It took me ages to decid on how to approach this chapter, so I apologise for the wait. But it's here now, and we're getting close to wrapping things up.

Chapter 10

All his life, Ranger had been faced with difficult decisions. Decisions that affected no only his own life, but those of the people around him; his friends, family and loved ones. His decision to join the military had broken his abuela's heart despite knowing it was the ebest thing for him at the time. When he decided to marry Rachel, it provided her and their child with a financial security they otherwise might have struggled to achieve. When he set up his company it provided dignified jobs for ex-military men as well as a kind of refuge for men who had worked the mean streets and wanted to get back on the clean side of the system again. The moment he'd agreed to mentor a tenacious, curly haired white-girl from the 'burg, he'd signed over his heart to her. And when he decided to make her his wife, he drew her even deeper into the mess of his life. But they were happy.

Two years later, with the arrival of their first son, his life changed again. He'd always protected Steph as best he could, taking comfort in the fact that if things got too bad, she had the basic instinct and ability to get herself out of the line of fire. The same could not be said for his infant son. Baby Cooper would be completely dependent on their ability to protect him. And so the difficult decisions kept rolling in. Cloth or disposable diapers? Breast feed or formula? Trust that he would be safe spending the night at his grandparents' house while he and Steph worked a distraction? Who would take care of him if something happened to them?

As he grew the decisions changed from covering his basic care and needs to providing him the best opportunities. Enrol him in day care, keep him home, or have someone babysit him during the day? Teach him Spanish from an early age, or let him grasp one language first? Public of private schooling?

All this time they had been desperate to have another child, someone for Cooper to share his childhood with, but it appeared that it wasn't meant to be. They stop trying, and focused all their attention on the child they had. Ensuring he had the best opportunities and experiences they could provide.

Right around the time Cooper was really finding his place in the world, learning to stand on his own two feet, a miracle happened and they had to return to square one, playing two hands at once. Nappies, formula, babysitting, homework, language, schools. It all intermingled.

And then the accident. How could one day change their lives so drastically?

The happy-go-lucky, normal two-year-old would have more challenges to overcome than Ranger could ever imagine. And the guilt that weighed on his older brother, though unjustified, would be a constant struggle. Ranger's urge to protect meant that he would do anything to ensure their safe passage through life, even if it meant living in a world of Liam's own creation.

He realised that he sometimes got so caught up in tending to Liam's needs that he seemed to neglect those of his older son, but hoped that Cooper was old enough to understand that Liam didn't have the same ability to just muddle though life as he did. The brain injury that caused Liam's vision impairment coupled with the wild imagination he'd inherited from his mother meant that often, what he thought he saw was, in fact, something else entirely. The mundane became exciting. The harmless could be terrifying. And most concerning, the dangerous could seem perfectly normal to him. There was no way of knowing exactly how Liam's mind would interpret things. Ranger was just grateful that Cooper seemed just as determined to protect the boy as he was. Together they could be there for him more than if it were just one of them.

At this very moment, though, Ranger was worried that Cooper's protectiveness of his brother could have made the situation that much dicier. Now, instead of retrieving one boy from the motel room they were being held in, he had to somehow get both of them out without anyone getting hurt. He could only imagine what would happen if he brought the boys home to Steph with any kind of injury. Even a scratch.

He gave the signal to his men and they filed out silently, moving to surround the area and clog the corridors. Once they were gone, he gave Bobby a brief nod and together, they made their way to the room in question.

!

Cooper had just managed to convince their captors to allow him to comfort Liam when his cell phone rang in his pocket. Having his arms bound behind him on the chair, there was no way he could even attempt to answer it. Thankfully, though, they had let Liam roam free, unbound.

Ever helpful, the kid fished the phone out and announced, "It's Mama!"

Their kidnappers, who were gather around the now empty table, deep in discussion, all looked up at Liam's excited exclamation. They'd been getting loud and frustrated some even bordering on anger. Clearly they were not happy with the way things had turned out, especially the woman. She was the worst of the lot of them, seeming utterly distraught that their dastardly plan had been foiled by a kid. Now, they all stared at Cooper, as if expecting and explanation.

"She'll get worried if I don't answer," Cooper told them, trying not to sound like he was pleading with them. God knows there's nothing worse than pleading with your captors. "She doesn't know I'm not at school."

The woman glared at him suspiciously, causing Liam to scrunch closer to his side, the ringing phone still in his hand. "Why would you be answering your phone at school?" she countered.

Cooper gave her a weird look, but replied honestly, "I had special permission today because of Liam's kidnapping. If I don't answer she'll figure out a way to come riding to the rescue, and in case you didn't know, my mother is the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. We're probably all better off if she doesn't get involved."

They exchanged a look, and the nominated speaker nodded and instructed him, "Put it on loud speaker."

Liam dutifully pressed the button to answer the call, ensuring that the speaker volum was up so the conversation filled the room.

"Hi, Mama," Cooper greeted innocently.

"Cooper Manaoso, where are you?" came the obviously outraged voice of his mother. "The school just called to tell me you didn't show up for your fourth period class and then Astrid's parents called to say that she didn't either and wanted to know why I was allowing their daughter to skip school."

"We're fine," he assured her, which was basically true, if you discounted the fact that they were being held in a crumby hotel room with half a dozen obviously deranged persons who had minutes ago attempted to switch his brother's sould for that of a dead boy who apparently looked just like him. "Liam's okay too. Aren't you, Liam?" If there was one way to get his mother off his case, it was distraction. He'd learned his skills from the best, Mama herself, and was not above using them against her.

His brother grinned and waved at the phone he held. "Hi, Mama!" he greeted.

"You found him?" she exclaimed in a wash of relief. "You found my baby? Oh Cooper! I love you both so much! You're getting a raise in your allowance. How long until you get home?"

Cooper swallowed hard. Why did she always ask the hard questions? "I can't really be sure at this point," he admitted, knowing that anything less than the truth was unacceptable.

"Where's your father, then?" she questioned. "Put him on."

"He's not here right now," Cooper answered honestly once more, and he could feel his mother's anger and worry simmering just below the surface. Neither had a chance to say anything else on the topic, though, as at that moment a loud crash sounded from the entry way followed by shouts and a flurry of activity.

"What was that?" Stephanie demanded loudly, trying to be heard over the din. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Trying to suppress a grin as his black clad, gun-toting father stepped into view, followed by his employees – who quickly went to work clearing and securing the room, and apprehending the bad guys – Cooper replied, "Dad just got here."

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