Prologue

On the road again

Cassie was getting tired of driving across country. Not that she was actually driving, for one of her chauffer-bodyguards had been driving steadily for the last five hours. She shifted in her seat, easing the pressure from her hideaway gun in the small of her back.

Betty had only been with her for about six weeks. She had joined Cassie at the mining site in Idaho before Cassie had returned home to Sonora, Texas. Betty and June had been hired because Cassie knew she was going to have to do a lot of driving to get home. After her last attempt to fly on a commercial airline Cassie figured that it would be easier for all involved if she just found a way not to fly for a while.

Betty O'Keefe had retired from the Army. She had been a Master Sergeant in Army Security and Protection. June Smyth had been Betty's counterpart in the Air Force. While both were more than double Cassie's age, their years of travel all over the world acting as babysitters and guards for generals' families had made them very adaptable. They treated Cassie like she was one of those Generals' older daughters.

Cassie had watched them closely at first and she had found that the two guards loved Big Bertha. They only relaxed while inside of her and parked. Then they felt safe.

This trip to Cassie's new home to be was nerve racking. If they had not been able to find a place to relax, the job would have been almost impossible.