Chapter 2
I watch as Austin drives down the dirt road till the taillights become stars in the dark. I head back inside and start turning off the lights and locking up for the night.
I headed upstairs to take a nice long bath as today was hectic. First, the cattle got out because Jesse(the lead cow) broke the fence again so I had to go get Austin and Ryan from school to help me. Then Astro, Katies horse, started to have diarrhea and other problems so he’s at the animal clinic and who knows how much that's going to cost me and then Duke, our dog, ran off on the property and it took me three hours to find the damn thing. Then our bull Max got out again and was terrorizing the poor chickens! I think I more than deserve a bath today but it’s getting late and I’m getting tired.
Once I’m done with my shower I head to my bedroom which used to be my parents but I ended up renovating it because let's be honest, it wasn’t being used. Ever.
I turn on the t.v and watch as yet another dead end update flashes across the screen. A couple days ago the Winter Soldier and Hydra hit D.C. and were after Captain America. He’s pretty banged up and is in the hospital at the moment but other than that America’s ass is ok. Natasha, Black Widow, was attacked too but from there she seems ok. But no one knows where the Winter Soldier is. He fell into the River with Captain but his body wasn’t recovered nor has there been any sign of him either. It’s frightening, but it’s also worrying.
The government has no idea who he is nor do they know where. It makes me nervous when the kids are out on their own but why would a super soldier be here?
The only information we have about the Winter Soldier was that he was kidnapped by Hydra and brainwashed. That’s all the news provided the public with. This poor man has no idea who he is, what he’s doing or even what he’s done and they’re hunting him like a wild beast. It’s not his fault he was kidnapped and brainwashed into being Hydra’s servant.
Suddenly, from outside a whirlwind of commotion starts. All the animals are freaking out and I can hear Duke barking at the door. I reach over into my nightstand draw and pull out my glock before heading downstairs.
“Duke! Here boy!” I whisper. Duke comes running over to me and stands between my legs, a command Austin taught him.
“Duke, stay.” I command as I head towards the door. I peep through the kitchen window but all I can see on the wrap-around porch is the back of someone. The arm of their shirt is blood stained which only puts me on edge.
“Who’s there?” I creep around the corner of the mudroom. No one answers.
“I said, who's there?” I walk up to the door and slowly unlock it. I flick on the porch light and open the door slightly.
The first thing I notice are his eyes. They’re as bright and blue as the ocean but it's almost like somethigs clouding them. HIs hair is a dark brown above shoulder length, slightly wavy. As I look him up and down when I see it. His metal arm shining through the night. The dull red star on his shoulder stands out on the bright metal.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I don’t know.” He pleads. I look at him. I mean I really look at him. He’s got blood stains all over his combat gear but his eyes. They’re bright but haunting. Like there’s something he’s keeping inside that he’s too scared to let out.
I know I should lock the house, run to my room and call the police but something inside me pleads for me not to. Something inside me tells me I need to help him, that there’s something the news is keeping from us.
“Come in.” I open the door enough for him to walk in. I quickly close the door and lock it, turning off the porch light.
“How’d you get here?” I slip my glock into my waist band as I walk over to the sink and take out a first aid kit from underneath it.
“I don’t know. Things are…..there’s a lot of gaps.” He replies in a small voice.
“That’s ok. How about you leave your boots in the mud room? Then I’ll show you to the bathroom and we can get a look at those wounds, ok?” The man follows my instructions almost like it’s some kind of instinct.
We head over to the master bathroom that's part of my bedroom and I have him sit on the toilet. I help him out of his combat gear, shirt only, as it’s covered in complex straps and buckles. When he peels the shirt off I wince. He’s got all kinds of scraps, bullet holes, and bruises.
“You’ve got three bullet wounds in your back and a couple of scratches. The scratches aren’t deep so they won’t need any stitches but I’m gonna need to get those bullets out of ya.” He nods and says nothing.
“Do you want any alcohol? To numb the pain?” I ask as I pull out a pair of needle nose tweezers, gauze and everything else I’ll need.
“No. I’ve been through worse than a small bullet wound.”
“If you say so.” I go ahead and start on the first wound. It’s right behind his right shoulder blade. I slowly reach in with my needle nose tweezers. Blood starts to gush out as I pull the first one out. I expect him to wince or tense up but he just sits there. He just sits there and stares at the sink with an empty look on his face.
I patch him up and make sure he’s all good. I tell him to take a shower and I’ll see what clothes I can find for him.
Twenty minutes later I found an only blue t-shirt from an ex a couple years ago. Compared to how buff this guy is, it might be too small. I found an old pair of boxers and sweats too. I set them on the bathroom sink and wait for him to finish. In the meantime I open my phone and try to gather some information on who the Winter Soldier was.
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Word Count: 1093