A/N: This story will continue in various POVs. I will keep conversation overlaps to a minimum. Thank you for the reviews… you are all awesome. Stay tuned for the results…
Stephanie's POV
Heather called me eight days after I dropped off the samples. To say I was surprised with the results was an understatement. Lester Santos was my brother. My dad had three more daughters with his ex-girlfriend. How could he do this to us? Weren't Valerie and I good enough?
I always respected my dad because he wasn't like the other Burg fathers. All of that was a lie. My entire life was a lie. Lester deserved to know the truth. I opened my contacts to dial his number. "Yo," Lester answered.
"Oh. Um. Hi. It's Stephanie," I replied.
"Hey, Steph. I was just telling the guys about you," he said. "We are getting ready to ship out."
"I thought you left a week ago." I was surprised he was still around.
Lester chuckled and replied, "We had to report to Fort Bragg first. Our flight leaves early tomorrow morning. What's up?"
"Are you sitting?" I asked.
"Nothing good ever follows those words," Lester said, joking aside.
"You're telling me," I mumbled. "I'm sorry, but I took our coke cans with our saliva samples to a local lab. Don't worry. I kept our true identities a secret. Anyway, I got the results back. You're my half-brother. Frances Mateo Plum is my dad."
I heard Lester fall into a chair. Before I could ask if he was alright, he asked, "Is this a prank?"
"No, Les. I'm not pulling your leg. Believe me. I'm shocked too. You can run your own DNA test if you want. Dad was in the Army. He retired as Captain Plum with the 1st Ranger Battalion, the 70th Ranger Regiment. They should have a DNA sample on file. I'm not sure if you need dad's approval to compare your samples. It's something I'm afraid to ask," I replied.
"Damn," Lester said. "I was joking when I mentioned kissing my sister. What made you get the tests?" Before I could answer, he said, "Never mind. You got the test when I said his name."
"Got it on the first try. I'm sorry," I whispered.
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Steph. It's not your fault. Can you keep this to yourself until I can confront our dad?" Lester asked.
"You can count on me," I replied. "It's not my story to share. Don't get shot, Les."
He mumbled something about not going crazy before ending the call. I felt awful for dropping that bomb before his deployment. His follow up text said it was best for him to know now than to obsess over his thoughts during the mission.
Lester's POV
I stared at my phone in stunned silence. My friend, Bobby Brown, pulled my phone from my hand and shut it off. "Lester, what happened? Are your sisters okay?" Bobby asked out of concern.
Bobby waved his hand in front of my face until Ranger shouted, "Report."
"Oh. Um. I just found out I have two more sisters," I replied.
"You already knew that," Bobby said, reminding me of the conversation from years ago.
"Yes, but I know my dad's name," I whispered. "Do you remember when I told you about Stephanie?" I waited for my friends to nod. "Well, she got paternity tests done. It confirmed we have the same dad. He was a captain in the Rangers."
"Wow. Your dad was a Ranger," Ram said in awe. "Bummer that you haven't met him yet."
"That's not true, Ram. We've all met him before," I quietly said. The guys patiently waited for me to collect my thoughts. "Captain Plum."
"Our training officer is your father?" Cal asked. "How did we not see the resemblance?"
"I resemble my mom," I replied. It made me wonder about my nationality. My mom was Mexican. I didn't know anything about my father. I powered up my phone to send Stephanie a text. She quickly replied that dad was full Italian. "He's Italian."
"Weren't you eight when he stopped coming around?" Tank asked.
"Yes, but my memories of him got tainted when he left us. Mom burned all the photographs containing his image. Dad never knew that Lopez was grandma's maiden name. Her surname was really Santos. We spoke mainly Spanish at home and mom made us answer to whichever name dad called us. She must have used the other name when they first met. Mom taught my sisters to use fake names whenever they met men in bars. She insisted it was for their protection. Mom reverted back to Santos because she didn't want my father to find us after destroying our lives," I replied. "I have a few errands to run."
My mom refused to give me dad's last name. She insisted that she didn't know. I found it hard to believe. It wasn't the first time she had lied to me about dad. When I asked about the other family, she said they didn't exist. Mama said that dad was married to the Army. She stopped talking to me when I joined the special ops but never explained why she was angry. I'm seeing with a new sense of clarity. If Captain Plum is my father and a member of the Rangers, it would explain her anger toward my decision.
I could feel my friends watching me as I ran toward the infirmary. Stephanie said our dad had a blood sample from the Army. It's not likely to be an actual vial of blood but a detailed analysis report of the alleles and genetic markers. We had to provide a sample for the same report. I wonder if I can get someone to anonymously compare the two files.
"Why are you here, Santos?" Lieutenant Chalmers asked. He was the resident medic on the base.
"Oh. I heard that you might have a sample in the database to compare with my DNA," I honestly replied.
"Do you have the rank and serial number of the file?" he asked. I grabbed my phone to ask Stephanie if she had the information. She quickly replied with the information off the tags she carried. "Once I run the comparison, I can't un-see the results."
"I know, lieutenant, but I need to know," I replied.
"If they match, I have to inform the other party." It wasn't something I had considered, but it was worth the risk. I nodded since it was time for Captain Plum to face his past. "It won't take long," he added.
I sat on the bench across from the desk, waiting to hear the news. It's not that I didn't trust Stephanie. I wanted a more reliable result than the ones provided using saliva samples. Twenty minutes later, the lieutenant received the results. "Congratulations, soldier. You found your father. Should I update your records?" Chalmers asked.
"Could you change my emergency contact to Stephanie Plum?" Chalmers printed a document for me to sign. I asked for the other papers to change everything else too. If he wondered why I removed my mom's name, he never asked.
After signing the paperwork, I called Stephanie. "Hello," she timidly answered.
"Didn't you check the caller ID first?" I asked.
"Nope. I'm driving," she replied. I could hear the sound of the car engine when a few seconds of silence passed between us. "Is there a reason for the call, Lester?"
"Right. I got the infirmary to compare the samples on file. They confirmed what you told me. I'm your brother," I replied.
"I have a feeling that's not the reason you called. Is there something I should know?" Stephanie asked, surprising me with the intuitive question.
"Your instincts are spectacular. We could use someone like you for military intel," I said without thinking. "I wanted you to know that you're now my emergency contact. Should anything happen to me during a mission, you'll receive a call. I also assigned you to be my medical power of attorney."
"Lester," Stephanie said, interrupting me. "Are you sure? Shouldn't your mom have that privilege?" I smiled at the privilege comment. It was the control that I no longer wanted my mom to have. She had removed money from my bank account when I got holed up in a hospital in Britain. I couldn't trust her with my money.
"No. She abused that power the last time I got injured. They don't know what I want," I replied.
"Neither do I. I'm sorry your mom can't be trusted to carry out your wishes," Stephanie added.
"Enough chatter about my mother. Do whatever you'd want to be done for you," I said.
"That makes it easy. I hate going to hospitals, so if you wind up injured, I will get you out of there the second you show improvement. There will be no unnecessary tests or needles. No outside visitors unless they have my written approval. No barks and twigs to eat. Only real food. I'm not talking about that hospital crap either because that is not real food. I'm saying burgers, fries, pulled pork, lasagna, any type of pasta with meat, and of course, there has to be dessert," Stephanie quickly stated.
"Wow. I know I made the right decision now. You know how to eat," I joked.
"I'm not the typical girl, Les. I have to eat, or the beast residing in my stomach will consume everything in a five-mile radius. I also have a high metabolism," she replied. I laughed, thinking she was joking. "Give me a minute, okay?"
I listened as she said, "I'll take a Big Mac, a quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, two apple pies, a large coke and a chocolate milkshake."
"That will be $14.47, ma'am," the tinny voice replied. "Pull up to the next window."
"Thank you," Stephanie said. I waited for her to pay, then collected her food. "I've got to park for a few minutes to eat."
An unnatural rumble sounded over the phone. "Steph, are you okay?" I asked.
"Yup," she mumbled. "Sorry, I'm eating. The beast decided to rear its ugly head. I had to feed it."
I laughed at her description. "Is someone else in the car?" I asked.
"Nope. Just little ole me," she replied. "I haven't eaten since last night. I'm starving."
"That's a lot of food," I said.
"You better not be judging me. I could probably eat you under the table," she joked. "But if it was a drinking match, I'd be done after the second drink. I'm such a lightweight."
"Don't let those assholes in the clubs hear you say that," I warned. I walked back to my group as I talked to Stephanie. She ate the Big Mac, quarter pounder and fries. Stephanie was working on the apple pies when I reached the guys.
"Are you listening to porn?" Bobby asked when I sat beside him.
"Nope," I replied. "Steph, I'm putting you on speaker. Is that okay?"
"Sure. I hope the guys don't mind listening to me eat. It might get a little uncomfortable for them," she joked.
"Dios," Ranger said as he listened to Stephanie moan over her apple pies. I watched the guys fix themselves as Stephanie continued to eat. She let out the smallest of burps before sighing.
"Do you feel better?" I asked.
"Yup. Remind me never to skip breakfast and lunch again. Man, I didn't think I was going to make it to McDonald's in time," Stephanie joked. "The beast nearly consumed me from the inside out."
"Why did you miss breakfast and lunch?" I asked. "Why are you eating dinner so late?"
Stephanie sighed. "I lost my job at E E Martin yesterday. My cupboards and fridge are empty, and I woke up an hour before I called you," she explained.
"Why don't you have food? Do you need money?" I would wire money to her bank account if she was broke. Stephanie didn't seem like the gold digger kind of woman.
"I don't cook," she replied. "My mom kept teaching me, but whenever she said it was to keep house for my husband, I lost interest." Forgetting that she was on speakerphone, Stephanie added, "That's probably why my ex-husband screwed the town skank on my dining room table. I'm a useless housewife. Oh, and I don't want your money, so get the idea of wiring me cash out of your head."
"Babe," Ranger said. I glared at him when he used that nickname for my sister. "Stephanie, not all women know how to cook."
"I know, but I can't afford to eat takeout all the time. It gets expensive after a while," Stephanie said. I heard Stephanie sigh. "I've got to answer another call. It's my mom calling. She's not usually awake past 9:30." Stephanie disconnected our call, leaving us with the sound of the dial tone.
"Do you think Stephanie would accept a loan from me?" I asked.
Tank was the first to reply, "No. She sounds like an independent woman. Offering her handouts would piss her off. She already said to get that idea out of your head."
"I'm with Tank, buddy," Bobby readily agreed. "She seems like the type to enter Rhino mode when angry. I could hear the beginnings of her rage when she mentioned money."
We returned to our barracks to rest before our flight. The helicopter will fly us to California, where we'd catch a cargo plane and jump out into the dense Colombian forests.
For many years, I felt lost. As though a piece of me was missing. The gods must be laughing at the ultimate prank. I finally found the perfect woman, and she ends up being my half-sister. How fucked up is that?
"Deep thoughts?" Ranger asked.
"Ya. Stephanie is an amazing woman. She's beautiful, funny, kind and appreciates food. It's everything I wanted to find for my life partner, but god made her my sister," I replied. "I made her my beneficiary, emergency contact and medical power of attorney. She has complete control of my life, health and finances if this mission goes south."
"Trust isn't something you readily give, Santos. What makes her special?" Ranger wondered. He was surprised that Santos would give her so much control over his life. They had only met over a week ago.
"I can't explain it, Ranger. Stephanie is unlike any woman I have met before. You'll see what I mean when you meet her. Are you still thinking about opening that security business?" I asked.
"Yes. I'm going to call it Rangeman. We'll hire military men who want to leave or run short missions for the Navy, Marines and Army. Why?"
"Oh. I think we should open it in Trenton," I said.
The bed depressed as Bobby sat near my feet. "Are you looking for investors? I'd be interested in providing funds to the cause. You can make me a silent partner or part of the core team," Bobby said.
"I'm in, too," Tank stated. "We can open a branch in Atlanta and Boston too."
"Remember to open one in Trenton. What do you think, Ranger? Do we have a deal?" I asked, sitting up to offer him my hand. Ranger nodded and shook our hands.
"Miami is first. I want to set up shop so I can visit with my daughter," Ranger stated.
Bobby and Tank nodded before I agreed. "Sure. But didn't you sign over your parental rights?" I asked.
"Yes, because I wasn't ready to be a father at the time and Rachel forced my hand. Now that we're Rangers, having a different last name from mine would keep her out of my enemy's line of fire," Ranger logically replied. "I still send Rachel support payments." I was surprised. He was a jerk for getting Rachel pregnant, demanding she get an abortion, then marrying her when she refused to terminate the pregnancy. Their marriage lasted the duration of the pregnancy before he filed for divorce. I had no idea that he paid child support when he was not financially responsible.
"We have your back if that ever changes," I offered.
I laid back on my bed and closed my eyes. The others moved to their bunks to get a few hours of sleep before we had to leave. Our packed duffles were on the bench at the foot of the bed. We had to grab our weapons from the locked container inside our boxes. I knew Ram, Cal and Manny had to grab the grenades, rockets and rocket launchers from the armoury before we boarded the chopper.
My dreams were filled with images of my sister, Stephanie. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was in trouble. Without family in the area, I didn't know who to call to keep an eye on her. I sat on my bunk when I woke up to search for the police department in Trenton. When I located the non-emergency number, I connected the call. "Trenton PD, officer Gazarra speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hi, um, I'm not sure what to do, but I think someone I know is in trouble. Do you know who could help me?" I asked.
"May I have the endangered person's name?" Officer Gazarra asked.
"Her name is Stephanie Plum. I'm worried about her. She just got laid off from her job," I replied.
"I'll personally check on her for you, sir. I'm married to her cousin Shirley. Is there anything specific I need to be aware of?" Gazarra asked.
"No. I'm sorry that I can't be much help. It's more of a strong feeling that she's in danger. I can't explain it other than calling it a strong intuition," I said.
The officer chuckled. "Stephanie calls it her spidey sense. It's like she can tell when something bad is about to happen. I'll tell you what… I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name," Gazarra said.
"Lester Santos," I replied. "I'm leaving on a six-month assignment in a few hours. I couldn't leave without ensuring she would be kept safe."
"The name's Eddie. I'll bring her donuts and coffee for breakfast. It should cheer her up, and I can get a sense if anything is amiss."
"Thank you, Eddie. I appreciate the help. What is her favourite donut?" I couldn't resist asking.
"Boston cream," Eddie quickly replied. "She likes two creams and three sugars in her coffee."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "Noted, Eddie. I'll bring her a treat when I get back. Keep her safe. I had only just found her," I said before hanging up. I was able to fall asleep and rested soundly, knowing that Eddie was watching Stephanie's six. That's her back for the non-military folks.
