name and he stiffened a little. He looked at me, his jaw hardening.

"That's smart. Good strategy." He said.

"They're on the roof. I'm compromised." Sam told us.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve told him.

"It always ends in a fight." Bucky explained.

"Five seconds." Sam warned.

"You pulled us from the river, why?" Steve asked him, wanting to know.

"I don't know." Bucky said. The look in his eye told me that he knew that he was lying.

"Three seconds." Sam warned further. I reached down and pulled out a knife from my boot. Bucky gave the knife a look and then back to Steve.

"Yes, you do." Steve accused him.

"Breach, breach!" Sam yelled into the ear piece.

Something busted through the window and Steve knocked it away, bouncing it off the wall. It landed in front of Bucky and he kicked it, then Steve placed his shield on top of it as it exploded. Bucky grabbed my arm and yanked me to him, covering me from the bullets that were shot through the wall. He reached over and flipped the table down the hall, blocking the door. Then people started to come through the windows.

I punched the man next to me then round house kicked him. He fell back but got back up. Bucky punched him and he fell onto another guy, knocking them both down. Bucky moved me forward as the kitchen door busted open and Steve grabbed the man's gun. Bucky kicked the man in the hip and he went flying back.

"Buck, stop!" Steve yelled. Steve grabbed onto Bucky's jacket and he twirled under Steve's arm. "You're going to kill someone." Bucky slammed Steve on the ground and punched the floor next to his head.

"I'm not going to kill anyone." Bucky told him as he yanked up a bag from the hole in the floor. Guess he was prepared for this kind of thing. He chucked it out the window and I'm guessing to the other building.