The Missing Piece in Ranger's Life

oOoOo

Chapter 10

Ranger POV

Being so close to being home, finally with my Missing Piece, made this situation more aggravating. So near yet so far. I was hanging out for some relevant, specific information, anything. Christ! Even irrelevant information would feed my need. I wanted to be part of it. The hunt is always the name of the game. Those assholes have no idea what kind of game they played. And, now they are the hunted. Game on! Bring it on!

Not being directly involved was frustrating, but I trusted Tank and his team to follow the usual protocols and get the evidence to nail these bastards once and for all. Miguel, Rex and Thiago had adjusted and decompressed completely, all of us healing well, me included. Doc and Taipan checked our progress and after another thorough physical, he cleared us for moderate physical training. I was glad to be able to run, full pelt. Only Rex required further physical therapy and was on low repetitions for most exercises, but significantly improved. He had another month or so of PT for a full recovery.

Being there was just the four of us, all the time. It was refreshing to have someone else to talk to. The only problem was that Taipan was not a great talker. He listened and nodded, but that's about it, ever the strong silent type. Doc was all business but he at least could hold a conversation. He had a sense of humour and had all of us captive with some light-hearted banter. We knew what was happening on the outside, in general, but he was unable to shed any light on our specific circumstance. He recognised that we had enough of this safe house routine and that our minds and bodies were craving a stronger physical outdoor-type of experience. We needed a release. Cabin fever does that to you.

So, he planned for a three-on-three paintball activity for the next morning at a secure location. It was, as the saying goes, just what the doctor ordered. It took our mind off things. Getting outside, in the open, breathing fresh air while ducking and diving in amongst the trees and rocks, very unlike the jungle of recent experiences, was invigorating. The levity it brought with it was so uplifting and after three rounds, we were worn out. I knew he was assessing our movements as we piled into the truck, winking at me. He gave the thumbs up. I returned the gesture strongly.

I would have been happy to play some three-on-three basketball or lacrosse, but he had hesitated on those suggestions, especially for the latter, actually both, because it was a more physical game. So, paintball was a great outcome. For a big guy, Taipan had the ability to merge into the background so skilfully making him a worthy, cunning opponent. It was a revitalising and stimulating experience and we were happily spent. Burning off that pent up energy was not only necessary, but very timely.

After a long shower, not just to get that paintball seepage, but to ease our muscles and bruises from the new energetic physical activity, we were given a strong vigorous massage. We relaxed with a hearty barbecue lunch out on the deck, watching the rain come down. I nodded my head at Doc, confirming a decision well-made while listening to the happy banter recounting this morning's fun. Back inside, after all pitching in with the clearing up, we adjourned to the large, comfortable reclining chairs of the theatre room, while Doc and Taipan departed. While considering options of what to watch or listen to, amid some more light banter, before long my three buddies were asleep. I was dozing, and thinking. The invigoration of the paintball and a hearty lunch, also primed my brain.

My phone buzzed, so I left the room, keen to hear some substantial updates.

"Ranger, man. Going stir crazy yet?"

"Yes. We reached that point some days ago," I said with a wry chuckle. "Doc had us out paintballing. Best medicine. Very timely it was."

"Good to hear. I have some interesting updates for you."

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and quietly made my way into the sitting room, closing the sliding doors.

"I hope you're sitting down. There's a lot to tell and disclose, with some quite unexpected revelations."

"Go on. I'm sitting, comfortable and ready for these revelations."

"Hungry, eh?"

"Damn straight, I am. Desperate for some news too. Now, hit me with it."

A chuckle from Tank made me smile. It told me a lot. He had something really juicy, I'd say. I sure was hungry for some meaty details.

"Report!"

"Ah! That's my man. Here we go."

I sighed happily to myself, smiling. Finally, something. Gutsy and definitive, I hoped.

"With the combined efforts of the financial forensic hunt, and Stephanie's deep search, it laid bare some fucking amazing shit. Between Hector downloading Morelli's emails and phone messages, the three teams opened up a veritable Pandora's Box.

Hector found the communications about making new bank accounts, not the same as their family or usual accounts. They were instructed to create an account name with an obscure, seemingly vague name, but relevant for them to remember easily. He mentioned about caution with leaving a paper trail. According to Hector, Morelli's search history ranged from creating off-shore accounts, recent and past money laundering crimes and their investigations. It also shows how he tried in vain to search for information on you, Rangeman and even special ops. No glory there, since he tried multiple approaches.

On his phone were lots of messages to the two wannabes, instructing them to purchase a satellite phone. But there were enough messages already on record that clearly outline their plan.

Checking Morelli's calendar, he found some interesting coded items, some on regular days … lots of Js, and other initials. Hector checked with Stephanie, and together they worked out that they were references to his side pieces. Asshole had them logged even when they were still an item. Hector really wants in on the kill. Had to calm him down, which took some doing. Stephanie was a good calming catalyst in refocusing him. But Lester and I had to help him burn off some of his agitation down in the gym.

Evidently, there was one entry about eight months before the mission. After that date, Hector confirmed that the emails and messages started back and forth. He discovered the emails were in a hidden obscure folder, which the fucker had instructed his two cohorts to do as well. Hector said it was relatively easy to access, no serious firewalls to deal with. We passed on the email accounts to the Feds and they are investigating from their end with the two wannabes."

"What was the significance of that date?"

"Interesting you should ask. It was apparently a grand reunion of all the Morelli families, including Mancusos and Ragustos. He must have encountered and discovered his Godmother's oldest son, Ragusto, and Mancuso, a distant cousin and they likely got talking about their work. Stephanie remembered he broke it off the week prior to this big event. Go figure. When he came back Stephanie gave him his marching orders, final notice. You remember that."

"Indeed, I do. A happy day. Do go on."

"So, we surmised that they must have met up and, at some point, had grizzled about Stephanie and you in particular.

In one of his emails, to Mancuso, Joe asked to confirm if he really knew you, using Manoso. Mancuso got a rise. The rhetoric that followed showed he was jealous of Ranger, claiming how he was a legend and a hotshot. Always cool. He even admitted pretending to be Ranger, what with the name similarity. Also, he conceded how they personally didn't have much to do with you, Ranger, directly. But I can confirm that he will be leaving, soon, on one of those secret missions."

"So that's when things started to go pear-shaped. The Intel was altered and I was curious with some of the changes, even the tone was different. I should have listened to my instincts. In hindsight, yeah. That's when we, you and I, checked and revised our protocols."

I heard Tank grumble in agreement.

"All the emails and messages from then onwards, refer to you, initially as R, then RCM and last of all just M. Stephanie featured as SP. That was his aim, to claim her for himself. That was made clear a number of times. To say that Steph was livid with that revelation is putting it mildly. "I'm not some trophy!" she yelled, and then some more. It was Hector who calmed her down. They have an amazing connection."

"I know. Ever since she shot that new lock at her apartment, he fell for her." I grinned again at that sweet memory.

"Anyway, using their combined investigative skills there was a surprising shitload of incriminating evidence. Substantial five and six figure money transfers had been executed into both those motherfuckers' accounts, a secondary obscurely named account, separate from their private ones. Both were in different banks from their usual accounts, but strangely enough, the same as Morelli's, also not his usual bank.

Mancuso, being the cocky wannabe-bastard that he is, named his account RCM JungleOps."

"Fuck! Fucking asshole," I growled.

"Yeah, man. I hear ya. No doubt about that. What a fucking wanker."

I shook my head.

"These wannabe fuckwits think they know it all. This is real life, not some fucking computer game. Gambling and playing with our lives, and that poor Bernie, makes my blood boil."

I took a breath and braced myself for the next instalment. I knew Tank gave me pause, literally, for thought. Financial forensics is used in the prevention, detection, and recovery related to criminal activities, such as money laundering, tax fraud, terrorism, and financial schemes. I wondered how many of these would be revealed in addition to their treason and betrayal, basically, a form of terrorism. Multiple charges, methinks.

"Stephanie suggested they try the RCM aspect for their searches because, you know, they are stupid and arrogant enough to choose something like that. And it worked. Following the money trail in reverse from Mancuso's account, it was easy to find Ragusto's new account, Santa Madrina. We thought it meant Mad Rina, with perhaps a Christmas connection with Santa. You know? It seemed quite innocuous. He must have had something in mind. When Steph looked it over, she quickly translated it from Italian: Santa Mandrina is Holy Godmother. Fuck. Go figure. Anyway, that's how we found the deposits, which had started about four months before you left on that mission."

"And Morelli?"

"Ironically, his was easier to locate, once we tried the same bank. Stephanie was convinced he would use a cupcake reference. For sure, she found it: Tortinaismine … as in Tortina is mine. Arrogant fucker!"

"Am I right in assuming that a tortina is a cupcake?"

"Yes. Tortina means little cake in Italian, little cake as in a cupcake. Steph has been amazing with her lateral thinking. I mean, really. Tortinaismine? What the fuck?! No way would any of us have realised that. Rodriguez and Manny were totally gobsmacked with her deductions and the obscure translation. But once she got into that tenacious mindset, she analysed like a forensic specialist. Good profiling too, I might add."

I grinned, proud of my girl, my Babe. Oh, damn. I miss her so much, my Missing Piece."

"I heard that sigh. Man, we're all amazed at her abilities here. It opens up a whole new domain, if we were to venture down that path. Anyway, I digress. It gets even better. Brace yourself."

"We had some issues locating the source of those deposits. They were certainly not from Morelli himself. He was not flush with his funds. He was busy "entertaining" his sidepieces. From some of our informants, we know he was taking money in return for not arresting the ladies, including a 'side payment' of a free blow job to keep him honest. Sick bastard.

In the meantime, Steph was doing her deep search on everyone connected in some way to Morelli: the J sidepieces were dead ends. She looked at Jeanne Ellen, Joyce, Lula, Connie, Terri Gilman, Mama Morelli, Bella Morelli, his brother Anthony and that cousin Mooch Morelli."

"Hm. Interesting direction. Anything come out of it?"

"Not really. Then out of the blue I get a call from Connie."

"Connie from the Bonds Office?"

"Yup. She wanted to meet, very soon, like that day, with me, but also with Stephanie. She was happy to come to Rangeman, meeting her in the lower conference room. Very illuminating."

"Now that was unexpected. This is after Steph had told Vinnie to go to hell, right?"

"Yes. These are Connie's revelations."

"Connie says: Lula was angry with Steph for ignoring the man she already had the hots for, "the best ass in Trenton, her Officer Hottie"."

I wanted to puke. Ugh!

"Connie explained how she noticed subtle changes in Lula's demeanour, and some not so subtle. She's not a Lula fan, nor is she a Morelli fan. But, she did have Stephanie's back. This is what she had to say."

"I noticed Lula getting very cosy with Joe Morelli and her body language was all about selling her body. I've seen her work, on that corner with Jacquie, well before Stephanie met her. He likewise was hanging around the Bonds Office hoping to intercept Stephanie, not knowing that Steph had told Vinnie to shove it.

She was giving Joe more than just the come on. Her flirting was not subtle at all. She was hoping to get a reaction from me but I just totally ignored her. And, I don't know, maybe just to make sure to press Stephanie's buttons, she dragged Morelli into the lane way. You know like Ranger and Stephanie were known to do. But she was doing more than making out."

I cringed at the thought of the possibilities. I could hear the distaste in Tank's voice in relating this to me.

"I heard her say. "Let Lula help you there. She's whoring herself to Ranger. I know you don't like it. You make him disappear. Maybe I can make Stephanie disappear too." I heard Morelli get angry about that, but he didn't leave.

Lula then said, "What's it worth to you? Spend a night with me. I'll really make it worth your while. I have a special bag of tricks, and lots of freaky toys. Not just feathers and handcuffs."

Jeez. She's making a deal with him. I'm not sure how I feel about the similarity, but there was a sinister undertone to her purpose. No comparison. I shuddered.

"Connie then said, I know Lula was jealous, increasingly jealous of Steph and angry with her. It was like she was believing all that Burg bull crap that he spewed about them being meant to be.

Hell, Steph brought food in every day on her way in, for both of us to share, and still Lula complained. She never paid for any of it. Lula was not good at sharing. She was plain greedy and a glutton."

"Well, we knew that."

"Stephanie always gave her a fair cut of the cheque, for helping with her skips, when she wasn't filing or reading magazines.

But her manner suddenly changed, noticeably. Lula was pissed off that Cal was now her regular partner. She was kind of scared of Cal and that scary tattoo on his forehead. She resented being cut out of the skips chase and being restricted, not allowed to use her gun and basically gagged in her involvement. She didn't like Stephanie calling the shots, encouraged by Cal. He was good for Steph.

Anyway, I think Lula was also dipping her nose in some shit, and the remnants on her top was not some spilt icing sugar. She was becoming increasingly delusional and nasty.

Wow.

"That was very timely and convenient of Connie. Yes. We also went the Wow factor. And the ick factor."

Once again, I shuddered. Lula and Morelli getting cosy was just sick and weird.

"Well, things got really interesting after that. In tracing the source, we finally had a breakthrough this morning. It took the teams a lot of cross referencing and they located an unusual account name. Manny said, "Here's a doozy: MyHoHoHoXmasfund." You'll never guess who."

The quiet tense tone in Tank's voice did not go unnoticed. This must be something none of us expected.

"Sounds rather tame and innocuous to me."

"Yeah. That's the beauty of it."

"Morelli?"

"Nope."

"Surely not one of the two motherfucking wannabes?"

"Nope." Tank deliberately popped the final P. That is weird, perhaps another Christmas reference, I wondered.

"Fuck!"

"Yeah. Think about it …"

"HoHoHo … Fuck! … That's gotta be …," I grimaced, and paused as my mind raced through a myriad of possibilities before finally settling on one.

"Lula!"

"Yup."

I was totally stunned.

"Holy fucking shit! How did you come up with that?"

"I didn't. Steph. How she uncovered that still blows me away."

I smiled. That's my Babe.

"Fucking Lula! Madre Dios! I didn't see that coming, not by a long shot. Fuck! That adds a whole new dimension to this clusterfuck."

"Steph recalled Lula alluding to having put a lot of money put away from her days as a ho. She paid cash for the Firebird apparently. She told Stephanie about her Christmas savings. Stephanie worked it out from there. Unbelievable on both fronts."

When I contacted Connie again, she confirmed their relationship. Then Morelli had said "he had a better way of getting rid of you, Ranger, while he's on a mission. That's why Connie was concerned. But he needed some moolah to fund something this big, you know, on the hush hush."

"Ole Lula here has enough greenbacks, big bucks, Sweetcheeks."

Lula got all excited and said, as a favour to him, and for his future good deeds, with Lula, she could help with said moolah. I know they were scheming further as they drove away in her Firebird. Probably off to that seedy motel she was telling me about.

Then another time in the alley, Morelli, said he had a better way of getting rid of you, Ranger, while he's on a mission. But he needed some moolah to fund something this big, you know, on the hush hush."

"As you can see, it confirmed everything. Stephanie hit the nail on the head again."

I was stunned.

"Shit. Yeah. That's … I don't know, that's just weird. It explains a lot. The pieces are coming together."

There was a pause as I could hear someone in the back ground talking to Tank.

"Good news, Ranger. Interesting. Morelli has loaded his Ducati in the back of the truck, with Bob the dog. He's taking the dog to his mother's place."

Tank ended the call, leaving me to dwell on all those revelations.

Not even thirty minutes later, Tank called again.

"Morelli told his mother he was going on vacation."

"Ha! Yeah right. Not the kind of vacation he has in mind is on the horizon for him. Damn. I really wish to be the one that sorts the fucker out. Damnit."

"I hear ya. This is better, and he can suffer for even thinking he was able to pull off such a stunt."

Five minutes later…

Tank again. Curt. Excited. I grin and rub my hands delightedly.

"Hector has confirmed that the fucker has been making some frantic calls to his two partners in crime. After all he's getting desperate. Ragusto and Mancuso lived in outer Washington. His message was to head north into New Jersey, and he will update their destination."

I am sitting here, almost in the dark, nodding my head in satisfaction.

Five minutes later …

"Morelli is on the move. We are a go. The chicken has flown the coop."

I laugh sardonically. Tank joins me.

"You can run but you can't hide, asshole."

oOo

TBC

Ooh. The hunt is on! Morelli has fallen off his golden pedestal alright. What do you reckon?