Ranger Guardian

by Angi Morgan

“She hasn’t been around Jerry since she was born. He’s never been to the house. I’ve never taken her to work,” said Kendall.

  “And what’s she saying now?” the major asked.

  Kendall moved to stand behind Heath again. “Furgle.”

  “Paper-thin,” Major Clements mumbled. Then he looked straight at the couple. “We can’t march into the FBI headquarters and arrest a man because he says ‘furgle’. What does that even mean?”

  “I’ll let you look that up, Major. It’s an obscure word from Catch-22.”

  Heath stood. “Agreed, sir. But without him,” he continued, “my family isn’t going to be safe. I believe Marrone knows something, but I also think he’ll never tell us. He talks about freaks being true believers. Yet he’s bought into whatever they’re selling.”

  “We know we’re the only people who can get Special Agent Fisher to admit he was behind the kidnapping.” Kendall moved to stand closer to the major. “He was one of three people who knew where Heath was on Friday. I remembered that early this morning. The other two are in this room. Slate wouldn’t even tell me.”

  “In my defense, Heath asked me not to.”

  “I appreciate your loyalty. Even if it almost got my husband killed.” Kendall laughed halfheartedly.

  At least she could joke about it. Things could have gone in an entirely different direction if Slate hadn’t called his mom to check on Heath and Skylar Dawn.

  “Paper-thin,” Major Clements said again. “If we get the warrant to search Special Agent Fisher’s apartment for a device to read the flash drive...then and only then will we move forward.”

  “I suppose you two have already determined a plan of action?” Jack asked.

  They both nodded. Kendall put her hands on Heath’s shoulders. It was good to see them together. Really together.

  “Kendall and I will go to his apartment and see if we can find the information,” Heath began. “I could grab the devices, but then the encryption key might also be in the apartment—we’ll have to make sure the warrant covers looking through items, etcetera.”

  “You don’t need to do this. Any of us can plug in a flash drive,” Slate said.

  “When it comes to computers, I’m the best this Company B’s got. You’ve all come to me for help. Sorry, but I’m not leaving it to one of you guys.”

  “Now all we need is the flash drive,” Slate said. “There’s no way Jerry will relinquish that into our custody,” he added.

  “I think I know a way.” Kendall paused, and everyone looked in her direction. She looked only at Heath. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you that the Public Exposure case has been moved to another agency. The agent in charge said she’d work with me if possible.”

  “Great. How do you contact her?”

  “I’ll need to contact Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steve Woods, and hopefully he’ll tell Agent Ortis to contact me.”

  Agent Ortis? It couldn’t be the same woman. The rest of the planning had lots of discussion and objections on both sides. Wade didn’t hear much of it, until Slate punched him in the arm.

  “What’s up with you?” he asked behind a cupped hand. “Are you really going to let these two go after yesterday? That’s a good idea?”

  “Was I able to stop you or Jack from finishing what you started with your girlfriends? This is Heath’s wife, his daughter. If he can walk, he’s going to see it to the end.”

  Everyone looked at him. Yeah, everyone in the office had heard him.

  “Damn straight,” said Heath, Kendall and Jack while Major Clements nodded.

  Wade leaned against the door, waiting. He opened it for Kendall when she stepped out to call Woods, and he stayed in the doorway of the break room while she dialed. She raised an eyebrow, silently asking if he wanted something. He did.

  He couldn’t think straight until he knew if this Agent Ortis was the Therese he’d been looking for since last year.

  Kendall finished up with a smile on her face. “He’s going to pass along the plan and see if they go for it. He wasn’t surprised about Jerry. I wonder if they already knew.”

  “It might make the warrant easier if they did.”

  She pointed her finger toward the major’s office. “Is there something else?”

  “First...is Skylar Dawn okay? Do you guys need anything? I could watch the house after Company F leaves.”

  “We’ll have to see, but thank you. Today, my mother promised to spend every minute with her. I think she’s okay. Josh Parker’s twins were kidnapped, and they took them to a counselor. They’re calling a couple of people for a recommendation.”

  “That’s good. That’s good.” He scratched his chin while Kendall looked at him strangely. “This might seem out of the blue but I was wondering...is the agent who took over the case Therese Ortis?”

  “Yes, do you know her?”

  “I believe we’ve met a couple of times.”

  “Small world, isn’t it?” She scooted past him. “I should get back in there. Special Agent Woods said he’d have an answer pretty soon.”

  She turned around a few feet from him. “Would you like me to tell her to give you a call? That is, if I see her. She seemed a little on the top secret side.”

  “No. No. That’s okay. She knows how to find me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kendall entered Jerry’s high-rise apartment building and issued the warrant to the supervisor. Heath entered covertly through the basement. They each took a different way to Jerry’s apartment door. Major Clements was meeting with Steve Woods at the Dallas field office.

  None of her coworkers had known the details of how they’d gotten Skylar Dawn back. They had to be right. It had to be Jerry. Therese hadn’t reacted with surprise, and had been instrumental with the warrants coming through so quickly.

  Everything inside Kendall told her Jerry worked for Public Exposure. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d managed to get through most of the morning without tipping him off. Hopefully.

  “We’re keeping it quiet,” Heath reminded her. “Remember, if he comes back before we’re done, we wait for backup. No heroics. And no bashing the jerk’s head in for what he did.”

  “Are you reminding me or you? Public Exposure can’t know we’ve got him. I agreed to the plan, Heath. I’m fine with it. Even if I want to rip the man’s head from his shoulders.”

  Once inside the apartment, the laptop was in plain sight. The password took a little longer to find. Heath pulled out desk drawers and looked on the bottom of small statues, pin holders, the stapler and tape dispenser until he found the current version inside a notebook.

  “How did you—”

  “A guess. He seems like the kind of guy who would use something complicated. But he doesn’t seem like the type who can keep it in his head.”

  He began to access the information on Jerry’s computer. She touched his shoulder before leaning in close to see what he found. With each screen, she was sure they were getting closer to arresting one of the men responsible for kidnapping their daughter.

  “There it is,” he said with an exaggerated sigh.

  “That’s a direct email from Brantley Lourdes. We’ve got him.” She almost giggled in delight. “Are there any others?”

  A noise in the hallway brought her back to earth super fast.

  “Dammit. That’s a key. Make the call.”

  Heath dialed his phone, connecting with Wade.

  “What are you doing in here?” Jerry said as soon as the door swung wide. “I thought you were giving your statements. Why are you on my laptop?”

  Kendall looked at her friend, her boss, her former partner. There wasn’t any reason to pretend. Not any longer. “Why?”

  “Why what?” Jerry asked innocently. But the recognition was there in his eyes. He knew they were on to him. “You have
no right to be in my home.”

  Heath nodded in her direction, poised to plug in the flash drive. Hopefully the laptop would decrypt the file.

  “Actually we have a warrant for your personal computer and cell phone, and to search your residence. Someone’s at your office.” She stuck out her left hand, leaving her right on her Glock. “I think I’ll take your weapon while I’m at it.”

  “Slow down, Kendall. Are you going to arrest me? On what charge? You have no proof anything’s been done,” Jerry spouted as he looked back into the hallway.

  Maybe. But at least with those words he sounded guilty.

  Kendall flexed her fingers for him to hand over his weapon. “Heath and I already tossed a coin to see who took you down. Too bad for you that I won. Hand it over—now. Or I’ll drop your face onto this expensive Italian tile.”

  Heath pulled his weapon.

  “Okay. Okay.” Jerry raised his hands.

  “You messed up, Jerry,” she told him. “While I was waiting on Heath to call me yesterday morning, you interrupted my phone call to Company B. You pointedly asked where I thought he was. You were the reason I stayed at the office instead of looking for him. And then you insisted on driving me to the ranch putting you at the scene so you could plant the phone.”

  “You’re right, babe. But I think Jerry’s smart enough to know that’s all circumstantial. But wait,” Heath nodded. “As hard as you might have tried, there was a fingerprint on the cell phone left on Stardust.”

  “Not yours, unfortunately,” Kendall continued. “The kid who placed the SIM card inside and activated the bogus account? Turns out he’s in the system and was oh too willing to pick you out of a photo lineup.”

  They might have been gloating. Just a little. But they had a right to be proud for doing their job. Both of them could have stayed home. They could have buried their heads under the covers and just been thankful they were all alive.

  That wasn’t what men like Heath did. Because he was a better man, he made her a better person, too.

  “I really don’t understand how you got into bed with that vile piece of slime. You stole my daughter, Jerry.” She advanced a step, really wanting to plant his face in the floor. “Hand over your gun or I’ll consider it resisting.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Kendall.” Jerry splayed his hands. He drew back his jacket and took his service weapon from its holster with two fingers. “There’s definitely been a mistake.”

  “We know you were one of the kidnappers.”

  “Skylar Dawn mimicked your idiotic use of furgle,” Heath threw out. “Got it. I’ll have files open any minute. The file might take longer.”

  “Okay, okay. I was hired by Brantley Lourdes. You should be thanking me for saving her. They wanted you both to disappear. At least I put the kid someplace safe.”

  “She was safe with me.” Heath stepped from around the desk.

  “We’ve got him, Heath. All of them.”

  “I don’t think you know exactly who or what you’re up against. This won’t end with you taking me to the Bureau. Public Exposure is bigger than Brantley Lourdes.”

  “Save it for later.” She took handcuffs from her jacket pocket. “We’ll nail Brantley Lourdes and Public Exposure. You should start worrying about the deal you’re going to broker.”

  He turned around, but only one hand came behind his back. Before she could say furgle, he’d reached out and grabbed a hidden snub nose revolver. He spun again, aiming it at her head.

  “Drop it, Heath. Or I swear I will shoot out her control center and your kid will have a vegetable for a mom if she’s not six feet under.”

  Heath dropped his gun on the desk.

  “Now, pull the flash drive and join your wife.” He directed them toward the open door. “Uh-uh. Keep those hands up.”

  Their backup would be there any minute. But Heath’s phone that was relaying all the information to them was still on the desk. Moving as slowly as possible, they made it to the elevator.

  “How could you have betrayed us? Betrayed your country?”

  “There you go getting all dramatic again, Kendall. Money, and knowing where the nonextradition countries are.” Jerry laughed. “Basically lots of money.”

  Heath looked from Jerry to her and reluctantly backed onto the elevator when the doors opened. Standing closest to the panel, Jerry pushed a button, and then pulled a second gun strapped around his ankle to point directly at Heath’s chest.

  “No.” She moved between Heath and the barrel. Jerry might be reluctant to shoot her, but not her husband.

  The elevator began its descent. Heath’s hands were on her shoulders, trying to push her to the side. She stood firm.

  This was her fault. She hadn’t cuffed him soon enough. Could he get to the second Beretta under her jacket she’d put there for just this reason? She crossed her arms to disguise any movement he might make.

  “Don’t try it. Keep your hands up exactly where I can see them, Heath. Turn around and put your hands on his shoulders, Kendall.” Jerry held his gun steady.

  She turned her back to the traitor and held Heath’s steady gaze. The pressure in his hands exuded trust and confidence. Jerry pulled her gun and his cell, then stuck his snub nose into her back. She continued to look into her love’s eyes.

  “What are you going to do when we get to the ground floor?” She meant it for Heath, not Jerry. She’d need his help to take this bastard down before he shot both of them.

  Heath frowned and pressed four fingers into her right shoulder, then three, then two... He’d understood her question. She needed to know what floor they were on if they were to do this together.

  “You are the only one for me, babe,” she said to let him know when they should act. Now they just had to survive the ten-floor descent.

  “Believe it or not, Kendall, you’ve brought this on yourself by being too damn good at your job,” Jerry said. “If you had just walked away. I gave you a lot of opportunities to shut the file on this thing.”

  Heath’s fingers pressed into her shoulder, counting down the floors. It was risky, but the close quarters could work to her advantage. They had to act before they reached the basement.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to get rid of you both.”

  The basement floor indicator dinged.

  The doors began to open. She let the rage, terror and love all mix together to create a surge of energy. She leaned forward against Heath and kicked backward, hitting Jerry’s chest. Heath shoved her aside, and she hit the wall as he rammed the traitor in the chest. The momentum carried the men down, and they fell to the hard elevator floor, between the doors, keeping them from closing.

  The gun blast made her ears ring. Heath pounded Jerry’s wrist against the floor until the gun skidded down the slick garage floor. Heath kept Jerry down with his weight. She added his strength to hers, but soon pulled back, taking Heath with her.

  Jerry didn’t move. He was out cold. Heath pulled them away from the traitor. He checked for a pulse, then rolled Jerry to his stomach, pulling Jerry’s arms behind him and resting his knee and body weight there.

  He stretched out a hand and pulled her close for a hard quick kiss, then his hands were searching her arms. “You okay? You weren’t hit or anything, were you?”

  “I’m fine. His shot didn’t get you?”

  “No, I’m good.” He gave her another quick kiss.

  “You really are.” She pulled her badge and pointed to her Glock as the second elevator doors opened, and a security guard ran toward them. “Special Agent Kendall Barlow. He’s a Texas Ranger. Could you direct our backup down here? We’re taking this man into custody.”

  The guard didn’t move, but the second set of elevator doors opened again and Heath’s team was there for the save.

  “Took you guys long enough.”

&nb
sp; “Did you find the elevators kind of slow here?” Slate said.

  “Did you get all that on tape?”

  “Right up until you left the apartment.”

  Heath put an arm around her, pulling her farther away. “First off, I regret not getting to hit you for what you did to my wife and daughter. And basically the hell you’ve put me through. Keep that in mind before I get on that elevator to escort you upstairs.”

  “Heath,” everyone cautioned.

  “You’ve got one chance, man. Where is Public Exposure attacking this afternoon, and where is Brantley Lourdes?” He lowered his voice so that only Kendall and Jerry could hear. “One shot to answer, or you’re mine. Alone with me for as many floors as this building has, and then back down.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Heath let the Rangers talk around him and over him in the apartment garage while he sat in Wade’s truck. He was actually too tired to think about anything. He didn’t know whose back seat he occupied. He just needed to close the windows and not move for a month.

  He was too exhausted and in too much pain. He’d been holding it together on aspirin and having his ribs bound with an ACE bandage. But damn, he and Kendall looked as bad as they felt for once.

  “Here, take these.” Kendall dropped two extra-strength somethings in his palm and handed him a bottle of water. “It’s all I could find. I think you could still take a painkiller the doctor prescribed when you get to the house. Wade and Slate both volunteered to take you home.”

  Bruised and broken physically, but not down and out. They’d won. They had Skylar Dawn. They had the man who had orchestrated her kidnapping. So why didn’t he feel that it was over?

  “What’s wrong with my truck?” He pushed himself to a sitting position, waiting for her to explain. Images of someone swiping it raced through his head.

  “We’re in no shape to drive, remember?”

  “I’ll wait around until you finish. We should both see Skylar Dawn together.”

  “That’s just it—”

  “One down, one to go.” Slate swooshed his hands together like he was dusting off. “The threat of being alone in the elevator with Heath really scared the pants off your boss. He talked a little, but lawyered up.”