The following morning, Stephanie went through the pre-flight checks as Frank sat in the back of the chopper. "I asked someone to join our flight," Stephanie told her dad. "It's the protocol to have a co-pilot. My commanding officer recommended a man."
"Oh? Who?" Frank asked, feigning ignorance. Stephanie suspected her dad knew more than he portrayed. She could sense he was withholding important information. Instead of getting lost inside that rabbit hole, Stephanie returned to the purpose of their trip.
"His name is Lester Santos. He helped me with the course yesterday. It had a different setup than my basic training. I couldn't transition between the tires and orange cones," she explained. "He redirected me until I caught on."
"Good man," Frank replied. He had hoped Santos would join Stephanie for the trip to Georgia. Frank spoke to his friend to request Santos for the mission. He hoped the man would work well with Manoso's team.
Lester Santos hopped into the helicopter before Stephanie turned on the propellers. He sat in the co-pilot seat. Lester greeted General Plum through the headset after introducing himself. "Have you called it in?" Lester asked. "Not yet," Stephanie replied. "Echo Charlie Alpha niner, requesting permission to take off."
"Permission granted, Echo Charlie Alpha niner. Lift off to five hundred feet." Stephanie grinned as she flipped the switch to lift off. She flew the helicopter five hundred feet above the ground before leaving the military air space.
"Let it go," Lester cheered. Stephanie raised the helicopter to twelve thousand feet. She flew towards Georgia.
"Have you flown a helicopter before?" Stephanie asked. Lester mentioned something about needing chopper lessons. She wasn't sure if he had flown one under supervision before.
"Never. I'm here for the ride." Stephanie laughed, then described the controls as they flew. "Can you teach me when we return?" Lester asked.
"Sure. Everyone has to learn at some point in time. I have credentials to teach if you want to learn now," Stephanie offered. Frank listened to Stephanie and Lester's banter.
"Are you two dating?" Frank asked, amused by his daughter's familiarity with Santos.
"No, sir," Lester replied. "I only request friendship from your daughter."
"Dad, I kissed him, and it was like kissing Vince. I'm not interested in dating Lester." Frank nodded. He vaguely remembered catching Stephanie and her cousin kissing when they were younger. She claimed to be helping Vince improve his technique.
Stephanie gave Lester more instructions as time progressed. She got him to call Fort Benning for permission to land. They instructed her to land the bird behind the mess hall and gave her the coordinates. "It's the same as the planes, Les," she patiently explained. He grinned and typed in the numbers. The building appeared on its radar navigation system.
"Sweet," Lester replied. Stephanie encouraged Lester to lower the helicopter to an altitude of five hundred feet. "Why aren't we flying lower?"
"It's the safest altitude for the people on the ground if we crash," she explained. His face paled. "Follow my instructions, and everything will work out."
Lester nodded. Stephanie approached the mess hall and got into position. She guided Lester to land the helicopter. He bounced it before levelling it. "Shit! Sorry, sir," Lester apologized.
"It was a bumpy landing, but I've experienced worse," Frank said, nodding toward Stephanie.
"That wasn't my fault. Vince dropped a smoke bomb," Stephanie whined. "Uncle Joe wasn't mad at me."
"Is that why your nickname is Smoke?" Lester asked.
"No, and don't spill the story, Daddy," Stephanie warned.
"I'm teasing you, pumpkin. When we exit the helicopter, you must address me formally," Frank needlessly reminded Stephanie. She rolled her eyes and shut down the helicopter. When the blades stopped, Stephanie hopped out of the chopper. She was so busy watching her father exit that she didn't see the man waiting off the side of the landing pad until she ran into his firm chest.
"Sorry, sir," Stephanie automatically replied as she looked into his eyes. Warm brown eyes met her blue ones. She saw the humour in them as she took a step back. Stephanie resisted the urge to touch her neck, where the skin tingled. The man had mocha latte skin. He was gorgeous—an Adonis. "Stephanie Plum," she mumbled. He missed her last name.
"Ricardo Manoso," he replied. "But you can call me Carlos." His deep voice resonated in Stephanie's heart. She felt it burn into her mind, searing her soul with its perfect timbre.
"Your name is Ricardo," Stephanie stupidly replied, her gaze quickly flicked to Lester. Carlos raised an eyebrow when she returned to look at him. "Oh. You prefer Carlos." He nodded. Stephanie licked her dry lips. His eyes darkened as he watched her tongue move across her lips. Carlos thought Stephanie was gorgeous. Her blue eyes mesmerized him. No other woman made his skin tingle from an unseen magnetic connection. Carlos felt drawn to her, like a moth to the flame, threatening to set his soul on fire. He sensed Stephanie felt the same attraction to him.
"Hey, cuz," Lester said, then slapped Carlos on the shoulder. Stephanie looked between the two men. There wasn't much of a resemblance. "Our mothers are sisters," Lester whispered.
"Oh. I'm sorry. It's rude to stare," Stephanie mumbled. Inside her head, Stephanie was screaming for joy. She knew Carlos wanted her as much as she wanted him. Stephanie knew it would be a lifelong commitment if they ever got intimate. Their souls would become one. It was something her great-grandma explained when she was a child. What seemed to be a pipe dream could become a reality.
"Follow me, Lieutenant Manoso," Frank ordered. Stephanie and Lester fell into step behind General Plum. Carlos and Lester walked on either side of Stephanie. She felt it when Carlos brushed his hand along hers. His pinky reached out to maintain contact. Stephanie's heart raced from the electricity moving between them. She wanted to grab his hand but resisted the urge. It made her feel like a teenage girl when the boy she liked showed he was interested. There was plenty of time to get to know Carlos Manoso.
During the walk across the base, Lester and Carlos shared details regarding their family. Stephanie learned Carlos was a second-generation Cuban American. Lester's mother was Cuban but married a Puerto Rican man with blond hair and green eyes. Stephanie wondered how genetics worked. Lester took pity on Stephanie and explained that his mother had grey eyes. His Tia Maria, Ricardo's mom, had brown eyes like Ricardo Sr. "Mi Abuela Sophia had blue eyes," Lester explained. Lester remembered to specify that Sophia was his mother's mom.
When they arrived at the General's office, Carlos let Lester enter before he followed Stephanie through the door. He rested his hand on her lower back and she felt the warmth permeate her clothes. Carlos craved her touch. It was something he had never experienced with other women. Lester raised an eyebrow when he caught Carlos staring at Stephanie's ass.
Frank also caught him but didn't draw her attention to the action. Only Stephanie was in the dark. She jumped when a man behind her said, "Lieutenant Sherman, reporting for duty, sir."
Another man announced, "Lieutenant Brown, reporting for duty, sir."
"Brown, close the door. Everyone sit. Stephanie, you sit beside me," Frank ordered.
"Yes, sir," they simultaneously replied.
"Men, I have a mission. Stephanie already received her brief. I will send you to a house in Ewing, New Jersey, where you will establish your base of operations. Train Stephanie to protect herself. She learned the basics in the Air Force, but I want her to learn more. I need Stephanie to trust you with her life. Her involvement is more tenuous than your requirements. It will take one to two years to get Stephanie into place to take on her role. During that time, you will resume your deployments as your commanding officer requires. However, I requested at least two of you remain with Stephanie," General Plum explained.
Carlos watched Stephanie's reaction. The name on her uniform pocket was too faint for Carlos to read. He didn't think to check Stephanie's last name when she bumped into him and was too mesmerized by her eyes and their magnetic connection to listen past "Stephanie" during the introduction. Carlos wondered what her relationship was with the General. "You forgot to tell them, Daddy," Stephanie quietly said. She could tell Carlos didn't know her last name and wanted to give him an obvious clue. Carlos raised an eyebrow when he realized Stephanie was the General's daughter.
"Right. Stephanie is my youngest daughter. I enrolled her in business classes at Douglass College. You will commute to the school with Stephanie and keep her safe," General Plum stated.
Lester and Bobby wondered why they had to babysit the General's daughter while she completed her education. Why not put one of them in place? Frank removed a file from his desk drawer. He opened the folder and removed groups of paper attached with a staple. Lester accepted the docket. He spent a few minutes reading over the document. Holy crap! The company only hired female business graduates. It was why Stephanie needed to finish her undergraduate degree.
"How accurate is the intel?" Carlos asked. He didn't want to work the mission if it had the potential to go FUBAR and ruin his chance to join the Rangers. Carlos noticed that Stephanie didn't drool over him and the other men. Stephanie paid attention to everything her father told them. She pushed her attraction to Carlos aside to listen to the details. It impressed Carlos.
"I feel confident with the intel. Manoso, work with Stephanie to review the information," General Plum announced. Carlos raised an eyebrow but nodded. "This mission will move your team up the line to become Rangers. You may use the conference room down the hall. How long do you need to confirm, Manoso?"
"Six hours, sir," Carlos replied. General Plum nodded. Stephanie mumbled that two hours was plenty of time. Frank used the phone to ask someone to set up computers for the team to conduct their research.
The men followed General Plum to the conference room. A man set up the computers for them to use. "Everything they need is on the hard drive, sir," Private Parker said.
"Internet availability?" General Plum asked.
"Yes, sir. I hooked up the cable modem. The three desktop computers should be able to connect simultaneously," Parker replied. "Any more than three would slow down your searches."
"Dismissed," Plum barked. He waited for Private Parker to leave before telling the men to begin their research. General Plum gave them credentials to log onto the computers. "Nobody is permitted to remove anything from this room. If you need to use the washroom, knock on the door to alert the guards."
"Yes, sir," everyone replied.
General Plum stopped Stephanie to whisper in her ear. "Show them what you can do." Stephanie smiled at her father, then nodded.
Carlos placed his hand on Stephanie's back to guide her to the end of the table, where he could keep an eye on the door. The General locked the door and had two men guard the room. General Plum ordered the men to refuse entry to anyone other than him and the team inside the room.
"May I?" Stephanie asked.
"Go ahead, Plum," Carlos replied.
"Please call me Stephanie or Steph," she automatically requested. Carlos moved the chair close enough to brush her arm with his. Her breath hitched as a spark moved between them.
Tank watched Carlos and Stephanie from the corner of his eye as he entered the credentials onto his computer and began the search. Lester and Bobby argued over the other computer until Bobby let Lester take control.
Bobby and Tank met Lester and Carlos in Miami when they were fifteen. They attended the same school and got into trouble together. Carlos went to Rutgers for a few years to take business courses. He completed his degree in under two years. Tank and Bobby joined the Army a year before Carlos. Lester joined the Air Force.
"Why are you searching there, Babe?" Carlos asked. Tank raised an eyebrow. Why was Carlos calling Stephanie Babe? Carlos had never given a woman a nickname. He never cared to learn his conquest's name. The women were a means to scratch an itch.
"I don't know, but I feel it's the right place to look," Stephanie replied. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
"How did you hack into there?" Carlos asked.
"Manoso, I don't want to get into trouble," Tank warned. "We should stick with what we know."
"Carlos, I didn't hack into anything. I know a guy, and he hacked in," Stephanie said.
"You know a guy," Carlos incredulously stated.
"Yup," she replied, grinning. Tank caught Stephanie's eye and raised an eyebrow. "I met him last year when I visited my mom in Trenton, New Jersey. Someone snatched my purse, so I chased after him. I got cornered in an alley on Stark Street. You don't want to go on Stark unless someone is looking for a hooker, drugs or illegal weapons in Trenton. The man who took my bag led me into a trap, though I didn't initially see it. When he grabbed my arm, I raised my knee and shoved his balls into his throat. He released me to clutch his crotch." Stephanie giggled.
"Did they hurt you?" Carlos asked, feeling protective of his Babe and wanting to hurt the men who dared to harm Stephanie.
"The other three men tried, but this Hispanic man came to my defence, wielding his knives. He scared them away, but the one I hurt recovered and launched himself at me. He didn't like a puta getting the best of him. The Hispanic man punched him in the stomach, stabbing him with a knife. It wasn't until the other man fell to the ground, dead, that I noticed the Hispanic man was bleeding. I tore off my shirt to wrap around his arm. His buddies grabbed the dead man as I tended my rescuer's wound. He said his name was Hector. I held the skin on his arm together as he stitched it closed. The man never flinched," Stephanie replied. She shook her head. It was surprising that she didn't get sick.
"What does that have to do with the guy who hacked into the company?" Carlos asked.
Stephanie grinned. Tank, Lester and Bobby stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Lester thought she was beautiful when they met, but her radiant smile made her gorgeous. "Hector is the man who hacked the system," she said. "He's always helping me, but I feel guilty."
"Why?" Lester asked.
"Because he earned his first teardrop that night," Stephanie sadly said. "It's his only one, but it was still my fault."
Stephanie removed her hat. She felt it was too formal inside the room. She returned to the intel after running her fingers through the curly locks. Carlos smelled a faint hint of strawberry when Stephanie touched her hair. He leaned closer to sniff. Stephanie suppressed a grin when she realized Carlos liked the scent.
Carlos reached over to gently tug Stephanie's bottom lip from her teeth. "What did you find?" he asked, curious what she noticed on the computer.
"To crack the case, I need to work directly for Elmer or Evan Martin," she replied. "Unless I can gain access to the accounts as a lingerie buyer."
"Who's the mastermind?" Tank asked.
"Elmer," Stephanie answered. "He's the CEO. Thankfully, I won't need to get my MBA, but I have to finish the classes for my undergraduate."
"How many credits?" Carlos asked Stephanie, stroking a finger across her cheek.
"Six. My first class starts in a few days," Stephanie breathily replied. "Hopefully, I can get into my undercover role after graduation."
Lester grinned at Carlos. He had never witnessed his cousin become infatuated with a woman. "I bet if we leave the room, they won't notice," Lester whispered to Bobby and Tank.
Ignoring the other men inside the room, Carlos pressed his lips to Stephanie's mouth. At first, she was shocked, but it wore off quickly, and she returned the kiss. Carlos tangled his fingers in her hair, which felt silkier than expected. He tilted her head for a better angle. They only broke the kiss when Tank slammed his hand on the table.
"Sorry, guys," Stephanie mumbled as her face blushed beet red. Their connection strengthened during the kiss. There was no going back. She belonged to Carlos, and he belonged to her.
"Stephanie and I confirmed the intel. When do we ship out?" Carlos asked.
"I think Dad said tomorrow," Stephanie replied. She removed her communication device from her bag. "Smoke calling Ghost. Do you copy?" Stephanie waited a minute before repeating, "Smoke calling Ghost. Do you copy?"
"Ghost copy. What's your status? Over," General Plum replied.
"Smoke dissipated. India Charlie. Over," Stephanie said, indicating the intel got confirmed.
"Sierra tango. Over and out," General Plum replied, telling Stephanie he was sending the technician to remove the computers. Stephanie reduced the volume and dropped the device back into her bag.
General Plum was pleased it only took two hours for Stephanie and Manoso to confirm the intel. The duo would make an unstoppable team.
Stephanie had flown the chopper back to Texas with the others to pick up Ace. She had Lester as her co-pilot, but she had to fly because they had three passengers. Instead of flying the helicopter to Newark, Ace used one of the military planes. He would return the chopper to Georgia in a few days.