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

“Okay, Smitty, knock yourself out.”


He nodded, picked up a scalpel, and began speaking into the mouthpiece. “We have the body of a male, approximately….” As he went into detail, he made the first incision, starting at the shoulder and going to mid-chest, then joining it from the other shoulder and slicing down to the pubic area.


My agent and I watched. I finished my Egg McMuffin, and occasionally Matheson would fish a saltine from the package in his pocket with one hand, while he juggled his cup of coffee in the other.


The pathologist covered his mic. “You really shouldn’t be eating in here, you know.” He nodded at the look I gave him, resigned. “Right. Okay.” He went back to his work.


Chapter 123