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connection to the real world. Meghan and Ash weren’t among the lucky four. The VP had asked her and Ash to remain on duty until the assignment ended. Wonderful.
    What a team they were. Wade Enders, the freckle-faced Caucasian from Ohio, passed the bar with a score of 97.8 percent. He and Ash shared the 1700 to 0100 shift. Wade’s wife was due to deliver their second child in the next few weeks, and he hoped the baby would wait until his weeks off for the arrival.
    Victor Lee came from LA, an Asian American whose computer expertise earned him the title of one of the agency’s top hackers. He’d have the 0100 to 0900 shift with Rick Norris, a handwriting expert from Nashville.
    Bob Lawson used to play linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. He had a keen mind for firearms—could take apart and put together a SIG blindfolded. He’d work with Meghan 0900 to 1700.
    Meghan, the token woman, could hit a target dead on at 1,100 feet. She thought about why she’d been chosen. Possibly her stint in Atlanta when she’d brought down a shooter who had the VP as his target. The other reason she’d been selected for this assignment might not be in her records, but the VP knew.
    The back door opened and creaked like an old man’s bones. “Connors, I want that door fixed now, or the next time I’ll rip it off its hinges.”
    Grunt work. She headed to the kitchen, but Ash met her in the arched hallway.
    â€œNot until I finish saying a few things.” He dropped two cell phones onto the wooden table. “Victor, run checks on Ethan and Chip Leonard and their cells. Those two are going to be a pain. Connors, before you see to that door, check on a vet. Ethan says one of their horses is foaling. The last thing we need is a local letting the media know what’s going on here.”
    â€œYes, sir.” She knew her job, and she understood his condescension was just warming up. “Most mares foal between 2200 and 0400. She may be in trouble.”
    â€œIf I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it. Right now, take care of finding a vet. Keep the old man happy.”
    â€œI’ll try to remember that.” She left, making sure the door didn’t bang behind her.
    This would be a long, hot assignment.

    Ash exited the hard room on the first floor off the living area. He was pleased with the windowless area designed to keep a protectee safe. Scottard Burnette had done an excellent job in stocking the room with food, water, ammunition, and medical supplies. Ash walked through the five-thousand-square-foot house, noting each room and its dimensions, the height and width of the windows, and fire exits. When Connors turned in her report about the home’s security, he wanted to make sure she completed it to his satisfaction.
    Warrington said she’d proved herself in Atlanta. Ash didn’t need the reminder. Her prominence rose three months ago during a temporary assignment. Vice President Hall had been vacationing in Atlanta when a deranged man interrupted his golf game. The VP was playing the ninth hole on a Tuesday morning when a gun-wielding cab driver raced across the grounds shouting obscenities and exhibiting deadly intent. She stopped the shooter with one shot. Sure spoiled the VP’s vacation, but his high regard for her fast thinking had carried over to a commendation from the director of Secret Service. After that, Meghan Connors had become the VP’s first choice for Lindsay’s additional team. Ash had spent the wee hours of the morning reading every detail of her file. Impressive. Even admirable.
    Her marksmanship rivaled his—accuracy of 99 percent at fifty feet, and she scored in the upper 2 percent during her last qualifying.
    Ash stared out the window at the pastures of grazing horses and black cattle. He couldn’t rid Connors from his mind. She had a double major in communications and computer science. And she’d been a part of several