Gone Girl
Chapter 56 Finding the TruthA/N I don't know how I do it, but the chapters keep coming and they get longer and longer. but I'm getting more ideas instead of getting to the end, so just bear with me. Basically, there's a week and a half left of the story but who knows how long it will turn out to be once written out.
LOL…I write my author notes when I write the chapters. Now I can tell you that there are going to be 15 -16 more chapters and many of them are above average long (20 or more pages in Word). This chapter is 8000 words/23 pages in Word. LOL = ) Enjoy.
Chapter Fifty-six
Wednesday April 16, 2014 - Day 155
Ranger POV
He quickly climbed the steps to seven and found Stephanie leaning over Julie's shoulder while she sat on the couch, laptop open, working on what was no doubt homework. He was not quiet coming into the apartment, but they looked so engrossed in what they were doing he wasn't sure if they heard him come in. As he walked up behind her, he called out. "Babe"
She turned and gave him a radiant smile that made his heart expand. Dios, if he had lost her today. All the time he waisted waiting for his contract to be over and now to know that he could have her, tonight and tomorrow or at least as long as he could keep her alive. Dios, he couldn't think like that. She is the luckiest woman he knew, and she has been getting out of scrapes by the skin of her teeth for as long as he'd known her.
He took her into his arms, and she plastered her soft willing body into his hard one as he breathed in her luscious scent. Citrus and Stephanie. He exhaled into her hair and held her close. If anyone was watching they might even notice that he was practically clinging on to her.
He accepted his own death a long time ago knowing that God would keep him here doing God's will – and he considered killing bad people and returning them to their maker – to be his will. When the grace of that God failed as he'd inevitably thought it would on some mission or another, he knew that his considerable earthly possessions would take care of Julie and Stephanie and leave something left over for his family.
But not her leaving him. He couldn't accept that they had finally come this far and proven themselves to each other only to lose now. Maybe in thirty or forty years when they were old and gray, but he could not imagine losing her now. Dios mio the woman killed for him. Put herself in the path of a madman to get him free.
It didn't seem possible but his heart, the space in his chest that held all he felt for her continued to expand and he wondered, not for the first time, how he'd lived holding her at arm's length for so long. Sending her back to the cop. Trying to keep her from getting so attached to him that she wouldn't be devastated when he met his inevitable end.
Now the fourth quarter was over. The game of playing world savior for the government was done. They were starting a new game. A totally undefined game of making a life together with Julie and this game he wanted to last as long as he could make it. He believed in God, but he believed in his own skills that God gave him and that he had honed to razor sharp perfection.
He had to believe if the almighty kept him safe through everything he'd seen and done there was a reason. He had to believe and even say a prayer that the same entity would keep Stephanie alive for a while longer. As a gift for him. A reward for doing all the things he had done. A healing balm for his dark, dark soul and now that he had let her in, she was the other half of his heart – without which he no longer felt whole.
His phone beeped that they had package number two in custody and they were headed back to Haywood.
'Let me know when pkg is secured downstairs.' He texted back.
Thirty minutes later his phone beeped again.
'Pkg 2 secured. Hector is impatiently waiting at the door with his switchblade.'
Oh shit, if Hector is not in control there will be nothing left to turn over to the police. He gave Stephanie a quick peck on her lips and told Julie to go to bed at 9 then he was running out the door.
As he was going down the stairs his phone rang. He grabbed it out of his pocket. It was a call from a blocked number; he thought for a second about letting it go to voicemail but with all the shit that's been happening lately it probably was something important.
"Yes?" He forwent his standard greeting because somehow; he knew this caller wanted something from him.
A disembodied voice said, "You owe me."
He knew that voice and could only wonder why he was calling.
"How do you figure that?" He owed him more than he could ever pay back but the truth is that he did it to pay off the bullet and knife that Ranger owed him. He did it to save his own skin.
"I've kept your woman and your daughter alive for the last five months and I'm the one that prepared Stephanie to take down Ivan and gave her the drugs and gun to do it with." Shit he had a point. He knew he had a point, but he was not going to roll over for Anton that easily.
"I'll tell you what I owe you. A bullet to the leg and a knife in the back." He was already turning out of the stairwell and headed to his office where he could have this conversation without prying eyes and ears that he knew are all over this building.
"Peace brother, I'm calling to let you know that we are past being even. After Russia and all I've done these past five months you owe me." He slipped into his office but didn't refrain from slamming the door so hard it reverberated down the hall just in case anyone saw him and thought they needed him for something. That slam let everyone on five know that he wasn't to be disturbed or there would be a stiff penalty, one nobody wanted to pay.
"I paid for your whole hotel stay at the Peninsula and all the damages. What the hell else do I owe you?" He snarled, really wanting the chance to hit him again.
"Five months ago, I was on the island taking a break and got offered an easy job. I was offered $650,000 for one night's worth of work; two hits: an armed and possibly dangerous woman and her girl. So, I got the address and while I was watching them, I followed the woman out to a seedy bar. She looked familiar and was asking around about passports. I knew I could help her and made sure the bartender gave her my number. When she left, I followed her back to their apartment. I could see the two of them walking around upstairs. I put a silencer on my gun and waited for an hour after the apartment went dark and broke in." This fucking bastard thinks he's going to give him a pass just because he didn't follow through on the hits to kill Stephanie and Julie.
"I saw Julie sleeping there and she looks so much like you I had no doubts who they were. I said to myself this could be easy money and an early death – because the minute you got back and found out that I killed your woman and kid – I knew you would hunt me to the ends of the earth and make me regret ever laying eyes on them or maybe, just maybe, if I played my cards right it could be my salvation and redemption."
"How do you figure that?" Ranger's voice was hostile and menacing. Damn he knew he owed Anton. Now he was going to find out how much.
"Once they made the news and the police and FBI were looking for them, your enemies were coming out of the woodworks to find them. A postal worker who is also a snitch, ratted out their location and in two days they had half a dozen killers gunning for them. Everyone was hesitant, they didn't know how well trained she was, but she had already been spotted with a gun, so they knew she was armed. That's when I got the call to neutralize them."
"And what do you want now? A reward? A slap on the back? A bullet through your brain?" He growled; he couldn't help himself. The more Anton talked the angrier he was getting. Anything could have happened to them while he was away. He had always expected them to stay put in Trenton and Miami where he had branches of men who looked after them. Branches of men that his enemies knew would be after them if they even turned a toe in Julie's or Stephanie's direction. He never put any stipulations in place for an internal threat like Ron or for them to leave their bubbles of protection and take off into parts unknown.
He had no doubts that Anton didn't kill them because he knew that he would hunt him down, but he took it a step further. Protecting them, teaching them, making them ID's to travel internationally with. He was there the night they got firebombed but he was ready and put the fire out.
'You have to know that when they all realized that I had turned on the men who hired me, and was protecting Stephanie and Julie instead of fulfilling the contract they'd tried to come after me. They blew up my jeep and added me to the contract to be killed with them. But the minute they did that, no one would take the contract." He knew Anton had been protecting them, but he never knew how far it went.
Anton took a breath like he was debating what to say next. Ranger just wanted him in front of him so he could smash his head into the wall.
"I had several offers," Anton continued, "to step away and let other's do the job. They offered to pay me well, but I stayed with them and started training them. I made them new papers and eventually got them off the island. I helped Stephanie and Julie do away with the most persistent of the bunch to send the message that they could protect themselves and that they were dangerous. It deterred most everyone else. They only had a few more problems over the last four months because I helped them hide well and taught them to protect themselves," Anton finished.
"I'll give you a God damn round of applause. You did all that so I wouldn't kill you but then you tried to keep her from me and that wiped out any goodwill I owed you." I growled.
"You're right. I just can't help being an asshole to you. Something about that pretty face of yours and everyone bending to your will. I swear to God; I've never seen anyone who always gets everyone to do what he wants. Even in the Army they always let you plan your missions your own way. Every time we get in a fight; I try to smash that pretty face in or break you in some way but you're still just as strong and as pretty as ever." Anton chuckled.
"So why the fuck are you calling?" He didn't call me except to harass me so there must be something he wants.
"This is a curtesy call to tell you straight up that you owe me one and someday I'm going to call you to collect." Anton snidely commented.
"What the hell do you think I owe you?" He spat at him. He knew Anton had money, he had a reputation but just the ability to throw the name Ranger around and claim he owed him a favor would give him a layer of protection in seedy circles and clout that Anton had never had.
"Well your life and five of your men's lives." He sounded like he was smiling.
"Fuck you Anton. We already had a plan to escape. What your plan did was to stir up trouble and get two of my men shot," he argued. Though honestly it was a good plan. They had spent so much time planning and not enough time doing recon for that op. If they had, they would have realized how many men Ivan had and that he was prepared for their arrival.
"You have to thank your daughter for that; it was all her plan."
"I already thanked her because it was her plan to split up the poison and trick him into letting us go – and that plan worked."
"Thanks to me. I was the one with the poison – which I didn't even charge you for and that shit is expensive and hard to get ahold of."
"Pu-leeaassee you have a regular supplier that gives you a discount, because you buy that shit in bulk." He had seen Anton's bag of vials and had to wonder how many different ways to kill he kept on hand.
"Heh, heh, heh, yeah you know it brother, but that shit is still expensive and hard to get across country lines. Those international inspections are hell. Still I had it and taught your woman how to use it."
"Bullshit. You took her up there like a lamb to the slaughter and then abandoned her to have a threesome with the other women you picked up. Meanwhile Ivan drugged her drink and she could barely walk by the time she got the poison in him. She needed someone up there to have her back. I mean damn it all to hell – I heard your original plan and you were supposed to come back and insist she leave with you."
"She had that shit wrapped up and tied down. She was on fire! Ready to do whatever it would take to get you and your men free. I stayed and waited till she was tucked into Ivan's booth and he was mooning over her."
"Yes, but Ivan made her as soon as you guys arrived. He knew I brought a woman and with her there speaking English; he knew she was a plant. The whole time she was with him, he kept one hand on his drink and one eye on her. But you didn't care, you were long gone with your harem."
"Hey, those women were all over me begging me to leave with them. They had never had an American and I just had to do my country proud. Besides Steph's cover was more credible if I left."
"You were her backup! Ivan drugged her! He was going to rape and torture her!" I was getting pissed at him again. I didn't know what had happened in the Club until Stephanie had told us but if it was Anton's woman, he never would have left her up there like that. Then again Anton had never had just one woman.
"But she is trained now. I trained her and she can handle herself. She killed Ivan and got away. I heard the news the next day. It was all over the underground that Ranger's woman is well trained. That she killed Ivan and will hurt anyone who threatens you. In this part of the world she has started building an awesome reputation for being a badass. You know she left a note threatening the rest of the family if they tried to come after you again?"
No, he didn't know that! Damn she must have left that part out of her story when she recounted the events of the night. But it did explain the note he had received saying there were no hard feelings and they were going to leave things as they were. It was signed Ivan Vikorov. He had never met the father or anyone else in the family to know if this was Ivan Senior or if this was supposed to be from the dead Ivan but he did know there hadn't been any more hits put on him or his women.
"She was always a very capable woman. I have saved her life several times so it's no surprise that she would feel the need to save mine. But I don't send operatives out in the field alone without back-up, that was the problem with your plan." Ranger spat.
"Ram was outside in a car if Ivan tried to take her, he would have known and followed. But that is the big difference between us. I work alone and I trained her to work alone. It is easier for me or her to integrate into a team when we know we can handle the mission on our own. While it is almost impossible for you to do anything on your own because you always work with a team."
"You say I owe you? Let's end this now. What do you want? Money? Protection? A car? Stephanie's taken. In case you didn't know you will never have her."
"Fuck that! I've already had her. She's rather easy, actually, just expensive. All it took was a little attention, dancing and dinner, 2.5 million dollars, plus a car and in one day I got her to invite me to share her bed."
Fuck he was instantly seeing red. If that asshole had touched her in any way, he would have to kill him, slowly and painfully. Tear him apart with his bare hands and with the adrenaline running through his system he knew he could do it. Hold up! He tried to force air into his lungs and some sanity into his brain. Stephanie had told him nothing was going on between her and Anton and Julie had said that asshole sleeps on the couch. Fuck it took a special deal and a lot of planning for him to get Stephanie into bed the first time and then he remembered what else Julie said: that Anton was baiting him.
"Fuck you wish! She would never sleep with you."
"Of course, that's what she told you," his voice was sing songing and teasing him. "A woman never confesses to sleeping with another man to the man she wants to marry."
"That's what you need to remember: she is mine! Always was and always will be. You may have had her once, but you'll never have her again."
"Once was more than enough! Honestly, I don't know what you see in her. It wasn't all that memorable," Anton snickered, and he was seeing blinding red. His fists were clinched, and he was seconds from crushing his phone with the tight grasp he had on it.
"What the fuck are you calling for?" he ground out, his teeth grinding together so hard it was a wonder he got anything past them. But at this point he just needed this call over with. Julie was right Anton was just calling to bait him and he was a fool if he kept falling for it. Stephanie loved him and if she said nothing happened that is who he would trust, not Anton who was a liar and a cheat.
"Well I'm in a particularly sticky situation and I need to throw your name around and maybe even say I'm under your protection."
"Nope, fuck you. If you slept with her, that's all the payment, you're ever getting out of me," Ranger spat and hung up.
He set his phone on his desk and stared at it. He didn't believe Anton. He wouldn't. The man was a weasel! A lying, piece of shit, asshole to quote his daughter. She was an amazingly good judge of character, his daughter and maybe because of everything she had been through she had to be. Her life depended on her seeing through Ron's charade and so too, she saw right through Anton's shit.
His phone rang again and this time it read Boris. Fuck that's who Anton was tangled up in. He answered the phone again knowing who it was.
"What did he do?" Because obviously Anton had done something to Boris or his organization if Boris was trying to end him.
"He has a hit on one of my lieutenants. He was blackmailing me offering to leave the guy alive and give me the information on who put out the hit for a million dollars."
"That's ballsy."
"Well this specific lieutenant is married to my daughter who is pregnant with their first child. I can't let this happen but as you know I can't let anyone blackmail me either. If that got out – it would be the end of my organization." He respected Boris. He ran a tight ship and kept his organization clean - well as clean as an illegal organization can be. At least they weren't known for random kills. But if he wanted to kill Anton, Ranger didn't think he would stop him.
"Of course. Why are you calling me?" Ranger thought he knew as he replayed Anton's part of the conversation in his head and thought about what Boris had heard.
"He claims you owe him a favor for saving your woman, your daughter and your life and that if I end him you will come and end me. Now Ranger, we have had a good working relationship. I saved you and your team, and you gave me information that was priceless and helped make me the man I am today. I know you could end me but that would bring retribution on you and your organization. So I have to say to myself: Is it worth it? You know I can't let him follow through on the hit and I won't pay him a million dollars, but I don't want to upset the good working relationship that we have had."
"I understand and agree, put that idiot back on the phone." This was obviously why Anton had stayed in Russia. Hell, it was probably why he had traveled with them to Russia. He let Ranger pay to sneak him into the country while he had accepted other "work" there and could move around without anybody knowing he had entered the country.
"Yo." Anton sounded too cheerful for someone that was calling to get a favor.
"I'm not jeopardizing my relationship with Boris for you, but I will broker a deal. You give him all the information on the hit, and you walk away with your life. Capeesh?"
"What's in it for me?"
"You get to leave with your life." He thought it was obvious.
"Well Boris wasn't completely honest about the situation; see I have planted bombs here that will kill him and all the heads in his Family. So, if he kills me, he loses half his company as well as his own life." Yeah it didn't surprise him that Anton had a backup plan. This was how Anton did business, below the belt while stabbing you in the back.
"Anton, I'm not using my name to save your life."
"Stephanie would," he interrupted.
"Stephanie would do a lot of things I wouldn't."
"Like sleep with me," Anton antagonized.
"Do you want my help?" Ranger questioned because he didn't really seem to want it.
"Half a million dollars."
"I'll tell you what," his voice was deathly calm and steely; brokering no objections from him. "You come back to the US and I will give you that car back and you can talk Stephanie into giving you back some of the money you stole for her. That's the best deal you are going to get from me." He laughed to himself. He'd gladly give the car back in the condition it was in.
"Fine! Talk to Boris. I'll remove my bombs and give him the information on the hit and you still owe me one."
"Done"
Boris got back on the phone.
"I'm sure you heard all that," he offered, certain that he had been listening closely to everything Anton said, but to be clear he laid it all out there.
"Here's the deal. He kinda helped save my life so I'm going to kinda save his. Let him remove the bombs and give you the information on the hit. Until he is out of your compound he is under my protection. But if you happen to send men to follow him after that I won't get in the way." He was selling Anton down the river because he knew Boris would do just that, but Anton was a slippery eel and chances are; he would get away.
"Nice working with you again Ranger and I heard congratulations are in order. That the beautiful woman, who took out Ivan, has agreed to become your wife."
"Yes, and thank you. Good luck with your business Boris." He disconnected the call and turned off his phone. He needed to get downstairs and didn't want anyone else disturbing him.
When he got down to the holding cells, Hector was standing outside Stanley Pinkerton's cell with his switchblade and Tank was blocking the door.
"Voy a hablar con el". (I'll talk to him.) Ranger told Hector.
"¡No! Trató de lastimar a angilito, hablaré con él." (No! He tried to hurt my little angel I'll talk to him.) He pounded on his chest.
"Necesitamos poder entregarlo a la policía cuando hayamos terminado. Voy a hablar con el". (We need to be able to turn him over to the police when we are through. I'll talk to him.) Ranger was trying to be understanding, but firm.
"¡No! Tu miras". (No! You watch.) Hector got a wicked grin on his face. "Será entretenido y habrá mucho para la policía." (It will be entertaining and there will be plenty left for the police.)
Ranger shook his head. This could go really bad in a minute, if Hector was not under control, but nobody knew they had this guy. If he just disappeared no one would know. Vinnie would lose his bond, but other than that, it wouldn't be a big loss, and he knew Hector had some anger about Steph's car getting blown up that he might take out on this guy, but if it got answers at least his hands would be clean.
"Bien, tienes 15 minutos y todo esto se está grabando." (Fine you have 15 minutes, and all of this is being recorded.) He acquiesced and Tank and he went into the observation room where a two-sided mirror faced Stanley.
Hector walked into the room where Stanley was shackled to the floor and handcuffed to the table in front of him and walked around Stanley. With every other step he flipped his switch blade open, then with another step he flicked it closed while looking really menacing. Open then closed. Open then closed. Round and round he walked then he stopped in front of Stanley, flicked it back open and, in a flash, held it to his throat and started pounding on the table with his other hand and spouting in rapid fire Spanish.
"Hablarás de tu basura comiendo basura. ¡Haré nuevos agujeros en todas las partes de tu cuerpo si no comienzas a hablar ahora mismo!" (You will talk you piece of garbage eating filth. I will make new holes in all your body parts if you don't start talking right now!) He looked like he was ready to end this guy and Stanley started shaking.
"I…I don't understand. I don't speak Spanish." Stanley sputtered and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. It would serve him right to leave his fate to Hector.
Pop, Hector hit him in the face and just continued on as if he hadn't said anything. He walked around the table again flicking his knife open and then closed with every step. He stopped in front of Stanley with his knife aimed at his eye and started pounding on the table as he yelled in his face.
"Pedazo de carne de hombre podrido y sin espinas, te cortaré la polla y te la daré de comer. ¡Habla ahora mismo!" (You spineless rotting piece of man flesh I will cut off your dick and feed it to you. Talk right now!) Hector looked like he was ready to kill the guy right there, but Ranger knew he wouldn't kill him until he got every last bit of information, they needed out of him. Stanley was cowering away from him in fear. He was really doing a great job. The guy was almost ready to spill.
"No really, I don't speak Spanish." Stanley was practically begging now and 'Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop', Hector hit him in the face and two in the gut. Stanley was bent over trying to gasp in air while blood flowed out of his broken nose and bleeding mouth. He knew what Hector was doing and it was going to work. He wasn't even going to need fifteen minutes.
Hector didn't even give him a break he grabbed the guys throat, pulled him up in his chair and cut off his air for a minute until he was turning purple and then released him. Stanley was gasping for air and 'POP' Hector hit him in the face again. Then he began pounding on the table in time to his demands.
"Jódete, te meteré un maldito dong tan grande que te partirá en dos, ¡hasta el culo si no empiezas a hablar ahora mismo!" (Fuck you I will stick a fucking dong so big up your ass, it will rip you in two, if you don't start talking right now!).
"No comprehende, No comprehende." Stanley's eyes were wide with fear and he was leaning back trying to get away from Hector.
"Talk!" Hector demanded pointing his knife to Stanley's mouth. "Talk now!"
"It was all Juan's. All the drugs are Juan's. He scored a brick and thought we could divide it up and-" Hector held the knife up to his eye.
"Not drugs. Car Bomb. Talk."
It took a minute for Stanley to redirect his brain and Ranger could almost see it happening, and watch him relax as if this was an easier subject to talk about.
"Oh well this fine-looking bitch came up to me," Stanley tried to blow the blood out of his nose and then spit a wad of blood onto the floor to clear his mouth. He looked back at Hector, "anyway she told me she knew I was out on bail and skipped my court date and she knew who was after me and if I blew them up then there would be no one to come after me. So, I had all the shit cause my cousin and I were blowin' stuff up in the Pine Barrens last week. I took three of the little bombs and wired them together. She took me around to the cop shop and we waited and waited and this fine looking blue car pulled up and this fat black chick and this white bitch get out and go inside and she says that's who we are after and I tell her she is crazy if she thinks I'm going to sneak into the police parking lot and wire a bomb to a car while it is sitting there. They got cameras and everything there-"
Hector cut him off with one swipe of his knife. He put his knife to his eye again and said "Faster."
Stanley started talking in double time.
"So wetriedtofollowthembut she missed it when they pulled away and we went driving around. She said they always eat after a bust and we went to Mc Donald's but they weren't there and then we went to that chicken place and there was the car and it was lunch time. So we pulled around back and discussed how to do it, and she said she couldn't be involved or associated with me in any way. I told her to go through the drive thru and we got food but she said I couldn't eat until after I did it. Anyway, there are cameras all over the front of the place, and I hid from them all and got under her car, but it was all backassward. The motor was in the back of the car and I couldn't find the starter so I was looking for the battery but couldn't find it. I had a timer in my pocket so I set it for twenty minutes, you know so they would be done eating, and be back in the car driving around. I taped it to what I think was the gas tank. I don't know nothing about these foreign cars. I ain't never worked on one before, and we followed behind them but they only went five minutes away and got out and I was going to climb under the car and reset the timer but the bitch said there wasn't time and she told me to go home and build a better bomb and we would put it on the black bitches car tomorrow cause she was the real threat."
Hector looked at the window.
This stupid asshole didn't even know who Stephanie was and he wasn't directly after her he was just doing what Joyce told him to do.
Fuck we would just turn him over to the police with a copy of this tape and the tape from Cluck N A Bucket. Joyce was the problem and the real threat we just had to decide what to do with her.
He sent Hector to put Stanley's confession on tape so they could play it for Joyce. Ranger was really torn. He just wanted to make her disappear. If he did it right, he mused, he could even get her soon to be ex-husband to pay him for the privilege.
Ranger couldn't think of one good reason NOT to make her disappear. She did nothing but hurt the people around her. Her parents were dead and nobody but Vinnie and maybe some of her other sexual partners would miss her. He would get Stephanie to find Bryce Sledgehorn and let Bones take Gregory McDougal and that would cover Vinnie. They could even spread the rumors that she went to Montana to find Bryce. Where she shacked up with a new rich cowboy that had horses, he would let do naughty things to her, and never came back.
"Unshackle Stanley and lock him in one of the private holding cells. Take Joyce to the bathroom then lock her back up in there. You can talk to her tomorrow after Hector gets a chance to put Stanley's video together for her." He told Tank.
RSRSRSRSRS
He went back up to seven and hung out with Stephanie and Julie until bedtime. Julie was torn. As much as she wanted to go on vacation, she wanted to do her schoolwork every day because she was ready to be done with her school year.
Later that night, after they had gone two rounds and were laying their trying to get their breath back. Ranger pulled her close to face him and he took a deep breath. There were things he wanted to handle for her but she was a strong, trained, determined woman who knew what she wanted in life. As much as he'd like to make this decision for her; he knew that she needed to be involved.
"Babe, I mentioned to you earlier that we knew who blew up your car. I didn't want to talk about it in front of Julie, but I feel like you should have some say in what happens to them."
"Damn right I do. I want to shoot them. Nowhere deadly; just like in the hand or in the foot. I mean I'm tired of people blowing up my cars and I know if I don 't send a strong message about what happens to people who blow up my cars it's never going to stop!" Her voice had been going higher as she spoke but she sounded very determined.
"Okay I will tell you everything that we know: Joyce got it in her head that you were coming back to the bonds office and were going to be competition for her." He started to explain.
"Where would she get an idea like that? I'm never going back to the bond's office. I mean it was a good job when I was desperate, but I am not desperate anymore. I know I get board only working in the office, and it did break up the boredom; but honestly I am tired of being covered in food or garbage or looking like a looser, dragging an eighty-year-old man back to jail." She said with a huff.
"I don't want to speak badly of your friends, but Lula was running her mouth and may have said a few things that made it sound like you were going to be coming back now that you are in town."
"That's ridiculous. Today I told her, under no circumstances, was I coming back to work at the bonds office. I told her I was going to be working at Rangeman. Besides I clearly made the point that my car was a two-seater. There is no backseat to put FTA's in…." Her words faded out and she sighed. "I forgot my car was blown up…. Again. Carlos I really loved that car and want to do bad things to the people who blew it up!" She was almost a little hysterical by the end.
"We have only talked to the guy that put the bomb on your car but the story from him is that Joyce told him that if he blew you and Lula up; you couldn't take him back to jail. So, he got a few small bombs and they waited at the police department for you to bring someone in."
"Why the hell would they do that? I don't have a backseat how was I supposed to bring anyone in?"
"I didn't say what they did was logical. I'm only telling you what he told Hector."
"Hector talked to him?"
"Yeah he really wanted to interrogate him so after a long talk, I let him."
"How bad did he look when Hector was finished with him?"
"Actually, not that bad. His nose was definitely broken and he was bleeding from his mouth but overall, he was in good shape."
She giggled, "I'm surprised he didn't have a few knife wounds."
"Hector wanted to kill him honestly, but I told him we needed to be able to turn him over to the police so he couldn't look that bad."
"Does that mean I can't shoot him?"
"I don't know. You don't mean fatally shoot him, right? You're not planning on killing him?"
"No, something more than a flesh wound, but not fatal. Like in the foot so he would have to be crutching it around for weeks on crutches, and be in a lot of pain."
"Well Babe, it was your car. But if we are turning him over to the police it could only be wounds, he would get in the course of us apprehending him. I don't know how you can shoot someone in the foot while you are chasing him down."
"Yeah I don't know either. It's just that Lula kept shooting people in the foot and you know it was painful, but they always survived."
"I can ask Hector to go down and visit with him some more. Maybe break an arm or a hand, so he learns to keep his hands off of your cars."
"I don't know. I want to be the one to bring the pain, but I know that I can't hit a guy that is tied up. Or in this case handcuffed. I mean look what happened when we kidnapped Anton. None of us could hit him." She looked dejected.
"Let me tell you the rest of the story and maybe we can find you someone to shoot." He tried to encourage.
"Okay"
"Stanley was the guy with the bomb. But the thing is he wasn't after you. Joyce is the one who found him and got him to put the bomb on your car so I think that the best thing to do is this. Lula has the bond on Stanley. We bruise him up a little bit more to teach him a lesson and then let Lula take him in with Tank's assistance. Tank will make sure they get the all the video from Cluck N A Bucket, the video of the explosion and the video of his confession. He will make sure that Stanley is denied bail and all the new charges are added. The person who started this, and gave Stanley the idea is Joyce. If you want to shoot someone, I will gladly let you shoot Joyce. As many times as you want, in as many places as you want. I'm not as interested in turning Joyce over to the police, because we have no real proof that she did, what she did. Just Stanley's word, and we all know she will pay him off to change his testimony. She is rich, and she is a man eater. She will sleep with the DA, and get him to drop or reduce what ever charges are brought against her."
"Sure, I don 't mind shooting Joyce. She is a bitch that has always been a pain in my ass."
"Do you want Hector or one of the guys go down and visit with Stanley some more? I know that Hector is very angry about your car. It might help him blow off some steam; but any of the guys would be happy to help."
"Yes, Yes, YES! I'll call him!" She rolled away from me to grab her phone, that was charging on the night stand, next to the bed."
"Mi amigo, estás más cerca de mí que un amigo, eres como mi hermano. Nunca he tenido un hermano, pero tú, Héctor, en toda esta locura que creías en mí y me respaldabas. Ahora tengo un gran favor que pedirte." (My friend, you are closer to me than a friend, you are like my brother. I've never had a brother but you, Hector, in all of this craziness you believed in me and you had my back. Now I have a big favor to ask.)
"Sí, mi hermana, sabes que haría cualquier cosa por ti." (Yes, my sister, you know I would do anything for you.)
"Hay un gilipollas en la celda de retención que es demasiado cómodo. ¿Irías allí y lo pondrías incómodo? Envíale un mensaje de mi parte. Enséñele que no es bueno poner bombas en los autos de las personas. ¿Quizás romper una mano o un brazo o algo así?" (There is an asshole down in the holding cell that is way too comfortable. Would you go down there and make him uncomfortable? Send him a message from me. Teach him it's not nice to put bombs on people's cars. Maybe break a hand or an arm or something?)
"Sí mi hermana. Sería un placer hacer eso por ti." (Yes, my sister. It would be my pleasure to do that for you.)
"Muchas gracias. Te amo, Héctor, por todo lo que haces." (Thank you very much. I love you, Hector for everything you do.)
"Gracias Estephania, por dejarme hacer esto por ti. He estado queriendo lastimar más a ese bastardo. Él se lo merece." (Thank you Stephanie, for letting me do this for you. I have been wanting to hurt that bastard more. He deserves it.)
"Buenas noches, Héctor, diviértete." (Good night, Hector, have fun.)
Buenas noches, Estefanía, que duermas bien. Yo me encargaré de esto por ti." (Goodnight estephania, sleep well. I will handle this thing for you.)
Carlos just laid there listening to Stephanie's side of the conversation. Personally, he would like to go down there and go a few rounds with Stanley. He liked to hurt anyone who threatened or hurt Stephanie or Julie. But he didn't have to do it all by himself. Hector is scarier and it sends a good message that not only is Ranger, Stephanie's protector, but so are his men. If you do anything to her; they will ALL come after you. Personally, he didn't care if Hector got a little bit carried away. The worse shape Stanley was in, the stronger a message it would send.
Then he took her phone before she disconnected.
"Héctor, a menos que vaya a morir, no lo lleves al hospital esta noche. Déjalo sufrir por un tiempo con sus heridas. Tan pronto como lo lleves al hospital, le darán medicamentos para el dolor y creo que necesita sentir dolor un poco para que pueda pensar en lo que ha hecho". (Hector, unless he is going to die, don't take him to the hospital tonight. Let him suffer for a while with his wounds. As soon as you take him to the hospital, they will give him pain meds and I think he needs to be in pain a little while so he can think about what he has done.)
"Si, el jefe." (Yes boss)
"Gracias Héctor." (Thanks, Hector)
"De nada" (You're Welcome)
"Okay now that all that is taken care of. There is something else for us to discuss. I brought it up earlier and all Julie said was that she had schoolwork every day."
"Yeah you mentioned going somewhere or something?"
"I'm offline for two and a half weeks. Tank has kicked me out of the office until we can get somethings handled, like Julie's case tomorrow and give us time to sort ourselves out as a brand-new family. I have to go to New York Friday, and I'll call my mom. It's time for me to bring Julie home, and introduce you to my family. But after that, say next Monday I'd like us to get away. We can go to my house in Florida. I have a housekeeper there that will make our time comfortable. I have a room for Julie there with a bed and a dresser, and a few purple and blue things my housekeeper bought for her. You have all those fashionable clothes from New York but you and Julie can go shopping on Friday for bathing suits, shorts, flipflops whatever you will need to hang out down by the private pool where it is really hot."
"That sounds like fun. We always love to shop. Do we have to take someone with us?"
"Babe I know you are always armed, but it has gotten out that we are together now, and a target of you with Julie is tempting."
"Come on Carlos, we're just going to the mall. I will be fully armed. Let us go together. We are both aware of our surroundings now. We are used to watching each other's backs."
"Okay this Friday you can go together. We'll see how it goes. But only one of you in the changing room at a time. The other one sits outside; gun at the ready. Julie is good enough with a gun to hold it while you are changing."
"That seems a little extreme." Stephanie huffed.
"Either you take turns watching each other's backs or I send an armed man to do it for you."
"Fine we will do it."
"Excellent we'll break the news to Julie in the morning. Let's plan on leaving for Florida, Monday morning. The house down there is in an exclusive gated community, where RangeMan security mans the gate and has cameras throughout the subdivision. Any car that comes near the property is spotted long before they get there. Plus, it has a wall and a gate all the way around it also with 24/7 RangeMan security when I am there. It is the safest residence I own, next to the penthouses. While we are there you don't need to carry a gun while on the property. So, we can all relax and enjoy ourselves for the two-weeks we are there."
"That sounds great it will be nice to be able to just hang out and relax after everything we have been through."
"Now come here. We don't have to get up too early so I can keep you up half the night."
To be continued…