The breath of the men puffed in white clouds around their head in the early fall chill as dawn threatened. The immense hangar doors gaped open like the mouth to a mysterious cave. Inside, the guardsmen checked the cargo for loading using barcode scanners, their voices hushed by the huge space.
Rob had pulled up to the hangar using a back gateway and ushered the three men quickly inside. Finding a relatively empty aluminum container, he gestured rapidly to get inside; the airmen would be approaching shortly.
"Here is the water and food." Rob shoved the convenience store bag at Steve, glancing around nervously, "Hop in. You'll be in Omaha in about five hours. These containers will be pressurized with the rest of the plane, although, I think you'll be a bit warm. Ventilation is not spectacular on these."
Sam looked warmly at his friend, "Thanks."
"Yeah. Thank me when you get there so I can know if my career is ended or not." Johnson laughed. Sam smiled and climbed in the hatch.
Steve shook Rob's hand and climbed in.
Bucky stood like a statue.
"Buck. C'mon!" Steve urged.
A vaguely frightened expression was on James's face. "I can't."
"Why not?" Steve asked. Johnson started to look worriedly about as the airmen came down the row of cargo containers, one by one getting closer.
"Into… a box. I can't." Bucky ground out, his left arm flexing with tiny whirrs and clicks.
"It's ok, Bucky. I'm here. Sam's here. We're going to take you to a safer place." Steve implored.
"So small. Dark. I… can't." Barnes looked as if he'd bolt.
Giving a glance at Sam, Steve set his jaw. Leaping with explosive force, Rogers rocketed out of the container doorway and tackled Bucky to the floor.
Decades of Winter Soldier instincts asserted themselves and Bucky hammered Steve in the back with both fists, knocking the wind out of Cap. Johnson stood by horrified that the commotion would draw attention and they'd all be arrested.
Sam popped out of the container and grabbed Buchanan's upper body in a vise-like grip as Cap lassoed his legs with his arms. Grunting with great effort they hauled the thrashing Bucky into the container. "Didn't come all this way… to lose you now.", Steve gritted with the flailing body of Buchanan. James broke free of their grip to face the two men inside the dark box just as Steve produced a Widow's Bite. He snapped it on Bucky's right arm and the crackle of blue lightening arced over him, as he crumpled to the floor in a boneless heap. Cap was grateful he has purloined some of the Hulk-voltage versions from the Avengers HQ after their little chat with Tony a few days earlier.
The world went dark for all three of them as Rob quickly shut the door as if it was Pandora's box and he had just trapped the evil of the world inside.
Clicking on a small keychain flashlight, the two conscious men panted in the pitch darkness looking at the temporarily stunned assassin at their feet.
"This is what happens when you fly coach." Steve teased, sweat running rivulets down his face. The container had begun to warm considerably with the three large bodies inside.
"Ha ha, Rogers." Sam replied sourly.