Chapter 22

The next morning, I was keen to get back to the dig out, keen to get another view of Steph. As the day before, the house was quiet with no obvious movement leaving or entering the property. It was earlier than the previous evening when I watched as the door from the house opened and watched as Steph came out onto the verandah. With the better light I could see that she was wearing jeans with a large sweat top on, the hood as before pulled over her head, covering her hair. This time she didn't stop at the steps, she carried on down them walking onto the grass area. Watching her she was walking slowly, holding her arms around her, as though she was holding herself together. From there she walked diagonally across to an area that was surrounded by tall bushes.

It wasn't an area that I had paid particular attention to before now and it annoyed me that where I was positioned meant that she was moving out of my sight. I carefully raised myself to my feet and staying low to the ground backed away from where I'd been hidden and started to move to a position where I could see her. I used the trees for cover, confident that I couldn't be spotted from the house, and moved through the trees to then return to the edge of the clearing, to where I could once again catch a glimpse of her. I was still some distance away so had to use the binoculars to focus in on where she'd gone to.

It was an old wooden play area with swings, a slide and one of those seats that rocked back and forth. Steph was sat on one of the swings slowly swinging back and forth but as I continued to watch she allowed the swing to slow down. What she did next nearly took the wind out of my lungs. She looked directly at me, as though she knew that I was there and where I was. Continuing to look at me she dropped from the swing and then turning walked and returned back through the bushes toward the house.

I stayed where I was, totally unsure of what it was that I had seen. Okay I knew what I'd seen but why had Steph done that? Did she know that I was there? Of course she did. Hadn't she always felt my presence, in the bonds office and at her apartment when I was close to her? I had never really understood that until she wasn't there anymore. That time I'd gone into the bonds office I hadn't felt her, it was weird. It was like Tank had said, you didn't know what you had until it wasn't there anymore. I hadn't consciously acknowledged that I was aware of where she was until she wasn't there, and neither was that feeling.

I watched and waited, stood behind the cover of a large tree. I couldn't see the back of the house anymore but then that meant that I couldn't be seen from there either. There were no windows in the side of the house overlooking the play area and after a meticulous study of that part of the house couldn't see any cameras, or external lights for that matter either. I waited patiently until the daylight fell away, welcoming the total darkness that came from a moonless sky. In fact the sky was dark and heavy with dark ominous clouds.

As I heard the drops of rain falling on the leaves above me and felt the drops eventually finishing their long journey on my head and shoulders, I pulled up the hood of my jacket. At the edge of the trees, I squatted down again and waited and watched. Hoping that maybe Steph would come outside again, maybe if she did that then I could somehow get her away from that house.

No movement or sounds came to me, so I turned and was soon back in the covering of the trees. Back at the dig out I watched the house, now alive with light shining out through the windows. It was 2200hrs when the lights downstairs began to go out to be replaced with upstairs lights. Looking up at the window at the right of the building was when I saw the slight movement of the drape across the window. I had the night visions focused on the window when I recognized a face looking at me. A smile crossed Steph's face before the drape was once again covering the window. I took that as my message that I could leave so started collecting my things together. I messaged JC to meet me with the truck. as I started the long walk back to my pickup rendezvous.

I was soaking wet but resting my head back on the car seat, I felt so much more relieved. I was sure that Steph knew that I was alive and regardless of the story that Correll had told her I was sure that she was trusting her sense of me being close. I knew that CJ and Ethan were expecting an update from me, so I reported what I'd seen at the house. I wasn't going to try and explain the connection that Steph and I had.

I was surprised when there were no questions for me. I sure had a lot, like why couldn't she leave now and what the hell was she planning?

"What's she likely to do Ranger?"

Asked Ethan, with some trepidation to his voice. It made me wonder if he'd done research on Steph because I was sure that the number of explosions and fires that she'd been involved with would certainly be mentioned.

"Are you asking me if she'd start a fire or cause an explosion?"

I replied, not meaning it to be a serious suggestion. That had me thinking through what I'd asked. Afterall either one of those would be an excellent diversionary tactic.

"I don't know. What did you get from the van?"

Trying to divert the conversation to something else.

"There are four thermal images coming up on the camera that we recognized as people. Two women and two men. We set up some cameras on the van to catch if anyone went in or out at the front"

Trying to sleep that night wasn't easy to do when I knew that Steph wasn't that far away. After several hours I couldn't lay there any longer so quietly went outside. The cool air surrounded me as I stepped outside, making me hypersensitive to what was around me, at least the rain had stopped, but it had left behind a sweet fragrance. The smell of the damp earth and the contrasting smell coming from the trees. The rain had refreshed the air, cleared away the dust and helped to clear my mind. I wasn't too sure what the other two had planned for today, although I was sure that CJ wanted to get closer to the house to see what Steph had planned. I wanted to be there already, just in case Steph needed me.

Ethan and CJ were like me, they wanted to get started with the day but also knew that if Steph did manage to escape from the house, then we wouldn't need to be returning to this base. Everything was packed away into the truck and any evidence of us having been there was covered over. Two bags were packed to take with us so when we set off for the house, we were carrying electronic equipment for us to use.

As the daylight struggled to reach through the clouds I settled once more looking at the house in front of me. I was so intent on watching what might happen that I was unaware of what CJ and Ethan were doing. As the day became brighter my hopes began to fall, but I clung onto the idea that at dusk Steph might appear, I just needed to see that she was okay. As time passed the lights started to appear, the ritual that I had witnessed before.

We waited, knowing that soon the people in that house would settle down for the night and sure enough an hour later lights went out downstairs as the upstairs lit up. As the house fell into darkness, I wasn't sure what to expect so as before waited and watched sure that if Steph was to escape from the house, then it would probably be in the early hours of the morning when everyone was asleep. That was when it happened, I suppose I may even have been expecting it because Steph never did the expected.

"Two figures in the top bedroom, close to the window"

Came from Ethan who was busy looking at the thermal image. I focused my night vision goggles on where he meant and noticed that a bundle had fallen from the open window. That was followed by a figure climbing through the window and then slowly beginning to descend down the outside of the house. This window was at the end of the building probably from the room that occupied the corner, a smart move for somewhere to escape from.

"Let's go"

Was all I needed to say as I quietly moved from my position and started to walk toward the grass. At the edge of the grass we stopped, scanning the area and I noticed that a second figure was also climbing down.

"Something's happening downstairs"

I wasn't sure what Ethan meant by that, but his words had my attention, and I was immediately trying to figure out what he'd seen.

"There's a lot of heat in the kitchen and I can see smoke coming from under the door, the outer door that leads out onto the verandah"

Maybe I took a quick look to see where he had meant but my eyes were intent on watching the descent of the figures from the window. I was almost smiling that it seemed the fire downstairs had obviously been set to cause a diversion.

I started to move now, intent on reaching where the women would reach the ground, pleased that I wasn't on my own. As we reached the bottom of what I now recognized as bed sheets tied together CJ reached out in order to help who I now recognized as a woman. I looked up seeing Steph struggling, holding my breath as the makeshift rope suddenly dropped a few feet. That had an impact on Steph's hold and after sliding a couple of feet and coming to a halt the top of the rope suddenly left its hold through the window. The sheets and Steph came tumbling down but I was there ready to catch her. Maybe I misjudged where she would land or maybe she twisted as she fell but at least I was there to break her fall as she landed inelegantly across my chest taking us both to the ground.

A look at her face and I knew that she had hurt herself and as we lay there, I cupped her face to really look at her. Her eyes were scrunched up tight as she struggled to get air into her lungs. A kiss on her lips had her eyes flashing open, tears pooling in her eyes, before she said the words that I'd missed hearing.

"I thought you were dead. I missed you"

Now wasn't the time to find out where she'd been, we needed to get out of here before someone realized that the two of them were missing.

"You okay Babe?"

I asked as I stood and placed her on her feet next to me. A small nod had me taking her hand and starting to run across the grass. CJ greeted me just within the cover of the trees with the woman who I assumed was Lainey next to him.

"Ethan went the other way to collect the van. We need to collect our equipment and get back to the truck"

All of us looked back toward the house as we heard voices shouting. The back door had been opened and smoke was billowing out, though to me there didn't look to be a fire raging inside. I nodded my head to CJ before we followed him and Lainey through the trees toward the dig out where we had spent our time watching the house. Once there I sat Steph down on the ground while CJ and I quickly packed up the two large rucksacks. With those on our backs we were soon moving away from the house not as quietly or quickly as I would have liked but I was conscious of having the two women with us. With Steph's hand in mine, I felt relief when I knew we were clear of the house, sure that no one had realized the women had escaped or that they were following us. I knew that we didn't have much further to go but that's when I noticed Steph falling behind me slightly thinking maybe that she wasn't used to walking so far so quickly.

As her hand slipped from mine, I turned to see her leant up against a tree, her right hand holding herself across her stomach.

"Babe?"

I asked taking both of her hands in mine with the intention of coaxing her to continue. That's when I felt it, her hand was wet, and that was when I realized that she wasn't struggling because she had a cramp in her side.

"Shit, she must have reopened her wound"

Came from behind me. I gently lifted the hoodie and the T-shirt shocked to see a deep gash in her side that had blood seeping out of it. A touch of her face felt hot and clammy telling me that it was probably already infected.

"Give me your bag Ranger"

I heard as I felt the bag being lifted from my back. As I laid Steph down CJ was already pulling clean bandages from it enabling me to quickly cover the wound.

"I've got a full field medical kit in the truck. She needs some antibiotics straight away"

As I lifted Steph into my arms, I felt her struggle against my hold.

"I can walk"

She muttered against my chest, making me tighten my hold on her as we continued to walk. CJ was now carrying both bags, though they weren't that heavy, certainly not as heavy as we were used to carrying. CJ led the way with Lainey close behind him and with me carrying Steph we quickened our pace to get back to the truck.

Once there I laid Steph out across the back seat and allowed CJ to get to work. Lainey was being very curious with what he was doing and I'm sure that she was frowning when CJ inserted an IV into Steph's arm and looped a bag over the handle above the door.

"How do you have stuff like that with you?"

She asked CJ as he leant back to try and fully clean out the wound.

"Always be prepared, never know when you might need to use it"

Once CJ seemed satisfied that the wound seemed clean, he reapplied another clean bandage before stepping out of the car and turning to me.

"It needs cleaning properly and probably stitching"

I was annoyed at Steph being injured and wanted to know how it happened and who was responsible.

"Lainey, how did Steph get hurt?"

Okay maybe my voice did sound angry but I felt I had the right to know.

"It's Elaina, and that's Steph's story to tell"

I wasn't sure why she was annoyed and the answer she gave me didn't allay the worry that I was feeling. Why wouldn't Elaina just tell me what had happened? As CJ started to drive the truck out of the forest I was considering where would be the safest place to go.

The cabin near Markovic was definitely out because I didn't want either Steph or Elaina anywhere near him. Rangeman came to mind but being in Trenton was definitely not a good idea. Not that my men couldn't stay quiet about Steph being there but because they wouldn't be able to keep the shit eating grins from their faces and someone was bound to suspect something. A safe house was a possible idea but then again, they were linked into the Rangeman monitors. Plus, having allowed their use to the FBI on occasion I didn't want them snooping around. That only left one option, a property that I had acquired a few years ago. No one knew of its existence, and I rarely went there. It had what we needed, even if the furnishings were out dated, but at least the place wouldn't be anywhere someone would think to look.

I had Steph's head laying on my lap and was aware of her moving, probably starting to wake. I swept her hair from her face with my hand and just rested it there as her eyes started to open. At first, I think that she was scared as to where she was so whispering so that only she could hear started to tell her.

"Babe, it's okay, you're safe now"

She winced as she tried to move so I moved my hand to her shoulders wanting her to stay as still as possible.

"The wound on your stomach reopened so you need to stay still, CJ will look at it as soon as we stop"

I looked up aware that Elaina had turned around in her seat to look over at Steph.

"Steph, honey, lay still. We did it, we got away. You can relax now"

Maybe we all could take a moment to do that, certain that whatever the two women knew might help shed some light on whatever it was that was happening. As Steph relaxed and closed her eyes, I sent a message to Ethan with the coordinates of where we were going and suggested that he stopped on the way for supplies