Chapter 9

James gingerly tried to apply pressure to the chains around his wrists and forearms again. He'd found that if he was careful, he could avoid the debilitating shock, at least for a few seconds. If he could apply enough strength against the chains, though, a few seconds might be all he needed.

The shouts and screams from outside the door made it difficult to be so careful. He couldn't quite get a fix on the direction, but he knew Steve's voice and he knew it was coming from somewhere close by. Rumlow, or his HYDRA lackeys, were taking their proverbial pound of flesh from Steve, and each tortured sound hit James like a punch.

His best friend—until a few weeks before, his only friend in the entire world—was being tortured just a few steps down the hall, and there was nothing James could do about it. He knew what being a prisoner of HYDRA was, had lived it firsthand and in a hundred nightmares since, and each sound out of Steve stoked a burning hatred inside him that was threatening to overwhelm his already thin layer of self-control.

He had to get out of the cell.

A sickeningly long wail of pain from outside the door made his anger boil over, and he yanked on the chains connecting his wrists. The result was disappointing, but predictable, as the electric jolts traveled up his arms so intensely that it flung him across the cot and against the wall of the cell.

James muttered a string of curses the likes of which people like Stark wrongly assumed were too vulgar for someone of his generation. It was a misconception that Steve had never bothered to correct. One learned a lot dealing with resistance fighters. He and Steve could curse in several different languages.

Sitting up slowly, James waited for the feeling to come back in his arms so he could resume his efforts. Hang in there, Stevie.

While he waited, James started planning for his new mission in his mind. The first objective was probably the hardest: getting out of the infernal chains.

The second was his main concern: find and free Steve.

The third objective was the one that kept him going: tear Brock Rumlow in two.

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Avengers Tower

New York City

11:00 PM Local Time

"Nothing, nothing, more nothing!" Sam exclaimed, slamming his tablet down on the conference room table.

"Calm yourself Sam," Thor rumbled quietly, though he himself was pacing the room like a caged lion. "We will find them."

They'd assembled in the custom built operations room Tony had designed in the Tower, nicknamed "the war room." A bank of wide plasma screens covered one wall s. Tony was accessing—he had banned the term "hacking" on principle—every security camera, traffic cam and police broadcast he could get his hands on, trying to pin down Steve's movements that morning and where he might have been taken.

Iron Legionnaires were patrolling the skies over the city, scanning for any sign of a HYDRA hideout. Mike Howard and his FBI team were combing MacLaren's for any clues that might point them in the right direction. Rhodey was coordinating with the Pentagon. So far, though, Rumlow had evaded detection.

HYDRA—while happily making use of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leftover fleet of quinjets—had wisely altered the aircraft's transponder signals, so none of Hill's technical information was useful. They'd changed the engines, so that their power signatures couldn't be traced. Their stealth modes could be cracked, eventually, but even JARVIS admitted that it would take time, which Steve and James might not have.

Even if they did crack the jets' cloaking systems, they had no idea where to look. HYDRA had bases and rat holes all over the world.

Sighing softly, Sam turned to listen to the others.

"I've checked in with my superiors," Simmons said quietly to Hill. "They haven't had any luck tracking Captain Rogers or Sergeant Barnes, either."

Hill looked up from her tablet briefly. "When do you need to head back?"

"I'd like to stick around, actually. We don't know what condition they'll be in when we find them. You might need an extra medical hand."

"I'm sure everyone will appreciate that."

Rhodey began talking excitedly into his headset. "Yes, sir, I'm here. Yes. Yes. That's—standby, General." He waved his hand at the room. "Hey, guys, we want to take this call."

One of the large screens changed to a secure video feed from the Pentagon. General Talbot's face filled the monitor. "Gentleman, ladies, I've got some good news for you. Last night, we got a hit on one of the former S.H.I.E.L.D. installations we monitor," Talbot continued. "A high security holding facility in the Colorado Rockies."

"The Vault," Hill supplied.

"That's right," Talbot confirmed. "Satellite pass caught heat signatures. Thirty to thirty-five people in various places around the base, plus two stationary inside the complex."

"Steve and James," Sam deduced.

"Defenses?" Thor asked curtly.

"Significant, we think."

"The Vault was designed to keep dangerous subjects in and any potential attackers out," Hill said, bringing up a diagram of the prison on another monitor. "Four guard towers, and three-foot thick reinforced walls around the perimeter. Most of the facility is underground, three levels deep inside the mountain."

"You can bet Rumlow will be ready for us," Natasha said grimly.

Talbot punched up a satellite photo of the prison on the screen. "Looks like they've set up machine gun nests in the towers. But, the real danger is in the main yard."

The display shifted to a closer view, showing a small, car-sized mobile missile launcher on treads. Talbot continued. "Surface-to-air missile launcher. Something out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s old toy box. They've got a fire control post set up along the western wall. They can cover any approach from that position."

Tony studied the images. "I think I've got something that'll help." He looked at Talbot. "If you don't mind us kicking in the door, General."

Talbot arched an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'm calling you, Stark?"

Tony looked around at the rest of the group, then back to the screen, and smiled. "Just stay clear until we find Steve. We'll let you round up the goons afterward."

"How gracious of you." Talbot shot back, but he didn't argue. "My team will be there."

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The Rocky Mountains

North of Wolcott, Colorado

7:00AM Local Time

Gyrich pulled his gloves up under his sleeves, trying to keep his arms warm.

It had started snowing a little after dawn, and the incoming winds made the already frigid mountain temperatures plummet to a painfully uncomfortable 18 degrees. Visibility had dropped to less than a mile, and was getting worse, so Gyrich planted himself in the western guard tower, beneath their mobile radar set. The fact that there was a working space heater in that tower was only a bonus.

"Radar contact!" Anders called out from across the room. Gyrich stood and looked over his shoulder at the scan display. "From the silhouette I'd say...quinjet. It's been modified, but— It's them, sir. Has to be."

"And not even bothering to cloak themselves," Gyrich muttered.

He pressed the button on his communicator. "Charlie Team, we have incoming. Standby to fire."

Below him in the prison yard, their portable SAM launcher came to life. Control panels lit up, tank treads locked down to make a stable firing platform. Charlie Team quickly armed the four missiles and unlocked the safeties on the booster rockets. Within moments, the four-armed launcher elevated several feet and swiveled into position. The big drum-shaped fire control radar on the front of the mount started scanning, probing the dark, snow laden skies to the east.

"Missiles loaded and ready."

"Target painted, we have a lock."

Gyrich glanced at the radar screen. The Avengers' jet was ten miles out and closing fast. He waited until the blip passed the two-mile mark. They wouldn't have time to react. "Fire!"

One of the six-foot missiles blasted off with a loud, hissing roar, streaking over the prison wall and all but disappearing in the driving snowstorm. All that could be seen was the glowing engine nozzle.

One mile out, the missile's booster rocket fell away and the warhead's engine lit up. The quinjet turned abruptly, trying desperately to evade in the final moments, but the missile altered course to follow and seconds later a bright flash illuminated the dark clouds.

"Direct hit," Anders announced calmly.

"Tell Rumlow we got 'em."

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"Decoy destroyed." JARVIS announced as the explosion two miles away faded. "Automatic targeting engaged."

Tony thought he heard a hint of disappointment in the A.I.'s voice. "I'll build you another drone, J."

"You are too good to me, sir." Came the droll reply. "Firing missile."

The Quinjet rocked slightly as the anti-radiation missile catapulted from its perch under the port wing and rocketed out into the cloudy sky. Tony watched it leave with some pride. The missile, known in his company's records only as "SI/4805," had been the last military project he'd worked on before heading to Afghanistan for the Jericho demonstration. It was a next generation anti-radar weapon, not only capable of tracking an enemy radar signal even when the target shut down abruptly, but with a stealthy casing that made it all but invisible until it was too late. Stark Industries had built ten prototypes. Tony had borrowed one.

From their position, hovering in a cloud bank less than one mile from the prison, their missile took only five seconds to reach its target—the radar drum on the face of the SAM launcher. It took a direct hit, the three remaining missiles exploding in a massive fireball that lit up the surrounding mountains even through the dense snow flurries of Thor's custom created storm. Secondary explosions flared as the fire spread.

Tony nodded at Rhodes. "We're up buddy."

He pulled his helmet on, and followed War Machine out through the lower hatch. They parted ways as the jet surged forward. Rhodey headed for the south wall, Tony sped toward the north. The guards were too distracted by the inferno to see either of them coming.

Tony swept past the first tower without slowing down, shattering the roof supports with two repulsor blasts and letting gravity do the rest. He angled along the western wall, knocking two men over the edge to the prison yard below. Another managed to get his rifle up, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off his armor. He blasted the man back, and kept going.

The western guard tower sported a small search radar on its roof. Tony decided to leave it intact for Talbot, and instead of firing on it, crashed through the roof and into the tower instead. Two men were inside, one manning a radar console. Both rose, reaching for rifles.

"Cut off one head—!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tony interrupted, taking both men down with a pair of mini-dart rockets from his shoulder launchers. He walked over to the main console and shut down the radar system. A few more switches shut down the spotlights in the yard and opened up the main gate. The interior prison levels seemed to be on a separate system, but he found the comm system receiver and shut it off, severing Rumlow's ability to coordinate his troops.

"Skylight's open, Hawkeye," he said into his comm.

Through the tower's windows, he saw the jet already coming in for landing in one empty corner of the yard. Before it touched down, Thor vaulted out from the lower hatch and engaged the scattered soldiers who were trying to get away from the fires started by the missile strike. Even their heavy armor didn't help much against an angry Asgardian and his lightning-spewing hammer.

Tony exited through the stairwell door, dropping down to ground level and heading out into the yard. He was met at the prison entrance by Rhodey, Wilson, and Barton. Frowning, Tony turned to scan the battlefield. "Where's Banner?"

"Guarding the jet," Barton explained. "He doesn't want to go green unless he has to, in case Steve needs immediate medical attention."

"Oh, good call," Tony replied.

"I thought so," Banner said tensely over the comm.

Tony smirked. "Don't let anyone take our ride."

He and Rhodey led the way through the open entrance gate and down into the cellblocks. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that they hadn't seen the worst of it all, yet.

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"Tony, on the right!" Rhodey called out, shouting over the din of machine gun fire. Stark fired off a repulsor blast that sent the two flanking soldiers flying.

Rumlow's men had set up choke points at almost every intersection of the first level of the prison, falling back from one and setting up again when he and Rhodes pushed through. The HYDRA goons didn't stand a chance, but they were successfully delaying the Avengers' advance.

Sam and Barton, less bulletproof than Iron Man or War Machine, were hanging back and watching the rear as they proceeded deeper into the dimly lit prison.

The HYDRA soldiers were well trained. They didn't flinch at the sight of Avengers, and held their ground even as their comrades began to fall around them. Tony and Rhodey had to fight for every inch as they proceeded further into the complex. Barton added a well-timed arrow to the fight, when possible.

"Hey, JARVIS? Any read on Steve or Barnes?" Barton asked over the comms.

"Thermal readings show no occupied rooms on your level," JARVIS replied. "There are indeterminate signatures deeper underground, however."

"Then that's where we need to go," Sam said.

Tony checked the prison plans on his HUD. Level 3 was a high security area. It made sense Rumlow would keep super-soldiers there. He was somewhat worried, though, that Steve and Barnes had been kept from escaping on their own. Both men were notoriously hard to keep down. There were several possible explanations, and none of them made Stark feel good about the situation.

They finally pushed Rumlow's troops back to the main stairwell at the center of the level. Several barricades had been set up there, and Tony had to give their enemy props for trying. They were putting up a helluva fight. A few well-placed repulsor blasts cracked that last line of defense, and War Machine's "icer" rounds knocked almost a dozen soldiers out of commission.

A barrage of lightning crackled from around a corner, sending two brutish HYDRA thugs careening into a wall. They didn't get up. Thor and Romanoff emerged from the hallway, joining Stark and his group by the doors to the stairs. Thor was sporting a bruise along his left cheek, which surprised Tony, who raised his faceplate to peer closer.

The Asgardian noticed his stare. "These cretins fought harder than most of their ilk."

Tony smirked. "They just wanted to make it a challenge for you."

"We should attack both of the lower levels simultaneously," Thor advised. "It will keep them off balance."

"Good idea," Tony nodded. "Why don't you take Rhodey and Clint down to the next level? I'll take Sam and Romanoff and hit the bottom floor."

The others nodded in agreement, but Natasha looked apprehensive. "They were expecting a raid. They might have the stairwells rigged."

"Indeed," Thor said. "We should find another way down."

Tony lowered his faceplate and consulted the plans again briefly. "I have an idea."

He stepped back, deployed his wrist mounted lasers, and quickly cut a large circular hole in the floor. Charred concrete, steel and linoleum crashed down to the second level below them. Tony turned to Rhodey. "Sidekicks first."

Rhodey muttered something unintelligible, and dropped down through the hole. He landed in the corridor below with a loud clank and deployed his minigun. "Clear!"

Tony went next, dropping down behind Rhodey and moving to cover the other end of the hallway while the others descended. In moments they regrouped, and Stark repeated the process, cutting an entry to the third level. He was more careful dropping down, in case the high-security level offered greater threats. Natasha and Sam were close behind.

No one was in that corridor, but Tony kept his eyes on his HUD's readings as they moved. Many of Rumlow's men were out of commission on the levels above, but they hadn't stopped to do a proper headcount. "J, got anything?"

"There are readings approximately twenty meters ahead of you, sir. At the end of that cell block."

He moved quickly in that direction, keeping his shoulder-mounted missile launchers primed and ready. Nothing moved around them, and the suit's metal footfalls seemed uncomfortably loud. The level seemed eerily deserted, and they reach the cell without interference.

"Is it wired?" Natasha asked, examining the door.

"I don't think so," Tony replied, scanning the wall in front of them with the suit's sensors.

"I don't like it," Sam said softly. "Where are the guards?"

"Maybe they sent the guards up to fight us." Tony mused.

"Or they don't consider their prisoners a threat," Natasha said with a grim expression.

"Let's find out." Tony raised his right hand and focused the repulsor into a tight beam that swiftly melted through the handle and locking mechanism. He pushed the door open and stepped through first. The cell was mostly bare except for the heap of Winter Soldier on the floor by a cot.

Barnes was lying on his side, soaked in sweat, flesh hand trembling as he determinedly tried to force open a set of chains that wrapped around his arms from his wrists up to his biceps. He cried out when the chains emitted a crackling electric shock.

Tony moved forward and found the power source for the chains where they connected on a steel rod between Barnes' wrists. It was a good design. With no sharp edges or leverage, even someone like Barnes wouldn't have been able to smash the little power cell. Tony snapped the connections with his armored fingers and then broke the chains.

Barnes looked disoriented as he was suddenly freed, and peered up at them in confusion. Tony shook his head. The kid must have been working at those chains for hours.

Sam and Natasha knelt down and helped Barnes sit up.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

Barnes seemed to come to his senses a little, and something more than recognition passed over his face when his eyes focused on Romanoff. There was definitely something there. Tony filed that tidbit away for the future.

"Just a little pissed off," Barnes shot back, sharing an almost imperceptible smile with her. He looked up at Tony. "Thanks."

Tony nodded. "No problem. Any idea where they have Cap?"

Barnes shook his head. "I don't know."

Another unidentifiable expression passed over his face when he said it. Barnes was holding something back. Before Tony could press him on what, Romanoff and Wilson were helping the former assassin to his feet.

"Can you walk?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Barnes said curtly, already shaking their guiding hands off. "The guards?"

"We got 'em on the run," Sam answered.

Barnes glanced at him, appearing doubtful, but headed for the door. "We need to find Steve."

They had all cleared the cell and were walking up the corridor when a klaxon suddenly sounded. Red lights in the ceiling blinked and bathed the whole area in a crimson glow. Signs mounted on the walls glowed, warning of a prisoner escape in progress.

Three HYDRA troopers appeared at the far end of the hall, near the hole Tony had cut, and opened fire on them. Stark stepped out in front of the others to block the hail of bullets. Natasha returned fire with her Glocks, while Sam grabbed Barnes and dove around the corner for cover.

Unfortunately, as they fell back, a thick metal blast door slammed shut, bisecting the hallway and separating Sam and Barnes from Tony and Romanoff. Tony sent a small missile from his wrist gauntlet down the corridor to keep the HYDRA goons occupied, then turned and gave the door a quick scan. The results were disappointing. "Vibranium alloy," he muttered. "What the hell?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. kept powerful people in this place," Natasha said.

"It'll take time to burn through it," Tony said grimly. "Keep the Stooges occupied for me."

Their assailants were regrouping in the distance. Natasha shrugged and reloaded her handguns. "I'll see what I can do."

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Sam tested the metal bulkhead, but he could already tell they weren't getting through it without help. "Damn."

He turned to check on James. "Are you all ri—?"

Barnes was no where to be seen, but someone else was. A few meters down the hall, Brock Rumlow stood sneering at Sam. He was wearing black armor, like the rest of his men, with a broad white X on the chest. "Well, well, if it isn't bird boy."

Sam drew his SPPs. "Well, well, if it isn't that asshole I thought I dropped a building on."

Rumlow chuckled. "Still needing a lesson in respect."

"You've gone from terrorism to kidnapping, Rumlow. I thought HYDRA didn't take prisoners?"

"Oh, I just meant you," Rumlow said tauntingly. "HYDRA's wanted Cap for longer than you've been around, and the Asset was already ours."

"Why don't you surrender before my friends kill all of yours?" Sam said coldly, with more confidence than he was feeling. Rumlow had outfought him at the Triskelion, and he looked more intimidating now, with his scarred face and even thicker arms than before. He needed to buy time for Tony to get through the barricade.

"Nah, I'm holding the cards here, punk. Now it's time for us to finish our lesson."

Sam stopped just outside of Rumlow's reach, and glanced past him down the corridor. A broad smile broke on his face.

Rumlow frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Sam shrugged, then motioned over Rumlow's shoulder. "Just that he's about to go all 'Winter Soldier' on your ass, and I get to watch."

Rumlow frowned and spun around, just in time to catch Barnes' metal fist with his chin.

TBC