Officer Barnes

Chapter 8

Bucky had an idea, but he wasn't sure how much you'd like it.

"They're looking for you right now. They may or may not expect me to be with you. We need to look as unlike what they're expecting as we can."

"Why do I think you're going to suggest something I won't like?"

Bucky shrugged.

You sighed. "Okay. Hit me."

Two minutes later, a couple strolled along the sidewalk. He had his arm wrapped around your shoulder and you had yours around his waist. Your heads were close together, as if you were a couple, and he felt better with you near, leaving no space to get to you without going through him. He liked the feel of you wrapped in his embrace. Even though you probably didn't want to see him after this adventure you were in, he liked this togetherness, this lack of being on his own. It had been a long time since he'd been close to someone, and he'd forgotten how good that contact could be.

You fit well together, walking as if you'd done this countless times before. He could feel the trembling in your limbs as you tried to pretend this was normal, but you were tense. You'd been through a lot already, and he wasn't sure how much you could take. He needed to find you a safe place before it became too much.

He didn't want to call any of his buddies, since a wrong word in anyone's ear could expose you again. He also didn't want to put his friends at risk. You wouldn't be in immediate danger once the bad guys got you, they needed to hold the threat over your brother's head. But after that...after that, who knew?

He wasn't going to share those fears with you again now. He needed you to be strong. He'd scared you enough, and what he hadn't done, the men chasing you had. You were almost at the mall now. There was a big clothing store on the outside corner of the mall. If you got in there undetected...

Someone shoved Bucky to the ground. He twisted as he landed and saw a man with his arms around you. There was a car idling at the side of the road, driver at the ready.

They were trying to take you again.

Bucky swing his leg around hard and connected with the abductor's calf, pushing through for all he was worth. The man stumbled and loosened his grasp on you.

"Run!" Bucky yelled at you, bringing his other foot around to try again.

The man was ready this time and jumped away. But Bucky had distracted him sufficiently that you were able to wrench free and run to the door of the store.

Bucky knew the man would follow you, so he rolled into the guy's feet. The man was able to get in a sharp kick to Bucky's ribs, but as Bucky kept rolling, he was able to take the guy down. The man fell on Bucky, who quickly flipped their positions and straddled the man's waist to keep him from following you.

He saw one of the guys in the car get out and begin to stalk toward him. Bucky delivered a quick blow to the man's face below him, sending the man into unconsciousness. Bucky scrambled up to his feet to quickly follow after you.

A quick glance at inside the store showed no sign of you. Bucky slowed his breathing and pushed into the store. Near the doorway to the mall, he saw the driver. He was heading into the mall. Bucky wasn't sure if the driver had noticed his face, but the man right remember Bucky's clothing. With one eye on the man, who'd paused to look both ways in the mall, Bucky stood behind a display rack, slid his jacket off, and stuffed it under some jeans. Moving around the store, he picked up a hat and shoved it on his head. Carefully keeping his profile toward the mall door, Bucky slowly wandered in that direction, stopping to pick up a sweater and a shirt. He was just a shopper looking for clothes.

He'd made his way close to the entrance, close enough to overhear the man on the phone.

"I'll watch the entrance to the mall—get the other doors covered. Once she's cornered, we can track her down."

Bucky turned and kneeled down to pretend to tie his shoelace as the man swept his gaze over the store and then headed back where he'd entered.

Bucky stood and pretended to be interested in the selection of pants as the man left. Bucky retraced his own path until he was beside the door to the street, standing back enough to be invisible to anyone outside.

The two men from the car were talking. The man Bucky had fought was gesturing at the other, and then he moved toward the large public doorway to the general part of the mall with a frown on his lips and a nasty bruise forming along his left eye. The other leaned on the car, watching the doorway you and Bucky had gone through.

They had reinforcements on the way, so Bucky and you had a window of time to get somewhere else. He just needed to find you.

He had lost you. Again. He really needed to be better. It was a big mall, and he had no idea where you were.