For all those who've been anxiously waiting... here is the next chapter (in less than a week I might add). Thanks so much to WizardWoman for her immediate and excellent proof reading. She also suggested that I put up a warning that in the last third of this chapter questionable sex toys are mentioned and I describe some graphic BDSM practices. Sorry for taking away the surprise, but I don't want to offend anybody otherwise loving this story.

You know the disclaimer... any characters you recognize from the Stephanie Plum books belong to Janet Evanovich

The second chance

Chapter 11

It was a nice and sunny day and Steph enjoyed the sunshine filtering through the windows of the little park café across the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum she was sitting in. Two tables down from her Manny was leaning back in an armchair, apparently absorbed in the Washington Post while in truth he was constantly scanning the room. He looked immaculate in his grey business suit, with his expensive haircut and his goatee trimmed to perfection; an executive enjoying a comfortable lunch break. They had scouted out the place the other day and had given a lot of thought to how they would make Manny look before finally deciding for classy and powerful. It would allow him to vanish in the upscale crowd of the café and at the same time gave them options for their later surveillance. Steph crossed her legs, smoothed her hands over the skirt of her business suit and let her eyes roam the place outside the café, but there was not the slightest sign of Hector. It didn't matter. She knew he was out there with his high-tech camera, vigilantly watching the crowd for their target. Suddenly there was a noise in Steph's earpiece and Hector's heavily accented voice came on the line.

"He's coming. Watch the entrance… now."

As soon as the last word faded away, the entry door opened and a man in his late thirties with a well-groomed appearance entered the café looking around. When Steph nodded at him, he found his way over to her.

"Ms. Plum?"

"Stephanie, please," Steph stood up, shook his hand and then sat back down watching the stranger settle across from her. "Can I get you something?"

The general's former assistant looked at the empty cup sitting in front of Steph.

"I take what you had."

Steph flagged the waitress down who took her order with a friendly smile. "Two Mocha Latte, please."

After the woman had left, she considered the man across from her attentively. He looked uncomfortable, his eyes nervously darting around as though he was afraid of being seen.

"Mr. Williams, if you aren't comfortable here we can move to another place or adjourn our meeting."

The man took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and then found her eyes. "No, it's fine. I'm just afraid of what I might get myself into meeting you today."

"I promise I'm not interested in making your life any harder than it is or in endangering your future. As I told you on the phone I need to learn more about General McDermot, especially about the skeletons he might have in his closet."

"May I ask you why you need those information?"

"Because he's threatening the life of a very dear friend, blackmailing him into renewing a contract he wants out of. I can't accept that."

Across from her Williams nodded. "He's good at that." After a moment of hesitation he continued. "Why do you think I can be of help?"

"Because you were the general's loyal assistant for ten years until the he not just dismissed you but also made sure that you'd have a hard time finding a new job. Obviously, something happened between the two of you. I want to be open with you. I'm interested in the dirt, in anything that could offer ammunition against McDermot, and it's my hope that you can deliver."

"I'm gay. That's the reason for the termination of my job," Williams said bitterly. "Back when it happened the don't ask don't tell policy hadn't been overturned, yet, and somehow McDermot found out about my relationship with my now husband. He's as homophobic as they come. According to him I was a failure of nature and belonged locked away. Suddenly reports I had written got lost, appointments and deadlines weren't met, something that according to the general was my fault, and last but not least information I definitely passed on was supposedly not shared. McDermot is a very powerful man and he used this power to destroy my reputation as a reliable executive assistant. I ended up as typist in an orderly room."

"Why didn't you take action against him? You had rights."

"Not everybody is fighter, Stephanie, and don't forget it was the time of don't ask, don't tell. Maybe I would have succeeded, but most probably not and it would have cost me dearly. No, I did the time left on my contract and then left the Army with my head held high. Once I was free, my husband and I married and now I have a nice job as assistant in an ambitious environmental organization. They know about my lifestyle and show me the respect I deserve. I'm at a better place now."

Steph nodded and sipped at her mocha latte. "I admire your strength to accept what you couldn't change and stay true to yourself."

"May I venture a guess?" Williams looked at her over the rim of his cup. "Your friend is one of the general's assets that he sends on classified assignments all over the world?"

"Correct."

"Would you tell me his name?"

Steph thought for a minute whether it would betray Lester's trust in her, but her spidey sense was telling her that Williams was a gem that she would profit from provided that she was open with him so he would feel comfortable around her.

"His name is Lester Santos."

A knowing look appeared on Williams' face. "The damned four."

"Excuse me?"

"Pierre Dubois, Robert Brown, Lester Mateo Santos, Ricardo Carlos Mañoso; I dubbed them the damned four. For reasons unbeknownst to me the general hated them with a vengeance. I overheard him talking to a confidant about how he enjoyed playing with them, how their life didn't mean shit to him. They were pawns on his chessboard, depending on his will to let them see another day. When someone called in need of an asset for a mission the general would ask how dangerous the assignment was and just for the most suicidal ones he'd call one of those four men into action. I don't know what the four did to him, but he wanted them to suffer and eventually die. When Dubois didn't renew his contract McDermot was off the wall, but his hands were bound and after some quarrel he had to accept the termination. The next time he was prepared. When Brown handed in his notice he phoned around in search for assignments and two days before the contract expired he found the most dangerous one on which he sent Brown, all the while hoping he wouldn't make it back. When we got word that Brown had successfully accomplished his mission McDermot became insufferable. And now Santos wants to opt out?"

"Yes."

"Good luck with that one. McDermot is known for supervising the best assets available. He has blackmailed several of these men into renewing their contracts by collecting compromising information about them and then extorting them into re-upping."

"Do you have evidence for that?"

Across from her Williams made a pensive face and regarded her cautiously. Eventually, he sighed and straightened his back as though he'd made up his mind.

"This," he picked up his briefcase and removed a thick manila folder, "is all I have. I collected this information as my insurance policy, but never used them. You'll find copies of pictures and reports from private investigators as well as personal notes from McDermot regarding every man he has blackmailed while I was working for him. I'm not sure whether it will help you because most of those men died on missions, but I know that a few are still alive. Perhaps when you find them they'd be willing to testify."

Steph took the folder, but Williams didn't let go.

"Please, I understand your motives and I feel sorry for Santos because I know how devious McDermot is, but keep me out of this. After everything I've been through I finally found peace in my life. I'm happy and I don't want to lose that."

"Nothing of this will reflect on you," Steph looked deep into his eyes so he could see how sincere she was. "I'll make sure of that."

When Williams was gone, Manny picked up his cup of coffee and moved over to her, sitting down in the chair the general's former assistant had just vacated. He and Hector had heard everything over their earpieces thanks to the little mic Steph carried.

"Wow. That's more than we expected," he said eying the brown folder on the table. "It will be a piece of cake for you to track down these soldiers and with a little luck they'll align themselves with Lester."

"Yeah, I had a good feeling about Williams. It makes me angry that McDermot dismissed him just because he's gay. Narrow-minded asshole," Steph uttered in disgust.

"Add that to the long list of reasons why he has to be brought down."

"Querida," Hector's voice sounded in their ears. "I followed the target to his office; it's on the other side of the park. Do you want me to stick around?"

"No, he gave us everything he has. Come back to the café and we can do lunch and plan our surveillance of McDermot."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

A few hours later Steph, Hector and Manny found themselves in their black Rangeman Explorer parked across the street from the Army Human Resources Command waiting for General McDermot to leave the impressive four-story building. For the past few days Hector and Manny had shadowed him to learn his routine. In addition, to top their surveillance off, they had put a tracker on McDermot's car so Rangeman Trenton could record his every move on the off chance that they had to build a case against him. This was about Lester's life and the motto was better safe than sorry. Today, however, was THE day. It was Friday; THAT Friday; the Friday Steph had waited for all along. Today they would unravel the secret of McDermot's mysterious credit card debits. Time, stealth and accuracy were of essence. They had to know where the general was going, what he was doing and whom he was meeting. Eventually, their patience was rewarded when McDermot's Lincoln MKX slid out of the parking lot and onto the street right in front of them. Hector started the motor and got into traffic two cars back from him.

"His background check has shown that he has neither real combat nor other security experience so I don't expect him to be very vigilant, but don't take any unnecessary chances," Steph cautioned from the backseat. "We don't want him to feel watched."

"No worries, Querida. He won't see us. We'll be like smoke."

As expected their trip brought them to the same ATM in Georgetown the General hit every other week and Manny made a few pictures of McDermot withdrawing the usual fifteen hundred dollars nervously looking around. The debiting immediately showed on the laptop Steph was balancing on her knees.

"Alright, let's see where he goes now."

A moment later, Hector cautiously got back into traffic and followed the General at a safe distance.

"He's just aimlessly driving around," Manny commented after they'd cruised through Georgetown for nearly twenty minutes.

Next to him Hector snorted, "Perdedor… loser. He thinks he's smart and low-key, but he doesn't know shit."

"He's slowing down."

Decelerating, Hector slid to a stop at the curb and they watched McDermot turning into the underground garage of the luxurious Fairmont Hotel.

"Nice," Manny whistled. "Okay, Steph, you wait in the car. Hector and I will hit the lobby and see what happens. It's better if McDermot doesn't spot you in case we need you for a distraction later."

The two men lithely exited the SUV and vanished in the crowd on the sidewalk. Manny was still in his business suit acting as executive while Hector had covered his gang-tattoos with artist make-up and was dressed smart casual. They'd both fit in the hotel's ambiance without drawing attention. Intently listening to the noises in her earpiece, Steph tried to follow the happenings in the lobby. They really had to find out what the General was after. He behaved so conspicuously that it must be something shady.

"Alright," Hector's voice sounded in her ear. "I see McDermot leaving the elevator and walking over to the reception desk."

"I'll get in line behind him," Manny immediately replied and started to move.

A moment later Steph heard a man and woman talking politely, the mic at Manny's lapel capturing their voices perfectly.

"Is that the General?" She asked, hoping Hector would answer her.

"Yes, querida. Manny's standing behind him slightly to the side."

"Mr. Johnson, what a pleasure to see you again," the receptionist said to McDermot. "The Fairmont feels honored to have you back. Your Deluxe King suite is waiting for you; your dinner table at the Juniper is booked for seven PM. Here is your key. We hope you'll have a pleasant stay."

"Johnson; he's using an alias. He's walking over to the elevators. I'll follow him," Hector's quiet voice came through Steph's earpiece.

"Welcome to the Fairmont," the warm and caring voice of the receptionist sounded again in Steph's ear. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like to book a room on the fifth floor," Manny told her politely, his voice calm and self-assured mirroring the powerful aura he was emanating.

"Does it have to be the fifth floor, sir? We are fully booked."

"Yes, I have to be adamant about that."

As the conversation between Manny and the receptionist continued, Steph could hear the ding of an elevator bell in her earpiece.

"After you, please," Hector said politely and Steph could imagine him beckoning McDermot to pass him before discreetly following their target. Focusing back on the conversation between Manny and the receptionist, Steph could hear that things were about to be settled.

"Here is your key, sir. The Fairmont is pleased to welcome you as our guest. We hope everything will be to your full satisfaction. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact our room service that will be happy to help you twenty-four hours."

"Steph, Hector," Manny said as soon as he'd turned his back to the front desk. "Our suite is 514, right next to the General's. We'll meet upstairs. Wifey, bring our surveillance gear from the trunk."

Steph got out of the Explorer, picked up the rolling suitcase that held all of Hector's electronic gizmos and entered the upscale lobby of the Fairmont Hotel. The ambience of wealth and sterling quality took her breath away, but she quickly put her game face on, headed confidently to the bank of elevators and found her way up to the fifth floor.

"I have to admit I'm a bit out of my comfort zone here. You have more experience in high-level surveillance, Hector. What do you suggest?"

Steph, Manny and Hector were sitting on the couch and armchairs around the coffee table in the lounge of their suite and mulled over how to proceed.

"Let's see. It's six PM. He has made a reservation for seven PM. I don't think anything will happen until then. Go down to the hotel's restaurant and bribe the maître d' to place you and Manny next to the general for dinner at 1900. That way the two of you can listen in to any conversation that might happen in case he gets company. I will outfit you with a very sensitive listening and recording device so we'll have anything said on tape. While you and McDermot are having dinner I will gain access to his suite and wire it with microphones and cameras. We don't know what will happen so we should prepare for anything."

"I think it might be a good idea to drive back to our hotel and get a different set of clothes; something sharp in case we have to tail McDermot later tonight plus we'll need every laptop we have with us to monitor the cameras," Manny wondered out loud.

"I can do that," Steph nodded and immediately stood up, glad there was something she could contribute to their plan.

"No Wifey, you and I need to check whether it's a male or female maître d' at the Juniper and then one of us has to talk her or him into giving us the table next to McDermot's. Hector should run back to our hotel. He also knows what else tech-wise we need."

"Okay. I have a black classy halter-dress that's knee-length and black 3-inch heels in my suitcase," Steph nodded to Hector. "They should do. And for you two, I suggest classy slacks with button-ups and dress shoes."

Hector nodded and wordlessly left the room.

"Guess that leaves us to bribe the maître d'," Manny smiled and counted the Benjamins in his money clip.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

"Uh," Steph groaned and slumped back in her armchair. "I'm not cut out for this surveillance shit. How can you sit stock-still for hours staring at these damned screens. That's like having monitor duty."

On the couch next to her Hector chuckled.

"Patience, querida. You see how he's bustling around? He's prepping for something, somebody, and the fact that he's repeatedly looking at his watch is telling me that his visitor will soon arrive."

It was nearing nine PM and nothing had happened so far. Steph and Manny had had a delicious dinner at the Juniper sitting next to McDermot holding hands and learning zilch. Afterwards they had followed him to the hotel bar and had seen him having two drinks, again not talking with anybody. Now they were camped out together with Hector in front of five heavily loaded laptops and watched him showering, shaving and moving furniture around.

"He's going back into the bathroom," Hector murmured, clicking on some keys to zoom in.

"Please, I can't see him naked one more time without gagging. How could you even wire the bathroom?"

"Because we can't risk missing anything," Manny explained while Hector was busy with the keyboard. "Imagine he's meeting someone and they vanish into the seclusion of the bathroom to avoid any possible audience. Sometimes being a voyeur and getting to see the ugly is part of the job, Wifey."

"I'll need bleach to get rid of the pictures burned into my retinas."

That caused both men to laugh out loud. They were still chuckling, their attention split between McDermot and Steph, when the happenings on the screen in front of them made them freeze.

"What. The. Fuck?"

Hector, Manny and Steph stared speechless at the screen showing McDermot in the bathroom, divesting his bathrobe, putting on the clothes he'd brought with him. Just that they weren't what anyone would expect. In front of their stunned eyes the general slipped into a pair of skin-tight black latex briefs, put on nipple-clamps that were connected by a delicate chain and fastened a wide, spiked collar around his throat.

"Hot damn," Manny whistled. "That's going to be interesting."

"That's...," Steph stuttered. "That's not what I think it is, right?"

"Oh yeah, it is, Wifey. Our mighty general, who abuses his power whenever he can, likes to be dominated."

A sound at the door to McDermot's suite, one long, two short and another long knock, made Steph, Hector and Manny perk up their ears and they followed the man in question on the screens walking over, opening the door and stepping back with his head bowed and his eyes glued to the floor.

"I see you are ready," an elegantly dressed woman stepped into the room pulling a small rolling suitcase, her voice condescending, her eyes barely giving him an once-over. "Go into your corner and down on your knees. You know what will happen if you move."

"Yes, mistress," McDermot answered quickly, never looking up, before he walked straight over to the opposite side of the living room, got down on his knees with his back to the room, his head bent and his eyes on the floor.

On the screens Steph, Manny and Hector followed the woman moving through the suite, unpacking different whips, paddles, gags, ropes, cuffs and shackles and an assortment of electronic gadgets Steph couldn't decipher.

"What's all that?" She asked appalled, not sure she even wanted to know.

"Well," Manny coughed slightly. "There's an electronic shock cock cage, shock therapy clamps, that," he pointed at something small and black, "looks like a shock therapy butt plug and that is a leather harness with electrodes for current surges."

Steph had her hands over her mouth and stared in horror as the woman arranged the items throughout the living room and bedroom. Finally, she took her suitcase to the bathroom, undressed and slipped into latex pants, a latex crop top and five-inch stiletto boots. Taking a whip with a vast number of long leather cords, the woman strode over to McDermot and stopped a couple yards away from him.

"Turn around and come here."

When McDermot made a move to stand up the cords of the whip pelted down on his back leaving angry marks all over the skin.

"On your knees, slave."

"Yes, mistress."

Cowering, McDermot slid over to her until he knelt in front of her."

"You are worthless. Kiss my feet."

"Yes, mistress," McDermot breathed devotedly and bent forward to press his lips on the tips of her boots.

"Repeat what I say. You are worthless."

"I'm worthless, mistress."

"You need to be punished."

"I need to be punished, mistress. Please, punish me."

The woman put one of her boots to McDermots shoulder and kicked him over so he lay on his back in front of her.

"Don't you dare look at me."

"I won't."

The toe of the boot landed on his chest while the stiletto bored into his sternum.

"I am your ruler. I am the authority. I will make sure that once I'm finished with you you will know your place in this world."

McDermot lay silently on the floor, but the glow on his face, the simmering fervor in his eyes, gave away how much he enjoyed the manhandling.

"Put the gag in your mouth and get on your knees and hands so I can give you what you deserve."

McDermot instantly obeyed and did what he was told. Once he was gagged and on all fours, the mistress walked in circles around him, the cords of the whip gently brushing over his back. Without any warning, she took a big swing and flogged the whip down on the generals back causing him to moan around the gag and crumple.

"Get up, you unworthy loser."

McDermot complied and the game repeated itself. After the woman had flogged him for all she was worth, he lay spent on the floor, breathing heavily, but looking satisfied. Over the course of the next couple hours he got cuffed, shackled and tied up. Whips and paddles caressed him right before they inflicted crucial pain. When the electric shock gadgets came into play, Steph had tears streaming down her face while her hands muffled the horrified noises coming from her mouth.

"Wifey, go," Manny laid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his body. "Don't watch this. Go to the bedroom and turn on the TV. It will just get uglier from here. You don't have to see that."

Steph was nauseated, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from the scenes of abuse unfolding themselves on the screens in front of her. McDermot's skin was red and swollen and welts were covering his back and front where he got whipped. His facial features around the gag were contorted and tears were streaming down his cheeks, but his eyes were filled with so much love and devotion that it surpassed Steph's comprehension.

"Querida," Hector appeared in her field of vision as he crouched down in front of her. "This isn't good for your soft heart. Listen to Manny and go. He and I will watch and record the rest."

All Steph could do was shake her head. "I want to see this. I need to see this. I want to see the abyss he's descending into. I need to know what people are capable of doing."

Hector and Manny both chanced a quick glance at each other and saw the ugly truth in the other's eyes. If Steph thought this was sick they needed to protect her by all means from what they knew would happen next.

"No," Manny spoke up, his voice leaving no room for discussion. "You will not watch this any longer." He quickly picked her up and cradled her to his chest as he started to move towards the suite's bedroom. "Come Wifey, we'll go together. Hector can keep an eye on things."

"But…"

"No but. Believe me, Steph. Preserve your light and pure soul; it's precious. It soothes our tainted ones."

"You aren't tainted; none of you."

"Oh yes, we are and nothing you could say could convince anyone of us from the opposite," Manny answered, closing the door behind him before walking over to the bed.

"How comes that you recognized all the things that woman unpacked from that suitcase?" Steph asked after he had her settled in the middle of the king-size bed and turned on the TV.

"You don't want to know, Wifey."

"Please, tell me, Manny. Are you into this stuff?"

Beside her, Manny wished a hole would open up next to him that he could vanish in. He didn't want Steph to look differently at him or worse to avoid him because of his sick sexual preferences.

"Tell me. I won't regard you differently," Steph whispered, her eyes trained on Manny's face.

Sighing, Manny took both her hands in his and kissed them in turn. "Yes, Steph. I'm into BDSM. Not into the kind of violence you have seen tonight, but into the game of bondage and discipline as well as dominance and submission."

"Do you hurt people or are you the one being hurt?"

"The way I play the game nobody gets hurt, but I have to admit that a certain level of pain arouses me."

"Why?"

Next to her Manny hesitated for a moment. "Everybody has other reasons why they are into that life-style, but for me… damn Steph, it's hard to talk with you about that. I don't want you to pull back from me."

"I won't Manny. I might not understand why you are doing what you are doing, but I know that you love me and would never hurt me and I love you right back."

Sighing again, Manny squeezed Steph's hands and put his brow on them so he wouldn't have to see her face. It was a very devoted posture and Steph couldn't help but free one of her hands and comfortingly brush it through his hair.

"I like to be dominated, Wifey," he finally spoke up, his forehead never leaving its resting place. "I'm used to taking the reins, to commanding men subordinated to me. Everything in my job is about being in control. I have to control situations, have to control others, and I have to control myself. The moment I can surrender the power to somebody else and follow their commands I can finally relax and wind down. My day-to-day life doesn't allow that."

"Do you have someone special you go to when you have these needs?"

"No. The last time I was out in search for this special pleasure was about six months ago. I went to a club in New York that is serving the BDSM clientele. Everything happened in the rooms of that club; I didn't even ask for her name."

Finally, Manny lifted his head and looked at Steph, his expression vulnerable and insecure. "Don't think bad of me, Steph. I couldn't stand that."

"Never," she shook her head, pushed him over and snuggled into his chest. "You are who you are and you are wonderful the way you are. I don't judge you and as long as it makes you happy you'll have my full support. Perhaps one day you will find a woman whose name will interest you, who you want to show your home and with whom you will discover all that relaxation that right now you can just find in this special kind of role play."

"I'd like that," Manny smiled, pulled her closer and started to zap through the channels in search of something they'd both like to watch.

In the room next to them, Hector sat in front of the laptops, watching the screens and gagged internally. He might be street and harder than any of his colleagues at Rangeman, but he wasn't into violence when it came to sex. In the suite next door things were getting down to business. McDermot and his mistress had switched to the bedroom and he was tied up with ropes, a new gag with a leather construction in his mouth, wearing the electro-shock harness and the electro-shock cock cage and Hector could see him convulsing on the bed jerking off in powerful orgasms as the woman handled the gadgets. He was glad that Manny had taken Steph with him. She didn't need to see this. One thing was sure. Lester no longer had to worry about his contract or anything else; the general would go down. He checked in under an alias, paid a high-class dominatrix one thousand five hundred bucks to abuse him in the ugliest way and they had it all on tape. McDermot was an outstanding member of the Army. He couldn't risk that his secret would be unveiled.

It was one o'clock in the morning when the woman finally left, leaving the general in a pitiful heap on the bed. Nonetheless their surveillance wasn't finished. They'd continue to monitor him throughout the night and follow him when he'd check out of the hotel in a few hours. The door to the bedroom opened and Hector lifted his head quirking an eyebrow at a disheveled looking Manny.

"Steph's fast asleep," Manny whispered and silently walked over to where Hector was sitting on the couch. "The show's over?"

"Yeah, the woman packed up her things, got her money and left ten minutes ago."

"Good. That should be enough for Lester to blackmail that asshole into accepting his termination."

"You told Steph about your sexual preferences?"

Flinching, Manny turned his head to the man next to him. "Is there anything you don't know?"

"Not much. I'm the eyes and ears at Rangeman."

That was fun to write. I'm absolute vanilla and proud of it so believe me when I say I had to swallow hard and repeatedly when I surfed the www in search for information about BDSM toys and practices. Definitely broadened my horizone :-)) ... now leave me your comments, long, short, positive or shocked - everything is welcome. I'd love to hit the 255 mark.