It’s 1996, and Mark Vincent, senior special agent of the Washington Bureau of Investigation and Security, is sent on assignment to Prague to cancel the head of a terrorist organization. He has no doubt it will be a simple operation. After all, he’s the best, isn’t he? Only another member of the WBIS gets involved, and when everything goes south -- including the loss of valued members of his team -- Mark vows to destroy the man responsible for this debacle. Refused permission to return to the States and ordered to take time off to decompress, Mark heads to Paris, where he meets an attractive rent boy who introduces himself as Louis. Unable to resist, Mark, portraying an ordinary businessman, gives his name as Rick, and they spend the week together. However, neither man is what he portrays himself as. With this unlikely pair, can this be the start of a beautiful friendship?

The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

"Who...." He licked his lips. "Who are they? I don't know any agents by that name."


He stared at me blankly, and I reached into his suit jacket. His revolver was under his arm. I brought the barrel to my nose and sniffed. The stupid fuck hadn't even fired it.


I thumbed off the safety and handed it to him. "Don't shoot yourself in the foot. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, loosen Stanley's tourniquet. As soon as the Cleaners get here, you can go home. I'll find Pluie and clean up your mess."


"My mess?" He tried to look as if he was the one in charge. "Do you know who I am?"


"Yeah. You're the son of a bitch responsible for this screwup." Two good men dead and two others of no use to the WBIS. I hoped in Stanley's case it was just for the time being.


Chapter 3