"Report "I barked as I answered my phone! I was instantly alert even though it was after 2:00 A.M.
"She missing. The crew has been looking for hours, but I'm gonna sift through each and every inch of this island to find her," Martinez explained.
"How do you know she is still on the Island? What makes you think somebody did take off with her", I asked?
"That's the same question everyone is asking. It just makes sense to me that she still here. All of the boats are still at the docks. There is only one man that unaccounted for. No one has seen or heard another boat or chopper land on the Island."
"How long have you been looking?"
"Just over four hours," Martinez replied.
"You took way too look to cal me ."
"Understood, I have to go and make sure everyone is still looking."
I threw off the blankets then got dresses. Sleep would not be an option until my Babe was located.
Thirty minutes later my phone chimed with a text message. Target found assessing the situation. Stand by for updates.
Was this man serious? Stephanie goes missing and he sends me a text message. I immediately returned the call only to be sent to voicemail. The next few hours were excruciating as waited for Martinez to return my calls. The next time my phone light up, I answered at the first hint of a ring.
"Report," I barked!
"Yeah man, that's not going happen. Remember, I work with you, not for you," Blaze reminded me.
"What do you want, man? I am waiting for an important phone call," I growled!
"Yeah, I know. The same call I waiting for. You don't need to stress. Martinez has got this. He hasn't called us because he's working. He'll do what he has to and bring her home safe. I've had him watching her back for a while now," Blaze informed me confidently.
"Looks like he's done a fine job," I hissed sarcastically.
Before Blaze could reply my other line beeped.
"She has been in a fight. But it looks like your girl held her own. There are some bumps, bruises and a large gash on her head. What I'm most worried about is her delayed reaction. Blanca is not responding to questions or light at a normal rate. She seems drowsy and sluggish."
"Could be a concussion," I interrupted.
"That too...," Martinez said with a pause.
"What," I demanded?
"Possible drug overdose," he said cautiously.
"You're wrong," I insisted!
"Same thing Escobar is telling me. I called the pilot anyway. She needs to get to a hospital. It would be better to go to Florida than one in Jamaica."
"Miami, get her to Miami," I told Martinez.
"I can do that as soon as they find that Narcan! They need to hurry we have wasted enough time!"
"As soon as you get to Miami text me the hospital information!"
"Naw man, I can't do that. I need you to stay away. If you run charging in there, Escobar is going to start asking questions," Martinez said hesitantly.
"No one cares about this case. It's about her right now," I yelled into the phone!
"This is about her! How do you think Escobar will react if he finds out she what she has been hanging around to bring home a missing girl?"
I cringed, he was right. "I'm trusting you to bring her home," I said before ending the call.
With urgent powerful strides, I ran down to the fourth floor. Waiting for the elevator was not an option. Forgetting that it was only 4:00 A.M. I knocked on his door with heavy impatient thuds.
"What man," a drowsy impatient Bobby shouted as he threw open the door!
"I need you to get on the phone with the medic in Miami. He will be able to find out when Stephanie is admitted to the local the two of you are going to work together to make sure she gets the best care until she can get her transfer to a hospital up here. You know how Stephanie is about being admitted. Babe is going to scared and ..."
"Slow down, Ranger. What are you talking about Bobby asked? Stop pacing. You need to chill, Ranger. This agitated state you got you have worked up is not doing Steph any good," Bobby said carefully.
Before I could say another word, Hector rushed out of his apartment with a bag in hand. He was only wearing a pair of jeans and running shoes. Bobby and I both watched Hector struggle to put on his shirt and then jog down the corridor to the elevator. He left the bag on the floor next to the open apartment door. Several minutes later Hector ran back to the apartment picked up his duffle bag still leaving the apartment door open.
"My keys, I need my key," Hector announced before dashing back into his apartment.
"What are you doing Hector," Bobby asked?
"My sister needs me. I don't have time to talk! You can't go with me Boss, Martinez said so."
"What is going on? Somebody needs to tell me what going on with Steph," Bobby demanded.
"Not me. I got a flight to catch," Hector said as stepped on the elevator.
"What's Narcan, Bobby? Martinez said that they needed it for Babe."
"He has to be mistaken. They use that for Heroin overdose," Bobby replied.
It had taken calling in some favor and a lot of work, but I had managed to get Stephanie transferred an Atlanta hospital. As soon as she was admitted I was camped out in the waiting room. When the opportunity presented itself I took a seat next to Stephanie's bed. Over the past few days, my emotions had been all over there the place. Anger had coursed through my veins at the knowledge that someone had purposely hurt Steph. Part of me wanted to blame Blaze for letting her take on a case so dangerous. I'd had to sit back and allow someone else to be responsible for my Babes health safety and overall well being. That was no small feet. I stared down at the woman that I had spent so much time missing. The one person who after all this time still held my heart. So many feelings bubbled to the surface that I had struggled for so long to suppress. This was my woman and I was never going to be away from her again. Time had passed along with the city but my heart still felt the same. I watched Stephanie crinkle her nose and stretch. The rhythmic pattern of her breathing soon lulled me to sleep.
"Ranger?"
My eyes shot open as soon as I heard her voice. I could not contain the smile spread across my face. Stephanie's bight blue eyes peered up at me.
"What are you doing in Jamaica," I asked drowsily?
"You're back in Atlanta, Babe."
"What are you talking about," she asked in a panic? How did I get here. What happened to me? How long have I been in the hospital? "
The fear in her voice and was painful. Before I could answer any of her questions Martinez strolled through the door.
"Hey man, I don't know who you are but you need to leave NOW," he ordered!
"How did you know I was here," Stephanie asked me?
"Hector talked to Blaze and ..."
"Blaze, my cousin Blaze? I'm going to kill Martinez," mumbles still pretending not to know who I was. "Look whoever you are, you have to go. My boss, Escobar is on his way and he doesn't like anybody around his woman!"
Stephanie looked past me to Martinez. "What are you doing here. You promised to keep an eye on Pixie? You Promised! How could you leave her all alone? She's just a kid!" Babe said with tears in her eyes.
That's when I caught a glimpse of Escobar rounding the corner. I had just enough time to hide in the bathroom before he entered the room.
"Calm down, Blanca. It's Okay," I heard Radolpho say." Pixie is just fine, she back at my house. You look tired, Why don't you go back to sleep" Escobar cooed?
In a few minutes, the room was quiet. Then Martinez and Escarbar started to speak.
"Where are you going," Escobar barked!
"Home, remember I'm fired," Marcus replied
"No, you're not. You saved her life even when I was going crazy and didn't to want to listen to you. I thought you were crazy when you said that she had overdosed. How did you know, man," Radolpho asked?
"The crate I found Blanca in was full of packaged Heroin. It was easy for her to breath in anything that was left on the outside of the plastic or for it to be absorbed through her skin."
"You know when I talked to the doctor in Miami, he said we got her there just in time. Reactions to Narcan are rare. You would have thought that she would have been fine. But who knew that her body would start rejecting that stuff more than an hour later. Man the whole thing was crazy," Escobar sighed.
"The doctor gave you all that information? Or did her brother tell you?" Marcus questioned.
"Why wouldn't the Doctor keep me updated on my wife's conditions," Radolpho let out a smug laugh.
"You wife? "
"Yeah, didn't you see her passport and her chart? You are looking at Blanca Escobar."
"You are not married to her. That's crazy!"
"No, but they don't know that. Besides, someone had to be her next of kin. Who was going to make medical decisions for her?"
"Her brother, that's why I called him !"
"Yeah man, I been meaning to talk to you about that. Why did you do that? Better yet, how did you do that," Escobar demanded?
"I had her phone and she forgot to lock it. Like you said, she needed a next of kin,"Martinez replied.
"I told you I take care of my girls!"
"Sir, your wife needs her rest and we can hear you all the outside of the room. You are disturbing other patients We are going to have to ask you to leave. You can visit later security will show you the way to the door the nurse said in a friendly voice.
I heard angry footsteps leave the room.
"Was he kidding. Do these people really think she is his wife," I asked?
"Yeah they do and he has a passport with her picture listed under the name," Blanca Escobar.
"So, stranger, you might not want to stay too long. People will ask questions."
"I'm just staying until Hector gets back. Nice fake out, she still does not know you work for me," I told Martinez.
"You might want to keep your voice down. What if she hears you?"
"She won't that woman is going to conked out for at least another hour. You know she once avoided being shot because she fell asleep at night watch.
"How long have you known Blanca ?"
"Stephanie and I are old friends."
" Yeah right , that is not how a man looks at his friend. So how long have been in love with her? There are men who fall for her at first sight. Then once they get to know her everyone is surprised at how smart, warm, witty, and funny she is. It's like they expect just a pretty face and she is some much more. You better hurry up and tell her because there is a line of men waiting for wife her," Martinez smirked. "See you later," Boss , he said.