Night Flyer

Chapter 28

   Steve collapsed against the wall, clutching his arm, grinding his teeth to keep from passing out. Three long scratches ran down his forearm, blood oozing out and dripping down onto the floor. The cuts were deep, like they were made with a knife, each one open and bloody. Steve told himself Namara hadn't mean to do this, that she'd panicked and lashed out. 

  "Steve, what in God's name?" Natasha gasped, kneeling down next to him. "Did you get attacked by a freaking panther or something?"

  "Something like that," Steve grunted.

 Natasha grabbed a gauze pad from her bag, pressing it against his arm to staunch the bleeding. "Let's get those stitched up."

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  An hour later Steve was in a truck, driving down a road he knew Namara would take. She'd have tried to get to the woods, Namara could survive there and she'd be hard to track. She had also managed to steal his motorcycle.

  He scratched absently at the three sets of stitches running down his forearm.

 Catching sight of his motorcycle, Steve slammed on the brakes of the truck. It screeched to a halt, and he jumped out. 

  His motorcycle was in the same condition as when he'd last seen it. There was a piece of paper taped to the seat. 

 Steve ripped it off, and recognized Namara's handwriting. It was spiky, rough, and jagged- like whoever had been writing it had been in the midst of a seizure. 

 Steve- I'm sorry I stole your motorcycle. I can't drive a car so I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry I clawed you, I didn't mean to. But I won't let Jay go back to SHIELD, won't let either of us go back in a cage. Thanks for always being so nice to me, even if I was being a whiny little twit. Don't try to find me.

- Namara 

  Steve folded the note carefully, tucking it into his jacket pocket. He sighed, sitting down on the seat of the motorcycle. Namara was gone, and Steve knew that even if he did try to find Namara, he never would. But someone else might, would it be better for Steve to be the one to find Namara and Jay?

   Steve flipped his phone out, scrolling through his numbers until he found the one he needed. He stared out at the empty road while he waited for someone to answer the phone. 

  "Hello? Steve?" Bucky's voice came crackling through the phone.

 "Hey Buck. Listen, remember Namara?"

"The kid with the same eyes as one of our Huskies?"

"Yeah."

 "What about her?"

  Steve heard a wracking cough from the other end of the line, it was Willow. "Bucky, is Willow okay?"

 "She's fine, Willow says to tell you to worry about yourself, seeing as your a 95 year old war hero and your still single. Anyway, what happened to Namara?"

 "She rescued a kid from HYDRA custody, when SHIELD tried to take them both back into custody, she grabbed Jay and ran for it. I thought she might come to you guys."

"No. If we see her, we'll call you. Good luck Steve."

"Thanks Buddy. I'll drive up to see you and Willow soon."

  Steve closed the phone, stowing it in his jacket. He wouldn't go looking for Namara, wouldn't try and expose her or Jay.