27 – Arizona

I can't believe we're doing this. We spent all this time running, and now we're running towards them.

From the second Tessa and I leave, I begin to regret it. There's a lot at stake, a lot of lives at risk here. If we fail, HYDRA wins. We're the last hope the world really has.

To distance ourselves, Tessa and I put ourselves in Arizona. We've taken shelter in a small, everyone-knows-everyone kind of town. The population is very small, and we stand out as outsiders. We're hoping to keep it that way.

So far, for three days, HYDRA hasn't come for us.

"How long do we have to wait?" I ask her.

"As long as it takes. We can't throw ourselves in their path, we have to make it look like they got to us."

We're sitting in a small diner, in a booth. I look around inside while Tessa's eyes go out to the window we're sitting near. The smell of different spices floods my nose. "Once they find us, they'll interrogate us," I tell her lowly.

"I know."

"Are you sure you're up for that?"

"Hey, I've had to watch your reckless ass as Hell's Angel." She throws me a teasing smile. "I'm sure I can handle a little questioning."

I almost believe her for a second, but her blue eyes betray her. She's not prepared, not really. She's afraid, just like I am. But we can't let HYDRA find the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. We need them far away from the base. It's the only chance the others have of catching HYDRA by surprise.

Even though we order food, neither of us really touch it. Sipping on the water in front of me makes me want to gag. Maybe we should've had one more along. James would've told me "I told you so" if he ever heard me say that out loud. But I'm doing this for all of us. He needs to stay out of the way until later. Besides, we don't know what we're going into. If Steve is changed...

"Ready to head out?" Tessa asks after a while. I nod.

We box up our leftovers and pay the bill before leaving. The nice thing about this town is that most things are within walking distance from where we're staying. We managed to scrape up some money before embarking on this dangerous mission. We're renting a small apartment complex out until we get ourselves captured. Not that we ever told the landlord that.

When we walk out into the sun, Tessa puts on some sunglasses, meanwhile I squint away.

"I could've gotten you a pair too," she tells me.

"Nah, I like to be difficult."

"Assassin or not, I know."

We keep to ourselves as we head back to the complex. During the walk home, I put my hair up into a high ponytail—the sun is making me really uncomfortable.

We enter the complex. We've got a few nice neighbors...and I'm kidding when I say nice. There's a couple who always argues and never shuts up. There's a single mother with unruly children who she's constantly yelling at for not listening to her. And then there's the ever present single, fresh-out-of-college guy who is blaring obnoxious rock music from his room that doesn't drown out the fact that he's fucking a girl in that place.

Like I said, "lovely" neighbors. They make me wish for HYDRA to get their asses to Arizona already.

"Wonder who he's got in there now," Tessa mutters as we hear loud AC/DC playing.

"Honestly, don't care." I push her into the threshold once she gets the door open. "We should've found a better place. This is a shithole."

"It's the best we can get, Tori. Sorry if waiting to be abducted means we can't afford life's richest pleasures."

"Someone's on her period."

"You wish."

I'm more than happy to slam the door, which only mutes the sounds coming from the other side. I groan loudly, as upstairs, the couple is continuing to bark at each other. Although, I will say that, up until now, I realize they both speak Spanish. I can't understand what they're saying. "Can I just get a broom and tell them to shut up?" I whine.

"Hey, by all means, if you want to pass the time by kicking our neighbors' asses, go for it."

"You just don't care anymore, do you?" I walk into the kitchen to look for a broom.

"You're a big girl. You can handle yourself."

"Damn right I can. Aha!" I grab a broom with a big head. It's got a bit of weight to it. I look up at the ceiling, thrusting the top of the broom up there. "Take your bitching somewhere else!"

Yeah, that doesn't work. The arguing is so loud now that my broom makes practically no noise. My shoulders slump, and as I walk back out towards the sitting room, a HYDRA agent is thrown into my path.

They aren't armed, so I quickly swing the broom head at them. It hits them in the side, sending them sideways. I run out, prepared to strike with the broom overhead, but I hear a loud whistle. I freeze. Damn, that was fast. Guess wishes do come true.

"Put it down, Victoria," says Agent Sparks. I cast a side-glance to see her aiming a weapon at, not me, but at Tessa. Tessa, who has her hands up in a quiet surrender. "Make it easy on all of us. It's been a long few days."

"Story of my life," I mutter.

"Do as she says," Tessa whispers, looking at the ground. The agent I'm in front of is groaning, grabbing his side.

The fighter in me wants to keep going. Go with it. Don't get yourself shot, again. I snort. "Wuss." Reluctantly, the broom hits the ground. My arms are wrenched behind me, and I don't resist the handcuffs. I hiss as they pinch my skin. "Frisky much?"

"We've been looking all over for you two," Agent Sparks says, removing the gun away from Tessa. "And boy, you didn't make it easy."

"That was the whole point." I toss my hair.

"Ma'am, it's just them," says the female agent who handcuffed me. "I checked all the rooms."

"Interesting." Agent Sparks looks at me with narrowed eyes. "Did you give anyone tipoffs?"

"If you weren't paying attention, I was trying to reduce the noise level. Which hasn't gone down." The Spanish argument continues upstairs. Dear lord, do you people not sleep?!

"You've been missed, both of you. Time to come home."

"HYDRA isn't home, it never has been," I say stiffly.

"You won't be saying that for much longer. Let's move."

Agent Sparks escorts Tessa out by the arm, un-cuffed, while the female agent constantly shoves me forward. She and the male agent escort me an arm each. We approach a black sedan, and Tessa and I are shoved into the back. Tessa is zip tied to the small hanger above her head in the car. The male agent squeezes in between us while Agent Sparks and the other agent sit up front.

When the engine starts, we leave the neighbors behind. I'm not sad about that in the least.

"Ward will be happy to see you both, but he'll be disappointed," says Agent Sparks. "You didn't bring the Winter Soldier back. You let him get away. You were working with him." She chuckles. "You just can't stay away from the heroes, can you, Victoria?"

Tessa and I exchange looks, not sure what she's getting at. She can't mean Adam. S.H.I.E.L.D. should know about him, and I totally get that. But could HYDRA know of our connection? Did they know he and I were engaged?

"We're more interested in you, though, Tessa," Agent Sparks continues. "You were MIA after the Virginia attack. Where were you, hmm?"

Tessa looks out the car window. "That's my business."

"Oh, you've been playing for Team Hero too! I always knew you weren't fully committed to the cause." Agent Sparks snorts. "Why you were allowed to work, it amazes me. Guess it's because of your so-called 'loyalty'."

"Blackmail," Tessa coughs.

"All right, ladies, time for bed," says the male agent.

"Hey!" I protest as I'm pinched in the neck with a needle. After he pokes me, he pokes Tessa.

The sedative takes effect quite quickly, I'm out within a minute.

**Walking back into the lion's lair...**