AN: I have to say I was absolutely overwhelmed by all the reviews I recieved for the last chapter! I was so surprised by how many people were excited to see an update on this! I'm glad you're enjoying this story and so glad you're following it! I hope everyone likes this chapter. It might not be as climactic as it could be, but I'm not good at writing fight scenes. So, hopefully, all of you will see the intensity of it, hopefully.

BtW, I don't own them, I'm just playing (I noticed I've been forgetting to do that...)

Please please read and review?

Chapter 27

Armageddon

The plan was laid out among the men. Stephanie was sitting in Ranger's office waiting to hear when they would be leaving. She knew it would probably happen tonight, especially after finding out where Elise and Richard were being held. She wanted nothing more than to go help rescue their baby girl but she knew she was not cut out for that work. Nothing her men had taught her when she stayed in England for three years would have prepared her for this kind of battle. This was a war where her Batman excelled. It may have been twenty odd years since he'd been back in the field but she knew he was going to win.

When the door to the office opened and Ranger stepped in she stood up. He looked at her and smiled softly. "Babe."

He was dressed in all black, geared up. It had been a long time since she had seen this side of him. With a deep breath she walked over to him. She ran her hands up his chest as his hands caught her waist. She tilted her head back as his lips caught hers. The moment they broke apart, she cupped his face with her hands. "Get our baby back, Batman."

/\/\/\/\/\

The lucky part for Ranger and his men was that his contacts were still usable. The Colombian government, the part that wanted Marcus Cortez neutralized, had been contacted and had given their consent to making sure all of the men who went in to rescue Elise and Richard would come out without any repercussions from them. All they had to worry about was any other drug cartels that would be hanging around.

Between Randy and Tank both men had figured accurately that the drug cartels would not stand in their way. Marcus Cortez had been a powerful cartel and with him conveniently out of the way one of the other rivals would be able to assume his power. After all, none of them would be getting their own hands dirty. There would no doubt be a war among the cartels after this, but it would hardly make problems for them escaping Columbia once they had gotten Elise and Richard.

The best part, assuming Elise's informants had failed her men, had been the intel given on the layout of Benito Ortega's home. They had a rough assessment of the men patrolling and knew that they definitely outnumbered the amount of men Christopher had. In a lot of the minds of the men going on this rescue mission it meant that a sure victory. But in Ranger's mind he knew better than to underestimate Christopher. If what Diggory had said was true and that after him Elise was the best, she had underestimated him and now she and Richard were paying for it. All Ranger knew for sure was that his daughter better be in one piece when he got to her.

The flight down was a combination of somber silence as they absorbed what needed to be done in their minds and stories from those who had had the opportunity to work with Elise and her men. Ranger and his men found themselves listening, amused by some of the antics that had been pulled.

"Peterson, I'm surprised you're here." Billy said at one point, "After me you drive Elise nuts the most."

Several of the men laughed. Peterson just grinned. "What can I say? Someone has to keep up the slack when you're not up to par."

Billy snorted, "Fuck man. What you did wasn't picking up slack. What you did was ask for her to kick your ass."

"Wish I'd've been there to see Captain Donahue wipe the floor with you." Someone said wistfully.

"You and everyone who has heard about it." Randy called down with a laugh. He leaned back in his seat and glanced over where Tank and Lester were watching amused. They looked at Peterson who was nearly as big as Randy and Tank put together. But as their uncles they had personally helped Elise train over the years and knew whatever the Army would throw at her she could dish out and throw back at them.

"A few years ago, Peterson joined the Rangers." Randy told them. "He was feeling a bit arrogant—"

"A bit? Dude, I was just one arrogant son of a bitch!" Peterson retorted.

"—and didn't believe any woman should be in the Rangers. When he saw Elise he decided he was going to prove why." Randy couldn't contain the chuckle that emerged. "Elise promptly handed him his ass six or seven times. By the end of it, he couldn't stand and she hadn't broken a sweat."

"Kicked the arrogance right out of me." Peterson said. "I don't think I've ever been more turned on." Suddenly he heard several growls and looked to find Ranger and all of Elise's uncles glaring at him. He backpedaled quickly, "Not that I would ever do anything of course. She's my commanding officer and she made it clear that she was never interested…I'm going to shut up now." He turned and shut up trying to ignore the snickers around him from the other men.

"See?" Billy grinned at his comrades. "This is why Elise keeps me around. I'm a ray of sunshine after him."

"Keep it up, Billy," Kyle laughed, "Elise might just order you to trek back to the states from Colombia."

"She wouldn't!" He cried in mock despair.

"She would." Every man who had served with her said together.

The plane suddenly dipped. Glancing out a window Tank saw they were landing. He nudged Lester. "Just like old times."

Lester chuckled, "This is going to be fun."

"Just remember boys, there are only two medics here," Bobby informed them, "Alan and I can only do so much so try not to have too much fun."

"Damn Brown!" Lester exclaimed. "Take all the joy out of it!"

"Men." Ranger growled. "It's time."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You're very cute, little brother." Chris walked around Richard sneering at him. "You thought you would just hand me over to the Manosos did you? I fail to see how you gained anything from it."

Richard gave him a blank look. He had refused to answer so far. His back was aching. He had been whipped repeatedly in the last twenty minutes. He was doing his best not to scream out in pain but he knew he would only last so long before he gave in to the pain. All he knew was that Cami was safe and with her family. He would endure whatever he had to in order to make sure that happened.

"You must know, I've told Leona that you will be more than happy to fill her marriage bed." Chris said determined to get a rise out of him.

Richard's head shot up. "What?" His voice was raspy.

"It's just business. You'll cooperate of course." Chris said. "Obviously you won't be able to see her until you've healed and your lessons are complete, but when you do you'll do everything I tell you."

"Like hell I will." He growled. "I'd rather be dead than listen to you."

"Don't worry, Richard," Chris grinned cruelly at him, "I plan to make you wish for death for the rest of your life." He swung his fist into Richard's gut. Pulling back he prepared to do it again when the sound of a gunshot sounded off.

One of his men ran into the room. "Sir! They're…they're everywhere!"

Chris glared at his brother. Looking at a couple men standing near him he said, "Continue. I'll be back." He left the room to hearing the sounds of Richard continuing to be beaten.

He walked to his control room and looked at the monitors that showed what was going on outside his house. The man wasn't kidding. Men were everywhere. He looked closely. They were Army men. Fuck, he thought angrily. He didn't have the man power to get rid of them. He had to move fast.

Chris left the room and hurried to the other end of his father's house. There was a time when this had been a loving environment, he reflected briefly, but his stupid sister had to go and sign the deed over to Richard. Luckily, his lawyers were effective in making sure it came to him instead.

How would they have found out where he was? He wondered as he ascended the steps to where Elise was being kept. He kept it under his father's name and as far as he knew all the men out there were after Marcus Cortez. No, he corrected himself, they were after him now. Of course. He should have realized something was afoot when Elise addressed him as Ortega. That stupid little bitch. Once he got what he wanted out of her he was going show her exactly what he thought of her deceptiveness.

The house was three stories, not including the basement. He purposely put Elise on the top floor believing that it would be much more difficult for her to get away from them. Of course she was chained down, so finding someone to restrain her was going to be unnecessary. Perhaps when he was finished beating her he could sell her to someone as a slave. He had connections and there were men who loved to have a feisty woman.

Coming to the room Elise was in, he walked in. "Now, Jaguar, we have some business to discuss."

Elise was kneeling in the middle of the room looking at him. Her arms were chained behind her back. She couldn't contain the smirk that appeared on her face. "Cavalry has arrived have they?"

"You little bitch!" He snarled and hit her across the face.

"I have to admit, you took longer than I thought you would to get up here." She continued to taunt him. "I expected you up here the moment we got here. After all, you're never going to get back on top without your information."

Chris hit her again. "Where is it?" He roared angrily.

"I told you my dog tags were to come with me." Elise said smugly.

This time when Chris swung, Elise caught his arm with her hands. The chains dropped off her wrists. She kicked his legs out from under him, causing him to fall backwards. In moments they were both up circling each other.

"Impressive, Jaguar." He said, "I'm curious as to how you got out of those restraints."

"Every good Burg girl has a bobby pin." Elise said, channeling her mother.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart." Chris snarled. "When I've broken you, I'm going to sell you to some men. How would you feel about spending the rest of your life as a whore?"

He swung, she counterattacked. Suddenly they both staggered as an explosion beneath them shook the house.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Report!"

Tank glared at Billy and Lester who gave the appearance of looking guilty as he answered Ranger, "They set the house ablaze. Richard is out. Alan has taken him back to the plane and currently tending his wounds. Mostly scratches. Should heal fine."

"Elise?"

"Unable to locate, sir." Another man's voice said, "We're searching the perimeter as we speak."

"Good," Randy said through the earpiece, "Look carefully, boys. When Donahue doesn't want to be found…"

"She won't be." Several others said together.

Billy and Lester went to work rigging together another small bomb. They weren't looking to destroy the entire house, but to smoke out Ortega. They knew he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Men, the whole house is up in flames," Peterson's voice came through.

"No sign of evacuees." Bobby reported.

Ranger growled dangerously through the mic system as he searched for his daughter. If she had gotten out, as Randy said she would stay hidden. Something he definitely agreed on with Mac, Elise had always been good at playing hide and seek, especially the hide part.

The men had moved quickly. He could only imagine Ortega's fury when he found a swarm of Army Rangers on his premises. Ranger wanted to laugh he was so disgusted with Ortega's 'defense'. He was in his fifties and he moved faster and better than any of the men that had tried to take out the Rangers.

"Oh fuck." Someone whispered through the system.

"Report!" Ranger barked.

"Fuck." Someone else said.

"Men!" Tank growled.

"Found Donahue." Darren said over the system. "Fucking A. It's beautiful."

It was then that Ranger recognized the sound of awe in the men's voices.

"Speak to us, boys," Ram ordered, "What's going on?"

"Captain and Ortega are going at it." Kyle said, "The walls are already ablaze. We can see them through the scopes."

"Whoever gets a clear shot, take Ortega out!" Ranger ordered as he turned toward the blazing inferno. Fuck, he thought angrily, he had to get his girl out of there.

"Not possible sir." Someone said.

"Are you questioning my orders?" He growled.

"Sir, no, sir."

"Then what's the problem?"

"They're too fast," Peterson's voice came on. "Any way it looks to get a shot at him, they move. It's…fuck…she's fast."

While Ranger looked for a way to get to his daughter, the other men looked for a way to safely get her out. Tank, Lester, Bobby and Ram looked through the scope of their own rifles and looked on in stunned disbelief as they saw Elise and Chris fighting. The men had a reason to be in awe, they realized. They had never seen someone move as quickly as Elise and Ortega were moving. Ranger had never moved as fast as they were.

The fight the men witnessed would turn to legend that went through for years of the Rangers. None of them had seen anything like it and they knew they would never see it again. Even as they found to find the remaining men and neutralize them, they could see glimpses of the fight through the fire. They would talk of the speed, the fact that Ortega was well above Elise in physique. A small woman against a giant man. Of course as the story would be later told, Ortega would grow into a much larger man than he was and Elise would become much smaller than she was. But the speed would never change.

The two fighters were completely oblivious to the fire around them, oblivious to the fact that as they moved across the floor the wood was weakening beneath them. Bobby was already figuring out everything he would need to help Elise the moment he got her.

But the moment the floor went out beneath them was the moment there was a collective hiss through everyone's earpiece. They were not going to let Captain Donahue go down.

"Shit!" Tank swore.

"Ranger!" Lester yelled.

From their spot where they were they could see Ranger charge straight into the fire. As he ran through the house, dodging falling beams and deadly flames he looked for Elise. The whole house was weakening. He didn't have a lot of time, but he was going to get her out and take her home. The floors had weakened enough that she had fallen through two of them and was on the ground floor. He could see her in the distance. She wasn't moving.

Elise coughed and struggled to get up. Her eyes opened and all she saw was smoke and orange. She looked over and saw Chris moving slower than her. Her body was screaming in pain. She knew she had broken something, or more than something she thought grimly. Fuck, she hurt.

At the edges of her consciousness was a blackness that was waiting to take her. It was ready for her. She struggled to get herself into a sitting position. A figure came toward her from the flames. She blinked. "Daddy?"

"Come on, Munchkin." Ranger said. "It's time to go home." He started toward Ortega to finish him off.

"No. Dad." She rasped out. He turned and looked at her. "I have to. I need to finish this."

Ranger looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. Coming back to her, he took quick inventory of her physical state. She was going to need a lot of medical attention when they got her out. He helped her sit up.

"Gun." She coughed against the smoke.

Ranger gave her his gun and watched she tried to force her body to hold it up and shoot. Her arm was shaking. Her hand was barely gripping the gun. Across the way of them, Ortega was slowly getting to his feet, his back to them. Ranger gently wrapped his arms around Elise, and helped her grip the gun.

"Come on, soldier," He heard her mutter, "Almost done."

Ranger's grip on her held firm. Together, they shot Ortega. Because of everything Elise had dealt with from him, she continued to fire until she emptied the clip. She looked up at her dad.

"I'm done." She whispered, the gun falling out of her hand as the blackness creeping around her swarmed in and pulled her into oblivion.