I use them for fun and not for profit.

Chapter 16
Stephanie pushed her knee hard against the door and slipped through the small opening she'd made, balancing a box of donuts in one hand and carrying a Styrofoam cup of Coke in the other. Yes, she was going to overload on sugar. It might be the only thing that would keep her from exploding due to sexual frustration. Tonight would be the night. She knew it, but tonight was so far away.

"What's your hurry, Angel? If you'd slowed down I could have gotten the door for you," Rock said as he entered the bonds office behind her.

"Sorry, I'm just hungry. I want to set this box down and open it." That's exactly what she did. Lula appeared from the back files and Julie looked up from the computer where she was once again doing data entry, her fingers moving over the keyboard with lightning speed.

"Donuts are here," Stephanie called and Connie rolled her chair back to look through the doorway to her office.

"I'm slammed. Payroll is due tomorrow and Ranger gave me a special project to work on. Send a donut in here."

"You want glazed?" Stephanie asked.

"Don't care," she responded.

Rock helped himself to a Boston Crème and left the office with a casual good-bye wave.

"Did you see that?" Lula asked. "That man looks so much like Ranger it's scary, and on top of that, he likes donuts. He might be perfect."

"He's unattached," Stephanie told Lula.

"Are you sure about that?" Lula asked. "I heard him call you Angel. I thought it was kind of sweet."

"It's just a nickname. He tried calling me the Bombshell Bounty Hunter and we settled on Angel."

"That's right," Lula said. "You never did like that name Bombshell. I thought it was cute. And in answer to your first question, I don't need no man. I got one."

"What?" This information was enough to get Connie up out of her chair and into the main lobby area of the office.

"Yes, ma'am, I got myself a good one."

"Tank?" Stephanie asked.

"Yep. He and me reconnected a few weeks ago, but we been takin' it slow this time. He came to my place in the middle of the night last night and he was wound up like a clock spring, about some job they did. And he smelled good, and toasty, like a bonfire and the great outdoors and all, and one thing led to another and, well, let's just say I helped him unwind."

"That's great," Connie said. "Now get to work. If I don't get payroll out and get this project finished we can't go out tonight."

"Yeah," Lula said. "I'll get busy, because that would be a real shame if we don't get to go see Peter. Speaking of which, did you hear about the big goings on last night, Stephanie?"

"Uh," Stephanie stalled, not sure how to answer, but she was saved by the door opening.

"Here comes the man of the hour, now," Lula said. Stephanie turned around expecting to see Tank, but she saw Howdy, a big broad-faced pleasant man with a head of orange corkscrew curls. He was a recent hire and although she didn't know him well, she had an affinity with his curls. Lula went over and slapped him on the back.

"Congratulations on a job well-done," she told him. He blushed and set a body receipt on the desk.

"Howdy single-handedly brought in Peter the Great yesterday evening," Lula told Stephanie. "And Peter's already bonded back out. He's performing tonight and Connie and me are going to go see him dance down at the Snake Pit and it's all because of Howdy here, doing such a good job."

Howdy's blush, which had mostly faded, glowed bright pink again. He smiled shyly and walked out. It was always interesting to Stephanie how gentle some of these huge RangeMan guys were until they were after some skip. It was kind of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Howdy reminded her of someone who definitely wanted to hide…from Lula.

Julie came out from behind the computer monitor long enough to eat a cake donut with sprinkles. Stephanie wondered for a moment about the wisdom of asking, but then went ahead.

"Do you talk to Scott much, Julie?" Julie's smile made Stephanie think of her father. "Yes. This strange little man, Hector, came to my apartment yesterday and got everything set up for me. Now Scott and I can Skype. We talked for a long time last evening. He's not overseas yet, but they are going soon, so I don't know how that will affect our communication. He's doing really well."

"That's nice. When you talk to him again, tell him hi from me." Stephanie knew Hector had acted on Ranger's request. The fact that he was thinking of his daughter's needs was encouraging.

Stephanie spent the remainder of the day working her way through various search requests. Virtually everything done at RangeMan needed some kind of research. She delegated the lesser searches to the staff who occupied part of the floor below her. If it was complicated, or sensitive in terms of privacy or security, she took it on. When she pushed back from her chair at five she noticed her text message light was flashing. It was from Ranger telling her he'd be late, but he'd definitely be home and that he'd call her when he was back.

Ranger being late was a good excuse to pamper herself. She went to her apartment and took a long, luxurious soak thinking all the while it would have been nicer to be in Ranger's shower. Her manicure was good, so she spent extra time exfoliating. She smoothed scented lotion on her legs and arms and she picked out the sexiest lingerie she had. She should have left work early and gone shopping, but she hadn't thought of it soon enough.

Dinner was a peanut butter and olive sandwich and while she ate it she checked her closet to find something suitable to wear to Ranger's. Her wardrobe wasn't full of slinky, seductive clothes and she'd feel a little silly wearing something like that in any case. She wasn't trying to seduce Ranger. What ever happened between them tonight would be straightforward. A pair of black knit pants and a black, jersey wrap top that would cling to all her curves was her choice.

Stephanie tried to do an honest assessment of herself in the mirror and she came to the conclusion that she looked pretty damn good for forty, almost forty-one. It helped that Ranger was older, too, but age looked better on men. It was a sad fact of life.

She was ready, but still there was no call from Ranger. A glance at the large black tote bag she had taken out of retirement for her stint as a bounty hunter gave her something else to do. She would change back to her normal pocketbook. Her short-lived job as a RangeMan field operative was at an end.

She was halfway through changing purses when her phone rang and she hurried to answer it, thinking it might be Ranger. It was Julie, or at least it sounded like Julie. The background noise was making it hard to hear.

"Stephanie, it's Julie."

"Where are you?" Stephanie asked. "I can barely hear you."

"I'm at the Snake Pit with Lula and Connie and it's terrible. Peter the Great is pointing his thing at me, and it's really not so great. I'm not having a good time at all, but I don't think Lula and Connie want to leave."

"How did you get in there? Didn't they ask for ID at the door?"

"Lula told me just to show them my driver's license and they wouldn't even look at the date and she was right, they didn't. I thought it would be okay because I'm not drinking, but the thing is I'm a little bit younger than most of the other women in here and the dancers are paying a lot of attention to me. Can you come get me?"

"I'm not even sure where the Snake Pit is anymore," Stephanie said. "Is it still on Chestnut Street?"

"I think it's in the same place it's always been," Julie said. "When we got here, Lula said the place hasn't changed one bit, and that's not a good thing. Can you come get me, please?" Julie sounded like she really wanted to leave.

There was the sound of barware shattering in the background and Julie uttered a soft shriek into Stephanie's ear. "And hurry."

"I'm on my way. Keep your phone on and I'll call you when I'm near. You can just run out and get in the car."

"Thanks." There was the sound of more breaking glass and then the phone was dead in Stephanie's hand.

She grabbed her wallet and shoved it into the smaller purse. She found the compact canister of pepper spray and stuffed it in as well, praying she'd have no use for it. She glanced briefly at the cosmetics lying on the sofa. It had been a long time since she'd left her home without extra mascara and hairspray in her purse, but there was no time to finish the purse-to-purse transfer.

Five minutes from the time Julie called, Stephanie was well on her way. What were Connie and Lula thinking? Ranger would be furious with them if he discovered they'd taken his daughter to a strip club. It didn't matter if she was married and knew what went where and why, she was still just eighteen.

The sound of breaking glass before the call had been disconnected worried Stephanie. If there was an altercation the police would come, and if they found an under-aged patron, it wouldn't be good. When she drew close to the Snake Pit Stephanie called Julie and breathed a huge sigh of relief when Julie answered her phone.

"I'm here."

"Okay," Julie said. "I'll be right out." True to her word Julie ran from the front door seconds later and hopped in Stephanie's little Miata. She was wearing skinny jeans and a slinky red top with four-inch red stiletto-heeled pumps. Her hair was long and flowing and all her curves were showing. It was no wonder they hadn't questioned her ID.

Julie was laughing. "I'm so glad to see you," she said. "Thank goodness you came. It was terrible and fun, but mostly terrible. I thought I was going to have to put money in Peter's G-string to get him to leave me alone, but Lula put money in and he turned his attention to her."

"Julie," Stephanie started hesitantly, "I know that you're married and that you're an independent person, but you might want to consider some of the things Connie and Lula suggest. If your father found out you were there, he'd be very upset. He's not a prude and he'd probably understand your desire to go, on some level, but it's not a safe place.

"I know that," Julie said. "It's just that when they suggested I go, it sounded like fun. I was sort of lonely and I don't know anyone else near my age, so I thought why not?"

Stephanie felt a little twinge of guilt. She knew it was hard for Julie, even if it was her own choice to be here with no friends. She had nieces that were close to Julie's age. Maybe she could introduce them, and maybe Julie would meet people in her classes. It was sure to happen. It would just take a while.

Julie buckled her seat belt and Stephanie revved the engine and worked through the gears, quickly putting distance between them and the Snake Pit. They rode in companionable silence and Stephanie felt calmer with each block they traveled. She was still busy, planning Julie's social life, when she saw him. She almost missed him, but something registered in the corner of her eye. It wasn't totally dark yet, but the sun had set and the halogen street lights gave the area a yellow glow. Stephanie did a double take to make sure. The man walking along the street, shuffling along the sidewalk in his peculiar duck-footed gait, head bent forward, was Tinley Hicks. All of Stephanie's senses went on alert.

She pulled her Miata over to the curb and idled quietly as she watched Tinley. He was carrying a small brown paper bag, hugging it protectively, close to his side. Julie was silent, but when Stephanie glanced her way she could see the question in the young girl's eyes.

"See that guy, the partly bald guy with the straggly hair?" Stephanie said to Julie. "That's Tinley Hicks, that's the FTA Rock has been after. Keep your eyes on him. I'm going to call Rock." Julie did exactly as Stephanie said. Stephanie muttered under her breath in frustration as Rock's phone went to voicemail.

Next she tried Ranger. Voicemail. Shit. Tinley stopped abruptly and made a right turn crossing the street to stop at the side of a white Buick LeSabre. He quickly unlocked the door and slid inside and Stephanie's heart sank. The recent economic downturn had hit Trenton hard and there were blocks of empty storefronts and homes. With the exception of the area adjacent to the Snake Pit, there was very little traffic. Her car was red and a little flashy and she'd have to follow from a distance to keep from being noticed. She put her car back in gear and they creeped forward to the corner.

"I can't get hold of Rock or Ranger," she told Julie. "I'm going to follow him and when he gets to where he's going we'll try again to get Rock."

"Okay," Julie said. "I got the license number if you need it." Stephanie spared a sideways glance at Julie. Her eyes were trained on Tinley's car ahead of them and something about her single-minded attention to the car gradually pulling away from them made Stephanie think of Ranger.

"I'm going to have to give him a big lead so he doesn't spot us," Stephanie told her. "It looks like he's heading to a more populated area so that should make things easier." She stayed behind the Buick, sometimes allowing as much as three blocks between them. When she saw the Buick turn onto Olden she felt a lump rise in her throat. Tinley was turning into a busier area and it would be easier to follow him in traffic. It would be easier too, because Stephanie was pretty sure she knew where he was going. The farther north they went, the more certain she was. Tinley was heading to the neighborhood bar where she and Rock had last seen him, and last seen Mary Black.

Stephanie could see the flashing neon sign indicating Lou's Bar a couple of blocks ahead. She knew he was probably heading to a location where they'd find Naldo Montara. The Buick continued on past the bar and then without a turn-signal indication the car pulled abruptly to the curb one block past Lou's.

"Shit," Stephanie said. "I'm going to have to drive right by him. Don't look at him," she warned Julie as they passed the Buick with Tinley still inside. Two blocks down, the street dead-ended into a warehouse parking lot and Stephanie pulled the Miata in and parked. The warehouse beyond was dark and looked unused. There were several lights burned out in the lot and Stephanie hoped they'd be hidden from Tinley's view. She called Rock again and once more the call went to voicemail.

Two blocks in front of them, they could see Tinley standing under a streetlamp by the Buick, his back to them. He had the brown paper package clutched tightly against his left side and his right hand was holding a cell phone to his ear. He looked to the right and the left and started walking slowly toward the bar.

She made the decision quickly. "I'm going to follow him," she told Julie. "I want to see where he's going. If he goes into the bar then I'll come back and we'll wait for him to come out, but I'm thinking there might be an apartment attached to the back of the bar, or maybe upstairs. If that's the case we'll call RangeMan and have someone notify Rock. Stay with the car. I won't be too long, and you'll probably be able to see me most of the time I'm gone." She grabbed her purse and slipped from the car.

Stephanie had only taken two steps when she heard the car door open and quietly click closed. She turned to see Julie hurrying toward her as she pushed Stephanie's keys into her small cross-body bag. "I'm coming with you," she told Stephanie.

Stephanie glanced quickly at the receding back of Tinley Hicks. He had crossed the street and was nearing the bar entrance. She noticed he continued to look side to side, and over his shoulder. He acted nervous. The familiar and unwelcome tingle was at the back of her neck. Someone was watching and she hoped they were watching Tinley and not her and Julie. There was no time to argue with Julie so she motioned Julie to stay behind her and they made their way to the end of the block.

They stopped at the corner and hid as best they could in the shadow of a doorway. Again, Stephanie felt they were not alone in their pursuit of Tinley. She turned and looked behind them at an empty sidewalk. Tinley passed the entrance to the bar and kept walking. He approached the door to what appeared to be a private residence next to the bar and bent forward, apparently unlocking the door. As he straightened he turned, and Stephanie and Julie crouched low. There were cars parked in front of the bar and Stephanie hoped they would obstruct his view. He scanned the sidewalk and looked toward the entrance to the bar briefly, and then he let his gaze settle directly where Stephanie and Julie were crouched. He gave them a small salute and disappeared inside the building.

"Do you think he saw us?" Julie asked.

"I don't know, but maybe," Stephanie said. The sickening sensation in the pit of her stomach told her he'd seen them but she didn't want to say so to Julie. Tinley must have spotted her tailing him and he'd called someone. That someone was probably in the bar and she was very much afraid that person was Naldo Montara.

Stephanie remembered Joe's warning to Julie. He'd told her the serial murderer liked young women and Stephanie knew she had to get Julie out of there. They could turn and run to the car, but what if they didn't make it. Ranger would be devastated if anything happened to Julie. If she went forward into the bar she might draw attention away from Julie. If Julie could get away she would be safe, and she could send help for Stephanie. All Stephanie had to do was get the attention of whomever was watching them and try to stay alive until someone came from RangeMan. All in all, it wasn't a bad plan.

"Julie, do you know how to drive a standard transmission car?" she asked.

"Yes."

"This guy is FTA and we need to bring him in. I'm going after him. You get yourself home. Take my car back and find Rock. His number is in my phone in the car, but don't call until you are away from here. If you can't find Rock, get Tank or Lester."

"That man, Tinley, was carrying a brown bag," Julie said. "Maybe he was taking food to someone inside."

"Maybe." Stephanie didn't think Tinley was delivering food, but again she didn't share her thoughts with Julie. The sound of a dog barking was a discordant noise in an area that was mostly deserted and it caused the hackles on the back of Stephanie's neck to rise. The few cars in front of the bar seemed to be the only evidence there were people around, but she knew someone was watching them. Her spidey sense was working overtime and although she turned and saw no one, she was certain.

"I'm going in," she told Julie.

"I think I should go with you."

"Julie, you can't go. You need to leave now. You can help me best by bringing Rock back here."

"What about my dad?" she asked. "Shouldn't we tell him?"

Stephanie remembered how Ranger had put himself in harm's way to save her and Julie from Scrog. She knew she had to do the same to protect Julie from Naldo Montara. Ranger would never forgive her if Julie was injured. She'd had nothing to do with Julie's presence at the Snake Pit. It wasn't her fault, but she could never say any of that to Ranger. "Yes," Stephanie said, seeing her future with Ranger end before it began. "Tell your father."

"I'm not leaving you, Stephanie. It's not safe to be here alone," Julie's voice was racked with uncertainty, wanting to follow Stephanie's orders, but not wanting to leave her alone.

"It's perfectly safe, for me," Stephanie whispered. "I've had training. I can handle myself, but we need backup and it's your job to get help. Now go!" She gave Julie a little push and the girl took a small step back. Stephanie saw the capitulation in her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as Julie turned and started half walking, half running back down the street to the warehouse parking lot. With any luck she would be in the car and moving in under a minute.

Stephanie made her way across the street and up the block. She opened the door to Lou's Bar and stepped inside. The light was dim and the place smelled of stale beer, urine and cigarette smoke. She made a quick scan of the mostly empty booths and turned her gaze toward the bar. On one stool Tinley Hicks was casually reclined, his back to the bar. There was a connection then, between the building he'd entered and the bar. She didn't have much time to consider that, because her eyes took in the man on the stool next to Tinley and her heart danced double-time. Ranger!