DISCLAIMER: everything familiar belongs to the Marvel universe or Janet Evanovich. I borrowed dialogue from Iron Man to enhance this chapter.
Carlos and I spent all of our free time together. Rachel, the conniving bitch, wouldn't leave him alone, going as far as claiming he got her pregnant. It was a blatant lie. Carlos never had sexual contact with Rachel outside of her imagination. I dug into her lies and discovered she met a man named Ron Martine and got pregnant. Carlos never returned to Miami after leaving with me from the nightclub.
Rachel also lied about being on birth control, and Ron never wore a condom. Some men are too gullible. We also learned that Rachel found out about Carlos' birthmark from his oldest sister, Celia. Rachel took Celia out for drinks, and after having one too many, Celia told Rachel every dirty secret about her youngest brother. He cut ties with his family as a result. When I saw Carlos up close and personal, I knew that Rachel never slept with him. She had described the crescent moon as waxing (open to his right hip). It was waning (open to his left hip). Carlos shared that detail with me before I let him take me to bed.
Call me evil or scheming, but I had to know what Rachel knew. Bobby had his sister talk to Rachel, who drew it on a cocktail napkin. I laughed when Rachel insisted it was open to the right, and his other testicle was beside the moon's open crescent. Rachel couldn't have been more wrong. Regardless of her "position" during her imaginary sexual encounter with Carlos, the crescent did not open to his other testicle. Therefore, the bitch lied about sleeping with Carlos.
I exposed Rachel's lies, and she retracted her claims. Her parents force her to marry Ron Martine, who decides to leave his military life behind and work for her father. I can see Rachel's father closely watching Rachel and Ron's marriage. It's certainly not a position I would wish on anyone. I'm glad Rachel is out of our lives and can't cause more problems with her lies.
Carlos' oldest sister, Celia, feels horrible for sharing details about his birthmark. She wants Carlos to forgive her, but he refuses to give her a chance. Celia doesn't know anything about her brother's life, and that's what Carlos prefers. He's in the Rangers and doesn't want to worry about his family's safety. Carlos doesn't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.
Sharing personal details about Carlos or his life is dangerous for everyone. It's something his family doesn't or refuses to understand. I feel the same way about my life. Divulging intel about me would endanger my nieces and sister. Dad is the keeper of my secrets. Carlos would never tell anyone about me. Neither will his friends. Santos, Brown and Sherman know I can kick their asses if they speak a word.
Carlos and I barely have a day together before I have to leave for an overseas job. He never says goodbye, preferring to use "Until we meet again" as his parting line. It will be many months until I have time to call him again. Shakespeare was right when he claimed, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
I accompany Tony Stark to Afghanistan, where we met with the American soldiers awaiting the newest munitions from Stark Industries. My spidey senses were buzzing, but the senior officers kept me away from Stark as he completed his presentation with the commanding officers of the ground troops stationed in the area.
Tony's posturing as he asks, "Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind, I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries' Freedom Line." I wonder if he has words other than the repetitious spiel from our first meeting. However, he never mentioned the other armament as being the crown jewel, which is new.
I continue listening to his speech. Tony says, "It's the first missile system to incorporate the proprietary repulsor technology. They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I disagree." He's off-script. That isn't the speech Pepper spent hours writing. I bet he never bothered to memorize her words and decided to say what he repeated many times before, but modifying it for the armoury line from Stark Industries he's hoping to sell.
Tony motions for someone to fire the missiles. The display is remarkable yet terrifying as Tony says, "For your consideration, the Jericho," after the missile splits into multiple smaller missiles to explode the mountains behind him. I feel the energy wave radiating from the impact of the explosion as it moves toward us, displacing the hats the other airmen are wearing.
We arranged to leave the camp after the officers agreed to purchase the Freedom Line missiles. I try to get to Tony Stark before they place him in a Jeep, third in convoy with the Airmen. He was in a hurry to return to base and didn't wait for me. They leave before I can jump inside the fifth vehicle with a gunman with his weapon at the ready. "Get me a car!" I demand.
"Sorry, ma'am. You have to wait for a lift from the Army. Stark caught a ride with the Air Force," the officer replies. I'm furious. I know Tony Stark's life is in danger. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Tony misses his connection before I can learn about his whereabouts.
Panic sets in when we drive towards the Air Force base. I'm in the second Jeep of the convoy when I feel the residual energy from an explosion a few hundred metres away. When we arrive at the scene, I see shards of metal and dead airmen. I know Tony Stark isn't among the dead. He's missing. I try to sense his location, but the abundance of energy in the atmosphere is hindering my abilities.
Rhodes sends me to Stark Industries in New York. I learned Obadiah Stane temporarily relocated to the New York office, which surprised me. He prefers to stay in California. Pepper Potts will continue managing Tony Stark's calendar until he returns. She's confident Tony Stark will do everything possible to escape captivity.
I can barely register his life force, which is how I can sense people I know. The more I attempt to find his location, the more my head hurts as though I have the mother of all migraines causing blinding pain. I can't get my internal GPS to pinpoint him. All I have is a general area in Afghanistan and there's too many miles to search.
When I'm at my wit's end, I go to my apartment to contact Diesel. He tries to pop into Tony's location, but some invisible force field propels him away. Diesel can't get within a few hundred miles of Tony's location. However, as luck intervenes, Diesel narrows the radius by a few miles.
"What do you suppose is preventing you from getting an accurate reading?" Diesel asks as he shares his insight about Tony Stark's coordinates.
"I use a person's life force to track them. It feels like something is keeping Tony alive, which is keeping us from obtaining his precise location," I explain.
"Can't you detect the energy source?" Diesel wonders.
Shaking my head, I answer, "It isn't a source I'm familiar with. I think it's Tony's newest invention of the nuclear arc reactor, but I don't know with certainty."
"How long has he been missing?" Diesel asks.
"Three months. Thanks for narrowing the field. I have to call Rhodes to search the perimeter," I reply. Diesel hugs me. He kisses my forehead and disappears. The asshole took my bra. Sighing, I go to my bedroom to grab a replacement.
"Rhodes," he answers on the second ring.
"Hi, Colonel Rhodes, It's Stephanie Plummeri," I say, using my military surname, "I might have an accurate radius for Tony Stark."
"I'm listening," he replies. I explain where I think Tony is hidden. He sighs but decides to amuse me. "Are you coming with us?"
"Yes. I have the best chance of sensing his location if he finds a way to escape," I explain.
"Where are you?"
"Home."
"Roof. Twenty minutes," Rhodes says and hangs up. I gather my belongings and climb the stairs to the roof. I call Pepper to let her know where I'm going. She promises to keep Obadiah from getting upset about my sudden disappearance. I know Pepper will say the Army called me for a covert mission. Technically, it isn't a lie. A military chopper arrives within minutes. It flies me to the Miami airfield, where Rhodes awaits my arrival.
The trip overseas takes several hours. We land at the Air Force base in Afghanistan. Another chopper flies us over the perimeter, where Diesel determines where Tony Stark's kidnappers took him. I felt something to the east. "Bank hard to the east," I demand through the headset.
"Do it," Rhodes orders.
"Yes, Sir," the pilot replies. He flies a few miles due east, and I see something on the horizon.
"There," I say, pointing out my window for Rhodes to look. He grins and tells the pilot where to fly.
The chopper lands, and Rhodes orders me to remain in my seat. He jumps out and catches Tony as he falls to his knees. "Next time, you travel with me," Rhodes says. I call Pepper, telling her we have Tony. She promises to keep his rescue a secret. At the press release, everyone will learn of Tony's survival. Until then, Tony needs to debrief.
"How did you find me?" Tony asks.
"Bomba helped narrow the field," Rhodes replies, giving me more credit than I deserve.
"I had help from Diesel," I quickly deflect. Tony nods. I know he appreciates us finding him before the enemy. Something is niggling in my mind. Who sold Tony to the enemy? I want to find that bastard and make him pay. Tony touches my hand, pulling me from my thoughts of espionage and betrayal.
"Me too," he says. I wonder if Tony can read my mind. Tony shakes his head, not really disproving my thoughts. Maybe I can ESP with Tony. He nods. I realize my hand is on his chest, and I'm feeling the energy from the device keeping him alive. Tony's eyes are pleading with me to remain quiet. He thinks about the events, and I can see them in my mind as though he's playing a recording of everything he saw. I feel Obadiah Stane is behind the kidnapping and must find out what he has done to Tony and Stark Industries.
Tony doesn't know who to trust besides me. I know he can rely on Pepper Potts. She's one of the few he can truly rely on to help. My job is security, and it will look poorly on me if I suddenly investigate the projects within the Stark Industries' design team and engineers.
I vow to help Happy keep Stark Industries from being overtaken by Obadiah Stane, which Tony believes is the driving force. Tony releases my hand, and I let it drop to my lap. We remain silent as we return to the Air Force base before flying home on a military jet.
Pepper Potts is awaiting our arrival. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and Tony notices. It seems things might change between them. I can only hope they pull their heads from their asses and take a chance at the love I can see as clear as day.
Unfortunately, things don't go according to plan. Tony hides in his basement workshop to work on a secret project. Pepper is aware of what Tony is building, and I suspect it's an improved version of the suit he constructed while the Ten Rings organization held him captive. Instead of making them a Jericho missile, Tony used the materials to build a suit to escape captivity. He reluctantly disclosed the information during the debrief.
Obadiah Stane bumped Tony out of the board of directors for Stark Industries and renamed the company after Tony declared Stark Industries wouldn't be building weapons. We had to learn what Obadiah planned for the company.
After showing Pepper Potts what he was creating, Tony asks her to use the computer in his office to uncover Obadiah's plans. I contacted Natasha, who got Nick Fury to dispatch Phil Coulson to get Stark Industries on their side. It didn't work. Pepper brushes off Phil, but she schedules an appointment a few months later. I know she's doing this because she wants to ensure Tony is in a healthy headspace.
I'm assisting the Army on a covert mission when Obadiah Stane shows his hand. He hires a team of engineers to recreate the palm-sized arc reactor Tony Stark built to power the suit. The technology exists because of a larger device powering the New York Stark Industries building.
"What are we looking for?" I ask my commanding officer.
"The Ten Rings organization," he replies. I take him to the area northeast of where we picked up Tony Stark, but the cave is empty. There is no sign of the organization, only scraps of metal from the destruction Tony caused during his escape. We had no answers, and I couldn't tap into my mind to find the ringleader. The image I viewed in my mind never provided a clear picture of the man responsible. His face is always obscured by fabric covering his nose and mouth.
I try to assist for all I'm worth but fall short of locating the man. There is only one thing left to do. My commanding officer finally lets me contact Tony Stark. He promises to have intel within a few days. It will take convincing Pepper Potts to find the information on the company's server. Tony thinks Obadiah Stane is responsible for his kidnapping. I try to pull that memory from Tony's playback forward but can't get past the language to interpret.
We received intel that a flying robot joined the battle of Gulmira in Afghanistan. It's heavy and hot between the residents and the Ten Rings organization. The robot, someone later called Iron Man, dismantled the terrorist forces that had taken over the village.
I'm in the control base room, where Rhodes and his superiors order two Air Force fighter jets to attack the bogie. A plane hits the bogie and catches fire. The pilot ejects and is unable to engage the chute. As the second fighter jet shoots the bogie, it plunges to reach the plummeting pilot and employs the parachute to save him. Rhodes is shocked when Tony Stark calls, asking him to stop the attack. The military has to issue a press release to describe the situation as a training exercise. I know Rhodes isn't happy about the cover-up.
Obadiah's reaction to the battle in Gulmira sparks my spidey senses. Something about the man is shady. When I met him a few years ago, he set off my spidey senses. It's worse now. Stane is not America's friend. I can feel it in my bones.
While focusing on Obadiah Stane, I sense him in Afghanistan. I give the coordinates to my commanding officer, and we find a place to hide while Obadiah speaks to the man he hired to kidnap and murder Tony Stark. We lie in wait for Obadiah to leave. Then, we watch as Obadiah's guards murder the leader of the Ten Rings organization. Everything got recorded to use against Stane. We ensure everything gets cleaned up before returning home.
I'm not surprised when Pepper Potts collects the intel while we're tracking Obadiah Stane. SHIELD is on-site, helping Pepper find the weapon Iron suit Obadiah created. It resembles Tony's Iron Man suit, but it's significantly bigger. Tony arrives and orders Pepper to safety.
Obadiah and Tony fight in the streets. While Obadiah is causing collateral damage wearing his Iron Monger suit, Tony saves the civilians. He leads Obadiah into the sky, hoping to make the suit ice. Tony's successful as Obadiah plummets to the ground. Unfortunately, Obadiah's suit defrosts, and he safely lands to attack Tony. I'm directing the civilians from the area while Colonel James Rhodes keeps the military from getting involved.
I can hear the conversation between Pepper and Tony. "Overload the reactor and blast the roof," Tony suggests.
"Well, how are you going to do that?" Pepper asks.
"You're going to do it," I intervene. "Tony, concentrate on Iron Monger. I'll help Pepper."
"Go to the central console. Open up all the circuits. When Tony gets clear of the roof, I'll let you know. You're going to hit the master bypass button. It's going to fry everything up there."
"Okay. I'm going in now," Pepper replies.
"Make sure you wait till I clear the roof. I'll buy you some time," Tony warns.
I enter Stark Industries and position myself to protect Pepper as she pulls all the switches as I direct. She goes to the console to press several buttons to overload the system. Pepper turns all the switches to maximum. While she's getting everything ready, Obadiah tries to kill Tony. "It's ready, Tony. Get off the roof," Pepper orders.
Tony falls through the roof as Obadiah destroys the glass ceiling. I move to help Tony. "No, Bomba. Prepare to protect Potts. Time to hit the button," Tony says. Pepper's worried about Tony dying. He tells her to do it anyway. She presses the button and runs. I draw energy from the pulse radiating from the arc reactor to push Tony out of the way.
It's sheer luck that the energy expelled by the core doesn't electrocute Tony. I help Pepper leave the building as Obadiah crashes through the roof, landing on the arc reactor. I shield her with my body as the building gets destroyed by the fire. We find Tony Stark passed out on the roof.
The following afternoon, Rhodes issued a press release telling everyone, "You've all received the official statement of what occurred at Stark Industries last night. There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the arc reactor. Fortunately, a member of Tony Stark's personal security staff was inside the suit and shut down the reactor before it could cause more damage to the surrounding area. The only confirmed casualty is Obadiah Stane."
Colonel Rhodes asks Tony Stark to say a few words. Pepper and I are watching the interview and gasp when he confesses to being Iron Man, the man in the suit.