Chapter 29

"Tell me you're joking," Fury slammed the report down on his desk with disgust.

"It was an innocent mistake," Dr. Bennett tried to stay cool and calm even though she too wanted the scream and throw things. "We've been at it all day. Mendoza just mixed up the sensors on the machine."

"So, three hours of testing and you have nothing to show for it? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I'm afraid so," she sighed. "I sent everyone home for the night. We'll start fresh in the morning and run the tests again. I'll check the machine setup personally."

"Damn right you will," he shoved the report at her and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Bennett turned to leave the room but remembered something else.

"Oh, one more thing."

"What else?" Fury asked with a vicious spark in his eye.

"There's a new cluster of affected individuals. We're seeing more people with headaches from the hangar."

"Weren't you already seeing people form there?"

"Yeah, but it was just an isolated few. The number almost tripled today."

Fury sat down and shook his head, "go get some sleep, then get me some answers before I have to evacuate the campus. Every resource here is at your disposal. You have until the end of the day tomorrow to figure this out."

She nodded, her lips thinning, "got it."


After the door shut behind the doctor, Bucky stepped out of the shadows.

"Well?" Fury asked.

He shrugged, "I don't think it's her. She seemed genuinely frustrated, but I could be wrong."

"No, I agree. What about the assistant?"

"Possibly," Bucky allowed, "but it could have been an honest mistake. These things happen when you push people too hard. And they haven't acted directly like this before."

Fury nodded, "still, we need to stay alert." Changing the subject, he asked, "anything up on the mountain?"

"Not yet, but from what the doctor just said maybe the girl's in the clear."

"She was feeling the effects herself," Fury mused. "Maybe she's trying to distance herself from whatever is causing it. No, we'll keep an eye on Ms. Beaumont. Even if it's not her, the two of them out there alone might be enough to spur Hydra to make another move."

Bucky stared at the director, "you're using them as bait?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"Maybe once, but not now," he replied with a frown. "That girl's been through enough already."

"Soldier," Fury said firmly, "we've been infiltrated. We have got to clean our house up or we're always going to be a step behind Hydra. Besides, I've got teams standing by in case Hydra makes a move."

"What do you need me to do?" Bucky resigned himself to Fury's course of action.

"Go check out the lab where Ms. Beaumont was working. With this new outbreak, maybe you'll find something."

Bucky nodded and left the office. He needed to get word to Banner that he and girl were being used as bait.


"I don't feel good about this," Dr. Raynor said into her phone.

"The tests were ruined?" the man on the other end of the line ignored her concern.

"Yes, but she'll run them again in the morning and this time she will catch any problems with the machine. Mendoza won't be able to stop her that way again."

Raynor hadn't wanted to reveal herself to the low-level operative, but she needed to stop the tests and screwing up the setup of the EEG machine was the only way.

"I'm instructing another operative to retrieve the device and deactivate it. It's fulfilled its primary purpose."

"You should have deactivated it sooner before I have to step in," she hissed. "And next time, test your gadgets better."

"You forget yourself, Doctor," he warned. "You'll get new orders soon."

"Yes, Commander."

"Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra," she replied, but the line was already dead.


Finally, Izzy thought. She had been searching for Laura for the last hour and found her at last in the hangar, laughing with three other agents. Walking boldly up to the foursome, she smiled brightly when Laura noticed her approach.

"I apologize for interrupting, but can I ask you a question, Agent Watson?"

The agent's eyes narrowed with irritation briefly then she smiled back, "of course." She turned to her companions, "I'll see you guys in the morning."

They bid her good night before leaving the two women alone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Laura demanded. "We're not supposed to know each other."

"Well, you blew that when you forced me to accept a ride from you," Izzy shot back. "And this is an emergency."

"What? Did you run out of your favorite color of lip gloss?"

"Don't be a bitch," Izzy snapped. "We're on the same team."

"Whatever," Laura dismissed her. "What do you want?"

"I've got orders to retrieve a certain device that's causing problems."

She suddenly had the agent's undivided attention, "what device?"

"It's a transmitter that emits a frequency too high to hear, but it," she paused, wondering how much she should reveal, "causes some complicated effects in humans."

"So, the headaches?"

Izzy nodded, "among other things."

"Like Dr. Banner's outburst last week?"

"That was the original intent, the headaches weren't anticipated, but they are causing a lot of confusion and inadvertently helping our cause."

"And now, you've been ordered to deactivate it?"

"Yeah, they're getting close to figuring it out."

"So, what's the problem. Just take care of it," Laura said impatiently.

"I can't get to it," Izzy snapped. "It's on a bracelet that I gave Ruby."

"She's your assignment. Why is this a problem?"

"Because she doesn't have it anymore. It's in the lab where she's been working."

"Again, why is this a problem?" Laura asked. "Just get her to retrieve it for you."

"I would, but she's not in the compound right now."

"What?" Laura's eyes grew big.

"Oh?" Izzy said with an air of superiority. "You mean you don't know?"

"Quit playing games and just tell me," Laura bit out.

"She left earlier today to join Dr. Banner wherever the hell he is."

The other woman was quiet for a moment and Izzy could imagine the thoughts going through her head.

"So, you'll help me get the bracelet? I don't have access to the lab, but you do, or know someone who does."

When Laura didn't reply immediately, Izzy asked again, "Well? Will you help me get the bracelet out of the lab or not?"

"What? Yes," Laura said distractedly. "I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," Izzy sighed in relief, but the other woman wasn't paying attention to her as she turned and hurried away.

What a bitch, she thought. But at least she was going to take care of the bracelet. One problem checked off her growing list. Again, Izzy wished she and Ruby were still in Houston going on with their own lives.


Bucky stopped just inside the door of the lab where Ruby and Bruce had been working. Even though the room was large, it was currently crowded with multiple mobile white boards. Every white surface was covered with neat formulas and handwriting. Bucky wasn't a genius or even a mathematician, but he could tell that this was some next-level shit. His respect for the diminutive blonde went up a degree.

Weaving through the maze of boards, he reached the two desks pushed together in the middle of the room. This seemed as good of a place to start as any. From the jumble of papers littering the top with the same precise handwriting as on the boards, he determined the one to his right was Ruby's. Careful to leave everything as he found it, he looked through the desk. The only personal items on it were a small, brass trophy and a photo of Ruby and a woman laughing. On the back of the photo was written Audra and Ruby. The trophy looked like it had seen better days. It had several scratches on its shining metal surface, a chip missing from the wooden base, and rough spot on the front where some part had fallen off.

All but one of the desk drawers were empty except for a few forgotten paperclips and thumbtacks. In the bottom right-hand drawer, he found a button sized piece of plastic. Picking it up he turned it over in his hand. It looked like a decorative part that had fallen off something. Looking at the trophy, he picked it up and held the piece to the rough spot on the front. It was a good match.

He started to throw it back in the drawer and continue his search but paused. The piece seemed to be newer than the trophy and felt heavier than it should. Better safe than sorry. Walking to the computer panel by the door, he held up the piece.

"Computer, scan the object I'm holding."

"Scanning," the computerized voice replied. "The object you are holding is a remote recording device, video and audio capable."

Damn, so the girl was up to something.

A thorough search of the rest of the room came up with nothing else, however. Pocketing the bug, Bucky headed back to the main building to tell Fury.


They giggled all the way back to the cabin. Once inside, Ruby held the flashlight while Bruce rekindled the fire in the stove. After a few minutes, the rustic interior was filled with a warm glow. Awkwardly, clad in just their underwear, they faced each other. The heat of their kiss at the springs had died down and now neither was sure what their next move should be.

Ruby was the first to move. Twice before, they had been interrupted and she was done with waiting for him to make the first move. Boldly stepping up to him, she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. This time, she was the one to deepen the kiss, licking his bottom lip before sucking it between hers. His response was to pull her to him and threading his fingers through her hair to hold her still so he could have his way with her mouth.

She moaned and pressed into him to bring as much of her overheated skin into contact with his. It still wasn't enough. She wanted more.

Bruce stepped back then sank down onto the bed mound, taking her with him until he was sprawled across it on his back and she lay on top of him. Ruby raised her head and met his lustful gaze with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Lowering her head back to him, instead of continuing their kiss, she nuzzled his neck, nipping gently at the skin, then kissing the spot. She pushed herself down his torso to trail kisses across the top of his chest then down to one of his puckered little nipples. Playfully, she teased it with her teeth and lips as he squirmed under her touch. Lightly, she dragged her fingernails across the other side of his chest, smiling as he tensed and held his breath. Another flick of her tongue across his nipple and his breath hissed as he released it.

Continuing her exploration, she slid lower, tasting the skin on his abdomen. The hard length of him pressed between her breasts through her bra. When it twitched at his reaction to her caress, she rubbed herself up and down on it. Bruce raised his hips in response and clenched the sleeping bag in each fist. Emboldened, she moved lower and pulled his boxers down. He lifted his hips for her to slide them down his legs, then kicked them free, not caring where they landed.

"Ruby…," he started.

"Shh," she breathed against him. "Don't spoil this."

Bruce grinned and let her have her way. It would probably de better this way. Right now, as far as he was concerned, the small woman could do as she pleased. Good, God! Where had this side of her been hiding?

Before all thoughts fled, he realized it had been there all along. It was there in the way she stayed in control and never dissolved into hysterics when they were captured by Hydra. It was there in the way she kept going as they struggled to survive in the mountains. It was evident in the single-minded way she pursued the elusive theory of everything against all odds. Finally, it was there when she stormed up this mountain after his sorry ass despite how awfully he had behaved at the compound. This amazing woman had been underestimated her entire life, even by him, but she never let that deter her. She knew what she wanted and didn't let anything get in the way.

When she settled between his legs and looked up at him, she was the sexiest creature he had ever seen.

Mine.


Ruby was reveling in his response to her touch. Never before had she been so forward in her almost non-existent sex life, but she sensed with Bruce she could be a wanton as she wanted, and he wouldn't judge her. She had always wanted to do some of the things she had only read about in romance novels and this was her chance.

She found as she continued, that most if not all the descriptions from the books were way off the mark, which was somewhat disappointing. What wasn't disappointing were his response. No matter how awkward and fumbling she felt, he moaned and twitched under her. At one point, she thought she had made a mistake when he cupped her head with his hands and slowed her ministrations.

"Easy," he told her. "That's almost too much."

"Sorry," she flushed.

"Don't be. That feels amazing, but that's really sensitive and too much can be overwhelming almost to the point of pain."

Good to know, she thought. Another point missed by her books. She stroked him slightly.

"How's this?"

"Oh, God, that's perfect. You're perfect," he groaned.

Pleased that she hadn't completely screwed up, she continued.

Another thing that the books never mentioned was that skin could get sticky when it started to dry in the middle of things. Lubrication had to be the answer, but all she had was her own spit and it just seemed gross to spit on him.

"Something wrong?"

"No, just thinking."

"Okay," he sounded dubious.

Making up her mind, she pushed her revulsion aside and spit. The results were immediately worth it. The man under her certainly agreed by the sounds he was making.

However fun it was to please him this way, she was again disappointed. By this time in the books, the heroine was so turned on that she could almost climax without being touched. Yeah, right. Either the books were full of crap or there was something wrong with her.

"Ruby," Bruce interrupted her thoughts again. The very fact that she was able to think in the middle of this indicated that something was off.

"Ruby," he said more urgently, "you need to stop now or I'm going to cum."

Wasn't that the whole point?

She ignored his warning and continued. By now, she knew it wasn't going to be anything like in the books, but how bad could it be if women around the world did it?

"Oh, fuck, Ruby," he panted as he tried to hold back.

Then he tensed under her and let go, and yep, it was pretty unpleasant. Determined to let him get the most out of the experience, she kept her gag reflex in check until he collapsed back onto the bed like a limp noodle. Then she lunged to the edge of the bed mound and spat everything on the floor, not caring if it got on the sleeping bags. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry," she whispered, miserably.

She tensed when he laughed, but he grabbed her and pulled her down to his side and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again, wanting to disappear into the sleeping bags and never come back out.

"For what?" he asked. "That was amazing. Thank you, baby."

With her face hidden against his shoulder, she smiled. At least the books got something right.

After he recovered, Bruce returned the favor until Ruby screamed in orgasm under him. As her breathing returned to normal, he moved up her body and thrust into her softness. Within moments both of them climaxed together.

Laying side by side in the afterglow – yeah, that was a real thing too – Ruby thought about the few times she'd had sex before. None of them could compare to this. All this time, she had worried that something was wrong with her. Now she realized that she just needed to right person.

She was fairly certain that she was falling in love with the man beside her and she was good with that.