Chapter 19

As we entered the building where the apartments for the girls were, that's when the two men realized that something was wrong. Several men stepped into view holding guns, but I was actually relieved because they were wearing black bullet proof vests with FBI emblazoned on them. It seemed we were surrounded with no way out.
"Let her go and put down the weapons"
I was spun around quickly so that the man's arm was now around my neck and I heard that distinctive sound of a safety catch being released from a gun next to my head.

"No way. We walk out of here or the chick gets a bullet in the head"
I instinctively raised my hands to hold onto the arm around my neck and then turned slightly to look at the gun he was holding. I couldn't see a way out of this. If the FBI did as they said I couldn't see me being released. My assumption was that we were at a stalemate, though being stood here my panic was beginning to subside, and in its place grew anger. I was still looking at the gun being held next to my head and tried to think what Ranger would do. The problem was I had no idea what he would do because I didn't think he'd let himself get into this position.

I suddenly realized I'd seen that type of gun before, hell, Ram had tried his best to get me to use it once down in the range at Rangeman. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember how it worked, wishing I'd paid more attention at the time. Then I remembered why Ram had said he liked it. Apparently, it was easy to reload quickly because of the release button on the side that shot the old magazine out.
"There's no way you'll get away with that. You need to let her go"
Opening my eyes, I looked straight at the man who had spoken hoping he was the one in charge. I didn't feel very confident about what I was thinking of doing, but what choice did I have.
"It's over"

As I stared at him, he looked back at me and I moved my eyes to look at the gun several times, praying that he might understand that I was trying to communicate what I was about to try and do. I took in a very deep breath, that maybe steadied my nerves and tried to prepare myself for what I knew I had to do.

As the FBI agent raised his gun and pointed it toward us, I quickly raised my left hand and grasped at the gun pressing the release button. Once done I went limp hoping to fall to the floor safely. As I fell to the floor, I heard several shots ring out, the sounds echoing around the lobby and yes, I did hit the floor but so did the heavy man that landed on top of me.

I think something must have hit my head, maybe the floor, because I had no idea what had happened. As I opened my eyes there was a man carrying me, someone I didn't know which caused me to panic.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm just carrying you out of the building"
"Why? I can walk"
"You got hit on the head, so I think maybe we need to get it checked out"

I tried to see where we were going and was relieved that I was being taken to a large black SUV. No way was I going to let anyone take me to a hospital.
"I'm Daniel, you spoke with me on the phone"
I felt relieved at hearing who this man was and was suddenly thinking about the reason he'd been here.
"Did you get the girls out?"
"Yes, they're being looked after"
"Did you find the evidence?"
"Exactly where you said it would be"
"Good"
I was surprised that after he gently placed me in the back of the car that he got in with me. That had me a bit worried as to where we were going.
"Where are we going?"
"Hotel"
"I, I can't go back there"
"Where?"
"The hotel, please don't take me back there"

The idea of having to face Jack was scaring me, well more than that really. I couldn't have him anywhere near me, he'd do something again, he'd try to hurt me again. I felt hands on either side of my face, holding me firmly. "Stephanie, breathe, look at me. Slow and steady, good girl"
I slowed my breathing down but it didn't really help, as soon as he released my face, I think I went into a hyper panic mode. I was breathing so fast I couldn't get air into my lungs and black spots started dancing in front of my eyes .
As I came to my senses, I was leaning against Daniel and he had arms around me supporting me. From where my head was against his chest I could see out through the window of the car. I was relieved that I didn't recognize where we were, though I wasn't getting my hopes up that we weren't just arriving from a different direction. When the car finally stopped it was in front of a building that I hadn't seen before. Relief washed through me as Daniel opened the door and helped me out of the car. I felt so much better knowing that we were at a different place and was eager to show Daniel that my breakdown had just been temporary.

He walked me through the entrance and into the lobby where a receptionist greeted us.
"Mr Ford, the key card to the suite you booked. Will you be needing a second card?"
I didn't hear Daniel's response because it dawned on me now how Jack had got into my room, he had a second key card for it. Whilst we took the elevator, I noticed that we only travelled to the first floor and it wasn't too far before we reached a door. Daniel inserted the card into the panel and as he opened the door, he handed me the card.
"Are you feeling alright now?"
"Yes, thank you. I just need to sleep"
"No headache, or anything?"
"No. I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble"
"You didn't Steph, though I was a bit worried about you in the car over here"
"I don't cope with adrenaline crashes very well"
"I have to get back to the office and sort through all the evidence, will you be okay here on your own?"
"I'll be fine, thanks"
"You have my number so call if you need anything"
"I will"

As Daniel left the room, I closed and locked the door behind him, him mentioning evidence made me realize I still had those discs in my bag. My conscience wouldn't allow me not to try and get them to Jack. After all the client had paid Sarah so I needed to keep my side of the bargain. Taking my bag with me and holding the key card in my hand I went back down to the reception area. As I approached the desk a young man looked up at me.
"How can I help Ma'am?"
"Would it possible to have a package delivered to a gentleman at another hotel?"
"Certainly Ma'am, do you have the package?"
"Well, not really. I need something to do that with"
"I have just the thing"

I watched as he turned and opened a large filing cabinet and placed a large padded envelope and some tape in front of me. I placed the discs inside and folded the envelope over and securely taped it to make it secure. I would need to add Jack's name and the hotel where we'd been staying. Looking up I noticed the young man smiling at me as he pointed to a label and a pen. I wrote Jack Richards with the name of the hotel, then removing the backing stuck the label to the package and gave it to the young man.
"It will be delivered within two hours Ma'am by our courier service. Do you require receipt of delivery?"

I had to think about that question. On the one hand it would be reassuring to know the package had been delivered and that Jack had it, on the other hand would he then know where I was? I didn't want him to be able to find me, so I shook my head, I'm sure these people were reliable.
"Is there anything else you need Ma'am?"
"No, no thank you"
I was eager to get back to my room, as though by locking the door I could keep everyone away from me. Once inside the room I actually started to take notice of where I was. I was in a lounge area that held a comfy looking couch that faced a large wall mounted TV. There were two windows that had pale sheer drapes pulled across them. A counter-top held a coffee making machine and what looked like complimentary sachets. Above it were a couple of white cabinets which when I investigated held crockery and underneath was a fully stocked fridge and a built-in microwave. I turned back to look at the room and admired the dark glass topped table with two chairs sat underneath it.

It was certainly a very nice place, which made me wonder who the hell was paying for this or if I'd be presented with the bill when I left. Going back to the door I checked that it was locked and slipped on the chain. To be honest neither of those made me feel safe enough so going to cupboard I collected together mugs and glasses and placed them on the floor behind the door. My idea was that if anyone managed to open the door at least they might make enough noise to wake me up.

A door led into a bedroom that held a large bed against the wall. There was a closet with sliding doors, empty of course, and a chair in the corner of the room. The colors were a pale gold, similar to the lounge but in here the windows had thick drapes that I immediately closed. I slipped the two knives that I'd found in the kitchen under a pillow and went into the bathroom. I looked longingly at the shower but couldn't bring myself to get undressed. I had no sleep wear, but to be honest I felt safer staying dressed. It was as though my jeans, top and shirt gave me the extra layer of protection that I wanted. I used the complimentary toothbrush and paste, washed my hands and face and decided that would be enough.

I felt so nervous in the quietness of the room, I even rechecked the main door again before locking the bedroom door. As I settled into the bed, I wrapped a hand around one the knives that rested underneath my pillow. I was laid on my side with my knees pulled up to my chest when the pain of what had happened surged through me. I was hurting now from Jack's attack. My inner thighs were aching, and my breast was sore. As I lay there, I could see bruises forming on my wrists. A sob wracked through my body that I just couldn't control but all I could think of was that I had let myself down, let Ranger and all the people who believed in me down.

I know I was crying as I fell asleep and I think I was crying as I slept, but I hadn't expected the dreams to come. I thought with me being so tired, not having slept for 36 hours, I would just fall into a deep sleep. But he came to me while I slept, lay on top of me again and hurt me. I tried so hard to get him away from me, just like I'd done before. Even him falling to the floor didn't allay the fear running through me because as I looked at him, fallen on the floor, he turned his head and looked at me.
"I won't lose you again. You belong to me now"

I couldn't move, not even to scream, it was as though I couldn't breathe and then suddenly my yes shot open to be looking across the bedroom. My breathing was coming quickly and I could feel my heart hammering against my chest. Had something woken me, had there been a noise? I strained to listen for anything around me. There was nothing and as I lay there, I was surprised that I began to feel calmer and my eyelids became heavy until I had no knowledge of what was around me.

Did I dream again, I think I did, but nothing as horrific as I had done before. I must have moved though because I was laid on my stomach and I no longer had the knife in my hand. I was facing the other way now, away from the door and toward the chair sat in the corner of the room. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I just knew there was somebody there. As I started to push up from the bed the silhouette stood and came toward me, I scrabbled for a knife, either one would do, and pulled myself up against the head of the bed. My hand was shaking, and tears were making my vision blurry, but my breath caught as I recognized who was here in my bedroom.

As he sat on the bed in front of me his hand reached out to mine, the one that was holding the knife. I felt him gently release my fingers from the grip I had on the handle and as he threw the knife on the floor his arms came around me.
"I didn't know today upset you so much or I would have been here sooner"
I was so glad he was here and so relieved that he hadn't arrived earlier when I was in the middle of that nightmare. He obviously thought that the events that happened this morning were why I was so upset.
"Babe, you're shaking, are you feeling okay?"
"Fine. It's just been a long day, that's all"
"Why are you still dressed?"
Shit, I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't bear for him to know the truth, to see him look at me with sympathy or disgust or worse still with frustration because I couldn't keep myself safe.
"I was too tired to change; besides, I didn't have anything to sleep in"
"I brought some of your things with me, go shower and then we can get something to eat"

As he moved away from me I knew I'd do as he asked, I actually wanted to shower and change my clothes, hell, I'd been wearing the same clothes for two days now. As I walked into the bathroom, he lifted a bag from the floor and put it on the bed. I went into the bathroom and turned on the water to heat up as I started to undress. I unfastened my jeans first and pushed them down my legs slowing down as the black and blue bruises started to appear. I quickly removed the rest of my clothes, if I didn't look at it then maybe I could forget what had caused it. As I lathered up a sponge I noticed as I ran it over my breast it was tender, again bruising that Jack had inflicted on me. If Ranger hadn't been here, I would have sunk to the floor and stayed there forever. I knew I had to move before Ranger came to find me, so quickly finished rinsing the conditioner from my hair. I swore to myself when I realized I'd come in without any clean clothes, so wrapped a towel around me and returned to the bedroom.

I came to halt when I saw Ranger sat on the edge of the bed. He looked up at me, but I had no idea what he was thinking. "Forgot the clothes to change into"
As I reached for the bag, he caught hold of my wrist but continued to look at me.
"What's wrong?"
"Babe, I want you to tell me, talk to me"
I forced a smile onto my face as I tried to come up with what would sound like a good explanation.
"When that man pointed the gun at me, it kind of spooked me"
"Babe, I know that isn't it. Hell, it took me ages to get into here last night, trying not to break all the things you'd left by the door"

"I was on my own, I was nervous"
"Babe, I heard you screaming and calling out in your sleep. By the time I got to you you'd calmed down, so I stayed and watched you sleep"
Oh God, what did I say, how did I talk my way out of this?
"The truth Babe, I won't be annoyed with you"
"I can't"
He turned my wrist over and looked at the marks, then looked down to the bottom of the towel. I followed his gaze and realized the towel had separated slightly and there was the bruise that I hated seeing. I quickly pulled the towel more tightly around myself, but he'd seen it and I knew he would want the truth from me. I lost the energy to fight anymore and as the tears formed in my eyes I looked down at my feet, those words from that damn quote of Abe Lincoln coming to my mind.

"I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down."

I felt his arms come around me, making me feel so safe, but I knew it was only temporary, he'd comfort me and make me feel better and then he'd distance himself because he couldn't have me getting too close to him. I suppose he truly was my best friend and I'd have to accept him as that in my life, but I didn't want him to think any less of me.
"When you're ready to tell me I'll be there, okay. Get dressed while I take a shower"
I was so relieved that he understood me so well, that he knew that I couldn't talk about what Jack had done. As I looked through the bag, I hoped that it had been Ella who had packed it because I pulled out a beautiful bra and matching panties. I found a denim skirt that fell just above my knees and a pale blue, long sleeved blouse that came in at the waist. It was made of a material that felt like silk. My hair was piled up on my head, but I didn't want to wear any makeup. Leaving the bedroom, I was surprised that there was nothing on the floor by the door, Ranger must have picked everything up and put them away.

I was about to sit on the couch when I heard a knock on the door. I went still and just stared at it, all kinds of thoughts racing through my mind. What if Jack had found me and it was him at the door? I jumped at a second louder knock and saw Ranger come from the bedroom and open it. He spoke quietly to whoever was there, placed a bag on the floor and then closing the door turned and came to where I was standing. As he approached, he handed me a white envelope that had my name written on the front.

"Are you going to open it?"
I knew I was just looking at the envelope, as though it might bite me, and looked up to see Ranger intensely watching me. "Sorry, I was trying to work out who knew I was here"
I sat on the couch with my legs tucked up underneath me and carefully peeled back the flap to reveal a sheet of paper. I unfolded the paper and looked straight to the bottom of the writing, eager to know who had sent it. It was signed Jack Richards, somehow, he'd found out where I was. At least he'd kept his distance from me, but then if he knew that Ranger was here, he wouldn't want to make an appearance. My eyes returned to the top of the page and I began to slowly read, dreading what he might have to say.

"Dear Stephanie. I received the recordings and our business with the client is complete. Thank you for the work you did in enabling the transaction to take place. I'm not sure why you left the hotel and haven't been in contact with me, I can only assume I made a fool of myself after we'd finished dinner. That night was the first time in years I'd allowed myself to drink because as I'm sure you're aware, I can't handle it. If I upset you, then I am deeply sorry. I cannot remember anything after leaving the dining room until I woke up in my own suite.
 I heard that the building where Sarah lived in was raided by the FBI and assume that you were responsible for that. You know how we operate, and we do it like that for a reason. I will not deviate from our core aim, which is to complete the work for the client and not become involved in the nuances that surround it. You are an exceptional woman, Stephanie, but for our purposes I feel that you become too involved with trying to put right the wrongs that you come across.
So with a heavy heart I am informing you that I will no longer be requiring your services. Luke will return your possessions to Trenton. Please destroy the cards and phone that you have as they are no longer valid.
Stay safe Jack Richards"

I read the letter again just to be sure I understood what it was saying and then walked through to the bathroom. I wasn't sure if I was glad that Jack had no memory of what he'd done to me or not. Maybe it was a good thing because now there was only me who had that memory. As for working with him, I felt equal measures of relief and anguish. Relief that I would never have to see him again mixed with the anguish of now not having a job. I tore the letter into small pieces and dropped them in the toilet hoping that as I flushed them away it would also flush away the feelings the memories carried with them. I splashed my face with cold water and then returned to the lounge to find Ranger sat where I had been on the couch.

"Everything okay?"
"It was from Jack. He doesn't like that I got the FBI involved"
I watched as he stood up and came to stand in front of me, his hands gently resting on my shoulders.
"Why would that upset him?"
"His ethos is to complete the job for the client and not to pursue any illegal activities or try to capture the person who is responsible"
"So, he lets a blackmailer or kidnapper go?"
"Yes. He doesn't want me working for him anymore"
"Then he's a fool with an unhealthy morality"
"Yeah, I can't do what he expects of me"
"I know. What will you do now?"
"I have no idea. I have no job and nowhere to live"
He lent forward and kissed my forehead before his final sentence left me in a daze.
"Not true. You and I are working together, don't you remember?"

As I looked at him, I could almost see his lips quirk up as if to smile. I racked my brains trying to remember what he meant and then it came to me.
"Jinski?"
"Yes, and you will always have a place to live at Rangeman"
As he turned me, and we headed for the door I mulled that over in my head. Yes, I'd agreed to work on discovering who else might have been working with Jinski, at least find out who had murdered him and blown up the cars. That didn't worry me as much as Ranger's comment about my living arrangements. I knew I'd stayed with Ranger before, but that was when I needed somewhere that was safe. When the danger was over, I'd returned to my own apartment.

I didn't think that Ranger would want me using his apartment on seven for any length of time, that wouldn't do my feelings for him any good. He'd get tired of having me there and when he eventually decided that it was a situation that he really didn't want, then I'd be back in the position of needing a place of my own. Plus, living with Ranger would be dangerous for my heart, his words came back to me that he didn't do relationships and all the other crap excuses that came with it. Maybe there would be an open apartment on four, at least until I could find somewhere to call my own, somewhere I knew I could escape to.