So this chapter was supposed to be a standalone story, yet I couldn't help but include it into this storyline. The idea for this chapter came from watching an episode of Psych.
Ranger's POV
"You sonofabitch!" Lester looks at me furiously before looking back down onto his phone. "How did you get tickets and I didn't?"
"I can type on my Smartphone like the Flash" I shrug, while climbing the stairs to the fifth floor.
"Fuck you very much" Lester growls behind me.
I chuckle and not let him know that I bought enough tickets for the entire Core Team, Hector, Zip and all the spouses. "Relax Cuz, it is almost the same as watching it on your big ass flat screen TV!" I retort. "This way you won't get doused in beer and won't get a stomach ache from the shitty stadium food."
"You are such a dick!" Les grumbles behind me and starts opening the bag of doughnuts, I brought to give to Steph. She has been feeling down since Lula moved to the west coast with her Actor Boyfriend, so the doughnuts will cheer her up.
"Don't even think about it" I growl and snatch the bag out of his hands, before he can get one of his paws into it. With my other hand I push the door to the fifth floor open and my eyes instantly seek out Steph's cubicle, which is currently Steph-less. Not the least bit surprised, I walk passed my employees to my office with Les hot on my heels.
My phone rings and I pick up without looking, while making my way around my desk. "Ranger"
"Did your car die again?" that would be the only reason why Babe currently sounds exhausted and out of breath "You should have called me, I would have picked you up." I turn on my computer and lean back in my chair, while Les gets comfortable in the guest chair in front of my desk all the while still ogling the damn doughnuts.
"I...you...have...to come...crosstrainer" I can hear her taking a deep breath, before she utters the words that shake me to the core "Bomb."
I stand up so quickly that the chair smashes into the window sill and causing the stupid vase Ella insists on keeping there, to fall to the ground. "I will be there in five. Don't hang up on me!"
I mute the phone and start walking briskly across the fifth floor, while shouting at my men. "LES call Bobby, MANNY grab your gear, Steph as a Bomb in her apartment!" Then I start running, knowing that not only the three I just called out, but most of my men will show up at Steph's to see if they can help.
Once in the garage, I throw myself into the Cayenne and peel out of the underground parking lot. A few hundred broken traffic laws and five minutes later, I run up the stairs and within seconds I throw open the door to Steph's apartment.
"Ranger!" Babe exclaims and for a second stops paddling, before doubling the speed again. "Don't come closer!"
"I have to Babe….I need to know what we are dealing with" I step closer towards her, noting that Babe looks like she is ready to drop of the machine from exhaustion.
"You brought me doughnuts?" Her eyes light up at seeing the bag in my hand, which I didn't realize I grabbed in my haste to get to her. I simply just nod, not taking my eyes of her for a second. "Give me one...I need... to keep going."
"Why is that?" I ask, open the container and hold out a Boston Crème for her, which she accepts with a grateful smile.
"I ….got this from Lula…" She huffs, trying to catch a breath and eating the doughnut at the same time "It's brand new and free" She adds on her next deep breath, shrugs and takes another bite from the doughnut followed by a moan. She is dripping of sweat, her hair and shirt are sticking to her like a second skin and she barely manages to hold onto the machine with one hand. "Got it from... her old apartment with Big Blue" She wheezes "So I figured I… I give it a try this morning."
"You are exercising out of your own free will?" I cannot help myself and raise an eyebrow in question, all the while surveying the machine.
"Fine..you are rubbing off on me" Babe huffs out and wipes her face with the back of her doughnut hand. When she sees me watching, she adds "It'snotlikeIcantake... myotherhandofthisaswell...so don't look at me so grossed out…" The words just stumble out in one big word, thanks to the piece of doughnut in her mouth and the lack of oxygen. "Well anyways... I got on it... started paddling, when I reached the big peak... message popped up...said if I didn't keep this up...dropped under 9 km an hour...then BOOM...then the beeping started."
"Ok...don't worry, we will figure this out" I assure her and step closer to the machine.
"No...don't come closer...please. I don't know how…. how much longer I can keep this up." She pleads with me, but I ignore her.
"I need to take a closer look at this Babe" I inform her, place the doughnut bag onto the floor and go down onto my knees with my flashlight. I can't see anything, since this thing is encased completely, which means I have to wait for Manny to get here.
I barely finished that thought and the man in question steps through the door with a small bag containing his tools. Manny has saved our lives countless time, thanks to his ability to turn nothing into an explosive or disarm a bomb of almost any kind. He was on the top of his Ranger class and I didn't hesitate for one second to bring him onto my team then and Rangemen now.
"It's encased" I inform him and get back up.
"I will take a look. Everyone else is outside" He nods at me, before shooting a comforting smile at Steph. "Hey Bomber, how are you doing?"
"Just dandy... Manny, how about you? Are we….are we going to have an explosive morning?" She quips back with as much enthusiasm as one could muster in this situation.
"If the Boss ever pairs us up, I am sure we could level the whole city in one go" He grins and then gets down on his knees next to the machine.
"Yeah that is never going to happen" I fake shudder. I know we are joking around, but this is not a joking matter. My insides are coiled to the max and I am ready to kill the son of a bitch who thought this one up. They will never find the body.
"Another...Doughnut" Steph shoots me a pleading look and I hand her one without a comment. I need to keep her spirits and energy up, while I try to come up with a way to switch her out with me. I quickly text Tank and Les to get up here. I will need their help.
In the meantime, Manny checks with his little mirror under the machine and once he deems it safe, he carefully starts unscrewing the case. When he is done, he takes out his mirror again and with his flashlight surveys the machine. "There is nothing in here" he says after a while, looking rather displeased.
"Oh no! You can stop pedalling, Bomber. There is no bomb in that machine." Tank, who just walked into the room, advises Steph.
"How would you know that?" I ask and turn towards my best friend.
"This Lula's machine right?" Tank asks and Steph just nods. "There is no bomb in there. The machine tells you there is bomb, so you won't stop half way through your workout. It will tell you so, once you finished the program."
"ARE. YOU. FUCKING. JOKING?" Steph screeches, stops paddling and nearly collapses, if it wasn't for Manny holding her upright. "I will kill her...I will kill Lula….and whoever….whoever…" Her knees buckle, her eyes roll to the back of her head and she loses consciousness.
"BOBBY" I shout and he materializes out of nowhere in the doorway, while I take Babe out of Manny's arms and carry her over to the sofa.
"Someone get some water." Bobby orders "Ranger alleviate her feet." I do as I am told, while keeping an eye on Steph's eyes. "She has exerted herself. Steph will need a tonne of water in small doses and we gotta get some protein into her. She will be sore as hell tomorrow."
In an instant I am in her kitchen only to find her fridge empty. Typical. Either she hasn't gone shopping or she is too broke to buy proper food. "Nothing" I shake my head, when I return to Steph's side. "Let's get her to Haywood. Ella can whip something up for her."
"Let's wait until she comes around" Bobby advises. "Then we can move her."
"Here you go" I smile at Steph and set the tray on her lap.
"What is in these?" She looks suspiciously at the food which I ask Ella to specially prepare. I can't blame her, often enough I have tried to sneak my very healthy rabbit food, as she calls it, passed her taste buds.
"Well…" I start, trying to remember what Ella told me "all of that is rich in protein and healthy. Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats" I point at a small glass jar "Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes" I point at the biggest plate on the tray "And a Berry Blast Protein Shake."
"Where is your breakfast? That is not enough for two people." She asks and looks from the tray to me and back.
"In the kitchen, I was going to take it to the office." I admit.
"Where did you sleep last night?" She narrows her eyes at me with suspicion, obviously having seen that my pillow is missing.
"The couch" I reply. Had I climbed into that bed last night, I would have done something stupid like kiss her again, which was just going to lead to more kissing and her wanting more than I can give her. Besides Steph is back with the cop and this time, I have to draw a line. It would complicate her life and mine. After so many years she is still with Morelli, which shows that she must really love him or she would have stood on my doorstep a long time ago.
"Why?" She asks and it is something I don't really want to get into, so instead of telling her the truth, I get up from the bed with a smirk on my lips and reply "You were hogging the bed."
