Fourth in the Timeline series |
Clara Lewis never expected to be back in the 1940s and Howard Stark never expected to have to help her get back...again. But with Howard branded a traitor Clara knows of only one person who can help her: Peggy Carter...
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Otto Mink, the smuggler, felt like an idiot. He had smuggled the Howard Stark, a wanted criminal, into America and hadn't got a dime. What made it worse was his two best men, who were guarding Stark, now stood before him saying they were beaten up by a woman.
Mink cocked his gun, it was an automatic and polished to a shine. He smirked as he saw both men flinch. Without lifting his eyes off his desk, he shot the first man straight in the heart. His knees buckled from underneath him and he collapsed, choking on scarlet blood as he fell.
The second man stopped his rambling excuses and stood stock still. He stared, mouth gaping as his friend lost his life. If Mink had known all it would take to stop his rambling was to shoot someone in front of him, he would have done it a long time ago.
"I-I swear to you, boss!" He began, fumbling over his words in fear for his life as Mink began fiddling with the gun. "There were, there were at least ten men there!"
"I thought you said it was a single woman who managed to disarm you." Mink spoke clearly, his deep voice chilled anyone who heard it to the bone.
"I, er, must have made a mistake." The man defended.
"Who was she?" Mink demanded, not buying any of the man's cover story. "The woman. Who was she?" He asked again and raised his gun, aiming at the man's chest. He staggered backwards and gasped.
"I don't know!" He stammered, "I swear! I don't know!"
"I won't ask a second time." Mink warned and the man cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Peggy, Peggy Carter!"
Mink smirked in satisfaction. Without hesitating he pulled the trigger. The man's body convulsed on the floor as a torrent of blood spilled out of the multiple bullet holes in his chest.
Peggy Carter had robbed him. And Peggy Carter was going to pay.
*
By the time Mink reached Peggy's apartment, the crowd around her door had dispersed. It had been all too easy for him to gain entrance. His only disguise was a bouquet of flowers and a love sick smile. Everyone believed he was besotted with this Peggy Carter.
His gun was concealed in his coat pocket. His hand enclosed protectively around the trigger as he approached her door.
Just as he was about to knock, raised voices shouted from inside. Mink backed away and stayed silently listening to the row on the other side of the door.
"You arse."
Mink heard a woman's voice shout from inside. That must be this Peggy Carter. Did she have his cargo in there too? This was all too perfect. He could enact revenge on the woman who had robbed him and reclaim his possession, Howard Stark.
Mink was about to knock when Peggy began talking again. Instinctively, he recoiled his hand back from the door and leaned in the try and catch more of their conversation.
"Clara's still at the house. She knows about the SSR and is laying low."
Mink darted back from the door.
Clara? The SSR?
If the SSR was after her then she must be valuable. Possibly more valuable than Peggy or Howard. And if not, he could always use her as a hostage and demand ransom. Perhaps he would turn a profit after all.
Without a second glance over his shoulder back at Peggy's apartment, Mink retreated down the hall on his way to Howard's mansion, a new plan forming in his head.
Although, if he had turned back, he would have noticed as Dottie unlocked the door to her apartment and saw him. She knew of Otto Mink, the notorious smuggler. Of course she did. Had he heard about Clara too?
Dottie smiled and she slunk out of her room, silently closing the door behind her. The arrival of Otto Mink had been a blessing. He was her way in. He would lead her to Clara.
*
A clattering outside the window made Clara flinch and slam her book down on the coffee table. She grabbed the nearest object to her that she could use as a weapon. She was sure Howard wouldn't mind if she broke his ornate lamp by smacking it around some bloke's head. He had so many of them he surely wouldn't miss one.
Armed with her makeshift weapon, Clara made her way to the front door, cautiously looking over her shoulder for any suspicious movement.
Everything was silent.
Clara held her breath in nervous anticipation as she peered through the frosted glass of the door trying to make out if anyone was outside. She could see nothing.
Clara let out a relieved breath and went to put the lamp back on the table.
The glass cracked as a raucous slamming made Clara jump back around. The window panes were shattered but Clara could make out the dark shadow of a man slumped on the floor.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached for the lamp once more. Bracing herself for the imminent invasion.
But what happened next was more surprising than Clara was prepared for.
The doorbell rang.
This had to be some kind of trap. What intruders ring the doorbell? There was no way Clara was going to answer it!
But what kind of intruders knock out a man right on someone else's doorway then rings the doorbell? Surely they weren't really going to rob or kidnap her, right?
Her grip was still tight around the lamp, but releasing one hand, Clara opened the door and was met with bubbly looking blonde. She smiled warmly, blood splattered on her cheeks.
"My name is Dottie Underwood," She said cheerfully, glancing down at the door mat. Clara followed Dottie's gaze.
A platinum blonde, older man lay slumped on the floor, head limply resting on the door. His skull was completely split, spilling crimson blood onto his face which was a congealed, bloody mess. His features were barely distinguishable.
Clara was unable to make a sound as her eyes widened in horror. In all her years at S.H.I.E.L.D she had never seen anything as gruesome as this. But the woman stood on her doorstep looked so friendly. What on earth had happened?
"I don't have time to explain," Dottie continued, her eyes darting over her shoulder, back down Howard's driveway, "There are some bad people after me. Can I come in? I'll explain everything."
Clara gasped, her breaths stilted. Her legs could barely carry her out of the way of the door to let this strange woman in. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she set the lamp down and shut the door behind the blonde woman.
All Clara could do was gape and listen to the irregularity of her breathing. She could taste the acrid tang of bile and swallowed hard to stop her instinct to vomit at such a bloody sight. Her vision started to swirl.
Clara blinked hard and stared, wide eyed at the blonde woman in front of her, eagerly waiting for some sort of explanation.
