Don't Hang Up Yet, Doll

wednesday afternoon

   Natasha sighed as she stood from the computer and faced Bucky. "The guy must've destroyed the tracker on her phone or left it behind, I can't find a trace of it."

   Bucky took a deep breath and placed both of his hands on the table. "Do you know who it is?" His mind raced as he thought of possibilities: Hydra, even Jason. His mind zeroed in on Hydra. Jason didn't know anything about him.

   "From what I can tell, it's some small organization just taking root. I think they were inspired by Hydra. Somehow they accessed files from a Hydra database and know everything about you." Natasha's eyes flicked to Bucky's. "I found a location--"

   "We're going," Bucky said shakily. Steve placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting Bucky to look at him.

   "Slow down," he stated. "We can't barge in without a plan. That would endanger Amelia more."

   "I swore to her I would protect her," Bucky muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not doing a very good job, am I?"

   "Bucky, listen to me. We are going to make a plan, then we're going to save Amelia, ok? The only part I'm concerned about is--"

   "They have access to his files," Steve cut in. "The trigger words."

   Bucky groaned and buried his head in his hands. "How am I supposed to save her if I'm the one that needs saving?"

   Steve's eyes filled with sadness for his old friend. His voice was so broken, so unhappy, and Steve didn't know how to fix it except for saving Amelia. Even with the extensive therapy they'd gone through to rid Bucky of the words, in some instances the Winter Soldier still emerged, and neither Steve or Bucky wanted Amelia to be caught up in that.

   Natasha looked between the two. Steve was staring off into space, trying to figure out some sort of plan, while Bucky still looked down at the table, tears slowly running down his cheeks. She turned back to the computer and typed some more, bringing up a map of the city. A single red square popped up somewhere in Manhattan. Steve moved closer and zoomed in on the address.

   "It's one of our compromised safe houses," he said in confusion. "It was extremely damaged."

   "Well, apparently not," Bucky replied weakly as he gestured towards the screen. He looked up at Steve with tears in his blue eyes. "Steve, I need to go. I can't--I can't live without her."

   Steve quickly glanced at him. "Ok, well if we sneak through the side alley, there should be an old tunnel, if they haven't blocked it off."

****

   Amelia woke up and tried to sit up but found she was locked in a chair, her wrists and ankles strapped down. "What the hell?" she wondered aloud. All of a sudden, memories flooded her mind.

     She had been talking to Bucky--in fact, she has just finished singing that stupid song--when some guy bumped into her before tackling her into a side alley. She saw the man pick up the phone. She saw his lips move, but she couldn't hear him. She was fading away after the guy hit her in the head.

   Now she was here, with no idea of how to get out or how to get back to Bucky. She hoped--she knew--that Bucky was already looking for her, and he would continue to so until she was safely back home.

   She saw the man walk in, and she grimaced. "Let me out, you asshole!" she hissed. The man only grinned at her and stopped a few feet away.