Dance with the Devil
Disclaimer: Not mine. Ranger is staying with me willing; I'll return him later … maybe.
A/N: Rating changed to Mature. Only one chapter left. Language warning. Thanks to Xy for her beta work. Special thanks to Angie for all her help.
Tank pulled his cell and sent out the emergency code to all employees. The guys left me on my own for a few minutes to get my control back in check. I slipped her ring in my pocket, vowing it would be back where it belonged soon.
I stepped out of the room to find Tank barking orders to various employees. Lester was on his phone talking to someone, he noticed my stare and mouthed, "Cops."
I can't help this nagging feeling that Morelli has something to do with this. Bobby walked over to me, a look of sadness on his face.
"Ranger, you doing okay?" He asked.
I yelled. I know I did. "My fiancée of less than an hour was just taken from me! How the hell do you think I'm doing?"
I walked away and Bobby followed me. "Man, I'm sorry. It was a dumb question."
I pulled out my phone and dialed the Atlanta Office. They answered and I asked to be connected to the guy watching Morelli.
He answered on the first ring, "Michaels."
"Stephanie's been kidnapped. I need you guys to verify Morelli's location." I barked into the phone.
"Consider it done." Michaels replied before disconnecting the call.
Tank walked up to me, "Ram has the SUV pulled up front. We're ready to head back to Haywood." He motioned for everyone to follow him.
I made my way out and noticed the guys had already stopped the party, thank God. Dealing with the guests wasn't anything I wanted to do right now. We made our way back to Haywood.
Hector already had the security feed pulled and they were watching the footage as we walked in the conference room. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I saw Amy sneak into the restroom. A few seconds later, I saw her follow Steph out of the room with a gun shoved into her side.
Stephanie surprised the shit out of me. I could see her lips moving. She was walking slowly. Knowing that Ram could read lips, she looked right at the security camera. After watching for a few seconds, I was positive that she was passing us a message.
Ram was watching the screen intently. As soon as Amy and Stephanie were out of view Ram barked, "Play it again and slow it down some."
Hector complied immediately. I was holding my breath hoping that Ram could figure out what she was saying.
After the second time through Ram's face fell, "Shit!" He muttered, "How in the hell did he pull this off?"
He looked up, anger radiating off his face, "It's Joe."
I grabbed the filing cabinet and flung it through the glass of the conference room. How the hell could it be Joe? "I just called and checked. Joe is in Atlanta."
"Rangeman, Steph said that Amy was working with Joe." Ram interrupted. "Maybe Joe is having Amy bring Bomber to him."
Tank pulled out his cell and had Michaels on the phone in seconds. I couldn't hear the whole conversation, but could tell that Michaels had pissed off Tank.
"I don't give a fuck if you watched him walk in the damn house or not! I want you to knock on the door and detain Morelli," Tank flipped closed his phone.
Less than five minutes later, Tank's cell beeped. He pulled out his phone and roared, "FUCK!!"
He handed me his cell as I dialed Michaels from mine. "How the hell did this happen?" I demanded.
"Ranger, I don't know. Man, I swear. They must have switched places sometime in the last forty-eight hours."
The anger was pouring out of my body. Anthony Morelli had better be glad he was in Atlanta right now because if I could get my hands on him, he'd be a dead man.
"Michaels, I don't care what it takes, you get him to tell you how they pulled the switch off and make him tell you anything he knows about Steph." I seethed.
I slammed the phone down. How in the hell did this happen?
Michaels called back sometime later; I put the call on speaker. "Ranger, we finally got him to talk. He doesn't know much. He told us Joe called him and asked him to come down. When he got here, Joe asked him to pretend to be him for a few days. He got here late last night, Joe left shortly after that."
"How did you not realize it wasn't Joe?" Lester asked.
"Well for starters, they look a lot alike. Anthony was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. It's raining cats and dogs here." Michaels sighed.
"Did Joe say anything to Anthony about where he was going?"
"Anthony said, Joe told him he had to take care of something in Trenton. He doesn't know anything else. Trust me."
"I want him found and I want him found now!" I fumed.
I walked out of the room and into my office. I needed to be alone to think. If I were Joe where would I be and where would I take Steph?
My thinking was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot outside and shouts coming from the control room. What the hell?
Tank yelled my name, "Ranger, get out here! Zip call 911."
It was utter chaos as I ran out to the control room. Ram, Bobby, and Lester were running, guns drawn, for the stairs. "What the fuck is going on?"
I ran to the monitor, reversed the film a few minutes and watched in horror as Hal approached a strange car parked near the building. I saw the gun flash and Hal fall to the ground. The shooter threw out a piece of paper and sped off down the street.
Tank and I took off for the street. From the stairwell, I heard two company SUVs peel out of the garage. I knew that Bobby would be working on Hal. We ran up to the gory scene.
Hal had a gaping wound in his chest. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely. Bobby was working frantically to control the bleeding.
I reached down and picked up the note. I couldn't believe what I read. "Tell me something my friend. You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"
"You fucking piece of shit," I screamed.
My cell rang. The display showed unknown caller, but I knew who it was.
"You sorry ass mother fucker." I yelled.
"Why so serious, Batman?" Morelli chuckled.
"I swear to God, when I find you and it won't be pretty."
"Well, let's put a smile on that face. Meet me at the Ramos warehouse, seven pm. come alone. We'll settle this once and for all. I'll have what's mine and you'll be gone for good."
The line went dead.
EMS had arrived and they were rushing Hal away to the hospital. Booby went with them; he would call with an update as soon as possible.
Tank was watching me, waiting for me to fill him in on the call, that wasn't happening right now. I was too pissed.
I turned on my heel and walked back to my office to start preparing for my seven o'clock date with destiny.
Later that afternoon …
I was sitting at my desk lost in thought when Tank, Lester, and Bobby came into my office.
"How's Hal?" I asked.
"He's going to pull through. He'll be in the hospital at least a week. It will be months before he's back to one hundred percent. Ella's with him now." Bobby explained.
"Ranger, I know that was Morelli on the phone. Tell us what he said." Tank demanded.
"I'm to meet him at the Ramos warehouse, alone."
"Not going to happen, Rangeman! You're not going in there alone. That's suicide" Tank fumed.
"I won't risk Steph! Putting her in danger is not an option."
"You think that he's going to hurt her? He wants her, he won't risk her." Lester interrupted.
"We are going in with you. We know the layout of the warehouse from when you were FTA." Tank stated.
We all started suiting up in full tactical gear. I only agreed to let them go because I knew if I didn't, they'd show up anyway. My brothers love Steph almost as much as I do.
6:55 pm
I stood outside the door of the Ramos Warehouse. This was the second time I was walking into a room to save the woman I love, knowing that the monster that had her would like nothing better than to shoot me dead. I leaned my head against the door and whispered, "Babe, I'm here."
I slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open. I walked into the room with my Glock in my hand. I made my way to the center of the building, where I could see Joe holding Stephanie. She had tears pouring down her cheeks. I tried to let my eyes tell her how much I loved her, just like the last time we found ourselves in this situation
"Joe, let her go." I pleaded.
"No, I don't think so. She's right where she belongs." He kissed the top of Steph's head.
She tried to jerk away from him, "Just where do you think you're going, Cupcake." Joe snarled.
I shook my head, trying to convey to Steph to stop struggling. I saw a sniper light flash on the wall behind Joe. Luckily, his back was turned to where Tank was placing the beam of light. This was the signal to let me know the guys were in place if I needed them.
"Joe, please stop this! Please don't so this. We'll get you help. I swear, Joe. I forgive you for kidnapping me. Just please, let us go!" Steph begged."
"Let You Go?" Joe fumed. "I can't let you go! This psychopath," Joe pointed at me, "has brainwashed you."
My finger twitched on the trigger, "I'm the psychopath? You're kidding me, right?" I chuckled.
"I have given a name to my pain. Do you know what it's called?" No doubt, Joe had truly lost his mind at this point. My best bet was to play along with his insanity.
"No Joe, we don't know but I'm sure you'll tell us."
"The name of my pain is Batman." Joe started to laugh. "Christ, you know she thinks you're really Batman?" he questioned unable to control his laughter.
"I'll always be her Batman. Now let her go, Joe!" I said with fury evident in my voice.
"No, I'm not letting her go." Joe shrugged his shoulders.
"Joe," Steph pleaded, "We grew apart, I'm sorry I hurt you. Don't do this to yourself."
"Don't do this to me, don't do this to you. He is the problem here; can't you see that, Cupcake? Your hero, Batman, over there is the one that did this to both of us. Why can't you see him for what he really is? "
"Joe, you can't help who you love. Deep down you know that. You know I will always love you. It's just a different kind of love now." Steph tried to reason.
Joe shook Steph in anger, "Don't you dare tell me you love him! You're mine! You'll never be his." Joe turned the gun on Steph.
I took several steps towards Joe before he realized I was moving. His head jerked up and he retrained his gun on me. "YOU!" he screamed, "you just couldn't let her go, could you? You had to move in and try to take what's always been mine. This war between us, this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets and immoveable object. You'll never give up and neither will I."
"Morelli, you can't make her love you. She'll never come back to you. She's mine now and forever. Get your hands off her and let her go." I demanded.
"You've taken everything from me! My job, my family, my home, I've lost them all because of you!" He screamed.
I saw Tank aim his sniper rifle on Joe. Tank seemed to realize just as I did that this was not going to end well. I heard a scuffle to my right side. Amy had found Lester. I'd wondered where she'd been hiding.
Joe turned crimson and yelled at me, "I told you to come alone!"
"I did, Joe." Well not really but we weren't going to tell him that. "He must have tracked my GPS." I backpedaled.
Stephanie realized that there was no getting through to Joe at this point and she started to struggle against him in earnest. I barely shook my head no telling her to stop. She didn't listen.
Joe turned on her, "You stupid bitch! I'm your destiny not that SPICK!"
Joe hit Steph with his gun handle. I could see blood running down Steph's face from the gash in her scalp the gun caused. Joe lost his grip on her just enough for her to break free. She took off running towards me.
Joe roared as he aimed the gun at Steph's back, "If I can't have her, NO ONE WILL!"
The sound of a shot pierced the air and time stood still.
TBC …
A/N: So what do you think? Last cliff hanger, I swear. Please review! I plan on posting the final chapter next week. Though reviews work as a great motivator and I could be persuaded to post it sooner.
WARNING!!!!!!! The next chapter will contain character death. If this offends you, please read no further.
