Chapter 20. The Cruelest Animal

Content warning: Contains descriptions of violence towards victims of human trafficking. Contains scenes of violence resulting in injury.

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"We have good news and bad news," said Fury when he resumed the briefing. "We have located where Lacey Chapman and her son were taken after their kidnapping. Thanks to a picture that Carter provided to taunt us Bucky Barnes noticed a logo on a coffee cup linked to a specific coffee kiosk in Greenwich Village. Using satellite footage we were able to identify the arrival of our kidnap victims to a location in the Village on the same day of the kidnapping. Barnes also pointed out his belief that the memory suppression machine in the photo had been used on Miss Chapman. Our analysis concurred with that belief. Yesterday afternoon that machine was dismantled and removed piece by piece from the premises. Miss Chapman was seen leaving in the custody of individuals associated with Russian mafia human traffickers. Young Tommy was seen in the custody of Miss Carter as she also left the premises. They are no longer in the Greenwich Village location."

Bucky's lip curled. They had missed their chance while assembling their team. Several people touched his shoulder in support and he took a deep breath. Fury looked directly at him and gave him a grim smile.

"We believe that Carter has taken the boy to Madripoor, where her base of power is," he stated. "The memory machine has likely been transported there as well. We are going to send select individuals there with nano masks to infiltrate Carter's base of operations. Cap has been there before and will be heading up that team. Barnes will be heading up the team that will locate Miss Chapman. We have identified two of the men who were with her when she left the Greenwich Village location." He looked up at the screen. "Sergei Dendrov, and Anatoly Maksimov are both high ranking members of Black Cat, the trafficking arm of the Black Dog mafia. They both have eye tattoos on their hands which is indicative of them watching their prey."

Bucky stood up. "Dendrov is one of the men who attempted to find a flash drive in Lacey's house in 2014," he said. "At that time he also recognized me as the Soldier meaning that Black Cat were providing subjects for HYDRA experimentation and had access to their facilities. It's likely he has been planning to abduct Lacey since then, although the FBI arrested him in 2014. I put a knife through his palm in subduing him so I'm sure he remembers her very well."

"That may be a fair assessment," said Fury. "He disappeared during the Blip and was accidentally released upon his reappearance due to the confusion at the time. He immediately went underground. We do know that the current incarnation of Black Cat take their captives to the docks, keeping them in a shipping container until they have enough numbers to be profitable. The container is usually transferred to a Russian registered cargo ship and they are transported over to be slaves, or put into the Eastern European sex trade. It's a filthy business and we wish to shut them down completely and for good. If you have a preference for which team you're on now's your opportunity. Team Cap will stay here. Team Barnes will reconvene in another location which Miss Hill will lead you to."

Sam and Bucky both stood up and gave each other a pound shake then Bucky followed Hill to another briefing room. He was followed by Walker, Torres, Belova, Van Dyne, Bishop, Parker and Ayo. When they entered the next briefing room Hill also stayed. Terry Williams walked in a moment later. Walker eyed Ayo nervously when she sat next to him, while she gazed at him impassively.

"We are on the same team, John Walker," she said in her serious voice. "You have nothing to fear from me."

Bucky stood in front of them and breathed out before speaking. "I have some memories of the viciousness of the Russian traffickers from when I was the Winter Soldier," he said quietly. "They are cruel to their captives. Physical punishment is a given and they will not hesitate to mentally intimidate them into complete submission. Lacey, having her memory wiped, will be at their mercy, which she won't get. She will likely be in a state of complete confusion and submission. My fear is they will use it as an opportunity to abuse her physically and sexually for they will see her condition as weakness and they prey on the weak. If Dendrov recognizes her which is quite likely he'll be inclined to give her extra cruel treatment."

"So we need to locate that shipping container as soon as possible," said Yelena Belova. "Those men are cut from the same cloth as the men who ran the Red Room in Russia."

"Red Room?" asked Walker. "What's that?"

Nearly everyone looked at him incredulously. "It is what the training facility for Black Widow operatives in Russia was called," said Bucky. "The operatives were taken from their families as small children and grew up with a foster family who helped train them in spy craft and martial arts. When they were old enough they began their real training in the Red Room. Physical punishment and intimidation was the order of the day. They survived it and moved on or they didn't and were culled."

"Culled?" repeated Walker, shaking his head slightly. "You mean killed?"

No one answered and he let out a big breath. Torres broke the silence.

"I can go up in the Falcon suit and activate Red Wing to search for hidden heat signatures inside the shipping containers. The only trouble is I won't know if it's the Russians or another trafficking outfit until we get visual confirmation. Are we doing anything about the other outfits?"

Bucky looked at the women who had volunteered for his team, knowing they had their own reasons for being on this team. "We concentrate on the Russians first, then we go after the others. Shut them all down. Hope, can you go with Red Wing and do your own reconnaissance, be our visual confirmation?"

"Can do," she replied. "I can also place a marker on the container from above so if they move it we can track it.

"Peter, can you web the base of the marked container so it can't be moved?" asked Bucky.

"Yeah, no problem," said Peter. "What do we do once we locate and free the women?"

"They will need much kindness and compassion," said Ayo unexpectedly. "They can be extremely emotional, or completely shut down, and may cower from others, especially men. It would be advisable to have emergency services in the form of ambulances there to transport them to hospital as they are likely to be suffering from injuries caused by physical or sexual abuse. If you can engage the services of trauma counsellors to begin treating them immediately their chances of recovery are better." Her piercing eyes gazed at everyone. "I have experience from similar cases in Africa."

"I think both Bucky and I want to be there for Lacey," said Terry, then his voice broke. "Just make sure you take all of those bastards down and make sure they never get out of prison."

"Agreed," said Bucky. "Torres and Van Dyne, please start your reconnaissance. Meet back here in one hour."

Those two left right away and Maria approached Bucky. "I'll set up the emergency and counselling services," she said calmly. "We'll find her Bucky."

She touched his arm reassuringly and went off to set them up. Yelena looked at Ayo appraisingly.

"I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Dora Milaje," she said. "Want to spar?"

Ayo smirked. "I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Black Widows," she replied. "I'm up for it if you are."

Bishop followed the two women out. Peter looked at Bucky.

"Mind if I do some satellite surfing?" he asked. "I'm good at computers. Maybe I can locate the trafficker's hangouts."

Bucky nodded and Peter went off to find an open terminal. Walker looked at Bucky and Terry.

"So, we just wait?" he asked.

"We're muscle, Terry is emotional support," said Bucky. "Our time will come in just over an hour. We want these guys alive, John. They need to pay for their crimes."

"Even if they've raped her?" he asked then he looked at Terry quickly. "No offence."

"I don't kill," replied Bucky, looking at Walker in a decidedly cool manner. "I haven't killed a human since 2014. It's what keeps me sane. You should try it."

Walker smirked, thinking Bucky was joking, then realized he wasn't. "I wish I had known that before I agreed to come on this mission," he said sullenly.

"There's the door," gestured Bucky with his hand, irritated and disappointed with the man. "I asked you because I needed your super soldier abilities. When your wife said you shut down some traffickers in Afghanistan I thought you might be interested in pursuing similar justice in your own country. If that's too much to ask of you then leave. I'll still answer the call if Carter ever comes after your wife and child."

"I'll stay," said Walker, sounding surly. "Wouldn't want you thinking you're a better man than me."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Bucky, becoming angry. "I don't care if I'm a better or worse man than you or anyone else. My morals are mine and mine alone. You goaded me in Europe about the serum flowing through my veins and all that power I keep suppressed. You know why? Because if I don't suppress it I will overdo it and hurt someone, possibly someone I love. That's why I don't kill because if I did I wouldn't stop. I was a killer against my will, John. I won't be a killer again because of my will. My choice, my decision, my cross to bear. I hope you never reach a point again where you hurt someone because you reacted with rage or without control, especially someone you love. It will destroy you probably more than your PTSD is already doing."

Bucky got up without waiting for a reply and Terry followed him, not wanting to be in a room alone with Walker. He followed Bucky all the way outside where he watched as Bucky paced like a caged animal, waiting for the others to do their reconnaissance. After a few minutes Bucky noticed him and stopped pacing. Terry approached him then.

"That's why you left her," he said. "You had a PTSD flashback and thought you would hurt her."

Bucky nodded then took a deep breath. "I should have stayed and confided in her so she could understand what I go through," he admitted. "But I panicked and left instead. I was ashamed of what went through my mind while we were in bed together. I know I hurt her and Tommy, and I will regret that my whole life. I don't expect her to take me back. All I can hope for is her forgiveness."

"For what it's worth I forgave you right away," said Terry. "I figured it was something like that. If you ever need someone to talk to you can call on me, anytime. I'll listen."

Bucky nodded and smiled grimly. "Thanks Terry," he replied. "I appreciate that."

They both sat on a nearby bench and Terry told him about his job coaching. Bucky could hear the pride in Terry's voice as he described the satisfaction the position gave him. It made him contemplate his own future after this mission was over. For so long he had been consumed with staying under the radar, then focused on undergoing treatment. Getting involved in the Flag Smashers case had been a spur of the moment thing but his actions had felt natural once he was involved. He found a sense of partnership with Sam that he hadn't felt since Steve and to him that was a good thing. Perhaps becoming an Avenger for real could be the calling he was looking for. It might even allow him the luxury of a family. Clint seemed to have been able to have both. But until they found Lacey and Tommy he couldn't allow himself to think that far ahead. Bucky stood up while looking at his watch, noticing almost an hour had passed.

"Let's see if we have any intel to go over," he said to Terry.

They returned to the meeting room, where John Walker still sat. Ayo and Belova returned from their sparring session, both of them displaying a sense of satisfaction. Within minutes the rest of the group arrived and Bucky received the information he had been waiting for.

"Start telling me things," said Bucky.

"I've located three different shipping containers with people inside," said Torres. "Hope put a tracker on each of the containers."

"I flew close to each one to establish visuals," added Hope. "The one that is a Black Cat container is in a dock in Brooklyn. They have several guards on that dock and more men in a building just beside the dock."

Bucky's jaw clamped down firmly when he heard the location but he said nothing.

"They also operate out of a hotel near the docks in Brooklyn," said Peter, hesitantly, knowing that Bucky was from there. "In fact, all of the groups known for trafficking have set up operations in the various boroughs. There are some in Queens and The Bronx. Most of the groups traffic in teenage girls, setting them up in the hotels. The Black Cat bring European women in and ship American women out to meet the demands of their customers in many different countries."

"Hope, were you able to get inside the container?" asked Bucky.

"Yes, but it wasn't lit inside," she said. "I had to use my infrared to maneuver and I couldn't tell if Lacey was in there."

"So, we have two different sites where she might be," said Bucky. "In any of your reconnaissance did you see Sergei Dendrov?"

Both Torres and Hope shook their heads. Bucky looked at Peter who looked back at him with compassion. "Yeah, he was at the Brooklyn Hotel. I hacked into traffic cams and identified his car. He had a woman with him but she was dark haired, not blonde like Lacey. I took a screen shot but I couldn't tell if it was her with her hair dyed. Friday, can you show the screen shot?"

A display on the wall showed the image of a woman. Both Bucky and Terry leaned forward trying to determine if the grainy image was of Lacey. They both sat back unable to confirm the woman's identity.

"We'll split up," said Bucky decisively. "One group will hit the shipping container while another group will hit the hotel. I'll be with the hotel group. I want Hope and Ayo with me. The rest of you will take the container and deal with the men on the dock. Maria, am I right in assuming that the sorcerers are here to open portals for us?"

"You're right," she said. "I'll alert Wong. When is go time?"

"Thirty minutes," said Bucky. "Gear up and meet outside, south entrance."

Bucky went straight to his quarters and changed into his black combat pants, black singlet, and leather jacket with one sleeve. He strapped on two gun holsters, and two knife sheaths, one on his right leg and one on his right wrist. At his weapons storage locker he pulled out two handguns checking the magazines and putting several more in a pocket on the left leg of his pants. Then he pulled out his knives, twirling them on his fingertips.

"I want to come with you," said a voice and Bucky looked up to see Terry.

"Too dangerous," he replied. "These guys are hardened killers. You have no fighting skills, no offence."

"Then I'll wait outside," said Terry. "I'll act like a tourist and can let you know if anyone comes to help Dendrov." Bucky looked hard at him. "Please, I already feel impotent. Let me do something, even if it's just as a lookout."

"Okay, but you stay out of the hotel," said Bucky. "If you see anyone with Russian gang tattoos stay out of their line of sight. They won't hesitate to kill you. Get a comms piece fitted for your ear."

Thirty minutes later they all assembled on the grass at the south entrance of the building. Wong was there and Bucky explained that a portal was needed for the docks and also for the hotel in Brooklyn.

"Which one would you like me at?" asked Wong. "I'm not just a pretty face. I'm a master of many martial arts disciplines."

A small smile creased Bucky's face at Wong's declaration. Those pudgy guys were usually the ones you had to watch out for.

"Can you stay on the street outside the hotel?" he asked, "If you could deal with any reinforcements that show up that would be great."

The sorcerer nodded and opened the first portal to the docks. Everyone except Bucky, Ayo, Hope and Terry went through. Then he opened the portal to the hotel and stepped through with Bucky's team, staying on the street with Terry as the other three entered the building.

Hope had shrunk down to wasp size and immediately began flying up the stairs to search room to room trying to locate Dendrov. She sent back information on the guards for each floor as she ascended. The desk clerk looked with alarm at Bucky and Ayo, trying to activate a panic button but Bucky was much faster and put his hand around the man's throat, pushing him up against the wall high enough that his feet dangled.

"The dark haired woman," he demanded, "where is she? What room?"

The man shook his head. Bucky squeezed harder and the man finally spoke. "She's Dendrov's personal property," he gasped. "He keeps her in his suite, top floor."

Bucky tossed the man aside as if he was garbage and began running up the stairs followed by Ayo. Several guards challenged them on the way up but were no match for the two, as they worked seamlessly as a unit.

"Hope, top floor," said Bucky. "Dendrov has a suite."

"On it," she responded.

Outside Terry and Wong saw a black SUV race up to the hotel and several men get out, fully armed. Terry alerted Bucky on comms. Wong smiled a grim smile then brought up magic that levitated each of the men and threw them repeatedly against the side of the hotel until they were unconscious before he dropped them on the street.

Hope arrived at the top floor and flew from room to room, finding Dendrov in the bedroom of his suite, about to enter the bed where a woman was cowering. Tapping Dendrov on the cheek she made him try to brush her away then she aimed a kick at his face that staggered him. He looked confused, not seeing what hit him. Flying straight into his mid-section, Hope pushed him against the window. She could hear signs of a fight outside the suite doors and flashed into full size, punching Dendrov in the face then shrunk again and retreated to the ceiling. The action rattled him and he looked everywhere in confusion. The sound of the suite door being broken open alerted him and he raced to the bed, grabbing the woman, holding a knife to her throat.

"Oh no, you don't," said Hope, firing her blasters at Dendrov in a narrow beam, hitting his knife hand.

He dropped the knife in pain and staggered back. The woman he was holding turned around and kicked him between the legs sending him to the ground. Then she jumped on him and began beating him with her fists, hitting every sensitive point on his head; his ears, nose and throat. Bucky and Ayo came into the room, watching the woman get her revenge on her captor with a certain sense of satisfaction. It was only when she turned to face them in triumph that Bucky realized she wasn't Lacey. Advancing towards her he offered her his hand to help her up.

"I need to speak with him," he said then turned his attention to Dendrov and addressed him in Russian. "We met once before. Where is she?"

Dendrov looked at Bucky as recognition slowly came to him. "Soldat," he said, then he sat up and spat on the floor before giving Bucky a smug smile. "She should never have given the flash drive to the FBI. You will never find her. She is already on her way. So compliant and a complete blank slate. She will fetch a good price."

Bucky punched Dendrov, knocking him out then stood up, his nostrils flaring as he spoke into his comms. "She's not here," he announced. "Dendrov said she is already on her way, meaning she's probably in a ship on the Atlantic. We need to find that ship."

"What about the other two containers?" asked Torres on his comms. "We've taken this one and the women are in bad shape."

Bucky thought for a moment. "Give the NYPD the locations of the other two cargo containers and let their Special Victims division handle it," he said. "They were already alerted we were targeting the Black Cats."

"He didn't specifically say ship," noted Ayo. "He knows who she is. She may be on a private jet for all we know, Sergeant Barnes."

"What would you have me do, Ayo?" He turned to her with his eyes blazing. "Give up? Let them have her? I thought you knew me better than that."

She put her hand on his arm. "Of course not," she said calmly. "He said she would fetch a good price which means they plan to auction her off. I can find out where the next auction takes place and can hack into their online catalogue. Then we take a force in there and release all of their captives. It is something that has already been discussed in Wakanda by our anti-trafficking unit."

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"It is better that you let us do this tracking part without you," she said. "You are too emotionally involved at this time. We already have operatives that can impersonate being a buyer if we find her. The brother can come with us, to support her when we recover her. You and the rest of your team should now concentrate on finding and rescuing your son. The other two Dora Milaje will stay with that team."

Hope watched Bucky process this latest proposal, feeling his turmoil as he wrestled with doing what was best for Lacey. After what seemed like an eternity but was really only a couple of minutes Bucky's shoulders slumped and he looked beseechingly at Ayo.

"Alright, you find her," he said. "The moment you find her you call me, day or night. You get them all."

Ayo nodded and left the room. Bucky followed. They met the police coming up the stairs as they went down. Hope told them Dendrov was the man responsible for trafficking in Brooklyn. When they got down to the street it was full of police cars and ambulances as the women who had been locked up in the hotel rooms were led out in blankets. The dark haired woman who was with Dendrov came out wrapped in a blanket and spat on each one of his men. Wong looked at Bucky with understanding.

"I'm sorry she wasn't there," he said. "Ayo is right. Let her take up the search for Lacey. You will be more useful in Madripoor where Carter is."

He brought up a portal and the small team stepped through to the compound where the rest of the larger team had already returned. Ayo went to make arrangements for her and Terry to go to Europe to rendezvous with the Wakandan anti-trafficking team. Bucky went to Fury's office sitting on the chair across from him.

"We freed many women but Lacey wasn't one of them," he reported. "Dendrov said she was compliant and a blank slate. It means they've wiped her memory completely. Anyone could buy her and do anything they wanted to her. She wouldn't know if it was good or bad. Hell, they could turn her into an assassin if they wanted."

"I understand you are letting the Wakandans take over the search for her," said Fury carefully. "I think that is the right course of action at this time. You and the others should go to Madripoor." He hesitated for a moment. "I spent some time with Miss Williams during the time you spent in Wakanda. She is a strong woman and if your experience with the memory machine is anything to go by there is a residue, if you can call it that, of a person's basic personality that stays with them. It helped you throw off the yoke after 70 years of programming. It may also help Miss Williams maintain her core identity."

Bucky gave a smirk of acknowledgement. "I still killed for them," he replied. "I fought them all the time but once they said the right words I was their puppet. I think you give me too much credit. In many ways, I was an outlier. I fought them but they could still control me. The ones that willingly took the serum couldn't be controlled."

"That may be true," stated Fury, "but those who took the serum willingly were already out of control, being the killers and deviants they already were. When you did break with them you did it well and completely. I followed your case closely, Barnes; tried to find you, in fact. For two years you stayed under the radar, not killing or hurting anyone, except when the Russians came to Miss Williams' house. A true killer wouldn't have lasted a fraction of that time without resorting to violence. When this current rescue mission has concluded please consider staying on with the new incarnation of the Avengers. You have qualities and skills that we need. Your personal moral code is strong and we need that more than anything."

Bucky didn't agree or disagree but he did acknowledge the offer. When he came out of the office the others were waiting for him.

"We're going to Madripoor," he said. "Get a bag together, weapons in a separate bag. Ayo and Terry will continue the search for Lacey. Wong, is there a safe house there where we can base our operations?"

"Yes," replied Wong. "Dr. Strange has put a protection and concealment spell on it so that Carter can't find it. I will give you a portal into it. I cannot join you as I must stay to protect the Sanctum but I will do what I can to assist you from here."

"Alright, meet outside in 20 minutes," said Bucky, then he turned to Terry. "I want to talk to you while I'm getting ready." Terry followed him into the weapons storage area and stood listening as Bucky put his weapons back in their satchel then pulled the entire bag out. "The memory suppression machine wipes away all previous memories by destroying the synapses between brain cells. The Wakandans believe the cells themselves hold the memories but without the synapses they can't be accessed. In my case, they believe some synapses did begin to rebuild. Maybe it was part of the super soldier regenerative process ... I don't know. You have to accept that Lacey may have no idea of who you are. She may have no memory of your parents, your childhood, Tommy ... it will all be gone. It's going to distress you but what she needs from you is proof of her identity. If you have pictures on your phone, show them. Tell her stories of growing up together. Tell her both the good stuff and the bad stuff. If there is a chance that her synapses have started rebuilding then she may have a flash of a memory. Help her to hold onto it and build it. I kept memory books, where I wrote down things as I remembered them, both good and bad. I wanted to remember all of it."

"How long did it take you?" asked Terry, his brow furrowed.

"I'll let you know when I'm there," said Bucky, smiling grimly. "For me it started with one word, "Bucky", said by Steve Rogers as I was trying to kill him. Just the way he said it triggered something in my mind. Not even an actual memory at first, just a realization that I had known him and that we had been close. They wiped my memory again and sent me after him once more. I was so close to killing him and he said something else, something that I remembered saying to him when he was 18 and I was 19. That memory burned like a flame in my mind and stayed my hand long enough for me to realize that the killer I had been wasn't me, the real me. That's when I ran. For two years I was under the radar. I met Lacey during that time and she was so kind to me. She gave me food, and shelter before she gave me herself."

Bucky looked away from Terry as he remembered that night. Terry could see the emotion in Bucky as he remembered the night he spent with Lacey. In his mind, he saw a man who was very much in love with his sister.

"She got pregnant that night," continued Terry. "She told me about the four Russians who came to the house in the middle of the night, and that you handled all of them easily. Then you told her to phone the FBI and you left, blowing her a kiss from outside, leaving her an origami heart on the dresser. You made an impact on her, Bucky. You accepted her as she was, just like she accepted you as a man, not as a killer. I'll make sure she remembers you."

Bucky closed the door of the weapons locker and looked at Terry with emotion. Then he clapped him on the shoulder and wished him good luck, returning to his quarters to get his go bag. He made his way outside where the rest of the team already was. Wong opened a portal to the safe house in Madripoor and they all walked through.