[ 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 soldiers growl at her through their gags, and Sharon shrugs at Bucky and Steve, then goes to open the trunk.

"Sounds to me like they just volunteered."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Works for me," Bucky says. He starts to go pull one of them up, only for Steve to shake his head at him.

"You stand watch. I'll deal with the heavy stuff," Steve tells him, and lifts the first soldier up with ease. "At least it's a big trunk."

"Now you're just showing off." Suppressed laughter is in Bucky's tone. "C'mon, Cap, let's get it done before Dugan gives Dernier the go-ahead."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon opens the backseat door as Steve finishes stuffing the soldiers in the trunk. "These two can go in here," she tells him, tipping her head toward Lavigne and his driver. "Back to the facility?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"That's right," Steve tells her, heaving the driver in first while Bucky holds the door. "We'll combine them with the rest of the prisoners there and head back."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon nods and slides into the driver's seat of the car as Steve shoves Lavigne into the backseat and closes the door. She brushes shattered glass from the windowframe and leans out to look at him and Bucky.

"Okay, let's get rolling."

[nerves_of_ice]

He trades a nod with Steve and pulls his bike up on the driver's side, leaving Steve to take position on the passenger side.

It's not a far trip back to the facility, but they'll keep a close watch the whole way.

[from_the_outside]

She tosses a wink out the window toward Bucky and carefully accelerates. "This will get really awkward really fast if any of those shots hit the fuel tank or anything important and the car bursts into flames," she observes to Lavinge and his driver. They make sad, whimpering sounds, and she has to fight not to laugh as they head back down along the road.

[nerves_of_ice]

There’s no sign of Schneider or the former prisoners in front of the factory when they arrive, but Bucky spots Gabe at the entrance of the loading dock. He accelerates ahead of Sharon and Steve and circles to a stop nearby, showing Sharon where to pull up.

“Everything okay?” Gabe calls, concerned. Bucky grins at him. “Everything’s great. Wait until you see.”

[from_the_outside]

"What do you mean, wait un – " Gabe is saying, as Sharon pulls in. He takes one look in the backseat of the car as starts laughing.

"You think that's funny," Sharon tells him, grinning as she gets out of the car, "take a look in the trunk."

[nerves_of_ice]

“She brought us presents,” Bucky drawls, and pops the trunk to show Gabe the other two HYDRA soldiers. “Wrapped ‘em up and everything.”

Gabe’s grin is wide and bright. “Holy h- heck, she wasn’t messing around. All by herself?”

Bucky nods. “Had them all down when we got there.”

[from_the_outside]

"Well, flowers didn't seem right for the occasion," Sharon says, amused, as Steve starts hauling Levigne and the driver out of the backseat once more.

Gabe chuckles and shakes his head. "I guess you really can take care of yourself, and then some."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Better believe it,” Bucky laughs, as he lifts the first prisoner out of the trunk, passes him to Gabe, and reaches in for the second. “Our new agent’s a guardian angel.”

[from_the_outside]

"Just doing my part, soldier."

She looks around at the quiet chaos that is the result of the fight. "Looks like you guys did pretty good, yourselves."

[nerves_of_ice]

“One more down,” Gabe starts, and Bucky chimes in, “Another step closer.” They both nod to Steve, who nods back.

“Let’s get these prisoners over to the others,” Steve says. “Gabe, how’s the sweep going?”

“Ready for the final walkthrough, Cap,” Gabe says. “Dernier’s setting charges now.”

[from_the_outside]

Her glance catches for a moment on a knot of scraggly ex-prisoners. One of them, a lanky tow-headed young man, stares back at her in surprised recognition. She lifts a hand in a wave and offers him a faint, apologetic smile before she turns to Steve.

"Anything I can help with, Cap?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Walk through with us,” Steve says, immediately. “You saw the place from their perspective, so if there’s anything we missed you might catch it.”

[from_the_outside]

She nods and falls into step with him and Bucky as Gabe takes up a guard position with the HYDRA prisoners.

"We didn't go into Schneider's office," she tells them, "but one of his aides came from up there." She points to an upper level catwalk. "My guess is that's where it would be."

[nerves_of_ice]

Steve nods to her as Dugan approaches. "Agent Carter thinks Schneider's office was up there," he says, and the other man nods, touching his hat to her in acknowledgement of her perception.

"Looks like he liked to look down on everyone from above," he confirms. "See everything that was going on."

[from_the_outside]

"He seemed like the type," she says, dry. Dugan grabs Jim and heads up to the second level as Sharon looks around, trying to think of anything they might have missed.

[nerves_of_ice]

Very quietly, Bucky asks, "Did they have a lab? Or supplies for one?"

[from_the_outside]

She glances at him, her expression quiet and complex. "All the experimentation here was on weapons," she tells him. "There's a lab, but it's small, and all chemical research. Nothing like Azzano."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Hmm," Bucky says, and looks at Steve. "We're probably not going to find anything on Zola or Schmidt, then. More likely it'll all be mundane stuff."

Steve nods. "You're probably right, but we should check anyway. Be thorough."

"And in any case, it's another factory they don't have any more." Bucky sounds grimly satisfied. "Let's go, Cap."

[from_the_outside]

"It's this way," Sharon tells them, nodding to a corridor off to the right before directing her steps towards it. "And, honestly, it might not be Schmidt or Zola, but this stuff's bad enough. You really don't want it getting out onto the battlefields."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No, we definitely don't want that," Steve says, firmly, as they walk with her toward the corridor.

"The squad'll have swept anything we can find on paper to bring back. Your supply list will be helpful too."

Bucky stops at the door of the first room, scanning it. "Well, that's a mess of poison," he says, flatly. "No wonder the smoke looked so hideous when the first round of charges went off."

"You're right," Steve notes. "We better make sure everyone's back further than usual before we send this one up."

[from_the_outside]

"It's nasty stuff," she agrees. "I wouldn't touch any of it, if I were you."

"Don't worry," Steve tells her. "By the time Dernier's done, even this will be ash."