Author's Note
I am sorry for any mistakes made, I finished this half asleep.
I am off to bed now.
G'night and Enjoy!
Steph's POV
"You really don't have to do this" Ranger presses through gritted teeth.
"I am doing this and you really don't have a choice" I say and move around him towards his office door.
"This guy is dangerous" I don't know why he is so persistent.
"And so were all of the others that I helped to take down." I remind him. "You and all of the other Rangemen will be there."
"But not inside with you." His eyes are almost pleading with me not to do this distraction, which I got wind of a couple of hours ago in Vinnie's Bonds office, when I overheard Les and Cal talking that they still needed someone to do a distraction job. On my way to my next Skip pick up, I stopped by Rangemen and ask, well more told Ranger that I would do it.
"Besides, I owe you" I remind him. "So let me do this."
"Babe, you don't owe me anything" That is another thing Ranger is rather persistent on. I need to repay Ranger for refurbishing my whole apartment, after another skip of mine burned it to the ground, while I was at Point Pleasant three months ago. Since then I have been helping out at Rangemen as well as on distraction jobs to pay him back.
Ranger still hands me a check every month, however with Lester's help I opened an account on Ranger's behalf into which I deposit the money.
"I will see you at 8 for the meeting" I give him a finger wave and slip out if his door, but not before I hear him mutter "Stubborn woman" which brings a smile to my face.
We have been on rather good terms lately. With Joe out of the picture- he took a job in New York- Ranger and I have been...well it is still too complicated for me to explain it in one sentence. We don't kiss, we don't have sex, but we do spend a lot of time together, either with the rest of his team or alone. It's been rather nice getting to know the other side of Ranger.
"Byeeee" I shout across the fifth floor, receiving a few shout backs in return.
I make my way out of the Building and walk further down the street to where my car is parked. I forgot my key-fob in Big Blue, which I had to drive when my car had been in the garage for a check up yesterday.
I have had my baby pink Toyota Corolla for 5 Months now and nothing has happened to it yet. Either the stickers that read 'Protected by Rangemen', which Lester tagged to my backseat windows and bumper, help or I am just getting better at my job. I assume it is the former, rather than the latter, since I rolled in garbage this morning trying to apprehend Douggie Manners.
Just when I get my keys out, wanting to unlock the car, someone comes up behind me and presses cold metal against my back. I merely suppress a groan, while my body freezes on the spot and my mind instantly goes into overdrive to find a way out of this situation.
"Give me your money" a deep man's voice says with a heavy Texan accent.
"I-I don't have any" I inform him. Who would be stupid enough to do this so close to Rangemen? Every criminal, not matter how big or small, knows where the Rangemen office is and stays far, far away from this area.
"Bullshit" He snarls and yanks at my bag.
"No, I am not. I only carry my bank card around with me." I reply.
"Then let's go to an ATM" The man growls and presses the gun further into my back to get me to move forward.
"I actually don't have any money in my account" I sigh. "I wish I did...after paying rent, food for my hamster and all my bills I don't have anything to my name and I only received my pay check yesterday." I won't mention the big cheque in my handbag from Rangemen for last month's work, which Ranger just handed to me a few minutes ago.
"Move bitch" He says and snatches the keys out of my hand.
"You can have my car…" I tell him, but he just pushes me forward. Since getting shot wasn't on my to do list today, I move forward until we are standing right in front of the car.
"Get in" He growls and once again I do as I am told. He locks the door and for the first time I get to look at him.
The Asian looking man, with a 3 day shadow beard, dark threatening eyes, black hoodie and trousers, walks around the front of the car, while watching me the whole time. I assume he is in his 30's, he limps slightly as he walks and has a wedding ring on his ring finger.
If I could just reach into my bag and press my panic button, which Ranger slipped in there a few weeks back, then I could get some help. But the guy is watching me like a hawk, so that is a no go.
"Drive" he growls and hands me the car keys when he situates himself into the passenger seat.
"Where to?" I question as I press the key into the ignition.
"Your house" He replies.
"That is really not a good idea" I inform him and rake my brain for a reason. "I haven't cleaned my apartment in like three weeks"-I have been too busy chasing skips "There is nothing of value in my place" Which is not true. Ranger put in all kinds of new amenities when he got my place renovated. The Shower tabs alone cost more than I could afford in a month. That's why it is going to take me forever to pay him back. "And my boyfriend is expecting me for Lunch in "Well Ranger isn't my boyfriend, as much as I would like him to be "...in 30 minutes...My place is across town and it would take too long to drive you there and make it in time for lunch."
"Then you will miss lunch. Now drive" He shoots me a threatening glare.
"I can't...he is...well he is the overprotective type" Understatement of the year! "And if I don't show up at the agreed time, he will move heaven and earth to find me…"
"You should find yourself a new boyfriend...he sounds very controlling" The guy says.
"If I could just call him...just to let him know I won't make it, believe me that would be the best for you and me" I cross my toes, press my ass cheeks together and hold my breath in hope he will go for it.
"Fine...call him." the guy nods after contemplating it for a minute.
"Thank you" I shoot him, what I hope is a grateful smile and go for my bag to fish out my phone, when he yanks at it, forcing me to hand the bag over to him.
Seconds later, he hands me my phone. "No funny business."
"No funny business" I agree with a nod and dial Ranger's number.
Ranger's POV
My phone vibrates, making me look up from my paper work. When I see who it is, I pick up with "You changed your mind then?" And can't help the hopefulness in my tone.
I really don't want her anywhere near Edward Scario, but as usually Steph is being stubborn and I rather be close by when she goes in, than her going of half cocked without me. She has done that before and her excuse was that she wanted to help me.
If I hadn't found her in time, she would not be the person she is today. I shiver involuntarily when I think about the panic that went through me when I busted through the doors of the strip club in Philly only to find my babe tied naked to a pool table with my mean looking biker skip stripping down.
Had Tank not reminded me that the State Department wanted the guy alive, I would have killed him.
And then there is her persistence to pay me back for the renovations, which I hope she will drop soon. It was a gift, but she still doesn't see it as such.
"Hey honey" She responds. My eyebrows hit my hairline, a cold shiver runs down my spine and I am out of my chair before she can even say another thing. I know she is in trouble by those two words alone. "I just wanted to call and tell you that I won't be making it to our Lunch date."
"Where are you?" I question and try to keep my voice calm, while I make my way into the control room, snapping my fingers at a few of my men to follow me in passing.
"I just bumped into an old friend and he is dying to see my newly renovated apartment." Babe answers.
"Ok so you going to your place. Can you stall?" I probe and tab Manny's shoulders to bring up Steph's trackers.
"Well you know the inner city at this time of the day...the streets are busy and since it takes me at least 40 minutes to get home and I won't be able to make it in time" She says in a pouty voice, which I assume she is putting on for show.
"OK...40 minutes. Got it. We will be there" I nod.
"I love you too and I am really sorry" She adds. "We just bumped into each other in front of the office...and you know how it is...we have so much catching up to do."
"Thanks Babe. Stay safe. Just drive him to your place and we will take care of the rest. You will be fine, I promise." I assure her.
"Bye" She says and hangs up.
"Where is she?" I ask, looking at the monitor in front of Manny.
"Just outside Boss" Manny answers.
"Fill me in" Tank asks, when he walks into the room, while strapping the bullet proof vest to his massive chest.
"Steph is being car jacked. The man wants her to drive to her flat. She says she can stall him by driving through the inner city, which gives us about 30 minutes to get to her place." I give him the bullet points.
"That means the guy is not from here. Anyone knows to avoid the inner city at this hour" Les points out the obvious and squeezes into the room past Tank. Most of my men have now gathered, as usual when my Babe is in trouble.
"She said he caught her outside of the office, which means we probably have a picture of him. Manny go through all the video from an hour before Steph left the building. That guy must have been lurking…."
"I got him" Manny interrupts and brings the picture up on a big screen.
"SON OF A BITCH" I roar, making a few of my men inch backwards.
"Isn't that…?" Bobby probes, when he cranes his neck to see past Tank. It's not like Bobby is tiny, Tank is just bigger.
"Yupp" Lester pops the P's like Babe always does and doesn't waste time to run back to his office to get his gun and vest.
"Les, Tank, Bobby, Hector, Cal, Diego and Zip with me" I shout. "Everybody else get back to work." I add before turning around to Manny. "You follow her tracker on that screen and if anything changes, call me ASAP."
"Yes Sir" Manny nods, but doesn't avert his eyes from the screen.
"You think this was planned? Does he know we are after him?" Bobby questions, as he falls in line with me down the stairs.
"I don't know. If he did, then there is a mole in the FBI" I retort and accept my gun and vest that Lester is handing me from behind.
"Les...follow them at a safe distance. I want to keep an eye on them, not that he tries any funny business" I instruct my cousin once we got the garage. He instantly walks over to our 'undercover family van' and peels out of the garage second later.
Steph's POV
"You're not from around here huh?" I question, while waiting at a red light. We have been driving in silence for the last 10 minutes and it is killing me. "Just in town to visit relatives?" I probe.
He seems to be in deep thought and without answering my questions he switches on the Radio. The traffic light turns green and I make my turn onto the main street that will lead me right through the heart of Trenton. I spotted the Rangemen family van three cars behind me, which puts me somewhat at ease.
I am glad that Ranger immediately picked up on the fact that I am in trouble. But this is going to be another thing to put on my list to repay him for.
"How long have you and your boyfriend been together for?" He questions suddenly after another 10 minutes of driving in silence.
"Uhmmm...I gotta calculate that" I count the years I have known Ranger, which too my surprise is really fucking long. "6 years."
"That is a long time" the man next to me answers solemnly. Apparently is in a chattier mood now.
"You have a girlfriend..or Boyfriend?" I probe, trying not to assume that this guy is straight. You know political correctness and all.
"Had a girlfriend for 10 years, married her two years before she was killed" he informs me and my heart aches a little for this man. The pain of losing someone he loved is clearly written on his face.
"What happened?" I find myself asking.
"I apparently killed her and several other women...very violently" He shakes his head and chuckles with disgust.
We hit another red light and I take a good look at him. My spidery senses suddenly start to tingle, telling me that there is something off here. He is voluntarily divulging information, which seems odd for someone who is a) committing a crime and b) supposedly a violent serial killer.
Now this can either mean that a) he is going to kill me, so it won't matter what he tells me, because I won't be able to tell another soul ever or b) he wants to get caught and confess or there is always c) he is innocent. In which case I do not understand why he is carjacking me.
"Did you do it?" I questions, even though I dread his answer.
"NO" He almost shouts and looks at me as if I have grown another head. "I could...what was done to these women...No...fuck no. I am a bastard, treated my wife sometimes like shit, but I could never do that."
"What happened to them?" I just cannot help myself. Damn my curiosity.
"You really don't want to know" He informs me and when a car honks behind me, I flip them of and concentrate back on the road. The light as long turner green and I just barely make it across before it turns red again, earning me more honking from my fellow motorists.
"They were raped, their breasts cut off and their...their...you know...were mutilated" he says and almost gags. "I can't get that image out of my head when I found Sarah….our bed soaked and walls painted with blood...the person who did this placed white Lilies where her breast used to be and on her vagina. It was horrible...I couldn't make myself move. I had our son in my arms and I barely noticed our neighbour coming in, finding me right next to Sarah."
I swallow hard and force away the frog in my throat. "Why did the police think it was you?"
"They found my fingerprints on Sarah. I may have lost it when I saw her" He admits. "It didn't matter that nothing else matched. They said I was just careful with the others."
"How are you still free?" I question, just as we pull onto my street. I look at the time and realise we didn't take as long as I wanted to. Only 25 minutes. I hope Ranger and the men are already here.
"My friend, who is the only one who believes my innocence, tipped me off. He works for the FBI and told me to run while he figured out the truth." he answers. "And that is the reason I am here."
"What do you mean?" I take my eyes of the road to look at him for a second, while my spidery sense go into full on overdrive.
"I know who you are Stephanie Plum and I also know you didn't call your boyfriend. You called the person who has been looking for me all over the east coast." He admits. "I am Edward Scario, but my friends call me Eddy."
"Eddy…" I sigh. Yupp my luck has not changed.
"I know that they will be waiting at your place. But I had to talk to you." Eddy continues.
"Why?" I find myself asking. "And why carjack me?"
"My friend is Joe Morelli and he said you would believe me" Eddy informs me with a shrug. "I figured a carjacking is enough time to talk to you and get you to believe me. Even if you did have money on you, I would have still taken you with me. I need your help."
"Huh…" I am stunned. I really need to tell Joe to give his friends better instructions on how to approach me in a situation like this.
I pull into my parking lot and spy Ranger's Carrera and a couple of black Rangemen SUV's already at the far end of the building. "They are here. So let's get this over with." Eddy says and gets out if the car and places his gun on the passenger seat, just as the Rangemen Family van pulls in behind us.
"You can't go up there. They will kill you." I warn him, but he keeps walking towards the brick building.
"I know. But I hope you will make sure they won't"
Ranger's POV
The locks tumble and I have my gun aimed at the door, like the rest of my men. I won't let this asshole do anything to my Babe. "Ranger?" Steph calls out as she opens the door. "Don't shoot or do anything equally stupid." She requests and I walk out of her bedroom with my gun aimed at the man behind her.
"Babe, move" I growl, but instead of stepping aside, she steps in front of him. She couldn't have developed Stockholm Syndrome so quickly, so something else must be a foot.
"I can't do that Ranger." She shakes her head, confirming my suspicion. "He is innocent and Joe sent him to find me."
"I swear I am going to kill Morelli" I mutter for everyone loud enough to hear.
"Please...can you just lower the guns?" Babe asks and shoots a nervous look at me and my guys. I nod at my men and we all lower the guns and holster them. I know, without needing to confirm it with my own two eyes, that Les still has a gun trained at the guy from the hallway. "Just hear him out."
I nod once more in agreement. For the next half an hour Edward Scario explains what happened, which leads me to multiple conclusions.
First I am going to kill Morelli for putting my Babe in danger, then I am going to call the head of the FBI and ask why his investigators are so damn stupid and incompetent and at last I am going to lock Steph onto the seventh floor and never letting her leave. That woman finds trouble far too easily for my liking.
1 Months later
New York FBI Office
"So you are telling me, that you were harbouring the fugitive, which we asked to find, for the past month? You do know that is a crime of its own, Manoso?" The lead agent on Scario's case, Denver Adkinson, questions.
"Actually, I harboured the fugitive" Babe says with a proud smile on her face. "Mr Manoso had nothing to do with this." I barely suppress a groan. We agreed before this meeting that she shouldn't say anything. When will that woman stop trying to protect me?
"We are aware of that, Adkinson" I could never stand him. I met him a few times while working with the New York FBI office and this guy is as incompetent and lazy as they come. "But I think you will overlook that, since we just did your job for you." And with that I slide a brown envelope over to him.
"Raymond Norman, 65, retired, living in Hell's Kitchen. Former Marine, served in Somalia, Nigeria and other African Countries with his team. His fingerprints are all over this. He has seen what the rebels over there do to women who just had babies and he brought it home with him." I explain. "We found him, all you have to do is not press charges against us and get your man."
"Fine. But watch your back Manoso" He warns on his way out of the conference room.
"Morelli" I nod and barely suppress the urge to punch the guy. He put Babe in danger.
"Manoso" Morelli nods back.
"Oh will you two stop it" Steph groans.
In that moment my phone rings and I pick it up without looking at the caller ID. "Yeah?"
"Mr Manoso, my name is Stella from Bank of America" I need to change my number again. How they keep getting hold of it for Sales calls, I have no idea. "I am calling regarding your savings account."
I step away from Morelli and Steph, indicating to her that I will be right back, and step into the conference room again. "I don't bank with you."
"You name is on the account Sir. Since we weren't able to get a hold off your account manager, we called you." Stella advises me. "I am afraid we have some bad news Mr. Manoso."
"I am sorry I have multiple account managers working for me. Can you please remind me who I have asked to set up this account?" I question and watch my Babe talking to Morelli through the glass walls.
"That would be Stephanie Plum, Sir." the woman on the other end advises me and I barely suppress a groan. "Now to the bad news, Sir. I am afraid your account was one of several thousands of accounts that was emptied by hackers this morning. You will have to make a claim at our branch to receive the money from our insurance. Can we set up an appointment now?"
"I will have Miss Plum call you back" I reply, hang up, knock on the glass wall and motion for Babe to join me. "So want to tell me why I have an account at Bank of America, which has just been emptied out by hackers?" I question the second she joins me.
"Fuck" She swears and closes her eyes in defeat. "You weren't supposed to find out, not yet anyways."
"Babe" I warn her.
"I have been depositing the money you have given me for the jobs into that account to pay you back" She explains in a rush and her eyes are pleading with me not to get angry. "I was going to just let it sit there and grow it until you were old and grey and couldn't kick my ass for not accepting such generous gift."
The last part makes my lips curl into a smile and I pull her closer. "Well even in an old age I would still be kicking ass, but not you pretty behind. I think I rather spank it" I inform her and let my hand come down with mild force on her ass, which has her half giggling half yelping.
Yeah spanking her doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.
Let me know what you think!