A/N: I know the Olympics are over, but I couldn't resist. Thanks to my beta and new bestie, Phillygirl27 for reviewing this and keeping me in line. She also gets credit for the story title.

Chapter 1

Stephanie Plum adjusted her goggles for the 3rd time trying to get them just right. "Come on, Plum, stopping messing around and get moving," her coach barked. Stephanie promptly shot him the bird and dove into the water.

The laughter of her teammates echoed off the walls of the natatorium as Stephanie swam the length of the pool with speed and precision. "Real nice," Coach Johnson grumbled under his breath. "I bet they're going to love that sign language down in Rio."

Nobody was laughing when Stephanie finished her 200 meter freestyle. She had just broken her own personal best by .06 seconds. Stephanie was getting closer to the world record and she knew that the Rio Olympics would be her last chance to break it.

At 28, this would be Stephanie's fourth and final Olympic Games. It was her last chance to win the title of most gold medals for a female swimmer. She already had 15 gold medals, and if she won all of her events it would bring her to total of 20.

Her competition would be tough, but Stephanie had maturity and experience in her corner, with a drive that rivals even the most serious of athletes.

Climbing out of the pool, Stephanie grabbed a towel and dried herself off. "I'm late for work," she told her coach. "You can yell at me later about my behavior."

Stephanie worked as a buyer for Macy's at Quaker Bridge Mall. She had taken the job shortly after she finished college with a degree in Business and Marketing. While her boss was very lenient with her training schedule, she didn't want to push her luck. After all, she would be gone for at least three weeks and she had a lot to get accomplished before she left.

While she enjoyed her job, she was really hoping to get a few more endorsements so that she could leave. It had always been her desire to open a school to teach children swimming and water safety. Her performance in the upcoming games would make or break her dream.

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Even though she left work that day after 6:00 p.m., Stephanie still had ninety minutes of strength training to complete before she could head home. She was tired and hungry, but still had the drive to push forward. Snacking on a banana and protein bar, Stephanie exited her SUV and quickly made her way towards the gym. Her personal trainer, Lester, would be waiting for her and she didn't like to be late.

As she rounded the corner of the building, two men in ski masks accosted her and pushed her backwards. Falling to the ground, Stephanie screamed as they began kicking her repeatedly in the head and torso. She tried to protect herself as much as possible by curling into the fetal position, but the pain was excruciating. She heard the sound of a gunshot and everything went black.

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Stephanie slowly came to awareness with a throbbing headache. She cautiously opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings; she was in a hospital room. When she tried to sit up, her ribs protested and she cried out in pain. The door to her room opened and Lester came in with another man right behind him.

"Easy, Beautiful," Lester said, "you need to be careful."

"What's going on?" Stephanie asked. "How did I get here? Are you the doctor?" she said directing her question to the man standing next to Lester.

The man stepped forward and held out his hand, "Carlos Manoso. Someone wants you dead Ms. Plum and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen." Stephanie accepted his hand as a chill snaked down her spine. "How do you know that? Where are the police?"

"Calm down, Beautiful, and I'll explain everything," Lester said. "I was waiting for you to arrive at the gym when I heard your screams. I grabbed my weapon and went to investigate. I was able to startle your attackers, but they took off. I shot one in the thigh, and the other one surrendered. I called the police and they arrested them."

"If they're in custody, why do I need security?" Stephanie questioned.

"Because they aren't the ones that want you harmed," Carlos told her. "According to law enforcement, both were hired anonymously by someone who wants you out of the picture. Do you have any enemies, Ms. Plum?"

Stephanie snorted. "Only every female freestyle swimmer competing in the Olympics. This is my final games so everyone is gunning for me."

Carlos raised an eyebrow at Stephanie. "Then it seems like I have quite the list of suspects."

"Wait a minute!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I don't really know who you are. Who hired you?"

"I did," Lester stated. "Not only is Carlos my cousin, but his company is the preeminent security and investigations firm in the industry. When you were attacked, I knew right away I needed to contact him."

"Lester, you can't just take it upon yourself to hire security for me. I already have people looking out for me, my coach, manager…"

"No offense, Ms. Plum," Carlos interrupted, "but where were they last evening?"

"Well, it's not like they can be with me 24/7," Stephanie snapped.

"I can," Carlos replied. "And when I'm not with you, one of my men will be. From now on, everywhere you go, we go."

Before Stephanie had a chance to respond, Coach Johnson burst into the room. "Stephanie I just found out what happened. Are you alright? How badly are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Coach, just a little banged up. I'll be back in the pool tomorrow."

"Are you sure? If you need more time I can make arrangements," he stated.

Stephanie adjusted herself and winced. "No, I'm good."

"You don't look so good, Steph," Lester said and turned his attention to Carlos. "Maybe I should call Bobby to have him check her out. If she needs rehab he can work with her. He has experience with the Seals and those boys know the water better than anybody."

"Hold on, Lester," Coach Johnson demanded. "I'm her water coach; I should decide what she needs. You need to back off."

"Stop it, both of you! I can't believe you're talking about me like I'm not even in the room," Stephanie shouted. "Right now I have a massive headache. I'm going to ring for some pain meds and I want all of you to leave. I'll make the decision on how I want to proceed and let you know."

Carlos quietly watched the scene unfold in front of him. This was going to be a long assignment.