A Family Affair
Chapter 5
"I know, Ranger!" Stephanie told him again in her excitement. His quick hands steadied her when she bounced off his sculpted chest.
"Where, Babe?"
"President Cosgrove is giving a speech in Philadelphia at the Liberty Bell."
"That's in three days!" Ranger said remembering the upcoming schedule of the President he received. 'How do you know the attempt on his life will be there?"
"The words inscribed on the Liberty Bell "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," she recited. "It's a partial verse from the Bible. 'Leviticus' Chapter 25 Verse 10. Look at this."
He was amazed by her piecing of the puzzle together and so quickly. Following her to the coffee table where her lap top was sitting, he sat down next to Stephanie. On the screen was an Internet walking map of historic sites in the city. She picked up the folded piece of paper from Sergeant Bigelow's pocket. Holding it over the computer screen the diagram didn't match, but when Stephanie turned over and held it against it now, everything lined up and Arabic '2510' was perfectly lined over the image of the Liberty Bell.
He kissed her curls whispering, 'You're amazing. Proud of you, Babe. Go to bed and I'll be right in after I inform General Warwick you cracked it."
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Reaching the bedroom door, he heard his daughter fussing and Stephanie's voice. "Did you wake up, Baby Girl? I was just getting comfortable and your 'Spidey Sense' had to just wake you up didn't it?"
He strolled over to his woman and daughter kissing Stephanie's ips and Addison's forehead. "Go back to bed. It's my turn, Babe. I've missed a number of middle of the night feedings," he told her cradling his precious infant in a strong arm. "What do I do?"
The blue eyes rolled at him. "I'll get her formula. Addison probably wants a dry diaper. Get her pajama bottoms off and I'll be back, Ranger."
When the 'Burg' mother returned to the bedroom, Stephanie watched for a second.
"Hold still, Precious Babe."
Mr. Macho had the tiny pajama bottoms off and was attempting to get a dry diaper on her, but Addison was wide awake with another idea. She was kicking her small legs watching her Daddy. The diaper was on her small body somewhat crooked.
"Ranger, just let her kick her feet for a few minutes. She's discovering different touches and she's awake now. Watch," Stephanie explained picking up their daughter. She covered a spot on the bed with a soft furry mat and placing her down on it. Addison instantly smiled at the fuzzy softness around her tickling her skin and her little feet began kicking.
Stretching his muscular form on the bed, the dark eyes became mesmerized watching his small daughter smile and wiggle her arms and legs in the furry mat.
"Put her on her stomach," Stephanie gently coaxed. "She's holding her head up and balancing herself on her arms."
With extreme gentleness, Ranger picked Addie up and placed her on her small belly. She laid there still for a moment seeing the bedroom differently. Her eyes followed Stephanie as she slowly lifted her chest with her arms.
"Hey, Baby Girl, what do you see?" Stephanie asked with motherly pride in her voice. This was a recent baby accomplishment. Her pale hand held something for Ranger. "Read to her, Ranger. Let her hear your voice. All she has had is mine at night."
His eyebrow went up a little reading the title, "Mother Goose's Nursery Collection'. "Babe." He realized his daughter was focused on him and the colorful book now in his hand.
"A tip from the baby book is to insert Addison's name for the character. It will help her to recognize her name."
Opening the book, Ranger picked a page. His deep Cuban voice was tender reading the words. "Addison had a little lamb." He continued reading until the small arms tired and his daughter laid her head down turning her face to watch her Daddy.
"Come here, Baby Girl." Picking up Addie, he settled in the rocking chair with her cradled in his arm sucking on her pink bottle. The book of nursery rhymes he balanced on his crossed leg and the arm of the chair. Stephanie was settled in bed listening to Ranger's voice. She had to wipe away tears because the previous night as she quietly read to their daughter before bed she regretted Addie would never hear Ranger read to her. Twenty four hours later there he was repeating the verses, even telling them to Addison in Spanish.
Ranger glanced at the bed, Stephanie was asleep. His eyes moved to the tiny infant in his arms, his beautiful daughter was asleep also. His heart was ready to burst with fatherly love gazing at her perfect little nose, the long, dark eyelashes against skin which was pale. It was as if a few little drops of his darker coloring tinted Stephanie's fair skin to give their baby a hint of creamy ivory in her baby soft skin. Never would he forget the moment in time Stephanie came around the limousine door and he caught sight of her and Addison in her pink dress and hat in his Babe's arm. He was stunned beyond belief. Only their safety which his trained mind prevented Ranger from revealing himself in the cemetery, his heart was screaming to his Babes "I'm here".
It amazed the Bad Ass hearing the words he just spoke, he was reading nursery rhymes to his baby daughter exactly like millions of fathers were doing in the world this very night. After Aamirah bin Rooh ul Qist is caught in Philadelphia, then Ranger was done. No more government contract, no government calls at any time of the day or night, and no renewal ever. He, Carlos Manoso, was only a businessman now, but more importantly he was going to be Stephanie's partner for life, hopefully becoming her husband, and Addison's over-protective father. No assassin was going to stand in his away from the perfect someday this Cuban man realized he wanted watching Addison Marie Plum-Manoso peacefully slumber in his arm.
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The Rangemen were all gathered in the conference room, the mood was solemn waiting for Tank to start. Most were staring at the floor.
"I know this is a difficult time," Tank began. He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs that Ranger was on 7 and on his way down.
"And I would expect all of Rangeman's employees to carry on as each of you has been trained, but not right now," a familiar deep voice spoke from the doorway.
Each male head turned around unsure if he heard correctly.
Dressed head to toe in black with his short Army hair was the man who led them and in many cases trained them. Stephanie was standing right next to Ranger with the happiest face that 'Burg' girl could possess and Addison was in a little aqua polka dotted shorts outfit in her father's arm. Her cheeks were puckering from the pink pacifier she was enjoying in her mouth.
"YES!" The room roared as the three walked to the front. Ranger, Stephanie, and Addie were getting hugs from a sea of black. The room went from grieving to exuberant in a quick quirk of an eyebrow.
Waving his free hand standing in his normal spot at the front of the large conference room, the space was instantly quiet. "Let's celebrate my return to among the living later. We have an extreme situation I uncovered while I was in the Middle East and made it necessary for me to fake my death." At the reference to his death, Stephanie squinted her blue eyes at him. He saw it and knew he was still making up for it. "There is going to be an attempt on the President's life in three days in Philadelphia. Stephanie pieced together what little tangible information I was able to ascertain. The core team will be having a conference at 8 hundred 30 hours. The assassin is none other than Aamirah bin Rooh ul Qist, so extra assistance will be required from this office in Philadelphia. My existence can not leave this building until this assignment is complete. Tank, is there anything pressing to be addressed now?" Ranger turned to his second in command.
He was smiling now shaking his head. "You're alive. That's enough," he said.
"Meeting dismissed then until later." No nonsense Ranger was back in command, but Daddy Ranger was tickling his daughter's tummy.
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Ella was bustling in the small meeting room setting up a mini-breakfast bar; she was singing. "Oh, Stephanie, I thought you might be hungry. I bought some of that cinnamon swirl toasting bread you developed a craving for while you were pregnant." Round slices of bread were being placed in a small toaster oven stationed on cabinet top.
Stephanie laughed. "I think that will hit the spot today, Ella." She purposely ignored the eyebrow Ranger was giving her noticing the sugar edged bread. "My appetite has returned."
The Rangeman housekeeper hugged Stephanie and Ranger. She kissed Addison's forehead. "I'm so happy for you three!"
"Me too, Ella," Ranger told her before she closed the door as the telephone was ringing.
"You're early, General," the man in black greeted.
"I know," General Warwick responded over the speaker. "I wanted to advise you of a decision I made. Are Miss Plum and your daughter attending?"
Placing her plate of toasted bread and coffee down on the table. Stephanie sat down. "Yes, we are, Sir. This feels like 'Charlie's Angels'," she blurted out. They were speaking to someone who she had never laid eyes on in her life with Ranger.
The room and the man on the telephone were all chuckling.
"I want to express the government's gratitude to you, Stephanie. You figured out the location before our best agents were off the pot. You wouldn't want a job as a CIA analyst?"
Her blue eyes went to Ranger. "I've told you, Babe, you are good."
Stephanie didn't need to think twice. "No thank you, Sir. My life is here with my family."
"I can understand that, Stephanie, but if the Macho Operative ever really ticks you off, the job will always be there."
Stephanie smiled sweetly biting a piece of her sugary toast. "I'll remember that."
"Babe," he whispered back blowing Stephanie a kiss.
"Good. Carlos, the reason I called early was to give you a heads up. With the seriousness of the situation at hand and the President's life in jeopardy we need all the surveillance skills we can muster. I called in two local operatives. One has been retired for a number of years, but he was a good one. The other is with the Covert Gambling Task Force. Code names 'Night Hawk' and 'High Roller'.
"General Warwick," Ranger interrupted.
"Carlos, you and your team are the best, but some civilian eyes couldn't hurt. Aamirah bin Rooh ul Qist is at the top of the terrorist list and this is the President. He does know the President will have security all around him, but he's not going to expect 'everyday' people to be watching for him. They aren't going to be armed, just extra eyes to assist our agents and your team to apprehend him before the President could be harmed."
His Cuban jaw clenched, Ranger spoke with discontent clearing audible, "I don't like it, Sir, but I don't have a choice. Bobby, go tell Hal we are expecting two people, 'Night Hawk' and 'High Roller'.
The door shut behind the company medic.
"Major," General Warwick began silencing Ranger again, "let me save you some breath. I make the orders here and these are two very capable people who will provide new perspectives just like Miss Plum did in solving this mystery. They may him spot the terrorist before any government agents. This is life of the President of the United States!"
"Yes, Sir." Ranger hung his head in resignation.
This was rare for Stephanie to witness, her Cuban Bad Ass Man taking orders not giving them.
"In here," Bobby told someone walking in the door.
The room stopped. Frank Plum was standing with Bobby. He blinked seeing the man buried yesterday seated beside his daughter with his new granddaughter in his arms.
"Daddy!"
"Ranger's alive?" Mr. Plum sank down in the nearest chair. He didn't believe in ghosts but anything was possible when Stephanie and Ranger were involved.
The General spoke up, "What's going on? Do you know each other?"
"He's my father," a stunned Stephanie clarified handing her father a cup of coffee.
It was Frank's turn to say something. "'Night Hawk' was my code name in the Army, Pumpkin, and to answer you, General, Stephanie is my daughter."
"I'm alive, Frank," Ranger explained shaking his hand. "I had to fake my death to get out of the Middle East, but more importantly making sure Stephanie," he paused kissing his daughter's head, "and Addison were safe."
"My heart stopped there," Mr. Plum described seeing his daughter's boyfriend alive. "How is my Addie?" The arms of a grandfather took possession of the newest member of the Plum family.
"We're waiting on one more, 'High Roller', to begin this security briefing," the voice over the telephone revealed to the newcomer.
The meeting room door opened, Hal poked his head inside. He was laughing, "Ranger, 'High Roller' is here."
A body in camouflage, tight curls, and sneakers stood there. Everyone in physical attendance was on the verge of fainting.
"Ain't this a pip!"
"Grandma?"