I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this story- eek! In my head, I've added on to it a hundred times. Unfortunately, it never made it onto paper. Sorry for the delay, and hopefully I'll be able to see it to an ending soon!

Chapter 29

Ranger's POV

Stephanie had wanted to leave for Trenton right after breakfast this morning. Unfortunately, I got a call from Jet at 0600 that made that impossible. Apparently during his preflight checklist, one of the gauges was displaying readings outside of the normal range. He really felt that everything was fine and that one of the engine sensors was causing the poor reading, but he wasn't willing to take any chances and neither was I. We both agreed that the plane was grounded until it had been thoroughly checked out and cleared by a mechanic.

Knowing that was most likely going to be my decision, Jet had already called his usual mechanic, and he was due to the hangar by 0700. Jet was hoping that his sensor prediction was accurate and that we would be in the air first thing tomorrow morning, but there was a possibility that we would be in Miami for several more days.

I figured that Stephanie would be both relieved and frustrated by our delayed departure. She was trying to be strong by heading back to Trenton and facing all of the very serious issues waiting for her there. Namely her charges against Morelli and a surgery consultation with Dr. Newhouse. However, in the brief time that I had known Stephanie, I had also learned that she was an expert at avoiding uncomfortable situations. As she had jokingly referred to it over a glass of wine one night, she was "a frequent visitor to Denial Land."

Stephanie was still sleeping when I hung up with Jet, so I left a note for her on the bedside table and headed down to the gym for a workout, then quickly showered, dressed, and joined the Miami team for their 0800 Morning Meeting.

Steph's POV

Since our flight back to Trenton had been delayed by a day, I'd decided that I might as well get to work on Lester's spreadsheet. Maybe I could make a large dent in it before Jet was able to get the sensor fixed and the plane ready for our return flight. Ranger had offered to let me work in his office, but he had people in and out all morning, and I felt like I was in the way. Instead, I excused myself to a small cubicle in the control room where I could spread out and work on the laptop.

Later that afternoon, Ryan knocked on the side of my cubicle, interrupting my train of thought and making me jump and spin around. His blank face was firmly in place although I swear his eyes sparkled.

"Pay day, Plum!" he grunted, handing me a white envelope.

My stomach fluttered as I tore into it. This was the first time I'd gotten a pay check in years! I unfolded the white paper and gasped when I saw the amount that was printed on the check. I stared bug eyed up at Ryan. "This can't be right!"

He shrugged. "If there's a problem with it, you'll have to call Tank. But he'll probably just tell you that if there's a mistake, it's your payroll program that's to blame." With a wink, he spun around and walked over to another cubicle, handing out paychecks to all of the guys.

I swallowed hard and picked up the envelope, heading towards Ranger's office. I knocked tentatively on the closed door, and waited until he barked, "Enter!" before opening it.

Glancing up from his computer, Ranger gave me a slight smile. "Babe."

I cleared my throat nervously and handed Ranger my pay stub, waiting for him to see the mistake.

He looked it over, then sat back in his seat, elbows resting comfortably on the armrests, fingertips steepled. He raised one eyebrow in question.

"That can't be right." I explained, gesturing at the paper.

Ranger picked my pay stub back up and reexamined it before handing it back to me. "What's wrong with it?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but no sound would come out. I just stared at him in shock.

His lips tipped up ever so slightly when he saw that I was speechless. "If you'd like to negotiate a pay increase, Babe, we can talk about that. But generally we don't give out raises until the employee's one year evaluation."

That snapped me out of my stupor! "For God's sake, Ranger! I don't think it's too low! I think it's too high! There's no way that amount is correct!"

Ranger shook his head minutely. "It's right, Babe. Your salary is the standard Rangeman base pay. We subtracted out the receipts from Ella and added in the distraction job you did the other night."

He stood up and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he took out a card and handed it to me. "If you look closely at that pay stub, you'll see that it's not a check. Rangeman does direct deposit only. This is your new checking account and debit card."

I took the debit card almost in a trance. I stared blankly down at the numbers on the pay stub again, trying to figure out how practical it would be to buy 20 pairs of high heels right before having major leg surgery. I looked up and saw a broad smile across Ranger's face.

"Out loud?" I groaned.

He nodded then walked around the front of his desk. He leaned against the edge of it, and eyed me thoughtfully. "If you want to go shopping, Babe, one of the guys will take you to the mall."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, yeah! I'm sure the guys would love spending a couple of hours in the Macy's shoe department."

Ranger eyed me seriously. "It's not a problem."

I shook my head. "I'm a big girl, Ranger. I can find the mall all by myself."

"It's not your sense of direction I'm worried about, Babe. It's just a security measure."

I tipped my head thoughtfully. "Actually, maybe Simms would be willing to go with me just to hang out. I'm going to miss him when we head back to Trenton. Do you think I could borrow one of the SUVs and go after my shift today?"

I held my breath as Ranger considered this request. I felt like a teenager waiting to see if mom and dad were going to let them borrow the car for the night.

He reached into his top desk drawer and handed me a set of keys. "Call Simms and meet him now. You deserve to celebrate your first paycheck."

I glanced down. "Are these Porsche keys?" I asked in shock.

His lips tipped up slightly. "They belong to the Turbo parked right by the elevator. Be careful, Babe."

He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my hair. "What time should I tell Rosalinda to have dinner ready?"

I melted against him. "I'll be back by 6:00."

His lips brushed across my cheek then found my lips. He gave me a soft kiss. "Enjoy your shopping trip, Babe. I'll see you back here in," he glanced down at his watch. "Three and a half hours."

I gave him a blinding smile as I raced out of his office.

R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S

Simms followed me down to the garage and raised an eyebrow in surprise when I headed towards the Porsche Turbo instead of one of the many black SUVs parked nearby.

"Ranger gave you keys to the Turbo?" he questioned incredulously.

I just grinned and nodded, walking around to the driver's side door.

Simms grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're kidding, right?"

I rolled my eyes at him and used the key fob to beep the Porsche unlocked. Waving my hand at it in a little ta dah motion, I opened the door. "Nope. Not kidding. He really gave me the Turbo keys."

Simms shook his head. "That's not what I was referring to. I meant you've got to be kidding if you think I'm going to let you drive me anywhere!"

I stuck my hands indignantly on my hips and narrowed my eyes. "What is thatsupposed to mean?"

He smirked in my direction. "C'mon, Steph! You know exactly what it means. Do I need to remind you about the tree in my front yard that had a 2 foot section of bark removed by your front bumper?"

I clenched my fists. "We were 19, asshole! And I was trying not to hit your mother's brand new car!"

He held his hand out. "Just give me the keys and let me drive you to the mall. I'd like to get there in one piece."

I gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "You don't want to ride with me if I'm driving. Is that what you're saying?"

He smirked and nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

I finished opening the driver's side door to the Turbo, got in, locked it, and started the engine. I shifted the car into reverse and lowered the passenger side window an inch. Stretching towards the window, I locked eyes with a very surprised looking Simms. "No problem. You don't want to ride with me? Then walk!"

I gave Simms a little finger wave and backed up out of the parking space. His mouth dropped open in shock. As I shifted into drive, and he realized that I wasn't playing around, he ran up next to the car pleading, "C'mon, Steffie! I was just kidding! Holy shit! Don't pull out!"

I blew him a kiss and then rocketed towards the garage exit. In the rearview mirror, I could see Simms running back towards the elevator. If the Miami garage was anything like the one in Trenton, and I was willing to bet it was, there was a large metal key box hanging on the wall. Simms was most likely grabbing a set of SUV keys so that he could follow me to the mall. I grinned and pushed the accelerator to the floor. Good luck catching up, buddy!

Simms's POV

"Fuck me!" I raced over to the key box and ripped the door open. Grabbing a set of keys off of a hook, I hit the unlock button and ran to the SUV with flashing lights.

I climbed in and cranked the engine over, tearing out of the parking garage and heading towards the mall.

Gripping the steering wheel, I gritted my teeth. "I'm in serious trouble! Ranger is going to fire my ass when he realizes that she's all by herself!"

I flew down the street, weaving in and out of traffic until I saw a black Porsche several cars ahead of me. I let out a deep breath and maneuvered so that I was only a few cars behind it. Grabbing my cell phone, I slipped it in the dash holder and turned on the voice command software. "Call Stephanie Plum."

"Calling Stephanie Plum," my phone confirmed.

"Ron! Long time, no see!" she cooed into the phone. "What's new with you?"

I smiled despite my frustration and shook my head at her playful attitude. "You're going to get me fired, you little brat! Pull into one of these parking lots and let me get in."

"Ah ah ah! Ronald Simms! Is that any way to talk to a lady? Especially a lady you need a favor from?!" She lectured in a mock serious voice.

I pursed my lips as I quickly changed lanes and then whipped back over, now directly behind her. "Ha ha, Plum! Listen, I get it! You're a good driver. Great, wonderful, the best driver ever. Lesson learned. Now pull over before you get me fired!"

I slowed down as we approached a yellow light, then slammed my hand on the steering wheel as I watched Stephanie gun the engine and tear through the light just before it turned red.

"Shit! Are you kidding me?! C'mon Steph! Pull the damn car over!"

She giggled into the phone. "Don't all of you RangeMen have to pass a defensive driving course? I'm not even trying here! I have both hands on the wheel right now and everything."

I took a deep breath. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, I love you, but when I find you, you are in serious trouble."

"Hmmm… Then I guess I'd better not let you find me, huh? The mall is a big place! I'm sure I can dodge you for an hour or two."

My eyes widened as I stared in horror at the phone. "No! No, no, no!"

Steph giggled again then said, "Tag! You're it!" before disconnecting.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Well, RangeMan was a wonderful place to work while it lasted. I wonder if Ranger would still be willing to give me a positive reference even though I lost his girlfriend-?

R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S

Steph's POV

I sighed happily, my arms weighed down with bags of shoes, lingerie, and assorted clothing items. I was pretty proud of myself. I had resisted the temptation to blow my entire paycheck in one shopping trip and had settled instead on just treating myself to a few nice things. The bulk of my check was still sitting comfortably in my checking account, proving once again that I was officially maturing.

Of course, if I were truly mature, I would've answered the phone one of the 85 times that Simms had called me. Or at least texted him to tell him what store I was in. Instead, I had opted to torture him just a little bit longer. He was going to be pissed at me, I knew, but I figured I'd make it up to him somehow!

I walked out to the parking lot, feeling better than I had in a long time. In fact, I probably looked a little crazy right now- skipping out to Ranger's car with a broad grin stretched across my face and my arms swinging several shopping bags.

I got to the Turbo and set the bags down by the driver's side door, digging around for my keys. I heard someone walk up behind me, and I spun around.

The guy was about 6 foot tall and stocky with a blond buzz cut and a sinister smile. My heart rate immediately sped up, and I took a step back. Unfortunately, that left my back plastered up against Ranger's Porsche with nowhere to go. My hands shook as I finally found the keys in the depths of my purse. With the key fob still inside my bag, I hit the unlock button and fumbled behind me for the door handle.

By then, the stranger was standing right in front of me, a humorless smile on his lips. "That's a gorgeous car." he rasped in a deep voice.

I stared at him, panicked, and tried to slowly ease the driver's door open. His hand swiped out and grabbed my purse. When he saw the keys still dangling from my hand, he tossed my purse, and I swallowed hard, watching the contents spill out and roll under the front of the Turbo.

He leaned closer. "I think you and I should take this baby for a little drive." He grabbed my elbow and steered me towards the passenger side of the car. "Give me the keys and get in the car."

I stared at him, unmoving, as little voices in my head began screaming out in terror. No! Don't let him take you to a second location! That never ends well! My brain raced, trying to come up with an escape plan, when I finally remembered something my college self-defense teacher had told us.

I closed my hand around the keys, watching as my would-be abductor's eyes focused on them. Then with a quick movement, I pulled my arm back and threw them as hard as I could across the parking lot. He looked confused for a minute, his eyes darting between me and the keys. Me and the keys. Me and the keys. Finally making up his mind, he sprinted over to the keys, giving me enough time to get the hell out of there.

As soon as he turned, I was gone, running back towards the mall as fast as I could, my arms and legs pumping. I didn't turn around until I hit the door and heard the squeal of tires. Ranger's Turbo was peeling out of the lot.

I gulped in a few breaths of air and collapsed on a bench just outside the entrance to Macy's. I closed my eyes, trying to regulate my breathing. When my heart rate had slowed somewhat, I realized that I was stranded.

With a sick feeling in my stomach, I looked towards the parking spot where the Turbo had been. I glanced around nervously and then walked slowly back over to the empty space.

I closed my eyes in frustration when I saw that the Porsche had smashed my cell phone before squealing away. Squatting down, I picked up a few pieces in a vain hope that it might still be somewhat usable. I hit the power button and watched helplessly as the bottom half of the phone broke off and fell onto the pavement.

Closing my eyes, I blew out a frustrated breath and let the pieces slip out of my hands and fall back onto the ground. I scooped up the assorted makeup, ink pens, chewing gum, and hygiene products that were now strewn across the pavement. Shoving one last handful of junk into my purse and grabbing my shopping bags, I walked back into the mall and stopped at the food court.

I slid into a booth against the wall and starting gently banging my forehead against the table. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?

Resting my elbows on the table, I cradled my head in my hands. Ranger's car was gone. My cell phone was gone. I rubbed my temples.

Obviously I needed to call Ranger and tell him that his car had been stolen, but that was going to be a little bit difficult to do. I wished that the mall still had payphone banks like they had when I was younger. Unfortunately, now that everyone had cell phones, they had been taken out.

I was seriously regretting ditching Ron for the past two hours. I glanced around hoping to see him walking through the crowd, but I came up empty. Instead, my eyes paused on the giant clock in the middle of the food court. 6:15. Shit! Now I had lost Ranger's car and I was late for Rosalinda's dinner! "You're batting a thousand, Stephanie!" I muttered under my breath.

Well, clearly, sitting in the food court was not going to solve anything. I knew that most stores wouldn't let customers use their phones for a personal call, so I figured that my best shot was mall security. I grabbed my bags and checked the large map. Of course the security station was on the other end of the mall. With a frustrated sigh, I started walking, but when I got to the large desk/counter area, I found it empty. I let my head drop down, and I stared at my new black boots as I took deep breaths to control the irrational rage that was now coursing through my system.

Deciding enough was enough, I walked behind the counter like I belonged there, dropped my bags on the floor, and grabbed the phone. It was then that I realized I didn't even know the phone number for Miami RangeMan. Or Ranger's cell number. I had them both programmed into my cell phone, but I didn't have them memorized. The only numbers I did have memorized were my parents, Mary Lou, Joe, and Simms.

There was no way that I would have considered calling Joe anyhow, but even if I had entertained the notion, he was in New Jersey. Same with my parents and Mary Lou. Completely out of other options, I lifted the receiver and punched in Ron's cell number, waiting for him to lecture me about playing hide and seek for the past two hours. Instead, the phone beeped loudly in my ear and then played a recording, "To dial out, please enter the 4 digit access code."

I hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of my nose. Seriously?!

I looked around again, but I still didn't see anyone I knew, and I figured it would be a little bit weird to ask a complete stranger if I could use their phone to call Simms. Instead, I figured I would just sit here and wait. Eventually one of the security guards had to return, right? Wrong. According to the clock behind the security desk, it was now 6:40. I'd been sitting here for about 20 minutes and nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero. Not a single security guard had so much as peeked their head down this corridor of the mall. Because trust me, if they had, I would've chased them down.

I had just about worked up enough courage to start walking back to RangeMan when out of the corner of my eye, I saw an SUV with yellow flashing lights cruising through the parking lot. Mall security! They were patrolling the parking lot! There was no way that I could get to this exit and catch them, but they were headed back towards Macy's. I figured if I ran, I could catch them back by where I had originally parked. It wasn't a great plan, but at this point, it was my only plan!

Taking off at a dead sprint, I ran down one corridor, through the food court and back towards Macy's. I could see yellow flashing lights through the door, and my heart rate sped up.

Pushing through the door, I froze. There in the Macy's parking lot was what looked like a SWAT team. There were two mall security SUVs, two Miami PD cars, and about 4 black SUVs all parked at various angles around the empty spot where Ranger's Porsche had last been. It was dark out now, but all of the vehicles had their lights on, and several of the people standing around were also holding flashlights. Even in the poor lighting, I recognized Simms, and I headed towards the crowd of people.

"Simms!" I yelled, running across the parking lot.

He looked up, and even at a distance, the relief was evident on his face. He quickly walked towards me, and met me halfway to the parking space, wrapping me in a bear hug.

Backing up, he gave me a quick once over. "You OK?" he asked gruffly.

I nodded and bit my lip, trying not to cry.

He unclipped a walkie talkie from his belt, and hit a button. "I've got her. We're here at the mall, and she's unharmed."

Immediately, several voices acknowledged Simms's message, and then his cell phone rang. He answered it, glanced up at me, then quickly lowered his eyes. He listened in silence for at least another 30 seconds, then passed me the phone.

I looked at him, my eyebrows creased in confusion, and he motioned for me to talk.

"Hello?" I asked nervously.

"Babe!" the relief was evident in Ranger's voice.

"Hey, Ranger!" I whispered, my throat suddenly feeling like a tennis ball had been lodged halfway down.

"Are you alright?"

I tried to insist that I was fine, but I didn't think that Ranger was buying it. It's difficult to reassure someone when you can't stop your voice from wobbling.

"I'm headed your way, Babe. Let me talk to Simms again, OK?"

I passed the phone back to Simms who listened for another 30 seconds then hung up without ever saying a word. He put a large hand on my shoulder and steered me over to the mess of flashing lights and black SUVs, barking out "Jose!" as soon as we got closer.

A short, muscular guy dressed all in black came trotting over. He gave me the same once over I'd just gotten from Simms. "You OK?"

I bit my lip and nodded, not trusting my voice.

He studied my face, looking unconvinced, and steered me over to one of the Rangeman SUVs. He pulled down one of the back tailgates and patted it, silently asking me to hop up on it. I did as I was instructed, and he immediately began firing questions at me. "Had I been hurt, Did I have any pain anywhere, Did I feel short of breath, Was I dizzy?"

I answered as best I could, but I was never so relieved as when I looked up and saw Ranger moving quickly towards me across the parking lot. I jumped down off of the tailgate and ran towards him at full tilt. He wrapped his arms around my middle, squeezing just a little too tight before walking me back towards Jose.

He glanced at his medic. "How is she?"

Jose shrugged. "Seems perfectly fine."

Ranger sat me back on the tailgate, his hands grabbing mine. "What happened, Babe?"

I told Ranger about how I had finished up my shopping, then walked out to the parking lot only to end up carjacked and phoneless. I explained about not being able to find a security guard, although now I could see why. They were all in the parking lot.

Ranger brushed a quick kiss over my knuckles. "That was smart thinking, Babe, to throw the keys. You made him choose between you and the car."

I smiled at Ranger. "Yeah, my self defense teacher in college recommended doing that if we were ever mugged. He said you should always throw what they're asking for. Your keys, your wallet. Whatever. Nine times out of ten they'll go after whatever you've thrown, and it'll give you a chance to get away."

Ranger nodded. "Smart."

I looked around curiously. "So how did half of RangeMan end up in the Macy's parking lot?"

Ranger's face became serious as he studied mine. "The Turbo has a tracker on it, and so did your phone. The guys on monitors reported to me that the car had left the lot but instead of heading back to RangeMan, it was headed towards Opa Locka. Not a great section of town."

I nodded as a little shiver worked its way down my back. I could have been in the car heading towards a bad section of town.

"I called your cell phone to find out what you were doing, but it went straight to voice mail. When I asked the guys to confirm the location of the phone, they said it was offline."

I nodded. "That's because it was in a zillion pieces."

"Since the last transmitted location was here, one SUV came here, and one headed to Opa Locka. When the guys here saw the smashed phone and the tire tracks, they assumed you had been kidnapped. The SUV in Opa Locka found the car, and started doing a little intensive questioning of witnesses."

I glanced down at Ranger's hand and winced. "That would explain the blood."

He gave me a steady, even gaze. "It's not mine, Babe."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Just what exactly does intensive questioning involve?"

"Whatever it takes to get answers."

I gave him a dubious look, and his eyes hardened just slightly. "I thought you had been kidnapped and were being held somewhere in Opa Locka. My actions were totally warranted."

I bit my lip and nodded, somewhat taken aback by this serious demeanor. "Did you find your car?" I asked hopefully.

Ranger nodded. "I drove it back here. Ten more minutes, and I'm sure it would've been stripped for parts."

I blew out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness! I was feeling terrible about your car being stolen!"

"I don't give a damn about the car, Stephanie. I went down to Opa Locka because I thought you were there. I can replace the car. I can't replace you."

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Did you find the guy that took the car?"

He nodded. "I think so, but give me a description."

"Tall, maybe 6 foot? Blonde buzz cut with a reddish complexion."

His lips tipped up slightly, and he brushed another kiss across my knuckles. "That's the guy."

"Do I want to know what happened to him?"

Ranger shook his head just slightly. "Probably not."

He pinned me with a serious gaze. "What I would like to know is where the hell Simms was when the carjacking and attempted abduction was going down."

I swallowed hard and looked down at the parking lot. "Ummm… That would be my fault."

Ranger put a finger under my chin and brought my eyes up level with his. "Explain."

I cleared my throat nervously. "Well, he made a few nasty comments about my driving skills, so I might have left him at RangeMan?" my voice came out higher and just a little bit squeaky at the end, making my statement sound more like a question.

"You left him at RangeMan." Ranger clarified.

I nodded. "But he grabbed a set of SUV keys and followed me." I offered hopefully.

"So you met up here at the mall?"

I bit my bottom lip hard. "Not exactly."

Ranger folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I kind of dodged him the whole time I was shopping."

Ranger's face was giving nothing away. He just stood there as if he were still processing what I had told him. He turned and faced the parking lot, his eyes scanning the crowd. I saw Simms at the same time Ranger did. Leaning dejectedly against a security SUV, head down, hands shoved in his pockets.

Lips in a thin line, Ranger turned back to me. "Stephanie, I asked you to take someone with you so that I could be sure you were safe. I know you're a big girl. I know that you're used to big cities. But this isn't Trenton. You don't know which areas to avoid. You don't know the people here. And you don't speak Spanish. I wanted someone with you so that I knew you were safe."

I tried to swallow, but the lump in my throat was making that impossible. I nodded and blinked fast, trying to stop the tears that were working their way forward. "I'm really sorry, Ranger! Please don't be mad!"

Ranger blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm not mad at you, Babe. I'm upset with the situation."

"This all could have been avoided if I had just followed directions, I know." I sniffed.

Ranger's eyes flicked back over to Simms, and I reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please don't be angry with Ron! This is really all my fault. He kept calling my cell phone, trying to meet up with me. I was just being childish and playing around."

Ranger scrubbed his hand across his face and shook his head. "I think I've got a new job assignment for you, Babe."

I eyed him skeptically. "What?"

"You can help train the guys in Trenton and Miami."

"What kind of training?" I asked suspiciously.

"Bodyguarding an unwilling client. I figure if they can keep track of you during a shopping trip, they can certainly keep track of the rebellious teenage son of a foreign diplomat."

I rolled my eyes at him and jumped down off of the tailgate. "Very funny, mister!"

Ranger just smirked and leaned down and pressed a kiss on the top of my head.

TBC