Quinton Mann is CIA through and through. Mark Vincent is WBIS for life. There is no way they could end up as anything other than adversaries -- and yet, Quinn takes Mark out to dinner on his birthday -- the one no one is supposed to know about -- and gives him one hell of a present in the restaurant's restroom. Mark, not to be outdone, has decided to escalate this game, because it has to be a game, right? There's no way it can be anything else.<br><br>But as the game continues, as Quinn shows up to a WBIS funeral, as a friend of Mark’s penetrates the CIA computer network to get information on Quinn, as Mark breaks into Quinn's house and gives Quinn a very interesting encounter, both Quinn and Mark realize that this is becoming the most real thing in their lives.<br><br>Can they find a way to do their jobs and keep this surprising, intriguing connection?

Houseboat on the Nile

Sperling was pompous, officious, and ineffectual, but because The Boss wanted him left alone, there was no way I could get to him, even after I’d lost good men to his incompetence.


Not then, at any rate, so I bided my time.


As Choderios de LaClos said—or maybe it was the Klingons—revenge was a dish best served cold. I was still biding my time, and I knew Sperling knew that. He was getting jumpy, and jumpy men did stupid things.


I was considering who else might be involved in this when my intercom buzzed.


“Mr. Vincent, The Boss is on line 1. He called himself.” she informed me in almost hushed tones.


“Thank you.” The Boss never summoned anyone personally. Even a senior agent such as myself usually was called to his presence by his gorgon of a secretary. I pressed 1. “Sir?”


Chapter 24