Chapter 16: Bucky Barnes - Pretty Peach Dress (Part V)

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'She's everywhere.'

The A.I. ghost was everywhere.

'She can turn anyone....'

They didn't know why but they still....

I didn't know but I still....

Everything according to her plan.

"Val?" the librarian called out.

"Hmmm?" came from my right.

"What if you were supposed to be kidnapped?"

The fingers I held twitched.

"Huh?" Valeriy was buying time. Slowly turning her head to stare at the back of the driver's. "What would be the bloody point of that?"

A misdirect. It's crossed her mind.

"Wouldn't this whole thing be over by now if you got taken and the ransom was paid?" the brunette pointed out.

"...Have we ever paid for a ransom before?"

"...Not in the years I've worked."

"...So why the hell would I wait for something that would never fucking happen? It's an utter waste of my time. Got better shit to do," Valeriy huffed.

"It made sense that they didn't when you got yourself disowned, but your parents did get me to make sure you weren't killed."

"The grudge clinging part of me wants to logic that away as it looking bad if their kid turned up dead. 'Oh, our daughter was too dumb and got maul by a fucking bear in the middle of a city.' Or some other stupid shit. Then again, cougars were more common around there...."

"As harsh as that was, they do love you, Val," the librarian pointed out.

"Yeah, I fucking know that."

"We're the first ones to mobilize if one of you guys get taken... or trapped. A few months after your situation, we got your mom out nice and safe before anything happened to her. Hey, wasn't your brother taken before too? Before my time."

"Yeah?"

"Didn't they pay for that?"

"No?" Valeriy replied. "He didn't give anybody a chance to do anything. Blew up the house he was holed up in and walked right out."

"That was a mess to clean up."

"It's what happens when you leave a kid with a bunch of explosive chemicals. What were they expecting? Fucking thumb twiddling? Bloody dumbasses."

"...I... I don't thin.... I.... How is that even expec.... Val...? I don't eve.... That's not normal," the librarian finally managed to get out, putting a voice to my thoughts.

"It's not?"

"No! It's not!"

"Oh...."

From among the trees, a car came to view. Empty. In the middle of nowhere.

My eyes darted through the surroundings for any movement. None.

What was it doing there?

Why was the librarian slowing down? Pulling up to the empty vehicle.

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