Chapter 24
Thank you all for your patience while I struggled to finish Saving Grace. This last chapter had many endings.
-0-
Stephanie had come a long way in several months. After her eye-opening discussion with Micky and her heart-to-heart with Ranger, she concentrated on her therapy with Dr. Roman. Previously, she refused to delve deep into her past, torn between blaming her mother or the Burg or her problems. While they did incubate her low self-esteem, she lived in multiple universes: Land of Denial, Rose-Tinted Glasses, Stubbornness, and Ego. Yet, she was also open and loving to others.
Her daily journal allowed her to discuss to herself what she was feeling and how she was reacting. From there, she could form strategies to overcome problems. It was similar to her research work, but she never thought to apply it to herself. In her work, she gathered data and highlighted key points that led her to solutions. In her personal life, she allowed her mind to run free. She did not have to ability to filter everything she encountered or her thoughts. She was overwhelmed and began to blame others: Ranger, Joe, Lula, Edna Mazur, and Helen Plum. he reliance on men was her mind needing a leader to set a straightforward path for her as long as it followed her deep-seated need to be independent, a dichotomy. The independence was critical after a life under Helen Plum's and the Burg's dictates.
Ranger was also undergoing therapy. Not only was he damaged by his military and Black Ops work, but also his childhood and relinquishing his daughter. His closed nature that made him such a good military man made him lousy as personal relationships.
It was a common problem in military families; the strain of service and the "need to know" chain of command. When he realized how carefully Stephanie had refused to gossip about him since they met, he began to trust her. After all, she never did reveal their sexual activities or his penal size to Lula or Connie.
Together they were getting better and closer. Stephanie gave up all skip chasing and concentrated on physical fitness, personal self-protection, but still had problems with her diet. Ella was surreptitiously creating luscious desserts without refined sugar, artery-clogging oils, or weird chemicals. A new favorite was puffed pastry and baked apple slices rolled together to form small roses. Stephanie's eyes were deceiving her taste buds. Even Ranger would eat a small apple rose as dessert.
Now was not the time to let Stephanie take over new client calls without an assistant. The specter of Joe Morelli and past FTAs made sudden retribution a real possibility. For now, her abilities as an assistant to Tank in office management and genius in research kept her busy. When a fugitive capture team failed to find their FTA, they came to her. She could ferret out the most hidden FTAs. As a reward, Tank allowed her to accompany capture teams but only as a consultant and observer. She was not to engage in the actual capture.
She lived up to the mandate but did manage to stun a fleeing FTA as he passed the Rangeman vehicle. Technically she didn't leave the car as she kept on hand the truck's side door. The team returned to the office in high spirits. The Bombshell Bounty Hunter still managed to come away stained as the fleeing FTA christened her with the used coffee grounds and dinner left-overs carried by the skip on his way to the dumpster.
-0-
Winter had been long in Trenton. Heavy rains began in October and turned to snow before Thanksgiving. For weeks the weather alternated between freezing rain and snow with Arctic temperatures. Stephanie and Micky were depressed. They remembered being stranded Adirondacks the year before and had developed snow-phobia. By February, grey days, wet, salt-stained cars, and clothing became tiresome. Ranger decided t take Stephanie to the warm Caribbean as much for her mental health but to give the office a break from her increasing foul mood.
"Are you sure Babe is not pregnant," Ranger asked Micky. "Her mood is dark, totally unlike her."
"She needs warmth, sunshine, and ocean," Micky said. While she wanted to say more, she held her tongue. She too was feeling the isolation, remembering the winter before. Plus, they both still had their stalkers. They could not go out to night clubs, restaurants, or crowded places. One afternoon they both were struggling with cabin fever. After clearing leaving the building, they went back of Rangeman to a small lawn strip, built snow barricades, had a snowball fight. Several Rangemen came out to watch but quickly retreated after becoming the intended targets.
Any new adventure required new clothes, especially a trip to the Caribbean. Stephanie asked Micky if she wanted to go shopping. Years in the military taught Micky to avoid excess as it was too hard to schlep from one duty station to another. But by February, her boots were worn. She decided to join Stephanie at the mall.
As Stephanie crawled into the Porsche, she spoke, "Ranger said we need an escort. I told him it wasn't necessary."
Micky chuckled, "And he said it was non-negotiable."
"Yeah."
"Steph, I would not go with you otherwise."
"You too?"
"Get real, sister. Joe Morelli will continue to believe you are his. He has been heard around town complaining about you being with Ranger when you are still his Cupcake. And I am still waiting to hear Arkady is permanently gone. Let's not discount Rangeman enemies who would love to get to Ranger's woman."
The first stop was the Plum Bond office to leave Connie a birthday present and say hello to Lula. Their friendship was strained as Stephanie was working for Rangeman and not doing skip chasing. At best, she'd accompany Rangemen on the apprehension to review takedown policies.
There was no room in the Rangeman vehicles for Lula to ride along.
Stepping into the office, Lula turned and said, "Look what graced us with her presence."
Micky was standing behind Stephanie and didn't know if Lula knew her name or was using the speech figure.
"Strange you should say that Lula, I want to introduce Grace Brown, Bobby's wife. She's the second woman employee at Rangeman. Well, third, when you count Ella."
Lula looked Micky/Grace upside and down, "Do you work security with the men? You seem a bit old to be running around. Or are you a cougar relishing all the meat?"
"Lula!" Connie admonished.
"It's OK. I am old. I'm a part-time medic at Rangeman helping Bobby. I also work at a clinic in Robbinsville. Today is my day off, and I'm tagging along with Steph to hit the mall."
Steph wanted to get Lula off, Micky. "When Ranger and I get back, let's do a girls' night out. It's been a long time," Steph said, trying to lighten the bond's office mood. She felt a coldness from her friends she hadn't felt before.
"Sure thing, Steph," Connie said. "Thank you for remembering my birthday coming up."
"I won't be here that day, so I brought it by early. No peeking."
"Where you goin' White Girl?" Lula asked.
"I'm not sure. All I know, it won't have snow."
As Steph and Micky started towards the door, Lula went with them. "Is this your car?"
Sensing hostility from Lula, Stephanie didn't want to say it was a Christmas present from Ranger. "It's Ranger's decoy car. That is why it is blue, not black. I am borrowing it. You know my cars have a habit of going to car heaven, sometimes all by themselves."
As they pulled away from the curb, both women failed to notice Lula taking a car picture, especially the back end.
"Well, that was awkward," Stephanie said. "Was it me, or did you feel the coldness in there and I'm not referring to the temperature."
"Months ago, you would not have noticed the Burg chill. Also remember, you've been away from them and haven't given them their gossip quotient. You are moving on."
Mickey and Steph once again conquered the mall. Ramon stayed in the background, never bothering the women. While Stephanie was buying Caribbean vacation clothes, Micky decided she'd get a few other items than just boots. Stephanie was a bad influence on Micky's budget. Stephanie wanted to hand her purchases to Ramon, their escort, but Micky overrode it. "He needs his hands free."
Stephanie became defensive, "I always have my baby sitter carry my purchases."
"Seriously, Steph, baby sitter? He's not your butler or personal valet. Ramon is here to protect us. Let the man do his job. By the way, are you carrying a weapon?"
"No, are you?"
"Yes, I'm armed as per Rangeman policy. Is there a reason you think you can disregard your safety and Rangeman policy? You said you would work towards better safety awareness."
Stephanie knew Micky was correct but pissed at the verbal chastisement. Quickly marching to the car, Stephanie got in and started to pull away. Micky barely had time to get in before Steph accelerated. Ramon had to hustle to catch up. Just as he began to pull out, a car blocked his exit and refused to move. Ramon honked his horn and waved his hand, indicating the other car needed to move. Instead, the driver's window came down, and a 9 mm machine pistol came out and fired into the Rangeman vehicle.
Stephanie and Micky didn't hear the gunshots as Stephanie had her radio cranked up high to annoy Micky.
"Perhaps you should slow down for Ramon," Micky yelled over the loud music.
"Maybe you should enjoy the music," Stephanie snapped.
Micky turned off the music. "Were you going to run off and pout because I pointed out Ramon had a job, and it wasn't a butler or because you are not armed?"
Stephanie swung her head towards Malika, "I'm tired of…"
Suddenly Stephanie's Porsche was broadsided on the driver's side and pushed into another car. Men came out from both vehicles racing towards the Porsche in what appeared to be a rescue attempt. One yielded a giant sledgehammer and swung it into the already cracked windscreen. Others began pulling on the glass to remove it. Many hands reached in and deflated the airbags, cut the safety belts, then pulled out the women. Instead of gently laying them on the ground, they hustled the unconscious women to a nearby van that drove off. When witnesses tried to intervene, they met gunfire.
Back at the shopping mall, Ramon had activated his emergency button. Teams were on their way to the mall when police scanner reported shots fired in the parking lot. Moments later, Stephanie's Porsche emergency system kicked in several blocks from the mall. The camera inside the car recorded the men breaking the windshield and carrying the two women off. Hal was on Command floor duty, "Bomber's trackers?"
Zip on monitors reported, "Purse tracker still in the car, body tracker is moving southwest. The phone tracker is also moving southwest.
No, both trackers stopped moving."
"Does Micky have trackers?"
"Her cell phone has stopped, but the tracker hidden in her boot is still working. It is moving west."
One team went to check on Ramon. The second rescue team arrived at the Porsche. While scanning for traffic cameras, Cal drove off to find the trackers that had stopped moving. Both phones and a tracker were in the brush alongside the road. They still had Malika's boot until it stopped, two miles down the road.
"Hector, do you have a way to track the truck that took them away," Ranger asked.
"I'm working on it."
Nothing was coming together quickly. Ranger looked back at Hector, "Babe might be wearing her necklace. What is the range?"
"Five miles, sometimes six. I've got nothing here."
"Send up a drone from Micky's boot's last location and start with the direction the van and trucks drove off. Then start a 360 search."
Hector jumped up, "Si, si."
-0-
Micky was cold laying in a cold hard surface. A breeze blew across her body. Carefully she assessed her body, flexing and unflexing muscles, breathing regularly until her brain cleared. She was bruised but didn't appear to have broken bones. Her feet were cold, where were her boots? When she cracked her eyes a bit, she saw concrete. The large open area was concrete with concrete posts every fifteen feet or so. Looking around, she saw the light coming from openings in the walls. They appeared to be windows, but there was no framing or glass. This was either an unfinished building or one coming down. Four men stood off to the side with handguns trained on her.
Stephanie was lying next to Micky. Moans indicated she was starting to come around. Micky scooted closer, "Breathe slowly. Let your body relax so you can get oxygen throughout." When Stephanie was more aware, Micky said softly, "Starting with your feet, move slowly. Test drive your body." Stephanie had been through the Systema breathing routine often enough. She knew the drill. When Stephanie tried to clench her arm muscles, she hissed.
Noting Stephanie's reaction, Malika reached over and began feeling her arm. "You might have broken the clavicle again. Try not to move it."
"I'm freezing."
"We are on concrete in a partially enclosed building," Micky said, noting wood pallets next to them. "When you can sit, you need to be up on the wood, off the floor."
"That may be awhile. First, my head has to quit pounding."
"Let me help you. Roll onto your side and rest." Micky got on her knees and helped Stephanie up and onto the pallets. "I don't have my weapons, and we know you aren't armed. What about your phone and tracker? Mine are missing," Malika whispered.
Stephanie reached down and felt her front pocket, "Mine are gone too." Stephanie looked at the men with the guns, "Do you know them?"
"Not these four, only the old bastard across the room."
"Is it...?"
"Yeah, Arkady Babaev, my step-father."
Micky felt down Stephanie's neck. "You lost your necklace."
"No, it's in my bra. It must have broken and slipped in. There's a short-range tracker in it."
Micky understood. "So we only have to play nice until the cavalry arrives. We'll start by ignoring them."
That didn't last long. "Malika, come here!" The oldest man bellowed in Russian. Micky ignored him.
A closer man said in Russian, "Your father is calling you."
Micky ignored him. Stephanie spoke up, "This is New Jersey. We speak English."
The old man instructed in Russian, "Shoot her friend."
Micky instantly turned and said in English, "What the hell do you want, Arkady?"
He responded in Russian, "Daughter, you will speak to me in Russian and with respect."
"No! I am an American. I speak English," she spat back.
His beady eyes grew smaller. He was not expecting such a response. Malika had grown insulant. "You are my daughter. I am here to take you back to your family," he boomed in Russian.
"My mother and father are deceased," she shot back in Russian.
"I'm not dead," he said in amusement.
Micky continued, "Oh, I wish you were, you bastard. You killed Mama. No, not immediately, but your constant beatings left her with brain damage, which hastened her death. I resent the day the Embassy guards showed restraint when they dragged your drunken naked body from the apartment. They should have broken your neck. They wanted to, you know, but Ivan taught them restraint."
The name Ivan made his face turn red, "The bastard. If he weren't already dead, I would kill him myself," Arkady spat.
Ah, she had leverage. With enough push, maybe Arkady's arteries would blow apart. He had grown old and fat. No, he wasn't fat, he was swollen. He might have heart problems or other severe medical conditions. Good, this might be easy. "Beating your wife into a coma and trying to rape your daughter, even Ivan's Spetznaetz soldiers had their control limit."
"That is a lie!" He spat again. Arkady's tendency to drool may indicate a past stroke. Micky was going to enjoy watching him kill himself.
Micky looked at the posse surrounding her. She suspected they spoke Russian better than English, so she continued in Russian. "What part was a lie, you bastard? Your beating Mama? You brutalized her for years resulting in brain damage hastening her death. The greatest pianist and composer of the century and you killed her."
"Everyone dies," he shrugged.
"Then why haven't you? You are long overdue, you bloated old goat."
"You do not speak to me that way."
"I will speak like the low life you are. Do you deny trying to rape me?"
"I never did."
"Right, you tried, but you couldn't unzip your pants because you were so drunk and probably impotent. You ripped my nightgown down the middle, beat me, and tried to strangle me. Did beating a small ten-year-old girl turn you on? Maybe that's why Mama kept you away from me, you disgusting pedophile."
Arkady was stunned at her vehemence. "It's a lie," was all he could say.
"Do you know when the police found you passed out, your pants were down around your ankles, and your hairy ass visible for all to see? You disgraced yourself and the Russian government."
"You belong to me!"
"That gave you the right to rape me, a ten-year-old?" Micky was right to believe the men with Arkady were Russian speakers. Several raised their eyebrows in surprise.
Arkady ignored the men's expressions. "You are my daughter. You are Turkmen. I arranged for you to be taken to my people to marry when you were eight, but your mother fought me. I tried again when you were older, out of medical school. You were the right age to start a new family, a new dynasty."
The men with Arkady did a double-take. Did they hear Arkady admit he's not Russian but rather a despicable Turkmen? Slavs are very proud of their ancestry and resent those of the former Soviet Union expecting full partnership.
"So you had me, a military officer and doctor, kidnapped from a military base and transported to Turkmenistan so you could have grandchildren adding to your inbred band of misfits?" She had explicitly left off any reference to the United States in hopes the Russians thought she was Russian military.
"Ene wasn't my first choice for you, but he would have created strong children."
Micky tried to hold her anger, "He was a murderous, cruel hypocrite who went against everything in his Muslim religion. Your religion. But then you were pretending to be Rusk, and a Christian to gain favor with Moscow. Ene fought for the Taliban but lived like you, a drunk who ignored your Prophet's teachings."
Micky continued, "You lied to the priest saying you were Orthodox when you married Mama. You created the charade since you knew you would get married by the State immediately after. The second marriage wasn't necessary, but you told Mama it was required. No, it was because the first marriage was a sham."
Arkady wasn't listening. "Ene was your husband, but he is now dead. You belong to his brother Astra." Arkady waved his hand, and a man stepped forward."
Micky vaguely remembered a pimple-faced son of a bitch who leered at her. Ene would beat him for even looking at look at her and nearly killed him the night Astra snuck into the trailer to attack her as she was shackled.
Micky started to laugh, upsetting Astra and Arkady. Several Russian mob members had let their guns drop, trying to figure out what was the truth. Micky took a step forward and to the side as she laughed. She was moving away from Stephanie lest bullets began flying. You can't be serious! This one is worse than his brother!" She was still speaking Russian. "Ene beat him often to keep him away from me. You expect me to return to your band of despised...gypsies?" Once again, she danced a bit to the side, and a step towards the assembled me. Also, the concrete floor was numbing her feet.
"I'll only return if I'm leading a Spetznaz team to wipe out every last vestige of them. I'm surprised Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan hasn't kicked them out of their countries altogether for being vile pigs." She was still trying to convince the posse members she was Russian when she referred to Spetznaz soldiers.
Arkady became enraged. The men around him were looking at Arkady with raised eyebrows. Was the woman telling the truth? Was she kidnapped from the Russian Army? Was Arkady a Turkman gypsy. "You will do as I say! You were Ene's wife, and now you belong to Astra. As my daughter, you must do as I say."
"Arkady, your tour through the vodka bottles has left you with more brain damage than what you inflicted on Mama in her many beatings." She took another step to the side and towards Arkady getting within six feet. "I have so much to tell you. I hardly know where to begin. First of all, see this ring on my hand. I'm already married to a nice American man."
"It is an illegal marriage. You are already married."
"Ene is dead, Slava Bogu! (Thank God!) By Turkmen, Russian, and American law, I am a widow. It is your tribe of despicable swine who still hold on to the ancient ways. All it has done is left your people inbred. Nobody else in the 'Stan's wants to breed into your group. You have to buy or kidnap young girls to get wives."
"In my culture, you now belong to Ene's brother, Astra."
"Your culture? Why would I want to follow your culture?"
"It is your heritage."
She laughed. She had been waiting all her life for this confrontation. "Ready for another Earth-shattering revelation? I was never married to Ene. Didn't Astra tell you? Because Ene beat his other wives to death, the Mullah refused to conduct the ceremony. Ene was an outcast."
"You weren't married?" Arkady was shocked.
"No. That didn't stop Ene. He used me like a whore. I conceived a baby through rape."
"Where's the child?"
"It seems Astra has forgotten to tell you something else. Maybe Ene beating him inflicted the same brain damage you inflicted upon my mother. I was fourteen weeks along when Ene beat me so bad while I was shackled, I miscarried. Ruslan's wife freed me. I left the village to die in private from infection and blood loss. My fellow soldiers found me and got me to a hospital. The big news for you is Ene beat me so badly, I lost not only the child but also my womb. I am barren. I can't have children! Arkady, you bastard gypsy goat, you have wasted all these years. You should have been making daughters with other women. Oh, maybe your drunkenness has left you impotent."
"You are my daughter," he screamed. Is color was now purple, his lips tinged with blue. Yeah, he was vulnerable.
Micky threw her head back and laughed loudly again. "I have even bigger news for you, Arkady Babaev. I am not your daughter! Remember, Ivan, your aide? After one of your first beatings of Mama, he sat with her in the hospital and, well, they fell in love. I am the product of that love. Look at your hands and Astra's hands. See how sharp the metatarsal arc is, resulting in the last finger being so much shorter. That is one of your native tribe's genetic markers. Look at my hand, nearly level. These are Ivan's hands. Look at my ear lobes. They float free at the end, neither yours nor Mama's are like mine. Where did that come from? Ivan. Look at my nose and eyes. They are not like yours or mamas. Look at my skin color. It is Slav, not olive-colored like yours or Mama's."
"You are mine!"
"No Arkady Babaev, we share no DNA, no bloodlines. You are nothing to me except the bastard that tried to rape me when I was ten years old. You are not my father, Ivan was. I, Malika Katherine, was born of an American woman and a Russian Spetnaetz father. I am a true Rusk. You are a Turkmen pig pretending to be Rusk. My name is now Grace Brown. I threw away every last vestige of you and your sick family and tribe, including my name."
The old bear roared. "No!" He stepped forward as if to grab Micky. Instead, she used a quick and forceful blow to his throat. It contained every ounce of hatred she had for Arkady. She wanted to cheer when she felt the trachea collapse, and the strike continues to the vertebrae. Immediately Arkady fell. With luck, the fractured vertebrae cut or injured the spinal cord. Either injury, trachea, or spinal column, Arkady would suffocate or stroke out in several minutes.
Micky then turned on the other men. They were slow to react, hesitate to back up a Turkman. With lightning speed, Micky had knocked several guns aside while breaking bones. One of her attackers flew back after a misplanned shot from another's weapon caught him in the chest. Astra tried to attack but was too slow. Micky found his head and twisted, forcing the broken vertebra into the spinal column. Astra, like Arkady, would not recover. One man was well trained in hand to hand but slow with his handgun. Micky knocked the gun aside as it fired, sending the bullet astray. The two flung arms and legs at one another. Micky was inching towards an opening in the outside wall. While she wasn't sure how many floors she was above the ground, she suspected at least three from the trees' angles. Out of the corner of her eye, Micky saw Stephanie grab a loose gun. If ever there was a time for Steph to remember her weapon's training, it was now.
Stephanie was fumbling the gun. The broken clavicle prevented her from using both hands. She had eschewed weight training, which would have allowed her to shoot with either hand. Micky saw one of the injured men crawl to Arkady's body and take his handgun from his jacket pocket.
The man with the handgun raised his weapon to fire. His first shot went wild. Steph was still struggling with the pistol in one hand. Micky's attacker chose this moment for a frontal attack. She stepped aside at the last second and push-punched the man past her. His momentum carried him out the opening. Turning back to look at the man with a handgun, Micky noticed he was aiming at Stephanie! Micky grabbed Stephanie and forced her to the floor as the attacker fired.
Stephanie POV
I sat on the wooden pallets trying to get warm, but my shoulder hurt as did the ribs on the left side. I tried listening to Malika, but she spoke Russian to the older man. The more they talked, the more enraged the man became. His face was getting redder, like Morellis, when he was upset. I realized she was moving away from me, drawing the men's eyes to her. Did she want me to run or hide? Suddenly she sprang forward, and the older man dropped to the ground twitching. Two men with guns raised to fire, but she put them down, their weapons clattered to the ground. Micky grabbed another man and twisted his head. This time I heard the snap as she broke his neck. A handgun lay close to me. If I could get to it, I could help. It was an automatic but had a safety engaged. Who does that during battle? The safety was on the wrong side. I used my body to hold the pistol while I fumbled for the safety. A man on the floor had a handgun and was aiming at Micky. I fired back but missed. Suddenly, the man fighting Malika went out of the wall opening. His sickening scream faded and suddenly stopped.
I heard a noise coming from the stairs in the corner. I turned to look to see who was coming when Micky grabbed me and forced me to the ground. The pain in my shoulder exploded. Multiple shots rang out. Who was firing? Did my gunfire again? Micky grunted and stumbled over me, grabbing for the wall, but missed. She disappeared out the same wall opening her opponent had flown.
Sounds became mixed up in my head. I heard boots running across the floor and people yelling, "Stop! Drop the gun!" More sounds coming towards me, "Don't go there! Let me go!" I was trying to crawl to the opening to get to Micky. I was near to the edge when I felt myself being pulled back by my foot. I turned, ready to kick who had hold of me. Lester was holding my foot, pulling me away from the opening. Ranger and Bobby were fighting.
"Let me go!" Bobby screamed. "Micky!
Malika!"
Ranger was slowly gaining control of Bobby. Lester scooted in front of me and peered out the opening. His shoulders slumped, his body deflated. His head fell onto his arm. We knew.
I had seen someone fall from this height, Vlatko, in Atlantic City. The result wasn't pretty. I didn't want to see what lay below. My rescuer, my friend, was dead. Did I shoot her?
"Noooooo!" Wailed Bobby, "Nooooo! Micky! Micky!"
Suddenly my life shattered. Micky was dead because I had a hissy fit at the mall. I ran away from our escort Ramon like a child.
I failed to shoot the man with a gun because I never took training seriously. I had gotten other Rangemen injured; Tank with a broken leg, Ranger shot in the calf, but nobody ever died. People died when they got close to me. I was a killer.
Inching away from Lester, I got to my feet. I didn't want to walk, wanted to slink away like the loser I was. Ranger wasn't looking at me; he was hugging Bobby talking to him. Lester was crying! Tank and Gene were securing the men still alive. Everyone refused to look at me because I killed Micky. I quietly slipped away, down the steps. By the door were the Rangeman vehicles, unguarded. Did the men run to the other side of the building to see what destruction the Bombshell Bounty Hunter caused this time?
Sirens were coming closer. Joe Morelli was coming with Eddie and Big Dog. My mother was coming. They would scream, "You killed again! How are you going to live with another body on your conscience?" Who would get the pay-off from betting on my latest disaster? Would my father, who became my support, shake his head and turn away? Will Ranger tell me to leave? My time at Rangeman was over. They would forever hate me. Stephanie Michelle Plum got Bobby's wife killed.
A Rangeman vehicle stood nearby. The keys are always in the car, so I got in, technically stealing the car, and slipped away.
Where to go? Away. It was time to go away forever.
The gas tank was full. Where could I escape? East was out. Point Pleasant would be my expected destination. West into Pennsylvania? South down the Atlantic coast? I would go North into New York City, where I could disappear forever. No, there were toll roads. The windshield pass would alert Hector where I went. Where to go to get lost? Pine Barrens. Didn't all the Unmentionables in the area congregate there where they would not harm anyone? Indeed now I was unmentionable, an aberration who got people dead. I wasn't the Fire Farter or the Jersey Devil. I was Stephanie, the murderer.
The snow was deep as the side roads in the Barrens hadn't been plowed. Putting the SUV into four-wheel drive, I carefully navigated the rural roads, not knowing where I was going. Suddenly the big vehicle veered sharply to the side when I drove off the road. I continued overland, around trees, but the truck dipped down and stalled. The seatbelt held me in place, but my shoulder exploded in pain. From the bottom of my soul, I started screaming, screaming from my shoulder's pain, the pounding in my head, and the devastation I caused. I needed to get deep into the woods to disappear. Would Ranger pursue me, or would he turn away in disgust?"
I carefully tucked my hand into my waistband to keep my shoulder from moving around. Staying with the trees, I moved quickly, deeper into the forest. Perhaps like Daphne, I could be transformed into a tree to escape Apollo.
My boots kept the cold out initially, but soon it started seeping in. I didn't care. I would walk until I collapsed, and my heart quit beating. Tears fell from my face, freezing immediately. Micky believed in me, tried to help me, but I let her down, down, down four stories to splat on the paving below, just like Vlatko. She saved my life twice, and I killed her. I, a 34-year-old woman, had another childish temper tantrum because I reacted by emotions, not by reason. I would never amount to anything more than a pathetic comic book character. Not Wonder Woman, I was Joe Btfsplk from Li'l Abner comics, the well-meaning jinx who brought disastrous misfortune to all.
Dickie lost his political chances because of me. Joe lost his job because of me. How many Rangemen had been injured or shot because of me? I laughed at the men, Rangemen calling me their light. "Now I become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Why did the quote from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita come to mind? I am Death. There is no redemption for me.
Continuing, I found myself tangled in low shrubs covered by the snow. There was water below, a bog. Suddenly I was knee-deep in cold water. Struggling forward, I tried to crawl to high ground, but my injured arm was stopping me. Suddenly my foot slipped. I fell only to be covered by the snow-covered plants as the water and earth began to consume me. Suddenly, a thousand hands from Hell grabbed me, trying to pull me down to their realm. Why was I fighting? Wasn't I destined to be there? I killed Micky. People died when they were around me back to my first FTA case. Please, let the mud cover me for eternity.
0-
"Let me go! Bobby screamed. "Micky! Malika!"
Before Bobby could get free, a small voice came from outside, "Bobby!"
Lester lifted his head from his arm and quickly got to his feet. Ranger let go of Bobby, and all three inched close to the wall opening. Looking ou, they saw the broken body half in and half out of the dumpster. Only the back and legs were visible, wearing dark trousers and boots like Micky. There was no way she survived a fall four stories to end up hungover a dumpster. Wait! The body had boots. Micky lost hers.
"Bobby!" Came the voice again.
"Micky, where are you?" Bobby called in near hysterics.
"Tube," the small voice called back.
Lester had moved to another wall opening, stretching out for a better look. He gasped. Nearly three feet wide, a long tube extended down several stories into a fabric chute that ended a dumpster. It was a construction debris chute. Micky was hanging on the outside with her arms and legs wrapped around the tube. Lester couldn't reach her to pull her back in. The wall support bolt and tube were wiggling, threatening to dislodge at any moment, sending Micky crashing into the dumpster below.
Ranger and Bobby got closer to Lester and stared in disbelief. "Can you slide down?" Ranger called out to her.
She looked back with a "what other option do I have?" Malika was sweating and panting as if it was all she could do to hang on. Somehow, she found finger and leg holds in the fabric and the seams of the underlying metal shoot.
All three men turned and ran back down the stairs. Lester was the first around the building and jumped to the top of the dumpster and pulled himself over, ignoring the male corpse hanging over the far side. Micky continued to slide down the tube slowly. She was pausing as she reached the fabric sleeve without the underlying tubing.
Resetting her legs, she slid onto the fabric, but the Velcro and buckle system holding the sections together began to let loose and separate. Micky hurried her descent. Ranger stood on the dumpster top to grab her as she got near the bottom. Bobby appeared with his medical bag and joined Lester in the dumpster just as the last of the fabric separated. The separating fabric tore slowly, like a jungle vine, lowering Micky into all three men's arms. The four dropped down onto the dumpster debris. As Lester rolled back with Micky holding tightly to his chest, a large red splotch was visible on the right side of her back.
-0-
Bobby had several large compresses against Micky's back. Ranger held them as Bobby pulled out a saline bag from under his jacket to keep one warm during the winter. Slitting open her jacket sleeve, he hooked her up and held the EMTs' bag to arrive. From the sirens, they weren't far away.
Other Rangemen were jumping onto the dumpster, ready to aid in the recovery. "We need a stretcher," Ram shouted as the ambulance door swung open. Quickly one appeared, and the Rangeman lowered it to Lester and Ranger. Securing Micky to the stretcher, the Rangemen lifted her up and over into other Rangemen hands and transferred to the ambulance. Bobby was at her side.
Once everyone was out of the dumpster, Ranger did a quick survey of the site. Where was Stephanie? He assumed she was heading to Micky. Walking up to Ram, he asked, "Have you seen Babe?"
"Maybe she's still upstairs with Gene and Tank." Instantly Ranger was up the four flights. "Have you seen Stephanie."
"She went down the steps."
Ranger ran to the wall opening, "Steph is missing. Find her!"
Racing to the back to the dumpster, Ranger noticed the ambulance was gone. He turned to Lester as asked, "How is she?"
Lester looked at his blood-stained shirt, "Bad. I don't think she'll make it." Then pulling himself together, Lester asked, "How is Beautiful?"
"I don't know. I can't find her."
The police on the scene wanted to know what happened. The only witness was Stephanie, and she was missing. Ram caught Ranger's eye. "Excuse me," Ranger said with surprising calmness to the interviewing officer. Walking over to Ram, Ranger barked, "Report."
"Sir, Expedition number two is missing. I've called control. The vehicle just turned onto 206, heading towards the Pine Barrens."
"Go now!"
-0-
Back on the fourth floor, Tank watched the officer pull a wallet from the older man's jacket.
What's his name?" Tank asked.
Eddie Gazarra looked up surprised. It was a strange question from the big Rangeman. "He has several IDs on him."
"Is one Arkady Babeyv?"
"Yes. What's going on?"
Ranger ran back up the stairs to Tank. "I've got to leave. Stephanie is missing. We are tracking her heading east. She may be injured." Then glancing down at the dead older man, "Is that Arkady, her step-father?"
Tank nodded once.
Ranger looked at the other dead and those waiting for transport to the hospital or jail. He recognized two being low-level Russian mob who lived in the area.
-0-
The ambulance pulled into the only Trauma One center in the area, Capital/Fund. The waiting room was a sea of black, Rangeman waiting for word on Malika and Ramon. They also came to give blood in addition to support. They waited, ready to give blood.
After 50 minutes, those waiting saw another gurney enter and quickly move to the treatment centers.
Ram and several other Rangeman followed it in. Ranger looked up at Ram, who shook his head. Ranger lowered his.
Ram went over to Lester and asked, "Micky?"
"Nothing except requests for type O blood."
"Ramon?"
"Also in surgery. Where did you find Bomber?"
"Cranberry bog in the Barrens. She was deep in the muck," Ram answered.
Hours passed.
Tank had stopped by Haywood to find clean clothes for Ranger and Lester. As the hours wore on, Ranger thanked and dismissed the men who had given blood, knowing they needed rest. He did not see Frank Plum enter. So much for awareness. Frank was sitting by himself. Ranger joined him but said nothing. Frank finally spoke, "This is getting old. What happened?"
"I don't have all the facts, but Micky was the target, and Stephanie was an innocent bystander. What have they told you?"
"Nothing, nothing at all. Where's Dr. Brown? He usually keeps us informed."
"Micky is his wife."
"I didn't know he was married. How bad is she?"
"Bad."
"What happened to my daughter?"
"According to witnesses, her car was purposely t-boned and pushed into a large SUV. A group of men pulled them from the vehicle but did not wait for EMTs. Babe, ah, Stephanie and Micky were taken to a building in Hamilton Township under construction. After a shootout, she fled to the Barrens. I don't know if she's physically injured, but I suspect she's having a mental breakdown. My guys found her stuck in a cranberry bog in the Barrens."
Frank shook his head, "I thought she was getting better."
"She was, but something happened in that building that caused her to run."
The emergency room nurse came to Ranger and Frank Plum. "Please follow me."
They met Dr. Butler in a hall that offered some privacy.
"First of all, Ramon Sanchez. Numerous bullet shrapnel wounds. One was nasty, nicking his carotid artery. He is very fortunate.
"Second, Stephanie Plum. Injuries are minimal. Her clavicle fractured at nearly the same spot as before. She has two fractured ribs and bruises all down her left side from the auto impact. She was hypothermic when she came in. We are slowing raising her temperature. When she regained consciousness, she was extremely distraught. She begged us to let her die. We had to sedate her."
"How long will she be out?"
"Once her core temperature rises, she will be physically out of danger. The sedation should last until tonight."
"What about Grace Brown?"
Dr. Butler paused, "She is still in surgery. The bullet hit the liver. She was flatline when she got here. Dr. Brown is in with the team."
Frank turned to Ranger, "I'll take the first shift here. She's not going to be waking until later. I'll call Valerie and Edna. Come back in a few hours. If something happens before, I'll call you."
Ranger returned to the waiting area where Lester sat the vigil. "What?" Lester asked.
"Babe has hypothermia, a couple of fractures and contusions, but..."
"What?"
"She was begging the doctors to let her die. She was probably fleeing to the Barrens to disappear forever."
The two men sat in silence. "Ramon?" Lester asked again.
"Nicked caratoid. Ramon will spend two days here before he's released."
Lester swallowed, "Micky?"
"The bullet hit the liver. The surgeons are having a hard time stopping the bleeding."
Several hours later, Bobby emerged from the surgery area His eyes were hollow. Ranger and Lester were immediately at his side. The other Rangemen came over as well.
"I'm going to have to be concise; otherwise, I'll lose it. The bullet hit the liver. Micky was entering hypovolemic shock when she fell into the dumpster, virtually no heartbeat. She had no heartbeat when we got here. I lost count the number of blood units she required. I understand several of our guys contributed. Thank them for me until I get a chance. Right now, doctors aren't sure she won't hemorrhage again. Bobby had to pause to pull himself together. He looked up again, "You've heard about Ramon?"
Ranger nodded.
Bobby's eyes flashed anger for a moment, "Where is Bomber?"
"She was injured in the collision but now sedated. I was staying out here until you came. Frank is with her for a few hours before I go back."
"Yeah, at least your woman gets to live." Bobby spun around and walked away.
-0-
Ranger sat beside his Babe's bed as she slept. His head was throbbing. How many times has he done this both in hospitals and in her apartment? What was there that kept him coming back to her? It took him years to understand, this was his soul, his heart, but he repeatedly pushed her away. Finally, they had opened up to one another, but was it too late? Her begging to die indicated her resiliency was gone. Was she broken? Dr. Peter was still treating years of near-death experiences, years of abuse from the Burg, but now this, watching Micky fall out a four-story window, no doubt reminded her of Vlatko.
And what about Bobby and Micky? For a brief moment, he saw hatred in Bobby's eyes when he asked about Babe. Are they to lose both their women? Will Bobby recover?
"Malika will make it," came a voice from the tall blond man walking into the room.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Diesel?" Ranger hissed. At least Ranger understood why he had a headache.
"Remember I told you Malika is one of us. She has a healing trait, like mine."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ranger hissed.
"Didn't Bobby assume she would die in Turkmenistan? She was dead when they removed her from the helicopter, but revived. Didn't Bobby say she had no heartbeat when she arrived here? If severely injured, we Unmentionables can go into stasis, a condition between life and death. If Unmentionable healers get to the wounded within 24 hours, there is no lasting damage. If mortal medicine intervenes, the recovery is slower and somewhat problematic. Malika is not registered. The healers do not know about her, but I've kept my eye on her.
"What about the Adirondacks, was she in stasis?"
"No, her life was never in danger from her injuries, but her abilities allowed her to perfectly set Stephanie's many fractures and heal her internal injuries."
"Is Micky eternal?" Ranger asked.
Diesel smiled, "No, a lethal injury or old age will claim her just as it will us all. She lost a portion of her liver. Isn't that right, Doctor Brown?" Diesel said with his back turned to the man that was standing six feet behind, eavesdropping.
Bobby nodded.
"She will be fine in time. Her Unmentionable liver will regenerate rather quickly. I just popped in to relieve your minds."
"What about Stephanie?"
"She will need in-depth therapy, but if she knows you will stand with her, Ranger, she can make it back. She figures you'll walk away from her now for killing Micky. Cute name, by the way.
"While I would like to catalog Malika's abilities, I will honor Ivan's request. She will never know unless you tell her. I will leave you with by saying thank you for protecting Malika, now Micky. With that, there was a pop and the unmistakable lingering scent of Christmas cookies.
"What the fuck was that about, Ranger?" Bobby whispered.
"What was what?" Ranger lied. "You look like the walking dead. Do you even remember why you came in here?"
"I'm not hallucinating. That was Diesel. Is Micky one of them?"
Ranger sighed, "Yes, but she is not registered. Her father, Ivan, didn't want her to know."
"What's her power?"
"Ability to heal," Ranger answered.
Bobby asked, "You mean to heal or to be healed?"
Ranger shrugged. "I'm not sure. For certain to heal, but maybe also to heal."
-0-
Micky opened her eyes and saw the dark-skinned man sitting reading from a tablet. He raised his eyes and softly spoke, "This is how we met in Albany."
Micky nodded. She put out her hand to hold his and whispered, "You need to sleep."
"I have and could use more, but you need to go back to sleep right now."
"What is the damage?"
"A liver lobe."
"Liver?"
"I would gladly consult with you further, but since you are awake and talking plus showing minimal jaundice, know we can discuss this later as you will have a later."
She nodded and whispered, "You need to sleep, my love."
He was so tired all he could do was nod. He had been by her side for days.
The next day the surgeon stopped in, "I don't know how you stayed with us. I'd like to think you had great doctors starting with Bobby."
Bobby was still telling himself Diesel's discussion with Ranger was a hallucination and remained mute.
The doctor continued, "But I'm putting it on Bobby's immediate intervention and the prayers." Then looking at Bobby, "Bobby, you need sleep, horizontal sleep, not sitting in a chair. This wasn't a combat mission. It is your wife. "
Malika smiled a weak smile. She agreed with the surgeon. Once she and Bobby were alone, she asked, "What else?"
He took several cleansing breaths and began, "Ramon was shot as he tried to follow you. He was here three days and now back at Haywood. Bones is watching him. Bomber's physical injuries weren't too bad, but mentally she's a wreck. She thought you died, and she was to blame. The guys found her in the Pine Barrens, far from her vehicle. It's as if she crawled off to die."
"She is broken."
"Ranger brought her in here so she could see you were alive. It helped a bit. She needs serious psychiatric care. Both are now in Miami to work with Cecelia, Ranger's sister. She and her husband are psychiatrists. Both Ranger and Bomber are going to need treatment."
"How did Arkady find me?"
Bobby rubbed his face, another sign of being tired. "Somebody was hacking the VA records. It began when you got to were stationed at the Albany VA, as you suspected. After the attack and you disappeared, the hacking slowed down.
News of two women found in the Adirondacks brought them sniffing again."
"So, the ploy to get me to the Albany VA was Arkady?"
"We believe he was in Russia but sent word to have you kidnapped. He didn't know how badly you were injured. We prevented that from happening. When told you escaped, he collapsed. Maybe he had a stroke or heart attack. The attempts to find you went into hibernation."
"Too bad the bastard didn't die," Micky hissed.
Bobby agreed and continued, "It took months for him to recover. When he was well enough, the hacking began again. He found you at Lourdes Clinic. Suddenly you were gone again, this time through the name change. Then the joker was added to the mix. Morelli started drinking heavily and spouting off about the Air Force bitch doctor that ruined his career. The Russian mob heard him and contacted Arkady. Arkady came to town and began spreading the word he'd pay for information about you."
Bobby stopped. Micky could see hatred in his eyes. "Go on, Bobby," she urged.
"It's hard. My emotions are all over with this." He breathed in a few times and began again, "Stephanie took you to the bond's office and introduced you to Lula. I don't know what was said, but Lula put two and two together, figured out who you were, and contacted Morelli, who, in turn, contacted the Russian mob here. Arkady was in town. Everything snapped into place. The Russians had an out of the way building, and they knew where you would be, plus they had Steph's car and license plate. Lula took a picture. At the parking lot, one person blocked Ramon and opened fire. The Porsche was T-boned."
"We could have been killed."
"Ramon nearly was and you were for a moment. They fired into the truck, hitting his neck. That's another reason Steph isn't doing well. Ramon was injured, Joe Morelli, her supposed fiance plus her friend, Lula, betrayed you."
"Do I dare ask what has or will happen to them?"
Bobby shook his head no, " There's still an on-going investigation."
Micky figured Morelli, and maybe Lula was missing, perhaps feeding the Pine Barrens' soil bacteria. "Were you involved?"
Again he shook his head no.
"After all these years, is it finally over?"
"Yes. Arkady and the younger Turkmen are dead. The police will want to talk to you to wrap up the case. There will be no retribution or honor killing from the Russian community. Ranger went and spoke to the head here. Arkady recruited help under pretenses. First, he never mentioned he was not a genuine born Slav but rather a Turkmen. Second, Arkady always referred to you as Malika Arkadyevna, his daughter. When Ranger told them your true father's name, there were many embarrassed Russians here and Brighton Beach. Ivan Rostov was revered among the Russian ex-pats."
"Was the hacker found?"
"Yeah, some whiz out in Silicon Valley. He needed the money. His lifestyle was more significant than his obscene salary. Plus, he had no moral scruples. When told what he had done, he shrugged as if it was no big deal. With a reasonable prosecutor, the hacker will be looking at thirty years in federal prison.
"I doubt it. That's the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. All he had to do is play his Liberal card," Micky shook her head in disgust.
"You forget one factor," Bobby said, looking at her without another word.
"The Justice League?" Micky asked.
"If necessary."
Micky looked off, "I don't want to know." After a period of silence, Micky asked Bobby, "Can you forgive Stephanie?"
Bobby sat back and crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, sending off conflicting body messages. "I think what I have done and seen over the years and the problems I've had, I'm trying. She has gone through hell most of her life. It's been a bad year for her." He held up his hand and started counting on his fingers. "She finally broke up with Joe, was severely injured and stranded in the mountains with you. Add her mother's breakdown, then Lula betraying you, Ramon getting shot. End with the car crash, kidnapping, and you shot and falling out the opening. Is it any wonder she slipped back into old Bomber mode running away. She usually is good about bouncing back, but these will tax her. Maybe with help from the professional and Ranger's support, she can be reborn."
"Hopefully, stronger."
"Amen."
"So you'll try?" Micky asked as she gripped his hand.
"You'll have to help me."
"That's why God created woman to help man."
-0-
Later:
Joe Morelli died in a flophouse on Stark Street. His death was not officially ruled "by drugs," out of compassion for his family. The official report read "heart attack with over-riding conditions." His blood-alcohol level was 0.55, well above intoxication levels. Also found was heroin with the needle nearby with only Joe's fingerprints. The autopsy showed Joe was not long for this world. He had esophageal cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, and clogged heart arteries.
Joe was a cocaine abuser since losing his job. So the heroine discovery was unexpected. The pathologists assumed Joe was moving his drug choice into heroin, except Joe wasn't the one who injected the drug. The list of the possible perpetrators included TPD police, pimps, and members of the Grizolli mob. A few thought of Ranger, but he was in Miami. Nobody suspected a former gang banger who now worked for Rangeman.
Lula Jackson packed up all her belongings and left Trenton never to be heard from again. Her departure was quick, and she didn't tell a soul where or when she was going. At least that was what the police believed. Out of respect for his previous feelings for her, he never knew.
Ranger and Stephanie spent the next seven months in Florida. They made their surprise return to Trenton at the Rangeman Halloween party dressed as Batman and Wonder Woman. Their wedding rings shown brightly. Stephanie had been reborn.
Celcia completed the work therapist Drs. Peter Roman and Micky Brown had begun. Stephanie understood the years of abuse from her mother and the Burg was responsible for her hiding in the Land of Denial. Fear of harassment kept her from moving forward. Her succor was not alcohol like her mother, but sugar and sex.
The betrayal by Morelli and Lula was not Stephanie's fault, but their inability to adapt. Stephanie had moved on. Joe did not know how to love and work towards a domestic relationship due to his upbringing. Lula was jealous and vindictive after Stephanie left.
The reborn Stephanie quickly moved back into her roles at Rangeman but never requested to work in the field, bringing in FTAs. As Micky had pointed out, Stephanie's strength was in using her brain to solve problems and her likability. She became the softer face of Rangeman.
Most of all, Steph avoided everything Burg. Never again did she eat at Pino's. She had given up desserts and other sugars when Cecelia showed her how higher blood sugars were not helping, but adversely affecting her mood swings. Tasty Pastry was forgotten and was Butterscotch Krimpets.
Frank Plum decided he had enough of Helen Plum and divorced her. He sold the house, which was solely in his name, and set Helen up in a one-bedroom apartment on St. James. The same one Stephanie once lived. It was the same apartment. A year later, the apartment building caught fire. Helen was too drunk to get out of her apartment. Firefighters rescued her, but her heart stopped due to alcohol abuse.
Micky retired from the Air Force. She and Bobby continue to live at Rangeman but have a home near Washinton Crossing, where they often spend the evenings together watching the sunset.