CHAPTER 15
Jenny hesitated for only a moment at Max's door. But only a moment. She knocked vigorously.
Max opened the door. She thought he might be surprised that she changed her mind, but he looked like he knew she would come back.
"Jennifer," said Max.
"Is it too late?"
"No, come in. I'm glad you decided."
She sat back down at the table and rubbed her hands over her jeans nervously. "Where do we start?"
"Those men who killed President Tarkov in Estonia. The Winter Soldier is their contact. They all work for Limka. The first thing I need from you is to go with him when they attack again. He's going to vanish under the guise of escape, but really he'll be rendezvousing with whoever's controlling him and pulling his strings."
Jenny held up her hands. "You want me to go with him?"
"I need intel, and he trusts you. I just need you to find out what the big plan of attack is, and report back to me. Then I'll extract you."
"How would I possibly be able to do that?"
"By getting on his side."
"That's insane," she said.
Something wild flashed in his eyes. He twisted the ring on his finger slowly. "No, no, it's not insane. I'm not insane. And I think you'll see that once we're done here."
The more he talked, the more Jenny felt her resolve waning. She was the only one who could pull this off. And she should be the one to do it.
"What do you need from me?" she asked.
"He's going to try to extract you from the mission. I want you to go with him willingly and gather as much information as you can. But there's one more thing I need." He took her shoulders in his hands and sat her down on the end of his bed. "I need what's locked away in your mind." He was still twisting the ring on his finger. Twisting, twisting…
"What do you need?" She stared at the gesture her eyes going fuzzy.
"You tried so hard to hide your past. But it wasn't hard to find."
A shock of fear when through her. Her mind said to move away, hide but she was frozen. "You- you know?"
"That you're Alexander Peirce's granddaughter? Yes. And I need the codes that he gave you. The codes for The Winter Soldier."
"What codes?"
"Release your mind to me. I need you to relax. Search through the memories and let go. I can't access them unless you give me permission."
"That Summer at Grandad's… When I was little. With the machine. I remember it now."
"That's right. That's why I need you. Once I have the codes, I can use them to control the Winter Soldier. I can stop him once I have that intel."
She shook her head. Another of her grandfather's personal betrayals. Choosing her to carry that kind of weaponizable information. Project insight made so much more sense now.
"Just relax Jennifer, it will all be clear in a moment." His voice became distant, even though he was right in front of her. She couldn't stop staring at the ring twisting on his finger. "Think back to that night Jennifer. That night that he told you the ten words."
She drifted on a sea of confusion. Like falling asleep but cognizant of the room, her choice. Her choice to give Max what he needed.
Her mind suddenly sucked back into a tunnel of black and sparkling swirls. The night her grandfather had taken her back up to bed when she'd seen the Winter Soldier.
"You don't have to be frightened Jenny," said Alexander. "I think you're ready for some responsibility. How would you like to not be afraid of him?"
She nodded her head. She was tired of being afraid of things.
"Alright. I want you to close your eyes."
Jenny shut them and felt something metal being placed against her forehead. She peeked though one eyelid. "Tut," said Alexander.
She closed them tight again. All she wanted was to make him proud.
"I want you to remember these words: 'FOUND, NEW, TWILIGHT, KILN, SEVENTEEN, ACTIVATE, DEPARTURE, ENGINE'"
A sizzle crackled from the metal against her forehead and a searing pain coursed into her brain. Like the shock she got from touching the pulsing electric fence at their horse ranch, but worse. Much worse. It lasted for so long, she thought her brain might leak out her ears.
"A time may come when you have to use those words to do the right thing," said Alexander. But you'll know when. You're a smart girl Jenny. My favorite and I'm so proud of you."
Then it was quiet and dark.
Jenny shook her head. All along, the backup codes to controlling the Winter Soldier were in her head, locked away where no one could find them.
"Thanks Jennifer," said Max, scribbling furiously on a notepad. "You have no idea how helpful you've been."
"What did you do to me?" she asked placing her hand against her forehead. That same feeling she had the other day when she woke in her room without knowing how she got there.
"Just a little trick I learned from my great grandfather."
"Your great grandfather?"
"A great man. Now remember what I said. The Winter Soldier will ask you to go with him, and I want you to go. And when I call you, answer and give me all you've learned. DON'T ignore my call."
She nodded.
"I mean it Jennifer." He grabbed her wrist then and pulled her close to his face. "I don't take kindly to disobedience in my ranks."
Jenny's eyes flew wide. Her brain was still swimmy. She tried to pull her hand away, but she found herself saying, "Of course Max." It didn't sound like her. The connection that she never thought of between brain and mouth was gone; unnoticed until it's disappearance. It simply wasn't there.
"Good," said Max leaning back in his chair triumphant. Not like how someone should be who was doing business. He folded his arms behind his head. "Now go down to the lobby and order lunch. A salad I think. Dressing on the side."
What?
Her body nodded and stood, going to the door.
"And Jennifer?"
She turned.
Get out of here.
"You'll wake up soon," he said. "But before you do, tell me those ten little word again."
She repeated them, her mouth moving without her say so.
Wake up, wake up!
"Thank you darling. And remember your word: 'Delilah.' I'll be in touch," he said.
….
Jenny looked down at her salad. She didn't even remember ordering it. Dressing on the side? She put her hand to her temple to rub it. Her head was splitting. She looked over at the menu. A Bloody Mary would do the trick, but there was no hard liquor here.
"Are you alright Miss?" asked the bar tender.
She nodded. Then shook her head. "I'm not sure. How long have I been here?"
The bartender looked at her strangely and then at the clock. "About an hour. You haven't touched your food."
"Can you bring me something else? Soup? Rice? Anything warm."
He smiled and removed her plate. "Of course."
She took a sip of water. She could tell it was treated heavily. Instead of crispness and refreshment, the liquid had the consistency of milk and had a bitter aftertaste. It added to the headache.
She shivered and looked down at her hands. A memory came flooding back. She'd given Max something. Words. She'd given him the words to control Bucky. No not Bucky, the Winter Soldier. There was no Bucky. A little glimmer of satisfaction rose up in her chest. He'd never be able to hurt anyone again. Another flash in her mind made thrills race down her spine. His lips, locking tightly with hers, the kiss so deep, she didn't know where she ended and he began.
A tear rolled down her cheek. She was stupid, reckless. Too much, throwing herself at a betrayer and a murderer. She didn't want to go with him, but that's what Max required of her.
The bartender set down a plate in front of her. Rice Pilaf and some grilled chicken in a spicy rub. This looked much more satisfying. "Thank you, this looks wonderful."
She took a bite.
Before the flavors even registered, a shot rang out. The bartender slumped over the food, and Jenny recoiled as blood flowed out of his neck onto the counter. He slid to the ground behind the bar.
Jenny jumped from her seat. At the door were those men. Two of them, the one's from Estonia in white and orange. The one's who'd killed President Tarkov. Jenny instinctively put up her fists, but a wave of fear crashed over her.
She looked around for an escape route. They were coming straight for her. There was nowhere to go, she'd have to fight her way out. But what use was Krav Maga against guns?
From behind, the two men's heads knocked together. Bucky stood there, large and impressive, assassin written all over his face as they fell to the ground. A third man grabbed Bucky around his neck from behind. He threw the masked man over his shoulder.
"Come on!" Bucky yelled to Jenny.
She hesitated. Max said The Winter Soldier was working with them, this didn't make any sense. But Max also told her to go with Bucky if he asked.
"Jenny!" Bucky's eyes were filled with pleading.
She ran to him, and he grabbed her hand. Two more men in orange and white pointed at them in the lobby. Bucky pulled her into the wait staff's entrance, slamming into people, pushing past the kitchen appliances. He spoke into his watch in a language that sounded like clicking. A bullet whizzed past her neck. She shuddered as Bucky pulled her faster. Then a noise blasted into her brain. Her ear blazed hot, the tip wet.
"Dammit," he said next to her. He stopped dead. Turning, he pulled a knife from his belt. He threw it straight at their assailant, and it hit the man in the neck. Then they were out the back door into the hotel courtyard.
Bucky took Jenny's face in his hands.
"Are you alright?" he asked. He took a rag out of his pocket and wiped her ear.
"I got shot," she said lamely. Her ear burned and rang so loud she could barely make out his words.
Bucky's eyes filled with rage. "I'll kill them," he said. But she didn't hear him, only made out the sentence from the shape of his lips. The roaring in her ear grew louder. But it wasn't her ear drum. It was coming from above. She looked up, but there was nothing.
Bucky spoke into his watch again and suddenly a black ship appeared, a strange shape she'd never seen in a vessel before. "What is this?" she yelled.
"We have to get out of here," he said.
The craft set down next to them, and a door opened. "Get in!" he cried. A bullet bounced off the ship. The men in orange and white fired from the back door.
He pushed Jenny inside and hit a button next to the door and it slid closed. Running to the front console, he slid into the front seat. "You'd better hang on," he said. Jenny scrambled for the seat next to him, her ear still screaming. She gripped the arms of the chair and he pulled on a lever. The torque threw her head back into the seat as the ship flew into the sky.
She closed her eyes, her stomach rolling.
Bucky reached over and strapped her in, then accelerated. She took deep gulping breaths and she could hardly concentrate. The clouds whizzing by made her lightheaded. "Bucky, I'm… going… to…"
Bucky pushed the lever forward and flipped some switches. The ship came to a stop and hovered over the clouds. Quicker than she could comprehend, he had her out of the seat belt and up into his arms. He set her on the edge of a bench that wrapped around half the ship. "Put your head between your knees," he said.
She followed his command. The blood started pumping back up to her brain.
She felt her chin being lifted, and the smell of whiskey and heat of his skin warmed her face. "This might sting," he said.
A searing pain radiated from the tip of her ear. She cried out but didn't dare move. He held her cheek gently and wiped the blood that had run down her neck. Just his shallow breaths and her heavy breathing was all she could hear. She looked down at a first aid kit. He took out a roll of bandage, and pressed it to her ear, rolling the bandage around her head to hold it in place. He handed her a bottle of water.
"Better?" he asked.
She took a swig. "Yes," she said. "Although I didn't think I'd be doing a Fred Weasley impression today."
He cocked his head at her.
"It's from a book…"
"I read it," he said.
"Is it bad? My ear?" she asked.
His glower returned. "The tip of your ear is gone."
She had guessed that that was the case, but it still made her head spin to hear it out loud.
"Can you stand?" he asked.
She nodded and he took her hands pulling her to her feet, so close her nose bumped his chin. Both his hands rested on either side of her arms. Slowly she looked up at him and met his eyes. "Jenny, I…" he started.
She pulled out of his grip and looked around the ship. "Where the hell are we?" she asked.
His sigh permeated the small space. "Wakandan ship," he said. "I have access to it when I need it."
"Wakandan…? Incredible…" The lines of the ship were sleek, beautiful. It was elegant and powerful. She stood in the middle of a round room, benches on the right side. Her head started to clear though, and as it did the weight of what had happened smashed into her brain. "What is going on? Who were those men? Oh god, my clothes, my files… We have to go back!" She panicked, thrashing. Her eyes went to the door, the front console.
Bucky took her arms again. "Hey, whoa…"
"I'm not a wild horse Bucky, don't tell me to 'whoa'."
"Like it or not, we're stuck up here. I need more information on those men, and we can't go back."
"I can take care of myself," she said, shoving out of his grip again. She knew Max wanted her to go with Bucky, but none of this was adding up.
"I was hired to protect you."
"I didn't hire you," she said.
He groaned in frustration. "Will you just accept that neither of us want to be in this position?" he said.
Neither of them said anything. Their shallow breaths rose and fell so loud, that she could hear them through her damaged ear.
"Are we just going to hang in the air like this?" she asked.
Bucky's gaze un-hazed and he clenched his fists closed and open several times, the crease between his eyebrows growing deeper. "No."
"Where are we going?"
"A friend." He walked to the front of the ship with a sigh.
"Who?"
"Sam."
"Captain America? We're going to…"
"Louisiana."