No-one dared disturb Shan, the mood she was in. They just left her to pace up and down in her office. Sandy ran things in her absence, Vicky ‘holding the fort’ when she had to go home to take care of Megan.

Shan, still seething, came to a decision. She rang a number…

“Have you any idea what time it is…?”, a sleepy voice answered.

Shan just said one word; “Jackrabbit.”

“Where and when?”, said the voice, suddenly wide awake.

“Here, now”, replied Shan, hanging  up.

Less than ten minutes later, there was the sound of a motorcycle pulling up outside. Then the sound of heavy steps…

The six-foot, leather-clad amazon stomped into the room.

“You needed me, I came”, she said.

Stephanie Hillier was a private investigator, as well as a biker. Now, she was a mercenary…

Shan just wordlessly took her into the medical bay, where Vicky was looking after Stacey and Lisa. Stephanie’s face twisted. Both Stacey and Lisa were good friends…

Shan then took Stephanie back into her office and gestured at the sofa. The two women sat.

“Some bastard is out to get me”, she said. “She’s doing it by attacking my friends. She did have a go at me first, but we managed to get me free. Now, I realise it was just a warning. My escape was way too easy…”

“It’s someone who’s been affected by the maid programme”, she said. “They keep asking me to release the maids. Ironically, the person most likely to have been able to do that was Stacey, but she can’t help us now…”

“How bad is she?”, Stephanie asked.

“Permanently brain-damaged, as far as we can tell”, Shan said, sadly. “There’s no-one in there any more…!”

“And Lisa…?”

“Paralysed from the waist down”, Shan said. “That was my fault. Her weakened body couldn’t take the strain when I smashed the statue she was sealed in…”

Shan swallowed, then looked over at Stephanie.

“You’re now chief of security here. Help me protect my friends and let’s get the bastard that’s doing this…!”

Stephanie rested her hand on Shan’s shoulder. “I know you’ve got my back”, she said. Then, in a rare moment of weakness, Shan sagged against Stephanie, tears in her eyes. “Thanks for coming, mum…”

“Of course, kiddo”, Stephanie said, running her hands through Shan’s hair…