Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich, and the rest is mine. I'm grateful she lets us play.
Warning: Dark fic. Adult language, adult content, violence, smut. This is written for mature audiences only.
Chapter 18
Ranger's POV
Bobby slips back into the room to check on Steph. "Is she asleep?" he asks in a low tone. I slip my hand from hers, and it drops limply against the blanket.
"I think so. Steph drifted off quickly," I respond, sliding out of bed without disturbing Steph.
"When she wasn't paying attention, I injected an anti-nausea medication as well as a mild sedative into her line. Stephanie needs rest, and her body can't handle much more," Bobby confesses before we open the door to her office.
Lester stops his pacing when I enter and runs his fingers through his hair while worriedly asking, "How is she?"
"Stephanie is scared and worried, but she's trying to continue to trust us," I say. "She's sleeping now."
Lester drops his hands to his side at my answer and sits down in a chair beside Hector, crossing his ankle over the opposing knee. "How many questions did she ask?" he asks with a ghost of a smile.
"Technically eight," I answer, raising an eyebrow at Hector's smug expression.
"Lester thought she'd only ask three questions. I knew better," Hector explains in Spanish, and while I don't let my blank face waver, I smile inside at the banter. While in the field, the guys would often resort to humor as a way of dispelling tension. This banter, more than anything, tells me they are bonding and working together through the stress of this situation.
"I have a lot more questions than eight, beginning with do we have eyeballs on Tank now?" I state firmly, and I watch as all three men sit up straighter.
"If Tank's vehicle tracker is to be believed, he's at home. Once we make a plan, I'm going to head out to verify that information. Tank would recognize patrol in a second if we sent them by, and it could place those guys in unnecessary danger," Lester reports.
"We haven't returned Tank's belongings to him yet," Hector muses. "I'm going to go through everything to make sure there isn't anything useful there as well as plant a few bugs and tracking devices. I have some newer ones the government asked us to test that he is unlikely to detect."
"We need constant surveillance at Steph's parent's home, and increased patrols around the Burg in general, especially around places Steph used to frequent, such as Pino's, the Tasty Pastry, Mary Lou's home, Valerie's home, etcetera. Let's take Tank's threat at face value and assume he intends to carry through with it," I said somberly. "We also need to take a hard look at our standard operating procedures. Tank has the advantage here if we stick to that playbook. We need to change up the way we do business to not be too predictable."
Bobby speaks up first. "I'll start doing that. I can easily review those materials while monitoring Bomber, put together a list of suggestions, and start doing a re-write of the documents," he says.
"I'm going to put the word out on the streets that Tank is persona non grata, and ask people to report back to me if he goes poking around," Hector chimes in. "I'm also going to have surveillance cameras installed in public areas near places we are concerned Tank could target. It could give us an advanced warning of his movements."
"I'm going to initiate a thorough security sweep of this building and have the overall force protection level increased for the time being. Unfortunately, Tank knows the facilities as well as we do, and he knows our strengths as well as our weaknesses," Lester says grimly.
"I'll first check in with Pete," I add. "It's doubtful that every employee sides with us over Tank. I'm sure there are others who don't understand the role Stephanie plays in the success of this company and/or simply preferred Tank's utilitarian style of leadership. I'm also going to have Roberts from the Boston office run background checks on every Trenton employee, beginning with any new hires from this past year. I'm also going to need to step out at some point here to go over to TPD to meet with the Chief. We need to shore up our support, especially if Tank tries to pull anything against us. I'm also going to reach out to Senator Juniak. He can be an ally for us as we open our doors to federal investigations. Having the Chief and Senator on our team is important if we are going to be successful both mitigating Tank and moving forward as a company."
I look around the room as I see thoughtful nods of agreement.
I cross my arms over my chest. "Hector, play the message again," I order. Hector inputs a digital code to unlock Steph's phone and hits play again. I close my eyes as I listen, using every bit of emotional stamina I possess to tamp down my rage and focus on the details. Try as I might, however, the only thing I can think is how could he. This total betrayal by a person I once considered to be a brother is tearing me apart. I never knew this side to the man, and I find myself questioning my judgment.
Ah, that's the point. Tank wants Steph scared, me reacting and questioning my next move, and Lester and Bobby too angry think straight. He is strategically placing himself in a position of power over us. But what is he trying to achieve?
"Again," I state, having missed most of the message to my mental musings.
Based on the time Tank left this message, I'm going to deduct he left it in anger after he discovered his financial assets were frozen. I'm trying to focus, but I find my mind drifting back to when we were teenagers in Miami. He quickly became my best friend in High School, and we were inseparable. One thing we often did was walk Miami Beach checking out the girls. Tank would go on and on about his big dreams. He'd say that one day he was going to come back here with money from his successful business dealings, and then any of these girls would be his. I listened quietly, but I mostly dismissed his comments as the grandiose musings of a horny teenager who grew up poor.
Tank's parents were from Louisiana. When he was in junior high, he found his mother unconscious from a heroin overdose. Tank's father was strung out on the couch of their double-wide trailer and refused to help Tank render aid, saying she was just playing 'possum. Tank called 911, but by the time the ambulance arrived, it was too late. Tank's father was arrested and later died in jail, and Tank was sent to live with his mom's sister's family in Miami. While the living conditions were better, his new family were strapped for cash, and Tank constantly felt he was a burden.
Abuela Rosa preferred we hang out at her home, and she always had a snack or meal after school for us. She often listened to our teenaged banter and boasting quietly. One afternoon near my graduation from high school, she asked me to join her for lemonade on the porch.
"Carlos," she said, "be careful of wants. They quickly become needs, and those needs take over your life, robbing you of happiness. You are about to leave my home and make your way as a man. You are a very capable young man with many abilities. I am proud of you. Remember that it's the choices you make, more than your abilities, that determine your character. One of those choices is your needs versus wants. I am not a wealthy woman, but I have all of my needs met, and I am satisfied with my life. There are many wealthy people in Miami, but I often wonder, how many of them are as happy as I? Dream big and go change the world, Carlos, but do it with integrity. I love you."
It was the first time I could remember anyone ever saying they were proud of me. Abuela's words became a code to me. I have become a wealthy man, but I could give my possessions and investments away easily, as I nearly did to save Rangeman, and it wouldn't change my overall satisfaction with my life. I'm most upset at the way Tank treated people and is continuing to treat people, especially during my absence this past year rather than his misuse of Rangeman financial assets.
Abuela Rosa saw Tank's proclivity to greed all those years ago, and she wisely gave me the tools I would need to face this day should it ever come. Tank believes he needs money, and when I took it away, he became desperate. As to why this has happened, I can only speculate that Tank is a tiger who never changed his stripes. He was always determined to do better than his parents, and in that regard, he has. Tank abhors drug use to the point of refusing pain medication at every turn, even with serious injuries. However, he built his life on the ethos that money equals success, and the problem with that is that there will never be enough money to meet that goal. I'm still inclined to believe that he's a good man deep down, but with his core values so misaligned, he may justify any manner of action to meet his need for financial security. Unfortunately, he sees Steph as his means to regaining his lost funds.
"Again," I bark, and Hector replays the message while Lester suppresses a groan.
This time I focus on Tank's personal attack on Stephanie. It's easy to understand Steph's reaction to hearing this, and she could have reacted worse. He's deliberately breaking her mental health down and attempting to undermine the support system she has in place with Hector, Lester, Bobby, and myself.
That's it. Tank is appealing to Stephanie's sense of duty to protect her family and friends, yes, but it's more than that. Tank is attempting to get Stephanie to flee Rangeman so that she is more vulnerable.
So, Tank wants money, and he sees Stephanie as his means of getting it. If he can't scare Stephanie into giving him the money to protect her family, he wants to isolate her. If she were to be separated, I'm guessing Tank would kidnap her as a way of forcing me to pay a ransom.
"Again," I say more quietly.
Tank loves Rangeman. His actions this past year were wrong, but they came from a place of good intentions. In one day, he lost Rangeman and his financial security, and with it, his need for power and wealth suddenly feels unmet. The road to hell is paved with good intentions indeed. Tank probably believes that I'll destroy Rangeman, and when I do, he'll be invited back with open arms as the company's savior.
Tank isn't going to target Rangeman. He's going to target me, and based on his admissions in this voicemail, he knows that Stephanie is one of my needs. In his mind, breaking her is tit for tat for the loss of his needs. He isn't going to go quietly, and this will only end with Tank behind bars or dead.
He also knows a lot more about Stephanie's activities this past year than any of us knew. I think back to Steph's panic attack at having her weapons secured. Is there more going on here?
"I want a guard at the stairwell to this floor. It's secured to all non-authorized personnel. Anyone needing medical care will need to go to the senior duty member on the watch floor, and duty will contact Bobby. Bobby, can you use your field kit to treat patients the next two days in an alternative space?" I question.
"Yes, no problem," Bobby responds.
"Tank is targeting Stephanie to get to us. She cannot leave this building until we have him neutralized. Keep a level head. Use reason and don't respond emotionally. This is a deliberate play to either get his money back, get revenge against us by hurting someone we love, or both. Hector, you stay here with Steph. Lester, you go through Tank's property. I'm going to meet with Pete, spend an hour in my office, and then Lester, you are going to join me to visit the Chief, Vinnie, and do quick surveillance of Tank's property. Once Stephanie wakes up, I'm going to attempt to convince her to press charges against Tank. Hector, I gave Rodriquez several background checks. Follow-up with him and begin reviewing the search reports," I order. I know Hector will use a few less than legal means of his own to augment Rodriquez's efforts. "This is in addition to the tasks assigned earlier in this conversation. Understood?" I state, and everyone barks their affirmation in reply.
I walk back to Steph silently and kiss her forehead before slipping from the room, Lester on my heels. We part ways on five, and I settle into my desk to begin making the arrangements. I look up as Ella knocks on my door.
"Would you like lunch in your office today, Ranger?" she asks pleasantly.
"Yes, and for Pete as well," I respond. "Ella, make up an apartment on four for Stephanie. She will need a place to stay as she convalescences from her illness. She's uncomfortable if I spend too much money on her, but I would like it to feel like a home to her. We will try to retrieve some of her property, but she frankly doesn't own much right now."
"Yes, Ranger, I've already started. I think she will also be more comfortable with the personal touches I place in the space if she sees the other apartments looking the same, so I propose creating a policy that allows anyone who is moving into an apartment an allowance, including paint and decorator items, to personalize the space," Ella responds. I see the wisdom and make a note on my lengthy to-do list. Ella waits for me to make eye contact before continuing.
"Stephanie will be taken care of, and I will also understand if she doesn't sleep a night there either and opts to stay on seven instead," she says with a knowing smile.
As Ella leaves, Pete enters and takes a seat. "This went a lot faster than I expected. More than half of your employees refused to take the settlement, and instead signed a contract legally waiving their rights to pursue a claim at a later date. Two employees Tank hired decided to take the settlement money but indicated they would like a letter of recommendation. I spoke with Cal and Zero on a conference call. They will be arriving tomorrow. I have a verbal agreement that they will accept your settlement, special bonus, and want a transfer back to the Trenton office. My associates are verifying the paperwork is in order before we pack up shop," Pete declares.
"Excellent. I'll be meeting with Trenton's Chief of Police in two hours. I want you with me when I meet with the Chief to explain our present situation and the new direction Rangeman is taking. While I hope to rebuild our relationship with TPD, I don't trust several members on the force. Go through our paperwork and see what things we go through TPD for, whether that is contracts, apprehension paperwork, permits, everything. Find out what we need to keep a close eye on and what we can transfer to a more neutral entity for processing.
"I will also be speaking with Steph, possibly today depending on how she is doing. I'm going to try to convince her to press charges against Tank and Vinnie. Perhaps a restraining order will be helpful. Tank left a voice mail on Steph's phone that is harassing and threatening. I need you ready to present our evidence against those two to TPD and represent Steph's interests," I state as Ella returns with hummus, chicken, and veggie wraps with a fruit and nut salad.
"Thank you, Ella," Pete says as she departs.
We both pause in our conversation a moment as we savor the first few bites. When it picks up, we brainstorm ideas as to Tank's motivations and ways we can prevent further harm. Pete shakes my hand twenty minutes later to check on his associates, and I settle behind my desk.
I decide to use my personal phone to call Senator Juniak. "Hello, Ranger," he answers after the first ring. "Welcome home, permanently, I hear."
"Yes, Senator," I respond. "It's good to be home. I'm calling to request an opportunity to speak at your earliest convenience, sir."
"Unfortunately, that's not going to be possible for several weeks. I'm about to depart on a wave the flag tour in Eastern Europe. However, I do have time now. What's on your mind?" Senator Juniak replies. "Does this have anything to do with Stephanie?" he continues after a slight pause, his tone less formal.
"Partially, yes," I state. "When I left for my last mission a year ago, I placed Tank in charge of Rangeman Trenton, and Lester and Tank shared responsibilities for corporate Rangeman functions. Tank used his position to amend many of Rangeman's standard operating procedures and changed company culture to one similar to a boot camp. I've unearthed several consequences to his actions. The first is Stephanie. He removed all Rangeman support from her, and after the Farro takedown, which I'm assuming you're aware of, took steps to alienate her. This included working with Vinnie to ensure she would gain access to files outside of her ability level and gave him a bonus if she was hurt apprehending said FTA," I state bluntly, knowing Senator Juniak respects minimal bullshit.
"Goddamnit!" I hear him exclaim under his breath.
"Two of my men worked outside of Tank's knowledge to protect Stephanie, and their actions helped enable me to convince her to trust myself and a couple members of my Core Team. She is currently residing at Rangeman and being given medical care due to injuries sustained from a bad takedown. Stephanie will be okay," I continue.
"The second consequence is that Tank's policies violated several state and federal labor laws, among other things. My attorney has diligently gone through our records, and I have offered a settlement to all affected employees and will be preemptively be paying the fines for the company's wrongdoings.
"Tank was forced out of Rangeman yesterday, and the Core Team has been restructured. Stephanie is one of the new Core Team members. During the buyout, Tank confessed to fifty-seven incidents of conspiracy with Vinnie to have Steph harmed. He also signed paperwork agreeing to have all of his assets placed in an escrow account until all fines have been paid, including reparations against Stephanie. Around 0200, he left a harassing and threatening voice mail against Steph, likely after he realized he was unemployed and penniless," I finish explaining.
"You did all of that in three days?" Senator Juniak states incredulously before continuing without waiting for my response. "If you are willing, have your attorney send copies of the settlement contracts, violations, the whole nine yards, to my office. I will reach out on my end to mitigate the fallout to Rangeman, especially since you are willing to pay fines up front and have already reached an employee settlement."
"Thank you, Senator. It will be done today. I appreciate your support," I responded sincerely.
"What are you planning to do regarding Tank and Vinnie's criminal activity against my Goddaughter?" Senator Juniak asks sternly.
"We are building an evidence package against Tank and Vinnie to support charges against them, which we are going to encourage Stephanie to file. In terms of security, we have increased physical and electronic monitoring. We intend to assist TPD with what we hope is an imminent arrest. I'll be meeting with the Chief later this afternoon," I explain.
"How is Vinnie's father-in-law doing these days?" Senator Juniak muses. "I hope you find time to pay him a visit soon, and please send my regards."
"Yes, sir, I will," I immediately reply with a quirk to the corners of my mouth.
"Thank you for making my Goddaughter your first priority, Ranger. You're a good man. Stephanie is a special person, but I don't think she knows it after the Burg finished chewing her up and spitting her out. Take care of her, please," Senator Juniak says quietly, and I'm humbled by his tone.
"She is, and yes, I am doing everything I can to support her. You have my word," I say, my usually impassive tone slipping.
We go discuss a few more practicalities before ending the call. I tell Pete to work in cooperation with Senator Juniak's office, and I spend the next couple of hours catching up work, only looking up when I hear a knock on the door.
"Ranger," Lester says, poking his head through the door. "Ready to head down to TPD?"
"Ten minutes," I respond, logging off my computer and heading up to seven to get my jacket. I prefer not to walk into the station displaying my weapons. It draws too much attention from morons like Morelli and Gaspick. Also in the interest of keeping a lower profile, I leave the Porsche in the garage and drive a black Ford Explorer instead.
Lester and I drive by Tank's house on the way to the Station. His truck is parked at the curb, but we don't see any evidence of the man himself. It takes everything I have not to stop the SUV, break down the door, and ask him what the fuck he was thinking of leaving that God-forsaken voice mail to Steph. However, the last thing I need is for a nosey neighbor or even Tank to call the cops, especially when I'm on my way to the station to schmooze them. I can't go off guns blazing, no matter how justified.
Pete is waiting for us in the parking lot, and the three of us are quickly ushered back to the Chief. Ezra Feldman is shorter than me, all dense, compact muscle, with dark hair and glittering dark eyes set against fair skin. He's a sharp man with a short temper he works hard to keep in check, and his mouth is set in a firm line even as he rises to shake my hand and offers me a seat in front of his desk after introductions and pleasantries are exchanged.
"What can I do for you Ranger?" Chief Feldman says shortly.
"I've learned of mismanagement that occurred at Rangeman during my absence, and Tank has been subsequently fired. I'm here to offer my personal apology for any missteps taken by employees of my company during my absence as well as ask for your support monitoring Tank's activities. I've only been home three days, but I believe some of his actions were illegal, and my team is working to put together an evidence package for you," I say directly, but inside, my heart feels heavy to be taking this necessary step.
Chief Feldman's hard expression doesn't change. "I have a love/hate relationship with you, Ranger. I loved that your company helped decrease crime in Trenton and made our case solve rate increase exponentially. Those results were the encouragement I needed to look the other way on some of your gray area tactics, despite the protests of some in the station and community. This last year has been a complete headache for me. Your company's tactics are shifting from grey to stark black at times, the solve rate has gone way down, and there's a growing animosity between my men in blue and your men in black. I don't know what mismanagement you discovered. I'm willing to give you a grace period to get your feet wet again. However, I need to see some changes in the way business is conducted in this city if you want to enjoy the working relationship we've shared up to this point," he states, his narrowed eyes giving away his simmering anger and frustration more than the tone of his voice.
"Yes, Chief. Thank you, and I'll personally oversee those changes," I respond, taking another bite from my now regular diet of humble pie.
"Tell me more about Tank," Chief Feldman says, sitting back slightly. "I know you aren't here about some corporate white-collar bullshit."
"Pete," I say, inclining my head towards him. Pete begins to explain the situation, and as he does, Chief Feldman rests all the way back in this chair, his fingers steepled under his chin in thought.
"Stephanie Plum is the best Fugitive Apprehension Agent in this city. While I'm not happy with Rangeman, Plum has more than made up for some of those deficiencies. She's got everyone in this station scared of her. Hell, I'm a little scared of her. She hunts down criminals with a determined, selfless edge that's frankly inspiring. That Tank might be targeting her is unacceptable from my point of view. I need her more than I need him. Yes, I'll make sure patrol is keeping an eye out. As for Vinnie, well, until you bring me more evidence, there isn't a lot I can do there. I can start getting warrants and poking around, but…" the Chief says, trailing off.
I meet his gaze equally and give a determined nod. Yes, I can take care of Vinnie.
We wrap up the meeting, and the anger I've feel pacing in the foreground of my subconscious the past twenty-four hours is clambering for attention. As I drive, I try to focus on happy thoughts, namely Stephanie, but I find myself hyper-focused on Chief Feldman's description. Stephanie the hard-edged, take-no-shit, ruthless bounty hunter who would take any risk to get her man. Then I think of the emotionally uncertain woman laying in Medical, insecure and mistrusting, who is determinedly fighting to regain her sense of self. Sure, Chief Feldman is going to help, but it's because Steph brought him results, not because of who she is as a person.
I pull in front of the Bond's Office and storm inside, catching the edge of Vinnie's office door before he can slam and bolt it shut like the chicken shit he is. Vinnie stumbles backward towards the far corner as I advance and Lester takes a post in front of the closed door. I know how to make myself appear more substantial than I am, and I automatically adjust myself to my largest, most threatening posture, my ordinary blank face replaced with malice.
"Hello, Vinnie," I say, flashing my teeth in a grin. All color rapidly washes out of Vinnie's face as he trembles uncontrollably. "I heard you have a new side hustle going on between Rangeman and yourself," I continue evenly. I rarely find shouting effective. People expect me to shout, and it's easy to tune out. People never expect a calm, rational tone, and it exudes a level of control that is more terrifying than any rant could ever be.
"No, no, you've got it wrong. You don't understand," Vinnie begins desperately, shutting up as I take a step forward.
"Make me understand. What's the going rate for betraying your family these days?" I question, my eyes boring into his.
Vinnie doesn't look like he's going to respond, and I step to the side slightly as Lester flips open his pocket knife and begins twirling it around his fingers.
"I won't ask this question again. How. Much." I demand, and Vinnie pisses his pants.
"Two thousand dollars if she took the files, four thousand if she got hurt. Two hundred and eighty-eight thousand total," Vinnie simpers, his eyes darting between Lester and me. I let the silence settle between us and wait. It doesn't take long for Vinnie to begin filling it.
"I knew it was lousy, but I had debts to pay, and those guys, well, the interest rate is steep, if you know what I mean. I figured Stephanie would be fine. She's smart. I never thought she would take files she couldn't handle, and getting hurt, well, it's part of the job. I mean, she was going to take whatever files she wanted anyway, and I didn't see the harm in getting paid for her choices. No one made her do anything. I mean, she's Rambette…" Vinnie begins defensively, but his bravado fails quickly as he sees the expressions on our faces.
"Your dealings with Tank end now. He collects no bounties. You exchange no monies. If he contacts you, you contact me. Period. Do you understand?" I demand, raising my voice slightly.
Vinnie nods like a Bobblehead. "Yes, yes," he repeats.
I lean forward slightly. "I'll be watching you, Vinnie, and I'll know if you so much as look in Tank's direction. Expect to hear from me soon," I say, my nose millimeters away from his.
Then I stand and stride out of the office as Vinnie collapses to the floor in the corner. I pause at Connie's desk to pick up Rangeman's stack of FTA files. I stare intently at Connie, and she silently adds Stephanie's files to the pile as well, glancing behind me at the pathetic figure of her boss sobbing in the corner of his office.
"Batman's back!" I hear Lula exclaim, heaving herself off of the couch as the breading from the bucket of fried chicken she was eating scatters off her dress, if you can call the abused piece of spandex that, and onto the floor. "I thought I saw the Batmobile driving around the Burg. Is that why we ain't seen Stephanie around here the past two days? Making it a happy homecoming, are we?" she presses crassly.
I don't give her a millisecond of my attention as I pass the files to Lester and stride confidently out of the office.
"God, I missed you, Ranger," Lester says, a smile playing across his face as I pull away from the curb and return to Rangeman.
A/N: I look forward to Mondays! I love posting new chapters and seeing everyone's comments and musing pour in.
Speaking of, there several reviews where you guys expressed your love/hate relationship with the Tank in this story, and you wondered if there was more to why he is the way he is. I hope this chapter addressed some of those musings, and we will also hear some more from Tank later on. I saw several requests for Merry Men POVs. You'll get to hear from Cal in chapter 21 (makes the most sense timeline-wise) and read his reflections on the new Rangeman and coming back to Trenton. You can also look forward to hearing from Connie at the beginning of Chapter 19. Great suggestions everyone – keep them coming!
I saw that a couple of you weren't able to open the Pinterest page. I tried again to make sure the settings are right. Go to:
www dot pinterest dot com / HermioneIncarnate / warrior-stephanie-plum-haircut /
We can't copy hyperlinks into a FF posting. Remove the spaces around the slashes and change the "dots" to periods.
Misty23y helps to catch all my mistakes and keeps the story on track. She also challenges me to think more multi-dimensionally, and I love how she makes my writing better. Meylons is why the medical portion of this story has the zing of truth. I'm grateful for your help and encouragement!