Chapter 7

A few months after seeing Joe in the TPD, he got shot in his right shoulder. I visited him at the hospital to see how he was. "Hi, Evelyn. I thought you worked at Helen Fuld. Why are you here?" I asked when Evelyn entered Joe's room to take his vitals. She had dark wavy hair and blue eyes, a few shades lighter than mine.

"I had a run-in with one of the doctors on staff. We broke up a few months ago, but he didn't take no for an answer. He kept backing me into the on-call room. I requested a transfer," Evelyn explained.

"Was it Dr. Feldman?" Joe asked. "We've had several complaints during the years."

"Yes," Evelyn said. "I pressed charges. He can rot in hell as far as I'm concerned."

"One of these days, he'll get what he deserves. God help him if he hurts Bobby's sister, Gail. She works at Helen Fuld too," I added. Joe snickered. I could see he found our conversation amusing. "What are you laughing about, Joe? You couldn't take no for an answer either."

"I've learned my lesson, Stephanie." Joe touched the back of his neck as though something was irritating it.

"Is something wrong, Joseph?" Evelyn asked as she checked where he placed his hand.

"No. I feel a tingly sensation on the back of my neck. I'm not sure what it is, but it started just before you entered the room," Joe explained. I couldn't suppress the grin from appearing on my face.

"You too? I thought it was just me," Evelyn said. I knew better than to tell Joe I had the same feeling around Ranger. He didn't need to know.

"Joe, Evelyn is my cousin. She's Shirley's sister. Be nice to her, or I'll kick your ass," I sweetly said before leaving the room. I had a feeling Joe and Evelyn would get along very well. My cousin already knew our history. At first, she wasn't interested in meeting him, but I guess she had changed her mind. I sent her a message to say that he may not be that way with her. Evelyn needed to figure that out for herself.

Joe better not cheat on her. I had sent Joe a message to keep his penis in his pants and not cheat on my cousin. He goodheartedly replied that he'd take my advice into consideration after insisting he never cheated on me. I still suspected he and Terry hooked up while we dated. Morelli wasn't my problem anymore. We'd been avoiding each other during the past few months. I'm not chasing after FTAs as much these days.

Lester got assigned as my permanent partner. We spent most of our day visiting clients to ensure their security needs were getting met. Tank had tried to align Zero and my shifts. With the client meetings, it wasn't always practical.

"Well, am I going to be an uncle?" Lester asked as we drove toward the Trenton Credit Union.

"Not yet, Lester. Stop asking," I replied. I swear he's tracking my periods on a phone app. Zero and I aren't trying to have a child yet. We've only been married for three months.

"Fine," he said as he opened his phone to add a note. I knew the guys were disappointed with each month that I didn't announce a pregnancy.

"Les, Zero and I are waiting for at least another six months." Lester shook his head. I didn't know if he disagreed with me or was frustrated that he had to wait longer. "We're not going to have a child because the Merry Men asked."

The light changed, forcing Lester to drive instead of staring at me. I could feel him looking at me through the corner of his eye to assess my emotions. "I thought for sure you were pregnant. You haven't had a period since last month," Lester said, confirming my suspicions he was tracking my cycle.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this, but I won't have another one for two months. The doctor gave me a three-month birth control shot during my appointment three weeks ago. When I get pregnant, I promise to tell you, Les." I hoped I mollified him. My child is going to get spoiled by the guys.

Our meeting at the bank went surprisingly well though it didn't appear to at first. The manager wanted to change how the tellers accessed the vault. "What do you recommend?" he asked Lester. He didn't look in my direction for an answer. I could tell the man was slightly chauvinistic.

Lester looked at me for an answer. I had overhauled his account and prepared to change the access to the panels. We had new biometric palm scanners that I felt would benefit the bank. When I used the iPad to show the device to the manager, he was interested in trying the system. "Our IT department recommends the biometric scan gets deactivated when the silent alarm gets engaged," I explained.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means the vault can't be unlocked using the biometric scan. You'd need to use the combination and keys to open it," I replied. "Unless you want all three used to access the vault."

"Do you mean if the biometric device failed, then the vault cannot get opened with the combination and keys?" the manager asked to confirm. He liked this idea better. "Could it be arranged that two people must be present to open the vault?"

"Isn't that the system you currently use?" Lester asked.

"Yes, but one person has access to both keys and the combination," he replied.

"That isn't secure," I said. "We could have three people responsible for unlocking the vault. For example, you use your palm on the scanner, your assistant has one key and a trusted teller, who passes an in-depth Rangeman's background check, receives the other key. All three need to be present to open the vault."

"Who would have the combination?" he wondered.

"You, of course," I quickly replied. "Since we're discussing access codes, I recommend your employees use a fob to access the areas behind the counter. They would scan their device across the receiver to unlock the door. I noticed a few duplicate passkey entries in the past few months. It means that one of your employees shared their code with another employee. The fobs would get linked to a specific employee. Rangeman would keep a log of fob scans with employees to share with you daily. You can compare the access to the employees scheduled to work."

I watched as he thought about the last suggestion. His brows furrowed as he thought about the options provided. "My employees begin their shifts at 10 am. They have to be logged onto their systems ten minutes before the doors are unlocked. Would it cost extra to have someone compare the fob scan to employees in the building?" he asked.

"One minute, please," I said as I sent Hector a message. I smiled at his reply. Lester explained I was conferring with the IT guru regarding his request.

"The IT department will install a camera to capture the image of the person scanning their fob. He can build it inside the receiver mechanism. The employee will not know it's there. If someone scans a fob that doesn't match their image on the camera, you will get notified immediately along with the TPD. Would that work for you?" I asked.

I knew we had him sold when I mentioned installing a camera to capture their likeness for comparison. "It's perfect. Could you send me a quote?" Lester explained that it would be close to his current fee.

After I checked the boxes on the iPad program, I sent it to the app to create a quote. "You should receive a copy in your inbox within a few minutes," I said.

When we got back into the car, Lester said, "You were amazing, Beautiful. We'll save hundreds of dollars a year on keypad replacement alone. The bank will save a few bucks in callout fees."

"Yup. It would be more difficult for anyone to rob the bank," I added. "I hope it doesn't increase the number of hostages if the access fails."

"The tellers would still have access to the cash drawers."

"True, but they only keep a few hundred dollars at their station. Any withdrawal over 200 cash requires access to the dispenser. Only one teller on staff has access. She uses a key and passcode to release the money," I explained.

"Beautiful, it's no different than a larger bank getting robbed. They have minimal access to the vault. The credit union doesn't have safety deposit boxes. If someone robbed that bank, they would only walk away with a few thousand dollars. I love that you worry about people's safety."

I looked out the passenger seat window as we drove toward our second client meeting. At one block away, It felt like approaching our impending doom. Lester turned the SUV around when I involuntarily shuddered. "Rangeman, Binkie speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hey, Binkie. Can you quietly dispatch teams Alpha through Delta to 1511 E State Street? Lester and I were supposed to meet with a client, but I think something is wrong," I quickly explained. Lester had parked a few blocks away while I placed the call.

A few Rangeman SUVs passed our location. One car parked in front of our vehicle, and the driver decided to stay as our backup. Lester and I climbed from our car and moved to the other. We had grabbed our extra weapons and ammunition from the lockbox beneath our seats. Once I entered the other SUV, I strapped the guns to my thighs. "Amore mia, you look sexy wearing those holsters," Zero said. I grinned at my husband but didn't move closer to kiss him.

"Amore mio, there will be time enough when we get home," I said. Zero and I have done well to keep the PDAs to a minimum at Rangeman. I knew Ranger and Lester appreciated our restraint. Lester had confessed to being in love with me. Having me as his Rangeman partner was better than nothing. He got to spend time with me but without the benefit of intimacy. We both knew it was for the better. I was supposed to be with Teddy.

"Follow me," Lester said after explaining how we're supposed to help. Vince passed me a mic and earbud. I found my Kevlar vest in the back. Once I was ready, I followed Lester, Vince and Zero from the car.

"Status," Ranger quietly asked over the channel. I heard the team leaders say they were in position. "Babe?"

"With team beta," I replied. I remained on Lester's heels, knowing Zero and Vince had a job to do. It wouldn't be wise to worry about my family when we had a dire situation on our hands. Ranger didn't have to tell me to stick with Lester. He was my partner, and I had his back.

With my Glock in my hands, we entered the building. Lester placed a finger on his lips. It was unnecessary because I understood the protocol. Zero and Vince left to check the storage area in the shop basement. I slipped my hand in the back of Lester's cargo pants to hang on while he guided me toward the person crying.

Lester looked over his shoulder when I moved a finger along his lower back. I pointed to the camera across the hallway from the back door. It was facing the wrong doorway that suspiciously looked like the rear exit. I assumed the direction got changed by an employee or visitor. I planned to recommend live monitoring for the structure. It currently runs off CCTV. The video would only get retrieved in the event of a break-in. "East. Rear," Lester relayed to the team.

We patiently waited for the group to assess the situation in the alley behind the building before we entered the room containing the crying person. The second we got the message the rear was secured, Lester and I opened the door.

It resembled like a war zone, a bloodbath. Blood and dead bodies covered the entire floor. A woman held a man tightly to her chest as she cried. I recognized the man as the business owner. Lester and I were supposed to meet with him. Cautiously, I approached the woman. "Are you okay?" I quietly asked.

She shook her head. I sent a message for someone to call an ambulance and send me Bobby. The supplies in my pocket weren't enough to dress the woman's wounds. "I have a deep wound on my leg," she said. "Clarence used his body to apply pressure. Is he okay?" I used gauze to create a tourniquet on her leg. It slowed the blood flow enough for me to pull the man off her leg. Lester checked for a pulse and shook his head. He pulled the body off the woman, allowing me access to the trauma.

"I'm sorry for your loss. My name is Stephanie," I said as I wrapped her leg.

"Shaylee," she replied. "I'm Clarence's business partner and sister."

Bobby entered the room and crossed himself. He silently prayed for the dead as he rushed to help me dress Shaylee's wounds. The ambulance arrived after we wrapped the last injury. Eddie entered the room, then covered his mouth. "Ma'am, do you know who did this?" Eddie asked when his stomach settled.

She nodded before saying, "Colin Devonshire got fired last week for smoking pot while working. We have a strict no-smoking policy on the property. The contracts indicate doing drugs on the premises leads to immediate termination. He entered this room after we gathered for our meeting and opened fire. How did he get inside? He doesn't have keys."

"Devonshire must have bumped the lock," Lester replied. "The camera got sighted on the wrong door." I heard someone from Rangeman's control room relay Colin's description over the channel.

Shaylee slowly lifted her hand to wipe the tears off her face. "I told Clarence we should get Rangeman to install more cameras," she cried.

"I don't think it would have helped," I kindly said. "I planned to recommend your establishment move from CCTV to live."

She shook her head. I knew what she would do before she stated, "Once this room gets cleaned, I'm selling to the first bidder. I can't work here anymore." Shaylee would have more than enough money to live off without working again. Eddie followed the paramedics from the building with Shaylee on the stretcher.

I shuddered seconds before I heard gunfire in my ear. "Bobby!" Ranger shouted.

Bobby bolted from the room as Ranger gave him their location. His heavy breaths and loud feet echoed through the earbud. "Lester, get Stephanie," Bobby ordered.

My husband got shot. I whispered, "Amore mio," before passing out.