Ward's POV
I hope this plan works.
I'm walking up the front steps to the Kremlin's front door. I know it's a stupid idea when the whole world wants me dead, but it was the only idea we had.
Mya had placed a fake nose and chin to alter my appearance and assured me that even if the cameras scan biometrics, these prosthetics could not be detected and would register as real.
Even so, the closer I get to the door, the more nervous I become. Eventually I reach the metal detector and hand over my ID. It's one that Mya stole off an unconscious soldier. I can feel her next to me and breathe a sigh of relief. At least I'm not doing this alone.
I watch as she hands her own falsified military ID to the guard.
We both empty our pockets into the trays provided and walk through the detectors. I remember to breathe again when I get to the other side and they remain quiet.
I wait for Mya to catch up to me. We walk down the corridors of the famous building and locate the stairs. It would be quicker to take the elevator, but it doesn't go as far as we need it to. We both hit the stairs, our paces quick, but not quick enough to attract attention.
"Can I take this stuff off now? It's starting to itch." I ask, rubbing at my chin.
"Not yet. There's two more cameras in this stairwell." She tells me, smacking my hand away.
We continue to descend past the basement and first sub-basement and find ourselves facing tight security measures. I manage to put everything Skye has ever taught me to good use and open the lock. I let Mya slip inside first and, glancing over my shoulder, I follow.
Our pace quickens as we make our way down the corridor, scanning the numbers on the rooms as we do. Mya stops in front of me and I run into the back of her, almost knocking the air out of my lungs as I catch her elbow.
"That's the one." She whispers, pointing at a door three doors down from where we are.
It's vault 615 and I can't help but smile at the simplicity of it. Of course it would be located in vault 6.15 – Peggy Carter's birthday.
We race to the door and I try and get through the door. It's harder than the last one, even though it's the same type of lock as I've just got us through.
"We're being hacked." I tell Mya, who slips the pieces of her gun out of her military issue suit and quickly puts it together.
Suddenly the lock gives and the door opens, which is when the shots start. They ping off the walls and floor around us. I look at Mya who has taken a stance half in, half out of the door. She covers me entering the room. I see the lock take a bullet and start to smoke.
I'm clear in the room and I turn to face Mya. I grip the back of her jacket in one hand and the door in the other. As I pull her backwards, I slam the door, knowing without a lock it will take whoever's shooting at us some time to get in.
The room is pitch black so I crack a glowstick and inhale in surprise. I thought there would be one or two paintings in here, but there are closer to one hundred. I hear Mya crack another glowstick behind me and we start our search. I really couldn't care less about these paintings, but I know Mya will kill me if she sees me handling them with less than kid gloves, so I'm careful as I search for the painting that we need.
"It's here!" She whispers.
I can hear the awe in her voice and I turn to see it.
I am taken aback. I'm not usually a fan of paintings, but before me is a true work of art.
'Roses' by Henri Fantin – Latour is in front of me. Huge, meticulous and well framed, but unfortunately there is only one way out of here, and I am never going to be forgiven in the art world for what I'm about to do.
I pull a ceramic flick knife out of my pocket and approach the painting. I carefully cut the masterpiece from its frame and roll it up as Mya hunts for the air vent grate.