Stephanie was lying in her bed, wondering what she should do. Her grandmother, Edna Mazur, had received bad news. The cancer came back. Stephanie cried as she thought about how to help her grandma. She would help her grandmother with anything she asked.
Grandma Mazur supported Stephanie throughout her life. Any time Stephanie needed a place to go, grandma Mazur offered her refuge. What would she do without her grandmother? Sure, the woman drove Stephanie crazy, but she was the only person to support her lifestyle. Grandma Mazur got Stephanie through the toughest decision of her life. Why her? Why now?
It was nearly midnight when her apartment door opened. "Babe," Ranger said as he entered her bedroom. He crawled into the bed after removing his weapons belt and clothes. Ranger spooned Stephanie from behind. She turned into his arms, buried her face into his chest and cried. "How can I help?"
"You're back." Stephanie hiccuped as her sobs subsided. She felt Ranger shift seconds before the soft Kleenex touched her nose. Where did Ranger get the Kleenex? "I don't know. Make cancer go away?" she replied as she moved her hands to touch her face. Stephanie blew her nose into the tissue. Ranger gently wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb. He removed the Kleenex from her hands, then tossed them into the trash can beside the bed.
"I can't make it go away, Babe. Lester told me everything. Is there any place where your grandmother would like to visit? Anything she'd like to do?" Ranger asked. Lester had told him everything regarding Edna Mazur, including the bucket list of destinations and activities. Ranger knew her death would destroy Stephanie.
"She has a bucket list," Stephanie replied. "Grandma has a list of places she'd like to visit before she dies. I think there are a few activities on it too." Stephanie tried to recall the items on the list. She should get her grandmother to send a photograph of it.
Ranger held Stephanie as she cried. He knew Stephanie hated crying in front of people, but she never held back from him. Ranger was in love with Stephanie. From the first day they met in the diner, he knew Stephanie would change his life. He had one major issue. Enemies. How could he pull Stephanie into his life, knowing it would put a target on her back? Stephanie had enough problems with her own stalkers and FTAs wanting to hurt her. He couldn't, in good conscience, doom her to a life of constantly looking over her shoulder.
What would happen if he got deployed? Or if he didn't find her fast enough? He knew that pain all too well. Ranger thought Stephanie was dead when she fell from the cupboard at Spiro Stiva's house. His heart stopped until she opened her eyes. He could have given in to his feelings then, but he continued to push her away. Stephanie wasn't safe.
He wanted to make love with Stephanie, but it wasn't the time. Stephanie was emotionally fragile. "Carlos, please help me forget. You'll have to use protection," she begged. Ranger would do anything for Stephanie. She kissed his chest before nibbling his neck. Ranger groaned as the need to possess her flowed through his veins.
Resisting was not an option. Ranger reached beneath the pillow to grab a condom he had placed when he crawled into the bed. He hated using them but understood Stephanie's desire to protect him from infection. It never took long for Stephanie to be ready for him. Ranger secretly revelled in his prowess and made her scream his name.
"Sleep, Babe. Everything would look better in the morning," Ranger said after dropping the condom into the trash.
"I'm sorry for taking advantage of you," Stephanie mumbled.
"You can't take advantage of a willing participant. I wanted it as much as you," he confessed. "Siempre y para siempre." Stephanie agreed. She would always and forever want Carlos Manoso. They fell asleep with their legs and arms entwined. Everything would look better in the morning.
Ranger received a copy of Edna's bucket list from Hector, who obtained the copy from Edna the previous day. Hector printed the list for Ranger to review. Ranger laughed when he read the crossed-off items. "When did Edna see you naked?" Hector asked. Hector never heard that story from the other men. It must have happened when Ranger was with Stephanie. She never discussed anything she witnessed if it would embarrass someone else.
"Atlantic City," he replied. "She entered the bathroom as I showered. It was during the encounter with Vlatko. Edna saw me in all my naked glory." Hector laughed. Hector rarely had a reason to laugh, but he could imagine Edna moving her dentures around her mouth as she stared at Ranger's crotch. "Stephanie had to drag her out of the washroom."
Hector stopped laughing when nine men entered the conference room for a meeting. Stephanie arrived with Bobby and Lester. "I'm fine, Bobby. Stop fussing over me," Stephanie snapped.
"Do you have cramping?" Bobby asked. Stephanie's face turned a deep shade of red. She shook her head. "You'll tell me if anything changes?"
"Yes," she replied. Stephanie sat between Hector and Lester at the table. Ranger pushed a covered plate toward her while Hector moved a travel mug of coffee. She lifted the cover and grinned. Two Boston cream donuts sat on the plate. "Thanks, Ranger." Stephanie took a bite of the donut before taking a sip of coffee. She kissed Hector's cheek to thank him. Ranger's lip twitched in amusement.
"Why are we here?" Tank asked, interrupting the tender moment between Stephanie and Hector. Ranger waited for Stephanie to eat her breakfast before the meeting started. He watched in amusement as his men shifted in their seats whenever a moan slipped out.
Stephanie shoved the last piece of the second donut into her mouth. She took a drink of coffee before she answered Tank's question. "My grandma Mazur is terminally ill. Before I was born, grandma had surgery to remove her uterus. The malignant growth got contained inside. Since the doctor felt the cancer had not spread, grandma didn't have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. Once every year since the surgery, grandma got scans to ensure she remained in remission. She never received bad news until yesterday. The cancer metastasized in her right kidney, lung and liver. The doctor said she'd live between a year or two without treatment," Stephanie explained before her emotions took over.
Hector hugged her as Lester continued the story. "Edna's lifespan would get extended by two to three years with treatment. She decided chemotherapy and radiation weren't worth the risk. It wasn't worth reducing the time she had to enjoy her life if the treatment didn't work. Edna created a bucket list a few years ago. Stephanie agreed to accompany Edna as she crossed off each item."
Cal, Ram, Binkie, Slick, Woody and Zip exchanged worried looks as Lester spoke. None of them were sure they wanted to participate. Grandma Mazur would pinch their ass and grab their packages. When they looked at Stephanie crying in Hector's arms, they decided to do anything to make her smile again. Stephanie kissed his cheek after wiping her nose and eyes on tissue. She nodded, silently telling the men she was alright.
Ranger added, "I've asked each of you to this meeting for one purpose. Each of you must accompany Stephanie and Edna to one destination. I have personally selected the man best suited to each venue." Ranger passed the bucket list around the table. He watched each man as they read the list, then handed it to the person. Ranger was confident he selected the appropriate man for each leg of the journey.
"Ram, you have San Diego zoo. Cal, you get the Alaskan cruise. Lester, as a jumpmaster, you will take them skydiving. Tank, you are accompanying the women to see Burning Man. Binkie, you get to enjoy Cinco de Mayo. Slick, make sure your passport is in order because you're flying to Devon, UK. Woody, call your family. You will have time to visit them in Texas. Zip, your trip is local. You will accompany the women to see Belvedere Castle in New York. Bobby, you get to attend Mardi Gras with Stephanie and Edna," Ranger announced. "Everyone must wear civilian clothes. Rangeman uniforms are neither required nor encouraged. Ensure your permits to carry concealed are valid."
Stephanie watched Hector add items to his list of tasks to complete. "Who is going to Vegas?" Stephanie asked. She looked between Hector and Ranger. Hector had the list in front of him. He recorded the names as Ranger assigned the venues.
"Me, Babe," Ranger replied.
"But you can't visit Nevada. They'll arrest you," Stephanie said. "It's not worth the risk."
"It's past time for me to settle the charges," Ranger replied as Hector recorded his name on the list. Ranger knew Hector would gather all the paperwork required for the excursion. He needed Hector to file the appeal for dropping the charges. "Dismissed."
Tank remained in the room with Lester and Bobby. "Why Burning Man? You know how I feel about visiting Pershing County," Tank demanded.
"I want to understand your logic, too," Bobby added. He did not want to visit Mardi Gras. Bobby wasn't ready to deal with those emotions. They were buried deep. There was only one logical explanation. "Therapy."
"What?" Lester and Tank asked.
"Think about it, guys. Why the location for the specific man? I promised to attend Mardi Gras. I never did because I wasn't willing to face the demons of my past," Bobby explained.
"That makes sense," Tank replied. He wiped the sweat off his brow. Could he face his demon while watching over Stephanie and Edna? "If the intent is to make us vulnerable, shouldn't we have extra men to watch their backs?"
"No." Ranger was paying the men hazard pay and overtime to accompany Stephanie and Edna. The men had to overcome their traumas to find peace. There was little to no risk for the women. He would insist they carry trackers and Rangeman phones. "Assigning more men would increase the danger to the women. Nobody would question two women travelling with a man."
"When are we starting this adventure?" Bobby asked.
"After Christmas. Edna doesn't have a passport. She applied for one after she visited the doctor and lawyer. It takes between seven and ten weeks to get the passport. Expedited is still four to six weeks. Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Edna won't receive her passport until mid to late January," Lester replied after consulting his calendar.
"In time for Mardi Gras in February. Are we returning to Trenton in between destinations?" Bobby wondered.
"No. I want Stephanie and Edna to enjoy discovering the areas they visit. They'll have time to shop, dine and explore everything together," Ranger replied. "It's an expensive vacation, but I want to do this for Babe."
"Hector and I offered to finance the trips," Lester added. Bobby and Tank threw their names into the hat. They would do anything for Stephanie. Including facing the worst moment in their life.
Ranger would cover rent on her apartment. He knew Vince would stay in Stephanie's place until she returned. Vince would care for Rex in her absence. He loved the smelly rodent.
Woody sat in his cubicle, wondering when he'd have to visit his family. He prayed it wasn't for Christmas or New Years. Woody was willing to push it off as long as possible. The guilt he felt every time he visited family often ate him alive. Visiting family was supposed to be relaxing, but it caused Woody extreme anxiety.
He was curious about how much Stephanie knew about his childhood. Stephanie had run background checks on the employees when those boys tried to undermine Rangeman. They had a misguided sense they could provide better security services than Rangeman could offer the clients. Woody laughed at their stupidity.
There was a strong possibility that Stephanie learned his deepest, darkest secret. The core team was aware of his past but let him cope in his own way. Most soldiers distance themselves from family after serving a few tours. It was hard to relate to the family after experiencing such loss, trauma and devastation. Woody was required to spend a minimum of ten hours per year in psychiatric therapy. Whenever he got deployed with the Rangers, he had a mandatory two-week decompression period with four hours of psychotherapy before getting cleared to return to duty. If Stephanie knew, then he was thankful she kept it to herself.
Bobby slouched as he left the conference room. Given the time constraints due to Edna's health, he would be first on duty to protect Stephanie and Edna. He wasn't sure how Stephanie would react to his secret. Visiting New Orleans and going to the Mardi Gras was going to change his life. Bobby had no clue if it would be for the better.
His office was on the third floor, on the same level as the gym. Bobby could tend to stress injuries from men overworking their muscles. It occurred more frequently than he cared to admit. The men got annoyed by his fussing. It was an uncomfortable part of the job. There wouldn't be as many injuries if the men followed the guidelines. He ran his fingers through his short hair. Bobby removed the clipboard from his desk drawer.
He checked the list of men he needed to evaluate. Bobby arranged them according to priority. Since Cal, Ranger, Bones and Ram recently returned from a mission. The four men had to pass the physical and weapons requirements before getting cleared for field duty.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Brown, are you available?" Ranger asked. Bobby set the clipboard on the desk to pay attention to the boss.
"Yes. I was about to call you," Bobby replied. Ranger raised an eyebrow. "You have to pass before I can clear you." Ranger's lip twitched. He sat on the bench for Bobby to take a few vials of blood. "Did you know Stephanie recommended we should use the fourth-floor conference room to convert into a lab? She said Zip, Zero, Slick and Bones could run the tests since they have prior experience from their military assignments."
"Run the proposal by Tank. You have my approval if he agrees," Ranger replied.
"Seriously? You would do that for us?" Bobby was shocked.
"I take every suggestion from Stephanie seriously. We could train the men to run DNA and fingerprint analysis. It's a service we could offer to the clients." Ranger could find a way to sell those services to the TPD. They could process the results faster than the busy labs. "It has the potential to become a profitable endeavour," Ranger explained.
"I'll be sure to write that into my proposal." Bobby stuck the needle into Ranger's arm. He pressed the vial into the base and watched it slowly fill. "You're dehydrated."
Ranger nodded. He would drink a few bottles of water after Bobby completed his assessment. Bobby grabbed the second vial. He passed Ranger the first vial to shake while the second one slowly filled. Ranger set the sample into the plastic base. Bobby pulled the second one off the needle to shake. He placed it with the first one, then went to grab Ranger some bottled water.
Bobby tossed the first one to Ranger. He uncapped it and drained the bottle in a few gulps. "Thanks," Ranger said as he accepted the second bottle of water. He twisted the cap, then emptied it slightly slower than the first.
"Zero's waiting for you in the gun range." Ranger nodded before leaving Bobby's office.
Ranger left his friend to sort through his emotions. Bobby would need to face his demons soon enough. Ranger hoped he didn't make the biggest mistake of his life by tasking those men to watch over Stephanie and Edna.
