I do not own any of these characters, although I would really like to meet
up with Ranger in a dark room somewhere. I simply borrow and gently use
them for my amusement.
Chapter Four The Operation Begins
The first two clubs they hit were misses. Jason Devine had been and gone already. The third, a luridly red-lit façade with a neon sign proclaiming "Inferno", had a line snaking around the block. Steph was sure that Ranger would have no trouble jumping to the front of the line- one of the bouncers was actually a woman, and all woman wanted Ranger- but she wasn't so sure about her and Tank. She shouldn't have worried. The three of them were inside, at the bar, drink in hand, within five minutes. Tank's arm- not Ranger's, sigh- was around her shoulders. The plan was that she was Tank's date. They would have a rather public disagreement when she insisted on approaching Jason; Jason, it seemed, really got off on snagging the groupies. He would be interested and she would exploit that while Tank would find Jason's girlfriend.
Tank had the tougher of the two jobs. Steph just needed to keep Jason's attention long enough for Tank to get the girl into a- compromising- situation. Jason paying attention to another woman with his girlfriend around apparently was a normal occurrence, as was her expected reaction- find some one else to screw for the night. The thing is, Jason didn't know about the girlfriend's usual response. She had been very discreet up until now. Steph didn't ask how compromising a situation was required, and was just glad that it wasn't Ranger's job to do it. Then, on a cue from Ranger, she was to bring Jason on the scene. Apparently, this girlfriend was a coke- addicted leech, and Jason's manager wanted them broken up. Steph was a little uncomfortable with this plan. It seemed...dishonest.
Of course, she had out-right lied to get into a skip's house before, so she really shouldn't judge. Plus, if what Ranger had told her was true, this girlfriend was slowly costing the guy his health, wealth, and career. Still, she felt the case belonged in that gray area of not quite morally right, but legal, which Ranger seemed comfortable with, but she felt uneasy about.
Once Jason was spotted, Ranger left them and blended in with the background crowd, or at least as well as Ranger ever blended. It was too loud to hear if any glasses had been broken yet; around Ranger, waitresses tended to get clumsy. Steph idly wondered how many women would approach him tonight, and tried not to feel jealous. Tank leaned down to whisper in her ear. "As soon as the girlfriend heads to the john for a hit, we go."
Tank's whisper tickled her ear and sent a shiver up and down her spine. She really needed to work on this hormone thing, mentally reminding herself that Tank had thrown a drug dealer out of a window in her presence- from the third story! Right now, the girlfriend didn't seem to be going anywhere.
Tank ordered another round of drinks while they waited for the girlfriend to leave. Steph tried to wave it away; she was a Two-Can Sam, and she needed to be at the top of her game. Tank forced it into her hand. "You gotta blend. You drink at a club, or you dance. And we can't dance and keep an eye on Jason."
Steph swallowed nervously. "I don't drink well, Tank. I'm a sloppy, messy drunk."
The corners of Tank's mouth curled up in a suggestion of a smile. "I'll have to remember that. Might come in handy."
Tank was definitely not acting like Tank tonight. He snaked his arms around Steph's waist and pulled her closer, as if to kiss her neck. He whispered into her ear instead. "They aren't going to believe that we're a couple. You haven't touched me all night." Then he lightly kissed her at the juncture of her jaw and neck, his tongue teasing her skin in between kisses.
Steph sucked in a tight breath. Tank was pretty good at that, but she was here to work. And Ranger was somewhere here watching the two of them. She was uncomfortable with Tank, but she didn't want him shot. And if Tank kept doing what he was doing, there was a good chance that her hormones might take over and Ranger would shoot them both.
It had been quite a dry spell for her after living with Morelli's libido.
It would also cause a scene and ruin their plan if she slapped him right now. The girlfriend was still hanging on Jason's arm. Instead, she ran her hands lightly up and down Tank's massive forearms, ending up grasping his wrists. She leaned over to breathe lightly in Tank's ear, whispering quietly "Don't over do it," before she moved his hands off her.
Turning back to the bar and his drink, Tank drained it and motioned to the bar tender for another. While waiting, he draped his arm over Steph's shoulders again and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. "You seemed to like it. What's the problem?"
Steph looked at him oddly. What the hell was going on here? "I thought you were Ranger's friend."
Tank pulled up to his full height and looked down at her, one eyebrow arched. "What's Ranger got to do with this?"
Pursing her lips and considering the question, Steph caught a glimpse of Devine and the girl friend out of the corner of her eye. "Shit," she silently mouthed, before leaning in to put her head on Tank's shoulder and subtly point. Tank got the message immediately, and they both went still and silent.
Stephanie's heart was pounding. They had fallen out of character for just a few minutes; she hoped that Devine and his girlfriend, Kim, hadn't heard any of it. It would be suspicious, considering what was supposed to happen later.
The couple stood at the bar a few people down from Steph and Tank. Steph was careful to keep giving Devine quick looks, as if she was trying to place him. After all, she and Tank were supposed to fight over her going over to talk to him. Let Devine think it took a while for her to build up the courage. Tank caught on quickly. In a slightly raised voice, he asked her, "What are you looking at?" He pulled her face back in his direction. "I'm right here, and you aren't paying me a bit of attention."
Steph pretended to pout, and spoke in an exaggerated voice. "Hey, do you see who that is?"
"Who cares?" Tank asked, pulling her closer to him and leaning down to kiss her. Steph evaded with a quick head twist, but his mouth met her neck instead. It didn't deter him.
Steph briefly closed her eyes as her knees felt weak. Tank wasn't bad at this, at all. No where near as good as Ranger, though. That thought was like a bucket of cold water. She tried pulling away, and Tank tightened his grip. His hands went a little low for her liking, and then she felt her ass being pinched.
That was the end of that. Steph took the initiative and leaned in to kiss Tank full on the lips. When his tongue snaked into her mouth to explore, she bit down. Hard. "Watch it."
As soon as her teeth came down, Tank stiffened. To his credit, he didn't cry out or jerk away, just hissed sharply. He planted another light kiss near her ear and whispered in, "Play nice. Or I won't." His large bulk was suddenly tight against her, and she felt the unexpected results of her kiss and bite hard against her abdomen. Suddenly, the sheer size and strength of Tank sunk in, and she was intimidated.
Luckily, Kim decided just then to go powder her nose- or more appropriately, put powder up her nose. As soon as Kim was gone, Steph took her fear and used it, putting it all behind a slap in Tank's face. "How dare you!" she screamed, her face slowly turning red as attention zeroed in on the two of them. All heads in the area, including Jason's, turned.
Tank wasn't surprised by the unscripted slap. Lightening fast, he had captured the hand she had slapped him with by the wrist and wrenched it towards him. He raised his voice loud enough for Jason to hear it. "You wanna go lap dance some movie star, I ain't interested in watching. Find your own way home." Releasing her hand, he rose up from the barstool and took off, acting like he was in a fine huff. He headed toward an empty table across the dance floor, drink in hand, opposite the ladies room, and sat down. He was in perfect position to intercept Kim on her way out.
Steph stood staring at him, gape-jawed. She took a few minutes to recover and settle back down on the barstool. She waited until everyone had gone back to previous conversations before she steeled herself to approach Jason. Really, the trepidation and unease at approaching him wasn't feigned; Ranger had been certain that she could attract his attention, but Steph wasn't so sure herself. Ordering another drink- plain seltzer and lime this time, to pass for a gin and tonic- she changed her mind and asked the bartender for a second drink. When asked what she wanted, she dramatically pointed to Jason, who caught her action and looked interested, and said, "One of whatever he's having."
She made a display of grasping the new drinks, and making her way over to Jason. She did her sexiest stroll and a perfect imitation of a timid groupie as she waited to attract his attention.
It took a minute, but Jason's head swiveled in her direction. He took a long, appraising look. "Yeah?" he asked.
Steph took a deep breath. "Since my boyfriend's mad at me because of you, the least you can do is have a drink with me."
Jason paused for a minute. Then he smiled at her. "I heard a bit of that. Is he too insecure to handle some competition?"
Steph stomped her foot in (almost fake) exasperation. This guy had quite an ego. Tank could have chosen to crush this guy if he wanted. "I guess so."
Jason motioned to the empty seat- Kim's seat- next to him. "A drink sounds nice."
Chapter Four The Operation Begins
The first two clubs they hit were misses. Jason Devine had been and gone already. The third, a luridly red-lit façade with a neon sign proclaiming "Inferno", had a line snaking around the block. Steph was sure that Ranger would have no trouble jumping to the front of the line- one of the bouncers was actually a woman, and all woman wanted Ranger- but she wasn't so sure about her and Tank. She shouldn't have worried. The three of them were inside, at the bar, drink in hand, within five minutes. Tank's arm- not Ranger's, sigh- was around her shoulders. The plan was that she was Tank's date. They would have a rather public disagreement when she insisted on approaching Jason; Jason, it seemed, really got off on snagging the groupies. He would be interested and she would exploit that while Tank would find Jason's girlfriend.
Tank had the tougher of the two jobs. Steph just needed to keep Jason's attention long enough for Tank to get the girl into a- compromising- situation. Jason paying attention to another woman with his girlfriend around apparently was a normal occurrence, as was her expected reaction- find some one else to screw for the night. The thing is, Jason didn't know about the girlfriend's usual response. She had been very discreet up until now. Steph didn't ask how compromising a situation was required, and was just glad that it wasn't Ranger's job to do it. Then, on a cue from Ranger, she was to bring Jason on the scene. Apparently, this girlfriend was a coke- addicted leech, and Jason's manager wanted them broken up. Steph was a little uncomfortable with this plan. It seemed...dishonest.
Of course, she had out-right lied to get into a skip's house before, so she really shouldn't judge. Plus, if what Ranger had told her was true, this girlfriend was slowly costing the guy his health, wealth, and career. Still, she felt the case belonged in that gray area of not quite morally right, but legal, which Ranger seemed comfortable with, but she felt uneasy about.
Once Jason was spotted, Ranger left them and blended in with the background crowd, or at least as well as Ranger ever blended. It was too loud to hear if any glasses had been broken yet; around Ranger, waitresses tended to get clumsy. Steph idly wondered how many women would approach him tonight, and tried not to feel jealous. Tank leaned down to whisper in her ear. "As soon as the girlfriend heads to the john for a hit, we go."
Tank's whisper tickled her ear and sent a shiver up and down her spine. She really needed to work on this hormone thing, mentally reminding herself that Tank had thrown a drug dealer out of a window in her presence- from the third story! Right now, the girlfriend didn't seem to be going anywhere.
Tank ordered another round of drinks while they waited for the girlfriend to leave. Steph tried to wave it away; she was a Two-Can Sam, and she needed to be at the top of her game. Tank forced it into her hand. "You gotta blend. You drink at a club, or you dance. And we can't dance and keep an eye on Jason."
Steph swallowed nervously. "I don't drink well, Tank. I'm a sloppy, messy drunk."
The corners of Tank's mouth curled up in a suggestion of a smile. "I'll have to remember that. Might come in handy."
Tank was definitely not acting like Tank tonight. He snaked his arms around Steph's waist and pulled her closer, as if to kiss her neck. He whispered into her ear instead. "They aren't going to believe that we're a couple. You haven't touched me all night." Then he lightly kissed her at the juncture of her jaw and neck, his tongue teasing her skin in between kisses.
Steph sucked in a tight breath. Tank was pretty good at that, but she was here to work. And Ranger was somewhere here watching the two of them. She was uncomfortable with Tank, but she didn't want him shot. And if Tank kept doing what he was doing, there was a good chance that her hormones might take over and Ranger would shoot them both.
It had been quite a dry spell for her after living with Morelli's libido.
It would also cause a scene and ruin their plan if she slapped him right now. The girlfriend was still hanging on Jason's arm. Instead, she ran her hands lightly up and down Tank's massive forearms, ending up grasping his wrists. She leaned over to breathe lightly in Tank's ear, whispering quietly "Don't over do it," before she moved his hands off her.
Turning back to the bar and his drink, Tank drained it and motioned to the bar tender for another. While waiting, he draped his arm over Steph's shoulders again and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. "You seemed to like it. What's the problem?"
Steph looked at him oddly. What the hell was going on here? "I thought you were Ranger's friend."
Tank pulled up to his full height and looked down at her, one eyebrow arched. "What's Ranger got to do with this?"
Pursing her lips and considering the question, Steph caught a glimpse of Devine and the girl friend out of the corner of her eye. "Shit," she silently mouthed, before leaning in to put her head on Tank's shoulder and subtly point. Tank got the message immediately, and they both went still and silent.
Stephanie's heart was pounding. They had fallen out of character for just a few minutes; she hoped that Devine and his girlfriend, Kim, hadn't heard any of it. It would be suspicious, considering what was supposed to happen later.
The couple stood at the bar a few people down from Steph and Tank. Steph was careful to keep giving Devine quick looks, as if she was trying to place him. After all, she and Tank were supposed to fight over her going over to talk to him. Let Devine think it took a while for her to build up the courage. Tank caught on quickly. In a slightly raised voice, he asked her, "What are you looking at?" He pulled her face back in his direction. "I'm right here, and you aren't paying me a bit of attention."
Steph pretended to pout, and spoke in an exaggerated voice. "Hey, do you see who that is?"
"Who cares?" Tank asked, pulling her closer to him and leaning down to kiss her. Steph evaded with a quick head twist, but his mouth met her neck instead. It didn't deter him.
Steph briefly closed her eyes as her knees felt weak. Tank wasn't bad at this, at all. No where near as good as Ranger, though. That thought was like a bucket of cold water. She tried pulling away, and Tank tightened his grip. His hands went a little low for her liking, and then she felt her ass being pinched.
That was the end of that. Steph took the initiative and leaned in to kiss Tank full on the lips. When his tongue snaked into her mouth to explore, she bit down. Hard. "Watch it."
As soon as her teeth came down, Tank stiffened. To his credit, he didn't cry out or jerk away, just hissed sharply. He planted another light kiss near her ear and whispered in, "Play nice. Or I won't." His large bulk was suddenly tight against her, and she felt the unexpected results of her kiss and bite hard against her abdomen. Suddenly, the sheer size and strength of Tank sunk in, and she was intimidated.
Luckily, Kim decided just then to go powder her nose- or more appropriately, put powder up her nose. As soon as Kim was gone, Steph took her fear and used it, putting it all behind a slap in Tank's face. "How dare you!" she screamed, her face slowly turning red as attention zeroed in on the two of them. All heads in the area, including Jason's, turned.
Tank wasn't surprised by the unscripted slap. Lightening fast, he had captured the hand she had slapped him with by the wrist and wrenched it towards him. He raised his voice loud enough for Jason to hear it. "You wanna go lap dance some movie star, I ain't interested in watching. Find your own way home." Releasing her hand, he rose up from the barstool and took off, acting like he was in a fine huff. He headed toward an empty table across the dance floor, drink in hand, opposite the ladies room, and sat down. He was in perfect position to intercept Kim on her way out.
Steph stood staring at him, gape-jawed. She took a few minutes to recover and settle back down on the barstool. She waited until everyone had gone back to previous conversations before she steeled herself to approach Jason. Really, the trepidation and unease at approaching him wasn't feigned; Ranger had been certain that she could attract his attention, but Steph wasn't so sure herself. Ordering another drink- plain seltzer and lime this time, to pass for a gin and tonic- she changed her mind and asked the bartender for a second drink. When asked what she wanted, she dramatically pointed to Jason, who caught her action and looked interested, and said, "One of whatever he's having."
She made a display of grasping the new drinks, and making her way over to Jason. She did her sexiest stroll and a perfect imitation of a timid groupie as she waited to attract his attention.
It took a minute, but Jason's head swiveled in her direction. He took a long, appraising look. "Yeah?" he asked.
Steph took a deep breath. "Since my boyfriend's mad at me because of you, the least you can do is have a drink with me."
Jason paused for a minute. Then he smiled at her. "I heard a bit of that. Is he too insecure to handle some competition?"
Steph stomped her foot in (almost fake) exasperation. This guy had quite an ego. Tank could have chosen to crush this guy if he wanted. "I guess so."
Jason motioned to the empty seat- Kim's seat- next to him. "A drink sounds nice."