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sjsmith56 · 12 hours

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The Trap, Chapter 23 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: While Lacey and the Barton’s deal with the discovery she’s been tracked to the farm, Bucky and the Wakandans realize the auction is a trap.

Length: 4.7 K

Characters: Almost everyone.

Warnings: Violence causing injury.

Author notes: More heroic Bucky (I find it hot 🔥).

<<Chapter 22

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Barton's Farm

As soon as Lacey and Terry walked through the portal onto Clint's farm, she and Tommy ran to each other with their arms outstretched. He almost bowled her over when he hugged her. There were several minutes of crying and kissing they both had to get through before they could speak.

"I wanted to hurt that tattooed man who took you," said Tommy to his mother. "I could tell he was bad just by how he looked at you."

"He didn't hurt me," replied Lacey, "but he turned me over to a man and a woman so they could sell me. Your Dad and another man rescued me."

"He rescued me, too," stated Tommy. "We made up. Did you make up with him?"

"Yeah, I made up with him," she answered, with a big smile. "We worked it out. When he's finished his mission, he'll come here."

"He's an Avenger, Mom," boasted the boy. "My Dad is an Avenger."

She hugged him. For so long he had only known Bucky via her phone, then they both had to live with sorrow when they thought he was dead. Now he was one of a group of heroes and she could see the pride in Tommy's face as he talked about his dad.

Standing up with her arm around Tommy's shoulders she looked at the farm, remembering much of it. Clint and Laura strode up to them and she hugged them both.

"Thank you for looking after him," she said emotionally. "I'm still short of a few memories and they come back at the weirdest times so if I laugh or cry out of turn, you'll know why."

"What about you and Bucky?" asked Clint. "Have you made up?"

Lacey smiled remembering the previous two days. "Yeah, we made up," she repeated, then put her arm around Tommy. "He said we're getting married as soon as we can."

"I'd like to walk you down the aisle then," said Clint.

"Laura, would you be my matron of honour?" asked Lacey. "I'm not even sure when we're going to do it but you were my closest girl friend for a long time. That I do remember."

"It would be my honour," said Laura. "Come on in ... you too, Terry, and have something to eat."

They all went inside where over breakfast Lacey told them everything that happened from when her memory was taken from her through to her old memories returning and the rescue at the airfield. Clint told her about the mission in Madripoor and how Bucky had taken a leadership role in planning the rescue and destruction of the lab.

"Why did that Sharon woman sell me?" asked Lacey. "It was like she hated me from the moment she saw me."

Clint looked at Tommy, not sure if he should say in front of him but the boy looked at his mother and put his hand on hers. "She was jealous of you, Mom," he said. "She had a thing for Dad, and he wouldn't even look at her that way. I heard some of her guards talking about it and laughing that he loved you over her."

"It's true," said Clint. "The scientist she found to recreate the serum said her goal was to remove Bucky's memories and reprogram him to be her lover and chief of security. He was to be in charge of a team of super soldiers that answered to her. She tested the memory machine on you but only once, thinking it was enough. The man she sold you to, Sergei Dendrov? He's one of the men who came looking for the flash drive at your house when you first met Bucky. It's likely he killed your brother Tom, as well."

"Terry said Tom was dead," replied Lacey. "I guess I have to wait for all the memories of that time to return. I do remember that man looking at me in the car like I was ... nothing, then driving to an airfield near New York and giving me to another man and woman. They spoke another language the whole time which I realized at some point in the flight was Russian. That's when my memories began returning. If they hadn't, what would they have done with me?"

Clint shrugged. "You were a blank slate," he said. "I'm guessing you would have been trained to become an assassin. That auction they were flying you to is a high level affair apparently. If Bucky and the Wakandans are successful at infiltrating it they could put a serious dent into several traffickers, not just the ones that had you."

Lacey nodded her head soberly. It had been a brief glimpse into a sordid world for her, one that almost swallowed her up. Perhaps it was something that she could write about in a future book. She smiled, realizing she just remembered she was a writer. Another memory rebuilding in her mind. She looked at her brother, still getting used to seeing him as an adult, then at her son. He had his own experiences that would need dealing with but she was sure Bucky could help him with that once he returned. She wondered if Bucky and the Wakandans had started the final part of their mission yet.

"Just come back to us," she thought, sending her wish to Bucky.

She rubbed her hands over her arms, feeling a little chill suddenly. There was a bump on her left tricep and she felt it closely, not recalling how she got it at first. It must have shown on her face as Clint looked at her with some concern.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, I hope," she replied, then she turned her arm to him. "Can you see a bump here on my tricep? I don't recall having it before."

Clint looked closely at it and ran his fingertip over it. It was hard, about the size of a grain of rice, and it looked like there was a small puncture wound at one end of it. Quickly he went to a cupboard in the kitchen and pulled out the first aid kit.

"Laura, get some rubbing alcohol," he said. "Clean all around that bump." He pulled a razor out of the first aid kit and poured the rubbing alcohol over it then held it over Lacey's arm. "Take a deep breath. This might hurt a little."

Gently he sliced open the skin over the bump. Laura doused some forceps with the rubbing alcohol and handed them to Clint. As Lacey took another deep breath he inserted the forceps into the cut and grasped the bump pulling it out, revealing it to be a small electronic device. Carefully he looked at it then dropped it on the floor and smashed it with his heel while Laura put a bandage on Lacey's arm.

"We have to get out of here," he said suddenly. "Where are the kids?"

"The boys are at the treehouse," said Laura. "Lila's upstairs. Clint, what was that?"

"A tracking device," he said, looking intently at Lacey. "You don't remember them putting it in your arm?"

Her face was shocked, and she racked her brains trying to think when they could have done it. "The man on the jet injected me with something before we landed," she cried. "I thought it was something to knock me out, but it didn't."

"He injected you with a tracker, probably to lead them to Tommy," said Clint. "It was a setup. I have to get the boys."

"Let me go," offered Tommy. "I'm faster than you, Uncle Clint. I can get there and bring them back."

Clint hesitated for a moment. "Go," he ordered Tommy who took off as fast as he could. "Terry, come out to the barn with me. I have weapons there."

"What about the protection spell?" he asked as he ran to the barn with Clint. "It's what gave us enough time to escape when they came for Lacey and Tommy before."

"No, it's not on anymore," said Clint. "Once I was back I told them I could handle it. We can try texting Wong but I'm guessing the traffickers will be here within minutes."

They went into Clint's workshop, and he pressed a button, opening a secret room that Terry never knew existed the whole time they were living on the farm during the Blip. Clint pulled out several handguns and magazines to fit, handing them to Terry. Then he pulled out his bow and a quiver of arrows. Pressing the button to close the room they ran back to the house at the same time as Tommy showed up carrying Nathaniel on his back, with Cooper trying to keep up. Clint pulled Cooper inside where Laura had already closed all the windows and with Lila's and Lacey's help moved heavy furniture in front of them to keep anyone from coming in.

"I called Fury," she said. "They're under attack but will send help as soon as they can. They're also sending backup to the chateau in France where the auction is." She looked grimly at Clint and Terry. "They think it was all a trap to lure Bucky in. The leader of the trafficking cartel has been identified as Viktor Orlov, former KGB General and former HYDRA."

Only the presence of his children kept Clint from swearing. He looked at his three and then at Tommy. "Get into the storm cellar below the stairs," he said. "I want you down there while we handle the intruders up here."

"Uncle Clint, I can help," offered Tommy. "I know how to fight."

"I know son," replied Clint, smiling fondly at the boy. "But your Dad would want me to make sure you're safe. If they get to us up here, you'll have your chance, but I hope it doesn't come to that. Now get down there and stay quiet."

Clint looked at Lacey, unsure if she was strong enough in her current state to handle a gun. With a steely look she picked up a handgun, loaded a magazine into it and grabbed two more magazines.

"Where do you want me?" she asked.

They built a barricade of more furniture and all of them got into it except Clint who had kept part of one window open so he could see outside. They waited and within minutes several vehicles pulled up well away from the house. Each vehicle held four people, male and female, all of them fully armed. Clint looked back at Laura, meeting her eyes with his. They smiled at each other then he nodded his head, notched an arrow into his bow and let it fly through the open window to the closest vehicle, blowing it up and knocking several of the intruders onto their backs. Without hesitation he did the same to the next vehicle, taking out more of the intruders at the same time. The others got smart at that point and split up, surrounding the house before opening fire and driving all of them to take cover inside. They could see several people come up onto the porch and break the windows from the outside, trying to push the heavy furniture out of the way. Terry went to one of the windows and with his handgun shot wildly from a small opening before hitting the floor. He knew he hit several people as he heard their bodies hitting the porch deck. Changing to another window he did the same but Clint told him to get back to the barricade before he got shot. Reluctantly he climbed back over the furniture and took his place.

"Man of the house!" yelled a person from outside with a Russian accent. "Give us the boy and we'll leave you alone. Surely the life of your own children and your wife is worth one small boy."

Clint looked at Lacey and Terry. "Not happening," he yelled firmly. "You leave and you'll get to live."

Those outside opened up again and fired incessantly on the house. Several shots made their way inside, hitting the opposite walls. Then a flash bang landed indoors and went off, stunning all of them. As they coughed and tried to get their senses back they heard the sound of one of the pieces of heavy furniture being moved and footsteps entering the house. All of them looked up to see several high powered assault rifles aimed at them.

"Checkmate," said the same voice that had yelled from outside. "Drop your weapons."

"Drop yours," said a voice from the stairs and Wong sent an energy pulse through all of the armed intruders causing them to collapse. He turned to look at Clint. "Sorry, we're late. We had to deal with the attack on the compound before we came here. It appears they hoped to take us all down at the same time."

Clint went over to the intruders and pulled their guns away from them. Then he went to the storm cellar door and opened it. The kids looked up the stairs at him and he motioned for them to come up. Nathaniel came up first and hugged his parents, followed by Tommy, who hugged Lacey and Terry. Clint then went to where the intruders had entered and saw the rest of them under guard of several MPs. He turned back to Wong.

"What about Bucky and the Wakandans?" he asked. "Was it really a trap?"

Wong grimaced in his understated way. "Yes, but I don't know how it's been resolved," he replied. "We did send reinforcements, but no one has reported back yet."

Chateau Louis XIV, Provence

The convoy of three Audi sedans pulled up to the gates of the chateau. The first vehicle with Everett Ross at the wheel was approached by a man with an iPad. Behind him, another man with a machine gun watched impassively as the occupants of the vehicles were checked in.

"Buyer's code 7398," said Ross, in French.

"Lower the back seat windows for visual verification, please," replied the man with the iPad in accented English. "Your French is terrible."

Ross shrugged and lowered the windows. In the back Bucky and Ayo sat, both of them wearing nano masks. The man looked at them carefully, comparing their faces to the information on his iPad. He nodded his approval then went to the second vehicle and did the same for the King's Guard driver, and for a member of the King's Guard, Themba and Nomble, acting as buyer's assistants and also fitted with nano masks. The third vehicle with Yama alone as driver to transport their purchases after the auction also passed scrutiny. The man went back to the first vehicle.

"You will park where directed," he informed Ross. "Drivers are to stay in the vicinity of their vehicles. Buyers are to proceed inside where they will be directed to the salon for refreshments."

He stood back and pressed his comms piece saying buyers code 7398 had just arrived. The gates opened and Ross led the convoy inside, dropping off Bucky and Ayo at the entrance before following the parking attendant to his designated parking spot. He got out of his vehicle and watched as the other two vehicles were parked next to him. He scratched his ear then gently touched his comms piece.

"We're in," he said quietly, then pulled a cigarette package out of his pocket and lit a cigarette, blowing smoke out forcefully.

Inside the four undercover operatives approached another check-in station, this one armed with a metal detector. Bucky waited until the other three were with him then addressed the woman at the computer with perfect French.

"Buyer's code 7398," he said, perfunctorily, then waited as if he was bored.

He looked around him, taking in the rich surroundings, while also assessing the security. Holding on to his arm possessively Ayo, who had assumed the persona of a very well-kept woman, also looked around although she often looked up at Bucky adoringly. Behind him, Themba and Nomble assumed the persona of buyer's assistants, waiting to be directed by their boss. The woman at the check-in looked at something and her face underwent a subtle change which Bucky noticed.

"Is there a problem?" he asked in French.

"No, monsieur," she replied. "Our host has requested a private meeting with you, but he hasn't arrived yet. It's most unusual."

"May we go to the viewing salon while we wait?" he asked with a sense of exasperation. "I did want an opportunity to view the merchandise before the auction."

"Certainly," she replied. "There is no problem with you attending the pre-auction viewing. Marcel will escort you and your entourage there. When General Orlov arrives, you will be summoned."

Bucky bowed his head slightly, while searching his memories for an Orlov in his past. The only one he could think of was Viktor Orlov who had been part of the KGB, then HYDRA while he was still the Winter Soldier. The last he heard the man had been taken down by SHIELD. As they were escorted to the viewing salon Bucky pressed a button on his watch which would render his vibranium arm invisible to the metal detector. The others had a similar button on their jewelry which hid their spears and metallic weapons. He noticed there were only guards in attendance in the viewing salon. He looked at Ayo and she whispered to him.

"Trap?" she asked.

He nodded, then looked at the two behind him who had also become more alert, noticing the same things he did. Themba tilted his head and Bucky nodded once. Then he turned to look at the dozen people up for sale in the auction, each one in their own windowed cell. They all looked terrified. Slowly he walked towards the left, closer to the final cell where an armed guard stood. He glanced to his right noticing Ayo, Themba and Nomble were spread out to the right. Leaning forward to look at the supposed abilities and possibilities with the person on display he pulled out a set of glasses, as if he was having trouble reading something.

"Tell me," he glanced at the guard, speaking in French, "what does this mean? What are they flexible in?"

The guard smirked and answered in English. "This must be your first time at one of our auctions," he replied smugly, letting his guard down slightly. "Physically flexible as in you can bend them any which way but not break them."

"That's what I thought," replied Bucky, in English. "Thank you."

Grabbing the man's firearm, he shoved it into his face while simultaneously lifting him and throwing him against the wall knocking him out immediately. Behind him Ayo and Nomble had extended their spears which had been in their clutch purses in a retracted state. Both attacked the guards nearest them while Themba attacked the guard nearest to him in much the same manner as Bucky. His guard fought back and Themba found it necessary to run up the man's body, wrap his legs around his throat and squeeze until the man fell unconscious. The people on display were all on their knees pounding on the glass. Bucky could hear them calling for help even though the glass was soundproof. His superior hearing could hear their faint but frantic calls. Taking one of the guns he aimed at the top of one of the windowed panels shooting a short burst, but it was bullet proof glass. One of them, a young woman pointed at the panel below her window, and he pried it off with a nod. He looked up at her and she yelled which wires to cross. He pulled out two of them and touched their metallic ends together. A small click sounded and the panel on her window raised. Bucky offered her his hand as she scrambled out. Then he pulled his nano mask off.

"Red wire and blue wire," he said to the others as they pulled off the rest of the panels.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "There's a dozen more in another salon. I was employed here as a server until one of the women on sale killed herself by breaking her food plate and cutting her own throat. They made me take her place. I swear I didn't realize it was human trafficking. We were told they were psychiatric inmates, members of wealthy families."

"Can you get us in there?" asked Bucky, pointing to the entrance to the next salon. She nodded and he turned to the other people they had just freed. "Grab a gun. We've walked into a trap and the only way out is to fight." He pressed his comms and heard nothing. "They've blocked our comms. Hopefully those outside have realized this and are calling in the cavalry."

The others took what firearms they could from the four guards and Bucky directed them to follow him and the young woman.

"What's your name?" he asked as they made their way to a doorway that she said led to the next salon.

"Raina," she replied, then choked back a sob. "They were going to sell me to the highest bidder, weren't they?"

"Yep," he answered. "You might have been lured here for the server job but I'm guessing by how attractive you are they always intended for you to be part of the auction."

"Fuck," she muttered. "How do you know this?"

"They took my girlfriend," he replied. "Wiped her memory then when it started to return they were going to kill her. We hacked into their computer system and found out where they were going to drop her off. You were already in the catalogue. I'm guessing they let us hack them so they could lure us here. The four of us are pretty valuable as possible slaves."

They came to the closed doorway and the Wakandans moved up to be next to Bucky. Ayo looked at him.

"White Wolf," she said solemnly. "Us three are expendable but they must never get you. There are likely more armed guards in there. Let us three take the room."

"No one is expendable, Ayo," he said, focusing on her. "I am faster than any of you. I can take them all out before you even get in the door. If I die in the process, you just get the others out of their cells and get the hell out of here. Tell Lacey and Tommy, I love them."

Before she could say anything Bucky raised his firearm and ran through the door. They watched in amazement as he went from guard to guard, firing first then punching, throwing and kicking them into submission. A couple of the guards did manage to get some rounds off which hit him but he never stopped until he had all of the guards down on the floor. Slowly he turned, making sure all the guards were down, and Ayo was relieved to see his bullet wounds were not in a critical area. He went to the nearest panel, pulling it off and opening their doors. She and the others did the same. One of the people on display came down and stood in front of Bucky. A man in his mid-40s, he looked at Bucky with recognition.

"You did get away," he said with admiration. "Thank you Soldat for my freedom."

Bucky looked at him and put his hand on the man's shirt front, dragging him close to his face. "I am no longer the Winter Soldier," he declared. "I am James Bucky Barnes and as much as I hate that you were part of HYDRA you are part of my efforts to make amends."

"I am Hans Meyer," replied the man quickly. "I went straight after HYDRA fell and refused to be their tool anymore. I went into legitimate medical research. But Viktor Orlov found me, kidnapped me, and put me up for sale. This is his doing."

He gestured at the environment around them, and Bucky released him. "Then we both better get out of here before Orlov arrives," said Bucky. Turning to the others he noticed that the remaining captives had armed themselves and he gestured back to the doorway which led to the rest of the chateau. "Anyone know if there's another way out that doesn't involve the main entry?"

Raina put up her hand. "Servers have a door to the kitchen and there's a door to the outside there," she replied. "The only problem is you need a special bracelet to open the door and they took mine."

She showed them to the door that led to the kitchen and Bucky looked closely at it. He fired a long burst at its hinges then kicked it. The frame cracked and he kicked it again, dislodging the door. Several of the young men grabbed it and pulled it away. Leading them into the kitchen, which was empty, Bucky took the point position, making sure there were no surprise guards. They made it to the outside door and Bucky turned the handle determining it was unlocked. The others started crowding towards it to get out but Bucky and the Wakandans blocked their way. The four warriors were all suspicious at the ease of their escape.

"It's too easy," said Bucky, looking back at Raina. "Tell me the truth, were you really on display for the auction or were you put there to make sure we all came out of this door?"

Her face coloured and she became defensive. "I told you what happened," she protested.

Another who had been in the second room looked closely at her. "I saw you," she said, grabbing Raina's arm. "You were flirting with a guard while I was being locked in my cell. That wasn't even an hour ago."

Bucky shook his head at Raina then grabbed her and shoved her out of the door before closing it and locking it from the inside. They watched through a window as all sorts of floodlights came on and she raised her hands screaming that she was one of them. She ran forward then fell after a single gunshot and Bucky saw two guards run to her, dragging her away.

"Well, shit," he said and turned to Ayo. "Suggestions?"

She looked at him with her usual no nonsense attitude. "We post a guard on this door and the one to the salon," she said. "I take care of your bullet wounds while we come up with a way to destroy this chateau and get everyone out alive."

"Destroy it?" repeated Bucky. "We're still in it, Ayo. I don't think any of us wants this building falling on us while we're trapped in the kitchen."

Ayo looked up to a corner of the room and he followed her gaze with his eyes noticing an active security camera. He looked back at her quickly then raised his gun and shot at the camera until he destroyed it.

"This was never about the auction of slaves," she said firmly. "You were the auction. They were the bait to bring you here. I am guessing we were allowed to hack into their computer to lure you here and see you in action. First when you rescued Lacey and then when you led this rescue. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to set this up. They aren't going to let you destroy the building with you still in it. The rest of us are expendable, to them."

Bucky swore and wondered how long it would be before he could finally remove every remaining HYDRA agent or cell from the face of the Earth. He would never return to them willingly and he sure as hell wouldn't let them get Tommy. They would have to begin brainstorming how to get out of the chateau and how to stop them permanently.

Chapter 24>>

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