A/N
I want to thank you so much! I appreciated all of your support and prayers. My husband had emergency surgery, and spent a week in the hospital. We are now back home. He is improving every day. Things will not exactly be 'normal' again for a while, but we are making progress. :) Thank you again, your kind words meant so much to me!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Standard FF disclaimers apply.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I Need You. Journey
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Following the GPS planted in the Tic Tac box, the men knew that the plane was on schedule. They would be leaving to go to the airport in just a few minutes. With the last minute changes, Tank had a final chat with Ranger, to be sure that everyone was on the same page. Because of the contact that Tank had already had with the men, he would definitely be one of the team. But it was decided that they only wanted to send the minimal number of men, so that they would not overwhelm the doctors. Ranger would wait for them here. The team met up at the garage. The next phase of the rescue operation had begun.
Light from the street lamps and passing cars slanted into the cab of the truck. Tank smiled at the bright red shirt that he was wearing. It was not often that he wore his civilian clothing while on the job, but they needed to blend into the crowds tonight. Well, as well as they could anyway. Tank would never exactly blend in, but he knew that he needed to be there to meet the doctors at the airport. Tom knew him, and Brian had met him, chances were good that he would be one of the only people that they trusted right now.
Dr Tom Dutton a.k.a. Colonel Tanner Drake would have skills that would help him fight his fatigue, but he knew that even he was in a very weakened condition and Tank felt the need to get them back to RangeMan as quickly as possible.
The moment they arrived at the airport, Lester and Hal moved quickly to the gate to see the men get off the plane. They were to follow the doctors to where Tank would meet them. Bobby was here for any medical emergency that might happen and to start his assessment of their condition. The small team was ready and in place by the time the plane had landed.
It was late. Tom impatiently looked at his watch only to see that it had not moved much in the last sixty seconds. He glanced over at Brian again. With his head laid back on the seat, and his arms wrapped tightly around his waist, Tom knew that the injuries he had suffered were still causing him enormous pain. This journey had not been easy on him. But he was still convinced that it had been absolutely necessary to get them into safe hands. The flight plans they made had skipped them around so much that they had finally lost the man who had been following them since they were in DC.
Tom was grateful for Tank and his 'escape' plan. He recognized the tactics. He had played this game before. A smile played on his lips. It may have been quite some time since he had been the field, but he was glad that his instincts were as sharp as ever. It was still easy to recognize the qualities of a Ranger, and Tom was sure that Tank was one of the best.
The overhead lights inside the cabin of the plane were turned on after landing. They were blindingly bright to Brian. Tom watched as he closed his eyes tight and leaned forward, and resting his head on the seat in front of him. He was in bad shape and Tom was getting worried. They sat there quietly and waited until the entire plane had emptied. No sense in racing the crowds and getting jostled around in the process. Their position in the back row gave them opportunity to watch everyone leave, and when it was time, Tom helped Brian out of his seat and down the long aisle to make this last leg of the journey.
As they left gate, Tom spotted the two men who were waiting for them. They did not approach, so he knew that they were there to ensure that no one was still following them. Tom had to smile when, halfway down the concourse he saw Tank. It was hard to miss this man, and he had never been so happy to see anyone before in his entire life.
Bobby took his place alongside Brian and helped him to the truck. Lester and Hal patiently waited in their truck until Tank pulled away from the curb. They were on their way, a smooth operation with no problems. Tom watched the large man behind the wheel, he pulled the Tic Tacs from his pocket. "Nice technique," he said. Earning a smile from Tank. "How did you know that I would figure it out?" he asked.
Tank didn't even hesitate to respond. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, Sir," he said. Glancing over at him briefly, he continued. "But I would like to have spared you from that little trip back to Ecuador."
It was Tom's turn to smile. "Yeah, me too," he said. "Guess my skills were getting a bit rusty."
By the time they reached RangeMan, Bobby knew exactly what needed to be done to help both Tom and Brian recover from their ordeal. It would require some long term attention, especially for Brian. So instead of taking them both to the infirmary, Bobby had set up what he needed in the apartment. They would be much more comfortable there.
He was particularly concerned about Dr Taylor, who was now slumping in his seat looking completely drained of all energy. Bobby was more than ready to get him to RangeMan and get him what he needed to recover. He just didn't realize, yet, just what it would take to make Brian feel much better.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In the dim light coming from the hallway, Stephanie watched Mat sleep. The rise and fall of Mat's little chest let her know that he was breathing, the soft sounds so quiet that she could hardly hear them. This was something that she found herself doing more and more often. She knew that some of her initial fears, about caring for a baby, brought her in here to keep watch over him. It was somehow comforting to sit here in the large rocking chair and see that he was okay, that he was doing just fine.
These moments were not frequent, and usually only happened when Ranger was not here with them. Like now. He was downstairs in his office. Stephanie knew that he was waiting for some very important people to arrive. She also knew that something was making him nervous about these visitors. That is what had kept her sitting here, rocking and waiting, unable to sleep.
It had been hours since Ranger had helped Mat fall asleep and kissed her goodnight. And here she still sat, watching Mat. Letting her imagination take off in wild tangents, wondering who was coming here tonight, and worrying about why they were here. Stephanie had sensed the tension in Ranger's shoulders. It was one of the only signs that he had given that he was worried. She wouldn't even had noticed that, if it had not been for the hug she gave him as he left. It was her fingertips that brushed over his taut shoulder muscles that brought it to her attention.
The way he smiled at her as he left, did not allow her to ask him what was happening. He was trying to protect her from something, and she had no idea what it was. So, here she was, waiting for him. her own shoulders now carrying the weight of her worry.
Suddenly she stood and walked from the room. If watching Mat couldn't ease this tension, she would find another way. Soon she found herself in the kitchen, making tea. No surprise, she chose to make Ranger's favorite kind, Spicy Chai. It always smelled so good, and it now reminded her of him. Stephanie took the steaming cup to the living room and sat on the couch. With both hands wrapped around the mug, she stared out of the window. The moon was still large enough to cast the silvery glow she had become so fond of.
Once again, her thoughts took off in crazy directions. By the time she finally stopped them long enough to concentrate on the hot beverage that she held in her hands, it had cooled enough to drink without burning her lips. After her first sip, Stephanie smiled, now she knew why this was his first choice of tea. It was so flavorful she did not even miss the sugar that she had forgotten to add to it. For a few minutes she allowed it to distract her. Savoring the warmth, and the obvious connection that it gave her to her husband.
But before long, her restlessness returned and she found herself wandering around the apartment, idly searching for something, anything, to keep her mind off of whatever was happening downstairs. In the middle of the night. Her wanderings took her to the desk in the small office that Ranger kept up here. Stephanie sat in the over-sized leather chair and wrapped herself in the subtle scent of leather and Bulgari. She picked up a pile of papers from the corner of the desk and placed them on her lap. One by one she glanced at them as she returned each page to it's original spot. As she placed the last paper on top of the pile, her eyes opened in surprise.
Her attention had not been on the contents of the information she had just looked through. In fact, she had hardly noticed that her hands were keeping themselves busy playing with the stack of papers. But finally something registered in the back of her mind. She lifted the top sheet and looked at it again. The glossy photo told a story all by itself, and she could not hold back a smile.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Walking through the empty rooms, Ella looked over every detail. This was the third time she had come in to be sure everything was ready. She was being a little bit paranoid. It had actually been ready hours ago, shortly after Tank had asked her to change her plans and fix up this apartment.
Ella stood in the kitchen, she had now stocked the fridge and cupboards. The bathroom cabinets were filled with the supplies that Bobby had requested, and she had even helped to bring some equipment from the infirmary and set it up in the bedrooms. Again, at Bobby's request.
So many strange things were happening lately. Ella knew the RangeMan business well enough to know not to ask too many questions. She knew that for her own safety, all the information that she needed, to do her job, would be given to her. Still, she could not help but wonder what was going on that would bring people, who would have needed a safe house, right here to the building. Something big was going down and she was now putting pieces of the puzzle together.
Before those pieces actually formed a picture in her mind, Ella gave herself a huge eye roll. Louis would be laughing at her curiosity. "Ella the spy is on the job" he would tease her with his nickname for her. And of course, he would be the only one who could distract her long enough that the unsolved mysteries didn't drive her crazy.
Suddenly Ella heard the noise as the men entered the door. She moved around the counter to see if she could help, but quickly stepped back as Bobby entered half carrying a tall man. Tank followed right behind with another man, and within minutes Bobby had directed both of his patients into their rooms. Within minutes, he had them situated and comfortably resting as he started seeing to their care.
With nothing more that she could do, Ella slipped out and made her way back home. Still, the questions swirled around in her mind. Who were these men? Why were they here? And was there anything that she could do to help them? It would not be long before she had answers to all of those questions and more that she had not even thought of yet.
The minute that the trucks returned, Ranger was informed and he started to make his way down to the apartment. When he arrived, he watched for a moment as Bobby was prepping Dr Taylor for an IV. It was obvious that he was still severely dehydrated and weak from months of abuse. His short time in DC was not nearly long enough to get him back into good health. Completely exhausted, he had fallen asleep as soon as he was helped into bed. Ranger nodded at Bobby and kept walking down the hallway to the other bedroom. As he approached, he could hear Tank and Dr Dutton quietly talking. Ranger entered the room and both men looked up at him. He exchanged a look with Tank before turning his attention to the other man.
"Colonel," Ranger said. Dr Dutton nodded in response. Being acknowledged as anything other than his current identification as the doctor was not something that he was accustomed to anymore. It had been so long. A slow smile lit up his face. It really felt good. After all this time, it truly felt great!
"Thank you for that" Tom said, nodding once more at Ranger. He looked back and forth between the two large men and his smile grew, he suddenly felt right at home.
"Of course, I will still be going by the name of Tom Dutton for the duration of the mission," he said. Both men nodded in acknowledgement. They knew it would be that way, they had just wanted to honor the man whose legend had meant so much to them when they joined the Special Forces.
After a brief discussion, Ranger shook Tom's hand and left the room. On the way out, he checked in once more on Dr Taylor. He stopped at the doorway and Bobby gave him a short nod as he walked in. The doctor was now receiving fluids through his IV and was peacefully sleeping with the help of some pain killers. Bobby quietly explained his concerns and let Ranger know that he would be staying with both patients through the rest of the night.
Just then, Tom called out to Ranger. He was walking down the hall toward him. "May I have a word? In private?" Tom asked. Ranger felt his heart clench, he was pretty sure that he did not want to have this conversation. From the moment that Tom Dutton woke up and told his story, everyone knew that he had been in love with Maria. Ranger was just not sure how serious their relationship had been. Had she also been deeply in love with him? Did she want him to raise her son?
Remembering his recurring nightmares, Ranger almost forgot to breath. Over and over again he had seen Maria seeking Tom out in the jungle camps. He saw her pleading with Tom to promise her that he would take care of her baby. He had never told anyone about these bad dreams. But now he was worried. Was this it? What did Tom want to talk to him about?
They sat down in the living room. Neither of them turned on any lights. The glow from the night sky came in from the window and gave just enough light that they could see. Tom took a moment to stare into Ranger's eyes. Almost as if he was assessing something. All Ranger could do was return the look, his blank face firmly in place so that his emotions would not show.
"We have a decision to make," Tom said. This did nothing to put Ranger's mind at ease.
"Tank tells me that tomorrow you will have to go to DC for your debriefing." Tom took in a deep breath. His ribs still ached, so he carefully moved to lean against the back of the couch to ease the pain. Ranger was watching him closely. Where was this leading?
"There is a matter we need to discuss before you talk to the powers that be." Tom said. Ranger only nodded. His throat felt tight, he wouldn't have been able to speak in that moment, even if he wanted to. This was not going at all like he had hoped. It was sounding more and more like he was going to drop the bomb on him at anytime. Was he getting ready to tell him that he was going to take Mat?
With some difficulty, Ranger swallowed and kept his eye on Tom who was entirely unaware of the turmoil going on inside of him. Tom was finding this discussion a little bit complicated himself. He knew that they had worked hard here at RangeMan to make things operate smoothly. He did not want to come in and have it seem like he was throwing his weight around, but it was imperative that they all understand exactly where he was coming from.
"Mat has a family here," Ranger said, at the same moment that Tom spoke.
"The research stays lost," Tom said.
Surprised looks appeared on both of their faces. Ranger was so relieved that he nearly shouted. "You are worried about your research that we brought here?" he asked.
"You have the baby here?" Tom quietly asked. Ranger's relief faded quickly as he nodded.
"I didn't know," Tom said.
As if a shadow crossed over his face, Tom became sad and looked down at the floor as he whispered his fears of those last several days before they were rescued. "I couldn't help her," he said. "She was going to have the baby, and we could not help her. Brian and I were beaten unconscious for days in a row." He was shaking his head. He never wanted to feel that helpless again.
Memories came flooding back. He had done the one thing that he had never allowed to happen ever before. He had fallen in love with a woman. From the first moment that he had seen her, peeking around the stack of boxes in the doorway of the lab, his heart had gone out to her. Tom knew it the moment that he lost himself in her eyes. To use his mother's quaint term, he was smitten! The whole time that they worked at the lab together, the attraction pulled at him, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not fight it.
On the day that they had been kidnapped, his heart broke. Just like Maria did, he knew that he may not make it out of this situation alive. There was nothing that his captors needed from him. There were no negotiations, not with him, not with Humelik. These men were desperate. They didn't want to be here, and they really had no skills to play the kidnapping game. As a result, they avoided trouble by keeping their victims unconscious and incapacitated as much as they could.
Even though they tried to keep them away from each other by locking them into separate huts, Tom did not let that stop him. As often as he could, he found a way to sneak out of his hut to find Maria. Every time he made his way into her hut, he would silently sit in the corner holding her in his arms. For a few stolen minutes at a time they could ignore the harsh reality of the world around them and just be together. In those moments, he could almost believe that the power of their love would see them through it all.
But Tom could feel how fragile she was getting, and it worried him. He knew that she was fierce and strong when she needed to protect her baby, and when she showed him her love. Maria was a fighter, but many times as they clung to one another, he wondered if it was a fight that they could win. The one thing he never wanted to do was to fail her. It was the one thing in his life that he had no control over.
Ranger watched Tom closely for a few minutes. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and that only gave Ranger the chance to worry, to wonder what Tom might want to do about Mat. Just as he was forming the questions to ask him, Tom looked up at him and spoke.
"You have given him a family?" he asked.
Ranger nodded. The moment Tom had said the word family, he knew that everything was going to be alright. "My wife Stephanie and I have adopted him," he told Tom.
"She would have wanted that," Tom said. "Maybe I could see him sometime?" It was as much of a statement as it was a question. He would like to see Maria's child, but he knew that he was not ready , yet, for the emotions that it would bring.
Tom's energy was fading fast. Ranger understood. He knew how he would feel if he had lost Stephanie. Without a word, Ranger led Tom back to his room. They had said what needed to be said. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about the questions that still hovered over them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX