Chapter 26
A tall slender man entered the waiting room. He had sandy blond hair and green eyes. "Hi Stephanie?" he held his hand out to me.
"Hi Mr Sebring. It's a pleasure to meet you," I shook his hand.
"Please follow me," he directed me but stopped Lester and Tank from following. I nodded to let them know it was alright with me to go into the meeting alone. "What can I help you with today, Stephanie?"
"I work for Rangeman. We're interested in helping you with your high bond skips," I started. I went through his capture rate and how much revenue was lost due to bonds expiring. "It's a win-win scenario," I finished.
"You've been helping Jeanne Ellen," he stated.
"I have. She needed help and I was available. Now I work for Rangeman"
"You used to be Stephanie Plum. Adopted by the Guzmans after a brutal rape and pregnancy. Rumour has it you lost your child and joined the Army. Your Army career is undetectable which means you used an alias. If I were inclined, I could narrow down your Army name. Your friendship with Jeanne Ellen could indicate you were in the Army together. Need I continue?" Les asked.
"No sir. You are very good at your job," I replied. Allowing my spidey sense to guide me I continued, "You know because your uncle is General Rogers. He was one of the few men who knew and protected my true identity while I served. You told him the story about the local girl and made the connection to my godfather. The rest was fairly easy for you to figure out."
"You are a very intelligent and intuitive woman. I've met your husband. He's building quite the reputation in Trenton, a mercenary badass who is cleaning up the gang activity within our city. Ranger mainly hires ex-military. Some are ex-gang and ex-con if they meet the requirements to uphold his business mission statement."
"Not many people know we're married. It's not something we plan to hide. We worked hard to rebuild our relationship. I'm sure everyone will notice our wedding bands and see us together. You are a very resourceful man. Are you willing to hear my pitch?" I asked.
"No need. I'll give you 15% for bonds between 60000 and 140000, 20% up to 300000 and 25% for anything higher than 300000. We'll renegotiate in a year," he said as he motioned for my note pad. I passed him the paper. He jotted down everything he said before adding a signature on the bottom. "Sign here," he passed me the paper. I quickly added my signature remembering to sign as Stephanie Guzman-Manoso. These were much better terms than what I was planning to negotiate.
"I'll have Rangeman lawyers draw up the contract. Thank you for doing business with Rangeman," I said as I shook his hand.
"My uncle speaks very highly of you. It's an honour to be working with such exemplary men and women. I hope to see you soon Mrs Manoso," he lifted my hand to kiss the back.
"Someone from Rangeman will bring you a copy," I said before we left his office.
Les Sebring walked me back to the reception area and shook hands with Lester and Tank. "She drove a hard bargain," he said winking at me.
On our way back to Rangeman, I told them about my meeting with Sebring and the terms offered. He was a very fair man. "Why didn't you negotiate the same terms with Vinnie?" Lester asked.
"Harry the hammer," I answered. "We'll need to prove ourselves first. Then we can renegotiate the terms with him. Read the contract I had Vinnie sign."
Lester read the document and started laughing. "'Terms can be renegotiated with the owner of Vincent Plum Bail bonds who is known as Harry the hammer within the first year of this contract.' Man Stephanie, you've got your cousin by the balls... I like it," he read aloud for Tank's benefit.
"I thought Carlos would like that line too," I said with a smile.
"Little Girl, we've only been gone for an hour and you already have two signed contracts for Rangeman. You're one very intelligent woman," Tank said.
"Now we just need to add a BEA department to Rangeman. I wonder if Hector can help me write a search program," I wondered aloud.
"He's already writing one. If I'm not mistaken, it's the program we used in the Army but enhanced," Lester stated. I smiled and started wiggling in my seat. Hector is using my program as a foundation.
Using the pen and paper pad, I started writing down a list of items and requirements we needed for our new BEA department at Rangeman. My current gun permit allows me to carry concealed in every US state, but I needed another one for specific cities. New York for example. I can only carry concealed in New York if I live there and apply for the permit. I'll have to research other metropolitan cities to read their firearm policy. It would be wise to ensure TPD knew which Rangeman employee has a permit to carry concealed. We should make it policy to carry copies of our permits while in the field. Top priority was making each Rangeman office financially independent from the others.
Tank parked the fleet vehicle beside the rest. He opened my door and grabbed the paperwork. I learned Tank was Ranger's second in command. It was a role he was willing to relinquish to me, but I had no desire to work a desk job. However, I did offer to help him with the overwhelming paperwork.
When I exited the elevator I heard my daughter say, "And then a big hairy man ask me to see bad man. I don't want to see bad man. He said momma and papa will go jail." She was crying. Cal held her in his arms as she sobbed. Carlos was in his office looking murderous. We locked eyes before he waved me into the room. I left Cal to console my daughter.
"I don't care if he's been promoted to detective. He was specifically told by your chief Joe Juniak to find another witness," he sternly said before hanging up the phone. Ranger walked around his desk to pull me into his arms. "Morelli showed up at the school to question our daughter without having a parent present. He threatened to put us in jail if she didn't show him the bad guy."
"Carlos, we need to do something about him. Threatening to take us away from our daughter is not acceptable behaviour." I pushed him around the desk to sit in his chair. After sitting on his lap, I grabbed the phone to place a call. "Chief's office please," I said when his secretary answered.
"Who should I say is calling?" she politely asked.
"Stephanie Guzman."
A few clicks and beeps later I heard, "Ms Guzman. How can I help you?"
"My husband just ended a call with the head of your detective department. One of his newly appointed detectives, specifically Morelli, arrived at my daughter's school this afternoon to question her without a parent present. He threatened to incarcerate her father and me if she didn't cooperate. I don't know what your policies are, but I do know you cannot interrogate a minor without proper parental supervision."
"I'm sorry Ms Guzman. It won't happen again," he promised.
"You're right it won't happen again because I'm filing a restraining order against Joseph Morelli," I said to show my cards.
"I'll send officer Gazarra over for your statement," he said before hanging up.
"Officer Gazarra is on his way to take our statement." I returned the phone to its cradle. Anger towards Morelli and his misinformed boss radiated through my body. He sent a quick message to someone, probably Lester or Tank.
"We'll check on Julie first," he said knowingly. I was ready to beat the shit out of Morelli.
"Momma, papa," Julie screamed as she entered Ranger's office. She jumped into my lap. I caught her before she could topple over. Julie started sobbing the second she landed in my lap. My little girl was scared.
When her sobs stopped, the office door opened. Eddie Gazarra and Tank were standing just inside the door listening to our exchange.
"Hey sweetie. I heard you had a big hairy visitor today," I started by using her words.
"He say I have to see bad man or you and papa go jail," she repeated what I already heard. "I scared momma. I want momma and papa with me." Her tears started up again.
"Hi Julie, I'm your momma's cousin." She looked at me for confirmation. "I heard you tell your momma the big hairy man scared you." Julie nodded, suddenly too shy to talk. "Do you want me to keep him away from you?"
"Yes and from momma and papa," she answered.
"I just need to write down what I heard okay?" he asked as he approached the desk. He wrote her words on lined paper before passing it to me and Carlos to sign on her behalf. "I'm taking this note to the police and the big hairy man will leave you alone."
"Okay. Momma, I go see Uncle Hec," she said before hopping off my lap and running through the door yelling his name. If only I had half her energy.
"Thank you for letting me come up here. I know you prefer handling TPD business in the main floor conference room. I'll file the paperwork with the department," Eddie said before he was escorted from the office.
I moved off Carlos' lap to make my way to the gym. He followed closely behind me to see how I needed to blow off steam. Ram and Cal were in the ring sparring. They were equally matched. I removed my shoes and weapons before inserting my mouth guard and climbing into the ring. Ram raised an eyebrow. "You both stay," I answered his silent question. My friends knew exactly what I needed. We've been here before.
They started circling me. Cal punched my shoulder when Ram distracted me. I gave Ram a roundhouse kick before quickly turning to land a punch in Cal's stomach. He bent slightly from the contact. I shook off the sting in my hand. We circled each other again. This time Cal sent a kick to my head. Ram was standing behind me, he was hit in the neck when I ducked. It was the moment when we started fighting each other. What started off as two against one, quickly became a free for all fight. After Cal knocked Ram to the mat, I knocked his feet from beneath him and landed on his chest. As the last man standing, so to speak, I was the winner.
"Feel better?" Ram asked as he pulled me off Cal.
"Much. Thanks guys." We both offered Cal a hand up.
"Your knuckles," Cal pointed.
"Oh. Crap. I forgot to remove my rings. You both have cuts on your jaw." I pushed a towel against the injury.
"We can handle it," Ram reassured me. "Bobby will pop in a few stitches." They grabbed their belongings and walked towards the locker room.
I climbed from the ring and noticed all the men staring at me with their mouths wide open. "What? I had some anger to work through."
"Bomber, I've never seen you fight like that before," Manny said with awe.
"As I said, I had some anger to work through," I replied while staring at my husband. Carlos was standing in the doorway with a strange expression on his face. I made my way to my husband. We seriously needed to talk. He held out his hand, but I brushed past him.
I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the seventh floor. "Babe?" he asked when we entered the apartment.
"Carlos, we never talked about why you didn't come back for me. I know I sent divorce papers which you never signed and letters you never answered. Mama didn't know anything. She only told me to hold onto our love. What happened?" I sat on the couch and waited for an answer.
He kneeled in front of me and grabbed my hands. "Babe, when I was captured and tortured, I've never been more scared in my life. All I could think about was keeping you and Julie safe. If he learned about you, he would use you to get to me. I spent years keeping my distance to keep you and Julie safe."
"Why didn't you write back or send a message through Mama?" I asked. It was time for me to know the truth.
"By the time I felt it was safe, you stopped writing and sent me divorce papers. I thought I lost you forever but Tia Ella said to give it time because you still loved me. Babe, I love you more than my life. When I saw you again, I hoped you still love me. We made love and I knew you felt the same way as always. I didn't just build Rangeman to give our men jobs when they no longer served. I built Rangeman to surround our family with trusted friends to keep us safe. Everything I did, it was for us, our family. To keep you safe," he said with tears streaming down his face.
"Carlos, I love you just as much. I would give my life to save you and Julie." I rubbed my thumb across his hand.
"If I lost you forever, I would be dead inside. I need you and Julie in my life. You two give me strength to keep moving forward. Please don't leave," he whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere. If you ever leave me again, you will not get another chance. No more running," I stated.
"No more running for both of us," he added.
"Agreed," I pulled him into my arms and cried.
We changed and returned to Carlos' office. I barely had time to sit on the couch when Jeanne Ellen walked in with Lester. "That was seriously good fighting," she said when she saw me. "Watched it on the control room monitors." I didn't realize she was in the building.
"When did you get here?" I asked.
"Sometime between the cop leaving and you going to the gym," she replied.
"Okay, then why are you here?"
"Heard you signed contracts with Sebring and Plum bail bonds. If you ever need a feminine touch, give me a call," she joked. "Seriously, I need a safe place to exercise. Your husband suggested I come here."
"That's great!" I exclaimed. "There isn't a woman's locker room yet, so you'll have to shower in Mama's apartment."
"Tia Ella and Tio Luis are here?" I was surprised she didn't already know. The guys who didn't already know, were surprised I called Ella 'Mama'. They already knew Jeanne Ellen, Lester and Carlos are cousins.
"They are and Mama set up their guest room for you," I told her. It was my idea to provide a safe place for Jeanne Ellen to stay. Some of the men she recaptured weren't nice. I wouldn't be surprised if they retaliate by attacking her at home.
It took several weeks for us to get the new department running. Hector and I worked through the new search program to quickly pull data from various government databases. We had a few names and descriptions marked to alert us of pending danger. If any of Ranger's or my enemies were to use the databases to search for us, we would receive notification. We exchanged hacking tips.
After going through the program to ensure accuracy, I stood from my seat and was overcome by dizziness. Hector caught me before I collapsed to the floor. He sat me on my chair and pushed my head to my knees. I heard him tap a few buttons on the phone and say, "My office now."
Bobby and Carlos rushed into the room. "Babe?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy," I answered. I watched as Bobby and Ranger exchanged a silent conversation. "It's possible. Do you have a test?"
"Really?" Bobby asked.
"Yes... really. I'm a day late." Carlos scooped me into his arms and thoroughly kissed me.
After replacing me back onto my feet, he swatted my ass and said, "Go find out." I followed Bobby to his office. It wasn't until I turned to shut the door when I noticed Hector followed us.