Hello Captain (Steve Rogers)

plans

Brazil
Sarah's POV

On the way back to our rooms, I captured footage of our empty rooms to use for looping and jammed the bugs so we'd be able to talk privately. I messaged Hunter and Bobbi, telling them to meet in our room and showed it to Clint, who nodded. We all walked into mine and Clint's room and they looked at me. I waited a moment until the door was closed and Tripp and Ward had taken up their positions in the hallway.

"I have the video on loop and only static's coming from the bugs. What is the plan for the next two days?"

"We will be mostly be inside because of the weather, probably drinking and playing cards in the afternoons. In the mornings, Hunter and I will be doing some training while you ladies work on getting info from their women," Clint stated quietly.

"Malika already confirmed that all three Middle Easterners are Ten Rings members," I said, earning a few raised eyebrows. "And to top it off - Sahib is in charge of them now. Did you learn anything useful from the men?"

"Only that there's some need for what we're selling," said Clint, rubbing his temples. "Some of the buyers coming in are not Ten Rings and they intend to outbid the others. If this were a normal deal, I'd be worried about a double cross just because of the stakes involved."

"Same here," said Hunter, crossing his arms. "We aren't exactly known for having a lot of brawn behind us. This cargo will raise some eyebrows, and not only because of the escort."

"This truce between Cesar and the new Sahib - is it legit?" Bobbi asked

"We'll see what happens," replied Clint. "I knew him when he was very young. He's very different from his father and is used to working for what he wants. Word is that he's well connected – his mother's tribes all back him as well as his wife's people. He's very charismatic and intelligent – you saw how he worked the room today. He's a little hot-tempered, but it's still excused on the basis of his youth."

"Khan?" I asked.

"I'd trust an adder before I'd trust him," Hunter remarked.

"I fully expect him to try to get revenge for the set-down I gave him today." said Clint. "I'm not convinced his loyalties truly lie with the Rings. He seems more like he's working for his own profit."

"He still wants you bad, Maria," said Bobbi. "I don't know what he's planning, but take care around him."

"I can handle myself," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Just remember to be helpless," Hunter said. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

"Release the CC loop and bugs," Clint ordered with a grin. "Keep up the good job, people - only two more days to go."

"Ten seconds," I said, tapping at my phone. The loop dropped and we walked into the room. "Look at this radar. I can't believe how fast this storm blew in, Ronin."

"Yeah," said Clint. "They really need the rain here, though. It's been rather dry for the past two months." He shrugged his jacket off and set it on a chair.

"Oh goody," said Bobbi. "That means it's going to be a sticky, muddy mess. I hate the mud here."

"I'm just glad we're not halfway up a mountain this time for an acquisition. Remember Colombia a couple years back?" said Hunter, shivering involuntarily. Bobbi's face softened as she put her arms around him and he pulled her close, burying his face in her long hair.

"I hope to never have to see that up close again." Clint's face was bleak as I came up to him, placing one hand alongside his face, the other on his chest. His haunted eyes met mine. "We were less than 10 feet away from being swept down the mountain in a mud slide from the flooding. If I hadn't tied off moments before and swung us over, we wouldn't have made it." He put one hand over mine and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my palm as he pulled me to his chest.