.

.

.

"And I placed your glasses in the top drawer next to where you sleep."

Something for her to see with if we had to make use of the dark.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." With those words, she disappeared into the bedroom again. Tablet still clutched to her.

'What the hell is she caught up in...?' I wondered, pulling a cushion to the floor to sit on. Setting up the laptop next to me while I returned to the page of Bring Forth Repressed Memories through Hypnosis on the older tablet.

It was easy enough to tell there was more to what the A.I. ghost had her doing. Something they didn't want me involved in. Be it secrets or danger.

Valeriy returned, blindly trying to navigate the straight hallway while reading the tablet. Glasses perched on her nose and a blanket draped around her shoulder. The edge of which scraped at the back of my neck as she climbed behind me.

Wrap blanket around neck. Target inca –

Her fingers crossed my vision.

Grab wrist and –

They combed through my hair. Lightly scratching at my scalp. Curling the locks around my ear.

"...So... we're running low on food," Valeriy pointed out.

"Sorry," I apologised. Having ate most of it.

"Bucky, you need to eat. Was just asking if you wanted to make a shopping list." She handed me her phone with a grin. "Whatever you want. I'll see if I can get it."

The side of her head dropped onto my shoulder. I could feel my own tilting towards her. Lightly resting against hers.

I could hear her scrolling on her tablet. From my periphery, all I could make sense of what she was going over were files. Personnel files. Each one of them above the age of fifty from the pictures.

Cinnamon buns.

That was all I could think of when I stared at the phone in my hand.

Pulled pork sandwiches.

Maybe there was something similar to the ones at the park where we met.

Frozen Pepperoni pizza.

Something the A.I. ghost had gotten more often than other things back at the house.

Plums.

Mentioned in the article I was reading.

Cinnamon buns.

I turned to Valeriy to ask what she wanted, but the face on her tablet....

I knew it.

"I know that face."

'But from where?'

"You do? Dude's old as shit. He's born in the 50s? Yeah, 1953."

"I don't care! I want his son killed in front of him! The bastard should think twice before crossing me again."

"Wh-why do you have someone from Hydra on-on your...?"

"...'Kay. Let me make a note for Eve about that... and this tablet is just files about anyone who's anybody who might... uhhh request the... services of.... Yeah...."

There could be more faces I'd recognise in there. People with pull. Someone with enough clearance that I'd see their face.

"You know what, if I recall properly... he should be at one of our stops. On a trip with his grandkids according to their... Twitter...? We can –"

"No. Whatever you're thinking, no. You're not going anywhere near this man, Val –"

"Oh why not? Why is everybody telling me to stay away from them?"

"Hydra's dangerous! They're not some game!"

"But –"

"He's protected! You're not going to get anywhere near the man! He's dangerous!!"

"It's not like I'm a child."

"You are, and pouting like that isn't helping your case."

She huffed, settling down again and flicking her fingers across the screen. A new picture showed up. A woman. An unfamiliar one.

I grabbed the other tablet. Staring at the black screen.

'Are they... are they searching for an assassin...?'

Was that why they didn't want me to be a part of it?

Were they going to use an assassin...?

Trying to shake off the thought, I typed in:

Foods that improve memory.

Avocados. Dark chocolate. Beets. Blueberries. Strawberries. Acai berries.

I added each to the growing list.

"There's a lot of fruits on this list..." Valeriy said over my shoulder.

"They might help with memory," I replied, head tilting back at the fingers combing through my hair.

"Hmmm.... Memory, huh? Remind me in a couple of days to ask Amber if she has something in her greenhouse or blends that'd help."

"Yes please. I'd... like that."

"I already asked her to help with whatever Hydra did to you.... Huh...? Red and purple oranges?"

"The ones you're always eating," I expanded.

"...Those... aren't oranges, Bucky."

'...That explains why I keep getting blood orange instead....'

Whenever I searched them up on Google. The colours were just off. Nothing as brightly colored.

"They're pros."

"Pros...?"

"P.R.O. Purple red orange, so PROs. Amber created a mandarin orange based fruit due to my poor eating habits.... We have a bunch of them. A drawer full."

"...I... may have ate most of them...."

Sixteen of them.

"...How are you not shitting your guts out...? Those can't be eaten at such vast quantities.... Then again, you've got quite the body...."

"Wha-what are they supposed to do?"

"Provide nutrients? All of it? So long as a person eats two or three of those a day, they get everything they need. Just have to take in calories after that."

"I... I –"

"Don't worry about it. If you're not having stomach problems already, you're safe, I guess? Five and a half is my limit. Reaction's immediate."

"No. There's only one left...."

"Oh.... Oh well. It'll be fine."

"But...."

"We'll be where we need to be soon enough. And my bracelet will let me know when I start fucking up my body again."

"...."

.

. ** .

.

The red dot on the phone screen had stayed in the same area for the last 28 minutes. Moving around in a serpentine pattern across the block.

8 new bodies joined the park grounds after Valeriy left. None of them had a familiar face to me. Still couldn't rule out the possibility that a face could have slipped through the cracks of my mind. The memories unreachable. Or no longer there. And they could send those who I've never seen after me.

Anybody could be Hydra.

A ring next to me caused me to flinch.

The phone.

Immediately, I followed the instructions on the screen. Dragging my finger across the screen and placing the phone to my ear.

I dare not say anything. Trying to hear what was on the other end.

An array of the same beep from different distances from her phone.

A rustling of what sounds like a thin plastic bag after the loudest beep.

A squeak of a wheel rolling and fading away.

Metal clattering.

Was Valeriy taken?

"Buddy? Hello?"

No stress in her voice. Light and airy, as per usual.

"...Buddy? You there...?"

"...Yes."

"What do you want for dinner? I checked Google and I'm thinking pizza or... I think it's Mediterranean...? Either of those sound yum to you? Or I can make another round in Safeway and give spaghetti another shot...?"

With a sigh, I said, "Mediterranean. Anything is fine."

I can't even remember what kind of food goes into that category. But it's something new.

"Alright," she chirped. "See you in a – Hey!"

Stress. I could hear it through that single word.

"I knew it. You are a little cutie, aren't you? What are you doing hiding such beautiful hair under this ratty old thing?"

My stomach dropped.

A stranger's voice. Male. Young. Muffled slightly by something. Likely fabric of some sort.

A huff was the loudest thing I could hear. A huff I knew belonged to Valeriy. "I'd like my hat back. Thank you."

A rustle of fabric sounded much like static over the call.

I could just manage to hear a heartbeat softly speeding up by the second.

"Val-Valentina...?"

"Oh, so cute," the male cooed. "Aww. Not going to jump some more?"

"Do not throw that hat in the rubbish. It belonged to my dead grandfather." The lie rolling right out of her with warning.

"Is that a slight accent I hear? Where are you from? How long have you been here? I haven't seen you around before. I'd definitely know a sweetie like you."

There was a stutter to the heartbeat before it got louder and everything else more muffled.

"Sorry. Not interested. Hat. Ple – "

"Hang up and come join my friends and I. You'll have the time of your life. I promise. We know the best spot to watch the sunset and the best club in the city. I'd enjoy seeing what other sexy tattoos you have."

"Seriou – Do not touch me."

"Did I not say to hang u – "

A couple of beeps and then silence.

.

.

.

Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

I'm not posting everyday, but I thought it would be fun for the weekend to have two.