Chapter 13
Stephanie's POV
I got up and hummed my way to the bathroom and had my morning shower. I got out and sniffed my way to kitchen. Oh goody, it was biscuits and gravy morning!
"Good morning dear. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, yes I did. What about you?"
"Wonderful, right Luke?" He winked at her and blew her a kiss.
How cute was that? I thought. I looked at Lester and he was grinning at me.
"Morning Les," and I smacked him on the lips.
Oddly the tune, "Love Shack" was playing in my head. How weird. This felt like the frigging twilight zone this morning.
We had the most scrumptious breakfast and I think Lucas was a little embarrassed hearing my food orgasms but Les and Justine were enjoying the show.
I cleaned my plate and rubbed my big belly. "Justine, as Tank would say, 'you da' bomb.' That was incredible."
She laughed. "No one has ever enjoyed my cooking so much."
Tank's POV
We waited in the shadows until almost sunrise. Finally Ranger got up and moved. We followed him at a distance and then he cut into a building after about three blocks. We went in the door and paid the old madam and were led up some stairs. Another woman motioned to a door and we went in.
Ranger pulled the hijab off of his head and looked at us. "What are you doing here? I gave orders!"
"Fuck you man! Fuck your orders! I never questioned you before until now. You done left a mess at home. You done broke a little girl's heart again! You didn't come home after a mission. Man, we ain't the only ones looking for you now. Me and Bobby and Ram are your brothers. You gonna' tell us what the fuck is goin' on?"
He sighed, "You know any details about the original mission?
I nodded. "Well al-Fayad was just part of the cell and they are still hunting Americans and blowing up civilians and military. I was with Daniels when he died and I met his wife who was ready to give birth and I was damned if I was going let those evil bastards just go! We were so fucking close to them."
"I'm still working with the Delta crew and we have Intel that they will be in Bohra tomorrow. I don't want you in danger. You can stay here."
"No fucking way Ranger! You go, we all go!"
He finally smiled and hugged us both and gave us that brother pat on the back we shared.
"Damn, it's good to see your ugly faces," he grinned. "You can stay here and get some shut eye."
"The women here are clean and very nice and I pay them well for their silence. They don't have to take men at all under my protection. They are beautiful and very talented in dance. I can always hint to them that they can volunteer to dance and have a good experience with good men. Women have needs too and these women are mostly brutally repressed." Then he winked.
Bobby and Ram and I were wasted by the next morning. We had lived our fantasies and I think the women had too. It was a magical night. Ranger didn't participate; he was focused on the mission as always.
We met up with Delta team at 0800 hours. Ranger explained to them that Bob and Ram and I were the same as him and had come to help when he didn't return stateside after the original mission.
We all went over today's mission plan and moved into place.
The peace loving people of the Dawoodi Bohra community were going about their daily business of talking to neighbors, shopping for wares, returning from the mosque after offering Maghrib prayers. Most community members wear a white and gold 'Topi' and the women wear colorful flowing hijabs called Rida.
We spotted four suspicious men wearing different attire walking around the mosque and then moving to the market area. The team leader gave the nod to move in and pointed us to the mosque area. Our team headed in keeping our weapons hidden and staying as far away from the civilians as possible.
When we got to the side of the mosque I saw a man planting what looked like an explosive device. I fired one shot and he was down. The shot was muted by the noisy sounds of the day and the men dragged the body into the shadows. We went around the building and to the next and spied a man leaving a car in front of the building and looking around suspiciously. As he tried to disappear between the buildings I reached out and grabbed him and snapped his neck in one violent motion. Bobby pulled his body into the shadows.
Almost immediately we heard, "Beta Team report!"
Ranger reported, "Mission complete. Beta Team Leader out."
"Alpha Team clear. Let's remove these explosives."
The events of the day had saved an estimated 50 civilian men, women, and children's lives. Not to mentioned more American civilian deaths. The mission was a success.
"Lets go home boys. I've got a date with a real Babe," Ranger said.
Stephanie's POV
Les and I went shopping for me some maternity clothes this morning after breakfast because not much was fitting just right. If it was baggy in one place, it was too tight in another and vice versa. I needed some of those gross maternity things.
We went in and picked a few neutral pants and shirt items and then I spied Lester looking at some stuff like a curious little kid. He had a friggin' breast pump in his hand and how was I supposed to explain that.
He grinned. "Is this like one of those 'penis pumps'?"
"What?"
"You know, like those pumps that are supposed to make your dick longer or suck the cum out of it?"
"No, I don't know, maybe, yes. I think it sucks the milk out of your breast."
He grinned. "You don't need that. I can do that for you."
I smacked him on the back of the head. "Lester, it's for the baby. The milk is for the baby. You are so twisted!"
The next thing he picked up was a pair of pregnancy panties. He held them up and looked at me. "This is as bad as that repulsive road kill shit you want to eat in front of me. I feel myself shriveling."
I giggled. "Maybe I should buy some so you won't think about my privates in the same way. Come on stupid man. Lets get out of here before you embarrass me any more."
We were heading to the office. Les looked over at me and smiled and reached for my hand. I smiled at him. When we got to the office Trigg and Bing were in deep conversation.
"What's up guys?"
"We've got four skips and two new security proposals. We're a little short handed today."
"No problem. Let's see your skips." Two were minor. I said, "You go with Hector and Binky for the security proposals. Those are really important to learn right now and Les and I will do these two minor skips."
One of the skips was a woman that had been caught shoplifting with no priors. I told Les to go there first.
I told Les to let me go. I got out and knocked on her door. "Yes?" the woman who answered asked.
"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum. Are you Margaret Tanner?
"Yes."
"You missed your court date. Are you okay?"
She started crying. "I can't leave the house. My daughter is sick. I was arrested because I was stealing food in the grocery store. My husband left us."
"Maybe I can help you. How's your daughter? Can I see her?"
She took me to a room and opened the door. A little girl about five years old was lying in the bed reading a book and she didn't have any hair. I looked at Margaret. She mouthed cancer.
"What is her name I asked?"
"Her name is Janelle," her mother said.
I went to the little girl. "Hi Janelle. What are you reading?"
"Amelia Bedelia," she said.
"What do you like about her Janelle?"
"Well, she gets mixed up a lot but she's really nice. She bakes good pies and cakes."
"Yum, I love pies and cakes, do you?"
"I really do. I just haven't felt good enough to eat much lately."
"Maybe I can help with that." I hugged her.
I went to Margaret. "Give me just a minute and we will take you to the station and get you re-bonded. I will get you bailed out myself. Then we will get you groceries and get Janelle the best care that we can, I promise."
I was suddenly weak and almost staggered to the door. I was trying to choke back the tears. My heart was going to burst it hurt so badly. My breathing was becoming labored. I had been feeling sorry for myself and this woman was going through something so awful. I felt so ashamed. I got to the door and waved at Les.
Lester came running to me. "Steph?"
"Lester, you take Margaret to the station and get her re-bonded. I'll pay the bond. You bring her back. I'll stay with her daughter. Okay?"
He nodded. "You sure you're okay. You don't look good. I don't want to leave you."
"You take her now. And then..and then you take Margaret to the grocery and get them some food on the way back. You do that Lester." My hands were shaking.
"Steph, I'm not sure about this."
"Please do it now, Lester." I was trying to be firm.
He went in and got Margaret. I promised her that I would not leave Janelle. I sat with her and she read me some of her book and then went to sleep. I walked out of the room and slid down the wall in the hall. I got my phone out of my pocket and called Travis. I told him about this sweet little girl. He said that he would have someone to check on the family tomorrow and we would do everything that we could for Janelle. "Than…thank you."
"It doesn't matter the cos…cost Travis. I'll pay. You have the contacts. Love you and kiss Justin for me."
The pain was now in my abdomen and it was so bad. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn't wake Janelle and then I had to throw up. I crawled to the bathroom and threw up. I lay on the floor. Oh please Lester hurry. I closed my eyes. Is something wrong with my baby? Am I losing my baby?
I pulled my phone out and tried to dial but I was shaking so bad I couldn't dial numbers very well. I tried to dial 911 and finally on the third try I got someone. "What's your emergency?"
"I might be having problems with my pregnancy and there is a little girl here she's sick…with cancer. I can't leave her. Mm…my friend and her mother will be back soon. I was seeing stars the pain was so bad. Ple…please. Ahhh…" The phone dropped from may hand and then there was nothing but blackness.
TBC