Summary: Annette escaped the camp, but where to go. Hurt, tired and being followed by the Hydra forces that imprisoned her, she's forced to make a literal leap of faith in the rapids to evade further imprisonment, torture and experimentation. What happens when she is pulled from the banks of the latest SSR camp and nursed back to health by none other than The Howling Commandos,and peeks the interest of two friends?

Rated M for eventual mutual threesome involvement. Don't like, don't read it. Only positive and constructive criticism will be acknowledged. Also looking for Beta Readers.

I wish I did own the rights of Captain America (drools), but I don't sadly. However, I do own Annette.

On with the story.

Chapter One: To Die Standing

The rain was never ending, it wouldn't have been so bad had it not been for the wind that came with the storm Annette found herself running in. The ground had become water logged making her escape harder, but she had to keep going, they were right behind her. The dogs were getting louder for every time she slipped in the mud, or stumbled over the roots of the forest she found herself in. This escape had been made with five others, now it was just her. The rest were vaporised with those god-like weapons as they ran into the trees.

'Don't stop! Don't look back!' She looked back at that last one and cursed quietly as she saw the flashes of light from the search party. 'By the gods! Why can't I run faster? What am I going to do?'

"AAHH!" She fell hard when the laces of the shoes she stole snagged and caught on a low tree root. In her panic, she tossed the shoes and continued barefoot. This cost her precious seconds.

"HALT!" Screamed a man closing behind her. She never heard the shot as she darted through the trees, only the searing hot pain in her shoulder where the bullet had buried itself. That didn't stop her resolve to keep running. 'I'm going to keeping running or die trying, I will NOT go back to that hell!'

"NEIN! Du Narr! Dr. Zola braucht sie am Leben!" Bellowed the lead soldier.

Annette nearly tripped at that. What could they possibly want her for? All they did was beat her senseless and inject her with stuff that really made her wish that they had hit her harder, just so that she wouldn't have to deal with the feeling of being on fire and dying from the inside. Whatever they wanted, she wouldn't allow them to capture her again. She would rather be dead. Taking one last look over her shoulder, she almost missed the sharp drop and skidded to a sudden stop. Now all that stood in her way to freedom was a 100 ft drop into water rapids below her.

'What do I do?' It's over!' The poor girl stood hopelessly, staring into the waters as if in a trance. Battered, bruised, soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold wind and exhaustion, she debated whether or not to return to the woods further upstream. The snapping of fallen branches and twigs brought her out of her thoughts. The search party had found and surrounded her. The leader approached her calmly.

"You've done well to get as far as you have frauline. Alas, it will do you no good now. Herr. Zola would be most upset if you were to not return, if you come without resistance I'm sure I can arrange for you punishment to be how you say, less severe?"

Chortles and sniggers could be heard now the storm had passed. Annette knew she wouldn't be coming out this alive if she went back to their camp. Unconsciously, she edged herself further away from the soldier until she felt the heel of her foot dip at the edge.

"Hydra is the superior power dear child." The commander spoke with reverence. "We shall be the true leaders of this world, with you as our most treasured jewel in Herr. Schmidt's crown. You will be powerful and rich beyond your wildest fantasies. What have you to say to that?"

"What I have to say to that?" Annette looked down into the chasm where the rapids swirled restlessly, taking a deep breath, she turned to face the leader of the group. With strength she didn't know she still had left, she looked him in the eye with no fear left. "I say I would rather die on my feet a free Englishman, than live on my knees under Hydra's rule!"

Surrendering herself to her fate, she plummeted over the gorge and was swept off by the strong current, hearing the distant sounds of gunfire as the enemy tried to dispose her. As she dived to avoid detection, a stab of pain shot through her leg. Forgetting that she was under water, the wounded woman gasped in pain and began to panic as she took in water.

She had been in the water for what seemed like an eternity, her body constantly being thrown around the rapids and sucked into their depths. The more she struggled to reach the surface, the more it seemed that the river wanted to keep her there. Twisting and turning in the violent currents she finally managed to break to the surface, taking in much needed air.

CRACK!

Her head throbbed. Had she been shot again? She couldn't know for sure, all she knew was that she was hurting and if she didn't find a way out of the water she would drown. Further down river she saw a low hanging tree branch, and just as she was passing made a grab for it and held on for dear life.

SNAP!

The branch came away from it's trunk, plunging Annette back into the cold wild waters. Yet the branch continued to stay afloat despite her weight. Feeling the effects of her wounds and exertions, her vision became to swim. She didn't want to fight it anymore, at least now she could die on her terms. Closing her eyes, she waited for the inevitable, hearing voices on the wind. Welcoming death, she let go of her raft and sank into the murky depths. Just before her senses failed her. She felt the splash of something big hit the water, the feel of two entities snaking around her underarms and being pulled back to the surface.

Then all faded into black.

Translation: NEIN! Du Narr! Dr. Zola braucht sie am Leben! = NO! You fool! Dr. Zola needs her alive!