LEGACY: a bucky barnes story

Chapter 36 - Reconcile

"We're transferring you to temporary holding. We'll discuss the plans for you to help find Barnes there."

Two agents lifted me to a standing position. One shoved me to follow Agent Ross' disappearing frame through the door. The tone in his voice alone sent waves of terror through my body.

"No funny business," Agent Ross hissed.

I sharply turned my head away as I trudged behind. As we exited the cell, we turned down a corridor with rows of benches. My guards thrust me down on a bench and turned away from me.

I gazed out the window, filled with despair. I watched the citizens of Cuba about their daily business. A woman juggling her leashed dog and waddling child—heading in opposite directions, of course. Two young men selling newspapers on the street corner. An elderly couple sitting on a bus bench. A young woman smoking a cigarette. A group of children skirting by on their bikes. A man in a baseball cap leaning against a light post.

I gasped audibly as I did a double take. The agents next to me turned, but I covered by clearing my throat. I whipped my head back toward the light post, but he had disappeared.

I shifted my eyes back and forth before raising them toward my guards.

"Excuse me?"

One of them squinted at me, but turned back to converse with her partner.

"Hey."

"What?" she huffed.

"I need to use the restroom."

Her partner laughed. "Fat chance, you really think we're going to let you into the bathroom alone—with your record?"

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an emergency." Though not technically a lie, that wasn't the whole truth either.

"Bullshit," he snapped.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I shifted toward her, instead. "Listen, I don't know your name, but I trust you understand why I'd need to go to the restroom," I reasoned with the female agent.

She pressed her lips together and tilted her head towards me. "I don't believe you."

"Jesus, how heartless are you? Do you want me to bleed all over this bench?"

"Fucking hell," the male agent stammered as he struggled to maintain eye contact. "Would you just take her already?"

"Thank you." I huffed and stood to follow the female agent. I took heed of the building layout as we neared the bathrooms. I stopped short of entering as I turned to face her.

"I'm going to need my hands." I held my cuffed wrists outstretched. She huffed then unshackled me, holding firm to her holstered gun.

"Two minutes," she barked as I walked into the restrooms.

"How generous of you," I muttered. As soon as the door clicked shut, I began mapping my escape.

My eyes ferociously scanned the restrooms when I locked eyes on a single window above the stalls. I raced to climb the toilet, then the stall door, to crack open the window. The narrow opening proved difficult to weasel through, but I knew I'd escaped when I landed on the ground with a substantial thump.

I sprinted around the building and crashed into a firm figure. They wrapped their hands around my biceps. I fought to break their hold, throwing any limb I could to escape. My fighting stopped the moment I noticed his eyes.

"James," I breathed.

"Let's go."

He held my hand firmly as he dragged me far from the building. "There's a military plane heading out from José Martí airport. All we'd need to do is stow away in the cargo hold."

"Where are we going to go?"

"Does it matter?"

I scoffed. "No, I suppose not. But it would be nice to know."

"I don't know, Jaige, I was focused on getting us the hell away from the CIA." he retorted. We paused in a field of tall bushes concealed near the airport terminal.

I scrunched up my face. "Well, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, it was only a question."

He sighed and embraced me tightly. He softly kissed the top of my head as I relaxed into his hold. "I'm sorry Jaige, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just-I guess the adrenaline is still running high." He pulled away and cupped my face as I laced my arms around his torso.

"They weren't going to give you a chance, they were still going to lock you up." I looked up through my lashes at his brilliant eyes.

"I know."

"But you still came back," I grinned.

He ran his teeth over his lower lip and his eyes dilated. "It scares me what I'm willing to do for you."

"James," I breathed. He closed the gap between our lips, softly yet full of desire. I pulled away first. "We should go, they only gave me two minutes for a bathroom break, so I expect they'll be hot on our heels."

He nodded and scanned the takeoff strip. "There it is, the left side of the tarmac."

I started off in the direction of the plane, but James grabbed my arm.

"Are you sure?"

The corner of my mouth upturned. "I'm not sure of anything, but I know I want to be with you. And if that means running away to God-knows-where on some plane, evading capture by the fucking CIA, then I'll do it."

He smirked solemnly. "I just want to make sure you've considered everything, your sister and your brother especially."

I tilted my head up to meet his saddened eyes. Gently taking hold of his jaw and pulling him close, I whispered, "You're right. There's a lot that could go catastrophically wrong, but we will figure it out. I'll find some way to reach out to Matt and Emily, in such a way that protects us and them. Thank you, but our flight's about to take off, Sarge. You ready?"

I kissed his grin. "I'll follow you anywhere, doll."