(This is short, but it gets to the point, and it is the last chapter in Wind Runner. I'll be working on The Epic Adventures of Donny and Genesis (I changed the name) for a while, and I'll alternate that with a different story called Secret Teller(I'm iffy on Codename: Genesis for now) ST's Summary: Word on the street is the California Chico Killer has been moving east quickly, and now is rumored to be in Jersey. With the FBI drawn into the game, all of Steph's relationships strained to max, and her newest FTA suspected of aiding Chico, can Bomber make it through this one alive? Hope you decide to read it; I'll post part of the first chapter in bold at the end of this chapter. ST takes place directly after Explosive Eighteen. Also, have you heard that the Nineteenth book (Notorious Nineteen) is already available for preorder on nooks and kindles? I've already preordered mine!)

Chapter 12 - The End (Not!)

It had been a full day, but she didn't know who I was. She sighed suddenly, and I glanced over at her. "If you're just going to sit there in the corner and stare at me, you might as well do something useful, Ranger." She said disapprovingly. I smiled and arched a brow. "Tell me how we met."

I frowned then. "Shouldn't you get these memories back yourself?" I asked as quietly as possible, hoping maybe she wouldn't hear and would drop the subject. But she did hear. Just fine, actually.

"Do you think I can get the memories back by myself if I'm in Mexico? And whose bright-fuckin'-idea was it to come here?" I felt a smile tug at my lips.

"From what I've gathered, you'd been between jobs for about six months. One of your parents or your grandmother - I don't know who - told you there was a position as a filing clerk at your cousin Vinnie's bonds' office. But when you got there, Connie - she's the woman who bonds people out of jail, and gives bounty hunters their FTA files - she told you the filing position had already been filled. I guess you blackmailed Vinnie into giving you a job as a skip tracer, and took on Morelli, a cop who was charged with murder. We met when Connie called in a favor and asked me to train you. See, she'd taken a bullet to the shoulder that would have caught me in the chest when a takedown went bad in Vegas, and that was the cause of my . . . legal troubles with the state of Nevada. I almost said no. If I hadn't told her I'd train you, if I'd never met you . . . well. My life would be a lot less interesting," I finished in a mutter.

She was quiet for a long while. Then she stood. I jumped out of my seat as well, and was just about to push her back onto the bed when she waved me away. "Sit back down. Someone's coming."

I could barely stop my jaw from dropping when I realized she was right. I hadn't realized there was someone coming down the hall when I didn't even have a glock on me. Shit I must me loosin it.

She opened the door, and ran right into Tank; behind him was his little sister, Nikki. Steph's eyes opened wide.

"Donny?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped up into my best friends arms. And planted her lips right on his.


Chapter 1

The instant I got out of my car, I squealed and yanked my jacket up and over my head. There should be some universal law against it raining like this. I was nearly soaked by the time I got to the door of the newly finished office. Lula was sitting on the brown leather couch, looking as dignified as a drowned rat could.

I glanced around the office. This was my first time having been inside since they finished it, and I had to admit, I liked what they'd done - whoever they were. The place was cozy, but sort of professional, and not nearly as dilapidated as the first office had been. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything but the best from anyone who was working under Ranger's orders.

The walls were an odd shade of orange-ish pink-ish brown that looked so pretty with the dark chocolate brown of the leather seats and the wood of Connie's desk. And the floor was made of "artificial white crystal stone," or so says Hal. Whenever he starts talking about this stuff, I sort of zone out. Sue me.

The only real wall decorations were the lights: super bright wall thingies that looked like a cone with the tip cut off, held to a long trapezoid of bronze metal that was held to the wall somehow. A single gold chandelier hung from the wall in the very center of the room, decorated with tiny, dangling golden balls and crystals shaped like flowers that were somehow brightly lit up. Six electric candle were held at the very top, and they provided most of the light.

Suddenly a loud plop reminded me that my hair was, in fact, as wet as it was this morning when I took a shower, and I was creating a puddle just standing her.

I smiled and shook my head, gaining a shout of displeasure from Connie and Lula groaning, "White girl, I'm tryina dry off!"

I laughed and turned to Connie. "Whatcha got for me?"

"Mooner and Dougie, and two new ones, Jane Pasternak and Ramon Grover. Oh, and here's a towel." From somewhere in her desk, she produced a fluffy white towel, which I accepted with a wry smile.

"That Pasternak girl sounds familiar. Who's she?"

"Well, I'd hope she would. Was in the same class as you, I think. Light blond hair and green eyes? Father was some big important business guy and her mother passed away early so she was independent, supposed to even sign all her own administrative paperwork and stuff, but she was more likely to climb out the window and sit on the roof than she was to attend class. They got her on shoplifting. Guess Daddy's allowance wasn't big enough for Princess."

I frowned at Connie even while I was bent over drying out my hair. "You shouldn't knock her like that. Besides Mary Lou, she was one of my closest friends. And I'm not just saying you should respect her because of that." I heard the door open, and for a moment, the sound of raindrops was clearer, just before the door closed quietly. At the same time, I felt a tingle at the back of my neck, informing me of who'd just entered the office. "Hey Ranger," I greeted before standing and meeting Connie's gaze. "And Daddy was a rich business man. Daddy died when Janey was 13 of cancer. Mommy was alive though." I turned, and had just brushed by Ranger, my hand was placed on the door, when I glanced back over my shoulder, and met Connie's scolded gaze. "Of course, Mommy was a two bit crack whore, but, ya know, can't choose your family."


So what do you think? Is Jane Pasternak helping out the killer? Who's this new Ramon Grover guy? And why would she brush off Ranger like that? Where does the "secret" from the title come in - or better yet, what is the secret? And the most pressing question: Are you going to read Secret Teller?