Chapter 55
RPOV
I felt the tap on my wrist and lifted it so that I could read the incoming message on my watch. Smiling that Steph was trying out her new watch, I returned my focus to what Tank was saying. From our discussions it seemed all of us were in agreement about the changes to Rangeman and I have to say that I was proud of Steph as each man praised the process of how to do it.
What we were doing now was building a timeframe, putting in dates for when stages would begin and end. As we finally agreed on a start date all of us looked up at what we'd heard, sure that the sound had been a scream from outside. I was berating myself for bringing Steph here, why the hell would I think that it was any safer now than it had been before. Then my blood ran cold as I realized that whoever had got to Steph must have circumvented all the security that was around or had rendered them incapacitated.
As I ran from the upstairs room and through the lounge, I could see the hammock swinging gently in the breeze through the windows. Outside was very quiet so I slowed down and took a good look around me. What surprised me was seeing Steph being held by a man sat on the ground. He was looking down at Steph, so I didn't recognize him until he looked up as I approached.
"I didn't do anything, honestly. She just seemed to tumble out of the hammock"
I knelt down and took Steph from his arms and noted that at least he was holding her properly this time. I could see that her eyes were tightly closed, and her hands were in fists on her chest.
"I have no idea how she's hurt, she just fell and suddenly she went as white as a sheet"
As I sat on the ground with Steph in my arms, I knew that the others were with me and of course that Bobby would want to check her over. I just hoped that she hadn't aggravated her injury. As Bobby knelt down, he took hold of her wrist to find her pulse point.
"Bobby, I'm fine"
"You don't look too good Steph"
"Let me get my breath"
I could feel her taking short breaths, not taking enough air in at the moment to raise her chest up and down too much. I turned her wrist and brought it to her face.
"Open an eye Babe and the watch will do the rest"
One eye came open, but it was enough to open the watch so that I could show Bobby her stats. Her heart rate was fine as were her oxygen levels so raising an eyebrow Bobby stepped back.
"Fin, what the hell are you doing here?"
"I had my debrief with just Garcia so I'm a free agent for the time being"
I wasn't too pleased that he was here, did he think he could just turn up, and then what?
"I came up this way to see Sarah and decided to see if you were around to talk to. Some guy at Rangeman told me you were unavailable, so I thought I'd try here"
I looked down to see that Steph looked more relaxed, not asleep as she would normally be.
"Okay Babe?"
A slight nod of the head was all I got, when I wanted more reassurance than that.
"How about I take you up to the bedroom?"
"Nah. I want to hear what Fin has to say"
I felt assured with her comment and was almost going to roll my eyes at how curious she was. Yeah, she was fine, probably more shocked than anything else.
"Let's find somewhere more comfortable then"
Lifting Steph slightly I managed to get to my feet and walked up toward the house where there were more comfortable outdoor chairs. I chose a lounger and leaning against the back rest nestled Steph into my body with my arms around her. Santos, Bobby and Fin joined me, so we were now waiting to hear what Fin had to say.
"Tank's checking the perimeter"
"My men Fin?"
Maybe I said that with a hint of annoyance, but couldn't he have just announced his arrival to one of the men instead of frightening Steph?
"I skirted around them; they didn't see me. I really didn't mean to scare her, hell, I never thought that she'd be in that hammock again"
"What do you have that you thought you needed to talk to me?"
"Garcia was very cagey; in fact I don't think he really knew what the hell was going on. When I told him that I'd found that woman and that she was dead along with the rest of her team he dismissed me. I told him to contact the FBI in New York, but it was as if he wasn't interested. He told me that it was a job well done and my part was completed"
If that's all that Fin had to say, then I really wasn't impressed at him being here.
"I caught up with an old friend, Morgan. He hasn't had much work recently, something about budget cuts and a change in emphasis of how our work was going to change. Anyway, he said something that had me thinking. He said it wasn't fair when there were men out there who were getting all of the jobs. Him and some of the others under contract have heard that Calhoun has someone doing a lot of the jobs"
"You got a name?"
"El ángel oscuro"
"The dark angel"
I translated what he'd said knowing that Steph wouldn't understand but would see the significance of the name. I didn't say anything as I thought through what Fin had said. All that he'd done was to confirm what we were already thinking. It didn't give us anything on Calhoun and him paying a man to do dirty jobs wasn't what I wanted him for. I wanted him to be accountable for inciting a terrorist threat.
"Do you know exactly who this man is or where he can be found?"
"No"
"So what are your plans now?"
I could see that he felt awkward about answering that and watched as his eyes travelled past Santos and Bobby before finally resting on Steph. After a few moments he looked up at me.
"Well, I know I didn't exactly get off on the right foot with you, but, I err. I wanted to ask if I could apply for a job at Rangeman"
My response was to raise an eyebrow at him. Bobby just stared at him while Santos was close to laughing.
"Why not?"
Were the words that I heard coming from Steph. I looked down at her face and watched as her eyes opened and noticed that her color was better and her breathing deeper and more even.
"Why would I want to employ him Babe?"
"He passes the visual test for a Rangeman. I know he can be polite, and he did find Sarah. He got his head on straight when it came to it and he shot that Beth woman"
I honestly didn't know what to say to what Steph had said though there was one question that I would have to ask when we were alone. I looked back over to Santos, who shrugged his shoulders, then over to Bobby who was actually nodding his head.
"Okay. You'll have to go through the application process and pass the standards. The work isn't always exciting. We run a security company which involves a lot of surveillance"
"And watching monitors and filling in paperwork"
"I don't care. I want some stability. I want Sarah nearby. I still want some excitement, but I want to have a half normal life"
I felt Steph chuckle next to me and gave her a half smile, with Steph a part of Rangeman that normality might never happen. It was strange though as he said what he did, because in some ways he was echoing exactly what I wanted as well.
As we started to grill Fin on the areas that he was skilled in I felt Steph relaxing and knew that she was asleep. I was comfortable holding her and to be honest her being here with us was probably the safest place to be. Fin would have no problem passing Rangeman standards. He'd kept himself physically fit and was conscientious enough that he'd kept up his skills. He spoke several languages and had started his military career as an MP, so he could be good with apprehensions.
It seemed we had talked ourselves into taking Fin on at Rangeman but, and it was a big but, I wanted him to earn my trust first. Steph had been betrayed by too many people recently, so I had to ensure that he was being honest with us and I wasn't bringing in a viper inside Rangeman. As the sun started to drop, I decided it was time to head inside which coincided with Steph waking up. I felt her stretching her toes and legs and her eyes opened.
"What did you decide about Fin?"
"We'll take him on and put him through his paces"
"But"
"I don't know him well enough to trust him"
"Why not get him inducted through the Boston office"
"When did you get so wise, querida?"
"I'm not confident enough to pass judgement but at the moment my trust in people is pretty low"
"Agreed"
The idea that Steph had was a good one. If Fin was a plant, then he wouldn't want to go to Boston. If he was sincere about joining us, then he could transfer down to Trenton once he was fully trained.
"You could add that, induction and training, to your chart for the offices"
I almost sighed as I realized that Steph would have been a good person to have in our core group meetings. I would suggest that to the others for when we next met to discuss our forward plans.
"Has Fin gone?"
"Yes, he's meeting with Sarah and said that he needed some time to relax before he started working again"
I knew how he felt because taking that time to decompress after a job was important. You would be constantly on edge and your mind would be working overtime, anything could cause a reaction from you and it was usually the fight reaction from all of the adrenalin still in your system.
My way of decompressing was to find Steph because she helped me to find that calmness that was necessary. When she wasn't around, or Morelli had been there I worked it from my system through exercise or working in isolation. Sometimes I'd come here to this beach house but now this house didn't have the same feeling. Maybe it was time to look for somewhere else, but I'd do that with Steph, find somewhere where we both felt comfortable. That had me thinking of the expression that Steph had used, the Batcave. I was sure that she had this idea in her head that I had some secret property hidden away somewhere. I'd never denied it to her, because I didn't want to spoil the illusion. The fact was that the Batcave was where she was.
Tomorrow we were due back in Trenton, having the core team out for the weekend would mean a pile of paperwork to get caught up on.
Steph said she was feeling fine after her fall from the hammock and was adamant that she hadn't hurt herself. I think she was more embarrassed that she'd reacted to seeing Fin and had panicked to get up which had caused her tumble.
Once dinner was finished, I made sure that I stayed with Steph while we relaxed and watched TV, before heading to the comfort of bed and having her curled up inside my arms.
The following morning was spent packing, ensuring that the fridge was empty of perishable food and making sure the place was tidy. Ella would come by later and collect the linens from the beds and towels that we'd used. I decided to drive with Steph, on her own so that I could initiate a conversation about looking for a house that we both felt comfortable with. I knew we had cars with us and that they would be on the lookout for anything unusual.
"The house that we just stayed in was bought as a safe house, but I think we need to look for somewhere else"
I glanced to the side to watch Steph's reaction, seeing her turn as though she was surprised at what I'd said.
"Because Fin managed to find it?"
"There's that and I'm not sure how comfortable I am using there anymore"
"Do you still need something that big, I mean how many families have you used it for?"
"Not many, certainly not enough times to warrant having it"
"How often do other Rangemen use it?"
"Not very often. Tank and Bobby both have their own houses so don't go there that much"
"I didn't know that Bobby had a house"
"Yes. He tends to spend most of his time at Rangeman, but he bought the house as an investment originally"
"Do you need to replace the safe house then?"
I considered what Steph was saying and realized that she had totally misunderstood what I was suggesting. She was thinking only of the house as a safe house.
"I wasn't talking about a house as a safe house. I was talking about a house for you and me"
That had her looking at me with surprise now and I could almost smell the smoke coming from her as she thought through what I'd just said.
"Don't you already have houses?"
"No. I never had the need for one before now"
"The Batcave?"
Ah, there was that word that had been used so many times before when I felt that I needed to keep Steph at the edge of my life.
"The Batcave isn't a building Babe"
"It isn't. But you said that once in the Batcave that you'd . ."
"Never let you go"
I took her hand in mine and pressed her palm against my chest, waiting to see if she would understand what I'd meant then and what I was saying now.
"This is the Batcave Babe. Once I let you into my heart then I wouldn't let you go"
Making a turning from the road we were on I let go of her hand to maneuver around the corner and focused on the traffic around us. I was pleased when her hand remained against my chest. Once driving on the road, I quickly looked over to her to see that she was looking me.
"You're being serious, aren't you?"
"Yes. Are you annoyed that there isn't some secret building somewhere that I have?"
"No, I'm annoyed at myself for the way that I interpreted what the Batcave was"
"Don't be, I never tried to explain myself. It never seemed the right time"
"And now is?"
"Yes. Having you living with me at Rangeman, it made me realize that I didn't want to lose you. I know I said some shit things at the time, but things are different now. I want you as part of my life, all of it. Being by my side at work and somewhere where we could call home"
I could tell that she was going over what I was saying and was hoping that she wasn't feeling that I was pushing her.
"I've never spent as long away from my apartment before without feeling the need to go back to it. The times at Morelli's house became stifling to the point where I'm sure it was me that looked for a reason to leave"
"Are you saying that you want to go back to your apartment? Because if you are then I'll be there with you"
"No. I've outgrown the place, maybe grown up a bit and I don't want to be there anymore. Wherever you are then that's where I'll be"
"Move in with me Babe"
I heard her laugh as I said that and felt a twinge of concern pass through me.
"I think I already have. I haven't been back to my apartment and to be honest I don't want to"
"Is that a yes then?"
"Yes, it is"
"Then we'll organize for your things to be brought over to Rangeman"
"I'll need to talk to Dillon and give him notice and there are some things there that I'd like to keep. The rest can go to the charity shops, or in the garbage"
"Then do that this week while I get caught up with work"
"What about Parker?"
"That will stay simmering in the background. I wouldn't be surprised if he was long gone by now"
If he was working for Calhoun then there would be no reason for him to stay around Trenton, the job for Calhoun had been completed and maybe he was already involved in the next one. I took hold of Steph's hand from my chest and brought it to my lips, kissing the inside of her wrist and palm before replacing it on my thigh. We weren't that far from Rangeman and traffic was increasing now, meaning that I needed to refocus back onto the road.
Once inside the garage I watched as the other cars that had been with us parked up and then was by Steph's door helping her out. I was surprised when Santos joined us in the elevator and wasn't immune to his look when he got out on five.
"Babe, are you going up to the apartment?"
"Yes, I need to start to organize myself"
I stepped from the elevator and started to walk to my office with Santos following me. Once through the door I turned and looked at him.
"What is it?"
"We picked up a tail just outside Trenton"
Shit, I'd been too distracted talking to Steph to notice. That was unacceptable because I should be putting her safety first at all times. I wiped my hands down my face to get myself under control, to retain the anger I was feeling at myself.
"Hey, they were too stupid to realize that you and Steph were in another car. They were following me, but I think because we had Miguel asleep in the back seat, he thought that it was Steph. The tint on the windows wouldn't allow for them to see in clearly, only see the shadow"
"Who?"
"Morelli. Seb and Nate picked up surveillance on him and have been using the car they rented for when they were up here"
"I didn't realize that they were still here"
"Tank suggested they went back to Miami, but they asked to stay on for a while. They were being covered down in Miami, so Tank took the decision to keep them, just in case"
"I suppose it gave us some leeway with having so many men away for the weekend"
I couldn't argue Tank's logic and was actually grateful that he'd thought through the possible need for additional men, and ones that we could trust.
"What have they reported so far?"
"He's drinking more, but what's strange is that he isn't seeing that Gilman woman. Seb's enjoyed the work because he's never been to so many dives before. Seems that Morelli goes through the moves with the ladies and then dumps them once they seem interested in him"
I didn't like the sound of that. I'd hoped that Morelli would lick his wounds and move on. If he wasn't then it meant that he was festering and that could mean that he would be resentful and have Steph in his sights.
"What's happening with the internal enquiry that the Chief was going to do?"
"Ongoing. Which won't help with Morelli's state of mind. He's also been seen calling at the Plum residence"
"Frank wouldn't allow that to happen"
"Nate doesn't think that Mr Plum was there. Maybe you need a conversation with Mr Plum"
Santos left my office with me resigning myself to having to speak to Frank. Maybe it was opportune timing because I wanted to tell him about Steph moving in here permanently and giving up her apartment. Sitting at my desk I took out my phone and called his mobile number.
"Ranger, everything okay?"
"Yes and no"
"Thought so, I haven't heard from Steph in a while"
"Steph is doing well, we've just returned from a weekend away"
"Good for you. You both needed to relax. So what's the bad news?"
"Before I go onto that I wanted to let you know that Steph's going to be moving in here with me"
I waited, expecting some sort of lecture and was surprised at the response of a short chuckle.
"I thought she already had. Has she done anything about her apartment yet?"
"We're sorting that out this week"
"Okay, so what else?"
"Morelli"
"Funny you should mention him because I had need to have a conversation with him about last night"
"Go on"
"The little prick keeps calling at my house when he thinks I'm not there. Of course, Ellen is overjoyed. I took the cab out last night and parked at the back of the house then waited until he was inside. He knows I'm pissed with him and so does Ellen. The problem is that she still sided with him, so I walked out. Told her to expect divorce papers in the post. I'm not sure if that'll knock any sense into her or not, I doubt it"
"Are you sure that is what you want?"
"Not really, but her infatuation with having Morelli as a son seems stronger than having me as her husband"
"I'm sorry Frank"
"So am I. I tried to get her to see a doctor, but she refused and said there was nothing wrong with her"
"Where will you stay?"
Thinking that we probably had an empty apartment on four.
"A friend from the lodge. His wife died and he has a big house. I'll be okay"
"Edna?"
"She says she's gonna stay for now, try to work on Ellen and try to dissuade Morelli from turning up. I think she wants to know what Morelli is up to"
The idea of Morelli and Mrs. Plum scheming and plotting made my blood run cold. Not just because of what they might be planning but the effect that would have on Steph.
"What will you tell Steph?"
Because there was no way I wanted to be doing that.
"I'll give her a call, maybe meet up with her somewhere and we can talk"
"You know you can come here, anytime Frank"
"Thanks for that, I'll bare that in mind"
The call finished on that note leaving me wondering what the hell to do. I felt like booking the jet and taking Steph away from here, Boston or Miami, either would do. The thing was that doing that wouldn't resolve anything. I suppose Steph would need to be the one to decide what she wanted to do and somehow live with the fact that her mother was the one who needed to change if they were ever to have any type of relationship.
I pushed that from my mind as my eyes landed on the in-tray on my desk. As I'd expected it was stacked high with paperwork.
