Sergeant Barnes: The Last Mission (COMPLETE)

Chapter 44: Raven

Theme song: Icarus by Ivan Torrent feat. Julie Elven

No one could see me if I crouched, so I snuck along the wall that way after Bucky and Steve jumped down. I notched an arrow, and I hit a soldier on his perimeter patrol silently. The nice thing about being an archer is that most people can't hear you shoot. I always though guns were too much of a giveaway in stealth missions.

I threw the dead soldier over the side of the wall. No one should see him until we were gone. I tried to ignore the guilt in my chest as I crept along the wall again. Every hundred paces or so, I shot another guard and tossed him over. After about three minutes of doing so, I made it to the room sitting on top of the gate. There were two guards outside the door, which weren't a problem. I doubled up on arrows and took them out at the same time.

Before I tossed them over, though, I searched their pockets. There was another card reader on the door, and Bucky was inside with Steve. I found one in the right hand pockets of both guards. Probably better to have two than one.

I pulled out one of the blast arrows that I used in the facility earlier and scanned the card. I hid behind the frame as it slid open. I listened for movement from inside the room. One of them started yelling in German, but it was too fast for me to pick up. After a moment, I figured there were no more than five or six people in the room. I pinned my arrow in place with my left thumb and pulled out my knife from my hip. There was one right inside the door.

I went low and kicked off of the far side of the door. In the second it took me to locate the fellow nearest the door, I took note of where everyone else was. Two standing towards the middle, one by the window facing inside the wall and one facing outside. No problem.

I stabbed up at the one by the door, keeping low so I was a smaller target. I shot my arrow at the cluster of two in the middle, crouching so the blast wouldn't hit me. It knocked out the two standing and made the other two fall out of their chairs. I pulled the knife out from the first soldier and threw it at the one facing inside. I shot the last guard with a regular arrow.

After a breath or two, I retrieved my knife, and locked all the doors. I didn't want company right now. I went to see if the regular arrow was still intact, but the shaft had shattered upon impact. Shoot.

I turned to the command console facing the inside of the wall. There were a million different switches and buttons, but I was only concerned with the one labeled 'GATE'. It was a very obvious switch in the middle of the console, so I had no trouble finding it. Good thing, too, because at that moment, my earpiece crackled to life.

"Raven, we're almost in the garage. How much time do you need?" Bucky asked.

"I'm ready when you are," I replied, putting one hand on the switch. I didn't activate it though, assuming they still needed to get in a vehicle, and that they just needed me on standby.

I turned and looked around the room. I needed to get out of here once I opened the gate. I saw a ladder on the wall, leading to a trap door on the ceiling. Good enough for me.

I turned and looked out the window. A minute passed, then the garage door opened and I heard Bucky yell, "Now!" I mumbled something about my eardrums as I activated the gate, then dashed for the ladder and climbed out on the top.

There was no railing on the roof, which made it easier to board the truck as it came hurtling out of the garage door. I lowered myself so I was hanging off the edge of the roof with my hand, then kicked off the wall and jumped into the bed of the truck. Couldn't they have picked something with seats in the back?

Steve turned around and smiled back at me.

"Nice work, kid," he shouted through the window.

I pulled out two exploding arrows, though, because I wasn't done. "Don't thank me yet."

I raised my bow, and aimed for the two supporting columns of the wall, on either side of the gate. I fired and activated the explosions, and the wall came crashing down around the entrance.

I turned and looked at the veterans for approval. "Not bad, Shots."

I nearly snorted as Bucky glared at Steve. "'Shots'? Really, that's what you go with?"

"Well what would you have said?"

"Not 'Shots'."

Steve punched Bucky in the shoulder. "Shut up, Buck."

I almost smiled at that. I thought these guys were over a hundred years old.

I had to admit, I kind of liked the nickname.