HUNTED ~ STEVE ROGERS [2]

Chapter Twenty

I ran through the upper hallways, my left arm hanging loosely by my side. I was too angry to cry about Tim, but I was sure when it hit me, I would break down.

If I survived, that is.

"Maria, Rumlow started the launch. I couldn't stop him," I said into my comms, grunting as my arm bumped against my side and started a whole new wave of pain.

"Yeah, I know. Steve and Sam are on it now," Maria sounded desperate, and I could see why.

"I'm going after Rumlow. He's trying to get up to Pierce," I said, turning corners and avoiding an inevitable fight with HYDRA for as long as possible.

"You do that. If you can't, I'm sure Nat will be able to take him down for you." I pictured Maria smirking. Of course, it was only then I remembered that Nat was in fact, disguised as Councilwoman Hawley, and was now alone with Pierce and the rest of the WSC.

If they were still alive, that is.

There was other voices babbling across the comms, but I chose to ignore them. Sam, or Falcon as he liked to call himself, and Steve were working on stopping the carriers, but I don't think that they were getting anywhere. I could hear jet engines and explosions in the background, and the others communicating across the comms.

I rounded a corner, and come face to face with Jack Rollins, fellow STRIKE team member and definite HYDRA agent.

He looked me over and saw the blood dripping from my arm and onto the floor.

"Wheres Rumlow?" He asked, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"He's gone up to find Pierce," I replied, gritting my teeth. I was sure he thought I was HYDRA, otherwise he would have taken me out by now.

He nodded, and once again looked at me limp arm.

"You still good?" he said.

"Yeah, I'm good," I grunted.

"I heard Agent 13 got the control room, thought we could go and take a look," he grinned, and winked at me.

Oh, sweet, young Jack Rollins. You poor, unfortunate soul. You chose the wrong side.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I replied, smiling back at him. Just like a typical male, he walked in front of me, taking the lead.

That's when I kicked him in the back of the knees.

In his left knee, I felt something crack and he went down with a very unmanly scream. I leapt on him, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around his own neck, and then wrenching him up so he was kneeling with his back pressed against my stomach. He wriggled, trying to get out of my grip, and even though tears pricked my eyes at the burning pain in my arm I didn't let him go.

"You'll all fall. ALL OF YOU!" he screamed, and he would have collapsed to the ground if I hadn't been holding him up.

"I liked you Jack. But you chose wrong," I said through tight lips.

I felt him reach for his gun, and before he could do a thing, my hands burned white hot, and with a sigh I let him slump to the floor, a sizzling hole seared right through the middle of his neck.

"Two down, one to go," I heard Maria say in the comms. I sniffed once and wiped the tears away from my face.

"I'm free to help. Rollins is,_ I paused and looked at his body on the ground. "Rollins is down. No clue where Rumlow went."