Leave Me Bleeding [Winter Soldier] I

Obey [Chapter 12]

"When you are pushed, killing is as easy as breathing."

-John Rambo from "Rambo"

2014

              She shifted in her seat as she was driven down a long winding road. The clothing that she wore was dark, so she could blend into the night when she needed. The HYDRA agent driving the vehicle said nothing. She spoke only when her target changed course. With swiftness, they were gaining on their mark. 

               "He stopped," she said, her Russian accent strong. She cocked her head to the side, eyeing the GPS. It said no names, no road or city - she was not allowed to know where she was. But it didn't matter. She could find the target nonetheless. Her gloved hand reached out and pointed at a spot on the map. "Here." 

               The agent nodded, and the GPS told them when to turn. The Huntress sat back against the seat now, knowing she did not need to continue tracking actively. Lingering in the target's head meant that she would know if he chose to move again, but didn't need to see his memories, feel his emotions. It somehow always hurt more when they didn't know they were being hunted.

                It was dark when they pulled down a driveway with the headlights off. The crackle of rocks below the tires the only giveaway they arrived. A large house loomed over them, a few lights on throughout the lower floors. When the vehicle stopped, the agent unlocked the doors, allowing the Huntress to step out. She walked with quick and quiet steps, entering the unlocked house. Jovial sounds surprised her, but she kept going, weaving through furniture without a sound. As she turned the corner, she saw a man pouring wine into two separate glasses sitting atop a table with glowing candles.

                 "Anna-" her target stopped speaking as he noticed the presence entering the room was not the woman he expected to see. "Who the hell are you?"

                 She felt his fear bubble up, so she quickly lifted her gun she hardly noticed in her hand, and pulled the trigger. He yelped and stumbled back, dropping the bottle. Red liquid gushed from the broken bottle, and from his chest. The Huntress stared at him as the life left his eyes.

                A scream came from behind The Huntress. She turned and saw a woman with her hands covering her face. "Oh god, Jason!" 

               The Huntress cocked her head to the side; was she supposed to kill her as well? She supposed she was, there should never be witnesses. But she was not listed on The Huntress's kill order. Something inside of her told her to let her go. The woman ran to Jason when The Huntress made no move to offer her the same fate. Even as The Huntress was being driven away from the property, she knew nothing would absolve her of what she did, but that tonight showed that she wasn't just a hunter.

               Every time she killed someone, a part of her died. She hoped by sparing this woman, she could clutch onto some semblance of humanity.

***

              The Huntress and the Winter Soldier were trained, skilled HYDRA weapons. He was a man with a mission, and when given a task, he completed it with no questions asked. Never had he failed; she had heard them say that he had shaped the world. His purpose was to serve HYDRA, and to remove the threats that would risk revealing them to the virtuous public.

             She was the first puzzle piece for each mission, locating their target or targets with ease so that HYDRA did not have to waste their time digging, and the Winter Soldier didn't have to waste his time following cold leads or bad intel. Together they would be a lethal team; he was their asset and she was their huntress. HYDRA was still a secret, undercover, growing insidiously throughout SHIELD bases around the world. They had enough intel to last them years, intel SHIELD wouldn't want anyone to know.