Time After Time (Book 3)

Rage and Regrets

Training the teams at the facility in England was better than Betty thought it would be.  She'd had two sessions each with two separate teams and she'd used them to get a measure of their fighting styles and levels.  Skill-wise they were probably on a parr with Betty if she were honest, but they lacked that hardness, that...cold calculation that only developed after a true battle.  She'd taught them a few combinations that she'd learned from the Dora Milaje, their fighting style being uniquely versatile.  The next step would be to show them what it could be like to fight against someone that was enhanced.

She was in her room after lunch getting changed from her training gear into her usual attire.  Samira had asked her to consult on some development ideas that the facility wanted to put into place, to which Betty had readily agreed.  Anything was better than sitting around waiting for the next training session.  As she pulled on her jeans her phone rang and she frowned at the screen, not recognising the caller i.d.

"Hello?" She answered warily.

"Is that Mrs Elizabeth Barnes?" There was a gruff voice on the other end of the line.

"Who's askin'?"

"You're the wife of one Sergeant James Barnes?"

"Yet again, who's askin'?"

"I'm Officer Dunlop, Baltimore PD.  Your husband's been arrested Ma'am. You're listed as primary contact."

"What the..." Betty let out a sigh. "He's been pardoned for all that Officer and if..."

"No Ma'am, he missed one of his mandated therapy sessions, it's like missing a meeting with your PO.  We've had to bring him in."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Betty muttered under her breath, and then spoke to the officer. "What do I need to do?"

"We need you to come down to the station Ma'am."

"I can't do that Officer, I'm in England. Can I nominate Sam Wilson as proxy?"

"No Ma'am I'm afraid you can't, we'll have to..."

The officer was cut off and Betty could hear some muffled conversation on the other end of the line before the officer came back on and spoke again.

"Ma'am, everything's been figured out.  Your husband can be released.  I'm sorry to bother you."

Before Betty could even form a response the call ended.  She tried to call back but the line was busy. There was no answer from Bucky's phone, or Sam's, and she let out a noise of frustration and then tapped out a message.

James Buchanan Barnes call me right now!

Betty sat on her bed and waited, and then waited some more, but it was only when she'd given up and was about to leave her room that her phone rang again.  Breathing a sigh of relief at the caller i.d., she answered.

"Buck, what happened?"

"Doll, don't be mad..." he sounded wary.

"I'm not mad Buck, I'm worried!  You got arrested!"

"Yeah, ummm, sorry about that." She could just picture him looking all sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth. "But everythin's figured out now Doll.  I had to have a session with Dr Raynor, but I'm free to go."

"Who called the wicked bitch of the west?" She asked.

"John Walker," Bucky admitted through gritted teeth, although he let out a low chuckle at Betty's words.

"Jesus Christ, did you hit him?"

"No."

"Why the hell not? I would've."