find me

45. patience

Rumlow paced in his office, his phone up to his ear while a determined voice spoke through it.

"We need to lure them in. Bait them into a trap." He stated with no room for debate. "Let's finally put Rogers to use."

Rumlow had been waiting for this, the moment when his superiors came to their senses. He only hoped it meant he could start seriously trying to get some answers out of him. He knew Steve well enough to know that everything they had done so far wouldn't have worked, not that anyone fucking listened to him. This time if they wanted to make him sing, they needed to go all in. And it was going to be a real pleasure, breaking Rogers was the thing of dreams for Rumlow, he had thought long and hard about it.

"He's not gonna easily comply, Sir. He's gonna die before he gives us anything." Rumlow started cautiously explaining to his superior. "We need to use his boy-scout spirit."

The voice on the other side went quiet, then the cruel rasp came through once again with what could have been a normal question but spoken in that voice felt absolutely vicious.

"What do you suggest?"

Rumlow smirked, matching the viciousness. "Threaten him with the suffering of someone else."

"You're thinking of the woman. We have no idea wether they ever even met. Why would he care?" He rebutted in disappointment, a tone of impatience in his voice.

Rumlow clenched his fist around the phone in annoyance. Of course he would think that, but Rogers didn't think that way; yes, he cared deeply about his loved ones, but he cared deeply about everyone. He had seen him risk his own life to save strangers, people who wouldn't have lifted a finger to help him. He saw him save people who had actively tried to hurt him, his own enemies. Rogers didn't think like they did, and Rumlow knew that. One more fucking reason to be annoyed at why he had to even listen to his superiors, when they understood absolutely fucking nothing.

"I think he would care if it was anyone, Sir. And anyway, he doesn't need to care if he believes that his buddy Barnes would. And if like we suspect, Barnes cares about the girl, then he will care about her mother too."

The voice scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

Rumlow wasn't exactly in disagreement with that, but he knew Steve's and his buddy's mentality. "It will work."

Moments after he had finished the call, he was already marching down the grey hallways of this infinite maze, making his way lower and lower towards the cells. Finally he made it to the one with the most security coverage. He didn't knock, with a series of internal clicks the door unlocked and he pushed inside.

Steve had regained some of his strength it seemed. He was sitting upright at least, but he didn't look up when Rumlow stepped in with confidence.

"I think it's time we had an honest conversation you and I." He spat out, finally able to not mask the contempt he felt for this pathetic, stupid man. Finally he was going to be able to put him in his place. Steve raised his chin to look up at him, but as an immediate confirmation of how ridiculous he was, he didn't reply as he should have, with fear or suspicion, but instead with fucking sarcasm.

"You haven't been honest with me Rumlow?" Steve seemed almost genuine in his ironic concern, and it made Rumlow want to hurt him, really bad. But it wasn't time for that, not yet, so he merely sneered in response and then clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times, frustration visibly rising in his chest.