Chapter Eighteen: Sally Sweet's apartment the next afternoon
Wulf opened the door to Sally Sweet's apartment. "We expected you earlier." I entered the room to find the whole team collected. Joe sat with Terry, Charlotte and Melvin sat with Hector, Diesel and Gabriela sat with Sally and everyone had photos, maps and other documents in front of them at the large dining table. Sally's extra bedroom had been transformed into the computer center but this was our control room.
"We had an issue yesterday afternoon. Julius came to RangeMan… Are we sure nobody was followed?"
Each member of our team knew the risks of the mole finding out we were still looking into the abduction and the dead man who was not Carlos. We needed the mole comfortable, and that meant keeping him ignorant.
"Wulf brought us in." Joe smiled. "There is no way any of us were seen."
Alrighty then. Moving on.
"So, what happened with Julius?" Gabriela asked.
I summed up my brother-in-law's plan to end RangeMan in Trenton and Miami leaving everyone not only unemployed but many of the guys homeless as well, detailed the lowball offer and how Albert managed to save us all.
"But if you can't access any of Ranger's assets, how could you guys come up with so much money so quickly?" Charlotte asked. "There isn't enough liquid capitol between all the Core Team's assets to come up with the money required for the counteroffer."
Melvin and Charlotte probably even knew what size shoes all the RangeMen wore. But I did ask them to be thorough.
"I don't even think my uncle could come up with that much money so quickly." Terry smiled at me, a genuine smile. "But he did mention a certain FBI probe had been closed after several years of review."
Joe stood up with a huge smile on his face. "Oh my God, Stephanie- you used Dickie's money to save RangeMan?!" Joe had spent time with Dickie and often said he lived up to his name.
Everyone in the room was so excited and talking at once about the money, the buyout and my good fortune. Finally, my marriage to Dickie was about more than how it ended. He had left me everything in his will, his house, his wealth, all his assets, along with an apology for how our marriage ended. In truth, I never actually believed the FBI would release Dickie's funds. And then with no warning, all the holds were removed. I was now the owner of a house on the beach in Malibu, the Trenton office building and more money than I could ever imagine. But other than getting Julius out of RangeMan, no decisions had been made about what to do about all the rest of Dickie's holdings.
"Hermanita?" Hector looked at me and I refuse to believe I actually saw his eyes glisten. "Nos salvaste."
Hector, as a former gang member with teardrop tattoos, was one of the men Julius wanted to cull from the business model due to his criminal record. Ranger gave him a new life and purpose at RangeMan. I didn't save him. Ranger had.
"Hector, you are all like family to me. And RangeMan is Carlos's dream. I had to keep the business together for him."
Gabriela looked between us, then asked, "But why is Julius acting like this? I mean, we know there is a mole, he knows it too, but what is the real benefit to him if Trenton and Miami close down? And he lowballed the offer. It just doesn't make sense."
"I feel like that is a tomorrow problem. Saving Ranger is what we need to focus on." I told her. "Wulf, what have you found out?"
Wulf moved to the whiteboard and made a list of ten names. Some I recognized but most I did not know.
"According to sources in Europe and Asia, Ranger Manoso is going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder on January 1st. We have yet to discover who is hosting the auction. This list represents the individuals and syndicates invited to participate. Each will be given access via an encrypted email that will be sent via a closed satellite loop using old Soviet equipment that the NSA does not monitor." Wulf paused. "Would you like me to explain how the system works?" God No! I shook my head and he continued. "Hector, Melvin, Charlotte, Diesel and I will have access and will act as separate bidders as we have the proxy for some of the individuals on the list and will block the ability of the others later in the auction so one of us wins the auction. I have gotten approval from our group to provide the funds to complete the transaction via a Swiss bank and with the assistance of some Interpol colleagues, we should be able to track the money back to the host."
Wulf could take over the world if he wanted to, I was convinced. He felt he owed us his assistance since Ranger and I had helped rescue his friend's son not so long ago. I was so glad he was on our side.
"Why would the Swiss bank front the money for this?" I was confused. "It could be a large amount. Some of those groups really hate Ranger."
Gabriela chimed in. "Two reasons. First, the bank is insured. Second, the president of the bank is a diamond collector I have worked for in the past." She meant THE diamond collector. Gabriela, Ranger and I had recovered a small fortune in diamonds stolen by the La-Z-Boys decades earlier and Gabriela had returned them.
"Okay, so that means they will keep Ranger alive until the New Year. Which is good news." Joe looked around the table. "But is also means we only have three weeks to execute a rescue. And Vito Grizolli has a lead on the remote location where he thinks Ranger is being held. He has his contact heading there to take a closer look. Once Ranger is in safe hands, Terry and I will head to points south, to "celebrate the holidays" and if all goes well, we will bring Ranger back to the States without spooking your mole."
"There is one other thing we should discuss." Melvin spoke up. "Regarding the mole… I think we really need to consider bringing Maggie Watson here and offering her protection. Charlotte and I are worried that if the mole got suspicious, she could be in danger."
I nodded to the Wonder Twins. "Absolutely, but she can't stay at RangeMan for obvious reasons."
"She can stay with me." Gabriela offered. "Nobody would think to look for her at my place."
"Charlotte and I can go for her now, and get her to Gabriela's by midday tomorrow." Diesel offered.
This group had worked tirelessly to help me get through all the dark days since Carlos was taken and there are just no words for how grateful I am. It never really occurred to me how many people have been impacted by the work Ranger and I have done over the years- how anxious so many people are to help however they could. I rubbed my baby belly and looked around the table.
"Thank you all so much. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't have you all here to help.
Lester and Tank headed to Newark just after Stephanie headed to her "jazzercise class" at Sally's. Bobby decided to stay behind in Trenton in case Stephanie needed him. Both men agreed to remain calm and not respond to anything Julius said.
"What can he say that that is worse than what he said yesterday? I just cannot believe my cousin is such an ass."
Tank, who was driving, wondered aloud. "I feel like there is more to this than Julius and his dislike of some of Ranger's policies. This feels different to his oversight in the past. It is off somehow. I don't like it."
"Let's just get in and out with no fuss."
Clearly, Lester had a poor understanding of what a visit to his Tia would involve. There would be food and family. Julius and Ana were out with their children visiting friends, so there was lunch to be eaten, the wedding to discuss. After a number of stories about the food and the pastries and the sunrise, Tia looked into his green eyes.
"You weren't there, Lester," His aunt scolded. "You should have been there."
Lester was good-natured about it. "It was more important for Carlos to be there, Tia, as you well know."
"And you say Carlos loves his bride?"
He nodded. "And she loves him. She misses him."
"Do you believe my Carlos is dead?"
"No Tia, I don't. I have no proof but I just… Tia I feel like he is still there somewhere." His Tia nodded. "And Stephanie believes he is out there somewhere, waiting for us to find him."
"You found Julius, so I will pray you find Carlos too." She stood. "There is Julius, home at last. You can use Ricardo's study to discuss your business issues. I don't want the children overhearing anything they shouldn't."
Lester thought that his Tia believed today's meeting is to discuss a rescue plan. It was as well that nobody would overhear the conversation. He led Tank into the large office and they sat at the small conference table and Tank took out the papers Julius needed to sign and the check. If he opted not to sign, he would get no reimbursement for his portion of RangeMan Trenton and Miami, and in truth, the amount he was getting was a significant amount above what he originally invested. Lester sighed. Tank was right. Something else was going on. But as Stephanie was fond of saying, that was a tomorrow problem.
Neither man looked up when Julius entered the room. His wife Ana walked in with him. Lester never cared for Ana, who came from money and had an attitude with those who didn't.
"Did you notarize the documents you signed for me." Julius began without so much as a hello.
Tank spoke, all business. "According to the founding documents, the Core members have the option to pay what you offered us to buy you out of the two offices. This is a certified check in the amount of your full offer price. You need to sign these documents to acknowledge receipt of the check and your understanding that you are giving up all rights to RangeMan Trenton, RangeMan Miami and all the assets of same. The copyright of RangeMan security will stay with us, which means you will need to change your company name before the last day of January. The Core team is preparing to send any Boston employees back to you from both Miami and Trenton, but we are willing to take on any team members from Boston who prefer to stay with us.
Ana and Julius were furiously searching through the paperwork. Ana hissed at him, "Did you even know about the buy-out option?"
"It was never mentioned before…" Julius was red in the face, his hands clenched. He looked up at Tank and Lester. "There is no way you came up with this money on your own. What Mafia family did you get in bed with…" Clearly, he didn't really want an answer because the next few minutes involved complex profanities in multiple languages that mentioned several sexual acts that neither Tank nor Laster had taken part in with their mothers or one another. Then he launched into long diatribe involving what the Core Team owed him. And finally, he told them to get out of his house.
"Technically, Primo," Lester said quietly, "This house belongs to Carlos. He bought it four years ago so your folks could invest the proceeds to help get them ready for retirement. Sign the papers, or forfeit the money. Either way works for me." Then he turned to Ana. "Stephanie, who you called a gold-digging slut, invested in RangeMan to keep Carlos's dream alive. That is love."
Julius signed his name and moved the paperwork to Tank.
"Thank you for doing business with RangeMan Securities, Julius. Let us know what men you have that may want a new home." Julius refused to acknowledge Tank's outstretched hand and as the two men left Julius and his wife, Tank was almost sure he hear her scold him, "Julius, what the fuck are we going to do now?"