Chapter 10

Bobby, Lester, Cal, and Ram had planned a cheer Stephanie up night in the rec room with beer and a poker game. It wasn't long before it got bawdy and Lester suggested strip poker. I thought about Ranger and his propensity to go commando and made them all go put on underwear and extra clothes. In the end I took their money and left them sitting in a pair of angry birds boxers, camo boxer briefs and a pair of tighty whiteys. I did a double take and looked under the table. "Cal, is that Animal of the Muppets on your underwear?" He grinned and nodded.

"Cute. You gotta' tell me the story behind that tattoo one of these days dude. I don't think your personality and that big flaming skull tat match."

I walked out counting my money. Lester sitting in his angry birds boxers yelled, "Beautiful, call me if you get lonely." I looked back to see Bobby slapping him on the back of the head.

The bed was cold and lonely that night. I smelled the covers and pillows trying to get his scent. This was going to be a long few weeks. Ella knocked on the door the next morning to ask if I wanted breakfast sent up. I told her that she didn't have to bring meals to me while Ranger was gone and that I would eat with the guys in the lounge on level five. I asked her not to wash the sheets and Rangers clothes for a little while. She smiled and nodded like she understood what I was asking for and I thanked her. I asked her if she was a creative person. She asked what I needed and I told her what I wanted to make and what I was going to do and she laughed. "I'll deliver it to you later."

I finished dressing and headed to the lounge. I got my breakfast and asked if I could sit down with my shy guys, Cal and Ram. "Morning guys. What are you up to today?" They were slow to begin talking and then before we finished eating we were all laughing about last night's poker game.

Bobby grabbed me as I was leaving the lounge. "Time for your physical. Come with me."

"You're not going to do anything kinky are you? If you are let me know what stuff so I can tell you if I've done that before and we can just throw that out and try some new stuff." He laughed, "You're a trip Stephanie Plum."

"Why thank you Dr. Cootie Catcher. Since you get the pleasure of torturing me this morning, it's movie night tonight and it better be a good chick flick."

"What did you call me?"

"Ranger told me that you test the guys for sex related cooties every six months." He choked.

"Are you going to check me for cooties? Do you actually touch their er...um privates and eyeball them good?" He smirked.

"No. Not unless they have a particular problem there."

"Hmm...that's too bad."

"Did you lose your brain to mouth filter or something over night?" He shook his head and laughed.

"Do you cure that too?"

"Come on Stephanie. Good grief girl. Ranger has his hands full with you."

I was back with Hector before noon and in a better mood than the day before. We got back to our searches and regular gossip session. Ella came by the cubicle and handed me the item I had described and it was perfect. I told Hector about the distraction and my threat to the guys. "This is pay back numero uno bud. You wanna' help?" He laughed and nodded.

We walked to Lester's office. Lester was Hector's boss and he went in speaking Spanish and acting like he had a question about something he was working on while I went behind Lester and slapped his back and then began rubbing like I was giving him a little back massage. Then I winked at Hector. Mission accomplished.

Lester said, "Let me check something and I'll get back to you in a few minutes." He got up and walked to the door wearing a big sign on his back saying, 'Head Meinardian'. Time to get 'outta' dodge'.

I ran into Hal. "Hey buddy. I'm going stir crazy here. Want to go to the bonds office and pick up some low level skips to chase?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Alright. Let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into."

We walked into the bonds office and Connie and Lula looked up. "Good to see you girl. You okay?"

"Yep. Got my boy here Hal protecting my tuchus."

"Got any skips for us Connie?"

"I got a couple low level."

"Perfect. Let's have em'." She handed me two folders. H.P.I.C. and assault and battery.

"Lula you might enjoy riding with us on this one. We are going after a head pimp in charge girl. Want a little pay back?"

She pulled her Glock, "Fuck yeah, girl I'm ready"

"Damn Lula. Check that safety and let's go."

Hal drove us to Stark to the address on the paperwork. It was an apartment building. "Lula you watch the front of the building. Hal and I will take the apartment door." Hal and I went to the third floor and knocked on the door number indicated by our paperwork. We heard a baby crying. Hal and I looked at each other and gave a silent nod that we had to be careful. There was at least one innocent in the apartment. The door opened a crack and a woman said, "Who's there?"

"Mam, is Darnell Swan home?"

"What do want with him and who the fuck are you?"

"Stephanie Plum and I'm here about one of his girls."

A tall skinny dark skinned man in cornrows and covered in tattoos came to the door. "Who are you?"

"Are you Darnell?"

"Who's askin'?"

"You're much finer than my girl said your were." He looked me up and down and grinned. Then he took the chain off and opened the door. "You're fine too little white girl."

Hal's arm snaked around and grabbed him and I stunned him. Hal cuffed him and dragged him down the stairs.

Hal put him in the back of the SUV, secured him and sat with him while I drove and Lula rode shotgun. She said, "I know this fucker and he ain't too nice to his girls either. Hey Hal can you accidently on purpose give him a little tap on the ribs." "Ooomph!" I looked at Lula and we nodded and grinned. We dropped him off and got our body receipt. Lula said, "Varmint catchin' sure does make me hungry. You guys up for some Cluck-in-the-Bucket?" I looked at Hal and he grinned. "Sorry Hal. I know being with me is going to cost you some extra time in the gym."

Lula and I were watching Hal eat his chicken with open mouth fascination. He was making yummy sounds and rolling his eyes, licking the skin and sucking the bones. "Do I look like that when I eat?"

Lula laughed. "Yeah girl. Pretty much."

"Damn, how long has it been since you had a piece of fried chicken?"

"Loooong time Steph. This is so good." He was enjoying it so much you would think we were getting him laid.

"Geez Hal. This diet Ranger and Bobby are threatening me with is starting to scare me."

We finished our lunch and Hal spent a considerable amount of time cleaning the grease off his mouth and face. "Get it good buddy. If Bobby sees that, we're both busted."

We hopped back in the SUV and headed to the next address. I knocked on the door and in a few minutes a man opened and looked at me. "Yeah?"

"I'm looking for June Sylvan."

"June! Get the damn door!"

"A woman came to the door. When she looked up we saw she had a black eye. "Mrs. Sylvan come outside and talk to me please."

She shut the door and stepped out on the porch.

"Has someone hurt you?" She nodded toward the door.

"I'm Stephanie Plum. I'm bond enforcement and you didn't show up for your court date. I need you to go with me to get re-bonded but I want to know if you need help. Will you share with me what happened to you?" She was nervous and looked at Hal.

"It's okay mam. You can tell us," Hal said. Hal's sweet calming voice and demeanor seemed to calm her.

She told us her story and when she finished we were sick. She had fought back when her husband was beating her and he had the balls to have her arrested and then wouldn't let her go to her court date.

"Mrs. Sylvan, you go get your purse and tell your husband that you'll be back soon. I promise you that your life is going to change today."

I looked at Hal. "I'll call the bonds office on the way to drop her off and I think that we need to call some of the guys and have them meet us back here to have a serious talk with Mr. Sylvan." Hal was beaming.

"Great idea Steph. I'll call the guys. You care about these people. You're like an angel come to help them."

"I don't know about that. There is probably a story behind most of their circumstances. Some people just need a friend or a little break sometimes."

We told Lula about the situation and asked her if she wanted a ride back to her car. "Hell no girl. Count me in. You know how I feel about mean mother fuckers!" I called Connie on the way to drop June off at the station. Hal called Rangeman and gave them the Sylvan address.

When we drove back to the house, two black SUVs were waiting. Wow, Tank, Lester, Bobby, Hector, Ram, and Cal got out. "Ready guys? Operation liberate a battered wife is about to begin."

I knocked on the door again. Mr. Sylvan opened, "What the fuck are you doing here again and where is my wife? It's dinner time and I'm hungry!" Hal smacked the door and pushed him on his ass and the rest of the guys, Lula, and I walked in and I closed the door behind me. The guys all turned to look at me and I nodded.

Tank asked to ride with us to take Lula to her car. He hopped in the back seat with her. "Tank, this is my friend Lula. Lula, this is Tank. He's Ranger's right hand man." Hal and I gave each other a knowing grin. Before we got to the bonds office, they were making goo goo eyes.

That night Bobby brought the movie "Dirty Dancing" to the apartment and all the guys kept filing in. They brought beer and pizza and I made popcorn. We were all squished together on the furniture and the floor laughing and having a great time. They were cracking me up; so many knew the lines to the movie and were reciting them. We were having fun and I really felt like one of the guys. Accepted.

TBC

This is one of my favorite chaps. Hope you like it.