DISCLAIMOR: I don't own any of the characters in this story but Callie Taylor, Drew Taylor and Martha Stewart (no not the cooking Martha..) .. The rest I'm just having fun with this..
Bowlingforshrimp- Callie's not done yet... she hasn't really forgiven Bobby.. she just wants her itches scratched... I got something coming up for the two of them. The water's going to get rocky in the next few chapters with them...
- Chapter 10 -
Ranger & StephanieWe were in the car and Ranger was pulling out of the underground garage when I finally found I could speak again. His kisses sometimes did that to me. Made me into a blithering idiot. Damn. If Ranger could bottle the feeling he made women feel when he kissed them, all men would have to do is open the cork when they got into a fight with their woman and it would be like instant.. "Okay dear.. what ever you want."
Then again. Maybe it was a good thing it couldn't be sold in a bottle. Why give men the advantage.
"Where are we going?" I asked him as he sat there in the driver's seat of the Porsche he had chosen for our little tip.
"Who is it that you want to talk to?"
"Taylor's ex-wife," the master of short conversation said, as he took a right on Stark, and I sunk low in the seat hoping no one could see me in the car. It was a knee jerk reaction I know, but I couldn't help it. I still had nightmares when ever someone mention the name of this street and I drove past junkyards. I don't know why but then but gave me the creeps.
"Relax Babe," Ranger grinned. My reaction was amusing him. "I think the gang here is just as afraid of you as you are of them. Between you and Sally their whole gang was nearly eliminated."
I cut him a dirty look, but sat upright in the bucket seat. Of course my act of bravery didn't quiet make the kind of statement I was hoping for since Ranger had left Stark street two blocks back and continued on heading further away from the Berg.
"So what do you think Taylor's ex-girlfriend can tell us?" I asked.
"Not much. She hasn't seen him since she found out he was the one who killed his family. Seems finding out the love of your life and the man you wanted to father your child.. was a serial killer sort of turned her off to the idea. I'm just hoping she can think of some place he might go to hide out. Someplace they went together we don't know about." he told me, and I was surprised he had said so much at one time while he was behind the wheel.
Then he reached forward and pressed the button turning on the CD player and I knew from past experiences that was his sign for -shut up and let me drive in peace-. So I shut up until we got to where we were going. Was I a good side kick or what?
Martha Stewart didn't have anything to offer us. The whole meeting with her took about 20 minutes. She was a woman in her mid thirty's with hair that had once been light blonde, but was now turning darker, though it look like she'd just had it died so it would look lighter again.. She reminded me of her name sake.. you know the one I mean the one who went to jail for lying about selling her stocks. She was dressed in a flowery printed pant suit more suitable for teaching kids in school or coming from her local church then greeting total strangers at her door in the middle of the afternoon. Her skin was still soft and clear. Her make up light by Burg standards. I always hated women who's skin had never seen a pimple and Martha Stewart's skin had that -a pimple would never dare break out here- look to it. So I hated her right away. Very Grown up I know.
Ranger however was the soul of politeness to her. Which made me want to barf. He never spoke to me that way... guess because I don't have anything he wants.. Well maybe one thing.. but that doesn't count.
At lease not right now. Right now Ranger was all about the job. He knew he was hot and was using the hungry looks she was giving him to try and get information out of the woman.
What a ho. I gave a mental eye roll.
Well men could be ho's too!
"I'm really sorry but I can't think of one place we went that he might go back to," Martha Stewart said in a prim and proper tone, again reminding me of a school teacher. "Back then Drew didn't really like to go away and be to far from his work. He told me his parents counted on him and they weren't doing to well. We mostly stayed here. He said he liked coming home to a clean house with dinner on the table. He didn't want me to work."
"How did his parents look to you when you saw them?" I asked, thinking how much this woman reminded me of my own mother. Neither had even learn to fly. The life of a Burg woman.
I saw her green eyes (contacts for sure) turn in my direction for a second before she turned back to give Ranger the answer to my question.
"I hardly ever saw his parents," she admitted and did some fluffy movement type thing with her hand. "We didn't get alone very well. I never knew why, but Drew told me on more then one occasion his mother didn't think I was good enough for him so it was better if I didn't go over there with him. Now I guess now I'll never know why."
"How long were the two of you married," Ranger asked in one of the softest tones I'd ever heard him use before. Not even the time we'd settled our last deal. But then he wasn't doing much talking then. Ranger was a –hands on- kind of guy. He'd let his –hands- do the talking. And boy did they have plenty to say..
"Just over two years," she gave him a slight pout. "Just long enough for me to find out he was going through my money faster then a fat man with the runs. So I kicked him out and he threaten to kill me.. I had to hire a body guard and change all the passwords on my bank accounts. Right after that he was arrested and sent to prison for murdering his parents. The poor dears. I heard he killed his sister too... I didn't even know he had one."
We left soon after consuming the coffee cake that was standard fair in a Burg home. In that area, I'm sure our Martha Stewart could rival her name sake. The coffee cake was wonderful.
Ranger gave her one of his cards, asking her to call him if she heard from Taylor. I wanted to scratch her eyes out when I saw her give him the -I'd like to be naked in a bed with you playing you Tarzan, me Jane- look as she took the card from his hand.
I so hated seeing other women ogle the body I'd been in lust with since I'd known him. He was eating it up. I wonder how helpful she would be if I told her I'd already had what she wanted... Better not. I didn't want to end up dead.
Ranger thought he was hiding the fact that Taylor wanted to make me suffer bad before he killed me.. if he got a hold of me.. So I wouldn't freak out... I smiled.. Ranger did care about me.. even if it wasn't the Burg home and kids kind of love.. He was protecting me again. The difference was, while Morelli would have locked me up in a closet until Drew was caught and put back behind bars.. Ranger was allowing me to think I could make some choices. I was allowing him to act all macho because he did so quietly. Morelli would have been yelling at me by now wondering how he could be in love with a girl who colleted psycho killers like most woman collect shoes.
With Morelli it was all about him.. The guys down at the department laughed at him. He was upset because they took bets on how soon it would be before I blew up another car or when I would find another dead body. How was he suppose to get any respect with a disaster magnet as a girlfriend. Why couldn't he have a nice girl who was happy to stay home and give birth to a kid every other year and be happy doing so?"
Well That was something he didn't have to worry about any longer. I wasn't his girlfriend any more.
Ranger on the other hand gave me enough rope to fly with.. Even if he did hold onto the end of it just incase I headed for a crash landing. He was there to pick me up without telling me I needed to change my outlook on life. Well maybe once or twice he did tell me I needed to get into a new line of work... But that was before I came to work for him.. Still he was supportive and tried to helped me be better at what I chosen to do with my life. But even he came up with the occasional threat to lock me up...
He just did it in a way that still allowed me to -think- I was in charge of my life.
We were in the Porsche a short time later, headed who knows where, when I started thinking about our -deal- again. Now that I was a bit calmer, I was starting to wonder if I'd over reacted at the time I made the deal, or if I did so because secretly I wanted to be Ranger's sex slave. I had to fan myself just thinking about it.
"Babe," Ranger's amused tone cut into my thoughts. "If I promise to stop and buy you a couple of donuts will you get your mind back on the job?"
"I don't know what you mean," Liar, liar pants on fire.
His full lips curved upwards in a knowing smile as he turned the Porsche right on the highway leading back to the Burg. "You've been sitting there since we left wondering if you could get away with doing something bad to Martha Steward because of the looks she was giving me. She thought I was hot."
"Was not!" I denied a little to quickly. "I was thinking about our deal.. I mean.. I was wondering if.. Well if you were actually going to make me stick to it because.. well I made it under distress and.."
"Babe.." he flashed me the full 200 watt smile and I felt a hot flash all the way down to my dodah. "You know me well enough by now to know I -always- collect on deals I make. Remember that as you try to think of a way to get out of it."
"I wasn't.." I started to say, but he flashed me that knowing look again and I shut up.
"Right now I want you to get your mind on the job," he continued on. "Until Taylor is caught, I want you to take someone with you when you go out side the Rangeman building. And I would prefer you didn't go to your apartment unless someone goes with you to check it out."
"Is that an order?" I felt my heckles rising.. I –really- hated being ordered to do anything.
"Not right now it's not," he replied in a tone I recognized as -but give me an excuse and I'll make it one- "Taylor's out there and I worry abut you being out there on your own with no back up. He did try to kill you the last time he was in town."
"And would have," I remembered. My tone changed as my heckles went back to normal. I didn't want him to think I'd forgotten how much I owed him for saving my life that night.. as well as countless other nights. "If you hadn't broken into my apartment on the same night..."
I turned to look at him. "I'll be careful. Don't worry. I'm scared enough right now to let you and the merry men protect me. Besides what would my mother say if he killed me..."
I did a quick imitation of my mother. "-What did I do to deserve this.. My friend's daughters don't ever have to worry about being killed by a psycho or finding dead bodies in their apartments! Why me?"- Then I slipped back into my own voice. "I'll be careful. I don't want to die just yet."
"That's good Babe," he cut me a look that set my heart to pounding so loud I'm sure he could hear it. "I mean to collect on the deal. It would be hard to do if you go and get yourself killed."
Before I could answer with a flip sarcastic answer, Ranger's cell phone rang and he answered it.
"Yo." Said the master of the worlds shortest conversation.
He listen for a few seconds then said, "We're heading back now. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked... Martha... Martha.. SHIT!"
He hit redial and turned to me as he sped the Porsche back towards her house. "Call Morelli and tell him to get someone out to Taylor's ex-wives house. The phone just went dead after she told me Taylor called her to say he was coming over to kill her."
He tried the phone again while I pulled out my cell phone and hit speed dial number two. I hadn't gotten around to deleting the selection yet.
Morelli answered the call and before he could say anything I began to speak. "Shut up and listen. I'm reporting an emergency. Matter of life and death kind of thing," I told him just as Ranger pulled a fast u-turn, and before the conversation with Morelli could go from bad to worse.
"Ranger and I just left Drew Taylor's ex-wife's house a few minutes ago and she just called him to let him know that Taylor called her and threaten to kill her. We're on our way back there now." I quickly told him what was going on and he promised to get units dispatched out to Martha Steward's house right away.
"Shit.. How credible do you think the call was?" Morelli asked. "We tried to talk to her after Ranger caught Taylor breaking into your apartment to kill you.. and she wouldn't tell us anything."
She remembered how royally pissed he had that night when he found out Ranger had been in her apartment so late at night, and that he had saved her life... again.
Ranger's cell rang again and he was quick to answer it. "Tell Morelli that Taylor is there now trying to break in the front door. We're about five away."
"I heard.. We should have a few units there soon and I'm on my way," he told her then added. "Let Ranger handle the take down. Don't take any chances Cupcake, the guy wants to kill you and I'd rather not have to be the one to explain your death to your mother."
I hung up the phone before I could tell him what I thought of his statement. I'd have a few things to say to him later about his lack of support.. or not.. but right now I turned my attention to the job.
Ranger was still on the phone trying to calm Martha Steward down as he turn the Porsche back into her subdivision. I heard a scream come from the cells ear piece, and then Ranger calling her name over and over. Finally he was quiet, but I saw the angry thinning of his lips, and the white of his knuckles as he listen to the person on the other end. Then he hung up.
"Some of a bitch. I'm going to kill that man before this is over," he said and I knew he meant it.
I could never prove it, but I know Ranger had once killed a man who had stocked me and then tried to kill me. The man had been crazy. Jail never would have stopped him from finishing the job. Only with his death was I safe from him. It was something Ranger and I never talked about and there was no way I was going to come out and ask him... But I knew.
"Did you remember your gun this time?" he asked in a -you had better say yes or you will pay for it- tone of voice.
I nodded, quickly reaching into my big black bag, I pulled out a web belt and began to load it up with the tricks of the trade. Stun gun, pepper spray, cuff and then I added a few plastic ones. You never knew when you might need them. A small flashlight went into one pocket and then last but not lease, I pulled out my gun and as I checked the clip to make sure I'd remembered to load it with bullets, Ranger nodded with approval. Then I made sure it was secure in it's holster. When I was done, I sat there and waited for Ranger to make the final turn that would lead us back to the home we had just left.
"Are you wearing a vest?" he asked as Stewart's house came into view.
"Damn Skippy," I muttered as I reached for the seatbelt to unbuckle it.
"Proud of you Babe," he grinned. "That means you're scared enough to be careful."
"Told you.." I said when he'd come to a stop. "I'm not ready to die yet."
I had my door open and one foot outside on the ground when Ranger shut the engine off and pocketed the keys all in one motion, and he still beat me to the front of the Porsche.
"Cover the back, and be careful," he told me as we separated and I raced around to the side of the house, praying I wouldn't pee my pants. I was that scared but so did not want Ranger to think less of me, so I ignored my bladder.
There was no gate blocking my line of sight, but I still felt kind of silly as I sprang around the corner of the home with a bad imitation of a two handed Charlie's Angel grip on my gun. I scanned the back yard to make sure no one was hiding behind any bushes, and was relieved to find the yard empty, as there wasn't any bushes in the yard to hide behind. In fact the back yard didn't have anything in it except for the grass covering the ground.
So –carefully- I made my way to the back door, and noticed when I got there that the door was open. Not because Martha Steward had forgotten to close and lock it.. But because someone with a large foot had kicked the shit out of it. Cautiously I stepped inside the space where the splinted remains of the wood door used to occupy and repeated the two handed gun action as I scanned the room. Not finding anyone hiding under the kitchen table or under one of the clean glasses drying in the sink drain, I cross the room heading for the only doorway leading into the house and as I rounded the door edge I saw Ranger ahead of me, gun in hand, coming out of one of the rooms.
"He's gone," he told me. "The house is clear."
"Martha?" I asked, already knowing the answer to my question, but hoping I was wrong.
"She's dead," Ranger replied, anger laced his words as he shoved his gun back into it's holder. "It's not pretty Babe. You might want to go back outside and wait in the Porsche until the cops get here."
It must be bad if Ranger wanted me to go outside. So of course I had to see what Taylor had done to his ex.
"Babe.." Ranger shook is head as if understanding, but not liking what I was about to do. He stepped aside so I could get by him, but I could tell by the look on his face, he'd been hoping to spare me.
I was afraid there would be a blood bath in the living room, but surprisingly there was just a little blood. It pooled in the lap of the shirt she had been wearing. I couldn't tell how she had been killed. There was something there blocking me from seeing.
I moved closer to take a look at her. She was sitting upright in a kitchen chair and her arms were pulled behind her, tied together by something I couldn't yet see. What held my attention was the paper cut out that had been placed over her face. Taped to the middle of the cut out was a note.
I moved even closer so I could read the words someone.. Taylor.. had written there. There were two words that simply read -You're next-.
I took a step back, knowing somehow the words were meant for me. My hand came up, I don't even remember lifting it, but there it was reaching to remove the note so I could see the face I knew I was going to see staring back at me on the cut out.
"Careful Babe," Ranger's soft, but sharp word cut into my thinking. "You don't want to ruin any finger prints that might be on the note. The cops get upset when you do that."
I nodded without really thinking, and reached into one of the pockets on the web belt, pulled out a pair of latex gloves. After I put them on, I again reached to lift the note up... and my knees nearly gave out when I stared at a likeness of my own face.
I felt Ranger's hand on my shoulder, and didn't fight him as he led me over to the sofa and forced me to sit down. When he pushed my head down between my legs, I could have hugged him as the dizziness left me after a few moments, and I was able to think again.
"I'm sorry Babe," he said softly, wrapping his strong arm around me when I finally sat up again. "I was hoping to spare you from seeing that."
"I know," I said, leaning into him for the support he offered. "But I had to see for myself."
"Now will you let me lock you up until we catch him" Ranger asked hopefully.
"No," I told him, but he already knew I was going to say that. "But I will promise not to go anywhere without you or one of the guys with me."
"Good. Because I was about to make it an order," he said then kissed the top of my head.
Before I could reply, we heard the sounds of cars pulling to a stop outside and knew the cavalry was here. Question time.
"Are you sure your okay Babe?" Ranger hugged me with both arms and I had to admit, I didn't want him to let me go. I hadn't felt so safe or warm since this whole thing started.
"Yeah.." I nodded and wiped my eyes. It just wouldn't do for the cops coming in to see me crying like a baby. "Just promise me you'll get the bastard."
He titled my head around so I was looking at him and planted a soft tender kiss on my lips. "That is something I can promise you Babe."
He kissed me again as if to seal the promise, then we stood up as the cops entered the room with guns drawn. They saw Ranger, whom they seem to know, and put their guns away. That's when they first caught sight of Martha Stewart.
"She'd dead. Drew Taylor, the victim's Ex called her and told her he was going to kill her. He and was gone when we got here," he told them.
The cops led us outside onto the front porch and Ranger stood checking out the area, while I chose to sit in one of the tastily decorated lawn chairs Martha Stewart had on her front porch. The CSI team had arrived moments ago and were already starting to do their thing inside. I was more then willing to let them. Hanging around a dead body with my face staring back at me wasn't high on my list of fun things to do with my life.
God! What if my mother found out about this!
We both answered questions for about half an hour. When I noticed Ranger leaving out a few details he didn't seem to want to offer up, I followed his lead.
I mean there wasn't any –real- reason they needed to know that Callie Taylor was still among the living, or that we had someone protecting her. Why give away our edge and best chance of catching Taylor. The cops would only screw things up if they got involved. To many cooks and all that.
I wanted Taylor caught more then anyone. Well maybe with the exception of his sister. We'd have to go together and celebrate after he was taken into custody or some other way taken care of... By then someone in the mall should have a shoe sale going on.
I felt Ranger come up behind me just as a second black SUV pulled in behind the cops. "I can get Tank to take you back to the office if you'd rather not deal with Morelli right now."
"Thanks.. I wasn't looking forward to having him yelling at me just now," I gave him a weak grin, and let him lead me over to where Tank was leaning against the side of the SUV.
"Take her back to the office and don't let her out of your sight until I get back. I'm going to stay here and see what I can find out from the cops, then deal with Morelli when he gets here. No FTA's or visits to the mall." Ranger told him and Tank looked at me and grinned. I grinned back.
"Sure boss. I'll protect Bombshell as if she was my very own.. ah pet lab." He added after getting a dirty look from his boss.
Ranger turn to go but then stopped and turned back. "Make a stop on your way and buy Steph a few donuts."
Tank tuned to look at me and while I'll admit.. I wasn't at my best right now... Who would be after seeing what I just saw.. Still I didn't think I looked –that bad-. Then he turned back to Ranger. "Are you sure you want to chance that boss. I kind of like her quiet like she is now. Why give her sugar and take the chance of her recharging?"
Ranger's lips turned up in the ghost of a grin.
"Your call." He turned then and went back to where a beat up old tan cop car was pulling to a stop behind the crime lab truck.
I was quiet until we were half way home. I was thinking. Which sometimes people claimed got me into trouble. But I always though I came up with a few good ideas. I usually though better after a few donuts and was starting to worry that Tank really wasn't going to stop.
"Tank?" I leaned over so my head was laying against his shoulder.
"Bombshell.."
"Do you like me?" I asked him.
"Yes I like you."
"I mean do you –really- like me."
"Yes Bombshell I –really- like you," he replied and I could see he was wondering where this was going.
"Well if you –REALLY- like me... can I have a donut..."
What I REALLY wanted was a gallon of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream...
But a donut would work.
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To be continued...