Freedom

Chapter 22

RPOV

I stepped off the elevator, onto five, energized and ready for business and who should step in my path, but Tank. He looks me over top to bottom and lifting one side of his eyebrow asks why I didn't come down until noon. I glared at him to back off and told him I convinced Steph to take the morning off with me and that it was none of his business what we were doing. He didn't need to know we'd made love all night and were dead to the world until almost noon although from the smirk he's sporting, it seems he already knows. What can I say, Steph's glow is wearing off on me. I left my babe in bed to rest a little while longer. After all, Morelli is getting arrested tomorrow and we're going to need all the positive energy we can get once the shit hits the fan.

I spent the day getting my affairs in order both personally and at Rangeman. I have a feeling I may need to wisk my lovely fiancé off on a private getaway to escape the mayhem that we all know will happen in the press. I can't wait to get back upstairs and cuddle on the couch with Steph and watch a movie. Hell, I'd watch paint dry to have a few more moments of peace and quiet just the two of us.

When I got upstairs at just after eight o'clock, I was glad Steph had waited to have dinner with me. She had spent quite a bit of time putting our engagement party pictures into a photo album from the looks of how it turned out. She wouldn't admit it, but she was not only exhausted from the last couple of days of recalling her worst memories with Morelli, she was embarrassed in front of the guys. We had just sat down to dinner when my phone started going nuts. I grabbed a plate of food and continued eating it down on my way to the control room. I have a feeling I'm going to need all the sustenance I can get to deal with whatever clusterfuck was unraveling. Tank was rubbing the top of his head in frustration when I walked up behind him, looking at the monitors that were our lifeline to our clients.

"I sent Les, Cal and Brett to Hayes sporting goods about twenty minutes ago. There's a robbery in progress. Bobby, Hector and Chase are suiting up and heading across town to a vandalism call at the Southwest Greens golf course." He started tapping the large monitor in the middle of the monitor wall. "What's got me worried is this. There's a gang that just pulled up outside our newest client, French's Jewelers." We watched for a few minutes while they slowly drove around the building. They parked out back where they couldn't see our hidden camera surveying the rear exit. Two of them got out, peering in the window which is protected by bars. They went to the trunk of their car and pulled out a battering ram.

"Shit! Tank, you're with me on this one. Who else do we have? "

"Binkie, and a couple contract workers. We need to leave Hal here. I'll get on the com and see who else is available. Let's go suit up."

I called upstairs to my Babe while we got our gear on. I could tell she was concerned and wanted to offer to go along. "We could really use your help on monitors with Hal." Her voice got really excited as she agreed, obviously happy that she could help in some way.

"Love you Carlos, be safe." And she was off and running. Any way to help, and she's like a dog with a bone, not even waiting for me to profess my love in return. This is turning out to be a horrendous night, and technically, at 9:10, it's too early for this kind of shit! The only comfort I have about it all is Steph is safe inside my building, and Hal will keep an eye on her for me.

SPOV

Talking to Hal, it sounds like the first crew headed out an hour ago, the second team 30 minutes ago and Carlos & Tank just drove out of here. That's a lot of crazy for just an hours' worth of time. And it's not even a full moon! Hal and I decided to divide monitors so we could be more vigilant in our watch. I've always liked monitor duty as long as one of my guys was here with me so we could talk, otherwise, it's as boring as hell. Tonight, there was no margin for error, so we didn't talk at all. Oh, my god! "Hal! Look at this!" We traded places so none of the monitors were unchecked.

"Good catch, Steph!" Hal pulled his phone out and got on the phone. "Les, are you guys about done over there? We have a situation and we're out of men." Hal put his phone on speaker so I could hear what Les was saying.

"We just wrapped up and were about to head in. Tell me what you've got."

"Over on Fifth and Broadway, a car ran a red light and right in the store front of Ken's Custom Wheels. From the sounds of the police scanner, they're busting up some big bar scuffle and probably won't be able to respond right away. Can you secure the scene until they arrive?"

"We're on it."

A few minutes after Hal got off the phone, he picked up the line to call Carlos and shot me a look of panic. "Steph the phones are down." Trying to think of what we could do to get them back up, I looked at the monitors and noticed several had gone down.

"Shit! Hal, half the monitors are all snowy. What the hell is going on here?"

Hal reached over and took my hands in his, much larger, calloused hands. "Steph, I don't want you to panic, but I'm going to put you on lock down. This is too much of a coincidence, all the guys getting called away at the same time, the phones, the monitors. I want you secured up on seventh for now, just in case this is what I think it is."

"You think… you think this is because of me? That's ludicrous! Who'd want to..." Oh shit! "You think It's Joe." I'm astonished. Surely he wouldn't go to these lengths to get to me. "If that's the case, then what the fuck is he going to do to me if does manage to get in here?"

"I don't know, darlin', and I sure as hell don't want to find out. I think you'll be safer upstairs, though. Ranger has security measures in your apartment that we don't have down here. I'll take you up, but promise me you won't leave unless I or someone from the core team comes to get you."

"I promise. I'll call Carlos from my cell phone once we get upstairs."

I'm trying really hard here not to go into full blown panic mode, but if this is Joe's doing… I don't even want to go there. We got to the apartment door and Hal gave me a big hug, making me promise to stay inside, no matter what, and be safe.

I went straight for the refrigerator, opening a bottle of water and sitting down with the chocolate cake Ella brought up earlier. I tried calling Carlos, but kept getting a 'no signal' message, so I did the next best thing, pulling out a notepad and pen from the organizer by the phone. Now might be the time to write a letter to Carlos, just in case, god forbid, something happens…

HPOV

I tried calling Ranger, then Tank, then Bobby. 'No signal' the message kept saying on my cell phone. We're screwed. I got on the intercom to Luis and Ella's apartment, asking Luis to come downstairs, immediately. Getting on the building-wide intercom, I asked for any employee in the building to respond to the control room. I have a really bad feeling about all this.

Luis and Ella came down immediately, and Mike, one of our contract workers who was in the shooting range came in right after them, looking out of breath. Mike has been trustworthy so far since he was hired part time almost six months ago, and I have no choice but to trust him. I filled them all in with the night's activities and my suspicions. Luis and Mike ran down the hall to get outfitted with protective gear and weapons while Ella asked me how Steph coping. I told her I thought she was putting on a brave face but had to be terrified.

The lights went out in the building and I reached out to put a flashlight in Ella's hand after flipping it on. "Ella, you'll be safer if you went back to your apartment."

"I'll do nothing of the sort. That girl upstairs is a daughter to me, and anything I can do to help protect her, you bet your last dollar, I will. I'm going to find Luis and get a weapon myself. I'll be right back."

"Ella, ask them to grab walkie-talkies as well, one for all of us, and my gear."

Ella took off down the hall and disappeared into the darkness. This building has never been so dark, so quiet, and so ominous.

Moments after re-grouping, and all of us looking ready for battle, there was a thunderous noise outside and a loud crash from the stairwell.

"We don't know if that came from above or below since the building's monitors are all down. Luis and Ella, take the stairs up to seventh and check on Steph. Mike, take the stairs down to the garage. Shoot to disable, kill if necessary. Signal on the walkie talkies if you need help. Luis, one tone to identify yourself, followed by three short tones if you need assistance. Mike, use two tones to identify yourself, same signal. I'm going to the old comm room to locate a CB radio, and will try to signal the outside. Everyone clear?" All three answered to the affirmative, in unison.

I had made it down one flight of stairs, to the third floor and into the old comm room which we now use for electrical equipment parts and storage. After several minutes of searching, I found the CB radio, disassembled in a box on an upper shelf. Shit! Now what? And right on cue, as if the gods were tormenting me, I heard shots ring out from the stairwell.

EPOV

Oh my! We shot him! Well, Luis shot him technically, but I was right there. I've never been so close to the action before. A man came running from downstairs and when Luis yelled at him to stop and he wouldn't, Luis opened fire, just like Clint Eastwood, or that handsome man from Die Hard. Oh my goodness, I feel like my heart is pounding right out of my chest. I held the gun on the man sprawled out on the stairs in front of us while Luis went to check for a pulse. Before I knew what was happening, the man had Luis by the throat, and threw him against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. He looked over at me and when he took a step in my direction, I had no choice. I shot him. Once. Twice. I lost count. I kept shooting until there were no more bullets. I just wanted to stop him. Seeing blood pool from beneath where he lay, I made it over to Luis on shaky legs. His pulse was strong, but he wouldn't wake up. Please, dear God in heaven, please take care of my dear husband until this mess is over and we can call for help.

I heard more steps, this time from up above us and from between the handrails on the roof level, I saw a man look down at me. He started shooting down the gap, and I went back to Luis, sitting against the wall and pulling him up to me, gun pointed at the stairs. Remembering what Hal told us to do, I signaled him on the walkie talkie to help us.

HPOV

Fuck! Putting the CB box back up on the shelf, Luis signaled me for help and I bolt for the stairwell. My heart stopped as I approached on the fifth floor landing. Ella was cradling Luis on the floor. Rounding the corner, just a couple yards away is a dead intruder, bleeding out.

As if everything were happening at the same moment, the sound of the roof door opening and a helicopter idling broke me out of my stupor. Holy shit! I ran to the four flights of stairs to the roof only to see Steph, out cold in a fireman's carry, getting on the helicopter. I screamed for the guy who had her to stop while I pulled my gun out to shoot him. Not having a clear shot with Steph in the way, the man who has her turns to fire on me, hesitates and pulls his goggles and head gear off. I would know this man from anywhere. Tom Emery, Navy Seal. What the hell? He lowered his gun, salutes me with a smirk and off they went. I couldn't risk shooting at the helicopter and somehow hurting Steph. I dropped to my knees in defeat. They have Stephanie and it's all my fault.

SPOV

I am having a hard time concentrating on this letter what with all the noise outside. Wait… what is that loud noise? It sounds like a loud engine. I took my candle and headed into the bedroom where the noise was the loudest and looked out the window. I couldn't see what it was, but it was coming from the roof. I turned to walk back out to the kitchen when I heard a loud crash behind me. A man dressed head to toe in black swung in on a rope, landing on the floor a few feet from me. Before I even register what to do, I felt the familiar sizzle and my last thought before everything faded to black was from that photo… the look of fear on Carlos' face as he's carrying me to safety in the car accident that almost took my life… I know he'll feel that fear again when he gets home…

RPOV

This nightmare of a night is over and all I want to do is hold my beautiful fiancé. After calling Les' team and Bobby's team, they reported all was well and were heading back. We discovered we are all having a hard time getting a hold of Hal at Rangeman and after that realization, I floored it.

The garage door fob wouldn't work and the entire building was dark. Something is very wrong. Using my manual key to open the front door, I take the stairs, heading for the comm room and hear voices a couple of floors up. I continue upstairs and see Ella sobbing, and praying quietly over Luis. "Ella, what the hell happened?"

"Men came into the building. Cut power… I killed him… Luis won't wake up… Need help…" She was sobbing and trying hard, but not making a lot of sense. Hal came bolting down the stairs, almost running past me.

"Hal!" He looked at me, looking like he was going to break down.

"Ranger! They got her! I don't know how, but they got her! I know the man who had her! We've got to find out where they went!"

"Whoa! Slow down." Hal bent over and put his hands on his knees, trying to take a deep breath. When he stood up, his face was drained of all color.

"There were three of them. Ella killed this one. There was a pilot and a man who made the extraction. They somehow penetrated your apartment and got Steph. She was out cold. I made it to the roof just as he stepped on the helicopter and it lifted off. Before it did though, he turned with her still over his shoulder and aimed at me. He knew me. He lowered his gun, took off his head gear and saluted me as the helicopter lifted off. I couldn't risk shooting and hurting Steph, I didn't have a clear shot."

"All of you left the building on emergencies. The phone lines were cut. The power went out. She was here with me and I sent her to the apartment where I thought she'd be safer. She's gone." Not even caring about my response, Hal hung his head and walked off.

"Fuck!" My worst nightmare!