A Fresh Start
Chapter 18
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As they left for Ranger's office, Bobby thumped his forehead. He had one of those lightbulb moments and the men all looked at him as he exclaimed, "Of course!"
"What?" Lester asked.
"Yeah. Spill."
Vince was dying to know. Bobby was a quick thinker, the medic who always kept a level head.
"Ste-pha-nie." Bobby hinted with more emphasis on her name, his hands in a pleading pose, palms open wide.
"Okay. Yes." Lester responded. "What about Stephanie?"
"Ah! I get it. He knew her name. The General." Cal recalled. Bobby nodded his head, moving his hands in the manner of go on.
"Yes." Hal remarked in bewilderment. "He did."
"Oh! Come on! Tank introduced her to us. Think." Bobby replied with a hint of a frustrated edge to his voice.
"Stephanie Plum! Holy shit. Do you think …?"
"Yup. I'd say she's the General's daughter. General Plum, Stephanie Plum." Bobby held his palms out in a "hey presto" display.
"Woah! Stephanie Plum, also known as Phoenix, is the daughter of General Plum, also known as Wolf."
They all were stunned, reflecting on what just happened, beginning with Stephanie's arrival, then Ranger's official return, and then the unexpected arrival of the General. After the initial shock of discovering Stephanie was their contact as Phoenix, they were still shaking their heads, marvelling at the talents of this classy woman who walked into their domain with so much panache. Stephanie Plum.
"Okay. Back to work while they meet in Ranger's office. Look alive!" Bobby commanded. With that command they scurried back to their respective cubicles while reflecting on the events they had just witnessed.
After checking with the guys on monitors, giving each one in turn a bathroom break, Bobby approached Lester on the way to his cubby.
"Did you see his reaction to Stephanie? Ranger?" Bobby remarked with a smile. "Just like when they were dancing. I just can't believe she saw us. We were tailing him so discreetly. She's good."
"Damn good. I was shocked when she pinned me first. I suppose Tank will brief us fully after their private meeting. Damn! Will we get mat time?"
Inside Ranger's office, everyone sat around the conference table, Stephanie sitting beside Carlos/Ranger. General Plum was standing addressing his curious audience, with only Stephanie and Hector looking more at ease.
"Tank. Your request regarding the high clearance for Stephanie and her referee is simple to answer. I am her referee. For your information, you may have figured it out by now, Stephanie is my daughter. Hector and I had set her up with an ultra-secure work station prior to their joint work with the Cadetship program, while they were at college together. Her propensity to dig deep in those background searches, along with her intuitive and exceptional profiling skills, will be an asset to your company, Ranger."
Ranger and Tank accepted the revelation in their stride, both grinning at Stephanie.
"Proud of you, Babe."
"It appears you two have already met," the General smiled.
"While I was still on leave, we met at the hotel, seemingly just by chance."
Ranger paused for a bit, giving the General a wary look, thinking, was this a set up after all? Glancing first at Carlos, Stephanie too gave her father a quizzical look, thinking along the same lines.
Frank Plum grinned, his hands in the air as if in surrender.
"Not a set-up, if you're thinking that. I had no idea you would be recuperating in the same hotel while Stephanie was getting a feel for Miami, at the same time. Yes, I booked her in that hotel which she would never have done. It was safe and most importantly, it was secure. She earned the break and I insisted on her having a mini vacation before looking for job prospects. You could say, that Fate brought you two together."
"And a cougar," Stephanie chuckled.
Ranger gave her a playful glare to which she giggled as he was trying not to roll his eyes.
"A cougar? In Miami?" Tank was amused. "A bit too far south for cougars. Although, there is the south-west panther in Florida…"
Frank grinned, already having an idea about said cougar. Hector already figured it out.
"Wrong species, Tank. This one was wearing rings and diamonds, like a $2K tennis bracelet and other expensive bling. She really wanted to get her claws into Carlos. I saved him."
Everybody, including Ranger laughed at that visual.
"Cougar indeed."
"But, to be honest, I must confess that I wanted Stephanie to seek a position here at Rangeman, which is why I sent her the official advertisement. She conducted her own job searches and, in the process, here we are. Her status as a civilian with impossibly high clearance in not only an exception but it is irregular. There was no nepotism involved.
Because I had overheard Stephanie and Hector discussing one of their investigations after dinner, where one of the searches involved a connection to one of our operatives. They were not satisfied with certain elements which seemed to have details that appeared to be doctored and cleaned up. Another connection had only five years of information which immediately set off the red flags. When I asked to see it, I realised they had stumbled on a link we had not considered in our intel on a different plane. Using my clearance initially, together they were able to take the suspicious connections, to find and trace the flaws. Our intel had been flawed or had been tampered with.
I then tasked her to search and profile another of our mission targets, for which she uncovered remarkable irregularities not discovered through our usual channels and intel. Because of that, a potentially FUBARed mission was redirected. We suspected a mole and needed an independent and unbiased search conducted. Hector and Stephanie were successful in tracing and locating the source of the misdirection as well as the mole. He was a black ops agent gone rogue. He became a mercenary for money and became a liability to national security."
Ranger nodded his head as he stared fiercely at Tank.
"Pedro Mendoza," Tank scowled.
"Roger Johnstone," Ranger scowled.
"Yes. Your previous missions together were critical, both heading FUBAR. That's why I personally handled the intel, direct to you with your Alpha Team. It was a necessary intercept. With the intense depth of her searches, and that remarkable tenacity, it enabled a successful and safer capture for those particular missions. You would have noticed the modifications," Frank added as he eyed Ranger and Tank.
They both raised their eyebrows and gave a nod to Stephanie in appreciation.
"There's more to you than meets the eye," Tank smirked. "Thanks."
"You really sold yourself short when you related your experiences and qualifications to me. Tank, I have no hesitation in approving Stephanie Plum's application, to be actioned immediately."
She smiled and nudged him with her shoulder while Tank grabbed the paperwork for Ranger to sign.
"So… you're the CEO, the Bossman of Rangeman. You didn't say."
"You didn't ask. Besides, you were being evasive about those "reputable companies" which did make me wonder. I was already thinking, have I got a job for you!"
Frank, Tank and Hector were enjoying their easy repartee. Hating to break the moment, Frank cleared his throat.
"Now that is all sorted, here is the other paperwork you need to file to make it all legal."
"Thank you, Sir," Tank replied taking the documentation and filing it accordingly.
"Would you like to stay for lunch, Sir," Ranger asked. "Ella makes a fine selection for our men."
"Thank you, Ranger. I might take a rain check on that. Places to be. You know how it goes."
He nodded to the men and kissed his daughter on the forehead, before leaving, whispering a proud, "Pumpkin," to her softly with a squeeze to her shoulder. Hector saw General Plum out the door to the elevator, knuckle bumping him with a grin. Mission accomplished were the unspoken words.
The General knew his daughter well, respecting that independent streak for which he loved her so much. He smiled as he climbed into his SUV, chuckling as he drove away, with the knowledge that the hotel where Stephanie was staying, was one of the recommended facilities used for recuperative purposes after the safe house transition. He didn't set anything up, that was the truth of it.
Post mission PTSD is a delicate matter, even for experienced, hardened and venerated soldiers like Ranger Manoso. Each case was unique, so there was not a standard formula, just a set of guidelines and recommendations. Manoso's therapist suggested the peopling transition before a full return to work was approved. Frank had been monitoring his man, Ranger, the Best of the Best, closely over the years. He recognised a lot of himself in this fine young man, in the same role as a Ranger, Best of the Best, as Wolf, as he was known in his heyday.
Ranger's recent mission was successful, but there was a cost. The collateral damage was unavoidable to the women and children of the village his target was holding hostage. Fucking coward. In a devious plan to minimise any further danger, as a diversion, Ranger allowed himself to be captured, and tortured, while his team held firm and succeeded in the rescue of the remaining victims and ultimately capturing the target. Some of the children were the same age as Ranger's younger sister, and his nephews and nieces. Moreno was captured, his soldiers killed for their filthy depraved acts. Moreno was a US citizen who preyed on innocents in the people trafficking trade, especially with the high and lucrative demands for younger victims, but was notorious for playing with his victims first. Gitmo will be too good for him, the General snarled.
Back at Rangeman, Stephanie stood up, smiling at Carlos. "You scrub up well, Carlos. I like this Armani look," as one of her hands did find its way to his lapel, sliding her fingers up and down under the silky panel. He grinned down at her.
"I was thinking the same about you. Very classy, Babe. Afterall, I only ever saw you in shorts and t-shirts most of the time, your bikini, and that lovely blue dress."
She bit her bottom lip as he recalled those details, remembering how fine he looked in just his boardshorts. She was mentally fanning herself. He knew it and grinned. Her blue eyes had that sparkle with a greater intensity he'd recognised from before. The sunscreen moment flashed through his mind. Stephanie decided a quick recovery, or redirection, was needed so a little segue was the call, to calm her hormones.
"Oh. I'm sorry. How do I address you now that you are my boss?" Her quickly hand covered her mouth in apology, after being lost, or was it lust, in the moment of their connection.
The sound of chuckles from Tank and Hector made them realise they were not alone. Of course. She rolled her eyes.
"Be aware of your surroundings, Rangeman," Tank smirked with a raised eyebrow. Stephanie blushed. Ranger couldn't resist a smile as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
"Everyone here calls me Ranger, Babe. If you are more comfortable with Carlos, please do so. What were your plans for lunch?"
That was his little redirection after that tender moment. He liked how she reacted to him.
Her confidence bounced back quickly. "I have a date for lunch already. Where, and when, shall I meet you for the five o'clock dinner with Abuela?"
Ranger's eyes darted to Hector as he returned, the sly grin was all the answer he needed. He nodded and accepted that Hector and Stephanie had already made lunch plans.
"I will collect you at 1430 at the hotel."
"Okay. I'll look forward to that. One more question," as she turned to include Tank. "When do I start?"
"Since you are still on vacation, let's make Monday your first day. In the meantime, I will arrange with Ella to get you an appropriate uniform and we can organise your own working space."
A knock at the open door revealed Ella, with a welcome smile for Stephanie. She instantly recognised the chemistry between Ranger and Stephanie, making her heart skip a hopeful beat for her nephew.
"Ella, this is Stephanie. Stephanie, Ella. Stephanie will start on Monday. Can you arrange everything she needs for uniform, including ladies-sized Kevlar, boots, thigh holster and all? Ella is our Rangeman housekeeper, and her husband Luis is our maintenance officer."
"Welcome Stephanie. It is so nice to meet you. Come with me to the sixth floor where I can check and confirm your size details, in private."
Her startled expression as she mouthed "Kevlar? Thigh holster?" to Hector was humorous, making the men grin.
"It's standard for all staff," Ella explained, "I also have my own, for unexpected contingencies. Ladies sizes have to be special orders because of our … assets," she winked as they left Ranger's office.
Not usually being a demonstrative man, Tank thumped Ranger on the shoulder, with a shit-eating grin on his visage. He was happy for his brother.
"So happy for you, man. Before you entered from the stairwell, I introduced her to the men in the control room. To think that the surveillance team we had in place so carefully, though not compromised, was spotted so adeptly by Stephanie is astounding. She identified each one! They were in mufti and she still identified them. You knew we would have a tail on your movements to keep you safe and especially any civilians you encountered, as part of the protocol. As General Plum indicated, she will be a huge asset to our investigative team. Her profiling skills are amazing, as Hector was saying to me while you two were … in your moment. That is a feature we can harness with the BGCs and more."
"Easy, Tank. It's only been a few days."
"But Abuela? Already?" Tank smiled, knowing Abuela very well.
Ranger ran a hand through his hair as he undid the leather tie, while removing his black silk tie, undoing the top buttons of his shirt, and hanging his jacket on the back of his chair. Tank waited. The only one whom Stephanie had not sighted was Hector at Little Havana, which was remarkable since she knew him. Hector was like smoke, having the ability to blend in like a chameleon. He too had taken photos which he would share with them some time later.
Ranger glanced at his 2IC, knowing he was not going to let it go, and sighed.
"OK. I offered to show Stephanie around Little Havana rather than her join one of those group tours. It was after the cougar thing and she was browsing through some tour brochures. She asked if I was familiar with Miami. It sort of grew from there. While we were salsa dancing, Abuela saw us and took some photos. You know how she loves her photography and has the knack of capturing those special moments. Well, she certainly did."
Ranger grabbed his phone and showed Abuela's photos to them.
"That's the one Steph showed us, proving that she recognised Lester being there. See, in the background, there he is. You should have seen his face when she nailed him. Priceless. But then she identified every one of the men on each watch detail. Even that Ram was our sniper! And that Hal and Cal were SEALs. Amazing. I was most impressed," Tank exclaimed.
Hector grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I'll send you the feed and you can see her in action. They were so spun out with her deductions but especially being spotted by a civilian so readily. They're expressions were hilarious."
"You will have to tell me the full story about that cougar, you know, but I'll wait," Tank grinned as he left Ranger's office, "I want more details. Besides, Rex told me it was worth it."
Ranger shook his head then dashed upstairs to change into his regular Rangeman uniform. It felt good to be back on deck. By the time he came downstairs, Hector had the feed dispatched to his computer. With Tank watching from over his shoulder, they watched the introductions being made in the control room. Tank was chuckling, enjoying the recap so much. Ranger was impressed. Her confident and diplomatic manner was evident. She wasn't accusing nor casting blame as she really did identify every single team member, remembering their names even after only one introduction. He grinned at Tank, shaking his head in disbelief, before he replayed it.
Not that he was not aware of his surroundings, he was learning how to be a normal person, a civilian doing relaxing things, with the added bonus of a lovely companion. Was he distracted? Yes. Pleasantly so. The first week for him was a bit more strained having to control the urge to constantly stop himself from assessing people, who came near, for danger or threat. With her presence, he felt the change, like she deftly cast a magic spell over him. She made him feel at ease. He finally relaxed.
A quiet knock on the door and he smiled instantly.
"All done with Ella. Seriously? Kevlar?" She rolled her eyes and then smiled.
Ranger really wanted to approach her and feel the closeness. The thought of her wearing a thigh holster was tantalising. This was a new sensation for him. But then Hector arrived and off they went, a little finger wave with a gorgeous smile as she disappeared from my doorway.
Ranger took the time to order some flowers for Abuela and a box of her favourite dark chocolates, cherry liqueurs. He was looking forward to spending time with Stephanie again this evening. But he knew his Abuela, she had an agenda. Without a doubt, dinner would be tasty.
Tank, Lester and Bobby entered his office for a debrief meeting to bring him up to par with all things Rangeman while he was on the mission and recuperating. It felt good to be back.
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