Ranger's POV
I met with Frank to collect intel about General Phillips, whose interference by sending April on my mission, when I hand-selected my team, made the mission incomplete. My orders were to neutralize Santiago Hernandez if the forensics proved he was involved in human trafficking with his drug business.
Frank and I researched George Phillips. It seemed Phillips moved up the ranks when other deserving men were injured and unable to. Phillips used every means possible to remove his competition. I didn't understand how that was possible and wondered why it had never raised red flags. Was it merely a coincidence, as General Phillips recently claimed? We thought Phillips paid someone to do his dirty work, but we couldn't figure out who.
My instincts indicated General Phillips lied and was adept at hiding his activities. Someone uncovered his actions and reported him. I wondered who initiated the investigation. Stephanie and Mateo never mentioned having intel on General Phillips, though I knew they had something because they mentioned Allan Borland. I confirmed the familial connection when Mateo mentioned the name. It wasn't easy to find. You needed clearance to uncover that information. Thankfully, I was with General Plum, and he accessed the necessary files once I gave him the name.
He promised to investigate Allan's activities and uncover payment records, suspecting his uncle paid for the services. Frank had a friend who could conduct a financial audit without detection. Did the money come from the military or someone's private account?
"How many are after her?" Frank asked.
"Five if you include Phillips," I replied, committing the information about Borland to memory. We couldn't afford to leave a paper trail, and Frank didn't want to show his hand by printing the information. He would have to enter his code to print the paperwork, which would link directly to him. Frank and I examined the men our scouting team indicated lived in the compound. "Juan Sanchez is still alive."
"These are the others," Frank said, displaying their photographs on the screen.
"Jose Cruz and Miguel Perez aren't among the dead," I announced after examining the pictures. Frank printed the images for me to show the team.
"Rob and I will keep an eye on Phillips. Go after the biggest threat first. I'm willing to hire more men to help your team," Frank said. He shook his head and closed out of the database he accessed. Frank stood up and gestured to the door, which I understood was his dismissal.
"Thank you for your assistance, Sir," I said, shaking his extended hand.
"We can't help if this goes bad," General Frank reminded me. I sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Lester, Tank, Bobby and Ram waited until I met them outside the building. We never talked, understanding other people could hear our conversation and report to Phillips. It was our primary directive to hunt down those men to protect Stephanie. If we got called for another mission, our side quest would go on the back burner. Hopefully, we would catch them before they found Stephanie.
Once we returned to our hideaway in Miami, Lester asked, "What's the plan?"
"Our goal is to catch Hernandez's men first. We have to leave Borland for last. If we take him first, it will alert Phillips. Frank and Rob are monitoring those two men," I replied. The others nodded in agreement.
"Where do you think Juan will look first?" Ram asked.
I ran through the list of people who babysat Alex and others who cared for the child while the Army deployed Stephanie and Mateo. Our mission in Mexico was the first time Stephanie and Mateo were on the same team. We had another specialist who gathered and tested the samples with the Navy. However, we needed Stephanie's instincts to collect evidence. Frank Plum and my cousin Mateo highly recommended her.
Stephanie typically went with the Marines or the disaster relief teams to gather evidence, specifically for body identification. She often assisted the local medical examiners to determine weapons or other items used to kill people. Her previous case involved the FBI. They needed her military position to solve the case by running tests in her unit's lab faster than the local ones. The FBI often lost the trail on their unsub because they had to wait for the lab to verify they had the right man.
Watching Stephanie picking flowers was remarkable. We never realized she collected anything besides the pretty plants from the garden beds. Clarice and Hando confirmed everything we needed, including finding the body of a woman who went on vacation in Mexico and disappeared after leaving the resort. It was Strathburn's responsibility to notify her family. Unfortunately, they wouldn't have the body to bury.
Bobby wrote a list of the potential targets. He sighed as he wrote Beca at the top of the list, followed by Martha, his mom. The others added names to the list, which included every member of the Manoso, Brown and Santos families. "Would he go after Stephanie's family?" Tank asked.
"Not likely," Bobby replied. "However, we should add them to the list." I raised a brow as Bobby wrote Giorgia, Francesco, Harold, Edna, Helen, Valerie, Steve, Angie and Mary Alice on the board. "Stephanie told me about her family," Bobby said, shrugging.
"Cross off Harold," Lester said, reading the list of potential victims. "He passed away last year. Stephanie and Mateo attended only the funeral while I babysat Alex."
"I forgot," Bobby said, erasing Harold's name from the board.
"What about her other Aunts, Uncles and cousins?" Tank asked.
"She has too many, but I doubt Juan would use them for information," Bobby reasoned. I nodded my agreement. Juan would go after her immediate family before the others.
Lester wrote the list of men gunning for Stephanie. "If April weren't already dead, I would kill her for endangering our family," Lester growled. "Too many innocent children are endangered because that viper couldn't keep her mouth shut."
"Frank is monitoring the situation with Borland and Phillips," I announced. Lester promptly moved them to the bottom of the list. "We must keep him informed, but only if we're already on base in a meeting. Phillips might get suspicious if we contact Frank outside scheduled meetings."
"Why don't we send encrypted messages?" Tank asked.
"We need to secure our phones first," I answered.
Lester thought for a few minutes before suggesting, "We need to ask Hector if he could procure any encrypted phones. He's the best to ask about the newest technology."
I met Hector Alvez during my gang days in Newark. He could break into someone's house and steal their credit and bank cards without notice. The card reader he possessed allowed him to crack the PIN and withdraw cash from the accounts. Nowadays, Hector hacked into computer systems. He earned a living by breaking through the security to show weaknesses in the company's firewall and malware protection software.
"Have him check the banking activity for Allan Borland and George Phillips," I suggested.
Lester made the call, speaking in Spanish, which Hector preferred. "We need at least five encrypted phones with enough protection that nobody could hack into the call," Lester explained. "Plus bank transfer information on Allan Borland. Check his mother, Caroline Phillips."
I added, "April Stevens and her family," which Lester repeated to Hector. Lester listened for several minutes, his smile growing by the second. He laughed before ending the call.
"I don't know how he does it," Lester said. I quirked a brow, silently asking him to explain. "Hector has the phones. He'll deliver them tomorrow." Lester shook his head in amazement. "He also checked those bank accounts. We have enough evidence to lock General Phillips away for a long time."
"How?" I asked.
"His spouse, Silvio, asked Hector to hack into whatever he could to gather intel on Phillips, Borland and Stevens," Lester replied. I wasn't aware Hector got married. "Technically, they aren't married, because that isn't legal in New Jersey. They're in a committed relationship."
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "What are you not telling me?" I demanded.
"Silvio gave Stephanie the intel," Lester replied. I wasn't often surprised, but Lester's statement shocked me. Silvio was the Army's best man for gathering intelligence. He usually doesn't hand files to military personnel without the necessary clearance to review them. Proving he could read my thoughts, Lester added, "Silvio wanted Stephanie and Mateo to understand who they're up against."
Tank's brows furrowed as he tried to understand the situation and the words Lester omitted. Reading between the lines, Tank asked, "Did Phillips have anything to do with Savannah's disappearance?"
Savannah Buratti, Silvio's sister, went missing several years ago. I replied, "The last time someone saw her was at a military weapons demonstration, talking to General Phillips." Tank had been searching for Savannah since. He was convinced Phillips had something to do with her disappearance. Savannah was supposed to order the weapons for the military, but she never filed the request. Her colleague reviewed the items and asked the other Generals at the demonstration for advice on what to choose as part of the military contract with the weapons company.
"She hasn't tried to call me," Tank said, sounding more devastated than usual. I understood how he felt. Tank and Savannah were supposed to get married in a few weeks. They picked the day and paid the deposits at the venue. My best friend and second in command was trying to be optimistic, but with his fiancée missing for so long, it was hard for him to hold out hope. "It seems like she's in the witness protection program."
My brow raised in question. Tank never suggested that was a viable option. The only other option was Savannah died. Watching my friend in so much pain was the reason I didn't allow myself to have a relationship outside a one-night stand. In our line of work with the Army Rangers, we couldn't afford to be distracted. Secretly, I wanted what Mateo had with Stephanie. I believe we all did, but as long as the Army owned us, we needed to maintain distance from developing a relationship with the fairer sex.
Lester asked, "Are you sure she's still alive?"
Touching his chest, Tank replied, "I feel it in here. She's out there somewhere, waiting until it's safe enough for her to come home."
We discussed our options regarding Juan and the other goons. Picking them off without knowing much about them was a challenge. However, it was a challenge my team and I needed to keep Stephanie, Mateo and Alex safe.
I noticed Lester was itching to chase after our targets. His leg bounced while clenching and releasing his hand. It was his way of telling us that he wanted to hit the ground running. I agreed. Sitting around planning for a mission where we had no idea of where to start was not productive. "Brown or Plum?" I asked.
"Plum," Bobby replied. "Dad's home for a few weeks. He's aware of the threat and will keep Mom safe. Paul and Beca also know."
"Divide and conquer," Lester suggested. "Bobby, Ram, and I will fly to LA to protect Stephanie's nieces." Lester gave me a knowing look. We didn't want our families to know. My parents and siblings lived in Newark. Lester would ensure his parents are aware of the situation.
"Since Hector's coming here tomorrow with the phones, we should wait until he arrives before shipping out," I added. After we hammered out the details of the operative, everyone agreed. I hoped Hector would assist Tank and me.
We went to bed at midnight, promising to solidify the plans upon Hector's arrival. Before heading to bed, I contacted Ace to arrange transportation for the other guys. Then, I prayed, begging God to keep Mateo's family safe. I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Noise from the kitchen indicated Lester was cooking breakfast. My cousin likely couldn't sleep knowing his brother, nephew, and sister-in-law were in danger. He could compartmentalize with the rest of us, but even I knew it wasn't easy when it involved your immediate family.
"Have you been up long?" I asked, entering the kitchen.
"A few hours," Lester replied. I quirked a brow when I noticed the muffins and cinnamon rolls on the table.
"You baked cinnamon rolls. Did you sleep?"
Sighing, Lester confessed, "No. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Alex and Stephanie dead, with Mateo holding them as he cried in agony." Lester beat the eggs too aggressively. I gently tugged the bowl from his hands. He rolled his eyes and concentrated on cooking the sausages he had in the pan.
"What's in the oven?" I questioned.
"Home fries," he replied. Lester was going all out for breakfast. "What if we're too late?" he asked as I poured the eggs into another pan.
"Stephanie and Mateo have enough firepower to protect themselves. We aren't too late," I insisted.
"From your lips to God's ears," Lester mumbled.
We cooked breakfast in companionable silence. The others arrived as I set the table. "Shit!" Tank said when he grabbed a cinnamon roll. Bobby and Ram gave each other a knowing look. When Lester cooked, it meant he was struggling emotionally. We had seen many atrocities while running missions for Uncle Sam. Tank and I managed our emotions by sparring to release endorphins to relax the beast inside us. Bobby would hit the books to study the latest procedure in medical care. Ram would visit a shooting range and empty two magazines of ammunition. We had our coping mechanisms. Lester used baking to calm his beast.
"I called Ace. He'll fly you to LA," I announced, setting the bowl containing scrambled eggs on the table. Lester nodded while bringing the sausages and home fries to the table.
"Saves us the trouble of commissioning a flight with our service weapons," Lester reasoned. "Do we pay from our savings?"
"I have it covered," I replied. Lester's mouth popped open in shock. He knew I paid the fee for the excursion.
"But…," Lester said, stopping when I cut him off with a glare.
"I should have insisted on April remaining behind. It was my fault for continuing the mission with her on the team," I replied. "I'm responsible for the outcome."
Hector arrived as we washed the dishes. I hoped to return later, but it would be best to avoid our hideaway. We have other places to stay until Juan and his friends are dead.
"Thanks for bringing these," Lester said in Spanish as he accepted the phones.
We set up the devices and exchanged the new numbers. Lester, Bobby and Ram left after we confirmed the phones were connected to our mobile providers. I sent copies of the pictures to the men for reference. Tank and I remained behind with Hector.
"How can I help?" Hector asked, not bothering with Spanish.
"I want to find Santiago Hernandez's men, Juan Sanchez, Jose Cruz and Miguel Perez. Juan probably came here and sent Cruz and Perez to California," I explained, showing Tank and Hector the men's pictures.
"He's here," Hector said, pointing to Miguel Perez's photograph. "I passed him on Riverside heading west."
"Was anyone in the car with him?" I asked. Hector shook his head. We had to leave immediately. Perez was likely at the Browns or Santos' house. I had discounted Beca's house since Bobby had informed Paul of the situation and they lived too close to the base.
Tank and I climbed into the SUV Hector took to Miami. He drove to Riverside and headed west. We parked on the street behind the Santos's house. Hector slipped from the vehicle and disappeared into the yard. Tank walked down the block to the right; I went to the left.
We moved quickly and quietly through the neighbourhood. Most residents were at work or hiding in their houses, doing daily chores. Tank and I met at the front of my aunt's house. Hector tackled someone in the space between the houses. We rushed forward to help Hector with the man. "Don't talk," Hector hissed, speaking in Spanish. He had a knife held against Miguel Perez's neck.
"Where are the others?" I asked, pulling Miguel's hair and forcing him to look at me.
His eyes flicked to Hector before answering, "Jose went to the other house."
"Which one?" I demanded. Miguel shook his head, unwilling to answer. Hector pressed the knife against his neck, puncturing the skin.
Miguel replied, "Up the road."
Tank took off at a run toward Bobby's childhood home. For a big man, he was light on his feet. "Sanchez?" I snapped.
"Looking for the girl in LA," he replied. Hector jerked Miguel's head, breaking his neck instead of slicing it. I checked Miguel's pockets, finding keys to the car parked at the curb a few houses up the road, judging by the flashing lights when I pressed the unlock button.
"Go," Hector said.
I found the front door open when I arrived at Bobby's house. Being cautious, I slowed my pace and entered. What I saw made me laugh. General Robert Brown had Jose Cruz gagged and hogtied in the living room. "Frank's on his way," Brown announced. I shook my head and let him deal with the man.
"We found Perez," I said.
"Do you need transportation?"
"No," I replied, "Disposal."