Chapter 30. At What Cost

There's a lot going on in this chapter as they reach a turning point in the fight. Content warning: Description of an execution by firing squad.

Throughout the rest of May, June, and into July the two squads continued to attack HYDRA bases. Some had been openly built, openly displaying HYDRA's tentacled beast, in a blatant attempt to impress upon the local population that they were now under the control of the organization. The attacks on those bases were satisfying as many of the locals had been coerced into almost slave labour. Propaganda leaflets encouraging the locals into revealing the locations of HYDRA facilities had allowed the Commandos and the Patrol to find them as they used partisans to infiltrate the areas and pass on the information shared with them. Once the locals realized that their deliverance was at hand they joined in the fight, with an anger that proved people were done with the authoritarian movement.

Still, for as many places as they destroyed, they received reports of more and it stretched the two squads to their limits. After just returning to Frankfurt for a few days respite where Bucky had a chance to catch up with Gladdie's letters, learning that he was going to be a father, they received a radio report from a partisan group in the Balkans of a suspected HYDRA lab, with some of their own people kept as prisoners. Wearily, the two squads regrouped and flew out, landing at a partisan controlled landing strip. When they exited the aircraft, a large truck was waiting to transport them to a secure location where they could launch their mission from. It was a rough drive, and they were bounced around a lot. Although, most of the crew handled it, Peggy had issues and admitted to feeling nauseous. Once they arrived at their destination, she seemed better and insisted she was fine.

A plan was drawn up with the partisans, and the decision was made to advance on the lab well before sunrise. After eating some of the rations they brought with them, and checking their weapons, everyone took the opportunity to grab some sleep. Steve staked out a corner for him and Peggy, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, while he covered them both up with a blanket. With it being cool in the mountainous area she was thankful for the warmth radiating from his body.

Their sleep didn't last long as they were all shaken awake by the sound of a HYDRA tank cannon round hitting the building they were in. As well trained as they were there was still an element of chaos for a few moments as people woke up, finding themselves caught under rubble. The various super soldiers, except for Steve, were the first to make their way out, literally pushing their way out of the debris, then diving back in and pulling chunks of the building off their comrades. Steve, who automatically protected Peggy with his body, couldn't move without a large piece of the building falling on her.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere," he told her, as she tried to focus on him, seeming dazed.

It was then, when he moved his hand from behind her and saw the blood on it that he began yelling for help. Grant and Bucky followed his voice and while one of them held up the side of the building the other removed the large piece that trapped the couple and helped them out. Carrying Peggy in his arms, Steve brought her to an open area and started pulling her clothes off of her back to check the wound. By this time, she was fading, and he desperately spoke to her.

"Please, stay awake," he begged, as Corporal Rose came with a medical kit and took out several pressure bandages.

They found a jagged piece of metal in her back, above her left kidney and Rose carefully packed around it without pulling out the metal, realizing she could bleed out if he did. As he worked on her they could hear the sound of the nearby HYDRA tank and realized they had to destroy it to get out of there. Leaving Steve, Peggy, and Rose there, they all went out into the night, everyone of them intent on finding that tank. Grant, who took the shield from Steve, saw it first, sitting on a nearby hilltop, waiting.

"Why aren't they firing?" He looked at Bucky, then Bradley. "We're sitting ducks."

The answer came via a bull horn from the direction of the tank as a man with German accent spoke.

"Captain America, Special Agent Grant, Sergeant Barnes, Sergeant Bradley, Lieutenants Grady, O'Neill, Murphy and Costello, you have two minutes to surrender yourself or we will finish the job and destroy you and your fellow soldiers."

"They knew we were coming," said Bucky. "What the hell?"

"Drop dead!" Grant yelled back then looked at the others. "We'll split up, flank them. There have to be soldiers with them, waiting to take us into custody. Take them out, take their weapons and we'll destroy the cannon on the tank. Dernier, can you make up a package to shove down the cannon barrel?"

"Oui, immédiatement. Rumlow, avec moi."

The two men hurried back inside, digging through the rubble for anything to make up a surprise delivery for the cannon on the tank. Quickly, they assembled it then placed a trigger activated detonator on it, setting it to explode 5 seconds after the trigger was released. As they ran outside the man on the bullhorn called out again.

"Time is running out," said the man. "You have 30 seconds."

"We have injured, and people buried in the debris," yelled Grant, as he listened to Dernier explain what to do to activate the bomb, then he sent the others to begin their flanking procedure. "We need more time to get them out as they can't do it by themselves."

"Not my problem," said the voice, then Grant swore he could hear another familiar voice in the background. "However, we will allow you one more minute."

He looked at Dernier and Rumlow. "Peggy?"

"Still unconscious," said Rumlow. "Cap and Rose have her bandaged up pretty well and were looking for something to carry her on."

"Go, help them get out of there in case the tank gunner has an itchy trigger finger. We'll rendezvous with you at the edge of the village and figure out a way to get back to the airfield."

"What about the lab?"

"At this point, I'm not sure it exists as we were betrayed. You don't see any of the partisans around, do you?"

Both men shook their head then returned back, to help Steve evacuate Peggy. After 30 seconds Grant stood up and began walking towards the tank, tucking the bomb inside his jacket then raising his hands in surrender, still holding the shield. He watched the surroundings carefully, noticing the silent takedown of HYDRA soldiers in the dark. When he got to within 25 feet of the tank, he stopped. A HYDRA officer approached him.

"Where are the others?" he asked. "We know you have seven super soldiers with you on this mission."

"They're coming," replied Grant, "although you injured someone important to Captain America. He won't give himself up as he's staying with her."

"Ah, yes, Agent Carter," said the man. "Well, if it is his choice to die with her, we won't stop him. We'll still have seven other super soldiers."

He turned to give the order to the tank to fire another round on the house.

"Wait!" said Grant. "How did you know we were here?"

The man's smile was visible in the dark. "We have eyes everywhere. This was set up to bring you here. The partisans were already our prisoners, and we just took over their identities. If we can't beat them, we infiltrate them."

A HYDRA soldier speaking German appeared out of the darkness, his gun trained on Bucky, Bradley, and Murphy. He was accompanied by another HYDRA soldier who had the others at gun point. When the first soldier spoke, Grant had to keep from smiling as he recognized Raines' voice. He noticed Falsworth was wearing the other uniform. Dugan was nowhere to be seen.

"We have the others," said the man. "They aren't so special after all. One look at my rifle and they were like little children. How they managed to destroy our other compounds is a mystery."

"A mystery indeed," agreed the officer. "Take them to the trucks." He pulled his pistol out on Grant. "Drop your weapons and come with me."

"Of course," said Grant, pulling the bomb out of his jacket and pressing the trigger to arm it.

He took off towards the tank as Raines hit the officer in the face with the butt of his gun, sending him to the ground. Approaching the tank Grant saw the owner of the second voice he recognized from the bullhorn and dropped the package down the cannon barrel before grabbing the man and running as fast as he could, away from the massive machine, hoping that the others were also well enough away. An immense explosion threw him down on the ground, landing heavily on the man he had grabbed. Standing up, he looked at the remains of the tank, then called out to the others.

"Roll call!"

One by one the others confirmed they were okay, and they joined him, forming a circle around Arnim Zola, still lying on the ground, moaning. When he started coming around, Grant leaned over and pulled the little man up, not gently either. Zola, realizing he was surrounded as he adjusted his glasses, put his hands up.

"I surrender."

"No." Grant was quite emphatic in his refusal. "Not taking it. You have been tried in absentia and found guilty of war crimes with your experimentation on unwilling human subjects. Your punishment is death by firing squad. We can do it here, or we can fly you to an allied base, but the ending will be the same."

"No, I don't believe you," pouted Zola. "I demand that you treat me according to the Geneva Convention."

"We are," stated Bucky, his dislike of the man clearly evident. "Like Special Agent Grant says you've already been tried and found guilty. You had a lawyer and everything, but the tribunal ruled against you. If it were me rendering judgment, I would shoot you right now where you stand."

"Special Agent Grant!"

The call from the distance made him turn around, as Rose ran up. "We have to get Agent Rogers to a hospital. She's in rough shape." He saw Zola standing in the middle of the group and took his pistol out. "You want me to take care of this vermin?"

Zola stepped back a little, surprised at the hostility coming from this strange soldier. Who was Agent Rogers?

Looking between Corporal Rose and Zola, Grant made his decision within seconds.

"Murphy, Costello, you go back with Rose to the rendezvous and get Cap and Peggy to the aircraft. Fly to the nearest friendly base. Send Dernier and Rumlow back to me with everything they can scrounge to do what they do best. We have a lab to blow and I'm sure there's lots more stuff there we can use to do it. If this guy is here, it means the lab is close by as he likes the comforts of home. All we have to do is follow the tracks of the tank back to where it came."

"What about him?" asked Bucky, his anger at the Swiss scientist still evident.

"We're not letting him out of our sight, again," answered Grant. "Grady and O'Neill, there have to be aircraft near the lab. You find something to take us all and figure out how to fly it. Once you do, you come find us."

"How will we find you?" asked Grady, then he tilted his head as it hit him. "Just follow the sounds of fighting. Got it."

As the other two pilots went with Rose, Raines and Falsworth stripped out of the HYDRA uniforms they wore over their clothes, leaving them discarded in the field. They kept the weapons, and along with the others went to where the remains of the tank were, before finding the tracks behind where it made its approach. Following the tracks in the dark, it didn't take long until they came to a small base, complete with airstrip, barracks, and a large building that presumably held Zola's lab. He hadn't been very cooperative on the hike to the lab, resulting in Dugan, carrying several HYDRA weapons that he "liberated," picking him up and slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, with Zola's hands bound, and his mouth gagged so they didn't have to listen to his whiny voice demanding they treat him properly. Just as they paused before the perimeter of the base, they heard an airplane fly overhead.

"That's ours," said Grady, peering up into the night. "They're off."

A soft murmur rippled through them, and several men whispered a prayer then crossed themselves, hoping that Peggy would be alright. While Grady and O'Neill turned towards the airstrip the others made their plans, with the first being the takedown of any guards. Grant pulled the gag off of Zola's mouth.

"Are you experimenting on anyone?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" The petulant tone of the scientist indicated he was going to continue being uncooperative. "You're just going to shoot me anyway."

"You're right," said Grant, pulling his pistol out and aiming it at Zola, placing the muzzle between his eyes. "I might as well get it over with, although this will do the job just a little too quickly for my taste."

A desperate laugh came out of the little man's mouth as his eyes flitted from one person to another. "No ... I mean I do want to hold on to life just a little longer. There are some prisoners, mostly partisans." He swallowed as Grant cocked the pistol. "Four Americans that were brought to me from another camp that you were targeting." He started to stutter as Grant kept the gun in place. "They were given the initial treatment of the serum and the memory conditioning."

"Full serum?" asked the special agent. At Zola's surprised look Grant struggled to keep his voice level. "We found the ones who were imprisoned in that camp at the eastern Polish border. You left three of them to rot in a cell, without food or water, not even trying to treat their injuries. The others received just enough of the half strength serum to keep them alive but not heal the wounds you inflicted on them. And you question why you don't deserve to live?"

"I ... I only wished to understand the limitations of the serum," explained Zola. "It is common scientific ..."

"Don't!" Grant's face twisted in anger. "Shut your damn mouth. Someone take him and guard him or I swear I'll finish him right here."

Gabe leaned in, pulling Zola towards him roughly. "If I were you, I would shut up now," he suggested, as he took the man towards a small, enclosed courtyard and pushed him inside.

No one faulted Grant for almost losing his temper with Zola. That the Swiss scientist was a monster who masqueraded as a mild, meek individual was obvious. Patiently, they waited for their commanding officer to regain control of his emotions. With a firm look at all of them he assigned them their tasks, then they began to implement his plan, as the eastern sky began to lighten.

Steve and Peggy

The ride to the aircraft over that rough ground was enough to wring Steve out. He was terrified that every jolt and roll of the truck they were in would dislodge the piece of metal that injured Peggy and was now keeping her alive by stopping her from bleeding to death. Fortunately, considering they were betrayed, the aircraft was still intact. It hadn't been sabotaged. After loading Peggy onto it, and securing her as best they could, Murphy and Costello got it up in the air.

"Just going to fly over the area," said Murphy. "They should hear us and know we got off the ground."

After a quick discussion Murphy and Costello decided that Rome would be the closest base with the facilities necessary to treat Peggy. Steve said nothing; he just clutched his wife's hand in his own. Never once, in all of their working and personal relationship had he ever been so afraid as he was right now. He desperately wished for a rosary, wanting to do anything that would help keep her alive, but he couldn't even say the words of the prayers in his head. All he could think of was that she wake up and not leave him.

"She'll be alright, Cap," said Rose. "She's strong and has an iron will."

Smiling slightly at Rose's words, Steve kissed Peggy's cold hand and bent his head over it, resting his forehead on her fingers. In what seemed like no time at all he heard Murphy send out a distress call, asking for emergency vehicles to be on hand for a critically injured person. Someone must have answered because he spoke some more, and Rose went to the cockpit to listen. He came back to Steve and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

"They'll have an ambulance and a medical team waiting," he said. "We're getting priority to land near Rome."

"You hear, that, Peg?" He leaned close to his wife's ear. "You gotta hang on, honey. Please, hang on."

Minutes later, the two pilots landed gently on the runway, using all of their piloting skills to keep it as smooth as possible. They taxied over to where the ambulance and two jeeps were waiting. As soon as they came to a stop, Rose opened the rear exit door and two medics got on with a stretcher and a medical kit. They listened as the Corporal explained her injuries in greater detail and what they did to keep her stable. One of them gently asked Steve to let them tend to her and he rose, stepping back just enough to allow them to do their work. They checked her heart, then took her blood pressure, frowning at the numbers they were seeing. Pulling an intravenous bottle out of the kit, they ripped her sleeve open and set up the drip into her arm. After about ten minutes they took another reading and were satisfied that she was already improving. They transferred her to their stretcher then picked it up to carry her out to the ambulance. As they loaded her in, Steve moved to join them.

"Sorry, sir, but we need to stabilize her some more and need the room. If you and the Corporal take the jeep, they'll follow behind us."

He breathed heavily, then nodded his head. "Just let me speak to her, please?"

They stepped back and he stepped in, kneeling beside her in the ambulance. Placing his mouth next to her ear he whispered something, then kissed her on the lips before standing up and exiting the vehicle. The driver of the jeep nodded at Steve and Rose as they got in the jeep. As soon as the ambulance put its siren on and began the journey to the base hospital the driver followed closely, not once letting it get too far away in the still dark morning. A team of doctors and nurses were waiting at their arrival at the hospital, whisking Peggy away to surgery immediately. Steve stood there; his face appearing tortured as he watched the love of his life disappear into the bright lights inside.

"Captain Rogers?" He glanced at the voice, seeing an officer that was there when Bucky was brought in. "This way, sir. You and the Corporal can freshen up and we have a place for you to wait. As soon as we have any word of Agent Rogers, you'll be the first to know."

He followed the officer to what looked like an office, except it had a couch, several large armchairs, and a bathroom. Letting Rose get washed up first, he sat and stared at the floor, too numb to think of anything except Peggy. When the Corporal came out, Steve went into the bathroom and took the top of his uniform off, noticing there was blood on it, Peggy's blood. Sinking to his knees he began to cry, remembering the last time he lost a woman he loved, when his mother died. It was a cathartic moment and when he finally shed enough tears, he washed his face and hands, using the hand towel there to dry them. Wetting and soaping up a face cloth he scrubbed and rinsed off what he could from his uniform top, before tossing the facecloth into a hamper. He would have to let his top air dry before he put it on again. Opening the door, he was greeted by Rose, Murphy and Costello rising, none of them saying whether they heard him crying or not. He gestured to the bathroom.

"It's free, if you want to wash up."

"Thanks, Cap," said Murphy, heading in.

There were sandwiches on a table in the room, and a carafe of coffee. After draping his uniform top over a chair, Steve served himself and sat, wolfing down the first sandwich quickly. Murphy came out of the bathroom and Costello took his place. When he returned, they continued to eat, all of them keeping to themselves, as if there was a spell on them that none of them wanted to break. As the minutes turned into hours, they waited, with the other three eventually drifting off into sleep, while Steve stayed awake, the serum in him keeping him alert until he knew for sure whether Peggy would live or die.

It was almost noon, when a doctor entered, focusing his attention on Steve, as the others sleepily roused themselves.

"I'm Major Brandon. Mrs. Rogers is going to be okay," he said. "The metal fragment missed the kidney, although it nicked a blood vessel. Keeping the fragment in place slowed the bleeding." He looked at the other three men, wondering if Steve wanted anyone else to hear this part but the tired soldier indicated the man should continue. "There is a slight complication. When she was being examined before surgery, a stethoscope was used to listen to her stomach sounds, just determining whether there were any other injuries that we had to be careful of as we removed the fragment. We detected a heartbeat, a very fast heartbeat. We've used a catheter to acquire a urine sample as Mrs. Rogers is still unconscious but we're running a pregnancy test and should have the results later this afternoon. We're pretty sure she's about eight weeks pregnant, as the heartbeat isn't really audible until then, although considering you're the father it could be different for the child of a super soldier. From what we can tell, the pregnancy isn't affected by the injury."

Steve fell back into the chair, dumbfounded. Peggy, pregnant; he was going to be a father. She was going to live and be a mother. With his mouth suddenly drying out he tried to swallow then saw a glass of water in front of him, being held by Rose. Taking it, he drank it down.

"Congratulations," said the Corporal, followed by the two pilots offering their good wishes. "It couldn't happen to a better man, or woman. First Sergeant and Mrs. Barnes, and now you and Mrs. Rogers."

Steve could feel the chuckle bubble up from his belly. Him and Bucky, new fathers at almost the same time. The doctor was still waiting there, a smile on his face.

"Can I see her?"

"She's still in recovery." The doctor looked at the clock on the wall. "She'll be in a room in about an hour and you can be with her then." He turned to leave then stopped. "I believe a General Phillips from the SSR in England is on his way here. He was notified about Mrs. Rogers' injury and seemed most anxious to be here for her."

"Does he know about the other news?" asked Steve.

"No, and we'll let you share that with him, if you wish," smiled the doctor. "Congratulations, Captain."

"Thank you," he replied, still overwhelmed by the news.

When he was informed an hour later that he could see her, he jumped up, and left without his Captain America uniform top. The other three just smiled, truly happy for him. They had Peggy in a separate room, usually reserved for high-ranking officers. A nurse was checking her intravenous bottle, and left without a word, as Steve sat next to the bed and took Peggy's hand in his, kissing it.

"Sweetheart?" He called softly to her, hoping she was able to rouse enough. A slight whimper gave him hope and he stood up, stroking her hair. "Peggy, wake up, honey. You're going to be okay."

It was several long moments before she gave out a short breath and her eyelids began to flutter. He kissed her on the forehead, seeing her eyes open when he pulled away. At first, she seemed confused then she saw her husband and a soft smile formed on her face.

"Where are we?"

"That base near Rome," he replied. "You got injured and we had to fly you here for surgery."

"I have to get up," she murmured. "We have to get out of here before the building collapses."

"We're not there, Peg," he persisted. "You're in a hospital in Rome and you're just waking up from surgery."

"I'm not," she pouted, pursing her lips together. She shifted. "Ow, my back hurts."

"Yeah, you got a piece of metal in your back." He smiled at how peeved she seemed while still under the influence of the anaesthetic. "You were in surgery to remove it for a long time. I have a secret to tell you."

"What?" She looked up at him, her eyes still unfocused. "Steven Grant Rogers, I'm your wife. You can't have secrets from me."

"That's true, but it's actually your secret that you kept from me," he joked. "I'm not very pleased about that."

"I didn't keep any secret from you." She pouted again. "You're mean. Go away and let me sleep."

"Don't you want to know what I found out?"

"No." She sounded like a three-year-old, which amused him.

"Okay, you sleep, then, and I'll tell you when you wake up." She sighed and he tucked her in a little. "I love you, my darling, so much."

"That's nice," she murmured. "You should love me. I'm your wife."

"Yes, you are," he replied, then kissed her on the forehead. "My beautiful wife."

Sitting back in the chair, he was content to watch her. The other three men checked in with him later, dropping off his uniform top, and he stood out in the hallway with them, listening as they told him they had received word from the others that they were on the way. The rest of their squads had stayed to destroy Zola's lab and the base it was on, having captured the scientist himself. That surprised him, that Zola was there.

"He's insisting that he be allowed to defend himself against the charges against him," said Murphy, "so they're bringing him here. They released quite a few partisan prisoners and found four Americans who were just finished the first phase of the HYDRA treatment. Not sure what condition they're in. Should be interesting when they get here." He nodded towards Peggy. "How's the missus?"

"Groggy," replied Steve, with a smile. "She thinks I'm being mean because I won't tell her a secret. Listen, thank you, all of you, for helping to get her here safely. I was ready to carry her in my arms and walk, if I had to. I wasn't thinking rationally about it."

"You're welcome," said Rose. "We're going to get something to eat. Can we bring you anything?"

"Sure, whatever they have that is easiest for you," replied Steve. "I'm not going anywhere."

When his food came, it was in the form of three cheeseburgers, delivered by Rose. Quickly, he ate, washing them down with a glass of milk that the resourceful Corporal had acquired. Peggy woke up as he was finishing, calling to him from the bed. This time, her eyes were clear, and he knew by the sound of her voice that she would be alright. He explained her injuries to her, then hesitated about the last part, playing with her hands in his.

"Alright, Steve," she spoke firmly. "You know something that I don't."

He nodded, smiling shyly. "The doctors found something before your surgery. It still has to be confirmed but it would appear that you have a second heartbeat inside of you. It was prominent enough for them to take a urine sample and send it in for testing." She frowned, unsure what he was talking about. "You're going to have a baby."

"No, that can't be right," she scoffed. "We were careful and yes, I was late, but I often am when I'm in the field with you."

He smiled, lifting her hands to his lips to kiss. "We weren't that careful on VE Day. That was eight weeks ago, and they think you're that far along." She still frowned, as if she wasn't happy with the news. "You are okay with this, aren't you?"

Her smile came a little too quickly and didn't reach her eyes. "Of course. I just ... thought it wouldn't happen so soon." Tears came to her eyes, and she wiped at them with her hand. "It means I have to go back to New York, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it's too dangerous for you to be on missions anymore but you can still be at the SSR. There's a lot you can do there. I was hoping you would be happy about this."

"I am, I truly am," she answered, smiling wanly. "It just wasn't something I was ready for."

Corporal Rose appeared at the door. "Cap, the others have arrived. There are some injuries."

He noticed Peggy as she tried to put on a brave face. Steve put his uniform top on and left without a word. Rose stepped inside, tentatively.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked.

"Just a little affected by the news," she explained.

"You know, he never left your side the whole flight here," said Rose. "He prayed, a lot. When they took you straight to surgery, they showed us to an office we could use as a waiting room. There was a bathroom so we could wash up. We heard him crying then he came out with his top off, and wet from where he washed off your blood. As glad as he was when he found out you were going to be okay, the news that you were expecting brought out a look I've never seen on him before. He was lost for words. Based on what we know of him before he became Cap, I don't think he ever expected to find someone to marry, never mind even having a family. You're everything to him, ma'am."

"Thank you, Corporal." Her face remained pensive. "I worked hard to get to where I am. Having children changes that. I just wish I had some control over when that happened."

"Some things are meant to be," said Rose, "and really, no one has control over that. You just make it work." He smiled warmly at her. "I should go, see if they need my help."

He left her there and headed towards the treatment area. Cap was there, speaking with Special Agent Grant. Rose walked amongst the men, noticing Dernier and Rumlow each had bandages on their hands, which the nurses were carefully peeling back, revealing burned skin. Rumlow looked up and shook his head.

"We were making a bomb out of some raw materials. Didn't have anything to use to handle them so we used our hands. Not doing that again. It'll be alright." He nodded towards Gabe. "He's got a concussion. That little asshole, Zola, tried to knock him out with a piece of rubble, and warn the base we were there. Woozy as he was, Jones tackled him and then sat on him. Dugan's still laughing about it."

"Base is destroyed?" he asked.

Rumlow laughed. "Hell yes. There's a big hole in the ground where it used to be. I think we made too big a bomb, eh, Jacques?"

"The boom was magnifique!" exclaimed the Frenchman, also laughing. He leaned forward. "Madame Rogers, she is okay, yes?"

"She's fine," smiled Rose, not mentioning the baby.

By the looks of it, the remaining injuries were of the cuts and scrapes kind. He noticed that Zola wasn't there and wondered if he had already been taken into custody. He glanced at Grant, who waved him over.

"Do we have assigned quarters?"

"Yes, I've already taken care of it," said Rose. "When you're all released, I can show them to you. They're scrounging up some extra clothing and toiletries as well."

"Alright, there's one more thing." Grant pulled him away from the others. "Zola has demanded a retrial. The base commander radioed Supreme Allied Command and General Eisenhower has granted it. Once General Phillips gets here, he, the base commander and the commander of the British forces will be placed on the tribunal. Zola has decided to defend himself. If he wins, he's to be released." His face darkened. "If he loses, his original sentence stands and is to be carried out immediately. I'm putting you on the detail to acquire eight rifles, all of the same make, model, and caliber. Each is to be loaded with one bullet. Only two will have live rounds, the others will contain blanks. Although I'm sure anyone in our unit would volunteer to be on the firing squad, I've been warned that won't go over well. You're going to have to find eight soldiers on this base, willing to accept that responsibility. They'll be masked to remain anonymous, in case HYDRA ever looks for retribution. The men with the rifles that contain the live rounds, can't know they have them. Do you understand what I am asking you to do?"

"Yes, sir, I do." Rose drew himself up as tall as he could. "I'll do my duty."

The Following Week

In the week the Howling Commandos and the Phantom Patrol were in that base near Rome, they were unable to do anything more than wait until they were called to testify at the trial of Arnim Zola. Those who had been part of the 107th, taken prisoner at Azzano, were second, as Falsworth and Dernier, who were already prisoners at that factory were called first, relating to the tribunal about the many men who went to Zola's lab but never returned. Bucky testified about the treatment he received from Zola, or by others under his direction, detailing how he had been abused, tortured, then subjected to mental reconditioning. Zola tried to spin the treatment as necessary to determine the properties of the serum, and that Barnes should have been excited to be part of this new line of scientific research. How the Sergeant kept his temper throughout his testimony was admirable, as he never once lost it. Bucky, Grant and Gabe Jones also testified about the conditions the three severely soldiers were in at the one base that was liberated. They detailed how Private Fitzpatrick had an untreated broken leg, was given a very weak form of the serum, then left to die when he showed no signs of improvement. Zola shook his head and smiled as if they were silly children.

"It was necessary to test the levels of serum necessary for the body to heal itself," he insisted. "Without that information, we wouldn't know where to start when we began larger-scale trials."

The prosecuting officer, a Colonel with a criminal law background, couldn't believe that Zola thought this was a valid defence.

"Did these men volunteer for this treatment? Did you explain what you were doing? Did you suddenly forget the Hippocratic Oath, to do no harm? Nothing you have used for your defence explains why you thought it acceptable to use living, breathing humans as Guinea pigs."

Zola gave his warped little smile. "Sometimes, to achieve greatness one must make decisions for others, especially when the work is to help the greater good. As valuable as animal research is, at some point, a scientist needs a living, breathing human."

When the tribunal retired to consider the outcome, it took less than 10 minutes for them to find Zola guilty of crimes against humanity, fully restoring the outcome of his previous trial. The sentence of death by firing squad was pronounced and the man was given an hour to prepare. The scientist was taken to a courtyard, placed in front of a wall, where he refused a blindfold. He wore a shirt with a red spot placed over his heart. The firing squad of eight, masked soldiers marched out. Each of them carried the same rifle, only two of them with a live round. A sergeant for the base ordered them to raise their rifles, then to aim, and fire. Zola was confirmed dead, and a local funeral director took the body, under the supervision of an officer, who witnessed the cremation and brought the ashes back. General Phillips took custody of the urn.

Peggy, who spent the week with Steve, having several honest and tearful heart to heart talks with him, reaffirmed her love for him, as he did for her. Having been declared fit to travel, she returned to England with General Phillips, who used a special opening in his aircraft, previously used to spread propaganda leaflets, to disperse Zola's ashes to the winds. After some more recovery time in England, Peggy returned to New York, sharing the apartment with Gladdie, until the day their husbands returned from the war on HYDRA.