I hope everyone had a happy and safe new year! Thank you for all the reviews; you guys are amazing:) If you recognize them, they're not mine :)

Thank you Margaret for reading ahead as my beta once again.

Chapter 37—Taking some chances

Hal's POV

I checked my phone one more time and saw that the ABP had been updated…again. Ranger was on his way and so was Sotolongo's bomb guy Reyes.

"Ramon, did you see this? Reyes is coming."

"Yeah, I saw. You think we should wait for him?"

"We should wait for Ranger. I'm sure he's going to want to get inside and to talk to Steph before we do anything that can backfire."

"Reyes coming here scares me. It means Ranger isn't trusting that we can safely disable this thing."

"I doubt that," I told him. "We knew there was a meeting at the governor's tonight. I think Ranger got Sotolongo to come along and he volunteered his man."

"But what does that say about us? That we can't do a job we were trained to do?"

"Ramon, cut the shit." I said to him, something I never say to anyone. "We're the best of the best. The Marielitas' guy is just fearless; we're better trained."

"And?"

"Are you giving up? What will that say to Ranger? Gene will be on the phone with us and if we can't take the heat—we have Reyes."

"Are you really putting it like that? If we can't do it we have a banger who can?"

"Yeah. Pretty much," I said hoping it would spark something deep inside him. Well, deep inside the both of us. I wasn't as fearless as I pretended to be.

While we were 'discussing' said gangbanger, an older model SUV turned onto the street. I didn't recognize the driver until he got closer. It was Reyes. It looked like he beat Ranger and Sotolongo here. I wasn't going to be unfriendly even if Ramon's difference of opinion had got me thinking, so I approached his SUV with a grin on my face. Like I said, we'd worked together before and we at least knew each other by sight.

Reyes got out of his car and walked towards me, a possible smile lighting his face too.

"Duardo," I said, calling him by his first name and hoping it was ok to use it. "Hal, from Rangeman."

"Sí, I remember you. How you doing, man?" he asked taking my proffered hand and shaking it, and me, Marielita style. "Ranger and Lolo not here yet?"

"No, you're the first…"

"I see the trip lines from here," he interrupted my niceties to get down to business. "At least they didn't try to hide them."

"It gets worse. They've also used pinpoint lasers which are harder to detect…but we've been in and out a few times already."

"How's Mañoso's woman?"

"She's cold and most likely traumatized but other than that, she's ok. They didn't hurt her."

"Want to show me?"

"I think we should wait for Ranger so he can let her know that he's here. I think that would help with the trauma."

"I'll call Lolo and see where they are," he offered, taking out his phone and pressing a button.

Just as he engaged, two cars turned onto the street. I made out Ranger's Cayenne immediately and as soon as it came to a stop, Sotolongo jumped out the passenger side. His waist-length straight black hair was unmistakable.

"Reyes. Hal. Ramon," he acknowledged with a tip of his chin to each of us as Ranger came running up.

"Steph?" Ranger asked.

I told him she was ok and that Les and Bobby were still inside with her and like I predicted, he wanted to see her.

"We haven't been able to actually get into the room where she is, there are too many trip wires around it but we've been speaking with her constantly."

"Show me," he demanded as Hector joined us.

"Once we're in, I'll leave you two alone. I just want Estefania to know I'm here for her too," Hector uttered, obviously planning to head inside the warehouse with Ranger.

"Listen, there are a lot of trips in there. I'd hate for one of us to accidently trigger something by going in and out so often. How about you talk to her through Bobby's phone?" I threw out to Hector. I knew Ranger wasn't going to buy that for himself, even if Hector did.

Ranger had his phone out as soon as I mentioned it.

"Bobby, put me on speaker." "Babe, I'm outside. Are you ok?"

"Carlos! Oh, thank God you're alive," she said in a voice that sounded to me like she'd been crying. "I didn't believe that they hadn't gotten to you first."

"I'm fine Babe and we'll get you out of there but right now I'm coming in with Hal, Ramon and Reyes to assess the situation," he said definitively, looking over at me sternly. I wasn't going to defy the boss but I didn't like all this 'going in and out' with a live bomb under our noses.

Ranger's POV

I could tell that Hal was thinking conservatively and also that he was pissed at me for bringing in Reyes. Reyes wasn't my idea and I'd explain that to these men later, but he was a good idea. Sotolongo wouldn't 'give up' one of his men if he didn't think he could disable the bomb without it going off. I had concerns all around and I just wished I could grab Steph and run through the place like bat out of hell, praying that God would save us. I had no such expectations but I wanted to get my woman out of there none-the-less.

As soon as we entered the building I understood Hal's trepidations. There were trip lines everywhere. It had to have taken someone hours to set this up.

"Laser," Hal said, pointing to one about ten inches from us.

I nodded my understanding, moving slowly and assessing every inch before taking a step. This place was menacing.

We finally made it to the anteroom where Les and Bobby were camped out. Hal motioned to Reyes to follow him, and he, Ramon and Reyes went into another room to take a look at the bomb. I knew Hector had followed me in. There was no stopping him when he made up his mind to do something, dangerous as it may be.

"Estefania," he called to her softly, "Ranger and I are here."

"Hey Hec. Carlos," she called back weakly. "How close are we to getting out of here or at least getting me a blanket?"

"Sotolongo sent his bomb guy to help Hal and Ramon. They're looking at it now. I'm sure we'll have you out of here within the hour," I told her, shining my light and noticing she was kind of close to a trip line. "Steph can you wiggle to your right a few feet?"

She started moving left. "Your other right Babe," I said trying to keep my voice as calm and steady as possible. She was maybe three inches away from blowing us up.

"Sorry. I got mixed up."

It was unlike Steph to mix up left and right. The hypothermia was starting to effect her perception. We needed to get her out of there...and now. I glanced over at Bobby. His face said it all; he too was well aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Beautiful, hang in there. I'll personally sneak a couple of Pinos subs into your hospital room for you tonight once we get you back," Lester promised.

"Oh God, do I have to go back there?"

I knew she'd need care, especially with this on top of her already precarious state but I wasn't going to upset her more by mentioning it. And I was going to stay in the room with her tonight, even if it reeked of meatballs and sauce.

"Babe, just stay with me in the present. We may need you to help yourself out of there."

"I'm good Carlos," she said. I knew she wasn't.

My phone, Bobby's phone and Les' all buzzed at the same time. Bobby's was in his hand so he answered first. It was Sybo, who had been standing guard outside with Jace when we arrived.

"Looks like we have visitors," Sy said on speaker. Hector nodded to me upon hearing that, then he took off. I guessed to go back outside to survey the situation.

"Chongos?" Bobby asked.

"Think so. There's four of them walking towards me and Manny and two in a second car."

"Hec's on his way out," Bobby said.

"Ok. They haven't spotted Jace, Raphael or Sotolongo yet so we may have an advantage there. Stay put, one of us will call you."

I could hear ambient noise so I knew he'd put his phone back in his pocket without turning it off. Good. We'd hear first hand just what was going on.

Hector's POV

This was a warehouse so there had to be another way out. Instead of heading in the direction I came from, I turned around and sat down, taking note of the trip lines and lasers around me. I pulled my phone from my pocket and accessed one of the earth observation satellites that hover above the earth's surface. Using my cell's coordinates I easily pulled up the abandoned warehouse we were in. I zoomed in and started poking around. Although it was dark outside the lights from the SUV's were enough for me to see the front of the building. Shit. I needed to see the back. This wasn't going to help unless I could get someone outside to shine a maglight where I needed it. Instead I reverted to Google maps and hoped they'd surveyed this part of Philly. Fortunately they did. I found what I was looking for and zoomed in. I used the street mode to check out the back of the building from the street behind us. And viola, exactly what I was looking for: a loading dock in the back. The dock would be well off the street for easy packing and unpacking of semis and perfect for giving us higher ground.

I could see that the dock was located on the right of the building. We came in dead center so I needed to head right, past the room where Steph was being held. I started walking in that direction carefully avoiding lasers and trip lines. I noted right away that the trip lines were further and further apart and I hadn't seen a laser since leaving the main room. It looked like whoever set this up hadn't prepared very well for someone making it in from the opposite direction of the front door. Our men on the outside needed to know this.

I'd heard Sy report that he and Manny had been spotted so I took my chances and texted Jace.

"Where r u?"

"Rear of building. Rafe and I were checking out the back when they approached"

"Where is Lolo?"

"He left us to take a leak. I think he's back here 2"

"Stay where u r I'll text you right back"

I then texted Sotolongo and told him about the visitors.

"I heard the car and stayed back so they wouldn't see me. I think one of the guys is Peter Chong."

"He know u?"

"Maybe. We not friends."

"I was only asking if we could slip you past them if they thought you was one of us."

"Like Lester did with the cops. I get it. Hair in a bun, Rangeman jacket."

"Sí."

"You have a plan?"

"Not yet but meet me in the back in five. There's a loading dock."

"U gonna be able to get out?"

"There are less trip lines on this side of the building and no lasers. We should be able to get everyone out this way, including the bomb."

"I have my 9. I'll do what I can."

I texted Jace back and told him my plan. He and Rafe were already there.

"Don't touch the door until I check it out from this side. There are probably trip lines on it."

"I wasn't touching anything man. Just letting you know we're here."

Hal, Ramon and Reyes needed to know what was going on too. I'd hate for them to walk into a trap. I hoped Manny and Sy could keep the Chongos at bay for at least the next ten minutes. It was kind of all the time we had.

I then texted Hal, "May b a way out the back. There's a loading dock, less wires and no lasers. Chongos are here so lay low. I'll text u back in five."

I continued heading right through the open space in front of me. I wished it had been daylight out as some light might have pushed its way through the cracks around the door letting me know where it was. Unfortunately the only light I had was the beam from my cell and I was using that to scan for trips as I made my way towards the far right wall.