Antedate | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Eight

I rub my eyes and close the cover of the heavy book in front of me. I look at the watch on my wrist and see I'm late for the dinner tonight. Hurriedly, I rush through the halls, fixing my hair as I go. I know neither my father nor Dane are going to be too delighted with my tardiness. As I near the dining room I slow my pace and gain some composure.

I round the corner and see my father, Dane, and two other men standing around talking. I don't know who they are, I just know they're important enough to have a private dinner with us tonight. I plaster a smile on my face and extend my hand to greet the two of them.

"Here she is, as I was saying this is my daughter, Adalyn." I can sense the tension in my father's voice but I ignore him as I welcome our guests.

"It was well worth the wait to meet you, miss Averina." One of the men say with a smile. I can tell I already don't like either of them, but that's nothing new. I rarely ever like anyone in this place.

We all walk into the room and take our seats at the table, my father sitting at the head. There are finely dressed agents who come and serve us water. I place the napkin on the table in my lap and wait for the others to start conversation. I'm here just for formality purposes, I'm not supposed to talk unless I'm spoken to.

The men talk about trivial things to fill the air before they get down to business. I have a feeling I know what this meeting is about but I don't understand why it's being made into such a production. We've done hundreds, if not thousands, of contracts over the past three years.

The agents come and serve the meal to us, which looks to be chicken, vegetables, and a baked potato. I've definitely had worse before. I wait for the others to begin eating before I do, again, just as a formality thing.

The past three years have allowed me to perfect the art of seeming like I'm paying attention. In reality, my mind is wandering off elsewhere. My life has devolved into going on contract missions, taking care of the Soldier, and trying to avoid Dane as much as I possibly can. Thankfully, my father never actually forced me to go through with a legitimate marriage to Dane. But, I am of age now and am nervous to see if it gets brought up.

I've spent a majority of the free time I have in the Soldier's room, studying and reading books. That room is the only true safe haven I have in this place, Dane never comes into the Soldier's room. I've mainly read about and studied the human mind, it's really fascinating when I'm not being pressured to learn it.

"How was your day today, darling?" Dane speaks in a false cheerful tone. I snap back to reality and smile smally, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear.

"It was interesting. I did a lot of studying today." I keep my answer short and sweet. My father nods his head,

"My daughter here is a prodigy. She's always had a talent for understanding the mind. She's the mastermind behind the Winter Soldier." I'm slightly surprised to hear my father giving me credit. Although, by complimenting me, he's also complimenting himself in a way. The guests smile,

"That's amazing. We heard rumors a few years ago about the Soldier, it's a pleasure to meet the mind behind the weapon." I smile and nod, but feel the fire run through my veins. He is not a weapon.

"Speaking of the Soldier, should we get to business?" My father dives into the contract. I zone out and take small bites of the food in front of me.

The men speak for what feels like an eternity, discussing the most intricate details. This must be quite the contract. I tune back into their conversation and try to catch up on what I missed. I hear them talk about multiple targets. The most we've ever taken on is four targets at a time, after that it gets difficult to manage the scene and make sure there are no witnesses left.