Unapologize
By: PricklySare
A/N: We're almost done! The story is wrapping up, and I appreciate all the reviews and comments everyone has left during this journey. Thanks again to M and Stayce. Without you two who knows what random mistakes would show up. Thanks for everything.
Sare
Chapter Fifty-Six: The Man of Honor Cleans Up
Lester's POV
Steph had made a difficult decision today, and even though it was hard for her, and the strain had made her physically ill, she showed a strength that many people wouldn't. She'd done what she had to, and even though I hoped it would be the last time she was forced to participate in the ending of someone's life, I knew she could and would do what was needed. Now it was my turn to do my part, and I headed back inside the building to help clean up the scene.
Tracto's body still hung from the chain holding her to the support beam, only now the pristine white shirt she wore was darkened with her blood. There was a single shot to her chest, and one to her head. The tattooing on her forehead from the gunpowder, and the stippling on her skin from the contact of the muzzle of his Glock indicated just how angry Ranger had been.
The large metal door at the rear of the building rolled up, and Bobby backed a large shipping truck with government plates up to the loading ramp. Once Steph had given us the address we'd delivered it to the building in preparation for the day. There was also a car waiting for us near the Agency where we were going to leave the body. It was time to send the bitch back to work.
I walked around behind the body and released the lock from the chains. With Tank's help we unwrapped the metal links from her body and placed her on the large black tarp he'd unrolled on the floor. Aside from the trickle of blood from her forehead, and her soaked shirt, there was little visible damage to her body.
"Ranger didn't hold back, did he?" I stated more than asked.
"You blame him?" Tank asked.
"Fuck no," I said. "This was personal."
"That message will be delivered loud and clear, that's for sure," Tank said.
"Wonder if they'll realize he's opting out of his contract," I asked as we sealed the tarp around the body.
"I don't think he cares."
"Probably not," I said. "He's got Steph, and he's finally moving on with his life."
Tank nodded his head. "Let's get this trash in the truck. I'd like to get home before tomorrow," he said.
We squatted down to get hold of the wrapped body, and I said,"You know they're getting married tomorrow, right?"
Tank stopped moving and looked at me. "No shit?"
"No shit," I replied.
"You wearing taffeta?" he asked with a smile and a laugh.
"Not that I know of. I haven't had time to piss Steph off yet." Thank Christ.
"The day is still young, you know." True.
"Good thing we'll be gone for the rest of it," I said. We lifted up the tarp and carried it to the back of the truck, dumping it into the large cleaning cart inside, I slammed the back hatch shut. Bobby handed me a small garbage bag full of rags. "What's this?"
"Ranger cleaned up before he left to find Bomber," he said.
There were several rags covered in the blood and gore that blew back from his close proximity when he'd pulled the trigger. From experience I knew that he wouldn't have been able to get it all off, but he'd have been cleaned up enough that Steph wouldn't notice. The rest he'd have to scrub off later. Tying the bag closed, I tossed it under the seat of the truck to dispose of on the road and climbed in.
By the time we'd discarded the trash bag of rags and neared the Agency the sun was setting, and we'd have the cover of darkness to our advantage. We might have been leaving a very clear message, but that didn't mean we wanted to be caught doing it. As the last rays of sunlight faded away we pulled into the private parking lot of the Agency and parked the truck in the contractor parking.
Bobby reached behind his seat and pulled out three blue button down smocks with the name of the cleaning service that held the contract for the Agency's building. "My mother would be so proud if she could see me now," Bobby said buttoning the shirt over the top of his Rangeman black.
"Good thing she can't see you then," I replied. "My mother would never have believed that I was a janitor."
"They prefer the term custodial technician," Bobby said, with an exaggerated snootiness.
"Of course they do."
"Maybe Bombshell is right. Maybe Ella's got a magic closet somewhere," Tank said.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Bobby said.
My watch said it was 1840 and the cleaning crew was scheduled to be on by 1900. Our window of opportunity was small, and our timing had to be flawless. I popped open the door and slid into the dusky night followed closely by Bobby. We walked around to the back of the truck and wheeled the cart down the ramp while Tank wiped down the truck cab.
Five minutes later we were inside the building, flashing our fake badges and climbing onto the service elevator. Twenty-nine floors later we stepped off into an empty alcove. The floor was silent, all the government employees seemingly having clocked out for the day.
"Must be nice to go home early," Bobby muttered.
"It's good for us that they did," Tank said.
"Let's make our deposit and get back to Trenton," I said. "It's time for this shit to be finished, and I want to be there when Ranger questions Hades."
We continued in silence, stopping when we reached the office that Ranger had indicated was Tracto's. Bobby removed a little gray box and attached the cable leads to the card reader lock affixed to the door. Fourteen seconds later the light went to green, and Tank and I pushed the cart into the empty office. Bobby stayed outside as our eyes, and Tank and I quickly donned latex gloves before we removed the handler's body from the cart.
"Rigor's starting to set in," I said.
"Get the body into the desk chair before Rigor fully sets in and we can't move it anymore," Tank said.
I pulled the chair away from the desk, and we dropped the body into it. Between us we positioned her legs beneath the desk and pushed the chair back in. I removed a file from my waistband, and after searching through the desk drawers uncovered what I was looking for.
"Shame Ranger couldn't do this himself," Tank said as I inked the rubber stamp with the red pad.
"Nah, he's where he should be." I ignored the squeeze on my heart knowing that where he should be was where I wanted to be. "We'll just consider this a wedding gift," I replied as I thumped the stamp on the paper. The word "VOID" stood out in stark contrast against the file that held Ranger's contract with the government. I smiled, "I think that message is clear enough."
"Let's roll," Tank said pushing the cart back out the door.
The hall was just as empty as when we'd walked in, and I checked my watch. We had ten minutes to get out. Plenty of time.
"It's been clear out here," Bobby said, "and I've wiped the door."
I nodded my head, and we moved quickly down the hall. Tank wiped the cart of prints deposited it in an alcove before we headed toward the stairs. We were leaving the back way.
Seven minutes later we were in the SUV we'd placed earlier, and heading back towards Trenton. "Damn it feels good when a mission is completed," Bobby said, removing his blue smock.
"I'm looking forward to putting my feet up...after I've had a talk with Ranger," Tank said. "Seems like he neglected to mention a little engagement we'd be attending tomorrow."
"He didn't tell me. Steph did," I replied.
His only response was a head nod. "Take the wheel Santos," he said as he removed his own blue smock. When he was in control of the car again I removed my own shirt tossing it into the back with Bobby.
"They're finally doing it," Bobby said, sounding a little dazed. "Didn't they just get engaged?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Is she pregnant?" he asked.
"How the fuck should I know?" I knew my frustration was easy to read, and I shouldn't have been taking it out on him, so I stomped the painful emotions I was feeling down. "I don't know man," I said. "She could be, but she doesn't know yet."
"That's something then."
"What's that supposed to mean, Brown?" Tank asked.
"Just glad he's not marrying her for the wrong reasons."
The SUV grew silent, all of us lost in our own thoughts as we merged onto the freeway. I reached over and flipped on the stereo. The silence was too loud, and it was causing my own thoughts and feelings to echo. I needed to drown it out. Tomorrow I would be watching my best friend, and the only woman I'd ever loved, marry the only man she'd ever loved. In my heart I knew that she wasn't the one for me. I always had, but that didn't stop the heartache.
She was my best friend, and would remain that. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't happy for her? I focused on the music coming through the speakers and lost myself in the words of Metallica. Afterall, nothing else matters.
My head was pounding, and there was a shrill sound that was fighting for dominance inside my skull. My mouth tasted like I'd rinsed with sewer water, and my eyes felt like I'd scoured them with rough grain sandpaper.
"Are you going to get that, lover?" came a voice I didn't recognize.
"Fuck me," I groaned as my head made sense of the shrill noise. I reached out a hand looking for my phone.
"That's what you said last night," the unknown voice said.
I felt lips trail down my naked chest at the same time my hand connected with my phone. I ignored the lips and the voice and answered, "Yeah?" My voice was rough and sounded like I'd been working on a two pack a day habit.
"Les?" Shit. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice sounding worried.
"Yeah." No. Not at all, but I didn't think she needed to know that I was lying in bed with someone I couldn't remember after tying one on last night. I squinted at my wrist, trying to read my watch. Sonofabitch, was that really the time?
"Ranger got the license. Come to the penthouse?"
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "I'm on my way."
"Be careful. You sound like you had a rough night."
"Nothing to worry about," I said and hung up. Looked like the day was moving along without me.
"Who was that?"
I finally focused on the woman in bed beside me. She was cute, with short blonde hair styled like you would expect to find on a fairytale pixie. Her eyes were deep blue, and I knew they were contacts. Her tits were bared, and they too weren't the ones she was born with.
She trailed her lips along my neck, up to my chin, and the smell of stale cigarettes and whiskey hit my nose, making my stomach roll. I had to get out of there. "Look, I've got to go," I said sliding from the bed. "It's been fun."
Her eyes flashed in indignation, "Where are you going?" I ignored her and shoved my legs into the jeans I'd worn out the night before.
"Don't you ignore me," she snapped. "I'm not finished with you yet."
I tugged my shirt over my head and started looking for my shoes. When I found them I tugged them on and looked at her, "That's too bad. I'm done here," I said, not caring if I was being and ass. She wasn't exactly being a sweetheart herself. What the fuck had I been thinking?
"That's it? You're just done?" she asked, tears threatening to spill over as she crawled to the edge of the bed.
I'd seen this act before with other women, and I wasn't interested in it anymore now than I had been then. "Don't waste your tears on me, lover. My heart's spoken for, and I'm going to be late for the wedding," I said as I walked out the door without a backward glance.
Implying I was the groom, made me scum, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I'd needed to get out of there, and I didn't feel like facing the fact that I'd slept with someone whose name I had no recollection of. Hell, most of the night was a blur after we'd returned to Rangeman from making our delivery. I couldn't deal with looking too deeply at my actions. I needed a shower, some grease and caffeine, and to make it through the next few hours. If I could make it through that, then I could deal with the pain in my heart with some cathartic violence.
My watch read 1200 when I knocked on the door to the penthouse. I was freshly showered, and had worked my way through a gallon of coffee.
The door opened, and Steph grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. "What happened to you?" she asked, her eyes boring into mine.
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Manoso?"
"It's not nothing, you're lying... but I'll answer your question anyway. Yes, I am more than ready to become Mrs. Manoso," she said, her smile blinding.
"Then how could anything be wrong with me? My best friend is happy. What more could I want?"
She placed her hands on either side of my face, lightly rubbing her thumbs beneath my eyes. "Was it hard?" she asked.
Was what hard? Sleeping with someone and not remembering if I ever bothered with their name? I decided not to say anything and just pulled her to me, placing her head on my chest. I took a moment to just breathe in her scent.
"I'm sorry if this is hard on you, Les. I love you, I do, but Ranger's my soul."
I pulled away from her, separating our bodies so I could look her in the eyes again. "I know, Beautiful. You're not meant for me, and my brain has already accepted that, it's just going to take a while for my heart to catch up."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? I can call Mary Lou, or one of the other girls. If it's too hard ... I don't want to hurt you."
"I wouldn't miss this for the world."
She didn't say anything for a minute, just wrapped her arms around me again and squeezed. "Then I guess I need to get ready. Your suit is hanging in Ranger's office. Go get dressed. Meet me here in an hour?"
A little over an hour later I was standing beside my best friend, wearing a black suit with a pink taffeta tie. When I'd unwrapped the box it was in, I couldn't help but laugh. Ranger's eyes were sparkling with his laughter and Tank's laughter boomed off the walls. I'd put it on without complaint, and when I'd escorted her to the roof for the ceremony I kissed her cheek and said, "You're one of a kind, Beautiful."
She'd simply smiled and said, "Thank you."
I took in every expression that crossed over her face, and the face of my cousin. The love, devotion, and happiness I saw in their eyes made the pain in my heart lessen. I didn't pay much attention to the vows they repeated, instead I chose to watch their eyes. When the words, "You may now kiss your bride," broke through to me I smiled and clapped with the enthusiasm that only a best friend could have. "I now introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manoso," the Justice of the Peace said.
Steph and Ranger came toward me, smiles on their faces, "Thank you, Les. For everything," Steph said.
"My pleasure, Mrs. Manoso. Welcome to the family."
Ranger looked at me, his eyes serious, as he held out his hand to shake mine. I extended mine, and he pulled me to him, giving me the manly hug we were so used to. "Thanks for loving her, Cousin."
"It isn't a hardship, Carlos," I said. "Just don't hurt her."
"Never," he said.
"As much as I love weddings, mine especially," Steph said. "Are you going to talk to Hades?"
"It's your wedding day, Steph," I said.
"Yeah, and for my wedding gift, I want to put this behind me."
"Good enough for me," I said. "Ranger?"
"I love you, Babe. Are you going to watch?"
I didn't hear her response because my phone rang, and I walked away to answer it. "Santos."
"Hey, man. I could use your help with something," came the voice on the other end.
"Sure thing, but I'm in the middle of something here. When do you need me?"
"As soon as possible."
"Give me a few days to tie up some loose ends, and I'll head out your way," I said.
"Let me know when you have your travel arrangements made."
"Rodger that," I said and disconnected.
Ranger and Steph were locked in a tight embrace, oblivious to anyone else, and I was grateful for the unexpected call. I watched as Steph tried to cover a yawn and headed toward the elevator, my cousin's eyes never leaving her. She stopped and with a smile kissed Agent Cassidy on the cheek before climbing onto the elevator and giving a finger wave to the rest of the guys as the doors closed.
Placing my phone in my pocket I walked back to Ranger, "You ready?" I asked.
"Let's get this shit done."
"Something's come up," I said.
He raised his eyebrow and said, "What?"
"A friend needs my help. I'm leaving as soon as this mess is taken care of."
He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he just nodded and headed toward the holding cells. When we got to the barless room that held Hades, Ranger stopped at the door and looked at me, "Ready to do this?"
"I was born ready," I said.
Ranger opened the door and we walked in to deal with our former employee.