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Chapter 10

Stephanie waited with her grandma until Ranger knocked and walked into the room.

He looked none the worse for wear, but his facial expression was firmly blank. He looked back and one of the men on the door followed him with a rolling cart filled with balloons, flowers, cards, and a fruit basket.

The flowers looked a bit crooked sitting in what looked like a hospital container. The balloons were fine but the sticks holding them were slightly bent. The fruit basket looked like it had been overturned and then the fruit hastily tossed back into the basket.

Ranger looked at Stephanie and shook his head. He would talk to her outside the room.

Grandma Mazur didn't comment on the look of the gifts, but smiled a happy smile. She nodded to the shelf across from her and Stephanie placed everything but the fruit basket carefully in her line of sight, standing up the cards so that the pictures were facing directly at the recipient.

Edna's face was starting to get that tired look, so Stephanie kissed her grandmother on the cheek, squeezed her hand and murmured.

"We'll come back later, Grandma. You rest now and get yourself strong for that operation."

Just then, a nurse strode in with a new clear bag of liquid and a small tray with two syringes.

"Mrs. Mazur, time for another shot of iron and something to make you sleep, dear."

Grandma nodded tiredly.

Ranger and Stephanie waited for the medication to be inserted in the IV then watched as Mrs. Mazur slipped into sleep.

They followed the nurse out and spoke outside the closed door.

"She's responding very well to the meds and the surgeon has booked her operation for tomorrow. We'll find out later today what time and will contact you."

Stephanie nodded at the nurse, while Ranger stepped back to speak to the two men on the door.

"Stay vigilant. We just had one attempt, there could be more."

He turned on his heel and putting his hand on the small of her back, he walked with Stephanie to the elevator.

She reached up and removed a rose petal from his shirt by the shoulder and could feel a wet spot on his shirt.

Stepping in, she waited until the door closed before speaking.

"What happened out there?"

Ranger shrugged. "I had just exited off the elevator and was walking down the hallway with the trolley when a male came out the stairwell down the hall, and walked toward the door. He tried to enter the room and Gord and Murray blocked the way. I pushed the trolley at him then I tackled him from behind and cuffed him. Zero and Chris were just coming on in relief so Gord and Murray took him back to RangeMan. I talked to Tank and he's arranging things at RangeMan. When we get back, I'm going to talk to our attacker."

Stephanie shook her head.

"You may want to talk to him, but I want to talk to him too. If he's the one sending these packages I want to know why now. This is my life he's messing with."

Ranger looked down at her and after a moment, he nodded.

"Fine, Babe, but I'm going to be in the room too."

Stephanie agreed. Maybe they could finally get some answers about what's going on.

The trip was made in silence, but Ranger had his right hand over Stephanie's the entire way back to the building.

Pulling into his personal spot, he turned off the ignition and looked over at Stephanie.

"I suggest we wait an hour or so before heading down. It's been my experience that the longer someone stays contained in a small room without anything to see except the four gray walls, then the mind sometime dwells on a worst case scenario. That makes it easier to get them to talk."

She knew that he had been well trained over the years to extract information from a less than co-operative detainee.

They headed up to five and stopped at her cubicle.

Ranger gave her a kiss on the lips and only slightly scowled at the wolf whistles. She put her hand up to the side of his face and kissed him, looking in his eyes, and murmuring, "Love you."

They separated and Ranger headed to his office. By now, his desk would probably be piled high with files to be looked at.

Stephanie sat down and pulled the tray closer. She needed to take her mind off what was happening and until some answers were forthcoming, well, there was always work to be done.

Almost to the hour, Ranger materialized behind her and Stephanie quickly put the files back in the tray and shut down her computer. Who knew when she would return?

Hand in hand they headed to the stairway. Taking the steps down, they arrived in the basement and walked to the door with Woody standing guard.

He spoke. "Cameras are on and tape running boss, but other than some fidgeting, he hasn't tried to free himself."

Ranger nodded his head and Woody turned around, unlocking the door, and waited for him to slip inside.

Stephanie stayed outside. She was not trained in interrogation, but it was always interesting to see how Ranger dealt with a situation.

She and Woody watched as Ranger approached the chair. The man was cuffed with his arms locked down by his side and shackles could be seen encasing his ankles.

He looked up as Ranger approached.

"My name is Carlos Manoso, or Ranger. My wife's name is Stephanie Manoso, maiden name Plum."

He paused for that information to sink in.

"You have been dropping off packages to her and I want to know why you're targeting my wife."

The man shook his head and looked down.

Ranger walked closer and put his hands on the table separating them. He looked positively dangerous anytime, but up close and personal, well, he had assumed an even deadlier demeanor.

He barked. "Talk".

The man jumped at the command, but to his credit looked up from where he had been staring at the floor and softly spoke.

"I wanted to talk to her and I guess I'm not very good at following someone. I wasn't trying to hurt her, honest, but when I had that courier drop off the package and then I took the other bag to your office, even I thought that it would look bad."

He tried to move his arms but the restraints kept him solidly in place.

He sighed as if a great weight was suddenly being lifted off his shoulders.

"I was watching this building and saw her leave in a black car. I just thought I would talk to her when she stopped but when the car stopped in the hospital parking lot and she and someone else walked in, I parked and raced in just in time to look at the elevator number stop on the fifth floor. I took the next elevator to the 4th floor and then walked up the last flight. I was going to just wait in the stairwell by the doorway for her to come past me. I waited as long as I could then opened the door and walked up to these two guys dressed in black, intending to ask them if they had seen a lady walk down the hallway. I was going to try to talk to her."

Ranger leaned against the table and crossed his arms.

The man sitting looked at him and shuddered. He looked really serious.

Ranger spoke.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

The man looked down and almost whispered his answer.

"My brothers' name was Charles Morrison. The woman who you call Stephanie, well, my late brother was her birth father."

Ranger looked at the man and waved his hand as if to elaborate some more.

"Michelle Lawrence was my brother Chucks' girlfriend. When she got pregnant, we thought that he would finally settle down and attempt to be a good father."

He looked at Ranger who literally looked at him daring him to continue talking.

The man cringed and looked like he was almost ready to fold into himself. Sweat broke out on his forehead at the intense glare that Ranger was sending his way.

"When Michelle gave birth, Chuck was livid that it was a girl and quite frankly I was scared that he might do something stupid to either Michelle or the baby. I went to the hospital and offered that they could come to my place to stay until her parents came back.

Michelle really didn't want to go back to Chuck's home since she was terrified of mom, and as it turned out, well founded, I might add."

He gulped and looked like he needed something to drink, but spoke again.

"She tried to be brave and told me that she would go back to the house but if she felt in danger, could she phone me for help? Her parents were on a missionary quest and were scheduled to be home in time for the birth, but well, Michelle had the baby early."

He cleared his throat.

"My brother was involved in a lot of shit at the time and Michelle would have heard things so knew too much. I know she was afraid for her life, but she was terrified for her baby's.

About a week after she got out of the hospital she came home from buying some baby supplies at the store and there was no baby. Mom was absolutely livid and demanded that she tell what she had done with her, but Michelle stayed strong. Then Chuck came home and she was being blasted on two fronts."

He swallowed as if the memory was painful and then continued.

"I got a panicky phone call from her and she begged me to come and save her. I flew over to the house and found her bleeding from a cut lip and it looked like she had been slapped since I could see some bruises forming on her face."

He continued after a grimace. "I tried to protect her but I was literally thrown out of the house and my girlfriend took me to the hospital for what turned out to be a broken jaw. By the time I got out of Emergency, well Michelle had disappeared during the night."

Ranger put up his hand to stop the man from speaking.

"Why didn't you allow the hospital to call the police and press charges?"

Larry looked at Ranger and he could see the terrified look that quickly crossed his face.

"You don't know my mother and quite frankly, I was too afraid that Chuck's gang friends would come after me if I reported it."

He looked at Ranger and continued.

"I couldn't talk but drew the hospital a picture that I had tried a trick with my bike and wore a railing on the way down. I know they didn't believe me, but I stuck to my story and they didn't choose to pursue it."

Ranger looked at him as he sat slumped in the chair.

"He was your brother. And she was the mother to your newborn niece."

The man looked up at Ranger and he could see a beaten man in front of him. The man was talking faster now as if he needed to tell someone.

"I'm not a strong person. I was afraid for my own life, and yes, I should have done more, but I didn't."

Ranger changed his tone of voice.

"What do you want me to call you?"

The man looked at Ranger.

"I'm Larry Morrison."

Larry licked his lips as if he was very thirsty. Ranger looked at him then at the camera in the corner and mimicked a glass of water.

Stephanie stepped to a water cooler with paper cups and straws beside it. She filled up the cup and put a straw in the glass then gave it to Woody.

He unlocked and opened the door, handing the glass to Ranger.

Ranger walked back to Larry and held the glass with the straw close so that he could take a drink. Larry took a number of big draws then released the straw and nodded his head that he had had enough.

Ranger put the glass on the table, looked up at the camera and nodded.

Woody unlocked the door and Stephanie stepped in.

Larry looked at her and a tear fell. Unconsciously he tried to lift an arm to wipe it away, but the restraints kept his movements to a minimum.

He continued to stare at her almost in amazement.

"I'm trying very hard not to call you Michelle, but you look so very much like your mother."

Stephanie looked at Ranger and then stepped closer to the man.

"I have so many questions, but first, have you heard from or about her since she fled?"

Larry shook his head.

"It's like she dropped off the face of the earth and we've never seen her or heard what happened to her since she disappeared."

Ranger stepped back and leaned against the wall, still watching carefully.

Stephanie tried to marshal her thoughts.

Ranger stepped to the door as a soft knock could be heard, receiving the papers thrust through the opening. The door closed and he resumed his post against the wall, quickly scanning the contents.

Meanwhile, Stephanie looked down at the man.

"On the video of Michelle bringing me back from the hospital there is a man holding a suitcase. Was that you?"

Larry looked up. "Yes, it was. We were friends and she'd told me how uneasy she was going back. She wanted me there."

Stephanie changed her questioning since this line was upsetting Larry.

"You say you're unemployed. What did you do before you lost your job?"

Larry's shoulders drooped further. "I didn't do well in school and never finished so I drifted around some until I could find something I liked to do. I tried the Army but that didn't work out. I've always liked to paint, but with the economy, nobody wants to or can't renovate, so the jobs dried up and I lost my job."

Stephanie nodded her head. This story was being re-told all over the country. No jobs, no work, no money. Homeless people everywhere desperate to get something to feed themselves or their families.

Larry was beginning to look shaky. Both Ranger and Stephanie could see the change in him and Ranger nodded his head.

Stepping away from the door, he strode over to the two of them.

"I'm checking out your story. I do have questions and I know that my wife will have many more, but until I'm sure, I'm going to keep you here at RangeMan. If you are who you say you are and stay upfront with us, we will keep you for a bit, but maybe in a bit less uncomfortable setting. It's still secure and there will be a guard on the door but at least you will have a proper room. You will not be able to contact the outside world as yet. I will uncuff you so that you can stand up. Can I trust you not to attempt anything stupid?"

Ranger looked at Larry nodding his head.

"The other alternative is that the police will be called and we will provide them with enough evidence that you will be charged with as many things we can think of. It's your choice, but if more information surfaces that will add to what we already have, well, we'll take immediate action."

Stephanie looked at Ranger. Was that an empty threat?

Ranger motioned Stephanie to stand back, then he unshackled one ankle, then another. Looking at the man's face, he unlocked one wrist restraint, then the other.

Nodding, he gave permission for Larry to stand up. He was a bit unsteady after sitting so long in one position and stood there massaging his wrists and grimacing.

Woody stepped in and with the door open, he motioned for Larry to come out. Gently taking him by the arm, he led him down the hall to a different room, and nodded for him to go in.

There was a tray of food on the table, covered by plastic lids.

Closing and locking the door, he stood outside the room.

()()()()

Authors Note – Sooo, I have this penny in my hand. Heads, I post Saturday, tails, well, on Monday.

Myrna