Chapter 25 RPOV I watched as Steph left the room, I knew she was getting disheartened that nothing seemed to be happening, but that was the nature of the game. There had been times when I was on a mission collecting Intel when it could be weeks before something worthwhile came up. I'd have to get her out to take her mind off things, maybe a weekend at the beach house. I had just sat down at my desk in my office when my phone buzzed with an incoming call and inwardly swore when I saw who the caller was. "Colonel?" "Ah Major, I'm glad I caught you, we need you down in the capitol to finalize your contract" "That was done when I was last there, I have my copy but haven't received the papers to confirm yet" "Well that's what this meeting is about" "I don't see what there is to discuss Colonel" "Major this isn't a request it's an order. There is still two weeks before you officially retire" "Are you saying you are ordering me to Washington?" "Yes, unless you want the MPs bringing you here I suggest you follow orders" The call ended on that sentence from the Colonel and I was sat looking at my phone. I called in Tank because he'd ditched his contract a couple of years ago but I didn't remember him having to go to an additional meeting. "What's up Ranger, you sure don't look pleased" "Tank did you have to go to Washington for another meeting after your release papers were signed?" "No, have they asked you?" "Yes, but I just don't like it, it just doesn't feel kosher to me" "Who called you in?" "Colonel Wilbert" "Well I suggest you take your lawyer with you and stay in touch with me" "Dam it, I didn't want to leave Steph on her own, not now when we're so close" "I'll make sure she's kept safe, I'll put a double team on her and she has those new trackers and the watch, right?" "Yeah. I need to call Anderson and arrange to meet him there and then I'll break the news to Steph. Can you make sure the team stays up to date?" "Will do" I called my lawyer Anderson; he was good and had always been a support when it came to contracts with the military. "Anderson did you read the papers I sent to you?" "Sure have done Ranger, seems straight forward to me" "So why have I been ordered to Washington to discuss them?" "You shouldn't be"
Anderson was a former U.S. Army Major JAG Attorney so he knew his stuff so if he was confused then that substantiated my worries.
"Colonel Wilbert said it was an order and if I didn't turn up he'd send the MPs out for me"
"Look I'm already in Washington so what time do you expect to get here?"
I looked at my watch; it was 1100 now so if I took the helicopter I could be there in less than an hour. "If I land on your roof I'll be there by 1300hrs" "Not a problem, I'll alert the staff to expect you and then I'll meet you in my office" Having sorted that out I needed to talk with Steph, though I'm sure she would understand given that this was the end to my missions. "Babe can you meet me up in the apartment, something's come up that I need to talk to you about" I was in the bedroom when she came in and immediately saw concern on her face when she saw that I was packing an overnight bag and files from my safe. "Ranger what's happened?" "I've been called to Washington" She went white and sat on the bed, I'm sure trying to figure out what I'd just said. "Babe I told you I'm finished from going on missions, remember?" "Yes" "Well I've been called to a meeting about it down in Washington, I'm sure it's just a formality" "You're sure? They won't ask you to go in the wind will they?" "No, they can't. The papers are signed so they can't ask that of me, well they could ask but I'd refuse" "Oh" "At the most it'll only be one night, I'm meeting my lawyer and he's going with me"
"Is this normal procedure?" "I don't know, why?" "I don't like it" "I don't either. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can" "Please be careful Ranger, I have a funny feeling about this" "I will, but that applies to you as well. Tank says he'll keep you safe. You have your trackers and panic button so please don't try and ditch the men he assigns to you. I don't want to have to worry that you aren't safe" I knew she could lose the men if she wanted to but at the moment I think she was as worried about her own safety as I was. "I won't, I don't want to get kidnapped again. I promise to keep the men with me and the trackers and the watch and tell Tank if I need to go out" I squatted in front of her and took her face in my hands, looking into her eyes. "I love you too much to lose you now, so I'll be back" I wiped away the tears that had started to fall and kissed her gently on her lips nose and forehead, if I didn't move now I wouldn't. Picking up my bag I walked out of the room without looking back and made my way up to the roof where the helicopter was. I still wasn't sure that this was the right thing to do, something told me I was being manipulated, but I couldn't work out why. I met with Anderson and seeing him in a suit excused myself to change into the one I'd carried in with me. We used one of the drivers that Anderson employed to drop us off at the base then walked in and through to the Colonels office. We were both surprised when his secretary showed us into a conference room and even more surprised that there were other people there. "Major so glad you decided to come in of your volition" Anderson and I had agreed that he would speak wherever possible so I simply looked at the Colonel and let Anderson speak. "Colonel this summons is totally out of order, Mr. Manoso is no longer under the edict of the army and is here because of your threat to arrest him" As he spoke I looked around the room at the other people in attendance, I skimmed past them as though only taking a glance because there was something about one of the men that had the hair on the my back of neck rising. Surely I was just imagining it, but I could swear I recognized his features.
"Now, now Anderson. No threat intended. Let me introduce you to the gentlemen who are around the table. You know my right hand man Lieutenant Colonel Higgs and my assistant. The gentleman to my left is Mr Samuel Bernal and his right hand man Mr Randall"
"Colonel, why would civilians be here at a meeting to discuss the resignation of Mr Manoso?"
"Well Anderson, Mr Bernal is a true supporter of the armed services and he has requested that an expert such as Mr Manoso be brought in on a situation of the highest priority for national security" "Not happening Colonel, I'm sorry Mr Bernal but there are other men just as competent as Mr Manoso, he's not part of the service and has actually already signed a legal document to refute all and any further commitment to the armed service. Putting it simply he is no longer authorized for sharing or knowing any confidential information" Whilst this conversation was going on I watched the men in front of me. The Colonel was I felt resigned to what Anderson had said and I think he knew the outcome of this meeting before it even started. The expression on Bernal's face was disconcerting, he was obviously annoyed that he wasn't going to get me involved with his priority situation but there was also the hint of him gloating as if he knew something. I had been uncomfortable before this meeting but now that feeling suddenly began to ratchet up to being anxious, and that only happened when Steph was in danger. I needed to get out of this meeting and off the base so that I could contact Trenton. "Major, Mr Manoso, is that your position?" "Yes Colonel, so we'll be leaving" I stood up quickly, as did a surprised Anderson, but he didn't say anything, instead he followed me out, walking quickly to keep up the pace I set as we headed toward the gate. "Ranger what the hell is wrong?" "It was a set up, I'm sure of it" "What are you talking about?" "That man Mr Bernal, who the hell is he?" "I don't know, I've heard he has a finger in some of the committee meetings and seems to be getting his foot in the door with covert operations. He's becoming a powerful man" "I want you to find out everything about him" "Isn't that what you usually do?" "Usually, but this situation isn't usual. He's playing a game and I don't like it" Once the car arrived and we were on our way back to Anderson's office I pulled out my phone and switched it on. My heart dropped when I saw that we had a blue alert, something had happened to Steph and that bastard Bernal had set it up so I wasn't near her. I called Tank knowing he would dread answering me. "Report" "She's gone" "How the fuck did you let that happen?" "Ranger it was like a military operation, we didn't stand a chance. We lost one of our men and Zero is badly injured" "Get everyone back to base and get everything you can, I'm on my way back"
SPOV I was feeling really anxious but I didn't know why. I mean, I knew Ranger wouldn't disappear into the wind; he'd promised he wouldn't, that he'd come back to me. But what if he didn't have a choice, I mean it's the army; they could do anything, couldn't they? Tank had kept his distance from me, as I'm sure he was well aware of the mood I was in and that he didn't want some weepy woman hanging around him. I'd finished the searches for the day and had just logged off the computer when a text message came through from Mary Lou. Hell I hadn't talked to her and I'd promised I would. I opened the message and had to read it several times before it sank in as to what she was talking about. "Lenny has left me for another woman, I don't know what to do. Please I need my friend here" Shit why would Lenny do that to Lou? Every time I saw them they seemed so happy together and they were such a loving family. I wasn't aware that Lenny was stepping out, but then would I know if Lou hadn't realized either? I had to go see her; she'd be desperate and so hurt and heartbroken. I didn't knock as I entered Tank's office and I'm sure he grimaced when he realized it was me. "Tank I have to go see Lou, something terrible has happened" "Is she hurt, an accident?" "She's hurt, yes, Lenny her husband has left her" "Okay I can see how she'd need you, you two are close aren't you?" "Yes, she doesn't have anyone else Tank" "Right give me five to sort it out, you go get sorted and I'll meet you down in the garage" I used the lift to get up to seven where I grabbed a jacket and my bag. I made sure all the trackers Ranger had given me were in the places we'd agreed and decided running down the stairs was quicker. I came out of the stairwell to find three cars standing with their engines running. I headed for where Tank was stood and climbed into the back seat of one of the Cayennes; Cal was in the front seat-riding shotgun. "Who else is with us?" "Zero and Pete are going now to be at the back of the house, Gary and Hal will be patrolling the area and Cal and I are at the front" "Okay" He raised his eyebrows at that and Cal laughed at him. "You got all your trackers and the watch?" "Yes, they're where Ranger told me to put them" "Good" It didn't take long before we were parking in front of Mary Lou's house; there was no car there, had Lenny taken her car? The slime bag how could he do this to her? Tank opened the door and escorted me up the path to the front door, it was open and we could hear crying coming from inside. Tank stayed outside while I went in, no he really didn't do well with weepy women. I closed the door behind me and followed the sound of crying upstairs into Mary Lou's bedroom, but then stood confused when it seemed to be empty. "Hello Stephanie" A mans voice came from behind me and even as I moved my arm to push the button on my watch I felt the bolt of electricity on my neck and heard him say. "Nice watch" I knew I was slowly waking up but I didn't want to, I felt scared as I remembered being knocked out at Mary Lou's house. Oh god I hope she hadn't been hurt because of me, because some crazy psycho was after me, again. I felt someone raise my head and a straw was put into my mouth. "Drink, it'll make you feel better" I couldn't feel better, I was alone and Ranger would be frantic by now. I took a small sip just to get the person to take it out of my mouth, and then slowly opened my eyes. "Ah, Miss Plum, it's so good to see you again, I missed your tenacity" I didn't say a word as I stared up into the face of Samuel Bernal, if Ranger had a hope of finding me then Bernal mustn't know how much we knew. "Why have you brought me here?" "Ah forever curious. I enjoyed the interaction with you and decided that you would make a worthy opponent" "What?" "I am the master Gamesman Miss Plum and I'm yearning for a truly spectacular game with you" "Game, what sort of game" "Oh you'll find out in due course, first we need to make sure you are fully awake and ready" He walked through a door and shut it behind him leaving me with Henri. Did I say something or not, and what the hell game was Bernal talking about? "Henri, where am I?" I needed to be careful with what I said in case Henri was still being successful with being under cover; he'd make sure I was safe, wouldn't he? "Oh that's not important, only the game is" "What kind of game does he have in mind?" "Oh it's ingenious, you'll love it. Now I need for you get up so that I can assess your physical level" Physical level? What the hell did he need that for? "I'm not" "Not what?" "Good at anything physical" "Maybe, but your thinking skills make up for it" He took an arm and forced me to stand up, then raised my arms above my head; I winced as the damaged ribs objected to my left arm being raised above my head. "What caused that reaction?" "I broke my ribs" "Painkiller should work for that" "Where are we?" "On a private island" "Why?" "You know why" "No I don't" "To play the ultimate game" "Do I have a chance of winning?" "Probably not, but I'm sure you'll add a new dimension to the way it's played. You see Stephanie you have a unique way of solving problems and that's what we need to move this game forward" "What is the game, I mean what do I have to do?" "Stay alive as long as you can, by any means possible. Right you seem to be ready to go, let's get you kitted up and then we'll give you the rules of the game" He opened the door of a small wardrobe and took out a clothes hanger that had some sort of uniform on it? Then as he handed it to me my eyes went wide as I stared down at tight trousers and a matching long sleeved top in a thick black Lycra material. "I'll give you five minutes to freshen up and change into your costume, the footwear is in the wardrobe" As soon as he had left the room I scanned the walls and ceiling for cameras, yeah the pervert, there were two that I could see above the door. I took the costume and headed for the bathroom knowing full well that if it had been Henri who took me to that second house then he wouldn't trust me in a bathroom, and to be honest I was beginning to doubt whose side Henri was on. The bathroom was cold and old and worn, but I needed to use the toilet and change, while at the same time work out if I still had any trackers on me, and let's just say one of them was hidden where I didn't want anyone to know, well maybe Ranger. Thank god my period was just about finished and I didn't need to replace the tampon. I shimmied out of my jeans and felt in the back pocket, dam no tracker, then did the same with the T-shirt I was wearing. I was keeping my bra and pants on, no way was I taking them off and maybe the tracker inside my bra was still there. The costume was skintight but it surprised me when I moved, it didn't restrict my movement at all and because it was tight around my rib cage and arm it actually gave my injured ribs and arm some support. Once dressed I returned to the room and pulled out a pair of knee high flat leather boots that had a good grip on the sole and again fitted round my legs. No sooner had I pulled them on and stood up than the door opened and Henri stood there waving an arm inviting me to leave. We walked down a corridor and into a bare concrete room. "Have you ever watched "The Hunger Games"?" "Err, yes" "Well I suppose it's similar to that. You are on an island that you cannot get off, there are areas that could be hazardous, you know rocks, cliffs and steep ravines. But there are five men who are out there, so with you it makes six people. The winner is the one left alive at the end" "You mean those men will try and kill me" "Yes, so you must kill them first" "I can't, I won't" "Then you'll be the first to die" "How?" "That's where your problem solving comes in, you see there are weapons hidden on the island and clues as to where they are. Find the clues, find the weapons and kill the men before they kill you" Was this some weird dream I was having? How the hell did he think I could survive this, but then again maybe I wasn't meant to survive, Bernal was definitely one screwed up man? "What do you and your boss get out of this?" "Oh we have a private audience who are paying to watch and a healthy betting arena as well" "So there are cameras out there?" "Of course, we'll know where you are every minute" "But why me, surely no one would want to watch me or bet on me?" "Did you look in the mirror, you'd make Katniss look drab" "And that's his game?" "Well yes but we're using the video imagery for the new game that's going to be released soon and you may be one of the characters" I'm sure I was beginning to hyperventilate; I bent at the stomach and took in some long deep breaths to try and calm myself down. Dear god did I have a hope in hell of surviving this, of Ranger finding me in time? No probably not. When I stood up right Henri had gone and there was a door open on the other side of the room. Maybe I could just stay in here and close the door? That is until I heard a voice come out of a speaker on the wall. "The room will fill with tear gas in approximately ten seconds" I moved to just outside the door and felt it push me out then there was a clunking sound. No handle and no way to get back in so in true Stephanie fashion I slid down the door onto my ass and looked around.