Go Away

Part Twelve

Steve's POV

It's quiet.

There's no cars going by, no birds, no nothing. The town is quiet. It wasn't hard to find the Asti. The flickering light on the front of the building made it obvious. Its logo made the bar look incredibly sleazy. It was a martini with green olives, but the flickering lightbulbs that illuminated it is what made seem that way. 

When we arrived at the bar, Clint sent Tony to the sewer, me to the upstairs ballet studio, and he went to check out the inside of the bar. 

Clint and I walked up to the bar, I had to find the stairs to the ballet studio. The door wasn't locked, but it took a moment to get it open. You could tell that it hadn't been opened in a while. Which was weird because the bar itself looked newly remodeled. The counter was clean, the bottles of alcohol looked brand new, the furnishings looked untouched and shiny. Something was definitely off. 

Directly in front of me was a staircase, I walked forward and Clint moved to investigate the bar. The steps were silent, where I had expected them to be creeky and old. This whole building was nothing like I had expected. I'm not entirely sure as to what I was expecting, but this most definitely wasn't it. 

The thing that threw me off, was the hand railing next to the staircase. While everything in this building seemed new, the handrail had been used. There was discoloration, as if someone, or some people used it regularly. 

There was a hallway at the top of the stairs. If you could call it that. There were only three doors, one to the left, one to the right, and one directly across from me. Knowing that I would have to search all of them, and the order really didn't matter, I chose to go through the one to my right first. 

Unlike the first floor, this room was well worn. The door creaked as it opened, as did the floor boards. As I moved into the room, I could tell that this was a ballet studio, which I must say was a complete shock. Not. I walked into the center of the room and stared.

This is where Tasha spent her childhood.

The red tinted wall paper and blood stains on the floor made it obvious why the program was called The Red Room. 

Tony's POV

The smell is the least surprising thing about this sewer. But that's tied with the grime and the overwhelming feeling of complete disgust. But who knows, maybe this sewing is terrible compared to others. Not that I'd particularly like to find out. 

What was surprising, at least to me, was the lack of sewage in this sewer. I admit, I expected there to be a lot, or even like a bit of it, but there was none at all. Which I find really fucking weird considering that it should be here. Although, there was a dead rat, as I expected. 

My predictions weren't completely fulfilled, so what? I can always spend more time in a sewer if that's what I really want. Though Pepper wouldn't be entirely thrilled if I did want to spend time in a sewer. But, who's to say, I've never actually asked her. 

Not that I plan to.

Another peculiar thing I noticed: There were prison cells in this sewer. This of course led me to believe that "sewer" was merely a disguise for super secret prison. I probably wouldn't have used a sewer as a disguise, it would be terrible to walk through this every day, the stench is bad. Not to mention, that it would be absolutely cruel to imprison people here, but y'know, you do you. These guys are fucking nuts. 

As I walked through, I saw a few more dead rats, which probably contributed to the stench. When I approached the last cell in the block, I saw that the hay looked cleaner and the blood stains looked fresher. As I neared the cell, I noticed that there was an information card hanging from the door. I don't read Russian, but I'd recognize that red hair anywhere. 

Steve's POV

There was nothing in the ballet studio except a closet. Upon closer inspection, all that was in there was a bed with chains attached to it. No Tasha. I don't know what I keep thinking. That I'll open a door, and she'll be there? I know it's not going to happen, but one can wish. 

The second door I opened was much like the closet. This room was drafty, unlike the others.There were rows of beds, rickety, metal beds. Each one had a pair of handcuffs attached to the headboard.

Eight months earlier...

"Please, let me help you."

"Nothing ever works, Steve, I tried." Tasha gingerly snapped the cuff on her wrist. Steve rolled the key between his fingers. 

"Let me try, please." He brushed a hair away from her eyelids, and slowly moved to unlock the handcuffs. Tasha looked into his eyes.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "If this doesn't work, I'll let it go." Tasha smiled. "Yes, both figuratively and literally. I know that's what you were thinking Tasha." She chuckled. 

"You know me well."

"Well enough to know that you're tired and need to sleep."

"I know you well enough, old man, that you're going to rest your eyes and forget that being awake is even a thing."

"Pshh"

Present Day

This is the room where it started. The room that ruined Nat's life. I hate this fucking room, every single fucking bit. I want to break the beds and windows. Make the room hurt, as it hurt Nat. But I can't do that. 

I need to keep looking around. Tasha might be here, in this very building, and I'll never find her if I don't look.

The last room on the floor was sound proofed. I could tell the second I walked in. I decided then that the door would stay open whenever in this room, to lower the risk of being snuck up on. 

The inside had what looked like an operating table. It was filled with fairly outdated medical equipment. My stomach lurched at the thought of the operations that may have taken place in this very room. I thought of Nat's distraught face as she told me the horrors of the graduation ceremony.

Clint's POV

If I could trust the liquor in this bar, I would be downing a bottle of gin right about now. The bar was average.

It was the usual empty bar. Except for the fact that the brochures for Red Rose Ballet were from the 1980s, which may be considered fairly outdated if you ask me. 

A/N

Good god. I just reread the first part of this book, and let me say, how the heck did y'all manage to read past that. Any who, votes and comments make me happy lol, so feel free to do so.