A Family Affair
Chapter 9
Chaos erupted. A Secret Service Agent knocked the President down. Rooh ul Qist was about to fire the small pistol in his hand again when he turned his focus. Something must have caught his eye. Ranger was coming at him through the terrified people rushing away from the terrorist with a gun and a bomb. Secret Service Agents and Rangemen were coming in all directions toward that spot. Stephanie felt her father tugging on her arm.
"PUMPKIN, LET'S GO!"
She ignored her father seeing the terrorist recognized Ranger. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she yelled at him. He wasn't taking Ranger away from Addison and her now that he was back. She didn't think but reacted whipping Addison's bottle in her hand with all her strength the distance separating her from him. It was all she had to stop the evil man. It hit the top of his head with such force Rooh ul Qist went forward slightly from the impact, formula went splattering over his head running down his back and his face. That accomplished taking his focus off the man she loved for a second.
"ZZZZZ."
Rooh ul Qist jerked upright. His body froze then he began twitching falling back. Frank moved quickly past his daughter and granddaughter grabbing the pistol from his hand preventing it from going off if it was dropped, but he didn't do anything to break the man's fall. The terrorist collapsed on the chair he just occupied and forcing both to the floor.
"Ain't that a pip? I forgot I had this!" Grandma Mazur was holding a miniature stun gun in her hand. Probably the volts were even more conducive with the formula running down the terrorist's body when he was zapped.
Tank jumped over chairs reaching the unconscious, contorted man first before any government agents. "What bomb?" he asked pushing open his jacket more with a big shoe. Aamirah bin Rooh ul Qist was wearing a bullet proof vest and had a cell phone in his hand which began vibrating. One agent disappeared with it.
"Babe," Ranger choked reaching Stephanie pulling her and Addison into arms shielding them with his body. He wasn't letting them go any time soon.
The Secret Service Agents were all around them taking possession of the terrorist, who was twitching again. He was doubled cuffed and checked over. There never was a bomb they verified. "All clear," a Secret Service Agent announced into a headset. Two other agents grabbed a leg dragging the terrorist none too carefully. His head bounced off the floor a few times. There was still yelling and screams from people trying to get away and out of the building, but Ranger and Stephanie never heard it. They were kissing each other with men in black suits running around them.
"I was afraid he would take you away from us," Stephanie said against Ranger's lips.
He gathered his infant daughter from her mother; she was wailing having lost her bottle. "You were a little too close, Babe." "Hey," he said tickling Addie's chin, "Daddy's here."
"Here, Baby Girl," Stephanie offered her the pink elephant pacifier from the diaper bag. Her father took it to settle his infant daughter.
"You whacked Rooh ul Qist with a bottle of formula?" he chuckled.
"It was all I had and I didn't want him to shoot you," Stephanie told Ranger. "It was 'Burg' resourcefulness."
Ranger kissed Stephanie's forehead chuckling still. "Only you, Babe."
A Secret Service Agent was talking to someone on his headset walking in their direction. "Major Manoso, please come with me. All of your team is to come with you."
Concern ran across Stephanie's face instantly.
"It's OK, Babe."
Following the Secret Service Agent onto an elevator going to the upper floor, Grandma announced, "I hope one of these suits frisks me."
"Listen, You Crazy Old Bat," Frank warned his mother-in-law.
He still had not let go of Stephanie or Addison. "Babe, some things never change," he laughed in her curls listening to Frank and Edna fight.
"Never."
The agent opened an office door. The entire Rangeman team stepped inside the room. Ranger, Tank, Bobby, Lester, Ram, and Frank saluted a decorated man standing there.
"General Warwick," Ranger said tall beside Stephanie. "General," he began to introduce Stephanie.
The military man stepped forward reaching for Stephanie's hand. "Stephanie, thank you. It's a pleasure meeting you and your daughter."
The 'Burg' girl asked, "Did the President get shot?" In all the craziness, no one said anything about the leader of the free world.
"President Cosgrove is fine. One of the Secret Service Agents was grazed on the shoulder."
General Warwick shook Grandma's hand and Frank's. "Thank you, High Roller. You and your granddaughter make a formidable team. Night Hawk, thank you. You have quite a family." He shook each Rangeman's hand.
"Carlos, you are one of the best operatives our Government ever had working for them and why your team always gets the job done."
"Thank you, General," Ranger told him, "a little 'Burg' luck always helps."
The door opened again. General Warwick and the Rangemen were all at attention as President Cosgrove and the First Lady walked in holding hands. He nodded at the General and the room. Ranger, his men, and Frank relaxed their postures.
General Warwick said something to the President and handed him a brown envelope. He escorted his wife, Emily, to a chair and stood beside it. "Major Manoso, thank you for today. Because of you and your team, I'm standing here right now. You have dedicated yourself to your country and our nation owes you a very big 'Thank You' for making it and the world safer. I think these are yours," Ben Cosgrove finished his mini-speech holding out the long envelope to Ranger.
Letting go of Stephanie's hand, Ranger stepped forward. Addison was along for the short walk.
"Thank you, President Cosgrove," Ranger said shaking his hand. "I couldn't do what I do without my team, without my friends, and without my Babes." Addie knew her father was talking about her because she was sucking on her pink elephant pacifier quite intently. The room was laughing at the happy baby. He opened the envelope removing the papers. Addie liked the brown envelope gripping it in her small fingers.
The dark eyes went over each word. Ranger's contract was fulfilled. His, Stephanie, and Addison's someday was here. He let out a very long over-due breath. His gaze met Stephanie's.
"What is it?" Stephanie was afraid to know. Her voice quivered asking.
"I'm done, Babe," he whispered.
She just stared for a moment; her blue eyes were big saucers deciphering his words. "No more 'in the wind'?" The question was unsure.
"No more 'in the wind'. It's someday," Ranger said. "It's time to grovel," he chuckled. "Name your terms, Babe."
She couldn't believe Ranger was free of his government contract and what a time to start making-up for that stupid 'fake death'. She wanted to punch him again.
He watched the glee and challenge flash across her beautiful, perfect face. His heart quicken in his chest hoping Stephanie would say exactly what Ranger was hoping for.
"I'll take that challenge" she told herself. "I want to get married," Stephanie said without hesitating.
An eyebrow arched as he gazed at his Babe, the only woman for him. He tipped his head down towards his daughter. "Addie, I thought Mommy would never ask," he said to the wide-eyed baby. Moving his release papers to his other hand, Ranger reached into his pocket walking to Stephanie. He held up a diamond ring.
"You just happened to have an engagement ring?" Ranger could always surprise her.
"No, Babe. I saw this in a window in Paris after that one night. I've kept it with me," he spoke with love on his handsome face and in his husky voice. "When times weren't going as I hoped on a mission, I had your ring to remind me of 'someday'."
She ran to Ranger with free flowing tears. "For a man who can say everything in one word, you say the perfect things when you want," she cried wetting his neck. The ring slipped perfectly into place on her finger.
"Is that a 'yes', Babe?"
"Yes." Her curls were going up and down on his shoulder.
"What else?"
"A house with a yard for Addie."
He tipped her chin up; Ranger gave Stephanie a happy wolf grin. "I can go with that, but I'll top it. How about a house in Point Pleasant so Daddy and Addison can make sand castles?"
Their daughter liked that spitting out her pink pacifier smiling at her kissing parents.
Against her lips, the now Civilian Bad Ass questioned, "When do you want to get married, Babe?" He was hoping for 'as soon as possible'. He'd fly them to Vegas as soon as he could arrange a private plane.
"Ah hmmm," President Cosgrove interrupted the couple. "There is no time like the present. I was a Navy chaplain before I was elected President of the United States. My speech was cut short so I have time," he offered laughing.
Stephanie was stunned, she just got engaged. "Can we do that, Ranger?"
"We, Babe, can do anything."