"Stand Down!"

Previously:

Inspector Matt speaking ...

"My, my, Manoso. Why don't you call off your watch dogs? Cerberus* would be proud in this dark cavern. They did a wonderful job till you got down here. Now, I'd like to talk to Hector if I could, about something I found earlier."

"Stand Down!"

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Everyone slowly slid their guns back to where they belonged with watchful eyes on Inspector Matt ensuring he did the same as his every vigilant eyes made sure they too complied with the familiar command.

Ranger asked the very thing that was on everyone's mind, including the man standing beside him vibrating with anger standing beside him. Slipping into his flawless Spanish, Ranger began questioning his long ago comrade.

"¿Cómo sabes Héctor? Usted nunca ha visto antes." ("How do you know Hector? You've never met before?")

Smirking cockily, Matt retorted back, "Lad, he hecho mi propia investigación. ¿Creías que no sabría uno de sus comandos segundo-en-?"

("Lad, I've done my own research. Did you think I wouldn't know one of your second-in-commands?")

Ranger's jaw clenched at that remark, instantaneously flashing back to the skills Matt had utilized in Nigeria, recognizing that as fact and nodded to the man. Matt had remotely disabled the enemy's missiles and other armaments that day and subsequently saved everyone's life. That did not sit well with Ranger that Matt still had one up on him for saving his ass and Matt knew it as he recognized where Ranger's thoughts had dwelled. He grinned knowingly, 'Got you there Manoso!' and winked.

"Why don't we take this upstairs to my office? I'll have to call and have Frank come down. We saw that paper on the table and I think it's wise to have his input since this affects him as well as and my wife," Ranger stated flatly.

"Yes, by all means have Mr. Plum attend this meeting. Any hopes of me finally meeting this extraordinary wife of yours?" Matt knew he was pulling the tail of the tiger, so to speak, so he was prepared for the blow Ranger delivered. However, Matt deftly ducked under the fist and saved himself a helluva headache. Being fluent in FED (Facial Expression Detection), despite Ranger's blank expression, he could read his comrade readily. They were both masters of this craft. Having worked closely together in many dangerous and perilous situations, the FED skills had saved both their asses. Stephanie often referred to these as Ranger's ESP.

Hector was following Matt up the stairs and delivered his own blow to the back of the head of their cheeky intruder, sparing Ranger a glance, he caught the upturned lips approving of that move.

"Always be aware of your surroundings, Matt. I'm surprised you weren't mindful of Hector's skills at street fighting," Ranger commented wryly. "You were lucky he relented in just giving you a little clip upside. His blades are always sharp and swift, you know," their mocking banter of old returning like a favorite tennis match replay made them both smile.

"Your Cerberus (watchdog) is such that I momentarily forgot he was there, so silent and deadly your man Hector is. No wonder he's your wife's partner." Ranger shook his head at Matt's Yodaspeak. His apparent flippancy and off-handedness belied his many strengths.

"They do make a formidable team, either in the building or out on the streets. Steph would also like to meet you, but perhaps another time. As a matter of fact, when we discussed hiring you, she demanded to meet you face to face at least once. She wanted to get to know the man that I bitch about constantly when I read of your exploits in the news. Plus, she's the one to whom you answer, after all, she hired you and wanted my business out of it. Don't forget, you leave a certain trail behind when the job's over with, just like Rangeman does at times. We have company upstairs and Armand has just gone to bed."

Opening the door to the Control Room, silence reigned supreme as everyone was treating this as a 'hostile' intruder situation.

"Attention!" Ranger barked. All the men who weren't watching monitors stood at attention.

"This is Inspector Matt. He has come from overseas to scrutinize and assist Steph and her family with our investigations. He is to be given 'carte-blanche' to do what he needs. All available information will now go directly to him. He's been given office space along with Steph and Hector. I expect him to be treated with the utmost respect at all times. Forget he's a cheeky bastard and he will most likely try to ferret out your personalities. Let him. I've got plans for him to stay in Trenton in the foreseeable future. Dismissed."

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Following Ranger's tip of the head, Matt took up a comfortable lounging position on his couch, sort of burrowing in when he put his feet up on the coffee table thus pushing his buttons yet again. He was enjoying this so much. Ranger was easy to razz as he tried to maintain that superior commander-in-chief composure. Yanking his chain had been a lifelong challenge Matt enjoyed perpetuating, while levity allowed. When the shit hit the fan, it was promptly back to business.

"This isn't your home, it's a place of business, so why not act like it and get your damn feet off my coffee table!" Ranger asserted.

"Temper, temper," was the mocking retort from Matt.

Knocking on the door and hearing 'Enter', Frank Plum arrived at his son-in-law's office, noting the sleek furniture all in black. He sat down close to Hector at the round table Ranger held for meetings with clients.

Matt stood up and ambled, not to the table however, but to his bookcase and asked, "Is this your lass and son? Exquisite, I'd say your wife is. A pity the boy looks like you, Manoso, but I suppose that couldn't be helped, now could it?"

Noticing the beautiful smile on Stephanie's face, with her blue eyes twinkling, he thought to himself, 'Now, there's a woman that looks damn near perfect. No wonder Manoso settled down.' Stephanie was looking into the camera, while their son Armand was looking up at his mother, his little face showing absolute adoration for her.

Shaking his head at the latest salvo fired by his friend, Ranger, with a silent sigh, just sat at the table waiting patiently for Matt's report. From Matt's demeanor and roundabout stalling tactics, he surmised there was more to that little piece of paper than they all had reckoned for.

"Right-Ee-O. Well. It seems like Elizabeth left Frank and Stephanie her entire estate in France, which at the current market rate, is quite substantial: real estate, two safe deposit boxes at the same bank, one for each of you." Matt paused, noticing the tears welling up in Frank Plum's eyes.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Plum," handing Frank a crisp white handkerchief from his own pocket. Matt stopped and went to Ranger's small fridge and brought back waters for all of them.

"The Will also states that if anything should happen to Frank W. Plum, their daughter Stephanie would inherit it all," Matt concluded, handing the photographs off to the men surrounding him.

"I'm thinking your 'wife'," Matt remarked with sarcasm, eyeing Frank, " was attempting to use this Will, that she had so deliberately hidden, to benefit herself by trying to get you to come home. Although, I must say, you'd need a gas mask for the fumes of the over-priced whiskey I smelled. Your house does reek, does it not, when she goes on a 'bender', as you might say?"

Frank bowed his head, not in shame, but in tired acknowledgement to the truth in those words.

Ranger took command and looked at the broken man sitting beside him. Frank Plum was worn down by that marriage, so relentless and deceitful was that woman with all her devious conspiring, plotting, scheming and conniving.

But he had a new focus now, you might say.

Armand.

Stephanie.

Valerie.

Mary Alice.

Edna.

A new house, safe from everyone's prying, interfering eyes.

A peaceful sanctuary at last, so well-deserved.

Ranger had heard all about the Burg and how demeaning it was for a man like Frank.

Being gossiped about, the scornful looks, the pity that lacked any form of compassion, the condescension and arrogance: and they all had something and everything to do with Helen's behavior.

It was time to move on.

"Now, about that missing money...," Matt began his second report.

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A/N. All characters belong to Janet except for Matt...Isn't he just the cheekiest? Thank you once again my dear Ms. Kim aka MMBabefanmmm for all your colors, written words, but most of all for your sarcastic wit as we chat each day.

I am NOT sending her another chapter to beta Until she finishes Boxes Of Red story on JE web site.