Till the End of the Line Vol. 5

Chapter 14 - Getting Information/ Sofia's Secret

Sometime later, Bucky, Sam, Zemo, Sofia, Loki, and Becca enter the camp and see people working and children playing. Zemo sighs, "Shame what's become of this place. When I was young, we used to come here for fabulous dinners and parties. I knew nothing of the politics of the time, of course, but I remember it being beautiful."

They stop at the archway. Sam turns to his right and says, "I'm gonna take a look around upstairs. See what you can find out here. Becca, Loki wanna come with me?"

"Yeah," says Becca. Loki and Becca start walking upstairs.

Sam looks at Sofia and Bucky. "Keep an eye on him."

Sofia turns to Zemo and says, "With pleasure." Sam follows up behind Becca and Loki. Bucky and Sofia take a step close to Zemo.

Zemo raises his hands up and says, "I'll stay out of your way." They glare at him.

Once inside, Sam turns to Becca and Loki. "Okay, you two, look upstairs and see if you can get anything," says Sam. They go upstairs. Sam walks inside the first room. Man announcing indistinctly on P.A. He enters the room and sees two kids working on art. He approaches them. "Hey, kid." One of the kids sees Sam and quickly leaves the room. "Excuse me. You heard of Donya Madani?"

The girl is scared and stutters, "Um...No. Sorry, no." She quickly leaves the room.

Sam notices that on the art box that she was decorating that the symbol of the group is on there. Then he goes to the next room and finds more kids. "Hey! Donya Madani?" The kids, however, avoid him and lock the door. He sees another kid and tries to talk to them. "Hey, wait. shit!" He turns as he hears doors closing around him.

Bucky approaches those working and asks, "Donya? No?" He realizes they are ignoring him and don't want to talk. So, Bucky walks back to Sofia and watches Zemo.

Through the commlink, Becca informs Sam, "Hey Sam, nothing on the second floor."

"I don't think anyone is going to be talking," Loki added on the commlink.

"Okay, head back downstairs," says Say. He turns to a room and finds a man tutoring a child. He approaches him.

The man asks the child, "And what's your favorite color? Yellow? Can you spell it?"

"Excuse me. Do you know a woman by the name of Donya Madani? She was a refugee here."

The children and the tutor look at him in silence. They look back at the tutor, and he gestures for them to leave. "We're not refugees, for we have nothing to seek refuge from. We're internationally-displaced persons, for what it's worth, and we don't trust outsiders.

Sam takes a few steps forward. "No, I understand. I'm not from here, but I have a pretty good track record of helping out.

"I know what happens when people say they're going to help out. Nothing. The Global Repatriation Council promised to send more teachers, supplies. That was six months ago."

"What's your name? Maybe I can make a call."

"I know who you are. But I can't trust you. I'm sorry. Let's go." The man and child next to him leave Sam alone.

Outside, Zemo slowly approaches the children, singing, "♪ Baa, Baa, black sheep, have you any wool? ♪ ♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪ ♪ One for my master, one for the dame ♪ ♪ One for the little girl who lives down the lane ♪" Kids hesitantly come to him. Zemo pulls up a chair and places the candy in front of them. "Turkish delight. It was always my son's favorite." From a distance, Sofia is trying to figure out what is happening. "My old friend, Donya, passed away. Did you know her?"