Molly's eyes snapped open in time to see the rotors of a heavy drilling machine break through the wall of rock.
Relief flooded through her as the machine powered down. Trench Mauser stuck his head out of the machine.
"I'm back," he said through his cigar. Barney deflated.
"How're ya doin', Trench?" he asked grimly. Molly elbowed him.
"What he means to say, is 'Thank you for coming and rescuing us from certain death,'" Molly grinned.
"Hey! Don't go inflating his ego anymore than it already is!" Barney complained, picking up his gun.
"We're even now, right?" Trench asked Barney. He nodded.
"How'd you even know where we were?" he wondered. Trench laughed.
"Your medic, she called my demolitions man, said that you may be getting into a rough spot. I figured I might as well help, seeing as she did sew up my leg after I got shot," Trench commented, grinning.
Barney scowled as he watched Molly hug the dark haired Scot, a few yards away. He would have to talk to her about going behind his back.
"Well, thanks. I'll be seeing you around," Barney said in a clipped tone.
"Relax, it's not over yet," Trench stated.
"What?"
"That's right," Trench spoke as a black Hummer pulled up. Church got out of it. "How did you think I found you?"
"How ya doin', pal?" Church greeted.
"I was doing pretty good," Barney grumbled. He was going to kill Molly. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard there was a party in town."
"Yeah, but it's my party," Barney did not want to have to deal with the CIA on this one.
"Has he always been this selfish?" Church wondered.
"Always," Trench confirmed.
"Don't be too mad with the Booker girl, Barney, if she hadn't called Danny over there, you'd still be underground," Church clapped him on the arm.
"Hey, Church, you got any nail strips?" Molly wondered, glancing at her watch. The convoy bearing the plutonium and Vilain would be there any time.
"Yeah, look in the back," Church said.
Hastily, Danny helped Molly spread out a few nail strips across the road leading into the parking lot of the airport. They wouldn't stop all of the trucks, but it would slow them down.
The lead driver was obviously stubborn as hell, because he floored it as soon as the front tires hit the nail strips.
Molly watched as the rims made sparks fly across the pavement.
"We are so f*cked," she said, stuffing another few ammo magazines into her pocket.
As Barney, Church, and Trench shot through the frosted windows of the airport, Molly was behind them, trying to unjam her rifle slide.
"Watch out for the goddamn civilians!" she snarled.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Little Wolf," Trench shot over his shoulder as they ducked behind a wide, circular desk for cover.
"My panties are none of your business, Trench Mauser," she spat viciously, shrinking behind the desk as bullets peppered their position.
Whoever was shooting paused. Molly's eyes lifted to the figure on the balcony.
"It's about f*cking time, Dad!" she shouted at John Booker.
"Patience is a virtue, Marie," he called back. She rolled her eyes as she stood and fired upon the remaining Sang in the room.
"Job well done, gentlemen," Molly said, looking around all the dead bodies. She slung her gun over her shoulder and looked around, searching for her father and the rest of the team. "Anybody hurt?" she called.
Bruised bones and grazes were all there were to tend to. The CIA boys that Church had brought with him were a lot whinier than any mercenaries she'd ever handled.
"Please tell me, Danny, that you are here bearing news of our imminent departure," she said sarcastically when the demo man approached.
"Actually, I was told by yer Swede tha' ye were lackin' fuse," he said, brandishing a spool of thick, green string.
Molly took it and shoved it into her musette bag.
"Much obliged. You seen Barney anywhere?" she asked as they began to walk outside. Helicopters were landing and behind loaded up with men.
"He was giving a dismembered head to Church and Trench," Danny said cheerfully. Molly cringed in disgust.
"Nasty. I'd better go find out my marching orders. See ya later," she tapped two fingers to her brow in a lazy salute.
"Lieutenant Booker, just the person I wanted to see," Church said jovially. Molly raised her brow as Barney and Maggie said goodbye a few yards away.
"That's not very comforting, Mr. Church," she said grimly.
"Just hear him out, Marie," John Booker spoke from within the helicopter.
"Where the hell are you going?" Molly scoffed.
"Your boss just killed all my business," Booker pointed out to his daughter. Molly bristled, preparing to chew him out.
"Look, Lieutenant, the CIA is severely lacking in able medics-"
"I'm not going to go back into action, Mr. Church, I've had enough of watching kids get killed," Molly cut him off.
"I want you to train them, that is, if Barney can bear to let you go," Church said simply. Molly pursed her lips.
"Thanks for the offer, sir, but I ain't fit for ranks and orders anymore. I've already got a team."
"Well, if you ever change your mind..."
"I won't," Molly said firmly. She peered around Church, "Dana know you're moving her?"
"She will soon enough. They're gonna drop me off. You wanna come?"
"Actually, I've got you and the Little Rascals a ride home," Church spoke to Barney.
Molly climbed into the bi-plane and sat down in the back.
"You know where you're going, Barney?" she called to the front. He waved his hand.
"Yeah, yeah, Molly, I'll get us there."
John Booker was already embracing his family when the Expendables made the hike up to the cabin.
"Lolly!" Adrian broke away from John to run up to Molly. Christmas took her gun from her just in time for her to catch him in mid air.
"Hey, kid, you been behaving for Ma?" she asked sternly, letting him rest on her hip as she continued forward.
Adrian nodded eagerly.
"Your friend is sleeping, Molly," Dana said gently as Molly set Adrian down on the ground. Molly glanced back at Barney.
"I'm gonna go check on him," she said swiftly before ducking inside. She kicked off her mud splattered boots in the entryway and headed on down the hall.
Billy was sleeping on the mattress, the blankets drawn up to his chest. Molly leaned in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest.
He looked almost childlike in sleep. There was no tension on his face, and his brow was free of wrinkles.
Molly was just about to go back outside when he spoke.
"You gonna stand there watching me or come tell me everybody's alive?" he murmured, opening his brilliantly blue eyes.
"You're supposed to be asleep," Molly said, easing into the room. He smiled and started to sit up. "Hey, you stay right there, mister, you'll tear your stitches!" Molly said severely, dropping to her knees by the bed.
Billy rolled his eyes as she lifted the hem of his t shirt up enough to investigate the white gauze. She peeled it back to reveal white, spongy skin. The red line and black sutures were an ugly mar upon the flesh.
"Everybody ok?" Billy asked as she checked over him.
"Yeah. Barney got the hell beat out of him by Vilain, but he'll live. I think they're staying for supper before they head home. If you promise to stay still, you can come out and sit on the couch," Molly said.
"You gonna come with us?" Billy asked warily, trying to meet her gaze. She kept her eyes trained on his injury.
"I don't know."
Hale and Gunnar made supper a lively affair by recounting old exploits. Adrian refused to sit anywhere but on Toll's lap. Dana was a little unnerved by all the big, bulky men who had taken up residence in her living room, so she was glued to her husband and step daughter's sides.
Barney and John sat quietly, drinking their beers, smiling lightly.
"So, what's the verdict, Kid, can you make the flight home?" Barney asked when conversation died down. Billy glanced at Molly, who held a glass of water in one hand.
"That's up to the nurse," he said simply. Molly met Barney's eyes.
"He'll be fine," she shrugged.
As Hale began ribbing Billy about being a 'good patient', Barney jerked his head towards the door. Molly handed her glass of water to Dana and followed her leader outside.
The sun had set, but the sky was still light. Molly could see a single, bright star on the northern horizon.
"So, you coming back to Louisiana with us?" Barney asked bluntly. It was one thing she had always appreciated about him as a leader. Barney Ross never minced words.
"If you've got room in your plane," she shrugged.
"There gonna be any problems with you and Billy?" Barney cocked a brow. Molly pressed her lips together and looked away from him. "Come on, Booker, you two haven't said a word to each other all night-"
"It won't be an issue," she snapped.
"Alright," Barney nodded. He trusted her implicitly. If she said there wouldn't be a problem, he would believe her. Molly wasn't one to stir the pot.
That night, camp was set up in the living room. Billy tried to argue Molly into taking her bed back.
"Of the two of us, Kid, which one was brutally stabbed in the stomach?" she asked patiently, shoving her belongings into her duffel bag. She didn't want to waste time packing in the morning.
"Come on, Molly-" she turned and he was right there, less than an inch away from her. Molly took an immediate step back into the cabinet. Billy's hand snatched out to steady her. She jerked away from him. "I don't want things to be weird between us," Billy stated. Her cheeks burned.
"Then they won't be," she said firmly, stepping past him, "you should lay down, or you'll tear your stitches."
"Stay in touch, Marie," John Booker told his daughter sternly, giving her an impersonal, awkward side hug.
"You, too, Dad," she said.
Nobody failed to notice how stiffly polite they were being to one another.
Dana hugged Molly tightly.
"Be safe, fiica mea," that, for some reason, made Molly's eyes get over bright. She gave Dana another squeeze.
"Te iubesc," Molly said firmly before crouching down to a crying Adrian.
"Don't go, Lolly, please!" he flung his arms around her neck. Molly rubbed her brother's back comfortingly.
"Hey, now, Adrian, no crying. I'll see you soon, I promise. You guys can come and visit me, how does that sound?"
He nodded once, sniffling.
"Alright. You be good, now," she said, straightening.
"Molly, take Chinook," Dana looked down at the Rottweiler. Molly frowned, looking from Barney to her father and back at her step mother.
"As long as it doesn't crap in my plane," Barney said gruffly.
"He's getting old. He's not much of a guard dog any more," Booker agreed. Molly grinned and whistled for Chinook. He trotted up beside her obediently, his tail stub wagging.
"I'll see you when I see you," she told Dana and Adrian.
