Chapter 7
Edna felt horrible for sending her granddaughter home with Jayden. Helen thought she was siding with her, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Edna didn't want Jayden there if Harry died on the operating table. She was scared enough and didn't want an audience more than Helen and Frank.
Helen stupidly called her grandson a bastard. Edna waited until Frank left with Stephanie before she approached her ignorant daughter. "What makes a child a bastard, Helen?" Edna asked her daughter.
"Conceived and born outside of a marriage," Helen snapped.
"Huh," Edna said, rolling her teeth in her mouth. "I guess you're a bastard too."
"How dare you call me a bastard!" Helen said, with a hand on her chest and mouth open to a perfect O.
"I'm going by your definition, dear. You got conceived before your father left for the army. He came home a few days before you were born. Harry and I got married a few months later," Edna explained.
"That's not true. You got married a year before I was born," Helen insisted.
Edna cackled as she pulled the document from her purse. She carefully unfolded it and gave it to Helen. "See the year? It's a few months after your birth." Helen stared at the document in disbelief. "Now, what would the neighbours think?"
~~~
Jayden watched his mom pace the apartment. He knew they were struggling for cash. His private school was expensive. "Mom, I can go to the public school," he offered.
"Oh. I'm not worried about your tuition, Jay. I've paid the fees for the year," Stephanie admitted. "I have to buy a new car, and I'm not sure how I'll afford the payments. An older car would require more maintenance."
"You know grandpa would give you the money if you asked him," Jayden said.
"I can't ask my dad for money, and I will not ask my grandpa either." The apartment phone rang, Stephanie thought about letting the answering machine pick up, but she decided to answer. "Hello," she said.
"Hey, Stephie," Philomena replied. "I heard your car died on the way home from work."
"Honestly, I knew the car wasn't going to make it, but I didn't want to leave Jay in Trenton without me," Stephanie said. "The towing fees alone cost a few hundred dollars."
"Please, don't get mad, but your father, grandpa and Joe Juniak pooled their funds to buy you a gently used car. You have enough to pay for with Jayden. We wanted to do this for you, Stephanie," Philomena explained.
"Thanks, grandma. I should call daddy and uncle Joe too," Stephanie said.
"It's not necessary, dear. I think you should focus your energy on raising your son. We would like you to visit for a few weeks during the summer. When do you have a vacation?" she asked.
"Jayden and I discussed the best time to visit. I've submitted my vacation request for the first two weeks of August," Stephanie replied. "We didn't want to travel too close to the holidays."
"I'll talk to you later, dear. Let me know when your holidays are confirmed." Stephanie and Philomena talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.
~~~
Four years later…
Cal and Hal and their SEAL team got paired with a Ranger team for a joint mission. They had to work together to get through Colombia, neutralize the target, rescue the trapped soldiers and leave via flotation devices. A larger vessel would wait for the men several miles offshore to take them home.
On their way to the drop zone, Cal asked, "Where are you guys from?"
Ranger raised an eyebrow. He glanced at his team before replying, "New Jersey, originally, but I moved to Miami when I was fourteen." Cal thought Ranger resembled Jayden, but it wasn't possible if Ranger lived in Miami.
Hal, not getting deterred, asked, "Have you visited Jersey after you moved?"
"He visited every summer," Lester replied. Ranger glared at Lester, telling him to remain silent. "Sorry, Ranger doesn't like to talk about himself. Forget I said anything."
"Where did you grow up?" Bobby asked.
"Chicago," Cal and Hal replied.
"We have a best friend that is a single mom. I only asked because her son looks like Ranger." Cal added. Ranger raised an eyebrow, wondering if it was the same woman. The woman he knew lived in Trenton, New Jersey. He doubted that her grandparents lived in Chicago.
Ranger listened to the stories Cal and Hal shared about their friend. She sounded like an amazing woman. "Hal, I forgot to tell you. Remember that idiot who completed training a year ahead of us?"
"Are you talking about Joe Morelli?" Hal wondered. "The man who threw a tantrum when he failed the psych eval for SEAL training?"
"Yup. He got discharged after breaking into the women's cabin," Cal replied.
"Did he hurt anyone?" Hal asked.
"No. Joe had underestimated the women. They kicked his ass," Cal answered.
Hal laughed. He would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that beat down. "Idiot," Hal added.
During their briefing, Cal got informed that Major Manoso would lead the group on the ground. The second their bodies landed in the flotation boats, Cal would take over the leadership role.
Ranger was impressed by Cal and Hal's professionalism on the job. When they got on the giant vessel, Ranger told the men about Rangeman and asked if they'd be interested in working for his company.
"Where?" Cal asked.
"New York," Ranger replied. "We haven't opened the branch yet."
"Cal, that's only a few hours away from our friend," Hal said.
"Sure. Let me know when the new office is ready to staff. I'm interested," Cal stated.
"Me too," Hal added.
Ranger made a mental note to get Silvio to run background checks on Calvin Winters and Halton Evans. He thought Hal wasn't too bright, but Ranger quickly learned Hal was intelligent but naive.
After their debrief session with the military, Ranger and his friends discussed the location options for their new office. Ricardo Carlos Manoso and his friends, Bobby Brown, Tank (Pierre) Sherman and Lester Santos had opened their third branch of Rangeman nearly six months ago. They opened branches in Miami, Atlanta and Boston. "I want to open the new branch in Trenton," Manoso announced.
"What's in Trenton, Ranger?" Bobby asked.
"I thought we would open a branch in New York?" Tank asked.
"Getting a permit to carry concealed in New York requires jumping through too many hoops. Trenton is close to Newark without living in my family's backyard," Ranger replied. He felt drawn to Trenton but didn't want to tell his men the reason behind his decision.
Lester whispered, "Bobby, isn't Trenton where Stephanie lived?" Bobby shrugged.
Ranger and his men moved to Trenton a few months later to establish the new office. They hired several men from SEAL, Ranger, Delta Force, ex-cons, and other ex-military exhibiting skills required. Their men travelled to the other branches to get trained. Ranger kept Hector and Silvio in Trenton to get the computer systems ready. Cal and Hal readily accepted the job offer to work in Trenton. They'd be living in the same town as Stephanie and Jayden.
Carlos Manoso contacted Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company to work as a bounty hunter to recover criminals failing to appear for court. He convinced the receptionist, Connie Rosolli, to give him the higher bond FTAs in trade for a repaying the favour when she asked.
Since Manoso was ex-special ops, he got permission to recover FTAs that crossed state lines. Vinnie was happy he didn't have to chase across the country to retrieve the men. Ranger saved a lot of money to purchase a building for his Trenton branch. The office building required a lot of work to get permission for his men to reside on-site.
Six months later…
Stephanie sat in the weekly Monday morning EE Martin meeting. The CEO got ready to make an announcement. A group of men entered the room, standing in the back to block the door. "EE Martin got sold to Baldicott Inc. The new owners will review all employee records. I can't promise everyone will keep their jobs. Does anyone have any questions?"
A suit-wearing man in the back asked, "Are you, Edgar Martin?"
"Yes, sir," Martin replied.
"You are under arrest for illegal business practices," the man said as his team surrounded the CEO.
Another man approached the front of the room. He waited until the employees settled before announcing, "I'm Arnold Baldicott, the new owner. My team of experts will review and interview every employee. Expect to receive an email containing the details of your appointments. Dismissed."
Stephanie had a bad feeling her life was about to topple again. She had Jay to consider. When she got home, Stephanie watched the news. They reported that Edgar Martin got remanded into Federal custody for illegal business practices from laundering mob money. A new company, Baldicott Inc., purchased EE Martin. The anchorman reported that jobs at EE Martin were safe.
She used her computer to check her work email. Unfortunately, they didn't feel Stephanie would be a good fit with the new vision at Baldicott Inc. They asked her to report to work in the morning to hand over her ID, keys and to collect her paycheque. Stephanie wiped the tear from her eye before Jay got home.
"Thanks for the ride home, Eddie," Jay said from the living room.
Eddie waited for Jay to leave the room before asking, "Is everything okay, Steph?"
"No. I got fired through an email. Tomorrow, I hand in my ID and collect my severance pay," she replied. "I can't afford to send Jay to the private high school."
"We went to public high school, and we turned out fine," Eddie reminded her.
"I guess he needs to know sooner or later," Stephanie said.
"Let me know if you need anything." Eddie hugged Stephanie before leaving.
She reheated the leftover casserole from the previous night. Jay never complained about eating the same food for a few days in a row. "Hey, mom. Eddie and I listened to the news on the radio. Your company got sold. They said everyone got to keep their job, but I don't believe it. I have a bad feeling," he said while eating dinner.
Stephanie sighed, "You're right, Jay. The email said they fired half of the EE Martin employees. Unfortunately, I got caught in the housekeeping sweep. I'm sorry, baby."
Jay set his fork on his empty plate. He hugged his mom and said, "It's not your fault, mom. I can go to the public high school in September. You don't need to buy me a birthday gift either." Jay asked his mom for a new ten-speed bike.
"I already bought your birthday gift, Jay. Grandpa stored it in his garage," Stephanie said. "Baby, there's something else I need to tell you. Please don't be mad."
"Does it involve losing your job?" Jay asked.
"Probably. I got approached by the FBI six months ago. They were investigating EE Martin. I found incriminating evidence and helped the FBI build their case," Stephanie replied.
"Do you think Baldicott fired you because you collected evidence?" Jay asked.
"Yes. I have to go to Newark tomorrow to clear my desk," Stephanie replied. "I'll be home when school ends."
"Okay. I'll come home after school." Jay helped Stephanie do the dishes before retiring to his bedroom to do his homework.
Stephanie cried when she got her bed ready for the night. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Jay entered the bathroom to brush his teeth. He noticed his mom's eyes were red from crying. "Everything will work out for the best, mom. Have a little faith," he said, hugging his mom.
She had trouble falling asleep. Stephanie grabbed the cleaning supplies to clean the kitchen. She waited until Jay's soft snores filled his room before she scrubbed the washroom. It was late, and her elderly neighbours were sleeping. She used the vacuum to finish cleaning the apartment.
After putting everything away, she checked the cupboards to ensure they had enough food. If she watched how much she spent, they could survive for several months until she found a job.
Stephanie powered on her computer to send resumes to local businesses. She filled out a few applications to local companies that offered to help match companies to job applicants. Maybe she could work a few temporary jobs to pay the bills. Her biggest fear was losing the Miata. She had bought the vehicle last year when her other one got totalled on the highway. Stephanie had a flat tire and pulled off the side of the road. She managed to jump away in time for the transport truck to demolish her car.
Jay woke up when his alarm sounded. He noticed his mom cleaned the house while he slept. The last time she went on a cleaning rampage was after her grandpa Harry Mazur died two years ago. He found his mom sound asleep on her sofa bed. Jay went to the kitchen, dropped a baby carrot into Rex's cage before making coffee for his mom.
"Mom, it's time to wake up," Jay said, holding a cup of coffee under her nose.
Stephanie smiled. "Morning, Jay."
"You cleaned last night," he said accusingly.
"Couldn't sleep," she replied. "Thanks for the coffee."
"I made pop tarts too. Can you drive me today?" Jay wondered.
"Sure, baby. I'll take a quick shower," Stephanie drank her coffee and ate the strawberry pop tart on her way to the washroom. She quickly washed and dressed. Jay was surprised she got ready so fast. "Ready?"
"Yup. I got my essay printed. My printer's almost out of ink," he replied. Stephanie frowned. She didn't add printer ink into her budget.
As she drove Jay to school, Stephanie's spidey sense was alerted. She had a feeling someone watched her. Stephanie looked around but could see anyone. "I'm picking you up after school. Promise me that you'll wait," Stephanie said as she parked on the road.
"Mom, I promise," Jay said before getting out of the car. She watched her son enter the building before she left.
Her spidey sense wouldn't stop sending her a warning. Stephanie got to Baldicott in Newark to collect the box of items from her desk. She gave the security guard her badge after the man gave her an envelope containing her severance. Her contract stated they had to notify her one month before termination or pay her one month plus one week for every year she worked. They gave her the equivalent of three months of income.
Stephanie dropped off the box at home. She visited Dillon to tell him they didn't need a two-bedroom apartment. Her last stop was at the bank, where she deposited her cheque. On the way to pick up Jay, her spidey sense made her panic. She felt something was wrong with her son. Stephanie drove to the school and parked her car.
While she waited for Jay to exit the school, she called her grandma Mazur. "Hey, baby granddaughter," she answered.
"Hi, grandma. Did you get the care package Jay and I sent last week?" Stephanie asked.
"I sure did. Thank you. I don't think your mother appreciated the bottle of whiskey," grandma replied. "Is something on your mind?"
"Just a strange feeling that I can't seem to shake. Maybe I'm paranoid," Stephanie replied.
"Trust your gut. You get that from your father," Edna stated.
"Grandma, do you miss grandpa?"
"Every day. It was hardest after he had his first heart attack. I didn't want you or Jayden to see me so broken. Pushing you away was difficult," she confessed.
"Grandma, you've apologized to Jay and me already. We understand. I've got to go, but I'll call later," Stephanie said before ending the call.
The bell rang, dismissing the children, but Jay never exited the building. She waited until she saw Jay's friend, Gavin. "Hi, Gavin. Have you seen Jay?" Stephanie asked.
"We had gym today. Jay should be out already," Gavin replied. "Jay wasn't in the change room when I left."
"Thanks, Gavin. I'll wait for a few more minutes." Stephanie was feeling anxious. It wasn't like Jay to be late. She called Eddie.
"Hey, Steph. What's up?" Eddie asked.
"Did you or Shirley pick up Jay?" Stephanie asked.
"I saw him this morning when I dropped off the kids. He said you're picking him up today," Eddie said.
"Oh. I've been sitting outside the school since the bell sounded. Jay hasn't come out," Stephanie said. "I'm afraid something happened to him."
"Robin and I will be right there. Don't move," Eddie said as he hit the sirens.
Eddie called Carl and Big Dog for backup. "What's up?" Carl asked.
"Jay's missing. Steph's at the school, and she can't find him anywhere," Eddie announced. "Robin called Shirley, but she didn't see him."
"Is there a chance he ran away?" Big Dog asked.
"None," Eddie replied.
The officers arrived at the school. Big Dog, Carl and Robin canvassed the neighbourhood to see if anybody saw Jay leave the school. Unfortunately, nobody saw the boy.