[ WWII AU ] Chantez, compagnons, dans la nuit la liberté

[from_the_outside]

There's nothing strange about Yvette Rheaume or the credentials she provides to Monsieur Lavigne when she arrives to replace Amelie. "Her mother is ill," Lavigne explains to the girl. "You will fill in for her duties until she returns, yes?"

Yes, of course. And it's a relief when the girl proves both capable and well-mannered; he simply cannot afford to force Herr Schneider to wait. If the facility were to cancel their monthly orders, he'd lose hundreds, thousands of francs in profit, money which assuages his guilt at assisting the enemy. He explains the process to the girl as they ride in a jeep towards the facility, and impresses on her the need for perfect discretion. "I will expect you to take clear and comprehensive notes," he reminds her. "We cannot miss any opportunity to re-supply."

"Yes, sir," she promises, and dutifully notes his instructions.

His ears are ringing by the time they reach the facility and Herr Schneider steps outside to greet them, his sharp eyes resting for a moment on Yvette. "Who is this lovely creature?" he asks, and Lavigne hastens to assure him of her loyalty and credentials. The German nods and politely ushers them inside. Lavigne is too relieved and too focused on the robust order to come to pay much mind to the way the man keeps half an eye on Yvette.

But she doesn't miss it. Not a single glance.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

The final rider, cursing in German, dodges his way closer to the wrecked and bullet-ridden body of the car. Her first shot misses by a bare inch; the second jams the Colt as a cartridge sticks.

There's no time to think about it. She throws the sidearm past the edge of the car, letting it skitter on the ground, then is up and vaulting over the trunk in the next second to take advantage of the way his head swivels to follow the gun's trajectory. One foot lands on his shoulder, shoving him back; the other follows in a snapping kick that catches him in the jaw.

He bellows and stumbles back, and she's on him in the next second, a flurry of strikes thudding into him until at last he's on the ground and she's breathing hard, hair and clothes mussed and rumpled.

[nerves_of_ice]

Schneider's not in great shape, no surprise there, but he's alive. Bucky removes his sidearm and gives him a quick check for weapons, then beckons to crowbar guy to join him as he studies HYDRA's fallen officer.

The man bares his teeth and spits at him. "Cut off one head, two more--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, heard it before," Bucky interrupts. "Don't worry. We're gonna cut off all the heads before we're through. Count on it."

[from_the_outside]

Neither of her assailants are dead, but they're not exactly in the best shape, either. She digs out more rope and binds them – the one with the blown-out knee mercifully stops screaming once he passes out – then makes sure Lavigne and the driver haven't somehow managed to wriggle free.

"In the original iteration of this plan, I had control of a drivable car," she tells them, as they stare at her over their gags. "But I guess we're just going to have to wait to get picked up."

[nerves_of_ice]

"What's your name, soldier?" Bucky asks as the crowbar-carrying man joins him. "Jenkins, sir. Private Mark Jenkins."

Bucky looks up at him. "Okay, Jenkins. Keep our prisoner here alive and under watch so we can track down the rest of his buddies, you get me?" He makes it clear enough so that the others can hear, just so no one gets any ideas about getting some of their own back."

"Yes, sir!" Bucky gives him a tired grin. "Hold the line," he says, and moves to the gate, then clears it before ducking inside to take in the situation.

[marvel_npc]

Gabe and Jim are moving through the ranks of prisoners, releasing them as they go, as Steve sets the shield into its harness on his back. He half-turns as Bucky comes in, and gives his best friend a nod. "Cleaned them up pretty good," he says. "It wouldn't have been so great if this shipment had left the facility."

He glances around before looking back at Bucky. "I lost sight of Schneider. Did he get out?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Not far,” Bucky promises. “Wounded him and brought him down. Figured we’d want to question him if we could. He’s out front under guard by one of the prisoners - a Private Jenkins.”

He looks around too. Things seem pretty well in hand. No Zola, but this’ll be another punch in the eye for HYDRA, and that’s always good. Bucky turns back to Steve. “Schneider sent a team to follow Lavigne and Sharon when they left, “ he reports. “I brought half of them down, but couldn’t get them all before they made the curve.”

[marvel_npc]

Steve looks grim and starts heading for the door. "We should get after them, then," he says, and raises his voice. "Dum Dum, take charge here. Bucky and I are going for Sharon and Lavigne."

[nerves_of_ice]

“You got it, Cap,” Dugan says. “Schneider’s out front,” Bucky tells him. “Wounded, prisoner.”

A stifled cheer goes up from the ex-prisoners close enough to overhear, as Dugan grins. “Good news. We’ll bring him in while you two wrap things up.”

[marvel_npc]

Steve tosses off a salute and a quick smile to the now-freed prisoners, then jogs out the door and heads for the nearest motorbike.

"How many managed to take off after them?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Two.” Bucky snags the next bike over and starts it up. “I took down the other two and the door mechanism. I had to choose, Steve.”

He manages to throttle his worry back, but it’s there all the same.

[marvel_npc]

"You made the right choice," Steve assures him. "Sharon would say the same thing."

Bucky knows her better than he does, but he thinks he's right all the same... even if he's having a hard time concealing his own concern. The bike coughs into life and he accelerates, tires screeching against the gravel.

[nerves_of_ice]

She’d shown them all she can handle herself, he knows, and she’s been very open about being good at what she does. She’ll be fine. She has to be, Bucky tells himself, as he roars after Steve down the road.

They can’t have gotten too far, right?

[from_the_outside]

It's actually kind of a nice day, she thinks, as she lounges back on the hood of the car, keeping an eye on her four trussed-up antagonists. The newly-unjammed Colt sits loosely in her hand, just in case any of them get any stupid ideas, but they seem sufficiently unhappy enough to have been beaten by a woman the first time around.

She looks up at the sound of motorcycles and tenses -- only to relax as she recognizes that familiar red, white, and blue uniform and the figure on the bike beside him.

Sharon lifts her hand in a wave as they come near. "Hey, guys," she greets them. "Finished already?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"All but the cleanup," Steve says, as they pull up. It's a good thing he's the one who's answering, because Bucky's laughing too hard to talk.

[from_the_outside]

Lavigne tries to yell something, probably unflattering and almost definitely in regards to her womanhood, but it only comes out as a muffled series of grunts. Sharon grins at Steve and Bucky as she pushes herself off the hood of the car and walks their way.

"Think you've got room for a few more pieces of trash?" she asks, tipping her head towards the four unhappy men.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I think we can squeeze them in," Steve says, dryly. "Buck, you good over there?"

He waves his hand weakly at both of them and goes to check over the car. "Messed this up pretty good, didn't you?" Bucky observes.

[from_the_outside]

"That was really more them than me," she points out, her eyes dancing, amused by his amusement. "But I messed up their bikes, so. Fair's fair."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Guess so." Bucky shakes his head, finally managing to get his laughter under control, and looks at Steve. "I'll keep an eye on this lot and see if I can get this hunk of junk running, while you do your thing."

Steve nods to him and looks at Sharon. "Good work, Agent. Got a report for me?" He eyes the prisoners. "Maybe walk a bit out of earshot."

[from_the_outside]

"Of course, Captain."

She walks with him back towards the bikes, until she's sure the prisoners can't hear her, and fills him in on the mission details, then provides him with the list she'd created of the supplies they were ordering to aid in extrapolating information about other weapons manufacturers. "I don't know if it was me or Lavigne they came after," she tells him, apologetic. "But we knew going in it would be a risk to infiltrate as a new face. How did the attack go?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"We'll find out," Steve tells her. "We captured Schneider alive." He glances past her at Bucky and the four prisoners, automatically checking on them, then back at Sharon.

"Good. Your signal helped. We were able to deploy in a way that helped protect the men inside - some are pretty beaten up from before, but we got the medics to them and I think they'll be okay. We're sweeping it for intel now and then we'll blast what's left into smithereens."

[from_the_outside]

"Glad to hear it," she says, softly, thinking of the young man who'd tried to get her attention.

Shaking it off, she looks back at Steve. "These four should all be in fine shape to talk. Maybe not to do much else, but talking, yes."

[nerves_of_ice]

Steve takes in the expression on her face and wonders if her reaction had been anything like his when he'd gotten a first look inside the factory where Bucky and the rest had been held. "You made a difference today, Agent Carter," he says, gently. "Some of these men are alive now because of you."

[from_the_outside]

She gives him a small, slightly crooked smile that's no less warm for its size. "Appreciate that, Cap," she says. "I'm just glad I could help out."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Well, you helped a lot." The roar of the car's engine draws his attention away from her, but he relaxes as he sees Bucky's cheerful grin.

"Still works," he calls over. "At least for now. With the spare tire on we should be able to make it back."

[from_the_outside]

"Great."

She walks back over to the small pile of prisoners and smiles at them. "Okay, who wants to ride in the trunk?"