Chapter 271: Assault on Eagle Fort
Alexander Dunning, a defense contractor with mob connections, may sound impressive, but in reality, he's just an arms dealer, not unlike Viktor Bout.
If one must draw a distinction between them, Viktor believes business is business; he's simply responsible for selling weapons to those in need, always defining himself as a businessman.
The goods he sells just happen to be weapons capable of taking lives.
Dunning, on the other hand, sees himself as a kingmaker, constantly using money to boost his business, then using the proceeds to bribe even more officials.
To further his profits, he even spends heavily lobbying Congress to launch more protracted wars.
Perhaps aware of his numerous crimes, Dunning is particularly concerned about his own safety, building his residence high in the Colorado Rockies and naming it Eagle Fort.
Ron and the others are currently outside this compound.
"Boss, why do I have to wear this ridiculous outfit? I look like I'm heading to Comic-Con!" Marvin tugged at his red and blue bodysuit in frustration.
Beside him, sprawled in the snow, were Joe in a black suit, Frank in dark blue, Sarah in a black leather jacket, and Ron in a red and gold outfit.
If any Marvel fan saw them, they'd surely exclaim, "Avengers!"
Indeed, they were wearing cosplay costumes of the Avengers superheroes: Ron as Iron Man, Joe as Black Panther, Frank as Captain America, and Sarah as Black Widow.
"No particular reason, just to help conceal your identities. Besides, don't you think these outfits suit what we're doing? Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Ron said with a grin.
He had every reason to be pleased. Marvin and Frank, persuaded by Joe, had already agreed to join his team, giving the Los Angeles Veterans Club two new members.
With their expertise, if Ron ever needs to leave for an extended mission in the future, he won't have to worry about security. With the skills of these veterans, they're more than capable of keeping his assets protected.
Frank's girlfriend, Sarah, is somewhat displeased, though, because Ron seems to dislike her and didn't even want to include her on this mission.
In Ron's words, Sarah was dead weight.
"What's the plan?" Frank asked. "Besides Dunning's personal security team, there's a small FBI surveillance unit monitoring his movements 24/7. Any move we make will draw their attention."
"If you ask me, we should..."
"Let me guess—disguise ourselves as Middle Eastern arms buyers looking to make a deal and use a business meeting as cover to get close to him?" Ron casually outlined Frank's plan, and Frank's jaw dropped in surprise.
"How did you know my plan?"
"Come on, you old-school operatives only have a few plays in your playbook. Too complicated." Ron shook his head. "I've got a simpler approach."
"Which is?"
"Direct assault." Ron put on the Iron Man helmet and picked up his radio. "Toretto, you ready?"
"All set, boss." Toretto's voice crackled through the radio.
"Then let's light this candle!"
Ron had barely finished speaking when a massive fuel tanker, originally bound for a nearby truck stop, suddenly changed course and accelerated toward Eagle Fort.
"Stop! Stop or we'll open fire!" The FBI agents' warnings went unheeded, and just as they were about to shoot, a black Dodge Charger suddenly dropped from beneath the tanker and roared toward the main gate.
The driver's door flew open, and a muscular, bald man rolled out and dove behind the car. Before the FBI agents could get a clear shot, the Charger peeled out and disappeared into the night.
The driverless tanker, far from stopping, actually accelerated, FBI bullets sending sparks flying off its armored sides. After smashing through two Bureau vehicles blocking its path, it crashed straight through Eagle Fort's main entrance.
"SHOWTIME!" Ron suddenly stood up and pressed a button on his detonator.
"BOOM!" The remote-controlled explosive ignited nearly fifteen thousand gallons of diesel fuel, creating a massive fireball that instantly engulfed the FBI team and Dunning's security forces around Eagle Fort.
The shockwave made Ron's white winter camouflage flutter dramatically. The four men lying in the snow were stunned by Ron's pyrotechnic display.
"What are you waiting for? The door's wide open now." With that, Ron took point and strolled toward Eagle Fort as casually as if he were walking into a Starbucks.
"Sarah, maintain overwatch. Everyone else, follow me," Frank instructed his girlfriend, then led the three veterans past Ron and charged inside.
Gunfire echoed through Eagle Fort, and by the time Ron casually entered, all of Dunning's bodyguards had been neutralized by the three old-timers, and Dunning himself was zip-tied on the floor.
"Outstanding work, gentlemen," Ron glanced at his Rolex. "You've got fifteen minutes before FBI and CIA backup arrives. Clock's ticking."
"Who the hell are you people?!"
"Don't recognize us?" Frank grabbed Dunning's head and forced eye contact. "But we remember you. Back in '91, you left a real mess in Guatemala, and we got stuck cleaning it up. Who was the asset you extracted from Guatemala?"
Frank instinctively knew this person's identity was crucial.
Far from panicking, Dunning actually laughed. "Ha! I'd advise you not to get mixed up in this. For starters, you can't touch me..."
"CRACK!" Ron backhanded him, knocking out two of Dunning's teeth.
"Where's that confidence coming from?" Ron cracked his knuckles menacingly, then picked up an ice axe and smashed a hole in the frozen ground.
Dunning looked confused. "What are you planning to do? You think you can intimidate me with garden tools? You're wrong, I..."
"SMACK!" Ron slapped him again. "Shut up and listen!"
"I heard somewhere that if a person's extremities get frostbitten badly enough, they lose all feeling. I've always wanted to test that theory." Ron's face behind the mask showed a sadistic grin. "It's currently twenty-six degrees Fahrenheit outside. Water refreezes in two to three minutes.
I just need to cut a hole in your pants and dunk your most precious asset in that icy water. It'll only take a couple minutes, and you can give me a firsthand report on the results. What do you say we conduct this little experiment?"
(End of chapter)
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