Chapter Seven

Lester stormed into Ranger's office two days later. "Ranger," he raged. "Yesterday, I took a skip into the cop shop and as soon as I stepped into the door, all conversation stopped and everyone stared at me. Then today I went to Pino's and as soon as I opened the door all the cops stopped talking and stared at me. Do you have any idea what they are saying about me?"

Ranger pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath. "It's not you they are talking about. It's me."

"They wouldn't dare," Lester stated.

So Ranger told Lester the whole embarrassing story. Lester gave a bark of laughter and said, "So that's what went down when you left Tank in the street and peeled rubber."

"Santos, you are not going to spread this around."

"Of course, I am. All the cops know about it, so all of Rangeman needs to know about it too."

"I don't want to have to notify my aunt of the demise of her son, but I will if I have to."

"No you won't." Lester laughed and said, "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

Late the next afternoon I ran into Ranger's office, tears streaming down my face. He jumped up when he saw my tears. As he took me into his arms he said, "What's wrong, Babe?"

"Ranger, all day long everywhere I went in the building, conversation would stop. I went into the break room this morning and there was a lot of laughter. As soon as I went in, it got completely silent. I asked them what was going on and they just put their heads down and said, "Nothing, Steph." All day long, whether I went to the control room, the break room or anywhere, it would get quiet and no one would look me in the eye. What did I do, Ranger? Why is every one laughing at me?"

"I'm going to kill Santos," Ranger growled.

"Why? What's going on."

Ranger didn't answer but, instead called Tank and told him he wanted everyone in the building in Conference Room A in ten minutes. Tank must have made the mistake of questioning him because he said in his scary voice, "Just do it."

We made our way down to the conference room and Ranger seated me in the chair at the head of the table where he normally sat. He stood behind my chair, arms crossed, looking very intimidating.

As the men filed into the room and saw Ranger's stature, they cringed. They all knew this was not going to be good. Especially because I was obviously upset with the traces of tears still visible on my face.

After everyone was seated, Ranger rested his hands on my shoulders and said, "Everyone in this room knows how I react when Stephanie is hurt. I retaliate. I punish. No exceptions. I help her heal, whether it is physical pain or emotional pain. But, I never thought it would be my own men hurting her."

Everyone in the room was squirming by now. I lowered my head, not wanting to catch anyone's eye.

"Today every time she encountered some of you talking and laughing, you always stopped abruptly. She thought you were laughing at her. Sound familiar, Santos? Only instead of being angry, she was hurt."

Lester gulped loudly.

Ranger continued, "I know you weren't talking about her. I know you were talking about me."

When I heard that I whipped my head up and turned to look searchingly at him. I knew at that moment that the rumors had gone from Morelli to the cop shop to Rangeman.

"I'm going to kill Morelli," I growled.

"Don't worry about Morelli, Babe," Ranger said. "You take care of punishing the men."

Everyone in the room groaned at that.

"Haven't you figured out that they didn't want you to hear them gossiping about me because they were afraid of what you would do to them? So I think it's only right that you dole out their punishment."

"I don't have a clue how to punish them, Ranger. I can't take them to the mats like you do."

"I'm sure you can think of something wicked. Let them live in fear."

It was two days later and I still hadn't thought of any punishments worthy of my evil genius. I was shutting down my computer when my phone rang. It was Lula needing my help with a skip. Since I started working full time at Rangeman, Vinnie had been desperate enough to let Lula pick up a few FTA's. Because I almost got carjacked a couple of weeks ago, Ranger let it be known that I was never to go out of the building alone. I argued about it vigorously, but finally gave in when he used the P word. I was usually comfortable with asking one of the Merry Men to come with me, but they had been avoiding me like the plague since Ranger told me to come up with their punishment. Wimps! I knew Vinnie only gave Lula easy captures so I figured I would be fine alone. I really didn't want to ask anyone to go with me because of the way they were acting. Ranger was out with Tank so I was able to get out of the building alone. I was just exiting the garage, when Lester started to turn into it. He saw I was alone and I could tell he was going to ignore the fact and continue into the garage. Then, I guess his conscience got the better of him. Or probably he thought about what Ranger would do to him if he found out Lester knew I was alone and didn't act on it. So he turned back to the street and followed me. While I was driving to the liquor store where Lula was waiting for me, I was still conjuring up punishments. I was in my zone so I didn't even realize Lester was behind me. Probably I wasn't really in a zone. Probably my mind was just wandering so I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I walked in the door to the front of the store and turned to look for Lula when I was grabbed from behind and a gun was shoved into my temple.

"Don't make a sound, bitch," the skip growled into my ear. "If you do everything I say, I'll let the 'ho live. If you don't, I'll kill her and the clerk." He turned me so I could see Lula and the clerk on the floor, gagged and tied up.

Lester had slid in the door behind me and crouched behind a large liquor display. When he heard what the skip said to me he stood up and said in a low, hard voice, "Let her go, scumbag."

The skip was so startled, he spun around still holding me. He pointed his gun in the direction of Lester's voice and let off several shots. While he was shooting, he loosened his grip enough for me to get my stun gun out of my jacket pocket. I reached up and put it against his arm and pushed the button. He went down like a ton of bricks.

I ran to Lester to make sure he hadn't been shot. He was cussing up a storm and looked all right except for being drenched in Bombay gin and some glass cuts from the broken booze bottles. Well, if you have to be showered in gin at least it was the good stuff. I started to turn to go untie Lula when I noticed some red mixed in with the clear liquid on the white floor.

"Lester, you've been shot," I cried.

"No shit, Sherlock," he retorted, as he pulled out his phone and dialed 911. As he was reporting the incident, he reached behind his back and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He handed them to me indicating that I should cuff the skip before he woke up. I cuffed his hands behind his back, then ran to Lula and took off her gag and untied her hands. As soon as I took off Lula's gag, she started cussing and ranting and raving. I told her to suck it up and help the clerk. I took the rope I had taken off Lula's wrists and used it to tie up the skip's legs.

I ran back to Lester, leaving Lula to untie her ankles and help the clerk. I took off my jacket, whipped my t-shirt over my head and pressed it against the bullet wound in his thigh. Lester took the shirt from my hands. "While I appreciate the view," he said as he ogled my lacy bra. "I think you should put your jacket on before the cops get here. Otherwise, this bullet wound will be nothing compared to what Ranger will do to me."

I blushed and quickly put on my jacket and zipped it all the way up just as the first of the cops got there. "Thanks, Les," I whispered. He just grinned at me. I just shook my head. Maybe Lester really does think getting shot is fun.

The EMT's arrived and got Lester on a gurney. I was walking beside him as they rolled it towards the ambulance when Ranger and Tank rolled in. Tank went to soothe an hysterical Lula, while Ranger came over to me.

"You okay, Babe?"

"Yeah. Lester saved me."

He put his arm around me, but slid his eyes to Lester's. They did their ESP thing and Lester just grinned at Ranger and then winked at me.

All of a sudden I felt exhausted. I slumped against Ranger and he said. "Come on, Babe. I'll take you home. You can talk to the cops tomorrow."

"You're damn right I can talk to the cops tomorrow, but we are going to hospital, not home."

"Babe. You're exhausted."

"But, Lester got shot because of me."

Ranger nodded and walked me to the Cayenne. As we were driving to the hospital, I told Ranger everything that happened. I told him I had left the building alone because of the atmosphere between the men and me and I didn't even know how Lester happened to be with me. Ranger just shook his head and thanked God for the loyalty of his cousin.

When we got to the hospital, Lester was already in surgery and the waiting room was filling up with men in black. Ranger filled out Lester's paper work and then we all sat back to wait. It wasn't a severe injury, but there were never any guarantees when it came to surgery.

When the surgeon finally came out to talk to Ranger, he said the surgery went well and Lester would be in recovery for another hour. He wanted to keep him overnight but was confident that he would be released from the hospital in the morning. We waited until he was moved to a room so we could see him before we left.

As we walked in to Lester's room, he seemed groggy , but smiled at us. Ranger went to him and grabbed his hand and said, "Thanks, cuz."

"No problemo," Lester replied. "Does this mean I'm off the hook?"

Ranger shot me a look of inquiry. "Of course, it does!" I yelped. "You risked your life to save mine. How could I punish any of you after that." I was secretly relieved. I really didn't want to have to mete out punishment to my friends.

"Thank God," Lester breathed. "I'd rather take a bullet any day than face one of Stephanie's punishments."

So the next day Lester came home to a hero's welcome. He had saved the day! He had saved them all from the wrath of the Bombshell Bounty Hunter.