Downtown Denver, Colorado. Peter Ash is wearing an armored vest, has a pistol strapped to his leg, a semi-automatic rifle by his side, and a large stash of drug money behind him. It's hot, the static is buzzing, and he's trying not to think about what happened last week. Ash is riding shotgun in a truck leased to Heavy Metal Protection, a security firm providing exclusive services to the growers of Colorado's newest cash crop: cannabis. Legal in the state, but illegal in many others, the industry exists in a legislative gray area. Banks are unable to extend facilities to growers without breaking federal law, which means this is an industry that runs almost entirely on cash. An industry running on cash is uniquely vulnerable to crime. Just seven days ago, Heavy Metal lost an entire vehicle, crew, and cargo. Literally lost. As in, disappeared without a trace. Armed robbery?.