Stephanie glared at Ranger from the passenger seat.
"You've known where Lester Santos was ALL THIS TIME?" she asked, her voice rising with each word.
"I did," he admitted.
"And you never thought to say anything?" she asked, incredulous. He glanced at her again. Dios Mio, he shouldn't be thinking this way but Stephanie bathed in anger made him want to pull off of the road for an entirely different reason than discussion. He mentally counted down before answering, attempting to get his libido in check.
"You'll understand when you meet him, Babe," he said. He turned into the parking garage and walked around the vehicle to help her out. She slapped his hand away. As they reached the doorway it opened and the largest man that Stephanie had ever seen walked through. Her eyes were level with his black clad chest and as she lifted her head, she thought she'd never reach his face. When she finally did, she found him smiling down at her. Stephanie guessed him to be slightly over 7 feet. His skin was the color of rich milk chocolate and Stephanie felt her stomach grumble. It had been a while since dinner. It had to be 3am, her usual snack time.
"I'm Tank," he said, extending an extra large sized hand.
"Yes, you are," she gasped and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Tank laughed appreciatively. Something like a growl escaped from Ranger and Tank held up his hands.
"Just being friendly, boss," he said, cheerfully.
"Is Lester ready?" Ranger asked, sounding none too happy.
"Depends on what you consider ready." Tank said. "He has the shakes and was vomiting. Bobby gave him something and he seems to have calmed but he's been trying to fight me."
"Death wish?" Ranger quipped, partly serious.
"Seems like," Tank said. Stephanie watched the exchange. Ranger had told her that Lester had a drinking problem but from the way Ranger and Tank were talking, he was nearer deaths door.
"Let's go talk to him, Babe," Ranger said and then added as an aside to Tank, "Be prepared." Stephanie heard the yelling before they entered the apartment.
"I'm a prisoner HERE!" a deep voice yelled. "Ranger has no right to keep me here. Don't you see how bad I need a drink? I thought your oath was all about preserving life. You're killing me!"
"You need this, Les," another voice said, the tone soothing. "Just take the medicine. It'll help you. I promise."
"Fuck you, Bobby!" the first voice yelled, a crash sounding from the other room. Ranger picked up the pace and gestured that Stephanie should stay with Tank.
"The fucking price, himself," the first voice growled. "You're going to jail, Ranger. You can't keep me here like this, it's illegal and it's wrong and Bobby is slowly poisoning me. You may be tough but you're gonna be popular in prison." There was a sound of skin hitting bone and someone hitting the floor.
"Are you done?" Ranger said, calmly. He motioned for Tank and Stephanie to come forward. Stephanie saw a Hispanic man that she instantly recognized sitting on the floor wiping blood from his chin. She'd never met him but had seen him many times in Pinos sitting at the bar. She hadn't connected this man with the strong and vital looking person in the file picture.
"Fuck you," Lester said. He spotted Stephanie and spit blood in Bobby's directions, "Bringing dates to the zoo now, Ranger?" he asked.
"This is Stephanie Plum, she's a bounty hunter who has the task of taking you in to the police." Ranger explained. "I'm trying to convince her to let me help you. You know what they'll do to you once you go in. You'll be railroaded straight through that system. Couple of years you'll be a Dateline story about the promising military recruit gone bad after his girl is killed. Is that what she would have wanted, Les?"
"Don't you say her name," he snapped.
"I didn't. Is this how she would have wanted to see you? And in front of a lady? She was a good girl, Les, she wouldn't have wanted you to be like this." Ranger said softly, Lester started crying. Stephanie slipped past Tank and Ranger and wrapped her arms around Lester. He smelled so bad but the anguish in his heaving sobs kept her locked to his side. Ranger watched in frozen fear. The Lester he knew wouldn't do anything to Stephanie but this Lester, he couldn't be sure. He sagged in relief when the man wrapped his arms around Stephanie and buried his face in her dark curls. She stroked his back. When his sobbing calmed, Lester pulled away and seemed to wince in pain at the blood he'd left on Stephanie's shirt and shoulder. She ignored it and took his hands.
"Will you tell me what happened?" she asked softly? He nodded.
"I-I-I don't remember all of it," he said.
"Just tell me what you remember," she prompted.
"I will," he said, nodding before throwing up on her lap.