Chapter 8

We stopped for doughnuts and coffee and went in the bonds office. "Hey Connie. Got anything good for us?"

"Um, got one for you guys. A B&E."

"Connie, I'm begging you, don't you have anything bigger you're holding?"

"Oy, here is one I was holding for Rangeman." Lula and I rubbed our hands together and snatched the file. A Dexter Lawrence, an assault with a deadly weapon. "Oh boy, ready Lula?"

"Fuck yeah girl. Locked and loaded."

Connie raised her eyebrows. "You girls be careful, okay?"

We both grinned at each other and nodded. This was going to be fun and get us a good paycheck.

We got in Lula's car and headed to the address on the paperwork. I got out and knocked on the door. I reached behind me and went to grab my...Oh shit. I wasn't packing anything. In my excitement, I had totally forgotten to stop at my apartment and get my weapons and cuffs.

The door opened and I asked, "Are you Dexter?" in my nicest voice ever.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Ah, you missed your court date and we need to…" He reached out and pulled me through the door and slammed it.

"You're a fucking bounty hunter?" I gulped and then he slammed his hand into my face and kept beating me until I heard Lula cursing and a shot. Then another shot. Then bam, lights out.

When I came to, Eddie was talking to me. "Steph, can you hear me? The EMT's are going to take a look at you. I'm going to help you up."

"Hey Eddie," I tried to smile. "Did we ge..thu..fu..er?" He grinned. "Yeah you two got him. He's got a couple bullets in his ass."

"Cool. We..go..get..ar..body.. re..ceipt. Gon..be..a..doozy."

He chuckled. "I'm sure it will be but, right now we've got to get you looked at."

I felt myself being lifted and walked to the bright lights of the ambulance. Lula was there talking on the phone. "We..got..the..fu..er..Lu?"

"Fuck we did girlfriend. Come get yourself doctored up."

"Kay."

They wanted to strap me to the gurney and take me to the hospital. I told them no way. No bullet holes, no knife wounds, I was okay. They wiped the blood away and checked me over and then reluctantly let me go. Eddie took our skip and booked him with some new charges. We followed him and got our body reciept and then Lula dropped me off at my apartment. She said, "I'll take care of the receipt girl. I'm worried you might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow. You look kind of like shit warmed over girl."

My lips and face had swollen really bad but, I still got a glare out. "Fank..awot..I..be..ok..Lu." I dropped my bloody clothes and fell into bed.

I felt a tingle and my eyes slammed opened. I tried to get out of bed fast, but my body was not cooperating. I was rocking like a turtle trying to flip over when the hand snaked around my waist, I cried out in pain. The light was snapped on.

Ranger looked at me and a string of curses came out of his mouth. "What the fuck happened to you, Babe?"

"Fu..u..sown..wyk..Moweli,..I..fine..plea..go."

"Hell no I'm not going."

"Yu..go..now!"

"No!"

"Dis..my..life..yu..don..own..me! Yu..don..use..me..yu..can..mak..me..do..stuf..get out!"

"Babe, is that what you think? We used you? That is so far from the truth. Please can we talk?"

"No..yu..go! Yu..kink..per..bert!" He sighed and grinned.

"I can see this is going to take a while and I am not a kinky per..bert." He shook his head. "I'll go if it makes you more comfortable."

Pain woke me up the next morning. "Hell, shit, and fuck me." There was a note on the nightstand and a pill. It simply said, "Bobby sent this for you. Take it and rest, Love you R." I took the pill and got in the shower. By the time I was finished, I felt pretty good. I went to the kitchen and found a set of car keys on the counter. I pulled on my clothes and grabbed my weapons and a kitchen knife. I headed to a used car lot with my insurance check and bought a used Toyota Fortuna SUV. I gave the keys to Ranger's Porsche to the manager and told him that a guy dressed in all black would be by to get the keys. He looked at my beat up face and crazy eyes and nodded. I called Rangeman and told the control room to send some guys to the lot to pick up the car and then I headed to the bonds office.

I walked in and Connie and Lula both said, "Damn girl!"

"What the fuck are you doing here you crazy white woman?" Lula demanded.

"Need..a..skip. What..u..got..Con?" She looked at me bug eyed.

"Nu, uh. Girlfriend."

"Uh, Huh girl..fwen. Wha..u..got..for..Wange..man?"

She wouldn't say but, her eyes betrayed her and she glanced down at a folder and I reached out and snatched it and ran out the door and to my car. I saw a black SUV turning the corner and put my car in gear and sped away. "Fu..ers!" I growled. When I thought I was clear of a tail I pulled over. "Le..see..wha..do..go..ere? Oh goody."

I drove to the skip's place of business and grabbed my knife and stuck it in my belt and got out and waited behind the vehicle with the plate listed on the paper work. Garth Finton, burglary and attempted rape, was going down. "Fu..dis..bitc..Gart!"

When he went to stick the key in the truck I came from behind the bumper and surprised him. "Yu..Fug..tive..u..com..wit..me..Gart!" He looked me up and down and then snatched my knife while kicking out at me. I stumbled back and he reached in and sliced me in the side. I reached back and pulled my stun gun and flipped the on button. "You goin' down fu..er," I growled. He went to slice me again and I stunned him. I cuffed him and drug him to my car. I hurt like hell, but thankfully Bobby's pain pill hadn't completely worn off. I took him to the station and got help to get Finton inside and shuffled in to get my receipt.

When I came out Lester was there. He looked me up and down. "Steph, what the fuck are you doing? Are you aware that you're dripping blood?"

"I good..go..way."

"No! You're coming with me." He grabbed my arm.

I screamed. "Yu..don..tu..me..I..go..now!"

"Jesus Steph. I love you and your hurt. Please let me help you."

I turned and shuffled to my SUV and got in and drove home. I showered and wrapped a towel around my bleeding side and fell into bed.

I woke to a gentle voice saying, "Steph, it's Bobby. Please let me take a look at you.

"I..goo..Bob..Than..u."

"No, you're not. You're bleeding and it needs to be stopped and probably sutured. Please let me help you."

"Yu..no..gon..lee..me..alon..r..u?"

"No, I can't in good conscience leave you like this. I'm a medic and you're hurt."

"Oh, fur..crwyn'..ou..wowd..jes..do..it!" He chuckled and pulled the blanket and the towel away.

"I'm going to clean this and numb it to suture it." I felt a prick and then it didn't hurt anymore. He sutured it and put the bandage on and left me a clean dry one and some pain pills.

"Dis..wa..u..lef..dis..mornin? Caus..day..good." He chuckled.

"Yes, day are good. Steph, do you need to talk about something? Is something bothering you?"

"Nope, aw..good. Nite..Bob." I thought I heard voices before I fell back to sleep.

My heavy eyes opened and then, "Aw..fu..da..urts." I grabbed one of Bob's little white pills and headed to the kitchen. I ate the pill and headed to the shower. Before I got out the little pill was taking effect.

"I..goo..to..go..now." I grabbed my weapons and and headed to the bonds office.

When I walked in Connie and Lula looked at me bug eyed again. I dropped the receipt on Connie's desk. "Gim..me'..nudder..wun.. Con. I..on..a..row."

Lula looked at my eyes. "Are you fuckin' high girlfriend?"

"Nu Uh. What make..u..say dat?"

"Cause' them eyes be as glassy as hell. What the fuck is goin' on with you crazy little white bitch." She put her hands on her hips and tapped her toe.

"Nuttin'."

"Con, where..u..good skips?" She shook her head no, but her eyes flashed down to a folder on her left. I snatched it and ran out of the office.

I heard both women say, "Dammit!" as the door closed behind me.

When I started my car, a black Porsche rolled up behind me and I slammed on the gas and raced away. I cut through two alleyways and ran two yellow lights and a red one before I lost him. My heart was racing. Oh boy, this was fun. I found a place to pull over and checked my folder.

"Goody, goody!"

I pulled up to the Stark Street apartment. "You..gon..down..pim." I went to the third floor and knocked. A dark skinned punk with gold teeth came to the door in his boxers, smoking a joint. "You Darnell Reece?"

"Who the fuck is askin' bitch?"

I reached back and pulled my gun and aimed it between his eyes.

"You comin' with me Darnell and I don' like bein' called no bitch."

Then I saw a flash from behind him and I snaked my arm around his neck and pulled hard and pitched him out the door and then kicked him down the stairs. Love this adrenaline mixed with the pain pill. I really am fuckin' wonder woman bitch! Then I heard another pop and something stung me in my shoulder. Ow! Dammit! I grabbed the door and pulled it closed. "Fu..dat..urt!"

I ran down the stairs and pulled out my stun gun and zapped Reece before he knew what was happening. I cuffed him and drug him to my car door keeping an eye on the top of the stairs. I think I scrubbed some skin off his sorry face. "Sorry..bout..dat..bitch!" I pitched him in the back seat.

I drug him up the stairs of the cop shop panting and growling. The cops hanging around were staring open mouthed and dumbfounded. There was silence in the station as I waited for my body receipt. I looked around. "Some..bod..die..up..in..ere..or..what?" That got grins and heads turned.

Good thing Morelli wasn't here or his phone would have been ringing off his belt.

When I walked out the back door, I groaned. I walked past them to my car. "You're trailing blood again Beautiful."

"Babe." I flipped them off with a big ass Jersey salute and got in my car and drove home.

I was barely able to stand to shower and then heading to the bed I felt dizzy and then it was lights out; again. I was sweating and dreaming that hands were grabbing at me. "No, I can't do that. Not me...Mom please don't be ashamed of me…Don't have normal choices."

TBC