Ranger's POV
It was Thursday morning. Stephanie left with Hector and Ram to search for Louis Domingo. She was driving Morelli's Jeep as she questioned Carmen Sanchez's neighbours. I thought Stephanie should return the file to Vinnie and quit. My wife, however, wanted to finish what she started. I smiled when my phone rang. "Yo," I answered.
"Hey, Batman," Stephanie said. "Guess who missed his hearing yesterday?"
"Morelli?" I asked.
"You got it. Vinnie gave me the file. I'm not going to be as lucky the second time around. I don't know why he wanted me to get him."
"You're running after Domingo, who is involved with Morelli's case. I know you can find your man and prove Morelli's innocence," I replied.
"I love the faith you have in my abilities. One of Carmen's neighbours told me to visit Jimmy Alpha. I don't know why they keep sending me his way. Do you think Alpha's mixed up with that Jamaican gang?" Stephanie questioned.
"It could be. Stay away from the Stark Street Gym. Ramirez doesn't forget easily," I warned.
Stephanie mumbled, "No shit. After seeing what he did to Lula and Hannah, I have no interest in meeting him again. Hey, Bernie's appliance shop is offering a store-wide sale on blenders. I get twenty percent off and a complimentary bottle of daiquiri mix."
Chuckling, I said, "Babe."
"I'm buying a blender and getting the daiquiri mix. Could you pick up some rum?" she asked. I laughed and hung up. Stephanie texted me to thank me. Knowing Babe, she would stumble across a vital puzzle piece and solve the case. She also promised to stay out of trouble. I had Ram and Hector watching her back.
Tank and I went to Stark Street to let the scofflaws know we meant business. We wouldn't tolerate anyone hurting Stephanie. The second reason for visiting Stark Street was to meet with potential Rangeman clients. Those businesses were legitimate and wanted protection from the gangs. Rangeman would protect any company operating within the law. We refused to protect criminals.
Rodriguez would investigate potential clients to ensure they were on the level before I offered them a security contract. We needed to train the men immediately. It wouldn't help if we lost clients before officially opening our doors. Some of the companies we signed wanted immediate coverage. It spread Bobby and Lester thin, but it was unavoidable.
I planned to have a few men from Miami travel to Trenton to get the business running. Tank and I had to focus on building clientele. Lester and Bobby met with a few property owners about our redecorating department. Rangeman would secure the structure while extracting the squatters and other druggies occupying the apartment building. We charged a reasonable fee to assist the clients. I wondered how Stephanie would react to that part of Rangeman's business. It was the best way for us to build trust in the community.
Lester and Bobby had too much fun tossing the squatters from the apartment. We brought everything needed to change the locks and secure the windows. Tank used intimidation to make the illegal inhabitants leave. Unfortunately, the men and women high on drugs were too stupid to get the memo and vacate.
We had a few redecorating jobs on the horizon. The owners had to ensure the other residents were notified of the situation and that everything would improve once Rangeman removed those who were creating an unsafe environment for the children.
My phone rang after Tank and I met with another building owner. "Yo," I answered.
"Hey. When I talked to Carmen's neighbours, they mentioned a refrigerated truck in the alley beneath her window. I asked Bernie if he knew Ziggy. He said Ziggy often visited the butcher across the street. Anyway, I went to Sal's Butcher Shop and bought a few steaks. I saw Domingo talking to Sal. When I asked about him, Sal said his name was Louis. Since I didn't want to draw attention to myself, I left," Stephanie rambled, telling me the details of her visit.
"Babe," I said, stopping her rant. "Did you get your man?"
"Not yet. I'm following them - Domingo and Sal. I have Hector with me, and Ram is driving another car to follow Morelli," she replied.
"Where are you headed?"
"We turned onto Chambers. If I'm not mistaken, I think he's heading to the marina. I'll call you when I have more information," Stephanie replied before hanging up.
"Did she get Domingo?" Tank asked.
"No, but she's getting in over her head. I want to help," I replied.
"You need to trust her to ask you for assistance. Rushing in to rescue her will only piss her off," Tank advised. "She's independent but smart. Give her the chance to ask you for help."
I smirked and said, "You repeated yourself."
"Because you needed to be told twice," Tank laughed.
Tank was right. I had to trust Stephanie to come to me about these things. We had other things to manage, like keeping an eye on Ramirez. My phone rang again, but I knew it wasn't Babe. "Yo," I answered.
"Hey, bossman," Lester said. "We just saw a silver Porsche with the license plate holder with "The Champ" leave the parking lot behind Ramirez's building."
"Was Ramirez driving?" I asked.
"No. Bobby saw Jimmy Alpha climb into the car," Lester said.
"Where is he headed?"
"Don't know. Should we tail him?"
"Yes. Update me when you have more information," I replied and ended the call. My instincts told me Alpha was meeting Domingo and Sal.
Several minutes later, Bobby texted, "We just passed Stephanie driving the red and gold Jeep."
I replied, "Stay out of sight, but keep an eye on Babe."
Tank raised a brow, curious about who I was texting. I tilted my phone so he could read the message. With Lester and Bobby following Alpha, it left Ramirez to wreak havoc on Stark Street. "Don't interfere," Tank warned.
Lester called a few minutes later. "It's a fucking convoy," he said. His tone indicated his annoyance. "We passed a gas station on the outskirts of Atlantic City. A faded blue econoline van and a piece of crap Nova are following Stephanie. The highway is empty, and the man driving the refrigerated truck is bound to notice the cars following him."
"Watch," I said before Lester cut me off.
"I know. Watch Stephanie. This has the potential of becoming a giant clusterfuck," Lester said before ending the call. My cousin wasn't wrong.
Tank and I visited more warehouses and companies to offer security services. A few of them were shopping for a better security company since their current coverage lacked in many ways. The response time was too long since the other company had to contact the local police to investigate. It was one of the significant reasons for opening a branch in Trenton. Rangeman offered patrols and immediate dispatch of our employees to protect the client's property.
The day was successful in adding new clients. A few business owners asked if Rangeman provided home security. It was one of our best-selling services, though not overly profitable. Most alarms were false because people accidentally tripped the alarm. Someone would open the door without disarming the system, which occurred too frequently. Whenever that happened, we contacted the homeowner. If they answered, we asked for their code word to disarm and reset the system. A few times, Rangeman dispatched a team to investigate. They would contact the police if anything seemed wrong.
During our return trip to Rangeman, my phone rang. It was Stephanie calling with an update. "Yo," I replied.
Giggling, Stephanie said, "Yo back at ya. I know you enjoy listening to police radios, but don't worry about the call you're about to hear."
"Babe?" I asked. An explosion ripped through the air. "Babe? Are you there?" I demanded. My heart raced, and I was barely keeping my sanity.
"What?" Stephanie yelled. "I can't hear you. A man tried to steal Morelli's Jeep, and it blew him up."
"Babe, are you okay?" I repeated.
"I can't hear you!" Stephanie shouted as I heard the sound of a vehicle door closing. "My ears are ringing."
"Where are you?" I asked.
"I'm driving the refrigerated truck back to Trenton. I have Hector beside me. Do I get paid if my skip is dead?" Stephanie questioned. I tipped my head back and laughed. "I can't hear you," Stephanie said before disconnecting the call.
Wanting more of the story, I called Lester. He answered with a barely audible "Yo." Lester was laughing too hard.
"Report!" I demanded.
"Give me a second," Lester laughed. "Meet Stephanie at the precinct. Morelli's going to be meaner than a poked bear. Stephanie found Domingo and a man she called Sal dead in the back of the truck, wearing matching bullet holes in their foreheads. She convinced Morelli to climb inside to check the barrel. As he lifted the lid off a barrel, Stephanie slammed the door closed and secured it with the lock. Your wife is badass. What she lacks in skill, she makes up with determination and quick thinking."
"Alpha?" I asked.
"Took off like a bat out of hell. I think he killed Sal and Domingo. Neither Stephanie nor Morelli drew their weapons. Bobby and I are waiting for the DEA to seize the boat. The cabin is covered in white powder. I think we figured out how the Jamaican gang was moving drugs. It seems Sal owned a boat. He named it Sal's Gal. Bobby and I found barrels containing drugs," Lester explained.
"Did Stephanie see you and Bobby?"
Lester answered, "Yes. She knows we followed Alpha. Stephanie was relieved it wasn't Ramirez driving the car."
"We need to do something about Alpha and Ramirez," I said.
"I have to go. The DEA agents are here," Lester announced, dropping the call.
Tank raised a brow as I continued to chuckle. "What's so funny?" Tank asked.
I gave him the rundown of Lester's report. Tank thought it was hilarious. We drove to the precinct, arriving long before Stephanie entered the lot driving the refrigerated truck. She stopped a few feet from my SUV and hopped out of the cab. I wrapped my arms around her as she shook.
Eddie Gazarra and Carl Costanza approached. I nodded at the men. "Where is he?" Eddie asked Stephanie.
"In the back. Here's the key for the padlock," Stephanie replied, handing Eddie the key. Eddie removed the lock and pushed the rolling door up. Morelli jumped from the back, looking murderous. He lunged at Stephanie.
"Fucking bitch. It was cold in there. You left me with three dead bodies!" Morelli roared.
Shrugging, Stephanie reached into her bag, removing the files for Morelli and Domingo. "Joe and Louis are my FTAs. May I have my body receipt?" Stephanie asked, ignoring Morelli's rants.
Robin Russell and Big Dog arrived to assist Eddie and Carl. Big Dog restrained Morelli and marched him into the precinct. Eddie checked Stephanie's paperwork and passed it back. "I'll be a few minutes with your receipts," Robin said. She disappeared inside the precinct after confirming Domingo was in the truck.
A coroner and the forensics team arrived to remove the evidence and bodies from the truck. Stephanie caught two fugitives, albeit one was dead, in one day. I couldn't be more proud of my wife.
"Carlos, I want to go home," Stephanie said when we were alone.
Before I could reply, Robin returned carrying three receipts. "It turns out Sal missed his court appearance today. You brought him in, so you deserve the bounty," Robin said. "I need your statement."
"I want to go home," Stephanie whined.
"Why don't I record it? You can drop by in the morning to read and sign it," Robin suggested. Stephanie appreciated that idea. I listened as Stephanie ran through the details of her day. She connected Louis and Sal and said another person had called before Sal and Louis hightailed it from the butcher shop. Stephanie's intuition had her following the men to the marina, where Robin confirmed Morty Beyers died while climbing into Morelli's Jeep. Someone had planted a bomb while Stephanie was searching for Louis. Stephanie continued her story, finishing with Eddie opening the back and Morelli jumping out, swinging his fists.
"Thank you for trusting me to do my job," Stephanie said.
"No price, Babe."
"Initially, I thought you sent Lester and Bobby to watch me, but Lester said they were following Alpha, who was driving Ramirez's car. They never interfered, which I greatly appreciated. Hector and Ram watched my back. I knew I could capture Morelli without them. Though having them around to assist was nice," Stephanie explained. She pulled my head down to kiss me gently. Stephanie stepped back before I could plunge my tongue into her mouth.
I placed my hand on Stephanie's lower back and guided her to my SUV. She climbed in the back, leaving the front seat for Tank. I handed him the keys and sat in the backseat with Stephanie. She grinned and moved closer, sighing when she put her head on my shoulder.
"Only you, Babe," I whispered.
"Carlos, we need to set a trap for Alpha and Ramirez."