About UsBalance Most Unnatural
From the Thieves of the Thrones Series
by Glenn Hefley
Copyright 2012
Chapter One
Casey Swift isn’t looking for trouble. Not right now. She is having a salad and reading a book. She just happens to be enjoying this private luxury in the same restaurant as some of the most dangerous men in the country.
Two countries, in truth: the U.S. and Mexico.
The fact that she is sitting two tables away from these monsters of humanity, on purpose, doesn’t mean that she is looking for trouble. She would tell you that she could prove this non-intention of looking for trouble in a court of law, if you bothered to ask her.
Unfortunately her mother wasn’t interested in things like facts, only appearances. Casey had to admit, from the point of view of appearances, she certainly looked like she was putting herself in danger on purpose. Which, to her mother, meant Casey was looking for trouble.
Trouble was Casey’s job, or at least reporting trouble was her job. Her mother applauded Casey’s choice to go into Investigative Reporting, because her daughter would be in the position of meeting important men. Important, was simply a synonym for rich in her mother’s vocabulary.
It didn’t seem to occur to her mother that most of these important men Casey would meet would be on the television (very soon after making her acquaintance), uttering heartfelt and lawyer approved statements such as: ‘I am sure the American people will not be fooled by the [mountain slide of] evidence against me‘ or ‘I assure you that I had no awareness of these illegal actions [everyone in my employ, including the maid, was involved in]‘ or Casey’s favorite, ‘No comment‘. She liked that one, because it was the closest to the truth, and Casey liked truth.
In truth she was definitely not looking for trouble. She had found trouble weeks ago. The only thing she was doing right now, was keeping an eye on it, while she enjoyed an amazingly expensive garden salad and glass of water, while reading her book.
