Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 34

Something shifted within Ruth. It was a tilt toward who she once was, a leaning. The USB seemed to burn a hole in her pocket, the guilt for this kind of lie against Bucky still a new feeling. She knew something had to be done, that she would have to do something to make all this right, to make sure it doesn't happen again. Ruth knew what she had to do.

    Ruth and Bucky walked into the control room at the head of the carrier, light illuminating, filling the room from the windows making up the front end of the carrier, an agent Ruth had seen but not formally met stood at the controls.

    Standing on the lower deck, Natasha and Sam looked back to Bucky and Ruth, their mouthes in a tight line, arms crossed.

    "Look who's back," Sam remarked.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Bucky asked, taking off his coat.

    "Ruth, I think you should go talk to Steve and Tony. They're in the lab," Natasha said before looking back out the windows.

    Ruth furrowed her brows, looking up to Bucky, wondering what the heck was going on.

    "Come on," He said to her, keeping a hesitant eye out for Sam and Nat, heading towards the lab.

    "Hey Steve," Ruth said as her and Bucky walked into the lab. "Is everything alright?" She walked over to the two of them as they stood beside Tony's main computer.

    "Sam and Nat seem to be a little off," Bucky added.

    Steve shared the same expression. Cold, distant. "Before Kal left, she named a file from Ruth's time at the facility." He looked to Ruth, "Do you recognize the date?"

    Ruth felt her stomach churn, what did they see? "No," she started, "Wasn't it sometime in June?"

    "June 23rd, 2011. Do you know the date? The mission?" Steve asked.

    Ruth thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, Steve. I don't. I'm sure if you told me the mission I would remember—"

    "Maybe this will jog your memory," Tony interrupted, typing away at his computer, bringing up a file that contained a video.

    Ruth's heart rate quickened as she turned her focus to the screen.

    On the video she saw herself sat at a table across from two people. Men. Their faces tough, worn down. Ruth recognized them as Russian intelligence officers that came by the facility every now and then.

    One of the Russian men spoke up first, "Why should we trust you with anything that we have miss, uh—"

    "Ruth," She finished.

    "Ruth. Why you? Why this facility?"

    "We've worked with you for quite sometime now Mr. Morozov. We've given you information, and you've returned the favor. You know we're reliable, and you know the power we have." Ruth spoke assuredly, her words smooth. "Why do you doubt us?"

    "What we have is..." He glanced to his partner next to him. "Invaluable."

    "The problem is, Morozov, you'll get nowhere without us, but we can get by just fine without you. Things will just get a little...messier. We prefer to work cleanly. If you don't give us the information we need now, we'll buy it from someone else." She gave the smallest smile, getting the men to soften up. "You don't want to give up on this opportunity."

    There was a pause, the apprehension in Morozov's eyes clear. He looked to his partner before speaking, "The exchange is still what we discussed?"