“Good idea,” Steve said.
“So what do we do now?” she asked. “Do you have some sort of cunning plan to get us out?”
“No, sorry, nothing for now. I’m certainly not in any shape to be busting down doors. What’s the book selection like?”
“Not too bad, I guess. Why do you ask?”
“Since all we can do is wait and find out what’s going on, I’m going to grab a book and relax, and wait for them to come down and give us some answers,” Steve said. “Obviously that phone call has something to do with it, but that’s all we know for now, so there’s no point in worrying about it.”
“How can you be so relaxed about this?” she asked.
“When you’ve been in as many cells as I have, you get a bit casual about it all,” Steve said. “And this one is pretty nice as these places go. At least there’s something to keep us occupied. Speaking of which . . .”
“What? Oh.” Katherine jumped up and went over to the bookshelf. “What do you feel like? There are some more of those books you were into at the cabin. The ones with the colors in the name.”
“That’ll do nicely!”
Katherine passed him a book and he settled in to wait.
Chapter 11
Freedom Foundation Offices, Washington, D.C.: 0900 hours
It was the next morning before they came for Steve and Katherine. There were no smiles this time, and Karl looked grim as he gestured with the gun in his hand. He’d gone back to the Uzi again, which told Steve all he needed to know about the situation. Karl rebuffed any attempts at conversation on the way to the elevator, and it was only after the doors slid shut behind him that he turned to face them.
“Cap, one piece of advice. Just tread carefully—I don’t want things getting out of hand. It’s not going to help anyone—especially not her—if you do something stupid.”
“What do you mean, ‘getting out of hand’?” Steve asked, but Karl wouldn’t say any more and ignored their questions. Steve focused on a brief self-inventory, trying to decide if he was strong enough to make a break for it—and reluctantly deciding he wasn’t.
When they got to the boardroom, Gary and Clive were with three strangers. The newcomers were all dressed in expensive business suits, but underneath they were all lean, whipcord muscle and deadly grace. Two of the strangers deferred to the third with every action and word, waiting for him to speak, and keeping between him and everyone else in the room. Their leader, for that was obviously was what he was, had a beard to rival Gary’s, but where Gary was a lion, this man was a leopard. Even in repose he seemed to be full of coiled energy, ready to leap into explosive action. His eyes passed over Steve with little interest, but when he saw Katherine, they lit up like a man who has seen water after crawling through a burning desert. It was nothing sexual; more like a man whose dreams are finally within reach of his grasp after years of yearning.
“This is the girl?” he asked Gary. “The one with the knowledge we need?”
His voice had the harsh inflections of far Eastern Europe, but his diction was absolutely perfect, bespeaking a very expensive education.
“I’m Katherine, thanks for asking,” she said. “Gary, who are these men? They seem to know who I am, so introductions are in order, don’t you think?”
Gary flushed. “I was getting to that, Katherine. No need to be like that.”
The other man was looking at him with amused contempt. “Who is in charge here? I thought it was you, Gary.”
Gary ignored them. “Steve, Katherine, this is Ernst. Ernst, you might know Mr. Rogers better as Captain America.”
He smiled at the look of surprise on Ernst’s face.
“Please forgive Mr. Rogers, Ernst. He isn’t himself; he’s carrying a number of wounds. In fact, it’s a relief to see you even walking, Steve,” Gary said. “I’ll let Ernst tell you about himself.”
Gary didn’t bother introducing the other two men, which would have told Steve all he needed to know if it hadn’t already been obvious—they were simply bodyguards; muscle beneath Gary and Ernst’s notice.
“I represent the Temasikian Liberation Front. Perhaps you’ve heard of us.”
“I’ve heard of you, all right,” Steve said grimly.
Depending on what you thought about the morality of collateral damage, it was a matter of debate whether the Temasikian Liberation Front were freedom fighters or terrorists. The Temasikian Liberation Front, or TLF as most media found it much easier to call them, had a reputation for not being too picky about their targets. It only muddied the waters that the government they were dedicated to overthrowing was one of the most despotic in the world, with a human rights record that would make even most dictators blanch. To Steve, that still didn’t justify the TLF’s methods, but for plenty of people, it went a long way toward doing so.
Ernst ignored Steve’s tone. “We’ve been struggling against the oppression of our people for years now. But we are fighting against the full resources of our government, and every year it seems like there are fewer of us willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. But that’s not even our greatest obstacle—we are fighting an information war. We rely on our friends in the West for money and weapons, but the oppressors only allow their side of events to see the light of day, and they are slowly turning the world against us.”
“Information is power,” Gary said, nodding. “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying all these years?”
“Our nation doesn’t have the same infrastructure as many others do; our only connection to the outside world is controlled by the government, and the terrain in our country makes wireless solutions less effective than we require. All those mountains and valleys play havoc with reception.” Ernst said. “We can tap into the government network, but we just can’t utilize it the way we need to.”
“Hence your interest in me,” Katherine said.
“Yes, that’s right,” Ernst said. “When Gary told us of your unique research, it was an answer to our prayers.”
“Wait, Gary told you?” Steve asked. He glared at the other man.
“What? I’ve been in touch with the TLF for a long time now. The situation in their country is a classic example of a government trying to control the flow of information, and using the power they have to do so as a tool of oppression. Those people have a right to unfiltered access to the outside world, and we’ve been trying to help the TLF make that happen.”
“And when Katherine came along, it seemed liked the perfect opportunity, right?” Steve asked. “She has the answers that they’ve been looking for?”
“Exactly,” Gary said. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, to strike a genuine blow for freedom.”
“What’s this ‘we’?” Steve snapped. “You didn’t have anything to do with any of this. It’s Katherine’s research, Katherine’s decision.”
“Thanks, Steve, I appreciate that—but how about letting me speak for myself?” Katherine said. “I’m getting a bit sick of everyone talking around me like I’m not here.”
“That’s not how I meant it,” Steve said.
“I know, but just let me talk, okay?” Her expression softened. “I know you mean well, Steve.”
Gary looked smug until Katherine rounded on him.
“How dare you, Gary? I didn’t tell you about my research so you could go telling everyone. I mean seriously, I don’t care if it is some international resistance group, you’re no better than some high school kid blabbing someone’s secrets.”
Steve stifled a chuckle. Gary looked like he had bitten into a lemon—it had probably been a long time since anyone had spoken to him like that. A look over at Ernst wiped the smile off Steve’s face, however—the other man looked furious at the interruptions. Fanatics rarely had a sense of humor, in Steve’s experience.
“Look, Katherine,” Gary said. “These men have come a very long way.
You aren’t going to send them away empty handed, are you?”
“I don’t care how far they’ve travelled, Gary. I’m not going to be pressured into anything simply by you putting me on the spot. That’s not how it works.”
Ernst opened his mouth to speak, but shut it as Gary shook his head his head at him.
Gary spread his hands in placatory gesture. “You’re right, Katherine, I should never have put you in this position. I apologize.”
“Well, thank you, Gary,” Katherine said. She sounded slightly mollified, but nowhere near completely happy.
“Will you at least think about it, Katherine?” Gary asked. “Can you do that?”
Katherine looked over at Steve.
“Can we have some privacy, Gary?” she asked. “I’d like to discuss this with Steve.”
“What is this?” Ernst snapped. “Gary, we—”
“Ernst. Not now.” There was a tone of command in Gary’s voice that Steve hadn’t heard before and, for perhaps the first time, he was able to understand how Gary had been able to attract the loyalty of men like Karl. Ernst subsided, looking slightly surprised at himself for doing so.
“How about we clear the room and give these two a few moments,” Gary said. “Can we do that, Ernst?”
The other man nodded grudgingly, and Gary gestured to the others. As they filed out, Gary turned.
“I hope you’ll do the right thing, Katherine. I know you believe the same things we do.”
He closed the door softly behind him, leaving Steve and Katherine sitting across from each other. Steve grabbed a pitcher of water and poured them both a glass. He took a sip, using the time to muster his thoughts, and pushed a glass across to Katherine. She took it with a smile.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about going with them, are you?” Steve asked. “There are no good guys in that war; that man has blood on his hands. A lot of blood.”
“And what if I say yes? Are you going to try and stop me?” she asked. “You promised you would respect my decision.” She gave him a mock solemn look. “Captain America isn’t going to break his word is he?”
“I . . . I . . .” Steve sputtered, then grinned despite himself. “You’ve got me there, I guess. But, seriously, are you?”
“Of course not,” Katherine said. “I’m not stupid. But something tells me that Ernst is not the sort of man to take no for an answer.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Steve said. “I’m not sure what I can do about it if he decides to fight. I’m still not fully recovered. I need at least another day or so before I’ll be even close.”
“Maybe we can stall for time? Put them off until you’re fully recovered?”
“We can try,” Steve said doubtfully. “We might have to try and work out a way of getting them to believe you’re thinking about agreeing.” He leaned forward and put his hand over one of hers. “You need to understand something, though. Don’t make the mistake of thinking these men are idiots, Katherine. You don’t survive as long as they have doing what they do without becoming a very good judge of character, or knowing when someone is lying to you.”
“What else can we do but try?” Katherine asked. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“I really don’t know. Are you ready?” At her nod, Steve rose from his seat and went to the doorway. He leaned out and yelled to the other men. “Okay, we’re done.”
Gary waited until everyone was seated, and then turned to Katherine.
“So, what did you decide?”
“Gary, we’ve talked about this stuff. You know how I feel about electronic freedoms, and I sympathize with what the TLF is trying to achieve. But let’s be honest, there is some baggage there that makes me uneasy about getting involved.”
“Are you saying no?” Ernst asked.
“I’m just saying that I’d like to think about it some more, that’s all. After all, you’re asking me to travel halfway across the world.”
“I’m sure that Ernst and his friends can wait a little on your decision,” Gary said. “Right, Ernst?”
“No!” Ernst was on his feet, hands clenched at his sides. “We can’t wait. Every minute we are sitting here is another minute my people are suffering. Gary, I want what we agreed upon, and I want it now.”
Steve pushed himself to his feet, trying not to let on how much the effort cost him, hoping he could bluff the other man.
“What you agreed on?” he asked coldly. “What have you promised these men, Gary?”
Gary hesitated, looking from Karl to Clive. His mouth worked as he searched for something to say, but nothing came out.
Ernst laughed. “They don’t know? It’s very simple. The girl will come and help the cause, and we will transfer $5 million to the Freedom Foundation. We may have a shortage of freedom, but we have no shortage of precious gems and metals. Why else do you think the West has never dared interfere too much with our government? They don’t want to kill the golden goose.”
The looks of shock on Karl and Clive’s faces were too raw to be faked. Steve knew that this was the first they were hearing of this arrangement. Somehow, it made him feel a little better knowing that they hadn’t been in on it; he liked both men, and he felt a bond with Karl that stemmed from their shared service.
“I came to you because I thought that you were fighting for a cause,” Katherine shouted. “Is money all that matters to you?”
“Katherine, it’s not money for its own sake; just think of the good we can do with it,” Gary said defensively. “And it’s not even the important part. The oppression of the Temasikian people is exactly what we’re fighting against.”
“It’s not what I’m fighting against,” Clive said, a look of disdain on his face. “If she wanted to go with them, that would be one thing. It’s the kind of scenario we’ve been hoping for. If it was a piece of technology we were talking about, it might be different, but there is no way in hell I’m being part of selling someone off as if they were some sort of property. We’re done.” He stood and walked out of the room, not looking back even when Gary called out to him.
Gary buried his face in his hands, then looked up. “What about you, Karl? Are you going to walk out on me? Are you going to try and stop this from happening?”
“I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it at this point,” Karl said.
Gary followed Karl’s gaze to where the two TLF bodyguards were standing, guns drawn and covering the rest of the room. Karl’s fingers twitched as if he were considering going for his Uzi, but better sense prevailed, and he let his hand fall to his side.
“Ernst?” Gary said, and, at the note of almost childlike bewilderment in his voice, Steve almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
It was amazing how quickly the balance of power in the room had shifted. Steve had seen this before—someone who had stood at the sidelines and had never had a loaded gun pointed at them before wilting at the cold, hard reality of the proximity of death. The threat had shaken Gary’s sense of the way the world worked to its foundations, and something inside him had broken.
“Surely we can talk about this?” Gary asked plaintively.
Ernst had drawn his own gun, but, for now at least, it was still pointed at the ground. It wasn’t the sort of weapon you argued with, either—it was an Israeli-manufactured Desert Eagle, chambered for .50 Action Express cartridges—the sort of gun that could punch holes through walls. Flesh and bone had no chance.
“Talk? That’s all men like you every do, talk and talk, while our children are dying. You prattle on about freedom, but you have no idea how good you have it, or how soft you really are.” Ernst spat on the ground. “I don’t have that luxury. I am not leaving without what I came for. You can take your five million, or you can stand on principle, but either way, she is coming with us.”
Steve dove at Ernst’s legs in attempt
bring him down, but the other man pivoted and swung his pistol down on the back of Steve’s head. Steve lay on the ground for a moment, dizzy and hurting, but more embarrassed than anything by his poor attempt. If he hadn’t been so injured, he would have dealt with Ernst in a heartbeat, before taking care of the other two men, but right now he felt worse than useless. He struggled to his feet and readied himself for another charge, not caring about the gun in the other man’s hand, just desperate to do something, anything.
He was pulled up short by a strong arm wrapping around his neck, and the muzzle of a gun pressing into his back. He tensed, trying to find some leverage, but the man holding him was too strong.
“That’s far enough,” Karl said loudly, before lowering his voice so that only Steve could hear him. “Don’t be stupid. This isn’t going to help Katherine.”
“It seems your man has more sense than you, Gary,” Ernst said. “Don’t you?”
“Take the money, boss. At least that way we get something out of this snafu.” Karl’s arm was like iron, not giving an inch against Steve’s renewed struggles. His whisper was a hiss in Steve’s ear. “Just relax. Trust me, we’ll work something out. You’re no good to anyone dead.”
“Gary, you can’t be serious. Please,” Katherine said. “You can’t let them do this.”
Gary didn’t say anything, unable to even meet her eyes.
“It’s out of Gary’s hands,” Steve said. “And he knows it. This is what happens when you get in too deep. You shouldn’t have tried playing with the big boys, Gary.”
“Shut up.”
“So, one person can lose their freedom and that’s okay, Gary? The greater good and all that? I guess when it comes to the cause, one girl doesn’t really matter. I have to admire your principles, Gary, you’re a real sweet guy.”
“Shut up!”
“Are you going to be able to live with this, Gary?” Steve taunted.
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