Chapter 32
“I’m sorry, general, but I failed to understand completely this time.”
Von Darke said in frustration while he was talking to Holdstein who was facing away from him to stare out of the window.
“Don’t strain yourself and just obey your orders without understanding them.” Holdstein stated firmly without turning to him.
“Is that your last saying, sir?” Von Darke asked sharply.
Holdstein turned to him slowly and coldly. “What do you want to say exactly?”
“What I want to say is that your actions lately seems a little too mysterious.”
“Colonel, do you understand what you are saying?”
“Yes, I understand just fine. Especially after you send us into the tunnels and made us look like fools while we are chasing rats and reptiles without finding a single man from the French Resistance who you claimed that you got a dependable information that they are hiding there. You even gave us a map!”
“Those spies warned them before your ambush.” Holdstein stated firmly.
“Wrong, general.” Von Darke objected sharply. “Because at the same moment we were stumbling around the tunnels like fools you were orchestrating your play to arrest the spies!”
“My play?” Holdstein’s brows furrowed dangerously.
“Yes, your play! Where you looked in front of all that you are the man who arrested the spies even though at the same time you order to not to kill them no matter what.”
The general was silent for a few seconds while burning holes in the colonel with his eyes.
“Even though it’s none of your business, Colonel, but I will tell you.” he turned back towards the window. “Those three spies are hiding a dangerous secret that could change the war. We must get that secret from them before killing them.”
“But they already fell into our hands.” Von Darke said firmly. “And we could have got that secret from them in by thousand ways, we have experts in this. But instead you ordered to let them escape easily by the help of Captain America! And prevented our men from shooting them, like you knew the Captain will come and tried to make his job much easier!”
“You obviously don’t know those three spies, colonel.” Holdstein stated angrily. “They are strong and will withstand any kind of torture we can think off. Death itself doesn’t scare them. The only way to reveal their secret is by deluding them of being free and track them secretly.”
“And how can we track them, sir?”
“We have our ways.”
Von Darke was silent for a few seconds as he stared angrily at Holdstein, who still was facing away from him.
“So these spies are hiding a secret that could change the war?” he asked dryly.
“That’s right.” Holdstein answered in boredom.
“So, surely the Führer knows about it? Or at least Herr Himmler?”
Holdstein furrowed his brows hard as he turned to the colonel.
“What do you mean, Von Darke?”
“I mean it will not hurt you if I told General Himmler, director of the Gestapo, or the Führer himself, about what you are doing here, won’t it?” The general didn’t comment but his face showed so much anger. Von Darke pull out a paper from his pocket and held it strongly. “I knew this will bother you. I knew it!”
“You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, Colonel.” Holdstein said in a low, deep voice.
“I know exactly what’s going on. I know you are after something and it is not for our country. It is personal or even treason!”
“You have gone too far, Von Darke.”
“No, I am getting closer to the truth, am I right?”
Holdstein just stared him down and Von Darke thought that his eyes almost burned with fire before the general said in a low dangerous voice: “You are not giving me another choice, Von Darke.”
The colonel took a cautious step back. “What do you mean?”
Instead of answering, Holdstein pulled out his gun so fast and shot the colonel right in the head.
Von Darke’s eyes widened in shock as the bullet pierced through his brain before he fell dead to the floor.
Calmly, Holdstein replaced his gun back in his holster. “An idiot like you will not ruin my plan.” He leaned down to take the paper from the colonel’s hand to take a look at it, before pure rage filled him. “Fucking hell!”
Because in that paper, was a direct order from Von Darke to his men to shoot Tony, Dean and Sydney in sight. Without a second thought.
***
The German captain trailed his eyes around the area in frustration.
“Spread out in the area.” He ordered his men. “Shoot them the moment you lay eyes on them and-“
Before he could finish, a crack sounded then the lights went out in the whole area suddenly.
Nervousness spread through the soldiers as they looked around.
“Light up the car’s front lights. Come on, fast!” the captain shouted as he pulled his gun out.
The soldiers rushed to their cars and reached to light them.
The moment the lights were turned on, a shield flew through the air knocking down three soldiers while another two hit the ground by Dean and Sydney who jumped down on them, then one of the drivers were thrown out of the car by Bucky.
“They’re here! Fire!”
Bucky jumped into the driver’s seat, followed by Dean in the passenger’s seat again while Steve dragged Sydney and Tony in the back as the three of them fired at the German soldiers with their stolen guns.
Bucky drove away as fast as he could and Dean fired at the German’s cars lights blowing them all up to cover the area again in darkness.
After they drove for a few minutes and were sure that they were far enough away from the soldiers they started to relax a little.
“Where to?” Dean asked looking over at Bucky.
“To a safe place.” He answered shortly while speeding up.
“Stop the car!” Tony called suddenly from the back.
Bucky immediately pressed the brakes while asking in surprise. “Stop it?”
The car stopped and everyone stared at Tony.
“What is it, Tony?” Steve asked in confusion.
“They will look for five people escaping in a stolen German military car and will be patrolling everywhere. Our best bet is to leave the car.” Tony explained while getting out of the car. Dean and Sydney following him without question.
“Man, you’re right!” Bucky exclaimed in awe as he and Steve got out.
“Good thinking.” Steve smiled at him in admiration.
Tony’s face flushed at Steve’s words and looked away to control his emotions. “Now let’s get out of here.
“Yeah, I don’t think we are going anywhere.” Dean muttered nervously while looking behind them.
Before they could ask him what he meant, lights flashed into their faces and a loud, firm German voice said: “You are surrounded. One move and we will fire!”
Behind the lights, they recognized the German uniforms.
And machine guns raised to their faces.
***
Charlie and Bruce stared with furrowed brows as they checked the ship’s biological ratings again.
“I don’t know how Dr. Queen suggested that the time traveler could be a well-built woman. The results always come back to me that they are male.” Charlie shook her head in confusion.
“He is an expert in that science. Of course he will see what computers won’t see.” Fury said firmly.
“I have to admit, the idea of artificial hibernation didn’t cross our minds.” Bruce stated looking deep in thought.
“I told you he is an expert.”
“What’s important now, what can we do we this new information?” Castiel asked Bruce and Charlie.
“Looking for the well-built woman, I guess.” Charlie shrugged uncertainly.
“Or the three time travelers who were supposedly in artificial hibernation.” Bruce added.
“Do you lean on that suggestion?” Fury wondered nervously.
“I do.” Sam announced without looking up from his work.
“You do?” Natasha asked in surprise.
He nodded while leaning back in his chair. “The ship contains four seats, which meant it probably did carry a team of four.”
“Looks like Dr. Queen is a genius, after all.” Charlie muttered.
“He is.” Fury insisted. “He didn’t see the ship’s designs and deduced the presence of four time travelers anyway. That means we have to search for three spies.”
“Not necessarily.” Castiel objected from his place next to Steve.
Fury turned sharply to him with a glare. “Dr. Queen-“
“Dr. Queen deduced that the ship carried four people. But that doesn’t mean that the four of them managed to reach our time.” Castiel cut him off firmly.
“Explain what you mean, Castiel.” Fury demanded in frustration.
Castiel’s face showed annoyance at his attitude but explained anyway. “According to what Sydney said, about being lost in time, then the crew of the ship must have faced horrors since the start of their mission until they reached our time. Some of them might have lost their lives in a time or another.” The whole room fell silent as they stared at him so he just shrugged. “This is just a theory, of course.”
“Sorry to say that, but I trust Dr. Queen more than the supernatural being who put Captain Rogers in a fucking coma.” Fury spat angrily.
Everyone tensed and turned to glare hard at Fury while Castiel just looked back at him calmly.
“I did what I have to do to save his brain.” Castiel said calmly, his face held no emotion.
“How would I know if you didn’t do it on purpose? You are not even a human. Maybe you did the ‘mistake’ of keeping that lunatic alive in the forties on purpose too!”
“You are speaking to the leader of the Avengers. Show respect.” Thor growled at him from across the room making Fury turn to him in shock.
“Leader of what? Are you insane? You let him fool you into this? I thought you are smarter than this!”
“Steve and Tony chose him and Dean as our leaders in their absence and we voted for it.” Natasha stated firmly.
“Why do you trust him?! He is an angel! They don’t care about humans. He probably just cares about his one human and would throw you all to hell without a care. ”
“Personally, I trust him more than I trust you.” Thor shrugged with a smile towards Castiel.
“Besides, this whole thing is not my fault. It is yours.” Castiel directed his words to Fury, his voice filled with ice. Fury turned towards him sharply. “What you did with Sydney caused all of this mess. My mistake was because I was too human to kill that ‘lunatic’. Yours was because you weren’t human enough to stop and actually listen to her.” Fury completely froze at his words as Castiel walked over to him until he was directly at his face. “If you looked at this mess from the start, you will realize that I was more human than you were.” Fury flinched back at his words like he was slapped. “So, you either help us clean up your mess while showing respect to everyone in this room or you leave us to bring back our loved ones that are in danger because of you in peace.”
Fury and Castiel stared down at each other until the former cracked and looked away.
“I will pay another visit to Dr. Queen and tell him your theory.” Fury muttered and stormed out of the room.
Everyone was silent for a few seconds then whooped loudly and clapped enthusiastically making Castiel look at them in confusion.
“That was so badass!” Clint laughed loudly. “I finally saw the day that someone managed to make Fury speechless!”
“If Tony was here I am pretty sure he would have built a statue for you in the middle of New York.” Bruce chuckled softly with a shake of his head.
“Glad you finally realized this isn’t your fault, Cas.” Sam smiled at him while Natasha looked at him approvingly.
Castiel flushed at their words and gave them a small smile. He had to believe this wasn’t his fault. He had to bring their loved ones back safe and in one piece.
And he will not let Fury or anyone shake him. Not again.