Chapter 19. The Capture

Content warning: Contains violent content which may be disturbing to some readers.

—-

Philadelphia

It had been eight months since they moved into Terry's penthouse apartment and Lacey was somewhat surprised they slipped so easily back into urban living. Every day she and Terry walked Tommy to school, waiting until the bell rang and making sure he went inside. Then they walked back, picking up a coffee from the coffee shop nearby and returning to the apartment. Terry would leave for his university coaching job while Lacey would clean up, do some laundry, get the mail, then write for several hours. In the mid-afternoon she walked to the school, waited for Tommy to come out, then together they would walk home. If he had homework she sat with him at the dining room table checking her emails, or reading her fan mail, while he did his school work. Then she would start supper. They would eat, usually without Terry as the team had practice running from the late afternoon to early evening. Games were on the weekend. It was quiet and routine, which Lacey wanted at this point.

On this particular Friday she waited with the other moms and a few dads for their kids to come out of the school. She had started talking with some of the parents, chit chatting about school, sports and other things parents talk about. Someone brought up the new Captain America and Lacey smiled, happy for Sam to take on the mantle. She knew Bucky was with him during the New York battle with the Flag Smashers as someone in the media had mentioned him. When Tommy came out he had his back pack on and fell into step beside Lacey, telling her about his day.

Two blocks away from the school a car with tinted windows suddenly pulled onto the sidewalk in front of them and Lacey grabbed Tommy to run back to the school. They were blocked on that side by another car, also with tinted windows. Several masked men stepped out, approaching them with guns drawn. Tommy assumed the fighting stance from Bucky's genetic memory that he was born with. When the first man advanced on him he ran at him kicking him in the chest hard enough to knock him to the ground where he delivered a punch to the throat that incapacitated the gunman. He was ready to take on the second man when he heard his mother scream and turned to see what was happening to her.

"Run, Tommy!" she screamed. "Run!"

"Give up or I put a bullet in your mother's head," said the masked man who held a handgun to Lacey's head.

Another vehicle pulled up and several men wearing FBI bulletproof vests came out pointing their firearms at the masked men. The one in charge, who Tommy recognized as Agent Jones, an occasional visitor to the apartment, pulled the boy behind him as he advanced on the man holding Lacey.

"Let the woman go," ordered Jones. "I have a sniper with a rifle trained on you. He'll put a bullet in your brain well before you can pull that trigger."

"Your sniper has already been taken care of," replied the masked man, confidently. "Contact him on your comms if you don't believe me."

Jones grimaced and called his sniper but there was no response. He still held his gun on the masked man. "Let her go," he said firmly. "You're not getting her or the boy."

"Think again," replied the gunman. "Boss?"

Jones heard the shots just before he felt the armour piercing bullet hit him in the chest. He staggered back and fell, looking at his men as they fell to the sidewalk, also hit by armour piercing bullets. He put his hand out to Tommy who was obviously in shock then Jones watched helplessly as the boy was swept up by one of the masked men. As Jones struggled to get off the ground and shoot out the tires of the cars he heard another shot and was hit again, this time in the shoulder. Before he lost consciousness he saw Lacey being put into one car and Tommy into the other. Both cars leisurely pulled away leaving him and his four agents bleeding out on the ground.

When he woke up the following morning it was with a tube down his throat, an IV in his arm, and all sorts of sensors attached to his body. He moaned and several familiar faces appeared in his view; Nick Fury, Clint Barton, and Bucky Barnes. He looked past Bucky, recognizing the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, to Bucky's right.

"Agent Jones, how many men?" asked Fury, appearing directly over him. "How many vehicles?"

Jones thought for a moment and focussed his energy on his hands and fingers. Slowly he held up eight fingers, then changed it to two.

"Masked?"

He nodded. Using military sign language he signed that there were several snipers.

"They used armour piercing bullets on you," said Fury. "You lost three men, including your sniper. I'm sorry. You're the first to wake up."

Reaching out with his hand Jones gripped Bucky's arm and stared at him, trying to show his regret at failing to protect Lacey and Tommy.

"You did your best," said Bucky, his face showing compassion. "I don't blame you. You were outgunned. They made sure they got what they came for. We'll take it from here."

Jones grimaced and nodded as Bucky patted him on the arm. The four of them went out into the hallway. Fury looked at the three others with determination.

"Well, it looks like Sharon Carter decided to strike hard and fast. SHIELD has been looking for her since just before the Blip ended. They didn't know she was the Power Broker, as they thought she was still working for the CIA. You two didn't know about her trying to take Lacey and Tommy at the farm during the Blip when she helped you with the Flag Smashers. If you had we could have taken her then. That's on me."

"We should have figured out she was the Power Broker," said Sam. "Everything she did for us was just in time. She even killed some of her own people so we would think she was on the level."

Bucky said nothing but stood brooding for some time. "She needed Lacey to get Tommy," he stated. "Once she has him she can keep him sedated and take his blood whenever she wants. I'm going to hope she doesn't have a memory suppressing machine. Considering he easily took down one of her men she may want to keep him and turn him into an enforcer."

"Or sell him to the highest bidder," added Clint. "When I killed a lot of the criminal kingpins it left a void. There's a lot of competition among those who reappeared to take over the gangs and cartels. They could indoctrinate him with violence and drugs, like child soldiers, then turn him into their killer. Sorry, Bucky."

"Don't be," said Bucky. "It's a valid assessment."

"Has the CIA given you any information on her whereabouts?" Sam asked Fury.

"No. They've disavowed her," he answered, "but I wouldn't be surprised if they had an idea where she is. They weren't happy you got a conditional pardon, Barnes. It messed up their plausible deniability defence at your hearings when your lawyer pulled out the decrypted HYDRA files proving they knew about your captivity all along. Sam's activities on behalf of Isaiah Bradley made them even more culpable. Just so you know, I didn't have that level of clearance when I was with the CIA. I didn't know you were one of ours and I didn't know about him."

Bucky nodded in acknowledgement. "Who else can we pull into a rescue team?" he asked. "I'm assuming you want to be in on it, Clint."

"Damn right, I do," replied Clint. "We can get Scott, his girlfriend Hope, Peter Parker ... he's Spider-Man. Kate Bishop is ready for action. I may be able to talk to Natasha's sister, Yelena. Since she stopped trying to kill me she might be useful. I think if you ask King T'Challa he might help. Maybe send us some of his warriors."

"That might be pushing it," replied Bucky. "I kind of helped Zemo break out of prison for him to help us with the Flag Smashers. Ayo told me to stay away from Wakanda for a while."

"That was you?" grinned Barton. "I'm impressed. I would still ask. What about John Walker?" Bucky and Sam both grimaced. "Touchy subject? I thought he did help with the Flag Smashers in New York."

"He did," agreed Sam. "He's ... on the edge. Let's put it that way. He lets the end justify the means and he did go too far with the one Flag Smasher."

"I'll approach him," said Bucky. "We may need him, as much I don't want to ask for his help."

"I'll talk to Colonel Rhodes," said Sam. "I'm sure he will want to be in on this."

"We'll meet tomorrow at the compound," said Fury. "We have one building usable that houses living quarters, meeting rooms and a canteen. It's a start."

As they stepped out of the hospital Bucky saw Terry Williams waiting for him. Sam and Clint came with him while Fury got into a black SUV that was waiting for him.

"They wouldn't let me in to see Dan," said Terry. "Is he okay?"

"He's awake and was able to tell us a few things," said Clint. "He'll be alright. We're going to find them, Terry. We're assembling a team and will start planning tomorrow."

"I received a phone message about an hour ago," said Terry. "It's meant for you but they sent it to me, probably to make me talk you into not looking for them."

He brought up the phone message and handed it to Bucky who took in a sudden breath then handed it to the other two men. It was a picture of Sharon with Lacey and Tommy. She had a memory suppressing machine and Lacey was in it. The text message was succinct.

— I found my chemist. I'm wiping Lacey's memory and selling her. The boy is mine.

Bucky took the phone back and sent the picture to himself then handed the phone back to Terry. Another thought occurred to the super soldier.

"Can they track where this picture came from?" he asked Clint.

"It's possible," said Clint. "We would need the phone for an IT specialist to analyze. You think it will give a location of Carter?"

"That's my thinking," said Bucky. "It will likely be in the same place where her lab is. Terry, I want your phone."

"Then I have to come with you," said Terry. "I want to help."

"It's not a good idea," said Clint, gently. "We're assembling a team that will use deadly force if they have to. No offence, but you're a civilian."

"She's my sister and he's my nephew and I've been responsible for them for over 5 years," he replied. "I can't go back to my home and wait by the phone helplessly. Please, even if it's just keeping your coffee cups filled, let me come with you."

"Okay," agreed Bucky. "You do everything I tell you without arguing. Understood?"

Terry nodded. They went back to his apartment to use as a base and contact everyone they had discussed. Before midnight they had a team and everyone agreed to meet at the compound the following day. They were unable to get a location on John Walker and Bucky left, telling them he had an idea how to find the man. He promised to meet the others at the compound if they would bring his go bag. As he left the building he opened his cell phone and looked up a contact. For some time he stared at it, wondering if he really wanted to call in the debt this person owed him. Then he made the call to the man who had been an assassin for the mob. Bucky prevented him from being shanked while they were both in lock up, receiving a marker for his efforts.

"Marco, it's Bucky," he said. "You meant what you said about being in my debt? I need to find someone, tonight if possible, tomorrow at the latest." He listened to the man on the other end of the phone. "No, I don't want him hurt or anything. Just a location. I need him for a job." The man on the other end said something else that made Bucky smile. "No, not a bank job. A rescue. Someone took my son and his mother. I want to get them back. If I could I would ask for your help but I'm using legitimate players on this. I just can't get hold of this guy and I need him."

Bucky hung up and began running to the train station. Where ever John Walker was he needed to get to him as soon as possible. By the time he reached the station Marco had a location for him and Bucky thanked him, saying the debt was paid. Marco extended an invitation to work for the mob but Bucky declined, thanking him for the opportunity. Then he bought a ticket to New York and began the 90 minute ride between the two cities. While he sat in his seat he pulled up the picture of Lacey. Enlarging the image of her he noticed the tell tale red mark above and below her left eye. They had already put her through at least one round of the machine. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and seriously considered breaking his vow of not killing anymore. Then he enlarged the part of the picture that showed Tommy, cringing slightly at how scared he was. He began looking at other parts of the picture to see if there was a clue of any kind. There was a throwaway coffee cup that he enlarged enough to discern a logo on it. With a sense of satisfaction he recognized it was from the coffee kiosk where he met Agent Jones in New York several months before. The machine was somewhere in that vicinity and so were Lacey and Tommy. He texted his deduction and the picture to Nick Fury, leaving it to him to try to find the exact location.

When he got off the train he looked at the address Marco gave him for John Walker. Just on the address alone it was fancy digs for a guy who had been kicked out of the military with no benefits. He obviously had a new employer if he could afford to live in the heart of Manhattan. Bucky went to the front door of the building, noticing it had a night doorman. He could take him out but that would mean hurting him and Dr. Raynor's insistence on the three rules still stuck with him. No one who didn't deserve it would be hurt by him. Instead, he went for a walk around the building. Places this nice usually had a second entrance for staff, workers, and deliveries. At the back he found the ramp into the parking garage and looked at the control panel, remembering he had bypassed ones just like it when he was the Soldier. Pulling the panel off he located a couple of wires, disconnected them, and reconnected them together, raising the ramp door. Quickly he went down the ramp, through the door then to a service elevator. It didn't need a pass card and he pressed the button for the floor where John Walker and his wife lived. When it arrived he made his way to the suite number and looked at the lock. He could knock but Walker might not open it if he saw Bucky through the security peephole. Normally he would use blunt force for it but he didn't want to alert anyone if he could avoid it. He didn't have any lock picking tools so that was out. As he paced up and down the hallway he noticed the fire alarm. It would get everyone up and out of the building but he could get Walker on his own first. Reaching out he pulled the lever and the klaxon sounded to evacuate the building. Waiting as people came out of their apartments in their nightclothes he watched the Walker's door carefully from an alcove across the hall. As soon as it opened he ran over and pushed both Walker and his wife back into the apartment.

"Bucky?" exclaimed Walker. "What the hell, man!"

"It's a false alarm," said Bucky. "I needed to talk to you but you aren't exactly listed in the phone book. The fire alarm was plan B."

"You know this guy?" asked his wife, angry at the intrusion.

"Yeah," replied Walker. "Olivia, this is Bucky Barnes. What the hell is so important that you had to set off a fire alarm in my building?"

"I need your help," said Bucky. "Sharon Carter, who helped us with the Flag Smashers; turns out she's the Power Broker and she took my son, and his mother."

"You have a son?" asked Walker incredulously. "Why does she want your son?"

"Because the super soldier abilities I have were passed on to him," said Bucky. "She can make new serum using his blood. She has a memory suppression machine as well and can use it to make super soldiers that obey her every command. She's already used it on Lacey, my son's mother. Then she plans to sell her off to someone."

He showed them the picture that he copied from Terry's phone. They both looked at it without comment.

"Why should I help you?" demanded Walker. "I have a contract with a private employer and it doesn't involve dealing with you."

Bucky sighed then looked at Olivia. "Because she may come after your child sometime," he said. "I'm pretty sure if you and your wife start having children they'll have the super soldier abilities as well. If you came to me for help I wouldn't hesitate."

Olivia looked at her husband in a panic then instinctively touched her abdomen. She was already pregnant. Walker looked up in frustration then at his wife when she touched his arm.

"You have to help him," she said. "He's just a kid. You came up against traffickers in Afghanistan and said they were filthy animals. You can't let them have Lacey either."

Walker let out a short angry breath. "Okay, I'm in," he said curtly. "What's the plan?"

"Meet at the Avengers compound upstate," replied Bucky. "Today, as soon as you can get there after sunrise. Bring your uniform and your weapons."

Walker nodded his assent then they all went to the door and joined the exodus of people evacuating down the stairs. When they got to the bottom Bucky disappeared into the night and Walker put his arm protectively around Olivia.

"Val isn't going to like this," he said.

"She doesn't need to know," replied Olivia, then she looked up at her husband. "This is the right thing to do, John."

Once Bucky was safely away from the building he ran to a self storage facility in Brooklyn. Even though he mostly stayed in Delacroix with Sam and his family he had moved his possessions from his Brooklyn flat into a small storage unit, not wanting to move them until he was sure he was staying in one place. Lifting up the steel door sounded disturbingly loud but he didn't stop until it was completely open. Then he turned on the light and began looking for the tools of his trade. In the weeks since they fought the Flag Smashers things had been quiet so he hadn't needed his weapons. Now, he needed several and he brought the satchel out. Pulling a canvas off of a hidden object revealed a motor bike, a Kawasaki Versys 650, which he picked up at a very reasonable price. He barely rode it since buying it but he needed a way to get to the compound. Grasping the handle bars he walked the motor bike out to the corridor. Going back inside he found another bag with a leather jacket and motorcycle helmet, put them both on, and slung the weapons satchel cross wise over his body. Finally he pulled down the steel door and locked it. He walked the motor bike outside, mounted it, and turned the key, its motor springing to life right away. As soon as he got it up to speed a grin spread across his face as its powerful but smooth roar reached his ears. Checking for police or speed traps he let it out and got it up to 150 mph before bringing it back down to the speed limit. It was definitely a motorcycle he would enjoy riding. Just over an hour later he pulled up to the construction site that covered most of the Avengers compound. An MP waved him over and Bucky pulled up then took his helmet off.

"Your name, sir?" asked the MP.

"Bucky Barnes," he replied, then added his rank. "Sergeant. There's supposed to be a John Walker on the list. Can you confirm that?"

The MP looked at his clipboard. "Yes, Sarge, he's on the list but hasn't checked in yet. Go straight and take the second turn right. Your destination will be on the left. You're the first one here, other than Director Fury."

"There is another man who might not be on the list," stated Bucky. "Terry Williams. He is the brother of the abducted woman and uncle to the boy. I can vouch for him."

"He's on the list as well," said the MP. "I believe Clint Barton called it in to include him on the briefings."

Bucky nodded, put his helmet back on and followed the directions. The building looked new but it was still surrounded by the wreckage of Thano's attack. Another MP guided him in to a parking stall.

"Sergeant Barnes," he verified. "If you go through those doors another MP will assign you your quarters. If you have weapons in your bag, there is a secure storage area inside for you to keep them."

Bucky thanked him and walked inside carrying his helmet in his arm. The MP checked the contents of his bag and radioed for an escort to show him the weapons storage then his quarters. An army private arrived to lead Bucky to the weapons storage area which was basically a locker that used an iris scan to open and close it. Then he followed the private to his quarters, dropping his helmet and jacket onto the table. The canteen wasn't open yet so Bucky laid on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before the others arrived. A knock on his door awakened him a couple of hours later and he opened it to Sam carrying his go bag.

"How long have you been here?" asked Sam.

"Well before sunrise," replied Bucky. "I found Walker. He said he was in. His wife is pregnant so I think he understands the necessity of keeping the kids safe. His wife also brought up his experiences with human traffickers in Afghanistan."

"Good," said Sam. "Canteen is open, if you're up for some breakfast. Is that your motorcycle outside?"

"Yeah, first time out with it," replied Bucky. "Took it up to 150 mph in no time."

"Nice," said Sam, smiling broadly. "Oh, just so you know, we have three Dora Milaje here. They volunteered. Ayo is one of them."

"Nice," replied Bucky, also smiling. "She's a good soldier."

He changed his shirt and walked with Sam to the canteen. It was more like a mess hall as both of them came away with a full tray of food, coffee and orange juice. As he turned to the seating area a hand went up and he saw Clint and Terry. Also sitting with them were Peter Parker, who he hadn't seen since the airport in Leipzig, and surprisingly to him, Lt. Torres.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Torres.

"I heard about your girlfriend and son," he replied. "I've been working on the Falcon suit and trying it out. I thought I could help."

"Thanks," said Bucky. "I appreciate it." He turned to Peter and offered his hand. "Thanks for coming out, Peter. Having experienced how effective your webs are I'm sure you'll make a difference."

"Sure, Mr. Barnes," Peter replied, shaking Bucky's hand.

"Bucky, please," he interrupted, smiling. "Mr. Barnes was my dad."

Peter nodded and went back to eating his breakfast. As they continued eating more people entered and he couldn't help but feel moved by those who showed up. When John Walker strode in Bucky made a point of standing up and calling to him, understanding that in many ways Walker needed to feel like he was part of something good. He introduced him to everyone and gave him his chair to sit on while he pulled another over. Sam watched him with a small half smile on his face, understanding exactly what Bucky was doing.

A dark-haired woman entered the canteen area. Clint identified her as Maria Hill, Fury's right hand person. She announced the briefing was about to begin and asked everyone assembled to follow her to the full briefing room. At the front stood Fury, Rhodes, Thaddeus Ross, and two sorcerers, one who Bucky recognized as Dr. Strange. The other sorcerer was an Asian man but Bucky didn't know his name. When Fury put his hand up the whole room went silent.

"It would appear that the rumours of the demise of the Avengers isn't true," he said. "There was a feeling from people with a higher pay grade than myself that there was no need for our organization, at least not in the format it had been." He gave some serious side-eye to Ross. "With the rise of the Flag Smashers and now the kidnapping of Lacey Chapman and her son Tommy, nothing could be further from the truth. Three FBI agents died trying to prevent the kidnapping. Three seriously injured. For those of you who don't know Tommy is the son of Bucky Barnes and he has inherited his father's abilities." There were several murmurs from the crowd. "One of our own, Sharon Carter, has turned to the dark side and is behind the kidnapping. She is now known by her current alias, the Power Broker, a powerful criminal overlord in Madripoor."

"Didn't she just get reinstated by the CIA?" asked Torres.

"Yes," replied Fury. "That's before we realized her criminal alias. We had been looking for her but never made the connection. She has been disavowed by the CIA now that they are aware of her true identity. She was behind the serum used by the Flag Smashers to become super soldiers and we believe she has plans to use Tommy Chapman's blood to create more serum. Gentlemen, and ladies, we need to stop Miss Carter, and rescue Lacey Chapman and her son. Those are our missions."

He let the news percolate and looked at Thaddeus Ross who put his hand up for silence.

"I know my presence here doesn't fill you with confidence," he said. "Mistakes were made. Serious mistakes that blamed certain innocent people for things they didn't do. It also caused other people who were doing what they thought was morally right to be arrested and imprisoned unjustly. I'm here to tell you the Sokovia Accords have been revoked completely. After Thanos it was recognized that an organization like the Avengers needs its autonomy to take up the fights that need fighting without waiting for approval by slow moving bureaucracies. Cap, Barnes, and Walker proved with their work on the Flag Smashers that the rules of engagement can't always be followed especially when your opponent doesn't follow or respect those same rules. That doesn't mean you sink to their level. It means you use appropriate force to defeat your opponent. It also means the kidnapping of two people is as important as a threat against many people. Whatever you need to do to succeed in this mission will be provided to you. Good luck."

Bucky looked at Sam. It appeared they both had just received an apology for how they had been treated in the past. Whatever they did now was their decision and under their control. This fight had meaning not just for them but for everyone who had stepped up and they would make it count.