Channah, but it is too fun to leave you guessing. Hope you feel better! Short chapter, suffering from a short term blockage...

Chapter Twelve

I found the extra Rangeman clothes that I kept in Ranger's apartment and changed into those at the last minute. I wanted to be professional about this apprehension. I knew that I had to carry my gun and pulled it out of my bag. I checked to make sure it was loaded (it was), and put it in the belt holster that Ranger so thoughtfully provided.

I found Lula sitting on Ranger's couch. "Are you packing?" Silly question, considering we're talking about Lula, but I felt compelled to ask.

"You bet your ass," she replied, pulling out the gun from her handbag. Of course, it was bigger than mine.

"We have to find a way out of here that attracts the least amount of attention." I was thinking, but nothing came to me before Lula offered her idea.

"Hey, girl, why don't we just Ranger asked us to join him. That guy downstairs won't think anything of it if we don't act suspicious."

"Maybe," I thought about it, "but he will undoubtedly call Ranger. I don't want Ranger to interfere."

"So what's your plan?" Lula asked in all seriousness.

"Geez, do I have to think of everything? Where do you think Willard would hole up?" Yeah, I was being a bit testy, but it was better than admitting I didn't know what we were going to do once we escaped Ranger's apartment.

"We could get the file from Connie and see if it lists any other addresses. I only remember that house. Don't remember if there might have been more addresses."

That wasn't a bad idea. Our first stop would be Vinnie's. Lula and I took the stairs to the garage, Lula complaining the whole way. At the door to the garage, Hal met us.

"Stephanie, you know Ranger didn't want you two to leave apartment," he began.

"Sure, I know, but he called and asked us to meet him at Vinnie's. Something has come up. See, I'm fully equipped to handle the situation," I offered, pointing to the gun holster.

He didn't look too convinced. "Look, Hal, don't make me use this on you," I threatened.

Hal wasn't too impressed with the threat. Instead he pulled out his cell phone. While he was dialing, Lula and I got into her Firebird and sped out of the garage. We didn't slow down until we reached Vinnie's.

" We don't have much time," I yelled as I ran into Vinnie's. "Hal will have Ranger or Tank here in no time."

Connie wasn't at the desk, but Lula found the file quickly.

"Just take it with us," I snapped, running to the Firebird.

We managed to pull out onto the main road before I noticed the SUV speeding toward us. I had to decide whether to encourage Lula to speed anyway from the approaching car or to stop. It was really a tough decision, but in the end I knew I was no match for Ranger's men.

"Lula, pull into the parking lot over there. We have to find out who's following us." Lula just shook her head. She had seen the SUV as well.

"I'm kinda glad you didn't want to outrun them. Ranger would have been pissed. Don't need Batman mad at me right now, you know." Yeah, I did know.

The driver pulled in right behind us. Let it be Tank, I kept thinking. No such luck. A very handsome, very scary Cuban American stud was walking toward the Firebird, shaking his head in disbelief.

He approached the passenger side door and opened it. I was unceremoniously hauled to my feet.

"Can't you follow instructions?" He demanded. "I told you to stay put. That wasn't that much to ask, was it?"

"Well, that depends on your perspective. Asking me to stay away when my father is in danger is definitely asking too much."

"Babe, I would have brought you in once I figured out where your father's being held. You need to trust me here." Ranger leaned in for a swift kiss on the cheek, reaching past me for the file sitting on the passenger seat where I dropped it.

"Hey, that's ours," I snapped at him. I got no reaction. He continued to read through the file, as if he hoped to find the answer there.

"There's nothing here we don't already know," he told me. "You and Cagney there follow Tank and me. We have a couple of places to check out. Since you're wearing your gun, you can come along." He went back to the SUV without another word.

"Damn," Lula started. "That's one scary dude. I wasn't sure if he was goin' yell or what; you don't know with Batman. Hell, he might have a bad temper."

I often wondered that myself. Did Ranger have a bad temper? He was usually restrained around me. I know he was a totally different guy around the men at the office, but something about me made him change his tune. Maybe he was like that with all women, I didn't know. Actually, the thought of him with any woman was a bit disconcerting. We only slept together, I told myself. I didn't have any hold on the man.

Lula and I followed the men to a bar south of Stark Street, a place I would prefer to avoid. I saw Ranger motion for us to stay in the car. I wasn't inclined to disagree. The bar they were going to was known for some rough nights. At least on one occasion I can remember Joe mentioning that it was the site of a sting operation by Vice.

"What do you know about this place?" I asked Lula, more to start conversation flowing than anything else. I hated waiting, no matter where it was.

"Some bad shit goes down in there. You name it and they got it. Jackie's pimp got knifed in there once. Cops didn't even wanna come and check it out."

I couldn't think of any way to respond to that so I just kept watching the door. I knew Ranger and Tank could handle themselves, but a part of me worried anyway. Then there was the fact that my Dad was holed up somewhere with someone who actually might have frequented this place. That was scary.

Moments later, Ranger was tapping on my window. I rolled it down and he dropped down to talk to me. "Sounds like Old Willard was hear earlier today. Word is that he was going for a bender tonight. A pal of his may know where we can find him. Tank's discussing that right now." Of course, Tank could be very persuasive, that went without saying.

"You think we find Willard, we find my Dad?" Ranger's face was so close to mine, I could read his response in his eyes.

"Yeah, Babe, that's what I think."