It took four days to debrief from the mission. They got debriefed by Generals Phillips, Plum and Buckingham. Stephanie indicated she was responsible for shooting the man in the back during the operation. Carlos was proud of his wife for protecting him. "Where is he?" Buckingham asked.
"Zip and I returned to the aircraft to prepare for takeoff. We didn't see him leave," Stephanie replied.
"There was a blood trail leading to the trees to the north," Carlos added. "We didn't have time to explore. Jack's life teetered in the balance."
"You followed your orders," Phillips replied. General Plum caught General Phillips' eye. They would work on a reconnaissance mission for Manoso's team.
"Take three weeks to decompress," General Plum ordered. "Manoso, we'll contact you regarding the next mission."
"Yes, sir," Ranger replied.
When Stephanie returned to Abuela Rosa's house, she checked her emails. She found one from Theodore Hawkins indicating that Rangeman Securities LLC had applied for a loan to open their first branch in Miami, Florida. Theodore added that he thought it amusing that Carlos Manoso sent a separate, secured email indicating that his wife, Stephanie Manoso, was the co-CEO and would receive correspondence in his absence.
Stephanie called Theodore. "I thought you weren't going to be a core member because of a conflict of interest," Theo teased.
"About that," Stephanie sighed. "Smoke Signals can't provide the investment capital. You'll need to take the money from my private stash. Not the funds I set aside for a five million investment. I mean from my private accounts unaffiliated with Smoke Signals. Is that possible?"
"It certainly is, Steph. I've got the money ready for you to use. Carlos asked to add Hector Alvarez to the documentation. I got him to sign the paperwork. Rosa Manoso brought the original documents to the office. She's a feisty one," Theo joked.
"I adore her," Stephanie confessed. "Listen, the guys gave me a few minutes to call you. I have to get back to them. We need to register the business before we forget."
"The lawyer is working on it. I assumed you and Carlos were too busy with the military when you didn't respond to my email last week. You need to sign the paperwork soon," Theo said.
Theo loved Stephanie like a daughter. She was generous and loving. Despite her upbringing with the viper, Helen Plum, Stephanie was genuinely kind. Theo believed in her vision and suggested ways to make it work. He met Stephanie when she was born and was Frank Plum's childhood friend. They served together in Vietnam. After Frank Sr's death, Stephanie relocated the company to Miami to keep her mother, Helen Plum, from interfering in the business. Stephanie's father, Frank Jr, was supportive and oversaw the move as the trustee to Stephanie's inheritance.
"You are a lifesaver," Stephanie said. "It's no wonder Grandpa assigned you as the acting CEO in his absence. Thank you for accepting the job permanently after his death. I don't know what I would have done without you."
"I enjoy working for you, Steph. Having a teenage boss seemed strange, but you made the transition easy. Your father made the executive decisions, and we worked tirelessly to keep your mother's sticky fingers away from the business. I must tell you that it wasn't easy," Theo confessed. "She managed to get her hands on the company's bank account and took a few thousand before you moved operations to Miami."
"I wondered where she got the money to buy a new car. She said Dad bought it for her. He looked confused when I asked. It's why we decided to move shop," Stephanie replied.
"Hehe. Your father planned to retire. He signed for another five years and applied for a promotion. You know how hard he worked to become General Plum."
Stephanie remembered her dad leaving to train Army recruits for basic training. He went three times every year for about ten weeks. She hated staying home with her mother and perfect sister. Her Grandma and Grandpa Plum lived close to the high school. Stephanie stayed at their house during the week whenever Helen went on one of her tirades. They were always about Stephanie not amounting to anything because she couldn't cook. Stephanie had to go home on the weekends.
It wasn't the best solution, but she couldn't live with the overbearing and verbally abusive Helen. When they died, Stephanie's sanctuary was gone. Her Grandma Edna took over the role, which made life more bearable for Stephanie. It surprised Stephanie to have another supportive grandparent.
"Steph, don't you have to go?" Theo asked, interrupting Stephanie's thoughts.
"Shit! I'm late. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I'll see you soon, Theo. Bye," Stephanie replied. She had appointments with a few bail bond agencies and couldn't afford to miss them. Theo laughed as he returned the phone to the cradle.
"Is everything okay?" Hunter Tanner asked.
"Yes. It seems Stephanie got distracted. She promised to arrive with the men to sign the registration paperwork," Theo replied. "Were you able to unlock the funds from Stephanie's account for the purchase?"
"I need signatures for the Rangeman Securities LLC finance account. The bank let me open it without Carlos or Stephanie's identification, but they need copies of their driver's licence and signatures for the record. Then, they would let me transfer the funds into the account. I received the registration for the business," Hunter explained. Theo understood the rules.
Theo was packing for the day when Stephanie and her entourage arrived at the building. Hunter was in his office when the elevator doors opened. "Hey, Uncle Hunt. I didn't know you'd be here," Stephanie said when exited his office. She hugged her father's friend as he kissed her curls.
"Your Uncle Theo's still here too," Hunter said. "Hey, Theo. We have company."
Stephanie squealed when Theo peeked from behind his office door. "Hey, munchkin. It's nice to see you," Theo said, exiting his office. He hugged Stephanie and kissed her curls. "We missed you."
"Well, you said we had paperwork to sign and to bring the gang. I'm sorry for the extras," Stephanie giggled. Stephanie introduced everyone, leaving Carlos for last. "Uncle Theo, Uncle Hunt, this is my husband, Carlos Manoso."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," they said.
"Likewise," Carlos replied, shaking their hands. He put a possessive arm around Stephanie. She leaned into his side and placed her hand on his chest.
"Did you finish the registration?" Stephanie wondered.
"I sure did. But the bank needs photograph identification and the CEO's signature before I can transfer the funds," Hunter explained.
"Carlos and I will visit the bank in the morning. The guys know what I did. They have some money to contribute to the business. It means we live with family until Rangeman turns a profit. The guys will pay me back whenever they receive their paycheque from the military. We want to set up a way to transfer their funds into my account without the government thinking we're laundering money," Stephanie said.
Hunter laughed. He didn't believe anyone would accuse Stephanie of money laundering. She worked hard to separate the mutual funds and investment capital parts of the business. Stephanie used her money to start Rangeman. "Do you have the permit applications?" Hunter asked.
Carlos held out his hand. Tank opened the messenger bag to remove the documents. "We found them online. Everyone here has the paperwork signed. Who will see these?" Carlos asked.
"The Miami-Dade Police Department," Hunter replied. "Your credentials are good in the US."
Theo ordered food while Stephanie and the guys reviewed the company's paperwork. Everyone signed their names and contracts for their positions within Rangeman Securities. It would be at least a year before they could take on clients outside of Abuela Rosa and Smoke Signals. Hector, Silvio and Rodriguez would manage the accounts. Between their deployments, Ranger, Tank and Lester would capture men or women who failed to appear in court. They planned to only chase after the ones in Miami.
Ranger offered Ram a contract to train the employees on weaponry and to maintain the shooting range. Rangeman purchased the building beside Smoke Signals to house Rangeman Securities LLC. It would take almost a year to retrofit the building to their needs, including the construction permit and zoning changes.
Stephanie asked Hunter and Hector to oversee the renovations once the purchase cleared in ninety days. Hunter promised to contact Stephanie when the sale closed. Stephanie didn't know where she would be in three months and didn't want to commit to being available to accept the keys. "As your official lawyer, I can collect the keys from the previous owner and manage the paperwork involved," Hunter offered.
Everyone sat in the conference room to eat the Chinese food Theo had purchased. Stephanie covered the cost of the meal. She refused to let Theo expense it to Rangeman Securities or Smoke Signals. "Can you process the paperwork tomorrow, Hunter?" Stephanie asked.
"I'll take them to the registry office when they open in the morning. I already confirmed the company name doesn't exist anywhere in the world and registered the company to you and Carlos, Stephanie," Hunter replied. "I listed the other core team individuals as the board of directors."
"Thank you," Stephanie said. She collected the paper plates from the table, depositing them into the trash can beside the door. Theo shook his head when Stephanie tied the bag after clearing the table. "We can toss it on our way out."
"You're not letting the janitor do his job," Theo teased. Stephanie shrugged. She didn't think Marco would appreciate the stench of rotting Chinese sauces.
"Have you worked out the issue of major decisions for Rangeman?" Hunter asked. He was curious about what Stephanie and Carlos determined who would have the final word.
"I would contact the other core team members. We take a vote. If it's split, then Carlos has the deciding vote," Stephanie explained. She argued about it with Carlos earlier. Stephanie would decide after discussing the options with Theo and Hunter when the others were unavailable.
Stephanie stretched. Her shirt rose a few inches, displaying her muscular abs. Theo noticed her legs and arms had more definition, but not to the point where it took away her femininity. His niece, by choice, was attractive. Theo couldn't wait to invite Stephanie for dinner with his family. He hugged Stephanie and whispered the invitation. Stephanie looked at Carlos, who nodded. "We would love to. Have Gina text the day and time. Thanks for sticking around tonight. I enjoyed catching up," Stephanie said.
She hugged Hunter next. He had a proposition of his own. "Steph, when you get Rangeman running, I want to be your Smoke Signals and Rangeman lawyer. I'm willing to obtain licences in the states where you open branches."
"Oh. Wow. Carlos and I were discussing that on the way here. I don't want to interfere with your practice. You handle contract law, and your wife manages the real estate portion. When the renovations are completed on the building next door, we can negotiate a feasible arrangement," Stephanie replied.
"That's all I ask," Hunter said. He shook Carlos' hand before shaking the other men's hands. Hunter and Theo knew how tough the deployments got for Rangers. The men would have to lock away their emotions and thoughts until they got home. It was a tough life; men rarely served past the first five years.
Hunter and Theo congratulated Stephanie and Carlos on their marriage. They made the others promise to keep Carlos safe for Stephanie's sake. Everyone exited the building, with Ram carrying the garbage from the conference room. He tossed the bag into the dumpster and used the wipes Stephanie passed him to wipe his hands.
"Do you guys realize what happened?" Ram asked, climbing into the SUV with the others. He sat in the third row beside Hector. Bobby was sitting to Hector's left. Stephanie and Lester sat in the second row. Carlos drove, and Tank sat in the front passenger seat. He offered to have Stephanie sit beside Carlos but was secretly pleased to have the extra legroom.
"Stephanie, not Smoke Signals, is currently the sole investor in Rangeman Securities," Lester replied. "I thought we were waiting for another year."
"Les, I need something to do between deployments, or I would go insane. You guys will capture skips while I sit at home and do what? Twiddle my thumbs? Are you regretting adding your signature?" Stephanie asked.
"I get it, Steph. We would go crazy, too. Abuela doesn't have exercise equipment in the house," Lester replied. He never commented about signing the paperwork.
"Steph, we expected to have more money to contribute. We didn't realize you would front the cash from your personal account. What if the company fails?" Bobby asked.
Smiling, Stephanie twisted in her seat to talk over her shoulder. "I'm not going to let that happen," she promised. "Sure, it's a huge risk for me, but I'm determined to take Rangeman Securities LLC national. Every large conglomerate started on the bottom rung of the ladder. The CEO, CFO and COO of those businesses invested more than money to make their company successful. None of us sleep for more than six hours. It gives us eighteen hours every day to work on our goal."
"I know the CEO is chief executive officer and the CFO is chief financial officer, but what is a COO?" Lester asked.
"Chief operating officer. That's the title Carlos and I gave Tank. For now, nobody holds the CFO role," Stephanie replied.
Lester stared at her briefly before asking, "Why?"
"All of us have to agree on purchases for the company. We need to follow the business plan we created last year. There's a lot to consider before we jump off that bridge. I want to try out those cameras from the supply company. It's cheaper if we purchased them in bulk, but until I confirm they work the way I expect, we're only buying ten," Stephanie replied.
"Nothing worthwhile ever came easy," Carlos said. "It will be challenging not to blow through the five million Stephanie invested in our dream. We already spent a million today."
"How much was the office building beside Smoke Signals?" Lester asked.
"One million, two hundred thousand," Stephanie replied. "The owner sold it to us below market value."
"How was that possible? Why wouldn't they accept a higher offer?" Tank asked.
"Because the other person who placed the offer wanted to tear down the building and build a shopping centre," Stephanie replied. "The previous owners didn't want that." Stephanie never mentioned that Theo, Joe Juniak, and her dad owned the building. It was an investment property. During the past year, some companies moved to more affordable areas. Her dad and honorary uncles planned to sell it for the right reason. Having insider information, Theo contacted the other owners about Stephanie needing a building to house Rangeman Securities LLC.
"And Theo just let you use your money?" Lester wondered.
"Not at first," Stephanie confessed. "Smoke Signals only loans up to two million for the angel investment. We have more than enough to provide seed funds for five companies. Theo keeps a close eye on their development and offers suggestions for improving their businesses. Besides, the money we loan is insured."
"Are you saying the money you used for Rangeman is uninsured? What happens if we don't turn a profit in three years?" Bobby asked.
Stephanie glanced at her friend. She never noticed the corn roll braids in his hair. Stephanie assumed he cut it. "Bobby, my gut says everything is fine. Rangeman will be a success. While you guys do your G.I. Joe stunts, I'll get the business off the ground. I've got Zip, Hector, Silvio and Rodriguez to help. Stop being a mother hen worrying about her chicks. Everything will be okay. Just wait and see," Stephanie replied.