Yes. It has been far too long. I tried something a bit too ambitious for this chapter, completely retelling book 12 from Ranger's POV. It was a bigger task than I can really do at the moment. So I'll give a sparser recap, and if I get the urge sometime I'll do it as a separate piece, so make sure to follow me as an author, not just the story.
Recap: The day before guarding the President, Ranger relives his time in Hawaii with the therapist in a effort to deal with his PTSD. We see a little of the tension inside of him between keeping himself away from Stephanie and his jealousy of Morelli.
"That must have been very difficult for you, having her leave Hawaii like that." Dr Burke said.
I'd been so absorbed in my story I'd almost forgotten that I was talking to another person. "I told myself she was better off with him, but he was so damn smug about it. But I shouldn't have lost control. That's one of the first things they teach you, how to control strong emotions."
"We can't control emotions forever. Eventually they come out. Did you and Stephanie ever talk about what happened?"
I shook my head. "Not really. I'm not one for sharing my feelings." And my feeling weren't fair to her. At least that's what I told myself over and over.
"We have time for one more. Are you up to it?"
I nodded. "I didn't think anything could be worse than losing Stephanie. I was wrong."
It was a normal day until I got the call from Silvio. "Boss, we've had a hit from your imposter. This time in Miami."
I had an office in Miami, and a reputation. Having this guy pretend to be me in Virginia was one thing. Anyone there who needed to know about me already did, mostly old Army contacts. Miami was different. It was a place where my reputation got me new clients, so a damaged it there would hurt my business. Time to take him down.
"Charter a flight for me. I have a quick errand, then I'll fly right down."
Left, right, left, right.
I didn't tell Steph why I was leaving town, just that it was bad. I regretted that later. Luckily having a private flight under an assumed name meant that I landed in Miami without anyone officially knowing I was there. We had just landed when I got a call from Tank.
"Boss, someone's taken Julie, and the cops think you did it."
Left, right, left, right.
My blood went cold. I hadn't spent much time with Julie, I'd kept my distance, but still, she was my child. And now that fact had put her in danger.
Left, right, left, right.
I called Rachel from a scrambled phone. Untraceable.
"You know it wasn't me who took Julie."
"I know," she said, her voice tight with tension and panic. "I told the FBI as much."
"Can you put me on the phone with the agent?"
Left, right, left, right.
I stood outside Stephanie's apartment, strapping on a vest. She was in there, and Julie was in there. I didn't have a choice. Morelli was nearby, running his hands through his hair every few seconds and pacing in a small circle. We had an ambulance and police, but no flashing lights. Nothing that might tip Scrog off.
"You don't have to do this. We can set up a sniper in a tree across the street." the FBI agent told me while checking the straps on the vest. "Or we can send in a team."
I shook my head. "They are my responsibility." My Fault. All my fault. Both of them are in danger because of me.
Left, right, left, right.
I covered the vest with a shirt cut loose enough to hide it.
"Vests aren't perfect. They can only take so much damage before they break. And they don't cover everything."
Left, right, left, right.
"I know. I've been shot before." The agent didn't know me well enough to realize I had just snapped at him in an unusual loss of temper. I look a deep breath, turned to the building, and carefully pushed walked in the door.
It's about 20 feet from the outside door to the stairway, 12 steps up, and another 5 feet from the stair exit to her door. I had done it hundreds of time, always with anticipation. Now it was dread that tightened my stomach. Each step seemed to take an eternity, but still, in just a few moments I was standing in front of the door. I normally just picked the lock, but this time I used the key Morelli had given me so I wouldn't have to bend down to get in. I had considered bursting in and taking out Scrog, but with both Stephanie and Julie in the room it was too much of a risk. So I walked in, hands up.
Left, right, left, right.
Stephanie was taped to a chair in front of me. Julie was off to the side, slumped over in a stupor Even seated I could see she had grown a few inches. I took all that in before meeting Stephanie's eyes, wanting to let her know she's be OK. Then I looked at Scrog.
He fired. Three rounds that felt like getting punched with a hard fist. Then a fourth that was different. Sharp and localized instead of dull and spread out. Then a pain in my neck, another in my shoulder. I fell, feeling the blood flow across my skin. Odd how it feels so normal flowing against the inside and so horrible against the outside. The room darkened. A scream. A yell of "No!", a blast, and another body fell beside me.
Left, right, left, right.
The rest of the night was a blur. A flashlight in my eyes. The tiny prick of an IV. Screaming from Stephanie. Screams of fear, not pain. She was alright then. I remember being strapped to a gurney and lifted, then the rocking of the ambulance. Julie was there, stone faced. Both my girls were OK. Whatever happened to me, at least I knew that.
Tank was there at the hospital, as well as everyone not on duty. I looked at him, my eyes telling him to keep Julie with him until her mother got here. He had to hold her back from running into the OR with me. Then a new mask over my face, and blackness.
Left, right, left, right.
"That's quite a story."
I looked at the quiet woman before me. "There's more to the story, but I didn't think we had time."
"Was your daughter OK?"
I nodded. "A little shaken up. She didn't kill Scrog. I'm glad of that, for her sake, not his."
"She sounds like a very resilient little girl. I imagine she gets that from you."
"Her mother too. I mostly provided the genes and an occasional check."
I looked at my watch. "I need to get back."
"We're supposed to talk about how you feel about these experiences, and how your body reacts when you remember them."
"I'm sure we are. But I have to get back. I do feel much better though. Lighter." And I did. Surprisingly so. As if the 2 ton weight on my shoulders had been reduced by a couple hundred pounds.
I wrote a check and headed down to my car. On the drive back I made a conscious effort to sweep my eyes back and forth, letting the rhythm of the highway relax me.
Stephanie
I was on 7 working at the dining room table when I heard the door open. I turned around to see Ranger almost on top of me.
"Hey Honey, how was your….."
His lips pressed down on mine, his tongue probing. I tilted my head and opened my mouth, inviting him in. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his scooped me up, carrying me to the couch a few feet away.
"You are so wonderful. The most important person in my life" he said as he sat me on the couch, kneeling in front of me.
I had already dressed for dinner, in the blue dress I had bought the week before. And before I knew it, it was around my waist, and he had pushed my panties aside. Then he was licking me, and I tilted my head back as he stroked me gently, his fingers probing as my pussy flowered, opening for him.
I moaned as his feather-light touch carressed me, and I grabbed his head, pushing it harder into me. He redoubled his efforts, gently curling his fingers inside me.
"More!" I panted, my back arching.
"Are you sure?" he said, his voice muffled against me.
I nodded vigorously, then groaned out a "Yes!" once I realized he couldn't see my head.
"You asked for it."
I felt his pinky separate from his other fingers and trail backwards, slick with my juices. I tensed for a moment as I realized where it was going, then I relaxed. I had done this before, and his finger was much smaller than his dick. It probed against my ass, then gently pushed in. The nerve endings ignited, adding a whole new dimension to the sensations coursing through my body.
His mouth was on my clit, two fingers in my pussy, and one in my ass. And if felt AMAZING. I could feel the pressure building up inside me, and my breath got shallower. He cupped my cheek with his left hand, and I pulled his thumb into my mouth, sucking wildly.
"Ranger...Ranger" I moaned as I worked my way closer and closer to the edge. I bucked my hips against him, trying to thrust him deeper inside me as the pressure built. And when I couldn't take it for one more second, the orgasm came, it hit like a Mac truck. My abdomen tensed up, and I squirted all over his face.
Ranger
I was determined to show Stephanie what she meant to me, and when I saw her in my apartment I wanted nothing more than to make her cum. And Cum she did. In addition to the muscle spasms and cries of pleasure came a stream of liquid that didn't smell or taste like urine. It seemed close to water.
"Oh God, Ranger I'm so sorry!" she squeaked. But I wanted her far to much to let a little think like being wet slow me down.
"All good Babe." I pulled my left hand from her face. Lifting my shirt over my head and wiping my face, then letting it slide down my right arm, since my right hand was still inside her.
I released my button and fly, my dick springing forth like Athena from Zeus's head. "Do you still want me?"
She wrapped her legs around my hips, yanking me closer to her. I gently removed my fingers from her pussy, but left the pinky in place and put my thumb on her clit. Then I pushed in, feeling her muscles clamp down on me with each thrust. Her powerful legs held me into her, so I could barely pull out enough to thrust in again. I buried my face in her breasts, still covered by the dress, until I shuddered, felt my own wave crest, and spilled into her, collapsing in a heap across her body.