Chapter 8

Cassie's scans had not missed all the cars gathering at the scene. When her team exited the bomb truck and got the all clear on her Tahoe, the agents in those cars headed for her like sharks after chum.

"Marshal Howard." Special Agent James Williams was the first to arrive and he had a stranger with him.

"Special Agent Williams, what a pleasure to see you again."

"Well I would think so too, if every time we met it wasn't to look into problems involving you. Let me introduce you to Special Agent Kirk Reynolds of the BATF. He will be in charge of the investigation as it involved an explosive device and a Federal Agent."

"Agent Williams, you know my Federal Status is more of an honorary position then an actual agent."

"That is probably a very good thing. You have more violent incidents than any other ten agents together."

"Agent Reynolds, how can I help you?"

"Ms. Howard, do you have any idea who would try to blow you up?"

"No I don't, anymore then I have any idea why eleven people attacked me in Idaho more than two months ago."

Cassie said nothing more and there was a moment of intense silence.

"What about just a couple weeks ago when you had to shoot three men on your property?"

"That was an easy one. The man in charge had been working for his uncle doing odd jobs. He heard about a delivery of some weapons to a rich person and thought he could pull a little home invasion. He really should have thought twice about that idea."

"I heard that you not only spotted this bomb but that you disarmed it."

"Well Sergeant Norm of the Bomb Squad said it was one of the simplest bombs. It was primarily a timer with a pressure switch if anyone tried to move it."

"Where did you get your training in demolition Ms. Howard?"

"This last summer in Idaho while I worked on a gold claim."

"Now if I had done a bomb I would have made sure I had control of it with a remote trigger such as a cell phone or pager hooked up to the battery to trigger the blasting caps with a call."

"Then there was the explosive, it was really overkill! Not only would it have taken out the Tahoe but everything around it for at least fifty feet."

"Maybe they think you are dangerous and wanted to take no chances." Agent Reynolds said.

"No, they don't know me, not really. If they did, they would never have gotten that close to me. They would have tried a Barrett 50 at a mile. Not that they would have been any more successful."

"Excuse me, Deputy Howard; I need to speak to you." Both agents turned to see the US Marshal for the District standing behind them. Cassie, of course, had sensed him coming. "Marshal Scott, this is Special Agent Williams of the FBI and Special Agent Reynolds of the BATF. Agents this is Marshal Harry Scott of the Western Judicial District of Virginia."

"Excuse us agents, I need to speak to Deputy Marshal Howard a moment." He turned and walked away.

Cassie followed him until they reached his vehicle. He turned and faced her. "Deputy, you are a trouble magnet. As soon as I can, I am going to find a way to pull that badge from you. I want you out of my district now!"

"Well sir, I am afraid that is not happening. I own several million dollars worth of property here. I am the head of two corporations which now own facilities here. Besides, I have a dinner party with the President Wednesday night to attend."

"I will mention your problems to him."

If she could have seen, she would have noticed that he turned pale with her mention of dinner with the President.

Cassie turned and left him. She returned to her Tahoe and headed back to the estate. "On your toes team, the bomber might have a 2^nd arrow for his bow.

"HQ, Security do we still have air surveillance?"

"Security, yes Ma'am we've got double eyes in the sky. You've got back up behind and in front. Those two agents are following you also."

"I'm not worried about them. Did you record the conversation with the Marshal?"

"Yes ma'am, you were letting it come through so we thought you might want it for later."

"Ma'am will the Marshal cause you problems?"

"I hate saying this, but most Marshals are just political appointees. They are not really law enforcement professionals. They just want no problems during their tenure. Most come and go with the Presidents. Now the Deputy US Marshals are the professionals; they are civil servants and work for the Department."

"So when we look at his political pull versus mine, I've got millions and my Dad. Who do you think I will bet on winning?"

"Let's get home I want to talk to my mother."

Cassie and her mother were eating dinner together. They were not alone. Her mother's assistant, Helen, and Cassie's Aide, SSgt. Schultz, were sitting at the same table.

"So Cassie, what do you think those Professors are up to?"

"It's ridiculous Mom, but I think they are planning on me getting an advanced degree as quickly as they can. I love it so far. Math, Physics and even chemistry all seem to be just different phases of the same thing."

"It's like me scanning the ground outside of the house. Then you go to a window and look out."

"If we told somebody else, they might not even understand that we were describing the very same thing just from different viewpoints."

"That's what I see when I am studying the different sciences."

"Mom, it seems to be getting easier and easier for me. I just spent an hour on the internet. I was researching some of the advanced math. I swear mom, I think I could pass any test given on calculus right now."

"It's like me being able to see more and better now than before I went blind. I can see deeper and more of Physics then I could have even imagined a year ago."

"And math is like another language, one that I had learned as a child and was now being given again. Every new theorem I am presented with takes me seconds to understand and to apply. Now I analyze every moving object around me and predict its trajectory."

"It seems to me, Cassie, like you are even more enthralled by science then you were by your new senses last year." Sarah stated.

"Yes and no. Mom, I am constantly exercising my senses now. I do it unconsciously. Right now I am scanning out to over 4 miles all around us. I'm examining a car going down State Highway 311 right now. There is a deer in the forest behind the estate. I 'see', examine and continue on. I am always stretching my abilities further, narrowing its sensitivity trying to get more details."

Cassie paused, thinking. "Mom, I can sense down to the molecular structure now. I have not been able to make out the building block yet, but I know its coming."

"One of the things about the sciences is to explain what I see and feel. Nobody has made up a manual to explain what, how and why I can do what I do. Maybe science can help me write it."

"So, science is not something new, it's a continuation of these abilities you have?"

"Yes! That's it Mom!"

"Oh my!"

"What is it Cassie?" Sarah reached over and grasped Cassie's hand in hers.

"That's it! My math and science abilities all bloomed right after I really started stretching my senses! They are connected in some way."

"My sensing abilities have to be centered in the brain. When I began to stretch it, I must have also stretched other things about my brain."

"You need to see a specialist Cassie!"

"Mom, there are no specialists in this field. I have searched and searched. No physical scientist, neurologist or similar believes in mental abilities such as ESP."

"Don't worry about me Mom; I examine my own body daily. My brain cells are just a hair more active since I started looking at this last year. Not even enough to see the difference on the charts."

"Ok, let's change the subject, Sergeant anything I should know about operations. Any problems?"

"No Ma'am, Major Woods has asked for an appointment. The subject matter is recruitment."

"Did you set up the appointment?"

"Yes, Ma'am. You will meet with her tomorrow afternoon when you return from school before your time in the dojo."

"My time in the Dojo?"

"Yes, Ma'am, Sensei Inoue has scheduled you for three workouts a week. He said you have gotten sloppy."

"Ouch, that is going to hurt."

"Yes Ma'am I believe so."

Cassie rolled over and out of her bed. She had her Glock 27 in her hand as she dropped and rolled; she had it pointed at the window as she waited. On the wall, outside of her room, a man was clinging as he slowly pulled himself up. Cassie stood and eased back to her bed. Using her left hand she picked up her comm unit earpiece and inserted it in her left ear. The Mic, a small button, she hung around her neck.

Cassie picked up the comm unit off the bedside desk and pressed the button on her comm, activating it and alerting security. In a soft voice she said.

"Cassie here, go to silent alert. We've got intruders climbing the outside of the building. One is feet from my window. We want as many alive as possible."

"Get my mother and dad covered now!"

Over her comm she heard the estate go to alert. Then she heard the returns.

"Perimeter patrol 2 is down, no response from them. Building patrol 1, no response."

"This is Building patrol 2 inside security residence we have started wakeup protocol. The Captain is up, and two of the Lieutenants are up. The other one is not here."

"This is Lieutenant Taylor; I am in the main building Security Room. All inside security have been alerted and ready to move. We are fully armed."

"This is Sensei Inoue. I have taken out three intruders behind the security residence."

"Roger that Sensei!"

"This is Shadow I am unarmored, my main gun only. Do not enter my room. Security, lights off in building. Lockdown all rooms and go to night vision."

With those instructions all the lights went out on the main building. She moved to meet the intruder just as he breached her window. Her left hand flashed out and with one jerk she had removed his night vision throwing it over her head. Then her Glock caught him barrel first in his throat. She twisted and caught him with a rear kick into his solar plexus and he was down.

"They are wearing night vision also. Security use strobe flash, eyes closed everyone." With that, Security set off the electronic light strobe. Anybody looking anywhere at the house with night vision was now blind.

"Security I need a detail, one prisoner in my room now."

"Okay, perimeter patrol 1, there are three vans parked one quarter mile away now on 311, presently one driver each."

"Building patrol 2, you've got three coming at your rear. Go to ground."

Estate patrol, we've got three more to your right going away from the house. Take them on my mark. Three, two, one, mark!"

"Main Building, we've got two on the roof trying to find a way inside. They are preparing to rappel down the east side."

Cassie scanned inside and out but could find no more intruders. That was an awfully light force to hit a place as big as this. She extended her scans further and further. She spotted a sniper in the Forest, about a mile and half away. Cassie had no patrols in the national forest.

The sniper had a Barrett 50 and she followed the barrel to its target. "Everybody down incoming fire!"

She was going through the door as it opened and Security tried to come in to recover her prisoner. One was knocked flat and she picked up the other two and carried them for about ten feet before they slid off her body. Her scan showed the sniper was reloading; he was using a single shot technique. She refused to look as she kicked her parent's bedroom door down.

"Mom! She screamed, as she sensed her Mom on the floor with her Dad holding her. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "She is okay. He got her on the side, just a really long scratch. Get him Cassie; they do not know what they have unleashed today."

She stopped her movement toward them and pivoted toward the window. It seemed impossible but she had nothing else to try. She stood in the window with no cover staring straight at the sniper a mile and half away. "I gave my warning already; you and yours are now dead."

With that she brought up her .40 caliber Glock and aimed and aligned it with the barrel of the rifle. With a squeeze, she fired. She turned back to her mother as the sniper pulled his trigger.

Three inches from exiting the barrel of the Barrett, the .50 caliber slug was met by a .40 caliber counterpart. They plugged the barrel making it worthless. The expanding gases flashed back down the barrel exploding the receiver into the sniper's face.

The fall from the blind in the tree broke his back and both legs. He lay there in agony. Every so often the thought ran through his mind, "How? How had that girl done that impossible shot?" By the time he was found there was no chance of saving his life.

The remains of his rifle were found also. The men stared at it in awe. It was obvious that something had jammed the barrel causing the back flash. But it took a lab analysis to determine what caused the blockage.

When the results came back, there was an argument over what to do with the rifle. Captain Gifford settled the question when the sergeant explained to him what had happened.

"Sergeant, get us a glass case. Mount what's left in that case and hang it in the dayroom. Put a plaque on it telling the distance, and the title. ' .40 versus .50 the .40 won!'"

"I will put up one thousand dollars to one dollar for anybody who wants to challenge The Shadow to a gun fight."

It got quiet and heads started shaking. Those with a second thought took a look at the destroyed Barrett 50.

Cassie sat beside her mother in the hospital bed in the emergency room, holding her hand. Tears ran down her cheek from her overflowing eyes. She laid her head down on the clasped hands.

She raised her head when she felt a hand pushing the hair out of her face. Sitting up she saw the smile on her mother's face. "MOM!"

"Don't scream dear, I am wounded you know."

The room filled with doctors and nurses. Cassie was pushed out of the way as they worked on her mother. She listened as her mother let them know she had enough.

Cassie's mother's initial treatment was completed and Cassie and George went with her to her hospital room.

George hugged his daughter as he pulled her out of the room. There, in the hallway, was Clint. He stepped forward and hugged her too.

"It's going to be okay Cassie."

"We know who these people are. They are a professional hit team out of Cleveland. The modern day 'Murder, Inc.', they are part of a local Mafia family there."

"Well I guess I'd better go up there and talk to them."

"I don't think so girl. From my ears to the ground, more than ten percent of the family has died since last night from car wrecks, heart attacks, burning buildings, and mugging! I mean who mugs a Mafia person? They are dying like flies."

"Cassie, look at this!" He handed her a paper. It was open to an inside news section. A single car accident on the highway from Cleveland, Ohio to Knoxville, Kentucky had killed four men."

Cassie could not read more as the ink was too thin, looking at Clint. "Read it to me."

" ... four brothers Charles, Richard, Thomas, and Prichard Howly were all killed as their car had three tires blowout at the same time causing their car to roll off a bridge."

"Howly?"

"Yeah, I've got people looking for more Howly deaths. You just don't screw with the Howards. Payback is an m ... a bitch."

"You think this is part of what led to us being attacked?"

"Your Dad does. When I told him I was hunting for any sign of who did this he told me not to bother. It was taken care of."

Cassie thought for a moment, remembering the scene of her scanning the sniper as she brought her Glock down onto the target. What had she said? "I gave my warning already; you and yours are now dead."

Yeah, she thought of the newspaper and what Clint had said. They were one and all dead men walking.

Wednesday afternoon she entered the main house after a couple hours working out in the dojo. Her focus had been so sharp that she had been able to take Sensei Inoue down three times.

"Six times next week." He said to her as she bowed off the practice mats. Her mind was busy with its routine scans of the estate. New sensors were being installed along the perimeter fences.

The forest behind the estate was also being secured. Hidden cameras, sensors, and trip wires were going in over the whole area within a mile of the estate's back boundary.

She and her sensing abilities had saved the day when they were attacked. Further investigation found that all the men involved were specially trained for infiltration and assassination. The Cleveland family was gone. Every member that knew the business was now dead. Most of their muscles were gone as well.

Cassie had taken a break for lunch at Russo and invited Pietro to join her. There, she explained what had happened at her estate. She told him that her mother had been wounded and who had taken the contract. Then she quietly told him that every man in the family would die. She further mentioned that the four men who had given them the contract were dead, and soon the deaths would flow through that family as well.

"Pietro, in Texas they say 'don't mess with Texas'. Then they follow that statement with another 'For God and the Devil's sake don't mess with The Howards.' My family is the Howards in that statement. You might pass the message on to the rest of the Families."

She had skipped school the last two days so had no idea what the two professors or the Dean of the Math department had been doing. Now she had to get dressed up for the dinner with her Dad at the White House.

Her scan had picked up Cpl. Lambskin in her rooms and the gown hanging on the dress rack in the middle of her bedroom. It took the two of them an hour to bathe her, put on makeup, and fix her hair and dress. Her body tingled after the crèmes were rubbed into her body.