After my first taste of the kind of jobs the contract provides, I decided I needed to make a few key investments.

First on my list was guns. Thankfully that wasn't as difficult an endeavor as it could have been, I attended a Gun Show held at the Embassy Suites. It probably says something about the state of things that no one blinked an eye when I showed up and asked for the best shotgun they had. Regardless, I also bought an even smaller handgun for concealed carry on my person, I don't want to deal with losing my bag and winding up defenseless. There was also an exhibit by those Sons of Salem folk, their boisterous fire and brimstone act largely fell on deaf ears but they did have something I was interested in, silver bullets. Now I'm not certain they work so I only purchased two, but at least I have something if need be.

The next thing I needed was body armor, if things had played out a little differently I could've easily taken a twelve gauge to the chest. Of course, I'm unwilling to compromise on my image of an unflappable expert so I needed to compromise with a soft-bodied concealable vest. Additionally, I acquired industrial and range-rated electronic earplugs so I don't go deaf by my thirties.

Lastly, I needed training, one must do their due diligence after all. At least once per week, I visit the range week and for no less than an hour. I've also taken up jogging in the scenic Sonoran preserve. While it is beautiful out there, it's been hard to focus on that when my first thought seeing a drinking fountain is now whether or not it's poisoned rather than how terrible it likely tastes. Ironic, that the price one pays to remain safe is often their piece of mind.