Chapter 2: Hot and Cold
I had left New Jersey with a smile on my face thinking how Tank had to explain to my parents that I wouldn't be at home for the next week and a half.
I pictured in my head, mountains of pressed and folded laundry around the living room with my mother in the middle of it all, gliding the iron back and forth with a bottle of Jack Daniels in hand.
But when I reviewed the accusations, I would probably need a bottle of whiskey or two.
Ranger was right. These men were dangerous.
The list of charges was 8 pages long. I had to reread some of them just to make sure I read them right.
The crimes included: kidnapping, extortion, corruption, smuggling, treason, perjury, heists, drug possession, banned lethal weapon concealment …. Genocide, rape, torture….
I felt my spine turn into a giant icicle. I decided to skip that section and went over the list of drugs they had retained.
My mouth dropped.
Cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, rohypnol, PCP, GHB, crystal meth, steroids, heroin, marijuana, LSD, mushrooms…the list went on; as did the banned lethal weapons.
I felt Ranger's eyes on me. "Still trying to process this, Babe?"
I looked at him. "These guys must be richer than…than…all the billionaires in the world combined!"
He tugged lightly on one of my curls. "It's amazing what kind of price people are willing to pay just to get a buzz. I've lost a handful of men who got hooked on cocaine and LSD. Some of them are still in rehab even after five years."
I blinked at him. "How did you find out they were on them?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Just recognised the symptoms; anxiety, paranoia, dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes, extreme weight loss, nosebleeds, track marks, that kind of thing." A sigh escaped his lips. "None of them ever attended to get addicted. Some were forced to whilst being held hostage while others just couldn't cope with some of the things their job included. Bobby had the hardest part in helping perform post-mortems. What the stuff does to you on the inside as well as the outside is not pretty."
I gulped. "Some of your men…died from…from overdosing?"
"That and suicide. Depression is a symptom as well."
I looked away from him and stared at my feet. The warnings my mother gave me about the Morelli boys as a kid were piddling compared to what these guys did.
I thanked my lucky stars Morelli (or anyone else for that matter) never got me hooked instead of screwing me in the bakery. After all, you thought you knew everything when you were a teenager.
Ranger got out of his seat and pulled my bag down from the overhead locker.
"We'll be landing soon, Babe. We better go change."
I placed the files aside and got up. He handed me my bag and motioned me to a cubicle.
When I came out in my leopard dress, I almost forgot to breathe.
Ranger had untied his hair from his ponytail and let it hung around his shoulders in a silky ebony curtain. His black threads had been replaced with indigo jeans, a charcoal suit and a crisp white dress shirt that contrasted beautifully with his skin. The top button was undone and I noticed a gold cross pendant hang around his neck.
I was too used to seeing Ranger wearing nothing but black. He looked so handsome that it hurt to look at him.
"Babe," He said, inspecting me up and down with a growing smile. "I never thought I'd see you in animal print."
I felt my cheeks burn. "Lula got me the dress as a thank you present."
He walked over to me and was close enough so I could see his dilated pupils. "Remind me to thank her…" He pulled me to him and kissed me. I was sure I was going to collapse from lack of air as I felt my eyes roll in the back of my head. "I can die a happy man seeing you in something sexy."
I smirked. "You should see the lingerie."
"ReeeeOWR!" He growled.
Ranger was quiet for the last 10 minutes of the flight. He was in his zone and I knew better than to disturb him.
I looked out the window as the plane gracefully ran over the runway. If I hadn't known we were flying to an uncharted island, I would have thought the pilot had taken us to the wrong place.
We were surrounded by lush green trees and plants of every colour while a clear blue ocean reflected the cloudless sky as the sun shone a proud yellow. This is what I would have called paradise.
My spine tingled and I looked up to meet Ranger's eyes. He was already standing; his gaze was serious.
He took my hand and pulled me from my seat. "Do you remember what I told you?"
I took a deep breath. "Avoid eye contact. Speak only when spoken too. Do whatever you say."
Ranger nodded and the corners of his lips twitched slightly.
"Babe," He whispered, giving my hand a squeeze. "Before we get off the plane, I want you to know if the mission goes to plan, there's something I want to ask you."
I blinked at him. "What?"
He smiled and kissed my hand. "You'll have to wait."
He turned and headed towards the exit, pulling me with him.
I struggled to swallow as I felt my heart start to pound my ribcage as me and Ranger walked down the steps. A man in a dark blue suit was waiting for us. He had fair skin and cropped hair.
Could it be?
Riqui Pedro "The hook" Othello?
No….It couldn't have been.
Why would he meet the man in charge of getting him and his gang arrested?
I did as Ranger said and kept my eyes to the ground. My throat bone dry.
"Pedro." Ranger greeted him, confirming I was right. "Long time no see mi amigo."
My eyes snapped up. Amigo?
Pedro grinned. He had a gold tooth next to his upper left canine. "Ah mi hermano…Time has favoured you."
His eyes flicked to me and his grin widened. I think I was going to be sick….
"And who might you be mi encantadora?"
The blood slithered away from my face. I didn't know if I was supposed to use a phony name. My eyes found Ranger and he gave me a slight nod.
"Stephanie." My voice cracked and shook a little.
"Stephanie…." Pedro purred. He took my hand and kissed it, making my stomach feeling like it was trying to turn itself inside out. "We don't get many outsiders visiting our island. It's nice to see a fresh face."
I forced a smile and turned my attention towards the ground.
"Where are Cortez and Ezio?" Ranger asked.
Pedro laughed softly, "They're at Sede. Come. They'll be waiting for us to arrive."
I sat with my arms folded across my chest and my eyes glued to the Rolls Royce floor. Ranger sat next to me, leaning back with his arm around my shoulders. Pedro was in the driver's seat.
We had been moving for about 30 minutes which gave me enough time to let what Ranger had told me back in New Jersey to sink in, now we were, as I liked to call it, in the wind.
None of us had said a word but my throat was still too dry to speak.
Another 15 minutes had passed and we arrived at a beautiful marble villa surrounded by an 8ft spiked chain fence.
Pedro held up a silver remote pointed towards it. He pressed a button and a camouflaged gate slid to the side. He drove across a red tiled driveway and killed the engine.
Ranger opened the door and got out before taking my hand to help me up.
I got a better view of the building when I was out of the car. The walls were a perfect white with a terracotta tiled roof. There weren't many windows but the few I could see where barred with black iron. I looked around the grounds. Just a few palm trees and hibiscus bushes across some gravelled terrain.
It took me a while to remember what kind of people lived here.
How many lives had to be ruined before the bastards were able to afford this?
Pedro closed the gate and led us inside.
"Mis hermanos! Look who's finally here!" His call echoed around a marbled room furnished with blood red sofas and chairs and tiled stands and tables while a huge crystal chandelier hung from above.
2 men appeared from down a hall way and I immediately recognised Cortez Fermin "the smile" Monaldo and Ezio Martese "Shades" Callisto. They both wore dark coloured dress shirts unbuttoned at the top with black jeans.
I wondered when Nigel Nero "Nightwing" Sarbello was going to show his face.
My eyes casted to the sofa when they both grinned towards me and Ranger. Despite the heat, a chill sent goose bumps across my arms and shoulders. I stifled a shiver.
"Cortez. Ezio." Ranger said with a smile playing in his voice. "Some things never change."
They both came forward. Cortez's scar was sicklier looking in person. He stood a foot closer to us than Ezio, hands on his hips.
A slow and horrible grin began to form on his lips; his scar curved with his cheek muscle.
"I could say the same thing about you too, Nigel."
