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.

Chapter 50 – Getting Started

20,000 feet above mountain region northeast of Sardinata, Colombia

It was pitch black with a dense blanket of clouds hanging low and stretching ominously beyond the summits of the mountain range below them. T glanced down at her wrist watch. 3 A.M, the moment of truth had arrived.

Gentlemen, you know the risks, she pushed to the men standing in line waiting to jump from the rear ramp of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Their faces were serious, their minds centered and their bodies ready for the exertion ahead of them. Each team member had strapped their 160 lbs backpack which included assorted weapons, a hell-load of explosives, a compass with GPS and marked way-points and a barometer to their fronts. With all of the equipment safely situated either on or in the pack, a parachute bag was cinched to their backs and strapped together with the front backpack essentially sandwiching them between the gear. To help their bodies absorb the landing under the massive load, their jump gear also included the usual safety measures like jump boots, bandages for ankles, knees and lower back. Lined up like that in full gear T once more thought they were a breed of their own; facing death with a sure battle cry, carrying out whatever asked for, blindly trusting her command.

We're facing a night drop into a wooded mountainous terrain with a low hanging dense blanket of clouds. It's raining cats and dogs with gale-force winds coming from the north/north-east at 50 mph. Dying is not an option so take care that your asses land safely. I have absolute faith in your abilities. Knock, you jump with CP; Scotch, you'll partner with Furor. The marked way-points in your GPS cover a clearing the size of two football fields; that's our landing zone. Should you find yourself off-course and miss the LZ, don't use your radio; just find us with your GPS. Anything else happens and we don't hear from you, I'll find you. No one is left behind on this mission, no matter the price. Am I clear?

A cacophony of battle cries was the team's answer and then the ramp of the Hercules lowered, sealing their fate. Once they stepped into the nothingness below, there was no way back. With a single stride into the abyss, the battle of their lives would begin and they'd have to trust T to get them home alive. One after another, the men quickly ran off the ramp and vanished in the darkness. T, Agony and Rev were last. They laid their hands on top of each other, shared a last determined look and then hurled themselves over the edge of the ramp.

Immediately, they built a formation gripping each other's hands. Below them in the impervious black, they could barely see the ghostly glow from the sticks attached to the parachute bags of the rest of the men who were also flying in close formations. As soon as they entered the stormy atmospheric layer, T, Agony and Rev saw some of the formations being torn apart. They shot a quick glance at each other a millisecond before the ferocious storm clawed at them. Agony and Rev tried in vain to tighten their iron grip around T's wrists; but the vicious wind ripped her from their grasp.

She was gone. Her brothers' gut-wrenching screams lost in the groans of the storm as the gusts spun her featherweight body through the air like a lifeless puppet; up and down, back and forth, farther and farther away from her team and toward her death. Determination overtook panic and T wrestled the elements finally managing a controlled free fall while breaking through the thick cloud cover. She quickly scanned the area realizing there were no longer any glow sticks visible; but she could feel the men's minds to the west. Checking her equipment, T realized that she'd been pushed about a mile westward and with the ground quickly approaching, it was high time to open the parachute.

Her landing was a crash and left her feeling as though every bone and joint in her body got compressed. Just as T attempted to rise to her feet, the howling gusts gripped the chute, inflated it, whirled her around and dragged her further along the ground. When she was finally able to free herself from the chute, her body was battered and bleeding from being pulled through mud and over rocks and boulders.

Spent from her ordeal, T gingerly rolled onto her back and tried to catch her breath. The frigid rain pelted down on her already drenched and beat body, while something warm ran along her temple and into her ear.

Ah, shit! Not good, she thought to herself.

She raised her hands allowing the unrelenting rain wash the mud away. Eventually she mustered enough energy to pull off her helmet and swipe along her temple.

Fuck, that's a lot of blood. I hate head wounds.

Following the trail of blood to her brow, T found the laceration and applied pressure with her right hand. With her left, she searched for a compress and bandage in the backpack that was still attached to her front and lying between her legs.

Once the wound was dressed, T tried to get up onto her feet; but the pain caused black dots to appear in her field of vision. She laid herself back down in the rain and breathed against the ache of being roughly jostled by the elements. Once she got her bearings, T sat up, scanned westward and found that the team was complete. She was proud of them. Furor, Button and CP were checking everybody while Rev attempted to calm Agony from becoming frantic.

Hey guys, she pushed to them. I'm fine, about a mile and a half eastward from your position. Just need a little break before I find you.

Everybody had survived the drop; that boded well for their upcoming mission. Now they had to meet up with Rage and V.

A few hours later…

The first traces of light were glinting at the eastward horizon when Rage and V finally entered the periphery of T's mind.

Hey Angel, you out there? She heard Rage calling out for her.

You just entered my radar.

You must be soaking wet after last night's storm. We're in the cave we found and have a fire going. Breakfast waiting for all of you. Come find us.

It was a grueling march up the small winding paths through the dense undergrowth. The rain-sodden ground gave a suck-slurp sound with each step the team took and landslides added further complications to their ascent. Even their combat boots, with a better than average tread, were no match for the steep inclines. They continuously slipped and T, with a pack double her own weight, face-planted twice in the mud under the enormity of her gear. Her small body was already battered and fatigued from the earlier crash; but she ground her teeth against the pain and kept moving all the while scanning their surroundings for threats.

It was eleven A.M. when, breathing heavily, the team finally reached the cavern situated near the mountain's peak. The view of the valley below was breathtaking; but the striking beauty of the scenery quickly dissipated upon the realization that Escobar's laboratories, the drug and its formula were hidden within its grandeur. Their directive to search, rescue and destroy would begin tonight. They planned to split into teams and scour the area for entries to the cave system Escobar apparently constructed.

Cedar Creek Behavioral Health Center, Stamping Ground, Kentucky

With his body droopy and his head hanging low, Bobby slowly made his way to Rubén's ICU room. He wasn't aware of anything around him, didn't see anybody and didn't want to be seen or addressed by anyone. He was tired and emotionally drained after the therapy session with his psychotherapist. Even acknowledging the guard outside Rubén's door was too much for him at the moment.

As Bobby stood in front of Rubén, he kicked of his sneakers and crawled next to him settling into the small hospital bed. Bobby didn't care how it looked or what people would think when they saw the two massive bodies curled up against each other. He needed to be close to the one person who'd given him security, love and a feeling of worth over so many years. As Esme, Rubén had seen him at his lowest. There had never been any holding-back between them and the freedom that came with that made fresh tears start to slip from his eyes and soak Rubén's hospital gown. In the silence of the room with the feeling of comfort that came with the warm body next to him, Bobby let loose of his despair and cried for all the pain he felt inside him.

He must have fallen asleep because when he came around, a hand was lying on his arm, fingers softly caressing his skin. Bobby felt Rubén breathing into his hair just before his lips softly connected with his brow. Pushing himself up, Bobby searched for Rubén's eyes. They were clearer and more alert than he'd seen them in months and they shone with worry and love.

"Honey?" He watched for any signs of increased awareness.

For a moment Rubén seemed to collect himself before a beautiful smile tugged at his mouth and with a slightly raspy voice he croaked, "Hey."

"Oh my god, you are speaking and you moved your arm," he gulped in a vain attempt not to lose control again.

Without consciously making the decision, Bobby lowered himself down and stopped an inch above Rubén's face. His eyes fell upon his lover's beautifully sculpted lips. Bobby could feel the anticipation and desire building and flooding his body. Brushing his lips over Rubén's, a groan escaped him as Rubén kissed him back. It was just a minor movement of his lips; but it felt so heavenly. Bobby nipped along Rubén's bottom lip, pulled it ever so gently between his teeth just to release it and soothe the sensual sting with the tip of his tongue. When he tried to pull back, Rubén followed him, capturing Bobby's lips in another loving kiss that slowly increased in passion. Dizziness rushed over Bobby like a tidal wave. Rubén was moving and speaking; his Amigo, his Love was speaking.

"Oh god, Baby," he eventually pulled back and started peppering Rubén's face with butterfly kisses. "You are back. You are talking. I need to find Dr. Garvey."

He hurriedly started to get up; but Rubén held him back. His grip on Bobby's arm was soft, his muscles weak after weeks of lying motionless in bed; but Bobby instantly stilled. Cupping Bobby's face, Rubén's thumb traced the dried tears on his cheek.

"You cried." Two simple words; but for him, finding and saying them demanded unwavering fortitude. "Why?"

Bobby took a shuddering breath and gently ran his fingers over Rubén's brow, smoothing some wayward strands of hair out of his face and behind his ears.

"Because I love you as much as I love Esme. I made a promise to both of you and now I have to renege on one of those promises," he took a deep breath. "I have to break yours and it shatters my heart."

Rubén watched him. He had a hard time not drifting back into the mental stupor; but he wanted to stay aware in spite of its pull. Back when he was in his catatonic state, he had heard Bobby and Esme talking to him, had seen their shapes, their faces, as though they were behind some frosted glass. Now everything was crystal clear; his vision, his hearing, and his parched mind desperately drunk in the sight of Bobby. Every small detail; the lines around his eyes, the strain in his features, the sadness and pain on his face.

"What promise?" He finally got out.

"An eternity ago we made an agreement that should anything ever happen to you, I would wait for a final outcome before informing your parents. So, I didn't tell them when you were rescued by the IAs. Even after you were healed, you insisted on staying away from them. All these years, I... I've never broken my vow to you. Your parents continue to believe you are dead; but now," he sighed deeply and averted his eyes.

"She... I..." Bobby fought against the bile rising from his over-anxious stomach. "Before she left, Esme made me swear that I would contact your parents. She believes they have a right to know their son is alive. She wants you surrounded by not only me; but other people who love you, who will support you in the fight ahead and who'll pick you up and brush you off should you fall," Bobby turned his head and looked back straight into Rubén's eyes. "Deep down inside, Baby, I know she's right. I still love you so damn much. A future with you, me and Esme together would be an incredible dream come true. I'm trying to stay strong for both of us; but I'm struggling, Mi Amigo. My nervous breakdown taught me to take better care of myself and stop living just for others' needs and expectations; but I feel like a traitor to you. Nothing would please me more than honoring both of my lovers' wishes and choosing between the two people who I love more than anything in this world makes me physically sick; but I have to go with Esme's wish. Forgive me."

Fresh tears spilled from Bobby's already red and swollen eyes. Slowly, Rubén resolutely brought his feeble hand up and wiped the evidence of Bobby's pain away. His mind wanted to shut down from the physical and mental exertion; but he needed Bobby know that everything was fine. Gently tugging at his head, Rubén managed to pull Bobby down to gaze directly into his eyes. He ghostly brushed his lips across Bobby's then pressed in with a sweet kiss full of love and comfort. Bobby returned the sentiment and when they broke apart moments later, Rubén caressed his face a last time.

"It's okay," he croaked tired. "It's okay, Mi Amante." Then his eyes shut in exhaustion.

Mountain region northeast of Sardinata, Colombia

As the sun was setting in the west, dipping everything in deep orange and red hues, the Rangemen and IAs sporadically came awake stretching and readying themselves for the night ahead. They had arrived at the camp around lunchtime. The men ate, T got her laceration stitched and then everybody aside from Rage and V lay down to get some much needed rest. Now T, Furor, Lester and Ram together with Rage and V were hunched over a map of the valley discussing their strategies and how they should proceed with the mission.

"After those hostages were pushed over the edge of the slope, V and I followed Escobar's henchmen back down to the valley where they suddenly vanished at one point. It was in this area," Rage pointed at the map.

"In the days before, we also had sightings of Guerrillas, guards from Escobar we think. They appeared out of thin air and disappeared the same way," V added and pointed to three densely forested regions along the opposite side of the valley.

That's all a sign of some kind of underground tunnel system and/or cave passageways, T summed up. The last infrared SAT images I got from Marvey showed sporadic none-human heat sources at the opposite mountains, her index finger followed a line of dots marked on the map. Perhaps lanterns or torches to mark the tunnel entrances? Did you see anything alike while you were here? She turned to Rage and V.

"No," V shook his head. "It's quite a distance from here and the vegetation is dense. There's no chance we'll be able to see that from this far away. We need to move in closer and should also expect guards protecting any accesses."

"Fact is that this valley and the surrounding mountains are uninhabited so whatever those heat sources were they most probably have to do with Escobar," Rage said.

"We have to figure out where exactly those henchmen vanished," Lester rubbed his stubble. "Is there some kind of cave-system? Or is it an old mine? Is there one entrance or several? Are there ventilation shafts?"

"Yeah man," Ram agreed. "Whatever it is, we have to map it. We need to know all entrances, exits, hidden escape-ways and vulnerable points. We can't have anyone slipping past us. More importantly, we have to find the locations of the drug production stations and the storage facilities. Also, where the hostages are being held."

"We can't risk ambushing anyone. The guards we are facing must stay oblivious to our presence otherwise Escobar could be warned," Furor cautioned.

Alright, before we can make any further decisions on how to approach our final assault, gathering more intel is our first priority. We have to scout out the valley and opposite mountains more thoroughly. Our group is larger now and therefore can span out to different areas covering more ground.T looked up at Lester and Ram. You know your men best so the final decision is yours; but I suggest the following teams: Furor, Zero, Knock. Vince, Woody, Scar, CP. Les, you go with Cal, Button and Scotch. Ram, you take Rage and V. I'm with Agony and Rev. This way every team has a tracker and a medic on board. I like this better than keeping the IAs and Rangemen separated.

"Um, wrong Shortstack. Every team but yours has a medic," Les centered his eyes on T pinning her with a concerned gaze.

"Lester, you forget that I have a superb early warning system," T tapped her head and smiled.

Lester wasn't happy; but agreed that with five teams. They'd have maximum coverage of the valley and a greater chance of fishing out the needed information.

T would take the middle with two teams to the right and left. Fanned out this way, they should be able to find Escobar, his men and the hostages quickly. T reminded everybody once again that their goal was strictly reduced to intel gathering and finding the ins and outs of those hidden passageways. Under no circumstance could any of Escobar's men be taken out or it would raise suspicions. Agreeing on meeting back in the cavern after three nights, T, Furor, Les and Ram broke up to inform the men and get started.

A/N: Thanks for all the kind and supportive reviews I got for 49 and the get-well-soon-wishes - I'm still in the hospital and will probably be during May and June, too; but I'll try to update as often as possible. Take care, everybody.