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

The walls were bare, with one exception. On the wall above the TV hung a case that contained a rather old, battered sword. I stepped closer to read the small plaque that was screwed into the bottom of it, and was startled by the inscription: “Owned by Basil Rathbone, and used by him in Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro.”


Mark was interested enough to own a sword with such a provenance? Now that was an intriguing bit of information.


The television was muted. Did Mark enjoy swashbucklers? I recognized Tyrone Power, dressed as a Spanish grandee. He hurled his sword to the ceiling of the room he was in, and it buried itself in the wooden beams, quivering from the force of his action.


Out of the corner of my eye I saw a dog standing guard in the corner and whirled to face it, laughing at myself when I realized it was an extremely lifelike statue. I crossed to it and crouched beside it to examine the excellent rendition thoroughly.


Chapter 87