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

I checked the time. McDonald’s was closed, and the places that I knew were still open were further than I cared to drive. I’d have to settle for something from a vending machine at the motel.


I unlocked my car and threw the duffel bag onto the front seat. As I slid in beside it my phone rang, and I pulled it from my jacket pocket. “Vincent.”


I dug the heel of my hand into my eyes. “Mann? No, I was just going to find a motel.”


I was too tired to rag him with “Don’t you wish you knew.” But I was surprised as hell to hear myself say, “Just outside of headquarters. Good thing I keep a change of clothes here.” I had no doubt he kept something similar at Langley.


He was silent for a moment. “That could have been you on that slab in the morgue.”


“And probably one day it will be me. But not because I couldn’t disarm my own fucking door. Listen, I’ve got to get going, Mann. Did you call for a reason?”


Chapter 118