Chapter 69.5: This Shit is Real
Manny’s POV—Baltimore, MD, Thursday
Today’s fishing session is probably my most dangerous. Juana Baez is an ex-girlfriend of mine, the only time I ever mixed the job with my personal life. She works in Major Crimes. I saved her life, twice, and it wasn’t a bad breakup, so she was happy to hear from me.
Every time I see her again, I wonder why we broke up. Juana is 34, my age, with long brown hair and brown eyes. Coke bottle shape that looks good in everything she wears. Everything about her turns me on. We loved each other, had fun, shared the same interests, and our families got along. We were the perfect couple. Oh. Right. That was the problem. Juana wants someone who adores her, worships her, and lives only to cater to her every whim. I want a woman a little more independent. My salary (at the time) did not support Juana’s preferred lifestyle. When I moved to Jersey, that was the end. Trenton was not the place she wanted to be. Oh well. It was wonderful while it lasted.
“Manny!” We’re at a sidewalk café in a safer area of town. The Wire was not a storybook fantasy. We hug and I motion for her to sit.
“How’s it going, Juana?”
She sighs. “I hate the Bureau. Simple shit takes a fucking miracle now. We’re so concerned with terrorism that unless your warrant application has some sort of terrorism angle, good luck getting it approved in the next six weeks.”
“Shit,” I mutter. My instincts are ringing. Something’s off. I cough twice, pound my chest and motion for her to take a menu.
“Otherwise? Eh,” she says.
Ranger is about three tables over, in disguise (excellent disguise) and listening. I see him point a bug detector at her and widen his eyes. She’s bugged. Great. We’re both bugged.
“So what about you?” she asks, smiling broadly. “Still at RangeMan?”
I nod. “Yeah. Promoted.”
“Wow!” She claps for me. “This calls for a toast. Sparkling or still?” She grins. She knows I’m not much of a drinker.
“Hey, let’s get fancy. Soda!” We both laugh and check the menu. I’m still a little hurt that my ex decided she needed to be bugged to meet with me. Then again, I’m bugged to meet with her. This is insane.
“So, it’s rare that I hear from you,” she says, sitting back.
“Not really. It’s been six months since the last time we spoke. It’s about right.”
She counts then sighs. “I stand corrected. It is time for your semi-annual catch-up. So what’s up? What do you want to know?”
“Same as usual. How’s it going? How’s the job? How’s life?” I grin and sip my Sprite. I see Ranger raise an eyebrow from the corner of my eye.
“Same as usual there. Job’s crazy. I was shot at again. No Manny to protect me this time, so I had to ensure I didn’t blow my own head off.”
She grins and I shake my head. Juana’s terrible range scores were an open secret in the Bureau. She kept whining about not being promoted and that it was sexism keeping her back until the night I pointed out that she just barely scraped by the physical standards. We broke up for two months off that.
“My mom misses you,” she says quietly, and I smile sadly. Mrs. Baez was desperate, desperate, for me to marry Juana and start pumping her full of babies. I didn’t need the pressure. I loved Mrs. Baez, though. Great lady. “Since you’re in Baltimore, you got time to come see her?”
Instincts are ringing hell no on this. It’s a trap.
“Sorry. I’m really stopping here on the way to DC on behalf of my boss.”
“Ranger?”
“Nah. Hal Linden. Ranger’s on a mission. Overseas. Hal and I want to talk about more contracts for RangeMan Trenton with the Bureau and Homeland Security, so I have appointments starting at”–I glance at my watch–”1 p.m. to talk about it.”
She nods slowly but I can still read her face. I’ve provided her with the information she wanted up front. That’s what she was fishing for and now she can’t follow up.
“You said you were promoted. What’s your new title?”
“VP of Investigations and Bonds Enforcement at RangeMan Trenton.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Wow. Nice.”
“Yeah.” I nod at Ram, who is walking up. “This is my co-worker, Ramsay Sinclair. Ram, Juana Baez. Ram is the VP for Client Services at RangeMan Trenton.”
The original plan was not to have Ram involved in this, but I need a shield. Ram has the actual title and Ranger decided that Ram needs to know. He’s no idiot and he’ll keep his mouth shut. All of Trenton Leadership knows the truth now, but Ram won’t be involved as deeply as I am. Ram was briefed last night and sighed in relief. “Thanks for finally telling me, sir. I knew Manny knew something.” He glared at me but I shrugged. The order came from Ranger. What could I do?
Ram takes a seat and orders water.
“So Ram, what’s your background?”
He smiled and I can see that Juana is falling for the dimples like every woman who meets Ram. “Army. I’m a sniper.”
“Shit,” she mutters and I laugh.
“Juana’s range scores sucked when I was in the Bureau.”
“Thanks for telling him, Manny.” She glares at me and Ram and I laugh.
Ram shrugs. “I’m good at what I do.”
“Kill people?”
Want to piss Ram off? Insinuate he shoots indiscriminately. His face is cold and Juana realizes her mistake.
“Hit what I’m aiming for.”
“Sorry.”
He nods his acceptance of the apology. The table is quiet and I realize this is my opening. “So, what’s hot in the Bureau? Nothing classified. Nothing you can’t tell me.” I grin. Just start talking. I’ll lead you where I need you to go.
Juana starts telling me all the gossip. Adultery, cheats, liars, interesting cases she’s working, stuff I’m cataloging away for later.
“The biggest thing right now is what’s going on with your boss.”
Ram and I look at each other. “Hal?” Ram asks cautiously. “Or Ranger?”
“Ranger,” she replies, sipping her soda.
“What do you mean, what’s going on with him?” I ask, frowning. “He’s overseas. I told you that already.”
She snorts. “Yeah, but I don’t buy it. No one does.” She looks at me. “I’m not calling you a liar, Manny, because you might not know, but in the past six months almost fifteen agents have been removed from ICE. There’s a sting going. We know it and the only man who could come up with that kind of info is your boss. Everyone else has been eliminated. Everyone out there has been examined and accounted for. Your boss is the only man left. Your boss is so good he’s too good.”
Shit. I purposely don’t look at Ranger.
“So, say I’m wrong and Ranger is stateside and running a sting. Who’s he targeting and why?”
Juana looks deep into my eyes for a few minutes. She glances at Ram. Her shoulders slump. “The rumor goes that there are dirty federal agents.” At the same time she’s writing on a napkin I’m wired. The Bureau found it odd you wanted to speak to me. They’re curious. “Everyone who’s been arrested has been linked with gangs in some way or another. It’s assumed that your boss is involved.”
Ram snorts. “Ranger hates stateside assignments. He has enough enemies. Domestics are inconvenient. They need to keep looking.”
Juana looks at him and sighs. “The next guys most likely to be involved have other assignments.”
Ram shrugs. “Ranger’s good. Hell, he’s the best. But there are two things I know about him.” Juana leans forward. “One: he hates domestic assignments. Two: Ranger doesn’t lie to his men. He may avoid answering, but he does not lie to us.” Ram sits back and sips his water. “Before Ranger, there was somebody. They’ll be someone after him. They’re using Ranger to avoid having to actually do their jobs and investigate other possibilities. End of story.”
No one can shut down a conversation like Ram can. Plus, absolutely nothing Ram said was a lie. Ram’s the best liar I know.
I nod at Juana. “Everything Ram said is true. Ranger does not lie to his employees. The man was a military commander. You don’t get the absolutely loyalty from your men that Ranger has if you lie to them.”
I see Ram nod at his watch. Ranger disappears while I call for the check and kiss Juana. “Take care of yourself, Juana.”
“You too, Manny.”
I escort Juana to her car and join Ram in our SUV. Ranger is lying on the floor in the back. He scans us both before pulling something off my back. Juana slid a tiny microphone under my suit collar when she hugged me. I shake my head. Damn. He motions for us to continue our bullshit conversation while he writes notes. Ram is driving and he passes the notes Ranger wrote earlier.
She knows more than she’s telling. This is true. You need to meet with her again. Catch her off guard but be careful. You see that she’s willing to bug you. Hector checked. She’s on probation within the Bureau. Without you there to cover her ass, she sank fast. I clench my jaw and write a note back.
How did Hector find out? The FBI just put in a new computer system.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! You mean Sentinel? Hector says it’s the easiest thing in the world to crack. $30 million in cost overruns, years overdue, even after 9/11 it’s pathetic. It’s child’s play. The world’s best hackers are waiting for them to actually make it worth cracking.
Fuck you, Hector. I still have some loyalty to my former employers.
Then why send us in? Why not have Hector crack the damn thing?
It’s so shitty the agents are still keeping a paper record, that’s why. Hector gets everything he can out of there but there’s not much in there. That’s why you are very necessary, my friend.
I smile. Ranger motions for us to let him off at the Metro station so he can catch a train back to his car while we continue on to DC.
“Who is it?”
“Manny.”
Juana opens the door and her eyes widen. “Manny! I didn’t expect you here.”
“Bad time?”
“No. Come in.” She opens the door and lets me in. Pepé, her dog, comes over and sniffs me, then tries to mount my leg. Nothing’s changed there. I pick him up and let him lick my face.
“Good to see you too, Pepé.” I put him back down and Juana hands me a washcloth, smiling. I wipe my face, then kiss her. She drops the robe and I’m sincerely hoping Ram and Ranger have something else to do.
“Juana . . . “
“Yeah, I know you want to talk about something. You want me to talk? Fuck me. I miss your hands.” She grins wickedly. “And your tongue. And your dick. And judging from what I see, you’ve missed me.”
I’ve missed you more than you know. It’s been a while. Well, I guess I’m taking one for the team. I hope Ram and Ranger aren’t listening to this part.
Three hours later, I finally roll off her and smile. Talk about making a man feel like the big dog! My tongue game still reigns supreme and she hasn’t lost her moves either. Yeah, sex after her has not been as good as sex with her. She cuddles back under me and starts stroking again. Jesus! How long has it been for her?
“Ok, what do you want to know?”
“What’s really going on, Juana? Why on earth is someone bugging you?”
She sighs. “The order has gone out from on high. Anyone with a connection to RangeMan, no matter how tenuous, has to be bugged when meeting with them. The last snatch and grab caught four of our agents. The Bureau is stunned because whoever did the detective work sent in iron-clad information. All legally obtained, warrant applications, followed correct procedures, it’s clean. The only thing missing is the agent’s actual name because it’s an ongoing investigation. No one knows who Juan Ernesto Aguilar is and it’s driving everyone insane because it’s clearly an alias.”
She swings a slim thigh over my waist and leans forward. My hands are behind my head and I’m thinking fast. Juana liked to ride while talking and she’s back up on me. Giddyup, cowgirl. I slide my tongue over her nipple and watch her shudder. Juana starts talking, everything she knows about a case she’s working. I can’t understand why she’s telling me about this particular case, but I listen anyway.
“Manuel …”
I chuckle. I still got it. Maybe we can try again? I miss her.
She’s bouncing a bit faster now and I put my hands on her waist to steady her. “Juana.” I’m panting. “Do I need to put protection around you?” Jesus help me. She’s grinding and squeezing and I’m gonna bust soon.
“Nooooo …” She comes and I flip her onto her back to thrust through to my finish. The moment I open my eyes, I get a shock that deflates me fast.
A camera. Light blinking. We’re being watched.
“Manny?”
Do I ask? Does she know? No. I know she doesn’t like being recorded. She’s paranoid about that. No one wants to be the next Internet porn start by accident.
“Manuel?”
I kiss her and pull her back onto my chest. “There’s a camera next to your dresser,” I whisper.
I feel her freeze on top of me and swallow hard. “OK, maybe I do need help.”
I nod. “Slip into your robe. I’m going to slip into my clothes. Keep it light.”
She nods and slips from the bed. I slip out of the bed, stretch (hey, you wanted a good look at my dick. Here it is, boys. I toss the condom toward the wastebasket carelessly and it ends up on top of the camera. Score!), and slip into my boxers. I kick the rest of my clothes into her kitchen and slip into them. She’s in her robe and tennis shoes. I send a quick text to Ram, telling him to get here ASAP. I turn and Juana has the ice cream out. We feed each other ice cream until my phone beeps. I grab my things, Juana grabs her purse, and we walk out of the door.
Directly into an ambush.
The gunshots start immediately and I push Juana back indoors and lock the door. I caught one to the arm and one to the leg, I know. Juana was grazed and I pick her up and run straight back to her bedroom and barricade us in. I dial Ram.
“Yo!”
“Yo. At least four shooters.” The front door has to be gone at this point. I have both of my guns and two extra clips but we’re dead if her front door doesn’t hold.
“Shit!”
“Yeah.”
“I see ’em. He’s with me. We got it. Hold there.” Click. I hear the six single gunshots. Ram and Ranger don’t waste bullets.
I turn and look at Juana. Her face is pale. “Pack a bag.”
She grabs a suitcase and starts packing as much as she can. I see the bullet in my leg, so I head to the bathroom and dig through Juana’s medicine cabinet to find the tweezers. I dig the projectile out carefully and put it into a baggie. I’m hoping the arm is a through and through. I check on Juana.
She’s lying on the bed, not moving. I run over. “Juana! Juana!” I check her carefully and find a bullet in her leg. Close to the femoral. I check the pulse. Weak. Juana grasps my hands.
“James White. My ex-boyfriend. Manny . . . “
“Juana, it will be OK . . .” I’m dialing 911 and she’s looking panicked and scared.
“James White, Manny.” Her eyes close.
“Juana! Juana! Don’t close your eyes.” No. No! Fuck, there has to be a solution. There has to be a way to save her! I’ve saved her every time. I can’t fail this time. I start CPR to keep her heart pumping. I hear the sirens in the distance and I know that the cops and ambulances are on their way but I’ll have her fixed before they get here. I’ve always had her back.
I’ve always saved her.
I’m sitting on the sofa when Ram walks in. The police and FBI are stomping around the place and I’ve said nothing. The ambulance was trying to save her as they wheeled her out. I’m still staring at the remainder of the front door.
“The RangeMan lawyers are on the way,” he says quietly.
I nod.
“The CPR was good. They’re working on her.” He squats down in front of me. “You have to believe she’ll be OK, Manny.”
I nod.
Ram rises and sits next to me on the couch. He hands me a bottle of water. “He and Hector have the shooters. They won’t survive.”
I nod.
I see some of my former co-workers walk in and stop cold at the sight of me. I’m rumpled, dry-eyed, bloodshot eyes and stubble. I’ve gained another decade overnight. A stray bullet caught Pepé. For some reason, that’s just the cherry on this fucked-up situation.
Which of you fuckers was watching me fuck her, huh? If you weren’t dirty you wouldn’t be so fucking nervous.
Each nods at me before moving to consult with the cops. I’m the only witness to the shooting. I’ve handed over my guns, but the fact that they weren’t fired cleared me automatically. That and the fact that I was shot too. The officer in charge walks over with my guns and Ram takes them with a nod.
“Mr. Sanchez has had a trying night. We’d like to leave. If you have questions, we’ll make ourselves available.” He hands over his card and takes me by the arm. I’m standing just as one man walks in and makes a beeline for me.
“James White.”
I look at him. 5’10”, Hispanic, black hair and eyes. His eyes burn the same hatred for me as mine do for him.
“My girlfriend, so what were you doing here?”
“My business with your ex girl is none of your business.”
His nostrils flare. “My girlfriend’s been shot, her dog is dead, you have gunshot wounds, all this shit makes it my business.”
The room is quiet and everyone is watching us. I step over to him. “I don’t give a fuck about your pride. Tonight is not the night to fuck with me,” I whisper in his ear.
“Manny.” Ram.
I walk out of the door.
I’m in my apartment at RangeMan. Ranger’s orders. Everyone is steering clear of me. I called for the update on Juana. She’s still touch and go. They combed her apartment and found cameras all over the place. Well, I hope I gave a good show. My tongue game still reigns supreme.
This is beer number four. There’s a knock at the door and Wifey walks in. She takes in my appearance and my bloodshot eyes and I see the tears in her eyes. I swallow and flip the comforter back for her. She grabs a beer and slips into the bed next to me.
“I’m sorry.”
I nod. “How was the beach?” She just got back tonight.
She shakes her head. “You were there. You know.” We sit in silence for a while. “Tell me about her.”
I don’t speak for a long time. “I hated Pepé.” She chuckles. “Damn dog always sniffed my crotch when he could and she loved having him sleep with us. I couldn’t stand it.”
“What kind of dog was he?”
“Maltese mix.” I swig the beer. “I might have married her but we couldn’t agree on simple shit. Where to live, what to have for dinner, kids or no. Simple stuff.” Wifey leans her head on my shoulder. “But it’s not simple stuff and I eventually realized it. She wanted someone to adore her and I wasn’t that man. Only now I realize that I was wrong. It’s not wrong to want someone to show you that they love you, but I was stupid. Headstrong. I wanted her to grow up. I’m not Disney.”
I roll the beer back and forth between my palms. “She loved Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. You kidding me? He’s the one I hate most. Falls in love with a mute, naked girl on the beach and decides to put a ring on it.” I snort. “There’s a marriage meant to last. I mean, he knows nothing about this chick. Is she smart? Funny? Dependable? Does she love me? Do I love her? What does he know about her? No family, can’t speak, combs her hair with a fork, but banging body so hey! Lemme follow my dick on this one.”
Wifey laughs into my shoulder and I shake my head. “I’ve always been a realist. I loved her for her independence and her mind and yeah, I’ll admit, the body kept me hot, but I wanted her to be a little more realistic.” I blow out a breath to keep the tears at bay. “She wanted babies, as soon as we married. Wanted to move to Montgomery County and buy a house. I still couldn’t afford the kind of house she wanted there on my current RangeMan salary.
She wanted the stereotypical white picket fence with 2.5 kids and Mommy and Daddy and I want that too, but when I started asking questions about how we were going to make that work with two FBI careers and competing schedules, she didn’t want to hear that. We’d get nannies or the grandmas would move in. We’d both continue to move up the Bureau ladder, even with the babies and the dog and the house.
I got a great offer for the LA branch and I turned it down because she hated LA. That was killing the dream. That was mean, asking those questions. It would happen. That’s what she wanted so we finally broke up. My high school sweetheart, 15 years since I asked her to 10th grade prom, and I finally called it quits.”
I look at Wifey, who looks pale and her eyes are wide. I’m sure I don’t want to know and I know I’m not going to ask. I drain the beer and she hands me another. Beer number five. I should be out soon. That’ll stop my motor mouth.
“We made sense in bed. Oh god, did we make sense in bed.” I smile. The memories are making me hard even now. “But out of bed was a constant struggle. We were best friends who liked to fuck because neither of us could bend. If one of us gave even a little ground, the other immediately started pushing for everything.” I open the beer and start drinking. God please let me pass out soon. “I got a great offer in the Jersey Bureau office and decided not to make that my second LA. I moved to Jersey then took this job, hoping that it would be the push to get her to come with me. Failed. Completely. And she was right to resist. It wasn’t what she wanted and I couldn’t make her want that.”
“If you could do it all over again?” Wifey asks quietly.
“I don’t play what if’s. Most dangerous game in the world. You work with the hand you were dealt and keep moving forward. We might have made it someday but not anytime soon. I wasn’t leaving New Jersey. She wasn’t leaving the Bureau.”
We’re quiet. I’m still thinking of Juana’s face when she told me James’s name. Those were her last words. She knew much more than she was letting on.
“You’ve made an enemy,” Wifey whispers.
I snort. “You see my file?” She shakes her head. “Nearly the size of yours. I have the third thickest file in RangeMan Trenton.”
Wifey looks at me wide-eyed and I nod. “You, Hector, then me. My work as a feeb meant I stacked up enemies.”
Wifey huffs. “Does anyone in this building not have enemies?”
“Ella.” I swig my beer.
Wifey snorts. “Miami.”
We laugh.
“I need you to stay low-key for a while.”
I clench my jaw and loosen my grip on the phone. I fucked up.
“No, you have not fucked up, Manny. You’ve done extremely well, but the woman you love was nearly murdered. As it is, she’s developed an infection. I’ve arranged for a guard around Juana that takes orders only from me. She’s as safe as she can be, short of you hovering over her bed.”
I chuckle mirthlessly. Thank you, Ranger. This is why you have my complete loyalty, sir.
“You have gunshot wounds to heal from, so let that be one less worry for you. In the meantime, you’ve managed to get me excellent info, as usual. Of course, I have to skip three hours of tape to hear it …”
The first laugh I’ve had in hours. Thanks, sir.
“Ram enjoyed listening to the entire thing. He was cheering you on. Want to do me a favor? Get him laid.”
I lie back and laugh hard. “Connie wants him bad.”
“Keep Ram out of her bed. He can’t handle that.” Ranger has suspect humor but when he’s on, he’s ON. “I’m sorry she’s mixed up in this, Manny,” Ranger says quietly.
“So am I, sir, but her decision to get involved was before me. Now, the best thing I can do is bring her shooters to justice.”
“Glad you feel that way. Hector will need some help when he’s ready to ‘interview’.” Torture. Good. “So far, we know they’re all MS-13, so we’re already a leg up.”
“Then I’ll make sure we get over the fence, sir.” Click.
Manny’s POV, Sunday Night (Night before Chapter 69)
It’s been a week of highs and lows. Everyone is treating me like normal and those who know what happened (few and far between) have all given me a quiet word of sympathy.
My phone call to Mrs. Baez was miserable. She sobbed the entire time but she wanted to talk to me in person. Her daughter gave me some info to pass along so I slid back down to Baltimore this morning to see her. She sobbed at the sight of me but welcomed me into her home and hugged me tight.
“Manuel, Juana loves you,” she said, crying. “She always hoped you two would find your way back to each other.”
I nodded, throat tight. “I love her too, Mrs. Baez. I always will.” I waved to the family, who all hugged me. James White looked furious to see the outpouring of love for me. I’m being treated like the husband and they all clearly hate him.
She wiped her eyes and motioned for me to follow her to her bedroom. Once inside, she started digging in her closet. “Here. Juana gave me this about a month ago. She said that if anything ever happened to her, to get this to you ASAP.”
I opened the box and there was a folder and a stack of CDs, at least 25, and DVDs too. I was betting we had just cracked this case wide open. I opened the folder and my eyes widened.
Juana was doing research on someone. MS-13 from California. Moved to Texas, disappeared into thin air. She was trying to find him for some reason. This was the case she was talking about. I can’t wait to dig into it. There was a knock at the door and I moved to block it. Good move; White was on the other side. He glared at me.
“The family is looking for Mrs. Baez.”
She glared at him. “No they aren’t. They know I’m speaking to Manuel. You go away. I hate you and since Juana’s no longer around I don’t have to be nice to you. Leave my home.”
His jaw clenched. “I love your daughter. I’m willing to marry her. I’ve been here. He ran away.”
Mrs. Baez snorted. “They were together for a decade. You were six months. I know he loved her. You might have just been using my daughter. Go away! Now!”
Juana’s brother Martin escorted White away. I hugged Mrs. Baez. “Whatever happened, I won’t rest until it’s solved.”
She smiled, shakily. “I know you won’t.” She kissed both cheeks. “Fall in love again. I’ll be happy to meet your firstborn whenever it happens. When she gets out the hospital, you’ll get started on that, right?”
I smiled. The baby pressure I ran away from for years and right now, I’d do my best to knock Juana up if she were ready. Depressing.
I carefully repacked the box and headed back to my car. White was there watching me like a hawk. I waved to the rest of the family and pulled off. Halfway home, the inevitable happened.
Pop pop pop!
Gunshots. I expected it, which is why I’m in a RangeMan vehicle. Non-shred, non-deflate tires, shatterproof windows, the works. I hit the left lane and called for backup. Junior, Hector, Ram, and Binkie were all waiting in Wilmington and they swung behind my attackers. I could tell when Ram got a hit. There was a lovely explosion.
RangeMan. We don’t have high powered weaponry for nothing.
15 minutes later I was clear. The guys were behind me, but they put some distance between us, just in case someone else wanted to take a chance. No one did. Highway patrol was busy for hours, according to the news reports. I called back to Mrs. Baez, asked if White was still there. Yes, he was. Damn. I thought it might be him.
I returned to RangeMan and texted Ranger that Juana was doing her own research. It looked like what she had might blow this thing wide open, but I’d review and let him know. He told me to take my time.
That’s all I have, Ranger. Time. She’s still fighting the infection.
Steph’s POV—Thursday Night (Before Chapter 71)
My clearance starts tomorrow but I’m more concerned about Manny than anything else. Juana is still in the hospital and is extremely weak, but she’s awake and responding. Everyone here at RMTrenton is thrilled. He’s been talking to her, by phone, every day, just so she can hear his voice. I told him to go to her but he has a project with Hector soon, to get more information about her attackers.
Her attackers. He’s so focused on her that he completely disregards the fact that he was shot too.
I told him to leave after that ‘project’ and don’t return for a week. That’s an order. He smiled faintly and said, “Thanks, Wifey.” I’ve asked Ella to go ahead and pack a bag for him. Hector said their little ‘project’ will be Sunday night, so I went back and told Manny that he needs to leave Trenton Monday. No excuses. Manny finally admitted that Ranger ordered him to Trenton to stay low key.
I had a fucking fit. No other way to put it.
“Get him on the line, Hector.”
Hector merely stared at me. I must have look deranged because he sighed and texted Ranger. Three minutes later, the phone rang.
“Hermano?”
“No.”
“Babe?”
“How would you feel if Tank ordered you away from my side as I was lying in a hospital bed? Make something happen, Batman.” Click.
Two hours later, Hector told Manny he had clearance to go to Baltimore.
Until Juana woke up today, I was sitting in his apartment with him each night while he drank and brooded. Ram forced him to exercise and get in the gun range each day. Hal attempted to force him to eat and Ella’s been making Manny’s favorite dishes to tempt him. He was picking at it but we thanked God for Candy today. She picked up his meal from the break room and took it to his office. No idea what she said to him but she returned with clean plates. When I asked her, she told us—me, Ram, Hal, and Ella—that she simply reminded him that if he wanted to be by Juana’s bedside, he’d have to eat. She then waited for him to finish every mouthful before slipping him the bread pudding Ella made for him.
The news about Juana came three hours later. He devoured dinner.
Hector was pulling him onto the mats each day for hand to hand. Manny’s been vicious on the mats lately and the men were concerned but Hector grinned and taunted him each time. Manny looked ready to kill Hector on day one but Ella told me not to interfere.
“He needs that, cariña. He needs to release his anger and frustration and fear. Hector is giving him a target. Hector knows what he’s doing,” Ella said softly. She and I were sitting in front of my monitor, watching the mats session in the gym the second morning. I was ready to go break it up then. She smiled at me, sadly. “The Leadership Core does this for each other often. It’s the best way, besides the gun range, for Manny to release anger and tension.”
I sighed and sat back. Trenton Leadership forced their brother to live.
For the first time, I’m looking at my relationship with Ranger from a RangeMan’s point of view. If Ranger ever acts like this when I’m shot, I’m stunned and grateful the men don’t hate me. I’m grateful Bobby, Lester, and Tank don’t hate me. I hate that Juana was shot, but watching Manny get drunk and try not to cry in his apartment showed me the other side of my disasters. I was pissed when Hector was hurt but, for some reason, it hurts even more watching Manny sit in his apartment and brood. He loves her and he’s scared and worried. He’s angry because he can’t kill her attackers and Ranger’s put Manny in a safe house position when he wants to go find the people who hurt Juana.
Even worse? Juana is still in the hospital. Something called SIRS. I called Louise Malinkowski at St. Francis to find out what that was. A serious infection, she said, but with prompt attention everything should be fine. Treatment is a weeklong ICU stay and major antibiotics for the patient. Maybe a few more days just to make sure everything is OK. She started asking lots of nosy questions to find out why I was asking so I thanked her and hung up.
I thought back to all the times I’ve been shot, shot at, or hospitalized and realized that Ranger and Joe had it just as bad. I know Joe was worried each time I was shot. I know Ranger spent nights sitting in the chair in my apartment, watching me sleep. The moment Manny said he wanted to put Juana under guard here in Trenton, the moment she’s released from the hospital, my first thought was, ‘Great! I’ll clear out an apartment myself if I have to’.
I was shocked by my own thought. I was willing to put someone in a safe house for their own safety, regardless of what they thought. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve truly become Ranger and that’s uncomfortable.
When Manny talked about his relationship with Juana, I felt as if he was talking about both me and Joe and me and Ranger. Especially me and Joe. Again, Ella’s list is invaluable. I left Manny that night and pulled it out to read again. Listening to Manny, I realized I need to make sure I was clear and realistic. Juana wasn’t realistic. She had the dreams but no idea how to make them reality. I know Ranger will work to make my dreams a reality so I need to make sure they make sense. I don’t want Ranger to feel like Manny clearly does: a failure because he couldn’t give the woman he loved what she wanted. He feels he failed her and even now it hurts him.
It hurt hearing him talk about it. I heard his pain and realized that even though they broke up at least four or five years ago, he’s still in love with her. He still keeps in touch with her. He still visits her. I’ve never thought about how that feels but now I see it clearly. Manny looks a wreck but RangeMan brotherhood is covering for him. Ram took all his client calls so he wouldn’t have to worry. Jorge arrives tomorrow to pitch in. “Payback,” he says, for all the help Manny gave him when he was brand new. I know that Jorge doesn’t know anything about what’s going on, but he and Ram are working Trenton’s contacts to keep the branch afloat. Zip’s picked up any Bonds Enforcement and Investigations slack to ensure everything is being covered there.
The RangeMan brotherhood is praying for Juana’s full recovery. Anything less and Manny will not be the same.
Manny’s POV—Sunday Night, one week later
(Timeline, between Chapters 71 & 72 )
Hector’s a sadistic bastard, but I’m matching him tonight. I need info and I’m not in any mood to be toyed with. Juana had trouble breathing today and she was confused at the sight of her mother.
“You’re working for?”
“Fuck you.” Slice. Scream. Hector’s having fun. So am I.
“You’re working for?”
“Fuck you.” Another punch to the kidneys. They keep it up and waterboarding is next. We keep going for two hours but MS-13 is hard to break, until . . .
I found the sister of one of the men. She’s young, preteen or early teens. Girlfriends aren’t a good choice with gang members; they can watch their girl get raped and say nothing but family? They’ll break for family. I stand her there and tell him he has a choice. Her or him. His eyes are calm until I unbuckle my belt. Then he swallows hard and looks scared. Her eyes are panicked. Hector gets started.
“You’re working for?”
“Fuck you.”
I take the sister into another room and tell her I’m not a rapist but Hector? Well …I make no promises. If she wants to live, intact, she’ll scream her ass off.
She screams.
“You’re working for?”
“Fuck you.”
She screams. I whisper for her to keep screaming. Hector slices five times before the man breaks.
“Diego Mendoza.”
I motion for her to stop screaming. That’s the name we wanted to hear.
“Who is he?” I ask. She’s sobbing and collapsed into my arms, but she’s not slick. I’m not taking the mask and hood off no matter how much she tugs at it. She shakes her head. She doesn’t know. Hector asks his man the same question.
“Dunno. He made like he was from Bay. He’s definitely Sureño. They tryin’ to take down a Bumblebee that’s blocking progress. Two of ’em, really. One dropped his flag and the other is too powerful.”
OK. Bumblebee would be Latin Kings. One who dropped his flag? That must be Ranger. Or Hector. The powerful one is either Piman or Hector. Or Ranger. Shit. All three of them are tied in this but I’m sure Hector will definitely know if that’s right.
“And?”
“He’s told everyone to chill for a minute. He’s gotta clean out a new problem. He’s pissed.”
“What’s the problem?”
“No one knows but he’s furious. We’ve been told to chill. That’s all we know.”
Hector walks in, covered in blood. He doesn’t bother to cover himself. It increases his legend to be seen like this and it works. Girl in my arms faints. Hector smiles, faintly.
“Your call,” he whispers.
“You think you got everything?” Hector raises an eyebrow. He knows he hasn’t. He could get the man to confess his dirtiest secrets right now because he’s scared for his little sister. “Get everything.”
Hector goes back and I listen over the next hour. Hector strips the man of every secret about the Sureños in New Jersey that he has. We learn shit that stuns us and I set it aside for more thought later. Finally, Hector returns. He got everything and the sister is waking up.
“Your brother may live,” Hector smirks. She’s terrified right now. “So, what did you do all night for him to be covered in blood like that?”
She swallows hard.
“You got caught in the rain because when he leaves here he’ll be wet but clean. Got it?” She nods frantically.
“Where were you?”
“Caught in the rain.”
“Where?”
“NYC?” she asks.
“Who had you?”
“No one. We just got caught in the rain in NYC.”
Hector gives her a cold smile. “As easy as it was for us to snatch both of you, that’s how easy it will be for us to kill you if that story changes.” She nods, terrified. Hector smiles faintly. He reaches out and holds her carotid for a moment and she passes out.
We clean up the snitch and put him and his sister on a bus back home. The rest will be dropped in the Pennsylvania woods, far from their Baltimore homes.
Ranger’s POV (Timeline: End of Chapter 72)
I’m reviewing the work from Juana Baez. It’s excellent stuff. She might have been shit in the field but she was a damn good investigator. She caught wind of a new gang member making a name for himself within MS-13. No one in the Bureau was giving it any notice, but she put the pieces together.
Sounds like my Babe.
Diego Mendoza was a Sureño from East L.A. He was a BG (baby gangster) starting at 8, jumped in at 11, and did time in juvie starting at 13. He got out and at 15 he moved to Texas to live with family. He enlisted in the Army at 17 and even with his record, the Army took him. My record was nowhere near as extensive as his. I send in a request to get his service record and keep reviewing her info. After he enlisted, he disappeared from the map but popped up eight years later in DC, at the top of the pecking order. Juana was trying to figure out where he was in the meantime to gain that kind of clout.
I snort. He was being trained by the US Army, just as I was. Only difference? I put that shit behind me. Clearly, he didn’t. In any case, he’s become a serious player on the east coast and he may be my missing link. I start searching for contact between Mendoza and Knox but it’s useless. There’s nothing.
I lean back and sigh. This is the part of the job I hate. Hurry up and wait. Someone needs to make a mistake and soon.
I look at the latest video from Tank. Well, this should enliven my night much more.
A/N: The information on Sentinel that Ranger is quoting is the information on Sentinel as of 2010. . . As of 2013, Sentinel is up and running at the low low price of ~$450 million. And not everything in the FBI is on it yet, but it did win an award in 2013.
Your (American) government at work, people. Info available on my website and my profile.
