Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich except for Jonathon Wescott, he's mine.

My heartfelt thanks and gratitude goes to Kashy for her excellent edits, inspiration, patience and tolerance. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating, Hindsight wouldn't be possible without you.

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapters, please keep your reviews coming, I really do appreciate each one!

Warnings: Rated R for Adult language and situations, angst, violence and character death.

Hindsight

Chapter Eight

It had been over forty-eight hours since Stephanie had been taken by Ambers and there were still no leads or ransom demands.

Ranger sat in his office and thought about the last time he had seen her.

With tears streaming down her face, she had said she was sorry she had disappointed him. He couldn't understand why she would think that way. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was the bravest woman he'd ever known. She knew what was at stake and what Ambers intended to do to her, yet she went charging in anyway.

He was proud of her and hoped to be able to tell her so. Mostly, he was afraid for her, afraid she would suffer the same fate as the woman in the photographs. He couldn't bear the thought of Stephanie being tortured and maimed.

Cal and Hector had swept every RangeMan vehicle and had found hidden cameras in over half of them. It was impossible to tell how long they had been there or how Ambers had managed to plant them without being seen.

Files and photos were spread out across his desk, he reached down and picked up a photo and studied it. Nothing made sense. Ambers had a long history of violence but according to the reports, something had changed over the past few months. He had become worse, much worse. He had men working on tracing his recent past. If they could find what triggered his increase in violent behavior, they might find the clue they needed to find Stephanie.

When Ranger ran the searches on Melinda Ambers, Jackson Ambers' estranged wife, he learned that she had been reported missing nearly three weeks ago from the safe house she was staying at after Ambers had been arrested for domestic violence.

She had the same blood type as that of the severed finger but without her DNA and prints being on record, there was no absolute proof that it was her. He also learned that she had a daughter from a previous marriage, Rhonda Wolecky, who was thirteen years old, about the same age as the young girl at the haunted house.

They really needed to interview the little girl but the doctors wouldn't allow any visitors. Normally, 'doctor's orders' wouldn't stop him from doing what needed to be done but so far, the young girl hadn't said a word to anyone and his efforts would be futile until she was ready to talk.

Ranger logged on to his computer and opened his email. He was a little surprised to see that he had an email from Jackson Ambers. He clicked on the envelope icon and opened the message.

Greetings,

I know how worried you all must be for Stephanie, so I thought I'd give you a little gift.

You'll be allowed to keep an eye on her from time to time through this web cam. You understand of course that there will be times when we need, shall I say, 'private time' with her and the link will be severed, but twice a day there will be a live show for your viewing pleasure. The first one will be today at 7PM so click on the link below and stay tuned, boys and girls!

JA

Ranger glanced at the address line and noticed that the Trenton Police Department, Joe Morelli, the bonds office, and a lot of other people, most of which he didn't know, had been copied into the message.

He clicked on the link and an image slowly filled the screen. He felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach and every muscle in his body was temporarily paralyzed. Stephanie was kneeling on the floor, her hands tied behind her back and her head and face were covered with a black hood. Ranger knew he was looking at a live image.

He looked at his desk clock. It was 6:50PM. He picked up his phone and called Tank. "Gather everyone together, conference room in five."

He couldn't take his eyes off the screen. What he had done to Abruzzi was nothing in comparison to what he was going to do to Ambers when he caught him.

Ranger walked into the large conference room and after everyone was seated, he nodded towards Hector to click on the link and begin the live video feed. As soon as the image opened on the screen, he heard the exclamations around the room and knew what his men were feeling. Stephanie was more than a friend. She was a well loved and trusted comrade.

Steph was kneeling on the floor. Her arms were secured straight back behind her at an odd angle, and her head was covered in a black hood. Her clothes were wet with sweat and clung to her.

Tank ran a hand over his bald head and his voice trembled as he said, "They're using Military Stress Position treatments. She'd be better off if they just…" He couldn't finish the words, but they all thought the same thing. She'd be better off dead rather than suffer this extreme torture.

Two men, one about 4 inches shorter than the other, both wearing black masks and black clothing, walked into the room and untied her restraints then yanked her to her feet. After tying her hands behind her back, the tall man shoved her down into the chair and they took up their positions standing on either side of her. The room behind them was encased in darkness and the only light seemed to be coming from above, shining down on them.

Stepping in front of the camera, Jackson Ambers appeared before them.

"Welcome to the Stephanie Plum show. Let me tell you what we have planned for tonight's viewing pleasure."

Cackling and glaring into the camera, he continued. "Pain. Lots, and lots of pain." He walked over to Stephanie and quickly jerked the black hood off of her head. "Shall we get started?"

Ambers grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head back. "Stephanie, I want you to know that everything that goes on here is being recorded and you're on camera. All your friends and family, all those you love and care about, will be sharing in your pain and humiliation."

Ranger heard her let out a sob and felt like a vice grabbed at his heart. His knuckles turned white and his eyes flashed with fire. "Hector, trace this transmission."

Hector tapped at the keyboard on the computer. "I'm already on it."

Laughing hysterically, Ambers turned his back to her and faced the camera. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a pair of black leather gloves. Still laughing, he slipped them over his hands.

Stephanie launched herself out of the chair and slammed into him. He went down on the floor and she kicked at him, landing a few blows to his head and shoulders before the two men grabbed her by her arms and forced her back into the chair.

Ambers picked himself up off of the floor and brushed off his clothing. "You're going to pay for that you fucking whore, and I haven't forgotten the fact that you broke my fucking nose at the convenience store either. You'll pay for that too." With that he clenched his fist and slammed it into the side of her head. From the force of the blow, she fell back in the chair and toppled to the floor. Ambers kicked her over and over all the while laughing his hideous laugh.

Bending over her, through clenched teeth he said, "Your little Army boyfriend can't save you. In fact, you know what? He's not even trying, he's written you off for dead. There's no hope."

Stephanie gasped for breath and groaned. She had difficulty speaking, but in a low voice, which was little more than a whisper, she managed to say, "You're lying. Ranger will never give up on me."

The two men pulled her back into the chair and bound her wrists using nylon handcuffs, one to each ankle.

Breathing heavily, Ambers looked into the camera. "Oh yeah, I'm enjoying this. Stay tuned, boys and girls, we'll be back later."

Together, the three men walked out of the view of the camera. All Ranger and the team were left with was the image of Stephanie, unmoving and bleeding onto the floor until blackness filled the screen and the link was disconnected.

Ranger was quiet, his blank face firmly in place, a muscle working in his jaw. "Hector, did you get anything?"

Hector shook his head, his voice filled with anger. "The link is coming from an ISP registered in Thailand and is hosted by a private DNS. There's nothing I can do to trace it. She could be in the next room or three thousand miles away.

"Tank, I want you to pull every man off their current assignments. RangeMan has one, and only one mission. Find Stephanie, locate Ambers and identify the other two men in this video."

He turned to face the other men. "Lester, you and Hal go through every shred of information we have. Go back to the beginning, to the first envelope that was delivered to Stephanie at the mall. Go over all the files Steph was working on and make sure nothing was missed."

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued. "Bobby, you're with me. That little girl has to talk, one way or the other. Stephanie doesn't have much time."

When they arrived at St Francis Hospital, Ranger spoke with the doctors and explained what was at stake. They were allowed to see her, but only for a few minutes.

When the little girl saw Bobby walk through the door, she broke down and sobbed. Through her tears she finally spoke. "You're the one that saved my life."

Bobby walked to the side of her bed, sat down and took her hand in his. He told her she was okay, she was safe now and they wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

After her tears subsided, Bobby asked her if it was okay that they asked her a few questions and she nodded her head yes.

"Can you tell me your name and how old you are?" Bobby asked.

"Rhonda Gross, I'm almost fourteen." She replied.

"That's a beautiful name Rhonda." Bobby said. "I'll bet your parents are worried about you. What's your home phone number, I'll call them?"

With tears flooding her eyes she said, "My mother's not home, my stepfather told me she had to go to Philadelphia to help my sick Grandma. She's been gone a long time."

Bobby stroked her hair. "What's your mom's name? I'll try to find her for you."

"Melinda Ambers." Rhonda whispered.

Ranger crossed the room and removed a photograph from the folder he carried in under his arm. He showed it to Rhonda and asked, "Do you recognize this man?

Rhonda nodded her head and tears trickled down her cheeks. "Yeah, that's my stepfather, Norman. He's the one who tried to kill me."

Ranger knitted his eyebrows. "His name isn't Jackson Ambers?"

Rhonda looked up at him and said, "Jackson is his middle name. Norman Jackson Wolecky is his real name. When he married my Mom, instead of Mom taking his last name, he took hers." She wrinkled up her nose and continued. "Weird huh!"

Ranger studied her face for a moment. She was still so fragile but he needed to know everything she could tell them. "Yeah, that's pretty weird. Can you tell us what happened the other day, Rhonda?"

Rhonda shrugged her shoulders. "There's not much to tell really."

Bobby squeezed her hand. "Just tell us what you can, Sweetheart."

She took a deep breath and said, "Like I said, my Mom's been at my grandmother's for a long time. It's just been me and Norman for the past month. Most of the time he's okay, and then sometimes, he gets pissed off for no reason and starts cussing and throwing things. Last Saturday, it was like that. One minute he's fine, then the next he was yelling and hitting me. He must have hit me pretty hard because I don't remember anything until we were in the room with all the mirrors." She shuddered at the memory. "He was pointing a knife at my neck and that lady tried to save me."

The nurse, Mrs. Cenetta, came into the room and told them they would have to leave, explaining that Rhonda needed to rest now.

Bobby squeezed her hand. "You're doing really good, Sweetheart. Just one more question. Do you know how to contact your biological father?"

She shook her head. "No, he's a truck driver. I see him once in awhile. The visits always end badly with him calling Mom a bunch of mean and nasty names. Last time he even threatened to kill her."

"What's his name Rhonda?" Bobby asked.

"Bernard Gross," she sighed

Bobby hugged her, gave her his card and promised he'd be back to see her again. "You're going to be okay, Rhonda. Anytime you want to talk, you call me, okay?"

When they were outside of the room, Ranger turned to Bobby. "She knows you saved her life and trusts you, stay with her and learn what you can. I want a man on her around the clock just in case Ambers returns."

Speaking in hushed tones, Ranger continued. "Ambers, is one sick and twisted fuck. Although we don't have any concrete proof, I'm certain the woman in the photographs is Melinda Ambers. First, Ambers kidnaps, and then tortures and kills his wife. Next, he goes after his stepdaughter. Why? And how does Stephanie fit into all this?"

Ranger walked out of St. Francis Hospital and slipped behind the wheel of his Bronco. With the information Rhonda had given them he had new hope. He drove back to the office to begin the searches on Norman Jackson Wolecky.

There was a lot of information. Born in Philadelphia, he was an only child to Patricia Wolecky, a convicted prostitute and crack addict.

Although Wolecky had a near genius level IQ, he had attended school only sporadically and when he was 12 years old, he was convicted of cruelty to animals when he tortured and executed several neighborhood pets.

His other juvenile records were sealed. At the age of eighteen, he had enlisted in the Army. While serving in the Middle East, he had shown an interest in the arts of interrogation and a real aptitude for techniques in torture. After serving two tours of duty, Wolecky killed one of the POW's he had been interrogating and was discharged from the Army for medical reasons.

Ranger understood the need for torture. Sometimes there weren't any other options available when information was needed and time was limited. It wasn't something Ranger or his men enjoyed doing, but it was a necessary tool of their profession.

Only one other interesting fact came up during his search. A few months ago, Wolecky had been charged with assault and Dickie Orr, Stephanie's ex-husband, was his attorney.

He Googled recent news articles. After only fifteen minutes, he found what he suspected had triggered the escalation of Wolecky's behavior.

Three months ago, Wolecky's mother had died in a back street alley in one of the worst sections of Philadelphia. She had been beaten, raped and strangulated. There were no suspects.

It wasn't a far stretch to believe that Wolecky snapped with the death of his mother and there was a strong possibility that he was the one to have killed her.

On a hunch, Ranger keyed 'Bernard Gross', Rhonda's biological father, into the search engine.

Gross had a lot of petty charges on his record dating back to his teen years. It was his latest charge of assault that intrigued him though. He had gone FTA and when Stephanie tried to apprehend him, he had turned her car over. He was a large man, well muscled, and he could easily have been the tallest of the masked men in the video.

Ranger searched further, looking for a connection between Gross and Wolecky other than the fact they had both been married to the same woman. Early the next morning, he found something. Wolecky and Gross had both been in lock up together and both had had the same attorney, Dickie Orr.

Still, there was no concrete proof about anything, but it did show a connection between Wolecky, Gross and Stephanie. It was definitely worth investigating further, Ranger decided.

An hour later, Hector knocked on his door and informed him that there was another live feed being transmitted and that everyone was already assembled in the conference room.

Ranger slammed his blank look into place and joined the rest of the team. His stopped breathing when he looked at the screen.

Stephanie sat on a chair, in the middle of the room, her hands were bound behind her back and her legs were tied at each ankle to the legs of the chair. Her clothes were filthy and ripped. Ranger could see the dark bruises covering her arms and legs, her left knee appeared to be swollen to twice its normal size and it was bleeding. Her head drooped to her chest. Her hair was a matted mass and hung in clumps in front of her face.

The two hooded men dressed in black, stood on either side of the chair. Norman Wolecky or Jackson Ambers, as he preferred to be called, walked into the room and looked into the camera. "There is no better way to torture a person than to inflict horrendous pain on them in front of the people they love and care about."

Ambers walked over to her and stroked her head then looked back into the camera. "With the volume of hits we received with last night's performance we know that Stephanie must be very well loved. I had planned on ending all this soon but now I'm thinking we might prolong it instead….just for your viewing pleasure of course."

Ambers grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head back. "As you can see, we've already had some fun with her, haven't we boys?"

Stephanie's face was a mass of bruises, cuts and abrasions. Her eyes were a deep purple color and swollen shut. Blood ran from her nose and mouth. Ambers clenched his fist and slammed it into her face next to her left eye. Drawing his arm back he hit her again, this time connecting with her cheek. Once again he grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulled back his hand and back handed her across her mouth.

Stephanie let out an involuntary whimper as her head dropped limply to her chest

With a sardonic smile he leaned into the camera. "Notice how she doesn't scream? She did at first, but now she knows for every scream she gets more of the same punishment and we don't stop until she stops her screams."

He leaned over and caressed Stephanie's cheek. "Oh yeah, this has been fun. She's stronger than I thought she'd be and has a great deal of resolve. It's taking a lot to break her and she's almost there now."

Ambers nodded at the men standing to the side. One of the men pulled a gurney into view. On top of the gurney was a plastic board. Stephanie was untied and dragged to the gurney then stretched out on the board. When her arms and legs were secured to the sides of the gurney, Ambers walked over and placed a cloth over her mouth and nose. "Don't you think she looks thirsty? It's been three days and she hasn't had a drop of water. Let's get her some now, shall we?"

Ambers disappeared behind the view of the camera and came back with a few large bottles of water. He nodded to the shorter of the two men. Stepping forward the man held the cloth loosely over Stephanie's face.

Ambers opened one of the bottles of water and poured its contents over the rag covering her mouth and nose. The force of the water pushed the cloth down her throat and made her feel like she was drowning. After a few seconds, the masked man removed the rag and watched as she coughed and choked.

Ranger watched as the shorter masked man pushed back Stephanie's hair and whispered in her ear. He saw her stiffen and turn her head towards the man in the mask.

Ambers nodded at the man. The cloth was placed over her mouth and nose once again. This time, Ambers poured two bottles of water over the cloth, intensifying her pain and torture.

While Stephanie choked and gasped for air, she was untied from the gurney and chained to a hook hanging from the ceiling.

The tall masked man reached out and stripped what was left of her t-shirt off her body leaving her dressed only in her bra and what was left of her jeans.

Ranger exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Stephanie's back was covered in bruises. She had lost so much weight he could easily count all of her ribs.

Ambers walked into view again. This time, he was carrying a bull whip.

"Before we sign off to go play a few games in private, let's see if the Bombshell has anything she wants to say shall we?"

When she didn't say anything Ambers back handed her across the mouth. "Speak Bitch," he screamed, "and be careful what you say or you know what will happen… all too well."

Through her swollen lips and with labored attempts to breathe, Stephanie coughed and choked before saying, "Double Quarter Pounder, ice tea, Chicken Strips, ketchup, iced coffee, extra sugar."

Ambers' psychotic laugh pierced the air. "Can you tell she's hungry? She hasn't eaten anything in three days. She keeps reciting the menu from McDonald's."

Raising the whip over his shoulder, he brought it back and cracked it over her back with an explosive sound. Stephanie screamed as a thin line of blood spread across her back where the whip had cut into her flesh.

Pressing his face within inches of the camera lens he said, "Later," and the screen went black.

Ranger had heard the men cussing and their feet shuffling under the table during the broadcast. It was difficult to maintain their bravado and blank-faces with what they had just seen. It was one thing when they were viewing anonymous photos of an unidentifiable woman. But this was Stephanie, a woman they all respected and loved.

Ranger dragged his eyes from the screen. His years of military training couldn't have prepared him for what he had just witnessed or for the rage he felt in his heart. Regardless of the outcome of this nightmare, he wouldn't stop until Ambers had paid for what he'd done. He stood up and paced back and forth, fighting for control so he could once again focus on the mission of finding Stephanie.

Slowly, he looked around the room into the eyes of each man present. Tank's eyes held stone cold, solid resolve. Lester's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Ranger had never before seen the man drop a single tear. Not even in the worst circumstances and horrors they had experienced together in Afghanistan, while they themselves were held prisoner and tortured. Hal's entire body was trembling with rage. Ranger knew Hal blamed himself for not stopping Stephanie when she left the building three days ago and had his own revenge to seek against her abductors.

As his eyes fell on Bobby, Ranger's heart dropped in his chest. Bobby looked up at him, his eyes filled with pain.

"Even if we got to her right now, I don't know how she can survive this, Ranger. The physical trauma is horrific in just the little I observed, but the emotional and psychological trauma is something she may never recover from. These torture techniques are the same they use in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq."

Ranger's voice was tight in his throat when he spoke. "Stephanie and I have been working on controlling her emotions and reactions. I've given her a few tips which we all learned in our Special Forces training. When she's concentrating hard, she disassociates herself from what's happening to her by reciting the McDonald's menu. She wasn't telling us she's hungry, she was sending a message, telling me that she's practicing what she's learned and trying to survive. I'll never give up on her and I don't expect any of you to either."

Ranger passed each man a report detailing his search results on Norman Wolecky and Bernard Gross. "Last night after interviewing Rhonda Gross, the little girl in the hospital, we learned that Jackson Ambers real name is Norman Jackson Wolecky. I also found a link between Bernard Gross, Rhonda's biological father, Norman Wolecky and Stephanie. You'll find full details in the report."

Hal had always been good with puzzles and when Stephanie recited the menu, he scribbled on the tablet in front of him. 'Double Quarter Pounder, ice tea, Chicken Strips, ketchup, iced coffee, extra sugar.

Over the last few weeks, they had all taken their turn at making power runs to McDonald's for Steph. Hal cleared his throat. "Guys, Stephanie isn't telling us what she wants to eat. If she was, she would say Big Mac, Large Fries, and Chocolate Shake. She's sending us two messages. She's telling Ranger she's practicing what he taught her and she's also sending us a message."

He walked over to the white board which stood in the front and drew a line down the middle of the board. On the left side he wrote:

Double Quarter Pounder
Ice Tea
Chicken Strips
Ketchup
Iced coffee
Extra Sugar

Vertically, the first letter of each menu item in Stephanie's message spelled out 'Dickie'.

"Isn't Dickie Stephanie's ex-husband's name?" Hal asked and then continued. "Dickie is a nickname for Richard."

On the right side of the board he wrote. Richard Orr R.O. Norman Wolecky N.W. and Bernard Gross B.G.

At the bottom he wrote; B.W.R.O.N.G. "Guys, their initials are an anagram which was used to sign the first letter we received."

Ranger didn't really want to look at the recording again, but ordered Ram to play it back anyway.

He watched closely as the shorter masked man pushed back Stephanie's hair and whispered in her ear. Once again, he watched her stiffen and turn her head towards the man in the mask. He wasn't sure, but he would lay odds that the shorter man was Dickie Orr.

Rangers face turned dark, his brows furrowed as he roared his orders. "Tank and Lester, locate Dickie Orr and bring him here. Ram and Junior, find Bernard Gross bring him in as well."

Joe Morelli sat with his elbows on his desk and his hands fisted in his hair. Only one thought kept running through his head. 'If only….if only had married me she'd be safe at home right now. If only she had quit her job, she'd be working at the button factory right now. If only….if….if…if.

Only then did he realize that none of it mattered. He didn't want to change her. He loved her just the way she was. He loved the way she looked at life. He loved her sense of humor and the way she could always make him smile, even on his worst days. He loved the way she looked at him when she didn't think he was watching. He even loved her wild crazy hair. He regretted all the times he had yelled at her about her job and her choice of wacky friends.

When Ranger had called him to tell him about Stephanie's kidnapping and the circumstances surrounding it, he left the stakeout he'd been working on for the past six months and flew back to Trenton. Even though he was personally involved, he pulled some strings and managed to get assigned with the FBI team working the case. Every lead had come to a dead end. The ball was in Ambers' court and there was nothing they could do until he made his next move.

There was only one thing he could do for her now. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and headed to church.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he pulled into the parking lot at St. Mary's. It seemed the whole Burg had turned out and was holding a candlelight vigil praying for Stephanie's health and well being. There had to have been well over a hundred people singing hymns, holding their candles, and praying for her deliverance.

When he walked into the church, he was amazed at the amount of people that filled the pews, their heads bent in prayer.

Near the front, he found Stephanie's parents and family. He walked over to Ellen and placed his hand on her shoulder. When she turned and looked up at him, her eyes were filled with tears. He took her hand in his, and together they knelt and prayed for Stephanie's safe return.

Stephanie hung limply from the chains over her head. She tried to focus on the conversation going on three feet behind her but she was only able to make out a few words. She was able to understand enough though, and knew what they were planning.

They were going to use her in a trade for ransom with Ranger. Instead of trading her though, they were going to take Ranger hostage as well and then perform the ultimate form of torture on her by forcing her to watch as they slowly tortured and killed the man she loved.

She knew she could kill a man, she'd done it before. Would she die and trade her life for Ranger's? Yes, she thought, without hesitation.

She feigned delirium as they made their plans, and made a few plans of her own. She knew there was no hope for her but she would do anything she had to in order to protect Ranger.

It took Tank and Lester seven hours to locate Dickie Orr. He hadn't been to the office all week and he wasn't at home.

Lester charmed Dickie's secretary until she told them about the reservations she had made for Dickie that night. They finally found him at Rosinni's with Joyce Barnhardt. Dickie and Joyce made quite the pair as they laughed and enjoyed a fine Italian meal.

When Joyce excused herself to use the restroom, Tank walked over to the table and sat across from Dickie. "I need to ask you to come with me," he said.

Dickie tossed back his wine. "I know you. You're one of Manoso's goons. Why would I want to come with you?"

"Your ex-wife, Stephanie, is in trouble and we suspect you have something to do with it. Now, an innocent man would do anything he could to clear his good name, so I know you won't mind going to RangeMan with me and answering just a few questions."

"I'm a lawyer, I know my rights. I don't have to go anywhere with you," he spat.

Tank opened his jacket a little, revealing his gun. "It would be within your best interest if you came quietly."

Dickie shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here with a date. I can't just get up and leave."

Tank smiled, stood up and pulled him up by his arm. "Joyce is used to being dumped. She'll be fine."

With Tank on one side of him and Lester on the other, they escorted Dickie to their SUV and drove him to RangeMan.

They led him to a soundproof interrogation room on the third floor and told him to make himself comfortable. Tank stood by the door and stared at him, making the room seem smaller than what it was. The room had concrete walls and a metal door with a slot cut in the middle. It was bare, except for a wooden table in the middle of the room and two metal chairs.

Ranger quietly entered the room and one by one, he extracted knives, needles and razor blades from a black pouch with a red dragon blazoned across the top.

Dickie jumped when Tank grabbed his right hand, forced it open and secured it in two metal bands which were attached to the center of the table. One band was strapped tightly around his forearm. The other was snug around his wrist.

In a calm and quiet voice, Ranger said, "I'm not going to play any games and you're only going to get one chance at this." He leaned down close to his ear and continued. "I know that you're involved in Stephanie's kidnapping, Dickie. You were messy and we've got you on tape. I don't want details … yet. Just tell me where she's being held."

Dickie stared at the knives and needles Ranger had laid out. "What are those for?" he asked.

"First of all, that's not an answer. Secondly, they're for you if you don't answer my questions," Ranger replied.

He then picked up the knife and stabbed it down onto the table nicking the side of Dickie's hand. "Where is she?" Ranger asked.

Dickie yelped and his voice wavered as he stammered, "I - I - I don't know what you're talking about. You people are fucking insane! I have rights, let me go!"

"Wrong answer," Ranger whispered. He picked up the knife and stabbed it all the way through the middle of Dickie's hand and embedded it into the table. With a dark and dangerous smile he said, "Next time I'll cut it off. Where is she?"

Dickie screamed. "She's being held in a cargo container on the docks of New York Harbor, near pier 29. Container number 8723."

Ranger walked from the room, nodding at Hal and telling him to keep an eye on Dickie. He was to have no food or water and if he got out of line, Hal could do as he pleased as long as he was kept alive and coherent.

Hal cracked his knuckles and sneered. "No problem, Boss."

Ranger, Tank, Lester and Bobby pulled out of the garage and Ranger called the New York Police Department and reported the 'tip' he had received on Stephanie's whereabouts.

When Joyce Barnhardt returned to the table and didn't find Dickie waiting for her, she asked the waiter where he had gone. Upon hearing that he had been escorted from the premises by RangeMan employees, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number. Speaking quietly into the phone she said, "It's only a matter of time. RangeMan's got Dickie."

Ambers unlocked the chains which held Stephanie to the ceiling. He popped the ammonia ampoule he held in his hand and waived it under her nose. When she was fully conscious he said, "We're leaving and you're driving. I'm taking you back to your little Army boyfriend."

Stephanie had heard their plans earlier. Was it yesterday? Two hours ago? She had no way of knowing. She had lost track of time. She only knew that Ambers was not taking her to Ranger in order to return her to him. He was going to make her watch as he slowly killed him.

She could barely talk, her throat was dry and she had nearly lost her voice from screaming. "I can't open my eyes to drive," she croaked.

The tall masked man stood in front of her and, using a razor blade, he made a couple very small cuts in her eyelids. The blood trickled down her face and soon she was able to see through the tiny slits of her eyes.

Ambers turned to the tall man. "The wireless camera for the video is working. Meet me at the new destination tomorrow morning."

He opened the passenger door and shoved Stephanie into the car, then slid into the passenger seat. After making sure the camera was mounted securely on the dashboard and was recording, he hit the send button, connecting the link.

He pulled the gun out of his pocket and held it to her head. "Fuck with me Bitch and you're dead, you'll never see Ranger again."

Stephanie looked around as best she could and realized they were on the docks of New York. How long ago was it that she was here for her surprise birthday party? Had it been a few days or a week? She didn't know but she did recognize some of her surroundings. She pulled out onto the blacktop and looked ahead. The end of the pier wasn't far away. She only had about a block and a half to go.

She floored the accelerator and Ambers yelled at her to slow down as he cocked the hammer of the gun. The edge of the pier was coming up fast. From somewhere she found her voice and although it was rough and ragged she said, "I know you plan to use me to kidnap Ranger so you can kill him and make me watch. I won't let that happen… regardless of the cost. What Ranger and I give each other has no price." Her rage gave her the strength to continue as she snarled, "Go ahead, pull the trigger, either way…we're both dead!"

Ambers' eyes grew wide as the car drove off the edge of the pier and dove into the Atlantic Ocean. Stephanie screamed "RANGER", just before Ambers pulled the trigger and the car splashed nose first into the icy cold waters.

Ranger had seen and heard everything on his iPhone. Stephanie's friends and family watched from their computers in horror as the video feed twirled and spun as the car floated to the ocean floor. The water bubbled and foamed as it filled the interior of the car and the waters turned crimson with blood. All they could see of Stephanie was her hair and one unmoving arm floating in the murky water before blackness filled the screen.

Stephanie was barely conscious as her whole life rushed by in a moment of time and she knew this was it, it was over. She regretted she had never told those she loved the most how deeply she felt for them. She recalled the faces of her family and friends and saw the look of disapproval and disappointment as they looked back at her. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she blocked them out. Her last thought was of Ranger and how much she loved him. She prayed that if there was a God, she'd be allowed to watch over Ranger and protect him throughout the rest of his life as he had protected her all these years. With one last sob and a deep shudder she gasped for a breath of fresh air and found there was none to be had.

TBC

Author's note: Don't give up hope for Stephanie, Ranger hasn't.

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