"Ranger!" Someone was yelling my name. I tried to focus on the sounds, but my mind was foggy and uncooperative. I used every ounce of concentration I could muster to put my surroundings into place. Something told me it was very urgent.
The colors started swirling into focus. Then the shapes. Then the faces. It was dark and Bobby was hovering over me taking my pulse and shining a bright light in my eyes. I knocked the flashlight out of his hands.
"Where's she?" I slurred. Damn tongue. Now it was being uncooperative.
"Tank's got a team on that. What the hell happened?"
What the hell had happened? I tried to mentally organize a sequence of events. It started with the dinner. Stephanie had wanted a dinner out. No shadow. I'd done a little research and settled on a local place that had rave reviews for their desserts. Steph always loved her dessert.
It had been nice. A little romantic even. She'd worn that black dress with the swirly skirt; the one that always looked better in a heap on my bedroom floor. She'd laughed when I came out wearing my t-shirt and cargoes. It had been a joke. I'd worn one of my tailored suits.
The food was good and the lights were dim. She'd gotten up to use the restroom. I'd given her too long; too many careless minutes. I remembered asking a waitress to check in on her, already starting to feel a knot coil in my stomach. She came back shaking her head. The bathroom was empty.
I walked briskly toward the bathrooms, and scanned the vicinity for a quick exit. A door to the kitchen was across the hall. An exit leading out back was just a few more steps through the kitchen. I sprinted through the door, gun drawn, and called her name. That was all I remembered.
"Tranq dart?" I asked.
"Yeah," Bobby nodded. "We bagged it; already on its way back to the lab." He paused. "You see anyone?"
I shook my head. "I shouldn't have let her out of my sight."
"We'll find her."
A memory flashed in my mind of Stephanie dangling over a bridge. It had taken weeks to fully process the fear that I'd managed to shut down from that moment. I felt something oddly similar start coursing through me.
Somehow I'd struck a nerve. This was different than the casket and the car. This was retaliation. He'd made sure I was the one with her. That I was the one who lost her. He wanted me to know that her fate came down to one foolish moment when I'd let her out of my sight.
I watched Bobby talk with some of the guys as I slowly got to my feet. My body wobbled on muscles that weren't receiving the proper signals from my brain yet.
Bobby rushed over. "I think it's customary to give yourself some time to let that stuff wear off before saving the day."
I gave him a death glare. "I don't really give a shit about customary. I've only got one thing on my mind right now, and it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a tranq dart to keep me from finding her. And let me assure you, when I do, there will be hell to pay."