Eyes of Winter

Annie opened her eyes, slowly adjusting to her surroundings. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she looked over at the clock.

It was almost eleven. She felt like crap for sleeping so late and her back ached, but she really wanted to sleep for the next month.

With a groan she got out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom. Stripping off her clothes, she turned the water in the shower on and got in. She washed her hair and scrubbed her face, not taking time to enjoy the feeling of the water.

She'd had a realization, and she wanted answers that couldn't wait until dinner.

OoOoOo

"Hi Edith." Annie said as she approached the receptionist.

Edith smiled, looking at her over her glasses. "Annie, how are you dear?"

"I need to speak to my father."

"I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting right now. Just have a seat and I'll let him know you're here." The older woman replied.

Annie bit her bottom lip and nodded, turning to have a seat. But the burning feeling of adrenaline in her stomach stopped her.

"I'll see him now." She jerked the door open, ignoring the protests of the receptionist.

She stared past the looks of curiosity from other personnel as she stormed down the hall. She rounded the corner and her shoulder connected with someone's arm.

"I'm sorry.." She said, brushing her hair out of her face.

"It's ok Annie." Brock replied, holding her arm.

She jerked her arm away. "What are you doing here? How did you get out of jail?"

"Annie, I'm so sorry for everything. I was drunk and exhausted..." He shook his head as if to clear his mind. "It's no excuse-"

"You're damn right its no excuse! No one has ever treated me the way you did! I can barely function through the day, I can't sleep, I can't eat-" she threw her hands up, stopping him from coming closer. "I can't do this now."

"Annie, I want to talk about this with you...I miss you."

She scoffed. "Are you kidding me? You don't get to miss me!" She hissed, storming away.
She forced herself to keep walking at a steady pace without looking back. She pushed the door to her father's office open.

"Understood." Said a man's voice.

"He's out of jail?! How did he get out of jail?! That man assaulted me!" She cried.

Pierce and Steve Rogers turned at the sudden intrusion.

"Annie?" Pierce said, standing from the corner of his desk he'd been leaning on.

Tears were running down her cheeks. "How did Brock get out of jail?"

Steve cleared his throat. "I'll be..going then.."

Pierce nodded at him. Annie watched as Steve passed her, giving her a worried glance. She waited until she heard the door close.

Pierce sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose with this thumb and index finger. "Sweetheart, sit down."

Annie sunk down in the closest chair, never taking her eyes off him.

"I know this might be hard for you to understand. But I had to post his bail."

Her mouth fell open. "You?!"

"As much as I didn't want to, he is one of my best operatives. And right now, with what is going on, I must have all my men. But I can promise you that he is no threat to you. With him being here, I can keep him in check. When all of this is done, he will pay. I promise."

She clamped her mouth shut, for lack of anything to say. Betrayal was the fitting term, but looking at her father and the sincerity on his face, she didn't have the heart to argue. He'd never misled her.

He continued to talk her down, but she no longer heard his words. There was a loud alarm that startled her. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"It's alright. You're safe." He said. "Come with me, we need to get down to communications."

"What's going on?" She asked as they exited his office.

"A security matter. That's all."

Annie followed him down a hall different than the one she usually came down. He pressed a button and placed his hand on a scanner. The door slid open and they entered a private elevator.

They exited the elevator and entered a large auditorium-like area with quite a few employees. Every desk had a computer and there was a large screen on the wall at the front. It looked like a drive-in theatre screen.

Annie was shocked to see Steve's image flash across the screen. A bald man was standing before it talking.

"You musn't repeat anything you hear..." Pierce whispered.

"With all due respect, if S.H.E.I.L.D. is conducting a manhunt for Captain America, we deserve to know why." Said a pretty blonde woman, her hands placed defensively on her hips.

"Because he lied to us." Annie watched as her father stepped out of the shadows and addressed the people in the communications room.

"Captain Rogers has information regarding the death of Director Fury. He refused to share it. As difficult as this is to accept, Captain America is a fugitive from S.H.I.E.L.D."

An alarmed murmur went through the crowd. And stepped closer to Pierce. "Dad, what are you talking about? We just saw him-"

"I'm sending an escort to take you home. Wait for me there."

She opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced when her escort placed a hand on her lower back and ushered her towards the exit.

OoOoOo

She sat in the backseat, watching the cars move out of the way of the black SUV she was in. Being in a government vehicle had its perks, especially when nearly all streets were gridlocked.

"Could you please take me to my townhome?" She asked the driver.

"I can't do that. Orders were to deliver you to Mr. Pierce's residence."

She sighed and flopped back in the seat. "Whatever."

OoOoOo

Annie sat in the living room flipping through the channels on the t.v. when her father opened the front door.

"Good evening Mr. Pierce." Renata said as she entered the kitchen.

"Hi Renata." Annie heard him say.

Immediately she was on her feet. "Dad what is going on?"

He set down his keys and tugged his tie loose. "Annie, I'm not at liberty to discuss the situation. It's bad enough that you heard what you did."

"Dad, you can't possibly think that Steve is a criminal."

He looked up at her as he removed his jacket. "I wasn't aware the two of you were on a first name basis."

"So what if we are? He's a good man-"

"He knows things about Nick's death. Things he isn't telling us. Those are not the actions of a good man."

"And I suppose Brock's actions were that of pure chivalry?" She snapped.

"Now Annie that's not fair-"

"You're right, it's not fair. It's not fair to me." She grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To my house."

"I don't want you staying alone."

"Well you wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't bailed Brock and Jack out of jail." She said, slamming the door behind her.

OoOoOo

Annie woke with a start, left disoriented by a series of emotionally charged dreams, all revolving around Brock. She sat up and stared out the window at the nearly full moon.

She felt like an idiot, but she missed him. Their time together wasn't all bad. It was, in fact, mostly good. And she had fallen hard for him. And loved him even harder. She'd always felt safe with him.

Despite the betrayal she felt, her heart betrayed her further, filling her with sadness for love lost.

With a shuddering sigh, she ran her hands through her hair and turned off the radio. She walked down the hall taking care to be quiet.

As she descended the carpeted stairs, she heard voices. She paused and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to midnight. She'd thought it was later than that.

Tugging her oversized t-shirt down over her thighs, she was about to walk into the kitchen when she heard Renata.

"Sorry, Mr Pierce, I...I forgot my phone." Renata said.

"Oh Renata, I wish you would have knocked."

Annie screamed and stumbled back as a gun was fired twice. The woman who had been their housekeeper since she was twelve lay dead at her feet.

"OH MY GOD! RENATA!!" Annie screamed. She ran to her and fell on her knees beside her, trying to hold pressure on the bleeding wounds. She looked in the direction of the kitchen and froze.

A man stood in the shadows, gun aimed at her.

"STAND DOWN SOLDIER!" Pierce yelled angrily, gun in his hand. "That's my daughter! Annie get back!"

"Dad what the hell have you done?! You killed her!!" Annie screamed, looking down at the woman's body.

"Анни?"

Her head shot up at the familiar raspy voice. "What are you doing here?!"

"How do the two of you know about each other?" Pierce asked.

Annie wiped her eyes with her wrist, careful to avoid getting blood on her face. "Dad, what the hell is going on?" She took in a deep breath, trying to keep back the panic that was threatening to send her into hysterics.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW HER?" Pierce asked, turning the gun on the him.

Annie scrambled to her feet and jumped between her father and her protector, holding her hands up. "Dad stop!!" She heard the clicking of a gun and glanced up.

Her rescuer had a gun aimed at her father. She reached out and placed a hand on his chest. "Don't! Please!"

He didn't drop the gun, but he glanced at her. She moved her hand up to his cheek, the roughness of his five o'clock shadow scratching her palm.

"Annie get away from him!" Pierce demanded.

She stared up at him and placed her other hand over his, forcing him to lower the gun. "He won't hurt me...He saved me the night Brock and Jack attacked me...and he promised me he wouldn't hurt me..." She said quietly, tears streaming down her face. "Who are you?" She asked.

"He is a soldier under my command." Pierce said.

"He doesn't look like a S.T.R.I.K.E. operative." She said, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "Anyway, I was asking about you. Why did you kill her?" She cried, gesturing to the body lying on the dining room floor.

Pierce laid the gun on the table. "There are things at work here that I can't discuss with you. But trust me when I say that everything will make sense soon."

"Trust you? How can I?" She asked. She felt a cold hand cover her own and she looked up.

The Russian had a metal glove on and he was watching her with a furrowed brow as he gently removed her hand from his face.

"I haven't betrayed your trust. I haven't lied to you! Everything that I've done, that I am doing, is to ensure you live a safe life." He looked over at the Russian. "You are dismissed. You have your orders."

The Russian said nothing, but he glanced at Annie briefly before he slipped out the patio doors, disappearing into the dark.

"I'm not staying here another minute." She said, turning for the stairs.

"And where are you going to go?" Pierce asked.

She suddenly felt like she was sixteen again. "My house. I have the kids coming tomorrow for rehearsal downtown. I have to get things ready."

"No. That isn't going to work." Her father replied.

"What are you going to do? Shoot me?" She snapped. "I CAN'T BE HERE!" She screamed.

Pierce rubbed his face in exhaustion. "Fine. I'll have agent Janson escort you."

Without a reply, she went back up to her room and slammed the door. She paced back and forth, chewing on her thumb as her mind struggled to process the incident that had just occurred. She couldn't get the look of Renata's vacant eyes and her blood spattered body.

With shaking hands, she pulled on a pair of blue jean capris and a lightweight, pale blue long-sleeved yoga top. She grabbed her bookbag and after some more nervous pacing, retreated back down stairs.

Three men were in the Living room speaking quietly with her father. "Given the late hour and the fact that you were alone, we can successfully argue that you were sure you were shooting an intruder."

She cleared her throat, gaining attention of all four men. "I'm ready to go." She said, looking away from the sheet covered body on the floor.

Pierce walked over to her and pulled her into a over-tight embrace. "We'll get through this sweetheart. I love you so much." He whispered.

She didn't return the hug. The moment he let her go, she slipped on her white tennis shoes and stormed outside. She walked to her car, but an agent was blocking her.

"And which one are you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Agent Janson. Your father has asked us to drive you in the armored vehicle." Janson replied.

She looked over at the black SUV and rolled her eyes as another agent opened the back door for her.

OoOoOo

Knowing she had nearly an hour's drive ahead, Annie watched as the street lights flashed by, letting the sight lull her to sleep.

She opened her eyes in time to see a blinding pair of headlights heading directly for them. With barely enough time to scream, she threw her arms up to shield her face as the other vehicle t-boned them.

The SUV rolled several times before landing in a ditch on its roof. Annie hung upside down, held in place by her seatbelt.

She could hear one of the men groaning and was aware of a sharp pain in her right shoulder. "Hello?" She called.

She pushed herself up with her left arm and searched for the seatbelt with her right. She fumbled with the buckle, but after a moment was able to undo it. She fell with a pained cry, her head making contact with the roof.
"Agent Janson? Are you guys ok?" She asked.

"My leg is broken...it's pinned under the dash."

She couldn't see in the dark. "Who is talking?"

"Agent Scott..I don't see agent Janson...I can't reach the com system...are you hurt?" He asked.

"I don't know...my arm is hurt but I don't know how bad." She replied.

"Can you get out?" He asked.

"I can try..." She squinted in the dark, feeling around with her hands. Bits of glass and metal were everywhere. She kicked out the remaining glass from the back passenger side window.

"Try to find Janson. He has a radio on him. Call for help..." He coughed.

She crawled out of the window onto the cool asphalt. She gripped the mangled vehicle and pulled herself up. The move made her painfully aware that her right ankle was sprained and she bit back a groan as she tried to walk.

"Agent Janson? Are you ok?" She called, trying to see her surroundings.

She heard a door slam and approaching footsteps. "Hello?"

The sudden explosion of gunfire sent her reeling. She began to struggle as someone tackled her, pulling her down into the ditch. She tried to scream but a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Анни...don't make a sound. These guys are here to kill you..." He whispered.

Annie tried to break free but his hold on her was iron clad. "What are you doing?!" She cried.

"I'm saving your life again. Now get down and follow me." He grabbed her arm and began leading her through the woods, the sound of gunfire becoming more distant. "Keep your head down."

"I think my shoulder is broken!" She cried.

"We'll get it fixed as soon as we can. But I need you to focus."

"I need to get to my dad." She was hurting and exhausted. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Save the questions for later. I've got to get you somewhere safe."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked stumbling over a downed tree branch. "Who are you?!"

He gripped her arm and pulled her up. "I told you I don't know who I am."

"How did you know where I was?"

"Questions later." He said.

They rushed through the forest until they could see lights in the distance. It was a small gas station and cheap run-down motel off the side of the interstate.

"What are we doing?" Annie asked.

"Finding you somewhere to hide." He said, scrutinizing the lodgings. "This will have to do."

"Until what?" She asked.

"Until you can get out of town."

"Why do I need to get out of town? Why do I need to hide!?" She asked, alarmed. "What is happening?? I have to get back to my dad!"

"Do you have any cash?" He asked.

"I have my credit card." She fished the card out of her back pocket.

"No, cash. They can trace a card." He said.

"Ok then. Whoever they are." She placed the card back in her pocket.

He pulled the rifle from his shoulder and looked through the scope. She jumped at the quiet noise it made when he fired it.

The single light in the parking went out with a POP. He fired a second round.

"What are you doing?!" She whispered loudly.

"Getting cash. Let's go." He led her to the side of the gas station where an ATM was literally chained to the concrete wall. The second round he'd fired was meant for the camera on the ATM, which had hit its target.

"If I use my card they'll still trace it to-"
He grabbed the front panel of the ATM and with virtually zero effort, pulled it off. "Give me your bag." He said.

"What? No! This is highly illeg-hey!" He snatched the bag from her left shoulder and began stuffing cash into it.

"It's necessity. For survival. Trust me, it won't be missed." He grunted, zipping the bag up. He handed her a wad of crumpled twenties.

"Well I don't trust you!" She snapped.

"Then you're smarter than I thought." He shot back. "Go to the motel and get a room. Preferably not an interior one."

"Why don't you just do it?" She asked, staring down at the money in her bloody hand.

"Because I'm an assassin. With a metal arm." He answered.

She chewed the inside of her cheek and nodded. "Right." She limped past him towards the motel.

OoOoOo

She picked up the phone and began dialing her dad's number.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm calling my dad."

He walked over and ripped the phone from the wall.

"Are you insane?!" She cried.

"Have you not been listening to anything I've told you?"

"All I've really heard from you was quit asking questions! And I certainly haven't heard any explanations for whatever the hell that was back there!" She tried to open the door but he held it closed with his metal arm.

"What the-What are you doing?!" She screamed, trying to pull the door open. It may as well have been bolted shut from the outside.

"You can't call him!" He said. "You can't go to him!"

"I HAVE TO! HE CAN HELP!" She yelled angrily.

"YOUR FATHER IS THE ONE WHO SENT THEM TO KILL YOU!!" He yelled back.
Her mouth hung open and for a moment he thought she stopped breathing.

"What did you say?"

He swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. "He ordered them to kill you."

"You're a liar."

"Why would I lie about that?" He asked.

Why would he lie? She watched him carefully. "Why would he do that?" She asked.

He set the phone down. "My guess is that you witnessed him murder someone."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine. Don't believe me." He replied, unlocking the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To check the perimeter." He snapped, slamming the door.

OoOoOo

Annie sat on the too-firm mattress with its generic polyester blanket, staring out the window at the interstate. Every now and then a car would speed by.

She glanced at the clock radio on the particle board night stand. It flashed 3:04 in bright red.

He walked in the room, locking the door behind him.

"You should keep these closed." He said, pulling the curtains together.

He turned from the window to face her. "Let's have a look at your shoulder." He said.

She pursed her lips together as he took her arm and lifted it. He pulled back the collar of her t-shirt and inspected the area.

She sucked in a sharp breath which turned into a cry of pain as he tried to rotate her arm.

"It's dislocated. It's going to hurt, but I've got to pop it back into place before it does permanent damage."

"Just do-" She screamed as he jerked it and pushed it back into place. Immediately she felt relief. "Holy hell..." She mumbled, flexing her fingers.

He took a pillow case and ripped it into strips. "We need to brace it. And it's going to hurt like hell tomorrow."

She nodded. "Thank you..." She said quietly.

He watched her as she rolled onto her side, facing away from him. He reached over and turned out the light, resolving to stay in the chair by the window.