"Bastards, bastards, bastards!" Despite inwardly cursing, the four security guards maintained an appearance of respect and submission, standing by the seven Upper Rank professionals and awaiting their orders. It was mid-January, the coldest time of the year. Although the sun was slowly rising, there was still an icy chill in the air that created a fog every time they breathed. The best thing to do in this weather was to hide in a warm room, snuggling with your wife under the quilts, not doggedly following a bunch of random professionals on an over seventy-kilometer investigative journey in the wee hours of the morning.