battle | b. barnes

"Now will you please stop trying to kill me?"

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hi everyone! i just want to apologize for any grammatical errors or fragments that are most likely in this chapter. i really wanted to get an update out since it's been a month since i've last updated this story. okay, enjoy!! :)

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Lagos, Nigeria

"Talk to me Owen. Are you good?" I ask quietly as I step out of the bathroom.

Grabbing the towel that's lazily thrown on the small mattress to my right, I begin to dab my wet hair as I walk up to the large, square window that's at the end of the small, cramped hotel room I'm currently staying in.

Pushing the curtains to the side, the room is illuminated by the bright sun. Leaning closer to the window, I peer over at the large, beige building that's to my left. My eyes stop at the sign that's perched on top of the large, black gate that guards the building:

Institute for Infectious Diseases

I turn my back to the window and throw the towel over my shoulder as I wait for Owen's response. I hear some muffled conversation over the earpiece and some static, but finally, Owen's familiar voice fills my ears.

"Sorry. I had to get away from the group. There's gonna be four trucks. The first two are commercial trucks, the ones that you would use for shipments. Not too big. But the other two are large, military trucks. Bullet proof glass and everything." Owen informs, his voice very soft telling me that he's whispering.

I nod my head as I pick up my M24 rifle from its case.

"You know your assignment yet?" I ask.

"I'm gonna be in one of the first two trucks that storms the institute. We're the distraction; you wanna focus on the military trucks. He's gonna be in one of them." Owen explains, his voice falling in volume as conversation can be heard in the background.

"Okay, go back to doing whatever you were doing before. Just let me know when you guys leave. It's going to take ten minutes give or take before you guys reach the institute." I reply as I chuck the towel on the bed. "And Owen, as soon as the trucks stop, I want you to get out of there. Go meet Devon at the private airfield, got it?"

"Copy that," Owen replies. "Catch you on the other side, Corinna!"

And with that, I pocket the ear piece in my black jeans and tie my hair up into a tight ponytail. Opening up my laptop, I open up the audio software and hook it up to the same frequency my earpiece is on so that I can talk to Owen through my laptop instead of the tiny Bluetooth device.

Despite the hot blistering weather in Lagos, I dress myself in an all black outfit and make sure that I do not have any exposed skin other than my hands and eyes. I tie a black bandana around my mouth, making sure it's covering my nose and slip on some thick compression fingerless gloves.

The plan is pretty simple, but I know that it is anything but. From shooting out the trucks and stopping Rumlow's men from entering the building, my gut tells me that it all comes down to stopping Rumlow from leaving the institute with the biological weapon he's planning on selling. If I let him go, it's more than my need for revenge – it's people's lives in danger.

Needless to say, the stakes are much higher this time around.

I slip my feet into my black combat boots and walk over to the table that has my M24. I place the rifle's case on the ground and pick up the scope and gun stand from it and carefully place it on the table. Taking the gun and placing it between my legs, I mount the stand and place the rifle on the table. Taking the scope, I fix it on top of the gun and peer through it and fix the vision.