Memories of Winter

Munich Mission

Tactical gear on, bike stowed nearby in an unchecked street, weapons ready. They lurked in the shadows watching the guards, waiting for the older, lazier guard to take his cigarette break. Today was the day they made their move, the plan was set and the surveillance footage already looping. Without making his excuses, the older guard wandered away from his post.

"Let's go."

Natalia went to where the older guard stood blowing clouds of smoke from his freshly lit cigarette.

"Hey there, handsome."

As the guard turned round, he may have caught a glimpse of her, but he never saw a thing before she was on him and his neck was broken. She got the access key from his uniform and went to the door. The Winter Soldier awaited watching the perimeter, mask on eyes painted black and a large gun in his hand. The crumpled body of the other guard was just visible in the shadow next to his feet.

"Got the key," she waved it at him.

He didn't turn to look, just sidestepped after her as she led the way to the entrance. They entered the building silently and made their way to the fourth floor. Everything was dark and quiet for now. She walked forwards up the stairs, him backwards. In the room in question, she entered and headed straight to the computers. The Winter Soldier stood in the doorway watching and listening. He scanned the horizon through the glass, currently nothing out of the ordinary.

"How long will this take?" he asked.

"Dunno. The guy who wrote this is slightly smarter than I am. Slightly."

In the distance, he thought he saw lights moving faster than standard vehicles. Then he heard noises outside. The lights in the distance became clear, rapidly moving towards the estate. Dark-clad figures exited the vehicles and headed for the building. They'd be compromised.

"You have ten minutes."

"I need at least like twenty. Buy me some time."

He didn't respond just stepped away from the door. A few minutes later, she heard hurried footsteps up the stairs outside. They weren't skilled, if they were, they'd have been quieter. She focused on the task at hand. She'd got into the system without too much problem, but the files were hidden and encrypted. Natalia was now trying to decrypt them to steal them. Outside she heard bullets, grunts, and yelps. They'd agreed no firearms unless essential. He'd brought his gun, but silent and stealthy had been the plan, so he'd have used a silencer if he needed it. Whoever had fired it was at him.

The Winter Soldier deflected the shot with his left arm, it was a clumsy shot, and he wanted to be closer. He pulled the knife from his holster, grabbed the shooter by the collar, stabbed him in the neck and threw him to the ground. He kicked the next guard hard in the chest, breaking the sternum, causing the man to fly back into the staircase into those trying to ascend, scattering them like bowling pins.

"Widow!"

"Ten more minutes."

He stepped back from the staircase and heard a shot. The bullet bounced off his metal shoulder. He turned and surveyed the shooter with an exasperated expression, they'd come from a different corridor to the rest, having clearly either taken the lift or a service staircase. The shooter froze, terrified as he stalked towards them, twisted the gun out of their hand and bashed them in the head with it. They fell to the floor in a heap.

"Soldat?" Her tone was concerned.

"Pick up the pace," he shouted back as he engaged those who'd managed to exit the original staircase and attempt to engage him all at once.

Batons and tasers. One baton hit his metal arm and shattered, and he saw the look of surprise in the guard's face before he elbowed him with his titanium arm, sending the nose bone into the brain. A taser to the stomach did little as he swung his metal arm out, striking them hard into the wall. He heard the skull crack as the figure dropped beneath the dented concrete. He spun the knife in his right hand and swung his leg out, dropping the last guard onto their back. Their gun was in their hands as they went down. He snatched it from their hands, flinging it down the corridor and planting his knife in the point just above the heart; a quick bleed out.