Thank you for all the reviews. I feel very humbled by your words of encouragement. We make no money from doing this and reviews are our payment.
Chapter 14
Frank phoned Randy. "Leave."
Randy was at home and his duffle was at the door. He was only employed part-time at work and would phone later to plead illness. He had his pension and he had his family.
He had already planned his escape and hoped he would be in time. He peeked out the front window and noticed a strange car sitting across the street. Another car was just pulling up.
Randy picked up his duffle and walked to the back door. He quietly opened it and slunk out, keeping to the side of the building, well hidden by the tall bushes. He headed for the side fence and slid the two loose boards aside, wiggling through the opening. He walked to the neighbors garage and opening the man door, slipped in then closed and locked it quietly.
There was a wig, glasses and a brown jacket laying on a stool by the workbench which he quickly put on. He threw his duffle in the back seat of a Ford Focus, slid behind the wheel and put on the seatbelt, then pressing the garage door opener attached to the sun visor in the car, he carefully backed out.
He drove down the back lane and out onto the street never looking back. Randy was house sitting his neighbors' place while they were away and would leave the car at the airport for them. His neighbors were scheduled to be home the next day and would drive it home. He left a note asking them to keep an eye on his house for a few days.
He had a plane ticket waiting at the Columbus airport and Frank had offered him a place to stay.
Randy felt a bit of euphoria as he drove to the airport. It had been moral boosting to feel needed and the possibility of helping a buddy once again had made the possible danger all the more exciting.
He rubbed his aching knee as he drove to the airport. It was giving him trouble again, and he sobered his thoughts.
He was too old to be doing this shit. While the excitement and the intrigue had in some small part helped his friend Frank, it was time to turn it over to the young-uns.
~~~o0o~~~
Tank was on the phone. He hung up and contemplated his next move. He did not have time to head for the gym and punish the big bag again. Luis had replaced yet another one.
That was the third phone call.
He had been hung up on at least twice each by all three men when he called.
They were angry, and scared. They were trying to put their lives back together again and did not appreciate him opening up a very difficult wound, but Tank was patient.
He reminded the men that Ranger had a reputation for bringing his men back against all odds. He reminded them that he never expected someone to do something he was not prepared to do first.
He asked them to remember that nobody had been interrogated, just taken away never to be seen again.
He asked them to remember that their captors knew who they were without asking.
He had managed to convince the men that they had all been set up.
He offered Rangeman services to help them cope with the challenges they were and would be facing as they dealt with the nightmare of the mission.
He offered a job to anyone who needed employment.
To a man, they had all retired. They had been offered money, but more importantly, they were offered things that would not draw attention. A family vacation out of country, a new house in a different area of the country, a new car every five years, health and dental for their family for life, a nice annuity.
All they had to do was sign some papers.
If they didn't they were threatened that they would be charged with treason. All they had to do was listen to the charges against Lt. Colonel Manoso.
They had been visited by a number of men with papers. Their families were scared. They were scared.
To a man, they had all signed.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie had gone over the pagers again. She was feeling the pressure to find something else, anything else that could help her man combat the awful charges hanging over his head.
Her spidey sense was still tingling. She was missing something.
Her eyes were tired and she had a stress headache. She had a bottle of water in one hand and was eating a sandwich with the other hand when her concentration slipped and she tripped stubbing her foot against one of the conference table legs.
Stephanie dropped her sandwich as she caught herself from hitting the table and spilling all the papers. If they had fallen on the ground it would take some time to re-position them and they didn't have the time. Her eyes spotted a sheet of paper that had been hiding behind another. She put down the water and pulled the sheet out.
10 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
General Harry Deville called Jason back. "I have a meeting in five hours. My contact is in the air but he will see me as soon as he lands. I need all the information to take with me into the meeting. Can you get it to me in Washington? I know you have your own ways that will not attract too much attention."
Jason looked at Ranger. He mouthed 'Anthony?'
Ranger nodded and pulled out his phone speaking quickly then looked back at Jason for more information.
Jason spoke. "I will personally deliver the material to you, sir. Where and when?"
Ranger held up four fingers. Taking into consideration travelling time, it would take Anthony about four hours to come, collect Jason and then fly him with the paperwork to General Deville in Washington.
They agreed on a place and time. It was cutting it close. Extremely close.
9 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
Jason headed out the door. Tank was ahead of him arranging for a copying machine to be rolled into the conference room.
Jason walked into the room. He needed to get ready for the meeting with the General. He mentally thought of all the sheets of paper he would need. He wouldn't have time to come back for more. It was a one-shot trip. All or nothing.
He spied Stephanie still in the room. He thought she had gone to seven.
Stephanie was holding the newly found piece of paper in her hand.
Jason looked ready to start pulling sheets from down the line when she stopped him.
"Did Ranger always have the same handler?"
Jason looked at her with a questioning look. He took out his phone and called Ranger.
Jason repeated what Ranger said. "No, he was assigned about a year ago. His other handler retired and they assigned him from a pool of handlers who had an opening in their stable."
Stephanie nodded. Jason put down the paperwork and let her look again.
She picked up another sheet of paper and showed it to him.
Jason blanched and called Ranger into the room.
~~~o0o~~~
Ranger's POV
I was surprised that the paperwork was still all laid down on the table. I had assumed that Jason would be copying everything to take to the General.
I looked at my watch. Anthony was on his way and could not stay on the roof for long when he arrived or he would draw attention.
Jason and Stephanie were looking at three different sheets of paper.
I walked down to them. Their brows were furrowed in concentration.
They looked at each other.
"Ranger, did you ever meet your handler in person, or just by phone?"
I shook my head in the negative. Murray and I had never met. It was safer that way. We had a complicated set of codes to access each other when needed.
Jason looked at Stephanie and suddenly reached out and grabbed Stephanie twirling her around and giving her a kiss on her cheek.
She blushed. I had my hands fisted ready to take on my forward-acting attorney. She was mine, all mine and that was crossing the line.
Jason looked at me.
"Stephanie found another needle."
My fists relaxed and relief washed over me.
Jason was on his phone. We could hear only one side of the conversation but it had to be directed to Alice.
His phone beeped just a few minutes later.
Jason opened it up and he grinned like a little boy holding a large bag of candy.
"Murray, your handler is the great nephew of General Matthew Bennett. We didn't pick it up because his deceased wife had been married before. Murray was in the 102nd. He was injured on a jump and couldn't pass the medical returning him to active duty, therefore was medically discharged.
He secured a job in Washington through his Great Uncle Matthew, working his way up until he reached his current position.
Alice found an alias by the name of Murray Mandryk, General Bennett's wife's first husband's name. Same address as our Murray Henderson."
Jason looked at his watch. He started to quickly gather pages to be copied. He was running out of time. Anthony would be here in the next few minutes.
Stephanie was copying as Jason was selecting the pages needed. Finally they finished then carefully sorted the papers into three folders.
Stephanie gave Jason a hug for luck and headed out the door with me.
Jason may or may not have heard me say "Proud of you, Babe."
~~~o0o~~~
Jason shrugged into his coat and with a full briefcase in hand, walked to Tank's office to wait for Anthony.
Tank received a text and nodded at him. They strode out the door and Tank walked to the monitoring station.
"Disable the alarms and the camera on the roof. Nobody accesses that area."
Junior nodded.
Tank grabbed the long rifle leaning against the wall by the door and led the way, up the stairs to the door to the roof. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. They could both hear the approaching helicopter and waited until it was safe to venture forward.
Anthony landed softly and we were already moving toward it, bending over at the waist as we ran. We had been taught oh so many years ago how to approach a helicopter while the blades were turning. Tank opened the passenger door and Jason climbed in with the heavy briefcase and buckled his seatbelt. He nodded at Anthony. Tank fist bumped Jason for luck and then nodded at Anthony in thanks. He closed the door, then stepped back to the roof entrance. The chopper lifted off and sped away.
Tank grimaced. Why the hell had he fist bumped Jason? That was such a 90's thing. He didn't normally do that shit. He looked out at the skyline. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there was the noise of a vibrant city to envelope him as he remembered.
Ah yes. Mogadishu again. The team had fist bumped each other as they prepared to head into the fray.
He smiled. Every member of their team had come out uninjured. Scared, tired, and wary. But alive.
He was hoping that this mission would turn out the same.
Tank closed and locked the roof door. He walked down the stairs and back to the control room. "Re-arm and cameras on."
Junior nodded and pressed some buttons.
It was out of their hands now. Jason would give General Deville all the information and he would try to stop what was spiraling out of their control.
Tank returned the rifle by his office door then headed to the gym. He half expected Ranger to be there, but upon second thought, he remembered that he had not seen Stephanie upon his return to the floor. Her cubicle was empty and he had not heard her voice.
He suspected he would not see his friend for awhile.
8 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
There was a note on Tanks' desk upon his return. A Security Team would be at Rangeman to pick up Ranger in three hours. His lawyer was ordered to meet him at the courthouse and he was not allowed a Rangeman escort.
They were being shut out effectively closing any possible escape route.
The noose around Ranger's neck was tightening.
6 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
Ranger and Stephanie came downstairs. Nothing to do with Rangeman or the military was embroidered or stamped on their clothes. Ranger was carrying a garment bag slung over one shoulder.
They looked calm to outward appearances but the firm set of their mouths belied extreme tension.
They walked to the break room and grabbed some water. Ella came in with a cart of food but Stephanie never took a moment to glance at the selections.
Ella walked up to Ranger and enveloped him in a hug. She said not a word but quickly left the room leaving her cart unattended. Luis met her in the hallway and cradled her in his arms as she cried.
Rangeman members walked in and shook his hand. He wordlessly nodded. Stephanie had lost all attempt at composure and was quietly crying at the raw emotion in the room. These men were telling Ranger in their own way how they felt.
She received a call on her phone and left the room.
"Cupcake, I was just talking to Frank. I have a plan."
5 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
Carl and his family drove up to Frank's house. There was a Rangeman vehicle parked in front and as Carl stepped out, the driver's door opened.
Ram smiled as he saw the family alight. "Red, you old goldbricker. I always wondered if you faked that injury to get out early."
Carl grabbed Ram in a man hug. "You know me. I hate sand so thought a nice chopper ride and some attentive combat nurses would be the way to go."
He turned to his wife and put his arm around her. She was holding the baby and trying to keep tabs on their three year old. It had been a long drive and he needed to burn off some energy.
"This beautiful lady is my wife, Jenny and our son, Matthew and daughter Sarah. Uncle Frank invited us to stay with them for a few days and we decided to take him up on his offer."
Ram smiled. Wouldn't he be surprised when he found his dad inside? He suspected that it would be a rocking place later and Ranger would have to find places for everyone soon.
Ram's smile faded. He hoped that Ranger would have that problem to solve. It was not looking good at the moment.
4 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
Jason texted Ranger. He was heading into a meeting with General Deville. Jason cautioned Ranger to hang on in the building as long as he could.
~~~o0o~~~
Tank posted guards at the main reception area in Rangeman. He did not trust that the Security Team would arrive when they said. He suspected that they might arrive early to pick up Ranger.
2 hours to go.
~~~o0o~~~
Frank phoned Ranger. He couldn't get hold of Jason. His buddy at the cafe had reported an increase in traffic there. It appeared to anyone watching that they were happy about something. High fives were given as each man arrived. Money was changing hands. Cell phones were ringing constantly.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie was on her cellphone in the stairwell on five.
"You need to hurry. They are coming for Ranger in an hour."
She hung up and walked back out to the control room.
She quietly sat down at her cubicle and pretended to work on a search. Her foot was tapping up and down as if to a beat from the music on her ipod.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was going to be close.
The phone by the monitors rang. Zero picked it up, barking 'control'. He visibly cleared his throat and called for Tank.
Tank came out of his office and headed to Zero. There was a whispered conversation and Tank nodded then moved to Ranger's office.
The door closed. Scarcely a minute later, Ranger and Tank walked out and headed for the elevator.
Stephanie rose to her feet. Tank looked at her and shook his head. She sat down and put her head on her crossed arms and leaned on the desk. Les was by her side instantly and pulled her into his arms whispering to her quietly. She was sobbing and the front of his shirt was already wet.
~~~o0o~~~
Tank and Ranger walked out of the elevator on the main floor.
Standing inside the door was Joe Morelli, Carl and Big Dog. Eddie was standing outside watching the street.
Joe stepped up to Ranger.
"Ricardo Carlos Manoso, I'm placing you under arrest for suspicion of excessive force used to capture and return Walter Dunphy. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
Carl and Big Dog motioned for Ranger to turn around and put his hands behind his back. They quickly cuffed him and led him out the door to the waiting patrol car.
Joe looked at Tank, and handed him the warrant. "We can only hold him for 72 hours."
Joe walked out the door and climbed into the front seat. Eddie was already behind the wheel and Carl and Big Dog sat on either side of Ranger. They pulled away, lights flashing and siren blaring.
Barely two minutes had passed when a number of black vans pulled up to the front door. Men in combat jumped out with their rifles at the ready and took up positions by the front door.
A Staff Sergeant marched to the now opened door and approached Tank.
"I have a warrant to escort Lt. Colonel Ricardo Carlos Manoso."
Tank looked at Caesar manning the front desk, and at each of the Rangeman armed guards standing in the reception area. He looked at the security team standing by the door. He counted to ten very slowly in his head.
"Lt. Colonel Manoso has just been arrested by the Trenton Police Department for questioning."
He held out the arrest warrant.
Staff Sergeant Daniel Wilkinson reached into his pocket and slowly took out and put on his glasses. He appeared to read every word on the warrant. He turned his back on his men and smiled, then wiped the grin off his face before anybody could see.
He took off his glasses and placed them carefully back into the case in his shirt picket then wordlessly turned on his heel and marched out the now open front door, climbed into the front of one of the vans and they sped off in the direction of the police station.
Tank looked at his watch. He knew that at top speed, breaking all the laws, it took him five minutes to reach the police station. He hoped it was enough time.
A/N – Last chapter tomorrow. Myrna