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Standard FF disclaimers apply.
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I Need You. Together
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Early morning haze has settled over Trenton as the team returned from their trip to DC. The guys were a little bit tired from the driving, and from staying up for nearly twenty four hours straight, but that did not dampen their spirits. They all knew that this was probably the last debriefing that they would ever be doing with Ranger. And it all felt different.
They had seen a Ranger that they had never imagined before. As soon as the General had surprised them with his performance, he shooed Ranger right out of the building. He knew that he was planning on meeting Stephanie at the airport. Tank had told him all about their delayed honeymoon, and had recruited his help to get him there on time. They wasted no time in arranging a ride to the airport for him.
None of the men had ever seen this side of their boss before. He was excited, and nervous, and restless. All because of the surprise that he had arranged for Stephanie. If they hadn't known it before, they now knew that he was totally and completely in love with her. The consensus was that it was about time. Those two deserved to be together, but they didn't need to say it to him. He knew it too.
The fun had almost started without them. Although the routine around RangeMan could settle down, now that the guys were back from the debriefing, a new show was just starting. It was operation baby watch. In an unspoken rule, everyone was on alert.
Ram was on duty when the team rolled in. He and Vince watched as the guys got back. There had been a lot of activity with trucks arriving and cars leaving as Ranger's sisters left to go to work. They kept a careful eye out, making sure that the gate was securely closed after the girls drove out. After a few hours, they got a phone call from Ranger's apartment. Camila was letting them know that they should be expecting another visitor very soon. Just after disconnecting from that call, they opened the gate and watched in amazement as the big buick cruised into the garage and found a place near the elevators. It was a sight that they knew they were going to see for the next ten days. Vince consulted the schedule to confirm that it was Helen Plum's turn to be here. Security for the baby would always be at an all time high. But with Ranger and Stephanie gone, it was ramped up even more. No one would let anything happen to Mat, not on their watch.
All of the volunteer babysitters had agreed to come here to Ranger's apartment to watch Mat. That way the men could screen each person who arrived. This morning Helen Plum made her way to the elevator to go to the seventh floor. In her previous visit, Ella had pointed out the cameras that they used to watch the garage. She smiled a bit self consciously then turned to the camera and waved, unsure who exactly she was waving to, but wanting to be polite just the same. Ram watched her and had to smile himself. Stephanie always greeted them with a small finger wave when she came in, it was nice to see that her mother exercised the same courtesy.
Helen got into the elevator and it started moving, even before she pushed the buttons. She had not been aware that the elevator needed an override to get her up to the apartment, or that they were able to do it from the control panel since she did not have a keyfob to use. She didn't think anything of it, it had happened this way the last time she was here too, when Ella brought her up.
He watched the hallway monitor to see her arrive. Ram and Vince could see that she was greeted by Ranger's mother, she had Mat on her shoulder, and was swaying back and forth, patting his back. The security camera allowed him to see the ladies as they entered the door and closed it behind them. Unconsciously, Ram relaxed, he knew that Mat was safe at home.
Camila started chatting the second that Helen arrived. With her girls at work this morning, Camila was going to spend some time getting to know Helen. After all they were family now! As soon as Helen put down her things, Camila handed her one of the little layette blankets that had been lying on the arm of the couch. Helen smiled, not only was she going to be holding Mat, she recognized this blanket from the collection of baby things that she had given Stephanie. A rush of emotions coursed through her. She placed Mat on her shoulder and kissed his soft little cheek. Just think, she once worried that Stephanie would never know this joy, this miracle of holding a child close in her arms. How glad she was that her daughter had a way of proving her wrong, in the most unique ways!
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His eyes were glued to the screen, Ed started to panic. All of a sudden, his plan seemed foolhardy and extremely dangerous. Why hadn't he seen before what this whole thing had done to him, he wondered? He had been scheming, and sneaking behind peoples backs. He had orchestrated clandestine meetings and trips around the globe, looking for what he needed to make the transaction work with someone he didn't even know, did not trust. He had disregarded the company protocol and carefully worked around Alvari to do this.
Worse, he had dragged in his friends to help him do it. Leo had been so eager to please, it had not taken that much to persuade him to come along. Suggesting that he could make his own mark, be known as the man who developed the serum that saved the company, had been an underhanded thing to do. He knew how much his friend had always felt like he lived in his father's shadow. Promising him his own spotlight as a hero had effectively deactivated Leo's internal safety defense, the one that would have told him that they were not doing things the right way.
And what about poor Karl? What kind of position had he driven Karl into? He was proud of the way that he had come to their rescue, pushing the authorities to do everything possible to find them and to get them out of the hostage situation. But then Karl had taken on the full weight of his plan. Karl who was the kind one, the friend you go to when you need a lift. How could he have turned Karl into an international player in a game he didn't even know the rules for?
Ed was at an all time low in that moment. He looked over at Leo. The concerned expression, the look of fear in his eyes. What had he done? And now, what could he do to make it all go away, to make things right again?
While his thoughts were pounding his brain, Ed had not noticed that a visitor had shown up. He was talking to one of the secretaries just outside of the library doors. Ed did not see him until he was already in the room and closing the door behind him.
He stalked toward Ed and Leo, a fierce look in his eyes. This man was here with a purpose. One that did not look like it would bode well for them. Fleetingly, Ed wondered if his own terrified fear showed on his face.
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Agent Knight looked around the room, the one it felt like she had been trapped in ever since she had arrived back in DC. Maps with colorful pins stuck in them lined the walls. Papers were piled all over the long conference room tables. Cups of cold coffee were scattered everywhere, forgotten, just like the one she held in her own hands.
She should not be here, she kept thinking. The man she had trailed for a year was in New York City. They already had confirmation of his arrival. Photos of him at the airport accompanied the collection of mug shots of the other members of the arms dealers 'club'. They were tacked up on the large bulletin board that had been wheeled into the room not too long ago. Her discovery of the fingerprint had opened up this investigation in way they had only dreamed of. Making the connection between these men was a huge part of it, but knowing that they were going to catch one of them in the middle of a transaction was going to change everything.
As she stared at the photos, she knew that her job was not over. No matter how many times she had been congratulated on her successful mission, she knew that she needed to be there when it all went down, she wanted to be a part of this til the end. After all, you don't just give up more than a year of your life to step back and let everyone else clean up for you. Yet, her she sat. Restless, waiting, infuriated that she had not been given her clearance to join the team in New York.
Finally a tall man in a dark suit walked into the room. Kara stood immediately, she put down the cup and walked toward him. With a nod, and a handshake, he handed her a manila envelope. She took it and left without a backward glance. She was on her way.
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Standing to stretch his muscles again, Jasper moved around the room with the grace of the world class athlete that he was. Richard watched him. Paul watched him. Karl watched him. They were all thinking the same thing. He had shown a strength of leadership and a loyalty to the company that they had not expected. A mixture of emotions accompanied those thoughts.
Richard was so proud. Jasper's father had been his close friend, it had been a personal tragedy when he had died. The future of this company now stood before him, confident, and ready face the next battle head on. Otto would have every reason to be proud of his son, and Richard intended to let Jasper know that.
The feelings that Paul had were similar to Richard's. They had all been friends, partners from the beginning. Paul's admiration of Jasper's determination, however, was tempered with the profound disappointment in what was happening with his own son. He felt like he had let Leo down, let the company down, by stepping away from them too soon after the Otto's death. The grief had been so painful at the time, he had not seen through it to see how it had affected his son. He was full of regrets, but ready to assist Jasper in any way that he could to help save Humelik, and hopefully save Leo at the same time.
A grateful relief soothed Karl's mind. After acknowledging his part in the plan, he had detailed all the information that he had access to. Richard was able to bring in security and immediately shut down the preparation of the formula. Terri had not been nearly as cooperative as they had hoped. He actually tried to attack one of the guards. He was now in police custody. A whole list of charges were pending, but Richard would get back to that after this pressing incident had passed. Luckily, Ari had the recordings to show that he had opposed Terri's ideas, that he had been the one to say that the formula they had was not safe. Karl knew the kid had been as easily influenced by Ed as he had, and he was glad to know that Ari's career was not over before it even began. With his cooperation, they would be able to clean up this whole mess and get started on Jasper's vision of the future.
Never in their wildest imagination, had they thought that Jasper would be here, taking charge of the big mess the company was in. They were now amazed at the ease with which he seemed to have in juggling the tasks that needed to be done.
They watched as Jasper adjusted the settings on the screen of the monitor. Moments later, the image of Ed Aslak appeared. From the New York office, he sat in front of a monitor with a camera. He looked tired, yet there was something about him that seemed to radiate hope. Ed had called to set up this teleconference to make things right. They all had their doubts that he could do that, but they were willing to hear what he had to say.
Ed briefly explained the current situation while they silently listened. Each man making his own determinations about the problems that faced them. Before any discussion could take place, Ed moved to the side and another man entered the screen. He was introduced as an agent in the sting operation designed to shut down a huge illegal arms conglomerate.
Their attention had been on the screen and no one had noticed that Jasper had left the room. He now walked up to the front of the room with two men. They were also introduced as agents in the sting operation. It was all starting to feel like a bad dream. Karl started sweating, he knew that his role in this situation put him in a bad spot. He hoped that he wasn't going to end up in a cell next to Terri.
Instead, the men singled him out and asked for his help. Karl was stunned. That was the last thing that he had expected. But the men explained that he was now a known contact. His involvement with the next phase of the the operation would give them the advantage they needed. Karl just nodded his head, he would do anything that they asked him to. But it would be a while before his ability to speak would return to his overloaded mind.
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The setting sun shimmered over the turquoise blue ocean. The reflections looked like a river of gold making its way up to the sands of the shoreline. From the deck of their room right on the beach, Stephanie admired the view, breathless at the beauty that stretched out to meet where the ocean touched the sky.
Coming up behind her, Ranger wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. It was never possible to be too close, to touch her enough. She filled him with a joy that could not be contained. Leaning down to nuzzle her neck, his kisses ignited fires in her that matched the brilliance of the blazing sun on the horizon.
Her breathlessness was now caused by the way her heart pounded whenever Ranger took her into his arms. The way the need inside of her begged him to come even closer. With minimal effort, Stephanie stepped back into him and pushed them both into the room again. Pulling the curtains closed, she turned around in his arms and guided him further back until his legs bumped up against the bed.
"You know, at this rate, we will never get that walk on the beach that you wanted," he said with a mischievous smile. He pulled her with him as he fell onto the bed. The profusion of decorative pillows found their way to the floor again. And in moments, the beach was all but forgotten.
Late into the night, Stephanie sat out on the deck staring at the dark expanse of the ocean. "I like the ship from this vantage point," she said. They both looked up to see the strings of lights that were hung from one end of the ship to the other, the outline being reflected in the water it waited in. She picked up the jar of nuts and sprinkled some in his hand before grabbing some for herself. They both picked up the fancy bottles of water. Their midnight picnic was compliments of the hospitality basket that had been provided with their reservation, Ranger grabbed a couple of apples and handed one to Stephanie as he pulled her up into his arms.
"How about that stroll on the beach now," he whispered.
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A mission that had taken this long to uncover deserved a spectacular ending. Tom had tried to convinced himself that he was just fine with being in the background on this one. But sitting back and letting others do all the work had never been his way of operating, and it would not cut it today. So here he was, in a disguise that no one would have guessed. He was actually ready to go out looking like Tanner Drake.
Over the past couple of months, his hair had grown out. He was a definite blond again now. And without the contacts and glasses, his hazel eyes were much lighter and stood out against his tanned skin. The weight he had lost gave his face more angular planes, resulting in a ruggedly handsome appeal. Holding his posture erect, he looked every inch of his natural height, and the black clothes he now wore showed a lean, hard body. In fact, Tom now looked like he fit right in here with the rangemen.
Unfortunately, his strength was not back enough to take an active role, and that bothered the man who had spent so much of the past decade trying to find the monsters that they were going to capture today. But he would be there to see it, and for now, that was going to have to be enough. Tom turned from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom. By the time Brian came into the apartment, he was sitting on the couch, tying his shoes. Brian raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected, at first he thought that he had walked into the wrong room, and he turned to leave.
"Hang on there Taylor," Tom said. Brian turned around, he stared at him for a very long moment. Just as Tom was about to say something else, Brian moved closer.
"Tom?" he asked. "Is that you?" He walked around his friend and took in the transformation. For being as intelligent as he was known to be, Brian could now only formulate one word questions.
"What?" was the first one. "How?" came the second. "Who?" followed that. Tom smiled and motioned for Brian to have a seat on the chair nearest to him.
"Colonel Tanner Drake," he introduced himself with an exaggerated handshake. "Also widely known as Tom Dutton, scientist extraordinaire." He tried to lighten the mood with his smile, but he could see that this revelation was disturbing to Brian. He could well understand how it could be. This had not been the way he intended to present the truth to him, but circumstances had dictated otherwise.
Brian continued to stare, he was working this out in his mind. Finally he looked into Tom's eyes. He asked another question. One word again, "Where?" Tom understood immediately, and he started to explain.
Fifteen minutes later, Brian had the readers digest condensed version of the mission that Tom had been on for years. He knew what his own part had been in this operation and now he knew that Tom was leaving to participate in the take down of the man that he had been tracking for so long. Much to his own surprise, Brian was not upset, in fact he seemed a bit honored that it had been his research that had led Tom to work with him and that had helped him to find a way to expose this monster. He had just one more word to say, "Okay."
Now Tom was confused. Brian seemed so calm. After hearing that he had been deceived by someone who had been acting not only as his colleague, but also his friend, he would have expected a more emotional response.
"Okay?" Tom asked the question back to him. Brian nodded.
"Let's go get him," he said. Tom had not expected this. No way could he let Brian come along. He was too weak from this ordeal, he was not trained, he was not prepared for this kind of thing. Tom started to shake his head. But before he could say anything, Brian held up his hand.
"The way I see it, we are in this together," he said. "We have been through a heck of a lot in the past few months, and I'll be damned if I'll let you make me sit this one out."
His defiant stance almost made Tom smile. He knew Brian well enough to know that he had just dug in his heals and would not take no for an answer. Ironically, this is almost exactly the conversation that he was afraid that he was going to have with his team. Neither one of them should probably want to be there. But here they were and they both wanted to see this all the way through. Tom knew that he would be back away from the danger. He would not be getting in anyone's way. So he almost started to think that it would be okay to take Brian along with him.
But before he did anything more foolish than he already had, by telling Brian about the whole operation, he stopped to think it over from every angle. Brian watched him. He let him work it out. He knew the way Tom approached problems. They had years working together, he knew to be patient.
Finally Tom made his decision. It would mean that he would have to keep himself even further away from the action than he preferred, but he was willing to take Brian with him. Partly because he knew that they would end up spending hours arguing about it, and he just did not have time for that. And partly because he really felt that he deserved to see what their years together had been for. Once his mind was made up, he jumped into action. Brian would need his own disguise. They would have to work on that soon.
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Tank had gathered a small group of his men into the conference room. This evening meeting was the direct result of the information that Hector and Tom had received today. In a little over twelve hours, a massive operation was being conducted globally. It had been years in the making, but recent events now made it the number one priority. RangeMan had just been asked to join with Tom and his team.
Hector entered the room, followed by Tom and Brian. All of the men now knew that Tom Dutton was Vapour, and they all stood as he walked in. Inside, Tom was touched and felt a surge of pride in his fellow rangers. But outwardly, he nodded his acknowledgement and took his seat, inviting all of them to follow suit. If they were surprised to see Brian here, they did not show it. They all trusted Tom's judgement in this mission. They were here to find out what help he needed from them, and they all knew that time was of the essence.
"Gentlemen," Tom said, directing their attention to the screen on the wall. Hector held the remote and called up several images. A quick presentation showed the photos of the arms dealers that they were after. Of the twelve pictures that were shown, only one elicited a response from all of the men in the room. Hector nodded, he had recognized this man too, they had run into him before. As monsters go, he was one of the worst. Because he had no conscience whatsoever.
Without any explanation, Tom had Hector show the map. It was marked as the one in DC had been, with the locations and last sightings of these men. Tom now opened the channels to include the RangeMan office in Miami. Once he had everyone's attention, Tom began to explain the situation. "We have two agents in the vicinity of each of the men we are looking for with the exception of Miami and Andorra." He stopped to indicate these locations on the map. "We are asking for help in Miami as we try to get some people into Spain." Tank nodded, and he continued. "The scope of the investigation changed very recently. We are needing to attempt a multiple sting operation in all of these areas simultaneously." Now he looked around the room at each of the men. "And we need to get it coordinated to carry it out by 0900 tomorrow morning.
No one spoke, but an audible intake of breath filled the rooms in both Trenton and Miami. This was incredibly short notice, but they were ready to do what needed to be done.
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