Steph:

As we drove to the airport, I received a text from my mother and it crossed my mind that it was early for her to be up. Her message brought me the first joy since Joe left last night. My cousin's fiancé told her after the rehearsal dinner that he got his other girlfriend pregnant and would need to marry her instead, but he would still have a couple of nights a week available for her if she was interested and willing to keep it on the downlow. His other girlfriend was the jealous type.

Apparently, she beat him with a steel heeled stiletto.

And freed up my Saturday. Without getting me banned from pineapple upside down cake for the rest of eternity. Cause there was no way I was leaving Ranger's side.

On that note… I needed to let people know I was heading out of town. And Tank already gave me the speech about keeping the attempt on Ranger quiet. We needed to know more. We needed to lock it down for now.

I composed two group chats, one with Lula, Connie and Mary Lou, the other with my mom, Valarie and Grandma. I didn't want my mom to see what my friends might say, and vice versa.

I sent them this message:

"Just want you to know, Joe and I called it off a while ago, different plans and nobody's fault. He let me know he is staying down South for a while, now that his case is done. I need to leave town to help on a RangeMan project. Not sure how long it will last, but will be in touch once I check in to my hotel."

I put my phone into airplane mode and gave Bob a hug.

"Hal, promise me you will be good to Bob for me."

"No worries, Bomber, Bob and my guys are old friends. He will be in good hands."

With that, he pulled up to a corporate jet that looked like SWAT was guarding it.

"Tank, this seems like pretty heavy security."

"I will explain once we are on the plane and in the air." Tank is in professional security guard, "I will take no shit" mode. "Exit on the plane side and go right up the steps and take a seat immediately."

I did as he said, no even looking back as the SUV drove away. As I took my seat, I saw both Bobby and Lester in flack vests and loaded utility belts, just like Tank. Lester handed me a vest and belt.

"You are going to need these."

Oh boy!

Tank

We have reached cruising altitude and Little Girl is in the bathroom getting changed. I need to spell everything out for her. I hate to scare her, but she needs to know how things have to be until Rangeman can be moved to a safe house to recover… I can't think about him not surviving right now. I can't move that needle one way or the other but I can keep the rest of the Core team safe. No matter what.

When she rejoined us, now properly outfitted, I started to explain the tightened security that would surround us once we landed.

"An attempt was made on one of the principals of RangeMan. An attempt on any of the core team means a body guard for every core team member and we will be paired with another core member at all times. And I have to insist on a complete lockdown on information. No calls, emails or text messages once we land. Are you going to have an issue with that?"

Stephanie looks confused, a slight crease in her forehead. "But Tank, I am not a member of the Core team."

I had known it was unlikely he told her but damn it he should have.

"Ranger added you in the protocol two months ago when he decided to propose to you."

Stephanie's mouth dropped open and nothing came out. If this whole situation wasn't so serious, this would be funny. Stephanie speechless. Never thought to see the day.

"We are almost there. Seatbelts on. We have transportation waiting and will go straight to the hospital. Questions?"

Bobby and Lester knew the drill. Little Girl still looked a little shell shocked. Can't be helped.

Meanwhile, back in Trenton:

Eddie Gazarra

Vito Grizzoli is dead- the perfect mob hit. And the lead FBI agent, Meri Maisonet, locked down the scene and told my boss she trusted me to keep it that way. She and her "partner" took off with Terry Gilman and my boss in tow and told me to keep my mouth shut about all the crime details.

I am born and raised in the Burg and my life wouldn't be worth a cup of coffee if I expressed an opinion about the crime scene in front of me.

Vito was killed at home, in his dining room while meeting with his niece. One of his body guards, Salvatore Bava, appears to have been shot first, giving Vito time to shove Terry into a safe room between the dining room and kitchen and get back to the table by the time the shooter arrived.

"Your time is done, old man." The masked assassin told him. "The family wants nothing to do with the plan."

Then he shot him execution style, on his knees, bullet to the head.

And Vito did not struggle.

Terry, in the safe room, saw the whole thing on the camera, and was helpless to do anything to help her uncle.

When the RangeMan security team arrived in the form of Cal and Ramon- apparently the panic room told them she was locked in there- weirdly high tech if you ask me, Terry told them to call the Chief of Police, that her uncle and Salvatore were already dead, and until the right people could be informed, they needed to limit outside involvement.

Because she knew who did it. And when the Mob finds out, they will kill her.

She's not wrong.

I drove the Chief, lucky me, and I heard him first call the FBI, and then call Morelli.

After Morelli and Maisonet did the initial walk-thru of the scene and watched the films, they told the RangeMan team not to talk to anyone but them and to go, locked up the safe room, and then they also left, taking Terry and the Chief.

I was to give them twenty minutes and then report that I entered the home while on patrol as I saw the door ajar. I found Salvatore and could see from the main hall where he was shot into the room where Vito was. I checked to see if either man was alive and then waited for the responding officers.

I'm not sure what the fuck I'm supposed to say when this goes to court and I am sworn in, how this wouldn't make a conviction impossible, but that sounds like a tomorrow problem.

It's days like this I wished I worked in the button factory.