“I said shut up,” Gary screamed, spittle flying. “Get him out of here, Karl. Take him back down to the basement and keep him there while I decide what to do with him.”
“Steve?” Katherine said. “Don’t let them take me away.”
Rogers met her eyes. “Katherine, don’t panic. I’ll come and find you, no matter what. I promise. Okay?”
Katherine nodded.
“And when I do, Ernst and his friends are going to be very sorry.”
Ernst pointed his gun at Steve and pulled back the hammer. The click sounded very loud in the sudden silence.
“Maybe I should take care of the problem now, save trouble later. You can’t come after us with a bullet between your eyes.” His finger tightened slowly. With the hammer cocked, Steve knew there wasn’t much pull at all on the trigger, and he braced himself. It was funny how, even when you knew that there was nothing you could do, the body still clung to any thin thread of self-preservation.
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Karl said, his voice calm and even. “If you put a bullet in Captain America, they’ll never stop coming after you. Not just law enforcement, but people who can knock down buildings around you. They won’t care where you are, they’ll come and find you, and then where will the cause be? Do you really need that static?”
Ernst gave Steve a considering look, then slowly let the hammer fall back into place. He holstered the gun and glared at Karl.
“You may be right,” he said. “But get him out of my sight before I change my mind. I am rapidly losing patience.”
Steve struggled as Karl frog-marched him out of the room, but he was still far too weak to do anything about it. Despite his protests, Karl dragged him down the hallway and hammered on the elevator’s button, shifting anxiously until the doors opened and he could bundle Steve inside. The last thing he heard was Katherine calling out his name, and then the doors slid shut, cutting her pleas off and leaving only silence in their place.
Chapter 12
Freedom Foundation Offices, Washington, D.C.: 2100 hours
It was hard to keep track of time in the basement room. No windows let the sunlight in, and there was just the ever-present glare of the overhead lights. Steve filled the long wait by testing his body. Even in a bare room there are a number of exercises you can do, and Steve knew them all. Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, isometrics—he worked his way through them. Slowly, his body responded, each movement coming slightly easier than the previous one. The only time he paused his exertions was for the tray of food that was slid through a slot in the door at regular intervals, shoveling it down quickly and then resuming his workout. By his estimation, he had been in the room for about thirty-six hours when the door finally opened.
It was Karl, his handgun out and leveled at Steve. “How are you feeling, Captain?” He was careful to keep some distance between them, standing near the open door with Steve against the wall.
“I’d feel a lot better if I wasn’t locked down here,” Steve said. “And if Katherine wasn’t up there.”
He noticed the shift in Karl’s eyes.
“Is she still up there, or have they taken her away?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Karl said. “They left about an hour ago.”
Even with the gun in his hand, he took a step back at the anger in Steve’s eyes.
“Hang on a second,” Karl said. “I’m on your side.”
“Are you, Karl? You have a gun, and you’re between me and the door.”
“Oh, this.” He looked down at the gun, then clicked the safety back on before holstering it. “I wasn’t sure you’d give me a chance to talk if I didn’t have it.”
“I’m listening,” Steve said. “But not for long.”
“After you left, some more of those TLF goons turned up. They were keeping a pretty close eye on us all, and every time I even looked like heading in this direction, one of them would follow me.” He walked over and took a seat on the bed.
“They spent a fair bit of time running through some computer model with Katherine, demonstrating how effective that tool she created would be at defeating their government’s firewall. I tell you what, Katherine is good—very good. I never would have come up with that solution. It’s elegant.”
“And then?”
“Well, Gary managed to regain some of his backbone, when it came to his money, at least. He wouldn’t let Ernst leave with her until the wire transfer processed. Ernst tried to bluster his way out, but Gary pretty much threatened to call the cops if he tried to leave with Katherine. Gary said that he’d scupper the whole deal if he had to.” Karl shook his head. “I guess that shows exactly where his real priorities are. I can’t believe I bought the whole ‘freedom is a right’ line.”
“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Karl,” Steve said. “We all need something to believe in.”
“I guess so,” Karl said, then changed the subject, as if embarrassed. “As soon as they left, Gary went back to his office, to brood or count his money or something, I don’t know. I took the opportunity to head to the basement, and here I am.”
“Here you are,” Steve said. “But, why, exactly? Are you really willing to go against Gary? Weren’t you his head of security?”
Karl grinned at him.
“Oh, I quit.” His expression turned serious. “We’ve done some things in the name of our cause that are . . . legally questionable, but I’ve been able to live with them. But standing aside while a young woman is kidnapped is not something I can do. There wasn’t anything I could do when I was so outgunned, especially not with you in the shape you were in. But whatever I can do to make this right, I will, and I think together we can get her back.”
“Together?” Steve asked. “You’re going to come with me?”
“Of course I am. That’s what Marines do—bail you Army boys out.”
Steve didn’t dignify that with a reply.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Karl handed Steve his shield. “Let’s go see if we can convince Gary to tell us where they’ve taken Katherine. Hopefully, they’re still in the country.”
Steve’s dismay must have shown on his face.
“Hey, Cap, don’t worry. We’ll get her back. Even if we have to go all the way to Temasikia. But it’s not going to come to that—I’ve checked flights and we have at least a day. It’s not exactly a boutique destination.”
“Yeah, but there are plenty of other places for them to go. Let’s get a move on—the sooner we get after them, the sooner we’ll get her back.”
The two men moved swiftly down the hall and took the elevator back up to the office level. The area was deserted, the lights turned out, and the only illumination coming from the green glow of exit signs.
“Follow me,” Karl said.
They went past the boardroom and down another hallway. The last door was shut, a soft glow of light spilling out from underneath. Karl rapped on the door.
“Go away,” Gary called from inside. “I’m busy.”
“We need to talk, Gary,” Karl said. “Let me in.”
“Come back later, okay?”
“Not later. Now.”
“I said no. Now leave me alone.”
Karl turned the doorknob, but it was locked. He braced himself and kicked out, the sole of his foot hitting just below the door handle. It was only a cheap interior door, and the results were dramatic—with a smashing, splintering noise, the door went flying backward, coming off the bottom hinge and hanging there, swinging back and
forth.
Gary sat at his desk, looking shocked. The desk was glass and chrome, in an L shape that shielded him from the rest of the room. The top was covered in trinkets, Lucite blocks with designs etched inside, and a scale model of a DNA double helix.
“What the . . .”
“I told you that we needed to t
alk, Gary,” Karl said. “You should have listened.”
Gary’s eyes were locked on the door, and it took him a moment to realize that Steve was in the room, too. Steve wouldn’t have thought it possible, but the other man’s eyes widened even further.
“What is he doing here, Karl? I told you to keep him in the basement.”
“I’m not taking orders from you anymore, Gary,” Karl said. “You’re going to listen to me.”
“What are you talking about? You have to listen to me,” Gary snapped. “I gave you a job, took you in. You owe me.”
“It was never a job, Gary,” Karl said. “Don’t you think I could have found work anywhere I wanted? I was here because I believed in what we were doing; I believed in you. But how can I now, after you literally just sold someone?”
“It’s not like that! You make it sound so . . . sordid. So mercenary.”
“That’s exactly what it is.”
“No, no, the Temasikians need her. They deserve to be free. They’ve been oppressed for decades, what’s a few months for Katherine? Once they’ve learned everything she has to teach them, they’ll let her go,” Gary’s voice was pleading. “You have to understand.”
“I understand far too well,” Karl said. “I’m done with this conversation. And I’m done with you. Now, tell me where they are.”
“I can’t do that, Karl,” Gary said.
“Yes, you can, Gary. This is your chance to make things right.”
“Do you know what they’ll do to me if I tell you?”
Steve leaped across the room and threw Gary’s desk aside. Gary fell back in shock, his chair tipping over and spilling him onto the ground. He scuttled back against the wall, his hands held up as if to ward off a blow.
“What do you think I’m going to do to you if you don’t tell me, Gary?” Steve said, his voice cold. “Where is she?”
Even in his terror, Gary wasn’t stupid. He laughed weakly.
“You aren’t going to kill me, Rogers. That’s not your style. You can threaten me all you want—I know there’s nothing you’ll do that comes close to what Ernst will do.”
Gary was right. He had called Steve’s bluff. No matter what was at stake, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—torture information out of a man or kill him in cold blood. Gary knew that, and Steve knew that Gary knew that.
Steve had to come up with something, but all he could think about was Katherine and the clock winding down. His chain of thought was cut short by the sound of a pistol’s action being racked.
“Gary.” Karl’s voice was flat and inflectionless. “Rogers may be constrained by his moral code, and don’t get me wrong, I really admire that. But I feel no such compunction.”
The gun bucked in Karl’s hands with a roar. A neat hole appeared in the floor next to Gary’s foot, and he let out a choked moan of fear. The gun barked again, and another hole appeared next to Gary’s other foot.
“Wow, I am on fire today!” Karl said. “Can’t believe how accurate this thing is. But I wouldn’t count on it continuing, Gary. I’d hate to put a bullet in your ankle. I’ve heard that is absolutely excruciating. I knew a guy who picked up one in a little flyspeck outside Mosul. Five surgeries and a lot of metal pins, and he still walks with a limp.”
Gary whimpered and jerked again as Karl put a bullet in the wall next to him.
“So, what do you say, Gary? Are you going to tell us where they are?” Another shot. “Are they still in the country?” Another shot. “Have they flown out?” Another shot.
“Okay! Okay!” Gary blubbered. “They’re still in the city. They’re meeting with some arms dealers tomorrow, so you have at least until then.”
“Where in the city?” Karl asked. “Give us a location.”
“I don’t know!” Gary almost yelled. “I swear.”
The gun rang out again.
“Wait! I have a phone number. Just let me do a reverse look up on it. Oh.”
All three of the men looked down at the wreckage of Gary’s computer, lying among the remains of the desk. Karl grabbed Gary’s arm and hauled him to his feet.
“Come with me.” He half dragged, half marched Gary down the hallway and into another cubicle, looming over him as he logged into the computer.
“Okay, here it is.” Gary scribbled an address on a piece of paper. “Now, please, let me go.”
“Let you go? So you can sell us out to the TLF for a few more dollars and tell yourself you’re doing it for freedom?” Karl said. “You make me sick.”
Karl dragged Gary kicking and screaming down the corridor, all the way to the elevator. He bundled the other man into the elevator and hit the button for the basement. Despite Gary’s pleas, Karl refused to speak, his eyes staring expressionlessly to the front, refusing to look at either Gary or Steve. He took Gary to the room where they had been holding Steve and threw him inside, slamming the door behind him and bolting it.
As soon as the door closed, Karl turned and vomited on the floor, bracing himself against a wall. He straightened up, wiped his mouth, and looked at Steve apologetically.
“Sorry, I’m not really cut out to be an interrogator. I thought I’d enjoy that, but it made me feel dirty.”
“No need to be sorry, Karl,” Steve said. “It’d worry me if you found that easy. I’ve seen people who do, who grow to enjoy it. It’s a cancer that eats you up from the inside. A spiritual cancer.”
Karl gave him weak smile. “Thanks, I feel a bit better now.”
Steve looked at the address. “Okay, it’s the other side of the city. We should make a move.”
“What about weapons? I’ve got your gear, but other than that, we don’t have much of an arsenal here—just a few more machine pistols and some handguns. Plus a couple of tactical shotguns.”
Steve grinned at Karl. “I don’t think weapons are going to be one of our problems.”
“Oh man. This is like Christmas. No, like every Christmas of my life rolled into one and times a thousand.”
Karl looked like he didn’t know where to start first. They were standing in a warehouse, surrounded on all sides by racks of weapons. He ran his hand over a display of handguns, and took out a nickel-plated Colt M1911A1 mounted with a laser sight. He picked it up and sighted down the barrel, watching the little dot spring into being, and tracing it along the wall.
“Can I just live here? Please? I won’t eat much. Promise.”
“Sorry, someone might notice you after a while,” Steve said.
“So, how many of these places are there?” Karl asked.
“There’s at least one in every major city,” Steve said. “Any S.H.I.E.L.D. operative has access. It’s very efficient, means you don’t have to be carrying much around. You just come here as needed, grab the tools you need for the job at hand, and then when you’re done, you return them. Not that they expect you sign every bullet in and out, they just ask that you be reasonable.”
To get to the warehouse, Steve had directed Karl through the back streets of the city in the same van they’d met in days before. He had refused to answer any of Karl’s questions, only assuring him that he was in for a surprise. The warehouse looked just like the dozen others on the narrow street in the heart of industrial sector, and Karl had thrown Steve a dubious look as they approached the door. It had seemed perfectly normal, a cheap lock on the hasp of the door, but Steve had ignored the lock, and instead opened the junction box on the wall next to the door. He pressed on the edge of the power board and it swung open to reveal a high-tech keypad. He punched in a series of numbers, eliciting a low click followed by a humming noise as the door slid upward into the roof, revealing another door, this one made of steel. Another click, and it swung open, and Steve gestured for Karl to follow him inside.
Steve let Karl have a look around for a few minutes, enjoying the man’s childlike pleasure in the weapons on off
er. But time was ticking away, and it was time to get to work. Steve walked over to another set of lockers and pulled out a drawer to reveal a jumble of assorted mobile phones. He picked one at random and switched it on, then punched in a number. Steve listened as it rang, until finally it cut off with a recorded message telling him the number he had called was unavailable. He tried again, then once more, with no better result. Thrusting the phone into his pocket with a frustrated snarl, he walked over and put his hand on Karl’s shoulder. Karl turned away from the gun he was examining with a degree of reluctance, looking like a baby who had had his candy taken away.
“Sorry to interrupt, but how about you start grabbing some weapons? We need nonlethal rounds—I don’t want a massacre, and, besides, we don’t know how close Katherine will be to the action.”
“Makes sense,” Karl said. He grabbed a shortened shotgun and some boxes of bean bag rounds. “Oh, and some of these?”
He held up a pair of Tasers, and looked at Steve inquiringly.
“Why not?” Steve said.
While Karl was working out how the Tasers operated, Steve tried the phone again, not really expecting a different result—and not getting one. Ignoring Karl’s questioning look, he walked over to a set of lockers that ran all the way along one of the walls. He rummaged around and brought out two pairs of thermal imaging scopes.
“Some of these, I think. And these.”
He threw a bulletproof vest to Karl. It was a lighter model than anything available on the open market, and as Karl put it on, it molded to his frame perfectly.
“Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Anything that lessens my chances of catching a bullet is good by me,” Karl said. “What have you got there, Steve? What is this, Robin Hood?”
Rogers was holding what looked like a squat, bulbous crossbow. Along the haft were a number of vicious looking bolts, all with an odd metal loop at the rear of their shafts.
“You’ll see,” Steve said. “I think we’re almost done here. Anything else you can think of?”
Karl held up a bandolier of stun grenades. “Flash and bang.”
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