Red Room

RR49 Out of Time

"I know Bobbi, but I still don't like it. Dove isn't here yet?" Darcy asked looking around in annoyance.

Thea now had all their names.

"No, he isn't," Natasha said as she slowly paced in boredom.

Darcy flopped back onto one of the two queen beds and Bobbi removed her jacket. Thea got a glimpse of an angry scar running across Bobbi's stomach and guessed that was the injury Romanoff had mentioned earlier.

"Stop pacing" Darcy said as she sat back up in reference to Natasha, "it won't make Dove hurry any faster. He's probably taking a shower, I doubt the base had warm water running to it."

Natasha stopped pacing and instead sat on the small couch. "What all were you able to see when the flash drive was downloading?"

"I don't know, things were popping up so fast. I know for a fact that I saw something referring to Project Lazarus which we already saw, and there was something about a Project Echo too. Luka's name did pop up a few times as well, so at least we are on the right track and closer to finding him."

Dread hit Thea right in the chest as she realized that they knew more than she thought. And they already knew about her brother, Luka, but how much? If they knew about Project Lazarus, then did that mean they knew about her father? It would make sense; her father had always warned them to stay away from the Black Widow.

"What about the crazy chick?" Bobbi asked. "I mean why was she the only one after the drive?"

"Oh!" Darcy yelled, "I forgot to say this earlier, but I saw her before going into the building. I think she knew we were coming."

"So, is she HYDRA or something else?" Natasha asked to no one in particular. Speaking a little louder, shared her concerns. "What if she was the one keeping us out of the database, I mean if she was, she would have been just waiting for us to try another way to get in right?"

They didn't know how right they were, Thea had to applaud how smart they were. She was then pulled from her thoughts as her phone buzzed from her pocket. Checking the room once more, she pulled it from her pocket and saw a message from Luka.

"They're coming, get out of there now. Echo is active, and I think they have your location. They know about us." Thea's heart almost stopped but she managed to shoot a text back.

"I've almost got the flash drive and then I'm out of here."

Back inside the room, Darcy nodded in agreement before getting up off the bed and heading for her pile of dirty clothes. "There's something on that flash drive she doesn't want us to see, and I don't think its just HYDRA secrets." She fished it out of her pants pocket and tossed it to Natasha. "I'm going to get Dove so we can start sifting through data, my curiosity is killing me!"

Natasha pulled the laptop from her bag and moved to the bed while Darcy went across the hall. She had just plugged it in when Darcy poked her head back in. "Dove forgot something in the car, I'm going down with him."

"Ill go too," Bobbie said while pulling her jacket back on and hurrying after the girl.

Natasha was left alone as the flash drive started downloading some of its files to the computer. If there was ever a time for Thea to strike, it would have to be now while Natasha was alone.

She detonated the charge that she had placed on the door and then she was in. Immediately she was met with a very angry assassin. Recognition flashed in her green eyes as she realized that it was the girl from the alley, the girl who was after the flash drive.

As soon as the glass shattered, Natasha immediately went on the defensive. It was the girl who had been following them, and she must be back for the flash drive. She watched as the girl drew out her two halves of a bo-staff and prepared for a fight. Thea made the first move and Natasha dived across the bed, grabbing the laptop on the way across. She pulled out the flash drive and before she could pocket it, her wrist exploded in pain as it was hit from her grip by one of the metal staffs, while the other one sent a blow to her temple.