Into The Shadows
Chapter Eleven
I gripped Denearmul tightly with one hand, the other balled into a fist. Beside me, Steve gave my hand a gentle squeeze and shot me a smile, which I returned shakily. We were sitting in the back of a Taxi, on our way to my sister's apartment.
Fury had decided that Taxi's would be the the most inconspicuous way of getting there, and he'd put me and Steve in a Taxi before pushing Thor and Natasha into the next one.
"You okay?" He asked, moving so his head was just a few inches from mine. I nodded, smiling at him, just as glass exploded above our heads.
Steve pulled me down on top of him, shielding my head with both his hands. The car swerved as the driver tried to keep control, and he skidded to a halt, jumping out of the Taxi and running out into he street, screaming.
"You okay?" Steve asked as I pushed myself up, opening the door and getting out. I nodded and looked out into the crowded street, breathing heavily.
I could see the taxi Thor and Natasha were in, about a hundred feet down the street. In front of them were men, possibly mercenaries, on motorcycles. They were carrying guns, so they were probably the ones who'd shot out the window on the Taxi.
"Claire, what are you doing?" Steve yelled as I ripped off my long overcoat, which Fury had given me to try and hide Denearmul. I had a gun holstered to my right hip, and Denearmul was strapped to my left. I raised my pistol and fired at the nearest mercenary, sending him flying off his bike and skidding across the tarmac.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the yellow Taxi Thor and Natasha were in skid to a halt, but, without missing a beat I sprinted across the street to the bike, lifting it back on to wheels, straddling it and kicking off. The engine roared to life, and I wound my way through the cars, keeping the two mercenaries ahead in my sights.
Something crackled to life in my ear.
"Claire, kiddo?"
"Hey Tony."
"Can't say this is the smartest thing you've ever done..."
"Just tell me when they're on my tail."
"Well you've got one behind you at about five o'clock, ten feet back, and about twenty feet behind him is another. Oh wait..."
"What?" I asked, checking my mirrors for mercenaries.
"That's not one of them. It's Steve."
I almost laughed. "He grabbed a bike too?"
"Hey, the guy can ride. He's got his own one."
"I know, I've seen him ride it."
"Agent Reynolds." I heard Fury bark over the earpiece. "Focus."
"Sure thing sir." I bullet whizzed past my head, and I felt the warmth of the air on my ear. Turning in my seat, I fired a bullet towards the mercenary. It hit him in the shoulder but he didn't fall off. Behind him, I could see Steve, who was gaining on him. A smirk twitched at my lips. That guy didn't know what was coming for him.
"Claire, you've got to make a right turning in about 100 meters. Try and get past those cars on beside you. Ride on the sidewalk if you have to."
"Are we getting to the apartment, or are we loosing the tail?" I asked, staying straight.
"Agent Reynolds." Fury warned, and I made the turn, riding the bike onto the sidewalk and off into the next street. I heard a burst of laughter over the earpiece.
"Is Steve still behind me?" I asked.
"Yeah, Claire, you should have seen what he just did to that guy!"
"You've got a visual?"
"Yeah, and let me tell you something - that man is a lethal weapon."
"Tony, I'm coming up to a T-section." I reminded him, and he quickly gave me a few directions. As he did, I heard another voice come over the earpiece.
"Are you okay, Claire?"
"Natasha?"
"Yeah, Thor and I are going to try and find a way over there to the apartment to meet with you two. Clint's already there with three agents, so your sister isn't alone."
"Thanks," I said, crying out as a bullet grazed my shoulder. I couldn't work out whether the bullet had come from behind me or above me.
"Claire?!" I heard about four voices cry.
"Guys, Jesus Christ, I'm fine." I made a left turn into a side street. "Tony, you still giving Steve directions?"
"He's linked to this line, we all are."
"Claire, I've got your back." I heard Steve's voice.
"How am I looking?"
"You're leaning to the right a little." He admitted.
"Yeah, well I was just shot at." I replied with a grin. "Have they got snipers or have I pissed off the walls?"
"Snipers." Fury grunted.
"Okay, hold it for a second. Pull up at the end of this Side Street." Tony instructed.
"You just told me there were snipers." I reminded him, pulling up to a stop and waiting until I heard Steve's engine.
"Yeah, but I think you two are going to have to ditch the bikes."
"Why?" Steve asked, glancing at me. He had a cut on his cheek with glowed a vibrant white against his skin.
"Bad terrain. Visual shows one helluva lot more snipers and armed personnel out there on the main street. You two are going to have to do a little footwork."
"Just tell us where to go."
I heard a small laugh. "Up."
Steve sighed and dismounted, killing the engine of his bike. I did the same, and the two of us stood in the side street, pressed against the wall, looking out for snipers.
"Okay, I've got it. You see the alley way straight ahead?"
"Yep."
"Okay, you're going to need to make a dash for that. When you get to the end you'll get to t a fork. Go left and carry on for about a hundred feet. You should come to an escape ladder on the side of the building. Climb up to the roof and tell me when you're done."
"You said dash?" Steve repeated.
"Yeah, there's a sniper positioned on the roof right above you two. And his gun is pointed at the alley."
Fury had decided that Taxi's would be the the most inconspicuous way of getting there, and he'd put me and Steve in a Taxi before pushing Thor and Natasha into the next one.
"You okay?" He asked, moving so his head was just a few inches from mine. I nodded, smiling at him, just as glass exploded above our heads.
Steve pulled me down on top of him, shielding my head with both his hands. The car swerved as the driver tried to keep control, and he skidded to a halt, jumping out of the Taxi and running out into he street, screaming.
"You okay?" Steve asked as I pushed myself up, opening the door and getting out. I nodded and looked out into the crowded street, breathing heavily.
I could see the taxi Thor and Natasha were in, about a hundred feet down the street. In front of them were men, possibly mercenaries, on motorcycles. They were carrying guns, so they were probably the ones who'd shot out the window on the Taxi.
"Claire, what are you doing?" Steve yelled as I ripped off my long overcoat, which Fury had given me to try and hide Denearmul. I had a gun holstered to my right hip, and Denearmul was strapped to my left. I raised my pistol and fired at the nearest mercenary, sending him flying off his bike and skidding across the tarmac.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the yellow Taxi Thor and Natasha were in skid to a halt, but, without missing a beat I sprinted across the street to the bike, lifting it back on to wheels, straddling it and kicking off. The engine roared to life, and I wound my way through the cars, keeping the two mercenaries ahead in my sights.
Something crackled to life in my ear.
"Claire, kiddo?"
"Hey Tony."
"Can't say this is the smartest thing you've ever done..."
"Just tell me when they're on my tail."
"Well you've got one behind you at about five o'clock, ten feet back, and about twenty feet behind him is another. Oh wait..."
"What?" I asked, checking my mirrors for mercenaries.
"That's not one of them. It's Steve."
I almost laughed. "He grabbed a bike too?"
"Hey, the guy can ride. He's got his own one."
"I know, I've seen him ride it."
"Agent Reynolds." I heard Fury bark over the earpiece. "Focus."
"Sure thing sir." I bullet whizzed past my head, and I felt the warmth of the air on my ear. Turning in my seat, I fired a bullet towards the mercenary. It hit him in the shoulder but he didn't fall off. Behind him, I could see Steve, who was gaining on him. A smirk twitched at my lips. That guy didn't know what was coming for him.
"Claire, you've got to make a right turning in about 100 meters. Try and get past those cars on beside you. Ride on the sidewalk if you have to."
"Are we getting to the apartment, or are we loosing the tail?" I asked, staying straight.
"Agent Reynolds." Fury warned, and I made the turn, riding the bike onto the sidewalk and off into the next street. I heard a burst of laughter over the earpiece.
"Is Steve still behind me?" I asked.
"Yeah, Claire, you should have seen what he just did to that guy!"
"You've got a visual?"
"Yeah, and let me tell you something - that man is a lethal weapon."
"Tony, I'm coming up to a T-section." I reminded him, and he quickly gave me a few directions. As he did, I heard another voice come over the earpiece.
"Are you okay, Claire?"
"Natasha?"
"Yeah, Thor and I are going to try and find a way over there to the apartment to meet with you two. Clint's already there with three agents, so your sister isn't alone."
"Thanks," I said, crying out as a bullet grazed my shoulder. I couldn't work out whether the bullet had come from behind me or above me.
"Claire?!" I heard about four voices cry.
"Guys, Jesus Christ, I'm fine." I made a left turn into a side street. "Tony, you still giving Steve directions?"
"He's linked to this line, we all are."
"Claire, I've got your back." I heard Steve's voice.
"How am I looking?"
"You're leaning to the right a little." He admitted.
"Yeah, well I was just shot at." I replied with a grin. "Have they got snipers or have I pissed off the walls?"
"Snipers." Fury grunted.
"Okay, hold it for a second. Pull up at the end of this Side Street." Tony instructed.
"You just told me there were snipers." I reminded him, pulling up to a stop and waiting until I heard Steve's engine.
"Yeah, but I think you two are going to have to ditch the bikes."
"Why?" Steve asked, glancing at me. He had a cut on his cheek with glowed a vibrant white against his skin.
"Bad terrain. Visual shows one helluva lot more snipers and armed personnel out there on the main street. You two are going to have to do a little footwork."
"Just tell us where to go."
I heard a small laugh. "Up."
Steve sighed and dismounted, killing the engine of his bike. I did the same, and the two of us stood in the side street, pressed against the wall, looking out for snipers.
"Okay, I've got it. You see the alley way straight ahead?"
"Yep."
"Okay, you're going to need to make a dash for that. When you get to the end you'll get to t a fork. Go left and carry on for about a hundred feet. You should come to an escape ladder on the side of the building. Climb up to the roof and tell me when you're done."
"You said dash?" Steve repeated.
"Yeah, there's a sniper positioned on the roof right above you two. And his gun is pointed at the alley."
