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sjsmith56 · 3 months ago

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On the Road

Summary: Bucky takes a witness to a murder on the road to keep her safe. Over the long trip, they become close.

Length: 9.8 K (I know, it’s a long one.)

Characters: Bucky Barnes, named OFC, Sam Wilson, Yelena Belova.

Warnings: Memories of Bucky’s time with HYDRA, violence causing injury and/or death.

Author’s notes: Inspired by a song Los Navegantes by Hermanos Gutierrez which had me thinking of spaghetti westerns (also referenced in the story). Bucky definitely has a bit of the vigilante in him.

It had been an hour since Taylor Hollis was brought to the Avengers Tower. Placed into witness protection after she witnessed a mob hit, the Federal Marshals on her detail had little time to prepare for an attack on their safe house. While three of the officers stayed to fight off the attackers, the fourth Marshal successfully managed to get her to a motorcycle stashed in a shed at the back of the property then drove through the thinnest part of the gauntlet where his colleagues had focused their counterattack. He brought her to the safest place he could think of at that moment, Avengers Tower in the heart of Manhattan. After flashing his ID at the security desk, he pulled Taylor forward, asked them to protect her, then collapsed, dying in hospital later from the bullet that pierced his spleen, slowly bleeding to death on the desperate drive into the city.

Now she sat on the couch in the communal living room in the residence section, her trembling hands grasping a cup of tea given to her by Sam. He stood with Bucky and Joaquin out of earshot.

"What have you found out?" asked Bucky.

"They were betrayed," replied Joaquin. "Someone in the Marshal's service gave up their location. Someone wants her dead, which likely means whoever gave their location up was involved in the murder she witnessed."

"Fury spoke to a trusted source, and they want us to take over her security while they try to uncover the mole." Sam shook his head. "She could stay here but I'm guessing they'll try again. His source said not to trust anyone from the Marshal's service."

"I'll take her," offered Bucky. "There are lots of former HYDRA safe houses we can hole up in. They have cash, weapons and functional surveillance systems I can access."

Sam looked doubtful. "Weren't those sites all exposed in the info dump?"

"No, there were just as many off the books as those that were documented." Bucky gestured to her. "You know that I can keep her safer than anyone else here. Bring in a SHIELD agent that's built like me, put a nano mask on his face and arm so they think I'm still here. I'll take a burner phone and check in only with you, Sam. Keep it compartmentalized."

As Bucky laid out his complete plan both Sam and Joaquin nodded their approval, even though there was some risk involved. With Sam leaving to inform Fury and Joaquin continuing to monitor surveillance channels, Bucky approached the woman, who had the thousand-yard stare.

"Hey," he said, calmly, offering her his hand. "I'm Bucky. What's your name?"

"Taylor," she smiled grimly. "What's going to happen to me?"

"We were just discussing that. There's concern that your safe house location was compromised by a mole in the Federal Marshal's service." She looked alarmed. "Not the four that were there but someone higher up who may have been involved in the hit you witnessed."

"Is Jerry, okay? There was so much blood, but he never said a word while he brought me here."

"I'm sorry but he didn't make it. None of them did."

She put her cup down and buried her face in her hands, crying. Bucky shifted to sit next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. As the sobs shook her body he held her, allowing her the time to grieve for the federal agents who died protecting her. Eventually she regained control, and he gave her his handkerchief, telling her to keep it.

"What now?"

He looked at her reddened eyes and swollen cheeks which didn't hide the fact that she seemed like a good person. At that moment he knew why the four Marshals sacrificed themselves for her. It made his offer feel even more righteous.

"I have skills that include staying off the radar," he replied. "You and I are going on the road to some undocumented safe houses. No one will know where we are and I'll only check in with one person, Captain America. We'll stay off the grid as long as we need to. When they arrest the mole, we'll come back in, and I'll stay with you until you testify."

For a moment she glanced away, then she looked back at Bucky.

"How good are you, Mr. Barnes?"

A smile flickered across his face at her using his last name. She knew exactly who he was.

"The best and I'm not bragging. You know who I am and who I was before. I'll protect you as if you were the most important person on Earth. That's my promise."

"When?"

"We need to get some things set up, clothing, transportation, and cash. They won't be here but at a drop off point, although I'll take clothing and weapons from here. We'll use a quinjet in stealth mode to get there. Then we'll be on our own." He looked at his watch. "I think we should leave just after sunset."

"I have nothing with me," she said.

"Don't worry, it's already being taken care of." He took her hand in his right one, squeezing it gently. "Would you like to take a shower or a bath and relax before then?"

Taylor nodded and he stood up, still holding her hand. Taking her to his quarters, he showed her the bathroom, explaining the shower and bathtub controls, then gave her a bathrobe to wear while her clothing needs were sorted out. As he left her there, he came out of his door to find Yelena approaching with an assortment of clothing.

"She's having a shower," he said. "Be kind to her. She's an innocent and feels guilty about the deaths of the Marshals on her detail."

"You're a good man, Yasha," she said. "She needs the best for this, and I know you won't allow anyone to hurt her."

He nodded and sought out Sam. Together they worked out what Bucky wanted; a reliable vehicle that couldn't be hacked or tracked remotely, and any maintenance on it could be done by Bucky, burner phone, $10,000 cash in assorted bills, nothing larger than $20 in denomination, non-perishable foods, camping gear for two, and the weapons that Bucky would choose from the armoury. Anything else could be found in the safe houses or picked up along the way.

"Fury gave a code word for when the mole is arrested and you need to come in," said Sam, handing Bucky a folded piece of paper. He read it and tore it up into bits, then put the pieces in a metal dish and pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lighting it on fire. Even Friday wouldn't know what the code was. Not that Bucky thought it would be needed if the mole used his sources to search for them. Sam then handed him two other devices. "This is a GPS locator. One time use, and then the device scrambles and won't work anymore. If you find yourself in trouble, activate it and stay put. A portal will open to bring help. This other one is a scanner so you can quickly determine if anyone put a tracker on your car. You know the drill."

Bucky nodded. "Stay away from anywhere there are security cameras, no speeding, no drawing attention to myself. I'm going to grow a beard and use a nano sleeve on the arm. I guess I should build a cover story for us."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend taking a trip across America," suggested Sam. "Lots of people do it." He put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Stay safe."

A slight smile was his response, and he headed to the armoury, picking up his preferred selection of weapons, including an M249 Saw, two Glock 17s, two SIG-Sauer P226s, and an assortment of combat knives. He added as much ammunition as he could, then tossed in several holsters the pistols and sheaths for the knives. Zipping it all together, he left it in his locker, making sure his tactical suit was folded up and slid into a carrying case along with his combat boots. From there he went to the operations centre and requested a nano sleeve and a couple of ball caps. After checking the sleeve's function, he placed it back in its storage case, taking it with him. On his return to his quarters, he unlocked the door and announced he was coming in.

"We're all packed," answered Yelena, who was sitting with Taylor on the couch in his living room. She turned to the woman. "You're in good hands with Yasha. He is the best."

After she left, Taylor looked at him. "Yasha?"

"Russian nickname for James," he explained. "I just have to pack some clothes. Are you hungry? We should eat first as it might be a while before we stop."

"I guess I should." She stood up. "How are we going to do this? Every movie I ever saw where an agent had to protect someone, they came up with a cover story in case they were stopped."

"We'll keep it simple," replied Bucky. "Boyfriend and girlfriend taking a road trip, so we'll have to hold hands and be somewhat affectionate when we’re in public. I'm going to stop shaving as my beard should grow in enough to disguise me within a couple of days. We'll use ball caps and sunglasses outside as much as we can. The rest we can talk about on the quinjet, then in the vehicle."

She nodded and followed him to the communal kitchen, where someone had laid out several different orders of takeout. Bucky handed her a plate, but no one asked who she was, as they already knew. It was a quiet meal and Taylor put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher after rinsing them in the sink. Together, she and Bucky returned to his quarters, where she waited while he packed a bag of clothes. Finally, he came out of his room with his things.

"Bring your bag and follow me," he said. "I have to make one stop."

At the locker room, he went inside and got his weapons bag and tac suit bag, handing the former to Sam, who was waiting with Taylor.

"Jesus, did you bring everything?" he grinned.

"Just the essentials," answered Bucky. "Too heavy for you?"

"Too heavy for everyone except the cyborg," he answered.

"Not in front of company, Sam."

Taylor smiled shyly at the banter between the two men, recognizing it as two friends expressing themselves before a mission. They took the elevator to the launch pad for the quinjet, which was invisible, except for where the ramp was lowered, exposing the inside of the aircraft. She touched the invisible edge beside the ramp, her face showing her disbelief that she could feel the metal but just couldn't see it.

"It's cloaked," said Sam. "Just in case anyone is watching. They won't see you take off. The ramp is facing the door so from any other angle it's invisible." They stowed their bags inside, then Bucky sat at the pilot's seat, gesturing to Taylor to sit next to him. She buckled in. "Fury remotely programmed the coordinates of the car. As soon as you're off, enter the Recall command on a timer so it returns here. Take care. Miss Hollis, you're in very good hands."

"That's what I understand," she replied, then she looked at Sam. "Thank you for your kindness."

He smiled, then squeezed Bucky on the shoulder and left the quinjet. The ramp closed and Bucky went through his checklist.

"Ready?"

Nervously, she gripped the arm rest, then laughed at herself as she didn't even feel it lifting into the air. Even as Bucky applied the throttle, it was so smooth that she wondered why all aircraft weren't like this. An inquiry from Air Traffic Control about their flight had Bucky responding in a coded message that took a moment for ATC to answer. When they did, they responded with another code and Bucky was given clearance to a secure altitude.

"We're off their radar," he answered to her unspoken question. "Because of the classified nature of some of our missions, they can't know where we're going. This is one of those situations." He flipped a switch. "That's just to make sure. That repels any attempts to track us by radar." He set a timer and then the automatic pilot. "We've got time to talk now."

For the next hour she told him about being a server in a restaurant in Manhattan, one of two jobs she had. She had just finished her shift then realized she forgot something at the restaurant she needed for her other job. Returning, she went straight to the back room, to retrieve it, then heard several loud pops. Cracking the door open she saw several armed men surrounding a table of men who arrived shortly before she returned. One of them at the table was dead, his head facing sideways on the table. She gasped, a sound that one of the armed men heard. Closing and locking the door, she went out the back and into the alley, trying to stay behind the various dumpsters and garbage cans that blocked the view of anyone coming into the alley. Coming out near a subway entrance, she went down the stairs and used her transit card to get onto the platform, desperately waiting for the next train. As it arrived, she saw several of the same armed men from the restaurant coming down the stairs, looking for her. Trying not to stare she boarded the train and prayed they wouldn't get on. They didn't but when the train passed the men, one of them stared right at her and she realized he knew she saw them.

"I didn't notice that I dropped the package for my other job, but they showed up there, and got my address. I was already at the police station then, filing my witness statement. Right away they called the Federal Marshals, and I never went home after that. That was a week ago."

"Our director thinks one of the men who was there is a mole in the Federal Marshal's Service," said Bucky. "Did anyone have you look at mug shots or employee records?"

She nodded. "They're associated with the Umberto crime family. They didn't mention looking at employee records."

They spoke some more about their cover. It was important that they not spend too much time in a single place ... no more than a few days.

"Do you know how to fire a gun?" he asked.

"Not really," she answered. "My ex was into guns and tried to show me, but he wasn't a very patient man. He made me more nervous than anything."

"Okay, I'm a good teacher and I'd like you to know how, just in case I need you for backup."

An alert sounded and they returned to the cockpit, seeing they were within minutes of their destination. Taking control, Bucky used the sensors on the quinjet to locate the vehicle, its ghostly image showing up on the screen. Another vehicle was nearby, and it flashed its headlights in the Morse code configuration for 73, meaning Best Regards. Bucky flashed a light under the quinjet with CFM for Confirm. He landed, then put his hand on Taylor's arm when she started to rise.

"It's better if they don't see you," he said. "I'll get the keys and anything else that needs to be handed over then send them on their way."

He turned the lights inside down low then went to the ramp and pressed a control to lower it, then raised it again when he was outside. A holographic screen came on in front of Taylor showing him talking to two agents. One of them handed him the keys to the car, while the other gave him a sealed envelope. Then both agents got into their car and drove away. Bucky watched until they were out of sight before he returned to the quinjet and opened the ramp, entering.

"Friday, lights please." He pressed his thumb on an outline on the envelope then waited as the sealant on it dissolved before he opened it. There were several sheets of paper that he scanned quickly. "Looks like they figured out who the mole is. He's a Marshal, John Patterson, who was assigned to guard a witness in another Umberto trial. They were attacked and everyone except him was killed. They did a forensic audit of his finances and found an offshore account using an alias from when he was a regular police officer working undercover. A deposit of $5 million was made three years ago when he was head of the detail for that witness. There was another $2 million deposited last week just before the hit, and $2 million yesterday. He's definitely after you." He heard a gasp from Taylor and looked up. "Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you but it does mean we may have to improvise and change the existing plans a little. If they gave him that kind of money it means they can buy off other law enforcement. Now that he's been identified I have permission to take him out if you're in danger. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a stone-cold killer anymore but if I must, I will."

Together they transferred everything to the Toyota 4Runner, a 2002 model that had no tracker installed. Bucky ran the scanner over it to be sure. Inside the back was everything he asked for. He took some of the money out, placing it in his wallet then put the clothing bags on the back seat, but everything else fit into the back. He also slipped the nano sleeve onto his arm; in case they were stopped for any reason. Finally, they were ready to go and put their seatbelts on.

"I can stay awake for long periods of time so I'm going to drive for as long as I can," he said. "You might as well sleep."

"I'll try," she answered. "Do you know where we are?"

"Yeah, I know exactly where we are, but we'll be far away from here by morning."

She smiled at him, then as he pulled onto the highway, she turned slightly towards him so she could pull her knees up onto the seat. When he looked again her eyes were closed and her breathing steady. It made him feel good inside that she trusted him enough to sleep.

🌅

A hand on Taylor's arm woke her up; she opened her eyes to Bucky's blue ones.

"We're getting close to the safe house," he said. "When we get there, you stay in the vehicle while I check to make sure it's safe for us to go in. Keep the doors locked." He looked at the road again before glancing back at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I usually can't sleep in a car, but I guess I was more tired than I thought."

He pulled into the driveway of an overgrown property and got out. Grabbing a gun, he gestured to Taylor to lock the doors and walked to the door of the house, looking for any signs of a surveillance camera. Not finding one, he examined the door, searching for an input device. He found it behind a false panel that popped its cover when he pressed gently. Looking at the keypad he studied it for several long moments then entered a code based on his memory, certain he had been in this building before. A click, and the door opening confirmed it. Carefully, he stepped inside, placing a chair in the doorway to keep it from locking behind him.

It smelled musty inside and there was a thick layer of dust on everything. The fridge was empty, but the door was propped open and the power to it was off, as was the power to the light switches. After checking every room, Bucky was convinced that the house had sat empty for a long time. Coming out the door, he motioned to Taylor to unlock the vehicle.

"It seems clear," he said. "No power but I'll check to see if it was turned off at the panel. We'll bring the sleeping bags to sleep in, and the camping lanterns if I can't get the power to run."

Together they took some of the food, their clothing, weapons, and the sleeping bags inside. Bucky went back out and switched the vehicle's position closer to a door at the back of the house, in case they couldn't get out the front door. Using one of the camping lanterns he went down to the cellar and found the electrical panel. It was turned off, so he flipped every switch over.

"The lights work!" yelled Taylor from upstairs.

He nodded to himself, then turned on a light switch down there and double checked the cellar. Like the rest of the house, there was no sign of anyone being there for some time, making him wonder if any HYDRA stragglers had already cleaned it out of weapons and cash. Searching the walls for any signs he noticed a shelving unit and stood in front of it, noticing it had a backing. Sliding his fingers along the back edge he found a small depression and pressed it. The shelf moved towards him, revealing a storage room behind. Turning on the light he saw there were heavy drop cloths over everything, and pulled them off, revealing an assortment of weapons.

"Jesus, I've never seen that many weapons in one place," said Taylor, who stepped in behind him. "Who left these here?"

"HYDRA," he replied. "They have places like this all over; some documented, some secret. I knew of many of the secret ones because they wanted me out of the public eye and would bring me there after a mission to lay low until it was safe for us to leave." He picked up a Skorpion sub-machine gun, examining it closely. "I remembered being here and actually fired this one. As soon as the mission was complete, I had to hand everything over to my handler."

He took it and some ammunition, then looked for a gun cleaning kit and two sets of noise canceling headphones, handing those to Taylor. Heading back upstairs, he put the gun and kit on the kitchen table, then looked at her.

"Hungry?"

She nodded, but pointed to the tap. "No water."

"Should be a pump out in the yard," he answered. "Have to let it run for a while and the water will taste metallic but it's potable, at least it was. We can boil it to make sure."

He took care of that, coming back ten minutes later with a full pail of water. He looked through the dehydrated camping meals provided for them and picked out an oatmeal one, then found some instant coffee, a small tin of evaporated milk and some sugar. After boiling some water for ten minutes he poured some into the oatmeal package, stirring it with a spoon that was in a package with the food, and filled their camping bowls. He spooned some coffee into their mugs and poured more water into them. It was quiet as they ate, neither feeling the need to talk. When they were finished, Bucky cleaned the Skorpion while Taylor watched.

"You seem to know what you're doing," she noted.

"I've handled a lot of different firearms," he shrugged. "They're a tool, nothing more. I use them for work, but I don't keep one on me." He grinned slightly. "A knife is a different matter. I always carry one in a custom-made sheath built into my boot." She looked at him questioningly. "It's quiet, better for closeup fighting, and just as deadly for someone that knows how to use it, which I do."

She chuckled and it was his turn to look at her for enlightenment. "That ex I told you about was fixated on guns. He was constantly wanting to go to gun shows and buy the newest thing always saying he was doing it to protect me and the house. I swear that he cared more for them than he did about me. It bothered him that I didn't like having that many guns in the house. Yet, seeing you cleaning this one, and knowing what's sitting in that room below us doesn't seem to bother me like that."

"Did he ever shoot anyone?" Bucky looked directly at her as she shook her head. "I was a sniper in World War II. They called us marksmen but my job with the Howling Commandos was to kill anyone who pointed a gun at Steve Rogers, or any of the other guys on the team. I was good at it, but I didn't like it. Even though I wasn't religious it seemed a sin to kill indiscriminately like that, but it was wartime, and I knew my duty. When HYDRA got their hooks in me, and realized how good I already was, it was like they won the lottery. All those calculations that I needed to work out in my head for trajectory, wind speed, and everything else was so ingrained that all they had to do was add to my arsenal. Every new firearm that came out was brought to me and I was expected to become an expert in it. I couldn't say no or object. It was master it or be punished." He breathed out heavily. "I find that the guys who have never had to pull the trigger on someone are the ones who love their guns the most. Maybe it makes them feel more manly. I never intend to kill anyone when I fire at them but the instinct to make it count is too strong." He looked her in the eyes. "I'm not a killer but I do kill when I have to. Then I try to live with what I've done."

He stopped talking and finished cleaning the gun, reassembling it. Standing up, he gestured to her to follow and went outside with the Skorpion, the Glock he still had in the back of his pants, and ammunition. For the next half hour, he showed her how to fire the Glock, standing behind her and reaching around her to position her hands properly on it, aiming at several signs he found in the barn and propped against the fence. His method was calm and measured, and Taylor found herself appreciative of how he let her take her time before firing. By the end of the half hour, she was able to hit smaller targets, like old oil cans, mason jars, and the odd tin can.

"How are your hands?" He took them in his, gently massaging them. "If you're not used to it your hands can start to feel numb."

"Not bad," she admitted, appreciating how he seemed to look after the little details. She looked at the Skorpion. "Are you going to let me try that?"

"That was my intention," he answered. "You want to give it a try?"

Taylor nodded and he walked her through the parts of it, then let her feel how light it was. He put the larger signs up again, then they put their headphones on, and she fired a short burst. Her first time brought a shriek, then laughter from her which made him smile. Once that was out of her system, she got serious and tried it again. She hit the target on about half the shots before they had to reload. Bucky made some suggestions then let her try again. This time she did better. He didn't bother putting the smaller targets up.

"If you can hit them anywhere in the body, they should go down. I think that's enough for today. I'm going to go back down to the weapons locker and figure out what else to take with us. There should be a safe on either the main or second floor with cash in it. If you could look behind the pictures and see if you can find it, I would appreciate it."

She did find it and when Bucky came up with an armful of weapons to clean, she showed him, then watched, mesmerized, as he bent his head to the safe door and listened to the sounds of the dials inside the safe to unlock it. Inside was more cash, several passports, including some old ones of him and Rumlow, and several printed pages. He looked over them, learning of several more previously undocumented safe houses. They would take the list with them. He burned the passports as they were all expired anyway.

They ate again, choosing a package of beef stew that was decent enough. When it got dark Bucky set up their sleeping bags on the bed in two of the rooms, wrapping the pillows that had been left on the beds in some sheets he found in a linen closet. There were no mice, thank goodness, but he didn't want to take any chances of anything crawling out during the night. During the night, he was awakened by Taylor appearing in the doorway, holding her sleeping bag and pillow in her hand.

"I'm sorry but I'm cold," she whispered. "Can I sleep with you?"

Without answering he opened his sleeping bag up then zipped hers to it. Laying back inside he held the top open while she climbed in, and they zipped the sides up.

"Better?" he asked, as he pulled her towards his body and rested his arm around her.

"Much. You're very warm."

"Yeah, it's a super soldier thing," he replied. "Close your eyes. I'll keep you warm."

They spent three days and nights in the safe house, sharing the same bed for sleeping. On the fourth morning Bucky turned on the radio in the 4Runner and heard an odd news report.

Authorities are still looking for several men who shot up a tailor's shop in New York City. The men are believed to be in Pennsylvania, near the Scranton area, according to federal authorities. Residents in the area are to be on the lookout for anyone in plain clothes identifying themselves as law enforcement. According to spokesperson Detective Wilson of the NYPD they are considered to be armed and dangerous and may be headed towards Philadelphia.

Recognizing it as a planted warning to him, he informed Taylor it was time to go. Within 20 minutes they were on the road.

"Which way are we going?" she asked.

"West," he answered. "Ohio, but I have to get gas first."

Once that was done, he drove through Pennsylvania and most of Ohio for over nine hours, stopping a couple of times for a bathroom break and to pick up food, before he pulled up in front of a motel on the outskirts of Cincinnati. Paying cash for a double room, they took their things inside where Bucky offered the shower to Taylor first. Using the landline in the room while blocking the phone number he called Sam.

"I got your radio message," he said, by way of greeting. "Any updates I should know about?"

"Some informants have confirmed there's a hit out on Miss Hollis," replied Sam. "They know you're with her. The SHIELD agent who impersonated you wasn't exactly up to the task which didn't impress Fury. Plus, there are probably police on their payroll who have been watching for you. There's a bounty out on you, to bring you in alive."

"Let me guess, the Russian bratvas." Bucky ran his hand through his hair. "They worked hand in hand with HYDRA when it suited them. Well, we'll stay mobile and hopefully avoid them until I can get them into an area where no one else gets hurt."

"How is she handling it?" asked Sam.

"Not bad," he replied. "I like her. I've taught her to shoot. She's a pretty calm person considering what she's been through already."

"Alright, we'll try to insert more coded messages in the radio broadcasts if it looks like they're congregating in an area," said Sam. "Stay vigilant and let me know when you're close to your destination. I assume it’s western Kansas.”

"You know me too well," smirked Bucky, hanging up.

The bathroom door opened to Taylor in sleepwear with a towel wrapped around her head. He grabbed some things from his bag and took his turn, coming out to her watching TV. Sitting on the other bed he gestured to the screen.

"What are you watching?"

"Old movie, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly," she answered. "Clint Eastwood."

"Don't think I've seen that," said Bucky. "Any good?"

"Kind of, in a weird way," she answered. "It's called a spaghetti western because it was an Italian production, filmed in Spain, about the old West, done in a very stylized method. There were three movies in all, and they made Clint Eastwood a star. Everyone knows the music as parts of it have been used in all sorts of different commercials, TV shows, and even other movies."

He watched for a while, then grinned at Taylor when the distinctive music played during a scene. Leaning back against the headboard, he watched the movie, scoffing at some of the scenes in it. It was quite ridiculous, but he could see the appeal to others. They slept in their separate beds, then headed out right after breakfast after he told her what Sam had revealed.

For the next week they alternated between a couple of days in a safe house, then a night in a motel to shower, always listening to the news on the radio for the next message from Sam. They even did their laundry in a rundown laundromat that was out in the middle of nowhere in Missouri. As they drove through Kansas, Taylor sat with her feet pulled up onto the car seat and turned so she could lean against the door.

"Don't you get tired of driving?"

Bucky shrugged. "There were times I was up three days straight waiting for my target to show up. Falling asleep would get me punished. At least driving gives me something to do." He gestured towards the windshield. "Besides, we're seeing America."

"Maybe you could do it with your girlfriend sometime." She looked steadily at him. "Is there someone?"

"No, there's no one," he answered. "I'm not prime boyfriend material."

"Why do you say that?" Bucky shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. "Hey, we've shared a bed platonically. I think I'm beyond being a person to protect. I like to think that we've become friends." His mouth was clamped shut but she could see a muscle twitch on his jaw. "Ah, we're not even that in your eyes." She turned back to looking forward out of the windshield. "Forget I said anything."

A few miles up Bucky pulled into a rest stop, then turned off the ignition. He got out, went over to her side of the vehicle, and opened it, offering her his hand. Not letting go he took her over to a stand of trees that provided some shade. Sitting down on a bench while he still held her hand, he studied her face carefully.

"I do like you, more than like," he said gently. "It's been hard for me to keep my mind on my mission, which is to protect you from harm. I have issues, a lot of emotional baggage from the years I spent as a prisoner. Around you, I feel better, and it becomes easy to think of us as something more. There have been times when I've wanted to wrap you up in my arms, kiss you like I want to kiss you, then to share a bed with you in a very non-platonic way. But I can't, not while those guys are still out there, looking for us. If I do give in to what I really want, then my focus is divided, and it could end up costing us." He caressed the side of her face, then kissed her lightly but with enough feeling behind it for her to know he was being truthful. "When this is over, we can decide where we want this to go."

She gazed up into his blue eyes. He was right. Still holding hands, they returned to the 4Runner, and kissed again, before getting inside. After another day of driving, he turned onto a dirt road, following it for several miles until he turned off onto another road. A barely legible sign pointed towards an upcoming town. When they got to its outskirts he stopped and turned off the 4Runner, stepping out and walking forward a little, placing his hands on his hips. Taylor joined him, squinting her eyes in the bright sun.

"What is it?" she asked. "Why are we here?"

He took out his cell phone and shook his head at there being no signal. It meant he would have to use the GPS locator to bring in help. There was little to no cover, not for them and not for the people who were tracking them.

"I haven't been entirely honest with you," he said, still looking out over the still and desolate landscape. "The thing about having a corrupt Marshal on your payroll is that he usually isn't the only one. Russian bratvas have put a bounty on taking me alive, just as the Umberto family have put out a hit on you. They have corrupt officers all over the place who have been reporting our location to them as we drove. I tried to stay clear of populated areas because they don't care who else they hurt when they're after someone, so I've been leading them here. It's a ghost town but there is a HYDRA facility here. You'll be safe inside while I deal with them."

"By yourself?" She touched his arm. "Why would you go after them yourself?"

He smiled sadly at her. "It's what I do. But once I'm out there I want you to press a button on this." He showed her the GPS locator. "It will bring help and hopefully get you to safety." She looked at it in his hand, not wanting to take it. "I told you that my mission is to protect you from harm. The only way I can do that is to get them all in the same place then go after them and hunt them down. Believe it or not, the odds are in my favour."

"I don't believe it," she snorted, stepping back. "You're one man. How many are you expecting?"

"Dozen, maybe more."

"Bucky, what if you get hurt or killed?"

He smiled at her and caressed her face. "I'm too valuable to kill but I might get hurt. They really don't know my capabilities, especially when I'm motivated. Come on, we need to get ready for them."

He drove the 4Runner to a large rundown building, stopping in front of a garage door. Under a flap on the frame was a keypad. Noticing the wear on the number pads he entered a number, but it didn't open. Once more he tried but it didn't work again. With a sigh, he used his knife to pry off the number pad covering and pulled two wires out, connecting them. A grinding noise signified the door opening but it stopped halfway, and he had to push it up the rest of the way himself. It dropped down a little, so he looked inside the garage for a piece of steel to prop it open. Then he drove the vehicle inside.

After finding the electrical panel he flipped the rest of the switches on, hearing Taylor confirm that the lights worked. While she made something to eat, he searched for the weapons locker. He noted a door marked as the Operations Centre, then saw a door marked Treatment Room which made him pause. As he opened it, he immediately relived everything that ever happened in that room. He flashed back to when he was last here, in this particular base, being wiped then programmed for a mission in Denver. Rumlow had done terrible things to him before wiping him, then taunted him about it afterwards.

"Bucky, are you alright?" Taylor's voice drew him out of his memories. She came further into the room, looking at the memory processing machine with trepidation. "What is this place?"

"This is where they erased me, then programmed me for my missions," he replied, after a moment.

"They hurt you here," she stated. "I can see it on your face. Does anyone else know about this place?"

"No, just Sam, me, and you."

"Then we destroy it. All of it, so no one can use it again."

He looked at her with fondness then nodded, turned around and left. She closed the door behind them. With a promise to come up to eat as soon as he found the weapons locker she left him to continue his search. Ten minutes later he brought a large box up, filled with an assortment of items. Serving out the food, she watched as he ate while he took the things out and laid them on the table.

"We're going to make IEDs," he said. "Bury them in the roadways into town. It will take out their vehicles and maybe a few of them at the same time. Then I'm going to clean some weapons and place them in various hiding places throughout the town. I'll leave you the Skorpion, a Glock and plenty of ammunition. You'll stay here and if anyone tries to get in you shoot them."

"Anyone?"

"Unless they're Avengers," he grinned. "Don't shoot them."

They worked until after midnight assembling IEDs and Taylor began to fall asleep as she sat at the table.

"Come on," said Bucky, picking her up in his arms. "Bedtime for you."

She snuggled into his arms as he carried her to an interior room with a cot. Noticing it was a single, she looked at him drowsily.

"You're not going to sleep with me?"

"No, I have work to do," he answered. "Don't worry, you'll be safe." Kneeling down as he tucked her into the sleeping bag, he stroked her hair. Then he kissed her forehead. "I'll check in on you later."

Turning off the light, he left the door open a little then went back to the assembled IEDs. Carefully, he put the first one in the treatment room, using a timer on it set for later in the day. The rest of them were placed in a box, then he put their detonators in another container. Carrying both to the 4Runner, he placed them in the back then drove to each end of the single road in town, using the camping shovel to dig a hole for them by the beam of the headlights. He placed them in random spots so that it would slow them down. With precision, he inserted the detonator then used his hands to cover them up with the dirt. When that was done, he looked to the east, and saw the ribbon of orange along the horizon, realizing that sunrise was on its way. This had taken longer than he estimated, and he still had to put weapons in hiding places. There was no time to clean any from the weapons locker so it would have to be the ones he already had. Driving back to the HYDRA base he grabbed the weapons bag and some duct tape that he picked up along the way. At each building he taped two guns in a hidden location, placing them methodically in spots up and down the street of the ghost town. When that was done, he looked to the east again then at his watch. Sunrise was in an hour. Perhaps he would have time for a catnap.

Returning to the base, he removed the piece of steel from where it propped up the door and pulled it down, then jammed the steel into the bottom, keeping it from being opened from the outside. Turning off the lights, he used a camping lantern to find the room where Taylor was and toed his boots off, climbing onto the cot behind her. She whimpered a little, but he shushed her and stroked her hair as he spooned her from behind. Then he closed his eyes and listened to her breathing, falling asleep quickly.

It was the sound of an IED going off that woke both of them. Checking his watch Bucky swore at how late it was. Quickly, he climbed out of the cot and put his boots on then ran to the operations room, turning on the surveillance cameras there. Taylor joined him. The sun was well up showing everything brightly. There was a car burning at the same entrance they came in from. Several cars were behind them, with more people stepping out, to survey the scene. Switching to the other side of town, he saw several more vehicles there, waiting. No one got out of them until a big man stepped out with a machine gun and sprayed the roadway in front of them with bullets. Remarkably, he didn't hit a single IED and walked confidently forward, stepping directly on one of the hidden bombs.

"Don't look," said Bucky, turning Taylor around. "It's not pretty. They'll be more cautious now."

"What do we do?"

"I give them a target," he said. They went back to the kitchen, and he put the GPS locator in her hand. "You lock yourself in the operations centre with the Glock and Skorpion. As soon as you see me on the screen you press that button. Then watch what happens. You'll know when it's safe to come out. If anyone tries to break down the door you wait until you see them then shoot at them with the Skorpion using short bursts."

Bucky went to the 4Runner and took out his combat gear. With a shrug, he stripped down to his briefs then put his tactical suit on, before putting the last of his weapons into their holsters and sheaths. Then he cupped her face, kissed her lightly on the cheek and headed over to a ladder that led up to the roof. Climbing up, he went out a door at the top and left her alone in the building. She went back to the operations centre, locked the door, and checked all the different screens until she saw him appear on the one screen, heading towards the centre of town. Pressing the button on the GPS locator she watched Bucky do what he did best. The strange thing was, is that she wasn't afraid for him anymore. The way he walked and looked showed he knew exactly what he was doing.

Out on the street, Bucky strode to where he was visible to both groups of men at each end of town.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" He shouted out. "I'm here, come and get me."

As they came out of their vehicles he shot at them, taking fire in return. After hitting two of their men, he ran towards the nearest building, making his way to the roof and firing on them from there. They scattered, taking cover and he jumped onto the lower roof of the next building, then down to the ground, hitting someone who came out from behind his cover. The sound of an IED at the other end distracted the intruders and Bucky ran right past them, firing until he was out of ammunition. Sliding into one of his hiding spots, he pulled the duct tape off the two guns there and waited to see what the others would do first.

The Russians were yelling instructions to each other making him shake his head as they were revealing their next moves to him. Standing up, he fired at two of them before they got under cover, sending them down, then he ran behind the building towards another, coming to the corner of the structure. Taking a peek drew some fire so he ran back to where he had been, hoping they would draw closer to where he had peeked out. Sure enough, two were approaching his old position and he shot at the back of their knees, crippling them. Running towards them he stopped to give each man a punch, knocking them out, then took their guns, slinging them over his shoulder.

As he ran across the street he heard a gunshot, then felt the burning in his leg, ignoring it as he reached the safety of another one of the gun hiding places. Grabbing them, he went inside and up the stairs to the second floor, breaking a window so that he could shoot at anyone who approached. A sound behind him made him turn and he fired, killing the man who didn't have time to fire first. Listening carefully, he heard a creak on the landing and repositioned himself to just inside the door. When he saw the gun he pulled the man into the room, throwing him against the wall and aiming his shots into his knees before punching him senseless. As he was taking his gun, he noticed the man was wearing a comms piece and pulled it out, putting it into his own ear. There was a mixture of Russian and English on the channel, as the two sides were obviously working together.

"Where's the girl?" asked someone.

"Don't know," said another. "He just appeared in the middle of the street."

"You and Patterson check each building. She has to be hiding here somewhere."

Then he heard another voice. "What the fuck? What is that? Take cover!"

With a grin, he realized a portal had opened and Sam was likely flying in. Striding over to the window he saw both Sam and Joaquin, swooping down and firing at anything that moved. They were followed by the quinjet which hovered just above the ground releasing Kate, Yelena, Shaun, Scott, and Hope. It went back up in the air and began targeting the other vehicles, destroying them so the intruders had no means of escape. The chatter on the comms pieces died out until he heard an explosion and a sentence that chilled him.

"Found her."

Racing down the rickety stairs he ran towards the HYDRA building, then heard several short bursts of shots from inside. The garage door had a hole blown into it. Crawling through the hole he approached the operations room, the door ominously open but badly damaged. He listened carefully, finally hearing the sound of someone crying.

"Taylor?"

"In here."

Her voice was strained. Slowly, he approached the door, then he saw the two men on the floor, both dead. She sat in a chair, still holding the Skorpion submachine gun. He removed his guns and approached, kneeling in front of her.

"I had no choice," she whispered. "They blew the door, and I just fired in short bursts like you taught me. They went down and didn't move." She looked at him with reddened eyes. "Are they dead?"

"Yeah, sweetheart, they're dead," he answered, then he put his hands on the Skorpion and took it, putting it aside. "But you're alive and they're not going to come after you again. Come on."

He helped her up, keeping his arm around her as they left the room and went to the garage area. He took a moment to raise the garage door manually, putting the steel piece back into place to keep it open. They both came out into the blazing sun, then heard the sound of wings above them. Taylor cowered against him.

"It's okay," he said, holding her closer. "It's Sam."

Lightly, Sam landed and looked appraisingly at Bucky. "You were supposed to let me know when you got here."

"No cell service," replied Bucky. "It's a ghost town for a reason. Who's flying the quinjet?"

Sam smiled. "Clint. He was visiting."

"There are several IEDs at each end of town that haven't been activated yet. He should probably explode them before the authorities get here. Patterson is dead. Taylor shot him in self-defence."

"Well, there are others who are still alive and we have enough evidence to link them to the Umberto family and the bratvas. I don't think they'll come after Taylor or you, anymore. We also tracked their phone calls and found the police officers who were passing on your location to them. Uncovered quite a few, so Fury's happy about that." He noticed Bucky's leg. "You get shot?"

"Just grazed. It'll heal on its own."

Sam passed on the information about the IEDs to Clint and they soon heard explosions as he used the aircraft's sensors to locate them. When FBI helicopters and vehicles began arriving, Bucky took Taylor back inside, making her sit while he brought her some water. She was better but still quiet for some time.

"Bucky? Is it like that for you all the time?"

"No, not like this," he replied. "It's been a long time since I took on this many people on my own."

She nodded then spoke in a small voice. "I killed two men."

"Yeah, you defended yourself. They would have killed you."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

She ran from where she sat but didn't make it to the bathroom, landing on her knees just outside the door, dry heaving. Bucky kneeled behind her, rubbing her back, then drew her into his arms when she began to cry again.

"It's okay, you're going to be okay."

"Can we go now? I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Let me check. Why don't you pack your bag, and I'll come for you."

Nodding her head, she allowed him to help her up and take her to the room where she slept. He left her then noticed Yelena and asked her to watch Taylor while he checked on some things. When he found the FBI agent in charge, they discussed Bucky taking her back to Avengers Tower. Discussed, as in had an argument over who had jurisdiction. Fortunately, for them, Fury was listening in and pulled rank, claiming that Taylor Hollis was placed in the custody of the Avengers and would stay in their custody until she appeared in court. As the FBI agent ordered his men to search the building Bucky shook his head.

"You don't want to be here any longer than you have to," he began, then looked at his watch. "In about an hour, this building is going to blow up. There is nothing here that should be of interest to you or to anyone else. I'm taking my things, my vehicle, and Taylor out of here. I would suggest you do the same." The man stared at him. "Did I say an hour? I meant twenty minutes, I think, but I didn't check my watch when I set the charge."

Bucky didn't wait for his response but did pack his bags. Then he found Taylor and together they went to the 4Runner. After driving it out of the building he stopped at where he hid the rest of his weapons, adding them back into his arsenal. When the last one was packed away, he pulled up to the quinjet where the other Avengers were waiting.

"Tell Fury that we'll be back in about a week, maybe ten days. Taylor needs the time to decompress."

"You'll need this," said Sam, reaching into one of his flying suit pockets and pulling out a smartphone. "Stay in touch."

Bucky took it then looked over at the HYDRA building, noticing there were still FBI agents going into it. "Tell him that I wasn't kidding. That place is rigged to go up. They had a functioning treatment room, Sam. There was no way I was going to leave it intact."

"I'll tell them," he replied, then he looked at Taylor. "You'll be okay. Bucky will help you. Take your time and stay at some nice places."

She smiled wanly, then he and Bucky shook hands before he stepped back, letting the vehicle pass by them. As they drove out of the ghost town, Bucky reached out to Taylor's hand, grasping it in his.

"Wherever you want to go I'll drive there. We really don't have a timeline now. It's just you and me."

For several miles she said nothing, then she looked over at Bucky.

"Can we go to Iowa? I want to see the Field of Dreams."

"You mean, like the movie? The baseball diamond?" She nodded. He reached for his smartphone and handed it to her. "Find it for me."

She looked it up, an almost 13 hour drive non-stop.

"We can stay overnight in Kansas City," suggested Taylor. "It's a 6 ½ hour drive from there, closes at 6 pm."

"Sounds like a plan," smiled Bucky. He reached out for her hand and squeezed it. "Why don't you find a nice place to stay?"

"One bed or two?"

"Whichever you want," he answered.

When they pulled up to the premium motel in Kansas City, and presented themselves at the counter, Bucky gave his name for their reservation for a single room, king-sized bed. The clerk asked how long they were staying.

"Two, maybe three nights," answered Taylor, before Bucky could say anything. "We've been on the road for a while and need to relax." She wrapped her arm around his waist. "Is that okay, honey?"

He squeezed her back. "Whatever you want, sweetheart." As he signed the register, he looked at the clerk. "Two things. Can you keep our presence here quiet? Do you have room service?"

The clerk glanced at the name again, recognizing it.

"Yes, sir, we'll make sure you have your privacy. Room service goes until midnight. There's a menu in your room. We also have liquor delivery, if you're interested."

Bucky smiled at him, then took the key cards. At the door to their room, he stopped, looking at Taylor in a very non-platonic way. She took the key card, held it to the reader and entered the room, immediately putting the Do Not Disturb sign outside on the door handle. No one at the motel saw either of them until an order for room service and liquor was made an hour before the midnight deadline. Bucky answered the door wrapped only in a towel, gave the two delivery people a big cash tip then disappeared back into the room. They looked at each other, having noticed the perfect physique and metal arm, then returned to the lobby, where they were warned again about keeping quiet. Considering what Bucky gave them for a tip, it was the least they could do.

One Shots Masterlist

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #james buchanan barnes fanfiction #hydra memories #bucky fighting mafia #bratva #on the road #showdown in a ghost town #strangers to friends #strangers to lovers

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