Ricker
I've been here a week visiting Blinky. Tank found time to corner me and ask me what the fuck I was thinking letting Ranger take his last mission. I told him it wasn't my doing. No one knows what Ranger real mission was here. I told Tank I was also asked to come check up on Steph. But in the week, I've been here I've only seen her once.
"Pretty late tonight isn't you." I pulled my gun and pointed it at the voice. I shut my hotel door and turned on the light. Steph was sitting in the corner. She smiled and waved at me. From the first time to now there was a huge change in her. She looked tired and sick the last time. I know that was because she was upset over losing Ranger. But now.
She was beautiful. She was wearing a black suit that held tight against her. She looked breath taking. I now knew what Ranger saw in her. She lights up the fucking room. She turned her head and looked at my gun.
"I surprised you, that was my intention. I couldn't very well talk to you at Rangerman now could I Ricker?" I just starred at her. "Now let's cut the bull shit. I don't work very well with it. It seems Ranger forgot why he wanted so bad to hire me. I find everything and anything I want to find and I'm damn good at it. I don't give up or give in. Now I want you to tell me where he is."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She let out a breath and shook her head.
"I thought I made myself clear. I don't want to deal with the bull shit. I know he's alive and I know you know where he is. You are still his handler. You didn't give him this mission he went on, but you allowed him to go. You are still watching over him. Where the fuck is he." She asked me again. I shook my head.
"I don't know what you're talking about. He passed away." She smiled at me and put her arms on the chair.
"I guess we'll wait." She looked at her watch. "I think it will only be about 7 more minutes." She said and smiled at me. I looked at her and didn't understand. But I finely put my gun away. "Thank you, you were making Hector nervous." I didn't understand, but followed her eyes behind me. There stood a Mexican with gang tattoo's all over him.
Blinky was saying something about Steph only spending time with Hector. This must be him. She knew a lot of things she should.
"How did you know I was Ranger's handler?" She waved at a chair.
"I have my ways, if I told you I would have to kill you and that's not in the books for tonight. Five more minutes are you sure you just don't want to give me the answers I'm looking for."
"I don't have any answers for you Steph. I'm sorry you lost someone you care about. But I can't help you. She just smiled at me. Hector stood next to the door not moving. I wonder what that was all about. "Bodyguard?" I asked her. She looked over at the man and her smile dropped.
"Yes, he's the one who thinks you should keep on living. So, he's here to protect you against me. I didn't like that all that much, but if you can't stop them join them. 3 more minutes?"
"What are you counting down to?" She just smiled and sat there. I looked at the man. He didn't move at all. I looked back at Steph and my phone rang. She smiled even bigger. This wasn't my normal ringer and I knew just who it was. How the fuck did she know who was going to call me and when they were going to call me.
I pulled out my phone and saw it was who I thought it was. I put it back.
"tis tis, I'll be quite if you want to answer that. Wouldn't want you to miss the call." I couldn't miss the call. I pulled the phone out and hit answer.
"Hey honey, how are you?" I asked.
[Honey my ass you fucker. What took you so fucking long?] He asked me.
"Just visiting my brother, you knew about this." He was quite a minute. Steph was watching me closely.
[You aren't with Blinky now?] Ranger asked. Steph shot a look over to Hector. Hector was watching her.
"Not at this second. Can we do this another time I really don't want to fight with you now."
[You aren't someone else, someone who isn't my core team. Steph, what the fuck are you doing with her?] He yelled at me. Steph rolled her eyes. She could hear him.
[Yes, we're in my hotel room.] I said watching her. She rolled her eyes again and grabbed a note pad. She pulled a pen out of her jacket and started writing.
'We went to Rossi's for dinner and you invited be back to eat my cheese cake and have a night cap.' She wrote.
"Blinky told me about her favorite restaurant, Rosita's is good." He didn't say anything. "Never knew someone could eat cheese cake like she does." All the men talk about her eating habits. I didn't understand what they were saying. Hector made a sound.
"Why is she followed? Doesn't look like she is very much?" I asked him.
[Stander order, who's following her?]
"Hector." He started cussing and Steph was waving her hands. I didn't understand.
"Take her back to the building now." Ranger ordered.
"Why, I'm enjoying myself." He let out a breath.
[The only time Hector is put on her is if she's in over her head. Take her back now.] I looked at Hector.
"Then she's in danger at the building also. You never seen one without the other. Blinky told me they have gotten closer." Hector looked at Steph, tapped his wrist and put his hand on the door knob. I looked at Steph. She stood up and grabbed the pen.
'Have fun, this is all I needed out of you. He's not going to let you off that easy. I gave you enough to get him talking.' She pulled on her jacket and I saw her gun's. Then she walked out with Hector.
[Are you listening to me?] Ranger yelled.
[You woman just played us.] I looked at the door thinking about it. [She was waiting for me when I got to my hotel room. Said she would get answers either way. Then when she knew you were on the phone she told me just what to say to keep you on the line. She just left after telling me I get to deal with you now." He started swearing.
"Go to Rangerman and collect my computer in my home office. She made you man. Now she knows I'm alive. Now, do it now." He said and hung up. I grabbed my shit and headed to Rangerman. Tank was waiting for me in front of the penthouse doors.
"What's this about?" He asked.
"Before I leave I have to collect Ranger's computer." I pulled out his fob and waved it at the door. Nothing happened. Tank rubbed his face and knocked on the door. He waited then pulled out his phone and made a few calls.
"Please come open the door." He said and hung up. Finely an older lady walked out and looked at us. She shook her head and opened the doors. We walked in and I just stopped. The apartment was token over with files and papers and the walls were covered with it also. I looked at Tank for some answer. He was blown away with everything.
"How long has it been like this Elle?" She folded her arms.
"That first day you thought her Ranger was dead. Slowly she's been adding to it. This last mouth is where most of it came from. She has most of his history right here. Never should have lied to her Tank. She cut you all out because of it." The woman shook her head. Tank centered on me.
"Lied to her, I didn't lie to her. That means you lied to us." He yelled.
"Major Manoso died." I told him.
"Go get what you came for." I head to the office after he pointed to it and stood in the doorway. There was no computer in the office. It looked like it was just cleaned.
"Who removed the computer?" I asked and looked back. Tank walked over and looked, then turned and looked at Elle.
"She took it out of here earlier this week. All the papers that were in there are gone also. These I don't think are needed anymore." She told us.
"Where did she takes it?" Elle gave him a look. He turned and booked it out of the apartment. She shut the door behind him and looked at me.
"You might want to call the man and tell him his computer is gone. She knew he was dead and with all this work she proved it. Weather she goes and looks for him or just walks away because of this I don't know. But she's gone."
"What?"
"She left soon after dinner, she not here and she won't be coming back." She handed me a letter. "See that this makes it to him." She opened the door and walked out. I looked at it and saw his name on it. It was a face name he was using on his mission. I pulled out my phone and called him.
{Did you get it?} He asked me.
[It's missing, but]
[But what?]
[It seems your woman has been busy, very busy with it.] I picked up a stack of papers. [Very busy with your clearance and your files. Your house keeper told me she left after dinner and gave me a letter to give to you.]
[What?]
[A letter, do you want it?] I asked him.
[Open it and read it, then find that fucking computer and the woman who's with it.] I moved over to the bar and opened the letter. I pulled out the piece of paper and looked at it. Then looked in the envelop and didn't understand.
[All that's on it is a batman sign. Not very Jon Dear or loving?" I didn't understand.
[Find her before she fucks my shit up.]
[Why do you think that's what she's going to do?]
[Because only batman comes when his signs turned on. She's telling me she's waiting and she's never been good at waiting.]
[Waiting for what?]
[Me to come home, find her and watch over her.] He hung up. I got up and turned around. Tank was standing there with his arms folded looking at me. He looked at the paper in my hands and slowly smiled.
"You will leave her alone. You will let her do whatever she wants and you will remove yourself form this building." He said to me. "He's alive, isn't he?" I shook my head no.
"That little girl would not give you that unless there was a reason. She wouldn't disappear without a reason. Everything makes since now. The reason she won't let his will to be read. The reason she's been down on 3. The reason she left with Hector. That man is alive and he's going to be waken up when she comes to him. He can't come home for some reason, but she can go to him." He smiled and walked past me. I watched him and followed him.
He opened the safe door and looked around. He laughed and grabbed a black box.
"You might want to get this to him." He throws the box at me and walked out. I opened it and saw a beautiful ring.
"Why isn't this on her finger?" I asked and followed him.
"Because he's heads been up his ass. Let him know it's coming and hope it beats her there." He held the door open for me and let me walk out. "If you get close to her for any reason, I will hurt you." He walked me all the way down to the garage and made sure I left.
"You men have warned me against getting close to her." I told Ranger when I called him.
[I don't care, find her and take her back.]
"So, you know she was coming to you. Tank knows some of you are alive. You mission is going up in flames because a little girl couldn't stay out of things that didn't involve her." I told him and was pissed off.
[Everything that involves me involve her. I wonder how long it took her to get into my computer. Find her fast.] I rubbed my face and someone took my phone. I looked at the hand and saw Hector. Steph was sitting in the chair again and she waved at me.
[Finding my Angle isn't hard. Controlling her, on the other hand is much harder. She has demands.] Hector told him and the phone was put on speaker.
[Demands, I can't come back, she can't come to me and there is nothing more to demand.] I looked at Steph and she waved her hand.
[These are Angle's demands. You will return within 6 months or she will come to you with in 9 mouths. But this time if she feels the need she will leak the fact you are alive.] She waited for Ranger's answer.
[You will not allow this.]
[I can only hold her off for 9 mouths. You have 6 months to come home Ranger. The consequence for not coming home are greater than you believe.] Steph pointed and gave him a look.
[I will not be told what to do. What the fuck dose 6 and 9 mouths mean to anything.] My eyes opened and I looked at Steph.
[Think about what those mouths mean to a woman and you will understand the need.] Hector gave me the phone.
"I didn't for see this, would your men know personal things about Steph?" Steph shook her head no. She pointed to Hector and then me.
[It would depend on what or how personal it was. Is she there?]
[No, just Hector and I think she's close. He's not allowing me to get close to the door.]
[Good, go get her and take her back and don't let her leave. 9 mouths she will not be coming to me.] I looked at her and knew she would be going to him if he didn't come to her.
[I wonder what you would be like if Julia wasn't born. How much would you live longer? Maybe this time around it will help you even more.] I said and hung up. I grabbed my bag and packed everything. They watched me.
[Come on,] I said and held the door open. They looked at me. I waved him and waited. Steph got up at once and followed me. She allowed me to guide her where my car was. I opened her door and she didn't understand.
[where are, we going?] She asked me and looked at Hector.
[One a woman who's going to have a child needs to be calm and relaxed. I'm going to take you to his house.] She didn't understand. [Two I'm not going to let you go do something that will hurt you or him. If you decide to take Hector with you, you can.] I waved my hand at the door waiting for her to get in my car.
"You want to take me to his house?" She just thought about it and didn't believe me. I waved her into the car and waited for her to make up her mind. I really did want to take her to his house. I trusted it.
"Why don't I just go back to Rangerman?" She asked me.
"Tank believes you're going after Ranger. He's letting you leave. If you go back, you will make him start to think that maybe Ranger really is dead. I believe you hold everyone together here. But if you really level many men will believe you are just getting away to get over him. If you go back, you will keep on trying to make everyone believe you are grieving." She made a face and looked at Hector.
"But Hector works." She said and looked at Hector.
"You both will be able to work. Tank knows you have Ranger's computer and Hector with you. Come along it will take some time to get there." She just looked at me again. Hector walked over to her.
[Come, this is a good chose.] He guided her in the car and got her seat belt on. He shut the door and gave me a look. [She's not easy to handle, I'll meet you there.] He turned and walked away. I watched him walk over to a black van and got in. He just drove away. I walked around the car and got in. She was looking out the window not seeing anything.
"Is Ranger the father?" I asked as I pulled out. She looked over at me and gave me a look.
"Yes, it was a night where a distraction went really well and we went out to a club. I don't drink very well and he didn't have temple rules that night. I didn't remember much, shit I didn't remember anything. In the past, it wasn't uncommon to wake up with him. I didn't think anything of it for a few weeks and then I chose to come on to Rangerman full time." She said and shrugged. I looked over to her and she was looking out the window.
"You've known for some time?" I asked her and wondered why she didn't tell him.
"You could say that,"
"What else could you say?" I saw her lip turned up and knew she was smiling.
"You know I wouldn't bring him out of this shit for me. A long time ago I came to the conclusion that batman would only and always be my best friend. What he agreed to was because his honor and duty to this country. There's people here that reline on him."
"Batman?" I asked her. She looked at me, then dug into her pocket and pulled something out. There on her keys was a batman sign. She flipped the keys over and showed me a wonder woman sign.
"Because Ranger is my own personal Batman. That letter you were given with the batman sign on it was all I needed to remind him who he is and where is place is. If I have to I will mount the stupid sign on the top of that god damn building. Then I will."
"Why batman, wouldn't superman be a better match for wonder woman?" She gave me a look.
"Do you really want to know?" She asked me. I nodded and looked over at her.
"I'm only wonder woman because I want to fly and I can't lie to save my life. But Ranger is batman, he's really batman. Troubled soul and all, hidden life and wears a mask and all that." I gave her a look.
"He said you were telling him that you were coming to get him?" She laughed.
"No, I wouldn't give him a batman sign if I was coming to him. But I also wouldn't stick my noise in somewhere it doesn't belong. Not that Hector thought I didn't belong there till he found out I was pregnant."
"What?"
"Hector out of everyone knows I land on my feet and with him there I would be safe. I always have been good on landing on my feet Ricker."
"Michel will do. How did you find me anyways? Those records are sealed or not even there."
"I'm good at what I do, I find missing details and pieces. But I'm also lucky, it took me a while and really, I didn't find you till right before you showed up. I was more surprised when you walked in to my office. Hector had to keep reminding me to play nice with you. It seems since we've got together, I've tend to act like a lot like him. Short temper and deadly."
"What?"
"I've spent more time with Hector because I tended to be short tempered. I didn't like having to act all the time, I didn't like that Tank lied to me." She looked back out the window. "Living his life would have been hard, reading it was harder. Reading everything that made that man tick, it was hard and it was harder because now I understand everything he said and he meant it."
"What are you talking about?" She shook her head. She didn't want to get into it. "You don't think you'll be together? You're going to have his child?" She just looked out the window not specking. Then let out a breath.
"Don't forget that Ranger is batman. Batman's life doesn't lend itself to relationship. Or to family, I wouldn't ask him and make him do anything. Just because he's a part of this child doesn't mean anything."
"But you love him." She let out another breath.
"I would rather have Batman as my best friend then nothing, pull over." I gave her a look, but did what she said. I pulled off to the side of the freeway and she opened the door and got out.
"Steph." I yelled at her. She slammed the door and started walking. I put my lights on and followed next to her so she wouldn't get hurt. She was waving her arms. I watched the clock and drove right next to her. 78 minutes later I pulled behind Hector's van. He was leaning against the side. She just walked past him. I parked and he held his hand out to keep me in the van. She was pacing next to him waving her arms.
Five minutes into pacing she throws away her jacket. Hector caught it somehow. She just kept on pacing and waving her arms. Her shirt came off next. I sat there watching her. Then I started noticing something. She had a tattoo. I guess Hector noticed me noticing it. He gave me a look and it clearly said that I should forget ever seeing it.
Finely she just stopped and rolled her neck. She kissed him and walked back to the car. Got in and put her seat belt on.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." She smiled at me and I pulled out after Hector. She kept on watching me. "Your one of the first to notice it. Even Ranger hasn't noticed. Maybe I'll show you sometime."
"It's pretty large?" She nodded and looked out the window.
"Took quite some time to get done also. Whether or not anyone knows it, Hector and I have been getting closer for a long time. At first it was just him showing up when I needed him, then it moved on to a close friendship. He was there the night I broke up with my ex. That's what started the tattoo."
"What is it?" I asked her.
"It started out as just I'll fly, then I added closed wings from my shoulders all the way past my hips. I have a few feathers falling down to my feet. Now it says Someday I'll open my wings and I'll fly." She said in such a sad voice. I didn't understand why that would upset her. That should make her happy.
"When do you plan to do that?" She looked over at me.
"Oh, I don't, I never planned on that someday ever happening. Hector wasn't happy with it, if I was going to ink myself I should have done it with meaning I knew that would happen. But he did it anyways." I looked over at her.
"Hector gave you the tattoo?" I asked her and she nodded.
"A lot of nights he was at my place doing a lot of work on my back. For being gay he looked a lot. It was fun when I would notice him." She looked back out the window.
"How big is it really?" She looked over at me and thought about it. "Your tattoo?"
"Pretty much my whole back and part of my legs."
"How much time did it take you to get it done?" She shrugged and didn't care. "I have one on my back and it took some time, didn't always fell nice either."
"It's a good thing when you know your arties and you have a low tolerance to drinking." She started playing with something and I saw it was her phone. She was flipping it around and around.
"What's the matter?" I asked her.
"I get bored," Was all she said. She looked out the window.
"I was on the core team, Ranger, Tank, Bobby Lester and myself were on the same team with the other heads of the buildings. When our contact, was up we all chose a path. Together we were the wolf pack, but apart we were all lone wolfs and we all have a specialty. I signed on with the government for a 3-year contract. When my time was almost up, I got out of a relationship and resigned. Almost a year later I was hit and I couldn't pass my test to go back in, at that time. Glass our handler died and they appointed me the handler for the team." She was looking at me.
"You really know them?" I nodded.
"We all came out of Miami, we all joined the army because our lives weren't going down the wrong road. The same mouth we signed our good friend passed away. Sign away your life and you can't make those bad choses anymore. Blinky he's so much younger than me and until a few years ago, we weren't even close. I lived with our mom while he lived with our father. But once I was over everyone I had time to spend time with him. Thank you for looking out for him."
"No price." I shoot her a surprised look.
"A life is more important than the money." It was her turn to look at me with surprise. "That's my line honey, that ass whole took it from me. I was good in battle, but I was better with the single shoot that ended the life. I was the one who was sent out to kill the ruthless."
"You were a sniper?"
"No I was the assign. We'll we all are, but I was sent out when the price was to larger for the guys to pay. I was the one who was called when the odds were shifty looking. My luck just caught up with me one day."
"What's your tattoo?" She asked me.
"Every time we got out from under the contract we all would go in and get the same tattoo. It's of a wolf. It matches our friends tattoo he had on his shoulder." Her mouth dropped open.
"They all have a tattoo?" I nodded. "Ranger doesn't."
"He's still under contact. Ranger and three more are still under contract." Her mouth dropped open.
"Three?"
"They aren't part of the first team. Lester, Dagger and I were replaced when we left. These kids aren't the same, but they do the job. We'll only is younger. We knew all of them though, they stay hidden unlike Ranger. He went against a lot of rules and pissed off a lot of people when he started up that business. But so far it hasn't hurt him. Not very many people who know him really know who he is." She leaned her head against the seat looking at me.
"You don't think I could have done it, do you?" I looked over at her. "Go down there and bring him back home. You don't think I could, do it?"
"I don't think you should try. Ranger knew what he was getting into. I don't want to upset you, but the outcome where he gets out of this, it's not good." She nodded and kept looking at me.
"I could do it you know, I would have been able to. It's not smart for you to be taking me where ever you're taking me."
"It's not just his house. And if I wanted to take you I can." She nodded and her eyes were dropping. "Just can't promise I'll let you leave. Your mind and heart aren't on the same page. You so desperately need him and you so desperately don't want him." She was already asleep.
It took a little over two days to finely get to the house. I really thought I would have to kill this woman in the end. Hector smiled when we stopped at the dock. He helped Steph out of the car and onto the boat. We packed it with everything and I finely pulled away from the dock.
When I parked the boat on the dock Steph wasn't happy. But there wasn't time. It would be dark soon and we needed to move everything to the house. She sat in the Jeep with her arms folded. Hector was smiling the whole time. I pulled into the garage and got out.
"I need to pee." She said at once. Hector helped her out and walked her to the closest bathroom. He came back and gave me a look.
[She will not stay long, she doesn't like being locked up.] I grabbed some of the bags and walked away. [Very stupid man.] He said under his voice. I headed right to Ranger's room and dropped the bags.
"What is this place?" She asked from the main floor. I leaned against the railing and looked down at her.
"Our signing bones. The government gave us an island and with some time we built this house. Only a few people know about it. This is Ranger's room, Hector can stay in any room he normal stays in." I said and went to grab everything else. I put Ranger's computer in his office.
"I'm going to guess this is his office?" She asked from behind me. I nodded and looked around. It was plain.
"I'll show you around later." I walked away from her and headed to my own room. As soon as I shut the door my phone rang.
"What?"
[How does she like it?] Ranger asked me. I rubbed my face and sat down on my chair.
"I don't know, if I didn't get some space I would kill her." He laughed and let out a breath.
[Yes, she's like that, she's good at sitting still for about 10 minutes a day. Should have made Hector drive her. Give her the grand tour. If she would have let Hunter read my will she would have been given my keys to the island. My share are all hers now. I know the guys won't mine. I give her two weeks before she tries to leave.] He said and hung up.