Mea Culpa. The computer crashed, dead, taking new chapters for this story. This was followed by my beloved Odyssey giving its life to save me. July was not a good month.

Chapter 23

"White Girl, youz calling me?"

Stephanie paused. What is she going to say? Lula had been her friend for years, but since the hospital shooting, Lula was different. Mentioning the kidnapping might interfere with Ranger's investigation. When in doubt, deflect. "Ah, Ranger is looking for you."

"Oh yeah, Batman is looking for me? What's yo trying to pull?" Stephanie could picture Lula standing, throwing out her hip, and putting her hand on the extended joint. Well, not throwing out her hip if her back was injured.

"He came into the bonds office and said he wanted to talk to you. Bobby was with him. Maybe something to do with your fall?" Stephanie was trying to be as bland as possible.

"Bobby, yum, there's another fine black man. But there's no reason for me to be seeing him. I've got a doc at the clinic."

"Lula, when did you fall? How badly were you hurt?"

"It was the day after it snowed. I was getting out of my car and my feet went out from under me. The doc said I compressed my back. The cure is rest and going to a therapist to get stretched back out. I was there this morning."

"Well, maybe Ranger has some information on your court hearing, He didn't say." Gads, she hated to be so evasive with her friend.

"Hmmm, why would he want to talk to me 'bout dat?"

"You know Ranger, he uses minimal words and doesn't explain unless it relates to you. The only way you'll know is to call him."

"I ain't got his number."

"I'll text it to you, no problem." Stephanie paused before continuing, "Lula, I'm worried about you. I know I haven't been around much, but I still worry about you. Can we meet for lunch somewhere?"

"I guess dat be alright. How about the BBQ on Cummings Street? I could sure go for ribs, if yo buying."

Trust Lula to get down the food. "Sounds good. I need to get my grandmother to the beauty shop and take her back home. It will be a short trip. Could we meet in an hour?"

It was not long before Edna came out with her new hairstyle. The hair was short, but not curled tight into sausage rolls. The sides tapered to cover her ears but long enough to sweep back if she wanted. Most surprising was the color. Grandma's hair was a lovely silvery white. "I decided not to get any color added."

Edna had gone through major color experiments. The typical blue used on older women's grey hair was too common for Edna. She had been red, pink, purple, blond-gold, and green for St. Patrick's Day. Helen Plum would have a fit each time Grandma would talk about hair color which was exactly what the older lady was aiming for. Edna's daughter needed to be knocked out of her Burg coma. Now without the Burg and Helen, Edna could relax.

Stephanie smiled. The style was younger but putting a younger style on her grandmother's wrinkled face did not help much. At least the style was something different from the Burg standards. Unmarried women were expected to keep their hair long to maximize their appeal to potential husbands. Once married, the hair was shortened and maintained with weekly visits to the beauty salon. There was little resistance because the beauty salon was a major gossip hub, the Burg's favorite sport. Women were kept apprised of community happenings while adding their own opinion even without knowing the facts. Anyone who deviated from proper Burg behavior was ripe for criticism. Stephanie was often the number one topic.

Edna reacted to Stephanie's compliment with a little shrug, "I still have some perm, so there is a little curl. I have to comb it out and use this goop," she said holding up a jar. The big change is I don't have to wait a week to have it washed and set. I can shampoo myself and just comb and fluff."

"How do you like it, Grandma?"

Edna puffed a bit, "I think I look like that English actresses, I can't remember her name. She was the boss in some of those Bond movies."

"Dame Judith?" Grandma Mazur was ahead on wrinkles but, she did look like Dame Judith's older sister though the two women might be close in age. Time had not been kind to Edna.

"Think the guys will go for me?" Grandma Mazur asked with both a twinkle in her eye, but also a hopeful expression. Where does the 80-something-year-old get her endurance and sexual drive?

"With this updated look, Grandma, I think men will be quite interested. You could find all-new studs now that you are out of the Burg." Steph had no idea what older men found interesting in older women. Perhaps companionship was more important than looks. But from Grandma's perspective, the men also needed to be in sexual working order.

The answer brought a smile to the old lady's face. "Great idea. The Burg men were losers, locked in out-of-date beliefs. It is time to live for the few years I have left. Maybe I'll sign up for yoga or some other exercise. You know, we've got to keep limber for our men," she said with a wink.

The thought of Grandma Mazur's flexibility made me worry about brittle bones and her hip. It was time to change subjects. "Do we need to get anything else? With Daddy working, you'll have to shop when a ride is available."

"I can always use fresh fruit and vegetables."

"Fruits and vegetables? I thought you were more an Edelman's coffee cake person."

"That's your mother. Frank and I eat healthy unlike what your mother serves. I can't remember when he last ate breakfast or lunch at home. He abhors cereals and pancakes."

Steph knew her father ate out more and more and feared he had a girlfriend feeding him. She must have muttered her concern aloud because her grandmother started chuckling. "No, he doesn't have a girlfriend, yet. There is a lot about your father you don't know. You haven't been home regularly since you went off to college."

Edna was right. When she left for Douglass College in New Brunswick, she all but moved out of the Plum house except for emergencies. She married Dickie Orr soon after graduating, then divorce, finding her apartment, working for EE Martin in Newark, then back to Trenton. Whenever she was at Casa Plum, her father sat either in front of the TV or at the dinner table. How could she know more about him? "I guess I'm a bit out of touch on happenings at home."

As they pulled up to ShopRite grocery, Edna was excited. "If we get applesauce, I can make you a cake without sugar."

"No sugar?"

"A different type of sugar. Or I could use prunes. The fiber is a great addition. Speaking of fiber, we are going to start roasting vegetables for dinner. The newspaper says it brings out the sweetness. Of course, with your father working at Rangeman, how often will he be home for dinner? You know, Grandbaby, you are going to have to stop eating what you want and go to what you should before you are forced to eat what you must."

"What?"

"Your body is an adult now; you can't keep eating like a teenager."

"Yeah, I hear that from Ranger and Bobby."

"Maybe you should be expanding your menu with more fruits and vegetables now before your waist and hips begin to expand."

"You think I have my mother's body?"

"Sweetheart, look in the mirror. Your booty is not flat like mine. Your body is your mother's.

"At least I didn't Valerie's body."

"You will if you don't correct your diet.

"I don't drink gravy."

"No, but you stuff yourself with sweets. All three of you girls have a fixation on fatty foods, sweets, and alcohol. You will look like Valerie if you get pregnant.

I listened not believing my grandma, who has been cooking for sixty or seventy years is cooking a new way. "Ah, weren't you cooking alongside Mom?"

"No, the menus were all hers. I don't eat much plus I keep moving to work off her cooking."

Great, I thought to myself. I could be eating twigs and bark shortly. Well, if Grandma Mazur and my father could change, why can't I?

-0-

I dropped Grandma Mazur at our new home and drove to the BBQ Shack on Cummings. The smells were intoxicating. Maybe I'd put off smart eating for another day. Lula was already waiting sipping water. Water? I expected a supersize cola. She stood and wrapped me in a hug. "White Girl, I don't see you often enough."

What was this? I see Lula at least once a week. We started with a giant tray of ribs with all the sides. After thirty minutes we were down to sucking on the rib bones like jackals finishing a zebra.

Lula paused, wiped her face and hands, and said, "White girl, why didn't you tell me about Tank's son? Did youz know that was him at Pino's a while back?"

"No, Lula, I didn't. I learned about him only recently."

"Is he married to the mother?"

Shaking her head, Steph answered, "No, they are not married. Both were in the Army and met in the Middle East. She lost track of him before she could tell him about the child. She recently left the Army and is looking for work any place but New Jersey."

"Do you think I still have a chance with him if he don't marry her?"

"Lula, remember the hospital scene? She was the woman you confronted and shot. The boy with her was Tank's son."

"WHAT?" She said as she dropped her fork filled with potato salad. "I shot Tank's son's mother?" She seemed shocked. "That explains why he was so pissed at me."

"Lula, he was upset with all of us, you, me, and the Rangemen for not stopping you. In the past, I've been able to calm you down before you went crazy. This time I was so busy being consoled by the Merry Men on the other side of the hospital waiting room, I forgot about you. Then when I went over to calm you I said something hurtful to the mother. Combined with what you did, it is why she refuses to live anywhere near Trenton. To her, we are a bunch of trigger-happy, insulting idiots. Tank just found his son and now he's going to lose him when she moves."

"Dat ain't right. A boy needs his father. Tank, he be a good man and would raise a fine son. I bet he bought that big house just for da boy."

"What big house? I thought Tank lived just outside the Burg."

"He gots himself a big house out by da country club in Ewing. I don think it is for his cats.

"How do you know about the house?"

"I sorta followed him one day. Dats when I saw the boy and the woman. It was the same boy from Pino's. I figured da boy is his. I also saw the mama. She's kinda tall and skinny, not what I thought Tank liked."

"Lula, I've never met the boy nor his mother. I saw the boy at Pino's the same time you did." It was true, she had never met the boy and only knew about him from Ranger's discussion.

Lula was contemplative for a while. "Maybe I should apologize to da boy's mama for what I said and did. Then she'd stay and Tank could raise his son."

Stephanie was stumped. Was Lula playing a game with her? This sounded like the Lula she knew before the hospital incident, not one who could be involved in a kidnapping.

"Youz knows, this whole court thing has me being upset about Tank being shot. You know how I get when upset. Maybe if I apologize, things will be better for me. Could you ask him when you go back to Rangeman if he will talk to me? I wanna see if the mama will accept my apology."

"Lula, while an apology would be nice, it's not going to help you with the court case. Laws were broken."

"I'm scared. I ain't got the money for a big ass fine so I'm gonna jail."

Was Lula lying through her teeth? Truly she was afraid of police and jails dating back to her working the streets. Why did Ranger consider she had a part in the boy's kidnapping? "Lula, Tank hasn't been at Rangeman since before Christmas. The boy's mother was hurt in an auto accident in New Mexico. She's in bad shape. He's been with her."

"Huh?"

"Right after it happened, Tank, Bobbie, Ella, and the boy flew out there."

"Are they still there?"

Oh boy, what does she say? If Lula is part of the kidnapping, didn't she do her research first? "Bobby, Ella, and the boy returned. Tank is still there."

Lula's head dropped. "Yeah, sounds like he wid her now." She looked up, "You said 'if she ever returns.'

"Lula, assuming she survives, she has a long road to recovery. I don't know where that will occur. Maybe she will remain out there, maybe here. After, she'll want to get back to finding a job."

"What does she do?"

"I don't know exactly. Something about designing stuff for outer space."

"So she's smart."

Steph could feel Lula's pain. "Lula, there are all types of smart. She may be more book-learning smart, but you are smart too. You've got life smarts, far more than I have. How many times have I turned to you for advice?"

"I don't feel so smart now. I messed up and gots to pay the price."

Steph was confused. Was Lula such a good actress? "How have you messed up, Lula?"

Lula looked off, "You were there. The hospital incident."

"You haven't done anything since, have you?"

Shaking her head no, "I'm so confused and scared."

Stephanie sat and stared at her friend trying to decide what to do. Should she call Ranger or the police? Was Lula innocent or hiding the truth?

"Youze got something on your mind, White Girl?" Lula asked.

Ah heck, Stephanie decided to throw the dice. "You don't know what's happened today?"

"What's you talkin' 'bout? I'ze been at the therapist this morning. I gots to go home and do stretching exercises and if the pain be bad, I take pain meds, muscle relaxers, and lay down."

"Lula, this morning Tank's son was on his way to school with Luis, Ella's husband when their car was rammed. Luis was injured and the boy kidnapped."

Lula's eyes shot wide open, and her color turned ashen. "No! They took Tank's son?"

"Lula, who are they?"

Lula looked ill then suddenly got up from the picnic table and rushed for the door. Stephanie tried to grab her friend and at the same time, extricate herself from the picnic table. Before she was free, she saw Lula's red car pull away from the curb. Who thought such a large woman could move so fast? Especially one with a bad back. Steph sat back down and pulled out her phone to call Ranger.

"Yo," Ranger answered.

"Ranger, I'm not sure Lula is involved."

"Have you talked with her?"

"Yes, face to face. She started by asking why I didn't tell her about Tank having a son. Then when I mentioned the kidnapping, she got kinda ashen."

"What did she say exactly, Babe."

"I quote, 'No, they took Tank's son.' She seemed shocked, ran to her car, and sped away before I could ask who."

"Where are you?"

"The BBQ Shack on West Cummings."

"We will try to intercept."

Lula rushed into her apartment. She sniffed and immediately recognized Ranger's scent. It was faint. He was there earlier. She did not even question how he got in since White Girl was always complaining about how locks and chains did not stop him. She quickly changed her shoes to insulated boots. She expected to be walking and did not need cold feet. Lula's first chore was to find Jackie.

The working girls on Stark shunned the early mornings, preferring to start their day about Noon, to catch the lunch crowd. Afternoons were often slow then things picked up again in the late afternoon into the late nights. Jackie had long ago cut out the Nooners and concentrated her work period from 4 pm to after midnight. Her off-hours were spent adjusting her hair, nails, and clothes, all important to catch a John's eye.

Lula's first stop was Jackie's crib. It was near Lula's Comstock Ave. apartment, off Stark. Stark was left for bangers and girls just getting established. LeRoy protected his Stark Street property, assigning his best producers the primo living and working locations. Such was the marginally less than a slum apartment building where Jackie resided.

Taking out her key, Lula let herself into her friend's apartment. Something was different. Jackie was never a neatnik but when did she become messy? Alcohol bottles and drug paraphernalia were a common as the discarded carryout pizza boxes. Had Jackie started taking drugs? Or did she have a roommate? Not finding Jackie, Lula walked out, wiping down the doorknob and anything else she might have touched. If Jackie was in trouble, Lula did not need any part of it.

Lula knocked on another apartment. At first, there was no answer. Continuing to knock, Lula heard the multiple locks disengage. Corrine opened her door and recognized Lula as Jackie's friend. "Girl, she ain't there. She left early this morning, 'bout time I was gettin' in."

"Dat don't sound right," Lula puzzled aloud noting Corrine was in a dressing gown and her hair in rollers. "My girl ain't no early bird."

Corrine nodded, "She wasn't dressed for working unless she's going to a lumber jack convention. I'ze surprised she had a flannel shirt and heavy jacket. She's wearing long pants and snow boots and carrying a duffel bag."

"She split?"

"She don say."

Lula thanked Corrine, allowing her to return to the apartment. The next stop was to find LeRoy. Walking throughout LeRoy's Stark Street territory, Lula could not him. Nobody had seen either Jackie or LeRoy for several days. Finally, a delivery driver for the local pizzeria mentioned he had seen LeRoy about a week early out of his territory, talking to Slayers several blocks to the north. Not wishing to encounter any Slayers while on foot, Lula pulled her giant Glock automatic, newly purchased from Randy's street-side sale, and cruised down Stark into a so-called neutral territory, a safe zone. It was half a block long and wide open after a fire renovated the building down to its foundation. Lula drove by slowly waiting for someone to notice her. Finally, a member of the Regents saw her and the white handkerchief attached to her door. She came in peace. Well, other than the handgun backup in her lap.

The older Regent slowly strolled up to her, "Hey Lula, long time no see 'cept when youze working with Ranger's woman."

"Eli, you old dog, howz yo woman?"

"She be good. Gots me another daughter. I'm saving my money to send them away in a few years for schoolin'. There ain't nothing worth shits around here. I gots them a place 'about a mile from here."

"Youz a good man, Eli."

"So, Lula, what brings to you by here?"

"I'ze looking for LeRoy, he be missing. Word is he was talking to some Slayers up the street."

Eli shook his head. "Dey is danger up there. Too strung to think straight. Rest of us are keepin' eyez on them to make sure national don come back here and start over. We ain't the only ones. Ever' time a Rangeman black truck drives by, the younger ones piss themselves. Yeah, the black truck cruises and stops and while they focus is on the Rangeman, "El Chuchillo" comes from behind a reminds a member or two he's watching them."

Lula knew Hector, the smaller Rangeman with the tats, was known on the street as El Chuchillo, referring to his propensity to carve people.

Eli chuckled, "Da youn' piss themselves. Guess it's better than having leakin' blood."

"Can youze arrange for me to meet a Slayer here in about an hour? I ain't goin' to their territory."

"Shor thing sweet stuff," Eli replied with a wink. Eli gave the air of being casual, but he was also extremely ruthless keeping the neutral area free from conflict. It was a small safe sanctuary within the Stark Street hell. People could come and talk in peace if they first displayed the white flag and were not there to deal drugs or kill another. If they disobeyed, Eli made certain the offender was never found. A series of unknown enforcers helped him. Most assumed it included the men in the black trucks that patrolled the city, Rangemen. What was not known is neutral territory was a maze of surveillance cameras. If you didn't disrespect the rules, you weren't pursued. TPD, the police, were not aware of the surveillance. The neutral territory was a Stark Street dichotomy.

Lula drove off and quickly turned off Stark heading west. If Ranger was still looking for her, she needed to avoid returning home, the bonds office, or on Stark. Though she just ate, she thought the Popeye's Chicken on Olden would be safe. Downing a 7-piece meal for two, Lula knew she was pushing the limits of her spandex clothing, but she needed to waste time.

Returning to neutral territory, Lula got out of her car and walked towards the two men. "Eli here said you needed to talk to one of us," the Slayer began.

Lula began, "I'm here to ask what LeRoy was talking to you about a while back."

"Why should I tell you bitch about dat?"

The guy had a point, why should he talk to her. "Has Ranger been around?"

"Heard he been down on lower Stark. He ain't been here."

"Yet," Lula cut in. "I assure you he's coming, perhaps with El Chuchillo."

The Slayer blanched a bit. "What's Da Man want with us?"

"You know Ranger's number two, the big man…"

The Slayer nodded.

"Something very special from Tank has been taken and he wants it back, unharmed."

"So, you frontin' for Tank now?"

"No, I'm warning you. Hellfire coming to Stark."

"Shouldn't youze be talking with LeRoy?" the Slayer replied.

"Hez missing. I wants to know what yo and he talked about before the men in black come up this way."

"Yo talkin' crazy, bitch."

"You talkin' dead, pelagatos."

The Slayer knew the bitch was talking straight. "LeRoy needed a few things and paid big time."

Eli moved in, "What dat boy need?"

Scratching the ground with his foot, the Slayer weighed all options, LeRoy's wrath, his fellow Slayers' wrath, Ranger's and Tank's wrath, or El Chuchillo's wrath. He was in a hard place and should walk away, but knew his neck was on the line. El Chuchillo's anger left blood and he did not want it to be his. "He needed some wheels. We gots a sedan, bronze color older Camry. He wanted a 4-wheel drive with good snow tires. 'Fore we could get one, da Black Knights gots one."

A 4-wheel? What would LeRoy need with an off-road vehicle? "Did he say where he was going?" Lula asked though she thought she might know.

The gang banger shrugged, "He don say. He's probably heading out of town."

Lula had to search her memory. Years ago, she, Jackie, Shasta, and Andrea went with LeRoy to a house outside of Pennington. They were laying low after rolling what turned out to be a big wig with money. It was years ago before Ramirez moved onto Stark. She only remembered because she hated the country. She was a city girl and did not trust so many trees. There might be bears out there.

It was now late afternoon, and the girls were on the street. Lula saw Shasta, all 6' of her with her white hair, and pulled over. The hooker was surprised to see Lula. "Ranger is looking for you."

"I knows but I can't let him find me yet. I gotta find LeRoy first. Yo remember years ago going to a house out near Pennington with LeRoy, Jackie, Andrea, and me?"

"Yeah, it was a dump. Belonged to some attorney's family. Don have no heat except a fireplace and no running water. LeRoy sayz the owner was gonna fix it up so we could go back, but I ain't been back."

"Do you remember how we got there?"

Shasta looked off, "Yeah, kinda. I was raised down south, in the woods so I have skills navigatin' 'round. I remember a cafe on the corner where we turned. We're all hungry and LeRoy said we'd attract attention. So, he brought us carry out. He had to make several trips for all the food and was grumbling the whole time. Pretty damn good hamburgers."

Lula remembered the café. Shasta was right, the burgers were excellent. When they left, LeRoy continued down the smaller road. It was a long way down a twisty road, but no turns off. Could she find it after all these years? She had to try.

-0-

The private jet slowed to a stop, the engines were spooling down. Hal, the white version of Tank, nearly as tall but not quite as massive stood beside the black truck waiting for the lone passenger. When Tank emerged and walked closer, Hal said, "We are tearing apart Stark. You want to join the fun?"

Tank grunted, "Hoorah!" He had just come 1900 miles and was primed, ready to tear not only Stark, but all of Trenton to find his son.