Chapter 2 - The Beginning of the End

SPOV - At Point Pleasant

I pulled into the hotel parking lot and parked my car. I was lucky that it was winter so almost all of the hotels were in the off season so I was able to get a good discount on one near the beach. I grabbed my duffle and the box with Rex and headed in to check in. Once I got my room assignment and headed up to put my stuff away I decided to go get some food near the boardwalk. I found a little Mexican place and went in to order some tacos to go and headed back to my hotel.

I sat in the semi comfortable arm chair in the room to eat and look out at the ocean. Scrolling through pinterest I was trying to find a good way to put Rex to rest without having to dig into the cold ground. I found step by step instructions on how to turn a cardboard box into a boat. I knew that as soon as I pushed it off from the shore it was possible that it would only get 200 feet before some other animal came and snatched him but hey it was still a good metaphor for his life and it wasn't like his little hamster soul was still in there. With that decided I took off my clothes, put on one of Ranger's Rangeman T-Shirt's and headed to bed.

I woke up the next morning and called down to the front desk to see if they had scissors and tape otherwise I would stop at the CVS down the street. Luckily the lady at the front desk was extremely accommodating so I ran down and picked up the supplies. I followed the directions and was quickly finished with the little boat. I decided to only use the top of the box so that I could keep Rex in the bottom until I got to the ocean. I put on my winter gear and headed out.

Lucky for me and unfortunate for the planet it was an unseasonably warm day and was a cool 56 degrees and the sun was brightly shining. It was a Tuesday so the beach was mostly empty except for a few elderly couples walking up by the boardwalk. I made it down to the waterfront and carefully placed Rex in the little boat. I crouched down and pushed it off into the water where the wind took hold of it and quickly carried it out to sea. I went further back on to the beach and sat down to watch it float out.

I sat for about 30 minutes before I decided to do some retail therapy by shopping along the boardwalk. Then on my way back to the hotel I would stop and get a pad of paper and a pen so I could write out my New Year's Resolutions and plans to achieve them. Then once I figured it all out I would go back home.

TPOV - Back at Rangeman

I pulled into the garage at Rangeman and looked down at my phone to see 20 new messages waiting. I knew taking the day after New Year's off was probably a mistake but Ranger had been what Steph calls in the wind for almost 4 months and I was getting restless. I spent a wonderful day with Lula relaxing, loving, and cooking. I didn't get to do it often but I loved to cook. My momma taught me from a young age how to cook all the family recipes so I had decided to spend the day cooking for Lula and introducing her to all of my favorite meals including brisket, gumbo, and bananas foster.

After we woke up in the morning we got up and discussed the evening before. Lula had tried to call Steph multiple times after we left the club and watched her get in the uber. She also tried to call her in the morning but we hadn't heard from her. We were incredibly worried so I called into the control room to get a location on her trackers. They all said she was at home so we decided to give her a day to process before Lula and Connie would try to get her to rejoin society.

We got Steph's text around five while I was in the kitchen prepped for dinner. Lula came in to sit at the kitchen bar and talk.

"I'm worried about her. First she finds out the cop is two timing her and now the one of the only things that girl cares about is dead." Lula said in the most sincere way she could without swearing. I loved her but she has a mouth like a sailor.

"I know and the one person that could make it all be okay is in the middle of some jungle" I half said half snarled. "He may be my best friend but his determination to still do these government missions is going to split us apart someday if he keeps adding years to his contract" I knew that he was due to renegotiate after this mission so I hoped to God that he would finally come to his senses and end his contract.

"What do you think he'll do if he ever does end his contract?" Lula asked while reaching over the counter to swipe some of the filling of the pecan pie I was making.

"I don't know but if he doesn't get his head out of his ass and admit to Steph he's in love with her I'll have to beat him up"

"I feel the same way about Steph. Ain't it crazy how the two of the most brilliant people in the world are also the most stupid when it comes to relationships. They're in love with each other and they're the only two people who don't see it."

"The world works in mysterious ways" I finished filling the pie and put it in the oven before turning to get the plates down for dinner. "I'll send a text to Lester to have a patrol team sent out to keep Steph safe while she's in Point Pleasant. Hopefully she'll come back and not stay away. I don't know wanna have to tell Ranger she left when he gets back"

"You're a good friend not just to Ranger but to Steph too and I love that" Lula said smiling at me as we carried our plates over to the dining table to have dinner.

I walked into Lester's Office and sat down on the couch.

"Hey man, welcome back!" Lester said as he finished typing up an email.

"Report on Steph and her trip?"

"We sent Hal and Cal. They checked in last night and this morning. She is staying at a Hotel on the beach and hasn't left her room since they got there."

"Good, what did I miss here?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, no break-ins probably cause they're all hungover from the new years celebrations. Me and Bobby are gonna take Friday off if that's okay."

"HUA. What are you guys gonna get up to? I got word from Ranger's handler that everything is about to wrap up so hopefully he will be home by the end of the month."

"Thank God I can't wait to get out from behind this desk! We were gonna spend a day in New York. Bobby wanted to see a new African artifacts exhibit at the MET and then we're gonna go to the Rangers Game."

"Sounds good you two have fun and don't do anything Ranger wouldn't do"

"Aye Aye Captain!" Lester responded laughing to himself.

I got up and went back to my office. Lester and Bobby had been hanging out a lot the past six months. Me and Ranger had our suspicions that they were becoming more than friends but neither one would admit it. We knew that they would sometimes bed the same woman at the same time so it didn't surprise us that they may end up in some type of relationship eventually.

We noticed that they both had stopped talking about their conquests unless asked and even then they only mentioned that it was the same as always, meet a girl, take her home and leave before the rooster sings. About the time Ranger left for his mission they started taking their days off together. I hope they tell us about their relationship soon. I can tell how happy they are and I want to be able to support them.

I pulled up the tracker for Hal and Cal in the background of my other computer tabs so I could check on it throughout the day. It looked like they were on the Boardwalk right now. Steph must be shopping, definitely happy I'm not there. I decided to start my day with next week's duty rosters and then move onto payroll.

RPOV - Somewhere in a Jungle

The new plan went exactly as expected. The information we acquired was that the De La Cruz family was going to be throwing a giant New Year's Eve bash filled with lots of booze, hookers, and gambling. I waited in the brush on the edge of the compound until just after 2 am. I knew that there was a secret entrance on the right side of the property that led directly into a maze of tunnels that led into the master bedroom. I got into the compound with relative ease and made my way to the room. I knew the direction to go as my informant was the son of one of the maid's for the family who had been kidnapped from her family and forced to work for the La Cruz family. He and his mom were forced to live with the other service workers in the basement of the compound but that was also incredibly lucky because he was able to find the tunnel system.

The deal I made was to get him and his mom safely out of the compound and the country if he got me into the compound and to my mark without any trouble. I made it to the servant's quarters door and knocked 3 times. This was our call sign that he was to grab his mom and get them to the end of the tunnel within 5 minutes or I would leave him there. I continued making my way to the master bedroom finding the stairs that led up to the door. I slowly opened the food to find myself in a small closet. I felt around for the latch and found myself stepping out from behind a bookcase. There was about 4 or 5 women passed out on the ground around the be and Armando and his brother Diego, who I recognized from the mission file I had been given, they were lying on the bed fast asleep. I pulled out my gun with the silencer and held it up to Armando's head. I put one shot into his head and the other into his heart. I repeated the process with his brother.

While he wasn't part of my mission I knew that the government was watching him and it was likely he was next in succession to his brother so by taking him out it saves another Ranger back home from having to make the trip down to take him out too. I quickly made my way back through the bookcase, latching it closed and running back up to the exit. The boy and his mother were waiting in the shadows and we quickly ran out and jumped into the truck I hotwired on my way into the compound.

We drove about 3 hours to an airstrip about 125 miles north of the compound. Once there we were met by a unit of a nearby military camp who took the boy and his mother to safety. I got on a plane that was waiting for me on the airstrip to get me out of the country and back home by morning. Too bad I still had mandatory debrief and renegotiating. I couldn't wait to get back to Trenton.