Chapter 38

Five minutes later I was running down a dark street with the sound of a fire alarm piercing the quiet of the night. Maybe I was getting too good at pulling the fire alarm because that was second time that I'd done it. As soon as the glass was broken on the alarm the doors had opened and I was running down those stairs with the sound of boots behind me. I hadn't realized just how many people worked in that building but took full advantage of the moving bodies to weave and wind my way down and out onto the street.

I had no idea where I was because I didn't recognize any of the buildings. Continuing through an alley I came to what must have been the rear exit of a restaurant and walked into a very hot and busy kitchen. No one seemed to take any notice of me, okay I got some funny looks, but they were so focused on preparing food that no one actually approached me or tried to stop me. I followed one of the wait staff through a swinging door and stepped into the main eating area. Wow. Was the first thought that came to me as I surveyed the scene in front of me. It was beautiful with only large candles at the tables lighting the place. It looked expensive with white tablecloths and sparkling glasses along with couples sat in small private booths dressed in their finery. I spied the sign for the lady's rest room so without causing a scene made my way to that door and with a sigh of relief locked myself inside one of the cubicles.

Sat on the toilet seat and catching my breath I knew that I needed to come up with a plan, though I also knew that I had limited resources for doing that. No phone, no money and dressed in my Rangeman uniform weren't helping. Somehow, I needed to walk out this restaurant without being obvious. Yeah, fat chance of that happening. The sound of the door opening had me holding my breath with visions of my door suddenly being kicked down by Sinclair. Women's voices filled the room, their talking and giggling actually settling my nerves.

Undoing the top button on my cargos and then ripping my T-shirt down the front was the only idea that came to me. I ruffled my hair, not that it needed much doing because I was sure that it was flying in all directions, I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly opened the door. To be honest crying was an emotion that was close to the surface anyway, so I presented myself to the two women as a woman who was in desperate need of their help.

"Please, can you help, I, I"

Clasping the ripped shirt to my front I looked up to see two beautifully dressed women. One younger than me and probably her mother from how similar they looked. The younger one was dressed in a sleeveless jump suit that seemed to float down her body while the mother was dressed in a mid length shirt style dress with a deep blue shawl hanging low on her arms.

"Good heavens. What happened to you?"

It was the older woman who took the lead while the daughter covered her mouth with her hand and looked at me with wide eyes.

"This man, he was following me, he tried, he just. Please. He knows I'm here"

I wasn't sure what I expected them to do and maybe this was a really bad idea.

"I'll call the police"

Shit no I thought and almost screamed that at her.

"No, no. I just need help to get out of here. Please"

I added in a quieter voice that was close to begging with her. I watched as the pair of them went quiet and was at the point where I was sure they were either going to walk out and leave me or call security.

"Here, use this shawl. It should give you some cover"

I watched as she shrugged the shawl from her arms and held it out to me. Taking it, I thought that it might just work so trailed it around my shoulders, crossing it over my front.

"Thank you. I'll get it back to you"

Though how I would do that I wasn't too sure. No more words were said to me, but the daughter was full of questions for her mother. As they walked from the room I followed closely behind, and as they made for their table I was heading for the front door. I'd expected to see Sinclair stood there waiting for me so was surprised to find myself on a busy pedestrian area. It seemed this area was the place to be for dining and drinking. I was as nervous as hell as I walked down that street but decided that looking around me would probably bring more attention to myself. I was pretty sure that there'd be street cameras around and that I'd soon be spotted.

Stopping to look into a restaurant window I pretended to be looking at the menu when I was actually looking at the reflection of the street behind me. Huh, there was a dog that looked so much like Ansgar and it was heading toward me. I felt a tongue licking my hand and knew straight away that it was him, but how the hell was he here? I almost smiled when the image of Hector appeared and watched as he walked up behind me. He placed a cap onto my head and then with his arm around my shoulder started to walk me down the street.

"How did you know where I would be?"

Totally mystified that Hector would be the one to find me.

"Ranger has tracker that only a few people can follow. I followed him to a building then kept watch. He sent the message to watch over you"

Okay, that had me raising my eyebrows, though maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. Ranger knew how I hated being left in that building and if he couldn't be with me then he'd make sure that someone was.

"We have a problem. Ranger never made it back to Rangeman and his tracker has stopped emitting"

I was on the verge of stopping to turn around and look at Hector, but he must have predicted that I'd do that so his hold on me tightened and had me continuing to walk. I had so many questions going through my head with the one at the forefront wanting to know what had happened to Ranger. If he'd gone offline, had he done that on purpose? My gut was saying no, that something bad had happened to him. I could feel the panic rising inside of me, panic that he was hurt or worse.

"Stay calm Estefania, we'll find him. We have to get back to Trenton without being seen"

Jackson Sinclair, shit would he be looking for me? Then I remembered that the police would also be on the lookout for me. They'd be watching Rangeman for sure, so where the hell would be safe to go? I never had a chance to ask Hector before he was pulling me down a side street and then handing me a leather jacket and helmet. I was staring at a BMW bike and sidecar, surprised when Ansgar jumped into the sidecar as Hector opened its door. It was a great way to travel but it also meant that I couldn't have a conversation with Hector, something that I was desperate to do. I was feeling so stressed out and so worried as Hector navigated the streets unsure of where we'd end up.

Forty minutes later I was following Hector into a house that I recognized as where his aunt lived. Okay, I had to agree with him that it was as safe as anywhere else but was nervous for his family. What if someone found me here? I'd be putting them at risk.

"Family away. No problem"

Once the door was closed and we were sat in the kitchen it was all bets off and that feeling of panic and worry had merged into anger.

"Hector, what the hell is going on?"

I shouted at him as I watched him remove a couple of bottles of water from the fridge. How could he stand there and look so calm? He totally ignored me and picked up the rucksack that he'd carried with him and took out a bowl and a pack of what looked like dog food. Ansgar was more than happy to be fed which had me feeling like shit for ignoring him. Next to come out of the rucksack was a laptop. Okay, maybe Hector would get to answer my question in his own sweet way.

"Santos, he'll be calling in five minutes"

Five minutes later I was sat next to Hector at the table impatiently waiting for Les to call. As his face appeared on the screen, I was close to tears as the stress began to take over.

"Beautiful, glad to see that you're secure. The police are watching Rangeman, so it isn't safe for you here. Jackson Sinclair called as well. He's a bit pissed off at how you managed to get away from him"

"Les, where's Ranger?"

Because I couldn't give a shit about what Jackson Sinclair thought of me. This whole thing felt really off but I didn't have the time to really think that through. Looking at Les I could tell by his expression that he didn't have good news so braced myself for what he was going to be telling me.

"He never made it to Rangeman. The alert from the car came in that he'd been involved in an accident, but by the time a team reached his car he was gone"

"Then we need to get to the hospital"

My immediate thought being that he was probably hurt. Les didn't answer me straight away and by how he was looking at me I had an awful feeling that there was worse to come. My hand went to my mouth at the idea that maybe he hadn't survived it. That was when Hector must have realized what I was thinking because he was immediately turning me to face him with his hands on my shoulders.

"The car had been pushed off the road down into a ditch. He wasn't in the car and his trackers have stopped emitting"

No, that couldn't be right. Had someone purposely crashed into him, but where the hell was he?

"We can't locate him Beautiful. We've been in touch with every medical center in the area, but no one had seen him. Then, Beautiful, we got a call come in, for you"

I know that I was shaking my head. What did Les mean when he said that Ranger wasn't anywhere? Had someone helped him, and he was unable to get in touch with Rangeman? I watched as Hector hit some buttons and suddenly, I was hearing a voice, it was tinny and sounded strange which had me thinking that whoever it was, was trying to conceal their voice.

"Miss Plum. You have something that we want. If you want your man back in one piece then you, and you alone, are going to bring it to me. I want what Silas Sullivan gave to you. I'll call back in one hour with the details"

I looked at Hector a frown on my face trying to decide if I'd heard right. Someone had kidnapped Ranger to get to me? I was hoping that Hector could trace the call or something. Anything that might lead us to where they had Ranger.

"It wasn't long enough to get a trace. All that we know is that the call came from an area north of Trenton"

I stood up and started to walk back and forth going through what I could do. If it meant handing over what I had, then I'd do that just to get Ranger back. The problem was that I had no idea where Ranger had put that book.

"Hector, where would Ranger put something for safe keeping?"

Of course Hector was looking at me as though I'd gone mad because he wouldn't have any idea of what I was talking about.

"When I was in that bank a man slipped a book into my jacket. Silas Sullivan. Ranger put that book somewhere safe"

"Is that what they're after?"

I nodded my head hoping that if I gave them that book then they'd let Ranger go. Would I tell them about the microdot or what I'd worked out? No, I'd keep that back just in case they tried to double cross me.

"He has a safe in his office and one in the apartment"

I could understand a safe being in his office but had no clue where a safe would be in the apartment. I'd never come across one so it must have been well hidden.

"Can Les or Tank open them?

Instead of answering me Hector took out his phone and then was talking in Spanish and listening to whoever he'd called.

"What are they looking for?"

"A small package wrapped in brown paper with string around it"

At least if Hector was asking me that then someone must be able to open the safes. I stood watching Hector as he replaced his phone wanting to know what had been said.

"Tank is going to look. Estefania it's too dangerous for you to meet them"

I knew that was coming. Everyone, but especially Hector, would want to make sure that I stayed safe and meeting whoever it was that had Ranger wouldn't be safe. I wasn't stupid, but I didn't think that person was either.

"It has to be me, Hector. You heard the message. They could hurt Ranger if someone else turned up"

I wasn't too sure what Hector muttered after I'd said that because he was speaking in Spanish, but I was damn sure that I'd just heard some swearing. Hector knew that I was right and knew that it had to be me. No doubt he'd try and make sure that I was as safe as possible but having woken up recently in strange clothes I was sure that I'd be searched for trackers or even made to change my clothes. Hadn't that happened just recently?

Hector's phone ringing stopped my thoughts and had me looking at him and then cursing him because he was back to speaking Spanish again. Maybe I needed to learn how to speak Spanish and then I wouldn't miss out on so many conversations. He seemed to spend more time listening this time so I was hopeful that Tank or Les could get that package to me, though I would have to listen to the next message to know where to go.

"Santos is bringing the book here, along with some clothes for you and Tank will patch the message through to my phone when it comes in"

I was so relieved to hear that but then was worried if Les knew where I was. Of course he would, because Hector would have told him.

Now we had to wait. I was feeling so tense and so nervous as I sat on the edge of the chair. I didn't have it in me to make small conversation with Hector and as usual for him he remained quiet. Even though I knew that we were waiting for his phone to go off when it began to ring, I almost jumped. I looked at Hector as he picked it up and then as he swiped the screen before putting it on speaker. At his nod I knew that it was me who needed to talk.

"Hello"

I was so nervous I didn't know what else to say.

"Miss Plum. Do you have what I want?"

"I have what the man at that bank slipped into my coat. A package with a book inside"

Should I have said that much and given him the details, I had no idea, but it was said now.

"Good. Drive to the train station and park. Once inside go to locker number 37. Further instructions will be inside. If anyone is following you, the deal is off and you'll never see your man again"

The phone went dead leaving me just staring at it. Was that it? Was that all I had to do? I doubted it. I bet I'd end up driving all over the place stopping at different places to pick up more clues and at each place there'd be someone watching me. I was aware of Hector taking the phone and him standing up, but I was too preoccupied to be interested in what he was doing. That was until I saw Les crouched down in front of me, shit I'd been so preoccupied that I hadn't even noticed him come into the room.

"Beautiful. This isn't a good idea. Ranger wouldn't want you to be the one who goes, he'll be annoyed with us for putting you in danger. Let one of us go instead"

I suppose that I should have expected Les to say that to me, but he would know that I wasn't going to be talked out of it.

"If it was me being held, then Ranger would be the one to go, so it's me that's going. You won't talk me out of it Les. He's in danger because of me and I can't stand back and allow someone else to go. Besides they were very specific that it had to be me"

"Beautiful what if it's a trap and they end up keeping you because they think that you're of value?"

I really didn't have the time to argue with Les nor was I prepared to tell him that I'd do anything if it meant that Ranger went free. I owed Ranger for all of the times that he'd put himself in danger because of me. Now it was my turn. If Silas Sullivan wasn't already dead, I'd actually be asking Ranger to ship him off in a crate to a third world country. He was the reason that my whole world had fallen apart around me, him and that damn book with his secrets. The only good thing to have come out of this was Ranger finally admitting to needing me, in a forever after kind of way.

Les didn't say anything more as he passed me a bag that held some clothes. I used the bedroom where I'd stayed in before, surprised at the choice of clothes that I'd been brought. I was wondering who had picked them out but then realized that maybe it had been Hector's suggestion and that he was expecting me to use the bike.

Back in the kitchen I pulled on the leather jacket over the leather trousers and took the package from Les, pushing it into the inside pocket of the jacket. I had Ansgar's whistle on a chain around my neck so then picked up the bike keys and some money from the counter where Hector had dropped them. As I picked up a helmet, I was calling to Ansgar.

No one had said a word to me, probably because they knew that I wouldn't change my mind. I knew that Ansgar had a tracker in him so as long as he was with me then Hector would be able to track where I was. I was just hoping that whoever I was meeting with wouldn't consider that. No doubt the bike had one seeing as it belonged to Hector. As I opened the front door, I was expecting Les or Hector to be following, to be insisting that I go back inside, but it never happened. Was I relieved by that? I didn't know, but it did make me even more determined that I'd get Ranger back and then I'd make sure that the people responsible were caught and dealt with. As Ranger would have said, keep your eye on the goal, which I had every intention of doing.