Ranger was driving and Eduardo was riding shotgun so that I could stretch out on the back seat. Kai and Grant and my parents were in the car behind us. "Tell me about Steve", said Ranger. His voice was mild, but I could tell by the tension in his body that he was furious. Steve had been disrespectful to me, and in Ranger's eyes that was unacceptable.
"Not much to tell. Val and Steve married a month after Val graduated from college. She was twenty-one at the time. He was twenty-four and already was a practicing accountant. It was a fast marriage – Val had thought that she was pregnant. By the time they realized that they weren't, they were too far along in the marriage process to be able to break the engagement off, so they ended up getting hitched.
"Val really loved Steve, though, and was devastated when he had the affair with the babysitter. Apparently, he hadn't wanted children and that was 'why' he had the affair, and he broke it off with the babysitter when he found out that she wanted kids. Or, at least, that was what he told Val. He then told Val that he has missed her ever since she left, and he wanted to get back together with her. He just doesn't want anything to do with the children and he has told her to leave them with Albert. For some reason, she thinks this is a fair deal.
"Steve is as slimy as they come. From what I understand, he was the one that did Dickie's books for him, and we all know what happened to Dickie. He's in jail for tax evasion.
"Steve is much like Val in attitude. He thinks that he should be given a good life, a big life, and he shouldn't have to do any of the work associated in earning that kind of life."
"You said that he tried to rape you?"
"Twice. The first time I was in shock, and was even more so when Val walked in and Steve told her that I was the one making a pass at him – even though he had entered my bedroom and had pushed me down on my bed and was holding me down when she came in. Val believed him and screamed at me for being jealous of her and trying to steal Steve from her. My grandmother got involved and told me off as well, and my mom was mad at me for not doing what it took to keep the peace. My dad was the only one that didn't believe that I had tried to steal Val's boyfriend. I had been very hurt, and I asked Dad why he believed me when no one else did. He told me that I had better taste. So that was the first time. The second time he made a pass at me was the day before their wedding. When he pushed me down on the bed, I nailed him. I think his voice was still raised when he was saying his vows. I saw him a handful or two times afterwards, but I always made sure that I wasn't caught alone with him. They lived in California, so it was easier to avoid them than you might imagine. Eduardo? I know that we've been working on me being alone and on regaining my independence, and on working to feel less helpless, but if Steve shows up I do not want to be left alone. I am terrified that he is going to try to rape me again, and I won't have the ability to protect myself without it causing great pain." I tried to regulate my breathing as it started to ramp up out of control.
"Fair enough", said Eduardo calmly. "Count your breaths, Steph."
I put my hand on my diaphragm and counted to ten as I breathed, and through it I slowed my breath down so that I was no longer hyperventilating. "I don't want him near our kids. I don't trust him in the slightest."
"Okay", said Ranger. "You have incredible instinct, and if you don't want him near our kids or yourself, then he is not getting near any of you. When we get back, I'd like you to have a nap. This morning was challenging for you, and I understand that. However, when you wake up I'd suggest doing an in-depth review on the asshole, and perhaps we'll be able to identify exactly why it is so important for him to 're-establish family ties'."
"And in the meantime," said Eduardo, "you need to practice some of your relaxation techniques. Steph, you're wound tighter than a watch spring. You've got to step back and relax for a while, or the pain in your legs will spiral out of control." We had found that emotional upset, for me, resulted in a decreased pain tolerance. When I was emotionally upset, I couldn't rise above the pain and the pain intensified until it became unbearable. We had been practicing meditation and other relaxation techniques before using pain medication, with some success. While it very rarely resulted in no medication needed, it did often result in a need for a lesser strength of pain medication.
"It already is."
"Okay then. You know what to do, and Ranger and I will be quiet so that you can practice finding your Zen."
I smiled. I had called it that once with Eduardo, and the phrase stuck. I was glad about that. Saying that I was practicing "meditating" seemed a little overwhelming. I don't know why. It was technically the same thing.
By the time that we arrived home, I was half asleep. Once we parked, Ranger lifted me out of the car and carried me up to the bedroom and laid me down on the bed. He helped me remove my blazer and shoes, then let me roll into him as Kai gave me a shot of painkiller, and he held me as I went to sleep.
I woke up four hours later. Grant was in the room, and he looked up with a smile. "Eduardo and Ranger told us what a scumbag Steve is."
"I don't trust him. When he told me that he would get the family to side against me, he was serious."
"You say you don't trust him." Grant sat on the edge of the bed, and he put his hand on my diaphragm in unspoken encouragement to concentrate on my breathing. "Do you think that he is dangerous?"
I thought about that for a moment. "I think that he's slimy and that there is a lot more going on than we might know about."
"Tell me about him."
"He's one of those people that does what he can to force people to do what he wants. He's a manipulative rat. And, like Val, he believes that his desires are more important than those of other people. He is attracted to the rich life and doesn't think he has to earn it. He's always reminded me of a snake. When you watch him, even his tongue darts in and out through his lips like a snake, and when you shake his hand, it is always cold and dry. However, just to prove that there is someone for everyone, Val adores him."
"That's good that they are back together then, isn't it?"
"Good for them, I hope. I just don't want him near anyone in this castle. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. And that's not very far."
"How are you feeling?"
I sighed. "My anxiety is out of control, but I'm really glad today is over with. The pain is manageable."
"Is your anxiety out of control because of the hearing, or is it out of control because of Steve?"
"Honestly? Because of Steve and what he can do. I have always had a sort of healthy need to stay away from him. However my instincts say that he isn't going to go away easily."
"Do you think there are going to be problems?"
"Yes."
"What kind of problems?"
"I don't know. I just know that there are going to be problems."
Grant looked at me for a moment. "Let's call Ranger up. As everyone says, you have the strongest hinky meter we have ever seen. Ranger needs to know what your instinct is saying."
"Okay", I said. When I agreed so easily, Grant quickly pulled out his phone and called Ranger.
Minutes later, Ranger showed up. He looked at me and smiled, kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. He leaned against the headboard as I rolled into his body and curled myself around so that my head was pillowed on his thighs. I closed my eyes in bliss as he smoothed my hair away from my face. "What's going on?" he said quietly.
"Steph was telling me that her instinct was saying that Steve was going to be a problem", said Grant.
"What kind of problem, babe?"
"I kept having nightmares when I was sleeping."
"Tell me about them."
"The kids are kidnapped."
"Can you tell me details?" I took a deep breath as I started to shake. Ranger continued to smooth back my hair. "Easy", he said. "Take a deep breath." Ranger had been dealing with my extreme anxiety for the last month. He had gotten very good at saying precisely the right thing at the right time.
I gulped in some air. "Ranger, I don't know. I just know that the children will be kidnapped."
"Where are they?"
"On the property around the castle."
"In the forested area or the gardens or where?"
"In the front gardens."
"When?"
"During the day. I don't know what time though."
"Is it still summer?"
"Yes. The kids are wearing short-sleeved shirts and leggings."
"Do the kids know the people taking them?"
"No."
"Okay. We can work with this. Let's talk strategy. We can keep the strike team here longer. In another week we are scheduled to go back to Trenton anyway, and we can keep the strike team with us until we return. Not only can we make sure the little ones are never left alone, but the guys are also incredibly helpful in looking after Grandma."
"Aren't they getting frustrated with being here? They must be so bored."
"I don't think they mind since we are doing a lot of training. The accommodations are excellent, and the food is fabulous – Isla has done an exceptional job at the catering – and the men seem happy. Besides, they only have to put up with it for another week. Overall, it is much better than being in the sandbox, and I think the guys have been enjoying themselves."
"I've been worried about them, and how they are feeling about being here."
"Babe, you worry about everyone and now that your anxiety is out of control, it's even worse. The guys are fine and you know that every single one of them is dedicated to our family and would support and protect all of us, even if the conditions were dismal."
"It's too bad that the Gurus went home a couple of weeks ago." The Gurus were my elite team of researchers, all directors of their own departments. They had come over to do the research on the terrorists who had set the bomb and, because my legs were burned, had stayed to train the researchers in the European division. They had recently left to return to their homes in Trenton, New Jersey. In addition to being incredible researchers, they were close friends of mine and I knew would stand by me through thick and thin.
"You'll see them soon", said Ranger comfortingly. "I know that they aren't here to protect you. However, the strike team is and this is exactly what they are trained for."
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I was hoping to talk to you about something", said Grant as he looked at me. I guess that he realized I needed a change in thought. "I've been talking to Kai and thinking about the medicine that I've been practicing while helping Steph. I love being the medic on a team. However, I'm almost fifty and being a soldier is a young man's game. I had been thinking about leaving the strike team before we came here, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was wondering about working in an Emergency Room, but one of the things I like about being on a strike team is that I often see the same soldiers time and again, and I have developed relationships with them. I also love working at Rangeman, and I don't want to leave. Helping Steph has allowed me to identify what I want to do. I have really enjoyed the relationship aspect and seeing her get better. Kai and I have talked about what it is like being a doctor in the Medical Office, and I was wondering if Rangeman was going to hire another doctor in the next couple of years and, if you did, whether you'd be amenable to me throwing my name into the ring."
"Absolutely", said Ranger. "The doctors are always stretched a little too thin, and we can always use another. I'll let Nate know so that we can switch you as soon as possible."
"Selfishly speaking, that will be better for us as well", I said. "I personally enjoy working with both you and Kai, but although Kai is currently my doctor he won't be able to continue being my doctor if he and Julie decide to formalize things between them. We are straddling the line as it is. I can talk with both of you, and you know how hard won that was. Speaking about my inner thoughts or admitting pain or asking for help does not come easily to me, but it is something I can do with you. So I guess what I am saying is that I'll be the first patient on your roster."
Grant grinned. "Thank you", he said.
Ranger smiled. "Eduardo also said the same thing about wanting to switch from working on a strike team to working in the Medical Office. He, too, has been enjoying offering counselling, so while Steph was sleeping I talked to Nate and Gabriel, and then Eduardo. He is going to become a full-time Trauma Counsellor and work primarily with the strike teams. He is so good at working with anxiety issues and figuring out what people need. And because he is a longtime soldier and was also one of our first people on a strike team, he has survived many of the common situations we deal with and can empathize. He will be switching over when we get back in a week."
Grant smiled. "He'll be good in the role."
I grinned. "Yes, he will. And because of his experiences, people will feel that they can talk to him, and he knows what they are going through."
Ranger smiled. "That's what I thought. Let's call a meeting with the strike team."
