The Long Nights of Winter - An Alternative Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 2. This F*cking Life

June, 2011. Afghanistan

It was hot and Sergeant Bucky Barnes finished his fifth 2 litre bottle of water of the morning as he lay on his bunk. When he signed up for this after September 11 happened, he thought he would be out there finding and destroying the Taliban. Once he was in Afghanistan he found out quickly it wasn't just one group that were Taliban. There were many warlords, chieftains, and drug lords, and all of them were angry at their country being occupied once more. Most of them were also at war with each other. The enemy always changed. The heat and the dust were ever present and he could hardly wait for this tour to end so he could go back home and try to start his life again. He pulled his wallet out and looked at the picture of Natasha and him at their wedding in January of 2003. They were just dating when he signed up within days of the attack on New York. After a year of training he asked her to marry him and like every optimistic 19 year old woman in love with an almost 20 year old boy who thought he was a man she said yes. They lasted three years which was two and half years longer than most people gave them. When he was back on his second leave she told him she was done. The divorce papers had come a month later and he signed them, knowing she needed a husband who was there for her. She married Bruce within a year, had a kid and another on the way. He went to tear the picture up but he couldn't do it and he put it back inside his wallet.

"Hey Barnes," he heard a voice and he looked up to see Staff Sergeant Brock Rumlow.

"Yeah Sarge," he replied standing up. "What can I do for you?"

"Wilson is sick and we need another Sergeant for this patrol," said Rumlow. "You in?"

"Sure, I'll just get my gear on," said Barnes. "Does the LT know?"

"Yup, just told him. Wheels up in 30 mikes," said Rumlow.

Thirty minutes later he was boarding the helicopter along with three squads. Rumlow was leading Alpha squad, Rollins was leading Bravo and he was leading Charlie. It was a patrol of a fairly large village. Normally only one squad would do it but there had been reports of Taliban infiltrating the village and forcing the villagers to house them. This mission was to spook the Taliban out into the open and deal with them the only way they understood...at the end of a gun barrel. They landed about 100 yards outside the village and undertook standard operating tactics as they spread out and searched it. There was no sign of any problems and most of the villagers stayed indoors and allowed them to do their thing of knocking on random doors and seeing what transpired. The sound of machine guns at the part of the village where Alpha squad was put Barnes on alert and he told his squad to hold while he confirmed the situation. Rumlow asked for support and Bucky responded they were on the way. They reached Rumlow's squad a few minutes later. Three of his guys were injured and they were unable to advance on the house. Rumlow wanted to go in with all guns firing and take out the shooters inside.

"Sarge, you know we have to evacuate the houses nearby so we don't accidentally kill any civilians," said Barnes. "Let my squad take care of that and then we'll go in together."

"Barnes, this order has been given by higher ups," he replied. "We take that house now. Civilians have been through this before. They'll keep their heads down. Now, go take that house while I regroup my men."

Sighing Barnes signalled his men to prepare to take the house on Staff Sergeant Rumlow's orders. Taking their time they got into position and he gave the signal by kicking in the door and opening fire on what were supposed to be Taliban. His men came in behind him and from the back door. There was no one in the house, except for two children lying on the floor with their eyes open but not moving.

"Shit," swore Barnes, slinging his rifle and checking the pulses on the necks of the two kids.

The realization hit him that they were already dead.