Disclaimer: All the characters you recognize from the Stephanie Plum books belong to Janet Evanovich. The Inferna Angelus' on the other hand are solely mine as is the tiny terror tiger that rules them.
A/N: A Cheerioh and special thanks to my awesome beta suzq515 and in addition to RubyBabe and her hubby for her help with the Limerick! :)
Chapter 48 – Last Preparations
Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area, north of Camp Merrill, Georgia, 4 a.m.
The Army Rangers flitted noiseless through the underbrush, masterfully surrounding their target. In the east the horizon blossomed in hues of blues and pinks. The goal was to swiftly attack as to not compromise their advantage. Ahead of them was a small clearing where the enemy still slept, unaware of their approach. Systematically acquiring eye-contact through the night vision devices mounted on their helmets, the stealthy men signaled to each other the last orders before silently breaking through the shrubbery and entering the clearing. The moment each of them had reached their position and steadied his assault rifle centimeters from the sleeping backs on the ground, a joint 'HOOAH!' echoed through the once slumbering Rangeman camp; but nothing happened.
Confused, the Rangers poked the empty sleeping bags. Just as they lowered their weapons, a cacophony of Army, Navy and Marine battle cries could be heard from the surrounding trees behind them. With riffles pointed straight at the Rangers, Les, Ram, Cal, Vince, Woody, Scar, Zero, Knock and Scotch emerged from between the trees. The Rangemen had effectively cut through the path of their pursuers as they advanced closing ranks behind them. The defeated Rangers had to lay down their weapons in face of the eight Rangemen having them in their cross-hairs. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Les swaggered toward the Rangers' Commanding Officer and with a sing songy voice taunted him and his men.
Georgia forest foggy, foggy
Army Rangers cocky, cocky
ended in whirls
lost like some girls
finished up all soggy, soggy
"Oh Brady, Brady, Brady," Lester pitifully shook his head at the CO standing there in full gear and war paint. "You are getting old man. How can a bunch of mercenaries get the better of you?" Lester smirking circled his former brother in arms who watched him with a scowl. "Wait, I know, because WE ARE THE FUCKING BEST!" Les whooped in unison with the rest of the Rangemen.
Fairfield Inn, Georgetown, Kentucky
Since Stamping Ground had no available accommodations and Bobby had started his therapy at Cedar Creek five days ago, he and Esme had been staying a few miles south in Georgetown, yet another small, bluegrass Kentucky town. Each day they visited with Rubén talking to him, holding his hands and taking him outside into the sunshine and fresh air. He was still in a catatonic state; but slowly started to react to his surroundings and followed very simple commands like moving his head left and right or squeezing a ball placed in his hand. It had been a peaceful five days, relaxing, refreshing and filled with love and laughter.
Silently, Esme entered their hotel suite after her morning workout in the gym and tiptoed into the bedroom. For some treasured moments, she watched Bobby's peaceful features as he slept before sneaking into the bathroom to shower. Standing under the soft patter of warm water, a tidal wave of guilt crushed over her. She needed to talk to him about her feelings regarding the upcoming mission, the changes to her last will and testament and her wishes regarding Rubén.
In the back of her mind, Esme knew she was withholding those pressing issues she had to discuss with Bobby; but she wanted to enjoy his love just a little longer. Any day now Furor would report them ready to go and they'd pick her up to leave for Georgia to meet with the Rangemen. She needed to have the conversation with Bobby. Today!
Half an hour later, clad in some comfy yoga pants and one of Bobby's shirts, Esme sat at the small desk in their suite, one knee pulled up to her chin and worked through the emails she got over night. In the bedroom she felt Bobby waking up and smiled as he silently opened the door and tried to sneak up on her.
Good morning Baby, she thought as his arms snaked around her chest and he leaned down for a hug.
Leaning her head back against the neck of the chair, she marveled at the warm tingle just the contact of his lips evoked. Bobby was a thorough kisser, always making sure her heart stuttered and hitched when he moved his mouth over her body kissing, nipping, licking and sucking.
How did you sleep? Esme asked once he switched to nuzzling her neck and scraping his teeth along its side.
Like a baby. These drugs are really doing a number on me, he referred to the anti-depressants and sedatives the doctors at Cedar Creek prescribed to stabilize his mood.
Mmmmmmmmh, Bobby moaned full of pleasure as he suckled the tender flesh at the nape of her neck leaving a mark. I could really do with some Esme loving, he continued laving along her collar bone as far as the neck of her shirt permitted.
I would love nothing more than to indulge in some Bobby loving, Esme chuckled noiselessly, but there are some things we need to talk about and I fear you'll be really pissed at me afterward.
Bobby froze mid-kiss and Esme could feel his protective walls assembling around him.
"You're leaving," he uttered in a monotonous voice.
No, not yet; but there are some other things that need to be addressed, Esme straightened up, turned and searched his eyes. He struggled not to let his blank face appear. Taking both his hands she pulled Bobby with her back to the bedroom.
Let's snuggle while we talk, she thought before she crawled after him onto the bed, finding the perfect spot on his chest where it was so easy to fall asleep. Immediately, Bobby began to rub her back as it was his routine; but Esme could feel the tension in him rising with every passing second.
I'm not sure how to start so I'll jump in head first. I have a bad feeling about Colombia. I can't distinguish why or what part exactly is irking me; but since that night, Esme stopped, still pained by the memory of discovering that Fogger was one of the three heads of NISE. Anyway, with Fogger being a part of NISE this whole treason gains a new dimension. I know, well knew, Fogger's capabilities, Bobby. Imagine the worst and increase that tenfold. He's ruthless and relying solely on DuPuits is not his style. I can assure you, aside from what DuPuits is organizing, Fogger's own pawns are prepared and in position to checkmate us. I was always convinced there was a special place in his heart for me; but he callously ordered my death. I have no doubt when we arrive in Columbia, we'll be facing Fogger's wrath. He sure as hell took care that whoever goes down has no chance for survival, no matter what DuPuits is planning.
Esme took a deep breath and firmly rubbed Bobby's chest.
As much as I will try, I don't expect to survive this assignment.
"NO!" Bobby jerked out from under her and jumped out of the bed.
Bobby…, Esme tried to calm him.
"NO!" Bobby shouted and darted out of the room, forcefully slamming the door shut behind him.
Giving him a few minutes to get his bearings, Esme finally wandered after him into the living room. Bobby leaned against one of the window frames and unseeingly watched the street in front of the hotel. He neither turned nor otherwise acknowledged her presence. The fear and anger radiating from him was palpable in the room. It pained Esme to see him like this; but she needed to finish, there was no way around it.
I changed my last will and testament, she continued in her mind as softly as she could. In case of my demise, you'll be the heir of the Torres Estate. There was no time to get the exact value; but it hovers around 320 million dollars distributed between bonds, papers, stocks and a multitude of foundations, charities and aid organizations.
Esme felt Bobby's heart trip and stutter for some beats before he slowly turned toward her.
"I don't want your millions," he hissed icily.
Don't say that, Esme stepped toward him and cupped his right cheek, rubbing her thumb over his stubble. I'm not doing that to reimburse you as a compensation for my death. I love you Bobby and I know that you will honor my will. You have a wonderful heart and you will continue the charity work that is so important to me. Torres Mansion is the only home I ever had. It means the world to me. I want to know it's in the hands of someone who will treasure it the way I do, as a place of family, love and hope. When Grief brought me here and adopted me, I had to learn what it meant to have even a few dollars in my hand let alone millions. He taught me to respect the money for the good it can do, for the change I can bring into the world with its help. I know you will continue this line of thinking and use the money to help and support those who are socially disadvantaged. That's all I'm asking from you, please continue my work and keep Torres Mansion as the wonderful place it has become.
Wordlessly, Bobby turned back to the window. Esme knew it was to hide the tears that started to fall. Seeing Bobby like this tore at her heart. This was what the guys meant when they told her that it would hurt. Damn, the pain was worse than any injury she'd ever sustained during a mission. Giving Bobby a minute, she finally snaked her arms around his waist holding him tight and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades before snuggling herself against the warm firm body in front of her. For what felt like an eternity nothing happened; but finally Bobby put his hands over her arms and started to rub them.
There's something else, she continued. I want you to contact Rubén's parents and tell them that their son is alive. I know you don't want that because you want to respect Rubén's wish; but should I not return and the two of you can't rekindle your past relationship, I want somebody to take care of him.
Esme felt Bobby tense and take a breath as though he readied himself to say something.
Don't Bobby, she quickly interrupted him. Don't say that you are capable of caring for him yourself. I know you are more than able; but I don't want you to feel bound to do it should Muerte still be there mucking up the works. My love, you and Rubén in a loving and committed relationship is my greatest wish. I hope you'll both consider living at Great Falls and making it your home; but if things don't turn out that way I want you to be free to go your own way, live your own life. Please, Bobby, contact them. He's their son and they loved him so much as he loved them. They have a right to know and imagine how wonderful the reconnection may be for Rubén when he returns to the loving arms of his family.
Esme held tight to him as though he was her lifeline. They both realized this was a first of many private goodbyes to come in the next few days. After what seemed like an hour, Bobby slowly turned in Esme's embrace and pressed her to his chest, rubbing his hands up and down her back.
"You promised me a lifetime of happiness at your side," he whispered into her hair, his hold on her desperate. "We talked about building a family, having children, conquering the world together," he took a shuddering breath. "You will not bail out on me now."
Bobby pushed away from her, grabbed her shoulder and roughly shoved her into the wall next to the window.
"You promised!" His heart-wrenching sniff accompanied the distorted pain, anger and desperation visible on his face.
Tears poured from his eyes, "You promised to spend the rest of your life with me! You will protect your ass during this godforsaken mission and rejoin me right here when it's over; otherwise it will destroy me, Esme. Do you hear me? Seriously, you're already planning to die? Better listen up then, Baby. Go ask somebody else to take care of your estate cuz they'll have to put me into a padded room and tube feed me for the next twenty years or so before maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to take care of myself again," Bobby sobbed uncontrollably.
Oh Baby, Esme ran her thumbs gently across his damp cheeks wiping away some of his tears before putting her arms around his neck, pulling herself up and encircling his waist with her legs. Clinging to his front like a spider monkey she let him bury his head into the nape of her neck and maneuver them blindly back to the bedroom.
Mountain region north of Sardinata, Colombia
Rage and V noiselessly skulked through the dense underbrush about thirty yards parallel to Escobar's henchmen. They had spotted the men about an hour ago and so far had been able to follow them undetected. Three women and a man were being pulled, like dogs, by thin cords cutting into the flesh around their necks behind Escobar's men. The four hostages' clothes were dirty and torn, their feet bare and their hands tied up in front of them. Every few feet one of them would stumble and fall causing the men to pull on the cords and take pleasure in kicking their victim mercilessly. It was obvious that the helpless individuals were barely grasping onto their last bits of strength. Twenty minutes later the group arrived at a rocky scarp about thousand yards above the valley of its sloping face. Just as V was considering how incredibly breathtaking this spot would be for paragliding, without warning or hesitation one of Escobar's men severed the cord from around the neck and wrists of one of the hostages and pushed the woman over the edge of the cliff. Eerie silence befell upon the horrific scene as the other hostages unseeingly looked ahead to their impending doom. Everything suddenly became crystal clear to V, the remaining man and two women were blind and possibly deaf and mute. They were test subjects of Escobar's drug.
In one swift movement, V readied his assault rifle and stood. Instantly, he felt a hand clamp down on his mouth and a strong arm snake around his midriff holding him back. Rage muscled V down onto the ground, lay on top of him and gave him a warning glare. Their jostle had produced some traitorous noise and both IAs silently harkened for approaching footsteps. When nothing happened, Rage cautiously sat up and scanned their surroundings just to see the last hostage being kicked over the edge. Without any sign of emotions, the henchmen turned away from the precipice and made their way back, passing Rage and V who were crouched down in the brush.
"Listen man, we can't interfere," Rage signed to V to eliminate the chance of any further noise on their part. "Had I let you kill them, they'd have been missed and Escobar would've been warned that something's in the works."
V took some deep breaths and gulped against the anger constricting his throat. He knew Rage was right; but he was pissed nonetheless. He had sworn to rescue people, not to passively watch them being killed. Too many innocents had died before his eyes or in his arms, each of them haunting his nightmares.
Rage put his hand around V's neck and shook it softly as a sign of empathy. He knew all about his brother's past in the service and how the scene they just witnessed probably conjured up memories so deep within that V would have rather they remained dormant.
"Let's follow them to see whether they lead us to Escobar. After, I think we should go back to Cúcuta and contact the boss to come down here so we can wipe that filth from the face of the world," Rage signed getting a firm nod from V pared with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He knew whenever V met up with the men they were following again, a torturous death would soon follow.
Cedar Creek Behavioral Health Center, Stamping Ground, Kentucky
"Love you Baby," Bobby kissed Esme softly before stepping off the elevator. He had appointments for a session with his psychotherapist followed by two hours of occupational therapy before he could meet up with Esme for a late lunch. Afterward, they'd pack up Rubén in a special wheelchair and spend some quiet time outside in the sunshine at the creek or under one of the huge ancient cedar trees that were the inspiration for the name of this institute.
"Esme," one of Rubén's nurses called across the floor the moment Esme pushed through the door to the intensive care unit.
As though by chance, Esme looked up and smiled at the approaching woman. That's exactly why she preferred to be alone or with her direct family. With them, she didn't have to pretend not to know what's going on around her. Here at the hospital she constantly had to act unaware and that was putting a strain on her.
"Hey hon," the nurse continued babbling. "Rubén will be so happy to see you. He's in a good mood today, the PT was very satisfied. I just checked on him and his eyes followed me through the room watching my every move. It's such a joy; he's our hero of the day. Oh, and I put the radio softly on so he'd have some distraction. Keep an eye out, in case he becomes agitated, you can turn it off."
Esme smiled, put her outstretched right hand to her mouth and moved it downward to chest-level. A sign everybody knew by now meant 'Thank you'.
As she approached Rubén's door at the end of the floor, she saw Cookie standing guard and couldn't help the grin spreading over her face. The defensive stance he immediately jumped into didn't help him at all as she started smoothly dancing around him, her fists in front of her face, dishing out mock punch after punch. Naturally, he could spar with her and hold his own; but Cookie had just as much fun with this little routine as Esme. It always ended with him crumbling to the floor after a lethal hit against his chin and Esme doing a victory dance around him.
Hey there, Esme slipped through the door into Rubén's room and waited until he slowly turned his head and leveled his eyes at her.
Every one of his moves was in slow-motion; the time the information needed to travel through the fog in his brain and then from his brain to his limbs caused about a one minute delay. Esme slowly walked to his bed and leaned over him, giving him time to prepare for the touch and kiss he was about to receive.
How are you today? She tenderly stroked his cheek with the back of her fingers.
After a minute, his wary eyes softened and she knew he had recognized her.
You've got the nurses and PT all in a state; I swear they are all swooning over you, she smiled as she took his hand and leaned over to press a soft kiss on his brow.
She and Bobby had decided to stick to kisses on his cheeks and forehead, since Rubén had no chance of telling them whether anything else would make him uncomfortable.
Just as she was about to start her routine of massaging his hand and arm as the PT had shown her, Esme felt a whisper soft squeeze on her hand. So far Rubén had never acted on his own accord; his biggest accomplishment was reacting to the simple commands given to him. Shocked, she looked up and saw a single tear running down his otherwise unmoving face. Their eyes locked, Esme gently wiped the wetness away while holding their attached hands to her chest.
You did that, right? That wasn't my imagination or wishful thinking. You really squeezed my hand, she blinked her own tears back. Esme internally jumped up and down at the thought of what this kind of break-through would mean for Rubén.
The delayed answer was another feathery squeeze. Not thinking about a slow approach, Esme hurled herself onto Rubén's chest and held him tightly.
You are coming back to us, you are finally coming back to us, she beamed into his shirt.
As she was about to straighten up, she felt another squeeze. Finding his eyes, Esme tried to see what Rubén wanted; but the fog in his mind was still too impenetrable for her to read his thoughts. Perhaps there were no thoughts at all she conceded; but his look seemed almost pleading. Then, for a fleeting second, a flash so quickly she wasn't sure it had been there at all, Esme felt a feeling in her mind of her laying in his arms.
Do you want me to snuggle up to you? She wondered.
The light squeeze a minute later was all the incentive she needed. Kicking her boots off, she crawled up to him in his bed and moved his arm around her waist as though he was holding her. When Esme felt his head move and she looked up just to see Rubén watching her with soft eyes, she didn't give a damn about the agreement with Bobby. Pulling herself up she pressed the softest of all kisses on his lips and could have sworn the fingers laying on her waist curled up to confirm that was exactly what he wanted.
University Medical Center of Princeton, New Jersey, detox unit
Tank left all his weapons with the Rangemen standing guard outside the locked detox unit. He felt naked without them; but in this case Rangeman respected the hospital policy since many of the patients in this unit were suicidal. He would never risk any of them getting their hands at one of his Glocks or knives. The hall was bright and painted in cheerful colors, green plants were standing everywhere, patients were moving around some of them greeting him; but all-in-all the atmosphere was melancholy. The people residing here had reached the end of their individual ropes and Tank could see it in their somber, empty eyes.
When he opened the door to Ranger's room, Tank witnessed his once vibrant and fierce business partner and friend lying haggard and ashen in his bed. The detoxification from the prolonged steroid and amphetamine abuse was causing Ranger to descend deeper and deeper into a depressive state and the doctors were expecting the known withdrawal symptoms such as psychotic episodes, severe depression and anxiety disorder to worsen as his treatment progressed.
Manny and his team had finally found the drug cocktail in Ranger's apartment, concealed as his vitamin supplement. They were packed in an absolutely identical container as the supplement Rangeman provided each of its employees. An unmarked box with still sealed containers stood on the floor of his closet, all containing the amphetamine/steroid-mix.
Lab work showed that the cocktail was a specifically engineered and highly potent mixture that had already caused subsequent damage in various parts of Ranger's body. The doctors found arrhythmia, high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, hepatic damage and a slight kidney dysfunction. Ranger's body was broken and at this point a full recovery was questionable. Tank knew because of his friend's vitality and drive that Ranger would persevere and beat the odds; but first he had to overcome the hurdles of depression and psychotic episodes.
"Hey man," Tank pulled a chair over to Ranger's bed.
Ranger never looked at him nor otherwise acknowledged his presence.
"I wanted to check how you are faring and give you your company's daily report," he said a little stiffly.
Talking has never been his specialty; but talking with someone who just lies there without ever reacting to your words was a challenge.
"I put those changes I told you about yesterday in action. Beginning tomorrow Binkie is heading the Security Department with Hector leading the installation teams and Zip will manage the Bond Enforcement Department. I also talked to Vinnie. We'll reduce skip apprehension to solely high bond FTAs until further notice. The remaining Law Enforcement guys will support the BE Department. Our contacts at the different branches were informed that until further notice Rangeman won't conduct any missions with them. All these adjustments should keep the Trenton office running, for now anyway. Diego in Miami, Nelson in Atlanta and Rooster in Boston are aware that they have to absorb the losses Trenton is making. So all-in-all things are looking positive."
Tank was at a loss what else to say.
"Perhaps," he continued a little awkward, "it will help you to know that the men all have your back. I mean, of course the last few months have put a strain on their trust and many issues have to be discussed in the weeks ahead; but they are all still loyal to Rangeman. They've sworn not to abandon us just because things might get tight for a while. We have some fine men, Carlos."
Watching his friend's unmoving face, Tank finally pulled the volume with Ranger's preferred poetry from the bedside table. Leafing through the pages, he found where he'd left off the day before and started to recite the verses Ranger loved so much until it would be time to leave.
Cedar Creek Behavioral Health Center, Stamping Ground, Kentucky
"Bobby, he squeezed my hand," Esme signed for the umpteenth time, bouncing on her seat, her hands going a mile per minute. "On his own accord. He even smiled a little. It was so beautiful. He's really coming back to us. Imagine, soon he'll be a 'Chatty Cathy' and we can bounce around and talk about the future and do stuff."
Bobby laughed, scraped the last remains of the stew out of the bowl in front of him and spoon-fed them to Esme. The day that had such a demoralizing start just took an amazing turn for the better.
"You're sure he really squeezed it. You didn't just imagine that?" He signed back to Esme just to taunt her because he enjoyed seeing her so bubbly and full of zeal. She was so full of life and joy that sparks could fly from her eyes and set everything ablaze. This was the frame of mind he wanted her in before she left for Colombia.
They sat together at a small table in the cafeteria. Esme's legs were over Bobby's lap as they ate lunch together. Strictly speaking, Bobby had lunch and since Esme couldn't stop talking, he'd started to feed her the stew and then continued with the dessert. He was very well aware of all the people watching them sitting there so intimately, catching up in American Sign Language; but he didn't care. Right now, Bobby felt relaxed and content.
When he saw his therapist that morning, they talked about what had happened at the hotel and his reaction when Esme revealed she didn't expect to survive the mission. Bobby was furious and felt used and betrayed. The therapist explained how the incident triggered feelings of estrangement and abandonment from his past which he'd buried deep in his subconscious. First, there were his parents. Although he did his best to appease them, their constant disapproval and resentfulness were forever evident. Then friendships and relationships throughout his life that set him up and left him hanging. Finally, he found happiness with Rubén only to be abandoned, again. Naturally, Rubén wasn't to blame for his capture and subsequent torture during a mission; but in Bobby's mind it felt just like every other betrayal.
When Rubén returned, Bobby fought for their relationship and for a short while everything seemed to be fine; but once again Rubén left him. Then at the beginning of this year, the two of them began rebuilding their relationship. By some divine intervention, Esme turned up in their lives, completing them; but sadly Rubén fell into this stupor. Bobby felt alienated once more and as though everyone was out to purposefully hurt him. At that point, everything had become too much and he broke down running off to Alaska. While there decompressing, he fell in love with Esme. She gave him a happiness he hadn't felt since his first time with Rubén. Now she told him she was leaving him, too. At least, due to his therapy session, Bobby understood why he reacted the way he had and this break-through in Rubén's health status was surely the best thing that could happen today.
"Come on," he rubbed Esme's legs once she had finished her dessert. "Let's get our silent sunshine and move him out into the fresh air. We can grab a blanket from the Panamera and find us a nice place down by the river."
Bobby felt antsy and wanted to see for himself what he'd heard from Esme; but far away in a corner of his mind he worried that Rubén wouldn't show the same reaction to him. Bobby had abandoned him in the hour of his greatest need. What if Rubén wouldn't want him anymore?
Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area, north of Camp Merrill, Georgia, 6 p.m.
"What do you think? When will T come and pick us up?" Ram asked.
He and Lester were standing at a vantage point overlooking the valley and mountains across from them.
"She said they'd need about a week," Lester replied. "That was five days ago, so I guess we still have at least a couple more days to go."
"The men are all in their respective top form. They won't be getting any better."
"Yuppers, and we're gonna keep them in tip-top shape," Lester turned flashing Ram an evil, toothy grin.
Shaking his head, Ram replied, "You're messed up, man," as he spotted Brady and his bunch of Rangers on the opposite mountain.
"Tonight's exercise will go a long way in identifying their level of readiness. We'll catch any glimpses of possible weaknesses, analyze 'em and work on 'em before T gets here," Les responded slapping Ram on the back.
"Hoo-Rah," Ram bumped fists with Les and they turned to find their way back to Camp Rangeman.
Once there, they called everyone together and explained their plan for the night.
"Attention," Ram called the men to order. "We up sticks to leave in three hours. Our aim is to pick up the trail of the Rangers and find their camp. Their CO Brady divided his men; half of them playing hostages, the other half guarding them. Brady got input to advise the hostages to be deathly frightened, impaired and in shock. The guards will be … well, Rangers, so you know the stakes. Our objective is to stay undetected as long as possible, then an aggressive assault, rescue of the hostages and lastly, destruction of the camp. Lay down and take a nap for the next two hours, then we'll pack up and leave."
A/N: A heartfelt thank you to those who are still loyally reading this story - ya da best. Lately there haven't been reviews anymore and I have to admit that troubles me. The story has gotten quite complex and is a lot of work to write. A review here and there would go a long way in keeping my spirits up to finish this story. Thanks again for reading and (hopefully) reviewing.