Chapter 4

Ruining You for All Other Men

I don't own anything, just borrowing from the incredible JE. Mistakes are mine, since I'm self-editing.

Stephanie

When the alarm went off the following morning, I was beyond ready to start the day. I'd tossed and turned all night, going over and over my interaction with Ethan/Ememett Sanders in my mind. Why hadn't I recognized him?

That was easy. I'd been freaking the fuck out, that's why. And the addition of hair and facial hair did significantly alter his appearance. But the positive was that I now knew he was in Boston, and I had a good idea of where we were going to catch up with him. Those damned birds would be his undoing, I just knew it. Animal people were all the same. Says the person who would move fucking heaven and earth for a hamster.

I dug into my suitcase, looking for workout clothes to wear to the gym and decided I'd just do a treadmill run. Nothing too flashy, but nothing that they would think was easy either. Best to project an image that can't be categorized. I pulled on some black PopFit leggings with a swirl of hot pink, a hot pink sports bra, and a loose-fitting black cropped workout tank top that showed no cleavage. I corralled my curls into a messy ponytail, and I was ready. I made it to the gym at 5:07. As Ranger predicted, it was packed. And it looked like Fuller had called someone to the mats, since there was already a sparring match underway. I selected a treadmill and set an 8-mile program. I was getting much faster and was sure I could finish this in less than 75 minutes if I pushed. It would also help work off some of the tension I'd built up after seeing Ranger shirtless last night. The damn Milano cookie package only had 6 cookies after all. I exchanged perfunctory 'hellos' with several of the guys and was excited to finish my 8 miles in 70 minutes even. Pretty soon and I'd have an average below 8 minutes. Yaaas, queen!

After a shower, I made my way back to the shared office, and found it completely empty. I helped myself to coffee and a breakfast bowl of scrambled eggs and sausage from the breakroom and ate in the empty office. It was nearly 9:15 when I finished and still no sign of Zach or Ace. I checked my phone. I'd sent a flirty good morning text to Ranger this morning before I went to the gym, and I got a little thrill when I saw a new message. Ranger had, of course, outmaneuvered me and we'd now escalated from flirty to sexy. I smiled and sent back another sassy reply. Since I was still alone in the office, I went ahead and did some reading on the second file, making notes on what to do next. Finally, around 10 decided I should figure out what was going on. I popped my head out and saw Fuller sitting at the desk in his own office, door open.

"Hey, Plum," he said, when he saw me.

"Hey," I said. "Did I mess a memo with Zach and Ace?" I asked. "I'm starting to feel a little lonely in there."

He looked at me curiously. "They aren't on deck?"

"Not that I've seen," I said.

"That's both strange and unacceptable," Fuller said. He strode out of his office and motioned for me to follow him. He walked over to the men on the monitors, who immediately straightened up when they saw the boss approaching.

"Martin? League?" he barked out.

"As far as we know, both in their apartments, sir," came the reply from the man sitting in the chair on the right.

"Wasn't on last night, sir, but haven't seen either enter or leave since I came on at oh-six-hundred," the other chimed in.

"Thank you," Fuller said. He walked purposefully back to his office. I followed him and took and took a seat across from his desk without being asked.

"So?" I probed.

Fuller blew out a sigh. "What time did you finish last night?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe a little after 8? We got back before 9, I think."

"I've been having trouble with about half the men and their insistence on sticking to exactly their scheduled hours. If they stay late, they come in late the next day. If they come in early, they leave early. They're doing exactly what is asked of them and nothing more."

I nodded my head. I'd been surrounded by people like this when I worked at EE Martin. People that were punching the clock only, and biding time until their next gig. I looked at Fuller, appraising how much he was confiding and how much he was trying to roundabout ask for help. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know. We pay more than any other security firm in the area. We have great benefits and perks. Anybody would be thrilled to work here."

"What about the comradery?" I asked. Fuller looked confused. "Are the men happy with their teams?" I probed.

"I guess. It's not really up to them though. It's about getting the right people in the right seats on the bus," Fuller said, quoting a well-known business leadership book.

"I agree it's helpful to have the best people in the correct seats," I said. "But if they hate who's sitting next to them…. Well, it's not a recipe for success." I was trying to be delicate. He still looked confused. I tried really hard not to roll my eyes and kept my blank face in place.

"I think most people don't work hard for the sake of just working hard," I said. "They do it because they have a deeper reason. Maybe they believe in their mission, or they don't want to let their team down." Fuller was looking like he was tracking with me, but there was still skepticism on his face. "When was the last time you had a team building day?" I asked.

"Um," he stalled. "Well, we…"

"Yes?" I said, crossing my arms. He was stalling.

"I mean it wasn't a formal thing," he said evasively, giving a small smile.

"Sure," I said. Look how agreeable I can be! But if he thinks I'm letting it go that easily, he's in for a rude awakening. "So, when was the last casual time?" I pressed. His smile disappeared.

"Probably not since I've been Managing Director," he finally admitted.

"So that's…?" I left the question hanging.

"Five years," Fuller said.

"Christmas party? Summer BBQ? Anything?" I asked.

"No," Fuller said, looking a little chagrined. "I didn't know that was required."

"Required, not technically. But necessary? Abso-fucking-lutely! How do you expect the men to bond? To make friendships? Why would they care about anything other than punching the clock?" I asked. It occurred to me that the things I'd observed at Trenton since the beginning when I'd met Ranger hadn't happened by chance. But even as anti-social as he tended to be, the Army had engrained in him the importance of teamwork and comradery, and he'd done an excellent job instilling it in the men at Rangeman Trenton. And it was clear to me that he probably thought his other MDs were doing the same. I made a mental note to bring this to the next Core Team Meeting.

"What should I be doing?" he asked.

"I'd recommend an employee team-building event at least once a quarter. I'd do two of them so you can include both shifts. Then at least once a year – maybe at Christmas or even just in the summer – bring in every contractor you have and take every one of the guys out for an evening. Food, drinks, fun, and recognition. Tell them thanks for doing a great job and that you're glad they're on the team." Fuller was looking a little skeptical.

"Isn't that expensive?" he finally asked. "I haven't budgeted for anything like that."

"Can you run the branch without them?" I answered his question with a question.

"No."

"Then, it's not too expensive for you." I stared him down.

"They follow my orders already though," he said. Jesus, it's like he's defending himself. He's not on trial! I'm trying to help him.

"I'm sure they do. But they need to respect you while also having the desire to be a part of the team. To want to contribute. To realize that you see that they are valuable as people, and not just assets," I said patiently.

"It makes so much sense when you lay it out like that," Fuller said, running his hand through his hair. "I don't even know where to start."

"Asking for help when you don't know where to start is always a good plan," I said. "Is there a paintball range around here?"

"There is! I'll make a call and see if I can book it for us! I could take the nightshift before their shift and the dayshift after they're done. You're free tomorrow, right?" he asked hopefully. "Maybe you could…"

"Yeah, I'll be there," I said, cutting him off. "But remember, the goal is just to have a good time together. Let them cut loose. Maybe you'll see different groupings that let you re-evaluate how teams are put together. Or maybe you'll all just have some fun. Either way, that will be a win. I'll leave you to your plans." I stood up and walked out of the office. It was nearly 10:30, so I figured Zach and Ace would be coming down soon. Five minutes later they were in the office.

"Let's go get this guy!" Ace said.

"Nice of you to finally show up," I said. I wasn't letting them off the hook, despite Fuller's lax policy. "I've been here since before 9."

"We stayed late last night," Zach said.

"So?" I challenged.

"So, we figured starting a little late today would make up for it," Ace supplied.

"Oh, you're forbidden from getting overtime?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, but…" Zach said.

"It's not like that…" Ace started.

"In my world, we work until the job is done," I said. "We still have outstanding skips. There was no reason we couldn't have been doing other legwork this morning. But we wasted time having a lie-in to "make up" for your hours." I was beyond irritated. They didn't seem to know how to respond. Calm down, Steph. No one has actually called them on this before. You have to help teach them the skills you want them to exhibit. I smoothed my expression into Blank Face.

"Let's get going to Bird Fever," I said, heading for the door.

We made our way to the garage and trundled into an Explorer. The 25-minute drive was filled with tension. I decided I'd let them sit in the weirdness, and maybe they'd learn more if Fuller followed through with the plans for some employee culture-building exercises. We pulled into the strip mall and parked outside of Bird Fever about twenty minutes after they opened for the day. Ace turned off the car.

"Ok, Zach, go around and cover the backdoor in case he decides to rabbit. Ace and I will go in the front and talk the workers," I said, taking charge.

They both nodded. We all checked our weapons and got out of the SUV. We gave Zach about three minutes to make it around the strip mall and get into position at the back. Then we strode into the front door, which was now unlocked since it was business hours.

I wasn't prepared for the amount of noise birds made.

"Aack. Pretty girl!" The voice was unmistakably some type of parrot, and it was followed by a cat-call whistle. Ace and I both laughed out loud. A nerdy looking guy was cleaning out a large cage and a beautiful blue macaw was sitting on a perch nearby. I walked closer and the bird honest to God bowed at me. I guess this one was the talker. What a charmer. The employee was young, maybe 19 or 20, and had been totally absorbed in his work.

"Can I help you?" he asked. His nametag read Jon.

"Hi, Jon, my name is Stephanie. We're looking for Emmett Sanders," I said, using my calm, bounty hunter rescheduling voice. "Is he around?"

"Emmett? No. I've never met him," Jon said.

"I thought he was the owner," I said, not quite ready to explain all the details to a college kid who was just trying to squeeze in a job around class schedules.

"Naw, Ethan's the owner. Ethan Sanderson. I know he's got a brother though, maybe that's who you're needing? Ethan's usually here in the early morning to do all the feedings, unless he's traveling. He was gone to Jersey, but I don't know if he was back yet. He wasn't here when I opened."

"We can try to catch him at home, you don't happen to have his address, do you?" I asked, hoping Jon would continue chattering while he cleaned.

"I don't, but couldn't give it out even if I did," Jon said. Damn. Guess he isn't as clueless as he looks. "What'cha need him for?"

"I met him on the plane coming into Boston last night," I said. "He told me I should stop by, and since my partner and I were on our lunch break," I gestured vaguely toward Ace. "I thought I'd see if we could have that follow up conversation about his security needs." When in doubt go with a fib. Afterall, we were wearing our Rangeman uniforms, there were only a handful of viable options we'd be there, and security consult seemed like the best option.

"Ok, yeah, I thought it was kinda weird that Rangeman would be looking for him," Jon said. "Its not like he's a criminal or something."

"Ack, Rangeman!"

"Shut up, Adrian!" Jon called sternly over his shoulder.

"Jon sucks," the voice replied.

I hadn't seen the large blue bird move, and I was pretty sure he hadn't been the one that spoke. "Who's Adrian?" Ace asked, before I had a chance.

"Sorry, he's one of our African Greys. They're too intelligent for their own good. Adrian has been around for a while; most people want a younger bird so they can help shape the personality a little." Jon led us over to a cage where an adorable grey bird about 14 inches tall was swinging on a moving perch. We all stood peering into the cage at him, while Jon continued.

"Ethan handfeeds all our babies and does all the early handling so they're less likely to develop any bad habits. Adrian's owner died a few year ago, and the family didn't want him, so we took him in. He's kind set in his ways, and has become sort of our shop mascot," Jon said.

"Welcome to Bird Fever," Adrian chirped.

Ace burst out laughing. "I like this guy," he said.

"Pretty sure there's a no-pet policy in the building," I said.

"Yeah, I know. He's cool though."

"I'm sexy, and I know it," Adrian said, causing all 3 of us to laugh.

I handed Jon my card. I'd appreciate it if you'd call us if your boss comes back. All our info is on the card," I said, while Ace handed over a generic Rangeman business card.

Jon took the card and nodded. "Oh, sure thing, Stephanie. Nice to meet you both. Oh, wow! Your office is right downtown on Federal street! That's a great area. You guys must be doing pretty well," he remarked as we all headed towards the door.

"Rangeman Stephanie Pretty Girl!" Adrian said.

"Goodbye, Adrian. Goodbye, Jon. Thanks for all your help," I said as we made our way back into the car. We hopped in and drove around the back to pickup Zach, who was still waiting at the back door. We explained the developments while we drove.

"Why didn't you tell him why we really wanted his boss?" Ace wondered aloud. "I mean, people usually understand that it's a lot more serious."

"Yeah, they know it's serious. And they also have the opportunity to warn our FTA. In this case, since I had a legitimate contact with the guy, there's at least a chance his employee will call us. He also gave us a different last name. Which could be helpful for us as we move forward. And, I tend to operate under the 'you catch more flies with honey than vinegar' mentality," I said. "Brute force is great, when it's an option, and when it works. But it can't be the only thing you rely on."

Ace nodded, and Zach spoke from the backseat. "I'd never really thought about it. Can we get lunch?"

"Sounds like a good idea. I need to check my email and see if we got anything back on the deeper background check I ordered this morning. I'm good with whatever you guys want," I said.

"Mexican sound ok?" Zach asked.

"Are you still hitting on that waitress? Can't you grow a pair and ask her out already?" Ace groaned.

"Well, we have to go there now!" I said. "This sounds like a great story, and I'm always up for chips and queso."

We pulled into a Mexican Restaurant five minutes later and I followed the boys inside, pulling out my iPhone to check my messages, smiling when I saw I had another text from Ranger. My cheeks heated when I read it, and I replied instantly, resolving that if I wanted to further escalate things, I should send some sort of photo later tonight. I'd have to think more about who had access to the servers before I sent it…

We sat down at worn, red vinyl booth, and after ordering a wet burrito with chicken and shrimp, I opened the email app. I quickly scrolled past a dozen messages I would come back to later, including one from Fuller to the staff that told us to block out the day after tomorrow for a "staff day" . I stopped when I saw a new message from the Rangeman Boston Search department. I clicked open the email and read the recap from Jason, one of the guys I'd met this morning who was running the search desk today.

Hey Steph, Sorry for the delay on this, I usually like to have these done within 2 hours. When I got the initial results, things seemed fishy, so I paid extra for the DMV records just to confirm. Everything should be ready by 2pm, swing by when you're back in the office. It will be too much info to attach to an email. -Jason

My curiosity was beyond escalated. I updated the guys and we had a nice lunch. Zach kept a close eye on a tiny server in the section next to ours. She long, black hair pulled into a braid that hung all the way down her back and sharp brown eyes. More than once I caught her looking at our table while we were eating, too. I tried hard to keep my matchmaker in check. But damn if circling Ranger for as long as we did taught me anything, it was that you should always take a chance. When she came over with a fresh basket of chips, I kicked him under the table and cut my eyes to her.

"Thanks, Aracely!" Zach said. "Sorry we missed your section today. I feel like I haven't had time to catch up with you."

"You know, I'm lunch shift on Friday," she said to Zach. She picked up Ace's empty plate and gave me a friendly smile. That she wasn't immediately threatened by my presence showed tremendous personal confidence. She wouldn't be petty and possessive.

"Can I catch you Friday night?" Zach asked without missing a beat.

Aracely's face lit up. "Looking forward to it." She slid an order slip across the table and nodded to it. "My number."

We finished lunch, and I almost laughed as we walked out the restaurant, because Zach was damn near swaggering. Ace congratulated him when we got into the car and gave him a few suggestions for first date ideas. We pulled into the Rangeman garage at 1:54pm, and I made a beeline to the Bull Pen, ready to track down Jason.

"Plum!" I turned my head to see Jason standing in the door of the shared office space I'd been working in and reversed course to head that way.

"What do you have for me?" I asked. He handed me a file, thicker than I expected. I could tell just by the weight, there wasn't just one background check inside. I flipped back the folder cover and scanned the first page.

"No," I breathed. Zach and Ace were behind me, reading over my shoulder. I waited a few seconds for their sharp intakes of breath. They were both slow readers.

"Well, shit. I guess this capture is going to be a little more complicated than we thought," Ace said.

"You verified the document?" Zach asked.

Jason nodded. "DMV records show the photos, but also confirm the name changes which is why it didn't flag on the initial high-level background we run," he said by way of explanation.

I blew out a sign and flipped past the birth certificates to the page of DMV records, and there it was, in living color:

Emmett Sanders

Ethan Sanderson

Evan Sanderson

Identical triplets.

Ace was right. Shit, indeed.