Once again all characters with the exception of Lucia, General Barnes and new Rangeman employees from South America, belong to JE. and I don't have to feel bad about injuring mine.
No excuses for being so long in posting again. I've been working on 4 chapters with the help of my Beta, Kashy, who has a gentle way of getting me to think more thoroughly. Thanks Kashy.
Will try to post 2 new Chapters today. Try being the operational word here.
Chapter 7 Ranger's thoughts going back to Trenton
How in God's name did I get myself into this mess? It seemed so simple in the beginning. It was, after all, just one more mission and it was to be my last mission. General Barnes, my ongoing commanding officer in all my covert missions, as well as my one time mentor, agreed. All I had to do was show up with a fake wife, bring in new employees who were trained in illegal arms sales and were accustomed to dealing in Central and South America. All of which seems pretty much off the wall since all Rangeman personnel is trained in arms and drug trafficking problems in Central and South America.
In Columbia alone there are several hundred illegal small arms groups. The United States alone has paid $3.5 billion for Plan Columbia to try to stop the drug and arms trafficking.
The new personnel will know all the "right" people in the buying and selling of arms and should be instrumental in contacting business associates. It was a logical step to make it look as if the sales were coming out of Rangeman as we have always had an armory which was constantly changing for the types of missions we took on. No one would be too surprised that Rangeman was working in the arms industry in several ways throughout South America. We wouldn't advertise it but gossip in Trenton wouldn't take too long or find it too far out of line since our missions have long been rumored to be behind the scenes in South America.
When the mission was accomplished Rangeman would be cleared completely of any wrongdoing. The general had given his word. I hoped I could still have confidence in him. He has changed dramatically in the past dozen or so years. Now he seems tired and overextended. Not that I know what caused it nor do I much care. I want to be through. I'm tired as well and I want a more normal life. Running off to trouble spots in the world is for someone younger than I.
Lucia, the general's protégé came to my office to arrange "sabbaticals" for some of the existing employees. They would not know that this was temporary and I could not tell them that important fact. Getting them out of Rangeman was supposed to help Lucia and the new guys to get the new arms business started. It was thought that bringing in different experienced employees from South America would make the new business appear to be more realistic. It was she who thought all of this operation should be under strict cover. I think I am beginning to understand why. Only she needed the cover.
Her resume clearly showed that she has been undercover in many of the world's troubled spots. She appeared to be an attractive, knowledgeable and soft spoken person. I did not want nor did I agree to a close relationship with her but thought we could work well together. She managed to change that impression within the first 24 hours she was on the premises.
What a colossal error was that decision. Lucia is a ball breaker. She rides roughshod over Rangeman, the employees and everything that makes Rangeman and me. General Barnes is no help in reining her in. He apparently applauds her management style. After all, her style has worked in South America, Africa and the Middle East. Her style? What exactly is her style? It isn't what I was led to believe. According to the general she is a careful, thoughtful and extremely intelligent operative for our government. Nothing in her behavior seems to fit that description. The only think that comes to mind for me is that she has gone over to the other side and is looking to make accomplices and money to start her own drugs and arms business. Somehow in her thoughts she must also want to take Rangeman down. I don't know understand why. She is probably hoping to accomplish all her goals here and then disappear into some other place.
How this has gotten so far off the agreement between Lucia, the general and me, I don't know. What I do know is that my trust in the general has been badly compromised if not destroyed. There are other military men I can contact if I can't straighten this out quickly by using my own men. I hope I don't have to take it farther than that plan. I don't think Lucia will enjoy a confrontation with me and my men. It should send her running back to the general if she is honest and we can finish this problem once and for all.
I can only blame myself for this mess. I broke a cardinal rule when I did not look at this mission as thoroughly as I usually do and I got into it too fast. I know I want to be through with the military operations. After years of being sent al over the world at a moment's notice I wan time for a personal life.
Will my Babe ever understand?