In the Arms of Justice

Chapter Seventeen

Terrified as you had felt since stepping into the office, your blood ran even colder now upon hearing this threat. Time slowed to a crawl. It felt like hours had passed when in reality, only minutes.

"What?" you gawked in fear. "You want me to...come with you?"

"That's right. You wanna save your friends? Come quietly and I'll spare them," he spoke matter-of-factly.

Heart hammering in your chest, you placed your hands on the back of the office chair, steadying yourself. Mind finally beginning to function in survival mode, you considered your options. Screaming for help would have people rushing in, but he was probably faster. He could strike you down and then take even more lives in a desperate attempt at escape. On the other hand, refusing to come with him would prolong the ordeal and agitate him, possibly leading to a similarly bloody scenario.

He was right. Coming quietly was the only way. Better to sacrifice the one for the lives of many, you thought. Your stomach churned with fear, feeling the blood drain from your face even further. You didn't want to die. A pair of warm, piercing blue eyes flashed in your mind followed by the memory of a kind smile and soft lips brushing your own. Could it only be this morning that you woke up in his arms?

Thoughts of Bucky gave you a tiny bit of comfort. You were grateful for the time you'd had together and the knowledge that he would stop at nothing to catch Rumlow. Especially after...

You swallowed thickly, gathering your resolve before replying. "Okay."

He raised his eyebrows in gleeful surprise. "Smart girl. I knew I could count on you," he said, flashing that sickening grin of approval.

"Where....where are we going?" you dared to ask, but not expecting a truthful answer.

He chastised you almost playfully with a grin. "Ah ah ah...no spoilers. First of all, you come over here. It seems we don't have much time, thanks to you," he gestured forward with the knife before pocketing it, maintaining a subtle grip upon the handle.

On shaky legs, you slowly made your way around the desk toward him. Beckoning with his free hand, he lightly gripped your arm once you were finally in reach. You nearly gagged at the feeling of those calloused fingers upon your skin once again.

"That's it, sweetheart. You try anything...offer a hint to anyone on the way out and things'll get messy," he spoke in a low growl, murderous anger barely contained.

With a shaky intake of breath, you nodded.

"Alright then. You walk us out of here, say whatever you can to convince them why we're leaving, and you get us to the elevator. I'll be close behind you and I'll be watching," he threatened, yanking on your arm hard enough to force you to face him.

You yelped in surprise, his grip tight on your upper arm. "I won't say anything. I...I promise," you tried to assure him.

"That's a good girl," he said as he released you, then nodding for you to open the door.

Hand on the door knob, you rolled your shoulders back and held your head high. Acting confident is the best way to sell a lie, even though you thought you might be sick at any moment. Flipping the knob to unlock, you opened the door and stepped into the hallway, feeling his dark presence following close behind. You took a few steps before Natasha saw you and started to approach.

"Y/N, is everything alright? I heard from..."

You cut her off sharply. "It's fine, Natasha. Mr. Kopecky and I are on good terms now. He actually has some documents of his aunt and uncle's that we can use. He left them in his car, but got turned around in the building so I offered to escort him down. We'll return shortly," you nodded at her, with a hopefully convincing smile.

"But your phone, there was a..."

"Don't worry about that," you rambled on, placing a hand on her arm. "I'll take care of it when I get back. Thank you, though. I won't be long," you met her eyes briefly, seeing her puzzled expression.

You walked on swiftly before she could respond, occasionally nodding at co-workers and other staff as you passed through the long hallway with your evil shadow in tow. Just as you turned the corner toward the elevators, you nearly collided with a man in a suit, a kind grin upon his face.

"Y/N! We've missed you the past few days. I hope whatever kept you away has been resolved," he offered with a smile that crinkled his eyes.

"Mr. Lang, I, um...yes. I hope so, too," you forced a smile, hating to brush past him in your hurry but you were so close. "You'll hear about it soon enough. I'm on an errand right now, though. Excuse me."

Finally reaching the elevators, you paused to see Rumlow step forward and press the down button. Within seconds a ding was heard and you stepped inside, watching the doors close and you finally exhaled. Once again, he chose your destination which in this case was the parking garage. You found yourself collapsing against the railing, feeling tears pool in your eyes. All those people...your co-workers, turned friends...Natasha, Scott, so many others...you'd never see them again. No proper goodbyes allowed.

"Hey, don't get soft on me now," he spoke in a gruff voice, pulling on your elbow roughly to make you stand. "You're not quite done yet."

You tried to pull yourself together again, brushing a knuckle under each eye to prevent the tears from falling. He stood close behind you, his breath disgustingly warm upon your neck. The elevator ride took a few minutes with people stepping on and then off from different floors. By the time you reached the lowest level of parking, you were alone with him again.

Another ding was heard and the doors opened, revealing the cement-covered parking garage. You took a step or two forward when suddenly there was rush of movement and the shouting of voices as dozens of people in uniform swarmed before you. In response, Rumlow grabbed you from behind with a strong arm around your waist, pinning your arms to your sides. You felt the sharp point of the knife piercing into your back, making you gasp.

The elevator doors had closed behind you, so Rumlow was trapped. He used the slightly recessed doors to hide himself, then also using you as basically a human shield. Ahead, you could now see police officers in bullet-proof vests with guns raised, NYPD boldly displayed in white across their chests. And there, front and center, was your Detective Barnes.

"Brock Rumlow, you're surrounded. Drop your weapon and let the girl go," he demanded with authority, his hard eyes trained on the man. His gaze softened slightly as he met your eyes. A sob of fear and also relief burst from your throat upon seeing him.

Behind you, Rumlow cursed and fidgeted, trying to find a way out. "I'll kill her! You let us get into a car and drive away or I gut her like a fish."

You flinched at his words, but careful of movement, aware of the precarious placement of his knife.

"I can't let you do that, Rumlow. Let her go and we'll talk," the detective said in a calmer voice. He was in negotiation mode now.

Rumlow held you even tighter, making it difficult for you to breathe. "I didn't do those things! I haven't done anything wrong," he tried to lie to save his own skin.

"Well, if that's true then let her go. Innocent people don't need hostages."

Your captor swore under his breath, now seeing that he wasn't going to win. There was a moment of silence. A stalemate. Bucky held your gaze and you saw the debate running through his mind. If he aimed for Rumlow, he would likely hit you, too, but there was no way he could let him go, either. He needed a distraction. You had to catch Rumlow off guard, gain the element of surprise.

That was when you knew what had to happen. Staring into the brilliant azure stare of the detective, you offered a little smile, followed by the smallest of nods. His eyebrows raised, a flicker of fear upon his face. You inhaled the best you could and then made sure he was watching as you mouthed the following words.

Three...

Two...

One...

"NO!"