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Chapter Three: "Three To Get Deadly"
The Night After Stephanie Is Assigned Mo
(Stephanie)
Stephanie lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering, again, if it really had only been a few days ago that she had thought this year would be brighter.
It was sure to be joy-filled as long as Caleb was in it, but hunting down one of the most beloved figures in the Burg was not the way she wanted to start off this year.
Not to mention the bad feeling that was developing in her stomach about the case. She just knew this whole situation wasn't going to turn out well and a portion of her desperately wanted to go back to Newark and spend her days with Caleb again, but she knew she couldn't do that.
Besides, she had Uncle Mo to find.
She just hoped it didn't take too long. She wanted to spend Valentine's day with her special fellow, who, she was sure, would make a construction paper heart for her in preschool. Definitely something to look forward to.
With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep. Thoughts of Mo and other FTA's were far from her dreams.
(Ranger)
The day had started pretty normally. Then, around nine thirty, he received a call from one of his government contacts. They wanted to discuss the situation in Trenton.
In truth, nothing the man said was a surprise to Ranger.
Though he did spend much of his time in the building on security contracts, Ranger still maintained a strong street presence. It was important that his name strike fear into people's hearts – or at least made them think twice about what they were doing. It save him a lot of time and trouble.
The problem was, someone was going around shooting drug dealers.
He already knew that and had feelers out trying to find out who it was and if they would be a threat. Ranger wasn't involved in the drug trade, he and his men hated the stuff, but, he knew from experience, vigilantism could quickly grow out of hand. He'd seen it happen before and didn't want it happening in his own back yard.
His contact didn't ask him to become involved, at least not yet. But just to keep an eye out and help with the investigation whenever possible.
When he heard that Morelli was involved, he snorted. Obviously the government was already involved in the investigation if they had their goto guy from TPD on it.
During the conversation, however, an uneasy feeling had been growing in his stomach. It took him a while, but he finally realized that it had something to do with Stephanie and this case.
Of course, that seemed utterly ridiculous. Not only were the victims people well outside her skip range, but the only person she had right now was Moses Bedemier, the owner of a local candy store who was picked up for speeding and carrying concealed.
The uneasy feeling in his gut grew. Somehow he knew, with absolute certainty that Stephanie was going to get dragged into this mess. And, naturally, if Stephanie got involved, he would be dragged into it as well.
“Why did I ever agree to that favor?” Ranger asked the ceiling.
The only question he had now was, how was he supposed to prepare for the unexpected? He didn't even have a clue how she would get involved, but he knew without a doubt it would happen.
Ranger sat in his living room, the lights off and soft guitar music playing on the stereo.
The Call To Pick Up Stephanie’s Gun
(Stephanie)
Stephanie sat on her bed, thankful to finally be back in her apartment. This evening had definitely not gone well for her. Between the lump on her head, going to the hospital and being a suspect in a murder investigation, she had missed a call from Caleb. Now it was too late to call him back.
Saving the call, as she did all of his, Stephanie sat down and thought about her evening.
She had left her gun a few houses down from Uncle Mo's and it was probably a good thing she had. Of course, now she needed someone else to go and get it for her.
Joe was definitely not an option, especially because she was pretty sure he was sitting outside her apartment watching her. Lula would call too much attention to herself.
That left one option – Ranger. An odd emotion flowed through her at the thought and she, honestly, couldn't name it. It was a little happy that she could rely on him for help and call him when she needed him. There was a little nervousness that was always present when she was around him, fear that he might remember her or that he might find out about Caleb; she really wasn't ready for that confrontation yet. There was a little longing for what might be one day and a dose of fear of a negative reaction from him.
Still, all of that didn't matter right now. For the moment, she just needed to get her gun back before some kid, or worse, some cop found it. That left her with the option of calling Ranger. Taking a deep breath she slowly released it.
Dialing his number, she waited for him to answer. He picked up on the first ring.
“Yo.”
“Hi, Ranger,” she greeted, making sure to smile while she talked. When her greeting was met with silence, she continued, “I had to ditch my gun a few houses down from Uncle Mo's tonight. I can't go get it and was wondering if you would stop by and pick it up for me?”
“Sure, Babe,” he agreed. “Tell me where exactly it is.”
Stephanie gave the gun's exact location to Ranger and then added, “I'll call you tomorrow with where to meet so you can give it to me.”
She waited a moment for him to respond before realizing he had ended the call. It wasn't unusual for them to just end a call, but it seemed a little odd to end it without at least letting her know that he was OK with her plan.
Shrugging, she turned off her phone and placed it in the recharger before heading to the bathroom. Right now a shower would feel really wonderful.
(Ranger)
Lester had stopped him in the garage to tell him the latest on Stephanie. All of the guys found the predicaments in which she found herself completely amusing. Telling and retelling the stories of her various debacles provided much entertainment and laughter to him and his men. The fact that she always seemed to come out of these events unscathed is what made them funny.
He felt a passing concern about hearing she was injured and laughed out loud at the idea she was somehow involved in Anders' death. The woman was afraid of her gun. His amusement over her gun phobia passed quickly, though, as he remembered seeing her in the hospital after she killed Jimmy Alpha. She had reason to be afraid.
Still, he had to shake his head at the messes she seemed to attract.
Moving to the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. Leaning against the counter, he took a long drink, allowing the stresses of the day to drain away.
It was a small ritual he had gotten into at the end of his day. Drinking a bottle of water in the kitchen, or, on bad days, having a Corona in the living room. It was a way to shed the tension of the day before facing another busy day tomorrow.
As he finished his water, his cell phone rang.
“Yo,” he answered.
“Hi, Ranger,” greeted Stephanie.
Unable to stop it, he felt a small smile form on his face as he waited for her to continue. After the story he heard tonight, he couldn't imagine what she needed, but he didn't have to wait long to find out.
He heard her take a deep breath before she said, “I had to ditch my gun a few houses down from Uncle Mo's tonight. I can't go get it and was wondering if you would stop by and pick it up for me?”
Shaking his head at the request, he silently chuckled to himself. She never seemed to do anything the normal way. “Sure, Babe,” he agreed. “Tell me exactly where it is.”
He listened intently as Stephanie explained exactly where the gun was. Moving toward the door, he grabbed his keys from the dish he used to store them and opened his door.
“I'll call you tomorrow with where to meet so you can give it to me,” Stephanie said.
Ranger was just about to enter the elevator and knew he'd probably lose the signal, so he just hung up. There wasn't anything more to say anyway.
Stepping into the garage, he saw Cal exit the stairwell and give him a questioning look.
“Need some help?” Cal asked.
Ranger shook his head, unwilling to admit he was playing errand boy for his protege.
“Have a good night,” Cal called as he got into his car.
Ranger said nothing as he slid behind the wheel of his Porsche. It would only take a few minutes to retrieve Stephanie's gun. Hopefully the cops would be gone by the time he got there.
Ranger walked into his apartment still shaking his head. There had been a problem with one of their accounts and, being the one on-call, he had gone to deal with it.
After Ranger’s Car Is Stolen
(Stephanie)
Stephanie lay on her bed in her thinking position and stared at the ceiling. The day had been going pretty well. Not horrible, at least. She'd even gotten to call Caleb earlier and check in with him.
Then she went to look at Uncle Mo's.
Then Ranger showed up.
Then Uncle Mo showed up.
Then Ranger's car disappeared.
Well, it didn't so much disappear as she had let Uncle Mo take it, though Stephanie really didn't know what she should have done to prevent it. It's not like she could shoot him, right? Right?
Then again, after seeing that scary look on Ranger's face, maybe she should have shot Uncle Mo after all.
Oh, Ranger didn't make her feel horrible about getting his car stolen. He didn't even get angry. He just got quiet and that was more terrifying than just about anything else he could have done at the moment.
Thinking about it, she realized that Ranger was usually quiet, but this was more than quiet, it was... it was... still. He was still, but not the kind when you're relaxed. It was more of a wolf or a large cat who's not happy, but is waiting patiently for their prey to show up or their enemy to reveal themselves.
Stephanie was very, very thankful that he wasn't upset with her.
If she were being perfectly honest, she was relieved because he was going to be her partner in this for a while. Though it took a lot to rattle her, being thought of as a murderer, even for a short time, bothered her. And, while she really didn’t have anything to worry about on that front, it was more comfortable to have Ranger with her, to back her up and watch her back.
Hopefully, they’d get Uncle Mo pretty quickly and put this all behind them, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be so easy. Besides, Ranger wasn’t after Uncle Mo, just after his car.
Thinking about Ranger, however, never did her any good. It only brought up more questions and left her feeling less than satisfied.
He really wasn’t family material and didn’t seem all that interested in her beyond helping her out when she asked. She winced slightly at that. She hated the feeling that he was helping her and there was nothing she could do in return. Sure, she gave him money, but that wasn’t the same.
Then again, she didn’t know all that much about him, so, there wasn't much else she could do for him. And trying to get to know him better was worse than pulling teeth. The man just didn't seem to want to open up at all. Granted, he probably saw her as nothing more than a trainee, but, still, it would be nice if he opened up a little. At least then she might have a better idea as to whether or not he would be someone to whom she should introduce Caleb.
Then again, did she really want to see more of him? And what was really going on with Joe?
With these and other questions running through her mind, she fell asleep.
(Ranger)
He'd gone to help Stephanie. It was a normal request. There was nothing unusual about it.
There was nothing really unusual about the situation until she let Uncle Mo drive off in his car.
The only reason he could think of that the man had taken his car was because he was as unconnected with the streets as Stephanie.
No one took his car. He had a reputation on the street. Those who crossed him on this didn't last long.
The light from the door dimmed as Tank stopped in the doorway. “It true someone took your car?” he asked, amusement in his voice.
Ranger's eyes shifted to look at his friend.
A low chuckle escaped Tank as he stepped into the office and settled in the seat opposite Ranger. “Stephanie didn't think to stop him?”
“She won't hurt an old man,” Ranger admitted, shaking his head. At this rate, she might just ruin his street rep.
“This doesn't look good for you, Rangeman.”
Ranger just nodded and leaned back in his chair.
“You know where he took it?”
“No,” Ranger replied. “Stephanie has a lead. I'm going to work with her until I get my car back.”
Tank let out a low whistle. “That's a lot of heat on an old man. Do you honestly think she'll let you get away with teaching him a lesson?”
A smile quirked at the corner of his lips. “Not a chance,” he admitted.
“You going to teach him a lesson anyway?”
Ranger seemed to think about that question for a few minutes. “Depends on the condition of the car. It comes back to me unscathed, he stays unscathed. It comes back dented. He'll be dented too,” he stated, deciding on a course of action.
“Seems reasonable,” Tank agreed. “Going to explain things to Stephanie?”
A half-mischievous, half-evil smile curled Ranger's lips. “I think she needs to go jogging with me tomorrow morning,” he informed. “After all, if we're partnering for a while, I need to make sure she's up for it.”
Tank threw back his head and let out a bark of laughter. “That's evil, man,” he chided.
Ranger shrugged. “She let him take my car,” he retorted with a smile.
Rising from his chair, Tank prepared to leave.
“Tank,” Ranger called, stopping his friend at the door. When the larger man turned back, he continued, “I want to look into getting GPS and trackers on all of the vehicles and on my personal cars. I want to be able to turn the ones on my personal cars off whenever I need or want to.”
Tank nodded, recognizing the order from his boss, rather than the banter of his friend. “I'll have information on that ready for you by lunch tomorrow,” he assured.
Ranger nodded in acknowledgment.
Sitting in his dark office, Ranger stared at the wall, trying to get past the anger and frustration he felt.
After Discovering The Bodies
(Stephanie)
As soon as the door to her apartment closed behind her, Stephanie threw the locks and sank to the floor, her hands shaking.
These weren't the first dead bodies she'd seen and she knew, somehow, that they wouldn't be the last, but she would never get used to finding them. Seeing the deceased prepared properly at Stiva's was one thing, seeing them rotting in the ground was another.
Of course, part of her disgust was coming from the fact they were at Uncle Mo's. The store had been a safe haven for children for generations. There just shouldn't be dead bodies there.
As she sat, trying to calm herself, her phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Mommy?” a tired Caleb asked.
“What's wrong, baby?” she asked, concerned.
“I can't sleep,” he admitted softly.
“Wasn't grandma able to help you?”
Caleb hesitated. “She tried,” he admitted. “But... I had the dream again.”
Stephanie closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh, longing to hold her son in her arms. Caleb didn't have many bad dreams, but one had haunted him since he was enrolled in preschool. It involved finding his father, who seemed to like them, but disappeared before anything could happen. In the past few months, that dream had changed to include Stephanie disappearing as well, leaving him without parents and all alone.
Though during his waking hours, Caleb was adamant that she keep her job in Trenton, Stephanie knew his fears, specifically his fear of losing her, haunted him at night. “I'm here for you,” she assured. “Nothing is going to take me away from you. Nothing is going to make me leave you. I love you, Caleb,” she assured. These were the words she normally whispered in his ear as she held him, rocking him gently.
The soft sniff on the other end of the line told her that he was still listening.
Stephanie's mind flashed through her very limited options before settling on a course of action. “I'll tell you what,” she said into the phone. “Why don't you go and lay down on your bed. Have Grandma show you how to put the phone on speaker and then put it next to your bed.”
“OK,” Caleb agreed with another sniff.
Listening to the sounds of her son moving around and talking on to her grandmother, Stephanie couldn't help the ache that grew in her heart, the need to be there. She knew she couldn't take a chance, however. Not now. She would have to wait until this nightmare with Mo was over before going to see her son in person.
“Ready,” Caleb said, his voice sounding with a slight echo from the speaker phone option.
“All right,” Stephanie said, leaning her head back against the door and closing her eyes. “I want you to close your eyes and open your imagination,” she instructed, her voice soft and soothing as she began her story. “Once upon a time...”
(Ranger)
As he stepped out of the car, he moved to the elevator to make his way to his apartment. He would listen to the tape in his office up there where he was sure things were secure.
Taking the elevator, he was slightly surprised when it stopped on Five. One look at Bobby's face caught his attention.
“I'll come up, it won't take long,” he said, stepping into the elevator.
Ranger just nodded his acceptance. Something serious must have happened for Bobby to look at him like that and take the initiative to ride with him.
It took only a few minutes for them to reach Ranger's apartment and settle in the living area. “Go,” Ranger commanded.
“Heard on the police scanner. Your girl found six bodies in the basement of that Candy Shop she's been watching,” Bobby informed.
A curse slipped out before Ranger could stop himself. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, dislodging the tieback he was using to keep it in a ponytail. That shop and the whole Bedemeir file had been a nightmare for him. He had spent most of his time working around Stephanie on the case he'd been given. He needed to find out who was behind the vigilante killings of drug dealers in Trenton and the more he found out, the more it looked like Stephanie had ended up smack dab in the middle of his case. The fact that she had been tortured hadn't made him happy, but she seemed to take it in stride. The woman had a lot of grit, which she would need if her luck continued like this. Ranger looked at Bobby, asking for more information.
“Morelli was there and made the discovery with her. They're most of the ones we've been looking for,” he reported.
This time Ranger pinched his lips together slightly to keep the curse inside. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly. “We'll need more information. Contact Hopkins at the morgue. He should be able to fill us in on their condition. We need to find these freaks before Stephanie does, or before they find her.”
“You really think they'd go after her?” Bobby asked, puzzled. “Everyone on the street knows she's one of yours, most of them think she's your woman.”
Ranger shook his head slightly. “These people aren't plugged into the streets,” he briefed. Seeing the surprise on Bobby's face, he continued, “They're as clueless as Stephanie when it comes to those sorts of things. It might be worth it to keep a closer eye on her since she seems to be a target.”
“How close?” Bobby asked.
“Don't let her see anyone,” Ranger advised. “Morelli might be following her or working with her as well. Make sure he doesn't see anyone either.”
Bobby nodded. “Standard shifts?” he inquired.
Ranger nodded his agreement and watched Bobby leave to set things up.
Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the ceiling as if looking for divine guidance. His life had never been simple, but he could swear it was far less complicated before Stephanie Plum.
Pulling into the garage at the office, Ranger parked in his space, making sure to pick up the tape that had been in the other office, the one to which he'd brought Stephanie.
After Mo’s Cabin Blows Up
(Stephanie)
Stephanie sat in the interrogation room at the police station, her written statement in front of her.
She had finally been moved to a room after spending what seemed to be hours waiting out in the main area. If nothing else, it seemed to be a hopeful sign, a sign she would soon be able to get out of here and get back to her apartment for some sleep.
As she stared at the table, her mind ran back over the events at Mo's cabin just before the explosion.
She remembered looking at Ranger who told her to run. She didn't want to leave him. It was as if a tread was tying them together and the thought of leaving him in such a dangerous position by himself was almost unthinkable.
Finally, she agreed to leave. But, what she hadn't told Ranger was that she would see Lula and Mo to safety and then come back for him. After all, he wouldn't be there in the first place if it weren't for her.
Now, sitting in the interrogation room, she was trying to figure out what that thread was. In some ways, she wanted to attribute it entirely to Caleb and the belief that she didn't want his father to die before her son had a chance to meet him. But, despite her well-honed skill of denial, she couldn't lie to herself.
She was concerned about Ranger's safety, felt responsible for him being there. She didn't want to leave him because she cared about him. And that caring had nothing to do with Caleb or with the night they created Caleb. It had to do with the fact she was attracted to him, falling for him.
That revelation, as scary as it was, could only be confirmed by her actions after the house exploded.
When she heard the explosion, she felt like her heart stopped. She knew for sure she stopped breathing. Her feet had somehow started moving back toward the cabin.
Fortunately, she hadn't gotten too far when she spotted Ranger jogging toward her.
The relief that coursed through her was almost enough to make her pass out from relief.
Now, sitting at the police station, waiting to be released, she couldn't help but feel betrayed by her emotions.
This wasn't television. It wasn't a movie. It wasn't one of the fairy tales she told Caleb. Life didn't work like that. Just because she realized she was drawn to Ranger and that they had a son together did not mean that they belonged together or that they would even get along.
It was better for her to just try and put aside those feelings. After all, it's not like Ranger had treated her in any way other than with professional courtesy.
Before she could talk herself completely out of her feelings, however, the door opened and an officer she didn't know stepped in to go over her statement.
(Ranger)
While he sat, he thought about events out at the cabin.
He had been impressed with the way Stephanie prepared for the confrontation – vest, gun, etc. She had a plan, more or less, and carried it through.
Of course, the vigilantes showing up and starting a shoot-out hadn't been part of it, but he'd gotten everyone out of the cabin before things got really hot.
A smile played at the corners of his mouth as he thought of how stubborn Stephanie had been about leaving. She really didn't want to leave. The woman had guts, that was for sure, but her lack of knowledge of the way things really worked seemed to put her in danger more than it should.
Still, the fact she had been willing to stay with him had touched him. There were a lot of well-trained men he knew who would have taken off without him saying a word.
When he saw that things were about to turn very ugly, he had raced from the house. He had been just far enough away to avoid any debris from the explosion.
He had continued on his way, thinking he'd work his way around to the cars when he saw Stephanie heading toward him. The relief he saw cover her face when she spotted him had given him pause and still did.
He worried that she was becoming emotionally attached. That could be good or bad and that was one reason why he struggled to keep things between them professional at all times. It was easier not to get attached at all than worry about the positives and negatives.
Recalling the picture of her handcuffed to the shower rod, he had to admit, she was a remarkably tempting woman and the courage and resourcefulness she showed made her even more so, but he knew that women like her were not what he needed. He used women for release. There was no room in his life for a relationship and he certainly wasn't looking for anything long-term. Still, maybe she'd be interested in a little release after today's events...
He blew out a frustrated breath. No, he wouldn't do that to her. The last time had taken a nice girl to bed he'd ended up haunted by her.
That thought gave him pause. The dreams and thoughts he had of the redhead had been less frequent recently. He just now realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd dreamed of her.
He felt something inside of him relax at that realization. Finally, after all these year she was leaving him alone.
Shortly after that realization, however, his mind reminded him of why his wasn't dreaming of the redhead as much. Now, he was dreaming of Stephanie Plum in her place.
A soft curse escaped him as he shifted in his chair.
Glancing at his watch, he wondered if it would be too late to find someone for tonight. He could do with a little physical distraction.
Ranger sat in the interrogation room waiting for a cop to come by so he could reiterate his written statement and get out of there.
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