Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; One got all frizzled up and then there was One.
Lester Santos was a jump master in the Rangers. He was the best they had in the Army. Lester loved the thrill of plummeting towards the ground and the pull of the parachute as it jerked you up before slowing your descent. The control required to gently guide the chute where you wanted it to go before your feet touched the ground. "What are you running from?" Edna Mazur asked.
"I'm not running," Lester defiantly said.
"I agree with grandma," Stephanie said, adding her two cents. "You heard my story. Now, I want to hear yours. Lester, you can't run from your past. I know firsthand how it could turn around to bite you in the ass."
Lester stared at his best friend. He was surprised Beautiful was asking him about running. She hid in denial land whenever she didn't want to face her shortcomings. Stephanie refused to acknowledge what's been staring her in the face for the past few years. Beautiful needed to admit she was head over heels in love with his cousin, Carlos. "Lester, everyone knows I'm in love with Carlos. I don't recall keeping it a secret. Carlos doesn't want me. Do you know when I realized I loved him?" she asked. Lester shook his head no, he was shocked she could read his mind. "I can't read your mind, Lester. You're my best friend. I know how you think, and I got good at predicting your questions and reactions. The day Carlos entered my apartment to save Julie and me."
"What about that day?" Lester asked. He lost track of the conversation thread.
"It was the day I knew I was in love with Carlos. I never told him or acted on it because it wouldn't change anything. His life doesn't lend itself to relationships." Stephanie answered. "Who was she, and what did she do?" Lester knew his friend could read his emotions. She proved her skill more times than he could count.
Stephanie didn't fall for his innocent act. She wanted to know the story and refused to accept no for an answer. Lester took a few deep, cleansing breaths before launching into the nightmare from his past. "I met Melanie Collins in grade nine. We were lab partners in science class. By the end of the semester, we were exclusively dating. I loved her with every cell in my body. We had sex everywhere. Under the bleachers, inside the gym locker rooms, the back seat of my car. You name it, and we've done it. She enjoyed the thrill of almost getting caught."
It was obvious to Stephanie that Melanie Collins mentally destroyed Lester. Stephanie could see the pain on his face. She sat on his lap and asked him to continue the story. Lester wrapped his arms around Stephanie and inhaled her scent. She felt Lester relax.
Once he regained control of his emotions, he said, "We had a son. Melanie gave birth a few months after we graduated. I went to work at the grocery store, stocking shelves. When I got home, I found my son in the bathtub. His skin was a pale blue. I knew he was dead before lifting him from the cold water." Stephanie let Lester cry into her shoulder.
Several minutes later, Stephanie quietly asked, "Where was Melanie?" Her heart broke for the little boy who died from neglect. She prayed none of her other Merry Men suffered such a loss.
"In our bed, dead. Melanie overdosed on heroin. I didn't know she had started using heavy drugs. We only smoked weed and snorted cocaine a few times. It wasn't like we used drugs daily," Lester replied.
"How often?" Edna asked.
"Once, maybe twice a month. We never used needles to shoot anything into our bloodstreams. Melanie didn't have track marks. Her brother said it was the first time she had used heroin. I didn't know Melanie had postpartum depression. It's my fault our son died. I should have noticed something was wrong," Lester cried. "I lost my two-month-old son and soulmate on the same fucking day."
"Sweetie, it's not your fault," Stephanie replied. "Melanie never should have placed your child in a bathtub unattended. She's at fault for your son dying. Instead of asking for help, she chose to use drugs. I don't see how you could be responsible."
"I could have got one of our parents to help," he said. He gave up on love for the solitary military life. "After Mateo's death, I got a vasectomy. I don't want to bring another child into the world that I could potentially lose."
Neither Stephanie nor Edna offered any suggestions. Stephanie could empathize since she felt the same way. It's why she didn't want more children. They couldn't change the outcome of the past. Lester could only control the future. Stephanie had a strong feeling Melanie would have refused assistance from their parents.
"It doesn't take a lot of strength to hold on. It takes a lot of strength to let go," Edna told Lester, quoting JC Watts. "Keeping the memory of your son locked inside the vault in your mind isn't going to help you heal. Look at Stephanie. She refused to talk about Frankie and Savannah. Losing her son just about killed her. It took courage for Stephanie to tell Ranger, Bobby, Binkie and the others about her children."
"I'm still too chicken shit to meet Savannah," Stephanie replied.
"We can help," Lester said. "I want to be with you when you meet your daughter for the first time since her birth." Stephanie looked into his eyes. She saw his offer was genuine.
"Speaking of Vannah, I need to call Ranger." Stephanie slipped off Lester's lap. "While I'm on the phone, can you two get ready for dinner?" she asked.
Stephanie went into her room to change her clothes. Going to dinner wearing Ranger's shirt and boxers wasn't proper dress attire. She removed a sundress from her luggage to slip over her head as she dialled Ranger's number.
"Yo," he answered after the first ring.
"Hey, Batman. Um. I have an odd request. Can you put eyes on Savannah?" Stephanie asked.
"Already done," Ranger replied. He put a few men on Savannah after Stephanie told him about her. "What's on your mind?"
"It was only a dream, but it felt like a warning."
"Babe?" Stephanie interpreted it as a request for more intel, but they had reservations.
"I'll video chat later tonight. I have to go," she said, then hung up. Stephanie knew Ranger would be sitting at his desk shaking his head. He preferred to be the first to hang up.
~~~~~~~~~~
Savannah noticed a couple of men wearing black following her. She could tell they weren't a threat but wanted to know why they were around. When she got home from the mall, she approached her adoptive parents. "Dad, do you know I'm getting followed by two men in black?"
"Yes," he replied. "The tall blond is Hank Baines, and the Latino is Chester Sanchez. I have their backgrounds if you want to read them." Calvin went to his home office to grab the documents from his locked filing cabinet. He returned to the kitchen.
She sat at the table to read the information as Calvin prepared dinner. "Who hired them?" Savannah asked after reading about the men.
"Carlos Manoso at Rangeman. He knows your birth mother," Calvin replied. He slipped a fob to Savannah. "I was asked to give this to you a few months ago, but I didn't want to scare you."
"Why are you giving it to me now? What changed?" Savannah asked.
"How much do you know about Stephanie?"
"Only what I read in the Trenton Times and what grandma Edna told me," Savannah replied. "Grandma said Stephanie has impeccable instincts. She could sense when something was wrong and get to safety. I saw how many cars exploded near her, and her apartment got firebombed. Stephanie's intuition kicked in to keep her safe. The articles were biased to make Stephanie look like an untalented bounty hunter, but that isn't true. She has a perfect capture rate. You can't achieve that without talent and skill." He was proud of Savannah.
"Your grandmother called me. She said Stephanie had a bad dream this afternoon. Stephanie said it felt like a warning more than a simple dream. Since the dream involved you, I thought you should have this fob," he explained.
"What does it do?" Savannah picked up the grey plastic circular fob and turned it over on her palm. Small numbers were written across the back. "Ah. It's a tracker."
"Not just a tracker, it's a panic button too. Whenever you're in danger, squeeze it between your fingers. It would send a signal to Rangeman and your bodyguards," Calvin replied.
"Bodyguards?"
"Hank and Chester."
"Right. Dad, could I visit with grandma soon?" she asked. He was confused until Savannah explained she dreamed Edna would die before she could meet during their scheduled visit next month.
"Sure, Vannah. I'll call your grandma to see where they're staying. Don't you have exams this week?"
"Yup," she replied. "Tomorrow and the day after. I could do my classes online." Calvin raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "I already made arrangements with my teachers."
"Always listen to your intuition. I have a feeling you inherited Edna and Stephanie's talent," Calvin said.
"I've been listening to my gut for years now, dad. I know it's time to meet Stephanie. She needs me to tell her it's okay to get married and have children with the man she loves." Savannah could sense a change for her birth mother on the horizon. It was important for her to meet Stephanie. "Dad, is it wrong for wanting to meet Stephanie but not Joe?"
"No. Joe doesn't know about you yet. I know Stephanie was waiting for the right moment. However, everyone will know once Edna dies. You're her beneficiary."
"I don't want her money," Savannah said. "I only want to know her and Stephanie."
Calvin pulled Savannah into his arms. He kissed her curls. "Whatever you want, Vannah. I'll do anything to make you happy."
"Thanks, daddy. No matter what happens between Stephanie and me, you and mom will always be my parents."
He chuckled. "Biologically, you're our cousin. You are stuck with us for life." Savannah didn't mind. She loved her family.
~~~~~~~~~~
Stephanie and Edna had fun taking the skydiving courses. They made Lester proud by passing the tests with flying colours. "When do we get to jump from a plane?" Edna asked.
"Tomorrow," Lester promised. "Edna will jump in tandem with me." Edna pushed her dentures around her mouth. She couldn't wait to get strapped into a harness with Lester. Stephanie laughed when Lester shivered.
"I can't wait to skydive," Edna crooned. "Strapped to a hot male specimen is the icing on the cake."
"Mmm, cake," Stephanie moaned. Lester shook his head and mumbled that Stephanie and Edna had different ideas of what they called cake.
They returned to the hotel for the night. Lester wanted to chase the sun when they jumped from the plane. Stephanie went to her room to grab various styles of pants to wear the following morning. Sensing Stephanie would have problems selecting the appropriate pants, Lester went to his room to grab a pair.
Edna ordered room service while Lester and Stephanie were preoccupied. She called Calvin Mazur to check on Savannah. Ever since Stephanie had her nightmare, Edna was worried about her oldest great-granddaughter. Calvin warned that Savannah was flying to Arizona the following afternoon to spend time with them. He assured Edna that Savannah was travelling with Chester Sanchez and Hank Baines. "Who's footing the bill?" Edna asked.
"Carlos Manoso," Calvin replied. "I offered to reimburse him, but he said it was doing it for Babe. Who is Babe?"
"Stephanie," Edna said with a laugh. "Carlos is known as Ranger in Trenton. He loves Stephanie, and she loves him. I've been waiting until they pull their heads from their asses and get together."
"Is he good to Stephanie?" Calvin asked. Edna explained the relationship between Ranger and Stephanie. Calvin could rest easier knowing Savannah was safe with Ranger's men. "Thanks for the information."
They ate dinner before retiring early. Edna and Stephanie talked to Charlie, Angie and Mary Alice through a video chat before changing for bed. Mary Alice told Edna that she was happy to see her again. After promising to call a few more times, Mary Alice said goodbye to her family.
"Charlie's fitting in with the girls," Edna said. Stephanie hoped the girls got along. Seeing them tease each other filled Stephanie's heart with joy.
Lester wanted them to get to the private airfield before sunrise, which meant getting up at butt-crack o'clock. Stephanie showered, then went to bed.
She didn't have time to call Ranger. Instead, she thought about their conversation. Ranger agreed her dream was likely a warning regarding Savannah's safety. She reworked her dream to make it appear the children belonged to Valerie and Albert. Though, she suspected he saw through her modifications.
Early the following morning, Stephanie brought two pairs of pants to the living room. They forgot to compare the selections to the ones Lester said would work the best. Stephanie had an extra of each for her grandmother to wear. "Which ones?" Stephanie asked.
Lester fingered the fabric before going to his room. He suspected Stephanie wouldn't have the appropriate pair. The straps from the harness would rip through the cotton blends. She needed linen or a high polyester blend to wear. He grabbed the pants he got Ella to buy for Stephanie and Edna.
"Why don't you both drop your pants and get it over with?" Lester asked when he entered the living room.
"I'm game," Edna replied. Lester shivered, then went into the kitchen.
"How do you like it?" Lester asked.
"Against the wall, rough and hard, pull my hair. Make me moan," Edna joked.
"I meant the coffee," Lester said.
"I thought we were talking about sex," Edna replied. She knew they were talking about coffee, but she enjoyed watching Lester squirm.
"I'm not sure we should eat before we go," Stephanie said. "I'd hate to throw up and have it get into my jumpmaster's face."
"Fine," Lester replied. "Have a coffee to wake up, and then you won't have much in your stomach. We need to leave."
Stephanie poured the coffee into a travel mug. They wore the pants Lester provided for skydiving. Edna and Stephanie wore the boots Lester recommended.
It was still dark when they arrived at the airport. Lester watched as their parachutes got packed. He nodded when the pilot and instructor finished folding the fabric into the packs.
Lester helped Edna and Stephanie with their harness. "Before our turn to jump, I'll need to attach the carabiner clips to my harness. With our combined weight, we'll descend faster than if I went alone. Stephanie, you're jumping with Ian. He'll attach you to his front. Edna and I will go first. Are you ladies ready?"
"Yes," Edna replied when Stephanie said no.
"Beautiful, you're going to be fine." He hugged Stephanie to whisper, "I've got grandma. She'll be safe with me. Okay?" Stephanie nodded.
"Get ready to jump," Ian said. Lester pulled Edna's back to his front. He attached their harnesses and waited for Ian to check their strength.
Ian clipped Stephanie's harness to his and got Lester to check. With a tap on his shoulder, Lester waddled to the open cargo hold with Edna. "Hang on. Edna, pull this cord when I tell you," Lester ordered.
Lester jumped from the airplane when the sun peeked above the horizon. The beautiful colours brightened the sky as they plummeted toward the ground inside the Grand Canyon.
"Look into the horizon and let it go, Les. You deserve to be happy. Release all of your anguish. Promise your son that you'll honour his memory by living your life in a way to make him proud. Shout it out," Edna demanded. Lester released a primal roar. He felt his fears dissipate. For the first time since he found his child and girlfriend dead, he felt free.
Stephanie had a camera attached to her helmet. Ian walked them toward the opening and rolled them out the door. Stephanie screamed in delight. "I'm flying," she yelled.
"Yes, you are," Ian replied. Stephanie turned her head to catch Lester and Edna in the camera. She laughed as Lester rolled and flipped through the air until Edna pulled the cord. "Pull it," Ian hollered. Stephanie pulled the plastic carabiner clip holding the ripcord for the parachute. She held onto the straps as the chute pulled them up several feet.
When the ground got closer, Ian reminded Stephanie to start running. Her boots hit the ground. Ian kept her upright until they could stop moving. He expertly repacked the parachute after releasing Stephanie from the harness. "That was so much fun," Stephanie squealed. "Now, how do we get out of here?"
"Thank you," Lester whispered into Edna's ear. Edna didn't need to respond. She gently tapped his cheek.
The blades of a helicopter sliced through the air as the pilot landed the chopper several feet away from them. Due to Edna's age and the airline's insurance policy, they couldn't do a second jump.
Lester laughed when Stephanie pressed her face against the helicopter window. She loved everything about the day. Watching the sunrise as they plummeted toward the earth was worth the early morning.
