Chapter 7

I felt someone gently shake my shoulder and I almost lashed my arm out to hit them. Instead I rolled over and snuggled deeper into the sheets. They gently shook my shoulder again and whispered my name. I pulled a pillow over my head and tried to ignore them but they kept tapping my shoulder. Finally, I growled, "Bobby if you don't let me sleep I am going to stab you in your jugular." All night they have been waking me up what felt like every 5 minutes. I heard a burst of laughter behind me and said, "Lester if you don't leave me alone I am going to tell everyone that I saw you at the free clinic getting medicine for crabs." The laughter abruptly stopped and followed by someone's else snicker.

"Stephanie, Hunny I need to check your vitals", Bobby whispered.

"Bobby 2+2=4, Its December, Ranger is coming in the morning and if you don't leave me alone I will tell him that you touched my boobs" I mumbled into my pillow. I felt Bobby scramble off the bed and mutter, "That's not nice Steph."

"Stephanie you know Ranger will be unhappy if he comes home and you are hurt. Let Bobby check you and make sure you are still ok." Tank said.

I rolled over and sighed so deeply that I could have set sail to a boat. "Fine, Fine, Fine, FINE!" I growled at them. "What do you want this time?"

"Can I just check your head and your eyes quick." Bobby said. I sat up and he tilted my head to the left then to the right inspecting each side. "It is more swollen then last night and a couple of new colors. Let me see your eyes. Look left … ok now right. I think you are good I shouldn't have to check you again, just let me know if you have any sharp pains or your headache gets to be too much."

"Ok can I go pee now if I have to be awake." He nodded, so I slowly got up and made my way to the bathroom, after doing my business I walked to the mirror and gasped. My face looked like an explosion of blue and purple hues all surrounding a massive lump. I was grade A scary! My swollen tie-dye face was topped by a mass of tangled curls/afro and smack dab in the middle were blood shot eyes.

"Bomber are you ok in there?" Tank yelled banging on the door.

"I am fine, just super scary." I called back. I washed my face and tried to tie my massive hair back, the results were barely helpful. I knew that if Ranger saw me like this he would lose his mind. Makeup- that was what I needed, I started to look through the drawers until I found a makeup bag with everything that I use. After a few minutes it was slightly better, still swollen but now I had a thick layer of cover up. Not my best makeup job and you could clearly see that I was trying to cover something up but not tie-dye any more. Now to find clothes and maybe a hat, yes defiantly a hat to help cover the hair and face. I walked out and saw all three guys standing and waiting for me. "What time is it", I mumbled walking past them to the closet. I heard one of them say 7:30….. yuck why is it so early.

I took a moment to look around, really look around and I began to noticed that I was already engrained into Ranger's life. The right side of the closet was full of my clothes both my Rangeman Black work clothes and my regular every day clothes. I thought back to the bathroom and remember how all my favorite shampoos, lotions and makeup items were placed in drawers and on shelves. There was even a box of my favorite tampons under the sink along with a package of Midol. I saw my shoes lining the shelves and even some of my purses have made their way into the closet. I shook my head and decided to think about that on another day and time.

I grabbed all Rangeman black, it was all about hiding and blending in today. To top it off I pulled on the black Cat boots, a sweater and finished with a Rangeman cap pulling the bill down over my eyes. I looked in the mirror and I almost looked normal, if normal was a crazy Trany! I was wearing more makeup then Sally Sweets at one of his shows and dressed like a crazy serial killer.

When I walked out of the closet and all the guys just looked at me, "What" I demanded, glancing down.

"Bomber, lookin crazy." Tank said.

"Yes, but she doesn't look sooooooo bad, Ranger might be fooled for a moment before he gets a second glance." Lester laughed.

I flipped him the bird as I walked out the bedroom into the kitchen, I heard their laughter as they followed me. My stomach was growling, but going through the cabinets I found nothing but bird food. Ranger needs better eating habits; a doughnut wouldn't kill him every once in a while I thought. I walked out of the front door and to the elevator. The guys followed still chuckling as we got in and went to the 5th floor. I saw Ella leaving the break room and got my hopes up for a yummy snack, "Ella" I said, "The most amazing wonderful lady in the world." She smiled and pushed her cart over to my cubical, "How are you my dear?" she asked as she looked at my face. "I feel fine, just hungry." I replied.

She smiled and handed me a small tray off of her cart. I opened the top and nearly did a happy dance, Crispy Creams! "Can you adopt me Ella, please ohhhh pretty please?" I said around a mouth full of cream. She smiled, hugged me close and whispered in my ear, "Any time my dear, I already consider you to be my daughter." I hugged her back hard, "Thank you Ella, you always know how to make me feel better." She pulled back and brushed her fingers on my cheek, "You have to be more careful, we love you so much and can't lose you ok." I smiled at her, "I will try, I promise."

I watched her walk away then turned to the guys who had continued to follow me, "Are you going to follow me all day long like white on rice?"

"Like a flea on a dog's ass", said Lester with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "Fine let's go, I need to go feed Rex and get my files."

"You are supposed to stay here until Ranger gets back." Tank said.

"Nooooooooooooooooooo" I said shaking my finger, "He asked me to sleep on Seven and I did. Now I am starting my day since Bobby wouldn't let me sleep." I started walking to the elevator to go down to the garage, "So get a move on or stay behind I don't care." I stepped on the elevator and pushed down; as the door started to close I did a finger wave. The guys jumped and ran to hop in before the doors closed all the way. "So all three of you, don't you think that is a little over kill?" They looked at each other then back at me and shook their heads no. I rolled my eyes again and stepped off as the doors open, "Ok who is driving?"

-/-

I waited as the guys went into my apartment first and called out that it was cleared, I walked in and over to Rex. "Hay little guy, are you hungry? Here is a peanut." After I dropped it in I walked over to my counter and started to look through my files. "Ok guys I have two skips I need to go after, since you are my body guards for the day you get to be my armed helpers also."

"Beautiful, I don't think that Ranger wants you out looking for anyone. I think he wanted you to relax and stay at Rangeman." Lester said leaning on my counter.

"I have to agree Steph; your head wound is still fresh." Bobby said, "I think you should take it easy."

"Well that is just too bad so sad, I need rent money and that means I need to get some skips. Honestly you are lucky I am letting you help and not throwing a fit."

"Fine who is first" said Tank.

I decided to go with the Mikel Stine first, I was sacred to tell them about Vinnie Donaldson because both they and Ranger would be pissed at Vinnie for giving him to me. But I didn't want to give up the second bond because he was worth $50,000 which meant $5,000 in my pocket-rent paid, credit cards paid off and enough food to fill up my cabinets.

"I need to find a guy called Mikel Stine, he is wanted for burglary and possession of a firearm. Last known address was on Maple street, no employment record and no phone number. I am thinking if I do quick drive by of the address I can see if the girlfriend knows where he is." I looked at the guys who nodded at me and pointed to the door.

We spent the next 30 minutes talking to Mikel's girlfriend who made it abundantly clear that she didn't want anything to do with Mikel and that he wasn't welcome at her house. She told us that she would call us right away if he tried to come back to the house, but only if the guys promised to come by and collected him. I think she was more interested in flirting with Lester then in helping but whatever got me answers. She had no clue where he would go though and so I was back at square one. I did particularly love her comment about being a drag queen and that I needed to lay off the makeup, at least she saw makeup and not the bruises.

As we were walking back to the truck I heard Bobby's phone ring. "Hello… She is right here. …. We are looking for her skip…. sure ok." Bobby looked at me and grimaced as he handed me the phone. Well shit I knew who that was.

"Babe" I heard as I brought it to my ear.

"Batman" I replied saucily.

"I thought I asked you to stay on seven."

"I did, I slept there all night, however Bobby kept waking me up all night so finally when he grabbed my boobs at 7am I decided to stay up." I looked up in time to see all of the blood drain out of Bobby's face, his head shaking back in forth in a silent plea for me to take back what I just said. I looked over at Lester when he started to laugh out loud, "Then Lester thought it would be funny to spoon me while telling me about the wild things he could do in bed." I saw Lester stop mid laugh and look at me with eyes so wide they nearly popped out of his head and rolled away. Tank looked at me in fear and started to back away like it would help, I decided to be nice to him since technically he had not woken me up or teased me.

"Babe can I assume that you are fucking with the guys standing there?"

"Yep" I said popping the P and the end.

"Do they look terrified"

"Yep" I said again.

"Nice, are you coming back to the building now?"

"Ranger I think that is a bit far" I said into the phone, "We are coming back to the building now, you don't have to come and get us." Now the guys looked like they were going to pee themselves at any moment.

"Babe you are so cruel, are you going to tell me what they did to deserve your wrath?"

"Of course Ranger, I like the guys you don't have to kill them. I think a simple beating might do." I paused for dramatic effect while I heard Ranger chuckle, "Yes maybe a quick trip to a nice jungle too."

"Babe"

"See you in a few minutes Ranger." I hung up and handed Bobby back the phone, "Ranger wants us back to the building ASAP he said something about taking care of some shit." I hopped into the back of the truck trying desperately to hold in my laughter. After the guys got into the Truck I caught Tank's look in the mirror, I smiled and wiggled my eyebrows at him, I saw him crack a smile for just one second before his blank face came back and he drove off. Lester and Bobby spent the entire ride looking like at any moment they were going to tuck and roll out of the truck and run. It was a great ride, keep me up all night? Payback is a bitch.