Return | Bucky Barnes x OC | (4)

Chapter 26- Haunted by the Past

1946- New York

Clara waited with Jarvis and Howard. She had been ferried into the back of one of Howard's many flashy cars. Jarvis was in the driver's seat and Howard was in the back with her. Howard seemed to be taking the whole situation very seriously. He had lent right back into the seat and was keeping his head down, well below the level of the window so no one could see him. Clara knew Howard well enough by this point to know that he wasn't being practical about the whole 'wanted for being a traitor' situation. He was hiding because he was scared.

Clara was less scared. She knew Peggy had the whole crazy situation underhand. If they could count on anyone, it was Peggy.

But why was she so late?

They'd been waiting in the car for her for over 30 minutes. Even Jarvis was starting to worry. Not that he voiced any of his concerns. He wasn't like that. But he did keep looking over his shoulder at Clara and Howard then back at the front door to Peggy's building. He kept looking at his watch too. He knew exactly how long Peggy had been 'missing' down to the second.

"Where is she?" Clara asked casually, knowing she'd have to be the one to break the silence.

"I'm not sure, Miss Lewis." Jarvis answered tensely. "But I'm not liking this, I'm not liking this at all."

Clara nodded in agreement.

"She should be here."

"She should have come down with us, that's what should have happened." Howard snapped as he raised his head slightly to peer out of the window. He immediately ducked back down out of view despite there being no one around. The sun was starting to come up. There'd be people around soon enough. They had to be gone by then. And Peggy wasn't giving them much time to do so.

"I agree." Jarvis said much more calmly than Howard, "We should never have split up. It was far too risky."

Clara nodded again.

"How long should we give her?" She asked. Both men turned to stare at her like she had gone mad.

"Are you suggesting-?"

"We can't stay here Jarvis, you know that." Clara reasoned.

"We can't leave her here!" He protested. "After everything she's done for us..."

"Exactly." Clara said defiantly, "If I trust anyone to get out of a situation as tricky as this, I trust Peggy. Who I don't trust is you two. You two need to get out of here before the SSR find you. I trust Peggy to escape."

"I agree." Howard said, "I can't be here when they turn up. I'll be history!"

"Well neither should you." Jarvis said sternly, turning to face Clara directly. "You're the one they think is a Soviet spy."

"Well that's settled then," Clara put simply, "We're leaving."

Clara sighed as Jarvis turned on the ignition. She hated leaving Peggy behind as much as the others (except maybe Howard) but she had to admit it was the right move whether she liked it or not.

Clara stared gloomily out the window as Jarvis pulled away from Peggy's building. He turned around at the next road and drove back along the road past Peggy's building. Clara trusted he knew the way to Howard's but suspected he just wanted to make sure Peggy's hadn't returned.

She hadn't. There was no sign of her. But people had started to emerge on their way to work. The sun was up now, casting a dusty, sepia tone across the brick buildings and paved sidewalks. Just as they drove down passed Peggy's apartment building, a blacked out van drove passed them. It screeched to a halt outside Peggy's building and a dozen men in smartly dressed suits jumped out and ran up the steps.

"Jarvis, slow down!" Clara instructed and turned around in her seat to watch the situation unfold.

Jarvis did as he was told and Clara was able to watch everything. The men in suits ran up into Peggy's building and came down a matter of minutes later carrying an unconscious woman between them.

"Shit."

It was Peggy alright.

"Jarvis, stop the car. We have to go back."

This time, Jarvis didn't do as he was told.

"Jarvis?! What the fuck?! We have to go back?" Clara protested.

"No, we need to get away. You need to get to safety." Jarvis said, putting his foot down, literally. He slammed on the accelerator and the car sped off, further and further away from Peggy and the SSR.

Clara frowned at Jarvis in the rearview mirror. He wasn't going to listen to reason and Howard was going to be no use. He'd slunk further down his seat at the first sight of the SSR. It was up to Clara now.

With one final scowl at Jarvis in the mirror, Clara clicked open her door and tumbled out of the moving car. She skidded on the road, catching her wrists on the tarmac. She winced as she got up but no permanent damage was done. At once, she took to striding down the road heading towards the SSR, heading towards Peggy.

She was a few blocks away but she didn't dare run. She didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. But unfortunately it looked like she already had.

Clara cast a suspicious glance over her shoulder. Yup- sure enough, someone was following her. They were a few paces back and Clara could only make out their feet but someone was there. She'd have to lose them before she caught up with the SSR. She couldn't handle two people after her at once.

Clara ducked down the next alleyway she passed, fully prepared to disarm her perpetrator. The feet behind her sped up as she ducked into the alley, she heard the familiar sound of heels clicking on the pavement. What kind of spy wears heels? Clara asked herself, was she being paranoid? Dottie would wear heels...

In the split second she'd let her guard down, her follower had caught up and done the one thing Clara never expected to happen. Politely tapped her on the shoulder.

"Clara?" A feminine voice asked, "Clara Lewis? Is that really you?"