Edge of Night

04

BUCHAREST

Bucky and Irina, holding a little girl, were in civvies at a fruit store. He bought some plums and spoke in Romanian.

(assumed translation: How are they? Are they good? Give me six, thank you.)

The little girl, Callie, grabbed a coloring book that caught her attention and Bucky added, "And a coloring book. Thanks."

In a black cap and casual jacket and white cap and oversize shirt, Bucky and Irina walked along, scanning around. Across the street, they spotted a twenty-something vender at a news-stand watching them. Bucky and Irina glanced away, then looked back at the vender who was still watching them. The vender ran from his kiosk. Bucky went over, followed by Irina, still holding Callie, and picked up a paper. On the front page there were surveillance-photos of a man and the headline: 'Winter Soldier and Crimson Nyx cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena'. Bucky and Irina glanced around tensely.

The couple exchanged a worried look.

---

In his dark blue armored suit with his shield on his arm, Steve was in a small apartment. He looked around. There was a mattress with disheveled covers and various bits of cheap looking furniture. The kitchen and bedroom were in the same room. Steve found two notebooks on top of the fridge. He picked them up and opened them. There were tabs of varying colors sticking out from amongst the pages.

Callie's small figure ran into Steve and she fell to the ground, landing on her butt.

Sam over the radio said, "Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve replied. Bucky and Irina were standing behind him. Steve slowly turned around to face them. "Do you two know me? Who's the little girl?"

Bucky stared at him and replied, "You're Steve. We read about you in a museum." He glanced at Irina nervously before saying, "Rina's and my little girl Callie."

"They've set the perimeter," Sam warned.

"I know you're both nervous," Steve said. "And you two have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"She and I weren't in Vienna," Bucky told him. "We don't do that anymore."

"They're entering the building," Sam informed.

"Well, the people who think you two did are coming here now," Steve stated. "And they're not planning on taking you two alive. I don't know if they'll spare the kid."

"That's smart," Bucky commented. "Good strategy. Callie, come here."

Irina nodded. "Smart choice."

Callie ran towards her father and he picked her up.

"They're on the roof," Sam said. "I'm compromised."

Armed cops ran upstairs.

Steve shook his head and said, "This doesn't have end in a fight, Buck, Rina."

Outside the door, a cop readied a battering ram.

"It always ends in a fight," Bucky and Irina replied.

"Five seconds," Sam warned.

"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Bucky answered.

"Three seconds!" Sam cried.

"Yes, you do," Steve said.

"Breach! Breach! Breach!"