Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it.
Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.
This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.
Breaking of Souls
Chapter 9: A Phantom Presence
Stephanie gazed down at the scene below her, a floating entity of intangible flesh and matter. She marveled at her weightless form, a shapeless energy of smoke and air, and wondered fleetingly, if her soul had been severed from her body. She studied her own motionless form below; unseeing eyes, lightly frosted with the cloudy sheen of death, staring vacantly back at her.
Intrusive thoughts invaded her mind, the internal voice not matching the essence of her own; a dark phantom presence dominating her very being.
"I warned you," it whispered, like the rush of wind through the leaves.
Movement from below caught her attention; a figure, clad in black, rushing towards her lifeless body, kneeling beside the discarded empty shell. She couldn't hear his words, but she could see him screaming down to her; his face contorting with agonizing cries of pain. He shook her shoulders violently, her head bobbing flaccidly with his jarring movements. She witnessed the exact moment that he realized she was gone, the spark of life and love dimming in his eyes. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders heaving with relentless, racking sobs; the picture of a man with a broken soul.
She ached to comfort him, to reassure him of her existence, but she was trapped within herself; an imprisoned shadow, gagged and bound into a useless state of being.
Icy tendrils of fear gripped her; as a second figure emerged from the darkness, stalking stealthily towards an unsuspecting Ranger. She screamed in her mind, a tortured howl of helplessness, as her abductor, her personal Satan, stood behind Ranger's kneeling form.
The figure raised his arms above his head, the light glinting off the blade clutched in his hands as he swung his arms down, plunging the knife deep into the space beneath Ranger's skull, shearing through the column of his spinal cord. He twisted the knife, savagely wrenching it free from Ranger's flesh, smiling in twisted satisfaction …
****
"NO!" She screamed, "Ranger!" her arms and legs flailing violently as her fists connected with solid muscle, fighting wildly against her faceless attacker; a grunt of surprised pain startling her into a frenzy of panicked movements.
"Shhhh ... Babe ... Please, Steph … Wake up!" Ranger pleaded, pinning her arms down beside her head, ending her brutal assault against him.
She opened her eyes, her body trembling with the intensity of her fear.
"Ranger?" she croaked, her eyes welling with tears, the salty moisture spilling down her cheeks.
"It's okay, Babe," He whispered soothingly, rolling them onto their sides, cradling her into his chest. "It was just a dream."
The flood gates opened, pent up emotion erupting from her forcefully; hatred, terror, helplessness, pain, spewing from her tormented heart.
Ranger held her, murmuring words of love and reassurance, wishing that he could somehow absorb her pain, to remove her cross of anguish and bear its burden himself. He thought of the man that was responsible for her tears, a slow burning anger leeching through his system, like a poison infecting his body. He soothed himself with the promise of vengeance; Cain would suffer horrendously for every drop of her sorrow shed.
It felt like hours before her tears ran dry, releasing the suffocating weight from her chest.
"Do you want to know what the worst part is?" she sniveled, wiping her eyes.
He kissed her forehead, encouraging her to continue, "The worst part is the anticipation … It's like swimming in shark infested waters at night… knowing there's a monster lurking in the darkness … circling around me, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
He knows everything about me … about us; and, yet… I don't even know his name or why he's doing this to me … I'm fighting for my life blindfolded," she looked up at him, her eyes searching his, "Please, Ranger … I need to know what I'm up against … Don't leave me in the dark. " Her fear of the unknown was a losing battle, leaving her feeling damned and helpless.
Ranger's blank face slammed down, desperately wanting to protect her. He studied her face, her fierce expression telling him that his efforts were in vain. If he lied to her now, she would sense it, and he would lose her trust forever.
She cupped his face in her hands, her probing gaze penetrating deeply within him, "What are you hiding from me?"
He sighed, Fucking spidey sense. "Stephanie … do you trust me?"
She was stunned by his question, her brow furrowing in confusion. He had to know that she trusted him completely, "Of course I do, Ranger … why would you even ask that?"
He took a steadying breath, "I'll tell you what you NEED to know… and I will never lie to you. But, I want you to promise me, that if I am forthright, you'll trust my judgment and not press me for unnecessary details. There are things that … you don't want to know."
She started to argue, but stopped short as his emotionless mask slipped away, revealing the pleading man beneath. "Okay," she acquiesced, accepting his terms; knowing that pushing him further would be useless.
He combed his fingers through her wild curls, an unconscious gesture of comfort, "First of all, you need to understand that he selected you as a victim at random. He became obsessed with an imaginary relationship that he thinks he shares with you. He believes that you are in love with him … and that his actions are not only for you, but, accepted by you as well." Anticipating her thoughts he continued. "There was no possible way for you to have prevented this, you are completely faultless and I will not allow you to blame yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
He felt her shake her head in confusion, "How can you know that for sure? I must have done something to provoke him, to encourage his behavior."
Ranger sighed, certain that she was part of the Spanish Inquisition in a previous life, "His diary was recovered at the crime scene."
She froze, her heart racing in her chest, "Have you read it?"
"Yes … I have … Ranger paused choosing his words carefully. "And, it's part of the reason that I asked you to trust me. I promise you, Babe … you'll gain nothing by reading it. The knowledge won't help to keep you safe or give you an advantage over him; and to be honest, if I let you read It … I'll never forgive myself," Ranger looked down into Stephanie's wide eyes, cringing from the morbid curiosity shining in them.
He searched his mind for a way to rationalize his stipulations with her. His thoughts drifting back in time as he spoke, "When I was younger, I was very curious child; constantly testing the limitations and rules set for me. If I was told not to do something, I saw it as challenge to my independence, and I would do It … just to prove that I could. I got involved in things that a boy that age shouldn't have had any knowledge of.
Trying to cure my rebellious streak, my Abuela told me a story that I have never forgotten. She said that she feared that I would come to understand the meaning behind her words all too well … and to some extent … she was right.
She told me about a beautiful woman named Pandora, who was given a very special gift; a box, with specific instructions to never open it. When Pandora gave in to her curiosity and opened it; she released unspeakable evils and afflictions upon herself and all mankind." Ranger paused, lost in his childhood memories, "Babe … this diary is YOUR version of Pandora's Box … if you open It … you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
A long moment of silence stretched between them, as she considered his words; her curiosity battling with her desire to prove her faith in him. She knew the story of Pandora's Box, but, placing it in the context of her own life brought new meaning to the legend. She studied his face, finding only love and protectiveness there. "Okay … if it's that important to you, then I won't ask to read it … but, I have some questions that I need to have answered."
Ranger flashed his two hundred watt smile, pulling her to him for a tender kiss; relief washing over him as the heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders.
She took a deep breath, needing to fill the unknown in her mind, "What's his name?"
Ranger hesitated before responding; it was clear that she wasn't going to let him off easy. "Derek Cain."
She was surprised that hearing her abductor's name helped to alleviate a small amount of her fear. Giving the monster a name made him seem more like a man, and less like an elusive, unconquerable nightmare.
"Babe, we need to talk about how we're going to handle this," Ranger said, breaking through her reverie, "I don't want this situation to ruin our relationship; and given our personalities, I'm predicting a power struggle ahead."
Fear lanced through her chest, past insecurities rearing their ugly head. She prayed that this wasn't the point when Ranger would ask her to give up her job, her dreams, her life, in order to be a part of his. She didn't know if she could handle that type of ultimatum from him now.
"Relax … I'm not trying to dictate your life," he reassured her, rubbing the tension from her shoulders. "I know how important it is for you to make your own decisions, and to be involved in that process along the way. I'm not asking you to relinquish control … I'm just asking for you to trust me."
"I do trust you … but, that doesn't mean I am going to stand by and let you call all the shots while-" Ranger held his fingers to her lips, silencing her protests.
"Just hear me out, okay?" He waited for her to nod in acknowledgement before continuing.
"There's a reason that the government sends me on the missions that they do. I have a unique ability to make decisions in a split second that will save lives; and, in order to do that my emotions play no part in that process. In those situations, if I spend even a moment to second guess myself, to reconsider my actions because of the emotions and feelings of others … a lot of lives would be lost … including my own. In my line of work any hesitation can prove to be deadly. I do not have the luxury of time.
You have to understand how much I love you and why I have held you at arm's length for so long. I understand your need for control; I personally share that same necessity. However, there needs to be a compromise between us if we are going to survive this and share a life together. If I have to worry every time I make a decision about how it will affect our relationship … I won't be able to keep either of us safe.
And, I'm not just talking about the current situation either. Given my past … and yours, there's a strong possibility that we will face a similar challenge in the future. I hope that by now, I have proven to you that my motives are pure. I'm not trying to change or control you. You have to know how much I value your opinion and respect your judgment and that is why in the past I have come to you with my problems."
Stephanie pondered his words, seeing the truth in them. When Rangeman accounts were being breached, Ranger had sought her help, above all others; his actions then, validating his words now.
"Babe, I don't want to scare you, but I need you to understand the severity of the situation. Right now, the decisions you make will affect everyone around you; your choices impacting the safety and well being of every person in your life. You have a history of wanting to fix problems on your own. By nature you are a problem solver, as am I, and in everyday life that proactive attribute is admirable, but this is not a situation that either of us can handle on our own. If we are going to survive this, then we will need to work together, trusting in one another implicitly.
Please have faith in me, Stephanie. I fell in love with the woman you are today… not who I think you can be. I will never try and take your independence from you or change you into someone or something you're not. I don't expect you to play a subservient role in our relationship. We're equals, and I will always treat you as such. I guess … what I'm asking you is for you to stop running. Trust me to be your partner, your lover, your friend … and I will promise to never let you down."
Stephanie knew that this was a defining moment in her life; that her choices would have a profound impact on her future and their relationship together. Through her past relationships and experiences she had been conditioned to believe that a commitment meant giving up her identity and submitting to the will and desires of the other person. She had fought her entire life to retain any semblance of control. She realized in that moment, that she had never been afraid of commitment … she had been terrified of losing herself.
She looked into Ranger's eyes, unconditional love reflecting back at her, knowing that he would always help her to fly. And right now, he was asking her to take a leap of faith…
Without thinking twice, she stepped to the ledge …
And jumped … leaving her doubts and fears behind her.
TBC….
*Thoughts? How did you feel about Ranger's decision to tell her about the diary? Did he make the right choice? In the next chapter they will discuss and implement their strategy to stay safe … and, our ever elusive stalker will be back in the mix.
*Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews… you guys are the best! : ) Keep em' coming!
* I'd also like to thank my fantastic Beta's for this chapter, Ryl and Girliegirl1179… I am so thankful for your time and talents!