Two whole months, that's how long I'd been free. I lived simply, fully embracing the surrounding nature. Early mornings on the porch with a mug of hot tea for warmth and evenings by the outdoor fire basking beneath the stars. Life felt like a dream in all the best ways.
I'd like to say it was a surprise when the bubble was popped.
☞ ☞ ☞
Leisurely strolling through the woodland back toward the cabin after spending my morning foraging nuts and berries that grew in clusters all along the perimeter of the river, I was overcome with a feeling of unease. The hairs on the back of my neck rising as I began to sense something being off. Slowing my approach, I altered my course and moved stealthily toward the rear of the cabin, using the forest surrounding me as a sort of cover to scope the area as I went.
The first few days after I arrived here were spent making the cabin inhabitable while ensuring my safety from any unwanted guests, one of my many installations being strategically placed pieces of mirror that I'd collected by smashing the one above the bathroom sink. I'd had no real interest in looking at myself anyway. From my position at the rear of the cabin, under the bathroom window I could see two of these pieces on either side, the reflections giving me a view of the entire clearing. The miniature microscope I'd found included within the camping gear I'd purchased from the store allowed me to see the reflections as though it were directly in front of me.
! could make out 5 figures positioned just within the tree line at the front of the clearing, all spread out evenly, guns raised and alert. Unbeknown to them, two of them stood exactly where I wanted them. The overgrown access track was clear of anyone or a vehicle however the flattened grass told me that someone was directly in front of the cabin.
Climbing through the bathroom window in almost complete silence, I moved cautiously into the main room so I could get an idea of how many were in the blind spots of the mirror shards outside. Cracking the bathroom door by the smallest fraction in order to see out but not far enough that anyone could see in, I could just make see the only shard indoors which was angled on the small ledge under the front window.
A very expensive looking jeep had been parked just short of the make shift fire pit. There, one foot on the bottom step, the other still on the ground stood a straight backed woman eying the tree line for signs of movement and a dark skinned man staring directly at the mirror. It was clear at first glance they were not HYDRA, however the ridged posture, along with the concealed weapons I could spot was still more than enough to keep me alert and wary just incase. Not to mention the dark guy's eye patch.
Just as I moved to exit via the window to make a run for it, the woman turned, giving me a glimpse of that same badge I'd seen on the team at the apartment weeks prior.
☞ ☞ ☞
Turning myself to shadow I gently pushed the door open enough to slip out and access the ropes beside the front door. Praying the vehicle hadn't been parked directly over the lines, I released both ropes with a quick yank. Two of the 5 gunmen on the opposite side of the clearing now found themself hanging freely in woven nets from two great oaks. Without giving the little group time to process what was going on, I threw the front door open, simultaneously raising two pistols as I questioned. "Kto ty, chert voz'mi?" (Who the hell are you?)
Both figures instantly reached to draw their weapons, spinning on the spot to face me. The man didn't miss a beat, shouting "Motherfucker!" As he levelled his gun with mine.
"Afternoon. Always greet your guests like this?" He clearly wasn't a man who could be intimidated easily and spoke without reserve. I raised a brow without offering a response, so he continued. "My name is Nicholas Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D and this is Commander Hill. We'd like to talk."
