Chapter 20
RPOV
As my alarm went off I made sure I stopped it before it woke Steph up, hell sleeping next to her was taking its toll and bathing her, I don't know how I survived that without just taking her in my arms. But as I rinsed her and washed her hair I felt something else stir within me. It actually felt good, being there to care for her and after I'd panicked, when I saw tears in her eyes the strangest feeling came over me, one where I had a strong need to just hold her. I pushed those thoughts away, something to think about later.
It had been a long day today putting that report together and liaising with Hector so the opportunity to relax and watch a film was too good to miss. What the film was about I had no idea I was so enraptured with running my fingers through her hair and trailing my hand up and down the soft skin on her arm. When the film had ended, I knew she was tired and to be honest I still had work to do so left the apartment to go down to five. Tank had just been coming out of his office as I passed.
"You still working?"
"Yeah, I need to get that report sent and have enough copies for tomorrow"
"You sure about getting rid of Safenet?"
"Yes, I don't like it when they're selling compromised products and our name is the company securing it, there could be other things going down that we don't know about"
"I see where you're going, we'll find other clients"
"You okay with talking to Joules?"
"Oh yeah"
"See you in the morning Tank"
"Hey, how's Steph doing?"
"A lot better"
I'd left it that and had gone into my office so that I could prepare for the meeting, a meeting I was really looking forward to.
I pulled carefully away from Steph watching her as she slept, her hair surrounding her face as she turned, I was so tempted to sweep that unruly curl behind her ear but refrained, because I didn't want to wake her. I went to the gym for my daily workout and then up to my office to shower and change. At precisely 0900hrs a message came from reception that my visitors had arrived so collecting the files together I made my way downstairs.
"Gentlemen, we'll be meeting in the room through here"
They followed me through as I opened the door. I watched as they took a seat at the head of the table, if they thought they could intimidate me and run the meeting then they had a surprise coming.
"Mr Manoso, I'm Grant Dolby, I think you've met Clark here when you visited our place. I'll come straight to point Mr Manoso, we feel that the fire alarm that went off was all the fault of that stupid woman you brought with you"
So that was the game they were going to play, trying to lay the blame on Stephanie, what was it that they so disliked about her.
"Mr Dolby I assure you that Miss Plum had nothing to do with that alarm going off, but then maybe you already know that"
"What are you insinuating Mr Manoso?"
"Mr Dolby, Rangeman is withdrawing its services from Safenet"
"Oh, you mean your company's not up to it"
"On the contrary, I have a very strict policy of not working with anyone who is blatantly breaking the law"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"The carbon monoxide detectors that you manufacture and sell"
"Rubbish, you've no proof"
"As it happens, we have, this report is with the TCT and Joules one of your main buyers"
He picked up the file that I put in front of him and started to flick through the pages.
"How did you get these photos?"
"Mr Doyle, how is irrelevant, we've also tested some of those detectors and they have a high failure rate"
He stood up so suddenly the chair he'd been sat in fell back onto the floor.
"This meeting is over Mr Manoso, I hope you know exactly who you're dealing with seeing as you already seem to have chosen sides"
I watched as the pair of them walked out of the room, Cal was stood by the door, so I had to laugh at the look on Lobin's face as he showed them out of the door. I was surprised at how Dolby had reacted, and did he just threaten my company and me? He wouldn't intimidate me or whoever else I was working with. It did though give me pause to think and ask myself just how safe Steph was because for some reason she was in his sights. When I went back upstairs, I saw that Steph was in her workroom, yeah that's what I'd started to think of it as. She was sat with Santos looking through a file, she had a sad look about her, but as I stood at the entrance to the room, she looked up at me and smiled. She'd sensed that I was here and that warmed my heart as it was something that she seemed to have lost when all of this started with me losing my temper with her.
"Are you okay being down here?"
"Yeah, Les said he'd done a search on Buckley's parent's, so I know who the lawyer is and where they were buried"
"Where is it?"
"Asbury Methodist, a small church just north of Asbury"
"Let Ram contact the lawyer and you can talk to the vicar there"
"Okay, how did your meeting go, it didn't seem to last long?"
"Let's just say they won't be recommending us to anyone"
"Santos make sure she doesn't overdo it and gets some rest"
I left them to what they were doing and went through to my office, the file we'd picked up from the bonds office was there, so I picked it up to look through it. Hell, Vinnie was getting worse, there was no way this man should have been bonded out and why Vinnie took them just showed how greedy he was. I wouldn't be happy if Steph went after this man on her own and definitely not with Lula as her partner. The man was called Shamus Goody and was 45 years old. He'd been married and divorced, fortunately it seemed, the wife saw the light and left him before he became violent. He was a predator of young women who had managed to evade being caught by threatening the women he assaulted. Until one was strong enough to stand against him.
I messaged Santos to come see me when Steph had left and then focused on reports that had come in over the past few days. An hour later he sauntered in and sat down in the chair opposite me.
"Ram spoke with the lawyer, Buckley didn't have a will so I'm not sure what will happen to his estate, he did say to send the cost for the funeral to him and he'd pay from the estate"
"Has Steph spoken with the church?"
"Yeah we're all set for two days' time, 1100hrs"
"Santos I don't think Steph is safe yet"
"You think someone's still after her?"
"Dolby from Safenet was quick to try and blame her for the alarm going off"
"I'll sort out which men are with us, I presume you'll be going?"
"Yes, it might be interesting to see who turns up"
"Steph's put a small statement in the local paper"
"Okay. The reason I asked you here is this"
I handed the file to Santos and waited until he'd read through the main points.
"Nasty SOB"
"Yeah, he's one of Stephs"
"You're joking, hell Vinnie needs shooting for taking this on"
"Will you work with Steph on this, get her to do the research on him and maybe come up with a plan, but make sure there are men there as backup to take him down"
"You think she'll go with that?"
"If you're the one working with her and not that dam Lula woman"
"Ah, I see now, you think if you tried to talk her into something that involved some help, she'd get stroppy with you and just do it on her own"
"Something like that, I made a comment about it and I think I hit a nerve"
"No problem, it'll give her something to do until she's properly healed. We'll look for a time after this funeral"
I nodded my head as he left the office and got back to the reports in front of me, I'd almost finished with the first stack when the phone on my desk began to ring, dam, not many people knew the number to this direct line.
"Major"
"Colonel"
"0600hrs"
That's all that was said, all that was needed for me to know I had to be in Washington and that I would likely be leaving the country on a government job. For the first time ever the thought of leaving incited a wave of anger from me, my fists hitting the table. I didn't know what to think of my outburst but knew I had no option but to go, so with that thought I left my office and headed down to Tank's office. As I entered, he must have seen the anger radiating from me because he immediately shut down the lid of his laptop.
"What the hell's with you?"
"I got a call"
"Washington?"
"Yeah"
"I thought you liked all that shit, chasing the bad guys?"
"I do, but not right now"
"Any chance on refusing?"
I just looked at Tank, he knew that wasn't an option, hell he'd been in my shoes before but then he'd made the decision to stop, saying there were younger men who could do the job just as well and he wanted to get out before he was seriously injured or worse. To be honest maybe he had a point.
"What time do you need to leave?"
"Midnight"
"I'll take you to the airport, just let me know when you're back"
"Tank look after Steph for me"
"I always do, or at least try to. She staying here?"
"I'll try to talk her into that"
"Do you think she's still in danger?"
"I think so, I think there's something going on that we haven't even scraped the top off yet"
"The meeting with Safenet?"
"Veiled threats, what about yours?"
"Very appreciative and will dissolve all contracts with Safenet. They're destroying what they have and will source from a different company"
"Good, is there anything important that needs doing?"
"Nah, I got it, you go get ready and get some down time"
"Thanks Tank, I'll meet you in the garage at 2400hrs"
After tidying the desk in my office, I locked it up and headed for seven, it was almost time for dinner so I knew Steph would be up there. The apartment was quiet when I went in, so I walked through to the bedroom taking in the sight of Steph asleep. I sat in the chair and just watched her, feeling my anger beginning to dissipate. How just watching her had that effect on me I had no idea, but it was something I took advantage of. For some reason before I left on a mission, I would always seek her out and often as I battled to regain control after the mission or a really bad time, I would watch her sleep. She didn't know about those times and I wasn't sure if I would tell her. It seemed such a stupid weakness but one I had come to rely on, maybe something to think about in the future. For now, though, I didn't just want to watch her, I needed to hold her close to me.
Slipping off my shoes I slipped carefully into the bed beside her, pleased as she moved into me even though she was asleep. I didn't want her to sleep for long, too much to do and probably say, we both needed to eat so I gently caressed her cheek and as her eyelids fluttered and those deep blue eyes opened, I smiled at her. Shit why the hell was I smiling, I shouldn't feel so content when I knew I had to be leaving soon.
"Babe, time to eat"
"What time is it?"
"Nearly seven"
Yeah, I knew I had to give her the time so she would understand.
"I didn't think I'd sleep so long"
"You've had a busy day, you get done what you needed to do?"
"Yeah, it's all organized"
I got up from the bed and went through to the kitchen, Ella had already left us something to eat so I set the things on the table and brought the food through to the dining area. Steph came out stretching her arms above her head and then wincing.
"Have you seen Bobby today?"
"Yeah, he caught up with me downstairs and came up here with me before I went to sleep"
"What did he say?"
"My chest is clear, though I may cough occasionally, and he said the shoulder was doing well, just to wear the sling if my shoulder ached"
"Good, come on, sit down before the food gets cold"
I served out the chicken and noodle dish, pleased as I saw the way Ella had mixed in the vegetables with it, one way or another Ella would always provide a healthy meal and that meant Steph would be eating healthier as well. In fact I couldn't remember the last time she'd complained at the lack of doughnuts or tasty cakes in her diet.
"This is amazing, who would know veg could taste this good"
"It's Ella's own recipe for Thai green chicken"
I watched and listened as she ate, hell the sounds she made had me almost losing control and then I remembered that I was leaving tonight, and I had to tell Steph that. Once tidied away I followed her into the lounge, but instead of sitting down next to her I squatted down in front of her, taking her hands in mine.
"What's wrong Ranger"
She looked nervous so must have recognized that I had something important to tell her.
"I have to leave tonight Babe"
"One of the other offices?"
"No, out of town, probably out of the country"
"You're going in the wind?"
I loved that expression she used, somehow it made a mission less threatening though I knew in my heart that threatening would be what it was.
"Yes, I don't how long I'll be away"
She looked down at our hands as I held them, hell she looked so lost and suddenly so sad, did she really miss me that much? And that was another one of the reasons I wouldn't, couldn't do a relationship. Being away for months at a time, not knowing when I'd be back or even if I'd be back. It was too much to ask of anyone and another worry to take with me. I couldn't afford to let my focus falter because of worry for someone back home.
"Babe I really need for you to stay here. Will you please do that for me?"
"But you could be gone for months"
"I know, but if I know you're safe then I can get the job done that much better and safer"
"Okay, while there's the possibility of me being in danger I'll stay here"
"Thank you"
I had listened to how she had phrased her response, knowing that when I came back home, she may well have moved back to her apartment. For now though' I'd have to be satisfied that at least she was safe here at Rangeman and that Tank and Santos would keep an aye on her.
"I can leave the building, can't I?"
"Yes, I think Santos has appointed himself to be with you"
"I need to get that file that Connie gave me"
"I handed it over to Santos so he could help, that FTA is a dangerous man Babe, Vinnie should never have taken him on"
"Yeah well that's what's happening, the skips are getting worse and the bonds are getting lower"
I knew she would worry about paying her rent and somehow I would try to make sure she had enough money for her bills. Maybe if Santos could get her to agree to work more hours here that would help her out. The problem was she hated the idea that I was providing her with work just because of that, the fact that she was dam good at doing searches didn't seem to compute with her image of herself.
"He'll work with you, maybe any skips that come in you do the research and plan out where they might be and then Santos can do the heavy work. In fact, that might be a good idea for those we have as well, you're much better and quicker than the men are"
Yeah, it may have been an on the cuff idea, but it was actually a good idea, maybe something we could look at more permanently.
"What about Lula?"
"What about her?"
"She'll expect to come"
"She gonna pay your rent when there aren't any skips?"
"No, I suppose you're right, she still gets a wage from Vinnie"
"I'll ask Santos to get Connie to email you the files, that way you won't even have to go into the office"
She didn't look too keen on that idea and I suppose thinking through what I'd said it would impact on who she saw and spoke with. She had friends around Trenton but not many were close to her, in some ways with the job she did she was a bit of a loner.
"What time do you need to leave?"
"Midnight, Tank's taking me to the airport"
I left her there while I went through to the bedroom and took out my ready bag to check through and then brought out the camouflage cargos and T-shirt I would wear, putting them into the hallway closet to change into later. Once organized I went and sat with Steph on the couch, pulling her close to me and once again relishing the feel of having her so close.
I'd laid with Steph while she fell asleep, she hadn't said much after I'd told her I was leaving and to be honest I didn't know what to say either. At 23.30 I'd showered and changed ready to go and then spent five minutes stood in the doorway watching her. A feeling that was so alien came over me. I didn't want to leave, and I couldn't come up with a reason why, something to think about later.
The ride to the airport was made in silence, Tank understood my need to center myself in preparation, but I was finding that very difficult to do. There were no goodbyes said, Tank turned the car around and left me stood by the plane that would take me to Washington. At least it was an army plane I was hitching a ride with so I wouldn't be concerned about people being around. What I wasn't expecting was to hear my name being called out as I entered into the hold.
"Ranger Manoso, don't tell me I'm stuck with you"
Looking down the plane I recognized an old friend.
"You with me Ash?"
"Looks like it"
"Where've you flown in from"
"I was up in Boston"
"You still doing contract work?"
"Nah, hated the man who ran that outfit"
Ash was probably a little younger than me with bright blonde hair, cut short and spiked with gel on his head. He was shorter than me and probably weighed less than me, but his looks were definitely deceiving. He was good looking with a tanned skin and pale brown eyes giving the appearance of being a bit of a beach bum, but I knew his skills. He was a good shot, evil with a knife and down right dirty at fighting. His size gave him the advantage of being quick and agile when an enemy mistook exactly what he was capable of.
"You know anything?"
"Nothing, just to be there this morning"
"So how's life treating you otherwise?"
"Good, the business is going well, growing actually and there's always something to do"
"You mean keeping up with that bounty hunter?"
"She keeps things interesting"
Thinking of Steph, I actually missed her and in my mind, I could picture her face as she lay asleep before I had left. A thought crossed through my mind, I missed her already, now where the hell had that come from.
