The Army didn't call Stephanie to pick up Carlos and his team, and the Air Force reserved calling Stephanie and Zip for times when they had a rescue mission or a potentially dangerous drop-off. It didn't matter to Stephanie, but she hoped to fly the chopper to collect Carlos and the guys. Stephanie wished she could drop off and pick up her husband's team. She spent her free time either training with Zip or working to launch Rangeman.
Stephanie researched FTAs, the men who failed to appear in court, to test the program Hector, Silvio and Rodriguez created. She helped them find ways to improve the application. They wanted something in place to start capturing skips while waiting for the Rangeman building to open.
Carlos and the men were gone for seven weeks before returning. They weren't allowed to share details with Stephanie or Zip. However, Stephanie and Zip heard rumours about Rico or Ricky selling military secrets and working with criminals worldwide from the other men on the base. Stephanie suspected Javier Manoso was behind everything. She wondered if he was the man she shot. He was the right height, but Stephanie couldn't be sure it was Javier. She only saw the man from the back and knew it wasn't a member of her team.
The first night Carlos slept in their bed, he had a few nightmares about things he heard and witnessed. Stephanie held her husband tightly and sang softly as he slept. Carlos settled. She pretended to be asleep when he quietly shared details of the mission. Stephanie rolled over to embrace Carlos. "I'm here," she whispered.
"You're my refuge," Carlos replied.
"Batman, you can tell me anything. I won't share it with anyone," Stephanie said.
"Babe," he whispered. Stephanie gently pushed him onto his back. They had fallen asleep after having sex. She straddled Carlos and sunk onto him. Stephanie tried to muffle the moan. Carlos shifted his position to sit chest to chest. He captured her moans as he pumped into her. Stephanie broke the kiss to press her lips against his neck. Carlos flopped to the bed afterwards, pulling Stephanie with him.
Stephanie groaned as she moved to lay beside Carlos, draping her arm across his chest and her leg hooked over his hips. She felt sore in all the right places. Stephanie raised her head to rest her chin on his chest. "I'm okay, Carlos. You didn't hurt me," Stephanie said.
"I was too rough when I got home," Carlos reminded her.
"You needed the release, Carlos. I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I will provide," Stephanie replied. "Besides, I kind of liked it when you ripped off my clothes. I only hope Abuela Rosa didn't hear."
"Lester took her out for dinner when we got home. The others went with them," Carlos explained.
Stephanie giggled, "Thank the Lord. It's a miracle the lamp didn't break when it fell over."
"Babe, I won't sign for another once my five-year term is completed. Your father got assigned as my handler," Carlos said. "He's managing my teammates too."
"I didn't realize Dad wanted that role."
Carlos brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. "General Plum is doing this for you. He wanted to hear our check-in announcements," Carlos explained.
"And keep me from worrying," Stephanie added. Carlos nodded. "Dad messaged whenever you contacted him. I must confess to appreciating the intel. Did you complete the mission?"
"Yes. We caught the fuckers who hurt Kyle and Evan. They retaliated when Kyle took out their leader," Carlos explained.
"Are you supposed to be telling me this?" Stephanie asked. She kissed Carlos' chest and returned her gaze to his gorgeous face.
"Probably not, but I trust you to keep the intel to yourself. Please, Babe, stay safe when I'm gone. We still don't know who's behind the treachery," Carlos replied. "It's been four months since General Phillips mentioned a traitor in the Army. We're no closer to finding him now than we were after rescuing Kyle and Evan." Carlos never forgot Stephanie's suggestion that his brother, Javier, was behind everything. However, he heard one man say Rico warned that the soldiers were coming after them.
Stephanie told him about the FTA she researched to get his mind off whatever bothered him. She wondered if Carlos was reading the situation the same way as her. Carlos was interested in chasing down Jose Almirez. He promised to approach the Johnstone Bail Bonds owner about the FTA. Almirez always carried a knife and gun. Carlos could take Hector or Tank with him to capture the criminal. Most importantly, Carlos wanted to release some steam after thinking about Javier.
"Have you called your parents?" Stephanie asked.
"No, and I'm not planning to," Carlos replied as he glanced at the alarm clock. "It's time to get up." Carlos climbed out of bed and tossed Stephanie over his shoulder. He made a mad dash to the bathroom to shower. Stephanie giggled when she closed the door. They took a steamy shower and used all the hot water.
"Abuela's utility bill increased significantly. I paid the last two bills. We have to stop using so much water when we shower together," Stephanie teased.
"At least we clean the shower when we're done," Carlos retorted. He grabbed the cleaners and washed the walls and the floor. Carlos hired a contractor to renovate his grandmother's bathroom when it got increasingly more challenging for her to climb into the tub to shower.
"Abuela loves having the bathroom cleaned. It's one less chore for her," Stephanie laughed.
"Babe, we only have two weeks together before I ship out again. All I want is to get lost in you."
"Me too, Batman. We have a company to launch. Let's get breakfast, then head to Johnstone's to discuss Almirez. Who knows? Maybe Bill will have another skip or two for the guys to catch."
They went to their bedroom with towels tightly wrapped around them. Stephanie slipped into comfortable panties and clothes. She laughed when Carlos dressed similarly. "Babe?" Carlos asked, quirking a brow.
"We're on the same wavelength. I smell cinnamon rolls," Stephanie replied. She tugged on Carlos' hand to make him hurry. He tossed Stephanie over his shoulder and carried her to the kitchen.
"Carlos, put her down," Jeanne Ellen said. Stephanie squealed when she heard Jeanne's voice. Carlos gently placed Stephanie on the floor. She hugged her sister-in-law.
"What are you doing here?" Stephanie asked.
"Lester said you were hunting FTAs today. Since the doctor never cleared Kyle for exercise, I need some training. I want to do that when I return to Trenton. Have you heard about Javier?"
"What's wrong with Javier?" Stephanie wondered, hoping Jeanne Ellen would give her crucial information to prove Javier was the man Stephanie shot.
"He was on a mission and got shot by one of his teammates. The asshole shot him in the right shoulder from behind his back. What the hell were they thinking?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
"Where did you hear that, Jeanne?" Carlos demanded.
"From Mama. Javier told her. Why? Is something wrong?" Jeanne Ellen's face paled as Carlos explained that Javier likely got Kyle captured and tortured. "Why would he do that?" Jeanne Ellen cried.
"Money," Kyle replied. "Jeanne, you can't repeat this to anyone. We need to get proof. The man who captured my team didn't resemble Javier, but something about him seemed familiar. We think he wore a disguise."
"Nobody wants to believe their family is capable of such atrocities. Greed changes how people act. They do unexpected things when presented with the opportunity. Trust me, Jeanne, I'm speaking from experience," Stephanie added. "My mom stole money from me before I realized she had taken it."
"What did she spend it on?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
"A car, but that's not the point. My mom was content with everything she had until I inherited a small fortune. She got her greedy hands on the account information and took eight thousand to purchase a new car. The auto salesman said my mom paid cash for the vehicle. Mom told me that Dad had bought it. When I asked Dad, he was confused. It didn't take long for Dad to figure out what Mom did. We moved the company's office and bank accounts," Stephanie replied. "Mom's been trying to get her hands on the money since. She even arranged for a local man from the Burg to date me. I know she wanted me to marry the asshole so he could steal my inheritance. Mom tried to manipulate me into going home by involving my sister."
"Jeanne, did Mama receive any cash from Javi?" Carlos asked.
"Yes," she whispered. "It was enough for Papa to pay the mortgage balance. He's in the Rangers and gets paid well."
Carlos exchanged a look with Kyle. "How much did Javi say he made?" Carlos asked.
"Mama said he makes a few hundred grand per mission because he runs them alone," Jeanne replied.
"He lied," Kyle said. "Rangers work in a team of four or five. Mercenaries work alone."
"If he was working as a mercenary, then who shot him in the back?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
Stephanie's shoulders slumped as she sat at the table across from Jeanne Ellen. Looking through her eyelashes, Stephanie replied, "I did because he was going to shoot Carlos. My order was to maim, not kill."
"Oh no. Steph, watch your back. Mama said Javi was going after the man who shot him," Jeanne Ellen whispered. She didn't want to believe her brother could harm their family. Carlos and Stephanie had never lied to her before, but Javi had. Javier wasn't trustworthy and she never trusted Javier with secrets. She refused to share details about her life with him.
"Jeanne, it's important to keep this intel to yourself," Abuela Rosa said. "We must keep Estephania and Carlos protected."
Everyone sat at the table to eat the eggs, bacon and cinnamon rolls Rosa made for breakfast. They discussed their plans for the day. Jeanne Ellen couldn't wait to get started. Kyle would help Abuela Rosa around the house and yard, leaving Carlos, Stephanie and the others to train Jeanne Ellen how to capture criminals.
The group had fun returning Jose Almirez, Jesus Hernandez and Larry Hanson to the system for processing. Stephanie loved watching Jeanne Ellen lure Hernandez from the bar. She laughed when Hernandez stopped in his tracks when he saw Hector leaning against the building, playing with his knives. Jesus Hernandez knew he couldn't escape.
Jeanne Ellen earned a few thousand dollars for her role. The remaining money went to Rangeman. "We need to decide payments for FTA captures," Carlos said when they received the cheque from Johnstone Bail Bonds.
"Like hazard pay if things go wrong?" Stephanie asked.
"Exactly," Carlos replied. "Jeanne Ellen was lucky Hernandez didn't attack her."
"Hector and Rodriguez had her back. In the future, I think we need more men on site to ensure she doesn't get injured," Stephanie said. She thought about how things could go wrong and planned to discuss them with Rodriguez, who enjoyed planning the operative to distract Hernandez.
"Rodriguez has the right idea. We need to modify the plans according to the FTA and the risk they pose to the woman in the distraction role," Carlos suggested.
It seemed like only days had passed, but it was really three weeks when Carlos and his men had to leave for their mission. Ace received the dispatch call for the drop. Stephanie had to drop a different team in Cuba, which she thought was strange. She refused to talk, letting Zip handle the mundane conversations with the team. Stephanie wasn't being rude. Her dad warned her about the team leader being misogynistic. The man, Darcy Cooper, got teased about having a girl's name. Stephanie wasn't sure if his name was behind his attitude or if it was something he learned from his father. Whatever the reason, Cooper didn't respect women who served in the military. As far as he was concerned, women belonged at home to tend to house and raise children.
Stephanie raised her hand. With her index finger, she drew a circle, indicating it was time for the men to jump. Zip got the men to exit in rapid succession. He closed and locked the door. "Thanks," Stephanie said when Zip sat beside her. "What did Cooper say?" Stephanie didn't like the man.
"Cooper wondered why you didn't talk. I said you were too busy concentrating on the navigation system since you've never flown to Cuba," Zip explained.
"Thank goodness it's Cooper's last mission. Dad said he got forced to leave special ops. Cooper's too old to continue in the Rangers."
"Cooper said he applied for a promotion. He hopes to become the handler for the next Rangers group," Zip said.
"I wouldn't want that responsibility," Stephanie confessed. She followed the flight plan and returned to base, where the mechanic waited to service the plane.
Stephanie removed her helmet and stored it inside the cupboard. She placed her parachute pack on the hook to the right. Zip added his items to the storage area, using the hook on the left for his bag. Stephanie and Zip grabbed their duffles from the bottom and disembarked.
"Why do we have to visit the medic after the drop?" Zip asked.
Shrugging, Stephanie replied, "I assume it's to ensure we didn't pick up some virus at ten thousand feet." She rolled her eyes and followed Zip to the infirmary.
"Hey, Steph. How are you?" Bones asked.
"I'm good. Are you testing this sample for pregnancy, too?" Stephanie teased.
"No. I doubt the HCG levels would change in a day. Seriously, I don't have to run that test unless you're preparing for a drop or rescue," Bones explained. It didn't matter to Stephanie. She didn't think she was pregnant anyway. There was a microscopic chance that she got pregnant on day ten of her cycle.
Stephanie and Zip ran through more scenarios for the following three weeks. General Buckingham ordered Stephanie and Zip to his office for their brief on a new mission for them to run. Stephanie hoped it was an extraction call.
"Take a seat," Buckingham ordered. Stephanie recognized Cal and Hal from almost seven months earlier. "Cal Hobbes and Hal Holden are accompanying you on the extraction. The Rangers team alpha is stuck off the coast of Ecuador. They're on a raft and must leave the area before the authorities capture them. Cal and Hal have their orders. Plum, I need you hovering above the raft while Cal and Hal rescue them. Zip, you know your job. Dismissed."
Stephanie and Zip went to the infirmary for Bones to take samples. He ran the tests while Stephanie and Zip prepared the chopper for takeoff. Bones called Stephanie on her secured phone to announce, "You and Zip are cleared. Sorry, but that other test was negative. Perhaps it was too soon, and the levels were too low to produce a positive result."
"That's okay. It was a long shot," Stephanie replied. She never mentioned her nipples ached when she pulled the straps on the Kevlar jacket. Her hips cramped when she secured herself in the pilot's seat. Stephanie reflectively touched her stomach. She was distracted while thinking about having a baby. Her body felt different than usual. Stephanie wondered why it was taking so long for her to get pregnant. The universe was obviously trying to tell her something.
"Are you okay?" Hal shyly asked as his face flushed red. Stephanie noticed the men looked more alike, with their hair buzzed short. Cal wore something on his forehead. She wondered what Cal was hiding. Hal noticed where Stephanie was looking and chuckled. "He got some ink."
"I'm fine, Hal. Hey, Cal. What tattoo did you get on your forehead?" Stephanie asked. Cal slugged Hal's shoulder.
"Why did you tell her? Now she's going to think I'm an idiot," Cal snarled. "I had to cover it with a latex patch. It's a flaming skull."
"Sweet," Stephanie giggled. "I can't wait to see it."
It was too loud to converse in the chopper without wearing the headphones and microphone. "Do you sense this extraction going wrong?" Cal asked after pulling the headphones on.
"No. Zip and I tied the lines. Feel free to check them before you rappel to the raft," Stephanie shouted into the microphone. She was used to hearing conversations over the headset while the helicopter blades whipped through the air. Stephanie lifted off the ground after Cal and Hal confirmed they were ready.
"I tucked a basket behind the seat. Smoke didn't know if you would need it. We have six harnesses attached to the ropes," Zip said.
"And I have two winches on board. You can pull the men into the chopper two at a time. Keeping the helicopter level while Zip brings them on board will take a lot of concentration. Exit one on each side and try to keep the weight balanced as much as possible," Smoke ordered.
It took Smoke time to arrive at the location. Zip, Cal and Hal looked out the window for signs of the men in the water. "Northeast of our location. At two o'clock," Zip announced.
"Roger," Smoke replied. She hovered over the water. The raft swayed from the rippling water, threatening to move from its location. Zip and Cal opened the doors on both sides of the helicopter and tossed the harnesses from the plane.
Cal and Hal slipped down the ropes, pulling the thick wire from the winches with them. Hal hung upside down as he attached the harness to Medic and Jag. "Pull them up," Hal ordered. Zip flicked the switch on the winch, pulling both men to the helicopter. Smoke concentrated on maintaining her position.
Jag groaned as Zip pulled him into the helicopter. Medic immediately got to work to remove the bullet and stabilize Jag. Smoke pushed her personal feelings aside when she realized they rescued her husband's team.
Ram and Ranger slipped into the harnesses and climbed the ropes to get into the helicopter. Tank needed help from the winch. He, too, got injured during the mission. Cal and Hal pulled themselves into the chopper and helped Ranger and Ram.
"Go!" Zip yelled as he and Cal slid the doors closed.