Chapter 10

A week later I was preparing to leave when Tank called me to his office. We had a little game we all played.

"Tank to Bomber, come in."

I pushed my button, "Preggers here, what can I do you for?"

"Can you come to my office?...out."

"On my way…over and out."

Tank, Lester and Bobby were there when I arrived. "What's up guys?"

Tank said, "I ain't keeping nothing else from you doll. We finally found out where that email originated. It was sent from Lahore."

"Where is that exactly?"

There were no smiles on those faces. "It is the oldest and most well known red light district in Pakistan. It's infamous," Bobby said.

I was taking deep breaths trying not to pass out. "Lahore, like in whore? You said that like you were in fucking awe. He's not sick or in danger! He's thinking with his penis! Well, screw him I'm finished with his ass!"

"STOP little sister!" Tank bellowed. "We didn't tell you this to hurt you. We told you to be honest with you. Didn't Brown tell you that he might not be thinking straight right now? You don't know nothin' about the post combat fever. Ranger is damn good at what he does. Too good. If a man goes below that acceptable range of dark, he's in trouble. If he did it in his personal life, he's in real trouble. You can be his salvation or you can help be his end. What's your choice? How much do you love him? He's most likely not here because he's afraid he'll hurt you."

Tears started rolling down my face. "I haven't been in war. I don't understand. His heart should have led him home; his penis led him to a brothel. I'm leaving Trenton and I'm swearing off men. I'm getting a fucking girlfriend. I'm going to be a lesbian!" I turned to leave the room, glanced sideways to see three grinning faces. I flipped them a big Jersey one finger salute. "And wipe that twisted grin off your face Santos!"

Lester ran out and grabbed me. "Hold on, say your goodbyes while I get my stuff. I'm going with you. Hector and Binky are riding separate."

We went to my apartment and got my bag and told Dillon the super I was leaving for a while and I gave him a check for a couple months rent. He looked sad when he saw the pain in my face and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll look after your apartment. You take care of yourself."

Lester drove and pointed my Lexus toward Springfield. I called my Grandma Mazur on the way out of town. She has her own cell phone now.

"How is it there now?"

"Crappy."

"I'm sorry Grandma."

"Stephie, it's not because of you. Your mother won't pull her pin curls out of her ass. She's too far gone. She's torturing poor Val now. I'm doing the best I can but my Helen is relentless."

"I'm headed to Virginia and I'm going to be there for a while."

"You got someone to look after you?"

"Yes, I'm a lucky girl in that department. I have lots of friends," and I looked over at Lester. He gave me a wink.

"You can go and find your way little super woman. I love you."

"Thank You Grandma."

I shed a few tears and slept along the way. We arrived at the office before 1700 hours Ranger time and caught the guys before they left. They hugged me and did their own version of a shake with Lester and handed us the keys to the house and the office.

When we arrived at the house I was taking big breaths and Lester took my hand. We entered the house and walked into the foyer. There were no longer smells coming from the kitchen or warmth from the fireplace. I ran upstairs into Nash's room and to the closet.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Every thing was the same except Nash's personal items were gone. Lester came up behind me and hugged me. "You okay gorgeous?"

"Yeah, let's go get some groceries and maybe some takeout for tonight."

We found a good place to eat comfort food and got some groceries on the way home. Lester was like me when he wasn't totally under Ranger's influence and he would eat the junk food with me. So we got cans of cinnamon rolls and turnovers and real cream for our coffee. Yum.

When I went to get into the bed that night in the master bedroom I balked and started crying. Memories flooded me and I just couldn't sleep there. I walked to Lester's door and I slowly turned the knob and opened it. It was the comforting room I had slept in during my stay with Nash that I loved so much. I took a step into the room and Lester ever vigilant opened his eyes and looked at me. He smiled and pulled the covers down next to him in invitation.

"Well, I don't think I can sleep in the other room right now and do you have something on under those covers?" He pulled the covers down a little further and revealed his boxers.

"Really, Super Man?" I grinned and got in next him. He put his arms around me and pulled me close.

"Sweet dreams, gorgeous," he whispered, "the stud man is on duty and no mean bastards will interrupt your dreams tonight!"

"Stud Man, really?" I murmured and then I felt it up against my backside. Okay I get it. Oh Boy, do I get it. "Lester put your flag down. How am I supposed to sleep?"

"I can't help that gorgeous your butt feels so good touching me there." "Well think of something to turn it off please." In about one minute the flag was suddenly down.

"What the heck did you think of or do I want to know?"

"Your Grandma Mazur latching onto it." I giggled.

"Goodnight Les."

Lester's POV

My eyes slammed open. Damn my body and brain. I'm probably going to get my ass killed and then I'm going to hell. Stephanie was still asleep but she was half laying on her side and half on top of me with her legs tangled in mine and she was grinding my morning wood and making little moaning sounds. Ranger you're one stupid mother fucker to leave this woman I thought.

Between the grinding and the sounds she was going to make me cum. I closed my eyes and concentrated. If she wanted release I was going to let her. She started breathing harder and moving faster. When I felt her start to spasm I let myself go.

Then her eyes slammed open and realization set in and she shrieked.

"Omigod Lester! What did I do?" She rolled off me and started to jump out of the bed and I grabbed her arm.

"Wait Steph, please." She stopped her momentum and lay flat breathing hard. "We didn't have sex. We both had a wet dream. A very good one. Talk to me."

"Lester, I'm so sorry. Damn Ranger and damn these pregnancy hormones. I've been having really strong ah… feelings lately. I attacked you in your sleep. I'm so embarrassed."

I took her hand and kissed it. "What you're saying is that you're basically horny. Glad I could help with that." Big wolf grin.

Then she smacked me hard. "Oww! That hurt."

"Dammit, I'm so crazy right now with these hormones Lester. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, come or go. Oh, shit don't you say a word!"

"I could help you with this you know. I'm good at this."

"What? Shut up Lester. I'm not talking about this. I'm getting up."

She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Stephanie's POV

I let the water wash over me and cursed myself. How could I have done that? I'm so embarrassed; I don't even want to leave the shower. I'm such a slut!

What did he just offer? Him to replace my shower massager? I have been so damn horny lately it was making me crazy. My last thought last night before I went to sleep is that I wish I could have grabbed that hard on and rode it like Zorro having my merry way with it. What did I do this morning lord help me? I rode it like Zorro in my sleep. Damn you Ranger. Now look what position you've put me in. This is all your fault!

What I was worried about was my relationship with Les. I loved him and didn't want to do anything to lose the friendship we shared. I was frustrated and hurt and I was pregnant. I couldn't have a sexual relationship with anyone. I was going to have to buy several new shower massagers. Turbos!

Ranger's POV

Far from being herded, terrorists are running free, dispersing and hiding, as a diminished state struggles to cope. Large parts of the country are no go areas, even for the military. Operations are announced and then cancelled on some pretext or another, while the enemy perfects the art of murder.

They only get serious about security after certain installations have been attacked. They are now digging a trench around Peshawar airport to guard against explosives-laden vehicles. It's like bolting the stable door after the horse has fled. Anyone would have known Peshawar airport was an inviting and obvious target because it is used by jet-fighters and gunship helicopters that carry out aerial strikes against the militants.

They did not think about the possibility of such an attack even after the attacks on the Mehran and Kamra bases. It was lucky five of the terrorists blew themselves up by accident or else they would have been inside the base wreaking havoc on brand new Chinese supplied fighter aircraft. To be told that the police in Peshawar fought bravely is no consolation. Of course they did; they fought heroically, in fact. But being brave, or being prepared to die, is not the point. That's a risk all who join the armed forces and the police must take.

Is the government aware that well organized political and media campaigns by terrorist organizations can blur the line of responsibility between their acts and that of the military, thereby enabling them to use collateral damage and suffering as political weapons of war? In areas of Swat, for instance, damage to property was blamed on the military and cleverly exploited to show it in a bad light. If so, what's our counter narrative? The Bohra community of Karachi may be next.

And is the government fully aware that success depends on the efficiency of our intelligence apparatus to discover where terrorists are holed up and on the capability of our security forces to act on the information? That's hardly evident because these institutions remain badly organized and poorly led, much like most government departments; unless the pool of intelligence gatherers and analysis capabilities are vastly augmented and improved.

Fools are in a terribly overwhelming majority in Pakistan. Why else would the erstwhile former prime minister advise his countrymen to leave the country if they could not hack it anymore? What sort of a message does that send? Many are taking his advice, at least those who can afford it. But instead of blaming their leaders they are cursing fate, which is absurd.

The government won't establish its moral authority, terrorists run amok, they hide, and they need to disappear….I will make them disappear…

(Parts of this come from former ambassador Zafar Hilaly)

TBC