Nomad (Steve Rogers)

2

I toy with my lanyard, smile, and once again repeat the information I know to the group of tourists, who stand clutching guidebooks, cameras, and souvenirs. All the stereotypical crap that you'd find at any place like this.

Oh the irony of working at the exhibition of a man who I need to take out. But I'm not about to quit my actual day job (part time if you're wondering how I manage to juggle it). It's the only thing that keeps me sane, even if half the time I can't understand what the tourists from overseas are trying to ask. 

Just smile. Nod. 

The art of deception is a good thing to have, especially in my line of work. No one would suspect sweet little Aster Hart of slipping poison into a billionaire's drink on the order of his wife and her soon to be new husband or to fire one deathly shot into a businessman who didn't keep his end of a deal.

It's always the people you least expect.

I smooth my dress out and beckon to the group behind me, who are reading about The Howling Commandos. Despite the fact that Steve Rogers is now a fugitive, this place keeps raking in the tourists. "Now if you'd like to follow me, there is a short presentation in this room about Captain Rogers time during the war with footage that can only be seen here at The Smithsonian."

I urge them to hurry up in my mind, then finally I can have my lunch break and look into possible locations where Captain Rogers could have gone or maybe has been seen. This could be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The man's a fugitive for crying out loud, he's not sunning it up in Barbados or something.

I make for the canteen and sit picking at my lunch, while looking through my files on my phone. Ross sent me Rogers file that I requested along with other information that could prove useful in hunting him down.

"You're so lucky..." Connor lets out a rather exaggerated sigh as he slides onto the bench across from me. "I mean...I know he's a fugitive now, but you get to look at the man who is practically God level! Why couldn't I have got the America Exhibition gig?"

"Because your background is in natural history?" I offer him the obvious answer

"Yeah, but in reality I'd like my back to be ground into him." Connor shrugs and begins to eat. "So what are you doing tonight?"

I put my phone away. Connor can talk for England so there's no way I'm getting any research done. We've been friends ever since we both started working here around the same time. The two newbies, and we've stuck together ever since. "Same thing I always do, eat ice cream and drink wine."

"Asteeeeeer, we need to get you a guy! I know a lot!"

"Yes, but practically all the guys you know don't swing my way!" I laugh. "Look I'm fine as I am, anyway, I have a busy life." This is an understatement. I don't know how the fuck I'm doing this job and assassinating people, sometimes both on the same day.

Connor jabs at his pasta. "Busy life my ass, you just admitted you always do the same thing every night. Look, I could make you a Tinder..."

"Noooooo!" I throw my hands up at this, causing him to shut up. "No way. Please, I'm quite happy being as single as a pringle."

"Single and ready to miiiiiingleeee!" Connor laughs, "Roman wanted to know if you were up for joining us for dinner this weekend?" Roman is Connor's boyfriend and literally the best cook I have ever known. So this is gonna kill me to turn down. Connor now sees my face, "Oooooh noooo! Don't say it, don't say it!"

"I can't."

"Damnit! Why?" He asks. 

"Because I'm heading out for the weekend again."

"Are you sure you're not seeing someone? Because half the time you never answer your phone to me and you're away most weekends. Oh my god! Is he married?" His jaw now drops at his apparent detective work. 

I throw myself across the table and clamp my hand over his mouth. "I'm not seeing anyone, and keep your voice down!" I warn, hoping that I won't have other employees gossiping about a potential affair I'm involved in. "Look, I just like travelling, going to new places." I shrug, taking my hand from his mouth so he can talk again.

"Y'know what would be even better? Getting a boyfriend and taking him with you." Connor suggests.

Oh, it really wouldn't.

"Just haven't met the right kinda guy yet." I say, sitting back down 

Connor snorts, "If you let me make you a dating profile then you would." He puts his fork down, "I'm just looking out for you. Guys can suck and you need to know the red flags when it comes to them." 

Unfortunately for Connor, I can smell a red flag from a mile off, but I can't tell him that. I feel bad that I can't be the friend who is always there third wheeling on dinner dates, but at the same time he'd be horrified if he found out the truth. He's the only friend I really have and it's always refreshing to see him when I've come back from carrying out a contract. Flexitime here is a godsend. 

"I know." I say, "But I'm pretty happy as I am at the moment." 

I inhale the last of my sandwich and tell Connor i'll send him a message at the weekend, getting back for the afternoon grind of visitors. One little boy with a plastic Captain America shield tugs my arm. "But why did he go away?" he asks.

Think Aster...

"You know what? I'm not exactly sure, but perhaps one day I'll have an answer for you." It's the only one I can give right now.

Later that evening I can finally sit down and go through every detail that's been sent to Ross on my laptop, trying to narrow down to potential areas to search, as well as accounts of where people thought they had spotted him. The most recent apparently being in England. There's a couple more accounts too so I'm going to have to act quickly if I'm to catch up with him.

England here we come.