Betrayal - A Bucky Barnes Fanfic

Chapter 6

"Oh hey Ava, can I help you with that?", Ava just entered the copy room with a stack of documents in her hands that blocked her view a little.

"Thanks Peter, that's really nice of you, but I'll be fine," Ava smiled at the brunette man. He was a little older than her and had been working at the newspaper for just over two years. Peter was the only one who really took her seriously in the office and talked to her without looking down on her. Ignoring her response, Peter took some of the documents from Ava and smiled at her with his gentle face. Ava's cheeks grew warm at that puppy dog look.

"So, what are you doing after work today? I thought maybe we could go for a drink," Peter didn't look at Ava while asking the question, instead he put the documents in the copier. Ava paused. She thought about it for a moment and also went to one of the photocopiers lined up against the wall, taking up the whole room. Peter was a really nice guy, but she couldn't stop thinking about James. Besides, she already had plans for later.

"That sounds great, I've got plans though, sorry. Maybe another time," Ava smiled at Peter and he gave her a quick smile before leaving the copy room again.

For the rest of the day, Ava's thoughts kept wandering to James. Why didn't he ask her out on a date? She'd hardly have to think twice about the answer then. She hadn't heard from him since the vomiting incident and that worried her. Had he really been concerned about her?

After work, Ava desperately needed a distraction. Natasha didn't have time for her – she had her first meeting with the taskforce today. So Ava set off on foot for the warehouses, hoping something would occur to her along the way. She desperately needed a new lead.

The sun was already starting to set and the further Ava got away from the centre of town, the fewer rushed people she encountered. She was so deep in thought that she almost missed the fact that a whole gaggle of vans drove past her. She stopped on the pavement and looked down the road. Five black vans drove past her like a caravan. She didn't think twice about it and ran to one of the taxis waiting at the side of the road.

"Can you follow the vans please, thank you!" shouted Ava to the driver. Her heart was beating faster and faster.

They followed the vans for a few minutes. Ava recognised the area, this was where she had been with Natasha on her first night of research, this was where the picture of her stranger had been taken. The vans turned into the street where the warehouses were located.

"Can you drop me off here at the corner?"

The driver turned to her briefly, "Kid, sure you want me to let you out here? Not the greatest neighbourhood."

His breath smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, which worried Ava a little, but her mind was too focused on the vans to think any more about it. His words just bounced off her too. She gave him the money and jumped out of the taxi.

Slowly she walked along the street. The sun had set by now and it was beginning to dawn. The streetlights above her flickered on and the street was just as deserted as last time. Ava crossed the street and ducked behind one of the warehouses. She peered around the corner and could see the vans parked a few hundred metres away from her. Some men were getting out and talking. They were too far away for her to hear what they were saying. Then they started lifting boxes out of the cars. They were made of wood and seemed to be heavy, they were carrying them together. One of the men unlocked the warehouse they had parked in front of. Ava leaned around further to see more, but dusk was advancing fast. Another man got out of one of the cars and Ava was sure he had almost shoulder-length hair – the man from her photo. She leaned even further around the corner so that she was almost completely out from behind the warehouse and looked along the various garages at the men. She took another step forward, kicking a glass bottle that rolled loudly against one of the garages. Keeping her gaze on the men, she froze. Her heart was pounding in her ears and the man with the almost shoulder-length hair was looking right in her direction. Driven by adrenaline, she disappeared behind the warehouse again and pressed her back against the wall. She felt sweat slowly forming on her forehead. Had the man seen her? No one knew she was here.