Scorpia

Chapter 9

"All right team, huddle up! We've finally located Vasquez. He's in a compound, on a remote island, off the coast of Brazil. This is going to be in and out. But that does not mean that it will be easy, which is why we're going in with the whole team. Your assignments are in the dockets in front of you. Wheels up in 30. Dismissed." Steve is even more in command than usual. He gets like that when running on less than 3 hours of sleep, according to Tony.

After running up to my room to get dressed and pack my weapons, I'm strapped into my seat near the back of the quinjet, quietly dosing. I'm jarred awake by the sound of Nat announcing that we are 12 minutes out. I rub the sleep from my eyes and yawn, willing the grogginess from my mind as I go over my inventory of weapons. I'm supposed to stick close to Steve and Bucky as we clear the compound and search for Vasquez.

Nat lands the jet in a small clearing about a mile from the compound and lowers the ramp. By some miracle, we manage to sneak right up to the compound walls and get inside without a hitch. From there it's a little bit more difficult. The teams all split off in separate directions with Steve, Bucky and I taking the central corridor.

We had only gone a few hundred yards when metal doors clamped down around us and the space started to fill with noxious smelling gas, making my throat burn and my eyes water. Steve and Bucky were trying to beat down the metal, but it was all in vain. The edges of my vision were starting to go dark as I choked on air. "Bucky..." I gasp out before my world goes dark.

When I finally manage to wake up again, it's probably hours later. My body aches, my mouth tastes like cardboard, my airways hurt, and my eyes are itchy. I go to rub them but stop short when I realize I can't move. I slowly blink my eyes open. I'm in some sort of damp cell, the smell of decay is heavy on the air. I'm chained to a hard wooden chair. There is a table in front of me, and on the other side, the man I had hoped to never see again.

"Hello, my dear. Welcome to the race..."