Chapter 21
Michelle's and Ranger's families rushed to embrace the newly married couple. Frank was the first to speak, "Pumpkin, I am so proud of you! You've become all a parent could ever hope for. Not only are you beautiful, you are intelligent, talented, athletic, compassionate…"
"Whoa, Dad, can we just hold it at you are proud of me?"
Frank chuckled, "OK. Pumpkin, I am extremely proud of the way you have turned your life around."
"Dad, I am so happy you could come and share this with Carlos and me. It's been a rough two years but now I am happier than I've ever been in my life."
Angie and Mary Alice grabbed their aunt and giggled. Then MA smiled, "Aunt Michelle you can really fly. I want to fly someday, too."
"MA, I was about your age when I first wanted to fly. I never gave up on the idea but learned from experts how to move, control my body, gain strength, and be safe. Maybe you can start gymnastic classes as a first step to earning your wings."
Ranger came close and Angie looked at him, "Do we call you Uncle Ranger or Uncle Carlos now?"
Giving the older niece a 200-watt smile and wrapping his arms around the girls he answered, "I will happily answer to either."
Grandma Mazur pushed in and kissed Ranger on both cheeks while holding her hands on his head. "Thank you for making my granddaughter happy." Ranger reached up and gently took Edna's hands, keeping them under control.
"She has made me extremely happy."
Edna smiled, "I'm behaving myself but the temptation is great; all these beautiful young men!"
Ranger's parents hugged Michelle, "We never thought we'd see the day Carlos would find his heart. Thank you for healing him."
"We've both been healed by these men, especially Pierre," Michelle said as the Merry Men joined in the group hug. "I shudder to think where I would be if it hadn't been for him, Bobby and the rest."
Ranger hugged his father, "Gracias, Papa, por mostrarmeel camino a mi corazón." If Ranger and his father hadn't had the conversation well over a year ago in the family home's backyard, there would be no event now.
Michelle was kissed and hugged by the entire Trenton contingent and many from the Atlanta and Boston offices. Carlos was also receiving handshakes and man hugs.
The Deacon came up behind Ranger, "OK, time for Mt. Manoso," he bellowed. "Let the fellow go."
Ranger turned to Michelle, "Gotta go pay back Lester for the Cheetah comment," he smiled. "Don't go crazy."
Out of reflex, she began, "Don't get…" but stopped. She couldn't say "shot" but didn't want to jinx him with something else.
He turned and smiled, "I won't, Mrs. Manoso."
Since RangemaNinja had grown in size, the two day-event lasted past sundown now. Lights were installed as the final event would be held in near darkness. The crowd was drawn to the lights like hundreds of moths. On their way to the tower, most were commenting on their corporate CEO, Ranger Manoso returning after being severely injured. Others were surprised Michelle or Mitch was actually the former Trenton Bombshell Bounty Hunter. All agreed Ranger's marriage was unexpected but they were honored to have attended. The founders of Rangeman Security seemed more like monastic monks in their aversion to marriage. Only Patrick in Boston had walked down the aisle before.
The Ultimate Challenge had several new stations added for this year which quickly whittled down the number of contestants who successfully completed the course. Only four contestants earned the opportunity to scale Mt. Manoso.
Nobody was surprised Lester Santos had made the finals. Maybe it was the Cuban Manoso DNA. The two men, Ranger and Lester, had dominated this event since its inception. With Ranger apparently dead or disabled, it was assumed Lester would dominate as his cousin had. While Lester won last year, Ranger's reappearance cast doubt into Lester establishing a legacy.
Michael was a young, newly released Marine SEAL. Phil was Army Special Forces whose hobby was mountain climbing. Both were several years younger than Manoso and Santos. The spectators were placing wagers who would win. Phil the mountain climber was leading the betting pool.
Julie came up to the front and held one side of Michelle while Tank wrapped his arms around Julie's other side. Other family and Merry Men stood close by. Julie looked up at Michelle, "Why didn't you try the Ultimate Challenge?"
"I've been training with Les and your father. I know I'm not as strong as they are, but the reason is, there are several obstacles that I can't do yet. The 75' rope climb takes more than I have right now. Well, I can climb that high but it takes me over a minute. The bar hop is still beyond me."
"Do you think Dad would train me?"
"Julie, you are a Manoso. He and Les would be honored. What about swimming?"
"I'm already on the school's swim and gymnastics teams."
Tank was listening and chuckled, "The second generation in the making. Lester doesn't stand a chance of having the climb named after him."
Michelle didn't tell Julie she also needed to be employed by Rangeman and she wasn't sure her father was keen on the idea. Unless Julie majored in business, accounting or law, then maybe she would have a job. But knowing her, she'll want to be on the front lines and in that case, it would require police or military training. Papa Manoso would pass a cow.
Returning to the competition, Michelle was trying to remember Lester's time last year. "Tank, what did Les do the climb in last year?"
"He climbed in 37.89 seconds to win, but Ranger's record is 35.07. All Les' life he has been trying to beat his cousin not realizing he himself is damn phenomenal."
The four contestants were dressed in warmup suits as they stretched their muscles and warmed up. Their starting positions had already been drawn and if you knew their warmup movements, you knew who would be going first. All four men's faces were granite as their minds were already zeroed in on their task.
The Deacon had removed his suit jacket and donned a Rangeman warmup jacket as the night temperatures were dropping. "Ladies and gentlemen, we come to the final event of RangemaNinja, the 75' rope climb. To reach this point, contestants had to successfully complete the Ultimate Challenge course without a falter. Several new challenge stations were added that frankly looked damn near impossible to me. We had 40 men but no women competing this year. Out of 40 competitors, four have earned the right to assault Mt. Manoso to become the RangemaNinja for the year. We hope someday the women will join in this event. Starting assignments have been drawn. The first climber will be Michael Burns from here in Atlanta. Mike is a recently released Marine SEAL. Personally, I don't hold either being a Marine or a SEAL against him. When you are ready, Mike, HOOHA!
Mike had removed his warmup gear and was pacing around the starting line. Bobby moved up to the other side of Tank. "What do you think, men?" Michelle asked.
"Les has his work cut out for him. This guy is slightly smaller, muscles are longer and he's seven years younger," Bobby shook his head.
Michael indicated the countdown should begin and waited with one hand on the rope and both feet on the ground for the clock to tick down to zero and a buzzer sounding indicating start. Michael climbed like a piston with arms and legs pumping for the first 50 feet but his pace began to slow. At 65 feet he reset his legs.
"Uh oh, he's out of steam," Tank muttered.
Indeed the last 15 feet were noticeably slower and his transition to the platform wasn't smooth. When he hit the stop button the time read 38.56 seconds.
Both Tank and Bobby were impressed. Last year Lester's climb was 37.89 seconds. "That's less than a second from Les' climb last year," Bobby commented. "Les better bring his A-game."
The Deacon was back. "Our second climber is last year's winner, Lester Santos, Trenton.
Lester was oblivious to the crowd. He and his mind were solely on this climb. When the buzzer sounded he began. Lester and the rope were one, the actions were swift, controlled and the pace never faltered. The crowd began cheering the incredible display and gasped when the final time read 34.81 seconds, almost four seconds faster than Michael's. This was a new record for Mt. Manoso. Lester had beaten Ranger's record.
Michelle was jumping up and down, clapping and laughing but at the same time looking for Carlos. She spotted him smiling broadly and pumping his arm to his cousin.
The Deacon was whistling into the microphone. The crowd began to quiet. "In case you didn't know, up until now the fastest assault on Mt. Manoso to this date was 35.07. We have a new record." Once the cheering again slacked off The Deacon continued, "Our third climber is Phil Longmeier from Boston. Go Army!"
Phil ascended with practiced grace. His years of mountain climbing was evident, but like Michael, the 75' distance was too much. He was beauty in action to 65 feet and then the 'wheels started to slip' to use a locomotive term. His final time was 35.1, just 0.03 slower than Ranger's record.
Finally it was time for Ranger. "Ladies and gentleman, we come to the final climb of the event. Ranger."
Nobody expected to see Ranger back attempting, RangemaNinja let alone the Ultimate Challenge, but here he was at the rope climb. All knew of his paralysis, titanium rods. Most expected to see the old warhorse climb but not to his previous skills. There was an aura of sadness in the air.
The buzzer sounded and Ranger jumped high on the rope and, without wrapping his legs around, he pulled himself up solely by his arms. The crowd gasped in surprise and began cheering wildly.
Tank's eyes were wide, "Shit, I haven't seen him do that in years."
As Ranger neared the top platform he wrapped his legs around the rope to give himself support for the final push to the platform and his feet to reach the buzzer. The time flashed and the arena was quiet for a moment then exploded. The clock showed 33.01. Ranger had knocked a full second off the previous record.
As he stood atop the platform and waved to the crowd below, Michelle noted his expression. There was no jubilation or joy in his eyes, only satisfaction. She knew that was his last climb. He had achieved all he wanted and was now ready for a new life. He did not unlatch his safety harness and come down the stairs. He said something to the safety inspector and then lowered himself back onto the rope and descended, this time with his legs firmly wrapped. He walked a bit slower to the stage where The Deacon presided to receive his award.
After all the congratulations, Ranger took the microphone, thanked all who participated as well as those who attended and then paused. "This was my last assault on Mt. Manoso. It is time for others, like Les, Michael, Phil to take top honors. Thank you all for supporting me in my return. I thank those of you who got me home, the doctors who put me back together, my daughter, Julie, who badgered me worse than any training officer to quit behaving like an ass, to Doc Brown who kicked my butt out of bed and onto the rehab floor….literally. And finally, I thank the woman who showed me no matter how far down we may find ourselves, there are people who will help us and lead us back to the light. Thank you all."
As he finished, Michelle rushed up into his arms. Being the new RangemaNinja was nothing compared to having Babe in his arms. It had been two years since he made love to her. It was time to start again.
As they left the stage, Les wrapped his arms around his cousin. "I promise never to call you Cheetah again."
Ranger laughed and said, "Les, I considered waving off the climb, but I've never quit before and I didn't want to end that way. I knew either way, win or lose, this was my last Ultimate Challenge."
"But did you have to do it hands only?" Les laughed.
"Yeah, I did. The rope rubs against a scar and I didn't want to be bloody on my wedding night." Ranger held out his leg and the spot where the rope passed over his inner left leg looked like it would soon start bleeding.
Bobby saw the abrasion and found the site medic and got a stack of compresses. "Here, put this over the area while you put your sweats back on. Later clean and dry it carefully and use another and more as needed."
In a rare emotional display, Ranger hugged Bobby and whispered, "Thanks, Doc, for…everything." The whisper was quiet as Bobby eschewed the title Doc.
Most of the out-of-state Rangemen caught red-eye flights home that night including the Trenton crew. The Manosos from Newark, Julie, Frank, Edna, Angie, MA, and Michelle waited for Ranger to shower and join them. Grandma Mazur was surprised to see Michelle without Ranger. "I thought you'd be up there helping him shower."
"He asked, but I knew we couldn't keep all of you waiting and, I assure you, it would have been a LOOOONG wait. I'm good for another hour or so."
Just before Ranger appeared, The Deacon and several of the Atlanta Core Team also joined the group for dinner. After all, they were the host city for RangemaNinja.
The Deacon turned to Ranger, "Are you retiring from the competition?"
"I'll stick around for the less strenuous obstacles. Bobby warned me I might be pushing it entering this year. He was right. There are impressive younger guys. Les is going to have his hands full."
Julie looked across the table, "Papa, will you train me for RangemaNinja?"
Ranger stared, not believing what he heard. "Jules, are you planning on working for Rangeman?"
She looked at him like he was clueless, "Somebody will have to take over when you retire."
Ranger was taken aback. The Deacon leaned over and muttered, "Feeling a little old there?"
"Hell, I'm not even 40 and she has me out to pasture."
Mary Alice and Angie were having a wonderful time with Ranger's mother. Perhaps she would become their new Nana in their life. Ranger's folks and Frank were bonding nicely as well.
After dinner everyone adjourned to their rooms, Grandma Mazur lost her control and made a beeline for The Deacon's behind. Having been forewarned, The Deacon spun before Edna's hand reached its intended target. Quickly, he swept the tiny lady up in his arms. "Edna, the only way I can keep track of your hands is to carry you to your room."
The 80-plus-year-old woman smiled with glee.
As Carlos and Michelle made his their way to Carlos' suite, both were looking forward to their bodies becoming reacquainted. As the suite room opened, Carlos swept Michelle up and carried her across the threshold. "This is the first of many thresholds, Babe."
Michelle giggled and kicked her legs in delight. "I can't wait, Batman."
He turned and set the locks while still holding her and then carried her to the bedroom. "Babe, I want to undress you, especially those boots. They have been driving me crazy all night. We'll start with the dress."
She turned her back to him and waited while he slowly unzipped the burgundy dress. "You should wear this color more often. It is the color of passion." He slowly raised the dress over her head. Underneath was a flesh-colored strapless bra and matching satin thong. He stepped back and admired her body. The most he had seen up 'til now was when she was in her swimsuit in Atlanta. Now he saw the abs, firm and defined. While he loved the slightly fleshy Stephanie, the athletic Michelle was causing a painful arousal.
"Sit, I'll remove the boots. Don't lose these. I have visions of future adventures with them." He slowly pulled the boots from her legs. Then, starting at her toes, he began kissing his way up her legs. The skin was still pure white but the feminine squishiness was gone, replaced by soft, taut skin. His hands felt the new muscles, long and hard. Forcing himself away from the bikini panties he went for her lips and worked his way back down her body, masterfully removing the bra and plundering her breasts and nipples before continuing south to the bikini panties. He sniffed and licked like a wolf identifying his mate after a long absence. This was the pheromone that drove him wild for years, this was his mate. Assuring himself, he then stepped back and waited for her to undress him. Would she be put off by his scars? Surgeries, to add plates, screws, and rods to hold him together, left marks.
She saw, she felt and kissed each new mark on his incredible body but did not comment. She too needed to identify her mate's smell and taste. Once each was fully aroused, they began their coupling. Being a gentleman he brought her to release before entering her. Once tied together, their actions were, at first, long and slow but perhaps fearful their time together would be short, they became more needy, grabbing holding, thrusting until they detonated in orgasmic spasms that drained them. One time was not enough to sate their needs, satisfy their appetites. Slowly, they continued to love and explore one another. They clung together fearing any separation, lest it becomes permanent.
As the sun began to lighten the sky, they were still awake, her head on his chest. He played with her hair softly. "Thank you," he uttered quietly.
She tipped her head back, "Thank you?"
"You made me wait. This means so much more to me than our intense but infrequent couplings. It was pure, a gift we could give to only each other. We are truly one."
"Forever."
After a farewell breakfast with the family, Frank and the rest of the Melbourne contingent returned home. Julie and her grandparents went to Miami. The Manosos would visit relatives and friends before returning to Newark. Carlos and Michelle flew to the Bahamas.
"Babe, I would have preferred to take you to the Virgin Islands but the Rangeman villa was nearly destroyed in the hurricane. It isn't quite restored. When it is, we will make a personal inspection."
"Carlos, this is fine. Anywhere with you will be glorious. We can't stay here as long as we want so we'll have a second honeymoon when the villa is complete."
One day the sunny tropical skies turned grey and rain fell, curtailing their beach time. They sat on the covered veranda wrapped in each other's arms sipping a fruit juice blend and talking.
"Babe, several times you have referred to Grandpa Mazur, the last time at our wedding. You never talked about him before, why now?"
"Carlos, it's probably not a good idea to learn your new wife is crazy and delusional."
"Want to run that by me again?"
She got up and went to the kitchen to get more fruit juice and stopped by the liquor cabinet for rum. Ranger looked concerned, "Babe?" Yep, the four-letter version of "I'm not sure I'm going to like what I'm about to hear."
For the next two hours Michelle relived her Dickensian experience leaving off as much description of Tank's house as she could and its location in Maine. Tank did say Ranger knew nothing about it. Instead she concentrated on the nightly journeys where she learned about a baby brother, why her mother never bonded with her, why she was so hung up on baked goods as they represented missing mother's love.
"You were dreaming Babe," Ranger dismissed.
"Then how did my boots and sweatpants get so wet?"
"You were emotional. Perhaps you were sleepwalking outside."
"Tank's house alarm would have gone off and he would have found me."
"I didn't know he had a house in Maine."
She was not going to mention the house was built for her in case both Ranger and Tank were to die. "It is his secret. He would be upset with me if he discovered I told you about it. It is his personal retreat. Though I was there, I can't describe where it is. One tree pretty much looks like another other than the forest was inhabited by killer moose and assassin rabbits."
Ranger chuckled, "Want to tell me about the assassin rabbits?"
She explained some of the training she endured and learning to sit still and observe for hours at a time. "I missed the rabbit close by. If he had been an assassin, I would have been toast."
"Welsh Rarebit on toast?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind, continue please."
"Carlos, how did I know about your mission, the number of men with you, your prayer wishing me a Merry Christmas and the explanation of why you were there? How did I know about Major Andrew's wife's and children's funeral and him telling you never fall in love?"
Ranger remained quiet. He was starting to believe her.
"I also saw events in my life from a different perspective, not my own. The viewing angle wasn't from me but as if I was an observer. The Tasty Pastry incident was a rape, but I had romanticized it to hide trauma, shame, and pain. I never knew why Joe called me Cupcake. I assumed it was because he thought I tasted sweet. But in the experience or dream, heard him say doing me wasn't special, it was like screwing a cupcake. He was more proud he was now King of Trenton."
Michelle paused for a moment in disgust. Her anger was long abandoned.
"I saw your eyes when you uncuffed me from the shower rod and your smile as you drove back to your lair. Most other men would have had their way with me, but you were a gentleman. I saw and smelled your fear when you found me in Stiva's cabinet and again on the bridge. The hurt in your eyes was painful to watch when Hector showed you the files of Joe's misdeeds. You wanted to kill Joe but knew it would drive a permanent wedge between us."
Ranger and the whole Rangeman team had been collecting proof of Joe's unsavory character for years. Briefly it appeared he had changed and truly was ready for a committed relationship with Stephanie. When Ranger announced he was going to propose when he returned to town, Ranger only did so assuming Joe needed only a gentle push. He didn't realize quite the opposite had occurred, Joe no longer wanted a wife.
"Carlos, Grandpa Mazur showed and explained how I was screwing up my life. What really turned me around was seeing the future. One was me running through the woods elated, not frightened. Suddenly as I sailed on a rope someone yelled, "Good Flight, Super Woman!" This was ten months before RangemaNinja. Another vision was of me at a desk and a small boy running into the room and calling me Mommy. My heart nearly burst with love for the unknown child. The most frightening vision was seeing me on a morgue table dead and labeled vagrant as I died from exposure living in my junk car. Grandpa said I determined what would happen, not other people. If I wanted a better life where people respected me, it was up to me to change how I related to others as well as to separate myself from those who would never change."
Ranger took his hand and rubbed her cheek, "I'm sorry I wasn't there."
"No, you couldn't help me. You had your own shit pile, your Guzmans. I needed to do this. The physical separation from Trenton, the physical and emotional pain from Tank's instruction and later the rest of the team was exactly what I needed. Literally sink or swim or in this case freeze or survive. When I returned to Rangeman I was still raw. My father came to see me. He had been driving clients around town and saw me running with the men. I told my father I never wanted to talk to him again. He was devastated but it was the spark that ignited the Burg. He went home and told his wife he was divorcing her. Albert saw the problem and left Valerie, taking Lisa with him. You pretty much know the rest."
Ranger was about to speak, but she put her fingers on his lips. "One more story. When I was in Florida with Dad, I relayed some of this to him. He didn't think me crazy because Grandpa Mazur had come to Grandma in a dream and told her to sell Big Blue to a man in Florida and the money would fund a new start for her and her great-granddaughters. Carlos, Grandpa Mazur died in bed from a Viagra-induced heart attack fifteen years ago, but he is still looking out for his family. I want to believe he arranged for that lovely sunset at our wedding."
Ranger shut his eyes trying not to show his own emotion.
"Carlos, is there something wrong?" Michelle asked as she noted one single tear falling from his eye.
"When I was trying to decide if I wanted to live or not, wondering how I could end it all stuck in a hospital bed, I had a dream. You were caught in an ocean riptide. You didn't call out but continued to struggle, swimming parallel to the beach trying to find a way back. Gradually you weakened and appeared to give up. An older man was not far away and said, 'You still have a chance.' He walked away and got into Big Blue."
Ranger paused and drank from his glass. "When I was well enough for desk work, I ran search after search for Mrs. Joseph Morelli, Stephanie Morelli. I tried Trenton, all of New Jersey, and finally the US. I tried Stephanie Plum but nothing came up since December and the apartment fire. Your bank account and credit card were inactive. Then I saw Big Blue, Edna, Frank and the girls in Little Havana. I was a coward, I should have called Tank. I sent a text. He answered, 'Two divorces.' I was confused. So many scenarios ran through my head."
Michelle put her head on his chest, "It's all in the past Carlos. We are starting a new life. We have only the future. If Grandpa Mazur pops in, I'm sure he'll be happy with both of us."
On the flight back from the Bahamas, Michelle realized she didn't know where they'd be living. "Carlos, where are we going to live?"
"Babe, you know I have a house south of Princeton. We'll go there tonight. There's far more room than your studio apartments on Haywood and in North Mercer. If you don't like it, we can look for something else or build something, together."
Of course the house was large, secure and beautifully decorated. The furniture was contemporary, clean line. The bedroom sheets were 900-thread-count as if Ranger Manoso would have anything less. The master bathroom held an oversized tub for two as well as an oversized shower, but then it was a wet-room. They had plenty of room for more intimate activities. The two master bedroom closets and dressing areas were large, no more sharing space. It would take Michelle a full day to explore the rest of the rooms as well as the grounds. Her trained eyes saw all the security features, Ranger was still wary of past enemies. She assumed the grounds and house were monitored by Princeton Rangeman, as the response time would be faster.
Their return to Haywood Street was greeted with hugs and kisses. Those who had not gone to Atlanta in order to keep the office up and running had been shown Hector's videos including the wedding. The general consensus was, "It's about damn time."
After all the congratulatory activity, Ranger was about to bark "report" when he stopped and realized Tank and Lester were still in command. Ranger turned to them and said simply, "Gentlemen, anything I need to know?"
There was a noticeable shift in the air. Ranger acknowledged he was not in charge. Tank almost smiled, "Yep, while the two of you have been….busy getting reacquainted, we've done a little remodeling here. Les and I are not about to give up our offices so we did a little modification and carved out adjoining offices for you two. There are locks on the doors since Les isn't giving up the seventh floor."
**0**
Tank and Michelle soon went to Miami to finish their training and corporate review. Having seen how each city tweaked their business to fit each's unique situation, Michelle was developing a broader insight into improvements across the board. Together, she and Ranger became the corporate side of Rangeman, planning the future, dealing with politicians and negotiating the quagmire of government regulations.
One day Michelle was going through papers and uttered, "I should have married a lawyer."
Carlos was passing by the open door and stopped, "I believe Bernstein is already married," referring to Rangeman's on-call attorney.
Michelle looked up confused until she realized he had heard her utterances. She still hadn't stopped verbalizing her thoughts. By year's end, Rangeman Trenton had a new smooth groove. Hal had increased the number of bail bonds offices in Mercer County from the one on Hamilton Avenue to four. The extra workforce cut into Haywood's personnel. New people were hired and Ranger, Michelle, and Charlie, the ex-MP, started their training school. An office building next to Rangeman was purchased and converted into classrooms and apartments for the trainees. It was the first step in developing Rangeman Academy. In the future, Boston, Miami, and Atlanta would send new employees for training before reporting for their new jobs in their respective cities.
Whereas originally Rangeman stuck pretty much to Trenton proper, they were expanding into new areas such as West Windsor Township including Princeton, Ewing Township between Trenton and West Windsor and far to the east in Hightower and East Windsor. As Michelle oversaw the new auxiliary offices to minimize response time, she realized how confining Chambersburg was; small narrow houses with small, narrow-minded people. As the homes spread apart into single-family dwellings, attitudes also changed. At one time she couldn't wait to leave Trenton or more specifically Chambersburg. Now Trenton and Mercer County were comfortable, but she went out of her way to avoid the Burg. On the off chance she recognized a 'Burger' out and about, they did not recognize her.
Rangeman's growth in Mercer County grew to the delight of most residents. The unmarked shiny dark SUVs with tinted windows were welcomed by residents and businesses. Property crime in rural areas was on the increase and with sheriffs' departments widespread, response time was often long. Rangeman was filling the gap. Law enforcement agencies were often second to the crime scene finding Rangeman vehicles on site and preserving evidence or controlling the scene.
Just as in Trenton, more specifically, Chambersburg, some law enforcement saw Rangeman as interlopers. Michelle or Ranger would talk to the commanding officers personally conveying they all had different jobs and worked better together than jealous of one another. Also, with Michelle's urging, Rangeman employees were frequently seen at recreation centers working with kids in sports, bodybuilding or even tutoring school work. Unlike the Burg where Rangemen were considered thugs, the rest of Mercer County welcomed the men in black.
The exception was the criminal element. Most knew to keep their opinions to themselves, but one, a civil engineer named Anthanios Khoury despised Rangeman's expansion and on several occasions was quite vocal about it. His acquaintances were surprised he knew so much about Rangeman in the little time he had been in the area. But then Joe Morelli, the man behind the swollen belly and full beard of Anthanios Khoury, always did have trouble controlling his temper.