48Hi All! Happy Memorial Day! This is dedicated to all of those who gave all in defense of our country. Thank you, your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I have started a new job job and this chapter took a lot of planning to move all of the characters in to the right place. I have NEVER been in the military and I'm pretty sure how this goes down isn't even close to what would happen, but please roll with it. It is fanfiction.
Thank you to Google Maps for your assistance in giving me travel times, thanks to all of my readers who are favoriting, following and best of all reviewing. Thanks as always to my ML, I love you girl!
Also, the chapter titles for this story are all songs from my writing playlist. The songs are inspirations but not a songfic. Today's chapter name is brought to you by NEEDTOBREATHE and their song "Drive All Night." Look it up on you tube, it is a great song and the lyrics I really feel like they explain a lot of where Les' head is at right now.
Not mine, except Les' family and the characters from the mission. I'm just playing.
Spanish is in Italics.
Chapter 1: Drive All Night
Washington, DC, Safe House - 2:30 am
He had to get out of that room. He couldn't take it anymore just sitting there alone with his thoughts. Lester picked the lock, watched and waited until the agent on duty fell asleep. Stupid Fed, it didn't matter which alphabet agency they were from these suits never had the discipline necessary to stay up all night during a surveillance or guard duty. They might outlast a civilian but never a soldier.
It was too easy to grab the keys off the the Fed and then sneak out the door.
His head said no because he wasn't worthy of her any longer, but his heart and soul ached for her and wanted to drive all night to get to its other half. The real question was, which one would win?
Pt. Pleasant, NJ - 7 am
"Hey Babe, did you sleep well? Did the smell of bacon wake you up this early?" Ranger joked as he flipped the bacon in the frying pan.
"Bacon, Ranger? What's wrong? Is Les OK?" Stephanie asked in a near panic.
"He's back Stateside, Babe. He's OK, physically, anyway," Ranger pulled her into a hug.
She sighed in relief until his words fully registered and then she pulled away, "What do you mean...physically?"
"I can't tell you much, but he had a breakdown of some kind during his debrief. They have him under guard," Ranger explained as he plated the bacon and eggs and placed the dish in front of Steph. "I'm headed to DC now to see what I can do. They want him to see a shrink and possibly go to a treatment center…."
Stephanie interrupted, "No! Ranger he'd hate that! They can't lock him up, if they do…..I'm.., I'm so scared of what that would do to him…." she sobbed.
He walked around the breakfast bar and pulled her into his arms again in order to try and provide some comfort,
"I know, Babe, that's why I'm going. I've heard of someone with clearance he could talk to. She's been highly recommended by several people I trust and I don't think she'd suggest hospitalization, but you need to be prepared, Steph. I don't know all of the specifics of what happened, but I know for sure Les has been through something terrible," Ranger took her hand in his and said the thing he really didn't want to. "I'm not sure we'll ever get the Lester who left here back," he sighed. Ranger needed to make sure Stephanie was aware of the hurdles they were facing.
He had a good idea as to where his cousin's head was at, and Lester was ready to run. Ranger just hoped he could get there before Les made the biggest mistake of his life.
"I understand, Ranger, just bring him home to me. We can get through anything as long as we're together," Stephanie said trying to convince herself as much as she was her friend.
Ranger was ready 10 minutes later to go to the private airstrip in Howell, so he could meet the Rangeman jet and head to DC. "Babe, I should be wheels up in about 20 minutes and then on the ground in DC in another hour. I promise to call you by 1100 hours with whatever info I have."
Hugging her friend, "Thanks, Batman, I knew I could count on you."
"Always, Babe, always," he responded and with a final squeeze he turned and left.
"Do you think you'll be able to bring him back with you?" she whispered.
"Maybe, I'm not sure yet," he replied.
Stephanie decided in that instant to stay at the beach house and knew what Lester would need.
"Bring him back here, Ranger, please. I'll be waiting. I can't explain it really, but I know if he is here in this house then we have a better chance of bringing him back."
"I'll do everything I can," and with that response he was gone, but he trusted her instincts and knew he'd do whatever he could to bring his cousin back to the beach house.
On the Road - Between 3 am and 7:00 am
He had checked the car and ditched the trackers. He just drove around afterwards. He needed to make sure they weren't following him while deciding where he was headed to.
Les couldn't find his zone. He just drove. He drove and remembered his own personal hell as the headlights of the oncoming traffic in the opposing lane bore down on him.
"Welcome back, Mateo," she kissed his cheek as the tears coursed down hers when she greeted him in front of the village.
"I'm sorry, Lourdes, to be back because of these circumstances and so late," he hugged her to him in a brotherly fashion.
"As am I," she pulled herself together and began to pull him in the door of her modest home. "You will meet your newest nephew tomorrow and I'm sure you are hungry after your journey," Lourdes knew they needed to get inside the house as soon as possible. She just had to finish this last bit of the act before the masses and then she knew she could let go. Les knew she didn't trust anyone from the village, so she hadn't allowed herself to really grieve until now. She wouldn't have trusted taking the chance to allow herself that kind of weakness and leave her boys unprotected.
Once they crossed the threshold and closed the door, Lester held his hand up before he could allow Lourdes to break down. He took a device out of his dusty travel satchel and did a sweep of the house. When he was sure that no devices were present, he nodded his head at Lourdes to let her know that they were safe. Luckily, Lester was prepared for her reaction and caught her before she fell as she released the grief she'd held in, except for what she could show in public, since she'd learned of her beloved Pablo's death.
"Ahhh!," she screamed. " Why him? Why Lester? Why?" Lourdes asked and sobbed for what felt like hours and he held her as she let it out while trying to soothe her.
"Do you think they suspected him, Des?" he asked using the pet name Pablo had given her.
"I think maybe, the story doesn't seem right to me, and too many of the men who witnessed his death look at me like they are hiding something."
A horn broke him out of his reverie, as he was starting to cross lanes. Les pulled the car over at a rest stop and set his watch alarm for 1 hour. He needed some sleep or else he'd never make it anywhere.
After his brief nap and then driving around the Virginia and Maryland countryside for several hours, Les was sure wasn't being followed. However, he kept hearing her voice saying, "Come home to me, Baby," in his head. He needed her, maybe she could save him.
"No! I don't deserve salvation!" the voice in his head said. But his heart knew, it knew to run to her.
He turned the car and headed north on I-95 to New Jersey, to his woman.
Washington, DC Safe House -8:30 AM
"Wake up, jackass!" Agent Mackovich yelled as he kicked his sleeping colleague's chair realizing he should have taken first shift. "When's the last time you checked on Santos?"
"An hour ago," Agent Levine answered groggily. He was pretty sure it was an hour ago. Levine had been up to all hours recently with his newborn daughter. Surely, he'd only been asleep an hour or so.
"What time was that?" Mackovich asked hoping he was wrong.
"1 or so, why are you asking? What time is it?" Levine looked around and saw the light seeping in through the blinds. "Crap," he thought to himself.
"Santos is gone and so is the car. He ditched the trackers because when I pulled them up they were all located in the alley behind the house."
"Shit, we better call this in," Mackovich sighed knowing it would mean his ass.
Washington, DC Pentagon - 9:15 AM
Ranger was in the outer office preparing to speak to the General. He was going to suggest bringing in Dr. Isabella Giovanni to help his cousin. Ranger was surprised he was still waiting, as his appointment with the General had been for 0900 on the dot and the General was NEVER late.
Another 10 minutes passed, and Ranger was about to ask Janet, the General's secretary, what was going on when the door suddenly burst open and two men who could only be Feds hurriedly exited the General's office with a shout of "Find him!" trailing after them.
"Colonel Manoso, please come in," the General commanded as he marched back into his office. Ranger followed and sat in one of the guest chairs once the General sat behind his desk.
"Colonel, your cousin escaped custody sometime after 0100 hours this morning. He ditched the trackers on the vehicle located at the safe house and the idiots from the DEA had no idea until just under and hour ago. He could be anywhere at this point."
"Sir, I would like to take point on this. I know Capt. Santos, and am confidant that I can find him. I'd also like to bring in Dr. Isabella Giovanni to help him as she has Top Secret clearance."
"I realize Capt. Santos is your cousin, Colonel, but you are no longer active, why should I allow you to take point?" the General asked with an eyebrow raised.
Ranger looked at the General and made a deal.
9:30 AM Haywood, Trenton, NJ
Bobby was watching his friend on the monitor in the gym. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Steph's number. It went to voicemail immediately, and he left a message, "Bomber, its Bobby, can you come to Haywood? He's back, but he isn't himself. I'm worried. Please, Steph, he needs you."
So, here we are back with the first sentence I wrote of this story almost 2 years ago during my lunch break. I had no idea the story would lead me to meet some of the most special women, including my ML. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will review and let me know what you think even if you hate it. I'm going to try and get into a rhythm and post more often. I should be able to do that with the new job. Thank you all again for your patience with my update non-schedule. Please review!