Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all.

Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.

I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well.

Chapter 12: Somebody's Hurt

Brett's POV:

Son of a bitch! Ram was going to kill me! Here he'd gone to bat with his boss to get me an interview and my first fucking day on the job, I nearly let the big boss and his lady get blown away by some scum off the streets.

I was sitting at the desk scanning my surroundings when I caught a glimpse of the guy heading this direction. He was a big man and although there was muscle, it was also obvious there was flab on him, possibly from drinking too much. He put me in mind of Lurch from the Addams Family. I used to love watching old re-runs from that show when I was a kid.

The man I was tracking suddenly stopped and pulled out his weapon, opening fire as I grabbed my own gun and took cover, never letting him out of my sight. It wasn't until I was already on the floor beside my desk that I realized I wasn't the target. It was Ranger and Stephanie Plum who were in the path of fire. When a bullet finally broke through the glass I was surprised. I knew the windows were all reinforced and only armor piercing ammo would be able to penetrate. Shit! If he had that kind of ammo…there wasn't time to finish that thought, I only had time to see Ranger turn to shield Miss Plum, then the boss was falling onto her, more than covering her protectively. Damn! I had my weapon out and was getting ready to return fire when, all of a sudden it sounded like there was an invasion force out on the street, and the man standing on the other side of the door was plastered to the glass as his body was riddled with bullets.

I used my phone and called up to the control center to let them know one of the occupants in the elevator might have been hit. Unfortunately, I got Tank and his silence after I'd explained what went on was nerve wracking. Three tours in Afghanistan didn't faze me, but Tank—he was another story.

I gingerly made my way across the lobby and looked down at the dead man on the other side of the door. There was blood smeared on the outside of the glass door and whoever the hell the poor bastard was, he was looking up at me sightlessly, well, what there was left of him was anyway. I glanced up to see a large number of men slipping into a variety of upscale black vehicles and taking off. The same number of vehicles, all black, pulled into the spaces vacated and parked.

I was unable to get the door open because dead guy was laying in such a way that the door wouldn't push open. I caught the flashing lights of the blue and whites. I looked out through the bullet-sized hole that had been blasted through the glass door and waited for them to come and question me. Shit! This day had just gone down the toilet.

Stephanie's POV:

My heart had started racing the minute I'd heard the gunfire. I was lying on my stomach and so the only thing I could see was the floor of the elevator because the weight from Ranger's body was holding me in place and blocking my view. Funny what you notice in situations like this. Like for instance, the floor of the elevator was cleaner than the floors of my apartment had ever been. They had a lemony scent to them as well and I briefly wondered what was used to keep them clean.

When I felt the wet sticky substance I tried to inch out from under Ranger, but the weight was too great for me to be able to wiggle out from underneath him. He was so still, and he wasn't saying anything which led to my increasing panic. If we got out of this okay and he wasn't hurt, I was going to kill him for worrying me.

I had a flashback to that day Ranger walked into my apartment knowing Scrog was there and there was a good chance that he would be killed. Damn. I felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes as I fought to keep in control. Come on elevator. Stop and open up so I can maybe get us some help. My brain had taken a vacation and it didn't register we were in a RangeMan elevator and the guys in the comm room would even now be calling for an ambulance and the police.

The doors finally slid open and the light was nearly blinding. I had to blink quickly and keep my eyelids low to bring things into focus. I didn't understand everything that was being said or why the guys were making such a big deal about me. Where they blind? Couldn't they see that Ranger needed their attention more than I did?

I was vaguely aware that Bobby was kneeling beside me and there was a look of concern on his face. His mouth was working but I wasn't hearing what he was saying. He mouthed something about "she's in shock" but I had no idea who he was talking about. Had Connie and Rene come back? Was Connie the one that was in shock?

The room started spinning and there was a roar as darkness descended.

Bobby's POV:

I was in my office taking care of end of the month paperwork when an alarm sounded and my pager went off telling me to get to the fifth floor. I dropped what I was doing and double-timed it up the stairs, walking out onto the fifth floor as the elevator doors opened. My first glimpse inside had the medic in me taking over immediately and I started barking out orders. I moved forward as I assessed the scene and when I didn't see anyone in motion doing what it was I wanted I yelled, "Haul ass, now!"

There was a flurry of movement and I nodded, knowing I'd be getting the equipment I'd asked for. At Ranger's look, I knelt down beside Bomber and started checking her out. I could see the blood pooling on the elevator floor and looked for a source. When I found it, I knew why Ranger was still covering her. His body was putting pressure on the wound sight to stem the flow of blood. Although it was a flesh wound, the bullet had nicked an artery and it was pumping out blood faster than I liked.

I was finally able to reach in and clamp off the bleeder so Ranger could move off of her and then I went to work on sewing her up. One of the guys asked why her eyes seemed unfocused and I told them she was going into shock and ordered blankets for her, and for her legs to be propped up.

Twenty grueling minutes later and I had the bleeding stopped and the last stitch in her arm. She'd be sore for a few days, but it was nothing compared to how bad it could've been. I sat back on my heels and looked around at the guys all standing around with somber looks on their faces. My eyes finally met Ranger's and there was a look I hadn't seen in a while in his eyes. It was like looking at cut glass, they were so icy. I knew if the man who did this wasn't dead…he soon would be.

I told him, "We need to get her moved. I'd like to take her to three so I can keep an eye on her till she comes around."

He nodded, knelt down and gently lifted her in his arms before standing. I stood and walked the couple steps to the elevator but Ranger shook his head. "We'll take the stairs. I won't jar her."

The elevator door was blocked open and I nodded as I glanced at the floor. I could understand his not wanting a reminder that her blood had been spilled today. I opened the stairwell door and held it for him to pass through first. Sure enough, he got her down the two flights without a hitch and I once again opened the stairwell door. This time so he could carry her into my exam room. Once he set her on the table, I checked her over before heading into my office to fill out the paperwork.

Ranger's POV:

Once Bobby left I pulled up a chair and sat beside Stephanie. She was too pale for my liking and I wondered at the blood she'd lost. I'd had a split second to act and I did the only thing I could. I turned in front of her and when I'd seen the bullet hit her arm, turning her around, I covered her as I got her to the floor. When I realized she was bleeding profusely from the flesh wound, I figured an artery had been hit and I used my body to apply the pressure needed to slow the bleeding.

For those few seconds we were alone in the elevator, I'd had an up front and personal view of my worst nightmare come to life. Although it was my enemies that were always cutting her down, not crazies she seemed to attract in droves. I'd wondered who we had to thank for the fact that instead of a bullet between the eyes, which is where the shooter was aiming, she instead received only a flesh wound.

That was the longest minute of my life. Well, it tied with the time she was missing and we knew Abruzzi had somehow gotten her. And the time before we found her when the Slayers kidnapped her. And the time she went missing at the funeral home and I finally found her crammed into that damn cupboard. Shit! I felt like I had aged ten years. No wonder I was able to give up missions. Keeping up with Stephanie was more than any adrenaline rush junkie could handle.

I positioned my chair so I could be as close to her as possible, lifting her hand in mine. My eyes narrowed. There was only one way for a bullet to get through the door or windows on the main level. The bastard had used armor penetrating ammo. Once I made sure Stephanie was awake and all right, I was going hunting.

Tibet's POV:

That ass! I told him not to go near the building. I looked up at the man who'd brought me the news that Manchouser was dead and narrowed my eye. "Make sure the men know that anyone else that acts against my orders will pay with their lives. I've spent nearly twenty years plotting my revenge on that old man, I won't be denied now!"

He nodded and hurried out of the room.

I sat back in my chair and steepled my fingers together near my chest. I thought about the information I had received about Manchouser several months ago and that first meeting in Vegas. The man was on the lam and he decides to go to Vegas. I suppose that should've been a warning to me not to get involved with him, but damn it—he had information I needed. I didn't care what it cost.

I was waiting in the casino till the meeting time, when who should I see but the bastard who took out over half of my muscle. Once he took out the Giovincinis, I'd had no recourse in my battle with Ramos but to cede victory to him. As penalty, Ramos demanded nearly everything I had built up. His parting shot was that I was lucky he was allowing me to continue breathing. That was his fatal mistake in my book. I wouldn't rest until I'd paid him back in kind.

I couldn't help slipping the drug in Bianchis drink, and I had just enough time to make sure he'd drunk it before I had to leave. When Manchouser gave me the information I'd been looking for, that Ramos had a soft spot for Stephanie Plum, I was thrilled. I arranged a second meeting with Manchouser the next morning. I wanted to leave nothing to chance on this one.

We were discussing different plans, when I looked up to see a woman in the hallway. Manchouser said to grab her as she would tell the Plum woman, so I went after her and managed to grab her ankle. She went down, but came up fighting and she got loose. I motioned for Manchouser to circle around and I went after her. She threw one of the spike heeled shoes in her hands and I managed to dodge that and lunged at her. That's when she took a swipe at me with her other shoe, losing her balance she went to fall. I caught the heel of her shoe in my right eye and blood spurted everywhere as I was momentarily blinded.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Manchouser was telling me we needed to get out of there. He told me the woman was dead, apparently she'd hit her head on the table in the hallway. I let him lead me away, and was grateful when he took me to a nearby hospital.

It had taken me nearly a month before I'd had full vision in my eye again. Then came the tedious task of stalking Stephanie Plum. I'd made a few attempts, cut gas lines, blowing up her cars, but she always seemed to sail through it unscathed. Soon. Soon I would go after her and use her as an example to Ramos that you should never underestimate an enemy. I smiled. I was ready to step up my timing.