Chapter 27 Undercover
"Tank, come with me for a few minutes," Ranger told him. Ranger needed to speak to his second in command in private.
"I will be back," Tank told his wife. He kissed her softly on the lips before following his boss out of the Solarium.
"Tank, I will return to Trenton. While I am there, I will work on the paperwork to get you transferred to a different position. You know as well as I do that any Rangeman employee with a family can not work in the field. Hey, you are here on vacation. Visit with your family and friends. You don't go into the field for fieldwork. You have a lot of assets. Tank both you and your wife. Use those assets here to help Special Agent Summers? Stay out of the field Tank," Ranger said.
"You got it, boss," Tank replied. He didn't miss the number of times Ranger mentioned he needed to stay out of the field. Ranger dismissed him with a nod of his head. Tank walked back into the Solarium to hold his wife.
"Hey, Jen, are you all set right now? I want to take Stephanie to rest for a little bit. She's looking tired," Tank asked.
"Yeah, go on. I will keep you updated," Jen said after assessing Stephanie. Jen could see the exhaustion displayed by Stephanie's slumped shoulders. Tank took his wife's hand and guided her back to their room.
When they got into the hotel room, Stephanie spoke first. "I love Jen with all my heart, and I love her kids. But I don't want to be raising our children alone. So I was going to ask you to take a permanent desk position. I just did not know how to bring it up, Pierre. I know how much you love your job."
"I do love my job, little one, but I love you and the baby more," Pierre told her. He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply.
"I did not tell you this, but Rangeman has a policy dictating that a Rangeman employee who has a family cannot work in the field. So I have to take a desk position anyway. The benefits are better too. I will get full health insurance as well as 401k. The health insurance will cover you and our kids," Tank told Stephanie.
"You, little one, mean so much more to me than any job. But if I ever lost you, it would kill me," Tank added. He kissed her deeply and passionately, pouring all his love and emotions into the kiss. "I would pick you up, but I can't carry you anymore." Tank could easily lift her, but he didn't want to risk accidentally dropping her.
Stephanie slapped him on his chest at his silly joke. They walked to the bed, where they laid down. Tank and Stephanie fell asleep in each other's arms.
A couple of hours later, there was a knock at Tank and Stephanie's door. Tank got up from the bed. He checked the peephole and saw Jen waiting for them to answer.
"Hey there, come on in," Tank told her.
"How is she?" Jen asked.
"She is strong, and I mean strong," Tank told her.
"I don't know what she told you, but my husband died on duty. He was a detective here in New York. He died trying to take down a drug dealer. It's a drug dealer who works for Sanders. The only problem is he could not prove it and died trying. I don't want Stephanie to experience the same thing I am going through now, raising kids alone. Please do what you can to keep yourself safe. I have seen how Stephanie looks at you and how much you care and love her. Please, don't let her become a statistic like me," Jen said and left the hotel room.
Tank thought about Jen's words as he watched TV. Stephanie approached him half an hour later. "Hey there." She sat on her husband's lap. Stephanie rested her head on Tank's shoulder.
"I love you so much, little one. You are my everything," Tank confessed.
"I know that already. You told me at least a dozen times," Stephanie said. "Tank, I am fine, I promise you." Stephanie wanted to reassure her husband.
She kissed him gently before deepening the kiss. Their breaths got heavier when Tank broke the kiss. An idea had entered his head as he contemplated Jen's words of warning. "Hey, do you want to get out of here? We can visit my brother. He lives in the neighborhood," Tank suggested.
"Oh yeah, let's go." She got off his lap and went to slip on her shoes. Tank grabbed the keys for the Rangeman SUV, and they took the elevator to the lobby to exit the hotel.
"Jen," Stephanie said when she saw her friend in the lobby. She had to tell a team member she would be away for a while.
"We are going out for a little bit. Call us if something turns up," Stephanie told Jen.
"Promise," Jen said. Jen watched her friend leave the hotel.