Who Am I? » [Stucky]

94. Beat It

The longer Bucky spent alone, the more paranoid he became; the more convinced he became that someone was watching or following him. He stooped about in the blackest eclipsing shadows, traversing under the cover of their dark blanket, and avoided CCTV cameras at all costs. He skulked about like a timid creature of the night; avoiding the bright open daylight or people. He concealed himself from the prying eyes of civilians and the watchful lenses of cameras. He remained out of sight and off the radar and made sure not to revisit the same neighbourhood twice: that had served unsuccessful on both occasions he had done it.

But he was certain he recognised some of the city goers that passed by. He was sure he'd seen a few men pass him by more than three or four times. He was one-hundred percent sure he'd crossed their path at the other end of the city and exchanged a momentary glance; but they didn't acknowledge him as they strayed by him again. The men had unfriendly gruesome faces, scarred in a defining pattern, completely unique to them. They didn't smile and had the unnerving eyes of a predator or a huntsman; sharp with a cunning cleverness about them.

Bucky tried as best he could to keep his head down when he did note the worrying reappearance of certain characters, pulling a baseball cap down over his face or shrugging his jacket up a little higher. He always kept his hands hidden in his pockets, not willing to risk hinting at the bionic metal implement covered by the long sleeve.

He tried to keep track, making a mental note every time there was a reoccurrence of a face; and that's when he knew there was no mistake. He was right. He was being tailed by people.

Bucky became even more cautious with his every move, constantly checking over his shoulder to see if there was anyone there. He weaved down streets instead of going direct to his intended target location, trying to meander away from them and lose them with crafty manoeuvers. But they pursued him everywhere; every time he thought he had lost them, one would appear in front of him and walk past him and then eventually the one behind him would catch up again. It was all like some thoroughly choreographed routine.

He felt threatened and stalked, and knew it was only going to be a matter of time before one of them made a sly move that injured him. They were shifty and shady characters, not to be trifled with, who carried a sense of power with them, in their stance and their bearing. They always seemed to rattle as they walked past, probably armed with some nasty selection of weapons; concealed beneath a heavy long coat. They were untrustworthy and they wouldn't get lost.

Bucky was sloshing his way down an alley, wading through the puddle trying to break into his shoes and he heard a splashing behind him. His ears prickled as the sound reached him and his eyes flicked to the puddle beneath him and he caught the reflection of a familiar man in the rippling water; distorted, but obviously him.

He upped his pace, trudging a little faster through the murky mess and he heard the footsteps crash into the puddle a little faster behind him. His heart began to thump at a higher pace, pulsating wildly in his ribcage as he tried to keep calm. His breaths came snappy and shallow, hesitant as he tried to hide his undeniable fear.

He sped up more, testing the stamina and closeness of his stalker. He heard the splashing increase to higher intervals. It was certain he was being followed.

Bucky had the temptation to look over his shoulder; to just sneak a glance, to peek at the man so set on tracking him down for whatever reason. If he was going to have to hide from him, he'd have to see his face properly. He wanted to see at what proximity the stranger was; if he was at arm's length or at enough distance to lose him if he ran. He wanted to size him up, to calculate his weaknesses and work out if he was a real threat or not. He wanted to see if there were more of them.