2| Platinum [Pietro M.] ✔

26. 102

Once the blonde leaves, I turn my attention back to my laptop screen. I'm not even halfway through sorting all these images and clips. It's overwhelming looking at the sheer number of them, but I know I can't get ahead of myself. I gotta take it one step at a time. So, I lower the mug of coffee I've been sipping on back to the saucer and get back to work.

Good thing I ordered a coffee.

I'm gonna need all the caffeine I can get.

It's starting to look like this might just so happen to take a while, time we don't have. We need to find Barnes, like, yesterday. Literally. I mean, now we have most of the world's governments out looking for him and I'm sure they have more eyes, ears, and resources than we do. But they don't have Steve. Steve knows, or at least knew, Bucky better than anybody. So if we have any chance of finding him first, it's all because of him. Probably.

Since my focus is solely trained on my computer, I don't even realize Steve is standing up with the file in hand. He makes his way over to my table. When he gently drops the file on the tabletop next to my keyboard, that's when I finally notice him. My eyes shoot up from my screen to him as he gently slides the folder closer to me. I blink a few times before looking down at the file. It's obvious he wants me to take a look at it, but with all the eyes and ears around this shop, it'd be a stupid idea to work fully here. "I think we should head back to your hotel to work, Steve." I say quietly, conscious of keeping my voice down so nobody overhears us.

"Sounds smart. Let's go." And then he looks over to Sam and gives him a nod. Sam pulls out his wallet to pay. I begin to pack up my computer, placing the file on top of my keyboard before closing the laptop and gently place it back in my bag. By now, Sam's paid, Steve's already walking out of the building, and I've got my bag over my shoulders as I follow him.

It's going to be a long day.

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My fingers tap against the keys of my laptop's keyboard in an oddly synchronized rhythm, my eyes darting across my screen quickly. I've completely drowned out all noise in the room. I know how much this means to Steve and I'm eager not to disappoint him again, especially after Lagos.

Since we got back to the hotel, I've done nothing but research, piece, and track Barnes with the information my program and the file Sharon Carter gave the three of us. With the information from my program, I come to an impasse when one of the clips shows him walking down the street before a truck moves by the traffic camera and he's gone. I grumble to myself and try to find any other camera in the immediate area only to come up empty. This causes me to slam my hand down on the table next to my computer sharply.

Why does he have to be a highly trained assassin?

Sighing deeply, I lift both hands to my face and place them there. That's when I decide to switch over to a second program I have running over the cameras in Romania. I've been gathering footage from the past twelve hours, beginning with the last shot that supposedly captured him walking down a busy street. In the file we were given were some blurry photos, some supposed places he might be staying, and some sighting reports that could never be confirmed, and a snapshot with a camera number and timestamp in the bottom corner. But the odd thing is, none of the information is from around this area. And the newest report with the snapshot comes out of guess where? Romania. And not but a few hours ago. Considering he just bombed the UN, I highly doubt he'd be doing any traveling so quickly. So, the question is, is there an impostor? And if so, who is it? And why? "Have you found Bucky yet?" Steve says as he walks over from the little kitchen in the hotel room. This causes me to sigh and shake my head.