Chapter Seven

Tim pulled out his cell but before he could punch in Givens' number, a shiny black Escalade screeched to a halt in front of us. The driver was Ranger and he shook his head ruefully at us. "Babe. Tim."

Ranger is tall, dark and dangerous. Like Tim, he's a former Army Ranger but unlike Tim, Ranger is a Man of Mystery. Sure, he's obviously of Latin descent- Cuban, to be precise - over six feet tall, drool-inducingly gorgeous and mostly wears black. Then there are the things about Ranger that aren't obvious, like his ability to get through doors that are locked with heavy duty locks and to know when he's needed.

Tim grinned. "Been spying on me?"

Ranger didn't answer. He popped the locks and we loaded the Dish brothers inside. "Hal and Tank are retrieving your vehicle."

I slid in next to Ranger while Tim got in with Marlon and Elroy.

We drove in silence to the cop shop where I dropped off the Dish brothers and walked out with my body receipt about forty minutes later. When I came out, Ranger was gone and Tim was leaning against his SUV.

"Hal dropped it off while you were inside," he told me.

I stared hard at him and had the sense there was something he wasn't telling me. "What aren't you telling me?" I asked. "Ranger told you something and told you not to tell me."

Tim grinned. "He told me something and I figured I'd tell you, Raylan and Diesel together. Save some time." He opened the passenger door and gestured. "Come on, Junior Marshal. Don't you want to turn in those receipts and get paid?"

I did but I didn't like being kept in the dark. "Is the something about Simon Crowe or Wulf? Or both?"

Tim slid behind the wheel. "After you get paid, we should stop at the Chicken in a Bucket place and then pick up some beers."

"You're changing the subject and it's Cluck in a Bucket-"

"And maybe we should call Lula," he went on. "Get the team together."

I narrowed my eyes at him. If he was gathering the team, something big was going on. Something that Ranger was also involved in. I wasn't sure Lula was going to be much help but the truth was, having Lula involved was better than not having her involved. Still, I didn't like being kept in the dark, so I told Tim, "Good idea. You should call her."

"Already did. She's on her way to your place."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Lula's red Firebird was parked next to Big Blue, which was next to Givens' car. Miraculously - or more likely, thanks to Ranger - the body work had been done overnight and the car was restored to perfect condition. Or it was a new car, with the VIN plates replaced. I wasn't sure I wanted to know and besides, that was Givens' problem.

Diesel's motorcycle was next to the Dumpster and I shuddered, thinking of Givens, Diesel and Lula in the same room. I glanced at Tim, but he didn't seem worried. Tim didn't seem worried about a lot of things but I had the feeling that looks were deceiving and that he was as worried as I was.

We were greeted in the lobby by Dillon Ruddick, my building's superintendent. Dillon can fix just about anything and he fixes it faster if there's a beer or two involved. He's cleaned up some of my bigger messes without complaining. He's also the only other person who lives in the building who doesn't get a senior citizen discount.

"Hey, Dillon," I greeted him.

"Hey." His hands were on his hips, just over his tool belt as he eyed Tim. "Look, Stephanie, it's nobody's business what you do in your apartment, but your friends can't take up all those parking spaces. I've had some complaints and you know, the people here, well, maybe they shouldn't be driving but they do and since some of them can barely walk -"

"I'll move my vehicle," Tim told him. He patted my shoulder. "Back in a sec."

Dillon watched him go. "You know I don't pay attention to gossip but your neighbors are talking about all the men in your apartment."

Uh-oh. Most of my neighbors watched a lot of daytime TV and since that was the extent of their excitement most days, I could only imagine what they were saying. "Two of my guests are US Marshals."

"Okay."

I thought fast and then I remembered I was holding two shopping bags full of Cluck in a Bucket and Tim had set down his two cases of beer. "We're working on a case but maybe you'd like to join us for some fried chicken," I suggested.

"Sure." Dillon eyed the case of beer. "I could do that."

Which meant I was going to have to wait to find out what Ranger said.

Xxxxxxxx

The door to my apartment flew open before I could use my key. "Thank goodness you're here," Lula said, taking the bags of chicken from me. "I think Raylan's real close to shooting Diesel and I need some extra crispy drumsticks to soothe my nerves."

Tim bent and kissed her cheek. "You look great."

Lula was dressed for Christmas in a red and green spandex dress that stopped an inch or two below her ass and was cut low enough to show off the presents God had given her. The dress had sparkly silver and gold snowflakes. Lula's hair was bright red and so were her shoes. Beneath her dark skin, Lula turned a shade that matched her hair. She and Tim had an on-again/off-again thing going that nobody else wanted to know about.

"You brought beer," Diesel said, taking the cases from Tim. He eyed Dillon. "And a guest."

"Dillon Ruddick," I said, gesturing to my friends, "Lula, Raylan and Diesel."

"Nice tool belt," Diesel told him. "Do chicks go for that sort of thing?"

Dillon straightened his shoulders and eyed Diesel. "Works for me."

They eyed each other and then did a complicated fist bump that ended in a handshake. Diesel handed Dillon a beer.

Givens cut his eyes to Tim. "You were gone a while."

"We had a change of plans," Tim shrugged.

There was a long silence and then Dillon blew out a sigh. "I gotta go. Mrs. Bestler needs me to change a lightbulb for her."

"Take a beer for the road," Diesel said, handing him another one and walking him to the door.

I noticed Givens watching them but couldn't tell what he was thinking. Probably, there was something I missed. Something visible only to marshals or to Givens. He caught me looking and quickly diverted his gaze to the bucket of chicken. "Do we have spicy?"

"You think I'm an amateur?" Tim shot back.

I guessed Tim noticed whatever Givens did and now they were both changing the subject.

Diesel burped loudly and cracked open another beer. "Pass me a drumstick, Steph?"

Givens shoved the bucket at him.

Lula cut her eyes from Givens to Diesel and then back at me. "This here apartment is too small for all this macho male stuff. I say we give them some room and go to Macy's. There's a pair of shoes on sale I need. Figure by the time we come back, they'll all be dead or best friends and watching hockey."

"I hate hockey," Givens and Tim said in unison.

"I love hockey," Diesel said, taking a bite out of his drumstick. "And I love women in sexy shoes. We should take Stephanie and Lula to the mall -"

"Here we go." Tim rolled his eyes.

Something was going on. I had no idea what it was. But I was going to find out. "What did Ranger say, Tim?"

Givens cocked his head. "Ranger?"

"We ran into him. Kinda," Tim said, shooting me a look. "One of the businesses his company provides security for was robbed last night."

I glanced over at Diesel, but he was busy digging in the bucket for another drumstick. That told me all that I needed to know.

Givens' eyes slid over Diesel, then me and then Tim. "Which business was it?"

"The power company." The words hung in the air for a moment before Tim went on. "Apparently, they're supposed to be upgrading the hardware for the transmission subsystem and that's what got taken."

"But you knew that already, didn't you, Diesel?" Givens said, hands on hips. "So let's hear what you found out after you ditched me."

Tim's mouth curved into a smirk. "He ditched you?"

Diesel shrugged.

"Now you know what it feels like," Tim told Givens.

"Now you know why I work alone," Diesel said to me.

I rolled my eyes. "You work with me."

"That's different."

"Quit stallin'." Givens snatched the bucket of chicken from Diesel's hand. "Jesus, did you eat the entire bucket?"

Diesel grinned. "What can I say? I have a hearty appetite." He winked at me. "I followed Wulf's trail this morning and it led me to the power plant -"

"If you can follow his trail, how come you're here and not trackin' him?" Givens wanted to know.

I knew what was coming and I grabbed a beer. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"I lost the trail," Diesel admitted.

"But you had it this morning." Givens' eyes narrowed. "Last I saw you before you pulled your disappearing act, you were sittin' on your ass watchin' Good Morning. How the hell did you pick up his trail?"

Diesel grinned and his eyes crinkled. "Cosmic debris. Sometimes I can sense Wulf's."

"Cosmic debris." Givens cut his eyes to Tim. "You ever follow cosmic debris?"

"You both do. It's why you're so good at your jobs."

"So we're Unmentionable?"

"No, you're just on the high range of ordinary and everybody leaves cosmic debris but some, like Wulf and me, leave more than others. It's hard to explain."

"That's because it's bullshit," Givens said. "It's always hard to explain bullshit."

"Which says a lot about you," Diesel told him. "Tim believes."

"The hell I do!"

"Aww, that's sweet," Lula said. "Tim believes in fairy dust."

"Cosmic debris and I do not!"

"Clap your hands if you believe. It'll help me find Wulf," Diesel said.

Givens caught my wrist and shot me a look that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "You're not that gullible, Steph."

"Sure she is." Diesel patted me on the head. "It's part of her charm."

Just then, the lights went out. The apartment was plunged into darkness and for a moment, the only sound was Rex, running on his wheel.

"Guess someone didn't pay her light bill," Lula said.

Before I could protest that I was only a little behind, Givens spoke. "The whole street's dark."

"Hunh." I heard the heavy sound of Lula tottering on her heels to the window. "All of Jersey looks dark. Well, at least we got Cluck in a Bucket and beer. If I'd known we was gonna have a blackout -"

"Get away from the window," Givens said, sharply. "Tim, you see anything?"

"Shut up and I might," Tim hissed.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed something. Or rather, I noticed someone was missing. "Diesel's gone."

Givens grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the kitchen counter. "I know, just like I know maybe this ain't just a blackout."

It took me a beat to follow his logic. "Wulf."

"Looks like Dracula, plays with power grids, right?"

In a blinding flash, the lights came back on and then flashed even brighter before every bulb in my apartment exploded. My alarm clock screeched and then went silent. The refrigerator made a sound no fridge ever should. Every appliance died a horrible death and then we were back in darkness.

Lula and I shrieked.

"This is just like that movie," Lula said, ducking behind the counter with Givens and me.

"Which movie?" I asked.

"I don't know. The scary one. Why are you bothering me with details when stuff is exploding?"

Givens' voice was surprisingly calm. "Tim, did you happen to notice if that was just us?"

"Know what a flash bang is?" Tim countered.

"A kind of grenade, ain't it?"

"Uh-huh. We use 'em to stun and disorient before we attack."

"I've got the front door," Givens said.

"Fire escape," Tim responded. "Steph, is your gun loaded?"

"My gun is loaded," Lula said proudly.

"Good, give it to Stephanie," Givens chimed in.

"No! No guns!" Besides, my hands were shaking too badly to hold a gun anyway.

"Shhhh!" Givens and Tim hissed at me.

Lula and I crouched behind the kitchen counter for what seemed like days while Tim and Givens pointed their guns, waiting for something to happen. Truth be told, I was hoping everything had happened and we were done for the night.

Then we heard it.

Laughter.

Crazy, maniacal laughter. Coming from the parking lot.

"I can't see him," Tim murmured.

"Steeeeeeeeeeeepphhhhaaaaaannnnniiiieeeee!"

The hair on the back of my neck rose and my teeth were chattering so hard that I almost couldn't hear my heart thundering or the blood rushing into my head.

Zzzzzzzzaaaaaappppp! There was a bright flash in the parking lot and more laughter.

Then, nothing.

"I think I just wet myself," Lula whispered to me. "I may need to borrow some underwear."

As if I didn't have enough to deal with.

There was a soft scuffing sound outside my door and then each of my locks slid open. I felt rather than heard Givens tense.

"Don't shoot," Diesel called. "It's just me."

xxxxxxx

We were huddled around my coffee table, with only the light of a buttercream scented candle illuminating the room. Dillon brought it by, along with the bad news that all of the tenants' power was restored except for mine. Somehow, he'd said, my circuits hadn't just tripped. They were fried. An electrician would have to be called. This was actually a good thing, since I didn't have any light bulbs.

Givens eyed Diesel. "So how did he do that?"

"Dillon? I guess he -"

"Not him." Givens' lip curled as he said the name. "Wulf. How did Wulf do that?"

Diesel shrugged. "Beats me. All I know about electricity is that story about Ben Franklin and the kite."

"Come on, Raylan, the guy's Unmentionable," Tim added. "It's like trying to figure out the physics behind Superman's heat vision. Don't go there."

"The man melted my car," Givens said. That had been the bright flash in the parking lot. "I'm going there." He turned to me. "How'd you take him down last time?"

"We didn't exactly take him down. We took down Martin Munch and ruined his weather control machine, well, actually, the monkeys did that -"

"Stop." Givens held up a hand. "Steph, I know you ain't a liar and you're mostly not crazy but if you're gonna tell me there were monkeys -"

"And Elmer, the fire farter," Diesel added. "No lighter required and never, ever feed him chili."

Tim's eyes lit up. "There's a guy that farts fire? Cool!"

My left eye twitched and I was pretty sure Givens' left eye twitched, too.