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Temptation

Chapter Five: Observation gone cold

Twenty minutes later they were sitting inside of Shorty's ,Ranger with his back to the wall. "So, about Manny the Toothgap. He is …let's say a salesman by order of the biggest mob bosses in the area of Jersey and New York."

Stephanie looked disbelieving. "They have one salesman?"

Ranger nodded.

"Yes, I know it seems unusual but he's the best. So right now erveryone is trying to get "best friends" with him but he won't have it. They depend on him because he controls the black-market. Erveyone is protecting him from the other."

She had to grin. Nice to know that she wasn't the only one on earth who made a fool out of herself.

Ranger chuckled softly. „You don't make a fool out of yourself, babe. You're sweet."

She blushed the way she always did when somebody pays her a complement.

She concentrated on her pizza.

"So what connection do you think there is between "The Pitt Bulls" and Manny?"

He looked thoughtfull.

"Maybe they're just working with him for now."

"Or?"

"Or he recruited them."

"You mean he brought them to Jersey?"

"Either that or he got to know them when they were already working and found them good enough to work for him."

"What do you think is more likely?"

"That he brought them here. They are just to good to be new and they have to have his connections because they surely don't have the cash to provide the equipment or information they need."

"So this is bigger as it seemed, huh?" She wasn't happy about that. It meant that the possibility of her getting in trouble was as likely as not.

Ranger reached out and stroked her cheek.

"I'm not gonna let anything heppen to you, babe."

She smiled. "I know."

"Okay, now about tonight. I'll pick you up at 9. Get some sleep so that you're rested and dress warm. We probably will have to leave the cars to see everything."

She had to shiver. It already was cold now and it would be even colder in the evening or rather at night. And the wind at South pier. Brrrr.

Ranger smiled, his eyes dark.

"Don't worry, babe. I will make sure that you're feeling hot."

She shivered again but for a different reason.

None of the noticed the flash of the camera.

At 9.30 Stephanie and Ranger were silently lurking behind a pack of wooden boxes, looking through night vision devices, which were installed into the boxes.

The transfer should take place at 10 o'clock.

Ranger told her that there would be no take-down tonight. Just an observation and gathering of evidences.

That was more than okay with her.

Ranger was wearing his usual clothing. It seemed that even the cold didn't dare to annoy him.

Stephanie could barely move because of the many clothes she was wearing. She was wearing an undershirt, a long sleeved shirt, a normal shirt, a soft cotton pullover, a fleece vest, a pantihose, a pair of leggings, a pair of jeans, two pairs of socks, her black boots, a scarf, gloves, her SEALS cap and a daun jacket.

Ranger had had to open all windows and turned the air condition down when they had driven here.

Cal and Hal were sitting in their Bronco between the warehouses in the North.

"Did you find out something knew because of Jackie?"

"No, I wanted to look today, but I had no time."

"I will help you."

"You don't have to. That wasn't an accusation."

"But I want to, babe."

I smiled at him.

"Thanks."

He just nodded.

At 9.55 it began to rain.

Both Ranger and Stephanie sweared. He because it made the observation even more difficult and she because she was already cold, the cold apparently concentrated on her because he/she (rather she, such a bitch could only be a girl, she probably was jealous because of her being here with Ranger) couldn't annoy Ranger and she didn't want to get wet as well.

She was still swearing about the bitch when Ranger's phone rang.

"Yo….okay."

"They're coming."

Both of them moved closer to the wooden boxes and looked through their night vision devices.

A black delivery truck halted next to the water. A person dressed in black jumped out and looked around through a night vision device.

Stephanie tensed and hoped that he wouldn't notice them.

Ranger felt her tense beside him and laid one hand on her knee. He felt her leaning closer towards him and had to force himself to concentrate on the next car which halted behind the truck.

There were two persons in the car. Manny the Toothgap was driving and the person on the passanger side got out.

The guy was good. This way he could leave immediately if something went wrong. He would just leave his employee, if you could call the person that. Mostly people who did this jobs were doormats to theit bosses.

The employee, which Stephanie decided to name limping-leg because of the way he walked, went towards the person in black and talked to him.

They talked for a few minutes then the driver of the truck got out, too. He went towards the others. Limping-leg gave the driver a disk in exchange for the truck keys.

"Shit."

Ranger reached for his phone. They had thought that they would change cars but now it seemed as if the truck driver and the other person in black would walk, the employee would drive the truck and Manny would remain in the truck.

"Change of plans. I need you to follow the truck, I will follow the drivers."

"Clear."

He turned to Stephanie, who was still looking at the scene.

"Babe, I will follow the driver and the other man. I want you to stay here, okay. This area is safe. There's nobody here but us. I'll call you when you can come out, okay?"

She nodded. There was a trace of fear in her eyes.

Manny started his car.

He quickly kissed her and crouched at the side in the shadow of the boxes. The two men headed for the safety of the warehouses. He heard a soft "be careful" and silently followed them.

When Stephanie couldn't see Ranger anymore she looked at her watch. 10.30.

She wondered if Tank and Lula were already engaged.

Then she thought about Jackie. She would go through her appartment tomorrow. Lula had the keys so it would be easy. With the help of Ranger she would probably be able to talk to a few of the unimportant members of the drug ring.

She sighed. She hoped Jackie was okay, wherever she was.

She looked at her watch again. 10.35.

She thought about what she would do at Haloween. She would probably go to the ball arranged by the TPD.

What should she wear? Catwoman? No, Jeanne Ellen was Catwoman. Wonderwoman? Hmm, would be nice but she would probably freeze to death.

At 11 o'clock she was wondering if she should dress as a pumpkin when her phone unbanned her from her thoughts.

It was Ranger.

"I lost them, there was a car waiting for them. But I got the license plate number. I'll meet you at the car."

She moved up and shook her legs because they were stiff. Then she carefully moved at the side of the boxes.

On one side were wodden boxes, on the other side was the water. She had already hated this path when she had walked it together with Ranger. She sighed. She had no choice. She walked with her back to the boxes and tried not to think of the water. Her phone vibrated.

She took it out of her jacket. A SMS.

She said yes :) Tank

She smiled.

She had just put the phone back into her jacket when she felt a strong push from behind. For a few minutes all she felt was air. She was surrounded by blackness and then….the collision, the cold water.

I hope you like it. Review, please.