Chapter 22
The truck pulled up to the gates leading to the garage and Les phoned Tank. It took only a few seconds to connect and Tanks booming voice spoke.
"Report."
Les groused. "Hey man, let us in. We've had a long night and need to get this parked."
They waited as the word went out to the control room to open the gate. Bobby carefully crept down the ramp, driving past all the black vehicles heading out later and parking it in an open space at the back and out of the way. They left room for the car that Woody and Larry would return in.
As they climbed out of the cab and gave a bone-cracking stretch each, the stairway door opened and Tank materialized, striding down to meet them. He looked at the tarped vehicle and mused, "Good thing we rented a truck. He didn't think he had much and actually thought we could just stick it in the trunk."
Bobby shook his head.
"As he got more and more into cleaning out of there, he found more things that he wanted; kids work, stuff his wife had given him, and his photo albums. I think even he was surprised how much was there."
He mused. "Maybe it's like the stuff we keep at our parents' house, saying one day we'll pick it up, and never do, and finally when they move out, well, the pile is rather large!"
Tank nodded his head. "Go take a shower and have some breakfast. Morning meeting is in 20. We'll get this moved after the meeting."
The men headed to the stairs and jogged up the stairs, both Bobby and Les stopping on four and Tank continuing up to five.
~~~o0o~~~
Woody and Larry arrived just as the morning meeting was wrapping up. Tank got a buzz on his phone that they were just pulling into the garage. Once again he headed down and met them.
"Any problems?"
Woody shook his head but his sidelong glance was noticed by Tank.
Tank looked at Larry and ordered, "Get some sleep. You look dead on your feet."
He looked at Woody. "Shower, eat, then see me."
The men wearily headed to the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator made a fast rise to four and they headed to their rooms. The doors closed.
Tank met Les, Bobby and Woody in his office and looked at them. All three looked tired and he had already taken them off their shifts for the day so that they could rest up.
But first he needed some information. He looked at Woody.
"The plan went almost according to what we planned except that we had to wait quite a bit longer to load because the neighbors seemed to all be night-owls on that street. That left Larry and I to do all the hauling up to the hallway. He had to stop and rest quite a bit and finally I told him to sit down and point out to me what he wanted. I think even he was surprised at how much stuff was downstairs hidden here and there."
Woody hesitated and looked at both Les and Bobby for permission to continue. They gave a shrug and nodded.
"Downstairs we found a large metal cage along with a chain and manacle. The box it came in was delivery dated after Larry showed up in Trenton. We all came to the same conclusion that Larry's mom was thinking she would capture Stephanie, bring her back and lock her down there."
He looked at Tank. "I was with him when we went down the stairs the first time. I swear, Tank, that he didn't know it was coming. He just stood there, and honest to god, I thought he was going to pass out. Bobby hadn't arrived yet and I was mentally reviewing my first aid training."
Tank stood with his best blank face on. If anything or anyone came even close to stealing Little Girl and imprisoning her, well, hell would be too good for anyone who tried.
Woody continued. "We made pretty short work at cleaning out his room, which was in the basement. It felt damp and I'm wondering if some of Larry's health issues are from the environment."
Everyone looked at Bobby and he nodded. He would go over his notes and see if that might be an extenuating factor for some of his maladies.
Les spoke up. "Yeah, and the office with all the pictures in it of our girl. Any man standing near her; Ranger, Joe, any of us or any cops had a big X over the picture. Then a facial picture of her birth dad was put beside her. That wall gave me the creeps."
He looked like he had given a little shudder.
Bobby spoke. "I got the definite impression that there were parts of that house Larry didn't go in."
Woody continued. "We started to load, the box under the bed going in the front seat for safekeeping. With the four of us going back and forth, it went really fast and Les and Bobby were just about to leave when a cop car pulled up. I guess a neighbor phoned."
Les took over again. "Larry's a pretty fast talker when he wants to be. We were hiding in one of the bedrooms and heard him telling the cops that he was helping to pack up a buddy and they were squatting overnight before the buddy left. Bobby nodded at me to head to the bathroom and pretend I was in there and then come out, so I flushed the toilet and came out. They were pretty suspicious but seemed to take our story at face value. We were feeling pretty smug that our story held until Bobby noticed that they had snuck back and were watching the house. I guess we weren't as convincing as we thought."
Bobby then spoke. "While we waited for the cops to leave, we sat in the living room. Larry tried to stay in there with us too, but he looked really uncomfortable in there. I think he spent most of the time in his room downstairs."
After they left, we waited for another hour or so then hightailed it out of town and drove here. We didn't want to be seen on the road in case they called in the plate for a closer look."
Tank spoke to all three. "You're off shift for today. Get out of here and sack out. I don't want to see your ugly faces until tomorrow."
All three practically snapped to attention then headed for the door. Bedtime right now sounded pretty good.
~~~o0o~~~
Ranger carried their bags into the hotel and to the lobby. He mentally congratulated himself that he had made the decision to stay in the hotel so they could relax.
The trip to the house where her birth grandmother lived was certainly eye-opening and while he would have liked to protect his Babe from seeing it in person, she needed it to confirm that the materials had indeed come from the house where Mrs. Morrison lived. At the same time, neither he nor his men would ever mention the cage in the basement that appeared to look like it was to confine her if and when the birth grandmother could grab her.
They settled in the room. Stephanie looked at the jet tub in the massive bathroom and practically moaned in anticipation.
Ranger walked in and began to fill the tub with water. He added some of the scented oils sitting on the tray beside the tub and watched the bubbles grow higher and higher.
Reaching what he deemed the perfect depth, he shut off the water and walked out.
Stephanie had taken his phone and was going through the pictures, then back again, then forward. A tiny frown was making her brow wrinkle and she looked up at Ranger.
"I keep looking at everyone trying to recognize whose nose I have, whose eyes, my build, and stuff like that. At the same time, I'm finally seeing where my genes came from. I admit that I'm not happy with the situation, but at the same time, at least now I know."
She looked at Ranger. "I guess I can now identify with an adopted kid. They know they're loved by their now family but the reason why they were signed away is so hard to understand."
She stopped at the copy of the letter.
"I was going to ask Bobby if both Larry and I could do a DNA test and would it be conclusive enough, but this letter seems to tell me that Charles Morrison and I are certainly related. While I'm not all that happy, at least it's confirmed that it's true what the pictures and the letter were saying."
Ranger looked at the picture. Letter or not, he was going to arrange for another DNA test. He didn't mention to Stephanie that he too had taken some hair from the hairbrushes in all the rooms and would have them tested. His would be a four way test.
She put the phone down and walked over to Ranger, wrapping her arms around him.
"What I am thankful for is being in the right place to meet you and marry you."
Ranger hugged her to him. He had vowed to protect his babe for the rest of his life, but he was also prepared to protect her from as much of any bad situations as he could.
"I drew you a bath, Babe."
Stephanie leaned in harder and a little sob escaped. He was so good to her and some days she felt that she was taking advantage, but right now she needed all that he could give.
They walked slowly to the bathroom and Stephanie started to climb out of her clothes. "Come in with me, my husband."
He nodded and also began to take off his clothes. First Ranger stepped into the tub and then Stephanie followed. He sat down and she sat down in front of him, her back to his front.
Ranger picked up a loofah and putting on some body wash, he began to soap her back, making lazy circles moving up and down her back, over her shoulders, and up and down her arms.
Stephanie practically purred in contentment. She could just feel the stress leave her body. Now, this was heaven.
The water was getting a bit cool and Ranger motioned for Stephanie to stand up, then he stood up. He reached onto the stand with the towels and took a large bath sheet, shaking it out and beginning to softly dab at her skin, never rubbing hard, just soft strokes to dry her without chapping.
Next he quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and took another towel, wrapping her hair in it and letting the tail hang down over one shoulder.
He handed her a hotel bathrobe and slipped into his pants. Having made a decision earlier, he had called for a breakfast appetizer selection tray with Room Service.
Right on cue, there was a knock on the door. Ranger accepted the trolley and tipping the delivery man, he closed the door and pushed the trolley to the small table in the corner of the room.
Stephanie walked over and sat in one of the chairs, looking out the window to the night skyline that had wowed visitors for many, many years. There was a slight pink tinge to the skyline that morning was coming fairly soon.
Ranger poured orange juice into each goblet, and handing one to her, he lifted his in a toast.
"No FUBAR's Babe, and we may have helped out a good man in the process."
Stephanie sighed. "I'm still so confused why that family was so dysfunctional and mine, well, they're not perfect either, but at least I grew up knowing that if I was in trouble or needed a hug, it was there."
Ranger looked at her. He mused that right now she was in that honeymoon period that the family she had grown up with had done nothing wrong. He knew for a fact that she had been unconsciously played the 'other child' sometimes. Valerie was the living example. Stephanie had mentioned so many times that Saint Valerie had wanted for nothing, where Edna and Harry had stepped in on so many occasions for Stephanie.
They finished the tray and headed to the bed. Under the bathrobe Stephanie has slipped on a sexy camisole and frilly panties, and Ranger's mouth literally watered. He so wanted to rip that outfit off his babe but he let her dictate their next move. Would she need comfort staying in his arms, nestled in with her head tucked under his chin? Would she want to be loved and taken away from thinking about what she saw? Would she wake up with nightmares from what she had seen in that room?
Stephanie reached out for her husband. It looked like she knew what she wanted tonight.
She leaned into him and gave a soft kiss to his lips, then began to gently kiss down his chin, his neck then to his chest. Her hands moved down from the sides of his face to his chest, caressing his skin. She walked her hands ever lower, down past his waist to his strong and muscular hips. Moving inwards, she cupped his balls and gently massaged them, making Ranger draw in his breath.
He shuddered as she stroked his manhood, sliding her hand up and down the shaft.
Ranger scooped her up and laid her on the bed, skillfully removing the bathrobe and looking at the pretty undergarments. With a tug, he dislodged the cami and slid down the panties.
A man could only take so much.
