Disclaimer: I am not making any money from this, I promise.
My grateful thanks to JE for her wonderful characters, which I hope I haven't damaged too much.
This has been a long time coming, hope it was worth it. My muse had deserted me, I found the little darling playing WOW and have dragged his sorry ass back and put him back to work, if he tries it again I will either replace him or nail him down. I haven't decided which yet. Would anyone with a recalcitrant muse please advise me on the best course of action?
I hope you enjoy, please let me know either way.
Valzie.
Dangerous Ground Part One
Ranger's POV
I can hear her gentle laughter; Adam keeps her amused all day. They make a good team; her patience is helping to build his confidence, little by little. Her honesty and compassion are just what he needs right now. She's the rock on which he's building his recovery. By keeping his word to protect her, he's proving that he belongs here, that our trust in him hasn't been misplaced. He's kind, courteous, he works hard and as an employee he's going to be one of my best. But above all else, it's good to have my friend back. I missed him. There are so few of us left.
She's learning self defence. When I asked her 'Why now?' She said that she wanted to be able to fight beside us instead of always hiding behind us. She's truly Rangeman now and we're all better for it. She's started going to the gun range with Ram and Hector is trying to teach her to pick locks, although the language barrier should be a problem, the two of them seem to manage.
I feel so much better when I know where she is, it was hell for me when she was still working for Vinnie as I never knew if she was going to make it home in one piece. Lula took her job when she came to work here full time and I know that sometimes she helps out, but she never goes alone. Adam always goes with her, masquerading as her partner but in truth he's really her bodyguard. I'm sure she knows the difference and I'm sure I'll hear her opinion on the subject one of these days, but I protect what's mine and she's the reason I get out of bed in the mornings. No, that isn't true, she's the reason I don't always get out of bed on time. A smile settles on my lips as I remember why I was late this morning.
The object of my rather naughty thoughts knocks at my office door, no-one else here has quite that same one. "Enter" I tell her and finish up and save the spreadsheet I was working on. I look up over my lap top screen to find her at the other side of my desk with 'that' look on her gorgeous face. I know exactly what is on my woman's mind. And it thrills me all the way down to my toes that she's not afraid to tell me what she wants and when she wants it.
"No" I tell her firmly. "We have a distraction planned for tonight and you have to look hungry" the pout she gives me is absolutely adorable, but I can't let it sway me.
"Carlos" she purrs, making her way round my desk and straddling me, her arms around my neck. "Please"
Dios, all my blood is rushing south and I can barely think "After the bad guy is caught and not before" my arms snake around her waist.
"Can I have a little on account?" she asks, her voice dropping to an erotic whisper.
"You are incorrigible" I tell her as I lower my lips to hers and just as her lashes sweep closed over those stormy blue eyes I catch the gleam of triumph in them. I'll let her have this victory; she'll pay later, in the most pleasurable way imaginable. And when it comes to this woman, I have a very vivid imagination.
Another dive bar, another outfit designed to raise the blood pressure of every heterosexual male in a three block radius. Tank, Adam and Binky are outside waiting for her. Lester is behind the bar, Bobby is tucked away at one of the tables near the back and I'm close enough to reach out and touch her. Her back's to me and I can barely resist reaching out to caress the soft skin revealed by that scrap of material that she calls a top. She's conversing easily with our skip, Gregory Brown, a nondescript name for one of the best cyber criminals in the country. He was the one that cracked the Fortress Bank and Loan system and added his cat, Tiamit, to the company payroll. For 28 months the lucky feline received wages and bonuses before it was discovered. It's a shame that I've to haul him back off to jail as there's a system or two I'd like a look inside myself, but I have his bond and it's worth a hefty sum. He has a nasty side and that's why I'm positioned at the bar with her. His last girlfriend angered him when she spilled a drink on his expensive trousers and he back handed her clear across the room, cutting her cheek with his signet ring and leaving her scarred.
I swear if he raises so much as his voice to her, I will remove his head and use it as a chamber pot and then give it to the men to use as a soccer ball.
This place is a far cry from what he's been used to, he's much more champagne and caviar than the beer and pizza crowd that he's mingling with here, but if he thinks that no-one will look for him here he's dead wrong.
My hand tightens on my glass as I watch him reach out and touch her knee, trailing his fingers part way up her thigh and down again. Her laughter is high and giggly, her smile vapid and I marvel at her ability to do what she does. She can't be enjoying his attentions, but how she manages to hide her revulsion is something I can't fathom. Her emotions are so open, I can see on her face the thoughts going through her head, so why can't he? Or is it only me that sees the real her? That thought lightens my heart and sends a delicious spike of desire shooting through me.
I look up into Lester's amused face and he turns round to change the music which is playing softly in the back ground. He takes a second to select a song and as he turns back his grin is positively evil and I shudder to think what he's chosen.
Of course- what else but Nickelback- Next Contestant?
He's singing along as he wipes the bar and I know the chorus is just for me.
'Here comes the next contestant
Is that your hand on my girlfriend, is that your hand?
I wish you'd do it again, I'll watch you leave here limping
I wish you'd do it again, I'll watch you leave here limping
There goes the next contestant'
He thinks he's amusing.
I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp when I get out of here. No first I'm going to make love to my woman until she begs for mercy and then I'm going to make Lester jam and spread it very thinly over the walls of the gym.
She moves and we are right behind her, an old hand at this, she makes it look so easy. He is captivated by the swing of her hips instead of the armed men closing in to surround him. She always looks so puzzled, as if she can't understand what's going on as she is led away by Tank, but it keeps them from knowing she was in on it, just in case she ever meets them again.
But now he's safely in custody and she's safe from everyone but me. It's a 20 minute drive back to Haywood, but only 7 to the Batcave. My revenge on Lester will have to wait. Tonight will be devoted only to her. Looks like I may be a little late again tomorrow.
Joe's POV
I don't want to have to make this call, I really don't, but it has to be done.
The phone rings twice before it's picked up and my heart stutters as I hear her voice.
"Rangeman, Stephanie speaking"
"Cupcake"
She sighs "Joe, please don't call me that"
"Sorry, it just slipped out, do you have a minute?"
"Yeah sure. Is everything OK?" she asks and I can hear the concern in her voice.
"I need to talk to Ranger"
"What's wrong?"
"I need help"
"Give me a second" the sound of fast steps and a knock and a muffled conversation then her sweet voice. "Joe, you're on speaker" she tells me.
"Detective Morelli?" he sounds distracted. "How can we help you?"
The pronoun, even in my predicament doesn't pass me by, in that one sentence he just stated his claim to her and I bet she didn't even notice.
"I've been undercover for the last few months and my cover was just blown, spectacularly"
"I see and how do you think we can help you?" He sounds intrigued.
Glad my nightmare is amusing him. Maybe this'll shake him up a bit. "The agents that were assigned to protect me got their heads blown off about an hour ago and I just managed to make it out alive"
I could hear her gasp of horror "Joe are you hurt?" she asks and my heart turns over.
"No, but I need your help; I need to disappear for a while until I can figure out what to do" Does he know how much I hate to have to ask him for anything?
"Carlos, please?" her voice is soft.
"Give me 5" his voice is gentler than I expect, I wonder if that's her influence? Is he helping me because she asked? I shouldn't care, but I find that I do.
"Ranger, Stephanie, thank you" I close the phone and hold it to my chest.
Steph's POV
That must have hurt, having to ask for our help. I can feel the weight of his gaze on me, he must be wondering how much I still feel for Joe and to be honest I don't think I have an answer for him. I know that Carlos will always see him as a threat in some bad assed macho way, but I made my choice and it was the right one.
It still amazes me how quickly Rangeman can swing into action when required. Joe has been tracked and a contingent has been sent out to meet him and a safe house is set up and ready.
Tank and Lester have been gathering information and they enter the conference room their faces grave. Adam comes in behind them, carrying a tray of coffees and I jump up to help him and hand them round. As soon as we're all settled Lester starts. "What Detective Morelli says is essentially correct, although he did leave a few small details out"
"How small?" Carlos asks, with that upward quirk of his eyebrow.
"The group he infiltrated have some interesting business partners. From what I hear, they are just as likely to deal in anti aircraft missiles as drugs"
"Interesting indeed" Adam added blandly.
"We should keep him moving, no more than 24 hours in any one place" Carlos decided
"Got it, I'll get the chain set up" Tank made a few notes on his PDA.
"I'll keep my ear to the ground, see what else I can find out" Lester added.
Adam tapped a finger on the table "When should we be ready to move you?" he asked me.
I turned to him with a puzzled expression "Me?"
Carlos reached out and took my hand "You were important to him and the people looking for him will use any means necessary to get to him. His family have already been warned and are heading out of town as we speak. You are the only link that's left"
"Where are you going to put me?" I ask fighting against the urge to rail and scream at him. We have talked about this and I know I have to defer to his wisdom. Although I don't have to like it.
"The Batcave, at least at first, that will give us a chance to work something out" Tank looked round the table. "Agreed?"
The others nodded their agreements and I had to nod along with them.
"I'd like to head up your guard. I've no contacts here, so I'll be of no help, but I can keep you safe" Adam asked, diffidently, as if he expected me to turn him down.
I nodded "Yeah, I can live with that" and the shy smile that crossed his face brought a mirror image to mine. He's come so far recently, but he's still so unsure of his place here.
"Then we should get you there as soon as possible" Adam told me.
Carlos looked round the table "If that is all? Keep me posted" he asked Lester as we all stood up to leave.
"I'll go and pack "I told him and turned to Adam "I'll see you by the elevators in 10"
I'm just packing the last of my things in my duffel when I hear him softly call my name. I force the last shirt in and close it up as he joins me in the bedroom.
"Yo" I call out softly.
"Steph" he starts but I cut him off.
"I will go because you want me to be safe" I tell him. "But I don't have to do it quietly and I don't have to like it"
"I don't like it either" he admitted and pulled me to him and laying his forehead against mine "I want you here with me, but if you got hurt because of my selfishness, I'd never forgive myself"
"Shut up" I grouched "And kiss me"
Rangers POV
I knew that this idyll couldn't last forever. We've only been together for a few weeks and we still haven't dealt with her mother or her giving up that death trap that she calls a flat. But those are issues that will have to wait until our current crisis is over.
I cradle her to me, still exhilarated by the feel of her soft skin under my hands, knowing that she is mine and only mine still thrills and shocks me. I find myself unexpectedly awake in the night and my hand reaches out to make sure she's there. To ensure that this time we've had together hasn't been a dream.
Adam's POV
It was Plato that said that when Zeus created the race of man he had 4 arms, 4 legs and two faces, but only one soul. Fearing the power of his creation he split each in two, so that man had two legs, two arms and one face. But this meant that each only had half of a soul and that is why we spend our lives looking for our other half.
Soul mates, that's what Steph and Ranger are. Together they are complete and the strength that each gets from the presence of the other is almost tangible.
He trusts me to keep the best part of him safe and I will do so, even if it costs my life. She's huddled down in her jacket, trying to hide her tears from me. Bobby's driving and I catch his eye in the rear view mirror and he nods to me and I pull Steph towards me and hold her, trying to ease the pain of her separation.
I'm a poor substitute, but I'll do what I can.
Ranger's POV
She's only been gone an hour, but I can already feel her absence. I don't think I'm overstating it when I say that we all can. The men are twitchy; the atmosphere in the control room is tenser than usual. We take potential threats to her safety very seriously.
Woody is quietly counting down the minutes until she reaches safety. Until she sets foot in the Bat cave and the hatches are battened down behind her we'll be on high alert. The route that they are taking is one that we can monitor very closely to make sure that they aren't being followed.
Tank is setting up the string of safe houses that will bring Morelli back to Trenton. I have a few favours I can call in that should take the heat off him. I didn't really want to lose them, but she asked me to help him and I will do so.
Bobby's POV
It's funny, but when we thought out and installed the safety features of what is now affectionately called the Batcave, I thought we were being paranoid. Now I wonder if what we have is enough. It had never crossed my mind that we'd be protecting someone quite as precious as this. Visiting head of state perhaps, even a high ranking official from a nation we aren't currently on friendly terms with, that was the sort of VIP we'd be looking after here. Not the most important woman on the planet. OK maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much.
I usher Steph and Adam to the door and once we're safely inside I draw down the cunningly hidden security screen and activate the deadbolts.
Leaving Steph to take Adam upstairs and get settled in I move round each of the ground floor apartments in turn, locking and bolting all the windows shutters and activating the alarms. Not just the usual security ones, these are the motion sensors and the rest of the high tech boffin stuff.
The ground floor is locked down and I call the control room and inform an anxious Woody that I am about to seal us in to the Batcave and inform him that they now have the ball.
The door still needs a lick of paint and the colour is a hideous pea green, but even I must admit that it makes great camouflage and I am about to put the finishing touches to the deception. The door has to be double locked and the bolts firmly in place before it happens and I have to be safely upstairs before I do or I'll end up trapped.
There is a false wall that folds back against the real one when not in use, but as soon as I activate it, it will swing in to position to complete the illusion that it's just a janitor's cupboard. At the same time a panel, that looks to all the world like a simple decoration will lower to cover the gap at the top of the stairs. It too bolts solidly into position and has the best fire and bomb proofing that money can buy.
With the seal in almost complete I stride over to the kitchen where Adam has made hot chocolate for Steph and is trying to cheer her up a bit.
Judging by the wan smile she gives me either the drink or the jokes are working.
If Steph wasn't head over heels for Ranger, then she and Adam would have been good together. Not that I think for a second that he would try to muscle in on her, they are friends and nothing more.
I head up the stairs to the top floor to complete the lock down. Behind one of the doors that hide the storage spaces built into the walls is the concealed entrance to the emergency escape route. I locate the panel and open it and tap in the code. The Rangeman emergency code 911-2223, yes you guessed it 911- babe. It's one we are all sure to remember as, let's face it; it is one that we've seen and responded to many times.
The escape route is a spiral staircase painted with fluorescent paint so that even in total darkness we can still navigate it safely. From the top I close off and seal the metal panel that covers the sky light and make sure that all is secure and the alarms are functioning.
She is safe and I relay the information to the impatient control room. The relief is palpable and now they can turn their attention to the next problem.
I'm locked in with two good friends, with nothing to do. Sounds like a great way to spend a couple of days. Shame we can't enjoy it.