"Have you heard from Cal?" Edna asked. It was their final night in San Diego. Stephanie had booked the flights to Arizona for the following morning. Lester would meet them at the airport. Like the other men before him, Ram wanted to spend time with his family. He would drive them to the airport and wait until they boarded the plane before visiting with his parents. Stephanie's safety was more important.
"Nope. He got the DNA test done a week ago. We should be hearing something soon," Stephanie replied. On cue, Stephanie's phone rang. "Yo," she answered.
"Hey, Steph. It's Cal," he unnecessarily replied. "I got the results."
"Spill it," Stephanie ordered.
"You were right. Liam O'Malley is my maternal uncle. How can I thank you for helping me find my family?" Cal asked.
"Congratulations. You can thank me by finding those assholes who kidnapped you. Finnigan and Maeve O'Reilly aka Roger and Victoria Paisley, have to pay for their kidnapping crimes. I believe their grandson is the offspring of another child they abducted after they left you at the firehouse," Stephanie replied.
"They probably left Portland, Oregon, by now." Cal wanted to confront his kidnappers and learn why they abandoned him. They were the only parental figures he knew. His time in foster homes negatively affected him. He endured physical abuse in the first home. The mother complained about how much food he consumed. When the father came home to see Cal had gotten into the snacks, he whipped Cal with his belt. It was during gym class when another boy saw the welts and bruises covering Cal's back as he changed his shirt.
Cal's classmate told the principal, who got the CPS to investigate the foster parents. He got removed from their care and placed in another home, which produced the same abusive results. It continued until the fifth home. His foster parents were kind but distant. They only fostered children to get a paycheque. Cal felt no love or affection from that house. He preferred indifference to abuse.
"Nope. The O'Reillys are still there. I have eyes on them," Stephanie said. Cal shouldn't have been surprised that Stephanie organized a team to watch the family. "They need to be brought to justice."
"I couldn't agree more," Cal replied, then hung up. He had a lot of work to do. Liam O'Malley left his staff in charge as Cal, Liam and Kyla flew to Portland, Oregon, to confront the O'Reillys. Kyla and Liam didn't want Cal to face his kidnappers alone.
"Liam is his uncle?" Edna asked when Stephanie put her phone away.
"Yup."
"Please fasten your belts. We're ready for takeoff," the flight attendant announced.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lester should have known his 'wellness' checks would come back to bite him in the ass. He picked up pizzas and subs from Shorty's for the men. At 2000 hours on the dot, a loud thud sounded through his apartment. Their punctuality was predictable. "Come in," Lester shouted. Bobby, Binkie, Woody, Tank and Zip entered, carrying paper plates, napkins and beer. "Cal isn't back yet?"
"No," Tank replied. "He has a few legal issues to clear up before coming home." Lester assumed it had to do with finding his uncle.
"So, Santos. What's your story?" Binkie asked. Only one person other than Lester knew the full details of Lester's past. Ranger would never betray his cousin's trust. He wanted to share his story with Binkie a few times but decided against divulging his secrets.
"Whatever happened, I bet it's the reason he refuses to give up his playboy ways," Bobby replied.
"Amen," the others replied as they held up their beer bottles. Bobby hit the nail on the head. Melanie Collins had everything to do with his playboy persona. Thinking about her still caused his heart to ache. He didn't miss her as much as what she took away from him. Lester went to the extreme to prevent it from happening again.
"Man, you have got to relax," Zip said. "Should we get some brownies from Mooner?"
"No!" Lester and Tank shouted. "I haven't touched that shit since high school," Lester added.
"Zip was just kidding," Woody said. "Ranger would hand us our ass on the mats if we failed a drug test."
Bobby closely watched Lester. What woman got Santos so fucked up in the head? It must have been a doozy for Santos to get a vasectomy at a young age. He knew from the medical records that Lester got snipped at nineteen. At first, he thought it was in response to Ranger getting Rachel pregnant, but now, Bobby was second-guessing his assumption.
Even after the worst mission, Lester never resorted to using a little weed to relax. The other men would pass around the joint, but Lester never took a hit. On more than one occasion, Ranger would tell them to drop it because Lester had a valid reason for not smoking pot.
"You know we'll find out eventually," Zip warned. Lester didn't fall for his trap.
"I'm sure you will, but today is not going to be that day," Lester replied.
"Bomber will get Lester to open up. We were helpless against her charms," Binkie added. Bobby, Tank and Woody agreed. Tank and Bobby were hard nuts to crack, but Stephanie got them to spill their guts.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Did you see that muscle definition?" Helen asked Frank.
"Our daughter is receiving the training she needs to do her job," Frank replied. "Where do you think she learned how to dress a wound?"
"Please, Frank. With the number of times she got shrapnel in her arms and legs from explosions, she should know. I'm impressed she could help Ram without verbal instruction," Helen proudly added. "Traveling with mother brought out the woman I knew was trapped inside. She started the journey as a caterpillar stuck inside her chrysalis. Our daughter turned into a beautiful butterfly." Helen was proud of her reference to Stephanie growing wings to fly.
"The commercial said that Red Bull makes you grow wings," Frank joked. Helen lovingly slapped his arm. She had missed his playful side. "You went about it the wrong way to draw out the butterfly." Frank enjoyed reminding Helen. She played the petulant child and begged him to punish her. "Don't think for one minute that I didn't know you only pretended to harp on Stephanie during the past few months." Helen blushed and playfully smacked his arm. "I'm willing to play that game."
"Later," Helen promised. "How are we supposed to keep Stephanie safe after she appeared on National television?"
"Let Ram do his job. He's a good man." Frank lifted Helen onto his lap. He nuzzled into her neck, then kissed her collarbone. Helen's breath hitched as Frank pulled a piece of skin between her teeth.
"Frank, I have to start dinner," Helen moaned.
"We have time enough to play," he growled. Frank carried Helen upstairs, then dumped her on the bed. He ordered her to remove her clothes and lay perfectly still. Helen followed his orders. Her body flushed as she imagined all the naughty things Frank would do to her. "I'll order takeout once I finish my dessert."
"Yes!" Helen screamed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Edna held Stephanie's arm as they exited the plane. Stephanie fought back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She noticed her grandmother had lost more weight during the trip. Her skin sagged more than before. Stephanie guided her to a bench near the luggage carousel. She barely took a step when Lester shouted, "Beautiful."
Stephanie turned around. Her face smashed into Lester's chest as he lifted her until her feet couldn't touch the floor. "I missed you," Lester whispered.
"I missed you, too," Stephanie replied. "I've got to grab our luggage."
"Point out your bags. I'll grab them while you keep grandma company." Edna appreciated Lester's assistance. She didn't want to sit on the bench alone. Her muscles worked overtime to keep her upright. With Stephanie sitting beside her, she didn't have to worry about falling over.
Edna held onto Stephanie's arm as they walked to the rental car booth. Lester provided his license and insurance information to get the SUV. "Is there a wheelchair in the back?" Lester asked the attractive, blond attendant.
She flushed bright red before replying, "Yes, sir. I got the staff to place it in the cargo hold. Your grandma will have a sweet ride, and your girlfriend doesn't have to work hard to control the chair."
Lester smiled. He never said it was his grandmother. "Thanks," he replied.
The woman leaned toward Lester to whisper, "It's sexy when a man cares for his grandmother. Here's my number. I have the weekend off. I'll guarantee you'll have a good time." Lester accepted the paper from the woman. He waited until they got outside before tossing the phone number in the trash.
"Why did you do that?" Stephanie asked. "The woman was exactly your type. Blond, tall and stacked."
"She assumed you were my girlfriend but still decided to share her phone number for a good time. I'm not interested in any woman who suggested I cheat on my partner," Lester replied.
"Lester, we're not dating," Stephanie reminded him.
"I know, but she didn't." From his tone, Stephanie knew the conversation was over. He didn't need anyone convincing him to go against his moral code.
When they got into the SUV, Stephanie reached for Lester's hand. She entwined their fingers and stroked her thumb across the back of his hand. "You're allowed to meet women on this trip, Les," Stephanie quietly said.
"My job is to take you and Edna skydiving. We have a few classes to complete before jumping out of a plane," he replied.
"Classes?" Edna asked. "What type of lessons do we need?"
"I'm a jumpmaster. I brought my credentials, so one of you could jump in tandem with me. The other will need to go with the instructor. Before you and Stephanie can jump, you have to pass the safety course first. In order to jump into the Grand Canyon, you must complete at least ten hours of training. It's their safety regulations," Lester explained.
"So we're not jumping from a plane for at least three days?" Edna asked.
"No. It's more like four or five days." Stephanie was annoyed, though, relieved that she didn't have to face her fear of heights in the immediate future.
"When is the first lesson?" Edna asked.
"Tomorrow morning. I assumed you ladies needed to rest before jumping into the next adventure," Lester replied. Stephanie was relieved. Catching early morning flights messed with her sleep schedule. She could use a nap before going to the hotel restaurant for dinner.
"We could always order room service," Edna suggested.
"Nah. We've done that a lot. I wouldn't mind sitting in the restaurant for dinner tonight. However, I need to take a nap first," Stephanie replied. The restaurant served various types of cuisine, from Cuban to Mexican and anything else in between.
Stephanie took a quick shower to wash away the travel dust. She braided her long hair before climbing into the double bed. In every hotel they occupied, they rented the presidential suite with at least two separate rooms. Not all the hotels had the rooms separated by walls, but the one they rented in Arizona did. Stephanie didn't have to share a room with her grandmother. Though, she left the door separating their beds open.
She fell into a deep sleep the second her head hit the pillow. A boy resembling Ranger infiltrated her dreams. He had Ranger's skin tone and face shape, but his hair was curly, and his eyes were blue. The child's skin colour made his eyes look more striking than his mother's, which were a brilliant shade. "Momma," the boy cried after skinning his knee. Stephanie lifted the boy and carried him to his Uncle Bobby to clean and dress the wound. He wouldn't let his mother help because sitting on her lap comforted him.
"You're okay, sweetie. Uncle Bobby will use the Batman bandage. Would you like that, Mattie?" Stephanie asked.
"Ya. I love Batman," he replied. Stephanie used her thumbs to gently wipe the tears off his face. She smiled lovingly at her son. "Is daddy home?"
"Tomorrow, Mattie. Daddy has to finish the paperwork in Miami," Stephanie reminded him. His daddy would be home after Mattie was asleep. Stephanie didn't want to deal with a cranky child by saying his dad would be home that night. It would prevent Mattie from going to sleep.
"Why?"
Stephanie smiled at her son. "Mattie, you couldn't miss school. Daddy was only gone for two days." The truth was that Stephanie wasn't allowed to travel by plane, and sitting in a car for twenty hours would wreak havoc on her already sore back.
"Too long," Mattie whined. He wiggled on his mother's lap as Bobby dried his knee, then placed a large Batman bandage on his knee to cover the scrape.
"You're all done, champ," Bobby announced. Mattie hugged his uncle, then jumped down from Stephanie's lap. "You're a great mom," Bobby whispered.
"Only because I have all of you guys to help. I'd be lost without your support," she replied.
"How are you feeling?" Bobby asked.
"Like I'm ready to pop," she confessed. "She's been very active lately."
"I'm not surprised. You're due in a few days." Stephanie rolled her eyes. She didn't need the reminder. "He'll be home tonight," Bobby reminded her after distracting Mattie with a lollipop.
"I know. It's a shame we couldn't go with him this time. The doctor said I couldn't fly this close to my due date," Stephanie sighed.
"Have you picked names?" Bobby asked. Stephanie nodded, but she wasn't ready to share.
The dream shifted, showing Stephanie with her son and daughter. Her daughter, Sophia, was two, and her son was six. Stephanie never saw herself as a mother until the two pink lines appeared on the test. It was unexpected but welcomed. Technically, Stephanie was Savannah's biological mother, but she didn't raise her first child and didn't assume the role of a mother.
Stephanie went to the mall with her children and two of her Merry Men, Manny and Lester. While Stephanie took Sophia to the washroom, the men watched Mattie. Sophia crawled underneath the door when Stephanie sat on the toilet seat. She forced her bladder to empty to catch Sophia before leaving the washroom.
"Sophia," Stephanie called when she opened the door to the toilet stall. Her daughter wasn't in the room. Stephanie quickly pulled a wet wipe from her purse to clean her hands as she peeked into every stall.
"Where is she?" Stephanie screamed.
"Who are you looking for?" another woman asked.
"My daughter. She has curly dark hair and blue eyes. Her skin looks tanned," Stephanie quickly replied. She showed the woman a recent photo of Sophia.
"Oh. I saw her leave with a Latina woman. I assumed it was her mother," the woman said. Stephanie's stomach jumped into her throat. She rushed from the washroom to find the men. Manny was unconscious on the floor outside the door. He had a tranquillizer dart sticking out of his shoulder. She tugged it from him using an empty plastic baggie she carried at all times.
Lester exited the men's washroom with Mattie. "Steph?" he asked.
"Sophia is gone," Stephanie cried. Lester got on his phone as Stephanie picked up Mattie to comfort him. Mattie started crying when he saw his mother's tear-filled eyes. Hector arrived within minutes to take Mattie back to Rangeman. He would stay with Ella and Luis as they searched for Sophia.
"I think we found her," Junior shouted. Stephanie ran through the door to the dumpsters behind the mall.
She approached her daughter, lying on the ground like a doll. Stephanie touched her daughter's pale skin and cried. Sophia was dead. "No!" Stephanie screamed when Sophia morphed into Savannah.
"Beautiful, wake up. It's just a dream," Lester said. He shook Stephanie until she opened her eyes. She threw her arms around her best friend and cried into his neck.
"My gorgeous daughter is dead," she cried.
"It was only a dream," he repeated.
"No. It wasn't," Stephanie insisted. "It's a warning. I can't live if someone took my daughter away. Savannah's in trouble."
"Who is Savannah?" Lester asked.
Edna entered the room to tell Lester the story. "Before you ask, Ranger knows about her."