A/N: Okay, so the commitment to updating once a month didn't quite work out. But that is mainly because I need to be in a certain mindset when writting this story. Still have no idea how to pull this around into them ending up on the same side at one point in the distant future ...

Also, I'd like to actually comment on two guest reviews, that sort left me a bit confused. I'd have liked to do that with the individuals personally, but well... guest reviews...

So first up is the one that went "Don't like Steph being a villain . Get her out now and have her happy with Ranger." "Now" would kind of defeat the purpose of a story arc which is more or less the point of almost every story. So... she will be happy at some point, but it won't be 'now' and I also don't know what you think ordering me to do it will accomplish.

Second was "She is a not even remotely nice" - well, she is the head of a drug cartell and while I don't make her out to be ruthless and an asshole, "remotely nice" would seem a tad unrealistic. This is a very thin line I'm walking, since I have no intent of painting the job as head of a drug cartel as a "best job around" kind of thing and again, it would seem rather pointless and unealistc when she was the nicest person around, since... that line of business isn't a very easy and nice environment. It also isn't like I haven't warned people in the first AN.

That being said, I do value feedback and comments...

Ranger POV

When her file landed on my desk at RangeMan I had only gotten the summary of what it was about. Usually the alphabet agencies called us – or rather me – in when they were at their wits' end. Which was surprising more often than you'd think actually.

Mainly they called us in when they reached the end of the road they were allowed to go. Meaning, when they reached the red tape that RangeMan itself wasn't operating in. While we didn't do anything illegal as such, we also had a few more freedoms to avail of in our approach and capture.

I had heard the gist and quite honestly, it was the same crap you always hear. Some head of a drug cartel, who the DEA had been after for ages but was no closer to zero in on then when they started. Apparently, every time they made a few steps the right direction, they also made twenty steps backwards and were by now as far as when they started. Your taxpayer's dollar's at work.

I just finished going through last nights reports from the night shift and adjusted a few meetings in my schedule, before going over the file.

First surprise was that I wasn't looking at your usual dealer or head of a cartel. Mainly because I was looking at a woman. Unusual and definitely unexpected as well. Most cartels were run by guys, who did consume their own product like they were their own best customers. According to the information on file, she had never been seen near any sort of substance. Unless you counted ridiculously expensive wine.

The workup on her was rather patchy, to say the least. The bit of personal information the DEA managed to get was not even filing up half a page – and that was being generous on my part. There were no known associates and according to the file, she had no real family ties. Her parents were well and alive, but didn't seem to have much contact to their daughter for the past few years. Running her parents through our search programs, it wasn't hard to see why. Situated in the Burg, Helen and Frank Plum had two daughters – one, who was probably a dream come true for every parents and one who… wasn't. Stephanie Plum fitted as much into the picture-perfect Burg with their proper and law-abiding citizens as bright yellow clothing fit in at a funeral.

Just for pure entertainment did I put her name into our program as well, not expecting breakthrough information and therefore was not too surprised when the information provided after an extensive period of loading was rather short and almost none-existing. One of the few things that showed up, where the addresses of most of her restaurants, as well as a phone number of her assistant and an information that surprised me. She donated regularly and quite generously to most common and local anti-drug programs. It wasn't the notion itself which I found impressive, since it was a rather common move in all fairness. I like to think that for most people it was a way of shutting up their conscience, but usually these donations were far and in between. Either a big sum once a year, usually presented in some flashy and PR-worth event, or a few smaller donations for a short while. But judging by the records it seemed Stephanie Plum donated very regularly very large sums. And that over the course of years already.

There had never been any arrest worth mentioning as well as not even anything that could be considered close to an arrest. The file included some titbits of speculated information in regards of suppliers. But it were only speculations. Nothing proven and nothing solid. She seemed to operate in a peculiar way, always staying a step ahead of everyone and never making too many big waves. Almost the entire file on my desk was based on speculation and hearsay. No one could even say for certain whether he had any close allies, a partner or where she really lived.

Looking at her file, one thing became plain clear – she was not the usual target we went after. While her file told me not a whole lot, it told me one thing and that was that she knew how to avoid the usual ways of information gathering. Unusual people sometimes required unusual tactics, so in an unusual spur of the moment decision for me, I picked up the phone and dialled the number of her assistant.

Within a few rings he picked up and was as snotty and insufferable as you'd expect the best of them to be. What surprised me was how quickly he was delicately indicating money amounts to shut me up. He did it well, that needed to be said, and wasn't straight out and about, flashing money and making it more than obvious what his offer was all about. She had her assistant well trained and listening the amount that was offered, I wasn't too surprised that investigations came to a quick end. It took quite a man to turn down these amounts. Money after all was the best and also easiest way to get rid of people snooping around too much.

After a week and two rather fruitless calls to her assistant once more, I decided I needed to find other ways. So I contacted a few of my more dodgy contacts that weren't the most law-abiding citizens either and could get me information. Of course they didn't disappoint in regards of coming through, yet the amount of information they pushed my way was a lot less than what I had expected. Seemed that even my less than legal contacts were not able to get a lot on her either.

"Since when do we meet the people we go after beforehand and request a meeting?" Tank asked a few days later confused. By now he seemed to have heard about our latest mission for a government agency and was more than just confused at my approach. And I got it, this was really not my usual style. Usually, we would spend weeks on surveillance and find our way in, closing in on them and an opportunity to make an arrest. We usually operated out of the shadows and it had always worked well so far.

"Call it curiosity," I said, shrugging. And that's really all it was in a way.

Tank raised both eyebrows at me, wondering. "Is she hot?" he finally asked, after probably debating with himself for a heartbeat.

I shifted my head from one side to the other in a non-comitial nod. "Then just go ahead and fuck her," he added after my earlier motion. "Get whatever it is out of your system and move on, delivering her to the DEA."

"That's not it," I said, sounding even to my own ears slightly defending. I threw the file on her his way, before going on. "The usual way won't work. When you look at the notes the DEA passed along, it seems she is used in getting her way and knows her way around avoiding too much attention of the wrong people."

I watched my best friend and second-in-command open the file and study her picture for a long moment, before moving past it and skimming the file. "She is the darling of every food-critique and the upper class. I would say, attention is exactly what she craves. But other than that, the list of information seems rather short. How quickly did the DEA give up on her and decided on handing that one to us? Usually they spent at least half a year before calling us in."

"You are looking at about two to three years of work," I clarified and saw Tank look up surprised from the file.

"Three years? And all they could produce was two pages? And that includes half a page of information you could probably get by just googling her?"

I nodded, seeing him realize that this wasn't the usual drug cartel case.

"And our contacts on the other side of the law spectrum didn't produce a lot of useful intel either."

"I guess I start understanding your approach and curiosity," he remarked, thumbing back and forth between the file. "It states here that the lead agent on it was Markson. That guy brought in several of the biggest names and yet he couldn't come up with more than this?"

Before I could answer the ringing of my phone interrupted me. The display showed an unknown number and usually I would send it straight to voicemail, but something told me to pick it up. Imagine my surprise when I realized I had the woman we were speaking about on the other end of my line. I made it my business to never have a situation throw me off guard and always be prepared for all sorts of outcomes, but I believe nothing could have prepared me for the surprise her call posed to me. My surprise was even bigger when she herself suggested a meeting, making me wonder what her moves were. No one before had managed to get even the smallest bit of useful information or meet her really, and yet, her she was, moving boldly into my territory. Of course I said yes and if I'm honest, she could have suggested almost anything at any time and say and location. I would have agreed to probably everything, sensing this was an opportunity I wouldn't get very soon again.

I don't know what made her do it or even her reasoning behind coming out of hiding – so to speak – but I took the chance that was offered and didn't question it. From the sparse read-up she didn't seem as ruthless and cruel as the usual common criminal in her position, so chances of me walking into an ambush seemed unlikely, but you never know.

Three days later I was at one of her restaurants after a rather arrogant waiter showed me to a table right in the middle of the place, disregarding my request for a table by the corner and the walls. I was right on display, which in itself wasn't a big deal for me, but it gave me an uneasy feeling that I wasn't able to observe everything that was going on. Not that there was a lot happening. The place seemed still closed and just opened up for me and this little meeting. I had parked Tank and Lester, as well as Slick and Hank outside, making sure that if anything fishing was going down, I wasn't on my own. I was wired but had no earpiece, assuming she would detect that within seconds. I wasn't even sure whether she wouldn't even spot the wire. But she probably wasn't as naïve as thinking I wouldn't come armed with something.

I knew she had done her homework, asking around rather discreetly with people we both shared relations with. They had reported back to me in order to let me know that she had made contact, but something told me that they didn't tell me all she had been asking about. The fickle thing about these kinds of contacts was that secretly they always choose a side and weren't the most loyal people to start with. Since I figured their interests lay rather with her being satisfied in her requests than making sure I knew everything that was going on, I assumed their information back to me was lacking. Which said a lot about her, since usually people were scared of me, but it seemed they were even more scared of her. Though, she didn't seem the violent type of person, it didn't mean she didn't employ people who actually were.

I noticed the second she walked into the room. It was as if the air shifted. And I know it sounds stupid, but that was the best way to describe her and her arrival. I had seen her picture in her file and yet, seeing her walking towards me the picture did not do even the slightest bit of justice. She held herself with a lot of confidence and power, walking in sure and long strides towards me in quite impossible high heels. Her white and loose suit fitted her perfectly and added to the entire power display, her outfit being the exact opposite to my black-on-black attire. While I was surrounding myself usually with some of the most beautiful women I could find, Stephanie Plum wouldn't make the list anytime soon. She looked quite honestly average at best. But… the display of power and self-confidence she exuded did a lot to add to her attractiveness. The thing with beautiful women was – at least in my experience – that they always strived on assurance that, yes indeed, they were beautiful and needed to hear it often and regularly. Something told me, Stephanie Plum didn't care much for that assurance. She knew what she did and had about her - nothing more, nothing less. Either take it or leave it.

As I was assessing her I could see she was doing the same with me and for a second I found myself wondering what her thoughts resulted in. My knowledge of my effect on women was not vanity or arrogance, but rather a fact that had been proven over and over again, and the usual reactions I got were amusing me at best. Though, watching her approach the table, nothing was given away. No sudden shock or surprise, the famous "walking into walls" or a motion of walking a tiny bit taller was nothing she displayed. As a matter of fact, nothing changed whatsoever.

While we might be on opposite sites of the law, I was still raised properly, so getting up when she was only a few steps away from me seemed natural and correct. However, she surprised me when that notion actually got a reaction out of her – though the tiniest in a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' fashion.

The conversation which followed once both of us had taken their seat again, was unexpected and in refreshing in a way. I can't explain what it was, but it was miles away from the way these first meetings usually went. She displayed a sense of humour that would have made me smile if I actually gave in to the notion – which I rarely did. I had a reputation to uphold and being known as the badass or asshole that was tough to crack had its advantages. Though, I found myself thinking I'd be willing to make exceptions for her. Shame that she was someone I was hired to go after. Different circumstances and I might have pursued a different approach and meeting for the two of us. But as it was, we were playing against each other and her reference to chess seemed fitting in a way.

I had expected a lot when agreeing to this meeting and studying her sparse file, but Stephanie Plum surprised me when she didn't just turn out to be armed with humour as well as smartness. Of course, you don't make it to the top in the business she was in by just looking hot or sleeping your way up, but the combination she presented me with, as well as her lack of arrogance and cruelness surprised me. While some people would read her reactions and answers as arrogance I saw through her, she played a certain part, trying to figure out what I knew and what could become a problem soon.

She also surprised me once more when she finished our conversation and meeting with a threat. It wasn't like I wasn't used to threats. You couldn't work in my line of work without getting issued a few of them occasionally. Bad people usually didn't take well to you screwing with their business and being a pain in the ass. Her threat didn't really bother or upset me, it was rather common and expected, but usually issued a lot harsher and a few actions to reinforce the words. Since it was just her and me and the lack of muscle that usually helped deliver the threat, I was not too worried though I admit it made me curious. While I was chasing her in this game, it isn't like I was anything like the agents the DEA had sent after her so far. While they probably prided themselves on American patriotism and living by the book and law, I tended to walk a very thin line and operated in the shadows and areas I'd consider more on the grey spectrum. So, the people she knew in regards of toying with my reputation were known by me as well. Same could be said about the proper people whose paths she crossed at various charity events or when they hosted parties and dinners at one of her swanky restaurants. Interestingly our paths should have crossed a long ago already, seeing how many of the same contacts we probably had and in a twisted way, she actually was the perfect woman.

"Did we learn anything from that meeting?" Lester asked when I had left the restaurant and had made my way back to the waiting vehicles.

I shock my head, affirming what probably all four of my employees knew.

"That's wasn't the point anyway," Tank assessed correctly.

"I wasn't walking into this meeting, assuming she'd give me a lot to clues on how to get to her. I rather just wanted to see who I was up against and why no one had ben able to actually get a lot of information on her."

"She won't make it easy for you or us," Slick remarked and I agreed. Yet, somehow, I found that prospect in an odd way exciting. She was a challenge and not the usual ruthless criminal we went after. Also, the price tag the DEA was willing to pay us for catching her was telling you all you needed to know. There were usually two reasons for a high price tag on a capture.

Either you were a violent and dangerous person that could easily take a life without sparing a second thought and required a small army to capture you.

Or you were good at what you did, leave no trace, being smart and a general mystery who only provided whispers of a rumour and hearsay.

Stephanie Plum certainly was the second category and a challenge I was definitely looking forward to.