Unapologize

By:PricklySare

A/N: As always thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story. I'm glad that you find my OC's, as well as my version of JE's characters amusing and loveable. Thanks again to my Babes, the M's as well as Stayce for her insight, humor, and quick eye. Your Princeton Professors can kick my Harvard Professors' asses any day. LOL:) Thanks Babe.

Sare

Chapter Forty-Five: Dead Rangers Don't Tell Tales-Part Three

A little over twenty-four hours later, refreshed and rejuvenated, I paid cash for a burn phone at a rundown mini-mart. The place had more bars than many of the prisons I'd spent time in, and the wary eyes of the owner gave the impression they were familiar with robberies and death. I had a contact nearby with a burn pack for me. It contained a completely new identity known only by them, legal documents, and cash. Keeping my presence in the states, the fact that I was still alive really, a secret was a requirement for my investigation.

I went back to my room and dialed a familiar, yet rarely used number. It rang once and was picked up with a single terse word, "Ortiz."

"Rico, it's time for the phoenix," I said without any introduction. There was only a slight pause on the phone.

"When and where?" he asked.

"As soon as possible. Imperial Beach."

"I'm in the field doing a training op. I'll send Kass."

"Okay," I said.

"You still have her number?"

"Yes."

"Send her a text with your pick up location. She'll be there as soon as she can."

"Gracias, Rico," I said, relief in my voice.

"De nada. Expect to have dinner with us. You've been missed."

"Looking forward to it," I said, and then hung up. It was late morning, and I hadn't had food since the energy bar I'd eaten right after crossing into the US. My body was telling me it was time for fuel, so I headed to a little restaurant down the block from my room and spent some time torturing the temple with grease and fat. Steph would never believe it.

After I'd finished eating I'd walked along the pier, frustrated that there didn't seem to be anything I could do until I was picked up. I hated not being able to move forward, and not having access to secure computers was pissing me off. After an hour of staring out at the ocean, thinking about Steph, I'd headed back to my room to review the information I did have access to. The pictures that were included in the packet I'd removed off the contact in Mexico were stored with my gear, and I decided it was time to take a closer look at them.

The pictures of Steph made my heart thud in my chest. It had only been ten days since I'd left, ten long days since she'd had the showdown with her sister. It could have been an eternity. I flipped through the stack of various sized images, each one depicting a moment in Steph's life. She was obviously unaware of the photos being taken, and once again I felt rage burn in my gut at the knowledge that some of them had come from the Rangeman security cameras. Someone at Rangeman had a death wish. I just didn't know who… yet.

I knew it wasn't one of the core team, they were all incredibly close to Steph, and were even present in some of the photos. We'd hired three new guys in the past six months, and best guess, one of them would be the leak. I started making a mental list of the guys and what I knew about them. It would've been useful to be able to call Tank and have him pull their files, but at that moment it wasn't possible.

Jules Hendricks, went by the name Hades and wasn't the typical Rangeman employee. He didn't really fit in, and I had learned early on to not put him on duty with Steph. I wasn't sure what it was, but something about the way he acted around her had made me uncomfortable, so I kept them separated as often as possible. She'd never said anything, and neither had any of the other guys, but I was pretty sure that there had been some sort of confrontation between the two. He went on the short list until I knew more about it.

Nathan "Tex" Echolls was a good ol' boy from a rural town in Texas. He was the oldest son of a cattle rancher, and had given up his rights to the ranch the day he'd joined the army. I'd met him a few times during my time in the military, and he'd struck me as a hard worker; capable of following as well as leading. He was the newest member of the team and also the least likely to be the one responsible for the breach in security. I tended to trust my instincts, and my gut was telling me he wasn't the guy.

I didn't know much about Bill Lewis, and wasn't around when he'd been hired on. He'd been with Rangeman for about four months and seemed like a solid worker. He hadn't had any problems, and got along well with the guys. But he hadn't been around long, and I hadn't really seen him interact with Steph, he was going on the list as well. I'd make sure I learned more about these three men as soon as I had access to a secure computer.

Two hours later I received a final text from Kass. Pulling up outside. I grabbed my gear and headed out the door, glad to be moving again. Kassandra Ortiz was five foot five, had strawberry blonde hair and alabaster skin with a smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose. I'd first met her when she was twenty-four and newly married to her Marine husband, Rico. Even then, I knew she was going to be a handful, and since then she'd become the strength that helped her husband remain focused on the Marines he leads. .

My gear went in the hatch of her Mazda five before I slid myself into the passenger seat. I placed a kiss on her cheek and said, "Long time, Kass. You're looking good."

"Too long, Carlos," she said. "You're cute, you know that? I feel like a beached whale and you're telling me I look good. You're definitely good for the self-esteem."

"Pregnancy suits you," I told her glancing in the backseat I noticed it was empty. "Where's the Goose?"

"I dropped her off at her friend's house. We'll pick her up on the way home," she said pulling out of the parking lot. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye before saying, "Your burn pack is behind your seat. Figured you'd like to have it sooner, rather than later." I turned around in my seat and grabbed the black backpack and frowned.

"Kass, what is this?"

"It's a backpack."

"I see that, but why does it have a pink pony on the front?" I was pretty sure she smirked before answering.

"The Goose picked it out."

I sighed, "She's lucky she's cute. This is going to ruin my image."

"Aww, poor you. Is the big bad mercenary concerned about his manhood?" She taunted me with a huge smile. "Besides, the pony makes it inconspicuous. No one would ever think to look for a burn pack in a little girl's backpack." She had a point.

"I'll give you that. You'd have made a great government asset, but I still don't know why Rico does it."

"Does what?" she asked as she merged onto the freeway.

"Puts up with you."

"Because, I'm good in bed," she said with a bright smile. "And, we make pretty babies together. I think that is more than enough reason to put up with me."

"There is that," I said smiling and relaxed into the seat. It was nice to have a few minutes of normal conversation to reaffirm that not everything in life was fucked up. It gave me hope for Steph and me. Music was playing softly and I could barely make out the words, but I knew that it was country and couldn't help but smile. When Rico had first introduced us, she wouldn't listen to country. Now, six years later she had it on her Ipod. I just shook my head and let the music and the motion of the car soothe me. Soon enough I was going to have to explain why I was there. Kass was giving me time to relax, but I had no doubt that she had a whole barrage of questions bumping around in her head.

As if she could read my mind she said, "Don't think you're going to get away with locking yourself in Rico's office and having a powwow without me. You're going to tell me everything that is going on, and why exactly I drove three hours to damn near the Mexican border." She took a breath before saying, "However, you look like you've been ridden hard and put away wet, so I'll let you relax until Rico gets home. Then you'll tell both of us."

I decided to ignore the comment about how I looked. No reason to deny the truth. It'd been a long ten days. "Thanks," I said. She gave me an nod, and using the controls on the steering wheel she turned up the stereo and left me to my thoughts.

Three hours later we entered Twentynine Palms, California. The sun was low in the sky and traffic heading toward the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center was relatively light. The drive had been quiet, allowing me to try to make a plan of attack for the next few days. We filled the silence occasionally with talk of their daughter and their life in the desert. I was glad to know that they were enjoying their time in the little known town. We passed by a black Ford Explorer and I chuckled at the bumper sticker on the back window that read; Where in the Hell is Twentynine Palms? It was that exact reason that I was there instead of somewhere else. Most people didn't even know that little patch of desert existed in California, and that was perfect for me.

"We've got to stop on base to get the Goose before we head home," Kass said as she turned left onto Adobe Road. The town might have been small, but there was a McDonald's, so even Steph could survive. Though, I was pretty sure there wasn't a mall nearby, so that would make it a little harder on her.

"That's fine," I said.

"She'll be happy to see you. It's been what, a year since we saw you last?"

"Almost," I said. "I saw you guys the week you left to move out here."

"Then it's good you're here now."

Ten minutes later a little girl with shiny hair the color of her mother's came running up to me, her pigtails flying. "Uncle 'Los!" she squealed. I stepped away from the car where I'd been leaning and squatted down to her level before opening my arms.

"Hola, Alondra," I said, wrapping my arms around the little girl.

She pulled away from me and said, "I'm not Ahyandwa. I'm Goose." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Right," I said. "Goose. How could I have forgotten that?"

"Better remember now, Uncle 'Los," she said before giving me a squeeze. "Car seat, please." I turned around and opened the door depositing her in her seat and hooking up the five point harness. It never failed to amaze me just how complicated they made car seats. I'd had high-tech military gear that was more user friendly.

"She's going to be just like you," I said to Kass when we were on our way again.

"God, Carlos, don't say that. I'm getting gray hair as it is. Besides, the second she hits puberty I'm sending her to stay with you in that fortress you call an office building." Oh Shit. I was pretty sure I turned pale because that thought alone was enough to make my heart pump and adrenaline rush through my body. I could only imagine the shit she'd get into at Rangeman. Kass must have noticed because she burst out laughing and I decided to keep silent. It was safer that way.

By 2030 that night Rico was home and Alondra was tucked into bed, a story read to her and hugs, kisses, and squeezes had been given. It was impossible to say no to her, and I knew she'd make a fine mercenary one day. "Let's go to the office," Rico said after putting up the baby gate to keep Alondra in her room. The office, housed in the spare bedroom, wasn't flashy but served its purpose. There were two desks with computers on them, and military awards intermixed with beautiful photographs hung on the walls. I recognized the work as Kass's, and smiled at the way two people who were so different had meshed their lives together into something that worked for them.

Kass and Rico sat together on a loveseat pushed into a corner, and I folded myself into a plush recliner across from them. "So, what's going on, man?" Rico asked as he idly stroked his fingers up and down his wife's arm.

"We're secure here, because of some of my work," he said.

"I've got a situation," I said. "And I need a place to do some in depth digging on a secure network."

"But, you'd better tell us everything that's going on and don't play that need to know crap you government types are so fond of," Kass added. She definitely was something else, I thought, and she was right. I'd trusted them enough to have my burn pack so I needed to trust them with all the details of what had been going on.

"Ten days ago I was called out on a classified mission with a very low chance of survival. When I was dropped in Mexico things started falling apart and the whole mission went FUBAR." I spent the next two hours explaining the events of the last ten days, including Steph's showdown at Diablo's the night I left. Kass reached into a small fridge and handed me a bottle of water when I was finished talking, and I gladly accepted it. The cold water soothed my parched throat, and I finished it in three gulps.

"First of all, why would you sleep with your handler?" Kass asked. "Especially when you've been in love with Steph practically forever?"

"Honey, not important," Rico said kissing her on the cheek.

"No, Rico. It is important, but since you're a guy you don't get it." I looked at Kass, my eyebrow raised in question. "Damn it, Carlos. For a smart man you're an idiot."

"Again with the compliments," I said.

"I just tell it like it is," she said and then sighed. "It's like this. Women are not complex creatures like men seem to think. We're pretty easy to figure out. We want to be accepted, respected, and adored. We don't want to be turned down, or in the case of your handler, told to "move on" after you callously told her you're getting married when you return.

"Which, by the way, is great news. It would be better however, if the future bride actually knew." She was right, it was great news and would have been even better if I'd actually had the chance to ask Steph before all hell broke lose.

"Kass, it's complicated-" I began before she cut me off with a glare.

"Don't use that crap on me, I'm married to a pain in the ass Marine who gets me involved with pain in the ass men like you. It doesn't get much more complicated than that. So instead of trying for an excuse, how about you just tell me the reasons?" Aside from Steph, Kass was the only person, male or female, who ever stood up to me. Most people were nervous, or afraid, or just had too much respect. In Kass's and Steph's cases, it wasn't a lack of respect. In all honesty, I thought it might have been their respect for me that caused them to get in my face when they didn't agree. It was a strange realization to have.

"Steph was with the cop," I said. "And I'm a man who has needs. My handler was just a convenient way to relieve that need. We understood each other, and there were never any issues." Kass's eyebrow shot up and I paused. "What?"

"Earlier you told us about the way she was acting, and that was the reason behind telling her to 'move on'. Now you're trying to get me to believe that there were no emotions involved? Hate to break it to you, but there were, at least on her side." I shook my head. Dammit, she was right. Again. "Let me ask you something. Do you think your handler could be responsible for whats been going on? It's her job to get you correct information and to keep you alive, couldn't she also use that power to make sure you didn't make it back? Especially since you essentially defected from her bed for Steph?"

"You have to admit, man, it's possible. At the very least it's an avenue to explore," Rico said. "Do you think she could also be responsible for the hit on Steph?" God, I hoped not. If she were, then Steph was in more danger than I originally thought. The government had a long reach, and my handler was one of the best. If she wanted to get rid of Steph it wouldn't be too hard, but it didn't seem right. It didn't seem like her style to hire someone who I would have access to. Not if she was planning on killing me too. I had a feeling that the two situations weren't connected, but I wasn't sure.

"It's possible that she's responsible for the shit that happened in Mexico, but I don't have any proof, and it's going to take some deep digging to find that information. If she was hoping I died in the blast at the compound, I need her to keep believing I'm dead. That means I don't have a lot of options for getting the data I need. I don't think the hit on Steph is connected. It's possible, but not probable. If she wanted to kill Steph she'd already be dead," I told them.

"How do you know she's not, Carlos?" Kass asked, reaching over and placing her hand on my arm. The fact was I didn't know for sure, but I wasn't going to believe otherwise.

"She's alive," I said. "She's lucky, and she's got my whole team watching out for her."

"It's getting late, and I'm sure you're both tired," Kass said, standing up. "Let's get a few searches running and head to bed. I know I'm beat, and junior here is practicing his MCMAP," she said as she patted her rounded belly. "Why don't we set a search for Steph and see what's been going on in her life the last ten days, and we'll worry about your handler and everything that happened in Mexico in the morning."

"I'll log some time on the search programs on the base, that way it's not directly connected to you. Just another government stiff gathering intel," Rico added.

"Thanks," I said.

"It's what friends are for, Carlos. Especially after Afghanistan," Kass replied kissing my cheek before turning to her husband. "I'm heading to bed. Don't be long," and with a smile that I'm sure hinted at the night Rico was going to have, she left the office.

"She's right, you know," Rico said as he inputted information into his computer. "You saved my ass in Afghanistan. I won't forget that, and neither will she."