Chapter 9

Rangeman Trenton went into a state of emergency. All available contract workers got brought into the building to handle the daily business operations. Ranger organized his team to locate Stephanie and her family. "Boss?" Cal asked, pulling Ranger from his thoughts.

"Stephanie's panic button got activated thirty minutes ago. Her earring trackers are ten miles apart. One is in the location of the panic button. I'm assuming the other one is attached to her son. Lester, Hector, Rodriguez, Bobby, Junior and Hal, go to the location ten miles away from the panic button. Vince and Binkie alert the Reagans and local police, then man the trackers. I am relying on you to keep the teams organized. The rest of you are with me. Move out!" Ranger ordered.

I woke up in a damp basement. My clothes were still in place, as were my tracker, panic button and the gun between my breasts. The weapon I had stashed at my back was pointed in my face by Delgado. Luis Delgado smirked when I looked into his face. "Are you amused or proud of yourself?" I snapped.

"Just wondering what I should do to cause Danny Reagan the most pain," Delgado replied. "He never gave up on me even after I ordered his wife to be killed." If Danny didn't have proof before, then he has it now.

Delgado isn't too intelligent. When I pushed the panic button, my GPS location got sent to Rangeman, and they would record every spoken word. I had to let them know who kidnapped me. "You'll never get away with this, Delgado. Danny isn't going to back off. Kidnapping me and my family likely escalated his resolve to take you down," I calmly stated. He lowered the gun to shoot me in the left arm. I restrained myself from screaming.

I still had my gun, tracker and panic button. Delgado didn't remove them from me, probably assuming I was too stupid to hide them between my breasts. Thank goodness my bra size increased significantly during the pregnancy.

He removed my restraints and pushed me to the floor. I pretended to reach for my injured arm. My gun was in my hand, and I fired it before Delgado could see what I was doing. He fell to the ground. Blood poured from the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. I left the gun Delgado stole so I wouldn't get charged with murder. It would help prove I acted in self-defence. Why does everyone underestimate me?

Woody screamed from the floor above me. I quietly ascended the basement stairs. He got restrained using flex cuffs to a kitchen chair. "Where is my son!" I demanded as I poked my gun into the back of the goons head. The goon dropped the bloody knife he held.

"I don't know. The kid isn't here. Delgado dumped him along the way," the man said as sweat ran down his face. I knew he was telling the truth. Before I could take him down, Ranger, Danny and Jamie barged into the room with their weapons drawn.

"Dad, I killed Delgado. He's in the basement. The asshole shot me with my own gun," I said as I gave him my second gun. I grabbed a knife from the butcher block to cut the cuffs off Woody.

His arm was bloody from getting cut with the knife at his feet. A team entered the house to collect evidence. Delgado got carried away in a body bag. He wouldn't hurt the Reagans ever again. I was worried about how Delgado's death would affect the gang and mafia activity in New York. Danny said it wasn't my concern.

The bullet in my arm was a through and through. An ambulance took Woody and me to the hospital. We had to get stitched and put on antibiotics.

"Where is Casey?" I asked the room in general.

"On the pediatric floor getting examined. Placing a tracker on him saved his life. We found him a few hundred yards away from the scene of the accident," Bobby stated. "The doctor wants to keep him overnight for observation. It took us two hours from the time your alarm sounded to find Casey."

Delgado was lucky to be dead, or I would beat the living crap out of him before cutting him into small pieces. The fucker left my kid in the elements to die.

"I need to see my son," I said as I climbed from the hospital bed. Woody and I had mild concussions and had to stay overnight too. Dad helped me sit in the wheelchair and pushed me towards the elevator.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Danny joked. "We could never catch the person following you. Whenever a patrol car got close, they scattered like cockroaches."

"That's okay, dad. Delgado or his goon who you arrested were the only two I saw following us. I appreciate you sending out regular patrols."

I could hear my son was sobbing as we exited the elevator. "He hasn't stopped crying since he came in," the nurse announced.

"Pass him to me," I said as I held out my arms. Casey stopped crying the second I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm right here, Casey. Can he stay in my room with me?" I didn't want him to leave my sight.

"Your friend, Carlos Manoso, arranged to have you, Casey and Woodrow placed into a room together," the nurse replied. "He also insisted on having guards outside your door."

"It's the standard operating procedure at Rangeman, his company," I explained. "It would be easier for everyone involved if you let him place the guards."

"Okay. I'll notify the hospital security," the nurse said before she left.

A porter arrived to move Casey and me to our new room with Woody. Dad, Ranger and Tank followed us to the room. Ranger organized a few men to take shifts watching our room. The ones off duty could sleep in the chairs or on the couch in the room. "How did he manage that?" Danny asked.

"An anonymous donation to the hospital," I replied, shrugging. Ranger smiled in amusement.

Lester and Bobby guarded the door while Tank and Ranger visited with us. "You were coming home, Babe," Ranger stated.

"Yes. I missed Uncle Frank and my Rangeman family," I confessed.

"I missed you, Babe," Ranger whispered when he hugged me.

"Do you want to hold Casey?" I asked. I placed my son into Ranger's arms when he nodded. My little man looked like his dad, but his looks were already starting to change. He has dimples in his cheeks. His eyes are dark blue, which I knew would remain blue.

Ranger removed his hat and laughed. "Babe, where's his hair?"

"If you rub his head, you can feel the soft blond fuzz," I replied. "He was completely bald at birth. You'll need to wait longer to see if he has my curly hair." I was secretly hoping his hair was curly but looser waves than mine.

Woody was watching in amusement. He looked relieved that Ranger and I were getting along again. "You and Woody make cute babies," Ranger said before he kissed Casey's forehead. "I'm sorry."

I was stunned. Ranger apologizing is unheard of at Rangeman. "Don't do it again. I know you keep close tabs on my health and wellbeing but wait until I approach you next time. Woody, Casey and I need you in our lives. I forgive you, Batman."

"You saved yourself," he whispered.

"Yup, and I was going to save Woody when everyone arrived. I'm not a shrinking violet, Ranger. I've been trained by the best." I pointed to my chest and added, "With these cannons, I was able to hide my pocket pistol between my breasts. I'm lucky Luis Delgado didn't frisk there."

Ranger tipped his head back and laughed. "Only you, Babe."

"My hero," Woody joked.

"Wonder Woman," Ranger added. "Who's idea was it to place the tracker on Casey?"

"Stephanie's," Woody replied. "She was hanging upside down in the backseat with Casey. Stephanie pressed her feet against the roof to reduce pressure across her chest and hips. I watched her press the panic button before removing an earring that got attached to Casey. She put the other one in her bra. If Steph waited a few more seconds, Delgado would have caught her."

"Your quick thinking saved your son's life. Bobby found him in time to prevent hypothermia," Ranger stated. I was concerned about the shaken baby syndrome.

"Where was he?" Woody asked.

"In a small wooded area a few miles away from your SUV. He was lying on the ground beneath his blanket. His car seat was in the vehicle," Tank replied.

The pediatric doctor entered the room to give us an update on Casey. "Your son is lucky. He got strapped into the car seat tight enough to prevent serious injury from the accident. However, Casey has a small discolouration on his forehead. The CAT scan didn't show any signs of concussion," he stated.

"Thank goodness I didn't hurt him," I quietly said.

"What do you mean?" Dr. Thibeault asked, his eyebrow raised.

"When our vehicle got hit, it flipped. I instinctively pressed my hand on Casey's forehead to prevent his head from falling forward," I replied. "I'm glad I didn't cause any damage."

"I'm impressed. Most people instinctively protect themselves," he stated. He gave us more information and said we could take Casey home tomorrow once he gets cleared.

"Thank you, Dr. Thibeault. We'll see you in the morning," Woody said.

"What made you stabilize his head?" Tank asked.

"Honestly?" I waited for Tank to nod. "I wasn't aware I did it until the car stopped rolling. Before I removed my hand, I made sure his head didn't fall forward too much. Once I was sure he was alright, I pressed the panic button and removed an earring to attach to his clothes at the crotch."

"Where was his seat?" Tank asked.

"In the middle. I sat behind Woody," I replied. Tank nodded and smiled. He was pleased I sat in the best position to protect my child while travelling. I didn't want to think what would have happened if we got hit on the driver's side.

We stayed in the hospital for a couple of days before they would release Woody and me. The doctor wanted to make sure we didn't get an infection from our injuries. I had a feeling Ranger arranged for us to stay a few days longer.

Danny, Sean and Jack stopped by the hospital to visit us one last time before we went home. Woody and I promised to visit them regularly. I want Casey to know his uncles and grandfathers.

"I'm going to miss you, Dad," I whispered when I hugged Danny.

He looked over my shoulder and said, "Take care of my girl."

"Yes, sir," Woody replied.

"We'll visit again this summer," Sean and Jack said when they hugged me.

"Woody and I would like that," I responded.

Ranger entered our hospital room with a new car seat for Casey. He let me stay my son into the carrier but wouldn't let me lift him. Both of Woody's arms got heavily bandaged from his injuries. It would take several months before he could regain full range. One of the cuts severed a tendon, and we didn't know if there would be long-term deficits.

When we got to Rangeman, Ranger directed us to the fifth-floor control room. The men wanted to see us when we got home. I suspected they wanted to see the newest Rangeman member.

Woody and I reluctantly agreed to live at Rangeman until we complete physiotherapy. I rolled my eyes when Lester and Bobby organized nanny shifts among the men. It was surprising how many of my Merry Men signed on to babysitting duty.

During our absence, Rangeman expanded their business, and Ranger required my skills to find suitable employees. While the men were passing Casey around, Ranger gave me a new contract to review. I would be in charge of Human Resources at Rangeman, company-wide. My department would have six people to start, not including me.

"Six men of your choice, Babe," Ranger stated. "The men interested in moving to your department have already submitted applications."

I read the contract details. Ranger gave me control of planning, employee recruitment and selection process, evaluating job performances, overseeing background checks, hiring, transferring, termination, promoting employees and maintaining medical insurance records. "Are you sure?" I asked when I finished reading my job description.

"Positive. I trust your opinion, Babe. You are the light, heart and soul of Rangeman. Without you, we felt lost. Please," he begged as he gave me a pen.

"The salary is outrageous," I stated. It was twice my previous salary.

"You're worth every penny," Tank added when he entered Ranger's office. I rolled my eyes and signed the contract.

I looked around Ranger's office when they added their signatures to my contract. The room was several feet smaller than usual. "Why is your office smaller?" I asked.

Tank offered his hand for me to take. I placed my right hand into his, and he pulled me to my feet. He led me to the doorway between Ranger's and his office. It used to be a small supply closet. When Ranger opened the door, I saw a gorgeous cherry desk under the window. They added a crib, changing table and couch to the space. "Welcome to your new office, Babe," Ranger announced.

I brushed the tear off my face and hugged my friend. "Thank you," I whispered. "I knew there was a reason we're friends."

"Babe," Ranger moaned. He lifted my chin and kissed my forehead. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too. I am anxious to get back to work," I confessed. "Carlos, would you be Casey's godfather?"

"I would like nothing more," he replied.

"Not until tomorrow," Tank added. I rolled my eyes before hugging him.

"Fine. Tomorrow," I mumbled. "Where's my son?"

"With Hector," Tank replied. "Once Hal gave him the infant, he wouldn't pass him to the next person."

I giggled and shook my head. Hector was rocking Casey when I found him. He leaned into me to kiss my cheek. "I protect him," he whispered.

"Would you be his godfather?" I asked. Hector nodded before he finally handed Casey to Cal.

Woody draped his arm across my shoulder. "Did you ask Ranger?" he asked.

"He said yes," I replied. "I asked Hector too."

"Excellent choice," Woody replied.