Captain Carter's POV

How did I wind up in the brig? How did that whore bitch outsmart me? ME!? There should have been no reason for her to doubt that the body we sent back was that of Lt. Manoso. It had the remains of his uniform, his gear, and his dog tags. Everything that pointed conclusively that the remains were that of Ricardo Carlo Manoso. But no, she had to doubt it, with such ferocity that she had a separate medical examiner study the remains. It was the outsider who confirmed that the body didn't belong to Manoso. All that was returned were bones. The body was burned, the head was missing, so no dental records were available. Nothing but bones and a DNA test that said it was Ricardo Carlos Manoso, yet she still outmaneuvered and outfoxed me. BITCH!

Fifteen years. For fifteen years, I gave my blood, sweat, and tears to the good ole US of A only to lose my woman, my Emily. She couldn't handle being a military spouse. She couldn't deal with me being gone for months at a time, incommunicado, and sometimes, forced to be with another woman. I was the best. I could get intel from anyone, anywhere, anyhow. I could charm men and women into bed when the need arose. I could make kings and other influential people bow to my wishes, but I couldn't get my Emily to comply. Instead, she left me.

Then, I met her, Stephanie Plum. She is beautiful, sexy, sassy, confident, smart, and an Army woman herself. She understood our life. She accepted it. She was there, at the Ranger graduation, to see her beau graduate. Of course, it had to be the pretty boy Manoso. I could tell that he was one of those men, those peacocks who walk into a room and have the peahens prancing around in seconds. She was too good for him. Men like him don't stay faithful. Men like him stray. She doesn't deserve a man who will step out on her.

I tried to intervene, I attempted to show her she was mistaken, only to discover that they had already applied for, and were granted, a marriage license. The next day, they would be husband and wife. When I had my orders to transfer to Virginia, I was crushed. However, soon I learned that she would be there, my light, my salvation, my Stephanie. I knew that if I could get Manoso out of the picture, I could get her to fall for me. But no, she avoided me like the plague. Whenever I would approach, she'd disappear, suddenly having something else to do in a location where I wasn't invited. I decided to get Manoso away. I got his call moved up, him and his team. If I only knew how close Manoso and Santos were, then I would never have sent them out together. Fuck protocol. I would have let Manoso go with a new team. Now, he was gone, away, out of the picture. However, the bitch still didn't turn to me for comfort, for support, or for guidance.

Instead, she hired that woman, that Ella, to clean her house. That woman became her friend and confidant. She is the one who kept Stephanie from me. I went over to help Steph with some of the more manly chores, but Ella had already seen that her husband, Luis, took care of everything. Then, I made sure Stephanie's cars became incapacitated so that I could give her a ride to and from work. Still, no, she got someone else to take her until she was able to purchase another car. Just when I thought things were going in my favor, Santos returned. Fucker.

Between him and Stephanie, all my bugs were found. There was no way for me to get inside to plant new ones. Lester made sure of that. He jerry-rigged a security system in place that I couldn't breach. Santos's dossier said nothing about him being good with electronics. He had help, though, from some gangbanger. I don't know how he met that kid, but between the two of them, I was cut out of her life. Suddenly, I noticed in a change in the way Steph dressed. She was wearing baggier fatigues; the cut was different. I couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me when I saw her from the side at work one day. She was pregnant. I dug into her files, only to discover that the baby's father was none other than Manoso. Now, I needed not only to get rid of the husband but also the child. No way was I raising another man's brat. I decided it was time to make my move to end Manoso.

I called Pilar Reyes, told her to move Manoso's bid up. It was time for him to face his fate, being dominated by women for the rest of his life, being used as a sex toy, which is the only thing he's worthy of. I found a suitable candidate to be Manoso and used him to stage Manoso's death. Killing him was a child's play. He was a whore, after all, a transient who looked to fuck whoever would give him the money he needed for his next hit. He was the right height, the right blood type, and ethnicity. Even though I planned to burn the body, I couldn't be more careful. But somehow, I fucked up.

Two days ago, I arrived home to find an MP on my doorstep. I had no idea why they were there, but I figured it had something to do with a case I was working on. I was relegated to dealing with domestic terrorism, so I often interacted with the MPs. Instead, they were waiting on my porch to arrest me. They slapped their restraints on me, removed my weapons, and ready me the military version of the Miranda rights, and put me in a vehicle. I immediately requested a lawyer, and I was able to contact my good friend, Victor Zimmerman. He is one of the best military lawyers in the country. With him by my side, I should be able to get our of whatever mess I'm in. It's only after he and I first meet that I am told that somehow, they traced my phone calls to Pilar. They knew what I was doing to Manoso. Now, I am sitting in this cage, waiting to find out if Manoso was rescued.

Since I decided to cooperate, look, I'm no fool; if Manoso returns safe and sound, I will avoid a death sentence. Pilar put him up for auction. He was set to be sold tomorrow, now I'm in lock up. Waiting. Maybe, if he returns, I'll find out how that bitch caught me. I should have taken her when I had the chance. Fool. The door opens, with the MP standing before me, beckoning me to come forward.

"Carter, you are heading into the interrogation room. I think we are safe to say that a dishonorable discharge is your near future, as well as a term at Leavenworth. I'd be forthcoming if I were you, or you can plan on spending the rest of your worthless, traitorous life there."

I am shackled before being escorted to the interrogation room. Zimmerman is already in the box they use for interrogations, standing next to the chair that is mine. Then, I'm forced to sit in a chair, where I am restrained. I can't believe I'm reduced to this. Me, Captain Carter. I am the best. I shouldn't be here. In walks Colonel McCann. He has a thick file in front of him. Shit. I know there isn't that much information on Manoso. Did they find out about the others? I mean, I had my files hidden well. There is no way anyone should have been able to get those files and see them. I feel the sweat start to pool at my back, knowing that things could be much worse for me. I take a deep breath, getting ready to evade and deny.

"Captain Carter, you are being detained and charged with eight counts of 94 treason, in which you gave up government secrets for your own financial gain." The charges continued to be listed with the specific offense after it. I'm in shock at the number of charges, as I think Zimmerman is as well. The list includes article 106a espionage, article 125 kidnapping, article 133 conduct unbecoming, and article 134 for extramarital affairs. "How did you first become acquainted with Pilar Reyes?" McCann asks.

"I don't know anyone by that name."

"Really? I find that hard to believe since we've uncovered over five hundred e-mails between you and Ms. Reyes over the last three years. You give a lot of personal information to Ms. Reyes, and she to you."

Fuck. McCann knows more than I anticipated. Keep cool, Carter. "I'm telling you. I don't know a Pilar Reyes."

"Carter, you know I wasn't born yesterday. In a series of e-mails, you detail how you have a desire for your neighbor across the street, one who is married to someone who is beneath her status, how she should be married to someone more like you. You talk about 'her chestnut color hair, that curls like fusilli. Her azure eyes that see into your soul, and her fair porcelain skin that could make a china doll jealous.' You are describing Stephanie Plum to a T. You go on to explain how similar she is to your ex-wife. How you see her as being the perfect woman to replace Emily because she will understand you. You believed that you can work together, becoming the crème de la crème of the Army intelligence team. Don't evade, Carter, we know."

"You think you are so smart. You think that you know everything. It only took you ten years to finally catch me. Ten years to realize that I got rid of more of our men than you thought possible. I got rid of men who were unworthy of procreating. I got rid of men who would have created an inferior specimen. Their wives were too blind to see that those men weren't worthy of their love. I made them see how they were supposed to be loved. But then, those bitches turned on me, left me high and dry. Well, then I just found my new target. I'm not really worried, though, because even though that little skank, that Lt. Plum thinks she's nailed me, she hasn't. In less than twelve hours, her precious Carlos will be gone forever. Never to be returned. Now, there are ten other men just like him. Ten other men who are thought to be dead. In their graves lie imposters. I still don't know how she knew Manoso was alive, but it doesn't matter."

"Where are those other men, Captain?"

"How the fuck should I know? All I did was play middleman. Provide a dealer with the merchandise. What she did with her merchandise after she received it is her business. I suppose they are chained up somewhere, at the mercy of some woman who is using their cock for her pleasure. There could be worse places to be, don't you think, Colonel?"

"So, you are taking part in human trafficking?"

Fuck me. I walked into that. I don't even know if McCann knew that or not. Shit. I'm heading up the creek, and I think I just lost an oar. "I don't know what she did. She told me what she wanted. Most recently, it was a 20 something-year-old male, Hispanic descent, muscular, handsome, dark hair, eyes, and skin. I found someone to fulfill her needs and sent him her way."

"Let me get this straight. You told a woman, a foreigner, where an American soldier would be at a particular time. You had him ambushed, then you helped to frame his death. You allowed his parents, his wife, his friends, and his team to believe he was killed so you could try to make a move on his widow. How much did she pay you?"

"Five hundred thousand a pop. Easy money." Fuck! Why can't I keep my mouth shut? Suddenly, McCann gets a text message. He pulls out his phone, reads it, then looks at me, smirking.

"I am happy to inform you that Lt. Manoso is back on American soil. He will arrive here in a few hours, where he will be reunited with his wife and family. We have the names of the other men you betrayed. We just needed to keep you busy until we could get Manoso out of his prison. By the way, Signora Reyes won't be contacting you again, and you won't be getting the rest of your finder's fee. Guards, return him to his cell."

I am enraged. I'm shocked. How the fuck did the Army find Manoso?

"Oh, Captain Carter, it was Lt. Plum, who dug up all the information on your treachery. She found out all the information you shared with us. We didn't need your confession, but it was the icing on the cake. Goodnight, Captain."


A/N: Due to the craziness surround COVID-19, I have decided to release a chapter a day until I hit chapter 50. We all need a little happy and a little escape from this reality. Please wish me luck, as Mayor Stupid is insistent on leaving NYC schools open, even though my school alone has more than 500 people every day. :-( Special thanks to Aruvqan for her expertise in military charges. She told me what Carter should be charged with. Thank you, Babe! Please keep the reviews coming, I need some happy.