To protect the team, Barney had kept the real identity of their target a secret. Church had been almost fanatical that it be need to know with the rest of the group. Once they understood, no one looked twice or asked any questions. Once they landed, Barney had taken the Senator and the rest of the team had disbursed.
Ross had questioned the younger man all the way to his residence. They had devised a plan. Pratt agreed to stay at his home in California, pleading exhaustion and, the possibility of a bug, picked up on his trip. This would buy Barney the time he needed to further investigate the Senator's claims and gather the information Pratt would need to topple the Carson-Lyons kingdom.
Once back in his own place, Barney began to research. Jackson Lyons had married the daughter of Lucas Carson and learned at the feet of the master. When the marriage went south, Lyons fought tooth and nail to retain the company. After a hefty settlement, the ex walked away and Lyons had the prize. The company was worth billions with contracts all over the world. However, the biggest and most lucrative were to the US.
If what the Senator said was true and the arms dealer was supplying transports made with faulty materials, Barney wanted to put a stop to it. He had pursued Vilain to the very end for the senseless killing of Billy the Kid, their sharpshooter. He could do no less for those still putting their lives on the line.
Ross discovered that Carson-Lyons had a facility on the outskirts of town. They stored their troop transport vehicles there until they could be shipped out. That's where Barney would start his investigation. However, he needed backup. So, he found himself standing in the residence of his friend and former arms dealer, Tool.
"Barney? You damn vampire, don't you ever sleep?" Tool asked the Expendables' leader as he strolled in.
Ross chuckled, "Not normally. Well, especially not when there's a job to be done."
He had Tool's attention, "What kind of job?"
Ross began to explain what he'd been told and where he wanted to go. Tool interrupted, "And you think I can help you?"
Barney nodded, "It needs to be small and quiet. Quick recon before we move in the whole team."
"I don't know, Barney. I'm not as young as I used to be," Tool rubbed his chin, thinking about the offer being made.
"Okay, then, since you're ready for the retirement home, stay here. Just thought you might want a chance to join the action," Ross teased.
He glared at Barney, "You're no spring chicken."
"True but I'm not ready for the rocker."
"Asshole," Tool growled but he got up and headed to the back of his home; Barney following. "You wanna watch?" And Tool stripped off his shirt and reached for an all back top.
Ross held up his hands in mock defeat, "Not the kind of strip-tease I want to see." And Barney turned his back, a small smile playing across his face.
They easily accessed the lot. The security, as Tool said, was for shit. Both men were dressed in black, Barney in his traditional garb and beret. Tool had his long hair tied back with a single thong and he covered the grey with a cap like those favored by Toll. They got near one of the transports and with an awl Barney rammed a hole into the door. It went all the way thru, like a hot knife to butter.
"Holy shit," Tool whispered.
Barney grabbed his phone and snapped a picture. Tool had copies of specs from his time as an arms trader. Comparing them to the actual vehicle in front of them, the two men quickly found additional weaknesses. Barney snapped more pictures.
"What are you going to do with them?"
Ross responded, "Email them to Shady at the bar. She checks her messages every day. She'll find them and know what to do from there."
Tool nodded his understanding and the two men worked their way farther into the compound. They checked other vehicles, each with the same deficiencies. Their next stop would be the offices to discover what other things Carson-Lyons was hiding.
Inside the office, Illana Shushunoff, Lana to her friends and most of her enemies, was finishing up her day. Her official title was Chief of Security for Carson-Lyons Industries but she also functioned as personal bodyguard for the owner, Jackson Lyons. She thought she had imagined the shadows on the security monitors but, upon closer review, she made out the shadowy figures of two men, inspecting their vehicles.
"Costas," Lana called. The man came to the door and she added, "We've got visitors."
She pointed at the monitors and they watched as the men made their way up the back stairs. Granted, they were quiet and moved efficiently. However, this was the headquarters for a major arms dealer and one of their specialties was high-tech observation equipment.
"What do you want me to do with them?" Costas asked.
She smiled, "Let them come on up. We've got nothing to hide." Costas gave her a questioning look to which she responded, "We just don't have anything we're willing to share."
Barney and Tool continued to climb the stairs and slipped into the office. "You think this was way too easy?" Tool asked.
Barney gave him a quelling look but answered, "Yeah, actually, it was."
And, in plain view on the desk were pictures of properties, homes all identified as belonging to Carson-Lyons. Barney recognized one as being the very location they had just visited – where they had rescued the Senator. He took a picture with his phone and was just about to hit the send when he heard the unmistakable sound of a round being chambered.
Tool pulled his own weapon only to hear a male voice order, "Don't do it, old man."
"I'll make you think old man," Tool muttered and started to draw, only to hear Barney say, "Stand down, Tool." The older men locked gazes and Ross added, "Not here. Not now."
A female chuckled. It was a deep sound and damned if it didn't remind him of Boots. And, when she spoke, the voice had the same comfortable authority that Shady exhibited, "A wise decision." And the woman crossed to Tool and relieved him of his weapon. While she was concentrating on the other man, Barney quickly hit the send on his phone and then worked it to remove the sim card, completely disabling it. Once she was sure that the older man was unarmed, she motioned to Costas, "Take him."
Barney stepped forward, "I don't think so."
"Oh, don't worry, he's not going without you," the woman said, walking up to Ross. "But, first, let's play a game, shall we?"
"I don't like games," Barney said quietly.
She walked up to him, patting him down and removing his weapons as she had Tool's, "Too bad," she leaned in and whispered, "Games can be such fun." And she hit him in the gut with the butt of her weapon.
Barney doubled over grabbing the edge of the desk. Tool started to respond to his partner only to have a gun jammed into his neck by their male captor. Barney looked up into the woman's eyes. They were brown and cold, "That's fun?" He finally managed to ask.
She smiled but it didn't reach those cold eyes, "For me." She grabbed Ross' hand only to have him jerk it away. "Now, now, now. You're only going to make this harder than it needs to be."
It was Barney's turn to smile, "That's my specialty."
She hit him again, harder this time, and then took the weapon and pointed it at his head. Taking his hand, she grasped his forefinger and pressed it against a remote scanner. His ID popped up.
"Well, well, Mr. Barney Ross. Former U.S. military," she smiled into his face and then, still holding his finger, began to lift it backwards. "What are you doing here, Mr. Ross?"
Barney hissed but refused to answer. She narrowed her gaze and continued to apply pressure. When the man still refused to reply, Lana gave it a quick upward jerk, dislocating it.
Ross cried out in pain, dropping to his knees. Tool hit his guard across the nose with his forearm, hearing the satisfactory crunch of cartilage breaking. He reached for the woman only to have her turn immediately and put her gun in his face, "Don't do it. It's just a finger that can be reset. Your brains cannot."
Tool hesitated but it was all she needed to strike the older man across the head, knocking him out cold. She looked at her partner who was holding his bleeding nose, "You've learned a valuable lesson. Next time you won't be so lucky. Get him into the helicopter and get ready to go to the island." Her tone had no pity.
Costas nodded and grabbed up Tool, dragging him from the room. She turned back on Barney, "One more time, Mr. Ross. Why are you here?"
He looked up at her from his knees, "Go fuck yourself."
Her lip curled in disgust, "The language of the erudite soldier." She shook her head, "Too bad, Mr. Ross. It would be so much easier for you to cooperate. But, never fear, I will get the answers." And Lana doubled her fist and knocked the mercenary out cold.
After the helicopter was in the air, Lana made a phone call. When the voice answered, she explained the situation. Getting orders to her satisfaction, she hung up and began her search of known associates of one Barney Ross. Three names surfaced: Toll Road, Hale Caesar and Shady Powell. Illana Shushunoff had her targets.
