Stephanie's POV
I checked my emails and was surprised to find one from Rangeman Securities LLC. Lester sent me credentials to log into the secured server and promised they couldn't track my location through a login, especially if I used a VPN to access everything. He wanted me to research every employee in the Rangeman Atlanta branch. I chewed on my thumbnail, wondering how I was supposed to use a VPN, whatever that was, to access the Rangeman server remotely.
"What's up, Sunshine?" Diesel asked when he had brought me ginger tea to settle my stomach.
"I've been gone for a month, and now Rangeman is requesting that I run searches on their employees," I replied. "Silvio taught me how to do this before he relocated to Miami. It's boring and ass-numbing."
"But it's for your husband's company. He needs you to help him with a task only you can do without notice," Diesel said, reading the email from Lester.
"What's a VPN?" I asked.
Diesel smiled. He pointed to the Azure program he had already downloaded on his computer. "I have it set for Australia, but it bounces the signal around, preventing anyone from getting a lock on our location," Diesel explained.
"I'll have to take your word for it," I said. He showed me how to access everything through the VPN connection. Diesel kissed my forehead and promised to bring me a snack in thirty minutes. I knew he was giving me time to enter my credentials and access the secured server without him looking over my shoulder.
My ass started falling asleep while sitting on the kitchen chair, so I moved to the living room to sit in the recliner. I positioned the laptop and entered the first name, Mateo Lopez, into the search program.
"You're going to burn your legs," Diesel said. He brought me a padded board to sit on my lap. It appeared designed to hold a laptop, which would sit on your legs to work. "Do you need more information on Lopez?"
I rolled my eyes and glared at him. "No. I have enough here outside his military career. Mateo makes an insane wage at Rangeman. I don't understand why he's in financial trouble. On paper, Mateo has more than enough money to pay his bills. He lives at Rangeman, so there isn't that expense. His mother works at an accounting firm in California," I replied. "She isn't receiving money from Mateo."
"Maybe he's spending his money on hookers and drugs," Diesel suggested.
"I'm not seeing where he's doing that. His bank account doesn't show the large withdrawals that make me think that. I've checked his credit card statement, and he always paid it off. He has a lot of investments, which already doubled his money. What is his plan?"
"Do you think he's trying to buy Rangeman?" Diesel asked.
"More like saving the capital to open a company similar to Rangeman," I said, letting my spidey sense guide me. "I need to access his military background to confirm this likelihood. It feels like he's using his knowledge of Rangeman's operations to set up a competing business."
"Does he have a chance?"
Smiling, I replied, "No. I doubt he has the capital required to take on a business venture. Even Ranger had to get investors to open Rangeman. Getting a business off the ground takes a surprising amount of cash; the first two years of operation rarely earn a profit. If Mateo wants to open a security company, he will have serious competition with Rangeman unless he moves to a city where Rangeman doesn't own a branch."
"How do you know so much about business start-ups and such?" Diesel asked.
"As if you don't know," I laughed. "I have a degree in Business Administration. We learned the benefits and downfalls of building your own business from the ground up. People don't realize it often requires a few million dollars to launch the idea and run the company for two years. Plus, you have to register your company with the state and municipality, and there's a fee associated with the registration process. Unless Mateo has a background in finance or business, he has no clue what he's doing. Ranger took two years of business at Rutgers before enlisting. He knew what was required to open Rangeman before it became more than a passing thought."
Not finding anything of use in his permanent school records, I sent a request to access Mateo's military background, grinning when Fox granted permission to view the files. Fox knew I would never use the information outside the purpose of conducting a thorough search. He knew I would never betray his trust. After all, this girl loved her daddy. I learned Dad used the codename Fox when he served with the Rangers. It protected his identity. He had me swear to secrecy that I wouldn't tell anyone his codename.
The file Dad provided never showed details of Mateo's deployments. Still, I had clearance, which I have no clue how Dad arranged, to access everything else, like disciplinary actions and reports from his commanding officers. Had Ranger read these details about Mateo, he would never have given him a management role. But I know Ranger as I know myself. He would give someone a chance to prove himself. However, there was no chance of redemption if he failed to prove his worth or betrayed Ranger's trust.
"Did you find anything useful?" Diesel asked as I rubbed my temples.
"Not really," I replied. "Mateo Lopez wants it all. Everything I found shows he wants fame, money and respect. The man could have taken up acting and still not get any of those. Other than what the Army drilled into him, he never worked hard a day of his life. It explains his laid-back approach to managing Rangeman Atlanta. Mateo has let many things slide, which will eventually transfer to the clients. Ranger spent too much time building his brand to let someone like Mateo Lopez destroy everything."
"What about the money he's saving?" Diesel queried.
"The man doesn't follow Rangeman's operating procedures, so any company he tries to start will crash and burn," I replied. "With everything I uncovered and the audit on the Atlanta branch, Ranger has more than enough evidence to terminate Mateo's employment. Mateo tried to erase his actions but didn't know that the system kept backups of everything. It doesn't get overwritten."
"You should read Mateo's contract," Diesel suggested.
"Why?"
"To see if there's a non-compete clause," he replied.
Paul Hunter was thorough and mentioned every aspect of Rangeman's services. Mateo couldn't open a security business within twenty-four months of leaving Rangeman. He wasn't permitted to solicit current Rangeman clients. Mateo wasn't supposed to work in the fugitive apprehension sector, offer personal bodyguard services, or provide home or business security services. The way Hunter worded the contract, Mateo couldn't work as a mall security cop or a private investigator unless he received written consent from the Rangeman owners. I also noticed Mateo violated the terms of his contract when he took a higher percentage of the fees from the fugitive apprehension and other extra surveillance he ran in Atlanta. The audit should confirm my findings. Hopefully, Ranger could use the information I gathered to help in the lawsuit for wrongful dismissal Mateo was about to file. His bank account was dropped by a few grand, and I traced it to a lawyer in Georgia who specialized in employee rights.
"Oh boy," I muttered, wondering if the lawsuit instigated the intrusion I was making into the Rangeman Atlanta employees' lives. Ranger wasn't obligated to share that detail with me.
I continued with John Walden, the temporary manager Ranger assigned after terminating Mateo's employment. Walden was Mateo's second-in-command, but where Mateo relaxed Rangeman's rules, Walden upheld them. During his time as Atlanta manager, the company signed more client contracts, and its performance improved by twenty percent. As much as Walden improved the company, he wasn't suited for the permanent position. Walden worked best in the supporting role.
It took several hours to filter through each employee. One man stood out from the rest. He believed in Ranger's vision and worked with Walden to increase revenue. Erik Smith was a recent hire to Rangeman. His military records indicated he was an exceptional leader and tactician. He was perfect for the management role, a diamond in the rough. Two more employees showed potential. Vance Williams and Corey Fuller were strong contenders for a management role. As good as Walden was in managing Rangeman, I felt he was better suited to managing client relations. He should have alerted Ranger about Mateo's practices, which I felt deserved removal from that leadership position.
Smiling, I prepared my report and sent it to Ranger via the portal, which was a secure way to deliver the attached files to support my recommendation. According to Mateo's contract, he received two weeks of severance pay for every year with the company. It wouldn't give him the cash required to open a security firm, but it should have been enough for Mateo to leave without suing for wrongful dismissal.
Ranger should replace Walden with Smith, Williams or Fuller. The three men were hired and trained for other offices but transferred to Atlanta when Walden increased their clientele. Smith only worked ten months for Rangeman.
My phone rang a minute after I uploaded the documents. "Hi," I greeted.
"Pumpkin, I see you recommended the same men I have," Dad said.
"Why are you so invested in Rangeman's performance?" I asked. It hit me like a brick wall. Why have I never made this connection before? "Dad, that business you invested in eight years ago was Rangeman?"
"Yes," Dad replied. "I mostly stayed in the background and reviewed reports."
"Does your recent involvement have anything to do with me marrying Ranger?" I asked.
"It has everything to do with you marrying Manoso and protecting your child's future," Dad replied.
"Ranger needs to know your identity, Dad," I warned.
"Once I ordered the audit on the Atlanta branch, your husband knew," Dad laughed.
I narrowed my eyes, thought he couldn't see me, and asked, "Are you sure about that?"
"Positive. Ranger's an intelligent man. I never got involved until he married you. It isn't so much of a stretch to realize my sudden involvement was to protect my son-in-law's company," Dad explained. "Rangeman can't afford to have an employee undermine the reputation Ranger built."
"Mateo was trying to get you and Ranger to sell him the Atlanta branch. It's the only logical explanation for his actions," I said.
"I concur," Dad replied. We talked for a few more minutes until my phone beeped with another incoming call.
"I have to take this call, Daddy. It's probably Ranger," I said.
"Take care of yourself, Pumpkin. I love you," Dad replied.
"I love you, too, Daddy," I reciprocated before connecting to the next call.
"Babe," Ranger replied after my greeting.
"Hi, Carlos," I whispered. "Did you read the report?"
"Yes, and discovered you uncovered everything in a few hours, which took the audit three weeks to find," Ranger replied.
"But the audit substantiates my findings," I argued. "So…what's the plan?"
"John Walden was the acting manager of Rangeman Atlanta. He only agreed to take the position until we found a suitable replacement. Erik Smith, Vance Williams and Corey Fuller will interview for the management position. I prefer the manager to have at least one year of employment with Rangeman," Ranger said.
"Erik is best suited for the job. You can give him the position, but have someone you trust train him for two months before permanently handing over the role," I suggested.
"Who?" Ranger asked.
"Diego Santos, Lester's brother," I replied. "He knows the business inside out and could assist with the paperwork until Erik can manage independently. Erik and Vance get along really well, but I recommend Corey as the second in command. Put Vance in charge of the Human Resources in Atlanta. He's great with the other employees and will be fair when handling situations between the employees."
"Babe, you're suggesting I rearrange the management in Atlanta," Ranger chuckled.
"Carlos, my spidey sense is telling me that this is the only way to save that branch; otherwise, you'll have to cut it loose," I said. "And I think that was Mateo's goal all along."
"He undermined Rangeman Atlanta to take over?" Ranger asked incredulously.
"Yes," I replied.
"And Fox agrees with your assessment," Ranger said.
It wasn't posed as a question, but I answered, "He does," without thinking.
Laughing, Ranger said, "Babe, I know your father invested in Rangeman. I suspected he was my investor for years, but his sudden involvement with the Atlanta branch debacle cemented it."
"He said you knew," I laughed. "Are you upset he never said anything before now?"
"No. Opening a branch in Trenton makes more sense. He wanted to protect you," Ranger explained. "When I planned to open a third branch, Fox recommended Trenton, New Jersey."
"Oh? I didn't know that," I said honestly. Then again, I wasn't aware Dad owned half of Rangeman until today. "When did he suggest Trenton?"
"October 2014," Ranger replied. It was around the time E E Martin refused to pay the mob for protection, and the mob reported the company to the FBI. Within months, E E Martin was sold to Baldicott, and I lost my job when they restructured the departments.
"Wow," I gasped.
"Your job was terminated three months later," Ranger said, proving he had made the connection. "The others don't know, and I'm not planning to share that information. They will only know if your father tells them, but I don't see that happening."
I admitted, "Neither do I."
"How are you feeling today?" Ranger asked.
"Morning sickness is annoying. I'm drinking ginger tea to settle my stomach. It should only last for a few more weeks," I confessed. "Everything is progressing normally."
"Thank you," Ranger said. He hasn't mentioned progress on finding my stalker, and I wondered if I had imagined everything. Ranger must have sensed my thoughts. "Babe, I'm still searching for your stalker. He left the area."
"Do you have any leads?" I asked, praying he was close to neutralizing the threat.
"Not yet, but I'm narrowing down the list," he replied. "Babe, you need to stay hidden. Trust your spidey sense to keep you and our son safe."
"You keep calling our baby a boy. I'm beginning to believe you're right," I said. "Find him soon so I can come home."
Before hanging up, Ranger said, "Babe."