ONE
It was pitch black dark in here, wherever this 'here' was. And the damp chill from the concrete I was lying on was already seeping into my body so that it has started shaking uncontrollably. How long was I here? An hour? A day? I could not possibly tell. Only my head hurt like hell, and I was fighting desperately to keep the yet another rising wave of nausea at bay.
Breathe, Stephanie, just breathe, and it will pass, I tried to sooth myself, as yet another wave of acid rose to my firmly taped mouth. I tried to shift into another position, to lift myself up if even for an inch, but my weak movement sent such a wave of pain through my numb limbs, that I gave up the attempt immediately, and fell back trying to calm down my stomach with as deep and as long breaths as I could muster.
God, oh, god, please help me.
Suddenly there was a blinding light, and I blinked furiously fighting the tears, which clouded my eyes. As the eyes gradually adapted to the bright light, I could finally to look around what was a dilapidated and empty cellar. There was nothing here, but a bright lamp dangling from the ceiling, cold concrete all around, and a wooden staircase leading up to a heavy looking solid metal doors. There was nothing here I could hope to use to free myself, and I almost cried in despair at this mirthless discovery.
Then there was a loud click and the cellar door opened, revealing a man's figure in the doorway. I focused my sight on him, hoping to at least understand whom could he be, but to my disappointment his face was hidden behind a black ski mask, and neither his figure, neither his movements looked in any way familiar to me.
'Hurry up man, and bring that bitch up!' I've heard some yell angrily at the man on the stairs.
The man did not react to that yell, and continued to leisurely close the gap between us. When he stooped over me, I've heard him cuss under his nose. 'Fuck, that is disgusting.'
I'd bet'cha. Not EVERY single of my attempts to keep back the nausea was successful, and with my mouth being taped… Well, you get the picture.
The man dragged me up with brute force, and this sudden and harsh movement was just too much for my upset stomach, which launched into yet another attack. Spitting in rage the man let go of me trying to save himself, while I fell down heavily on clod floor while still retching, and desperately fighting to catch a single breath at the same time.
'What's the hold up over there?', an echo of what must have been a rather loud yell came through my ringing ears.
'The fucking bitch just vomited on me!' He yelled in reply, and cussed again. Then kicked me with annoyance.
'Drag the bitch, if you must, but get her up! NOW!'
'Fuck ya', cursed the man, but so that some one outside the cellar would not hear him, and leaned over me again. This time he did not bother to try to stand me up, but rather offhandedly took me by my tied hands and dragged me unceremoniously almost twisting my arms in process.
My body screamed in an unearthly pain as I was being dragged all the way up the stairs, but all I could actually do was moan in protest.
'Oh, shit! Get her cleaned!' another man growled as he'd cast a single glance upon me.
Then a blissful oblivion closed on me and there was no pain anymore.
TWO
Two weeks earlier
I clasped a big bag with precious and carefully selected doughnuts in one arm while struggling to fish out keys to the Big Blue in my handbag with another. I was once again going through a dark line of my life, so I was back to driving Buick for a time being. I needed to take in some skips and fast, so I could finally pay some bills, which were already pilling at my apartment, and get my Honda Civic from the repair shop, where it landed after my last week's encounter with a nasty FTA. Ah, if only that damn FTA was at least worth the effort of bringing him in!
'Damn it!' I exclaimed angrily as the keys to the car slipped out of my clasp and went out of my reach straight under the Big Blue.
'Right you go,' I cheered mockingly, set a bag with doughnuts on the bonnet and then went on my all fours to reach for the damned keys.
When I was about to get up with the damned keys firmly clasps in my fingers, I've heard a whistle, and a joyful 'Yo, Babe, I love the sight before my eyes' greeted me.
Damn.
I almost jumped on spot with the surprise of hearing Ranger's voice at my side.
'Yo, yourself,' I replied a little bit surly as I got back on my foot.
Under a close scrutiny of his smiling eyes, I had a sudden urge to sleek my unruly hair, but I checked myself just in time as my arms have already started to lift up.
Ranger chuckled as if he'd read my mind, and in a blink's time I've found myself firmly clasped in his strong arms and being kissed with such a passion, that my legs instantly turned into jelly, and my arms rose to his shoulders for a support.
'What's the occasion?' I managed to pry in a breathless whisper as our kiss finally ended.
Ranger grinned skittishly. 'How could I've missed such view? Stephanie Plum on her fours. My bad it ain't another place and another time. But…' he dragged suggestively.
'Huh! You wish!'
Ranger chuckled again. Batman's chuckling! I can't believe what I see. Then he suddenly became serious again, and all the cheerfulness seemingly got sucked out of him.
'Babe, I'm leaving town for some time.'
That got my full attention.
'For how long are you going away?' I wanted to know.
'Don't know Babe. And don't ask where I'm going, it's not up to me to tell.'
'I… I… When do you…?'
'Hush, Babe,' he silenced my putting a finger over my lips. 'We'll talk when I'm back, and I already have to leave. Just stopped to say you good-bye, and to warn you to keep away from Osser. Ask Connie to find you another FTA, he's out of your league, and without me here to give you a hand…'
'Ranger!' I exclaimed interrupting him. 'I'm a bounty hunter, and you always say I've got what it takes.'
He nodded agreement. 'Sure Babe. You've got all the right instincts, but you still have much space for improvement. And going after Osso alone or even with Lula to back you up would be like Yorkie's attempt to put up a fight with a hound. Give up on Osso, got it?'
'Uh-huh,' I stammered meekly, but I still wasn't totally convinced I should listen to his advice.
'I'm not kidding you Babe. Don't go on killing yourself over this guy. He might seem like an easy one, and the money might be not so bad, but we're talking Latino drug trafficking here.'
His dark eyes seeped searchingly into mine, and I'm not sure, if what he saw there convinced him.
'If you need help, give Tank a call, just don't do anything stupid.'
He planted soft kiss on my lips, and then left in a hurry. When his SUV was finally out of my sight I've got going.