There are only two chapters left and it seemed cruel to make you wait, so today and tomorrow and this tale will be complete. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Chapter 14

Ranger sat at his desk in his office on five with the door closed. His desk top was covered in files needing his attention, but for a brief moment in time they had been pushed aside. He was leaning back, his fingers steepled together.

Laying in front of him were small rectangular boxes. Boxes filled with medals, clasps, ribbons, and memories. It had been so long since he had looked at them. Usually they lay in neat piles way in the back of his office safe but today he had felt the need to take them out.

Each box held memories, some good, some bad, mostly sad and some containing memories so bad he never ever wanted to relive them either in real life or in a dream.

Leaning forward he opened one of the boxes. There, laying on the soft material was a Purple Heart. He remembered the incident well.

It was his first mission. They were pinned down by enemy fire and as a loader for the machine gunner, he was tasked with keeping the ammunition close at hand. He had been warned a number of times that one of those bullets buzzing by might have his name on it if he got careless, but well, he was 18. He took a moment to peek over the dirt embankment. It was nighttime and he foolishly thought that it might be safe to take a peek.

He fell back holding his hand to his face. A bullet had grazed him and his face was burning. He heard the call for the medic and lay there as the man worked on him. His face hurt and his pride was forever bruised. He was not invincible. He had just shed blood for his country.

Tank had come to the aid station. Instead of mollycoddling him and telling him he was lucky, he had bereted him at his immature stupidity.

"What part of keep your damn head down didn't you understand, asshat? I almost had to break in a new partner." Tank was usually a man of few words.

Ranger closed the box. That had been just the first of a number of Purple Hearts. He thought that while they were something that he had never wanted to receive, most of them had involved saving a fellow comrade, or rescuing an innocent in a foreign land.

He opened another box.

Bronze Star. He remembered this one very well. Tank and he had been inside a chopper that was shot down over enemy territory. Everyone on board was either wounded or dead. Disregarding their own injuries he and Tank worked feverishly to keep as many of their fellow soldiers alive until help arrived. Looking back, between providing basic first aid to save their comrades and keeping away the enemy from over-running their position, it had not been noticed how badly they too had been injured. The medics who had arrived on scene were able to stabilize all they could and transport everyone to an evac hospital. Ranger and Tank were also suffering but they had remained silent until they had fallen unconscious on the medical ride back to base from loss of blood.

Closing the lid carefully, he looked at another box.

This one was a little more unusual. He had been 'in the wind' as his Babe called it. He had been tracking down a major drug dealer in the country and having cornered him, he had called in the request to terminate. Unfortunately the government needed a positive spin and had wanted him taken alive, believing that parading him around would show the world that they were helping to control the drug problem in their country. In Rangers' mind, a bullet would have solved the problem, but well, he was under orders. Unfortunately more attention led to a daring escape and Hernandez disappeared once again. Ranger had been tasked to go back in and this time, he had 'finished the job'. The presentation of this medal had been done in secret with nobody except the countrys' president and aide in the room.

Ranger looked at the other boxes sitting neatly on his desk.

His President had pinned this one on. Generals and Admirals had presented him with this or that one.

The reasons were all the same. He had gone in, done the job and gotten out, mostly without serious physical injury. Unfortunately, memory is long-lasting and a number of these 'jobs' Ranger would remember to his grave.

Ranger gathered up the boxes and strode to his safe. Spinning the dial he placed them carefully on the shelf. Closing and spinning the lock on the door, he straightened. He mentally saluted his friends who would not ever be coming home for Christmas or any other holiday and he silently acknowledged their sacrifice.

He had left Tank to look after his company. He had trusted him to keep it running and to keep his Babe safe. Where had he gone wrong?

He looked at the wall with various pictures on it. A lot of them had the four of them, the Four Musketeers. Les was his usual goofy self, and Bobby was standing there with his gentle smile. Tank had his arms crossed over his massive chest. He was glaring at the camera willing it to get the cameraman to take the damn picture and get lost. Ranger looked at his own face in the picture. He had looked serious and very aware of his surroundings.

There was a soft knock on the door and Les and Bobby walked in. They closed the door behind them and headed for the couch, their normal seating preferences.

Each took a quick look at the big comfy armchair that Tank had always gravitated to.

Bobby looked tired. He's just returned and wanted to brief Ranger.

"I repaired what injuries I could and he should make a complete recovery. At the same time, I watched as he just lay there."

Bobby shook his head. Tank had been like a father-figure to him for so many years. His own parents had died in a car accident and it was Tank who had taken him under his wing. Les took on the role as a brother and Ranger, well, Ranger was their leader and disciplinarian when he needed it.

"I left a card in his pocket for that doctor we know down there. I suspect that there's something wrong. If I had to guess, it was too much and something snapped."

What he didn't volunteer was that he had contacted the doctor and had slipped him some money, just in case. Tank would have no money if he did contact him, and he did need some help.

Ranger nodded. He had gone over and over what had transpired on the mat. Tank had loved his Babe at some time in the past. He was mulling over some of the things Tank had said. There would be changes, and they would include his Babe. He had been too lax with her disregard for their rules. He needed to protect his men too.

They sat marshalling their thoughts.

All Trenton RangeMan employees were ordered to a meeting in two hours and contract employees had been brought in.

~~~o0o~~~

The conference room was silent as a tomb as Ranger walked in. He could feel every eye watching his every move. They had all noticed that the chair normally reserved for Tank was empty. They had seen the office used by Tank emptied to the bare walls.

The men watched as Stephanie slid silently in the door after Ranger had marched to the front of the room.

She looked, well, sad. Her face had that worried and strained expression. This too had been hard on her.

Ranger looked around the room.

"Men, I've come to personally apologize to you for doubting your loyalty to me and to RangeMan. I had suspected that I was being targeted but the possibility that it was an inside influence made me cautious in my allegations.

He looked around. A pin drop would have sounded loud as everyone hung on Rangers' every word.

"Josh Danielson was our traitor. A man who had a hatred so dark that he was unable to get past the death of his friend from a mission a number of years ago."

He paused and looked around the room.

"At the same time, we had a secondary issue here. Tank felt that he was ready to take over RangeMan. He knew what was happening and didn't alert anyone to the possibility of a threat inside our building. He admitted that he had planned every time I left that he would step in permanently if something happened to me. While that is good planning to acknowledge such a possibility in wartime, this is my company, and my men. He was guilty therefore by omission."

He paused and motioned for Stephanie to come to his side. She walked to him and tucked her body into the side of him with her arm wrapped tightly around his waist.

"As of this moment, the Core Team consists of myself, Les and Bobby. I am planning on adding more personnel in the near future. I fully acknowledge that Tank was processing a phenomenal amount of work on my behalf as second in command, and I for one will never forget his contribution."

He paused and looked at the men in the room, making eye contact with every member in the room.

"I just in all honesty could not terminate him in the most mercenary form, but if he ever, and I mean EVER, arrives back in any city where I am or in close proximity to any member of the RangeMan family, I will finish the job. He did save my life a number of times and for that I am grateful, but let me assure you, if he ever steps one foot near anybody I know or love and I will feel no remorse in finishing the job."

He looked down at Stephanie as he continued.

"I just received the papers confirming my retirement from working special projects. It's time. So men, I won't be 'going in the wind' as my Babe calls it anymore. You get me full-time."

Stephanie looked up at her man and tears rolled down her cheeks. She reached up, and with both hands, pulled his face down slightly and gave him a kiss on the lips. Taking her hands off his face, she once again tucked herself by his side and put her arm around his waist.

He looked around the room and spoke again.

"Just before I came down to talk to you I asked for my Babe's hand in marriage. As you well know, we have both had commitment issues with this final act of love. She has graciously consented to marry me and make me the happiest man in the world right now."

The room erupted in cheers and the men jumped out of their seats to rush to the two standing at the front. There were handshakes and back slaps and Stephanie was hugged and kissed (on the cheek).

Les, who obviously had no wish to live a very long life, lifted Stephanie up into the air, spinning around and gave her a huge hug.

"Welcome to the family, Beautiful. I think when the time comes, you should name your first-born Les."

Putting her back on solid ground, he barely dodged a fist to the jaw.

After the congratulations were over the men drifted back to their work stations and to their vehicles, all the while alternately grinning at the good news or grimacing at the bad news.

~~~o0o~~~

Stephanie pulled Ranger to his office and closed the door behind her. She walked him to his office chair and pushed him into it then slid onto his lap. Her hands caressed his strong jaw, moving up to stroke his cheeks then slid her hands into his hair, pushing the leather strap out, dropping it to the floor behind him.

She nervously played with the gorgeous engagement ring that he had given her less than an hour ago.

She looked in his eyes then spoke. "I want to show you something."

She pulled a long, thin box out of her pants pocket.

Ranger's eyebrow lifted and he looked at her as she held it out.

"Remember last week when you couldn't sleep and we participated in what you later called a relaxing diversion? Well, while you were preparing for your meeting with your men, I felt the need to do some research on my own."

Ranger looked at her then opened the box. Inside was a slender tube. He looked at it, then slowly reached over and turned on the lamp on his desk and placed it under the light.

His eyes widened and he looked at Stephanie. There was one word in the little window on the tube. POSITIVE.

His eyes softened and he hugged her to his chest.

She pushed him back into the chair before she stammered.

"I… I didn't know when you proposed. This might change your view of us together. I know you didn't want any more kids, but…"

She was looking down and twirling the ring around her finger as if to slip it off, when Ranger put his hand over hers, stilling her efforts.

"Babe, I always said I didn't NEED more kids not WANT more kids, and you stated so many times that you didn't WANT to be a mom. It is obviously your decision, but I want both you and the peanut as a package deal."

They sat quietly for a few minutes, revelling in the glow of their new relationship before Ranger spoke.

"Babe, I think I should tell you now before we go much farther, but did I ever tell you that there is a strong history of twins on our side of the family?"

Stephanie slumped in his arms in a dead faint.

Ranger held her with her head against his chest. He looked down at her, kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"Babe, you never disappoint!"

~~~o0o~~~

Tank woke up under a tree. By his side was a canteen and a knife in a scabbard. Wrapped around the handle of the knife was a single sheet of paper. He shook his head trying to clear out the cobwebs and leaned over to take the band off the paper and focus on the words.

Do not ever come back. I will be merciful only this one time.

With one kick of his gigantic boot, he broke open the end of the crate.

Last chapter tomorrow.

Myrna