A huge stainless-steel pot of coffee and a crystal pitcher of fresh orange juice were brought almost immediately to the table.

The women gave their orders to the young waitress, whose name tag said she was a Mulligan, Carol. They ordered the same thing all around, two eggs, extra crisp bacon, and a platter of the thick, Texas-style toast with fresh butter. A round bowl of the strawberry-peach jam followed. From past experience, Sam knew the bowl would be empty when they were done eating.

Slick tapped her fingers on the blue-and-white-checkered tablecloth. “Is there anyone here who doesn’t think we’re all nuts?” No one responded.

“Stop and think, what’s a year out of our lives?” Kayla said in a voice that wasn’t as blasé as it had been earlier. “We’re women. Women can do anything they set their minds to.”

“I wish I knew where it is we’re going. No one will know our whereabouts. That scares me. Maybe we should…you know, leave a message in our safe-deposit boxes or something,” Olivia said.

“I’m just starting to live, and he said we could die. I don’t want to die. My business is growing by leaps and bounds. I finally found good people to do the grunt work. Why did we sign those damn contracts?” Zoe complained.

“The spirit of adventure, maybe,” Slick said. “He’d already signed you up before we could suggest he consider the three of you. I’m starting to think it was his game plan all along. Think about it for a minute and tell me I’m wrong. Do any of you know anything at all about law enforcement?” The three Rainford wives shook their heads.

“I know what a mercenary is,” Olivia muttered. “But I never thought I was going to go into training to become one. I think…it’s one of those kill-or-be-killed things. I really don’t know if I’m capable of killing anyone.”

Sam’s head shot up. “Think of Douglas Rainford, III, and see if you still feel that way.”

Olivia laughed. “That makes me feel a lot better. Him I could kill without blinking.”

After much banter back and forth, it was confirmed that they all, including Slick, had second thoughts.

The women looked at one another. Olivia spoke first. “Why are we doing this again?”