Eyes of Winter

In the dark he could make out the silhouette of a body on the floor. "Annie...someone's here..." He whispered, pushing her behind him. He flicked on the light.

"Oh my God! It's Edna!" Annie cried.

"Stay here." Bucky said, pulling a gun from his waistband.

Annie fell next to Edna, trying to see if she was alive. Bucky checked through the house, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He walked to the back door. "How is she?"

Annie had rolled the older woman on her back, laying her head in her lap. "I don't know. She's breathing, but there's blood on her head." Bucky opened the door. "Where are you going?!" She cried.

"Stay here. Grab the book bag in case. I'm just going to check around outside." He walked around the house twice but found nothing suspicious.

"Bucky..." He heard Annie call.

He rounded the corner and froze. A tall man with closely cropped hair and bright blue eyes was holding her by the back of her neck, a gun pressed against her temple.

"Brodsky." He growled, taking a step forward.

"I wouldn't. You know she'll be dead before you can get one shot off." Brodsky said. Annie recognized him as Dominic, the man who had charmed her at the fair.

"How did you find us?"

Brodsky smiled, flashing his white slightly crooked teeth. "You know, it was very clever to crash that jet in the mountains. It went down in Washington, just at the Canadian border. There was a locator in the black box. We found the wreckage, but no bodies."

"That doesn't explain how you found us." Annie replied.

"We may be scattered about, but we are many. After the D.C. event, the main focus was to find you. Funny thing is, tomorrow was the last day to search the states before reaching out to Europe. Talk about luck." Brodsky said with a chuckle.

"What do you want?" Bucky demanded.

"It's not what I want. It's what hydra wants. You stole something from them, they want it back."

"Forget it. I'm not going back." Bucky said.

"Well that is just a pity isn't it?" Brodsky snarled, yanking Annie's head back. He pressed his cheek to hers, breathing in her scent as Bucky watched with growing rage. Annie squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered, trying to pull away as he licked her throat. "Oh but she is a pretty little piece of flesh, isn't she?" Brodsky smirked arrogantly at him. "Have you not tasted her yet?"

"Brodsky!" Bucky snarled. He closed his eyes and exhaled. "If you let her go, I'll go with you-"

"Bucky NO! You can't-" Annie sobbed as Brodsky pressed the gun harder against her head.

"You let her go, and I'll go with you." Bucky repeated. His eyes grew frighteningly dark. "If you hurt her, I will burn HYDRA to the ground." He snarled.

"Obviously your time away has made you soft." Brodsky sneered. "Over there." He demanded, signaling to the patio.

Bucky slowly made his way to the patio, never breaking eye contact with him.

Once he was on the patio across from him, Brodsky shoved Annie away, towards the edge of the forest. In the same move, he produced another gun from his holster, aiming one at Annie, and one at Bucky.

"I'm willing to let her go being that she is the bosses' daughter." He replied.

Relief washed over Bucky and he exhaled. "Annie, go inside."

"But the boss is dead... желание." Brodsky said in Russian

Bucky narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

"Pжаветь." Brodsky said with a smirk.

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, his nostrils flaring. "Stop."

"What's happening? What are you doing?!" Annie cried.

"Cемнадцать."

A tingling sensation trailed up his spine. "Brodsky, don't-"

"рассвет."

Bucky tilted his head as a sudden pressure caused his head to throb.

"Stop it!" Annie cried.

"печь"

Bucky cried out as the pain was joined with a loud drumming noise. "Annie...get out of here!" He yelled, grabbing his head with both hands.

"девять."

"What are you doing to him?! Please don't hurt him!" She was watching with her hands clutched together as if praying.

"I'm not hurting him. I'm freeing him! доброкачественный!" He barked.

Bucky groaned, clutching his head. He sunk down to one knee as the drums pounded in his head. His vision was darkening. "ANNIE GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Not without you!" She cried.

"Touching. возвращение домой." Brodsky said, putting the gun aimed at Annie in its holster.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Bucky screamed.

The noise and pain escalated to the point that he felt faint. He clutched at his head and screamed.

"один! You might want to take his advice, Annie."

He looked at her through his fingers, trying to focus on her voice, but the drumming was too loud. His vision became clouded.

"Rрузовой автомобиль."

The drumming suddenly stopped, replaced by a high frequency ringing. Everything went black.

"Cолдат?"

Silence.

He opened his eyes, calculating his surroundings. Two people, one armed. He stood slowly, exhaling through his nose. He glanced at the girl standing at the opposite end of the yard, then slowly looked at the man with the gun in his hand. "Готов выполнить."

Brodsky grinned like a mad man and looked over at her. "This is the part where you run, Annie." He said. "Убей ее."

Annie watched with apprehension as he spoke to Bucky. Bucky turned his gaze on her and she gasped. His eyes were dark, murderous as he crossed the yard towards her. She held up her hands. "Bucky what's wrong with you?" She took a step back. Still he continued to approach her threateningly.

She ran backwards, putting the iron patio table between her and Bucky. He shoved the table out of the way with ease.

With the metal arm, he lashed out, connecting with her ribs. "Bucky-" she gasped. He grabbed her by her throat, lifting her off the ground.

Brodsky laughed maniacally.

She kicked her feet, struggling to get out of his grasp. The breath was being forced from her lungs. Just as the darkness was beginning to creep in, a series of shots rang out. She felt a searing pain in her arm, and the pressure on her throat dissipated. Bucky released his grip on her throat and she fell to the ground coughing.

"ANNIE RUN!" It was Edna.

Annie looked up in time to see Brodsky shoot Edna in the forehead. With tears streaming down her face, she used Edna's diversion and pushed herself up. Stumbling, she took off, pushing past trees and bushes, not knowing which way she was going.

It was like something out of a horror movie. She ran until she thought her lungs would burst, eventually stumbling out of the woods and onto the highway. She screamed and dove off the road as a large truck blasted its horn. She could feel the rocks and branches tear her clothes and skin as she tumbled down the hill.

Once she'd reached the bottom, she staggered through the overgrown field and found herself looking at Edna and John's house in the distance. She forced herself to continue running, thinking only of finding a phone.

The backdoor to their home was slightly open. "John!" She ran throughout the house, but couldn't find him. Setting the bookbag down on the coffee table, she pulled open the nearby drawers, looking for anything she could use. Becoming hysterical, she made her way to the front porch, and froze. John's body lay on the steps. She ran her fingers through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering as helplessness began to set in.

"Edna..."

Annie's eyes shot open and she rushed over to the old man. "John? John!" She rolled him over.

His face was covered in bruises and he was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound in his abdomen. "Annie?"

Annie sucked in a breath at his use of her real name. "How long have you known?"

"Couple of weeks now...Edna suspected it around the time she cut his hair. I figured it out when I saw a bit of metal when he was helping me with the motorcycle. I put two and two together when I remembered him saying that he was in the 107th." He coughed, wincing in pain.

Annie tried to put pressure on the wound. "Why didn't you turn us in?"

He coughed again, splattering blood on his arm as he attempted to stand. "That boy, he didn't do the things they say he did. What D.C. is trying to do is wrong."

"We need to get you to a hospital-" Annie replied.

He shook his head. "No, there's nothing they can do for me now. And if you're here, then that means that Edna is gone." His voice shook with emotion. "You need to get out of here before they get you. "

Annie shook her head, tears streaked her cheeks. "Who are they?"

"I don't know, but they want James." He fished around in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Take this money and get away from here. Take my car too. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Annie shook her head. "I don't know where to go."

"If I were you, I'd start by trying to find Steve Rogers."

"I'm not going to leave you, John." She placed her arms under his and pulled him upright. "I can't leave you here to die."

Despite his protests, she drug him to the car and laid him in the backseat and ran to the house to get her bag.

"Не делайте это более сложным для себя."

Annie felt her heart stop. Bucky stood in the doorway of the back door, staring at her like prey. His hair hung messily in his face and his eyes were cold, calculating.

Without a second thought she turned and ran, leaping over the stairs. Miraculously, there was only one key on the ring. Annie threw herself into the front seat and watched in horror as Bucky charged at the car. She threw the car in reverse, and backed down the long driveway.

She heard three loud pops and ducked as the windshield shattered.

"John hold on!" She cried, putting the car in drive as she reached the road. "Stay down, he's shooting at us!"

Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, she drove as far and as fast as she could, desperate to put as much distance between herself and Bucky as possible.

OoOoOo

At some point, just as the horizon was turning orange with the impending sunrise, Annie began began to feel incredibly tired. "John? How are you doing?" She asked. When he didn't answer, she raised her hand to adjust the rearview mirror and gasped at the unexpected pain. From what she could tell by the slow rise and fall of his chest, John was asleep.

Reaching into her shirt, she knew something was definitely wrong. When she withdrew her hand, it was slick with blood. "Oh my God..." She whispered. Looking around, she had no idea where she was or which direction she was headed. Continuing in the same direction seemed the only logical decision.

She unzipped the pocket of the book bag, and dug around blindly until she felt one of the medical supply bags. She dumped its contents on the seat and, while keeping one hand on the wheel, found the tourniquet. She pulled her arm out of the cardigan and with her teeth and left hand, managed to tie it just above the wound as tightly as she could.

Soon, a large green sign reading SEATTLE 350 MILES came into view and Annie knew it would be her best shot.

OoOoOo

Annie leaned against the column of the porch and stared out at the setting sun. Dark clouds lined the horizon, and every now and then there would be a lightning strike.

She smiled when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist and a strong chest press against her back.

"There's a storm coming." She said.

Bucky nuzzled her neck, sending goose bumps down her arms. "You need to wake up." He whispered.

Annie turned to look at him, but found herself staring at a pair of headlights.

OoOoOo

Annie screamed and jerked the steering wheel to the left. The truck blared its horn as it narrowly avoided hitting her head on.

She struggled to keep the car on the road, but the sudden movement sent the car spinning across the opposite lane. With a hard crash, the car rammed into the guard rail and was vaulted into the air before coming down on its roof.

OoOoOo

"We've got a white female driver of a car that flipped on interstate 90. Unconscious at the scene. Multiple contusions to the head and upper extremities. Possible pneumothorax of the right lung. Male passenger was pronounced dead on scene."

"On my count. One...two...three." The doctor and several nurses transferred Annie to a hospital gurney. The nurses cut away her clothing quickly.

"What is that?" One nurse asked, adjusting the overhead light.

"Ok guys." The doctor replied. "I need xray in here stat. This woman has been shot."

OoOoOo

Annie felt warm sunlight shining on her face. She stretched her arms out and snuggled under the blankets. She felt as is she were home, safe in her own bed.

She could hear voices outside her bedroom, some frantic, and opened her eyes.

"Miss? Can you hear me? Blink once for yes, twice for no." A tall black man in scrubs stood over her, shining a light in each eye.

Instinctively she tried to sit up, but was held down by three other people in scrubs. She tried to speak but felt as though she would choke. Something was in her mouth. She became panic-stricken and began to try to feel her face.

"Ma'am! Ma'am! I'm Dr. Roper. You were in a pretty bad accident. You're at Northwest Hospital. You have a tube in your mouth that is helping you breathe, so it's preventing you from talking. Is there someone I can call for you? Perhaps some family members?"

Annie was trying to process the information, trying to calm herself down. She signaled for a pen. The nurse handed her a pen and held the paper for her as she attempted to write the phone number with her non dominant hand.

Dr. Roper read the paper. It looked like a kindergartener had written it, but he understood. "His name is Steve, correct?"

Annie blinked twice. And then began to write again. She held the paper up. Dr. Roper's eyes squinted but he nodded. "Captain America?"

She blinked once and wrote one last sentence: 'Tell him it's Annie from D.C.' He patted her arm and turned to the nurse. "I'll be right back. Monica here is going to draw some blood."

He turned to the nurse on the way out. She stood with a cordless phone on her hand. "Do you think she's delusional?"

"Hard to tell. Steve Rogers is a pretty common name. If it's someone who knows her..." He shrugged. "Make the call."

The nurse nodded. "Before you go, the police are here and want to question her."

The doctor shook his head. "They won't get anything out her right now. Tell them 48 hours before she can answer questions."

OoOoOo

Annie heard voices outside her door. She stirred slightly when she heard the door creak. Steve, in a brown leather jacket and blue jeans, walked in as quietly as he could.

After taking in the wires and tubes that were hooked up to her, he finally approached her. He smiled when she opened her eyes. "I thought you were dead." He whispered.

All she could do was look up at him through red, swollen eyes. Weakly, she turned her right hand up, opening her fingers.

Steve placed his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "I'm getting you out of here as soon as you're able."

She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. He stood holding her hand for some time, until he was certain she'd fallen asleep. He sat down in the chair next to her and rubbed his face with a sigh.

He stayed next to her until he himself had fallen asleep. A nurse shaking him gently several hours later woke him with a start.

"I'm sorry Captain...but we need to take the breathing tube out. I need you to step outside while we do this."

Steve nodded. "Of course..."

He closed the door gently as he stepped into the hallway. His cell phone buzzed with an unread text message.

How is she?

The corner of his lip turned up in a smirk as he replied. That's uncharacteristically kind of you, Romanov.

Shut up. I've been in her shoes.

He frowned. She's in pretty bad shape.

And what about Barnes?

Steve typed as quickly as he could. This is the Winter Soldier, not Bucky.

"Mr. Rogers?"

Steve shoved his phone in his pocket and turned around. A tall dark skinned man stood in a pair of dark blue scrubs, holding a tablet at his side. Two police officers stood behind him. He extended a hand with a smile.

"I'm doctor Roper. I worked on your...Annie."

Steve regarded the officers coolly, but gave Dr. Roper a tight lipped smile before shaking his hand.

"What's with the officers?" Steve asked.

Dr. Roper laid his tablet down on the surface of the nursing station. "They want to question her."

"About?"

One of the officers stepped forward. "The person in question wrecked her car on interstate 90. A man was found in her car shot to death."

Steve kept a calm face. "The person in question is Annie Pierce." He turned to the doctor, leaning his back against the nurse's desk. "What is the extent of her injury?"

"Are you family?"

He looked in her room as a nurse walked out. "I'm the closest thing she has to one."

Dr. Roper began scrolling on his tablet. "She came in with several lacerations to her head and face. She does have a mild concussion, but her cat scan was negative for any bleeding on the brain. She was having trouble breathing. It was found upon further investigation that she'd been shot twice. Once in the upper right shoulder and again in the right part of her chest, which caused a collapsed lung. We had to insert a chest tube to drain the fluid. She suffered significant blood loss from both gunshot wounds, which is why we suspect she wrecked the car. As bad as it sounds, if she hadn't wrecked, she probably would have died." He turned to the officers. "The nurses have taken her breathing tube out, so she should be able to answer any questions you guys have in an hour or two."

Steve shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "Doctor, thank you for everything you've done."

Dr. Roper nodded. "It was my pleasure. I'll check on her now and again in an hour or so." He turned to the officers. "I'll let you know when she's cleared." He gave them a final nod and entered Annie's room.

The taller of the two officers walked up to Steve. "So uh, Captain?"

Steve looked over at him.

"Any clue as to what may have happened?"

He raised a brow. "Are you interrogating me, officer...?"

"Oh, I'm officer Henley." He pointed his thumb and the other officer. "That's O'Shaughnessy. No it's not an interrogation. We just have no leads. The man found dead at the scene was John Turner from Cypress Lake based on his license."

"Is that around here?" Steve asked.

Officer Henley shook his head. "About six hours north, in Montana."

"Is there anyone who would want her dead?" O'Shaughnessy asked.

Steve shook his head. "I couldn't imagine anyone would. She's a good girl. Anyone who knows her knows that."

Dr. Roper came out of the room and placed his stethoscope around his neck. "Captain Rogers, she's asking for you." Steve pushed himself off the desk.

"It may be hard to understand her. He throat will be sore from the tube. Make sure she keeps the oxygen mask on. Her oxygen levels are still low."

"Thanks doc." He replied, closing the door behind him as her entered.

OoOoOo

The room was still dark even as the sunlight tried to peek in through the blinds. She was sitting up slightly, eyes following him from behind the oxygen mask.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, cringing mentally at the stupidly obvious question.

"Like I've been shot...and run over by a truck." Her voice was hoarse, nearly a whisper.

Steve moved the chair towards the end of the bed and turned it so he could face her as he sat down, making it easier on her to see him.

"I've been worried about you. I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this."

She shrugged slightly. "There's a reason for everything I guess." Her brow furrowed. "I'm still trying to figure out that reason." She lifted the mask and took a sip of water.

"Where have you been for the last few months?"

"We were staying in a cabin in Cypress Lake. Trying to lie low until all of that crap dwindled away."

"Is that how you know John Turner?"

She nodded. "He was the man who rented us the house. I know he's dead..."

Steve nodded. "There are two officers outside who want to question you."

"What am I supposed to tell them?"

"What happened?"

She was quiet for a moment as she recalled the events that happened so quickly. "Bucky is so troubled...but he was making progress. He was starting to interact and open up. And then a man he called Brodsky showed up."

Steve sat up a little straighter. "Brodsky?"

"Yeah. He showed up and started speaking to him in Russian, I think. Bucky tried to get him to stop, but whatever he was saying it..." She shook her head. "It changed him."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"His eyes went black and he started speaking to me in Russian. Then he attacked me. I was able to get away but only because John's wife, Edna shot him. She saved me by allowing me a head start away from Bucky."

"Do you know what happened to Bucky?"

She shook her head. "No." She looked at Steve. "What do I tell the police?"

Steve thought on it for a moment, exhaling through his nose. "Tell them that you were attacked by someone you didn't know and in your panic you were able to get away. I don't know, I'm not very good with lies. But we still don't know who we can trust. Keep Bucky out of the story. Don't mention Brodsky's name. Tell them you were attacked by two men you didn't know because you were a woman living alone. The only other people who can contest it are Edna and John, and they're both dead. We don't know anything about Brodsky or his involvement with Buck. And who knows where Bucky is. Or if he's even Bucky anymore." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And when they're done questioning you, I'm arranging transport. I'm getting you out of here and somewhere safe."

"I never knew the Bucky you knew, but the one I know is a good man. This wasn't his fault." She replied quietly.