Freedom
Chapter 21
RPOV
Tank will be back at Rangeman in twenty minutes with our guests to go over the Morelli case. Our attorney, Mike Benzel, along with myself, Stephanie and Tank will be briefing FBI Special Agent Tony Dirks and Henry Shepard, the New Jersey State Police Internal Affairs Lead Investigator . All three have met at a private location and are being picked up and brought to our location in a vehicle with dark tinted windows. We don't want to tip our hand.
I had a hard time waking Steph up this morning. She seems fatigued easily these last couple of days and I'm worried that her infection could be back or something else new could be going on. I called Bobby while she was in the shower and gave him a heads up. Since she doesn't have a fever, he didn't think there was anything to worry about, but said we should both keep our eye on her.
Steph and I are finishing breakfast and we're both pretty amped with anticipation of what this meeting means. I know she's nervous about not only what she'll have to reveal and elaborate on, but also the men she'll have to do it in front of. I know she trusts my men implicitly, but to go over intimate details is hard no matter what, and throw in a couple of federal agents, I don't blame her for being nervous. I was proud to watch her emerge from our dressing room with her Rangmen uniform on. I know it gives her strength.
"I can't believe this is about to be over." Steph says as she picks her veggie with cheese omelet.
"Remember babe, there will be a trial, and you are going to be thrust in the spot light. The 'burg is going to have a field day with this. Are you ready?" She walked over to me and cupped her hands on my face and kissed me tenderly.
"I'm ready. I want my independence back. I want to run errands and go out to eat with my friends, to go out on a date with just you, not all the guys too. I want my freedom from Joe and his need to possess me. Oh, I'm ready, alright."
"Why don't you finish breakfast and we'll go down together."
"It's a really good omelet, but my tummy is upset, I just don't feel really well. I'm chocking it up to the nerves."
"Are you sure, babe?" It's so unlike her to pass on a meal, I hope nerves are all it is.
"Yep. Let's get it over with."
"I know this is going to be hard on you, reliving all that Joe has done, but it puts us one step closer. I'm so proud of you for the courage you've shown these past few months… so proud." As much as I like having Steph in my arms, holding her and trying to give her some of my own strength, we really must go downstairs.
"Let's go, babe. They should be here any minute."
We met in conference room B as it would be the most comfortable for our long day. We use this conference room, with its high back leather chairs, large cherry wood conference table and drinking station when we meet with clients. I sat at the head of the table with Steph to my right and Tank to my left. I asked for Lester, Bobby, and Hal to sit in on the meeting as well since they'd all directly been with Steph during one or more of the episodes documented. They sat on the same side of the table as Steph and our guests lined the opposing side of the table.
SPOV
If I never have to sit in on another debriefing again, it will be too soon. Talk about tedious! We went over every encounter I've had with Joe starting with the moment I broke up with him and ending with the incident at Boston Gardens. We talked about his threat at my car bombing when the guys rescued me the day I came to live here at Rangeman.
As mortified as I was, we started the chain of events with me telling them about the night Joe and Mooch almost raped me. All three guests shifted uncomfortably. Of course, my guys just seemed angered all over again, clenching their fists, sitting stiff backed to maintain their composure. I told them about his refusal to accept my breaking up with Joe, the physical assaults, his constantly following me and keeping tabs on my location, and finally leading up to the day my car blew up and I accepted the protection of Ranger and his men.
We dissected the pictures and evidence from the day we discovered my apartment had been trashed including a picture of the mirror Joe wrote on when he threated to discipline me. Each time Ranger handed out a hard copy of the pictorial evidence, it was also displayed on the drop-down projection screen at the far end of the room, hence the reason no one sat at the other end of the table.
Tank seemed especially embarrassed at the recounting of the assault at the bonds office, maybe because he's twice my size and Joe still got to me. He knows I don't blame him though. Tank would never allow anyone to hurt me if he could help it. We were still figuring out Joe's behavior at that point.
The really embarrassing part of today was the video feeds of the night Joe pulled me over and patted me down. My testimonial of what Joe said was documented on paper and was read after viewing the video. The upset stomach I had in the apartment was getting stronger. I excused myself and went to the restroom in Carlos' office, silently praying the day would speed by.
My dad had submitted his written account of the night Joe tried to abduct me from their house. What shocked me the most and had me spewing my water across the table was when Tank read my mother's testimonial. It sounds like she was actually truthful about her part in the attempted abduction. I wasn't ready to hear the details about her and Joe's planning sessions though. As happy as I am that she was truthful, it was deeply disturbing the lengths she would go through to get he and I back together. Her testimony was indifferent. I suppose deep down, I was hoping to hear some remorse. I'm beyond being disappointed at this point.
Hal read his testimony of the day he and Hector took me shopping and they were shot with tranquilizer darts, leading to my kidnapping. Vince and I's conversation, what he did to me and what he planned to do to me were heard through my panic button. My injuries were also documented. I hadn't seen the photos from the accident before this moment and I honestly wasn't prepared for what I saw. One of the guys took a picture from their cell phones while I was still strapped in the truck. I looked dead. There was another photo of Carlos carrying me to the waiting SUV and another of him holding me while Bobby tried caring for my injuries. The look of panic, sorrow, fear and love were so transparent in Carlos' eyes, it shook me to the core how close we came to losing each other. I couldn't help but run for the restroom, throwing up what little breakfast I had. After sitting behind me on the floor, holding my hair back while I was sick, Carlos let me fall back into him, putting his arms around my waist while I gathered myself. I managed to regain my wits and magically a toothbrush and toothpaste were put into my hands by Hal. I looked up to see Hal, Tank, Lester and Bobby looking concerned. I reassured them all that I was going to be just fine, that I was completely overwhelmed with not only what happened and how bad I looked, but the looks of fear on all their faces. "I almost lost you all that day… it was too close."
Carlos told me "babe, that's what made me fall apart that day. We came so close to losing each other. I don't know what I would've done…"
"I love you, Carlos, more than anything. And I love you guys too. Let's just move on from here and appreciate the relationship we have with each other. I can't ever lose any of you." How did I get so lucky to have this life? I can do anything with these men by my side, always having my back.
"Steph, before we go back, let me take a vial of blood to send to the lab I use. You've been looking pale and having a hard time eating for the last couple of days. Even though it's probably just stress, I'd like to be sure. You could have some anemia going on that we need to start treating. I don't think there's any residual infection going on, but I'd feel better if we aired on the safe side." Bobby was pleading with me with those big brown puppy dog eyes that he knows always melts my resolve. Looking up at Carlos, I could see the silent 'please, for me, babe?' in his eyes."
"Oh, alright, but can we do it here? I don't want anyone else to see."
"You bet. Then I'll drop it by the lab myself as soon as we're done. We should have the results back tomorrow, the next day at the latest."
Ella had delivered lunch while we were gone and while the men all had delicious looking hearty sandwiches, I'm pleased to be sipping on chicken noodle soup which my tummy appreciates. Unfortunately, however; it didn't take too long until we were back looking at the evidence in front of us.
I was really concerned when Carlos read the summary of the night we were at Boston Gardens. I had written down exactly what Missy said to me and the threat she made to Carlos. Les filled them in on Joe's stupid excuse for why he was supposedly there to begin with. What had me concerned was the FBI's subsequent inability to reach Missy. Henry interviewed her coworkers at the library where she works, as well as her neighbors and no one has seen her since Saturday morning. That was over a week ago. I have my suspicions about what happened to her, I just hope I'm wrong.
Hal submitted a written record of the messages on my phone from Joe over these couple of months and I have to say, when I look back at everything that's happened, I'm speechless. It took over an hour and a half just to listen to his messages. They ranged from sweet and loving to psychotic maniac. I could visualize the transformations each time they were made and it make me shiver in fear of what he's capable of. To realize that I'm on the receiving end of his anger is too much. What happened to the Joe that I loved as my friend?
I asked for a break and without even waiting for a response, excused myself and left the conference room heading upstairs to the apartment. I curled up on the bed, trying to close my eyes to everything I kept replaying in my mind. I kept having flashbacks of these last few months, trying desperately to turn them off.
The only thing I could think of was to try replacing the horrible memories with much more pleasant ones from all the positive encounters I've had in the same couple of months. I have to say the night of my engagements was my fondest memory of all. I could feel my eyelids grow heavy as I felt the beautiful red dress I wore at the engagement party twirl around my legs, Carlos holding me in his arms and the look of happiness on all the guests' faces while we glided around the dance floor, our bodies effortlessly fitting perfectly with one another.
RPOV
How is it that I can never tire of watching my gorgeous fiancé sleep? After Steph left the conference room, we all felt it was time to call it quits for the day and I ran up the stairs to check on my babe. I expected to hear her crying when I walked in the apartment and am pleasantly surprised that she's asleep, finding some relief from all the pain she just relived at the hands of someone she once loved and trusted as a friend. Stripping off my utility belt and boots, I decide holding her is even better than standing here in the doorway to our bedroom, watching her sleep.
We should only need another couple of hours tomorrow before everything is turned over to the authorities. We decided to meet mid-morning so we could be finished by lunch. I already called Ella to have a special lunch delivered to the penthouse for Steph and I to celebrate. This is a long time coming, what with all the collecting of evidence and finding new. When word got out on the street that Morelli was being investigated, we received all kinds of complaints that we investigated. Surprisingly, most of them turned out to be legitimate.
All in all, I'm confident Morelli will be spending a lifetime behind bars and I couldn't be happier. Now, to wake up sleeping beauty and spend some quality time together, curled up on the sofa in each other's arms.
"Babe… babe, it's time to wake up." I peppered her face with kisses, convincing her to open her eyes, knowing by her breathing that she woke up while I was watching her.
"Mmmmm" She tried to turn over, facing away from me.
"Come on babe, don't make me play dirty with you." Still not getting much of a response, I decide to bring out the big guns. Slowly sliding my hand up her shirt, I start tickling, in that special spot that always gets her going."
"Ok, ok, I'm up! No need to be cruel about it!" She's smiling, so I know she's not made, but Dios, when she just wakes up and is stretching and so innocent, I could take her right now.
"Don't even think about it, mister! I'm starving! And I want to hear what happened after I left."
"I'll go call Ella and tell her you're ready for dinner. Why don't you freshen up, get comfy and I'll meet you in the living room."
"God, I love you… now, when you say get comfy, how comfy do you mean? Will the guys be coming up? Or can I get by with just your t-shirt and panties."
"You can be naked for all I care. Actually, I'd prefer that. You know where my t-shirts are, or you can wear my robe. Whatever you decide, you won't have it on for long anyway."
"I can't wait…" She gave me a quick peck on the lips and disappeared into the bathroom, after putting a little extra swing in her step. She's going to kill me one of these days. How can every damn thing she does turn me on? Is it possible to die from a permanent hard on?
JPOV
I called in a favor from an old friend Walter James, a man I served with in the Navy. I was pleasantly surprised when he said he's currently on leave for three months from active duty as a Navy Seal. He chose to stay with the government whereas I chose local law enforcement… I've never regretted that decision, after all, there are a lot of perks to the control I hold over the town of Trenton. Walter has a couple of fellow SEAL's that have access to the equipment and transportation we'll need to pull this rescue off once and for all. He's meeting me at my house tonight to hash out the plan as well as where we're taking my future wife. This has been too long in the making and our reunion will prove to be worth the wait.
"Walter, glad you could make it on such short notice."
"You saved my life Joe, and I told you I'd owe you one day. How have you been?"
We caught up over a couple of beers while we waited for pizza from Pino's to be delivered. I told him about some of my more glorious moments as a detective with the TPD and he told me about a few missions, minus the particulars such as names and locations since they're classified. When the pizza arrived, we started hashing out our plan at the dining room table.
"So what does this chick mean to you, that you're willing to risk everything to get her?"
"She's my fiancé. I've loved her since I took her virginity when she was sixteen, the day before I first shipped out with the Navy. You remember me talking about her…"
"Shit! She's the one you used to call, sweetie-pie, no, it was … ah hell, it was something about dessert."
"Cupcake, she's my cupcake."
"So if she's your fiancé, what's she doin' living with Ranger Manoso?"
"He's brainwashed her. He's got her held captive in that fortress of his and every time she leaves, she has at least three or more armed men of his escorting her. I've tried, believe me, but there's no getting past him. He'll stop at nothing to keep her hostage."
"So if I agree to do this, what do you have planned for her?"
"To make her mine again. I need to get her away from Trenton, away from Manoso, and remind her why she loves me."
"Ok, man, I trust you. I have to say, I'm intriqued, I've heard about Ranger Manoso. He's got a reputation as being the best… at everything. He's Special Forces, black ops. I normally wouldn't want to piss him off on a good day, but to kidnap the woman he's staked a claim on? I must have lost my fucking mind to agree to this. I'm assuming you have some diversions planned to lure him out of the building?"
"All set up. As soon as you said you were available and had men and transportation at the ready, I called in a couple of other favors around town. Manoso's monitors will be going crazy with activity, pulling most if not all of him men from Rangeman. By the time they realize they've left Cupcake alone and helpless, it'll be too late."
"Why do I get the impression this is more than about Stephanie? You're getting a twisted sense of pleasure out of messing with Manoso, am I right?"
"I'll admit, I don't mind getting one over on Manoso, he's a smug bastard who has everyone wrapped around his little finger. Plus this is Army versus Navy. Most of his men served with him, the ones that aren't criminals or gang bangers. So, ya, I'll get a lot of pleasure in beating him, once and for all."
"Just so you know, we're free and clear after this one. My men and I are high tailing it out of town as soon as we drop her off at your location. We're not sticking around for the fallout. This will be quite the feat if we pull it off, too bad I won't be able to brag about it."
"I hear ya. And yes, we'll be free and clear." We shook on it. Calling in this favor is perfect, I'm too smart for my own good sometimes.
"I'll have the transportation finalized tomorrow morning. What time do you want us at Rangeman?"
"2200 hours. They'll all be out of the building by that time."
"And we're still taking her to Laurence Harbor over on the coast?"
"Ya, the North end is practically abandoned, there's no one there, especially that time of night. I'll be watching for you."
"Where are you taking her after that?"
"It's in your best interest if I don't tell you. Let's just say I have someone in my back pocket who's sister is away at her second home in Arizona for a few months. I've already made a couple modifications to the basement so no one will see us during the day. We'll have plenty of time to get reacquainted.
"Sounds like you've thought everything through. You have my secure line. I'll see you tomorrow night at the drop off."
I'm almost there, Cupcake. We'll get out happy ever after, just like I always talked about.